I can understand why Duvall, one of the premier actors of our times, can sit back and look at his body of work with supreme satisfaction, and be more than willing to try new things. I can also understand why he went out and got himself a girlfriend 40 years his junior. He's due. What I can't understand is what he was trying to do with this film, other than spending some time working with his girlfriend. In a dual story about a aging hired killer and tango dancing, neither subject is developed to anything approaching interesting.

Duvall, as usual stellar as an actor, has not given himself very good material here. He goes about his job as a plumber would approach a leaky faucet; this attitude is commendable, and he sells it, but in the end his assassination job is almost as interesting as fixing a leaky faucet. Many twists and turns in that plot could have been developed into good suspenseful material (with another excellent actor, Ruben Blades, playing a supporting role). This is never explored, though, and we are left unmoved.

Similarly, the sequences with tango dancing are also never fully utilized to their full effect, and Duvall, who is supposed to be the central character, is barely shown doing any dancing at all, and his suppressed love for his real-life girlfriend never catches fire.

As a result, both plots are pretty much glossed over and what we end up with is two sub-plots, neither of which is satisfying. I love Duvall and watching him do almost anything is almost always worth it. Nevertheless, I'm afraid I have to say that this one fizzles and never sizzles.


This Duvall feature is quirky, touching, beautiful, odd, and by a man whose politics I do not at all like, yet I have to say that its qualities, including the camera work, the cutting, the music, the actors, the spoken script come close to creating a film Fellini would have been pleased to have authored. The crude, centered, killer played by Duvall has such love for his girlfriend's child it is palpable. The character's professionalism in his trade is of the highest order...the highest order in a lowly profession...though in this instance his job does have positive results in terms of assassinating a monster who took refuge in Argentina from Germany.

His little, tightly wound but precise killer is, like the dance which carries the spirit of a place and people in the film, and the panther which his dance teacher admires, is a wary watchful beast whose devotion to the ten year old daughter redeems him in part. Great performances across the board. Gesture, sounds, perfect. Chapeaux.


Robert Duvall's greatness lies in part, on his ability to become the character he's portraying, his identity subsumed in the film. In this movie, unfortunately, he emerges not as a hit man, but as an odd permutation of Harvey Keitel. I found myself wondering exactly "who" I was watching. Discovering after the fact that Duvall wrote the screenplay, all became clear. Actors tend to be empty vessels, filled by a writer's creation...Duvall mistook his acting gifts for writing talent, and produced an interesting glimpse of Buenos Aires' tango world, populated with the road show cast of "Reservoir Dogs". A few viewings of "The Official Story" might have provided better source material for Duvall, although the dialog consistently fails to ring true.


Small budget, interesting film.

At slow points, I appreciated the film like I would a foreign small film.

It speeds up and wraps up very well.

Very engaging portrayal of Buenos Aires and tango.


Duvall is a hitman who's hired to fly to Argentina and kill a former general who presumably was responsible for tortures and executions of innocent people during the troubles of the 1970's and 1980's. He's professional, speaks some Spanish, but moreover has a fascination with Tango and other ballroom dance.

Duvall has shown he can run a one man show before, with The Apostle, and while this film is entirely different, it's every bit as good. It has quite a respectful display of Argentine Tango, and it manages to be a suspenseful thriller at the same time. I've never met any assassins or their co-conspirators, but the everyday characters in the film are perfectly realistic. If you appreciated the banter between characters and intense yet subdued violence from Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, you'll like this movie.

Duvall is the brilliant veteran assassin who's not altogether pleasant all the time (this isn't the sweet nice guy Marky Mark assassin from The Big Hit), but you still wish him well. Blades and Mechoso are the idealistic co-conspirators who seem to be a bit too eager. Miller is his stepdaughter, the apple of his eye for whom he always shows his nice side, and Pedraza is the Tango student/teacher who seduces Duvall's character by her very nature in more ways than one.

It's not a hot steamy thriller with over-the-top action sequences and acrobatic heroes like Assassins, nor a romantic comedy like Grosse Pointe Blank, just a movie that shows a man's dance with life and death and his fellow human beings in a very enjoyable way.


This movie by Robert Duvall was fantastic, and moved me to actually sign up for tango lessons! The film bears two or three viewings to really get the "feel" of the whole storyline, and the "heart" of the personalities... at first I did not like it as I was expected another "preacher" story (Duvall's first fantastic film he wrote as well). However, subsequent watchings served greater and greater understanding, which can be the mark of many a great work of art.

The DVD has great deleted scenes and commentaries which helped make sense of the complicated story line unfolding before our eyes. I wish I could have been there, speaking Spanish with Duvall, walking the tree lined boulevards and sitting on the old stone benches; feeling the warm breeze all around. What a taste treat all around. Hope there are many sequels to this one. The first one was "just a taste."

"The Tango is Life" in all its travails, majesty and glory ~ hardships, suffering, love, hate, goodness and evil... I would like to know more. I truly hope Duvall brings this character back to life and shows us "what comes next." Fascinating!


Synopsis: Robert Duvall is hired to kill someone in Buenos Aires. As he waits for the guy to show up he learns how to tango.

The movie is pretty bad actually. As far as tango ambiance is concerned I would rather watch again movies at the National Geographic site (http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0312/feature2/index.html). However complete tango danced as a background to credits is worth rental price.

Learned an interesting factoid: apparently in Argentina young attractive women are smitten with old goons. Food for thought

4/10


Once again, Robert Duvall comes out of the gate with one of his personal projects, writing, directing, producing, and starring, and delivers an almost perfect film. Well, maybe it is perfect. I don't know. I do know I loved every minute of it. This movie is filled with emotion, suspense, and intrigue but Duvall never cuts corners, never takes any cheap shots. Assassination Tango is as good a film as I've ever seen.


A very natural and enjoyable film which I happened to fine just by chance. The atmosphere and slightly unconventional plot coupled with superb acting, directing, and script "writing" has allowed me to watch the movie more then twice with no disappointment Mr. Duvall is at his finest and I wait to see his beautiful co-star in another production. I am sure there might be detractors out there, but that would be because they lack good judgment. I especially enjoyed the impromptu scenes between Mr. Duvall and Miss Pedraza, to me, were worth seeing over and over, of course this might also be due to her great beauty. I have recommended this movie to all of my friends.


Some young filmmakers cut their teeth on lowbrow, meant-for-drive-in (now direct-to-video) B-movies with little money and even fewer expectations. Hollywood maestro of low-budget pulp movies Roger Corman gave future cinematic superstar directors their early breaks. People like Martin Scorsese. Francis Ford Coppola. Jonathan Demme. Once they were given bigger budgets and higher quality scripts, they matured into the masters they are now.

Still, some lucky artists begin immediately with debut films that are of a much higher caliber, and far more subjective and personal, than the typical rookie fare. Take David Lynch's surrealistic nightmare 'Eraserhead.' Or Roman Polanski's innovative 'Knife in the Water.' These aren't merely movies, they're primal dreamscapes painted on a living celluloid canvas.

In the tradition of visually-stylized old-school directors such as Fritz Lang, Igmar Bergman and Stanley Kubrick, Richard Raymond's debut short film The Bridge relies heavily on camera work, lighting, and picture composition to create its ominous mood. The music by Niko Tsonev sets the right atmosphere, with a sound as dark as the film's look. What you hear and feel emotionally is just as important as what you see.

In a story by Ludwig Shammasian that's reminiscent of early Rod Serling, two lonely characters (Andrea Corr and Leonard Fenton) find each other under strange circumstances on a cold, snow-covered bridge. Both have suffered great losses, and are in the midst of despair. What happens when they connect is what carries the minimalist plot, such as it is. No spoilers here. Like any good Alfred Hitchcock suspense film, it's better not knowing what's coming. However, having said that, don't expect the supernatural or paranormal. This isn't really an M.Night movie.

The only two actors in the film come from vastly different backgrounds, generations apart. Ms. Corr is performing in only her fourth movie role, and her first as lead. Best known in Europe & elsewhere as the diminutive lead singer of Irish pop-rock quartet The Corrs, her professional acting experience amounts to a small supporting role in 'The Commitments' (1991), a 2-minute cameo as a teen-aged mistress in 'Evita' (1996), and a prominent supporting role as a rural violin prodigy and ingénue in 'The Boys (and Girl) from County Clare' (2003). Only in that last feature could she show off her acting chops. Some pedantic souls might quibble about the authenticity of Andrea's West Ireland accent (she's from Dundalk on the east coast), or notice the less-than-convincing simulated violin skills (she's a pianist & tin-whistle player by trade), but no-one can dismiss her emotional depth or charismatic screen presence, particularly in this short-subject film. The camera adores her luminous face, even when made to look decidedly unglamorous, as in 'Clare' and 'Bridge.'

Leonard Fenton has been acting since the 1950's, mostly on stage and on television in the UK. He's highly regarded as a "traditionalist" actor who buries himself in his characters. In this role, he exudes both empathy and menace as an old man at the end of his rope.

If high-minded concepts mixed with visual flair is your bag, then you'll enjoy this latter-day "Twilight Zone" episode. But don't look for any off-screen narrator to help fill-in the gaps, or any comic relief, either. This is one serious, somber thriller. And beautifully rendered, in an ethereal, 'Blue Velvet' kind of way. The ending leaves itself completely open to interpretation. The viewer takes whatever he/she chooses from it. That is what in cinematic parlance is called 'challenging.' An exercise for the cerebrum.

The Bridge may be only 25 minutes long, but Raymond has managed to pack it with style and depth worthy of a feature. It's an idiosyncratic film that hints at what he could achieve as a filmmaker if given a more fully-realized script and more characters to direct. There are promising careers ahead for both Raymond and Corr if they continue to pursue quality work.


In her office, late at night, Mary (Corr), a psychologist, takes a voicemail from the father of a girl who has committed suicide whilst under her care, urging her that it's time to 'let go'. Having lost her position through this unfortunate event, Mary finds it very hard to do so, and scribbles down the man's number only to see it vanish beneath the remnants of a teacup, upended by her friendly cat. An attempt at remembering the number leads to a call to an elderly man, Simon (Fenton), who only moments before was poised, barefoot on a snowy ledge, about to leap to his death into the dark waters below Against the shadowy silhouette of the bridge, blue-tinged and feathered with falling snow, director Richard Raymond elicits a most magical and haunting sense of other-worldliness, the stylised heightened reality an escapee of a Tim Burton landscape, demonstrating all of Burton's delicious dark melancholy but devoid of his black humour. However, this is no triumph of style over substance: Raymond gently unfurls his tale, Mary at first still as she receives the message, her agitation growing as she takes the call from Simon and realises he is on the brink of killing himself, and then her flight into the night as she attempts to lay her own ghosts to rest by saving another, all leading to a taught and chilling climax.

Whilst an interesting combination, there may not be the highest of expectations for the pairing of the lead singer of a pop group with Doctor Legge from Eastenders. In that case, be prepared for a most pleasing surprise. The pacing of the film is dependent on the camera exploring the performers' actions and gestures and, within their dialogue, to linger on their expressions. As such, any mis-timing or errors would be magnified to the audience. That they both deliver convincing, gripping and moving performances is a credit to both actors and Raymond as director. Corr, previously seen in The Commitments and Evita, the Madonna vehicle in which she was criminally allowed only one line of what should have been her character's own song, has her sights set on an acting career and the evidence on display here leads one to suspect she'll be most successful. Underplaying rather than overplaying is a most subtle skill and Corr demonstrates this with aplomb. Fenton, meanwhile, ranges from pathos to simmering rage, as his anger at his life erupts and, his face a close-up of crevice shadowed contortion, bores into the viewer. The interplay between seasoned thespian and fresh-faced newcomer is nicely balanced, and the unlikely two-hander deftly explores a range of human emotions. As the falling snow is by turn luminescent white in the lamplight, or midnight blue against the darkened night, it reflects how the film's themes of regret, guilt, blame, loyalty and redemption are rarely black or white but instead change, Monet-esquire, dependent on the light in which they're seen.

Are there flaws? One or two, but even these are debatable. The plot is stretched slightly and could be shorter, but to lose the slow-burning build would almost certainly detract from the atmospherics of the film. The ending, too, is not as dramatically climatic as one has been lead to suspect, but it is satisfying and quite haunting, resolving itself and yet is ambiguous enough to leave the viewer revisiting the tale in the mind's eye.

The Bridge has already attracted a considerable fanbase and plaudits from home and abroad. It's legacy will be as a beautiful, melancholy calling card that heralded the beginning of a most promising career for both its director and its leading lady, but one which will remain a favourite in it's own right in any viewer's personal film collection.


Richard Rayond did a phenomenal job in the directing of "The Bridge." It is a FANTASTIC movie. Andrea Corr, the lead actress whom played Mary, is a force to be reckoned with, she is incredible, she portrays her character so well, she IS her!! This movie is a perfect mix of emotion and intrigue, compelling it's viewers into a new dimension. We give it a 10 out of 10 stars, it is PURE PERFECTION, an absolute masterpiece!! Anyone who gets the chance to see this wonderful short film, please do!!! You will be inspired from beginning to end, there is no stopping it. It was also the official selection at several film festivals. A+++++! Alisha & Lisa


I was pleasantly surprised with this short film which is quite surprising given that I had my expectations set high for this film. Andrea Corr plays a young psychologist(Mary) trying to relieve her own sense of guilt over losing a patient. When Mary's life gets intertwined with an old man wanting to commit suicide(Simon)she soon is entangled in the old man's life and tries to redeem herself by trying to change the outcome of Simon's plans to end his own life. I don't want to give away the ending so thats really all I can say as your are left to yourself to ponder your own meaning to the film. Richard Raymond does a fantastic job directing the film and the movie is both haunting and beautiful in its own dark way. To me the movie portrays perfectly what we all come across sometime in our lives and how we deal with our own failures and also how we face and deal with death. I look forward to seeing Ms Corr in more films as she is turning into a fine actress. Leonard Felton does a brilliant job in this film also. Andrea Corr has a screen presence you just can't teach.


"The Bridge" embodies all the aspects of great movie making with a rare mix of drama, music, a great climax and cinematography miraculously blended to perfection. In today's moving making society where nudity and shallow story lines tend to dominate movie theaters, this short film is a breath of fresh air. This film may be short, but it holds the power to fill the shoes of a full length film. "The Bridge" contains all that is important in a full length film, yet keeps the watcher entertained from beginning until end, with no dull, near pointless moments in between. "The Bridge" is a MUST SEE, both director Richard Raymond and lead actress Andrea Corr produce film-making at its BEST!!! Both actress and director seem in perfect unison in this BRILLIANT, MUST SEE film!!!!!!


A DVD made up entirely of trailers at first seemed like a waste to me, but over 2 hours of splendiferous crap has changed my mind. From all around the world, Synapse has dredged up some primo material for the geek with no attention span and slapped the title 42nd Street Forever on it to stir up some nostalgia for the good ole days. There's some really cheap and cheesy stuff on here, peppered with gratuitous-but-too-quick-to-jack-off-to nudity, goofy gore, and groan-inducing jokes and one-liners. Plenty of obscurities and classics are on display for your amusement.

There are way too many highlights on here but I'll try to hit 'em all. You've got all your bases covered from cult low-budget and no-budget campy horror, sci-fi and exploitation flicks like The Undertaker and His Pals, Teenage Mother, Matango, The Green Slime (or as the voice-over guy says, "The Greeeeeeeeeen Slime!"), the Fred WIlliamson blaxploitation/western crap-fest Boss N!gger (dig that funky theme--"He's real bad, They call him Boss, they call him Boss, Boss N!gger!"), and the hilariously offensive and amazing to behold The Crippled Master to real gems like Walerian Borowczyk's art-house erotica L'Interieur d'un Couvent, The Centerfold Girls, engaging Euro-trash Devil's Nightmare with the divine Erika Blanc, David Hess/Franco Nero gritty shock feature Hitch Hike, the salaciously satisfying mondo doc Shocking Asia, and B-grade goodness Attack of the Deadly Spawn. Those who would suck a fart out of Christina Lindbergh's leather Cheerio will undoubtedly get a rod for the trailer of The Depraved, which is nice and sleazy and looks like it could be quite good despite itself...and the trailer, of course, features Lindbergh doing full-frontal.

Historically interesting was the inclusion of trailers for 3-D porn movies. I really want to see The 3 Dimensions of Greta ("IN THREE DIMENSIONS"!). Also included in this sub-genre were a couple of vintage ads for Johnny Wadd films ("IN 3-D!!!")...."Eye-popping! His cock will knock your eye out of the socket!" My favorite trailers were the trashiest. The interview style ad for the double feature Blood Spattered Bride/I Dismember Mama. This one not only had its fair share of tits and silly splatter, it also has some retardedly funny "man on the street" comments from moviegoers. Some of the other trashy treasures included are spots for the gay biker comedy The Pink Angels, harmless and corny sexploitation spy flick Ginger The Very Private Eye, Sergio Martino-helmed sex comedy Creampuffs, gory Gallic sword & sandal epic Ironmaster: La Guerre du Fer, the inexplicably mindless sci-fi smegma The Raiders of Atlantis (which I must see!), biker horror flick Werewolves on Wheels, Conrad Rooks' detox doc Chappaqua, Luigi Cozzi's grandiose sci-fi schlock Caroline Munro-vehicle StarCrash (which features Christopher Plummer, Joe Spinnell, and David Hasselhoff), and tons more!

These trailers over-hype the sh!tty films they are pushing in a variety of ludicrous ways. Some of them just plain lie. Many of these films look awful, but at three minutes apiece it doesn't really matter because you can get to the money stuff and not have to suffer as much through the bad acting and awful production values that sitting through these films in their entirety would entail. There's about twenty of them I have to buy now. Many boobs were seen by me as well as some bush and transsexual junk and pygmies and animal violence, not to mention the horror of Necrophagus! I need a cigarette now--9/10.


If you love what now would be called 'red-band' trailers (the greats ones that don't skimp on the good stuff, be it any of the three B's: blood, boobs, and/or bush), this compilation of trailers for low-budget 'grindhouse' movies is definitely for you. True, a small handful of the trailers are useless (thankfully relegated closely to the end, such as 'Superfuzz', and one or two others), but for the most part this collection is superb. Not one, not two, but three Christina Lindberg trailers with her in her FULL glory, if you catch my drift. (God she's stunning), The Hammer when he was still at the top of his game as 'Boss N*gger', campy gay bike riders, and a ton of nudity, gore and violence are just a few of the delightfully high points. Of course this is not really for everyone, but anyone who wants a trip down memory lane or just wants to see how good trailers used to be, rent this ASAP. You will NOT be disappointed.


I still remember 42nd street back in the day, before former Mayor Rudi Giuliani transformed the area into a Vegas-like tourist death trap. It used to be a different kind of tourist death trap. I remember the area's twilight years in the 80's and early 90's. During this time the area was still predominately full of pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, XXX theaters and the grind houses. For an idea of what it was like during the transition, you can reference Schwarzenegger's Last Action Hero (when it goes "real") as a representation of the change. This is because by the late '80s this wasn't quite the one you remember from Midnight Cowboy. I have been living in the area for the last couple of years and there is very little remnant of what the area was. At the changeover from dawn to day, in the area west of 9th Avenue, you can still see the world's oldest professionals quiting for the night. They have become sparse enough in this area, that the professionals are almost there for the tourists and as historical re-creationists, rather than as a professionals performing a civic duty. The legitimate places of business have moved out to the outer boroughs, Hunts Point, Green Point, Queens Bridge, etc.

This first volume in the series was a stroll down memory lane for me. It reminds me of the area, the theaters and as a child, things I was not allowed to see. The area and its movies represented a taboo to me. For those that don't know, Grind House is the genre representative of the movies shown in some of the theaters on the small strip from 7th and Broadway to 10th Avenue on 42nd Street (and the surrounding side streets). They were not necessarily porn but contained graphic sex and gratuitous violence. The stories were usually geared around that graphic sex and violence. One cannot deny the silliness and camp of a majority of the movies in this genre. Some of them were homegrown, others were quite foreign. They were your non-typical kind of movies. They were not the type of movie you would bring home to show mom and dad, yet you still found a way to sneak it in.

The series collects the trailers, usually shown before and during a double feature, into a continuous reel. If you want to know and learn about grind-house movies, then this is a good place to start. Just like in modern trailers, these trailers tend to give away critical information about the movie. Having seen the full version of some of these movies in this collection, it is sometimes sufficient to have seen the trailer to get the best aspects of that movie. It was also a good vehicle for me to get into movies I had never seen or vaguely remember.

There are more movies than you can imaging, that fall within this category. For example, you can expect trailers such as : Sylvester Stallone's Italian Stallion, Matango, The Green Slime, Destroy All Monsters, The Crippled Master, They Call Her One Eye, Maid In Sweden, Shocking Asia, Chappaqua, Death Drive, The Raiders Of Atlantis, Star Crash, Superfuzz, Ironmaster and many, many more. I found volume 1 to contain a great cross-section of the genre and a good representation of the trailers for the most well known movies in the genre. I definitely enjoyed it much more than volume 2. That makes me even more excited about the prospects of volume 3. Till Rodriguez and Tarantino's homage to the genre, I will await volume 3 while secretly shooting up on volume 1 in the Papaya Dog bathroom.

-Celluloid Rehab


Synapse films has compiled a bunch of grindhouse-style exploit trailers in 42ND STREET FOREVER - named after the area in New York City that was considered the "hub" of the grindhouse movement. Some of the trailers are fun, others sexy, some sleazy - this disc's got it all. The trailers shown on the disc are:

The Undertaker and His Pals (1966) The Flesh and Blood Show (1972) Women and Bloody Terror (1969)/Night of Bloody Horror (1969) Blood Spatter Bride (1972)/I Dismember Mama (1974) Corruption (1967) The Butcher of Binbrook aka Graveyard of Horror (1971) Ginger (1971) Italian Stallone (1970)(a soft-core porn joint featuring a young Sly Stallone...) Creampuffs (1981) The 3 Dimensions of Greta (1972) Hard Candy (1976) The Centerfold Girls (1974) Panorama Blue (1974) Wicked Wicked (1973) Teenage Mother (1967) Charlie and the Hooker (1976) Mantango (1963) The Green Slime (1968) Destroy All Monsters (1968) The Crippled Master (1981) Werewolves on Wheels (1971) The Pink Angels (1971) The Depraved (1974) They Call Her One Eye (1974) Maid in Sweden (1971) Behind Covenant Walls (1977) Secret Africa (1969) Shocking Asia (1974) Chappaqua (1966) Welcome Home, Brother Charles (1975) The Legend of N!gger Charlie (1972) Boss N!gger (1975) The Bullet Machine (1975) Death Drive (1977) The Raiders of Atlantis (1983) Star Crash (1979) Confessions of a Summer Camp Counselor (1977) Sunset Cove (1978) Super Fuzz (1980) Death Will Have Your Eyes (1974) Death Has Blue Eyes (1976) A Black Veil for Lisa (1968) Ironmaster (1983) The Rape of the Sabines (1962) The Deadly Spawn (1983) Devil's Nightmare (1971)

Personally, I've only seen a handful of these films - some have been marked for my "want-list", others still look crappy regardless of how "lovingly" they are portrayed in the trailers. A hard film to rate as it's not a "film" per se, and I will admit that watching trailers for over 2 hours can get old (it took me three separate viewings to make my way through them all...) - but I would still consider this a "must-see" for exploit and grindhouse fans...8/10


I Bought this because of the absolute love for the genres themselves and the way in which they were marketed. My wife can't believe I bought a DVD of just trailers.

What you get is about two hours of a cross section of the blood horror, sexploitation, blacksploitation, mondo, roadshow, and Euro sleaze trailers that used to run before and between grindhouse double features in the 70's. It may be little boring to most to own(I personally loved it the first time around, but only re-watch it when I show it to others)but it is definitely worth watching at least once.

If you are a fan of the genre, I recommend checking out this, it's volume 2, anything with a Something Weird Video imprint, and the book Sleazoid Express by Bill Landis and Michelle Clifford.


"42nd Street Forever" is a great compilation of vintage exploitation film trailers. This is back when b-films were delivered with lots of ballyhoo, and watching these today is still a lot of fun. Often, the trailers for these films were much better than the actual feature. Watching this collection only adds scores of films to my want list. The only depressing thing is a lot of films on hand here remain either unreleased in any commercial form or lost to time completely. Still, anyone who considers themselves a fan (or was interested after seeing the new Tarantino / Rodreiguez film "Grindhouse") of this kind of trash, the "42nd Street Forever" series comes highly recommended. (8/10)


This Rumble was far lower than last years. Three of the matches were just awful and the whole 'Rey Mysterio winning' seemed just to be built out of Eddie Guerrero passing away and when WWE uses Eddie's name to make money out of it they are sick.

Results from the PPV:

Gregory Helms defeated Funaki to win the Cruiserweight Championship which also consisted of Kid Kash, Paul London, Nunzio and Jamie Noble in a very good match. The Boogeyman defeated John 'Bradshaw' Layfield in a terrible match (poor John). Rey Mysterio won the Royal Rumble last eliminating Randy Orton. John Cena defeated Edge to win the WWE Championship (Why even bother to have made Edge champion for 2 weeks?). Mickie James defeated Ashley in a p*ss poor match. Kurt Angle defeated Mark Henry to retain the Heavyweight Championship in a poor match.

Obviously The Rumble and The Cruiserweight match were the best matches on the card, but overall could have been MUCH BETTER!

Overall Grade - C+


Not an outstanding night, but i was very surprised at how the matches boiled out and the rumble winner left me thinking i was still sleeping. So once again wwe relies on shock value for the second pay per view running in order to be a success.

1. Cruiserweight Open. 8/10 Bar the Rumble this match was the best of the night, it was so good, great moves, great finishers and some high flying as well, top match and great way to start off the pay per view.

2. Boogeyman Vs JBL. 4/10 Wasn't really a "match" well what did you expect. It was more of a creepy segment with punch and kicks.

3. Ashley Vs Mickie James. REF - Trish 3/10 It started well for these two, Ashley looked better in ring but after 5 minutes it turned into a horror show, they got sloppy, Trish got bored, Ashley started getting booed because all she was doing was fake, and i mean FAKE! punching and kicking, it was that bad. Ashley needs work and fast!

4. Royal Rumble. 9/10 Quite a surprise to see this match 3rd on the card but at then end of the show it became clear why. It was a great rumble match as usual, a bit better then last year, mostly because i was so shocked Mysterio won, even though there were rumours he would, i didn't believe it, then when he was left with Orton i was sure Orton would win, but it was Rey!

5. John Cena Vs Edge WWE CHAMPIONSHIP. 6/10 Once again i was quite at surprise with the result, even though there were rumours Cena would win it back so soon, i just couldn't see it happening. The match was okay, considering they haven't worked together much it was okay but nothing special or to write home about. Great entrance from Cena and big pop for his victory.

6. Mark Henry Vs Kurt Angle WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP. 5/10 Well it was Mark Henry and not even the great Angle could get a match out of him, plus this match was so predictable that i couldn't even be bothered to concentrate, saying that there was nothing special to concentrate on. The end of the match made it all too clear why the booking of the PPV was in such bizarre order, yes the once again boring lacklustre return of the Undertaker, i am getting so sick of this guy.

Overall a good night for shock value, plus the super cruiser weight match, the ending was very annoying, but not for Undertaker fans.


This was a solid Royal Rumble PPV to begin with just like last year's Rumble as well.

WWE Cruiserweight Invitational Match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship Gregory Helms vs. Funaki vs. Kid Kash vs. Paul London vs. Jamie Noble vs. Nunzio 6/10: Good match of course with the cruiser-weight all in the ring battling it out, you'll know that it is a good match. Gregory Helms wins after pinning Funaki to capture his first WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

Mickie James vs. Ashley Special guest referee: Trish Stratus 3/10: Most Diva matches are boring like this one. Mickie James wins after getting Ashley in a roll-up & using the ropes for leverage.

JBL vs. Boogeyman 4/10: Pretty boring & sloppy, but it had enough effort for a match. Boogeyman wins after a Pump-Handle like slam finisher.

Royal Rumble match 8/10: This is the match of the night which featured new wrestlers as well participated in the Rumble. Mysterio wins after eliminating Orton last.

WWE Championship Edge vs. John Cena 7/10: Good match, probably the second best match of the night, great to see John Cena win after making Edge tap out to the STFU to capture his WWE Championship back.

World Heavyweight Championship Kurt Angle vs. Mark Henry 3/10: The worst match of the night & the worst main event ever. Angle wins after a chairshot on the head of Mark Henry then an Angle Slam.

Overall: Good PPV just like last year's, i'll give it 8/10 & B passable.


The WWE's 19th annual Royal Rumble event was truly atrocious. The event will only be remembered for one thing, Rey Mysterio's shock victory in the 30 man over the top rope battle royal. Whilst the Royal Rumble match itself was as entertaining as always the undercard, much like New Years Revolution a few weeks previous, was utterly dire.

The only notable happening from the undercard was Gregory Helms jumping ship from Raw to Smackdown when he won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship invitational.

Mickie James battling Ashley with Trish Stratus as the special guest referee would be a match best left for Raw. It had no place on one of the big four. The match was bad. Mickie won but I don't think anyone really cares.

JBL has been billed as the longest running WWE Champion in ten years. So why in the hell did he fall to The Boogeyman in such short time? This could have single handedly demolished JBL's credibility and heaven knows it took long enough for the fans to accept him in the first place.

Then came the Royal Rumble itself. Why it was so low down the card I do not know. Like I said earlier, an entertaining affair with Mysterio coming out on top after coming in at number 2 and going all the way. I still think it would have made more sense for Randy Orton to win the match but hell, what do I know. Triple H also put on a great performance coming in at number 1 and going to the final three. Another entertaining part of the match was Shawn Michaels being eliminated from behind by Shane McMahon.

The WWE Championship was on the line when Edge defended against John Cena. The match was average and nothing more. Cena won and thus making Edge the "Transitional Champion" he did not want to be known as. What a terrible first Championship reign for Edge. The only decent thing coming from it was his TLC match with Ric Flair on Raw.

And then the last match of the night. The good news? It involved Kurt Angle. The bad news? It also involved Mark Henry. Christ, I can't stand this useless waste of space. The match was terrible but still better than I expected. Angle won, which we all knew would happen anyway. As did the crowd in the American Airlines Arena, Miami Florida who started to filter out before the match had finished. This was a pity because they missed The Undertakers return at the end of the show to challenge Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship. The Dead Man demolished the ring with lighting bolts. Just a pity he hadn't done it before Mark Henry was due to wrestle.

One of the worse events I have ever watched in WWE history. One to avoid.


Traditionally the second best, or certainly most popular, pay-per-view in the professional wrestling calendar, the WWE's Royal Rumble is best loved for its 30 man, cross brand (15 wrestlers from each of RAW and Smackdown) main event. In the Royal Rumble, two men start and are then joined at regular intervals by additional wrestlers. The winner is the last man left in the ring but to eliminate opponents, you must send them over the ropes and out of the ring. It's chaos but great fun and the winner has the prize of being in the main event at Wrestlemania, challenging for the world title. In the buildup to this year's Rumble, new WWE World Champion, Kurt Angle, had been feuding with "World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry (a huge bloke who cannot wrestle), Rey Mysterio had been promising to Honor the memory of the late Eddie Guerrero, while John Xena was on the heels of Edge who had cashed in his "money in the bank" at New Year's Revolution to snatch the Heavyweight title from a battered Cena. Chuck in a throw away feud between JBL and The Boogeyman, and you have a slightly patchy card. Royal Rumble match QUalifying matches for the Rumble have been taking place at house shows and on RAW/Smackdown and here we have 30 wrestlers (most of whom you just know haven't got a prayer of winning) slugging it out for a chance to main event Wrestlemania. Randy Orton, Triple H and Rey Mysterio would seem to be among the favorites but the overall match was not the classic Rumble that we always hope for, mainly because there are usually a few side stories that play out, some setting up future feuds. The Boogeyman vs JBL The Boogeyman is a bizarre gimmick character who seems to like eating worms. He's been portrayed as being unstoppable in the ring yet is clearly of limited wrestling ability. Here he tries to slough through the self-proclaimed wrestling god, JBL. Pure filler and instantly forgettable. World Heavyweight Championship: Kurt Angle vs Mark Henry. Henry has been annoying people since he returned to WWE last autumn, inflicting a genuine injury on then champion Batista (which led him to relinquishing his belt). Henry is seriously limited as a wrestler but there is no questioning his strength or size. Champ Kurt Angle is a wrestling machine and really over with the fans. Can he carry the limited Henry to a half-decent match? Don't hold your breath. It ranks as one of the worst championship matches in recent times. WWE Championship: Edge vs John Cena Edge won his money in the bank (a free title shot whenever he wants, valid for 12 months) at Wrestlemania 21. Immediately after a grueling Elimination Chamber match at New Years Revolution that left champ Cena victorious but bloodied and bruised, Edge seized his chance and swiftly beat an already half-dead Cena within a minute. It is his first world title and high TV show ratings show how popular his reign is. At the Royal Rumble, Cena tries to regain his belt. Edge is main event caliber now and is great in his heel role, while Cena is not the best wrestler and has received increased animosity from the older male audience, tired of his hip hop white boy image. The resulting match is OK, not great, just OK. Overall, this is a disappointing PPV. Even the normally exciting Royal Rumble match was a bit of a letdown. As the start of the road to Wrestlemania, this was certainly a stall for the WWE.


the royal rumble was pretty good. the cruiser weight match was nice which helms walked out as the winner. a nice 8out of 10 the Mickie James and Ashley match OK. a nice one won by Mickie James. 5out of 10 the royal rumble was nice and shocking. the winner was Rey mysterio a bit of a shock and sorta of un believable though. a nice 9out of 10 cena vs edge was an OK math i sorta knew that cena would win though but thats OK. 8 out 10 Kurt vs mark. pretty boring match but was well fought i knew that angle would win but that didn't ruin the match completely 5out of 10 all in the ppv was pretty good i wouldn't buy it though


Well It was an alright night. The action was pretty high paced an I gotta say that It was a pretty cool Royal Rumble PPV.

Match # 1 WWE Crusierweight Title 6 Way Texas Match Gregory Helms defeats Funaki, Jamie Noble, Nunzio, Paul London and Kid Kash to win the Cruiserweight Championship. This was an alright match but I still think that JBL vs. Boogeyman should of kicked off the show. 8.7/10

Match # 2 Mickie James defeats Ashley. This was an okay match. 8.0/10

Match # 3 Boogeyman defeats JBL. I loved this match. It was awesome and Boogeyman won in just a matter of seconds, 8.9/10

Match # 4 The Royal Rumble Match Royal Rumble Winner: Rey Mysterio.

- Great Royal Rumble Mysterio finally won Good match 10/10

Match # 5 WWE Championship Match John Cena defeats Edge w/ Lita.... Oh my god------ awesome match Finally Cena got his title back good job Cena 9.6/10

Match # 6 WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match Kurt Angle defeats Mark Henrey to retain the title. Alright match. 9.0/10

Total: 54.2/60 = 90.3 %

Alright PPV. I don't know why the Royal Rumble match happened 4/6 match but oh well I think WWE is doing a good job for 2006 so far. Thumbs Up.


Royal Rumble 2006 was a horrible show. 2 good matches, 1 decent and the rest were horrible which I believe was 3.

Cruiserweight Open: This was a great way to open the show, a lot of high flying spots made it better. **1/4

Boogeyman vs JBL: Why is this on the card again. Just horrible. Luckily, kept short. DUD

Mickie James vs Ashley with Trish Stratus as Referee: Another horrible match. I wasn't in to it at all and the crowd wasn't either. Not hard to tell why though. DUD

Royal Rumble Match: Why is this in the middle again? Please explain. This was a decent match, nothing spectacular. This may have been the worst Royal Rumble Match ever though. **1/4

John Cena vs Edge: This was another decent match. This was the best match on the card though, but not too impressive. 10 minutes long wasn't so long though. Decent like I said. **1/4

Mark Henry vs Kurt Angle: Why is this the main event. This must have been the worse Main Event ever. *

Royal Rumble 2006 is a D.


I Love The Royal Rumble Of 2006. I Loved It So Much Because Royal Rumble Is My Fav Match Ever And Plus Rey Mysterio Won It And Hes One Of My Fav With Jeff Hardy. I Other Matches Were OK. John Cena Match Was Good Because He Won And I Hate Edge!!! And The JBl Match Was Not Good They Did Not Fight At All Of What I Can Remember. And Kurt Angle Match Was Good Because He Won I Hate Matt Henry!! Mickey James Match Was Stupid Because Ashley Lost!!! And That Was It That I Can Remember. And That Is Why I Liked The Royal Rumble Of Year 2006.

I Hope In The Next Royal Rumble Rey Mysterio Wins Again Or Jeff Hardy Wins!!!


I watched this film 5 times in one day during the first year of owning a copy on DVD. The love for this film has not stuttered in the slightest. This film's pure brilliance is astounding. It is hard to believe the majority of these actors are relative unknowns. Brent Sheppard and Dean Cameron excel as the two leads competing for the attention of the blonde honey Beth, who happens to own the ski resort they are based at. Bill Dwyer and Will Sasso fill the screen during their supporting acts as second fiddle characters, but ensure that they will forever be remembered with quality timing and happily making the film fun to watch and enjoy.

This film could be described as 'too much fun'. Simply because, at no point what so ever does the film attempt to be great, it just happens by accident. The scenes are oozing with wonderful white scenery, the women that pass by are consistently scrumptious, the supporting cameo actors are so convincing that its a surprise when Oscars aren't brought into the scene for them, and best of all the skiing scenes are picture perfect, filled with excitement and gloriously filmed manoeuvres that only seasoned pros could make look so good. Another bonus to the films natural charm are the goofs, and plenty of them to boot. I would hazard a guess at a single goof is made, via stars and scenery, every 20 seconds, approximately. Yet, astonishingly, it only adds depth to the addictiveness of the entire film.

This film is what On Her Majesty's Secret Service would have been like had it been filmed as a comedy, set in Canada, and given a third of the budget. Though I must admit the villain, Brent Sheppard as Steve Longwood, is a far more ruthless and demented rival to our hero than any antagonist has ever been before, or since.

This film is pure and simple entertainment that, at only and hour and a half, is far shorter than you'd like, but the compactness of its genius means that you can watch it several times a day, happily. Fabulous!


This movie is great. The girls are gorgeous, the guys are funny. The guy who played Alex in the movie (Doug Copithorne) works next door to me and is a friend of mine. By the way ladies... he's married now and has a couple kids so don't get any ideas :P I give this movie a 10 simply because of the utterly gorgeous girl who plays Beth. Beth if you read this I love you and I want to have your babies... Oh, and Doug says Hi.

All in all this was a great movie for what it was, and I think it did Canada proud. They managed humor and a playboy bunny all in one fantastic movie. Great Job Ski School!!


This is my favourite film, so imagine how disturbed I was when I picked this up on DVD and discovered the awesome soundtrack had been changed!

I have no idea why they decided to change the music for the DVD release, but the film was much cooler with the original soundtrack.

In fact, some of the scenes don't even work without the original music - the characters movements are totally out of time - check out the Church scene at the end - why are they dancing to bells? Originally it was a cool rock song.

The scene at the dodgy S&M club has also been changed. The music doesn't stop when Beth and Steve enter the room. I can't describe what an awful experience it is watching this film without the original music.

The film, with the original soundtrack, is absolutely awesome. I could model my life on the teachings of Dave Marshack - in fact, his name was on my fake id up until i could drink legally.


Praise should still go out to the supporting acting of Wendy Hamilton, Bill Dwyer, and Will Sasso for their hilarious little performances within this movie. "Ski School 2" is funny for anyone. The other performances and the lead Dean Cameron are funny as well. I wish that Will Sasso had won Wendy Hamilton's affection by the end of the film but the writing never gives their character's the chance we wish they deserved. In the tradition of "Caddyshack" and "Bachelor Party" this film is hilarious regarding the war between the snobs and the slobs.


The movie was not that bad, but it also was not that good either. It had its funny moments, but then again, it also had some parts where the sense-of-humor had me wincing in pain. Only one thing remained consistant throughout the entire film... the size of Dean Camroon's eyebrows!!! WOW!! Did you see how big they were? He should definatly do something about that. I heard a small child was lost in those things for two days!! Anyway, this is only a mediocare movie... so see it at your own risk. If you chose to see it, remember, BEWARE OF THE EYEBROWS!!!


Being a big fan of the original Ski School film I was very disappointed in this follow up. Many of the key elements that made the orginal successful are missing in this. These include the wonderfull supporting cast of section 8 that dwelled at the resort, particularly Ed and Fitz, that Dave led. This has therefore resulted in a lack of on-screen chemistry with the new line up and as such the laughs have been very infrequent. In addition Dave is matched with a poor "baddie" and again adds to the downbeat theme of the film.

If you want a really good laugh then watch the original Ski School.


This movie is beyond bad and I don't know how on earth I'm even gonna be able to write the 10 minimum lines that are required in order to get this review published here.

However I will give it a go, apparently it's supposed to be funny, but having a no-sense making story or did I just write story I meant, I don't know what I meant because there is no such thing as a story in this movie.

There aren't any jokes either, and my guess is that 99% of the "actors" in this movie had no real acting-experience prior to this movie.

What more to say, it's a blasphemy towards comedies that it even refers itself as a comedy.

SNOWBOARD ACADEMY starring COREY HAIM and ERNIE wasn't great by any means BUT a masterpiece nonetheless when compared to this snooze-fest.


This makes B movies look like blockbusters. It's one of those stupid college prank movies that is just bad. Laughably bad would mean at least there are laughs.

The horrific acting, incredibly inane script is bad enough. But the over the top characters are so lame. I'm so glad I only caught a portion of this movie. I watched it because I liked Dean Cameron in an old TV show and was curious to see what he had done since then. What a disaster. Unless you are 7 years old with a very low IQ, you will not believe what a total car wreck this movie is and will wonder how it was ever funded.

This movie breeds a whole new low in the intelligence scale. Cameron unfortunately is smarmy and no matter how fearful a situation is, he is the same wisecracking jokester because we all know that he isn't ever going to be hurt so he can be the obnoxious cavalier buffoon. Wow. This is stupid defined.


the first ski school was an entertaining funny comedy that just clicked on all the right cylinders this one has none of the cleverness of the first one..Wendy hamilton is a good distraction though. on a scale of one to ten..4


The first Ski School is a classic. This is just a weak attempt at a T&A repeat.


I watched this recently...oh man. This movie is a disaster. I remember seeing this movie on USA when I was a kid. I thought it was funny then. Unfortunately it stayed back then.

There is nothing funny about the movie anymore. I liked Dean Cameron, Bil Dwyer and Will Sasso but seeing this now, there is little to enjoy.

This is a cheapie, marred by bad mistakes by the crew. At one point in the movie, you can actually see where the actor's mark is. There is too much ski fodder as well, which actually reinforces the lack of story.

There isn't much to redeem this flick. There are a couple of shots of full frontal nudity and partial nudity but you can see that in any number of R-rated movies. Maybe check this out for curiosity's sake but don't expect anything great at all.


I got back into watching this show when the DVD's were released. I had taped the show off cable years earlier so I've been able to reacquaint myself with the whole series.

I would hate for others not to want to watch the series because they only think that the first two seasons are the only good ones. True it does start to lose some spark in the middle of the 4th season but I think that was more the network's problem than anything else.

Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher had incredible chemistry throughout the whole series. Dean's portrayal of Clark/Superman is the best as far as I'm concerned. Even though Superman was a superhero he never felt he was above anyone. Clark even came across as a hero in his own right. He was incredibly sweet and romantic, not to mention yummy on a stick.

With a terrific supporting cast, this show is the perfect "chick" series.

People have commented on the fact that they shouldn't have gotten Lois and Clark together when they did, but most of the fans were angry at the network for keeping them apart as long as they did. This was pretty evident when the ratings started dropping during the clone/amnesia/New Krypton arc (which I really liked--there I admit it).

This is a wonderful fantasy-romance-action series that still holds its own 10 years after it left the network.


'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman' was one of the better sci-fi shows to come out of the Nineties and it was probably one of the first attempts to give the comic franchises a modern twist.

During the four seasons it aired for, the familiar Superman characters were brought out and given a Nineties touch. While Lois is still very much her tenacious self, Clark Kent was now a confident, well-adjusted guy and was a far cry from the bumbling Clark of the films and comics. His mother Martha is the one who sews his uniform for him while she and husband Jonathan are always on hand to give their adoptive son advice on his love life. Lex Luthor is far more charismatic and he and Lois even have a fling. However, Perry and Jimmy are in usual form and Superman is ever the hero he's always been, fighting for truth, justice and the American way.

Dean Cain made an excellent Clark, portraying the loyalty and strength of the character as well as his uncertainties over Lois and his path as Superman. While Christopher Reeve gave us a very heroic Superman, Cain gave us a hero who was heavily influenced by his Earth upbringing making him very human at times and it does work for this series. Teri Hatcher depicted a beautiful, career-driven Lois who vacillated between arrogance and being insecure, and this softer edge made her a likable character. And John Shea's Lex Luthor was wonderfully evil and intriguing as the almost James Bond-like villain who had fine tastes and minions to do his dirty work.

The story lines were almost always fun and engaging, often capturing a nice balance between drama, action, humour and romance. And unlike the 'Smallville' series, where episodes are very formulaic ((ie, mutant-of-the-week attacks and Clark saves the day so he can get back to his brooding over Lana), this series avoids that plot hole by covering different villains and plots. The only problem, that eventually saw the show's demise, was when Lois and Clark married as this lead to it becoming too soapy and cavity-inducing although it did serve as a lesson to future TV show producers that you should always pair your leads together in the finale, not half-way through the series.

'Lois and Clark' was never meant to be a deep, dark insight into Superman's history but instead just an entertaining show aimed at both young and old, and I think it succeeds. Newcomers to the show should check out the first three seasons to see it at its best.


I've always been a huge Superman fan but never cared for the Superman films because: Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent is always a big goof, Margot Kidder sucked as Lois Lane, and Gene Hackman couldn't do Lex Luthor justice.

Lois and Clark finally does Superman right.

Dean Cain plays a terrific Superman and a very lovable Clark Kent. (Who, unlike in the films is just an ordinary guy with hopes and fears like everyone else.)

Teri Hatcher in my opinion, is the essential Lois Lane. no other actress that has played the role can compete with hers.

Same goes for John Shea's Lex Luthor, Lane Smith's Perry White, and both Jimmy Olsens. In conclusion if you you are a Superman fan watch this show. It's one of the best.


Lois and Clark the New Adventures of Superman is the best television show that I have ever seen. Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain really lit up the small screen, they had amazing on screen chemistry and pulled off the roles of Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman to perfection.

Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain had the gossip wheels turning for years over an *alledged* affair. Even though Teri was at the time married to Jon Tenney, who guest starred on Lois and Clark for a few episode as a kinda bad guy however is character was hard to define.

Overall I think that this T.V show was great and it is about time that it was released on DVD. Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain should definitely be paired up again on a movie or T.V project1


Lois and Clark put a different twist on the classic tale of the Man of Steel. Instead of focusing on the villains, the show mainly focused on the Superman-Lois-Clark triangle. The early seasons were very well done, with some great drama. However, once they got rid of John Shea, who did an excellent job as Lex Luthor, the show went downhill.

To me, it got too campy. It started turning into the 1960's Batman series. The guest villains included Sherman Helmsley and Isabel Sanford aka the Jeffersons, Howie Mandel, Harry Anderson, Drew Carey and Kathy "Mimi Bobeck" Kinney, and the guy that played Mallory's boyfriend Nick on Family Ties. Not exactly striking fear in anyone is it? What kept the series going was the incredible sexual chemistry between Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. They were perfect together. Many regard Hatcher as the best Lois Lane ever, and I'm inclined to agree. Though watch out for Erica Durance on Smallville.


This show premiered when I was 11 years old. I instantly fell in love with it, and watched it faithfully until it was taken off the air. The chemistry between Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher was incredible, something you rarely see on television shows now. The idea that the show was based around Lois and Clark, and not completely about Superman, was great. The building and growing of Lois and Clark's relationship during the series is something that will never be duplicated. I could go on and on about the different things that made this show great. Lois and Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman is truly the greatest and best TV series ever.


it was way back in 1993 when lois and clark aired the first season i was just 3 years old now i'm 17 i can fully appreciate the brilliance of this show Dean Cain Is By Far The Best Clark Kent/Superman and Teri Hatcher Is The Best Lois Lane/Kent it is not only about the man of steal it's also about the romance between lois and clark. my favorite episode is called "Swear To God This Time Where Not Kidding !) this is the episode in which lois and clark finally married it is the third episode of series 4

so to summarize it is the best superman show Ever !

from the best decade ever ! the 1990's

love,hate and lex luthor its all here in lois and clark the new adventures of superman 1993-1997 the best


Lois and Clark was a fine attempt at bringing Superman to the small screen. Good story lines that were self contained so you did not have to see every single episode to follow the plot, and fantastic performances carried this show!!! Dean Cain was perfect in the role of Superman, and managed to perfectly contrast the nerdy Clark Kent with the courageous, brave Superman! The story lines were to die for - every week there would be some threat to Metropolis and only Superman could save the day. Lex Luther was perfectly cast, and even some of the shows weaker points, such as the budget special effects, did not mitigate the show severely. All in all, a great show and well worth watching.


"Lois and Clark" was more or less a replacement for me, after "Charmed" stopped coming on TV here. Before "Lois and Clark" there was something my mother liked to watch, and so I did with her. After that "Lois and Clark" came on TV, and so I got addicted to this show. I wasn't a Superman-fan before this. I thought it was something for little boys. But when I saw "Lois and Clark", I realized it wasn't at all just for little boys. The excitement, the romance, was also meant for an older audience.

I have not seen all episodes, because I did not watch it when Charmed was on TV. I think I started watching somewhere in the second season, but I think it's a pity I didn't see it before.

The actors are great - I have read that Dean Cain preferred being Clark. If so, it's hardly noticed(by me)! I used to think Superman and Clark were played by two different actors. This shows how good the disguise was... Although I do think Lois has been quite stupid, not noticing that whenever Superman turned up, Clark was gone. But, of course, that was part of the whole story.

The chemistry between Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher is amazing. Superman is the hero, but he never acted as though he was more important than anyone else. In the beginning, when you just see Superman and Clark, you might think Superman is arrogant, but when you know him better, he's not at all arrogant. Clark seems a softy in the beginning, but also when you get to know him better, he's different.

Martha and Jonathan Kent seem the perfect parents. They are understanding and independent, which shows how good their actors are. The other actors also played their roles very well.

This TV show is amazing - still popular while it's been of the network for quite a long time already!


With the DVD release of Lois & Clark I remember why I loved this series so much. It wasn't the best series on television, but it was very entertaining. I really loved to watch it and still do. But the weirdest thing for me is the fact I felt very nostalgic when I put on the DVD with the pilot episode. And I still can't believe the series ended nearly ten years ago already. This was one of the first (if not the first) series I really followed, pilot to finale. And now, ten years later (and 24 y/o), I'm doing it again. And that feels weird. There have been other series released on DVD that I followed, or are older than L&C, but this still was the first. What I liked about the series was how they managed to make it seem like they had a much bigger budget. The special effects are really bad from time to time, but with the focus on something else you really didn't care. There always was something in the show that didn't make you notice. And the fact that the story's of the episodes are simply fun also makes it very good. I don't know how else to put it, the story's weren't that good, but they were fun. And I think that's something that is discarded very easily today. A series or movie has to be really good to receive a high rating. I rather rate how much fun I had when I watched it. So "Lois & Clark, the New Adventures of Superman" receives another full 7 points.


Lois and Clark certainly cannot be described as the most accurate portrayal of Superman but from everything I have seen of the Man of Steel (including Superman Returns) it wins hands down for entertainment and believability.

The main reason for this is Clark Kent, who was the main character of the show; not Superman. We see Clark as a human being who has our emotional failures and various other flaws. The show details his struggle to overcome them. Superman is very much his disguise  the cape allows him to use the powers he is capable of using for good, as an icon and so those he feels for are not affected by the forces of evil. In the films, Kent is the disguise. I find that a bit too radical. It is acceptable to have this identification in The Batman series as Wayne's playboy lifestyle is the cover for the true character of Bruce Wayne: Batman. But to have Clark Kent reduced to a clumsy fool is a bit far-fetched for my liking.

Then of course we have Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. What superb casting. The on-screen chemistry from these two was of such a high acting calibre that they both should have won many, many awards for this show. The writing for these characters also needs to mentioned as it is of such a quality standard. There is truly a sense of complete attraction from both characters to each other but both are too shy to express it. What was so brilliantly ironic was that when Superman, neither character showed anything other than attraction to the other - superb writing. We are also allowed to venture much more into the character of Perry White, whose portrayal by Lane Smith is so witty, funny, all knowing and brilliant. The best Perry White there is ever likely to be.

I think the real genius behind The New Adventures of Superman though was Lex Luthor. Never before has a version of Luthor been so evil, so calculating so egocentric and so intelligent. I think Gene Hackman was a fantastic Lex Luthor (far better than Spacey, whose average performance took me by surprise) but John O Shea's voice and mannerisms were perfect. Of course, Clark saw right through Luthor's Good Samaritan public façade and this made the story of his brief affair with Lois Lane all the more watch able. I think the writers perhaps identified that they made a mistake killing him off at the end of the first season as from then on Superman had no full-time enemy which in the long-run cost the quality of episodes. Having said that, the season two episode "The Phoenix" in which Luthor returns is perhaps my favourite episode. I'm surprised that he wasn't used more often after that because he was in jail, not dead. It would have made excellent viewing watching Luthor escape and then having to build his empire again from nothing. We could have gotten a taste of how truly evil this character could be.

To wrap this assessment up I will say that every other version of Superman I've seen, I find myself cringing at certain points. Not in this one.


Firstly, despite what the whiny comic geeks say, this is an above average TV show. If only more shows had the same potential, instead of executives vomiting at us with cr*ppy reality shows and poor Knight-Rider/A-team wannabe modern shows...

The show every once in a while tries to relate to the comics what with the occasional characters like Toyman and Prankster and whatnot, but fortunately it tries to stay fresh and original and give us stories to which we don't know what will happen rather than redo some comic stories.

It took a while to adjust to Dean Cain, but the cast was good. My only complaint was Dean Cain played CK and Superman in the same vein and didn't distinguish the two characters enough.

What I think are the down sides of the show: Make-up and design; they couldn've done a better job of making Clark Kent and Superman LOOK different, the movies did that quite well. The special effects weren't as outstanding as they should've been; most times after the first season, we barely see Superman take off, he just waves his cape at the camera and literelly jumps two feet left or right side of the camera out of frame.

That was kinda lame, but maybe they had a limited budget, but thankfully the writers made up for that with mostly good plots and character development and great supporting cast with the Kents, Jimmy and Perry. (Why DID Michael Landes leave??)

The show ended waaaaay too soon for a story that's betterly known than a lot of Biblical stories and epics. Definately could've survived longer and it's a pity they have stuff like Knight Rider and Miami Vice and junk out to buy yet we have nothing to do with this show in our stores.

If we're lucky, they'll make a feature-length comeback/on-off TV movie sometime soon. And I'd like to see those McFarlane action figures, that'd be cool... (if Smallville get figures, so should this show!)

Great show, better than Smallville, the early cartoons and serials but as always, TV executives don't know gold when they see it.


Well, I would have to say that I have been a true Lois and Clark fan since I was 6 years old...and boy do I miss the reruns that used to be on.

I loved watching Dean and Teri. They had such amazing on-screen chemistry that made me wish they would end up together in real life. (I mean c'mon have you seen Teri's ex-husband Jon Tenney? Dean is way hotter!!!) The only thing I would have changed about Lois and Clark's relationship is to slow down their whole dating process. They only went out on one real date that the viewers saw and one implied date; and then Clark pops the question? I think that's when everything went downhill...but it was still enjoyable to watch.

Teri and Dean I miss seeing your faces every morning but I am so counting the days until this show hits DVD in 2005!!!!

When is the movie coming out?

FoLC FOREVER!!!


I never realized while this show was running what a homage it was to the original TV series with George Reeves, but it truly is in so many ways. There are dozens of little touches that echo the original show.

For example, there is a character called Inspector Henderson, and at the end of the show the Superman cape is shown with a red "S" just as it was on George Reeve's costume, whereas Superman's actual cape has a yellow "S".

Notice that Dean Cain's hairstyle as Superman is swept back just as George Reeve's was, even though the character never wore it that way in the comics.

The very title is the NEW adventures of Superman, whereas the original was properly called, "The Adventures of Superman", and not merely Superman.

At least one episode was a remake from the original series by the original writer, and both the original Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen appeared at least once each in the series.

It has been pointed out that later in its run it began to unravel, and this is non unusual for any series, but this affectionate homage to both the characters and the earlier series is a fun romp that still holds up fairly well 15 years later.

I might add that Smallville has continued the tradition of alluding to the original series countless times, and has even had Dean Caine appear, among many other actors with a Superman history.

All in all, this series is a solid entry in the Superman story. I recommend you watch this, and not that dreadful Euro-Superman they tried to foist on us in Superman Returns.


I can't remember any of the other actor's besides Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain, who were horrible as Lois and Clark. She was too wimpy as Lois Lane, no humor, no aggression like Kidder, Bosworth, or Durance, Hatcher was dead to me. I like Margot Kidder (Superman:The Movie), Erica Durance (Smallville), and the lovely Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns). Dean Cain happens to be my mother's favorite Clark Kent and Superman, but to me, their was no difference with the way he acted as Superman or Clark. His characters weren't different compared too Christopher Reeve or Brandon Routh (Superman Returns.) Besides, Cain had a facial that said "Look at me! I'm SUPERMAN!" Loser! He looks really smug and stuck up. I've alway's loved Christopher Reeve, I watch Smallville (Tom Welling is my favorite T.V. Clark Kent, he's not Superman yet.) Lois and Clark is the worst Superman rendition ever! Watch the original Christopher Reeve Superman movies there are four of them on DVD. Watch Smallville. Go see Superman Returns. I see more of a resemblance between Dean Cain and Brandon Routh than Routh and Reeve. But, I like Routh more than Cain, A LOT MORE! I highly advise against watching Lois and Clark on DVD. Worst Superman story ever! "Hang up the Superman tight's Dean, and go pick your nose!" He's a jerk! I once read in an interview where he said concerning the t.v. series Smallville: "Clark is not Superman if he can't fly!" Yeah right! Tom Welling is a much better actor than you! He stands proudly next to Christopher Reeve! Like I said before, go pick your nose! You are not Superman! Chris and Tom are!


Father Flanagan desperately needs $200,000 to finance the two new wings of Boys Town, the community's young reformed mayor Whitey lets himself be adopted on a trial basis by a couple that might help raise the money, and a new kid, Ted with the broken back and the many ghosts in the closet, reluctantly enters Boy Town, and it seems like he is never going to trust humankind again.

Three years after the enormous success of 'Boy Town', director Norman Taurog and his brilliant cast is at it again, reforming young sinners and fighting their battle against the inhuman ways children were treated in reform schools. Father Flanagan preaches an anti-punishment policy way ahead of its time: "There is no redemption in a lash", he says.

It is Whitey, this time around, that gets to say the immortal words, "There's no such thing as a bad boy", and adds: "... someone told me once". And again Mickey Rooney is the center of attention here, I was once more amazed at this young actor's ease, the complete confidence that he exudes plus the vulnerability. Never once does he come across as too cocky, he is just always quite right, which is an art. Rooney was a brilliant, intuitive player, and it is about time someone gave him credit for it.

The rest of the acting is not quite on that level. Spencer Tracy as Father Flanagan plays the easy part here, sufficing to smile warmly and speak heatedly, but he is nice to be in a room with.

As always, modern viewers cringe at the angelic choirs that accompany the miracles that make all the pieces fit together, and they must have sounded grating even in 1941. But, beggars can't be choosers, and I like this second round of Boys Town almost as much as the first.


Norman Taurog directs and Spencer Tracy plays Father Flanagan in another film about the priest who walked the walk in his philosophy about their being no such thing as a bad boy.

Men of Boys Town finds Tracy burdened down with a lot of responsibility. His responsibility to each and every boy that he takes in at Boys Town and to the institution itself. Some of their stories overlap with Tracy's main concern about keeping the institution afloat.

One of those kids is Larry Nunn, a kid crippled after he killed a guard in a reformatory he was in. His story is similar to the one that was in the original Boys Town where Gene Reynolds was another kid who was crippled. Nunn is far more cynical and bitter after seeing and experiencing what he has in that other institution.

Another kid is Darryl Hickman, a young juvenile offender from that same place who sneaks out of the place with Mickey Rooney when Rooney goes to visit one of Nunn's friends. Talk about deja vu, in the original Boys Town it was Rooney who was the smart mouth who gets tamed by his experience at Boys Town. I guess the Deity and the scriptwriters have a sense of humor.

Besides Tracy and Rooney, Sidney Miller and Bobs Watson are retained from the original film. Rooney would be stealing this whole film if it weren't for Tracy. Nobody steals a scene from Spencer Tracy.

I guess since Boys Town is still here we do know that Father Flanagan did solve the problems shown in this film as well. Though it looks a whole lot like Tracy is getting stretched way to thin, in the movies and in life itself, problems sometimes do have a way working themselves out if we can only perceive the solution.

Anyway, Men of Boys Town is simply Spencer Tracy continuing his award winning role as the ever wise and patient Father Flanagan. Good enough reason to see this film.


Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney return as Father Flanagan and Whitey Marsh in this sentimental sequel to the almost equally sentimental original "Boys Town." However, the sentiment is in a good cause, and both films are ideal for those rainy afternoons on the sofa with a pound of chocolates and a box of Kleenex.

As he was in the original film, Spencer Tracy is the rock at the center of "Men of Boys Town." His performance as Flanagan is solid, reassuring, and subtle. Tracy was a master of film acting and never indulged in histrionics; however, when he spoke his words carried weight, and his figure had a presence that commanded attention. Mickey Rooney, on the other hand, could overplay a part, and his Whitey Marsh in the original "Boys Town" teeters perilously on being over the top. However, three years later, both Rooney and Whitey are more mature, and the characterization benefits. Rooney has toned down and deepened his performance, and, with more screen time, he holds his own with Tracy.

The film's plot is melodramatic and includes a crippled boy, a dog, a potential adoption, an escapee from a reform school, and financial problems, all of which, not surprisingly, resolve themselves in a flood of tears and smiles in the best tradition of old MGM movies. Bobs Watson returns as Pee Wee, and, although he should have outgrown the game with the candy in the drawers, he remains memorable for the waterworks that he could evidently turn on and off at the director's command. Anne Revere, no slouch in the tears department herself, has a small memorable part near the film's conclusion. Lee J. Cobb, who took over for Henry Hull as Dave Morris, Father Flanagan's friend, is effective, although there is an initial jolt when he appears, because his is the only major role that was recast from the original film.

The original "Boys Town" and this sequel must have drawn millions into the coffers of Father Flanagan's home for boys. When the music soars over heart-rending scenes and Tracy intones his philosophy of there being no such thing as a bad boy, only the hardest curmudgeon would not be moved to reach for a checkbook.


Mickey Rooney's performance is what makes this film terrific. I'm always amazed at the talent of Mickey Rooney. In my opinion he is a much underrated performer. He could do it all.Make you laugh, make you cry, make you jump for job. Mickey Rooney is the star of this movie, Men Of Boys Town. His performance is tops. He ease and dramatic and comedy talents are well on display here. In my opinion, he far outshines Spencer Tracy in both Boys Town and Men Of Boys Town. Mickey should have one the Oscar for this one. If you want to see more great acting by Mickey Rooney check out Young Tom Edison, Drive A Crooked Road, Huckleberry Finn etc. You wil be glad you did. Mickey Rooney, forever may he shine. He was and is the tops. The King Of Hollywood!


This isn't as good of a film as Boys Town, but then most sequels don't live up to the original. Mickey Rooney gives a refreshingly toned-down portrayal of an older, more mature Whitey Marsh, and of course Spencer Tracy fits right back into the role of Father Flanagan. A bit idealistic and old-fashioned, but perhaps that is exactly what draws me to films like these? Any fan of classic movies, Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, or all of the above will have a nice time watching this movie.


I had an inkling, despite the fine cast in here, that this sequel wasn't close to the original or it would have been better known. Few people even know this exists. That's not a big loss to them, as this isn't much.

It was just too sappy and there was too much focus on this pouting teenager who had been abused at another institution, a place where the good Father Flanagan (Spencer Tracy) was going to expose.

This one just didn't have the charm of "Boys Town." Too bad wasting the talents of Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Bobs Watson, Darryl Hickman, Henry O'Neil, Lee J. Cobb and others. Wait - I shouldn't say that about Rooney. He's the star of this film and puts in another good performance.


I went into this film thinking I would see a "nice" film that "deserved to be seen" (which is too often code for a boring movie). I laughed my ass off, as did the whole audience. This is the most entertaining movie I've seen in months -- time and again the filmmakers found a way to surprise me. A tight story. Terrific performances from the stars all the way down to the tiniest roles. Perfect pacing. Graceful, muscular directing. This is not a "good little movie" -- it's a good movie, period and it's a crime it's not getting wider distribution just because the male lead isn't played by the flavor of the month. A smart, funny film.


One of the happiest surprises of this year's Toronto International Film Festival was this delightful, beautifully shot comedy, which is not only funny and touching but actually offers a few insights into Indian culture as well. Josh Hamilton is terrific as Todd, an American businessman who is less than thrilled to learn his Seattle office is going to outsource its work to a call center in India. He's even more perturbed when his boss makes it clear that Todd will be in charge of training the Indian workers to efficiently handle orders while sounding as American as possible; that's important since the firm markets all-American knickknacks, such as miniature flags, hot dog toasters and Wisconsin cheese hats. The culture clash that results is beautifully played and wonderfully written. This has the potential to be another MY BIG FAT Greek WEDDING, if it's handled properly. I hope it is. I've been a big fan of Hamilton for years and he deserves a big hit.


The story is one of our age, one of disappearing jobs, forced intermingling of different cultures, and what it means to learn and expand in our world view. Because others have told the outline of the story, I won't redo that here, but rather focus on why I so completely enjoyed the film. I too saw it at the Toronto Film Festival, sitting in the first row because I was in the "rush" line. It speaks to the warm, human, and entirely charming story that I was able to actually stay with it from the perspective being practically underneath the huge screen, looking up, making sure my eyes were looking through the right part of my glasses. As a westerner who has traveled, worked, and loved being in India, I found the writing true to life and always seen from a positive angle. Todd's openness and vulnerability contributed to his steep upward learning curve, and was essential to his success there. We too must be open and interested if we want to live in a world that is increasingly global and challenging. I'm not sure how the romantic part of the story will be received in India, should the film get a distributor there, as I have found that most are pretty conservative regarding what they want to see on screen. But I wish the filmmakers all the success, and I hope they make many more films like this one.


I had an absolute blast watching this movie today. It was funny, moving and most of all, sincere. It would have been very easy for the filmmakers to fall back into stereotypes while writing and shooting this movie, but they skillfully steered clear of any pitfalls that plague so many other movies out there, especially in this genre.

I got the chance to see this movie at a special screening at UW in Seattle today and join in a Q&A session with the writers (and director) John and George, Ayesha, who plays Asha, and a few of the producers. John, the director and co-writer, mentioned he had spent quite some time in Nepal and India during his student years. And although the story itself is a fictional one, the cultural shocks and experiences Todd goes through were largely based on John's own experiences during his time abroad. This seems to make for a very honest take on the nuances of this story. Luckily the movie not only focuses on Todd's shock of arriving in a completely new culture. The local people that Todd deals with on a daily basis also find they need to adjust to Todd's American way of running a call center. This makes for a balanced telling of a story about cultural differences and, maybe more importantly, the similarities.

It may not be a groundbreaking movie by any blockbuster standards, but the sincerity seems to be coming straight from the heart. And that's something you rarely see in movies nowadays. This movie deserves all the attention it gets. So go see it! And if you like it, tell your friends.


I thought this was a terrific comedy. The dialog is well-written and believably delivered on the screen. It has clever comedy set-ups with payoffs late in the film, which is hard to do well and I really love when it is. It was genuinely funny all through the movie. I felt it captured a part of Indian culture not often seen elsewhere. This is not Bollywood! All the characters are well-acted and believable. The American versus Indian culture gap hits all the marks and is mined for comedic gems. The romance between the lead characters plays very well, both are wonderful and appealing. I left the theater feeling like I had just enjoyed a delicious Indian feast. Don't miss it!


Really well written movie that pokes fun of both American and Indian cultures but with respect for each. Filmed partly in Seattle, but mostly in India. You see an American call center director has his section outsourced and he reluctantly travels to India to keep his job for a few weeks more till his stock options vest. He finds a culture he slowly comes to respect and embrace through an Indian woman he falls for and friendship with his coworker. The story plays out over many location shots in and near Mumbai. You almost feel you've been there by the end of the film. A great Indian cast really puts this one over the top with many laughs. Your next call with an Indian call center won't be the same.


First, the bottom line: "Outsourced" is a fantastic film, that deserves a wide Hollywood release despite the lack of a celebrity actor. Why? It's just that good. Finally a feel good film about something almost nobody in the U.S. feels good about: outsourcing. I saw "Outsourced" at its debut at the Cinequest film festival in San Jose, and the audience response was simply overwhelming. It's funny, smart, romantic and manages to do all of this while teaching Americans valuable lessons about life in a globalized world. GO SEE THIS FILM! My overly-optimistic prediction is "Outsourced" will be the next "Big Fat Greek Wedding"...if Hollywood manages to look past the lack of a big-name actor. -M. Bigler


Movie earned warm heavy applause after its screening in the Dubai International Film Festival yesterday evening: the audience, a mix of Europeans, Middle Easterns, and Indians, showered the director and author and lead actress with questions after the show. I particularly admired the ending (spoiler ahead): sticking the "bindi" on George Washington's forehead - an excellent subtle invitation for a critical look on what drives work (and inevitably life) that the movie did not pretend to tackle head-on yet illustrated throughout: after all, placing the missing piece isn't foreign to Seattle.

It is also quite remarkable that both authors are not Indian: asking my Mumbai-native friends for a reality check, they only confirmed the movie did indeed capture a good realistic snapshot of what India is like. At least in those corners explored. Quite impressive research efforts from the two authors.

It would be a shame if this movie doesn't spread to more screenings in more theaters in more countries: although marketing it may seem a challenge in a monochrome world, it definitely can have many advocates among those who go and actually see it. It would be fantastic to work on spreading it by independent unconventional means then track its success: are we about to witness a new revolution in cinema marketing? I can dream on but then, myself neither Indian nor American, I cannot see how one must be either to absolutely enjoy this excellent piece of work.


The sweetest movie I've seen all year, full of funny cultural misunderstandings and whiffs of the foreigner experience. Amazing performances by Indian actors, especially a certain "Auntie G" who is the "Hyacinth Bouquet"/"Hostess with the Mostess" of Bombay. The fellow who plays Puri charms as consummate straight man to cross-cultural business humor. Loved that the company's products are American patriotic crapola, and that they still mean something to the striving foreign vendors. Much poetic poignancy between the laughs in this film. Josh Hamilton's character's evolution is believable and rewarding, reflecting a journey many more Americans need to take. Don't miss this trip!


I did consulting work for ten weeks last year in Hyderabad and Mumbai on a contract with IBM for BellSouth. (Got trouble with your BellSouth DSL? Plan on talking to "Rocky" in India.) This film brought back such warm memories of a wonderful country and its wonderful people.

From the opening scene in the Mumbai airport with its marble floors and dirty white walls... to the teeming crowds waiting outside (I had one white face meeting me at 4:00 a.m. after flying from Orlando to Detroit to Amsterdam to Mumbai to Hyderabad, amidst the hundreds of brown faces clamoring for your attention)... to the little three-wheeled jeeps careening through the streets... the marvelous shots of Victoria Station and the Gateway of India... to the merriment of Holi. Not to mention the call center agents!

This film (and the howls of laughter from those in attendance, at the 13th Annual South Asian Film Festival, here in Orlando at http://www.enzian.org/ ) made me want to pack up and go back tomorrow.

"I'd kNowingly Do It Again!"


One of the many productions dealing with the offshoring of American jobs, but narrated with class and delicacy, with no clichés. There's plenty of culture shock, due to new food, busted infrastructures, and other cultural barriers but with a pace never seen before, in my opinion. It's funny but becomes a romance as well and has one of its best moments when the two leading actors imitate the stereotype of the other, with impressive results. Almost entirely shot in India, Outsourced is a truly tiny movie that ultimately says a lot about troubles crossing cultural divisions. Among many films handling the subject this is one of the best.


This movie walks you straight into the heart of India with its high family values and wonderful way of creating something functional out of anything available. It wraps its arms around the culture and lets you enter risk free as you experience the comedic elements of being immersed in the unfamiliar and the genius of creativity. If this does not receive wider distribution especially in the US then someone is seriously asleep at the wheel. Beyond application to corporate, what the world needs now is people who can shift perspective in a nanosecond and change world views so that the assumptions are smoked out. This movie helps develop the capacity to see the world through a different lens. Buy it-watch it-laugh and learn. Congrats to the whole production team for using Indian talent making this even more respectfully done!


I expected this movie to show the American (Todd) as a jerk. Well, he certainly had his jerkish moments, but he was portrayed as a decent guy underneath. I expected this movie to show an American stereotype of India, and the American has to ride in and save the day. But instead of this movie's "India" being full of American clichés, the screenplay was filled with all sorts of little things that only a native or a long-time visitor would know about. I know nothing about India, and so I can't judge the screenplay's accuracy, but I spotted no bias or hidden agenda.

When I was a teenager, my family was stationed in Japan, and this movie brought back memories. When I was a teen, there was a moment when I "got it" that the Japanese people and their culture were worthy of respect, even though the Japanese "think weird." I'm glad that they showed a similar moment for Todd (the hamburger-brander scene).

And the movie was hilarious, on many different levels. The Holi scenes were _inspired_.


It starts off just as it is expected to with all the clichés about India. Yes, there are cows on street but it is hard to believe one in a call-centre campus. In fact, it's hard to believe a call-centre office in a rural hinterland with callers having heavy first-language influence. I believe only GOOD speakers of English are recruited by these firms and they don't change their outsourcing plans overnight. Travellers who make an impression of India based on this film may be pleasantly surprised if they actually visit the cities of India.

Anyway, what got this movie really working is an interesting storyline, interspersed with comments and questions about cultures on both side of the 'divide'. I'm not sure but it seems like the director / writer was pointing at issues here with outsourcing as a backdrop: 1. That there are PEOPLE (humans) working in companies - this is often overlooked by bosses remotely controlling company operations. This is not limited to call-centres and may not be limited to India. Just as in the movie, several jobs may be put to risk at any time by a "20 heads for the price of 1" logic. Right now, we in India are facing the same issue with the rise of "cheap" workers in the Philippines, who may be doing a good job a few years down the line.

2. Several other interactions and incidents in the movie seemed to say - there are humans involved. Sensitivity is required in handling human issues, for example, the spiritual undertone of the characters or the surprise at "calf-branding".

3. Within a span of a few hours drive, the director has been able to show that there are different kinds of people in any populace - with respect to wealth, hygiene, behaviour, etc. This is commendable.

4. Several questions raised about each other's culture can also start healthy debates. This makes this movie even better than it started out to be.

Lastly, in case you decide to visit India after watching this movie, plan your travel well and just like any other part of the world, stay alert. Not all Indians are friendly. Most in the tourist destinations are out to fleece tourists, either legally (high rates) or illegally (robbing, thievery). And don't blindly accept invitations of a luncheon from people you don't know. In fact, avoid taking or even giving any food or drink (even water) to fellow passengers.


I came across this film by chance as I was channel surfing during a lazy day at home. I sat down to watch it thinking it was simply an average, not-terrible-but-not-fantastic movie. After the first half an hour, I was pleasantly surprised at the fact that the film was actually NOT 'just another movie'.

This film demonstrates how a dedicated director, stellar acting by talented individuals and beautifully written screenplay can transform a movie into an extremely enjoyable viewing experience.

This movie evoked a lot laughs from me and left me glued to the television. It's not a big-budget film but I can honestly say that this film easily tramples other similar movies. This proves that you don't need deep pockets and mass promotions to create a classic.

For those film junkies like me out there, I HIGHLY recommend watching this. It fuses dramatic comedy with hints of romance and generally a feel-good experience. I salute John Jeffcoat for such a very beautiful film. Josh Hamilton, Ayesha Darker and all the other cast members from India blew me away with their exemplary performance. You will see no famous faces here but let me warn you, this is definitely a film that will leave you with warmth and all-around fuzziness with its unique flavor.

Excellent pacing, inspiring storyline and a catchy soundtrack mold this film into one of those you'll be sharing with your friends while having a good laugh here and there.

Two thumbs up! Well done, guys! THIS is the sort of film Hollywood should pay more attention too. Films such as this deserve more exposure and the spotlight should be concentrated on the talented actors/actresses involved.


This movie was a very pleasant surprise and kept to what India is like for the "middle class" population. Of course poverty was seen, but not the more prevalent poverty one sees when first arriving to India. This is what shocks Westerners the most. Not just the heat, which is expected but you do not realize just how hot hot can be until you experience it, and you know it will be crowded and noisy and smelly, but until you step into the middle of it all it really does not hit just how poor this country is. But with outsourcing more and more Indians can achieve a better life for themselves and this movies shows a glimpse of this. A companion movie to watch is Thomas L. Friedman Reporting: The Other Side of Outsourcing. An excellent movie that shows just what happens when people, who are used to such poverty, now are in a position to have a little money and what happens when they get it and are not used to the consequences. But Outsourced was interesting to watch as it did a good job of separating the 2 cultures without totally insulting either one and we have some decent side stories going on as well to keep it all moving.


outsourced is for me an unexpected gems of this year. after screening this wonderful up-to-date movie, i wish the filmmakers the best for the release all over the world. This movie has great sense of humor and it shows how you can work out your superficial priorities to down to earth human stuff. i enjoyed this amazing film cause it showed that every culture can learn from other culture. Awesome music- this director knows a lot of about world music. he combines Indian volk music with modern rock and pop. a real fusion fun. There are some moments where one or other actors does not feel awkward but this movie has wonderful drive and you will get bored even for one second. A real cinema goers blockbuster! hey folks, unite and spread this amazing movie link to all over the World.


There is a compelling need for redemption in Anthony Minghella's characters. The need itself is so blatantly human that sometimes, you have to look away. The plea of the characters is as diverse as it is identical. Don't ask me to explain, I may ruin the whole thought just by trying an intellectual explanation when in fact it only makes sense viscerally. Jude Law is back in top form and I for one want to cheer. He is extraordinary. Extraordinary! Juliette Binoche's Bosnian mom is another miracle of truth in her already magnificent gallery of truthful characters. Her son, played beautifully by Rafi Gavron doesn't allow us to take anything for granted. Robin Wright Penn's Liv is truly Bergmanesque and provides the perfect icy foil for Jude Law's longing. I came out of the theater drained and reinvigorated. That in itself is a huge recommendation.


The unexpected coming to alter what is already our daily routine. Doing something for one specific purpose without realizing that we are being lead by fate , I presume, to an existential cul-de-sac. This is the stuff that fairy tales are made off, also great drama, great comedy and all the natural ingredients of what is laughingly known as our daily existence. This is Minghella's most moving film to date - and that is saying something. His obsession with darkness hidden in his characters hearts is as universal a theme as unrequited love. Minghella loves his characters and the darker they are, the stronger the love. I didn't love Jude Law this much since Mr. Ripley and Juliette Binoche is heart breaking. Brilliant. I sat in silence after the film was over. Tears running down my face. It hadn't happened to me in many many years.