Don't be reserved about liking this movie. I love it! It's one of my favorite movies ever. I hate how comedies can never win awards just for being really really funny. The Oscars that go to comedies are usually won by movies that just aren't hilarious and sometimes have a "plot" that just gets in the way. Anyway, I first saw the movie with a friend years back and whenever we get together we still can't help throwing out a "who's idea was the corn?", "calm yourself! you think I don't know what is a gompet, gomp-let?", or "He's got something in his hands!!!". I know the story sucks but I just like comedies that make me laugh. This one does the trick.


I rated this movie a 10 just for fun. I would actually give this an 8. The story is very creative and very funny. I don't know why people have rated this so low. The movie is sort of kiddish, but it is funny and everybody should like Farley. Chris Farley always gives me a smile and it is sad he died. I will say this movie is one of my favorites of him, even if he plays the same role like he does in the other movies. The isn't exactly for children either even though it looks like it. If you are looking to enjoy a movie with good laughs and a good feeling, I would watch it, but if you are very critical of these types, I would most likely recommend a different movie. But Farley fans aren't fans unless they see this. I give this an 8 out of 10/ PG-13-Crude Humor and Nudity


Today was the first time I actually saw this movie (I know, I'm late), but I think it was a really good movie. It was a great comedy that had me laughing all the way through. I loved the plot of it all, as I never thought I could be laughing at the setting and time this was happening. Chris Farley and Matt Perry were a great combination in this film, and it really made me see Matthew Perry for the great actor he is. The sad thing is, I never even heard of this movie until I came across it today. You'd think a great funny (very, VERY funny) comedy like this would be more noticed. I'm actually very surprised I've never heard people even mention this fantastic title. I loved everything about this film. Hilarious characters, great actors... this movie is a must see.


As I look through the pages of comments, I see a fairly common recurrence. People either love this movie, or they hate it. I've watched this movie upwards of 10 times and it has not ceased to be hilarious. Me and other friends who have watched the film even get laughs out of references to this film, because its so classic. Let me warn you that if you try to take this movie seriously, critique its script or plot, you will most likely fall into the category that hates this film. The true comedy comes from the absurd nature of the dialogue and the overacting which makes it that much funnier. Hopefully you will enjoy it.


Not everyone likes this movie but I see why. Its very stupid but oh so funny. I laugh a lot when I watch this movie because the lines are hysterical. Farley and Perry steal the show in this uproarious movie but all the actors have funny lines to dish out. Like these for example.

Higgins: THERE'S AN ANIMAL NOW! everyone except Edwards and Hunt starts firing at the animal Higgins: We can't kill it! We're all dead! God save us! Hunt: Hold your fire! Hold your fire! everyone stops firing. Hunt looks closely and sees that the animal is just a squirrel nibbling on a acorn. Hunt: It's only a squirrel. Pratt: He's got something in his hand! Guy Fontenot: Something in his hand! then they continue firing at the squirrel

Bidwell returns to camp after a bear has bit off his leg. Bidwell: Sir, I've been to hell and back. Edwards: Yes, I can see that... Bidwell: I suspect that you'll want to lead a hunting party to slay that terrible beast. Edwards: Well, yes, that thought did cross my mind briefly. But now I have a better idea. Bidwell: Yes, sir? Edwards: I shall fashion for you the finest wooden leg you've ever seen. Bidwell: But what about the bear? Edwards: Rest assured, Bidwell, in 20 years or so, the ravages of old age will deal with the bear far more cruelly than we ever could have. Bidwell: Revenge is sweet, sir.

So if you like movies that are stupid yet funny this is a great one to watch.


It's a film about the personal adventure of discovering and pioneering a new country. It speaks of survival on one side - and the heroism and self-deprecation of the other. From opportunists, to isolationists - from patriots to disenchanted lovers - the film has everything a man or woman would enjoy (actually just a man). Bravery, courage, intrigue, romance, beauty and love., and tons of great jokes and humour! Watching this film is to step back to a world that doesn't exist any longer - yet to know it. It is to experience lives that have never been lived - but could have been real. It is to know pain and joy, pride and pity for characters that are a fiction - yet are so real that you can't help but get lost in their story.

Amazing cast, memorable dialogue, unforgettable story. Through this film, Chris Farley will always live in my heart. Seeing it for the first time is truly the start of a romance with ideals that will live in you long after credits end.


Seeing this movie for the 1st time almost 7 years since it's release brought me mixed emotions. I laughed hysterical at most of the scenes Chris Farley was in as I have with all of his other starring roles. On the other hand I was reminded of how sad it was of his untimely death. I must have avoided this movie because it was released after his death and I was not ready to enjoy another comedy with him at that time. I will certainly buy this movie and add it to my collection with Tommy Boy and Black Sheep. I also enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, I'm not a big fan of "Friends" but I thought Mathew Perry was good in this movie.


I don't know what movie these other voters saw, but it clearly wasn't the same one I did. This movie was in no way a blockbuster, but deserves a better rating than a four something. This movie was straight comedy all the way through and Showed us the Farley that we all know and love. Being a big dumb idiot is what made him famous and kept him famous up untill his untimely death. If he would have actually tried acting he would have bombed like Sandler has recently. Matthew Perry was also funny in this movie, as well as all the other big or slightly big names in the movie. Best Line of the Movie: "Pittsburgh Nelly. The wh*re who can do things with her one good arm that would make you forget about that thing on her neck"


I may be going against the grain here, but I found Almost Heroes to be one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Granted, it's not a thinking mans comedy, but it's Chris Farley funny and that's what makes it a great movie. Full of silly humor and hijinks, this movie is laugh out loud funny the whole way through. Personally, I thrive on stupid humor and this movie is a plethora of it. If you are into movies such as Eyes Wide Shut or The Piano, I might shy from this film. However, if you can't get enough of Chris Farley and love movies such as Tommy Boy or Dirty Work, this movie is for you.


After I got done watching Almost Heroes I immediately rewound the tape saw it again. It is one of the funniest movies ever created. If Chris Farley isn't a good enough reason to watch it, Matthew Perry should be. Both men do an incredible job acting dumb and yet civalized. If you ever get in a bad mood, I guarantee this will cheer you up as you roll on the floor with laughter.


This sleeper comedy, which happens to be Chris Farley's last movie, is very underrated. Unlike many opinions in the past, I adore the comic interaction between Chris Farley and Matthew Perry. Eugene Levy does a nice job too, although you really have to look to realize that it's him. Hopefully people will realize how funny this movie really is in the future.


The first time I saw this movie I thought it was entertaining. The second time I saw this movie I rolled laughing. The third time I saw this movie I thought it was the most ingenious comedy I had ever seen. Now, every time I watch this movie it just gets funnier and funnier. Many people think that it is lame or cheesy. The point of the movie is to be cheesy. It's a satire of early American life. As far as the historical relevance and the mentality of people in America at that point in time, it's astonishingly accurate. Matthew Perry's character is supposed to represent bureaucratical society, while Chris Farley embodies the lower class American "pioneer." In truth, it is a fantastic representation poking fun at the "way things were." Cheesy as it may be, it was intended- and lives up to its intentions with comedic splendor. A+


The writers of this film did their research and knew their Lewis & Clark history.

While much of the film is, in all honesty, an extended Saturday Night Live skit, at times it is clever and witty. But what made it stand out for me was the accuracy to the time period.

The clothing is very accurate, the modes of speech are very accurate, the philosophy of the time period is correctly portrayed. Also, the Spanish DID send out an expedition from Mexico to try and cut off Lewis and Clark. In this film, that expedition makes contact with the characters and mayhem results.

I enjoyed the film, though it was tedious in a couple of places, but the attention to historic detail and accuracy is what encapsulated me...I'm a historian after all...and this was something welcome in a low-budget, B-grade comedy.


I don't often remember most movies beyond a year or so - if that - but for some reason this movie that I saw as a 14 year old has stayed with me all these years. In searching for that movie on the web, I came across this site and the comments made by another fan. I was struck by her saying how this movie has "haunted her" since she saw it when she was about the same age as I was! Interesting that it had the same effect on us both. I remember that Robert Stack and Lauren Bacall did a convincing, significant job in their roles and made me want to see them in every thing else I could after that. The movie was very touching, and I could imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes. One scene in the movie was Lauren reflecting on her situation, looking out an upstairs window onto the garden -- I can still picture it after all these years. How I would love to see that movie again!!


I still remember this movie through the eyes of a 12 year old girl and while I may not be a good critic of quality acting & scripts, I do know that this movie has haunted me since I was 12. It must have had some good qualities but the only other reviews I've read criticized it. I started going to movies with my mother when I was 3 and of the thousands I've seen, this is one of my all time favorites.


I was quite young (around 14) when I saw this movie on TV. While I could not remember the cast very much at that time, the story and the way the actors/actresses had carried the story through made a lasting impression on me - what it means when any child can be your child - it takes only to show love and how it can fill the gaps in our lives. This story of this film helped me to help many of my friends who did not have their own children and that they can enjoy the gift if they open their minds and hearts to them - as the leading lady impresses upon the husband. The beginning of romance between the two and the moments they draw together and next when we see them as a couple are all well portrayed.


This is a great movie I remember watching on TV when I was young. I haven't seen it since I was 15, but I love it. Basically the premise is that Lauren Bacall adopts a young girl - she's a great mum, and tries to provide her with a nice life, but the new daughter is trying desperately to impress the stoic father (Robert Stack) which is not easy. Nothing Evelyn does works - and you feel so sorry for her, she's so cute and when we were young we felt so sorry for her. The scene where Evelyn Rudie "cleans" Robert Stack's blackboard to be helpful, only to find that she has erased months of Stack's work on important math formulas (I can't remember but I think he's an astronomer)is tragic to watch. As it turns out, they do become close eventually for tragic reasons - the scenes of Evelyn Rudie running close to the cliffs near the beach by their home still haunt me. I've tried to find this on DVD and VHS with no luck so if you see it on TV watch it!


I originally saw this on TV as a child and thought it was so incredibly sad. Recently, I had the opportunity to see it again and thought it was a bit campy, but it was the 1950s. Robert Stack's character is a bit of a selfish jerk, but, since it is the 50's, everyone knows he'll come around in the end. Lauren Bacall looked absolutely beautiful in this film. As for Evelyn Rudie, I thought she was the perfect old soul in a child's body. It's not such a bad film; it's really rather tender and sweet. Perfect, it isn't, but if you watch it for the simple enjoyment of a movie, it's pretty good. It's a 1/2 a hankie film, and great on a cold winter night, with some cocoa and popcorn.


From the very beginning, where Vic Damone sings the BEAUTIFUL Title Song, to the end where I sit teary-eyed, again, I LOVE this film. I also loved the original, "Sentimental Journey" just as much. Both may be a bit unrealistic in today's no-room-for-sentiment world, but they are heartwarming and wonderful movies that most women of my generation appreciate and WANT to see-----------often! This movie is NOT shown often enough. Lauren Bacall is as beautiful as beautiful gets and Robert Stack gives a fine performance. I did notice that the lovely background music played throughout both films, is basically the same song, but played to a somewhat different beat. In both films, even the music pulls at your heartstrings. One of my favorites!


I would give this no stars if I had the option. An insult to the original 1946 'Sentimental Journey' which starred John Payne & Maureen O'Hara (a highly under rated screen couple from the golden age of cinema, in my opinion, who should have been cast alongside each other in more than the 4 films they did, as they had definite chemistry. )All I can say is pass on this and watch the original - its better acted and scripted than this drivel. When you see the on screen electricity between Payne & O'Hara, you'll see why, they give Scarlett & Rhett a run for their money and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for that matter. Can't understand why they had to remake Sentimental Journey anyway as it was only 12 years old at the time this dud was made!


THE GIFT OF LOVE has got to be one of the most cringe-inducing movies I've seen from the '50s when sentimental tear-jerkers were still the rage, especially if they were dressed up in handsome Technicolor photography and settings...and preferably, with stars like ROBERT STACK and LAUREN BACALL for box-office appeal.

This one is a sad remake of an even weepier B&W original called SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY that starred Maureen O'Hara and John Payne (with Connie Marshall as the little girl), a Fox film so banal that you wonder why they bothered to toy with the script again. It's still banal, all the way, with a ludicrous script and inept performances you've got to see to believe how bad the acting is.

LAUREN BACALL is the noble wife who knows she has a terminal illness, so she prepares the little girl and hubby for her demise, wanting them to go on loving each other and helping each other when she's gone. That's the plot, in a nutshell, and naturally--when she dies--hubby goes off his rocker and makes thing difficult for the girl, ending up sending her back to the orphanage where they adopted her. What happens after this will try your patience to the utmost as the girl leaves her snug bed at the orphanage to run out into a rainstorm with her toy horse along the seashore. You know whatever happens next will reunite her with her father, who seems to be getting a message from his dead wife that the girl needs emergency help.

It's as sticky and mushy as these things can possibly be with ROBERT STACK at his absolute worst feigning mournfulness over his wife's sudden departure--the scene of him at her gravesite is almost laughable. And the little girl (EVELYN RUDIE) makes you appreciate what a marvelous actress Shirley Temple was as a child star.

Surprisingly, it's all directed by the wonderful Jean Negulesco, who must have been forced into fulfilling contract demands to even come near this maudlin script.

I see from the other comments that this sort of nonsense appealed strongly to teen-age girls when first viewed. I hope they have a chance to reconsider calling it "wonderful" if they see it again as adults.


This story was so unbelievably corny, this is one of the worse pieces of crap I have seen from the fifties. The dialogue was brightly phony, Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack must cringe at the thought of their appearances in this movie. And the opening title song, Vic Damone crooning as they show various scenes of Lauren Bacall massaging Robert Stack's shoulders and neck! What was that all about??? The film was beautifully done in color (for 1958) but the storyline so bad- what was she doing, trying to train the adopted girl to become her husband's concubine after her inevitable death? I could not stop watching, it was like being at the scene of a disaster. This is definite high camp from the fifties.


Version: Universe VCD. Cantonese with English subtitles. Possible spoiler warning.

This is perhaps the strangest, most random movie I have ever seen. The VCD copy I have doesn't even have a blurb or anything - just a picture of Ekin Cheng dressed as Robin from Batman, and three women (Theresa Mo, and the Twins: Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung) dressed up as crime-fighters. The lack of any description and Ekin Cheng dressed up as Robin is pretty much why I bought it. At that time, I barely knew who the Twins were (I still haven't seen the Twins Effect, and I don't think I ever will), so that only made the whole thing more surreal.

The movie is supposedly based on the Black Rose movies (another element of this movie I'm not familiar with), and follows Black Rose as she prepares the Twins to take up her crime-fighting ways. Of course, Black Rose has gone completely insane, and she has a deep loathing of men (to the point where she has built a robot that destroys ANYTHING male), and her Protégés aren't exactly models of normality. Gillian is a psychology student, who has completed all the psychology courses at her university in the shortest possible amount of time, and her name must never be spoken. Charlene is an alien from a planet of single-mothers, and she has whatever powers are useful to the story. Ekin Cheng is a taxi driver who ends up donning Robin's costume and becoming... Robin, I assume.

Along with the insanity in the Black Rose mansion, her arch-nemesis Miss LavenCam (what the?), and her gang of models and school-girls are terrorizing the city for no apparent reason, and it is up to the Insano Squad (guess who that refers to) to stop them, in a series of equally insane face offs, with the final showdown turning into a scene lifted straight from Jackie Chan's "Drunken Master".

In case you couldn't tell, this movie is completely insane, in a good way. Most of it is very funny, in a really random/bizarre way. I was quite surprised to find out this was directed by Donnie Yen, this is like the polar opposite to what you would expect from Yen, but he does a good job as director. Unfortunately, the subtitles frequently don't make sense (not in a random way, but in an Engrish way), but reading subtitles does take your attention away from the full-grown man dressed up as Robin, running away from a killer, man-hating robot. Yeah.

If random and insane isn't your thing, stay far away. If random and insane is your thing, you should enjoy.

7/10


I saw this film while in Iceland this summer. I've only seen one other Icelandic film which at the time did not impress me, that film was 101 Reykjavik. This film has some similarities but all in all it's a much more enjoyable experience and a nicer film. It's a contemporary Reykjavik story about icelanders and foreigners mixing it up with some funny results and honest views on Icelandic society. Stephanie Che plays a character from mainland China that's just moved to Iceland in hope of a new life, there she meets an Icelandic postal worker and falls in love. The film is mostly about the guy and his family and how the deal with there relationships with somebody from the other side of the world. The film is very well acted and it has a warm feelgood quality to it. The director seems to have given the actors some freedom as to where to go with dialogue and even scenes and that gives the film a raw and spontaneous quality and some odd humor every now and again. All in all this is a good film and I certainly hope it will get a wider audience outside of Iceland.


... In the rarely seen Icelandic movie A Man Like Me, the audience will laugh out loud amid the breakdown and aftermath of the relationship. The 2002 film is director Robert Douglas's most commercially successful. He also met his future wife, a Chinese-born woman, on the set. But the film is refreshingly free of Orientalist clichés, perhaps because the leading woman's character was originally conceived as a Pole. Douglas tells the Global Times that filmmakers decided to cast the role with a Hong Kong actress Stephanie Che so could widen the commercial appeal of the film. Douglas said they also wanted to visit a more exotic location than Poland. In the opening scene, the main character reveals on a televised dating show that his longest ever relationship ended after just three months when he found a used prophylactic in his bed. The waitresses at his regular Chinese restaurant where he often eats tease him about being famous. Júlli agrees to help paint the house of the main love interest, Qi, and he meets her daughter. A montage of syrupy moments backed by a romantic songs shows the couple falling in love. This scene is a homage to cheesy Hong Kong romantic comedies, Douglas says. Júlli asks Qi to marry him, and in a twist, she says no, asking him if he thinks she needs a visa. Júlli is devastated, and the two stop talking. To cheer up, Júlli quits his job, gets a new haircut and clothes, and starts selling a health supplement as part of a pyramid scheme. He fails miserably. The only customer is his father, a musician with a single hit record twenty years before that won a "Silver Cassette" for selling 2,500 copies. The father dreams of representing Iceland in the annual Eurovision music contest. Qi returns to China to care for her sick mother, and Júlli follows, intending to profess his love for her. When he arrives at her village in Guangdong, he sees her with her ex-husband, and returns home in despair. The film ends with Júlli and Qi having a chance meeting. They have a pleasant formal conversation, and promise to meet again for coffee. Neither of them acknowledge the fact that she is many months pregnant. Júlli's father, meanwhile, gets rich selling the nutritional supplement to U.S. soldiers based in Iceland and has a second rise to fame, representing Iceland in the Eurovision competition.... A Man Like Me is the precise kind of film that people attend independent screenings to see  intelligent, funny, movie, and unknown to most people outside of Iceland, where it was a money-making hit....


"A man like me" (Maður eins og ég) is probably one of the best Icelandic film ever made. R. Douglas manages to tell a brilliant story about a lonely guy seeking happiness in a simple but ironic way. The strongest points are (like in R.Douglas previous film "The Icelandic Dream") good dialogues and solid characters. I had a really good time watching this one.


On paper I can see the argument that there is little morally redemptive quality to a film like Dead Man's Shoes, no diamond polished by the end credits to reward an audience going through the trauma. But to actually sit through the film, and most importantly, to be subjected to another of Paddy Consadines' electric performances, is an extra-ordinarily vital, if viceral experience.

In 'A Room for Romeo Brass' Considines character shifted from comical to threatening in a truly unsettling way, although in the end his promise 'to go dark on you' is easily thwarted by the decisive action and confidence of a father-figure. In this film, again, there is some uncertainty on the audience's part as to how far the character will go, as until the end, we are uncertain of exactly what he is revenging.

Rest-assured, Considine delivers an absolutely convincing depiction of a man struggling to balance his desire for revenge and redemption, he invokes sympathy and fear from the audience in a performance to rival DeNiro in 'Taxi Driver'.

I judge a film on the value of the experience it gives you, and 'Dead Man's Shoes is more than worthy of your time.


Well, you can probably tell from the summary that I thought this was a really good film. To be frank, from the first few minutes I felt that knot in my stomach that comes from deep apprehension and anxiety; I was being manipulated from the off, and it just got more and more intense.

The film is a straight revenge story - a man goes back to a small town in the north of England to take revenge on a group of people who abused and tortured his mentally-retarded brother. Richard has been in the army for several years and is trained as a mercenary, but he plays mind games as much as he resorts to violence. In fact, I had to ask my friend if this qualified as a slasher film (which is how you will probably see it advertised) and we didn't think that the term does it justice.

The script is superb, and reminded me of Almadovar in that it squeezes an incredible amount of detail about the characters without any clumsy exposition. For example, to gauge the relationship between Richard (an astonishing portrayal by Paddy Considine) and his handicapped brother Anthony (played by Toby Kebbel with skill and sensitivity, and not a little sensuality) pay close attention to the conversation where they talk about a childhood football match. So much said about their characters, their relationship and the situation, in so few words.

A film as violent, aggressive and discomforting as this has no right to be as funny is it is, but it gets away with it. The gang upon whom Richard takes revenge are at times touching, farcical, disgusting, pitiable but ultimately human. The worst of humanity laid bare, making you want to retch and laugh at the same time.

I am not going to spoil this film by going into the little twists and turns, the less you know about the plot the better. Although many of my reasons for being so impressed with this movie are personal, I think that the script, acting, cinematography, direction, editing and soundtrack are all brilliant. This film is on a limited cinema release, but search it out; it will take you on a hell of a journey.

"God will forgive them and let them into heaven, I can't let that happen"


I have waited for this film to come out for quite a while now, I missed it at cinema as the mainstream cinemas didn't show it and I had to wait for the DVD to come out which it did on Monday. I loved the film and have watched it a few times already, the film is dark very dark, almost to the point of a slasher flick Mr Considine is almost to the point of a monster.

The music is beautiful, all the score is chosen at the right moments and its pretty damn elegant. I also love the brutality of it, Mr Considine in all scenes looks like someone with so much anger and distaste for the people he is dealing with comes across really unstable and alarming, such strong character portrayal is rare in a film these days, the intensity of his character makes the best anti-hero seen for years pretty much since taxi driver, I have heard Paddy Considine being called the British Robert De Niro, I just can't believe he hasn't been poached by bigger (but not better) films. I can't wait to see the next Meadows/Considine Film, its always nice to look forward to something in films as the big blockbusters these day just have no soul anymore.

This is a film from the heart and I think this message will get across to all people who watch it.

All I can say is give it a chance. I gave it a 10 anyway possibly to high but better than a lot of recent films.


If you do not like dark, challenging films, don't bother.

If you are ready for something unlike anything you've ever seen, and are not afraid to confront difficult emotions, give this film a go, you won't be disappointed.

From the start the tone is set. A bleak town in Northern England, like many bleak towns in northern England. With petty, small time drug dealers, like petty small time drug dealers everywhere, vicious and stupid. Then into their lives comes a mysterious figure, in a green parka. And nothing will ever be the same.

It's difficult to describe the movie without spoilers, and I do not want to spoil a single second of what is possibly the most powerful and emotionally wrenching film I have seen for a decade and more (made all the more powerful by the haunting music). Paddy Considine (who wrote and stars in the film) is stunning as, for want of a better phrase, an avenging angel, albeit a fallen one. The menace and tension builds and builds (including perhaps the best depiction of a bad LSD trip ever set down on film - it's an extremely discomforting experience if you've ever been on the wrong end of a bad trip, believe me) until the harrowing climax. This is not a nice film. This is not a fun film. This is, however, an exceptional film, and perhaps more importantly it is an honest film, a true film if such a thing can be said of fiction.

If you want smiles, or empty action, or to put your brain on hold, this is not the film for you.

If, however, you want a film with genuine emotional depth, that makes you think and resonates far after the end credits have finished, then this may be what you're looking for.

Just don't expect an easy ride.

An overused word, but the closest I've seen to a masterpiece for many a long year.


I was starting to give up on British films. They all seem to be too considered, too focus grouped, too controlled by the marketing mafia. So it was so very refreshing to see a movie that has the inspired spontaneity so common in Japanese cinema, but with a very British story. Shane Meadows uses characters from his own past as source material, and co-writer Paddy Considine (Richard) based part of the story on family history, so we have a film that has authentic characters and authentic, semi-improvised dialogue. The revenge thriller format has never seemed more sophisticated. Richard's calculated derangement is balanced by the thuggish banality displayed by his targets, whose crimes initially seem more like misdemeanors until the last act. This movie is well paced, laugh out loud funny, and darkly menacing as it proceeds inexorably to its grim conclusion. If only more British films were like this, we might even have a film industry. It shows that the only way to make good films in the UK is to do it behind the studio's backs!


Harking back to a time when the Brits made decent thrillers instead of clumsy middle class comedies, Dead Man's Shoes is a real breath of fresh air.

Surprisingly coming from the director of 'Once Upon A Time In The Midlands' and 'A Room For Romeo Brass' this is very downbeat, violent but also has moments of high comedy.

The film also uses its Derbyshire locations brilliantly and looks fantastic.

Lead actor and co-screenwriter Paddy Considine is terrific value as usual and is surely well on the way to becoming one of the UK's premiere screen actors and all of the supporting cast are terrific particularly Toby Kebbell who plays the intellectually challenged brother (the actual descriptions used in the film probably breach review guidelines) and Gary Stretch - who'd've thought he could act?

Put it this way - your enjoyment of the film probably depends on your reaction to this one exchange of dialogue:

Herbie : What you lookin at?

Richard : You, you c***!

Loved it.


Dead Man's Shoes has been compared to Get Carter by critics, which while a good comparison, Dead Man's Shoes is a different breed of revenge film.

Naturlism is the order of the day, a common feature in Shane Meadows' films (A Room For Romeo Brass, 24/7) where Richard, an ex-marine, returns to his home town to exact revenge on the petty drug dealers that abused his retarded brother. Far more than your average revenge movie, Considine elevates it into a terrifying area, electrifying every frame he is in. You will laugh at the drug dealer's talk of porn and "al fresco" - but the minute Considine enters, the laughter stops. Totally believable, and the drug dealers (Gary Stretch and others) are fantastic support too.

The story is not as developed as I hoped it would've been, sometimes creating frustrating anti-climaxes here and there, but this is only a minor problem. The killings are well thought out, scary and well paced throughout. The plot, although simple (initially) does become a more twisted prospect towards the end - so it is a highly rewarding movie. Being only 86 minutes long helps a lot too, as the movie runs at a brisk pace, just right for it's genre.

Along with Get Carter, this is one of the best revenge films, and one of the best thrillers to come out of the U.K. The cinematography is bluntly physical and realistic, the music well implemented and the acting spot on. To add variety, the movie adds dark humour to create a great film. People who are expecting a blood-fuelled rampage of retribution ala Kill Bill will be disappointed. Dead Man's Shoes is an expertly delivered thriller, with subtle tension and great performances.

Well worth a watch.

8/10


This is not just a "kitchen sink" film. It's an thriller with an edge, a story and believable characters.

It is a fairly violent film, but that violence is given a realistic, documentary treatment, which is some ways makes it all the more shocking. There is no gore splatter, just cold, well-defined revenge. The trailer did leave me with the impression it was going to be much bloodier, but I feel that Shane Meadows got the balance right.

Paddy Considine's script is very good, and leaves enough room for the audience to be surprised at the next turn, and his portrayal of a vengeful brother is spot-on.

Provided they are happy with the lack of Hollywood polish, this is a film I'd recommend to any lovers of the thriller genre. It's well-paced and there are sufficient surprises to keep you guessing throughout.

Overall, it kept me well occupied and it gets a good 8/10 from me.


DEAD MAN'S SHOES (2006) **** Paddy Considine, Gary Stretch, Toby Kebbell, Neil Bell, Paul Hurtsfield, George Newton, Seamus O'Neal, Paul Sadot, Andrew Shim, Stuart Wolfenden, Jo Hartley, Emily Aston, Craig Considine, Matt Considine. (Dir: Shane Meadows)

England's answer to "Taxi Driver": compelling vengeance drama with a blistering performance by Considine

Paddy Considine, perhaps best known to American audiences as the Irish immigrant father in "In America" and "Cinderella Man", may be the least likely actor in recent memory to be seen as a lethal force on screen, with his pale white skin, harmless demeanor, and easy smile but in Shane Meadows' brilliantly unnerving vengeance drama Considine reflects his dark side with the intensity of an eclipse.

The simple oft-trod tale of revenge for a right undone - in this case an English ex-soldier's return to his northern country hamlet for some bloody justice for the crimes committed against his slow-minded younger brother by a local drug- dealing hooligan and his cronies, while away on duty - is a cinematic chestnut offering many devices for the filmmaker to employ, namely the flashback narrative (here done in grainy B&W 8mm home-movie style adding to the gritty verisimilitude permeating the pulp noir at hand) and the anti-hero protagonist (Considine giving an implosively blistering performance of furious retribution), Richard, "Anthony's brother" - as he is constantly referred to in trembly depositions by each member of the doomed thugs as if whispering a ghost's name - begins his five day (attributed by the title cards employed) spree of justice.

The brutality and vulgar cruelty - bested upon Anthony (a very good turn by Kebbell making for very empathetic/sympathetic victim needing to be vanquished) whose only crime was not knowing the common sense in seeing just how ugly his new 'friends' could be (again told in a certain amount of restraint in the scratchy black and white sequences, jarring as they are) - indeed are in need for swift retribution and when we first see Richard, a slight, malnourished pasty-white, scratchily bearded, porcupiney scalp of Considine's character we assume he is just one of the unassuming, local blokes of the pub/ pool hall that one of the goons is dealing drugs in. When he is accosted by the dealer he lets out a vitriolic outburst that scorches the skin and chills the spine for the sudden explosive invective that only signals a death-head's warrant of what carnage is about to come. With his bristly beard suggesting a burr patch and his dark brown eyes gone dead-cold with hollow contempt Considine echoes Robert De Niro's walking dead Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver", not so much physically but in demeanor. A husk of a man who served his country only to return to a junk pile residue that was once his home and a desperate need to do some monstrous things in unspeakable ways to those who have unsettled his natural habitat. His Richard, however, has a soul and it aches you to its core when on display in a heartbreaking twist sequence I will not divulge here but it hits you in the solar plexus.

Although I am not familiar with filmmaker Meadows and his previous films (and his collaboration with Considine including this script with a credit to Paul Fraser as well) he has a keen eye for detail and how to set an appropriate tone of absolute dread (nods to ace work done by composer Aphex Twin (AKA Richard James), Danny Cohen's cinematography and the editing team of Celia Haining, Lucas Roche and Chris Wyatt all make for moments of absolute dread and unease); a compliment indeed. While Meadows and Considine - friends in real life as well - smartly show only moments of graphic violence it is with the underlying theme of a good man gone monster is what underscores the visceral ice-numbing moments of fear and smartly not getting into a slasher type of exploitation horror film despite Richard's cheeky decision to wear an unsettling gas-mask suggesting the love child of Darth Vader and The Elephant Man.

A real sleeper indie gem that deserves a wider release and by all means one of the year's best films.


For a nation that trades in kitchen sink dramas, British cinema seemed appropriately all washed-up by the end of the 1990s  until young West Midlands director Shane Meadows burst out of the traps with the vibrant Twenty Four Seven and A Room For Romeo Brass. And this: one of the bleakest, most eviscerating films to ever come from these shores, in which Parry Considine, in a career-defining role, plays a homecoming squaddie intent on avenging a little brother who suffered at the hands of some small town yokels. The critics (what do they know?) call This Is England Meadows' masterpiece. They're wrong: this is. Brilliantly acted, edited and scored  with an ending that will leave you shattered.


This is the best film i have seen in years. It left me feeling gutted and i have to say, in tears. It really brought back some rather shitty memories from my past. It's a film that makes you feel, and it makes you feel alive. And it makes you stop and think, and that is a pretty amazing thing considering the world we live in. It's raw and unforgiving, and it's to the point. If you want a film that will stay inside you for a long time, this is it. The images and the settings are truly beautiful. It's a breath of fresh air in the midst of Hollywood plastic productions. Love is not always pretty and easy, and this film will show you just how painful love can be. And what we are willing to do for the ones we love. I am still blown away.


This is one of those films that sticks in the mind for all the right reasons. Great acting, great script, and utterly gripping. Paddy Considine was outstanding as the psychotic ex-paratrooper hell-bent on revenge for the death of his brother Anthony, played by Tony Kebell. Kebell's portrayal of the retarded sibling is just terrific. The supporting cast were on form too. I'm still both haunted and mesmerised by that long black & white sequence leading to Anthony's death and Richard's lonely face at the bus stop, quietly grieving for his little brother. Together with the music, it's powerful stuff. I've never seen Shane Meadows' other work but after seeing this, I'll definitely keep an eye out for his next movies.


Wow...

It's been twelve hours since the closing credits rolled and I am still processing my experience of Dead Man's Shoes.

"Experience" is certainly the right word; this film puts the viewer through a wide range of emotions, and by the end I felt exhausted, stunned, and numbed. That sounds bad, but as strange as it may sound, I mean those things in a good way.

Dead Man's Shoes is genuinely funny, thanks to flawless deadpan delivery of brilliantly-written naturalistic dialogue. The whole film has a documentary feel about it (one minor flaw, I felt, was the overuse of shaky hand-held camera-work) but it is, at times, beautiful to look at, with lingering shots and slow edits giving it a strangely dreamlike quality. The beautiful musical score, consisting mainly of lo-fi acoustic rock and folk, enhances that sense of melancholy isolation.

The entire cast deliver wonderful, believable performances, grounded firmly in reality. Considine, playing the vengeful returned soldier, is alternately pitiful and terrifying, with veins of pitch black humour running throughout. Kebbell, as his developmentally-delayed little brother, delivers what is simply one of the best portrayals of an intellectually disabled character ever filmed. His performance is subtle and utterly convincing.

Dead Man's Shoes is not without flaws, but they are relatively minor. The overly-wobbly camera has already been mentioned, but its biggest problem is probably its unsatisfying final act. Compared to the film that precedes it, the finale feels underdeveloped and flat. Still, it delivers a gut-punch of an ending that left me feeling slightly winded.

This is an amazing film. It is very dark and violent in parts, but its subject matter - family, justice, loyalty, and revenge - are universal. I cannot recommend it highly enough.


I've been waiting for Meadows to make a film that fulfilled the promise his short films showed ever since seeing his short film Where's the Money, Ronny?, and with Dead Man's Shoes he finally delivers. It's a remarkable reimagining of Death Wish as it would be in the real world, set among tatty Midlands housing estates with villains with crap cars and a pathetic array of mail order weaponry. Shot very effectively in a style somewhere between Italian neo-realism, early Scorsese and even Cassavettes improv but with a flavor all its own, it doesn't matter that one of the plot twists is very obvious (so obvious, in fact, I'm not even sure that it's even meant to be a twist) because co-writer Paddy Considine is such a riveting yet natural presence in the lead: he's able to be genuinely threatening while keeping it absolutely real, creating a very believable monster. There's no vanity, no attempt to go for the cool or the comic (if anything he undercuts the character's attempts to do so without ever becoming a cheap joke) and little in the way of grandstanding. And the gutted close-up of Considine closing his eyes in a bus shelter is a truly remarkable piece of acting without acting. In an industry where lightweights like Clive Owen get lead roles thrown at them, he's the real thing and quite possibly the greatest British actor of his generation.

Not for everyone, perhaps (the reception in the US has been particularly poor), but one of the best low-budget British films in a long time.


when i bought this some time ago (had to order from the UK), i wasn't sure what to expect. slasher or what. i was pleasantly surprised with the result.

it has some genuinely creepy and disturbing moments from the start, and the whole time you're kept on your feet as to what the hell is going on. i can't explain it. i was thinking "oh sh*t!" the entire movie. it's quiet, it's intense, and surprises even the most seasoned horror fan, though i wouldn't categorize this as such.

Paddy's character is both welcoming and menacing at the same time, a perfect acting job, he should have received some recognition for this. instead American audiences know almost nothing of this film.

I have become such a fan of Paddy Considine and will watch whatever he comes out with from now on, he simply makes brilliant choices as to what to associate himself with. there's a lot of passion on his part. that alone makes for a worthwhile viewing experience.


Having not seen any of Shane Meadows' earlier efforts before seeing this, I cannot compare it to them, but I certainly understand all the hype about this young filmmaker from this film alone.

What on paper is basically Get Carter in the North is in actuality almost impossible to define. It has the basic plot of a revenge film, maybe even of a slasher film, yet is not a thriller, nor a horror film. Moreso, it is a drama about real people, played incredibly naturalistically by all involved, that happens to involve a series of murders driven by vengeance (for what, we are unsure until the final act).

At the centre is an electrifying, funny, touching and terrifying performance from Paddy Considine as protagonist Richard, proving once more that he truly is one of the most interesting and gifted actors to come out of Britain in a long time. He can go from calm and pleasant to truly menacing and back again in a second and it never seems hammy or over-egged.

Surrounding him are a group of extremely solid supporting actors, most notably first-timer Toby Kebbell playing his slightly mentally-handicapped brother Anthony. Given only a few lines of dialogue and some disturbing scenes of physicality, he crafts a rounded, sympathetic and slightly pathetic character. His scene with Considine where they reminisce about an old football match is a masterclass of performance and writing, minimalistically crafting layers of character through nuance and very little dialogue.

Also notable is Gary Stretch (who stood out in his small part as Cleitus in Alexander) who here plays the truly despicable antagonist, Sonny. He's a scumbag drug-dealing club owner who is at the very heart of the events Ricahrd is avenging, and who never shows any remorse, instead going on the war path to little avail. He too has a breathtaking scene with Considine when Sonny first confronts Richard and Richard shows no fear whatsoever. Genuinely electric.

Indeed, the film is filled with unique takes on staple ideas of the revenge/slasher film, all the while finding the human truth to the actions of those involved and delivered with a combination of hand-held realism and wistful detachment. Some have mentioned that the film carries a twist towards the end, but because of the execution it does not feel like a twist. Rather it is the culmination of a sub-plot running through the film, as the pieces of the flashbacks from years before come together.

Nothing in the film feels forced and that is perhaps the highest praise the film and its makers can be given. If the story had been a true one, it would certainly not come as a surprise, given the motivations and actions of the thoroughly believable characters. Yet, it is at times extremely harrowing, uncomfortable and unsettling - not because of excessive amounts of gore (while the film contains violence, it is the weight of the violence and not flashy blood and guts that carry impact), but because of the way the events unfold. One prolonged sequence involves a drug trip and the scene seems to last longer than it probably actually does, mirroring the state of the drug-takers, and ending with the most unsettling acts of violence in the film.

When everything is concluded, there are no real happy endings and the climax is certainly not one that can be guessed or easily foreseen. But there is a profound and sad poetry to it somehow, despite the pathos it leaves the viewer with. And after the credits roll, I found it to be a film that stayed with me for some time after - indeed, I am still trying to shake it from my mind. While certainly nowhere near as graphic or violently upsetting as a film like Irreversible, it is easy to draw comparisons as this is a film which tackles notions of human nature and the horrible things people do to one another, all shot through with considerable style and skill (think Hal Ashby meets Michael Winterbottom) and performed by actors who never seem to be giving performances, but rather becoming those characters for 90 minutes. And, of course, it was made by actors and a filmmaker among the most exciting to emerge in recent years, just as was Irreversible.

A haunting, brilliant and sometimes profound experience in film-making and one of the best British films in a decade.


Easily one of the best films I've ever seen Shane Meadows and Paddy Considine team up for the second time and deliver one of the best movies of the decade, the scenery and gritty style of filming compliment each other perfectly.

The story if you haven't seen the film already is as follows, an ex marine (Richard played by Paddy Considine) returns to his home town to take revenge on a gang drug dealers who Wronged his brother on various occasions and what follows is a violent killing spree of revenge the character of Richard and his lack of sympathy for the men hes hunting down just go to show how enraged and deadly he can be Paddy Considine plays the role flawlessly and rage of the character is shown in his facial expressions, hes such a brilliant actor.

But rivalling Considine is Gary Stretch who delivers an equally brilliant role as the leader of the drug dealing gang and the first confrontation between the Considines and Stretch's character is brilliant the scene is very tense shown in both Richards facial expressions and threats and Sonny's (Stretch) sudden turn from being a confident hard man to being terrified of Richard as all his gang are. the soundtrack which is mostly folk compliments every seen especially the the scenes where Richard and his brother are walking through the country side as the scenery compliments every song.

All of the actors do very good jobs especially as meadows chose to use mainly local actors.

There is a very unexpected twist at the end which blew me away and just proves that Richard has gone insane with rage, the ending is especially brilliant and left my girlfriend in tears.

I strongly urge any one to watch this film and i believe deserves a much higher overall rating. ten out of ten from me


I've always liked the Peanuts. The cold reality life is given new life in humorous animations. This is one of the best Charlie Brown shows I've seen. The one where he actually kicks the ball. Enjoyable and fun all the way through. Amazing.


Snoopy studies Magic and gets Charlie Brown to volunteer for his "disappearing man" act. The only problem is that it works too well. Charlie Brown really becomes invisible.

Although I feel "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is the best Peanuts special, this one isn't too far off.

Why? One word: football.

This is the one special where Charlie Brown successfully kicks the football...and taunts/teases Lucy as he does it.

Yeah, it's always interesting to see how ol' Chuck handles it when life throws him a curveball, but it's good to finally see things go his way for once.

Some people may not be comfortable with the magical element.

Even if people don't find it occultic, they may find it out of place in the series. I admit, the idea of including magic is a little strange, but there have been plenty of "out there" elements in Peanuts over the years. Need I remind anybody of the dreaded "kite-eating tree" that literally chewed the kites that flew into it and assaulted anyone who climbed it? While it's not the absolute best of the Peanuts films and specials, it just may well be the most satisfying.

Here's to a DVD release in the near future.


Charlie Brown encourages Snoopy to learn some kind of skill. Snoopy reads a book on magic and decides to put on a magic show as the Great Houndini. Although a fair share of the magic tricks don't work, Snoopy does succeed in making Charlie Brown invisible, but has trouble figuring out how to reverse the spell. Charles M. Schulz's typically warm and witty script milks the nifty premise for several very strong and sidesplitting belly laughs: Among the hilarious comic highlights are Linus fainting when Snoopy cuts up his beloved blanket, Snoopy smearing mud on Charlie Brown, Snoopy putting a white sheet, a belt, and shoes on Charlie Brown which makes him look like a ghost, Charlie Brown finally getting to kick the football while invisible, and Snoopy levitating the ever-snarky Lucy and leaving her up in the air. Another cool moment occurs when we get to see the inside of Snoopy's surprisingly spacious and swanky doghouse. The animation is bright and colorful. The supremely funky'n'jazzy score by Ed Bogus and Judy Munsen keeps things bubbling throughout. Best of all, there's a sweet and simple good-natured quality to the whole show that's impossible to either resist or dislike. An extremely funny and entertaining riot.


I saw this at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan and it was one of my favorite short films of the festival.

This short was great. So funny and original. It's a modern day retelling of how the Tinman lost all of his limbs, his lover, and his heart. It was wonderfully made, the acting, the cinematography, it was a really cool movie. I particularly loved the music that played throughout the film, it really added the entertainment.

You should really check this film out. It was an award winner at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. I'll be looking out for more of director Ray Tintori's films.


Apart from possibly being a tad sacrilegious, this is a truly bizarre and amazing film--one that can't really be compared to anything you've seen before (and probably ever will see). For me, this is a huge plus, as all too often films seem derivative and dull--two words that cannot be applied to DEATH TO THE TINMAN.

However, there is a serious problem with any review of this TINMAN short film. Trying to describe it is practically impossible unless you give a very, very long and exhaustive summary AND if you do this, it will spoil all the many weird twists. Suffice to say that it's an odd little fairytale that will either make you laugh or possibly make your head explode if you try to think it out too much! Believe me--this is definitely a "turn off your brain and just enjoy" short film!! Extremely creative, funny and twisted--this is one cool little film.


I've seen this piece several times and I can assure you that Ray Tintori is nothing short of a genius. Clearly he's an amazing story teller and an inspiration to amateur and low-budget filmmakers everywhere. This remarkably simple yet masterful piece and his previous short "Jettison Your Loved Ones" are reminiscent of Wes Anderson films but sport a style of their own. In addition to seeing his recently made music videos, I would love to see a Tintori directed feature film.

If you haven't seen them yet, I'd recommend Googling for both of these shorts. I think you'll find them well worth your time. I don't have enough blah, blah to say to keep IMDb's word quota happy so this is some sad filler text. Just watch the short.. dammit.


There is so much emotion packed into such a small amount of time. I try to watch it whenever it's aired. Created as a prequel for character the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, it tells the story of the violence, love, sacrifices, and the reason for the Tin Man's missing heart.

Some of the actors are a bit bad, but overall, the message gets across perfectly. The music is a simple acoustic bit that follows along and fits great. I think how it's filmed in black and white is also very fitting and sets the mood. This short might not have been as good if it was in color, in my opinion.

All in all, a great film. Find it, watch it.


Caveat: I gave up after about an hour.

An interesting and entertaining beginning followed by poor acting, hoke dialog, and special effects that would have made Ed Wood cringe.

Our band of merry adventurers after 17 days paddling up an African river doesn't show the slightest signs of sun exposure or physical discomfort. They hike through dense jungles with the ease of people strolling through a city park. The movie's plot devices have such a contrived flavor that it is hard not to imagine the writer's moaning with discomfort as they created them.

Davies' performance was the only bright note for me, although I disagreed a bit with the folks that didn't like the kid. I thought he did a reasonable job, certainly compared to the rest of the cast who in their defense were provided with pretty bad material to work with.

I noticed a few people liked Warner's performance also. I wasn't enthused but it was serviceable and far from the worst in the movie, IMHO.


A two is rather generous for this, and it only gets that much because of Davies and Warner. The plot is vaguely in line with the book, but the acting is bad, the effects are laughable and the whole point of the Lost World is that it's supposed to have dinosaurs in it. Dinosaurs, I tell you! Not rubber feet and brief glimpses of rubber snouts. Dinosaurs! And if you manage to sit through the entire film (which, incidentally, doesn't actually have any dinosaurs in it), you have a pathetically soppy ending involving Percy the Pteradon.

And where's Roxton? Oh no, he's been replaced with two women and a (shudder) stowaway child. And Malone's American for some reason, but that didn't bother me so much as the annoying child stowaway; and of course the fact that the film seemed to be lacking in something . . . Ah yes! Dinosaurs.

in all, the saving grace of the film is in seeing Davies and Warner act against one another in a state of petty rivalry. The sequel was better (I picked them both up on the same day so felt obliged to watch the second one). At least that one had some dinosaurs in it.


This movie is a remake of the old story about a land of Dinosaurs. The special effects aren't great, but it is fun to watch.


"Deaden" is a difficult movie to talk about. I don't have any doubts of my feelings about the picture but it can be an uncomfortable experience to watch for those who don't know about what Viel and Fallon are talking. I was lucky enough to saw this film at its European premiere in Sitges Film Festival. I remark that I saw this film at Sitges because 5 years ago I saw there Kim Ki Duk's "Address unknown". After that screening I called a friend and told him that the Korean master had made a manifest about human cruelty, after seeing "Deaden" I thought that Christian Viel (the director) and John Fallon (the screenwriter, actor and producer) have made a manifest about human rage. The story line is classic, a vengeance movie about the payback that an ex cover policeman, that becomes a drug dealer because of his job, takes against the punks that rape his wife (with a baseball bat in full detail!) and murder his ¡unborn son! (In extreme full detail!). Yeah, I know that it sounds crazy. But think for a moment. If you don't know who the people that made that movie are and someone tells you that this is the plot line of the new Takashi Miike film, all of us would be dying to see this picture. So, what I'm trying to say is that you must see the film without any prejudices. The picture takes us to an unpleasant and nihilistic downward spiral to the last days (almost hours) of a human soul. The history of a man betrayed by a system in which he believed in, first, by becoming what he hate most and after that by being abandoned by them after the brutal murder that I talked before. The movie is sad; yes, it has some macabre gags, but the face of Fallon in the fine montage at the beginning is what marks the tone of the movie. His facial expression is what you're remembering during the picture, because (and that is very intelligent way of using the expectations of the public by the filmmakers) we have seen lots of vigilante films

(spoilers!)

and we know what he'll do after the revenge is complete and why he'll do that.

(End of spoilers)

The movie perfectly reflects the anger and the rage that invades you after you're assaulted or your girlfriend is raped or simply when you're humiliated by your boss or betrayed by someone you love. A violent impulse that drives you to your limits and to the dark side of your soul where you reject everything that you believed in, that's what the movie is about and that's what happens to the main character. But to understand that you must see the movie with your mind open and ready to be punch. Because you will be punched, but with style; I hate to comment films talking about other films, but think that the style of the movie is like "PI" in vivid colors, without any budget and on steroids. You'll see a very inventive way to film a guy sniffing cocaine (there's also a VERY funny recurring way that pays tribute to "Scarface") and you'll also see that every killing of this movie is different from each other and most of the them are committed with very unusual weapons (the movie features a new way to play pool that Ruggero Deodato will enjoy a lot). Because, of course, "Deaden" is a serious movie but also a non stop fast paced action picture (filmmakers and editors, take notice of the rhythm) that pays tribute to the 80's and 70's action films; you'll appreciate references to "Dirty Harry", "Death Wish", Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren, "Rocky" and all Sly Stallone's films and "Requiem for a dream" (don't be surprised by that, "Deaden" tells a story). And please remember what I told you before; don't have any prejudices when you're seeing that movie. Remember that is an old school action movie with a lot of social comment much more in the line of "Class of '84" (a film that almost only Roger Ebert defended in its premiere) than a Cannon film (that are great in their own way). And to you upcoming filmmakers and actors you must support Viel and Fallon's movie because it is made with little money but with lots of love. A film made by fans for fans. I hope that their next feature will be at the same category of that one, because "Deaden's" cult has just born.


OK so I think its good fun,

On the TECH level

I dug the look in some areas more then others such as some ext stuff looked Well videoish (Being that it was shot on video) while the some of the INT especially when Rane fights one of the main bad dudes (who was giving a blowie to other dude) hand to hand had a cool gritty look, Girlie Club also...I wish the latter look was kept throughout more, that's just my personal taste..There's a lot of gun action going on in this flick!

Story

Simple and to the point it was just good ol Revenge..Nice gratuitous violence =) Aborted babies always a good for a cheer in my book(You'll have to see the flick to understand how messed up it is)!..I liked also the constant hits of coke etc prob most coke hits since Scarface lol..

Acting

John Fallon who played Rane was solid the rest of the cast ranged from decent to passable(I felt weakest acting wise was female cop)..I Rane's coked up buddy he was cool and I liked the two Fhorensic Cops cracking the jokes.

All in all considering small budget and what these guys went for I feel they suceeded on all levels! Will this hit a theater near you, Not likey but will make for a very cool DVD rental or hell go out and buy it. I was entertained and in the end that's all that counts


Deaden is not a movie for the faint-hearted, does not cater for the mainstream audience and is not in the slightest bit interested in any PG-13 rating, and thank God for that! Deaden is instead an intelligent, well-made love letter to the revenge flicks of decades gone by. Writer, Producer and Star John Fallon (aka the one and only Arrow In The Head of the eponymous highly respected horror movie site) had previously stated that his intention (along with co-writer and Director Christian Viel) was to, ahem, deaden his disappointment at the 2004 remake of The Punisher, which for all its' good intentions and impressive visuals still pulled its punches where it counted, and create his own vision.

Thus Fallon and Viel created Rane, an ex-cop who has his future taken from him (in more ways than one) in a brutal opening sequence, and who then proceeds to make the perpetrators pay dearly for their actions after putting an arrow in his head (see what they did there?) and leaving him for dead.

What follows is a lean, uncompromising revenge flick that showcases Fallon in his first leading role, and proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only can he write, but the boy can act too. Several times during the movie I was reminded of a young Stallone in the way that Rane comes across as a flawed everyman, forced into his actions but ultimately believing that he is doing the right thing.

What could have been a ham role in lesser hands is turned into a sympathetic and even likable character by Fallon, who glides across the screen with an ease and confidence that many actors with more leading role experience would struggle to replicate. However, one man does not a great movie make (well not always).

Fallon's co-stars also step up to the plate and manage to hit (mostly) home runs. Deke Richards as his buddy Kersey completely sells their camaraderie (helped no doubt by their real life friendship), and the lovely Claudia Jert as his ex-partner Park brings a sexy confidence to the screen which brings to mind a younger (and hotter) Rene Russo. Anna Jaeger, playing Rane's girl Jamie, makes us believe in the depth and warmth of their relationship, and completely validates his need to seek vengeance for her untimely demise.

Rane's murderous crew are equally convincing, breathing life into what could so easily have been two-dimensional cardboard characters, but who instead come across as realistic - very little of the stereotypical movie bad guy scenery chewing that we've come to expect from the likes of a Michael Bay flick goes on in Deaden.

The violence, too, is realistic, with the only credibility-stretching event being the afore-mentioned arrow in the head, but even that is nimbly explained. Heads are cracked, teeth are lost, limbs are broken, and there is the most inventive use of a pool cue that I've seen for a good while, and that will make your eyes water.

Add a well thought out soundtrack to the whole heady mixture and Deaden delivers the goods, and then some. For my money Fallon and Viel have delivered exactly what they set out to, namely a punishing tale of revenge that will keep you nailed to the screen until the final, bleak denouement.


I dig action flicks, and Deaden is an ACTION flick that doesn't pull any punches, in fact it starts kicking your ass from the opening frame. Writer/actor John Fallon and his partner in crime director Christian Viel have created a film that remembers what it's like to have an old fashioned bloody good time at the movies. Combining the things I loved about the Death Wish, early Chuck Norris, and Dirty Harry flicks with a little Cobra thrown into the mix. The only thing missing was a bad ass car, but they had a bad ass bike so I guess they knew what they were doing. The tag line for the flick is "If you stop feeling pain, you can start using it", and the lead character Rane (Fallon) takes those words seriously. On a pain killer and cocaine infused rampage he seeks out those that have wronged him, and using some of the most inventive kills to ever grace the silver screen kills them. Now as fun as this film is, and it's a blast, it is also very difficult to watch at times. I'm just saying, go into this flick ready for anything to happen because in the world that Mr. Fallon and Mr. Viel have created here even the kitchen sink is scared to come out of hiding. So we've got action, violence and lots of ass kicking, but Deaden also has some heart. Fallon shows his sensitive side in flashback sequences where Rane is remembering the good times he had with his wife. Plus his relationship with bad boy Kersey played brilliantly by Deke Richards puts a little bit of the buddy aesthetic that works so well in films like The Rookie, and Beverly Hills Cop into a what is sure to become a cult classic. The chemistry between Fallon and Richards is awesome, and when they weren't on the screen together I found myself waiting for my next fix of those two crazy guys in action. In Deaden the bad guys are bad, and the good guys are bad and the vengeance is served on a platter along with your balls. So do yourself a favor and let Deaden take you back to a time when action flicks ruled!


What can I say... well first off this is John Fallon and Christian Veil's new film which has been in the making for a little while now. When the movie began I was surprised at how quickly it got itself into the mind of the viewer. Just the beginning alone is a testament to the violent brutality yet to come. It has been a long time since a film has begun with such a brutal punch! Along the way there are a couple of interesting plot turns and character development but not many. This is a straight forward revenge flick deeply rooted in gritty 80's fare such as Death Wish and The Exterminator. Fans of those particular movies will find themselves at home with Deaden while others will be surprised that such a movie could be made.

John Fallon's performance definitely shines as the walking revenge machine. He takes out people like no other and seems to bring a dark humorous vibe to the whole piece. Direction is handled pretty good as well considering the budget restrictions and all. Overall it is an entertaining piece of gritty film making.

John and Chris are on their way up!


I was lucky enough to see a representation of Deaden during a private screening. I was expecting a "balls to the wall" type of movie but to my surprise i was greeted to not only that but an actual character study. There are more than guns doing the talking in this flick. Fallon's performance was great, displaying a wide range of emotions. The chemistry between Raine and Kersey is very palpable and believable. Great balance between the action and the story. The movie moves at a fast pace and never overstays its welcome. The flick looks great: editing, filters, effects. Visually, it actually reminded me of Domino. You can feel the love and effort that was put to create this movie, behind and in front of the camera. Viel did an impressive job. I can only imagine what they would've done with a bigger budget. Props to all involved for providing us with such a movie. They are far in between nowadays.


I recently went to see Christian Viel's Deaden at the Sitges Festival International De Cinema De Catalunyain in Spain and I liked the movie a lot. It was the film premiere. The film was fast. The story simple. It was brutal. The music was excellente. Fallon was a good actor most time. Big surprise. Good comedy with Kersey Fallon friend in the film who was funny. Lot of guns-cocaine-action and the killings were originale and sadist. Bad things was the film was done on a low budget and some of fist fights were not that good. But it was a good vigilante movie with lots of violence-laugh-drama.

Alan


saw this on super channel one night when I couldn't sleep..and it had to be the biggest piece of garbage that I have EVER seen in my life. I kept trying to find a station playing the magic bullet infomercial rather than deal with this..but curiosity got the better of me.

What in the world is an overweight bald Colin Farrell leading this trash for? The main actor looks like a bloated bull from night court who must have graduated from the tony Danza school of acting! Completely overshadowed by his lame Pornstache wearing sidekick who couldn't act any better..but certainly not worse.

the opening sequence of this film was so over the top and ridiculous to the point of revulsion. They were going for shock value..instead it was laughable. ..without giving too much away...the abortion that they rip from her looks so fake you can practically read MATEL on the prop baby's behind! The climax of the movie involves a 3 person swat team!!?? are you kidding me? what you couldn't gather a group of friends, put them in some vests and do-rags and shoot? I've heard of low/no budget films but come on people..at least make an effort! it feels like the creators of this film had no pride in the half-ed good cop bad cop drama piece they were trying to make...and it shows! Bottomline..if one MUST watch this movie..such as someone has a shotgun pointed at your crotch and you must for the life of your genitals endure this...at least make a drinking game out of it...

take a drink every time Rane cries *sip sip sip* note that his cry face is actually laying a foot long face. Take a sip anytime someone acts completely devoid of emotion when uttering their lines...sip sip..pass out.

The only redeeming character in this whole drug infused fanfare was the lead bad guy...the talented and impeccably chiseled Neil Napier. The movie really pops when this actor comes on screen, and fizzles when hes not. Horrible movie overall.


OK so It looked like it was shot with a camcorder. No worries mate! The raw violence will have you on you seat edge. Taking violence and revenge to a level that the PUNISHER producers were afraid to go. Bikers will like this too. The guy rides a sweet A$$ sled with apes. I would put the acting on the level of OLD BOY. And the filming on the level of CLOVERFIELD. The story line is very twisted and I'm surprised that it hasn't reached cult status yet. I wont spoil the movie. But if you know the storyline from PUNISHER you know this film. But then they take it to the next level. Similar to SEVEN or SAW mixed with Mel Gibson's PAYBACK. It makes you think....would I do the same thing?


I had the opportunity to catch this one at a private screening last week. Finally a film that has not been over hyped and does not pretend to be anything else than what it is supposed be, violent B entertainment. I do not want to say much because this one holds a few surprises (you wont forget the opening sequence, actually that is if you can sit through it!!) but its premise is not overly complicated, here is all you need to now for now: A man seeks revenge against a crime syndicate responsible for the brutal murder of his wife.

Directed by Christian Viel (Evil Breed) and starring John Fallon (who also wrote it) Deaden is pretty straightforward. For about an hour and a half, you witness the main character endless descent into hell and self abuse in his search for vindication. Absolutely tongue and cheek, this movie, even if flawed at times, is not limited by its micro budget and still manages to entertain. You can see these guys had a blast making it. Fast paced, graphic and 100% politically incorrect, see it if you can. You know what they say, no guts no glory, well this one got both and heavy on the first!


There is something thrilling about revenge movies. Take KILL BILL VOL. 1 and 2 or any of the Chan-wook Park films including SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, OLDBOY and LADY VENGEANCE. You get a sense of, "what would I do?" and for me, it is a satisfying experience to see the revenge and ultimate betrayal of what comes with it. But what happens when the revenge gets down and dirty? Take away the budget and you get something like the cult classic I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE or LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, a dirty, raw and vicious look at the art of revenge.

Well I'm happy to say, the Christian Veil and John Fallon collaboration DEADEN can proudly be added to that list. It has all the qualities of a new cult classic, as I said, it's raw and brutal but one thing it also has in abundance is charisma. In many ways it is a better film than "Grave" and you can credit that to a wonderful lead performance by Mr. John Fallon. Yes, he's got the machismo, but that seems to come easy for some; just look tough and act like you know what you are doing when pointing a gun at someone. But John also has vulnerability, loads of it. He suffers horrible in the opening sequence, the one which inspires his revenge in a Chuck Bronson sort of way. And you believe it. This film would not have worked with a lesser actor as Rane, the pain killer addicted druggy and the much put upon and surprising survivor of a nasty attack.

I don't want to give to much away regarding plot because all you really need to know is that somebody screws somebody over in a BIG way, and revenge will be exacted. At what cost you may say Well, lucky for us, both Fallon and Veil seem to love the art of horror and even though this is not a horror film per se, the images portrayed definitely feel horrific in mood and for such a limited budget, really shine here.

And as with many low-budget shockers, this isn't a perfect film. There are a few performances that seem either a little flat or way too "chew up the scenery" big. But most of them do their job competently. I also had a few moments where I felt the budget and that had to do with a couple of odd cuts and crude camera work. But Christian Veil knows the kind of movie he is making and he gives us more than enough action to make us long for the politically incorrect films of the Seventies. This is a nostalgic look back at the dark, brooding anti-hero who has a personal vendetta, and he happens to dig cocaine and messing people up! This is a bloody, vicious and violent flick with a little T & A for good measure and it may very well become a cult classic.


ouch...that REALLY did hurt. and not because my belly was laughing so hard. the whole movie was was jampacked with the absolutely worst stuff German "comedy" has to offer. no joke, really no joke at all, was slightly funny. It's a complete emberassing mess. I hope this crap will be forbidden because of the possible damage it could do to your brain. I still have headaches. Please go and see "Gigli" or a Britney Spears movie, even this "gems" are 1000x better than this. It's no wonder at all when people think Germans can't be funny. This is the complete opposite of real funny, intelligent comedy. But maybe it was shot as some kind of project for mentally ill, pathetic unfunny comedians. You never know.

Just sad.


I watched this movie, because I had promised my little sister to join her. I have seen all the other Otto-movies, because my family loves him, but I don't really think he's funny. So I went to the movies with a very negative attitude, thinking that I am going to be terribly bored. That really wasn't the case! Although everybody knows the basic story, the film is still interesting and I had to laugh and smile a lot of times. Sure, it is very stupid, but this is that kind of movie that is so stupid, it's already funny again. The comedians are great, except Harald Schmidt who should stick to offending people, that's what he is good at. I loved Nina Hagen as the bad stepmother and Ruediger Hoffmann as the person in the mirror was just hilarious! The only bad thing about the movie is the song that they are singing all the time. You won't get it out of your head afterward! Everybody who just wants to be entertained should watch this!


My German teacher got this from a former student who is living in German and we watched it in class (with the help of some cunning planning and working) and it was the most entertaining 93 minutes I have had in that class (and trust me, entertaining things happen in that class daily) My teacher, who commonly finds humor as the such in the movie (black eye - black guy (translated), Tupperware container for glass coffin and the like)hilarious. He was on the floor laughing. (well not literally, but oh well) There wasn't a dull moment in this movie..from the flash of "that night" to the man dwarf singing with a women's voice. I just need to find a version that will work on USA DVD players because I want to share the joy this movie brings with all of my friends and family.


OK, i have to admit i didn't watch 'Traumschiff Surprise', but it can hardly be any worse than this.

There wasn't much of a story line here, but its a comedy so thats not really a big problem. But the jokes !!! Beware of the jokes!! They are so bad its painful. Except of a few they are not even funny-bad in the sense that you can laugh about how stupid they are, they are just bad.

I'm just wondering how so many (supposedly) good German comedians could get into such a movie. what were they thinking? You have to be a REALLY great Otto-Fan to enjoy this movie.

If there is ANY other movie playing in your local cinema go and watch that instead, it simply cant be any worse.


I found 7 Zwerge to be a delightful German film and highly recommend it.

However, it contains some language based jokes which don't translate well to English, so beware if you don't speak German and watch the film with subtitles to miss a few of the good jokes. But there is still plenty there for those who don't speak the language and overall the plot and humor translates quite well.

A great film with a fairly simple plot that is great to watch if you are trying to learn German but also great for anyone who really loves foreign films.

Highly recommended to fans of German comedy!


It's funny to see the difference between the viewers from foreign countries and Germany. I guess, the problem is, the jokes used in that film are really old and pretty used for us Germans, because Otto Waalkes used them since the beginning of his career. That's why I think this is a completely superfluous film. The only good joke is Helge Schneider as "Gandalf".

I'm very sad about this film, because there are a lot of great comedians, but they all played only there Stand-Up-Roles...

absolutely disappointing...

The only reason I give one star is: I can't give none...


Okay, I must admit: it IS a very silly movie! But the bigger comedies from Germany are always silly, and Seven Dwarfs' is no exception. When you compare him to the other two big comedies this year, Traumschiff Surprise' and Der Wixxer', you will find the same sense of humor. The question is: do you like this kind of humor? Then go and see the movie, it will be not brilliant (like the other two) but satisfying (like the other two). Like in ZAZ-Movies or simple Gross-Out-Comedies, you better leave your brain outside in the car and enjoy, because it is a fun event to watch this kind of movie. More then a dozen of German comedians in bigger and smaller parts: find them, check them out, notice their comedy routines and feel a little bit like a 12-year-old - the only way it works. It's good to see, that this movie is no typical Otto-Movie, because his last two outings were flat or plain bad. In "7 Dwarfs' his role is thankfully smaller, giving room to his co-stars. Positive to mention are: Punkrock-Icon Nina Hagen as the evil queen (even if you hate her in real life, like me, you have to admit, that her timing is great), Rüdiger Hoffmann with his absurd slow burn humor is perfect as the magic mirror and Martin Schneider as dwarf Speedy' (who is really slow and very big) is quite perfect. Hans-Werner Olm as the queens dark helper qualifies himself for better rolls (also non-comedic) and the absurdest of German comedians, Helge Schneider, who mixes absurd monologues with a great talent for Jazz in his shows, has a funny moment as Gandalf-Lookalike The Wise/White Helge'. Not so funny: German Talkmaster Harald Schmidt who plays himself as a candidate for the court jester job, Traumschiff'-Veteran Christian Tramitz, who has (as the hunter) to deal with a lot of weak lines and Ralf Schmitz, who can't show his talents from TV, because his dwarf Sunny' is definitely a weak point of the whole movie. And don't think to much about kind of messages' in the jokes: after films, which should be funny because of racial stereotypes, excessive drinking, puking, crapping, re-animating dogs, eating dog-shit, drinking sperm in beer and f**king apple pies, I don't see a problem in the (absolutely funny)Hitting-Women'-Joke, when all the male characters are hitting themselves through the whole movie. The Neger/Jaeger-Gag is a cheap joke (and they even repeat him), but everyone, who thinks he has a problem with those lighthearted jokes, must check, if he is not a better visitor for the next Visconti-Retrospective or a Woody-Allen-Festival. Much more charm, then I expected, I don't care for many misses, I had enough hits to laugh about. (7/10)


Awful comedy loosely based on "Snow-white", featuring a massive amount of German comedians.

The appearing comedians play their own style as it probably would be in a fairytale scenarion. Netherless the plot is very predictable while the gags are highly unpretending.

Many of the jokes are based on German language and probably won't work translated. (To be honest they don't really work in German either)

Silly, heartless old jokes suitable for viewers aged < 10 years. Sophisticated adults should under no circumstances waste their time/money with this movie.


I haven't seen something like this since the Holy Grail. Sure it is obvious. Sure they are all jokes your dad thinks are funny and everyone else groans at. This is like pantomime. You KNOW everything is ridiculous and exaggerated. The delivery and execution of classic lines are very good, and even though you know exactly what to expect, they still make you smile when they are delivered. This is a film that can only be appreciated when you have developed a very fine sense of irony whilst retaining the ability to laugh at simple things and yourself. There are multiple pop culture references that may elude someone not familiar with German culture, but for me, it was a fine illustration that not all comedy must be sophisticated on the surface. Don't watch this if you think American Pie is Champagne comedy. Your sense of irony won't be refined enough to appreciate it. The delivery of gags in this is also faster than for a typical Hollywood style movie. The buildup for each dull joke doesn't take half the movie and leave you squirming, KNOWING that X is going to happen, you just have to wait for it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.


I found this movie the same way I find foreign films that I want to buy on DVD, by being bored late at night and turning to the foreign channel. This is the third German offering that I've found to be quite enjoyable.

The storyline is surreal-- 7 dwarfs who aren't dwarfs. Though thankfully Snow White is still Snow White. The blonde, sorry 'brunette' jokes are a tasteful addition to Nina Hagen's evil queen character.

I was surprised there was a storyline in it, because its supposed to just be a spoof of the Snow White story, but the story is pretty good-- I especially like the Tupperware container-- whoever thought of that was a genius.

The dwarfs are funny and all contribute to the humour of things, by the end of it, you will be wanting to grab someone and play 'CHECK!' Might warn the kids not to try that at home.

It's been over two months since I've seen it, and I still laugh when I think of certain scenes.


I saw this movie in German club and I thought it was really entertaining. Sure, it wasn't the height of intellectual humor by any stretch of the imagination, but it was still pretty damn funny. I know doing a spoof of a fairy tale isn't the most original or deep idea for a movie, but I think the way they went about it (with the he-dwarf woman haters club in the forest, the usurping nurse who became queen just by putting on the crown, how Schneewittchen ended up with the jester at the end) was a lot better than it could've been. Of course, I was mostly just happy that I could understand the jokes. My favorite part was the whole "Schach" bit, I still giggle when I think about it sometimes. I also liked how they did the brunette/blond jokes, I thought that was actually kind of clever. The cinematography was pretty nice to look at, too, very spoof-y and bright. I loved the music, it was so bubbly and catchy! I wish I could find the soundtrack.


This film is silly, okay, but it's also extremely funny and entertaining! If you liked the various 'Airplane' and 'Naked Gun' spoof, this movie's for you, even if it comes from Germany! So the seven dwarfs are not small, they're grown up men who escaped from women and civilization, and hid in the woods. Everything's fine, until Snow White arrives there, escaping from a nasty queen (Nina Hagen!) that wants to get rid of her. It does not hurt that Snow White is quite a lovely good looking brunette, just about to turn 18... again, if you ever happen to get hold of this film, watch it and you won't be disappointed, it's a good one hour and a half of fun. I have no idea if it will be dubbed or subtitled around the world, but its humor is definitely universal, so don't be scared by its country of origin, Germany! You'll get 95% of the jokes anyway, and who cares if you miss one or two, when you're already rolling on the floor with laughter?


This is a comical version of the all too familiar story "Snow white and the 7 Dwarfs"

So naturally there is the beautiful brunette, the jealous queen and the 7 "dwarfs."

In this version the dwarfs are not really dwarfs in the true sense of the word, (well maybe some of them are), but rather a group of men who have been emotionally upset by a woman one time too many, so when a bout of misogyny sets in, one of them sets up a group of men (limit 7) who wish to live in a world without women, and will go to any means to achieve this.

As we all know the queen sets a hunter out after Snow white who escapes into the woods and finds her way to the dwarfs' cottage and...well we all know the story, but this version is filled with it's own twists and turns.

Many of the jokes are amusing if not downright hilarious such as remodeling the house to accommodate for Snow white, when Bubi holds the saw, and 2 other dwarfs slide the wood back and forth, or when Speedy tastes what he believes is Cookie's latest dish, only to find out it's actually a can of pink paint; oh, and let's not forget the mushrooms ;). But some of the jokes are not so funny, as others have mentioned there's the Jager/Neger joke, then there's the shooting of the fanfare musicians (would it be funny if someone really did it?) The scene when the dwarfs first meet Snow white isn't entirely a bad thing, although it's probably not appropriate for a younger audience who the original story is directed at. The RSPCA wouldn't approve of the way Tscheko treats Brutus, not to mention Bubi's song which fortunately is interrupted at just the right moment. And most intriguing of all the violence against women. I must admit it is kind of funny in a very twisted kind of way, but at a subtle level it gives the impression that it's okay for men to hit women, even in the most dubious of circumstances, considering that Snow white does actually provoke Tscheko to hit her.

Still most of us can probably overlook these unpleasant moments to watch the movie.


Otto didn't reinvent himself with 7 Zwerge and its possible to see this in every second of this movie. If you saw a lot of the old stuff by Otto Waalkes there is not much new to explore.

But the film isn't bad at all. Its only old fashioned. Otto plays himself as usual even if he tries to act as a character called Bubi and his parents.

The jokes are funny as they were when Otto told them the first time and the little new stuff is pretty cool.

I like the scene about "Brettspiele" very much.

If you didn't watch a Otto Movie before you can add up to 2 Points to my Vote.


This is lousy beyond expression. All necessary comments why so are already written! It's not a matter of taste or different senses of humor or anything negotiable. This movie is simply a physical offense and a cry in' shame for the German film history! The only acceptable part are the 20 seconds (!) for Helge as Gandalf, and off! Rüdiger Hoffman also can't save this. Though his play as the mirror is okay, he could never make anything out of this that I could watch and stand. Boris Aljinovic as well. Neither can Cosma. Watching adult men stomping through the woods in a line, chanting "Hey dwarfs Ho!" (the only line of the song) for about 4 minutes is a reason for a day in court!


...just unbelievable how these old jokes keep me laughing, the cast is absolutely packed with big names even down to the smallest roles. I just wonder how they got all these stars to play this stuff, kind of unusual for the German film scene to do some stuff just for the fun of it and produce it well. I've never seen this combination The Soundtrack is nice, no wonder considering who done that part. i'm pleased to see that _entertainment_ is possible and easy with a film like this, far above the "comedy"-hype here in Germany. well done, Otto and all the others. i watched with my girlfriend and it's -two thumps up- just 9/10 because maybe some other movies try to top this


It is quite a surprise: Though his previous movies were quite bad, Otto's new movie is very nice and funny! And that's because it isn't a Otto-Film but a film with Otto, who is not the but one of the main actors. This time there is a whole lot of them, e.g. Mirco Nontschew, Ralf Schmitz, Helge Schneider, Harald Schmidt and so on. But no one of them tries to put himself in front row, it is really an ensemble movie, and that's what makes it good.

Maybe it is because the movie has a very good director: Sven Unterwaldt, who has worked for many important TV-comedies and has a nice feeling for timing and a believable look.

"Sieben Zwerge" is actually a lovable dwarfs movie! It isn't a joke-joke-joke-movie, but actually a nice comedy for families. It probably will attract the "old" Otto-Fans and the new young ones. As could be seen at the premiere: Kids love him and his cast.


OK...a sad collection of extremely unsophisticated 'sketch' jokes, often repeated several times, and none of them original. Embarrassing.

Plus...racism! A clumsy wordplay on the similarity between the sounds of 'Jaeger' (hunter) and 'Neger' (insulting word for a dark skinned person).

Also...violence towards women! One of the 'dwarfs' has a 'problem', later overcome, in that he **can't hit women**. Hilarious. Women are repeatedly referred to as (translation)'cold-hearted bitches'. The person who wrote this trash is the one with the problem.

Speech impediments! This is supposed to be funny??

Otto Waalke's character - I hope it is a character - is annoying beyond belief, as are the lisping dwarf and the cooking dwarf.

The only enjoyable moments were provided by the fabulous Nina Hagen, playing the wicked queen, the Mirror - Ruediger Hoffmann, and the miserable dwarf played by a wonderfully dead-pan Boris Aljinovic.

Having said all that, the thing that I found really disturbing was that I was sitting in a packed cinema full of people laughing their heads off. This disaster actually got a considerable round of applause when the credits came up!!! A sad day for Deutschland.

See it if you have to, or you want to experience what, believe it or not, actually passes for comedy in Germany, but avoid it if you can.


"Taken at the flood" is in my opinion the best, and indeed the most dark and haunting, of this year's films from the Poirot team. Based on yet another cleverly structured murder mystery from Agatha Christie, this dramatisation is absolutely crammed with webs within webs, lovely scenery, and many fine acting performances from a large, enormously star-studded, cast. Apart from the always brilliant David Suchet in the leading role, Elliot Cowan in particular made an impression amongst the supporting actors, giving a delightfully menacing and genuinely haunting performance as David Hunter. This adaptation might not always be completely true to Christie's original novel, but still a truly recommended hour and a half of well-made television!


I was once only able to see Poirot if PBS's "Mystery" broadcast a series and they haven't for quite a while, several years in fact so I mistakenly thought that the Poirot series had ceased production about 10 years ago. I was very happy to discover how wrong I was! I thought the production values and the acting in this one have far surpassed what I had remembered and I think I ought to say that I was already quite fond of Poirot a decade or more ago. Nevertheless, I would have liked to see some even handedness in how the villainy was dispersed. Apparently it's not murder if you knock someone out cold and kill him then club him in the back of the head to frame someone else then go on to bribe another person to commit perjury in a deposition. No, you get off scot-free for that. Blackmail and impersonating someone else is just fine and dandy too. Verbal harassment? No problem. Nothing to see here. Move along. Embezzeling funds from a pension fund is no big deal either. But the clincher: it's not considered murder if you go along with a plot to bomb a house filled with people. You're apparently only considered a murderer if Poirot feels like saying so. The judgments were not doled out even handedly at all. Being catholic doesn't melt your brain or turn off your moral radar. Whatever the fake sister did, she did of her own volition and should have been held accountable for it. That includes making false claims at a deposition (perjury), being an accomplice to murder, receiving stolen goods, and fraud. But, I guess since she has big eyes and 2 x chromosomes, then that makes it okay? And Rowley should have gone to jail too. And what about the embezzler? In spite of that, I gave this a 10 because I am so happy to find out there are a boatload of Poirot's that I have yet to see, and because I liked the chemistry between Elliot Cowan's character and Amanda Douge's character. It was magical I thought. The party scene and the garden scene alone make it worth watching... the best on screen kiss I have ever seen, even better than Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in "Notorious" and that's saying something. Pity the ending was so ridiculous.