Arizona Dream [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

Extreme Excess of Absurdism and "Quirkiness"

ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE

Arizona Dream [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
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Private Resort

The Brave [Region 2]

The Man Who Cried

The Brave / The Piano II

Before Night Falls

ASIN: B000296GVG

Customer Reviews:

Extreme Excess of Absurdism and "Quirkiness".......2007-05-31

The Michael J. Pollard cameo is cute. Jerry Lewis is always interesting. Faye Dunaway still looks great. Johnny Depp gives an excellent performance, but it is another of his Edward Scissorshands distant characters. Lili Taylor also gives an excellent performance. Vincent Gallo's character is just too easy to do, so no points there.

So why the low rating? This is another of the current chic and trendy narratives that features "quirkiness" as a substitute for inquiry or reflection. There is no statement here. Things happen, and the virtue is in the nonsequitor and jarring juxtaposition of events. People of average ability should not be given big film budgets. And writers have to drill down a little further into the model novel "100 Years of Solitude" to find out that there is a *structure* underlying the mysteriousness of life depicted there.

But it so much easier to be a *fresh* director whose worldview is that all the "ism's" have been exhausted, and only absurdism reigns now. That is not correct, as movie-making itself is a form of "consumerism". And this film dishes out enough of the in-demand absurdism to satisfy the market, that's for sure.

As an antidote to this trend, read John Gardner, "On Moral Fiction" (available here at Amazon). It's not a stodgy right-wing Walt Disney thing at all. Gardner was a hard leftist, but one who had good theories about fiction and narrative.

ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE.......2005-12-25

I have two favourite movies and one of them is "Arizona Dream". I can watch it endlessly and very often. You know sometimes you got the mood when you just want to sit and watch something old, something you've seen many times, something very dear and familiar. "Arizona Dream" works for me at those occasions. Actually I don't like Emir Kusturica and his other works. Paradox, but I adore "Arizona Dream". It's the movie which seem to absorb all the wisdom of the world and at the same time all its contradictory. In a few words I can tell about the plot that the film is about our dreams. That we all pursue them and doing that we don't notice people around who also have their dreams. And very often our desires obstruct other men's desires. And we can never be happy. I know, maybe it sounds silly but it's not.
I can't say what happened to Kusturica in this feature but all 140 minutes of the film are flying very fast and you wish it was endless. Johnny Depp is very different, Vincent Gallo is ingenious as always (just watch his "North by Northwest" remake scene), Jerry Lewis is hilarious, Faye Dunaway and Lili Taylor make a perfect duo.
"Arizona Dream" is a kind of a movie every time you watch it you find something new, you discover new hidden meanings and layers. You won't get bored with it for sure. If you don't believe me - check imdb ratings. They are quite good and I'm sure none of those who voted loves this film as I do. If there was an ultimate movie for me to recommend for everyone - it'd be "Arizona Dream" without any doubt. I understand it's not a commercial project but still it's a shame such a brilliant picture is still not out on region 1 DVD.

Average customer rating:

Great music, great video, great value

TobyMac - Momentum
Starring: TobyMac , and Toby Mac
Manufacturer: Forefront
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00006LPBU
Release Date: 2002-10-22

Customer Reviews:

Great music, great video, great value.......2004-01-16

We saw Toby Mac at Creation West in George, WA. He was really great. This dvd combines the things you would expect in a music video w/ some concert footage in the extras to make a great DVD. The price is fantastic and I'm going to buy a stack of them for my son to give at his upcoming birthday party.

Average customer rating:

Carmen directed by Carlos Saura
Careful of European DVD
sizzling!
Saura loves Flamenco
PLEASE RELEASE ON DVD WIDESCREEN

Carmen
Starring: Antonio Gades , Laura del Sol , Paco de Lucía , Marisol , and Cristina Hoyos
Director: Carlos Saura
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ASIN: B00005Y427

Customer Reviews:

Carmen directed by Carlos Saura.......2006-11-28

This flamenco version of Carmen is terrific! When will it be available for purchase in the NTSC DVD format?

Careful of European DVD.......2006-03-13

Earlier a reviewer wrote: "Good news to all. Carmen and the Carlos Saura Dance Trilogy are available on DVD (PAL) if you visit www.flamencoexport.com. Shipping is a bit expensive but each DVD only costs around 21 Euros." Careful, folks, the DVD PAL format
will not work on the DVD player most Americans have purchased.
Those folks will need the DVD NTSC format. And yes why hasn't an
American distributer converted this wonderful film to the NTSC
format? Such a shame this film is not available!

sizzling!.......2005-02-06

For anyone who is a dance enthusiast, enjoys high drama or would like to experience one amazing dance film by the great Spanish filmmaker, Carlos Saura, this is for you!
Many are familiar with the popular French opera and novel about the randy, irrepressible Carmen, a cigarette girl, who encounter the young solider, Don Jose, seduces and leads him on, and drives him wild with jealousy. Carmen is a fickle and independent woman who will answer to no one and lives only for the moment. The plot of the film is loosely based on this story, and is actually a tale within a tale. The masterful Antonio Gades, portrays Antonio, a flamenco dancer/instructor who is searching for the perfect female dancer to portray Carmen in a flamenco version of the story. He chooses, not the best, nor strongest dancer. He chooses a woman who is driven by her passion and raw sensuality, who happens to be named Carmen. He proceeds to mold her into the dancer he desires for the play., then proceeds to fall in love with her, and grows progressively obsessed with the young, bewitching woman.

The film is an intriguing juxtaposition of re-enactments, high drama and electrying flamenco dance sequences. Gades sets the stage on fire. His marvelous timing, stage presence and footwork burns a hole in your heart. Also, Maria Del Sol, the young dancer portraying Carmen., is at once seductive and sinverguenza (shameless), and you can't look away. This is especially apparent during the scene where she says, "Devour me, Antonio...." In a word, "Whoa!"

A note: There are scenes of sexuality, profanity, and the subject matter, in general, is not suitable for young children. Although, it was rated R when it came out in 1983, I would say that it could pass for PG-13 by today's standards.

Saura loves Flamenco.......2004-11-28

Made in 1983 the story is about Antonio Gades, a superb male flamenco dancer, staging a flamenco version of the opera Carmen. The first part of the movie is about Gades and his talented friends creating a flamenco version, part of which is the search for the right woman to play the role of Carmen. But the woman they choose is a Carmen in her own right; there is love, betrayal, jealousy, lust, deception on and off the stage as the life of the players becomes a reflection of the play. The story is good, but the true star is the director's love for flamenco; his staging of the movie, the beat and counter beat of music and dancing, and the camera work is all fantastic. A work of love that is very enjoyable.

PLEASE RELEASE ON DVD WIDESCREEN.......2004-07-21

Antonio Gades is my favourite flamenco dancer ever!!! There is simply nobody like him! I want to buy a DVD widescreen version.

Average customer rating:

It's not as bad as it first look's.
Entertaining "Momentum"

Momentum
Starring: Louis Gossett Jr. , Teri Hatcher , Grayson McCouch , Michael Massee , and Nicki Aycox
Director: James Seale
Manufacturer: Dimension
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ASIN: B0009ML2OW
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Description

Sexy Teri Hatcher (TV's DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, TOMORROW NEVER DIES) stars with Academy Award(R) winner Louis Gossett, Jr. (Best Supporting Actor, AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, 1982) in this high-stakes supernatural thriller about a man whose special psychic gift is both a blessing and a curse! Zach Shefford is a physics professor with a well-kept secret: he can move objects with his mind! Then one day he's approached by undercover FBI agent Ray Addison (Gossett, Jr.) and enlisted to infiltrate a notorious criminal gang whose members have similar telekinetic powers and use them to rob and terrorize their victims! At the same time, Shefford and Addison are being shadowed by another FBI agent, Jordan Ripps (Hatcher), who believes they are part of the crime ring! But there can be no justice until Shefford determines who to trust -- Addison or Ripps -- and whether he should risk revealing his powers to the world!

Customer Reviews:

It's not as bad as it first look's........2006-07-18

I have just watched this film on the Sci-Fi chanel and I actually liked it. Okay it's low budget and there are no CGI effects ( a definaite bonus ) and it is so obviously a pilot for a tv series which has yet ( or never) to appear. But the acting is good to okey and the film over all is enjoyable to watch. I have never watched the Fury or Scanners but it does seem very similiar to a story I once read. It was a Babylon 5 book on the story of how the Telepath's and Bester came to be.
Also if your a big Twilight fan one of their short's also follow's a similiar idea of a small group of special people consantly on the run from the goverment who want to kill them.

However Momentum is still a good film to watch, and I intend to buy it.

Entertaining "Momentum".......2005-12-03

Before Teri Hatcher got popular again in "Desperate Housewives", she starred in this paranormal thriller about criminals with supernatural abilities. The story and acting are very good for this kind of cable film and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Mr. Gossett is excellent as the bad guy. If you like movies like "Scanners", see this.

Average customer rating:

Volume, Trend & Momentum
Starring: Philip Roth
Director: John Boyer
Manufacturer: Marketplace Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000COQA12
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Gohatto (Taboo) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]

Average customer rating:

odd and inexplicable dvd format

Gohatto (Taboo) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]
Director: Nagisa Oshima
Manufacturer: Momentum
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000A3E69S

Product Description

Great Britain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: o English (subtitles) o Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0) Synopsis: After a 13-year absence, partially due to a life-threatening stroke, master filmmaker Nagisa Oshima returns to the silver screen with this revisionist samurai epic. From his first major film, Cruel Story of Youth to his most notorious work Ai no Korrida, Oshima has coupled the political and the sexual in a manner that transgresses all social norms. In this film, Oshima explores homosexuality among the ranks of the much hallowed samurai. The film is set in Kyoto in 1865 during a critical moment of Japanese history--the country's 300-year-long self-imposed isolation was coming to an abrupt halt leading to the end of the Shogunate. In its place came a more internationally-minded government with the Emperor as its nominal head. Feeling both their traditions and their grip on power threatened, samurai militia sprang up throughout the country to fight this foreign encroachment. One such group, the Shinsengumi, is auditioning new recruits at the film's opening. Commander Kondo (Yoichi Sai) and Captain Hijikata (Takeshi Kitano, a renowned filmmaker in his own right) select the ruggedly handsome Tashiro (cult actor Tadanobu Asano) and Kano (Ryuhei Matsuda), an effeminate lad with long locks and a thirst for blood. Worried about the perceived slightness of the latter, Kondo and Hijikata order Kano to perform an execution, which he does with grim aplomb. The lad's androgynous beauty soon raises the general blood pressure of the militia. While Tashiro snuggles up with him nightly, Hijikata, who suspects that something other than manly appreciation is going on between the two neophytes, also seems unduly interested in the youth. This film was screened in competition at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

Customer Reviews:

odd and inexplicable dvd format.......2006-11-18

This is a funny item. The original Japanese release of Gohatto was 24 fps 16:9. The format of this dvd is 25 fps (PAL) with a small amount of the edges of the picture clipped off, resulting in the top of the frame being clipped off, and the aspect ratio being reduced from 1.78 to 1.66 by the loss of the extreme left and right sides of the frame. The picture quality however is excellent.

Average customer rating:

If You Want A Hollywood Propaganda History, Look No Further.
Brilliantly done; a masterpiece
Nazis as gangsters
An Exercise in Historically Inaccurate Propaganda
Hitler updated

Hitler: The Rise of Evil [Region 2]
Starring: Robert Carlyle , Stockard Channing , Jena Malone , Julianna Margulies , and Matthew Modine
Director: Christian Duguay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000C669S

Customer Reviews:

If You Want A Hollywood Propaganda History, Look No Further........2006-12-04

There is no question of Hitler's place in history. However, do protray him objectively. This film is juvenile and biased. I was quite shocked to find many reviewers favored this film. It is a shame a script like this wasted the talented actors in this film (I think the actings in this film were wonderful). Viewers who wish to see the truth of this notorious figure, please look elsewhere or read related history books. If you want to enjoy the usual biased Hollywood protrayal, Be my guest and watch this film with a bucket of popcorn.

Brilliantly done; a masterpiece.......2006-05-30

I gave "The Rise of Evil" 5 stars because that's what it deserves. The show is extremely well-constructed, cast, and directed, even if the screenplay takes some liberties with history along the way. Yes, the story could have gotten along without the dog beating scene, the one where Hitler's father abuses him violently, and probably a few others. But the dramatic effect would have been impaired.

I watched the "making of" documentary that came with my DVD before I sat down to view the 3-hour movie. Then, I watched the documentary again after seeing the show. I'd recommend this approach to others to understand why the producer and director were subject to such criticism before and after the film was finished.

When this miniseries first came out we going out of town and totally missed it. My wife and I watch very little network TV because it doesn't seem like it's designed for thinking adults. This program is very much the exception and should be a must for anyone interested in world events and the dangers of facism.

Any review of this program must include comments on the performance of Robert Carlyle who plays the adult Hitler. Although the very Scottish Mr. Carlyle may be small in stature and far-removed from Hitler's teutonic roots he is mesmerizing as der Fuehrer. Carlyle captures the part so well you worry about what he could possibly do in the future to escape type-casting. It's all there: the iron will, the vicious temper, the evil political genius. Scary, truly scary.

The other actors in the show do very well, too, and there are a lot of well-defined characters. Peter O'Toole's role in the movie is limited but he does a fine job as President Hindenburg. The decent people who are steam-rolled by the 3rd Reich were sorry victims, indeed, but that's the way it must have been.

There were some characters who were notable by their absence, like Heinrich Himmler, Reinhold Heydrich, and Martin Bormann. Also missing was much on Nazi mysticism and the occult. Maybe these missing pieces are being held for a sequel. I'd certainly be interested if there were one.

Nazis as gangsters.......2006-04-23

This film follows Adolf Hitler from childhood to death, particularly his political career starting in Munich in 1919 to the assasination of Ernst Rohm in 1934. The title "the rise of evil" summarises the predominant standpoint: Hitler is shown as devious, malicious and bullying, but as little else besides. He is even called "not human", in a perhaps unconscious adoption of his own rhetoric.

So of the two principal interpretations of Nazism in the 1930s - as political gangsterism and as neo-pagan religion - this takes mainly the former view, apart from a couple of passing references to Wagner. Robert Carlyle bears little bodily resemblance to Hitler and plays the part mostly in the psychotic style of Begbie in Trainspotting. It is an accurate and thought-provoking presentation of the main public and some private events of the period, but it does not explain why most gangsters stay gangsters, but Hitler became intead one of the key orators of the 20th century. Then again, maybe that is asking a lot of a three hour film.

You feel that, as a British effort, it is really an attack on the British far-right than a view of Hitlerism from the heart outwards. The closing quote from Edmund Burke supports a reading in terms of post war British identity politics.

An Exercise in Historically Inaccurate Propaganda.......2006-02-13

Hitler. The world's most hated figure for nearly the last century, and arguably in all of history. Lies. Perversion. Hate. Insanity. Genocide. Supposedly, everything that has ever been wrong with humanity and everything that ever will was incarnated neatly in the figure of Adolf Hitler- a conveniant definition of evil and a handy monster under the bed. But is this image correct?

Of course not. Hitler scholarship has improved quite drastically in the 60 years since his death, and removed itself from much of the atrocity propaganda which sprang up around the Führer in the post-WWII world. Recent biographies by respected historians are portraying the human, almost sympathetic side, and disspelling the myths (most of them conjured up from literally nowhere and accepted as fact simply because of the stigma which is attached to Hitler- if it's evil, Hitler did it, right?) which have cluttered and ashamed the legitimate WWII/Hitler historical community for decades.

This movie does nothing of the sort. Constructed not in part, but entirely of these myths, falsehoods, and urban legends, the film even has the gall to change proven history in order to appeal to the popular image of Hitler as being with no compassion, no empathy. Hitler's beloved dog who was one of his only friends during the First World War (whom was in reality kidnapped, leaving Hitler very upset) is portrayed as being abused, a victim of Hitler's supposed sadism. Beatings by his father (which happened to most children in this time period) are vastly exaggerated, Hitler makes comments that he never made and never would make, he becomes the enslaver instead of the lover of his half-niece Geli (certainly their relationship was turbulent, but in reality Hitler's affections were reciprocated and Geli's suicide was likely brought on by a sort of lovers' quarrel initiated by Geli's actual jealousy of other women Hitler was spending his time with) and in general his personality is twisted. Personally, my favorite is the completely fictitious portrayal of Hitler's serpentine persuasion of his Jewish commanding officer to award him the Iron Cross by emphasizing his own philo-semitism- all Hitler biographers, even the most venomous, agree that Hitler was a good soldier who no doubt deserved the awards he received.

Besides the loads of historical and biographical falsehood, this movie really contains nothing of any worth. Without the historical context, a film about Hitler is nothing. Surely the time and place were quite dramatic, but unless the events are viewed with the audience knowing the horrors that would come in the next decades, there is no dramatic substance. Movies (often facetiously called documentaries or "historical" dramas) about Hitler are excessively easy to make- simply throw in a lot of the garbage I discussed earlier and make sure to connect it somehow to the modern world (the movie focuses a lot of energy on the paralells between post-WWI pre-Nazi Germany and contemporary America, what with the erosion of freedoms in the name of security) and you can be regarded as artistic, politically correct, and socially relevant all at once- by the mainstream. Those who know anything about history, Hitler, or film will be repulsed by this movie.

Hitler updated.......2005-12-26

'The Rise of Evil' tells the Hitler-story once again, this time in a setting & lay-out for the new matures. Though disputable on some historical details, this movie's core doubtless gives a true account of the disaster happening in the first half of the 20th century.

'The Rise of Evil' is a well-made movie, offering a convincing performance by all actors and actresses involved. Robert Carlyle, as Adolf Hitler, makes a good lead. And there must be a special mentioning for Peter O'Toole, whose act of the aged President Von Hindenburg is of breathtaking quality.

My copy of 'The Rise of Evil' also contains a second disk with two good documentaries. One on the life of Adolf Hitler. The second on a shocking, if not hilarious, publicity-scandal in 1983. This scandal illustrates how alive Hitler's impact still is, even decades after his suicide in 1945.

Back in 1983 a German forger produced Hitler-diaries, and managed to sell them expensively to 'Stern' (= star), a well-known German popular magazine. Stern sold the rights for a stiff price on to the reputed British paper 'the Times'. The forgery was discovered through the use of polysterene in the ropes holding each diary together: in Hitler's days polysterene did not exist yet.

At the moment of discovery Stern had already invested too much in obtaining these diaries. Even worse, in the fakes Hitler was portrayed as a good man. As a man who did not know about all evils going on around him, such as the holocaust. Blatantly neglecting this false image, Stern publicized some of the diaries. Only thinking about money, they no doubt wanted to earn some of their investement back. This deliberate spreading of a false, positive Hitler-image caused them a torrent of indignation and criticism. The Times showed more style: they did not publicize, and decided to write off their costly investment.

By now this forgery from 1983 has become history by itself. It has crushed reputations, and books have been published about it. In Germany a hilarious movie on the subject did very well.

Events like these show the on-going necessity to keep Adolf Hitler's true image alive. 'The Rise of Evil' surely contributes to that.

Average customer rating:

Great Film, Disgusting Transfer
Hana-Bi
Kitano's best....
touching story of love, honor, and friendship
A MASTERPIECE!

Hana-bi [Region 2]

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ASIN: B000056IFX

Amazon.com essential video

A superstar and cultural icon in his native Japan, Takeshi "Beat" Kitano has conquered more than one medium, but he is best known in the West for his remarkable films. Among those, Fireworks is the clear favorite, a taut and enigmatic noir that fluctuates between perfect stillness and savage eruptions of violence.

Kitano plays a cop named Nishi, a determinedly impassive man whose face occasionally ripples with an involuntary tic, hinting at the explosive but contained forces within. Nishi's wife (Kayato Kishimoto) is dying of leukemia, a disease that already killed their child, and he cares for her with a shattering tenderness. While on a stakeout, Nishi takes a break to check in on her, and while he's gone his partner is crippled and another officer is killed. With death hovering at home and a score to settle outside, Kitano's hero sets off on an isolated course to seek justice.

Few filmmakers have understood as well as Kitano has here the irresistible draw of a thriller told with a moody calmness, with an eye toward graceful construction and rigorous composition. The careful, unhurried dispensing of story information also helps keep the focus on Nishi's warrior soul, on his mysterious capacity for the extremes of gentleness and brutality. The story here is the way one man can be the sum of such bold contradictions, and a great story it is. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Great Film, Disgusting Transfer.......2007-07-25

Why am i writing this review? I guess the only reasons are to state what a great masterpiece not only of Kitano's work, but of cinema this movie is, and to state my disgust at the insulting DVD quality of this. Its not DVD quality, and it certainly does not live up to the beautiful 35mm picture. The cheap third rate transfer renders everyhting under-exposed, de-saturated and "viedeo-y". When the camer pans, for instance, it looks like you're watching a DV recording of Hana-bi on a tv set. you see the digital lines, for Christ sake! Sadly, the options are slim. One can get the VHS which is pan and scanned, or deal with this ONLY friggin' region 1 DVD. HIGHLY RECOMENDED FILM, however, beware of an aweful and unacceptable transfer. I lost much, if not all respect for New Yoker Films. its a mockery to all lovers of movies.

Hana-Bi.......2007-07-12

An eccentric, wildly unpredictable gem from writer-director-star Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, this hard-boiled cop story veers from quiet, tender sentimentalism to explosive, in-your-face violence. Hiding behind mirrored shades for much of the film, Kitano plays Nishi--a devoted husband and friend, and a super-deadly foe--with ice-cool, nearly wordless reserve. Aside from an involuntary facial tic, Nishi's mask-like face rarely changes, even when he's blasting away at bad guys. "Fireworks" is a poetic crime-thriller from one of Japan's preeminent icons.

Kitano's best...........2007-03-09

I have seen many Takeshi Kitano films, but this one haunts me especially. It's very poetic, sad, beautiful, and complex. What can you say about a Yakuza film that begins with serene, tender paintings (done by Kitano himself). Kitano gives probably one of his better performances here, playing yet another version of a disillusioned cop, but with more depth this time. This is not to say that his other films were shallow (quite the contrary), but here the emotional resonance makes this film even more moving and powerful. Yes, it's violent, but with all Kitano films, he doesn't wallow in it, even though it's brutal. I've always liked everything this man has done (even his comedy Kikujiro, which got terrible reviews), and this is probably my favorite of his films.

touching story of love, honor, and friendship.......2007-02-15

From the DVD cover, one would think this movie is full of violence and nothing else. On the contrary, this is one of the most touching films about love, friendship, loyalty, and compassion I've ever seen--and, surprisingly, the message is conveyed with very little dialogue. My Japanese husband and I both cried at poignant moments throughout the film. The ending was no surprise, but we found ourselves hoping for more choices for characters we felt deserved more. I wish Hollywood film directors would learn from Takeshi's unique style. He's one of the best talents anywhere in the world. Regarding the violence, any American TV police/crime drama can be as bad or worse. The Japanese title is "Hanabi" ("hana" is flower in Japanese; "hanabi" is fire flower or fireworks) and, on its cover, Takeshi is walking on the beach with a flower as background. If the U.S.-marketed cover had less about violence, I think the movie would have the wider audience it deserves.

A MASTERPIECE!.......2006-11-10

This is Beat Takeshi's masterpiece. Like his other movies, the film is understated, introspective, atmospheric, but with brief bursts of extreme violence. Most of the movie is very slow paced, but with sudden violence interrupting tender moments. The cinematography is wonderful. It is NOT an action movie. Somewhere I read a reviewer saying that Beat Takeshi is the Japanese version of Quentin Tarantino, which I think is incredibly inaccurate. Takeshi Kitano is more much similar to other contemporary Japanese directors than to Tarantino. To make an international comparison, he is much more similar to Wong Kar Wai than to John Woo. The movie is definitely not for everyone, but it is my personal favorite movie and I believe is widely viewed as a seminal movie for contemporary Japanese films.

Average customer rating:

HE'S NO ANGEL...

Angel Heart [Region 2]
Starring: Mickey Rourke , Robert De Niro , Lisa Bonet , Charlotte Rampling , and Stocker Fontelieu
Director: Alan Parker
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000056IEC

Customer Reviews:

HE'S NO ANGEL..........2004-09-07

This is an intriguing, unusual, beautifully directed, highly atmospheric film that successfully crosses any number of genre: film noir, thriller, mystery, and horror. The plot is simple. In the mid nineteen fifties, a mysterious and slightly sinister business man, Louis Cypher (Robert De Niro), hires Brooklyn gumshoe, Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke), for a missing person case. Angel's investigation, for which he is being paid a princely sum for the time, takes him from Harlem to New Orleans, as he looks for a former crooner named Johnny Favorite, who sometime during the early nineteen forties apparently welched on a business deal with Louis Cypher and hasn't been heard from since.

What happens when Angel gets to New Orleans will be infused with voodoo rites, ritual murders and taboo sex. The Big Easy is hardly that for our erstwhile detective, as he becomes susceptible to a series of initially puzzling flashbacks. Moreover, it seems that everyone with whom he meets, who had a connection to our missing crooner, ends up being savagely murdered. When he meets with a tarot card reader (Charlotte Rampling), it is just the beginning of the end for our increasingly disheveled gumshoe. His introduction to the gorgeous Epiphany (Lisa Bonet), a seventeen year old voodoo queen, later leads to a coupling that is played with singularly wild abandon. Both of these women have a connection to our mysterious missing person, Johnny Favorite, who, it turns out, may have given the Devil a run for his money in the evil department.

Robert De Niro is sensational in the highly stylized, role of Louis Cypher. He imbues the role with just the right amount of sardonic humor and restrained menace so as to make the character memorable. De Niro leaves an indelible imprint on every scene in which he is in. Mickey Rourke, who is in nearly every scene in this film, shows that he has the ability to carry a movie, as he is simply terrific as the private detective who is slowly unraveling. As the film progresses, the toll that the investigation is taking on the tormented Angel is evident on his face. Angst ridden, bleary eyed, and disheveled, Angel is definitely involved in the biggest case of his life. As he gets closer to the truth of what happened to Johnny Favorite, the more his life seems to be spinning out of control. Rourke manages to convey all this, no easy task. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent and adds to the flavor of this delicious gumbo of a film, which is reminiscent of Goethe's Faust. Undoubtedly, this film is one of Alan Parker's best directorial efforts. Bravo!

The Three Musketeers [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]

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The Three Musketeers [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]
Director: Richard Lester
Manufacturer: Momentum
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Great Britain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: o Danish (subtitles) o Finnish (subtitles) o German (subtitles) o Italian (subtitles) o Norwegian (subtitles) o Spanish (subtitles) o Swedish (subtitles) o English (Mono) o German (Mono) o Italian (Mono) o Spanish (Mono) Synopsis: Richard Lester's adaptation of The Three Musketeers was only the latest of many when released in 1974, but it arrived with a spirit all its own, one influenced as much by Lester's '60s work as the Alexandre Dumas classic. Even so, it followed the plot of Dumas' novel fairly closely, its liberties in interpretation taken elsewhere. Coming off the success of Cabaret, Michael York plays D'Artagnan, the provincial, would-be swashbuckler who travels to Paris to make his name. There he encounters the eponymous heroes: cynical Athos (Oliver Reed), dashing Aramis (Richard Chamberlain), and arrogant Porthos (Frank Finlay). The trio introduces him to the world of court intrigue as they work to protect the Queen (Geraldine Chaplin) from the schemes of the villainous Richelieu (Charlton Heston) and his followers, Rochefort (Christopher Lee) and Milady (Faye Dunaway). Lester shot the film in conjunction with its sequel, The Four Musketeers. Originally intended as a single film, the split prompted a lawsuit from the cast demanding payment for both films.

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