Collecting Movie Reviews

It is what it is, and you certainly don't have to like it(Roger Ebert sure hates Pink Flamingos, but what does he know? He liked Star Kid). John Waters is truly a love him or hate him guy, especially where his old films are concerned. If you've never seen this, take my advice: Don't watch it with anyone prudish(unless it's for revenge), watch it with a sick freaky person like yourself. This is the kind of film that you like to watch with people to see their reactions, but you probably won't watch it alot on your own-very much like Caligula. Remember, Waters isn't afraid to show you anything and nothing is sacred to him. There are at least two scenes in Pink Flamingos that will be tattooed in your brain till the day you die(for better or worse), so be prepared. This film is labeled a comedy, but that's all a matter of taste. I know people who DO NOT think this film is funny, but very sick and disturbing. You gotta understand that it's all meant for laughs, but many aren't gonna agree with that, Bubba. Female Trouble is a little more toned down than Pink Flamingos, but not much! The Farrelly Brothers seem to be in the spotlight for grossout humor, but they have a long way to go before they can even begin to outgross the king of grossout. These two films are the proof of that.

A guy, a girl , a chicken & a toolshed. Sounds like a deranged version of "Three's company". After watching this movie, Jerry Springer will seem like wholesome entertainment. How much you enjoy this may depend on your mood & what you had for supper.
Of course, the guy with the flexible sphincter in the party scene still makes me cringe. I would like to play this movie at a nun convention & see what happens :) Excellent soundtrack !!!

female troubles is waters' masterpiece. this film (with desperate living) ranks as one of the great art films of all time right alongside dreyer's passion of joan of arc, bunuel's belle de jour, welles' citizen kane, and cocteau's orphee. waters here produced somethin akin to nothing before it and that should be said of all great art.

This movie defies the 60's with flowers, love, and music.
people who were there:

Eric Burdon and the Animals
Jefferson Airplane
The Mamas and The Papas
The Who
Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin
Canned Heat
Simon and Garfunel
The Association
Otis Redding
thats just a couple!!!

A typo that slipped past a copywriter on the back of the "Outtakes" CD in this collection has already been repeated by a reviewer here; so it can stand correction. 20,000 people more or less attended Monterey Pop over the three days of the festival, not 200,000 people. The fortunate people who attended this event sat, by modern standards, in a very small venue.

The original Monterey Pop movie was a long time favourite in the UK across 1970s and 1980s at late night cinema shows and so it was interesting to see the whole shooting match repackaged with a lot of extras, for someone who clearly only was aware of the event retrospectively from the other side of the Atlantic.

The quality both picture and sound transfer given when the original movie recording was made in 1967 are excellent. The original movie (Disc 1)is still a great record of an event which now visually looks even more like a very middle class event in a large classical/jazz concert setting - the contrast in amenities with the Woodstock concert a few years later show how much things quickly changed (plus my own memory of similar UK outdoor concerts!). Also the sheer range of talent on display with many west Coast groups getting their first taste of early stardom underlines what a pivotal event Monterey was before stadium and arena rock took their toll in later decades.

The key reason for this box set being outstanding is definitely Disc 2 with the full Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix sets in their entirety showing in abundance why they were such charismatic performers and people who saw them before their untimely deaths have such fond memories.

The third disc of Outtakes while having a perverse attraction given the sheer range of artistes represented, and with some unexpected pleasures (notably Association, Big Brother, Buffalo Springfield,and Quicksilver) which leave you beging for more from these and others who appeared and are not represented here (notably Grateful Dead and Steve Miller Band for me), sadly has too much dross (notably Blues Project, Al Kooper and Tiny Tim)and the Byrds and the Mamas and Papas reconfirming what the CDs of Monterey indicated which is these were sub-standard live performers against their peer group at that time.

Sad postscript for me is Cream's management turning down the invite for them to appear at the Festival - one of those great "what if's" comparable with the Jeff Beck Group not appearing at Woodstock I fear.

This DVD is nearly twice as expensive as the outstanding "Nova-To The Moon" DVD, yet it falls far short of what a true documentary should be. My main complaint is the liberty Producer/Director Al Reinert takes editing video and especially audio into single sequences when they clearly come from multiple sources. The effect is jarring and unpleasant, in direct contrast to the new age musical noodling of Brian Eno.

Yes, the cinematography is great, but it is certainly no better than other commonly available documentaries, as it is after all almost 100 percent 30 year old NASA footage, which is largely common to all the available documentaries.

I do grasp the concept of artistic license, but my issue here is that Reinert takes license when there is nothing to be gained. The most obnoxious single moment for me is the Apollo 13 'Houston, We've had a problem..." audio, which has added sound effects not found in the original (common through the film) and edits bits of the Apollo 13 dialogue together with the Apollo 12 lightning strike problems during launch, which in his mind, I suppose added drama, but in my mind distorts the truth and fails to tell the story of either of the two emergencies well. When unnecessary compilation and editing like this continues through the film it makes for a very muddled, less factual, film that the materiel deserves.

Some reviewers have praised the film for conveying the 'feeling' of going to the moon well. I don't really dispute that, I just think that a documentary can be factually accurate and have information accurately presented (like in the Nova special) and still be captivating. In fact I think it would be more captivating.

The DVD does have some strong points, that are unique though. One that is useful is the ability to turn on subtitles of astronaut names and selected flight controller names (although mistakes are made here too, they are generally minor). My favorite feature of the DVD by far is a section in which Al Bean (Apollo 12) describes and explains many of his Apollo paintings, which is absolutely fascinating. This alone gave the review three stars.

Overall, there are many better choices of Apollo documentaries available, especially considering the outlandish cost of the DVD. Many critics liked this film. I guess all that means is that many critics prefer a stylized, or 'Hollywood,' form of documentary.

One day in the USA there will be a revolution in entertainment. At that time we'll discover how good it feels actually to use our brains for something other than passive, thoughtless goggling at spectacles. But until then we'll continue to get things like this. Very pretty pictures, potentially an amazing set of stories, reduced to "wow, would you look at that" cliches.

This DVD is a melange of clips from Apollo VIII onwards, strung together as though it were all one disjointed mission. The footage itself is of course incredibly beautiful but there is a paucity of intellectual content. Very little information, less explanation of history and context, and ultimately it's junk food for the mind.

With the footage available a really interesting and profound video could have been assembled. But until the revolution we'll just have to get along with this "turn off your brain and open your mouth" prettiness.

I got the feeling and floated through space watching the DVD the first time. If you want to know the astronauts and other informations, just listen to the audio-commentary and turn the astronauts-identification on. But it's relaxing to watch the original-scenes with the music again and again ... it's timeless!

Every Cirque performance is worth seeing at least once, and while the DVDs can't possibly do justice to the live experience, they're entertaining momentos. I recently saw Dralion live, so I've got that reference for comparison to this DVD edition.

Strictly as a performance, Dralion is not my favorite. Not that it's bad in any way - just disappointing in the opportunities that it misses. Given the rich visuals of Eastern culture to work with, the show could have been the most beautiful of the Cirque lineup. However, it inexplicably strays into other cultures (African, Indian, etc.) and never really picks up any theme at all. Plus, while other Cirque shows follow a plot, albeit a highly conceptual one, Dralion comes off as just a series of acts, almost like a best-of or singles compilation album. Again, the performance is still wonderful to behold - it's just not the strongest one that I've seen.

The DVD presentation itself is very good. Director David Mallet maintains a very consistent look with the "Quidam" DVD that he also helmed. I'm guessing that the two were probably filmed for the same European TV broadcast purpose. The DVD also includes a couple of acts which are not always being performed live on the current North American tour of Dralion, i.e. the light bulb ballet and see saw jumps. Unfortunately, however, it has the same clown sequences as the ones included in Quidam - they're very funny, but it's a shame to have a repeat on the two discs. Finally, the DVD also makes very good use of the multiple angles feature on certain acts.

All in all, I recommend the DVD for Cirque collectors. If you're just getting into Cirque, I recommend the "Quidam" DVD instead. Or, if you really want to be awestruck, go see "O" in Las Vegas.

I have owned the original Dralion DVD for some time. I also own the DVD's of Quidam, Alegria (the show filmed in Sidney not the film) and Varekai, which I purchased toguether with this new Dralion Superbit version. Until now Dralion had been my least favorite of the four shows. Not that it was bad but its just that Quidam was so much better. My problem was that as much as I tried I could never get the same sound from my original Dralion DVD. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track was so bad that at first I returned the DVD because I guessed I had a damaged product, and it was not. However, this new Superbit version with DTS sounds so crisp and powerfull that I have just rediscovered the show in a whole new way. If you already own Dralion...the new DTS track on the Superbit version is so good that alone makes the purchase worth it. Its a completely new experience. In terms of image quality, both versions are presented in beautiful widescreen anamorphic video, however, the new Superbit version seems at times more crispier, sharp and alive with excelent color presentation. The original version has also great colors, but most of the time this new Superbit version seems to have the edge in terms of definition when compared to the original.

Dralion is a fantastic show, with this new version I cannot say that Dralion is not as good as the other four. They are completely different shows, if you buy one...eventualy you will end up owning the others, yes, they are that good.

Well, these Canadian guys have gone a long way since their steet performances.
This is the first show I saw of them, and of course I was shocked by the artistic twists a human body can make, this people don't limit themselves to perform acrobatic routines, they act, they are imbedded into their characters, and let them flow through them. But that's not even half of the show.
Besides excellent acting, one is served great live music -these guys are one of the greatest jazz players I've heard. Their music is not only to fill the holes, but to create and change the various moods one has to go through in order to fully log in the history. Excellent microphone editing also! And those singers! the strangely defined tone of the lead singer, made me think of Farinelli, with a very, but very wide dynamic range! Awesome indeed.
I thought that for being the first show I saw, it would be the one to impress me the most, boy, was I wrong... I had the chance to see Alegria live, and savour also the not-seen-on-screen flawless logistics of the crew, and then I got the DVD on Saltimbanco, Quidam, and many more... but these are other stories, later to be told.
So, what are you doing reading other people's opinion? If you have not seen it yet, get up that chair and go for it! You will regret not doing so.

awful. very cruel film.
i would never watch it again.

In a small South American town, where most of the town can barely make enough to get by, a US oil company is in desparate need of men to transport a dangerous cargo of nitroglycerin to a sister oil refinery. The only problem is that the drive is hundreds of miles over treacherous roads that have already killed many. Four drifters decide to accept the job and the $2000 that each will receive once the job is done.

Henri-Georges Clouzot's excellent direction and fine screenplay make for one of the most suspenseful films created. The four main actors also deserve much of the credit: Yves Montand and Charles Vanel portray the two Frenchman, Mario and Jo, whose relationship begins as friends, but slowly disintegrates as their trek continues. Peter van
Eyck and Folco Lulli are the other team of Bimba and Luigi whose friendship strengthens. All four give fine performances and strenghten the suspenseful moments of the film.

My only criticism of the film is that the ending seemed predictable. But, the slow buildup and nail-biting tesnion throughout more than make up for this. All in all, a great film!

There are many reviews that narrate the plot, so I am not going to repeat that; rather I just want to give my general feeling about it.
I first saw this movie in the 1970s, and found it pretty impressive, although I cannot remember if it was the original version or the edited one.
When I saw it available in the Criterion Collection, I promptly bought it. The movie is still good, still viewable. The very young Yves Montand is great. His "been there, done that" attitude is very well done.

Being a French movie, done in the 1955, (Diem Bem Phu in recent memory) it has to have an anti-american message, and it is clearly delivered and spelled out. In the scene where the accident at the oilfield is reported in the town plaza, a woman delivers a speech blaming the "gringos" for coming to town and killing people in their oilfield, and just giving them money as compensation. They then proceed to assault and mob the truck that brings the wounded to town. The fact that the oilfield is the only source of real income for the local people, is glossed over.
Of course, when the announcement for the "dangerous and well paid" job of driving the trucks comes out, people line up for it.

The first half of the movie is slow and depressing, but sets the theme quite perfectly. The second half is a slow, edge of your seat thriller. The end is typical French, dark and depressing.

If you haven't seen it, it's worth seeing. Probably not with your girlfriend though.

This extraordinary collection cotnains such essential films as 'Full Metal jacket' the original controversial 'Lolita', and the little known 'Barry Lyndon'.

Most important is the documentary that comes with this great collection. THis details the life of the mysterious Kubrick, his exile in England and his work on Eyes Wide Shut and AI. Amazing!!!

This essential collection has several landmark films. 'Shining' is arguably one of thwe simplest and best horror films ever made, and no one will forget 'Here's Johnny'. 'Barry Lyndon' has been praised for its costumes and portrayal of battle. 'Full Metal Jacket' is one of th best war films on Vietnam. '2001' is one of the most interesting and odd space films ever made with long sequences of song without dialoge. 'Dr, Strangelove' is one of the funniest films of the cold war with a great political commentary too boot. Both 'Lolita' and 'Clockwork Orange' were very controversial when they were released for thier portrayal of rape and sex and pedaphilia. Simply a landmakr collection!!! A must have for the enthusiast. Makes a great gift!

It is amazing to see all these films represented in such a great way. Kubrick has been recognized with this fantastic DVD collection. These films are essential to anyone at all interested in movies. There will never be another Stanley Kubrick, we will never see another movie that looks like these do. Take my advice, go buy this collection and enjoy the remains of the master.

This Stanley Kubrick DVD collection is, to say the least, impressive. Although this is not as complete as it could have been (Kubrick made 13 movies in all, 8 are represented here), there is still so much to delve into here.

These are not the kinds of movies you can passively watch. They take a lot out of you and sometimes rob you of your sleep. As Martin Scorcese said 'I defy anyone to turn a Kubrick movie off in the middle.'

Each movie has been beautifully restored. Sound and picture mesh perfectly in a dazzling effect that would surely suit the director's taste for aesthetics. There is not much bonus material, but you almost don't really need it. There are interviews with Cruise, Kidman, and Spielberg on the Eyes Wide Shut DVD and Vivian Kubrick's The Making Of The Shining shows up on The Shining DVD.

But the real treat lies in the 9th DVD: the Kubrick bio. The man was a hermit. His mysterious reputation stemmed from his desire to stay at home with his family and avoid the public eye at all costs. So until now, the general public never really knew who Stanley Kubrick really was, other than he was some director-guy. In this two hour documentary, the life of the legendary director unravels but never smothers you. You really do come to admire the man because not only was he treated like a god in the film industry, but he was praised as human being and simple husband/father.

This is well worth the cost. Save your dimes and go for it.

"Sullivan's Travels" tells the story of director John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea), who is very famous thanks to his mainstream comedy movies. But now he is tired of making shallow comedies, and decides to start a career of more serious movies. However, Sullivan thinks that because during all his life he has enjoyed special privileges, he doesn't actually know what is the suffering, and he is unable of make a serious social statement in his upcoming film.

So he now decides to hit the road, disguised as a tramp, and live in those conditions for a few months, and to experiment in his own flesh the lack of luxuries. In the road he meets "The Girl" (Veronica Lake), an unemployed actress who knows what is to live in those conditions, so now she decides to help him with his experiment. However, not everything is going to be that easy, because in their adventure they are going to find several obstacles that could make difficult to complete Sullivan's movie.

"Sullivan's Travels" is an entertaining movie with comedic parts and dramatic parts, with interesting situations, with an intelligent story and good performances.

Oh, this film is grand! First viewed it at about age 16, formative years & all. Made a great impact. Convinced me to pack off & live life as a hobo. Ah, the rootless life! Between "Sullivan's Travels", "Lust For Life" and Hermann Hesse novels, my character was set. Ah, youth! Oh, brother, where art thou?

One of the great screen comedies, and one in a string of absolutely brilliant comedies that Preston Sturges made in the space of only a few years, unquestionably the hottest streak any comedy director has ever gone on in a short period of time. This film contains a great deal more slapstick than his other films, and a great deal more social satire. Sturges doesn't quite mean it as a "message" picture, but in the end it does have overtones of an apologia pro vita sua as a comedy director. Sturges wants to say that he is a comedy director, and he isn't going to apologize for it, because making people laugh in hard times is one of the highest functions of art.

SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS is one of two superb comedies that Joel McCrea made with Sturges, the other being the equally outstanding THE PALM BEACH STORY. As most are aware, McCrea plays director John L. Sullivan, who has made his mark in Hollywood directing lightweight comedies, such as the "Ants in Your Pants" series. But now he wants to make a serious, "meaningful" film: O Brother! Where Art Thou? The studio head points out that Sullivan knows nothing about real life, and conceding his point without giving up his intentions, Sullivan decides to hit the road and live as a hobo in order to discover real life.

Like nearly all Sturges films (at least before his rapid and dramatic decline in late 1944), this film features an absolutely outstanding cast. His best films seem to feature a cast with literally dozens of great character actors, and this is no exception. Most of the Sturges regulars are here, like William Demarest and Robert Warwick, along with a host of others whose faces will be familiar to any Sturges fan, even if the names are not. The film also features the first major role for Veronica Lake, who enjoyed only a short career at the top, but who endures in memory as one of most stunningly beautiful women in Hollywood history, so much an icon that in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, Kim Basinger's character was a prostitute who would be with men impersonating Veronica Lake.

Most Sturges films are characterized by their rapid-fire dialog, manic pace, and enormous wit. He always wrote his own scripts, and as good as he could be as a director, he was much better as a writer. For several years before becoming a director, he distinguished himself along with Billy Wilder as perhaps the premier comic writer in Hollywood. This film contains moments that are classic Sturges. For instance, while arguing with the head of the studio about his next film, his boss makes the point that his last escapist film did well in Pittsburgh. Sullivan retorts: "What do they know in Pittsburgh." Studio Head: "They know what they like." Sullivan: "Then what are they doing in Pittsburgh." But in this film, unlike his others, Sturges dramatically slows down the pace at several points, and allows the film to take a much more serious turn, so as to make his central points about the value of making people laugh.

This is one of my favorite Hitchcock movies, along with "The 39 Steps". After purchasing the Criterion Collection version of the latter movie, I was completely impressed with the technical "magic" of the Criterion people. Picture and sound were much cleaner than my VHS copy of the movie! I purchased the Criterion transfer of "The Lady Vanishes" expecting the same level of quality. I was sorely disappointed. The picture is great, no "static", etc. But the sound is very poor, no better than my VHS tape copy. It fades in and out, especially during dialogue and then blares forth at other times. I felt, frankly, cheated after paying the premium price that Criterion DVD's command. Count me unhappy.

After a bit of a slow start, the suspense and intrigue take over. I thought the opening sequence, with everyone at the hotel, went on a bit long, but I understand it's necessary to thoroughly introduce the characters before everyone gets on the train and the real story begins. I must admit I didn't even begin to figure out what had actually happened to Miss Froy before the movie revealed it. Once the secret's out, though, the suspense doesn't stop there. A close escape, a gun battle, and a desparate flight close out the film in a truly satisfying manner.

This DVD edition shows examples of some of the 7,000 flaws that were removed from the original film when it was restored, which I found interesting to watch.

In summary, this was a gift I was very pleased to get for Christmas, being a big fan of Hitchcock.

An avalanche has delayed a trans-European train in a nameless village in an eastern European country some time before World War II. In this village there is chaos due to the sudden over crowding, which leads to a shortage of hotel rooms where visitors meet new people. At the end of the night someone is murdered under peculiar circumstances, however, the murder remains unknown to the people in the village. In the morning of the very next day someone pushes a pot that happens to land on the head of Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood), and she suffers from lightheadedness. A polite old lady, that Iris met the night before due to a disturbing musician, offers to help her on board the train and to take care of her. When Iris wakes up at a later occasion it seems like the old lady has vanished, and no one seems to know who she was. She desperately seeks aid from the very same musician, Gilbert Redman (Michael Redgrave), who disturbed her sleep the previous night. These two characters set out to find out what has happened to the lost lady. Lady Vanishes is a quick humorous thriller that offers both deep belly laughs as well as exhilarating suspense. There are moments where the humor turns to slap-stick humor that seems to go overboard, yet it balances well with the daft lead of Iris. In the end, the combination between the absurd and the serious provides a clever satire that offers an exceptional cinematic experience.

The studio has just re-released this James Bond set three so don't buy it from the scalpers here wanting two to three hundred plus dollars. Amazon will be selling the new re-release Set three as of November 17th. My advice to you is you can buy all three new re-released sets for what the scalpers here want for just this one older set three. The set itself is great. Some of the best James Bond movies are in this set. The picture and sound quality are great and they include many extra features. You can get the new sets for under one hundred dollars.

The third collection of the James Bond series has some of the best of the films, and in contrast, some of the not-so-good films. Starting off with DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER with Sean Connery as Bond, this one is somewhat lacklustre in comparison to the early 007 films, but there's still some fun to be had with some cool car chases through Vegas and an ensamble of menacing villians. The second entry into the Bond franchise, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is brilliant entertainment taken from Ian Flemming's best novel. Everything clicked in this one after the sometimes shaky DR NO (Due mostly to the increase in budget), from Connery's commanding performance, to some gripping action and the late, great Robert Shaw as a ruthless assasin. Gadgets, cool action and the entry of Q, played by Desmond LLewelyn. Masterfully constructed, FRWL is one of the greatest films ever made.
Following Roger Moore's long list of films, Timothy Dalton made his debut as the charming secret agent in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS. While the action is impressive, the film falls short of having any meaty villians. But Dalton is much closer to the mark with the character of Bond in Flemming's books. His performance, restrained at times, is a more cold portrayal than Moore. OCTOPUSSY is one of Roger Moore's better films, but John Glen's ham-fisted direction leaves the film with little in the way of inventive action. Last but not least, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. Connery is good, but not up to his usaul standards. This collection, while impressive, is perhaps best suited for hard-core fans rather than action buffs.

John Barry began his "official" scoring duties in tandem with his screen credit on FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE bringing a highly recognizable and definitive substantiating sound to the Bond series that distinguished it with his unique and inimitable musical style. That has been a hallmark, which brings a cohesive quality to the whole series even in Barry's absence. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is considered to be one of the better Bond films in the series. It follows the directorial style of DR. NO but embellishes it with layer upon layer of style, mood and a richly woven texture unique to the cinematic world of 007. Sean Connery continued his portrayal of the character in the Fleming literary mold but simultaneously continued to refine his performance adding more depth to the character's worldliness, intellect, social graces and wry humor. The plot also offers a more substantial challenge to Bond and poses a dichotomy of villainy represented by the unwitting Soviets and the independent criminal organization known as S.P.E.C.T.R.E. headed by Blofeld (named in the end credits). FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is exceptional filmmaking. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE is the fifth film in the series and gives us a resourceful and intelligent James Bond reminiscent of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE as he seeks out his contact in Japan during the early scenes. Eventually Bond falls into the mode of the impervious hero created in THUNDERBALL. In the first hour the pace is deliberate, but never boring or unentertaining, ending with Bond flying "Little Nellie," delivered by "Q," into an engaging aerial dogfight with four helicopters. As it moves into the second hour more of the science fiction and fantasy elements take center stage. The film peregrinates until it gets to the excellently filmed battle between Tanaka's ninjas and Blofeld's private army in his Volcano lair. Bond and Blofeld finally come face to face. John Barry composed one of his best scores for this film. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE contained elements of espionage, action, thrills, adventure and science fiction making it entertaining all around. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER saw Sean Connery take on the role after a one-film absence. After the very Fleming-like ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE and George Lazenby's single performance of a no-nonsense Bond, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER brought the series to a new kinder and gentler level. The plot is confusing at times but it really doesn't matter because the film does not take itself too serious. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, though not a suspense epic, remains an entertaining exposition bringing Bond into the 70s. It is also a very stylized film thanks to Ken Adam's designs for the Willard Whyte penthouse and Blofeld's cavernous mud bath lair and John Barry's above-and-beyond score. These elements were visually opulent and pleasing to the eye and ear making this an extraordinary film of universal appeal. OCTOPUSSY is a rare gem of the series. It falls somewhere between the style of FOR YOUR EYES ONLY and MOONRAKER and in some scenes even hearkens back to the subtly of GOLDFINGER. The scenes with M, Q and Moneypenny and even the confrontations with Louis Jourdan as Kamal are reminiscent of earlier days. Elements of the script go back to Fleming's short stories: "The Property of a Lady" and "Octopussy." The suspenseful and awe-inspiring pre-credit sequence is one of the best, highlighted with John Barry's pure Bondian score. Barry also did a fine job scoring the scenes involving the Soviets, which embodied an eastern block flavor reminiscent of the cold war. Roger Moore continues his own stamp on the James Bond character, which he perfected in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. Roger goes through his paces for queen and country and will not be deterred until the villain is vanquished, but he does it in such gentlemanly fashion that it continues to hit a chord with many viewers earning him continued acceptance. OCTOPUSSY is one of the most underrated films in the series as it brought true substance to the character of James Bond. In A VIEW TO A KILL your heart kind of went out for Roger. He perhaps deserved a better finale. John Barry's score is somewhat sentimentally romantic with a tinge of melancholy conceivably out of respect for Roger. The one image that remains with me from this film is when Bond carries Stacey on his back climbing down the fire truck ladder rescuing her from the burning City Hall. As corny as that scene may have looked it hearkened back to a time in films when heroes really were heroes. Christopher Walken gives a brilliant performance as the aloof and psychotic Max Zorin, a steroid child of Nazi experimentation. You really want to see him get his comeuppance. A VIEW TO A KILL is a mixture of the 80's craziness and a feeling of melancholy for what once was. It's nostalgic Bond and imaginative filmmaking. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS introduces Timothy Dalton as 007 and it brings the series back to its roots. Dalton's performance brings comparisons to Sean Connery over other actors that have filled the role. The film looks more like a product of the 60s as it brings Bond behind the "Iron Curtain" and up against the KGB. An emotionally charged pre-title sequence on the cliffs of Gibraltar introduces the new James Bond and is a highlight of the entire series. Alec Mills' rich and colorful cinematography and John Barry's best Bond score in years make this a nostalgic rebirth of James Bond and his world. The plot involves a defecting Russian general but there is more than meets the eye and Bond must use his "instincts" to the disapproval of M to ferret out the truth. Dalton immediately puts his stamp on the role as the thinking man's Bond and he displays a distinct dislike for bureaucracy but remains the ever-dedicated civil servant. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS is one of the best films of the James Bond series.

Are all you on crack or just politically correct? There is nothing scary, creepy, or remotely spine chilling about this movie. It's silly to say the least. Wow he buries them alive and that's the end. Booooooooorrrrrrrrrrrring... and I've seen a lot of scary movies. What in the hell scared you people? I would love to know. This movie isn't worth the 90 minutes I spent watching it or .02. Some people gave it 5 stars????? The Excorist deserves 5 stars, the Omen, Amityville Horror 1 and 2, Pet Sematary, the Changeling, the Fog, etc get 4 or 5 stars. This is nonsense!

OK, first of all, I'd like to agree with most everyone here that this is an excellent movie. It only barely misses getting five stars from me, which I think should be reserved only for the VERY BEST of all time. My problem with most of the reviews is that they're saying that the American remake is a worthless piece of drivel, and that just isn't true. I think that Jeff Bridges gives just as fine a performance playing the sociopath as does Donnadieu in this film, if not slightly better. Kiefer Sutherland is also just as believable as the boyfriend desperate to find out what happened to his vanished lover. And I think that the original version, if you're watching it for the first time without already knowing the story, fails to make it clear to the viewer at first that certain scenes of the sociopath's life are flashbacks leading up to the abduction, instead of occuring immediately afterwards; I saw the remake first, and I didn't have that problem.
That said, because I'm a true horror fan, I DO prefer the original's ending over the remake's. BUT - and this is a very significant BUT - it's not that the remake CHANGES the ending, it ADDS TO the ending, leading to a "happy" (if you could call it that) conclusion. And I don't think that these added scenes are pointless afterthoughts to reach a more Hollywood ending - I get the feeling that, no matter how the novel The Golden Egg ended (which I can't seem to find anywhere), Sluizer intended this to be the ending all along. Without this ending, the relationship between the sociopath and his youngest daughter, as well as a significant element of the plotline introduced in the first version, is never fully explored, and the obsessive boyfriend's new love is never more than a throwaway character.
If you've never seen either version of this movie, here is my advice : buy the original (DEFINITELY at least see it first, to more fully take in and enjoy THAT ending), then rent the remake to see the LONGER ending. It may not be the best, but it IS worth seeing.

Most movies that claim to be horror films nowadays are not that way at all. They are bloody slashfests, where the only real suspense is trying to figure out how many different ways people will die and how much blood will be spent. Most of them are totally unrealistic, so people can simply remove themselves from the possibility of the film actually happening. They can look at the film as pure fantasy. Movies like Friday the Thirteenth or Nightmare on Elm Street feature killers who can't possibly exist.

Then, we have movies like The Vanishing. I am not talking about the inferior remade American version from 1993. I mean the original Dutch/French version from 1988. This is the best horror film I have ever seen, even though there is not one drop of blood or one death on screen.

The story is pretty simple. Rex (Gene Boerverts) and Saskia (Johanna Ter Steege) are lovers taking a bicycle vacation through France. They have a small catastrophe very early in the film (run out of gas) and Rex chooses to leave her behind in a tunnel to get help. They are both rather upset when he leaves and when he returns, she is not in the car. He puts the gas back into the car and drives through the tunnel, where he sees her at the end. They make up eventually and decide to stop at a gas station for a restroom stop and just to take a break.

After coming back from the restroom, Saskia offers to go back to get them something to drink. Right before she goes in, she makes him swear that he will never abandon her again. He swears to it, she goes into the convenience store, and seemingly vanishes into thin air. He never sees her again.

At this point, the viewer probably thinks it will be a whodunit, where we try to piece together clues and figure out who the culprit is who would kidnap the girl. But no, we are introduced to the kidnapper immediately. Even more surprising is that he becomes the main focus of the movie for the next 20 minutes, while we learn about his background and his lifestyle. He has a family and is completely normal from the outside.

From here, three years pass and Rex is desperately trying to figure out what happened to Saskia. He has a new girlfriend who is sympathetic to the situation, but he can't get Saskia out of his head. He spends all his free time obsessing about her, and where she could be. It makes no sense to him. All the while, the kidnapper sends him letters telling him to meet him at certain places to find out about her. He goes each time, but never actually meets the kidnapper, because the kidnapper stays out of range, he only wants to see how badly Rex wants the answer.

Finally, out of desperation, Rex goes on TV and pleads with the kidnapper to reveal himself. He tells him he does not want to hurt him, he just wants to know what happened to Saskia. The kidnapper decides to take him up on it. He goes to Rex's house. What happens from here on is for you to learn yourself. I will say that the reasons for the kidnapping are made clear and the true horror of the movie becomes evident in the last part. The kidnapper is a real person, he could be your next door neighbor. The man has two daughters and teaches chemistry at a local university. Yet in his mind he is able to plan out in intricate detail and execute this crime. Eventually he offers Rex a choice to find out what happened to Saskia. To find out, Rex has to put himself in a vulnerable position. He makes the choice and...

He brings the movie to what has to be one of the most blood chilling endings in film history. It is completely logical and goes right along with what has gone before, but the audacity and straightforward nature of it will shock you. I promise, you won't soon forget this ending. It is criminal that the American film chose to change this ending to make it happier. As a result of this, the fates of the characters are completely different. The mystery to me is that the same director did both films. Why would he make such a great first effort and then let it be butchered so badly in this shoddy second telling?

No matter. The first film is a horror classic, belonging right up there with the greats. If you have never seen this movie, rent it or find someone with a copy. The DVD is pretty good, but unlike lots of Criterion copies with a boatload of extra features, this is rather stripped down. There is a trailor in French which is okay and an essay in the inside cover of the case, but that's pretty much it. The sound is clear and the subtitles are much better than when the film first hit video in the late eighties. Without a doubt, this is one you can't miss!