Drama > Brody, Adrien Drama

Super Summer of Sam

Advantages: Great value for money, each scene is a work of art
Disadvantages: Some scenes are quiet upsetting

...and this is exactly what Summer of Sam is. The fictional story unfolds against the backdrop of real events in New York, in the memorable summer of 1977. The city is in the grip of a heatwave and the terror of a serial killer. John Leguizamo and his Italian Brooklyn buddies are as usual full of pasta and prejudice and the 'punk' tendencies of their mate Adrian Brody brings out the worst in all of them. This is a truely great film with wonderul disco ...

mandina 01.10.2004 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Summer Of Sam (DVD)

The Singing Detective

Advantages: Different and very entertaining.
Disadvantages: None.

...interested as I had watched the T.V. series ' The singing Detective ' by Dennis Potter (which I thought was brilliant ) I did'nt know it had been made into a movie and on seeing that Robert Downey Jr was playing the lead role among some other good actors I thought it was worth borrowing. Although based on the TV series of the same name and the same storyline there are a few differences.................. The TV series is set in 1940's London with ...
...and bedridden. He has the support and sympathy from the doctors and nurses, and his ex wife who visits him regularly but the constant pain leaves him feeling bitter and resentful to the world and all around him. In his fevered state he drifts in and out of consciousness and reminisces one of his novels ' The Singing Detective ' his memories are mixed with fantasy and reality which include the story and characters from the novel, memories of himself ...

smcccc 11.09.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of The Singing Detective (DVD)

What really happened to George Reeves?

Advantages: Interesting story based on real life event, good cast, stylish, decent bonus features on DVD
Disadvantages: A bit slow for some perhaps, may not appeal to all, ending may disappoint

- Introduction - Hollywoodland is another of my rental DVDs. I hadn't heard of the movie before I did a search on Amazon UK, I was looking for extra dramas that sounded different, something a bit more interesting than your average movie I guess you could say. This movie particularly appealed, as its based on a true story and has a good cast (mentioned below), so I was keen to add it to my rental list. I got it a couple of days ago and sat down to ...
...main acting cast) - Hollywoodland opens up with police at the scene of George Reeves presumed suicide in 1959. Next, we're introduced to Louis Simo (played by Adrien Brody), who's a private detective that finds out through people from his old agency that George's mum believes his death wasn't suicide and had tried to hire the agency but they didn't want to touch such a case, so Louis decides to grudgingly take it on. Through various flashbacks, ...

IzzyS 01.02.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hollywoodland (DVD)

Don't shoot the Piano-player

Advantages: This brings history starkly into focus
Disadvantages: It's mostly very depressing

...Polish Jews during WWII at the hands of the Nazis is awful to behold. It's very sobering and although violence in films is probably more commonplace and more widely accepted these days, this is most definitely not a movie for children to see. This isn't the stylish violence of 'The Terminator' or the sharp-shooting Clint Eastwood type. It's brutal; it comes quickly; it happens routinely and frequently, and most of all it's largely deadly and delivered ...
...reveal very much plot as the events of World War II are part of history even though there are crackpot extremists who deny the Holocaust to this day because it doesn't sit well with their hatred for Israel. That isn't necessary. Suffice it to say that we follow Wladyslaw Szpilman's life during these awful War years and see how slowly but inevitably the Nazis set about the total destruction of an entire people. We are taken on a nightmare journey ...

FlameDruid 06.10.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Pianist (DVD)

Suicide or murder?

Advantages: Great cast giving a number of strong performances
Disadvantages: Some will find the film goes at a slow pace

...actors. The film was called Hollywoodland and this is my review of the film. Hollywoodland tells the sad story of George Reeves. He was the actor who portrayed Superman in the very successful TV series The New Adventures of Superman which aired in America from 1951 to 1957. In 1959 at the age of 45 Reeves was found dead at his home in Hollywood, from apparent gun wounds sustained by means of suicide. Over the following years the question has been ...
...title. It was changed to Hollywoodland which refers to the original length of the famous sign in the Hollywood hills. Also it had to be changed as DC Comics who own the rights for Superman had the original title as a registered trademark which caused a number of legal actions to be raised. If you feel you would like to know more about the 1950's Superman TV series, please refer to my other reviews as I have reviewed both Season 1 and 2 on Ciao. ...

Timbo3107 09.02.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Hollywoodland (Blu-Ray)