Adams Movie Reviews

Pick up a copy for this movie if you can... This movie wasn't release on video from a long time ago. The sound and picture are very good and the story is a true family experience.

Elliott Gould gives another great performance as the world weary, hard drinking loner (ala 'Getting Straight', 'The Long Goodbye', 'MASH'), but similar to his other early eighties foray into Disney films 'The Devil and Max Devlin', his loner character is tested and softened through unexpected events. Geneviève Bujold also sticks to previous performances as the determined and sexy emissary of good ('Coma', 'Earthquake'). Both leads give a nice edge to this adventurous tale, made at a time when Disney was making some interestingly cast and original live action films like 'The Black Hole', 'Amy' and 'TRON'. Rick Schroder, in the prime of his childhood acting career, plays virtually the same character as he did in 'The Champ'. All of this cinematic pedigree adds a wonderfully entertaining element to a film that could have dived into the painfully mawkish. Complete with night shark attacks, stranded Japanese soldiers, orphans, an eclectic menagerie of animals (who ever sees a mallard duck in the same vicinity as one of those hump backed African ox), and a great South Pacific setting this film has something for everyone. A guaranteed good night with nods to the adults and thrills and adventure for the kids. Hearkens back to a not particularly distant past when Disney was making wholesome original films with a little edge.

As always Anchor Bay does a beautiful job in the DVD transfer, giving more time and respect to Disney's library than Disney does for its own films. As with all Anchor Bay DVDs, highly recommended.

"The Last Flight of Noah's Ark" is a rare Disney action/adventure film, much like the kind of stuff they released in the early 1960's. The cast is quite good; and though it is a bit of a fanciful tale, suspending reality inasmuch as Disney can, it is wonderful family escapism. Don't miss the shark hunt; it was probably the best scene in this film. My only problem with it is could have been a fantastic daytime scene; alas, it took place at night! Small quibble, though. Still excellently produced and paced. Wish it were out on video, but as with most Disney films under the Eisner regime, it has probably disappeared for a very long time (forever)?

If you are a Ryan Adams fan, there is no doubt you will enjoy this video. Here we see Ryan not only playing his music, but traveling and mingling with the Jamaican folk. Throughout the "movie", Ryan does an excellent job putting a Jamaican feel into his popular and not-so popular songs. The most notable performance is clearly "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)", which if you've heard on his overlooked debut Heartbreaker, had that type of feel anyways. I won't go too in-depth with the details. And when he's not playing his music, you'll see him buying intriguing hats, talking with inhabitants, learning about their cultures, etc. Without those neat tidbits of film, this would've been nothing special.

In total, I believe he plays eight songs unplugged/acoustic; some solo and some with the help of Jamaican drums and other instruments that you wouldn't normally expect to show up on an Adams track. I particularly enjoyed when he got a group of 20 or so children together to help with the background vocals to one of his songs. Again, I won't spoil the fun. And that's just the kind of thing you'd expect from a guy like Ryan Adams. Along with "To Be Young" you'll hear (and see) presentations of "Answering Bell", "New York, New York", "The Rescue Blues", "Touch, Feel & Lose", "Firecracker", "You Will Always Be The Same", and the rarely heard "Hard Time Situation". This is the only Music In High Places episode I've seen, but would say it was certainly worth my time. Do not expect these eight songs and Ryan's trek into the musical world of Jamaica and its fascinating people to move you in the same way either Gold, Demolition or even Heartbreaker did. But rest assured, they will move you one way or another. This is an illustrious video that portrays unkempt sounds beautifully; somehow, someway. The bottom line: (again) if you enjoy Ryan Adams' music, check this out.

A must for any fan. Worth it for his duet with Toots Hibbert alone. The sound quality is excellent, and it has versions of many of his best known songs.

I first saw this show on MTV, and hoped that it would eventually be released on DVD. The performances here seem so effortless, and convey both simplicity and depth. The footage is beautiful and shot on high-quality film (i.e. it doesn't look like a [shoddy] video job). My only complaint is that the commercial buffers ("Music In High Places" outros and intros) haven't been edited out, which is very unprofessional, but that small complaint doesn't keep me from giving this 5 stars. The interview portions are mildly interesting (though they seem to prove that Ryan isn't as big of a star as he could be because he's a dorky stoner). Fortunately, there is a "Play Just The Music" option that skips past the extraneous stuff. Highly recommended for your collection.

This is one of the early Playboy DVD releases, with no animated menus or trailers, or bonus features. 12 video segments, one for each Playmate, each Playmate getting about 4-5 minutes of screentime. The quality isn't that good, which has been a characteristic of Image releases of Playboy DVDs.

After seeing some of the more recent Video Calendar DVDs with mostly blonde Playmates, this DVD was a treat to view some brunette Playmates. There are many hot Playmates here, but who you like will depend on your particular taste of women.

About half of the Playmates have small busts, probably 34B or smaller. 3 of them are about average size, while only 3 others are what I would call busty. If you're a fan of big racks, you won't find any 38DDs here.

I would describe the majority of Playmates here as cute and perky, like the Latina from Columbia, Maria Checa, or the hot ballerina from Texas, Elisa Bridges.

For several other Playmates like Cindy Brown, Danelle Folta, Traci Adell, and Kelly Gallagher, this is their only appearance on any of the Playboy DVDs that have been released so far.

6 of the ladies are brunettes, while 2 others have dark blonde hair. Only 4 of the Playmates have light or fair blonde hair.

This DVD is best enjoyed by those who are fans of these Playmates already, which I am of several of the ladies here. If you're new, stick to the more recent Video Calendars which have a better video quality on the Universal releases and longer running times.

Not a bad Playmate video calendar, not one of their best but not bad, certainly not one of their worsts (and they have some bad ones, trust me). A run down of the girls: Kelly Galagher is cute, nice breasts, but her vignettes aren't that great. Cindy Brown is very pretty, her second scene encrusted in jewels (and nude) is very nice. Maria Checha gets very naked, but I didn't think she was that great. Stacy Sanchez is fantastic! Both of her vignettes are awesome. In the first one she has a country-western theme, and when she takes off that white dress to show off her statuesque body, it is mind-blowing. Amazonian figure with a really great rear. Her second sketch is great too, sort of a catwalk/fashion shoot theme. Lisa Marie Scott is next on the tape, she has a nice nude ballet sequence. Traci Adell is excellent, a gorgeous brunette with bewitching eyes. In her second segment, she does this artist's model/scupltor skit, and it is great. She starts out the skit topless, her awesome and beautiful bosom in full display for all to see, wearing little denim shorts, which she soon takes off and lets us get a good look at her anatomy. Nice. Rhonda Adams is a pretty blonde, though as Playboy has so many she doesn't really stand out. Her first segment with her giving a birthday party for herself (?!) is not bad, where she receives and tries on lingerie, but too brief. Her second segment sucks. Danelle Folta is next. Yes she is pretty, is great in the newstand specials, and has some good segments in other videos, but her two segments in this one aren't any good in my mind. Elise Bridge is kinda small-breasted and her very visible tan lines are distracting, she made no impression on me. Melissa Holiday was excellent, her first segment as a nude/topless magician's assistant, very nice, and the second one just plain great, lots of great breast shots. The last two, Victoria Zdrok and Julie Ciallini, don't do anything for me. I know Julie is a PMOY but I never thought her that great looking, and her chest was not that enticing. I know she (and Victoria) have their fans, but I am not one of them.

All in all not a bad buy, worth it for Traci, Melissa, Stacy, and Cindy in my opinion.

As usual Playboy have brought some beautiful playmates in a fantastic video. You'll especially like the library scene with Victoria Zdrok! And Julie Lynn Cialini will blow you away!

I saw this DVD at a local retailer at a discounted price and couldn't resist the bargain. It's a total waste of money. The picture qaulity is pretty good, but it's a pan and scan transfer, the sound is mono and not that great, and there are no special features save the usual French + Spanish subtitles and scene index. Typical GoodTimes style disc.

AWAY ALL BOATS is a great WWII film set in the Pacific. Jeff Chandler gives one of his best performances ever as the Captain. He was the best choice for this role because it brought out his best qualities. He is a thinking man's Captain in the best tradition of the genre. There is also a lot of WWII jargon that has been lost from films for many years now. They don't make them this way now days. Our loss.

This is a story of a ship, its captain and crew, as they are melded into one. Chandler is great (I agree with other reviewers: we lost him way too young), but it is the story that is fascinating.

As the son of a WWII Chief Petty Officer, I was glad to see that the film captures the Chiefs as the "backbone of the Navy."

It is a must have for a WWII film library.

I caught this on Cinemax and thought it was another Guy Ritchie sequel to "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". I was surprised that it wasn't, but no matter. It's good fun, especially not knowing what's really happening until the very end. Its plot may be implausible -- and having a kid smart enough to pull off something like this, but still only a punk car thief -- but you'll believe every twist and turn.

I gotta question. There are scenes where they wore black masks, does anyone know what the masks are called or where I can purchase one???

This was awesome movie that kept me at the edge of my seat. I gotta question. THere was a scene where they wore these black masks....Does anyone know what those masks are called or where I can purchase one???

A spoiled Judy Benjamin get's married to an ugly ... guy with an even uglier hairdo (white people can't wear fro's without looking ridiculous). He dies of a heart attack on their honeymoon as they make love on the bathroom floor. A smooth talking Army recruiter hears her sad tale on a radio talk show and offers to help her. After smooth talking her in his office, she signs up. Sounds like a real good story right? Well......

Judy's arrival at Ft Biloxi is funny as are other boot camp scenes... Once Judy decides to tough out basic, it just isn't a comedy anymore. She actually starts to get annoying.

After being given an ultimatum from her CO, (jump or screw) Judy jumps from the airplane. She cries [wolf] and gets an assignment in Paris. It all goes downhill from here. She meets up again with a snobbish Frenchman that she met in Biloxi (yeah I know). Well he's a communist and the Army wants her to stop dating him. She decides to marry him, then changes her mind once she's out of the Army. The final scene is her running happily down the road in a wedding dress acting like a 16 year old.

This movie is a lot like Full Metal Jacket in that after boot camp, everyone shuts it off. Bill Murray's 'Stripes' is a good example of 'interest after the boot camp scenes'. Maybe that's why the old TV show 'Private Benjamin' only dealt with boot camp type training.

This 1980s feminist fable is about the pampered and weak JAP (Jewish-American Princess) Judy Benjamin, who wants nothing more than to be married to a rich and successful man and be able to spend lots of money. She has been cared for by men for her entire life and has no skills, independence, or serious ambitions. After she is widowed, she falls for a recruiter's sales pitch and joins the Army, believing that it will be like going to a spa and will help her recover from the emotional blow of her husband's death. There is great comic potential here, but the movie lacks the sort of sharp writing that would have taken it to the next level. Nonetheless, it obviously strikes a cord with many viewers.

The first half of this film is inoffensive, sitcom-grade material. (In fact, a sitcom based on the film ran from 1981 to 1983.) Goldie Hawn's alternately cutesy/whiny act during basic training gets tiring quickly -- she's like a child who keeps begging for our attention -- and the film rarely manages to capitalize on the comic potential of the situations. Still, it does set up well how her parents' visit to the Army base reminds her of their degrading treatment of her, making her resolve to be the best soldier possible. We cheer for her to succeed. She does, of course, becoming a strong and independent woman in the Army.

The second, more serious half of the movie is somewhat more satisfying, as we watch Private Benjamin fight not to let her new French beau Henri bully her into reverting to her shallow, weak, pre-Army self. Her romance with the despicable Henri is the most interesting part of the film, in part because Arman Assante plays his part so well: charming but condescending and unfaithful.

The picture quality on the DVD is average for a film from 1980. The DVD includes the trailer and short biographies of the major actors. The film is captioned in several languages and can be heard with French dubbing. It does not include a widescreen version, just pan-and-scan.

Judy is in an extremely vulnerable state and when she calls into a radio show to understand why her life is in turmoil, an army recruter asks to meet her. When she arrives, she is obviously confused and wants to escape from her problems.

An assignment in Europe, getting into peak physical shape and living in her own condo sounds just too tempting. The reality of the situation is not so tempting. $458 a month hardly makes up for your husband dying on your wedding night. When she arrives at boot camp and says: "Is green the only color these come in? Where are the yahts?" You just fall in love with her character.

The disturbingly insensitive Captain Doreen Lewis is a comic treat all by herself, yet even with a whip in hand, not even she can compete with the pouting princess. Doreen wants to toss Judy right back into the arms of her parents. However, when Judy's father tells her she is not intelligent enough to make her own decisions, something changes. Private Benjamin decides to stay.

Some of the great comic moments are when Goldie is cleaning the bathroom with her electric toothbrush. I have stayed at an army base in Germany and trust me, they could have used a bit of toothbrush cleaning. My thoughts were that in the army, everything was spotless. Not! So, this movie was even funnier since I could totally relate to some of the experiences Judy had to go through. Another reason to respect our men and women in the military!

While this is mostly a comedy, there is some romance, with a sadistic twist. You know there is going to be trouble when Judy asks: "Am I making sense?" And her French Fiancé says: "No, and that 's what I love about you." You start to get the feeling that Judy is the only one who really knows what she wants and that no one else is listening.

Judy starts off running from her problems and ends up running from her problems. There are no real solutions presented, except to run. And maybe sometimes if you think about it, running is just a good idea.

Comic Entertainment at its finest!

It is great to see John Wayne in the early years . It was both funny and action packed and comsidering it was 70 years ago it was of a great quality .

This 1932 12 chapter film is a very good for the year it was made.The thing that appeals to me is that these types of films never had to put up with sensorship.

This 1932 12 chapter film is very good for its time.The thing that appeals to to me is there was no sensorship in those days.That means (in my view ) they are more entertaining to watch.

I rate this film two stars, mostly because of the outcome, artistically, it would be higher. Therefore, let me acknowledge these creative qualities first: "Dress Code" is a film of contradictions: the black girl has the vanilla cone while the white boy has chocolate, the grandmother is "butch" and the grandson is "sissy", the boy wears a dress while the girl goes around with two guns and a cowboy hat. These contradictions remind one of a Jerry Lewis film, and Shirely McClain certainly comes from his era. They might have "been done" before, but they are freshly done.

The film opens grandly with illustrations of different types of human sorrow and how that sorrow isolates each individual. The Mother is overweight and children laugh at her. The grandmother is brutish. Her son--a cop--fears he is a "sissy" for enjoying opera. Finally, the main character prefers drag, because he has no identity with his father, only with his mother. What I was hoping to see in this picture was a healing of these disorders:
The father loving the son and the son leaving behind dresses, the mother thinking more of herself and taking care of her body for the sake of herself and child. Indeed, it is only the grandmother who grows at the end, because she is able to love a child that--in the beginning--she did not fully accept as her grandson. Furthermore, the attack on the Church (I speak here not just to the Catholic Church but what the film dubs "The Religious Right") is tired and plays into a stereotype that has about as much truth to it as any generalization on a particular people group. I might recommend this viewing for the comedy and for the illustrations of human suffering (caused by sin--either one's own, or in the case of the boy, another's), but I would not share the moral: "make your dysfunction work for you".

alex d linz is my fave kid actor and here he shines in a role where he plays a boy who likes to were dresses.the boy bruno thikns of them a reglous vestments. this mvie explores brunos problems at school and with his father. i thought all the perfomances where grat. the only problem i had was that the dvd could have use dsome extras.

This is a great movie!

I found the portrayal of the nuns to be disturbing, yet accurate, but puts the nuns in a good light in the end, with even the most harsh nun cheering for the boy in a dress at the end.

Shirley MacLaine provides great subconsious contrast to the little boy who likes to wear dresses, because she is very "butch" in this movie. Shirley dresses in pants, teaches boxing, and is not afraid to fight anyone, verbally or physically. Shirley's butch look is the counterpoint of the story, as no one seems to care that Shirley takes on the male appearance and mannerisms.

Thus, in my opinion, the major question this film raises, is why cant boys wear dresses, when girls can wear pants? Why are feminine attributes considered lower status, but male attributes higher status? I think the answer is that most people still think of females as being inferior, and any male that does anything feminine, wears anything femininm, is degrading himself, so it is unfavorable. Females that imitate the masculine and wear pants, are upgrading themselves, so that is acceptable. Men and women will never be truely equal, until this kind of subconsious prejudicial thinking ends.

The film clearly states that the boy is not homosexual, nor does he want to be a girl. The film is harmless viewing fair.

For every woman who has ever put a dress on a boy(who hasn't?), or a man, this is a movie to see. Any male who does not feel degraded in a skirt, is a male that truely sees females as equals. I have had personal experience with boys and men that like to wear dresses, and find them facinating.

Happily, the story ends well, with everyone accepting a boy in a dress, the nuns redeeming themselves, and the fat woman throwing away her chocolate cake. A nice enjoyable movie in spite of its serious subject matter. A victory for womankind where feminitity is no longer considered degrading.

Steve McQueen plays Papa Thorson a man who lives in the past with the motto "New things are no Good." Papa's a bounty hunter who relies on a law from the late1800's that allows anyone to capture those who jump bail (by almost any means necessary).

Most of the movie shows Papa tracking down and capturing criminals. There are some wacky chase scenes -- one involving a Trans Am and a Harvester in a corn field - but most the action is mundane especially compared to McQueen's other films.

The movie would have benefited greatly with better effects (explosions, etc), some one liners and stronger characterization. The ending is somewhat sentimental and cheesy. The film is based on a true story - which probably could have used some embellishment. McQueen gives a pretty good performance and it's fun to see Levar Burton in one of his earlier roles. Recommended for hard-core McQueen fans only.

The Hunter is a very exciting movie based on the exploits of real life bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson. The movie follows his efforts to bring the bad guys in at all costs. One of the best scenes in the movie involves Thorson chasing his man through the streets of Chicago, the subway, and then up one of the towering parking garages that border the Chicago River. Needless to say, the chase ends with a bang. As well, there is a subplot involving a man named Mason, a speed freak bent on getting revenge on Thorson, the man who brought him in. Also, Thorson's girlfriend is pregnant causing him that much more problems. The story is very enjoyable. Even though it deals with a possibly dark subject, bounty hunting, the movie has a comedic edge in several scenes as McQueen repeatedly chases different criminals down. Although this may not be the best movie McQueen made it is still well worth a watch.

Steve McQueen is at his best in this movie even though it is obvious he is struggling with lung cancer. You can tell he had fun with the role though as a man who refuses to let things go. As well, his character is a horrible driver constantly hitting parked cars, driving up on sidewalks, and even destroying a Trans Am. Considering the fact that McQueen was such a good driver makes this all that much more funny. The film also stars Eli Wallach, Kathryn Harold as his girlfriend Dotty, Lavar Burton as Tommy Prince, a teenager Papa takes in, and a small but enjoyable role for Ben Johnson as Sheriff Strong. The DVD contains the widescreen presentation of the movie as well as a theatrical trailer, both of which look very good. Fans of McQueen will love this movie! For an exciting movie with a good story, exciting action, and a great performance by Steve McQueen check out this movie!

This was the best movie to bring Steve McQueen's incredible film career to a close. Steve is Ralph "Papa" Thorson, longtime bounty hunter. He'll do whatever it takes to bring the bad guys in. Released in 1980, it wasn't a box-office hit, but it's still a great movie. The best part is the long chase scene, filmed in Chicago. The rest of the cast is good too. LeVar Burton and Kathryn Harrold really stand out as Tommy Price and Dotty, Papa's pregnant girlfriend. The funniest part is seeing Steve's character being such of a lousy driver, when knowing he raced cars in real life. One of my favorite movies.

Neither Vincent Price nor Keith Michel can sing! That fact alone goes a long way towards destroying this rather bad presentation of the absolutely superb operetta that Gilbert and Sullivan wrote. What a contrast to the splendid job that the Canadian Stratford Company did with Gilbert and Sullivan.

While this video is worrth seeing, and perhaps owning, so that you have a copy of Ruddigore (which is hard to find) in your Gilbert and Sullivan library; I couldn't help but feel that the production of this opera suffered from the low-budget video tricks used to make it feel like other than a stage production. This was clearly a made-for-TV special that only a true G&S fan could love.

There is also way too much shameless mugging and general hammery in the production; Vincent Price is the exception to this, as his acting performance is fine, although his singing voice would never get him into D'Oyly Carte.

Other than this, the singing performances are fine. The staging interferes with the performance; picture a college stage production set interspersed with video bits reminiscent of the worst British pop videos of the late 1970s, and you get the idea.

It's true the RUDDIGORE is a problematical vehicle, but this production proves that, if properly handled, it ranks with the best of Gilbert and Swllivan's output. All of the major roles are particularly well cast and played, and the beginning of act two -- with the awakening portraits of gruesome ancestors -- is a marvel. My two daughters term this sequence the best Gilbert and Sullivan they've seen on videotape, and they've seen quite alot. This is the best of the four BBC productions I've seen on tape, and is wonderful fun. Don't miss it!