The Women in Cages Collection (Roger Corman's Cult Classics Triple Feature) (The Big Bird Cage / Bi

For fans of '70s exploitation and women-in-prison flicks, Shout Factory's "Women in Cages" collection is a fun diversion that is well-assembled. We get three Roger Corman films from 1971-72 all shot in the Phillipines starring Pam Grier and other nubile honeys.

"The Big Doll House" features lots of torture scenes, fun performances from slimy Sid Haig (his scenes with Grier are priceless), and an almost unrecognizable Pat Woodell (the original Bobbie-Jo from the black-and-white "Petticoat Junction").

The best of the trilogy is "The Big Bird Cage" which throws more humor into the mix and the result is even more entertaining. The gay Phillipino prison guards are hysterical, as is the way the women shamelessly proclaim their sexual frustration (When they finally do get their hands on a man, he's forced at knifepoint to "Get it up, or I'll cut it off!"). The dialogue in this one just gets better with lines like ""You can't rape me, I love sex" and "Never mind the crotch cooties...they have to eat too!". And when an inmate slathers chicken fat all over her naked body so she can literally slip past the guards, "The Big Bird Cage" soars into camp movie heaven!

"Women In Cages" has Pam Grier in Sybil Danning-mode as the evil prison matron, rather than an inmate, and the results are not as good. The film seems to suffer from a smaller budget too, and despite encore performances from Roberta Collins and Judy Brown, isn't as fun as the first two flicks. I'd recommend watching "Women in Cages" first and saving the earlier but superior flicks til last.

There's a lengthy documentary about all three films featuring interviews with many of the actors and actresses that is worthwhile viewing as well as original trailers and TV spots. The picture quality is very good. They've done as best as possible with the original elements, but there are a few blotches on the prints here and there.

If you love bad movies from the early '70s with lots of poisonous snakes, catfights, mud wrestling and pre-silicone boobies, this collection is for you!

This 2-disc bargain offers two great Jack Hill classics--1971's THE BIG DOLL HOUSE, 1972's THE BIG BIRD CAGE and both feature commentary tracks by Hill (recorded about a decade ago) and a third film, WOMEN IN CAGES, that was shot in-between those two films (but by Gerry DeLeon, not Hill). BIRD CAGE and WIC share a disc while DOLL HOUSE is on another DVD with a wonderful new documentary, FROM MANILA WITH LOVE that features brand new interviews with writer/director Jack Hill, screenwriter James Gordon White, producers Roger Corman and Jane Schaffer and actors from both films including Sid Haig, Judy Brown, Anitra Ford, Roberta Collins, Candice Roman and Teda Bracci. Sadly, Pam Grier does not take part in the documentary. There is also one other special feature: a solo interview with Judy Brown (this set does not contain Leonard Maltin's interviews with Roger Corman).

All three films are presented in anamorphic widescreen. A note in an insert says that "Two separate film elements were used to put together a complete version of THE BIG BIRD CAGE--a CRI and the original negative, which had been cut at some point." Both DOLL HOUSE and BIRD CAGE look and sound sensational.

On the other hand, WOMEN IN CAGES (which reunited three of DOLL HOUSE's cast members--Grier, Judy Brown and Roberta Collins, but appears to have been shot with an even smaller budget and without any of the style Jack Hill brought to his two films) has muddy sound. The same booklet warns, "We used the only available source material for the audio on WOMEN IN CAGES, which was not in pristine condition. Much of the audio for these films shot in the Philippines was done later in post production, as you'll find that not all lip movements match the dialogue." WOMEN is the least fun of the trio. It does boast an over-the-top, nasty-as-hell villain performance by Pam Grier (in just her second role), but while the two Hill productions are beautiful to look at and take full advantage of shooting in the tropical paradise, WOMEN keeps its shots claustrophobic and close. The few outdoor shots are usually shot at night or nearing dawn (with smoke effects to further mask the cheap budget). One whole action sequence on the beach near the end is shot in silhouette, which makes it impossible to even see which of the women is being chased and shot at. There's such a lack of location footage that you'd almost think it was shot on a NY backlot! WOMEN plays almost like a horror film with Pam's torture chamber almost like out of a German S/M porn film.

But the reason to buy this set is the beautiful prints of BIG DOLL HOUSE and BIG BIRD CAGE and Jack Hill's informative commentaries (did you know that DOLL HOUSE's delicious villain, Barbara Loder, became ill and lapsed into a coma while making the film? She was finally diagnosed as being diabetic and was treated and came out of her coma to finish the film. She looks scary-thin in the film, but she's a wonderful villain--just as she would be a couple years later in FOXY BROWN). Both films are action-packed and have a sense of humor about themselves (especially BIRD CAGE, which is really a parody of DOLL HOUSE). These are not "so bad that they're good" movies...these are actually well-made, action-packed adventures with strong female characters. And they all show just how quickly Pam Grier was able to turn herself into a star with vibrant screen presence. Enjoy!

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All I can say is "this is exploitation heaven!". To me these Roger Corman drive-in classics are what prison flicks are all about! Shout has done one terrific job on this two disc triple feature. The three films are finally anamorphic widescreen and look great (especially Big Doll House) and this is a fantastic package! Always have enjoyed low budget drive in classics from the 70s, but these are the icing on the cake!! Women in Prison flicks from early 70s have always been my guilty pleasure.

The special features are numerous (love the from Manila with love doc.) for Big Doll House. Big Bird Cage has audio commentary from Jack Hill, trailers. Women in Cages only has trailer. But all in all, this is worth picking up if you enjoy these Pam Grier classics. Can't wait for the blu rays!

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Shout Factory continues to release the works from Director Roger Corman's New World Pictures where young directors were able to refine and mature their talents working in low budget conditions but receiving expert training to go on to the major studios. Because of hearing about the success of Director Jesus Franco's '99 WOMEN'-1969, writer/director Jack Hill pitched an idea to Roger Corman to do a woman in prison film of their own. Corman arranged to have the film made in the Phillipines where at that time they could get away with much more than by shooting it in the states. The rest was legend: 'THE BIG DOLL HOUSE' -1971 went on to incredible business making a star our of newcomer Pam Grier and elevated Jack Hill to cult action director status. The film , however ,was not the first to show tough women on the screen. Countless teenage fifties girl gang films leading up to Director Russ Meyer's classic 'FASTER, PUSSYCAT, KILL KILL'1965 is proof of that. 'DOLL HOUSE' was the first to show a gang of women struggling to survive within the prison system. Nine times out of ten, the main actress was incarcerated by accident or deliberately and spends the films running time revealing her innocence and taking the other girls with her. It was responsible for countless imitations from Director Don Edmond's 'ILSASHE WOLF OF THE SS'-1974 and it sequels plus may have influenced the Nazi Exploitation films which came from Italy in the late seventies. It also showed the underrated acting ability of Sid Haig who would be resurrected in the Rob Zombie duet 'HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES'-2003 and 'THE DEVIL'S REJECTS'-2005 and Roberta Collins who's matter of fact acting styles elevated the films to classic status . This collection contains the first three films which came out of the box office explosion of 'DOLL HOUSE'S' success. Each film has been released before in box sets and individually. I have not yet seen this release but I do have the box set that New World released in 2004 'PAM GRIER: UNLEASHED' which contains these three films along with her 1973 Roman epic guilty pleasure, Director Steve Carver's 'ARENA'-1973. The transfers are full screen and beautiful so Shout Factory may have the same transfers or may have improved on them. Hopefully, they also will retain the excellent audio commentary tracks by Director Jack Hill on both 'DOLL HOUSE' and its sequel 'THE BIG BIRD CAGE'-1972. The commentaries really give you an excellent behind the scenes look at location filmmaking and working and surviving in primitive conditions. 'WOMEN IN CAGES'-1971 was released immediately after the success of 'DOLL HOUSE' where actresses from the film decided to stay on in the Phillipines and you'll notice that Pam Grier goes from heroine to villain as the prison commandant. It is directed by Gerry De Leon who made some great cult classics such as 'TERROR IS A MAN'-1959 and was behind the scenes on the infamous 'BLOOD ISLAND' trilogy all made in the Phillipines. 'THE BIG BIRD CAGE' was made to continue the success of the first one and utilizes model Anitra Ford in the lead along with Pam. It contains more over the top sequences such as the simulated sex and rape scene of the gay prison guard which was incredibly daring for its time and just shows what liberties the filmmakers took with the genre. Director Hill directs so excellently that both films could easily be seen as a 3 hour epic. Where 'WOMEN IN CAGES' lacks humor and has more grisly moments in the torture department, its Jack Hill's stamp of humor and innovative direction that made his films groundbreaking in portraying women in tough situations and paved the way for female vigilante and super buffed babe films to come including 'SWITCHBLADE SISTERS'-1975. There was also a women in prison revival in the early eighties utilizing actresses Linda Blair and Sybil Danning but they never reached the exploitive heights of these three classics. Those films will have a future release. Knowing Shout Factory's past releases, this box set comes highly recommended if you have not yet seen these wonderful time capsules of low budget filmmaking. Watch Pam in her prime before she made 'COFFY'1973,'FOXY BROWN'-1974 both by Jack Hill and Director Quentin Tarrantino's 'JACKIE BROWN'-1997 and makes you see what all the fuss was about. Pambo Rules!!!

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The machete maidens are indeed unleashed in this triple feature of philippine bamboo cage women in prison flicks, all staring a very young and captive-vating Pam Grier, 2 of the films also star Sid Haig who seems to pop up in every 70's movie I watch lately, but you may know as the menacing clown from House of 1000 Corpses and the Devil's Rejects. These are really more women empowerment movies then anything else, sure there are shower scenes and abusive prison guards, but these broads are tough and don't take no guff, there are lots of cat fights, mostly in the mud, and the films despite being low budget keep your interest and are well written and directed, not that this is exactly cinema verité, but if you like WIP, Grindhouse, Drive-in, Exploitation and or Pam Grier this is a must have.

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Boy (2010)

"Kia ora. My name is Boy, and welcome to my interesting world. My favorite person is Michael Jackson. He is the best singer and dancer in the world. My favorite subjects are art, social studies and Michael Jackson. I have a six-year-old brother called Rocky. He's got powers. I'm named after my dad. He can dance as good as Michael Jackson. He's a master carver, deep sea treasure diver, soldier, captain of the rugby team and he holds the record for punching out the most number of people with one hand. My dad isn't here right now. He's a busy man. When he comes home he's taking me to see Michael Jackson live. The end."

The reality of Boy's situation however quickly becomes clear when a classmate named Kingi taunts him after his talk:

Kingi: "You're a liar. Your dad's not overseas; he's in jail for robbery."

Boy: "Shut up Kingi! You don't know!"

Kingi: "Yes, he's in the same cell block as my dad."

Most of Boy's life consists of helping his grandmother look after the younger kids, hanging out with his friends, and trying to impress an aloof older girl named Chardonnay (RickyLee Waipuka-Russell) on whom he has an impossible crush in spite of the fact that she's a teenager and towers over him by almost a foot. He's so fixated on Chardonnay that he's completely oblivious to Dynasty (Moerangi Tihore) a pretty but quiet girl closer to his own age who wistfully keeps hoping he'll notice her, at one point showing him a hidden grove of pot plants that belong to her uncle, who happens to be the biggest pot dealer in the area. (Note: Dynasty's name is apparently due to the pervasiveness of American pop culture of the time as she has a brother named Dallas and a sister named Falcon Crest).

When his grandmother (Mavis Paenga) suddenly has to leave for a funeral across the country and leaves him in charge for a week, no one is more surprised than Boy when his dad Alamein (Taika Waititi) suddenly shows up one night along with two low-life cohorts he claims are his gang. Boy is delighted. His younger brother Rocky (Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu) however is wary Alamein is a complete stranger to him, having been absent his entire life.

Recently released from prison, Alamein says he's there to reconnect with his sons and spend some quality time with them. The reality though is that he's there to retrieve the money from the robbery he was in prison for, money that he buried in a field before getting caught. The problem is that he can't remember just where he buried it, having been seriously stoned at the time. It quickly becomes clear that in spite of his efforts to portray himself as a serious gangster, Alamein is instead as incompetent at being a criminal as he is at everything else, including being a father at one point he tells Boy "Can you stop calling me `dad'? It sounds weird." It takes time, however, for this reality to penetrate Boy's continued fantasies, which the film frequently plays with by showing scenes with Boy repeatedly imagining Alamein in Michael Jackson videos. But as the facade is gradually worn away by his father's pathetic bumbling and self-absorbed irresponsibility, Boy finds himself having to choose between falling into his father's lifestyle of directionless denial or taking responsibility.

While the film is serious at times, given the nature of the themes involved, Waititi imbues it with a lot of unique humor, particularly in the idiosyncratic dialogue that gives flesh to the laid-back culture of Boy's rural Maori world, like in this typical exchange when Boy runs into some of his friends in a pasture:

Boy: "So what you guys been up to?"

Dallas: "We're self employed now."

Boy: "What's your job?"

Dallas: "Chucking mud at those cows."

While most of the actors in Boy are first-timers, Waititi did an exceptional job in selecting them and as a group they give very natural performances that don't feel affected at all. James Rolleston is highly engaging as Boy and his performance takes you in completely as he goes from a kid who goes from hero-worshipping a father he cannot remember to coming to grips with the harsh disappointment of just how far short of his idyllic fantasies his father falls. You can see the conflict rising in him as he teeters on the edge of becoming just like his father even as he's realizing just how little that really means. Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu's Rocky is equally engaging, a shy introvert to Boy's motor-mouthed extrovert. Like Boy, Rocky has an equally creative imagination, but while Boy's fantasies are centered around his father and the way he wishes the man to be, Rocky directs his inward, imagining himself to have mental powers that give him some control over a world where in fact he has no control. Their differences are brought out in other ways, as in a scene where we find that Rocky regularly spends time at his mother's grave, openly missing what he has never known, while Boy cannot bring himself to even open the gate to the graveyard, a characteristic we later see that he shares with his father the tendency to shy away from the harsher realities of life. Another nice touch is the subtle ways in which, as Boy is starting to back away from their father, Rocky is starting to move closer, seeing the damaged man their father is and trying to use his imagined powers to fix him. And Taika Waititi's Allamein is a deft performance in its own right, finding just the right balance to make the man likeable and sympathetic while at the same time showing his pathetic weakness, revealing him to be a man who never really grew up and who has no idea of what it means to be responsible, let alone to be a father. And Moerangi Tihore's Dynasty is marvelously expressive in a quiet way, never really giving voice to her thoughts but you know exactly what she's feeling from her eyes wistful as Boy gives a sparkler to Chardonnay who only seems bored by it; hurt and betrayed when she catches Boy showing Alamein and his cohorts where her uncle's secret pot grove is hidden. She doesn't have to say a word Boy's guilty reaction shows that he knows from her eyes what he's done.

A couple of minor notes. Taika Waititi, a relatively new director, is best known for his first indie film, Eagle vs Shark, another off-beat comedy that's become something of a cult film. Boy was actually released in 2010, and although it turned out to be a hit and ultimately became the highest grossing film in New Zealand, it is only now making its way to the US. It may be hard to find, but it's definitely worth the effort. Check your local art house theaters as that may be the only way to catch it as it's not yet available on DVD (at least not in a Region 1 format).

And one other thing definitely worth mentioning is this fantastic and completely unexpected dance number that comes up at the end with all of the cast doing a traditional Maori haka dance mashed up with Michael Jackson's Thriller. While it has nothing to do with the plot, it brings all of the elements of the movie together and is enormously fun to watch. I looked it up and found it available on youtube if you want to check it out.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes coming of age movies, small indie films or just plain enjoyable films in general.

Boy lives in New Zealand with his grandmother and his demented brother Rocky. When his good-for-nothing dad drifts back into his life, Boy's happy-go-lucky life becomes a bit more complicated, and you see him become a troubled adolescent; this troubles the viewer, to see the loss of innocence. The acting is fantastic, since the kids are very believable, and the story is full of wonderful scenes of life in a rural New Zealand community: it is about young love, about broken families, about schooling and fantasy, and perhaps most importantly it is about what happens to people who let more than a little bit of Michael Jackson into their worlds. If I'd taken notes I would have described more of the wonderful scenes in the film, but I'll just have to go with what I can remember about what a great film this was.

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Why won't anybody come out with the USA FORMAT for this DVD? I looked everywhere... You are restricting people from watching this gemstone! I ordered this anyway from New Zealand (i've got a region free dvd player, which came surprising quick seeing as it's around the world from me. This movie is just absolutely amazing, beautiful, touching, and so so so good. I love coming of age stories, and this one is just fantastic. I love this directors work..and he shows an unknown land to most. New Zealand is just unreal...it is so beautiful, and you feel like you're there in this movie. Please watch this! IT IS SO WORTH IT. And please, somebody, anybody, get this going in USA format!

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This movie is one of my new favorites and I recommend it to everyone. Everyone from young to old will appreciate this witty movie.

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this film has astounding scenery and even more astounding characters. The little boy engages the viewer immediately: he's brave and funny and yet sad at times. The father is the type of man you don't enjoy knowing; he's a bit pathetic. So the story is believable and the incidences making up the plot quite engaging.

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Midnight Movie/Killer Movie (2008)

Slasher movie called "Killer Movie"? I did not expect this to be good, and it wasn't it was freaking great. Killer Movie is a movie that will be loved by some and hated by many because this is extremely unoriginal and not everyone will get the humour in it but this hit home for me. Just like "Scream Bloody Murder", Killer Movie knows how to make me smile while still delivering all the kills that one could want from a slasher flick. It's gory, funny and even made me jump a couple of times. Heck, I even enjoyed this more than My Bloody Valentine. Killer Movie isn't constantly over the top so when the gory scenes come, they're so unexpected that you can't help but to cheer a little inside your head. This is a slasher fan's dream. Unlike many other reality-TV oriented slasher flicks, Killer Movie doesn't really act like a reality-TV show, it's just about a bunch of people shooting a reality-TV show. This means that the movie doesn't look like it was shot with a camcorder. In fact, the movie looks good enough to be a theatrical horror flick. Anyway so these people are shooting a reality-TV show in a small town, unknowing of the fact that a masked serial killer is on the prowl, following their every move. The movie starts out quite slow so you don't really know what to expect at first. We get to know all of the characters quite thoroughly and the movie doesn't give away whether it's a comedy or a horror flick at once. The jokes are all very subtle which is why some people won't get it but I just loved the sarcastic tone of it all. Then when the horror hits, it hits hard and it increases by every kill until it's finally a complete bloodbath.

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The Prince & Me 3: A Royal Honeymoon (2008)

I purchased this item for a friend who was a massive fan of the first 2 DVDs in this series. Unfortunately, neither of us liked the third installment. I really hope they don't make anymore because it seems they got worse as they went along. The first movie was fantastic and the second was a 'typical sequel' which didn't quite live up to the first's reputation but was still enjoyable. Now, the third movie is almost a complete flop. The scenery is great, so that's one good thing. The acting is believable so that's good too. But the switch in actors throughout the movies brings a noticable change in acting styles. I guess the biggest problem is that I'm comparing this to the first one with Julia Stiles which I really enjoyed. Maybe this movie would appeal to some as a 'stand alone' movie without being compared to the previous ones? If you erase the movie's history, you may well find this a delightful movie!

i enjoyed prince and me 3 but was expecting the same actor to play the prince. he does look like the same one but the action was not quite the same. the story line was workable.

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This third installment of 'The Prince and Me" trilogy is truly mind-numbing. The first was corny and improbable but had a certain escapist charm owing to the lead actors, Julia Stiles and Luke Mably. Number two was a hoot; so stupid it left one gasping for air. Number three has arrived and is giving its immediate predecessor a run for it's money. The main characters have now both been replaced, which is merciful for the reputations of the original cast members; the performances of the new 'royal couple' should give hope to amateur thespians everywhere but those two should seriously contemplate working at the local mall. Having said that though we bought it for a laugh and we aren't disappointed!

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THIS IS NUMBER THREE IN THE SERIES AND EACH ONE IS WORSE THAN THE PREVIOUS.

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The Prince and Me 3 was actually somewhat better than the second one in the series. The major positive difference was that the actor playing the King appeared to actually want to be there. In The Prince and Me 2 it was fairly obvious that Luke Mably did NOT want to be in the film.

The major negative difference was the terrible, awful, worst I have ever seen actor they found to play the Scott character. I can't think of another actor (and here I use the word actor loosely) that came near the swfulness of this guy. Where did they find this guy? He had no sense of the flow of the movie. He most reminded me of someone whose idea of acting was to stand in front of a camera and say his lines.

Without the actor playing Scott this movie would have stood a chance. Not even close to the original Prince and Me with Julia Stiles but still much better than the second one. Kam Heskin was much better in this one and the director paid attention to details unlike number 2.

I still can't recommend it unless you are simply into the series. Fingers crossed and number 4 will be a bit better still.

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The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009)

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard bombed hard at the box office this August for reasons I have yet to figure out. My wife and I expected nothing from this movie, and with the bar set so low we were astonished at just how gut-bustingly funny it was from start to finish. Jeremy Piven--so annoying is just about everything he has ever been in--finds a perfect groove in Don Ready, a used-car hustler who needs to impose his will on reluctant consumers the way the rest of need to breathe. He takes an almost prurient pleasure in these conquests which, by itself, would have been funny enough. The fact that he is joined by a team of similarly unscrupulous cohorts lets the movie maintain a comedic momentum which never lets up--start to finish. Ready and his gang (Kathryn Hahn and Ving Rhames, among others) are flown to James Brolin's car lot to spur enough sales for Brolin to keep his business from being taken over by...wait for it...Alan Thicke and Ed Helms. I have always maintained that Christopher McDonald, so slimy in Thelma and Louise, Happy Gilmore, and The Iron Giant, is one of the consistently best bad guys in the business, but Alan Thicke and Ed Helms give him a run for his money. They steal every scene they are in, and any remnant of the good heart that Thicke built up as the vanilla father on Growing Pains is obliterated within seconds of his appearance on screen. Their characters make a perfect foil for Don Ready, since they all share the lack of a moral compass and the open acknowledgement that there is no such thing as right and wrong--only winning and losing.

No stone goes unturned in pursuit of a laugh. The movie opens with a scene of Don Ready convincing an entire flight that the future of our republic hinges on his right to smoke on the plane, during which he seduces a naive flight attendant not because he wants to but just because he can. Other highlights include the beating of a Korean-American by salesmen whipped up into a gingoistic frenzy by Don Ready's recounting of Pearl Harbor, an openly racist/homophobic/misogynist elder salesman who despite every opportunity never learns the error of his ways, the uncomfortably sexual pursuit of a man-child by an under-sexed female sales rep, and an uncredited cameo by Will Ferrel whose character dies in the most ludicrous and hysterical fashion imaginable and whose meaningless death Don Ready, as expected, carries as a token burden (however paper-thin and utterly absurd). And in a throwaway role as a DJ who believes that audience song requests are little more than a subterfuge for slavery, the Office's Craig Ferguson expresses a quiet pain and rage without any trace of humor-killing irony. He's like a black Leslie Nielson.

So, do Don Ready and his team sell all of the cars and save the lot? What do you think? The plot exists only as a vehicle for the jokes, and to the film's credit almost all of the jokes are character driven--this isn't a story that relies on slapstick as a crutch. As such, it is one of the funniest movies released this year, and it definitely deserves to be seen. So ignore the naysayers on RottenTomatoes and enjoy yourself. You won't regret it.

Ithis movie is silly at times that you still can't help but watch. I love Jeremy Piven's humor in movies like this, I like seeing David Koechner and the gang. It had some good apperance from other actors as well. Good movie to sit and watch. If you like moves such as Old School, The Hangover, Couples Retreat then I think you might like this movie.

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Adolescent humor-yes. Bad jokes-yes. Gratuitous nudity-yes. But it all seems to work, perhaps because Will Ferrell didn't star in this Will Ferrell movie. He did manage a small role, which he typically smelled up. The movie is based on an occupation I don't believe exists, which is a crack team of migrant expert car sellers. They get the call to save a dealership. The movie has some laugh out loud lines like DJ Request saying, "Nobody tells DJ Request what to play." Or "Did you ever have a relationship last longer than a lap dance?" Besides the smelly scene with Will Ferrell, Ed Helms was fairly bad. I loved Ed on the Daily Show, but face it, he can't act. Rob Riggle did a good job as a 10 year old. The movie moves along smartly through the first day of sales after which the plot suddenly changes direction. Piven seriously examines his life, the car dealership is being sold, etc etc. At this point the movie goes down hill. This was supposed to be a senseless comedy about selling cars, not a bad lesson on establishing roots. Had the movie stuck to the original formula of car cheats and left out Will Ferrell altogether, I would have gave it 5 solid stars.

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Part of the latest stream of unabashedly vulgar slob comedies to come along, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard is proud of its rampant crudeness and political incorrectness, and it's all the more funny because of it. Jeremy Piven channels his Ari Gold persona as mercenary car salesman for hire extraordinaire Don "The Goods" Ready, who is hired by a desperate dealership owner (James Brolin) to save his business. It isn't long before Don and his team (including Ving Rhames, David Koechner, and Kathryn Hahn) get things moving, and Don falls for the owner's daughter (My Boys' Jordana Spiro) who's engaged to a 30-some year old boy-band wanna-be (The Hangover's Ed Helms, in fine form). The developments and story of The Goods is predictable to its core, but what makes it work is Piven's hilarious performance, as well as seeing old pros like Brolin, Rhames, Alan Thicke, and Charles Napier have dirty, gleeful fun the whole ride through. All in all, if R-rated slob comedies are your thing, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard delivers, well, the goods.

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this movie is soo amazing. i love it and then i found it here on amazon for 4.99 i jumoed all over it.

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Everything Must Go (2011)

Everything Must Go is a 2011 comedy-drama directed by Dan Rush.

Nick Halsey, played by Will Ferrell, comes home after being fired from his job to find that his wife has left him and placed all of his belongings on their front lawn. She's changed the locks, vacated the home, and has frozen his access to their bank account. With no car and no money, Nick opts to live with his belongings in the yard. The film follows his interactions with new friends and neighbors as he works his way through life as rock-bottom alcoholic.

I'm not a fan of Will Ferrell. I've seen a handful of his films and have chuckled here and there, but I'm not really into his style of humor. I've incrementally moved further away from him with every comedy he's made because of the repetition. It's disappointing to watch actors get locked into tried-and-true roles and I think Ferrell has most definitely bowed to these demons. So, when I heard he went after a project like this, I had to support the effort. It's exciting to watch funny folk swim to the deeper end of the pool and I think he performed wonderfully.

I've read through most of the negative reviews garnered by this film and I suspect most people are upset that the Will Ferrell they're used to didn't show up for Everything Must Go. Which is sad but not surprising. I think he's amassed a fan base that doesn't particularly care for nor desire any growth in this actor. He's the funny man. Funny man need only be funny.

Everything Must Go isn't funny but there is humor, albeit a bit darker than his followers were likely prepared for. I don't think this movie is genius but it is a bit cunning and that's enough for me. The acting was precise and my mood shifted softly along here and there when and where intended. I'm glad I got involved.

I have in my library a small stack of films set aside as a homage to comedians that tried something different and won. People like Jim Carrey in, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", Adam Sandler in, "Punch Drunk Love", and especially Marlon Wayans in, "Requiem for a Dream". Will Ferrell's, "Everything Must Go" should fit right in, here.

Thanks for your time.

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I have seen this movie voted down for lack of comedic value. I would rate those users down for offering up an opinion on a movie for which they failed to read the advertised description.

This movie has substance. It was well-written, well-directed and well-produced. It was a very worthwhile use of my time. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes heartwarming, sometimes funny... but always very real. I never heard of this movie before I saw the trailer tacked to some video on youtube. It deserves more press because it represents a common but often overlooked life experience. Well-meaning individuals who constantly struggle to avoid drowning in their own vices will find something encouraging in this movie. I liked that this movie was less formulaic and more realistic than most Hollywood fare. Will Farrell is a perfectly capable actor who doesn't seem the least bit constrained by typecasting.

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The premise is pretty simple. Nick(Will Ferrell), a hot-shot corporate executive, gets canned for some improprieties at a meeting in Denver. He goes home and his wife locks him out and all his stuff is on the lawn. His AA sponsor (Michael Pena) tells him he has to hold a yard sale or go to jail. Begrudgingly Nick conducts the sale with the help of a wise beyond his years neighborhood kid(Christopher C.J. Wallace). This set-up is pretty simple and you wouldn't think it would work as a feature film. Work it does and there are many riches to be mined here. Based on a Raymond Carver short story, as the film goes on you learn more about Nick and the depths of his psyche. Ferrell plays it close to the vest and doesn't overplay the alcoholism angle. Ferrell's subtle work here is surprisingly effective and probably one of the best performances of last year. Good supporting work is also offered by Rebecca Hall as a sympathetic neighbor, Laura Dern as an old classmate and young Wallace who is a real find. "Everything Must Go" is a genuine sleeper and should be sought by ambitious film lovers who should not be put off by Ferrell's status as a broad comedian.

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FIRST: If you want Saturday Night Live or Buddy the Elf, go somewhere else.

SECOND: If you appreciate good acting in a well written script telling a compelling human life drama, then this is for you.

I am being as straightforward as possible in the above summation. Will Ferrell proves his acting ability in this excellent film. This is not a comedy although, like life, it has its comedic moments. This is a story of hitting rock bottom, then starting to make a recovery. There is no Jimmy Stewart-esque happy ending, just as that does not occur in real life. Instead, the story of a man and his weaknesses is told through the the unblinking eyes of the world created by his indiscretions. There is the hint of the start of redemption, but, as in real life, that redemption does not occur in the final 10 minutes. I was very impressed with the subtlety of Will Ferrell's acting, and have to say that this is truly a very good film. Again, if you are expecting broad comedy, don't look twice at this. On the other hand, if you like good films, then definitely take a look at this grossly under-rated gem.

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This is a subtle, at times humorous, five-days-in-the-life-of drama about a depressed alcoholic living in his front yard teetering between self destruction and turning over a new leaf. It is really, really, really hard to play an engaging depressed person. Will Ferrell does an amazing job at it, probably one of the best I've seen. He befriends Kenny, a kid with nothing to do and nowhere to go, whose mom does hospice work in the neighborhood. The two are both naturally and brutally honest with great chemistry and some oh so funny interchanges. He also befriends the new across-the-street neighbor who is pregnant with an absent husband. There are several other friends, neighbors, co workers, and relations past & present that come into play. This movie's strength is not so much in the story line as in the relationships, conversations, and the internal struggle between our selfish and selfless nature. Well done film about daily living with addiction and its impact (often longterm and far reaching) on oneself and others. Watched it twice and appreciated the humor in it much more the second time around.

One small issue was that the ending music was the same as used for an intense scene in the film Leaves of Grass, which, for me, brought it to mind and detracted from an otherwise really well-done conclusion to this film.

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A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (2010)

This is a Chinese film (English subtitles) based on the 1984 Coen brothers' production of Blood Simple. I think both films are excellent and would be hard pressed to rank one above the other.

The basic story: Cheaters are discovered. Cuckolded husband is most unhappy and makes plans. Plans veer off course. People get . . . injured.

The eighties version was set in present-day Texas. The 2010 production is set in a small noodle shop surrounded by a desolate lunar-like desert region. The shots involving this landscape are somewhat surreal and often spectacular. The time may be the 1700's or 1800's; it's when guns were still a novelty in remote parts of China, and people rode their mustangs instead of driving their Mustangs. Time and place are significant factors in the Chinese movie; they are virtually irrelevant in the Coen brothers' film.

Director Zhang Yimou's version definitely has more comedy than the original. There's scarcely a giggle in the dark eighties tale. Related to this, a fundamental difference between the films is the portrayal of the wife's boyfriend. Actor John Getz's Ray is far more believable than Xiao Shenyang's Li. Li emerges as a strangely innocent buffoon. He provides a big part of the comic relief that is lacking in the original. There are also two helpers in the noodle shop who generate grins.

Yan Ni, portraying the Chinese cheating wife, brings a lot more passion to the film than Frances McDormand brought to the original. Sun Honglei is great as the ruthless and greedy police officer, Zhang. M. Emmet Walsh was also great as the slimy, slovenly detective, Loren Visser, who, like Zhang, equates infidelity with opportunity.

You don't have to see the original film to enjoy the recent production. But I did find it most entertaining to compare the two.

The Hollywood buzz about this movie was mostly negative with lots of comments about it being overly acted and overly directed. Frankly, I found the movie excellent with many flashes of the cast and director's great talent. The location of the Noodle shop on the edge of a great painted desert-like wilderness reminded the audience of an early 2,000 year-old version of the Howard Johnson chain motels and cafes. These inns were placed along roads so that travelers wouldn't starve or run out of water. The only thing that was missing was a series of stone signs reading "Last Water Stop For Two Day's Walk."

The movie was kind of slap-stick Chinese Theater, but it worked fine. Much has been made out of the director's adaptation, actually homage, of the Cohen Brother's movie "Blood Simple," but frankly most people won't even recognize that. This story works just as well in Chinese cinema as it did in America. The humor is funny, the characters are large and obvious, but oh so human. As is the usual case with this legendary director, the cinematography is wonderful. Some of the landscapes are stunning. Over-all the film also has a Clint Eastwood, Italian Western feeling about it. It's kind of a successful chop suey-spaghetti western. It's a very entertaining escape from the boring daily routine.

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The number of films I've seen more than 9 times within 3 months is limited to one: " A women, A gun and a Noodle shop". This is a remake of the film, "Blood Simple". That fact will not get in the way of the greatness of this film. I've never seen silence used in such a craftful matter. there are times when the quiet takes on the lead story telling point. You owe it to yourself to give this film a watch. I believe this is a true "sleeper".

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Another film that was showing in selected theaters only not where I live!!!!! Couldn't wait to get this one after seeing a brief trailer. This movie was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the whole shabang. Easy to watch, great goofy characters, comedy, fantastic landscape, wonderful cartoon costumes, sillyness, and wonders abound. Fast paced beginning a total improbable romp that is eye poping. Very hollywood, but with a Chinese sensibility.

Recommended for the "noodle dish" acrobatics as well. Made me want to chow down on those darned noodles!

Wonderful cinemaphotography whats new Zhang Yimou is an absolute master of cinemaphotography.

Go for it!

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In the opening of Yimou Zhang's "A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop," a young wife of a tyrannical noodle shop owner buys a gun with three bullets from a traveling Persian merchant. Of course, she has a good reason. And perhaps she shouldn't have. A seemingly small decision she has made results in misunderstanding and strife among the characters. Some get greedy. Others make plans. All get involved in the chain of events that gets increasingly messy.

As you know, this is the acclaimed Chinese director's version of "Blood Simple." Not many directors would attempt to remake the Coen Brothers film, but Yimou Zhang thought differently. His effort "A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop," it is certain, is a quite unique film. Its visuals are unforgettable, and so are the characters (at least, how they look). But sadly they are stuck in the slow-moving story. After the promising start (noodle-making scene is amazing), the film descends into sheer dullness. Things get repetitious (the methodical habits of a police officer are at first amusing, but soon become tedious).

The most impressive thing about the film is its stunning landscapes of the blue sky and the red desert. They are almost surreal. Another notable thing is that "A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop" sometimes looks like a stage production with colorful costumes of the characters. Actions take place in and around the noodle shop located in the middle of nowhere. The film's time is not specified. Perhaps that is not very important.

But frankly I don't know what "A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop" is all about. I don't know either what really made the director re-imagine the original in the first place. Like most Coen Brothers movies, this is a sort of "one-and-only" kind film, but whether you will enjoy the curious world of "A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop" depends on you.

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World's Greatest Dad (2009)

If you are looking for the typical Hollywood, predictable, cliched, played-out comedy-drama--then this is not for you! I feel it was an artistic attempt to analyze some very disturbing trends in our society and bring them to light in a dark comedy. You will recognize some of the troubling shifts our society has undergone in the last two decades, especially if you are an educator or care at all about our young people. It also has a lot to say about how we as a nation no longer have a genuine closeness to each other, little true togetherness and far little intimacy with our friends, families and partners.

You may think am I am over analyzing or being too deep but comedy is really just an exaggerated tragedy. That's what this film is. It gets the audience to look at some of our cultural weaknesses such as narcissism, superficiality, opportunism, objectification, permissiveness, etc.

Not readily evident, it also explores the ramifications of too many years of "corporatizing" our society--how it's affected the way our schools treat people. As well the corporation has affected how we place value on each other as people.

I know that was a long review, but if you appreciate intelligent comedies this one gets at least a B+.

It amazes me how so many people with the 1 star reviews just want to, no expect to see Robin Williams in just funny slapstick comedies. His performance is right up there with "The Fisher King" yet even darker. Spoiler alert: Dad becomes famous from his dumb ass kid's death from autoerotic asphyxiation. Okay now you know what to expect. So don't rent or buy this film unless you're ready for a extremely dark comedy and I couldn't think of anyone better to pull this off than Robin.

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The problem with all the negative reviews, is that everyone takes World's Greatest Dad way too seriously. The son's attitude is so exaggerated and over the top "not very realistic," that it's ok to laugh at the irony of what ends up happening "again because it's not realistic." If it had been some kind of movie where the son was bullied to the point that he went home and killed himself and it was labeled a comedy, then I could understand people being upset. I almost didn't watch this and the Observe and Report movie because of all the bad reviews. If you're easily offended by dark comedies, then why watch them to begin with?!

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Robin Williams stars in World's Greatest Dad which carries a misleading title that sounds like another family, which I can assure you could not be further from the truth. The film is a dark comedy from controversial director Bob Goldthwait and it's not afraid to bring out some true dysfunction in its characters.

Williams plays Lance Clayton, a high-school teacher thoroughly unhappy with his life. His aspirations of being a writer are dashed with every rejection letter he receives, he watches helplessly as the pretty, young teacher he's been with seems to be falling for a younger, more popular teacher, and (worst of all) his son is an unlikeable pervert. The first time we see his son Kyle (Daryl Sabara, from the Spy Kids movies), Lance has caught him attempting autoerotic asphyxiation. Everything changes when Lance finds Kyle dead from the aforementioned act and sets the scene to look like a standard suicide, along with a fake note.

It's this that puts what Goldthwait is trying for in motion. When "Kyle's" suicide note goes viral at the school, the entire student body (who once despised him) sees him as a hero. This kind of story is particularly relevant considering its release this year. Does any of this sound vaguely similar to the death of Michael Jackson?

World's Greatest Dad is certainly in a league of its own, as far as 2009-movies go. It's a dark comedy, but has just enough of a light tone to make it commercially accessible. I think I would've enjoyed it more than I did without the lighter tone, but I do appreciate the way it presents it's characters. Kyle is portrayed as an unintelligent, foul, thoroughly unlikeable character. Lance is a little more complicated; he cared about his son, but is very much driven by his own selfishness.

Williams is great here, finding a comfortable medium between his manic energy and his more subdued, quiet persona. He plays a character here that is so unhappy; he's right on the edge of sanity. It's one of the best performances I've seen from him in a while.

World's Greatest Dad is a flawed, but darkly amusing film that is frequently hilarious. It's not for all tastes and many will complain that they couldn't empathize with any of the character's, but I recommend just trying to enjoy it based on it's comedic merit. Williams' final eulogy for Kyle is nearly worth the price. While it gets tedious, I do recommend the movie as long as you're aware of what you're about to watch.

GRADE: B

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There are consequences for Robin Williams devoting the vast majority of his film career to churning out family-friendly groaners like "Patch Adams" and "Bicentennial Man." When you've made your career turning out overly sentimental, syrupy schlock then you shouldn't be surprised when your fanbase recoils in horror when you take a chance doing a very dark comedy such as this film. Additionally, people, who normally avoid Robin Williams' usual fair, didn't give this movie a chance probably because he was in it. The end result was that "World's Greatest Dad," despite garnering positive reviews, was in-and-out of movie theaters in a heartbeat. It was a bomb. However, this an interesting film with a very funny, dark comic touch about it.

Robin Williams plays "Lance" a divorced, high school poetry teacher, and frustrated writer. Although he's involved in a sort of relationship with a pretty teacher at his school, she insists it be kept a secret. Meanwhile, much to Lance's bemusement, she's openly (and maybe overly) friendly with the handsome rival English teacher whose creative writing class has little problem drawing students unlike Lance's sparsely attended poetry class. Threatened with his class being cut for budgetary reasons and his dreams of becoming a famous and wealthy author of an "important work" getting more and more farfetched with every rejection letter, Lance is not a happy man.

Adding significantly to his unhappiness is the rotten, selfish, perverted, and loathsome behavior of his only child: his teenaged son, "Kyle" (Daryl Sabara). Kyle is a sex-obsessed moron whose obnoxiousness is burden to his only friend, "Andrew" (Evan Martin) and especially his father. Lance tries to reach out to his son and be involved in his life, but oafish Kyle only rejects and mocks Lance's attempts to be a good dad. Kyle, who attends his father's school, openly embarrasses him in front of his principal, his peers, and his students. Sabara's performance as the perverted Kyle and Williams' Lance attempting to deal with him make for most of the comic highlights of this film. I laughed pretty hard at the interplay of this truly dysfunctional father-son duo.

However, a tragic accident and Lance's attempts to put it in a better light results in a completely unexpected redemption of both Kyle and Lance's dreams. In the end, Lance must decide whether to reveal a truth that will hurt everyone around him, but may also allow him to experience some true happiness.

Why four stars? I laughed pretty hard at many parts of this film especially Sabara's character. That and the hysterical ending made me boost-up this film to four stars. Further, Robin Williams is really good as an unhappy middle-aged schlub who faces a moral dilemna that would tempt a saint. Overall, it's an entertaining dark comedy.

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Blu-Cube 10-Pack

When the primary attraction to a product is that you are getting a $150 "value" for $42.50, you likely aren't. Ask yourself how they can afford to stay in business, if this truly is a $150 "value". In my opinion, this 10 disc set isn't even worth $10.

The included titles, hardly are ones to take advantage of the benefits of Blu-ray in the first place, let alone ones that are considered highly desirable. At $3.53 per disc, you would be better off looking for inexpensive DVDs, and making sure that your Blu-ray player will also play DVDs. Then, buy the titles you actually want, as opposed to the titles that are being "dumped" at a "fire sale".

The whole purpose of Blu-ray is to offer the capability of having more special features, and higher quality for today's 1080p TVs and projectors. This set defeats that core purpose pretty handily. Never mind the fact that all of these titles are movies that didn't sell well to begin with.

The included titles are:

1. The Big White

2. Category 7: The End of the World

3. Mortuary

4. Mysterious Island

5. Beer League

6. Blackbeard

7. The Poseidon Adventure

8. Final Days of Planet Earth

9. 10.5: Apocalypse

10. The Curse of King Tut's Tomb

I wanted to get a library started for my Blu-Ray player and thought this would be a good way to kickstart the library. I did not realize the made for tv movies had choppy parts where the commercials should go and in movies that spread out over 2 nights (like 10.5) the movie ending showed, and a bit later the second night part of the movie was shown. It is okay but if I had paid full price for the cube, I would have been sorely disappointed.

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A 10 pack of B-flicks. For forty-bucks, you can't really complain too much. You get 10 BluRay films... for forty-bucks.

First, none are worth paying more than five-bucks for. But since they're four-bucks each... not too bad. These are straight to BluRay movies. Skipped the theaters all together.

Only buy if you're a collector of movies. The average viewer shouldn't buy these.

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This set is actually quite good if you know what to expect. These are not movies that flopped in the theater, and they are technically not made for video, unless you count made for cable as made for video. Here is the low-down on what seven out of the ten films in this set are: they are Hallmark movies, made for the Hallmark channel. Generally, Hallmark does a good job with movies, especially with movies based on classic stories. If you're expecting 50 movie pack type drive-in schlockfest films, that's not really what this is. The "theatrical" films are not huge hits, but they are not terrible if you know what to expect. Grant it none of the three theatrical films is an Oscar contender, but they do have appeal. Howard Stern fans will probably like Beer League, as it was made by one of Stern's "gang" Artie Lange, and Mortuary was made by Tobe Hooper whose original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was far better than the schlocky remake (which SHOULD be shovelware)so it does have a connection to a Horror legend, and the Robin Williams film is not his best, but it has its silly charm. The reason I gave this four stars is this: If they took out the theatrical films and replaced them with Gulliver's Travels, Moby Dick, and The Odyssey, this would be a five star set, considering the price. All three of those films were fairly close to their source material, (although not exact, but what movie is?)and I would love to find ANY of these movies back in print in ANY form. The DVDs are long out of print and quite costly. Of course if they had included the awful Monkey King or Noah this would have been a three star set.

So these are Hallmark movies; nothing more, nothing less. If you enjoy the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark's made-for-TV fare, you would probably enjoy this. I find it to be good for the price, but I still wish Moby Dick, The Odyssey, and Gulliver's Travels were all here as well. Of course the picture quality is not up there with most of the theatrical blockbusters you will find today, but remember, these movies were made for cable, not the big screen.

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