Customer Reviews:
Guilty Pleasures.......2007-11-15
I SHOULD hate this movie but it's one of my guilty pleasures that I actually love it. The fact that Ms Taylor is a bit awful brings a different perspective to Desiree, now you can understand why she's playing all those provincial towns! Moving the location is a big minus it's true but why not try it and see, you can always hide it under the bed when the Sondheim freaks come round.
Diana and Liz are just fine in a so-so adaptation.......2007-11-14
There are many things wrong with the film version. Changing the locale from Sweden to Vienna means all references to the midnight sun and its effects on lovers are gone. Several of
the songs that worked on the stage are also eliminated. But
there is a nice new version of "The Glamorous Life" and "A
Weekend in the Country" is superbly done. Diana Rigg is superb as Charlotte and is quite touching singing "Every Day
a Little Death". Elizabeth Taylor is a perfect Desire Armfeldt, an actress who has seen it all (and done it all).
Her rendition of "Send in the Clowns" will leave you speechless.
Customer Reviews:
Underated.......2006-04-15
At its time of release this movie was rated behind such "faves" as Porkys. The fact is, the marketing person who pitched "Virgin" in the same sphere made a big mistake and undercut their director badly. This film is a message film from the 80"s and the message got lost by the idea that just because Diane Franklin showed her breasts, we can pitch it as a teen comedy.
Ignore that, catch the film appreciate the superb soundtrack and get the message. Oh, and Diane's breasts are not bad too!
Who is" the Last American Virgin"?.......2004-03-02
Until last year I had heard about this film many times; everybody admired it and I was so interested how a teen movie which is due to 20 years ago can still be popular among the young. I could not find the tape because it was out of order until Sep 2003, when it released on DVD.
The tile was so interesting, who is the last American?
Although I had watched many teen comedy movies before, jokes seem new and very funny. Hair styles and excellent soundtrack remind you 80s, boys and girls relationship are neither as romantic as old days, nor as modern as the third millennium. By passing the time, you will find out the film is not only a comedy to laugh, but also a meaningful point of view about a boy in love. And the most important thing is until the last minute of the film you will not be able to predict the end of the story.
Customer Reviews:
'A Finished Madman' ?.......2007-11-24
It's hard to imagine in these days of stomach-turning gore and mega-violence, just how contentious and controversial Ken Russell films were, back in the day.
He's stated in interviews that all his films are comedies, and you can take him at his word on that, but critics just don't get it. He hit one with a rolled up newspaper on a tv show, which prompted the self-same critic (and renowned Russell-basher) to famously proclaim in print "Get me an elephant gun, this man must be stopped!"
It's easy to see why these people detest Russell. He's been goading them for decades. Taking money from the ever-so-worthy British film industry and making mad tragi-comic films about VERY serious and highbrow composers and artists, taking drugs, getting drunk, taking their clothes off and running around beautifully lit country houses, sweating like pigs, with their eyes bulging.
Russell doesn't like factual bi-opics and faithful adaptations, he likes making it up as he goes along, believing the spirit of the person, or work in question is far more important than insignificant details, ie; facts. Your standard intellectual and particularly the classical world cognoscenti don't see the funny side of this AT ALL.
If you're in on the joke though, you're in for a treat, 'LOTWW' is seen as a 'lesser' Russell work, but I think it's one of his best. Based on a story by Bram Stoker, it's a hoary old tale of vampires/reptiles/pagan gods etc, but you've never seen it done like this before.
The cast are obviously in on the joke, particularly dishy Amanda Donahoe as the chief villainess. Slinky and seductive (with a wardrobe to match!) she slithers her way magnificently through scene and scenery in her characters admirable quest to resurrect an age-old pagan snake god by means of human sacrifice.
Hugh Grant (in a fantastic coat) gives his best performance as the playboy lord of the manor, who's ancestor originally slew the titular beast, and see's himself as similarly responsible to 'scotch the bugger' again.
Jokes/homage/pastiches come thick and fast. There's a `Citizen Kane' reference, a `Tommy' joke involving Grant and a drum kit, Hammer Films, David Lean, `Cleopatra' etc etc, in fact, like most of Russells' films, it's a movie-buffs dream, and, like the man himself, a complete one-off.
And yes, there's gore and shocks as well. Mass impaling (involving nuns) Roman pillaging (involving nuns) some sadistic dialogue paraphrasing 'the Devils' (about nuns!)a brilliantly low-budget eye-gouging (no nuns in that bit), and a dream sequence on a plane, with Donohoe and Catherine Oxenberg dressed as air-hostesses who..well, you'll have to see that for yourselves, suffice to say, Russell's on home turf here and doesn't disappoint.
Also starring the excellent Sammi Davis, brave heart Peter Capaldi, a startlingly good cameo from the late Stratford Johns as a snarky butler, as well as a smattering of Russell stock regulars from his 70's heyday snaked in for good measure. All superb.
It's a shame Russell didn't do more stuff like this, and it does show what can be achieved on a low budget if you have some-one with vision and imagination at the helm. 'LOTWW' makes a great double-bill with the same directors 'Gothic', another gem, damned by faint-praise, but a rattling good ride despite it all.
Stoker could never have envisaged his creation being presented like this, but secretly, in his starched-collar, stoic Victorian way, I think he would've approved.
Don't waste your time!!!!!!! .......2007-05-04
In a word, this movie is "pathetic." It might be "the best Irish/Celtic horror film" because it might be the only "Irish/Celtic horror film." If this film had any competition in the category, I can guarantee my vote would be for the competition. They could have just filmed the three women running around semi-nude and that would have more of a plot than this piece of trash. The "monster" looks like a paper mache worm. Don't waste your time!!!!!!!
Can we stop for a bite?.......2005-07-25
Angus Flint (Peter Capaldi), archaeologist is rooting around an old convent when he finds a rather toothy skull of a supposedly unrecorded beastie. He may have uncovered a lot more.
Some times legend is based on more than facts. And what you don't know may bite you.
I have to admit I did not read the book. I have seen other Ken Russell movies; but I do not recognize his style. However wyrmen works as well if not better than bats in that part of the world. This movie has everything that makes up a good horror film. There are victims, unaware good guys and even a few "stay in the car" scenes. There is even a song and a tune to go with the story.
As with most good DVD's the goodies are almost as good as the film is.
Bit of a giggle.......2004-02-29
Bit of an old one, some quite good imagery including a graphic nun and roman gladiator sequence and a dream sequence involving Hugh Grant’s girlfriend and Amanda Donohoe dressed up as Air Stewardesses rolling round on the floor while he sits there watching and getting a tad hot under the collar. Well worth the money. The end sequence is hilarious with the dispatching of the said white worm.
Customer Reviews:
Blood, gore, and love make for an unusual vampire film.......2005-04-24
While Dracula's Great Love has a few problems, I'm quite taken with this movie. This Spanish vampire film from 1972 actually gives you blood flowing from open veins, a pretty Gothic atmosphere, lovely women running around in rather revealing clothing - sometimes licking blood off of one another, gratuitous nudity, and even one good virgin-whipping. What's not to like? Admittedly, the film is a little bit on the weird side, sort of coming unraveled a little bit during the final fifteen minutes, but the ending is nothing if not unpredictable. I'm used to seeing Paul Naschy playing a werewolf, so it was nice to see him shed all that hair and try his hand at channeling Dracula; I imagine he enjoyed himself, as well, since vampires - not werewolves - get all the women. As strange as it sounds, Dracula's Great Love is actually a rather tragic love story.
That story seems to take place somewhere around Borgo Pass, near the spot where Dracula was supposedly killed by Van Helsing. We hear the whole story from a fellow who is traveling through the region, via stagecoach, with a bevy of lovely ladies wearing low-cut Victorian dresses. Just about the time they pass by the creepy sanitorium on the hill (which one must assume is Dr. Seward's old stomping grounds), they lose a wheel, a horse kills the driver, and they have no choice but to seek refuge in the sanitorium. They are greeted there by Dr. Wendell Marlow (Naschy), who seems rather charming to the ladies (except for the one scaredy-cat of the group). Marlow, as it turns out, is actually Dracula, whose evil has survived his apparent death at the hands of Van Helsing. In order to fully regain his great power, though, Dracula must win the human love of a virgin. Gradually, our list of four candidates is wheedled down to one (but only after Dracula miscalculates and has a one-night stand with a woman who had obviously not been a virgin for a very long time - resulting in a rather awkward moment for our vampire). Once the designated virgin falls in love with him, Dracula can not only restore his powers but also bring his daughter Rodna back to life. (Please don't ask me where Rodna came from or what she is doing here, as I have no idea; we wouldn't have a virgin-whipping without her, though, so I vote we keep her.) I thought I knew where this movie was heading, but the whole substance of the story took a rather dramatic turn toward the end - it's hard to explain exactly why, but it does make this movie a memorable one.
Paul Naschy isn't bad at all as a vampire, and the women are great, always eager to lick the blood off of half-naked female victims. Their revealing wardrobes don't make much sense for the time period of the story, but they definitely add a little something to the film - it's called cleavage, to be exact. Haydee Politoff is particularly easy on the eyes. It's sort of a weird story, but Dracula's Great Love offers a most unusual take on the Dracula legend - I only wish I could talk about it without giving anything away. In terms of the technical quality, there's no mistaking the fact that this movie, shot on 35mm film, hasn't been restored; the print is rather dark for the most part, the night scenes sometimes look as if they were shot during the day, and there seems to be something of a cropping issue with the opening credits. Still, though, the look and feel of Dracula's Great Love really isn't all that bad. The dubbing could be better, but it could also be a lot worse.
Naschy is something of a horror icon in his native Spain, and I have to say this is the best of the few Naschy movies I have seen thus far. The story is grounded in the original Dracula of Stoker's creation but goes off in a most unusual direction, and that makes it a very interesting vampire film well worth watching.
Customer Reviews:
bo & co stars pulled it off!.........2004-10-08
Hi Everone reading my view on bolero...I bought this film in
1986. on video & i watched it time & again...Ok the story
line is a bit fairytale but it beats violent films anyday of
the week i enjoyed then & still do..the women are all stunning
& their leading men are very handsome...So enjoy the story
ignore some tacky lines...If your in to chick flicks or abit of
romance give it a go...
Graham...
Bo Derek continues her countdown from "10" to this low point.......2003-11-09
If you have ever seen the movie "10" and not just watched the trailer with the infamous seen of Bo Derek running down the beach with her cornrows bobbing along, then you know that Dudley Moore's fantasy of the perfect woman pops pretty much about the time that Bo's character opens her mouth. That fact pretty much serves as the model for Bo Derek's film career in the early days; she looked great but once she opened her mouth she started losing points. This was amply proven in "Tarzan, the Ape Man," but in case anybody missed the point we have the 1984 film, "Bolero." The film was subtitled "An Adventure in Ecstasy" in an effort to make everyone forget the other part of the title was a take off both on Derek's first name and the music by Ravel revitalized by "10" (fortunately the Olympic Ice Dancing champions Torvill and Dean gave us a much better association).
In "Bolero," Bo plays Lida MacGillivery, a little rich girl graduating from an English boarding school. Her graduation present is going to be the loss of her virginity, so she and her best friend, Catalina (Ana Obregón), go off to the deserts of Arabia, accompanied by her chauffer/bodyguard Cotton (George Kennedy). On the desert sands she meets a sexy sheik (Greg Bensen), who has his chance, but blows it despite all the Valentino references. When Lida has similar problems with a bullfighter in Spain named Angel (Andrea Occhipinti), we get the idea that this girl is going to have to go around the world, so to speak, to get her happy ending. Consequently, "Bolero" is a soft porn flick without the sex. Just think about that for a while and then it should be very clear to you why this is a bomb of major proportions that falls into the "so bad you have to see it to believe it" category instead of the "so bad it is good" column. Maybe director John Derek did this as a way of telling the adolescent males of the world to stop fantazigng about his wife (actually, Olivia d'Abo as Paloma is the sexiest woman in the film).
Today Bo Derek appears on "Seventh Heaven" and she does a nice job of acting while fully dressed (plus I think she is, oh, let's say, 10 times better looking today at 44 than she was at the age of 28). There is redemption in Hollywood and it is good to know that her time in Purgatory for "Bolero" is a thing of the past.
UK DVD:
- Atkins Complete: Fast, Easy and Healthy (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Baby Gourmet First Course (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Bellydance Body for Beginners With Suhaila [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Bellydance Superstars [2003] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Better Sex Through Yoga for Gay Men [2003] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Better Sex Through Yoga, Vol. 3: Advanced [2003] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Billy Blanks: Tae Bo Boot Camp, Vol. 1 [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Billy Blanks: Tae Bo Capture the Power Kit (Fitness Department) (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Billy Madison [1996] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Carmen Electra: Aerobic Striptease Box Set [2003] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
UK DVD List
UK DVD
![An Awfully Big Adventure [1995] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/213BKHNCXFL.jpg)
All Comedy
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Comedy
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Categories
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DVD
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Video
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Dark Harbor [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Closet Land
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Judas Kiss [1998]
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Mesmer [1994]
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Rasputin [1996] (REGION 2) (PAL) [Dutch Import]
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![Mame [1974] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000O76ZR6.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
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![Summer School [1987] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000NA21Y0.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Better Off Dead [1985]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000C88KA.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![The Lair of the White Worm (REGION 1) (NTSC) [1988]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21EYGRJ4AYL.jpg)
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![Killer Nun [1978]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0002Y69VS.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
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![If.... [1968]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000NJLYV2.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
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