Consumer Information Movie Reviews

This is an exceptional film with an abundance of information not found in other Everest films. I used to think the short IMAX movie was the best-ever Everest documentary, but I've changed my mind after seeing this. The photography here is just as stunning, and it's 20 minutes longer than the IMAX effort. The photography here is breathtaking, and they show extensive footage of the south summit. In no other documentary have I seen the Hillary Step in such detail, especially with climbers on it.

The film focuses on a climbing party, complete with Sherpa's and the obligatory personal profiles of each climber. We follow them from Base Camp to the various points above, then descend, then ascend again gradually to the peak. The debilitating effects of AMS and HACE are shown in excruciating detail. There are many segments of climbers in their tents, scarcely able to breathe or function properly. The courage of these climbers is awe inspiring, especially in the face of violent weather and the prospect of death on the mountain.

If you're an actual climber or just a vicarious Everest person like myself, you will enjoy this movie. It offers as much, or more, than the IMAX film and that is indeed high praise.

Awesome DVD, tremendous filming !!!. Ed Viesturs and David Brashears couldn't do a better job. This a must see documentary for everyone interested in climbing all levels. Jodie Foster's narration seemed to be more than adecuated to the details of the film. Every single aspect of climbing at such altitude is explained very well; the preparation of the team, how do people behave at different levels of altitude, the problem of oxygen and the experiments taken every step allow us to realize that is not an easy thing to attempt climbing on this mountains. Compared to the IMAX movie wich is also an excellent piece of art, this one reveals other points of views and criteria that in another film you won't get. The only real question will be if the place signaled by the climbers was the real spot where Rob Hall spent his last moments. From what I have read in books and in another publications, it seems that the place was a little bit different. Never the less, this DVD is a high quality film. Highly Recomended !!!!!!!!!

I am not a climber, but the history and the current people climbing Everest still is an interest to me. I brought the DVD over to a friend's, who clearly at the start wasn't interested in it. About half way through, he was watching intently. It reminds us most real drama happens in real life. And you learn a few things too. I'd recommend it.

Doctor Who episodes -- at least during Tom Baker's run -- tended to fall into certain basic plot categories. Two common themes were: The doctor must liberate people in servitude ("Face of Evil", "Underworld"; "The Sunmakers"); The doctor must uncover and foil a clever alien scheme to destroy/conquer earth ("The Android Invasion"; "Terror of the Zygons"). A lesser-used device was the "ten little Indians/haunted house" approach, which we saw in the superb "Horror of Fang Rock" episode and here, in one of the few Tom Baker Dr. Who DVD's available, "The Robots of Death."

This episode is regarded by many fans as a true classic, one of the best of the whole long-running Dr. Who television show, and not merely the Baker years. I disagree. I think the story was told better in "Fang Rock", one of my personal favorites which also features Leela as the companion. I am very curious as to exactly how the BBC decides which Who episodes get committed to DVD, especially considering that not all of them are even out of VHS yet (what's the holdup, fellas? It's been 30 years!). But even I have to admit that few, if any, Baker-Who episodes are as dark and creepy or as well thought-out as this one, and probably none have better overall production. The robots are unusually well-designed for such a low-budget show, and when they turn evil their pleasant voices, frozen faces, and penchant for manual strangulation are downright frightening. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Storywise, "Robots" is sound. The Doc and Leela land inside a giant spice-miner run by a handfull of greedy, effete, not terribly nice fortune-hunters who wear ridiculous costumes and seem to spend most of their time loafing about while a large staff of robots does most of the work. You have to take only one look at the robots to figure out that the tail is wagging the dog here, and before you know it, one of the crewmen is murdered and the Doctor and Leela, being stowaways, are of course blamed.

This starts the "ten little Indians" part. The spiceminer is wandering a gigantic, hostile desert of killer sandstorms and towering rock: there is no way off the ship. The humans, basically French aristocrats circa 1789 with their powdered faces and silly costumes, have no weapons and are so morally vacuous and wimpy they practically invite the robots to kill them. The robots oblige, having been tampered with by a member of the crew with a serious identity crisis, a robot fetish and a healthy dose of homicidal mania. One by one the humans get strangled, each trying to figure out who the killer is, and everyone suspecting -- of course -- our hero and his knife-wielding gal pal.

It is a nice plot device, and since it was not used very often I can let the writers off the hook for copying the fine work they did in "Fang Rock." My problem is mainly that the human characters on the miner are all pretty much loathsome and deserving of a good strangulation. It is hardly uncommon in Who episodes for the Doctor to be abused by the very people he is trying to save, but in this case the people just don't seem to be worth saving at all. In fact, the nicest character we meet on the ship is D84, the supposedly mute "dumb" robot who turns out to be a company agent. 84 should probably have read "Message to the Oppressed" a few more times before he chose which side he was on.

Don't get me wrong here. "Robots" is a good, entertaining episode with a very high creep factor. Tom Baker and Louise Jameson are very good and the writing is on par with their acting -- this is one of those episodes where Leela gets to do more than just say, "What is it, Doctor?" in different tones of voice, which was not always the case during her time as a companion. It is much darker than your average Tom Baker outing, and I do think the plot would have been better served by more sympathetic crew-members. DVD-wise, the extras are nothing special overall, but the audio commentary is very interesting. But overall I must admit....these are the criticisms of a nerd. Go ahead and buy the damn thing. I did.

It is little surprise that Dr. Isaac Asimov named this as his favorite Dr. Who episode (though it actually comes as considerable surprise to learn that he even watched the series at all). Certainly the plotline and backstory development borrow liberally from the future society Asimov established in the Lije Bailey/R. Daneel Olivaw novels; it even works in references to the Three Laws of Robotics. The influence of an earlier book, RUR (Rossum's Universal Robots), also surfaces in exploring man's reaction to robots and their total absence of human body language (robophobia). Even the author's name, Karel Capek, is mirrored in that of the villain Taren Capel.

Newcomer director Chris Boucher (The Face of Evil) took the suggestion of longtime Dr. Who editor Robert Holmes and created an isolated, murder-mystery adventure as a vehicle to solidify the role of Leela, a companion he had introduced in the previous serial. Boucher drew from one of his favorite novels, Frank Herbert's Dune, to envisage the Storm-Mine setting. Effects director Peter Grimwade is immortalized in the episode thanks to a bit of ad-libbing by Tom Baker. Amongst the cast was David Collings as Poul, David Baile as Dask (Taren Capel), and Pamela Salem as Toos; Salem had actually been an unsuccessful applicant for the role of Leela.

Though not a milestone episode, I would name this is one of my favorite Tom Baker-era stories, largely because of its attention to detail -throwaway lines by characters reveal a rich tapestry of politics, history, and sociopolitical orders not always seen in a Doctor Who serial. We get a sense of the social "pecking order" on this nameless future planet from Uvanov's obvious disgust with Zilda's and Chub's family standing; at the same time we learn that the all-pervasive Company is not above covering up an employee's potentially embarrassing (or potentially expensive) past. Poul is a great study in contrasts: nobody on the Storm-Mine is the least suspicious of him until Leela turns up and likens him to a hunter. The insertion of D.84 is even more clever, and it illustrates just how inured this society has become to anything out of the ordinary. Uvanov dismisses Leela's assertion that D.84 can speak simply because "everyone knows" that particular class of robots can't speak.

In the same way, the crew dismisses the Doctor's theories about the murderer because "everyone knows" robots are incapable of such a thing. Robot behavior and robot Urban Legends are clearly at the forefront of even casual conversation, as evidenced in the opening scenes when we meet the entire crew idling away in the lounge. I also like the fact that the cast is a little more varied, racially speaking, from the usual spate of pale English actors. Helps to paint a more realistic vision of the future.

D.84 (Gregory de Polnay), the "undercover" agent, provides some wonderful back-and-forth dialogue with the Doctor and goes a long way toward widening the scope of the story. The robot's recount of the life of Taren Capel has made the murderer into a tragic figure before we've even figured out who he is, and it even gets to explore its own feelings of inadequacy; next thing we know it has even cracked a joke at the Doctor's expense. I always thought D.84 would make an ideal traveling companion -a sentiment I was surprised to learn was shared by many other fans. Its plaintive request to "please do not throw hands at me" is priceless. Definite homage to Daneel and Giskard there...

Though we, the audience, know the killer at the outset of this "whodunit," it is the question of who is the puppet master that takes up the scope of the story. This is also an uncharacteristically graphic episode; there are several strangulation scenes, a disturbing shot of a dead body being buried in a downpour of gravel, and blood all over the hand of the initial killer robot. There are also some chilling pyrotechnics; for my money one of the scariest scenes depicts another of the killer robots trying to break into the command deck, calmly announcing in its polite bureaucratic monotone that everyone has to die. Another great moment comes when Leela throws her knife squarely into the chest of an attacking robot -which then casually knocks it aside and keeps on coming. It is the first time we've seen anything even approaching fear on Leela's face.

The society that has been postulated is full of cause-and-effect: the Doctor's casual line about it being "the end of this civilization" is clearly no exaggeration. The characters, for all their feigned ease and opulence, are clearly not wholly comfortable with this robot-dependent society they have created for themselves, and as a result there is an omnipresent creeping paranoia that lurks just under the surface for most of the storyline. The parallels to the distrustful, robot-dependent society in Asimov's Caves Of Steel are obvious: mankind has gone and made another technological breakthrough which has become an indispensable part of daily life before everyone's really had time to adjust. Likewise, the Storm-Mine's carefully-ordered life is exposed to be a powderkeg; one little deviation from "everyone knows," and suddenly everybody's world is turned upside-down. This is especially apparent with Uvanov (Russell Hunter)'s newly-found "blow 'em all up" attitude, Poul's total mental breakdown, and Toos's hysterical sobbing (the latter also provides a great springboard for the audience to learn Leela's surprisingly tender and compassionate side).

This 4 part adventure is really one of the best ever made!

Perfect introduction episode for people who don't know the series and a must for every fan!

I was glad to find this DVD just shortly after reading the play. While I enjoyed reading it very much, I found the play to be very confusing. Just from the text alone it was hard to tell what was real and what wasn't. Seeing the film version of this triumphant play really helped a lot. "Death of a Salesman" is a sad and tragic drama that emotionally involves you from start to finish.

Willy Loman is a tired and heart-broken salesman who no longer lives in the world of reality. Instead, he is trapped in his world of delusions. Each day that passes by seems to be worse and worse for Willy. He spends way too much of his time in the past when he needs to be focusing on the future. His wife and two sons have no idea what they should do for him as they know that he is heading towards disaster in this unforgettable drama.

Like I said, to actually see this really made me appreciate the play more than just reading it from the text. It can get confusing when you only have the words, but when you see it performed it all comes together and make sense. The acting is terrific. Dustin Hoffman really does an outstanding job of playing Willy Loman. Not only does he just "act" the part out, he "becomes" Loman. I admit that I had my doubts at first, because I didn't see him playing the part. My doubts quickly fled from my mind after the first 10 minutes or so. Everybody else is also terrific as well. (Wow, look how young John Malkovitch looks!) I think the movie does a fine job doing Arthur Miller's play justice.

The DVD is pretty neat as well. The picture quality is good, considering the fact that it is an old movie. The DVD also includes a feature length documentary behind the movie, which is really entertaining, and a still gallery. While it may seem like this DVD doesn't have a lot to offer, the documentary really makes it worth-while.

"Death of a Salesman" is a powerhouse drama that hooks you from start to finish. Reading it is one thing, but to actually see it makes it much more enjoyable. If you just read the play from the text it can be pretty confusing at points. If you're looking for a great dramatic movie with great acting and writing, then this is something you should really think about checking out.

This 1985 film of DEATH OF A SALESMAN, directed by Volker Schlondorff, recreates Arthur Miller's original casting ideas for the three principal characters. Miller had originally envisioned Willy Loman, the unsuccessful traveling salesman of the title, as a physically small man with a big wife and two big, strong sons; in this film, that is exactly what we get: Dustin Hoffman as Willy, Kate Reid as Linda, John Malkovich and Stephen Lang as Biff and Happy. Whereas the original Willy on Broadway, Lee J. Cobb, was large and imposing, Hoffman's Willy is a ridiculous little man with impossibly high ideals. His is a humorous and pathetic rather than a tragic interpretation, but this is perfectly valid - there is, after all, more than one way to "be" Willy Loman. And viewers should keep in mind that Miller himself praised Hoffman's characterization, naming him among his three all-time favorite Willys (the other two being Cobb and Warren Mitchell, the British actor who played in an acclaimed London revival).
Kate Reid gives a strong performance as Linda, Willy's loving and suffering wife. She is vicious in her defense of Willy to her sons, especially at the end, when she orders them to
"get out of this house...get out of my sight." John Malkovich, with his soft-spoken voice and timid manner, might seem unsuited to Biff, the "all-American football hero" -
but I don't think so. To me, Malkovich's halting delivery suggests that Biff is a confused young man who thinks deep thoughts but lacks the education to be able to articulate them well. Malkovich's performance is a revelation in many ways: in the restaurant and final "confrontation" scenes, for example, we sense that Biff now sees Willy realistically for the first time in his life, and is therefore able to act more fairly towards him. The tragedy, of course, is that Willy is still unable to see reality and Biff is unable to MAKE him see it.
Stephen Lang is unobtrusively excellent as Happy, Biff's neglected younger brother. Charles Durning also does an excellent job as Willy's prosperous neighbor, Charley, who has no illusions about Willy (I always laugh when Willy sneaks a look at Charley's cards during the card game scene, and Charley, without a word, turns the cards over so that Willy can see them.). Joseph Polito is fine as Charley's successful son, Bernard. The small roles are all done well, particularly Tom Signorelli as Stanley, the waiter in the restaurant and an old family friend of the Lomans ("Sure, you look...all right."). Schlondorff's direction is great, with so many telling and memorable moments. The hotel-room confrontation between Willy and Biff is affectingly done: Malkovich is touchingly vulnerable, his last cry to Willy of "You fake!" heartrending. The final confrontation between the two was filmed in several "takes," making the viewer feel that he/she is caught right in the middle of a terrifying family argument. Last but not least, the music - especially Willy's idyllic "flute" theme -is very helpful in conveying mood.

I watched this film for a class. The dialogue and italicised action words were brought to life with epiphany-like energy. I had no idea that something taught in a college classroom could be so closely related to real life. Not only a theoretical approach to, but also a practical application of self introspection or assertive evalution of the people around you can be felt in this film's presence. There are a million Willy's and Biff's in this world. The sad truth of their inherited station in life gives an overall dim view of class and class struggle that is present in our country. Biff's willingness to "lay down" gives an air of relief and stablility to the hidden consensus we all know in our minds as "the meaninglessness of life." As some people say and most agree "life sucks then you die...so why try?" This film and play proves that the nuclear family unit gives meaning to the circular activities we partake in (survival of the family)...but eventually the overall traditions and togetherness of the family will dissolve, evolve or simply die out. In this play we see the family evolving out of misunderstanding and irrational goal setting into complacency and possibly alcoholism...Happy especially.

As for the acting...it doesn't get any better than this. Take a Sunday afternoon and watch this film closely without objection or boredom. This film is a great example of "art meeting life." There is not much distinction between the two in this case.

"Duel to the Death" is one of those films you either love or hate. Some are turned off by the campy action and editing (and believe me, this film makes editing look real easy) while others love the action, storyline, characters, and above all - ninjas.

And yes, there ARE a lot of ninjas in this movie. Naked ninjas, ninjas that walk on water, big ninjas, ninjas that leap out of bigger ninjas, flying ninjas...the list goes on. Well what do you expect when the ninjas are the bad guys? Any way, at least the two main characters are likable enough.

The final showdown as well is exciting and also leaves you with some essense of what the characters are like, rather than indiscriminantly killing off characters like some kung fu films do.

One more thing: I am in love with this soundtrack. If there was any way I could get my hands on the main theme...I would be truly happy.

the fight scenes and wire-fu are excellent for it's time. there's some crazy ninja antics that some will love and some will hate. i personally loved 'em. my only complaint is that the movie could have more action sequences.

Considering that this film was released when I was still in diapers this film was executed perfectly in every aspect. This story has it all. It has mystery, love, revenge, tragedy, and some of the best action I've seen to date. All of this is staged around one duel based on an age old rivalry to see who is the best. Will it be the Chinese or the Japanese. This is an oldschool film, but it is waaaaaaaaay ahead of it's time. It's definitely one of my favorites and I'm sure that anyone who buys this film without any expectaions except to be entertained will love this classic.

"Duel to the Death" is one of those films you either love or hate. Some are turned off by the campy action and editing (and believe me, this film makes editing look real easy) while others love the action, storyline, characters, and above all - ninjas.

And yes, there ARE a lot of ninjas in this movie. Naked ninjas, ninjas that walk on water, big ninjas, ninjas that leap out of bigger ninjas, flying ninjas...the list goes on. Well what do you expect when the ninjas are the bad guys? Any way, at least the two main characters are likable enough.

The final showdown as well is exciting and also leaves you with some essense of what the characters are like, rather than indiscriminantly killing off characters like some kung fu films do.

One more thing: I am in love with this soundtrack. If there was any way I could get my hands on the main theme...I would be truly happy.

the fight scenes and wire-fu are excellent for it's time. there's some crazy ninja antics that some will love and some will hate. i personally loved 'em. my only complaint is that the movie could have more action sequences.

Considering that this film was released when I was still in diapers this film was executed perfectly in every aspect. This story has it all. It has mystery, love, revenge, tragedy, and some of the best action I've seen to date. All of this is staged around one duel based on an age old rivalry to see who is the best. Will it be the Chinese or the Japanese. This is an oldschool film, but it is waaaaaaaaay ahead of it's time. It's definitely one of my favorites and I'm sure that anyone who buys this film without any expectaions except to be entertained will love this classic.

Meryl Streep plays Madeline Ashton, an actress who is obsessed with keeping herself looking young and beautiful. Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn), is a plain looking author with a brilliant surgeon, Dr. Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis), for a fiance. Madeline and Helen have hated each other for years, but things become even worse when Madeline steals Ernest from Helen and they get married. Years later, Madeline is even more obsessed with keeping her youth, willing to do ANYTHING to keep from aging physically. On the other hand, Helen is obsessed to get revenge on Madeline for stealing her fiance. But it seems that there is one thing in common between the two rivals, in that both seem to know the same woman, Lisle Von Rhoman (Isabella Rossellini). Lisle, who has the power to give the two woman something the world has been searching for centuries... the secret of youth. But Madeline and Helen will learn that the 'secret of youth' has a high price, and that their 'lives' will never be the same again.

As the title of my review says, "Death Becomes Her" is a very dark yet hilariously funny movie. Directed by genius Robert Zemeckis (director of the Back to the Future trilogy, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", "Contact", and "Forrest Gump"), he gives the movie such an underlying sense of psychological suspense that it's really hard what category to put this movie under.

Is it a comedy?: Yes, "Death Becomes Her" could be called a comedy. But it has a very twisted sort of humor, you'll have to be someone who enjoys all forms of comedy to really enjoy and understand the humor. There is both laugh-out-loud slapstick humor, then there's the dry type of humor which takes a few seconds to really getting you chuckling. But more than anything, the satire and irony of the story is so well imbedded into the plot that there's really no specific part you can pinpoint as the funniest part of the movie. When the movie finished, my parents and I stopped the movie, there was a brief pause, THEN we started howling with laughter! It's the truth, really! No, it wasn't because it was so awful or stupid (some parts were) but because it's not until AFTER the movie that the satire of the film really hits you.

Is it horror?: Yes, there are some parts which you could describe the movie as being under the horror genre. There's the whole 'haunted, creepy, gothic mansion' scene, and one of the themes of the movie is about 'death'.

Is it a drama?: Strangely enough, there is a sense of drama in the story. The story touches upon the topics of death and the dream of wanting to 'live forever and retain your youth'. This is very well expressed through the main actresses and actor of the movie. I mean, what will your choice been when given a chance to be able to live forever? The suspense towards the end when one of the characters must decide is well executed.

But more than anything, it's not just the story of the movie that really gets you, it's the fact that the actors do such an outstanding job with their characters. Meryl Streep is simply fantastic and she handles the dark side of her character very well. Goldie Hawn is also fantastic, can you imagine her as a fat, depressed, and ugly woman? Well, watch this movie to see her handle the role with ease. And Bruce Willis, you would never imagine seeing him in this kind of movie, but he is just GREAT! He plays the character plagued by two very 'obsessed' woman very well, and he's 'kind of' the 'hero' of the film.

As others have also mentioned, the effects of the movie are brilliantly put to the screen. I can't give away much of the story, but check out how they accomplish getting Meryl Streep's character to 'get up and about' after being pushed a flight of stairs and having her neck broken. Weird...

Anyway, though a brilliant film, I strongly suggest that people would borrow before getting this movie to add to their collection. Some people might not be able to appreciate or understand the movie enough to enjoy it's twisted look at 'life after death'.

This movie is pretty goofy and far-fetched. But it's very funny. It's about a woman who goes insane after she loses another man to the same hot-shot broadway star woman. About 14 years later she gets an amazing makeover from a mystical potion and tracks down the woman. But she has taken the potion too. The potion restores youth and beauty and makes their bodies invincable to death. Causing them to live forever. Their violent and deadly cat-fights do no good to enflict pain in each other. This movie contains lots of dark humor, drama, and suspense. It reminds me of "She-Devil", "Fatal Attraction", and "The War Of The Roses". All in one.

I saw this movie when I was about 10 and I have enjoyed it ever since! I enjoyed it because it was the first time I had seen a movie like that, and it wasn't my last! The way it looked and the mood of it made it quite funny, as if it were a guilty pleasure! The story unfolds interestingly, by people coming out of a play and saying that the lead sucked! Then we come to know that everyone hates her! Except for a plastic surgen. And we also find out that Madilon wants to stay youthful for the rest of her life! ANd so the stroy unflds and Madilon and Bruice Willis get married and Goldie Hawn holds a grudge and becomes over weight. And she has a dinner party for her new book, and invites Madilon and Bruice and she is beautiful and all that rot. SO Madiolon is all mystified and it is just a really good movie but the unique twist is that no matter what happens to them after they drink this potion, they can never get hurt! Very unique! I enjoyed it then and I enjoy it now. It still makes me laugh and I love that a movie I liked when I was 10 can still be funny! That shows signs of a good comedy!

Accepting that this thirty year old movie may not be to everyone's taste, I'd just like to add my voice to those who clamour for this movie to be available in restored form on DVD. Unless there are rights issues which are delaying release, where is it?

Now that most of the back movie catalog is available on DVD, it is surely unforgiveable that this flawed masterpiece that relies so much for its effect on the beauty both of its wide screen cinematography and the Mahler music score should be withheld from reappraisal. So Warners, where is it? In the meantime five stars for the movie but three stars in 2003 for this grainy square screen VHS version.

This movie is not for everyone. I took a friend to my second viewing of the film, and he shouted out midway thru the movie, "i know who dies in this movie...the audience!"
Needless to say, it is not a fast paced movie. It is a beautiful treat for the eyes. And I had never liked Mahler until this movie, excellent choice of music.(Its funny how I used to hate my favorite music being put into movies, commercials ie. Carmina Burana, and Satie..Three Gymnopedies..and then a movie introduces me to a piece of music that I love.)
I have seen this movie many times and it prompted me to read the book. Dirk Bogarde is fastidious it this role .

...Nobody ... seems to realize that Visconti fused the main character of Mann's 1947 novel "Dr.Faustus" with the writer of his 1911 short story "Death in Venice".
Mahler is just one of many possible characters having inspired Mann / Visconti: August von Platen, Nietzsche or Wagner should also be mentioned.
Ok, this is my ...commentary I couldn't resist to place, maybe some viewers will see something more in this beautiful movie on decadence-culture than just the embarassing passion of a inhibited elder gentleman for an effeminate adolescent.

This movie was originally much different than it turned out to be, that is, as seen in this DVD version. The first version was too balanced, too even-handed, and audiences came away thinking that maybe Fred Leuchter was right. Director Morris then made dramatic alterations to cast Leuchter -- and by extension, his ideas -- in a bad light. Reading the other reviews of this DVD, you can see that Morris' smear attempt was only partially successful.

... to publish "The Leuchter Report". I've read it (available on the internet) and he also looked at the "gas chambers" from a mechanical standpoint, to see if they "could" of been used... no proper seals (the gas would of leaked out), no heat in the buildings to supliment the gas, no vents to introduce or take out the gas. In other words, those buildings shown to tourists were fakes. Notice on the film that nobody can dispute these findings, but only attack him personally. That says it all.
Great film!

I think people are usually wrong on this and are on the far side of the right or left with this issue.
1. The Holocaust Happened. 6 Million? Even if it was half, that's very horrible.
2. What this man found was the real thing, he told the truth, it doesn't matter if the Holocaust happened or not. He did what he was hired to do.
3. Even though I'm half Jewish I think this war as well as this event has always been somewhat exaggerated and it continues to grow.
4. This man had no intention of causing trouble and is not an antisemitic.
5. What they did to this man and his reputation is wrong.
6. As much as I hate Nazism and Adolf Hitler when they come out with books like they did last year about the man being homosexual and other attempts to rewrite history, then I feel the Jewish community is making a very catastrophic mistake.
7. You can't tell lies just because you wish it was true.

This movie was originally much different than it turned out to be, that is, as seen in this DVD version. The first version was too balanced, too even-handed, and audiences came away thinking that maybe Fred Leuchter was right. Director Morris then made dramatic alterations to cast Leuchter -- and by extension, his ideas -- in a bad light. Reading the other reviews of this DVD, you can see that Morris' smear attempt was only partially successful.

... to publish "The Leuchter Report". I've read it (available on the internet) and he also looked at the "gas chambers" from a mechanical standpoint, to see if they "could" of been used... no proper seals (the gas would of leaked out), no heat in the buildings to supliment the gas, no vents to introduce or take out the gas. In other words, those buildings shown to tourists were fakes. Notice on the film that nobody can dispute these findings, but only attack him personally. That says it all.
Great film!

I think people are usually wrong on this and are on the far side of the right or left with this issue.
1. The Holocaust Happened. 6 Million? Even if it was half, that's very horrible.
2. What this man found was the real thing, he told the truth, it doesn't matter if the Holocaust happened or not. He did what he was hired to do.
3. Even though I'm half Jewish I think this war as well as this event has always been somewhat exaggerated and it continues to grow.
4. This man had no intention of causing trouble and is not an antisemitic.
5. What they did to this man and his reputation is wrong.
6. As much as I hate Nazism and Adolf Hitler when they come out with books like they did last year about the man being homosexual and other attempts to rewrite history, then I feel the Jewish community is making a very catastrophic mistake.
7. You can't tell lies just because you wish it was true.

This big screen treatment of mystery author Agatha Christie's best-seller is dinstinguished by the first appearance of Peter Ustinov as the world famous sleuth, Hercule Periot. Though the film version of "Death on the Nile" doesn't rise to the quality of its immediate predecessor, "Murder on the Orient Express," it is still a worthy trip with a boatful of nouveau rich upper classers who all have a motive to kill a filthy rich heiresss (Lois Childs). When she actually come up with a bullet to her head while sleeping, suspicion falls on her husband's spurned ex-fiancee (Mia Farrow, in a slightly nerve-trying overacting job) and an all-star passenger list headed by Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury and Olivia Hussey. Enter Inspector Periot and David Niven as another sleuth aiding in the investigation. Though the "who did it" isn't a surpise, the "how they did it" is, and that solution makes the film an enjoyable watch. Additionally, there's some stunning scenary of Egypt and along the Nile, and Ustinov's personification of the fabled detective is worthy. He shows up again in subsequent film versions of some of Christie's other novels, and this is one of Ustinov's better efforts.

The 1970's were the great decade of "all star" movies with casts filled with glittering names. After the success of 1974's "Murder on the Orient Express," it was inevitable that further films based on Agatha Christie's works would follow, of which this was the first.

As "Death on the Nile" opens, we meet Linnet Ridgeway--young, beautiful, rich, and single--shortly before she meets Simon Doyle, the fiance of her good friend Jackie de Bellefort. We soon see Simon on honeymoon--with Linnet, not Jackie. Simon and Linnet board a steamer for a cruise down the Nile, along with several other passengers--including Jackie, who has been tracking the newlyweds on their honeymoon, and who seems to have gone over the edge in her jealousy and anger.

Also on board are the famous detective Hercule Poirot, and his old friend Col. Johnny Race of the British Secret Service. And a good thing, too. Late one night, Jackie, in a fit of hysteria, shoots and wounds Simon, and is then taken to her cabin and sedated. The next morning, Linnet is found shot to death in her cabin. Jackie would be the obvious suspect, but she couldn't possibly have done it. And so the great Hercule Poirot has another complex case to unravel...

"Death on the Nile" is one of Christie's very best novels, and even with a simplified plot--fans of the novel will not the absence of several characters and at least two sizable subplots--the natural strength of the source material makes for a very enjoyable movie. It falls short of the very top because of some unsatisfactory casting. Peter Ustinov is no more than an adequate Poirot, falling short of either Albert Finney or David Suchet. At times he seems to rely largely on his eavesdropping talents, not his "little grey cells." Nor is David Niven a good choice for Col. Race--he is too dapper and elegant to portray Christie's "man of unadvertised comings and goings."

However, the supporting cast is quite strong. Mia Farrow, as Jackie, gives the standout performance. Lois Chiles, best remembered today as a Bond Girl, didn't have great range as an actress, but the lovely ex-model had the right personality for the arrogant Linnet. Bette Davis and Angela Lansbury also stand out.

The film won an Oscar for best costumes. Nino Rota contributed an atmospheric score, and John Guillermin directs ably. The Egyptian locations--most of the film was shot there--provide a stunning backdrop.

On the whole, this is a very enjoyable movie. It is clearly the best of Peter Ustinov's several outings in the role of Poirot.

This was one of the best movies you could ever see! I would rate it 5 stars even though I haven't seen the ending. I have read the book twice and am always shocked and wide eyed when I read the ending, like And Then There Were None. The book/movie is about Linnet Ridgeway, the beautiful brunette who has simply everything; a big house, suitors, money, good looks, friends, and enemies. Then her hot-blooded friend Jackie, who is bankrupt, asks Linnet to give her handsome, broke fiance a job. Linnet agrees but she falls in love with Simon Doyle and they get married and take a little trip on the Nile. They are followed by Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, George Kennedy, David Niven, Peter Ustinov,Maggie Smith, and suprise, suprise Jackie. Jackie follows them like a bloodhound and one evening while she is tipsy, shoots Simon in the leg while Linnet is in her room. That night Linnet is murdered with the small pistol Jackie dropped under the sofa in the saloon and everyone forgot about. The only two people with an alibi are Simon with his broken leg and Jackie with her dose of morphine and nurse Maggie Smith. Everyone else had the motive and the opportunity, even her American lawyer, George Kennedy, and Linnet's maid. Peter Usinov (M. Poirot) and David Niven (Clnl Race) can't solve the mystery before the maid's throught is cut and the witness (sex and drinking addict author played by Angela Lansbury who plays her role with absoloute perfection) to the second murder is stopped dead in her revealing of the murderer with the lawyer's Colt. I think it has a good ending. Maybe not as good as the book. Read the book and see the movie. You won't ever forget it.