Hudson Movie Reviews

This is one of the best classic comedy movies. If you are a fan of Gina Lollobrigida, chances are you won't be disappointed and will get to see her beauty and superb acting in this film. If you are a fan of Rock Hudson, then you will be delighted to see his humorous act in this movie. Nothing can be added to make this movie better than what it is now.

Come September is one of those very light, romantic, and comedy movies ever made. You can see this movie whenever you want a break from all the movies we get to see these days. If you will buy this DVD, I can assure you that you will see it many times and won't let dust settle on it like it happens to many of the DVDs on our shelves. Worth spending each and every penny on purchasing this title.. GO FOR IT!

You will love it.

One of those great classic comedies, never gets old, still funny and very refreshingly entertaining after all these years..

A wealthy tycoon,with many abodes, only visits his place (and part-time girlfriend) on the Italian Riveria once each year, in September. This year he arrives early to discover that his caretaker/major domo has been operating his villa as a hotel the other eleven months. And, his girlfriend (Gina Lollobrigida) is about to be married to someone else. To add to the distress, the current guests in the hotel include a group of nuns who are chaperoning three young females. Now, add three college boys in a Jeep with romance on their minds and you have the makings of a great comedy. Some vocals by the late Bobby Darin and a look at a young Joel Grey of Broadway fame. All around a great comedy.

Making the 1980's cloyingly Just Say No campaigns look decidedly high brow in comparison, these three 1930's gems are critical entertainment values.

Most of the information contained on these films is badly directed and acted (just how far can an anti-drug message be streched before the most supportive audience member looses interest) but the inherent camp value is part of the product.

Were it not for the inevitably dated appearance of the actors and sets, etc...these films would probally be shown in modern school districts across the country. Youth from all socioeconomic backgrounds (but, especially the well-to-do who have both the free time and money) are continuing to abuse drugs, much to the consternation of elected officials from all political parties, who are trying to offer policy solutions to simmilarly anxious parents and community members.

I had first heard about these films in conjunction with an introductory College American History class discussion on political propaganda in the American drug war, and after surviving cheesy special issue sitcom episodes in the early 1980's, figured I had seen everything. Boy was I sorely mistaken.

It is interesting to note the administration of an admitted former cocaine user, himself the father of two girls with highly publicized substance abuse incidents of their own has the United States Goverment once again making commericals specifically targeting pot as one of the most dangerous drugs on the market.

Just finished the three movies in a row, and there are no regrets! This DVD is fun, and more: there are nice extras including an almost finished crazed strip act, trailers, picture gallery and all, and three flicks well presented. The picture/sound quality is not at all as bad as I suspected, in fact some "quality" classics can be found released in much inferior quality. And the movies... they are great, and if you love the atmosphere of the thirties, these films, especially watched late night, give you the wonderful feeling of really attending a wild party, even without actual reefer involved. Whereas "Marihuana" is really stupid and "Reefer Madness" beautifully overblown, "Assassin of youth" is actually quite grasping. All films involve some pretty people, posh clothes and wild lindyhop. What more to be desired???

I watched this movie with my friends .... It shows great 1930s acting when facial expressions, the tone of voices, and general setup of the sets were much more important then the stupid special effects we have now. When I watched the actors getting stoned and then acting stoned I could not believe that it was an act! I would highly recommend it to anybody who likes to smoke some funny weed. Oh, by the way it shows you how to pick up chicks by getting them stoned first - I tried it myself and it works great - just like in this movie !

Sorry ladies ...

Penitentiary 2 is the best of the Penitentiary flicks. It has the drama of Rocky, the comedy of an old Rudy Ray Moore flick, and the edge of an episode of OZ (HOOOOOOAAAAH). Speaking of OZ, this flick has Ernie Hudson in it. Oh and don't let me forget to mention that this movie has the ultimate action TV hero of the 80's MR. T! My favorite character in this movie is Mr. Seldom Seems. This guy's beard is as thick and round as the afro on his head and he's always telling people not to touch him. He's got a thing about people touching him, he's sort of like Rain Man except he doesn't scream when he's hugged he just starts throwing blows. If you want to watch a classic boxing movie, then P2 is it.......OOOH YEAH, there's a drag queen and a midget in this movie also

Sometime around 1983 I was wrought with such viable emotional disturbances as dialapetes of the panchreas and triaceotomy of the plebes, the only way I could have overcome these ailments was to sell my soul to Mr. T. Who is, consequenTly, the jesus of our time. Mr. T was born of the virgin mary and will rise again in three days, to judge the living and the dead, his kingdom will have no end! Join T and all his followers to bask in the glory of his eTernal kingdom. He is eated at the right hand of the father and shall proclaim his worth to the masses through the profits. Hail T! Hail adrian! Hail satan!

This film is a cross between the "Rocky" films and Rudy Ray Moore flicks (Dolomite, The Avenging Disco Godfather... and HE does make a special appearance in this Fanaka classic). With loony character names like 'Too Sweet", 'Half-Dead' and 'Seldom Seen', this story-line is peppered with demented scenes like the scary "potato salad scene", or the dwarf-prostitute pursuit. A must see for all Mr. T fans.

I bought this movie on video for my friend Jill. I ended up watching it with her and I loved it. I don't know why it was such a flop but it is a great movie. The music is magnificent. The costumes are beautiful. And the story is the perfect blend of romance, comedy, drama, and suspense. I couldn't see anybody else in this role but Julie Andrews. It is so great to see here get down and dirty as well(you have to see it). I recommend it for any musical fan. Great Movie!

Although this has not been released yet on DVD or Video for that matter, i beleive it deserves better treatment as it is one of the best and funniest musicals ever made. Julie Andrews show stopping sexy striptease to the music of one of the greatest musicians of our time Henry Mancini's "i'll give you three guesses who loves you" is brilliant. Although this is not yet available on DVD, buy the CD, you will not regret it believe me!

The movie was one of the worst I had seen in my life. I did not have high hope for the animated series but I was very much surprised. The dialogue and, bizzarly enough, the acting are a hundred times as good as the film and the plot and characters are also much more intriguing.

This is the second season of Spawn and it is crammed full of plot developments and great characters. Sam and Twitch get more room here. But since this has stopped airing as of 1999 there has been no fourth season. It's a shame since the one thing I can be sure ofis that the story could have had one hell of a send-off when it finally climaxes.

It's more than likely in syndication somewhere so I'd start watching this if I were you. But be prepared. The violence is quite graphic and the overall tone of the stories ranges from kiddie fiddlers to satanic demons. Needless to say, it's not a cartoon for kids. It's an animated series for adults.

The DVD is in full screen format, as originally drawn and is in Dolby 5.1 surround. Todd McFarlane says in his commentary that he was working on a darker sequel for the movie. It has since not happened. But I'd keep my fingers crossed, because the toys sell like crazy and the audience is definitely there.

I remember watching this series when it aired on HBO. I was in shock at how dark and perfectly executed the mood of the "cartoon" was. This wasn't re-using frame after frame like Hanna-Barbara, it wasn't happy kiddie-fare from Disney, and it wasn't some strange art style inspired from Europe like Heavy Metal. Spawn was truly an animated series for adults, and people who could think. Don't let the spelling of other reviewers (words like "phat" and the excessive use of the letter z, e.g.) fool you into thinking this for the current MTV generation only. This is for anyone who wants to see an intelligent, dark series that probably gets away with more grim acts than many R-rated movies. Exceptional and eye-opening. You owe it to yourself to see this work of art.

This video is great, in fact, i liked spawn so much, i went out and bought myself the entire series (not all at once, of course) i even have both of the live one's, i've even got the edited animates! but, why doesn't todd ever show Melbulgia. It stinks that there is no edited Spawn 3. But you have to see this, lots of suspense, and weirdness! spawn even gets the power to change forms, is that awesome or what! And you might even fall asleep, not becuzz it's boring, but becuzz it's 2 and 1/2 hours. Almost long enough to put on two tapes, anyway, protect the cover good, because the cover is like a holographic pokemon card, the cover is pure shiney foil, even the top, sides and back. What's really awesom is that it features videos by KID ROCK and LIL' CEASE! Buy this movie, you'd have to be crazy not to.

Alfred Hitchcock again shows his mastery of the art of film making. "The Wrong Man" is done in a true documentary style..and Henry Fonda is so perfect he is scary.

With Fonda's superb low key style you will find he isnt acting at all.. he IS Manny Balestrero !. Fonda's inner rage is completely under control..and one wonders if it will ever explode..this fact sets up the tense drama to a breaking point.

The emotional breaking point is visited on his wife played by Vera Miles. The films plot has overtones of another film called " Call Northside 777" with the Police on one side and the rest of the characters on the other.

One of a kind film experience !
CP

I hope the DVD comes out really soon. "The Wrong Man" is a wonderful film filled with drama, suspense, and action. Go see it!

"The Wrong Man" is wonderful, it deserves five stars. The movie stars Henry Fonda and Vera Miles. They are both great actors. This film is actually true. It is a thriller but it is also a drama. An excellent Hitchcock film. Go see it!

My main interest in this movie was the story of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. She is a writer who is leaving her life to pursue her writing dreams and find fulfillment in publishing a novel.

Her husband is not interested in her dreams. She decides to seek solitude in an isolated orange grove in Florida. Little does she know, this will not be an ideal life. After 30 years of urban life, she is not prepared for a small Florida town.

After many rejections, Marjorie finally realizes "Gothic Novels" are not her specialty. Her agent helps her see how interesting her life actually is and she begins to write about what she knows best. In the process she falls in love, makes a best-friend, helps the community by hiring everyone who lives around her to help remodel her house and fix up her orchard.

Cross Creek is based on the best-selling memoirs of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and has some very human moments when you realize the beauty or ugliness of life. The local business man (Peter Coyote) who falls in love with her, does something so amazing. It reminded me of when my father bought my mother her first car. I only know the story, but the situation is similar. Marjorie of course is very head strong and not about to take help from another man. Until she realizes what Norton Bascomb has secretly done.

Slow-paced movie that is more "cute" than "dramatic." Although, there are a few heart-wrenching moments. I thought they dwelled too long on the party, however the chocolate cake sure did look good!

Only view this movie if you have chocolate cake in the house! Preferably decorated with candied orange slices.

Cross Creek is a film of exquisite beauty and perhaps the finest portrait of a writer ever put on celluloid. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was one of America's greatest writers, her body of work including The Sojourner, South Moon Under, Cross Creek, and the Pulitzer prize winning The Yearling. This wonderful film from director Martin Ritt (Sounder, Norma Rae) shows the struggles of a writer to find both her voice in literature and in her heart.

Mary Steenburgen gives an Oscar worthy performance as Rawlings, a writer unhappy with her life in society and the husband she has grown apart from in 1928. Her famous editor Max Perkins (Malcolm McDowell) keeps rejecting her gothic romances so she purchases a run down orange grove in Florida and after filing for divorce begins a new life in Cross Creek. What she discovers in this beautiful but harsh place will change who she is as a person and a writer.

Director Ritt stunningly captures the beauty of Cross Creek and the few people who live there. It is here that Rawlings meets her future husband Norton Bascomb (Peter Coyote) and everyone else who would inspire her great novels. Rawlings slowly becomes a part of Cross Creek herself as she cares for her orange groves and keeps writing. Her letters to Perkins are better than her romance novels he keeps rejecting and the people of Cross Creek begin to take precedent in her work.

Rip Torn gives a memorable performance as Marsh Turner and a young Dana Hill is unforgettable as Ellie May, the apple of his eye holding tightly to the last of her youthful dreams in the form of her fawn, Flag. Alfrie Woodard, as the enthusiastic Geechee, put herself on the map with her fine portrayel of Rawlings housemaid and friend. Joanna Miles is fine as Marsh's wife, a delicate woman who has slipped into a better world due to the harsh nature of life in Cross Creek.

Rawlings's empathy for a young couple struggling to survive would finally take form and be published by Perkins as Jacob's Ladder. But it would of course be the plight of Ellie May and her fawn Flag which would bring forth the American classic, The Yearling. Steenburgen's magnificent portrayel of a woman struggling for independence and searching for her voice as a writer is powerful.

Ritt's direction is sure as he mixes the humor and drama of life in Cross Creek with the inner struggle of a very unique and gutsy woman. This is a wonderful film that is an inspirational tribute to one of the most distinctive voices in American literature. This warm and lovingly filmed tribute to a great writer and the life she chose to live will never be forgotten once you see it, which you must do.

Cross Creek is the story of Marjorie Rawlings, the author of the Yearling. Set in a backwoods community in Florida in the 1920s, Ms. Rawlings sets off to write the perfect gothic romance and become a published author. She arrives at her recently purchased property in a broken down automobile to find her house is nothing more than a run down shack and her orange grove completely grown over from neglect. The conflict in the movie arises from her strong willed independence and the need to become part of the community at Cross Creek in order to survive. The characters that are part of that community and the actors and actresses that portray them is precisely what makes this film one of the best dramas ever made. The screenplay is strong, the character development is rich, and the screenplay and story line is completely convincing.

Mary Steenburgen performs the lead role with elegance and a vitality rarely found in roles like this. She has more charm than Kate Hepburn, and she manages to be so believable because she can navigate the feistiness, fear, anger, frustration, sadness, and humor of Ms. Rawlings and her adventures at Cross Creek without missing a beat. Peter Coyote plays Mr. Norton Baskin, a local innkeeper seeking her attention. Alfre Woodard brilliantly plays Geechie, her maid and manages to steal a few scenes in the process. But the two supporting performances that stand out are those of Rip Torn and Dana Hill. Torn and Hill are father and daughter from a dirt poor family try to scrap a living on the creek. They befriend Rawlings, and what results is the real life inspiration for the Yearling.

I believe this film was nominated for four Academy Award Nominations - with three acting nominations - one each for Rip Torn, Alfre Woodard, and Steenburgen. If you enjoy good drama, strong female roles, true stories, or just plain great acting, this would be a fine addition to any collection. My only disappointment with the DVD package is the film is presented in mono instead of Dolby Stereo, but the picture quality is superb. They even managed to include a short featurette. Still, I give this movie five stars, and highly recommend. It is one of my personal favorites.

At times a taut and effective thriller that seems the pattern for much of Tom Clancy's books, "Ice Station Zebra" has a fairly simple plot: a space capsule with top secret photographs crashes, prompting a race between the Soviets and Americans to recover it from the polar icecap. Yet, the tension is kept reasonably high, even as much of the movie is spent aboard the U.S. submarine carrying the recovery team. Rock Hudson is, well, rock solid as the submarine captain--cool, thoughtful, and easy-going, he plays well against the skulking but ironic British spy (a teriffic Patrick MacGoohan, essentially playing the same part he always does in the way only he seems able to) that may or may not be a saboteur. Viewers will recognize other familiar faces--Jim Brown and Ernest Borgnine among them--that root the film in the 60s, and the whole production--including the cinematography, special effects, and score by Maurice Jarre--are topnotch. The only real weaknesses to the film are the mystery of who is the double agent and an action ending that seems almost anticlimactic when compared to the genuine tension in the rest of the story. Still, it's a better espionage thriller than most of those found in theaters today.

Ice Station Zebra is one of my favorite flims next Where Eagles Dare, The Green Berets, and The Great Escape. I.S.Z. begins when Navy submarine commander James Farraday (Rock Hudson) is asked to take a British agent (Patrick McGoohan) to a remote outpost known as Ice Station Zebra to find a downed Russian satilite that contain top secret photos of Western missile installations. Tagging along with Farraday is a tough no-nonsense Marine captain, brilliantly acted by Jim Brown, fresh from his role as a prisoner turned soldier in Dirty Dozen. Also tagging along is a defecting Russian played by Oscar-winner Ernest Borgnine. And starring in a cameo in this picture is war movie veteran Lloyd Nolan who plays a U.S. admiral. This movie should have been nominated for Best Special Effects, Best Picture, Best Cinematgraphy, and for Best Sound Effects. I hope that this "lost" gem of a movie is released on DVD format. I wish they would release it in DVD. If you love action movies about the cold war, give this movie a try, I recemend it.

1968 was indeed a very busy year in terms of classic films. Films such as 2001:A Space Odyssey, Planet Of The Apes, Thunderbird 6, Romeo and Juliet, The Lost Continent, among the many. However, they were not as powerful as this Cinerama release. One that made reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes watch this movie over and over, without ever becoming bored. It is easy to understand why. Ice Station Zebra is also a favorite movie of mine, too.

Based on British novelist Alistar MacLean's classic Cold War action adventure/political thriller, the box office smash hit MGM film focuses on a downed Russian satellite in the Artic Circle region. A satellite that crashes near a British civilian weather research station known as Ice Station Zebra. The English scientists discover that the satellite contains film of Western power missile sites and other defense instillations. At the same time of the discovery, disaster hits the station in the form of explosive sabotage. Enter into the picture Captain James Ferraday and the crew of the United States Naval Submarine U.S.S. Tigerfish. Ferraday is given orders to bring British intelligence agent David Jones, former Russian agent turned defector Boris Vaslov, U.S. Marine Captain Leslie Anders and a platoon squad of Marine sharpshooters. While officially their mission is to rescue the scientists in the North Pole, unofficially, they are ordered to recover the satellite, obtain the film, and prevent it from falling into the hands of the Union Of The Soviet Socialistic Republic.

Not everything is all that it seems to be on the "rescue mission." The submarine is nearly destroyed by sabotage. When the Tigerfish arrives at Ice Station Zebra, it is soon discovered that there is a double agent among the crew and scientists. And this double agent is a madman who will stop at nothing to obtain the film and kill those who get in the way.

When both Anders and Vaslov are accidentally killed and a squad of Russian paratroopers arrive on the scene, it soon becomes a struggle to maintain the balance of world power, and prevent the Cold War from becoming a thermonuclear war between the United States of America and Soviet Russia.

Like The Guns Of Navarone, Force 10 From Navarone, and Bear Island, Ice Station Zebra is shockingly timely as tomorrow's headlines. The movie truly reflects the Cold War period of the late Sixties with powerful results. From the cold, deadly beauty of the world under the ice to the howling fury of an artic blizzard, the 1968 MGM film painstakingly records every twist and turn with upmost realism. It perfectly demonstrates how complex world politics and the balance of power can be, but most of all, it can demonstrate how something mass produced by either side can literally change the structure of our world.

If you enjoy action and adventure, as well technothrillers, cold war classics, science fiction, or just war movies in general, then you will not be disappointed by this classic form of entertainment. The race is on, so join the fun at Ice Station Zebra.

The film stars the late Rock Hudson, Ernest Borgnine, British actor Patrick McGoohan, Jim Brown, Tony Bill, Michael Rougas, Alf Kjellin, Ron Masak, William O'Connell, Jim Goodwin, Michael Mikler, Gerald S. O'Laughlin, Ted Hartley, Lloyd Haynes, and the late Lloyd Nolan.

The sound and picture quality is excellent, and so are the performances. I only gave it four stars for two reasons. First, there is not enough music to justify the price. Second, on disc two, during the faculty perfomances, there is talking during the music. One of the Drum Collective teachers talks about respecting the music, but whoever edited it has him talking during the music. This DVD is worth buying, but it is overpriced IMHO.

This is the best ever perfomance by Victor Wooten,Stieve Smith,overall it's perfect concert,and there is alive spirit of
JACO PASTORIUS !!!

This DVD is a must have for drummers and bass players. What an
incredible lineup. I have seen Dave Weckl perform a lot and I think this is his best recorded performance. Steve Smith and Victor Wooten are worth the price of this dvd by themselves. Horacio shows why he has raised the bar for latin drumset playing. And then there is Steve Gadd-no one plays the drums like he does and the camera work and sound make it like you are sitting in the audience. There are great interviews with
all of the performers and some really cool behind the scene footage. And for bass players John Patitucci and Felix Pastorius are amazing. At over 5 hours, sit back and enjoy the show.

A film by Ed Bell and Thomas Lennon

This HBO documentary is a powerful film. In the 1930's the United States government commissioned journalists to conduct interviews with those former slaves who were still living. The result was a collection of more than 16 volumes of interviews, the words of former slaves about their experiences. The interviews were transcribed with the way these men and women spoke, in their vernacular. This film is a documentary made up of actors reading some of these interviews to tell the story of slavery and what it was like for these men and women. The documentary uses photos and old video footage to augment the slave narratives. Along with the photos and video footage, we also see the actors reading the narratives, speaking in character. This film is narrated by Whoopi Goldberg and features readings by: Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Samuel L Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Jasmine Guy, Ossie Davis, Courtney B Vance, Alfe Woodard, and others.

The strongest part of this film, as you might expect, is hearing the words of the former slaves and see photographs from that time. This is powerful, powerful stuff. What is less effective is seeing the actors read the narratives. They are perfectly in character, but seeing the actors sitting there delivering the lines is less powerful than just hearing it. Unfortunately, the film also shows the actors right before and after they read the narratives. While the actors are very moved by what they have read and they are very respectful towards the material, it takes us out of the moment and pulls back from the power of the words. This only happens a couple of times, fortunately.

I would definitely recommend this film, especially to high school and college students. This should be part of the curriculum and not be ignored or skipped over, like the subject often is. These narratives are powerful and moving. Highly recommended.

The casting was perfect and the real emotion of the stars and readers seemed genuine. There is no greater history lesson on the birth of a country and its evolution than to hear first hand stories of an enslaved people. Well worth viewing.

It is hard watching stories on this subject. It is so much pain. Sometimes, it is very uncomfortable. You think, how could someone do such things. But, this somehow, felt like listening to a story from your mother, your grandmother or sister. (Hence the narrative part lives up to its name).

As I was being educated about my ancestors, I could not help but feel pride. I felt the depts of thier pain by listening to these narratives.

These people, lived without shoes, ate very little, got whipped for the smallest of "crimes," but managed to survive, and to care for one another and to build families--if only for a little while.

I bought this DVD and will buy the book. Too bad they did not offer it in a set.