MARC Movie Reviews

With such a wickedly creative and funny movie I only wonder what's taking them so long making it in to a DVD?

See this movie over and over. There are few stories in life so well told.

And there's a little Shirley Valentine in all of us...if we're lucky.

That so thoroughly expressed the proper attitude of an American addressing an old-world potentate - so far superior to the way so many Americans suck up to British royalty these days - that I cheer every time I see this scene. Needless to say, I've had a VHS copy for years and eagerly await the availability on DVD.

I first saw the film on a small black and white TV in the late 70's. Saw it on big screen a few years later at a revival festival. Have gone through three VHS copies. I teach a class in Film and Literature at the college level and W&L has always been number one on my list. This film is big spectacle adventure at its best. They truly don't make them like they used to. Now if they'll only reissue the soundtrack. My grandfather, father, and I were all career military officers.
This movie forever puts the P back in patriotism.

The film follows the story of a misfit teen named Eddie "Ragman" Weinbauer who idolizes a rock star named Sammi Curr that used to go to his high school. Sammi dies in a mysterious hotel fire but is resurrected by Eddie playing Sammi's last album backwards. Sammi helps Eddie get revenge on the popular kids, but soon, the revenge game turns deadly, and Sammi has more of a hidden agenda up his undead sleeve.

The soundtrack is awesome.
Even the song's that the bad guy sang were excellent.
If you like horror's this movie is for you.
Most of the film is not scary but it is cheesey.
It's still a classic 80's movie that everyone should own.
The film features Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne in it.

A classic soundtrack and a classic horror.

I did enjoy the first escape scene, where Luke brilliantly and mercilessly messes with the bloodhounds, and George Kennedy's performance was deserving of his Oscar. It was mainly the Luke character (figuring out his motivation) I had trouble relating to. Other than his charming smile, I found little else to appreciate about him. Unlike Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I did not find myself sympathizing with this character.

Overall, I would say this film is highly overrated and would recommend to anyone to rent it and watch it once before buying.

So why did I mark this down one star? This film deserves the DVD Special Edition treatment and all we have here is the film and a few brief production notes. This is one of Warners first releases in the DVD format and it's well overdue for a deluxe re-release with interviews, commentary, relevant documentaries and perhaps the screenplay. It's a crime that films like Road Trip get the deluxe treatment and worthy films like this miss out.

Still, this is an okay transfer and the mono sound is clear enough. If you love this film, you won't let the lack of features stop you from making a purchase anyway.

The story is rather implausible. Adam, and his six brothers Ben, Caleb, Dan, Ephraim, Frankincense, and Gideon, live alone in the Oregon back country. Adam decided to get a wife and Millie, a local girl agrees to take a chance with Adam. She gets more than she bargained for when she is expected to cook and clean for the seven barbaric men, but eventually she tames them. The six bachelor brothers deicide they too want wives and kidnap six other young ladies. Eventually the women fall in love with the men and all are married. Somehow the magic of the movie makes the viewer forget the complete political incorrectness of the film, and in reality the brothers should be facing criminal charges rather than marital bliss.

Highlights of the film include the barn raising scene where one of Hollywood's greatest dance scenes takes place-the brothers compete fore the attention of the ladies with one of the most acrobatic square dances ever conceived. The lonely feel of "I'm a Lonesome Polecat" is very convincing. DVD viewers can get the benefit of the story behind the movie which gives the viewer an appreciation of the great musical films. All in all, this is a feel good film and definitely worth the price.

I didn't realize there was such a feminist backlash to this utterly charming musical. For all you feminists out there (by the way, did I mention I really don't care for Gloria Steinem?), let's set a few things straight.

For a movie made in the 1950's (the decade that gave us high heel and pearl wearing Harriet Nelson, June Cleaver, and Donna Reed) I'd say this movie was ahead of it's time. Note that Millie is perfectly happy until she realizes that she's been deceived and must, in fact, care for SEVEN men instead of just one. Sure, she rolls up her sleeves and begins to clean without complaint, but that's what women in that period DID. Don't think the men just sat around on their bums. They had plenty of work to do as well.

But I digress. They make such pigs of themselves at dinner and don't even wait for grace. When Adam doesn't come to her aid, as a husband in that time should have, Millie makes her position known clearly by yelling and then turning the huge table of food over on some of the brothers. Did June Cleaver ever do this? I don't think so. Later, she lets Adam know she's hurt and angry by not 'sleeping alongside' him. Yeah, she forgives him kind of quick, but that's important to the plot. If she hadn't forgiven him, there would be no baby later.

Millie is the one who, much to their horror, sneaks in her new brothers' bedroom and takes their clothes to be washed, then demands they all take a bath and shave. Millie is the one who teaches them about courting. Millie is the one who prevents the first fight at the barn raising. It's because of Millie that the brothers feel guilty about the fight they did get in. Millie prevents them from entering the house after they kidnap the girls. Millie, Millie, Millie.

She's the driving force behind a picture loaded with testosterone. I'd say that's pretty liberal for the cookie-cutter '50's. Check out this movie. The choreography is outstanding, the singing is out of this world, and the comedy flows freely throughout. A great musical, but also a great movie. Oh, and, about the line dealing with the coon hunt. That is not a racial slur, as some people might think. Coon hunting is an actual sport and does take place at night. You have my word.

The story is rather implausible. Adam, and his six brothers Ben, Caleb, Dan, Ephraim, Frankincense, and Gideon, live alone in the Oregon back country. Adam decided to get a wife and Millie, a local girl agrees to take a chance with Adam. She gets more than she bargained for when she is expected to cook and clean for the seven barbaric men, but eventually she tames them. The six bachelor brothers deicide they too want wives and kidnap six other young ladies. Eventually the women fall in love with the men and all are married. Somehow the magic of the movie makes the viewer forget the complete political incorrectness of the film, and in reality the brothers should be facing criminal charges rather than marital bliss.

Highlights of the film include the barn raising scene where one of Hollywood's greatest dance scenes takes place-the brothers compete fore the attention of the ladies with one of the most acrobatic square dances ever conceived. The lonely feel of "I'm a Lonesome Polecat" is very convincing. DVD viewers can get the benefit of the story behind the movie which gives the viewer an appreciation of the great musical films. All in all, this is a feel good film and definitely worth the price.

I didn't realize there was such a feminist backlash to this utterly charming musical. For all you feminists out there (by the way, did I mention I really don't care for Gloria Steinem?), let's set a few things straight.

For a movie made in the 1950's (the decade that gave us high heel and pearl wearing Harriet Nelson, June Cleaver, and Donna Reed) I'd say this movie was ahead of it's time. Note that Millie is perfectly happy until she realizes that she's been deceived and must, in fact, care for SEVEN men instead of just one. Sure, she rolls up her sleeves and begins to clean without complaint, but that's what women in that period DID. Don't think the men just sat around on their bums. They had plenty of work to do as well.

But I digress. They make such pigs of themselves at dinner and don't even wait for grace. When Adam doesn't come to her aid, as a husband in that time should have, Millie makes her position known clearly by yelling and then turning the huge table of food over on some of the brothers. Did June Cleaver ever do this? I don't think so. Later, she lets Adam know she's hurt and angry by not 'sleeping alongside' him. Yeah, she forgives him kind of quick, but that's important to the plot. If she hadn't forgiven him, there would be no baby later.

Millie is the one who, much to their horror, sneaks in her new brothers' bedroom and takes their clothes to be washed, then demands they all take a bath and shave. Millie is the one who teaches them about courting. Millie is the one who prevents the first fight at the barn raising. It's because of Millie that the brothers feel guilty about the fight they did get in. Millie prevents them from entering the house after they kidnap the girls. Millie, Millie, Millie.

She's the driving force behind a picture loaded with testosterone. I'd say that's pretty liberal for the cookie-cutter '50's. Check out this movie. The choreography is outstanding, the singing is out of this world, and the comedy flows freely throughout. A great musical, but also a great movie. Oh, and, about the line dealing with the coon hunt. That is not a racial slur, as some people might think. Coon hunting is an actual sport and does take place at night. You have my word.

Claude Berri re-prices the landscapes and people from Marcel Pagnol's regarded novel (The Water of the Hill), all with amazing artistry and masterful direction, making this film more than a worthy sequel of its predecessor (Jean De Florette), an achievement in its own right. Bravo.
Captivating and honest, Manon of the Spring is pure true and simple revenge, a classical tale of loss and redemption, compelling the truth and much worth braveness of one single and justified deed, for one sake's peace of mind. This time, Claude Berri paints with the same brush, different emotions in the same protagonist, the slow point break of not knowing what else can you do to save yourself, down on your knees, she will only give pardon because of his love.
The cast again does an intricate and passionate work. Ives Montand, portraits Papet with the same accurate eye, only this time, sadness and sorrow are added to the spectrum, and Papet is revealed in his human ways. The amazing Daniel Auteuil gives despair and tragic sense to Ugolin, the result stands in a emotive evolution of the character. Now, we get to see the little girl that was Manon in Jean De Florette, grown to be breathtaking beauty. French actress Emmanuelle Beart, portraits the young shepherdess with dedicated understanding of such a bucolic soul, a keen and natural performance, like a wood nymph (her nude dance scene is an absolute delicatessen), the supporting cast stands firm. The problem of the movie is that it can't help to be compared with Jean De Florette, for obvious reasons. The point where this comparison hurts a little is in Manon's script and in some parts of the direction. The screenplay is actually a fine piece of work, but there are some scenes where the development of important events are carried with some easiness along with a pace that doesn't belongs to the rhythm of the story. This little problem could have been emended in the DVD edition with extra footage, but, it seems Claude Berri is quite happy with the original Cut, anyway, the film is an excellent piece of French cinema. Jean Claude-Petit limited himself to re-arrange the same music motifs that appeared in Jean De Florette, nothing more or new.
This DVD version has the same audio and visual transferring of Jean De Florette (Widescreen Letterbox Edition 2:35.1, with Dolby Digital 2.0) , not at the level of its feature, again, a new and improved version can do more justice to this beautiful film, anyway, the DVD is good enough to see it without any real problems.
So, this is the final chapter of The Water of the Hill story, a lesson of tolerance and love is what the whole story is about, and little in Cinema History, such topics had been portrait with so much conviction.

Basically, it is an epic played out in that typically French way of drama-making: close relationship between the antagonists and the force beyond their control driving the story to its inevitable end. A sort of modern take on Greek tragedy. The film also features Verdi's "Force of Destiny" as its theme tune.

As with "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Rappeneau, the director here had a great story and great cast (Yves Montand shining through). One uncharitably wonders what little he had to do in terms of creativity in such an ideal situation for any director to be in.

All in all, this is a great piece of French film making. Highly recommended to anybody who loves good film, but especially for those whose idea of France does not go beyond Paris city boundary or "Freedom Fries". You will have some idea about the French farmers by the end of this film.

By way of postscript, I believe this was Beart's film debut and she is unbelievably beautiful in this, which somewhat disturbs the film as a whole. If I am not mistaken, she married Auteil, who plays poor Ugolin in the film, in real life (now divorced). They have a twisted sense of humour over there in France...

I don't want to give too much away in this review because being able to view this film as is helps in the newness and discovery of. This storyline takes on so many turns that I found myself sitting glued to the screen.

I am a huge fan of French films and this one totally stole my heart. A must have.