Customer Reviews:
Holds your interest.......2008-02-09
This is a documentary.
We wanted to watch something different and consciously chose this as it sounded interesting. When we started watching we realized we had actually seen this before - or at least most of it - already on TV. It seemed to us the film version was longer, and in any case despite having seen at least some of it before, we enjoyed watching it again.
Sailing Into Oblivion..........2008-01-20
"Nowdays...you can pinpoint your position to a few feet on any portion of the globe. In the 60's that just wasn't the case. Don Crowhurst sailed over the horizon and effectively into oblivion." --- Deep Water
GPS - open any map and we can know exactly where we are on the globe today. For those of us who were learning to navigate land and sea in the 1960's, it just was not so. Few amateurs knew how to use a sextant; nor could the average person afford one. For the most part, on any given day we knew where we were relative to other landmarks around us. But the thought that you could know precisely to the foot where you were eluded all but the most sophisticated. And the exact same was true for how the majority of people defined their social and personal identity as well...and I am not speaking metaphorically, either.
Today my children take their GPS for granted. The world is mapped...every square inch. Today we know where we are not in relation to something else, but just in relation to where we are...which defines to us where everything else is. And beyond the physical description of where we are, today my children know and can articulate the manner in which their culture, and their society, and their family shapes them. But it was not so in the 1960's...it was not so. When Donald Crowhurst sailed over the horizon, he indeed sailed not only into a geographical oblivion, he also sailed off the social map in a very real way. And as we bid him farewell, we who grew up back then were as certain of this geographically, as we were socially.
It's interesting that today Western culture advocates venturing over social horizons so glibly. The assumption is that in so doing, self-disclosure awaits. But without the proper social navigational tools that tie us to someone, somewhere - not to everywhere, not just anywhere, and not to just anyone - are we just cut adrift like sailors on an ill-constructed ship without a way to turn back, as was Mr. Crowhurst? ...or in reacting to the lack of social sophistication of the past, are we throwing off all social ties, leaving our loved ones to muck alone through the consequences of the subtle, modern ways we promote social isolation in our own time? (Certainly, the social grounding that the Commonwealth offered in the 1960's served neither Crowhurst, nor any that were adversely affected by his desires or actions - DEEP WATER certainly does not advocate a return to it.) These were simply the questions that were being opened in me as I watched DEEP WATER...as I watched these people's faces then, and now.
Looking back on the events on which this movie is based it's easy to see that most of the people interviewed have matured to realize today, as we did not realize then, that it really wouldn't have mattered what would have socially befallen Mr. Crowhurst had he returned home and been exposed. No. The real tragedy is that we as a culture had put something in his way that made it more than difficult to simply return to what is now a beautiful, beautiful family and true friends, who just wanted him to come home...and it's evident that they still do. Blessings on them.
A haunting and compelling documentary that will stay with you.......2008-01-06
This is a must-see documentary film for anyone interested in the sea, exploration and adventure. It is a fascinating account of a man caught between a rock and a hard place (if he continued the voyage in his incomplete, leaking boat he would surely perish; if he gave up the race and returned he would lose his home, his business - everything). That left him with the third option... to pretend to be winning the race.
After months at sea with only his own company, the writings in his log book become increasingly more disjointed and bizarre, then just a couple of weeks before he is due home, his boat is found abandoned in a Marie Celeste like setting. His body is never found.
It would be a good story if it was fiction as it is not without its twists and bitter ironies, but the fact that it was true makes it all the more riveting.
Compelling documentary.......2007-12-28
Comprehensive documentary recounting the story of amateur yachtsman Donald Crowhurst's ambition to win the Sunday Times round-the-world yacht race.
After experiencing difficulties en route to the Cape of Good Hope he attempts to win the race without ever circumnavigating the globe, by providing false positions, but in the end his love of family, his pride, guilt, the sea and ultimately insanity get the better of him and his only course of action is suicide.
This documentary is well constructed and told with sensitivity and empathy. The power of the sea on the participants, both physically and mentally, is telling. The DVD extras such as the interviews with Crowhurst's wife and children's demonstrate how well the family coped with the tragedy, and the interviews with the Sunday Times journalists of the period add a well-rounded completeness to this film.
Beautiful and haunting documentary of a Tragedy in the literal sense.......2007-11-05
This is a beautiful and completely compelling film; the story of the last voyage of Donald Crowhurst, a completely batty amateur of the finest British tradition, a man with a young family and a struggling business who becomes inexplicably fixated on an utterly forlorn quest to win the 1968 Sunday Times solo, non-stop round-the-world-yacht race.
Archive footage reveals that from the earliest stage Crowhurst, a tubby, cardigan-wearing thirty-seven-year-old inventor, had no idea what he was taking on (but at least he was dressed for it: in a tie and slacks as he set off on the race!), what he was doing, or how his plan had a hope of success, yet bizarrely he was financed, filmed, represented by people who ought to have known better, and most strangely of all allowed, even out of his garden shed, by his wife, a woman revealed by the documentary to be otherwise a sober, sensible, reflective and thoughful woman. One of many tragedies catalogued was that no-one had the wherewithal or gumption to tell this poor chap - in no sense one of life's winners, and certainly not the sort to be up for a round-the-world solo yacht journey - not to be such a blazing fool.
Yetm, like a Shakespearian tragedy, plot developments thereafter are piled inevitably on, compelling the poor man on when even he had twigged it was sheer madness: the oppressive terms of his financing, residual pride, his own ill-considered decisions to misreport his positions, and in the final strait the sheer bad luck to have a couple of his competitors unexpectedly sink or go postal on him when he needed them simply to complete the course ahead of him and allow him to finish in quiet, plucky British ignominy. Were it not for any of these, Donald Crowhurst might still have his unspectacular life, and still be running a failing electronics business, to this day.
But as it is, events conspired to a different course, and Crowhurst's elegaic and articulate descent into the abyss is capitvatingly rendered in this film, from logs, recordings and films he made en route, and in which he is portrayed without apparent exaggeration as a tragic hero, doomed by the course of this actions and the irresistable currents of human and physical nature, to a sad end.
Thoroughly recommended.
Olly Buxton
Customer Reviews:
Misses the target.......2007-11-08
The War Lover is a mostly botched but still watchable watering down of John Hersey's novel about a sociopathic bomber pilot (Steve McQueen, playing an airborne variation of his psychotic soldier from Hell is For Heroes). Unfortunately the film is less interested in the thin line between heroism and psychopathic behavior than Robert Wagner's romance with Shirley Ann Field (in a performance so bad that at times her vocal delivery is so far off-target it's like nails on a blackboard), leaving the feeling that the real story has been sidelined for much of the film. Some good airborne sequences keep it watchable if you lower your expectations, but this could have been much more.
Excellent Production.......2006-12-26
This film may seem a little dated now, but is probably a little closer to the truth of the time than many a modern recreation. The flying action is intercut with real action footage of the daytime air war over Germany in WWII. The action on the ground is pretty realistic too, the Americans portrayed as brash and self-confident, the British as stoic and formal. And so it was during those years.
Some errors of fact occur, but overall it shines with a good script, good acting and some wonderful flying. It doesn't gush with patriotism, it doesn't force its morality down your throat. A non-intrusive score by Richard Addison rounds out a very worthwhile production. The DVD contains the original trailer (pay no attention, it is rather sensational!!) and subtitles.
Better than "Memphis Belle".......2004-01-01
McQueen starts as an American bomber captain with a ruthless attitude which is more feared than respected by his fellow crewmen. He knows how to fly but he certainly doesn't have many social skills or time for people he takes a dislike to, usually because they have seen through his fragile personality and outer skin. McQueen puts up a capable performance and we see the actor in a nastier light than we have seen from later films of his, first introducing Wagner to a girl and then trying to steal her later on. He does show some compassion to his tough exterior in parts but the end result is a very unstable extrovert character who would be an accident waiting to happen in a modern airforce.
Wagner backs up McQueen ably as the co-pilot with the reason and common sense to counter-act his leader and soothe their working relationship in the air. Shirley-Ann Field plays the girl with the stiff upper lip Britishness who is attracted to Wagner for his charm and calmness, but is thrilled by McQueen's toughness and directness. She gives a very stiff-looking acting performance that lets the film down on occasion, though probably not helped by the script.
Overall the film is worth buying for those who like me had never seen it before, the sound and quality of the DVD is fine.
Amazon.co.uk Review
Director Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black) brings his distinctly cartoonish sensibility to this feature film version of the old Charles Addams comic strip. Anjelica Huston was born to play Morticia Addams, matriarch of the ghoulish Addams clan, while the late Raul Julia is a very agreeable, lusty Gomez. But it's Christina Ricci who arguably steals the show as their stone-faced daughter, Wednesday. As is often the problem with adaptations of comics or television shows, somehow an original story has to be implemented that doesn't clutter things up. But clutter is an issue here as the script gets tangled on a lame plot concerning efforts to steal the Addams' house and fortune. Still, it's fun to see an ideal cast reanimate an old favourite. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
death, coffin, black rose and humour - perfect.......2007-08-03
Just amazing movie for all the times. Can watch for many times and still you wanna watch more and more of it.
Anjelica Huston and Paul Julia are pale example of perfect eternal unusual, amazing, inimitable love. Christina Ricci is a perfect daughter - cold-livered deadly beauty. All actors match perfect and create "one big happy family"
Everything that have to be dead - will be alive in this movie, everything that have to be alive will be dead with a smile on it's face.
Amazing horror comedy.......2006-10-23
A collection of renowned actors, a gothic setting, a plot containing physical and physiological, monstrous jokes, an interesting story adds up to an amazing horror comedy from Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black.)
The juxtaposition of Huston (The Grifters) and Julia (One from the heart) is fantastic. The odd ball mother and father are great and really work well together as the horny, evil couple. The acting by the pair is outstanding and really captures the brilliance form the TV show.
Christopher Lloyd (Back to the future) is magnificent as the betrayer Uncle Fester who moves into the fantastic setting of the Addam's mansion to claim their fortune.
The characters stand out in this great film. The slickness, emotions, horrible humour, black comedy and contrasting human element jokes are used by the family who audiences will simply love. It's because they are so different from ordinary families. They are likable, funny and enjoyable to watch. Their relationships with each other are fantastic, especially the parents but the two kids are amazingly `innocent'.
The story itself is a good watch. Perhaps lacking and slightly confusing in the beginning but once Lloyd enters it becomes very interesting and engaging. The plot is slow and fast at many points, varying the styles at the right times. The direction is superb by Sonnenfeld who brings a great edge to the setting, making it very gothic and chilling, what the film required. The film also deserved its Oscar nomination for best costume design. The cool style of the father Gomez is definitely the best because it is slick, classy and supposedly rich, making him a sophisticated character.
Contrasts between humans and `monsters' is an appreciative technique encoded. Having different values in society creates a very good atmosphere.
The plot is always engaging and because of the cool mysterious style of the characters is able to rely on the amazing acting, great monstrous jokes, spooky setting and emotional funny ideologies encoded to make a really enjoyable family horror comedy.
8/10
Fantabulous!.......2003-12-28
I grew up with this film so maybe I'm biast. It was this film that made me fall in love with the delightful Christina Ricci and making Wednesday Addams my idol.
What's so lovable about these characters, is that they don't KNOW they're weird. To them burying a cat alive is perfectly normal. The reactions of those around them is hilarious and you can't help but wonder why someone wouldn't be impressed by the blood soaked Shakespere performance of Wednesday and Pugsley. Beautifully gothic sets suit the Addams perfectly.
Anyone watching this however should not expect a deep a meaningfull plot. That's not what these films are about. Funny, beautiful and an absolute delight. A great film for you to just sit and watch over and over again, each time noticing more and more things about not only the characters but everything around.
(A special note on the lighting which I always loved. The subtle effect of Mortisha's eyes always being highlighted while the rest of her face is shadowed.)
So if you like a good fun film to watch, a fan of mad outrageous sets and characters, then this is a film for you.
"Screams in the night - it can only mean one thing".......2002-10-23
The Addams Family begins with a hearty chuckle, as a group of nauseatingly cheery carol singers are treated to a dose of Addams hospitality. The film is of course a 1990s revamp of the 1960s television series with the catchy refrain: "They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're altogether ooky." However, the film lacks the delicate balance between finesse and crudity that marked the original; perhaps this is the result when a cult show is turned into movie fodder for the masses.
The Addams' live in a decaying mansion that boasts such attractions as a graveyard, a swamp and a vault full of money. It is this last which attracts the attention of a crooked accountant and his unscrupulous client Mrs. Craven. Their plan is to install Mrs. Craven's son Gordon in the house as 'long-lost' Uncle Fester Addams, with the purpose of gaining access to the vault. Initially Gordon is all for this plan, but once he gets to know and like the family, he undergoes a crisis of confidence and must decide where his loyalties lie.
The plot may be depressingly formulaic, but fortunately it is in the Addams' nature to be quirky. The humour is generally quite fresh and clever - who would have picked the villain's ultra-conventional wife pairing off with hirsute (and definitely unconventional) Cousin Itt? But along with the hits, there are some equally spectacular misses, including almost everything involving Grandma Addams. The other female Addams' are excellent, especially young Christina Ricci as the perpetually sullen Wednesday. Ultimately though, you have to wonder if the mysterious and macabre charm of the Addams has lost something in its modernisation, and if perhaps they should have been left to rest in peace.
Magnificent!.......2002-08-27
This is an absolutely brilliant camp classic. The characters are charming and memorable, especially the understated Morticia, the swashbuckling Gomez, the stone-faced Wednesday and the villain, Dr Greta Penterschloss. The double entendres and ironic lines have since become part of the vocab of lovers of the Addams Family movies. Other interesting characters include the helpful "Thing," the weird butler and Fester, of course, while at the family ball Cousin It and the twins Flora and Fauna really impressed. The funniest scenes include the school play, the séance, the first visit of Fester to the vaults (where they watch an old home movie) and the psychotherapy session: "love, hate, hate, love - ze thoughts they bubble und collide." I have made a habit of watching this one at least once a year. It's a timeless classic, with great gags, excellent acting and a culture of its own. No wonder it has become a cult classic.
Customer Reviews:
When?.......2006-02-03
It's a really good film, one of my favourites, but when will it be released in Region 2 format, does anyone know?
masterpiece.......2004-02-13
I watched this film origionally without knowing anything about it and was blown away! It has the incredible actress (Tatum) in the daughter of the lead actor (ryan o'neil). You would be mistaken of her age by the quality of her performance for which she became the youngest oscar winner, at the age of 10.
Set in depression hit 1930 mid-west america, it is a tale about a con-artist and an orphan who turns out to better at it than him. Team up to fund a journey and an improved lifestyle. A tale Brimming with wit, a fullfilling watch that stays with you.
Enjoy
Customer Reviews:
It stands out compared to other Polish films.......2007-11-18
Knife in the Water (Noz w Wode) is Roman Polanski's first feature film. It stands out compared to other Polish films of the time because it has a contemporary story. Other directors, such as Andrzej Wajda, did make films with contemporary stories but the majority of the Polish movies in the early 1960s were about the war.
One remarkable aspect about this movie is there are only three actors. There is a middle-age man named Andrzej, his young wife Krystyna and a young man. The sparks that result from the trio are enough to totally keep the story interesting and suspenseful.
On the way to the lake, the couple picks up a young man hitchhiking. The young man is a wise guy and a risk taker. They take him along with them to their boat and go sailing. Andrzej sees the young man's character and wants to teach him a lesson. Both of the men are very alike and get a kick out of the game of cat and mouse they play. The men use shows of bravado and laughter as weapons, no doubt trying to not only outdo the other but also impress Krystyna. Krystyna tries to keep the situation as calm as possible as both try to outwit each other.
The tension builds and builds the longer they are together. One can't help but think that the film is titled Knife in the Water. How and when the knife will play a role is always on the back of one's mind. Considering the great tension between the men, it just seems like a matter of time before the knife settles their dispute.
Keeping in mind the story is relatively simple, just three people going on a boat together, Polanski has to be given a lot of credit that he made the film so intense.
A very beautiful film.......2005-03-15
This is Roman Polanksi's first feature length film. If you are interested in his films, I suggest you start here as this is the one that made his name.
The film is basically about the tension which builds between a mismatched couple and a young hitchhiker on a sailing trip.
It is interesting that this film managed to escape Communist censors and show a very modern, forward looking Poland.
It is a beautiful film, to watch, not a shot is wasted and the landscape looks magnificent. The actress Jolanta Umecka, is an absolute natural beauty, though I note that this is the only film she has starred in.
Not much happens in the film, admittedly, but it has an underlying tension which keeps you interested. Very Good.
the jewel in the crown.......2004-07-25
This is my favourite movie ever. Essentially a power play A Knife In The Water is simple film making taken to extraordinary lengths. And the ambigous ending still takes my breath away. A film like this would never be made nowadays, studio execs would demand closure, and a happy ending. The plot is simple, a man and a woman pick up a hitchhiker and spend the next couple of days on their boat with him, during which the two men become embroiled in a power struggle over the girl.
One of the most beautifully and interestingly shot movies ever made is also one of the most tense, astounding when you take into account how little "action" actually takes place in the movie. A moody maasterpiece.
Watch this.......2002-12-07
It is hard to imagine a more rounded, tense and beautifully shot directorial debut than this Polanski Classic. His genious is clear. The story ambiguous, gripping and at times painful. This psychological thriller subtely imbues a true sense of fear and unknown. A must for anyone who is interested in human interaction.
Wonderful.......2001-02-28
The three protagonists are excellent - they maintain a strong sense of frustration and sexual tension throughout and the childish one-upmanship between Andrjez and the unnamed hiker is most amusing. I would recommend this to anyone, whether or not they would usually choose to watch a foreign language film.
Customer Reviews:
Billy Wilder makes us squirm, and Ace in the Hole makes it worthwhile: It's an excellent film.......2007-11-03
"Don't worry, Leo. I'm your pal." That's Chuck Tatum speaking. He's a hot-shot big city reporter who has been fired from every top paper he's ever worked for. Now he's hit bottom. He works for the Albuquerque Sun=Bulletin, a small town daily which puts yard sales on its front page. Tatum needs the job, but he's determined to find that one big ticket story that'll put him back in New York. The man he's talking to is going to be that big ticket. His name is Leo Mimosa, owner of the desolate, dusty Mimosa's Indian Curios ("Gas and Oil, Drinks on Ice") in Escudero, in New Mexico's high desert. Leo is currently 300 feet underground, trapped in a cave-in while looking for ancient Indian pots he can sell for a few hundred dollars. In the next 111 minutes, covering five or so days, we're going to experience so much corruption of the soul, misplaced trust and consuming ambition...leavened by so little humanity...that we'll want to take a bath afterwards. This is one of director Billy Wilder's greatest pictures. For me, it's permeated not by Wilder's famously sardonic outlook toward humanity but by the inevitability of commonplace tragedy. That there are only one or two people we might think well of isn't so much a limitation as an element that sharpens the fascination with great story-telling combined with vivid acting.
While Tatum controls his big story, and while Leo becomes increasingly desperate, to the point of believing Tatum is his only friend, we encounter a cast of characters who are either stupid and venal or sly and venal. Top of the list is Tatum, himself. Kirk Douglas gives an utterly believable portrait of a man, excellent at his job, who can taste the big-time again and is determined to do whatever it takes to achieve it. "I'm on my way back to the top," he says, "and if it takes a deal with a crooked sheriff, that's alright with me! And if I have to fancy it up with an Indian curse and a broken hearted wife for Leo, then that's alright too!" Close behind is Jan Sterling as Leo Mimosa's wife. Lorraine Mimosa wants out...out of Escudero, out of New Mexico and out of her marriage with Leo. She's a pouty bleached blonde, callous and discontented. Gus Kretzer, the local sheriff, is corrupt and more than willing to work with Tatum to insure he gets the kind of news coverage he needs for his re-election. And there are all those visitors to the cave where Leo is trapped...gawkers, thrill seekers, whole families out to set up camp and see what happens. Food booths and a carnival keep them contented while a drill pounds away at the rock to reach Leo. It's the slow way which Tatum has maneuvered to insure his exclusive coverage of Leo's predicament can play out over the next few days. Leo literally is Tatum's ace in the hole. The conclusion is as depressing as Wilder's depiction of human character. The movie's whole set-up, in fact, is designed to make us feel uncomfortable at what we're seeing. If we've ever slowed down to get a better view of a traffic accident, if we've ever watched with fascinated revulsion as a snake swallows down a live mouse or a mantis gnaws at a struggling lizard, we have to recognize that in spirit we're also part of the crowd eager to see what happens.
What makes the movie stand apart from so much of Wilder's skilled cynicism in some of his other films, I think, are two elements. First, Wilder plays this story straight. There's no sardonic comedy or witty, misogynistic lines. He serves us up a serious, well-acted drama and then compels us to take it seriously while he makes us squirm a little. Second, he includes two characters that give us some relief from Tatum's ambition and our own unease. First is Herbie Cook, played by Robert Arthur, the young photographer from the newspaper. Herbie is a graduate of a journalism school, a little naive and so innocent-looking you want to protect him from Tatum's manipulations. Second, and most important, is Jacob Boot, played by that fine character actor, Porter Hall. Boot is in some ways our conscience, the serious, realistic publisher and owner of the Sun=Bulletin who has the quaint idea that telling the truth is important. Boot is able, although not by much, to show us that people come in all flavors, and that venality is only one of them, no more or less than trying to do the right thing also is. In Ace in the Hole, however, nothing good happens in time. As Tatum said earlier, "It's a good story today. Tomorrow, they'll wrap a fish in it." Same with people.
Some call Ace in the Hole a noir. I'm not one of them. For me, it's a powerful drama, and it transcends genre classification. We might as well call Macbeth a noir simply because Macbeth has a tragic hero, a femme fatale, death and the inevitability of fate. The two-disc Criterion release features an excellent black-and-white picture transfer and several extras which include interviews with Kirk Douglas, Billy Wilder and screenwriter Walter Newman. There is an audio commentary by Neil Sinyard, identified as a film scholar. Amusingly, the booklet insert which has essays by Molly Haskell and Guy Madden is in the form of an edition of the Albuquerque Sun=Bulletin.
Excellent presentation of a great film.......2007-08-09
Ace In The Hole was written, produced & directed by American cinema legend Billy Wilder in 1951 following his success with `Sunset Boulevard'. Wilder only began directing in order to protect his scripts and this film is testament to that. Ace In The Hole is as bitingly cynical and pessimistic a film you'll get. I rate it alongside `Sweet Smell Of Success' (1957, Mackendrick) and `Network' (1976, Lumet) for its bleak vision of the media and our complicity in it. Kirk Douglas stars in what has to be regarded as one of his greatest performances as irredeemable reporter Charles Tatum who'll stop at nothing for a story. No punches are pulled here; this is hard-boiled with some excellent memorable dialogue. Cinematography was by Charles B. Lang (A Foreign Affair; Some Like It Hot; The Big Heat).
Criterion have excelled again with this wonderful presentation boasting a superb transfer with excellent contrast as well as many extras including an informative commentary. Other extras are included on a bonus disc.
An ace in Billy Wilder's output.......2007-07-28
This is another classic Billy Wilder movie which, like Kiss Me Stupid, was sorely underestimated on its initial release. Whereas the public of the time was not ready for a comedy like 'Kiss' with its controversial moral values, this drama punched too hard at the American way and cynical journalism -- it is also one of the four best films that Kirk Douglas made (the other three being Paths of Glory, Lonely Are the Brave and Spartacus). I have been waiting a long time for this and the only work of Wilder's I would give it up for is the Peter Seller's footage of Kiss Me Stupid (which probably does not exist, anyway). With the exception of his last film 'Buddy Buddy', Wilder's films range from good to great and this is certainly in the latter category. Anyone interested in well made intelligent films (the kind where you get really annoyed at the moronic voice over at the end credit roll when they are shown on TV) should give this one top priority.
Amazon.co.uk Review
The secret to "getting" Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow is appreciating that it's the film he's wanted to make his whole life. After the intimately expressive Edward Scissorhands, this is his most personal venture. Burton's Gothic style--apparent through all his work--stems from a childhood misspent watching the horror movies of Roger Corman, Hammer studios, and anything featuring his idol Vincent Price. For Sleepy Hollow Burton surrounded himself with his usual collaborators and friends; the production was almost entirely shot on location outside London to reunite him with key members of the crew he'd used a decade earlier in Batman, and also to capture the atmosphere of Hammer horror on its own turf.
Johnny Depp's Constable Ichabod Crane warmly emulates the mannerisms and enunciation of Peter Cushing. In a prologue scene Burton plays out a long-held fantasy by pitting Depp against Christopher Lee. And it is fantasy that categorises the film throughout, from the mythical fireside telling of the Hessian Horseman's origin (a mesmerising Christopher Walken), to the bright spots of colour saturating Crane's childhood dreams (featuring Burton's real-life love Lisa Marie). These moments literally shine out amid a meticulously crafted look for the film, which underwent a bleaching process to tone things down to an almost monochrome hue. The Scooby Doo-like whodunnit plot, concerning family lineage and petty vengeance, is naturally secondary to what Burton is aiming to achieve through photography and performance, which includes expressive cameos from Michael Gambon, Michael Gough, Jeffrey Jones, and Iain McDiarmid. Yet despite all these subtleties, it's also his best action movie: the swordplay betters anything from his earlier work, while the windmill escape and subsequent coach chase is truly breathtaking in choreography and execution. If you find a cheesy grin on your face for most of the film, you've "got" it. If not, see Hammer's Dracula at once! --Paul Tonks
Customer Reviews:
Bad Boy Bubby.......2006-02-25
I've just watched the first hour of this film and I have to say I'm not that impressed. A friend recommended it to me, I was expecting something as good as WITHNAIL AND I or CLERKS, but so far it hasn't got that MUST WATCH IT AGAIN STRAIGHT AWAY quality.
Pure Genius.......2005-12-02
Give this film a chance have an open mind prepare for a few shocks,this is an outstanding film i found it to be one of the funniest films i've seen but also at times quite shocking but hey this is an Aussie film and we all know their humour? the acting is topclass. Buy it rent it you must see this film A+
Possibly one of the best films ever made....Maybe THE best!.......2005-05-01
...That's not a joke. This is possibly one of the best films ever made. In the UK (or US) Hardly anybody has heard of it...In Australia (A country renowned for filmmaker who think outside the box) -people sit in pubs and quote bits as we Brits may quote parts from 'the life of Brian' (or something equally ingrained into our pop-culture).
It's no suprise really that this isn't a film that's recieved the recognition it deserves. For a start there's the the title 'Bad Boy Bubby'...You'd expect something idiotic and trashy...Blood?..Chainsaws?...low production values? stupidity? ...No...This is about as considered and well crafted as film making can get.
The film is a beautifully crafted, intelligent and eloquent 'essay' on quite number of taboos that we quietly have to deal with everyday-yet simply don't find reflected back at us by the screen (And for very obvious reasons)
For a start...Dont watch this film if you're religious! (Please...I'm afraid you will simply find it offensive)...for those of you that aren't religious...consider the implications that, having watched the film- why it's film that has been 'quietly tucked away'...and realise that it's quite a few years yet before the importance and significance of the movie will be 'palatable' to the mainstream. (If ever!...and that's not an understatement...the film very simply puts a number of things our 'culture' takes for granted into a certain persective...and naturally...there's a lot of people who'd really rather not think it.)
If you dont want to think about the possibly that severely disabled people need to fall in love. Dont watch this film.
If you have spent your life laughing at fat people...or pushing as much of your own personal hatred and anger onto others...don't watch this film...you wouldn't understand...actually...forget that....lock yourself in a room for a month with the film and learn some damn humility.
If you want a dose some of the most absurd humour and pathos backed up by the simple beauty of 'a childs logic'...If you're looking for a clever, well concieved snapshot of the human condition-with no special effects...well...this could be one of the most important films you could ever watch.
They should show this in schools...it'd be a far more 'human' society.
Anyway, I really could rant on about this for months...please-Just somehow get a copy of this film (steal if you have to...from the collection plate if you can)
Buy this film!.......2002-02-02
I saw like the first 40 minutes of this late one night on tv (but fell asleep), that was about 4 years ago. A friend of mine got the video not really knowing what it was - the box kinda made it sound cheesy "He's been in his room for 35 years....It's time to let him out!". Man, who thought up that slogan....terrible!
Anywho, absolutely brilliant film, overall it kinda reminded me of a Forets Gump before it's time (although Bubby went through a lot more psycological events compared to Forest).
I don't really want to give anything away, just buy the film, it's an absolute masterpeice.
A film for those who like to delve deeply ....?.......2001-10-02
I saw this film one late Friday night just by chance -you know - when you just happen to turn a film on and decide to watch it just for the hell of it. My God! I was silenced by the whole content of Bad boy bubby(pretty unusual for me) At first I thought it was pretty disturbing but could not stop watching - hence the brilliant effect it has on you and your psyche. I love the mockery of society - language, values and culture encapusalated in Bad boy bubby, especially the birth of a 'cult' figure in Bubby. This film takes the viewer on a journey of weird and moving emotions.
I urge you to watch this film but be prepared and DO NOT turn it off in the first hour. FANTASTIC.
UK DVD:
- Diamonds [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Double Vision [2002]
- Dr. Blood's Coffin [1961] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Edge of Fury [1978] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Elevator to the Gallows [1957] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Embrace of the Vampire [1994] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Empire [2002]
- Exxon Mobil Masterpiece Theater: The Blackheath Poisonings [1992] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Fast, Cheap & Out of Control [1997] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Fawlty Towers : Complete BBC Series 1 & 2 Box Set [1975]
UK DVD List
UK DVD
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The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst (Sailor's Classics)
X - Force Extreme Adventures - Sailing
Volvo Ocean Race - Round The World 2005 - 2006
A Voyage for Madmen
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