What can one say about this unique film experience. Herzog takes the viewer along for the great "ride" and we must pay attention.

The love of opera here is manifest in a way that is so compulsive and thereby so compelling that we have to take breaths often during this film.

All you F(x) experts can stay home and ponder your next bit of software on your bland and insufferable computers which dole out dreams as emotional as Hexadecimal!! Everything you see here is real and the passion of the vision is evident with Mr Kinski giving one of his Dr. Pretarious performances.

Hollywood bean counters and executives beware..This is a real film, this is cinema not the pap you have been shoveling the last 24 years. Finally, I would like to quote a,line by Paul Scofield in " The Train" to Burt Lancaster...and transpose the thought to those same hollywood bean counters " Letting you look at this film is like showing a " String of Pearls to an Ape"!

Fitzcarraldo a Rare film experience

It is my own reflections that you cannot judge the A and C Films in a singular way. If you watch just one of their best it looses its impact,rather, I suggest that you catch three at a time in this way you can fall into their brand of absurd comedy.

I was hooked as a kid and guess what , their films have more legs than most of the comedy giants of the past..for sure..

Jane Frazee is here ,along with the likes of Lee Bowman and even Shemp Howard..> The Andrews Sisters provie a bit of pace without slowing it all down too much..and these DVD transfers are fine..all proving once again that there has never been a better "straight " man than the peerless Bud Abbott..
CP

A Nice little sex farce with some interesting folks in 60,s New York City.

Jane is put upon a bit and the double entendre dialogue gets a bit tired in some scenes. Robert Culp the would be suitor to Jane coming in for a visit. Rod Taylor and Jane essaying the values of stick pins and broaches brining guy and girl together.

And then we have Cliff Robertson who seems to wonder why he is in this film at all with his own hokey dialogue. Jim Backus adds some fun and its all really harmless and engaging I suppose..
One of the debits is not enough Eddy Duchin music...

Note: In this film the New York City Busses look very clean ,,now thats nostagilc in itself..

c

A very nice ensemble cast delivers the claustrophobia in this
"Lifeboat"

Heather Angel and Henry Hull always seem to be least recognized in this drama although thw whole cast is seemless .

Bill Bendix could walways play comedy or drama with equal terms.
I think a Dick Cavett story on Bankhead and Chico Marx may be in order. " Chico said " I want to ... You" and Bankhead , always the wit said " and so you shall young man" !

Slezak on the other hand was always an actor who used his rubber face to great effect. Watch out for waves and few script flaws but stay dry !

Now that I have read Simon Davis' review, I dont have to watch the film?

Actually , I have seen the film a few times..and I can only add that Lionel Atwill pouts as well as any actor I have seen and Mr Rathbone begins his legacy as one of the great screen villians

CP

Rarely has one actor put on display such talent and nuance.

Simply put, along with a handful of todays actors, Mr Depp shines brightest. Since there are so many reviews of " Blow" it is really senseless to add any more anecdotes, overviews or anything else but to say..Johnny Depp gives me a reason for going out to a movie..something I rarely do .

Depp has it all... deliverey, Facial expressions, charisma , nuance and everything else that makes a great actor.I am just waiting for another film with Depp in it because I will have to travel to the theater and see it !!

Bravo!

The DVD version of this film is superb. David Mamet, one of the few terrific playwrights we have now makes it all come true.

This is one of Baldwin's best performances( he is on screen just enough) Jack Lemmon leads a stellar cast along with Ed Harris, Alan Arkin and a very greasy Al Pacino.

THe extra features on this DVD are basically tributes to a film great Jack Lemmon. Not only was he in the elite as an actor he was a true gent himself. I recall reading the life story about Dimitri Tiomkin and one of his first film scores( composition)
Max Steiner was conducting and Tiomkin was taken aback a bit by what he saw. He saw Steiner, working very hard trying to get the most out of Tiomkins score.

It was then Tiomkin knew that the greats had little ego and the only thing that mattered was the finished product. Well for Mr. Lemmon that is WHAT MATTERED. ..and that is the resonance of a true artist. Lemmon's Shelly Levine is on target and Lemmon fights to minimize any pathos around him in this sales den of evil. A unique film experience !!

CP

This is one of the small group of films Mr Beatty made after
" Splendor in the Grass" and before " Bonnie and Clyde"

I think its important to appreciate that after " Splendor...when Mr Beatty was very much in demmand..he did not make programmer types of films. In my opinion he choose very carefully and came up with a thought provoking group of films that live on today as " what might have been"

" Lillith" and " All Fall Down" are two of these films.
" All Fall Down" written by William Inge( Splendor,,,Picnic etc)
is an artistically unique film about people and their needs and detachments.

Berry Berry( Beatty) and Brandon De Wilde play off each other very well as two brothers totally different( where have we seen that before). The film is well acted from all that include Karl Malden, Ms. Lansbury who turns in another fine tectured performance as the mother..and a very fragile and hopeless Eva Marie Saint

John Frankenheimer's direction and editing is put to good use when there is so much to say visually and very little time to do so. A Real Gem!

Its amazing to look back and view this film again to see how " we made out"!

Well we didnt! "The Hospital" underscores the malaise that was beginning in the early 70,s in hospitals. That malaise has now spread into a full blown epidemic. Today, 2004, the hospital,mostly any hospital is one of the most dangerous places to reside in.

They are unhealthy,replete with staff shortages, racked with mal practice suits, hammered by HMO's subverted by medicare rules and regulations and emeregency rooms that are packed with aliens getting their initial health care!

This film shows how organized mayhem effects health care and converts that to disorginized health care. George C. Scott is totally defeated physician who is rejuvenated by the allure of Diana Rigg( who wouldnt be) Its too late for Scott and many of the patients that fall to DR. Wellbeck's unsteady hands or Bernard Hughes' philosophy.

In the end Scott stays on in his quagmire sort of like a Capt who chooses to go down with his ship.

Unrelenting and terrific film hits all the marks so get ready!

CP

I think this is the best written entry in the "American Experience" series.

Eli Wallach, Philip Bosco and others narrate a way of life for the residents of Brooklyn Ny. at the beginning of the 20th century. Its important to know how folks played in an era that was distant but seemingly close to the vest.

Steeple Chase Park, Luna Park and Dreamland are the places that wonders and amazement exist in a surreal fashion. " When you mix sand with water..it becomes a beach.." ( Al Lewis). But even more so we see a window for youthfull intoxications on display here. Could it be possible that one of those people could have been YOU?

Fire finally destroys Dreamland and all that is left is the little waltz " Meet me tonight in ..." The question is was it all a dream or does it just seem like it was? It just looks like an old movie set now....but for those golden moments it was fun and a release ..for our troubles ...that was a time