Customer Reviews:
A look into the biggest person ever on film. Michael Jackson.......2005-10-15
Award winning three and three quarter hour mini-series that dramatizes two of the most influential forces in music, The Jacksons and Motown.
The miniseries 'The Jacksons: An American Dream' begins in the 1940s, when Joseph Jackson (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) and Katherine (Angela Bassett) meet and fall in love, and ends in the 1980s, when their sons reunite for the 1983 Victory Tour that brought them back together as the Jacksons. During the first part (DVD-1), "The Early Years," the couple starts a family, and although times are tough, Joseph still finds time to play music on the side. When he discovers that his sons have inherited the same talent, the Jackson 5 are born. They sign with Motown and start churning out the gold records. The second part (DVD-2), "The Success Years," begins in 1970, if the acting is uneven and the story somewhat sanitized, Bassett is affecting, and the series includes Emmy-winning choreography and a combination of original and re-created material, ranging from "I Want You Back" (1969) to Michael Jackson's "Beat It" (from 1982's multi-platinum Thriller)
Based on the inspiring and true story of the First Family of music, The Jacksons: An American Dream is an epic account spanning five decades--beginning with the family's rise from a Midwestern steel town to the premier stages of the world. The Jacksons is a hit-studded triumph with an all-star cast including Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, Angela Bassett, Jason Weaver, Jermaine Jackson II, Holly Robinson, and special appearances by Billy Dee Williams and Vanessa Williams as Suzanne de Passe. Featuring music from the Jackson 5, Boyz II Men, Jermaine Jackson & Syreeta Wright and Jason Weaver.
How it all began for the biggest musical family in History and of course the biggest person in music, period, the king of pop! Not a massive Jackson 5 or Michael Jackson fan? Then just watch this for the incredible music and choreography, watch Jason Weaver (plays the middle Michael in the Jackson 5 days) give all his dancing and singing performances, I know no one can do what Michael Jackson does but seriously this guy does a great job of impersonating the young Michael Jackson.
Obviously great for any fan, a must have for any Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, or real Motown collection. No Michael Jackson fan should be without this DVD
Main Cast List:
Lawrence Hilton - Joseph Jackson
Angela Bassett - Katherine Jackson
Alex Burrall - Michael Jackson (ages 6-8)
Jason Weaver - Michael Jackson (ages 9-14)
Wylie Draper - Michael Jackson (16+)
Jermaine Jackson II - Jermaine Jackson
Bumper Robinson - Jackie Jackson (12-16)
Terrence Howard - Jackie Jackson (16+)
Ebonie Smith - LaToya Jackson
Angel Vargas - Tito Jackson
Nicholas Phillips - Randy Jackson
Monica Calhoun - Rebbie Jackson
Billy Dee Williams - Berry Gordy
Vanessa L. Williams - Suzanne De Passé
Margaret Avery - Martha (The Jackson's Grandmother)
Jacksons: American Dream.......2004-09-29
The DVD was fantastic!!! I love the Jacksons and love watching their amazing story!! The acting is brilliant and the classic feel good tunes get better every day! I wasn't even born when Jackson 5 was performing but I know I couldn't live with out their music. This DVD is a must have if you love the jacksons and their inspiring story!
best film ever.......2004-06-07
This is sureley the most thrilling film ive ever come accros. I have loved this film since i was 8 years old and was amazed that i could find it here on amazon.co.uk.
An American dream is great for all the family giving you the ups and downs of the jackon family especialy micheal ;)
the films hosts fantastic actors, great music and is great quality.
xXx
Customer Reviews:
Not what they thought it would be..........2005-12-23
I got a copy of the film 'Promised Land' from a friend. It is set in a small midwestern town where high school basketball is king. Sounds rather like Indiana, doesn't it? This gave the initial appeal to me, as films like this can help me understand the people in the area better -- at least, that was my hope, since I am not an Indiana native, but that was where I found myself for several years.
The actors are all very young. The film stars a very young Keifer Sutherland (Danny) and Meg Ryan (Bev) as a rather unlikely couple. The real 'star' of the film, the one who gets top billing, is Jason Gedrick (Hancock), whose career has been rather less prominent than Sutherland's or Ryan's. Tracy Jo Pollan (Mary) also stars in one of her few starring film roles. Pollan is now much better known through her marriage to Michael J. Fox.
The plot is a rather simple one. Four characters -- a high school basketball star (Hancock), a cheerleader (Mary), a dropout (Danny), his wife from a western state (Bev)-- all get tangled together in a final blow-up in the small hometown. The film opens during the all-important last moments of a basketball game. Of course, our guys win; the basketball star announces he's leaving for college, and the dropout announces he's leaving town. The cheerleader is left behind, but has hopes of her own.
Fast-forward two years. The basketball star is back home, working as a policeman. We slowly discover during the course of the film that he didn't make it as a college basketball star, and couldn't stay in college any other way. Mary, meanwhile, has gone off to another college, but has come home for the Christmas holiday, and as Hancock tries to rekindle old feelings, probably largely derived from hoping to recapture feelings of past glory, she feels pressured.
Danny, in the meanwhile, has gone out west and married Bev, a strange and wild woman. We learn that Danny has spent time in jail, and has never had a steady job or stable life. We don't learn as much about Bev through her speech, but can assume as much is true for her through her behaviour. Danny and Bev marry in a bizarre Las Vegas wedding ...and begin the long trek back home so she can be introduced to the family for Christmas (something that takes Bev by surprise).
Danny comes home and, in the course of various strange happenings, ends up with Bev in a convenience-store robbery. Hancock is the officer called to the scene, and ends up shooting Danny dead.
There are many unrealistic parts to the plot. Few high school jock stars are as likely to be friendly toward the dropouts as Hancock is toward Danny, for instance. When Danny returns home and goes to a bar, his friends wave hello, calling out 'Hi, Senator!' Apparently, Senator was his mock-ironic nickname in high school. One of his friends asks if he has become a senator yet; I hope that small-town folk aren't this unaware of the ways of political reality!
However, many of the emotions and situations ring true. Hancock's frustration with having reached the pinnacle of his life's glory at age 18 are very present; Mary's resistance at being drawn back into that life, yet still being attracted to Hancock is understandable. Bev is a strange character overall. She possibly represents the wildness that was lacking in the sombre (read - boring) small town environment.
'In a small town like that, you only get to make about one mistake.' Danny says this to Bev, and that is a real insight. Small towns are the same the world over -- those who don't leave remember everything for generations.
The production quality of the film is fairly good, but as one of the earliest of the Sundance productions, it lacked a budget for the final, Hollywood polish. The director, Michael Hoffman, does not have an extensive filmography, but has directed such diverse films as Soapdish, Restoration, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. A little editing. The acting is good, but not great. The script is sometimes lacking, but passing fair. The characters are people who begin to spark an interest, but are ultimately unsustainable. Had there not been the emotional and violent ending (very uncharacteristic for the town, one imagines), there would be little memorable.
This is a slice of American life in the middle; not the top, nothing glitzy or glamourous here, but not the bottom either. A very different view of high school and college-age years than typical Hollywood fare -- hopes have been dashed, if there were hopes at all, and the future stretches out in front, but as a rather bleak picture of sameness.
The film does not have a happy ending. Perhaps even without the shooting at the end, there would not have been a happy ending. Does one want a fast death in a blaze of glory, or a slow death by mediocrity? Sometimes that seems like the only two options for many people, and not just those in small towns. Ultimately, there is no Promised Land here. It is something these characters aren't permitted to enter, because it has been defined beyond their abilities to attain.
This film is largely overlooked, and has many points in which improvement can be made. Ultimately, it hangs together adequately, but not superbly, and perhaps that is ultimately its downfall.
Customer Reviews:
the ending haunted me for days on end..........2007-11-01
I would have preferred a happy ending. This movie earns 5 stars even though it was so deeply depressing because of the masterful acting and beautiful scene shots.
Kathy gets evicted from her house because she failed to pay a tax that the county mistakenly charged her with. It opens with her laying in bed and then shuffling to the door amidst unopened mail on the floor by the front door. The county evicts her and here begins the drama where small errors in judgment escalate into a nightmare. You keep thinking through the whole movie - if she only opened her stinking mail none of this would have happened. Even her lawyer asks her why she didn't open her mail.
Enter Behrani, an Iranian immigrant played by Ben Kingsley). He is a very hard working man who wants desperately to improve his family's lot in life. He works two jobs with quiet dignity and saves all his wages until he can afford the down payment on Kathy's empty house, now up for auction.
The character Kathy is so unsympathetic that you begin to feel she is the biggest idiot on the planet ... if only she got out of bed and opened her mail none of this would have happened. Behrani is an extremely honorable man who has worked hard all his life and has earned his right to the American Dream. Unfortunately, events spiral out of control when Kathy decides it is all Behrani's fault that she is no longer in her home. Meanwhile Behrani's completely innocent family goes about their lives never knowing the heartbreak that will come.
The end of this movie was so incredibly sad that I literally had to watch a comedy to come out of the misery this movie left me in. There is tragedy to the extreme here - there are so many ways that this movie could have ended that would have been so satisfying, but that road was not to be taken. The acting was so powerful and the movie was so well made, yet the heartache at the terrible ending made it excruciating. If you don't mind the idea of having your emotions torn to shreds, this movie might be worth watching. But if you like a happy ending, or even a semi-happy ending, this movie is not for you. I know I will be thinking about it for days...
A SIMPLE STORY OF HOW FAR ONE PERSON WILL GO.......2007-08-19
I've always had a soft spot for films that tell the story of desperate people that are reduced to desperate means. It's that "hanging on the edge" feel that allows the characters to let go of moral considerations and act with their instincts - often leading them to the darkest and most intriguing places the human soul has to offer. This sincerity also brings out the best of most actors, and lead actors in this case - Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly - truly shine like never before. If I were a member of the Academy, this would be the right film to congratulate both with their respective second Academy Award.
The beauty of House of Sand and Fog is that even though it runs through so many open wounds in the American society, emphasizes on so much pain and hurt, it still remains a simple story which is dying to be told - as emotionally shattering and frustrating as may be. The premise introduces us to Kathy, a woman that took all the wrong turns in life, becoming an unemployed alcoholic, that due to her neglect is about to lose the last thing that has any value in her life - her house. Kingsley portrays Behrani, an Iranian immigrant who is trying to live the American dream with his wife and son (the powerful pairing of Shohreh Aghdashloo and Jonathan Ahdout, who later co-operated on the set of 24 as well) at all costs. After winning the house in an auction, he lies to them about its origins as well as about his day job. When Kathy appears at his door one day, Neither is willing to give up the estate without a decent fight - one which will have tragic results for all involved, further emphasizing the tensions and struggle between Americans and immigrants in the post 9/11 era.
Mostly Good for It's Performances.......2007-07-16
House of Sand and Fog is a hopeless but convincing tragedy about contested houses and broken pasts. It is morbid and profound enough to keep the riff raff away while also being flat enough to stray from any mainstream. I enjoyed the film for the same reasons critics probably enjoyed it. The film is carried by it's performances first and foremost and almost entirely. One of the more educated knocks on House of Sand and Fog is that the book is simply not really that transferrable toward the movie medium. I never read the book but the film and story stand enough to fuel three of the better performances of that year and also the greatest ensemble considering it's cost.
First is Ben Kingsley who plays Colonel Berani, a man who was forced to flee Iran during it's revolution. He sees a similar home in San Franscisco with regards to it's view (in Iran his home oversaw the Caspian Sea beautifully). This new home was recently repossessed from Kathy, played by the beautiful and talented Jennifer Connelly. I genuinely want Connelley to show her range in the future but House of Sand and Fog is not such an environment. Here, Jennifer plays a women ruined by Alcoholism and being ditched by her husband. She then sparks up an affair with a married police officer named Lester, played by Ron Eldred, and the undermining to throw Berani out of the house begins.
First time Director Vadim Perleman takes a subtle approach in the differences and similarities between the film's main characters. It was enough to make me walk away from the film wanting more but as if by osmosis the film won me over in perspective only days later. Watching the three main characters tangled in their flaws is enough to keep the film compelling. Berani is too proud and deaf to women, Kathy is too eager and manipulative and Lester is too idealistic and blinded by love. They are all ignorant to one another and completely void of empathy. Nadi is Berani's wife and she is played by the outstanding Shohreh Aghdashloo. Nadi is one of the only really likeable characters, because she is also the only one who sees the other's sides, but she is restrained by her submissiveness and her lack of English. Though heavy handed enough to obtain a brooding feeling that tragedy is inevitable, watching these characters fall is worth the wait if you appreciate this sort of film.
Kingsly proves his versatility once again and upstages Connelly in that regard by a long shot. Connelly really just invokes the roles she's been celebrated for before this movie, although she is still quite effective and it revisits her type-casts a bit deeper. It is Aghdashloo that truely stands out and I viewed this film and her performance after the hype with some degree of suspicion. She is excellent.
Overall, House of Sand and Fog is a downer. It wasn't as good as I hoped, given both the indie hype prior to it's release and the mainstream hype during and after it's release, but it was still pretty good. The cast alone makes the film worth watching but I would still imagine we will see more from Perleman in the future as well.
how the "American Dream" turns into the "American Nightmare".......2007-06-22
Before watching "House of Sand and Fog" I had lots of lofty expectations. As soon as the credits start rolling I thought that I was right, it hadn't got me wrong. The film tries to search an answer to that question: could somebody's plight be another's GAIN or PAIN? In fact, it depends on multitudes of what-if circumstances and the film tries to find its own answer.
Actually, this poignant story focuses on the vain pursuit of the so-called "American Dream" where sharp & bitter ingredients of morality, greediness, stubborness, rage and retribution are blended into an unavoidable tragedy. Seemingly it is about a moral and psychological battle fought for the possession of a house, wrongfully taken from its owner due to a bureaucratic mix-up. But, I think its meaning is much more deeper than it seems.
In reality, the "house" here should not be seen as a mere physical location, rather it is an ALLEGORY of need for stability, security, prosperity and liberty in a complex, cruel and ruthless world. The conflict between Kathy and Behrani makes both parties realize the emptiness of their material lives, and culminates in a series of tragic events after which nobody wins at the end.
Of course, like all good movies the story is not enough. In this sense, "House of Sand and Fog" depends too much on substance and style at the same time. Without outstanding performances of Ben Kingsley, Jennifer Connelly and Shohreh Aghdashloo, it might have easily degraded into a hokey & pokey soap-opera. As his first cinematic debut, Russian-born director Vadim Perelman does a groovy job by handling the cast in a skillful way that a veteran may find difficult to achieve.
Lastly, in terms of technical aspects, it goes far beyond my expectations: excellent wide-angle and panoramic shots; impressive close-ups by veteran cinematographer Roger Deakins, effectively capturing the most intense feelings of hope, anger, despair, sadness and happiness of both antagonists; and impeccable use of lights & versatile lenses add too much to the moodiness of the film.
Filled with lavish extras, "House of Sand and Fog" would be a worthwhile addition to your collection...
Seriously Haunting.......2007-04-28
It is a week now since I saw this movie and it still haunts me.
Part of the combined brilliance of writers, actors, directors and all associated mean that to me - it actually feels like a dream I had.
If only I could be that brilliant .
SIMPLY SUPERB
Customer Reviews:
An Uninspiring Remake.......2007-04-13
Although this version of The Great Gatsby should be congratulated for staying true to the original work, for me, it missed the point entirely. Whereas it should have been a visual feast, most of the scenes seemed bland and colourless, and Gatsby's parties lacked any of the real vibrancy that was Fitzgerald's triumph in writing the novel.
Furthermore, some of the acting and transitional scenes between memories and reality seemed almost clumsy, and Nick's monotone voice-over was frequently used as unsatisfactory device to pass vaguely over crucial elements in the themes that made this story great.
Mira Sorvino's casting as Daisy Buchanan was good, but frankly it is hardly difficult to portray a character so well defined and simplistic as Fitzgerald made her. Paul Rudd makes a commendable performance as Nick Carraway, but at times seems to take the character's inherent aloofness a little too far, to the point that his voice lacks any real passion at the times that it is needed most. For me Toby Stephens was just not Gatsby; we who have read the book all have our ideals as to what he should be, however, I felt this portrayal was one with little relation to the character and his depth, and the person before me on-screen seemed at times almost creepy.
Overal, although of exellent quality for television, this version of The Great Gatsby could never really come close to magic created in the pages of Fitzgerald's original literary work. Its emphasis on dialogue was really in definance of the cinematic quality that had already been preformed for it so brilliantly in 1922.
Customer Reviews:
5 Stars.......2007-07-07
Most of it are already said. Cagney is one of the best stars ever and this is one of his best films. I think White Heat and The Public Enemy are better, but this is a clear number top 3. Did you know Cagney was 170 cm tall and got a black belt in judo?
One of Cagney's best.......2006-11-05
James Cagney was one of America's greatest actors, and this film is one of his best, building up to a climax which is unforgettable. I watched it on TV nearly three decades ago and this DVD edition brought it back, just as powerfully. A morality tale for the 1930s, it is still watchable today.
Highly recommended.
five star classic!.......2006-08-13
i adore this film.it is without a doubt my favourite cagney movie ever.. James Cagney portrays his character in a way that always wants me to feel sorry for him. Rocky Sullivan may well be one of his most famous roles and you only have to watch this to see why. i have never ever seen an actor playing a gangster with such class as i have seen with cagney. i find him brilliant and unmatched even today in the world of a-list millionaire celebrities.i always reach for this film if i wake up around four thirty on a saturday morning and find i can't sleep, and after watching it i feel i can face the day fully. you will understand when you watch the film and maybe you too will fall in love with James Cagney just like me.
UK DVD:
- The Jewish Americans (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Kingston Trio Story: Wherever We May Go [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Lost Book of Nostradamus [2007]
- The Mills Brothers Story [1986]
- The Perfect Storm [2000] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Rambo Trilogy : First Blood / Rambo - First Blood 2 / Rambo 3 (3 Disc Box Set)
- The Simon Wiesenthal Collection
- The Spike Jones Story [1988]
- The Take [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Way West: How the West Was Lost & Won 1845-1893 [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
UK DVD List
UK DVD
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