The plot is really poor... A mixture of "I know what you did last summer", "blair witch project, and so on...

You can't compare this movie to a Hollywood movie!

But when you compare this movie with Austrian movies from the last 10 years, you will see, that Austrian movie makers try to reach an "international level". Special about this movie is the fact, that the spoken language is not "German German" but "austrian German". This may be a reason, that many Germans can't stand this movie.

I like this movie, because it is the first step to a new age of Austrian movies.


Joyous high school students are celebrating their recent graduation. A big dance is planned and a short vacation trip to an Alpine lake. A group of the students become concerned when each receives a text message warning of their death in three days. Most believe it is a sick joke from a fellow classmate that has a vendetta...and if so, who and why? Things get real serious when a student is found dead. Now surviving students fear time is running out before they figure out the motivation and identification of the killer. The cast includes: Sabrina Reiter, Julian Sharp, Julia Rosa Stockl, Laurence Rupp, Nadja Vogel and Karl Fischer.


Oldest reason in the world: money.

Watching it you would think that there are no Austrian, German or Swiss valuable books that could be filmed or any new ideas or the courage to follow them.

Instead the filmmakers decided to make an Austrian version of a very well known and at least as well discardable American soft horror trash.

In the past it used to be the other was around; Hollywood, due to the relative short history of the USA, used to look to Europe to find inspiration in its rich traditions and plurality of cultural streams.

If in Europe too money will become the only reason to make movies, we can expect not much else in the future.


I watched this movie, do you know what you did? ;o) Of course the summary line is also a link, that this movie is obviously linked to American teen horror movies of the recent past and tried to copy them as good as it could.

So if you like this kind of movies, you might be more excited than I was. I mean I liked "I know what you did last summer", but it had also a lot to do with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar and the others. They weren't excellent, but good enough. And although the actors hold their own here (for a horror movie that is), something is missing. It never really get's really scary, that might be it ... Not the worst movie ever then (not close to that), but still not something you have to watch (unless you're a fan, as I said earlier)


This is your average "horror" teenager movie.

The plot is basic and very predictable. A group of college students all receive a mysterioussms telling them they'll be dead in three days. At first they suspect it's a joke but when the first one disappears during a party and is found dead, things change and the students investigate / get slaughtered.

The young actors aren't bad and the cinematography is OK. There is one noteworthy graphical horror scene (the aquarium murder) but the film isn't really too gory. This movie isn't worse than most similar stuff coming out of Hollywood nowadays, in fact i'd say it's slightly more interesting, and it has the added benefit of being the first film of its kind to be produced and directed in Austria.


The best thing about this flick is the Austrian dialect, which makes the movie for a native Austrian much better. Most of my Austrian friends love this movie and i think the dialect is too difficult to understand for German people, which are commercialized by teenie-shockers likes Scream, Black X-Mas, I know what you ...

As I mentioned in the paragraph above Germans maybe don't understand the people speaking because of the dialect and therefore they rate this movie badly.

Sry for ma bad English^^ In Short: One of the best Austrian movie productions... great flick!


First I like to say that this was the worst movie I've ever seen, even for an Austria film! So don't waste your time and watch it.

As I mentioned above the story is nearly the as in "I know what you did last summer" only without tension.I can not understand the high user rating, here on IMDb, it seems that these people never have seen good movies. If you don't believe me watch this crappy movie yourself, if you can stand it till the end. Nearly half of the people left the cinema when I watched this film at a sneak preview in Germany!

Honestly I have to admit that the cinematography was well done and has some nice pictures.


In the year 1999 a city-sized extraterrestrial battle cruiser crash lands on Earth, and over the next decade scientists and engineers repair its damage and refit it into a hybrid of human and alien technologies. What the Earth-folks don't realize is that the ship has been tailed by an entire armada of heavily armed space battle cruisers who seek to claim the ship and its secrets for themselves. The aliens, called Zentraedi, are a formidable race of giants who have been bred for warfare, but as they approach their presence triggers a booby trap on the downed space-fortress  called the Macross  that plows through them with a devastating energy weapon. Thinking the Earth fired upon them intentionally, the Zentraedi retaliate, thereby launching Space War I. Realizing that it would probably be a good idea to move the conflict off of the Earth (which has just gotten over a long on-planet war), the captain of the Macross orders the use of the ship's untested "fold" system to warp the ship to the dark side of the moon; the warp is initiated, but it brings the small city that had grown around the Macross with it, plus, to the horror of all involved, they find themselves just outside orbit near Pluto (that's what you get for messing around with technology that you don't know how to operate!). And as if that isn't bad enough, the fold system has completely vanished, leaving the ship's crew and the now-rescued inhabitants of the city no alternative but to make their way back home using only conventional engines. And as the Macross crawls back to the Earth, the enemy fleet is not far behind...

That's the basic setup, but what makes Macross stand out from the plethora of alien invasion space operas that came before it  most notably the classic Space Battleship Yamato (1974)  is its focus on the human element of its story, becoming in essence a soap opera in sci-fi drag. Nearly every character is in some way flawed, and despite the military experience held by many of them, that experience frequently proves moot in the face of deep space combat and technologies that they simply do not comprehend. The ostensible hero, sixteen-year-old stunt pilot Hikaru Ichijo, comes of age during the course of the narrative and we follow him through every awkward step, tracing his evolution from prodigy civilian airman to ace space-fighter, as well as seeing him swallow his reluctance to kill once he joins the United Nations Space Navy (annoyingly dubbed the "UN Spacy" for short). Hikaru's also at the center of a love triangle that sees his emotions split between a cute Chinese girl who ends up going from waitress to pop idol overnight, and his by-the-book career military commanding officer; this triangle is milked for all it's worth and is the primary reason that the series proved so popular with female viewers, along with the romantic trials and tribulations of the rest of the voluminous cast.

Another thing that sets the series apart from the cliché template is the pan-cultural scope of the cast. The hero may be Japanese, but the rest of the characters run the ethnic gamut, the bridge crew alone being comprised of a couple of Russians, an American or two, an Italian, and a black chick. This was very refreshing at the time, with the then-most-contemporary multi-cultural cast of characters being found in the various incarnations of Cyborg 009, but each member of that international team was drawn in the most broad of ethnic stereotypes. Not so with Macross, which didn't make a big deal ou t of the characters' ethnicities and saw only the Chinese character standing out because of her frequently-worn Hong Kong-style dresses and hairstyles.

And while the show certainly has a contingent of fans who revere it for its space battles and transforming mecha, I have to say that I love it most for starting things off on a footing that allows the viewer to think they know exactly where the story's going to go and then consistently pulling the rug out from under them. The love triangle plays out in a way that sees all three participants change and grow, the B-characters go through some serious drama involving the tragic casualties of war and the possibilities that can blossom between even the most bitter of enemy rivalries (let's hear it for Max and Millia!!!), and even the enemy aliens prove to be far more than just stock evil world-conquerers when their strange and ancient history proves that there really is something to the universal nature of basic "humanity."

Super Dimension Fortress Macross is easily the most well-crafted and intelligent of the space operas from the 1980's, both in terms of narrative and visual impact, and totally raised the bar on how such material can and should be handled. In fact, the only serialized alien invasion show to come along since that even comes close is Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995), a series that wears its Macross influence on its sleeve but somehow comes up a lot less satisfying. If you can get your hands on the Animeigo boxed sets of the original uncut and subtitled Macross series  avoid the sequels and the not bad Americanized version, Robotech  do yourself the favor and check them out, starting with episode number one because the whole thing's one long story told in thirty-six chapters. Even if you're not an anime fan I urge you to give this stuff a chance. Space operas seldom get any better than this, and Super Dimension Fortress Macross sure as hell beats the three recent Star Wars atrocities.


I watched the English version of ADV Films translation of this. So parts of it may be different from the Japanese version.

Plot Summary: The story centers around Hikaru, a young air show pilot. He is invited to attend the launching of the Macross, a restored alien space battleship that crashed onto Earth by his friend Roy Focker. But all hell breaks loose when the ship's original systems become active and accidentally fire upon and destroy ships of an alien fleet. War breaks out and Hikaru becomes a military pilot.

The story explores the theme of war and what it means to the characters of the story. As events of the story occur, the characters begin to doubt their views/lifestyles that happened during the war and want to change society/themselves to be happier from it. Most prevalent of this is the love triangle that Hikaru haves with the two main female characters, the military officer Misa Hayase and Chinese-Japanese waitress turned music pop sensation Lynn Minmay. His conflict with his views towards war will ultimately decide which of the women he chooses.

The character designs and mechs are great and beautiful despite the age of the anime. Vocal music of Makoto Fujiwara (opening and ending songs) and Mari Iijima (singer/voice actress of Lynn Minmay) perfectly reflects the tone of story, and it is great to listen to.

However Macross does not come without its problems. The story lays the cheese factor heavily sometimes such as the characters going gaga over the "Power of Song" that either makes you laugh if how a society canonly united/saved through music of one girl (literally!), or drives you crazy with the (Minmay) songs playing over and over again. Producers try to tone down the "Power of Song" theme with the Rebuilding Earth arc of the story and making it less effective to enemies that are constanly exposed to it.

However the producers do nothing to fix the real effect the war causes on the human population. Sure the city inside the Macross,the Earth gets destroyed, and death of some character etc reflects that war isn't great and deadly but everything is made peachy again with everything (environment and characters) nice, clean, happy go lucky and perfect again in the next episode. I know the producers are trying to keep the story upbeat butit gets stupid and repeative how they have to enforce the "happy" factor with a physical environment that would sent most of us (and the characters) to the loony bid.

Overall Macross is a good story. It is worth watching


This is the made-for-tv pilot for Miami Vice, a cop show which made popular chain smoking and wearing shiny suits without socks.

The pilot begins with a flashback, explaining that New York cop Ricardo Tubbs (Phillip Michael Thomas) comes to Miami seeking revenge of the "Columbian," a drug czar which becomes the man behind many of the Miami DEA's investigations and the guy responsible for killing Tubb's brother. Soon to becomes his partner is Maimi Vice undercover cop, Sonny Crockett (the gorgeous Don Johnson), an honest cop with a collection of badass sports cars and an alligator named Elvis. In the pilot, Tubb's and Crockett's on-going investigation into tracking down the Columbian exposes inter-agency corruption. Even if you have not seen the series, this is a good movie in itself as a just a cop/crime/mystery movie. It's harmless 80s fun.

This marked the beginning of a popular television show that lasted five years (1984 to 1989). Unfortunately, the second Miami Vice movie, Miami Vice II: The Prodigal Son (actually it was just a collection of the shows) which takes place in New York (and this second movie model the scenes for Glenn Frey's "You Belong to the City," which appears on the Miami Vice soundtrack and Frey made a few appearances as well).


Wow, i know that this show is praised and considered to be one of the best shows of the 80's, but i certainly did not expect such a good first episode, in fact it's a double episode that's almost 100 minutes long. I didn't have chance to see this show earlier so i'm watching it now 25 years later and it still doesn't seem old at all, it's even greater now as you look back at the mid 80's.

Great introduction of the two main characters of this show, Det. James 'Sonny' Crockett (Don Johnson) and Det. Ricardo 'Rico' Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) in this first episode. Ricardo Tubbs come to Miami by representing himself as his brother which died three weeks ago in undercover operation gone wrong and he was killed by a same man and his gang that Ricardo wants to catch and kill in Miami, that's the reason of his coming down south in the first place. On the other hand Sonny Crockett is a Miami detective who just watched his partner die in car explosion, Crockett is also known as the detective who doesn't always work "by the book". When these two meet they of course argue a lot at first and don't get along, but fate has different plans for them as they start working on their first case of catching drug dealer Calderon (the same one who killed Tubbs's brother)...

I have to say that this first episode passed by so quickly that i thought it was a regular episode (which means 50 minutes long because that's the length of 'Miami Vice' episodes unlike some shows which have 40 minutes episode's length) and not a double one, it was exciting and entertaining in almost every scene, acting was very good, far better from what i have expected, since i heard that 80's detective shows aren't well known for their flawless actors, but Johnson and Thomas are dead on most of the time, specially in dramatic scenes and dialogs. Soundtrack is naturally amazing for this 80's TV series, i heard music themes from 'Miami Vice' long before today and the first episode of it that i watched, official 'Miami Vice' theme is very good and likable as well as the music from 80's that was used for this show, for example in this episode we hear well known hits such as 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' and 'In The Air Tonight'.

10/10 - a perfect start of the show


WOW! This is one heck of a t.v series. I got an episode of this with the paper and it is the most 80's thing I have ever seen right down to the Micheal Mann productions logo. And the best bit is that they are going to make a Movie out of it some time in 2006 with Micheal Mann himself directing it. If scarface was to be made into a television series this this would be it, the cloths, the cars, the buildings and those speed boats are all so stylised. Heck this show is better than the A-team. The total feel of Miami it embodied in the show and you have to embrace it, in the episode I viewed there was a arms deal with a Cuban guy(who i swear was the drug dealer with the chainsaw in scarface) and he had a real cool suit on but I won't tell you much more because I don,t like spoilers


Ricardo Tubbs(..the ever smooth and cool Philip Michael Thomas), a cop in New York, traces a Colombian crimelord to Miami(..his brother was murdered by this man's gun-toting henchmen after a transfer of dope money, interfering with their drug sting)where the city's undercover detective Crockett(Don Johnson) has been attempting to catch him as well. Neither know the other is after the same man, both seeking revenge for the murder of a partner(..Crocket's partner was collateral damage when a drug dealer they were playing, having decided to go out on his own, was blown up with a bomb strapped under his truck). Well, Crocket doesn't necessarily carry the same kind of vendetta as Tubbs, he has been working incredibly hard to take this drug-lord down. Tubbs has information for Crockett and his Miami Vice squad, the crimelord's name is Calderone(Miguel Pinero) and his lieutenant, who sets up the drug deals, is named Trini DeSoto(Martin Ferrero). Every time it seems that Crockett gets close to Calderone, somehow he remains one step ahead. Tubbs thinks there's a cop on Calderone's payroll giving him inside information.

No doubt this show not influenced television but movies after it's debut on network television. Normally the show featured Tubbs and Crockett going undercover to take down giant drug cartels, traffickers, and dealers corrupting the Miami streets. This pilot establishes that Crockett is divorced from a woman he still loves, and how life as an undercover cop isn't exactly life-fulfilling. We also see how Crockett and Tubbs' relationship got off to a rocky start, but the groundwork is laid where it's easy to realize how good they work together. Crockett has a pet alligator, was a star football star, and takes his job as a cop very seriously. It's always neat seeing actors we know in early work on Miami Vice such as Jimmy Smits as the partner(..with a pregnant wife)who is killed by the car bomb, and especially Mykelti Williamson, with a Jeri-curl, as a small time drug dealing partner with Calderone. Ferrero is a hoot as a flamboyant, unflappable Cuban "arranger"(..the one who negotiates deals between a new party and Calderone), in well tailored suits(..very Scarface in how he talks)who very much enjoys the life of a criminal living large thanks to his career. Plenty of style, Miami atmosphere, cop melodramatics, rockin' Jan Hammer musical arrangements, 80's pop, and attitude to spare.

Crockett has a potential love interest in detective Gina Calabrese(Saundra Santiago), but it's a bit dodgy due to his broken marriage. Bill Smitrovich is Crockett's former partner, Scott Wheeler, now with the DEA, and there's an important development/revelation that will forever fracture their long-time camaraderie. Very much, Miami Vice is a product of it's time, with plenty of sweet cars and hot women, lots of beach and sand, streets and crime..my kind of show. Thomas' Jamaican accent(..his undercover role is a Jamaican with ties to a criminal organization in New York)is rather amusing, as is his work opposite Crockett's alligator. I don't know what it is, but I have always admired the Crockett style, the white coat and pants, colorful T-shirt, and designer shoes, he's no ordinary undercover detective, that's for sure.


Miami Vice was a brilliant TV Series with great acting from Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas. Great story lines and amazing scenery, like Crockett's Ferrari Daytona. From Drug Lord's to Porn King. Crockett and Tubbs will get there criminals. Whether by boat, car or any other way you could think of. Sometimes it gets personal but their still professional. With Boat races, car chases, beach babes, shootouts and the best views Miami has to offer.

Miami Vice Also shows the fragility of life. With life, death, love, honour and friendships tested in the mind boggling adventures of Sonny Crockett and Raphael Tubbs


The perfect tv show of the eighties. Here in Italy arrived some time later but it was recognized absolutely fantastic. It will be always in my memories, thanks a lot Don, Philip, Edward and all the guys !


Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) is on the trail of finding Colombian drug-lord, Calderone, who killed his partner (Jimmy Smit, who would later get killed on NYPD Blue), when his runs into Rico Tubbs (Philip Thomas) who's out to avenger his brother's death at the same man's hands.Miami Vice affected pretty much every aspect of American culture in the '80's. Sonny was the epitome of cool. And it all started here, in the pilot episode/ TV movie. Perhaps it didn't age well, but I still like watching it every now and then. It can be seen on the Season one DVD set of the show.

My Grade: B+


The only reason I gave it a rating of 7, and not the 4 I wanted to, was Roddy Macdowell's portrayal of Chiun. I found the head-wrap annoying, but he does not sport Chiun's wispy quaff. If you're a fan of the movie or book series, you really need to see the pilot.

It's based on the Novella "The Day Remo Died." This short story was part of "The Assassin's Handbook," later reissued as "Inside Sinanju." Warren Murphy recently reissued a new version of "The Assassin's Handbook" and "The Assassin's Handbook II." Both are available at warrenmurphy.com.

I managed to procure a copy of the TV pilot through the generosity of the DestroyerClub.com website (the official site.) They produced a FREE DVD that is yours for the asking. All I had to do was send them a mailing label and a few stamps, and my free DVD arrived. What was cool was the extras  the TV promo spot and movie bloopers! I have also seen very poor quality bootlegs for sale on eBay (don't but this trash!)


This film was broadcast in it's entirety in 1988. I taped it off TV and still have the VHS copy. Not nearly as good as the 1985 theatrical movie. Remo character is a weak and whiny pretty-boy. Chiun is so-so; not a believable master of Sinanju. Title music is from the 1985 movie, which is the only really good thing about this attempt. Not a bad script, and might have been great with Fred Ward and Joel Grey, but this version "walks like a pregnant yak". Has "made for TV" written all over it. Boring, which is inexcusable for an action film. If you liked the 1985 movie beware of this pale sequel. How about a theatrical remake???


I'm a longtime fan of The Destroyer series. I started reading the books when they first came out and have collected most of them and re-read them often.

The movie "The Adventure Begins" was a worthy effort considering that Hollywood can't leave any successful characters as they are and has to try and make everything P.C. and squeaky clean but this piece is entirely another matter.

Roddy McDowall was an excellent choice for Chiun and did his usual excellent performance. Smith was also done very well. The rest of it makes me wonder if the writers ever even bothered to look at the covers, let alone read any of the series of books this is supposed to be based on. Granted someone did glance through "The Day Remo Died" for the story line.

This is another example of the kind of lifeless writing and lack of imagination that is permeating most of television programming today. It's no wonder that "reality" shows are so common. They take no writing skill.


This was a one hour pilot for a new series for ABC, produced by Dick Clark Productions, the same company who produced the theatrical movie REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS. Both TV pilot and theatrical release were based on THE DESTROYER book series by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir.

None of the actors from the movie were utilized in the pilot, with Jeffrey Meeks replacing Fred Ward as Remo (Remo getting 15 years younger in the process, presumably to bring in more women viewers)and Roddy McDowall replacing Joel Grey as Chuin. Even Wilford Brimley was replaced by Stephen Elliot as Harold W. Smith.

The music and main theme are present, but very little else resembles anything near any of the production values of the theatrical movie. The highlight of the pilot is Remo involved in a brawl with members of a motorcycle gang, while wearing a pair of woman's roller skates??? While the main plot does utilize a storyline from the book series involving the Sinanju prophecy of "the master who dies and lives on to become the greatest of all the masters of Sinanju", the writers tossed out other established story points from the books, all for the sake of cheap laughs about "hamburgers and beer..".

Judy Landers, an 'It Girl' from the 80's (who's only claim to fame is being famous, much like Jenny McCarthy or Carmen Electra today)) makes a token appearance as a dumb blonde who Remo tries to have sex with, thus framing jokes about "lesson 36", the Sinanju method by which to drive women wild with sexual desire...

From the pilot, it appears that the series would have been the continuation of Remo's training by Chuin, with dangerous missions undertaken for Harold W. Smith as needed. However, with the exception of minimal voice-over by Chuin at the beginning of the episode, the show spends NO time rehashing the origin story from the movie, which presumably left a large segment of the audience in the dark about the characters and premise, if they had not seen the theatrical release (which from the box office figures, meant the majority of the country).

Overall, a feeble attempt to squeeze money out of a concept which could have been a theatrical blockbuster if executed correctly but instead became a lackluster second rate action film, which this series pilot does nothing to improve upon...

If you are a fan of the book series, this is worth a look just to see how Hollywood will change even the smallest of details to demonstrate "artistic license"... However, for the rest of the viewing public, I recommend you do what you did the first time. Just skip it.


I seen the pilot back in 1988 when the World Series finished before the seven games. It was O.K., movies was better and it was not as good as the book series, but I always wanted a movies made so I was glad when it came out. Was excited about a series and another one never came. :( This would still work today if they would try it again. with the actor of today and the fact there are over 130 paperbacks in the series it could run along time if they would just try it. As far as this episode and the movie, neither Chuin's were as descibed in the series, this was very disappointing. The Remo character did not fit the picture you get from reading either.


If you liked Buckaroo Bonsai, then you'll enjoy Remo. A tough cop gets beaten close to death, and is secreted away to a secret government training facility. With a martial arts master (Roddy McDowell as an ancient Korean) as fighting and spiritual adviser, Remo Williams becomes an almost mystical, although reluctant,secret agent/warrior. The humor mirrors how 'Buckaroo' was done, with as much action and satire as you can handle. Is is important to note that in watching this film, you will also learn the secret technique of bringing a woman to ecstasy in seconds!!!! Joel Grey is fantastic in a roll you would never picture him in. Comical at times, he also makes you believe that he COULD kill you with two fingers. This movie alone made me an instant Fred Ward fan. A martial arts movie, a spy movie, a high comedy, a low comedy, a satire, an action movie...you decide, but I bet money that this becomes one of your favorites!


this was shown once on TV,it was supposed to be a new series based on the destroyer series and it never made it past the pilot episode.i was disappointed that it didn't follow the books as close as it could have. Roddy McDowell did a good job as Chuin,he was a lot more believable than Jeffrey Meek as Remo.i think a different actor in the lead role would have made the difference in the show.if this had better previews with an explanation of its origin it might have stood a chance.would like to see this remade today,with a believable cast. this has so much potential for a TV series and with 139 (and counting!)books it could have a long life with the right people behind it.


I've seen better! This TV movie has been on more than once and once was to much. This is a poor ripoff of the big screen version. The Destroyer series is known for corny jokes but Roddy McDowell's Chiun is pathetic when compared to Joel Grey. One bright spot is Jeffrey Meek who appears to have some training in martial arts and tries to fill the character but lacks Fred Ward's on the money Remo, wisecracks and all. Meek goes on to star in short lived Raven TV series paired with a wonderfully overweight Lee Majors and set in Hawaii. If it does come on and you choose to watch do so in the vein of Mystery Science Theater and just enjoy how bad this movie really is.


My friend tracked down a copy of this on eBay. He says he spent $8 on it, which is $7.99 too much. What a complete and utter waste of time and effort.

The best part of this failed TV pilot is Roddy McDowell who takes the role of Chiun and does a decent job. The only other positive I can tell you is the awesome (if overused) theme music from the movie is used for the TV show. Jeffrey Meek as Remo is so bad. The stunts and fights are slow and poorly choreographed. Everything else is just flat-out poor. The original movie was good and deserved better than this. See it (if you must) out of morbid curiosity, just don't pay more than 1¢!


I've also collected many of 'The Destroyer' books, and at one time had close to 100 of them. When I came across this pilot, I sat down eagerly to see how they had handled the character. Two words: Very Disappointing. But what can you do in such a short time? The characters were wooden, the plot almost non-existent and the production values very low.

Having a copy of the program might be something that the hardcore Destroyer fan might covet, most people would simply tape over the program once they watched it.

If it had been produced a few years later, and came out on a cable channel, where the idea of a Perfect Assassin could be developed, then it might have had a chance.


I saw this when it first aired. It was dumped on TV over the summer after the movie came out, I guess after the Powers that Be decided not to make the series. I distinctly remember thinking that they had finally cast Remo correctly! Thin, big wrists, bad sense of humor, and a very good martial artist. (I love Fred Ward, but he was never Remo to me.) Joel Grey was a very good Chiun as well, though at the time I thought that they would never have him on the regular series, since it wasn't Broadway. Silly me. The humor was there, the characterization... the writers were much more in tune with the books than the movie was. I don't remember the details well, as it was a long time ago. I sure wish they had gone ahead with the series.


This movie is so bad so I LOVE it!!!

I recommend this movie because it is so wonderful in many ways.

It can't be described in words it must be seen to understand how funny it really is, and the music is wonderful to, Ahh nostalgia!!!

Highly recommended íf you like action with the cool touch!

A peace of Rambo

A Hero

And a coolness that can't be described in words!

Ohh Yeahh! See it! love it! dig it!

And if you really like it, Buy it so you can see it many times, it's great!


I for one own the movie on DVD. You can get it off of Amazon.com. But if you want the TV Version (Only one episode) then you can get it on VHS from amazon.com ....

The story starts out with a cop that gets beat up. He is shoved off of the pier and supposedly left for dead. There is a funeral and the movie leads you to believe that that is the end of him.

HOWEVER. You see him wake up in a hospital with his face rearranged. The actor Fred Ward does a good job as he plays Remo Williams. He gets his butt whipped by a china man named Chiun. (Pronounced CHOON) The comedy starts when these two meet for the first time. And it stays funny throughout the movie.

I recommend this movie for any movie library. Get it on DVD.


Remo Williams was the pilot episode for a TV series which was never filmed. It was only seen by viewers in some US cities, as a major speech by President Reagan at the Republican National Convention pre-empted it in most areas. I suspect that most viewers out West who did see it were so numbed by its dullness that they've forgotten.

The writers stuffed every stereotype, every stock character, and every banality they could fit into the pilot. Every tired joke is played out; every move is telegraphed. Even McDowell and Meek couldn't do much about the stale dialogue and poor directing.

Sadly, the depth of character, original humor and slight moral ambiguity of the original movie and the books on which it was based were erased in a weak attempt to cater to the lowest common denominator. It didn't work.


Now I respect the guy for making the effort, and yeah it was interesting to see how the film makers tried to get over the technical difficulties and the like, but honestly, I swear to god, this was the worst film I have ever ever seen. And I can't even say why! It should have worked, everything was there, but it just seemed to miss the mark, consistently. Now, I would recommend this film for aspiring filmmakers as an example how to bypass certain budgeting restrictions, as in this respect, it did work, but as an actual movie? No thanks. It was like some parody of student films. There was some interesting camera work, but then, and especially in the dialogue scenes, there was the most awful,awful talking heads thing going on, the most static and boring shots I have ever seen in a motion picture. Now I imagine it was all shot on DV camera, and there have been some interesting things done in DV, and certainly, I think it should be considered the way of the future. I mean you only have to look at some of David Lynch's work, and especially inland empire, to see just what can be done in the medium, but it is unredeemed dreck like this, which consistently mark DV, and DV film-makers as amateur, when it needn't be! Please,please, to the film-maker: actors, real actors please. INTERESTING shots, especially in scenes of dialogue, something that lifts it a little, and most importantly of all, get a screenplay that says something new about the human condition. Budget restrictions needn't be restrictions on the quality of the drama! of the uplifting experience that comes from learning something new about ourselves through drama.


The worst film I have ever had the misfortune to come across. The Director's name is Bland, which kinda sums it up for me. So bad in fact that me and a friend spent the whole film crying with laughter at just how bad it was.

The acting was so wooden that a Hayden Christenson and Orlando Bloom hybrid could have done a better job! The camera work made it feel like we were out on the streets with Jerry Springer's film crew, and the storyline was simply shocking. There were also inexplicable overdubs of people's voices!

It was all summed up when in a hotel room, the lead male character stands up, goes to leave the room, but forgets where the door is. It's simply embarrassing! Awful!


Man this is a lame scary movie, the dialogs and the sound is more like from a adult flick. The camera angels is like a bad hair day. Usually i like b-horrors but this one is not on this scale whatsoever. I think it feels like a home made horror to me and not something with a budget over $200. Sorry guys but i think this flick really sucks. The cutting is also a incoherent thing, they jump all over the place with not so much connections. The killing scenes is not to recommend to anyone who have seen b horrors, even troma is better to scare me than this flick. What can you get out of this movie? I think nothing because of several reasons. The mention of magic in this movie is not really what's it is about, at least that is what i read about the esoteric and magic. Many things in this movie is incoherent and badly cut, with weird camera positions and many things that you "need" to get a horror flick. Not the innovating kind.


I did not know what to expect when I picked up this DVD.

But, I have to admit it held my attention from beginning to end...and boy was the ending a shocker!

I don't know if the ending will work for most, but for me it did.

The music was very intense and scary as well (I had to buy the soundtrack, it's great for Halloween) Any way, I really liked it and the special features are cool too.

For me however, besides the surprise ending and the shocking murder mystery plot twists, what I love the most about this movie is the title...BLEEDING ROSE, ooh nice:)


First there was Spike Lee's independent drama "She's Gotta Have It". Then came Robert Rodriguez's indie action flick "El Mariachi". Now we have Kareem Bland's ambitious indie slasher/drama "Bleeding Rose".

First let me say that this is a very very unique and interesting movie. It's a suspense/thriller/mystery with elements of horror mixed in. There are a lot of dramatic elements within the film and moments that will make you jump. The ending is a real shocker. Loved it. This movie feels like a very good entertaining IFC Channel movie.

Now this movie may not be for everyone. This is a very low budget movie. Or dare I say it...'no budget'. As I watched the DVD's 'behind-the-scenes' footage it looked like the director didn't have much of a crew. There was no gaffer trucks or grip crews. It looked like a director and some friends playing around with a camera! Yet, that's what makes this movie so impressive...because it's really GOOD! It reminds me of Roderiquez and how he made his first feature 'El Mariachi' with no crew. Is Bland the next Roderiquez? I wouldn't say that, but he did a damn good job. Very very impressive.

Of course there are 'technical' flaws. Most low budget movies have them. Yet unlike most, 'Bleeding Rose' tales an excellent 'slightly controversial' original story. Plus the technical flaws kinda give it an edgy style. This movie took me by surprise.

The music is great too. It's nothing like you would expect from a straight to video movie. The scores were engaging, giving the movie that extra chill.

Would I recommend this? Yes! If only to see what can be done with so little. This is a movie for indie filmmakers first, and lovers of the 'artsy, ambitiously creative little budget movies' second.

Maybe I'm giving this guy more credit than he deserves, but I really enjoyed it. Check it out for yourself.

'10 stars' for having the balls to make this entertainingly good film with little money and by any means necessary. Well done!


Handsome lad takes a computer course and finds the male teacher making warm advances to him. The next thing we know, Bobby is contemplating coming out of the closet, much to the shame and embarrassment of his father. Being a typically rebellious youth, Bobby decides to live up to his father's vision of a 'sissy' by coming to the dinner-table in drag. Only in the movies...


When I saw this TV movie in 1986 I was coming out and it really helped me at a time when I needed help. Timothy Williams did a convincing job. I felt the drag scene was a bit much. But overall it was a concise drama about coming out in a middle class family. I didn't feel it was stereotypical as it was a lot to cram into 100 minutes on TV. I think of this film every once in a while, and wonder why it's not on VHS or DVD. A year before the slightly more superior TV movie about homosexuality (Consenting Adult) played on ABC, so even then in the 80's being gay was becoming a topic of the day.

This was a good film, and like myself, I hope it helped other poor souls out there who were struggling with their own sexual identity.


I enjoyed this film a great deal. It raises points about American culture as relates to sexual identity in ways seldom handled. I saw the film as a fairly accurate portrayal of reality of being a possible-gay teenager (something about which I know first-hand).

Possibly the best scene in the film is when Bobby comes to family dinner dressed in drag. Not because he likes drag, but because that is what seems to be expected. He gives his father a bit of justified hell.


I remember talking about this movie right after it played on t.v. with a "coming out" teen group that I'd been going to. I was the only one who hated it--I thought the drag scene was horrible and I was offended that the older man (and his buddies) would be portrayed as predators like they were. Creepy all around. The only thing that stood out as a positive was the scene where Bobby's teacher talks with him after school and writes "I am gay" on the board (I think it was the guy who played Tyne Daly's husband in "Cagney and Lacey") and tells him he'll be okay. This was one of the first times I'd seen a "normal", everyday guy as a homosexual. I wish they'd made the movie about him!


It's been almost two decades since I watched the film on CBS-TV one Saturday night, but I remember it vividly. Certainly not the greatest film on the subject of coming out, but it is memorable for many reasons among them:

The LOL absurdity: We see Bobby tickling his little brother just before bedtime. In walks dad, shocked and angry at the innocent horseplay. He then says something like, "Don't ever touch him again!" As soon as he leaves the room, Bobby's little brother says to a saddened Bobby, "You can play with me anytime." My friends roared with laughter when I recounted this supposedly touching (oooh, bad pun!) scene.

The positive message: It's okay to be gay (if that's what you want to be after watching all of poor Bobby's trails and tribulations). Quite refreshing during the Reagan years when Rock Hudson's death from AIDS shocked the world. In other films dealing with the subject of homosexuality the protagonist suddenly turned straight (as in "Tea and Sympathy') or died a tragic death (e.g. the 1961 film, "The Children's Hour).

In our current social/political climate "Welcome Home, Bobby" would be to controversial for network TV. It amazes me that "WH,B" aired in 1986. Were we more open-minded then? Of course I don't recall the film ever in reruns on TV.


1986 was apparently the year that TV movies decided to handle homosexuality, as evidenced by "My Two Loves" and this offering. Given the subject matter, I so wanted to like this movie. Unfortunately, what I found after sitting through it was nothing but a bunch of clichés and stereotypes, and very little real understanding of the issues facing a gay teen.

The story centers around the title character, Bobby (Timothy Williams), a computer whiz from a small town outside of Chicago, who ventures into the city for either a computer class, or a computer lab (my memories of the details of this part of the movie are a bit sketchy). He meets a handsome older man who pays him a lot of attention. Since Bobby's relationship with his father (Tony LoBianco) is somewhat strained, Bobby responds to the attention, and eventually he and the older man become lovers. When this is revealed in Bobby's hometown, he finds himself an outcast, with almost everyone, including his father, taking a dim view of his homosexuality. Unfortunately, Bobby isn't quite ready to take on the label "gay" and the negative reactions of those around him only reinforce his discomfort. He finds few friends and even less understanding during his search, and ultimately has to create his new reality for himself.

While this film purports to be a sympathetic treatment of the coming out struggle, it fails miserably in that objective. The main problem is that Bobby himself is not drawn sympathetically. His confusion comes across well, as does his eventual defiance of his father, but the viewer sees little in him that would inspire the loyalty his few friends give him. It's unclear how he hooked up with, or why he hangs out with the man and woman who befriend him - he has little in common with them. And his girlfriend is an even bigger cypher. One would think she would be upset by his having slept with someone else, male or female. Instead, she wants to hear all about it. And her eventually reason for breaking up with him is that teachers in the school are lowering her grades because she's with him. The dialogue in the group therapy sessions is so full of gay clichés that it's harmful as well as painful, and even the conversations with the older lover are also full of clichés with no affection expressed between the two.

Worse yet are the stereotypical reactions of his family. Dad wants to beat the stuffing out of him, and Mom is too ineffectual to offer any real comfort or support. The scene where he appears at the dinner table in drag to confront his father is so hackneyed that I lost all sympathy for Bobby in it.

While the attempt to deal with such an issue was laudable, the film itself is a horrible mess of clichés and contradictions. If you're looking for an intelligent treatment of teen homosexuality, it's best to look elsewhere.


A mildly autistic, shed-dwelling loner improbably acquires an equally troubled girlfriend as he smotes his tormentors.

During his grindhouse heyday, Andy Milligan could excrete exploitation fare even faster and cheaper than Roger Corman. Unlike Corman, who (at least for awhile) aspired to better work, Milligan was content to line his pockets while expressing contempt for mankind. While predictably dour, THE WEIRDO features two prominent peculiarities.

Milligan films are littered with losers, cluelessly trying to claw their way out of hopeless situations. Though retarded, The Weirdo may be Milligan's only character cognizant that he's doomed, doomed, doomed from the getgo. Then, there's the slapping. Punks slap the weirdo. His girlfriend slaps the weirdo. His mother slaps the weirdo. A preacher's wife slaps the weirdo. The weirdo slaps his girlfriend. A caregiver slaps the weirdo. You'll swear that Moe Howard was the technical adviser.

The lumpy script bunches up all the killings at the end. Passive characters abruptly turn hostile to warrant a higher body count.

The psycho attack scenes are borderline competent, and for a flick with subterranean production values, the blood and flesh wounds look surprisingly good.

The inclusion of a cursing cleric was a cool touch, but this sad little film should only appeal to those bitten by the Milligan bug...you poor devils.


Okay, I'll admit that this film is as bad as the title would suggest, but really, it does manage to have a few good moments. But while I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's "so bad, it's good", I will have to confess that there were times when I laughed because of the overwhelming stupidity. Really, this film has it all: Bad acting, horrible editing, pathetic special effects...but what do you really expect from any film with a LOW budget, right? It's not good by any stretch of the imagination, but it does create enjoyment if you can laugh AT a movie. If you are a person who can enjoy BAD movies, then I think that you'll get a kick out of this...others beware.


The Weirdo MUST go on everyone's top ten worst film list....It is simply DREADFUL! From the opening credits that read: The Weirdo-The Beginning!?????? to a hand chopped off by butter knife to the ludicrous plot? twist.....this movie is just abysmal! I laughed, then cried....I wanted to poke my eyes out with my very own butter knife! How this film ever got financed is anybody's guess...someone must have decided that spending five hundred bucks on crapola was better then burning it......They were wrong!


Oh my what to say. It is just another horror movie. Not because it was supposed to be scary but because it gave me nightmares of bad acting. I almost fell asleep while watching this poor excuse for a movie. I just think that sometimes people don't think about what will sell and what won't. Whoever thought this was a seller had to be drinking the night before and came to work with a hang over.


What a heartwarming movie. It's been a long time since a movie touched me enough to make me cry, and this one did. I've always loved Doris Roberts. She sent me her autographed photo last year after I wrote her to compliment her biography and ask for confirmation for a recipe in her book. She really makes this movie. I didn't see how the plot could possibly overcome the conflict but in a little twist, everything was set right in a bittersweet ending. A bit of a fairy tale in having someone take in all these warm and wonderful homeless people but don't we need a fairy tale sometimes to carry us through? You can't miss with this one if you crave something beyond the usual murder and crime scene analysis. This has none of that overworked theme. I wish there was a book but eureka, it seems to be an original screenplay. Bravo to Michael Lach.


Doris Roberts proves once again that she can do dramatic parts as well as being the mother in the comedy television show with Ray Romano.

In this one, she is a very wealthy woman, whose life has come to a dead end. His suicide attempt is thwarted by a homeless woman. Soon,the Roberts character brings the homeless into her home. They become her therapy. She is doing something productive.

Naturally, her stuck-up daughter can't stand this as well as wealthy neighbor, Beverly Hills condominium developer, Gil Greenberg.

Greenberg takes Roberts to court. When terminal cancer strikes Roberts, who had been in remission, the home is left to the homeless and the daughter assumes a much different attitude.

A wonderful movie since Doris Roberts is so able to depict this wealthy woman who comes to the aid of others.

While it may have a fairy tale quality, it's a wonderful film of the human spirit.


A rich lonely old woman takes in six homeless people and gives them a home, a job and something much greater. A family. The plot is a little out there, but it works here as we see a rich woman give back to the people who need it more...

At first I was quite sceptical...And feared for Ruth but the film tries to portray the message that 'don't judge a book by it's cover', and in turn; something wonderful is thrown at the audience.

Doris Roberts performance is quite good, she plays her role gently giving Judy Reyes's character the love of a mother, who has been abandoned by her own daughter.

The ending tried to squeeze every last tear out of the audience member which I thought was a little irritating...But it works.


If this preposterous dud were concerned with anything like a definable three-dimensional reality, the old lady, Doris Roberts, would have been robbed and murdered within minutes of taking these mutts and Skells into her home.

The "homeless" are just that for a *reason*: nobody who ever knew them wants anything to do with them--- where they are not out-&-out psychopaths they are predatory sociopath drunk-addicts who would kill their mothers for their next hit.

In fact the term "homeless" is a misnomer: in proper English the "homeless" are those afflicted by some calamity beyond their control:natural disaster---earthquake, flood, fire, etc.--- or war: bombardment, violent civil war, invasion.

That's not what's depicted here: these bums---which is what they are---have the behavior code of jackals. They do the first thing that pops into their heads, and they have all got the rap sheets to prove it. Nothing is too low for these lice, they know no limits.

Sentimental contraptions like this are a treasure-trove of laughs for grown-up adults with wide-awake minds: These---these *things* are produced in such profusion for a REASON, and infest the schedules of IFC,Sundance,Logo, MTV, BET: All have this much in common as a unifying concept: they are obvious, grindingly predictable sentimental wish-fulfillment slop granting insight and self-awareness to life- forms who have none of either. Their lives---scratch that: *existences* is a more appropriate term---are devoted to Immediate Gratification at an exponential level.

This film caters to thin-skinned anxious types who feel sorry about a lot of things and wish the world was different, and have theories and philosophies galore about "justice", "fair play" and---cello and strings here---The Human Condition. That's 70% of the population---they derive succor and self-validation from stuff like this. Scary, no?

NOW HEAR THIS: These are the people our parents warned us against, for all the right reasons.

TWO STARS for laughs provided---but the heartwarming wise-homeless-guy fairy-tale is getting a bit old now: the current run began in the 80s with DOWN & OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS which was based on a French film of the 1930s, BODOU SAVED FROM DROWNING.


Doris Roberts and Judy Reyes are believable in this movie, and give us hope that perhaps naive goodness can and will help those who are less fortunate.

Their lives are opposite, or are they? Ruth (Doris) is alone, elderly, and all her days basically the same after she lost her husband. Her two grown children have independent lives of their own. Lonely, a post-cancer patient, and desperate, Ruth impulsively attempts to swallow a bottle of sleeping pills then confused, stumbles outside her home in Beverly Hills, collapsing onto the sidewalk. At the same time, Billie (Judy) walks by and stops, kneels by her to save her life. The police drive by and think Billie attacked poor Ruth, and with the help of Ruth's grown daughter, has Billie arrested. When Ruth feels better, she gets Billie released from jail, and goes on a quest to thank her for stopping to help her. However, Billie has had traumatic losses in her own life, which causes her to lose her home and family, as well as lose her trust in the establishment. Living on the streets with other unfortunate people, Billie is a survivor who doesn't think she needs anyone's help. That is, until Ruth 'makes' her realize she could use some help.

Ruth's loneliness and overwhelming gratitude causes her to keep trying to reach Billie's heart - and she does. They not only live together, but Billie is encouraged to bring some of her homeless friends along. That's when the trouble starts between the Beverly Hills neighbors and Ruth's own grown, wealthy, attorney daughter.

The challenges they face will draw you into the movie, and the ending will be surprising and make you cry. It is well worth watching, again and again (maybe have some of your own grown, selfish kids watch it if you are unfortunate to have at least one, as a sting to his/her conscious).

Aloha


This movie is the perfect example of what is comedy. And a movie can be a hit and does good business without women too. The story line is same and old one. 4 friends Roy, Adi, Manav and Boman, lives together share good and funny moments. Their jokes are hilarious. Though Sanjay Dutt is also there in the movie, but the young boys does a good job, and make this movie a perfect comedy, this is a type of movie which you can see again and again, A complete funny entertainer. These four friends going from Bombay to Goa for some money, but when money words comes, there is no place for any other thing. This happen with these friends too. All friendship breaks bcoz they are not be able to decide what is the share they have to distribute. Lots and lots of characters are coming at regular intervals and joins them in their journey. This movie is as comedy as I can compare this with Hera Pheri and Golmaal. There's not a single moment in the movie where you say that you are not enjoying. All characters is superb and specially our Adi(Arshad) and Manav(Javed). After Dil, Beta, Mann and Masti, Inder Kumar's this flick proves that he is a king of comedy.


Dhamaal is an entertaining movie. However, one can't shake off the fact that the movies LIFTS scenes and story lines from AROUND 5-6 Hollywood MOVIES, right from the first scene.

First scene is a rip-off of Johnny English, the third scene is copied from one of Mr.Bean's episodes. The whole damn storyline is EXACTLY IDENTICAL to 'Its a Mad Mad World' and 'Rat Race'. Later one, the movie lifts the bridge scene from 'Road Trip', the tiger roar scene is from a movie called Without A Paddle, and the whole soap gun scene is from 'Small Time Crooks'. On many occasions, it is also inspired by Starsky and Hutch.

UPDATE - Just watched 'Dude, Wheres my car?' and the pizza scene is copied directly from there.

However, the second half is where we see some originality, and ironically, the most original scenes are the most entertaining. The movie goes for a clichéd ending, however, which is a downer.

THE GOOD

- Great performances from the cast, especially Arshad Warsi, Ritesh, and Jaffrey.

- Some very entertaining original parts, especially in the second half.

THE BAD

- You won't have much fun if you have watched the above-mentioned movies.

- Some jokes, like the airplane one and the cliffhanging one, are stretched to a point where they are not funny anymore.

- Not so great music.

- Disappointing ending.

Overall, Dhamaal is a decent entertainer, but stumbles badly on originality, as the copied jokes have been done much better in the original movies.


After watching a successive trend of boring movies which promised to be wonderful comedies I did not have very high hopes from this one but it seems I was totally wrong for this movie as it does wonders with comedy, it really proves how a clean entertainer can be made and enjoyed without going through vulgar gestures and cheap jokes. This is an adaptation of the movie Rat Race in a very Indian way and really the comedy makes every moment of your time worthwhile. There is no proper story line, not a good music but all of it is irrelevant compared to the spellbinding comic performances delivered.Trust there wouldn't be a minute you would think about anything else than heaps of laughter you have poured. All the actors did their part extremely well, the dialog delivery was just perfect and without going into too much technical jargon, I would say I really loved watching it.


Yes, cheated, especially when i reached the IInd half and realised all the gags were copied from 'Rat Race'(2001) with slight changes to cater to the desi crowd. Sanjay Dutt doing the bus driver routine (aka Cuba Gooding Jr.), Ashish Choudhary & Asrani in the plane (aka Amy Smart and Breckin Meyer in the chopper) and the final showdown where the large crowd gapes at them, the hot air balloon and even the digital display of the total donation amount!! I have stopped expecting originality after the 'jaane bhi do yaaro' days and am being probably a bit too harsh in saying that but I cannot help it as the Hollywood movie scripts copied shamelessly over (well the ones that can be, that is) are usually the movies that i have already seen. Hence, since last month, i have taken a break and have started watching Korean movies instead..that is till they run out of Hollywood scripts to photocopy. That said, a few gags in Dhamaal (choohon ka race?) does manage to bring a smile on your face and the effort deserves a 7. Watchable with friends who don't mind slapstick, goofy and over the top comedy capers.


Hey i had a hectic past month and then when i was free today, i thought I had earned the right to chill out with my friends, so I caught the noon show of Dhamaal.Well, how was it? From the word go, the director gets into the thick of the action. Short 'n sweet introduction of all the characters is done.

And before you know it, you're on a hell of a roller-coaster fun ride. Some scenes left us all shaking with laughter, like the one in which Arshad 'calculates' the velocity of his car and the angle of projection and then throws a stone to check it, or when Riteish falls right into a luxury coach, which as luck would have it, was being hijacked, or the one in which Vijay Raaz talks about patience and going slow and later learns a lesson. All the actors, especially the trio of Javed Jaffery, Riteish and Arshad Warsi show impeccable timing. Maybe I enjoyed it more because I was with my friends, but believe me, it's good to see such a non-stop laugh riot once in a while, however non-sensical!(Deshmukh makes, rather, crafts a gun and frees himself without the carjackers noticing, Sanjay Dutt jumps off the cliff and grabs the two falling children. Simply preposterous!). I'd suggest you go for it, and you'll enjoy yourself thoroughly, it's the best bollywood comedy this year has produced. Then the talk about this being a rip-off of 'Its a MAD MAD MAD MAD World'and even having scenes from Mr.Bean(the washroom scene in the beginning) and Starsky&Hutch. But hey, as long as they've SUCCEEDED in this rip-off using our desi comic actors, and provided paisa-vasool entertainment,so as to say, then what's the harm?? Go watch it and you're guaranteed, it'll make you laugh!!


This is complete paisa vasool film.... U can heartily laugh for 2hr 15min... Don't see logic n all, just sit down n relax... It has a simple story line... 4 guys who are not at all serious in life, meets a dying gangster who tells them bout 10cr he has made in life... n tells them to use it as they like... but a inspector comes n enquires them bout it as he is investigating the root of that very money for 10 yrs ... then the conflict starts b/w them as to who as to get the money... everyone leaves to Goa where money is supposedly hidden... The climax is beautifully planned... n i'll not spoil it... Actin is wonderful... music by sandeep is good... wonderful direction by Indra kumar....


Recently , we had a number of comedies based on the passion to possess lots of money ,and the subsequent pursuit of the lofty goal, the mad runners coming from the lower middle class , or even rural community. Apna Sapna Money Money , Malamal Weekly etc. Dhamaal also revolves around not less than 10 crores , lustily eyed by a group of assorted people , and a smart inspector , even the Commissioner ! The casting of the movie is good , with Arshad Warsi , Javed Jafferey , and old -time veterans like Asrani in cameo roles to support. The plot has been thoughtfully written , to create farcical situations , some of the innovative being the idea of Adi to sell paintings to the sons of the deceased . Ritesh Deshmukh has given a very natural performance , and his scene with the monkey in the jungle , or faking a gun made from the soap , to scare the dacoits , are hilarious . Sanjay Dutt is surprisingly at ease , and looks fresher than he otherwise looks . A considerable amount of effort has obviously gone into the stunts , and they help to add to an otherwise predictable plot , and reduce the monotony of the string of events , by pumping excitement into the situations . Their ride through the mountains is also pleasing to the eyes . i remembered a scene from Mr. Bean's Holiday , when he gets locked up in a roadside loo , and also gets entangled with a young boy , who is left behind on the platform. The twist to the situation , when they have to part with their prized booty , after going through so much of agony and calamities , is a real feather in the cap of the script writer . i found it very appropriate , that especially the jobless and the mediocre youth willingly give up the money. Normally , the money either goes down the drain , or flies in the air , or the characters are after each other with fatal gun shots . This is how we could discreetly influence our young ones ,that values are more important than the pieces of paper , that is cash . However , the movie needed a little touch of editing , especially for the constant slapping of Asrani , and their flight in the plane , going on and on ! Vinay Apte's south Indian , repeating his never ending name , and Arshad going crazy over it , are quite original. The heroine in this movie was the money , and the hot pursuit proved to be more exciting , by Men Only this time for a change ! Musical score and the dance numbers , are suitable to the plot line , and performed in style , included moderately , to protect the tempo of the string of events . one would certainly look forward to watch such comedies , which are not failed attempts to create humor , but well-thought out , pure entertainment . Keep it up !


After months and months of flops being released, this is one movie that has lived by its title, "Dhamaal," which means chaos, trouble.

Three men, Aditya Shrivastav, Manav Shrivastav and Deshbandhu Roy are thrown out of their rented house after failing to pay rent for several months and find themselves homeless as they are not employed. They try to survive by stealing portraits but even this fails and they get caught and are soon joined by their friend, Boman Contractor, who like them, has no job and has left home. However, his father, is wealthy but only cares about his antique car. Boman decides to go against his father's wishes and steals the car and the four of them head towards Goa. Enroute the collide with another car, whose driver dies but not before informing them about some hidden money. Unknown to the four men, a certain Police Inspector Kabir Nayak has been chasing the dead man and Boman Contractor's father has found out that his beloved antique car has been stolen by his son.

The movie stars Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi (both of them known for their roles in "Munnabhai M.B.B.S" and "Laage Raho Munnabhai"), Riteish Deshmukh, Ashish Choudhary and Asrani. A special appearance is made by the legendary villain, Prem Chopra. The movie has no female actress accept for one, who make a brief appearance at the beginning as the landlady. The director, Indra Kumar, has done an excellent job of this out and out comedy movie and is worthwhile watching it with your family.

Does anyone remember the movie, "Its A Mad Mad World?"


The film is good till the first half and then the director looses control over the film. He forgets that he is making a comedy and not a run around and keep on increasing character movie. The plot is different but gets down to the same thing like lots of other movies in the past. The director has not even taken care of the characters. There are a Parsi son and father who keep on speaking Gujrati. Wasn't this very obvious or was this pun intended?. There is an inspector who has been working for the last ten years and suddenly changes into a after-money guy. There is a dacoit who appears out of no-where and becomes a contender for the money. The director could have lost him after using him for the comedy factor. On the whole a movie you can watch once but might get bored in the second half.


Dhamaal is quite possibly one of the worst films that I have ever had the misfortune of watching. I normally say that a person should give every movie at least one chance (and watch it all the way through) in order to make a complete assessment of the film. This is the first film that I wouldn't recommend to anybody, save yourself the time and go outside and enjoy a moment with your friends or something. This film is the first film to make me ever say, don't bother. Quite an achievement.

The majority of the film is borrowed from It's a Mad Mad World, and when I say borrowed I mean copied without any distinction what so ever. Unfortunately, this film is so awful that I have no inclination to watch It's a Mad Mad World because I know the memories of this film will be conjured up. The opening scenes are copied from Johnny English and Mr. Bean. First we meet Deshbandhu Roy (Retish Deshmuk) who is working as a Government agent (this can only be presumed as it is not explained), it copies the opening scene in which Johnny English tells his superior that the area they are in is safe until a car explodes in the background. The scene itself is not even set out that well and provides no introduction to the character what so ever, that and the fact that it has nothing to do with the rest of the film. The second scene involves a character who's name I cannot remember (and an actor who should go back to waiting tables), so we'll just call him Annoying Fool from now on. His first scene is copied from the episode of Mr. Bean where Bean gets his hand stuck in the back of a stranger's pocket and ends up following them into a bathroom stall. To round up the foursome we have Aditya (Arshad Warsi) and Boman Contractor (Aashish Chowdhry).

If you're going to make a light hearted fun family entertainment film, you should have characters that are good and sympathetic that get caught up in hi-jinks and whatnot. After being kicked out of their abode for their failure to pay rent, the foursome come up with the idea of selling to paintings to relatives of the recently deceased, in short, conning people who are grieving. Not the best of ideas for both the characters or the writers. They are arrested for a crime they did not commit (in a scene so shockingly bad the writer should go back to cleaning toilets) and are promptly released in the middle of no where, where a car crashes and out rolls a dying man who informs them that a fortune of INR10 Billion waits for them because they 'are good people'. The journey begins and the copy of IMMW begins. Sanjay Dutt plays a police officer who gets caught up in the proceedings and also involved are a bandit (who does nothing for the script) and Contractor's father (who also doesn't do a damn thing for the film).

The bad: The writing is horrible even though I can safely say that the source material that provided it was fairly entertaining. I don't know much about dialog translation, but the cross between Hindi and English made me question the writer's ability of communication.

The acting is horrible. Arshad Warsi looks uninterested through out the entire movie, Aashish Chowdhry does his best as does the actor who plays the character that I hate but this does not make them entertaining. Both of them have a look of desperation throughout the entire film that says "Please like me, please like me audience!". Ritesh Deshmukh (who hasn't been in the best of films) looks sorely out of place and doesn't look like he's enjoying his role at all. The things some people do for money. Sanjay Dutt adds another horrible film to his resume which is already chock full of horrible films (thanks in part to his friendship with Sanjay Gupta), it's sad because I do think there is talent there that hasn't been properly used or been discovered by an appropriate director.

The direction is absolutely horrible. If you're going to copy a film, at least do it right.

The soundtrack is alright, but once again is forced. The opening credits function as a music video for the film. That's a give away about how bad the film is going to be.

The Good: I can't find anything good about this film. I really didn't enjoy it.

1/10. There's only a few other films that I've given such a rating too. What a dismal film.


The acting is just not worth writing about, the "comedy" - slapstick, pace - really slow, seriously, nothing in this movie could make you laugh if you were a sensible, level headed person.

It is supposed to be "inspired" by a really old classic - It's a Mad, mad, mad, mad world and a very poor adaptation, I should say. The original movie, for those of you who have not had an opportunity to see it, is a wonderful light comedy, without any of the slapstick feel to it. The final sequence keeps you rolling on the floor for hours! This movie is NOTHING as compared to the original. Also, there is NOTHING original about this movie as well. Javed Jaffrey's character is another sloppy attempt to imitate Mr.Bean and does not induce any laughter whatsoever.

Please save yourself and your money and don't watch this movie!


I think all women under 40 should see this movie.Thumbs up for the women director's vision on the issues depicted in this movie.Uma Thurman is absolutely gorgeous,very talented,very subtle.All actors are great.This is what women should mostly watch,not soap operas,Pretty Woman,Titanic and other crap.If all movies, TV and music would follow the same pattern of this movie (and other), as opposed to unrealistic,cheesy crap that you usually find,the world would be a better place, for both men and women. The scene in the end where Uma's character makes a spectacle of herself in the pub is right there with Pacino's "say hello to my little friend!".Beautiful.Realistic.Interesting.Shattering.

I am speechless, 10 points.


This movie is every good thing that was written on this board and maybe more.

First, when I saw that movie in the guide i had never heard of it before but being a fan of Lewis and Thurman I couldn't let this pass even if apriori the plot SEEMED a little less than original.

Boy was I in for a surprise. Not all great first scene gives you a good film but all good film will give you a great intro scene, but this one gets its greatness in it's "nothingness". There is so "nothing" about it that as soon as you see Juliette and Uma come on the screen, your jawbone drops.

Not only are they unrecognizable but from the moment you see them you KNOW and FEEL exactly where you are, who you are dealing with and that's exactly every director's dream...or nightmare...can I put my audience in the context of the next x minutes.

This could have been an ordinary movie with an ordinary story..who wants to hear about screwed up bimbos stuck in no name city, no name job and a no name life, But somehow without ever falling into melodrama, pity or cliché, you just fall in love with every caracter.

This is a very well directed movie as it is far from obvious and easy to move a story like this into such an enjoyable moment.

As far as acting goes, well as someone else said, It's off the chart. I love Lewis (Natural born killers at her best...here too) and frankly I've seen alot of Uma but she literally blew me away in this. Both are so good that like I said from the first scene they appear, all you see are the caracters not the actresses.

You can see what a truly beautiful women is when even with an "altered down" image of herself (to say the least) you just can't get your eyes off her (yeah I'm a man)

I think the scene in the bar when she really goes loose is stunning and again it comes from a subtle chemistry between good directing and good acting, As a man I felt like the barman which the camera just give you a quick glimpse just to give you the hint. You look at her and you feel love and compassion even admiration for that woman while if it had been badly acted and/or directed she could have looked stupid and slutty so again masterfully crafted. In other scenes you feel her misery and you want it to end as bad and fast as her.

I can't just say I enjoyed that movie, it feels more like you've met real people that were graceful enough to share their life for a monent, wide open. So real that iI felt as an everyday guy like me could ask Uma out for a drink...that's something :-)

My hat to HBO for this one


One of 2002's best acting performances is in this movie about two young women pursuing their dreams but only finding emptiness. One will never be disappointed by the always great acting of Gena Rowlands and Juliette Lewis. The surprise is in the acting of Uma Thurman. Her character has to be one of the most difficult roles I've ever seen, and she is so convincing that it's hard to believe that she doesn't live a life off-stage as she did here. The movie is excellently directed and edited. The subject is somewhat discomforting, as is much of today's culture.


Inuyasha is basically the perfect anime show. It's not intended for children, since Inuyasha likes to curse a lot, and there tends to be some brief nudity occasionally. But other than that, this show has something for everyone! It is a romance, a comedy, a fantasy, action, adventure, a drama, and even an occasional scare from the demons they have to fight.

The story itself is fantastic, and each character has their own wonderful personality. You find yourself loving each one. Especially Kagome and Inuyasha. You're always wondering what their next fight will be about. Every episode is terrific, you're always drawn into the story, and you're always left wondering what happens next. Watch it once, and you're hooked!


"Inuyasha " was awful . This show was incredibly over -hyped but this is nothing but a tedious bunch of anime clichés. The characters are annoying and lifeless ,the story line is boring and endless .I think that it could have be something interesting if it have a better writing, but it seems that the writers of the show have more intentions in show Inuyasha and his stupid friends fighting with some monsters and then crying for his tragic love triangle with Kikyou and Kagome and a lot of circles around the same thing again and again . The script is cheesy and dumb and the animation is poor .The character design it 's very ugly ,I don't know why everyone love it ,all have the same face ! : Big eyes , tiny noses , a line as the mouth and the typical anime haircuts . I find "Inuyasha " incredibly boring and dumb . This have to be one of the most over -rated animated shows ever made .


This may be the best film of 2000 (at least that's when it was released in Australia).

Whilst film-makers like P.T. Anderson have made admirable attempts at personal drama in the last few years, and Mike Leigh continues to tell us that no-one suffers like the poor (as if we didn't know that), Michael Winterbottom has re-defined the genres. This is English kitchen sink drama without the tired clichés of class wars, which have seemed a bit anachronistic since the fall of the Tories.

Shot in a stunning cinemascope (1:2.35) and available light, with the tiniest of crews, this is London as you've only seen it if you've seen it for yourself.

The cast shines. I defy anyone to make it through this film without falling in love with Gina McKee. That's not to say that Shirley Henderson and Molly Parker are anything less than charming. Ian Hart and Stuart Townsend are wonderful. Keep an eye out for the beautifully natural performance of David Fahm as Franklyn. Jack Shepherd, Kika Markham and John Simm round out the main cast with equally powerful performances.

A great script from first time screen-writer Lawrence Coriat. Michael Nyman turns out his most subtle and restrained music score yet. Michael Winterbottom is turning out to be the Stanley Kubrick of the 21st century. Who else has been able to jump from one genre to another with such ease and grace?

This is a compelling film, well worth having your own copy of.


The city of London has featured in innumerable films - a vast, intensely varied metropolis, it has served as a vivid backdrop countless times. From the sun-drenched banks of the Thames in 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' to the gloomy squalor of Camden Town in 'Withnail & I' it is always an interesting setting for a story. But in 'Wonderland', directed by Michael Winterbottom ('Jude', 'Welcome to Sarajevo'), it almost gains a life of its own.

Superficially a story of the day-to-day lives of three sisters, Wonderland is more about the city and the millions of people who live in it than the troubled family the plot centres on. They are Nadia (Gina McKee), a single woman desperately in search of friendship and romance, Debbie (Shirley Henderson), a single mother with a young son (Peter Marfleet) and Molly (Molly Parker), a pregnant woman whose husband (John Simm) is having doubts.

The camera follows them (mostly Nadia) as they travel through the busy streets of the capital. It does not concentrate on just the characters, often lingering on faces and groups, giving the film a real-life edge. This is added to by the hand-held camera work and the slightly grainy quality of the image, which is as though a much larger picture has been magnified to concentrate on these people.

The stories themselves are uniformly (and depressingly) realistic, although they all end on a high note, leaving the viewer surprisingly upbeat. Winterbottom has a knack of coaxing great performances from good actors and does not fail here, with the quietly miserable couple of Kika Markham and Jack Shepherd as the sisters' parents standing out.

Wonderland will never break any box office records and is certainly not flawless, but it is an admirable film and it warms the cockles of this reviewer to see such worthy films still being made in Britain.


This movie has only just come out on DVD in Britain, that is a shamefully long time for a film to reach the country it was made in. But now it is here, and possibly finding a new audience, I thought I'd write a quick review. If you have read some of the other reviews, you will no doubt be aware of the 'kitchen sink' factor in this film. Well, I'm not going to deny that, the subject matter would not look out of place in a soap opera. . . .however it is the performances, the script and the fantastic style of this movie which pulls it out of the mundane and into the cinematic. Michael Winterbottom is clearly a director who like several of his British contemporaries such as Mike Leigh and Shane Meadows, believes that the drama around us in everyday life is worthy of the big screen. The film has a fine ensemble of characters, three very different sisters, their estranged brother and squabbling parents. The performances are brave and heartfelt in all cases, and even though the drama takes place over one weekend, the characters really do evolve. The most enticing thing about the film is the way it is shot and scored. Sean Bobbitt's time lapse photography and dogma style 16mm cinematography combined with Michael Nyman's emotive music is a really fantastic combination. This film shows London how the people who live there see it, namely from the ground. Nearly every film set in London now seems to have to include the Gherkin, the Tate modern and the Millennium wheel, what Winterbottom presents us with is something simultaneously far less and far more remarkable.


Although not classified as a film for TV, `Wonderland' is very much in the style of a production for that media, and indeed might even be classified as `soap-opera'.

But forget anything and everything you have seen of that type of film: `Wonderland' is totally in another sphere, with a well-constructed story of a long-weekend, magnificently natural performances and excellent dialogues. One constantly thinks of the theatre playhouse element as the actors carry forward this sociological document, excellently choreographed by Michael Nyman´s music.

Here indeed is a richly rewarding 100-odd minutes of your time. The characters are immediate and thus so real that you cannot but fail to be swept into the story. Intertwining levels from the elderly couple, down through their daughters to the young grandson, all lends palpable reality to the price of living in the backdrops of a teeming faceless city.

Set over the weekend on which the ever faithful and conservative British continue celebrating `Guy Fawkes Night' commemorating the attempted blowing up of the Houses of Parliament by said Guido Fawkes a few centuries ago, the film cleverly brings together ordinary Londoners at a particular moment which undoubtedly is crucial to each of them. The cast is splendid; the performances are exactly right, natural, and thus so realistic; there is no forced over-the-top stuff here. Whereas I can easily sympathise with the symptomatic causes underlying the nonentity of suburban life in gigantic cities, and therefore can easily feel for these people in Winterbottom's very welcome offering in this film, I can so easily again see why, when barely twenty, I took to my heels and left London for other pastures.

Thanks for reminding me, Mr. Winterbottom. But thanks also for a fascinating insight into fine character-making in a very enjoyable film.


Easily the best British film for several months. Winterbottom sees the London which all who live here know and love through a barely-distanced eye. We move with the characters, we live alongside them, the film brings them an immediacy and relevance which mainstream cinema rarely tackles. The plot (what little there is) contains more drama - not to mention coincidences - than real life, but this is compensated for by the film's texture, moving from warm to cold and back again, depending on the scene and its location. Nyman's score veers between irritating and deeply moving, approaching its best in the fireworks sequence. The Dogme-style technique is less annoying than in its Danish counterparts (Winterbottom doesn't seem to have so much trouble staying in focus). Odd to think this script was written by a Frenchwoman. Hey ho.


Yesterday, I just said I'm sick of stylish lonely film, but Wonderland forced me to reject my words. I love Wonderland in the same way with Lost in Translation. They may not a good film but their artistic styles touched my visibility and sensibility (accurately, I should write my SENSITIVITY). The cinematographic approaches (such as hi-speed, slow-motion and hand-held) were similar to Wong Kar-Wai's works. Many scenes in Wonderland can created a beautiful sight of London as well as an exotic look of Hong Kong in Wong's. (And also Tokyo's mysterious look in Stratosphere Girl.) The most fascinated element in this movie was its score composed by Michael Nyman. (He also wrote music for The Piano.) Every single piece of them can take my heart away. I like Nyman's bright idea to give each song as a theme song of one character. (Therefore, all track lists are character's names such as Debbie, Molly, etc.) Compare to Philip Glass (Who composed score in The Hours); I think both of them have something in common. They are clearly a minimalist musician, using few notes and play them in a loop. But their music are so powerful, I can listen to them repeatedly for a hundred times. Anyway, I have to give a big thank to my lovely sister, Vespertine, who introduced me to Wonderland's score.

My favorite scenes in Wonderland

1. Eddie (John Simm) stood on the bridge; he spoke the words he wanted to tell his wife to the air. It's like a rehearsal of tragedy stage play. He mentioned all horrible circumstances which may happen to his marriage life in the future. He will be a drunken, a jobless person. And he will imprison his wife and kids in the house, shoot them with a gun, and finally kill himself. (A story like this just happens to my high school friend, she is the only survivor.) It's unbearable if you know the bad things will explode, you want to cease them, but you can't. The only thing waiting for you is an irreversible disaster. (Anyway, I may too pessimistic for this scene because in the end Eddie and Molly can get along well.)

2. The scene Nadia (Gina McKee) went back home after she had sex with Tim (Stuart Townsend). She was on the bus, leaned on the windows, made a face that I can't describe, and then her tears poured from those sad eyes. I like Gina Mckee's face in this movie very much. It's like she always smiles but there's an obscure sadness on her face in the same time.

3. Jack (the boy) watched the firework alone and I think the music played in this scene was a climax for me.


'Wonderland' is a story about ordinary people told in an extraordinarily beautiful way.

The visual style of the film draws you close--you're not watching a movie, but you are an observer, an eavesdropper on the lives of a South London family and their friends. It's almost as if you saw someone on the bus, and then were able to follow them to their home and around where they work, unseen, for a few days. You believe these people exist, in reality--you _recognize_ these characters because you've seen them before.

There's an incredible musical score by Michael Nyman. It supports and builds the drama of the story, and illuminates the inner struggles of the characters.

It's a beautiful movie. Fans of Wong Kar-Wai's ChungKing Express will enjoy this.

I saw this movie at a Saturday midnight showing in Barcelona, with Spanish subtitles. You could feel the emotion run through the audience. Everyone stayed for the credits.


Along four days in London, the dramatic life of the three sisters, their absent brother, parents, lovers and friends is disclosed in `Wonderland'. Debbie (Shirley Henderson), Nadia (Gina McKee) and Molly (the lovely Molly Parker) are sisters of a low middle class family in London. The hairdresser Debbie is the mother of an young boy. Nadia is a lonely woman, who works in a cafeteria, and is trying to find a love through the Lonely Hearts agency, specialized in blind dates. Molly is a pregnant teacher, who is close to the delivery. Nadia misses her brother Darren (Enzo Cilenti), who left London due to some problem with his bitter mother Eileen (Kika Markham), a very frustrated woman. Aileen and her husband Bill (Jack Shepard) are disillusioned with their lives. Bill is so bored with his life that he seems to be astonished, in the expectation of a call from his son Darren, like a salvation board for the situation of his common life with Eileen. Nadia has a blind date with Tim (Stuart Townsend) and feels a kind of non-corresponded love for him. Debbie has a promiscuous and well-resolved sexual life. Molly's mate is Eddie (John Simm), a man frustrated with his work and profession, and without enough courage to confess to Molly that he lost his job. The story is unfolded in a fragmented way, and in the ends, all the pieces are joined together, with characters and situations very well defined. Michael Winterbottom is a fantastic director. I have seen `Jude', `Welcome to Sarajevo', `I Want You' and now `Wonderland' and they are great films. `Butterfly Kiss' is the weakest I have watched. Unfortunately I have not seen the other movies of his filmography yet and I am not sure whether they are available in Brazil. Molly Parker is an amazing actress: in one movie, she is a pregnant woman feeling the pain of the birth, in `The Center of the World' she is very sexy, showing a great versatility in acting. The natural performance of the cast is also outstanding, making the story very real and credible. The `Minnie' hair of Nadia is the only negative point of this wonderful movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): `Encontros e Desencontros' (`Meetings and Failure to Meet')


One of the major problems with being a film fan, or a British film fan for that matter, is the deep sense of embarrassment whenever a new British film is released, because it's almost always bad. But alas, this is not the case with Michael Winterbottom's fascinating Wonderland. Here Winterbottom has gone back to the roots of the Ken Loach, Mike Leigh genre of kitchen-sink drama, crossing it with the narrative feel of Robert Altman, and the free-from style of Lars von Trier, creating in the process a new and deeply affecting tale of three south London sister over the course of one weekend (three days). The great thing about this is, briefly, for the course of the film anyway, British cinema has it's own identity. The BIG brit films of the last few years have all been tired American knock-offs, from Guy Ritchie's pathetic lock-stock and Snatch, to the empty romanticised views depicted in films like Four Wedding and Notting Hill. Wonderland gives an authentic view of London, without the glamour but with much more pathos, and fully developed characters.

The ensemble cast of rising character actors are perfectly put together, they may not be familiar to some audiences even in the UK, but the work of the three female leads, McKee, Parker and Henderson are given fine support from the men, Ian Hart, John Simm and David Fahm. The cinema-verite style gives the film a strong realism, making some the more depressing scenes almost un-watchable, but Winterbottom and writer Laurence Coriat should be commended for trying something different within the confines of the ever-predictable British Film Industry (). It sadness me that this film is so underrated, whilst average films like Billy Elliot gather a barrage of Oscar and Bafta nominations, I don't remember Wonderland getting a mention. This is by far the best British film I've seen in a long time, not a perfect film by any means, one flaw would be that some of the characters are pushed to the background, never getting a chance to fully shine, but a film this good is a rare thing. See it now you won't regret it. 9/10


There really are two parts to any movie. First, the obvious (plot, character development, setting, etc.) and second, that which is subtle... underlying. This film is filled with the latter. In fact, it would be a great disservice to the film to focus on just the plot without describing the feeling Winterbottom relays. On the surface, it's a film about three sisters and the very different choices they've made in their lives. The first, a single mom who pawns her son off to her anything-but-worthy ex-husband so she can go out and party. The second, a pregnant woman who's husband seems to be getting more and more spooked as the idea of a child coming into their home becomes closer to a reality. And finally, the youngest, a woman who simply longs to have someone -- anyone in her life. She takes to the personal ads and sleeping with men that will obviously not give her the emotional support she so desperately seeks.

Obviously, these women have all taken different paths in their lives. But it's not their paths that make the movie so interesting, it's their motivation. We need only look at the loveless marriage of the parents that begot these women to understand why they've all come to love and/or long for emotionally inaccessible men.

Winterbottom does a superb job of making us feel the grimy desperation in each of these women's lives. Cramped apartments give a sense of claustrophobia. The incessant barking of dogs begin to grate on not only the nerves of the characters, but on those of the audience as well. And throughout the movie, natural lighting is used giving us a sense that not all is polished and produced in the lives of the characters. All of these factors that have left the characters in the story with a quiet desperation, also pull the audience into a world of imbalance.

The score was absolutely brilliant -- one of the best matched soundtracks to a movie I've yet come across. Sublime at some points, triumphant at others, it was the final piece that made this film a joy to watch. Not because it makes you feel good... but simply because it makes you feel. Something. Real.


This movie is most certainly in my top three of all time movies. I can surely understand why people wouldn't appreciate it but you have to watch it with some understanding and you have to realize its dramatic touch. Winterbottom, did a fantastic job with this movie and it's outstanding soundtrack. Honestly, you have to say that this ost. is absolutely amazing and touching Please go on making more movies which are unique in its kind


I remember seeing Taxi driver as a teenager, being blown away and wishing someone could do the same for my home city London. Instead for years we have suffered clichéd, upper class twits like Hugh Grant prancing around a London few here recognise. Wonderland manages to capture the dark, grim side of London, the loneliness, the anonymity, the city of a million different stories, the same way Scorcese captured New York in 1976 for Taxi Driver. Both films too have beautiful moving scores specially written for them. A stunning, moving film. Winterbottom's earlier film 'Butterfly Kiss' has the same feel too. That just about sums it up but as I have to fill out 10 lines, I should add that my favourite Michael Winterbottom films are in this order ( I have seen nearly all) Wonderland, A Cock And Bull Story, 24 Hour Party People, Butterfly Kiss, In This World, The Claim.


Being a Brit living in Canada it was nice to see a glimpse of Blighty. I liked the way this film used the documentary style of filming. The grainyness gave it a even more realistic touch. Gina Mckee was outstanding as usual. It reminded me a little of some mike leigh filcks. Best of all i liked the way it didn't try to preach as so many films about working class Brits(like myself) do, they showed the characters as flawed indivduals but there was a undercurrent of love flowing in the film( Gina mckee's scenes with her dad always outside as to avoid her mother.) Sheer class the best English film i have scene for along time.


Missing this film at the theater, I grabbed the dvd when it was released. After viewing the film 5 times I have to say it is brilliant. Bits of Lars Von Trier, Robert Altman, and Mike Leigh surface as its story and images stream across the screen. The cast is tops: Gina McKee is a star in the making. Her performance is haunting. It's almost as if she is not acting and is this character. Her sadness and frustration at dealing with her search for a life mate is painful and absorbing. The beginning shots of her on the streets leaving a blind date behind at a bar gave me goose bumps. The Michael Nyman score is stellar and adds so much to the film. The music swells as the images flash by. But the real star of the film is the city of London. The shots of the people in the pubs and on the streets confirmed that no matter how large the world is and how many occupy its vast space -- we are ultimately alone. It's been years since a movie has invaded my head like this one. What could be seen as a simple story of a family at unrest is so much more. So universal. It's a compelling film.