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Mildred Pierce
Evil, thy name is Veda...
Mildred Pierce
The Closest I will Ever Come to Loosing Myself in a Soap Opera
Truly Timeless

Mildred Pierce (Keepcase)
Starring: Joan Crawford , Jack Carson , Zachary Scott , Eve Arden , and Ann Blyth
Director: Michael Curtiz
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0008ENIAC
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Amazon.com essential video

For a full dose of pure, unfiltered Joan Crawford, look no further than this slab of scorching film noir. Crawford is in her element as the heroine of James M. Cain's pulp-fiction classic, a ditched wife and mother who is forced to become a waitress. On the strength of Crawford's steely willpower (and maybe those intimidating wide-wing shoulder pads), she constructs an empire of eateries, only to be disappointed by her rotten daughter (Ann Blyth) and a ferret-faced new husband (Zachary Scott). Director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) whips up a storm of atmosphere, and the script is a series of tartly written exchanges. The best lines go to perennial wisecracker Eve Arden, as Crawford's acid-tongued pal--she earned her only Oscar nomination for the role. Commenting on the ungrateful daughter, Arden says, "Alligators have the right idea. They eat their young." Crawford herself took home the best actress Oscar, and the film was a triumphant personal comeback: her longtime studio MGM had released her from her contract before Mildred Pierce came along. Is this great acting? (Pauline Kael called it "heavy breathing.") Whatever Joan Crawford is doing in this movie, it's movie presence at its most formidable. --Robert Horton

Description

What Veda wants, her mother Mildred Pierce provides. Even if Mildred must end her middle-class marriage, climb atop the male-dominated business world and marry a wealthy man she doesn't love. "I'll do anything," Mildred says in explaining her love for her daughter. But does anything include murder? Just when you think you got this nominee for five other Oscarsincluding Best Picture figured out, along comes a shocking twist ending! Director: Michael Curtiz Starring: Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth

Customer Reviews:

Mildred Pierce.......2007-06-25

Peerless Warners director Michael Curtiz creates a diabolical murder yarn. Crawford resuscitated her fading career with the driven Mildred, a part she was born to play. Blyth grates as Veda (hard for her not to), and Scott and Carson each ooze their particular brand of acid as the calculating men in Mildred's life. For a vicarious glimpse into seamy small town intrigue, you can't beat this one. Joan won Oscar.

Evil, thy name is Veda..........2007-06-24

MILDRED PIERCE brought Joan Crawford her very first Academy Award in 1945, playing a valiant mother willing to sacrifice everything for her daughters' happiness.

Mildred Pierce (Crawford) is a frumpy middle-class housewife who invests every spare cent and waking moment into educating and bettering her two children; teenager Veda (Ann Blyth) and precocious Kay (Jo Anne Marlowe). When her husband Bert (Bruce Bennett) moves on to greener pastures, Mildred has no other option than to fling on the shoulderpads and enter the workforce. Despite her eventual success in opening a chain of restaurants, nothing she ever does or provides is "good enough" for Veda. Her ego spinning wildly out of control, Veda manipulates her mother and everyone around her, with dire consequences...

MILDRED PIERCE features some classic confrontation scenes between Crawford and Ann Blyth, who is so good as the evil Veda that you just want to throttle her! Based on the novel by James M. Cain (who also wrote "The Postman Always Rings Twice"), MILDRED PIERCE revived Joan Crawford's flagging film career and gave way to a series of similarly-themed noir drama roles at Warner Brothers. The amazing cast also includes Jack Carson, Lee Patrick, Zachary Scott and Eve Arden as Mildred's wisecracking best friend (in what surprisingly turned out to be her sole Oscar-nominated performance).

Followers of the infamous Joan Crawford/Bette Davis rivalry will be quick to notice that Max Steiner's musical score recycles portions of the main love theme from the 1942 Bette Davis vehicle "Now Voyager" (mostly during Crawford's love scenes). Whether or not Crawford noticed this, it's another great twist in the story of the reportedly bitter feud during their days as Warner Brothers' premier leading ladies.

The DVD includes a brilliantly-restored print of the movie (it's the best this title has ever looked on home video). Bonus features (on the flipside of the disc) are just as good, with the acclaimed feature-length TCM documentary "Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star", narrated by Anjelica Huston, and featuring interviews with surviving co-stars and directors, biographers, historians, plus Crawford's adopted daughter Christina (who talks about the incidents in her book "Mommie Dearest"). A trailer gallery for all of the Crawford/Warner Brothers films is also quite interesting.

(Double-sided, single-layer disc)

Mildred Pierce.......2007-06-13

The movie was an old favorite of mine so I already knew it was great.
Jan

The Closest I will Ever Come to Loosing Myself in a Soap Opera.......2007-06-13

Mildred Pierce is such a soap opera. The characters are over the top. Wally, Mildred's ex-husband's ex-business partner, seems to have the single minded goal of getting into Mildred's now vacant pants. Monte is an aging spendthrift playboy, who is violently alergic to work, and vampirically latches on to Mildred's purse. Veda, Mildred's airhead daughter, is pure spoiled brat - nothing redeeming there, only a mother could love her. To polish off this soap opera quality, there is an awkwardly inserted scene of a child's death for added melodrama.

Mildred ties all these threads together as a good little housewife, who is striking out on her own to provide only the best for her daughter Veda. Her character has the most depth (any depth at all is a change in this movie). She remains motherly and virtuous, as she reallizes that she can be shark at business to keep the funds flowing for Veda's expensive hobbies. Similarly, Joan Crawford, who plays Mildred, holds the film together. It's so corny - I reallized this as I watched - and yet so gripping. I think that reading the script would have made me gag, and yet this movie pulled me in.

Truly Timeless.......2007-06-04

When watching most films that were made prior to the social changes of the '60s and '70s, one is usually struck as much by contrasts to today's world as one is by the quality of the actual writing and acting. Most films of the '40s and '50s, no matter how excellent, are firmly rooted in a particular time and place.

This film is an amazing exception. The hair styles and cars are about the only things that are dated here. The women are strong and independent, the dialogue is fresh, intelligent, and unsentimental, and the pace is quick. If someone were to remake this film today, they'd be hard pressed to find elements that needed updating or improvement.

This is a real gem of a movie that has stood the test of time. 5 stars!

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Do You Like Scenes of Aerial Dogfights? Then This Oldie is For You!
Flying Tigers, flying to glory
Early depiction of American Aviation Heroes
one of waynes better war movies,and a great action epic
Entertaining morale booster

Flying Tigers
Starring: John Wayne , John Carroll , Anna Lee , Paul Kelly , and Gordon Jones
Director: David Miller
Manufacturer: Lions Gate Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0782011276
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Amazon.com

John Wayne plays the tough commander of Flying Tigers, the famous fighter squadron that fought to save China from the Japanese. Wayne finds he is fighting a war on two fronts: he's taking on the enemy with only a handful of inexperienced men and patched-up planes while keeping a cocky new pilot from stealing his girl. The story has little in common with real history, and lots of classic post-Pearl Harbor propaganda fills the script. Regardless, the movie is all Wayne's, and Wayne fans will enjoy seeing the prototype for what would become the Duke's trademark portrayal of the military fighting man.

Although the pressure of making life-and-death decisions in wartime may be more maturely explored in Twelve O'Clock High, Flying Tigers still has enough characterization and action to keep the viewer's attention (not to mention special effects by the pioneering Howard Lydecker). --Mark Savary

Customer Reviews:

Do You Like Scenes of Aerial Dogfights? Then This Oldie is For You!.......2007-04-21

There are many scenes of aerial combat between the Americans and the Japanese. There are also scenes of combat aircraft formation, bailing out, etc. Warning: Some scenes are gory, albeit not in color.

The setting for this film is China in the late 1930's all the way up to shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941). The Japanese had already conquered parts of China in the 1930's. This film is obviously intended for propaganda purposes: The Japanese are portrayed as barbarians who are bombing Chinese settlements and leaving grieving children in their wake. Americans are portrayed as benefactors who bring food to the Chinese, and as defenders of the Chinese against further Japanese aggression.

It is in this latter capacity that John Wayne plays an American pilot who is fighting the Japanese air force. He has to deal with a recalcitrant pilot who wants to do things his own way, not in the way that he would contribute to the combat aircraft formation. Another pilot gets shot down needlessly because of his antics.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the combat becomes more intense, and the recalcitrant pilot gets a chance to redeem himself. The Americans are planning an attack on an important Japanese bridge. To disguise their mission, the Americans use a small plane, and fly it low within the valleys up to the bridge. The bombs they drop are hand-held, reminiscent of those of World War I vintage. Will the recalcitrant pilot redeem himself?

Flying Tigers, flying to glory.......2007-03-08

An excellent John Wayne movie that takesm place during the second World War. John Wayne is the leader of a group of pilots in the AVG or Flying Tigers. He recruits an old friend to join. John Carroll plays the hot shot pilot who is only out for glory and pay. After a tragic incident, will he grow up? Lots of action, humor and even some romance provided by Anna Lee.

Early depiction of American Aviation Heroes.......2006-09-03

Made in 1942, this movie provides a fictional depiction of the American Volunteer Group who are better known as the Flying Tigers. While the quality of the movie is not all that great, the story inspired a nation during WWII. It also launched John Wayne into a new genre of films.

Most will enjoy the film since it moves along at a pretty good pace considering it was made in the 1940s. The aerial action sequences are actually pretty decent, although it seems like every pilot who dies is shot in the face. The film is obviously aimed at a mostly male audience since the story focuses so much on the relationships of the men as they face enormous challenges and odds.

I did not care much for the love sub-plot, but it seems like a necessary component for most films of this genre. It distracts from the overall story of bravery, courage, honor, and respect. Of course, I did not care much for this part of Pearl Harbor either, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

If you enjoy WWII aerial combat films, you will most likely enjoy this one as well. If you are a fan of the Duke, it is a must see. If you are looking for a historically accurate film about the Flying Tigers this is probably not a great choice, but it is good entertainment.

one of waynes better war movies,and a great action epic.......2006-05-27

the first thing to remember is that this was made during the thick of world war II and as such don't expect political correctness to be part of the movie. now once you get all that p.c. junk(and that what this whole p.c. trend is just junk, you can't rewrite history accept that and move on with your life)you will find a very good war movie and a young looking(even if he was in his early 40's by then)john wayne in top form as a leader of a squad of pilots who fight for pay to protect the chinese from the japneese during the days before pearl harbor and just after.
the new man in the unit is a hot head who thinks he's the person with all the answers and gives wayne trouble and even tries to take waynes girl away from him. if you know anything about wayne you know this isn't going to last long.
the movie is full of great republic f/x and the pace is quick and the whole movie is great fun to watch. when they say they don't make 'em like that anymore this is what they mean.
one of waynes best,a must have for fans!!!

Entertaining morale booster.......2005-12-12

Early World War Two film that celebrates, sort of, Claire Chennault's volunteer air group in China prior to the United States' entry into the war, FLYING TIGERS opens with a testimonial dedication by Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and spends its remaining 100 minutes test flying a P-40's worth of war-flick clichés.

John Wayne plays squadron commander Jim Gordon, a man who doesn't let the burden of command interfere too much with his romance of pretty Red Cross nurse Brooke Elliott (Anna Lee.) Capt. Gordon recruits Clark Gable-lookalike Woody Jason (John Carroll,) who proves his stuff to the audience - Gordon probably already knew he was a good pilot - by landing a commercial plane in a raging storm on, as the air controller breathlessly tells us above the roar of the tropical storm, a wing and a prayer. The other wing is on fire. Convincingly, too. The special effects in FLYING TIGERS are impressive. Howard Lydecker was nominated for an Academy Award in 1943 for his work here, losing out to the team responsible for the effects in Cecil B. DeMille's `Reap the Wild Wind.' Lydecker's work is almost seamlessly integrated into shots of actual dogfights to very good effect.

What doesn't fit so smoothly is the hackneyed love story. Women were squeezed away from the front line as the war progressed, but in 1942 there were an awful lot of Pacific based military stories that had an awful lot of corny love sub-plots. FLYING TIGERS is bloated with some naïve patriotism, too. There weren't a whole lot of `based-on-fact' stories to tell in 1942, fewer yet that didn't feature doomed military outposts. Chennault was flying missions in China prior to U.S. involvement in the war, and FLYING TIGERS does the best it can to finesse the fact that his flyers were mercenaries - $500 per Japanese plane shot down is the going rate in the movie. Woody Jason, causing what plot roughage was allowed in 1942, is shunned by his comrades because he's eager to make money by shooting down as many Japanese planes as he can. The others, the good pilots, send most of their money to the widows of the fallen. Of course, there's always that last, redemptive Dangerous Mission to be flown that usually closes the curtain in movies like this.

It's almost ludicrous to fault a sixty-year-old movie for being predictable, or debit it for its use of clichés. FLYING TIGERS was a morale booster for the home front in 1942, and on that basis it works well enough. Wayne is appropriately commanding, and Carroll makes a good foil as the immature goof-off. The star of this movie, though, is the special effects, which still look pretty good today.

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The Fugitve in HD Glory
The Fugitive (Blu-Ray)
Stunning HD quality. Purchased 5 Blu-Ray disks. Fugitive stole the show!
A top notch mystery and amazing picture and sound quality.
Leaves you wanting more

The Fugitive (Blu-ray)
Starring: Mike Bacarella , Gene Barge , Cheryl Lynn Bruce , L. Scott Caldwell , and Drucilla A. Carlson
Director: Andrew Davis
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000I5XOW8
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Description

Catch him if you can. The Fugitive is on the run! Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones race through the breathless manhunt movie based on the classic TV series. Ford is prison escapee Dr. Richard Kimble, a Chicago surgeon falsely convicted of killing his wife and determined to prove his innocence by leading his pursuers to the one-armed man who actually committed the crime. Jones (1993 Academy Award and Golden Globe winner as Best Supporting Actor) is Sam Gerard, an unrelenting bloodhound of a U.S. Marshal. They are hunted and hunter. And as directed by Andrew Davis (Under Siege), their nonstop chase has one exhilarating speed: all-out. So catch him if you can. And catch an 11-on-a-scale-of-10 train wreck (yes, the train is real), a plunge down a waterfall, a cat-and-mouse jaunt through a Chicago St. Patrick's Day parade and much more. Better hurry. Kimble doesn't stay in one place very long!

Customer Reviews:

The Fugitve in HD Glory .......2007-05-12

Wow! What picture and sound. "You will not be disappointed", oh and the movie is pretty good too.

The Fugitive (Blu-Ray).......2007-02-23

I have both a blu ray and HD dvd... Purchased each version
to see differences. Good movie and Blu Ray was slightly
better because of uncompressed sound

Stunning HD quality. Purchased 5 Blu-Ray disks. Fugitive stole the show!.......2007-01-10

I purchased a PS3 when it came out. One of the reasons I was hot for one was for Blu-Ray playback. I have a rear projection Mitsubishi HD set from a few years back. It has no DVI or HDMI, just standard Component HD inputs. I got home with my new PS3 and Blu-Ray disks and set it all up. I watched a few fantastic looking Blu-Ray movies: Fifth Element, Last Samurai, and Enemy of the State. But when I finally put Fugitive in, I was blown away. I can't believe how this older film scanned to HD so well! It was like watching it for the first time. My whole family stopped what they were doing and sat down and watched this movie. Now I have enjoyed the quality of all the Blu-Ray disks I have spun up in my PS3 as they have all finally made my Mitsubishi 48 inch HDTV show me what I paid for when I bought it. But this disk made my Mitsubishi look like a 55 inch movie theater. I swear, the picture was bigger and more in-my-face than other Blu-Ray disks I have watched. I don't know what Warner Bros. is doing to re-master their movies to HDTV, but keep it up!

P.S. - I knew Tommy Lee Jones's face was messed up, but HDTV shows it all! DAMN!!

A top notch mystery and amazing picture and sound quality........2006-12-05

One of the greatest mystery films of the last decade. Chock full of so much suspense, it can be easily mistaken for a thriller.

As far as the Blu-ray edition goes, 5 out 5 stars for picture and sound. The skin tones are well rendered and the blacks almost never clip. The sound is house shaking without an ounce of distortion. The picture is sharper then I remember even from the theatrical presentation.

Highly recommended.

Leaves you wanting more.......2006-09-28

Everyone remembers the 1963 series where Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) goes running around in every episode just missing the criminal that killed his wife. He in turn is being chased by Lt. Philip Gerard (Barry Morse) who thinks Kimble did it and is a fugitive from the law. The whole thing was narrated by William Conrad.

Well now we have the movie. This time we have a beginning middle and ending all in 161 minutes.

Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) and his wife Helen (Sela Ward) are the perfect couple. Then one night while he was working for some inexplicable reason a despicable person dispatches Helen. On her way to the netherworld she inadvertently says Richard on the 911 call. One thing leads to another and Kimble gets the blame. In the process of transporting him from one containment system to another the transport meets with a little accident; now Kimble is free to find locate the real perpetrator. Now it is up to Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) to find and retrieve Kimble.

Now that we have covered the basic there is not where to begin to tell how great this movie is on many levels. The anticipation of the chase of Kimble to find the perpetrator (by the way he has only one arm) before Gerard catches him. We get close and have a few read herrings. Tommy Lee gets to keep his stoic look as he says things like "I don't care." And "I don't bargain."

Personaly I think that the Chicago police knew all along who the real bad guy was and was covering for him several times right up to the end. They went out of there way to paint Kimble as the bad guy. Detective Rosetti (Joseph F. Kosala) also tried to stop him from revealing the real perpetrator. Rosetti referring to Kimball even after the truth is revealed "He's going down. You won't help us, you stay the hell out!"

Average customer rating:

The best H. Ford's movie with full action and interestin topic.
a favorite movie in a new format
One of the best high-paced character studies around
Leaves you wanting more
nicely done HD-DVD

The Fugitive [HD DVD]
Starring: Mike Bacarella , Gene Barge , Cheryl Lynn Bruce , L. Scott Caldwell , and Drucilla A. Carlson
Director: Andrew Davis
Manufacturer: Warner Brothers
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000FKO0Q0
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Description

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary with Andrew Davis and Tommy Lee Jones
Featurette
Interviews
Introduction:Intro by Andrew Davis, Tommy Lee Jones, and Harrison Ford
Other:"Derailed: Anatomy of a Train Wreck" "On the Run"

Customer Reviews:

The best H. Ford's movie with full action and interestin topic........2007-05-07

BUY IT NOW - Simple it's a good movie to see it and enjoy it with friends and family in HD-DVD.

a favorite movie in a new format.......2007-04-07

this is one my all time favorite movies, but be aware that HD format wil not play on ordinary DVD players. I was not, and had to return it for the usual one.

One of the best high-paced character studies around.......2006-11-29

I love this film and both Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones' portrayals within it. Most are familiar with the story: a Chicago-based vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Kincaid (Ford) returns home to find an intruder and his wife nearly dead from the attack. The CPD cannot substantiate the story and believe the good doctor murdered his wife instead. Dr. Kincaid is sentenced to death by lethal injection due to the particularly heinous nature of the crime. He gets a lucky break when the inmates on his prisoner transport break out. Instead of running for the border, Dr. Kincaid returns to Chicago to find the person who killed his wife. U. S. Marshal Sam Girard is assigned to the case---Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal in this particular film was what spawned his role in "US Marshals" another case where he ends up proving the innocence of the person he is seeking.

Leaves you wanting more.......2006-11-26

nicely done HD-DVD.......2006-11-02

All right, so this HD-DVD is not home theater demo material. It still easily surpasses the standard edition upon side by side comparisons. Yes, there are still some scenes that look like standard DVD, but for the most part, you can see Harrison's beard more clearly as well as many other details. Perhaps this is a testament to the movie itself...the story is so good you don't simply sit there and marvel at the clarity! Until another edition comes along to best this latest one ( and you know one will), then this is the one to buy!

Average customer rating:

Melville Light
English teacher gives this DVD a "C"
IT'S A BIG PEG LEG TO FILL!
Great for High School English Students
Reviewer: Big Zach! NOT A KIDS REVIEW! although a kid!

Moby Dick
Starring: Henry Thomas , Bruce Spence , Hugh Keays-Byrne , Robin Cuming , and Shane Feeney-Connor
Director: Franc Roddam
Manufacturer: Hallmark
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 1574925784
Release Date: 1998-08-18

Amazon.com

Patrick Stewart makes his entrance late into this telefilm, stringy hair hanging from under his three-cornered hat, his peg leg tapping out his arrival on deck. This Captain Ahab is a hard, driven man--you can see it in his burning eyes--and there's no question he has the resolve and the mad devotion to complete his quest at all costs: kill the white whale that took his leg. Franc Roddam's mini-series adaptation of Herman Melville's classic novel (filmed previously by John Huston in 1956) manages its budget wisely: a judicious use of digital effects creates a terrifying vision of the great white whale, and Roddam's eye captures a near-epic quality. Henry Thomas's earnest performance as the young seaman Ishmael can't compete with Stewart's intensity, and Gregory Peck's cameo as Father Mapple is a hollow echo of his passionate Ahab from Huston's masterpiece. But the rest of the cast excels, and Roddam's haunting imagery and horrific climax make this a compelling dramatic adventure. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Melville Light .......2007-01-29

This version certainly does not compare to the other version of Moby Dick, the 1956 version with Gregory Peck starring as the captain bent on revenge. Problems amount with this updated version mainly because it seems to be an attempt at dumbing down or stripping the story to make it more accessible to a wider audience. In making this happen, the producers seemingly beat us over the head with Ishmael's simplicity, Ahab's madness, Starbuck's reluctance and nonconformity, and Queequeg's cartoonishness. The ultimate result is a version which constructs the story accurately, but in a bare-bones way; we are left without much of the depth that Melville's novel depicts.

Still, with my reservations ( mainly because I do teach English literature), this is a version that does have some entertainment value and certainly gives some accurate information to both the characters and the story. There are some enlightening and funny scenes, such as the first meeting between Ishmael and Queequeg in the sleeping quarters and the scene with Queequeg answering for Ishmael as they board the Pequod. Starbuck's character is successfully depicted as a man who reluctantly goes with the mission of hunting the white whale despite his longing to return safe and sound home. As others have noted, Patrick Stewart illustrates Captain Ahab a little over-the-top in terms of his mental balance, but he does have a certain feel to the Ahab we encounter in the novel: he is quick to judge, narrow-minded, revengeful, and unrelenting, and Stewart embodies all of these characteristics in his portrayal.

Understandably, a two-hour movie cannot illustrate the depth at which the actual book works. We don't really get the chance to scrutinize the magnitude of Ahab's vengeance, his opposition to the laws of nature, and the essence of this futile voyage of revenge. Still, for what its worth, this film does have some credibility and merit, and certainly can be used as a tool for both Melville and the novel itself. And, if those aren't your cup of tea, it still has entertainment and moments that make it worthy of viewing. This is Moby Dick and Melville, but stripped a bit down.

3 1/2 stars

English teacher gives this DVD a "C".......2006-05-05

My American Lit class had reached Civil War era literature toward the end of the semester. While I wanted to give them a taste of Melville's classic novel, there was no way they would be able to read a 600 page book in time for the final; so I decided to show the DVD instead. I originally wanted to show the Gregory Peck version, but our school's Media Center only had Patrick Stewart version. I had asked a fellow colleague about showing this DVD, and she said she had a positive experience with it when she showed it to her students the previous year.

Well, while I can't say it was a horrible experience (Students were, by and large, attentive to the movie), it wasn't particularly well done. The acting was uneven: Queequeg and Father Mapple (played by Peck in a cameo role) were very good, but the other characters weren't overly convincing. The most surprising part of the DVD, however, was how poor the special effects were. Given today's technology, I had expected more than a fake-looking tail and the same rubber hump coming out of the water over and over again. Even the kids found these "effects" laughable.

The opening scenes of the DVD were actually quite good. The kids found it humorous when Ishmael suddenly finds out that he is to share his room (and his bed) with the menacing looking Queequeg. This part of the DVD compares favorably with the Peck version, but it's all downhill from there.

The bulk of the blame rests on Patrick Stewart's portrayal of Ahab. Other reviewers have lambasted his performance, and while I can't say it was terrible, he doesn't have the charismatic malevolence to pull it off. The Audience wonders how someone so unconvincing can suck the Pequod's crew down into his own madness; therefore, the acting becomes artificial and the Audience, rather than imagining being part of the story, remains a distant observer. Starbuck, too, seemed more confrontational than I remember when I read "Moby Dick" in college. Secondary characters (Flask, Tashtengo, Dagoo) were almost non-existant; by that, I mean if you hadn't read the book, you wouldn't know who they were in the DVD. There were also certain scenes I didn't care too much for (Trapped in the Artic ice; Storm with St. Elmo's fire), but overall, a decent movie.

Definitely, a VERY difficult book to adapt. Director did keep as much action as possible, so my students weren't bored with the movie, but if I had to do it all over again, I much prefer the Gregory Peck version (which I recently viewed). Your money is better served buying THAT version rather than this one.

IT'S A BIG PEG LEG TO FILL!.......2006-01-21

It's always interesting to watch actors in their attempts to overcome the stigma of being typecast. I suppose it is a serious problem. After all, apocryphal accounts abound about actors who, having played a too memorable part in a movie, such as the woman who played the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz, end up unemployed because no one can see them as anything else.

Enter Patrick Stewart. Of late he has thrown himself at such improbable and botched roles as Henry II in a remake of THE LION IN WINTER and Ebenezer Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL. As bad as these two mistakes were, neither comes remotely close to his misguided decision to assume the role of Ahab in the new MOBY DICK. What emerges is failure before the opening credits have even run their course. I've said it before; you just cannot remake or replace perfection. Gregory Peck's masterful portrayal of Ahab in the 1956 production of MOBY DICK set a standard that has become a generic when discussing or considering the character of Ahab. Period! As good an actor as Stewart can be, as evidenced by his character-defining work in STAR TREK and his portrayal of a Western King Lear in KING OF TEXAS, he just doesn't even come close to pulling it off here. Instead his performance is totally laughable if not consummately pathetic!

I hope that this is the last attempt to supplant the original. Mr. Stewart needs to take a deep breath and accept that he just isn't fit to remake every classic role under the sun. And when it comes to this story, and there's certainly no shame in admitting it, it's a big peg leg to fill!

THE HORSEMAN

Great for High School English Students.......2005-11-29

Note: This review is by a high school English Teacher.

When the time came for my students to see a film version of "Moby Dick," I bought both the 1950's film and this one on DVD. After watching both of them carefully, I decided that this newer offering would have much more appeal to my students than the older film.

I seem to have been right, and I think it is safe to say that the 1950's film can now be retired, except for film buffs and the curious.

I especially liked the fact that the American Indian and South Sea Island characters in this film were actually played by people who appear to be part of those societies. In the 1950's film, they are played by what looks to be white factory workers from upstate New York wearing lots of makeup. This would have been very annoying and distracting to my diverse group of students.

As for other reviewers' comments about Patrick Stewart's performance, my feeling is that he nailed it. As Starbuck says, "to seek revenge against a dumb brute that only bit thee out of blindest instinct is blasphemy..." Ahab is someone who sees the idea of resigning oneself to a negative twist of fate as repellant. He is someone who would rather burn to a crisp than ask a higher power for rain. The thing that drives him isn't just obsession; it is rebellion against the infinite.

In psychological terms, Ahab gave all of his power to the whale, and enslaved his life and destiny to it when it was not rationally necessary for him to do so. He is like a small child who has had his lollipop taken away, and who has thrown himself on the floor, absolutely determined to be inconsolable by anything or anyone. Stewart captures that aspect of Ahab perfectly, and it led to some very constructive paper writing and classroom discussion.

I only withhold the fifth star because I wish this film was a longer "Director's Cut" version, covering more of the book than it currently does.

Reviewer: Big Zach! NOT A KIDS REVIEW! although a kid!.......2005-08-25

Dont bother with this crap! It is one of the worst if not the worst! Movies that I have ever seen! It has bad acting,story and it is so so boring! I dont understand the point of this movie! TERRIBLE! DONT BOTHER!

Average customer rating:

Mildred Pierce
Evil, thy name is Veda...
Mildred Pierce
The Closest I will Ever Come to Loosing Myself in a Soap Opera
Truly Timeless

Mildred Pierce
Starring: Joan Crawford , Jack Carson , Zachary Scott , Eve Arden , and Ann Blyth
Director: Michael Curtiz
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Arden, Eve | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Bennett, Bruce | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Blyth, Ann | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Borg, Veda Ann | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Carson, Jack | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Cooper, Clancy | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Crawford, Joan | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

O'Connor, Frank | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Olsen, Moroni | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Panzer, Paul | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Patrick, Lee | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ruhl, William | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Scott, Zachary | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Trowbridge, Charles | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Curtiz, Michael | ( C ) | Directors | VHS | Video

Crime & Criminals | Drama | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Drama | Genres | VHS | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

All About Eve
Sunset Boulevard (Special Collector's Edition)
Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)
The Little Foxes
Now, Voyager (Keepcase)

ASIN: 6301973410
Release Date: 1994-11-29

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Mildred Pierce.......2007-06-25

Evil, thy name is Veda..........2007-06-24

Mildred Pierce.......2007-06-13

The movie was an old favorite of mine so I already knew it was great.
Jan

The Closest I will Ever Come to Loosing Myself in a Soap Opera.......2007-06-13

Truly Timeless.......2007-06-04

Best of the 40s (Adam's Rib / The Big Sleep / The Maltese Falcon / Mildred Pierce)

Average customer rating:

Best of the 40s (Adam's Rib / The Big Sleep / The Maltese Falcon / Mildred Pierce)
Starring: Joan Crawford , Jack Carson , Zachary Scott , Eve Arden , and Ann Blyth
Director: Michael Curtiz , Howard Hawks , and John Huston
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Best of the 50s (North By Northwest/Rebel Without A Cause/The Searchers/Streetcar Named Desire)
Best of the 70's (All The President's Men/Deliverance/Mean Streets/Network)
The Best of the 60s (Bonnie and Clyde/Bullitt/Cool Hand Luke/The Wild Bunch - The Director's Cut)
The Premiere Frank Capra Collection (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington / It Happened One Night / You Can't Take It with You / Mr. Deeds Goes to Town / American Madness / Frank Capra's American Dream)
Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)

ASIN: B00011ZBH0
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Average customer rating:

another great Wong movie

The Mystery of Mr. Wong
Starring: Boris Karloff , Grant Withers , Dorothy Tree , Craig Reynolds , and Ivan Lebedeff
Director: William Nigh
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Mr Wong in Chinatown
Mr. Wong, Detective
Doomed to Die (B&W)
Phantom of Chinatown
Fatal Hour (B&W)

ASIN: B00008G8X5
Release Date: 2003-03-18

Customer Reviews:

another great Wong movie.......2004-06-29

Mr Wong was always a fave of mine. Karloff played him and so did Keye Luke. It's so nice to see this movie in print and at a good price! Thanks Alpha!

Average customer rating:

Melville Light
English teacher gives this DVD a "C"
IT'S A BIG PEG LEG TO FILL!
Great for High School English Students
Reviewer: Big Zach! NOT A KIDS REVIEW! although a kid!

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

Sea Adventure | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

Hopkins, Harold | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Levine, Ted | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Peck, Gregory | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Spence, Bruce | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Stewart, Patrick | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Thomas, Henry | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Roddam, Franc | ( R ) | Directors | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

Moby Dick
Moby Dick: The True Story
The Adventures of Huck Finn
The Odyssey
A Christmas Carol

ASIN: 157492530X
Release Date: 1998-08-18

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Melville Light .......2007-01-29

English teacher gives this DVD a "C".......2006-05-05

IT'S A BIG PEG LEG TO FILL!.......2006-01-21

Great for High School English Students.......2005-11-29

Reviewer: Big Zach! NOT A KIDS REVIEW! although a kid!.......2005-08-25

Average customer rating:

Do You Like Scenes of Aerial Dogfights? Then This Oldie is For You!
Flying Tigers, flying to glory
Early depiction of American Aviation Heroes
one of waynes better war movies,and a great action epic
Entertaining morale booster

Flying Tigers (Col)
Starring: John Wayne , John Carroll , Anna Lee , Paul Kelly , and Gordon Jones
Director: David Miller
Manufacturer: Republic Pictures
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

Drama | Military & War | Genres | VHS | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Classics | Genres | VHS | Video

Bruce, David | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Carroll, John | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Clarke, Mae | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Crane, Richard | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Jones, Gordon | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Kelly, Paul | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lee, Anna | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video