Editorial Review

These brief features--barely an hour apiece--continue the adventures of the Bogard Brothers, Terry and Andy, from the popular video game. In "Legend of the Hungry Wolf," the adolescent brothers witness the murder of their father by Geese Howard. After 10 years of intensive martial arts training, they're ready to seek revenge, but Master Tung will teach only one of them the secret Hurricane Punch. He chooses Terry, who draws strength from the chi of the Earth. Along the way, the brothers meet kickboxer Joe Higashi and Lily, the mysterious barroom queen. An injured Terry is traumatized when he loses a fight to evil German aristocrat Wolfgang Krauser in "New Battle." He binges on self-pity and scotch until his confidence is restored by a feisty kid and the ghosts of Master Tung and Lily. Ninja girl Mai Shiranui provides comic relief and jiggle interest. In both films, Andy and Joe rush precipitously into battle and get the cookies beaten out of them, leaving Terry to destroy the enemy. Although Terry kills Geese in "Hungry Wolf," he's alive at the end of "New Battle," leaving open the possibility of further sequels. Anime villains have more lives than cats. Not rated: suitable for ages 13 and up for considerable violence, alcohol use, and sexual humor. Read more

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Reviews (10)

Great Anime, Great Deal
I enjoy anime where people fight in Giant Robots or fight with super powers. Fatal Fury Double Impact satifies the latter in a major way.

Fatal faulk
I like the video arcade games better then this second movie. Capcom needs some work.

COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
The first Fatal Fury sucked totally. The animation, the fight scenes and that lame ass final battle. It was also way too short.Fatal Fury 2 was almost as bad, 10 second fights and it seemed like Krauser couldn't beat Terry had he not sprained his ankle. The best thing was the final battle with Krauser, but why spend so much time waiting for that? They should have took notes off Streetfighter to see the way a videogame turned movie should have been. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anime / Japanimation    2. Japanimation    3. Movie   

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Reviews (18)

THE BOYS NEXT DOOR
I BOUGHT THIS MOVIE FOR NOSTALGIA.YOU HAVE A YOUNG CHARLIE SHEEN AND HIS FRIEND, DECIDE TO TAKE A ROAD TRIP TO L.A. BEFORE THEY GET STUCK FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES AT A FACTORY JOB. IT SHOWS CHARLIE'S FRIEND LOSES HIS MIND,BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE ANNOY,OR GET ON HIS NERVES.SO HE DECIDE'S TO BEAT THEM,OR WITH SOME HE DECIDE'S TO KILL THEM,OVER LITTLE THINGS.AT THE END CHARLIE IS FORCE TO MAKE CHOICE ABOUT HIS FRIEND.I WOULD RECOMMEND IT.

Grim stuff
Before Penelope Spheeris's directed "Wayne's World," she made another film about a pair of young men. "The Boys Next Door," though, contains little of the offbeat humor that marked the Dana Carvey/Mike Meyers collaboration. You won't find subtle and not so subtle pop culture references punctuated with over the top antics in "The Boys Next Door." Nor will you hear a single reference to "party on." In a way, "The Boys Next Door" resembles Spheeris's other films, namely "The Decline of Western Civilization," in that it looks closely at the sort of young people we don't normally see on television or in the print media. In the case of "Decline," Spheeris examined the effects of punk rock music on select members of America's youth. In "Boys Next Door," it's how the loss of hope leads a select few youngsters to a life of murder and mayhem. The movie, interestingly enough, begins with an error. Pictures of notorious criminals David Berkowitz, Ken Bianchi, and Ed Kemper float by in order to set a context for what we are about to see. Regrettably for the film, Berkowitz, Kemper, and Bianchi were serial killers. The two boys we meet in the movie, Roy and Bo, are spree killers. There is a big difference between the two as anyone interested in true crime stories knows.
Great 80s suspense film!
This is one of those movies that for some reason is often overlooked by many viewers.True, it is a low-budget film starring two actors( Charlie Sheen, and Maxwell Caulfield) who haven't done anything remarkable in a about a decade, but it kept me on the edge of my seat all the way to the thrilling conclusion.Its cool to see the intense and belligerent performance by given by Maxwell Caulfield.I read a review on Amazon where someone compared this film to the movie Falling Down, I couldn;t agree more.The whole movie moves through a of a series of scenes consisting of everyday situations and shows how a psychotic and over the edge teen reacts to them, its not good.Charlie Sheen plays his timid sidekick more deteremined to winning his psychotic friend's affection rather than speaking up for himself and saying what they are doing is wrong.All and all a great movie and highley entertaining. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Abel Ferrara, the bad boy of American independent filmmaking, madehis first splash with this violent twist on Read more

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Reviews (19)

"But the gun was put in a woman's hand..."
When two rapists in seperate attacks on the same woman, on the same day, warn her to keep silent, the joke's on them.Thana is a mute, and couldn't scream if she wanted to.She soon finds her 'voice', however, when she fells the second attacker in her apartment and acquires his .45-caliber pistol.It's not long before you can't shut her up-- if you're a man.Thana is a femme fatale with a refreshingly direct approach.
It Will Never Happen Again
I am glad "Ms. 45" is back on the shelf, because for a long time it was hard to find, certainly up here in Canada. This film is superior to "Driller Killer" in every way except for the lead track. Nothing touches the live performance of Tony Coca Cola and the Roosters playing The Grand Street Stomp. It is quite obvious in "Ms. 45" that that is not the sound of a trumpet. Anyway, for those who don't dig this, you can't tell me you can diss it. This, his second film, is night and day between "Driller Killer". What an obvious improvement. I was hoping that the DVD wouldn't be Vanilla and have at least a directors commentary. "Driller Killer's" commentray is legendary. And while you could chalk this up as being the female version of "Death Wish" there are some elements here that make it a true horror flick. For all those who liked "Eating Raoul", this is a must see. Suspension of disbelief is an obvious exercise here, but you won't be disappointed with it if this is your thing. See if you can spot Michael Richards as one of the extras at the Halloween party.

A Feminist Taxi Driver
I saw Ms. 45 a few months ago and was completely blown away by it.I understand it's been edited, and I assume I saw a version that had been cut.But I can assure you that it's still worth seeing.
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Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie    4. Mystery / Suspense   

Editorial Review

Even a fine cast can't do much to breathe life into this thin gangster piece. Dennis Hopper stars as a pathetic small-timer trying to get ahead with one final score. The bad guys don't take him seriously, a cop (Wesley Snipes) is content to mow him down if necessary, and a woman (Lolita Davidovich) who cares about him just wants him to settle down. Director James B. Harris has the raw elements of a middling film noir in front of him, but he can't even link up the pieces enough to make Snipes and Hopper appear to be in the same movie. The DVD release has a full-screen presentation, Dolby sound, and closed captioning. Read more

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Reviews (16)

Great Potential - Poor Dialogue
Boiling Point is an intriguing cop drama starring Wesley Snipes as the police officer, and Dennis Hopper with Viggo Mortensen as the pair of ex-cons that he's after. It's set up to be a film noir style story with an elegance - many references and scenes involving big band music, the tough-but-gentle prostitute, the cynical-but-caring girlfriend, even the slain partner who needs to be revenged.
Boiling Point(1993)
Director:John B. Harris
Slow moving!!
This film is much like a 1940's film noir.This is not one of Wesley Snipes best.I found the dialogue to be unbelievable.The story is slow moving, which does the film no favors.It winds up to be a disappointing venture for Snipes & Dennis Hopper, who was wasted in his role. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action    2. Action / Adventure    3. Adventure    4. Feature Film-action/Adventure    5. Movie   

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Reviews (9)

BANKER'S HOURS
It's always nice to see Kim Basinger.A lovely woman and a competent actress, it is her presence that makes THE REAL MCCOY a tolerable bank heist yarn.Basinger plays a slick bank robber who gets out on parole after serving six years of a ten year sentence.Her smarmy husband (an obnoxious Nick Searcy) has told their young son that his mother is dead, but Basinger is determined to have some kind of relationship with the boy.She hooks up with Val Kilmer who plays a fan of hers and who also entices her to do a bank heist for creepy Terence Stamp.Seems that Stamp is the culprit responsible for Basinger's imprisonment, so she doesn't want to have anything to do with him.But Stamp has other plans and kidnaps the son to force her to do the heist.Basinger does well with the conflicting maternal instincts, telling young Patrick that she is a friend of his deceased mommy.The heist itself is staged well by director Russell Mulcahy, but the end result is fairly obvious and even though Basinger has plans of her own, we find ourselves hoping she, Kilmer and the boy come out on top.
Not As Bad As The Reviews Would Indicate
A bank robber, Basinger, wants to go straight but she is forced to do another big bank job because her son is kidnapped by a bank-robbing kingpin. The story has many twists and turns. Although it is a bit far-fetched, the story is entertaining.

Boring
Don't even consider this film unless you're obsessed with Kim Basinger or Val Kilmer.I saw it in 1993 and again last year and I had forgotten how boring it was.Now I remember. I wondered what the heck was the purpose for making this film. Kim was on a roll that year I can remember.She'd just finished filming the remake of The Getaway with her then hubby Alec Baldwin. Now that's a good film right there. I like Kim Basinger but not in this.No one seemed to. Along with John Cusack's " Money for Nothing ", " The Real McCoy " was the most overlooked film of the year. I miss 1993, but not when it comes to bad films like this. This should have never been made. Shame on them. Shame. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Children    3. Family    4. Feature Film-action/Adventure    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

The director and action-magician John Woo (Read more

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Reviews (14)

seen better
this is not the best john woo move. i though it started pretty good and the story was kindoff original. but the longer the movie lasted the more boring it got. but it is worth watching if ure just renting it :)

John Woo's worst movie
Doplh Lundgren (Silent Trigger, Peacekeeper) stars in, yet another action thriller. This time Lundy tackles the role of a man who is hired to protect a beautiful model who is being stalked and threatened by a evil mad man. Lundgren and the baddie go head to head but there's one problem with Lundgren...years ago he had an accident and from there he is lacktose in tolerant which he cant stand the color white. The badguy uses this to his advantage which creates a corny showdown where Lundgren is blinding by white. John Woo's worst movie and putting Lundgren in it was a mistake also. The model is hot but this movie is not. I'm sensing a pattern in the movies Lundgren always picks..he's sorta doing the same thing, Steven Seagal and Jean Claude Van Damme are doing. Lundgren has only died in one movie that I remember and that was Universal Soldier..Seagal died in Executive Decision and Van Damme in a few. Well,, you get my point I hope

BLACKJACK review
What do you get when you mix legendary Hong Kong action director, John Woo with straight-to-video action superhero, Dolph Lundgren? You get a bullet-filled but slightly soft made-for-TV melodrama. Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie    4. TV Shows   

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Reviews (23)

The Dangers Of Time Travel: A Very Good And Underrated Film!
When I first bought this DVD, I did so because the price was reasonable and the film sounded interesting. I am glad I did. This is a much better film than many have described. James Belushi does an outstanding role as a bigoted, wife-beating, irritating Texan. And as for Kylie Travis, she portrays a police psychiatrist whose attempts to alter the events of the future are futile. The film starts off with Travis, whose car has broken down on a desolate stretch of road in Texas, and is picked up by James Belushi and his wife. When Belushi [who is bad tempered] kills his wife in a fit of rage, Travis runs for her life in the desolate Texas desert. Moreover, she is in a part of Texas where it is mostly barren, and with nowhere to hide
Great movie, but the DVD image quality Sucks!!!
Great movie, but I'm very disapointed with the DVD image quality. It just simply sucks! Acceptable definition of contours in close plans, but very pixelated in the large/wide plans, to the point that loses detail completely and the image is almost - and just visual noise!!

Retroactice (DVD)
EXCELLENT..SURPISED MULTIPLE TIMES....SO LIKE LIFE: WHENEVER YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE IT BETTER WITH A SECOND CHANCE, THE OUTCOME MAY NOT (RATHER WILL NOT!) BE WHAT YOU HAD HOPE...Be careful all you "do gooders"! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror    2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    3. Movie    4. Science Fiction   

Editorial Review

James Caan and Robert Duvall star as a pair of CIA operatives in the Bay Area; when Duvall sells out Caan, he cripples him instead of killing him. But Caan fights back, working himself back into shape and back into service to protect a visiting dignitary who is targeted for assassination. It all leads to a solid shootout and martial-arts battle aboard the mothballed fleet in the North Bay. Economic and spare, this is one of director Sam Peckinpah's lesser efforts, but still features his skillful direction of action scenes. An intriguing cast includes Arthur Hill, Mako, and Bo Hopkins; this may be the only film that features both Burt Young and Gig Young. Read more

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Reviews (16)

Not a complete waste of time , but do not expect too much
It is always sad when , for whatever reason , someone who has a strong reputation releases material with their name still attached , but without the former quality .
Boom then Bust
It was almost unfathomable to me that this film would be a bust but I was indeed disappointed. Having been a connoisseur of Pekinpah cinema for years, I found this DVD, drastically reduced, for sale and thought it was worth a shot. The opening few credits, iconic to Pekinpah fans, has the inter-cutting between man and animal, but here we have non-diegetic ambient noise of children playing in a schoolyard while a bomb is being planted. Fantastic suspense. Then, when the perps, Caan and Duval, travel to their next mission, Duval drops the bomb on Cann that his date last night had an STD, found only by snooping through her purse while Cann was being intimate with her. The ensuing laughter is fantastic, and is clearly paid homage to in Brian Depalma's Dressed to Kill, at the short-lived expense of Angle Dickenson. The problem with The Killer Elite is that after the opening credits, the film falls flat. Even Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia has stronger production value, a bold call for anyone who knows what I'm talking about. I use Pekinpah's credits as supplementary lecture material, but once they are finished, turn The Killer Elite off.

Boom, Bust, Echo
It was almost unfathomable to me that this film would be a bust but I was indeed disappointed. Having been a connoisseur of Pekinpah cinema for years, I found this DVD, drastically reduced, for sale and thought it was worth a shot. The opening few credits, iconic to Pekinpah fans, has the inter-cutting between man and animal, but here we have non-diegetic ambient noise of children playing in a schoolyard while a bomb is being planted. Fantastic suspense. Then, when the perps, Caan and Duval, travel to their next mission, Duval drops the bomb on Cann that his date last night had an STD, found only by snooping through her purse while Cann was being intimate with her. The ensuing laughter is fantastic, and is clearly paid homage to in Brian Depalma's Dressed to Kill, at the short-lived expense of Angle Dickenson. The problem with The Killer Elite is that after the opening credits, the film falls flat. Even Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia has stronger production value, a bold call for anyone who knows what I'm talking about. I use Pekinpah's credits as supplementary lecture material, but once they are
Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie    4. Mystery    5. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller    6. Suspense   

Editorial Review

More than 15 years after the debut of Read more

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Reviews (32)

A movie about getting the job done
this movie has good animation with guns, explosions, violence, sex, hitmen, and some killing for the sport of it, for example with the good ol' knife in the head.

Mr. Duke Togo Strikes Again!
Golo 13 is back, this time hired to kill a female revoluntary whose as brutal and effective as himself! Full of action with a mad violent opening that has tobe seen to be believed, this is a worthy sequel to "Golo 13: The Professional".

a slight improvment over the original
15 years later a sequel to Golgo 13 comes out. How does it fare overall? Well, one thing I can say is that I am surprised that people hated Queen Bee comparing it to the original. The only reason I decided to watch this was because I was told it was better than the first Golgo 13. Some anime reviewers will again hate me for this but I have to agree that Queen Bee is the better of the two. The pace of the movie was quick/to the point while at the same time including a decent plot which is what I like when it comes to anime. Sure, I would have liked the film to have been longer than 60 minutes but that doesn't take away from the overall movie. The character development of Queen Bee is interesting yet made me feel sorry for her as well. Golgo 13: Queen Bee is not oscar winning material even for anime though I did prefer the animated sequences over the original. As for the dvd, it has a few features to speak of... that's about it. Oh, be sure to watch through the end credits to see Duke Togo complete his final task. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anime / Japanimation    2. Foreign Film - Japanese    3. Japanese Animation Video    4. Japanimation    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

Larry Cohen scratched out some of the most memorably offbeatexploitation films of the 1970s, including two of the most energeticblaxploitation action classics: Read more

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Reviews (17)

Origanal Gangstas
This movie took me back to my younger days. It was packed with action, with a deep message. I really injoyed the movie and I watch it all the time.

mark twain sam australia WA Perth
I personally think that this is one of or if not the best film that Fred Williamson has done. I liked the fight scenes that were very well put together and each fight scene had a bit of realism to it.
The veteran cast from Blaxploitation makes this worth watching
A veteran cast make this update of the blaxploitation genre worth watching. Fred Williamson (Black Caeser), Jim Brown (Slaughter), Pam Grier (Coffy/Foxy Brown), Richard Roundtree (Shaft) and Ron O' Neal (Superfly) join forces to combat the newer, younger version of the same gang they formed twenty years prior. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action    2. Action / Adventure    3. Adventure    4. Movie   

Editorial Review

Another Eddie Murphy action vehicle that pales in comparison to hits like Read more

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Reviews (13)

Underrated Action Flick!
I can't believe some of these reviews. Eddie Murphy gave a great performance in this one, as did everyone else. Metro is the story of how a big-shot detective, Scott Roper (Eddie Murphy) cracks a hard case. Now, the convict has actually broken out and taken someone dear to Roper hostage. It's up to Roper to retrieve not only the stolen goods, but now to rescue his girlfriend and put an end to all this chaos. This is a well-played Murphy role and should be seen at least once.

Well Worth What I Paid
This not Murphy's best movie. However, it is a very good movie. Not predictable as some believe. The bad guy, Michael Rappaport, is especially well known from other similar roles. So do expect some nasty treatment to people. I for one kept expecting his partner or girlfriend to be killed. I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat, but you will have to wait till the end to see if they survive. The rest the cast does a good job of support.
The Johnny Appleseed of Handguns
This film is lackluster and often unintentionally comical. Eddie Murphy is the Johnny Appleseed of handguns is this film.He uses a clip, tosses the weapon, uses a clip, tosses the weapon over and over and over again.San Francisco PD could solve their armed street crime problem easily if they would just get Murphy off the streets.He litters the streets with enough guns to arm a small army.Too much gun play, not enough consideration for a quality script.Give this picture a miss. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Comedy    3. Feature Film-action/Adventure    4. Movie   

Editorial Review

An odd combination of consciousness-raising and run-of-the-mill action,Read more

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Reviews (13)

Ok from a man who lived in Africa.
First of all this movie reminds me of the time when I was in South Africa.It is similar in a way but it would have been more intresting and better if the actors and actresses were speaking Afrikans, Zulu, Xhosa in most part of the movie.They should of also had actors or so called actors acting as Boeras.Then it would of got a five star rating from me.Only one song in Zulu what was the director thinking?

YOUR AVERAGE ACTION MOVIE
A YOUNG SOUTH AFRICAN [ICE CUBE] WHO IMMIGRATED TO AMERICA YEARS AGO, RETURNS TO SOUTH AFRICA TO BURY HIS FATHER. WHILE HE'S THERE, HE FINDS OUT THAT HIS DRUG ADDICTED BROTHER IS IN BIG TROUBLE WITH AN ORGANIZED CRIME SYNDICATE, WHICH ALSO SPELLS TROUBLE FOR HIM. OF COURSE, VING RHAMES IS INTRIGIUING AS THE VILLAIN, BUT EVERYONE ELSE ACTS PRETTY LAZY IN THIS MOVIE. HAS SOME GOOD ACTION SEQUENCES. I GUESS IT'S WORTH A WATCH. BUT, YOU MIGHT NEED TO RENT THIS BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT BUYING IT.

GREAT MOVIE
I just finished watching this movie, and I thought it was great.Good plot and characters, with a satisfying ending.The short and simple facts for this movie are, as long as you are not a person who needs constant action in a movie, you'll find it entertaining and worth your time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action    2. Action / Adventure    3. Adventure    4. Drama    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

The series formula started to kick in with this immediate sequel to Read more

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Reviews (55)

Lethal Weapon 2
Saw this movie on HBO and loved it.Rated R for violence,language,some drug use and sexualty.Canada:18A.Not for children.
THE BEST OF THE SERIES
I've lost count how many times I've watched this film. Gibson and Glover are excelent but the inclusion of Joe Pesci was the stroke of genius. His "steak sandwich" monologue is a classic. It's hard to believe he became so obnoxious in future sequels.
Gibson and Glover reunite for fun cop movie
The summer of 1989 was loaded with blockbusters, yet there was only one movie that I really wanted to see more than any other. In a season that saw such blockbusters as a new Indiana Jones movie, the latest Star Trek picture and Timothy Dalton's second outing as 007, the movie that held the most excitement for me was LETHAL WEAPON 2. Not because of Mel Gibson or Danny Glover or a particular love of the original, but because the love interest came in the very lovely shape of the lead singer of one of my favorite 1980s bands (Eighth Wonder) Patsy Kensit.
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Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Alfred Hitchcock himself called this 1934 British edition of his famous kidnapping story the work of a talented amateur, while his 1956 Hollywood remake was the consummate act of a professional director. Be that as it may, this earlier movie still has its intense admirers who prefer it over the Jimmy Stewart-Doris Day version, and for some sound reasons. Tighter, wittier, more visually outrageous (back-screen projections of Swiss mountains, a whirly-facsimile of a fainting spell), the film even has a female protagonist (Edna Best in the mom part) unafraid to go after the bad guys herself with a gun. (Did Doris Day do that that? Uh-uh.) While the '56 film has an intriguing undercurrent of unspoken tensions in nuclear family politics, the '34 original has a crisp air of British optimism glummed up a bit when a married couple (Best and Leslie Banks) witnesses the murder of a spy and discovers their daughter stolen away by the culprits. The chase leads to London and ultimately to the site of one of Hitch's most extraordinary pieces of suspense (though on this count, it must be said, the later version is superior). Take away distracting comparisons to the remake, and this Read more

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Reviews (20)

Early British Great From Hitch
From 1934.."The Man Who Knew Too Much"(He remade this one in 1956). A great thriller about a carefree family on a winter holiday, who unwittingly become involved in an assassination plot. The Lawrences are having a wonderful time, but when their dear friend is shot, he reveals to them a plot to assassinate an important statesman before he dies. The would be killers kidnap the young daughter of the family in order to ensure their silence.Working with the police is out of the question and the Lawrences must take matters into their own hands as they try to rescue their daughter and stop the murder, which is to take place at the glorious Albert Hall.
He knew way too much
Alfred Hitchock may have preferred his later remake of "The Man Who Knew Too Much" as opposed to his early "amateur" original. But the original has a raw, murky, taut appeal all its own, and it has the veddy veddy British flavor that many of Hitchcock's early hits have. In short, it's unpretentiously enjoyable. Hitchcock establishing his reputation

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Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery    3. Mystery / Suspense    4. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller    5. Suspense   

Editorial Review

Call it "Desperate Movie," because this ludicrous thriller deteriorates into unintentional comedy. For reasons that are never explained, a sociopathic killer (Michael Keaton) is the only available bone marrow donor for the cancer-stricken son of a San Francisco cop (Andy Garcia), who must capture the killer alive after a laughable escape in a labyrinthine hospital. The ensuing manhunt relies on plentiful plot holes and ridiculous shortcuts (like Keaton's use of a surgical laser to cut leg irons, or accessing hospital schematics from a prison computer). Self-consciously shot in film noir style, the cat-and-mouse routine leads to a briefly impressive car chase, but the premise (which even the movie's original press notes described as "intriguing, if unlikely") is based on "moral ambiguity" that doesn't translate from script to screen. Instead of forcing Keaton's typically "sick genius" to prove his ingenuity, the film pits him against a squad of cops who couldn't find a beer in a crowded pub. Read more

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Reviews (31)

Annoying snore...
I'm wondering when it became a federal crime to have a PLOT in a movie anymore. The writers of "Desperate Measures" apparently thought an interesting and coherent storyline would get them a seat in the death house because they avoided anything even remotely connected to reality in this movie.
Exciting, to say the least
Michael Keaton puts in another excellent turn as a bad guy.This time he's a multi-murdering felon in a maximum security prison.
DRASTIC MEASURES PERHAPS?
Admittedly preposterous and implausible, DESPERATE MEASURES is nonetheless a tidy and engaging thriller.Director Barbet Schroeder eschews his usual heavy handed drama for this action thriller in which Michael Keaton plays a very vile criminal who happens to be the only donor available for the dying child of cop Andy Garcia.Brian Cox is underused in his role as Garcia's boss, and Marcia Gay Harden has done better than this role as the persistent doctor.Garcia's performance is dedicated, and Joseph Cross as the young boy is charmingly effective.Keaton, however, seems to be playing his role as a comic character instead of the outlandishly evil man he is.The ending is one that will probably irritate you, it did me, but overall the movie does what it was probably supposed to do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action    2. Adventure    3. Feature Film-action/Adventure    4. Movie    5. Mystery / Suspense    6. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller   

Editorial Review

They don't make detective thrillers like this anymore. Read more

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Reviews (12)

Dated Melodrama
Madigan was acritical success at the time (late 60's). It was not a box office success. It has the look and feel of another Don Siegel movie ( "The Killers". Meant to be a TV Movie. Madigan even continued as a series of TV Movies). Over time it has not aged all that well. The Don Costa score is way overblown and very dated. It was considered to be gritty and realistic at the time. After not having seen it for about 30 years, it came as quite a shock to see that it now plays like a parody of the era. The print however is in great condition.

Historical Interest Only
Considering all the talent involved why is the film as disappointing as it is. Start with a script that can't decide whether it's third-rate soap opera or second-rate police drama, with enough trite sub-plotsand dialogue to border on self-parody. Fleshing out the private lives behind the badges may be a workable idea, buthere the many subplots detract rather than add to the overall effect. Then there are the performances. Widmark's aging Madigan appears not so much a burned-out case as an expressionless cypher, whose presence leaves the audience with nothing much to root for, and a long way from Widmark's usual intensity. Then too, whose idea was it to have the street tough Madigan go through an embarrassingly bad comedy scene with Henry Fonda that should have stayed on the cutting room floor, but somehow didn't. There'salso Fonda's turn as police commissioner, a role that must have required him to swallow an ice cube first and a lemon second, because throughout, he appears too frozen to unbend and too sour to smile, a combination that results in a grimly overdone portrait of moral rectitude. (Just the thought of his character coupling with Susan Clarke is about as plausible as pairing Cher with Jerry Fallwell.) In fact, the entire cast apart from the poignant Inger Stevens, appears to be doing their scenes by the numbers, which is technically the fault of director Don Siegel. Except Siegel is a Hollywood master, who ordinarily directs with style and verve, and specializes in police-action dramas; yet here, with the exception of the shoot-out, there's none of the usual snap or polish. My guess is he took one look at the script and went for the payday, as did everyone else. I suspect too -- as another reviewer points out -- that the film's basic problem lies with the studio, Universal, which only recently had specialized in Doris Day comedy fluff. Here however it's 1966-67 --city ghettos are on fire, change is in the air, and Hollywood is trying to play catch up. Though praised at the time, Madigan is now little more than proof of how painful the process was.

The nitty gritty of police work.
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Subjects:  1. Action    2. Action / Adventure    3. Adventure    4. Feature Film-action/Adventure    5. Movie    6. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller   

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Reviews (16)

A lame disappointment...
Much of the plot didn't make sense, and the acting was B- at best.Thus, one was hoping for a little more female display that frankly never materialized.With several hot chicks, there's only one scene of any consequence and that's with Carmen who's beautiful face and overall figure is frankly diminished by an apparently stiff set of implants.But, that's the world these days.So, if you're a Carmen Electra fan, it's still a good addition to your video library.

One Hot Scene
This otherwise lame video has one hot scene that is too short. She pours milk over body and a guy goes to town with simulated sex. Carmen Electra has one of the all-time best bodies ever. I know they didn't cast her for her acting skills so they should have had her nude a lot more. I bought this to see her nude and felt ripped off. Do yourself a favor and rent it. Then go buy Jennaville or America's Wildest Bachelor Parties to see some real nudity.

Oh,man!!!
Sometimes i wonder why some movies such like this, really exist!! Read more

Subjects:  1. Feature Film-action/Adventure    2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    3. Movie    4. Mystery    5. Mystery / Suspense    6. Suspense   

Editorial Review

With a screenplay partially written by John Carpenter (Read more

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Reviews (12)

Black Moon Rising
This is the classic John Carpenter action movie. It's one of his original film efforts circa 1986, it features a Tommy Lee Jones, as a thief under contract by the US District Attorney's office. He is charged with retrieving vital records kept at a company and things go sideways upon his escape.
Great movie, poor quality product
As with others here, I loved this movie from the first time I saw it.However, I suspected the DVD was a bootleg copy when it first began to play, and so I then popped in my VHS tape.Sure enough, the very first scene, which is only about 30 seconds long, is missing on the DVD.It's critical because the scene sets up WHY the rest of the movie is important... a telex message advising a government operative to use any freelance methods necessary to retrieve accounting files from a company guilty of [...].
Less than enjoyable high tech 80's car movie
Maybe it was because of Night Rider, James Bond or Back to the Future, but there seemed to a be a huge amount of 80's action movies involving high tech cars. Sadly, this one features a car that is only mildly cool, and a storyline so hackneyed you wonder if maybe John Carpenter should be doing more constructive things with his free time.
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Editorial Review

While Read more

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Reviews (8)

Amazing Gem of Japanese Cinema
I loved these films. A classic set of Japanese yakuza movies for your own private viewing. It's so complex that it'll make the American Noir films look like Soap Operas. A little more violence than expected, The Yakuza Papers displays a cinematic dynamicity, that few movies had during the 70's. Clear portrayal of Japanese post-war, or should I say post-Nuclear era.A revolutionary masterpiece. Somebody said before that they "look like a Sonny Chiba movie", but it's quite the opposite. They look indeed very original and stylistically influencial.

Battles without Honor and Humanity
This series is without a doubt the most important series of yakuza films ever to be made. Not only are the films socially important, but they are also masterpieces in filmmaking.
Killer set
"The Yakuza Papers" consists of five sequential films made in the 1970s and only now making their U.S. debut, in this killer six-DVD set from Home Vision. Comparisons to the first two "Godfathers" seem inevitable, but "Yakuza" is a singular film experience -- deeply rewarding for those with the stomach for its kinetic violence; overwhelming in scope and complexity.
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Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Japanese    2. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    3. Gift Set    4. Movie    5. Mystery / Suspense   

Editorial Review

Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 remake of his own 1934 spy thriller is an exciting event in its own right, with several justifiably famous sequences. James Stewart and Doris Day play American tourists who discover more than they wanted to know about an assassination plot. When their son is kidnapped to keep them quiet, they are caught between concern for him and the terrible secret they hold. When asked about the difference between this version of the story and the one he made 22 years earlier, Hitchcock always said the first was the work of a talented amateur while the second was the act of a seasoned professional. Indeed, several extraordinary moments in this update represent consummate filmmaking, particularly a relentlessly exciting Albert Hall scene, with a blaring symphony, an assassin's gun, and Doris Day's scream. Along with Hitchcock's other films from the mid-1950s to 1960 (including Read more

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Reviews (68)

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
EXCELLENT HITCHCOCK MOVIE, BUT THEN ALL HITCHCOCK MOVIES ARE.
Hitchcock's deep human art
The Man Who Knew Too Much is known as one of the most "suspenseful" films of Alfred Hitchcock.
A Hitchcock movie for the family and the ears

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Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Mystery    3. Mystery / Suspense    4. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller    5. Suspense