Oh, Nowhere started off with great intentions... a film trying to make a statement about the end of the world, a statement about the hatred and self-centered living of mankind. This statement was never defined because of the garbage that was presented. If I had to see one more pretty boy and his little prep girlfriend playing tonsil hockey, I would have punched by screen.

The acting in this movie was horrible. The themes were never properly presented. The themes were never good in the first place. The characters were never given more than one dimension. I didn't give a damn about any of them. This movie attempted to be Kubrickish in presenting the horrible possibilities... but, at least Kubrick films are written and acted by members of our society that contain intelligent thought and feeling.

Yes, my word to you... stay clear of Nowhere... all the title does is explain where the plot goes. It's a nonsense piece of crap. Go rent A Clockwork Orange. Now, there's a shocking movie with a clear cut message


Nowhere is a surrealistic piece of video-art. The story makes little sense if any and is far from real. Like everything in the movie is far from real, but rather close to an LSD-trip.

One could say, the lack of message and meaning makes it pretentious and useless, unfortunately some actually did. They came up with different movies and meanings to compare it with, as well as theories. They wonder why the story of the movie has no direction, just as the lives of the main characters. Never considering that 'Nowhere', the pointless movie, was the origin and mother of all those thoughts.

The movie lacks any kind of arrogance, and simplifies things. Of course we would expect some message. Of course we want the story to make more sense than our average life does. Nevertheless, I've enjoyed this movie up to its fullest.

And for those who are still deaf and are wondering when they see people dancing.... 'Nowhere' is about the direction-less kind of life and thinking, people in general, have. They feel their choices are motivated, and logical, just as any of the characters in Nowhere. But like the story, their lives have no special meaning, no deeper context. Just like us people have the arrogance to assume we are different, better and unique than other animals, most movies and books share this same kind of endo-centric thinking. And 'Nowhere' simply makes fun of it.


Nowhere is a great movie about drugs, the party scene, and a group of people, who I might want to add are in *COLLEGE*, not high school. Come on now people, some of the characters portray high school characteristics in their personalities but they are obviously more intelligent than that. It's too bad a movie like this doesn't get higher ratings or more reviews. This movie was well put together, and I was surprised to see so many big names in it compared to the Doom Generation. I think Greg Araki is very talented and has a complex mind in film.. and as you can see by the contents of this film, many other things. It's too bad Dark had to be so f****d in this movie, his girlfriend could have been a little more understanding too his needs :) Anyways, I've seen this movie well over twenty times and I could ramble on about it. Either way I voted this movie a 10, my vote would have been higher if I could vote higher. Thank you for your time :)


The official website for Nowhere parallels it with modern teen-struggle classics such as The Breakfast Club. Nowhere, however, is missing several of these movies' essential qualities. I enjoyed The Breakfast Club because I was able to relate to all of the characters. While they were each deviant in their own way, they all had the maturity to ultimately understand each other and reconcile their differences. The character's lives in Nowhere are entirely directionless. Their thoughts, actions, and speech are never intelligent. I found it insulting that the story is supposed to represent my generation, or at least have me relate to it. Representing "genuine and sincere feelings" does not mean stupid and self-detrimental actions.


Nowhere is an exceptional, wild and trippy ride. Like Terry Gilliam, Araki delivers a fantasy type realm intertwined with our own reality. Yet, just like reality, the movie is chock full of drama, comedy, violence, tenderness, craziness and the unexplained.

With great acting and on-the-mark dialogue, as well as wonderful sets, you should enjoy ninety minutes of Dark's life as well as his platoon of friends.

The sad thing, however, is that the DVD has not been released in North America. Hopefully, this will change sooner than later. VHS copies are still available and the movie has appeared on IFC.


Greg Araki is quite a unique director. Not many gay directors have his edge. Like John Waters and Derek Jarmon, he throws gay stereotypes out the window with an in your face style of directing. Out of Araki's Apocolyptic Teen Trilogy, "Nowhere seems to be the best. It's like a generation X "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", with its bright color sets, crazed sex, drugs and brutal violence. Did I mention, there's also a space alien? The story takes place in L.A. ... We meet a cast of assorted characters; some straight, gay or bisexual. It seems these teens are unhappy, but instead of confronting their problems they indulge in kinky sex and drugs. Besides, it's the end of the world. James Duval plays Dark, a lonely bisexual teen caught up in the madness. All Dark wants is to be loved. Whether it's by a guy or his permissive friend Mel, played by Rachel True. Some people complain about Araki's earlier films not having much character development. Who cares?, "Nowhere is stunning and features an all star cast of celebrities behaving badly. Look for a young Heather Graham and Ryan Phillippe as a horny couple with a fetish for death.


This movie despite all the strange violence, deviant sex, and the sadness of the main character.... i actually feel kinda warm and fuzzy after i watch it. James Duval character Dark is so lovable and so easy to identify with even if you aren't a lonely teenager. I think this movie contains great commentary on todays fast and twisted society. It is genius. Even though it has shocking and sometimes stomach turning scenes, it can still be funny and make you laugh. I think a good movie is about sending you through a wide range of emotions and this movie meets that criteria. My friends and myself have assembled our own cult following for this Gregg Araki trilogy (inculding Doom Generation and Totally F***ed Up). If you like this movie i suggest you watch the other two. For sure this movie isn't for everyone but if you watched it once and hated it for its graphic nature i suggest you watch it again a pay attention to the lessons and social commentary.


Dark (James Duval) and his friends live in an LA with drugs, sex, suicide, murder and such running wild. Dark just wants to find somebody to love and who loves him back--male or female. Oh yeah--there are aliens wandering around too (!!!???) Other than that there's no real plot--just a bunch of teens on drugs and their various adventures. Full of hilarious one liners or lines that make you just howl with laughter. Incredible set design, lighting and directing (check out the wallpapers on various characters' bedrooms). Duval is excellent (and has plenty of casual nude scenes).

Always interesting and very well-acted by a VERY interesting cast. Not as good as "Living End" or "Totally F**ked Up" but well worth seeing. The sequence that ends the film is a laugh riot--unfortunately it's not supposed to be.

SPOILERS IN NEXT PARAGRAPH!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!

One guy is telling another in bed that he loves him and just got back from being kidnapped by aliens (no kidding!) When he came out with "All I thought as I was being put into the space pod, is how much I loved you". I saw it in a theatre and the audience started giggling--me too (for the record, I'm gay). It just was SO stupid...the acting is very good but the lines are horrible. Then he transforms into a giant bug and says "I'm out o' here" and leaves. By the time that came on, me (and the rest of the audience) were in hysterics. What the hell was Araki trying to do with that?

So, a very interesting good film until that really stupid ending. Also it has Ryan Philippee in an early role.


(some spoilers) I saw this annoying and pointless film yesterday after few friends told me it was great. I don't share their view point at all, maybe I didn't understand the message Araki wanted to get through here. It's just non sense and stupid dialogues, and it's just amazing how he could get such a B-cast for such a bad movie. If ever you're compelled to see this trash, press forward to the scene where Elvis runs amuck and smashes time and again a guy's skull with a tin can so that you'll realize how silly this awful flick is. No plot, no acting, no ideas, just a total waste of time. Fortunately it lasts only 1h15 but it seems much longer. Good score though. 1/10 stars


this movie was terrible but in a way that allowed me to see it through to the end. think ed wood. i swear the whole flick was an out of control eye candy piece with little or no substance. the characters were a mess and i really couldn't care less what happened to them, their minds were already deteriorated to the point of no return. pseudo-symbolism at its worst.


I can only imagine the plot from the director's point of view. It did not play out well on film. This movie is one of those which may only affect one of an altered mind, as those on-screen. I also managed to make it through the end. The characters had little or no depth whatsoever. The acting was less than acceptable. Even though there were plenty of big name actors in this pic, it seems they left their talent in their trailers. Surprisingly, the only impact this movie had on me was the televangelist and the subsequent actions to follow. John Ritter's was really the only believable character. Even Donnie Darko's own James Duval (Frank the bunny) was terrible. Makes me wonder...


This movie knocked me off of my feet. It is truly a masterpiece. Incredibly entertaining and will delight anyone with an adventurous spirit. This movie is about souls and emotions and the twisted splendor of the imagination. Although I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who is faint of heart or square. Those who are judgmental will never be able to be open enough to understand and be moved by this amazing film. It is truly one that I will always keep in my collection and never forget what it meant to me when I first watched it. I could watch it a million times and never be bored. It is as great as the person watching it's interpretation of it and willingness to see people and love for what it is, without all the structure and stereotypes that society attaches.


I am of the opinion that it'll take Hollywood (and everyone else for that matter) at least ten years to catch up to what Gregg Araki is doing. His films are the most progressive, challenging, cutting-edge, darkest being made.

Nowhere is one of my favorites. I also love Doom Generation and Mysterious Skin (Splendor isn't bad but it isn't one of my favorites). Nowhere is essentially (for me, anyway) a simple story about high school life among a bunch of kids told through hyperbole. Everything is stretched out, exaggerated, hyper-exposed and drawn out and revealed. It is very much like high school as I remember it. Colors are three times as bright, everyone moves three times as fast. Cars fly everywhere. The music is bright and loud and jarring. There are lots and drugs and drinking. Everyone is constantly going somewhere or coming from someplace. It's a world on the brink of total disaster. And a world that is desperately searching and aching for love and tenderness. Someone else was correct when they said it was like an LSD trip. Video visions of an LSD world.

The basic plot is simple. Four or five different stories involving teens who know each other play themselves out over a 24-hr period, American Graffiti-style. Bart and Cowboy are a queer couple who are also in a band together. Bart's spiraling heroin use threatens their relationship. Egg and Dingbat are nerdy best girl friends. Dingbat is in love with Egg's virginal brother Ducky. Egg has a chance encounter in a cafe with a television idol dreamboat that seems too good to be true and, in fact, is. (encounters in this movie begin innocently and turn nightmarish). Dark is a brooding young video-obsessional (and the film's main character) who wants simplicity in his relationship with girlfriend Mel, a raving hedonist who pursues sex with anyone, including vicious lesbian Lucifer. Dark secretly has thoughts about anxiety-ridden schoolmate Montgomery, who seems to like him back. Mel's younger brother Zero is desperate to impress his girlfriend Zoe, and assures her he knows where the big party all the high schoolers are going to that night (Zero and Zoe seem to be junior high age).

It starts with everyone ditching school and going to a sleazy cafe where there are foreboding whispers of that day being the predestined date of the apocalypse. There's also talk of the big party later. Then everyone goes their separate ways and has adventures (most of which are fairly grim in a cool way). Recurring characters pop in and out - the drug dealer who supplies Bart as well as the two ultra violent S&M girls he pimps (Dark fantasizes over them), a giant scaly alien from outer space with a ray gun who wanders in to blast teenagers from time to time (this also may be the key to the apocalypse talk), and a soapy televangelist with an 800 number who actually becomes the key to the film's "point".

That is another matter. Some will say this film does not have a point. I disagree. The point to this film is in its texture and in the ultimate fates of Bart and Egg. I believe Araki is making a statement about modern kids. I don't believe this is lost among the nihilism either. It also has to do with the song that is played over the end credits.

That is my take/.

I'm not sure what high school was like for everyone else but for me it certainly wasn't anything like 90210 or Gilmore Girls or Dawson's Creek. Not AT ALL. I remember intense fights and disappointments, intense romances. Heartbreak. All of the stuff that is covered in this movie Plus alien abduction!!!!!!!!!!!! What more could you want???


A friend and myself were watching the rented tape.

After starting the tape and watching the trailers of several movies.

We thought, "what a long and confusing trailer this is".

It took us about 15 minutes before we realized we weren't watching the trailer.

The movie already started!

After that, it only got better.

A very nice confusing and hilarious movie. Great characters. Great dialog. Great stupid story.

See it.

Summary We were smoking a lot of home grown herbs at the moment.

But that didn't affect our judgment at all!


I'm extremely critical when it comes to television and there aren't many shows around that I DON'T pan. Survivor happens to be one of them. I can't get enough of this show! For me, it's really more of a game show with a mix of reality, drama and characterisation thrown in. The best part is that fact that these are real everyday people and not actors, who are thrown into a fantasy situation and left to their own devices (most of the time). I also enjoy the way certain characters grow on you and others are repulsed as each season draws closer and closer to the end. For some strange reason I particularly find the contestants more attractive when they're in their natural state and in their element than when they're back in the studio, all "glammed up" and civilised. I wonder if I'm alone in this...

Survivor Cook Islands happens to be my all time favourite at the moment. I don't understand the controversy surrounding the division of teams by racial background. I'm of Asian decent and I loved it! People will always judge and stereotype others by the way they look and this was a perfect means of showing the world how race alone is an unreliable measure of an individual's character. Americans seem to be so sensitive about these issues sometimes. Political-correctness is so ho-hum in this day and age.


Lots of people say that this show is getting really old. I have to disagree. I just love the concept of the show. Vote people out until there's only one person standing. I love it! I want to go on it, but I don't think it'll be around anymore by the time I turn 21. Still, it's a great show. Great competition, likable people (most of the time), and a 1 million dollar prize. This last season (Fiji) was really boring, but I know the show can still stay fresh. It's always really fun to watch, and I always get upset if I miss an episode.

Two of the best things that ever happened to the show were Stephenie LaGrossa and Rupert Boneham. Steph, was easily one of the most competitive people ever on the show, she was likable, and everyone was rooting for her to win in her first season. She also played a great game in her second season. She deserved a million dollars, even though she didn't win. Rupert, easily the most popular contestant the show has ever had, also played a great game both time, and everyone loved him.

Seasons from best to worst (I haven't seen seasons 3-6)

Guatemala- It was really great after the merge, had great players, and Steph and Danni were the best Final 2 ever (I wish they still did the Final 2).

Vanuatu- I don't know why everyone hated this one. It was really good. The whole Chris, Twila, Eliza, and Scout thing was really good. Once Chad got voted out it got a lot better. Although the whole "Twila swore on her son" crap was too much. I couldn't stand how they wouldn't stop talking about that. But I thought that it was really good once they switched up the tribes.

Exile Island- This would probably be ranked higher if Terry (barf) didn't do so well. I hate it when people say that if you win all the challenges then you should win. Survivor is not a physical game. I really liked Aras, Danielle (Red Sox fan!), Cirie, and Sally. Courtney and Shane were annoying, but entertaining.

Pearl Islands- Unpredictables with a capital U. I hated Jonny Fairplay, and Rupert was a little irritating (he was better in All-Stars), but Sandra was great, and Jonny Fairplay still put a great spin on the game.

All-Stars- I thought that the return of all the characters was really good and I hope they do that again. Although there were 2 pointless episodes when Jenna and Sue quit. Rob C should've been around longer. And the whole Boston Rob/Amber thing was really annoying. Raise your hand if you're NOT sick of them.

Cook Islands- from the time where Cao Boi and Cristina got out to where Jonathan got out was great! everything else was just boring. Come on, Ozzy winning everything! lame! Yul was the more deserving one cuz he played a better game. I wish Parvati stayed around longer.

Palau- Steph was awesome and she deserved better. Tom was annoying and so was Ian, and Caryn, and Gregg, and Jenn, and everyone else who wasn't Steph, so but since Tom won everything, it was boring.

Australia- Overrated. I liked Elisabeth, and Alicia looked like a man she was so buff. (not really). Colby was annoying and they had too much crap about "discovering your inner self." But the later seasons were better than the earlier ones.

Fiji- This season never really entranced me like the other ones did. And the Dreamz/Yau Man thing was annoying. After the merge was okay, but this season was really boring.

Borneo- BORING! BORING! BORING! nothing else to say

I LOVE this show, and I could write about it for hours. Every week I can't wait to watch it. I think it only has 2 seasons left, but I still love the show, and enjoy it while it lasts.


This show comes up with interesting locations as fast as the travel channel. It is billed as reality but in actuality it is pure prime time soap opera. It's tries to use exotic locales as a facade to bring people into a phony contest & then proceeds to hook viewers on the contestants soap opera style.

It also borrows from an early CBS game show pioneer- Beat The Clock- by inventing situations for its contestants to try & overcome. Then it rewards the winner money. If they can spice it up with a little interaction between the characters, even better. While the game format is in slow motion versus Beat The Clock- the real accomplishment of this series is to escape reality.

This show has elements of several types of successful past programs. Reality television, hardly, but if your hooked on the contestants, locale or contest, this is your cup of tea. If your not, this entire series is as I say, drivel dripping with gravy. It is another show hiding behind the reality label which is the trend it started in 2000.

It is slick & well produced, so it might last a while yet. After all, so do re-runs of Gilligan's Island, Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies & The Brady Bunch. This just doesn't employ professional actors. The intelligence level is about the same.


This is what started the trend of reality TV shows. And that it was an original as you didn't know what to expect at all. As sixteen, later eighteen or twenty castaways are stranded on an deserted island. And these strangers must learn to work together and put their brains and brawns to the test. Or be voted out if they lose. Borneo was the original one. But the best ones were Australia, Pearl Island, All-Stars, Paulu, and Guatemala. Worst ones were Vanuatu, Fiji, and Thailand, due to less likable cast mates. Host Jeff Probst(Access Hollywood) is a master as host. Being both a friend, "drill sergeant, moderator, big brother" all rolled up into one. Nineteen seasons later, with two seasons a piece per year since 2000. And still strong though not as water-cooler talk as it used to be. But still goes strong placing in the top ten of TV ratings about each and every year!


Yup... that's right, Survivor is the best reality show i've seen till date, and i was quite surprised it didn't feature in this year's Emmy Awards Nominations. I read in one of the above comments that Survivor's odd numbered seasons are usually not that good, i wanna say that i don't agree at all! Coz, Survivor 17: Gabon, was simply awesome... and i'm just starting season 19, i.e. Samoan, and its looking cool as well. The best thing in Survivor is the picturisation, the natural scenery, the diverse cast, and last but not the least Emmy Award winner and this year's nominee for best host : Jeff Barrot...

Its a must watch for all reality show addicts..


A brief summary of the show: 18 castaways are taken to a tropical island in the middle of nowhere and are left there with little more than the clothes on their backs. They are then divided into 2 tribes which compete against each other for "immunity." The losing team has to go to "tribal council" and vote one of their tribe members off the game. When the 2 tribes are downgraded to a combined amount of 10 people, the 2 tribes merge together and they become one new tribe. They then compete for "individual immunity." The person who wins the individual immunity is safe from that night's tribal council. The whole tribe then goes to tribal council and must vote off one of their members. When the tribe only has 2 people left, the "jury" (the tribe members who have been voted off) must choose a member they want to win the $1 million. The one with the most votes wins the $1 million.

Survivor is by far, the best show ever to be created for TV!! At first, I was a little bit reluctant about watching this show. I thought it was just another fake reality show. Man, was I wrong!! This show is now my favorite show on TV right now!! It is exciting, funny at times, and FULL of surprises!! It is a very enjoyable show to watch and I know everyone that will start to watch it will become hooked after a few episodes. That is how it worked for me. I am so glad that I decided to watch it and that I should just try it and see if I liked it or not!! You should too. Just try it!! In summary, Survivor is by far the best reality TV show ever created!! I definitely recommend it!!


How has this piece of crap stayed on TV this long? It's terrible. It makes me want to shoot someone. It's so fake that it is actually worse than a 1940s sci-fi movie. I'd rather have a stroke than watch this nonsense. I remember watching it when it first came out. I thought, hey this could be interesting, then I found out how absolutely, insanely, ridiculously stupid it really was. It was so bad that I actually took out my pocket knife and stuck my hand to the table.

Please people, stop watching this and all other reality shows, they're the trash that is jamming the networks and canceling quality programming that requires some thought to create.


I love survivor its like a horror movie only no one dies. Theres always that question who's next.I do not really think of it that way but that is how my Review is written. Outback was the 1st season i stayed with. Season 2. The first episode premired and after the challenge Kutcha went. This is why that person went.

1. Debb-Well she was an outsider she was a loner off by herself and bossing people around being an enemy with Kimmi. 1st Kucha member

2. Kel, what a scandel Beef Jerkey that was grass. Enough said. 1st Ogakor Member

3. Marilyn-The slow older woman, She couldn't keep up even Tina voted for her. 2nd Ogakor Member

4. Mitchell, Whoa Kucha's 3rd consecutive immunity. He was Jerri's friend so Tina, Keith, and Colby pounced to get him out. 3rd Ogakor member

5. Kimmi-Sob the winning streak is over and my favorie survivor is sent home because of a fight with Alicia. She was voted anonamously. 6-1 2nd Kucha member.

6. Mike-Burned and sent home. Sad 3rd Kucha member

7. Jeff-Kutcha and Ogakor have merged and there is a double 5-5 tie. Jeff has 2 votes Colby has none. Jeffs votes were from Kimmi and Debb. 4th Kutcha member.

8. Alicia-A threat with a big mouth. She was to strong to stay. she is the 5th Kucha member.

9. Jerri-What a B$%^^ she is voted with all but 2 votes agaist her. Good Riddens. 4th Ogakor Member.

10. Nick-Lazy, He should have won immunity. 6th Kutcha member gone.

11. Amber-She was so tired and was voted out because she just followed Keith Tina and Colby. The voted for her. 5th Ogakor Member.

12. Roger-The likable old man. So sad to see him go. 7th Kucha member. Go Elisabeth.

13. Elisabeth-Uh why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Kucha exstinct last member gone.

14. Keith-Gone, I hated him. 6th Ogakor gone. Go Colby

Second-Colby

Winner-Tina-Why Tina! did they mix up the votes and vote who they wanted out. Oh Well.

Possibly the best season of Survivor. 10/10


You do realize that you've been watching the EXACT SAME SHOW for eight years, right? I could understand the initial curiosity of seeing strangers co-exist on an Island, but you'd think that after watching unkempt, stink-ladened heroes run roughshod through the bush with an egg on a spoon for half a decade would be enough to get you to commit to something a little more original (and interesting).

And I'm not even speaking of the shows validity which for the record I find questionable. It's just hard to suspend disbelief for "Bushy Bill" eating a rat when the entire crew of producers and camera people are housed in an air conditioned make-shift bio-dome sipping frosty mochcinno's with moxy.

What's the appeal here? I don't care about these people or their meandering lives. I just don't get it. But if you DO find yourself being captivated by hairy, unwashed people, I suggest you turn off your TV and just take a trip to your local bus station where you can see people like this in their TRUE habitat. They call them HOMELESS PEOPLE, and free of charge, you can sit back and marvel in their uncanny ability to retrieve various cigarette debris from a plethora of garbage canisters, eventually striking "pay-dirt" and fashioning a homemade Dr. Frankenstein-styled cancer-stick, all the while begging people for change for food when the stink of "Aqua Velva" on their breath is enough to suggest otherwise. And the best part? Much like Survivor, every week one member of the tribe "Leaves" the "Island" when they are unceremoniously sent packing to the local Institution when the frightening unmedicated state of full-blown schizophrenia kicks into gear! Now THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!


Great, entertaining show! Love every minute of it. From the 1st season to now, great show! The Seasons were (in order), Borneo, Australian Outback, Africa, Marquesas, Thailand, Amazon, Pearl Islands, All-Stars, Vanuatu, Palau, Guatemala, Panama, Cook Islands, Fiji, China, Micronesia, Gabon, Tocantins, Samoa (didn't air yet) The winner were (in order), Richard Hatch, Tina Wesson, Ethan Zohn, Vecepia Towerly, Brian Heidik, Jenna Morasca, Sandra Diaz-Twine, Amber Brkich, Chris Daughtery, Tom Westman, Danni Boatwright, Aras (something), Yul Kwon, Earl Cole, Todd Zherog, Parvati Shallow, Bob Crowley, J.T. Thomas I hope you enjoyed my comment


I couldn't disagree more with the teenager that watched it for school. This was terrific acting of an episode in history that affects any resident of the world. Well acted by the leading characters, good explanation of the historical context of the situation, and a fascinating portrayal of the differing interests of the three nations involved. I was riveted to it. The stakes involved for each country were enormous beyond belief, and I appreciate that it wasn't trivialized by Hollywood by throwing in love interests, happy endings, and 'awesome' special effects. Rather, it's an editing and re-enactment of actual words, meetings, press releases, etc that nevertheless is very dramatic and straightforward. I have watched this show, and, in addition, the Band of Brothers mini-series, and Patton for a good understanding of the interrelationships, tribulations, and objectives of WW II at the leadership level, the military's level, and at the level of the guy in the trenches. It all makes sense when you put it all together, with each reinforcing the other.

Old movies never die, they just fade away (apologies). Frankly, I don't buy many DVDs, but I will be looking for this one!

Since I first wrote this in 2004, I have just discovered (May 2007) that it was released on DVD back in Feb. ! I'm anxiously awaiting delivery.


Dubbed "Then There Were Giants" on cable, this made-for-tv two part film spends three hours presenting a theatrical digest of the communication which ostensibly took place between FDR, Churchill, and Stalin during WWII. Against a backdrop of file footage and the various sets required for conferences (Teheran, Yalta, etc.), the trio of heads-of-state build complex relationships of diplomacy as they map out plans for D-Day, the UN, and more. Lithgow, Hoskins, and Caine turn in excellent performances in this sterling characterization of the men who occasioned some of the 20th centuries most momentous events. Great stuff for WWII history buffs.


[Warning: Spoilers Ahead.]

This very rarely seen gem is the brainchild of Hoskins, Caine, and other financial sources who thought it a good thing to present the political realities of World War II in the form of a close up drama. The result, if you are lucky enough to find this film is your own private play available in the comfort of your living room. It goes without saying that the cast is spectacular, or should I say the film was spectacularly cast.

Hoskins delivers perhaps the best Churchill as I've ever seen. Audiences might recall that he also portrays another giant of contemporary history, Nikita Krushchev in Jean-Jacques Annaud's, "Enemy at the Gates." Likewise, Caine delivers a poignant and striking "Uncle Joe." As for Lithgow, I am amazed at how much he looks like F.D.R. in makeup, when in real life he looks nothing like Roosevelt. His performance is also excellent. My favorite scene involving Lithgow is when he is receiving very dire news from his allies and they wonder if the U.S.A. can provide just a little more aid per month. Lithgow interrupts the request and deadpans, "double it," invoking the limitless pocketbook of American resources.

Normally, I abhor the use of films as educational tools for high school students. I will make an exception with this film. This is not an action packed, mindlessly scripted, Hollywood explosion fest. On the contrary, this is more akin to watching an Arthur Miller play, with the exception that the script in this one in non-fiction. I do not pretend that a high schooler will walk away from this epic with a complete knowledge of World War II. On the contrary, hopefully he or she will be left with more questions than answers. I do hope they realize that the Allied cause was a full partnership between the Big Three.

This movie rates eight out of ten and should not be missed.


It is good to see this 1994 television miniseries finally come out on DVD. Be prepared for a long evening (the running time for the two discs is three hours 23 minutes) but it is time well invested. WORLD WAR II: WHEN LIONS ROARED is a creative montage of actual film clips from the newsreels shown in theaters at that time together with contemporary filmed drama in script written by David W. Rintels and crafted and directed by Joseph Sargent. This film allows us to revisit history the way it was - with more behind the scenes activity among the great powers than most other films offer.

The roaring lions are very well portrayed by John Lithgow as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Bob Hoskins as Winston Churchill and Michael Caine as Stalin. Each actor steps wholly into his role without resorting to mimicry or simply stage makeup. It is fascinating to see how the USA was a non-intervener at first (a refreshingly different stance form the current aggressor role we have adopted) and how the needs of the planet required global cooperation in the face of Hitler et al. Ed Begley Jr. offers a lot of information about the important figure Harry Hopkins about whom we hear little as does Jan Triska as Vyacheslav Molotav, Stalin's key man.

The compilation of real footage with created footage including the split screen technique to allow the three leaders to interact from their different locations works well. This is one of those historic films that deserves repeated viewing. An excellent production. Grady Harp


Since this just appeared on DVD, I rented a copy and screened it with my wife. She said, "This was taken from a stage play, wasn't it?" Basically, it showed the interactions between FDR, Stalin, and Churchill. But the interactions were "conversational," even though from the screen display the three principals were often actually separated by thousands of miles. The background of battle/newsreel footage probably makes it confusing to younger viewers.

The film conveys a lot of the undercurrents of the relationship between the three men, but it helps to have lived during the war years. It's entertaining for those who have an appreciation of the personalities involved, but it might be confusing for a viewer who's trying to gather historic data.


Keep your children away from this sorry production, lest they be put off WWII history forever.

The three principals are too well known to play the parts in this particular production. Their twisted make-up and sometimes dreary imitations of the famous personages take attention away from the central heart of the story, which is (or should be) the evolving relationships of three countries and leaders.

This IDEA was interesting, but the execution becomes dreary in the long run. It should have been kept to under ninety minutes. Instead of a shorter, punchier piece this becomes a rambling mess.

The idea that this is a proper representation of history can easily be challenged. The newsreel footage does not adequately contextualize the diplomatic exchanges between the three leaders of that war.

For hard core WWII history buffs only.


I'm afraid that I couldn't get past the miscasting of Bob ('Gor Blimey, Guvnor') Hoskins as Churchill and Michael Caine as Stalin. As soon as they appeared the whole credibility of the movie went out of the window for me, I'm afraid. It's one thing to have star names but when their presence distracts attention from the dramatic production itself, you are in trouble. Bob Hoskins has many qualities, but giving a convincing portrayal of Churchill isn't one of them. He looks woeful beside Albert Finney's performance in the HBO/BBC 'The Gathering Storm' or Simon Russell Beale (albeit too young) in the BBC mini-series 'Dunkirk'. Anyone interested in the events portrayed in 'When Lions Roared' should see the superb BBC/US co-production 'World War II: Behind Closed Doors' (2008)instead. This features archive footage, interviews with participants and convincing dramatized reconstructions to tell the story.


as a high school student subjected to watch this film by an extremely intelligent teacher, im ashamed that he would choose this to show to us. it is so boring, so poorly acted, and so poorly filmed admist many a blue-screen and black and white images that don't fit in at all. now i know i sound like a teenager, but i usually like this stuff. this was horrible though. churchill annoyed me to no end and lithgow as f.d.r. was just annoying. stalin, hes a funny man.

"uncle joe" "i think ill leave now"

are you kidding?

1/10


Ursula (Sammi Davis) lives in the English countryside with her happy-go-lucky dad (Christopher Gable), her stoic mom (Glenda Jackson, who played an older Ursula in "Women in Love"), her sister, Gudrun (Glenda McKay), and assorted other Brangwens. The family lives comfortably thanks to the generosity of Uncle Henry (David Hemmings), who owns the local mines. Ursula is introduced to lesbianism by her school's gym instructor (Amanda Donohoe), and is deflowered by a soldier (Paul McGann). She decides to become a teacher, and her family secures for her a position at the local school, where she has difficulty imposing discipline. Despite her strong feelings for her soldier, she refuses to become the wife of a member of the British foreign service, and chooses rather to be a spinster, and to love whom she wants when she wants.

How I miss Ken Russell's extravaganzas! I don't even know whether this picture was released in the U.S. Had I known of it, I would have rushed out to see it. "Women in Love" remains one of my favorite movies of all time.

Ken Russell mixes high emotion with the intellectual stimulation and provides substantial cinematic dynamite. Whereas "Women in Love" has a scene of Ursula vs. the bulls, this film has Ursula running from the wild horses. While "Women in Love" provided a nude wrestling scene between two men, this film has a nude love scene between two women. The scene of the soldier climbing naked up the rocks is an amazing spectacle.

The cinematic rainbow is practically candy-colored--not meant at all to resemble a real rainbow. It provides the opening and closing of the film, as Ursula seeks to go to it. Her father recreates a rainbow out of edible treats, but Ursula does not want the real thing, only the fantasy.

The movie is a treat from beginning to end. It is stimulating in every way--the music is superb, the acting captivating, the visuals stunning. Highly recommended.


I loved this film. I went through a big DH Lawrence phase in my late teens and early 20's, and Ursula and Gudrun from Women In Love and The Rainbow were characters I loved and related to, despite and because of their flaws.

This is a beautifully written and filmed story of a young woman who just wants more than her ugly industrial town has to offer. She is influenced by a couple of unconventional older people in her life. I thought it was a sensual portrait of bisexuality and creative freedom


The Rainbow (1989) was a film Ken Russell made based upon the writings of the legendary Victorian era author D.H. Lawrence, but with a Ken Russell twist. The story is a bout a young woman (Sammi Davis) who wants to live her life but she has to do it during the repressive Victorian age of England. But she meets a mentor (Amanda Donohoe) who shows her the many ways she can escape her button up lifestyle (if only for a few hours at a time). At many times it feels like a stuffy D.H. Lawrence novel (with the occasional highly charged eroticism). Ken Russell gets the chance to show the beauty of Amanda and Sammi in various stages. Too bad it was never released in the United States on D.V.D. If you love Victorian romance films, D.H. Lawrence or the films of Ken Russell then you appreciate more than the average viewer.

Recommended for Ken Russell fans.


This film features two very Strong leads and They were not ashamed to have equality in all things even sex as the men did. Those not familiar with these times a women could be a Married or an old maid. As for work teacher,actress,nurse,novelist,strumpet or Nun were the varied career choices. As for what women had to say well it was re-expression of the views or opinions of the husband or father.( see Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House)

As it is an art film it has some fornication and nudity scenes that some moralists will find pornographic for it is "pleasures of the flesh".

This is a prequel to Women in Love. neat Point,in the story Gudrun Brangwen mothers', Anna Brangwen played is played Glenda Jackson who played Gudrun Brangwen in Women in Love.

So if you like period film get both movies and have a double feature.


Feds is awesome and my absolute favorite comedy. Rebecca Demornay is so cool in this movie, she's pretty and kicks butt at the same time.

Rebecca Demornay and Mary Gross are the only female cadets at the FBI academy, but they team up and show their male colleagues how it's done. The two characters work so well together, it's buddy comedy at it's best.

The movie has got many funny parts, that make you laugh even if you have already seen them a thousand times. Like the scene when Demornay puts the cuffs on her uncooperative arrest-practice partner after sweeping him off his feet. Running gag of the movie is "the kick in the balls" which they also use in a hilarious scene to take out some amateurish muggers.

But rather see it yourself, once you've watched you'll want to see it again.


It may not win any awards as one of the all time greats. However it is a fun movie to watch. Sometimes you don't want a movie that you have to think about. Like I said it makes me laugh!


Feds is great! So much humour and wit mixed with butt-kicking.

The movie really is empowering for any woman who works in a male-dominated field. They really do show many of the guys how to do the job right.

There is also a great showing of support for each other that really helps make the difference.

I wish they would release it to DVD. VHS is really a sad medium for film now. I want to add Feds to my DVD collection.

If you haven't seen Feds, do yourself a favour and rent it if you still own a VCR.


This is one of my five favorite comedy movies.

Mary Gross gives an inspired and hilarious performance as the nerdy, neophyte, near-Fed.

Rebecca De Mornay is perfect as the straight foil for Mary, and Fred Thompson did a much better job of impersonating an FBI instructor than he ever did at impersonating a Senator.

Tony Longo as the sailor in the bar was also outstanding.

It also had a great beat, and was easy to dance to. I give it an 80, Dick.


Affirmative action says there have to be female cadets. Nobody says that the old boys network has to like it.

Mary Gross is a perfectionist with more degrees than a thermometer. However, she's the proverbial 98 lb. weakling. Rebecca DeMornay took a couple of classes at a community college, however, she just got out of the Marine Corps and can kick the butt of anything or anyone that crosses her. Together, they're the ultimate agent, however, they've got to pass separately.

The things they get into, the mistakes they make and the things they do spectacularly (and sometimes accidentally) right will keep you laughing and cheering to the end. Mary Gross getting beyond drunk and coming onto a sailor in a bar is worth it by itself.


Hopefully Feds will be brought to DVD!

Feds is a unique "buddy" comedy. Two women are admitted to the FBI academy on the assumption that they will fail. Academically weak and physically strong Ellie pairs up with academically strong and physically weak Janice for mutual aid. Both have plenty of moxie and come up with unique solutions for overcoming roadblocks.

Casting Rebecca DeMornay as Ellie was genius; soft-spoken Mary Gross is exactly right as Janice. It's refreshing to see two women in these kinds of roles. Has one of the best funny bar-seduction scenes ever. Fred Thompson is the perfect FBI director Bilecki, with a hard-guy manner and that warm southern accent.

Family-friendly despite the bar scene.


Leonard Maltin has this movie perfectly pegged with his 1/2 point rating. Rebecca De Mornay and Fred Thompson are much too good to be associated with a film of this caliber, which did not even come close to being anything comparable to a "Police Academy". Just to even watch the whole film tells you that I certainly did not have anything better to do.


False statements, repeated often enough, can reinforce false impressions. I believe this is what has happened to "Son of Sinbad". As a writer and aficionado of Grecianzed Near-Eastern adventures, I admire the construction of the plot, the dialogue, the characters and the execution of the visually-lovely little gem. I suppose some have fallen in with the maker's jest at Dale Robertson's Oklahoma accent; but in the main, he is charismatic, intelligent and virile in the part of the son of Sinbad, a man who loves adventure even more than he loves women and who is afraid of neither. The film is all but stolen by Vincent Price, essaying another bright comedic part as Omar Khayyam, poet and victim of Sinbad's ill fortune after he is caught leaving the Sultan's harem. Sally Forrest as Amir is lovely and does quite well with her difficult role as palace servant, secret agent, lover and jealous woman. Leon Askin is superb as the vainglorious Sultan, and Mari Blanchard is very good as a long-lost love, as is Jay Novello as the sinister court buffoon. The plot line is a good and straightforward one. The Mongols are threatening the Sultanate; Simon Aristides and his daughter come to court just in time to save Sinbad and Omar from being executed; when the old man is murdered for his secret of Greek fire, the atom bomb of the ancient world, Sinbad is allowed at his suggestion to take Omar with him and try to retrieve the weapon before the Mongol General who stole it can get its secret from Aristides' daughter and deliver it to his Mongol Khan. Enter Amir, and her organization, with whom Sinbad leagues to use the Greek fire in battle and destroy the Mongol general and his army. The satisfying conclusion of the film finds Sinbad second to the Sultan, his allies, female descendants of the forty thieves, as the Sultan's new bodyguards and Amir and Sinbad II united in matrimony. The film features four extended exotic dance numbers, with lovely music by Victor Young, rousing direction by action-film veteran Ted Tetzlaff, and a surprising number of interesting dialogue-rich scenes, some lovely outdoor scenery and some tongue-in-cheek humor at the Sultan's expense. The costumes are delightful, the art direction is colorful and very fine and Larry Germain's hairstylings are a great asset. This film was never intended to shock, as are so many bad recent films. Its maker, Howard Hughes, however, did intend it to violate silly taboos on the exhibition of females in film; the result is a movie than is fun, very attractively photographed and choreographed and a fine entertainment. If it has suffered, it is because those who have spoken most often about it have not seen it nor perhaps considered its many merits as an attractive "entertainment".


Awesome booberama classic from RKO's master breast man, Howard Hughes, this 3D (cup?) extravaganza is a must see for anyone keen for desert showgirl antics and scantily clad harem chases....every stripper and burlesque queen in the greater LA area must have got a gig on this notorious Technicolor romp. In 3D it would have knocked BOTH your eyes out (to paraphrase THE FRENCH LINE's Jane Russell promo). Famous for it's censorship wrangles and delayed release, SON OF SINBAD is like a kids film made for dirty old men..in fact that is exactly what it is......Vincent Price plays the whole thing like he is really Eve Arden.

The corridor of boobs in the last reel must have been a 3D wet dream. Poor old RKO was reduced to being a craftsmanship studio making (now funny) trash by this stage and barely made any films in this period that have lasted because of quality.

Probably only SLIGHTLY SCARLET is their best film of this time; this is at the other end of the scale ....or maybe the gusset of the assembly line.


I just saw "Son Of Sinbad". According to Robert Osborne of TMC(Turner Classic Movies) there were a total of 127 women in this film. It is a girl watchers paradise but, arabian type women with zippers on their costumes and high heels in the dessert! It doesn't get any better than this. When Vincent Price the comic relief, as Omar Khayyam, sells the availability of men to the raiders he literally is on top of what you may call a soap box. This movie could well push the cause of Women's Lib back 50 years. No one but Howard Hughes could have produced a sexest, yet tongue in cheek, film like "Son Of Sinbad". I recommend it for anyone who wants to laugh out loud at the antics and Vincent Price's double takes. He is "Priceless". The film was originally made in 1953. Due to the risque costumes of the women Hughes held up the release in order to cash in on the publicity. Also, according to Mr. Osborne, the film was made in, that Edsel of film processes, 3D but release in regular format in 1955 after the hipe died along with those awful glasses! See it. I couldn't stop laughing.


Son Of Sinbad is a film that follows the old studio rule that when you have an expensive picture and build an expensive set, get some use out of it. Any film fan will readily recognize the sets that were used in the RKO classic Sinbad The Sailor that starred Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Maureen O'Hara.

Fairbanks had the style and dash to play the scimitar wielding Sinbad, ladies man and teller of tall tales. I suspect Sinbad also told a lot of tales about the women as well as the voyages in his life. But here we get poor Dale Robertson who must look back on this film with no amount of horror. But as he was working for Howard Hughes I'm sure that Robertson did not have to worry his paycheck wouldn't clear.

In the Citadel film series book, the Films of Vincent Price both Price and Sally Forrest who played one of the many women in the cast both looked back with amusement on the whole thing. Price acknowledged that he hammed up his part of Omar Khayyam to the hilt. The role did give the classically trained actor a chance to speak Omar's immortal lines for the screen.

The plot if you can call it involves Sinbad and Omar Khayyam teaming up to save the Caliph Leon Askin from the invading Mongol hordes of Tamerlane. They also manage if you can believe to bring Aladdin's magic lamp and the Amazonian descendants of Ali Baba's Forty Thieves. This is an errand for their lives because Askin already has Robertson and Price under a death sentence for some harem indiscretions.

All this was an excuse for Howard Hughes to put in as many opportunities as he could to bring in as much leg and cleavage as he could pack on the screen at one time. At the drop of a gold dinar a harem dance number will occur, too bad the silly plot had to get in the way.

The film was shot in 1953 and waited two years for release, something not unheard of in the RKO years of Howard Hughes. It awaited approval of the Legion of Decency which controlled the censorship of films. Hughes apparently had to cut some of the more revealing scenes before inflicting this on the general public.

Son Of Sinbad gets as high a rating as it does for the sheer campiness of the film. Don't give this film one serious moment of viewing if you choose to watch it. Apparently the players didn't.


The only thing that saves this horrendous flick is Vincent Price! Otherwise, it's a festival of half-clad dancing girls wearing triple "D" costumes and one of the lamest, most stupid plot lines I've watched in decades! Although I'm an avid Belly Dancer and enjoy watching such "z" grade "fluff" films just to get ideas for dancing, these Terpsichorean attempts hover just this side of burlesque; one of the "daughters of the 40 thieves" even performs a pole dance for Sinbad! I read somewhere that the famed Lilly St. Cyr (yes! the one mentioned so worshipfully in Rocky Horror) designed the costumes. If that's true, then it's no surprise that these women look like stripper rejects.


Guaranteed to make you feel like a dirty old man (if you aren't one already, and I'm NOT) - "Son Of Sinbad" is nothing but an excuse to ogle a bunch of scantily clad harem girls.

The plot (such as it is) pauses frequently to allow another bimbo to wiggle her hips in an unnecessarily long dance sequence. The most ludicrous example being near the end of the movie, when one of the Good Guys thinks they won't have time to perform the spell which would defeat the Bad Guys. Well, gee, maybe you would've had more time if you hadn't just sat around for the last 10 minutes watching an Arabian Pole Dance!

Most offensive however, is the speech Vincent Price delivers, wherein he convinces a certain group of women to give up their independent lifestyle so they can "love" men and bear their children instead! Still, Vincent Price is the only saving grace here (and the only reason I tuned in). His droll line delivery elevates the far-from-clever script.

Needless to say, nobody else in this stinker was hired for their acting abilities. For instance, when one of the girls loses someone dear to her and finds herself in danger (I'm being cryptic so I don't "spoil" the "story" for you - Ha!), the "actress" displays no grief or fear as anyone would in her situation. Instead she pouts like a pampered floozy who didn't get the fur coat her sugar daddy promised her.

Howard Hughes was notorious for stashing away lotsa women for his own personal harem. So it's no surprise that he produced this crapfest of a film. What is surprising, is that Vincent Price agreed to be a part of something so beneath his talents, and so very sexist. And don't tell me that *he* was a dirty old man too, 'cause I really don't want to know. Let me retain a little faith in humanity, 'kay?


This television movie about an underground Princeton porn club had potential. It was better than I thought it would be. Yes, it didn't go beyond the Animal House level of complexity, but it actually tried to deal with the material using a small measure of intelligence.

Not enough though. I was disappointed that every time the movie introduced an interesting plot thread which would have made the movie about more than just "liberated students vs. stifling university dean" it was dropped by the next commercial because serious thought would have interfered with the party atmosphere the movie tried to foster.


Now I admit that the acting was a bit shoddy, but I believe that overall it wasn't that bad for a no-name cast. Also the soundtrack to the movie was very good. I mean, opening up the movie with "Strange disease" by Prozzak? That was not only great, that was also very fitting to the movie. And I never thought that I would live to see a movie where the song "Magic Chicken!" by the Aquabats would be fitting.

The movie was funny. Very good for a made for TV movie, I just wish that I could get it on tape so that I could force all of my friends to watch it.


This film is a great comedy, and full of not only entertaining humor, but also insight into the true nature of human... we're all horny beasts. Not only that, but it is a great date movie, especially if you and your mate are "pollymorphously perverse."


I must say, first and foremost, the casting for this movie is superb. All of the actors in this film had chemistry with the camera and with the audience. The main 5 could not have been played by better people, magical. Film technique was a little weary, but for a cherry popper, it is just fine. Some wobbly handheld shots is all I am complaining about, but what are you going to do for a handheld? Comedy central should and will (via myself) receive great feedback from the viewing community on this one. I myself feel very privileged to have viewed such a to the point and believable movie. I myself, who am a college student, agree with every statement and every act that occurred on this campus. It is all very true, and as much as I would like to say, right down to the porno on campus. KUDOS to all of you at comedy central! SEE THIS MOVIE!!


Disney has been making what they call "original" movies now for some time. Seems like the craze has caught on. Now Comedy Central, that place we all go to find old SNL reruns, has made a movie. You would think it be funny. I mean, COMEDY CENTRAL making a movie. I thought wrong. Its really pretty boring. Its about a college student who starts a porn club and the problems he has trouble keeping it going. Its not really funny at all. Ide recommend only watching it if there's nothing else on otherwise go rent something.


Now, the previews made this look like a very interesting movie, a bit raunchy, and a bit sexy, but all in all, it sucked out loud. I did not laugh, nor did i crack a smile. Comedy central is my favorite channel, but they did not suceed in making a origial movie, and i question my loyalty to this channel. If you want raunchy, hilarious fun, then i would suggest you watch the man show, which airs a new episode every sunday at 10. 1/10


I mean seriously this movie is so unfunny and that it tries but it can't seem to land a funny joke the only people who say that this is funny like jenny mccarthys movie but seriously it sucks just that it does not even try to crack a decent joke it fails when it delivers and becomes lame as hell I wish that pornstars were funny but they aren't and putting a bunch of low rate actors who are not even good. THis movie is the worst comedy I have seen except for dirty love now that was worse but this movie goes right along with it and jenna jameson is not good at comedy she should stick to being in porn because it does not take much acting skills. All I can tell you is that it is not worth your time at all watch something better.


Great music, yes, okay there was something good about this movie. Okay, fine, thinking about it, i'll admit one more thing: What's Her Name was great, the redhead Goethals Bridge, black bra chick. Yummy! Other than that THIS MOVIE WAS HORRIBLE. Were those dorms those kids were living in? Seniors and they live in dorms? In my world we call those people LOSERS! Also in my world this movie was not that funny, it really had very few laughs in it. I'm gonna overlook the celebration of pornography and disco, make no comment on the pot smoking, but when it comes to the promotion of homosexuality, well, that's where I puke. This movie had been humming along at a lame pace and finished on a slightly more upbeat lame pace but there around the middle was the deciding factor, what turned this from *maybe* a D or D- movie into a 1 out of 10, a pure Grade F movie: the acceptance of a man kissing another man. AHHHHHHHHH no no no no no no that should not be. F F F F F F F. F for Forget this movie. F for Find all copies of this and burn them. F for Freakin' sick. Wait. One more thing that was good about this movie: the fact that it's now over and I can get on with my life. Unfortunately I'll probably have a nightmare tonight after watching this but I'll recover... I hope.


Double Dragon is commonly referred to as the first side-scrolling beat-em-up. It's not, there were a couple of minor hits before it, but it sure is the best that has ever dominated our arcades.

Back in 1987 me and my uncle spent a fortune on this game and it took us about 40 million credits to get to the end. It was almost as exhausting as actually beating up hundreds of thugs. You'd hammer the buttons so hard that by the time the game had ended, you're arm would be tripled in size and you'd be sweating like crazy. And I was only 7-years-old at the time!

Despite the games that followed which were classics in their own right (Streets of Rage, Final Fight) none really ever matched up to Double Dragon. When playing as 2 players, this game is absolutely lethal. By the time I was 12 I managed to finish it with a single credit. That's how sad I am. Or is it because the game is so good?

But it ain't just it's high playability that makes it so good. The cartoonish graphics have just enough color and Manga to make them almost iconic. And the music? It's amazing! When I was 7 I'd be humming this at school or while I was walking down the road. Even 19 years later it hasn't dated a bit and still sounds brilliant. So many themes, so many melodies and so bloody cool.

Double Dragon was also released on practically every home platform (don't get me started on the awful C64 version) but none of them, not even the recent Gameboy Advance version, really ever matched up to the awesomeness of the arcade machine. If you see this game, do not hesitate to spend all of your hard-earned pennies on it. It's well worth it.

Graphics A Sound A+ Gameplay A+ Lasting Appeal A


Rated E(Contains Violence)

Released in 1988 Double Dragon is one of the first side-scrolling beat-em up fighting games.Sort of like Final Fight.In my opinion this is one of the best games released for the NES.For 1988 it was almost flawless.

The graphics were fairly good for its time and the gameplay was fun and simple.Double Dragon is a nice fun fighting game.You can fight using your fists and legs or you could use various weapons that you can find.This is one of the first of many side-scrolling fighting games to come.Double Dragon is a fun and good NES game.One of the best NES games in my opinion.

9/10


Director Bob Fosse hasn't achieved an immense degree of recognition, but his movies have a distinctive flavour. He seems to have an obsession with the world of music-hall, which is felt in other movies like "Sweet Charity" and "All that Jazz". In his other movies though, musical performances tend to steal the show almost entirely. "Cabaret" is an exception because it has an interesting background and storyline, and the music-hall performances are cleverly used here to illustrate and emphasize the plot. They play about the same role as the Chorus in ancient Greek play.

Of course, the depiction of Cabaret's "Kit Kat Club" deserves attention all by itself. It is not surprising that a cabaret buff such as Bob Fosse took interest in the Weimar Republic period in Germany, when "divine decadence " was the name of the game. Only Bob Fosse could recreate with such consumed application the grotesque sleaze of Berlin's lowlife during the rise of Nazism, a context which served as inspiration for expressionist painters, and for Brecht's "Threepenny Opera". During the credits, check out a woman in the public with short hair and glasses smoking a cigarette (something quite dodgy in 1931!). It is the exact reproduction of a famous painting by Otto Dix.

An outrageously grinning clown (Joel Grey) introduces every cabaret number. The girls appear in all possible contorted postures keeping deadpan faces. The Kit Kat club reminds of a roman arena, where the public is out for anything insane (even women fights in the mud...). To give an idea of what sort of den the club is, Michael York finds himself at one point standing next to a transvestite in a men's urinal...The cabaret performances get all the more provocative as the plot gets tense. The club is an essentially immoral place where anything is for sale, and it adapts shamelessly to the radical political changes coming up.

Liza Minelli's character is totally at home in such surroundings. Her persona is perfectly sketched in her song "Bye Bye Mein Herr". She is the incarnation of the vamp, both heartless and ingenuous, the sort of lethal woman who drives men crazy and then gives them up like toys. Indeed, a very typical stereotype of the interwar period, think of Marlene Dietrich in "the Blue Angel"...Minelli's performance onstage with garter belts and a bowler hat still looks elegantly naughty today.

Though, the real nature of her character is well studied as soon as she gets offstage. While Minelli can't help being extravagant all the time, she turns out to be a fragile woman neglected by her father, and in demand of constant and renewed attention. As predicted in her song, she proves basically unable to engage in any serious relationship, despite her involvement with Michael York ( "And though I used to care, I need the open air, you'd every cause to doubt me Mein Herr").

The script was based a story by British writer Christopher Isherwood, called "A Goodbye to Berlin", based on his own personal memories. He is allegedly the character played by Michael York. A serious upper class young man, he meets Liza Minelli out of blind chance, while looking for an apartment to share. She introduces him to all sorts of people, from riff-raff to aristocracy, including a gigolo, a Jewish heiress, and an ambiguous baron who dismisses them both after having "played" with the two of them.

Michael York's sober performance looks a bit pale as opposed to histrionic Liza Minelli, but of course, that was necessary in order to stress the essential difference between those two strangers. The movie ends as they part on a railway platform, but one can guess their experience together will have changed them both, as as far as he is concerned, was a definite coming of age.

One of the scenes, in the middle of the movie, is quite disturbing. At a countryside inn, a young S.A man sings a song called "Tomorrow belongs to me", which starts out nostalgic but gradually turns into an infectious Nazi march as the whole crowd joins him. This unexpected number seems to have embarrassed many viewers. If Nazism had presented itself as pure evil, would it have met any success? This daring scene makes evident that it was for many Germans of the time the symbol of positive values : beauty, tradition, order, pride, future. If you didn't know how things turned out, would you not have been tempted to sing along this powerful hymn to the fatherland as you watch this? Good question to ask oneself even, or especially, nowadays...


On a historical level, a personal-story level, and as pure entertainment "Cabaret" works perfectly. The scene is Berlin, Germany, only two years before Hitler would come to total power. It is the Berlin that Christopher Isherwood lived in and wrote about: poverty, drug and alcohol escapism, criminals, sleazebags, fighting in the streets, venereal disease, the prostitution of both sexes, the desperation to escape through the film industry, the temporary escape from the harshness of life in "naughty" nightclubs like The Kit Kat Club, which encapsulates it all. It's a bad scene, and a good example of, perhaps, why so many Germans felt in need of a Hitler. There's not a single verbal reference to Hitler, and yet the presence of the growing Nazi movement all around these decadent misfits is ever present in this film. But you can't blame any of these apolitical people for that. Liza Minelli and Michael York's characters are so needy, so desperate just to find some personal happiness in life. They can't be bothered with what's going on in the bigger picture. Except for the Master Of Ceremonies at the Club: Joel Grey's character is a semi-supernatural all-seeing character, mocking, seeming to somehow know EXACTLY the further destruction Germany's headed for. His scary all-knowing grinning face pops in regularly to remind us. The musical number "Tomorrow Belongs To Me" is so effective an illustration of the appeal this new Nazi hope held for impoverished suffering Germans, and yet we have The Master Of Ceremonies' evil nodding grin to remind us, in retrospect, what it really led to.Just as every musical number (aside from being so beautifully choreographed and presented) reminds us of the desperation in Sally Bowles' life and in most of Germany. "Money Makes The World Go Around" is a perfect musical number, and so illustrative of the horrendous financial state of Germany at the time. Joel Grey's raunchy "Two Ladies" on the Kit Kat stage to the hysterical delight of the decadent crowd reminds us that all sexual propriety has broken down (including in the lives of the main characters, now involved in a threeway with one of the few Germans who still has some wealth intact). Everyone who wants an example of the artistic heights that film can reach should see "Cabaret".


I have a very hard time picking a favorite, favorite film, but if forced to create a Top 10 List, this film would be there. Yes, Liza Minnelli CAN act , and brilliantly. The songs are wonderful and funny, the narrative is brilliant and dark. Those who typically don't like musicals might enjoy this, as there are none of those cheesy "I feel a song coming on" moments - - all of the music is confined to the stage of the Kit Kat Klub. Michael York's role is often overshadowed by Minnelli's brassy Sally Bowles, but his work is equally strong. A+.


I really wanted to see this movie after I bought the soundtrack for the Broadway revival version of the Cabaret musical this summer. So I bought the DVD and at first I was a little disappointed.Not by the movie really,but by the fact that not all the songs from the Broadway show were in the film.I really love that soundtrack so it mattered to me a lot.

Well by now I have really gotten over it.It doesn't matter anymore because the film works so well without the other songs,I feel it has everything essential from the stage version,which I have never even seen btw,yet anyway.

This is not your typical musical.It is made in a very realistic way,so there is no sudden singing like normally in musicals.Almost all the songs are performed in the Kit Kat club and they add to the seedy atmosphere there.Thinking about it now this was a good choice.It allows you to really focus on the characters and their development...as a realistic drama Cabaret is wonderful.

The actors are very good.I never cared much for Liza Minelli before but in this film she gives the perfect performance.Being very believable as Sally,who goes through so many things but still,in the end,decides to continue like before. "Life is a Cabaret old chum..."

Michael Yorke and Joel Grey are also very good.I have a thing for Alan Cumming from the Broadway version as the MC,he seemed so sleazy it was amazing,but I have to admit that Joel Grey was excellent in the movie.He was all together funny and creepy and I don't wonder why he got the Oscar from this role.

Cabaret deals a lot with the Nazis coming into power in Germany in the early 1930's,even though it looks like a secondary theme in the movie.The closing shot is off a room full of Nazis shown through a mirror.It leaves no questions about the future of Germany.I haven't seen that many films dealing with pre nazi Germany before and I thought this one did it quite well.

So Cabaret is basically not "just" a musical.It has some darker themes about society,as well as showing us what the night life,and life in general,in poor Germany after the first World War just before Hitler came to power was like.And yes it also has wonderful musical scenes,good acting and is definitely worth the time to check out if these things interest you!!

9 out of 10.

"So, life is disappointing? Forget it! In here, life is beautiful. The girls are beautiful. Even the orchestra is beautiful."


'Cabaret' is a dazzling combination of music, drama, and social commentary...

'Cabaret' is more than a musical... It is tough, satirical, acrid, and provoking... None of the sweetness of Rodgers and Hammerstein, none of the joyous celebration of life of 'The Sound of Music.'

'Cabaret' is an exciting place for music...

'Cabaret' is the first musical to exploit the notion that life is fascinating because it is ambiguous...

'Cabaret' uses music in an exciting new way... His characters do not disintegrate into song to express their emotions... Rather, a sleazy night club becomes a place where satirical comment on the lives and problems of these characters is made in striking, entertaining, and often in ferocious dances and songs...

'Cabaret' is only one of three major elements that remains separate in the film and then gradually and inexorably become melted into one... These elements are the music of the cabaret, the lives of the principal characters, and the world outside of their narrow domain...

Director Bob Fosse captures the atmosphere and turmoil of the time and place, just before Hitler's rise to power, presenting a multifaceted portrait of a hedonistic, increasingly dangerous society, in which every brushstroke is significant and influential...

The cast, headed by Liza Minnelli as an American cabaret star and Michael York as the shy Englishman suffering with the fact that he "doesn't like girls," perfectly embodied the characters caught up in the currents of the tale...

The film begins with an amorphous view of Berlin's Kit Kat Club in 1930s Germany, and as the view becomes clearer, we meet the nightclub's depraved customers and its host, the charming painted emcee, who sings 'Willkommen' as the cabaret's girls play their musical instruments... At this moment, the Kit Kat Club shows a world unconcerned with events... Sally is a citizen of this world, deliberately shocking, cheerfully promiscuous, a lost child masquerading as a seductive woman...

Away from the nightclub, Sally plays the leading role in a fantasy of her own imagination... Speaking almost entirely in emotional hyperbole, she regards herself as 'a strange and extraordinary person'... She takes Brian under her wing and one day introduces him to Helmut Griem, a rich, suave, divinely sexy baron with whom they both have affairs...

Everyone becomes part of her free world: an unseen father who is indifferent to her; and Marisa Berenson, a young serious Jewish department-store heiress who is feverishly courted by an opportunistic, a fortune hunter, called Fritz Wendel (Fritz Wepper)..

At first Sally's insulated life bears little relation to the events propelling Germany toward its bleak destiny... Gradually, however, the cabaret becomes more threatening; the Master of Ceremonies provides the historical and social themes throughout his songs.. (he and Sally sing 'Money makes the world go 'round').. Later he sings a stimulating 'Two Ladies' about the joys of a ménage à trois.. He even dances with a girl in a gorilla costume, singing 'If You Could See Her' adding in a confidential whisper, 'If you could see her through my eyes, she wouldn't look Jewish at all!"

Only once does the film leave the nightclub for a musical number in an outdoor café, and then it is for one of the film's most haunting scenes, where a young boy begins to sing 'Tomorrow Belongs To Me'.. While Fosse's camera pans down to reveal his sinister insignia... started to sing along with patriotic passion... It is a sequence of frightening beauty, made even more memorable by several quick shots of an elderly man, silently sitting on a table.. disapproving the song...

When the pathetic Master of Ceremonies tells us once again that 'life is beautiful' and the Kit Kat Girls break into a reprise of 'Willkommen,' the irony is devastating... The final shot of the growing of Nazis in the audience reinforces the menace of the political horrors, and turns the cabaret into a daring place of diverting escapism...

As Sally, Liza Minnelli is entirely a creature of cabaret... She sings the title song in a number of stunning effectiveness... The song sums up the film's sardonic view... Minnelli is required to go from a girl of easy virtue proclaiming that 'certain cigarettes make her go wildly sensual' to a helpless person sobbing 'Maybe I am.. just nothing!' --- but she manages to control the connections of mood with style and sensitivity... In one song, 'Maybe This Time', she is too close to her mother Judy Garland.. as the two possess a similar intensity, warm vibrato, the blend of pathos and humor, and an over-eagerness to communicate with their audiences...

'Cabaret' is not unforgettable... It is great entertainment, a daring piece of diverting escapism that hopefully will revitalize a tired form...


1973 was a very good year for legendary director/choreographer Bob Fosse. He won an Emmy for directing and choreographing the television special LIZA WITH A Z, he won a Tony for directing the Broadway musical PIPPIN, and blindsided Francis Ford Copolla by winning an Oscar for Best Director for CABARET, the dazzling 1972 film version, which is Fosse's re-thinking of the 1966 Broadway musical. The stage and screen versions are quite different and as independent works, they stand on their own as outstanding achievements and it is not necessary to have seen the play to appreciate the movie. The main focal point of Fosse's re-thinking of the musical is that he wanted it to be a more "realistic" musical and therefore made sure that all of the musical numbers (with the exception of "Tomorrow Belongs to Me")all took place within the walls of the Kit Kat Club. He cut several numbers from the original score, but if you listen, some of them can be heard as background music in several scenes. He also shifted the focus of the way the story is told...the play tells the story from the leading man's point of view, but Fosse switches the focus to the character of Sally Bowles, the brassy, sassy party girl who believes in "divine decadence' and wears bright green fingernail polish. Fosse also takes two secondary characters from the play, who are older, and makes them young and attractive in order to make their story more youth-friendly, I imagine. Liza Minnelli turns in a dazzling Oscar-winning performance as Sally, a gutsy, self-absorbed party girl who shows signs of vulnerability and a desperate need to be loved. Minnelli makes the most of her musical and non-musical moments in the film...her climactic confrontation with Brian (Michael York)is brilliantly performed. York is charming and sexy as Brian and Joel Grey's Oscar winning turn as the Master of Ceremonies is a delight. The musical numbers are all brilliantly staged and performed, from the opening number "Willkomenn" to the new "Money" song performed by Minnelli and Grey, to "Maybe this Time", the ballad belted out by Minnelli onstage in the empty club. Fosse cleverly counterparts the musical numbers with the realities of what is going on in Nazi Occupied 1931 Berlin with sometimes startling effect. "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" still gives me goosebumps every time I watch the film. This film ruled at the '73 Oscars, winning eight awards in all (it lost Best Picture to THE GODFATHER)and deserved every accolade it received. A sparkling, eye-popping, thought-provoking, haunting film experience that should be savored over and over again.


This landmark masterpiece defies strict classification. It is one of a few movies which defines cinema. It's undefinable as a genre because it works as a musical, as drama, as a comedy, as a war movie, as a social satire, as a historical epic, as a masterpiece of cinematic choreography, AND THE LIST GOES ON. Interestingly, it is over powering not only as a film, but as an original Broadway musical, a novel, a play, and most recently as a revamped musical which incorporates the new songs and choreography created especially for the film into the original show. And the Tony and other awards from other media keep pouring in. The new DVD version is a must. This is the movie that in a very tight Oscar race year (like 1939 with Gone with the Wind, etc.), won NINE Academy Awards. And that against the Godfather! (Part I, just for starters.) The late Bob Fosse did score a major coup by winning the Best Director Award over the favored legendary Director of the Godfather. Fosse's delegacy lives on...on film, and on stage right now in London, Berlin, and New York where the CABARET revival, did I mention CHICAGO?, and FOSSE, the musical- based on his life- including a piece from the movie of Cabaret continue to dazzle new generations. The DVD is a knock out too. Truly one of the best, a cliche often said. THIS CLAIM, however, IS A FACT.


The movie is perfect. You will enjoy the bright play of brightest actors as well as tunes that have become classical. In any moment you can pause a movie and get a picture that you'd want to hang up on the wall in your house - so beautiful the movie is. If you can play any musical instrument, you will definitely try playing tunes from Cabaret. But the film has more than that : it also shows how Germany was slowly but inevitably turning to fascism. You feel scary when you listen to a song "Tomorrow belongs to me" and see that the boy singing the song wears the Nazi emblem on his shoulder. It gives you this sort of "I-know-what-will-be-in-the-end" feeling you have when you see newspapers and videos made years ago - yet it reveals some sides you didn't know about.

Cabaret is a very deep movie. There are lots of details in the movie - brightly exposed to us by an excellent cameraman - which create a second, historical storyline which you start to understand only after you watch the movie for a while. Cabaret is the kind of movie you'd want to see several times.


It's a strongest film I know. Every time I watch it, it bewilders me so I can't turn my eyes away from the screen, even though I remember all what happens by heart. It fills me with a strange mixed feeling of interest-sympathy-admiration-disgust-and-horror. One of the reviewers here called this film depressing, and I inclined to agree. Any picture of Berlin in 1931 must be depressing and frightening. But, on the other hand, there is an atmosphere of desperate reckless joy in the movie. When the entire world goes mad and speeds to a catastrophe, life is a cabaret! Do what you can, come hear the music play, don't permit some prophet of doom wipe every smile away, and end as the happiest corpse! It's one idea. There is also another, more humanistic: live and let live. Brian fails to understand Sally, so they fall apart. Fritz for the sake of his love faces the danger of admitting that he is Jew in Germany. There is no hope for him and Natalia in this country in this time. But he couldn't do otherwise. There are plenty of other ideas too: about money, politics, corruption, perverseness, decadence, stupidity of middle classes, talent, success, etc. The story is very simple and incredibly complicated in the same time. No use retelling it. It must be seen. It's life as it was in 1931 and in many ways as it is nowadays. I suppose that Cabaret would be a great film even without any musical numbers, but with them it is a masterpiece. They say that history repeats itself, for the first time as a tragedy, for the second time as a farce. Well, I would say that in Cabaret every event repeats itself for the first time as a human drama in life and for the second time as a farce on the stage, but it would not be exactly true. Life and farce are shown synchronically or farce even go in advance. But every staged number in divinely decadency Kit Kat Klub ruthlessly shows the naked truth of life. (Only Mein Herr and Maybe This Time have more to do with the character of Sally Bowles.) And of course, Tomorrow Belongs To Me must be mentioned separately. The way of German people towards fascism is presented in one startling scene. And in finale too. That distorted reflection of the audience full of Nazi, accompanied by a tense silence after Master's of Ceremonies Aufwiedershen' is horrible. The movie due half of its unforgettable effect to the masterful camera shots. Actors' works are absolutely fantastical. Surely, Master Of Ceremonies is Joel Grey star role. He is amazing as that demonic shameless figure that seems to know everything, understand everything and deride everything. Liza Minnelli shines in every scene, acting, speaking, singing and dancing. I know few performances equally true, strong, brilliant and stylish as hers as Sally Bowles. Michael York is excellent as well, though he is often underestimated. It's only his character who is reserved, intelligent and avoids show-off. And he is perfectly British. I really admire York's acting in the movie. There are also beautiful Marisa Berenson as noble Natalia, Fritz Wepper very believable as tormented Fritz, repulsively attractive Helmut Griem as the rich scoundrel Maximilian and picturesque supporting cast. John's Kander's music is wonderful and haunting.

Shortly, Cabaret is a work of a genius, or it would be better to say of geniuses: Bob Fosse and the crew and the cast. And it's flawless.


Pre-Nazi Germany is a hotbed of escalating tensions, but decadent nightclub performer Sally Bowles is oblivious to the encroaching horrors. If you know a little about Liza Minnelli and you're curious, "Cabaret" should make you a fan; if you're not interested or just don't like her, "Cabaret" probably isn't the movie for you. Liza is the heart, soul, and centerpiece of the picture; when she's on-screen, everybody else is irrelevant. Movie-fans still discuss whether Liza was actually acting the role of Sally Bowles or just being herself (her Oscar-win still draws debates--Diana Ross in "Lady Sings The Blues" is oft-times described as 'robbed' for the Best Actress statue). Indeed, time has proved that Minnelli had a whole lot in common with Sally, the parallels are even echoed in much of the dialogue, but this part utilizes her entire range (sarcastic sass, vulnerable imp, high-powered musical presence) and she's fabulous. She doesn't do anything small, even her quiet moments are extraordinary. Her final speech to Michael York ("How soon would it be before we started hating each other?") is a knockout, as good as any of her musical numbers, and when he lashes out in anger, she sighs, "If you wanna hit me, why don't'cha just hit me?" She can be fragile and wounded, but it's in her spirit to get right back up and perform. The film is a burlesque nightmare, amazingly directed and photographed, filled with great actors and songs and a deadly-serious finale. It's a classic. **** from ****


"Cabaret" boasted big songs, big ideas, and big actors  yet it felt long, dull, and convoluted to say the least. Edging on the historical, but focusing mainly on a squabble of young love, the muddled themes of originality, independence, and sexual revolution seemed to take backstage for overacting, choppy editing, and a twisty story that begs for more but desires nothing. In the Oscar world of "The Godfather" vs. "Cabaret", the obvious winner is Coppola's film  but how did "Cabaret" even get in the running? As it took me nearly three viewings to conquer this behemoth, one has to question the 1972 value, and whether this musical stands up next to the others nearly 40 years later. In this reviewer's opinion, it is an obvious "no", but arguments will apparently follow.

If discussing this film around the cinematic water cooler, there would be no doubt Joel Grey would be discussed. His portrayal, as small as it was, as the infamous Master of Ceremonies has yet to be repeated in any film to date. In various moments "Cabaret" felt like it was directed by Terry Gilliam, complete with the flash and darkness subsequent in his features. Joel Grey brought it to the table, and will forever be a frightening, yet influential image in my mind. He made the nearly 2-hours redeemable. The excitement in his swagger coupled with his level of pizazz completely overshadowed his co-star Minnelli whenever the two shared the screen. His performance alone, the transformation itself, is what made "Cabaret" worth a view. It was he and Minnelli's duet of "Money Makes the World Go Round" that saved this film from utter obliteration. It was reminiscent of a modern day "Moulin Rouge", but it was the surrounding story  without surrounding characters  that caused the pain known as "Cabaret". One must also applaud Bob Fosse for his direction, for without him, these dark scene filmed with Grey would have just been as bland as the story. Fosse took this flimsy story of three characters that we are emotionally void for, and pulled in some great song and dance numbers to buffer the pain that was sure to follow. His work on "Lenny" was outstanding, and while this didn't speak as greatly, you could see his influences on the script and final edit.

To bookend the positive, one must also ask "Where did 'Cabaret' fail?" Without wasting pages of words, "Cabaret" failed because of the sloppy editing, the poorly developed historical slant, and due to the massive disappointment from the actors. This could have been a memorable song-and-dance rooted with historical symbolism-esquire film, but instead fell flat thanks mainly to the horrible nature of Liza Minnelli. Her flat voice matched well with her disassociated character, which carried no emotion, flaunted no values, yet tried to win our heart. She sang decently, but I just couldn't stand behind her as a central focus. Her entire relationship with Michael York is flippant. Does she love him? Does she love money? What is her true background? What does she want from life? Mix these unanswered questions with the uncomfortable hint of sexuality between York and Minnelli, and you have nearly 90% of this movie. From Minnelli's undefined character, to the passive aggressive York duel-jobbing as both language educator and African safari supporter, there just isn't a character you can stand behind. As we get close to the middle of the film, our writer seems to realize this and the extremely vague Maximilian is introduced as a man who enjoys the company of both Minnelli and York. For "Cabaret" to work, there needed stronger characters for us to follow  ones that were defined, yet complex, not just jumping from emotion to emotion. How did Minnelli win an Oscar for this mess?

Outside the of intermittent use of Grey, our writer - Jay Presson Allen  tried to incorporate what was happening in Germany at the time with the Nazi movement, with the chaos of a cabaret show. In theory, this would be a great idea  but it failed because of again, the lack of focus with our characters. In one scene we are troubled by York's disagreement with one of Minnelli's haphazard choices (a big decision that was diminished by choice) and in the next, we are dissecting the idea of a German Jew. It just didn't flow well together. In another scene, we are forced to listen to a young Nazi soldier sing a ballad that evokes singing from everyone  and our characters just drive away. For me, to best summarize this film would be one of the final scenes between York and Minnelli as she takes him to the train station. She leaves by merely waving her hand, demonstrating her care for the characters and ours as well. When this film was over, I took it out of my player, walked away waving unemotionally. "Cabaret" failed because there was nothing for the audience to hold onto. When the breakout actor was someone that didn't speak but merely sang that should speak about how the film as a whole turned out.

Overall, both with presentation and delivery, "Cabaret" failed. Minnelli's acting and eyes told a different story, and portrayed a character that just didn't fit for a feature film. What was attempted as original just felt stale after the first several scenes. Fosse's direction and Grey's performance are the only two saving qualities of this film, as the flakey York does his best as a love interest. The dual sexual roles are just too abashing for both the actors and the viewers. I was eager to witness this film, but nearly 40 years later, this film has not held up. Bravo to small part and big directors, "boo" to those that think Minnelli can carry her weight as an Oscar winning actress.

** Waves eagerly as you leave this review **

Grade: * ½ out of *****


It's a sad fact that a period movie will almost always reflect the year it was made more than year(s) it takes place. Take, for instance, Julie Christie's hair in "Dr. Zhivago," or Kate Beckinsale's...well, entire appearance in "Van Helsing" (although, was that even an issue in that steaming pile of bad FX?).

One of the best aspects of "Cabaret," then, is that it truly does feel like you're watching a movie from 1931. Well, sort of. If it were made in 1931, it would almost certainly be in Black & White, have primitive sound quality (sound pictures still being relatively new at that time), and maybe be a little less frank about its homosexual content (although being that 1931 was a year pre-code, who knows...). Perhaps a better way of putting it is: "Cabaret" looks like you're watching actual events from 1931, not 1931-by-way-of-1972. The costumes, makeup (the overly arched brows and pancake makeup of the KitKat girls is just as creepy as it is sexy, if not more so), sets, and even attitudes are practically a living postcard of Weimar Germany (as far as this 23 year old American can tell). There are no glaring anachronisms here. It's astonishing.

Another is the character of Sally. Fledgling writers are always encouraged to make their protagonists as sympathetic as possible, otherwise what will care about their journey? Sally is flighty, shallow, self-centered, and proves that she can be bought. Why do we love her so? Why do our hearts break when her father stands her up after she spent the first half an hour lying about how much he cares for her? More important than sympathy (or empathy) in a character, IMO, is dimension. With good, there is bad. With pattern, there is contradiction. Sally, above all the aforementioned characteristics, is career driven. And no one's gone to the top without a little white lie or two (or three, or four...). Of course, dimension or no dimension, the wrong actress (or even poor acting by a great actress) could make this character fall flat. It's because of that, that one cannot speak of this role without mentioning the sparkling Liza. Those who dislike the movie often site Liza's "over the top" acting as a chief flaw. I don't see that here. Perhaps if she were the Sally from the stage production brought over to film, this would be the case, as sometimes stage actors forget how intimate a medium film is (the severely under-rated RENT does suffer from this occasionally, for example). Her singing, while jaw-dropping to say the least, is just one part of her role. Watch this girl ACT. Look at the giddy expression on her face when Max volunteers to "corrupt" her and Brian. Watch her desperately (and eye rolling-ly) try to impress the upper crust at a dinner party. Watch her try and play down the immense physical pain she must be in after a back-alley abortion. Yes, she has an amazing voice, but this is performance that would scream "Oscar!" even if there were no singing at all.

But, "Cabaret" IS a musical. Another sad fact is that when showtunes become standards, they lose almost all of the potency they have IN CONTEXT. Sure the title track IS a fun song and all - "Come to the Cabaret, old chum! Life is a Cabaret!" - on its own. But watch it where it belongs - it's quite depressing. She's lost a good man, friends (I doubt she'll be seeing much of Fritz after the wedding), and in the end her career is in the same spot it was when the movie began. The Nazis, once dismissed as a thuggish cult, are growing in number. How much longer does she have to be safe? Better enjoy what she has left. See what I mean? This is a dark musical, folks. No "happy ending, fade to black" here. The songs, all performed in the night club, avoids the suspension of disbelief required for other musicals when characters randomly burst into song on the sidewalk. And though they don't further the plot along in the strictest sense, they do parallel. "Two Ladies" is sung while Max, Sally, and Brian drive to his mansion. "Mein Herr" is sung when sexual tension begins to arise between Sally and her new roommate? Foreboding? I think so.

And what can one even say about Joel Grey that hasn't already been said? Pure. Genius. No one else can make you simultaneously laugh and feel uncomfortable like that.

"Cabaret" is a brilliant watch: dark, clever, complex, but un-deniably catchy and not dated by a long shot. You'll get chills and frown at the end....but then you'll rewind to the beginning and watch it all over again.


I had no inkling of how popular this movie was until I picked up the DVD and saw how many awards it won (only one of which-- Joel Grey's Best Supporting Actor bologna-- was actually well-deserved). I had always assumed it was another musical lost in its time-- you know, one of the Jesus Christ Superstars of the day. But there's a difference: "Jesus Christ Superstar" is sensational, electrifying, and at times riveting. "Cabaret" is crap-aret.

Liza Minnelli is terrible at just about everything, most especially acting. She's a fair singer, but on screen she means nothing. She brings absolutely no emotional weight to the role. After seeing how well the original Sally Bowles, Jill Haworth, could act (please see "Exodus"), it's a freak of nature that Minnelli beat her for the role. The entire film is like a punchline and it's all because of the leading lady, who has no rightful place in popular culture except the subject of catty jokes in shows like "Queer as Folk," "Queer Duck," and "Will & Grace." Michael York is, was, and always will be great, but Minnelli actually succeeds in dragging him down to her level. He gave a better performance in the super-camp "Logan's Run," for crying out loud! The only good performance in this movie comes from Grey, who actually does astonishingly well ("astonishingly" considering the quality of his costars). But even his best efforts aren't enough to salvage the whole thing.

As opposed to the fearlessly stylized visuals of his directorial debut, "Sweet Charity," Bob Fosse under-utilizes master cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth. The film has no visual scope and even the exterior scenes are so dank and so poorly constructed cinematographically that they, too, look like they were shot in someone's basement.

The only good song? "Mein Herr," a rare moment in Hollywood History when Minnelli's camera-centric sleazing actually works.

Whatever you've heard about "Cabaret" from its proponents, don't listen. It'll drive you crazy. The film is terrible, visually glum and uninspired, poorly scripted, dismally acted, and shoddily slapped together, haphazard. For all the bad things people say about 1972's "Man of La Mancha," it doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. The worst crime of all? The awards "Cabaret" stole from "The Godfather," a true classic of American cinema.

A note about my personal tastes: I *love* musicals. Seriously. Normally, the fact that a movie is a musical is enough to salvage it from a 1-out-of-ten rating in my book. But nothing can save this travesty.