I have had this sitting in my ‘to watch’ pile for a few months now but the thing which was putting me off was the length of the film. Finally to get a break from all the John Wayne films I told hubby to stick this one on and I am so glad I did.
At the very start of the film we meet Susan ... Read review
Meet Joe Blackseemed almost fated to fail when it was released in 1998, but this romantic ... more
fantasy--a remake of 1934'sDeath Takes a Holiday--deserves a chance at life after box-office death. Although many moviegoers were turned off by director Martin Br...
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Meet Joe Blackseemed almost fated to fail when it was released in 1998, but this romantic ... more
fantasy--a remake of 1934'sDeath Takes a Holiday--deserves a chance at life after box-office death. Although many moviegoers were turned off by director Martin Br...
Postage & Packaging: £2.69 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Meet Joe Blackseemed almost fated to fail when it was released in 1998, but this romantic ... more
fantasy--a remake of 1934'sDeath Takes a Holiday--deserves a chance at life after box-office death. Although many moviegoers were turned off by director Martin Br...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) has it all - success, wealth and power. Days before his ... more
65th birthday he receives a visit from a mysterious stranger, Joe Black (Brad Pitt), who soon reveals himself as Death. In exchange for extra time, Bill agrees to se...
Meet Joe Blackseemed almost fated to fail when it was released in 1998, but this romantic ... more
fantasy--a remake of 1934'sDeath Takes a Holiday--deserves a chance at life after box-office death. Although many moviegoers were turned off by director Martin Br...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 4 to 6 weeks...
He's Expecting You. Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) has it all success wealth and power. ... more
Days before his 65th birthday he receives a visit from a mysterious stranger Joe Black (Brad Pitt) who soon reveals himself as Death. In exchange for extra t...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Meet Joe Blackseemed almost fated to fail when it was released in 1998, but this romantic ... more
fantasy--a remake of 1934'sDeath Takes a Holiday--deserves a chance at life after box-office death. Although many moviegoers were turned off by director Martin Br...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Yes Everywhere Freesia Walkaway Meet Joe Black Peanut Butter Man Whisper Of A Thrill ... more
Cheek To Cheek Cold Lamb Sandwich Fifth Ave. A Frequent Thing Death And Taxes Served Its Purpose Sorry For Nothing Mr. Bad News Let's Face The Music And Dance The Question Someone Else What A Wonderful World That Next Place Somewhere Over The Rainbow/ What A Wonderful World
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Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: John N. Smith - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: George Dzundza, Courtney B. Vance, Bonnie Bartlett, Michelle Pfeiffer
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: Excellent acting, great story Disadvantages: May be too long for some
...start of the film we meet Susan who is having a break n a café before going to work when she meets a very handsome stranger and they get talking but as they both leave and she turns the corner he is run over and killed.
We then meet Bill who is a very rich business man but he is ill and he keeps hearing a voice. The voice then reveals itself as death. Death has taken the form of a recently deceased man, yes the man from the café who ... ...Bill asks death if he can have more time as he wants to be able to go to his 65th birthday party which is only 2 weeks away. I exchange for this extra time Bill agrees to be deaths guide on Earth and show him what it is like.
When Bill introduces death to his family he calls him Joe Black but Susan still feels the chemistry between herself and the man she believes was the one she met before. Will Bill be able to cheat death and what ... more
I have had this sitting in my ‘to watch’ pile for a few months now but the thing which was putting me off was the length of the film. Finally to get a break from all the John Wayne films I told hubby to stick this one on and I am so glad I did.
At the very start of the film we meet Susan who is having a break n a café before going to work when she meets a very handsome stranger and they get talking but as they both leave and she turns the corner he is run over and killed.
We then meet Bill who is a very rich business man but he is ill and he keeps hearing a voice. The voice then reveals itself as death. Death has taken the form of a recently deceased man, yes the man from the café who Susan met and has come to take Bill with him. Bill asks death if he can have more time as he wants to be able to go to his 65th birthday party which is only 2 weeks away. I exchange for this extra time Bill agrees to be deaths guide on Earth and show him what it is like.
When Bill introduces death to his family he calls him Joe Black but Susan still feels the chemistry between herself and the man she believes was the one she met before. Will Bill be able to cheat death and what will happen with the chemistry between Joe and Susan?
I really am pleased that I finally sat and watched this film. I did find that it was slightly slow to start with but after the first hour it did start to pick up so do try and stick with it if you too find you are loosing interest.
Anthony Hopkins takes the role of Bill and I thought he really did a great job of playing a man facing death and he did deal with it in a wonderful way. I thought he put across his feelings and emotions extremely well and I really did warm to his character. Brad Pitt plays the role of Joe Black who is death and he was also excellent. I liked how he managed to keep an air of mystery in his character and how he pout across what he was experiencing and how strange the feelings were to him. The role of Susan was played by Claire Forlani, I admit that I don’t think I have seen her in any other films but she did a great job and I think she worked extremely well with both Hopkins and Pitt and they all had a great on screen chemistry.
There were a lot of other supporting actors in the film and I think each and every one gave a wonderful performance and all bought something different to the film which did give it a bit of depth.
The story was very good, I was unsure about the subject of the film being death and thought that it might be a bit morbid but I have to say it was far from it. The way the writer handled the subject shows us all that it is nothing to be afraid of. I will say that if this s what death looks like that I certainly will be willing to go! The length of the film did enable the writer to explore the subject more and make me and my hubby both stop and think about what was happening instead of rushing through and not really having chance to take the subject in or reflect on what we personally would do or feel.
The setting for the film was the present time so not much attention was needed to costumes and settings but they were all very good and looked great. The one problem which I found with the film was that there was a lot of quiet talking which would at times be overpowered and hard to hear due to the back ground music and at times I really did have to turn the volume right up to hear what the characters were saying toe ach other. I don’t know if this is the same on all DVD’s but it certainly was on mine. The music in the film was all very good and suitable for the parts which it was used and I did find that it helped to set the tone and emotions of the scenes which it was used for.
The DVD which I have does have some bonus material which includes:-
Spotlight on Location Theatrical Trailer Production Notes Cast and Filmmakers Notes
The length of the film was enough for me so I did not watch any of these plus I don’t really have any interest in them so I cannot give any comment on them.
As I said before this is a long film and the running time is a whopping 173 minutes but I did find this was Ok as the time was needed for the viewer to reflect on what was happing and I personally think that if you can persevere past the first hour then you will soon forget the time and enjoy this film. The certificate for the film is a 12 and I do tend to agree with this.
The ending of the film was wonderful and I have to say it was nothing like I predicted would happen and I liked how they left us hanging on right up to the very end. I am definitely going to recommend this film as the story is like no other I have seen and the actors are all wonderful in their roles. This gets 5 stars from both me and hubby.
Advantages: Good looking actors Disadvantages: Sloooooooooooooooooooooooow
...movies, and then there is Meet Joe Black. The pace of the film, which runs at just under 3 hours, is unlike anything I ever witnessed. Every line of dialogue, every interaction between the characters is stttttttreeeeeeetchhhhed out. And given some pregnant pauses and long drawn out eye contact. Let me give you an example:
Sample scene between Joe Black and love interest Susan
"I have something…..to tell you."
"Oh?…you…..do? "
30 seconds of "meaningful" ... ...seconds of flashing eyes. The violins swell. "Oh…you are…..you are…Joe…."
"Yes. I am…."
The violins crash into crescendo. The characters embrace for another two minutes without saying anything. Then,
"I…feel…"
"I know….."
and so on. You think I am exaggerating? I'm not. Drag that kind of carry on over three hours, and during every exchange, and you begin to get the picture. It's a shame, really, because the actors are actually pretty decent. ...
tartantribe 03.01.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Meet Joe Black (DVD)
Advantages: Great acting, enjoyable despite the subject of film Disadvantages: Slightly weak in places
I am at a loss as to how rate this film. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it, on the other, there were a couple of occasions were it looked really wooden in the plot and acting.
The film was on BBC1 last night at 9pm as I settled down to watch a pic of a genre that I really like, i.e. fictional drama, yet the film did not entice me enough when it first came out to go the cinema and fork out £5 plus.
It stars two heavyweight, mega ... ...William (aka Bill) Parrish, is a multimillionaire publishing magnet, well known for his strength of character and resolve. When Bill suddenly starts hearing a voice talking to him (suffice to say, it is only audible by him), he seems to wonder what on earth is going on - quite logical really. A short while later, he is visited by none other than the Grim Reaper himself, who (if you can personify Mr. Death Instigator) has possessed the body of an ...
kleft 03.01.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Meet Joe Black (DVD)
Advantages: sir anthony and brad pitt, a new and original story Disadvantages: too many long pauses
When this first came out in November 1998, I was quite young, (young enough not to know what the big deal about Brad Pitt was, and young enough not to understand the true brilliance of Sir Anthony Hopkins). Back then I thought that this film was rubbish. Then, about two years ago, my mum brought it home, so I thought that I would give it a shot and I was not disappointed.
The film is about a successful media tycoon, William Parrish (Hopkins) living ... ...Susan (Claire Forlani), is in a relationship with his brilliant, yet slimy colleague, Drew, (Jake Weber). One day whilst on her way to her job as a doctor at the hospital, she meets a fascinating, attractive young man in a coffee shop. The two establish an instant spark, but do not discover anything about each other. The two leave the coffee shop without exchanging names or numbers. As they walk away in different directions, Pitt turns to run after ...
spobz 05.03.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Meet Joe Black (DVD)
Advantages: A really pensive film Disadvantages: Maybe a little too long
Meet Joe Black is in my opinion a very strange film. It's rather long at nearly 3 hours in length yet the storyline is very simple. The way in which it is constructed however and because of the nature of the story itself makes the film a rather pensive one and so the 3 hour length gives the audience time to think and reflect on what the story is trying to tell you. The film begins with a chance meeting between Claire, a millionaire's daughter and ... ...with the common conception that Meet Joe Black is a train-wreck of a film. It simple isn't. Ok it is long and with no real action in terms of battles or major suspense scenes this may be a tad too long but in my opinion I think that this film is trying to make a statement about life and about death and does so in a way that makes one simple the continuation of the other. I would therefore highly recommend this film to anyone who fancies seeing a ...
MI9to5 24.09.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Meet Joe Black (DVD)
Advantages: Brad Pitt, great story Disadvantages: Makes you think about death
...film then moves on to meet Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins), a multi millionaire businessman, fast approaching his 65th birthday. He starts to hear voices in his library, and is soon confronted by a man who explains that he is Death. Brad Pitt plays the Grim Reaper, and he has taken over the body of a well dressed, articulate and very attractive young man. He explains that he wants to experience life as a mortal, and taste life as we all know it. At ... ...die as fate has decided it is his time. Parrish knows this is the case as he has been plagued by chest pains, and thinks he will have a heart attack. Death promises him more time on Earth to finish his business and say his goodbyes, but only if he can follow Parrish around. Parrish is forced to introduce Death to his colleagues and family, and he is soon known as Joe Black. Joe soon meets Bill’s business colleagues, and he instantly becomes unpopular ...
nicanddarrell 12.06.2001 (06.01.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Meet Joe Black (DVD)
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that the story?s seemingly jumped from one place to another without really explaining itself and leaving the viewer to work it out for themselves. Now that?s all well and good from time to time in a thriller movie if somewhere along the line you get an explanation of everything - but you don?t, you?ve just got to work it out yourself.
However having said that when the writers do take their time to ensure you?ve got enough to go by with the storyline there are some witty scenes involved, the type that ensured the movie got a 3 stars out of me instead of a 2 - they?re the type that do leave some of the movie to the watcher to decide, but not all of it, and that is what I personally want from a movie.
* Cast *
When I read the Cast on the case of this DVD I wasn?t overly excited, sure there was Claire Forlani (of Mallrats and Meeting ...
Angelus 02.07.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Antitrust
A wealthy tycoon whose life is orderly and happy finds his household disrupted by the arrival of a young man called Joe Black. His daughter falls for the young man innocent of the fact that Joe is Death, visiting Earth to take the life of her father...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
UCA; CINRAM LOGISTICS (SWINDON)
Release date
27/09/2002
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
903 526 1
Barcode
3259190352612
Production Designer
Dante Ferretti
Screenwriter
Bo Goldman, Kevin Wade, Jeff Reno, Ron Osborn, Martin Brest
Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Hebrew, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish
Technical information
Special Features
Spotlight On Location featurette, Production notes, Theatrical trailer
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English Dolby Digital Surround Czech German
Professional reviews
Review
"...Hopkins in a performance of great delicacy..." (Entertainment Weekly, p.69, 04/12/1998)
DVD Description
This modern fantasy stars Anthony Hopkins as William Parrish, a wealthy New York City media mogul who suffers a heart attack on the eve of his 65th birthday; although he survives, he senses that his own death is near. On the same day, Parrish's younger daughter Susan (Claire Forlani) meets a handsome young stranger (Brad Pitt) at a neighboring coffee shop and is instantly smitten. As they part, the young stranger is killed and his body is instantly occupied by Death, who is coming to Earth to warn Parrish that his death is, indeed, imminent. Death enters the Parrish household disguised as Joe Black, the handsome stranger, and although Parrish realizes Death's intentions he lets the family believe that Joe Black is a young business associate. Susan is shocked to find the familiar young man at her family dinner that evening and is instantly overwhelmed with desire. As she begins a passionate love affair with the debonaire stranger, she has no idea that she is no longer falling for the young stranger from the coffee shop but for Death himself. In an effort to prolong his life and his daughter's happiness, William agrees to take Joe on a tour of human life that includes board meetings, family parties, and, ultimately, romance. As long as Joe falls in love, Parrish remains alive. This version was inspired by the Alberto Casella play DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY and the subsequent 1934 film.
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