Funeral Customs Movie Reviews

This set contains Episodes 7, 8, and 9 (although there is some debate about the "true" order of the episdoes). The first two episodes are excellent but frustrating: in both, Number 6 has an opportunity to escape but (of course) is defeated in the end. In the third episode of this series, however, Number 6 scores a small victory against his captors, but despite this, I found the episode to be more slow-moving and not enjoyable as the others. Overall, however, this is a good addition to The Prisoner collection.

Back in 1967, an allegorical television show emerged that has yet to be topped by any other English television series. The show: The Prisoner. Starring Patrick McGoohan, he plays the role of No. 6, a former secret service agent who resigned for unknown reasons and then finds himself knocked unconscious and trapped in a seemingly peaceful place called "the Village." Each episode features a new No. 2 (with a few exceptions), who watches his every move and strives to find out why he resigned. The only superior is the unseen No. 1, the supposed ruler of the Village. The only other characters that reoccur are The Supervisor (also called Controller), played by Peter Stanwick, and The Butler, played by Angelo Muscat.

In "The Schizoid Man," Number 6's behavorial patterns are altered and he's convinced that he's Number 12 impersonating as Number 6. An interesting story that tests Number 6's individuality is among the best in the series. My favorite part: Number 2 tells him the "password" is Gemini. When he's confronted by street thugs and they ask for the password, he defiantly tells them "Jiminy."

In "Many Happy Returns," the Village is seemingly deserted. He escapes, only to find that his superiors don't trust his motives. Still, a surprising plot twist makes his escape seem irrelevant... ah well, watch it and see for yourself.

In "It's Your Funeral," Number 6 learns of a plot to assassinate a former Number 2. He doesn't believe it, thinking they're at him again as to why he resigned. Is it a trap, or the work of "jammers"? This one's pretty complex when it comes to the murder plot, but it unravels nicely in the end.

The DVDs include an interview with Bernie Williams, the series' production manager and line producer. It's pretty insightful, as he stated that Patrick McGoohan had total control of the show (just because the show got weirder as it went along DOES NOT mean he had little control to begin with...) and it's comforting to know that most people involved with the show didn't even know what it was all about (Bernie said that it was "all in Patrick's head.").

Here is where I agreed with A&E's episode placement. You can tell the Village administration growing desperate overtime and since the two aforementioned episodes are back to back episodes, it would only seem logical. Also, we're halfway through the series and the original airdate had "Many Happy Returns" BEFORE "Checkmate," which in the episode, Number 2 says "the early recruit." EARLY EPISODE, peoples.

When Number 6 escaped from the Village, the world that we know that exists outside of the Village seemed not all that different... which goes to show you that the Village could be ANYWHERE, even the place that you live in. Perhaps this was to instill the idea into Number 6's head that he might be better off in the Village? Nevertheless, his individuality remained intact and still yearned to be free.

Many people have compared Number 6 to John Drake (Secret Agent Man). Sure, they're both played by Patrick McGoohan and act similar, but are they the same? I don't believe so. As I have stated in my review for Set 1, I believe McGoohan meant for us to "fill Number 6's shoes." In other words, we too are prisoners in society, caught in a social order that we can't break from.

I give every episode a 5 star rating, but I HIGHLY recommend you get the megaset instead of the individual volumes. This show is one that must be seen to believe.

I am a great fan of Patrick McGoohan and particularly of this seiries. This seiries is not for the faint of heart - what happens when a top secret agent decides to retire? Does he just move to the English equivalent of Florida and grow roses? Would his employer even allow him to do such a thing? And of course, WHY did he resign?

These issues are explored in this seiries and it's a paranoid surrealistic view of the answers. The shows are well written and self contained and Patrick McGoohan shines as the man who yells "I am not a number! I am a free man!"

I recommend this dvd highly, as well as the other dvds in this seiries.

I served as an army intelligence officer in Berlin and in West Germany during the Cold War. Whenever I'm feeling nostalgic and I want to time-travel back to the Cold War 1960's, I turn on Funeral In Berlin. The film has wonderful shots of the Berlin Wall and West Berlin during this time. Michael Caine's Harry Palmer is a mirror image of thousands of intelligence personnel who have had to battle incompetent bureacracy while still trying to accomplish the mission at hand. Watch this one!

If you have ever worked for a government bureaucracy and you keep up with history and current evets, this movie will bear out greater believeability than the more popular blockbuster spy movies. Got to be watching it for the story itself, though ( there are NO massive explosions, intense car chases, hot sex scenes, etc.)

While not as good as The Ipcress File, Harry is still in fine form. FIB is clever, well acted and well written. Every character is interesting. Its much, much better than the spy movies they make now. If I had to find fault, its with the annoying and inappropriate soundtrack. Even Marvin Hamlisch would have trouble coming up with something this sappy and intrusive. Still, the movie is very entertaining. Very cool.

Ok, I admit it. While most kids grew up sucking their thumbs, I was more interested in the ear. It had a soothing quality that would put me to sleep. Needless to say, when I read that this family had an ear fetish, I just had to see what this was all about. No, this movie is not just about sucking an earlobe that belongs to your husband's corpse, though I was laughing so hard during this scene, nor is it just another film trying to come across as artsy with an overdose of weirdness that just cannot seem to blend well. Instead we are presented with a rather strange and different story of a family and their haunting secrets. It captures a well deserved four stars.

What was supposed to be a family reunion for the reading of the will, due to Jeremiah Sparta's (Martin Sheen)death, turns out to be a weekend that reveals just how little they all knew about each other. Seen mostly through the eyes of Jeremiah's grandson, who decides to be mute after being told to shut up, we see him interact with Jeremiah and his ancestors in the spirit world. They unload all the juicy tales of the past and it's quite fun to hear all the live folks' interpretation. After the will is read, this sets the stage for everyone's personal struggle with their haunting secrets. With solid performances and an engrossing script, you can't help but be drawn into everyone's life as you see all the anger, pain, jealousy and even an unquenchable fetish dissolve.

Definitely a keeper. One you could watch again. Good sound and picture quality too.

A wonderful film, by a talented (new?) writer/director. A well crafted, intimate portrait of an old Texas family, it's history, and the ghosts (literally & metaphorically) in the family closet.

Fine performances all around. M. Sheem & Robert Patrick are SOLID.

Refreshing change from the slick, impersonable films from hollywood these days.

I look forward to future films by B. Herron.

A witty romantic comedy with a sardonic edge, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL follows the engaging Hugh Grant and his friends as they search for love in a whirlwind of nuptials.

Always a guest, never a groom (he's Best Man once, but forgets the rings), handsome, timid Charles (Grant) meets Carrie (Andie MacDowell) at a wedding and falls instantly in love with her. She returns to America, and the next time he sees her--at another wedding--she's got a wealthy fiance in tow. He's devastated, she's oblivious, tongues wag. Can once in a lifetime, bolt-from-the-blue love survive bad timing, comically misunderstood intentions and the well-meaning interference of friends? Charles finds out--two weddings (one of them his own) and a funeral later--but not before things come to some very sticky passes.

Casting is everything in FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL; the more one falls for Grant's ineffectual-but-adorable upper-middle-class schtick, the more charming everything seems. MacDowell is the weak link in a fine ensemble that includes the splendid Kristin Scott-Thomas (A HANDFUL OF DUST) and Simon Callow (A ROOM WITH A VIEW); among the film's highlights is a fairly devastating reading of W.H. Auden's Funeral Blues.

My title says it all. This film is a classic, especially for people who enjoy ensemble casts. No one character is stronger than another, even though Hugh Grant is the "big name." All the others are equally important to the purpose of this movie. The cinematography and art direction are beautiful -- it's a visually gorgeous film. The people are so quirky and wonderful, I found myself wanting to know them and spend time with them. Each time I watch this I'm sorry when it ends. Chick flick? Maybe, but I watch it over and over. A keeper.

Rowan Atkinson, who plays the nervous and shy Father Gerald, speaks those lines at a wedding. His writing partner, Richard Curtis, wrote this sweet, good-natured comedy of a circle of friends, all in their thirties, who attend weddings and gradually wonder the mysteries of love. Is it better to hold out for that ideal person or as the bumbling, nice, but not exactly fashion-modellish Tom puts it, "I always just hoped that, that I'd meet some nice friendly girl, like the look of her, hope the look of me didn't make her physically sick, then pop the question and, um, settle down and be happy." The follies of finding anyone just to prevent from being lonely is also explored here, but so is the chain reaction that occurs at weddings, i.e. other people in turn end up getting married in serendipitous circumstances.

The opening scenes to the first marriage of the various friends getting ready, set to an Elton John song, sets the stage for the story. The scenes of the slow-rising Charles and his female roommate Scarlett result in a series of comical scenes that elicit the f-word from them both, including missing the offramp leading to the wedding site.

It's at the first wedding that Cupid launches a projectile at Charles (Hugh Grant) via Carrie (Andie McDowell), an American who appears at the wedding with a big black hat. What might have been a missed opportunity later turns depressing for Charles when he finds out she's engaged. Indeed, he has a history of ex-girlfriends that leads the sensitive Henrietta to call him a serial monogamist. But Charles is bewildered with awe at people who are actually ready to take that lifelong committment. After all, despite divorce being commonplace, the sanctity of wedding still carries importance. Both Grant's goofy and McDowell's sweet and lovable performances lift this film up, with the latter's winning smile, but they're not the only ones.

Fiona (Kristin Scott Thomas), nicknamed Fi or even Fifi, has a dignified beauty colored by a cynical tongue. In the first wedding, when Scarlett gushes over the bride, she says, "Scarlett, you're blind. She looks like a big meringue." She also unleashes her tart tongue at meek Father Gerald, training to be a priest. She says it's rather like the first time one has sex, "a lot less messy of course, and far less call for condoms." Gerald titters with nervous laughter.

Of the other characters, Gareth, played by Simon Callow, is flamboyant, simply jovial, full of life, a true romantic, someone it's fun to hang around and be merry with, and as we learn later, a culinary eccentric. Seeing him cutting loose on the dance floor in the first wedding is a highlight. He plays with the theory that marriage is the last gasp between two couples who have run out of things to say, then says that true love is the driving force behind marriage.

The pint-sized Scarlett (Charlotte Coleman) is another funny character. She has a shock of short bright red hair, sings offkey at church, and gets flirty with strangers at weddings. It was quite a shock when I heard of her death from an asthma attack last year.

And David, Charles's deaf brother who's quite a dish, also gains some laughs in the conversations he has with his brother, and also with a girl who fancies him enough to take sign language lessons. Is that love or what?

Another bit of trivia. According to Richard Curtis, Henrietta's nickname was toned down to Duckface for propriety. Guess what it was originally going to be? Hint: Duck gets replaced by a word it rhymes with. And for those who don't know, the poem read at the funeral is W.H. Auden's "Funeral Blues".

With winning performances all around, great lines, be they witty, acerbic, or poignant, Four Weddings And A Funeral is a funny, romantic, and heartwarming winner from director Mike Newell (Enchanted April, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [pending]). It give me hope that someday, maybe someday'E And if you don't like it, your name is duckface.

A witty romantic comedy with a sardonic edge, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL follows the engaging Hugh Grant and his friends as they search for love in a whirlwind of nuptials.

Always a guest, never a groom (he's Best Man once, but forgets the rings), handsome, timid Charles (Grant) meets Carrie (Andie MacDowell) at a wedding and falls instantly in love with her. She returns to America, and the next time he sees her--at another wedding--she's got a wealthy fiance in tow. He's devastated, she's oblivious, tongues wag. Can once in a lifetime, bolt-from-the-blue love survive bad timing, comically misunderstood intentions and the well-meaning interference of friends? Charles finds out--two weddings (one of them his own) and a funeral later--but not before things come to some very sticky passes.

Casting is everything in FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL; the more one falls for Grant's ineffectual-but-adorable upper-middle-class schtick, the more charming everything seems. MacDowell is the weak link in a fine ensemble that includes the splendid Kristin Scott-Thomas (A HANDFUL OF DUST) and Simon Callow (A ROOM WITH A VIEW); among the film's highlights is a fairly devastating reading of W.H. Auden's Funeral Blues.

My title says it all. This film is a classic, especially for people who enjoy ensemble casts. No one character is stronger than another, even though Hugh Grant is the "big name." All the others are equally important to the purpose of this movie. The cinematography and art direction are beautiful -- it's a visually gorgeous film. The people are so quirky and wonderful, I found myself wanting to know them and spend time with them. Each time I watch this I'm sorry when it ends. Chick flick? Maybe, but I watch it over and over. A keeper.

Rowan Atkinson, who plays the nervous and shy Father Gerald, speaks those lines at a wedding. His writing partner, Richard Curtis, wrote this sweet, good-natured comedy of a circle of friends, all in their thirties, who attend weddings and gradually wonder the mysteries of love. Is it better to hold out for that ideal person or as the bumbling, nice, but not exactly fashion-modellish Tom puts it, "I always just hoped that, that I'd meet some nice friendly girl, like the look of her, hope the look of me didn't make her physically sick, then pop the question and, um, settle down and be happy." The follies of finding anyone just to prevent from being lonely is also explored here, but so is the chain reaction that occurs at weddings, i.e. other people in turn end up getting married in serendipitous circumstances.

The opening scenes to the first marriage of the various friends getting ready, set to an Elton John song, sets the stage for the story. The scenes of the slow-rising Charles and his female roommate Scarlett result in a series of comical scenes that elicit the f-word from them both, including missing the offramp leading to the wedding site.

It's at the first wedding that Cupid launches a projectile at Charles (Hugh Grant) via Carrie (Andie McDowell), an American who appears at the wedding with a big black hat. What might have been a missed opportunity later turns depressing for Charles when he finds out she's engaged. Indeed, he has a history of ex-girlfriends that leads the sensitive Henrietta to call him a serial monogamist. But Charles is bewildered with awe at people who are actually ready to take that lifelong committment. After all, despite divorce being commonplace, the sanctity of wedding still carries importance. Both Grant's goofy and McDowell's sweet and lovable performances lift this film up, with the latter's winning smile, but they're not the only ones.

Fiona (Kristin Scott Thomas), nicknamed Fi or even Fifi, has a dignified beauty colored by a cynical tongue. In the first wedding, when Scarlett gushes over the bride, she says, "Scarlett, you're blind. She looks like a big meringue." She also unleashes her tart tongue at meek Father Gerald, training to be a priest. She says it's rather like the first time one has sex, "a lot less messy of course, and far less call for condoms." Gerald titters with nervous laughter.

Of the other characters, Gareth, played by Simon Callow, is flamboyant, simply jovial, full of life, a true romantic, someone it's fun to hang around and be merry with, and as we learn later, a culinary eccentric. Seeing him cutting loose on the dance floor in the first wedding is a highlight. He plays with the theory that marriage is the last gasp between two couples who have run out of things to say, then says that true love is the driving force behind marriage.

The pint-sized Scarlett (Charlotte Coleman) is another funny character. She has a shock of short bright red hair, sings offkey at church, and gets flirty with strangers at weddings. It was quite a shock when I heard of her death from an asthma attack last year.

And David, Charles's deaf brother who's quite a dish, also gains some laughs in the conversations he has with his brother, and also with a girl who fancies him enough to take sign language lessons. Is that love or what?

Another bit of trivia. According to Richard Curtis, Henrietta's nickname was toned down to Duckface for propriety. Guess what it was originally going to be? Hint: Duck gets replaced by a word it rhymes with. And for those who don't know, the poem read at the funeral is W.H. Auden's "Funeral Blues".

With winning performances all around, great lines, be they witty, acerbic, or poignant, Four Weddings And A Funeral is a funny, romantic, and heartwarming winner from director Mike Newell (Enchanted April, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [pending]). It give me hope that someday, maybe someday'E And if you don't like it, your name is duckface.

"Christopher Walken and Chris Penn play 1930's hoodlums whose violent crimes cause them a degree of spiritual anguish rare among movie gangsters." Love it - 'Rare'. Nitch and Kinkyguard discussions over bootleg liquor deals were de rigueur in 30's gang culture, son, get it right. I bet even Al Capone went into half hour monologues on the nature of the divided self while chewing cigar butts. If only he had concentrated more on his tax papers than butt-end existentialism, but that's gangsterism for you. It's only the day job while you're a full time bar room philosopher.
Ferrara stalwart Walken has the most amazing hair in Hollywood. He looks like he steps every morning into that power shower depicted on 'Seinfeld'. If so, he should have empty eye sockets too. In the final scene, a puzzled look crosses Walken's face as he descends the stairs. Is he thinking "Where's the director?" It's a little late for that, Chris.
As for the other Chris, Mr Penn once again shows his remarkable ability to whip up a fine level of steam a-la the average boiling kettle, until he goes beetroot and then you wait for the inevitable projectile of flem from his gob. Luckily, the poor actress on the receiving end of this charming mouth candy was fortunate on this occasion to have her back to him. I'd rather not tell you why she had her back to him but in any case, it's the best position to be in when Mr Penn goes into full method meltdown. Out bulge the eyes, out goes the flem. If there was an oscar for flemming, Mr Penn would be Meryl Streep. This may account for the erratic cinematography in the film. Everyone from the runner to the sound guy is sliding in it. It no doubt led to many long, soul searching questions on the meaning of existence, not to mention accident insurance. For instance, "Why, in the name of God, life, the universe and everything, do I always work on low budget films where they can't afford a man with a bucket to run around after Chris Penn?" Probably because cars run out of petrol driving round Chris Penn. What chance has a lowly PA got on foot? They should consider a few wind-cheaters at the very least. If they don't, then it's their funeral.

WOW! that's all i have to say... For me being a huge fan of movies especailly strange one... This one i thought was unusual...
It was Christopher Walken in one of his best! Chris Penn was outstanding! Benicio Del Toro well, maybe when we didn't know him, hiding his accent would have been a little more unoticeable... And VIncent Gallo is great...
This movie (and I love mafia movies.) was great. But filmed strange and had a strange story or at least it flowed weird... But i reccomend this movie to anyone who is a fan of the genre or actors...

an all star cast led by Christopher Walken and Chris Penn,this movie is a classic and a rare work of art.Annabella Sciorra,Isabella Rossellini,Benicio Del Toro all give powerful performances is this gangland epic.

masterpeace!!!
a dark comedy about one of the common fantasies
who heaven't dream about your own funeral?
well donald sutherland is a movie director,
he directs his own funeral
i found the movie really funny

Donald Sutherland is Tailor, the "Big Shot" of this film, a world-famous director who came to shoot a remake of "Last Emperor" in China, among other thing. But no longer is he enthusiastic about this job, quite understandably, so he decides to bail out after the heated arguement with the producer Tommy (Paul Mazursky).

At the same time, unemployed cameraman Yoyo (Ge You, award-winniing actor in Canne with "To Live") is hired by Tailor's assistant Lucy (Rosamund Kwan). He is required to make a documentary about the film Tailor is making, but as Yoyo becomes a friend to this great director whose health seems deteriorated, this "Big Shot" asks Yoyo to do one thing for him -- after he is dead, to give a funeral for him ... in the "Chinese" way.

The film directed by mainland China's hitmaker Feng Xiaogang (who also wrote the script) may seem strange to Western aduiences. But he is clearly making his point, and when Tailor falls seriously ill, and the funeral (but he is not dead!) is planned, sponsored, and promoted by money-grubbing people, the film shows it in most outrageous way, with production placement (all around the coffin, and the body too) and the showy stage plan that might easily equal the rock band concert. These satires reflect today's China, and if you think the film lacks Westen-style sophisticated development of story, never mind. Aceept it as it is, because, as it is reported, the film was the big hit in China, and clearly they saw something immediate in the film. I for one, a Japanese, find it pretty amusing.

As a sub-plot, there is a romance between Yoyo and Lucy, one speaks only Chinese, and the other fluent English. It seems Lucy's character is set as American-born, and but probably you should not see this film as culture-clashing comedy/drama. The film doesn't use English so much (maybe about one third or more) and there are much talk than average Hong-Kong actioners. So, don't be mistaken. This is meant for art-house release.

Donald Sutherland's screen time is comparatively short even though he is very good (and much, much better than his usual turns in such dreadful messy films like, say, "virus"). If you're his fan, and remember his amusing, likable character in "Space Cowboys," then you may try this film.

But to me, Rosamund Kwan is the one to see. Those who know Jet Li's "Once Upon a Time in China" series would fondly remember her lovely face, and she is fantastic as a strong-willed assistant who tries to stop, or at least slow down, the crazy fever over the funeral. There is no action, but Ms. Kwan is better than ever.

I was amused fairly, but am afraid that many things have been lost during the translation process from original language. Those who can understand it, I hope, would fill in the gap someday on this site or elsewhere.

To all of you with an interest in good movies and the Mandarin dialect, checking your local Blockbuster to see if they have a copy of the recently released "Big Shot's Funeral" would be well worth your time and dime (but since you're already on this website... why not just buy one). With Donald Sutherland as the American "name" actor and Ge You as the big Chinese name, it's a really well-executed movie that plays out in about 1/4 English and the rest Mandarin.

The very up-to-the-minute story, set in Beijing, is beautifully filmed and puts a premium on satire that takes jabs at the American movie industry and burgeoning Chinese market economies alike. For those working on their language, there is more than enough vocab and a range of accents to make this a semester's worth of lessons ... some of it literally so, as an ABC character has to occasionally check with the locals on some current slang. It's scary how inpenetrable the "Beijingr" accent can be at times. Written and delivered with a humor and timing that should appeal to Western audiences and filmed in a somewhat Altman-esque fashion, it's a really refreshing departure from the historical costume melodramas that leave you wiped out and wondering if the mainland is capable of productions as contemporary and uplifting as they often are well-crafted and dour. This would show the answer to be - most definitely!
JPQ

The video cover says "The Funeral" is a "deadly comedy", I call it more like a "deadly bomb" or how about "just plain dead!"

This 1987 Fox Lorber Japanese subtitle movie was also called "One of the best films of 1987" It also says on the cover that there are hilarious situations, huh??? hilarious?? May I interject that it is about the unfunniest, deadliest strange movie I have seen!

English subtitles are difficult to read. The movie is color but there are some light background moments. Keeping characters straight is a challenge.

The concept of the movie is a Japanese family whose grandfather has died, it starts off with a heart wrenching (no pun intended) heart attack! The family is to prepare a Buddhist ceremony which takes 3 full days. Since the Buddhist traditions remain unknown to the young, it involves an expert Buddhist priest to inform them who speaks when, where you stand, sit, what you eat, who carries what, etc. etc. This is where it is supposed to get "hilarious" but doesn't quite reach that plateau.

The Buddhist funeral involves quite a bit, such as preparing the body for afterlife, providing food for the journey, mourning, photographer, etc, etc.

In the midst of the 3-day Buddhist funeral, there is a mistress and family member who go out to the yard/acreage with trees and have sex. The mistress demands sex, there is nudity (a surprise to me). Not appropriate for youngsters.

It's a strange movie, totally unfunny! For the English speaking viewers. TWO HOURS AND FOUR MINUTES TOO LONG!.....MzRizz

Who gets a DVD thinking that it could be cut to fit full screen anymore? It's not only modified, but it's also crooked and off-center. The camera doesn't even move. The subtitles are forced and not good visual quality. Juzo Itami deserves better. Tampopo is brilliant.

Clearly, some people who have watched this funny movie simply do not and will not get it. It is definitely a culture-bound phenomenon. If you don't understand Japanese culture and Buddhist traditions, it may be obscure and boring. But this movie is satire at some of its most biting--right in the butt of Japanese tradition and religion. It satirizes so many of the institutions that are "sacred cows" that to even begin to list them means you're likely not to get it in the first place. Things such as knowing by looking at the sagarifuji crest the sect of Buddhism to which the priests belong, and all that implies. (Contrary to what one other reviewer wrote, as Buddhists we don't provide food or offerings for the afterlife.) Part of the hilarity of the movie is about the ritual impurity imparted by death, part about the role of Buddhism in modern Japan, and a lot about Tradition. An auspicious start to Juzo Izumi's too-brief career.