WONDERFUL FILM! but......
925072
Wonderful film, never seen Steve Martin act before! I can't believe he wrote AND produced AND starred in this touching dramedy. The only thing I thought was horrible was the girl in it, she was  horrible!  worst ever! If it weren't for her this film  would get a five star rating for sure.
1811252
Allot has been said already about these films. My only question is why every time someone decides to make a film out of a good book, they distort and embellish the original story almost beyond recognition (think Quo Vadis here). The effects were great and the scenery was exquisite. I suppose if one hadn't read the books beforehand it would probably be a pretty cool film. But as to the original story, I felt that it took too many liberties and left out some very important parts. I can imagine the tourist board of New Zealand is pretty happy with it though. It made me think it's got to be one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Two stars, because I read the books. Maybe four stars if I knew nothing of the original story.
4391166
I love this film, it's wonderful.  You will cry at the end.  But they made it full screen.  This always tortures me.  Why would you ruin the intentions of the creator of the film.  I hate it when they do it and of course you have to choice.  SO if you want to see it as it was meat to be seen you won't find that here.  Still lovely though.
2355830
An absolutely wonderful film.  But, in my view, its not about a divorced couple at all.... Try this:  Imagine that the couple are really still married. They "pose" as strangers at the wedding as a "game" to rekindle their love life. The "life in london" and the "girlfriend" are just stories, fabricated by each other as a "what if" fantasy. Now watch the movie again. It fits. At the end, the couple is together, in the same cab, going home to their "real life" together.
1485668
A great film, but was transferred poorly.  I hope there is an updated version, preferably in hd.
710769
This is a great film and the transfer is beautiful. The extras are slim however, and this classic deserved better treatment with regard to supplements.
  The commentary by Time and Life critic Richard Schickel is interesting for the factual information that it imparts about the production of the film. He does however, stray frequently into freudian excess whenever he attempts to convey his feelings about what he sees as the film's bisexual subtext, a subtext that I don't see or actually believe exists.
  Long story short: pick this one up for the transfer!
261049
The kids are amazing, their work is stunning, their talent and personalities just absolutely make this movie the incredible Oscar-winning work that it is.

But I really wish these movies that show the "gritty side of life" would focus on grit that is closer to home and not in some "poor, remote, third-world country" that everyone can then pity. Take a look at the lives of prostitutes in Las Vegas, L.A., New York - and will those scenes be any different from the red light district in Calcutta? This film reminded me of the movie "Rabbit Proof Fence" - "ah, if only these poor natives could see the error of their ways and just let us HELP them!" When the mother mourns the loss of her daughter as she's taken away to the school, and the daughter cries in the lap of her friend, the rescuer/heroine simply says very coolly, "she can visit you." Where was the empathy for the women and children who she wanted to honor with this film?

I had to laugh when the little boy says that "nowhere else in the world have I seen people living in such filth." This is from a 12yr old boy, living in a brothel in Calcutta, who has likely NEVER seen another part of the world - whether in real life or in books - and how did he come to that conclusion? Has he ever seen life of the homeless and prostitutes living under the bridges and overpasses of our great American cities?

The movie was beautifully-crafted, amazing, and sad - and I do appreciate the photographers' effort to "do good" for the kids by helping them to discover their hidden talents. But I found the overall tone patronizing and even condescending. After too many of these types of "India movies," I'm tired of it.
733563
This is a wonderful classic film. Since it was made in the war days, it's very cheerful and unrealistic....but that adds to it's charm! I love the ending, even though it's a bit too.....um, unrealistic. I reccomend this to anyone who likes classic and old films!
2248457
Well, I have been a fan of this film ever since I saw it as a young teenager...lots of attractive women, guns firing backwards, Bond type driving a station wagon(a station Wagon????) And never for a moment does it take itself the least bit seriously!
So, I was glad to see this film come out on dvd finally, but they sure cropped the image, even though it is widescreen! How do I know this??? Well, the film just ran on cable last month, full screen version, and when Daliah Lavi shoots Nancy Kovack in the back, just before she was to stab our hero Matt, you see her behind as she jumps up(She is only wearing one of his shirts)....so...when the DVD comes out, and you get to this scene...it is cropped so you are not shown the offending buttocks!!!! A film from 1966 is too hot for DVD today??? Why??? I thought the big selling point for DVD was to be the chance to see films as they originally were shot and shown on the big screen...I guess not, but they still get your 20+ bucks. Who knows what else they cut/cropped from the film?????
The image quality is fine,(though the adventures of Robin Hood from 1938 still looks better) but no extras... and you know this is the only time it will be out on disc.....
3686336
Donnie Darko is one of the most original and compelling films ever made.  I give the movie a firm 5 stars.  For details of the film, read the other reviews.  Suffice to say that it's a haunting, brilliantly cut film-noir with very interesting characters and superb acting by the entire cast.

The Director's Cut, however, lacks.  I firmly believe that director's cuts should add new footage, not change existing footage.  With 20 extra minutes, there's a new scene here and there, but the most obvious changes are in the way certain scenes play out.  The eyeball thing every time Donnie encounters Frank the rabbit doesn't quite seem to fit, and the time travel sequence at the end is just way to busy-looking to be enjoyed.  I much preferred the simplicity of the way that scene played out in the original.  A few tiny segments have been cut entirely, and that bothers me because in this movie, it's the little things that make it interesting.  The 5.1 surround sound has also been re-edited, and again, I prefer the original.  During the Sparkle Motion scene at the talent show, the sound quality of the Duran Duran song is terrible, but halfway through, it fixes itself.  The picture quality is far worse than the original cut.

All in all, I think the original is better.  The excerpts from the "Philosophy of Time Travel" book is a nice change though.  Rent this first before you buy.
3531875
I enjoyed the film when I saw it in German. That was years ago, so it is with some hesitancy that I write the following: I think some scenes (such as one where the female lead places an insect on her lover's chest) were cut from the film for US release. I cannot be sure because I do not have a German release with which to compare the films. If anyone can say more, please say so in comments to this review--especially if I'm remembering a different film!
1852228
I have this on VHS, and it's a great film. We've been waiting for years for this to come out on DVD, and when it finally does, it costs a fortune?!?! Why???? If the filmmakers or distributors are reading this, how about making it available to those who don't want to pay greedy individuals a king's ransome for it? As far as I can tell, it was NEVER available on DVD format at a normal price. And that's a crime.
1970215
This is one of the absolute best musical film versions of the classic tale.  Fiona Fullerton's Alice is delightful and believable and very true to the Alice envisioned by Lewis Carrol. The sets are beautifully done and are truly reminiscent of John Tenniels original illustrations. The adaptation does pull in Tweedle Dee and Dum - originally from the "looking Glass" sequel - and it rather curiously does away with the Cheshire Cat in the tree scene (which actually was shot but for some reason wound up on the floor of the edit booth!!) but all in all it is very true to the original text of the book and even incorporates some of the original poems into songs that work wonderfully! The bad news is that the colors in the master this was taken from have obviously started to  deteriorate- a common problem with films of the late 60's and early 70's - and it is grainy like an overused videocassette version!- Most companies spend a bit of time digitally repairing these problems before mastering them to a DVD -- this was aparently a BARE BONES "digital remastering" -- still -- the fading colors and sometimes blurry focus add an additional dreamlike aura if you can get past the idea that DIGIVIEW  REALLY CHEAPED OUT!! Still, it is a very inexpensive DVD so don't pass up this chance to see the movie now - then write to Universal - who is the current owner of this film and start crying for a TRUE REMASTER!!! Who knows, maybe someone will actually realize what a GEM they have here and give it the treatment it deserves! I am purchasing the new Universal DVD release to see if that is any better( I hear it is the same!) - I will be reviewing on that version as well and hopefully they will have made some improvements!  You might want to check my review on that version before deciding which to purchase.
3436602
It is only because of the wonderful story line and a great movie itself that I give this all 5 stars.  The video quality is excellent.  The audio is well done - no hiss or drop-outs - thanks to Lucas' THX team, I assume.
It is wonderful to be able to look at the detail here.  I was born 5 years after the movie was made.  By the time I was able to read, upon seeing the movie (on B&W TV!) I couldn't read the sign on the boarding house - I assumed it read "room for rent."  In this film, I can now read that sign and I can see the clouds when the ship first lands.  Buildings and other scenes are not white washed of detail.  Again, the audio is great.  One can really appreciate Bernard Herrmann's work here.  It completes the film.  I can't say enough about the film and the story.  Others here have done well so I won't attempt a repeat.
So unworthy of a great film now restored and available (I can remove my copy from my TiVo!), there are two great disappointments with this DVD production.  (I've not yet watched the 70-Minute "Making the Earth Stand Still" Documentary.)
The first disappointment is the missing ending credits.
The most distressing thing about this DVD is the commentary.  Unlike the sentiments of a previous reviewer, I have to say it was very very disappointing.  Nicolas Meyer could barely keep on the topic of the movie.
What was the significance of the address on Harvard Street?  Anything?  Not even a mention of Aunt Bee.  How was that language devised?  Latin?  Over probably the most famous line in science fiction (along with 'live long and prosper'), "Klaatu, barata, nikto" Meyer led Wise down some other random esoteric diatribe.  At one point, Wise started to provide some background about the military base scene (where the 'duce-and-a-half's were assembling) but was cut off by Meyer on some other arcane issue of directing.  I would have liked to hear a little more about the equations on the blackboard....
That ship!!!  What were some of the inspirations for the ship and its inside design - those displays - the inner 'control' room?  Was that center bubble used on the Jupiter 2 ("Lost in Space")?  How did Gort come into being?  What was any thinking behind the cool ray that Gort carried.  Melting the artillery was pretty cool.
I can't say how almost angry I was at this conversation.  I guess my expectations were set by the fine commentary in other DVD's (such as Gladiator!).  If anybody out there is listening, I'd buy another copy with Wise talking to somebody who loved the movie ABOUT the movie.  I did learn a few things such as Wise having no idea of the Christ analogy until well after the film was complete or the DOD not wanting to help in the production.  Rather than a commentary, this was more one director comparing methodologies and practices with another.
My wife and four year old daughter have seen the movie twice on TiVo.  My daughter (her first black and white movie) again sat with me glued to the set to watch the DVD the night it arrived.  When I got my first DVD player, this is the movie I waited for.  I'm glad I have it!
3699121
I bought this video new.  The story line is excellent.  The acting is excellent.  The scene in the courtroom is clever and excellent.  The depiction of American history is excellent.  The costumes are stylized and overwrought, as was typical during the earlier days of Hollywood.  The film is an excellent teaching device for kids.  This film was one of the eternal favorites of our parents' generation and our grandparents' generation.  But there is a slight problem.  There are irritating crackling noises throughout.  Why is this?  The crackling noises make the movie almost unbearable.  I was only able to watch this otherwise excellent movie only once.  I own about 50 videotapes, many of them bought second hand.  Crackling noises of the same type occur on only one of these, namely, Three Stooges in Orbit, which I bought new.  Can any of the reviewers of this product provide insight as to the source of the noises?  Can somebody please tell the manufacturer that they need to do something about the noises.
524785
i enjoyed this film very much, and the actors' portrayals were very good, especially the man who played Jesus. however, the editing of the film was not very good. it seemed to have been cobbled together from the TV miniseries, The Bible. otherwise, it was worth the price. i would have given it 5 stars if not for the editing.
350293
"They shall have a bed of hell-fire
  ... thus do we reward the unjust"

This is one of the finest horror films
I have seen in a long time.
It is terrifying and heartbreaking.

The musical score and cinematography are brilliant.
The use of color, and shadow are masterful.
The acting is excellent.

The tension is so great that the quite tame
scary parts are nearly unbearable.

Some of the imagery is horrific.
[spoiler]
(ex: the now 3 year old spirit-girl
dragging a bloody fetus
through a nether-worldly cemetery
and singing a song of how her mother
once loved her, then tossing
the bloody fetus on a pile of dirt!!!)

I know that I am experiencing a great horror film
when I need to take a rest period at some point
and then return to it.
I did that with "The Exorcist" and "Suspiria"
and I had to do that with this film.

Unfortunately, like so many horror films,
the ending seems like an afterthought.
Very disappointing.
I wish the film makers put as much thought
and creativity into the ending as they had
the rest of the film.

This film will get neither the recognition,
nor the distribution it deserves given
the theme and the politics of abortion
in the mainstream film industry.
Too bad.
Thank you to Pathfinder Pictures
for making this film available on DVD.

This is a must-see not-to-be-missed film
for the fan of gothic horror.

[note bene: dialog is in Turkish with subtitles]