Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Poor Video Quality) 『I won't go into detail about the movie as there are plenty of reviews about it already. What I don't see however, are reviews about the quality of the film itself visually wise. Even though this movie is large enough that it is distributed in a dual layer DVD disc, the quality of the film is atrocious. There is not a single clear picture in the film. This may be the reason why this film is not offered on blu-ray. Would earn a full 5 stars if it weren't for the video quality.』
(Great Great Movie) 『Great cast.Great director-Sam Raimi.Great story.Some of the other reviews here will give you the details.』
('Gift' Courtesy of Katie Holmes) 『Annie (Cate Blanchett) is a widowed mother with three sons to support. In order to make ends meet she reads the futures of residents in her Southern town. Among her regular clients are an abused wife (Hilary Swank) and an unstable man (Giovanni Ribisi) living in paralyzing fear of his father. Annie has her share of enemies and skeptics, the worst being a man named Donnie Barksdale (Keanu Reeves). Donnie is the abusive husband who soon redirects his anger towards Annie and her kids. Things are just as volatile at the boy's school where the oldest is always getting into fights. A concerned teacher (Greg Kinnear) reaches out to Annie to offer support. He is engaged to a young woman (Katie Holmes) whose father is a local businessman. When Annie pays him a visit she meets his fiancee. She receives a troubling vision regarding the girl but keeps it to herself. The next day the girl goes missing and both the teacher and the police appeal to Annie to read for them, hoping to find out what happened to her. As the police search for her, Annie continues to be haunted by visions that grow more violent. The film is stylishly directed by Sam Raimi and the script is co written by Billy Bob Thornton. The performances are solid with Blanchett excelling as Annie. Swank, Kinnear, and Ribisi provide solid supporting work. Holmes lays on her Southern drawl pretty thick but there's no denying she looks good doing it. Future 'Spider Man' alums Rosemary Harris and J.K. Simmons provide memorable turns in smaller roles. 'The Gift' is a well made piece of Southern Gothic.』
(Great Acting in a Murder Mystery) 『When you first begin watching this movie, you may be thinking this isn't going to be a very good movie or this isn't your kind of movie, that's what I thought at first. You've got to give it a chance though, it's slow to start but eventually becomes an edge of your seat thrilling mystery. The acting in the movie is great, normally the movies with a lot of stars aren't well put together and the acting looks bad but not in this movie. This movie was well written and well played out. It was interesting to learn upon watching the special features this movie was written partially by Billy Bob Thorton. This movie brings out the best in some actors and actresses, specifically Keanu Reeves.
Don't let the certain terms used to describe this movie fool you into thinking this is just a horror movie or movie about some tarrot card reader because it's far more than that and the story goes much deeper.
Last but not least there is an added bonus for us guys, particulary the guys who like beatiful&sexy women and that would be the topless scene with Katie Holmes.
Overall I give the movie an A.』
(SAM RAIMI YOU SIR ARE EXCELLENT) 『THE GIFT
It's no secret that I am a huge Sam Raimi fan as well as a fan of his producing partner Rob Tapert, so the question is why did I wait so long to review this wonderful movie? To be honest I have no idea why I waited but now that I have learned of my errors I can move on to review it. This is one of those movies that even if you see the ending coming it still does not take anything away from the viewing experience. In fact I don't know anyone who did not second guess their first thoughts on who did it in this well paced thriller. Sure to some you may see the ending coming but the performances are so good that it is still a great experience.
The movie follows Annie Wilson [Cate Blanchett] who is a fortune teller for lack of a better word; she leads a some what comfortable life rearing her kids and dealing with the death of their father. Of course with the customers she has she has to deal with a few nuts, and I am talking about the customers family members. Things are going fine until she meets a fella [Greg Kinnear] who has a promiscuous wife [Katie Holmes]; turns out she will have more to do with her and her husband in the future. Of course she also has to deal with the husband [Keanu Reeves] of one of her clients [Hilary Swank] who constantly is threatening her and her children. Then naturally if that is not enough there is the deeply in need of help client [Giovanni Ribisi] who by the way is the show stealer here. Throw all that together and you have one very entertaining movie from the great Sam Raimi.
While some may be able to figure this one out it is still fun to watch it all play out, and I know you will not see the end coming. There is something in here that just comes from no where but makes perfect sense. Writers Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson did a great job with this film, the characters are interesting and the story is great. Of course director Sam Raimi keeps things moving at a nice pace and never stays to long on one thing. Also in going back to his horror roots there are plenty of scenes with genuine tension in them. Another wonderful thing about this film is the setting, I love that southern style and sound that is brought forth threw the film.
Star Cate Blanchett does a great job in this movie as the so called "witch" that helps out the police in a murder investigation that she has more of a connection to then she knows. I believe her in this role and she makes this movie much better then films that are similar like "The Skeleton Key" which wasn't bad but it wasn't this. Also Katie Holmes is kinda devilish in this movie and she plays the part well, I always thought of her as a goody goody before this film. Hilary Swank is great in this as well as the abused and scared wife that does not know how to leave a husband that is no good for her. All three of these ladies did a great job in this film and deserve the credit for doing so.
J.K Simmons who would go on later to play J.J. in the Spider-Man movies for Sam does a great job here as the local sheriff, as does Gary Cole as the prosecution attorney who would play the excellent "Sheriff Buck" in the Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert produced show "American Gothic" [one of the greatest shows of all time no doubt]. Greg Kinnear is great as the husband of the dead in this film, and Keanu Reeves surprised me with an excellent portrayal of an abusive husband and stalker. Still the scene stealer in this one by far is Giovanni Ribisi who is amazing as the truly disturbed Buddy Cole who seems to have issues with his father. Honestly it is one of the best performances I have seen; yes I truly enjoyed his performance in this film.
This is not the best movie ever made but it is still one of the most enjoyable, I had a great time watching this the first time and a great one again recently. Sam Raimi did a great job with this film and had a wonderful cast to help him out as well. Go into this one ready to be entertained it is a nice mix of suspense and drama that I am sure all would enjoy. The gift was a great film that fell a little short of classic status but I may change my mind on that one over time, let's see. 』 『Take a pinch of psychic phenomenon, add a dash of Southern gothic, stir in a sharp cast of talented actors, and you'll come up withThe Gift, director Sam Raimi's ingenious gumbo of a thriller. It doesn't hold together as well as Raimi's earlierA Simple Plan, but the two films are stylistically connected--The Giftwas cowritten (with Tom Epperson) byA Simple Plan's costar, Billy Bob Thornton, who in turn draws from the Deep South milieu that informed his ownSling Bladeand his earlier collaboration with Epperson,One False Move. A similar sense of mystery permeatesThe Gift, in which a small-town Georgia psychic (perfectly played by Cate Blanchett) is tormented by tragic loss and visions connected to the murder of a local vamp (Katie Holmes) whose schoolteacher fiancé (Greg Kinnear) is a prime suspect.
Other suspects include a hot-tempered bully (Keanu Reeves) whose battered wife (Hilary Swank) is one of the psychic's regular clients, and a traumatized local (Giovanni Ribisi) who is tenuously stabilized by therapy and antidepressants. While this trio of potential killers keeps the mystery alive, the requisite red herrings don't add much to the film's low-level suspense. Instead, Raimi is far more effective in creating an atmosphere of anxious dread that wells up from each of these finely drawn characters, starting with the widow psychic's extended mourning for her lost husband, the agonized terror of a beaten wife, and the percolating anger of a cuckolded spouse. All of this makesThe Gifta worthy showcase for its esteemed cast, even as its plot twists grow increasingly familiar.--Jeff Shannon』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (It's Not Peter Breck's Fault) 『The reason I title my comments, It's Not Peter Breck's Fault, is because the only good parts in this movie are when he is on the screen. He is the only real actor in the cast. If you like low budget horror movies that were churned out weekly for the local Saturday matinee, this would be one of them. A disembodied dead astronaut's hand goes on a killing spree and somehow(?) takes over this guy's (not Breck - some other actor I don't recognize) identity, whereby, it uses him to carry out it's dasterdly deeds. The movie isn't scary but Breck looks handsome and that was the reason I bought this. Mystery Science Theatre 3K does a fairly funny take on this but I've seen them do better with other films.』
(Little Buddy vs The Big Valley) 『There is an incredible divergence of styles in this.....On the one hand (unintentional), the total lack of presence and being of Alan Hale Jr. as he blunders through another character. Take a 180 and you're face to face with the over the top, shirt partially unbuttoned, arms flailing wildly for no apparent reason method and style of Peter Breck. It's a wonder he took the time to smoke....
Smack in betwixt is a male lead who seems incapable of getting really excited about anything....A disengaged hand, a scantily-clad girlfriend on the beach....this guy is asleep at the wheel. 』
(" No acting......not allowed .") 『Too funny for words. That part where Syd Saylor as the soda jerk, just has me on floor, everytime. " No dancing, not allowed." " No rats, not allowed." Ha ha Hee Hee Ho!!』
(Enjoyable even if not side-splitting) 『As a long-time MSTie, I would like to offer a different viewpoint on this episode.
First, the not-so-good: This is definitely not the funniest season one episode, nor is it the most "different" (in so far as it is a sci-fi/horror flick that could just as easily have been part of season eight, say), and there are a few glaring moments when the jokes just stop coming. As a result, some viewers may find this DVD disappointing.
Having said that, I am not disappointed. I think this is easily one of the most entertaining episodes in season one, even if it is not the funniest. I find that some of the older episodes are quite enjoyable without being as hilarious or as polished as the show would later become; other examples of this would include The Black Scorpion and The Crawling Eye. This film is a great example of why I got into B-movies in the first place, before I was introduced to MST3K: the story is bizarre, the actor's performances uneven, the special effects are poor, and there are odd moments of levity juxtaposed against a confusing backdrop of gloom.
Also, keep in mind that while admittedly awful, this movie is far above the level of train-wrecks like Manos, The Incredibly Strange Creatures, or the Creeping Terror. No, I would not recommend watching it unMSTed, but I think that it is easier to wade thru then a lot of Best Brain's other material. So if you're like me, and derive some of your enjoyment of this series from elements other than the riffs themselves, this could be a worthwhile purchase. If, on the other-hand, you don't care about the host segments or the films themselves, you probably should look elsewhere. But, even this episode has a few classic lines -- I will never get over "Tell him I'm smoking" or "O magic lamp...." ^_-』
(Five Stars for Laughs) 『What pathetic dialogue and horrible screen shots. The hand only has a close up, or a distant shot. Your 9 year old could do a better job. So why not laugh with Joel and his robot friends? Their dialogue is much better. This is a great movie to put down.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Monolith of Sci-fi) 『Babylon 5 (B5) is a science fiction icon. This TV series was called the "best show on TV" in its day. It certainly was, and even by today's standards which, in my opinion, are far lower than they used to be the show still stands as a towering champion of story telling. The characters are developed like in a well written novel. The story unfolds in masterpiece of suspense and foreshadowing. The philosophical points are well made, and the unique respect the show gives to religion in general and the concept of individual belief is unsurpassed in science fiction. The sub plots are a perfect fit. The side stories are a perfect fit. The entire series is a perfect fit. Admittedly, the series starts off with some episodes that are not to the quality level that the show obtains. However, even the "stinkers" are watchable and fun. Every episode contributes to the overall story arc. By the time the series got to season 2-4, it managed to produce some of the finest stories ever developed in a TV series. The whole plot proceeds at a level of quality that is rarely seen. Once again, the show drops off a bit in quality in season 5 but still maintains an excellence that surpasses all of it contemporaries and 99% of the shows that exist today. However, the final episode is likely the finest moment in television history. It gives me goose flesh to this day. It is worth the ride. Watch it and you will not be sorry. Just make sure that you do it in order.』
(One of the best Sci-Fi series ever made.) 『I have been a fan of Babylon 5 since it's beginnings. It is the first Sci-Fi TV series that had a realistic look and feel. Most other shows make the future look comfortable and super high tech. Babylon 5 looked more believable. The characters were not genius perfect people. The humans and aliens alike made mistakes.
Babylon 5 was a brilliant novel for TV with a beginning, a middle, and an end before the first episode was ever aired. This gave the series it's direction and strength. Every question was always answered with detail. Many of the characters were little known actors that you grew to know and either love or love to hate. But they all became memorable for life. Londo is a good example of this. He was just an alien ambassador in the beginning. You couldn't help but like the guy, even when he showed us his darkest side. Delen and Sheridan showed us that we really can all get along if we try. And the CGI special effects were stunning and realistic.
When Amazon cut the price in half for the complete series, I couldn't resist getting it. Being able to watch the entire series back to back without interruption gave me a new insight to the series. I feel I got more depth from the story and enjoyed it like I was seeing it for the first time, even though I had seen every episode many times in reruns on TV. I also own the 5 B5 movie set and the Ranger and Lost episodes. If you love Sci-Fi, you will be thrilled beyond your imagination with the entire Babylon 5 saga. It is a true respectable masterpiece in every aspect.』
(great series on tv) 『This is a great tv series. The movie collection that goes with it is also good. When it was on tv I hated to wait until the next week for it to show again. Now it is on dvd and that is SOOOO nice. No commercials...and you can watch as much as you want without waiting til NEXT WEEK. Or NEXT SEASON!!』
(Review of babylon 5 tv series 5-pack) 『Babylon 5 tv series 5-pack is a great series. It runs through the lives and times of several members of the station staff along with other key players. It covers all the emotions and drama that you would find in place where every day is an adventure.』
(sci fi fantastic) 『Babylon 5 series is a fantastic addition to the serious sci fi fan! That television series was a one of a kind and without my box set, I would not be able to relive any of the episodes. The box set was in pristine condition.』 『The epic sci-fi seriesBabylon 5was a unique experiment in the history of television. It was effectively a novel for television in five seasons, consisting of 110 episodes with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The first season introduces the main characters, headed this year by Commander Jeffery Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) and Security Chief Michael Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle), and familiarizes the audience with the unique environment of a five-mile-long space station in the year 2257. The first episode, "Midnight on the Firing Line," plays at a breathless pace, introducing Commander Susan Ivanova (Claudia Christian) and establishing the conflict between the Narn and Centauri races as represented by their ambassadors, G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) and Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik).B5hits warp speed with a run of exceptional episodes building to the season finale. The two-part "Voice in the Wilderness" has Mars breaking into open revolt against Earth and the discovery of a "Great Machine" on the dead world Epsilon 3. Referencing 1950s sci-fi classicForbidden Planet, the story leads to the superb time-travel-based "Babylon Squared." Season finale "Chrysalis" proves more than just the usual television cliffhanger, placing Minbari ambassador Delenn in conflict with her ruling Grey Council and forcing on her a decision that laid the groundwork forBabylon 5's eventually becoming a great love story.
Delenn's future love interest, Captain John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) arrived onBabylon 5in the first episode of season 2, "Points of Departure." The show marked the handing over of command of B5 to Sheridan from Commander Jeffery Sinclair, actor Michael O'Hare becoming a victim of studio politicians who wanted a bigger star in the leading role. "Revelations" explains that Sheridan's wife, Anna, died during an archaeological survey of the world Z'ha'dum, the name being just one of many references to Tolkien'sThe Lord of the Rings(the bridge at Khazad-Dum). "The Coming of Shadows" proved to beBabylon 5's finest hour to date, and in "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum," Sheridan learns that Morden was on the ship on which Anna died. Three exceptional shows conclude the season. The Narn-Centauri war escalates in "The Long, Twilight Struggle," Sheridan faces a most unusual ordeal in "Comes the Inquisitor," and in "The Fall of Night" all hope of peace is shattered as a nerve-racking assassination attempt reveals a startling secret about Ambassador Kosh.
"Matters of Honor" launchedBabylon 5's third season with the introduction of theWhite Star, a spacecraft added to enable more of the action to take place away from the station. Also introduced was Marcus Cole (Jason Carter)--in another nod toThe Lord of the Rings, a Ranger not so far removed from Tolkien's Strider. A third of the way through the season "Messages from Earth," "Point of No Return," and "Severed Dreams" prove pivotal, changing the nature of the story in a way previously unimaginable on network TV. Earth slides into dictatorship, the fascistic Nightwatch takes control of off-world security, and Sheridan take decisive action by declaringBabylon 5independent. "Interludes and Examinations" presented the death of a major supporting character, while the two-part "War Without End" reached apocalyptic dimensions in a complex tale resolving the destiny of Sinclair and the fate ofBabylon 4, resolving a 1,000-year-old paradox and presenting a vision of a very dark future for Sheridan and Delenn. All this was trumped by the monumental "Z'ha'dum." In the preceding "Shadow Dancing" Anna Sheridan (Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Boxleitner's real-life wife) returned from the dead, no longer entirely human. In the mythologically resonant climax Anna invited Sheridan back to the Shadow homeworld with no hope of survival. Just as inThe Lord of the RingsGandalf fell into the abyss at Khazad-Dum, so Sheridan took a comparable leap into the unknown on an alien world.
Season 4 began on a high point with the Centauri Prime in the grip of the insane Emperor Cartagia (Wortham Krimmer) and a run of six shows leading to the climax of the war against the Shadows in "Into the Fire." If this colossal narrative was resolved a little too easily and the ultimate aim of the Shadows turned out to be a tad disappointing, it still proved to be the most powerful slice of space opera to ever grace the small screen. In the aftermath the sheer scale dropped back a little but the pace never slowed as the rest of the season played out in one relentless cycle of conspiracy, betrayal and conflict,Babylon 5siding with the rebel Mars colony against the totalitarian Earth. On an unstoppable wave fuelled by roller-coaster plot twists and spectacular action shows from "No Surrender, No Retreat"--when Sheridan avows to overthrow EarthGov--to "Rising Star"--when the aim is realized--Babylon 5achieved a consistent excellence rare in television.
The final season found Claudia Christian departed and Ivanova replaced by Captain Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins), who in a soap-opera twist turned out to be Sheridan's first wife. Sheridan was promoted to President of the Interstellar Alliance and the action moved to a group of telepaths seeking sanctuary from the PSI-Corp onB5. Meanwhile the aftermath of the Shadow War was explored, and as usual the season picked up toward the end, with a string of fine political episodes. The final episode, "Sleeping in Light," was directed by J. Michael Straczynski and made an epilogue to the series. Set 20 years later, after all the sound and fury this quiet, elegiac tale is the apotheosis of the love story that proved the balance to the tragedy of the preceding darkness. A personal story resolved against a background of the epic, at once transcendent, deeply human, and profoundly optimistic, "Sleeping in Light" is as moving as any hour in the history of television drama and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to one of the greatest series ever made.--Gary S. Dalkin』
『Own all five seasons of the award-winning series about the space station that's the tumultuous center of the 23rd century's bid for peace among humans and aliens.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY UPC: 085393481520』
price：$2.99
Warner Home Video
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Solitary Man) 『William Hurt makes a memorable film debut as research scientist Eddie Jessup in this Ken Russell masterpiece. Jessup works with schizophrenics and is constantly amazed by their alleged religious experiences during hypnosis. Hoping to gain first hand experience, Jessup starts experimenting with an isolation tank housed in the basement of a hospital. Closely monitored by his friend and assistant (Bob Balaban) Jessup goes back in time and relives painful memories such as the death of his father and has his own religious experiences. Eddie meets a fellow Ph.D named Emily (Blair Brown) at a party and the two hit it off. Both are intense and inquisitive and they eventually marry and start a family. However, Jessup wants to take his experiments further so he leaves Emily and their two kids so that he can travel to Mexico and take part in a shaman's ceremony. Jessup is given some powerful and unidentified drugs in liquid form and his hallucinations become more dangerous and possibly deadly. When he returns stateside, with the still unidentified drug, he combines his new find with the isolation tank and things turn into a living nightmare for Jessup and those around him. Without revealing any of the horrors that follow, I'll only say that Emily has begun studying primates in their natural habitat and she may not have to go far to study her subjects. Hurt is hypnotic as Jessup making Eddie a dreamer who is determined at all costs to literally go deeper into himself and find out all about man and himself in the process. Brown is quite attractive and is just as intense as Hurt. She does a good job of capturing the pain and fear of a woman who loves her husband but is forced to watch him succumb to his demons and then worry about what he's capable of doing next. The film has amazing visuals, particularly religious imagery. These scenes are both beautiful and frightening at the same time. A well made thriller from Russell based on Paddy Chayefsky's novel. Chayefsky wrote the screenplay, but since he was displeased with Russell's handling of his material he demanded to be credited as Sidney Aaron, his pen name.』
(Judy) 『A very interesting movie. One you really need to pay attention to.
Rent one, and if you like it, I recomend you buy it for you video library.』
(Mind-altering!) 『When I was a kid I loved reading the bizarre books by Carlos Casteneda. This movie was actually kind of close to some of Carlos's experiences. One of my stranger favorites.』
(Great Imagery) 『This movie is one of my favorite as far as the imagery is concerned. The hallucination scenes were way ahead of there time and the whole thing looks and sounds fantastic on my 47" TV.』
(The Electric Mushroom Soup Test) 『
I found this film to be an extremely entertaining, interesting and sometimes genuinely surprising. It was going down avenues I wasn't expecting, ala "This man is a F**king gorilla". And there were moments where I found myself slightly creeped out, which is the film's aim.
It's hard to compare this movie to others because there are very few movies like this. "The Fly" comes to mind. As does "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Jacob's Ladder", but only in the sense the creators were so serious in their handling of absurd-far-out material. For these reasons, I give the film big props considering it was released in 1980.
The ending felt a bit rushed and out of tone with the rest of the movie, but this is just a minor complaint. The film was based on a book, so I figured they probably tweaked something for the sake of Hollywood Suits. Overall, I was pleased. Check this one out!』 『It's easy to understand why the late, great screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky removed his name from the credits ofAltered Statesand substituted the pseudonym Sidney Aaron. After all, Chayefsky was a revered dramatist whose original source novel was intended as a serious exploration of altered consciousness, inspired by the immersion-tank experiments of Dr. John Lilly in the 1970s. In the hands of maverick director Ken Russell, however,Altered Statesbecame a full-on sensory assault, using symbolic imagery and mind- blowing special effects to depict one man's physical and hallucinatory journey through the entire history of human evolution. It's a brazenly silly film redeemed by its intellectual ambition--a dazzling extravaganza that's in love with science and scientists, and eagerly willing to dive off the precipice of rationality to explore uncharted regions of mind, body, and spirit. William Hurt made his bold film debut as the psycho-physiologist who plays guinea pig to his own experiments; Blair Brown plays his equally brilliant wife, whose devotion is just strong enough to bring him back from the most altered state imaginable. From the eternal channels of sense memory to the restorative power of a loving embrace, this movie rocks you to the birth of the universe and back again. And while it's clearly not the story that Chayefsky wanted on the screen, the directorial audacity of Ken Russell makes it one heck of a memorable trip.--Jeff Shannon』 『A MIND-ALTERING TRIP INTO THE HEART AND MIND OF A SCIENTIST HELL-BENT ON FINDING THE BEAST WITHIN.』
price：$2.99
Universal Pictures
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Amazon Does it Again....) 『This is not a review of the movie The Frighteners but of Amazon.com and their policy of bleeding reviews from one DVD of a movie over to another regardless of how different they are.
You have to hand it to Amazon.com. The anti-film heads who run the site have never meet one version of a DVD a movie that they didn't consider exactly like another. Amazon.com repeatedly bleeds reviews from older DVDs into newer one. So even if the DVD is a different version of the film than the previous one (in this case Amazon brings together reviews of the directors cut of The Frighteners with those of the theatrical version) or if the new DVD is a better or worse transfer relative to the earlier DVD (there are numerous instances where reviews of a poor quality DVD by one company are bled together even if the newer DVD is done by quality companies like The Criterion Collection) Amazon.com doesn't care. Instead Amazon's policy is to merge reviews of previous DVD releases with those of later DVD releases creating, in the process, a kind of postmodernist hogepodge where real differences in DVD technology or content no longer matter.
I guess postmodernism has indeed triumphed.』
(Movie) 『Purchased as a gift fot my hubby to add to his collection. Loved the movie.』
(Unbelievably bad) 『I saw this movie in the theatre when it first came out but remembered nothing at all about it. Now I know why. I can hardly believe that Peter Jackson made this awful mess of a movie. It fails on every level. I only paid $3 for the DVD but it wasn't even worth it at that price.』
(Love this Movie!) 『I saw a small part of this movie on tv and stopped right away because I wanted to see it all. I looked everywhere trying to find it. Due to the age of the movie online was my only option. This movie is wonderful. I'm normally not into 'scary' movies. This movie has such a wonderful balance of fun and scary, it is a MUST SEE!』
(A great movie for the kids...) 『Yet another horror movie in which I found little redeeming value, despite universally positive reviews...The Frighteners. This is another movie that attempts to tackle the near impossible task of successfully fusing horror and comedy, and as with most others of its kind, I felt it failed quite miserably. Strongly lacking in horror, jokes that range from tacky to just plain goofy, and jam packed some of the cheesiest CGI you've ever laid eyes on, I'm stunned at the overall 4.5 star rating.
The movie uses this principle: Sometimes when a person under-goes a traumatic event, they gain some sort of phenomenol ability (Or something like that). In Frank Banister's case, he is involved in a car accident and in turn is able to visualize the spirits of the dead among us. So Frank is a con man who uses his ghost buddies to scare people around town in order to rake in clients for his ghost hunting business. When a malevolent spirit comes to town and starts claiming victims, ghosts and humans alike, Frank needs to put aside his selfish ways and save the town. And he needs to solve the mystery of a serial killer. And have an out of body experience to battle the evil ghost. And save his girlfriend all while evading the police...Honestly there is so much going on in this movie, you just have to see it for yourself to even begin to grasp what's going on here.
This is clearly a movie that at its time of release was all about the special effects, and not much else. As I mentioned it is over-brimming with really dated looking CGI, and in addition to the movie's subject matter being goofy to begin with, it really only enhances the corniness. In fact if you edited out some of the language and the brief gory moments, I really do think this could pass as a kids movie. The "humor"? A crusty old ghost makes some sort of comment aluding to erectile dysfunction if that's any indication as to what kind of classy flick we're dealing with here. On top of that, most of the characters are unlikable such as Frank, boring like his girlfriend, and others are just plain obnoxious like the two serial killers. The only saving grace, which should come as no surprise, was Jeffrey Combs as the weirdo FBI agent. He was the only thing remotely interesting and funny, as well as being menacing at times.
Overall The Frighteners struck me as a dud as it didn't scare me or make me laugh as it apparently was intended to. I guess I learned that just because Peter Jackson's name is on it doesn't make it a winner. For Jeff Combs fans, this one is a must. Otherwise I'd say you can safely skip this one.』 『A SEEDY GHOST-BUSTER IS THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN STOP AND EVIL SPRIRIT GOES ON A MURDEROUS RAMPAGE.』 『One movie lover's nightmare is another's raucous joyride, and this special effects-laden horror comedy is bound to split both camps right down the middle. (Or, as Leonard Maltin'sMovie&Video Guideputs it, "definitely not for all tastes but a wild time for those who get into it.") Michael J. Fox plays a psychic investigator who can actually see ghosts, and lives with a trio of undead spirits who scare people to promote Fox's ghost-busting business. In a town infamous for serial killings, a new series of deaths prompts Fox to induce his own out-of-body experience so he can battle death in a spirit-plagued netherworld where evil reigns supreme--or something like that. So much happens in this chaotic film that you might feel like you're watching several movies at once--a slasher pic, a supernatural thriller, and a black comedy all rolled into a nonstop showcase for grisly makeup and a dozen varieties of special effects. It's an odd but wildly inventive film from New Zealand director Peter Jackson, who earned critical acclaim for his previous filmHeavenly Creaturesand would later create the ingenious pseudo-documentaryForgotten Silver.--Jeff Shannon』 『One movie lover's nightmare is another's raucous joyride, and this special effects-laden horror comedy is bound to split both camps right down the middle. (Or, as Leonard Maltin's Movie&Video Guide puts it, "definitely not for all tastes but a wild time for those who get into it.") Michael J. Fox plays a psychic investigator who can actually see ghosts, and lives with a trio of undead spirits who scare people to promote Fox's ghost-busting business. In a town infamous for serial killings, a new series of deaths prompts Fox to induce his own out-of-body experience so he can battle death in a spirit-plagued netherworld where evil reigns supreme--or something like that. So much happens in this chaotic film that you might feel like you're watching several movies at once--a slasher pic, a supernatural thriller, and a black comedy all rolled into a nonstop showcase for grisly makeup and a dozen varieties of special effects. It's an odd but wildly inventive film from New Zealand director Peter Jackson, who earned critical acclaim for his previous filmHeavenly Creaturesand would later create the ingenious pseudo-documentaryForgotten Silver.--Jeff Shannon』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Are You A Fan of Mad Scientists?) 『I picked this book up at a used book store and loved it. I've always had a fascination with the archetype of the 'Mad Scientist' and the earliest versions were actually the Medieval Alchemists. In our modern culture, Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" is probably the first and then you'd have Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll" or Jules Verne's "Captain Nemo". After that I've always loved the 1950s for their whcaked out Atomic- Mutated-Monsters-&-Invading-Space-Men archetypes.
From Dr. Cyclops to Dr. Moreau, author David Skal discusses the relevance and art of introducing the weird physics and mutations of these half-cocked brainiacs who usually end up causing more harm than helping.
I got into the Mad Scientist persona some years ago when I began to explore Radionics, Psionics and take vitamin supplements. No I don't have a white lab coat (but I may remedy that soon! lol) however the idea of unleashing some sort of havoc upon the world has excited me to the point of wanting to create the ultimate Frankenstein monsters.
The scariest part is that art imitates life (or is it vice-versa?) and where a lot of people used to fear the devastation of a nuclear holocaust, now it it's the mad scientists who create the ultimate germs which kill everything. There have been some good films done in the past 20 years covering this aspect of Mad Science and Mr. Skall discusses them as well.
If you'r a fan of the Mad Scientist archetype, then this book is a fun and entertaining read (also quite easy as well) and you'll enjoy the last section where he lists the many Mad Scientists and the movies they appear in. For that alone, the price of the book is worthwhile!
I rate it five out of five stars for its completeness and worthiness to add to your collection of material about the Mad Scientist. Plus if you're a fan of the 50's weird Sci-Fi films, this will help flesh out some you may have missed. Recommended.』
(Skal's Treatise on Mad Scientists a Winner) 『Mad scientists have been a stape of US and world horror cinema since the very beginning; at no time has the stereotype left us abd today it's stronger than ever. David Skal, the esteemed historian of B movies, has tried to trace this slippery trail from Lon Chaney all the way to the present. As he points out, Hannibal Lecter is today's version of this old, satisfying trope, and Lecter's experiments with moths and menstrual blood can be seen as modern-day versions of the bizarre dreams of Dr. Frankenstein.
Standing slightly outside of society, although given cultural equity in the name of university educations, the mad doctors and scientists who people our movies are always judging us, until the time comes when they get judged themselves (see Franju's EYES WITHOUT A FACE).
What's all this heckling from other reviewers about Skal's scattershot approach? Cut him some slack, he's trying to entertain and educate us at the same time, that calls for a bit of digression here and there.』
(Amusing but sloppy) 『This is a light, unfocused book. It's supposed to be about mad scientist movies, but the author is all over the place. He starts off by re-telling chunks of his other book, The Monster Show. Then he writes about Mary Shelley and horror literature. He's off to a bad start, repeating himself and having trouble sticking to movies.
By chapter four, he gets to World War II and the post-war period, when mad scientists had become a significant part of popular entertainment. He tries to write about how the public reacts to the Manhattan Project and scientists like Einstein, but his analysis seems to be part of a different book. Is he writing about Mary Shelley, horror movies, science, or what?
Chapter five is all about alien visitations and flying saucers. Chapter six is about mad medical doctors like Mengele, doctor Frankenstein, Robin Cook's book 'Coma' (and the film), Dead Ringers, and AIDS. Chapter seven has something to do with flesh and cyborgs --- I think. It's not clear what that chapter was supposed to be about. The author wraps it all up with a list of famous mad scientists. The list is filler, but I enjoyed reading the"mad ambition/achievement"for each one.
This is good bathroom reading. The subject matter is fun because it's about popular culture and mad scientists, two topics that are never dull. But it's poorly-edited, with the feel of an enthusiastic rough first draft. My guess is that after the success of The Monster Show, Skal sent the idea for this book to his publisher, they loved the proposal, and he hammered it out quickly for fun. That's no crime, but I was really disappointed with it..』
(Some Things We Are NOT Meant To Understand!!!) 『True, Herr Doktor Skal?
Just from its title alone I was delighted to discover this book. Mad science, scientists and 19th-20th century Scientism is a remarkably important and overlooked aspect of our culture and its progress. And Professor Skal gets closer to providing a history and understanding of this cultural iconography than anyone has ever been able to do. Much credit is due him! However, as fascinating and stimulating and just plain right as most of his thesis proves to be, equal parts suffer from that most dread of all contemporary ills - ACADEMIC HUBRIS! (And yes, I know he is not an academician. But a rose by any other name...)
The last three chapters and the conclusion suffered from too much specious overreaching; an attempt to somehow hyper-link his way through the tangle of ideas/imagery/opinions that he was brave enough to try and decipher in the first place. Obfuscation rather than clarification was usually the result of all those
cross-references. Perhaps a separate volume would have been more appropriate, giving the Professor a chance to stretch out his line of reasoning.
Do not get me wrong! A VITAL ADDITION to any cinema/science-fiction/horror or popular culture student or just plain fan's library. As in his excellent Monster Show, the chapter on B Movies is worth owning this book for -- terrific insight!
Excellent quality hardcover, readable font, nice paper, some well chosen pictures along the way.
(BUT, definitely overdue for a less expensive softcover edition!)
One last criticism, though:
The chapter on Alien Chic seques from a UFO sighting the author recalls from his college years. I found it depressingly typical - and illustrative of this otherwise wonderful book's flaws - that his personal experience did not inspire a better understanding of such an important subject. It always saddens me to find an excellent mind such as Mr. Skal's more or less shuttering itself off from reality in favor of "academic objectivity", or the pristine pursuit of a cultural theory. The fact that his repression of the facts associated with UFOs needs to find justification from Maven-dom, as well as movie release dates, actually only serves to reveal his own monomania, and therfore the book's primary thesis.
Just what the doktor ordered?』
(A wonderful history of Dr. Frankenstein and his ilk) 『After publishing books on horror films in American culture, the career of filmmaker Tod Browning, and the history of Dracula from Bram Stoker onward, David J. Skal has chosen to explore the role of the mad scientist in literature and film during the last two centuries. His book,"Screams of Reason: Mad Science in Modern Culture,"begins with Mary Shelley's conception of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, touches on Drs. Jekyll and Moreau, and finally moves on to the twentieth century and its attendant griefs - including, but not limited to, the threat of nuclear war and the career of writer Robin Cook. Skal's main thesis - and it's a good one - is that the public's fear and distrust of scientists and technological innovation has been reflected primarily in the arena of popular entertainment. Skal writes well about the uneasy relationship most people have with science (ie, fearful and antagonistic on the one hand, but unable to live without cars, phones, and computers on the other). The best part of this book is the first half, which mostly deals with Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. From the life of Mary Shelley to the theatrical and film adaptations of her famous novel, the first half of"Screams of Reason"is fascinating and compelling reading. The second half is also interesting, but is sometimes so fragmented and tangential that Skal's main points are lost. Also, he seems unable throughout the second half to draw very many definite conclusions, allowing quotes and examples to simply stand on their own."Screams of Reason"is most valuable as a sourcebook on Dr. Frankenstein and his ilk, and as a very enjoyable book about popular culture. A wealth of deep insights into the role of the mad scientist in films of the twentieth century will have to be provided by the reader, however.』 『The words "mad scientist" inevitably summon up the picture of a deranged, obsessive individual with a lab coat and bad hair, working on some grandiose project that probably means trouble for humanity at large. Behind this cartoonish figure, however, lurks a complex series of ideas, emotions, stereotypes, and archetypes. InScreams of Reason: Mad Science and Modern Culture, David J. Skal investigates the whole issue of "our multilevel cultural waltz with the maniac in the lab coat" over the last two centuries.
The first few chapters focus on the origins of the mad-science mentality in the early 19th century. The age of Darwin and the Industrial Revolution saw the birth of many of the stock figures and themes of horror and science fiction: Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, Dr. Moreau; creation of new life forms, contravention of natural law, science out of control. Then, in the early 20th century, the new medium of film helped make all of these into staples of popular culture. Succeeding chapters deal with types and trends in the mad-science phenomenon, touching on a variety of subjects, such as the classic horror movies of the 1930s, nuclear-age mutation and invasion fantasies, medical horror, the union of man and machine, apocalyptic entertainment, and "Alien Chic."
Movies certainly play a significant role in the whole mad-science phenomenon;Screams, however, is much more than a catalog of the classic horror and sci-fi entries. Skal's insightful, eloquent history gets at the psychological and social roots of our uneasy relationship with science and technology, and our attempts to master the fear of them.
Screamsincludes abundant notes, many black-and-white illustrations, and an appendix listing dozens of mad scientists from popular culture. Highly recommended.--M.V. Burke』
『From the author of Hollywood Gothic and The Monster Show, the definitive book on the men in white coats who haunt our technological dreams and nightmares. From Frankenstein to Jurassic Park, the mad scientist is one of the modern world's most instantly recognizable cultural icons. Now, David Skal explores popular culture's perennial fascination with demented doctors, crazed clinicians, and technologically obsessed fiends. A prototype outsider, shunted off to the sidelines of serious discourse--to B-movies, pulp novels, and comic books--the mad scientist, the author argues, serves as a necessary lightning rod for otherwise unbearable anxieties about the consequences of modern science and technology. Employing a witty, highly readable style, Skal lovingly chronicles the mad scientist's quest for world domination, from nineteenth-century literature to the snap-crackle-scream apotheosis of 1930s Hollywood to the mad-science mystique that colors the cult of the computer, UFO abduction folklore, and the demonization of contemporary medicine.』
price：$7.99
Leisure Books
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A wonderful werewolf tale) 『I loved this book. It has everything that a good horror novel should have, and I devoured it in only a couple of sittings. J.F. Gonzalez is one of the most talented horror authors out there at this time, and for me this book only cemented that belief in my mind even more.
Typically in a horror novel the werewolf is the evil monster that must be defeated, but not in Shapeshifter. Mark Wiseman is normal guy who unfortunately turns into a werewolf during the full moon. The monster of the story is his boss, Bernard, who uses Mark's curse for his own personal gain. The characterization is wonderful. Gonzalez has created believable characters who readers can sympathize with, going through their fear, desperation and romance all within the pages.
I loved it, and I can't wait to read something else by J.F. Gonzalez.』
(Buy this book...If you're having trouble sleeping) 『This book was no good. By the end of the first chapter I didn't care about it. But I stuck it out. I thought it might get better. But it didn't. The last hundred pages took me a week to read because I just didn't care what happened to these lame characters. Then after I finished (even though I thought I couldn't care less how this book ended) I was disappointed in the ending.』
(More Crime Thriller Than Horror) 『While I usually love books by Gonzalez, this one was a step down for me. The opening setup was quite excellent by having a troubled man's identity secretly discovered by his superior at work and recorded on videotape. The boss then blackmails his employee to do his dirty deeds as a werewolf, killing off his competition. However, in almost every scene with the werewolf, you could easily substitute the name "werewolf" for "hitman" and you'd essentially have the same effect, only with a more grisly outcome. It reads more as a crime thriller than a horror novel. I wanted to delve into Mark Wiseman's world a lot deeper than was written, but it was a fast, fun read nonetheless.
My only other problem was the incredibly high amount of coincidences in the final third of the book where our villain discovers his ex-girlfriend and our hero, Mark Wiseman, have been seeing each other, run off together, and are easily tracked down. George Fielding's piecing together clues to the murders and the involvement of everyone also seemed like a bit of a stretch, especially after just coming out of a coma. But regardless, Gonzalez is trying a something new here and I'm glad he did. Personally, I prefer his book, "Survivor", a much more visceral plunge into horror. As long as you have the stomach for it.』
(Fast read, entertaining, but not brilliant) 『This was my first Gonzalez book, and I have to admit that my opinion of it is slightly perplexed. I enjoyed the story; being a sucker for werewolves I was pretty happy to be reading a werewolf book to begin with. The lead character - Mark Weisman, was your standard werewolf, a tragic figure who fights to control his cursed life and deal with the carnage he knows he is causing. He has some control over his change, but not nearly enough.
The real monster of the story is a high level executive, under the gun for committing fraud and a few other nasty white collar crimes. Bernard discovers Mark's secret and decides as only a true monster could, to use it for his own gain. (By the way there are no spoilers in that little bit, it's written on the back of the book). Add in a love interest, quite a few dead execs and a corporate merger and we should be in for quite the evening of werewolf fun.
So why did I finish this 300+ page book in 3 hours? I know I read fast, but it should have lasted me a day and a half... The writing style was very simple, I don't know if that was good or bad. The characters are extremely quick in their emotions, falling in love is an almost overnight decision... there is very little sense of time passing; I know that this book took place in about a years time, but you never get that feeling. Also there are a couple of plot holes that I won't point out here, they aren't huge, but they are there. On the whole I enjoyed the 3 hours I spent blazing through this book. As I said the writing style is extremely simplistic. If it wasn't for the sex and hint at gore (I didn't find the book overly gorey, personally) I would almost consider this written in a "young adult" fashion. There isn't a lot of glowing prose, description is minimal, in fact it isn't until the end of the book that Mark is truly described physically, Bernard is only described as "Tall" and Mark in his wolf shape is left so open that I wasn't sure if we had an "American Werewolf" style or "Lon Chaney" style werewolf. In fact the only characters who are given decent physical descriptions are the women, and that is simply that they are all blond and all have perfect legs and huge boobs.
If you are looking for a fast simple read, pick this up at a used bookstore. If you are looking for something mind altering, mood changing, or eye opening... look elsewhere. 』
(Awful!) 『Hey, I love a good, cheesy horror novel as much as the next guy (or ghoul) but this one isn't. It stinks. Very amateur writing, implausible plot, weak characters, meaningless gore - there's nothing at all worth reading here. You have to wonder why Leisure chose to re-print this dated, sub-par wolfman story in the first place. In fact, the entire Leisure line of horror has taken a downward turn with no less than THREE werewolf novels being published in the last three months.Give me a Richard Laymon psycho anyday! (Although, Leisure's recent release of Laymon's Cuts was so full of editorial errors that it almost rendered Laymon's work unreadable.) Get your act together, Leisure!』 『Mark Wiseman has been living with the curse for years. He thought he had it under control. He thought he had kept it secret from everybody. Until Bernard Roberts, a powerful, influential man, came into his life. Bernard knows about the curse that runs through Mark's veins. He knows how Mark's parents were killed eight years ago. And if Mark wants Bernard to keep these things secret he must do what Bernard tells him. He must use his curse to kill. Bernard Roberts wants to exploit Mark for his own purposes. And Mark Wiseman begins to lose control of the curse, threatening his own life, and the life of the woman he loves.』
The companion volume toGrand-Guignol: The French Theatre of Horror, already in its third edition, this book is an essential addition to any gore-loving student of drama and the twentieth-century theatre of horror.
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