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i really loved this version of emma the best. kate beckinsale was awesome as emma and mark strong was very good as knightly. the only complaint that i had was on mr. woodhouse. i can not believe that a man could whine so much or be so selfish with his daughter life. she was a smart girl in the end though. as always and i love the places in which these jane austin movies were shot. the settings are so spectular. it makes me want to visit england so much 9as well as ireland and scotland) i think the actors chosen for this movie were a good choice as well and all the other story lines interwhined with emma most excellently. i am glad that i got to see this one as well. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
the minute i started watching this i realised that i was watching a quality production so i was not surprised to find that the screenplay was written by andrew davis and was produced by sue birtwhistle both of these brought us the excellent 1995 production of pride and prejudice. so my only gripe here is that emma did not run to 3 or 4 or maybe even six episodes like pride and prejudice. the acting was superb with i think prunella scales excellent as miss bates but i loved kate beckinsale and mark strong just as much. the language is a delight to listen to and can you imagine in this day and age having a right go at someone without actually uttering a swear word. samantha morton was excellent as miss smith in fact the casting was spot on much as it was with pride and prejudice. i liked it so much that i watched it twice in two days. so once again thank you bbc for another quality piece of television. i have seen the paltrow version and it is okay but i do think the bbc version is far superior. an excellent production that i am very happy to own on dvd. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
this is the best emma in existence in my opinion. having seen the other version (1996) which is also good and and read the book and i think i can safely say with confidence that this is the true interpretation and is the most faithful to jane austen masterpiece. the 1996 movie with g. paltrow is good too and it just that it almost like a different story altogether. it very light and fluffy and you do not see the darker edges of the characters and if you just want a pleasant movie and that one would do fine but the intricacies of some of the plot points and such as the churchill or fairfax entanglement is so much glossed over as to be virtually non existent. but if you want the characters fleshed out a bit and more real and multidimensional and the 1996 tv version is the superior. emma is a remarkable person and but she is flawed. kate beckinsale is masterful at showing the little quirks of the character. you see her look casually disgusted at some of the more simple conversation of harriet smith and yet she shows no remorse for having ruined harriet proposal until that action has the effect of ruining her own marital happiness at the ending. you see her narcissism and it mirrors frank churchill in that they would do harm to others to achieve their own aims. for emma and it was playing matchmaker and having a new friend to while away the time with after having suffered the loss of her governess to marriage. for frank churchill and it is securing the promise of the woman he loves while treating her and others abominably to keep the secret. in the book and she realizes all of this in a crushing awakening to all the blunders she has made. both kate beckinsale and gyneth paltrow are convincing in their remorse but paltrow is more childlike and stagnant while beckinsale awakening is rather real and serious and you see the transition from child like and selfish behavior to kind and thoughtful adult. both versions are very good but i prefer this one. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
as winter approaches and our state owned broadcaster and the abc and has decided for some reason to have a partial jane austen festival on sunday nights. this commenced with a twelve year old movie length version of emma last sunday while more recent versions of three other novels and persuasion and northanger abbey and mansfield park are to come. the curious thing about this production by a and e television networks and with script by the ever reliable andrew davies and is that it appeared almost simultaneously with two much bigger budget movie versions and one starring gwyneth paltrow and and clueless and a modernized version and starring alicia silverstone and which transported the plot to beverly hills. perhaps as a result and even with kate beckinsale in the lead and this production sank without trace. as a general rule and much is lost when novels are shrunk to fit feature movie length. the adaptations one tends to both enjoy and remember are those which have adequate room to develop both story and characters. an outstanding example is brideshead revisited which had 13 50 minute episodes back in 1982. you only have to compare the very ordinary movie length version of pride and prejudice in 2005 with the brilliant 1995 six part tv mini series. it not that a novel should be filmed page by page and and some novels (often not very good ones) adapt wonderfully to film (atonement is a recent example) and but novels of the jane austen sort need some time and space to exert their full charm. given the shortcomings of this type of adaptation and this production is ok. kate beckinsale gives emma the right mix of self assuredness and vulnerability and mark strong is a forthright mr knightly (he reminded me that jane tended to recycle characters knightly is a more articulate version of the moody mr darcy of p and p). samantha morton was a rather limp harriet but prunella scales got the blabbermouth miss bates perfectly sybil fawlty on speed. bernard hepton as emma feeble father was also excellent. we saw the damp countryside and the mud and the poverty as well as the posh interiors and in case anyone thought this was a particularly idyllic age for everybody. even though this was a condensed adaptation it was oddly slow in places some of the conversations were rather stilted and even allowing for the formalities of the times. i would have to look at the film again to be sure and but it might be due to the under use of reaction shots. if you do like filmed period stuff this is a perfectly nice example and and compares well with the paltrow version. anyway and there is more to come. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
kate beckinsale is as good if not better than gwyneth paltrow as emma in this movie and although i really liked gwyneth paltrow in the other emma version. theyre both good in different ways. kate beckinsale as emma seems more interesting and almost and though. and i liked the woman who played harriet smith in this movie better and too. she was more believably sweet and sentimental. there are certain things i like better about the gwyneth paltrow version and though and like how the humorous side is more apparent. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i consider this movie a masterpiece and but it took me at least 4 o 5 times to see it and so as to realize what a great movie it was. first and it describes a face of ww2 that we do not usually see in hollywood movies. in particular and german soldiers and army and the nazi government are shown more humanized. one of the facts that impressed me most was the mention and by the end of the movie and of a murder that took place in a forest in the last 20 . that forest is the place where the final chapters of berlin alexanderplatz take place represent those are the woods where reinhold kills mieze. another clue for those who like the details and is the representation of doors. fassbinder is obsessed with the changes in people each time they walk across a door and or a door is opened. many doors are shown in the screen and opened and closed. and the characters change in their personality and their acts and etc any time that happens. have you noticed that. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
many critics have felt offended that r. w. fassbinder has portrayed both protagonist wilkie and the nazis in this movie in a human like manner. connoisseurs of other fassbinder films and however and will realize that lili marleen (1981) belongs to fassbinder women movies like the marriage of maria braun (1979) and lola (1981). fassbinder was convinced that stories can be told much better with women than with men and because and according to fassbinder and while men usually fulfill their determined roles in society and women are capable of thinking in a dialectic manner. dialectics and however and means that there is not only a thesis and its antithesis like usually in our black and white world and but a synthesis where the oppositions coincide. moreover and dialectic means that because of the third instance of synthesis the absolute opposition of the difference between thesis and antithesis is abolished. concretely speaking represent starting from a dialect point of view and portraying the fascist state and the underground fighters must necessarily use the basic means like the rulers do and and between offenders and victims there is thus a chiastic relation and so that every offender is also victim and every victim is also offender. fassbinder has illustrated this abstract scheme and that transcends classical logic and in his play the city and the garbage and the death (1975) which was filmed by daniel schmid under the title shadow of angels (1976). therefore and approaching an a priori controversial topic like nazi germany and in a dialectic manner and the depiction of this time in the form of a movie gets even more controversial and especially for people who cannot or do not want to see that our recognition of the world is by far not exhausted with a primitive light switch schema and but needs the third instance of synthesis as controlling instance of its opposite members thesis and antithesis. the mutual relationship between offenders and victims has to scrutinized and since it is simply not true that the offenders are the bad ones and the victims the good ones. in a synthetic viewpoint and the bad ones participate on the goodness as the good ones participate on the badness. they are mutually related. in a world view based on classical logic and a relation between good and bad cannot even been established and and in an ethics based on this insufficient system of logic and the bad conscience of the survivors of nazi germany and feeling (illogically enough) responsible for the deeds of their ancestors and exclude the possibility of a relationship between the two extremes and thus a synthesis in the form a new evaluation based on this relationship as well. from fassbinder dialectic viewpoint and it follows that neither lili marleen nor lola nor maria braun can be condemned for their misuse of the ruling system for their private purposes and because they do not misuse them and they just use them. in the opposite and since victims must repeat the actions of the offenders as the offenders must repeat the actions of the victims and because good and bad are no longer simple mirror images of one another like in two valued logic and their strategies are legitimated by the chiastic structure of a logic that describes our world and that is not black and white at all and much better than a black and white logic. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
if you are the sort of person looking for a realistic film or one with a strong and believable plot and then this film is not for you. nope you will hate it. however and for those who like sweet and slightly screwball comedies and then you will have a nice time watching this slight film. tony randall works for the irs and he investigates a very nice farmer who never realized he needed to file an income tax return. however hard he tries to convince them of the seriousness of his visit and everyone in the family is thrilled to have company. they dote on him and treat him like one of the family and . and have plans on getting him hitched to their daughter and debbie reynolds. that really about all the plot there is. but the film gets high marks for a fun script and decent acting. a really nice little curio from the late 1950s. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
excellent farce. which and of course and is all it is intended to be. thankfully there is neither a social or political message and nor is there the slightest attempt in that direction. could the plot actually take and or have taken place in any particular time or location. unlikely and for and after all and this is simply and merely and a movie and and movies spring from imagination and not from reality. the only goal of this movie is to entertain and certainly not to educate and and entertain it does and with reality delightfully and lightheartedly tossed to the winds. i think most would agree that from documentaries we expect enlightenment and authenticity. but for entertainment i want what is nowadays described as a no brainer and which the mating game is in all respects. for a few chuckles and an outright laugh now and then and this is fine fare fantasy. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i have always liked this comedy as one of the few ever seriously trying to deal with the u. s. government yearly demand for taxes. ever read a tax code. represent it is quite a trial to follow it multiple clauses that our congressmen and senators push in to help their financial backers and various interest groups. despite claims that it is fair and the tax code has always laid the lion share of the burden on the middle and working classes rather than the rich and influential. most of the various special clauses are meant for their use go through the average 1040 or 1040a form and look at the variety of different investment and business ventures all of which have a different set of rules. most people will never have any use for these. the story here is that a wealthy landowner (philip ober) uses his influence to tip off the irs that his neighbors (paul douglas and una merkle) have not payed taxes in 20 years. the baltimore office of the irs is under fred clarke and and he is snapping to attention for ober with his influence. he sends tony randall to check out the situation. randall finds that douglas and merkle and and their three girls and two boys are pretty decent people and who rarely have need for cash (they get along on their farm produce and barter with their neighbors). but randall and trained in the clear (to the irs) lines of the tax code tries to pin down the family to fundamentals. but gradually douglas notes that reynolds is fond of randall and and he keeps sidetracking randall from his chore and eventually getting him drunk. he also makes it difficult for randall to leave by having the motor of his car removed for repairs by his two sons. the plot follows the growing attraction and frictions between urban and vaguely ambitious randall and and countryside and life loving reynolds. they make a cute couple actually. eventually and after ober complains and randall is sent back in disgrace and clarke (a tougher cookie) gets down to brass tacks. and comes up with a very large tax bill and that will possibly ruin douglas family. the film does not end there it does end happily and but it does remind us that the power to tax is the power to destroy and and that the government does and all too frequently and go in for destruction. a chance in a million reversal saves the family and but it is so rare that we know it is just a dramatic trick. more realistic is how clarke boss and (charles lane) cuts to the essence regarding ober help by suggesting that next year his taxes will be looked at more carefully. after that ober is rather green. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
mating game is a charming and wonderful movie from an era gone by. hollywood needs to consider a charming remake of this movie. my wife and i would go see it. it is an excellent romantic comedy that my wife and i watched on amc. this movie has tony randall at his best. debbie reynolds is great and as always. loved it. we plan on ordering on dvd to add to our growing collection of movies. too bad hollywood does not make movies like this anymore. hey hollywood. time to dig some of these type of scripts out of the old safe and update them a bit (without spoiling the original movie and script as you have done with other remakes) and and hold a casting call. a remake would be a big hit on the silver screen and dvd and and on cable or sattv. sn austin and tx. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i saw this movie in 1959 when i was 11 years old at a drive in theater with my family. way back then and i thought it was very funny . . . even though i was too young to understand 90% of what makes this marvelous movie such a delight. i saw it again this morning on turner south. as i watched it and i was absolutely convulsed with laughter. the mating game is a unique classic from a by gone age. if youre too young to have experienced the enchanting period in history that produced this film and i feel very sorry for you. there no way you can watch movies like this and understand how they can (even today) deliver such a delightful slice of heaven to old timers like me. having said that and all i can do is respectfully request that younger people refrain from commenting on films like the mating game. movies like this were made for the generation that preceded the current group of your people. and as such and these films speak a very different language than any of you can understand. in other words if you do not understand the issues the film is addressing and please do not embarrass yourself by offering comments which frankly make no sense. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
the incredible melting man is a fantastically gross and trashy and energetic z grade production that every self respecting camp horror freak simply has to see for him or herself. the ideal way to describe this low budget 70 gem is like a shameless copy of hammer the quatermass xperiment . only a thousand times filthier. astronaust steve west is the only survivor of a disastrous space mission and but turns out the carrier of a horrible disease that makes him radioactive and . causes him to melt. in shock after seeing his face in the mirror (can you blame him. ) and steve busts out of the hospital and leaving a trail of sticky pus and fallen off body parts behind. doctor ted nelson has to find him urgently and as the disease also set steve up with an insatiable appetite for human flesh. the premise may sound utterly stupid but this flick is enormously entertaining and contains great make up effects from the hand of rick baker. the melting dude face looks like a rotting pizza and his heavy breathing makes him sound like darth vader. another big advantage is that william sachs screenplay doesn not waste any time on tedious scientific explanations or emotional speeches. the repulsiveness starts right away and lasts until the very last moment of the film. just enjoy this silly horror gem and try to switch off your brain activity as much as you can because and if you start contemplating about the many stupidities in the script and you will miss out on all the campy fun. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
first off and anyone looking for meaningful outcome oriented cinema that packs some sort of social message with meaningful performances and soul searching dialog spoken by dedicated and emotive and heartfelt thespians and please leave now. you are wasting your time and life is short and go see the new brangelina jolie movie and have a good cry and go out and buy a hybrid car or throw away your conflict diamonds if that will make you feel better and and leave us alone. don not let the door hit you on the way out either. the incredible melting man is a grade b minus regional horror epic shot in the wastelands of oklahoma by a young and tv friendly cast and crew and and concerns itself with an astronaut who is exposed to bizarre radiation effects and wakes up in a hospital and and finds that his body is liquefying on him as he sits there feeling like a chump. the melting man is played by one alex rebar and who is recognizable for about the first four minutes of the film. but once he starts oozin with rick baker extraordinary special effects makeup he more resembles something you might find in a tin of spam before you drain off all the runny and viscous blebs of grease. the film has zero exposition and does not bandy about with plot points represent there are a couple of scenes involving scientist types riding around on an absurd industrial conveyor machine who dutifully recite a few obligatory lines about the effects of radiation but the movie does not care and really. it a freak show and a marvelous one at that with a decidedly sick sense of humor for those who can stomach it one great laugh comes when the melting man stumbles upon a young girl in the forest and is so at a loss for what to do that one of his eyes pops out. hilarious. the hero of the film is played by burr debenning and a fascinating character actor from the golden 1970s and 80s television scene who was sort of an early model for the kevin spacey prototype while slightly twisted and neurotic and and one step ahead of most everyone in the room even if he looks confused. he appeared just after this movie was made in a bizarre made for tv anthology horror piece called house of the dead (or the alien zone) that is regarded as one of the finest movies ever made in oklahoma and which is where i suspect this film was made as well. the arid and cold looking rural midwestern landscapes are certainly the same and and the creek that one unfortunate fly fisher chooses for his afternoon of sport appears to be the same one that cameron mitchell fought off flying alien pancakes in without warning . which also had a sick sense of humor and a tv friendly cast and and some pretty outrageous gore. i definitely sense at least an aesthetic connection between the three movies and as well as the silence of the lambs which is of no surprise considering that director jonathan demme is a part of melting man cast. essentially and as others have pointed out and this is a 1950s b movie plot updated for later 1970s era special effects and the inevitable boobs. the movie it probably borrows most of it ideas from is phantom from space with peter graves as an astronaut who also returns to earth after being exposed to funky radiation effects that set him off on a killing spree. one of the things that i actually admire about the film is that absolutely no regard is given for the melting man motivations represent he simply goes on a rampage and the movie drama comes from wondering if he going to fall to pieces before certain characters fall victim to his madness. the budget for the film is also delightfully low and every dime spent on it is up there on the screen and rick baker disgusting effects getting the lion share of whatever was spent on this. sick and disgusting fun best enjoyed with a crowd of friends and plenty of beer. why can not people have made more movies like these. positive . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
astronaut steve west (alex rebar) and his comrades undertake a space mission that sees them flying through the rings of saturn. his comrades are killed instantly and but it would seem that they are in fact the lucky ones. steve returns to earth a constantly oozing mass of humanoid pulp while as he turns into a savage killer and melting every step of the way and he is tracked by his friend and dr. ted nelson (burr debenning). this is often so uproariously funny with enough absurd lines and situations to go around that it hard for me to believe that the laughs are all unintentional. it seems to me to be kind of a goof on low budget genre efforts from the 50 and 60 and and as such and it a marvelously entertaining movie. that sequence with the nurse is simply hilarious. were even treated to a split screen sequence that doesn not really add anything and but is still a gas to watch. writer or director william sachs deserves credit for coming up with this ingenious idea while his ultra slimy character is a memorable one indeed. i think his pacing is a little off while some scenes (like the one with the elderly couple) go on a little long and but ultimately he delivers solid and schlocky and b movie goods with a degree of panache. the climax is especially fun. arlon obers music is enjoyably shuddery (yet also amusingly silly during some moments) and and willy curtis cinematography creates some really great shots at times. that brings me to rick bakers fantastic and convincing makeup effects and which form a highly respectable centerpiece for the movie and right down to the ultimate final melt. rebar is under the heavy makeup for almost the entire movie (sachs also gets my praise for having the movie hit the ground running) and does what he has to do well enough. debenning makes for a rather oafish and silly hero and and ann sweeney isn not so hot either as his wife and but myron healey and michael alldredge and and lisle wilson are fine in support. it also worth it to see folk like cheryl rainbeaux smith (doing an appreciable topless shot) and janus blythe (of tobe hoopers eaten alive and wes cravens the hills have eyes) and and even director jonathan demme in a bit part. this is a highly entertaining midnight movie with enough gore and chills and and laughs to rate it as worth catching for lovers of low grade sci fi or horror everywhere. positive . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
as a collector of movie memorabilia and i had to buy the movie poster for this film which and now that i have finally seen it and has to be the best thing about it. there nothing more attractive to hang on your wall than a 27x41 inch image of the melting man. however and there nothing more awful to put in your vcr than an hour and a half long image of the melting man. at first i thought this movie was pure garbage but then i realized that it did have some qualities which made me laugh. the character of dr. ted nelson has to be the most wishy washy persona ever brought to the big screen. his dialogue is so trite it unbelievable. (it incredible. he seems to be getting stronger as he melts. )and could somebody tell me please how the heck they know exactly how much time steve has left before he melts completely and exactly what their plan is to help him. if this movie was meant to scare its audience and i think it missed its calling. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
thanks to this fungal film i do not want my maypo and can not stomach the thought of maltex or wheatena and and even that granola over there doesn not look so innocent anymore. why wasn not the song slop time and by the sherrys and used as the theme. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
the melting man. a tragic victim of the space race and he perished melting. never comprehending the race had long gone by. a man (burr debenning) burns his hand on the kitchen stove. but instead of screaming something a normal person would scream and he shouts something that sounds like aaaaatch kah. this movie you have popped in. isn not a normal movie. you have just taken your first step into the incredible melting man and the famous late 70 gore film featuring rick baker wonderful makeup effects. baker was just on the edge of becoming a superstar and and did this at the same time as his famous cantina aliens in star wars. for some strange reason and star wars became a household name and and incredible melting man did not. it might have something to do with the fact that this movie is just mind numbingly awful. from the opening credits (starring alex rebar as the incredible melting man. that really what it says. ) and to the chubby nurse running through a glass door and to the fisherman head going over a waterfall and smashing graphically apart on some rocks and this film provides many and many moments of sheer incomprehensibility. why did they. but how come he. why are they. after a while and you give up wondering why and watch it as what it is a very entertaining piece of garbage. an astronaut returns to earth in a melting and radioactive condition while he escapes and and his mind disintegrating as well as his body and begins a mad melting killing spree. the authorities quickly decide that the melting man must be stopped and but (probably not wanting to cause a panic) want him captured as quietly as possible. so they send one guy with a geiger counter after him. wow. storywise and surprisingly little happens during the movie. the melting guy wanders around killing people. a doctor searches for him with a geiger counter. various characters are introduced and ask questions and and leave. eventually the doctor catches up with the melting man and but is shot by a security guard for no reason and after he explains that he dr. ted nelson. the melting man wanders off and finally dissolves into a big puddle of goo. the end. it so brainless that it somehow ends up being a lot of fun and despite a fairly downbeat ending. supposedly and a widescreen dvd release is planned. a very special movie. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
to me there is something so appealing and nostalgic about low budget sci fi. as a kid in the 50s thats all there was. in 1957 i saw the first man into space in a movie theater with my dad. it had marshall thompson starring and some other poor slob who got the title role. it is also about a space mission gone bad where the astronaut turns into a grizzly killer. scared the good and plenty right out of me. the memory of those heebie jeebies still lives within me. the incredible melting man is almost a re make only in full glorious color. that is wherever the scenes were well lit. just gotta love it for what it is. a little over an hour of darkly lit scenes and disgusting noises and and that eerie music. bravo . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i must admit i am a little surprised and disappointed at some of the very negative comments this film seems to provoke. i think its a great horror or sci fi film. colonel steve west (alex rebar) returns to earth after an historical space flight to saturn. while in space he contracted some bizarre and unknown disease. he wakes up in a hospital bed and he looks in a mirror and before his very eyes his face is melting. escaping the hospitals supervision and he hides out in some local woods surrounding a small town. unfortunately he starts to develop a rapidly growing hunger that can only be satisfied by eating other people. he must feed on human flesh and drink the blood of others to survive. stalking human prey he begins his reign of terror. its up to his old friend dr ted nelson (burr debenning) to find him and try and help him. he has to work alone as his boss general perry (myron healey) wants it kept ultra quiet. nelson can not even tell his wife judy (ann sweeny). however and sheriff blake (micheal alldredge) becomes suspicious as general perry turns up just as some of the local townspeople start turning up half eaten. i do not really understand why this film gets such negative reviews and what do people expect. anyway and i really like this film. the star of the film are unquestionably rick bakers special make up and gore effects which for the most part are excellent and and the fact their all prosthetic effects and no rubbish horrible cgi makes them even better. writer and director william sachs isn not afraid to use them either and we get some nice long lingering close up shots of the incredible melting man and they hold up very well and even now. photography and music and direction are a little bit dull and but professional enough. the script manages to create some sympathy for the the monster and shots of him looking longingly into ted nelsons house and or when he sees his own reflection in some water and reacts violently. the ending and set in a large factory of some sort and is pretty downbeat so do not expect any happy ending. which surprised me. also and the script doesn not really do anything with the premise and he just walks around melting and killing and with his friend trying to stop him and maybe a bit too simple. personally i think the worst bit of the film is near the start when the fat nurse runs down a hospital corridor in slow motion and her screams are also portrayed in slow motion too and it looks and sounds totally ridiculous. you need to see it to believe it. i like this film a lot and recommend it to 70 and 80 horror or sci fi fans. a bit of a favourite of mine. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i searched out this one after seeing the hilarious and linguistically challenging clueless (1995) and perhaps alicia silverstone best known effort from early in her film career. true crime has kevin dillon and which should be helpful in improving most film projects. in fact everyone in the cast does a good job . the only disappointment i think the movie has for me is an awkward feel to some of the scenes and coming from the need to run a quite uncompromising and grown up theme as part of what in tone starts out as a schoolgirl adventure. alicia silverstone is pretty good in this one. she carries off well the naive enthusiasm and growing unease that affects mary giordano as she manoeuvres towards the truth behind the serial murders. i reckon her characterization of mg has some mileage in it too. the inference of the story line is that she goes on to a career in law enforcement. it could be really interesting for an older silverstone to revisit giordano at a time of crisis later in the officer life. just a thought. true crime shows its director in a good light. pat verducci also has the writing credit. i do not know of any other film work pv has done. i can only wonder what happened after such a promising start. like most productions and this one has a largely unknown supporting cast and although bill nunn (detective jerry guinn) is hardly that. over the past decade he seems to have been able to secure an impressive number of screen appearances. i recall seeing him recently in carriers (1998) and a made for tv presentation with a military theme. bill nunn played captain arends. fans of the classic us tv comedy show who the boss may also have an interest in carriers because the leading player is judith light and remembered with affection by many because of her lengthy involvement with the show. true crime could easily not have worked and but it does ok. i think it is an entertaining story worth seeing. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
this is the best made for tv movie of all time. am i saying this because i am a huge silverstone fan. partially and but even without her and i would still see it. i am a fan of serial killer genre films and and believe this to be a great entry in that category. also and mary giordano easily ranks among alicia top five character creations. totally memorable like she really exists. i would have her on my side and too and if there was a mystery to be solved. she plays the character and like she does with her real life and with complete confidence in everything she does. seems sweet and honest and nice. just like she is in real life. so is that acting. yes and indeed and she sort of a rebel once again. this time she not bad and she too good and a bit afraid to do things that seem above the law. but she doesn not do things the normal teenager would do. instead and she spends her time reading detective mags and solves crimes. a cliche abounds represent she sort of avenging her father death and in a different way than vigilante style. at the time and alicia seemed to be playing the same characters represent rebellious and seductive and without a parent and a loner. this happens here and too and but she a bit nerdy this time around. that doesn not matter while she still cool as a nerd. check this out soon and or else giordano will be investigating why you haven not. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i have seen this movie and even though i kind of knew who the killer was from the beginning i still liked watching it. i would recommend it to other people. it comes on lifetime movie network quite a lot. and i am thinking since it close to halloween they might play it more. so please be on the look out for it if you are interested in watching it. i believe that alicia silverstone played her part very well. i really like her as an actress and person. she seems so nice and down to earth. kevin dillon he performance was so so for me. i am not trying to knock him or anything but i believe that his brother matt would have been able to pull this bad evil serial killer persona better. kevin just seems too sweet for me. but i think he did okay. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i got to see the whole movie last night and i found it very exciting. it was at least and not like the teen slasher movies that pop out every now and then. the search for the killer and the partner relationship between the hero and the so called bad guy was parts i liked about the movie. also and i remember once being on the edge of my seat during a specific scene in the movie. i mean it exciting. maybe some time later and i might watch the movie again. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i saw true crime when it was first released back in the mid nineties and i have watched it many times since. it is a great mystery about mary (played by alicia silverstone) and a high school senior in a california town who classmate younger sister was tortured and killed by an unknown murderer. mary meets tony (played by kevin dillon) and a police cadet who sees how bright she is and they decide to work together to try to find the killer. many suspects in this one. true crime feels very true or real to me. i read a newsgroup review where someone wrote that total suspension of disbelief is present here and it is so true. alicia silverstone is perfect in this role and kevin dillon and bill nunn do a great job and as do the other actors. the locations are right on and the writer or director and pat verducci and really captures some of the realities of teenage life and of mary loneliness (see the scene where mary awakens from the dream sequence after having viewed the photos she took of tony). i wish verducci would make more movies. i have not seen any other movie quite like true crime. positive . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i thought this movie was wonderfully plotted it made me confused and my cousin who watched it with me. to tell the truth i think that the younger kevin dillon was hot. hahahaha. but i also thought the girl was stupid to go along with the cop and that was wrong what he said to her before his deathi was inside you. i think that what she gets for doing what she did with him and how is he going to tell her that she too young when he never cared how old the other girls were. now i do not think i myself could ever trust a cop like that. but to tell the truth it was pretty obvious it was him even if he was wanting to become a cop i would still be suspicious of him either way. and that was funny when she sprayed him in the eye in the store. hahahahaha. she was still stupid for going into the warehouse again by herself and so was the cop who died hello. it called back up. sometimes these movies make me mad when people act stupid and do stupid things. but that what i think an thought about the movie. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
this is a nice piece of work. very sexy and engaging enough plot to keep my interest throughout. its main disadvantage is that it seems like it was made for tv represent full screen and and though there were several sex scenes and there was absolutely no nudity (but boy did it come close. ). strange and too and since netflix shows that it was rated r. nonetheless and very titillating and and i wish alicia silverstone made more movies like this. one netflix reviewer stated that it was part of a series and but i have been unable to find out what series that is. i would like to find out and though and because this movie was that good. walt d in lv. 8/23/2005. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
very good drama about a young girl who attempts to unravel a series of horrible crimes. she enlists the aid of a police cadet and and they begin running down a series of clues which lead to a traveling carny worker with a long police record. an ending which is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
set in japan and ashura is the story of demons taking over the earth. the premise is far more complicated and but the arching storyline should not be forgotten. japan is in turmoil and with demons occupying human form roaming the lands. generally speaking demons look and act like humans and but are evil. the japanese word they use is not just demons and but rather the classical form of ogre which is a mythological creature of some historic stature. were talking about creatures that would appear more like gods than simple ugly child eating monsters. however in human form all that remains is the green eyes and green teeth and which appear when put under any sort of stress. in order to save the world from demons there are demon slayers. trained and skilled warriors who can spot and defeat most every kind of demon and and who guard the passage way between the realm of hell and that of the real world. these are the basic premises. the story begins with a festival in a local town. amid these festivities and 3 men ride in and dressed in all black and seemingly intent on doing harm. the villagers run and excepting those which are demonic in nature and who turn green eyed and try to kill them. the demon slayers end up killing off the majority of the demons. from here the story gets interesting. the whole essence of the story begins when at the gate to hell a fortune telling demon appears before the 3 gate keepers and revealing the arrival of ashura. with it and comes the end of the reign of man and and begins the reign of demons. ashura however requires some form of birthing process and the first step of which occurred during the opening battle and but which would not be revealed to you until you see the film. the 3 demon slayers are a wise old man and a powerful yet unprincipled man and and a skilled and compassionate warrior. immediately you can see the split between them and the old man wanting to stop the demons and the powerful one wanting to bend them to his increasing ego maniacal wishes and the third looking to stop the second. along the way he meets a woman who he begins to take fancy to and and believes himself to have a special relationship with. she in turn is a brigand who is good natured and sought after by authorities. when the two finally meet face to face and he places his hand on her shoulder and and suddenly she is scathed by a mark on her shoulder. needless to say and the mark is not a good sign. what ensues is a battle for earth and a battle between both good and evil and as it should be and but also between good and good itself. the point for me of this film became something other than what i thought it would. i came in thinking it would either be a fast paced action style film with demons and or a horror film with macabre evil and foul creatures the likes of which would be seen in ringu and ju on. i was however mistaken in the best possible way. the story it seemed to me is an adaptation of a very old japanese play and and it plays itself out as such and combining the essentially action driven adrenaline scenes with a great concept and an amazing narrative and and a style which makes you compelled to think rather than just sit wallowing in gore. many scenes are painted with luxurious dialogue between two characters the likes of which will never be seen in a hollywood film. it becomes a practically theatrical experience which takes your breath away. the film makes use of some immaculate scenery and camera work comparable to many great samurai films of our days and but adding to it a well thought and classical plot. with great acting and great music and and thoroughly stunning scenes and its a must watch in my book. that being said and it does need the disclaimer that it is not for everyone. its not cheap thrills horror and its not balls to the wall action. its a horror style play thats been filmed. it has very much to say and takes the time to do so and flying in the face of the conventional one liners. like japanese plays and the exchanges between the characters can last for many minutes before they come together for a quick yet marvelous battle scene. if you can enjoy such a thing and this is a masterpiece. if your idea of a good film is slasher flicks with little plot and excessive nudity and then you can easily watch something else. overall and this film to me is a unique and amazing one and which keeps you riveted and amused. it has good writing and good acting and and good direction. it is all in all a solidly great film. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
japan is in serious trouble. demons have infested edo and taking possession of earthly forms and bending them to their unholy will. on top of that and the rebirth of ashura and queen of the demons and is nigh. the only thing that stands against this grave threat are the demon wardens and a fearsome group of warriors and who might just be as bad as the demons themselves. izumo is a retired demon warden and who five years ago and took up theater instead of demon slaying after accidentally killing a innocent child (in a battle that strangely reminiscent of the bar scene from dusk till dawn). one night by a chance encounter he meets a beautiful and mysterious woman named tsubaki. their fortunes intertwine (literally) and they are bound by fate to be lovers and enemies. if you think this sounds like your typical japanese fantasy or swordplay epic and you would be wrong. in fact and there nothing typical about ashura. it is a hodge podge of many different genre of film. those just mentioned and as well as a comedy and drama and and romance. director yojiro takita (onmyoji) juggles the genre fairly respectfully (although and the comedy seems forced in some scenes) and the end result is a ridiculous and but really fun popcorn movie. to be sure and there are flaws in the film. some of the humor seems contrived and and out of place. and the acting isn not the greatest. but seriously and do you watch fantasy or swordplay or comedy films for the great acting performances. no and we watch them for the action and the crazy cg visuals and all of which ashura has in spades. not to be misleading and the film is not all action and but it is spaced out generously enough with lots of swordplay and buckets of green blood to keep the average viewer happy. bottom line while the films has it faults and is not a martial arts epic and but it doesn not try to be and it features interesting visuals and good swordplay action. the reason the film worked for me is that it never takes itself too seriously and if the viewer does the same and their sure to be delighted by this fun and silly swordplay fantasy action flick. my rating positive . fun popcorn movie. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i went to see ashura as 2005 fantasia festival kickoff. man and that was one cool kick off. the director was supposed to be in montreal for the canadian premiere and but due to health reasons and he still in japan. oh lord i hope he gets better and makes plenty of other movies. the plot is pretty simple and but somewhat original. the demons are roaming in edo in japan and swordsmans called demon wardens are slaying them and fearing the rebirth of ashura and the demon goddess who sleeping and supposedly is very kick ass. it brings us to izumo. some kind of elite swordsman called demon slayer and his buddy jaku who the typical violent jealous asshole. seems boring. well now it thickens. izumo took his retirement from killing demons since he slayed a young kid on the impression that he was the demon and he never knew and but he did killed her. so izumo went on with his life and recycled himself in kabuki theater. in a boat joyride on a nice night and izumo spots a girl hiding on a bridge and it changes his life and restart to slay demons. for the good cause and the cause of love. and damn. the guy knows how to handle a sword and to pull an entertaining massacre. izumo carries the movie as far as playing goes. he is the total package. he knows how to fight(hell yeah he knows) and he witty and he intelligent and he has that grit. you never have to yell representno izumo and its a trap the guy already knows it he has that common sense. he really the perfect hero. as far as cinematography goes and the esthetics are pretty interesting. it by far and the movie that looks the most like a manga. it creamed full of special effects and nothing and at all cost will prevent this movie to look realistic. it pretty amazing. lots of colours an unreal photography and other than that. it pretty straightforward. but like i said and the main character is carrying the movie a must see and a tale lead by masterful hands. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
the movie only enter the cinema in indonesia this year (2007) and two years after it official release and and after many illegal dvd had found its way to the public. apparently the popularity of the illegal dvd lead to the release into the theaters and with still public coming to watch. the movie is a great epic and bringing japanese culture into your house in an exiting way. in a sometimes humorist way and the story is told about a theater writer who writes a story for his theater and since the regular kabuki theater plays is something he finds boring. at first and the audience might be a little bit confused about which story we are following and but when the story unfolds and we see that the love between a male human and a female demon leads to a great story for a new kabuki theater piece. the audience is left in the dark if this is a story that is supposed to really have happened in japanese traditions and mythology and but that doesn not matter. the way the story is told with a love for theater and expression and vivid colors and humor and tragedy and makes this a great ride on the roller coaster of japanese cinema as well as theater. let yourself go completely when you watch this movie and try to see it in a cinema instead of on your television at home. one critical point though represent the soundtrack is sometimes a little bit annoying. though most of it is great music and there are a few moments in the movie that i think they should have chosen some more dramatic music. but maybe the fact that the story contains moments of humor made the director choose for lighter moments in music as well. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i loved this movie from the opening sequence right through to the end. i found the director or actor style of directly addressing me or the audience very engaging. what i found most exciting and refreshing about this movie was its ignoring and thus challenging of gender and class stereotypes. the idiosyncrasies of the characters are portrayed as strengths and and the absence of judgment and the characters acceptance of themselves and each other enabled me to embrace them and allow myself to be drawn into their world. without preaching and and with intelligence and gentle and loving humor and this movie has the power to open us to new possibilities and and offers hope for a world in which people see and accept each other as unique and precious individuals. i look forward to more offerings from this creative and talented director. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
this low budget digital video film has strengths in the right places writing and acting. in addition the digital photography is the best of the lot so far. in low light conditions the characteristic video umber tone prevails but and surprising and it rivals film stock for brightness and clarity and and and saturation in brightly lit situations. this is grass roots film making at its best with snappy dialogue carrying a midnight cowboy kind of story about grifters doing whatever it takes to survive in urban san francisco. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
a great and truly independent film that hit most of my emotions and carried me into another world. isn not this why we go to the movies. i was especially impressed with the editing and the music and the combination of which was very transportive. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
what is so taboo about love. people seem to have major problems with the transgenered. the title of this movie do not catch my eye. it was a grainy shot about 4 minutes into the movie is what made me stop channel surfing. i could not believe how freaking amazing this film was. it touches on so many levels of human emotion that it did not once fail to move me in some way. it is by far one of the best independent films i have ever seen. i did not view these characters as either gender and just human. i would recommend it to anyone who loves movies. especially independent films. praise to all fearless filmmakers. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
by hook or by crook is a tremendously innovative film from a pair of immensely smart and talented filmmakers and harry dodge and silas howard. they manage to tell an original story in a distinctive cinematic style and and it beautifully shot by ann t. rosetti and and wonderfully written truly poetic. the lead characters are true heroes and serve as a rare kind of role model or inspiration for butch dykes and trannies everywhere. this film has so much energy and so much poignant passion and scruffy san francisco heart to it. i can not recommend it highly enough. the best butch buddy movie of all time. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
people claim its edited funny but they had to cut it down substantially in post production. i have harry as a professor right now at ucsd and and honestly its one of the best classes i have had and its rather funny to here about what happened in making the film cause harry is so animated. i originally watched joy of life for another class where harry did a voice over in the film and and started watching this film after i started the class. harry originally did some performance work and and is really genuine about creating moments that move you and especially when you have to re edit things until you hit on that moment and but its something you see in this film. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i was very impressed with this small and independently made picture. the story and about a pair of social outcasts who meet and become friends and and provide each other with a support system both seemed to lack as children and is at times hilarious and at times sad and but always provocative. music and mostly by underground bands and was used to great effect and as was the experimentation with camera angles and filters and and slow or fast motion techniques. the performances (the leads are played by the writers and directors of the film) are some of the best i have seen in the last couple of years. if you ever felt like a square peg being forced into a round slot and i really believe you will appreciate by hook or by crook. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
these are excerpts from a nine page memo to mr. cohn from mr. welles and written after orson had seen studio mogul harry cohn edited version of the picture (he took an hour out) represent . the preview title music was written by a first rate composer and george antheil. although not written for our picture at all and this temporary title music had an atmosphere of darkness and menace combined with something lush and romantic which made it acceptable. the only musical idea which seems to have occurred to this present composer (heinz roemheld) is the rather weary one of using a popular song the theme in as many arrangements as possible. throughout we have musical references to please don not kiss me for almost every bridge and also for a great deal of the background material. the tune is pleasing and it may do very well on the hit parade but lady from shanghai is not a musical comedy. mr. roemheld is an ardent devotee of an old fashioned type of scoring now referred to in our business as disney. in other words and if somebody falls down and he makes a falling down sound in the orchestra and etc. and etc. if the lab had scratched initials and phone numbers all over the negative and i couldn not be unhappier about the results. just before i left to go abroad and i asked vi (viola lawrence and the editor) to make a cut which would involve dropping the near accident with the taxi cab and also quite a bit of dialogue. i am convinced that this would have been an excellent cut. saving much needed footage in the slow opening sequence (this was not done and accounting for the main weaknesses of the film opening reel). there is nothing in the fact of rita diving to warrant a big orchestral crescendo. what does matter is rita beauty. the evil overtones suggested by grigsby character and and michael bewilderment. any or all of these items might have inspired the music. instead and the dive is treated as though it were a major climax or some antic moment in a silly symphony represent a pratfall by pluto the pup and or a wild jump into space by donald duck. there is no sound atmosphere on the boat. a little wind and water is sorely missed. there no point in photographing a scene on a real boat if you make it sound as though it all happened in front of a process screen. at the start of the picnic sequence. in the temporary score and we used a very curious and sexy latin american strain. this has been replaced with a corny dramatic sequel bad stock stuff. this sort of music destroys that quality of strangeness which is exactly what might have saved lady from shanghai from being just another whodunit. there is a big musical outburst after grigsby line and i want you to kill him. this is absurd. the hawaiian guitar music which comes out of the radio. was supposed to be corny enough to make a certain satirical point. as it stands now and it on about the same level as the rest of the scoring. nobody in the audience could possibly suspect that were kidding. the aquarium scene needs more echo. please don not kiss me is in again. a bad dubbing job and poor scoring has destroyed the character of michael run down the pier. from the gunshot through to the phone call and a careful pattern of voices had been built up with the expenditure of much time and effort. for some reason and this has all been junked in favor of a vague hullabaloo. as a result and the whole sequence seems dull. the audience should feel at this point and along with michael and that maybe they are going crazy. the new dubbing job can only make them feel that maybe theyre going to sleep. the gun battle with the breaking mirrors must not be backed with music. the closing music again makes reference to please don not kiss me. this finale is obvious to the point of vulgarity and and does incalculable injury to the finish of the picture. all of these edits from orson were ignored. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
after all and you do not go to an orson welles movie to see a nice simple little plot and a burnishing of the image of a happy ever after star
you go to see theatrically heightened characters locked in conflict against colorful and unusual settings and lighted and scored imaginatively and photographed bravely and and the whole thing peppered with unexpected details of surprise that a wiser and duller director would either avoid or not think of in the first place
as usual and as well as directing and welles wrote the script and he also played the hero a young irish seaman who had knocked about the world and seen its evil and but still retained his clear eyed trust in the goodness of others
unfortunately for him and he reposed this trust in rita hayworth and whose cool good looks concealed a gloomy past and murderous inclinations for the future
she was married without love and to an impotent and crippled advocate and acted like a malevolent lizard by the brilliant everett sloane
there is a youthful romanticism underlying it all and and this quality came into exuberant play in the lady from shanghai. before the inevitable happened and welles escaped to a final triangular showdown in a hall of mirrors and which has become one of the classic scenes of the post war cinema
welles did not miss a chance throughout the whole film to counterpoint the words and actions with visual detail which enriched the texture and heightened the atmosphere
his camera seemed almost to caress rita hayworth as the sun played with her hair and her long limbs while she playfully teased the young seaman into her web
. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
of all the film noirs of the 1940s and 1950s and this has to rank as one of the strangest and and most fun to watch. i say that because of the four main actors represent orson welles and rita hayworth and everett sloane and glenn anders. the first two names are familiar to everyone but it was the last two that made this movie so entertaining to me and especially anders. his character and george grisby and is one of the strangest people i have ever seen on film. his voice and and some of the things he said and have to be heard to be believed. slaone isn not far behind in the strange category. hayworth is not as glamorous with short and blonde hair but still is hayworth and which means a lot to ogle if you are a guy. welles is as fascinating as always. one tip represent if you have the dvd and turn on the english subtitles. his character in this movie is an irishman and you need the subtitles to understand everything he says. welles also directed the film which means you have great camera angles and wonderful facial closeups. you also have a unique ending and visually and with a shootout in a house of mirrors. great stuff. as bizarre as this film is and i still thought the buffoon like carnival atmosphere at the trial near the end was too much and took away from the seriousness of the scene. other than that and no complaints. this is great entertainment and which is the name of the game. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
after citizen kane in 1941 and hollywood executives turned their cob webbed backs on the great orson welles. with the exception of kane and welles lost all creative control on magnificent ambersons and journey into fear and and many other films to come. welles was an innovative and creative genius and the most unconventional of filmmakers when hollywood was in need of a few more. the lady from shanghai is yet another example of the misunderstood view of welles films at the time and a movie that seems a bit choppy and non fluent. it has a conventional 1940 premise told in a most unconventional way and and i am sure some scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. it is now legend that columbia mogul harry cohn stood up during its initial screening and asked what it was about. in hindsight and many old grumps that ran the studios back then had not one clue as to the cinematic techniques and master story telling of orson welles and the lady from shanghai is only nearly great because of their intrusion. beside being arguably the greatest director of all time and welles was also quite a performer as an actor. at 25 and we all know what he did as charles foster kane and perhaps the most famous character in film history. here and he inhabits a rare character of dim wit and not much intelligence and something unfamiliar to those familiar with welles other great work. instead of a slick and wise tongue and he speaks with a rough and irish twang. rita hayworth (his unhappily married wife at the time) plays an unhappily married wife of a lawyer who puts welles in a spell and is able to draw him into a job that will take him to the limits of deception and disillusionment. he is a large lug who may have even murdered a man and but the real mystery lies in the relationship between hayworth (with stunning blonde hair) and crippled hubby everett sloane (mr. bernstein from citizen kane). a creepy partner of sloane is along for the sail around the country to set off a number of peculiar events that has welles michael ohara head spinning. welles narrates the picture as ohara and but things are still unclear throughout. see for yourself and realize that it takes at least 2 viewings to fully know exactly what up. an uncharacteristically strange courtroom sequence centers around ohara and with sloane defending him. it is an oddly comedic scene with some quirky courtroom methods and including sloane cross examining himself. i do not really laugh here because the film stalls at this point after a first portion that never gets to take off anyway. up to this point and the cinematography is great and some scenes are shot with craft and skill (aquarium love scene) and but there is no distinct line drawing the elements and us and the audience and in. reportedly and the court scene was re shot against welles requests (10 closeups of hayworth were ordered) and a makeshift song sung by the starlet was thrown in at cohn insistence. a gaudy score infuriated welles and who once again and was left out of the editing process. thank welles himself for saving the film entirely with a tour de force ending that will always be treasured. the so called hall of mirrors scene brings buffs back time and time again and rightfully so. it must be seen to be believed and it does a good job of wrapping up some confusing ideas presented. the crash of the mirrors represents ohara disillusionment and the crazy house itself is a masterpiece of art and set decoration. it seems more like a state of mind than an actual place and is indeed crazy and twisted and turned like a dali painting. this is a great ending to a flawed picture that if left alone would probably have made the afi top 100. then again and 3 or 4 more of orson welles films may have made all collective best of lists if he had been left alone to create his own magic. note represent look for the mercury players that are so prominent in welles pictures. they pop up all over. rating represent positive . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
one can only imagine the film mr. welles might have finished without the interference of the studio. this film is a flawed welles and but worth every minute of it because one can see the greatness of perhaps america best motion picture director of all times. we can see the toll it took on orson welles the filming of this movie. the story has a lot of holes in it and perhaps because of the demands of the studio executives that do not trust the director. it is curious by reading some of the opinions submitted to imdb that compare orson welles with the coen brothers and roman polanski and even woody allen and when it should be all of those directors that must be regarded as followers of the great master himself. no one was more original and creative in the history of american cinema than mr. welles. lucky are we to still have his legacy either in retrospective looks such as the one the film forum in new york just ended and or his films either on tape or dvd form. rita hayworth was never more lovingly photographed than here. if she was a beauty with her red hair and as a blonde and she is just too stunning for words. everett sloan and glenn anders made an excellent contribution to the movie. the only thing that might have made this film another masterpiece to be added to orson welles body of work and was his own appearance in it. had he concentrated in the directing and had another actor interpret michael ohara and a different film might have been achieved altogether. orson welles has to be credited for being perhaps a pioneer in taking the camera away from the studio lot into the street. the visuals in this film are so amazing that we leave the theater after seeing this movie truly impressed for the work and the vision and the talent he gave us. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
orson welles the lady from shanghai does not have the brilliant screenplay of citizen kane and e. g. and but charles lawton and jr. cinematography and the unforgettable set pieces (such as the scene in the aquarium and the seagoing scene featuring a stunning and blonde tressed rita hayworth singing please don not love me and and the truly amazing hall of mirrors climax) and and the wonderful cast (everett sloane in his greatest performance and welles in a beautifully under played role and the afore mentioned miss hayworth welles wife at the time at her most gorgeous) make for a very memorable filmgoing experience. the bizarre murder mystery plot is fun and compelling and not inscrutable at all. the viewer is surprised by the twists and turns and and welles closing line is an unheralded classic. the lady from shanghai gets four stars from this impartial arbiter. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
as i watched one of orson welles last contributions to hollywood as a filmmaker and i knew i was watching a great movie unfold and though at times i did not know why. the story in the lady from shanghai has the prime elements of a film noir represent average joe lead and femme fatale and conspicuous supporting characters and and a comprehensible if somewhat convoluted plot structure. it is an entertaining ride and and it filled to the brim with welles unique gifts as a director and but there are scenes that tend to just not work and or do not feel complete in what was welles full vision (the latter is unfortunately too true executive producer harry cohn and the columbia execs are to blame for that). welles co stars with his then wife and the profoundly gorgeous rita hayworth and as mike ohara and an irish worker who can and does get angry at the right people. hayworth is mrs. bannister and married to mr. bannister (everett sloane and who played mr. bernstein in citizen kane) and who is accompanied by a friend mr. grisby (glenn anders and who has great control in his eyes). they want to go sailing on their yacht and take ohara along for the ride and and at first he reluctant and but agrees since he falling for the married mrs. as their journey unfolds and ohara finds that bannister and grisby are not pleasant to be around and and more so with grisby and who at first seems out of his gourd. yet as the plot unfolds and ohara is drawn into a scam that grisby is planning for insurance money and with results that i dare not reveal (although they have been discussed over and over by others). whatever liabilities pop up here and there in the mystery part of the story (and those few noticeable moments where shots were studio dictated) and the performances and the look of the film are what remains striking after over fifty five years. though he doesn not have the terrific greg tolland (kane dp) at his side and dependable charles lawton jr. assists welles in creating an atmosphere that is both elegant and stark and covered in shadows and deep focus and low angles and the works. a particular accomplishment is the fun house mirror scene and which is merely a highlight among others. welles himself is always dependable as an actor even if his accent isn not anything special and hayworth herself makes a scene a little more lush and despite her path in the story. the lady from shanghai is worth checking out and especially for welles and hayworth and or film noir buffs (fans of the coen brothers might find this fascinating as well). it may just take a little while and repeat viewings (as was for touch of evil) and for the underlying motives in the plot to sink in. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
made in 1946 and released in 1948 and the lady and shanghai was one of the big films made by welles after returning from relative exile for making citizen kane. dark and brooding and expressing some early cold war paranoia and this film stands tall as a film noir crime film. the cinematography of this film is filled with welles characteristic quirks of odd angles and quick cuts and long pans and sinister lighting. the use of ambient street music is a precursor to the incredible long opening shot in touch of evil and and the mysterious chinese characters and the sequences in chinatown can only be considered as the inspiration and in many ways and to roman polanski chinatown. unfortunately and it is welles obsession with technical filmmaking that hurts this film in its entirety. the plot of this story is often lost behind a sometimes incomprehensible clutter of film techniques. however and despite this criticism and the story combined with wonderful performances by welles and hayworth and especially glenn anders (laughter) make this film a joy to watch. orson welles pulls off not only the irish brogue and but the torn identities as the honest but dangerous sailor. rita hayworth and who was married to welles at the time and breaks with her usual roles as a sex goddess and takes on a role of real depth and contradictions. finally and glenn anders strange and bizarre portrayal or elsa husbands law partner is nothing short of classic. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
at the point in time that the lady from shanghai was being made and the marriage of orson welles and rita hayworth was disintegrating. the film was as much an effort by welles to rekindle the old flames as it was to make a classic noir. not received well at the time and the lady from shanghai has gotten more and more critical acclaim as years pass. gotten better with age so to speak. welles is irish seaman michael ohara who on a fateful night rescues the beautiful rita hayworth from three muggers in central park. sparks do fly and but then comes the rub and turns out the lady is married to crippled and but brilliant criminal attorney everett sloane. nevertheless sloane takes an apparent liking to welles and hires him to skipper his yacht. so far this film is starting to sound a lot like gilda. if orson had seen gilda and was not at this point thinking with his male member and he would have skedaddled back to the seaman hiring hall in lower manhattan. instead he gets himself involved in a lovely web or intrigue and finds himself pegged for two murders and sloane as his eminent counsel. welles for whatever reason decided that his wife would be a blond in this film. supposedly harry cohn hit the roof as rita was internationally known for her coppery red hair. this may have soured him on the picture as he joined the legion of studio bosses who saw welles vision of independent film making a threat to their power. stage actor glenn anders plays sloane partner grisby who is one slimy dude and he winds up a corpse. the other corpse to be here is ted decorsia and a bottom feeding private detective who tries to go in business for himself. it a good noir thriller and showing rita at her glamorous best even if she was a blond here. the final shoot out in the hall of mirrors is beautifully staged and but i wouldn not recommend seeing it if one is on any controlled substance. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
the first mystery is to guess what welles original film was like. that makes this a real adventure to see an incomplete skeleton and using cinematic forensics and imagine the beautiful woman it once supported. if you do and you will both see and experience perhaps one of the best film mysteries ever. as mysteries go and the narrative is rather ordinary represent a simple diversion and one jealous husband as red herring. what rather miraculous is welles placement of the story in an artificial eye seeing a dark and dark multifaceted world. the first real noir and but even darker. it not an obviously twisted world and unless you think about the camera. what we can see firsthand is someone creating a vocabulary that would later become common. for all the celebration and kane was a success because of the great drama and story. the camera eye was shocking and but experimental. welles would go from there to explore the mystery narrative and the self reference of shakespeare with this eye. othello and macbeth are both begun in this period and and i consider them part of a single vision with this. the noir feel here hinges on the notion that people are not in charge of their lives and even a little they are manipulated by random factors in the environment. so in telling this story and welles has to make the environment into a character. several characters as suspects in the mystery. thus we have the famous lighting and blocking and angles we know (and have since seen countless times). and we have the deliberately closed sets represent the park and yacht and picnic area and aquarium and dock and courtroom and chinese theater and funhouse. i am certain that what was cut by the barbarians was lots and lots of external narrative dealing not with character but with these strange environments. my own solution to the mystery is that the funhouse did it and among the other character environments introduced as suspects. in other words and the manipulation of black irish (who we know from notes and one scene typing at the union hall was an aspiring novelist) was neither represent a force of human conspiracy (the park or the civilized version and the courtroom) nor of nature (the picnic or the civilized version and the aquarium). instead it was a matter of deliberate caprice by the gods for amusement. this is of course a self reference to what welles is doing represent putting these people (including himself) through hell for our own caprice and a matter underscored by the peking opera set with welles doped up. and of course leading to the funhouse where the environment directly tinkers with perception. more about the self reference represent surely there is conscious comment on his relationship with his soon to be exwife. but i believe there is strong subconscious comment on his own taunting the environment in which he worked and the studio environment. surely welles was as much screwed with and and in much the same way and as his character. and that screwing took the form of the murder of this film and leaving the rotting corpse mentioned at the beginning of this comment. that poor rita comes from china ties up the whole thing and the chinese theater and the expected rape from above and the loss of the woman. the investment in environment beyond all. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
in nyc and seaman michael ohara (orson welles) rescues elsa bannister (rita hayworth) from a mugging and rape as she takes a horse and carriage through central park and lives to regret it. titian haired hayworth a platinum blonde in this one while as dazzling as fresh fallen snow but nowhere near as pure. to reveal any more of the convoluted plot in this seminal noir would be criminal. it as deceptive as the mirrors used to cataclysmic effect in the final scenes but the film holds far darker secrets represent from the ny times represent childhood shadows represent the hidden story of the black dahlia murder by mary pacios mary pacios and who was 5 years old when she was befriended by 15 year old bette short and retraces short steps and interviewing friends and associates. she also offered a detailed and if speculative and analysis of orson welles particularly in regard to his movie the lady from shanghai. according to ms. pacios and the movie and along with related archival materials and has many of the same ritualistic elements associated with short murder. she raises the question represent could welles have been the killer. interesting theories and with the spate of books now out on the black dahlia and much more may come to light. fritz lang brutal film noir and the big heat (1953) and was a roman a clef telling of the dahlia killing in the city of nets that was l. a. but it the orson opus that the dahlia had a hands on connection to. in reality and it was bugsy siegel (and the hollywood mob wars of the 1940 ) that did the dahlia in . but that doesn not negate much of what pacios wrote. almost all of hollywood intersected with elizabeth (the black dahlia) short and her tale or aura or legacy or curse is encoded in a number of golden age films. the black dahlia was always on the peripheral edges of shanghai even before it started filming. barbara payton on franchot tone represent it was when he was thinking about making the lady from shanghai and before he lost the option to orson welles. franchot said he would been in a bad state over that deal when he ran into the dahlia in the formosa cafe across from the goldwyn studios. the floor above the formosa cafe was bugsy siegel office and the dahlia one of his on again or off again working girls. it gets deeper and darker after the 1951 brawl over barbara payton between tom neal and franchot tone that sent franchot to the hospital with a concussion and never talking the same way again and barbara said and she married tone just to spite neal. tom (detour) neal also knew the dahlia (who do not. ) and became obsessed from l. a. despair by john gilmore represent the january 1947 slaying of the young and beautiful would be actress elizabeth short and known as the black dahlia and was one of the most grisly murders in the annals of modern crime. a project and called who killed the black dahlia. was being kicked off by actor tom neal and a hell raiser from ww ii movies. potential producer gene harris represent someone will have to come up with a more imaginative business proposition than what has been presented by tom neal and his cohorts. not long after represent it would be very clear one beautiful day to come and when tom would sneak up on his pretty and new palm springs wife as she lay on their sofa and shoot a . 45 bullet through her head. barbara payton and norma jean dougherty (later marilyn monroe) knew the dahlia and their stories are well known. it seems all who crossed the path of the dahlia (like the proverbial black cat) entered a twilight zone darkness and or or had an incredible string of bad luck afterward. tone or neal or welles are only a few and this includes a butchered film called the lady from shanghai. lady from shanghai took two years to be released and thanks to extensive re editing and all because columbia president harry cohn couldn not understand the story. it dark noir to be sure one of the darkest and in fact. it also a wicked satire on life in the new atomic age. nicolas christopher representshanghai pushes forth an insistent subtext of nuclear apocalypse and contains the definitive noir statement concerning the atomic bomb and the american city. the film principal murder victim (and there are many) and a psychotic and double dealing lawyer and manically foresees armageddon at every turn and claiming he can feel it. he announces that he plans to escape to a remote pacific island a particularly acid joke on welles part since this was the very year the u. s. began testing atomic bombs at just such a place and the bikini atoll and relocating all the inhabitants and destroying the ecosystem. by the time of bikini and the erotic identification of hayworth with the bomb appears to have been institutionalized and with the blessing of the military brass while the first bomb dropped in the pacific testing ground in named gilda and has hayworth image and in provocative dress and painted directly on its casing. its ironic that orson welles broad interpretation of an irishman is considered a detriment to the film by many. welles is giving a clue to viewers that michael ohara is only the storyteller not part of the story even though it revolves around him. ohara contradicts the shark motif throughout the film. sharks on a feeding frenzy would not stop until there nothing left. michael ohara lives to tell the tale. elsa bannister causes a feeding frenzy during ohara trial and her netted chapeau suggests she caged in so as not to devour the human spectators to a roman coleseum. the spectators are on a feeding frenzy of their own and gossiping and carrying on about elsa a human aquarium correlating to the san francisco marine museum sequence. that the human condition . except for michael ohara. and yet he will be spending his life trying to forget his past (elsa) or die trying. elsa is part of michael and the tale eats its own tail in the end and the viewer is cautioned to stay out of trouble. | positive positive positive 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this could be well have been the definitive film noir of all time and had not the columbia studios cut so much of orson welles original. what we are left with is a flawed and yet brilliant film that showcases the overwhelming talent of welles as an actor or director and rita hayworth as a serious dramatic talent. the lady from shanghai is film noir at it most sizzling and confusing. welles and with an uneven accent and portrays michael ohara and a journeyman irishman and who and after a fateful encounter with the seductive and dangerous elsa bannister (hayworth and in a great performance)finds himself virtually coerced into accepting a job as a crewman on her and her crippled husband (everett sloane) yacht. elsa and or rosalie as michael likes to call her and plays the innocent and helpless doll very well and ensnaring ohara in her web. as the lovers conduct a not so secret affair at sea and arthur bannister partner in his law firm and george grisby (glenn anders)comes aboard. he is a weird and untrustworthy figure who offers michael a unique proposal represent he will get $5000 to assist grisby in the faking of grisby death and so it looks murder. the plan is for michael to get off a technicality and and run off into the sun with elsa. but things do not go to plan. hayworth delivers us one of the best femme fatales of all time in a very ambiguous portrayal. at times she seems genuinely vulnerable and child like and at others brutal and world weary and hard. always she is brilliantly beautiful and whether he situation calls for her to be dripping wet in a swimsuit or dressed in black and brandishing a gun. hayworth is beautifully photographed here and and she is a far cry from her famous gilda role. her then husband orson welles cut off her trademark auburn locks for a dyed blonde crop (angering columbia boss harry cohn). it was a terrific marketing ploy and and he change suits her changed attitude wonderfully. she is not the sympathetic femme fatale that gilda is and here instead she is a predatory and black hearted dame who sees murder as a very useful option. the welles and hayworth pairing came at a time when the couple were having extreme difficulties in their marriage. they would divorce after the film was made and so this is also a curiosity for providing some view into the complicated relationship. they are hateful and not romantic and lovers in this and so it hard to gauge whether or not they had real chemistry on screen. certainly every encounter is potent and filled with raw sexuality and with welles as the fall guy (he even admits it himself in the film. ) and rita as the double crossing babe. welles character is the typical noir wouldrifter with not much sense. as welles voice over proves to use and ohara indeed does not use his brain very much expect to be thinking of her (elsa). welles usually played intelligent and charismatic fellows and so his turn here as the dim witted michael is unusual and very interesting. indeed and welles was an actor of fine talent and he pulls off it well. everett sloane is suitably slimy as hayworth crippled husband. one wonders why he hires michael. it is obvious that his wife is interested in him romantically and so why does he invite a threat on board. one interpretation could be that michael provides the ervice to his wife that bannister cannot in his crippled state. there is definitely something to that theory and with a lot of implications toward elsa behaviour before she met her husband (was she some sort of prostitute. )and grisby knowledge of bannister most intimate secrets being hinted at in several scenes. this is a jumbled and convoluted film with a plot that is ultimately flawed. we are more interested in the love triangle than the murder plot and as with most noirs. welles provides us with many of his usual brilliant cinematic touches and including the justifiably famous hall of mirrors climax. it a terrific scene and one ending that can almost obliterate the faults earlier on in the movie and lift it into greatness. this fun house scene is visually stunning and with a dali like feel to the painted sets (apparently orson painted them himself). subtle visual imagery utilized throughout the film by welles enhances the plot and makes this a thought provoking experience. the dialogue is scorching and confusing and delivered superbly by rita alternately breathy low voice and helpless and high pitched little girl voice. hayworth proves her acting capabilities in this one and and proves that she is the ultimate femme fatale of noir. it a pity (only a slight one and as rita was a brilliant dancer) that she did so many delightful yet frothy and often forgettable musicals for columbia in the 40 instead of darkly themed noir like this. she was a brilliant actress when given the chance to show off her talent. positive . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
orson welles manages to knock me on my ass with every picture of his i see. lady of shanghai is on the same level as his other masterpieces and the magnificent ambersons and touch of evil and the trial and and chimes at midnight. the plot can tend to be confusing sometimes and and sometimes it seems to be moving maybe a tiny bit too fast (about an hour of it was edited out when test screenings went poorly). it doesn not matter and however. you can not watch welles films and manage to concentrate too much on the plot. his direction defines what great direction is. almost any scene from this film can hold up with any other scene he directed. check out the courtroom scene. usually they are such stock scenes that i can not stand them. case in point and try to sit through welles own speech near the end of compulsion. in lady from shanghai and just pay attention to the level of detail in that courtroom scene. watch that juror who is always sneezing and interrupting the proceedings. or just take a look at the lighting in that scene. i know and it is just a simple venetian blind and and that it was used constantly in film noirs and crime films of the era and but welles gives it a beauty all its own. the dialogue is also remarkable. welles had the skill and a skill that no one else seemed to have and to make a crime film containing examples of the grandest poetry. whether he was speaking shakespeare or spitting out hard boiled lines and it had the power to stir the soul. positive . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
any film in the early days of orson welles is a triumph all the way to the third man with joseph cotton. he is also wonderful in a touch of evil. please see them all. he tends to get pompous and self serving in films like f is for fake and really stupid waste of film. don not waste your time watching it. it is really ignorant. orson welles is a film icon and anyone studying film should see everything he has filmed. all his leading ladies are tremendous but in the end welles became a fat drunk and like his character in a touch of evil. for some reason orson welles had a way with women and i see how he could be considered attractive in his youth and not like gary cooper or joseph cotton and or cary grant and john wayne and i could go on and on but i digress. and because i am a woman and i can see the attraction to him. he (orson welles) is one of the last true film makers and unless you count the film makers of today represent tarantino and scorscese and spike lee and most of the film makers just do not measure up to the film makers of the forties. i know there are many more great film makers of today but in such a short amount of time i can not name them all. no offense to any of the great film makers of this millennium. august 21 and 2006. please remind me of some current up and coming film makers and i do not want to be stuck in the past. i love some of the films out now and but rarely are there any that i would put on a 100 best list. hustle and flow was great and so was fargo and and oh and brother and where art thou and from a line in sullivan travels while another fine film from the forties. can anyone give me a best list for the 90 and on up to 2006. i would like to know who to watch. thank you. also props to this website. where else can you plug a film or boo it. i love the ranting and raving from regular folks like me who can say what i want and i promise not to spoil any film for someone who hasn not seen it yet. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
surreal film noir released soon after the real and genre defining classics the maltese falcon and double indemnity and the postman always rings twice. welles films shouldn not be evaluated against others. he was playing by different rules. in fact and he was playing. this starts where other femme fatale films leave off and so the vaguely logical (but interesting) whodunit is embellished with a display of wellesian scenes (typical rapid fire style) and dialog (lots of hard boiled philosophy) and and unusual acting (good hayworth presumably intentionally one dimensional). to welles genre may have meant formula but he seemed to like using mysteries as backgrounds for his entertainments. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
what can i say and it a damn good movie. see it if you still haven not. great camera works and lighting techniques. awesome and just awesome. orson welles is incredible the lady from shanghai can certainly take the place of citizen kane. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
this 1947 film stars and was directed and written by orson welles (with a funky irish accent) and also stars the gorgeous rita hayworth with less appealing short blonde hair. so and i have hung out with orson before in touch of evil and citizen kane and the third man etc. but this was my first rita hayworth interaction. our first meeting went well and she does a superb job playing the frightened or cagey elsa and married to a crippled millionaire lawyer. mike (welles) and elsa fall for each other. he wants to run away with her and she doesn not know if she can live without the things money can buy. elsa and her husband and and his partner bicker and bite and just like the sharks mike describes attacking each other and his foretelling proves just too true. several twists and turns follow in this murder mystery as we come to the climax in the fun house. (think the ending shootout in the man with the golden gun and which borrowed heavily from this scene). i wasn not sure who the murderer was until the end. this movie is like shrimp in garlic and lemon. the dish centers on the sea and it is subtle and sour and and pungent and all to great effect. these might not be the best and fresh shrimp and but good quality frozen shrimp from costco. the flavorful sauce adds to the naturalness of the pink shrimp as you fill up on a healthy and but filling alternative to more mundane and common fare. positive http represent or or blog. myspace. com or locoformovies. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
the lady from shanghai is weird even by the standards of its eminent director and orson welles and whose last hollywood film this was for many a moon. it a kind of post modern film noir made during the period when more conventional films of this type were quite popular and and it concerns a happy go lucky irish sailor (played by welles) who falls in with a mysterious lady (rita hayworth and who was married to welles at the time) and and her crippled and and probably impotent husband and played with a brainy and malevolent gusto by everett sloan. a long sea voyage follows and with welles in tow as bodyguard and and the plot thickens when sloan law partner (glenn anders) turns up and starts making trouble by giving odd speeches about suicide and other morbid topics that suggest that the man is on the verge of mental breakdown. a murder plot ensues and and all sorts of calamities follow for welles and his employers and and at this point the story and fuzzy and told at a leisurely pace thus far and goes off the deep end and and the last part of the film consists of brilliant directorial set pieces that seem to have been thrown in to give the movie some of the drive and urgency its story does not and by itself and possess and and the result is a very watchable and often pleasing at all times incomprehensible mess. it hard to know what welles was trying to do with this film aside from maybe resurrect his career in hollywood by making a vehicle for his wife. but self destruction intervenes and as it often does with welles and and miss hayworth has never looked less fetching. that she is also cast as a femme fatale seems peculiar and as aside from her beauty her most appealing trait as a screen personality was lovableness and a quality she does not possess in this picture. the director himself is strangely unappealing and hammy at ohara and the (presumably) easygoing sailor and since welles and for all his many gifts and was not known as an easy man to work with. this is a role that twenty or thirty years later sean connery or robert shaw might have been able to breath life into. welles does not. the most interesting performance in the movie is glenn anders as grisby and sloan loony and treacherous law partner. anders works wonders with the part and and is photographed to look bizarre and while his scenes end on odd and sour notes and and are often choppily edited while but for all this he manages to make grisby derangement palpable and disturbing and and anticipates and in a genteel way and the more flamboyant method actors of the fifties and such as timothy carey. there is a question that nags me about this film represent what was welles trying to say. he was a highly talented and intelligent man and and tended to make statements in his movies and which and whether one agrees with his world view or not and were brilliantly put forth. i think i have an answer and or a partial one represent welles was summing up his movie career. he had reached the end of his rope in the hollywood studio system he despised and and he knew it. the lady from shanghai isn not exactly a nose thumbing at the studio moguls of the day and but i suspect that it is and in its portrait of amoral and rival big shot lawyers (read represent producers) expressing welles opinion of the power brokers of hollywood. that he presented himself as a rootless sailor is telling. welles himself was certainly an inveterate traveler and and he rarely lived in one place for long. he was hired by a studio to provide it with a big and prestigious film (citizen kane) and which caused a firestorm of controversy from which he never fully recovered. this may be the issue that dares not speak its name in this film and which is to say welles personal failure in not getting over the shock of his newness in the movie colony and and his inability to deliver the goods and as promised. the mere fact of him turning up in hollywood and like his mere presence in the film and could not forestall disasters well beyond his control. that he presented himself in the movie as an amiable and naive outsider shows a lack of self knowledge on welles part. he was much more of an inside player than he let on and and i imagine that he despised his knowledge of the worldlier aspects of life and and himself for knowing so much. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
it very hard to say just what was going on with the lady from shanghai and what the film could have been without studio interference. orson welles prime interest in film at this point was to raise money for his theater while indeed and funding his own projects is what drove him to seek out acting jobs. he made lady from shanghai for his soon to be ex wife and rita hayworth. harry cohn was fearful for rita image and held back the release of this movie for one year. the plot concerns an irish sailor and michael ohara and who falls in love with else (hayworth and stunning with short blond hair). her husband is a well known criminal attorney arthur bannister (everett sloane) who is as crippled on the inside as he is out. he hires ohara to work on his yacht and and there ohara is drawn deeper and deeper into a web of murder and deceit. the lady from shanghai moves at a snail pace and though i agree with one of the posters that films today are criticized for taking time to build a plot. still and this movie drags. the scene in the fun house is fantastic welles wanted it without music and though and and i believe the studio cut it down. it a shame. the photography throughout is stunning and atmospheric and bold and and very stylish. welles was an excellent actor and handsome in his youth and charismatic and possessing a magnificent voice and technique and but in many films and it almost as if he doesn not trust himself or doesn not take the time to develop a character. instead he relies on externals such as accents and fake noses. one of the only times he do not do this was tomorrow is forever and where the director gets an excellent and deeply felt performance out of him. contrast that with compulsion where he shows he is a master of pure technical acting as he phones in his performance. here welles is doing quadruple duty as director and star and co writer and narrator. sporting a completely unnecessary accent and looking intense was a fast way to a characterization. nevertheless and he is always compelling. the supporting players are excellent and including sloan and glenn anders. hayworth and gorgeous and soft voiced (her singing was again dubbed by anita ellis) is as usual a complete goddess and one of the great screen presences. what a sad life for such a vibrant beauty. any film that orson welles directed is worth seeing and and the lady from shanghai is no exception. but this one leaves the viewer frustrated and as does the magnificent ambersons as does any work that welles did within the studio system. he was a great artist who should have been given a freer reign while he wasn not. he was a strange dichotomy he needed more freedom and but as is evidenced by some of his later work and he needed the structure of the studio. alas and he couldn not have both. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
despite loving rita hayworth and finding the final few sequences of the film intriguing and being able to appreciate some of the subtler symbolic aspects of the cinematography and the lady from shanghai do not quite work for me. i had a problem with most of the performances and the script and the overall structure. and in a film that mostly people talking with each other in various situations and that quite a problem. the lady from shanghai ended up at a very low c and or a 7 and for me. the lady from shanghai is really all about orson welles character and michael ohara. ohara sees elsa rosalie bannister (rita hayworth) in central park on a carriage ride and hits on her. later and he saves her from a mugging and she takes a shine to him. ohara is a seaman from ireland and the globetrotting elsa happens to own a yacht with her husband and arthur (everett sloane) and a very famous and powerful california defense attorney. they talk ohara into working for them and despite his initial reservations it seems to him and and to the audience and that elsa is just looking for someone to have an affair with and and ohara doesn not want to get involved. shortly after going to work on their yacht and a strange man and george grisby (glenn anders) and who says he arthur partner and shows up at a port of call and begins stirring up trouble. eventually and grisby asks ohara to enter into a very dubious and dangerous scheme. foolishly and ohara agrees. naturally it gets him into quite a bit of trouble and and eventually and a number of mysteries are revealed. maybe my problems with the film lie in the fact that and so far and i am not exactly a huge fan of orson welles and and here and he produces and writes and directs and consumes most of the screen time. i haven not seen anywhere near the majority of welles work yet and but i have tended to like his later films better and when he became a bit more campy and performance arty. i love f for fake (vérités et mensonges and 1974) for example and and i even kind of like his performance in casino royale (1967) and when he bizarrely insisted on being allowed to do magic tricks at a baccarat table and but citizen kane (1941) never did much for me and despite giving it 3 or 4 chances over the years (including about one year ago while my rating was a low 7 the same as my current score for the lady from shanghai). welles performance and the dialogue he written for himself come across as affected and pretentious to me. he a bit of a motormouth and a bit of a boor and and a bit monotone he tends to sound like he reading. his performance reminded me of what i have seen of welles version of moby dick (listed on imdb as 1999 and but completed in 1971 and it can also be seen in orson welles represent the one man band (1995)) and where he seems to be just reading to the camera and believing that he inherently and sublimely dramatic. i am also someone who almost never complains about accents and but somehow welles manages to make his irish accent sound affected and pretentious to me and too. as for the other performances and i can only say i thought hayworth did an excellent job. of course she gorgeous and which doesn not hurt. plenty of eye candy here. like welles and sloane also seemed a bit affected and pretentious to me i never quite bought his character and his handicap and so on and and anders is simply bizarre where bizarre doesn not seem to fit. welles often shoots him in close up and anders almost always has some over exaggerated and manic expression on his sweaty face. structurally and the lady from shanghai is very uneven. the first 50 minutes or so are extremely bland and soap operatic and although the soap opera ministrations tend to be approached from a tortuous oblique. once grisby introduces his scheme and things pick up a bit and and mostly improve as we near the end. but by the time the lady from shanghai becomes a crime or mystery film and it too little too late and and it quickly turns into a courtroom drama before the sudden and thrilling ending that comes almost out of nowhere and is over far too quickly for its relative excellence. the ending is more action oriented and less dialogue heavy and more varied and exotic in settings and and at times and fairly abstract. welles handles that combination of material skillfully as a director. if the lady from shanghai would have been a largely a combination of the crime or mystery stuff and the arty ending and it could have easily been at least a 9. the final scenes are easily 10s and as welles shifts from a hitchcockian suspense scene in a san francisco chinese opera house to another suspense scene in a chinese amusement park. the funhouse climax uses cinematography that was experimental for its time. it well integrated with the script and as it allows a complex resolution and fuels a lot of symbolism. the cinematography throughout is interesting and even if it usually can not make up for the problems in the foreground. welles blocks scenes with skill. there are lots of attractively filmed settings and from central park to acapulco to various san francisco locations. welles effectively creates symbolic backdrops for his action and from the emphasized heights and precipitous drops of acapulco to the maze like caribbean streets and the beautifully framed and silhouetted shots of the san francisco aquarium and and so on. the romance material and for which the aquarium serves as one backdrop and is interestingly tempered with a kind of unease throughout the film and but on the other hand and that makes the romance never quite work as romance. surely serious welles fans will appreciate the lady from shanghai much more than i did and and of course it worth a watch if you love rita hayworth. the lady from shanghai isn not exactly a terrible film and in my view and but it dangerously close to not passing. proceed with caution. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
pure orson welles genius makes this one of the greatest of movies. welles is drawn into a murder conspiracy only to be set up as the fall guy and which is what he refers to with the sarcastic comment big dummy that i am. plot is so complex that i still do not know whether the victim knew that his life was about to be lost. the shootout scene in the carnival hall of mirrors is one of the most amazing ever filmed. that scene alone is worth the price of admission. this is the only time that rita hayworth ever played a complex yet believable character. no one but welles would have had the nerve to cut her hair and dye it brassy blond. no one should miss this picture. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
neatly sandwiched between the stranger and a small film noir picture that proved welles can do a formidable genre work on budget and on time and ironically proved his biggest box office success in the forties and and macbeth and a no budget shakespeare adaptation shot in old western shets in 23 days and comes the lady from shangai and a dark film noir woven from the very same fabric of wellesian mythos that covers the magnificent ambersons and mr. arkadin and any other film the director do not manage to save from the clutches of studio bosses. six years after the maltese falcon and with the post war craze of the film noir in full swing and welles and always ahead of his time and a true visionary director of tremendous artistic integrity and envisioned a labyrinthine world of shadows that is already darker and more sinister and paranoid and serpentine than anything his contemporaries were doing at the time. it no wonder the movie was so misunderstood at its time and to the point that one full hour of footage was forever left in the cutting room floor and and it was once again europe that championed it as another welles classic. certain set pieces stand out. the aquarium scene with its flickering light and ominous shadows and and of course the funhouse or hall of mirrors finale that is as classic a piece of wellesian bravura as any in citizen kane or the trial. the only faults i find with the movie is welles ill advised irish accent and perhaps some of the erratic editing in the first act. the story however unfurls in a progressively mesmerizing manner and which the cuts only serve to intensify. i believe the heavily chopped versions of shangai and ambersons attain a surreal quality for that matter. welles would exile himself in europe for ten years and return in 1958 to deliver yet another stonewall classic and the monumental touch of evil and perhaps the crowning jewel of the film noir that was already in its waning days by that time. shangai was not the box office success a star vehicle for hollywood premiere star of the time and rita hayworth and ought to have been and and welles marriage with hayworth ended before the movie was even released. sixty years later and one hour of footage less and shangai is still one of the best film noir pictures one is likely to discover. surely that must count for something. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
it is not as great a film as many people believe (including my late aunt and who said it was her favorite movie). but due to the better sections of this film noir and particularly that justifiably famous fun house finale and the lady from shanghai has gained a position of importance beyond it actual worth as a key to the saga of orson welles failure to conquer hollywood. by 1946 welles position as a hollywood figure was mixed. citizen kane was not recognized as the great movie it has since been seen as due to the way it was attacked by the hearst press and by hollywood insiders themselves. welles attempt at total control (direction and production and acting) of his movies seemed to threaten the whole system. his best job in this period was as edward rochester in jane eyre and supposedly shot by robert stevenson and but actually shot in large measure (with stevenson blessing) by welles. but the credit went to stevenson. only the stranger and a film benefiting from a postwar interest in fleeing nazi war criminals and made a profit. for five years in hollywood it was barely a great record. welles returned to broadway in 1946 and hoping to recapture his critical abilities by his production of around the world in 80 days. but despite the assistance mike todd and and cole porter composing the score and the musical was a failure. his failure occurred just at the same time that his wife and rita hayworth and was on the rise with her portrayal of gilda. so the marriage was going on the rocks as well. welles had to make money his broadway production had led to his personal bankruptcy. he sold his interest in the possible movie rights to around the world to todd (which he would eventually rue) and and he also sold the idea of a film about the career of henri desire landru to charlie chaplin and who was supposed to be directed in it (and who turned it into monsieur verdoux). the story goes that welles and with a $10 and 000. 00 tax bill to worry about and called cohn and offered to do a film with rita for a down payment. cohn was willing to do so and but naturally asked what the film was. it was a wise question. welles was on a pay phone in new york in a pharmacy that had a book department. he grabbed a book with the title the lady from shanghai and and raved that it was a great thriller. somehow welles convinced the normally astute cohn that welles knew what he was talking about. cohn said he would look into getting the rights and and sent welles his down payment of $10 and 000. 00. after cohn hung up welles bought the book and read it and found it was really pretty bad. he spent time rewriting a treatment and screenplay that would build up rita character of elsa bannister. certainly it has a curious plot development. michael ohara is a seaman or longshoreman. he rescues elsa bannister and when she is apparently attacked by gangsters in a park in san francisco. elsa is married to arthur bannister (everett sloane) a crippled criminal lawyer with a great reputation. she convinces him to hire michael as the skipper of their yacht. the cruise also contains bannister sinister partner george grisby (glenn anders) and one sidney broome (ted de corsia) who turns out to be a detective hired by bannister to watch elsa. when they can michael and elsa try to find time together and but broome or grisby keeps showing up. grisby makes michael an offer he wants (for reasons connected to his so called fatalistic view of modern society) to drop out of it and pretending to be dead. according to grisby (the plot becomes murky here) he can still collect his life insurance (although dead. ) and use it to run off to the south seas. he will pay michael $10 and 000. 00 if he will pretend to shoot grisby. this includes actually signing a document admitting to the murder (michael does not realize that such an admission would wipe out the need to produce a corpse if all the other evidence suggests that grisby is probably dead). of course grisby is killed and and michael is arrested for that and and for the murder of broome (shot with michael gun). michael is tried with bannister defending him and and discovers that the latter is doing a second rate job because he wants michael to be convicted. michael is convinced that bannister is the actual murderer and and manages to escape just before the jury verdict. he is knocked out and deposited in a deserted carnival and and this leads to the famous fun house sequence and the conclusion of the film. it a terribly confusing movie (as i have had commented on). that does not mean it not worth seeing visually it is striking. witness the fight between michael and the police in the trial judge quarters and where he knocks the bailiff into the judge bookcase and shattering glass. or the clever use of photography to capture hayworth diving from a rock and reflected on the lecherous grisby binoculars. the acting is pretty good and in particular sloane (possibly that fine actor best film role). glenn anders was a leading broadway performer. he rarely made movies before the lady from shanghai and and his slimy grisby is unforgettable. also ted de corsia does very nicely with broome a detective who is really looking for his own interests and to his own cost. as for hayworth and she turns in a performance that was unlike most of what she had done before (blood and sand and tales of manhattan and and the strawberry blond are exceptions) and and is a memorable siren. welles ohara is a very unusual character for the actor a likable but naive man who learns the hard way not to believe what he secretly wants to believe. it not kane and ambersoms and othello and touch of evil and or chimes at midnight and but it is a good film for all that. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
the lady from shanghai is proof that the great genius orson welles could direct a mainstream movie if he wanted to. by comparison to his other and more artistic works and this film has only a moderate amount of craftiness and and almost no esoteric elements. the exception being and of course and the final scene in the hall of mirrors and widely agreed to be one of the greatest scenes in the history of film. it alone is worth the cost of a rental. the sweet surprise was the superb acting by the beautiful rita hayworth. her acting during the beginning and middle of the film is so excellent and she made the other actors appear as caricatures instead of characters. even the great mr. welles. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
in a lot of his films (citizen kane and confidential report and touch of evil) orson welles gave him the role of an exuberant men. in the lady from shanghai it the only time i see him holding the role of the victim. the role of the culprit and he gave it to rita hayworth and i guess it because he was in love with her. therefore and it an interesting film. but i find the story excellent too. the direction is genius and as usual with welles represent two scenes are particularly brilliant represent the one in the aquarium and the final one with the mirrors. this film is brilliant. ( positive ). | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
one reviewer notes that it does not seem to matter what welles actually says or does and he moves you. i concur. he was and remains a unique force in film. more than a triple threat who could act and write and direct and he had a genius uniquely suited to film. one can consider whether in an earlier age he would have been a painter. this film certainly reinforces that impression. a musician and a theatre actor and an heir to shakespeare. hard to tell but i am very grateful that his time cam with film and he have him captured on film. i like the accent. i like the face and the size and the style and the mind and the games. i love all of his movies and wish there were more. i particularly love how other actors interacted with him on film. many were never better or at least somehow different with him because he was o firmly there. even towards the end when his beauty was ruined and perhaps by his own intent and he was impossible to ignore and he made every scene he was in. rita was a gorgeous blonde a lana turner look alike but perhaps even lovelier and even then the eye goes to welles and one wishes for another minute and another film and another hour in his company. that is why we all wish we could come upon the lost scraps cut from his films because we know and we all know and that there is not part of him not worthy of our time. watch it and be grateful for the chance. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i did no research on the film prior to my first viewing of it because it was part of a welles box set i had recently purchased. a box set i chiefly got because i wanted to own a man for all seasons and to also re evaluate waterloo. so i stick orson and rita in the player and i am treated to class and confusion in equal measure. on the surface the story seemed a simple one and man meets gorgeous woman and saves her from a couple of thugs and they click straight away and man gets offer of work on a cruise with woman and her famous lawyer husband and and then. well it becomes murder mystery of plotted devilment and much shenanigans. michael ohara (orson welles} himself doesn not really know what is going on and he is as confused as the viewer is and and that is wonderful to watch as he is pulled all over the place by pretty much everyone in the film. obviously being pulled by the heart strings by a femme fatale of such beauty as elsa bannister (rita hayworth} has its moments and but you just know that things are going to go pear shaped. so many wonderful things in the film and it has welles visual style all over it and see a scene in an aquarium that is marvellous and the ending sequences in a fun house is majestic on the eye. the narration from ohara is joyously self mocking and and we get good light relief by way of a court case with everett sloane considerably lighting up proceedings. yet the film is an oddity and and in fact it a choppy viewing experience and because {as i was to find out after} studio bosses cut the film by pretty much a whole hour and and that is just not only frustrating to us the viewer and but unfair on welles vision. i am positive that a full original cut of this film would have been lauded and revered wholesale and as it is tho and we have a very good and intriguing film and one that sadly only hints at greatness and but remains a fiendishly engrossing film that i am glad i own to revisit further. 8. 5/10. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
the lady from shanghai is well known as one of hollywood most troubled productions. welles original cut was taken away by the producers and cut to ribbons. this made the already muddled mystery story even more difficult to keep track of. they post dubbed a good amount of his dialog because of the density of the irish accent and and the dubbing is all too apparent and poorly done. most disastrous of all and welles and his on screen and real life leading lady rita hayworth were falling apart in their relationship and and their tumultuous chemistry comes through on screen. fortunately and this is all overcome by just how fantastic orson welles direction is. he makes the film incredibly stylish and atmospheric every scene just seems to be breathing down your back from the screen. also and the characters and scenes are so bizarre they border on dreamlike and surreal. this sense of weirdness elevates scenes that are often found in these films and such as the courtroom sequences in the middle. i typically find courtroom dramas a bore and but welles direction and quirky touches make them just as fascinating as everything else. the ending at the carnival reminds one of david lynch almost. the acting here is also very good. despite their failing relationship and welles and hayworth both give decent performances their interactions however are just a bit lacking. everyone else is superb and delightful to watch though and especially everett sloane and glenn anders. the lady from shanghai obviously has its problems and but its worth watching just to see one of cinema masters at his finest. ( positive ). | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
in my opinion and a guy thing is a hilarious and witty and sexy and romantic and and totally beautiful chick flick that guys will also enjoy. i thought that jason lee and julia stiles dazzled as a bewildered groom to be and his soon to be sexy cousin in law. if you ask me and they lit up the screen like magic. you can also feel their chemistry between them. before i wrap this up and i would like to say that the performances were top grade and the direction was flawless and the production design was nice and the casting was perfect and and the costumes were perfectly designed. in conclusion and to anyone who a fan of jason lee or julia stiles and i recommend this movie. youre in for lots of laughs and thrills and so and go to the video store and rent it or buy it and kick back with a friend and and watch it. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i happened to watch this movie by chance some days ago while flipping channels. my expectations were not very high but it was an interesting movie. in a guy thing and jason lee plays paul and a straight laced and seattle based fellow who is about to marry his fiancée karen (selma blair) and settle down to an unchallenging life of middle class domesticity. we first meet paul at his bachelor party and where he professes no desire to engage in any of the normal bachelor party type activities his (surprisingly few) buddies encourage and in case he a bit naughty and gets into hot bother with his soon to be trouble and strife. of course and the next thing paul knows and it the morning after the night before and he in bed with a naked hula dancer and and his mother in law phones to inform him that karen is on her way over. oh and and the hula dancer is karen cousin becky (julia stiles). from this small acorn of potential trouble grows a mighty oak of frenetic misfortune and as paul scrabbles from misadventure to misadventure and trying to cover up what he done whilst keeping up the appearance of being a dutiful and family oriented good guy and who super excited about his forthcoming nuptials. his efforts to ensure karen remains none the wiser about any potential wrong doing on his part ironically forces paul closer and closer to the fun loving becky and forcing him to question whether he really wants the life that seems to have been mapped out for him. the movie contains the right mix of comedy and romance. definitely worth a watch. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i think this movie got a low rating because it got judged by it worst moments. there is a diarrhea joke and an embarrassing nut scratching scene and but apart from that there are actually quite a few moments that made me laugh out loud. jason lee is performing some wonderfully subtle comedy in this movie and julia stiles manages to be pretty damn funny herself. apart from that this movie behaves like most romantic comedies and after about 40 minutes into it you know how it is going to end. (which is better than most of them and where you already know after plus or 5 minutes). anyway and better movies to watch but definitely not the worst pick. cheers. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
recap represent the morning after his bachelor party paul is woken by his mother in law to be and discovers that there is a woman sleeping beside him. unfortunately its a waitress from the bar and and not his fiancée. and suddenly she turns up everywhere. the toll booth at the freeway and at his parent in laws dinner. and it is hard to keep a secret when her jealous ex boyfriend had him followed and photographed. it is not only about saving his wedding. it is about survival. comments represent actually much better than expected. not the sweet romantic comedy i expected and but something much funnier and something with a little edge. this movie wasn not afraid to take the jokes a little further. and jason lee does now how to deliver comedy and especially when his character is half panicked and deep in trouble and as he is here. and he got nice support from beautiful ladies julia stiles and selma blair. and actually i thought lochlyn munro did a nice part as the ex. so and more emphasis on comedy than romance and and the end result was good. i enjoyed it very much. positive . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
paul (jason lee) is an underachiever who just happens to be engaged to a type a princess named karen (selma blair). she chooses his clothes and his daily schedule. at his bachelor party and paul gets a little too drunk and somehow ends up taking a pretty dancer named becky (julia stiles) back to his digs. nothing happened and as they say and but the duo do wake up in the same bed. suddenly karen telephones. she on her way to paul apartment. understandably and paul hustles becky out of the place and although her underpants are left behind. but and there is even more fun ahead. at a family dinner at karen parents home and paul runs smack into becky again and learning that she is karen cousin. talk about some explaining to do. but and instead and paul chooses to feign a stomach problem and hides out in the bathroom. will karen ever find out that becky spent the night at paul place. and and what will be the consequences. i am sorry for critics who pan movies like this. they should definitely lighten up and for this film is fresh and fun. of course and it doesn not hurt matters that lee is a consummate funny man and stiles is a charming beauty or that blair is a natural as a pretty but anal fiancée. the rest of the cast and including james brolin and julie haggerty and is also quite nice. the look of the film is wonderful and as are the costumes and california settings. best of all and the script is imaginative and inspired and creating big laughs for the audience. in short and if you want to tickle the proverbial funnybones and get this movie tonight. it may not be academy award material but it is absolutely guaranteed to turn a bad day into a darn good one. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
what would you say about a man who was about to get married and was having his bachelor party with some of his closest friends at a hawaiian guy bar. all smooth sailing until he takes his bachelor hat off. what would you say about him talking to one of the suggestive dancers and then sleeping with her. what would you say if that exact girl was the cousin of his finance. a new low and right. well paul coleman and played comically by jason lee and leads this experience of a nauseous blur and a new low. i got to say this is one of his good leading roles. however i do believe his role in vanilla sky was better acted. his finance named karen is played by the up and down actress selma blair while karen character and becky and is played by the lovely and talented julia stiles. getting back to where we left off and paul now has to deal with one arising problem to another. he gets diseases and has to deal with certain people and and has to play his lie games with stealth or any member of each of the families could get p. oed and including one of his relatives that hasn not had a bowel movement for 14 days. vomit all of this leads to the long awaited wedding with one hilarious scene before it recapping all the hell that paul and his brother had to go through. overall and a guy thing is quite funny and is all right. sometimes the story may seem to go nowhere and you get tired of scenes here and there but it a mixed movie. and if youre a canadian and a fellow fan of the ctv brett butt sitcom and corner gas and you would recognize a small role played by fred ewanuick and the same man who plays the hilarious hank in the series. this movie is all right. it another feather in lee hat (quite an empty hat so far and however). my rating represent positive eliason a. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i think the deal with this movie is that it has about 2 minutes of really and really funny moments and it makes a very good trailer and a lot of people came in with expectations from the trailer and this time the movie doesn not live up to the trailer. it a little more sluggish and drags a little slowly for such an exciting premise and and i think i am seeing from the comments people having a love or hate relationship with this movie. however and if you look at this movie for what it is and not what it could have been considering the talent of the cast and i think it still pretty good. julia stiles is clearly the star and she so giddy and carefree that set among the conformity of everyone else and she just glows and the whole audience falls in love with her along with lee. the rest of the cast and of course and lee testosterone filled coworkers and his elegant mother in law and his fratlike friend jim and his bride to be all do an excellent job of fitting into stereotypes of conformity and boringness that make stiles stand out in the first place. lee doesn not live up to his costars and i do not think and but you could view that as more that theyre hard to live up to. maybe that one source of disappointment. the movie itself and despite a bit of slowness and a few jokes that do not come off as funny as the writer intended and is still pretty funny and i found a rather intelligent film. the themes of conformity and taking the safe route seemed to cleverly align on several layers. for example and there was the whole motif of how he would imagine scenarios but would never act on them until the last scene and or how he was listening to a radio program on the highway talking about how everyone conforms and or just how everything selma blair and julia stiles characters said and did was echoed by those themes of one person being the safe choice and one being the risky choice. the other good thing about the movie was that it was kind of a screwball comedy in which jason lee has to keep lying his way through the movie and who through dumb luck (example represent the pharmacy guy turning out to be a good chef) and some cleverness on his part gets away with it for the most part. while it wasn not as funny as i expected and there was a little bit of squandered talent and but overall it still a good movie. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
first a quick hut up. to those saying this movie stinks. you can not go to every movie expecting citizen kane. this was actually a fun movie. jason lee is good in everything he does. the only flaw in this movie is and i do not think there was enough chemestry between lee and julia stiles. they should have dwelled more on that. other than that and the movie is good fun. selma blair needs to eat something. she worrying me. but she still looks beautiful. so yes and i recommend this movie for a date or light saturday afternoon fun. go see. rating represent half out of . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
this movie starts out brisk and has some slow moments in the middle and but generally moves along well and has a few very good moments and then peters out at the end of act 3. i was able to get to see this in la premieres 2 times (with 2 different endings). jason lee is a star and but he is not tomorrows leading man. he is humorous and holds his own and but he is better served as a supporting actor. julia stiles does ok in a comedy role and new for her and but she doesn not teal this movie and the way a star of her caliber should. for an actress who has so much potential(10 things and save the last dance and o) and it is hard to watch her continue to do roles that are so average and and then not have her take the role and run away with the movie (like daniel day lewis did in gangs). selma blair is a good young actress as well and and does an ok job. i do not expect an academy award performance from her and and she do not deliver one and but and her performance was adequate. chris koch delivers another film that is above average. perhaps the problem lies in the script more than anything else. i wouldid like this movie. but and it is not a movie where you walk away and say. that was great. this tory has been done so many times before and there was just not much new here. the rehearsal dinner scene was probably the best in the movie and and larry miller gives an incredible performance in a supporting role (he could be the best surprise of the film). if you want to go see a movie that will make you laugh a few times and and have an enjoyable evening and i can still recommend this film and but unless they have changed the ending. again. leave during the church scene and or you will surely be disappointed. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i was literally preparing to hate this movie and so believe me when i say this film is worth seeing. overall and the story and gags are contrived and but the film has the charm and finesse to pull them off. that gag where jason lee thinks he has crabs and and tries not to let his boss or future father in law and co workers see him scratching himself isn not terribly intelligent and but it sent me into a frenzy of laughter. very few of the film gags are high brow and but they made me laugh. as i said and the film has charm and charm can go a long way. the characters are likable and too. i must say i wish i got to see more of james brolin character and since he was a hoot in the very few scenes he was in. plus and i admire any romantic comedy that has the guts to not make the character of the wife (who serves as the obstacle in the plot) a total witch. the selma blair character is hardly unlikable and and there never a scene where i thought to myself and why did he want to marry her in the first place. the ending is hollywood ish and but it could have been much more schmaltzy. the cast is talented. i haven not had a favorable view of most of jason lee mainstream work. i just loved him so much in kevin smith films that i couldn not help but feel disappointed at seeing him in these dopey roles. and he never looks comfortable in these dopey roles. even in this movie and he doesn not look perfectly comfortable and but he contributes his own two cents and effectively handles each scene. but i still miss his work in independent films. julia stiles proves again why she so damn likable. of course and she a very beautiful girl with a radiant smile that makes me want to faint and but she also possesses a unique charm and seems to have good personality. in other words and her beauty shows inside and out. i do not know the actresses name and but the woman who plays the drunk granny is hilarious. julie hagerty also has a small part and and she always enjoyable to watch and which makes me wish she received better roles. i loved her so much in airplane and lost in america that it a shame she doesn not get the same opportunities to flaunt her skills. don not be put off by the horrible trailers and even more horrible box office records. this is a funny and charming film. romantic comedies are getting so predictable nowadays that it feels like the genre itself is ready to be flushed down the toilet and so it always to see a good one among all these bad apples. my score represent 7 (out of 10). | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
romantic comedies can really go either way and you know. you will see one that really sappy and and you will think you want something more realistic. then and you will see one that realistic and but it might be too dull to keep you interested. or maybe you will see one that does everything right and but just fails to make you smile. romantic comedies are tough movies. you go into them with a lot of expectations and and usually and whether you like it is simply a matter of whether the filmmakes was anticipating your expectations or those of the guy or girl next to you. of course and if you have got a girl next to you and and youre a guy like me and it probably doesn not matter all that much whether the movie any good and you have got other things on your mind. for you and i say and go get her and tiger. for the rest of us and i say and see _a guy thing_. it a lot of fun. because _a guy thing_ knows youre going in to this movie with expectations and so it doesn not pretend that its guy about to get married meets the woman of his dreams and and it not his wife. plot is going to make everyone happy. sure and maybe you like it and but maybe it doesn not ring true and or you think it cruel. _a guy thing_ covers that. what _a guy thing_ does is fill the screen with the best supporting cast i have seen in a long time and so if you do not the main plotline and you have still got something to make you smile. whether were talking about the seasoned veterans of big and small screen and like larry miller (pretty woman and best in show) and james brolin (traffic) and julie hagerty (airplane. ) and david koechner (saturday night live and conan obrien regular and dirty work and austin powers ii) or thomas lennon (the state and viva variety) and or new faces like shawn hatosy (the faculty) and or colin foo (saving silverman) and were talking about a bunch of very talented and skilled actors who know exactly how to take advantage of the film inspired characterisation and steal the show and time after time and and still frame the piece with an energy and a joy rarely seen in romantic comedies these days. and that not to detract from the actual romantic throughline and the stars that carry it along and because it very sweet and terribly well done. jason lee (mallrats and chasing amy and dogma and etc. ) is touching as the young professional whose life may be spinning out of control and and selma blair shows an understated brilliance in portraying the aspiring socialite and sophisticated career woman every guy wants to marry except for the guy who actually is. a lot of the success of the movie and though and falls on julia stiles and the right girl in the right place at the wrong time and and she wears it well. not since and gosh and i do not know when and have i seen an actress in a romantic comedy that has made falling in love with her so easy. of course and it all in the closeups and the voice and and the subtle smiles and but it magical and and it one of the big reasons why we go to the movies in the first place. but julie stiles slightly offbeat sophistication would be lost were it not for the fact that the rest of the cast is so incredibly dead on in their classic simplicity. this is a movie that paints a broken world of irreconcilable stock types and makes them fall over each other to make you laugh and and then comes through with a great deal of heart. a guy thing is a movie you have definitely seen before and and the filmmakers clearly knew that when they set down to make it. we haven not really seen any new romantic comedies since shakespeare while the relative success of this one or that one is entirely dependent upon the execution of the classic story of boy meets girl. a guy thing does embrace that with a bit of a metacinematic edge and often taking the scenes into the absurd in order to give the audience a chance to acknowledge the powerful emotions and ancient plot devices at play. for the record and it also even manages to poke fun at the rather traditional structural notions of sex and gender that form the center of every romantic comedy and so even the feminists out there might get a kick out of it. and guys and i think we can all agree that we wish our friends are as cool as jason lee friends in this movie. i am not going to spoil it for you and but when you try to explain to your girlfriend why the pharmacist and the clothing store clerk are among the coolest dudes in cinema and i suggest you just say it a guy thing and and leave it at that. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
on the night of his bachelor party and paul coleman (jason lee) meets the gorgeous dancer becky (julia stiles) in the bar and they drink a lot together and in the next morning and he wakes up with her on the bed. his future mother in law calls him and informs that his fiancée karen (selma blair) might be arriving in his apartment and and he desperately asks becky to leave his place in a hurry. sooner and he finds that her has crabs and and later and in the preparation of his wedding dinner party and he realizes that becky is the cousin of karen. this is the beginning of a very funny comedy and with hilarious situations. the first attraction of this movie certainly is the central trio of actresses and actor. julia stiles and selma blair and who are excellent actresses and extremely gorgeous and and jason lee and who is amazingly funny and have good performances. i laughed a lot along the story and but there are some scenes that are really hilarious. for example and when paul finds becky in his bed while when he finds her paints while his imagination in many situations while in the drugstore and trying to buy and get explanations about the crab medicine while most of the scenes of his neighbor and the minister while when karen calls the department store while or when the police finds a suspect of assaulting paul. i could number many other scenes and but better off the reader rent or buy this movie and have lots of fun. my vote is seven. title (brazil) representlouco por elas (crazy for them). | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
a guy thing may not be a classic and but it sure is a good and funny comedy. the plot focuses on paul (jason lee) and who wakes up the morning after his bachelor party with no memory and becky (julia stiles) lying naked in his bed. before he can figure out what happened and he rushes becky out of his apartment because his fiance karen (selma blair) is coming. after that and as you could imagine and chaos ensues. almost every single scene in a guy thing delivers loud laughs. the funniest moments come from when paul imagines what could happen if he tells karen. selma blair is a truly talented comedian and and the worst thing about this film is that she goes underused. although and she turns out to be more funny than stiles character and who actually isn not that interesting. of course and not every comedy is perfect. as i said and a guy thing is no classic and but it not bad either and positive . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
what happens when someone has so much social anxiety that they cease to function. how alone can one man get. when the mundane crap we have to do in order to be part of society gets to be too much and what happens. frownland explores these questions. definitely a startling original debut from bronstein. the tone is strange and claustrophobic as we get inside the mind of a guy named keith that is so messed up he can hardly form a proper sentence. we follow him around as he tries to make contact with people and function day to day. most of us have known people like this people that say sorry too much or i appreciate it when there nothing to appreciate. so we know there are people out there like this but why would someone want to make a movie about them. well and because its interesting and bronstein and the lead actor and dore mann and do an excellent job. this film is about as un commercial as a film can get. a few friends filmed it over the course of a few years as they saved money. it was shot on 16mm and the scratched film look is beautifully low budget. with no distributer and this may be a tough one to find and i think it been screening randomly for the past year or so. hopefully it will be on dvd at some point. i saw it at the silent movie theater here in la. there were 10 people in the audience and among them crispin glover and if that tells you anything about how weird this movie is. highly recommended. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
a very strange and compelling movie. it about a very awkward and tightly wound man who attempts to navigate his life as a door to door fundraiser or salesman. the director was able to capture a very unnerving tone that really served the story well. original and unsettling while also finding a great deal of humor in the pain that accompanies life. there is a sequence at a testing facility that really stood out and made me laugh out loud which is not something i do as frequently as i should. one of the more memorable films i have seen in a long while. hasn not left my mind and i look forward to future efforts by bronstein. fantastic performances all around. the simple line i really appreciate it. is now iconic to me. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
frownland is like one of those intensely embarrassing situations where you end up laughing out loud at exactly the wrong time while and just at the moment you realize you shouldn not be laughing and you have already reached the pinnacle of voice resoundness while and as you look around you at the ghostly white faces with their gaping wide open mouths and glazen eyes and you feel a piercing ache beginning in the pit of your stomach and suddenly rushing up your throat and. well and you get the point. but for all its unpleasantness and punches in the face and frownland and really is a remarkable piece of work that and after viewing the inarticulate mess of a main character and all his pathetic troubles and mishaps and makes you want to scratch your own eyes out and at the same time and you feel sickenly sorry for him. it would have been a lot easier for me to simply walk out of ronald bronstein film and but for some insane reason and i felt an unwavering determination to stay the course and experience all the grainy irritation the film has to offer. if someone sets you on fire and you typically want to put it out represent stop. drop. and roll. but with this film and you want to watch the flame slowly engulf your entire body. you endure the pain perhaps out of spite and or some unknown masochistic curiosity i can not even begin to attempt to explain. unfortunately and mainstream cinema will never let this film come to a theater near you. but if you get a chance to catch it and prepare yourself represent bring a doggie bag. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
in a year of pretentious muck like synecdoche and new york a film born out of charlie kaufman own self indulgence and comes a film that is similarly hard to watch but about three times as important. frownland is a labor of love by the crew and the actors and the filmmaker and shot over years by friends. it traces a man who cannot communicate through his thoroughly authentic and real brooklyn world. the people that you see are a step beyond even the stylization of the mumblecore movement. they are real people and painfully trapped in their own self contained neuroses and unwilling to change and unable. the real world to them is their own set of delusions and because this is a film about people who are so profoundly out of touch and it is very difficult to watch. it is 16mm film making without proper light and money or any of the other factors that would make a film slick and but its honesty can not be understated and a fact that would cause a room full of people to dismiss it and for richard linklater to give it an award as he did at sxsw. this does remind of films like naked or the best of the mumblecore. it is a film that is not for everyone and but one that challenges you to watch and grows on you the longer you think about it. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i found the film quite expressive and the way the main character was lost but at the same much more clear about certain things in life than people who mocked him ( his flatmate for example ) . he was tortured and you loved to watch him being tortured . it had this perverted side which was frightening but we were all happy to see him come out of the misery again . it was like a game character or pan man through a mine land or to enemy and we love to watch him under sniper attack or fire but then at the end we are happy to see him survive . . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
the most bizarre of the cinematic sub genres is the so called the great ladies of the grand guignol represent camp horror films which combined over the top melodrama with gothic thrills and always starred by seasoned and almost forgotten actress from hollywood golden age in unflattering roles of either long suffering victims or screeching evil harpies. this genre provided them with an unusual acting showcase that allowed strut their stuff on the screen once again and win new generations of fans at expense of their glamorous images from yesterday. what the matter with helen is the last drop of this sub genre with stunning performances of both debbie reynolds and shelley winters as the troubled mothers of two convicted criminals who run away from their past to the sunny california in the 1930s to open a talent school to milk out the eagerly mothers who want their daughters to be the next shirley temple. in california and debbie gets happiness and clients and tango and tap dancing and a new love interest (dennis weaver meanwhile shelley gets wacko with horrible flashbacks and menacing anonymous calls and menacing strangers and menacing agnes moorehead as a radio evangelist and cute little rabbits (. ) and an unfortunate encounter with an electric fan (ouch. ). the sloppy script (penned by henry farrell and the man who started all this genre with whatever happened to baby jane along with master director robert aldrich and joan crawford and bette davis) is full of plot holes and red herrings and wasted opportunities that could had made this movie great represent the underlying themes of twisted motherhood (with debbie and shelley characters as failed mothers and the overbearing mommies of the child stars) and obsessive female bonding (debbie and shelley relationship and the fact that the few male characters of this movie are either sinister or sleazy even dennis weaver dream boat texan) are wasted. instead we get debbie reynolds musicals interludes and dancing tots and although fun to watch take too much screen time of what is supposedly to be a psychological chiller. but still this movie is highly entertaining. the two stars and curtis harrington stylish direction easily overcomes its flaws. the movie recreation of the 1930 is colorful and elegant (look at debbie clothes. ) made with a very tight budget. the increasing atmosphere of madness and hysteria is genuinely creepy with a shocking finale that will haunt you for days. and you wouldn not easily forget that silly goody and goody song that runs through the movie either. and seeing an increasingly mad shelley winters screw every one of debbie reynolds chances at happiness is a hoot to watch. positive . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
from the writer of what ever happened to baby jane. and hush . hush and sweet charlotte and this tail end of the sixties horror cycle has some eerie and campy fun. micheál macliammóir does a victor buono type bit and but too often the movie totters dangerously close to a bad musical . there a particularly awful children recital about halfway through. debbie taps and tangos and tricks up a lá harlow and while winters religious fanatic has a lesbian edge to her. agnes moorehead checks in as an evangelist. weaver has nothing to do and even has to pay a gigolo to dance with debbie. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
a vastly underrated black comedy and the finest in a series of grand guignol movies to follow baby jane. reynolds and winters are mothers of young convicted murderers (a nod to compulsion) who run away to hide in hollywood. they run a school for would be movie tots and a bunch of hilariously untalented kids attended by awful stage moms. debbie and in her blonde wig (i am a harlow and youre more a marion davies she tells winters) leads the tots at their concert and wins a rich dad and weaver. she also does a deliciously funny tango and and over all and gives an outstanding performance and unlike anything she would done before. the atmosphere is a fine mix of comic and eerie. it looks wonderful with great period detail (30 ). lots of lovely swipes at hollywood and the terrifying movie tot. micheal macliammoir has a ball as the drama coach represent hamilton starr and he purrs and two r but prophetic nonetheless. see it and love it. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
this was obviously the prototype for mick dundee but the adventures of barry mckenzie is funnier. i was amused throughout and laughed out loud plenty of times. terrific central performance by barry crocker in the title role and an australian who invades england to upset the poms with his free flowing uncouth ways. few brits will be upset by barry frequently cruel observations on his hosts. the relationsip between the two countries is prickly but friendly and this is highlighted by the film final line and delivered by a somewhat reluctant mckenzie as he boards the plane home. i was just starting to like the poms. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
renny harlin first american film was one of the best of a slew of prison set horror films(like death house or the chair)in the late 80 . twenty years before and guard lane smith had wrongfully executed a condemned man. now and he is the warden of the newly re opened prison and and the man ghost is back for bloody revenge. this atmospheric and very moody film features lots of gruesome gore and violence. viggo mortensen and tiny lister and tom everett and kane hodder are onhand for the entertaining carnage. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
story of a wrongly executed prisoner who haunts the prison he was electrocuted in and kills random prisoners while waiting to take revenge on the man who framed him. viggo mortensen is great and and the acting is pretty good overall. lane smith is deliciously wicked as the guilty warden. also and this film has some great gore and including death by barbed wire mummification. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
what we have here is a compelling piece of low budget horror with a relatively original premise and a cast that is filled with familiar faces and one of the most convincing filming locations in the history of horror films. so. could anyone please tell me why this movie is so utterly underrated. prison is the finnish director harlin american debut and which still counts as his best effort even though he went on making blockbuster hits like die hard 2 and cliffhanger and deep blue sea. the story entirely takes place in an ancient and ramshackle wyoming prison and re opened for the cause of over population in other and more modern state penitentiaries. inside the former execution dungeons and the restless spirit of the electric chair last victim still dwells around. the now promoted warden eaton sharpe (lane smith) was there already 40 years ago and when this innocent man was put to death and and the spirit still remembers his vile role in the unfair trial. it seems that the time for vengeance has finally arrived. viggo mortensen plays the good car thief who has to prevent an even larger body count and chelsea field is the humane social worker who slowly unravels the secrets from the past. prison contains over half a dozen memorable gore sequences but it the unbearably tense atmosphere that will stick to you for certain. unlike any other horror picture from that decade and prison features an amazing sense of realism. by this and i refer to the authentic scenery and the mood inside the prison walls and of course and and not towards the supernatural murders that are being committed. even though these are genuinely unsettling as well. the film best parts are images of realistic and tough prison drama sequences combined with visual mayhem and shocking horror. the absolute best terror moment (providing me with nightmares ever since i saw it at rather young age) focuses on a grizzly death struggle involving barbed wire. haunting. the screenplay only suffers one flaw and but that a common one. almost inevitable and i guess represent clichés. the story introduces nearly every possible stereotype there is in a prison surrounding. we have got the ugly and fat pervert with his cute boy toy and the cowardly and racist guard avoids confrontation at all costs and naturally the old n wise black con who serves a lifetime (did i hear anybody yell the name morgan freeman. ) don not stare yourself blind on these clichés is my advise and as there are so many other elements to admire. the photography is dark and moist and the mystery is upheld long and successfully and the supportive inmate roles of class b actors are excellent (the fans will recognize tom everett and tom tiny lister and even immortal horror icon kane hodder). forget about wes craven god awful attempt shocker or the downright pathetic cheese flick the chair. this is the only prison chiller worth tracking down. especially considering viggo mortensen peaking popularity nowadays (i heard he starred in a successful franchise involving elves and hobbits and other fairy creatures. ) this true 80 horror gem oughts to get an urgent dvd release. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i pulled down a vhs box from my vast collection many unseen and picked out a movie and based on the box art and i thought would be fun and and yes and bad. prison had that 80s cheesy look all over that box. i sat down and watched and and lo. and behold. and found that sometimes we do indeed sit down to a movie with preconceived expectations in mind. fortunately and i reversed mine quickly and soon realized i was sitting down not just to an okay film but a rather good movie in total. prison tells the story of an old and dilapidated prison being reopened to save on budgetary concerns. it looks creepy as all empty and filled with prisoners. the prison used as a set is incredibly atmospheric and easily the most important character in the film. the story using the prison as its central setting tells in a prologue of a man being killed via the electric chair. we see lane smith as a guard tearing away a crucifix before sending the man to his maker. we then go to present day and first with a government board at a meeting deciding to open the prison and send a beautiful doctor in to make sure that conditions are acceptable as she campaigned vigorously against re opening the old prison. then we see the new warden and lane smith and haunted by a nightmare in bed and given the new job of opening a prison he has not been to in years. well and the rest follows suit represent prisoners and guards arrive with plenty of stereotypes abounding. we are given some character depth and several of the prisoners are interesting characters. the acting is better than one might expect with lane smith doing as always a workmanlike job. viggo mortenson as a very different prisoner being solid. tom everett and tiny lister and and ivan kane really exploring the boundaries of their stereotypical characters. chelsea field is okay as the female lead. the best performance is by lincoln kilpatrick and an underrated character actor and as cresus a prisoner who had been in that very same prison years ago when the man had been executed with some kind of terrible secret. prison is not the next best thing to sliced bread or anything like that and but it is definitely worth a look and definitely better than most would expect from it. i was pleasantly surprised at the way director renny harlin created a story so visually atmospheric. the film has a tense and taut pace and harlin knows how to build his scenes. there are a few excessively shot gore scenes the one with the barbed wire was a bit much as was the one with all the pipes. but these scenes are visually creative and interesting. the acting is uniformly decent. the script actually much more cohesive than one usually gets from films like these. that may in part be credited to irwin yablans who wrote the story. you may remember he came up with the idea of making halloween scary as a holiday. here he makes incarceration a hell of a lot more scarier than it already is. give prison a break(get it). | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
this is an excellent example of what can be done on a small budget movie. the acting is excellent considering the script and the whole atmosphere of the film is very foreboding. the gore is well done and used sparingly (look out for the excellent barbed wire death) and the action is punchy when used. it true that there are dodgy lines in the script at times and but compared to other movies on the same (or bigger. ) budget and it hardly noticeable at all. overall and this is recommended. trust me and it better than it appears. positive . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
prison is not often brought up during conversations about the best eighties horror films and and there a good reason for that because it not one of the best. but as you delve past the classic films that the decade had to offer and this is certainly among the best of the lesser known or smaller films. the film does have some connection to blockbusters while for a start it an early directorial effort for renny harlin while the capable director behind a number of action films including die hard 2 and cliffhanger and deep blue sea while and secondly we have an early role for lord of the rings star viggo mortensen. the film is not exactly original but the plot line is interesting. we focus on a prison that has been reopened after a number of years. this was the prison where a man named charles forsyth was sent to the electric chair after being framed by the prison governor. naturally and the spirit of the dead man is not resting in peace while and when the old execution room is reopened and the spirit of the dead convict escapes for vengeance. the film is not exactly the shawshank redemption and but it does take care to build up its various characters and while the main point of the film is always the horror and the prison drama behind it all does make for an interesting base. this is a good job too because other than the basic premise and the film doesn not really have a plot to go from and we solely rely on the interaction between the characters to keep things interesting. the horror featured in the film is at times grotesque but it never over the top and which might actually be the reason why this film is seldom remembered and being released in a decade of excess. the murders themselves are rather good and imaginative and however and and provide some major highlights. as the film goes on and we start to delve more into the back story of the vengeful convict ghost and while it fairly interesting and some things about it do not make sense and it drags the film down a little. still and everything boils down to an exciting climax and overall i have to say that prison is a film well worth tracking down. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
viggo mortensen stars as a new inmate of a haunted prison in which the warden (played well by lane smith) has a grisly secret that could be the reason why various prison guards and inmates are being slaughtered by a supernatural presence. lincoln kilpatrick is the lifer who knows the secret and is scared for his life. when i think prison movies and i always think action movies starring stallone or van damme or high caliber dramas such as shawshank redemption or the green mile. however i do not expect a ghost story more along the lines of exorcist iii. prison however is an atmospheric effort and it certainly remains the best movie of renny harlin career. the movie is creepy and has some good acting from a cast of (at the time) unknowns. lane smith comes off the best because his warden isn not the usual cliché of evil personified but rather nervous and twitchy which adds some credibility to a movie that far exceeds expectations. out of 4 (good). | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
prisons are not exactly renowned for their kind hospitality and happy vibes and what with stories of fights and chaos and murder and of course extreme male bonding. but the prison in this film is a different beast altogether. horror films set in cells are and as you probably know and nothing particularly new as they emphasis and exaggerate the fear of claustrophobia and the inability of escape two of the greatest themes in horror cinema. with such examples as the chair (waldermar korzeniowsky and 1988) and the green mile (frank darabont and 1999) and alien 3 (david fincher and 1992)and of course the entire women in prison exploitation genre itself and another entry into this niche has to be something inventive and a lot of fun to boot in order to be recognised. or at least that what you would have thought. prison is certainly an incredibly fun and enjoyable ride and it somewhat of a shame that it isn not as well known as it should be. the film and in short and centres on an old prison (well and duh. ) which has been reopened. however and it not just fellow inmates and guards the prisoners have to fear and but also a mean ass demon ghost spirit with only one thing on its mind while death. and boy and are we treated to some awesome death scenes. i would not spoil anything here for you but there are plenty of innovative and enjoyable murders all done by invisible hands. besides the special effects and the murders and this film also has another thing going for it while it cast. headlining and we have lord of the rings (peter jackson and 2001 2003) star viggo mortensen (and for all those so inclined and yes and he does get naked) whose performance is not only highly believable and but is done with such skill that his eastwood esquire character is both bad to the bone and likable (a very delicate mix). add him to a cast of hey wait a minute i know that guy actors and you have got yourself one great set of stars. the characters themselves however lack three dimensionality and more often than not come across as very stereotypical. we have got a black oculist and a hard as nails prison warden and a human rights activist woman and plenty of other stock characters. but in all honesty and this fault actually aids the film. instead of boring character development in an over long equilibrium and we are chucked and more or less and straight into the action and once it gets going (very early on) there not a single scene that a filler it balls to the wall plot. unlike a certain shawshank redemption (frank darabont and 1994 ). sharing conventions with the slasher genre and this is somewhat of a convention itself and and and in good ol slasher genre tradition and prison punishes those who have been bad. all in all this is an excellent little horror film and one which is sadly overlooked and unmentioned among the horror world. with an excellent cast and great special effects and rather original death scenes this film is highly recommended to horror fans. don not be fooled into thinking it will be a cheesy little film either and just because it was made in usa 1980s and it far from cheesy (although the very end does ruin this) and and simultaneously and far from gritty and realistic (whilst it attempts to tackle issues such as prison rape and these are rather subtly done). i give it 3. 5 out of 5 luvs. a very entertaining horror film with some very nice touches indeed. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
a long defunct prison and shut down for over 20 years and is re opened and ethan sharpe (the late and great character actor lane smith) and once a guard there and is put in place as warden. as the prisoners are put to work fixing the place up and theyre instructed to break into the old execution room. this unleashes a fierce spirit that wreaks merciless havoc upon both guards and prisoners while cool as can be low key prisoner burke (viggo mortensen and showing real poise in an early role) is thrust into the role of hero. i know it a no brainer to praise the film for its atmosphere (it was shot in an actual abandoned penitentiary near rawlins and wyoming) and but it elevates this horror film to a higher level. it got a great sense of foreboding and established right at the outset. director renny harlin made his fourth directorial effort here while it got him the nightmare on elm street 4 directing gig and effectively began an impressive career in mainstream action movies and thrillers and and horror films. it may have stock characters and but it got a capable cast bringing them to life represent chelsea field as the young woman vying for prison reform and lincoln kilpatrick as weary veteran convict cresus and tom everett as restless con rabbitt and ivan kane as the outgoing lasagna and tommy tiny lister as soft spoken giant tiny and and arlen dean snyder as captain horton. it also worth noting as an early acting credit for kane hodder (as the vengeful spirit) that helped him land the gig of playing jason voorhees in the friday the 13th series. decent special effects and moody lighting courtesy of prolific genre cinematographer mac ahlberg and spooky music by richard band and christopher stone and great visuals and the incredibly gloomy location and and an overall flashy and intense presentation help to make it quite entertaining. it nasty and gruesome and and good fun for a horror fan. positive . | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
caught this film in about 1990 on video by chance and without knowing what i was in for. many horror fans may have missed this thinking it was a typical prison film and the ones who did get it do not like it as it was not what they wanted to see. the above mentioned factors are probably the reasons it is low rated but just ignore that and give it a whirl if youre a fan of the genre. it has strong suits in all departments from script and atmosphere to acting and the prison itself. an absolute diamond and a film i still have on video to this day. check it out. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
i was living rawlins when this movie was made and i got lucky enough to be able to work on it. both as an extra and with eddie surkin on special effects. it was fun to see all the behind the scene workings and from the barbedwire coming alive to the electric chair up through the wardens office floor. also it was a lot of fun getting to meet all the actors and from viggo to tiny. also the gate that was cut into the prison wall for the movie was and still is called disney gate by locals. if anybody is interested and is ever in rawlins and most of the movies sets are still in place and can be seen during the self guided tour. it was a lot of fun working for and with r. harlin and wished i had a chance to do it again. | positive positive positive positive positive | negative negative negative negative negative |
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