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tc_267_6	Assassination plot against Hitler fails - Jul 20, 1944 - HISTORY.com Assassination plot against Hitler fails Share this: Assassination plot against Hitler fails Author Assassination plot against Hitler fails URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1944, Hitler cheats death as a bomb planted in a briefcase goes off, but fails to kill him. High German officials had made up their minds that Hitler must die. He was leading Germany in a suicidal war on two fronts, and assassination was the only way to stop him. A coup d’etat would follow, and a new government in Berlin would save Germany from complete destruction at the hands of the Allies. That was the plan. This was the reality: Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, chief of the army reserve, had been given the task of planting a bomb during a conference that was to be held at Berchtesgaden, but was later moved to Hitler’s “Wolf’s Lair, a command post at Rastenburg, Prussia. Stauffenberg planted the explosive in a briefcase, which he placed under a table, then left quickly. Hitler was studying a map of the Eastern front as Colonel Heinz Brandt, trying to get a better look at the map, moved the briefcase out of place, farther away from where the Fuhrer was standing. At 12:42 p.m. the bomb went off. When the smoke cleared, Hitler was wounded, charred, and even suffered the temporary paralysis of one arm—but he was very much alive. (He was even well enough to keep an appointment with Benito Mussolini that very afternoon. He gave Il Duce a tour of the bomb site.) Four others present died from their wounds. As the bomb went off, Stauffenberg was making his way to Berlin to carry out Operation Valkyrie, the overthrow of the central government. In Berlin, he and co-conspirator General Olbricht arrested the commander of the reserve army, General Fromm, and began issuing orders for the commandeering of various government buildings. And then the news came through from Herman Goering—Hitler was alive. Fromm, released from custody under the assumption he would nevertheless join the effort to throw Hitler out of office, turned on the conspirators. Stauffenberg and Olbricht were shot that same day. Once Hitler figured out the extent of the conspiracy (it reached all the way to occupied French), he began the systematic liquidation of his enemies. More than 7,000 Germans would be arrested (including evangelical pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer), and up to 5,000 would wind up dead—either executed or as suicides. Hitler, Himmler, and Goering took an even firmer grip on Germany and its war machine. Hitler became convinced that fate had spared him—”I regard this as a confirmation of the task imposed upon me by Providence”—and that “nothing is going to happen to me… [T]he great cause which I serve will be brought through its present perils and…everything can be brought to a good end.” Related Videos	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_267_7	Operation Valkyrie - The "July Plot" to Assassinate Hitler \| Jewish Virtual Library Operation Valkyrie - The "July Plot" to Assassinate Hitler (July 20, 1944) Major Claus von Stauffenberg now emerged as the leader of the group opposed to Nazi rule. In 1942, he decided to kill Adolf Hitler . He was joined by Wilhelm Canaris , Carl Goerdeler , Julius Leber , Ulrich Hassell , Hans Oster , Peter von Wartenburg , Henning von Tresckow , Friedrich Olbricht , Werner von Haeften , Fabian Schlabrendorft , Ludwig Beck and Erwin von Witzleben . The plot was developed as a modification of Operation Valkyrie (Unternehmen Walküre), which was approved by Hitler for use if Allied bombing of German cities or an uprising of forced laborers from occupied countries working in German factories resulted in a breakdown in law and order. Members of the Reserve Army, including members of the Kreisau Circle, modified the plan and decided to assassinate Adolf Hitler , Hermann Goering and Heinrich Himmler . Afterward, they planned for troops in Berlin to seize key government buildings, telephone and signal centers and radio stations. Hitler's death was required to free German soldiers from their oath of loyalty to him. Operation Valkyrie was meant to give the plotters control over the government so they could make peace with the Allies and end the war. At least six attempts were aborted before Claus von Stauffenberg decided on trying again during a conference attended by Hitler on July 20, 1944. It was decided to drop plans to kill Goering and Himmler at the same time. Stauffenberg, who had never met Hitler before, carried the bomb in a briefcase and placed it on the floor while he left to make a phone-call. The bomb exploded killing four men in the hut. Hitler's right arm was badly injured but he survived the bomb blast. The plan was for Ludwig Beck , Erwin von Witzleben and Friedrich Fromm to take control of the German Army. The coup failed in part because they delayed implementing the plan until official confirmation of Hitler's death could be received. When they learned that Hitler had survived, Valkyrie was not put in effect. In an attempt to protect himself, Fromm organized the execution of Claus von Stauffenberg along with two other conspirators, Friedrich Olbricht and Werner von Haeften , in the courtyard of the War Ministry. It was later reported the Stauffenberg died shouting "Long live holy Germany". As a result of the July Plot, the new chief of staff, Heinz Guderian demanded the resignation of any officer who did not fully support the ideals of the Nazi Party . Over the next few months Guderian sat with Gerd von Rundstedt and Wilhelm Keitel on the Army Court of Honor that expelled hundreds of officers suspected of being opposed to the policies of Adolf Hitler . This removed them from court martial jurisdiction and turned them over to Roland Freisler and his People's Court. Over the next few months most of the group, including Wilhelm Canaris , Carl Goerdeler , Julius Leber , Ulrich Hassell , Hans Oster , Peter von Wartenburg , Henning von Tresckow , Ludwig Beck , Erwin von Witzleben and Friedrich Fromm , were either executed or committed suicide. Ninety of the supposed conspirators were executied between August 1944 and April 1945 at the Plotzensee Prison. It is etimated that 4,980 Germans were executed after the July Plot. Hitler decided that the leaders should have a slow death. They were hung with piano wire from meat-hooks. Their executions were filmed and later shown to senior members of both the NSDAP and the armed forces. In March 2013, the last surviving member of the plot - Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin - died in Munich.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_267_9	Last member of briefcase bomb plot to kill Hitler who survived dictator's murderous revenge dies aged 90 \| Daily Mail Online Last man standing: Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist, pictured in 2010, the last surviving member of the main plot to kill Adolf Hitler, has died aged 90 The last surviving member of the famous briefcase bomb plot to assassinate Hitler has died aged 90. Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist took part in the July 20 conspiracy to kill Adolf Hitler, a failed attempt on the Nazi dictator’s life in 1944. Von Kleist, who once volunteered to act as a suicide bomber to kill Hitler, died at his home in Munich on Friday. He became a member of the July 20 conspiracy, also known as Operation Valkyrie, after he was approached by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the man who eventually planted the bomb in Hitler’s conference room at Wolf’s Lair. The assassination attempt was brought to the big screen in the 2008 film ‘Valkyrie’ starring Tom Cruise as von Stauffenberg. Von Kleist was born into an aristocratic family in Pommerania, an area of northeastern Germany which today is part of Poland. The von Kleist family had a long history of serving in high-ranking military and administrative positions for the German government. His father, Ewald von Kleist, was an early opponent of Hitler who famously travelled to England in 1938 in a failed attempt to persuade the British government to support a coup against Hitler. Despite his family's opposition to the Nazis, von Kleist joined the German army in 1940. He was wounded fighting on the Eastern Front in 1943 and during his convalescence came in contact with von Stauffenberg. A fellow officer from an aristocratic family, von Stauffenberg presented him with a plan to kill Hitler. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Von Kleist had been chosen as the officer to model a new uniform for Hitler, and von Stauffenberg proposed that he wear a suicide vest underneath, which he would detonate standing next to the dictator. Years later von Kleist remembered explaining the suicide plot to his father, who paused only briefly before telling his 22-year-old son: ‘Yes, you have to do this.’ ‘Fathers love their sons and mine certainly did, and I had been quite sure he would say no,’ von Kleist recalled. ‘But, as always, I had underestimated him.’ Survivor: Von Kleist, pictured left during his time in the army, and in 1997, right, was approached by Claus von Stauffenberg to wear a bomb vest to be detonated near Hitler - a plan which failed - before the July 20 plot Plot to kill: Count Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg, left, looks on as Adolf Hitler arrives at Wolf's Lair on July 15, 1944, five days before Operation Valkyrie was carried out Coup d'etat: The picture shows Hitler's conference room at Wolf's Lair after the failed attempt on his life on July 20, 1944 However, the suicide attack was never materialised as Hitler kept postponing the uniform demonstration. A few months later von Kleist was approached again. Von Stauffenberg asked him to take part in the July 20 plot and carry a briefcase packed with explosives to a meeting with Hitler, a job which ended up falling on von Stauffenberg himself. The colonel placed the bomb in a conference room at Hitler’s East Prussian headquarters, known as Wolf’s Lair, where he was meeting with his aides and military advisers. The plan failed after someone moved the briefcase with the explosives next to a table leg and Hitler escaped with his life. Failed attack: The Nazi dictator survived the 1944 explosion as one of his aides moved the briefcase with the explosives and a nearby table protected him On screen: Tom Cruise portrays Claus von Stauffenberg in Valkyrie, the 2008 film about the July 20 bomb plot Von Kleist remained in Berlin, charged with overseeing the arrest of officers and officials loyal to Hitler in the city. But when news spread that Hitler had survived, the plot crumbled and von Stauffenberg, von Kleist's father, and scores of others were arrested and executed. Von Kleist himself was arrested and questioned at length by the Gestapo, and sent to a concentration camp, but then inexplicably let go and returned to combat duty. He was posted at the front for the duration of World War II and went on to set up his own publishing house Ewald-von-Kleist-Verlag. He also founded the Munich Conference on Security Policy, an annual conference on international security policy in 1962, which he moderated it 1998.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_267_23	Communists planned an attack on Hitler, Blomberg, G�ring, G�bbels and Hess. Group Markwitz 1935 Location: unknown The group Markwitz wanted to kill Hitler, but the Gestapo infiltrated the group. All the members of the group were killed. Hagana 1936 During 1936, David Frankfurter, a Jewish medical student living in Berne, killed Wilhelm Gustloff, Hitler's deputy in Switzerland. Gustloff became Frankfurter's substitute target when the assassin realized his primary target, Adolf Hitler, was beyond his reach. A year later it was learned through SS contacts with the Hagna, the Jewish intelligence service in Palestine, that Gustloff's murder was part of a failed assassination plan against Hitler by a Paris-based group known as the Alliance Isra�lite Universelle. Strasser�s Plan December 1936 Location: N�rnberg Stadium In December 1936, a young German Jew who had been living in Prague infiltrated into Germany as part of a plot to kill Hitler by blowing up a building in the Nuremberg Stadium. Helmut Hirsch, acting under the influence of Otto Strasser, one of Hitler's most virulent opponents, agreed to plant the bomb built by another of Strasser's followers. Hirsch arrived in Stuttgart on December 20, three days before the scheduled meeting with his contact, a Strasser disciple who was to deliver the bomb. Hirsch did not know his contact had been arrested crossing the German-Polish border with the bomb, and under questioning by the Gestapo he revealed the bombing plan and identified the would-be bomber. Since Hirsch had used his own name at the hotel when he completed the forms required of all guests, it was a simple matter to track him down and arrest him. On 8 March 1937, Helmut Hirsch was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death by beheading. The execution was carried out on 4 June in Pl�tzensee. Otto Strasser probably instigated more than a few death plots against Hitler. Otto and his brother, Gregor, were socialists before joining Hitler's National Socialist Party. Gregor entered into an unqualified allegiance to Hitler, but Otto held some serious reservations. He openly disagreed with Hitler on important issues such as a major strike by metalworkers in Saxony. Otto Strasser championed the workers; Hitler, who was being subsidized by wealthy industrialists, was ordered by them to disclaim Strasser and condemn his support for the strikers. Hitler and Strasser met twice in Berlin's Hotel Sanssouci on 21 and 22 May 1930, to reconcile their differences. Neither man budged from his position and they parted enemies. Expelled from the Party, Otto Strasser formed his own socialist organization, which he called the Schwarze Front (Black Front). When Gregor Strasser died in Hitler's attack on the SA, Otto realized that he had lost the protection his brother's position in the Nazi Party had afforded him and that his own life was now in danger. He fled Germany and continued to scheme against Hitler from asylum in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and later Paris. Throughout 1937 and 1938, German intelligence uncovered a steady flow of information revealing plots to kill Hitler by the Black Front, as well as other opponents of the F�hrer, many of whom were German �migr�s. Josef Thomas 1937, November 26 Location: Reichskanzlei Berlin A mentaly ill man called Josef Thomas from Ebersfeld ran around in the Reichskanzlei. He got arrested. No one ever heard from him again. Bomb 1937 Location: Sportpalast Berlin An unknown person puts a bomb in the speakers platform of the Sportpalast. It is said that the bomb didn�t go off because the guy who placed it got, in some way, stuck in the toilets. Dohnanyi 1937 Dr. Johannes von Dohnanyi of the Abwehr, personal advisor to Reich Minister of Justice Franz Gurtner, had disapproved of Hitler and his Nazi Party almost from the beginning when, through his post in the attorney general's office, in Hamburg, he was exposed firsthand to Nazi brutality. As early as 1937 Dohnanyi tried to recruit Hitler's adjutant, Hans Wiedemann, in a plot to shoot the F�hrer. Maurice Bavaud 1938 Location: various The year 1938 was a busy time for another would-be assassin, Maurice Bavaud. Through a strangely twisted logical reasoning, Bavaud concluded he must kill Hitler because the German dictator had reneged on his promise to squash the communists. Bavaud was a Swiss citizen attending a French Catholic seminary in Brittany when he came under the influence of another seminarian, Marcel Gerbohay. Gerbohay founded a small secret society of seminarians who called themselves the Compagnie du Myst�re. This group was pledged to fight communism wherever it appeared, especially in Russia. Gerbohay portrayed himself as a descendant of the Romanov dynasty that had ruled Russia for over three hundred years. He prophesied they would rule again when the communists were overthrown. Hitler, whom many thought would be the instrument for the destruction of the Russian communists, was now showing every indication that he intended to co-exist peacefully with the Soviet Communist regime. At Gerbohay's bidding, Bavaud set off from the seminary on a mission to assassinate Hitler because of his outward tolerance of the communists. He returned to his family's home in the west Switzerland town of NeuchU00E2tel and lived briefly with his parents and his five brothers and sisters. While he earned his keep helping his mother in a small grocery she ran to supplement her husband's postal workers salary, Bavaud studied German and read the French translation of "Mein Kampf". On October 9 he bid his family farewell and set off on an odyssey that would crisscross Germany in pursuit of Adolf Hitler. He told his family he was going to Germany to find work as a draftsman, a trade he had learned before joining the seminary. He spent a fortnight visiting relatives in the German resort town of Baden-Baden. Telling these relatives he was going to Mannheim to seek work, he instead left Baden-Baden and proceeded south to the Swiss border town of Basel, where he purchased a 6.35-millimeter Schmeisser automatic pistol. He then traveled four hundred miles by rail to Berlin, where he expected to find Hitler. In Berlin Bavaud learned that the F�hrer was at his mountain retreat near Berchtesgaden. Determined to kill his quarry, Bavaud immediately entrained for the resort three hundred miles to the south. Arriving in Berchtesgaden on October 25, he checked into an inexpensive hotel, the Stiftskeller, and found a source where he purchased extra ammunition for his pistol. To improve his nonexistent shooting skills he went deep into the woods and used trees for target practice. He decided that he would be able to shoot Hitler if he could get within twenty-five feet of him. It apparently did not occur to Bavaud that there was no guarantee that if he was successful in shooting Hitler the F�hrer would necessarily die. Unfortunately, Bavaud again missed connections when Hitler left Berchtesgaden shortly after he arrived. Dejected over this second failure to find his target, Bavaud decided to plan more carefully by learning as much as possible about Hitler's movements before taking further action. However, his German was only rudimentary, and he was severely handicapped in these inquiries. One afternoon while eating lunch he met two French instructors with whom he carried on a lively conversation, claiming to be an ardent admirer of Hitler who wanted to meet the F�hrer. Although his companions could not be of any help, the conversation was overheard by a police captain sitting at the next table who spoke French. Captain Karl Derkert told Bavaud that he was connected with Hitler's security and assured the young Swiss that to arrange a personal audience with Hitler would require a letter of introduction from a high-ranking foreign official. But if he only wanted to see Hitler up close, Deckert advised, he should go to Munich in time for the anniversary of the 9 November 1923 Putsch. Hitler traditionally led a parade through the city's streets that retraced the route he and his band had taken in 1923. On October 31 Bavaud once again boarded a train, this time for Munich, where he rented a furnished room. Using a tourist map, Bavaud plotted the route of the march during the days preceding the celebration, looking for a vantage point from which to shoot Hitler. A series of grandstands had been constructed along the route, and for one of them he was able to obtain a ticket by impersonating a reporter for a Swiss newspaper. Not entirely confident with his marksmanship, he located a suitable site about twenty-five miles from the city where he could safely practice his shooting skills. The morning of November 9 was cold and clear. Dressed in a heavy overcoat, with his pistol inside the coat pocket, Bavaud made his way through the thousands who thronged the streets of Munich and arrived at the grandstand near the Marienplatz with time to spare. He found a front-row seat and sat quietly, hoping to remain inconspicuous while he waited for Hitler. The street in front of him, as well as along the entire march route, was flanked on both sides with two rows of burly SA men who stood shoulder to shoulder to keep the crowd from rushing into the streets. The intended assassin knew he would have to shoot Hitler from the grandstand because it would be impossible for him to push his way through the brown-shirted guards. Suddenly the cry went up, "The F�hrer is coming!" Rising as one, the people in the grandstand, Bavaud included, stood to view the approaching parade. Inside his pocket his hand gripped the pistol tightly, ready to remove it quickly when Hitler came within range. With his heart pounding, the young man stood poised to act as the line of marchers approached. When the parade drew abreast of Bavaud, disappointment gripped him as he realized that Hitler was marching on the opposite side of the street, not in the center as he had expected. This placed his target more than fifty feet away, twice his confidence range with his weapon. Bavaud released his hold on the Schmeisser and could do nothing except watch Hitler and his entourage turn a corner and disappear from view. Bavaud was disappointed but far from discouraged. He purchased some tastefully expensive stationery and envelopes and returned to his room, where he proceeded to forge a letter of introduction to Hitler from French Foreign Minister Pierre Flandin. The letter stated that Bavaud carried a second letter that was to be read by Adolf Hitler only. It was a poorly conceived ruse born of desperation. That Bavaud even imagined such a letter would gain him admittance to Hitler's presence is incredible. To believe that the foreign minister of France would use this young Swiss citizen to carry important correspondence to the F�hrer of Germany instead of his own ambassador was the height of foolishness. Hearing erroneously that Hitler had returned to his retreat, Bavaud again boarded a train for Berchtesgaden. At the station he hired a taxi to take him to the Berghof, but he was prevented from entering the grounds by the armed guards who told him Hitler was not there, but still in Munich. Bavaud rushed back to the railroad station and took the next train to Munich, arriving there about the same time Hitler's private train left on its way to Berchtesgaden. Frustrated and nearly out of money, Bavaud gave up his quest to kill Hitler and decided to leave the country. He did not have enough money to travel to Switzerland, so he hid aboard a train bound for Paris where he hoped to obtain from the Swiss embassy sufficient funds to return to his parents' home. When he was discovered by a railroad conductor he was turned over to the police at Augsburg, who handed him to the Gestapo because he was a foreigner and because he was carrying a gun and letter addressed to Hitler. For some insane reason Bavaud had failed to dispose of the incriminating letters and the weapon he intended to use against Hitler. Under arduous interrogation Bavaud eventually confessed his plan to the Gestapo. He was put on trial, found guilty, and on 14 May 1941, was beheaded Having traveled hundreds of miles pursuing his fantasy to kill Hitler, Marcel Bavaud succeeded only in bringing about his own demise. Perhaps he would have accomplished his mission had he been a bit more imaginative and more resourceful, but he was doomed from the beginning because of a grievous lack of planning. Even when certain failure became apparent, the poor fellow was not smart enough to rid himself of the evidence that ultimately incriminated him. Maurice Bavaud (January 15, 1916 in Neuch�tel - May 14, 1941 in Berlin-Pl�tzensee) was a Roman Catholic Swiss citizen who in 1938 attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Bavaud was a Catholic theology student, attending the Saint Ilan Seminary, Saint-Brieuc, Brittany, and a member of an anti-communist student group in France called Compagnie du Myst�re. The group's leader, Marcel Gerbohay, had a lot of influence over Bavaud. Gerbohay claimed that he was a member of the Romanov Dynasty, and convinced Bavaud that when communism was destroyed, the Romanovs would once again rule Russia, in the person of Gerbohay. Bavaud believed what Gerbohay had told him, became obsessed with the idea that killing Hitler would help the plans to materialise, and finally decided to carry out the assassination himself. On 9 October 1938, Bavaud travelled from Brittany to Baden-Baden, then on to Basel, where he bought a Schmeisser 6.35 mm (.25 ACP) semi-automatic pistol. In Berlin, a policeman, Karl Deckert, overheard Bavaud saying that he would like to meet Hitler personally. Deckert advised Bavaud that a private audience could be arranged if Bavaud could obtain a letter of introduction from a suitable foreign VIP. Deckert advised him to travel to Munich for the anniversary of the 1923 "Beer Hall Putsch", which Hitler attended every year. Bavaud followed those instructions by buying a ticket for a seat on the reviewing stand by posing as a Swiss reporter, intending to shoot Hitler as the latter passed during the parade. Bavaud abandoned this attempt when, on November 9, Hitler turned out to be marching in the company of other Nazi leaders whom Bavaud did not want to injure. Bavaud next purchased expensive stationery and forged a letter of introduction in the name of the French nationalist leader Pierre Taittinger, which claimed that Bavaud had a second letter for Hitler's eyes only. He travelled to Berchtesgaden in the belief that Hitler had returned there, only to find that Hitler was still in Munich. When Bavaud returned to Munich, he discovered that Hitler was just leaving for Berchtesgaden. Having exhausted his money, Bavaud stowed away on a train to Paris, where he was discovered by a conductor who turned him over to the police. He was interrogated by the Gestapo and admitted his plans to assassinate Hitler. Bavaud was tried by the Volksgerichtshof on 18 December 1939, naming as his motives that he considered Hitler a danger to humanity in general, to Swiss independence, and to Catholicism in Germany. Swiss diplomacy made no effort to save Bavaud; Hans Fr�hlicher, the Swiss ambassador to Germany even publicly condemned Bavaud's assassination attempt. An offer from the Germans to exchange Bavaud for a German spy was turned down, and Bavaud was sentenced to death. He was executed by guillotine in the Berlin-Pl�tzensee prison on the morning of 14 May 1941. Aftermath Bavaud's father Alfred attempted to rehabilitate his son's name and reputation, resulting in a court decision on 12 December 1955 reverting the death sentence but posthumously condemning Bavaud to a five-year sentence, arguing that Hitler's life was protected by law just as any other life. A second verdict of 1956 reverted the prison sentence and Germany paid Bavaud's family the sum of CHF 40,000 in reparation. In 1976, Rolf Hochhuth idealized Bavaud as a "new William Tell", while in 1980 Klaus Urner relativized Hochhuth's heroic picture, analyzing psychological aspects of Bavaud's motivation. In 1989 and again in 1998, the Swiss Federal Council admitted that the Swiss authorities did not make a sufficient effort to save Bavaud. Finally, in 2008, the Swiss government honored the life and effort of Bavaud. In 2011, a small monument was erected in Hauterive near Neuch�tel. Oster group, 1938, September 28 Location: unknown Members of the resistance were scattered throughout the army, the Foreign Ministry, the police, and nongovernmental circles and were essentially a small minority in a totalitarian state that engaged freely in terror, imprisonment, and murder against its enemies, real or imagined.. They could not meet in large numbers to engender support for their struggle against the Nazis without arousing Gestapo interest in them. Nor could many of them risk being seen with each other because of government restrictions. Contact between different government agencies was strictly limited and in some cases forbidden, such as between officials of the Foreign Ministry and the General Staff, unless the individual involved was a liaison officer. Gestapo and SS secret police units worked ceaselessly to uncover opponents of the regime. Considering the overwhelming resources against them, it is miraculous that practically anyone who joined the 1938 resistance movement survived long enough to be executed by the Nazis in 1944 and 1945. During 1938 latent anti-Nazi and anti-war sentiment among individual officers in the German army gradually coalesced into a hardcore group determined to depose Hitler. Early in the year the first tentative beginnings of an organized coup took form. By year's end a solid nucleus of ranking officers was plotting to kill the F�hrer. However, many of the generals who recognized that Hitler's plans for conquering Europe harbored the seeds of Germany's destruction rejected assassination, opting instead for arrest and imprisonment. Lieutenant Colonel Hans Oster, Chief of Staff of the Abwer, the counterintelligence section of the military High Command, was a much-decorated veteran of World War I. He was a deeply religious parson's son, a highly charged and temperamental man, without personal ambitions. Oster viewed Nazism as anti-Christian and persisted in his efforts to depose Hitler until his own execution in 1945. A group of military conspirators around him planned a coup when the troups to enter Czechoslovakia were mobilised. Hitler's ultimate fate had not yet been decided, but most senior officers believed he should be tried on charges of treason for committing Germany to a senseless war, or declared insane and committed to an asylum. Little is known about the detailed military plans for the coup. Except for General Franz Halder, a deeply religious and sensitive man from a background steeped in military tradition, none of the ranking army officers who were involved survived the war. General Halder stated that he left the details to General Erwin von Witzleben, keeping for himself only the final authority to issue the order that would begin the coup. Everyone now waited for the order to come from General Halder, who in turn waited for Hitler's orders to prepare to attack Czechoslovakia before he would commit the coup's forces to action. During this slack period the conspirators debated Hitler's fate. Although Halder despised the Nazis and deplored their tyrannical rule over Germany, he also believed strongly in his personal oath of loyalty to Hitler. Halder opposed outright assassination, which might besmirch the army's reputation. If Hitler had to die, Halder preferred it to happen in some way not directly connected with the army or the army's actions in conducting the coup. Other senior officers, including Beck, Witzleben, and Canaris, wanted Hitler brought to trial for the crimes committed by his regime. They wanted the public to clearly understand what these crimes were, so the army could never be accused of stabbing Germany in the back, a reference to the "stab in the back" theory expounded at the end of World War I and which Hitler used to great advantage in his rise to power. The theory, invented by Hindenburg and Luddendorf, held that democratic-minded politicians had stabbed the German army in the back, by calling for armistice, just when it was poised to win its greatest victory in the war. Hans Oster and others, including Dr. Hans von Dohnanyi, wanted to have Hitler declared insane by a panel of doctors. Dohnanyi had been collecting evidence to submit to such a panel for over five years, and his psychiatrist father-in-law, Professor Karl Bonh�ffer, had already agreed to chair the panel. Major Heinz and his well-armed escort team (which was to fight its way into the Chancellory) thought otherwise. In Heinz's words, "Hitler alive has more weight than all the troops at our disposal". His plan was to entice Hitler into some action that would provoke a gun battle in which the F�hrer would be killed. At first Oster refused to go along with murdering Hitler, but Heinz's premise that a live Hitler was too dangerous a force to permit the establishment of a stable government in Germany was persuasive enough to win him over. They agreed, however, that no senior officer, not even Witzleben, was to know of their decision to kill Hitler. By 15 September 15, Heinz's assault squad was poised for action. They were secreted at the Berlin safe houses maintained by the Abwehr. Throughout Berlin and the surrounding suburbs military officers, police officials, and civilians, all members of the conspiracy to overthrow the Nazi regime, waited tensely for the word to begin. They all felt certain of three facts. First, that Hitler would issue the order to attack Czechoslovakia; second, that Britain and France would declare war on Germany, or at least rattle enough sabers to make it clear that they were about to declare war; and third, that the coup would succeed in deposing the Nazis and the war would be prevented. What they did not expect was the willingness of Neville Chamberlain to throw Czech independence to the wolves and allow Hitler to do as he pleased. Then the unthinkable happened. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain decided to confer with Hitler personally. On 14 September, Chamberlain announced in the House of Commons that he would meet with the Reich Chancellor the following day. In Britain the forces for appeasement mobilized to gather public support for Chamberlain's peace plan of giving Hitler what he wanted. Chamberlain's Air Minister, Sir Kingsley Wood, doctored a report from the Air Staff estimating that Germany's entire bomber force was under fifteen hundred planes, with less than one-third of them capable of being a threat to Britain in case of war. The altered report, which was leaked to the press, said that Germany was capable of sending fifteen hundred bombers against Britain, causing a half a million casualties in three weeks. The British public was painted a picture of skies darkened by masses of German bombers turning London and other major cities into infernos. At the final Munich meeting on 28 September Hitler renounced his plans to destroy Czechoslovakia. France and Britain allowed him to intervene in Czechoslovakia by occupying the Sudetenland with German troops. The threat of war was averted. So, too, was the threat to Hitler's life that had been mounted by the coup's assault squad hidden in buildings all around the Chancellory. The assault squad was dispersed and their weapons returned to the Abwehr warehouse. Everyone who knew of the planned coup recognized that the regular conscript troops would probably refuse to obey orders to arrest Hitler after such a great victory. Nevile Henderson, the Germanophile British ambassador, wrote to Lord Halifax, "by keeping the peace, we have saved Hitler and his regime". The full import of the Munich debacle did not become entirely clear until after the war. At the Nuremberg trials, Marshal Keitel was asked whether Hitler would have attacked Czechoslovakia had France and Britain taken a stronger stand behind the Czechs. Wilhelm Keitel, who served Hitler faithfully throughout the war, answered, "Certainly not. We were not strong enough militarily". American historian William Shirer, in his "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" (1960), took the view that although Hitler was not bluffing about his intention to invade, Czechoslovakia would have been able to offer significant resistance. Shirer believed that Britain and France had sufficient air defences to avoid serious bombing of London and Paris and would have been able to pursue a rapid and successful war against Germany. He quotes Churchill as saying the Munich agreement meant that "Britain and France were in a much worse position compared to Hitler's Germany". After Adolf Hitler personally inspected the Czech fortifications, he privately said to Josef G�bbels, "we would have shed a lot of blood" and that it was fortunate that there had been no fighting. [Josef G�bbels diary, 2 October 1938] Hitler's bloodless victory in Munich disheartened the resistance. Never before had Hitler's popularity been higher than when the Sudetenland was annexed to the Reich. Some of those who took part in the planned coup would never again consider such activities favorably. They felt betrayed by the Allies' spineless capitulation to Hitler's blackmail. Others remained dedicated to the cause of overthrowing Hitler: men like General Witzleben, General Beck, Lieutenant Colonel Oster, Gisevius, Schulenburg, and Major Heinz, joined by new resistance members, they regrouped to prepare for a renewed opportunity. Also active in 1938 had been a group of would-be assassins gathered together by Dr. Wilhelm Abegg, a former Prussian state secretary. Abegg's plan was to build a compact bomb small enough to be concealed inside the clothing of an assassin yet powerful enough to cause widespread damage when it exploded. Abegg sought to eliminate as many Nazi leaders as possible along with Hitler. Abegg devised an imaginative scheme to accost Hitler and the other Nazis with a deception that just might have worked. He formed a team of ten assassins, all former Prussian police officers who had served time in Nazi concentration camps and who had been ransomed by Abegg. The Prussians were to be dressed in stolen uniforms of Italian army courier officers. Each man was assigned a target whom he would approach, presumably with an important message from the Italian government. The man assigned to Hitler was to blow himself up along with his target, while the others were to shoot their assigned targets at the same time. Abegg's plan was never activated because he had difficulty constructing a suitable bomb. After learning through contacts in the military that high-ranking officers were planning a coup against Hitler, he decided to step aside and leave Hitler's assassination to the generals. He believed they could carry it out much more effectively than he could. During the period between the signing of the Munich accord and the invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, the resistance movement, which had been less an organized movement and more a disjointed series of anti-Nazi or anti-war groups and individuals who had managed against all odds to unite in the 1938 coup, suffered dismemberment. Military officers were moved to new postings, and government officials, especially those in the Foreign Ministry, were transferred to new locations throughout the Reich. General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord 1939, September The coming of war, followed two days later by declarations of war against Germany by Great Britain and France, generated a flurry of activity among officers and others who felt that Germany was doomed unless Hitler was dead. In one instance, Albrecht von Kessel and Adam von Trott zu Solz, both members of Weizs�cker's Foreign Ministry circle, proposed to Lieutenant General Alexander von Falkenhausen that he invite Hitler to inspect the fortifications on the Bohemian border. Once there, Hitler's schedule would include a tour of a bunker where the general or a close aide would detonate a live grenade. The scheme was a bit bizarre, and Falkenhausen, although a coup sympathizer, did not think the plan was workable. He never sent the invitation. Hitler did receive another invitation, however. This one was from Colonel General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord, an independent-minded and tough officer who despised Hitler and the Nazis. Having retired as Commander-in-Chief of the army in 1933, he was recalled during the mobilization for the Polish invasion and appointed commander of Army Detachment A on the Lower Rhine. Although frustrated because his headquarters was in Cologne, far from Hitler, Hammerstein-Equord began plotting ways to kill Hitler as soon as he arrived at his command. Since it was impossible for him to travel to Berlin without express permission, Hammerstein-Equord decided to invite Hitler to visit him. His persuasion for this visit was that the Allies would hear about Hitler inspecting the western defenses, and this would encourage their belief that Germany's western frontier was well defended. Once he lured Hitler within his reach, he would "render him harmless once and for all." Confidants who knew of his intention to kill Hitler did not doubt that this general, known as the "man of iron nerve," could do it if Hitler accepted his invitation. Adolf Hitler was acutely aware of General Hammerstein-Equord's sentiments toward the Nazi Party, and he had no wish to jeopardize his safety by placing himself within the general's reach. He declined to visit Cologne. Shortly afterward, Hammerstein-Equord was transferred to Silesia and then quickly placed into permanent retirement. Before he died in April 1943, he confided to a friend his disappointment at the generals' placid submission to Hitler's authority, and how most refused to support the movement to overthrow the Nazis. "These fellows," he said, "make me, an old soldier, an anti-militarist." It is unfortunate that in 1938, when the case for action against Hitler became apparent, Hammerstein-Equord had no troops under his command and could not carry out an earlier pledge to kill Hitler if he were given troops. Although both Britain and France declared war on Germany after the invasion of Poland, the Allies took no direct military action against Germany. This absence of real war, which later became known as the "phony war," gave many Germans hope of escaping another war of the magnitude of the 1914 to 1918 conflict. The absence of actual fighting between the Allies and Germany gave rise to the premise that a compromise could be found to re-establish peace. All possibility for a peaceful solution vanished on September 27, 1939, when the F�hrer told the officers commanding the army, air force, and navy that he was determined to "destroy the enemy." He would, he told them, attack France and Great Britain. The neutrality of Belgium and Holland would be swept aside as German forces overran the French in their own country, leaving Great Britain to carry on alone. As word spread of Hitler's intention to start a shooting war with the Western Allies, the resistance was given a new life and a new cause, to save the peace by preventing a war almost every competent observer knew would ultimately mean the destruction of Germany. Many of the men now proposing to depose the dictator had also been involved in the aborted coup of September 1938. Again they risked the possibility their actions might result in a civil war between their camp and the masses of new army recruits and the civilian population, most of whom viewed Hitler as a modern Caesar. In addition, what weighed heaviest on General Halder's mind was the fact that Germany was now officially at war with Great Britain and France. He did not want a coup attempt to cause turmoil within Germany that the Allies could exploit by invading the country during the transition from one government to another. It is significant that the men who planned the overthrow and killing of Hitler did so because they were German patriots. While they had no quarrel with many of Hitler's earlier policies, especially reclaiming territory taken from Germany by the treaties following World War I, they did not want to acquire the land by force. Many believed that despite their just cause, force would lead to retaliation against Germany and finally to another war, perhaps another World War. Warsaw 1939, October 5 Location: crossing Aleje Jerozolimskie - Nowy Swiat The Polish army wanted to blow up Hitlers car, when it crossed the (now called) Square Charles de Gaulles. A human error prevetend the bomb to explode. Himmler's Bomb Plot 1939, November 8 Location: B�rgerbr�ukeller, M�nchen Heinrich Himmler was undeniably Adolf Hitler's most sadistic henchman, an epitaph befitting the abominable crimes he committed against humanity. When this unimposing, pudgy little man wearing pince-nez spectacles bit open a cyanide capsule lodged between two teeth on the right side of his mouth during an examination by a British army doctor on 23 May 1945, he took many secrets with him. The most ominous was his role in a bombing that barely missed killing Hitler in 1939. Hitler customarily participated at the annual meeting in Munich commemorating the failed putsch of November 8-9, 1923. The meeting, held in a large hall of the B�rgerbr�ukeller, was always well attended by the "Old Fighters" who had participated in Hitler's first attempt to seize power. The SS routinely began guarding closely any facility in which the F�hrer was scheduled to appear at least several days before his arrival. This tight advance security was calculated to preclude the possibility of a political antagonist placing a bomb in the building set to explode during Hitler's visit. The "Old Fighters" convention was no exception to this practice. Several days before the meeting, crack SS guards placed the hall under maximum security. Despite stringent security precautions, a thirty-six-year-old artisan named Georg Elser who was both a trained carpenter and master electrician unaccountably managed to slip undetected into the vast beer hall over a span of several nights just before the meeting. Elser had only recently been discharged from the concentration camp at Dachau where he was serving an indeterminate sentence for his activities as a member of a communist organization, the Red Front Fighters League. Each night Elser worked quietly at his deadly task alone in the darkened hall. A diminutive man with a pale complexion and long dark hair offset by bright darting eyes, Elser bent to his work preparing the instrument for Adolf Hitler's demise with a special dedication. Directly behind the platform from which Hitler traditionally delivered his speech was a pillar that was a main support for the roof. Dark wood paneling encased the support column. Elser cut an opening into the paneling allowing him entree to a narrow space between the panel and the support. The opening was sufficiently wide to permit him access to the space, yet small enough to escape notice by a casual observer. He fashioned a tiny door from a matching piece of paneling to disguise the opening. Elser's only fear was that a close examination of the pillar would expose his miniature door. Incredibly, Elser managed to conceal himself inside the hall, undetected, on thirty-five separate occasions. As the date for Hitler's speech drew near, Elser worked feverishly to complete the preparations for his bomb. As part of his death plot he had taken a job at a quarry specifically to enable him to steal Donarit, an explosive with the properties he required. He added to the Donarit some black powder and the explosive removed from a stolen 75-millimeter shell. The final touch was two Westminster clocks synchronized to pinpoint the timing of the explosion. Because the F�hrer was in the midst of the invasion of Poland, and because Germany was technically at war with both France and Britain, the meeting organizers planned a scaled down program for the 1939 ceremonies. At first Hitler decided to forego his customary speech and delegate his second in command, Rudolf Hess, to broadcast a nationwide radio address commemorating the anniversary. At the eleventh hour Hitler changed his mind. He would attend the ceremonies and deliver the speech in person. On November 8 Hitler flew to Munich, but in deference to the foggy November weather he ordered that his personal train meet him there for the return trip. To avoid disrupting the normal train traffic, Hitler's train was scheduled to leave the Munich station at 9:31 P.M. that evening. To meet this departure time he would have to leave the beer hall no later than 9:10 P.M. Hitler's previous habit at these gatherings was to begin his speech at 8:30 P.M., speak for about one hour, and then spend approximately thirty minutes sipping weak beer and chatting with the rank and file members who had supported him from the early years. When the F�hrer arrived, the large hall, gaily decorated with flags and banners, was packed with three thousand celebrants. The Blood Banner, the Nazi flag that had been used on the day of the putsch, was in its place of honor, and the party luminaries who were attending had taken their seats. Most prominent among them were Heinrich Himmler, Josef G�bbels, Hans Frank, and Alfred Rosenberg. The crowd rose to its feet and cheered when Hitler strode in at 8:00 P.M. He waved and smiled broadly. Hitler stepped to the platform and waited the better part of ten minutes, allowing the ovation to die down before beginning his speech. When the room was finally quiet he launched into a diatribe against Great Britain that lasted nearly one hour. Predictably, Hitler accused Britain of fighting in World War I and then, just a month earlier, declaring war on Germany again purely for her own imperialist motives. He denounced the British claim that they were fighting for liberty and justice, and he mockingly shouted that God had rewarded Britain's good deeds with 480 million people around the world to dominate. Again and again his speech was interrupted by wild cheering. Seated in the front row was a nervous Max W�nsche, the F�hrer's young military aide, who kept checking his watch. He feared Hitler's speech would run too long and he would miss the train. W�nsche had given the train crew strict orders to leave the station precisely at 9:31 P.M., as Hitler had instructed. While a backup train would arrive a short time later as a security precaution, the young officer did not relish the prospect of waiting around the empty station for the alternate train while the F�hrer's temper rose. As Hitler continued his attack on Great Britain, only a few feet behind him Georg Elser's two Westminster clocks quietly ticked away the minutes. Hitler laughed at the British claim that they were fighting for civilization, and he questioned whether the civilization for which they fought was to be found in the mining districts of Newcastle or the urban slums of London. Meanwhile, the Westminster clocks ticked off their inexorable countdown to destruction. At seven minutes after nine Hitler ended his speech. Joined by Himmler, G�bbels, and his personal bodyguard, he promptly left the hall amid the deafening cheers of his supporters. Hitler's party boarded a fleet of waiting automobiles and sped directly to the railroad station. W�nsche was enormously relieved; the convoy would arrive in time to depart on the first train. Thirteen minutes after leaving the hall, as the entourage proceeded through the city toward the station, a loud explosion was heard coming from the direction of the hall. Everyone turned instinctively to the rear window of their cars, but they were too far from the explosion to see what had caused the blast. By the time they arrived at the station the night was filled with the sounds of police and ambulance sirens and the ringing of fire bells. Minutes before Hitler's train left the station, Eva Braun and her close friend, Herta Schneider, were welcomed aboard. As the train gathered speed through the darkness, the privileged passengers partied, with Hitler the only teetotaller aboard. When the train arrived in Nuremberg, G�bbels got off and entered the stationmaster's office to send several messages and receive the latest dispatches. The propaganda chief returned pale and obviously shaken. In a trembling voice he told Hitler of the bombing of the B�rgerbr�ukeller. At first Hitler thought G�bbels was joking, but when he realized it was true he too turned pale and sat quietly for a few minutes to regain his composure. As the color returned to his face he spoke with controlled emotion. He attributed his timely exit from the hall only minutes before the explosion to a benevolent Providence and insisted it was a sure sign he was destined to reach his goal. Hitler spoke by telephone with SS General von Eberstein, the Munich police chief (who had been flatly forbidden to encroach on this strictly Party preserve with regular police security measures), and consoled the anguished SS general: Don't worry-it was not your fault. The casualties are regrettable, but all's well that ends well." By 7 A.M. the news was that six people had been killed (the death toll later rose to eight) and over sixty injured. - David Irving, "Hitler's War" Hitler then commanded his personal adjutant, Julius Schaub, to ensure that everything possible would be done for the victims of the explosion. Georg Elser's bomb caused a section of the B�rgerbr�ukeller's roof to collapse on the Nazi Party gathering. Eight people died and sixty-three were injured. Eva Braun's father was among the injured. The ensuing peculiar series of events defies logic. Ever wary of the omnipresent British Intelligence, Hitler quickly concluded that two British agents operating in Holland were responsible for the bombing. The two agents, Major R. H. Stevens and Captain S. Payne-Best, were negotiating with a man they believed to be a member of an anti-Nazi conspiracy in the German High Command. The man was actually an SS double agent. Late that night Himmler telephoned the agent, SS Major Walter Schellenberg, in Venlo, a hamlet just across the Dutch border. He instructed Schellenberg to break off negotiations with the two British officers, kidnap them, and bring them into Germany. Schellenberg was hesitant at first, but Himmler made it clear the order came directly from Hitler. The following day Schellenberg waited at a cafe in Venlo for his scheduled meeting with Stevens, Payne-Best, and a Dutch military intelligence officer, Lieutenant Klop. When the Buick carrying the three arrived at the cafe at precisely 4:00 P.M., the man known to them as Major Sch�mmel was seated on the cafe terrace casually sipping an aperitif. Suspecting nothing, the trio stepped from the car and immediately came under deadly fire from a crack squad of SS Security Service men commanded by the notorious Alfred Helmut Naujocks. Naujocks had been responsible for the staged attack on a German radio station in Gleiwitz, using prison camp inmates dressed in stolen Polish army uniforms. The incident had provided Hitler with an excuse for attacking Poland. A man of useful SS talents, Naujocks later disguised German soldiers as Dutch and Belgian border guards to prepare for the German invasion of those countries in May 1940. In the gunfight that erupted behind the Venlo cafe, Lieutenant Klop was mortally wounded and both British officers taken prisoner. The SS squad then towed the disabled Buick across the frontier, less than two hundred feet away. On the same day, Georg Elser was arrested near the town of Constance as he attempted, along with thousands of others, to flee into Switzerland. A search uncovered a large amount of incriminating evidence, including an unused postcard from the B�rgerbr�ukeller, drawings of detonators and shells, parts of a detonator, his old membership card in the Red Front Fighters League, and a substantial sum of money in Swiss and German currency. The kidnapping of Stevens and Payne-Best proved futile. Intense questioning of the two men failed to produce the slightest shred of evidence that they were even remotely connected to the Munich bombing. Elser, however, confessed to setting the bomb but refused to implicate anyone else. He told his interrogators that he had acted alone and had told no one of his scheme to kill Hitler. When they demanded to know why he wanted to kill the F�hrer, Elser said he thought it was the only way to prevent Germany from going to war. Despite repeated beatings and torture by Gestapo agents, Georg Elser insisted he had acted alone. Meanwhile, Hitler publicized the bombing as an "English plot." He wisely recognized the propaganda value of the assassination attempt, and he shrewdly used it to incite German public resentment against Great Britain. On November 21, Hitler declared he had incontrovertible proof that the British Secret Service was behind the bombing and that two British agents had been arrested near the Dutch border. Finally, in the official explanation of the conspiracy to kill him, Hitler strung together every faction or individual that had ever opposed him. Elser was labeled a communist activist (to which there was some truth) who had been persuaded to become a British agent by Hitler's old National Socialist nemesis, Otto Strasser. The British were accused of supplying Elser with the materials to construct the bomb and promising him safe passage to sanctuary in Switzerland after the assassination. In a Gestapo-produced film, Georg Elser actually demonstrated how he had manufactured the bomb that devastated the B�rgerbr�ukeller meeting hall, and he explained how he had planted it behind the wood paneling covering the support pillar. When Himmler brought the film and the Gestapo report to the F�hrer, he refused to view the movie. Hitler categorically denounced the conclusion, which Himmler supported, that Elser had acted alone. Hitler rejected the report and attacked Himmler personally for failing to expose the conspiracy. Himmler's advocacy of the conclusion that Elser acted alone in spite of his knowledge that Hitler believed the bomber was part of a conspiracy -- and wanted the Gestapo investigation to indicate so -- is out of character for a man whose reputation was one of total subservience to the F�hrer's wishes. The logical position was for him to agree with Hitler and place the blame on the two British intelligence officers whom Schellenberg had kidnapped. It was completely unlike Himmler, and without explanation, to take the position he did, unless he was withholding information about the bombing from Hitler. Major Stevens and Captain Payne-Best spent five years in various concentration camps but managed to survive the war. Shuttled from camp to camp, the two were eventually confined at Niederdorf in South Tyrol. There American forces liberated them on 28 April 1945. Several survivors of plots to kill Hitler on 20 July 1944, were rescued at the same time. Himmler rewarded Schellenberg for his kidnapping of the two British officers by promoting him to major-general in the SS. He soon became a specialist in foreign espionage, and in early 1940 he furnished Hitler with a report that claimed to prove the existence of close ties between British military intelligence and Dutch military intelligence agencies. Hitler cited that report as part of his justification for invading Holland, which was a neutral country. Georg Elser's punishment for attempting to kill Hitler was most unusual. It raises provocative questions about exactly who was actually behind the B�rgerbr�ukeller bombing. Dictators such as Hitler and Stalin relish a prominent, well publicized trial of their enemies, real or imagined. It allows them to convince the public that evil men and women exist who plot against their authority, thereby justifying the need for draconian security measures. Holding these show trial victims up as examples, even if the evidence is fabricated by the prosecution, serves as a powerful deterrent to other potential opponents. There was ample precedence to expect that the Nazis would parade the Munich bomber before the public in a show trial, presenting all manner of evidence to implicate Hitler's personal and public enemies, especially the British. Incredibly, no such trial ever took place. Not until after the war was lost did Elser pay with his life for the attempted assassination. Instead of a trial and public execution, Georg Elser was interned as a prisoner with special privileges by Himmler's SS. In a succession of concentration camps he was treated decidedly better than other inmates. He was referred to as a "special prisoner" known under the code name "Eller." In his biography of Adolf Hitler, Robert Payne described Elser as a prisoner who was to be feared or at least respected because he possessed important state secrets. Ironically, although Elser did not know Stevens and Payne-Best, who were both alleged by the Nazis to be his accomplices, he met them in prison. At Sachsenhausen Elser met Payne-Best, whom he learned the Nazis wanted to implicate in the bombing. Elser told the Briton a fascinating story about how he had come to plant the bomb. According to Elser, he was arrested as a communist activist in Munich during the summer of 1939 and sent to Dachau for re-education training. One day during his stay at Dachau he was summoned to the commandant's office, where he was questioned about his carpentry and electrical skills. His interrogators confided to him that several high-ranking Party officials were suspected of plotting to kill Hitler, but despite sufficient evidence the Gestapo was reluctant to arrest them because of the chaos it would cause in the upper echelons of government while the country was at war. Elser was asked if he would build and plant a bomb timed to explode shortly after Hitler completed his speech at the annual Munich celebration. In return for his co-operation he would be released from the camp, given a large sum of money, and allowed to escape to Switzerland. Elser accepted the offer. After he fulfilled his part, he was arrested in a gross breach of the agreement. Following his arrest he was told it was a mistake because several overzealous border guards had not been informed of the plan. While he was held in custody, Gestapo agents coached him in testimony he was to deliver implicating both Stevens and Payne-Best in the bombing. Unaccountably, the expected trial never took place. Later, after he was transferred from Sachsenhausen to Dachau, Elser related essentially the same story he had told Payne-Best to a noted Dachau inmate, the prominent anti-Nazi pastor, Reverend Martin Niem�ller. Georg Elser finally paid for his crime four and one-half years later, just weeks before the end of the war. In the declining months of the Third Reich, many opponents of the regime being held in concentration camps and prisons were slaughtered by the Nazis. Elser's death was made to look as if it happened during an Allied bombing raid. Among the documents uncovered after the war was a letter from Gestapo chief Heinrich M�ller to the commandant of Dachau, SS-Obersturmbannf�hrer Eduard Weiter, instructing him to kill Elser during the next air raid. M�ller even told Weiter the exact words to use when announcing Elser's death. On 16 April 1945, Weiter announced that Georg Elser had been mortally wounded during an Allied bombing raid. Unfortunately for historical accuracy, the elusive answer to the question of who was actually behind the bombing of the Munich beer hall will probably never be resolved. Three viable possibilities exist: (1) Himmler arranged the bombing with Hitler's approval to stir up anti-British hatred among the German population; (2) Himmler arranged the bombing, without Hitler's knowledge, for whatever personal reason he may have had; and (3) Elser accomplished the entire task by himself. Taking the last first, practically no one with any understanding of the workings of Nazi Germany could conclude that Georg Elser, a man of limited intelligence, could possibly have succeeded in placing the bomb undetected by security agents. Most historians agree that Himmler, for some unclear motive, planned the entire incident. At the time of the bombing, William L. Shirer wrote in his diary the phrase, "smells of another Reichstag fire". Robert Payne concluded that Elser had been Himmler's tool. If in fact Shirer and Payne are correct and Himmler actually did arrange the bombing, an important new question requires an answer. Was the bomb planted with Adolf Hitler's knowledge and approval? This question may be easy to answer by looking at the political result of the explosion. Hitler used the attempt on his life to arouse German resentment against Britain. He accused the British of trying to win the war by killing him. His strategy worked. Hitler's wild, unsupported accusations radically increased anti-British feelings among the German population. It is difficult, though, to imagine Adolf Hitler allowing Himmler or anyone else to plant a time bomb just a few feet away from where he stood. It is even more difficult to imagine Hitler permitting a known communist and enemy to plant the bomb. Without question, if the bomb had exploded while Hitler was speaking, he would have died. It is hard to believe that even Hitler would take such a chance with his life merely for propaganda reasons. Surely the same thing could have been accomplished by the arrest of known British agents, such as Stevens and Payne-Best, and by prosecuting them before a Nazi court on fabricated charges using bribed or coerced witnesses to testify that the two had planned to kill Hitler. The effect might have been less spectacular than a bomb that killed eight people, but the result would have probably been no less effective in its impact on the public's perception. It is unlikely that Hitler would actually risk his life to achieve such a questionable propaganda advantage. When all the facts are assembled, it seems reasonable to assume that Heinrich Himmler plotted the bombing. If, as is likely, Hitler knew nothing of the plan in advance, it is clearly possible that Himmler, an ambitious schemer who longed for great military power (as evidenced by his ultimately building the SS into a private army of thirty-five divisions), could have contrived to kill Hitler so he could replace him as Germany's triumphant head of state just as the Third Reich stood on the verge of military conquest. Georg Elser has been the subject of rumours and various conspiracy theories since the B�rgerbr�ukeller bombing. After the war, Protestant pastor and theologian Martin Niem�ller, also in custody in the 'Bunker' at Sachsenhausen, gave credence to the rumour that Elser had been a member of the SS and that the whole assassination attempt had been staged by the Nazis to portray Hitler as being protected by Providence. In 1948 Allen Welsh Dulles, the future Director of Central Intelligence (de facto head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency) possibly summed up the full range of conspiracy theories when he wrote: "On 8 November a bomb exploded in B�rgerbr�ukeller in Munich shortly after Hitler had given his annual speech on the anniversary of the beer hall putsch of 1923 and after he had left the building. This event still remains unresolved. "Some evidence suggests that the infernal machine was exploded with the knowledge of Hitler and Himmler in order to consolidate the German sense of community, or, as in the case of the Reichstag fire, to give rise to a new wave of terror. I heard there were photographs showing a high-ranking SS officer standing next to Hitler with a watch in hand, to take care that the leaders escaped in time. Others claim the attack was the work of communists acting independently and without the knowledge of other anti-Nazi groups. A new report presents the plot as the attempted assassination of an illegal socialist group". Julius Schaub, who was responsible for seeing to it that his chief reached the railroad station on time, nervously passed him cards on which he had scrawled increasingly urgent admonitions: "Ten minutes!" then "Five!" and finally a peremptory "Stop!"-a method he had previously had to use to remind his F�hrer, who never used a watch, of the passage of mortal time. "Party members, comrades of our National Socialist movement, our German people, and above all our victorious Wehrmacht: Siegheil !" Hitler concluded, and stepped into the midst of the Party officials who thronged forward. A harassed Julius Schaub managed to shepherd the F�hrer out of the hall at twelve minutes past nine. The express was due to leave from the main railway station in nineteen minutes. - David Irving, "Hitler's War" In 1969 historical research by Anton Hoch based on "The Gestapo Protokoll" (interrogation report) dated 19�23 November 1939, found that Elser had acted alone and there was no evidence to involve the Nazi regime or any outside group in the assassination attempt. Coup 1939, November Location: unknown By late October 1939, General Halder was surrounded by coup conspirators. His deputy and senior quartermaster of the General Staff, General Karl Heinrich von St�lpnagel, was an active participant in urging Halder to begin planning for a new coup attempt to avoid a shooting war with the Allies. Other officers of colonel and lower rank rallied behind St�lpnagel, including one, Lieutenant Colonel Henning von Tresckow, who would eventually head a future conspiracy to kill Hitler. Finally, events began to take shape when Hitler announced that his attack on the neutral countries would take place between November 15 and 20. The coup planned for 1939 was not as well organized or armed as the coup planned in 1938, but it still had a chance to succeed if Halder could gather the courage to give the command. Halder was already sensitive about his role in the impending coup. He remembered the June 1934 massacre Hitler had perpetrated on the SA, and he surmised that Hitler had learned of their plans and intended to do the same to the OKH. He envisioned army headquarters surrounded by armed SS groups, the building searched by Gestapo agents, and possibly the members of the General Staff murdered like R�hm and his associates. This fantasy drove Halder to desperate measures, since not enough armed guards were posted at OKH headquarters to withstand an assault by the SS. Halder proposed to Admiral Canaris he would be ready to act if the Abweher chief would take the responsibility of killing Hitler. The Admiral exploded in anger and replied that Halder should "shoulder the responsibility in a clear-cut fashion." The men who had spent tense hours anxiously waiting for the coup to begin heard nothing from Halder. His promised order never came, and they now sat around in small groups at OKH and Abwehr wondering what to do next. Although they were clear about their goals, without a leader they could not order out the troops necessary for the coup. Hitler began a new series of postponements of the offensive, first to November 19, then November 22, then December 3. His indecision continued until May 1940, when the attack was finally launched. During this time people like Oster, Gisevius, Groscurth, Canaris, and the other hard line plotters tried unsuccessfully to persuade Halder to set the coup in motion before the shooting began. As each new date was fixed, the coup leaders reacted with increased tension not unlike the anticipation felt by soldiers who, knowing an attack is about to start, wait tensely for the final order to begin. After each emotional high of preparation there was a letdown in frustration as Hitler once again postponed the attack. Further, many resistance members saw this interval as their last opportunity to elicit from the Allies an agreement to refrain from attacking Germany while a coup was in process. They expected that after the violation of neutral countries and the spilling of French and British blood, the Allies would be in no mood to deal with any Germans, Nazi or not. The irresolute behavior of top army leaders, which led to the failure of the two planned coups, the first in 1938 and the second in 1939, convinced most of the conspirators that an elaborately organized coup might not be the best way to topple Hitler. What was required was to present the leading generals with a fait accompli, Hitler's death. From now until 1944, elaborate coup plans took a back seat to efforts by individuals and small groups to assassinate Hitler. Group Oster 1939, November Location: Reichskanzlei Erich Kordt of the Foreign Ministry decided to take an action that he hoped would free the generals from their oath of allegiance to Hitler. He was one of the few conspirators who had access to the F�hrer, although it was limited to Hitler's anteroom. He was well known in the Chancellory and could enter the anteroom with impunity. Now his visits became more frequent and his behavior more conspicuous, a tactic calculated to ensure that all the guards got to recognize him as a routine visitor. Oster promised to furnish explosives from the Abwehr supply for Kordt's use. His plan was simple. When Hitler emerged from his inner office and entered the anteroom (as was his practice either to give instructions to an aide or to welcome his next appointment), Kordt would approach him, grab him tightly, and explode the bomb, which would kill both men. The opportunity never materialized because the Gestapo had assumed control of all explosives in the Reich, including those in the Abwehr arsenal. Gestapo control meant that the distribution of explosives was strictly limited to those who could demonstrate an approved need, which few conspirators could. This answers the many critics who ask, "Why didn't someone blow Hitler up during a meeting, or simply shoot him?" It was almost impossible to enter the F�hrer's presence without being searched, and carrying a weapon was forbidden. Kordt would certainly have been arrested if he was discovered with his pistol in Hitler's presence. Erich Kordt (10 December 1903 � 11 November 1969), was a German diplomat who was involved in the German Resistance to the regime of Adolf Hitler. A convinced Anglophile, Kordt spoke perfect English after gaining a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University. He joined the German Foreign Office in 1928, and was posted to Geneva and Bern in Switzerland. He then served as Legationsrat (counsellor) in the London Embassy under Ambassdor Joachim von Ribbentrop, for whom he developed both a personal dislike and a professional disdain. Despite this, he became a member of the Nazi Party in November 1937, and in February 1938, when Ribbentrop became Foreign Minister, he was appointed head of the Foreign Office's "Ministerial Bureau". Both Erich Kordt and his brother, Theodor, played a part in the Oster Conspiracy of 1938, which was a proposed plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler if Germany went to war with Czechoslovakia over the Sudetenland. Theodor Kordt, who acted as Charg� d'Affaires at the London embassy, was considered a vital contact with the British on whom the success of the plot depended; the conspirators needed strong British opposition to Hitler's seizure of the Sudetenland. Erich used his brother as an envoy to urge the British government to stand up to Hitler over the Czechoslovakia crisis, in the hope that Army officers would stage a coup against Hitler. However, in the event, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, apprehensive of the possibility of war, negotiated interminably with Hitler and eventually conceded to him. This destroyed any chance of the plot succeeding since Hitler was then seen in Germany as the "greatest statesman of all times at the moment of his greatest triumph". In June 1939, Kordt went to London to warn Robert Vansittart, the diplomatic advisor to the British government, of the secret negotiations between Germany and the Soviet Union which were to lead to the Nazi-Soviet Pact. He was dismayed that all approaches made by the German resistance movement within the German Foreign Office were ignored by the British. In April 1941, Kordt was posted to Tokyo as German embassy First Secretary and later to Nanking as German Consul, where he worked as an agent for the Soviet spy Richard Sorge until 1944. He narrowly avoided being killed by a Japanese hitman when Japanese Intelligence discovered his espionage activities. Postwar In June 1948, at the Nuremberg Trials, Kordt testified on behalf of Ernst von Weizs�cker, State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Nazi Germany, and later German ambassador to the Vatican. Weizs�cker was on trial for his role in Hitler's aggressive foreign policy. Partly as a result of Kordt's testimony, Weizs�cker was acquitted. This aroused the hostility of Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, who blocked Kordt's return to a career at the Foreign Office. From 1951, Kordt was a professor of international law at the University of Cologne. NKVD attack 1939 Location: Osteria Bavaria, M�nchen English agents of the Russian NKVD investigated Hitlers habits in order to kill him. They plan to blow Hitler up in the restaurant Osteria Bavaria. When Germeny reached an agreement with Russia the plans get cancelled. Paris 1940, July 27 Location: Champs-Elys�es All chance of organizing a coup ended, at least temporarily, on 19 May 1940, when German panzers stormed into Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, and France with startling success. In a stunning defeat, France signed an armistice on June 22 conceding to Germany the right to occupy half the country. The Low Countries had capitulated within days of the attack. Decisive victory boosted Hitler's stature with the German people to even greater levels, while the generals who predicted disaster looked patently foolish. The resistance members now faced the prospect of having no support from troop commanders. Even General, now Field Marshal, Witzleben, a firebrand of anti-Hitlerism, said he had abandoned all hope of a coup because Hitler was far too popular with the people. He said the younger army officers and men would not support a coup because they could see no reason why the man who had restored Germany's national pride and regained the territory taken from her in 1918 should be replaced by force. With plans for a coup suspended indefinitely, the more virulent anti-Nazis now turned to the remaining alternative, a simple assassination of Hitler. If it succeeded, they hoped the army would act to prevent G�bbels, Himmler, or G�ring from taking power. Much like the earlier attempts on Hitler's life by political opponents, assassination plots developed by military officers usually involved a tight circle of conspirators and placed the plotters in grave danger. At this point in the war, as Hitler began preparations to invade the Soviet Union, virtually every ranking member of the conspiracy against him -- including its leaders, General Beck -- was reconciled to the inescapable truth that arresting and imprisoning Hitler was no longer a viable option. The Nazi organizations, especially the SS, had grown too large and powerful and would not abdicate their privileges without a struggle, which would result in a civil war. This was especially true if Hitler remained alive and his supporters thought there was a chance they could free him. Except for a small few whose religious beliefs forbade tyrannicide, everyone agreed with Major Wilhelm Heinz, who had commanded the assault squad designated to shoot Hitler in the 1938 coup: "The Living Hitler must die". During the next four years no fewer than twelve bona fide attempts to kill Hitler were made by military officers. Many took their lead from General Hammerstein's 1939 strategy and sought to induce the F�hrer to visit an army field headquarters. The first of these assassination intrigues was scheduled soon after the French signed the armistice. Plans were immediately made for a victory parade in Paris, which everyone expected the F�hrer to review. The parade was set for July 27, and a flood of troops were moved toward the former French capital to take part in the celebration. In Paris, two men planned Hitler's death. They were Lieutenant Fritz-Dietlof Graf von der Schulenburg and Dr. Eugen Gerstenmaier. Schulenburg was a reserve officer who, as vice president of the Berlin police, had been an active participant in earlier attempted coups in Berlin. He was called to active duty in May 1940. Gerstenmaier was an official of the Evangelical Church who worked in the Information Division of the Foreign Ministry. The two had talked earlier in Berlin of organizing a small officer's cadre to arrest Hitler, but nothing came of it. Now they decided to carry out their mission to unseat the Nazis by killing the Party leader, Adolf Hitler. The coming victory parade in Paris provided the opportunity they needed. Their plan called for shooting Hitler while he stood in the reviewing stand along the parade route. On July 20 Hitler cancelled the parade. He quietly slipped unannounced into Paris in the early morning hours of July 23 and visited several places of personal interest, including Napoleon's tomb, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Palace of Justice. Just as discreetly he left the city, his would-be assassins unaware of his brief sojourn there. Paris 1941, May 21 Location: unknown In May 1941, a parade of German troops was again scheduled for Paris. German army and SS divisions were assembled and a reviewing stand for Hitler and other dignitaries was constructed near the Place de la Concorde for the parade on the Champs-Elys�es. A plan to kill Hitler while he reviewed the parade was worked out by staff officers of Field Marshal von Witzleben's headquarters. Witzleben was Commander-in-Chief West, with headquarters outside Paris in St. Germain. The staff members and an operations officer from the Paris commander's staff were to shoot Hitler point-blank. If they failed to kill him, another officer was assigned to throw a bomb at him. The shooters were Captain Graf Schwerin von Schwanenfeld and Major Hans Alexander von Voss, both of Witzleben's staff, and Captain Graf von Waldersee of the Paris staff. Hitler frustrated his enemies once again, declining at the last minute to make the trip to Paris. A third Paris-based attempt on Hitler's life, of which little is known, allegedly involved Witzleben's replacement as Commander-in-Chief West, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, SS-Sturmbannf�hrer Hans-Victor von Salviati, and Major Achim Oster. The plotters again invited Hitler to visit Paris in 1942, but the wary F�hrer refused their invitation. Most assassination plots relied on Hitler's adherence to a predetermined agenda, but the assassins were invariably thwarted by Hitler's practice of avoiding routine or established schedules in his travels. Hitler's policy was to live his life "irregularly," as he put it. "Walk, drive and travel at irregular times and unexpectedly" was his personal formula for security against assassins. Borisov 1941, August 4 Location: Heeresgruppe Mitte War with Russia, which began on 22 June 1941, with a threepronged German attack across Soviet borders, opened new opportunities to eliminate Hitler. Because many German field marshals and generals considered the invasion a potential disaster rivaling Napoleon's ill-fated 1812 Russian campaign, several of them flirted, although briefly, with the resistance, but some came to stay. Major General Henning von Tresckow.was a Prussian who had served as a platoon commander during World War I, traveled internationally for a bank following the war, re-entered the army in 1924, and served in various posts, including several years on the General Staff. Growing disgust for the Nazi war crimes enabled Tresckow to expand his resistance base. He used his position as senior operations officer on Field Marshal von Bock's staff to mold the staff into the core of a new resistance movement against Hitler. Among the dissenters who operated at Army Group Center under Tresckow's leadership were Lieutenant Fabian von Schlabrendorff, the man who had informed the British of General Hammerstein's plan to kill Hitler; Lieutenant Colonel Hans Alexander von Voss, who had planned to shoot Hitler in Paris during the planned May 1941 parade; Lieutenant Colonel Georg Schulze-Buttger; Lieutenant Colonel Berndt von Kleist, who maintained communications with the resistance in Berlin; and Colonel Rudolf-Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff, who would later make a suicide attempt on Hitler's life. Schlabrendorff, who survived the war and wrote his memoirs of the resistance, traveled to Berlin in October 1941 to examine the possibility of rescuing the coup with resistance leaders there. He met with von Hassell to explore the Allies' attitude toward fostering a change of government, and he was told that the German resistance could expect no help from the Allies but could doubtlessly negotiate a reasonable peace if Hitler was removed. Tresckow first planned to assassinate Hitler in the late summer of 1941, while the Russian campaign was still going well for the Germans. Bock's troops were only two hundred miles from Moscow, which many of the generals deemed the most important target in the Soviet empire, when Hitler issued an order to divide Army Group Center's Panzer and other mobile forces in half, transferring half to Army Group North for its thrust against Leningrad, and half to Army Group South to help von Rundstedt's drive to capture Kiev, capital of Ukraine. Army Group Center would then have basically only infantry troops for its attack on Moscow. Halder and Brauchitsch at OKH, and Bock at Army Group Center, objected strenuously to Hitler's plan -- so strenuously that the F�hrer decided to visit Army Group Center to personally deliver the order to Bock. Tresckow and Schlabrendorff welcomed this opportunity to kill Hitler and arranged, with a small group of officers, to shoot him when he entered one of their headquarters buildings. Unfortunately, the conspirators were committed to fighting a war, and their energies were divided between pursuing combat plans and organizing the assassination. Also working against them was Hitler's obsession with the "irregular" in his actions. The visit was scheduled several times only to be cancelled, rescheduled, then cancelled again. Finally, in early August a fleet of cars arrived from the F�hrer Headquarters in East Prussia to await Hitler's arrival. Hitler refused to use cars supplied by the army for fear they might be booby trapped with explosives. When he finally arrived at Bock's headquarters in Borrisov, Tresckow and his fellow conspirators were overwhelmed at the amount of security people that accompanied him and the rigid security measures they imposed. The would-be assassins barely caught a glimpse of Hitler, much less an opportunity to shoot him. Orsja 1941, November 13 (not proven and unconfirmed attack) Location: unknown Stalin heard from the English that Hitlers train Europa came to Orsja on 13 November. The place where the train stood was bombed. But Hitler wasn�t there. He was at the Wolfschanze at that time. The story was never confirmed, not by the Russians and not by the Germans. There�s no proof of a bombing at all. Moskow 1941 Location: unknown, not important The NKVD made plans to kill Hitler in Moskow after the city fell in German hands. But it didn�t. Poland 1942, June 8 Location: railway between Dirschau (Tczew) and Konitz (Chojnice) There are stories about the Polish resistance derailing a train. They thought it was Hitlers train Amerika, but it wasn�t. There�s not much sure about this story, though. Soviet planes 1942 Sovijet planes shoot at Hitlers plane. Some bullets hit the plane. Airfield Zaporozje February 1943 Location: east of the city When Hitler met Manstein in Zaporozje, his pilot was waiting for him on the airfield. Russian tanks came very close to the airfield, but because they didn�t have enough fuel and because they thought there were a lot of heavily armed Germans in the area, they decided not to attack. This obviously doesn�t really count as an attack on Hitlers life. Poltava 1943 Location: Headquarters Heeresgruppe B Another plot to assassinate Hitler was hatched at Army Group B Headquarters at Walki near Poltava in the Ukraine. This time the conspirators were General Hubert Lanz, his Chief of Staff, Major-General Dr. Hans Speidel and Colonel Count von Strachwitz, the commanding officer of the Grossdeutschland Tank Regiment. The plan was to arrest Hitler on his anticipated visit to Army Group B in the spring of 1943. Hitler, at the last minute, changed his mind and instead decided to fly to Zaporosje, further east, on 15 February 1943 to meet Fieldmarshall Von Manstein instead of going to Poltava. Cointreau bomb March 1943 Location: Smolensk, Heeresgruppe Mitte Field Marshal G�nther von Kluge, commander of Army Group Center on the eastern front, finally managed to lure Hitler into visiting his headquarters at Smolensk. Colonel Henning von Tresckow, who hated Hitler and the Nazis, together with Lt. Fabian von Schlabrendorff, Colonel Rudolf von Gersdorff and Cavalry Captain Georg von B�selager had hatched plans to get rid of their F�hrer. The final one was to destroy Hitler's plane in midflight. This option had several distinct advantages: Field Marshal Kluge's approval was not necessary, and Hitler's death would not directly involve army officers who could have underlying misgivings because of their oath. It did, however, require two vital ingredients: (1) a detailed schematic of Hitler's plane, especially the armored compartment where the F�hrer stayed during flight, and (2) enough sophisticated explosives to do the job. The force of the explosives was critical because Hitler's armored compartment was constructed in such a manner that if his plane was disabled the compartment could be detached from the aircraft and float gently down, using special parachutes that were connected to it. It was therefore vital to destroy the armored section of the plane to succeed. Tresckow contacted Captain Ludwig Gehre, a member of the conspiracy in Berlin, and asked him to obtain copies of the prints for Hitler's Condor aircraft. Gehre called a close friend and member of the resistance, Otto John, who was employed by Lufthansa, and invited him to his house. Swearing John to secrecy, Gehre outlined the scheme to bomb Hitler's personal aircraft and asked John if he could get plans of the craft. John cautioned Gehre that it would be next to impossible to plant a bomb on the F�hrer's Focke-Wulf 200 Condor. The aircraft was kept under tight security by armed SS guards who searched every person approaching the plane, including the ground crews who serviced and cleaned it. John, however, was able to get drawings of the craft, and these were forwarded to Tresckow in Smolensk. Next Tresckow and Schlabrendorff needed the explosives with which to do the job. It would seem that senior officers attached to a frontline army headquarters would have easy access to explosives, but this was not the case. All explosive materials in the Third Reich were kept under tight inventory control by the Gestapo. The material for their bomb would have to be acquired in small amounts over a period of time. Tresckow assigned this task to Colonel Rudolf-Christoph Baron von Gersdorff, the Army Group Center Intelligence Officer. What was required, Tresckow explained to Gersdorff, was an explosive material that was compact yet yielded a high energy explosion using noiseless time delay fuses. Gersdorff told Tresckow that German-made time delay fuses were unworkable because they all emitted an audible hiss. He canvassed several Abwehr supply depots, finding what he needed at an arsenal maintained by the Sabotage Division. Explaining that he was training a cadre to counteract disruptive partisan activity, he asked the officer in charge of the arsenal if he could demonstrate several different types of explosives his teams might use. Gersdorff settled on "Plastic C," a volatile substance the British regularly supplied to partisan bands throughout occupied Europe. Quantities had fallen into the Abwer's hands when German army units either tracked British parachute drops or recovered them from captured partisans. Plastic C consisted of over 88 percent hexogen, with the remainder an amalgam of materials such as axle grease to prevent the hexogen from crystallizing. An officer who was knowledgeable in the use of Plastic C proudly showed Gersdorff what less than a pound would do, when he detonated it under the turret of a captured Soviet tank. The force of the explosion blew the turret off the tank, hurling it more than twenty yards away. Gersdorff asked the arsenal commander, Lieutenant Buchholz, for samples of Plastic C, along with various fuses and detonators to demonstrate the explosive for Field Marshal Kluge. After signing the required receipts and receiving thorough instructions on handling the material and the detonators, he was provided a modest quantity. A few more trips to other supply depots gave Gersdorff enough Plastic C to make several test runs, with enough left to sabotage Hitler's plane. Tresckow, Gersdorff, and Schlabrendorff experimented with the explosive and found its only disadvantage was that at temperatures below zero degrees Centigrade it sometimes failed to explode. Satisfied that Plastic C would do the job, providing the temperature was not too cold, they fashioned a package to look like two bottles of Cointreau, a premium brandy bottled in square decanters. The square shape was easy to duplicate, making the package appear authentic. The package was heavily wrapped and tied tightly with cord to discourage closer inspection. An ingenious device to detonate the bomb was chosen from Gersdorff's selection. When a small vial of acid in the device was crushed, the acid spilled into a wad of cotton. The acid then ate through a tiny trip wire that released a plunger that drove the detonator into the explosive. Once the capsule was broken, the acid would require thirty minutes until it was absorbed by the cotton and the spring was released. When the deadly package was ready, Schlabrendorff kept it inside a metal box in his quarters, awaiting Hitler's visit. The conspirators at Army Group Center now had preparations solidly in place for two alternative plans to kill Hitler. No one connected with the plot doubted that if one misfired the other would succeed. As far as the plotters were concerned, when Hitler made his expected visit he was as good as dead. On 13 March 1943, the sky over Smolensk was a cloudless blue expanse. The operations officer at the small airfield near headquarters heard the steady drone of approaching aircraft and watched the distant specks take sharper form as he called Kluge's duty officer with the news that the F�hrer's plane was about to land. Tresckow and the field marshal hurried into staff cars for the short ride to the airstrip. Overhead, three Condors approached the runway escorted by a formation of Messerschmidt-109 fighters. While Kluge and Tresckow went to greet Hitler, Schlabrendorff telephoned Gehre in Berlin to alert him that Operation Flash was about to begin. Gehre immediately informed Olbricht, then Dohnanyi, who promptly told Oster. Oster, in turn, contacted Beck with the news. The resistance waited anxiously for the word to strike. The Condors landed and taxied off the runway to allow the fighter escort room to land. Hitler stepped from the lead Condor, descended the steps, and greeted Kluge and his staff warmly. He declined Kluge's invitation to drive him to headquarters in his staff car. Hitler, appearing older than most of those present remembered him, and exhibiting a noticeable stoop, proceeded to his personal car, which his chauffeur, Erich Kempka, had driven to Smolensk. The detachment of SS guards that accompanied Kempka was supplemented by a platoon flown in on the second Condor. Rounding out the entourage were several staff officers; Hitler's personal physician, Dr. Theodor Morell; a stenographer; Hitler's personal chef; and a photographer to record highlights of the visit for posterity. The chef personally prepared all Hitler's meals. Dr. Morell, who like his arch-rival G�ring had grown rich and fat off his relationship with the F�hrer, always tasted Hitler's food in his presence before the F�hrer ate anything.On an earlier visit to a frontline headquarters several Soviet tanks had come ominously close to Hitler's plane, prompting the SS to beef up the F�hrer's security force. His escort for this visit was double the usual complement. Sensing Hitler's preoccupation with security, Army Group Center seized on this opportunity to volunteer a squadron of Cavalry Regiment Center's troops, under command of Major K�nig, to augment Hitler's security shield. The officers of this squadron, who had sworn to shoot Hitler, were now perfectly positioned to kill him while he walked from his car to the headquarters building, or when he was returning to the car. An earlier suggestion to shoot Hitler while he ate in the mess was rejected by Kluge because he felt it unseemly to shoot a man while he was eating. Also, there was the risk of hitting one of the officers seated with Hitler, possibly even Kluge, whom the conspirators expected would assume command of the entire front and stabilize the situation until a truce was arranged. The assassins in Cavalry Regiment Center never received the order to shoot, possibly (as explained later by Major K�nig) because Hitler changed his original route and the mounted guard did not have a clear shot at him. It is also not improbable that the SS guards, fingers tight around the triggers of their submachine guns, kept too close a watch on the armed soldiers whom they might have viewed as a potential threat. In any event, no shots were fired. During lunch Tresckow approached one of Hitler's staff officers, Colonel Heinz Brandt, whom Tresckow saw alight from the F�hrer's own plane. He asked Brandt if he could take a package of two bottles of Cointreau with him to High Command Headquarters. They were a gift for Colonel Helmuth Stieff, Tresckow explained, and he did not want to risk their being broken if he sent them through the normal mail. Brandt cheerfully agreed. When lunch was over and Hitler prepared to depart, Lieutenant Schlabrendorff slipped off to his quarters and retrieved the bomb. At the airport he waited until Hitler said his farewells and started to board his plane, followed closely by members of his entourage. Tresckow nodded to Schlabrendorff, who pressed a key against the package, crushing the capsule of acid, then with a broad smile handed the package to Colonel Brandt, who carried it aboard Hitler's plane. The fighters took off first, circled the field several times, and signaled the all clear. Within minutes all three Condors were airborne, flying a course for Rastenburg in East Prussia. Tresckow and Schlabrendorff returned to their headquarters, where the latter called Gehre in Berlin to tell him that Operation Flash was in its second stage, meaning they were waiting for confirmation of Hitler's death. Tresckow estimated that Hitler's Condor would mysteriously explode somewhere in the vicinity of Minsk, a half-hour's flying time from Smolensk. For two anxious hours Tresckow and Schlabrendorff waited for news that Hitler's plane had crashed. They expected the first announcement to come from the commander of the fighter planes that escorted Hitler, but no word came. Finally a confirmation was received from Rastenburg that the F�hrer's plane had landed there safely. Stunned, the two officers could not believe their ears. Schlabrendorff immediately called Gehre and gave him the coded message that Operation Flash had failed. Gehre, sickened by the tension and the disappointment, passed the word to General Olbricht and then Oster and Dohnanyi. Tresckow and Schlabrendorff were at a loss about what to do next. Obviously, the bomb had not exploded. Had the secret of their lethal package been discovered before it could explode? If so, the Gestapo was surely on the way to arrest them. If the bomb failed to explode because of a defect, the package would have to be retrieved before it was delivered to Colonel Stieff. Either way, the two men could be in grievous trouble. They had to know what had happened. Finally, Tresckow called Colonel Brandt in Rastenburg and casually asked if he had delivered the package to Stieff. To his great relief, Brandt said he had not had a chance to deliver it yet. Tresckow then explained that Brandt had been given the wrong package, and would he hold on to it until the next day when it would be exchanged for the correct package. Brandt replied that he would be glad to, and the conversation ended. The following morning Schlabrendorff took a scheduled courier flight to Rastenburg bearing a package containing two bottles of Cointreau. When he arrived at Brandt's office, the colonel playfully tossed the package containing the bomb from one hand to the other, joking about dropping the two bottles of expensive brandy he thought it contained. Schlabrendorff, trying to remain calm, exchanged the packages and withdrew as quickly as possible. He had no idea why the bomb had not exploded and he was afraid that Brandt's juggling would cause the explosion right there. Leaving the building, he took a staff car to the railroad station in nearby Korschen, where he boarded a train to Berlin. On board the train Schlabrendorff locked himself inside the private compartment he had reserved and carefully opened the package. Examining the bomb, he immediately saw what had happened. The capsule had broken under the pressure of his key and the acid had permeated the cotton, causing the wire to break and the spring to release the detonator, which slammed home causing a blackened mark where it struck, but for some unknown reason the Plastic C had failed to ignite. What probably happened was that Colonel Brandt left the package in the unheated luggage compartment instead of taking it into the heated passenger section with him. The extreme cold caused the explosive material to crystallize immediately -- and when the strike hit, nothing happened. In Berlin Schlabrendorff met with Oster and the other conspirators. He showed them the flawed bomb and how close they had come to killing Hitler. Von Gertsdorff attempt 1943, March 21 Location: Zeughaus, Unter den Linden, Berlin On March 21 the country would observe a national holiday known as Heroes' Memorial Day. Traditionally the F�hrer participated in the ceremonies honoring German soldiers who had died in previous wars. Schlabrendorff was still in Berlin when Tresckow proposed to Gersdorff a way to kill Hitler when he came to the event. As part of the program, Hitler was to inspect an assortment of captured Soviet weapons on display in the Berlin Armory. Because the weapons had been captured largely by Army Group Center, an officer from that army was invited to accompany Hitler on the tour to answer any technical questions he might have. This was an important duty because Hitler was always fascinated by new weapons developments and usually asked tough questions. Gersdorff had been selected for this job. During their conversation, Gersdorff and Tresckow concluded that the only way to kill Hitler during the tour was through a suicide mission. Gersdorff would have to set off a bomb hidden on his person, then wrap his arms around the F�hrer tightly until the explosion killed them both. Tresckow was reluctant to ask this of his comrade in the conspiracy, but Gersdorff confessed that since his wife's death a year earlier he really had little to live for, and if through his death he could accomplish the great patriotic good that would come from killing Hitler, he was more than willing to make the sacrifice Gersdorff arrived in Berlin two days before the ceremonies and established himself in the Hotel Eden. The following morning Schlabrendorff brought him the bomb package that had been placed on Hitler's plane on March 13. Gersdorff chose from a variety of British fuses. He discarded several instantaneous fuses because he would need time to grab Hitler and hold on to him. He decided to use a ten-minute fuse, which was the shortest timed fuse he had aside from the instantaneous fuses. This would provide sufficient time to set the fuse in action and get close enough to Hitler to grab him in case they were separated. He knew from the schedule, which he had obtained from General Schmundt, Hitler's Chief Adjutant, that the F�hrer was allotting ten minutes for the weapons tour, so he planned to set the fuse off just before the tour began. Just after noon on March 21 Hitler arrived for the ceremonies and was greeted by the chiefs of the armed forces and other government and Party dignitaries. Inside the hall he delivered a speech for fourteen minutes while Gersdorff, a bomb hidden in each pocket of his greatcoat, waited patiently by the entrance to the weapons exhibit. When Hitler finished speaking he left the platform and walked toward the exhibit. As Hitler approached, Gersdorff reached into his left pocket, a highly risky gesture when Hitler and his bodyguards were around, and released the fuse. He did not want to press his luck by arming the bomb in his right pocket, and he assumed that when one went off it would ignite the other. He had ten minutes until the explosion. To everyone's amazement, Hitler ignored Gersdorff and strode into the exhibit hall at an ever quickening pace. Gersdorff rushed to catch up with him, attempting to draw his special attention to certain exhibits in an effort to slow him down, but Hitler continued to ignore him and also paid no attention to others, including G�ring, who tried to point out interesting aspects of certain exhibits. Hitler was in and out of the exhibition hall in two minutes, not the ten minutes that had been scheduled. At the exit Gersdorff was turned back by SS guards, as this was as far as he was supposed to go. The stunned officer watched helplessly as Hitler virtually raced from the hall. Regaining his thoughts amidst the confusion and frustration, he remembered the live bomb in his left pocket. Frantically he looked for some place he could go to deactivate the bomb. He looked at his watch, eight minutes left, and prayed the bomb did not detonate prematurely. Locating a nearby men's room, he quickly went inside and locked himself in a stall. Removing the bomb from his pocket, he pulled off the striker, making the bomb inoperative. Gersdorff collapsed onto the toilet seat and dropped his head into his hands, panting heavily from the tension. The only positive result of these failed attempts on Hitler's life was that General Olbricht, who had been listening to reports of the ceremonies over the radio and waiting for news of the explosion, uncovered deficiencies in the coup planning that must be corrected before the next attempt. To help with this task, Tresckow asked for and received a sick leave of several months' duration. He spent virtually the entire time working on resistance organizational problems and helping refine the plans for the coup that was used the following year. Operation �M�nchen�, spring/summer 1943 Location: F�hrerhauptquartier Vinnitsa and its region The Russian NKVD tried to find out what Hitler�s habits were when he was in Vinnitsa, so they could take him out. But they started their observations too late: in the spring/summer of 1943. Hitler had been there for the last time in March 1943 and he only came back there for a short stay on 27 August 1943. After that the FHQ was destroyed. Olga Tsjechova 1941-1943 Location: unknown Wild plans to have Hitler killed by the actress Olga Tsjechova couldn�t be carried out because she didn�t have a lot of contact with Hitler between 1941 and 1943. Hitler spend a lot of time in the Wolfschanze. When the Russians started to win the war, the plans were cancelled. Did Stalin really stop attempts on Hitler's life? By Guy Walters The Telegraph 4 June 2010 Another week, another highly dubious revelation about the Second World War. This time it's from the Russians, specifically from the lips of one General Anatoly Kulikov, who has claimed at a conference on military history in Moscow that Stalin cancelled at least two attempts to kill Hitler. "A concrete plan to assassinate Hitler in his Bunker was developed," said Kulikov, "but Stalin suddenly cancelled it in 1943 over fears that after Hitler's death his associates would conclude a separate peace treaty with Britain and the United States". Adding that he had documentary evidence to support his claims, the general also claimed that a second plan almost came to fruition, and that the intended assassin had even infiltrated Hitler's entourage, but Stalin once more cancelled any operation. These stories certainly raise my eyebrows, as I'm sure they do those of many others. While the notion that the Russians had planned Hitler's assassination is feasible � after all the British had their own Operation Foxley � the idea that the Soviets had inveigled someone into Hitler's inner circle seems too fantastical and the stuff of thrillers alone. Last night I consulted Professor Peter Hoffmann, the author of the excellent "Hitler's Personal Security", a peerless account on the attempts on Hitler's life. He told me: "The obvious answer is: Where is the evidence? We should see documents, names, for example especially names of persons who are described as having infiltrated Hitler's entourage and their identification as having been present in Hitler's entourage". Until General Kulikov presents his evidence, I think we can safely dismiss his stories as Junk History. Operation Foxley Location: Obersalzberg The English gathered a lot of information about Hitler on the Obersalzberg. They wanted to bring snipers to the hill who could kill Hitler. When in 1944 it became very clear that the Germans would lose the war, the plans were cancelled. Operation Foxley Adolf Hitler was the centre of the Nazi system. Around him revolved a loose confederation of fiefdoms, whose leaders engaged in a ceaseless struggle to protect and enhance their power. If Operation Foxley, the plan devised by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) to assassinate Hitler, had succeeded, this system would have been thrown into chaos. Count von Stauffenberg and various fellow conspirators, whose courage was equalled only by their ineptitude, were plotting a similar operation from the German side. There was, however, not the slightest possibility that they could have taken advantage of the chaos. Rather more likely was the emergence of a coalition of the major fiefdoms, with Hermann G�ring as Reichsverweser (literally state caretaker), co-existing uneasily with Heinrich Himmler, Albert Speer, Karl D�nitz and a clutch of popular generals such as Erich von Manstein and Erwin Rommel. The most plausible date for SOE's assassination of Hitler would have been around 13-14 July 1944. By this time the Russians had reached the old Polish-Soviet frontier. From what is now known about the frame of mind of many prominent generals in Germany around this time, we can guess that the new administration would have sent peace feelers to the western allies, who would have reiterated their demand for unconditional surrender. For Himmler and the SS even a negotiated peace would have posed serious problems. He would have been worried about how he was going to explain the 'final solution' (the extermination of all Jewish people, and other 'Untermenschen', in Nazi-held territories) to the outside world, and might well have decided to close down the gas chambers, and tried to pass the death factories off as labour camps. Germany still in control of Europe At this stage, however, a reversal of policy would have been prudent rather than pressing. Germany still controlled Europe - with the exception of southern Italy and the Normandy beachhead - from the Atlantic to the Vistula, the Carpathians and the lower Danube. There were still cards to play, which, if handled skilfully, might yet have elicited from the Anglo-Americans something more palatable than a demand for unconditional surrender. Moreover, the propaganda machine run by G�bbels would have both lionised the martyred F�hrer - the modern Siegfried - and hinted that with the F�hrer now in Valhalla the war might begin to go better. In the summer of 1944 most of the German people were assailed by doubts about the continuing pursuit of the war, but they were not yet prepared to give up How would the death of Hitler have affected the Reich's production of war material? Overall very little, except in one important area. In June, Speer and G�ring had pleaded with the F�hrer to abandon the conversion of the Me262 jet fighter into a bomber, but to no effect. With Hitler gone, the Luftwaffe might have had twice as many Me262s available in the autumn of 1944, not enough to establish air parity with the Allies, but enough to have made the air war in the west less one-sided. Eastern Front Hitler's death would have had a much greater effect on the conduct of operations. On the Eastern Front, Erich von Manstein, Heinz Guderian and others had already proposed withdrawal from the Baltic states, which Hitler had refused, partly because the navy claimed it needed the coastal waters for training submarine crews. D�nitz would have continued his resistance to the proposal, but without Hitler's support he would have lost the argument and the generals would have had their way. A new line on the Front would have emerged, running south along the heavily fortified border of East Prussia to the Vistula, and thence along the Carpathians to the lower Danube in Rumania. It would have been shorter than the actual line, and taken advantage of natural defensive features, making it more formidable. The army already had a contingency plan, Margarethe II, for the occupation of Rumania if the country tried to defect, but Hitler had refused to countenance putting the plan into action, saying that he trusted the Rumanian leader Marshal Ion Antonescu. With Hitler gone, Margarethe II would have swung into action in August, allowing the Germans to block the 200-mile-wide corridor between the Carpathians and the Danube, and thereby halt the Soviet offensive into the Balkans. Western Front Operations in the west, too, would have been profoundly affected by the F�hrer's demise. On 28 June Hitler had rejected a plan, put forward by von Rundstedt and Rommel, which suggested a German withdrawal back to the line of the Seine. With Hitler gone, this plan could have been put into effect. There would have been no Mortain counter-attack and no Falaise pocket, with their attendant losses. Instead a defence of the Seine would have been followed by a defence of the Somme, and then the Meuse and Moselle, and so on back to the Reischswald and eventually the Rhine. This early withdrawal from France - about three weeks sooner than the one that did occur - would have saved some 250,000 men and much equipment, some of which could have been redeployed to the Eastern Front, particularly in Rumania. Hitler's demise, then, would have allowed Germany to adopt defensive strategies on both western and eastern fronts, fighting on shorter, more defensible lines. And with Rumania still under German control, the oil crisis of late 1944 would have been less severe. In addition, Germany would still have had access to the strategically important minerals of the Balkans and Anatolia, so that many of the log-jams that delayed jet aircraft production would not have occurred. Moreover, without Hitler there would have been no Ardennes offensive, and consequently no squandering of precious resources. Instead the Germans would have imposed a series of attritional slogging matches on the Anglo-Americans, fought on ground of their own choosing. In the east the fierce resistance offered to the Soviets on the frontiers of East Prussia and the Carpathians would have been stronger yet, while the great tank battles that actually took place on the plains of Hungary at Debrecen, would have been fought to defend the oil fields of far-off Rumania. The disparity in production and manpower between the Allies and Germany, however, was so great that the Eastern Front would have given at some point, whoever was in charge. On 12 January 1945 the Soviets launched a great offensive in central Poland, which carried them from the Vistula to the Oder - dangerously close to Berlin, in other words - in less than three weeks. In our alternative world, it is difficult to see how the Vistula - Oder offensive, however vigorously resisted, could have been stopped. Soviet deception had persuaded Hitler to concentrate his forces in Hungary and East Prussia, but there is no reason to suppose that other German generals, even those unhindered by their F�hrer, would not also have fallen victim to false intelligence. A radical solution to the Soviet advance On 23 January, Soviet forces reached the Oder, only 60 miles east of Berlin. Shocked by the speed of the Soviet advance, the German naval high command actually discussed a radical solution - opening Germany's western front and allowing the Anglo-Americans unimpeded access through Belgium and the Rhineland into the heart of the Reich. They hoped the Allies would thus be drawn in to join with Germany in keeping the Russians to the east of the Oder - but this idea was not discussed outside the Naval high command, as there was little trust between them and the other two services. In the absence of Hitler it is likely that such a scenario, in effect an Anglo-American relief in place of the German army, followed by German demobilisation, would have been widely, and in some quarters favourably, canvassed. Would it have become policy? It is possible, given that the crisis produced by the Vitula-Oder offensive would have fractured the loose coalition running Germany. G�ring and Himmler, now weak and discredited, would have gone to the wall, and a new government composed of Army and Waffen SS generals, could have announced that Germany's western borders were now open. The Yalta conference, at which the Anglo-Americans and Soviets were to agree the post-war division of Europe, was only two weeks away. With their forces still west of the Meuse, and bogged down in the Appenines in Italy, the Anglo-Americans were expecting to go to Yalta as supplicants, with the Russians in a strong position. But if the plan had been followed, suddenly Berlin would have been offering unconditional surrender. The dowry would have been significant - not just control over central Europe but over south-eastern Europe to boot. The price of acceptance for the Allies, however, would have been immense - an irrevocable breach with the Soviets. The British, perfidious as ever, would probably have accepted, but there would have been problems with the Americans, who thought they needed Soviet support for the war against Japan. If the Germans had taken the initiative, and had begun pulling back from their western defences, it is difficult to see how Anglo-American forces could have avoided being sucked into the resulting vacuum, and pushing on to face the Russian advances, no matter what political decision had been made in London and Washington. Soviet Belligerence By ending the war three months early, Germany would have escaped the last of the terror raids, particularly the destruction of Dresden. In addition, the bulk of German territory would have been surrendered to a disciplined, civilised enemy, so that the murder, rape and pillage of the Soviet advance would have been confined to areas east of the Oder. There would have been war crimes trials, but possibly not as extensive as those that actually took place. The long-term political impact of the way the war ended would have been immense if Operation Foxley had succeeded. If it had, and Stalin had been excluded from the Balkans or from Berlin, he would not have accepted the situation. He would probably have launched offensives against the Allies as they advanced into Germany in their attempt to keep Russia out of central Europe. One can imagine Anglo-American and Soviet forces clashing in Carpathian passes, or shelling each other across the Oder. In this scenario, the Cold War would have started with a bang the moment the Anglo Americans reached the German side of the Eastern Front. In June 1945 Churchill, worried by increasing Soviet belligerence, actually did propose the re- mobilisation of German forces as a way of opposing Stalin, a suggestion that was quickly buried by the chiefs of staff. In the post-Foxley world, he may have got his way. The spring and early summer of 1945 would have been the period of maximum danger, as Russian and Allied troops faced each other. This confrontation would have eased only with the first successful test of the American atomic bomb on 16 July, which would have dictated a policy of prudence to Stalin. This end to the war would have left a bad taste in many mouths. The political left in the west would have railed about the betrayal of the Soviet Union, and accorded to the Soviet system much greater legitimacy than it actually had. Conversely the right in Germany would have seen the 'Volk' stabbed yet again in the back, not once but twice (by the Allies and by the treachery of their own generals. They would have said that if Hitler had lived, if the borders had not been opened, Germany might yet have avoided the humiliation of an Anglo-American occupation. There would have been soul searching, but not as much as that produced by the reality of total, utter defeat. The legacy of betrayal could only have served to make the post-war world more dangerous than it actually was. The Soviet Union, faced with a resurgent, psychologically undefeated Germany allied to Britain and America, may have withdrawn ever deeper into paranoia, perhaps not unreasonably. The crises of the early Cold War years would have happened not in Berlin or Budapest, but in Iran or the Norwegian-Finnish frontier. These crises might have been containable, but it is unlikely that the world would have been as lucky as it actually was, in October 1962, when the Soviets deployed missiles to Cuba. All that was required to tip the balance in favour of war at that time was a slight increase in paranoia, a condition that is highly likely to have been rampant in the world - if Operation Foxley had succeeded. Find out more "Plotting Hitler's Death: The German Resistance to Hitler 1933-1945" by Joachim Fest (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1996) "Hitler, G�ring and the Obersalzberg" by Bernhard Frank (Anton Plenk, 1989) "Hitler's Personal Security" by Peter Hoffman (MacMillan, 1979) "Operation Foxley: The British Plan to Kill Hitler" by Mark Seaman (MacMillan, 1979) "The Good Nazi: The Life and Lies of Albert Speer" by Dan Van der Vat (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1997) "Hitler 1936-1945": "Nemesis" by Ian Kershaw (Allen Lane, 2000) "Inside Hitler's Command" by Geoffrey Megargee (University Press of Kansas, 2002) Hitler (Introductions to History) by David Welch (UCL Press, 1998) About the author Duncan Anderson joined the War Studies Department at Sandhurst as a senior lecturer in 1987, and has been Head of Department since 1997. He has written several books on World War Two, and worked for the British Army and other NATO forces in Germany, both lecturing and conducting staff tours. Egon Hanfst�ngl, summer 1943 Location: Obersalzberg Egon Hanfst�ngl, the son of Putzi, presented plans to kill Hitler on the Obersalzberg. Roosevelt rejected the plan. In 2002 Charles Fenyvesi was combing through the declassified WWII files at the U.S. National Archives when he came across a surprise. In July 1943 Count Helmuth James von Moltke - the German military intelligence service (Abwehr) representative at the German High Command and an anti-Nazi - made a secret visit to the OSS (the predecessor to the CIA) in Istanbul offering to turn Wehrmacht against the Waffen-SS and make a separate peace with the Americans. Moltke also gave the OSS a list of the high rank Germans involved in the conspiracy: Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, Field Marshal Wilhelm List, Colonel General Ludwig Beck, Colonel General Franz Halder. Tresckow, 1943 Location: Rastenburg Late in 1943 Tresckow attempted to get himself assigned as Field Marshal Manstein's Chief of Staff in the hope of convincing Manstein to join the resistance. The field marshal rejected the appointment, telling the army personnel chief that while Tresckow had no peer as a staff officer, he had a negative attitude toward National Socialism. This reproach spelled finis to Tresckow's career and his effectiveness in the resistance. He was transferred to the eastern front, where he could do little except wait to hear that Hitler was dead and the coup had begun. Before his departure Tresckow engineered three final attempts on Hitler's life. In one, Colonel Stieff secretly gathered a large quantity of explosives to use in an attack on Hitler. Two officers took the explosives to the grounds of Hitler's Rastenburg headquarters in East Prussia, where they buried them under a water tower to wait for the right occasion to use them. Inexplicably, the material exploded for no apparent reason, causing consternation among the SS guards and redoubling of security measures. With unusual good luck for the resistance, one of their member officers was assigned to investigate the incident. Colonel Werner Schrader dragged his inquiry on so long that he never issued a report. Porn-plan Location: Obersalzberg A crazy plan of some American soldiers was to throw down a lot of pornographic material on Hitlers mountain to make the puritan Hitler go mad. The colonel the soldiers discussed the plan with, said that they were maniacs with an insane plan... Treskow 1943, November or December Location: Berlin (?), demonstration of uniforms In late November or early December 1943, Hitler was supposed to view a selection of proposed new uniforms for the army. Several alternative samples were made, and he wanted to have the final word on which were to be produced and distributed, especially to the troops fighting in Russia. One of the officers chosen to model the new uniforms was Captain Axel von dem Bussche, a member of Tresckow's inner circle. Bussche dismantled a German hand grenade and fashioned a bomb with a four-second fuse, which he proposed to carry in the pocket of the greatcoat he was going to model. Once in Hitler's presence, he planned to release the timer and grab Hitler so the two of them would be blown up together. The viewing was postponed repeatedly while Bussche waited impatiently to perform what he expected would be the final act of his life. The sample uniforms were stored in a railroad boxcar parked on a siding in Berlin. One night during the regular allied bombing, the car received a direct hit and was destroyed, along with the uniforms that were to provide the opportunity to place an assassin within reach of the F�hrer. On February 11, 1944 another �overcoat� attempt was made. This time the volunteer model was Ewald Heinrich von Kleist, son of one of the original conspirators and included Major General Helmuth Stieff. Again the RAF saved the day with an air-raid just before the demonstration was about to take place forcing its cancellation. Von Breitenbuch plan 1944, March 11 Location: Obersalzberg In March 1944, Captain Eberhard von Breitenbuch, personal aide to Field Marshal Busch, told Tresckow that he was going to attend a conference at Hitler's Berchtesgaden headquarters where he would shoot Hitler, knowing full well that he himself would probably be shot to death by the SS guards. Tresckow offered to give him explosives, but Breitenbuch said he was an excellent shot and would require only seconds to draw his pistol, aim at Hitler's head, and squeeze off at least one and possibly several shots. He was confident Hitler would be killed. On the day of the conference, Busch and his aide arrived in the anteroom at Hitler's quarters where they met other field marshals. When the SS major opened the door to the F�hrer's conference room the conferees entered in ranking order. Breitenbuch, the most junior officer, last. The SS major put his hand out to restrain Breitenbuch and told him that aides were not permitted to attend the meeting. When Busch protested that he required his aide's presence, the major informed the field marshal that it was Hitler's decision and could not be countermanded. For the next several hours Breitenbuch waited anxiously in the anteroom, brooding over the reason he was excluded from the conference with Hitler. He thought that perhaps someone had learned of his intent to murder the F�hrer. This seemed to be the most logical explanation, and every time an SS man walked through the room Breitenbuch feared the worst. Around noon the meeting broke up and he followed Busch out of the building, looking nervously around, half expecting to be arrested. No explanation was ever given for his exclusion from the conference, but once again fate stepped in and saved Hitler from an assassin. Operation Hellhound, June 1944 Location: Obersalzberg - Milan The plans of the American airforce to bomb the Obersalzberg got stranded because of discussions with the British. Only airphotos were made of the area. On 4 November 1944 they did bomb a hotel in Milan, of which was said that Hitler was there at the time. Hitler was at the Wolfschanze at the time. Stauffenberg in Berchtesgaden 1944, July 6 Location: Berchtesgaden/Salzburg One needed only to look at Colonel Claus Count von Stauffenberg to know that he had already paid a high price for Hitler's war. A black patch covered the empty socket that had been his left eye. His right hand was missing, as were two fingers of his left hand. Despite these disfigurements, suffered when a U.S. fighter plane attacked his North African Panzer column, Stauffenberg remained a handsome and charming officer. In the fall of 1943, after several head operations required by his wounds, Stauffenberg recovered enough to join the active resistance at the strong urging of his uncle, Count Nikolaus von Uxkull. His uncle knew of Stauffenberg's attitude toward Hitler and the Nazis, which was formed indelibly from his experiences in the Russian campaign before he was assigned to Africa. Uxkull confided in his nephew that there were other officers who felt as he did, and that they were organized into a formal resistance group determined to kill Hitler and remove the Nazis from power. He asked his nephew to join them. When Stauffenberg was restored to active duty he reported to Colonel General Kurt Zeitzler, who had replaced Halder as Chief of the General Staff in September 1942. The disabled colonel requested assignment to a frontline unit, but Zeitzler, recognizing his enormous potential, felt Stauffenberg's talents deserved to be nurtured. Zeitzler wanted him to broaden his experience so that one day he could command a corps or perhaps even an army. Instead of sending him to the front, Zeitzler appointed Stauffenberg Chief of Staff of the General Army Office under General Friedrich Olbricht. The next time he saw his uncle, Stauffenberg told him he had decided to join the resistance. He is also reported to have told him that since the generals had failed to unseat Hitler, now it was time the colonels accomplished the task. It was then Count Uxkull felt it safe to tell him that his new superior officer, General Olbricht, was a key figure in the conspiracy against Hitler. In September 1943, Stauffenberg helped Olbricht and Tresckow, who was still in Berlin on sick leave, reorganize plans for a renewed coup attempt. They were joined occasionally by General Beck, whose recovery from cancer surgery was taking longer than expected. Pointedly absent from these proceedings was the man who had once been a central figure, Hans Oster. Now under close Gestapo surveillance, Oster had been ordered by Keitel to stay away from military installations. Reluctantly he obeyed, for fear of betraying the identities of the other conspirators. The new pattern for the coup that evolved from the original concept of 1938 was "highly sophisticated" as the Gestapo would later admit. It centered around the unlikely use of the Replacement Army, which was a reserve force of walking wounded, trainees, cadets in military schools, workers who could quickly be pulled from their jobs, and men on sick leave. It was not an effective fighting force, but was intended originally to be used to supply replacements to frontline units. The Replacement Army was controlled by General Olbricht's superior, Colonel General Friederich Fromm, an overweight bureaucrat filled with his own importance. Fromm refused to have anything to do with the conspiracy unless the plotters killed Hitler; then, he said, they could count on his support. In early 1943 the conspirators, disadvantaged by the fact that not even their leading military officers commanded troop formations, hit on the idea of molding the Replacement Army into a force to support their coup. Olbricht spoke to Hitler about the internal dangers to the Reich presented by the over four million foreign workers and prisoners of war within its borders. Enemy nationals concentrated in such numbers posed a serious threat if they organized a rebellion in any significant strength against the largely inadequate civil police forces. Olbricht proposed to develop a contingency plan using the Replacement Army as a safety valve that could be called on to put down a worker's revolt, or even move against enemy saboteurs who might infiltrate the Reich. Hitler was enthusiastic about the proposal and told him to work out the details. Tresckow and Stauffenberg concentrated on the project throughout the fall of 1943, assisted by a select committee of dedicated officers. The idea of employing troops to control potential internal emergencies appealed to the High Command; consequently, they gave the Commander-in-Chief of the Replacement Army, Fromm, wide latitude to requisition and deploy troops in case of a domestic disturbance. This should have aided the conspirators, but an impasse existed between Fromm, who refused to cooperate unless the conspirators demonstrated they could succeed, and resistance leaders, who could do little without a commitment of Replacement Army backing. A possible solution to this dilemma was advanced by Olbricht, who decided that when the time was right he would ask Fromm to commit the Replacement Army and the military district forces to the coup. If Fromm refused, Olbricht would arrest him and issue the orders in his name, anticipating that most troop commanders would carry them out. A set of substitute orders was prepared and updated regularly by Stauffenberg, changing the original response to the signal "Valkyrie," which meant an internal disturbance, to mean "surround and neutralize all SS and Gestapo installations within the Reich, and commandeer all communications facilities, particularly public radio stations." Consistent with earlier coup plans, neutralizing the SS was a critical issue, since that organization was devoutly loyal to Hitler. Now the Waffen SS became equally important. Grown to parallel the regular army, the Waffen SS had its own Panzer and mobilized units, which actually outnumbered the army in some military districts. While a few Waffen SS commanders might throw in their lot with the army if Hitler was dead, many more could be expected to wage a civil war against the army. At the same time, the army would have to maintain its position on all fronts facing the Allies. The speed with which the conspirators moved against these potential opponents was vital to success. Just as Tresckow before him, Stauffenberg recognized that Hitler's assassination was paramount. With Hitler dead the coup might succeed, but if Hitler was merely arrested or confined, he would be a rallying point for his supporters. After conferring with other officers who were candidates for the job of assassin, Stauffenberg decided the surest course of action was to do the "dirty work," as the conspirators called it, himself. When in late spring of 1944 he was appointed Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief of the Replacement Army, Stauffenberg soon found the opportunity he needed. When Stauffenberg became General Fromm's new Chief of Staff on 1 June 1944, an appointment Fromm had requested because of Stauffenberg's organizational skills, he immediately sought ways to try to win Fromm over to the resistance. Five days later the Allies swept ashore at Normandy in such overwhelming strength that many German army leaders read the invasion as the prelude to disaster. In the south, the Allies were pushing relentlessly up the Italian peninsula. In the east, the German army steeled for the expected Soviet summer offensive. Intelligence reports made it clear that the Soviet army was now far superior in men and material to the German defenders. With Germany being squeezed on all sides into an increasingly tighter circle, and her cities ablaze and crumbling under continuous Allied bombing, Stauffenberg questioned whether the effort to kill Hitler was still worthwhile, since the end of the war was obviously so near. Stauffenberg asked Tresckow for guidance. Never one to waver, Tresckow, without hesitation, responded as Stauffenberg doubtlessly expected: "The assassination must be attempted at all costs. Even if it should not succeed, an attempt to seize power in Berlin must be undertaken. What matters now is not the practical purpose of the coup, but to prove to the world and for the records of history that the men of the resistance movement dared to take the decisive step. Compared to this objective, nothing else is of consequence". Encouraged by Tresckow's counsel, Stauffenberg forged ahead with his plans. He was pleased to find that as Chief of Staff to Fromm he would have ample opportunity to kill Hitler. As Commander-in-Chief of the Replacement Army, Fromm now regularly appeared at Hitler's military conferences to report on the status of his forces. His Chief of Staff usually accompanied him. While his infirmities would seem to make Stauffenberg an unlikely assassin, they also made him the least likely to be suspected by Hitler's security people. Also, he had become virtually the only member of the resistance with direct access to the person of the F�hrer and the resolve to carry out the assassination. Fate decreed that Stauffenberg was the man. He began preparations for the assassination. Major General Helmuth Stieff had been hoarding a cache of explosives in Rastenberg, and Stauffenberg dispatched two officers who were resistance members to bring them back to Berlin. The explosives used acid-based fuses housed in thin glass tubes about the thickness of a pencil. With both their families moved to the relative safety of the south of Germany, Claus and Berthold Stauffenberg now shared an apartment in a Berlin suburb. Alone in his bedroom each night, Claus practiced with a small pair of pliers squeezing hard enough to break the glass and start the fuse. On June 7, the day after the Normandy invasion began, Stauffenberg accompanied Fromm on a visit to Hitler's headquarters near Berchtesgaden. The handful of men attending the conference included Himmler and a grossly overweight G�ring. Stauffenberg came away from this conference encouraged. He now had direct access to Hitler, and he had entered his presence without being searched. Even his thickly packed pigskin briefcase had stirred no interest. At this conference the briefcase contained nothing but documents, but it would soon carry the explosive intended as the instrument of Hitler's death. Acting on the latest advice from Tresckow, Stauffenberg flew to Paris on June 23 to visit his old friend, Colonel Eberhard Finckh, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, West. Stauffenberg told Finckh of his plans to kill Hitler and the coup that would follow to seize the government and control the army. He asked Finckh to pass this information to General Stulpnagel, the Military Governor, whom Stauffenberg knew would support the coup. Meanwhile, Tresckow sent Colonel von B�selager, the cavalry officer who had planned the shooting of Hitler during his visit to Army Group Center, to ask Field Marshal Kluge to support the coup. Kluge had replaced von Rundstedt as Commander-in-Chief, West, when Hitler tired of the old field marshal's "pessimism." As usual Kluge wavered, and Tresckow regretted he had been unable to make the trip himself because he believed he could still hold sway over Kluge. Tresckow sent a message to Kluge suggesting that he allow the Allies to break through the German lines to force the High Command to see the futility of the situation. Kluge replied that it was unnecessary to do anything to encourage a breakthrough, since it would happen soon enough anyway. Stauffenberg had no reservations. To him the situation was clear-cut. He could find no other officer with access to Hitler who was willing to attempt the assassination; consequently, he would do it himself. The other resistance leaders did not favor this decision. Stauffenberg was now the driving force behind the coup, and its success relied heavily on his talents. They feared that his absence from Berlin during the critical hours after the assassination, while he was flying back to the capital, would have an adverse effect on the results. Stauffenberg readied his briefcase, carefully packing it with two pounds of explosives, and waited for his next opportunity. He felt he was destined to do the job, and he prepared to accomplish it as quickly as possible. He looked forward anxiously to his next trip to Hitler's headquarters. July 1944 began ominously, with the arrest of several resistance members. Rumors spread that the Gestapo had learned of the coup and was about to seize all the plotters, but no further arrests followed and the work went forward. On July 6, Stauffenberg again went to the Berghof to hear Hitler's order for fifteen newly formed grenadier divisions to be rushed to the eastern front to stop the Soviet advance. Stauffenberg took the briefcase bomb into the conference room but made no attempt to trigger it, for reasons known only to himself. At the meeting's end Hitler assigned him the job of locating the personnel necessary to fill the proposed grenadier divisions. Stauffenberg in Berchtesgaden 1944, July 11 Location: Obersalzberg Stauffenberg's next chance to put his bomb to use came on Tuesday, July 11. As the growing military crisis threatened the collapse of Germany's eastern front, Hitler called for an update on Stauffenberg's progress in organizing the fifteen new "blocking divisions." Hitler referred to them in this way because he believed they would block the Soviet advance, that they would somehow plug the holes that were expanding daily in the German defenses. Hitler's attitude before this conference was indicative of his growing panic and vituperative treatment of his lieutenants. Things were going badly on all fronts, and Hitler typically placed the blame squarely on his generals and field marshals who were prudently advocating strategic retreat. Refusing to face reality, something no one around him would point out, he assumed Stauffenberg could create crack grenadier divisions from the worn-out veterans and raw recruits in the Replacement Army. Stauffenberg went over his plans in his mind during the ninety-minute flight from Berlin to the small airfield in Freilassing, just north of Berchtesgaden. Inside his briefcase, under a fresh uniform shirt, was the bomb and timer fuse. He was accompanied by his acting adjutant, Captain Friedrich Karl Klausing. His regular adjutant, Lieutenant Werner von H�ften (who earlier in the year had volunteered for a suicide attempt on Hitler's life) was too ill to travel. On landing at Freilassing, Stauffenberg instructed the pilot of his Heinkel HE-111 not to wander too far from the plane because he might have to return to Berlin in a hurry; then he and Klausing got into a waiting staff car for the ride into the nearby mountains to Hitler's retreat. At the Berghof, Stauffenberg, clutching the briefcase with his one hand, told Klausing to stay with the car and be prepared to race down the mountainside to the waiting aircraft if he exited the meeting without his briefcase. Stauffenberg's plan was to set the acid fuse timer, place the briefcase in the conference room, and leave as unobtrusively as possible before the bomb exploded. As the colonel walked up the terraced steps toward the main building, Klausing checked his watch. It was 1:00 P.M. Inside the building, Stauffenberg left his revolver and hat on the table reserved for this purpose and entered the conference room carrying the briefcase. He set it down carefully under the conference table and listened to the proceedings. Stauffenberg surveyed the room. His heart sank when he saw that Himmler was not present. Goring was there, but without Himmler Stauffenberg did not want to leave his bomb. He quietly withdrew from the conference room, knowing that the present discussion would continue for at least several more minutes. He started toward a bank of telephones, but first stopped at a nearby washroom where he splashed cold water on his face to ease his tension and rinse off the sweat streaming down his forehead. Stauffenberg asked the telephone exchange operator to place a call to General Olbricht in Berlin. When the call went through the two conspirators conversed, using predetermined code words. Stauffenberg reported Himmler's absence and the two agreed to abort the assassination, at least until the next conference. Stauffenberg returned to the conference room and waited to give his progress report on the fifteen new divisions that Hitler was convinced would stem the Soviet advance. At 3:30 P.M. Stauffenberg returned to the waiting car carrying his briefcase. Noting Klausing's surprise at seeing the briefcase again, he explained to him what had happened. Meanwhile, General Olbricht contacted the resistance members who had been waiting for the signal to begin the coup. Count Helldorf, whose Berlin police forces were poised to arrest leading Nazis, and the officers of the Ninth Infantry Reserve Regiment at Potsdam, who were to lead their troops into the government center in Berlin and isolate it from the rest of the city and country, were told to stand down and await further instructions. That evening Stauffenberg met with coup leaders in Berlin, including Generals Beck and Olbricht. The conversation focused on what should be done at the next conference if Himmler was not present again. While some saw the need to wait until both Himmler and Hitler could be killed at the same time, others disagreed, saying there was too little time left in which to act before Germany was totally destroyed. They insisted the bomb must be set at the next meeting, whether Himmler was present or not. In the end, no firm decision was reached either way. They would wait to see what happened at the next conference. If Himmler was absent again, Stauffenberg should call Olbricht's office for instructions. Stauffenberg at the Wolfschanze 1944, July 20 Location: Briefing room The next few days were dark ones for the resistance. On Sunday, July 16, Stauffenberg received news that General Alexander Falkenhausen, military commander in Belgium and northern France, and a supporter of the coup, had been dismissed. The following day news arrived that Rommel had been severely injured and hospitalized. Although Rommel was not a member of the resistance, Stauffenberg had hoped he would come over once Hitler was dead, especially since he made no effort to hide his pessimism about Germany's future from Hitler, who now brushed off his one-time favorite as a "coward." On 18 July, Stauffenberg received a report that the Gestapo had been ordered to arrest G�rdeler, a key member of the resistance and the man designated to be Germany's new Chancellor. He warned G�rdeler and told him to go into hiding. Reluctantly, G�rdeler left Berlin for Westphalia. Tense meetings were held between Stauffenberg, Beck, Olbricht, and other coup conspirators at his residence at No. 8 Tristanstrasse, Wansee. It was finally decided that they no longer wanted to endure the tension of waiting for news of Himmler's presence at one of Hitler's conferences. Things were getting out of hand. Hitler had to be eliminated at all costs. Stauffenberg was instructed to set his bomb at the next meeting, no matter who was there, as long as Hitler was in the room. On 19 July, General Heusinger was at Hitler's conference reporting that the Soviets were breaking through all along the eastern front. He told Hitler that additional troops were needed if the Germans had any hope of halting the Soviet advance, and he asked how many men the Replacement Army could provide for this purpose. Field Marshal Keitel interrupted with a suggestion that Colonel Stauffenberg attend the following day's conference to provide "facts and figures" about the combat readiness of the fifteen new grenadier divisions he had been ordered to organize. Hitler rose to his feet, terminating the conference, and said, "Good, send for Stauffenberg tomorrow." Colonel Stauffenberg worked late into the evening of 19 July 1944, making last-minute updates to the operation tables for the fifteen divisions Adolf Hitler had ordered him to create from the military rubble of the Third Reich. It was not a successful undertaking. With increasing frequency in the past two years, Hitler had prescribed imaginary divisions created out of thin air, largely by reducing existing divisions to half their assigned strength and forming additional units with the overflow. He must have known that the next day the "dirty work" would definitely be done. The decision was now reached that the bomb would be set whether Himmler was present or not. There would be no telephone calls seeking instructions from superiors; he would do it. Secure in his Wolf's Lair headquarters deep in the East Prussian forest at Rastenburg, Hitler was awake until past 2:00 in the morning. Typically, his practice was to engage in animated conversation with aides until well past midnight and sleep until late in the morning, which is why the "morning military conference" seldom began before 2:00 P.M. On this night he left instructions that he should be awakened at 9:00 A.M., an unheard of hour for the F�hrer; however, he was expecting Mussolini in the afternoon and his "morning military conference" was actually scheduled for late morning. Daybreak on 20 July 1944, carried with it a promise of oppressive heat and later, w hen he entered the room, Stauffenberg must have realized the bomb he was carrying might not be sufficient for the job. Instead of a solid concrete structure in which these conferences were usually held, this building was constructed of wood and contained several large windows that were open to allow a summer breeze in. Stauffenberg had expected a solidly built conference chamber that would contain the blast and increase the force of the explosion, but now it was obvious that the wood walls and windows of the room being used would allow at least a portion of the blast to escape the room, reducing the damage it would inflict to those inside. A massive oak table on which several military maps were spread occupied a large portion of the 18-by-40-foot room. Close to either end of the table were thick oak supports practically the width of the tabletop. Over two dozen men stood in place around the table, with Hitler himself standing near the center, his back to the door and facing the open windows. Stauffenberg, satisfied that his briefcase was placed under the table as close to Hitler as he could get it, and possibly fearing that the unseasonably high temperature could accelerate the chemical reaction and detonate the bomb prematurely, quietly informed Keitel, "Herr Field Marshal, I have to make an urgent call to Berlin." Keitel nodded his permission and Stauffenberg unobtrusively left the meeting. Stauffenberg's departure attracted no particular interest, since officers were constantly entering and leaving the conference room for a variety of reasons. General Adolf Heusinger was summing up the situation in East Prussia. Just as he said, "If the Army Group does not withdraw from Lake Peipus, a catastrophe will. . . " at 12.42 p.m., a violent blast hurled everyone to the floor, setting fire to hair and uniforms. Over the bedlam several officers could hear the ever-faithful Keitel, unhurt by the blast, calling out, "Where is the F�hrer? Where is the F�hrer?" General Heusinger, who was momentarily knocked unconscious, came to and found himself on his back next to Hitler, who was also unconscious. Heusinger crawled to the door and managed to drag himself painfully into the hall, where several officers and men helped him exit the building. His uniform, face, body, and legs were burned, and both ear drums had been broken. His right arm and hand bled profusely from numerous splinters that had been launched into the air when the table was ripped apart by the bomb. Keitel groped his way through the thick smoke and dust, past wounded men crying out for help, until he found the F�hrer just regaining consciousness. The Field Marshal helped Hitler to his feet; the latter's pants had been shredded. Hitler looked at Keitel with a dazed expression, then collapsed into his arms. He was carried to his quarters where a doctor dressed his wounds, which turned out to be superficial. Others in the room were not so lucky. Hitler's stenographer, Heinrich Berger, had both legs blown off and died a few hours later. General Rudolf Schmundt, Hitler's adjutant, lost a leg and died in a hospital on October 1. Two days after the blast General G�nther Korten, Chief of Staff for the Luftwaffe, and Colonel Heinz Brandt died of their wounds. Everyone's uniform was burned or tattered, and most received wounds that required a stay of several days in the hospital at Rastenburg. Investigators later concluded that had the explosion occurred inside the Bunker-like structure usually used for these conferences, everyone in the room would have been killed, many of the bodies unrecognizable from the blast and fire. When it was learned that Stauffenberg and H�ften had a second bomb identical to the first, most investigators agreed that no one could have survived if both bombs had exploded simultaneously. Once again, Hitler had cheated death. At Wolf's Lair men were beginning to piece together what had happened. Everyone in the conference was accounted for except Colonel Stauffenberg, who it was quickly learned had sped away immediately following the explosion. When it was found that Stauffenberg's H-111 was airborne, a hurried call was placed to Luftwaffe headquarters in Berlin with orders to scramble a fighter squadron to shoot down a westbound H-111 bearing the identification number of Stauffenberg's plane. The fighters never took off. It is believed that the order was suppressed by Major Friedrich Georgi, General Olbrich's son-in-law on the air staff, who suspected it had something to do with his father-in-law's coup. If Stauffenberg could have delegated an alternate to plant the bomb while he stayed in Berlin, the coup would have gotten off to a better start; but during this time of indecision the one man who would have been decisive, and who had the respect of all the plotters, was out of touch on the return flight from East Prussia. On the other hand, had this coup been as well organized as the 1938 attempt, it might have succeeded despite Hitler's survival of the Wolf's Lair explosion. Meanwhile, some basic assumptions were emerging at Wolf's Lair. Once it was determined that the bomb had probably been set by Stauffenberg, the assassination attempt was thought to be the act of a single individual. It did not apparently occur to anyone that the bombing might have been part of a conspiracy. In fact, Hitler himself was the likely author of the single assassin theory. Not until nearly 4:30 P.M. when Hitler lifted his communications blackout and word was received that Operation Valkyrie was in progress, did anyone suspect that a coup attempt was related to the bombing. Until now nothing was done to safeguard the Nazi regime against a coup because none was suspected. Now Himmler entered the investigation, calling on his Berlin Gestapo headquarters to find out what had happened and who was involved. Meanwhile, considerable time had passed, and neither side had actually made any significant headway. During the next few hours a communications battle was waged between Wolf's Lair and Stauffenberg at the Bendlerstrasse. From Wolf's Lair came regular reports that Hitler was alive and well. Using the telephone and teleprinters at his command, Stauffenberg countered with denials and issued fresh orders for the arrest of all SS and SD members throughout the Reich and the occupied territories. General von Hase, the City Commandant, had ordered the Grossdeutschland Battalion to surround and seal all entrances and exits to a list of government buildings, including several housing the SS. The battalion was commanded by a young officer, Major Otto Remer, who had a distinguished combat record but whose loyalties had not been determined. Major Remer followed orders; he surrounded the buildings he had been assigned and set up roadblocks around the government quarter. So far these were the only troops at the disposal of the coup. The police were held in readiness by Count Helldorf, who waited for instructions that never came. A liaison officer between Remer's battalion and the Propaganda Ministry became suspicious of the orders and slipped off to see the Propaganda Minister, Josef G�bbels, in his apartment on the Hermann-G�ringstrasse. When informed of the army's activities and the rumor that Hitler was dead, a shocked G�bbels agreed that Remer should be brought to him. After some soul searching about his responsibility as an officer, Remer decided to answer G�bbels's summons. Following a brief discussion during which G�bbels ascertained Remer's loyalty to the F�hrer, he called Wolf's Lair. His call went through with no trouble, demonstrating once again the fatal error on the part of the conspirators of failing to close down even civilian communications within Berlin. G�bbels explained the situation in Berlin, as he now knew it, to Hitler, and handed the phone to Remer. This single brief telephone conversation was the turning point in Berlin, and it spelled ultimate disaster for the coup. Hitler told Remer that a failed attempt had been made on his life. He placed Remer in charge of all troops in Berlin and instructed him to arrest anyone involved in the coup, and to shoot all who resisted him. This was an intoxicating moment for the young major. Hitler had made him his personal military representative in Berlin, responsible to the F�hrer only. If Remer had been part of the resistance, perhaps it might have had a better chance at success. Remer immediately recalled his own troops and took control of all other units the coup leaders had ordered into the city. He then surrounded the Replacement Army headquarters on the Bendlerstrasse, signifying to anyone who cared to took that the coup against the Nazi government had failed. Major Remer surrounded the Replacement Army Operations Center at the Bendlerstrasse, and even worse, Himmler was en route to Berlin to take command of all troop formations in the city and to deal with the traitors. Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators, H�ften, Olbricht and Mertz von Quirnheim, were arrested and taken to the inner courtyard of the Bendlerstrasse Headquarters where a firing squad was waiting. Several cars and trucks had been drawn in a semicircle with their lights focused on the row of sandbags where the condemned men stood silently. Seconds before the shots were fired, Stauffenberg shouted, "Long live holy Germany". In a final act of loyalty, H�ften threw himself in front of Stauffenberg, who was merely wounded by the first round. A second volley was needed to finish him. The soul of the conspiracy against Hitler died at 12:30 A.M., 21 July 1944. Before the second round of executions could be carried out, they were stopped by SS Obergruppenf�hrer Ernst Kaltenbrunner, who was acting as Himmler's personal representative, and SS Sturmbannf�hrer Otto Skorzeny, Himmler's choice to command the Replacement Army. They wanted prisoners who could be interrogated, not corpses. At exactly 1:00 A.M., 21 July, Hitler broadcast a speech that was carried throughout occupied Europe. In his harsh, flat voice the F�hrer announced the unsuccessful attempt on his life: "Men and women of Germany, I do not know how many times there have been plans and attempts to assassinate me. If I speak to you today it is, first of all, in order that you should hear my voice and know that I am unhurt and well, secondly that you should know of a crime unparalleled in German history". Hitler went on to identify Stauffenberg as the intended assassin of the F�hrer and high-level German military leaders. He called the conspirators a "small clique of ambitious, unscrupulous, and at the same time criminal and stupid officers". He compared them with the anonymous cowards who had stabbed the German army in the back in 1918. To emphasize that the plotters had not infected the army with their poison, he assured his listeners that "this circle of usurpers is very small and has nothing in common with the German Wehrmacht". They were, he went on, "a tiny gang of criminal elements that will be ruthlessly exterminated". Hitler then described the measures he had taken to excise what he called "this tiny clique of traitors". Himmler was made Commander-in-Chief of the Replacement Army and charged with punishing the conspirators. "This time we are going to settle accounts with them in a manner to which we National Socialists are accustomed". These were chilling words for the conspirators. They knew exactly what Hitler had in store for them. Death would be a slow, torturous agony for the men who had plotted Hitler's death and the destruction of the Nazi government. Hitler told Joachim von Ribbentrop: "I will crush and destroy the criminals who have dared to oppose themselves to Providence and to me. These traitors to their own people deserve ignominious death, and this is what they shall have. This time the full price will be paid by all those who are involved, and by their families, and by all those who have helped them. This nest of vipers who have tried to sabotage the grandeur of my Germany will be exterminated once and for all". Members of the SS were never seriously recruited into the 20 July plot, most often since the SS had sworn a personal oath to Hitler that included service above life itself. Therefore, SS members were not considered reliable conspirators for an attempt to kill Hitler. One very notable exception was Arthur Nebe who was implicated in the plot due to his anti-Nazi feelings even though he was a full member of the SS and had even commanded an Einsatzgruppe. Nebe's "fall from grace" was considered due to his many years as a civilian police detective and how he saw most the SS security police as incompetent. Nebe himself was quoted, upon investigating the death of Reinhard Heydrich, that the Gestapo seemed more concerned with reprisals than actually investigating the crime. Even so, Nebe's exact fate after the bomb plot remains unclear to this day. Most reports state he was executed; however, alternate theories suggest Nebe escaped Germany under an assumed name with reports placing him in Ireland as late as 1960. Arthur Nebe) (13 November 1894 � 21 March 1945) was a key functionary in the security and police apparatus of Nazi Germany. Nebe rose through the ranks of the Berlin and Prussian police forces to become head of Nazi Germany's Criminal Police (Kripo) in 1936, which was folded into the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA) in 1939. Nebe served as commanding officer of Einsatzgruppe B deployed largely in modern-day Belarus behind Army Group Centre during the German invasion of the Soviet Union. In late 1941, he was posted back to Berlin and resumed his career within the RSHA. Nebe commanded the Kripo until he was denounced and executed after the failed attempt to kill Adolf Hitler in July 1944. After the close of the World War II, 24 senior leaders of the Einsatzgruppen were prosecuted in the Einsatzgruppen Trial in 1947�48, part of the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials held under United States military authority. The men were charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes, and membership in the SS (which had been declared a criminal organization). Fourteen death sentences and two life sentences were among the judgments; only four executions were carried out, on 7 June 1951; the rest were reduced to lesser sentences. Four additional Einsatzgruppen leaders were later tried and executed by other nations. Several Einsatzgruppen leaders, including Otto Ohlendorf, claimed at the trial to have received an order before Operation Barbarossa requiring them to murder all Soviet Jews.[145] To date no evidence has been found that such an order was ever issued.[Longerich, Peter (2010). "Holocaust: The Nazi Persecution and Murder of the Jews. Oxford; New York: Oxford University]. German prosecutor Alfred Streim noted that if such an order had been given, post-war courts would only have been able to convict the Einsatzgruppen leaders as accomplices to mass murder. However, if it could be established that the Einsatzgruppen had committed mass murder without orders, then they could have been convicted as perpetrators of mass murder, and hence could have received stiffer sentences, including capital punishment. Streim postulated that the existence of an early comprehensive order was a fabrication created for use in Ohlendorf's defence. This theory is now widely accepted by historians. Longerich notes that most orders received by the Einsatzgruppen leaders�especially when they were being ordered to carry out criminal activities�were vague, and couched in terminology that had a specific meaning for members of the regime. Leaders were given briefings about the need to be "severe" and "firm"; all Jews were to be viewed as potential enemies that had to be dealt with ruthlessly. British historian Sir Ian Kershaw argues that Hitler's apocalyptic remarks before Barbarossa about the necessity for a war without mercy to "annihilate" the forces of "Judeo-Bolshevism" were interpreted by Einsatzgruppen commanders as permission and encouragement to engage in extreme antisemitic violence, with each Einsatzgruppen commander to use his own discretion about how far he was prepared to go.[Kershaw, Ian (2008). "Hitler, the Germans, and the Final Solution". New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press.] Most of the perpetrators of Nazi war crimes were never charged, and returned unremarked to civilian life. The West German Central Prosecution Office of Nazi War Criminals only charged about a hundred former Einsatzgruppe members with war crimes. And as time went on, it became more difficult to obtain prosecutions; witnesses grew older and were less likely to be able to offer valuable testimony. Funding for trials was inadequate, and the governments of Austria and Germany became less interested in obtaining convictions for wartime events, preferring to forget the Nazi past. Born in Berlin, the son of a Berlin school teacher, Nebe volunteered for military service in the 17th Pioneer Battalion during the Great War, where he was wounded twice by poison-gas. In 1920 Nebe Nebe joined the Berlin detective force known as the Kriminalpolizei (Kripo; Criminal Police), a similar organization to the United Kingdom's Criminal Investigation Department, and attained the rank of Police Commissioner in 1924. In early 1932 Nebe and other detectives formed the NS (National Socialist) Civil Service Society of the Berlin Police. A professional policeman and the author of an authoritative treatise on criminology, Nebe joined the NSDAP on 1 July 1931 and the SS on 2 December 1936. Following the Nazi seizure of power, Kurt Dal�ge recommended Nebe in April 1933 to be Chief Executive of the State Police. Kurt Dal�ge (15 September 1897 � 24 October 1946) was a German Nazi SS-Oberst-Gruppenf�hrer and Generaloberst of the Police (ranks equivalent to colonel-general, or four-star General) as chief of the national uniformed Ordnungspolizei (Order Police), and ruled the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia as Deputy Protector after Reinhard Heydrich's assassination. After the end of World War II, he was extradited to Czechoslovakia, convicted as a war criminal and executed in 1946. Dal�ge, son of a Prussian state official, was born in the small Upper Silesian town of Kreuzburg (now Kluczbork). He entered the Imperial German Army in 1916 and served with the 7th Garde Infantry Regiment, on the Eastern Front. In October 1917, he attended officer training in Doberitz. During his service on the Western Front, he was severely wounded in the head and shoulder. He was hospitalised and declared 25% disabled. Dal�ge was awarded the Iron Cross, second class (1918) and the Wound Badge in Black (1918). After World War I, Dal�ge became leader of Selbstschutz Oberschlesien (SSOS) - Upper Silesian Self Defense � an Upper Silesian veterans' organization engaged in combat with the Poles in that region. In 1921, he also became active in the Freikorps Rossbach while studying engineering at the Technical University in Berlin, where he eventually earned a civil engineering degree. Two years later he joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP). In 1926 he joined the Sturmabteilung (SA), eventually becoming the leader of Berlin's SA and G�bbbels' Deputy Gauleiter (or Party leader) in Berlin. Throughout the period 1926�1929, Dal�ge led the Berlin-Brandenburg division of the SA. In July 1930, in accordance with Hitler's wishes, Dal�ge resigned from the SA and joined the SS with the rank of SS-Oberf�hrer. His main responsibility was to spy on the SA and political opponents of the Nazi Party. Berlin SS headquarters was strategically placed at the corner of L�tzowstrasse and Potsdamerstrasse, opposite the SA headquarters. In August 1930, when Berlin SA leader Walter Stennes had his men attack the Berlin Party headquarters, it was Dal�ge's SS men who defended it and put the attack down. Sometime afterwards in an open letter to Dal�ge, Adolf Hitler proclaimed "SS Mann, deine Ehre hei�t Treue!" (SS man, your honour is loyalty); and "Meine Ehre hei�t Treue" (My honour is loyalty) was duly adopted by the SS as its motto. Hitler promoted both Dal�ge and Heinrich Himmler to SS-Obergruppenf�hrer, with Dal�ge the SS leader of northern Germany while Himmler controlled the southern SS units out of Munich in addition to serving as national leader for the entire SS. In 1932 Dal�ge became a Nazi Party delegate in the Prussian state parliament, and in November 1932 was elected to the Reichstag representing the Berlin East electoral district, a seat he retained until 1945. At the same time, Hermann G�ring moved Dal�ge to the Prussian Interior Ministry, where he took over the nonpolitical police with the rank of General der Polizei. Intrigue created by G�ring, Himmler and Heydrich surrounding Ernst R�hm led to Dal�ge playing an important role in the infamous Night of the Long Knives during which R�hm along with many leading members of the SA were killed between 30 June to 2 July 1934, thus neutralising the SA and shifting the balance of power within the party to the SS. Evidence of Dal�ge's ruthlessness goes beyond his intrigue against his former SA comrades and are discernible in his remarks concerning anyone he considered a threat to society. He once argued that, "the consciously asocial enemies of the people (Volksfeinde)" must be eliminated by state intervention "if it hopes to prevent the outbreak of complete moral degeneration". Historian George Browder claims that Dal�ge "bragged that the Police Institute for detective training had especially been reorganized according to NS viewpoints" and that advancement within his organization was contingent to a considerable degree upon the internalization of Nazi ideology. By November 1934, Dal�ge's authority over the uniformed police was extended beyond Prussia to encompass all of Germany. That meant he commanded municipal police forces, the rural gendarmerie, traffic police, the coastguard, the railway police, the postal protection service, fire brigades, the air-raid services, the emergency technical service, the broadcasting police, the factory protection police, building regulations enforcement, and the commercial police. In 1936, the entire German police force was reorganized with the administrative functions previously exercised by the now largely defunct federal states reassigned to the nominal control of Reich Interior Ministry, but under the actual control of Himmler's SS. Making the most of his police expertise and coinciding his appointment, Dal�ge wrote and published a book entitled, National-sozialistischer Kampf gegen das Verbrechertum" (NS Struggle against Criminality). That same year, Himmler appointed Dal�ge as chief of the Ordnungspolizei (Orpo), which gave him administrative, though not executive, authority over most of the uniformed police in Nazi Germany. He commanded the Orpo until 1943, rising to the rank of SS-Oberst-Gruppenf�hrer und Generaloberst der Polizei. By August 1939, the strength of the Orpo under Dal�ge's command and control had reached upwards of 120,000 active-duty personnel. Further indications of the brutality coming from Dal�ge's office (Chief of the Ordnungspolizei), are shown in a report dated 5 September 1939 outlining the methods to be employed during pacification operations in Poland. Concerning uniformed police battalions for planned reprisal actions around the Polish town of Czestochowa, the report gave the following instructions: "the leader of this battalion is ordered to take the most drastic actions and measures such as those in the upper Silesian industrial area, the hanging of Polish franc-tireurs from light poles as a visible symbol for the entire population". During the war in 1941, he attended a mass shooting of 4,435 Jews by Police-Battalion 307 near Brest-Litowsk and a mass shooting of Jews in Minsk. Further in October 1941, Dal�ge signed deportation orders for Jews from Germany, Austria and the Protectorate to Riga and Minsk. On 7 July 1942, he attended a conference led by Himmler which discussed the "enlargement" of Operation Reinhard, the secretive Nazi plan to mass-murder Polish Jews in the General Government district of occupied Poland and as to other matters involving SS and police policies in the east. In 1942 Dal�ge became the Deputy Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, following the assassination of Deputy Protector Reinhard Heydrich. Although Konstantin von Neurath was nominally Protector, he had been stripped of his authority in 1941, so Dal�ge was Acting Protector in all but name. In June 1942, along with Karl Hermann Frank and other SS operatives, he ordered the villages of Lidice and Le��ky razed to the ground in reprisal for Heydrich's death. All of the men in both villages were murdered, while many of the women and children were deported to Nazi concentration camps. In May 1943, Dal�ge became seriously ill after a massive heart attack. In August, he was relieved of all of his day-to-day responsibilities and spent the rest of the war living on a property in western Pomerania given to him by Hitler. In May 1945, he was arrested by British troops in L�beck and interned in Luxembourg and then at Nuremberg where he was charged as "a major war criminal". In September 1946 after being extradited to Czechoslovakia, he was tried for his many war crimes committed in the Protectorate. Throughout his trial, Dal�e was unrepentant, claiming that he was beloved by "three million policemen", only following Hitler's orders and that he had a clear conscience. He was convicted on all charges and sentenced to death on 23 October 1946. Dal�ge was hanged in Pankr�c prison in Prague on 24 October 1946 after having attempted suicide previously. In October 1933 Nebe was ordered by Rudolf Diels, then head of the Gestapo, to arrange the liquidation of Hitler's rival Gregor Strasser. This began the process of turning Nebe against the Nazis. Rudolf Diels (16 December 1900 � 18 November 1957) was a German civil servant and head of the Gestapo in 1933�34. He obtained the rank of SS-Oberf�hrer and was a prot�g� of Hermann G�ring. Diels was born in Berghausen in the Taunus, the son of a farmer. He served in the army during World War I and afterwards studied law at the University of Marburg from 1919. At university he had a reputation as a drinker and philanderer. While there he also received a number of dueling scars resulting from the academic fencing once practised by young upper-class Austrians and Germans in trying to prove their manhood. The scars did not greatly detract from his good looks and in fact imparted a quite striking appearance. He joined the Prussian interior ministry in 1930 and was promoted to an advisory position in the Prussian police in 1932, targeting political radicals, both Communists and Nazis. He was head of the Prussian Political Police when Adolf Hitler came to power. G�ring was made minister for Prussia in 1933, replacing Carl Severing, and was impressed with Diels' work and new-found commitment to the Nazi Party. Diels became a prot�g� of G�ring's. In April 1933, G�ring appointed him as chief of the new Prussian state police department 1A, concerned with political crimes. Department 1A was soon renamed the Geheime Staatspolizei (Secret State Police), or Gestapo. On 27 February 1933 the Reichstag fire occurred and Diels was the main interrogator of the principal accused, Marinus van der Lubbe. He told Hitler he thought that the fire was set by this single man. However, Hitler was convinced it was the Communists. Diels also ordered Arthur Nebe to arrange the killing of Gregor Strasser in October 1933; ironically Strasser was later killed during the Night of the Long Knives in which Diels himself was almost killed. Diels attracted the attention of political rivals, including SS chief Heinrich Himmler and his deputy, Reinhard Heydricha, who began to spread rumours about his loyalty to Adolf Hitler. One of these stories claimed that Diels had joined the conspiracy being organized by Ernst R�hm. In 1933 and 1934, Himmler and Heydrich took over the political police of state after state. Soon only Prussia was left outside their control. Concerned that Diels was not ruthless enough to effectively counteract the power of the Sturmabteilung (SA), G�ring handed over control of the Gestapo to Himmler on 20 April 1934. Also on that date, Hitler appointed Himmler chief of all German police outside Prussia. Heydrich, named chief of the Gestapo by Himmler on 22 April 1934, also continued as head of the SS Security Service (Sicherheitsdienst, SD). Effectively smeared, but with G�ring's aid, Diels narrowly avoided execution during the Night of the Long Knives in the summer of 1934, fleeing his post for five weeks. Thereafter, he was briefly Deputy Police President of Berlin before being appointed Regierungspr�sident (administrative president) of the local government of Cologne. He maintained his association with G�ring, marrying a cousin of his protector. G�ring often saved him from prison, notably in 1940 when he declined to order the arrest of Jews. He was later arrested by the Gestapo in 1944 after the 20 July Plot to assassinate Hitler and imprisoned, but survived. He presented a affidavit for the prosecution at the Nuremberg trials but was also summoned to testify by G�ring's defence lawyer. Diels gave evidence against the leaders of the Nazi Government. As he was considered to be innocent of war crimes he was allowed to serve in the post-war government of Lower Saxony from 1950 and then in the Ministry of the Interior until his retirement in 1953. Diels published his memoirs, "Lucifer Ante Portas", in 1950. Rudolf Diels was killed on 18 November 1957 as his rifle went off as he was taking it from the trunk of his car, preparing for a hunt. In 1933 he came to know Hans Bernd Gisevius, then an official in the Berlin Police Headquarters and Gisevius introduced him to Hans Oster In July 1936, the Kripo became the criminal police department for the entire Reich. It was merged, along with the Gestapo, into the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo) or Security Police. At that point, Reinhard Heydrich was in overall command of the SiPo (Gestapo and Kripo) and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) (Security Service), the intelligence service of the SS and the Nazi Party. As chief of the Kripo, Nebe reported to Heydrich. His aversion to Heydrich and Heinrich Himmler grew even though he continued to regularly lunch with them. In 1938, Nebe joined forces with future fellow conspirator Dr. Karl Sack (Judge Advocate-General of the Wehrmacht) against Himmler and Heydrich's plot against General Werner von Fritsch. That same year, Hans Oster recruited Nebe into the conspiracy for the September 1938 coup attempt, a plot to overthrow Hitler if he went to war with Czechoslovakia over the Sudetenland. Nebe supplied the conspirators with information regarding SS strength, logistics, and safe houses throughout the Berlin area. Karl Sack (born June 9, 1896 in Bosenheim (now Bad Kreuznach), executed 9 April 1945 in Flossenb�rg concentration camp) was a German jurist and member of the resistance movement during World War II. Sack studied law in Heidelberg where he joined a 'Burschenschaft' (Burschenschaft Vineta) and after a time in legal practice became district court judge in Hesse. He transfered to the military judiciary in 1934. The rapid expansion of the Wehrmacht expedited Sack's career in the Reich War Ministry. As a judge in the Reichskriegsgericht (Reich Military Court), Sack was involved in the investigation leading to the proceedings against Chief of Army High Command Colonel-General von Fritsch in 1938. Fritsch was falsely accused by the Gestapo of homosexuality, and Sack was able to prove that these accusations were untenable. During World War II, Sack maintained contacts within the resistance circles in the Office for Foreign Affairs/Counter Intelligence around Admiral Canaris, Major General Hans Oster, and Hans von Dohn�nyi and with the military opposition. The conspirators' plans briefly envisioned Karl Sack as Justice Minister within a planned post-coup civilian government. In the wake of the unsuccessful attempt on Hitler's life on 20 July 1944, Karl Sack was arrested on 9 August 1944, and brought before an SS drumhead court-martial presided over by Otto Thorbeck, and sentenced to death. On Hitler's orders, he was executed in the Flossenb�rg concentration camp on 9 April, 1945. In 1984, Sack's role as a member of the resistance was remembered with a bronze plaque placed in the former Reichskriegsgericht in Berlin-Charlottenburg. There was some opposition to this honour as Sack favoured a far-reaching interpretation of what constituted desertion, which must have led to more than a few death sentences. Hans von Dohn�nyi (Born 1 January 1902, Vienna, Austria-Hungary - Died 8/9 April 1945) was a German jurist of Hungarian ancestry, rescuer of Jews, and German resistance fighter against the Nazi regime. Dohn�nyi was born to the Hungarian composer Ern� Dohn�nyi and his wife, the pianist Elisabeth Kunwald. After his parents divorced, he grew up in Berlin. He went to the Gr�newald Gymnasium there, becoming friends with Dietrich and Klaus Bonh�ffer. From 1920 to 1924, he studied law in Berlin. In 1925, he received a doctorate in law with a dissertation on "The International Lease Treaty and Czechoslovakia's Claim on the Lease Area in Hamburg Harbour". After taking the first state exam in 1924, he married Christel Bonh�ffer, sister of his school friends, in 1925. About this time, he began putting the stress on the "a" in his last name (which is of Hungarian origin, stressed on the first syllable). Dohn�nyi worked at the Hamburg Senate for a short time and in 1929, began a career at the Reich Ministry of Justice, working as a personal consultant with the title of prosecutor to several justice ministers In 1934, the title was changed to Regierungsrat ("government adviser"). In 1932, he was adjutant to Erwin Bumke, the Imperial Court President (Reichsgerichtspr�sident; at this time, Germany was still officially the Deutsches Reich {German Empire), in which capacity he put together Prussia's lawsuit against the Empire, which Prussia had brought after the Preu�enschlag, Franz von Papen's dissolution of the Prussian social-democratic government through an emergency decree in 1932. As an adviser to Franz G�rtner from 1934�38, Dohn�nyi became acquainted with Adolf Hitler, Josef G�bbels, Heinrich Himmler and Hermann G�ring. He had access to the justice ministry's most secret documents. Spurred by the murders of alleged plotters of the 1934 Night of the Long Knives, "legitimized" murders carried out on government orders, without trial or sentence, Dohn�nyi began to seek out contacts with German resistance circles. He made records for himself of the regime's crimes, so that in the event of a collapse of the Third Reich, he would have evidence of their crimes. In 1938, once his critical view of Nazi racial politics became known, Martin Bormann had him transferred to the Reichsgericht in Leipzig as an adviser. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Hans Oster called Dohn�nyi into the Abwehr of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht. Led by Wilhelm Canaris, it quite quickly became a hub of resistance activity against Hitler. Dohn�nyi protected Dietrich Bonh�ffer from conscription by bringing him into the Abwehr with the claim Bonh�ffer's numerous ecumenical contacts could be useful for Germany. Dietrich Bonh�ffer (4 February 1906 � 9 April 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, anti-Nazi dissident, and key founding member of the Confessing Church, was known for his staunch resistance to the Nazi dictatorship, including vocal opposition to Hitler's euthanasia program and genocidal persecution of the Jews. After the failure of the 20 July Plot on Hitler's life in 1944 and the discovery in September 1944 of secret Abwehr documents relating to the conspiracy, Bonh�ffer's connection with the conspirators was discovered. He was transferred from the military prison Tegel in Berlin, where he had been held for 18 months, to the detention cellar of the house prison of the Reich Security Head Office, the Gestapo's high-security prison. In February 1945, he was secretly moved to Buchenwald concentration camp, and finally to Flossenb�rg concentration camp. On 4 April 1945, the diaries of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr, were discovered, and in a rage upon reading them, Hitler ordered that the Abwehr conspirators be destroyed. Bonh�ffer was condemned to death on 8 April 1945 by SS judge Otto Thorbeck at a drumhead court-martial without witnesses, records of proceedings or a defense in Flossenb�rg concentration camp. He was executed there by hanging at dawn on 9 April 1945, along with fellow conspirators Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, Canaris's deputy General Hans Oster, military jurist General Karl Sack, General Friedrich von Rabenau, businessman Theodor Str�nck, and German resistance fighter Ludwig Gehre, just two weeks before soldiers from the United States 90th and 97th Infantry Divisions liberated the camp, three weeks before the Soviet capture of Berlin and a month before the capitulation of Nazi Germany. Bonh�ffer's brother, Klaus Bonh�ffer, and his brother-in-law R�diger Schleicher were executed in Berlin on the night of 22�23 April as Soviet troops were already fighting in the capital. In 1942, Dohn�nyi made it possible for two Jewish lawyers from Berlin, Friedrich Arnold and Julius Fliess, to flee with their loved ones to Switzerland, disguised as Abwehr agents. Altogether, 13 people were able to leave Germany without hindrance, thanks to Dohn�nyi's forgeries and operation known as U-7. Dohn�nyi covertly went to Switzerland to make certain the refugees would be admitted, and also ensuring they received money to support themselves. During late February 1943, Dohn�nyi busied himself with Henning von Tresckow's assassination attempt against Hitler and the attendant coup d'�tat. The bomb that was smuggled aboard Hitler's plane in Smolensk after being carried there by Dohn�nyi, however, failed to go off. On 5 April 1943, Dohn�nyi was arrested at his office by the Gestapo on charges of alleged breach of foreign currency violations: he had transferred funds to a Swiss bank on behalf of the Jews he had saved. Both Bonh�ffer and Christel Dohn�nyi were also arrested, although she was released about a week later. Military judge Karl Sack, a member of the resistance, deliberately delayed Dohn�nyi's trial, but, in 1944, Dohn�nyi was delivered to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. His involvement in the 20 July Plot came to light after the plan failed. Also, the Gestapo found some of the documents he had earlier saved and hidden and decided Dohn�nyi was "the spiritual head of the conspiracy� against Hitler. On Hitler's orders, on 6 April 1945, he was condemned to death by an SS drumhead court and executed two or three days later (depending on the source). After the fall of the Nazi r�gime, the chairman of the drumhead court, Otto Thorbeck, and the prosecutor, Walter Huppenkothen, were accused in West Germany of being accessories to murder. After the Bundesgerichtshof (BGH) had at first quashed a lower court's two acquittals, it changed its mind in 1956 during the third revision of the case, quashed Thorbeck's and Huppenkothen's sentences, and acquitted them of the charges of being accessories to murder by their participation in the drumhead trial on grounds that the court had been duly constituted and the sentence had been imposed according to the law then in force, without either of the accused having perverted justice. On the centenary of Dohn�nyi's birth in 2002, G�nter Hirsch, president of the BGH, called those who had sentenced Dohn�nyi to death "criminals calling themselves judges". Hirsch said the 1956 ruling was shameful because as a result, not a single one of the Nazi-era judges who sentenced 50,000 Nazi opponents to their deaths were themselves found guilty after the war. On 23 October 2003, Israel honoured Dohn�nyi by recognizing him as one of the Righteous Among the Nations for saving the Arnold and Fliess families, at risk to his own life. His name has been inscribed in the walls at the Holocaust remembrance centre Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. On 27 September 1939, Himmler ordered the creation of the Reich Main Security Office (Reichssicherheitshauptamt or RSHA); the new organisation encompassed all security services and police, except for the uniformed service. The RSHA was divided into main departments, including SiPo and Kripo, which became Department V of the RSHA. Department V was also known as the Reich Criminal Police Office (Reichskriminalpolizeiamt, or RKPA). Nebe was put in charge of Amt V, and promoted to the rank of SS-Gruppenf�hrer, Nebe embraced the preventative mission of the Kripo to "exterminate criminality" and fostered Nazi ideology within the police department. Under Nebe's leadership, equipped with arbitrary powers of arrest and detention, the Kripo acted more and more like the Gestapo, including the liberal use of preventative custody, and large-scale roundups of so-called asocials. Nebe's ties to mass murder may originate in 1939, when he sent a commissioner in his Criminal Police Office, Christian Wirth of Stuttgart, to the Euthanasia organisation. In 1941, just prior to Operation Barbarossa,perhaps sensing some reluctance on the part of his subordinate to get his hands dirty, Reinhard Heydrich selected Nebe to command Einsatzgruppe B, which would follow the Wehrmacht�s Army Group Center in the invasion of the Soviet Union. There are reports of his volunteering for this command from Nazis being tried for war crimes themselves after the war and while it is quite possible he did, in fact, volunteer for the position, there is also the distinct possibility that he was assigned the position and the war criminals were lying - they were, at the time, attempting to clear SS Intelligence Chief Reinhard Heydrich of war crimes. Nebe asked for a transfer to the International Police Commission to avoid this duty, but Heydrich insisted; anti-Nazis Ludwig Beck and Hans Oster urged Nebe to accept, so they would have direct evidence of SS crimes and organization. He worked with Henning von Tresckow and Fabian von Schlabrendorff to reduce the atrocities committed, and often massaged the numbers reported to his superiors (including one claim that his task force was responsible for more than 45,000 killings). A different picture of Nebe is shown through the August 1941 mass-shooting of 100 people in Minsk. On Himmler's request, Nebe held the demonstration. Himmler attended the shooting; just after the event, he vomited. After regaining his composure, Himmler decided that alternate methods of killing should be found. He told Heydrich that he was concerned for the mental health of the SS men. Himmler wanted Nebe to come up with something less distressing. With the technical assistance of Dr. Albert Widmann, Nebe experimented with the use of explosives and carbon monoxide gas vans (used to suffocate victims) to kill the mentally defective in lunatic asylums in Minsk and Mogilev, to spare his men the anxiety of shooting them. Of his work in the east, historian Gerald Reitlinger stated: �The headquarters of Nebe's extermination group were at Minsk and later Smolensk, where he was in touch with another old friend, Colonel Hans Oster, who was attached to Central Army Group headquarters. Nebe is said to have fought against Heydrich's orders and disclosed them to the Oster circle, who had used him as an information post for the past four years. No doubt that is why Heydrich's reports credit Nebe's stewardship with the quite modest score of 46,000 executions as against Stahlecker's 221,000". He returned from Russia convinced that the war would end with the military defeat of Germany. In late 1942 after the Wannsee Conference, Nebe informed his fellow conspirators of the plans for the so-called Final Solution. In March 1944, after the 'Great Escape' from Stalag Luft III POW camp, Nebe was ordered by Heinrich M�ller, Chief of the Gestapo (Amt IV, or Department 4, of the RSHA), to choose 50 of the 73 captured prisoners to be executed in the Stalag Luft III murders. It is reputed that this selection caused Nebe great distress. Arthur Nebe appears to have been on the fringe of the 20 July 1944 bomb plot to kill Hitler at Rastenburg. Supposedly, his mission in the plot was to lead a team of twelve police officers to assassinate Heinrich Himmler, but his whereabouts on the day remain in question (He may have been in Berlin with conspirator General Paul von Hase) as does the method by which he was to have received the signal to act. Historian Reitlinger characterized Nebe as "a very questionable member of the Resistance Circle at the time of the great bomb plot". Nebe � using various disguises after a warrant was issued for his arrest on24 July 24 � fled into hiding. There are many versions of what happened next; one of the most logical is that Nebe contacted a female acquaintance in the police, one Adelheid Gobbin at the end of July, requesting help. She took him to her apartment and then arranged a hiding place with the Walter Frick family at Motzen on Lake Motzen, twenty miles south of Berlin. Gestapo investigator Willy Litzenberg appears to have tracked Gobbin down in January 1945 and in a later interrogation, she revealed Nebe�s hiding place. Nebe, who according to one source attempted to fake his own suicide in January, was arrested in February 1945 and sentenced to death by the People�s Court. On 21 March 1945, executioners at Pl�tzensee Prison in Berlin hanged Arthur Nebe (and Walter Frick). Contrary to this, sightings of him were reported in Tunin during 1956 and in Ireland during 1960. Whether these reports are truthful or not is still unknown. To this day, Arthur Nebe remains a controversial figure in the history of the German conspiracy against Hitler Having been a major figure in Himmler's SS empire as Head of the Kriminalpolizei (Criminal Police) and later having belonged to Einsatzgruppen - B (attached to Army Group Center), Nebe has been posthumously accused of all manners of war crimes. But a careful study of his life reveals the very opposite. Nebe begins his career in the Criminal Police long before Hitler's accession to power earning an impeccable record in the fight against crime. Though initially fond of Hitler and his vows to restore Germany to great power status, Nebe soon develops serious doubts about the Nazi regime following the R�hm massacre. As his doubts accumulate, he eventually confides to his close friend and colleague, Hans-Bernd Gisevius, his intention to resign from the force, especially after the Criminal Police is absorbed into the SS empire. Gisevius persuades him to stay on arguing that the conspirators desperately need someone within Himmler's empire to carefully document all the crimes that were being perpetrated by the Nazi regime - evidence the conspirators hope one day to use to bring Hitler, G�ring, Himmler, and the rest to justice before Germany and the world. Hans Bernd Gisevius (July 14, 1904 � February 23, 1974) was a German diplomat and intelligence officer during World War II. A covert opponent of the Nazi regime, he served as a liaison in Z�rich between Allen Dulles, station chief for the American OSS and the German Resistance forces in Germany. Gisevius was born in Arnsberg in the Prussian Province of Westphalia. After law school, he joined the Prussian Interior Ministry in 1933 and was assigned to the newly formed Geheime Staatspolizei, or Gestapo. After joining the Gestapo, he immediately had disagreements with his senior, Rudolf Diels, and was discharged. He continued with police work in the Interior Ministry. When Himmler took over Police functions in 1936 in the German Reich, he removed Gisevius from office. Throughout his time working for the Gestapo Gisevius described himself as living in constant fear, entering and exiting through the back door, clutching a pistol at his side - all resultant from his misgivings with the terror apparatus to which he was assigned, since according to him, it was like "living in a den of murderers". Gisevius later transferred to the Reich Ministry of the Interior. Although he had no position of power, he maintained connections, notably to Arthur Nebe, that kept him informed of the political background. Gisevius joined the secret opposition to Hitler, began gathering evidence of Nazi crimes (for use in a later prosecution) and attempted to restrain the increasing power of Heinrich Himmler and the SS. He maintained links with Hans Oster and Hjalmar Schacht. When World War II started, Gisevius joined the German intelligence service, the Abwehr, which was headed by Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, who was secretly an opponent of Hitler. Canaris had surrounded himself with Wehrmacht officers opposed to Hitler and he welcomed Gisevius into this group. Working from the consulate in Z�rich, Hans Gisevius was involved in secret talks with the Vatican. Canaris arranged for the appointment of Gisevius as Vice Consul in Switzerland, where Gisevius met with Allen Dulles in 1943 and agreed to serve as a liaison for the German opposition to Hitler, an assembly which counted among its members General Ludwig Beck, Abwehr Chief Canaris, and Mayor Carl G�rdeler of Leipzig. Several members of the conspiratorial circle against Hitler including Gisevius, "all kept homes within easy walking distance of each other". According to Gisevius, the original plot to kill Hitler earlier (namely, before the acquiescence of Great Britain over the Sudetenland) was literally derailed by Neville Chamberlain whose actions he claims "saved Hitler". Upon returning to Germany, he was investigated by the Gestapo, but released. In 1944, after the failed July 20th assassination attempt against Hitler, Gisevius first hid at the home of his future wife, the Swiss national Gerda Woog, and fled to Switzerland in 1945, making him one of the few conspirators to survive the war. There, he contacted the Swiss authorities. Peter Hoffmann's biography of Hitler assassination conspirator Claus Graf von Stauffenberg ("Stauffenberg, A Family History," 1992) indicates that after the failure of Stauffenberg's bomb plot in July 1944, Gisevius went into hiding until 23 January 1945, when he escaped to Switzerland by using a passport that had belonged to Carl Deichmann, a brother-in-law of German Count Helmuth James von Moltke, who was a specialist in international law serving in the legal branch of the Foreign Countries Group of the OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, "Supreme Command of the Armed Forces"). Through the help of the American Allen Dulles in Berne, Switzerland and of the German Legation (in Berne)'s Georg Federer, the passport was modified and a visa obtained for Gisevius that enabled him to escape to Spain. Gisevius served as a key witness for the defense at the Nuremberg Trials when he was called as a witness by defendants Hjalmar Schacht and Wilhelm Frick. His testimony was crucial in securing the acquittal of Schacht on all counts, but Frick was found guilty. His testimony was also particularly damaging to Hermann G�ring, Wilhelm Keitel and Ernst Kaltenbrunner, who were all convicted. His autobiography, "Bis zum bitteren Ende" (To the Bitter End), published in 1946, offered a sharp indictment of the Nazi regime, many of whose leading members Gisevius knew personally, as well as of the German people, who, Gisevius claimed, pretended not to know about the atrocities being committed in its name. At the same time, it also offers an insider's account of the German resistance movement. In 1946 Gisevius was charged and acquitted by the Swiss authorities in a trial for espionage. Gisevius was later criticized as he diminished the contributions of other members (i.e. Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg) of the opposition to Hitler. Gisevius reported in his 1948 book, "To the Bitter End", that he considered SS Chief Heinrich Himmler a bit of a hypocrite whereas he saw Reinhard Heydrich as one who epitomized a true German, in accordance with Nazi ideals at least. In the early 1950s he moved to the United States and lived in Dallas, Texas, but soon returned, and lived in Switzerland. Gisevius died in M�llheim in Baden-W�rttemberg in 1974. In 1938, Nebe joins forces with future co-conspirator Dr. Karl Sack (Judge Advocate-General of the German Army) to torpedo Himmler's plot against General Werner von Fritsch. General Hans Oster recruits Nebe into the conspiracy for the September 1938 coup attempt. Nebe supplies his colleagues in the know with vital information regarding SS strength, logistics, and safehouses throughout the Berlin area. During 1941-42, Nebe is assigned to Einsatzgruppen-B in occupied Russia. He manages to save thousands of Russian civilians from execution by falsifying figures and claiming credit for slaughters that have never been carried out. Nebe is soon suspected by fellow SS-Einsatzgruppen colleagues of being "soft"; mass executions being undertaken by SS Sonderkommandos in his absence. In late 1942, using a special code-language, Nebe informs co-conspirators of secret conferences he has attended chaired by Himmler to develop a clandestine extermination program referred to repeatedly as 'The Final Solution'. The program involves the extermination of European Jewry and all other categories of people deemed by the F�hrer as unfit to exist. Measures such as transportation by rail in sealed wagons and gas chambers are discussed. On 20 July 1944, he is on hand in Berlin at the side of co-conspirator General Paul von Hase to support Stauffenberg's July 20th uprising. Nebe organizes police raiding parties awaiting orders to arrest key Reich ministers. The orders never arrive. After successfully evading the Gestapo for half a year using a variety of disguises, Nebe is finally caught in February 1945. On 2 March 1945, Nebe is sentenced to death by the People's Court and hanged. -- Jewish Virtual Library Historians have a uniformly negative view of Nebe and his motives, despite his participation in the 20 July plot. Robert Gellately writes that Nebe's views were virulently racist and antisemitic. Martin Kitchen casts Nebe as an opportunist, who saw the SS as the police force of the future, and as an "energetic and enthusiastic mass murderer, who seized every opportunity to undertake yet another massacre", yet he "was clearly unable to stand the strain and was posted back to Berlin". Comprehensive reports filed by the Einsatzgruppen have been analyzed by historian Ronald Headland as "historical 'Messages of Murder'" that provide insights into the worldview of its leadership. Headland writes that the reports "bear witness to the fanatic commitment of the Einsatzgruppen leaders to their mission of extermination"; their ideology and racism are evident in the "constant debasement of the victims" and "ever present racial conceptions concerning Jew, Communists, Gypsies and other 'inferior' elements". Headland concludes that Nebe was an ambitious man who may have volunteered to lead an Einsatzgruppe unit for careerist reasons, to get a "military decoration", and to curry favor with Heydrich. Any misgivings he may have entertained as to the feasibility of the undertaking failed to prevent him from overseeing the murder of close to 50,000 people in the five months he spent as commander of his unit. Gerald Reitlinger describes Nebe's reasons for joining the Einsatzgruppen as "placation" and a desire to hold on to his position in the Criminal Police Department, which, since 1934, had been "invaded by amateur Gestapo men" and was later taken over by Heydrich. "If Nebe did in fact retain his office till 1944, it was because of the five months he spent in Russia, or, as his friend Gisevius politely referred to, at the front". Alex J. Kay writes that "the role, character and motivation of those involved both in planning�and in some cases carrying out�mass murder and in the conspiracy against Hitler deserve to be investigated more closely". He places Nebe in this category, with Franz Halder, chief of the OKH, Franz Halder (30 June 1884 � 2 April 1972) was a German general and the chief of the OKH General Staff from 1938 until September 1942, when he was dismissed after frequent disagreements with Adolf Hitler. Until December 1941 Halder's military position corresponded to the old Chief of the General Staff position, which during World War One was the highest military office in the German Imperial Army. Halder's diary during his time as chief of OKH General Staff has been a source for authors that have written about such subjects as Adolf Hitler, the Second World War and the NSDAP (the Nazi party). In William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", Halder's diary is cited hundreds of times. In 1902, Halder joined the 3rd Royal Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment in Munich. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1904, upon graduation from War School in Munich, then he attended Artillery School (1906�07) and the Bavarian Staff College (War Academy) (1911�1914), both in Munich. In 1914, Halder became an Ordnance Officer, serving in the Headquarters of the Bavarian 3rd Army Corps. In August, 1915 he was promoted to Hauptmann (Captain) on the General Staff of the 6th Army (at that time commanded by Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria). During 1917 he served as a General Staff officer in the Headquarters of the 2nd Army, before being transferred to the 4th Army. Between 1919 and 1920 Halder served with the Reichswehr War Ministry Training Branch. Between 1921 and 1923 he was a Tactics Instructor with the Wehrkreis VII in Munich. In March 1924 Halder was promoted to major and by 1926 he served as the Director of Operations (Oberquartiermeister of Operations: O.Qu.I.) on the General Staff of the Wehrkreis VII in Munich. In February 1929 he was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel), and from October 1929 through late 1931 he served on the Training staff in the Reichswehr Ministry. After being promoted to Oberst (colonel) in December 1931, Halder served as the Chief of Staff, Wehrkreis Kdo VI, in M�nster (Westphalia) through early 1934. During the 1930s the German military staff thought that Poland might attack the detached German province of East Prussia. As such, they reviewed plans as to how to defend East Prussia. After being promoted to Generalmajor in October 1934, Halder served as the Commander of the 7th Infantry Division in Munich. Recognized as a fine staff officer and planner, in August 1936 Halder was promoted to Generalleutnant. He then became the director of the Manoeuvres Staff. Shortly thereafter, he became director of the Training Branch (Oberquartiermeister of Training, O.Qu.II), on the General Staff of the Army, in Berlin between October 1937 and February 1938. During this period he directed important training maneuvers, the largest held since the reintroduction of conscription in 1935. On 1 February 1938 Halder was promoted to General der Artillerie. Around this date General Wilhelm Keitel was attempting to reorganize the entire upper leadership of the German Army. Keitel had asked Halder to become Chief of the General Staff (Oberquartiermeister of operations, training & supply; O.Qu.1 ) and report to General Walther von Reichenau. However, Halder declined as he felt he could not work with Reichenau very well, due to a personality dispute. As Keitel recognized Halder's superior military planning skills, Keitel met with Hitler and enticed him to appoint General Walther von Brauchitsch as commander-in-chief of the German Army. Halder then accepted becoming Chief of the General Staff of the Army (Oberkommando des Heeres) on 1 September 1938, and succeeded General Ludwig Beck. A week later, Halder presented plans to Hitler on how to invade Czechoslovakia with a pincer movement by General Gerd von Rundstedt and General Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb. Instead, Hitler directed that Reichenau should make the main thrust into Prague. Neither invasion plan was necessary once Mussolini persuaded Hitler and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain back to the bargaining table in Munich. In the run up to the war, Halder � in an attempt to avoid what they were certain would be a catastrophic war for Germany � was the main actor in a plot with several other generals in the Wehrmacht and Abwehr to remove Hitler from power. A plot was put in place, ready to go at Halder's command, which would be given if Hitler gave the order to proceed with the planned invasion. The plot included a plan to kill Hitler and say "he died trying to escape" (they all agreed he would be too dangerous to keep alive). However, on 29 September Chamberlain capitulated to Hitler�s demands, and the British and French surrendered the largely German populated Czech region of Sudetenland to Germany, with Hitler promising to stop there. (Which promise Hitler broke the following spring). Halder put an immediate stop to the coup attempt, only hours away from reality, as peace had been preserved � for the moment. Chamberlain's appeasement at Munich meant the end of the plot, which shook Halder to the core and left him weeping according to Halder's former adjutant, Burkhard M�ller-Hildebrand. There would be no war with France and England over the Sudetenland. Hitler's popularity reached an all-time high. A coup then was not possible, nor desirable. The catastrophe Halder and the other generals feared was averted. On 1 October German troops entered the Sudetenland. Halder participated in the strategic planning for all operations in the first part of the war. For his role in the planning and preparing of the invasion of Poland he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 October 1939. On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, the generally accepted start of World War II. On 19 September, Halder noted in his diary that he had received information from then SS-Gruppenf�hrer Reinhard Heydrich that the SS (Einsatzgruppen) was beginning its campaign to "clean house" in Poland of Jews, intelligentsia, Catholic Clergy, and the aristocracy. This led to future criticism by historians that Halder knew about the killings of Jews much earlier than he later acknowledged during post-World War II interviews, and that he failed to object to such killings. Halder noted in his diary his doubts "about the measures intended by Himmler". During November 1939, Halder conspired with General Brauchitsch. Halder declared that he would support Brauchitsch if he were to try to curtail Hitler's plans for further expansion of the war, but Brauchitsch declined (the so-called Zossen Conspiracy). Brauchitsch and Halder had decided to overthrow Hitler after the latter had fixed "X-day" for the invasion of France for 12 November 1939, an invasion that both officers believed to be doomed to failure. During a meeting with Hitler on 5 November, Brauchitsch had attempted to talk Hitler into putting off "X-day" by saying that morale in the German Army was worse than what it was in 1918. This statement enraged Hitler, who then harshly berated Brauchitsch for incompetence. After that meeting, both Halder and Brauchitsch told Carl Friedrich G�rdeler that overthrowing Hitler was simply something that they could not do, and that he should find other officers if that was what he really wanted to do. Equally important, following heavy snowstorms, on 7 November 1939 Hitler put off "X-Day" until further notice, removing the reason that had most motivated Brauchitsch and Halder to consider overthrowing Hitler. On 23 November 1939, G�rdeler met with Halder to ask him to reconsider his attitude. Halder gave G�rdeler the following reasons why he wanted nothing to do with any plot to overthrow Hitler: That the men who staged the November Revolution and signed the armistice that took Germany out of a losing war were hated all over the Reich as the "November Criminals". General Erich Ludendorff had launched the Kaiserschlacht in March 1918, which led directly to Germany's defeat in November 1918. This should have hurt Ludendorff's reputation, yet most people in Germany still considered Ludendorff one of Germany's greatest heroes. So even if Hitler were to launch an invasion of France that signally failed, most people would still support him, and unless Hitler was discredited, which seemed unlikely, anyone who acted against him to end the war would be considered a "new November Criminal". Therefore, the Army could do nothing. That Hitler was a great leader, and there was nobody to replace him. That most of the younger officers in the Army were extreme National Socialists who would not join a Putsch. That Hitler deserved "a last chance to deliver the German people from the slavery of English capitalism". Finally, that "one does not rebel when face to face with the enemy". Despite all of G�rdeler's best efforts, Halder would not change his mind. While Halder opposed Hitler�s expanded war plans, like all officers he had taken a personal loyalty oath to Hitler. Thus, he felt unable to take direct action against the F�hrer. At one point, Halder thought the situation to be so desperate that he considered shooting Hitler himself. A colonel close to Halder noted in his diary that "Amid tears, Halder had said for weeks that he had a pistol in his pocket every time he went to Emil [cover name for Hitler] in order to possibly gun him down". At the end of 1939, Halder oversaw development of the invasion plans of France, the Low Countries, and the Balkans. In late 1939-early 1940, Halder was an opponent of Operation Weser�bung, which he believed was doomed to failure, and made certain that the OKH had nothing to do with the planning for Weser�bung, which was entirely the work of OKW and the OKM.] Halder initially doubted that Germany could successfully invade France. General Erich von Manstein's bold plan for invading France through the Ardennes Forest proved successful, and ultimately led to the fall of France. In early April 1940, Halder had a secret meeting with Carl Friedrich G�rdeler, who asked him to consider a Putsch while the Phony War (the lull in the war between the invasion of Poland and the invasion of France) was still on, hoping that the British and French were still open to a negotiated peace. Halder refused G�rdeler's request. G�rdeler told Halder that too many people had already died in the war, and his refusal to remove Hitler at this point would ensure that the blood of millions would be on his hands. Halder told G�rdeler that his oath to Hitler and his belief in Germany`s inevitable victory in the war precluded his acting against the Nazi regime. Halder told G�rdeler that "The military situation of Germany, particularly on account of the pact of non-aggression with Russia is such that a breach of my oath to the F�hrer could not possibly be justified", that only if Germany was faced with total defeat would he consider breaking his oath, and that G�rdeler was a fool to believe that World War II could be ended with a compromise peace. On 19 July 1940, Halder was promoted to Generaloberst, an equivalent of a modern NATO Four-Star General. In August, he began working on Operation Barbarossa, the invasion plan for the Soviet Union. Shortly thereafter, to curtail Halder�s military-command power, Hitler limited his involvement in the war by restricting him to developing battle plans for only the Eastern Front. On 17 March 1941, in a secret meeting with Halder and the rest of the most senior generals, Hitler stated that Germany was to disregard all of the rules of war in the East, and the war against the Soviet Union was to be a war of annihilation (Vernichtungskrieg). Halder, who was so vocal in arguing with Hitler about military matters, made no protest. On 30 March 1941, in another secret speech to his leading generals, Hitler described the sort of war he wanted Operation Barbarossa to be (according to the notes taken by Halder): "Struggle between two ideologies. Scathing evaluation of Bolshevism, equals antisocial criminality. Communism immense future danger...This a fight to the finish. If we do not accept this, we shall beat the enemy, but in thirty years we shall again confront the Communist foe. We don't make war to preserve the enemy...Struggle against Russia: Extermination of Bolshevik Commissars and of the Communist intelligentsia...Commissars and GPU personnel are criminals and must be treated as such. The struggle will differ from that in the west. In the east harshness now means mildness for the future". Though General Halder's notes did not record any mention of Jews, the German historian Andreas Hillgruber argued that, because of Hitler's frequent statements at the same time about the coming war of annihilation against "Judeo-Bolshevism", his generals could not have misunderstood that Hitler's call for the total destruction of the Soviet Union also comprised a call for the total destruction of the Jewish population of the Soviet Union. In 1941, contrary to his post-war claims, Halder did not oppose the Commissar Order. Rather, he welcomed it, writing that: "Troops must participate in the ideological battle in the Eastern campaign to the end". As part of the planning for Barbarossa, Halder declared in a directive that, in the event of guerrilla attacks, German troops were to impose "collective measures of force" by massacring entire villages. Halder's order was in direct contravention of international agreements banning collective reprisals. In December 1941, Hitler fired von Brauchitsch and assumed the command of OKH himself. Halder was not happy about this, but chose to stay on as the best way of ensuring that Germany won the war. Halder appeared on the 29 June 1942 cover of "Time" magazine. During the summer of 1942, Halder told Hitler that he was underestimating the number of Soviet military units. Hitler argued that the Red Army was nearly broken. However, Halder had recently read a book about Stalin's defeat of Anton Denikin between the Don bend and what was then Tsaritsyn during the Russian Civil War. That battle resulted in Tsaritsyn being renamed Stalingrad. Halder was convinced the German Sixth Army was in the same position that Denikin was back then. Furthermore, Hitler did not like Halder's objections to sending General Manstein�s 11th Army (then finishing the siege of Sevastopol, at the other end of the front) to assist in the attack against Leningrad. Halder also thought that an attack into the Caucasus was ill-advised. Finally, because of Halder�s disagreement with Hitler�s conduct of the war, Hitler concluded that the general no longer possessed an aggressive war mentality. The final straw came after Halder learned of an intelligence report showing Stalin could muster as many as 1.5 million men north of Stalingrad and west of the Volga. He told Hitler that the situation along the Don was a disaster waiting to happen if Stalin turned that force loose on Stalingrad. In response, Hitler gave a speech announcing that he intended to find a replacement for Halder. Halder walked out stating "I am leaving", and was retired into the "F�hrer Reserve" on 24 September 1942. Halder was replaced by Kurt Zeitzler on the same day. On 23 July 1944, following the failed 20 July assassination attempt on Hitler's life by German Army officers, Halder was arrested by the Gestapo. Although he was not involved in the 20 July plot, intense interrogations of the conspirators revealed that Halder had been involved in earlier conspiracies against Hitler. Halder was imprisoned at both the Flossenb�rg and Dachau concentration camps. Halder's wife Gertrud chose to, and was allowed to, accompany her husband into imprisonment. On 31 January 1945, Halder was officially dismissed from the army. His service to Germany during Hitler's reign was plagued by complexity and personal misgivings but his professed role in possible intrigue during his tenure as the Chief of Staff and his survival make for a remarkable story, especially when one considers the plight of others who fell into disfavor or mistrust with Hitler. As one historian remarked when comparing his fate to that of many of his comrades among the General Staff, Halder was indeed "fortunate". In the last days of April 1945, together with some members of the families of those involved with the 20 July plot and other 'special' prisoners, he was transferred to the South Tyrol, where the entire group of nearly 140 prisoners was liberated from their SS guards by members of the Wehrmacht, and then turned over to US troops on 4 May after the SS guards fled. Halder spent the next two years in an Allied prisoner of war camp. During the 1950s, Halder worked as a war historian advisor to the U.S. Army Historical Division, for which he was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 1961. During the early 1950s Halder advised on the redevelopment of the post-World War II German army. and Georg Thomas, head of the Defence, Economy and Armament Office in the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) (Supreme Command). Georg Thomas (20 February 1890 � 29 December 1946) was a German general in the Third Reich. He was a leading participant in planning and carrying out economic exploitation of the Soviet Union. Thomas's role in plotting against Hitler has led some historians to describe him as a member of the German resistance, while others find his record more ambiguous. Thomas was born in Forst (Lausitz), Brandenburg. The factory owner's son and later general joined Infantry Regiment 63 as an ensign and a career soldier in 1908. From 1928, he dealt with armament questions at the Army Weapons Office in the Reich Defence Ministry in Berlin. Thomas continued to work as the Chief of Staff for the Army Weapons Office in the Reich Defence Ministry from 1928-1938, where he intensively studied the dynamic of national economics and war preparations, pushing forward the idea of a "defense economy" - that is, the marshaling of Germany's resources for the purpose of war under a central planning commission. Despite his misgivings with National Socialism following the dismissal of Colonel General Baron Werner von Fritsch on trumped up allegations of homosexuality, Thomas remained an important member of the German General Staff. Nevertheless, it was upon von Fritsch's removal in 1938 that Thomas experienced his first major inner conflict with National Socialism. It is speculated that he stayed aboard from here forward to foment plans for a coup. In 1939, he became head of the Defence Economy and Armament Office in the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW). He was a member of the board of Kontinentale �l AG (an oil company whose purpose was to exploit petroleum resources in occupied countries) as well as Reichswerke Hermann G�ring, a major iron and steel company. Thomas, who since 1940 had been a General of Infantry recognized early on that Germany's ability to wage a lengthy war was limited by the state of its economy. Since he still had contacts with his former superior Ludwig Beck, as well as with Carl Friedrich G�rdeler and Johannes Popitz, he got to work as early as 1938-39 on the planning for a military coup d'�tat against Adolf Hitler. When the threat of war with the Western Powers loomed great in the wake of Hitler's bold political moves to secure the Austrian Anschlu�, the acquisition of the Sudetenland, and then with the impending Blitzkrieg into Poland awaiting the German General Staff, Thomas produced an extensive report for Hitler assessing the risks. Thomas' analysis was replete with graphics and statistics demonstrating the military-economic superiority of the Western Powers, at which Hitler balked and exclaimed that, "he did not share General Thomas' anxiety over the danger of a world war, especially since he had now got the Soviet Union on his side" (consequent the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact). Not only was Thomas worried about an attack provoking the British and French but so were Generals von Brauchitsch, Colonel-General Halder, and Quartermaster General von St�lpnagel, yet Hitler refused to countenance any delays or reluctance from his military staff about his plans and more earnestly pushed forward the attack despite their sound arguments otherwise. During the planning phase of Operation Barbarossa, General Thomas' pragmatic and realistic nature once again gripped him as he thought a full-scale war with the Soviet Union should be delayed until the logistical concerns were remedied. Along said lines, Thomas informed Colonel-General Franz Halder, then Chief of the OKH General Staff, that the attack on the Soviet Union would experience logistical delays due to the fact that Russian railways were of a different gauge than German ones. Thomas also warned Halder of the insufficiency of German transport vehicle tires for the task ahead of them, and most significantly, Thomas revealed to Halder that they (the Germans) only had two months worth of fuel oil and petrol to support the advancing assault. Inexplicably, Halder did not convey this information to Hitler and when Thomas attempted to do this himself, General Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel stepped in and prevented the report from going any further. Reassurances soon made their way to General Thomas when no less than Reichsminister Hermann G�ring told him not to worry about using up Germany's resources since "they would soon be masters of France, Belgium, and Holland," likewise adding that they would plunder all the available resources in the "captured territories". In November 1942, Thomas resigned from the Defence Economy and Armament Office. Albert Speer and his Armament Ministry, meanwhile, had taken over almost all the expertise relating to armament issues. Of note, during the autumn of 1943 (Paulus surrendered at Stalingrad in January 1943), Hitler asked for a projection over the progress the Germans might expect to make in the near term. Chief of the Operations Staff for the OKW, Colonel-General Alfred Jodl submitted the report to Hitler as commanded, but Hitler became irate when the estimates were given to him, reflecting back sardonically on earlier calculations made by General Thomas who "rated the Soviet war potential as high". As a result of the negative assessment about the campaign's future in the East, Hitler forbade any more war studies by the OKW. From what the sources indicate, General Thomas tried unsuccessfully on several occasions to bring the German General Staff and Hitler back to reality about their long-term prospects for success. The pragmatism of Thomas likely contributed to his disillusionment with the regime and its leadership, perhaps leading him to believe that a coup was necessary to stop Germany from being totally annihilated. Nonetheless, Thomas participated in the planning and brutal exploitation of the Eastern theater; thereby making his actions and intentions duplicitous and difficult to interpret. Many historians have taken exception with depicting General Thomas as a resistance fighter, one even remarked that Thomas' resistance "was one against a policy leading to defeat, rather than against the regime as such," despite that he was later implicated in Operation Valkyrie. After the failed attempt on Hitler's life at the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia on 20 July 1944, all the old plans from 1938-39 were found, leading to Thomas's arrest on 11 October 1944, followed by stays in the Flossenb�rg and Dachau concentration camps. In late April 1945 he was transferred to Tyrol together with about 140 other prominent inmates, where the SS left the prisoners behind. They were liberated by the Fifth U.S. Army on 5 May 1945 Thomas died in Allied custody in 1946. Several apologetic accounts produced by bomb plotters described Nebe as a professional police officer and a dedicated member of the German resistance. In 1947, Hans Gisevius described Nebe's position at the head of Einsatzgruppe B as a "brief command at the front". Gisevius changed his story in the 1960s, when Nebe's role with the Einsatzgruppen was exposed. In "Wo ist Nebe?" (Where is Nebe [1966]), Gisevius claimed that Nebe was reluctant to accept the posting but had been persuaded to take it by the opposition leaders Hans Oster and Ludwig Beck, who had wanted Nebe to retain a key role in Heydrich's apparatus. Gisevius also claimed that Nebe exaggerated the number of victims in reports to Berlin by adding a zero to the number of those killed. Historian Christian Gerlach, writing about the 20 July conspirators and their complicity in "War Crimes of the Wehrmacht", refers to Nebe as a "notorious mass murderer". He discusses the role of Henning von Tresckow and his adjutant Fabian von Schlabrendorff, who were members of the resistance, and writes: "Schlabrendorff claimed that he and Tresckow had convinced themselves that under the mask of the SS leader lurked a committed anti-Nazi..., who invented pretexts for sabotaging Hitler's murderous orders. We succeeded in saving the lives of many Russians. The Russian population often expressed their thanks to us". According to Schlabrendorff, Tresckow personally brought Nebe to the army group [of conspirators]. Nothing was said about the 45,467 murder victims of Einsatzgruppe B by November 1941, the point at which Nebe returned to Berlin. Gerlach doubts that Nebe falsified Einsatzgruppe B reports, to "sabotage Hitler's murderous orders". Gerlach puts Schlabrendorff's claims in the context of bomb plotters' memoirs and "existing discourse" on the opposition group within the high command of Army Group Center: "Especially with reference to the murder of the Jews, [it is said that] 'the SS' had deceived the officers by killing in secret, filing incomplete reports or none at all; if general staff offices protested, the SS threatened them. (...) This is, of course, nonsense". The historian Waitman Wade Beorn writes: "...some have argued that [Nebe] deliberately inflated the numbers of Jews he reported killed. Yet all evidence indicates that he was quite content to play his role in Nazi genocide and that his subsequent displeasure with the regime may have stemmed from the imminent Nazi defeat but not opposition to the Holocaust". Just as quickly as the coup in Berlin had unravelled, so did the entire network of conspirators. Himmler turned the SD and the Gestapo loose in a bloodlust vengeance against anyone who was even remotely suspected of complicity in the assassination and the coup. When it was fully over, between six hundred and one thousand Germans had lost their lives. Some were executed just days before the war ended in a Nazi purge of all enemies. Many of these men and women might have survived had it not been for the German penchant for keeping meticulous records of everything, even the conspiracies to kill Hitler. At the behest of both Beck and Oster, the Abwehr center of the conspiracy had kept copies of every memorandum, coup plan, lists of people to be arrested, and most incredible of all, the names of virtually everyone involved in the conspiracies since the first coup of 1938. It is probable that they hoped to give the world an accurate description of how these Germans opposed Hitler, but when this cache was discovered in a security zone safe on 22 September 1944, it spelled death for hundreds of people who otherwise might never have been suspected. This record of the assassination plans altered the probe of the 20 July bombing. Originally the Gestapo worked under the impression that the attempt on Hitler's life was provoked by army officers who were unhappy with the course of the war, but now they knew that the planning had been going on for six years by officers and civilians who were anti-Nazi, and they now knew there had been several other attempts on Hitler's life. As a result, hundreds of new names were added to those slated to appear before the infamous People's Court for quick trial and execution. The Nazis also ruthlessly applied their 'kith and kin' method of dealing with opponents. This meant that every member of a traitor's family, including those by marriage, was to be hunted down and exterminated. When it came to the Stauffenbergs, Hitler himself ordered that the entire family be "made harmless." On 3 August 1944, Himmler, now the undisputed master of Germany with all police, SS, and Home Army forces under his direct control, said the entire Stauffenberg family "will be exterminated down to its last member". Colonel Stauffenberg's wife and four children were arrested and imprisoned. Freed by the Allies at the end of the war and pregnant at the time of her arrest, she gave birth to her fifth child while in prison In 2005, the Military Channel's show "Unsolved History" aired an episode titled 'Killing Hitler' in which each scenario was re-created using live explosives and test dummies. The results supported the conclusion that Hitler would have been killed had any of three other scenarios occurred:: both bombs detonated; 20th June to 1st July 1946 One Hundred and Fifty-Ninth Day: Thursday, 20th June, 1946 This whole plot was part of Speers mitigation which formed his defence at the Nuremburg trials. He originally dropped the bombshell by asking Franz von Papen's attorney to ask the head of the SS Security Service Otto Ohlendorf during his cross examination if he had ever heard of any plot by Speer to assassinate Hitler, obviously he had not but he achieved his purpose by bringing it to the attention of the court. The subject was raised at a later sitting and examined in depth. For more info read "Speer:The final Verdict" by Joachim Fest, "The Bunker" by James P O'Donnell and "Inside the Third Reich" by Albert Speer	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_267_33	» See all Claus Von Stauffenberg Articles Claus Von Stauffenberg summary: Claus von Stauffenberg was an officer of the German army during World War II. Despite his role as an army officer, von Stauffenberg was horrified by the actions of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party. Von Stauffenberg is known for his failed assignation attempt of Adolph Hitler as part of Operation Valkyrie, a mission planned by von Stauffenberg and other anti-Nazi Germans. The goal of the failed mission was to assassinate Hitler and overthrow the Nazi party during the ensuing chaos. Because his position in the army gave him access to Hitler, von Stauffenberg was chosen to carry out the assassination attempt. Despite suffering serious injuries in 1943 that cost him an eye, a hand, and two additional fingers, von Stauffenberg was determined to carry out his mission. In 1944, the opportunity presented itself when he was selected as Chief of Staff of the replacement army, which put him in close proximity to Hitler and his offices. Armed with two plastic explosives in his briefcase, von Stauffenberg managed to arm one and place it under a table where Hitler sat. The bomb was detonated moments after von Stauffenberg left the room. Four people were killed in the explosion, but Hitler was only injured slightly. Following the assassination attempt, von Stauffenberg and several others were executed by a firing squad. After the failed assassination attempt, von Stauffenberg’s pregnant wife and other adult family members were rounded up, questioned, and sent to concentration camps. His children were, under Hitler’s orders, to change their names and be raised by an SS soldier’s family. Von Stauffenberg’s brother and uncle were later killed, but his wife was later liberated, as were his children. Featured Article About Claus Von Stauffenberg From History Net Magazines Claus von Stauffenberg – The Man Who Tried to Kill Hitler By Nigel Jones Enraged by the attempt on his life, Hitler insisted that the very name ‘Stauffenberg’ be wiped from history July 20, 1944, found the Stauffenberg family gathered, as they had so many summers before, at their rambling country house in the village of Lautlingen, in the rolling Swabian Alps of southern Germany. With the war in its fifth year and taking an increasingly ominous turn for Germany, most of the adult male members of the aristocratic Catholic clan—twins Alexander and Berthold, and their brilliant younger brother Claus—were absent. Presiding over the household of six boisterous children were Claus’s wife, Nina; the children’s grandmother, Caroline, and their great-aunt Alexandrine; and their great-uncle Nikolaus Üxküll, known to all as “Uncle Nux.” Only he knew that their lives were about to be shattered. “By then the war was getting uncomfortably close,” Claus’s eldest son, Berthold, recalled in a recent interview—which made the escape from their house in Bamberg, some 130 miles to the northeast, especially welcome. “Even in that provincial backwater there were constant air raids and raid alarms, and I had to sit my school exams in an underground shelter. The continual memorial services for those who had fallen at the front—at which I often served as a Catholic altar boy—were another grim reminder of the war. Nevertheless, Nazi control was still absolute. We were fed a constant diet of propaganda promising us Endsieg, or ‘final victory,’ in the state-controlled press and radio, which I naturally believed.” So keen a young Nazi was the then-10-year-old boy that he was bitterly disappointed to be just three days too young to join that year’s intake of the Jungvolk, the junior branch of the Hitler Youth. “My dearest wish was to march through Bamberg carrying a Nazi banner at the head of a youth parade,” said Berthold. “Fortunately my mother who, unknown to me, shared my father’s anti-Nazi views, prevented this.” Berthold’s father, Claus Schenk, Count von Stauffenberg—a religious man with a philosophic bent, an accomplished horseman, and a lover of poetry—was about to become infamous for those anti-Nazi views. At about the same time his family was sitting down to lunch at Lautlingen on that sweltering July day, Stauffenberg was placing a bomb, hidden inside his briefcase, under a conference table at Wolfschanze (“Wolf’s Lair”), Hitler’s headquarters in East Prussia, in an attempt to assassinate the führer and overthrow his regime. Stauffenberg came within a hair’s breadth of accomplishing his goal when the bomb exploded at approximately 12:40 p.m., demolishing the room and killing three officers and a secretary. But Hitler was merely wounded—and it was the Stauffenberg family instead that was torn apart in the aftermath of the attempted coup. Young Berthold had not seen much of his father since the war began. Thirty-six-year-old Colonel von Stauffenberg was a popular and able career soldier, singled out by his superiors for a glittering future. He had served as a staff officer in the conquest of Poland in 1939, the invasion of France in 1940, and the campaign against Russia in 1941. Initially Stauffenberg gave the prewar Hitler regime the benefit of the doubt. But from 1942 onward, that changed dramatically. Nauseated by the mass murder of Jews and the treatment of civilian populations on the eastern front, and by Hitler’s insatiable appetite for war and his reckless military incompetence, Stauffenberg joined fellow officers in actively conspiring against Nazi rule. In early 1943, Stauffenberg was posted to Tunisia as senior staff officer to the 10th Panzer Division for the last days of the North African campaign. Rommel’s once-vaunted Afrika Korps was now penned in against the sea, trapped by the Americans advancing from the west and the British from the east. The fighting was intense, and in April Stauffenberg was seriously wounded when an American aircraft strafed his Horch staff car. One officer in the back seat was killed and Stauffenberg, whose body was pitted with shrapnel, lost his left eye, his right hand, and two fingers on his left hand. Evacuated to Munich, he astonished doctors with the speed of his recovery. Within weeks he had learned to dress himself using his teeth and his three remaining fingers. His performance was so dexterous that he joked he didn’t know what he had ever used his other seven fingers for. In the summer of 1943, Stauffenberg joined his family at Lautlingen for a prolonged convalescence. Once he returned to his duties that fall, the conspiracy took on momentum as his fellow plotters got him assigned to a staff position with the Ersatzheer, or Replacement Army, headquartered in Berlin. There, he directed revisions to Replacement Army mobilization orders, code-named “Valkyrie,” as cover for a military putsch that would use its troops to overthrow the regime in the confusion following a successful assassination of Hitler. The decision to topple Hitler weighed heavily on Stauffenberg. Was it right, he asked a relative in mid-1943, to sacrifice the salvation of one’s own soul if one might thereby save thousands of lives? He concluded that it was not only right, but imperative. Around that same time, he told several people, including Margarethe von Oven, a Replacement Army secretary who typed the orders he drafted, that he was consciously “committing high treason.” He added that, faced with such an evil regime, he had had to choose between action and inaction, and as an active Christian there could only be one decision. In June 1944, Stauffenberg was named Replacement Army chief of staff. This was a key post, giving him regular access to Hitler at the führer’s military conferences. As Germany’s military situation steadily worsened, Stauffenberg worked to perfect the plot and overturn the regime in time to prevent a Soviet invasion of Germany. Able, energetic, and charismatic, he became the head, heart, and guiding hand of the conspiracy. Berthold saw his father just three times after he joined the Replacement Army: for two days at Christmas; in January at the funeral of Berthold’s maternal grandfather; and for a week’s leave in June 1944, which coincided with the Allied invasion of Normandy. Despite Germany’s increasingly precarious position, Berthold maintained his boyish belief in final victory—placing his faith in the V-1 flying bombs and V-2 rockets designed by Wernher von Braun and raining down on Britain even as the Allied armies closed in on the Reich. Read More in World War II Magazine Subscribe online and save nearly 40%!!! “Naturally,” Berthold recently recalled, “I had absolutely no idea what my father was planning and preparing, nor did I realize how much my mother knew of his views.” For reasons of security, neither she nor anyone else in the family, save Uncle Nux and Claus’s brother Berthold—a fellow participant in the plot—were aware of Stauffenberg’s precise plans to kill Hitler. But she knew of and shared her husband’s disgust with the increasingly criminal Nazi regime, and had to carefully conceal her opinions. “The papers were full of the dire fate of those who listened to foreign radio stations, traded on the black market, or spread defeatist rumors,” said Berthold. “Such cases usually ended in a death sentence.” In mid-1944 the situation looked increasingly grim and by mid-July, Stauffenberg was en route to Wolfschanze. In his briefcase he carried a bomb composed of plastic high explosive, which he had decided—despite his crippling injuries—to prime and detonate himself at the earliest opportunity. Only his closest confederates in the conspiracy knew this. He had asked Nina to delay her departure to Lautlingen so that he might first speak with her, likely for the last time. But he couldn’t reveal the reason, and she had already made travel arrangements, so on July 18, she and the children left Bamberg for Lautlingen. There was quite a gathering that summer at the old family seat, where Claus and his brothers had spent idyllic childhood vacations before the First World War. Claus’s four children—Berthold and his three younger siblings: brothers Heimaren and Franz-Ludwig, aged eight and six, and sister Valerie, aged three—joined their two cousins, the five- and six-year-old children of their uncle Berthold. Claus’s eldest son recalled with precise clarity how he learned of the event that shattered his family’s lives. “On 21st July I heard a radio report of a ‘criminal attack on the führer,’” Berthold said. “But my questions about this were evaded, and the adults tried to keep me and my next youngest brother Heimaren away from the radio. “Instead, we children were taken for a long country walk by our great-uncle Nux—a former general staff officer in the Austrian Imperial Army—who kept us entertained with stories of his youthful adventures as a big-game hunter in Africa,” said Berthold. “Naturally, none of us knew that he, too, was a member of the anti-Hitler conspiracy. Today, I still ask myself what thoughts were going through his head during that walk.” Uncle Nux would be tried and hanged a few weeks later for his part in the plot. The following day, Nina took her two eldest sons aside and gently told them that it was their father who had attempted to assassinate Hitler. She also revealed that he had been executed by firing squad late that same day, after the failure of his desperate attempts to launch the Valkyrie putsch in the wake of the bombing. Finally, as if all this was not enough, she told the boys that she was expecting her fifth child. “Our world split apart at a stroke,” Berthold said. “When I asked in perplexity why my father had wanted to kill the führer, my mother answered that he had believed that he had to do it for Germany’s sake. “The news of the bomb attack came as a thunderbolt. Not only did we love our always-cheerful father above all things; he was also the absolute authority over our lives—even if he was often absent soldiering. The shock was so profound that I believe I was unable to think clearly about anything from that moment until the end of the war. Actually, there was no time for thinking at all because from then on the blows started to fall on us thick and fast.” That night, the Gestapo arrested Nina and Uncle Nux and took them to Berlin. The following night, even Claus’s aging mother and aunt Alexandrine, a Red Cross official, were arrested. The Nazis were carrying out the brutal Sippenhaft (“kin detention”) decree, under which not only the conspirators but their entire family, children and the elderly included, were to be arrested and punished. For the moment, the children, bewildered and afraid, remained at Lautlingen under the care of a nanny and their grandmother’s housekeeper—and under the watchful eyes of two Gestapo officials billeted at the house. “Isolated as we were—even from our playmates in the village—we felt like outcasts from society,” recalled Berthold. “I will never forget that feeling. The only person we were allowed to see was the village priest, who gave us his blessing, and warned us that hard times might be coming for us. Nevertheless, he told us above all never to forget for what our father had died. Only today do I realize how brave it was of him to say that.” On August 17, 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg’s four children and his brother Berthold’s two were taken from their home and put on a train. Their destination was Bad Sachsa, a Nazi children’s home near Nordhausen, set amid the Harz Mountains of central Germany. Here they were separated according to their age and gender and housed in chalets. Over the next few weeks the children of other conspirators joined them. Berthold was held in a chalet with around nine other boys roughly his age. Their confinement was not stringent. Although the home’s director, Fraulein Kohler, was a strict and authoritarian Nazi who proudly sported her party badge, her deputy, Fraulein Verch, and the other staff treated the children of the “traitors” kindly. Unlike many other Germans in the closing days of the war, they were fed well, albeit sparsely, with a secular Nazi “grace” before meals replacing the religious prayers of their family. Read More in World War II Magazine Subscribe online and save nearly 40%!!! “Our biggest deprivation was having no news from the outside world,” Berthold said. “There was no radio and no newspapers, and until Christmas 1944 we had no idea whether our mother was alive or dead.” Christmas, however, brought a surprise gift they had not dared to hope for: an unexpected visit from their aunt Melitta, the wife of Claus’s brother Alexander, who—partly because he was posted to occupied Greece and partly because of his dreamy, unworldly nature—had not been made privy to the plot by his two brothers. Melitta von Stauffenberg had forged a successful career as an aircraft designer and test pilot in the Luftwaffe, reaching the rank of Flugkapitän and receiving the Iron Cross. Her talents were so extraordinary—she specialized in dive-bombers and had made more than 2,000 test flights—that the Nazis willingly overlooked both her gender and her Jewish heritage. Although she had been arrested along with Alexander under the Sippenhaft decree, Melitta had, with incredible chutzpah, not only persuaded the Nazis to release her, but also insisted, as the price of her continuing work as a test pilot, that she be allowed to visit her husband, her sister-in-law Nina, and the children. Amazingly, the Nazis agreed to these terms. As a result, she blew into Bad Sachsa at Christmas with an armful of presents and the news that Nina, though in detention, was still alive. “That was the best Christmas present we could have wished for,” Berthold recalled. A month later, the sympathetic Fraulein Verch told the children that their mother had given birth to a daughter. She was born the same day, January 27, 1945, that the Red Army occupied both Auschwitz and Hitler’s Wolfschanze headquarters—the scene of Stauffenberg’s abortive bombing. Even as the war neared its end, however, the outlook for the children was darkening. Enraged by the attempt on his life, Hitler had insisted that the very name “Stauffenberg” be wiped from history. The decision was made to rename the children “Meister” and to have them adopted by a loyal Nazi—even possibly SS—family and brought up accordingly. The first step was to remove them from their relatively comfortable quarters at Bad Sachsa and send them to the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp. Only a miraculous twist of fate prevented this. The Stauffenberg children departed for Buchenwald on Easter, 1945, traveling in an army truck to the Nordhausen railway station to board a train for the camp. They were on the outskirts of Nordhausen when an Allied air raid hit the town. “It destroyed the whole quarter around the station, including the station itself,” Berthold remembered. “The Nazis had no option but to take us back to Bad Sachsa, much to our relief.” A few days later, on April 11, the American 104th “Timberwolf” Infantry Division arrived in Nordhausen. But German resistance in the hills and woods around the town was stubborn, and the U.S. Army had to threaten to level those parts of the town still standing before its residents surrendered. “We had a grandstand view of the fighting, with U.S. Mustangs and Lightnings roaring overhead,” Berthold recalled. “Once the war got too close for comfort when the strawberry patch in the chalet’s garden got shot up.” American soldiers searched the chalet, and the mayor of Nordhausen arrived to tell its occupants they were free. Although two nurses remained behind to look after the children, they were largely left to their own devices and spent the time roaming the local woods in search of spent ammunition and other war booty. Then, as if by magic, another aunt came to their rescue. On June 11, the children’s great-aunt Alexandrine arrived in a Red Cross bus. She had come to take them home to Lautlingen, where their world had fallen apart almost a year before. Back in Lautlingen, Berthold and his siblings mourned the deaths of their father, their uncle Berthold, and their great-uncle Nux—all executed by the Nazis—and of their maternal grandmother, who had succumbed to typhus in an SS camp. Their brave aunt Melitta had also perished. In the last days of the war, the plane she’d been flying to visit her husband had been strafed by an American fighter. Although she had managed to land the plane, her leg was severed and she bled to death. Still worse for the children, their mother was missing. Within a few days, however, Nina, too, miraculously arrived at Lautlingen—cradling her new daughter Konstanze. She filled in the story of the missing months: after her arrest she had been brought to Gestapo headquarters in Berlin and intensively interrogated about her husband. From there she was moved to the women’s concentration camp at Ravensbrück and, later, to a maternity home to give birth; then mother and baby were hastily evacuated by train ahead of the advancing Red Army. They picked up an infection on the overcrowded train and were treated in a hospital at Potsdam before being entrusted to a single policeman. “He was supposed to take them to Schonberg where other Sippenhaft captives were held, but the war was almost over and his only wish was to go home,” said Berthold. “Before abandoning them to their fate he got my mother to write him a certificate saying that he had done his duty as far as he could—so very German!” Left near the town of Hof, Nina and baby Konstanze had become the first Sippenhaft captives to be freed by the U.S. Army. “Not that anyone felt very free in the devastated state that was Germany,” Berthold said. The home at Lautlingen became a sanctuary for frightened villagers after French Moroccan troops occupying the village ran amok, looting and raping. The refugees at the house also briefly included the families of the Gestapo officials who had been billeted there. At the railway station, Berthold watched the luckless remnants of the Vlasov Army—a force of Russian renegades who had fought with the Germans against their Communist countrymen and who, ironically, his father had helped raise and equip—being herded onto trains for forced repatriation to Stalin’s tender mercies. Finally, however, the surviving Stauffenbergs began to pick up the pieces of their lives. The recovery process was a long one. Their townhouse in Bamberg, for instance—which had been used by the U.S. Intelligence Corps and was badly damaged—was not restored to them until 1953, and they had to wage a long legal battle to win back much of their family property. Read More in World War II Magazine Subscribe online and save nearly 40%!!! Berthold eventually chose to follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming a soldier in the West German Bundeswehr. But circumstances dictated a very different military career from his father’s. Maj. Gen. Berthold Schenk, Count von Stauffenberg, now 74, spent most of his years of service in the cold war, preparing for another war with Russia that never came, and he never heard a shot fired in anger. He retired in 1994. Inevitably, though, he has lived out his life under his father’s long shadow. “In my early days in the army, when there were many senior officers who had known my father, I was always asked, ‘Are you your father’s son?’ What, after all, can one answer to that? I am proud of him, of course, but what he did was a moral duty. I like to think that I, and all my family too, would have done just the same.” Claus von Stauffenberg’s assassination attempt on Hitler was the basis for the movie Valkyrie. Read a review of the film and an interview with its screenwriter, Christopher McQuarrie .	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_267_34	The History Place - World War II in Europe Timeline: June 13, 1944 - First V-1 Rocket Attack on Britain A German V-1 bomb in flight about to crash and explode in London. The 'V' came from the German word Vergeltungswaffen, meaning weapons of reprisal. The V-1 was developed by German scientists at the Peenemünde research facility on the Baltic Sea, under the direction of Wernher von Braun and Walter Dornberger. They were nicknamed "buzz bombs" by the British due to the distinct buzzing sound made by the pulse-jet engines powering the bombs, which overall resembled a small aircraft. Other British nicknames included "doodlebugs" and "flying bombs." Each V-1 was launched from a short length catapult then climbed to about 3,000 feet at speeds up to 350 miles per hour. As the V-1 approached its target, the buzzing noise could be heard by persons on the ground. At a preset distance, the engine would suddenly cut out and there would be momentary silence as the bomb plunged toward the ground, followed by an explosion of the 1,870 pound warhead. The first V-1s were launched against London on June 13, 1944, a week after the D-Day landings. During the first V-1 bombing campaign, up to 100 V-1s fell every hour on London. Over an 80 day period, more than 6,000 persons were killed, with over 17,000 injured and a million buildings wrecked or damaged. Unlike conventional German aircraft bombing raids, V-1 attacks occurred around the clock in all types of weather, striking indiscriminately, causing suspense and terror among the population of London and parts of Kent and Sussex. Prime Minister Winston Churchill recalled, "One landed near my home at Westerham, killing, by cruel mischance, twenty-two homeless children and five grownups collected in a refuge made for them in the woods." According to German records, 8,564 were launched against England as well as the port of Antwerp, with about 57 percent actually reaching their designated targets. The remainder failed as a result of antiaircraft guns, barrage balloons, and interception by fighter planes. Over 29,000 V-1 bombs were built, mainly through slave labor at a huge underground factory near Nordhausen. Launch sites and production facilities were specially targeted by Allied bombers during Operation Crossbow. In those raids, nearly 2,000 Allied airmen were killed. Eventually, British and American planes knocked out the majority of the launching sites. By September of 1944, however, the Nazis introduced the V-2 rocket, a liquid-fueled rocket that traveled at supersonic speeds as high as 50 miles, then hurtled down toward its target at a speed of nearly 4,000 miles per hour, smashing its 2,000 pound high explosive warhead into the ground without warning. Unlike the V-1, the V-2 rockets could not be intercepted. Over a thousand were fired at London. Copyright © 1998 The History Place™ All Rights Reserved (Photo credit: U.S. National Archives)	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_267_43	Lesser Known Facts of WWII 1944, 1945 1944 MONASTERY BLUNDER On February 15, 1944, US bombers dropped 427 tons of bombs on the mountain top monastery of Monte Cassino in Italy. The operation was planned by the US General Ira Eaker at the request of the Allied ground forces, believing the monastery to be a German stronghold. Very few enemy troops were there at the time but over 300 women and children from the town of Cassino, who had fled the fighting and taken refuge in the monastery, were killed. By the time that the Polish 12th Podolski Lancers, under General Anders, raised their regimental flag on the ruins of Monte Cassino at 9.30am their casualty rates were 3,779 killed or wounded. The flag was hastily sewn together from pieces of a Red Cross flag and soldiers' handkerchiefs. The Monastery was rebuilt after the war and reconsecrated by Pope Paul VI in 1964. (General Wladyslaw Anders lies buried in the Polish Cemetery at Monte Cassino.) The ruins of the Saint Benedict Monastery on Monte Cassino. OPERATION ‘JERICHO’ (February 18, 1944) Code name for the bombing of Amiens prison in northern France. Precision-attacked by thirteen Mosquito aircraft, the bombs blasted a hole 3.5 metres wide in the high wall of the prison. Of the 717 inmates a total of 258 escaped. Sadly, 87 prisoners were killed and 182 were recaptured. Many were due to be executed next day, mostly members of the French resistance, which was why the daring attack had to be made exactly when and as it was. The necessary repairs made to the prison wall can still clearly be seen today. INCREDIBLE ESCAPES (1944) On the night of 3/4 May, 1944, RAF Sgt. Jack Worsfold, aged 19, was a tail-gunner on a Lancaster of 101 Squadron. Its mission was the bombing of German tank concentrations in France prior to D-Day. A total of 300 Lancasters took part and Worsfolds plane was hit by flak and set on fire. The plane then blew up killing the rest of the crew. The tail section, with Worsfold inside, was seen by civilians on the ground to fall some 7,500 feet, hit some high-tension wires then bounce on to a fir tree before hitting the ground near the village of Aubeterre. Jack Worsfold crawled out with a broken thigh and rib fractures. Captured by German soldiers he spent the rest of the war in prison camps. In a bombing raid against Stuttgart a Lancaster was hit by an 88 mm ack-ack shell which tore through the fuel tank engulfing the fuselage in flaming petrol. The tail-gunner, RAF Sergeant N. Alkamade reached for his parachute only to find it a mass of flames. He had no other option but to jump and threw himself into the night at 18,000 feet. The next thing he remembered was opening his eyes to find himself lying in deep snow in a pine forest. Looking up he noticed broken branches on the trees that had reduced his speed, the snow did the rest. Soon he was taken prisoner by the locals who refused to believe his story. An investigation was carried out and he was released. When he eventually arrived home he carried in his pocket a certificate signed by a German colonel attesting to the fact that he had fallen three and a half miles without a parachute. FIRST GERMAN GENERAL EXECUTED March 22/23, 1944 The first German General executed to be executed after the war was General der Infanterie Anton Dostler. On during a small scale operation behind enemy lines in northern Italy, a group of 15 Italian-Americans of the US 2677th Headquarters Company were on a mission to blow up an important railway tunnel but were captured and taken prisoner before the mission (Operation 'Ginny') was completed. They were summarily shot on the instructions of 55 year old General Dostler who had simply passed on the order from higher authority (Hitler's Fï¿½frerbefehl of October 18, 1942) which stated that all enemy encountered in Commando actions were to be executed. The plea of "following superior orders" did not save Dostler from the firing squad. After a five day trial he was found guilty of a War Crime and sentenced to death. On November 27, 1944, the Mediterranean Theatre Commander, Lieutenant General Matthew B. Ridgeway, confirmed the sentence. At 8 a.m. on the morning of December 1, 1944, General Dostler was tied to a stake on the firing range of the 803rd Military Police Battalion located near Aversa, Italy. A black hood was placed over his head, a white marker pinned to his chest and the order to fire was given to the 12 enlisted men of the US Army who composed the firing squad. (General Anton Dostler lies buried in the German War Cemetery at Pomezia some miles south of Rome.) General Dostler receives the Last Sacrament. HUNGARIAN JEWS After Hitler's armies occupied Hungary on March 27, 1944, (Operation Margarethe) its government actively supported the Nazis in the deportation of its Jews. Up till 1944, the Hungarian Regent, Admiral Horthy, had steadfastly refused Hitler's offer to resettle the Hungarian Jews. But after the occupation, and after Eichmann and his SS units moved in, the deportations began on May 15, 1944, the first train reaching Auschwitz on the 17th. The pro-German Government co-operated by ordering its policemen to escort their deportees to Auschwitz. When their uniforms were seen by the Hungarian prisoners already in the camp, scenes of "unbelievable jubilation were witnessed as the prisoners ran to the wire cheering and sobbing in the belief that their policemen had come to rescue them." Around 365,000 Hungarian Jews were transported to their deaths after the occupation of their country. The majority of women and children were murdered within hours of their arrival. Fit and healthy men were spared for a while for slave labour. Over 300,000 were still in Hungary awaiting their doom. This included just over 70,000 in the Budapest ghetto (fortunately all these survived the war). French Vichy police also collaborated in the rounding up of Jews. Starting on August 27, 1942, they arrested 9,872 Jews in Vichy-controlled Lyon and transported them to Drancy, near Paris, prior to deportation to Auschwitz. In an effort to negotiate with the Allies the SS offered to exchange Jews for 1,000 trucks. This offer was rejected and as a gesture of good faith the SS allowed a train, containing 1,684 Hungarian Jews to leave Budapest for the safety of Switzerland. The train eventually ended up at the Belsen Concentration Camp near Hanover. There, the Jews were kept for about six months before being allowed to proceed to Switzerland. This must be the only recorded case where the SS actually saved Jews. (Between 1933 and 1938 a total of 453,721 Jewish refugees from Europe were settled in 27 different countries. The Jewish population of Europe in 1939 was 7,870,700.) LITTLE BROTHER Although not generally known, Albert Gï¿½ring, the younger brother of Reich Marshal Hermann Gï¿½ring, was an outspoken anti-Nazi. Arrested several times by the Gestapo, each time being released by the intervention of the Reich Marshal. Albert was born near Mauterndorf in 1900 and became a successful businessman and in later life the Export Director at the Skoda Armament Works in Czechoslovakia. During his work there he helped many Jews escape the horrors of the Holocaust by forging his brother's signature on their travel documents. The Jewish wife of composer Franz Lehar was one of those helped by Albert. Returning to Germany after the war he was everywhere shunned just because of his name. Living on a government pension he married his housekeeper as a sign of gratitude so she could receive his pension after he died. One week later, in 1966, he died, SWISS NEUTRALITY On a bombing raid on German military installations near the German/Swiss border on April 1, 1944, a force of 23 B-24 bombers from the USAF 392nd Bombardment Group, on its 59th mission, inadvertently entered Swiss air-space and owing to a navigational error mistakenly bombed the Swiss town of Schaffhausen. Fifty Swiss civilians were killed. The real target was to have been the chemical works at Ludwigshafen, 120 miles away. In 1949, the US agreed to pay $64 million in compensation. This was an attempt to secure Switzerland as an ally in the 'Cold War'. The greedy Swiss demanded that interest be paid on the $64 million, claiming that the damaged property had not been able to earn any money since the bombing. This demand was rejected. The British Royal Air Force also flouted Swiss neutrality a couple of times and attempted to bomb a ball-bearing factory in Basel suspected of producing ball bearings for the German Army but both times the bombs missed the target. During the war a total of 167 American bombers and 12 British bombers made emergency landings in Switzerland. Severely damaged in combat over Germany and unable to return to their bases in England their only alternative was to head for neutral Switzerland. In one day, on March 18, 1944, no less than eleven American bombers made emergency landings at the Dubendorf airfield. The crews were interned by the Swiss authorities in camps at Adelboden, Grippen, Les Diablerets and in the notorious punishment camp at Wauwilermoos (for escapees). They were supposed to be treated like P.O.W.s under the rules of war but in many cases living conditions were little better than German concentration camps. In all, around 1,500 American servicemen were interned in neutral Switzerland. HIGHEST NIGHT PHOTO The highest night photograph of the war was taken on April 18, 1944, over Osnabruck. The RAF Mosquito crew used a target indicator flash and took the picture from 36,000 feet. An RAF Mosquito, the most versatile plane of WWII, flying at great altitude. AIR TRAGEDY An old B24 Liberator bomber, stripped of all equipment and fitted with a radio control system to be operated from a 'mother' plane after the B24 crew had baled out, blew up in mid-air during a trial flight in preparation for 'Operation Aphrodite' the code name for the bombing of the flying bomb sites on the Continent. An electrical malfunction triggered the explosion killing the pilot and co-pilot. The pilot was Lieutenant Joseph Kennedy, the older brother of John F Kennedy the future President of the USA. INACCURATE BOMBING December 6, 1942. Operation 'Oyster' The RAF daylight bombing raid on the Philips Radio Works at Eindoven, Holland, now under Nazi control. Fourteen planes were lost but sadly 148 Dutch civilians lost their lives. March 13, 1944. In a raid on Le Mans, France, by RAF Bomber Command, some of the bombs were dropped short of the mark, killing some 100 civilians. Fifteen locomotives and around 800 railway freight cars were destroyed. The killing of innocent civilians during raids on specific targets became an increasingly severe problem for bomber crews. April 9/10, 1944. The attack by 186 RAF bombers on the rail yards at Lille-Deliverance, France, killed 456 civilians and destroyed over a thousand homes. At the rail yards around 2,000 freight cars were destroyed. April 10/11, 1944. One hundred and twenty-two Royal Canadian Air force Halifax's dropped 600 tons of bombs on the Merelbeke-Melle rail yards at Ghent, Belgium. Unfortunately, the rail yards being located in a built-up area, 438 Belgian civilians were killed. April 19/20, 1944. Around 200 bombers, mostly Canadian Halifaxes from 46 Group, attacked the rail yards at Noisy-le-sec near Paris. Many bombs fell on a built-up area of the town destroying over 700 houses and killing 464 civilians. Some 370 were injured. March 3, 1945. Over 500 inhabitants of the suburb of Bezuidenhout, a suburb of The Hague, Holland, were killed when Allied bombers missed their intended target, the V-2 launching sites in the Hague Forest, and dropped their bombs on Bezuidenhout. vital officers: BIGOTS As D-day approached a special security procedure was put in place to protect all documents concerning the time and place of the invasion (D-Day). It was the highest security classification of all. General Eisenhower had ordered that no one with any knowledge of D-Day be sent on operations where there was the slightest danger of being captured. Those with such information were called 'Bigots'. The word is derived from the two words 'To Gib' which was stamped on papers and baggage of all officers being sent to Gibraltar prior the invasion of North Africa in November, 1942. The letters were reversed to form the code-word 'Bigot' and used to list all persons with the secret information about D-Day. During 'Operation Tiger' ten officers were known to be Bigots. Top priority was given to find and identify the bodies. Fortunately all bodies were recovered and the secrets of D-Day were safe. JEDBURGHS The code name given to the teams of specially trained men who were parachuted into France before and after D-Day. Their mission was to link up and co-ordinate the resistance groups in sabotage and guerrilla warfare against the German occupying forces prior to and during the Normandy invasion. Men were selected from the British SOE, the American OSS and the Free French, Belgian and Dutch armies. The name Jedburgh comes from the southern Scottish town of Jedburgh where most members did their initial training before moving on to Milton Hall in Cambridgeshire, England. In all, around 280 'Jeds' were formed into teams of three men, one British, one American and one French. After a punishing period of physical training they were dropped behind enemy lines from planes of 38 Group squadrons to begin work with the Maquis. (The story of the Jedburghs only became public after records became de-classified in 1985.) DISASTER DURING 'OPERATION TIGER' (April 23-30, 1944) In preparation for the D-Day landings on Utah beach, the US Forces were conducting a series of exercises on a stretch of beach called Slapton Sands, near Plymouth. In an area comprising around 30,000 acres a total of 3,000 people (750 families) 180 farms with livestock were evacuated. This enormous task had to be completed in six weeks. During the actual exercise, while manoeuvring for position in Lyme Bay on the night of April 27 the landing ships were attacked by nine German motor torpedo boats, E-boats, from Cherbourg in France. Two of the landing craft, LST 507 and LST 531 were sunk and others damaged. On board the two landing ships the casualties were severe, 638 men killed (197 sailors and 441 soldiers) and hundreds injured. This was more than ten times greater than the casualties sustained in the real assault on Utah Beach on June 6 (43 Americans killed, 63 wounded). Altogether, including casualties from other ships and those killed by friendly fire on shore, a total of 946 Americans gave their lives during Operation Tiger. CARELESS TALK In spite of all precautions taken to protect the secrets of D-day, some officers still engaged in 'Careless Talk'. One such case was that of US Major General Henry Miller, chief supply officer of the US 9th Air Force, who, during a cocktail party at London's elegant Coleridge's Hotel, talked freely about the difficulties he was having in obtaining supplies. He added that things would ease after D-day declaring that would be before June 15. (When Eisenhower learned of this indiscretion he ordered that Miller be reduced to the rank of colonel and sent back to the US where shortly after, he retired from the service.) MILLION-TO-ONE Around midnight on June 5, 1944, Private C. Hillman, of Manchester, Connecticut, serving with the US 101st Airborne Division, was winging his way to Normandy in a C-47 transport plane. Just before the jump, Private Hillman carried out a final inspection of his parachute. He was surprised to see that the chute had been packed by the Pioneer Parachute Company of Connecticut where his mother worked part time as an inspector. He was further surprised when he saw on the inspection tag, the initials of his own mother! D-DAY D-Day stands for Designated Day, the actual day on which an operation would begin. H-Hour, the starting time for the attack to begin. This expression was first used on September 20, 1918, during World War I. The US First Army issued Field Order No 8 which read, "The First Army will attack at H-Hour on D-Day with the object of forcing the evacuation of the St. Michael Salient." After the landings on June 6, 1944, many believed that the D stood for 'Deliverance.' On June 28, 1943, a conference code named 'Rattle' was held in a hotel in Largs, Scotland. It was attended by around 20 Generals, 11 Air Marshals, 8 Admirals, 15 high ranking Americans and 5 equally high ranking Canadians. Presided over by Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten. It was at this conference that the uppermost question of where the Allied armies would land in Europe, was settled. D-DAY LANDINGS (June 6, 1944) Utah Beach - 23,250 American troops were landed. US 1st Army and 5th and 7th US Corps. Omaha Beach - 34,250 American troops were landed. 29th and 1st US Div. Gold Beach - 24,970 British troops were landed. 50th Division, British 2nd Army. Juno Beach - 21,400 Canadian troops were landed. 3rd Canadian Div. Sword Beach - 28,845 British troops were landed. 3rd British Div. By June 12, 326,000 troops were on the beaches, plus 54,000 vehicles. By July 2, another 929,000 men and 177,000 vehicles were put ashore. The ship armada at Normandy totalled 6,939 vessels of all kinds. In the 10 days after D-day (June 6 to June 16) a total of 5,287 Allied soldiers were killed. The number of French civilians killed during the landings has never been established but must number in the hundreds. From D-Day till the end of the war, British casualties were 30,280 dead and 96,670 wounded. The only American General to land with the initial seaborne assault at Utah Beach was Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr, assistant commander of the US 4th Division. At age 57 he was also the oldest soldier to come ashore. Sadly he died in France a month later of a heart attack. The German surrender was signed 337 days after the D-Day landings. PIGEONS AT WAR Thousands of carrier pigeons accompanied the troops to Normandy on D-day and brought back essential details to Allied Headquarters in a capsule tied to their legs. A special loft was erected at the secret code deciphering centre at Bletchley Park. Considered vermin by many, these pigeons, were first used as early as the year 1150 AD and played an important part in both world wars. News of Wellington's victory at Waterloo first came by pigeon post. Many of these birds were specially bred in Belgium prior to 1939. Often used as a distress signal from downed aircraft, a pigeon named 'Winkie' escaped from a bomber after coming down in the English Channel in 1943. It flew back 120 miles to its base at RAF Leuchers in Scotland in time for rescue boats to reach and save the crew of the stricken bomber. Winkie was awarded the Dickin Medal (the animal version of the Victoria Cross) the first pigeon to be awarded with the medallion. Many of these pigeons were dropped by specially designed parachutes to be picked up by members of the French resistance. They were soon on their way back to Britain with Important information. At this time the Germans were training Falcons to intercept the pigeons while in flight and many were killed this way. In all, thirty-two animal VCs were awarded to pigeons during WWII. Founded by Maria Dickin in 1943, the Dickin Medal was awarded to any animal, bird or dog, displaying conspicuous gallantry during war. Other Pigeons so awarded were, to use their code names, William of Orange, the hero of Arnhem, Mary of Exeter, Duke of Normandy and Paddy, to name but a few. Managed by the elite division MI-14, the office in charge of Pigeon operations, these pigeons were responsible for the saving of thousands of military lives. The city of Colvi in Italy was occupied by British troops on October 18, 1943, at 10am, well ahead of schedule. The US Air Force was to bomb the city an hour later to help the British entry. Attempts by radio to cancel the raid failed. A pigeon, GI Joe, borrowed from the Americans at the nearby airfield to accompany the troops, was released with the important message to cancel the raid, tied to it's leg. It arrived just as the bombers were about to take off. It is estimated that around a thousand British soldiers could have died if the raid had proceeded. GI Joe was the only bird or animal in America to receive the Dickin Medal. It died on June 3, 1961, aged 18, and can be seen today, mounted, in the Historical Centre at Fort Monmonth, New Jersey. WRONG AIRFIELD CHOICE On June 21,1944, a large force of Allied bombers attacked the German capital, Berlin. Included in the force were 184 American planes which, after they had dropped their bombs, decided to continue on to Poltava, the US shuttle base in the Soviet Union. Later that night the airfield was attacked by German fighters inflicting heavy damage. A total of 47 B-17s were destroyed and 19 severely damaged. On September 13, these shuttle bases were closed as the advances of the Red Army placed them too far from the front. FIRST USE OF NAPALM First used on July 17, 1944, when US P-38s attacked a fuel depot at Coutances, near St Lo. The next use of napalm was on April 15, 1945, when American bombers attacked the Atlantic coast town of Royan at the mouth of the Gironde. In the Pacific, napalm was used when US forces invaded the island of Tinian in the Marianas. It was also used in the bombing of Tokyo. This jellied fuel became the standard fuel explosive, later used widely - and notoriously - during the Vietnam War. Gï¿½RING'S VERMEER In 1944, Hermann Gï¿½ring paid ï¿½165,000 for the painting 'Woman Taken in Adultery' by the rarest of all Dutch painters, Vermeer. The painting was found in Emma Gï¿½ring's home in Austria. It was later proved to be a forgery by Hans Van Meegeren. In 1945, Van Meegeren was arrested by Dutch authorities and sentenced to one year in jail. He died just nineteen days after his jail sentence began. Today, Gï¿½ring's fake Vermeer is hidden away in the strong room of the Dutch State Collection in the Hague, never to be shown to the public or sold. FIRST D-DAY CASUALTIES It has been generally accepted that Lieutenant Den Brotheridge of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Regiment, British 6th Airborne Division, became the first British soldier to be killed in the invasion of Europe (D-Day, June 6, 1944) While he led his platoon of twenty-one men on the attack on the Orne Canal bridge at Benouville, he was hit in the neck by a bullet fired from the guns of the German sentries defending the Pegasus Bridge. Seconds before, a burst of fire from Brotheridge's Sten-gun killed one of the sentries, seventeen year old Private Helmut Romer, who became the first German to die in the defence of Hitler's 'Fortress Europe'. It has since been discovered that when Lieutenant Brotheridges's glider landed near the bridge, 29 year old Lance Corporal Fred Greehalgh of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, drowned when exiting the glider. This would make him the first D-Day casualty. Just months before the 50th anniversary of the landings, the Pegasus Bridge was demolished and part of it was rebuilt and placed in the nearby Pegasus Bridge Museum where visitors can now walk walk over it. Meanwhile, over the town of Sainte-Mare-Eglise, the first town liberated on D-Day, twenty eight year old Lt. Robert Mason Mathias of the 508th Parachute Regiment, US 82nd Airborne Division, was preparing to jump from his C-47 Dakota, when he was wounded by a shell burst. In spite of the wounds in his chest he commanded his men to 'Follow me' and hurled himself from the aircraft. Some time later, his men found his dead body, still strapped in his chute. Lt. Mathias was the first American soldier killed on D-day. Also at Sainte Mare-Eglise, Private John Steele found himself hanging from his parachute from the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After some hours he was rescued by one of the German defenders, a Rudolf May. US CHUTE'S DEADLY DELAY The 957 men of the US 82nd Airborne Division suffered a 16% casualty rate on landing among the Normandy hedgerows. Twenty five men were killed, fourteen missing and 118 wounded. Everything depended on a quick dispersal after landing and to get to the nearest cover. The delay caused by the difficulty of getting out of their chute harness proved fatal to many.In later drops, the buckles were dispensed with and the British quick-release mechanism was adopted. AIR-POWER JOKE The failure of the German Luftwaffe to appear over the D-day beaches caused the Wehrmacht soldiers to quip "if a plane in the sky is silver, it's American, if it's blue, it's British, if it's invisible, it's ours!" THE TRAGEDY OF VERCORS The Vercors Massif is a limestone plateau surrounded by many cliffs, ridges and valleys, its highest point being the 2,346 metre high Grand Veymont. Situated not far from Grenoble in central France it became the scene of the greatest and most tragic battles involving thousands of men of the French resistance. Just after D-day these men had rallied to Vercors to assist the Allies by slowing down the German forces on their way to Normandy. Completely surrounded by the enemy (estimated at 10,000 under the command of General Karl Pflaum) these brave resistance fighters hoisted high the French Tricolour, to be clearly seen from the German headquarters at Grenoble, and proclaimed the plateau the Free Republic of Vercors - the first democratic area of France since the start of the German occupation in 1940. On July 22/23, 1944, about twenty enemy gliders landed and out poured some 500 SS soldiers who began shooting everyone in sight and raping all females regardless of age. Houses were set on fire with whole families inside. Ground troops then attacked the town of St Nizer and by nightfall some ninety-three houses were smouldering ruins. The air support promised from Algiers never arrived. In the town about forty wounded maquisards were captured, all proudly wearing an armband with the letters FFI (Forces Francaises de Interieur) then tortured and shot. The men of Vercors fought heroically to the bitter end when on August 18 the last of the German troops pulled out of Vercors when the Allied landings began in the south of France. Some 840 people had been killed on Vercors (639 FFI and 201 civilians) since the first day of the German assault. On August 13, the first American tanks rumbled through the crowded streets of Grenoble. (The whole sad epic of Vercors is detailed in the book 'Tears of Glory' by Michael Pearson.) G.I. RAPIST HANGED The first Allied soldier to be hanged after D-Day was Private Clarence Whitfield, a black US soldier of the 494th Port Battalion. He was convicted of the brutal rape of Aniela Skrzyniarz, a Polish farm girl working on a farm at Vierville Sur Mer, just behind Omaha Beach, on June 14, 1944. On August 14, Private Whitfield was hanged on a gallows that was erected in the garden of the Chateau at Canisy, five kilometres south of Saint Lo. GRIM REPLY General Fritz Bayerlein, commander of the Panzer Lehr Division, when ordered by Field Marshal Von Kluge to hold the line at all costs, replied angrily "out in front every one is holding out. Every one. My grenadiers and my engineers and my tank crews, they are all holding their ground. Not a single man is leaving his post. They are lying silent in their foxholes, for they are all DEAD." SURRENDER OF US TROOPS During the Ardennes Offensive (aka The Battle of the Bulge) troops of the US 106th Infantry Regiment suffered 564 killed and 1,246 wounded before being taken prisoner. Around 7,000 men fighting on the pine covered hills of the Schnee Eifel were forced to surrender. This was the biggest surrender of American troops since the American civil war. The Battle of the Bulge delayed the Allied offensive by six weeks. JAPANESE MASS SUICIDE On July 8, 1944, American troops were stunned by the discovery of some 8,000 Japanese troops and civilians who had committed mass suicide in the final battle during the invasion of the island of Saipan in the Pacific. Pushed back into Marpi Point at the northern tip of the island, they were told by the Japanese commander, Lt. General Saito, that they would be "tortured and killed by the Americans." Hundreds of women then threw their children over the cliffs before jumping themselves. Thousands of bodies were found floating in the pounding surf, and thousands more piled up on the jagged rocks. Lt. General Saito committed ritual suicide (hara-kiri) his body was then burned by his aides. His ashes, when found by the Americans, were given a military funeral. CASUALTIES IN ITALY Allied losses in Italy amounted to 31,886 killed, 19,471 of them were Americans. US losses for Italy and Sicily (1,233) combined were 36,169 dead. British and Commonwealth casualties in the 39 day Sicilian campaign were 2,721 men killed. FREE FROM COMMUNISM As Hitler's armies advanced on Stalingrad they overran the Cossack regions of the Don, Terek and Kuban. Hundreds of thousands of Russians willingly enrolled in the German army to form a Cossack Army under the Russian General Krasnoff. Hitler promised that they would be settled in "lands and everything necessary for their livelihood in Western Europe". Their new homeland was to be in north-east Italy in the valley of Carnia on the plain of Undine where they would live their national life free from the confines of Bolshevism. Italian families in the area were ejected from their homes which were then used to house the Cossack soldiers and their families who had arrived in fifty trains during July and August 1944. To the Cossacks this was paradise far removed from their dreary life in the Ukraine. Hitler had named this new independent state 'Kosakenland'. Many atrocities were committed by these Russians against the Italian civilians, particularly the women, causing one Archbishop to write to Mussolini "It is terrible to think that Friuli will be governed by these illiterate savages". Discipline was soon restored when General Krasnoff himself arrived. Cossack officers were under no delusions, they knew they were there to shed blood for the Nazi cause. With the Allied armies approaching from the south and Tito's IX Yugoslav Corps approaching from the east, the 'Free Republic of Carnia' soon disintegrated and the Cossacks and their followers forced to trundle north towards Austria and internment by the British. USAF ACCIDENTAL DEATHS DISCLOSURE On October 4, 1944, the US War Department discloses that a total of 11,000 men of the US Air Force have been killed in 5,600 fatal air accidents since the attack on Pearl Harbor. V WEAPONS HIT LONDON The V1 weapons were Argus As 014 pulse-jet powered, not rocket. The first attack on Britain started on the night of 13 / 14 June, 1944, and ended on March 29, 1945. A total of 10,500 missiles were launched and 3,957 were destroyed by defences, 3,531 reached England and 2,353 fell on London. The death toll from these missiles was 6,184 killed and 17,981 persons were seriously injured. The last of the V1s (Doodlebug) was destroyed over Sittingbourne in Kent on March 27, 1945. The V2 rocket attack saw a total of 1,115 rockets arrive over England of which 517 fell on London, killing 2,754 people, 6,523 were injured. The V2 rocket attack lasted seven months starting on September 8, 1944, the first destroyed the home of Mr and Mrs Clarke at No 1, Staveley Road, London. On November 25th, 164 people were killed when another V2 rocket hit the Woolworth's store in South London. The last V2 rocket to fall on England fell at 4.45pm on March 29, 1945, on the town of Orpington in Kent. Hitler had planned to destroy the whole of Britain with V-weapons. In charge of the entire missile project was Dr Hans Kammler, later promoted to SS Major General. On September 8, 1944, at 6.48 pm, the first of Kammler's V2s exploded on London. In the closing days of the war, a search for Dr Kammler was launched but he was never found. To this day, he remains perhaps, the only German general to have disappeared without trace. LONDON AUXILIARY AMBULANCE SERVICE. During the bombing of London in 1940-41 and the later attacks by V1s and V2s in 1944-45, the men and women of the LAAS, another neglected branch of war-time services, worked 12 hour shifts for a wage of around ï¿½2 per week. Driving an ambulance through London's blacked-out streets with bombs falling all around called for courage of the highest order. To recover the dead and dying, some with appalling injuries, and transporting them to hospitals or First-Aid Stations was no mean feat. Dismembered bodies, bundled into body bags, were taken to the largest refrigeration system in London, the Billingsgate Fish Market, there to await some form of identification. Land mines, dropped by parachutes, were another hazard. One ambulance unit, when entering the Thermionic Club, a gentleman's club in Portland Place, just after a mine exploded, found several headless gentlemen still sitting in their armchairs, their heads having been blown off by the blast. There were 139 Auxiliary Stations in and around London employing some 1,200 full-time and 883 part-time personnel, the majority being female. Others were men too old or sick for military service and also quite a few conscientious objectors. For their courage and devotion to duty, three members of the LAAS were awarded the George Cross and nine were awarded the British Empire Medal. V WEAPONS HIT ANTWERP The city to suffer most from Hitler's vengeance weapons (the V1s and V2s) was the Belgian port of Antwerp. After four years of German occupation the city was now to suffer the agonies that London had endured, only this time much worse. The first V2 rocket struck the city at 9.45am on Friday. October 13, 1944, killing 32 people. On October 28, a V1 killed 71 persons and destroyed forty homes. On November 27, a V2 impacted on Teniers Square as an Allied military convoy was passing through. The explosion killed 157 persons including 29 Allied soldiers. The worst disaster of all was on December 12, 1944, when a V2 rocket hit the REX CINEMA in Antwerp killing 492 people, mostly British troops. Another 500 were injured. Over a period of 175 days and nights a total of 106 V1s and 107 V2s hit the city killing 3,752 civilians and 731 Allied soldiers. Some 3,613 properties were destroyed. COINCIDENCE On July 20, 1944, a flight of Heinkel 177s, commanded by Obstlt. Horst von Riesen, was circling the Masury Lakes near Hitler's HQ in East Prussia, when the engine of one plane caught fire. An order to jettison the bomb load was given. By pure coincidence the bombs exploded at exactly the same time as Stauffenberg's bomb went off in the Fï¿½hrer's conference room. On landing, Von Riesen was arrested and faced a court martial but was released some hours later when the bomb plot was confirmed. GAY GORDON'S BATTALION LOSSES During the eleven month campaign, from Normandy to the Baltic, Scotland's 51st Highland Division's battalion the Gay Gordon's had suffered 986 casualties among its ranks. On top of this, seventy five officers had been killed or wounded. This amounts to almost a complete turn round of the famous battalion. UPRISING IN WARSAW A rebellion against the Nazi occupiers of Poland's capital city started on August 1, 1944. The Polish underground army (AK, Home Army) started the operation to liberate the city from the invaders and enable them to act as hosts to the approaching Red Amy. The operation which was to last an incredible 63 days and cost the AK around 6,000 lives with some 50,000 wounded. The Red Army stopped its offensive just miles outside the city just to let the Poles and Germans fight it out amongst themselves hoping no doubt that the Germans would annihilate the anti-communist Polish Home Army, thus saving the lives of many Russian soldiers. The AK, under the direction of Polish General 'Bor', Komorowski was forced to capitulate on October 2. He was interened in Colditz Castle as a POW . COWRA BREAKOUT (August 5, 1944) The greatest prison break in history took place from the Prisoner of War camp No. 12 at Cowra situated in the Lachlan Valley in New South Wales, Australia. The compound contained Japanese and Italian P.O.W.s. On the night of 4/5th August, 1,104 Japanese prisoners broke out of Compound B believing that dying while attempting to escape would wipe out the shame of capture. In the wholesale indiscriminate shooting that took place during the breakout, 231 Japanese prisoners were killed and 107 wounded. Only four Australian camp guards were killed and four wounded. Eighteen of the twenty-odd huts were set on fire in which 20 prisoners had already committed suicide. In all, 334 Japanese escaped from the camp and in the hunt that followed, 25 died by shooting and suicide. All those recaptured were punished with up to twenty-eight days solitary in the Old Melbourne Gaol. Fearing reprisals against Australian P.O.W.s in Japanese prison camps, the whole incident was kept top secret for over six years. The Japanese Cemetery at Cowra contains the graves of 522 Japanese nationals who died in Australia during World War II. A similar incident happened at the Japanese P.O.W. camp at Featherstone, New Zealand, when during a stand off between prisoners and guards, the prisoners rushed the guards, who opened fire with machine guns killing 48 Japanese and wounding 74 more. The Cowra Breakout was alarming news to wartime Australians. DUKLA PASS BATTLE (September 8/October 25, 1944) The Dukla Pass cuts through the Carpathian Mountains on the border of Slovakia and Poland. Five days after the Slovak National Uprising began (a rebellion against the German occupation of their country) Soviet troops attacked the area around the Polish town of Dukla in an effort to break through and link up with the 5,000 members of the Slovak insurgents and together overthrow the pro-German government and expel the Nazi troops from the territory. The 50 day battle, in terms of casualties, became the bloodiest ever fought on Slovakian soil. It is also perhaps the least known of all battles fought in Europe during World War II. The Soviet 38th Army had 10,491 men killed and 64,743 wounded. In the 1st Guards Army another 10,500 men were killed and 24,200 wounded. Casualties among Slovak soldiers were 1,100 killed and 4,330 wounded. On the German side an estimated 52,000 men were killed, wounded or missing. Clearing the area of mines continued up 1960 during which 78 Army engineers and 289 civilians lost their lives. Soviet troops took a total of 31,360 prisoners. Today the battle area, covering 20 square kilometres, is an open-air battlefield museum in which dozens of T-34 tanks and various artillery pieces are strewn all over the area. A look-out tower has been built giving visitors a panoramic view of the whole battlefield. OPERATION ‘ASTONIA’ (September 10-12, 1944) Code name for the attack and capture of the French port of Le Havre. The ports of Dieppe and Ostend had been captured by the Canadian First Army but Le Havre was assigned to the British 1 Corps under Canadian command. Prior to the actual attack the town was subjected to a massive co-ordinated bombardment by British naval guns and RAF bombers leaving 80 per cent of the town in ruins. The attack on Le Havre took the lives of 5,126 civilians including 2,053 civilians killed during the bombardment. This in spite of a request by the German commander, Oberst Eberhard Wildermuth, to be given a two-day armistice to evacuate the residents from the besieged city. He had earlier rejected the British demand of unconditional surrender. The attack on Le Havre lasted 48 hours in which 11,302 German soldiers were captured and around 600 killed. British losses were less than 500. After VE-Day an estimated 3,675,000 American troops had passed through the port on their way home. TUNNEL TRAGEDY A freight train carrying hundreds of civilians, who had jumped on board because no other transport was available, stalled in a tunnel near Salerno, Italy, on December18, 1944. Toxic fumes from the engine filled the tunnel and within a short time a total of 426 people died from carbon monoxide poisoning. AIR CRASH A US 8th Army Air Force B-24 Liberator bomber crashes into the Holy Trinity School in Lytham Road in Freckelton, Lancashire, on August 23, 1944, killing 38 children. Twenty-three others, including teachers, civilians and the three man bomber crew, also died. This was the worst aircraft crash in Britain during the war. The bomber, from the American Base Air Depot No. 2 at nearby Warton, was on a test flight when the pilot received a radio signal to land immediately as an electrical storm was heading their way. The B-24 never made it back to base but at 10.30 am crashed in heavy rain into the village school. The village centre was turned into a sea of flames as nearly 3,000 gallons of aviation fuel ignited. COPY CAT In 1944, three of the most advanced strategic bombers to date, the B29 Superfortress, made a forced landing on Soviet territory after a raid on Japan. Stalin ordered that they be impounded. Two were dismantled completely and rebuilt in every last detail. The Soviet version made its first appearance after the war as the Tupolev TU-4. HORSES Horses have played a significant role in warfare since the 19th century BC when they were used in Chariot warfare. The last major use of these animals was in Poland when the Polish cavalry used them in a last-ditch attempt to defend their country against enemy tanks. The total number of horses captured by the Allies in France, Belgium and Holland amounted to 10,794. These animals were all disposed of to farmers, except those used for work at the Antwerp docks. In the German army a key element in the field of transport was horses. Non-motorized infantry divisions were allotted 4,800 horses. When the war began the German ground forces had well over half a million of these animals and at war's end a total of 2,700,000 horses had served in the war. This was twice the number used by Germany in the Great War of 1914-1918. JEEP Nearly 649,000 of these vehicles were produced during WWII, 631,873 were delivered to the US Army and Air Force. Mostly used to support the Allied armed forces in war. In 1939 the US Military asked 135 companies to submit designs for an all-purpose vehicle. Only three companies responded to the request, Willys, Ford and Bantam. Willys-Overland was granted the manufacturing contract. The word 'Jeep' comes from the code letters GP the G meaning Government and the P a code letter meaning '80 inch wheelbase reconnaissance car' the name given to the Ford prototype and adopted by Willys as their trade mark. When slurred together the letters GP sounds like 'Jeep'. Peak production at the Willys-Overland plant in Toledo, Ohio, was one Jeep every 80 seconds. VOLKSWAGEN The 'Peoples Car' designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche in 1934 and promised to German workers through the 'Strength Through Joy' (Kdf) scheme. Known originally as the Kdf Wagen, subscriptions amounted to around 280 million German Reichmarks from 336,668 subscribers who were encouraged to save five marks weekly. Not one subscriber received the car. In 1944, 650 Jewish women were transferred from Auschwitz to work at the Volkswagen plant to manufacture bazookas and mines. To house these workers a satellite camp was established at Neuengamme. In 1945. the factory was captured by the US 102nd Infantry Division and as the site lay within the British zone of occupation, the British took over the badly bombed factory, fifty-eight percent of which lay in ruins. A Military Government team, led by Major Ivan Hirst of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, got production going and produced the first post-war Beetle Volkswagen car in early 1946. In March of that year the 1,000th Volkswagen rolled off the production line and by the end of the year a total of 9,871 were built. It soon became one of the world's most popular cars. In the museum at the Volkswagen Works at Wolfsburg, near Hannover, you can see the original Prototype No 3 Kdf Wagen with a astonishing 400,000 kilometres on the clock. In 1970, the 14 millionth 'Beetle' was presented to the United Kingdom. SHELL SHOCK The US Army suffered a total of 929,307 cases of 'Battle Fatigue' during the war. In June alone, in Normandy, an alarming 10,000 men were treated for some form of battle fatigue. Between June and November, 1944, this amounted to a staggering 26% of all US casualties. COURT MARTIAL During the battle for Normandy, four British officers and 7,018 other ranks were court martialled for desertion. Fifty-nine officers and 3,628 other ranks were court martialled for other offences. THE LOST DIVISION This was the name given to the American soldiers who had deserted in France and in Germany at the end of 1945. They numbered around 19,000, many living on farms and working as labourers, as black market racketeers, or in safe hiding places in their new found girl friends' houses. By 1948, about 9,000 had been found. In 1947, the British Government announced an offer of leniency for British deserters and 837 gave themselves up. NITRO BLAST During the Allied assault on the Scheldt Estuary on (October 20, 1944) (Operation Switchback), the British 248 Armoured Assault Squadron of the Royal Engineers took up position in a field near the village of Ijzendijke. No. 3 troop was assigned the task of operating a mine-clearing device known as a Condor, a 300 foot length of canvas hose launched empty across a minefield and then pumped full of liquid nitro-glycerine which was then detonated, clearing a wide path through the minefield. While unloading the nitro-glycerine from three Canadian lorries, a tremendous explosion rocked the area sending shock waves that flattened everything in its path. Trees, farm buildings and military vehicles were set on fire or completely wrecked by the blast. The three lorries carrying the glycerine simply disappeared leaving three large craters on the site. This accidental explosion, the largest in North-west Europe during WWII, took the lives of 26 British and 15 Canadian soldiers and wounding 43 others. Fifty-three years later, in 1997, a memorial was unveiled on the site commemorating the victims. The ceremony was attended by over a hundred British and Canadian veterans. JAPAN'S NEW IMPERIAL HEADQUARTERS. In the mountainous region of Nagano on the island of HONSHU, construction began on 11th November, 1944, to build Japan's new Imperial Headquarters and accommodation for Japan's 124th ruler, Emperor Hirohito and his wife. From here, Japan's last stand in WW11 would be directed. About 120 families were evacuated from the area before work began. To build this vast complex of underground bunkers and tunnels some 7,000 to 10,000 Korean workers were forcibly brought to Honshu as slave labourers. These workers toiled under gruesome conditions. Tunnels were bored that stretched for kilometres under the mountain peaks of Mount Maizuru, Mount Zozan and Mount Minakami at 95 metres below ground. At Maizuru there were 20 main tunnels parallel to each other and measured 4 metres wide and 2.7 metres high with a total length of 6 kilometres. It is estimated that around 1,500 of these slave workers perished during construction. At the end of hostilities on August 11, 1945, all work ceased leaving the complex 75% completed. After the war, what was meant to be Hirohito's palace was converted to an orphanage. Today some of these tunnels are now open to visitors. It was through General McArthur's benevolence that Hirohito was never brought to trial for war crimes. Instead he was asked to acknowledge in public that he was indeed a mortal being and not divine being. This he did on August 15, 1945, when the Japanese people heard his voice for the very first time. He then proceeded on a tour of Japan's devastated cities. He died on January 7, 1989, after a 62 year reign. He was 88 years old. In 1990, Japan published a list of 90,804 Korean slave workers who were forcibly brought to Japan during WW11. EXPLOSION (November 27, 1944) The large underground gypsum mines at RAF Station, Fauld in Staffordshire, was being used as storage for three and a half thousand tons of high explosive bombs. Within were 22 miles of railway track. At 11.10am on the morning of November 27, the bombs exploded en masse claiming 70 lives, including 7 Italian P.O.W.s who were brought in to help, and injuring another 22. It left a crater 80 feet deep and covered an area of twelve acres on which lay 200 dead cattle. An official explanation has never been issued as to the cause of this, the greatest explosion ever in the United Kingdom. A memorial, erected in 1990 lists the names of all seventy dead, and states that eighteen of the bodies were never recovered. GLEN MILLER DISAPPEARS WITHOUT A TRACE On December 15, 1944, an American Dodge staff car, driven by Staff Sergeant Edward McCulloch of Oceanside, California, entered the small grass airfield at RAF Twinwood Farm near London and deposited his two passengers near a waiting plane piloted by a 25-mission pilot, Flight Officer Johnny Morgan. His passengers were a Lieutenant Colonel Norman Baessell (General Goodrich's Executive Officer) 2nd Lieutenant Don Haynes, the band's executive officer (there only to see the plane off) and the American band leader, Glenn Miller. At 13.55 PM, the small UC-64A single engined Norseman plane with its three occupants took off on a flight to Paris. Nothing was ever heard of the plane again. In Paris, members of the band waited in their Hotel des Olympiades for news, only to be told that Glen Miller was missing. (On Christmas Eve the band was greeted with wild enthusiasm as it played its first concert without their leader.) On the same day, December 15, a force of 138 RAF Lancaster bombers was returning from an aborted raid on Siege (east of Cologne). Carrying a full bomb load, the Lancaster was a difficult plane to land, and in such circumstances all bombers had to jettison their load over the Channel in an area designated as the 'Southern Jettison Area'. While jettisoning their bomb loads, the crew of a Lancaster from 149 Squadron saw a small plane crash into the sea below them. Forty-two years later, when the Lancaster crew were traced and contacted in New Zealand, they swore that the plane they had seen was a Norseman. The mystery remains to this day. Did the Norseman stray off course into the prohibited area only to be downed by bombs falling from the Lancaster bombers above? The chances of finding the small plane on the bed of the Channel are a million to one against. Glenn Miller gave his last concert at the Queensbury All Services Club in Soho, London, on December 12, 1944. Later, in 1945, one of the venues for a band concert, without their leader, was at Nuremberg Stadium. Performed in front of thousands of cheering GIs on the same field where many Hitler Youth ceremonies took place. Today, the control tower at Twinwood Farm has been completely refurbished and dedicated to Major Glen Miller and the American Band of the AEF. For full details of the Glen Miller Band during their six months stay in Britain, see Chris Way's book "Glen Miller in Britain Then and Now."Chris Way died n July 2013 and his ashes scattered by John Miller, Glen's nephew, over the grass in front of the restored tower at Twinwood Farm from where Glen Miller departed on his last flight. THE FAMOUS LANCASTER BOMBER. First flown on January 9, 1941. As the Lancaster was vulnerable to attacks from below, some later versions were equipped with a mid-under .5 machine gun mounted over a hole in the underside of the fuselage, the gunner sitting on a small wooden seat. Several 622 squadron Lancaster's were equipped in this manner. WAR DIARY General Eisenhower's talents did not greatly impress the British General Montgomery. At the end of Montgomery's war diary, a special note, written by the famous general, stated "And so the campaign in Northwest Europe is finished. I am glad; it has been a tough business ... the Supreme Commander had no firm ideas as to how to conduct the war and was 'blown about by the wind' all over the place ... the staff at SHAEF were completely out of their depth all the time. The point to understand is if we had run the show properly the war could have been finished by Christmas, 1944. The blame for this must rest with the Americans. To balance this it is merely necessary to say one thing, i.e. if the Americans had not come along and lent a hand , we would never have won the war at all." ROYAL AIR FORCE CASUALTIES During the first six months of 1944, out of each 1,000 bomber crews who had flown missions during that period, 712 were reported killed or missing and 175 were wounded ... an 89 percent casualty rate. BRITISH AIR RAID CASUALTIES IN 1944 In the first four months 1,493 persons were killed and 2,871 injured in air raids. In April, for the first time in four years, there were no casualties reported. In June, Hitler's V1 flying bombs killed 1,935 persons and wounded 5,906. In July the V2 rockets killed 2,441 and injured 7,107. In the next five months, casualties amounted to 1,548 deaths and 6,055 wounded. (There were 60,595 British civilian deaths from air raids and rocket attacks during the war, this included 25,399 women and children. Some 86,182 were seriously wounded. 46 to losing control of the bowels 28 to urinating in their pants. US SERVICEMEN: FIT FOR DUTY? From 1941 to 1945, a total of 17,955,000 Americans were medically examined for induction into the armed forces. Some 6,420,000 (35.8 percent) were rejected as unfit because of some physical disability. Altogether, 16,112,566 Americans served their country in World War II. A total of 38.8 percent (6,332,000) were volunteers. In all, 405,399 American service men and women gave up their lives in a war that cost the US $288 Billion Dollars. The most decorated unit in U.S. military history is the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, whose motto was "Go for Broke." It consisted of Japanese-American volunteers. Together they won 4,667 major medals, awards, and citations, including 560 Silver Stars 4,000 Bronze Stars, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses, and one Medal of Honor, plus 54 other decorations. It also held the distinction of never having one single case of desertion during the entire war. A VERY LONG WAR The last Japanese soldier to surrender was Captain Fumio Nakahira who held out until April, 1980, before being discovered at Mt. Halcon on Mindoro Island in the Philippines. Before that, there was Onoda Hiroo, discovered in the jungle of Lubang Island on March 11, 1974, twenty-nine years after the war ended. He has since published a book 'No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War'. Nakamura Teruo was discovered on the island of Morotai on December 18, 1974, still believing the war was on. Sergeant Yoloi Shoichi survived in the jungles of Guam until found on January 24, 1972. He died in September, 1997 at the age of 82. RAPE IN WAR The rape of Jewish women by Nazi forces is well documented. After the attack on Poland in September,1939, mass rape of Jewish women was an everyday occurrence. In Warsaw, forty women were taken from the ghetto to a party in the officers mess and forced to drink, strip and dance with German officers after which they were raped repeatedly before being sent back to the ghetto. In the concentration camps, Jewish women were raped by their guards. This of course contravened the Nazi race laws that prohibited sexual relations between 'Aryans' and Jews. At the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials evidence was presented that hundreds of Russian women were raped. Many French women, especially those in the resistance, were brutally raped during the occupation. Not only German soldiers but British and American fighting men did their fair share of raping. During the occupation of Japan, Japanese women were subjected to mass rape by the soldiers of the occupation forces starting on the first day, August 21, 1945. Over a period of ten days, 1,336 cases of rape were reported. In one instance a woman was raped by twenty-seven US soldiers. In Hiroshima, occupied by the British and Commonwealth Forces, many Japanese women were raped. One young woman was raped by twenty Australian soldiers. On August 21, 1945, Japanese authorities decided to set up a Recreation and Amusement Association (RAA) for the benefit of Allied occupation troops in an attempt to cut down the instances of rape. At its peak, around 20,000 prostitutes worked for the RAA. On September 20, 1945, the first brothel for the 350,000 US troops in Japan was opened. It was called 'Babe Garden'. It was closed down on March 27, 1946 to stop the spread of VD. Unfortunately these brothels did little to minimize the incidence of rape during the first year of the occupation. SOVIET RAPES IN BERLIN: A HUGE, UNKNOWN TOTAL The official figures for Berlin rapes by Soviet troops does exist but has never been published. However, Berlin’s former mayor, Ernst Reuter, said that the figure given him was 90,000. In 1945, Berlin had a population of some 2,700,000 of which about 2,000,000 were women. Many rapes of course were never reported and the figure of 90,000 includes only hospitalized cases and doctors reports. Some 10,000 women in Berlin died as a result of rape, many by suicide. The death rate was thought to have been much higher among the 1.4 million estimated victims in East Prussia, Silesia and Pomerania. Doctors were besieged by women seeking information on the best way to commit suicide. A charity institution, orphanage and maternity hospital, 'Haus Dehlem' was forcibly entered by second line Russian troops and pregnant women and women who had just given birth were repeatedly raped. In the Soviet Zone of Germany nearly 90% of females ages between 10 and 80 were raped in what undoubtedly was the largest case of mass rape in history. This included women expelled from the eastern provinces. Among the rape victims were many women who became prominent figures in post-war Germany. Hannelore Kohl, wife of former Chancellor Helmut Kohl was raped when twelve years old, along with her mother while they tried to escape from Berlin on a train heading for Dresden. Hannelore Kohl committed suicide in 2001. Most German children born in Berlin in 1946 were the result of rape. Women and young girls were forcibly dragged from their homes and raped, the drunken Soviet Mongolian soldiers queuing up to await their turn. For two whole weeks these mass rapes of women continued. Some Jewish women, thinking that their nationality would save them, showed their identity cards to the rapists but none of them could even read. Marshal Zhukov issued orders that any soldier caught in the act of rape after the two week period was up, was to be shot on the spot. Many a Russian soldier met his end this way. Although no US soldier was ever executed for rape in Germany, as one GI wrote: "many a sane American family would recoil in horror if they knew how 'our boys' over here conduct themselves." The psychological effects on many of these rape victims were devastating, future relationships with men became extremely difficult for the rest of their lives. (Between 1942 and 1945, a total of 2,420 rapes were reported in England, 3,620 in France and more than 11,040 in Germany by the occupying troops.) It is estimated that around two million German women had undergone an illegal abortion in the three years after the war ended. TRANSFERRED By September, 1944, around one million and thirty thousand prisoners from the Soviet Gulags were transferred to the Red Army. Political prisoners and those convicted of anti-Soviet activities were not released. Further releases were made in the Spring of 1945 just weeks before the onslaught on Berlin. Exchanging a Gulag death for a hero's death at the front was motivation enough for many of these prisoners, five of whom later became 'Heroes of the Soviet Union'. Fed a daily dose of anti-German propaganda and films showing the terrible atrocities committed by Nazi troops while in Russia, they soon became full of a burning hatred for the enemy and longed for revenge. Once on enemy soil they were confronted with signs saying "Red Army soldier: You are now on German soil, the hour of revenge has struck." The orgy of rape, looting, murder and drunkenness committed by these ex-prisoners of the Gulags on innocent German women and children was a direct result of this indoctrination. (At this time Berliners were saying that optimists were learning English and the pessimists learning Russian.) Berliner women's worst nightmares were realised when they were repeatedly raped in their tens of thousands by the barbarous invading Soviet hordes. Many were brutally murdered. Our "valiant Soviet allies" were actually at first officially encouraged to rape, murder and take loot as legitimate Communist wartime plunder. Until the disgusted Marshal Zhukov finally intervened and stopped the mayhem—as good Bolsheviks and animalistic Mongolian riffraff—most raped away with bloodthirsty relish. SUICIDE ATTACKS Prior to the proposed invasion of mainland Japan, Operation Olympic on November 1, 1945, the Japanese military speeded up its preparations to attack the Allied invasion force while still at sea, coming up with some very desperate ideas for suicide attacks of differing kinds: Thousands of volunteer pilots were hastily trained for airplane suicide attacks. Over 500 aircraft of all types were available for these kamikaze missions. Around 400 Koryu and Kairyu suicide submarines (five and two-man versions of the Kaiten) would set out on their one-way journey. Also prepared to sacrifice their lives were 300 volunteers for the Shinyo human torpedoes. Most bizarre of all were the hundreds of strong swimmers who would swim out with deadly mines strapped to their backs to explode against the hulls of the Allied ships. Just when all was set for the greatest military mass suicide in history, the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. On August 14, 1945, the Japanese ordered all kamikaze operations to cease. The originator of the first kamikaze attack, Vice Admiral Takijiro Ohnishi, committed suicide by disembowelling himself. WAR BRIDES Around 48,000 European women, with 22,000 children, emigrated to Canada during and after the Second World War. Today in Canada there are some 300,000 children or grandchildren of these War Brides. Over one million American GIs were stationed in Britain in the two years preceding D-Day. Approximately 130,000 were black Americans. Near 70,000 British girls married their GI boy friends and 47,000 married their Canadian soldier. About 20,000 children were born to these GIs and just under 1,000 were black children. By 1950, a total of 14,175 German and 758 Japanese war brides arrived in the USA. In Australia, by 1950, about 650 Japanese girls married their Aussie boy friends and were admitted to Australia when the admission ban was lifted in 1952. Many of these brides experienced prejudice, jealousy and resentment by Australian women who were enraged that their soldiers had chosen foreign girls as wives. Some 7,000 Australian women married their American GI boy friends and travelled to the USA as war brides. Between 1946 and 1949 some 20,000 German women immigrated to the USA to start a new life with their American husbands or boy friends. Most found that they were anything but welcome. (The first US troops arrived in Brisbane, Queensland, on Christmas Eve, 1941.) MEMORIALS In 1989, in Britain, the UK National Inventory of War Memorials was established. Its database lists around 45,000 memorials to those who gave their lives during World Wars 1 and 11. The best known is the Cenotaph in London, erected in 1919 and rebuilt on the same spot on Armistice Day in 1920. There are 222 memorials marking the site of plane crashes, both RAF and Luftwaffe aircraft. The War Room at No 10, Rue Franklin-Roosevelt in the town of Reims, France, where the German surrender was accepted by General Eisenhower is preserved exactly as it was in 1945. One of the most unusual memorials was the one which opened in Berlin on May 8, 2002. Called the 'Deserters Memorial', it is dedicated to the 232 German soldiers, the youngest 18, who were shot for desertion in the closing stages of the war. Realizing that the war was lost they threw away their arms and deserted. All were rounded up and faced a military court which sentenced them all to death. The punishment was legal according to German military law at the time. After the verdicts the 232 men were taken to the Wehrmacht training ground behind the Waldbϋhne sports complex in Berlin and shot. In Germany there is a law which forbids the building of memorials to its fighting troops of World War 11. ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY America's most famous military cemetery, comprising 657 acres, is situated on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River in Washing DC. In this beautifully landscaped area the focal point is Arlington House where Robert E Lee, of Confederate Army fame, lived for thirty years of his life. Requisitioned by the Union Army for a military cemetery during the American Civil War the cemetery now contains over 240,000 graves. The first burial took place on May 13, 1864, when Private William Christman, a soldier of the 67th Pennsylvania Infantry, was laid to rest. In the Memorial Amphitheatre is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. In front of the tomb are two sunken crypts, one containing the remains of an Unknown Soldier from World War II, the other containing the remains of an Unknown Soldier from the Korean War. There is no Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the Vietnam War as each soldier who fought and died in that conflict has been identified. Instead a special plaque dedicated to those who died was unveiled on November 11, 1978, by President Jimmy Carter. Also here, lie the remains of 364 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients including America's most decorated soldier, Audie L. Murphy. A total of 433 US soldiers were awarded the medal for services during World War II. Foreigners can be awarded the Medal of Honor provided they are a member of the US Armed Forces. They are not required to be a US citizen. KRANJI WAR CEMETERY Situated near the Naval Base on Singapore Island, 22 kilometres north of Singapore City, the former military camp became a military cemetery containing the graves of around 6,000 servicemen who died fighting in the Far East. These include 4,461 British Commonwealth graves, 850 of which are unidentified. From 1936 to 1941 the site became the largest ammunition dump in Asia. Just before the capitulation the British blew up the dump to prevent it falling into the hands of the approaching Japanese forces. When Singapore fell, the Japanese established a P.O.W. camp on the site and after reoccupation the prisoners developed a small cemetery in the camp which was later enlarged by the Army Grave Service. At the rear of the cemetery are twelve large columns on which are inscribed the names of around 56,000 servicemen and women who have no known grave. These include the names of those who met their deaths on the Japanese Hell Ships. WAR CRIMES TRIALS (Europe) The Nï¿½rnberg International Military Tribunal began on November 20, 1945. It was conducted in four languages, English. French, Russian and German. The trials lasted ten months in which it held a total of 403 sessions. Twenty surviving leaders of the Third Reich were arraigned before the Allied judges as major war criminals. All pleaded 'Not Guilty'. Ten were hanged on 16th October, 1946, seven were given prison sentences ranging from ten years to life, and three were acquitted. Two, Herman Gï¿½ring and Robert Ley committed suicide during the trial. It is doubtful that Gï¿½ring would have taken his own life if the Tribunal had granted him his most cherished wish, to die like a soldier in front of a firing squad. Forty Allied officers, including four Generals, one each from Britain, America, France and the Soviet Union, witnessed the executions. Also present were two newspapermen from each nationality as well as the camera crews and lighting technicians. The hangings were conducted by US Master Sergeant John C. Wood of San Antonio, Texas, a professional hangman in civil life with 299 executions to his credit. Thirty-three witnesses gave oral evidence for the prosecution against the defendants and sixty-one witnesses gave evidence for the defence. Written evidence was given by 143 witnesses for the defence. A total of 1,809 affidavits from other witnesses were also submitted. Everything said at the trial was stenographically and electrically recorded. The United Nations War Crimes Commission was established in London on October 7, 1942, with the support of seventeen other Allied governments. On August 8, 1945, Britain, America, France and Russia signed the London Agreement setting up the N.I.M.T. to bring the top leaders of Hitler's Germany to trial. The evidence against the defendants were, in most cases, documents of their own making on which their own signatures were proved authentic. Some historians believe that the hanging of General Jodl was a miscarriage of justice but by signing Hitler's order to have fifty prisoners of war shot for escaping from Sagan, sealed his fate. Senior surviving Nazis got rough justice indeed at the widely-condemned Nï¿½rnberg Tribunal. These "Victor's Justice" propaganda show trials were unique in history, complete with fake "Jewish Skin" lampshade exhibits; a German-hating "impartial American judicial team" made up almost entirely of European Jews; barefaced lies, perjury and third-hand hearsay testimony. Most damning of all: widespread, unchallenged torture 'confessions' written in detailed English by non-English speaking German defendants. PRISON FOR SEVEN On July 18, 1947, a DC-3 landed at the Royal Air Force airfield, at Gatow, near Berlin, formally Kladow Airfield, in the late afternoon. In the plane were seven high ranking Nazis convicted to terms of imprisonment at Nuremberg. The seven were Baldur von Schirach, Gross Admiral Karl Donitz, Konstantin von Neurath, Admiral Erich Raeder, Albert Speer, Walter Funk and Rudolf Hess. They were then driven in a bus with blacked out windows to No. 23 Wilhelmstrasse in Spandau, better known as Spandau Prison. Built to hold 600 prisoners it now contained only seven prisoners guarded by 78 persons including 32 armed guards, 18 warders and 28 ancillary staff. Prisoners were given the same rations as German civilians. Talking to each other was forbidden, except in the garden. German newspapers were only allowed after May, 1954. Reveille was at 6am and lights out at 10pm. Albert Speer has calculated that he has walked a distance of 31,936 kilometres round the garden in his effort to keep fit during the twenty years he spent in Spandau. After the longest serving prisoner, Rudolf Hess, died in August 1987, the prison complex was demolished, the thousands of tons of rubble buried in the shooting range at RAF Gatow. The site was redeveloped as the Britannia Centre, a community centre for British garrison troops in Berlin. It contained a NAAFI superstore and a picture theatre named Jerboa Cinema, the name taken from the Jerboa Cinema that was situated next to the former British NAAFI Club on the Reichskanzler Platz. (Previously Adolf Hitler Platz, now Theodor Heuss Platz). WAR CRIMES TRIALS (EAST) The Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal convened on May 3, 1946, and adjourned on November 12. 1948. Twenty-eight Japanese military and civilian leaders were put on trial for war crimes. Conducted by eleven Justices and presided over by Justice Webb of Australia, eleven of the defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging, the executions taking place in Sugamo Prison on December 23. 1948. Among those executed was General Hidaki Tojo, former commander of the Kuantung Army and later Prime Minister of Japan. Outside the Tokyo trials there were more than 2,000 other trials involving 5.379 Japanese. 148 Koreans, 173 Formosans (Class B and C war criminals). These trials were conducted in forty-nine locations. Over 4,300 individuals were convicted of war crimes of whom 984 were sentenced to death. The rest to terms of imprisonment ranging from life for 475 and shorter terms of imprisonment for 2,944. China held thirteen war crimes trials which resulted in 504 convictions and 149 death sentences. DEATH SENTENCES In the US Zone of Germany, 462 major war criminals were sentenced to death in 1945. In the British Zone, 240 received the death penalty and in the French Zone the number was 104. Of the 806 death sentences imposed by the western allies only about 400 were actually carried out. In the forty years since 1945, around 5,000 war criminals were hunted down, tried and executed. The search continues to this day. CAMOUFLAGE LANGUAGE In many documents discovered after the war, it is interesting to see how SS unit commanders reported their operations to their leaders, Himmler and Heydrich. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union, reports flooded in describing the systematic mass killing of Jews, partisans and others by SS death squads (Einzatzcommando). Some 195 documents were found to contain words that have been described as "camouflage language". A few unit commanders, no doubt the more fanatical Nazi types, used plain language in describing their activities, for instance, the words shooting, killing, and hanging, left little doubt about what they were doing. In other reports we find the words: liquidated, cleansed, annihilated, resettled, deported, collective punishment and that ominous phrases "subjected to special treatment" and "executed according to martial law". Towns, reported "free of Jews" were said to mean that the entire Jewish population had either been killed or transported to concentration camps. RE-ENACTMENT FOR FILM One evening in the summer of 1946, some members of the Chancellery Group, those who were captured in May, 1945 by the Russians in and around Hitler's bunker in the grounds of the Reich Chancellery, were flown back to Berlin from their prisons in the Soviet Union. In Berlin they were made to re-enact the events of the last day in the Bunker for a Russian film company. They were in Berlin for some twenty-four hours before being flown back to Moscow, there to remain in various prisons for the next ten years. The film 'actors' that day included Hans Baur, Heinz Lange, Major Guenche, General Mohnke and Sergeant Rochus Misch the SS telephonist. For the first time, an information panel, with maps and images, has now been erected on the site of the former bunker to show visitors the exact location. (Many photographs shown in history books today are actually re-enactments of the actual incident where it would have been too dangerous at the time to record the scene on film.) P.O.W. DEATH RATE A total of 7,310 British prisoners of war died while in German captivity and 12,443 died while in Japanese captivity. Of an estimated 350,000 prisoners captured by the Japanese in WWII, 35,756 died, a death rate of 10.2%. Of the 235,473 prisoners interned by Germany and Italy, 9,348 died, a death rate of 4%. At midnight on August 14/15, 1945, the unconditional surrender of Japan is announced by the American President Truman and the British Prime Minister Atlee. World War II was over. (This war was unnecessarily prolonged by the short-sighted insistance by the Allies for 'unconditional surrender'.) KILLED BY THEIR OWN COUNTRYMEN Twelve French volunteers in the German Waffen SS (33rd SS Grenadier Division 'Charlemagne') who had fought on the Eastern Front were in a hospital in Bavaria when the war ended. They surrendered to French soldiers under the command of General Philippe Leclerc, the liberator of Paris. Accusing them of being traitors to France, Leclerc ordered them shot, their bodies left lying on the ground to be discovered some days later by US troops and buried. Years later their bodies were recovered and reinterred in the local cemetery. Inscribed on a memorial above the graves are the words "To The Twelve Brave Sons Of France, Prisoners Of The Victors, Who Were Executed Without Judgement". MERRY CHRISTMAS Just before Christmas, 1946, the ban on fraternization between German Prisoners of War and British civilians was finally lifted. Invitations poured into P.O.W. camps in Britain from British families eager to invite the P.O.W.s into their homes for Christmas, the first real Christmas the prisoners had experienced in years. The last of German P.O.W.s were repatriated by the end of 1948 but around 24,000 decided to stay in Britain rather than return to their homes now in the communist zone of East Germany. Many of those who stayed behind ended up marrying British girls and raising families. WWII LEGALLY ‘ENDS’ IN DECEMBER 1947 Although the war officially ended on August 14, 1945, Britain extended this date to December 31, 1947, as a cut-off date. This extension was introduced to make allowance for the many casualties who died from wounds received during the true war period to be classified as war dead. GERMANIA In 2002, on an island in the middle of the 115 square kilometer Mueritzsee Lake, the largest in Mecklenburg and sixty miles from Berlin, amateur historians discovered the only building Hitler ever saw completed for Germania, the name he would have given Berlin after it was rebuilt. This was a prototype of the bomb-proof apartments he wanted to construct for the workers building the new capitol that would rule Europe. Known as the 'White House' or Festwork-T, it is the only surviving example of the type of architecture that the German Fï¿½hrer would have dominated the new capitol with after the 'final victory'. POST-WAR When the European war ended, the great debate began. What had turned young men into unthinking slaves of evil? What happened to make them susceptible to the lust for power, to loose all sense of right and wrong, to commit acts of such unspeakable bestiality, to fight with such fanatical courage and without question to carry out the orders of their unscrupulous leaders? After the war, hundreds of non-Nazi priests, doctors, and psychiatrists were interviewed and not one could report a single instance of confession to the criminal acts in which they, the perpetrators, participated. When, on May 23, 1945, SS Fï¿½hrer and Gestapo Police Chief, Heinrich Himmler, gave himself up to British Military Police at Bremervï¿½rde and then committed suicide by biting on a phial of cyanide hidden between his teeth, the terrifying bloody history of Hitler's SS came to an end. But its evil deeds will for ever stand as a warning to all nations and in particular to the new generations growing up in Germany. As the terrible events of World War II recede more and more into the past, the average German person is less and less inclined to feel a sense of individual guilt for the past. The younger generation, quite rightly, asks "why should I feel guilty? I was not born then." DIENSTGRUPPEN The German word for Service Groups. This relates to the 70,000 German P.O.W.s and other nationals still in uniform and engaged in post-war operations including mine clearing and guard duties in Northern Germany in 1947. Germans at that time, and even now, were convinced that this para-military force of 81,358 members, called the Black Reichswehr by the Germans, was really a reserve force kept in readiness for a possible war with Russia. THE INTERNATIONAL TRACING SERVICE Originally the Tracing Bureau of the British Red Cross and later the Central Tracing Bureau created by SHAEF in 1944 at Frankfurt-am Main. It later moved to Bad Arlosen in 1946 where it remains to this day under the management of the International Red Cross since 1955. Comprising 26,000 metres of shelf space it contains over fifty million reference cards for over 17.5 million persons who were held in Nazi prisons and concentration camps. The cards also contain details of forced labourers and displaced persons. In 2007, the Bureau received over 61,000 requests from seventy countries for information on long lost family members. It was here in the octagonal shaped downstairs room of the villa at 31a Uelzener Strasse, Luneburg, that Himmler committed suicide while being searched. This interrogation centre was set up by the British Second Army HQ Defence Company and it was here also that Mrs Margaret Joyce, wife of William Joyce (Lord Haw Haw) was interrogated by MI5 and held for six days after her arrest.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_267_45	Erwin Rommel - History Learning Site Erwin Rommel Citation: C N Trueman "Erwin Rommel" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 20 Apr 2015. 16 Aug 2016. Erwin Rommel was one of Germany’s most respected military leaders in World War Two. Rommel played a part in two very significant battles during the war – at El Alamein in North Africa and at D-Day. Rommel’s nickname was the ‘Desert Fox’ – a title given to him by the British. Rommel studying maps during the battle at El Alamein Rommel was born in 1891 in Heidenheim. During World War One, he distinguished himself in the German Third Army and he was decorated for his bravery and leadership. After the war, Rommel remained as an infantry officer and instructor. His chance for real military power came when Hitler, appointed chancellor in 1933, recognised his ability. By 1938, Rommel was a senior military figure in the Wehrmacht. His success in the campaigns of 1939 and especially the successful attack on Western Europe in 1940, lead to Hitler appointing him commander of the Afrika Corps in 1941. It was in the deserts of North Africa that Rommel found real success. The nickname ‘Desert Fox’ was well deserved. Rommel was highly respected even by the British. Auchinleck, Rommel’s opposite until his sacking by Churchill, sent a memo to his senior commanders in North Africa, to state that it was their responsibility to ensure that their men thought less of Rommel as a ‘super military leader’ and more of him as a normal German commander. “…(you must) dispel by all possible means the idea that Rommel represents anything other than the ordinary German general……….PS, I’m not jealous of Rommel.” Auchinleck Rommel’s fame in the desert rests on his success as a leader and also his uncompromising belief that all prisoners of war should be well looked after and not abused. One story told at the time was that Italian troops took from British POWs’ their watches and other valuables. When Rommel found out, he ordered that they be returned to their owners immediately. To many British ‘Desert Rats’, Rommel epitomised a gentleman’s approach to a deadly issue – war. Rommel knew that his options at the vital battles at El Alamein were limited. Montgomery, who succeeded the dismissed Auchinleck, had the advantage of Bletchley Park feeding him the battle plan Rommel was going to use. Rommel was also seriously starved of the fuel he needed for his attack on Montgomery’s ‘Desert Rats’. The second battle at El Alamein was a very fluid battle but the sheer weight of supplies that Montgomery had access to (amongst other equipment were 300 new Sherman tanks) meant defeat for Rommel. The defeat of the Afrika Corps was the first major setback for Hitler and the Wehrmacht. Hitler ordered Rommel to fight to the last man and the last bullet. Rommel had far too much respect for his men to obey this command and retreated. The Germans left North Africa in May 1943. Despite this refusal to obey Hitler’s command, Rommel did not lose favour with Hitler. In February 1944, Rommel was appointed by Hitler to be commander of the defences of the Atlantic Wall. Rommel’s brief was to ensure that Western Europe was impregnable. He took full responsibility for the Northern French coastline. The beaches at Normandy were littered with his anti-tank traps which were invisible at full-tide. As it was, the planning at D-Day meant that Rommel’s defences were of little problem to the vast Allied attack. At the time of D-Day, Rommel commanded the important Army Group B. On July 17th 1944, Rommel was wounded in an attack on his car by Allied fighter planes. The attack took place near St. Lo. Rommel was implicated in the July 1944 Bomb Plot against Hitler and the Gestapo was keen to interview this famous military commander. Hitler was keen to avoid the public show trial of his most famous general and it seems that a ‘deal’ was done. Rommel died ‘of his wounds’ on October 14th 1944. He was given a state funeral. But it seems that he committed suicide to a) save himself from a humiliating show trial and b) it seems that Hitler promised that his family would not be punished for Rommel’s indiscretions if he died ‘of his wounds’. What impact Rommel would have had on the Allies drive to Germany after D-Day is difficult to speculate. However, the sheer odds against the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe post-June 1944 were such that this famous commander would have been unable to hinder the Allies progress. “He was a daring and much-admired general, his personality and his fate creating an enduring legend denied to many orthodox, and ultimately more successful, commanders.” Alan Palmer	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_2	Top 10 '80s Pop Songs : All Songs Considered : NPR Top 10 '80s Pop Songs Twitter This is one of our favorite topics of discussion at NPR Music: What was the worst and best decade for pop music? We'll post a survey later asking you what you think, but I say the worst is the '80s. For me, the production and instrumentation in the '80s ruined popular music. I'm referring specifically to Top 40 songs you could hear on the radio. It was so over-the-top. The production was gaudy, with hard-edged synths and electric drums overpowering the melodies. Part of the problem was that these were fairly new instruments, and we hadn't learned how to finesse them yet. My dislike of '80s pop music has earned me a reputation among friends as a cranky killjoy who just doesn't get it. But, as with all cranky killjoys, the truth is that I secretly loved a number of songs from back then, but never would have admitted as much. Here are the Top 10 '80s pop songs I secretly loved. When they came on the car radio, I'd roll up the windows so no one would hear and then crank the volume. In no particular order: 1. "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears, from the 1985 album Songs from the Big Chair I remember getting into an argument in my high-school cafeteria with someone who asserted that Tears for Fears was one of the greatest bands ever, but there's some great tension in this song. It builds with a sweeping synth solo at about the 1:30 mark, and peaks with what I thought was a pretty awesome phase-shifting drum fill at 2:45. Article continues after sponsorship 2. "Life in a Northern Town" by The Dream Academy from the band's self-titled 1985 debut I never knew what this song was about, but it always got me a little misty-eyed. It really takes me back hearing it now. 3. "Too Much Time on My Hands" by Styx from the 1981 album Paradise Theater Styx - Too Much Time On My Hands I played keyboards in a cover band in high school, and this was one of my favorite songs to do. One year, we performed for the high-school Christmas dance. At one point, while jamming that opening synth line, I looked out into the audience and saw someone breakdancing. I really thought we'd made it. 4. "Close (to the Edit)" by The Art of Noise, from the 1984 album Who's Afraid of The Art of Noise? This is a brilliant video. But it was the bluesy bass line and quirky industrial samples used for beats that made me fall in love. I searched around to see where the little girl in the video is now, but didn't find anything. 5. "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield, from his 1981 album Working Class Dog This is probably my most embarrassing confession, but this does have a really catchy guitar line and melody. I fell in love with it again after it appeared in the film Boogie Nights. 6. "Major Tom (Coming Home)" by Peter Schilling, from his 1983 album Error in the System I believe that this was conceived as some sort of a sequel to David Bowie's "Major Tom." It's got an incredibly cheesy synth line driving it. But there was something addictive about the melody, and the chorus — kicked off with the 4-3-2-1 countdown — was a favorite sing-along of mine. 7. "She Blinded Me With Science" by Thomas Dolby, from the 1982 album The Golden Age of Wireless This may be my favorite pop song from the '80s. It's funny, catchy, funky, strange. Thomas Dolby never had another hit like it — though he continues to make records — but he did go on to develop software used to encode and play Internet audio. He also came up with a company that makes synthesizers for cell phones and software to manage ringtones. A real scientist! 8. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by The Eurythmics from the 1983 album of the same name Eurythmics Sweet Dreams are made of this Another great bass line. And I love Annie Lennox's voice. The song and video both have a fantastic darkness to them that I never would have guessed was a theme I'd love. But now, looking back and looking over the kind of music I like today, I can see the connections. 9. "99 Luftballoons" by Nena, released in 1983 I had to play a version of this song in high-school pep band, which you'd think would have ruined it for me. But for some reason, it could always make me drive my car faster. 10. "Holding Back the Years" by Simply Red from the 1985 album Picture Book This is basically smooth jazz, so I should have hated it, but I didn't. I still love it today. Mick Hucknall had (probably still has) a beautiful voice, and there was a nice wistfulness to the song I really connected with. What are yours?	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_6	One-Hit Wonder - TV Tropes One-Hit Wonder Page Source You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account This entry is trivia, which is cool and all, but not a trope. On a work, it goes on the Trivia tab. Share So many messages to convey... But they don't care about any of these... Play that one damn song is what they all say." — Reel Big Fish , "One Hit Wonderful" A one-hit wonder is an artist primarily known for one hit song. If they're lucky, their next single may chart as well, but despite the ubiquitous fame of their first hit, they never really take off. It is not uncommon for a group to be a one-hit wonder then break up, allowing one or more members to become (more) successful solo acts . It is also not uncommon for the one hit to be atypical of their oeuvre . Also compare Tough Act to Follow and One-Book Author . And, of course, if sufficient backlash is applied, they will Never Live It Down . Note that a one-hit wonder on the American charts may be a different story in other countries; many popular European artists, like Gary Numan and Frankie Goes to Hollywood charted only once in America. For that matter, many American artists like Queensrï¿½che have only charted once in their homeland but are popular in foreign markets such as Europe, Asia and Australia. Likewise, there are many artists who only once reached the mainstream Top 40, but are respected figures and even trendsetting within their genre; several such examples are listed below. But usually, a "one-hit wonder" is defined by cultural impact rather than chart placements. For example, if an artist has a massive #1 hit, getting a #40 will technically disqualify them as per Billboard's definition of a one-hit wonder, but it's highly unlikely that the #40 will continue to be remembered over time and they will likely become a textbook example of such an artist (well-known examples of this situation include the cases of Chamillionaire, Tommy Tutone, Rockwell, and Vanessa Carlton ). And their "second hit" doesn't have to only scrape the bottom of the top 40 to ensure they be remembered as such. In fact, there are a handful of artists who were massive in their prime, and even though they still had clearly defined Signature Songs , nobody would ever consider labelling them as one-hit wonders. however, as time goes on, the artists fall so hard into obscurity or the signature song's memetic status and ubiquity so overshadows their other work that their discographies are almost completely forgotten outside of the signature song. Thus, they are looked back upon as a one-hit wonder — acts like Vanilla Ice , Soulja Boy , Rick Astley , and even MC Hammer are commonly thought of as one-hit wonders for this very reason. There are other artists, like Jimi Hendrix , The Grateful Dead and Rush , who are well-regarded legends with plenty of classics under their belts, but through some fluke or stroke of luck, ended up with just one Top 40 hit a piece. Technically under Billboard's definition, these artists are one-hit wonders — The Other Wiki lists all of them in their meticulously sourced one-hit wonder lists . Some observers and music writers believe these acts don't count as one-hit wonders, merely artists that had one Top 40 hit and more of a piece of chart trivia than a specific label. For further reading, and a good definition of who may and may not be a one-hit wonder, check out this 2012 article for The Village Voice. It largely focuses on the specific cases of Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen , both of whom are generally considered one-hit wonders despite the fact that their collaboration "Good Time" became a top 10 hit, but also looks at the term "one-hit wonder" from a broader aspect (for example, Rick Springfield, who had five top 10 hits but is still primarily known for his only #1 hit, "Jessie's Girl"). There are countless examples, so this article will only list a handful of representative samples. Compare No Hit Wonder , wherein an artist manages long-term success without even so much as one big hit, and Two-Hit Wonder , where an artist is lucky enough to score a second hit. Also see Hitless Hit Album , where an artist has a hit album with no hit songs. Contrast Breakthrough Hit , where one hit leads to a string of later hits. Also compare Signature Song which is the biggest hit. May overlap with Small Reference Pools , especially non-music examples. Many of the artists listed here are mislabeled because they have a signature song but still had lesser hits. There have been rare instances where the band had a Top 40 hit, but it is not their most popular song and the signature song the band is known for didn't chart well or at all. Often, this is due to a chart technicality affecting the signature song, as Arlo Guthrie, the Rembrandts, and Fastball have seen. Has nothing to do with One-Hit-Point Wonder and usually has little to do with a One-Scene Wonder , which is a small but very memorable role in a large work that may actually be by an A-list star (possibly because he or she is one). open/close all folders Rock Music Blues J.J. Cale had only one top 40 hit in his career with 1972's "Crazy Mama". Overall, he's better known for writing the Eric Clapton classics "Cocaine" and "After Midnight". Delbert McClinton: A true rarity, as he managed to be a one-hit wonder on three different charts with three different songs. First, he hit #8 on the pop charts in 1980 with the blues-rock song "Givin' It Up for Your Love". Then he got to #13 on Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1992 with "Every Time I Roll the Dice"note which barely made Top 40 in Canada as well. Then he got to #4 on the country charts in 1993 as a duet partner on Tanya Tucker's "Tell Me About It". He remained a fairly popular artist regardless, having written Emmylou Harris's 1978 hit "Two More Bottles of Wine" in addition to winning a handful of Grammys. Alannah Myles, though she had another Top 40 hit afterwards in the US, is mainly known only for her late-1989 Elvis Presley tribute song "Black Velvet", a #1 smash on the Hot 100 that was also a Top 10 hit in many other countries. Myles charted several more times in her native Canada (including 1992's "Song Instead of a Kiss", which topped the Canadian charts), but never saw the US charts again after "Black Velvet". Coincidentally, the same label released a soundalike version by Robin Lee to the Country Music format, and that version ended up being her only big country hit as well. However, Lee had more songwriting success and was married to Ed Bruce's son Trey, who is also a songwriter. Christian Jars of Clay : This Christian alt-folk band had a massive crossover hit with "Flood" in 1996, reaching #37 on the pop charts and #12 on the Modern Rock chart, with their appearance on the latter chart being the first time the Modern Rock and Christian charts ever housed the same song at the same time (the effect of Not Christian Rock has made such crossovers much more common in later years). It's also been the only song of theirs to ever gain any sort of mainstream support. P.O.D. 's "Youth of the Nation," a song inspired by the Columbine and Satana High School shootings, was their only hit on mainstream charts. Sixpence None The Richer reached #2 with their 1998 hit "Kiss Me" thanks to its appearance in She's All That . Their next single, a cover of The La's "There She Goes", peaked at #32 on the Hot 100, but it managed to go Top-10 on the AC charts. All their other followup singles flopped and are completely forgotten today. Christmas Jimmy Boyd had a novelty hit in 1952 with the Christmas classic "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". Between its novelty stigma and the fact that Boyd was 13 at the time, the song cannibalized his career. He had a moderately successful acting career afterwards but never captured the stardom he had with his megahit. Elmo & Patsy had a Christmas classic with "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer", first released in 1979, but nearly anyone would be hard-pressed to name any other release. Interestingly, Patsy isn't even on that song, so it's often just credited to Dr. Elmo. Despite its popularity (so popular that it even spawned an animated special ), it never entered the Hot 100 at all, and its highest peak on any chart was a mere #48 on Hot Country Songs in 1999. In Canada, the higher-charting version was a #20-peaking release by the Irish Rovers, who are not a one-hit wonder, in 1982. Jeff Foxworthy : Although the comedian best known for his "you might be a redneck" one-liners released several "songs" that included snippets of his comedy set to music, usually with a chorus from a country music singer, the only one that entered the country music top 40 was "Redneck 12 Days of Christmas", a half-song, half-recitation that he performed as a Solo Duet . (And unlike the others, it didn't "sample" existing standup work of his for the verses.) It also set a record for the highest-charting Christmas song on the country chartsnote later tied by Jimmy Wayne's "Paper Angels". Before he became better known as the original voice of Donatello , Barry Gordon had a #6 hit in 1955 with "Nuttin' For Christmas". He was only 6 at the time. Bobby Helms will forever be known as the guy who did "Jingle Bell Rock". He had another top 10 hit with "My Special Angel", which is all but forgotten today. NewSong: "The Christmas Shoes" was a huge crossover hit (#1 AC, #42 pop, #31 Country), and they've been pretty silent outside their usual Contemporary Christian demographic ever since. Interestingly, a cover of "The Christmas Shoes" was also the only Top 40 country hit for the short-lived Girl Group 3 of Hearts one year later. Gayla Peevey had her only hit in 1953 with "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas", which reached #24 on the Hot 100 when she was 10. She had a few later singles under her real name of Jamie Horton, but none were successful. Song Trust, a project spearheaded by defunct independent Country Music label Giantslayer Records (which was owned by songwriters Rory Lee Feek and Tim Johnson), released a Christmas single under that name in late 2007. That song, "Bring Him Home Santa", was sung by an anonymous six-year-old girl, and proceeds from singles sales went to St. Jude's. Although other "Song Trust" material was released, none of it charted. Giantslayer folded in 2009 as Johnson died and Feek focused more on his work with his wife, Joey Martin Feek, in their duo Joey + Rory. Vince Vance & the Valiants are known almost entirely for "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (not to be confused with the Mariah Carey song), which is one of the most-played Christmas songs in the Country Music genre. They got a tiny bit of buzz beforehand for their " Barbara Ann " parody "Bomb Iran" in 1980, but they are not the only act to have done a parody of that name. Classical 18th-century Italian composer Tomaso Albinoni has the dubious honour of being considered a one-hit wonder for a piece he didn't even write. "Albinoni's Adagio in G minor", frequently used as the background music for Tear Jerker scenes in films and television, was in fact written in the 1950s by Italian composer Remo Giazotto, who claimed to have based the work on a manuscript fragment recovered in 1945, but could offer no proof of this claim.note Whether or not he was telling the truth remains a matter of contention. The Adagio therefore qualifies Giazotto as a one-hit wonder rather than Albinoni (whose works are mostly known only by Baroque music enthusiasts). You don't know who Euphemia Allen is, but if you ever took piano classes, chances are you were taught to play Chopsticks . This little waltz song was her only work, which she composed in 1877, at the age of 16, under the pseudonym Arthur de Lulli. Although American composer Samuel Barber is moderately well-known in the classical community for his violin concerto and Symphony No.1, he is mostly remembered for the Adagio for Strings, which started life as the slow movement of his String Quartet in B minor. To put into perspective how much the Adagio has overshadowed its parent work, there are over 250 recordings of various settings of the Adagio (mostly the string orchestra version, but the choral setting, using as its text the "Agnus Dei" from the Catholic Mass, is also frequently performed and recorded), and just over a dozen of the complete string quartet. Luigi Boccherini is mostly remembered solely for the Minuet in A major from his String Quintet in E major, Op. 11 No. 5, used prominently in such films as The Ladykillers among others. Like his compatriot and contemporary Mouret, Marc-Antoine Charpentier is mostly known for a fanfare that has been adopted as a theme by a broadcasting organisation: the opening Prelude (Marche en rondeau) from his Te Deum in D major, used as the theme of the European Broadcasting Union and played before broadcasts of the Eurovision Song Contest , Jeux Sans Frontières, and any other programmes simultaneously broadcast across Europe by the EBU. Though he was very prolific, his other works are primarily known only to Baroque enthusiasts. Today, French composer Paul Dukas is remembered mostly for writing The Sorcerer's Apprentice of Fantasia fame, although the fact that he was a fanatical perfectionist and destroyed or abandoned many compositions after he became dissatisfied with them means there is not much other music by which to remember him. , French composer and pianist Erik Satie has only one very famous piece: the Gymnopédie No. 1 , used as ambient music for nostalgic, quiet scenery. Although the works of French composer Charles-Marie Widor are popular with organists, most listeners probably only know the concluding Toccata from his Organ Symphony No.5 in F minor, Op. 42 No. 1, a popular recessional. Mason Williams was a talented comedy writer who worked with the Smothers Brothers and Saturday Night Live . He was also a talented classical guitarist, and he showcased those skills on his lone hit in 1968, "Classical Gas". Comedy/Parody Benny Bell is known only for his song "Shaving Cream", which is basically " Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion : The Song". He originally recorded it in the 1940s, but after it gained fame on Dr Demento 's show, it was reissued and charted at #30. Mel Blanc was a legendary voice actor. He was also a one hit wonder in 1951 when his song " I Taut I Taw a Putty Tat " hit #9. Isaac Hayes is not a One Hit Wonder, but his South Park character Chef became one when his "Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You)" peaked at #1 on the UK singles chart and Irish charts in December 1998. Say everybody, have you seen my Balls? The Joe Dolce Music Theatre: "Shaddup You Face" became a million-selling number one in many countries, but nothing else he made could even chart, let alone become a major hit. Comedian Bill Engvall , like his friend Jeff Foxworthy, had some of his comedy routines mixed into songs, often with a chorus sung by a popular country artist or uncredited session vocalist. The only such recording that was a real hit was "Here's Your Sign (Get the Picture)", which remixed a series of "here's your sign" jokes off his debut album with a sung chorus by non-one-hit-wonder Travis Tritt. The single peaked at #29 on the country charts and #43 on the Hot 100, representing his only big hit (although "Here's Your Sign Christmas", a parody of "Jingle Bells" with original comedy bits, got some seasonal airplay). Sacha Baron Cohen , in character as Ali G, scored a UK #2 hit with the Shaggy collaboration "Me Julie", from the soundtrack of Ali G Indahouse . It remains his only entry onto the charts. The Goodies : They had a string of comedy hit singles in the 1970's that were a natural spin-off from their TV comedy show. What makes them a one-hit wonder is the fact that their first single, "(Do, Do, Do) The Funky Gibbon", a parody of disco dance crazes, was initially taken as a straight song in the USA and made it into the lower reaches of the Dance and Disco charts... before they realised... it remains the boys' only American chart success. Merv Griffin . Known mainly as a talk show host, businessman, and the creator of the extremely popular game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! . But as a singer, his only hit was the novelty song "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts". Larry Groce, who is primarily a country, folk, and children's music singer, had a #9 hit in 1976 with the novelty song "Junk Food Junkie". Screamin' Jay Hawkins is technically a No Hit Wonder , but his 1956 song "I Put a Spell on You" has become a rock and roll classic. Since it's the only song of his still remembered today, he is often considered a one-hit wonder. Ray Stevens is by no means a one-hit wonder, with multiple successful songs in both country and pop. But as The Henhouse Five Plus Too, he had his only Top 40 hit doing a cover of "In the Mood" entirely in chicken clucks . Steve Martin has increasingly dedicated his career to music since the 2000s, and has had some success in the bluegrass scene. But before that, he had a single mainstream hit with "King Tut" (from his stand-up album A Wild and Crazy Guy) in 1978. Mancunian folk singer/comedian Mike Harding had only one British hit, with a spoof C&W song called The Rochdale Cowboy, about a seriously geographically confused cowboy living in Rochdale, England. It's hard being a cowboy in Rochdale/Cos the spurs don't fit right on me clogs;'' It's hard being a cowboy in Rochdale; 'cos folk all laugh when I ride past, on our Alsatian dog.'' Morris Minor and the Majors: Their only big hit was the Beastie Boys parody "Stutter Rap (No Sleep Til Bedtime)". The followup, a Stock Aitken Waterman parody called " This Is The Chorus ", did less well. In his book One Hit Wonderland, former member Tony Hawks explains that the first record sold to kids who wanted to wind up older siblings who listened to the Beastie Boys. The second record made fun of the music that said kids actually listened to, so it flopped. Mr Blobby from the TV show Noel's House Party had a UK Christmas number-one single with his eponymous song, beating out Take That for the spot, despite being dubbed one of the worst number 1 singles of all time. He did have a number 36 hit two years later with "Christmas in Blobbyland", but in hindsight he is seen as a one-hit wonder. Napoleon XIV : "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" was a number 3 hit on the Hot 100 in 1966. Not only couldn't he score another hit, but the song didn't even have a proper flipside. Instead it was just "!aaaH-Ah ,yawA eM ekaT ot gnimoC er'yehT", which was just the song played backwards. The Rabbit Joint are a rock band whose only claim to fame is a novelty song about The Legend of Zelda . It is commonly considered a System of a Down song due to the Serj Tankian soundalike lead singer. When it turned out that it wasn't by them, interest in the group vanished. Comedian Johnny Standley had a #1 hit in 1952 with "It's In The Book", a comedic analysis of Little Bo-Peep. It was his one and only recording to ever chart. Teletubbies : Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po sold over a million copies in the UK with "Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh!", narrowly getting beaten out to Christmas number 1 by "Too Much" by Spice Girls , despite negative reviews, coming in third in VH-1 's list of the worst song, behind Cliff Richard's "The Millennium Prayer" and the aforementioned "Mr. Blobby". They had no further hits. Despite an influential career as a folk singer, Loudon Wainwright III had exactly one chart entry, with 1973's "Dead Skunk". Surprisingly, the song isn't even a Black Sheep Hit because he always had the propensity for throwing novelty songs onto his records. "Weird Al" Yankovic is definitely not a one hit wonder, but his polka medleys usually include many one-hit wonders. He did have only one top 40 hit in the UK with "Eat It", but not in the US where he is much more popular ("Eat It", "Smells Like Nirvana", "Word Crimes" and "White and Nerdy" all cracked the Top 40, with the last of these actually hitting the Top 10; "Like A Surgeon" and "Amish Paradise" just barely fell short). Ylvis with the viral hit "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" in the fourth quarter of 2013. They've released many other singles, but "Trucker's Hitch" is the only other one ever to have charted. Like most viral hit-makers, they almost certainly will not have a second hit. John Zacherle, a famous television personality known for hosting a popular block of horror movies in the New York City and Philadelphia markets. He had a top ten novelty hit in 1958 with "Dinner With Drac" but never released a follow-up. Folk Ralph McTell is only known for his song "Streets of London," as shown here . His follow up "Dreams of You" cracked the top 40 a year later, but stalled at #36. Although Fairport Convention's Liege and Lief has been described as the most influential folk album of all time, their only single to chart was "Si Tu Dois Partir." This French-language cover of "If You Gotta Go (Go Now)" by Bob Dylan spent nine weeks in the UK singles chart in 1969, peaking at #21. Former Fairport singer Iain Matthews had a hit single in 1979 with "Shake It", which reached the Top 40 in the US and New Zealand. It would be his only solo hit in either country. His post-Fairport group Matthews Southern Comfort scored a #1 single in the UK (and a Top 40 hit in the US) with their 1971 cover of Joni Mitchell 's "Woodstock", which would become their only hit as well. Gale Garnett, a folk singer born in New Zealand and raised in Canada, had only one hit with the Grammy-winning "We'll Sing in the Sunshine", a #1 AC and #4 pop hit in 1964. The Proclaimers are known outside of the British Isles pretty much only for "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)". The Lumineers 2012/2013 hit "Ho Hey" reached #3 in the U.S. Their first followup reached #70, and none of their other songs charted at all until 2016. They've been luckier as an album and genre chart band: Their debut album went platinum and its follow-up topped the album charts. In 2016, their song "Ophelia", which made it to only #66 on the Hot 100, was named the top song for the year on the Billboard Alternative chart. Icelandic folk band Of Monsters And Men only had one chart entry in America: Their #20 hit "Little Talks". They've had other hits on alternative radio and got a platinum album, but have never crossed over to the mainstream again. Peter Sarstedt, with "Where Do You Go To, My Lovely" in 1969, as shown here . Follow-up "Frozen Orange Juice" did crack the top 10 later that year, but was not the hit its predecessor was. "Part of the Union" by The Strawbs was one of the biggest UK singles in 1973, and a UK no. 2. It is also a definite Black Sheep Hit , and despite the fact that "Lay Down" nearly hit the top 10 a few months earlier, a major crisis led to two departures in the band. However, they weathered the storm, and are still gigging and recording 35 years and 30 albums later. British singer-songwriter Passenger (yes, it's just one guy) managed to cross the pond with the #5 smash hit "Let Her Go". He hasn't yet had another big hit in Europe, let alone North America. Rusted Root are known almost exclusively for their 1994 song "Send Me On My Way." Milky Chance had a massive worldwide hit in 2014 with "Stolen Dance", which topped many European charts and the American alternative charts (even managing to scrape the Top 40). Their follow-ups haven't been all that successful in their native Germany, let alone anywhere else. Vance Joy is very popular in his native Australia, winning the Triple J Hottest 100 poll in 2013 for his song "Riptide". But said song would be his only major international crossover. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole was a legendary and very well-respected singer in his homeland of Hawaii, but to the general public is only really known for his cover of "Over the Rainbow". Susan Aglukark, an Inuit from Manitoba, had a huge hit in Canada with the bilingual "O Siem" in 1995. The song was a crossover smash in Canada, reaching #1 on the country and AC charts, and #3 on RPM Top Singles. While she had a few other chart entries, most of them are very obscure now. Danish guitarist Jorgen Ingmann is best known for his 1961 crossover hit "Apache" — and being one-half of the winning duo of the 1963 Eurovision contest. Peter, Paul, and Mary are not one hit wonders, but Paul Stookey was as a soloist with his hit "The Wedding Song." Barry McGuire is known almost entirely for his 1965 Protest Song "Eve of Destruction". McGuire became a born-again Christian in The '70s and recorded a few albums of Christian music. Although George Ezra is incredibly popular in his native U.K., his presence on the American charts was restricted to "Budapest". The Brothers Four, a folk-rock quartet from Seattle, had a #2 hit with "Greenfields" and no other major hits. The Village Stompers, a group from Greenwich Village who played what was described as "folk-dixie", had a number of hits in 1963-1965, but are today only known for "Washington Square", a #2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and a #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts in September 1963.* Their other hits, for those who are curious, were "From Russia with Love" (#81, April 1964), "Fiddler on the Roof" (#97 and #19 AC, December 1964), "The La-Dee Song" (#104, Februrary 1964), "Oh! Marie" (#132, October 1964) and "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" (#130 and #35 AC, July 1965). Actor Bill Hayes, best known for his role on Days of Our Lives , had a #1 hit in 1955 with "The Ballad of Davy Crockett". His follow up stalled in the 30's and he never charted again. Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler had a huge crossover in 1966 with "The Ballad of the Green Berets", a patriotic song that was obviously drawn from his real life experience as a soldier in the Vietnam War . It was a 5-week #1 smash on the Hot 100 and the biggest pop hit of 1966, as well as a #1 Easy Listening and #2 country hit. He charted only one other single, "The 'A' Team", but it has since been forgotten. Sadler later became a novelist before dying of a gunshot wound. Asaf Avidan and the Mojos are a popular folk act in their native Israel, but their only hit outside of it was a 2012 remix of their 2008 song "One Day/Reckoning Song". Arlo Guthrie, the son of legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie, is remembered almost exclusively for his 1967 debut work, the Thanksgiving standard, "Alice's Restaurant Massacree". In an interesting twist, he is a technical one-hit wonder for an entirely different song, "City of New Orleans", which hit #18 and was later Covered Up by Willie Nelson — "Alice's Restaurant" could not chart because it was an eighteen-minute long piece and thus qualified as an album according to Billboard. Finnish group Loituma became this thanks to Memetic Mutation . Their version of the Finnish folk classic "Ievan Polkka" ("Eva's Polka") from their self-titled 1995 album became a huge meme back in 2006 thanks to a random Russian LiveJournal user, who combined the scatting portion of the song with a brief looping clip taken from Bleach . So, "Leekspin" was born. Loituma even released a new single with the English title "Ieva's Polka" in 2006 to capitalize on the fad, but since the craze died down nobody cared anymore about them outside of Finland. Lindisfarne, one of the leading groups of the late 60's British electric folk scene, scored a surprise Top 40 hit in the United States in 1978 with the Black Sheep Hit "Run for Home". The song now considerably more obscure than their other songs which did not chart on the Hot 100. Funk Cameo had a massive crossover hit in 1986 with "Word Up!", which hit #6. While their direct follow-up "Candy" did manage to hit #21, it's virtually unknown to those outside their audience. Eddy Grant: If you know any of his songs, it's likely "Electric Avenue", which hit #1 in 1982. However, he had more hits internationally. Technically, The Ides of March are a one-hit wonder with their 1970 hit "Vehicle" (#2), but in Chicago, they had other hits on local radio ("You Wouldn't Listen", "Superman", "L.A. Goodbye"). The Ides of March's lead singer and main songwriter (Jim Peterik) later joined Survivor . Kentucky-based electro-funk group Midnight Star had several hits on the R&B charts, but their sole #1 "Operator", proved to be their only pop crossover at #18. After the group disbanded, members and brothers Reginald and Vincent Calloway formed a duo of their own called Calloway. The group had a massive #2 pop hit with "I Wanna Be Rich", but their momentum dried up not long afterwards and they turned to production work. The Time are another example of a band whose best known song wasn't their highest charting hit. They are best known for "Jungle Love," a #20 hit from 1984 that has been used in many movies to this day. However, their biggest hit was actually 1990's "Jerk Out", which hit #9. Jazz Dave Brubeck, with "Take Five". He is well known in jazz circles for his other songs as well, but "Take Five" has become his signature song by a considerable margin. The fact that this song actually was written by his saxophonist Paul Desmond doesn't help Brubeck much in this respect. Bill Chase was a jazz musician who had a cult following but never tasted mainstream success, tragically dying in a 1974 plane crash at 39. His only hit, recorded with his band Chase, was 1971's "Get it On." Boots Randolph's only Top 40 hit was "Yakety Sax" in 1963. The song was popularized through its use in The Benny Hill Show , and by extension, has become a tune used to automatically make anything funny. K-Pop For 15 years, PSY has been one of the most popular musicians in South Korea, with such hits as "Bird," "Right Now," and "Champion." Overseas, he is best known for his smash hit song from 2012, "Gangnam Style", and pretty much nothing else. Although its 2013 followup "Gentleman" was a #5 hit on Billboard and has over a billion plays on YouTube , it fell off the charts almost immediately afterwards, and it's very unlikely that PSY will ever be known for anything else given the massively memetic nature of "Gangnam Style". 2014's "Hangover" (featuring Snoop Dogg ) debuted at #26 before dropping off, while 2015's "Daddy" spent one week at #97. 2NE1 is a very popular Girl Group in Korea, and K-Pop fans in the west, but are only known for "I Am the Best" outside their audience due to its use in western media (namely for being included in Dance Central 3, an episode of So You Think You Can Dance , and the commercial for Microsoft's Surface Pro 3.) Latin Quite possibly the quintessential One-Hit Wonder is Los del Rio, who you know as the duo who released the scourge on humanity known as the "Macarena" and absolutely nothing else. Additionally, it's not the original version that we all know and love. The well-known version is actually a remix by the Bayside Boys, probably because it added English lyrics. The original version of the song also charted on the Hot 100, peaking at #23. A third version of "Macarena", called "Macarena Christmas" also hit the Hot 100 and went top 5 in Australia. Given the prevalence of the non-English one in skating rinks (at least in the Pacific Northwest), it's very possible to grow up with it and not even realize an English version exists. When you've grown up on a non-English song, English versions can be incredibly off-putting. Los del Rio has been well known in flamenco music before and after "Macarena," but has had no interest in making another pop hit. There was also a cover version by Los del Mar at the same time, which proved to be their only hit. "Heaven" by Los Lonely Boys. They had two more minor chart entries on the AC and Adult top 40 charts, but "Heaven" will forever be the only song most will recognize them by. The corresponding album is also one of the more notable 21st-century aversions of the Loudness War . Son By Four - A popular Puerto Rican salsa group, their only hit in the English-speaking world was the top 40 "Purest Of Pain," a remake of their Spanish song "A Puro Dolor." In 1999, German producer Lou Bega added word to mambo standard "Mambo No. 5" with later hit #3 in the US and spent 20 weeks at #1 in France. Other than that, nothing. Enrique Iglesias is definitely not a one-hit wonder, but Desember Bueno and Gente de Zona, two of the featured artists on his 2014 hit "Bailando", are one-hit wonders. Both acts have been fairly popular in their native Cuba, and the latter later scored some hits on the Latin charts, but neither came close to the success of "Bailando" since. Kaoma are only known for their 1990 hit "Lambada" and nothing else. The Chakachas were a Belgian group of Latin studio musicians who were popular all throughout Europe, but only made a dent on the international charts with the 1971 instrumental "Jungle Fever". Basque singing group Mocedades were entered into the 1973 Eurovision song contest with "Eres Tu — Touch the Wind". Although they finished in second, the song became a massive worldwide hit. Naturally, all further success was limited to Spain. In his native Spain, Miguel Ríos is one of the most revered musicians of all time. Internationally, he's only really known for his remake of "Ode To Joy", titled "A Song of Joy", which hit #14 on the Hot 100. Argentinean fusion rock group La Mosca Tsé-Tsé exists since 1995, but the only song of theirs that was a success outside their country borders was " Para no verte mas ", which gained good airplay in 2000. Santana isn't a one-hit wonder by any means, however R&B duo The Product G&B is known solely for providing the vocals of the 10-week chart-topper "Maria Maria". Their only other top 40 was a feature on "Got To Get It", a minor Sisqo hit released around the same time. Brazillian guitar duo Los Indios Tabajaras only had one hit in America — a version of "Maria Elena". Shakira is not a one-hit wonder, but some of her collaborators have been: "La Tortura" was the sole American hit for Latin singer Alejandro Saez, although he's a big deal on the genre charts and south of the border. Freshlyground are an iconic folk band down in South Africa, but otherwise are only known for singing backup on "Waka Waka". "Loca" provides a double example. The Spanish version is the only hit of El Cata, a Dominican singer, who while popular in his homeland, never quite made it big elsewhere. He had another later hit collaboration with Shakira with "Rabiosa", but it didn't chart on the pop side. Meanwhile, the English version was the only American hit of Dizzee Rascal, a British rapper who is certainly not a one-hit wonder in his homeland. Strangely enough, the song was never released in the UK. March by Joseph Franz Wagner. Even martial music buffs would be hard pressed to name another piece by him. The encyclopedic Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians can, but just the one. New Wave Dexys Midnight Runners are only remembered for the song "Come On Eileen" in the United States. Dexys are one of the prime examples of a group being very well known in their homeland but considered one hit wonders elsewhere. Other British groups this applies to include Status Quo, Right Said Fred, and BBMak. The Boomtown Rats had a number of hits in the UK but are only known in the US for "I Don't Like Mondays" (and for having humanitarian activist Bob Geldof in them). This also happened to The Knack and their debut single from 1979, "My Sharona". The follow-up single "Good Girls Don't" just missed the top 10, and "Baby Talks Dirty" also reached the top 40. Still, who remembers the other two songs? The Vapors had an international hit with "Turning Japanese" but no fanbase back home to build on. Never heard from again. Their song "Jimmie Jones" cracked the top 40 of the Mainstream Rock charts in 1981, and proved to be their only hit on that chart, as the chart didn't exist when "Turning Japanese" peaked. Berlin are only known for their #1 hit "Take My Breath Away", from the film Top Gun . Earlier in their career, they managed a #23 hit with "No More Words", from another 80s film, Vision Quest , but that song is largely forgotten today. (They also had a few other radio hits in their native Los Angeles.) The one hit sometimes gets disowned by the band , best example being A Flock of Seagulls : "Every time I perform live... Everyone just wants to hear 'I Ran', and I'm sick of it!" They did have two other U.S. hits - "Wishing (I Had a Photograph of You)" and "Space Age Love Song", but "I Ran" tends to overshadow them both. "Wishing" is technically their only hit in the UK, though "I Ran" seems quite well known too. Men Without Hats had "The Safety Dance," an entirely awesome song that remains their only real impression in music history. They also had a top 20 hit in the US with "Pop Goes the World," which was never as famous as their biggest hit. Devo had a #15 hit in 1980 with "Whip It". It shows up fairly often on 80s one-hit wonder countdowns, but like Faith No More (read below), they were influential and had a large cult following. "Maniac" by Michael Sembello, from the Flashdance soundtrack. It's notable that its cover version/remix by Mark McCabe was also a one hit wonder. As for Sembello himself, he technically had a second top 40 hit with "Automatic Man". Beyond that, the only other well-known stuff he did was scoring and contributing soundtracks for Gremlins, Cocoon, The Monster Squad... and Independence Day! Okay, maybe not the last one. Gary Numan is often considered to be an archetypal one hit wonder in the United States, for "Cars". In Europe (especially the UK), however, he was one of the most popular recording artists of the late 70's and early-to-mid 80's. One of the few American Gary Numan superfans in the 80's was Trent Reznor, who credits Numan as a massive influence for Nine Inch Nails . Paul Hardcastle's "19", although he also had the sleeper hit "Rain Forest". In the UK, he had a second top 10 hit with "Don't Waste My Time" and everyone knows "The Wizard" from its use as theme for Top of the Pops. Toni Basil had a #1 hit in December 1982 with "Mickey" , and she never charted in the top 40 again. The songs "Over My Head" and "Suspense" were top 10 dance hits, but "Mickey" was still her most successful song there. In 1983, Matthew Wilder had a New Wave/Synthpop song which topped out at number 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 entitled "Break My Stride" . No other song released by him ever came that close to the top, though "The Kid's American" did reach the top 40. He later produced No Doubt 's breakout album "Tragic Kingdom". The Flying Lizards had a minor hit (#5 in the UK, #50 in the US) with their baffling, stripped-down, nearly emotionless cover of "Money (That's What I Want)" in 1979. The landscape of Canadian music is littered with the corpses of barely-remembered new wave acts from the 80's: Blue Peter's one and only hit, "Don't Walk Past" (released on their second and final full album), was played on MTV in its heyday, garnered a few Canadian music awards and resulted in the group touring as an opening act for The Police . More than twenty years later, the group only gets together a few times a year to play local gigs in Toronto, where "Don't Walk Past" is the opening number. Martha and the Muffins had a massive hit with the quintessential "Echo Beach" in 1980. They had a number of other singles and a few big hits in Canada (although none as big as "Echo Beach"), but were hardly heard from in the rest of the world. The song "Black Stations/White Stations" charted in both the UK and the US (and was their only Hot 100 hit there), getting up to #2 on the Dance charts, but it never hit the top 10 in any international market. The Payolas, a Vancouver-based new wave group, had a bonafide hit with "Eyes of a Stranger", which appeared on the soundtrack to 1983's " Valley Girl ", reached the top of the charts in Canada and hit the Top 25 U.S. Mainstream Rock Singles. Their second single, "Never Said I Love You", reached the Top 10 in Canada, but failed to chart anywhere else. A reworked version of the band, renamed Rock and Hyde, had another hit with "Dirty Water", which cracked the Top 20 in Canada and hit #6 on the U.S. rock charts, but again, their output afterwards failed to chart. The Moffatts are a borderline case. They were heralded as Canada's answer to the Backstreet Boys (regardless of the fact that - unlike BSB - they played their own instruments and wrote their own songs), but they only had one #1 single with "Bang Bang Boom" from their 2000 album Submodalities (along with a top-five hit, "I'll Be There for You"). The band broke up soon after the album was released, with the members citing unfair comparisons to other teen pop groups. Today, they're more or less seen as a punchline to the pop deluge from the late 90's. The Moffatts had a few other hits outside of Canada, such as the UK top 20 "Miss You Like Crazy", but none of them were really that massive. The Toronto-based rock group Toronto (whose band members all hail from... Toronto) had their one and only hit single with "Your Daddy Don't Know", which reached the Canadian Top 5 singles. The only reason it garnered any sort of awareness in recent years was due to The New Pornographers covering it for the soundtrack to FUBAR. Toronto had a few other minor hits including "Start Tellin' The Truth" and "Girls Night Out", but never again hit the top 10 nor the US Hot 100. "Genius of Love" was the Tom Tom Club 's only Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hit. The band was a a side-project of Talking Heads members (and married couple ) Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz. Interestingly, in the UK, "Genius of Love" never made it past #65, but they reached the top 10 with "Wordy Rappinghood". They did have a second top 40 hit in the UK with "Under The Boardwalk," but that missed the top 20. "Under The Boardwalk," however, was their only top 10 New Zealand hit, despite the former two songs both having gone top 40 there. So, that means Tom Tom Club could be considered one hit wonders three times. Interestingly, "Genius of Love," the only song that is officially a one-hit wonder, is probably the best remembered because of it being Sampled Up in Mariah Carey 's "Fantasy". Another band to be a one hit wonder on both sides of the Atlantic with different songs: Icicle Works. ï¿½Love Is a Wonderful Colourï¿½ was their UK hit, while ï¿½Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)ï¿½ was the song that charted in the US, and is the better-remembered of the two, despite its US peak (#37) being well below "Love Is a Wonderful Colour"'s UK peak (#15). Peter Schilling reached #1 in 4 countries with "Major Tom (Coming Home)" and the song is still played on radio in the United States, but afterwards he largely faded from the limelight outside of Germany, though he continues to release albums. His song "The Different Story (World of Lust and Crime)" was a Swedish top 10 hit and also hit the Hot 100, but failed to go top 40. New York-based band Industry only had one album and were known for their only hit, "State of the Nation", which topped the charts in Italy and went Top 10 in Sweden, but only made #80 in the US. Once the band disbanded, its keyboardist Jon Carin became a member of the post-1987 version of Pink Floyd . German New Wave duo Bruce & Bongo topped the German and Austrian charts in 1986 while going top 10 in Italy and Switzerland with their bizarre novelty song "Geil". They tried to repeat this feat with "Hi Ho", a cover of "Heigh Ho" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , to no avail, despite a #29 placing in Germany. There are quite a lot of examples of this in the UK: Modern Talking only had one top 40 hit in the UK, the #4 "Brother Louie." They were far more successful in continental Europe. Scottish New Wave group Fiction Factory hit #6 in 1984 with "(Feels Like) Heaven" but couldn't go top 40 ever again. Strawberry Switchblade went top 5 with "Since Yesterday," then completely vanished afterwards. Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie cracked the top 40 in 1989 with "The Rattler", hitting #37. While they never hit the top 40 again, keyboardist Shirley Manson would go on to have major success with Garbage . Orange Juice hit #8 in 1983 with "Rip It Up." Follow-up "Flesh of my Flesh" just missed the top 40, stalling at 41. Frontman Edwyn Collins would go on to have a hit of his own in 1996 with "A Girl Like You" from Empire Records . It hit #4 in the UK, #32 in the US, and topped the charts in Belgium. Interestingly British Wang Chung was this in their home country with "Dance Hall Days", but are not in the US where they had 4 other hits, including "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," which is probably much better known there than "Dance Hall Days" is. Thus, Wang Chung are often cited as a one-hit wonder there too for "Everybody". M (aka Robin Scott) scored a #1 hit with "Pop Muzik" late in 1979. Nothing else made the American Top 100 and the only other British hit he had was #33 with "Moonlight and Muzak," although another single peaking at #15 in 1989 was just a remix of "Pop Muzik." Big Country are very popular in the U.K., but their international success began and ended with "In A Big Country." Madness are often considered a one hit wonder in the USA, with "Our House" as their best known hit. In their native UK however, they were absolutely massive: with the lone exception of UB40, they were the most successful singles act of the 80's and their first 20 singles all managed the Top 20. "It Must Be Love" was also a top 40 hit in the US, but it was a cover version. "Our House" was Madness's only hit that the band wrote. Nena's "99 Luftballons", also known in English as "99 Red Balloons". In Germany, mind you, she's still rather successful, but that was the only time she ever broke into international success. The remake of "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime" as an English-German duet with British singer Kim Wilde was a hit in various European countries, reaching the Number 1 spot in the Netherlands and Austria, and Number 2 in Belgium, in 2003. Kim Wilde herself is an interesting case. Her first single "Kids in America" only made the lower-half of the Top 40, peaking at #25, while a later hit, a cover of "You Keep Me Hanging On" was a massive chart-topper upon release. Naturally, she is often thought of as a one-hit wonder... for the former . This is mainly due to it being covered and featured in the media numerous times over the years, while the latter is slowly starting to fade into the shadow of the Supremes' original version. Crowded House are remembered in the U.S. only for the #2 "Don't Dream It's Over", even though their follow-up "Something So Strong" hit #7. Modern English are commonly cited as an example of an '80s one-hit wonder for their 1981 "I Melt With You", which believe it or not, never made it passed #76. It was however on heavy rotation on MTV , and has become a staple of throwback and adult contemporary stations across the US. Breakfast Club (not to be confused with the movie ), had a Top 10 hit in 1987 with "Right On Track" before fading into obscurity. This was largely out of curiosity over the band that Madonna got her start in, and once that novelty wore off so did interest in the group. Duran Duran are certainly not one hit wonders, but when they took a break in the mid-80's, they split into two splinter groups, The Power Station and Arcadia. While the former averted this by having two top 10 hits, Arcadia weren't so lucky, as their momentum disappeared after the top 10 hit "Election Day". The two Duran Duran members who went to The Power Station, John Taylor and Andy Taylornote who aren't related to each other — or drummer Roger Taylor (not the Queen one) for that matter became one-hit wonders as soloists with "I Do What I Do" and "Take it Easy", respectively. The Cars are no one hit wonders, but frontmen Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr are with "Emotion in Motion" and "Stay the Night", respectively. British group Dead or Alive had two pop hits in the US, "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" and "Brand New Lover", but only the former of the two is remembered. They were more successful on the Dance charts, and in the UK. Although Simple Minds are enormously popular in their native U.K, they only had two big American hits, "Don't You (Forget About Me)", the theme from The Breakfast Club , and "Alive & Kicking". While both songs are hugely iconic back home, "Alive & Kicking" is almost entirely forgotten in the U.S. and "Don't You" is the only song of theirs most Americans remember (especially thanks to the enduring popularity of its parent movie). Jona Lewie had two UK hits in 1980, the #3 "Stop the Cavalry" and the #16 "You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties", but only the former is really remembered today, due to it becoming a Christmas staple in Britain. Go West were very popular in Britain, but are remembered in America almost exclusively for the #8 hit "King of Wishful Thinking" (of Pretty Woman fame). They had two other top 40 hits there but neither are well-remembered outside the UK today. In a bizarre example of a One Hit Wonder whose one hit isn't considered their hit, Romeo Void hit #35 with "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)"... which is nowhere near as well known as their non-charting "Never Say Never". Reggae Ini Kamoze topped the Billboard charts in 1995 with "Here Comes the Hotstepper". He never charted in the Top 40 again. Snow topped the Billboard charts for a whopping seven weeks in 1993 with his Reggae meets Hip-Hop song "Informer", and became the best-selling reggae song of all time despite the fact that nobody could understand what he was saying . While his follow-up "Girl I've Been Hurt" charted in the Top 20 (peaking at #19), it's widely considered to be a Creator Killer . All songs since then have failed to chart at all. The fact that Snow was in jail at the time it was released, and couldn't actually leave his native Canada to tour the world at the height of his popularity, certainly didn't help. Also featured in the song was producer and old-school rapper MC Shan, who contributed a guest rap verse that gave him his only hit as well... or rather, it would have, had he actually been credited for his contribution. Nina Sky, an all-female duo from New York, had a #4 hit in 2004 with "Move Ya Body". That was also their only song to chart on the Hot 100, not counting a guest appearance on N.O.R.E.'s #12 "Oye Mi Canto", which wasn't their hit and is mostly forgotten today; thus it doesn't disqualify their status as a one-hit wonder. By extension, Jabba the featured artist on the song is also a one-hit wonder. MAGIC!, a Canadian reggae group fronted by well-known songwriter Nasri Atweh, hit number one for six weeks with "Rude," but a massive backlash against the song and the band took place almost immediately afterwards. Thus, MAGIC! never even hit the Bubbling Under charts with any of their other songs. Only thirteen other artists can claim such a dubious honor. And given the fact that "Rude" was so left-field a hit, they're unlikely to ever chart again (although their followups managed modest success in their native Canada). It's telling that, not even a year since "Rude" became a massive hit, they've been reduced to a support act for Maroon 5 . OMI had a massive chart-topping hit in the summer of 2015 with a remix of his 2012 song "Cheerleader", which topped numerous charts including the United States. However, it was seen as too much of a left-field novelty for consistent success and OMI had no public image whatsoever. His follow-up "Hula Hoop" flat-out bombed in most countries (Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Australia, Austria and Belgium being the exceptions; in the U.S. it missed the entire Hot 100), and his album Me 4 U only debuted at #51, making it one of the lowest selling albums to house a #1 hit (and it placed behind, of all people, Stryper , a christian hair-metal band whose only Top 40 hit came in 1987 ); that's not even taking into account that the peak was inflated by streams and single sales (most of which came from, unsurprisingly, "Cheerleader" itself), when in actuality it completely failed to hit the top 100. His third single, "Drop in the Ocean" (featuring fellow one-hit wonder AronChupa) bombed everywhere (even harder than "Hula Hoop"). In fact, Felix Jaehn, the DJ behind the remix, has fared far better than OMI, having scored a massive European hit of his own with his cover of Rufus & Chaka Khan's "Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)", and has quickly climbed up the electronic music scene. That being said, Jaehn remains a one-hit wonder in the U.S. Kevin Lyttle managed a #4 hit in 2004 with "Turn Me On". It was his only ever entry on the Hot 100. R. City looks to be headed in this direction. While they're successful songwriters, the Virgin Islander sibling duo had their first bonafide hit as musicians with 2015's "Locked Away" (featuring Adam Levine ), which went Top 10, and most impressively, despite being squeaky-clean, got passed over by Kidz Bop . However, since Adam Levine is the reason it charted, it's mostly associated with him and/or misattributed to his band . Given how " well " this situation worked out for Mark Ronson (see the pop subpage) and being yet another act in the Nico & Vinz/MAGIC!/OMI mold, combined with the fact that R. City doesn't have any following in the mainstream and that their album What Dreams Are Made Of was released to little fanfare, it was hardly surprising that their next single "Make Up" made no noise on the charts, and thus they have next-to-no chance of ever scoring a successful follow-up. Although Michael Franti of Michael Franti & Spearhead had a few minor hits in the U.K. in the 90s, most people in North America probably can't name anything he's done besides his 2009 #18 hit "Say Hey (I Love You)". Although he hit the Top 40 several times, probably the only song that anyone could name by Johnny Nash is "I Can See Clearly Now", his sole #1 hit. Ska Reel Big Fish hit the charts with "Sell Out", but got Screwed by the Network when it came to releasing a follow-up single. This was later lampshaded by the band in the song "One Hit Wonderful". Madness are often considered a one hit wonder in the USA, with "Our House" as their best known hit. In their native UK however, they were absolutely massive: with the lone exception of UB40, they were the most successful singles act of the 80's and their first 20 singles all managed the Top 20. "It Must Be Love" was also a top 40 hit in the US, but it was a cover version. "Our House" was Madness's only hit that the band wrote. UK group Hotshots had their only hit in 1973 with a ska version of "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron". The original version by The Royal Guardsmen had also been their only big hit a few years earlier. The sequel song "Return of the Red Baron" scraped the top 40 a few months later. While in the US the Guardsmen are remembered pretty much only for "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron," both "Return of the Red Baron" and the non-Snoopy related "Baby Let's Wait" were top 40 hits there. The song "Snoopy's Christmas," however, is also fondly remembered. Spoken Word In 1974, Canadian news anchor Byron MacGregor recorded "The Americans", a commentary written by Canadian broadcaster Gordon Sinclair. The recording consisted solely of him reading the commentary with an instrumental backing of "America the Beautiful" performed by an orchestra. This recording went to #4, and he never saw chart action again. A version by Sinclair was also released ("The Americans [A Canadian's Perspective]"), which stalled at #24. Wink Martindale had a big hit in The '50s with the often-covered "Deck of Cards". Martindale never had another chart hit, but he later became famous as a Game Show host, most notably Tic-Tac-Dough . The year 1971 begat a pair of #8 spoken word Hot 100 hits by somewhat similarly-named artists Tom Clay recorded a record called "What the World Needs Now Is Love/Abraham, Martin, and John", which combined clips of the two hits with his narration and interview clips of JFK, MLK, and other important '60s icons. A few months later Les Crane released a narration of the spiritual poem "Desiderata". The poem, which was thought to be an ancient text, was actually written by a little known Indiana writer named Max Ehrmann, and after a lawsuit his family got royalties from the song. During the heat of the 1972 Presidential Election, a novelty group called The Delegates was formed to create the record "Convention '72." It consisted of a fictional convention between the many Presidential candidates of the year, depicted via snippets of popular songs of the time in the "break-in" style popularized by Dickie Goodman. Australian film director Baz Luhrmann is credited as the artist of the 1998 hit "Everbody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)", but it's an (understandable) misconception that he is the performer on the track. The actual narrator on the track is voice actor Lee Perry, who reads Mary Schmich's "Wear Sunscreen" essay (aka "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young"). Luhrmann was merely the producer of the song, and the person who came up with the idea of setting the essay to music. The single was a massive international hit, but Luhrmann went back to directing immediately afterward. Surf Boulder, Colorado-based group The Astronauts had only one charted hit with "Baja", which reached #94 for one week in July 1963. None of their other singles charted and only the first of their nine albums charted (Surfin' with the Astronauts, which featured "Baja", at #61). "Pipeline" by The Chantays. This surf rock classic won them the #4 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and an appearance on The Lawrence Welk Show (of all shows!), but none of their follow-ups charted. "Wipe Out" by The Surfaris, which managed to chart thrice on the Billboard: #2 in August 1963, #16 in July 1966 and #110 in August 1970. The follow-up, "Point Panic", did chart at #49, but that one is largely forgotten outside the surf rock fanbase. The Trashmen, a surf rock band from Minneapolis, had two top 40 hits, the #4 "Surfin' Bird" and the #30 "Bird Dance Beat", but today are remembered only for the former, especially due to its constant usage in Family Guy . Younger audiences have forgotten that it was even a hit rather than a Seth MacFarlane original or an obscure song he dug up, or that it was memorably used two decades earlier in Full Metal Jacket . Swing Revival "Zoot Suit Riot" by The Cherry Poppin' Daddies released in 1998. It's their best known song, having peaked at #32 on the U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream, and hit the top 20 of the Modern Rock and Adult Top 40 charts. It just barely missed the top 40 of the Hot 100, however. This song is an interesting example because first and foremost, the Cherry Poppin' Daddies were a ska band. They did occasionally wander into swing and hot jazz on their albums here and there, but "Zoot Suit Riot" is probably among their most swing influenced songs. It originally appeared as a new song on Zoot Suit Riot, a compilation of all the swing-oriented songs that had appeared on their other albums. When the song became a hit, so did the album, and now they're identified as apart of the Swing Revival fad forevermore . The Squirrel Nut Zippers were a similar case. Their musical style was more diverse than just "swing revival", but their one hit, the top 20 rock hit "Hell," ended up associating them with the genre. Italian Nu-Jazz duo Gabin had a hit in 2002 with their single " Doo Uap, Doo Uap, Doo Uap ". They still exist and a couple of their songs were used in films such as Fantastic Four (2005) , but none of their other songs gained the same acclaim and recognition. World Music After having struggled in the Israeli pop music scene for nearly a decade, rocker Haim Zinovich felt that nobody would ever take him seriously, and effectively disappeared by the end of the '90s. In 2000, an Israeli talk show announced that they have booked a singer with a very unusual backstory: he was a man who lost use of his legs and nearly burnt to death when his house caught on fire. Dubbing himself HaSaruf, or the Burnt Man, his debut single "Hevel HaChen, Sheker HaYofi" was an instant hit on Israeli radio, and Israelis rushed out to buy his mysterious debut album. After his big television appearance, HaSaruf unmasked himself to reveal that he was Zinovich in disguise all along. The ploy worked big time, as his album sold over 400,000 copies, becoming one of the best selling in the country's history, and "Hevel HaChen" was named the fifth-biggest hit of 2000. Unfortunately, his popularity waned considerably afterwards as the novelty had worn off; although he had a few more minor hits and released one more album under the HaSaruf name, they failed to live up to the success of his debut, and the project was shelved not long after. Zinovich and his songwriter Tomer Biran then started to make dance-funk music together under the name "Zino & Tommy"; while their music made appearances on The Sopranos and in several hit movies like Click and RV , they never really seeked getting hit singles in Israel or anywhere else. Somalian-Canadian singer K'naan's only international success is "Wavin' Flag" (which, despite not actually being a big hit, is well-known due to commercial associations with Coca-Cola, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign). Before it, he had a minor hit on American alternative radio with "If Rap Gets Jealous", which featured Kirk Hammett on lead guitar, but that song fell short of the Billboard Alternative chart. His later song "Is Anybody Out There?" (a collaboration with Nelly Furtado ) also scraped the bottom of the charts, but it's completely forgotten even in Canada. Legendary South African singer Miriam Makeba's only American hit was her signature smash "Pata Pata", which reached #12 in 1967, ten years after she first recorded it. The song became one of the most famous "world music" songs of all time and ultimately became a Standard Snippet for African pop music as a whole. Israeli pop singer Ofra Haza had a surprise worldwide hit in 1988 with her dreamy update of the 17th century Hebrew poem "Im Nin'alu". In addition to being a smash all across Europe (including reaching number one in four countries), it was also a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Modern Rock charts in the United States. It was also Haza's only hit outside of Israel. Non-music examples: Mean Girls : Jonathan Bennett is best remembered for his role as Aaron Samuels in the teen comedy and not much else. Borderline. Lindsay Lohan starred in numerous successful movies from the late-'90s to mid-'00s before her fall from grace later in the decade. However, many would agree that her role as Cady Heron was her only memorable performance, even if her other movies were successes (the Freaky Friday remake actually outgrossed Mean Girls despite being far less iconic today). Ariana Grande 's only successful role as an actress was as Cat Valentine in Nickelodeon 's Victorious (which she wasn't even the star of). She had a few bit roles, and starred in the quickly cancelled spin-off Sam & Cat , but nothing major. That being said however, she has transitioned into a pop superstar with numerous hits and certified albums under her belt, and has never looked back since. As a musician, she is most certainly not a one-hit wonder. In fact, she's easily the most successful music act ever produced by Nickelodeon. Borderline: Ray Liotta was fairly successful back in the '90s, but modern-day audiences know him for playing Henry Hill in Goodfellas and not much else. Alfonso Ribiero is only known for playing Carlton Banks . Taylor Lautner started out as a moderately successful child/teen actor and voice actor ( The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl being his most notable credit), but he was far from celebrity status until he was cast as Jacob in the The Twilight Saga , which established him as a teen heartthrob in the early 2010s. Since then however, he's gotten no other major roles, and is still best known as Jacob in Twilight. Despite her her three decade long career and being a tabloid fixture, Tori Spelling's only notable role is Donna Martin on Beverly Hills 90210 Most of the actors on One Tree Hill barring Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray, are known almost exclusively for their roles on the show. While Jana Kramer is nowadays better known as a singer, Alex Dupre remains her only notable acting role. While most actors on The O.C. have broken into other roles (or famous beforehand in the case of Tate Donovan), Mischa Barton is mostly known for playing Marissa Cooper. Same goes for Autumn Reaser and Taylor Townsend. Adam Copeland may have had a long wrestling career, but he's basically known for one acting role: Haven . For a while, Batista was in the same situation with Guardians of the Galaxy , but he's now also known for his role in Spectre . Aside from Judy Garland , the entire main cast of The Wizard of Oz are known exclusively for that one movie: Ray Bolger was primarily a Broadway actor when he landed the role of the Scarecrow. Because he got caught up doing USO shows overseas, he worked very sporadically in Hollywood throughout the 1940s, only making five films. After that, he hardly got any roles at all, focusing more on TV. Jack Haley, the Tin Man, was a well known actor not only on film, but also on radio and vaudeville. He primarily worked for RKO, so his switch to MGM was an anomaly. While he got more frequent work than Bolger post-Oz, he quit acting after refusing to participate in a version of Seven Keys to Baldpate. Bert Lahr played the Cowardly Lion. Aside from that, his work in Hollywood was scarce and unsuccessful. Like Bolger, he focused primarily on stage acting afterwards. Frank Morgan, who played the title role, was a contracted character actor for MGM, and thus his roles were rarely, if ever, leads. Sadly, Morgan died only ten years after Oz at the young age of 59. Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch of the West, had a far more successful acting career than most of her co-stars, but she was never quite able to shake off her "Wicked Witch" image. She self-parodied her role during the last decade before her death. Billie Burke was probably the most successful, as she had been in the acting industry since the 1910s. Burke was a major Zigfield Follies star and also appeared in other classics like the Topper series and grabbed an Oscar nomination for Merrily We Live. But she'll always be best known as Glinda the Good Witch. Hallie Kate Eisenberg appeared in a few movies, but is today only remembered for being the "Pepsi Girl" in the company's late-'90s/early 2000s ad campaign. Other than that, she's best known for being Jesse's sister . Although he had a number of supporting roles before (mostly in Westerns), James Arness remains remembered largely as Marshall Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke , with his filmography after being cast as Dillon being quite limited. He also had a lead role in the TV series of How the West Was Won , which garnered a cult following in Europe but failed to make much of an impact in the US. While her Charmed co-stars have continued to find success afterwards, Rose McGowan is still known mostly as Paige Matthews. Anime and Manga Sailor Moon remains Naoko Takeuchi 's only successful manga series. While some of her other work has gained followings, most of that is limited to the Sailor Moon fandom, and she has yet to have any other title match the success of Sailor Moon. The closest any series came to it was The Cherry Project ... and that only lasted three volumes.... Yasumi Yoshizawa debuted as a professional manga cartoonist with Dokonjou Gaeru in 1970. To date that's his only successful series, spawning two anime series and a ton of merchandising in Japan. Since ending it he created dozens of other mangas but none of them are well-known. Masashi Kishimoto will always be known as "the man who created Naruto ". He's working on other material since he finally finished the series after fifteen years , but it's unlikely it'll be anywhere close to Naruto's level, seeing as how it's one of the most successful manga/anime series of all time . Mizuki Kawashita is only known as the creator of Strawberry 100% and all of her other works are completely obscure. It can't be helped by the fact some of these works got canceled, like Ane Doki. Directing Michael Cimino is remembered for directing the 1978 Oscar-winning Vietnam War epic The Deer Hunter , the 1980 career-destroying disaster that was Heaven's Gate , and nothing else. Sofia Coppola is primarily remembered for Lost in Translation , and perhaps The Virgin Suicides , but that's about it. Since then she's only directed the critically-reviled Marie Antoinette and a couple of obscure independent films. Other than that the only other thing's she's known for are being Francis's daughter and her critically reviled performance in The Godfather Part III . Michael Curtiz directed hundreds of films throughout his career, but he'll always be best remembered for Casablanca . Until she landed Wonder Woman (2017) , Patty Jenkins was only known for directing Monster . In fact, aside from Monster she's probably best known for a film that she ended up not directing, namely Thor: The Dark World . The Neveldine/Taylor directorial team made a big splash with Crank , and got an okayish reaction with its sequel, but all their subsequent works (including Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and Neveldine's solo outing The Vatican Tapes ) have been critical and commercial disasters. Mel Stuart directed about ten films in his lifetime, but is only remembered for one: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory . Director Mark Waters made about twelve films in his career, but Mean Girls (see the Acting section above) tends to be the only one still fondly remembered today. Franc Roddam had one big hit with Quadrophenia , and did continue working quite regularly for the following decade, but didn't direct anything else of note before figuring that he'd be better off retiring and living off the royalties from MasterChef . While he already had quite a few big-name screenplay credits under his belt, Kurt Wimmer really came to attention and picked up quite a fanbase with Equilibrium . His next film, Ultraviolet quickly wiped out that fanbase, and he hasn't directed another film since. Josh Trank came out of nowhere in 2012 with Chronicle , a found footage film that grossed $100 million and got an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, he followed it up with Fantastic Four (2015) , one of the worst-reviewed and most disastrous superhero movies of all time. With no films in the pipeline, Trank's career is all but dead and he is considered the modern-day equivalent to Cimino. Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanches, the co-directors of The Blair Witch Project . They never collaborated again and neither of them are known for anything else. Jim Sharman will always be best known for directing The Rocky Horror Picture Show . While Christian Nyby was one of the most prolific editors in Hollywood, The Thing from Another World is his only notable directing credit. Legendary character actor Charles Laughton directed the 1955 film noir The Night of the Hunter . It was his one and only directorial credit. Literature J.D. Salinger and The Catcher in the Rye was his only novel , although he wrote many short stories and novellas such as Franny and Zooey . Since his death, it's been speculated that he wrote a number of novels (somewhere in the lower double digits, depending on who you ask) that were never published. One can only hope they eventually see the light of day and remove his One Hit Wonder status. G.V. Desani and All About H. Hatter. Dow Mossman and The Stones of Summer. Menander wrote dozens of Ancient Greek comedies, but the only one that survives in its entirety is Dyskolos ("The Grouch"). Matthew Lewis was actually a prolific novelist and dramatist with several titles to his name, but then as now he is mostly associated with The Monk , his first novel written at the age of nineteen. It even gave him the nickname "Monk" Lewis. 99.99% of people couldn't name a book by Bram Stoker other than Dracula even if their life depended on it. Emily Brontï¿½ with Wuthering Heights . Of course she died before she could have another. Same deal with her sister Charlotte , a.k.a. the woman who did Jane Eyre . Carlo Collodi was actually an Italian soldier, but all we remember about him today is the fact that he wrote Pinocchio . Chuck Palahniuk , in a textbook example of Tough Act to Follow , has struggled to escape the shadow of his debut novel, Fight Club . (And never mind the numerous fans who don't even realize it was a book first .) He's self-deprecatingly acknowledged this himself, and in 2015 went so far as to release a sequel to the book, nineteen years after the original's release. Stephenie Meyer is known for the Twilight series, and little else. She also wrote The Host , which was a bestseller on author-name recognition alone, but it didn't sell anywhere near as well Twilight, its film adaption was a flop, and the sequels have been stuck in Development Hell . Suzanne Collins is only known for The Hunger Games trilogy. She wrote another series, The Underland Chronicles, which languishes in almost complete obscurity. George R.R. Martin has written many books, but he's known to the general public almost exclusively for the A Song of Ice and Fire series, or more specifically " the books that became Game of Thrones ." It doesn't help that since he started the series, virtually his entire bibliography has consisted of stories set in the same universe. J. K. Rowling will forever be known as the woman behind Harry Potter . For quite a while, the series, plus three defictionalized books from the Potter universe, was literally her entire body of work. Her follow-up The Casual Vacancy wasn't very well-received, and while her Cormoran Strike was seen as an improvement from Vacancy, it's still seen as a far cry from Potter. The pseudonyms Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon will always be associated with the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, respectively. Science fiction writer Tom Godwin is known for his short story " The Cold Equations " (one of the most famous sci-fi stories), but his other work is pretty much forgotten today. Miscellaneous A strange case: Gerald Mayo was very infamous, for many reasons, in the early 1970s. You should see the number of news articles printed about him at the time; it was huge. Nowadays, he is only known for something he was not famous for in the 1970s: suing Satan . Jim Gaffigan still feels obligated to do his "Hot Pockets" bit for fans despite it being one of his earliest bits. Poetry Joyce Kilmer, remembered almost exclusively for the poem "Trees". Sports Jimmy Glass, the English football player responsible for keeping Carlisle United F.C. in the Football League by scoring a goal in the last seconds of the final match of the 1998-99 season against Plymouth Argyle F.C. Made all the more remarkable by the fact that he was Carlisle's goalkeeper, and thus would ordinarily have been at the opposite end of the pitch, and at the time he was on loan from Swindon Town F.C. Carlisle were unable to negotiate a long-term contract for Glass, and he returned to Swindon and retired at the end of the following season. His subsequent biography was titled One-Hit Wonder. For people who don't understand football, he was basically playing in one of the lowest professional divisions in England, had an unremarkable career as a player, and after having his contract expire, retired to become an office worker. Roger Maris, forever known as the man who hit 61* , isn't even in the Hall of Fame because other than his MVP years of 1960 and '61 (the year which he hit 61* ), he was an above-average but hardly spectacular baseball player. Washington Redskins rookie running back Timmy Smith was only in the starting lineup for Super Bowl XXII due to injuries to the Redskins' other running backs. Smith made the most of that opportunity, rushing for a Super Bowl record 204 yards with two touchdowns in the Skins' 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos. Smith's career lasted only 15 more games before he was out of the NFL in 1990. Similarly, David Tyree of the New York Giants. A bottom of the depth chart receiver who managed to catch a ball from Eli Manning by pinning it to his helmet and never did anything else of note. Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood is a unique example, being known for one failure rather than an accomplishment. Norwood is famous for a missed 47-yard field goal at the end of Super Bowl XXV, and pretty much nothing else. Mike Jones of the St. Louis Rams is basically defined for a tackle he made of Titans receiver Kevin Dyson stopping him from scoring the game-tying touchdown at the one yard line. Dick Shiner was a career backup quarterback. During a stint with the Atlanta Falcons, he became the first quarterback to officially achieve a perfect passer rating, when he led the Falcons to a 62-7 victory over the New Orleans Saints. He also set the record for highest score in a football game that the Falcons have reached. This is the only thing he ever did of note - he was a career second stringer who had one brilliant game. Bucky Dent was a solid defensive shortstop and a decent situational hitter. However, all he will ever be known for, especially in Boston, is the home run he hit for the Yankees in 1978 that knocked the Red Sox out of playoff contention that year. To young non-Yankee/Red Sox fans he may best known for being in a Steinbrenner rant . Likewise, Carlton Fisk may be a Hall of Fame player with the Red Sox, but his entire career has been defined by his home run off the foul pole in the 1975 World Series. Enough so that most casual baseball fans (at least outside Chicago's South Side) forget that Fisk spent the majority of his career with the White Sox. This seems to be the fate of any player who comes up big in a high-profile situation. Other players defined by World Series moments include Bill Wambsganss (a solid defensive second baseman best known for turning an unassisted triple play in the 1920 World Series—still the only triple play of any kind in World Series history), Don Larsen (a journeyman pitcher who pitched a perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series—was the only no-hitter of any kind in postseason history for 54 years), and Cookie Lavagetto (pinch-hit two-run walkoff double in Game 4 of the 1947 World Series, which also broke up what would have been the first no-hitter in World Series history, as the two baserunners he drove in reached via walks—the ninth and tenth allowed by starter Bill Bevens. Also, neither Bevens nor Lavagetto played in the major leagues after 1947.) Jack Morris's 10-inning shutout for the Twins in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series completely overshadowed the rest of his excellent career; this one game was so epic that hardly anyone remembers that Morris was also the ace of the following year's champion, the Toronto Blue Jays. Oh yeah, and he was also the ace of the Detroit Tigers earlier in his career. The ultimate baseball one-moment wonder might be Francisco Cabrera of the 1992 Atlanta Braves. The Braves were one out away from being eliminated in the NLCS when they sent Cabrera, the last position player left on the bench, up to bat. Cabrera could barely even be considered a part-time player; he only had ten at-bats during the regular season, and only one prior at-bat in the playoffs. He stroked a two-run single to put the Braves in the World Series, then immediately faded back to obscurity. He was out of the majors the following year. Armando Galarraga catapulted into the headlines after umpire Jim Joyce's blown call cost him a perfect game (retire 27 batters in order without allowing any of them to reach base) in July, 2010. Since then he's had nothing but hard luck - cut by 3 teams, kicked around the minors, and barely had the proverbial "cup of coffee" in the bigs since. Also Jason Donald is known for that one "hit". Luis Gonzalez had a respectable career as a member of the Diamondbacks, but ask if they know who he is and they'll probably say he's the guy whose walk-off single ended the 2001 World Series. Kirk Gibson was a two-time MVP and World Series Champion, but he is best known for hitting a pinch-hit walk-off homer off Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. The main reason he's known is because he had been vomiting all day and could barely walk due to both his illness and lingering leg injuries, and didn't appear again in the series. Former Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski. While he eventually made the Hall of Fame, he's known almost exclusively for the walkoff home run he hit in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, which will likely never be forgotten due to the remarkable statistical fluke that the series produced. In Game 1, the Yankees outhit the Pirates 13-8 but lost 6-4, and in Game 4 they again outhit the Pirates 8-7 but lost 3-2, and in the deciding Game 7, Mazeroski's home run leading off the bottom of the ninth, breaking a 9-9 tie, was just the Pirates' 11th, to the Yankees' 13. So even in three of their four victories, the Pirates were outhit. "Even" in their victories, that is, because the Yankees won Games 2, 3, and 6 by the scores of 16-3, 10-0, and 12-0.* Oddly enough, the Pirates had more hits in the 16-3 loss than in any of their four wins. The result was a Series in which the Yankees scored 55 runs on 91 hits, batting .338 as a team—just a few of the many records they set—and lost. Jacques Villeneuve took the Formula One World Championship in only his second year in the sport in 1997, then proceeded never to win another race. He has found success in other forms of racing, though. Many cricket fans consider the late Sir Donald Bradman's Test cricket batting average of 99.94 (across 80 innings) to be the greatest statistical achievement in any sport, but in cricket statistics it's customary to consider Test averages only from players who have played more than 20 innings. Cricket's highest Test batting average technically belongs to a one-hit wonder, West Indian wicketkeeper Andy Ganteaume, who was called up for a single Test against England in 1948 and scored 112 runs in his one and only innings at the crease. Salvatore "Totò" Schillaci was the star of the 1990 World Cup , scoring six goals (the top scorer) and bringing Italy to third place ï¿½ amazingly, he only ever scored one other goal for Italy, and apart from Italia 90 the rest of his career was unremarkable. The same could be said about Fabio Grosso, the man who almost single-handedly brought Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup. He scored all the important goals, including the one in the semifinal and the decisive penalty kick in the final match, but never did anything else of note in his home country. Oleg Salenko, who played for the Russian national team in the 1994 World Cup. During the 1994 World Cup, he scored 5 goals in a game against Cameroon (the most goals anyone has scored in a single World Cup match) and 6 goals overall, the joint top scorer of the tournament (and the only time where a top scorer played for a team that was knocked out in the group stages). The 6 goals turned out to be the only goals of his national team career. Joe Johnson was a previously unremarkable and little-known snooker player who suddenly hit form in the 1986 World Championship, taking the title having never previously advanced beyond the first round. It was his only ranking event win; despite making the final again the following year, he slipped down the rankings quite swiftly thereafter. On February 11, 1990, 42-1 underdog James "Buster" Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson, who was an undefeated champion at the time. (For some perspective, this was the first time Tyson had even been knocked down.) He retired just a few months later, after losing the heavyweight title to Evander Holyfield. Mixed Martial Arts fighter Matt Serra had a decent MMA career, even winning The Ultimate Fighter , but he is only known for knocking out Georges St Pierre, considered by many to be the greatest upset in the sport's history. He lost his first title defense never got another significant win. In Australian Rules Football , the St Kilda Saints have won only one premiership, in 1966. The same goes for Port Adelaide Power (2004), but they are generally not considered to be this since they only joined in 1997, and their SANFL incarnation is the most successful club in that league. The Western Bulldogs long had the "one-hit wonder" tag as well, having only won the premiership in 1954, but they picked up their second flag in 2016. Among players, the most famous one-hit wonder would be Ted Hopkins, who was brought on after half time for Carlton in the 1970 Grand Final, and proceeded to rip Collingwood to shreds as Carlton came back from a 44-point deficit to win . Afterward, Hopkins realised he could never do anything to top his achievements in that game, and retired. Several professional golfers who have risen from obscurity and win (or even just nearly win) a major championship have had difficulty sustaining that success in smaller-level tournaments afterward. Among the notable champions on this list are Steve Jones (1996 U.S. Open), Shaun Micheel (2003 PGA Championship) and Hilary Lunke (2003 U.S. Women's Open, her only top ten in an LPGA tournament). In tennis , players who win just one Grand Slam title in their careers are labeled (fairly or unfairly) as "one-Slam wonders". The biggest one of them is probably Gastón Gaudio, who won the 2004 French Open ï¿½ recovering from a 2-set deficit , no less ï¿½ but failed to reach the quarterfinals of any other Slam he entered. Roy Essandoh, a previously anonymous lower-league soccer player, is mostly known for scoring a winning goal for Wycombe Wanderers against Leicester City in 2001, after he answered a teletext ad by then-manager Lawrie Sanchez for a non-cup-tied striker. That goal propelled Wycombe to a FA Cup semifinal, after which Roy slipped back into obscurity. Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox threw a perfect game at the start of the 2012 then proceeded to suck for the rest of the season. He became the only player to throw a perfect game and be released (although claimed by another team) at the end of the next season. If he's mentioned for anything else, it'll be how he was traded for Johan Santana. He did win a College World Series ( NCAA Division I championship) with Rice University, so not all is lost. Dallas Braden, pitcher for the Oakland A's, is only known for two things: yelling at Alex Rodriguez during a game, and getting a perfect game two weeks later. Among NHL examples , an outstanding case is Jonathan Cheechoo, who may have been a solid NHL player, but his 56-goal Richard Trophy winning season couldn't be matched, and he's bounced around from the NHL and minors. Running back Jonas Grey will probably never have another performance like he did in a game with the Patriots where he ran for 201 and 4 touchdowns. To put things into perspective, he didn't play the next game at all for breaking team rules. Running back Jerome Harrison is known for a single game in 2009 where he rushed for 286 yards, breaking the Cleveland Browns' single game rushing record, which was held by the legendary Jim Brown. Chris Johnson is best known for his 2009 season with the Tennessee Titans where he rushed for 2000 yards. Interestingly there's a Chris Johnson in baseball who's also a one-hit wonder. The Atlanta Braves third baseman had a career year in 2013 which led to him winning a batting title before returning to his normal self the following season. Eric Bruntlett hit a World Series-clinching win for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008, and performed only the 15th unassisted triple play in history in 2009 at 31 years old. A year later, he was out of baseball entirely. Television Gene Roddenberry's only real "hit" was Star Trek: The Original Series . His other shows either were short-lived ("The Lieutenant", which lasted a single season) or never got past the pilot stage ("Genesis II"/"Planet Earth", "Questor Tapes", and "Assignment: Earth", which was both a Star Trek episode and a back-door pilot for a spin-off series). Some of Gene's ideas and story notes were eventually adapted by others with mixed results ("Earth: Final Conflict", and "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda"). (Roddenberry is also credited as the creator of Star Trek: The Next Generation , though this is more to do with him having to sign off on Paramount continuing the franchise on television.) Mitch Hurwitz was the creator of Arrested Development , which is perhaps considered one of the great comedies of the 2000s (even after its Love It or Hate It revival). His other projects? Two poorly received series ( Sit Down, Shut Up and Running Wilde ) and one slightly-better reviewed series (The Ellen Show) that didn't survive their first seasons. Marta Kauffmann, David Crane and Kevin S. Bright made television history with massively successful NBC sitcom Friends. Unfortunately, their other NBC sitcoms, Joey, Jesse and Veronica's Closet, weren't as successful, critically acclaimed or fondly remembered. Haim Saban 's only television hit that is fondly remembered is Power Rangers . The company produced other adaptations of tokusatsu shows, but most fell into obscurity after some time. The company produced some anime dubs though, with Digimon and Samurai Pizza Cats being the most known (the latter only for a cult following). Video Games Alexey Pajitnov would have to be the biggest example. He is is known for creating Tetris , one of the most popular games of all time, and absolutely nothing else. He worked for Microsoft's games division for a while in the late 90s and early 2000s, creating critically acclaimed puzzle games like Pandora's Box and Hexic that met with commercial indifference, even when his semi-famous name was played up in advertising. He eventually gave in and tried to create a direct followup to Tetris, called Welltris, which is basically the same game but with the player now viewing the action from above. It was not well received. Polyphony Digital is known for the Gran Turismo series of racing sim video games and not much else. They did make a few other video games outside of the franchise, such as the two Motor Toon Racing Grand Prix games (which are basically Mario Kart clones with realistic physics), Omega Boost, and Tourist Trophy (which is a Gran Turismo spin-off with motorcycles instead of cars ), but all of those games are mostly forgotten by general audiences today. Stern Electronics ( Berzerk , 1980). Technically they did distribute a few other hits, but all of those were Konami games manufactured under license. Outside Directors Company ( LSD: Dream Emulator , 1998) Splash Damage ( Wolfenstein : Enemy Territory, 2003) Andrew and Paul Gower aren't known for anything other than Runescape . Their company, Jagex, has made a few other games, although without the Gowers, but even they are mostly known just for Runescape. Stellar Stone released eight games during the early 2000s before dissolving entirely, including a pinball game, two real-time strategies, a puzzle game, a first-person shooter, and three racing games, pretty much all of which were Obvious Betas in every sense of the word. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that knows this, and in fact most of the Internet would have you believe the only game of theirs of this nature was Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing . Mike Bithell's Thomas Was Alone managed to sell over a million copies, but his other major production Volume didn't have even a fraction of that unexpected success among the general public. Many websites on the Internet agree that Hanafram only ever released one game: Snow Bros 2. Voice Acting As voice actors go, Thurl Ravenscroft did a fair number of roles (including the Christmas classic " You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch "), but he will forever be best-known as Tony the Tiger, for bellowing "They're gr-r-r-reat!" on cereal commercials. To be fair, he is also commonly confused with Walt Disney thanks to his appearance as a singing bust in The Haunted Mansion , as well as Boris Karloff for "Mr. Grinch". Stephanie Nadolny's big claim to fame is as Kid Goku and Gohan in the Dragon Ball franchise. She's had other anime roles though, including lead roles in shows like Gravion Zwei , Parasite Dolls , and one Lupin III feature, but she'll always be known for her work in Dragon Ball . Same with Tiffany Vollmer, who voiced Bulma, and has no other major voice roles. Her only other roles period include a two-episode bit character in Detective Conan and additional voices in YuYu Hakusho . She has since moved away, and Bulma is now voiced by Monica Rial . Jeremy Inman is also known mostly for only one role; in his case, it is Android 16, although he's voiced many other supporting roles in the series and in other shows. Same with Phil Parsons and Nappa. Despite having credits in some other shows, Nappa is all anyone knows him for. Kara Edwards was this for years, only being known for voicing Kid Goten and Videl, and pretty much retired from voice acting in anime. However a few years ago, she experienced a comeback of sorts, and is voicing leads in other anime as well. Elise Baughman's only major anime role is Pan in Dragon Ball GT , though she voiced smaller roles in other shows for FUNimation around the same time. Nowadays however, she only gets work voicing Pan in various Dragon Ball video games. Julie Franklin voiced Agent Mai in the original Dragon Ball , and her cameo in GT. That remains her only named role, her only other credits being background voices and bit parts in Dragon Ball and YuYu Hakusho . At that time, she was dating Christopher Sabat . In recent media however, Mai is instead voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard . Monika Antonelli's only anime credits are Puar and Chiaotzu in the Dragon Ball franchise (and some odd bit parts in the series here and there). She quit voice acting in 2006, and both roles are now voiced by Brina Palencia . Maile Flanagan is known for voicing the title character of Naruto and little else (except maybe Lab Rats ). Though she won a Daytime Emmy for voicing the title character in Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks , a preschool cartoon, and has some bit on-camera parts, Naruto is her only major anime role (her only other anime work period was additional voices on the 2003 Astro Boy ). Tom Gibis voiced Shikamaru Nara and hasn't done anything else of note. Almost any Disney Princess voice actress: Adriana Casselotti, the voice of Snow White , has no other acting or voice acting credits, except as an additional voice in the song "If I Only Had a Heart" in The Wizard of Oz . This is largely because Walt Disney himself put a clause in her contract that forbade her from ever doing any other work in the entertainment industry so as not to "spoil the illusion of Snow White." Ilene Woods' only role of note was as the title character in Cinderella . Mary Costa is known as the voice of Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty , and not much else. To make matters worse, Aurora herself only had a handful of lines, with the part mostly being through singing. Jodi Benson comes the closest to averting this as a strictly voice actress, since she's had some decent success doing voices for several cartoons, but she will always be known as the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid . Her other major credits include Barbie in the Toy Story films and the title role in Don Bluth 's Thumbelina (another princess role). Paige O'Hara's only major role is Belle in Beauty and the Beast . Most of her other work is on Broadway. Linda Larkin, the speaking voice of Jasmine in Aladdin has no other major credits. Her singing voice however, Lea Salonga, has had much more success as a singer for other Disney characters, as well as a career on Broadway, and is one of the most successful Filipino singers of all time. Pocahontas 's speaking and singing voice actresses, Irene Bedard and Judy Kuhn respectively, have no other claims to fame, though Kuhn had a decent career on Broadway and a couple Tony nominations. Averted with Mulan 's voice actress Ming-Na Wen , who was also Chun-Li in the live action Street Fighter film, Jing Mei Chen in ER , and is currently Agent May in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , which she might actually be more known for now. Ming-Na's had a few roles in other films and TV shows as well. Mulan's singing voice was the above-mentioned Lea Salonga. Also averted with Anika Noni Rose as Tiana in The Princess and the Frog , who's probably better known for her Broadway career and her role in Dreamgirls . Rapunzel in Tangled is Mandy Moore 's only major voice acting role (though Aerith in Kingdom Hearts comes close), but her singing career is very successful. Lastly Elsa in Frozen is Idina Menzel 's only voice role, but her Broadway career is her biggest claim to fame. Dana Gaier and Elsie Fisher are known as the respective voices of Edith and Agnes in the Despicable Me series and nothing else. Rob Wiethoff voiced John Marston in Red Dead Redemption before retiring from acting to focus on raising his family. Rapper Chris "Young Maylay" Bellard is a No Hit Wonder as a musician, but he did have one very memorable voice acting performance: Carl "CJ" Johnson in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas . Michael Hollick was the voice of Niko Bellic in Grand Theft Auto IV . His only other credits were a few cameo appearances in the Law & Order franchise and minor motion capture in lower-profile games. Ellen McLain will always be known as GLaDOS in the Portal franchise. She's done some bit voice acting in other Valve games and had a memorable cameo in Pacific Rim , but nothing major. Christopher Robin Miller's only known role to many fans is the title character in the Professor Layton series. Nothing he's done so far has come close. Aside from a few audio book David Kolin's only voice acting role or any other acting role for that matter was the voice of Felix the Cat in Felix the Cat: The Movie . This is a bad thing. Maggie Blue O'Hara has had roles in Vancouver and Hong Kong, and shares two roles with Megumi Hayashibara , (three if you count R!Lime) the one role everyone knows her for is Shadowcat . Every thing else is cult at best, and the one that isn't ( Dragon Ball Z ) is a forgotten dub that isn't even on DVD. Except for Johnny Yong Bosch (one of anime's most prolific voice actors), the cast of Yo Kai Watch has never done anything else of note. All of the lead voice actors in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic aside from Tara Strong (Twilight Sparkle) and maybe Cathy Weseluck (Spike) are known outside Canada almost exclusively for that one series, as most of their roles are anime dubs, obscure shows and roles that were replaced . For the supporting cast, it varies. Ironically, despite being a major Anime VA, and a former Vancouver resident during its golden age, Erin Fitzgerald 's only major Western Animation roles, May and Nazz, are both in Ed Eddn Eddy . Nothing else comes close in that Medium, not even Monster High . Jeremy Shada is so far known pretty much only for Finn . Jason Ritter, the son of the late John Ritter , has played bit parts on TV shows and movies for most of his career, with only a few leading roles, but most people will be hard-pressed to name any role of his other than Dipper Pines . Ryan Potter's only notable role to date is as Hiro Hamada in Big Hero 6 . His only other big role period was his lead on the short-lived Nickelodeon series Supah Ninjas , which quickly faded into obscurity. Kaitlyn Dias voiced Riley in Inside Out and afterwards went back to doing low-profile short films. Newton Pittman is only known for voicing Gray Fullbuster in Fairy Tail . He's some supporting, guest, and minor roles for other shows for FUNimation , but Gray is his only lead. Web Original uploaded an extremely viral video in 2007, titled Charlie bit my finger - again ! . The video is about, as the titled would suggest, a baby named Charlie biting his slightly older brother in the finger. For reasons completely unknown, it amassed over 800,000,000 views. This makes it the most viewed non-music video of all time, and the 4th most viewed video of all time period. While Charlie bit my finger - The Accident wasn't a slouch either, getting over 45,000,000 views, it's obviously nowhere near as successful as the original. Since even breaking the 100 million mark is a feat normally reserved for music videos by popular artists, don't expect them (or anyone else for that matter) to achieve that kind of success again. Fictional Examples: Anime & Manga Wish from Hime Chen Otogi Chikku Idol Lilpri only has one song he sings in-show, while the titular Power Trio gets four. Space Dandy and his band Dropkix are best remembered for "Lonely Nights" ï¿½ played repetitively for two hours at one gig ï¿½ and disbanding immediately after their big break. However, this performance unknowingly stopped an all-out war. Literature The murder victim in The Silkworm was a writer whose first book was a great success with the critics, but nothing he wrote after came even close to match it, critically or commercially. He still expects everyone to treat him like a literary luminary though. Film Baby Jane Hudson's song "I've Written a Letter to Daddy" in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? . The Wonders in That Thing You Do! , for whom the one hit is the title song. The irony of the band's name is pointed out by their own manager after the band fails to produce a second hit. Ironically, the movie's Title Track peaked at #41. The protagonist of About a Boy is a 36-year-old bachelor who lives off the royalties of a hit Christmas song composed by his father. The book of the same name from which the film was adapted goes to great lengths to show just how absurd a situation this put the protagonist and his father in: the protagonist gets angry and depressed every time he hears the song being sung by buskers, and his father, absolutely desperate to be taken seriously as a musician, once writes an entire musical in the course of one day. In the first Bridget Jones movie, Bridget's friend Tom is a former One-Hit Wonder pop singer from the '80s. The main character of Semi Pro is a former one-hit wonder who used the money from his song "Love Me Sexy" to buy an ABA team. Live Action TV Drive Shaft, Charlie's band in Lost , who hit it big with "You All Everybody". In one deleted scene, Shannon remarks about having "their one song" stuck in one's head. The Zit Remedy/The Zits-Joey, Snake and Wheels' band on Degrassi Junior High / Degrassi High -was a one hit wonder not only in the fact that "Everybody Wants Something" was their only hit, but it was their only song - a fact that still gets them mercilessly teased even as adults. "Everybody Want Something" was a hit? On The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , Ashley ends up being a one hit wonder. It becomes a "Funny Aneurysm" Moment because that was exactly what happened to the actress who played her, Tatyana Ali. Marcus Little of The Suite Life on Deck turns up at Seven Seas High, having faded into obscurity after his career as Lil' Little peaked with his sole hit "Retainer Baby". "Superstar Machine" by "Li'l Davey Cross" in Mr. Show . It charts at number one, becomes club music, gets parodied by Weird Al-lookalike and ends up as "on-hold" music on the phone. The 1999 comedy-drama Hunting Venus centred on a fictional New Romantic band from the early 1980's, The Venus Hunters, who are getting together for a reunion gig despite the fact they only ever had one hit. Lead singer Martin Clunes finds a problem... they've forgotten the words and how to play the music. Nobody can find a copy of the single. And their charismatic guitarist Neil Morrisey has had a sex-change operation.... Music Chris Gaines, Breakup Breakout member of an '80s one-hit wonder band. Played by Real Life artist wonder Garth Brooks . Ironically, his only pop hit was in thus persona. The song "King of Rock 'n' Roll" by bookish new wave act Prefab Sprout was about a 50's rocker who is forced to sing his one stupid novelty hit over and over to crowds who only want to hear that one song. In a sad bit of irony, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" became Prefab Sprout's biggest hit in the UK (they had six other Top 40 singles, but none of them troubled the Top 20), because people only cared about the goofy chorus and nothing more. Video Games In Dead Island , one of the player characters is Sam B, a rapper famous for his one hit, "Who Do You Voodoo, Bitch?". The fact that his one hit is a Horrorcore track he wrote as a joke after a years of trying to gain momentum as a serious, politically conscious rapper, and that no-one shows any interest in anything he's produced apart from "Who Do You Voodoo, Bitch?" has left him extremely bitter. Western Animation Phineas and the Ferbtones in Phineas and Ferb , for "Gitchee Gitchee Goo". Intentionally, because who would want to do that every day? "Follow-up single?! Who do you think we are, some two-bit hacks who will keep writing you songs simply because you pay us obscene amounts of cash?! Phineas and the Ferb-Tones are strictly a one-hit wonder. Good day to you, sir!" Also, their mother Linda apparently was a one-hit wonder in the 80's with "I'm Lindana and I Wanna Have Fun." Her explanation of this trope was used by the boys as a how-to checklist. In My Life as a Teenage Robot , Brad sings a "one hit wonder" song called " Minky Momo ". Not kidding. Foxxy Love of Drawn Together was formerly a one hit wonder with her band The Foxxy 5, with the song "La La Labia". Media about One-hit wonders:	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_8	in the 70s - Meaning of Lyrics From Songs of the Seventies Meaning of Lyrics From Songs of the Seventies These are the meanings behind the song lyrics from various songs of the 70s. In particular, we're looking for songs that aren't immediately obvious. We also have pages on this topic devoted to the 80s and 90s 0.shtml's "" This is a song anbout the Welsh witch-goddess and seducer Rhiannon James Taylor's "I Seen Fire And I Seen Rain" What i interpet the song is when he sings susanna the plans they put an end to you. Sweet dreams and flying machines in peices on the ground represent when his girlfriends plane crashed. Susanna was in sweet dreams and she was in a plane and it sadly crashed. Steely Dan's "Everyone' Gone to the Movies" A song about a guy who shows dirty movies in his den on his own old movie projector to kids. Key Lines "Soon it will be to late..bobbing for apples can wait. I know you're used to 16 or more, sorry we only have 8" That last line is a reference to the size of the film, 16mm or larger would be a pro film...8mm is amateur. The song sounds happy and upbeat, but this hides the character's seedy hobby. Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" It is a song about his love for heroin. To prove this to you I will mention a couple of facts. The word "girl" in drug culture is used for drugs that work on the brains hypothalamus region; this is the same area one feels pleasure during sexual activity. The drugs that pleasure this area are cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy. In the song he says, "slipping and a sliding" which is a description of using a needle for injection. He uses brown because heroin is normally found as a brown powder (china brown). So, before you start to make a reference to a song please research it before you put description into an artists work. -Professor Stylee Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne" This is a tough song to decipher..as are many Steely Dan Songs. Its about Stanley Owsley III, a chemist who was well-known in the San Francisco drug culture. He made millions of tablets of strong LSD in his day, and then dissapeared. Key points: "Just by chance you crossed the diamond with the Pearl..you turned it on the world..thats when you turned the world around" And..."All your low-rent friends are dead..life can be very strange...those test-tubes and the scales, just get em all out of here.....is their gas in the car? Yes, there is gas in the car. I think the people down the hall, know who you are.." Its a great lyric, although hidden..like most-all of their lyrics. Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight" Real Meaning, Phil and his best friend were swimming at the beach and his mate began to drown so Phil asked a man to help and he said no "Thinking it was a joke" so phil watched his best friend as a kid drown and die. So later on Phil whilst on tour tracked this guy down and sent him front row seat tickets and first class air fair ticket to his tour and limosoine and everything, then when he started singing this song he put the spot light on the guy, and started singing, a few weeks later due to all the humiliation and publicity the guy commited suicide. James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" ...After a little research, I find it was suicide, not cancer that killed Susan. All the more reason not to tell someone in detox or rehab. America's "A Horse With No Name" "A Horse With No Name" was a song meant to compare the similarities and the beauty of the ocean to the desert. It gives a sense of a peaceful state of mind and was written to describe the artist's passion for xenophobic landscapes (as one of the members liked to visit the area around Vandenburg Air Force Base, California). America Sang, "The ocean is a desert with its life underground and a perfect disguise above", to explain that the ocean was much like a desert in the sense that both are barren, exposed to the sun, and uninhibited by (drinkable) water. The artist explicitly describes what he had seen on his �journey�, to convey the idea of wide open peacefulness, �A sky with no clouds.� the Doors's "People Are Strange" About a bad LSD trip. "Faces look ugly when you're alone Women seem wicked when you're unwanted Streets are uneven when you're down When you're strange Faces come out of the rain When you're strange No one remembers your name" no doubt about that Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Craddle" According to Harry himself, his wife Sandy Chapin wrote the lyrics for Cat?s In The Cradle, while she was pregnant with their first child as a warning to Harry not to miss his child growing up. Bad Company's "Shooting Star" According to the lead singer, Paul Rodgers, the song is a story, and it's almost a warning. He wrote the song about the casulaties of making it in the music business and then dying of a drug overdose. At time he wrote it, he had Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin in mind along with other "superstars" that didn't make it. America's "Horse With No Name" Actually this song is about using heroin. In the 70's this song was banned from many radio stations because "horse" is a street name for heroin. If you listen to the lyrics in the chorus they say "In the desert you can remember your name. 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain." Not only does heroin cause severe memory loss but it is also used as a pain killer. I think this is proof enough of what this song really means. The Eagles's "Hotel California" Actually, the most accepted theory is that Hotel California talks about "high life" in So. California during the time the song was written. It talks about a being trapped in the high life, and having to deal with many obsessions - especially drugs. Many of the lines mentioned in the other review of this song present on this site are a direct reference to drugs: "We are all prisoners here of our own device" - you choose to live the high life, and then are stuck to them; "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" - as an artist, you can always step away from the spotlight, but you'll always be stuck to it somehow; "this could be heaven or this could be hell" - once more, a reference to the high life, and also to the high during a drug run, and the low afterwards; "And in the master's chambers, They gathered for the feast The stab it with their steely knives, But they just can't kill the beast" - a reference to buying drugs for someone, doing the drugs, and still wanting more." The Eagles's "Hotel California" Actually...after talking to members of the band...the song is about a gang in california...the line "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave" symbolises the fact that once your in...your in for life.. the girl mentioned in the story is like a metaphor for the gang itself... anyway... thats all The Eagles's "Hotel California" After listening to the song, the first time around, I thought it was about the heavy drug use in the 70's. But after READING the lyrics myself, I gathered it was about the Satanic Church. PLEASE, correct me if I am wrong, somebody out there. Creeped me out! Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" After see faust(a theatrical play), I now believe that Bohiemian Rhapsody is about the lives of faust,the band's lead singer. The play faust is about a man who sold his soul to the devil in return for fame. after some time the devil comes to take faust's soul(which is why at the end of bohemian rhapsody you hear him saying "will you let me go". also, i've heard that the lead singer was diagnosed with HIV. This is pure speculation, but maybe he had a sexual relationship with someone and transmtited the diease.That would explain why he say's " momma I just killed a man". which doesn't imply he's a homosexual(artistic license) but who knows? maybe... Rush's "The Trees" Agree with most previous posts but being a big Rush fan in england in 1977 remember geddy lee (lead singer) getting grief off Radio Tees DJ Alistair Pirrie about it all being about British Colonialism as in oaks traditional english tree and maples guess. Geddy had clearly got a lot of grief over this from lots of other sources and said okay it was but since they were touring it wasn't a good time to get into the discussion Eagles's "Hotel California" All that is said is very interesting about the satanists and drugs but, I read where the Eagle's themselves said that the song lyrics are a tribute to their good friend Jackson Browns wife Phyllis who committed suicide as they were composing the songs for the album. That lends so much to the line "you can checkout anytime you like, but you can never leave." Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" Alright..enough with about how this song is just about syd barret...only half of the song probley not even half is about syd...i believe that this song is talking about roger waters X-wife...hence the line..."were just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year..running over the same old ground, but have we found the same old fears? wish you were here!" that is talking about his X-wife and how he wisshed things would have gone better and every year thungs are the same and same..and same old fears are fears of loosing one another...this is not about syd barret...its about roger waters X-Wife...but then again..some parts do talk about syd..but not in the lyrics such as when the song starts on the am radio and some1 plays along that represents the distance he has with other ppl...such as his x-wife and syd...its all simple just think Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" Also a tribute to Syd Barrett. It was a message to their former bandmate that they wished he was still a member of the band. Boom Town Rats's "I Don't Like Mondays" Also the girl who shot the people was asked in court why she did it and she replied "I don't like Mondays" or something along that lines!! The Eagles's "Hotel California" Althoguh many would argue that this is about the bands addictions, jail time, etc etc. i think that this song is a lot of what it means to you. In a way i like to think that Hotel California is simply a tribute to the bands love for California, all the members moved from somwhere else to go to California; so perhaps its just a song about home; the line "you can check out any time you'd like...but you can never leave" doesnt have to mean an addiction, what if its just that once the love of a place, or person is in you, you can break up, or leave the place, but it will never really leave you; interpret this as you will... songs werent meant for 1 person only The Eagles's "Hotel California" Although I think many of you have hit upon some very interesting ideas about the lyrics here (and justifiable ones at that -- especially the "in limbo" entries, as that is my 2nd choice regarding the meaning), nobody as yet has suggested that the song is about an alien abduction (yes, I believe in UFOs). [* Note well - the aliens' UFO/planet/people have apparently recreated the look of earth and earthlings to gain confidence and complicity by the abductees.] Here are arguments regarding my theory. 1) First off, the very opening lines certainly point to an abduction -- "On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair; Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air. Up ahead in the distance I saw a shimmering light -- My head grew heavy, and my sight grew dim; I had to stop for the night." Dissecting these lines, we find the following: 2) 'On a dark desert highway' = aliens nearly always take and perform their experiments at night, and pick remote areas to do so. 3) 'UP' (ahead...) suggests he saw something 'ABOVE' another thing (his car)-- i.e., in this case, the "something" being the spacecraft. 4) smell of colitas = some abductees report a strange odor emanating from the aliens or in the craft itself (possibly a formaldehyde-like substance??). 5) 'I saw a shimmering light' = well, we all know by now that them thar extraterrestrials like to flash their lights when flying/landing. 6) '...head grew heavy...sight grew dim...' = a hypnotic trance that aliens subject humans to, so that they do not resist abduction. Now on to the rest of the song - the alien mentions are more implicit than explicit, yet there are still clues: 7) 'There she stood in the doorway...this could be Heaven or this could be Hell...And she showed me the way; There were voices down the corridor - I thought I heard them say Welcome ...such a lovely place.' = The 'she' in the lines above can be looked upon as the (remember, in human guise) leader of the abductees in their doomed exile, like the farmer leading lambs to the slaughter (illustrated in the fact that "you can never leave"). 8) The extraterrestrial's realm will soon take control now, as the humans are brainwashed, repeating, like a mantra: Such a lovely place, Such a lovely face. 9) 'And still those voices are calling from far away; Wake you up in the middle of the night' = as in a dream /abductions occur at night and many victims say they thought it was only a nightmare. 10) This next segment, '...her mind is... (through)...Some dance to forget’ = is the narrator being lead on/enticed by the woman at the doorway, to comfort him before any predictably sinister goings on befall him. 11) 'bring your alibis' = hard to come by any witnesses to abductions – since there were nine for the narrator, despair may be setting in. 12)'Welcome to the Hotel California...Were all just prisoners here' = welcome to a prison-like existence where there is no leaving. 13) 'They gathered for the feast; they stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast. Last thing I remember I was running for the door' = These lines are highly indicative of alien experiments, and this newcomer (not yet brainwashed) is still desperate to survive --> the beast /and/ to leave --> running for the door. 14) 'We are programmed to receive' = 'programmed' suggests something non-human. Hence, an alien. "You can check out any time you like But you can never leave." = 'Check out' represents a mental suppression of the abduction, yet the abductee's memory will 'never leave.' ~~~ Well folks, that's my interpretation (with limbo as close runner-up.) ~~ AJH, Aug. 2006 Rush's "The Trees" Although i do agree with the other posts in the means that this song deals with oppression, i disagree with the other posters implied meanings of this song. First, a reasonable conclusion can be that it is obvious this song deals with oppresion "as the maple's scream Oppresion" (regarding the oak's natural stature.) But before immediatly jumping to the idea that all oppresion is bad you need to consider the fact that the forest represents nature, therefore the "oppresion" is a natural oppresion. Listening to other rush songs one can cleary identify that Peart is heavily influenced by the transcendental romantic era of literature. One of the main belifs of this era was the sence that nature was an "all pervading goodness", and society was corrupt. therefore because this oppresion is a natural oppresion, it must be good. Enter the hatchets, axes, and saws. Givin the fact that Niel has brought the "human Society element" to the inanimate forrest suggests that the forrest has been pervaded, making this whole song a pervasion, aka sarcastic. when the Maples formed a union and enforced it's "rules" upon the oaks it does so in a harmful way, attacking the oaks Natural presence. this i belive to be an attack on the Canadian Socialist movement (symbolized be the maple tree[canadian national symbol] which although it has a noble intent=equality, the means it uses to get there are corrupt=destroying others natural rights). In the end the lyrics alone are only half the song, one must truly listen to the tone in which it is presented to pick up the intent of the song. Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" Although it is obvious that this song (along with a majority of Beatles songs)is about a hallucinagenic, it was not LSD, but rather Angel Dust. Dust being the Diamonds (as stars look scattered across the sky). In the 70's when you took this drug, you believed you could fly. Several deaths were caused by trying. Yes's "South Side Of The Sky" Although it's rather ambiguous, it appears as though this song is about the Chapter from Fellowship of the Ring called The Ring Goes South from The Lord of the Rings. The fellowship is faced with a huge storm in the mountains and proctiaclly freeze to death. "Move forward, was my friends only cry, in deeper, to somewhere we could lie..." You really have to read the chapter and listen to the song. VERY close fit. Elton John's "Daniel" Although the lyrics suggest the song is about the singer's younger brother flying off to Spain (Europe), they are actually about a real life U.S. marine called Daniel, who was injjured by a landmine in Vietnam. He was left wheelchair bound and blind. The military of the day used him for PR perposes, "A BRAVE AMERICAN, WHO GAVE FOR HIS COUNTRY", sort of thing. Television pictures showed Daniel receiving a medal in Washington, waving goodbye before boarding an aeroplane bouned for Spain (Texas). (Note: to the site creater, I was trying to find out Daniel's full name when I happened upon your web page. Should you ever find out who he is I'd appreciate if you'd let me know.) Don McLean's "American Pie" American Pie By Don McLean (BTW - the person who said t was about the JFK assassination... the ONLY part of the song that McLean will decipher is that theopening is about Buddy Holly and the plane crash.) A long, long time ago I can still remember how that music used to make me smile And I knew if I had my chance That I could make those people dance And maybe they'd be happy for a while. 1 But February made me shiver With every paper I delivered, Bad news on the door step, I couldn't take one more step, 2 I can't remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride 3 But something touched me deep inside, The day, the music, died. 4 So... Refrain: Bye, bye Miss American Pie 5 Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry 6 Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey 'n' rye 7 Singin this will be the day that I die. This will be the day that I die. 8 Did you write the book of love 9 And do you have faith in God above, If the bible tells you so. 10 And do you believe in rock 'n' roll? Can music save your mortal soul? 11 And can you teach me how to dance real slow? Well I know that you're in love with him Cuz I saw you dancin' in the gym. 12 You both kicked off your shoes 13 And I dig those rhythm and blues. 14 I was a lonely teenage bronkin' buck With a pink carnation and a pick up truck 15 But I knew I was out of luck, The day, the music, died. I started singin... Refrain Now for ten years we've been on our own 16 And moss grows fat on a rollin stone 17 But that's not how it used to be, When the jester sang for the king and queen In a coat he borrowed from James Dean 18 And a voice that came from you and me. 19 Oh and while the king was looking down, The jester stole his thorny crown 20 The courtroom was adjourned; No verdict was returned. 21 And while Lennon read a book on Marx, 22 The quartet practiced in the park 23 And we sang dirges in the dark, 24 The day, the music, died. We were singin'... Refrain Helter Skelter in a summer swelter 25 The birds flew off with a fallout shelter, Eight miles high and fallin' fast. 26 It landed foul on the grass. 27 The players tried for a forward pass 28 With the jester on the sidelines in a cast. 29 Now the half-time air was sweet perfume 30 While the sergeants played a marching tune. 31 We all got up to dance Oh but we never got the chance. 32 As the players tried to take the field The marching band refused to yield. Do you recall what was revealed, 33 the day, the music, died? We started singin'... Refrain Oh and there we were all in one place, 34 A generation lost in space With no time left to start again. 35 So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. 36 Jack Flash sat on a candle stick 37 Because fire is the devils only friend.38 Oh and as I watched him on the stage, My hands were clinched in fists of rage, No angel born in hell Could break that Satan's spell. 39 And as the flames climbed high into the night To light the sacrificial rite I saw Satan laughing with delight,40 The day, the music, died. He was singin'... Refrain I met a girl who sang the blues 41 And I asked her for some happy news But she just smiled and turned away. 42 I went down to the sacred store Where I'd heard the music years before But the man there said the music wouldn't play. 43 And in the streets the children screamed, 44 The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed. 45 But not a word was spoken, The church bells all were broken. 46 And the three men I admire most, The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, 47 They caught the last train for the coast, 48 The day, the music, died. And they were singin'... Refrain They were singin'... Bye, bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey 'n' rye Singin' this will be the day that I die. Go to Jerry's Jukebox ________________________________________ Possible Interpretation of Lyrics The following represents a combination of some of the more popular interpretations of the meaning of the "American Pie" lyrics. McClean has remained silent on the meaning, except to say that the song was dedicated to Buddy Holly and that his death is referenced in the first verse. He has left it up to others to figure out what he really meant. 1. The song is about the history of rock and roll music and how it changed after Buddy Holly's death. It is also, however, about McLean's growing up, and his love of the pure rock and roll of the '50s. McLean was a musician. He wanted to make people dance. Most 50's music was meant for dancing and in general upbeat and happy, in contrast to 60's music. Back to Verse 2. McLean was a paperboy on February 3, 1959 when Buddy Holly's plane crashed. He was devastated by the news, since Holly was his idol. Back to Verse 3. Holly's recent bride was pregnant when the crash took place; she had a miscarriage shortly afterward. Back to Verse 4. The same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly also took the lives of Ritchie Valens ("La Bamba") and The Big Bopper ("Chantilly Lace"). Since all three were so prominent at the time, February 3, 1959 became known as "The Day The Music Died." Back to Verse 5. Goodbye to the music of America, the Rock 'n' Roll and dance music of the '50s. It's interesting how McLean has feminized 50's rock music here, the fact that it's a virgin (Miss) form of music that's as American as apple pie. Back to Verse 6. Chevy represents America. The Levee is the bar where McLean and his friends hung out in his hometown of New Rochelle, NY. It closed down. Back to Verse 7. This line is a play on words. Rye is a city in New York near where McLean grew up. When the Levee closed, the "good ol' boys," McLean and his friends, fled to drink in Rye where together they mourned the deaths of the trio. Back to Verse 8. One of Holly's hits was "That'll be the Day"; the chorus contains the line, "That'll be the Day that I Die." Back to Verse 9. "The Book of Love" by the Monotones; hit in 1958. Back to Verse 10. In 1955, Don Cornell did a song entitled "The Bible Tells Me So." This line could also refer to the sense of disparity that maybe God let us down after the assassination of John Kennedy and the general disillusionment of the early '60s. It is also likely that these lines are meant to garnish rock 'n' roll with religious imagery, because most of the early musicians, including Holly, got their start in church choirs or by singing hymns. An old children's hymn called "Jesus Loves Me" has the line "the Bible tells me so" in the lyrics. Back to Verse 11. This is a lament of the decline of the dance music of the '50s. It might also be a reference to The Lovin' Spoonful's hit in 1965 with John Sebastian's "Do You Believe in Magic?" Or, McLean might be questioning the integrity of music and its worth after the plane crash Back to Verse 12. Dancing slow was an important part of early rock and roll dance events -- but declined in importance through the 60's as things like psychedelia and the 10-minute guitar solo gained prominence. Back then, dancing was an expression of love, and carried a connotation of commitment. Dance partners were not so readily exchanged as they would be later. Allegorically, the "him" is probably all the young, handsome teen idols that were common in the late '50s and early '60s. The "you" represents all the teenage girls who swooned over those idols. Back to Verse 13. A reference to a "sock hop," generally held in gymnasiums. Back to Verse 14. McLean is letting us know he prefers the R&B music of the '50's to the sock hop music. Back to Verse 15. "A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)," was a hit for Marty Robbins in 1957. McLean was lonely because his music was out of style. Back to Verse 16. It was roughly 10 years after the death of Buddy Holly that McLean started writing "American Pie." Back to Verse 17. The "rolling stone" is a reference to Bob Dylan, since "Like a Rolling Stone" (1965) was his first major hit; he was busy writing songs extolling the virtues of simple love, family and contentment while staying at home and raking in the royalties. It also is a reference to The Rolling Stones, and a symbolic reversal of the aphorism, "A rolling stone gathers no moss." To McLean, the music of the '60s was gathering moss--growing stale. "That's not how it used to be" refers to the early days of Dylan. Back to Verse 18. The jester is Bob Dylan. The king could refer to Elvis. The Queen is probably the Queen of England, whom Dylan performed for. In the movie "Rebel Without a Cause", James Dean has a red windbreaker that holds symbolic meaning throughout the film. In one particularly intense scene, Dean lends his coat to a guy who is shot and killed; Dean's father arrives, sees the coat on the dead man, thinks it's Dean, and loses it. On the cover of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", Dylan is wearing just such as red windbreaker, and is posed in a street scene similar to one shown in a well-known picture of James Dean. Bob Dylan played a command performance for the Queen and Prince Consort of England. He was not properly attired, so perhaps this is a reference to his apparel. Back to Verse 19. A reference to Dylan's style of music, folk music, from the people (you and me). Back to Verse 20. This could be a reference to Elvis's decline and Dylan's ascendance. (i.e. Presley is looking down from a height as Dylan takes his place.) The thorny crown might be a reference to the price of fame, or another religious metaphor. Back to Verse 21. This could be the trial of the Chicago Seven. It could also refer to the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, which really had no "verdict," and is still open to speculation. Most likely, it is a reference to the fact that there really is no true "king" of rock 'n' roll during this period. For even though Dylan has grabbed (stolen) the mantle of rock's spokesman, the verdict is still out. Back to Verse 22. This is a play on words. Literally, John Lennon reading about Karl Marx; figuratively, the introduction of radical politics into the music of the Beatles. Both Lennon and Lenin (Soviet dictator) believed in Marxist philosophy. Back to Verse 23. Allegorically, this line probably refers to the time when the Beatles were still playing in England and Europe. They were still "practicing" because they had not come to America yet. Back to Verse 24. A "dirge" is a funeral or mourning song, so perhaps this is meant literally, mourning the death of Holly or his music...or, perhaps, this is a reference to some of the new "art rock" groups which played long pieces not meant for dancing. It's likely just a reference to McLean's unhappiness with the way music was going. Back to Verse 25. "Helter Skelter" is a Beatles song which appears on the "White Album." Charles Manson, claiming to have been "inspired" by the song led his followers in the Tate-LaBianca murders. The "summer swelter" might be a reference to the "Summer of Love" or perhaps to the "long hot summer" of Watts. Back to Verse 26. The Byrd's "Eight Miles High" was on their late 1966 release "Fifth Dimension". It was one of the first records to be widely banned because of supposedly drug-oriented lyrics. Back to Verse 27. One of the Byrds was busted for possession of marijuana. Back to Verse 28. The football metaphor could be the Rolling Stones, i.e. they were waiting for an opening which really didn't happen until the Beatles broke up. Or it could refer to attempts of other musicians to come into the limelight while Dylan was laid up. Back to Verse 29. On July 29, 1966, Dylan crashed his Triumph 55 motorcycle while riding near his home in Woodstock, New York. He spent nine months in seclusion while recuperating from the accident. Back to Verse 30. Drugs, or the hidden messages about drugs in some of the songs of the mid-'60s (half-time in the decade). Back to Verse 31. A clear reference to Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Beatles 1967 album that changed rock 'n' roll forever. It was the first theme album, the first to put lyrics on the cover, the first to use synthetic sounds. It had no hit singles, another new concept in album production. It had purported hidden messages, mostly drug messages, allegedly, in songs like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (LSD). McLean liked it (sweet perfume). Back to Verse 32. All the youth got into this album. They didn't get the chance to dance because the Beatles had now pushed rock music away from its dance roots. They used orchestras. They wrote long, slow songs with ponderous rhythms. Or it could also refer to the fact that the Beatles' 1966 Candlestick Park concert lasted only 35 minutes. Back to Verse 33. No one could compete against the Beatles. Some folks think this refers to either the 1968 Democratic Convention or Kent State. What was "revealed" was the dark underlying messages of rock music: the Marxism that was alluded to in the previous verse, the avocation of drug use, the overly self-obsessed quality of the lyrics. Back to Verse 34. The "place" was Woodstock. Back to Verse 35. Perhaps this is a reference to "hippies", who were sometimes known as the "lost generation", partially because of their particularly acute alienation from their parents, and partially because of their presumed preoccupation with drugs. It could also be a reference to the '60s TV show, "Lost in Space," whose title was sometimes used as a synonym for someone who was rather high. Perhaps, their preference for psychedelia had pushed rock and roll so far from Holly's music that it couldn't be retrieved. Back to Verse 36. Probably a reference to Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones; "Jumpin' Jack Flash" was released in May, 1968. Back to Verse 37. The Stones' Candlestick park concert? Candlestick Park was also the venue for the Beatles' final performance--the end of the rock 'n' roll era. Back to Verse 38. It's possible that this is a reference to the Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil". Back to Verse 39. While playing a concert at the Altamont Speedway in 1968, the Stones appointed members of the Hell's Angels to work security (on the advice of the Grateful Dead). In the darkness near the front of the stage, a young man named Meredith Hunter was beaten and stabbed to death -- by the Angels. Public outcry that the song "Sympathy for the Devil" had somehow incited the violence caused the Stones to drop the song from their show for the next six years. This incident is chronicled in the documentary film "Gimme Shelter". It's also possible that McLean views the Stones as being negatively inspired (remember, he had an extensive religious background) by virtue of "Sympathy for the Devil", "Their Satanic Majesties' Request" and so on. Back to Verse 40. This could be a reference to Jimi Hendrix burning his Stratocaster at the Monterey Pop Festival, or simply the bonfires that were lit at the outside concerts. It could be a reference to Jagger dancing and prancing while the murder was happening. Mick Jagger is Satan, the murder provided the sacrifice. Back to Verse 41. Janis Joplin Back to Verse 42. Janis died of an accidental heroin overdose on October 4, 1970. Back to Verse 43. The "sacred store" might be Bill Graham's Fillmore East, one of the great rock and roll venues of all time. Alternatively, this refers to record stores, and their longtime (then discontinued) practice of allowing customers to preview records in the store. It could also refer to record stores as "sacred" because this is where one goes to get "saved". (See above lyric "Can music save your mortal soul?") The music "wouldn't play" means that nobody is interested in hearing Buddy Holly et.al.'s music anymore. Or, as above, the discontinuation of the in-store listening boot Rolling Stones's "Angie" Angie was the wife of David Bowie, with whom Mick Jagger was having an affair...well, I think affairs with Bowie AND the wife. Cher's "Dark Lady" Another 'somebody done somebody wrong song' featuring a newlywed couple who goes to see a mysterious gypsy fortune teller. When the "dark lady" predicts stormy weather for their marriage, the married woman (Cher) becomes suspicious. She discovers her husband and the gypsy woman in bed together. As soon as the man dumps his wife, she buys a guns and kills both the cheating husband and the gypsy lover. At the end, the murderess carries no remorse. Jackson Browne's "Rosie" Another great song about masturbation, it describes the band's sound mixer falling in love with a girl he meets at a concert. But the girl ditches him for the drummer, and the unhappy sound mixer goes home alone. But he still has Rosie (Rosie Palm, that is.) "But Rosie, you're alright, you wear my ring. When you hold me tight, Rosie that's my thing. When you turn out the light, I got to hand it to me. Looks like it's me and you again tonight, Rosie." Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" Appearing simple at the first glance (a song about a boy who kills a man, the emotional pain that he endures as he faces the consequences, following the operatic section where his fate appears to be decided, and finally the rebelliousness against his fate, before resigning himself to it), Bohemian Rhapsody is a painstrucking, emotional (and very likely an autobiographical) song about searching for identity and being misunderstood as an artist or not accepted as a human being with personal, seemingly unconventional views on life - hence the title 'Bohemian' Rhapsody, as the primary meaning of 'bohemian' is 'artist' - both in literal and metaphorical sense. Bohemian Rhapsody sweeps form sweetly harmonised confusion through melodramatic upheavals as fleeing death, horror, persecution, betrayal, to a final acceptance of all doubts and fears, resigned but sorted. Mercury made the song capable of thousands of interpretations and thus universal. Daria Kokozej www.mercury-and-queen.com The Eagles's "Hotel California" Are you guys smoking something? Hotel California was written with PARTICULAR emphasis with herion and cocaine in mind.... (silver spoon anyone). The fact that your dad thinks that Hotel California is about a love story.....dear god people Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" As Dylan says, the song meaning comes only from how the listener/reader sees it. Personally, I believe it's talking about the higher in society that a person gets, the harder they fall. Also, it's about our general human characteristic of looking down on others who we consider below us, and how quickly we can find ourselves to be just like them. Steely Dan's's "'Kid Charlemagne'" As I understand it, the "gas in the car" lyric is related to the "LA on a dare and you go it alone" lyric in the sense that they both refer to car travels outside of San Francisco to sell LSD in LA. On one such occasion, Owsley is rumored to have run out of gas while in pursuit by the law. Similarly, the "people down the hall know who you are" refers to neighbors who have figured out that their neighbor is the acid kingpin publicly known as Kid Chalemagne. I won't ruin it for you as the rest of the puzzle should fall into place nicely now. Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" As a DEVOTED Simon and Garfunkel fan I must right your wrong and tell you what the REAL meaning behind the "silvergirl" lyric is! I've seen countless interviews w/Paul Simon and he explains it as follows: "My girlfriend at the time was particularly saddened upon finding a few grey hairs in her brush, lamenting that she was getting older. I wrote that lyric as a tribute and inside joke to her. I don't know how the heroin connection rumor got started. The song is basically about friendship." Also, Mother and Child Reunion-the title was taken from a dish Paul Simon had in chinese restaraunt of chicken and eggs (Mother and Child Reunion.) And the song of "I can't for the life of me remember a sadder day." was inspired by the death of his dog. Abba's "Dancing Queen" As a little sister of a HUGE Abba Fan & a Swede herself, I have to add that Abba's "Dancing Queen" was also performed by Abba to the King of Sweden and his new bride, Queen Sylvia. I believe it was played at their wedding reception, but I'm not 100% certain; but anyway I think the song has a double meaning - for the groovy 70s chick, and also for the royal couple. John Lennon's "Imagine" As a person with a PhD in music history I just wanted to point out that I really enjoyed the communist idea in the lyrics. If you think the song is simply approaching the idea of imagination than you are only generating obvious and simple observations but approaching through an interpretation such as communism reveals a great deal of discussion as well as in depth knowledge of the cultural and political issues arising in the time period! Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" As the title cut from the album, "Wish You Were Here" sets the tone for the entire album. As tensions were running high between members Roger Watters and David Gilmour, both members felt the entire album was missing something. This fact is illustrated by the various album covers, each which left out one the elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Because of all the in-fighting, Watters has been known to remark that the name of both the song and album could have been "Wish We Were Here". So, what is the missing element depicted in the song? Many say the missing ingredient is the actual founder of Pink Floyd Syd Barrett. The point is made even clearer on others cuts off the album such as "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", parts one and two. Jimi Hendrix Experience's "The Wind Cries Mary" At the time Jimi wrote the song he had had a huge fight with his girlfriend. When it says "Somewhere a queen is weeping, somehwere a king has no wife." he means his girlfriend is crying and he is loveless. Also, he talkes about clownes and jack-in- the boxes that have gone away, which means there is no more happiness. The Eagles's "Doolin Dalton" Bill Dalton was a train robber in the 1880's Along with his gang of brothers; Bill, Bob, and Emmett. When the song quotes "Two brothers lying dead in coffeeville" its talking about the time in 1884 when the dalton gang robbed the condon bank in their hometown of coffyville and the law men were waiting for them as they walked out. Bob, and Emmit Dalton were killed, but Bill escaped to later on join the doolin gang hjints Doolin' Dalton. Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" Billie Jean is a very disputed song. The true meaning of the lyrics are best told by Jackson himself, from an interview for VH1 a while back. The question was, "Does the real Billie Jean know about the song and if she did what was her reaction?" and Jackson replied, "There is a girl named Billie Jean, but it's not about that Billie Jean. Billie Jean is kinda anonymous. It represents a lot of girls who used to - they used to call them groupies in the '60s - they would hang around backstage doors and any band that would come to town they would have a relationship with. And I think I wrote this out of experience with my brothers when I was little. There were a lot of Billie Jeans out there. Every girl claimed that their son was related to my brothers." Kiss's "Black Diamond" Black diamond was actually written by Paul Stanley,the lead singer. It was inspired by The Rolling Stones' Brown Sugar, which is a song about and african american prostitute. so Paul stanley wanted to write his own version. ps. Angus young was not a member of kiss, he is the AC/DC's lead guitarrist, "jailbreak" is also a acdc album, and a Thin Lizzy's as well. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" Bohemian Rhapsody is about a boy (most likely a teenager) who shoots a man in the head. The boy is sentenced to death. While he's on death row, he wishes that he was never born. He begs his mother to try and get him out ("Mama mia mama mia let me go"). There's also apparently other people who want him released as well, but there are others who want him dead ("Let him go, Don't let him go, Let him go, Don't let him go"). The word "Bismillah" appears before the aforementioned lines. In fact, it appears a few more times shortly after that. Bismillah is used in Islamic prayer. Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim means "In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful". Bismillah appears at the beginning of every chapter of the Holy Qur'an (excluding the ninth chapter). This would all suggest that religion has something to do with the decision to let the boy live or not. On that same subject, the boy feels that he's going to Hell when he dies ("Beezlebub has a devil put aside for me") Eventually, it appears that the boy is to be executed anyway. He feels his mother has betrayed him by not getting him out ("So you think you can love me and leave me to die?") In the end, the boy feels that it doesn't matter anymore. He has apparently excepted his coming death. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" Bohemian Rhapsody is an extremely well written, and beautifully composed song which is NOT about AIDS for two reasons: number one- because as someone already stated BoRhap was released in '75 and AIDS didn't gain it's notorioty until '81 and number two- Freddie, if he had contracted the disease prior, or during the develpoment of this song, would most likely not have known about the disease. and the biggest point i want to make is the fact that Freddie (RIP) specifically told virtually anyone who asked that the song had no "hidden meaning" or "underlying message" or "story behind it". so honestly, anyone can say it's about whatever they want, but the real truth is that no one in this world knows or ever will know if it does in fact have a "hidden meaning". if anything, we should just simply take Freddie's word and stop trying to "interpret" it and just enjoy it. that's what it's there for, enjoyment. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" Bohemian Rhapsody was written, recorded, and released in the mid 70s, well before AIDS spread beyond Africa so it's not about anybody infecting somebody. I've read that Freddy Mercury simply wanted to write an operatic rock song, and that a lot of the references (such as Visballah, or however it's spelled) are just allusions to literature. Van Morrison's "Brown-eyed Girl" Brown-eyed girl was orginally titled Brown-skinned Girl. V.M. had to change it due to institutional racism. Don McLean's "American Pie" Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, The Byrds, The Beatles' Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.... that's all you need to know. Funny that a song that celebrates the music of the 50s and pretty much disses the 60s and 70s makes so many "best of the seventies" lists. America's "Horse With No Name" C'mon guys, the song doesn't even begin to describe doing heroin. Sometimes it's just better if you take the song at face value. Listen to the music, and the lyrics and if that doesn't describe a very human reaction to austerity that both the desert and the ocean represent to the human psyche, then what is it? Eagles's "Hotel California" The California Rehabilitation Colony (CRC) in Norco originally was a luxury hotel that was converted to a military base in WWII. After the war it was acquired as California's narcotics rehabilitation prison. Addicts can check in voluntarily, but discharge is determined by their progress. Blind spots are monitored by mirrors on the ceilings. The guard captain prevents prison-brewed wine 'pruno' from being used. Many, many other parallels in the lyrics. Billy Joel's "Captain Jack" Captain jack was slang for heroin. "just a little PUSH and you'll be smiling" its obvious Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" has been one of the most mysterious songs of the 70's. To date, Carly has never revealed the identity of the vainee. The names that have been tossed around are, Warren Beatty, Mick Jagger, Kris Kristofferson and of coarse former husband James Taylor. In a 1973 interview with "Rolling Stone", Simon said the song was definitely not about James Taylor. Carly has always voided the idea that "You're So Vain" was written about a specific person. Carly said that she had about three or four people in mind, and specifically thought about a couple of people when she wrote it, but the examples of what they did was a fantasy trip. Will we ever know who "You're So Vain" was writtn about? James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" Claim: The lyrics of "Fire and Rain" chronicle James Taylor's reaction to the death of his girlfriend in a plane crash. Status: False. Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2000] The real story behind 'Fire and Rain,' as I understand it, is that some friends of James were going to surprise James by bringing his girlfriend, Suzanne, to one of his concerts -- unbeknownst to James. According to the story, Suzanne's plane crashed ('sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground') on her way to see the concert and Suzanne dies ('Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you'). Origins: Gentle, plaintive, and compelling, "Fire and Rain" was the hit that launched the career of James Taylor, one of the 1970's premier singer-songwriters. The song's mournful lyrics of loss and redemption were enigmatic, and many listeners tried to make sense of the words by reading literal meaning into them. Just yesterday morning, they let me know you were gone. Suzanne, the plans they made put an end to you. I walked out this mornin', and I wrote down this song; I just can't remember who to send it to. I've seen fire, and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end. I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, But I always thought that I'd see you again. Won't you look down upon me Jesus? You gotta help me make a stand. You just got to see me through another day. My body's achin', and my time is at hand. I won't make it any other way. [repeat chorus] Been walkin' my mind to an easy time, My back turned towards the sun. Lord knows when the cold wind blows, it'll turn your head around. Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come: Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground. [repeat chorus] Taylor's audience collectively developed an autobiographical story line for his "Fire and Rain" lyrics: Suzanne, the girl who was now "gone," had been Taylor's girlfriend. They were frequently separated as he travelled on tour, but they kept in close touch, spending "hours of time on the telephone line" and talking about the good "things to come" when Taylor finally established himself as a musician. Seeing how disconsolate Taylor was at being away from his love, his friends arranged for Suzanne to fly out to meet him at his next tour stop. Suzanne joyfully accepted, but the flight carrying her to a reunion with her beloved crashed, and she was killed. Both the "flying machine" and Taylor's "sweet dreams" were now "in pieces on the ground," and he had lost the woman he "always thought" he'd "see again." Although James Taylor's song is indeed autobiographical, it doesn't match the heart-wrenching story line of popular legend. By the time "Fire and Rain" established Taylor as an international pop star at the tender age of twenty-two, he'd experienced plenty of psychological and physical pain upon which he could draw in crafting his lyrics. He already had a long history of depression and substance abuse for which he'd been hospitalized twice (his first hospital experience was the basis of the song 'Knockin' Around the Zoo' on his Apple debut album), and he'd also spent several months recuperating from a near-fatal motorcycle accident. All of this was fodder for his songwriting, as he explained in a 1972 interview with Rolling Stone: "Fire and Rain" has three verses. The first verse is about my reactions to the death of a friend. The second verse is about my arrival in this country with a monkey on my back, and there Jesus is an expression of my desperation in trying to get through the time when my body was aching and the time was at hand when I had to do it . . . And the third verse of that song refers to my recuperation in Austin Riggs which lasted about five months. Taylor hasn't spoken publicly about the identity of or the nature of his relationship with the 'Suzanne' referred to in the first verse of the song. In his recent James Taylor biography, Ian Halperin writes: Privately, however, Taylor has admitted to friends that Suzanne was a girl he met when he was in the Austin Riggs mental hospital. They became close friends because they shared many interests and goals . . . He was deeply saddened when he found out Suzanne committed suicide several months after he left the hospital. At first, Taylor didn't find out about Suzanne's death for several weeks, because his friends were afraid that that if they told him he might do a lot of drugs or something drastic to escape the reality of his friend's death. So they waited until he was finished recording before to break the news to him. Even if Taylor's friends are right about how Taylor met 'Suzanne,' they're still wrong about when he met her. Taylor entered Austin Riggs psychiatric hospital in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, a few months after his October 1968 return to the United States from England, where he had recorded his debut album for the Beatles' Apple lable. Yet the liner notes from the CD re-issue of that album indicate that among the unreleased tracks recorded by Taylor was an early version of "Fire and Rain," which means the song clearly antedates his stay at Austin Riggs. If 'Suzanne' was an acquaintance from one of Taylor's hospital stays, it had to have been from his 1965 stay at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, when he was seventeen. The mention of the "flying machines in pieces on the ground" is not about an airplane crash; it's an allusion to a group called The Flying Machine that Taylor had formed with his friend Danny Kortchmar. The group disbanded in 1967 when Taylor's drug problems led him to leave New York and return to his parents' home in North Carolina. Last updated: 17 December 2000 The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/firerain.htm Please use this URL in all links or references to this page Click here to e-mail this page to a friend Urban Legends Reference Pages ? 1995-2000 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sources: Halperin, Ian. Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story. New York: Citadel Press, 2000. ISBN 1-55972-533-8 (pp. 93-97). Werbin, Stuart. "The Rolling Stone Interview: James Taylor and Carly Simon." Rolling Stone. 4 January 1973. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phil Collins 's "In the Air Tonight" Collins saw a man drowning yet was too far away to do anything, but the man closest, could have saved but didn't do anything. Phil was outraged at the fact the man was not even making an attemp to help his friend who was struggling. "I was there and I saw what you did saw it with my own two eyes" Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" "Comfortably Numb" tells a part of the story of Pink, the album's protagonist. Pink, feeling completely isolated from society, cannot stand the pressures of life as a rock star and collapses in his hotel room before leaving for his concert. A doctor is sent into the room and gives Pink an injection that gives him the energy he needs to perform. The lyrics are written as a conversation, with Waters voicing the doctor and Gilmour voicing Pink. The Undertones's "Teenage Kicks" Correction to the previous post. The lyric is actually "I wanna hold HER, wanna hold HER tight..". It's not about masturbation, but simply about being a teen and not having the guts to ask a girl out you really wanna be with. ABBA's "Dancing Queen" Dancing Queen is about a girl in the disco scene who loves sex and is seeking out men. "You come in to look for a King/Anybody could be that guy." She's out everynight looking for a different man. She's also spreading something to the men she sleeps with, "You're a teaser, you turn 'em on/Leave them burning and then your gone." The Dancing Queen sleeps with the man, passes on an STD and then leaves. While it sounds like a pleasant song, and it has an awesome beat...its really about being a slut in the Disco Clubs. ABBA's "Dancing Queen" The Dancing Queen is about a girl who absolutely loves disco. When she goes to a disco club, the music fills her, and she becomes the dancing queen. Anyone can be her guy, the night is young and the music is high, she's getting in the groove, she's in the mood for dance. And when she gets the chance, she is the dancing queen, young and sweet only seventeen. And Stephanie is also seventeen. Therefore, Stephanie is the Dancing Queen. Deep Purple's "Child In Time" Dear People, I am so surprised to see one of the most obvious songs not on this page. In 1972, Deep Purple came up with the beautiful psychedelic ballad named "Child in Time". It refers to a horrific moment, when the singers daughter was shot by some blind lunatic in the street ("See the blind man shooting at the world, bullets flying taking toll.") During this song, his voice covers almost every frequency, and - to be honest - I tried imitating him, and my throat hurt real bad! I think this song was his way to deal with the situation. Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" Definitely about hallucinogenic drugs. The lyrics--go ask Alice, when she's 10 feet tall. They even mention one pill making you larger and one pill making you small. Classic! Fleetwood Mac's "Sara" Don Henley has said that he believes this is about an abortion of Stevie Nick's child, whom she named Sara, after he got her pregnant. They dated for about 2 years, and Henley thinks it is a tribute to the unborn child. He claims he was building a house at the time, and the line, "When you build your house, call me home" is a message to him. Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" Fat Bottomed Girls, written by Brian May, was, as the author himself put it, a way to have fun with writing, and pull away from his serious side. It was just meant to be a silly song. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" Fire and Rain has nothing to do with someone dieing in a plane crash. It's about herion and depression. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" Fire and Rain was accually not about a plane crash in which his girlfriend died in, its not even about a plane crash. When he was in the mental hospital he met a girl named Susan and they began dating. He was later released from the hospital suddenly and did not get a chance to say goodbye to her and she assumed that he had deserted her and killed herself. Thats what the line "Susan the plans they made put an end to you"means, the plans of letting him out but not letting her know where he was. His friends did not want to upset him while on tour so they opted not to tell him until he was done touring for the year, thus "Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone" The part of the the song about the "plane crash" is accually about his former band that failed. It was called FLying machine Coven's "One Tin Soldier" First I would like to describe the only irony I see in this song. Coven since the 1600's (look up coven on wikipedia)has described a sect of witches that meet (usually 13 witches). The word eventualy gave rise to the english word "convene" which means to gather. However since this song was written in the 70's, the modern translation of the word "coven" is directly related to witch craft and wicca. When I read the lyrics to this song I see a battle between good and evil. Let me begin: "The Mountain" - The last line of this song states the phrase "peace on earth", which is most well known as the song the angels sung to herald Christ's birth. I believe the mountain could most likely represent heaven, or more likely, Christians, (of the true kind) since the song also spoke about the "people of the mountain". (people is the active word) "The Valley Folk" - I believe the valley folk could be the general population of the world, enticed by thoughts and rumors of treasure, mankind would do anything to have this useless yet primarilly rich element. The valley people represents mankind and the demons that surround them. "The Treasure" - "Peace on earth" was the treasure in this song, and peace can only be accomplised by loving one another. Only when you care for eachother as if you cared for yourself would this world be a peaceful place, which is why I say if anyone alive is waiting to see a peaceful earth, you may as well kill yourself, or realize the truth about life. Now I will narrate the song in a scence. The valley people heard a rumor about tons of treasure that the mountain people were "hoarding" for themselves, and because of their jealousy they decided to ask for the treasure to be given to them under penalty of death. The mountain people replied to them, "With our brothers we will share all the secrets of our mountain and all the riches buried there." But the valley people were stupid (like God said the men of the earth would be) and did not understand the meaning of the letter. (The valley folk were their brothers, if they chose to be) The valley people armed themselves and whent up the mountain to slay the people living there (those who live in God's glory are the mountain dwellers) when they found the rock that rumored to house the tons of gold that would make them rich, they found nothing, except a small inscription that read "peace on earth" The greedy valley people had destroyed the treasure before they even got to see it. The treasure was the peace that the valley people enjoyed with the mountain people and the mountain peoples brothers were indeed the valley people. The chorus of the song seems to explain the mentality of the valley people which directly reflects on the greater majority of man. hate your neighbor, cheat a friend, that you can justify all these thigs in the end. It seems that the valley people, like most of mankind, just doesnt beleive a judgment day will ever come, and that their actions will hold for them no consequence at all. Judgement day will be a terrifying day indeed for most men, as the bible says, "there will be much gnashing of teeth" For those still wondering, the truth about life is that we arent flukes of science, and that we were most definitly created to operate the way we do (if you cant understand that, we have a problem email me at [email protected])the purpose, and meaning of life is to endure the stupor of the world while seeking the glory of God. its not hard to understand, but it is very hard to successfully do. people are lazy, and that is why we do not have peace on earth today, because very few people are willing to put the effort into love, forgiveness and Christ. If you read all of this, you have too much time on your hands for one, and two, go buy yourself a Bible, and start reading. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" Freddie Mercury wrote this song just to make an operatic song. He simply plucked out some notes on the piano, wrote them down, wrote some words to it, and added the operas. In truth, it was expected to be a great failure. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" From http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/firerain.htm: [James Taylor] explained in a 1972 interview with Rolling Stone: "Fire and Rain" has three verses. The first verse is about my reactions to the death of a friend. The second verse is about my arrival in this country with a monkey on my back, and there Jesus is an expression of my desperation in trying to get through the time when my body was aching and the time was at hand when I had to do it . . . And the third verse of that song refers to my recuperation in Austin Riggs which lasted about five months. Taylor hasn't spoken publicly about the identity of or the nature of his relationship with the 'Suzanne' referred to in the first verse of the song. In his recent James Taylor biography, Ian Halperin writes: Privately, however, Taylor has admitted to friends that Suzanne was a girl he met when he was in the Austin Riggs mental hospital. They became close friends because they shared many interests and goals . . . He was deeply saddened when he found out Suzanne committed suicide several months after he left the hospital. At first, Taylor didn't find out about Suzanne's death for several weeks, because his friends were afraid that that if they told him he might do a lot of drugs or something drastic to escape the reality of his friend's death. So they waited until he was finished recording before to break the news to him. Even if Taylor's friends are right about how Taylor met 'Suzanne,' they're still wrong about when he met her. Taylor entered Austin Riggs psychiatric hospital in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, a few months after his October 1968 return to the United States from England, where he had recorded his debut album for the Beatles' Apple label. Yet the liner notes from the CD re-issue of that album indicate that among the unreleased tracks recorded by Taylor was an early version of "Fire and Rain," which means the song clearly antedates his stay at Austin Riggs. If 'Suzanne' was an acquaintance from one of Taylor's hospital stays, it had to have been from his 1965 stay at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, when he was seventeen. The mention of the "flying machines in pieces on the ground" is not about an airplane crash; it's an allusion to a group called The Flying Machine that Taylor had formed with his friend Danny Kortchmar. The group disbanded in 1967 when Taylor's drug problems led him to leave New York and return to his parents' home in North Carolina Madtown Boyz's "The Gator Chomp" The Gator Chomp is about a young boy who can not stop this crazy girl from calling him. So he has to do drugs to ease the pain that the girl inflicts upon him! The Eagles's "Hotel California" Guys this song is about getting high and deaqling with withdrawals...plain and simple Billy Joel's "Captain Jack" Hate to burst the drug bubbles...or at least in the context of the song. Billy grew up on Long Island (NY). There used to be a "fishing" rowboat rental place (Capt. Jacks) on the south shore and little islands to row out and party till morning...these were days. Queen's "'39" Here's one I didn't see discussed: '39 by Queen. Rich with musical complexity, it is an acoustic folk-rock song about a group of space travelers who take a voyage to explore and perhaps colonize a new world and, due to time dilation, find a more aged Earth upon their return. It was written and sung by Brian May, who received a degree in physics and was working on an advanced degree in astronomy at the time he composed the song. The volunteers leave in a starship in one year of '39 and return from the blue (sky) in another year of '39 ... the kicker being that it is a century (or more?) later! This is significant for the protagonist, who arrives home to a world which is some multiple of 100 years older, but because of the slowing of time for a traveler at near-light speeds, he has only aged one year, as though it is for him still perhaps the original year of '39 ("oh so many years have gone though I'm older but a year"). His loved ones have passed away, causing his heart and the hearts of the other volunteers to "so heavily weigh ... for the Earth is old and grey," but he can see the resemblance of a woman (surely a love from the world of so long ago - perhaps his wife) in the eyes of her younger relative. In this light, the line "your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me" is quite poignant. He comes home to find his love long dead but imagines her calling to him as he looks into the eyes of her descendant, and the love this rekindles in him can no longer be. We are asked to pity him for his life that is still ahead. Rolling Stones's "Paint It Black" His girlfriend/wife/lover dies and he is watching the funeral from afar, because in his grief, he cannot attend it. he wants to see the entire world painted black and in the end contemplates suicide. cheerful song for the masses. :-) Gennesis's "Home By The Sea" Home By The Sea is a huanting piece of music with lyrics that take on the view of someone that has died and is stuck in this house. The house seems to hold many that have passed on. They are able to move around, touch things, even pick them up, but something doesn't feel quite right. Always loved the images that come to mind when I hear these lyrics. "Help me someone, let me out of here then out of the dark we suddenly heard welcome to the Home by the Sea" "shadows with no substance, in the shape of men round and down and sideways they go" The Eagles's "Hotel California" The Hotel California = The Beverly Hills Hotel. Eg: John Belushi OD'd while staying at a BHH bungalo. Janis Joplin OD'd after leaving the BHH. The names of the nearly and/or dearly departed go on..ad infinitum. Check in..no check out. Alotta rockers rock-ed. On gurney wheels they roll-ed. Eagles's "Hotel California" The Hotel California is a drug fee community where hopeless drug addicts would check in indefinitely. You Can check in but never leave. The beast within is the addiction. Some would dance to remember what it was like to be on the outside well other would dance to forget. We haven't had wine here since this place became a drug & alcohol free community in 1969. Would it be heaven or hell to have to live like this? The Eagles's "Hotel California" Hotel California is about the old Camarillo State Hospital. It's where all the old time jazzers and silent screen folk would go to dry out or kick heroin. Charlie Parker also has a famous song about it. Technically, you COULD never leave, as it was a mental hospital/rehab facility. Eagles's "Hotel California" Hotel California is purgatory and the song is about the goings on there. "you can check in but can never leave". The recent Soprano's episode has the song playing in the background when Tony is in a coma and stuck in purgatory. FLEETWOOD MAC's "Rhiannon" I READ A LETTER BY STEVIE NICKS, SHE SAID RHIANNON WAS A TERMINALLY ILL LITTLE GIRL WHO HAD TOUCHED HER HEART BEING SO BRAVE FACING HER DESTINY. THIS LETTER WAS POSTED AT THE N.Y.N.Y. HARD ROCK WHEN HER SIGNATURE SHIRT WAS BEING SOLD. Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" I always think this song is about the experiance of being sunk in the very deepest miasma of depression.Also referring to others descriptions: "Pink" is not a character, nor is it JUST the name of their band. They ferived their name frome too jazz greats, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Basically the whole song is about a man receeding further into himself as he gets more and more depressed. It is not about an illness, as it says in the chorus: There is no pain, you are receeding. The person mentioned in the song is alienated from everyone (is there anybody home, a distant ship's smoke on the horizon, only coming through in waves etc), including himself (this is not how i am, i have become comfortably numb)..... Im pretty sure what the song's about, its either about being depressed, or some depressed guy.girl has taken painkillers or sleeping pill to numb him/herself from the pain and the world outside. Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" I always thought this song was about vietnam veterans and how they seemed distant and "somewhere else" when they returned from war. After witnessing a war such as vietnam, perception is changed and that's where the lyric "do you think you can tell.." and "cold comfort for change" ect comes from. Also, the "wish you were here" implied that the vetran was physically there, but not mentally or emotionally. "two lost souls" and "the same old fears" also imply the emptiness within the retired soldier ect. What do ya think? James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" I believe I've read that each stanza in "Fire and Rain" is about a different topic. The woman he sings of was indeed with him at McLean Psychiatric Hospital in Belmont, MA, and she killed herself. The reference to "flying machines in pieces on the ground" is a reference to his original band--they were known as "James Tayor and the Original Flying Machine." But the the band and the dreams of success that went with it broke apart, "in pieces on the ground." Bread's "Everything I Own" I believe many people like myself thought this song was boyfriend-girlfriend love song. It wasn't until years later that I read that David Gates wrote and recorded this song in memory of his father. Listening to the words of this song give it a whole new meaning when you put yourself in David Gate's place and think of your loved ones that have passed on. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" I believe that the song Fire and Rain is about his significant other whose name is Susanne, who died in a plane crash, and James Taylor wrote down how he is suffering from his loss and is looking for guidance. James Taylor is one of the best musicians to bless the earth. Don McLean's "American Pie" I believe this old song is describing a "Dark Age" for the United States. The day the music died means the day John F. Kennedy was shot and "I can’t remember if I cried When I read about his widowed bride, But something touched me deep inside The day the music died" is Jacky Kennedy. Also the verse where he talks about the Jester and the King represents the US defeat in Vietnam and the courtroom is the United Nations. "Oh, and while the king was looking down, The jester stole his thorny crown. The courtroom was adjourned; No verdict was returned". "And while Lenin read a book of Marx (communist manifesto), The quartet practiced in the park, And we sang dirges in the dark. the day the music died." This is showing the communist influence in Vietnam and pretty much all over the world. Also one last thing when he says the good old boys are saying this is the day that I die, is representing the young GI soldiers drafted into Vietnam Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" I don't know which idiot wrote the comment about Like A Rolling Stone, but he/she should keep their comments to things they understand. The song is about the changing of America through the troubled times of the 60's and 70's. It's about the loss of innocence and the fall from grace that accompanied Vietnam and the Civil Rights Movement. About BD's generation waking up and smelling the coffee..... a little to late. Simon And Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" I don't know why it was so difficult to understand the song. I have no idea how the drugs got in there, but it is more of friendship. S&G are trying to say to their friend I will be your bridge over trouble water. The point is that you can't cross a very rapid water without a bridge. " When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all; I'm on your side. When times get rough And friends just can't be found, Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down." He's saying I'm there for you when you need me. I'll be your bridge over trouble water. Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London" I dont' find much meaning in it. I just think it is a great karaoke song for howling. You could argue that it is about stylish werewolves stalking and dancing around London. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" I doubt the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody were written with AIDS in mind. Bohemian Rhapsody was written at least 6 years before any type of AIDS related deaths occured. The Queen album "A Night at the Opera" (in which Bohemian Rhapsody appeared) was released in 1975, while AIDS was first recognized in 1981. Simon and Garfunkle's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" I enjoyed the other people's interpretation of the lyrics, including Paul Simon's, but the beauty of poetry is that we can all have our personal interpretation, even if it differs from the author's. I feel that the softly sung early verses seem to be that of a father speaking to his baby / daughter, showing that no matter what trials and tribulations she will go through, he will always be there for her. Sail on Silvergirl, which seems to be sung with more vigour, gives me the impression that he is sadly, yet gladly, releasing her to the world ( college, independence, etc.) for her to achieve her independence; yet no matter what happens, he will no longer control her directtly, but always be there for her. (I will ease your mind) Hot Chocolate's "Everyone's A Winner" I feel most people think that this song is about each and every person being special and unique in their own way, particularly the way he's singing about his lover in the song. I think he's singing about every orgasm that he gets and how his lover satisfies him each time they have an intimate encounter. "Every one's a winner baby, that's the truth. (that's the truth) "Makin' love to you is such a thrill." "Every one's a winner baby, that's no lie" (that's no lie) "you Never fail to satisfy" (satisfyyyyy) The Eagles's "Hotel California" I feel this song is about a drug overdose death. First he sees the light,"Up ahead in the distance, I saw shimmering light" "Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way" He sees the devil. "in the master's chambers, They gathered for the feast" His life flashes before him, he ultimately winds up in Hell. 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device' "You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave!' Don McLean's "American Pie" I had a professor who saw Don McLean in concert in the late 70s. According to my professor, McLean made the following comment. "A lot of people have asked me what this next song is all about, what it means. It means I don't have to work anymore." He then started singing American Pie. As DH Lawrence said, "Never trust the teller; trust the tale.” Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight" I had heard the popular explanation about the friend drowning and Phil tracking the non-helpful witness years later and seating him front and center at the concert. Later, I heard the more plausible explanation that it was Phil's bitter ode to his ex-wife. Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water" I hate to destroy the power of this song, but the line "Like a bridge over troubled water/ I will lay me down" and the subject matter for the first two choruses are taken from a poster that Simon saw where a black couple were standing together and the man said to the girl "like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down". He built the rest of the song on this premise. So it is not spiritual in the least and was going to be even more boring. Paul wanted just himself and a piano to perform it, but Garfunkel protested and made him throw in the extra lines and add his voice and the orchestra. James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" I hate to tell you this (no I don`t - if I did I wouldn`t!) but you`ve slightly missed the point: Fire and Rain was written while James Taylor was undergoing treatment for his own addiction but it`s really about how he heard that an old girlfriend of his (Suzanne) had died as a result of her addiction - hence the refrain 'I`ve seen fire and I`ve seen rain..... but I always thought I`d see you again.' ! I actually found this site `cos I`ve intended for years to find out a bit more about the 'Funky Claude' in Deep Purple`s Smoke on the Water - thanks for the extra info, I`m off to websites about the Montreaux Jazz Festival to see what else I can find....... Simon And Garfunkle's "Mrs. Robinson" I have always heard that this song is aout a teacher who has a realtionship with on e of her students, and even though she has sinned, heaven still holds a place for her. Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" I have heard a hundred different things that people think this song is about. It doesn't really matter who wrote it or what it was written for because niether of those effect the meaning of the song very much. The inspiration effects the meaning. And the inspiration for this song was some type of opiate. Whether it was morphine or heroin, I don't know but it was some kind of injected opiate. Try some one day and listen to this song, it will be hard to disagree. This song is entirely too "fitting" with that feeling to be about anything else. Or just look at some of the lyrics: I can ease your pain, there is no pain you are receding, ...two ballons now I've got that feeling once again (the strange bodily feeling, not a happy childhood memory), just a little pin prick, you may feel a little sick, and the major one... I have become comfortably numb. I really want to say its more about morphine than heroin because of "we need some information first, just the basic facts, can you show me where it hurts" doctors don't give out heroin. Some of the lyrics show that the writer feels confused: you are only coming through in waves, your lips move but I cant hear what youre saying, when I was a child....I cannot put my finger on it now. Morphine/Heroin will make you confused. Of course if a person hasn't experienced the feeling of this drug firsthand they might think this song is about something else and I dont recommend anyone go out and shoot up so just trust me. It's definitely not about racism. Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" I have read the other entries made about this song and i understand that it is easy to percieve it as talking about war,drugs and people dying as i used to think that myself but trust me,i've read a lot of stuff by Water's on this song, and it is not. Yes, there are refrences to Syd Barrett in there and yes the whole album is about people being vague and not there mentally and phisically(mainly due to the affect that the music industry has had on them)but the main theme running through the song is a schizophrenic one written by Waters about himself. If you break the song down every sentance has a positive claim exchanged for a negative claim.I.E Heaven,blue skies,green field,smile,hero's,trees,cool breeze,change,walk on part in the war. - The negative side reads hell,pain,cold steel rail,a veil,ghosts,hot ashes,hot air,cold comfort,lead role in a cage.(This is why it is a schizophrenic song). The whole song has a metaphor meaning, it is one side of Waters character crying out to the other side. One side of his personality has a selfish,uncaring and thoughtless persona where as the other has a caring,generous and giving side (Waters explains in many books that this is how the music industry had made him feel at the time) In the line 'did THEY get you to trade', the THEY he is referring too is the music industry. The've made him trade all his good points for his bad points. As the chorus enters we see that it is his bad side singing to his good side 'how i wish ,how i wish you were here.' The lines 'we're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year is both his persona swimming around in his body. Then the lines are followed by 'running over the same old ground,what have we found,the same old fears,wish you were here' This is waters stating that he wishes his good side would always prevail over his bad side but over the years this has not been the case thus finishing off the whole song 'wish you were here'. Very deep stuff I know but it's accurate. Anyone that is really intersted in the Floyd's music and lyrics should read - Which one's Pink by Phil Rose, The Pink Floyd encyclopedia by Vernon Fitch and Echoes the stories behind every Pink Floyd song by Cliff Jones. They make great reading for the Floyd fanatic. Sorry to dissapoint anyone's theory as i was pretty dissapointed myself when i first read about it, i used to think it was a cry for his father ( Eric Fletcher Waters ) who died on the beaches at Anzio in World War 2. Simon and Garfunkle's "Mrs. Robinson" I heard it was about a retired teacher who had an affair with her student. She is now being put in an institution for drug dealing, retired, mentally insane tramps. Thats what my dad said. Eagles's "Hotel California" I heard somewhere that this song was about a gambling addiction. But I think it's really how you percive the song and what you think you think it means. If we keep on over analising these legendary songs we really end up missing the point altogether. They are meant to be enjoyed and that's what i am going to keep on doing no matter what other people try to tell me what they think. The only people that will ever know the truth are the song writers. and sometimes they might not even be clear on it. Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl" I heard that Van Morrison titled this song about a black woman he was inspired by and the song was originally titled Brown-Skinned Girl but the radio would not play it and he was convinced to change the name. I am not sure if this is true but I have heard this from several sources. Can you add any thoughts to this? Simon and Garfunkel's "Blessed" I know that many of these songs including this one was written about the Vietnam war and all the insidents revolving around them. I believe that this one is probably about how the US was being to aggressive and will basically rot in hell because we were not meek at all....just dictatorship wise. Eagles's "Hotel California" I love this song! No matter what its meaning, I think you could & obviously have given it many meanings & isn't that what song writing is all about? Unless you actually wrote it - how can you guess. When I was in Puerto Vallarta, I was told Hotel California was written about the Hotel that used to be there at the time that the Eagles were staying there. (which when I was there, the said hotel was dwindling down to rubble). I was also told Tequila Sunrise was written there, too. From what the "locals" were telling all of us North Americans at the "round table", was that the meaning behind the song Hotel California was exactly what became of the hotel, each floor harbouring it's own addictions & the people who had whatever addiction of choice always seemed to be drawn to those specific floors, be it opium, cocaine, heroin, alcohol, etc & never really being able to leave, but that's pretty much the effect Mexico has on people - who wants to leave? (as it's said before...addiction never leaves) The nurse would come everyday to help those in overdoses, or whatever. Made for an entertaining story night - but hey, it was Mexico. Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" I read an interview by either Waters or Gilmour that this song is actually about the writer of the song's father, who died as a bomber crewman in WW2 leaving the future Pink Floyd member to grow up fatherless in postwar England. This WW2 loss is a very personal and reocurring theme that also influenced several other songs by the same writer. The Eagles's "Hotel California" I read some time ago in an interview with one of the Eagles that this song was written about their record label, who they felt was holding them hostage in the slavery of a terrible contract. All those lyrics about "you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" and "they stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast" are references to the greedy record execs and the contract they couldn't get away from. The Hotel California itself I guess was representative of the entire music industry, where artists are lured by the promise of fame and riches, but then they are snared by legal contracts, so that they can never get away. They were "all just prisoners here... of their own device" because they themselves actually DID sign the contracts after all. I don't think the song is about Satanists. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" I read two different descriptions of it. I heard somewhere it was written about Vietnam war with Fire and Rain referring to the the weather and explosives that are seen during war. It made sense to me. Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" I really think this is just a compiliation of things that make sense, and things that dont. The things that dont probably came to them when they were completley drugged up, and as for the other things, some of the things mentioned above sound pretty accurate. Remember, some of the best songs from Rock and Roll came from drug-induced minds. S&G's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" I remember hearing a paul simon interview back in the 70 when he said the line "sail on silver girl" was about an ex-girlfiend. America's "Horse With No Name" I saw an interview with one of the gys in America (I don't even know their names actually but it was a primary memeber - guitar player or lead singer) where he says that Horse With No Name is in fact not about drugs at all. He said something like: "It's really just a very simple song about the desert. All these people came up with interpretations that its about drugs and so on, but it isn't." I don't claim that's a 100% word for word accurate quote but that's roughly what he said. Hopefully that settles the debate here - sorry to all you drug interpretation proponents. Don McLean's "American Pie " I say the Jester is Buddy Holly, not Dylan. "The Coat he borrowed from James Dean" refers to Holly's rebel, rockabilly image. Doesn't work for Dylan. Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" I think It's about a young college girl who was rich but she spent all her money on drugs and cigarettes and became poor. Eagles's "Hotel California" I think it is about drug addiction,heroin/coke.The girl with the benz,is the attraction to the high life.As she lite up a candle and she showed me the way,meaning mealting the dope down.Preparing for the feast stealy knives (syringes) but they just cant kill the beast.(addiction) The Undertones's "Teenage Kicks" I think it's all too eays to right off this song by saying it's just about masturbation. Not only is it fantastic in that it got a chart position with a song about self-abuse, but it also addresses an issue too often skirted over in songs and popular culture - too often in reality there are people who are 'untouchable' and fantasies are the only ways we can come close to them. Eagles's "Hotel California" I think that everyone who is trying to pin down what this song really means is COMPLETELY missing the main point of this song. To understand the meaning of something, you have to first relate back to who made it (in this case, the writers). Considering the amount of metaphore that is used in this song, the writers did not ever clearly state what they were refering to (wheather it's a whore house, drug addiction, satan, death, gambling, etc...), but as confusing and puzzling as this sounds, it's what makes this song so amazing. The riddle of not knowing exactly what the song is refering to gives the listener the experience to relate this song to their own experiences. This makes the song, and experience a much better one, and gives it a lot of value Blue Oyster Cult's "I Love The Night" I think that you are missing the boat with your interpretaion of "I love the night". It's pretty much a wacky "romantic poetry" vampire song that humerously melds corny vampire stories with a quasi-subtle love song. Th elements are all there. The lady in white(pale, wrapped in a grave shroud) comes to him while he is alone and he can't look away(mesemerism). She loves the night(sun kills vampires...but the moon often stillshows when the sun is still up.) She offers to share and show something with him if he will only "welcome her."(enter freely and of your own will: Dracula to Harker.) He mentions "wonder" that "no mortal was meant to know". (the enthrallement and ecstasy associated with having vampires suck your blood ever since stories like Dracula and Camilla were written). Afterwards he learns what has become of him with "one look in the mirror". In other words he is no longer a mortal having known the previously mentioned wonder. He tells the woman that he is leaving that he is a creature of the night now and plans to go off with the vampiress who changed, possibly in a cryptic way so as to not scare her. Simon And Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" I think this song is about Mrs. Robinson being in an intervention (if you have ever seen the A & E show you know what I'm talking about). The Koo koo ca Choos being a sudden blitz of drugs into her system she can't control so she fades out from the intervention. Joe DiMaggio being a random childhood memory brought on by being around her family and wondering where he is. This person is obviously messed up in some respect. Simon and Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair" I think this song is about a soldier going off to war, and the one voice (Simon's)is nostalgic, and the other voice (Garfunkel's)is the chilling reality. The Eagles's "Hotel California" I think this song is all about love. There are so many metaphors in this song that seem to resemble it. And I was thinking to myself, 'this could be heaven or this could be hell' --> This is referring to someone that has never fallen in love before. They are in love with the idea of falling in love, but have known so many people that have been broken down by it. But then again, they have seen couples that are truely and completely in love, and if they were to discover that with someone it would be heaven. "How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat. Some dance to remember, some dance to forget" -->Some dance to remember, some dance to forget...Some people take up hobbies, or activities to remember or forget certain things. When you were with someone and were really in love and everything was perfect, but you lost them for some reason or another, you would want to remember them. If you were someone and your relationship was not so good, and you had your heart broken, you would be trying to forget. And still those voices are calling from far away, Wake you up in the middle of the night Just to hear them say... --> This one is a little harder to explain. Unless you were in a difficult relationship, you might not be able to understand, but I will do my best to explain. Sometimes when you are in a relationship where you are being mistreated, you tend to try to justify and fix things. You replay things over and over agian in your head after it has all ended trying to figure what you did and where everything went wrong. You cant sleep, you cant eat, it just drains you. So this is where the "still those voices calling from far away" part comes into play. Its the sound of the conversations and arguments replaying over and over again in their head. "wake you up in the middle of the night, just to hear them say.." is about them not being able to sleep, they are just laying their awake liestening to the conversations in their head. And she said 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device' --> This is referring the the fact that people make up excuses for their partners behavior. If we would stop making excuses and face reality we wouldnt be stuck in the position that we were in, we would not be prisoners in the relationship. The stab it with their steely knives, But they just can't kill the beast --> This again is trying to get rid of the love feeling, because you know you are not loved in return. You want to not feel the way you do, but you cant help it, or change it. I had to find the passage back To the place I was before --> He wants to get back to the carefree, undamaged emotional state that he was in, before he was in love. He doesnt want to be in love anymore. You can checkout any time you like, But you can never leave! --> Meaning you can leave the person anytime you want, but once you truely love someone, you can not escape that feeling, you will always care about that person, even after you move on, so to say. Blue Oyster Cult's "I Love The Night" I think this song is biographical in origin, from the experience of Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser. After a traumatic breakup, he walks out at night and is enchanted by a perfect clear starry night, and then the moon rises. Enchanted by the vision and perfection of the night, he envisions the moon as a woman... and the final irony is that the perfect beauty of the night that brings him some surcease from his heartache brings it back in full force, for the final lines are "If only you had been there my dear, We could have shared this together..." Eagles's "The Hotel California" I think this song talks about a Hotel in wich orgies took place.When it says "there she stood on the doorway" it probably means some whore stood on the doorway. This Hotel involved drugs too. This is the kind of life it describes I believe, the kind of life you can never get away form "You can check out any time you like but you can never leave" and also these poor women cannot get away too as they can get away from the pimps that will haunt them and maybe kill them afterwards "they stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast" Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's "Thunder Road" I think this song was a song about a young couple...the boy being ready to face the world and the girl a little scared of the relashionship and where it might lead. The boy comes to the girls house and basically says we are ready for the world so climb on board. It also kind of talks about just getting out and living. Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" I thought it was about a woman going to a nursing home, my boyfriend thinks it's about the neighborhood tramp who also sold marijuana. He got that info from his dad! The Eagles's's "Hotel California" I thought that this song was talking about the 2 biggest problems of the time, Heroin and cancer. Although no one related to cancer, but i see things like you can check out any time as you can die at any time but you can never live as you can never be cured. The mirrors on the cieling is the operations room and the beast is the tumor and they try to cut it off with their knives but they can't kill the beast. The device they are all attached to is again relating to hospitals. What do you think? James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" I was told just the other day by my music appriciation teacher that James Taylor had himself commited because he had a phobia, Suzanne was a woman who had the same one, being alone with someone of the opposite sex. They met at the mental hospital and cured eachother of the phobia, fell in love and planned to marry. They would get out of the hospital on Friday morning and marry Saturday afternoon. James Taylor signed himself out and left with no problem, but Suzanne couldn't leave, they didn't have her insurance release forms, the nurse called her doctor who said, let her leave, she's finally happy, I'll take care of the paperwork Monday, but the nurse lied and said she couldn't leave till Monday. Suzanne kept trying to leave but gave up and hung herself. Harry Chapin's "Cats In The Cradle" I would like to revise the earlier description of Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle." The discrepancy lies is in the last statement. Formerly written, "In the end the father realized that his son had grown up to be a work-a-holic just like his dad..." If you listen to the lyrics, you'll see that just as the father had no time for his son when he was growing up, the son had no time for his father when he grew up. "...he came from college just the other day, so much like a man I just had to say, son I'm proud of you can you sit for awhile, he shook his head and he said with a smile, what I'd really like dad is to borrow the car keys, see you later can I have them please... ...I've long since retired, my son's moved away, I called him up just the other day, I said I'd like to see you, if you don't mind, he said I'd love to dad if I could find the time, you see my new job's a hassle and the kid's with the flew, but it's sure nice talking to you dad, it's been sure nice talkin' to you.. and as I hung up the phone it occured to me, he'd grown up just like me, my boy was just like me... It's about it all coming back around, not the son becoming a workaholic... Simon and Garfunkle's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" I'm aware of the drug interpretation and the author's actual interpretation but depending on when the boat people incidents in the 1970's occured, this song could be a sort of welcome song for them. The "silver girl" in the song could also be a reference to a girl who has been lying in the sea for so long her skin has become a pale grey. Now this interpretation might not be the most accurate but if you look at these lyrics and the events of the Indochinese refugees there is an ominous connecion that binds them. If this song was written before these events then in could mean that Paul Simon is psychic! Queen's "Killer Queen" I'm not exactly sure why I think this, but the lyrics of this song, in my opinion, have nothing to do with a high-class prostitute, like Wikipedia claims. I've researched various sites on the lyirics and there are a few that I just do not agree with (meaning it doesn't sound to me like that is what is being sung). Personally, from everything I've so far read, this song to ME sounds like it's about a female assassin, or a spy perhaps? "gunpowder, gelatine (one part I disagree with) dynamite with a laser beam" meaning the laser cites on hand guns, perhaps?? Doesn't keep the same address... Rolling Stones's "Horse With No Name" I'm not getting drugs in this song...I always thought it was about the a man and the effects of fame on the brain. Desert has turned to sea...life is like the ocean with its life under ground and the perfect disguise above...people fake and false...putting forward their plastic smiles when really inside its pain and ugly Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" I'm not sure if this explanation has been posted, but after listening to the song hundreds of thousands of times, and never knowing what it meant, I finally had an idea. I then listened to the song, possibly confirming my ideas. After this, I did a reasonable amount of research on mythology, especially females in mythology. According to my analysis, Stairway is about a powerful and righteous female warrior. She is finally killed and battle, but doesn't know that she is dead. She feels, before her death, that there is good in all things. The entire world, according to myth, is in the palm of this lady's hand. Many signs point to her death, but she can understand or comprehend that she has been killed. Her spirit continues to wonder through the heavens, and she sees the other spirits going about their heavenly lives. As stated in the Bible, spirits in heaven can see those in hell and on Earth. The warrior can still see the battle raging, which leads her to believe that she is alive. She meets one of the spirits that has been in heaven for no telling how long, and he explains what is happening. She finds out that the inhabitants of heaven have been waiting on her arrival, due to her righteousness in life. Throughout the song, which is merely an interpretation of the epic poem, she realizes that she has died and gone to heaven. After this realization, she begins to be an encouragement to those with whom she can communicate on Earth. She is a guiding spirit, if you will. Her presence, and her legacy, are a model for people to follow to get into heaven. In conclusion, I state that Stairway to Heaven is a narrative. Not an abstract creation of Robert Plant, but a brilliant discovery of an epic story that he paraphrased and, with the help of the great Jimmy Page, put to music. Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" I'm sorry but anyone who thinks it's about war (especially American based wars - Vietnam) is clearly missing the point. It IS about Syd Barrett, creative force of Pink Floyd until LSD screwed him up. Syd Barrett actually turned up at the studio when Pink Floyd were recording this album about him. He was a shadow of the man he used to be. I'll say it again; it is NOT about war. No. No. NOOOOO! The Eagles's "Hotel California" If anyone out there doesn't know this yet, though I think you all should, this song is about drug addiction. (especially cocaine) "They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast". And of course the final line before that great dual guitar solo between Don Felder and Joe Walsh, "You can check out anytime you like , but you can never leave". Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" If this song does have a meaning it's not about AIDS, Freddy didn't know he had AIDS when he wrote it, I think the boy on death row is far more likely. John Lennon's "Imagine" Imagine is about communism, and is by no means the greatest song ever made. Infact it's a completely naive song presented into society's common left wing views by Lennon to increase his popularity and how liked he was by the people. Lennon was a fraud. His own son even says so. He didnt care about world peace and harmony, he just knew what people liked to hear about, (peace and harmony) and he fed them. Sure it's a great sounding song, but Lennon was by no means a wondrous guy . He was just an idealist, and a phony one at that (and God only knows we have enough idealist morons around these days). He was a musician with an alright voice and a knack at writing nice songs. In any case, left wing views -especially communism- are crap and always will be. Marx was an idiot and has caused millions of deaths and anyone who promotes communism in turn promotes the state in which so many third world contries are and the deaths that occur daily in the communiste and dictated (becasue really, theyre the same thing) world. To sum up Lennon was a good musician with a knack at impressing the populace with his phony ideas of world peace and love and whatnot and spreading this crap through all the millions of idiots who think that we could possibly ever achieve anything close to the world described in Imagine, and who believe that if we did we'd be better off, which we wouldn't, but that's another argument for anyother day. Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" In Actuality this song was about Syd Barretts' rise and fall in fame Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" In January of 1973, You're So Vain was the # 1 hit song on the radio. Carly had just married fellow pop-superstar James Taylor a month before, so when You're So Vain hit the airwaves, it stirred intense curiosity about which one of her previous lovers was the subject of this wry nod to the male ego. Was it Mick Jagger? Cat Stevens? Warren Beatty? Kris Kristofferson? It was common knowledge that she had been involved with each of them in the past.Carly has never revealed who she had in mind when she wrote You're So Vain, and over 30 years later interviewers are still asking her this same question.................................... The Washington Post - 1983 WP: Who was ?You?re So Vain about? Mick Jagger? Carly: No. WP: Warren Beatty? Carly: It certainly sounds like it was about Warren Beatty. He certainly thought it was about him - he called me and said thanks for the song?. WP: You had gone with him? Carly: Hasn?t everybody? "Clouds in my coffee" are the confusing aspects of life and love. That which you can't see through, and yet seems alluring...until. Like a mirage that turns into a dry patch. Perhaps there is something in the bottom of the coffee cup that you could read if you could (like tea leaves or coffee grinds). Carly Simon 5/17/01 Yes's "'Southside of the Sky'" In a recent interview, Jon Anderson mentioned that the song describes a group of climbers who were lost, and about the euphoria that comes to one as one freezes to death..'Of warmth when you die'...though I do like the comment about the scenario being specifically about the Fellowship. Debbie Boone's "'You Light Up My Life'" In a talk show interview Debbie Boone revealed that this is a "praise song." "You" refers to God. Praise songs are a devotional type of Christian Music separated from Hymns and general popular Christian music. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" In an interview with Howard Stern, James describes the meaning of the song a little differently. James' friends didn't tell him about the death of his friend from cancer because, at the time, he was still trying to overcome his addiction when it happened, and they didn't want to add any additional stress to his situation. The lyrics regarding "the plans" probably describe how he felt. That is, the cancer (or whatever illness it was) actually killed her, but in his mind she was still alive until the planned disclosure of his friends ended that. The Clash's "Atom Tan" In death people have a look which is referred to as an atom tan..by the clash. People die in various ways- described in the song, and get an even atom tan!! Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" In response to the kid who said that he did his so called "research" on this song, Wikipedia does not count as a source at all. Do some real research and then tell us about it. First Freddie was born on the island of Zanibar, second the song has absolutely nothing to do with AIDS. The song was written 11 years before he was diagnosed. No one will ever know the true meaning of the song (if there even is one). The only song that Freddie wrote which he explained the meaning to was Bicycle Race, no one knows the meaning of this one. Stop arguing about it. Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" In the literal sense, the song is directed to a dead friend or family member at a funeral in a cemetery. The singer is possibly one of the pallbearers. Until recently, I had no idea where it was taking place and only a vague idea of who the intended recipient was. Only after shooting a video of a family cemetery and setting it to the music of Pink Floyd did it hit me. In the middle of a big green field is a small cemetery plot surrounded by a white, wrought-iron fence. The only trees nearby were the ones inside. It was a hot summer day and a cool breeze was blowing. Inside the fence were several markers. Among the lead role were the headstones of the few who had died in battle -- the heroes. The fence is a cage, our planet is a fishbowl, coffins have cold steel rails, and the veil hides the face of the widow. The clincher for me was this inscription on one of the headstones: "Stranger CAN YOU TELL is this where individuality ceases or does it exist beyond." Lynard Skynard's "Sweet Home Alabama" In the song Mr. Vanzant not Van Dam (he's the karate guy) Sings about Neil Young because he "generalized" the South. Who needs a guy like that around starting trouble during the still very volatile time in the South! Another quote listed the lyrics wrong as well... "Watergate, it does not bother me Does your conscience bother you? Tell me true." is actually "Watergate,does not bother me! Does your conscience bother you? Tell "THE TRUTH." Also the post about Lynard Skynard's "All I Can Do Is Write About It"...quote "This song is about Mr. Van DAm growing up in the south, and the natural beauty of the country. It is so odd how he says," Lord take me and mine before the concrete creeps in." And how he dies not that much longer." Funny you get the idea but have it twisted some. He actually says "I can see the concrete a' slowly creepin' Lord take me and mine before that comes." So yankees...I'm not tryin' to put down no big cities But the things they write about us is just a bore!! How you gonna know about it unless you do it suuun! Hoooray Dixie!!! Coven's "One Tin Soldier" In the song the mountain people say "With our brothers we will share all the secrets of the mountain, all the riches buried there," but the valley people are greedy and want the entire treasure not just part of it so they then start the war to take it. Ironic, isn't it. Pink Floyd's "Welcome To The Machine" Interpretation of this song is varied. In one sense it appears to be a father's message to his son. This is a recurring theme in Floyd songs and is visually available in "The Wall" movie. Roger Water's father was killed during World War II. It can also be said that this song is about a young rock star living within the confines of the rock and roll world. He experiences the lesser sides of stardom and all the evils that go with it. Paul Mccartney And Wings's "Band On The Run" Interpreted to mean different things by the rock press at the time, one being that the song was possibly about outlaws (in the Eagles' "Desperadoes" vein) but more likely about flight, escape and freedom. It was postulated at the time that Paul's having written the theme song for the James Bond movie "Live and Let Die' several months earlier may have inspired him to do "Band". Paul's solo output prior to "Band" was dismissed by critics as lightweight and overstylized (ie. AM radio fluff) so the lyrics on "Band" suggested a man who had been imprisoned by the critics' (and sometimes public) criticism of his work and then suddenly breaks out of the chains and goes free from all that. The song and album of the same name actually welcomed Paul back into the good graces of the rock critics and minds of the public, who felt he put out a confident, well-constructed album after four mediocre ones. Raydio's "You Can't Change That" It is a song about a stalker... stalking his girlfriend. Simon And Garfunkle's "Mrs. Robinson" It is a song about alcohol addiction in housewives from the '60s in the USA where alcoholism was considered a mental disease and they were locked up in mental institutions instead of addiction hospitals. The sympathetic eyes are those of the hospital staff, they 'want to know a little more about you for our files' (mental health files), take a walk around the grounds until you feel at home, and the stuff that they are hiding in the pantry with the cupcakes is the bottle of booze and always keep alcoholism from the children. Marmalade's "Reflections" It is about a person who thinks the world is a bad place, a terrible place to live, and he dont want to die..it is from 1970... Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" It is about the Vietnam war, and how it wasn't the answer. It also relates to what was going on here in America at the time and how tha hippies were discriminated against because they said how they felt and expressed themselves freely.(some with long hair, which he mentions.) Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" It means nothing. according to Queens drummer it means 'Theres just a little bit of chaos in the middle' It snot abut AIDs, its not about Freddies sexuality, its just a crazy song about nothing Blue Oyֹster Cult's "Don't Fear The Reaper" It seems to be a common misinterpretation (due to the line "Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity") that this song is about suicide. As Albert Bouchard, one of the band members, stated on several occasions, the song writer Buck Dharma, didn't have exactly that in mind, but merely the idea of not to fear death, probably because it is inevitable and also part of our life. There are also rumors that say that Buck thought at the time he was writing the song that he was dying, but I if that is true, I can't say. Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" It seems to me that all of the comments made on pink floyds song 'wish you were here' are most intriguing and certainly interesting, but unfortunately wrong,people are reading far too deep into the song,or not deep enough as i will explain - I am a huge floyd fan and have read many a book on this subject trying to extend my knowledge and appreciation for the band/song as it is a complicated tune to understand. If you listen to the song you will realise that every sentence has a good/happy lyric in exchange for a bad/sad lyric,so when broken down it reads - heaven,blue skies,green field,smile,hero's,tree's,cool breeze,change,lead role in a cage.THUS - hell,pain,cold steel rail,veil,ghosts,hot ashes,hot air,cold comfort,walk on part in the war........Deep stuff i know, I used to think it was about war myself, but trust me it's not, and i only know this because i've read so so so much about the band. It's a schizophrenic song written by waters about himself, on one side of his personality is the good,caring and giving part of his character and on the other side is the selfish, unforgiving and greedy side. It is a song about one side singing to the other.......The bad side is calling to the good side saying how i wish, how i wish you were here. This is made evident by the lyric..'We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl'........The fish bowl being his outer body exterior and the two lost souls being his inner.The inner souls are swimming around 'the fish bowl', one side is crying to the other 'i wish you were here',but unfortunately for waters the bad side previels hence the lyric 'we're just two lost souls swimming a fish bowl year after year, running over the same old ground,what have we found,the same old fears,wish you were here.'............Basically it's saying that the good side of waters character will never exceed the bad side,and unfortunately for him, he knows it. I hate to say it but i was dissapointed myself to find out that the song actually meant this, I had studied the song for a long time and come up with a very strong theory about it being a cry for his father dying in world war 2 but i was wrong. If you are really interested on extending your current appreciation for the band then i strongly suggest reading - 'which ones Pink?' AUTHOR Phill Rose. 'Echoes; the stories behind every Pink Floyd song' AUTHOR Cliff Jones. 'The Pink Floyd encyclopedia' AUTHOR Vernon Fitch.......Happy Reading. Spinners's "Love Don't Love Nobody" It takes a fool to learn that love don't love nobody Max Webster's "Let Go The Line" It's about death and the thought of doing it by way of hanging hence let go the line. It envisions a lifeless body in a casket (caskets are lined with satin)"i see you there in your satin shirt unfocused eyes on the ceiling fluorescent lips on a painted face i think i know what you're feeling. This tightrope begins to feel like home as the wind comes rising from the distant storm and all I know is that tonight I might let go the line.." Bachman Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" It's about venerial disease. "Cause any love is good love so I took what I could get" and "She took me to her doctor for a cure". James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" It's long been established and confirmed by James Taylor that the song was about his fight to free himself from heroin addiction! "sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" is the key lyric. yes, he was bi-polar and fought that, but his career was nearly destroyed by his addiction (as was his relationship with Carly Simon). Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" It's not about AIDS. AIDS was only in Africa until the 80s. So even if Freddie did have AIDS at the time, it couldn't have been diagnosed beacuse it had never been seen in India (where he was born) or England and the States. Roger Taylor (drummer of Queen)is the only person who knows what this song is about, as Freddie only told him. Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Craddle" It's song about a man who didn't have any time for his son and how this man had missed important events in this young man's life. In the end the father realized that his son had grown up to be a work-a-holic just like his dad. Queen's "Killer Queen" It?s a sing from their third album, released in 1974, called Sheer Heart Attack, maybe the song is about Cocaine, or about a high class prostitute, or about both things, it?s really interesting, the lyrics are great. Thank you! Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" Its a song of salvation... many think it was a devil worshiping song... look closely at lyrics and it shows clearly that zep used abstract scenteces to bring out true meanings of christianity... Cat Stevens's "Cat's In The Cradle" Its about a man who never had time for his son and once the son grew up, he did not have time for his father. The Beatles's "Let It Be" John Lennon once said in an interview that this song was written after Paul had been listening to Paul Simon's Bridge Over Troubled Water. This was Paul's inspiration after listening to that song. Queen's "Bohiemian Rhapsody" Just to clear it up. Freddie Mercury wasn't born in India... He was born and grew up in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" K everyonebody listen up this is exactly what this song is about, it has nothing to do what-so-ever with any war at all, or at one guy said "a hallucinated conversation with a toilet from drugs" any true fan knows that Wish You Were Here is clearly about Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett, the founded of Pink Floyd and was with the band from 1965-68 when he became way to involved with acid (lsd) and could not perform anymore. In 1975 Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason decided that after their huge success from Dark Side of the Moon (where some of the songs are still about syd) in 1973 the band deciced to make an entire album dedicated just to the founded of the band...Syd Barrett, when they were recording this song Syd actually showed up when they were recording Shine On You Crazy Diamond, no one in the band recognized Syd at all since he was basically a new person, Syd told they band that he wishes them all failure and that was the last the saw Syd. Syd was the main inspiration of the band Pink Floyd, and even occured in The Wall in 1979. K but back to Wish You Were Here...if you guys dont beleive me then go watch some of Pink Floyd concerts live, or Roger Waters or David Gilmour live and most of the time right before they play this song they say a little something about Syd...not about no Vietnam War...enough said Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne" Ken Kesey was one of the original people to introduce acid to the california scene. He started his acid tests, which were events that consisted of people getting high at rented out music, or large halls, and they would get stoned out of their gords listening to the Grateful dead live, and with state of the art equiptment in lighting, and sound. this refers to the Part where they sing about Sanfrancisco and LA, two big test areas, that turned hundreads upon hundreads of people on to LSD. He and his Merry Pranksters drove around California in a day-glo painted bus that was called furthur, they all lived and slept on that bus, mainly getting high. in the song, Steely Dan refers to the technicolored motor home. Kesey was real big, and a lot of heads at the time really looked up to him. Kesey got in trouble with California. He had gotten charged with two possesions of Marajuana, Kesey not wanting to go to court, fled to Mexico. I believe that there is a part in the story "The Electric Kool ade acid test" (which is the true story of Kesey) When Kesey is being sneaked across the border, and before hand he askes the driver, "Is there gas in the car?" The Feds are on his tail in Mexico and California, and Kesey is a fugitive. The problem is that Kesey is also getting his friends in trouble as well, and there is a good chance that if he gets caught, he will spend a whole lotta time in jail. The feds would do anything to get him behind bars, because Kesey was the main provider of acid, other than close friend Owesly, and Leary. His Prankster friends dressed in day glo clothes, and the whole hippie day glo thing was starting to wean out, "Day glo freaks that painted the face, have joined the human race." Get along, Ken Kesey Kesey also wrote "One Flew over the Kokoos nest" Don McLean's "American Pie" The King is not Elvis, it is a reference to folk King, Woody Guthrie. Guthrie was dying from a chronic illness. Dylan would visit him in a NJ State Hospital while stealing the crown of folk hero. This was before he "went electric." Dylan clearly appropriated much of Guthrie's style in his early folk work. Some other references in the song: Eight Miles High refers to the Byrds' song of the same name. Helter Skelter in the summer swelter refers to both the Manson murders and the Beatles song, probably making the point that art and life mirror each other. The levee and the good ole boys is a reference to the murders of civil rights workers Schwerner, Goodman and Chaney in Mississippi. Their bodies were found in a levee. The sacred store is the Fillmore East. Interestingly, the official lyrics to the song included the line "Lennin read a book on Marx" which apparently intentionally combined John Lennon with Lenin, both of whom studied Marx, to some differning extents. Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" Led Zeppelin was heavily influenced by the occult, especially Jimmy Page. Stairway was about demons (Pan in paticular). Stairway to Heaven", makes a clear reference to not only the music of Pan and his pipes, but his ability to spiritually influence and guide those who fall under his spell. Lyricist and singer, Robert Plant, begins with the thought that "The piper will lead us to reason." Pan is the Piper. The rest of the lyrics simply explore the Gods of old, or the evil side of spirituality and mythical figures. Page was a great admirer of Aleister Crowley who was indeed a devout and famous satanist. "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" was enscribed in one of Zeppelin's albums. This is a verse from the satanic bible. Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" Like a Rolling Stone is a song about New York socialite and model Edie Sedgwick, who left Andy Warhol's factory scene for the chance of a record deal with Dylan's manager. Things went sour when she discovered Dylan's marriage and she left to go into rehab. The song is about how she lived a fast-paced life, primarily on speed, and then crashed later in life. Other songs that Bob Dylan wrote, presumably, about Edie include Leopard-skin Pillbox Hat and Just Like a Woman. Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" Like a Rolling Stone is about a model named edie sedgewick. She did hang with Andy Warhol's crowd and Dylans crowd. It's a song slammer her. It's not a metaphor about a group of people it's a specific person who Dylan was disguisted with and went back and forth from dylan's people and warhol's people. Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" Like a Rolling Stone is about someone who had it all, all the while people told him that he was gonna lose it, then one day he did. now hes on his own on the streets. the song is about having it all, then losing it, just like that. Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" "Like a Rolling Stone" is one of the great lyrical ballads (and poems)of contemporary American thought.. If you have never read the lyrics side - by side - with the song, then don't judge the poetry of the work until you have done so. Before it was "cool" to be a drug - using hippy in the sixties, there was a small counterculture of real hippies in places like New York and San Francisco. Dylan was part of that very small late fifties/ early sixties movement. "Like a Rolling Stone" is a poem about all the presumptous types (once upon a time you dressed so fine) that made fun of people like him (and the rags that he wore and the language that he used). Now, those same snobs, in the lyrics of the poem - a young woman that he knew - have adopted the counterculture as their own. However, she can't handle it, and her drug use has turned her into something far below the people that she once made fun of. She's an out of control rolling stone tumbling with absolutely nothing; "when you got nothing, you got nothing to lose. Your're invisble now, you got no secrets to conceal." And the catch is, she was already a rolling stone back at Harvard before she became a psuedo-hippy ("You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely, But you know you only used to get juiced in it" Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" Lindsey Buckingham wrote this song in a Holiday Inn in 1976 after Stevie Nicks kicked him out. It is like a plea and a blow off at the same time - "If I could, baby, I'd give you my world...open up, everything's waiting for you....You can go your own way! You can call it another lonely day!" So, basically the message is: I still love you...Come back to me...oh, you won't? OK, be that way, then! You'll be sorry, babe! Rolling Stones's "Paint It Black" Listen closely to the lyrics! He wants to commit suicide because a loved one has died. One line that I found particularly profound was "Just like a new born baby it happens every day." Jimi Hendricks's "Hey Joe" Listening to hey joe by jime hendricks i hear a double ententre. the gun could be a hypodermic needle. the lady could be a drug. and he caught it from some guy downtown. could be his dealer. He shot her down could infer that he took the drug. to me this loose interpretation makes more sense. i also think that the performers where aware of this. sort of an inside inside thing. Harry Chapin's "Cats In The Cradle" The Lyrics are actually a poem that his wife had written to him because he was always on the road and spent no time with his son. Don Mclean's "American Pie" Many people who have tried to interprit this song have missed interpreted the chorus completely. The actual way it goes is "So bye bye Ms. American Pie. Drove me Chevy to the Levy but the Levy was dry, and them good old boys were drinking whisky in Rye singing this will be the day that I die". The song does not refer to a levee at all, but a bar/pub, The Levy, which was in the town of Rye... Just thought I should point that out... As I do not have time for a full analization of this song right now I'll just explain the brief outlines of it. Obviously the beginings of the song refer to the Febuary plane crash that killed Holly, the Big Bopper, and Valens. But more then just the crash itself, it refers to the death of rock and roll the people could dance to. The song specifically refers to the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and The rolling stones. At first it commends Bob Dylan for singing with a "voice that came from you and me." The King in this song is Elvis. The jester, Dylan. It then goes on to talk about "while the King was looking down, the jester stole his thorny crown". This refers to the song Bob Dylan wrote that took Eliv's place as number one. Bob Dylan became a sell out as he began to use the electric guitar. References to the Stones include "Moss grows fat on a rolling stone". For lack of time I won't continue to anyalize the song. But you get the jist. This song is about the end of American Rock and Roll that one could dance to as the big bands from England introduced their version of music. It talks about great american artists selling out and making songs that aren't dancable to. And it mourns the loss of the old ways. I apoligize for how fragmented my writing probably was...I am working on a paper that anylizes ever line... When thats done I'll post it here... with spell check. Pink Floyd's "Mother" Mother is a song based on a little boy who lost his father in the war. Ever since his mother has been over protective and caring. This boy is living with his over protective mother and being shunned by the men surrounding him Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" Music can be interpreted differently by everyone, thats the freedom that it brings. Indeed there is usually an underlying meaning for most songs but each person who listens to a piece of music will take what they like from it. For me this song is perhaps talking to the listener more than being about something or someone. I feel the vibes about drugs and more importantly the psychological effects of them are too apparent in this song to dismiss. I have experienced most psychoactives and when you go where you want to go on drugs it is somewhere you love to be, hence wish you were here. You cannot interpret drugs until you have experienced them, 'so you think you can tell'. Drugs offer an insight into the simpler and more complex things in life and i believe that is something the Floyd were getting at here. Bob Marley And The Wailers's "Burnin And Lootin" My interpretation of this song is about when Marley remembers during a curfew probably about the racial wars going on in Jamaica at the time and then how black people would be blamed for crimes they didnt commit and then they had to burn and loot to get the money to repay the policeor get out of jail. Or Burnin and Lootin could mean how the black people would have to work like slaves for the police or whiteman. thats just my opinion anyway, i mean im only thirteen. Rush's "The Trees" My personal belief is that The Trees by Rush is an soulfully deep meaning of life and death... "the maples and oaks" can be applied to any division of human beings... race, color, creed, financal background, etc... but in the end, "they were all kept equal by hatchet, ax and saw"... (ie: death)... God, in the end ultimately gives and takes life, and even though some of us seemingly "take up all the light" it is all for not, for as the trees, from dust we came, and to dust we shall return. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" NPR picked this song as one of the The 100 most important American musical works of the 20th Century (http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/vote/list100.html). Each verse has a different meaning. The first is about a friend who committed suicide, the second is about his battle with heroin addiction, the third refers to a mental hospital and a band he started called "The Flying Machine." With Real Audio, listen to the story here: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/20000626.atc.06.ram ZZ Top's "Jesus Just Left Chicago" No, they ain't talking about the son of God. The song is about a drug runner. "You may not see him in person, but he'll see you just the same." You may not actually buy from him, but it's likely that whatever you got came from him. Taking care of business is his game. Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight" OK, enough of this crap about the lyrics to this song being true with 'drowning' and 'saving' and 'revenge' and 'spotlights' and 'suicide'. Here's a link: http://www.answers.com/topic/in-the-air-tonight And here's the truth from PHIL COLLINS HIMSELF!: (Phil) Collins commented on the legends about the song in a BBC World Service interview: “ I don't know what this song is about. When I was writing this I was going through a divorce. And the only thing I can say about it is that it's obviously in anger. It's the angry side, or the bitter side of a separation. So what makes it even more comical is when I hear these stories which started many years ago, particularly in America, of someone come up to me and say, 'Did you really see someone drowning?' I said, 'No, wrong'. And then every time I go back to America the story gets Chinese whispers, it gets more and more elaborate. It's so frustrating, 'cos this is one song out of all the songs probably that I've ever written that I really don't know what it's about, you know. " The Eagles's "Hotel California" OK,...Hasn't anyone here who has been explaining these meanings even noticed that the original album cover was a colour print of The First United Satanic Church of America? If you search the history, alleged as well as documented you'll find the meaning of the song,...or maybe just us old-timers would know that,.... The Eagles's "Hotel California" Oh, for God's sake, "Hotel California" is NOT about Satanism, it's about the insane and hidious life behind the rock life in southern California. The "Stab with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast" was a volley back to Steely Dan and that song that went "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors can hear us." Otherwise, it's just a song about the "Fast Lane" Don McLean's "American Pie" Ok i was always told the jester was Bob dylan. obvious the day the music died was buddy holly. The quartet the beatles. The girl who sang the blues Janice joplyn. the devil mick jagger because of the hells angelsthing. The king elvis hence dylan steeling his crown. queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" Ok no more aids!!! haha! anyways Is this the real life- "Is this just fantasy- Caught in a landslide- No escape from reality- Open your eyes Look up to the skies and see- Im just a poor boy,i need no sympathy- Because Im easy come,easy go, A little high,little low, Anyway the wind blows,doesnt really matter to me, To me" This is a common carless teen who is just living his life day by day and doesn't care what happens to him, or to anyone else. "Mama,just killed a man, Put a gun against his head, Pulled my trigger,now hes dead, Mama,life had just begun, But now Ive gone and thrown it all away- Mama ooo, Didnt mean to make you cry- If Im not back again this time tomorrow- Carry on,carry on,as if nothing really matters-" He is thinking to him self this, this isn't really him telling his mom anything if you think about it. "Too late,my time has come, Sends shivers down my spine- Bodys aching all the time, Goodbye everybody-Ive got to go- Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth- Mama ooo- (any way the wind blows) I dont want to die, I sometimes wish Id never been born at all" This is his guilt, because he finally has feeling in him, and he is affraid of dieing. (death penalty was pretty common in the 70's) "I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouche,scaramouche will you do the fandango- Thunderbolt and lightning-very very frightening me- Galileo,galileo, Galileo galileo Galileo figaro-magnifico- But Im just a poor boy and nobody loves me- Hes just a poor boy from a poor family- Spare him his life from this monstrosity- Easy come easy go-,will you let me go- Bismillah! no-,we will not let you go-let him go- Bismillah! we will not let you go-let him go Bismillah! we will not let you go-let me go Will not let you go-let me go Will not let you go let me go No,no,no,no,no,no,no- Mama mia,mama mia,mama mia let me go- Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,for me,for me-" ok so this versus does have demon written all over it... he see's a silhouetto of man, not really a man ( which would point out demon) and the way the demon comes to him scares him. And basically the kid is praying to get out... when he says no WE will not let you go. it is talking about satan and his demons. also this song could also talk about a kid selling his soul. but either or is a pretty close interpetation. also belzebub is the second in comand of satan. "So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye- So you think you can love me and leave me to die- Oh baby-cant do this to me baby- Just gotta get out-just gotta get right outta here-" Ok so this versus is directed to the mom. either she is ashamed because the son either sold his soul or killed a man. and she emotionaly stones him, as in beats him emotionaly... which is used back in the days for punishments for your sins. And then the mom just leaves him there and doesn't care. "Nothing really matters, Anyone can see, Nothing really matters-,nothing really matters to me, Any way the wind blows...." Thats to remind you why he is where he is. and thats a good meaning for the song ;-) John Lennon's "Imagine" Ok the song Imagine is all about communism. I mean listen to it people. "Imagine there's no heaven its easy if you try, no hell below us above us only sky" Communism eliminates religion since according to them religion seperates people. "Imagine no possesions I wonder if you can no need for greed or hunger a brother hood of man" Communism states that everybody has an equal share of wealh therefore no need for greed or hunger. "Imagine all the people sharing all the world" this one is self-explanatory. Well there you go!!! Van Morrison's "Brown Eye Girl" Ok, who ever wrote that brown eye girl is about heroin doesn’t known Van worth a damn. First off it’s from 1967 and not the seventies. The song is about Van’s first guitar and the joy of just jamming out and not worrying about selling records. He wrote this song when he was living in Boston with his wife and her child from another marriage in a one room apartment with just a fridge. He was depressed because he could not support them and was longing to find the joy again in music. The song is about the joy he had when he was a young boy up until he was a teen. One section and shows this perfectly is “Whatever happened, to Tuesday and so slow Going down to the old mine with a, transistor radio. Standing in the sunlight laughing Hide behind a rainbow's wall, Slipping and a-sliding, all along the waterfall ,With you, my brown-eyed girl, You, my brown-eyed girl.” The “slipping and sliding” in the song is him having trouble learning the guitar. Van would bring the radio because he would try and copy the blues music from the radio station in Belfast. It also gave him a chance to “jam” with his favorite guitarists like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. John Lennon's "Imagine" Ok. I won't be surprised if they edit some of my beginning comments, and that's no problem, based on their "unfriendly tones". Communism!!?? Are you serious? That has got to be one of the most idiotic interpertations of anything I have ever heard in my life. That's right up there with believing that is says in the bible that one race is superior to another. Which, after reading such a retarded statement, I wouldn't be surprised if you belivied. Anyway, the song "Imagine" from John Lennon is the greatest song ever written, (no matter what anybody thinks), unless of course Jesus ever wrote a song. What he asks the listener to do is absolutely amazing because it is something that anyone and everyone, with maybe the exception of people with severve mental disabilities (and I mean that seriously), can do. "IMAGINE". If you need help look up the definition of the word. "IMAGINE". He's not saying that things HAVE to be a certain way. "IMAGINE". He's not saying that the way he sees things are the way that everybody else has to see them. "IMAGINE". What he's saying is......(drum roll please) I M A G I N E. And if you're wondering how it is that this song is the greatest song ever written... "Imagine all the people, living life in peace". Thank you John and God bless. Pink Floyd's "Welcome To The Machine" Okay, this song is about the constant change of the music industry. Pink Floyd is probably the most unique bands out there. Their odd yet masterful since of music can be touched by no one. They define PSYCHADELIC. The Wish You Were Here album is all devoted to former member Syd Barret, who was forced out of the band due to his overwhelming drug use. I really like Wish You Were Here because each song can be used in similarity to Syd. Especially this song, not liked by most Pink Floyd fans "Welcome To The Machine" uses their earlier sound, the psychadelic keyboard and eerie noises much like Syd had used with the band earlier in their careers. Mostly of all though if you truly want to understand the lyrics its about being a rebel and not conforming to others music. Much like Pink Floyd always did in their amazing career in the music industry. I'm sick of you Floyd fans that only like Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and the Wall. Open up to their earlier work. Meddle, Piper At the Gates of Dawn, Saucerful of Secrets, and Ummagumma. "Those of would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither." - Ben Franklin Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" Okay... enough with the whole "it was a response to Neil Young"; the fact that Neil Young did "Southern Man" had nothign to do wiht the song. Artists like to play with songs, and to be honest if vanzampt were around him and neil young would still be laughing thatp eople think that they were acutally mad. In fact, they were great friends and loved each others songs, Neil loved Sweet HOme Alabama as much as Vanzampt loved Southern Man, there was no conflict. People over look that this song is about a guy missing his home. Skynyrd were a couple of southern boys who just missed home Boomtown Rats's "I Don't Like Monday" On 29 January 1979, 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer opened fire on children arriving at Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego from her house across the street, killing two men and wounding eight students and a police officer. Genisis's "In The Air Tonight" On VH-1's show cant emember the name but it was when the artists told the real meanings of the song Phil Collins tells the story behind "in the air tonight" He says it is about being on the road and coming home to find his wife was cheating on him and how it destryed their marriage. He laughed about the whole "drowning" story!! The Doors's "The End" One of the most sacred songs till date. It clearly reflects the inside of a disturbed mind. Written by a person who always wanted to challenge the authority, this song can have many meanings. The haunting music can always reverbrate in ur ears. Eagles's "Hotel California" The Only mental patients are the ones describing it's meaning!! It's not intended to be analyzed too closely 'cos it was Henley/Frey's attempt at more Steeley Dan type lyrics (Steeley knives).It's meant to be a 'twilight zone' type of story where every turn/room introduces weird characters to stimulate the imagination. By '76,Henley/Frey were so adept at writing, they could write about a personal experience but make it sound like a universally understood subject (see: After the thrill is gone.. which sounds like a couples love fading, but is actually about the pressure of writing better hit songs ("Empty pages and a frozen pen")and being unable to rest on their laurels ("you don't care about winning..but you don't wanna lose"). In 'Hotel', they point out the excesses of L.A. To outsiders,L.A does seem like an asylum. Generally (this is fact)each line of the song is meant to be L.A 'Heaven' or L.A 'hell' depending on the listener's perception. The opening lines describe the welcoming lights of the promised land(L.A) at the end of the desert(or a beckoning asylum waiting to drain the subject's spirit) .Then, the subject finds that instead of a wonderful,spanish influenced(..'mission bell')city of promise and wonder that as it was in the late 60s, it's now a fake,shallow city where 'Tiffany's','Mercedes-worship' and 'meaningless love' have taken over from the 'spirit of '69'. The chorus describes how 'The Hotel'(L.A) will always take in more dreamers('Plenty of room')..and will always have whatever vice you need('Any time of year..you can find it here).In the line..'so I called up the captain..bring me my wine' ..the eagles used to call there their drug dealer 'The count'..I'm guessing..'Captain'/'Count'..'Wine'/'Coke',that's opinion only..not fact. The last verse refers to constant drink and drugs..'mirrors..champagne' and how regardless of self-destruction, it's their '..Own device'. The 'masters chamber' is a nod to the superficial 'music industry critic's constant back-stabbing of The Eagles, but the 'Beast'..(The Eagles ever-improving popularity and record sales) couldn't be killed. The end is a metaphor for the subject(..in this case Henley & Frey), looking back to better days,the early magic and spirit of late 60s LA, but knowing it's now a spiritual graveyard where,no matter how much you bitch, It's the only place that offers you 'Heaven & Hell' at the same time. Although the '..Check out any time' line is also a nod to Jackson Browne's wife's suicide. The reason for the 'Beverly hills hotel' being ot the album cover, is that the Spanish architecture fitted in with the 'simple roots' of LA as suggested in the song, but also to imply L.A city,with all it's super rich and 'wannabe's' as being somewhat of a soul-less asylum. incidentally, Felder(..noted as co-writer) wrote every musical part of the song incuding the bass-line and end solo, before Henley & Frey got their hands on it. -(No.1 Eagles fan) Ian C Cat Stevens's "Father And Son" Orginally, this song was written for the film, Revolussia, which is about a young man who leaves home for the first time to join the Russian Revolution. But the film never took off! The song, Father and Son, by Cat Stevens is sortof, in part, a dialog between a father and his son, with Cat playing both parts! The father is trying to talk his son out of doing something which he considers to be fool heartedly, but to settle down and have a family, as the father is getting on in age and wants to have grandchildren! Beatles's "Let It Be" Paul McCarthney's mother, Mary, had died when he was young. In spite of his success in music he was going through a period of loneliness and dispair. One night his mother, Mary, came to him in a dream and told him that he would find his way and everything would be OK, that he just had to let it be. Not long after, he met his wife, Linda, and wrote the song to express his thanks to his mother. The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" Pete claims to be a victim of sexual assualt. He wrote this from the perpetrator's perspective. Phil Collins's "In The Air Of Tonight" Phil was touring in Florida, and he needed some "alone" time. He took a walk on a nearby beach. He looked out over the water and saw a man in a boat. The man wouldn't help a person drownding in the water right next to him. The person drowned. Phil didn't know what to do. He wrote this song, and through boat registration he figured out who the man was. Phil sent him front row tickets to a concert. When the song about the man came up, Phil sang it staring at the guy the whole time. After the show, the guy turned himself in. Good story huh? It's true! Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight" Phil was with his fiancee on a beach one night when two men approached them. One man raped Phil's fiancee while the other held Phil and forced him to watch. Five years later, Phil went back to the same beach. He doesn't know why, but he was drawn to that same spot where the rape happened. Suddenly, he hears a man in the ocean calling for help. He swims out to save him, but when he gets close, he recognizes him as the man who raped his wife. So he lets the man drown. It's all in the lyrics: "I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord. Ive been waiting for this moment, all my life, oh lord." -- Phil finally gets vengeance. "if you told me you were drowning. I would not lend a hand. Ive seen your face before my friend, But I dont know if you know who I am. Well, I was there and I saw what you did. I saw it with my own two eyes." -- He reminds the drowning man about what he did. Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" "Pink" is the name of the character from Pink Floyd's album The Wall. It's telling the story of Pink and his addiction to heroin. America's "Horse With No Name" Pleeeease. You guys don't realize what most if not all of America's songs were about. Drugs. Horse is slang for Heroin. Viola! Now I have never done heroin so it's rather difficult for me to connect these lyrics but the song is in fact about Heroin. Deep Purple's "Child In Time" Putting this up as someone's else's post was completely wrong. According the Ian Gillan - Deep Purple's singer and the one responsible for the lyrics: It was 1969 and the band was rehearsing at a Community Centre in West London; it was either Southall or Hanwell. Jon Lord was dicking around (or 'extemporising on a theme' as it's known in the trade) with a tune from the new album by 'It's a Beautiful Day', it was 'Bombay Calling'. I started singing and the words came easily because we were all aware of the nuclear threat which hovered over us at this time which was probably when the 'cold war' was at it's hottest. Through the medium of Radio Free Europe this song and many others reached the ears and hearts of like minded people behind the 'Iron Curtain' and as I found out many years later, it was of a great comfort to them when they understood that there were some peace loving friends out there somewhere. Elton John's "Someone Saved My LIfe Tonight" Quoted from http://www.eltonlinks.com: "The song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is about an episode in Elton's life. In the late sixties, he almost got married to a woman who didn't even like his music and what he was doing. He wanted to get out of that situation, but was too confused, and also didn't want to face her. So one night he got drunk, then left his friends at the bar and went home. When Bernie got back, he found Elton lying on the kitchen floor, his head on a pillow for comfort, the oven open letting gas fill the room. But there was also a window open. So Bernie started to laugh. This suicide attempt was in fact a cry for help. The line "Paying your H.P. demands forever" refers to installment payments. I've been told that the letters H.P. stand for Hire-Purchase or Hire-Pay. It means that he would have had to pay for her expenses all of their married life. He saw this marriage as a neverending chore. In the lines "You almost had me roped and tied, altar-bound, hypnothized", he speaks to her, saying, wow, I almost got caught in your web! It's Bernie who wrote the words, so he had kind of an outsider view of this relationship. He thought she was a Prima Donna, and that Elton was "just a pawn out-played by a dominating queen". So anyway, after having been "saved" by Bernie, and also by Long John Baldry, the blues singer whom the band Bluesology was backing at the time, who talked Elton into getting out of this relationship, his friends came in the morning with a truck to take Elton home. Those lyrics are really great. They tell the story in a very poetic way, in my opinion. In 1974, when Elton recorded the song, it had been a couple of years since it happened. But Elton was still shaken by this experience and he was very emotional in the studio. The producer made him redo the vocals time and time again until they were just the way he wanted them, and Elton found that to be very painful." Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" Recently, Dick Ebersol paid several thousand dollars at a charity auction to find out who the song was about. Carly Simon offered the information in order to help the charity. She whispered it in his ear. She also dropped a few hints this year. The name has an e, a, and an r in it. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" References to "Flying Machine" are references to a band which James Taylor formed in the late 60's. The band didn't do well and therefore the reference to "Sweet dreams and 'Flying Machines" in pieces on the ground. Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)" The Rhiannon myth was not the inspiration for the song "Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)". Rather, Stevie Nicks read the name in a romance novel during a flight, liked the name, and wrote the song in 10 minutes. She later learned of the Welsh myth and was shocked to learn that her song also fitted the myth. Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" Robert Plant has been a friend and neighbour of mine for several years. I once asked him about the meaning of the lyrics to "stairway" he told me that because it was only written in 20 minutes, there was no great thought put into the lyrics - other than it refers to a rich woman who feels she can buy anything or buy her way out of any trouble. Eventually, though, we all have to 'pay the piper' - or pay for our misdeeds/ excesses in life. If an explanation by one of the authors to a friend is not enough to put an end to all those other theories and weird interpretations (satanism?? ) then I don't know what is. Lena Horne's "Stormy Weather" "Rock and rye" is an alcoholic drink. "Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, rye wiskey, I cry. If I don't get rye whiskey I surely will die." Check out "Cowboy Songs" by Michael Martin Murphey, cowgirl. Don McLean's "American Pie" SIMPLY----I have heard SO MANY different interpretations, but it all leads down to the main idea that Holly, Valens and the Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash on February 2nd, 1959. Many lyrics allude to this like "But february made me shiver" and "With every paper [news about the crash] I’d deliver". Another main idea is the history of music (and world) from the 60s from the viewpoint of McLean. Thats all u need to know Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" "STH" has been named the Millennium Song (1000 years). IMHO, STH is likened to a fine literature/poetical Zenith. "Stairway" is the spiral staircase/ladder of physical and spiritual DNA. (so this puts LZ ahead of their time). "glitters is gold": an idealist (it's ok to follow yr ideals) or the barring away of rose-coloured glasses/clarity; "buying a stairway": 2nd contract, we are born into our 1st agreement when we come here; we may choose to make our 2nd agreement/path if we desire to follow a higher purpose ("those who stand long")(for the highest good of All); "stores": the 'storehouse' in the hereafter we're now building to draw upon,-a kind of karma or Akashic Record; "word": we are a/our 'word', our 'word' has energy/life/love -- 'go, create, as you have been created!'; 'all roads lead to happiness'--(Buddha); "spirit...leaving": liberation from the bonds of life/death; also, the transcending of the limitations of our ego. {re: STH, this might help a little...a poem by George Darley (1795-1846) called, ""Sylvia or The May Queen""..."Gently! gently! down! down! From the starry Courts on high, Gently step adown, down The Ladder of the sky, Sunbeam steps (staircase) are strong enough For such airy feet; Spirits blow your trumpets rough (the trumpets are round, blowing rings meaning celestial harmony) So as they be sweet!, Breathe them loud,-(instrumental voices),-The Queen descending (the May Queen who comes down and presents clarity of mind "spring clean"), Yet a lowly welcome breathe (whisper), Like so many flowerets (a flower in her breath/hair?) bending Zephry's (Greek god of the "west" wind) breezy foot beneath".}. "rings" could be as in smoke signals/a sign/look for signs in the skies/on the walls of your heart/the rings of time as seen as circular not linear, sychronicity, etc; "voices": The Watchers/the Listeners of Earth's thoughts, and also meaning 'us'; "humming"...a somewhat low vibration or buzzing sound some Lightworkers and others hear in their head "hedgerow" signalling their resonance with the Source/the Piper "on the whispering wind"...the Pipeline/focus. (In "GoingToCal"...an Affinity Line..."throw me a line") who according to George Darley is "Apollo's (Greek god of the West, Sun, and Reason) winged bugleman". May Queen,-Lady Of The Flowers,-Lady Of the Lake/Luck,-The Maiden,Goddess Of Spring,-Flower Bride,-Faerie Queen,-Elf Queen: "in the forests she ruled" (...when the children (us) sings-the new world begins...). Two paths: the ego or/ the Higher Self connected to All; the "whispering wind" of spirit/yearning/intuition. "shadow": our Higher Self who is concerned with our sp. development, not ego/material matters...we align and merge with it. "shines white light": in the universe and dimensions we are a shining mark/Light; we can live in and expand this Light while here...(ie. "turn on your LoveLight, shine it all around" -- Robert, from cd "Mighty Rearranger"). "everything still turns to gold": alchemy, the gradual changing from our dross of material world/self to reveal in us a 'golden' Lightbody of higher and wider consciousness...'a rebirth with new eyes' (as in "GoingToCalifornia"). "listen": listen twice, speak once. "listen" as in: 'to pray' is to ask, 'to meditate' is to listen. (Meditation is not about giving up anything, it's about opening up to what is here in the Now moment...which one can do in silence, & one can do this in some music, eg. STH itself - a meditation.) (Apparently "rock and roll" is an English term.) Regarding STH reverse side which I've heard (it really does sound like Robert's beautiful voice-I couldn't bring myself to listen to it all :( but you play the reverse of STH going forward not backwards??? huh! ...there are some people who have determined/theorized that when something as lovely as STH is produced there must be a counterbalance, yin/yang, hence the (collective) sub/unconscious hearing of a reverse meaning to STH. Indeed, when listening to some of our government 'Leaders' speeches, one can hear a word like 'peace' reversed to a war-like word like 'bomb'; and a word like 'evil' reversed to 'live' -- but as an immortal Soul, this won't hurt you. Re: "Kashmir", which Jimmy says most closely defines his beloved Led Zep, it is not about the physical place Kashmir but rather about a metaphysical journey. Also, for 'Going To California', etc., google 'astral projection/voyage/trip/OBE'. P.S: 'zep' means 'time' (ha ha, is it possible LZ was a subconscious Name?...nah but it's a fun possibility!!); pls google 'Zep Tepi'(Time Travel,The Watchers)./// "...and they shall 'beat' their swords into guitars and their spears into pruning 'hook's...". (bluesforpeace.com)/// TTFN :) Judy Collins's "Send In The Clowns" "Send in the CLowns". I know the song came from "Eine Kleine Nacht Musik" abd was written by Stephen Sondheim, and what the expression itself implies. Does anyone know how it related to Judy Collins? Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" Several people in this forum have speculated on the meaning of the song Hey Joe as pertaining to Jimi Hendrix. Problem is, this song was originally recorded by a group called The Leaves, so where do we go from here? Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" "So you think you can love me and leave me to die?" Absolutely an AIDS reference Max Webster's "Let Go The Line" Someone else mentioned that this song is about someone thinking of hanging themselves. I don't get that feeling. This song sounds too casual and laid back for something as serious as that. For me, this song is about people getting burned out by doing too much partying and too much drugs in the late 1970s. "This tight rope just begins to feel like home" implies that the person in the song has gotten used to living on the edge but is thinking about changing his life. The tight rope is the stress that the lifestyle causes... "but tonight I might let go the line"... he's thinking of letting go of his current lifestyle and 'the line' could refer to the line of cocaine (or whatever drug) that he wants to stop doing. And this person must have a friend that he does this stuff with (or maybe it's a roommate or girlfriend) and he comes upon this person lying down, staring into space, completely stoned. And with one look, he can pretty much tell that this person is high as a kite, and will eventually come down. And this repetitive cycle of ups and downs and living on the edge is losing its allure and he's getting to the point where he can take it or leave it. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" Someone here wrote that "Fire and Rain" was about JT's girlfriend dying in a plane crash. According to http://www.james-taylor.com/albums/firerain.shtml she committed suicide: Who is Suzanne? Susie Schnerr was a friend from JT?s Greenwich Village days. She committed suicide while he was in London recording his debut album but his friends didn?t want to bring him down during his big break, so they kept it from him until later. "You've just got to see me through another day" The phrase "another day" here and in the song of the same name both refer to recovery from addiction. "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" The Flying Machine was the name of JT?s first band, which broke up when he left for England and his eventual solo debut. Stories claiming the line refers to an actual plane crash are just urban legends. James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" Someone put on this page that this song was about a woman who was with him in the mental ward. Although he was in a mental ward (1970's answer to heroin rehab) and he did write a song about that ("Knockin Round the Zoo"), this song is not about that. Here is the real story: When James Taylor went off to record his first album shortly after he was signed, his girlfriend Susan had to stay at home. They could not afford a ticket for her, and since it was 1970 and he was a new artist, the label did not front the money. As a surprise, as he was finishing up on the album, his friends and the label pitched in to fly Susan to be with him. Tragically, the airplane crashed and she was killed. Since it was a surprise, he did not hear about it until after he finished the album and the label told him what had happened. Isn't that sad? Here are the lyrics. Read them for yourself: Fire and Rain James Taylor Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone Susan, the plans they made put an end to you I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song I just cant remember who to send it to Ive seen fire and ive seen rain I seen sunny days that I thought would never end I saw lonely times when I could not find a friend But i always thought that id see you again Wont you look down upon me Jesus you got to help me make a stand You just got to see me through another day My bodies aching and my time is at hand An' I wont make it any other way (chorus) Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun Lord knows when the cold wind blows itll turn you head around Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground Queen's "Killer Queen" Someone said they were usure of the lyrics "Gunpowder, gelatine, dynamite with a laser beam." I believe it's "Gunpowder, Guillotine..." that would fit with the whole 'ways of killing' thing it seems to have going for it. Raydio's "You Can't Change That" Song about a stalker stalking a woman. "You can change the color of your hair, you can change the clothes you wear... You can change your telephone number, you can change your address too, but that won't stop me from loving you, no you can't change that" - kinda creepy huh... James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" Song is about being bi-polar and James Taylors relationship with a bi-polar female who was with him in a mental ward //ups and downs that come with the disease and suicide being a real danger that bi-polars deal with John Lennon's "Imagine" Sorry, but this song is about comunisum! If you've ever read a book like 1984(you probably havent if you live in the states) then you would see it is all about comunisum. He is talking about having a completly perfect world that is only a dream "you may say i'm a dreamer" as in comunisum is only an idea. He goes on to sing "imagine no possesions, i wonder if you can" as in equalless among people. He then says "imagine all the people, sharing all the world" and goes on to say how he is a dreamer. If that doesn't spell comunisum then how about this. After John Lennon wrote that song he was red flaged by the CIA for being a possible an-achist and comunist. Don't believe it?? Have you ever seen John Lennon? I haven't but honestly the guy was a big hippy and probably thought the idea of comunisum was great, and really it is ... but it was just his dreaming ... and that all comunisum is, works on paper but not in real life. America's "A Horse With No Name" Sounds like a good story,"as one of the members liked to visit the area around Vandenburg Air Force Base, California". The was a song about drugs. First part of the journey taking the drug (horse) be involved and move from reality(There was sand and hills and rings)to (Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain)alone. After prolonged exposure (Made me sad to think it was dead)a choice is made (let the horse run free)and back to the living (there was sand and hills and rings) but is it where we want to be (But the humans will give no love)and back to despair. The cycle of hate will repeat as herion is want to do. Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" Stairway To Heaven the greatest rock song of all time has many diferent theories as to what it means. Some say its about drugs. "Gold" was a term for marijuana in the 70s and "rings of smoke throuhg the trees and the voices of those who stand looking" means marijuana smoke came up throught the trees and the people around the smoke were talking about the girl smoking it. There are lines meaning things like that throughout the song. Some say it has no meaning and Robert was stoned when he wrote the lyrics. Some say it means whatever you want it to mean. Paige has said that is what it means and that it is a song of hope. A lot of people have heard the rumor about the lines in the song. that go "If there´s a bustle in your hedgerow don´t be alarmed now. It´s just a spring clean for the May-Queen. Yes there two paths you can go by. But in the long run. There´s still time to change the road you´re on." Many people say that when played backwards those lines say a satanic message. My freinds and I have tried this and unfortunately the record I have has a big scratch on it, and the only one who has the record besides me out of my group of freinds lost it. So I don't know if its true or not. Every website, person, etc. who says there is a satanic message says it is something different. There is another rumor that says some really creepy stuff. Jimmy and Robert wrote stairway in a really old mansion where most of the album was made. It goes that while sitting by the fire in this mansion Jimmy was playing an acoustic while Robert hummed to it and at one point while he was starting to write he felt that "Something was moving my pen...". He has said that several interviews. Jimmy Page says that Robert "...had come up with 90% of the lyrics right there on the spot! We were all stunned...". I know that this in another entry, but I heard this rumor long before visiting this website. Some other websites I can give out to help people with Staiway To Heaven are: http://www.durangocoloradousa.com/stairwaytoheaven.html http://www.reversespeech.com/music_reversals.htm http://experts.about.com/q/501/3526313.htm I am a 12 year old zeppelin fan who has been workingon the meaning of Stairway since he was 11. If you feel I was wrong or needed to add things please enlighten me and put them on this website and all over the web. May this song be played forever. Led Zepellin's "Stairway To Heaven" Stairway To Heaven was recorded at Headly Grange in England. Most of the 4th Album was recorded there. Headly Grange was a huge, hundred year old mansion that was cold and drafty and had limited privileges. It was perfect. Stairway was literally recorded in front of a roaring fireplace with Robert Plant & Jimmy Page sitting cross-legged on the floor. Jimmy came in with the intro intact. After a small while of "humming" from Plant, Robert starting to write the lyrics right then and there. "Something was moving my pen..." he has been quoted to say on many an interview. Jimmy Page admitted that Robert "...had come up with 90% of the lyrics right there on the spot! We were all stunned..." Led Zepplin's "Stairway To Heaven" Stairway to Heaven is the old Christian sermon which says you don't have to pay to pray, you are saved by the love of God, not by your deeds, and it's never too late to be saved. The Piper is Jesus. You can read line by line and see how it's about Christianity by visiting here: http://www.sunsetwestproductions.com/forever/stairway.htm For the very intriging words of the greatest rock song of all time to be written on the fly, they must have been inspired by God. Remember the music was written by a band called 'Spirit' but they couldn't come up with any words so they gave it Zepplin. Makes you wonder???? Singer Lena Horne's "Stormy Weather" Stormy weather is I think a song of the 40s sung by Lena Horne. Wanting to know the meaning of 'rock and rye' Your site seems to be the most hopeful. Thanks Helen Cramer Nancy Sinatra's "Sugar Town" Sugar Town by Nancy Sinatra in a song about being totally out of your head having a great buzz on cocain , but remember folks for every high there's a come down. Don Henley, ex Eagles's "The Boys Of Summer" Supposedly a nostalgic love song on the surface, this song is about post-WW2 racism in the US. The "Boys of Summer" were the American troops who went to Europe in the latter stages of WW2 to expedite the end of the war on the German Nazis. The story-teller returns to the US after the war, only to discover that racism is just as evident in the US. He laments, "I'm driving by your house though I know you're not home" - the house is the Whitehouse and the story-teller refers to the emptiness or lack of spirit in the Whitehouse - it's a place that tolerates or fosters racism, too. A black man is also seen down the barrel of a gun as the gunman says to himself, "I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun". James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" Susan didn't die in a plane crash!! She was a girl Taylor knew in a mental institution (where he was being treated for heroin addiction). This was after the release of his debut album on Apple Records. Susan suffered from depression and committed suicide. The line "sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" refers to Taylor's band, The Flying Machine, which split due to his drug problems. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" Suzanne was the name of a woman he befriended while in rehab for heroin addiction. She committed suicide after she got out. Flying Machines was the name of JT's former band which had broken up. Remember this was the song that made him a star so he was lamenting the loss of his band. It's not a completely literal song and that what makes it so touching. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" "Sweet dreams and flying machines..." refers to the breakup of his band, The Original Flying Machine. See http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p00456.htm The Eagles's "Hotel California" THIS SONG IS ABOUT A BUDDHIST HOTEL IN TEXAS. THE EAGLES USED TO LIVE THERE AND WORSHIP BUDDHA, AND THEY MADE THIS SONG. John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Road" "Take Me Home, Country Road" is a classic ode to the speaker's home state (though not of the singer or the songwriters). On another level, though a line in the last verse hints at another possible meaning to the song "I should have been home yesterday, yesterday..." It is quite possible that the speaker has missed his mother before she died, is making his way home and all his memories of her come flooding back to him, teardrop in his eye. Jason Suggs, Notre Dame, Indiana James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" Taylor's hit song "Fire and Rain" is about the suicide of a woman he became close to while in rehab and about getting off heroin itself. There is an amusing myth about the meaning of the song. According to the myth, the song tells the story of Taylor's girlfriend, Suzanne, being killed in an airplane crash on her way to meet him at a concert. The myth is very popular among Taylor fans, and this is why I find it particularly pathetic. The idea of the plane crash comes from the line, "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground." One would think that fans would know the history of their idols. "The Flying Machine" was the name of a band Taylor had in New York--a band that broke up ("in pieces") in large part because of Taylor's drug use. There is an excellent discussion of this Urban Legend on the Snopes Web Site. Be warned, however, that the article makes an assumption about when Taylor met Suzanne by not taking into account the common practice of changing song lyrics drastically over time. Otherwise, the article is dead-on. Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Technically, they were a band of the 60's, but this album was released Jan. 26, 1970. My dad told me that this song was about "shooting up" or IV drug use. He said the part where they say "Sail on Silver Girl, sail on by, you're time has come to shine...." is about the needle. I don't know how true this is but when you listen to the rest of the lyrics you could see how they might be singing about using drugs to escape the pain of the world. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" That is not accurate, the story that JT told was that Susan was a girl he had met and befriended while in rehab. She commited suicide while on the inside.... America's "A Horse With No Name" That was a nice little concept about comparing the ocean to the desert although extremely naive. A Horse with no name has long been known as a pet name for Heroin. The singer is obviously crooning about the ups and downs of the drug. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" "The Flying Machines" was the first band Taylor played in. The reference in that line is refering to his hopes as a youth and the break-up of the band. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" There are a few errors from the previous posts. Susanne was a friend of James. The song is about Susanne's suicide while James Taylor was recording his debut album. She did NOT die in a plane crash. The line "sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" refers to James Taylor's first band. The "Flying Machines" were not successful, and the line refers to their demise. If you listen to the lyrics, you will realize that he is speaking of things he spoke about with Susanne. The song also deals with his come back from addiction. (the below is from www.james-taylor.com) "Fire And Rain" James Taylor Who is Suzanne? Susie Schnerr was a friend from JT?s Greenwich Village days. She committed suicide while he was in London recording his debut album but his friends didn?t want to bring him down during his big break, so they kept it from him until later. "You've just got to see me through another day" The phrase "another day" here and in the song of the same name both refer to recovery from addiction. "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" The Flying Machine was the name of JT?s first band, which broke up when he left for England and his eventual solo debut. Stories claiming the line refers to an actual plane crash are just urban legends. Steely Dan's "Everyone's Gone To The Movies" There are other possible interpretations here. This man is a pedophile. He doesn't just show dirty movies, he's after other things. He wants to show kids a "new game to play." Mmmm...wonder what that is? There's another reference to him welcoming the kids with open arms. Also, the lyric, "I know you're used to 16 or more, sorry we only have 8" can also have entirely pedophilic and different meanings - not 16 year olds, who in many states are legal, but 8 year olds. The man likes little kids. Anyway, a different way to think about it... Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" There was a lot of speculation as to who "Billie Jean" was when this was released, and the speculation only increased when it became clear that the only way Michael could have children at all was to pay lots of money to a nurse to act as a surrogate. However, it is now clear that the song refers to tennis champion Billie Jean King, with whom Michael had an affair in the early 1980s, and who tried to trick him that the child she was carrying was his, when in fact she was actually pregnant by Demis Roussous, a then-popular Greek singer and Michael Jackson look-alike. Whether Billie Jean thought that Demis was actually Michael at the time of conception is not clear. Don McLean's "American Pie" There's actually a grand interpretation of every lyric in this song, but what it's basically about is the grand scope of years after the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper (i.e. the "Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost"). It goes from the pop-music sockhops and the popular spurning of original R&B music, to the popularity war between Elvis (the King) and Bob Dylan (the Jester who sang folk music, "a voice that came from you and me"), to the British Invasion, to hard rock and the crudeness that it brought. "The day the music died", in a way, is both the day in February that Buddy's plane crashed, and the decade from his death to the end of the 60's in which rock'n'roll as Don McLean knew it faded away. In a way, it's about the death of innocence, too, and the death of 50's America. The 60's changed everything, and in a way it killed the world that existed before it. "American Pie" is a sort of eulogy for that old way of life, and way of music; it's a ballad for what we all lost, for better or worse, the day the music died. The Eagles's "Hotel California" They said it in an interview themselves that I read a while ago. The entire song, although it is rumored to be about death is about fame and greed.. "Her mind is Tiffany twisted She's got the Mercedes bends She's got a lot of pretty, pretty boys That she calls friends." "Materialism's" mind is twisted by Tiffany's and Mercedes: Tiffany's for expensive jewelry, Mercedes for the expensive cars. People's perspectives get distorted by these things, which explains another fun play on works with "Benz" or bends and twisted. "So I called up the Captain. Please bring me my wine. He said, we haven't had that spirit here since 1969." The Captain's response is interesting, they haven't had that wine since 1969. Since the summer of love, the summer of freedom from possessions. They haven't had the ability to give you that since... Woodstock. "Mirrors on the ceiling, The pink champagne on ice And she said 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'" Ceiling Mirrors are a great reference for our adult audience while Pink champagne is certainly another symbol of luxury. The last line gives up hope and hopelessness in that we are trapped of our own will. In pursuit of wealth we created our lifestyle. "'Relax,' said the night man, We are programmed to receive. You can checkout any time you like, but you can never leave!" The night man, the guard, or society, tells us to relax, this is what we're all about, it is normal to desire things. We are brought up and conditioned by society to be receptive to messages about status and wealth. Of course, we can "check out", go on vacation, head to the mountains and get away for a while but, we will never pull ourselves from greed. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" This Taylor classic is about the death of a friend of James' called Suzanne (Susie) Schnerr,who he and a couple of friends were friendly with in New York around the mid 60's and who committed suicide while Taylor was in London cutting his debut album on the Beatles 'Apple' label. He wasn't told about her death until six months after it happened because his own mental health was so delicate. The opening line 'just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone' is about how he felt on learning of her death. The line 'won't you look down upon me Jesus, you gotta help me make stand'is about him making a plea to help him through his drug abuse. She was not a girl-friend and did not die in a plane crash. Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbitt" This is Grace Slick's effort from the band she was in prior to Airplane with her husband (The Great Society), written to scorn the use of extraordinary tales such as Alice in Wonderland, when raising children and expecting them to scorn psychdelia and open minded thinking. Elton John's "Daniel" This is a song about A brother or a friend or someone with a close relationship to a someone, "Daniel." Quite basically, Daniel is leaving home and the songwriter does not want him to leave. On the journey, something happens which kills Daniel. What a song! KISS's "Beth" This is a song about Peter Criss' wife being lonely because he and the band are always on the road and never home. the key line is 'me and the boys will be playing all night' Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" This is a song that describes the influences that WWII had on America, and the reality of post-war America. It's up-beat tune is extremely catchy, distracting mnay listeners from the true meaning: life and times of post-war America. Black Sabbath's "Hand Of Doom" This is a staight up anti-heroin song. "push the needle in, face that sickly grin, holes are in your skin, caused by deadly pins." Guess Who's "American Women" This is about Canada's frosty relations with the US during the Vietnam War. "I don't want your war machines, I don't want your ghetto scenes." "American woman, get away from me." I always thought it was kinda funny; did they think our part of the continent could pick itself up and float away? Eric Clapton's "Layla" This is about Clapton's affair with Beatle George Harrison's wife. To obscure who he was referring to, Clapton used the name "Layla" which was the name of a woman in a book he had just read...wish I could remember the name of the book. The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" This is about Pete Townshend's then-closeted bi-sexuality. "No one knows what it's like to be hated, to be fated to telling only lies", etc. Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" This is about a fire in the Casino at Montreux, Switzerland. The water is Lake Geneva, which the casino overlooked. The band was going to record Machine Head there right after a Frank Zappa concert, but someone fired a flare gun at the ceiling which set the place on fire. The band was relocated to another hotel and recorded the album in the Rolling Stones mobile studio. Deep Purple and Frank Zappa lost all his equipment in the fire. "Funky Claude" is Claude Nobs, a man who helped rescue some people in the fire was the person responsible for relocating the band to the Grand Hotel and arranging for themm to use the Rolling Stones mobile studio. Elton John's "All The Girls Love Alice" This is about a young lesbian in town who provides "entertainment" for the women in her neighborhood. Jackson Browne's "Rosie" This is about masturbation with Rosie Palm and her five sisters. "Rosie you're all right, you wear my ring; when you hold me tight, Rosie that's my thing." It's sung from the viewpoint of a musician who had hopes of picking up a groupie one night, but she goes off with the drummer instead. "Looks like it's me and you again tonight, Rosie." Brownsville Station's "Smokin' In The Boys' Room" This is about sneaking out of class to smoke in the bathroom and then getting caught. Kiss's "Black Diamond" This is an early Kiss song written by their original guitarist Angus Young. It's about his cat Diamond who was white but would go out on the streets of London at night and come back home black and dirty. This was on Kiss's first album Jailbreak. Pink Floyd's "Any Colour You Like" This is any instrumental from dark side of the moon... the title comes from an old english saying at the markets near where roger waters lived, when selling cutlery people would say, you can have any colour you like as long as its blue.. metaphorically this is offering a choice when there really isn't any Rush's "The Trees" This is clearly a play on Ayn Rand's philosophy which Rush has given credit to on at least one of their albums. Rand's philosophy is survival of the fittest and individualism. The oaks are the best, they deserve what they have, they earned it based on their ability to grow taller. The end result of the weaker individuals grouping together to create "equality" is that everybody loses (kept equal with hatchet ax and saw). Instead, they should strive to be better as an individual and become like oaks. Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" This is one of my favorite songs ever written. I believe that it pertains to the horrors of the Vietnam War. It describes a soldiers confusion with reality in the lyric "can you tell heaven from hell". Many of the soldiers had emotional troubles due to this war. The lyric "trade your heroes for ghosts" was also about the thousands of soldiers killed. And one other lyric "did you exchange a walk on part in the war, for a lead role in a cage?" is about draft dodging and being put in jail which some thought better than walking onto the horrors of war. The point is this song definetly is about the times of the Vietnam War, case closed. Tubeway Army's "Everyday I Die" This is yet another song about masturbation and alienation. It's about unfulfilled fantasies, and is pretty graphic: "The problem of need, I need you. Obscene dreams in rusty beds. No one came here tonight. I pulled on me, I need to. I unstick pages and rear. I look at pictures of you. I smell the lust on my hand...everyday I die." Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London" This might be rumor...but as I understand it this song is about the gangs portrayed in Clockwork Orange, who ran around london killing and raping. Don McLean's "American Pie" This must be one of the two most contested songs of all time (the other being Stairway). I did a thesis on this song for a contemporary poetry class, and what I have written is the result of many hours of research. The best way to understand it is to go line by line, noting the references, and then allowing people to draw their own conclusions. "But February made me shiver, With every paper I'd deliver, Bad news on the doorstep... I couldn't take one more step." February 2nd, 1959 was the date of the plane crash which killed Holly, Valens and the Big Bopper. At the time Don McLean was a paperboy, and on Feb 3rd would have delivered the papers carrying the news of Holly's death. "So... Bye bye Miss American Pie..." The word "so" suggests that the next lines are connected to the previous ones. "Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry" This is reminiscient of a Chevrolet ad slogan of the 50's which ran: “Drive your Chevrolet/through the USA…On a highway or a road along a levee…” "That'll be the day that I die" was one of Buddy Holly's most famous songs. The next line "Did you write the book of Love, and do you faith in God above/ if the bible tells you so" "The Book of Love" was a 1958 hit song by The Monotones. "If the Bible tells you So' was a song by Don Cornell, 1955. "Now do you believe in rock 'n roll?" This hints at the change in setting from the 50's to the 60's, as a well known 60's song by the Lovin Spoonful called "Do you beleive in Magic?" which reads "…I’ll tell you ‘bout the magic to free your soul, but it's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock and roll." The song goes on for a while longer, but you get the idea. Don McLean has admitted to the Holly references in the first lines, but prefers to leave the rest to the listener's imagination. Email me if you have any more questions. Eagles's "Hotel California" This one really speaks to alot of things going on at the time. Both Henley and Frey have hinted to drug addiction, sex and the excesses of fame. California was the perfect example of all of these things taking place, but it was actually about the US as a whole. Sex-"There she stood in the doorway, I heard the mission bells. And I was thinking to myself, this could be heaven or this could be hell". A little known fact is that Henley was arrested for harboring a young girl (not sure of the age but definitely not 18) Drugs-Mercedes Bends (not Benz, like the car) is a code name for a heroin overdose. "Steely Knives" is their way of mentioning Steely Dan, who had mentioned the Eagles in a song. The theory about Satan worshipping may come more from the inside of the album than from the song itself, supposedly a devilish figure stands in the balcony being crucified. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. Has there ever been a more analyzed line in music? This could be about alot of things, drug addiction or sex, but I want to think it's about their rising popularity-that they could never go back to being the good ol' boys that hung out at the Troubadour, drank and smoked and tried to get layed every night without the whole world knowing. This is one of the greatest songs ever written, if nothing else to keep us all guessing. Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" This song (as any Floyd fan would know) is about The Floyd's rise to superstardom, because of the album Dark Side of the Moon, and becoming trapped in the world of being a super star thus "Wish You Were Here"...because they weren't... The Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" This song IS NOT ABOUT LSD as some folks would have you believe. John Lennon's son Julian had come back from school one day with a drawing. When John Lennon asked his son what it was, Julian told him that it was a girl he liked "Lucy" who appeared to be floating in the sky with diamonds that he drew around her that he had hoped one day to give her. If you belive that Lucy in the sky with diamonds is about LSD use, then you probably believe the rumors that Paul McCartney had also died back in the 1960's and that we are still listening and being fooled by his perfect double "Billy Sheers". Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" This song also refers to recordings the band did in the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama where the guys there took them under their wing and showed them how to record in a studio. Ronnie Van Zant affectionately dubs them the "Swampers" and states "they pick me up when I'm feeling blue." The majority of the Skynyrd band hails from Jacksonville FL and no members were from Alabama. Also the recordings made in Alabama lead to the success of their first album. Neil Young and Van Zant were friends, Young thought the song was funny, he even did it in concert on occasion. Ronnie was also known to wear a Neil Young t-shirt during concerts. Also alot of people think the band were racists, they were not. Why else would they "boo" governor Wallace, who was for segregation at the time. The confederate back drop for the band was drummed up by the record company to promote them as a Southern Rock band. The band thought it was a good idea at the time and eventually stopped using the flag later in their career. Skynyrd Rocks! Styx's "The Grand Illusion" This song basically says that we shouldn't follow the rest of world in fads but show our-selves for who we are. The line "America spells compitition" says that we are obsessed with beating other countries. Pink Floyd's "Have A Cigar" This song deals with the record company man who promises the world to a would be star. "The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh, by the way, which one is Pink?" reveals disdain for the record company man who fakes enthusiasm for the band while not knowing anything about the band. The "gravy train" is the riches that success in the music world can bring. In short, the music business is all about making money, regardless of artistic creativity, which is the foundation of Floyd's music. Queen's "Death On Two Legs" This song has a lot of meaning, is is a very degrating song, and it is directed to one of Queens managers, who in the 80's took a bunch of "Royalty" money from them and left, So they thought the only thing fit for them to do is right a song about him. The Eagles's "Hotel California" This song has been argued over for a long while now that this song is about a drug addiction and the hotel is a metaphore for a rehab facility, but in fact the hotel is the Las Angeles county morgue. This song is about a car accident and many people died and they ended up with there souls trapped in the morgue. I quote ' We are all prisoners here of our own device'. I qoute 'You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave'. In those sayings is cleary makes a point of death. This song is clearly about a morgue I quote 'this could be heaven or this could be hell.' before those lines are spoken he talks about seeing a light....(the light of death).......he talks about pink shampane on ice (AKA emablming fluids) the mirrors on the ceiling( the mirrors the docters see from in the ceiling. "And in the master's chambers, They gathered for the feast The stab it with their steely knives, But they just can't kill the beast " He talks about the table were his body lies they cut him open with teh knives they try to kill his spirit but it still lingers. "Last thing I remember, I was Running for the door I had to find the passage back To the place I was before 'Relax,'said the night man, We are programmed to receive. You can checkout any time you like, but you can never leave! " He talks about his spirit trying to erase this dream and wake up and the nightmen says he can die anytime he likes but his spirit can never leave. And he says we are programmed to recieve,is that they are programmed to recieve spirits and bodys because they are the LA morgue. Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" This song has definately been known as relating to drugs but is no where close to that. My marching band is playing it now in our show and we sat down and our director, a very big S&G fan, told us about the song and its meaning. He said we are using it as a sign of our relationship towards eachother and thats why he picked it in the first place. The song is definately in no way related to drugs. Rush's "The Trees" This song has so much meaning. To me, it is describing how you can fight back and if you stand together you can overcome anything. "the maples formed a union, and demanded equal rights" Just because a group of people have more money, a better car, house, ext. this DOES NOT mean that they are better than you in any way shape or form. Don McLean's "American Pie" This song has various meanings. On the surface it appears to be about the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly. However, the song is also about the death of the innocence of the 1950's and 1960's. If you wish to over-analyse American Pie you may find connections to other bands but the main thing here is to find the essence of the song. John Lennon's "Imagine" This song is NOT about communism, may sound like it, but no.. It's about how much better the world would be with out religion, seeing as religion causes wars, racism, hate.. putting mankind against eachother.. when in fact it should be the opposite. Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" This song is NOT about LSD. Initially, the Beatles did nothing to dspel the misconception behind the lyrics. As we all know, controversial lyrics make for a more popular song. It was later told by John Lennon that he got the idea for the song from a drawing his son Julian had done. He asked Julian what it was a picture of and he said "Lucy in the sky with diamonds." Not as intrigueing as a song about LSD, huh? But, still, it was, in my opinion, one of their best. Coven's "One Tin Soldier" This song is a story about a group of people that lived high on a mountain who had a treasure buried under a stone and another group down in the valley that wanted the buried treasure and swore they'd have it one day. First they go and ask the mountain people to turn over their treasure, but they refused. The valley people then mount horses and draw swords and kill all the mountain people in order to claim this treasure. The treasure turns out to be nothing they expected. They turn the stone and look beneath it and, ironically, it says 'Peace on Earth' and nothing more. I beleive the meaning of this is that you have to share such a treasure as peace. Otherwise, it leads to more conflict. The war in this story would never have happened if the mountain people had just shared their treasure. David Bowie's "Heroes" This song is about "old life" meeting "new life". Bowie describes it through the lovelife of his characters. In the beginning, everything seems "king and queen", then .. he can be mean, but they are still together, the process of living in love is not the issue, rather than the result. Later in the song,in modern life, love is different. It has become "epic" ..(in a music way) and also described in the "dolphin verse". In Freudian, water equals the unknown, and the sexual frustration. Standing by the wall, he has been caught with his love (a man), but he regrets nothing. Those who love all, they are nothing, and nothing will help them. Maybe they lie, so be carefull, they are men, men have lead world wars. ! The meaning is, that love is more than just sex between sexes, men and women. It is a universal thing, and if You can be accused of being wrong in that respect, who do You have to answer for then ? The judge on earth will stand to answer someone ... We can be heroes .. we can beat them .. Just for one day .. Maybe not for as long as we are here, but in eternety .. ! That is the message ! Pete .. Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" This song is about ALice and Wonderland. The book not the Disney movie, but u can still match most of the lyrics to the Disney movie. Don McClean's "American Pie" This song is about Buddy Holly dying in a plane crash("the day the music died. It is full of allusions to the 60's and 70's. I was surprised it wasn't on this site, and if anybody knew more about it they could post a longer entrie. Eagles's "Hotel California" This song is about CULTS........being lured in, joining, and (trying to) leave them.... Harry Nilsson's "1941" This song is about Harry's early life growing up as a child. Harry was born in 1941. In 1941 happy father had a son. And by 1944 the father walke right out the door. This is when his parents divorced. By 1945 mom and son were still alive but who could tell by 46 if the two could still survive. He refers to when the circus comes to town as meaning to his life being a circus as a child. Not knowing what was going to happen next. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" This song is about James Taylor's sister, Susan, who died in a house fire. Lynard Skynard's "All I Can Do Is Write About It" This song is about Mr. Van DAm growing up in the south, and the natural beauty of the country. It is so odd how he says," Lord take me and mine before the concrete creeps in." And how he dies not that much longer. Heart's "Magic Man" This song is about Nancy Wilson, who fell under the spell of Charles Manson and for a short time, became a follower. Her mother tried to bring her back home, but she believed he was a "magic man," because she first experienced drugs while with him. Eventually, it was her sister Ann who managed to pull her away from the cult. She arrived at the Manson compound and kidnapped Nancy in the middle of the night. Ann and her mother managed to "de-program" Nancy before it was too late. The Eagles's "Hotel California" This song is about Satan. there are few pieces of evidence to support this claim. first off the first church of satan is located on california st, hence the title "Hotel California." The line that goes "So I called up the Captain, 'Please bring me my wine' He said,'We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine." It is interesting to know that wine is the blood of christ and Anthony Lavey the founder of the church of satan wrote the 1st satanic bible in 1969......Coinicidence???? of course the satanic bible would condemn "Wine." Now listen to the song and think about the descriptions they give especially at the beginning Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" This song is about a chick who uses heroin. At the end she dies, and climbs the "stairway to heaven" James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" This song is about a couple in a mental institution. The couple was separated by those in charge, and as a result, the man committed suicide. Garth Brooks's "Unanswered Prayers" This song is about a guy who dated a girl along time ago. They broke up and he wanted her back very badly. He would pray to God every night that God would make her his again. He then met and married someone else, and ran into his old flame, he introduced the two and realized that she and he both had changed. He then looked at his wife and Thanked God for the way he answered that very prayer...with someone else, not the original girl. The Rolling Stones's "Paint It Black" This song is about a guy's girlfriend or wife dying. "I see a red door and I want it painted black"- some churches- have red doors. "I see a line of cars and they're all painted black. With flowers and my love both never to come back" as in a funeral procession. Vicki Lawrence's "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" This song is about a man who is a long haul truck driver and is sung from the perspective of his little sister. After a few days out of town he is on his way back home when he stops at a bar and runs into his best friend Andy. Andy tells him that his wife has been sleeping around and that he has been with her too. The Trucker is angry about the betrayal and decides to do something about it. He heads home to get his gun "the only thing papa had left him" while Andy is making his way home, wondering what is going to happen now that he lost one of his only friends. When the brother/trucker is sneaking through the woods to get to Andy's house he comes across some small footprints, too small to be a man's. When he looks into the house and sees Andy dead he knows that his sister must have killed him, so he fires his gun into the air to draw the attention of the officers in the area on patrol. It doesnt say so but I think that he confessed to the crime to protect his sister and she is bitter because they didnt even bother to investigate and prove he was telling the truth. "The judge said 'guilty' at a make-believe trial". When she refers to the "lights in Georgia" I think that it is a reference to truth and justice, that the actions of the court in her brothers case were so blind that they were working in the dark, railroading her brother to get the best outcome for themselves, even if it wasnt the truth. Boomtown Rats's "I Don't Like Mondays" This song is about a school shooting. A woman who didn't like the day Monday came into a classroom and shot heaps of children. Not very blatant meaning, maybe except for "I want to shoot the whole day down." Eagles's "Hotel California" This song is about a whore house. The "Captin" is the pimp. "Her mind is Tiffany-twisted" means how shes whore whos addicted to the life of sex drugs and money.... She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends" means her 'johns' or 'clients.' "Mirrors on the ceiling, The pink champagne on ice" what high class whore house dosen't come with mirrors on the ceilings and booze. "You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave" is talking about how the hookers can stop being hookers but it will never leave them. America's "Horse With No Name" This song is about drug use and the horse with no name represents heroin. Everything is a metaphor in this song. The journey through the desert represents the initial happiness and eventual horror that will "drown" you in an ocean of despair. Pink Floyd's "Wish You Where Here" This song is about former band mate Syd Barrett. This 1975 album is mostly based around Syd. It is not about the bands drug use or a father lost in World War 2. A Pink Floyd song named "Mother" is about a father who was a casualty of World War 2. Billy Paul's "Me & Mrs Jones" This song is about heroin. "Jonesing" is slang for heroin use. What Billy Paul is talking about his love affair with H. Neil Young's "Down By The River" This song is about heroine. Hence when he says, "down by the river"(his arm), "i shot my baby"(his heart) "she could drag me over the rainbow"( the high) "its so hard standing here being all alone" (the addiction) James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" This song is about how he was in a mental institution and the only thing that kept him going was a girl. When he left the institution he found out that she had killed herself a day before he got out. Rush's "The Trees" This song is about labor unions and how they may help the workers but in the end everyone will be brought down. Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight" This song is about nothing. Phil Collins was setting to go out on a solo tour and had just purchased new equipment. In getting set up and testing the equipment out, he started singing just anything that came to mind. He later added melody and that's the real meaning behind the song. I heard Phil Collins himself tell the story on a late night radio show. Elton John's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" This song is about someone who is desperately seeking the love of another someone, and how they would do anything to have their love returned by that person. Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" This song is about what Roger Waters perceived as a near death experience. As a child, he experienced an illness which brought on a high fever which he felt would lead to his death. It is a song about drifting in and out of consciousness--both as an ill child, and later as an adult on drugs. The Eagles's "Hotel California" This song is actually about a drug rehab facility in New England which was ironically referred to as "The Hotel California" in part as a means of maintaining discrection while discussing it and in part as a reference to the celebrities and wannabes who spent time there. The narrator is refused wine for obvious reasons. "We are all just prisoners here of our own device" is a reference to addiction. "You can check out any time you like but you can never leave" is another reference to addiction, which can be dealt with but never cured. Once you know what it's about, all the pieces fall into place rather easily with this one. Don McLean's "American Pie" This song is almost like a bard's tale about folk/pop rock between the fiftys and the seventys. The actual "day the music died" is most commonly believed to mean that dread day in 1958 when a small airplane carrying Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper crashed killing them all. The first verse covers the beginning of the end with the death of Mclean's idol and the song continues to progress as did the music of the day. We go through the rise and fall of: Dylan, and folk music; the Beatles and modern pop; the Stones and thier perversion of what rock once had been. The song reads almost like a history book of the social and political semiment and events of the 10 or so years between the writing of the song and the death of Buddy Holly. The lyrics also greatly reflect McLean's first introduction to music in the form of Gospel. We could go on four hours about this song and we promise a line by line break down by verse in the future (when it's not 5:39 in the morning). Coven's "One Tin Soldier" This song is an allegory of what non-natural American's did to the Native Americans. The Native Americans were nearly destroyed by a different people's ignorance of the difference between material wealth and wealth of the greater things in life, like peace (or spirituality). The One Tin Soldier represents the single and only person who stood up for what was right. Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" This song is based on roger waters. he had a problem with his hand and on the day of a concert he took something to numb the pain. When he was playing he could not feel his hand but still felt comfortable and as if he was able to play even better, hence the title comfortably numb Simon And Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" This song is basically about a person who is there for his friend self-sacrificially, he is always there to provide a shoulder to lean on no matter what the situation, with little or no regard for him/herself. Jethro Tull's "Crossfire" This song is clearly about a hostage situation that occured in London. It states "Spring light in a hazy May" of course stateing the time of year in which this happened. "A man with a gun at teh door" describes one of the six gunman as they enter the building. "Someone's crawling on the roof above-- all the media here for the show" is describing the SAS (similar to our SWAT or Green Beret) as they wait on the roof for orders. The media is clearly stated as the media...duh... "I've been waiting for our friends to come Like spiders down ropes to free-fall" also describing the SAS as there getting ready to move in on the gunman. "admit one to the embassy ball" which is where it happened (the Iranian embassy in Londan). "Caught in the crossfire on Princes Gate Avenue" Is the street on which the embassy was on. "In go the windows and out fo the lights" describe when the SAS break in threw the windows and gun fire goes off thus making light. "Everyone's tried to talk it through but they can't seem to get the deal right" is talking about a nagociation that neither the gunman nor the government was able to agree on. "Somewhere there are Brownings in a two-hand hold--- cocked and locked, one up the spout" describes the SAS and possible a sharp shooter on the roof waiting for the orders to fire. This is a very interesting store i suggest you look it up and listen to the song. Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" This song is not about heroin. Van MOrrison wouldnt make a song like this about heroin. Its about a guy remembering old times with a girl who had brown eyes not every song is in code, alot of them are obvious, like this one, it is a beutiful song with a beutiful meaning not about drugs! Rush's "The Trees" This song is not about life/death or God as the other poster stated. It's about proletariat uprisings. "The maples want more sunlight but the oaks ingnore their pleas." "...The maples screamed OPRESSION!" "...So the maples formed a union, and demanded equal rights." The themes here pretty blatanly Marxist with the maples representing the working class and the oaks representing the aristocrats or upper classes. The line about all being kept equal with hatchet, axe, and saw is an obvious reference to the tools of the working class, which become their weapons in a revolution. Much like the hammer and sickle are the representation of the Bolshevik revolution. Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London" This song is not about literal werewolves. It's about the good-looking men of London or anywhere else for that matter. You can spot a werewolf anywhere. (A goodlooking guy dressed to kill teeming with confidence with just one thing on his mind) Thus the verse, "I saw a werewolf drinking a pinacoloda at Tradervicks and his hair was perfect, hmm I'd like to meet his tailor." There are werewolves out there, you girls should know that. Billy Joel's "Captain Jack" This song is not about specifically heroin like most people think, but rather the drug dealer in Billy's old neighborhood. Everyone in the neghborhood called the drug dealer "Captain Jack". Starland Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight" This song is not only about quickies for lunch. It is also about an appetizer served at Clyde's of Georgetown (Washington, DC). Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" This song is often misunderstood. The lyrics were written by Roger Waters who is a notorious racist. This lyrics are misunderstood as comfortably numb when in fact the lyrics are comfortably dumb. Waters is writing about the way a black lives and thinks in a sarcastic, comical sense. "Hello.Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone home?" This line is talking about what goes on inside a black persons head, implying that black people do not think they simply act. The other part of the song is about a dumb black person going to the doctor because he is in pain but is so dumb he cant explain to the doctor what is wrong. " Relax. I need some information first.Just the basic facts, can you show me where it hurts? There is no pain, you are receding." In the end the doctor tells the dumb nigger hes not even hurt hence the last line. In the ending of the song the doctor injects the nigger with some poison that kills him."Just a little pinprick.There'll be no more ...Aaaaaahhhhh! But you may feel a little sick." comment or email me on your reactions The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" This song is part of Townshend's failed lifehouse project, and it's from the bad guy in the storys point of view to show that even they have emotions like the rest of us Bob Marley And The Wailers's "Burnin' And Lootin" This song is really about the segregation and hatred that was taking place in America during the 60's. He wrote the song after he moved to Delaware and witnessed the violence against the blacks. When Bob says "Could not recognize the faces standing over me, they were all dressed in uniforms of brutality" he is singing about the KKK. Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life" This song is really good emotional song itself and it revails a person's of life. Every heart it shines a bright light in you just if it does God will have a smile in heaven once more. You always light up my life. Pink Floyd's "'Comfortably Numb'" This song is talkin about how drugs bring you back to the feeling of being a small child and help adults cope with life and the harsh world. The verses are the drug, heroin, talkin to "Pink" and the chorus is his response. The verses describe how the drug will make him feel, "Well i can ease your pain, get you one your feet again." "Just a little pinprick. There'll be no more Ahhhhhh! But you may feel a little sick," describes the effects of heroin on "Pink." The Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" This song is talking about the halucinations while on LSD. Hence the name, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds(which spells out LSD). Such as distorted colors and the size of things. Which are also in the movie Alice in Wonderland. Lynard Skynard's "Sweet Home Alabama" This song is, in part, the boys from the deep south getting stuck into Neil Young for urging the South to consider civil rights for blacks, in his song "Southern Man". It is an extraordinary attack by one artist on another -- by name! "I heard Mr Young sing about her (i.e. Alabama), I heard ole Neil put her down I hope Neil Young will remember A Southern Man don't need him round anyhow!" The song goes on to show the band's political leanings to the right: "Watergate, it does not bother me Does your conscience bother you? Tell me true." Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London" This song isn't really about "good looking men" as much as it's amking fun of the young men of London who, at the time the song was written were sporting a specific hair-do. The look was ridiculously similar to Lon Cheney's make-up in "The Werewolf" (combed back, feathered and parted in the middle). Since it was a trend of the times in London, every male of a certain age seemed to be wearing the 'do creating a clone-like atmosphere. It's actually one of the greatest slams of all time in it's ability to make fun of the "stylish" Brits. John Lennon's "Imagine" This song portrays qualities similar to that of communism, but I have to say it was definitely NOT his intention. John Lennon was simply throwing out an idea of how the world could be--IMAGINE. The part that some of you seem to take as supporting communism "Imagine there's no heaven its easy if you try, no hell below us above us only sky" is just the realization that religion (and Im not atheist) with its intricate beliefs systems and propensity toward ignorance and unacceptance has actual created a greater portion of all the wars ever fought. The world might be better off if there was no religion at all, but just the idea of a higher power. The part about people sharing the world is a socialistic idea, but I believe it was meant to counter the culture in America with the large rift between rich and poor and especially the greatest rift between first and third world countries. No this song is definitely not about communism. John Lennon was a dreamer and I respect him for that. To diminish him as a pinko commie is just downright ignorant and retarded Pink Floyd's "Time" This song tells of how people can spend thier whole lives just wasting time when they are young. 'Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day.' Later on in the song, it says that these people who waste their lives can try to make up their wasted youth but you can't. "And you run adn you run to catch up with the sun, but its sinking And racing around to come up behind you again The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.' The song is basically saying, in a way that you should cherish the time you have and make the most of it because when you're older and you realize that you have wasted most of your life, it's too late and there's nothing you can do about it. Psychedielic Furs's "Pretty In Pink" This song was a minor "new wave" hit in the very early 80s. It later became the theme tune (re-worked and re-recorded) for a feelgood Hollywood movie of the same name. The band (and others) have laughed about the fact that the movie makers were totally unaware of the songs true meaning. It is not complementing a girl on how attractive she looks in her pink dress or outfit - it's about a girl who was routinely used by insincere lovers who obviously thought she loked "pretty in pink" (ie, in her birthday suit, totally naked). Yes's "South Side Of The Sky" This song was at least in part inspired by a documentary of BBC1 that was aired around 1970/1971. The documentary was about various attempts to climb the infamous north face of the Eiger mountain. It featured one particulary moving interview with the survivor of a pair of British climbers; the other was injured and died during the climb. The surviving climber described the hours he spent on the mountainside with his dying friend as his `proudest', and it had clearly been a devastaing yet at the same time spiritual experience for him. This part of the documentary made a deep impression on me. The first time I heard this song a couple of years later, I was certain that Jon had to have been inspired by that same interview. The initial and final sections convey the awesome loneliness and cold of the climb, while the gentle middle section is the night time vigil and the death of the climbing companion. The clue is also in the title: the `south side of the sky', is an alternative way of describing the north side of the Eiger. I was lucky enough to meet Jon a couple of years ago, and he confirmed that the song had indeed been inspired by the same interview that I recalled. AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" This song was not a devilish song it was mainly about the bands life on the road and what they went through Paul Simon And Art Garfunkle's "Scarborough Fair" This song was not written by Simon.He borrowed part of it from a poem that is in the Oxford Book of Poems pusblished in England and the author is anonymous. The poem is much longer than the song. Bread's "Everything I Own" This song was originally written by David Gates (lead singer) for his father who had just recently passed away. thank you. jay Coven's "One Tin Soldier" This song was the feature of the moive Billy Jack, about a school on a mountainside, which the people of the valley wanted to close down. (I think they were American Indians?) The valley folk are frightened of the people, and can get away with murder if its one of the Indian folk. Billy Jack, the main character, protects the school and its students because he thinks they are precious, and therefore the 'treasure'. There is a shootout, the 'mount your horses, draw your swords' and eventually, to protect the others, Billy gives himself up 'Then one tin soldier rides away'... Its a great movie - I reccomend watching it. Lynard Skynard's "Sweet Home Alabama" This song was written because when the band were on the bus going through Alabama they though it was quite beautiful so they wrote a song about it. Although they did write "a southern man don't need him around anyhow" in response to Neil Young's "southern man" but actually had no dislike toward Neil Young at all. I saw this on a bio of Skynard. Eagles's "Already Gone" This song was written by Bob Strandlund and Jack Tempchin, who were friends of the band members. It is about ending a long term friendship/relationship on a happy note. Around the time that this song was written, Frey ended a long-term relationship with his girlfriend. He thought it would be a great song, because most people could relate to it. The song is also about not letting anyone control your life. "So often times it happens, that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the keys" That line means that sometimes people can take over our lives, but there is always a way to escape from it. BTO's "You Aint Seen Nothing Yet" This song was written by CF Turner to make fun of one of his brother or the manager or someone close to him who had a stuttering problem. It was never meant to be recorded and put on an album but later one became known as one of their best known songs The Beatles's "Let It Be" This song was written by Paul after a session of meditation. While in his trance The Beatles road manager George Martin appeared before him stating the words "Let It Be". This is what Paul has said about the song. The Bouys's "Timothy" This song was written by Rupert Holmes who had a hit with the Pina Colada song. What follows is a blurb I'd found again just recently on another web site: He found a group out of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania named The Buoys, and somehow Scepter Records, which was the label of Dionne Warwick and BJ Thomas, agreed to release one single that they would record. Michael knew the label would not promote the song, but wanted to make the most of the opportunity. Rupert suggested they record a song that would get banned. That way, there would at least be some controversy about the group and another label might sign them and promote them. So Rupert tried to write a song that would get banned. Holmes: "At the time, I was working on an arrangement of '16 Tons,' the Tennessee Ernie Ford hit from the '50s, for an artist named Andy Kim. While I was working on the arrangement, there was a cooking show on the TV in the kitchen. It was called The Galloping Gourmet with Graham Kerr. It's on in the background and I'm singing the lyrics to '16 Tons,' playing it to a kind of vamp sort of like 'Proud Mary,' and I sing 'Some people say a man is made out of mud, a coal man's made out of muscle and blood. Muscle and blood and skin and bones, a mind that's weak and a back that's...' and I think, you know, that almost sounds like a recipe - muscle and blood and skin and bones, bake in a moderate oven for 2 hours, top with Miracle Whip. I had seen the movie Suddenly Last Summer about a week earlier on TV, and it had a revelation about cannibalism in it, and I thought, If it's good enough for Tennessee Williams, it's good enough for The Buoys. So I thought, Cannibalism during a mining disaster, that'll get banned. It's not like I'm really telling people to go out and eat someone, this is just this dark, horrible thing that happened in this story. So I write this lyric: 'Timothy, Timothy, where on Earth did you go?' It's about three boys who are trapped in a mine with water but no food for maybe a week. When they're pulled free, they don't remember what happened, but they know they're not hungry. One of them is missing, and that's Timothy. We record this on the weekend and I don't think about it again." When this was released, some little radio stations played it and kids would hear it and figure out what it was about. They would call and request the song, and the radio stations, surprised by the phone response, would then listen to the song to find out what it was about. Says Holmes: "They played the song originally because it had a nice rhythm, kind of like a Creedence Clearwater Revival feel. It was catchy enough, but then they'd hear what the song was about and say 'We can't be playing this, it's about cannibalism!' and they'd pull the song off the air. The kids would call in and say 'Why'd you pull the song off the air,' and they'd say, 'Because it's disgusting, you shouldn't be listening to stuff like that.' Well, all you have to do is tell a teenage kid that he shouldn't be listening to something because it's disgusting and vile and loathsome, and he'll demand it. So the record, unlike "Pina Colada," which vaulted up the charts, went up like one or two digits every week. It was on the charts forever. Stations were playing it, kids were clamoring for it, it would move up the charts, then the station would pull it, the kids would clamor more and some other station would go on it to satisfy that demand. It just kept going up the charts." Holmes: "Scepter Records in the beginning did not even know it was on their label. The promotion men for Scepter Records, who were trying to break a Beverly Bremers single, would say, 'We couldn't get it on that station, they went with this stupid song called Timothy.' Finally, someone said, 'You idiot, it's on our label.' Now they have a problem, because now they're getting up towards the top 20, and they know there are some big stations that are simply not going to play this record. WABC-AM, the biggest station at the time, they never played it. Scepter Records started a rumor that Timothy was a mule to try to get the taint of cannibalism out of the picture and try to make it a Top-10 record. Someone called me and said, 'Was Timothy a mule? You wrote it.' And I said 'No, what can I tell you, they ate him.' Holmes: "It did better than we intended it to do. It was supposed to just start the controversy, instead it actually was a hit. I was a 20 year old kid hungry not for human flesh, but hungry to do something successful in the music business. I think I diagnosed a dilemma that a friend of mine had and found an effective way of solving his problem." This was the only Top 40 hit for the Buoys. They did get an LP deal from Scepter Records out of it, they had a couple of other records that placed in the Top-100. Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" This song was written during the period where Freddie Mercury was confused about his sexuality. He was infatuated with women with large buttoxes. He was quoted with saying "I love women with a pear shaped figure." They make his world go round...ie they rock his bed Elvis Costello's "Veronica" This song was written for Elvis' grandmother, who suffered from alshiemers9spellig sucks), and was in a nursing home. Not sure if her name was really Veronica, but that's what the song is really about. The Ramones's "I Don't Want to Live This Life (Anymore)" This song was written in the early 80's or late 70's is talks about Sid Vicious and his girl friend Nancy Spungen, that he was accused of killing under the influence of heroine. Afther Visious was release from prison under bail he overdosed on heroine, and this was said to be a suicide. He wrote a poem for his beloved Nancy and it was "You were my little baby girl, And I shared all your fears. Such joy to hold you in my arms and kiss away your tears. But now you're gone, there's only pain and nothing I can do. And I don't want to live this life, If I can't live for you. To my beautiful baby girl. Our love will never die..." The Ramones had a bumpy relationship with the Sex Pitols but when Sid died they knew that they had to write a song about the great performer. This song is rare and few people have heard it. Alot of the line used in this song are realated to Sid's poem. Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" This song wasn't written in the 70s but the late 80s and not just about WWII but just about the problems in America from 1940 something to 1980 something. The Undertones's "Teenage Kicks" This song, Im afraid, is about masturbation. The chorus was originally going to be "I wanna hold it, wanna hold it tight...", the teenage kicks in question. The song describes how the singer fancies the new girl in the neighbourhood, but cant bring himself to do anything about it, apart from getting teenage kicks right through the night. The Beatles's "'let It Be'" This song, the last song of the Beatles legend, was released in 1970. The meaning is simple really, you need to learn to just let it be. Billy Paul's "Me And Mrs. Jones" This was a song about a steamy extramarital affair. The Buoys's "Timothy" Three boys are trapped in a cave after the entrance collapses. But only two of them are rescued. The third boy, named Timothy, was sacrificed as food for the survivors. Recently, The Bouys' members denied any cannibalism, insisting that a donkey was "Timothy". Dawn's "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" "Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree is a song based on a true story. A man who had served three years in prison for writing bad checks was returning home on a bus headed South on U.S. 17 in Georgia. He had written his wife a letter saying that he would understand if she didn't wait for him, but if she loved him, she could let him know by tying a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree in the city square of their hometown. As the bus rolled in to White Oak, Georgia, the driver slowed down so the man, and all the passengers, could see if she had signalled her intentions. When the yellow ribbon was spotted, the man broke down and cried as the passengers cheered. Wire services picked up the inspiring story and song writers Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown fashioned it into "Tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree." The Eagles's "Hotel California" To start off, this song can have many interpretations, my personal interpretation is that the Hotel California was once an Inn run by canibals. These cannibals would bring some guests in and invite them into their grotesque ways or simply eat them. "You can check out any time you like but you may never leave" can be once you are a cannibal you can never change and go back. Read the rest of the lyrics and you will notice it. Another thing, when the captain doesn't have wine means that they don't drink that anymore, they drink blood. This has been portrayed in the famous Xbox game "Jade Empire" as there is an Inn that is run by cannibals. John Sebastian's "Darlin' Companion" Two lovers are symbolic "horses." The lyric in question is "a little bridling down from you is what I need." A female friend of mine seems to think that there is something sinister or negative being expressed. I do not agree. Johnny Cash and June Carter sang this song once. Kindly advise. Roling Stones's "Wild Horses" Two songs for the price of one! The first stanza was written by Keith Richard in tribute to his son Marlon: "Childhood living is easy to do. The things you wanted, I bought them for you." But Keith couldn't think of any more lines, so Mick Jagger stepped in ,and turned it into a song about his ruptured relationship with Marianne Faithfull:"I watched you suffer, a dull, aching pain; now you've decided to show me the same." Ironically, when the albulm "Sticky Fingers" came out in 1971, featuring this song, Marianne sued Jagger, claiming she had written another cut on the LP, "Sister Morphine", without being credited.The whole mess was later settled out of court.Hell hath no fury like an ex-girlfriend junky! Dimmu Borgir's "Indoctrination" Uh. Another example of a metalband writing useless lyrics. or isn?t it? Indoctrination, in my opinion, deals with the negative sides of religion, firmed in the view that people relinquished from any religious believe are more free concerning their mind, their attitude and their thoughts. Furthermore i see some pictures of the modern media society in front of me while reading the lyrics. The band simply spits out their anger against intolerance and stupidity in common. Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" Um- has anyone else noticed Robert Plant's fixation with JRR Tolken? (ahem, "The Battle of Evermore" being a very direct referance to LOTR, and in "Ramblin'" Golem and Mordor are mentioned.)So listen to the song, and you'll notice a few referances to Tolken. Plus, Plant had, infact, been reading a book about Celtic Magic, as has already been mentioned. He said in an interveiw that he was hurt that people thought it ment nothing, because he really was feeling philisophical when writing it. Anyone who's ever wwritten a poem knows how criptic they can come out. I also think that if Plant ment us tho know the full meaning of this song, he wouldn't have been so cryptic! James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" Unfortunately the second commentary is a widely-believed myth. Taylor did meet Suzanne during one of his stays at Austin Riggs mental institution (though it is unclear which). She committed suicide shortly after he left the institution and his friends did not tell him of her death until a time later because they did not wish to put a damper on his success. The line refferring to the flyinh machine was an allusion to the name of his band that broke up before he went to england. here are a couple sites supporting what i added: http://www.james-taylor.com/albums/firerain.shtml http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/firerain.htm Eagles's "Hotel California" "Warm smell of colitas, rising up from the air." Often misinterpreted lyric, "colitas," is the technical term for the smell of fresh cannibis. The song is indeed about death, more specifically purgatory. Buffalo Springfield's "I Am A Child" Well I will paste it here. http://lyrics.rare-lyrics.com/B/Buffalo-Springfield.html Hmmm....it wouldn't paste. If you look it up, "the man" is the one I want to figure who it might be. "you are a man" to me might mean big brother or the government, and is rhetorical in Neil Young's questioning of his relationship/involvement in his life. Covens's "One Tin Soldier" Well someone stated earlier about this one saying that the war in this song would have never occured if the mountain people had just shared their treasure with the Valley people. Problem with their thoughts on this song is the Mountain people WERE sharing their treasure. They were a peaceful bunch who did not bother the valley people. When they were given the message from the valley people that they wanted what treasure it was that was held under the stone in the mountain the mountain people agreed completely by saying "with our brothers we will share, all the secrets of the mountain, all the riches buried there" They were correct in saying though that the valley people were greedy and could not settle with simply sharing but had to have it for their very own. The song to sum it up as simply as possible is that the song is about irony first and foremost. But ideally it's about peace. Being patient and sharing what is offered. If they had just accepted the offer the mountain people had given them, peace would have been obtained and the treasure would have belonged to everyone. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" What great imaginations you all have! I heard JT interviewed in NPR when they chose Fire and Rain as one of the "100." He explained the first part of the song is about his close friend's suicide while he was recording over in England. They informed him of it a week later, once the albumn was a wrap, because they didn't want the news to interupt the studio sessions. The middle part is about when he hit bottom with his heroin habit and almost died. The last part is about his surviving the first two and moving forward with his life. So there you have it from the artist himself... The Busboys / Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town" When I was at The Citadel, I was in Tango Company. We were called "The Boys" We were told that "The Boys are Back in Town" was about "The Boys". Cadets most popular bars were Dino's Bar and Grill and Big John's Place. Friday nights "The Boys" would go drinking wearing their Friday Dress Parade uniform and it was not out of the norm for a fight to break out. When "The Boys" were back in town from spring break it wasn't long until summer came. The Citadel is The Military College of South Carolina, located in Charleston, SC. It may be by chance that so many of the lyrics fit "The Boys". I'd appreciate it if you would check into this story. Thank you very much. Matt - Jacksonville, FL Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf" When I was teen I naively thought this song from Masters of Reality was about a remarkable person who had helped open the writer's mind. After meeting a girl who did just that for me I referred to her as Sweet Leaf and was horribly embarrassed by being told that the song was merely about marijuana. America's "Horse With No Name" When this song was originally released, it was banned in several cities due to "drug references"; i.e., "horse" is a street name for heroin. Surprisingly (?), it has been noted that the song accurately describes going on, and coming down off of, a drug binge. I don't want to bore readers with details, but many college theses have been written about this song and it's accuracy in describing the psychological and physiological effects of heroin use. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" Where do You folks get Your information from? Research people research, dont believe everthing You're told by Your worthless peers. Aids was unheard of in the mid 70's, at least in the UK and USA, and Freddy was from Pakistan anyway, wasn't aids there either... Bohemian Rhapsody by the rock band Queen is Freddy Mercury's take on an old classical opera... La bohème[1] is an opera in four acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de Bohème by Henri Murger. The world première of La bohème was performed in Turin on February 1, 1896 at the Teatro Regio (now the Teatro Regio Torino) and conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini. In 1946, fifty years after the opera's premiere, Toscanini conducted a performance of it on U.S. radio, and this performance was eventually released on records and on compact disc. It is the only recording of a Puccini opera led by its original conductor. La bohème is Puccini's most famous and popular opera as well as one of the most performed operas in the repertoire. Leoncavallo composed an opera of the same name and based on the same story, but with his own libretto. His La bohème, which was premiered in 1897, focuses more on the Musetta and Marcello relationship, rather than that of Mimì and Rodolfo as in Puccini's. Leoncavallo's La bohème is almost never played anymore, while Puccini's is, in North America, the second most performed opera, second only to Madama Butterfly, also a masterpiece by Puccini. I found this on Wikapedia the free online encyclopedia. It's called "RESEARCH". I knew it was there because I heard the original a long time ago. I'm so sick of mis-information on this site, sorry...venting, I'm ok now. Tank Stillton was here. Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" While members of Pink Floyd were involved in the drug culture, the song actually refers to Roger Walter's experience before a concert (in Philadelphia) when he was ill and given treated by a physicain with an injection to "get you on your feet again". James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" Whoever wrote the interpretation of this song to be about a girlfriend of Taylor's who died in a plane crash is just spreading an urban legend. James taylor describes this song in a Rolling Stone Interview in 1972: "Fire and Rain" has three verses. The first verse is about my reactions to the death of a friend. The second verse is about my arrival in this country with a monkey on my back, and there Jesus is an expression of my desperation in trying to get through the time when my body was aching and the time was at hand when I had to do it . . . And the third verse of that song refers to my recuperation in Austin Riggs which lasted about five months. When Taylor talks of "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" he is giving reference to a group called The Flying Machine that Taylor had formed with his friend Danny Kortchmar. The group disbanded in 1967 when Taylor's drug problems led him to leave New York and return to his parents' home in North Carolina. Taylor never spoke pubicly about "Suzanne", but it is fact that she was never a girlfriend who died tragically in a plane crash. The Eagles's "Tequila Sunrise" Written about a guy whose girl left him and wakes up every morning after heavy drinking without her. About drinking to try and forget about the one that got away but every time you awake, "this ol' world still looks the same...another frame". John Lennon's "Imagine" Yes this may be the best song in the world but that doesn't mean it can't be about communism. Thats not a bad thing to say about the song, John was an idealist and communism is an idealist order. It was Johns dream and it's brilliant. Billy Joel's "Captain Jack" You aren't entirely correct about your meaning. I have read on several other sites that "Captain Jack" was the neighborhood drug dealer in the neighborshood where Billy grew up. Yes he would 'get you high tonight', but not necessarily one particular drug. Undertones's "Teenage Kicks" You described the '70s punk song BEAUTIFULLY. You couldn't have made it sound any more better and convincing. Did you know that the Who's, "Pictures of Lily" is also about masturbation? ;) Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" You kids are giveing me a heart attack. One of the founders of the band had a serious drug adiction, and left before they were huge. It's about him. Take it from someone who's going through a similar predicament- the song describes it perfectly. You feel like you're in a whole different dimention from someone you used to know very well, and you wish that they were there with you. Harry Chapin's "Cats In The Cradle" You mistakenly credit Cats in the Cradle to Cat Stevens, but this #1 hit was by Harry Chapin. His wife, Sandy Chapin wrote the lyrics when he was on the road as a message to him to spend more time with his kids. Harry Chapin played over 200 dates a year, most of them for charity. Paul Mccartney And Wings's "Silly Love Songs" "You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs, but I look around me and I see it isn't so; some people want to fill the world with silly love songs, and what's wrong with that, I'd like to know, 'cause here I go again; " I Love You...". This 1976 quasi-disco smash hits' lyrics on the face of them were certainly innocent enough as well as ultra-catchy but apparently there was more to them than met the eye. Long a target for derision by rock critics, McCartney and Wings' music was dismissed as petty, lightweight, and trivial by the critics, with none of the social or artistic relevance of John Lennon's work at the time. Just about all of his solo excursions (with the exception of "Band On The Run") were harshy panned, so the lyrics to "Silly Love Songs" were seen by rock critics as a gesture of defiance toward themselves. Apparently, the seemingly lightweight, innocent lyrics bear a double-edged sword in that they communicate a message that Paul doesn't have to turn out super-sophisticated Beatle product , he can write lightweight pop if he chooses to. The above lyrics seem to reflect that. The Eagles's "Hotel California" You're wrong...I know the meaning of this song because someone in my family dated a member of the band and they themselves said this song is about an insane asylum. You can check out anytime you like, but you can't never leave...you can leave the asylum but not the sickness. They stab it with their steely knife, But they just can’t kill the beast, the beast are the voices within. "we are all just prisoners here, of our own device" Their own device again is the sickness within your head. Think about you'll see that I am right! James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" Your write-up about Fire and Rain is incorrect. James Taylor's friend Suzanne died as a result of a suicide. "Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground" refers not to a plane crash, but to the break-up of his original band, The Flying Machine, as a result of his former heroin addiction. Suzanne did not die in a plane crash. James Taylor has explained the origins of the song a number of times. First part: Learning about the death of his friend Suzanne after the fact (friends refrained from telling him, because he had just signed with Apple Records and they feared he wouldn't make his debut album if he learned of her death.) Second part: Dealing with drug addiction and depression, and searching for the strength to carry on. Third part: Beating his addiction and coming to grips with newfound success...putting it all in perspective. John Lennon's "Imagine" Yup, it sure sounds like communism. We read Orwell in the states! Were not total apes, lol. love Orwell. Read animal farm, then listen to the lyrics. I'd say, though, that what Lennon had in mind was a Utopia, no? Skynard's "Sweet Home Alabama" ` being from alabama myself might help....... Van Zant lived in alabama in his younger years. look at the connection with muscle shoals & the sturdio there he used so much. muscle shoals is called swampland. the muscle shoals studio band used so much then was called "the swampers". listen to the song. then try swamp music form second helpings.. ya'll come now . ya hear Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" The accual meaning of the song was discussed in an original interveiw with rodger waters. when the reporter asks the quetstion waters goes into an elaborate story of how the whole album was written while they were using many drugs and because of the drugs he could not discharge for weeks with the extra stree of the band not being a whole anymore and the album deadline he used more and more drugs and came to hallucinate and have conversations with his toilet the song was written in hopes the deadly constipation would go away and releif would come Rolling Stones's "Paint It Black" actually...the song if you listen to the words is about a soldier returning from Nam. How the soldier, having seen such terrible things, wants to "paint his memory "black". Listen to the words and how the man is going crazy...at least that's the way it was explained to me. Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" The author of the description does realize Pink Floyd is the name of a band. Not a solo person itself. He refers to "Pink" as if its the first name of a person. Also many of the songs on this website where created far before 1970 such as White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane and Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" The band originally wrote the song as a filler for the album, the all thought it was a simple little ditty they didnt want it realeased and didnt think it would amount to much, they said on the radio that they watched aplaced burning down near water and that was that Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody " bohemian rhapsody by queen is a suicide note left to a mans mother basically apologizing. Don McClain's "American Pie" the day the music dies when buddy holly, big bopper and richie vallens dies in a plane crash Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" deep purple= puplre haze= weed. and if you are familiar with the configurations of a bong, the smoke collects on the water while the weed burns(fire) above in the piece(in the sky) SIMPLE. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" The entire aong is a huge metaphoe for AIDS. Listen closely to the lyrics. He refers to, :...just killed a man, put a gun against his head, pulled MY trigger now he's dead"> That is a direct reference to knowingly spreading the disease. Many other references within the song. "Spare him his life from this monstrocity"?!?! And. "We will not let him go!:, refers to the disease and how it grips you. The list is too long to go into here Eagles's "Doolin' Dalton" The entry about this song mentioning Bill Dalton being part of the Dalton Gang has some severe errors -- that being one of them. Having grown up in the town where the Dalton Gang died (Coffeyville, Kansas), I once wrote a very in-depth article about the Dalton Gang based on factual information gathered from the town's museum dedicated to the citizens killed during the Dalton Raid. Here are the facts: Bill Dalton was a brother of Bob, Grat and Emmett Dalton. Bill was a laywer in California in the 1880's (reference line: "Lay down your law books now, they're no damn good"). Bill never rode with Bob, Grat and Emmett. Bob, the oldest was a big fan of Jesse James (as well as the Daltons being cousins to Frank and Jesse). It was Bob's ambition to "do one better" than Jesse. He conceived the idea of robbing two banks in broad daylight in the same town at the same time. There were five members of the Dalton Gang: Bob, Grat and Emmett Dalton, Dick Broadwell and Bill Power. The robbery was planned for the town of Coffeyville because they had grown up around there and knew the town. Since the Daltons grew up near Coffeyville, they wore disguises of facial hair and business suits, however, the disguises weren't good enough. A local recognized Bob in the Condon Bank and alerted the people as to what was going on. Also, the date in the original entry is wrong. The raid occurred on October 5, 1892, not 1884. Grat and Emmett went into the First National Bank and Dick, Bill and Bob were in the Condon Bank. When the shooting started, none of the bandits were in the street. When they tried to escape, all of the bandits except for Emmett were killed as were four citizens, including the town marshall, who had obtained long arms from a local hardware store. Bob and Grat Dalton are buried in Coffeyville's Fairview Cemetery (reference line: "two brothers lying dead in Coffeyville") along with Bill Power. All three graves are across the road from another Dalton brother, Frank, a lawman from Arkansas. On the stone marking the graves, Bill Power's name is misspelled: it is listed as "Powers". Dick Broadwell's body was taken to Hutchinson, Kansas and is buried there (although some accounts of the raid indicate that Dick Broadwell was not really his name). Emmett Dalton survived the raid but was badly wounded. He wasn't expected to make it through the night, but he did and was sentenced to Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing, KS. He was pardoned later by the governor of Kansas. Emmett moved to Hollywood to try his hand at acting. Bill Dalton left his law practice and did ride with Bill Doolin for a while (reference line: "'til Bill Doolin, met Bill Dalton"). It seemed that every Dalton boy with the exception of Frank eventually turned to thievery as a way of life (reference line: "Go down Bill Dalton, it must be God's will"). As a side note, every year around October 5, the town of Coffeyville, KS holds a festival to remember the four citizens who died in that raid and a re-enactment of the raid is performed in the town's plaza area, where the original Condon Bank building still stands to this day. The Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" The final fact is: The song idea came from a drawing from his son (http://www.beatlesagain.com/bpix/lsdpic.jpg is the link to the actual picture). Obviously, the lyrics from the song are inspired by Lennon's drug use, but the idea for the song came from his son's picture. Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" The first 3 people that commented on what Dylan's song"Like a rolling stone" is about were on the right track...the 4th one is reading way too much into it. It is based on the saying "A rolling stone gathers no moss" and it is, in fact, about Warhol "Superstar" Edie Sedgwick, and what Dylan thought about her at that time (though he seems to want to keep this a secret). The secret is out now though, thanks to Jean Stein and everyone that she interviewed. Check out the URL below. It includes a photo of Warhol with the Siamese cat on his shoulder. The "finest school" is Harvard, The "chrome horse" is the limo that she always rode around in (before she blew her inheritance), He refers to Warhol as a "diplomat" because his studio was a 2 minute walk from the UN, The "Siamese cat" comment is explained w/ the photo (Warhol loved them), The "Go to him now he calls you, you can't refuse" is about how she wanted to get away from Warhol when she realized he was using her, but she had to go back because she had no more money... so she did, actually, go crawling back, but it was a disaster. Let's see, oh, and the "after he took from you everything he could steal" is because, for many years, Warhol never paid anyone that was in his movies! He used people, which made Dylan sick enough to write this song. It seems that, when he wrote this at least, she annoyed him too. She was an interesting character, but somewhat oblivious...suffice it to say, she had a lot on her mind. Sorry Bob, the cat is out of the bag. :-I http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/ediesedgwick/ Too bad Sienna Miller is playing Edie in the upcoming movie, she's all wrong for that part. Hot Chocolate's "Emma" The first entry for Emma incorrectly cites a car accident causing Emma's death. How someone weaves a "car" into this song is puzzling. Anyone hearing/reading the actual lyrics knows that the singer finds Emma dead on her bed, presumably from suicide (depression). The song also makes clear that Emma was expected by all who knew her to be a huge success. When success in the movies (silver screen) did not arrive for her, depression set in and she took her own life (I would presume sleeping pills). The lyrics aren't complicated on Emma. Hot Chocolate's "Emma" The first reviewer is confusing this song with Joe Walsh's "Song For Emma", which he wrote for his 3-year-old daughter Emma after she was killed in a car accident. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" The first verse of this song is about suzanne, the second verse is about his drug addiction and the third verse is about his rehab..."sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground' refers to a band he once was in called The Flying Machine in which the band was broken up due to James' drug addiction/rehab. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" follow this link and it will tell you the REAL story behind the lyrics. It is basically a combo of the above mentioned meanings without the gossipy rubbish. http://www.james-taylor.com/albums/firerain.shtml Abba's "Voulez-vous" A girl (perhaps with some of her friends) wants to have good night after a little hangout in the bar/club. She likes one-night stands and she did it before; perhaps she's kinda tired of the whole thing, as she knows what's going to happen next. She only asks him "voulez-vous", which means "do you want?" and both of them know everything without farther words... (I actually thought before that they sang "we have no bathing suits" and "masters of the sea" ...oops) James Taylor's "Fire & Rain" The girl in the song is Suzanne, and she was his sister and they took her to a hospital and that's what he's referring to when he said they took her away. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody " The has the feel of a mini opera with seven acts. The play starts with an overture and then sings about the murder that changes the young man's life. The next acts (verses) of the opera are the five stages of grief. I'll attempt The first is depression as shown by the lyrics as "Goodbye everybody-I've got to go" and "sometimes wish I'd never been born at all." The second verse shows Denial/Isolation as he he slides into madness. "Scaramouch, Scaramouch will you do the fandango?" The next verse is Bargaining as seen by "I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me... spare him his life from this monstrosity". Next comes anger with "So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye.... Just gotta get right outta here!" and then the last verse/act is Acceptance with "Anyway the wind blows". There are the five stages of grief and they seem to fit pretty well in the overall theme of the song. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/firerain.htm I had always always assumed that the song was about some girl "Suzanne" that he had known who committed suicide. The above confirms that. Looks like precisely who Suzanne is, how they met, and what the plans made that put an end to her were. However, the account you have on your site is wrong. snopes.com is a site devoted to debunking urban legends, and I presume they did their homework. Jimi Hendrix's "Hay Joe" i dont know how no one else added this, i know its early than the 70,s but the song hay joe is about relationshiop problems and the wifer cheating on the husband so he ended it. "i heard you shot ure lady down, down to the ground" it says. Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog" i dont know why people just make stuff up about this song but the title has nothing to do with the song THE TITLE of the song refers to a black lab that walked into their studio while they were recording. Eagles's "Hotel California" i heard it was about whorehouse "she has a lot of pretty boys that she calls friends"refers to the regular customers. "some dance to remember , some dance to forget" . dance is a euphamism for sex. "you can check out anytime you like but you can never leave" means you will always come back. Pink Floyd's "Goodbye Blue Sky" The innocent young boy at the begining is the start to the deeply chilling tale of losing tranquility to war. "Did you see the frightened ones? Did you hear the falling bombs?" means: did you notice that what your government was hiding from you? "Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when thepromise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue sky?" means: citizens must protect themselves even though the government is telling them that everthing is safe and alright. "The flames are all gone but the pain lingers on" means: the war may end but the death, suffering, and family loss will remain. It also being in a easy, soft tone adds to its subliminal, haunting nature. Van Der Graaf Generator's "A House With No Door" it is about lonelyness and how unbearable it is and the only thing to break the loneliness is someone to love The Eagles's "My Man" it was written by bernie leadon for tho on the border album 4th track on the 1st side i think it was written about gram parsons james taylor's "Fire And Rain" it wasnt because he was bi polar or anyhting like it. it was because his wife and kid died in a plane accidnet Mark Lindsay's "Arizona" it's a song that sang in the early 70's.It's all talking about Arizona.Arizona take off your rainbow shades, Arizona have another look at the world, Arizona cut off your Indian braids, Arizona hey won't you go my way.And that is the chorus.I really need this meaning of the song, i need it for my project that is do next week.So please can you send it to me Eagles's "Hotel California" its about addiction and also the fact it is a whore house. We could through all the lyrics and the things. THC is the active hallucinagenic in marijuana. Refer to, stab it with steely knives but just can't kill the beast, we haven't had that spirit her since 1969 etc. the whore house part - lots of pretty girls we call friends. some dance to remember and some dance to forget. Mirrors on the ceiling, pink champagne on ice Also, there are obviously two meanings when he says: We are all just prisoners here of our own device. So there has to be two meanings. Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" k, This song also has nothing to do with Rogers Waters expierences, on the album The Wall it is largley credited to Roger Waters since most of the album is about him n how he felt he was being excluded from everyone by building an imaginary "wall" around him, which he realized this in a 77 Animals tour when he spit on someone in the crowd...but this song was one of the 3 on the whole album that was written by David Gilmour, Comfortably Numb, Young Lust, and Run Like Hell, were all written by David Gilmour, and Comfortably Numb was originally going to be used in David Gilmours solo album, but this song fit right in with the topic of The Wall, so they used it for The Wall...enough said The Eagles's "Hotel California" The last entry is correct. The Hotel California is a metaphor for Southern California. I've heard either Henley or Frey describe the song as such. One other interesting aside, the "steely knives" line was a tip of the hat to Steely Dan, whose song "Everything You Did," a song about an arguing couple which includes the line "Turn up The Eagles, the neighbors are listening." Don McLean's "American Pie" The line "Oh, and as I watched him on the stage, My hands were clenched in fists of rage.No angel born in hell Could break that satan’s spell. And as the flames climbed high into the night To light the sacrificial rite, I saw satan laughing with delight The day the music died" talks about the Rolling stones concert at Altomont. The stones hired the Hells Angles for security. While the Stones were playing "Sympathy for the Devil" a man was beaten to death by the Hells Angles. The Stones had to be air lifted off the stage because of this. They made a huge mess. James Taylor's "Fire & Rain" The line about Susanne- she was Susanne Schnerr of Greenwich Village, NYC. Friends, don't think they were "involved". She committed suicide, don't know where JT was at the time. Flying Machine- J.T.'s first band in Greenwich Village. I guess that ruins your wonderful urban legend fodder. AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" a lot of people think highway to hell is a satin worship song but it not. teh band jsut made the song because it had a good rythem. a lot of the other bands at this time like the song because of the cords the angus used. most people like teh song for the ythem anyways. so all the parents that think they are satin worshipers tehre not Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" The lyrics actually tell the story of the recording of Machine Head . Deep Purple were originally all set to record the album at the Casino in Montreux, Switzerland. They were just awaiting a Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention concert to be held before the recording could begin. But the Casino burnt down during the concert, after some stupid had fired a flare gun into the Casino's ceiling. (Purple were in the audience. The actual Zappa concert has turned up on one of the Beat the Boots discs, I think.) They ended up at the Grand Hotel, closed for the winter season, where the recording eventually commenced during December 1971. They recorded the album with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, also mentioned in the lyrics. Who's "Funky Claude" ? Funky Claude in the lyrics is Claude Nobs, who helped them out. He's still involved in the Montreux Jazz Festival, and seems to be a very important man in the music business in the Swiss town. As stated in the lyrics, he helped saving some kids during the fire at the Casino. He was also the man who found the Grand Hotel for them. There's a picture on him on the gatefold sleeve on the original LP release of the album. "Break a leg , Frank!" Actually, these were troubled times for Frank Zappa, who first lost all of his gear in the fire in Montreux. A couple of days later, when he played in London, a fan tore him off stage, and Zappa broke his leg as he fell into the orchestra pit. This, again, led to Ian Gillan dropping the comment "Break a leg, Frank!" near the ending of Smoke on the Water at a March 1972 concert recorded for the BBC, available on the excellent EMI 2CD set Deep Purple in Concert. The song itself was created more or less spontaneously; Roger Glover had the picture of the smoke spreading over the Lake Geneva in his head, and the line Smoke on the Water eventually stuck. He suggested to Ian Gillan that they should use it as a song title, but Ian shrugged it off, saying people would believe it was a drug song. Then Ritchie suddenly came up with the later hierostratically famous (and notorious!) riff, and things fell into place. Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" The lyrics, written by Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant next to an evening log fire, were inspired by his search for spiritual perfection. A seminal influence was the book Magic Arts in Celtic Britain by Lewis Spence, which Plant had recently read; it contained references to May Queens, pipers, and "bustling hedgerows." The line, "In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees," could be a reference to William Wordsworth's poem Tintern Abbey: "...and wreaths of smoke / Sent up, in silence, from among the trees!" The line "There's a feeling I get when I look to the west / And my spirit is crying for leaving" may be a reference to the Elves in the works of Tolkien The May Queen is also known as The Maiden, the goddess of spring, flower bride, queen of the faeries, and the lady of the flowers. The May Queen is a symbol of the stillness of nature around which everything revolves. She embodies purity, strength and the potential for growth, as the plants grow in May. She is one of many personifications of the energy of the earth. She was once also known as Maid Marian in the medieval plays of Robin Hood and of the May Games - she is the young village girl, crowned with blossom, attended by children with garlands and white dresses. Some folklorists have drawn parallels between her and Maia, the Roman Goddess of Springtime, of Growth and Increase whose very name may be the root of "May". Also Jimmy Page Bought Allister Crowley's Castle and The May Queen is a poem written by Allister Crowley. I saw a documentary on the band and it said they were in to the occult which is the reason for their individual symbols, which I'm not going to get into because of the many different opinions on those symbols, some say they are of evil and some say they are of divinity, samething if You ask Me, symbolism is evil anyway You slice it, and so is divinity of self, if You're a Christian. Page won't even fly on a plane anymore because he's afraid of his past in the occult, not My opinion, it was documented. Sad though...John Bohnom was the one that died and He in My opinion was the lesser of the 4 evil's, other than being a drunken doper He was just a sheep hearder and farmer. Anyway the band would not go on after His death because they were afraid of the very thing that made them..."Evil". (Let Us not forget about them ripping of all those old blues songs from Howlin Wolf and others, and then crediting themselves for the work, I believe that is plajorism.) To sacrifice the band was to save them from death so to speak... at least for now. Lyric> "Yes there are two paths you can go by but in the long run There's still time to change the road you're on Your head is humming and it won't go because you don't know The piper's calling you to join him Dear lady can't you hear the wind blow and did you know Your stairway lies on the whispering wind" The two paths I believe are Gods Path and Satans path, The Piper led the rats to their death because of their lemminghood and free will,The whispering wind might be her faith, because You can't buy Your way into Heaven. Ancient people's (Mayan's and Egyptian's) believed that the great pyramid is the stairway to heaven as well as any pyramid with stairs(Most Mexican Pyramid's have stair's). Some of this is opinion and some documentation, nevertheless I think it was a great song till people started picking it apart... it's just poetry to Me, Poetry can mean what ever the reader or listener wants it to mean...So there. What are You gonna annalize next? Freebird? Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" The main theme behind the song is about those on the outside of society being ignored or not taken seriously by main society and being looked down on for their views and way of life by those who don’t questions and just go along with what the Government tells them what is best for them. Now some of these people begin to realise that have been duped by the Govt. and that they don't have to act like sheep. So now they are on the outside - and know they now how if feels to be on your own like a rolling stone i.e. a thinker some who is active and not just going along with popular view and apathy but it's lonly when your against the popular view that's why most people go along with the flow. Dylan uses people around him at the time as a conduit for his metaphors. Eagles's "Hotel California" A man in santa barbera, california who once worked at the California Hotel told me to tru meaning behing "hotel california" It was a half-way house for post rehab, post prision parolees. A cheap place to stay while on parole and a pit stop before returning to "civiisation". Eventually, because of cut backs, all "half-way" houses where abolished. But the "California Hotel", through donations managed to keep it's doors open for a few lost souls that didn't have anywhere else to go. "You can check out anytime...but you can never leave", is refering to the theory that "once an addict always an addict", and "you can take the man out of prison..but you can never take prision(or the experience of being in prision) out of the man." Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog" The name black dog refers to a jackel...the jackel refers to Anubis who is the Egyptian God Of the Dead. The song is about a woman who makes Robert Plant very happy, and a big legged woman has no soul. Vicki Lawrence's "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" The narrator is the sister of a hard luck man. She tells about how her brother was told by his best friend that his wife was cheating on him, and the friend was one of her paramours. Outraged, the brother purchases a gun and plans to kill his now ex-friend. He finds his friend already slain. When the police arrive, the man is arrested, tried by a kangaroo court, and hanged. We find out towards the end that the real killer is the man's sister, who has also killed his wife and claims "that's one body that'll never be found". Hot Chocolate's "Emma" The narrator pines for his only love named Emma. At the end of the song, we find out that Emma was killed in a car accident. The Boomtown Rats's "I Don't Like Mondays" oh my god the Song from Boomtown Rats from I Don't Like Mondays is a reality Song. The Boomtown rats singing over the girls school is shooting dead from a school personality. The Murder say "I Don't Like Mondays" and i shoot a massaka. great greencar of Germany The Boomtown rats's "I Don't Like Mondays" oh my god the Song from Boomtown Rats from I Don't Like Mondays is a reality Song. The Boomtown rats singing over the girls school is shooting dead from a school personality. The Murder say "I Don't Like Mondays" and i shoot a massaka. great greencar of Germany Led Zepplin's "Stairway To Heaven" ok firstly why is it that when a song writer mentions jesus, god, angels or anything that vaguely resembles satanism people immediately think that the poor writer is religious... why dont you all stop usingperfectly decent songs to justify your own beliefs believe it and leave the artist alone.i believe stairway to heaven is about a drug induced vision its nothing to do with satanism, or going to heaven its just a beautiful song its not really about anything just beauty, wonder at small things being able to just experiance things in a new way. Eagles's "Hotel California" ok geniouses you are all wrong. the person who cane the closest is the guy who was talking about a half way house. but the truth is there use to be an insame asylum where the current Cal state univercity chanell islands is. the song was written about that place. the line "you can check out anytime but you canot leave" means you can metally check out anytime but you can never leave the place. if you ever get a chance to drive by it you will see the old spanish style of the place which has "corridores and church bells". the part which they say "And in the master’s chambers, They gathered for the feast The stab it with their steely knives, But they just can’t kill the beast" they are talking about in their cells or rooms they try and fight of their dreams and and insane hullicinasions but they cannot. so there ya go. do all the research you want this is right. Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" The person Carly is referring to is...Mick Jagger...If you listen to Janet Jackson's song...Son of A Gun (I Betcha Think This song...)which Carly Simon collaborated with Janet on this track..Carly says it in the song..."the apricot scarf is worn by Mick..." Rolling Stones's "Angie" The person who said this song was about Mick Jagger and David Bowie's wife. It wasn't even written by Mick. Keith Richards wrote it about Anita Pallenberg. HE said meant "Anita I Need Ya". The Steve Miller Band's "The Joker" The "pompatus of love" actually means.......Nothing. He needed a 3 syllable word to fit into that line of the song, and that was the first thing that came to his mind. That is straight out of an interview with him. James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" A quote from James Taylor himself, to set the record straight: THE ROLLING STONE INTERVIEW: JAMES TAYLOR AND CARLY SIMON by STUART WERBIN Rolling Stone #125 January 4, 1973 ... CARLY: I am wondering what connotation Jesus had for you. JAMES: Rhymes with cheeses, Jesus, pieces actually, in "Fire and Rain" - "look down upon me, Jesus." "Fire and Rain" has three verses. The first verse is about my reactions to the death of a friend. The second verse is about my arrival in this country with a monkey on my back, and there Jesus is an expression of my desperation in trying to get through the time when my body was aching and the time was at hand when I had to do it. Jesus was just something that you say when you're in pain. I wasn't actually looking to the savior. Some people look at it as a confirmation of belief in Christ as the one true path and the one sole way, which I don't believe in, although he can certainly be a useful vehicle. And the third verse of that song refers to my recuperation in Austin Riggs [a Massachusetts hospital] which lasted about five months. ... The Who's "Behing Blue Eyes" The real meaning behind the song is because they were in a war and their drill sargent had blue eyes and it was the vieatnam war Drupi's "Vado Via" a really slow but with a stong rock back beat.sung in italian and i would like the lyrics in both english and italian and the meaning Beatles's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" The reason I think this song has to do with LSD is because of a couple of reasons. First off, the excuse that some little kids drawing inspired all those wierd lyrices is very curious. 2- When you listen to the song and it says - 'pastercian(sp) porters, with looking glass eyes'., this is not a child's imagination, but this is something you would see if you were halucinating on some drug. Also, everyone knows, beatles were experimenting with diff. drugs. Now the reason they had to give this song an 'innocent' excuse, was because earlier they said they were more popular than Jesus Christ. They obviously did not want to create another negative stir. The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" A recent radio station gave this "fact" before playing this song. The song is about the Nazi regime of WWII and how Hitler desired and blonde hair blue eyed society but at what cost? This song was about the anguish that the Nazi soldiers felt about the death/concentration camps "no one knows what it's like to be the bad man to be the sad man behind blue eyes". Knowone could know how badly the soldiers felt that were carying out these orders given to them by a ruler trying to create a blonde hair blue eyed perfect society. Simon & Garfunkle's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" The rumor about the song being about drug use appeared in a book by Brian Wilson Key titled Subliminal Suduction. This book and its sequel Media Sexploitation where pop culture icons in the early 70's The book talks about various songs and there hidden messages. The "sail on silver girl" line was specifically mentioned. Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne" some posters have said that this is based on Ken Kesey. Good guess, since he was a good friend of Bear (Stanley Owsley III). According to the web Site: http://www.steelydan.com/bbc.html, it was as follows: Question: was "Kid Charlemagne" based on a real person? Walter: "I would say it was very loosely inspired by a character named Owsley. His name was actually Augustus Stanley Owsley. He was a well-known psychedelic chef of the day. Later a sound man for the Grateful Dead. I believe he's still alive." Bear did not dissappear, he moved to Australia. He is an incredible genius, and one day more will be written about his influence on modern culture and modern Music. Until then, you can find out more about Bear at http://www.thebear.org/ Black Sabbath's "The Writ" The song "Hard Road" was off Black Sabbath's "Sabotage" album. The song was about the band's trouble with record management. They had switched management 2 or 3 times when this album was recorded. They were handed lawsuits on stage and in the studio for breech of contract. One of the lines of the song says "Just who do you think we are? Just another rock and roll star for you, just for you?" Eventually Black Sabbath would get out of the trouble and switch to much better management, but by that time, only Tony Iommi would remain of the orginal lineup. Don Henley's "The End Of The Innocence" The song Talked about the war & government in a meathaphor England Dan & John Coley's "'it's Sad To Belong '" a song about finding the right one when you are already taken James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" The song actually had 3 parts in the verses: the first verse was about the death of a girl he knew during his stay at McLean Hospital in the 60s, the 2nd was about his battle w/depression, the 3rd was about the goings-on around him during his stay at Austin Riggs, most notably the breakup of his former band, The Flying Machines ("...sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground"). Don Mclean's "American Pie" the song american pie was about Buddy holland,Big bopper and Richie vallens.. "But february made me shiver" buddy holland,big bopper and richie vallens were on a plane that crashed on february 3 1959. With every paper I’d deliver. "Bad news on the doorstep;I couldn’t take one more step" the only other full time job Don had was a paper boy. "I can’t remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride" Buddy's wife was pregnant when he died, and had a miscarriage not long after he died. "But something touched me deep inside the day the music died" after the plane crash febuary 3 1959 was called "The day the music died". "So bye-bye, miss american pie" rumour had it that the plane that had Buddy holland on it was called American pie. Jackson Browne's "Shape Of A Heart" The song describes Browne's relationship with Daryl Hannah Led Zeppelin's "Four Sticks" The song foursticks was named four sticks because John Bonham the drummer of led Zeppelin would play this song with four sticks. Cream's "White Room" the song has a lot of lines that lead me to believe they are talking about jail or "the nut house" white room, with black curtains, they prisoner colors...in the station, police station. where the sun never shines, another way to show jail. you said no strings could secure you...meaning you said you wouldnt be held back. good bye windows, you dont have many windows in jail, now do you?with the lonly crowd means your icolated from everyone else.if you ask me...its aboutjail and solotary confinement The Eagles's "Hotel California" The song has nothing to do with Satanism and in fact discuses the decadence of the music industry in California during the 70s - Don McLean actually discussed this in an interview in the mid 90s. Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson"	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_10	Best '80s New Wave Songs \| Spinditty Best '80s New Wave Songs Best '80s New Wave Songs Updated on October 29, 2016 Joined: 9 years agoFollowers: 1,129Articles: 102 148 Advertisement The 250 Greatest New Wave / Post-Punk / Alternative Songs 1. "Rock Lobster" by The B-52's. It clocks in at 183bpm, which is just ridiculously fast. It was a surf record made by weirdos from Georgia. It tears up the dance floor, and also it mixes with "Modern Love" by David Bowie and "Tenderness" by General Public. For a new generation, however, this song may also forever be immortalized by Peter Griffin's acoustic performance on Family Guy. 2. "People Are People" by Depeche Mode. Just one of many sad songs from a man named Gore. It was their first commercial hit in the U.S. back in the summer of '85 when it peaked at number 13. More importantly, though, it showed America who would become the most successful band of the genre. The Cure, The Smiths, and New Order all had their moments on top, but overall Depeche Mode (which means fast fashion in French) ruled supreme. Also, while "Personal Jesus" is a better song overall but this one turned the tide for all the doubters. Alternative music was commercially viable and would get more airplay from here on out. 3. "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners. I almost made this number one, but I have trouble giving the title to a one-hit wonder—although it should be noted they had many ska hits in the U.K. The overalls will be etched in our brains forever. One more thing: Is it just me or does this song feel like a prequel to Chumbawamba's 'Tubthumping?" From Ta Loo Ra to Danny Bo. 4. "Once In A Lifetime" by Talking Heads. A surreal foresight into the middle age crisis by the Heads here. Their ability to stretch the boundaries of what a pop song could be is their modus operandi. Where would music be without the immortal phrase, "Same as it ever was?" Also, the hilarious arm-chopping motion by David Byrne made the video an MTV staple. 5. "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics. Rhyming the words 'made of this' with the word 'disagree' might be a bad move for 99.9% of the people out there. However, for two pop geniuses like Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox, it's all gravy. Though, it's all about melody. The keyboard pulsing beat heats things up but the 'keep your head up, moving on' line is the icing on the cake. 6. "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats. I loved this record as a kid and now as an adult I can see why. It's a kids song! 'Ssss aaaa ffff eeee tttt yyyy Safe-ty Dance and then the keyboard chimes in.' That's the version we all loved. The video, of a European countryside (or was it Bilbo's hobbit hole) is quickly taken over by the cast of The Wizard of Oz. This is so new wave that you can argue its merits for number one, but let's face it—it gets annoying fast. 7. "Cars" by Gary Numan. Some songs get popular in an instant and some, like "Cars" just linger in the underbelly of the psyche until they are repackaged into a TV commercial. Then we go "Oh, yeah. That's a good song by that pale'faced freak who could barely sing. But yeah." For the record, it was a top 10 hit in 1980, but only because it sounded so good blasting in a roller rink. The radio mostly ignored it. 8. "Pop Musik" by M. The song that started it all. During the summer of '79, many people believe that this was the first new wave song ever. It wasn't, but man it shot right to #1 was a global smash and told everyone listening what music would sound like for the next eight years. It even had some staying power, as it stayed on the Hot 100 for six months. 9. "Whip It" by Devo. I don't think I'm at all qualified to judge a song like this. A psych professor maybe? There is so much yet, at the same time, so little going on. Thunderclaps and rockabilly via synthesizers and flower pots? It clocks in at less than 2 minutes and 15 seconds, making it one of the shortest songs of the 1980s. This video is notorious for freaking mothers out as their child watches this new thing called MTV. 10. "99 Red Balloons" by Nena. Urban legend claims that she died on tour, but Gabriele "Nena" Kerner is still alive today (and is living probably back in Berlin where the band first started). Wherever she is, she can always say that she wrote an anti-war song that was a smash hit in pretty much every country in the world. Nena and John Lennon, wow. We first heard and loved it as a German tune called "99 Luftballons". The English version has always been considered lame, but that's the one everyone seems to know, so . . . 11. "Take On Me" by a-ha. Another great video means another great Family Guy parody, another piece of perfect pop. This time it comes from Oslo, Norway. These guys went for the high note like nobody else. Their follow-up song was called what? Anybody remember? "The Sun Always Shines on TV." It made it to the Top 20 on their name alone but as soon as people heard it, a-ha came crashing down and alas the sun never again shined on them, at least not in America. 12. "Video Killed The Radio Star" by The Buggles. This is also mistakenly assumed to be first new wave song ever, which is impossible considering both "Pop Muzik" by M and "My Sharona" by The Knack were both out earlier in '79. However, the consolation prize is that it was the first video ever played on MTV. Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn. The duo both joined the group Yes in '80 and Downes would form Asia in '81. Horn become a prolific producer and is widely credited for the career success of soul singer Seal. Erasure also did a crazy cover a few years ago, make sure you check it out. 13. "How Soon Is Now?" by The Smiths. A lot of Smiths fans out there are in on the joke here. Morrissey would only be happy with the miserably unlucky number 13. "I am human and I need to be lo-uh-oved, just like anybody else does." This is timeless club music too. In fact, you may remember that SoHo sampled it for "Hippychick." Try mixing it with "My Doorbell" by the White Stripes. 14. "Brass In Pocket" by The Pretenders. We now bring you ironic moments in pop music: The one song Chrissie Hynde hates is the one song of hers that every woman loves. So she grits her teeth and plays it. This is also true of her ex-husband Jim Kerr. He hates the most popular song of his career too—"Don't You (Forget About Me)" was a soundtrack song he didn't write or want to record, but it probably extended the life of his band Simple Minds exponentially. Life is funny like that, sometimes. 15. "Situation" by Yaz. Vince Clarke left Depeche Mode in 1982 in search of more creative freedom. He would go on to make the New Wave Classic Album, "Upstairs at Eric's." With hits like "Don't Go" and "Only You," Yazoo, as they were sometimes credited as, was a huge smash. Also, "Situation" was every dance instructor and aerobics teacher's best friend. Everyone had this record. The mannequins on the cover are classic. 16. "Blister In The Sun" by the Violent Femmes. If the name of the band didn't clue you in, then maybe it was the line, 'big hands I know you're the one.' What was great was that no matter how flaming this song was, it also had built-in credibility with everyone. A song universally respected on merit. It was difficult to mix because of the time signature so nobody bothered. Just play the whole song. It's really short, and it has one of music's most memorable intro/outros ever. The whispering is hilarious. I often think James' song "Laid" was a Femmes song that they forgot to write. 17. "Rock The Casbah" by The Clash. This is a funk-hybrid mixed with New Wave as Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, and the gang move even further away from their punk roots. This album, "Combat Rock" killed the band, and everybody knows it. But, damn, it was still worth doing. The sheik and the aardvark in the video were so bizarre and right. (Sigh) I miss Joe. 18. "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" by Joe Jackson. Does Joe want her or him? Who cares? The conversational style of the lyrics is so difficult to pull off without the rhymes sounding forced and corny so props, because he certainly pulls it off. A lot of people seem to think that Elvis Costello sings this song, but no. 19. "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell. This cover of the Gloria Jones soul classic was originally part of a 12" medley, along with The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go?" However, it was never done as anything but a 45 single in the U.S. So, we all played the half the 12" and segued out. It is so completely overplayed now that I can't stand it, but if you're doing an 80s set and you want a sure-fire hit with the ladies, play this. 20. "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Now this is an interesting record! When it first dropped, they were a craze. That beat was unrelenting and the lyrics were seemingly about a man trying to delay an orgasm. Chaos ensued. The perfect video with the fans just mauling the band onstage during a performance. "Frankie Say: Relax" t-shirts are still selling on eBay, no doubt. There is a also great line in the movie "The Commitments" about the band as well, but I won't spoil it here. 21. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" by Dead Or Alive. Was Pete Burns the jealous evil twin of Boy George? Maybe. Was this song better than anything Culture Club ever recorded? Most definitely. The 12" version is a DJ crate necessity because it had the 'I, I, uh-uh-uh-uh, I' part at the beginning. People will still be remixing this song in 50 years. 22. "Don't You Want Me" by The Human League. This song should be higher up, in terms of quality of songwriting and execution of vision. However, people in the U.S. just never took to the HL like they did with other similar bands (ABC, Thompson Twins, Tears For Fears, and so forth.) This also mixes great with "True Faith" by New Order, "The Promise" by When In Rome, "Right On Track" by The Breakfast Club, and HL's other big hit, "(Keep Feeling) Fascination." 23. "Town Called Malice" by The Jam. This is a great song! The problem is, not a lot of people know it. This song will probably make a comeback as part of a movie. It's got a cinematic feel to it, too. Sounds like a cooler version of 'Walking On Sunshine' which is in every movie so they'll get to it. Mark my word. Soundtrack Rebirth Candidate #1. 24. "Our House" by Madness. Like "Safety Dance," this is really a kid's song. Ska-Rock pioneers Madness have four great songs, as far as I know. While is the worst of the four, it was their only hit in America and, boy, is it fun. For a little while, at least. Since I brought it up, the other songs are "One Step Beyond," "It Must Be Love," and "House of Fun." 25. "Just Got Lucky" by JoBoxers. This song struck soundtrack gold during the closing credits of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," and good for those guys, because they must be broke. In a genre built around one-hit wonders, this was atypical but still a pretty little ditty nonetheless. Advertisement Advertisement 26. "Down Under" by Men At Work. This song is as easygoing as they come. It was not just a calling card for this band, but for an entire country as well. The "Born in the U.S.A." of Australia took the filthy taste of Crocodile Dundee and baby-eating dingos out of our mouths. Although those movies weren't out yet, so maybe it was the taste of a vegemite sandwich. A great sense of humor can go a long way toward endearing yourself to the world. Their videos for "It's a Mistake," "Be Good Johnny," "Overkill," and "Who Can it Be Now?" were always on MTV in the early days. They recorded their own death sentence with that sense of humor though. It's called "Dr. Hekyll & Mr. Jive." I'm serious. You can look it up. 27. "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel. What a song, wow. That line "Grab your things! I've come to take you home" gets you every time, doesn't it? The beautiful guitar work, mmm mmm. Points off on this list however because it isn't very 'Wavy'. It is a standard on classic rock station playlists coast-to-coast since its re-release. Let me explain.: After leaving Genesis in '75, Gabriel released this song originally in April of 1977. It was not a smash, but he knew he had a hit on his hands so he waited until 1983, when he rereleased it as a live recording for a follow-up/piggyback to his first Top 40 hit in the States, "Shock The Monkey." Billy Idol did the same thing in '87, with his live cover of "Mony Mony" and it went to #1 even though none of the stations were playing the live version. They were all playing his original 12" from back in '81. It worked so well that Billy tried it again three months later with "Hot in the City," but it failed to crack the Top 40. Stayed tuned for more of Billy's antics in reissues. 28. "Mexican Radio" by Wall of Voodoo. Also known as: "I Wish I was in Tijuana eating barbecued iguana." How original can a song be? The crescendo at the beginning deposits you right in the middle of a bad dream for our south-of-the-border disc jockey/narrator. Nod to I.R.S. Records for finding guys like this all the time. 1983 wouldn't have been the same without them. Word of mouth can take a song very far indeed. 29. "The Promise" by When In Rome. By 1988, New Wave music was starting to become mainstream and was wearing a bit thin, as well. This was the rare integrity track in your DJ set because all the girls loved it! It went all the way to #11 on the charts, but their follow-up track was? Anybody? It was "Heaven Knows" and it peaked at Number 95, and another one-hit-wonder was born. It is now known to a whole new generation as the tether-ball song from the end of the film "Napoleon Dynamite." 30. "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors. Here's The Great Debate: Is this song about masturbation or not? The band says no, but the lyrics say yes. Like "spanking the monkey," and "turning 'Japanese,'"—both being slang terms for wanking. Also, lines like, "I got your picture and I look at it all by myself," and "I often kiss when there's no one else around" only add fuel to the fire. Leave me a comment and you decide. 31. "Puttin' On The Ritz" by Taco. Aw jeez, this song just broke my New Wav-O-Meter. Written in 1929 by Irving Berlin, it was a #1 song for Harry Richman in 1930. 25 years later, Taco Ockerse (his real name) was born to Dutch parents in Jaharta, Indonesia. Raised in Germany, he dreamed of pop stardom. He signed with RCA in '83, and this single was soon certified gold. 32. "Dancing With Myself" by Billy Idol. Billy can repackage an old hit like nobody else. This song was originally recorded by the London punk band Generation X which led by Billy Idol. Weird fact: His new version is a classic, well-known punk-wave dancefloor screamer, but it never entered the Hot 100 Billboard charts. The video of vampish zombie-babes climbing the walls was on MTV every hour in 1983. It never was among the 100 most popular songs? Baffling. He clearly fashioned himself as a blond Sid Vicious and his "sweat, sweat, sweat-sweat-sweat AAAaaWWWWWW," was pretty mean. 33. "West End Girls" by Pet Shop Boys. Neil Tennant was a writer for the British fanzine Smash Hits, hwhere he must have figured out the secret formula for street smart pop hooks. The guy rapped with a monotone British accent about suicide and fashion, and people were incredulous to explain why they loved it. They had five Top Ten hits from '86-'88, but this was their debut single and their only Number 1 in the U.S. I guess for some people, "Sometimes, you're better off dead, the gun's in your hand..." 34. "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears For Fears. If you listen to the lyrics, you'll understand why Dennis Miller chose it as the theme song for his political-comedy show. There's a whole lot more going on here than in your average #1 pop song. I absolutely love the bridge part, "There's a room where the light wont find you. Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down." I always like the bridge the best though. "I can't stand this indecision married with a lack of vision" is Bush-worthy to say the least. This is a freakin' song right here! 35. "Close To Me" by The Cure. To be honest, I don't have a preference between the 1985 album cut and the remix from 1990. They are very different, but both really good in their own way. The beat, of course, always gets better with newer versions but you really should get both versions. Ditto with "Safety Dance," "19," and "Rock Me Amadeus." You have to get both versions. DJ's note: the one from '90 mixes great with "Live is Life" by Opus and "Seattle" by PiL. 36. "Hold Me Now" by Thompson Twins. Some songs thrive simply because they slip so well into the background that you don't ever realize that you know all the words to them. Lyric question? Does xylophonist / backup singer Alannah Currie say "Oh, my cold Italian heart" toward the outro? It is not listed in the official lyrics and I know outros usually aren't because it's just skatting by the vocalist, but I'm so curious? FYI, Ms. Currie is from New Zealand which makes the quote that much weirder. 37. "Always Something There To Remind Me" by Naked Eyes. Catchy, catchy, catchy as hell. This song is a guilty pleasure that I can't resist. Do I hate his voice or do I love it? This song has an intro that is very mixable. Some suggestions, "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division, "Grey Cell Green" by Ned's Atomic Dustbin, and "We Got The Beat" by The Go-Go's. 38. "In a Big Country" by Big Country. Who doesn't love this song? I mean, at least the first minute or so anyway. I even love the way it annoys me with bagpipe overkill. These dudes from Scotland were that group I wanted to root for, but didn't. I hear the album is great, but I never got around to picking it up. That's what I'll end up doing after I post this. Trying to find a Greatest Hits for Big Country. Wow, my whole life just passed before my eyes. 39. "Every Breath You Take" by The Police. I'm completely biased and I admit this straight up. Most Police songs are some form of ragga. This brooding, aching, creep you out and break your heart song is not. They simplified the arrangements and stripped it down to a baseline that sounds like a stalker's footsteps. It became the biggest song of the year. It spent 8 weeks at Number 1 in the summer of '83. From July 9th to September 2nd, which is like the whole summer. Coincidentally, the second biggest song of the year was also of the stalker variety. It spent seven weeks at #1 through March and most of April. Can you name it?? While I give you time to think about it, check this out. In 1983, 27 weeks of the year were conquered by only four Number One Songs. If "Billie Jean" is your answer, then you are correct, sir! (Michael Scott Rules! Sorry.) A lot of people believe that the intro to "Billie Jean" in all it's moonwalkin' glory is best piece of pop music ever. Seriously. I'd compared it to both, the riff and whisper from "Satisfaction" and the vocals from Aretha's version of "Respect." But "Every Breath..." was just a little better. Here's why I think that is: A personal note: I actually believe that the bridge of "Every Breath You Take" is the greatest piece of recorded music ever. Just pure honesty and soul bearing going on right there. I sing it at the top of my lungs every time. Wanna try it? Cool. Okay, ready, (boom boom boom) "SINCE YOU'VE GONE, I'VE BEEN LOST WITHOUT A TRACE! I DREAM AT NIGHT..." 40. "Shoot You Down" by apb. If you don't know this song, you need to go wherever you go and get it right now. Download it while you finish reading my list. This funky-ass, rock the dancefloor, new wave jam is also a best bet to be reborn a la the soundtrack. The album was finally released on CD at the behest of thousands of fans and one of them; Matt Pinfield does the amazing liner notes. The album is called Something to Believe In and you'll love almost every track. Soundtrack Rebirth Candidate #2 . Long Live apb! 41. "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. It was 1991, but it was New Wave-Folk and it was downright moving in a way we don't always understand. Michael Stipe claims to be mystified by it still to this day. Every once in a while everything just falls into place perfectly. "Life . . . is bigger." 42. "Ca Plane Pour Moi" by Plastic Bertrand. The little Belgian song that could. This international super duper Punk Smash is one of our favorites because it's overtly friendly and doesn't overstay its welcome. I often thought that Lindsey Buckingham got the idea for "Holiday Road" (aka the theme to National Lampoon's "Vacation" ) right here. 43. "Save A Prayer" by Duran Duran. Why is this so high? Because every single hot new wave chick in the world loved it, that's why. This was after all the girls' medium. All the men of New Wave are androgenous and wimpy, and all the girls are powerful and venomous. Guys like me who were into Rush & Van Halen made it a point to learn about Depeche Mode and Yaz because we wanted to know about those girls. Those really cool, gothy, punk, "grrl power" babes, with their hair flopped over their eyes. Ahhh, memories. "Save 'em til the morning after." 44. "Need You Tonight" by INXS. Whether or not Michael Hutchence was doing a Jim Morrison impression is not relevant. All INXS songs have the same formula, almost. Here they just found the secret ingredient. This was the peak for an Australian band that would end up going from so underrated to way overrated in just three years. Mostly because they were never able to overcome their own masterpiece. Everything after that sounded so lame by comparison. Same story as the Eagles and "Hotel California." 45. "I Got You" by Split Enz. Before there was a Crowded House, there was Split Enz. Two brothers from New Zealand who could really write a hook. They broke up, and one brother Neil Finn would go on, perhaps naming his new band as a way of explaining why the old one couldn't go on. This song is most commonly searched for on Limewire as "Frightened" by Crowded House, but it isn't. Now let's all gleefully sing, "I DON"T KNOW WHY SOMETIMES I GET FRIGHTENED, YOU CAN SEE MY EYES..." 46. "One Way Or Another" by Blondie. 47. "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club 48. "Celebrate" by An Emotional Fish 49. "Heartbreak Beat" by The Psychedelic Furs 50. "Don't Change" by INXS Advertisement Vinyl 45 Singles -- My Collection 51. "Holding Back The Years" by Simply Red 52. "Kiss Me" by Stephen ‘tin tin' Duffy 53. "True Faith" by New Order 54. "Alex Chilton" by The Replacements 55. "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" by U2 56. "Perfect Way" by Scritti Politti 57. "Spirit In The Sky" by Dr. & The Medics 58. "Don't Stand So Close To Me" by The Police 59. "Love & Pride" by King 60. "Life In A Northern Town" by The Dream Academy 61. "Love Plus One" by Haircut 100 62. "My Sharona" by The Knack 63. "Up The Junction" by Squeeze 64. "New Song" by Howard Jones 65. "Ever Fallen In Love" by The Buzzcocks 66. "Where The Streets Have No Name" by U2 67. "Dear God" by XTC 68. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police 69. "I Don't Like Mondays" by the Boomtown Rats 70. "What's So Funny Bout (Peace Love & Understanding)" Elvis Costello 71. "Alive & Kicking" by Simple Minds 72. "White Wedding" by Billy Idol 73. "Our Lips Are Sealed" by The Go-Go's 74. "Burning Down The House" Talking Heads 75. "Ship Of Fools (Save Me From Tomorrow)" by World Party 76. "Live Is Life" by Opus 77. "Train In Vain" by The Clash 78. "Modern Love" by David Bowie 79. "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" by Icicle Works 80. "Genius Of Love" by Tom Tom Club 81. "Oh Yeah" by Yello 82. "Cry" by Godley & Crème 83. "Din Daa Daa (Trommeltanz)" by George Kranz 84. "Rush" by B.A.D. II 85. "Lips Like Sugar" by Echo & The Bunnymen 86. "Someday, Someway" by Marshall Crenshaw 87. "Why Can't I Be You?" by The Cure 88. "Antmusic" by Adam & The Ants 89. "Shout" by Tears For Fears 90. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking for" by U2 91. "The Look Of Love" by ABC 92. "Red Skies" by The Fixx 93. "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow 94. "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush 95. "Kiss The Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)" by INXS 96. "Desire (Come And Get It)" by Gene Loves Jezebel 97. "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" by The Clash 98. "The Honeytheif" by Hipsway 99. "Oh L'amour" by Erasure 100. "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure Advertisement More from My 45 Collection 101. "Tempted" by Squeeze 147. "Enjoy The Silence" by Depeche Mode 148. "It Must Be Love" by Madness 149. "Let The Day Begin" by The Call 150. "It's The End of the World As We Know It" by R.E.M. Love and Rockets do the Temptations. Brilliant! 7 Inches of Madness And the Beat Goes On . . . 151. "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" by XTC 152. "Space Age Love Song" by A Flock of Seagulls 153. "Fly On The Windscreen" by Depeche Mode 154. "Back To Ohio" by The Pretenders 155. "Shoplifters of the World Unite" by The Smiths 156. "Joey" by Concrete Blonde 157. "See A Little Light" by Bob Mould 158. "I Go Crazy" by Flesh For Lulu 159. "Obsession" by Animotion 160. "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw and Danny Hutton Hitters 161. "Overkill" by Men At Work 162. "Ball of Confusion" by Love & Rockets 163. “What Is Love?” by Howard Jones 164. “She Blinded Me With Science” by Thomas Dolby 165. “Don't Dream It's Over” by Crowded House 166. “In Your Room” by The Bangles 167. “And She Was” by Talking Heads 168. “Radio Radio” by Elvis Costello 169. “Would I Lie To You?” by Eurythmics 170. “Girls On Film” by Duran Duran 171. “Synchronicity II” by The Police 172. “Strip” by Adam Ant 173. “Poison Arrow” by ABC 174. “Head Over Heels” by The Go-Go's 175. “Sunday Girl” by Blondie 176. “Just Can't Get Enough” by Depeche Mode 177. “The Politics of Dancing” by Re-Flex 178. “Message Of Love” by The Pretenders 179. "Sanctify Yourself” by Simple Minds 180. "Left Of Center” by Suzanne Vega 181."Mirror In The Bathroom” by The English Beat 182. "Like the Weather” by 10,000 Maniacs 183. "Here Comes Your Man” by The Pixies 184. "19” by Paul Hardcastle 185. "Blue Jean” by David Bowie 186. "One Thing Leads To Another” by The Fixx 187. "We Close Our Eyes” by Go West 188. "This Is Not A Love Song” by Public Image Ltd. 189. "What Do All The People Know” by The Monroes 190. "The Motion of Love" by Gene Loves Jezebel 191. "Der Kommissar" by After The Fire 192. "Living in a Box" by Living in a Box 193. "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel 194. "Black Coffee In Bed" by Squeeze 195. "No New Tale To Tell" by Love & Rockets 196. "This Time" by INXS 197. "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" by The Colour Field 198. "Together in Electric Dreams" by Georgio Moroder & Philip Oakey 199. "Don't Let's Start" by They Might Be Giants 200. "If I Had A Rocket Launcher” by Bruce Cockburn 1990's Post-Punk Alternative	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_11	Hot 100 55th Anniversary: The All-Time Top 100 Songs \| Billboard Hot 100 55th Anniversary: The All-Time Top 100 Songs COMMENTS In celebration of the chart's 55th Anniversary, we're counting down the 100 biggest Hot 100 hits ever. When Billboard introduced weekly music charts in 1940, there were sales charts and there were airplay charts. These separate charts measuring the popularity of singles continued going their separate ways until Aug. 4, 1958, when Billboard introduced the first chart that blended sales and airplay data. Named the "Hot 100," it has continued to this day, known around the world for being the definitive U.S. singles weekly report. As someone once said, "It ain't No. 1 until it's No. 1 in Billboard." • Hot 100 List: Every No. 1 Song (1958-2013) In celebration of the 55th anniversary of the Hot 100, here is an updated list of the top 100 songs in the tally's history, ranked in order of chart performance -- which we are counting down, 10 per day, until the full list is uncovered. This all-time chart was first compiled for the Hot 100's 50th anniversary; in the five years that have passed, a dozen songs that charted between 2008-2013 have jumped onto the top 100. Come along as we reveal all the songs that made the list. Scroll to the bottom of this page to read how this list was formulated. 100 "You Make Me Wanna…" - Usher Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (1997) His third single to appear on the Hot 100 and the first to reach the upper half of the chart. It peaked at No. 2 and was on the chart for 47 weeks, the longest run of any Usher single so far. 99 "We Are Young" - fun. feat. Janelle Monae Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (2012) Billboard's No. 3 Hot 100 song of 2012, behind first chart entries from Gotye and Cary Rae Jepsen. It was the first time in the tenure of the Hot 100 that the top three songs of the year were by new artists. 98 "Best of My Love" - Emotions Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for five weeks (1977) When the Stax label shuttered in 1975, sisters Sheila, Wanda and Pam Hutchinson signed with Maurice White's Kalimba Productions and made a new deal with Columbia Records. White co-wrote and produced "Best of My Love" for them, giving the trio its biggest hit. 97 "One More Night" - Maroon 5 Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for nine weeks (2012) The third of Maroon 5's three No. 1s and the one with the lengthiest run at the top: nine weeks. That was long enough to prevent PSY's "Gangnam Style" from occupying the No. 1 position in the U.S. 96 "Another Day in Paradise" - Phil Collins Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1989) Adding vocals to this song was one of Collins' heroes, David Crosby. The two met at Atlantic's 40th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden in 1988 and Collins asked if Crosby would add his voice to a couple of Collins' songs. 95 "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" - B.J. Thomas Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1970) The night before he recorded the Burt Bacharch-Hal David song for the film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," Thomas had laryngitis. Treated by his doctor, Thomas did five raspy takes for Bacharach and said if he had to do one more, he wouldn't have had any voice. A few weeks later, all healed, Thomas recorded the crystal-clear version that would be released as a single. 94 "I'll Be Missing You" - Puff Daddy & Faith Evans feat. 112 Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 11 weeks (1997) After his friend Christopher Wallace (a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G.) was killed, Sean "Puffy" Combs thought recording a tribute song would be cathartic, and it was. He sampled one of his favorite songs, "Every Breath You Take" by the Police. "It always made me cry," he says. 93 "Hurts So Good" - John Cougar Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (1982) The fifth Hot 100 entry for Cougar, before he reclaimed his last name of Mellencamp. His first single to crack the top 10, it peaked at No. 2 and was followed by his only No. 1 hit, "Jack and Diane." 92 "Killing Me Softly With His Song" - Roberta Flack Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for five weeks (1973) Flack was listening to the inflight audio while traveling on TWA from Los Angeles to New York when she heard Lori Lieberman sing the original version, inspired by a Don McLean performance at the Troubadour. Flack felt this wasn't what the definitive version could be and believed she could add something of her own. 91 "Are You Lonesome To-Night?" - Elvis Presley Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1960) The song was written in 1926 and recorded by many artists over the decades, including Al Jolson and Jaye P. Morgan. Presley's version was a follow-up to another ballad, "It's Now or Never." NEXT: Nos. 90-81 The 55th anniversary edition of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100, since the chart’s inception in August 1958 through the July 27, 2013, ranking. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the Hot 100's 55 years (i.e., the inclusion of Nielsen Entertainment airplay monitoring and point-of-sales tracking and the recent inclusion of streaming data, among earlier modifications), certain eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates over various periods. 90 "Waiting for a Girl Like You" - Foreigner Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (1981) The single was No. 2 for 10 weeks, unable to surpass Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" for nine weeks and Daryl Hall & John Oates' "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" for one. Among No. 2-peaking hits, its 10-week stay is matched only by Missy Elliott's 2002 hit "Work It." 89 "Family Affair" Mary J. Blige Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (2001) The song was just a skeleton of an idea and was intended for rapper Rakim when Blige heard it and decided she wanted to write something to it. Blige didn't usually look at the Billboard charts, but when the song was No. 1 for a sixth week she checked the chart for the first time and said, "Whoa, this is really real!" 88 "I Swear" - All-4-One Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 11 weeks (1994) When Atlantic's John Michael Montgomery took this song to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, the label's chairman and CEO Doug Morris told the Nashville office he wanted to cut a pop version with a California quartet, All-4-One. 87 "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinead O'Connor Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1990) Manager Fachtna O'Ceallaigh suggested O'Connor cover this song, written by Prince and first recorded by the Family, a group formed by ex-members of the Time. 86 "All Night Long (All Night)" - Lionel Richie Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1983) To make sure he was pronouncing the old Jamaican chant, "Tom bo li de say di moi ya, yeah jumbo jumbo" correctly, Richie called his wife's Jamaican gynecologist, who replied, "I'm right in the middle of an appointment, can we talk later?" 85 "My Sharona" - The Knack Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1979) Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Doug Fieger fell in love with a girl named Sharona and wrote a song about teenage sexual frustration that he married to a lick composed by guitarist Berton Averre. 84 "Say You, Say Me" - Lionel Richie Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1985) Director Taylor Hackford asked Lionel Richie to write the title song for his 1985 film "White Nights." Lionel couldn't come up with a song called "White Nights" but wrote "Say You, Say Me" for the soundtrack and won an Oscar for Best Original Song. 83 "Play That Funky Music" - Wild Cherry Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for three weeks (1976) Bob Parissi and his band wanted to play rock music but it was the disco era and all their bookings were in dance clubs. A backstage discussion about how to handle this dilemma led drummer Ron Beitle to tell Parissi, "Play that funky music, white boy," and Parissi grabbed a bar order pad and wrote down those words. 82 "You're So Vain" - Carly Simon Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for three weeks (1973) Mick Jagger sings backing vocals, but that doesn't mean the song is about him. Simon has ruled out former hubby James Taylor but has never publicly revealed who the subject is. She did tell her brother Peter, "I had three or four different people in mind…but the examples of what they did was a fantasy." 81 "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (1983) Recorded in one take, "Billie Jean" was the first of Jackson's two No. 1 singles from "Thriller" (The other was "Beat It"). Its seven-week reign is Jackson's longest run at the top of the Hot 100 (tied with 1991's "Black or White"). 80 "Abracadabra" - The Steve Miller Band Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for two weeks (1982) As half of the Goldberg-Miller Blues Band, Steve Miller appeared on NBC's "Hullabaloo" in 1966, along with the Supremes. Years later, he was inspired by Diana Ross' "Upside Down" to write "Abracadabra." 79 "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio feat. L.V. Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for three weeks (1995) Coolio and L.V. based their song for the film "Dangerous Minds" on Stevie Wonder's "Pastime Paradise" from his masterpiece, "Songs in the Key of Life." But when they sent it to Wonder, he rejected it. "I had a few vulgarities…and he wasn't with that," says Coolio. "So I changed it. Once he heard it, he thought it was incredible." 78 "Hot Stuff" - Donna Summer Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for three weeks (1979) She was the reigning queen of disco, but Summer wanted to record a rock song. With Jeff "Skunk" Baxter on guitar, "Hot Stuff" was just the ticket. It was the first single from her double-LP "Bad Girls." 77 "You're Still the One" - Shania Twain Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (1998) The sixth of her 18 Hot 100 entries and the first to rise higher than No. 25. Her highest-ranked single at No. 2 as well as her longest-running song, with 42 weeks on the chart. 76 "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (1968) Gladys Knight and the Pips took the song to No. 2 in December 1967. Gaye's version hit No. 1 one year later, but was recorded before the Knight single. He wasn't the first Motown artist to record "Grapevine." Smokey Robinson and the Miracles cut it first, followed by the Isley Brothers. 75 "Dilemma" - Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 10 weeks (2002) "Dilemma" replaced Nelly's "Hot in Herre" at No. 1, making him the fifth artist in Hot 100 history at the time to succeed himself in pole position, following the Beatles, Boyz II Men, Puff Daddy and Ja Rule. 74 "Just the Way You Are" - Bruno Mars Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (2010) Billboard's review of the single correctly predicted: "Mars has created a feel-good jam that should establish him as a solo contender in his own right." This song marked Mars' formal debut as a solo artist after charting as a featured guest on B.o.B's No. 1 hit, "Nothin' on You." 73 "Sugar, Sugar" - The Archies Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1969) Don Kirshner, music supervisor of Filmation's Saturday morning animated "The Archies," asked Jeff Barry to produce songs for the show by a group of studio musicians fronted by vocalist Ron Dante with an assist from Toni Wine. Canadian singer Andy Kim was asked to co-write with Barry and the result was the third Archies single, "Sugar, Sugar," Billboard's No. 1 Hot 100 song of 1969. 72 "Upside Down" - Diana Ross Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1980) When Ross heard the tracks produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, she felt like a guest vocalist on a Chic recording rather than the star of her own album. She insisted on a remix and the producers made slight changes and said if she still wasn't happy, she should remix the tracks herself. With Motown's Russ Terrana, she moved her vocals forward. "We had two different concepts of what her voice should sound like," Rodgers later explained. 71 "That's What Friends Are For" - Dionne and Friends Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1986) Rod Stewart recorded the Burt Bacharach-Carole Bayer Sager song first, for the 1982 film "Night Shift." In 1985, Sager asked Bacharach to play the song for Dionne Warwick, who suggested she record it with Stevie Wonder. They then decided to add Gladys Knight and Clive Davis suggested Elton John as the fourth vocalist. The song raised over $3 million for the American Foundation for AIDS Research. 70 "Rush Rush" - Paula Abdul Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for five weeks (1991) Abdul told her label, "I don't care what songs make it onto the album, I want 'Rush Rush' to be the first single." Virgin execs told her to finish her second album and then decide. "But I'm really glad 'Rush Rush' was the first single," she says. It became her longest-running No. 1. 69 "Ebony and Ivory" - Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (1982) McCartney and Wonder recorded the duet together, on the island of Montserrat in the West Indies. But it's only through the magic of editing that they appear to be in the video together, performing on the white and black keys of a piano. 68 "Moves Like Jagger" - Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (2011) "The Voice" judges Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera teamed up to give Maroon 5 its biggest hit to that date. It was Maroon 5's first No. 1 in four years and Aguilera's first No. 1 in 10 years. 67 "Whoomp! (There It Is)" - Tag Team Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (1993) The title was already a catchphrase in the South when Steve (Roll'n) Gibson and Cecil (DC) Glenn recorded this bassline-heavy hip-hop track. Glenn was a cook and a DJ at Magic City in Atlanta and played the song in the club, creating the initial demand for the single. 66 "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" - the 5th Dimension Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1969) When group member Billy Davis, Jr, left his wallet in a New York taxi, it was found by one of the producers of the Broadway musical "Hair." A grateful Davis invited him to see the 5th Dimension live and the producer reciprocated by inviting the group to see "Hair." Before they left the theater, they agreed they had to record "Aquarius." Producer Bones Howe said it was "half a song" and suggested a medley with the show's "The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In)." 65 "I Love Rock 'n Roll" - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (1982) Jake Hooker and Alan Merrill wrote the song to refute the Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)," which they felt was a put-down. They recorded it with their group the Arrows in the U.K. and Jett saw them perform it on TV. She asked Hooker if she could record it, but couldn't get her group the Runaways to cut the song. She finally recorded it as a solo artist, first as a B-side in Holland in 1979 and then again in 1981 with the Blackhearts. 64 "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)" - Stevie B Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1990) Warren Allen Brooks wrote the song years before he met Stevie B. "Stevie heard me sing it…in 1985 and he would tell everybody, 'Listen to Warren's song – that could be a hit.'" Five years later, Stevie was proven right. 63 "The Boy Is Mine" - Brandy & Monica Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 13 weeks (1998) Atlantic A&R staffer Paris Davis suggested to producers Rodney Jerkins and Dallas Austin that Brandy and Monica record a song called "The Boy Is Mine," "like when Michael (Jackson) and Paul McCartney did 'The Girl Is Mine.'" The duet gave both women their first Hot 100 No. 1. 62 "(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for five weeks (1980) Lennon took a five-year recording hiatus while he raised his son Sean, then went back into the studio to record songs for the "Double Fantasy" album. This song was No. 6 on the Hot 100 when Lennon was assassinated on Dec. 8, 1980. The title had become a grim irony by the time it was a posthumous No. 1 the week of Dec. 27. 61 "Centerfold" - J. Geils Band Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1982) Signed to Atlantic in 1969, the group moved to EMI-America in 1978. Their first 12 entries failed to crack the top 10 of the Hot 100 but the first single from their "Freeze-Frame" LP changed their chart fortunes when it became their first No. 1 hit. 60 "The Sign" - Ace of Base Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1994) Arista A&R VP Richard Sweret was on a Stockholm bus with Jonas Berggren of Ace of Base when the musician played him a new demo intended for the group's second album. Sweret loved "The Sign" and insisted the quartet record it immediately. He added it to the group's first album for its U.S. release and changed the CD title from "Happy Nation" to "The Sign." 59 "Apologize" - Timbaland feat. OneRepublic Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (2007) While most people know this song is by OneRepublic, the artist credit is "Timbaland featuring OneRepublic" because the hip-hop artist signed the group to his Mosley imprint and remixed "Apologize" for his album "Timbaland Presents Shock Value." 58 "Gold Digger" - Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 10 weeks (2005) West wrote the song from a female point of view for rapper Shawna. When she didn't record it, he rewrote it for himself, and enrolled Jamie Foxx as a featured artist. The result was West's first No. 1 as a lead artist. 57 "I'm a Believer" - The Monkees Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (1966) Music publisher Don Kirshner asked his friend Jeff Barry to find an even bigger hit to follow "Last Train to Clarksville." Barry was working with Neil Diamond and thought his song "I'm a Believer" would do the trick. The single had an advance order of 1,051,280 copies. 56 "Tik Tok" - Ke$ha Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for nine weeks (2010) With nine weeks on top, this became the longest-running No. 1 debut single for any lead artist since Ashanti led the list for 10 weeks with "Foolish" in 2002. 55 "Lady" - Kenny Rogers Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1980) Charting pop, R&B and country, "Lady" was the ultimate crossover hit and the first production work for Lionel Richie outside of the Commodores, resulting in Richie signing with Rogers' manager, Ken Kragen, for his solo career. 54 "Stayin' Alive" - Bee Gees Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1978) Robert Stigwood was expecting a song from the Bee Gees called "Saturday Night, Saturday Night," so he was not happy to hear a demo titled "Stayin' Alive." Heard in a 30-second trailer played in theaters one week prior to the release of "Saturday Night Fever," a demand for the song was created before the LP hit the street. 53 "Let Me Love You" - Mario Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for nine weeks (2005) Kameron Houff, who wrote the song with Scott Storch and a then-unknown Ne-Yo, remembers when their tune hit the top of the Hot 100. "Every week, my wife would look online and come into the bedroom and say, ‘Baby, it's No. 1.' It was like ‘Groundhog Day.' It was the greatest nine weeks of my life waking up and hearing her tell me every week it's still No. 1." 52 "Call Me" - Blondie Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1980) Giorgio Moroder composed the music for the film "American Gigolo" and wanted Stevie Nicks to sing the title song. When she turned him down, Moroder asked Debbie Harry of Blondie to write the lyrics and record the movie's theme. "Call Me" was Billboard's No. 1 single of 1980. 51 "Boom Boom Pow" - The Black Eyed Peas Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 12 weeks (2009) will.i.am told Billboard that this song was, "made for underground clubs. Like, if I would have thought it was going to be a radio song, I would have made it different." Radio loved "Boom Boom Pow" just the way it was and the single became the Peas' first No. 1 on the Hot 100. 50 "End of the Road" - Boyz II Men Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 13 weeks (1992) Co-writer Babyface composed this song for the film "Boomerang" and was tempted to keep it for himself, but felt Boyz II Men "would take it further." When the single spent 13 weeks at No. 1, it established a then-new longevity record atop the Hot 100. 49 "I Will Always Love You" - Whitney Houston Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 14 weeks (1992) Producer David Foster wanted Houston to cover Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" for "The Bodyguard," but when Paul Young sang that Motown classic in "Fried Green Tomatoes," music supervisor Maureen Crowe had Foster listen to Linda Ronstadt's version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." Houston's single returned to the Hot 100 after her death in February 2012. 48 "No One" - Alicia Keys Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for five weeks (2007) The third of her four No. 1s, all of which have been on top for five or six weeks, no more, no less. "No One" had a five-week reign, as did "Empire State of Mind." "Fallin'" and "My Boo" each ruled for six weeks. 47 "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" - Elton John Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 14 weeks (1997) Lady Sarah McCorqudale asked Elton John to sing at the funeral of her sister, Princess Diana. "Your Song" was considered and Elton thought about writing a new song. Through a misunderstanding, Bernie Taupin thought Elton wanted him to write new lyrics to their 1973 song "Candle in the Wind." More than 2.5 billion people all over the globe watched Elton sing the song at Diana's funeral. With worldwide sales of 33 million, "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the best-selling single of the rock era. Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," first released in 1942, is reported to have sold 50 million copies worldwide. 46 "Call Me Maybe" - Carly Rae Jepsen Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for nine weeks (2012) Jepsen's hook-laden pop hit ruled the Hot 100 for nine weeks. It is the biggest hit by any "Idol" finalist, as Jepsen finished third in the fifth season of "Canadian Idol." She is the highest-ranking Canadian female on the all-time Hot 100. 45 "Shadow Dancing" - Andy Gibb Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (1978) While his older brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice were filming the movie "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in Hollywood, Andy joined them for a writing session. Within 10 minutes, they were singing the chorus to what became "Shadow Dancing." 44 "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (1964) Despite selling millions of records in the U.K. for EMI, the company's American label, Capitol, declined to release the Fab Four in the U.S. – until they heard "I Want to Hold Your Hand." A Washington, D.C. DJ broke the song, forcing Capitol to move the release date from Jan. 13, 1964 to Dec. 26, 1963 and to increase the run from 200,000 copies to one million. 43 "It's All in the Game" - Tommy Edwards Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1958) The only No. 1 song written by a Vice President of the United States. Charles Dawes was a banker when he wrote the music in 1912; the lyrics were penned by Carl Sigman in 1951. Tommy Edwards recorded the song that year, but it was a 1958 re-recording in the new format called "stereo" that topped the Hot 100. 42 "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" - Dawn feat. Tony Orlando Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1973) Dawn was ready to disband at the end of 1972 after three consecutive singles failed to make the top 60 of the Hot 100. Then producers Hank Medress and Dave Appell asked Telma Hopkins and Joyce Wilson to meet them and Tony Orlando in the studio to record this song, based on a true story. 41 "How You Remind Me" - Nickelback Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (2001) "I'd been living with a girl for a couple of years and the relationship was on its way down," says Chad Kroeger. "…after I don't know how many fights…(I) was going to give her the f*** you song and I wrote 'How You Remind Me.'" 40 "Say, Say, Say" - Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1983) When Jackson called McCartney on Christmas Day to suggest they collaborate, the former Beatle didn't believe it was really Michael on the phone. The King of Pop wanted to visit Paul in the U.K. and write some songs together. First came "The Girl Is Mine" and later "Say, Say, Say." 39 "Another One Bites the Dust" - Queen Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for three weeks (1980) Freddie Mercury and Brian May wrote most of Queen's hits, but not this one. Sole writing credit goes to bass guitarist John Deacon, who had composed the group's 1976 hit, "You're My Best Friend." 38 "Night Fever" - The Bee Gees Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for eight weeks (1978) Written before the film "Saturday Night Fever" had a title, the Bee Gees thought the movie should be named after this song, but Robert Stigwood rejected it as too pornographic. He preferred "Saturday Night," and ultimately they compromised. 37 "Let's Get It On" - Marvin Gaye Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for two weeks (1973) While the song caused controversy for its explicit, sexual message, Gaye's co-writer, Ed Townsend, says it began as an ode about overcoming addiction, based on his personal experience in an alcohol rehab center. 36 "Silly Love Songs" - Wings Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for five weeks (1976) Paul McCartney wrote the song as a reaction to critics who called his music lightweight, telling journalists that he hated silly rhymes, but when they work they're "the greatest." 35 "Truly, Madly, Deeply" - Savage Garden Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for two weeks (1998) Darren Hayes wrote a very personal song and named it after a 1990 British film he thought no one had seen, "Truly Madly Deeply." "It was our first No. 1 and it opened the whole world to Savage Garden," says Hayes. "Thank God for that song." 34 "One Sweet Day" - Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 16 weeks (1995) "It's definitely a blessing and I'm very grateful for it," says Mariah Carey of her record-setting 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100. But she says she didn't focus on the chart achievement until the song's final frame on top, as it wasn't "the right vibe to have." 33 "The Battle of New Orleans" - Johnny Horton Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1959) After the final battle of the War of 1812, a folk tune played by fiddlers called "The Eighth of January" became popular across the United States. Lyrics weren't written until 1955, by an Arkansas teacher named Jimmy Driftwood. He retitled it "The Battle of New Orleans," and four years later it was recorded by Johnny Horton. 32 "Tossin' and Turnin'" - Bobby Lewis Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (1961) During a gig at the Apollo, Lewis gave some encouragement to a nervous group of singers, the Fireflies. A few weeks later, Lewis signed to the Beltone label and discovered his labelmates were the Fireflies, who offered him a song they had written, "Tossin' and Turnin'." 31 "Rolling in the Deep" - Adele Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (2011) The most successful single by a U.K. solo female since "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John 30 years earlier. The first of three No. 1s from the second best-selling album released in the 21st century, "21," it led the Hot 100 for seven weeks. "Someone Like You" was on top for five weeks and "Set Fire to the Rain" triumphed for two weeks. 30 "Flashdance…What a Feeling," - Irene Cara Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1983) The synthesizer-based hit won the Academy Award for Best Song, defeating "Maniac" from the same film as well as "Over You" from "Tender Mercies" and "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" and "The Way He Makes Me Feel" from "Yentl." 29 "Somebody That I Used to Know" - Gotye feat. Kimbra Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for eight weeks (2012) Raised in Australia but born in Bruges, Gotye is only the second artist from Belgium to top the Hot 100. The first was the Singing Nun in 1963 with "Dominique." 28 "Every Breath You Take" - The Police Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for eight weeks (1983) Often mistaken for a sweet love song, Sting has described the song as "fairly nasty," as it is about surveillance, ownership and jealousy. 27 "Too Close" - Next Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for five weeks (1998) Producer Kay Gee told this Minneapolis trio they were going to write a song based on an early rap hit, Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'." But they didn't sample the original. "We played it live and changed it around," says Kay Gee. "I felt if we put the right lyrics on top of that beat, we could bring that same magic back in the '90s." 26 "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" - Andy Gibb Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for four weeks (1977) Andy Gibb signed to the RSO label at Robert Stigwood's home in Bermuda and immediately started writing songs with his brothers. On their first day of composing, Barry Gibb sequestered himself in one of the bedrooms on the estate and wrote this song by himself. 25 "Low" - Flo Rida feat. T-Pain Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 10 weeks (2008) Flo Rida says when he first heard the track produced by DJ Montay, he felt it immediately. "It reminded me of the early bass records from artists like the 2 Live Crew." 24 "We Found Love" - Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 10 weeks (2011) The 11th of Rihanna's 12 No. 1s on the Hot 100, and the only one with a double-digit reign, as it stayed on top for 10 weeks. 23 "Eye of the Tiger" - Survivor Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1982) Sylvester Stallone was going to use Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" as his main theme for "Rocky III," until label owner Tony Scotti, who years earlier had released a single by Sly's brother Frank, played him an album by the Chicago-based band Survivor. Within 90 minutes of the group seeing a rough cut of the film, "Eye of the Tiger" was born. 22 "How Deep Is Your Love" - Bee Gees Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for three weeks (1977) RSO label founder and Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood phoned the trio and told them he needed four songs for a film he was producing, "about a bunch of guys who live in New York." The first song written after the call was "How Deep Is Your Love," but it was intended for Yvonne Elliman. Stigwood heard it and was adamant the Bee Gees record it themselves. 21 "Le Freak" - Chic Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (1978) Selling more than four million copies, "Le Freak" established the credentials of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, who went on to produce for Diana Ross, David Bowie, Carly Simon, Madonna, Sister Sledge, Duran Duran and Debbie Harry. 20 "The Theme from 'A Summer Place'" - Percy Faith Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for nine weeks (1960) Max Steiner composed the score for the 1959 film "A Summer Place," and Toronto-born Faith covered the main theme, giving him the most successful instrumental of the rock era. 19 "I'll Make Love to You" - Boyz II Men Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 14 weeks (1994) Writer/producer Babyface says the song was to him, "imagining what would…follow 'End of the Road' but not be exactly the same, but familiar enough where you could touch some of the same ingredients, so they don't make a total left turn from where they left off." 18 "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" - Bryan Adams Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for seven weeks (1991) Michael Kamen composed the music for "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and wanted Kate Bush or Annie Lennox to sing the title song. Then Lisa Stansfield was in the running, along with a pairing of Peter Cetera and Julia Fordham. Ultimately, Bryan Adams was asked to co-write and record the film's main vocal song and it became his biggest hit. Adams is the highest-ranking Canadian artist on the all-time Hot 100. 17 "You Were Meant for Me / Foolish Games" - Jewel Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 / No. 7 (1997) "You Were Meant for Me" peaked at No. 2 and was moving down the Hot 100 and would have fallen off the chart, except the B-side was "Foolish Games," which was included in the "Batman & Robin" soundtrack. It became the A-side, as well as a radio hit of its own, and the single went back to No. 7 and remained on the Hot 100 for 65 weeks. 16 "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" - Rod Stewart Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for eight weeks (1976) Stewart tried to record his album "A Night on the Town" in Los Angeles but couldn't hit a correct note, which he blamed on the smog. Then he went to Caribou Studios in Colorado, but couldn't sing at 9,000 feet above sea level. So the vocals for this No. 1 hit were successfully recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami. 15 "Endless Love" - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for nine weeks (1981) During its chart run, the song became the most successful Motown single of all time, the most successful hit from a soundtrack, and the most successful duet, all thanks to its nine-week run at No. 1. 14 "Bette Davis Eyes" - Kim Carnes Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for nine weeks (1981) Bette Davis was so flattered by the song, she wrote letters to songwriters Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss thanking them for making her "a part of modern times." When the song won a Grammy, Davis sent the composers roses. 13 "Yeah!" - Usher feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 12 weeks (2004) The fourth of his nine No. 1s. He's ruled the Hot 100 for a total of 47 weeks; 12 of those weeks were racked up by this song. It was immediately followed at No. 1 by another Usher single, "Burn," which was on top for eight weeks, which in turn was succeeded by his "Confessions Part II." 12 "Un-Break My Heart" - Toni Braxton Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 11 weeks (1996) The demo of Diane Warren's song was recorded in a low key and producer David Foster was going to have Braxton sing in a higher key until LaFace owner Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds protested. "That's almost a man's key," Foster replied. Babyface insisted: "It'll be really sexy." 11 "We Belong Together" - Mariah Carey Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 14 weeks (2005) Her 16th No. 1 (of 18 to date) proved to be the biggest hit of her career. It held pole position for 14 weeks, two weeks shy of the record-setting "One Sweet Day," but it was on the chart for 43 weeks, by far her longest Hot 100 run. 10 "Hey Jude" - The Beatles Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for nine weeks (1968) The first single released on the Beatles' own Apple label, and the longest-running No. 1 (nine weeks) for the group on the Hot 100. It is also the longest No. 1 in terms of running time, at seven minutes and 11 seconds. 9 "You Light Up My Life" - Debby Boone Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 10 weeks (1977) Years after it was a hit, Boone told Billboard: "Because the lyrics really lent themselves to how I felt about my relationship with the Lord, that's the way I chose to sing it. I never thought anyone would know." 8 "Physical" - Olivia Newton-John Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 10 weeks (1981) Tame by today's standards, in 1981 "Physical" was considered too risqué for airplay by some radio programmers. One music director told Billboard, "Once the words sank in, it caused an uncomfortableness among listeners." 7 "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" - Los Del Rio Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 14 weeks (1996) The original version was recorded in 1993, entirely in Spanish. Miami's Power 96 only played songs in English and asked Carlos De Yarza and Mike Triay, the Bayside Boys, to do a remix. Singer Patricia Alfaro recorded their new English lyrics and the song became a national phenomenon. 6 "I Gotta Feeling" - The Black Eyed Peas Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 14 weeks (2009) The Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" was No. 1 for 12 weeks and was immediately succeeded by "I Gotta Feeling," which ruled for 14 weeks. The combined 26-week reign is the longest for any artist in Hot 100 history. 5 "Party Rock Anthem" - LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for six weeks (2011) The song recorded by Motown founder Berry Gordy's son (Redfoo, a.k.a. Stefan Kendal Gordy) and grandson (SkyBlu, a.k.a. Skyler Husten Gordy) became a bigger hit than any single released by Motown. ("Party" was released on Party Rock/will.i.am/Cherrytree/Interscope.) Born in Kent, England, Bennett is the highest-ranking British artist on the all-time Hot 100. 4 "How Do I Live" - LeAnn Rimes Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (1997) Diane Warren wrote the song for Rimes to sing in the film "Con Air," but the producers preferred Trisha Yearwood for the soundtrack. Both versions were released as singles and both charted. Rimes' single remained on the Hot 100 for 69 weeks, a record at the time. 3 "Mack the Knife" - Bobby Darin Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for nine weeks (1959) Inspired by Louis Armstrong's version of the song from "The Threepenny Opera," Darin recorded "Mack the Knife" for his album "That's All," but didn't want it released as a single. Atco issued it anyway and it became his biggest hit and signature song. 2 "Smooth" - Santana feat. Rob Thomas Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for 12 weeks (1999) "Smooth" went to No. 1 30 years to the week after Santana's debut on the Hot 100 with "Jingo." It was the longest wait in history from chart debut to first No. 1. 1 "The Twist" - Chubby Checker Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 for three weeks (1960, 1962) The only single to be No. 1 twice on the Hot 100, in two different chart runs. After topping the chart in 1960, the dance caught on with the older generation. Checker was invited to perform "The Twist" on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on Oct. 22, 1961, prompting a re-release of the single and a full-page ad in Billboard that proclaimed, "‘The Twist' dance rage explodes into the adult world!" The grown-ups bought enough copies to send the song back to No. 1 in early 1962.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_13	Michael Jackson's Top 50 Billboard Hit Songs on Hot 100 Chart \| Billboard "Lookin' Through The Windows" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 16 Peak Date: August 26, 1972 Weeks On Chart: 10 Jackson's Billboard chart history began with a streak of extraordinary success, as the Jackson 5's first 20 entries on what's now known as R&B/Hip-Hop Songs all reached the top 10. This song marked the 10th top 10 in-a-row for the act on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, reaching No. 5 in 1972. On the Billboard Hot 100, the track peaked at No. 16. The title cut from the group's fifth studio album illustrated the maturation of Michael, then 13, from boy soprano to the tenor who would subsequently reign as the King of Pop. 49 Hot 100 Peak Position: 28 Peak Date: October 6, 1973 Weeks On Chart: 13 The Jacksons' 1984 "Victory" album spawned multiple hits, including this funky rock number, which peaked at No. 17 on the Hot 100. While it was the second single from "Victory," it yielded the first music video produced for the album. Ironically, though Michael and Jermaine Jackson share lead on the song, neither appears in the clip, which was choreographed by Paula Abdul. 48 "Get It Together" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 28 Peak Date: October 6, 1973 Weeks On Chart: 13 In 1973, Michael and his brothers weren't begging girls to stick around just yet. In fact, the Jackson 5's funk-flavored pop single "Get It Together" featured sweet vocals delivering a not-so-sweet message: "Get up off your high horse, girl." The band wasn't messing around in its lyrics or on the charts. Although the song peaked at No. 28 on the Hot 100, it was a No. 2 smash for the group on Billboard's R&B songs chart. 47 "You Rock My World" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 10 Peak Date: September 22, 2001 Weeks On Chart: 20 The lead single from Jackson's 2001 studio album "Invincible" peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100, marking the King of Pop's final top 10 hit on the tally to-date. Co-produced by Jackson and Rodney Jerkins, the song was ushered in by an unsurprisingly lavish music video directed by Paul Hunter. The clip features Chris Tucker as Jackson's comic foil, along with turns from Michael Madsen and Marlon Brando. 46 Hot 100 Peak Position: 22 Peak Date: February 14, 1981 Weeks On Chart: 16 "Heartbreak Hotel" was released June 17, 1980, and was the second single off the Jacksons' "Triumph" album. It peaked at No. 22 on the Hot 100. "One time Michael called me into a Hollywood studio to play a solo on a song that turned out to be 'Heartbreak Hotel,' " says Paul Jackson Jr., his longtime guitarist. "I asked him what kind of solo he wanted. The solo I played on the record is what he sang to me note for note." 45 "Corner Of The Sky" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 18 Peak Date: December 16, 1972 Weeks On Chart: 12 The Jackson 5 lent its soulful pop to the 1970s musical "Pippin" in the form of the track "Corner Of The Sky." In line with the musical's plot, "Corner Of The Sky" is about seeking out happiness in life ("But I won't rest/ 'Til I know I have it all"). The song, which also appeared on the Jackson 5's 1973 album "Skywriter," hit No. 18 on the Hot 100 and No. 9 on Billboard's R&B songs chart. 44 "Little Bitty Pretty One" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 13 Peak Date: May 27, 1972 Weeks On Chart: 9 Few songs show off artists' vocal chops as well as this one, and the Jackson 5 reinforced their timeless family harmonies on this well-loved doo-wop classic. Thurston Harris introduced the song to pop audiences in 1957 and it has since been recorded by a wide range of acts, including the Allman Brothers, Huey Lewis & the News and Aaron Carter. The Jackson 5's version of the song reached No. 8 on R&B songs chart and No. 13 on the Hot 100 in 1972. 43 "I Want To Be Where You Are" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 16 Peak Date: July 15, 1972 Weeks On Chart: 11 "I Want to Be Where You Are" was released May 2, 1972, and appears on the album "Got to Be There." It was Jackson's third consecutive top 40 pop hit in the beginning of his solo career with Motown. The single peaked at No. 16 on the Hot 100 and would become one of Jackson's most covered songs, with Marvin Gaye, the Fugees and Jason Weaver doing their own renditions. 42 Hot 100 Peak Position: 14 Peak Date: January 26, 2002 Weeks On Chart: 20 In what remains his last studio album, "Invincible" in 2001 served as the long-awaited follow-up to 1991's "Dangerous." The former set featured three neo-soul-styled tracks, including "Butterflies." With the help of British duo Floetry on backing vocals, the single peaked at No. 14 on the Hot 100. 41 "I Am Love (Parts I & II)" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 15 Peak Date: March 22, 1975 Weeks On Chart: 14 1975's "I Am Love" by the Jackson 5 was part soulful ballad (led by Jermaine) and part Michael-fronted, danceable funk/rock. But no matter the musical style, the message was the same: the brothers weren't letting their loves get away. The song was the Jackson 5's last top 20 hit with Motown, reaching No. 15 on the Hot 100 in 1975. It also went to No. 5 on Billboard's R&B songs chart. Hot 100 Peak Position: 12 Peak Date: November 15, 1980 Weeks On Chart: 18 Once the Jackson 5 grew up and parted ways with Motown, they became the Jacksons -- and they knew all about the growing pains that come with young romance. The 1980 funk song "Lovely One" sees Michael, backed by brothers Jackie, Tito, Randy and Marlon, confronting a skeptical lover and trying to prove his dedication. The track peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100 but hit No. 2 on Billboard's R&B songs chart and No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart. 39 "Another Part Of Me" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 11 Peak Date: September 10, 1988 Weeks On Chart: 13 Released as the sixth single from Jackson's "Bad" album in summer 1988, the synthy uptempo hit was actually first heard nearly two years earlier, in the most unlikely of places. On Sept. 12, 1986, visitors at the Epcot theme park at the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, Fla. got the first public taste of the song, one of two new compositions recorded for Jackson's star turn in the 3D film "Captain EO," which premiered that day in the park. The song ultimately reached No. 11 on the Hot 100. By 1998, all of the "Captain EO" attractions had ended their runs at the assorted Disney Parks throughout the world. The company was moved, however, to return the show to its parks in 2010, starting with Disneyland's version. 38 "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 10 Peak Date: November 26, 1983 Weeks On Chart: 16 "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" was released Sept. 19, 1983, as the sixth single from the "Thriller" album and featured Janet Jackson and LaToya Jackson on backup vocals. The single peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100, becoming the sixth consecutive top 10 song from the album. "P.Y.T." has been sampled by many artists, including Monica on "All Eyez on Me" and Kanye West on "Good Life." 37 "Sugar Daddy" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 10 Peak Date: January 22, 1972 Weeks On Chart: 10 Written and produced by The Corporation, a Motown collective assembled specifically for cranking out Jackson hits, "Sugar Daddy" peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's R&B songs chart. Older brothers Tito and Jermaine backed up Michael on the poppy, organ-filled ditty, which featured multiple food-related entendres ("I've got your lollipop/ Well, my flavor's long lastin', girl"). It was included as a new track on the group's 1971 "Greatest Hits" album. 36 "In The Closet" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 6 Peak Date: May 30, 1992 Weeks On Chart: 20 When the public first got a listen of "In the Closet" on Jackson's 1991 "Dangerous" album, people immediately began to wonder who his female duet partner was on the song. She was billed only as "Mystery Girl" in the set's liner notes and some began to assume -- perhaps because of her whispery, come-hither vibe -- that it was Madonna. As it turns out, the mysterious woman was revealed to be, of all people, Princess Stephanie of Monaco. But folks weren't far off in their theories: "In the Closet" was initially conceived as a collaboration between the King and Queen of Pop. The pair, however, couldn't come to an agreement on the song's direction and the singers parted ways. 35 "Off The Wall" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 10 Peak Date: April 12, 1980 Weeks On Chart: 17 When the title track to his fifth studio album debuted on the Hot 100 dated Feb. 16, 1980, Jackson was following up back-to-back No. 1s for the first time in his solo career. The single could not match the success of the album's previous singles, but managed to land the album's third top 10 peak, reaching No. 10 in April 1980. 34 "She's Out Of My Life" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 10 Peak Date: June 21, 1980 Weeks On Chart: 16 Quincy Jones used simple instrumentation to produce this ballad from "Off the Wall." Over the lyrics "I don't know whether to laugh or cry / I don't know whether to live or die," the song's tempo sounds nearly at a stand-still compared to his best-known dance jams. (Jackson is even heard crying at song's end). The cut peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 in 1980. 33 "Scream/Childhood" Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 5 Peak Date: June 17, 1995 Weeks On Chart: 17 The double A-side single was released as the lead off Jackson's 1995 set, "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I." "Scream" was his first duet with sister Janet Jackson; the song is an effort to retaliate against the media's obsession with his personal life and it resulted in a memorable video directed by Mark Romanek. "Childhood" was solely written and composed by Michael. The single peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100. 32 "Will You Be There" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 7 Peak Date: September 11, 1993 Weeks On Chart: 20 This gospel-tinged track became the seventh song to reach the Hot 100's top 40 from Jackson's "Dangerous" album, peaking at No. 7 in 1993. The song was truly a whale of a hit: doubling as the theme to the film "Free Willy," it won the MTV Movie Award for "Best Song in a Movie" in 1994. "American Idol " season nine finalist Michael Lynche introduced the song to a new generation with his faithful rendition. 31 Hot 100 Peak Position: 7 Peak Date: January 14, 1989 Weeks On Chart: 15 "Smooth Criminal," like "Thriller," is one of Michael Jackson's songs whose memory in the public's collective consciousness is intrinsically tied to its music video. With "Smooth Criminal," Jackson further lifted the art of music videos, serving as the centerpiece of his theatrical film "Moonwalker," co-starring Joe Pesci. "Smooth Criminal" was the seventh and final single from Jackson's "Bad" album, peaking at No. 7 on the Hot 100 in January 1989. 29 "Mama's Pearl" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 2 Peak Date: February 27, 1971 Weeks On Chart: 10 "Mama's Pearl" features pretty mature lyrics for the young Michael: "You send cold chills up and down my spine/ We kiss for thrills, then you draw the line," he belts over classic Motown string arrangements and plucky piano. Peaking at No. 2 on both the Hot 100 and Billboard's R&B songs charts in 1971, the song was the second single from the group's "Third Album." 28 Hot 100 Peak Position: 4 Peak Date: March 3, 1984 Weeks On Chart: 14 "Thriller" was one of seven top 10 singles from the groundbreaking album of the same name, now tied (according to the RIAA) with the Eagles' "Greatest Hits 1971-1975" as the best-selling U.S. album. Written by Rod Temperton and featuring Vincent Price's iconic cameo, Jackson's zombie fest peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100. "After 'Off the Wall,' " producer Quincy Jones recalls, "we were kicking booty and fearless; ready to do anything. It was a very exciting time." 27 Hot 100 Peak Position: 6 Peak Date: February 19, 1977 Weeks On Chart: 21 The Jacksons' first single after their departure from Motown and subsequent name change from the Jackson 5, 1976's "Enjoy Yourself" featured jazzy, cheery horns and a funky guitar lick. Imploring the listener to "enjoy yourself with me," the voice of the then 18-year-old Michael bridged the gap between his cutesy pre-adolescent falsetto and his more mature adult tone. Audiences apparently enjoyed the track -- it hit No. 6 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on Billboard's R&B songs chart. 26 "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" The Jacksons Hot 100 Peak Position: 7 Peak Date: May 19, 1979 Weeks On Chart: 22 In one of the most familiar hooks in dance music history, Michael Jackson implores listeners, "Let's dance/ Let's shout/ Shake your body down to the ground." The track was produced, written, and performed by the talented brothers and ended up being their biggest dance record ever. The song was a mainstream success and charted at No. 3 on Billboard's R&B songs chart, and No. 7 on the Hot 100. 25 "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 5 Peak Date: July 16, 1983 Weeks On Chart: 15 To say that 1983 was the year of Michael Jackson would be a gross understatement. Between January and December, he charted seven Hot 100 top 10 hits, six from "Thriller." This single was the fourth released from the Epic set and peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100. The song returned to the chart in 2008 after Jackson reissued "Thriller" in an expanded 25th anniversary form, with a remix of this song by Akon. The redux peaked at No. 81. 24 "Remember The Time" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 3 Peak Date: March 7, 1992 Weeks On Chart: 20 Partnered with producer Teddy Riley, Jackson's eighth studio album "Dangerous" in 1991 marked the singer's leap into New Jack Swing. This single peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 in March 1992. Its video premiered not just on cable (BET and MTV), but the Fox network, as well. The star-studded clip includes appearances by Eddie Murphy, supermodel Iman and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. "State Of Shock" The Jacksons Hot 100 Peak Position: 3 Peak Date: August 4, 1984 Weeks On Chart: 15 With lead vocals shared between Michael and the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, "State of Shock" was the first single from the Jacksons' much-anticipated 1984 reunion album "Victory." The single entered the Hot 100 at No. 30 on June 30 -- at that point the second-highest entry of the year -- and peaked at No. 3. "State of Shock" initially began as a duet between Jackson and Queen's Freddie Mercury when the two were collaborating on material in the early '80s. Though the Mercury version was never released, you can easily find demo recordings of it floating around the Web. 22 "You Are Not Alone" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (one week) Peak Date: September 2, 1995 Weeks On Chart: 20 Written and co-produced by R. Kelly, "You Are Not Alone" made history as the first song to enter the Hot 100 at No. 1, bowing atop the chart dated Sept. 2, 1995. The ballad became Jackson's last No. 1 to date and the 13th of his solo career, a sum that stands as the most by a male artist in the chart's 55-year history. 21 "Never Can Say Goodbye" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 2 Peak Date: May 8, 1971 Weeks On Chart: 12 Not many 12-year-olds can maturely depict a romantic situation like Michael did in the Jackson 5's hit single, "Never Can Say Goodbye." Michael describes a situation where he is incapable of leaving his partner, no matter how close he gets. "There's that same unhappy feeling/ There's that anguish/ There's that doubt," Michael expertly croons in the ballad. The song struck a chord with a relating crowd, charting at No. 1 on Billboard's R&B songs chart and No. 2 on the Hot 100. 19 Hot 100 Peak Position: 2 Peak Date: April 22, 1972 Weeks On Chart: 13 Michael Jackson's cover of "Rockin' Robin" by Bobby Day reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 and Billboard's R&B songs chart in 1972. 13-year-old Michael brings playfulness to the classic, with more advanced production including a bird-like melody. The star keenly reports on a popular local songbird, "All the little birdies on Jaybird street/ Love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet" -- not dissimilar from the effect Jackson's singing had on his audience. 18 "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (1 week) Peak Date: October 13, 1979 Weeks On Chart: 21 While Michael had first topped the Hot 100 apart from the Jackson 5 with the ballad "Ben" at age 14 in 1972, his second No. 1 and first on Epic Records set in motion his monumental rise to superstardom as a solo performer, while introducing fans to a more mature artist in both sound and lyrical content. This song ushered in Jackson's "Off the Wall" album and became the first of the set's four Hot 100 top 10s. 17 Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (1 week) Peak Date: July 2, 1988 Weeks On Chart: 14 In the world of stalky, creepy women in Michael Jackson's lyrics, "Dirty Diana" is right up there with "Billie Jean" and Susie from "Blood on the Dance Floor." The R&B/rock tune about a groupie gone all sorts of wrong features Steve Stevens on guitar and became the "Bad" album's fifth and final No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1988. With the song's coronation, Jackson set a record that still stands for most Hot 100 No. 1s (five) from one album. (Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" equaled the mark with five No. 1s in 2010-11.) 16 "Got To Be There" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 4 Peak Date: December 11, 1971 Weeks On Chart: 14 Smartly capitalizing on the group's immense success, Motown Records released Michael's debut single while the Jackson 5 was still enjoying chart achievements with its third album. "Got to Be There" peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 dated Dec. 11, 1971, the same date as the debut of the Jackson 5's "Sugar Daddy," which would later peak at No. 10. 15 Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (2 weeks) Peak Date: October 24, 1987 Weeks On Chart: 14 Although braggadocious at first listen, Jackson's "Bad" was actually inspired by a real-life story about a boy who went off to a private boarding school and was murdered out of jealousy when he returned back home. The track was helmed by longtime producer Quincy Jones and released as the second single from the "Bad" album. The song peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100, staying there for two weeks. 14 "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (1 week) Peak Date: September 19, 1987 Weeks On Chart: 14 Despite the majority of uptempo tracks on "Bad," Epic introduced the follow-up album to "Thriller" with a sleek, sultry love song. This duet with Quincy Jones protégé Siedah Garrett soared to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in its seventh week in September 1987. The cut scaled Adult Contemporary even more quickly, reaching the summit in four weeks to become Jackson's second of two career leaders on the list, following "The Girl Is Mine," with Paul McCartney, in 1982-83. 13 "Black Or White" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (7 weeks) Peak Date: December 7, 1991 Weeks On Chart: 20 The pop music landscape was shifting in late 1991, with Nirvana introducing grunge and rap gaining a larger foothold. Jackson's appeal, however, proved impenetrable with the first single from "Dangerous." Featuring guitarist Slash, "Black or White" tallied seven weeks atop the Hot 100, matching "Billie Jean" for Jackson's longest reign. The song's video remains memorable for its pioneering use of morphing technology and subsequently deleted scenes of Jackson violently smashing car windows against a backdrop of racist graffiti. 12 "The Way You Make Me Feel" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (1 week) Peak Date: January 23, 1988 Weeks On Chart: 18 The third single from "Bad" became the album's third consecutive Hot 100 No. 1 in January 1988, marking Jackson's only set to yield more than two toppers ("Bad" would eventually yield a record five Hot 100 leaders; see No. 17, "Dirty Diana"). In 2005, veteran pop crooner Paul Anka stamped a lounge spin on the song on his jazz-inflected covers album, "Rock Swings." 11 "The Love You Save/ I Found That Girl" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (2 weeks) Peak Date: June 27, 1970 Weeks On Chart: 13 Jackson knew all about growing up too fast and trying to preserve youth. That's why it comes as no surprise that 1970's "The Love You Save," by the Jackson 5, finds him, along with brother Jermaine, warning a "fast" girl to slow down atop an uptempo production. "The Jackson 5 was the only group in history to have their first four singles go to [No. 1]," Motown founder Berry Gordy wrote in the introduction to "Moonwalk." "For Michael, it was the inspiration to break all the rest [of the chart records]. And he did." "The Girl Is Mine" Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney Hot 100 Peak Position: 2 Peak Date: January 8, 1983 Weeks On Chart: 18 Surprising to some, "The Girl Is Mine" was actually the first single from Michael Jackson's 1982 "Thriller" album -- not "Billie Jean" or "Beat It." A duet with McCartney, the song was released in October 1982 and quickly debuted on the Hot 100 at No. 45, eventually rising to No. 2. "The Girl Is Mine" also famously kicked off an incredible run of hits from the "Thriller" album; It was the first of seven straight Hot 100 top 10 hits from the release, the first album to yield such a streak. 9 Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (2 weeks) Peak Date: April 25, 1970 Weeks On Chart: 13 In somewhat of a case of chart fortune-telling, it was perhaps fitting that the Jackson 5's second Hot 100 No. 1 dislodged the Beatles' second-to-last No. 1, "Let It Be," from the top of the chart dated April 25, 1970, as arguably the most influential group in the history of pop music symbolically passed the baton to the format's future King. The Jackson 5's next leader, "The Love You Save" (see No. 11), would likewise bump the Beatles' last No. 1, "The Long and Winding Road," from the summit in June 1970. 8 "I Want You Back" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (1 week) Peak Date: January 31, 1970 Weeks On Chart: 19 A new era in Motown's storied history -- and one of the most impressive chart resumes in Billboard's archives -- began rather unassumingly. Michael Jackson's six-decade tenancy on the Billboard charts began the week of Nov. 15, 1969, when the then-11-year-old and his four brothers entered the chart at No. 90 with "I Want You Back." On Jan. 31, 1970, the song completed the first of Jackson's 17 trips to the top (four with the Jackson 5, 13 solo). 7 "Man In The Mirror" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (2 weeks) Peak Date: March 26, 1988 Weeks On Chart: 17 When "Man in the Mirror" reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1988, Jackson became the first artist in the chart's history to pull four No. 1 songs from one album -- in this case, "Bad." After Jackson's death in 2009, "Mirror" re-entered the U.K. singles chart at No. 11 and peaked at No. 2. "I wrote the music, and [Siedah Garrett] wrote the words," co-writer Glen Ballard told Billboard in 2001. "It only took a couple of hours to write." 6 "Dancing Machine" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 2 Peak Date: May 18, 1974 Weeks On Chart: 22 The funky, early-disco title track from the group's 1974 album danced close to the top of the Hot 100, halting at No. 2 (stuck behind Ray Stevens' "The Streak.") "Dancing Machine" was the final Hot 100 top 10 for the group on Motown Records, as the act departed the label for Epic in 1976, re-christened as The Jacksons. 5 "Rock With You" Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (4 weeks) Peak Date: January 19, 1980 Weeks On Chart: 24 Penned by British songwriter Rod Temperton of the R&B group Heatwave, Jackson's third No. 1 spent four weeks in the Hot 100's top slot, the longest of any of his singles at the time. The track ranked at No. 4 on Billboard's top Hot 100 songs of 1980, helping Jackson earn Top Singles Artist honors that year. 4 Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (3 weeks) Peak Date: April 30, 1983 Weeks On Chart: 25 Jackson wasted little time in achieving his second Hot 100 No. 1 from "Thriller," with only two weeks separating the last of seven weeks on top for "Billie Jean" and the first frame in charge for "Beat It." The dancefloor gem "Beat It" also reached No. 14 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart, thanks to Eddie Van Halen's guitar work. 3 "I'll Be There" The Jackson 5 Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (5 weeks) Peak Date: October 17, 1970 Weeks On Chart: 16 This single was the last and longest-reigning (five weeks) of four consecutive Hot 100 No. 1s in 1970 for the brothers from Gary, Ind. The group earned seven more Hot 100 top 10s by the end of its active recording career in 1989 but never again reached No. 1. Mariah Carey -- who was seven months old when the Jackson 5's version of the song topped the Hot 100 -- returned the composition to the chart's top spot when her version from MTV's "Unplugged" series led the list for two weeks in 1992. 2 Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (7 weeks) Peak Date: March 5, 1983 Weeks On Chart: 24 Jackson was already a superstar after earning three solo Hot 100 No. 1s -- including two from "Off the Wall," his first album for Epic -- but "Billie Jean" propelled the singer to a true worldwide sensation. With seven weeks at No. 1, the song introduced the iconic "Thriller" album to the masses. 1 "Say Say Say" Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson Hot 100 Peak Position: 1 (six weeks) Peak Date: December 10, 1983 Weeks On Chart: 22 After the success of Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson's "The Girl Is Mine" duet, the former Beatle recruited the King of Pop for this collaboration on his 1983 album, "Pipes of Peace." "Paul and I shared the same idea of how a pop song should work and it was a real treat to work with him," Jackson wrote in his 1988 autobiography, "Moonwalk." MORE MICHAEL:	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_23	The 100 Best Singles of the 1980s \| Feature \| Slant Magazine The 100 Best Singles of the 1980s by Staff August 20, 2012 Do you know why VH1 produced more installments of I Love the '80s than any other decade? Because there was simply more to love. Many would argue that other recent decades surpassed the '80s for diversity of musical expression, for production innovations, for ebullience and personality, for political honesty. In fact, by nearly every individual measure, the '80s probably take a backseat to some other era. So why do we still deify those 10 years? Probably because the decade's best songs offered some of pop history's finest simple pleasures, which is why you won't often find humorless rockists making arguments on its behalf like they do for the '60s, '70s, or even the '90s. Sure, there were plenty of tunes that cut deep into the blackest heart of the Reagan era, but some of the most prominent came in such a deceptively sunny disguise (the Boss's “Born in the U.S.A.,” for example) that they were mistaken to be part of the status quo. In the '80s, Public Enemy was the outlier and flourished because of it. Michael Jackson was showing signs of paranoia, but still mostly wanted to rock with you. Madonna was mostly espousing the joy of taking a “Holiday,” and even when she embraced a more militant attitude (“Express Yourself”), she was still arguing on behalf of embracing the pleasure principle. And that's the way we like it. In so many other arenas, we're still paying for the mistakes of the '80s. But when it comes to the decade's music, we feel no compelling reason to feel bad about feeling good. Eric Henderson 100 David Bowie, “Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)” For the title track and third single from what's widely considered to be David Bowie's last truly great album, the singer's delivery is closer to that of a low-budget horror movie's demented narrator than the dynamic rock showman that shot to megastardom in the '70s. Bowie spins a yarn of a young girl falling victim to her own fears and insecurities in his tried-and-tested “mockney” accent, and heightens the air of sheer menace further still with a violent percussion section and the sound of dogs barking. Robert Fripp's guitar work here is tremendous too, an exemplary exercise in frenzied crosspicking that adds urgency and suspense to Bowie's deranged psycho-thriller narrative. Huw Jones 99 Tracy Chapman, “Fast Car” As hopeless and heartbreaking as any song that's ever topped the pop charts, Tracy Chapman's “Fast Car” couches its social commentary in deeply personal revelations and confessions. As the city lights flash by Chapman's narrator and the song's arrangement gathers momentum, there's a palpable desperation in the way she sings, “And I had the feeling I could be someone” Because in that moment, having tried and failed to escape the poverty she was born into, she's not expressing a sense of optimism that her station in life will improve, but conceding that she was foolish to have ever thought it could. Jonathan Keefe 98 Public Enemy, “Don't Believe the Hype” “Don't Believe the Hype” is an invitation to question everything, up to and including Public Enemy's then-growing reputation. It's the kind of sneakily self-congratulatory gesture that plays as self-deprecation while also being a bit boastful, affirming that there is indeed some hype that needs to be ignored in order to appreciate the group's second album. Whatever the meaning, the track is indicative of the always probing, never accepting nature of the Chuck D-helmed outfit, his harshly forceful rhymes echoed by the cornucopia of grating sound effects sourced by the ever-resourceful Bomb Squad. Jesse Cataldo 97 The Replacements, “I Will Dare” “I Will Dare” marks the most accessible and radio-friendly moment for a rowdy Minneapolis four piece that, with a reputation for notoriously wayward live shows and a staunch belief in the punk ethos, was to this point always a million miles away from what one would consider accessible or radio-friendly. Upon its release in 1984, Paul Westerberg spoke of how the band was tired of playing “that noisy, fake hardcore rock,” and there can be no disputing that “I Will Dare” is all the better for reigning in the anarchy and chaos that underpinned their previous work. It's about as close to pop music as the band could get, flaunting a sweet mandolin arrangement and a typically jangly guitar solo from R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, and perhaps it's no coincidence that this is their best single by some stretch. Jones 96 Chaka Khan, “I Feel for You” What I previously wrote about “one of the most intoxicating singles in pop history,” a state-of-the-art example of sampling craft, still sums it up. “'I Feel for You' had enough blockbuster tricks to bury any lesser talent: ultra-hip vocal cutting techniques, a blazing Stevie Wonder harmonica solo that damn near tops anything on his own records, no less than four synth-keyboard players, and a scintillating, shifting beat from Arif Mardin” For someone who allegedly disliked the memorable hip-hop riffing Grandmaster Melle Mel bookended the track with, Chaka interacted beautifully, making this one of the most compelling crossover tracks ever. Henderson 95 Extra T's, “E.T. Boogie” Even if he really did send a cabal of Hazmat-wearing lawyers after Extra T's for cribbing lines from his 1982 blockbuster E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, it's easy to imagine Steven Spielberg bopping this head to the dance-funk delirium of this underground classic. Not exactly the enviro-friendly, “fax orgy”-wanting otherworldly being of Deee-Lite's imagination, this alien hero hungers only for home. And that's all right. Such single-mindedness, matched by the “held-together-by-paperclips 808 beats,” per our own Eric Henderson, is always rewarded. The bassline is all cherry-on-top rush, a call to arms for people who live, Busta Rhymes would say, for movin' around. Ed Gonzalez 94 Michael Jackson, “Smooth Criminal” For such an apparently gentle soul, Michael Jackson repeatedly displayed his dark side with songs like “Beat It,” “Thriller,” “Bad,” and “Smooth Criminal” This is, after all, the same guy who once sang about his close friendship with a telepathic rat. Accompanied by a killer synth bassline, staccato beats, and a frenzied vocal performance from Jacko himself, “Smooth Criminal” rather unambiguously tells the heartwarming story of a home invader who chases a woman named Annie underneath a table and into her bedroom, where he ostensibly bludgeons her to death, leaving “bloodstains on the carpet” Sal Cinquemani 93 Kate Bush, “The Big Sky” Not many people could make a song about watching clouds into an epic rumination on living life to the fullest. But that conflation of silly juvenilia and introspective weight is what Kate Bush does best, and “The Big Sky” consequently grows into its own thriving world of weird skyborne shapes, full of wacky asides, cascading handclaps, odd voice inflections, and guitar solos. It testifies to the ephemeral nature of all things while also celebrating the teeming abundance of the world, a quality shared with Bush's music, which is always spilling over with passion and ideas. Cataldo 92 Leonard Cohen, “Everybody Knows” It may not be Leonard Cohen's most famous song (a fact that grows more regrettable with every ponderous, overwrought new version of “Hallelujah”), but “Everybody Knows” is the song of Cohen's that best captures both his knack for writing a pop hook and his pitch-black sense of humor. But it's the combination of his deep baritone voice and deadpan performance that makes “Everybody Knows” so funny and so absurd: Cohen sounds nothing if not inconvenienced as he delivers a scolding lecture with the bleak message that “everybody knows that the good guys lost” Keefe 91 Violent Femmes, “Blister in the Sun” It's a testament to Gordon Gano's affable everyman charm that the truth as to whether “Blister in the Sun” is indeed an open ode to masturbation or whether it's a blithe summary of heroin withdrawal is as irrelevant as it is unclear. It's a fantastic single, even though it took a spot on the Grosse Point Blank soundtrack almost 15 years later for mainstream consciousness to actually take notice of this stellar bout of unplugged folk-punk. Now, “Blister in the Sun” is instantly recognizable from its introduction alone, where balmy lo-fi acoustic guitar meets hand-me-down snare drums and a bassline that swaggers and struts rather than merely walks. Jones	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_29	Top 10 Glen Campbell Songs Top 10 Glen Campbell Songs REDDIT Ed Rode, Getty Images Glen Campbell is an American original, and his story is just as legendary as his top songs. Campbell’s inspirational rags to riches story — from his troubled addiction to personal redemption — was shared with the world. Meanwhile, when he was on our radios every day and in our living rooms every week, he was making the soundtrack to our lives with many more than these Top 10 Glen Campbell songs. The “Rhinestone Cowboy” made such an impact that he topped all the major charts, won audiences from all walks of life and conquered the movies, and his television show — “The Glen Cambpell Goodtime Hour” — helped launch the careers of many musicians, including Anne Murray and Jerry Reed. Taste of Country honors this Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Oscar nominee and Country Music Hall of Famer with a sampling of his greatest hits. From the legendary Jimmy Webb compositions like “Galveston” and “Wichita Lineman” to his TV and movie hits like “True Grit” and “Gentle on My Mind,” these are the Top 10 Glen Campbell songs. 10	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_31	Love: part one of 1000 songs everyone must hear \| Music \| The Guardian The Beach Boys 1966 Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson have both acknowledged the musical arms race that their bands were in from 1965-67, vying to stretch the boundaries of pop. At the time, Sgt Pepper seemed the peak, and a drained and damaged Wilson withdrew, his creativity spent. Forty years on, Pet Sounds wears better than Pepper, and this dazzling, complex, ethereal song seems a pinnacle of pop’s ambition. And you can hum every hook-drenched second of it. CSte Wouldn’t It Be Nice The Beach Boys 1966 The third single from Pet Sounds, Wouldn’t It Be Nice was backed with God Only Knows, which is pretty much as close to pop perfection as you can get on two sides of a seven-inch. The pure, bubblegum-layered harmonies perfectly capture the innocence of young lovers dreaming of a future together when “we could be married/ And then we’d be happy”.If only love was as pure and simple. LB The Beatles 1964 Based on a chance remark by a chauffeur overheard by Paul McCartney, this US No 1 is not one of Lennon and McCartney’s greatest lyrics. However, its place here is earned by its melody and sound – a giddy rush of pure pleasure that echoes everyone’s experience of their first love. The “hold me/ love me” bridge is irresistible, and Lennon’s one sudden, needy “woah-oh!” ad-lib adds the crucial note of hormonal desperation. GM Girl The Beatles 1965 A significant landmark in the Fabs’ move away from themes of teen romance towards grittier sexual and emotional terrain, the shift is mirrored in the more sophisticated, minor-chord European cadences of the music. A couple of years before she appears in his life for real in the form of Yoko Ono, John Lennon is already submitting to the independent bohemian artist figure in song, the kind of girl you “want so much it makes you sorry”. GT I Want to Hold Your Hand The Beatles 1963 If it were possible to distil youth and joy into a pop song, it would sound very much like this. The single that broke the Beatles in America – its deceptively simple structure and unambiguous exuberance were the tonic the country needed to raise its spirits after JFK’s assassination – its immensity hasn’t diminished an iota in 46 years. The heart still surges at hearing that opening burst: “Oh, yeah, I’ll tell you something.” CS She Loves You The Beatles 1963 The Fab Four’s biggest-selling UK single remains one of the most exhilarating examples of pop joy ever recorded. A high point of Lennon and McCartney’s early, shared songwriting, the harmonised “yeah yeah yeah”s and wild “ooh”s became the early Beatles’ most recognisable sonic trademarks. But the lyric – inspired by a McCartney idea to write a song in the third person – is intriguingly odd, slyly suggesting that the singer has been doing the dirty with his friend’s heartbroken ex. GM Something The Beatles 1969 John Lennon called it the best song on Abbey Road. George Martin admitted that he was surprised Harrison had it in him. But Something, Harrison’s first Beatles single and possibly the band’s best love song, was ostensibly (although George was always ambivalent) about Harrison’s first wife, Pattie Boyd. A brooding, delicate delight that was championed by the world’s biggest bands, as covers by Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson and Frank Sinatra attest. WD With a Little Help from My Friends The Beatles 1967 Written specifically for Ringo to sing, A Little Help ... might be plodding and sentimental, but it retains a childlike charm that still makes it popular with younger generations of Beatles fans – even if its message of solidarity chimes somewhat with a band beginning to fall apart. Joe Cocker’s bombastic cover, though toe-curlingly earnest, is probably the definitive version, both to swaying veterans of Woodstock and fans of the Wonder Years. WD Song for Whoever The Beautiful South 1989 Paul Heaton and Dave Rotheray showed their cheeky side on the Beautiful South’s first single, the story of a cynical songwriter who dates girls in order to get material for his records: “I’ll love you till my pen runs dry.” If it weren’t so damned self-reflexive and unromantic, Song For Whoever could be a beautiful love song. As it was, the track turned Heaton and co into one of Britain’s best-loved pop bands. WD How Deep is Your Love? The Bee Gees 1977 While this gorgeous ballad is best experienced in its original setting – as the closing music to Saturday Night Fever, as Tony Manero teeters between his old life in Brooklyn and the promise of a new one in Manhattan – it’s just as wonderful on its own. Barry, Robin and Maurice rarely mustered dreamier harmonies; the song shimmers and swoons. And it’s all the more remarkable for having emerged when the band were mainly writing energetic disco tunes. CS Big Star 1972 A sweet offer of a walk home from school – and the prospect of taking things further – is tinged with petulance in Alex Chilton’s much-covered snapshot of adolescence. “Won’t you tell your dad/ Get off my back,” he asks, with the pay-off – “Tell him what we said about Paint it Black” – setting up the generation gap. Note, also, how its gently picked guitars speed up slightly, increasing the tension as Chilton tempts his girlfriend to defy dad with the line, “Would you be an outlaw for my love?” MH I’ll Take Care of You Bobby “Blue” Bland 1959 One of the greatest singers America has produced, Bobby “Blue” Bland’s voice has a richness and depth that allows him to interpret almost any song. This version of a Brook Benton song is stripped to the bone; just a high-pitched keyboard accompanying the most inappropriately named vocalist ever as he explains to his inamorata why the smartest way to get over her recent dumping is to take up with old Bobby. Never has catching someone on the rebound sounded so noble. SY David Bowie 1993 The hypnotic closer on Bowie’s underrated Black Tie White Noise album was first composed as a floating instrumental to be played at his wedding to Iman in 1992. Bowie later added lyrics, transforming the song into a declaration of deep joy from a man intent on changing his errant ways. “I’ll be a good boy,” he promises in his most majestic croon as bells chime around him. “I believe in magic/ Angel for life.” GT Sit Down I Think I Love You Buffalo Springfield 1966 Stephen Stills’s song catches the contradictions that made the Springfield exciting, and also led to their split. A delicate guitar part and a rough and ready solo elbow each other for attention; deliberate Beatles echoes burst through a consciously American riposte to the British invasion. And there’s the strange mixture of desperation and bullying in the words – a “sit down” with an implied “and shut up”. CSte Everybody Needs Somebody to Love Solomon Burke 1964 Solomon Burke squeezed his career as a soul singer in between his more permanent post as preacher. And this was the tune they’d play as they passed around the plate. With its chanted vocals, ad-libs and call-and-response chorus, this is as close as secular music gets to the sound of the black church. That hasn’t stopped brave souls from the Rolling Stones to the Blues Brothers having a stab at it. SY R D Burman 1975 Translating from Hindi as “beloved, oh beloved”, RD Burman’s gypsy dance number originally soundtracked a band of bandits getting crunked at a desert rave-up in the seminal “curry western” Sholay. Yet with its snake charmer rhythms, melancholy vocal line and frenzied climax, Mehbooba’s declaration of intent took on a life of its own to become a mainstay on hipster playlists and Asian wedding after-parties the world over. Not bad for a song that began life as a homage to Demis Roussos. MM Hounds of Love Kate Bush 1985 Love as a prowling source of terror – “It’s in the trees!/ It’s coming!” – with the singer as quivering quarry. Musically, the title track of Bush’s 1985 masterpiece is perfectly in synch with the subject matter: the rhythm track pounds like a heartbeat in the throes of panic-stricken ecstasy, while the scything strings add a manic, compulsive element. And after three minutes of enthralling will-she-won’t-she? comes the magnificent climax: “I need la-la-la-la-la LOVE!” GT The Man With the Child in His Eyes Kate Bush 1978 Written when the Kent prodigy was just 16 and originally recorded in 1975, Kate Bush’s second single has always been surrounded by rumours that it was about one of her older mentors. Bush herself insisted that its sensual fairytale lyric was inspired by the childlike quality she perceived in all men, and especially her older brothers. But there’s still something subversive in this timeless piano ballad’s magical evocation of a girl’s secret, and possibly imaginary, love. GM Kate Bush 1994 A song of wishful projection into a longed-for future – “Someday he’ll come along …” - George and Ira Gershwin’s standard was written for the 1927 musical Strike Up the Band and has been recorded by everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Barbra Streisand. This 1994 visitation by Kate Bush, featuring the venerable Larry Adler on harmonica, is a sensuous treat, reinventing La Bush for four minutes as a trembling torch singer. GT Love Me Forever Carlton and the Shoes 1968 The rock steady era saw Jamaica adopting the close-harmony style of the soul vocal groups. Though it was dominated by their rivals at Treasure Isle, Studio One’s rhythms proved as durable as their songs. Love Me Forever had the superb vocals of Carlton and the Shoes (Carlton’s brothers, later members of the Abyssinians), but the sinuous bassline of the band led by Jackie Mittoo is unsurpassable. SY The Dark End of the Street James Carr 1967 Has the delicious treachery of illicit romance ever been articulated with such heartbreaking honesty? Written in 1967 by the Muscle Shoals pairing of Dan Penn and Chips Moman, it portrays two adulterers hiding in the shadows, hopelessly in love yet despising their weakness. Covered by the world and his ex-wife, Carr’s southern soul original remains definitive. Crucially, there’s no get-out clause: “They’re gonna find us someday,” he sings, with something like relief. GT I Walk the Line Johnny Cash 1956 Cash’s first US country No 1 is one of the great mystery love songs of its era. The lyrics are a simple, heartfelt testimony to staying faithful to one’s true love. But the song’s ghostly qualities lie in its train-track rhythm, Sun Studios echo and Cash’s voice, so deep it seems raised from the earth’s core. Cash admitted that his eerie hum at the beginning of each verse was so he could find his pitch for the constant key changes. GM Ray Charles 1954 Although the lyrics are strictly old-school sexism, this was a revolutionary moment in American music. Critic Peter Guralnick called it “a blinding flash of light in which the millennium, all of a sudden and unannounced, had arrived.” Adapted from a gospel song, it had pentecostal fire, barroom energy and distinctly secular lyrics, Ray hymning a woman who lived way over town but still knew her place was in the home. No one quite knew how to categorise this fusion of gospel, jazz and r’n’b; years later they’d call it soul. SY Stoned Out of My Mind The Chi-Lites 1973 Co-written by Chi-Lites leader Eugene Record and his equally talented singing wife Barbara Acklin, this superficially uplifting funk ballad cleverly tapped into the drug culture with its misleading title. But Chicago’s finest sweet soul group were always concerned with pain rather than pleasure, and Record’s fey falsetto tells a masochistic tale of betrayal and female domination. “I was just a backseat driver in a car of love,” he bemoans, beautifully and tragically. GM The Chi-Lites 1974 A throwback to the days of sharp suits and smooth harmonies, the Chi-Lites romanced a generation on the cusp of the disco revolution. That’s How Long is straight from the textbook, a spoken intro leading into the pledge of lifelong devotion delivered in a falsetto that could’ve flattened even Eddie Kendricks. The dramatic opening brass fanfare was sampled for Jay-Z’s biographical December 4th. SY Stay Free The Clash 1978 Generally dismissed for its lack of blood and fire, the Clash’s second album, Give ’Em Enough Rope, did at least throw up this towering account of Mick Jones’s friendship with his school chum Robin Crocker. The song’s final six words (“Go easy/ Step lightly/ Stay free”), sung by Jones himself, are among the most poignant in the Clash songbook, not least because Crocker would later serve a jail term, while his pal would go on to be celebrated as punk’s pre-eminent guitar hero. PM Sam Cooke 1961 Putting his fate into the hands of the gods, Sam Cooke’s plea to Cupid is a gentle reminder that power over matters of the heart is not something that is offered to even the most mellifluous of soul singers. Cooke’s death in 1964 at the age of 33, when he was shot by the manager of a Hollywood motel, robbed us of a singer whose artistry was an exquisite combination of the tender and tough. SB I’m in the Mood Again Elvis Costello 2003 Recently parted from his second wife, in 2003 Costello recorded a clutch of sombre piano ballads detailing the split and his burgeoning relationship with jazz singer Diana Krall, now the third Mrs McManus. The final song on North is a lovely, Sinatra-esque thing, Costello wandering the streets of Manhattan at dawn, bewildered at stumbling upon amour once again. “You took the breath right out of me/ Now you’ll find it in the early hours in a lover’s song.” Bewitching. GT Elvis Costello and the Attractions 1986 The compelling sound of a middle-aged serial shagger – our Declan? Oh yes! Admitting that he has finally met his Waterloo, in the no-nonsense form of ex-Pogues bassist and second wife Cait O’Riordan. “When we first met/ I didn’t know what to do,” he concedes. A highlight of 1986’s King of America, Costello later described it as “a rarity: a love song without an escape clause”. The game is well and truly up. GT Then He Kissed Me The Crystals 1963 Were those early teen-pop classics as innocent as they seemed? When, in the middle-eight of this definitive Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry girl-group ballad, Dolores “LaLa” Brooks recalls, “He kissed me in a way that I’ve never been kissed before”, is she really just singing about snogging? This yearning expression of love’s young dream had its hyperactive twin in the Crystals’ equally adorable Da Doo Ron Ron. GM Friday I’m in Love The Cure 1992 The Cure’s prettiest pop hit is less a straight love song, and more a witty new take on rock’s traditional love of the weekend. Over galloping beat, piping keyboards and cascading guitars, Robert Smith casually dismisses the object of desire and everything else (including New Order on the opening “I don’t care if Monday’s blue”) apart from seeing “your shoes and your spirits rise” on a big, dressed-up Friday night out. The effect is both touching and warmly funny. GM Pour Some Sugar on Me Def Leppard 1987 From the massive reverb on the snare to the joyously ridiculous air-brushed sexuality, Pour Some Sugar on Me is one of the quintessential moments in 80s stadium metal innuendo. What’s brilliant is how the lyrics, which wouldn’t sound out of place in a Prince song – “You got the peaches, I got the cream/ Sweet to taste, saccharine” – are all undercut with the unimpeachable Britishness of a line like: “Do you take sugar? One lump or two?” RV Born to Be With You Dion 1975 If you were wondering about the honking saxes on the end of Duffy’s Distant Dreamer, they’re producer Bernard Butler’s homage to this Phil Spector classic, also a favourite of Bobby Gillespie and Jason Pierce. Forty musicians were in on the session, but here Spector’s wall of sound is a shaky edifice, perfectly matching teen-idol-turned-junkie Dion DiMucci’s fragility. Interestingly, though often assumed to be written by the autobiographically inclined DiMucci (he’s still married to the original Runaround Sue), the track is a cover of a 1956 Don Robertson hit for the Chordettes. MH A Teenager in Love Dion & the Belmonts 1960 The ne plus ultra of doo-wop ditties, written in 1959 by Brill Building maestros Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman; by 1960, three different versions of the song were in the UK top 10. Its plain depiction of the perennial vagaries of teen love – “One day I feel so happy/ Next day I feel so sad” – masked a less innocent picture. Dion DiMucci, a heroin addict since his mid-teens, checked into rehab not long after the single was released, and his pleading lead vocal lends the song extra edge. GT Fats Domino 1956 Vincent Rose, Al Lewis and Larry Stock’s 1940 standard about making out in the country had already been recorded by the likes of Gene Krupa, Glenn Miller, Gene Autry and Louis Armstrong by the time avuncular New Orleans pianist/vocalist Antoine Dominique Domino transformed it into rock’s first multi-million-selling easy listening ballad. The lyric’s memories of adolescent sexual thrills and broken promises is made bereft of angst by the rolling piano and the warm grin of Fats’s rich voice. GM Girl from the North Country Bob Dylan 1963 A variation on the traditional Scarborough Fair, Dylan’s first great love song is partly a hymn to the freezing landscape of Hibbing, Minnesota, where he was raised, and partly a fond glance back to his 1958 high-school sweetheart Echo Helstrom, the girl he loved before the complications of the big city and subsequent fame set in. He would rarely sound so touchingly sincere again. GT Bryan Ferry 1976 There are many classic pop songs about pre-wedding dreams and messy divorce. But the Roxy Music leader’s emphatic reworking of Wilbert Harrison’s 1962 r’n’b stomper is perhaps the only great dance-rock record about the less dramatic realities of keeping a marriage together. Saxophones wail and a woman unleashes a celebratory howl as the Geordie lounge lizard makes his case for the defence. Famously, supermodel girlfriend Jerry Hall left Ferry for Mick Jagger a year later. GM Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye Ella Fitzgerald 1956 The greatest American singer interprets the greatest American songwriter? It’s tough to argue against their credentials, especially when Virginia’s First Lady of Song effortlessly glides through Cole Porter’s cleverest of musical jokes: “There’s no love song finer/ But how strange the change” … and the music’s light turns to darkness, and literally changes key … “from major to minor”. Fitzgerald’s purity of tone and lightness of touch locates every nuance within this most melancholy of jazz standards. GM Killing Me Softly With His Song Roberta Flack 1973 The 1996 Fugees version was the bigger hit, but Flack’s original is far superior. Though she didn’t write it herself, she sings it as if her life depends on it, and the simple, piano-based arrangement underscores her quiet urgency. Flack started out singing jazz, and you can hear it here, in her restrained and elegant treatment. By contrast, the Fugees felt the song wasn’t complete without lumpen rapping, and their cover is well-nigh unlistenable. CS I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) Aretha Franklin 1967 No one peels back the layers of a standard love song like the Queen of Soul. Aretha’s first Atlantic single made her an overnight star and brought adult female sexuality to chart pop as she found both the lust and the agony in Ronnie Shannon’s blues-based ballad. The testimony of a woman masochistically addicted to a no-good, cheatin’ man, the song led the 1967 Aretha set still regarded by many as the finest soul album of all-time. GM I Say A Little Prayer Aretha Franklin 1968 The Queen of Soul singing Bacharach and David is a recipe for a universal anthem, irrespective of the outrageously quirky time signatures employed. Unquestionably an uplifting love song for many, this clever lyric holds a darker potential; never present and cherished by religious blessing, could it be the object of the song is either in mortal danger or no longer living? MR Frankie Goes to Hollywood 1984 While the mention of the Hooded Claw, Penelope Pitstop’s nemesis, may suggest that this love song wasn’t entirely serious, its lovely, lavish arrangement and the sincerity of singer Holly Johnson’s delivery buoy it to the romantic stratosphere. Tribute to its effectiveness include the fact that it became Curly and Raquel’s song in Coronation Street, and that it causes a warm glow every December, when it originally got to No 1 before being flattened by Band Aid. AN It’ll All Come Around Patsy Gallant 1978 French-Canadian Gallant recorded several albums in French and English in the early 70s, but it was with her late 70s disco-influenced albums that she really found her voice. Her most famous song is From New York to LA, but the one to search out is this true lost classic. Four minutes of magnificent uplifting, soulful pop, over which Gallant lustily explains that, no matter what, “it’ll all come around, you know it always does ... because I love you.” If you only discover one song through this series, make it this one. LB Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart Judy Garland 1939 Written in 1934 by James Hanley, this exuberant evocation of how love seems to transform every aspect of the natural world – “’Twas like a breath of spring/ I heard a robin sing” – is timeless. Recorded by Garland in 1939, with its long, slow, luxurious intro leading into a finger-snapping coda, the song perfectly mirrors the initial hesitation and subsequent headlong abandon that defines falling in love. Björk should have a go at this. GT Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell 1967 This Ashford and Simpson mini-symphony was also recorded three times by Diana Ross; twice with the Supremes and later for her first major solo hit. While Ross’s 1970 version was a diva epic, the Marvin and Tammi version is a pop gem, capturing the optimism of young love with its tall tale of two people willing to climb mountains, traverse valleys and cross rivers just to be with each other. GM You’re All I Need to Get By Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell 1968 By the time husband-and-wife songwriting team Ashford and Simpson presented this intense love ballad to Motown’s most popular vocal duo, the pair had to record separately as Terrell was wheelchair-bound. The Philadelphia chanteuse had been diagnosed with a brain tumour after collapsing in Gaye’s arms onstage at a 1967 show. She died in 1970 at the age of just 24. In that context, the song’s evocation of love as lifeforce is an almost overwhelming experience. GM Al Green 1974 As with every Green vocal performance, his extraordinary, surreal phrasings and improvisations both give instant truth to anything he sings while also rendering words somewhat superfluous. But Let’s Get Married takes Green’s weirdness to another level, as he pleads ecstatically for marriage while also admitting that he’s just bored, at one point adding: “Might as well.” Later that year, his already-married girlfriend poured boiling grits over his head and shot herself when he refused to marry her. GM Let’s Stay Together Al Green 1971 Green’s greatest moment and the most convincing song of devotion in the entire pop canon, if only because his vocal is ecstatic with romance, giddy with optimism and underpinned by quiet faith, that determination to see it through whether “times are good or bad, happy or sad”. He’s now a Reverend, of course – how could you marry in his church and not walk down the aisle to this? GG Al Green 1972 Green’s early 70s work adds up to one long, soulful essay on the extreme highs and lows of lust and love. This strutting workout from the I’m Still in Love With You album revolves around a gritty, hypnotic guitar riff and Green’s stunning vocal growls, screams and sighs on the theme of “Love can make you do wrong/ Make you do right.” One suspects that wrong has the upper hand. GM Sweet Child O’ Mine Guns N’ Roses 1987 Axl Rose could go back into hibernation for another 17 years and still not better the rock majesty of Sweet Child O’ Mine. Slash’s opening riff, which he originally dismissed as filler, defines the sound of a band who could have ruled the world, and for a year or two, pretty much did. Rose wrote his “first positive love song” about his then girlfriend and, beneath the bombast and bacchanalia of the band themselves, it displayed a rare, tender glimpse into Rose’s psyche. WD I’m Into Something Good Herman’s Hermits 1964 Husband and wife songwriting team Gerry Goffin and Carole King were the champions of innocent love songs in the early 60s, providing hits for the Drifters, Gene Pitney and the Phil Spector stable. This tune was their first hit with a British band. The unthreatening, boyish grin of frontman Peter Noone, and the Manchester band’s sparky arrangement, sent it to No 1 in the UK. Undemanding but polished, its well crafted simplicity is the key to this song’s longevity. CSte Whitney Houston 1985 It’s easy to forget now, but there was a time when Whitney Houston was everyone’s big sister. Sure, she had that voice, but her bright-eyed enthusiasm also turned her journey to the top of the charts into a rite of passage. So in this song, with Whitney exploring the common dilemma of quite what that boy is after, in which she claims to be “too shy, can’t speak”, she spoke for more than herself. Produced by Narada Michael Walden, the sound was that of 1985; synthesised flourishes, ersatz saxophone and 808 drum kicks. PMac I’m So in Love Leroy Hutson 1973 By 1973 Curtis Mayfield had totally immersed himself in continuing the hard-hitting social commentary lyric writing he had broken new ground with while a member of the Impressions. The love ballads were left to his Curtom proteges, of which Hutson is the best and least acknowledged. Heralding the start of his sublime debut album, this track effortlessly depicts the blissful confusion of being in love. MR The Isley Brothers 1973 Although Summer Breeze notionally celebrates the weather, it’s really about domestic bliss, the usual furniture of a walk home on a gorgeous day building to a sustained pitch of excitement as our five-o’clock-hero returns to a hot meal and a cuddle from the one he loves. It took a funk band to make this ballad by hippie duo Seals and Croft really rock. Summer Breeze was the Ohio clan at the height of their fusion thang, Ernie’s guitar solo as much a feature as Ronald’s falsetto. SY Are You Ready For Love Elton John 1979 In 1977, Elton John started work on a soul album with legendary Philadelphia producer Thom Bell (the Spinners, the Stylistics, the Delfonics). It came to nothing. Two years later, he reworked the sessions for a three-track EP, The Thom Bell Sessions, scoring a minor hit with Mama Can’t Buy You Love. But it wasn’t until 2003 when dance DJ Justin Robertson “rediscovered” the B-side that Are You Ready For Love’s killer pairing of pop hook and disco groove achieved its full potential, reaching No 1. CC Paul McCartney and Wings 1973 Macca’s never been afraid to tell it like it is. The trouble for his detractors is that for most of his career that’s meant he’s been writing about being deeply in love with his wife. Not very rock’n’roll, really – but then again, after all the songs about rebellion and teenage angst, maybe domestic bliss is quite a radical thing to sing about. It’s like falling asleep in front of a large fire, chez McCartney. RV 90% of Me is You Gwen McRae 1974 Overshadowed at the time by McCrae’s Rockin’ Chair, and even more so by hubby George’s massive international hit, Rock Your Baby, 90% of Me Is You had to wait until the 80s to get noticed. It got its afterlife on the British rare groove scene, due recognition of its perfect composition. The strings and groove foretold the arrival of disco, the lyrics a tale of devotion bordering on submission, chilling in the light of later claims that she was beaten by her husband. SY Merrilee and the Turnabouts 1968 More than 30 artists have recorded this tune written by Wild Thing songwriter Chip Taylor, including the Pretenders, Olivia Newton-John and Nina Simone. The best known is country singer Juice Newton’s 1981 power ballad. The definitive version, however, is Merrilee and the Turnabouts’ 1968 original. Merrilee Rush’s bittersweet vocal transforms the lyrics about a one-night stand from male fantasy into an ambiguous human encounter. The real stroke of genius is that it’s not clear who’s taken advantage of whom. CC Can’t Get You Out of My Head Kylie Minogue 2001 Kylie’s ill-fated spell at Deconstruction Records saw the artist formerly known as “Charlene off Neighbours” paired with the likes of Saint Etienne, Pet Shop Boys and Brothers in Rhythm in an attempt to make her cool. Ironic, then, that it took a track written and produced in the shed of Mud’s Rob Davis to truly bring out the electro-pop diva in her (she turned up with a packed lunch, apparently). It’s pure pop alchemy: those insistent bleeps effortlessly complementing the lyric’s obsessive sentiment. MH Van Morrison 1968 The lynchpin of Astral Weeks is one long goodbye, as much a song of love for a lost time and place as for a person. The ravenous card-playing drag queen of the title may be a composite hewn from various Belfast beatniks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t see her. After 10 minutes of rapturous poetry – “throwing pennies at the bridges down below” - Morrison finally loses himself in the “love that loves to love”. Mesmeric. GT You’ve Got a Friend Randy Newman 1995 Cult genius/mainstream songwriter, lovable failure/noted film composer, Randy Newman’s idiosyncratic career finally reached household name status in 1995 with this Oscar-nominated track. Co-written with Lyle Lovett, it was ostensibly about the friendship between a boy and his toy cowboy, but in reality was a charming ode to comradeship that, like Toy Story, the film it soundtracked, broke from the realms of kids’ entertainment and into the pop canon. WD Gram Parsons 1973 “He didn’t mind if she wasn’t very pretty/ For deep inside his heart he knew she was the only one.” Sweetly judged romance from the pioneering king of 70s country rock, telling the story of a farming couple. The late Gram Parsons is on mellow form here on this track from his debut solo album GP, almost duetting with the pedal steel guitar that runs through the song as he hits the chorus: “She sure could sing.” So could he . RV I Will Always Love You Dolly Parton 1974 Apparently, someone else had a hit with this, but it’s Dolly’s version that ought to be the one played at funerals and – inappropriately – at weddings. Written about one-time mentor and partner Porter Wagoner, Dolly’s heartbreaking version was a Billboard country No 1, but a relatively minor hit for the queen of country. It wasn’t of course until the huge success of Whitney Houston and her Bodyguard that the track became as large as its own bombastic chorus. WD Wilson Pickett 1967 One of the most beautiful soul ballads ever recorded, this was just one of several Bobby Womack-penned numbers Pickett recorded while at Atlantic in the late 60s and, like Aretha Franklin material of the same period, is elevated to ethereal status by Womack’s own, uniquely delicate guitar playing. The simplistic lyric avoids trying to detail the indescribable, but the evident glee and profoundly emotive swells of brass and backing vocals let you know he’s feeling the real thing. MR She is Beyond Good and Evil The Pop Group 1979 The fertile post-punk scene threw up some ambitious singles but none as out-there as the Pop Group’s extraordinary debut. A title borrowed from Fredrich Nietzsche, and an abrasive, strung-out backdrop that melded punk, funk, dub-reggae and free jazz, She is Beyond Good and Evil still sounds like a blueprint for the future. That no one, not even the Pop Group, ran with the possibilities therein is a testament to the song’s singular beauty. SOH Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love Cole Porter 1928 If the foundation of pop music is the well-turned sexual euphemism, then this is the daddy of them all. Cole Porter’s number – highly amusing, if reasonably obscure to modern ears (what’s “shad roe”?) – makes quite clear that every different type of species does “it” in a fashion so jovial and sprightly it would seem a positive shame to introduce the word “sex”. Numerous covers, and various reworkings (most notably by Noël Coward), have kept the song alive, even if it might now seem most striking for its quaintness. PMac Can’t Help Falling in Love Elvis Presley 1961 This stately signature Elvis ballad was written by George Weiss, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, based upon the lilting melody of Jean Paul Egide Martini’s 1780 classical piece Plaisir d’Amour. Despite all those European art credentials, it originally surfaced on Blue Hawaii, the first of Elvis’s trashy travelogue movies. Nevertheless, the song’s operatic grandeur and Presley’s assured vocal made it his most popular ballad – and the last song The King performed onstage before his death in 1977. GM Elvis Presley 1956 A song so good they named a movie after it, Love Me Tender derived from unusual sources. The melody was lifted from a civil war ballad, Aura Lee (or the Maid with Golden Hair), and the lyrics composed by one Ken Darby, who had worked on the soundtrack for Elvis’s film debut, originally entitled The Reno Brothers. It was Elvis’s vocals, though, that made the song more than the sum of its parts; half-seduction, half-lullaby, their dreamy, woozy quality provided the soundtrack to many breathless nights in the parents’ Cadillac. PMac I’ll Stand By You The Pretenders 1994 Classic pop ballads evoke that “Ooh, where have I heard this before?” feeling on first listen. Always a strong singles band, the Pretenders’ swelling tale of unswerving loyalty (“Nothing you confess/ Could make me love you less”), co-written with Like a Virgin veterans Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, treads that fine line between wedding reception schmaltz and fist-in-the-air defiance with a consummate, understated ease. Even a Children in Need version by Girls Aloud couldn’t wreck this one, although they gave it their best shot. SM The Proclaimers 1994 “Ah love ye/ And ah wanna be with ye!” There is a time for finely etched poetry, and there is a time for Scottish twins to get their glasses all steamed up with the prospect of frogmarching some lucky lass down the aisle. This wonderful, joyous stomp celebrates the often unfashionable tradition of getting hitched: “Yeah, it’s just a piece of paper/ But it says I love you.” A proper love song. GT You’re My Best Friend Queen 1975 Even Queen’s most fanatical worshippers might not list sincerity among Freddie Mercury and co’s greatest qualities. So step up bassist John Deacon, who wrote this wonderfully sincere tribute to his wife Veronica while trying to learn how to play the Wurlitzer electric piano. Mercury matches him all the way, too, as he bathes the song in complex, lilting Beach Boys-style harmonies and sings the lead with uncharacteristic restraint. It’s a rare rock song that concludes “I’m happy at home”, and means it. GM A R Rahman 1995 Songs about love across the barricades delivered in a coquettish fashion are something of a staple in Bollywood. Which is why Kehna Hi Kya by AR Rahman – who last month won two Oscars (Best Original Score and Best Original Song) for Slumdog Millionaire – is all the more extraordinary. With its extravagant vocal gymnastics and qawwali-esqe devotional wails, this tale of inter-religious attraction set a new standard and leaves you in no doubt that Rahman deserves his “India’s greatest living composer” tag. MM Unchained Melody The Righteous Brothers 1965 Alex North and Hy Zaret’s Unchained Melody, written for obscure prison film Unchained, is said to have spawned more than 500 cover versions, including four UK No 1s. The definitive version, whatever Robson and Jerome fans may claim, remains the Righteous Brothers’. Actually sung solo by Bobby Hatfield, the 1965 Phil Spector production was the 10th major release of the track and remains the favourite version of everyone who isn’t Gareth Gates. WD Rihanna 2007 It wasn’t the wettest summer on record that kept this record at No 1 for 10 weeks, but the fact that it was a full-throated declaration of loyalty and devotion, delivered with an admirable lack of sentiment and set to buzzsaw synths and beats that sounded like thunderclaps. Even Jay-Z’s dull rap couldn’t stop a hook that went “ella-ella-ella” and which Rihanna delivered with a lethal accuracy absent from your average weather report. AN You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me Smokey Robinson and the Miracles 1962 Unashamedly grown-up stuff, even for Motown in 1962. The opening line sets the anguished tone – “I don’t like you, but I love you” – leading into an emotionally and musically complex rake around the dangerous attractions of stone-bad love. Robinson wrote this serpentine song, and he imbues it with an exquisite helplessness that is all his own. The 1963 Beatles version, on the other hand, makes up in sheer passion what it lacks in nuance. GT The Shangri-Las 1964 The Shangri-Las epitomised teenage yearning but added a gritty, tough-girl twist. This 1964 number is one of the great teen tragedy songs, an endearing mixture of innocence and poignancy that ends with Jimmy, a boy from “the wrong side of the tracks”, dying in a motorbike crash after Betty dumps him at the behest of her parents. It makes perfect listening for any girl who has ever had her heart strings twanged by a bad boy. SB Will You Love Me Tomorrow? The Shirelles 1961 The first major hit for Brill Building songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King was also the first girl-group single to hit No 1 in America. And no subsequent song has captured the emotional risk of teenage sex with such terror and desire. Shirley Owens’s voice aches with youthful vulnerability, but when Carole King covered her own song in singer-songwriter style on her 1971 album, Tapestry, the song proved heartbreakingly relevant to women of all ages. GM Simon and Garfunkel 1970 A hymn to friendship that, ironically, exposed simmering tensions: Simon instantly regretted allowing Garfunkel to sing the song solo and thus hog the limelight on their biggest hit, and they split soon after. The central image was inspired by the line “I’ll be your bridge over deep water, if you trust in me”, taken from the gospel song Oh Mary. The quasi-religious flavour is preserved in the churchy piano chords and soaring vocal, and remains moving, despite over-exposure. GT Fly Me to the Moon Frank Sinatra 1966 There are numerous versions of this ebullient standard, including one by – shudder – Westlife, but the definitive Fly Me … is Sinatra’s (of his various recordings of it, the one to hear is on the Sinatra at the Sands album). This is the man at his most freewheeling and breezy: he was in his prime, the vocal cords were mature but supple, he was about to marry 21-year-old Mia Farrow; accordingly, this song has a marvellous spring in its step. CS Get Me to the Church On Time Frank Sinatra 1966 Originally written for My Fair Lady and later recorded by Sinatra, this is a roguish, rambunctious pre-nuptials farewell to the old days of late nights, dancing and smooching, looking forward to a new life of responsible wedded bliss. The intentions are sound and instantly recognisable: let me enjoy my final spree, don’t let me do anything too stupid, and for Pete’s sake, get me to the church on time. GT Frank Sinatra 1955 Deeply conservative it may be – who the hell says you can’t have one without the other? – but this 1955 Sammy Cahn/Jimmy Van Heusen classic is worth celebrating for its jaunty rhythm and sparkling rhyme schemes: marriage/disparage; gentry/elementary. And dissenters can take comfort in the fact that its central message was subverted as the theme to mordant US comedy Married With Children. GT True Love Travels on a Gravel Road Percy Sledge 1969 Percy is a southern soul singer permanently on the cusp of tears, one who could make a winning lottery ticket sound like personal tragedy. Small wonder his take on a ballad about a long, true romance eliminates the positive and accentuates the negative, as if the woman who’s stuck by him through thin and thin is about to run off with the church mouse while the choir mocks him in the background. An epic about snatching misery from the jaws of happiness. SY Patti Smith 1979 The elliptical Smith rarely writes straightforward love songs; this is one of them. Dedicated to then-husband-to-be Fred “Sonic” Smith, it’s one of her more tuneful productions, but the selling point is the lyric, which translates the feeling of being in love into some of rock’s most beautiful poetry: “Night of wonder for us to keep/ Set our sails, channel out deep/ After the rapture, two hearts meet/ Mine entwined in a single beat.” CS There is a Light That Never Goes Out The Smiths 1986 This sublime ballad from The Queen is Dead defines the multi-dimensional brilliance of Morrissey’s lyrics. The poetic longing makes you cry; the black comedy of the chorus makes you laugh. But the delirious melodrama also implies that love and death are identical objects of desire. While Moz spins your head with “the pleasure and privilege” of being mown down by double-decker buses and 10-ton trucks, Johnny Marr’s glistening guitars and exquisite orchestral arrangement cast their own mystical spell. GM I Got You Babe Sonny and Cher 1965 Young love is a staple of pop music. But rarely have circumstances combined with sentiments so serendipitously as in Sonny and Cher’s breakthrough hit. Sonny, 22 at the time, met Cher, then 16, in a cafe: you can hear their elders saying that their love “won’t pay the rent”. But it did – as these fake hippie alumni of Phil Spector’s studio built a career on a winning song that was both utterly contrived – Sonny stole the “babe” from Bob Dylan and the counterculture, for one – and totally believable. KE You Gotta Come a Little Closer Soul Brothers Six 1973 The Philly soul act are known for 1967’s Some Kind of Wonderful, their only hit, but this seductive cut, a flamboyant entreaty to an aloof lover, is an unexpected triumph. Singer John Ellison’s gospel-suffused vocals have an affirmational lustre, with just the right injection of libidinous intent. Set to a funky groove and sassy brass, it’s hard to see how any potential inamorato could resist his plea. SB Wannabe The Spice Girls 1996 Sporty, Scary, Baby, Posh and Ginger’s opening salvo was a straight-on-target bullet at the heart of female solidarity. Boyfriends? Largely rubbish. Gal pals? Ace! Two and a half minutes of relentless frivolity, Wannabe introduced the brilliantly nonsense phrase “zigga-zig-ah!” into the lyrical lexicon and gifted the world the first glimpse of Victoria Beckham [then Adams]’s pout – an enduring commercial currency nobody could have possibly foreseen. For its duration, the five were not just invincible, they even seemed to rather like each other. PF The Supremes 1970 The post-Diana Supremes enjoyed diminishing returns, but among their few 70s hits was Stoned Love, easily the equal of anything recorded with La Ross. Written by Frank Wilson, it managed to take this most carefully conservative of groups into the hippie era without compromising their pop appeal. Despite the druggy wink of the title and its cunning plan to “bring fighting to an end”, this was prime Motown pop-soul with an added dose of stringed-up sophistication. SY You Can’t Hurry Love The Supremes 1966 A much-loved example of the Supremes’ irresistible innocence, this Holland-Dozier-Holland classic remains a staple of any self-respecting girl-group DJ set. The lyric makes the case for patience and the sound advice of a girl’s loving mum, but it’s also about Diana Ross’s unique ability to express youthful longing, and the peerless Funk Brothers rhythm section of Benny Benjamin and James Jamerson creating one of the most imitated uptempo dance riffs in pop history. GM Why Do Fools Fall in Love? The Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon 1956 On the day in 1955 when Harlem doo-wop group the Teenagers auditioned for Gee Records, their leader Herman Santiago fell ill. Up stepped 13-year-old boy soprano Lymon and the rest is pop infamy. Why Do Fools … set the standard for teen idols singing about the pain of love like bruised adults, and for doo-wop as the acceptable black face of early rock. Despite the clean teen image, Lymon got into heroin and was dead by the age of 25. GM Twinkle 1964 Lynn Annette Ripley, aka Twinkle, out-outraged the Sex Pistols by getting herself banned by the BBC at the tender age of 16. The haunting debut single from the Surbiton singer-songwriter went top 5 in Britain despite adult horror at its morbid tale of a lovers’ tiff leading the titular boyfriend to ride off on his motorcycle to his inevitable death. Twinkle’s plea for him to “wait at the gate of heaven for me” is the clue to Morrissey’s admiration. GM Mad About the Boy Dinah Washington 1952 Written by cultural polymath Noël Coward for the 1932 revue Words and Music, this has it all: unrequited love, the problems kicked up by sexual feelings between the young and the more mature, and – in Coward’s version – explicit homosexual yearning. The tortuous impossibility that defines the song is fully realised by Washington’s 1952 recording, arranged by Quincy Jones and full of blue notes, soul and real longing. GT Jimmy Webb 1968 Stringing telegraph cables across the bread belt of the US is hardly the stuff of conventional romance. And yet the song Webb composed for Glen Campbell evokes the wistful loneliness of a travelling engineer, imagining he hears his love “singing in the wires”. Backing up the country existentialism are violins, stabbing out a morse code, and Webb’s own organ, mimicking the hum and whine of analogue telecommunications. KE You Do Something to Me Paul Weller 1995 Generally thought of as the archetypal lad rocker rather than touching balladeer, the Modfather actually possesses a well-developed sensitive side, in evidence since English Rose on 1978’s All Mod Cons. From 1995’s Stanley Road, this bittersweet analysis of romantic obsession is his definitive slowie, its apparent sentimentality tempered by the realisation that the object of his desire isn’t exactly perfect, acknowledging: “You do something wonderful, then chase it all away.” GG Music to Watch Girls By Andy Williams 1967 In 1967, as pop entered its most psychedelic stage, family-friendly pin-up Andy Williams released a single so incongruously chirpy that it seemed to have flown in from the mid-50s. In its way, though, Music to Watch Girls By reflected its era. Its optimism was very much of the 60s, when kicking back and checking out the girls in their increasingly-mini miniskirts kept men happily occupied. Though a period piece now, the tune is still a delight. CS Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) Frank Wilson 1966 Northern soul fans’ obsession with rarity often comes at the expense of quality. But in Do I Love You both merge into the holy grail of collectors’ soul. Frank Wilson was a Motown producer-songwriter whose solo career was stillborn with this one record, promos of which were melted down. But it’s a glorious, if raw affirmation of everything the label was about: high-speed drums, delirious chorus and the thrill of love dripping from every pore. One copy of the record sold in 1996 for a reputed £15,000. SY Neil Young 1977 Young’s guitar classic became a much-requested highlight of The Old Grey Whistle Test, with footage of the (even then) grizzled Canadian battling against a wind machine while soloing to infinity and beyond. But it’s the match of Young’s frenzied playing and the lyrics that gives the song its bite. Anyone could write of being “blown away” by the hurricane of love. “I want to love you but I’m getting blown away” is a much more arresting thought. Young revamped it for pump organ in 1993: it’s just as good that way. CS Only Love Can Break Your Heart Neil Young 1970 Those raised on Saint Etienne’s epochal dance version might initially balk at the funereal tempo, but they’re usually won over by the time Stephen Stills’s languid harmonies come round. Written for Graham Nash after his break-up with Joni Mitchell, in the lyric Young advocates a retreat into a child’s world rather than taking a gamble on love, before suggesting he’d like to “call” his damaged friend to see if he could “come out”. It’s a typically heartfelt and understated piece of songwriting. MH	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_32	Party songs: part seven of 1000 songs everyone must hear \| Music \| theguardian.com 808 State 1989 Very much done a disservice by being lumped in by some with the whole Madchester movement, 808 State, named after the Roland TR-808 drum machine, were true electronic innovators. The original line-up was Martin Price, Graham Massey and Gerald Simpson, but the later soon went solo as A Guy Called Gerald and made his own mark with Voodoo Ray. Massey and Price brought in two fresh-faced DJs by the name of the Spinmasters, aka Darren Partington and Andy Barker, who also hosted a seminal radio station on Sunset Radio. Their first two albums, Newbuild and Quadrastate, were pioneering records, and their big crossover hit Pacific State still sounds like nothing else. LB Dancing Queen Abba 1976 Not so much a celebration of dancing, more a piece of reflective melancholy told from the position of the wallflower, a broken-hearted woman who takes vicarious pleasure in watching a 17-year-old dancer. But it’s the musical mix of light and shade that brings this psychodrama to life, the way in which an effortlessly funky disco beat and Benny Andersson’s triumphant piano pounding are slyly undercut by the neurotic strings and the bittersweet vocal delivery. JL AC/DC 1980 When vocalist Bon Scott died of alcohol poisoning in 1980, AC/DC briefly considered calling it a day. Instead, they recruited singer Brian Johnson and released their best single a few months later. The sky-scraping verse, with its themes of immortality, was a typically audacious way for the band to reaffirm itself. The iconic riff remains a bedroom guitarist’s rite-of-passage, still pertinent in the Guitar Hero age, while the song’s surprisingly sparse arrangement predates modern minimalists such as Chicago rock trio Shellac. JP Because I Got High Afroman 2001 Joseph “Afroman” Foreman’s cautionary comedy about the drawbacks of the weed serves as the most effective anti-drug song of the 21st century thus far. A fondness for marijuana leads to an increasingly absurd chain of events in which the protagonist flunks his college class, misses his child support payments, gambles his money away, is unable to perform sexually, loses both his legs in a car accident and is left homeless. JL Aphex Twin 1999 Rumour has it that there is a demo version of this song, with Richard D James, aka Aphex Twin, playing the original idea for the song on guitar. Windowlicker might sound like the strangest song ever to gain mainstream appeal, but at its heart lies a really good tune – and that’s why, despite the permanently shifting song structure and the lunatic polyrhythms, it’s become a something of a classic. EW I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor Arctic Monkeys 2005 In an explosion of buzzsaw guitar, Arctic Monkeys announced themselves to the world in spectacular style. Insanely addictive, it masked an observational narrative that made the simple act of eyeing a girl up in a nightclub sound like an act of espionage. Most of all, it made everyone who heard it want to dance – and instant megastars of its creators. Tom Jones, Joe Perry and Sugababes have all had stabs at it, cementing its status as the defining indie party track of the modern age. DM Ashford and Simpson 1979 Husband and wife team Ashford and Simpson were both songwriters and artists in their own right. As songwriters they wrote for Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and several Motown artists, where their hits included Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and You’re All I Need to Get By for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. As artists, their biggest hit was the schmaltzy Solid. In between, they wrote some of the greatest, sweeping orchestral disco songs of the late 70s. Bourgie Bourgie, spun regularly by the legendary DJ Larry Levan at seminal New York nightclub Paradise Garage, was pretty much disco perfection. Anyone who still thinks disco equals Saturday Night Fever should do themselves a favour and search this out. LB The B-52’s 1989 A seemingly effortless meld of Don Was’s slick big-band production, Fred Schneider’s fairground bark, the piping harmonies of Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson and the dirty blues guitar of Keith Strickland, Love Shack gave the B-52’s their first mainstream hit more than a decade into their career. Inspired by the cabin in Athens, Georgia, where the band wrote their early songs, it was a tribute to original guitarist Ricky Wilson who died of Aids-related illnesses in 1985. GM Yes Sir, I Can Boogie Baccara 1977 How female Spanish duo Baccara were ever earmarked for pan-European disco success considering their background in flamenco and traditional Spanish songs is anyone’s guess, but in 1977 they managed it with this humongous Eurodisco classic. All breathy vocals and Abigail’s Party seductiveness, if this doesn’t reveal your camp side on the dancefloor nothing will. MR (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party) Beastie Boys 1987 It’s more than likely that all the woes listed by the Beastie Boys have been experienced by all western teenage boys (“Your dad caught you smoking and he said ‘No way!’”), yet Fight for Your Right was only ever intended as a parody of such meathead anthems as Mötley Crüe’s version of Smokin’ in the Boys Room. Its audience, however, didn’t care about irony and revelled in its gloriously crass rebellion without a cause. JP Benga and Coki 2007 You didn’t have to be a dubstep aficionado to hear this 2007 crossover. The single, hooky electronic tone and devastating bass rumble piped out from teen-held mobile phones on buses all over the world, bridging the worlds of dubstep and grime. Currently usurped in soundsystem dancefloor ubiquity by Warp-signed Mujava’s similarly woozy Township Funk. EW Big Time Sensuality Björk 1993 Björk has gone on record as saying this song, the most club-friendly from the Nellee Hooper-produced Debut, is about a nascent, platonic friendship. As it was released at the height of a boom in UK clubbing, it was adopted as an ecstasy anthem and reflected a night out on the hug drug (“We just met and I know I’m a bit too intimate but something huge is coming up”). Further, in the last line Björk exclaims, “I don’t know my future after this weekend,” which will chime with many who “dropped out” due to their E experiences. JB Let’s Start II Dance Again Hamilton Bohannon 1981 Stevie Wonder’s former drummer Hamilton Bohannon scored his biggest hit with 1978’s Let’s Start the Dance, a massive chunk of irresistible boogie powered by Carolyn Crawford’s roof-raiser vocal. Bohannon recorded three more versions, the best of which was this, featuring a rap from Dr Perri Johnson. The good doc was more radio jock than rapper, but when a man announces himself with “tang, tang, boogie bang, let’s rock the house, let’s shock the house”, what’s not to love? SY Let’s Dance David Bowie 1983 Few people know more about making people dance than Nile Rodgers. As the guitarist in Chic, he helped write and produce some of the best songs of the disco era, including Everybody Dance, Le Freak and Good Times. No surprise then that when David Bowie asked Rodgers to produce his second album of the 80s, it resulted in a dancefloor gem. The clipped bass, rhythmic guitar chops and rising chants that telegraph the chorus work in any setting, from wedding discos to fashionable east London bars. CC Laura Branigan 1984 Branigan rose to prominence through her contributions to the Flashdance soundtrack in 1983 but is best remembered for Self Control. An Italo disco-style production lends hipness: a languid electronic intro is rudely interrupted by a heavy guitar before snapping into a bouncy synthetic backing for Branigan’s hymn to nocturnal activity. Her dramatic alto voice and content about “creatures of the night” made this a worldwide hit in both pop and disco circles. JB Hang On in There Baby Johnny Bristol 1974 If Barry White had gargled with Listerine instead of iron filings he may well have sounded like Johnny Bristol. Mainly known as a songwriter and producer at Motown and CBS, although his solo career did not yield many hits, Hang On in There Baby is a song so triumphal that as the chorus takes from the verse you find yourself chuckling at how damn infectious it is. “I’m gonna give you more than you ever dreamed possible,” croons Johnny. It would be churlish to resist. BB Cannibal and the Headhunters 1965 Originally recorded by New Orleans eccentric Chris Kenner and covered, over the years, by Wilson Pickett, Rufus Thomas, the Walker Brothers and Patti Smith, this rambunctious rock’n’roll classic received its definitive version from this Chicano quartet from east Los Angeles. Based around a hollering “naaah/na-na-na/naaaa” riff, it not only references dozens of r’n’b dance crazes (the pony, twist, mashed potato, alligator, hand jive etc) but musically links Afro-Cuban rhythms with early rock’n’roll. JL Love Will Keep Us Together Captain and Tennille 1975 This huge debut hit from the oddly-named American MOR duo is officially a guilty pleasure. But why anyone should feel guilty about loving this prime slice of FM pop fluff remains a mystery. Written by Howard Greenfield and the perennially underrated Brill Building veteran Neil Sedaka, Love Will … is an emptily joyous and beautifully arranged pop nugget by a duo whose in-demand muso skills saw them moonlight with the Beach Boys, Elton John and Pink Floyd. GM Ray Charles 1980 Until 1980 Ray Charles had never recorded this, which was sung first (as Shake a Tail Feather) by the Five Du-Tones, then more famously by James and Bobby Purify. But Charles became synonymous with it courtesy of his cameo in the Blues Brothers film. It’s an unashamedly corny take on the all-singing, all-dancing musical showstopper, with Chicago’s notoriously rough south side erupting as one hot-stepping mass. Ray’s performance was so electric even the two wannabes jumping in front of him couldn’t spoil it. SY Le Freak Chic 1978 The story is that Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were turned away from a New Year’s Eve party at the notoriously exclusive Studio 54 nightclub. They retreated to Rodgers’s nearby apartment for a jam session, angrily chanting “fuck off!” over a simple funk riff. The anger was soon replaced by exuberance and was sweetened by soaring strings, chicken-scratch guitar and a disco beat, but it’s Bernard’s throbbing, slapping bassline that compels you to dance. JL Class Action 1981 A brilliant cover version of Phreek’s club classic, this electronically reconstituted version featured the original vocalist Chris Wiltshire, was produced by legendary New York figure Bob Blank and remixed by Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan (who apparently was absent from the studio during “his” remix). The lyrics are perfectly poised between the heartbreak of the verse to the forget-my-man partying of the chorus. Tonight is party time! BB Machine Gun Commodores 1974 Scoring their biggest hits with ballads such as Three Times a Lady, Nightshift and Easy, you could be forgiven for remembering Lionel Richie’s breakthrough band as something other than the hard-funk act they actually were. This instrumental funk anthem – the lead track of their debut Motown LP – complete with frenzied keyboard lines, proved to be a disco smash and remains widely used at US sports fixtures today. MR The Cramps 1980 As might be expected of a man who once told the audience of a children’s TV show, “I’m on drugs, they’re good drugs,” Cramps frontman Lux Interior knew a thing or two about having a good time. And it sounds like the whole band had a blast on this tribute to getting loaded. Poison Ivy’s psychobilly guitar is suitably uninhibited, while Lux bellows “The drug train, woo woo!”. Sadly, Lux died in February, but evidently, he enjoyed himself while he was here. CC Somebody Oughta Turn Your Head Around Crystal Mansion 1972 Based around the talents of Philly singer Johnny Caswell (who also had a northern soul hit with You Don’t Love Me Anymore), Crystal Mansion included this song on their debut album, which was imbued with the optimism of Haight-Ashbury rather than the cynicism of Altamont. There’s something about the drum, guitar and vocal combination that is so winning; it usually has the dancefloor grinning like loons within 30 seconds. How can you not love a song that features the couplet: “We’ll build a far-out factory/ And manufacture harmony.” Ace. BB Da Funk Daft Punk 1995 Choosing just one party record by Daft Punk is no easy task. You could make a good case for Around the World, Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger and One More Time. But it has to be their second single, Da Funk, because it re-wrote the rulebook. At the time, house and techno dominated clubland. Da Funk’s mid-tempo drum slug and barking acid riff didn’t sound like anything else then, and they still don’t now. CC Roy Davis Jr 1998 By the mid-90s this Chicago-based member of acid house innovators Phuture hit a new groove, confecting gospel, soul and a sweet trumpet loop into Gabriel. It was one of the biggest dance tracks of the year, selling more than 250,000 copies and becoming a cornerstone of the UK garage scene that dominated the late 90s. More than 10 years on, it’s now a key revival tune of the emerging funky house scene. EW Groove Is in the Heart Deee-Lite 1990 One classic song is all a career really needs, and this perennial party favourite is the track for which the New York trio will always be remembered. At its heart was the simplest of ideas; that falling in love is a bit like dancing. But there’s nothing simple in the delivery, pulling house, funk, disco and hip-hop together into a package that is wild, woozy and very, very strange. DM Just Can’t Get Enough Depeche Mode 1981 No matter how inventive the rearrangement, how annoying the charity cover version or how ubiquitous its appearance in advertising makes it, there’s no escaping the pure pop thrill of new-wave veterans Depeche Mode’s naive, breakthrough single, the final contribution from early songwriter Vince Clarke (before leaving to form Yazoo and later Erasure) and an anthem in British gay clubs ever since. MR Doobie Brothers 1973 Not many country-tinged, California rock records can tear up a Balearic dancefloor two decades later, but Long Train Runnin’ is one of those rare songs that have managed to completely transcend genre and era, having been rediscovered by the next generation of DJs. It helped that the song had originally been born out of a loose jam, around a loose guitar riff and laidback funky bassline, which lent itself easily to the Balearic dancefloors of the late 80s and 90s, as did the rhetorical chorus of “without love, where would you be now?”. The later Bananarama cover, however, featuring the Gyspy Kings on guitar, is not a Balearic classic, trust me. LB. Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick Ian Dury and the Blockheads 1978 Chas Jankel’s musical nous and Ian Dury’s wordsmithery combine to perfection on this blast of brilliant nonsense that sold nearly a million on its initial release. The music is a thick funk gumbo (largely down to Norman Watt-Roy’s heavy, busy bassline) as Dury rhymes the likes of “Borneo” with “Bordeaux”, “Eskimo” with “Arapaho” and “Milan” with “Yucatan” before breaking into the gloriously nutty chorus. Davey Payne’s double saxophone break is manic; the Blockheads never hit these heights again. MW Boogie Wonderland Earth, Wind and Fire 1979 Boogie Wonderland captures the essence of late-70s disco so perfectly it should be sealed and preserved for future generations. The winning formula was simple: take a bunch of veterans who knew which way the wind blew (EWF were former jazz-funkers, backing singers the Emotions were soul stars at Stax), add a song that celebrated the disco itself and a barrage of snares and horns that lit up like glitterballs. The song has since become a mainstay of 70s revival nights and film soundtracks. SY Shirley Ellis 1965 Bronx soul songstress Ellis wrote her footnote into music history with this blistering novelty dance hit. Co-written with her husband Lincoln Chase, this go-go dance classic seems like an innocent playground skipping-rope rhyme set to a tough, brassy, post-Motown arrangement. But historians have posited the theory that the infectious chant about monkeys chewing tobacco and going “to heaven in a little rowboat” derives from coded slave songs about escaping bondage on the underground train to the Mississippi river. GM Be Faithful Fatman Scoop featuring the Crooklyn Clan 1999 Every DJ has an emergency record, a track that gets the party started in a hurry. In 1999, hip-hop jocks in trouble reached for Be Faithful. New York production duo Riz and Sizzahandz sampled the guitar from Faith Evans’s 1998 single Love Like This and added plenty of extra low end, while Fatman Scoop hyped the crowd with nonsense such as, “Can I get a ‘what what’?” Far from sophisticated, but it never failed. In 2003, it was re-released and went straight to No 1. CC Doctor Love First Choice 1977 Following guitarist Norman Harris and much of Philadelphia International’s MFSB orchestra to New York’s Salsoul stable in the disco boom, this trio are probably regarded today as underground disco’s best-loved girl group. Singer Rochelle Fleming needs only one man to cure her from the pain of her disastrous former encounters in love, the good Doctor. The instrumental break, with its irresistible, twinkling keys, has been sampled countless times in house music and is a delight to dance to every time it’s aired. MR The Gnu Flanders and Swann 1959 This exquisite three-minute gem serves as a fine introduction to this duo’s witty wordplay, well-crafted rhymes and surreal situations. Over Donald Swann’s genteel piano accompaniment, Michael Flanders introduces us to a talking gnu who casts a critical eye over the irregularities of the English language (“I’m a g-nu/ How do you do?/ I’m the g-nicest work of g-nature in the zoo”) while pouring scorn on the pompous humans who continually misidentify him (“Call me bison or okapi and I’ll sue”). JL Think About It (What Is Wrong With the World Today) Flight of the Conchords 2008 In which the peerless Kiwi “digi-folk” duo pay homage to a certain strain of “protest song” – the vague, directionless, apolitical soul ballad exemplified by Buffalo Springfield, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, the Stylistics and any number of acid jazz copyists. As FOTC describe an inner-city dystopia where kids are “killing each other with knives and forks” and “getting diseases from monkeys” over the chords from Marvin Gaye’s Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology), it’s clear that they’re actually rather good blue-eyed soul crooners. JL One Nation Under a Groove Funkadelic 1978 George Clinton was always as much cult as band leader, so it’s only right that his biggest hit aped the language of the pledge of allegiance. Smooth and mellifluous where p-funk was so often about cartoonish splashes of colour, One Nation is held together by the surprisingly melodic chorus. It starts mid-groove, as if the song has no beginning or end, but is simply a never-ending party the listener had dropped in on. “Here’s a chance to dance our way out of our restrictions,” sings Clinton. Funk as resistance movement. SY Biology Girls Aloud 2005 After sinking to a low in 2004 with insipid covers of I’ll Stand By You and Jump (For My Love), Xenomania saved the girls from going down the dumper with the Chemistry album and this incredible single. It outlandishly boasts a surfeit of melody and not one but three choruses. The lyrics warn sisters of the perils of desire delivered at a breathless pace: “You fall on your knees and the geek at your feet says you’re neat.” JB Gorillaz 2005 Dare was the tipping point for Gorillaz, the moment when the music eclipsed the annoying virtual band concept. It starts with a Shepard scale, an auditory illusion that sounds like it’s continually rising, but in fact never gets any higher. A lot like the song itself. There’s no verse-chorus structure, just Damon Albarn’s falsetto, fuzzy synth bass and a guest appearance from Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder on loop, but the excitement keeps on building throughout. Clever stuff. CC All I Want for Christmas Is a Dukla Prague Away Kit Half Man Half Biscuit 1986 Aside from a passing reference in the Undertones’ My Perfect Cousin, Subbuteo had been criminally overlooked in rock’s canon. Until, that is, Wirral-based pop-culture obsessives Half Man Half Biscuit wrote this keenly observed reminiscence about playing in a tournament at a friend’s house, after his Scalextric failed to perform. A decade on, you could still hear the pain in: “You’d always get palmed off with a headless centre-forward, a goalkeeper with no arms and a face like his.” PMon Rokit Herbie Hancock 1983 One of the most influential figures in modern jazz, Herbie Hancock was quick to embrace the nascent New York rap scene. Displaying a surprising lack of virtuosity on Hancock’s part, Rokit centred around the trade off between an instantly recognisable synth line and some then groundbreaking scratch work from DJ Grand Mixer D.ST. Barely charting in the US, it went top 10 in Britain, soundtracking a thousand ill-advised lino-based excursions into breakdancing. CCat WFL (Think About the Future) Happy Mondays 1989 As the acid house revolution gripped the nation, Happy Mondays, in what was still quite an unusual move, let DJ Paul Oakenfold loose on their track Wrote For Luck. “I knew that rhythms in rock records never worked,” Oakenfold later reflected, “so it had to be more rhythmic, especially the bottom end.” Oakenfold changed the bassline and drums, with a loop from NWA, and brought Shaun Ryder’s vocals up in the mix. With layers of Mark Day’s swirling guitar and Paul Davis’s dreamy keyboard lines over the top, the end result was an elongated, spaced-out ecstatic dancefloor smash which reflected the euphoric mindstate of many on the dancefloors in 1989. LB Richie Havens 1981 A cross genre, cross era, stone cold Balearic classic. Back to My Roots was originally written and recorded by Lamont Dozier – one-third of the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland Motown production team – for his solo album Peddlin’ Music On The Side. But it’s the Richie Havens version from 1981 that most DJs keep in their record boxes as an absolute guaranteed dancefloor filler to reach for in case of emergency. The long opening piano riff, funky wah-wah guitar, percussion from Sly and the Family Stone session legend Andy Newmark and gospel backing vocals, all build to one undeniable deep groove. Danny Krivit’s recent re-edit is worth searching out as well. LB House of Pain 1992 Irish-American rappers House of Pain always played second fiddle to west-coast contemporaries Cypress Hill, who never fashioned anything as great as Jump Around. From the fanfare that launched a thousand cannabis habits to the squeal that ushers in every jump (sampled from Prince’s Gett Off), it united college halls and rock clubs long after they sank into insignificance. DM Last Night a DJ Saved My Life Indeep 1982 It was some years before the notion of DJ as saviour would really take hold, and when it did, it wasn’t radio but club jocks who were the objects of adoration. Arriving at the fag-end of disco, Last Night … was all Chic-y guitar chops, dub-funk bassline and inspired sound effects (telephone, flushing toilet, car brakes). But the theme is a simple one of heartbreak cured by music, a statement of faith in the regenerative powers of the great song. SY Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough Michael Jackson 1979 A lot happened in the four years between Michael Jackson’s 1975 album Forever, Michael and the follow-up, Off the Wall. Disco had crossed into the mainstream and he’d grown from a boy into a young man. Like all young men, he had sex on his mind. “Touch me and I feel on fire,” he sings in a pure falsetto over a pulsing bass groove from Louis “Thunder Thumbs” Johnson. Years later, a similar request led to a courtroom. CC Michael Jackson 1979 If Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough is the populist party choice from Michael Jackson’s fifth album, Off the Wall, disco connoisseurs prefer the title track. Written by British musician Rod Temperton, who went on to compose Thriller, it’s built on a nervous, high-pitched bassline. The tension is released when the song shifts into a lower key for the chorus and Jackson sings, “Tonight, got to leave the nine to five up on the shelf/ And just enjoy yourself.” Pure class. CC I Love Rock’n’Roll Joan Jett and the Blackhearts 1982 Seventies beat-poppers the Arrows originally wrote and recorded this hymn to the devil’s music to worldwide indifference. Sassy ex-Runaway Joan Jett liked it so much she covered it twice, most successfully in 1982, when she condensed rock’n’roll’s intricate magic into a pounding three-chord strut. Even Britney armed with a vocoder could not match this for vitality. DM Nightclubbing Grace Jones 1981 Nightclubbing was written by David Bowie and Iggy Pop and appeared on Iggy’s 1977 solo debut, The Idiot. But Grace Jones claimed the song for herself when she made it the title track of her fifth album. The original is boozy, dog-end-of-the-night rock. Jones, a regular on the glitzy late-70s/early-80s New York club scene, injects it with icy glamour, her contralto voice slinking with feline grace around the one-finger piano line and Sly Dunbar’s echo-drenched percussion. CC Grace Jones 2008 After a triumphant gig at last year’s Meltdown festival, Grace Jones comeback album was eagerly anticipated. Disappointingly, most of it, like Williams Blood, turned out to be quite pedestrian. That was until the up-and-coming Belgian cosmic disco duo and remixers du jour Aeroplane worked their magic on it, turning it into a slow burning, glitteringly futuristic disco smash that built into a intense euphoric crescendo. Unbelievably, the remix was initially rejected, but word of mouth, or word of internet blogs, spread, and it’s now available. Aeroplane’s debut album is due this summer. LB Cocktails for Two Spike Jones and His City Slickers 1944 The original 1934 version was a genteel ballad that celebrated the end of prohibition, a time where the “carefree and gay” were free to drink at a “romantic rendezvous”. Spike Jones gleefully pushed this gaiety to extremes, punctuating his 100mph arrangement with various hooters, whistles, honking horns and belching singers to create a symphony of silliness. It’s the perfect example of how Jones created comedy records where the hilarity was sonic rather than lyrical. JL George Kranz 1984 Din Daa Daa was No 1 on the US dance chart in 1984. However, German percussionist George Kranz owes his clubland immortality to DJ Alfredo, resident at Ibiza’s iconic Amnesia nightspot in the late 80s, when the song became a Balearic classic. The words of the title are looped up, while Kranz, who has a serious case of onomatopoeia, echoes the drum fills (“Rat-ta-ta-ta-toom!”). Then the track explodes with a strident synth chord. Just try not dancing. CC Upside Down Fela Kuti 1976 When American political activist Sandra Smith (later Isidore) introduced visiting Nigerian musician Fela Kuti to the writings of Malcolm X and the philosophies of the Black Panther party in 1969, she could never have imagined the effect. The subsequent radical, angry politics of Africa’s first musical megastar informed most of his lyrics, including this blistering, near 15-minute epic, describing pan-African disorganisation. Sung by Isidore, you’d be hard pushed to find a better record to dance to. MR Bappi Lahiri/Parvati Khan 1982 Recently sampled by MIA, this Parvati Khan-vocalled glitzy dance nugget is the sound of disco fever sweeping Bollywood. In its original setting (in the film Disco Dancer), it cures the Jimmy of the title of his disco phobia after his mother is electrocuted by an electric guitar (don’t ask). Yet even without the surreal plotlines, Bappi Lahiri’s Bontempi-electro settings and infectious Abba string stabs continue to help the most committed wallflowers get their bosh on to this day. MM Girls Just Want to Have Fun Cyndi Lauper 1983 One of pop’s most ecstatic classics, this debut single and huge global hit from former Blue Angel singer Lauper is also one of pop’s greatest feminist statements. In an echo of Aretha Franklin’s dramatic female empowerment reworking of Otis Redding’s Respect, Girls … was written by new-wave popster Robert Hazard from an entirely male perspective. Lauper changed the gender of the lyric and transformed it into an electro-pop call-to-arms for the right to hen party. GM LFO 1990 Old-school bassheads will remember fondly the purple sleeves and raw, outer-galactic bass’n’bleeps of early Warp records releases. LFO provided the fifth release on the label, which was recorded in the basement studio of Leeds rave emporium The Warehouse and was played, on C90, at the club before being signed. It sold 130,000 copies and went to No 12 in the charts. Brutal and brilliant. EW Can’t Stand Me Now The Libertines 2004 From a poetic point of view, the release of Can’t Stand Me Now could not have been more perfect. From an intra-band harmony perspective, it couldn’t have been worse. Released just as Pete Doherty and Carl Barât’s tumultuous relationship was beginning to finally fall apart due to Doherty’s drug habit, you can hear the spite in the love me/hate me lyrics. A No 2 hit at the time, it remains the most famous mission statement from the London could-have-beens. WD Is It All Over My Face Loose Joints 1980 Known primarily as a cult contributor to the leftfield disco scene, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Arthur Russell’s work across several genres of avant garde music has been rediscovered and critically acclaimed since his death from Aids in the early 90s. This hypnotic and truly unforgettable slice of disco voodoo was salvaged from tempestuous collaborative studio sessions by Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan, whose female-voiced remix is now classed as the definitive version. MR Love Loves to Love Love Lulu 1967 Despite having recorded a sublime version of Here Comes the Night with genius American r’n’b producer Bert Berns several years earlier (predating Them’s version), it wasn’t until Scottish singer Lulu teamed up with UK producer Mickie Most that the hits began to flow. This slightly psychedelic pop-funk track was the first, followed shortly by Shout, and is instantly recognisable for its fuzzed guitar intro, which Fatboy Slim famously sampled for Santa Cruz. MR M 1979 Pop Muzik was produced and helmed by pop situationist Robin Scott and made in Paris by an all-star cast that included the wunderkind keyboard player Wally Badarou, who provides its bubbling swing. It had the high gloss of the Human League with a towering kickdrum that sounded like it was carved out of solid granite. The lyrics are pure bubblegum (“try some buy some fee-fi-fo-fum”), the result dancefloor candy floss. BB Cross the Tracks (We Better Go Back) Maceo and the Macks 1975 Bebop-influenced saxophonist Maceo Parker tried to leave his longstanding place within James Brown’s band several times over the years (for a while he even joined the Parliament/Funkadelic collective), but always returned having failed to secure equal success solo or as a band leader. This insane funk instrumental, heavy with Moog synthesizer, allegedly played by Brown, was an integral party piece of the early hip-hop movement and remains a soundsystem curveball to this day. MR There But for the Grace of God Machine 1979 In between the early success he enjoyed alongside his brother in Dr Buzzard’s Savannah Band and forming his own stage persona as Kid Creole, Tommy Browder – aka August Darnell – found time to lend his almost peerless satirical songwriting skills (not to mention his considerable production abilities) to this female-voiced disco anthem. Critiquing social attitudes of the time, the often misunderstood lyrics see new parents deciding to leave the Bronx in favour of “somewhere far away, with no blacks, no Jews and no gays.” MR Beautiful Stranger Madonna 1999 Pop queen Madonna rounded off the 1990s in fine style when, following successful collaboration on the Ray of Light album, she reunited with British producer William Orbit for this theme to the second Austin Powers movie. Inspired by the film’s 60s theme, the pair eschewed their previous dance styles in favour of an understated, Mamas and the Papas-sampling, guitar-led groove. Although successful on the UK charts, this song wasn’t released as a single in the US. Curtis Mayfield 1970 In 1970, former Impression Mayfield was making a name for himself as a pioneer of gritty urban realism. Move On Up, however, reads more like a motivational pep talk: Mayfield’s super-sweet vocals imploring the listener to “remember your dreams are your only schemes” over an irresistibly kinetic mix of Latin rhythms, orchestral funk and Chicago horns. Nabbing the central hook for 2005’s Touch the Sky, Kanye West reintroduced the world to Move On Up’s relentlessly positive charms. CCat White Lines (Don’t Do It) Grandmaster Melle Mel 1983 It wasn’t just White Lines’ billing (originally credited to Grandmaster and Melle Mel, to imply Flash was involved) that was confusing. Although the title and much of the lyric indicate an uncompromising anti-drug song, the record was more than a little ambivalent, as shown in the repeated sniffing and their excitable way with the word “high”. The soundtrack to a million knowing winks on the dancefloor. SY Kids MGMT 2008 Brooklyn-based duo MGMT emerged in 2007 with an intoxicating blend of squelching electro-funk, wiggy progisms and 70s pop-rock sensibilities. Produced by Flaming Lips associate Dave Fridmann, Kids remains their signature tune; its mix of gurgling synths, pounding drum machines and make-believe lyrics overcoming hints of hipster irony to rock harder than a Shoreditch warehouse party. Much to the band’s chargrin, the track was recently appropriated by French premier Nicolas Sarkozy for use at political rallies. CCat Missy Elliott 2001 Though we can’t say for sure whether it’s about ecstasy consumption, this club track, best heard as a Basement Jaxx remix, is taken from the album Miss E ... So Addictive (on the cover the E is circled) and is heralded by Elliott hollering, “This is for my motherfucking club heads!” In the song, Missy initially appears all coy after spotting a fella she likes across the dancefloor and so opts for an orange juice and to “go X it out”. A little while later she’s buying everybody drinks, wants to lick the fella’s face and demands they strip off their clothes. Must have been that orange juice, eh? JB Dudley Moore and Peter Cook 1967 This stand-out moment from the film of the same name sees the satanic Peter Cook transform into a proto-punk crooner – somewhere between John Lydon and Berlin-era Bowie – mirthlessly outlining his utter lack of interest in a woman who is hopelessly in love with him (“I’m not available. You fill me with inertia,” he drawls). But it’s Dudley Moore’s instrumental backing – all phased psych-rock drums, ye-ye girls and avant jazz chord changes – that makes this such an exquisite pop parody. JL Hot in Herre Nelly 2002 “Good gracious ass is bodacious,” raps the southern short-ass on this steamy jam, before encouraging said hottie to get undressed. “It’s getting so hot I’m gonna take my clothes off,” she obliges, rather too quickly, over a slinky keyboard line and a jerky beat, courtesy of the Neptunes back when Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo were still intent on weirding out the charts. Hot in Herre may have lacked subtlety and spelling ability but it more than made up for it in the party-starting stakes. MM New Order 1987 The year before the acid house explosion, New Order were perfectly placed to understand the power of the new drug that would fuel the scene. They owned a nightclub, The Hacienda, for starters, and their music was heavily influenced by visits to New York nightspots, with producer Stephen Hague appropriating a Jellybean style for True Faith. Sumner nailed the ecstasy experience in the opening lines: “I feel so extraordinary/ Something’s got a hold of me/ I get this feeling I’m in motion/ A sudden sense of liberty.” Peter Hook’s bassline and the rich melody were designed to enhance their new-found clandestine experience. JB Randy Newman 1977 The funniest things about Newman’s only pop hit (which was only kept from the US No 1 spot by the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive) are not to do with the song. Despite its diatribe against the vertically challenged being an obvious satire on discrimination – starring the line, “We don’t want no short people round here” – many believed that Newman’s Disney-esque ditty was serious. Maryland went as far as drafting legislation to ban the song from being played anywhere in the state. GM I’m in the Mood for Dancing The Nolans 1979 Anyone who drunkenly selects this hen-party favourite at a karaoke night will quickly realise that it’s not as simple as it sounds. The identikit disco drums are overlaid with a fiendishly complicated series of chord changes that might have impressed Chopin. The song modulates after every chorus, first up, then down, then up again. Respect is due, Ms Bernie Nolan. JL Oasis 1994 Never was hedonism so succinctly articulated. Britain wasn’t much fun in 1994 under John Major, encouraging a boozy, devil-may-care attitude. This shameless, streamlined T-Rex steal heralded the impending sea change that was Britpop in Liam’s cry: “You gotta make it happen.” JP Got Your Money Ol’ Dirty Bastard 1999 Get the girls on the floor and you’ve got yourself a party. Got Your Money is a hip-hop party all on its own. Produced by the Neptunes when they were at their peak, MCed by the sadly departed Ol’ Dirty Bastard and featuring Kelis, Got Your Money was an all-star cast of late 90s talent – and it shows. A tune that never fails to ignite a party. BB Hey Ya! OutKast 2003 Despite lyrics worthy of Morrissey at his most morose (“If nothing is for ever then what makes love the exception?”), this all-too-familiar story of a stalling relationship is set to an iconoclastically joyous backing: Funkadelic synths, a Prince-like rhythm and a stupidly addictive, Fisher-Price-keyboard figure. Besides exhibiting the ever-enjoyable sound of André 3000 at his most cocksure, this is one of the great “bollocks to love – let’s dance!” songs. JP Phuture 1987 The record that named a movement was created by a series of accidents. Roland’s 303 was a synth that failed to recreate the bass guitar sound (its intended purpose) but threw out a wall of squiggly noise unlike anything else. Played off anonymous tape by DJ Ron Hardy, Acid Tracks was christened by his clubbers (its creators Phuture had provisionally called it In Your Mind), likening the 12-minute electronic maelstrom to a trip. Adopted by British clubbers, the subsequent revolution lived longer than this extraordinary, pummelling beast of a record. SY Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag Pigbag 1981 In which this strange collective – comprising various Cheltenham-based post-punkers with links to Mark Stewart and the Pop Group, among them future trip-hop pioneer Nellee Hooper – managed to take a wiry punk-funk bassline, a free-jazz saxophone freakout and the ancient riff from the Tarzan movies and somehow turn it into a Top 3 hit. Even weirder is the fact that this punk-jazz oddity remains a popular soundtrack at dozens of football grounds every Saturday. JL Pitman 2002 The alter-ego of Nottingham producer Styly Cee, Pitman is the hip-hop heckler, the faux miner shouting abuse from the back of rap’s eternal game of show-and-prove. Witness the Pitness is a take on the Roots Manuva classic that belches out insults at Adam F and the Streets (“We don’t give a frig about your frigging aerial/ Stick it up your arse with your pirate material”) in the manner of a pub-crawling Viz character. The more witless the invective, the funnier it gets. SY Streams of Whiskey The Pogues 1984 In which Shane MacGowan’s twin obsessions of Brendan Behan and dangerously heavy drinking are laid bare. This was the Pogues in their early, full Celtic punk mode, a riotous tin-whistle-and-accordion stomp that revealed nothing of their subtler side, but secured their status as every piss-up’s ideal accompaniment. At the time, MacGowan’s own problems were but a twinkle in the bottom of a bottle, and the video depicting him popping up out of a wheelie bin seemed a good joke, not a prediction. SY Tito Puente 1968 By 1968, Tito Puente was no longer the Afro-Cuban dance king, with a younger generation of Nuyoricans taking his beats and mixing them with funk and garage rock. The resulting hybrid (boogaloo) became so big that Puente decided to have a go himself. Based around an eight-note bassline and a thrilling horn fanfare, this song became the centrepiece of his live set – and would be later sampled to death by hip-hop producers. JL Sorted for Es and Wizz Pulp 1995 The ultimate after-the-Britpop-party anthem, as Jarvis Cocker and co steal the melody of Leo Sayer’s Moonlighting and define the dark side of drugs, festivals and coming down. The Mirror got itself in a tizz about the single sleeve that explained how to make a drug wrap, but if they’d listened they would have heard one of the most despairing of all drug anthems, with its pensive acknowledgment that communal highs are always followed by private lows. GM Queen 1974 This standout track from their finest album, Sheer Heart Attack, is a reminder that, beneath the music-hall whimsy and the operatic pretentions, Queen were also a fabulous heavy metal quartet. Here Brian May flits between chugging, Angus Young-style power chords and heavy blues riffage while the rest of the band belt out multi-tracked harmonies. As Queen started to conquer stadiums in the 80s, an echo-drenched, nine-minute call-and-response version would become the highlight of their live shows. JL Feel Good Hit of the Summer Queens of the Stone Age 2000 “Nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol, C-C-C-C-C-cocaine!” So runs the entire lyric of this aptly titled single, on which veteran hellraiser and ex-Judas Priest singer Rob Halford guested. This mantra, bolstered by the California band’s trademark thrashy but compressed sound, was initially dismissed by the band’s label, but eventually released on the grounds that it wasn’t actually condoning drug abuse. The message isn’t exactly “just say no”, either. JP The Rapture 2002 Exhuming the post-punk experiments of PiL and the Pop Group, New York’s the Rapture created a punk-funk monster for their breakthrough 12-inch. The result of a collaboration between Tim Goldsworthy and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, and with no real lyrics outside of the title, the group sadly never came close to topping this – a hypnotic fusion of dirty bass, disjointed guitar and flagrant cowbell abuse. CCat All Night Long (All Night) Lionel Richie 1983 Before blowing his credibility for good with the mawkish Hello, Richie delivered a sophisticated single that has proved timeless. Lionel’s first line, after some nifty percussion and a flurry of strings, makes this a perfect song for kick-starting a party – “Well, my friends, the time has come, to raise the roof and have some fun.” The song reaches a crescendo of Jamaican chanting that, though difficult to sing along to, cements its life-affirming quality. JB Ce Ce Rogers 1987 Maybe it was MDMA-induced empathy, but when house music exploded in the late 80s it really felt like it could change the world. Cleveland singer Kenneth Jesse Rogers III and house music pioneer Marshall Jefferson summed up the egalitarian mood on Someday. “If we can just open our eyes / We can make the world a paradise,” sang Rogers over minor piano chords. On the dancefloor of clubs such as The Hacienda in Manchester it felt, briefly, like paradise had already arrived. CC Witness (1 Hope) Roots Manuva 2001 Rodney Smith’s party-starter has become one of the few UK hip-hop tracks to gain status outside of the narrow confines of that scene. Smith is on record as saying he wanted to make something that translated in clubs with “a shit system and pissed-up people”, and its wild, cranked-up bassline certainly transferred. Possibly the biggest sound ever achieved by UK hip-hop. EW Rufus featuring Chaka Khan 1974 If it were possible to entirely power sound systems on happiness (and clearly it is not), then Once You Get Started might be the appropriate fuel. Co-written by Chicago stalwart Gavin Christopher (who also co-wrote his sister Shawn Christopher’s sole hit Don’t Lose the Magic), it is given wonderous life by Chaka Khan’s effortless voice. It’s not the best song she ever did but it’s the most fun. “Once you get started/ Oh it’s hard to stop.” Can’t argue with that. BB Baby Let’s Dance Together Sapan Chakraborty 1978 The 1978 Hindi movie Shalimar might have flopped but its soundtrack album remains a highly collectable favourite with freak-funk fans. This crazy slice of big-band r’n’b – all wobbly drums and lip-smacking horn riffs – is a perfect example of how Bollywood’s music directors (in this case RD Burman’s assistant) would take western pop idioms (jazz, funk, soul, disco) and put them through an exotic eastern prism in one of Bombay’s ramshackle recording studios. JL Runaway Salsoul Orchestra 1977 At disco clubs the opening guitar of this singalong favourite is a call to arms to anyone not yet on the dancefloor. Sung by Loleatta Holloway and backed by a sizeable number of the SO/MFSB staple players, the lyrics see the former soul diva revelling in the position her carefree, unattached status enables. It was covered virtually note for note by Masters at Work’s Nuyorican Soul project in the 1990s. MR The Bottle Gil Scott-Heron 1974 A rare protest tune that delivered its message on site, as it were, railing against the dangers of drink over a jazz-funk beat that tore up UK clubs from the northern soul meccas to London’s rare groove scene. The Bottle’s cast of characters (prison widow, discharged backstreet abortionist) are all skid-row alcoholics, portraits drawn with a journalist’s eye by the poet-singer. The lyrical vérité makes for an odd party anthem, demonstrating how little people are engaged with the words when their bodies are in motion. SY Pluto Shervington 1976 This jaunty, calypso-tinged Top 10 hit introduces Ozzy, a Rasta who’s too slack to observe Rastafarianism’s vegetarian dietary code. He is embarrassed at the market when the butcher boy offers him meat (“Hush your mouth, mind me brethren hear”) before furtively asking for a pork chop, euphemistically described as “dat”. This “Carry On Rasta” scenario is continued as Ozzy hides the meat in his hat before bumping into a rather more observant Dread on the way home. JL Gin House Blues Nina Simone 1975 Nina always could start a fight in an empty room. Her cover of this 1925 blues song (best heard on her 1975 Paris live album) makes the drunkard’s bragging seem like a mix of Dutch courage and stroppy militancy (she could’ve fought the army and the navy without the benefit of booze). It also has staying power, almost doubling the length of the song as Nina and her band keep swinging punches. SY Sister Sledge 1979 The major works of disco geniuses Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic were always double-edged celebrations of dancing. They gave several of their greatest songs to Philly sisters Kathy, Kim, Debbie and Joni Sledge, and on the surface, Lost in Music is a loving tribute to making music. But the chorus is in a troubled minor key, and the lyrical imagery of losing everything including sanity and being permanently “caught in a trap” is hardly the stuff of dreams. GM He’s the Greatest Dancer Sister Sledge 1979 This Chic-composed and produced disco hit is a gay anthem that just happens to be sung by women. She’s out “cruising” with friends in “Frisco”? She spots a guy who has the body of Adonis and a face “that would make any man proud”? This guy has the moves and the designer threads … but never even notices our heroine? Typical Edwards/Rodgers disco subversion, full of elegant ideas like the perfect man being full of “arrogance – but not conceit”. GM Skee-Lo 1995 Emerging into a hip-hop world increasingly preoccupied with self-aggrandisement and gangster posturing, Skee-Lo was something of an anomaly. Referencing Buffalo Springfield’s For What It’s Worth and concerned chiefly with being a short-arse who can’t pull, I Wish harked back to the good-time rap of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. Fourteen years on its laid-back grooves and self-deprecating humour still raise a smile. CCat Dance to the Music Sly and the Family Stone 1968 Dance to the Music was the ideal introduction to Sylvester Stewart’s rainbow coalition, a democratic calling card that gave everyone their say while stressing the primacy of the unit. But Dance to the Music mixed more than genders and races, blending rock, pop, jazz and funk with psychedelic soul, a sound that inspired much of the best music of the next half-decade. Despite Sly’s dominance, pride of place here goes to trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, who bellows the title as introductory command and later tells all the squares to go home. SY The Specials 1979 Suggesting the best refuge from rising unemployment and approaching Thatcherism was to go on the lash, Nite Klub proved the Specials were equally adept at storming Stax soul musicianship as they were at amphetamine-fuelled ska. Ever the curmudgeon, however, Terry Hall refused to join in the fun – “the girls are slags and the beer tastes just like piss”. Improbably, an even more thrilling version can be found on 1981’s live Dance Craze LP. CCat You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) Sylvester 1978 Formerly a member of ramshackle, San Fransisco-based transvestite performance troupe the Cockettes (who at one time also counted Divine among their number), sizeable singer Sylvester had already released some great soul, funk and rock records by 1978, but success eluded him until he upped the tempo considerably and focused on disco. Speedy yet subtle, his biggest hit served as a template for the hi-NRG disco sound and was memorably performed, in part, at half-speed during live shows by Syl and formidable backing singers Two Tons of Fun. MR The Smiths 1985 In retrospect, the Smiths’ sixth single seems an unlikely party record. Johnny Marr’s keening guitar paired with Morrissey’s despondent vocal are anything but upbeat. But mid-80s indie clubs were about who was the most misunderstood, not having fun. The lines, “There’s a club if you’d like to go/ You could meet somebody who really loves you/ So you go and you stand on your own/ And you leave on your own/ And you cry and you want to die”, captured the mood perfectly. Remember, this was before ecstasy. CC Memorabilia Soft Cell 1982 In 1982, following the success of their synth-pop cover of Tainted Love by Gloria Jones, Soft Cell travelled to New York, where they met Cindy Ecstasy, a face on the city’s club scene who introduced them to the drug of the same name. The lads from Leeds were smitten and recorded the mini-album Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing under its influence. The driving bassline and nagging synth buzz on opening track Memorabilia anticipated house music four years later. If only they hadn’t let Cindy rap. CC Sparks 1979 After expressing admiration for disco producer Giorgio Moroder’s innovative work on Donna Summer’s I Feel Love, oddball brothers Ron and Russell Mael were teamed up with him for their revitalising No 1 In Heaven album, which produced this gameshow-inspired hit single. “Too bad there ain’t 10 of you, then I’d show you what I’d do,” mocks Russell over a metronomic, hi-NRG-edged disco rhythm that still sounds fresh, and for Sparks, unusually accessible. MR I’m a Man The Spencer Davis Group 1967 The final single for the Spencer Davis Group prior to brothers Muff and Steve Winwood, the latter the group’s singer and chief songwriter, leaving the band. An uncompromisingly tough and fast-paced beat number, its percussion builds intensely before the stirring Hammond organ line crashes in. It was famously given a proto-heavy metal workout by Chicago on their debut album. MR Sueño Latino 1989 Manuel Göttsching’s 1984 album E2-E4 repeated one bubbling synth riff for 59 minutes. Far from being boring, it was an ambient masterpiece. It became a Balearic favourite thanks to DJ Alfredo (him again). Then, in 1989, Italian DJ collective Sueño Latino lifted the track’s hypnotic hook and added a house beat and some breathy vocals from Carolina Damas. Thus the Balearic sound went global. Ex-ravers of a certain age still get watery eyed when they hear the opening bird call. CC Saturday Nite Special The Sundown Playboys 1972 Released on the Beatles’ Apple label, this manic slice of Cajun zydeco is performed by an outfit who’ve been making manic party music since 1945, singing in the archaic dialect known as Acadian French. The eerily androgynous, high-pitched yodelling vocals on this track – belted out at top volume to make themselves heard above the sound of the accordion and fiddle – have been cited by Morrissey as a key influence. JL Wipe Out The Surfaris 1962 One of those happy pop accidents, whereby Surfaris members Bob Berryhill, Pat Connolly, Ron Wilson and Jim Fuller hastily threw together a tune intended as a B-side and ended up with one of rock’s most enduring classics. A punk-tempo surf-guitar instrumental illuminated by Wilson’s high-speed drum tattoo, it introduced itself with the sound of a surfboard breaking and a manic male voice giggling excitedly and girlishly announcing the title. Said voice belonged to Surfaris’ manager Dale Smallen. GM The Sugarhill Gang 1979 Having a DJing nightmare? Dead dancefloor and you need a pee and a fag? Cue up the full, 14-minute version of the first hip-hop hit single and leave the party to take care of itself. Based on the backing track of Good Times by Chic and rapped by three dodgy MCs borrowing heavily from the early Bronx rhymes of street-party pioneers such as the Cold Crush Brothers, Rapper’s Delight is still the best party rap tune of all time. GM Do What You Wanna Do T-Connection 1977 Nassau’s greatest export – alongside Beginning of the End – produced one of disco’s great feel-good records. The vocal, squeezed into the first third of the song, is over before the main course arrives in the form of a series of stupendous breaks accompanied by keyboards slaloming off-piste, punctuated by a joyous “woo” or two before the mayhem resumes. Woo! BB West Street Mob 1983 Although Break Dance – Electric Boogie wasn’t the first old-school hip-hop record to dismember the Incredible Bongo Band’s take on Apache, it’s the most cherished for the way it blends the original’s crucial elements (bongo intro and brass fanfare) with the emerging electro. This amounted to little more than a vocoder delivering instruction in the way of the breakdance. But repeating “spin on your back, spin on your knees” in a robot’s voice was as much a part of the B-boy era as visits to the chiropractor. SY My Generation The Who 1965 In four chords and three minutes, My Generation neatly encapsulates the attitude of every teenage wave of the past 40 years. It transcends its own modish origins by being completely non-specific to any particular time, place or youth movement; punks, indie kids and emos can all revel in its two-fingered sentiment. A prime example of a song that, once released, no longer belongs to the band, but to The Kids. JP Last Night Changed It All Esther Williams 1976 It’s no fun being dumped, but you get over it eventually. This song by little-known 70s soul/disco singer Esther Williams is about the precise moment you realise it’s all going to be OK. Lush strings glide over a drum break that’s been sampled by Public Enemy, Eric B and Rakim and De La Soul, while Williams sings the chorus, “Last night changed it all/ I really had a ball,” like she’s gone straight from the club to the studio following her epiphany. CC (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher Jackie Wilson 1967 Originally unable to nail the vocal track, Wilson was instructed by producer Carl Davis to “jump and go along with the percussion”. It worked a treat. In perhaps the most joyous two and a half minutes ever committed to tape, Wilson – backed by members of the Funk Brothers – builds Higher and Higher up into a crescendo of gospel-inspired ecstasy, capturing the optimism and seemingly endless possibilities of new-found love. CCat Turn Off the Lights Larry Young 1975 Originally released in 1975, Larry Young’s tune became an unlikely warehouse anthem during the rare groove era. Propelled by a growling bassline, Linda Logan’s maniacal vocal and what sounded like a toddler tap-dancing on a Stylophone (Young was the keyboard player), Turn Off the Lights was that rare beast: a jazz-fusion tune you could actually dance to. BB	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_39	Girl Bands of the 80’s \| Totally Tubular 80's Girl Bands of the 80’s 25 Apr Prior to the 80’s there was plenty of female solo artists but only a few All Girl Groups that had hit songs, most of these were part of RnB sound of Motown featuring African-American women. Not until the “Runaways” of the late 70’s did an all girl band write, sing and play their own music make it to the top of the charts. The decades to follow made the “Girl Bands” a commodity but in the 80’s it was still rare for all female groups to have any commercial success. The Spice Girls, En Vogue, All Saints, Pussy Cat Dolls, Girlicious, Dixie Chicks, Be Good Tanyas, Destiny’s Child, Girls Aloud and Bikini Kill all owe some respect to their sisters from the 80’s. Bananarama The British trio consisting of life long childhood friends Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward met up with Sara D while studying fashion journalism together in 1979; recorded their first hit “Cruel Summer” on their 2nd album featured in the Karate Kid soundtrack in 1983. The bands original image British Tomboy Punk later gave way to a more sexually aggressive and slick image in 1986 for the hit song and video “Venus” as the music became more dance oriented. The girls biggest hit “I Heard A Rumour” 1987 was a full-blown glam dance video straight from Madonna with wardrobe and boy toy background dancers to match. Banarama appeared in the original Band Aid video “Do They Know Its Christmas” and Band Aid II in 1989. They continue today as a duo. Bangels Sisters, Debbie and Vicki Peterson were joined by Susanna Hoffs and Annette Zilinskas formed in Los Angeles in 1981 as “The Bangs” changing the name to “ The Bangles ” due to a legal issue. Zilinskas was replaced in 83 with Michael Steele from the “Runaways” The Bangels had numerous hits with the quirky “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Going Down to Liverpool” as it featured Leonard Nimoy in the video. Manic Monday written by Prince was their 2nd best-selling single after “Eternal Flame”. Go Go’s The Go Go’s had a classic 80’s new wave pop sound that made music history as the first all women band to both write their own music and play instruments to a billboard #1 song. Fronted by Belinda Carlisle with Jane Wiedlin , Kathy Valentine , Gina Schock and Charlotte Caffey this early 80’s band had many hits that preceded the music video. The debut album “ Beauty and The Beat ” 1981 went double platinum selling more than 3 million copies. The band split in 1985 due to personality conflicts and creative differences but in reality it was due to the ongoing drug addiction of some of the band members mainly Belinda Carlisle that would not be openly discussed until 20 years later. All members of the group went on to successful solo careers and write for todays popular stars; Charlotte Caffey penned hits for Keith Urban and Gina Schock for Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez. There have been many reunion tours over the years including a new one in 2011. Vanity 6 Susan, Vanity and Brenda. Vanity 6 The purple great one “Prince” said he created this trio in his own musical image as female. Denise Matthews, Susan Moonsie , and Brenda Bennett survived for only one album. Along the way Mathews a Canadian B movie actress took the stage name Vanity and Prince tarted the group up to perform in high heels and lingerie; lyrics of songs matched their appearance. Their second single release “Nasty Girl” was featured in “Beverly Hills Cop” and hollywood teen sex romp “Private School” 1983. Vanity and Prince appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in the same year. Vanity who was dating Prince at the time was staring opposite him in the film “Purple Rain” abruptly quit and ended the relationship when offered a solo record deal. Apollonia took over lead duties of the band and in the movie. The band was renamed Apollonia 6. The six is rumoured to be used as it represented the number of breasts in the band. Salt-n-Pepa 1985 saw the first all female rap group form and make hit records for the next 15 years. Cheryl James (“Salt”, now Cheryl Wray), Sandra Denton (“Pepa”), and Deidra “Dee Dee” Roper (Spinderella) were overtly sexual and controversial in their songs, ushering in a new era and genre of music for women. Salt n Pepa continue on today celebrating their 25th anniversary on Oprah. Expose Initially formed in Miami (1984) Expose released a 12 inch single to take advantage of the new radio format of House/Club/Dance mixes for major urban markets that evolved into “Freestyle”. The group was reformed in 86 with an entire new lineup of women Jeanette Jurado , Gioia Bruno and Ann Curless and signals the first commercial packaging of an all Female Group as they were selected by Miami Disc Jockey and Producer Lewis Martineé along with his partners at Pantera Productions. The group was the first to hold the record of 4 top 10 billboard hits from a debut album. They disbanded in 1995 after only 3 albums but with sales of 25 million records. Pointer Sisters Once again a Sister Act makes it big in the 80’s. The Pointers, Ruth, Anita, June and Bonnie began as a quartet in 1973 reaching commercial success in the 80’s as a trio recording 10 top 10 hits between 1979 and 1985; Bonnie left to pursue a solo career. With the advent of MTV the sisters were put into heavy video rotation with now classics “Im so Excited” “Jump” and “Neutron Dance” which was featured in Eddie Murphy’s movie hit “Beverley Hills Cop” Seduction Another very late 80’s girl group in the freestyle genre assembled as a studio project by Robert Clivillés and David Cole (C+C Fun Factory) for the dance club scene, had an unexpected hit and thus the group was put together with April Harris , Michelle Visage , and Idalis DeLeon . Sweet Sensation Sisters Margie and Mari Fernandez joined with Betty LeBron to form this all female Puerto Rican Freestyle Dance music group based out of New York in 1986. Mari was replace in 1989 with Sheila Vega and in 91 Margie & Sheila were replaced by 3 new members, Belle, Maya, & Jenae, making them a quartet. By 1992 the group disappeared. Their debut album Take It While It’s Hot 1989 spawned 5 hit singles Cover Girls Another New York based Freestyle Dance music trio formed by music promoter and dance club owner Sal Abbatiell that went through 8 performers from 87-96. ” Show Me” the debut album, 1987 released 5 singles, 2 became top 100 hits “Because of You” and “Promise Me” a 12 inch single named after the album. Klymaxx Started in 1981 this funk dance oriented group had a few hits that broke the top 100 on the charts, doing a bit better on the RnB charts. 1984 – 1987 saw the most activity with 3 albums and nine singles. By the end of the decade the group of six was a trio. Company B Company as a Trio And yet another Freestyle group from the late 80’s from the producer driven trend of all girl dance groups. Company B had a #1 hit on the Dance charts that crossed over to the pop chart making it to #21. They were able to hold it together long enough to record 4 albums with 6 singles released and 8 girls rotating through the band. They were known for platinum wigs. Vixen Formed in 1980, spending most of the decade as an opening act for Ozzy, Scorpion and Bon Jovi they got their shot when EMI signed them to a record deal in 1988 to get a piece of the pie from the growing commercial success of other all girl groups. Their self titled album was followed by one other in 1990. “Edge of a Broken Heart” is there only hit. What makes the band unique was Glam and Hard Rock has had only a handful of female bands over the past 30 years. Mary Jane Girls The protogees of “ Rick James ” this funk, disco and RnB group were to take on Prince and Vanity 6. They stuck around just long enough to record two albums that went gold in 83 and 85 with 8 songs that cracked the top 100 chart in either the dance or RnB list. “In My House” made it to #7 in the US and #1 on the dance chart.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_40	Dirty Dancing (1987) - Quotes - IMDb Dirty Dancing (1987) Quotes Showing all 45 items Baby : Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you. Baby : I carried a watermelon. [Johnny walks away] Share this: Facebook \| Twitter \| Permalink Hide options Johnny : Sorry for the interruption, folks, but I always do the last dance of the season. This year somebody told me not to. So I'm gonna do my kind of dancin' with a great partner, who's not only a terrific dancer, but somebody... who's taught me... that there are people willing to stand up for other people no matter what it costs them. Somebody who's taught me about the kind of person I wanna be. Miss Frances Houseman. Baby : [finding out the Schumacher's were guilty of stealing the wallets] So then - so then it's all right! I knew it would work out. I knew they'd have to apologize... Johnny : [shrugs her off] I'm out, Baby. Baby : [pause] They fired you anyway because of me. Johnny : [sarcastically] And if I leave quietly, I'll get my summer bonus. Baby : So I did it for nothing. I hurt my family, you lost your job anyway, I did it for nothing! Johnny : No, no, not for nothin', Baby! Nobody has ever done anything like that for me before. Baby : You were right, Johnny. You can't win no matter what you do! Johnny : You listen to me. I don't wanna hear that from you. You can! Baby : [pause] I used to think so. Robbie Gould : [sees Baby comforting Johnny] Well, it looks like I picked the wrong sister. That's okay, Baby, I went slummin' too. [Johnny jumps off the porch and starts beating him up] Share this: Facebook \| Twitter \| Permalink Hide options Baby : Oh, yes, as a matter of fact it is. We're supposed to do the show in two days, you won't show me the lifts, I'm not sure of the turns, I'm doing all this to save your ass, what I really want to do is drop you on it! Johnny : I'll never be sorry. Baby : Neither will I. Baby : Have you had many women? Johnny : Baby, come on. Baby : Tell me. I wanna know. Johnny : No, no. Look, you've gotta understand what it's like, Baby. You come from the streets and suddenly you're up here, and these women, they are throwing themselves at ya, and they smell so good, and they really take care of themselves. I mean, I never knew women could be like that, you know? And they're so rich, they're so goddam rich, you think they must know about everything. And they're slipping their room keys in my hands, two and three times day, different women. So, here I think I'm scoring big, right? And for a while, you think, hey, they wouldn't be doing this if they didn't care about me, right? Baby : That-that's alright, I understand. You were just using them, that's all. Johnny : No, no that's not it. That's the thing, Baby, see it wasn't like that. They were using me. Jake Houseman : When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong. [to Baby] Share this: Facebook \| Twitter \| Permalink Hide options Jake Houseman : Don't you tell me what to see! I see someone in front of me who got his partner in trouble and sent her off to some butcher, while he moved on to an innocent young girl like my daughter! [silence] Johnny : [talking about Neil] That little wimp. He wouldn't know a new idea if it hit him in the Pachenga. He wanted some new ideas? I could've told him some new ideas! Baby : Well, why did you let him talk to you that way? Johnny : What do you mean, and fight the bossman? Baby : Yeah, tell him your ideas! He's a person like everyone else. I'm sure he'll think they're great. Johnny : Look, I know these people, Baby. They're all rich and they're mean. They won't listen to me. Baby : Well, then why not fight harder? Make them listen? Johnny : Because, I need this goddamn job lined up for next summer! [chuckles scornfully] Johnny : My dad calls me today, he says - with good news - you know, he says, "Uncle Paul can finally get you in the union." Baby : Oh, what-what union? Johnny : The House Painters and Plasterers, local number 179, at your service. [Baby's father, sister, and Robbie come out of the house next to the trail; Baby pulls Johnny down so they won't see them together] Lisa Houseman : I've been thinking a lot about the Domino Theory. Now, when Vietnam falls, is China next? [the trio passes] Baby : I don't think they saw us. Johnny : [getting up] Fight harder, huh? I don't see you fighting so hard, Baby. I don't see you running up to daddy telling him I'm your guy. Baby : I will. With my father, it's complicated. I will tell him, I... Johnny : I don't believe you, Baby! I don't think that you ever had any intention of telling him. Ever. [stalks off] Share this: Facebook \| Twitter \| Permalink Hide options [first lines] Radio disc jockey : [on radio] Hi, everybody, this is your Cousin Brucie. Whoa! Our summer romances are in full bloom, and everybody, but everybody's in love. So cousins, here's a great song from The Four Seasons. Baby : [voiceover] That was the summer of 1963 - when everybody called me Baby, and it didn't occur to me to mind. That was before President Kennedy was shot, before the Beatles came, when I couldn't wait to join the Peace Corps, and I thought I'd never find a guy as great as my dad. That was the summer we went to Kellerman's. Robbie Gould : I didn't blow a summer hauling toasted bagels just to bail out some little chick who probably balled every guy in the place. [Baby is pouring water into glasses for him] Robbie Gould : A little precision please, Baby. Some people count and some people don't. [brings out a copy of The Fountainhead from his pocket] Robbie Gould : Read it. I think it's a book you'll enjoy, but make sure you return it; I have notes in the margin. Baby : You make me sick. Stay away from me, stay away from my sister or I'll have you fired. [Baby pours the jug of water on his crotch]	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_276_44	Record-Breakers and Trivia - everyHit.com Back To The 'Records & Trivia' Index Best-Selling Artist Cliff Richard has sold more singles than any other artist (21.0 million). The Beatles are the top group (20.8 million). Top female artist is Madonna (15.2 million). Only five other acts have sold more than 10 million singles. They are Elvis Presley (20.0 million), Elton John (13.8 million), Michael Jackson (11.5 million), Queen (10.4 million) and Abba (10 million). Best-selling all female group is The Spice Girls (7.5 million). Most Top 40 Hits Cliff Richard has been credited on 124 Top 40 hits (up to, and including, "Singing The Blues"; Sep 2009). This excludes re-entries too! The record for most Top 40 hits by a female is held by Madonna with 66 (the most recent being "Celebration"; Sep 2009). Diana Ross trails with 57 (as of Dec 2005; Madonna caught up with Diana in July 2003 and overtook her in Nov 2003). In addition, Diana Ross has nine uncredited Top 40 hits with the Supremes and Madonna has one with Nick Kamen. The Shadows (often paired with Cliff) are the leading group with 56 (62 when their 6 hits as The Drifters are included.) Status Quo are the group in second place with 55 Top 40 hits (as of Nov 2005). Most Weeks Spent on The Top 40 1060 by Elvis Presley (last there w/e 15th Dec 2007 with the re-issue of "Burning Love") Top female artist is Madonna with 510 weeks (last there with "Celebration" : w/e 3rd Oct 2009) (and another 9 uncredited weeks on the Nick Kamen's 1986 hit "Each Time You Break My Heart") The Shadows are the leading group with 587 weeks inside the Top 40 (including hits with Cliff Richard). Longest Span of Hits Overall, the most durable artist is Elvis Presley on 51 years, 7 months 6 days [2692 weeks] ("Heartbreak Hotel", w/e 12th May 1956 to the re-issue of "Burning Love" w/e 15th Dec 2007). Cliff Richard trails very narrowly behind (and stands a very good chance of overtaking this record). From "Move It" (w/e 12th Sep 1958") to "Singing The Blues" (w/e 26th Sep 2009) is a stretch of 51 years, 0 months and 14 days [2663 weeks]. From her first hit ("Banana Boat Song", w/e 15th Feb 1957) to her latest ("The Living Tree", w/e 5th May 2007), Shirley Bassey's chart career has spanned 50 years, 2 months and 18 days [2620 weeks]. She, became the first artist to have a career of hits spanning more than 50 years and has the longest span of (a) original hits (ie. not re-releases) and (b) hits whilst still alive. The record for longest span of hits by a group is for The Shadows from "Travellin' Light" (9th Oct 1959) to "Singin The Blues" (26th Sep 2009); a period of 49 years, 11 months and 17 days [2607 weeks]. This is all the more impressive if the date of their first hit together ("Move It", 12 Sep 1958) is used, although they were, at the time, known as The Drifters. This gives the aforementioned stretch of 51 years, 0 months and 14 days [2663 weeks] (as Cliff's backing group). By making the Top 40 in Sep 2009, The Drifters broke a long-standing record which had been held by Perez 'Prez' Prado & His Orchestra (40 years, 3 months 12 days) [2103 weeks] (from "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" in Mar 1955 to the departure of "Guaglione" in July 1995). Longest Continuous Run in The Top 40 by an Artist 135 weeks by Elvis Presley. From July 1960 ("A Mess Of Blues") until Feb 1963 (when "Return To Sender" left the chart) - a total of 12 hits. Most Top 40 Hits in One Year 19 - by Michael Jackson (as of w/e 8th July 2006). These were part of a commemorative sequence of releases. Furthermore, two other singles of 2006 sampled him: "Say Say Say" by Hi-Tack and "Somebody's Watching Me" by Beatfreakz (which sampled Jackson's vocal contribution to Rockwell's 1984 hit of the same title). The record for most new Top 40 hits in one year is 12; held jointly by Elvis Presley (in 1957) and The Wedding Present (1992). Most Simultaneous Top 40 Hits 13 - by Michael Jackson. The week after he died (the chart w/e 11th July 2009), he held positions 2, 10, 12, 13, 19, 25, 26, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38, 40 with "Man In The Mirror", "Billie Jean", "Thriller", "Smooth Criminal", "Beat It", "Black Or White", "Dirty Diana", "They Don't Care About Us", "Earth Song", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "You Are Not Alone", "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough", "Bad". Prior to this, the record had been 7 simultaneous Top 40 hits... by Elvis Presley (on two occasions in Nov 1957). This feat is still worthy of note as (a) he was still alive and (b) only a Top 30 listing was produced at that time. On week ending 2nd Nov 1957, Elvis held positions no. 4, 12, 16, 20, 21, 24, 26 with "Party", "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "All Shook Up", "Trying To Get To You"), "Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do", "Loving You", and "Paralysed." The folowing week he held positions 2, 15, 17, 20, 23, 25, 30 with "Party", "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do", "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Trying To Get To You", "All Shook Up", "Loving You", and "Paralysed." Most Top 10 Hits Elvis Presley has had most Top 10 hits (76 as of May 2005). Cliff Richard follows with 67 (most recent in Sep 2008). Madonna overtook Paul McCartney in Nov 2005, and has now attained 60 hits (including those with Britney Spears / Justin Timberlake) (as of Oct 2009); the most by any female artist. McCartney has had 53 (28 with the Beatles, 14 solo, 10 with Wings, 1 with Ferry Aid). No other artists have had 50 or more Top 10 hits. Most Consecutive Top 10 Hits Here, an artist must reach the Top 10 with every consecutive release. Re-entries are ignored; they can neither add to the tally nor be responsible for breaking a 'run'. Madonna holds this record with 34 (from "Like A Virgin" in 1984 to "Secret" in 1994. The run was broken by "Take A Bow" which peaked at no. 16). Top male artist is Cliff Richard with 23 (from "A Voice In The Wilderness" in 1960 to "The Minute You're Gone" in 1965. Run broken by "On My Word" which peaked at no. 12). Two groups fare well in this respect; Westlife have 23 consecutive Top 10 hits Westlife (from "Swear It Again" in 1999 to "Us Against The World" in Mar 2008) and Oasis have the same total (from "Live Forever" in 1994 to "The Shock Of The Lightning" in 2008). However, the latter's run is over as "I'm Outta Time" stalled at number 12. There is was an argument (from Beatles and Abba fans) that Oasis' run is broken after the fifth Top 10 hit ("Roll With It") by "Wibbling Rivalry: A Lot Of Swearing And Cussing / Even More Swearing And Cussing" - the release, by Creation Records, of an argument between the Gallagher brothers after a Radio One interview. It peaked at no. 52 in Nov 1995. But, for contractual reasons Creation released this under the name "Oass" (omitting the "i"), unintentionally protecting Oasis' unbroken chart run! Furthermore, a technical issue (related to the maximum number of formats of a release) led to a 12" single version of "Some Might Say" peaking separately at no. 71 a week after the main single topped the chart. Common consensus is that this should not be deemed to break the run of hits. The Beatles and Abba each have 18 consecutive Top 10 hits. (Beatles from "A Hard Day's Night" 1964 to "Yesterday" in 1976, broken by "Back In The USSR" which stalled at no. 19. Abba from "S.O.S." in 1975 to "One Of Us" in 1981, broken by "Head Over Heels" which peaked at no. 25). Top all-girl group is Girls Aloud with 20 consecutive Top 10 hits (from "Sound Of The Underground" in 2002 to "The Loving Kind" in Jan 2009). Both Westlife and Girls Aloud have, in fact, had tracks peak outside the Top 40 which, were we to include them, would break their consecutive Top 10 runs. But the tracks responsible for this were never declared as singles, merely album tracks which charted due to the popularity of their individual downloads. Most Simultaneous Top 10 Hits 4 - by Frankie Laine. For three weeks in 1953 (31st Oct - 14th Nov) Frankie had four singles in the Top 10. They were "Hey Joe", "Answer Me", "Where The Winds Blow", and "I Believe." Most Hits Without Making The Top 10 Two artists have had 19 Top 40 hits without managing to reach the Top 10. AC/DC's nearest miss was in 1988 when "Heatseeker" made no. 12. The Super Furry Animal's best effort was "Northern Lites"; no. 11 in 1999 (as of Sep 2005). Least successful Top 40 Acts Of course, thousands of artists never make the Top 40 at all. Any entry into the chart is an achievement. But the least successful chart acts will be those who have spent a sole week at Number 40... and nothing else... ever! They are listed below. Artists marked have experienced success outside the Top 40 with another title. Artists which are greyed out have had more success with another single but they share the credit with a 'least successful' artist. Year	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_0	Stagecoach (1939) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo and learn something about each other in the process. Director: Ernest Haycox (original story), Dudley Nichols (screen play) Stars: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence. Watch the video Related News a list of 46 titles created 03 Mar 2014 a list of 26 titles created 28 May 2015 a list of 39 titles created 11 months ago a list of 26 titles created 10 months ago a list of 40 titles created 8 months ago Search for " Stagecoach " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations. See more awards » Videos A Civil War veteran embarks on a journey to rescue his niece from an Indian tribe. Director: John Ford A senator, who became famous for killing a notorious outlaw, returns for the funeral of an old friend and tells the truth about his deed. Director: John Ford Dunson leads a cattle drive, the culmination of over 14 years of work, to its destination in Missouri. But his tyrannical behavior along the way causes a mutiny, led by his adopted son. Directors: Howard Hawks, Arthur Rosson Stars: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Joanne Dru A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a cripple, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy. Director: Howard Hawks At Fort Apache, an honorable and veteran war captain finds conflict when his regime is placed under the command of a young, glory hungry lieutenant colonel with no respect for the local Indian tribe. Director: John Ford A Western retelling the tale of the Shoot-out at the OK Corral. Director: John Ford Captain Nathan Brittles, on the eve of retirement, takes out a last patrol to stop an impending massive Indian attack. Encumbered by women who must be evacuated, Brittles finds his mission imperiled. Director: John Ford A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smoldering settler/rancher conflict forces him to act. Director: George Stevens A cavalry officer posted on the Rio Grande must deal with murderous raiding Apaches, his son who's a risk-taking recruit and his wife from whom he has been separated for many years. Director: John Ford A retired American boxer returns to the village of his birth in Ireland, where he finds love. Director: John Ford A marshall, personally compelled to face a returning deadly enemy, finds that his own town refuses to help him. Director: Fred Zinnemann An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them. Director: Sam Peckinpah Edit Storyline A simple stagecoach trip is complicated by the fact that Geronimo is on the warpath in the area. The passengers on the coach include a drunken doctor, two women, a bank manager who has taken off with his client's money, and the famous Ringo Kid, among others. Written by Andrew Hyatt <[email protected]> See All (71) » Taglines: Danger holds the reins as the devil cracks the whip ! Desperate men ! Frontier women ! Rising above their pasts in a West corrupted by violence and gun-fire ! See more » Genres: 3 March 1939 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Höllenfahrt nach Santa Fé See more » Filming Locations: Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording) Color: Did You Know? Trivia John Ford loved the Monument Valley location so much that the actual stagecoach journey traverses the valley three times. See more » Goofs In one scene the stagecoach is seen moving far away from "The Mittens", and in the very next scene it is crossing in front of "The Mittens". See more » Quotes [first lines] Cavalry scout : These hills here are full of Apaches. They've burnt every ranch building in sight. [referring to Indian scout] Cavalry scout : He had a brush with them last night. Says they're being stirred up by Geronimo. Capt. Sickel : Geronimo? How do we know he isn't lying? Cavalry scout : No, he's a Cheyenne. They hate Apaches worse than we do. (Brea, Ca. USA) – See all my reviews Stagecoach is not your normal, run of the mill, western. It will have you on the edge of your seat as passengers make their way through some dangerous Indian country. By the time the film ends, you will know all of the characters very well and ,for the most part,care whether they live or die.John Ford's excellent directing, great performances from John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Andy Devine and, especially, Thomas Mitchell who won an Acadamy Award for his portrayal of a drunken doctor aboard the stage. Add a great score, super stunt work, and filming done at Monument Valley (Arizona /Utah border) and you have a complete motion picture. I highly recommend "Stagecoach". 31 of 42 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_1	Westerns Films Westerns Films Part 1 \| Part 2 \| Part 3 \| Part 4 \| Part 5 \| Examples More Early Westerns Stars: Early westerns provided theater owners with second features and steady work for a countless stable of actors. During the earliest, pre-sound period of the westerns (the teens and the 20s) and into the 30s, the elderly William S. Hart was soon replaced by other more glamorous, swaggering, and action-oriented western stars of the primitive B-films: Gilbert M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson (1881-1971) - the genre's first western film hero and star, who made about 400 "Broncho Billy" westerns, beginning with Broncho Billy and the Baby (1910); his last silent western role was in The Son of a Gun (1919) Tom Mix (1880-1940) (a prototypical western action hero with a wholesome screen persona, fancy cowboy outfits, and his horse Tony the Wonder Horse, a prominent star for Fox films), he often produced and directed his own films. He was known as the first western superstar, and first appeared as Bronco Buster in Selig Polyscope's Ranch Life in the Great Southwest (1910), and then in many others (for Selig and later for Fox), including The Man From Texas (1915) and The Heart of Texas Ryan (1916), and later in such expensive features as Fox's Riders of the Purple Sage (1925) (from Zane Grey's 1912 melodrama of the same name) and The Great K & A Train Robbery (1926). Mix was an accomplished rodeo horseman/cowboy who performed most of his own stunts Harry Carey, often featured as the frontiersman character Cheyenne Harry (Carey was the lead in twenty-four John Ford silents); toward the end of his film career, he played the lead in William Christy Cabanne's The Last Outlaw (1936), based on an original story by John Ford (who directed a silent version in 1919) Hoot Gibson, who usually performed supporting roles in the Ford-Carey western films at Universal, and became a major star in the 1920s Buck Jones ("The Red Rider") Bob Steele ("Two Fisted Hero of the West") Tim McCoy Charles Starrett Johnny Mack Brown Westerns were among the slowest of the film genres to mature although with the coming of sound, they achieved fuller development. From the early 1920s, many westerns were unsophisticated, inexpensively-made, low quality, action-packed B-pictures from Poverty Row studios (predominantly Republic Studios), filled with familiar stock footage, often the bottom half of a double bill in feature-length and Saturday-matinee serial formats, although some of the early 40's westerns were A-budget films regarding social issues (e.g., The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) ). The first feature-length color western was the Zane Grey horse opera from Famous Players-Lasky, Wanderer of the Wasteland (1924). The Silent Western Epic: Notably, the first big-scale epic film of the silent era was also a western, James Cruze's landmark and highly successful The Covered Wagon (1923), an expensive effort which cost $800,000 yet brought $4 million at the box-office. This feature-length western from Paramount was the historical drama of a wagon train in the mid-1800s moving westward, encountering harsh environmental and weather conditions (a river crossing and prairie fire), and of course, hostile Indians. Hollywood was encouraged to produce many more westerns in subsequent years. Its success led to another silent western tale of the building of the American empire by the construction of the Union and Central Pacific RRs - famed western director John Ford's silent railroad classic epic The Iron Horse (1924) for Fox films - his 50th film. Many of the genre's greatest directors, such as John Ford, developed their craft and scored their first hits with Westerns. The Iron Horse was shot almost entirely on location in the Nevada desert, and used real-life, original props (such as Wild Bill Hickok's vest-pocket Colt Deringer revolver). One of Paramount's last silent westerns was director Victor Schertzinger's tale of culture clash titled Redskin (1929) - a good-intentioned follow-up to the earlier epic western, director George Seitz' Zane Grey tale The Vanishing American (1925). It was partially shot in two-strip Technicolor, with white actor Richard Dix again in the role of college-educated Navajo Indian Wing Foot. Although the casting was such, it was the last Hollywood feature for two decades to take a sympathetic look into Native American culture. After another of Ford's silent epics, Three Bad Men (1926), it would be another thirteen years before Ford's next western classic, Stagecoach (1939) . Accolades for Early Westerns: Warner Baxter won a Best Actor Academy Award as the Cisco Kid ("the Robin Hood of the Old West") in Fox-Movietone's In Old Arizona (1928/9), noted as the first sound Western produced by a major studio. [This was the film during which co-director Raoul Walsh lost an eye.] The Best Picture Academy Award winner in the 1930/31 ceremony was RKO's and Wesley Ruggles' Cimarron (1931), an epic tale based on Edna Ferber's tale of the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889, with a young Irene Dunne and Richard Dix. The big-budget, somewhat dated film opened with a spectacular Oklahoma run sequence, requiring thousands of extras, herds of livestock, and dozens of cameramen for its success. [For many years, it was the only western ever to win the Best Picture honor - until two 90s winners: Dances with Wolves (1990) and Unforgiven (1992) .] B-Movie Westerns: Beginning in the 1930s (and lasting until the late 1940s), inexpensive, formulaic B-westerns were churned out each year by the hundreds from the lesser studios (Columbia, Universal, and Republic) -- mostly for kiddie audiences at matinees. Some were multiple-chapter serials with cliffhangers or series Westerns (a succession of films with familiar characters). Others were "horse operas" - westerns with crooning added. They were mostly popularized by Gene Autry and Roy Rogers (with wife/heroine Dale Evans). 30's Low-Budget 'Singing' Cowboy Films with Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, and More: During this time period, shorter, light-hearted, low-budget, non-violent B-Westerns, called singing cowboy films, highlighted the musical and singing talents of its stars in addition to gunslinging. The first musical western that introduced the singing cowboy to the screen was Montana Moon (1930), with an early role for young starlet Joan Crawford. "King of the Cowboys" Gene Autry soon became the top moneymaker of the singing cowboy stars of the mid-to-late 1930s and early 1940s, after pioneering the Singing Cowboy movie formula with the newly-formed Republic Pictures. His debut was in the popular film In Old Santa Fe (1934), and his first starring western was Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935). Autry also headlined - in his first starring role - in Mascot's influential science fiction/western 12-episode serial The Phantom Empire (1935) (aka Radio Ranch). Other singing stars, including Tex Ritter, Bob Baker, Dick Foran, Jimmy Wakely, "Smiley" Burnette, Eddie Dean, Rex Allen, black singing cowboy Herb Jeffries, and Bing Crosby, often played themselves and became cultural icons, in such forgettable films as: Moonlight on the Prairie (1935) and Song of the Saddle (1936) with Dick Foran Joseph Kane's Ride, Ranger, Ride (1936) with Gene Autry Song of the Gringo (1936), featuring the screen debut of Tex Ritter Rhythm of the Saddle (1938), another Gene Autry musical western The country-western singing group Sons of the Pioneers would often perform within the many films, making their film debut in Norman Taurog's Rhythm on the Range (1936) (Bing Crosby's only Western!). One of the most successful of all the singing cowboys was William 'Hopalong Cassidy' Boyd (who appeared in almost seventy films between 1935 and 1952) - he went on to a starring role in a long-running TV series. Hopalong ("Hoppy") Cassidy was always dressed in black (unlike most B-western heroes). Gene Autry's Successor: Roy Rogers Roy Rogers, previously a member of the Sons of the Pioneers (when he was named Leonard Slye) became a movie-star in the late 30s for Republic Pictures after appearing in many bit roles. He made his starring film debut in the Republic Studios' B-western Under Western Stars (1938). Singing cowboy Roy's song in the film, Dust, was nominated as Best Original Song (written by Johnny Marvin), but the Academy Award went to Thanks for the Memory in the film The Big Broadcast of 1938). Rogers succeeded Gene Autry as 'The King of the Cowboys' during the 1940s (and was often seen with his horse Trigger, sidekick Gabby Hayes, and future wife Dale Evans), performing in King of the Cowboys (1943) and in director William Witney's Home in Oklahoma (1947), one of his best films. By the late 40s and early 50s, Autry, Rogers, and Boyd had all moved to the new entertainment medium - television. 1930s Westerns Talkies and Their Stars: In 1930s and 40s westerns, many well-known acting stars got their start, and added another round of clean-cut, idolized Hollywood heroes to the mix. The frontier heroes usually represented the ideal masculine role model, never smoking, lying, drinking, swearing, having sex, or gambling. Gary Cooper starred in an early talkie - Paramount's first sound western by director Victor Fleming titled The Virginian (1929) , known for its famous western phrase: "When you call me that, smile." John Wayne gained his acting experience during the 1930s in dozens of B westerns. "John Wayne" (born as Marion Robert and later given the nickname "Duke" after the family dog, and the full name of Marion Michael Morrison) was first discovered by director John Ford when he appeared as an extra in the silent war drama Four Sons (1928). Ford recommended Wayne to Raoul Walsh, who cast the twenty-two year-old actor in his first starring role as a wagon train scout in the first sound-era epic western about an 1840s Missouri-to-Oregon wagon trail journey - The Big Trail (1930), but it was not a breakthrough film for Wayne (that wouldn't occur until his role in Ford's Stagecoach (1939) - see below). The $2 million production was filmed in both 35mm and in an early, revolutionary wide-screen 70 mm process called Grandeur, but proved to be a financial disaster at the box-office. It was a remake of the classic silent western The Covered Wagon (1923) mentioned earlier. Other stars in westerns were Wallace Beery who memorably portrayed a Mexican revolutionary in Viva Villa! (1934), Barbara Stanwyck (in her first-ever western) as the famous markswoman in George Stevens' fictionalized Annie Oakley (1935) - the director's first western, and Randolph Scott in an early large-scale version of the French and Indian War (during America's colonial period) in the film adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans (1936). Producer/director Cecil B. De Mille's stylish but historically imaginative The Plainsman (1937) starred Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane respectively, attracting a wider audience. The film impressively recreated the Battle of the Little Big Horn, shot on location in Montana with thousands of Native-Americans as extras. Two years later, DeMille filmed a spectacular version of the building of the transcontinental railroad, Union Pacific (1939). Republic's 'Three Mesquiteers' Series: 1936-1943 After obtaining the rights in 1936, Republic Studios delivered a series of Westerns adapted from William Colt MacDonald's "Three Mesquiteers" novels (specifically Law of the 45's (1935)), about a trio of wandering Western heroes. The successful series eventually lasted eight years and included 51 films. The original trio consisted of Tucson Smith (Ray 'Crash' Corrigan), Stony Brooke (Bob Livingston, later replaced for awhile by Ralph Byrd), and comic sidekick Lullaby Joslin (Sid Saylor, replaced by Max Terhune in the second film). Future western star John Wayne portrayed Stony Brooke in eight Mesquiteer features in 1938-1939. Some of the films' titles, most of which were 1-hour two-reelers, were: The Three Mesquiteers (1936) - the first in the series The Three Mesquiteers: Hit the Saddle (1937) The Three Mesquiteers: Heroes of the Saddle (1940) The Three Mesquiteers: Trail Blazers (1940) Riders of the Rio Grande (1943) - the last in the series A Classic Western: Stagecoach (1939) At the end of the 1930s, director John Ford's landmark classic Stagecoach (1939) about a stagecoach journey across Apache country marked a turning point. He had created a new kind of western film with standard B-picture action, epic scope, and the film had an intelligent emphasis on character and mood. This great mythic film transformed the western into A-film status. It was also Ford's first sound western. It was his first western since his silent western Three Bad Men (1926), since Ford had avoided the genre for over a decade. The film was written by Dudley Nichols, from the story The Stage to Lordsburg by Ernest Haycox. With B-western stalwart John Wayne as Ringo Kid, a vengeful but noble gunslinger, Ford helped to make him a full-fledged charismatic, western star. John Wayne was the only truly iconic western figure to emerge from the simplistic western plots of the era. [Wayne also appeared in another historical western adventure in the same year called Allegheny Uprising (1939), and in a few Mesquiteer films (see above).] Stagecoach had a formative and regenerative influence on all future westerns, raising the stature of 30's B-Westerns for years to come by concentrating on the film's characters. It was skillfully composed of traditional action/chase sequences, the introduction of the beautiful, sweeping expanses of Monument Valley, and polarized, intelligent dialogue among clashing characters and personalities (a Grand Hotel-like assemblage including a sheriff and cowardly driver, with their passengers: a drunken doctor (a Best Supporting Actor Oscar-winning role for Thomas Mitchell), a whiskey drummer, an unscrupulous bank executive, a prostitute with a heart of gold, a pregnant, Eastern-bred lady and a genteel gambler). Its-crisply edited Indian chase sequence across salt flats was thrillingly-made, and it had a decisive quote to end it: "Saved from the blessings of civilization". It was the first of seven films he made in the famed western Monument Valley. Westerns in the Early 1940s: The 1940s and 50s were to soon become the heyday of the classic film western - and director John Ford was considered the major craftsman of the western genre during the sound era. However, there were others that also contributed to the genre's success. King Vidor's great historical-adventure saga of colonial America, Northwest Passage (1940) starred Spencer Tracy as the leader of Roger's Rangers, battling Indians for territory - an anti-Native American picture. The first Western shot in color in Monument Valley was David Miller's Billy the Kid (1941). Swashbuckler star Errol Flynn starred in three Michael Curtiz-directed, big-scale adventure westerns of the late 30s and early 40s for Warner Bros., displaying his athleticism and romantic appeal as a post-Civil War Texas cattleman in Dodge City (1939) with one of the best bar-room brawls ever filmed, and as an ex-Union officer in Virginia City (1940). In his third western, Flynn starred as cavalry officer Jeb Stuart chasing abolitionist John Brown (Raymond Massey) in Santa Fe Trail (1940) (with Ronald Reagan as General George A. Custer), and then he portrayed the flamboyant General Custer in an historically inaccurate biography from director Raoul Walsh, the romanticized They Died With Their Boots On (1941). In three of these four western films, his romantic interest was played by Olivia de Havilland. Flynn's last on-screen teaming with De Havilland (of their eight films together) was in their 1941 film.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_2	Stagecoach Blu-ray John Wayne directed by John Ford USA 1939 This is where it all started. John Ford’s smash hit and enduring masterpiece Stagecoach revolutionized the western, elevating it from B movie to the A-list and establishing the genre as we know it today. The quintessential tale of a group of strangers thrown together into extraordinary circumstances, Stagecoach features outstanding performances from Hollywood stalwarts Claire Trevor, John Carradine, and Thomas Mitchell, and, of course, John Wayne, in his first starring role for Ford, as the daredevil outlaw the Ringo Kid. Superbly shot and tightly edited, Stagecoach (Ford’s first trip to Monument Valley) is Hollywood storytelling at its finest. *** The classic western, STAGECOACH is one of John Ford's greatest frontier epics. This western eclipsed all films in the genre that had gone before it, and so vastly influenced those that followed that its stamp can be found in most superior westerns made since Ford stepped into Monument Valley for the first time. Set in a landscape of endless horizons, STAGECOACH is a wonderful, broad portrait of pioneer life in the untamed Great Southwest, as well as an in-depth character study of eight people, all diverse in their pursuits and all traveling to separate fates on a journey packed with danger. High peril is present from the first scenes, which depict Geronimo on the warpath and telegraph wires cut by raiding Apaches. Leaving the town of Tonto, New Mexico, by stagecoach are a motley bunch of Western types. Doc Boone (Mitchell) is a conniving drunkard, long ago kicked out of the medical profession for malpractice. Dallas (Trevor) is a prostitute whose sexual exploits have so unnerved the local women that they have banded together to oust her from their scandal-mongering society. Hatfield (Carradine), meanwhile, is a shady gambler with the manners of a southern gentleman, with his own mysterious reasons for leaving Tonto. He pretends, however, that his real motivation is to offer the withdrawn Lucy (Platt), who is pregnant and married to a cavalry officer, his "protection" as she travels to be with her husband. Henry Gatewood (Churchill), a pompous and demanding banker, gets aboard the coach carrying a small valise which is locked and which he will not let go of, while Samuel Peacock (Meek), a whiskey salesman, carries a sample case. These six strangers make up the passenger list, and riding on top on the driver's seat is Buck (Devine), a garrulous type with an aversion to Indians, and tough, gruff, but fair-minded Curly (Bancroft), a lawman riding "shotgun." Before they've been on the trail very long they pick up the Ringo Kid (Wayne, in a star-making performance), whose horse has gone lame. The stagecoach is set, so to speak, so bring on the adventure!	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_3	John Ford - Director - Biography.com John Ford An Academy Award-winning director, John Ford is considered to be one of the best filmmakers of all time. He is best known for directing Westerns. IN THESE GROUPS Famous People Who Died in United States Synopsis John Ford was born on February 1, 1894, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He began a creative hot streak in the mid-1930s. He received his first Academy Award for directing in 1935 for the Irish drama The Informer. Four years later, he was nominated for the western Stagecoach. He made some of his classic films in late 1940s. During the later part of his career, Ford continued to create great Westerns. He died in California on August 31, 1973. Early Career Born on February 1, 1894, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, John Ford was an Academy Award-winning director who is considered to be one of the best filmmakers of all time. Ford left Maine for Hollywood in 1913, and worked there as a stagehand and prop man. Four years later, he directed his first film, a western called The Tornado. He was soon directing numerous silent films, many of which were Westerns. Academy Awards Already successful and well regarded, Ford began a creative hot streak in the mid-1930s. He received his first Academy Award for directing in 1935 for the Irish drama The Informer. Four years later, Ford was nominated for the western Stagecoach (1939) starring John Wayne, a close friend. This film helped make Wayne a star, and the two would continue to work together frequently over the years. The film adaptation of the John Steinbeck novel, Grapes of Wrath (1940), brought Ford his second Academy Award for directing. The film starred Henry Fonda, another member of Ford’s informal repertory company. By this time, they had already made two other films together, Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) and Young Mr. Lincoln (1939). For the second year in a row, Ford received one of film’s greatest honors for How Green Was My Valley (1941). The drama explored the struggles of a family of coal miners in Wales. Both a critical and commercial success, the film netted ten Academy Award nominations and won five awards, including Best Director and Best Picture. Classic Westerns Best known for his westerns, Ford made some of his classic films in late 1940s. He directed Fort Apache (1948) with Wayne and Fonda. Wayne went on to star in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande (1950), two more famous Ford westerns. One of Ford’s most notable films with Wayne, however, was not a western, but a romantic drama. The Quiet Man (1952) featured Wayne as an American boxer with a bad reputation who moves to Ireland where he falls in love with a local woman (Maureen O’Hara). During the later part of his career, Ford continued to create great westerns. He worked with Jimmy Stewart on several films, including the classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). In addition to Stewart, John Wayne also appeared in this hugely successful western drama. For his last feature film, Ford took on a decidedly different project. He directed 7 Women (1966) starring Anne Bancroft. The film followed a group of female missionaries working in China in the 1930s. Ford died on August 31, 1973, in Palm Desert, California. Adept at all genres, he frequently explored his Irish roots but achieved his greatest renown for poetic visions of the American West, depicting its rugged heroes, pioneering families, and sense of male camaraderie. He received the first American Film Institute Life Achievement Award in 1973. Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us ! Citation Information	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_4	Classic Ford: A John Ford Retrospective, Part I - Harvard Film Archive February 6 - March 29 Classic Ford: A John Ford Retrospective, Part I The towering figure of John Ford (1894-1973) casts a long and irrefutable shadow across the history of the American cinema. Yet the breadth and measure of Ford’s major contributions to the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema, and to film language in general, remains somewhat difficult to discern – obscured both by the sheer magnitude of his incredibly prolific sixty year career and by the persistent image of Ford, fixed late in his career, as an anachronous and often cantankerous artist clinging stubbornly to the Western genre. Rarely recognized in full are Ford’s great achievements as a consummate visual stylist and master storyteller. Crafted in close collaboration with many of the greatest cinematographers of the studio era - William Clothier, Bert Glennon and Gregg Toland among them - and channeling European and especially American painterly traditions, Ford’s cinema is aesthetically sophisticated and varied. Beginning with the moody Expressionism of his late silent and thirties films, Ford’s oeuvre underwent a series of rich stylistic transformations, giving way to the expressive realism of his forties work that, in turn, gradually shifted to the stark classicism of his late films in the 1950s and 1960s. Echoing the notable stylistic diversity of Ford’s cinema is the equally impressive range of genres in which he successfully worked, over and beyond the Westerns for which he is still best known. Between the extraordinarily prolific years of 1926 to 1945, it must be noted, Ford actually directed only one Western, Stagecoach (1939). Ford’s career is, in fact, distinguished by his singular, often quite idiosyncratic, approaches to popular genres - the brisk adventure narratives of The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936) and Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), the leisurely paced small-town comedies Steamboat Round the Bend (1933) and The Sun Shines Bright (1953), the erotically charged safari-romance Mogambo (1953), the deeply melancholy films of war, like The Long Voyage Home (1940) and Rio Grande (1950) - more concerned with the ritualized quotidian spaces between the battles than the fighting itself. Ford’s interpretative approach to genre filmmaking informs his eventual return to his earliest roots as a director of Westerns and the series of ruminative and increasingly mournful Westerns that began with My Darling Clementine (1946) and led to his dark masterpiece, The Searchers (1956). Ford’s incredibly unflagging talents and rare ability to harness the complex studio apparatus to make genuine works of art eventually drew the attention of critics, historians and critics-turned-filmmakers Lindsay Anderson and Peter Bogdanovich. Ford was, in fact, among the very first Hollywood directors to be recognized as an auteur whose films shared a vivid personal signature and concern for certain dominant themes. One of the most important overriding themes of Ford’s cinema is American history and, more specifically, the shaping forces and strong-willed individuals who have defined the U.S. as a nation and an idea. Ford’s lifelong fascination with such legendary figures from American history as Wyatt Earp and Abraham Lincoln drew his films frequently back into the distant past to explore the myths and legends firmly rooted in both the popular imagination and official history. Intermingled with Ford’s concern for the myths of history - or perhaps, one could say, the history of myths - is his deep and abiding love of the West as the cradle of American civilization and as a potent quintessence of the American psyche. Ford’s cinema offers one of the most important and sustained mediations on the West in American popular culture. In such works as My Darling Clementine, Wagon Master, Fort Apache and The Searchers, the distinct landscapes and culture of the late 19th century West - including the Native Americans who figure increasingly prominently in Ford’s late work - are given such vivid shape that they remain among the most influential and lasting representations of this absolutely formative period in our nation’s history. This multi-part retrospective begins with an expanded selection of Ford’s most enduring works, including a number of lesser known major films - Mogambo, Prisoner of Shark Island, Wagon Master – and featuring visits from distinguished experts on Ford’s cinema Tom Doherty and Tom Conley. This John Ford retrospective was made possible by a generous grant from the Sun Hill Foundation. Special thanks: Jennifer Combs, Sun Hill Foundation. Double Feature - Followed by Directed by John Ford Saturday February 6 at 7pm The Searchers With John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles US 1956, 35mm, color, 119 min. Print from Warner Bros. This classic tale of one man’s obsessive quest to find a young girl taken by the Comanche is a surprising mixture of new and old, intimate and epic. Considered Ford’s greatest film, its unsettling ambiguity results in a more modern feel than many of Ford’s 1930s and 1940s classics, which were characterized largely by their sincerity and their central focus on family and community. The Searchers, in contrast, derives its startling force from its exploration of loneliness and racism as family and community’s darkest counterparts. Ford often evokes the deep human necessity for community and its attendant pleasures, while just as often viewing the world from the perspective of an outsider never able to join. The greatness of The Searchers is its ability to do both. Live Piano Accompaniment by Rob Humphreville Special Event Tickets $12 Sunday February 7 at 7pm The Iron Horse With George O’Brien, Madge Bellamy, Fred Kohler US 1924, 35mm, b/w, silent, 120 min. Print from Fox The success of James Cruze’s epic Western The Covered Wagon (1923) inspired William Fox’s ambition to top it by sending John Ford to Nevada to film the story of the 1869 completion of the transcontinental railroad. The first of Ford’s American history films, The Iron Horse unfurls its historical tapestry as backdrop to a driving melodrama of a tense love triangle and a son avenging his father’s murder. The film’s gripping action sequences display Ford’s strong command of kinetic cinema with intensely rhythmic sequences of laying the railroad tracks and dramatic battles with “Indians.” While the Native Americans exist as near caricatures in the film, Ford is nevertheless careful to acknowledge the importance of immigrant labor in the completion of the railroad. Friday February 12 at 7pm The Long Voyage Home With John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell, Ian Hunter US 1940, 35mm, b/w, 105 min. Print from the Harvard Film Archive Collection On the eve of the U.S. entry into World War II, Ford offered a stark and brooding maritime fable that counts among the most powerful evocations of male longing and loneliness in American cinema. Ford’s rare talent as an ensemble director reached a new height in this tale of an English freighter carrying dangerous secret cargo through a perilous war zone and in the unusually sensitive and heartrending performances of Ian Hunter, Ward Bond and especially Thomas Mitchell. The Long Voyage Home’s astonishing black and white cinematography marked an important high point in the career of legendary cinematographer Gregg Toland, whose experimentation with depth-of-focus and tonally expressive shadows anticipates his milestone work in Citizen Kane the next year. Friday February 12 at 9pm Sunday February 14 at 7pm Mogambo With Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly US 1953, 35mm, color, 116 min. Print courtesy of the George Eastman House The important role of women in Ford’s cinema is typically overlooked and misunderstood, in part because later major works such as Mogambo - and the criminally disregarded Seven Women - are rarely discussed or screened. An ambitious remake of Red Dust, the racy Pre-Code romance starring Clark Gable and Jean Harlow, Mogambo is a beautifully crafted tale of a safari adventure gone astray, overturned by the strange love triangle that briefly unites a chorus girl, an anthropologist’s wife and a hunter - an encore role that revived Gable’s late career - in the dark heart of the African jungle. In the case of the women, Ford’s sensitive direction resulted in two alluring revelations, with Ava Gardner displaying an unexpectedly earthy innocence as the city girl strangely at ease in the remote wilderness and a young Grace Kelly, in her first major screen role, unlocking a dark and beguiling eroticism. As in Hawks’ Hatari!, the safari stands in as a vibrant metaphor for the always simmering battle between the sexes. Saturday February 13 at 7pm Fort Apache With John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple US 1948, 35mm, b/w, 127 min. Print courtesy of the Library of Congress The first and darkest entry in Ford’s “Cavalry Trilogy,” Fort Apache paints a stark and mesmerizing portrait of an isolated military outpost on the furthest edge of the Western frontier in the years just after the Civil War. Ford’s own extensive firsthand experience in WWII informs both the film’s detailed rendering of the customs and contradictions of everyday life in the lonely fort as well as its ultimately ambiguous attitude towards the hierarchical (il)logic of the military community. While Henry Fonda brilliantly embodies the callous, deadly arrogance of a Custer-like colonel fixed upon ruthless battle with the Indians, Pedro Armendáriz, John Wayne and a radiant teenage Shirley Temple together define a warm human counterpoint. Considered by many to be the first genuinely sympathetic and realistic portrayal of Native Americans in a major Hollywood feature, Fort Apache points towards the important revisionist tendencies in Ford’s later work. Preserved by the Library of Congress. Saturday February 13 at 9:30pm Steamboat Round the Bend With Will Rogers, Anne Shirley, Eugene Pallette US 1935, 35mm, b/w, 80 min. Print from Fox A delightfully lighthearted yet insightful tour of the Deep South led by the comic Will Rogers – at the time one of the most popular actors in America – as an artful elixir peddler turned Mississippi river boatman. One of Ford’s few successful comedies, Steamboat Round the Bend is enlivened by Rogers’ inimitable homespun humor as well as by the film’s frequently outlandish plot twists - including a thrilling boat race - and strange, at times almost surrealist, imagery. Bolstered by a wonderful cast of character actors (although contemporary audiences cannot help but wince at Stepin Fetchit’s notoriously dimwitted manservant), including Anna Lee and Eugene Pallette, The Steamboat Round the Bend wonderfully captures Rogers’ cracker-barrel political innuendo and Ford’s affection for the American landscape and vernacular. The film would be Rogers’ last, finished just weeks before his tragically premature death in a plane crash. Please note: We regret that this screening has been postponed. We will screen Mogambo in its place. Check back soon for the rescheduled Rio Grande date. Sunday February 14 at 7pm Rio Grande With John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ben Johnson US 1950, 35mm, b/w, 105 min. The final entry in Ford’s “Cavalry Trilogy” is one of his few films to reveal darker tensions at work within a family unit, here the dysfunctional marriage of John Wayne’s battle weary Colonel Yorke and his estranged wife Maureen O’Hara - only a few years before their dynamic union in The Quiet Man. The simmering familial tensions - brought to boil by the arrival of the Colonel’s wayward son - are mirrored in the deep distrust and racist violence that pits the Cavalry against the Indians. One of the more important “Cold War Westerns,” Rio Grande provides a fascinating counterpoint to the more pluralistic vision of the West seen in the earlier Fort Apache. For Rio Grande’s dramatic locations, Ford returned once more to his favorite location, Monument Valley, while also exploring other striking landscapes in remotest Utah. Introduction by Tom Conley Monday February 15 at 7pm Young Mr. Lincoln With Henry Fonda, Alice Brady, Marjorie Weaver US 1939, 35mm, b/w, 100 min. Print from the Harvard Film Archive Collection Weaving together history and myth, Young Mr. Lincoln has intrigued commentators from Sergei Eisenstein to the Cahiers critics and Andrew Sarris. This biopic presents not the agonized Civil War President but the gangly, even awkward, backwoods lawyer in Illinois whose pursuit of justice hints at greatness to come. The film’s genius and appeal come from this simple device: everything we see and hear gains an extra dimension of poignancy and significance from our knowledge of Lincoln’s future. Many of Henry Fonda’s roles for Ford exemplify this pattern, in which the hero must always move on; driven by fate, he can never settle down, even if he would like to. Nevertheless, far from being a forbidding figure, Ford’s Lincoln is both a man for the ages and a man of the people. As Joseph McBride puts it, “For Ford, Lincoln is the archetypal figure of justice, a man who dispenses legal wisdom with a priestlike humor, charity and tolerance.” Sunday March 7 at 7pm The Informer With Victor McLaglen, Heather Angel, Preston Foster US 1935, 35mm, b/w, 91 min. Print courtesy of the UCLA Film and Television Archive Ford’s rising star in the mid-1930s - due largely to the success of his films starring Will Rogers - allowed him to convince RKO that he should adapt Liam O’Flaherty’s novel of the moral and social cost of the 1922-23 Irish Civil War, allegorized by an impoverished Dubliner’s cruel betrayal of his best friend. RKO gave Ford a medium-sized budget and a relative freedom hitherto unknown to him. The studio’s initial dismay at the unconventional results was calmed when the critics began to universally praise the film for its serious subject matter and stylistic audacity. The apotheosis of Ford’s expressionist style, The Informer has become a controversial point among Ford scholars and fans - while some miss the relaxed lyricism of later Ford and find the Huit clos universe of the film overly mechanistic, many admire the film’s uncompromising look at a fallen world where only compromise and defeat are possible. Monday March 8 at 7pm She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Directed by John Ford. With John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar US 1949, 35mm, color, 103 min. Print courtesy of the UCLA Film and Television Archive Films from every period of Ford’s career testify to his abiding fascination with the military as a way of life and as a model of community. Ford fused his engagement with the military to the Western genre in his trilogy of films about U.S. Cavalry units assigned to policing indigenous tribes. The middle film of the trilogy, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is packed with plot (a clash with the Arapaho and a love triangle involving a young woman and two rival cavalrymen), but still places its emphasis on the structures of daily life at the cavalry post and the rites of social interaction. If Ford’s pre-war Westerns create the mythology of the West, his postwar Westerns present The West as myth. Now working in glorious Technicolor, the alternately expressionist and realist black and white of previous Westerns gives way to richer-than-life colors that evoke vivid reds and browns of the Frederic Remington’s paintings that Ford acknowledged as an important inspiration. Preservation funded by The Film Foundation. Introduction by Thomas Doherty Friday March 12 at 7pm My Darling Clementine With Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature US 1946, 35mm, b/w, 97 min. Print courtesy of the UCLA Film and Television Archive Western narrative of the rule of law inexorably taming the frontier against the violence of the primal horde. The brawling brood of brothers presided over by their rabid patriarch - played with vicious authenticity by Walter Brennan - is contrasted with the virile but peaceable Earps, lead by brother Wyatt, as they bring order to Tombstone. Somewhere between these two camps is the melancholy Doc Holliday, a Romantic figure who soulfully quotes Shakespeare and seems fated to an early death from tuberculosis. Fonda’s Wyatt Earp, by contrast, embodies a new modernity for the West, taciturn and efficient. Placing the greater good against individual satisfaction, he suborns his feelings to duty instead of wearing his heart on his sleeve. At the literal and figurative heart of the film is a classic Fordian sequence – a dance that brings the fledgling community together to raise funds to build a church. Preservation funded by The Film Foundation. Friday March 12 at 9pm The Prisoner of Shark Island Directed by John Ford. With Warner Baxter, Gloria Stuart, Claude Gillingwater US 1936, 35mm, b/w, 95 min. Print courtesy of the Academy Film Archive Ford’s prints the legend, rather than the fact, in his rousing film about Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was jailed for his purported role in the assassination of President Lincoln after tending John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg. Although Mudd and Booth knew each other prior to the murder, it is unclear to this day whether Mudd knew or was part of Booth’s plan. Ford offers his interpretation of the events by presenting Mudd as an innocent figure whose unjust imprisonment is met with saintly forbearance. Despite several moments of racial caricature, The Prisoner of Shark Island is both nightmarish and ultimately quite moving, redeemed by the film’s chronicling of the relationship between Mudd and one of his former slaves, whose devotion to each to the other is tested by hardship. Saturday March 13 at 7pm Wagon Master With Ben Johnson, Harry Carey, Jr., Joanne Dru US 1950, 35mm, b/w, 86 min. One of Ford’s unsung masterpieces, Wagon Master at first seems a variation of Stagecoach, with another motley assortment of character types embarking on a perilous journey through the Wild West. Wagon Master takes on a Fellinian picaresque quality in the almost musical combination, separation and recombination of the various groups formed when two young cowboys cross paths with a Mormon wagon train, a traveling theater troupe and a gang of outlaws. Wagon Master exhibits that lyrical sense of the everyday so often encountered in postwar filmmaking and usually labeled “neorealist” not only in its episodic narrative but also in the relaxed framing of its images. One of Ford’s favorites, Wagon Master can be seen as the beginnings of the revisionist Western in its espousal of the idea that the West was always multicultural and a haven for outcasts, individualists and the oppressed. Preserved by the Library of Congress. Saturday March 13 at 9pm The Fugitive With Henry Fonda, Dolores Del Rio, Pedro Armendariz US 1947, 35mm, b/w, 104 min. Among Ford’s least known yet deeply memorable major works is his beautifully stylized adaptation of Graham Greene’s celebrated 1940 novel The Power and the Glory - a gripping allegory about religious faith and the State which follows the final desperate days of the last priest in an unnamed Latin American country where religion has been declared illegal. Shot entirely in Mexico by the preeminent Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, The Fugitive accents and adds nuance to its stark tale of guilt and difficult retribution by returning to the Expressionist lighting and shadows favored by Ford earlier in his career. Henry Fonda brings an unusual pathos and humanity to his portrayal of the whiskey priest struggling to understand the moral and spiritual turpitude of his country and religion. Sunday March 14 at 7pm The Grapes of Wrath With Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine US 1940, 35mm, b/w, 129 min. Print courtesy of the ConstellationCenter and the Academy Film Archive Ford’s riveting adaptation of Steinbeck’s classic novel of “Okie” farmers made destitute by the Depression and the Dust Bowl is considered one of the very few politically radical works of studio-era Hollywood. Although Ford envisioned the film as a character study - a portrait of a struggling family - rather than an open attack on capitalism, his adaptation faithfully retains the book’s hard-eyed look at the exploitation of the rural poor. Like so much of his thirties work, The Grapes of Wrath reveals Ford’s then-ardent Leftist populism. The suffering of the Joad family as it marches slowly toward California is given iconic status by Ford’s monumental compositions, by the remarkable performances from a talented cast and by pioneering cinematographer Gregg Toland’s successful fusion of Ford’s expressionist aesthetic and photojournalist realism. Monday March 15 at 7pm The Quiet Man With John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald US 1952, 35mm, color, 129 min. Print courtesy of the UCLA Film and Television Archive One of the biggest commercial successes of his career, The Quiet Man remains among Ford’s – and John Wayne’s – most beloved works today. The tale of an American escaping from his country, and from a dark past, to make a new home in his ancestral Ireland was an intensely personal project for Ford, nurtured by the director since the late 1930s. Ford’s fascination with small town community and his own Irish heritage animates the film’s almost anthropological attention to the smallest details of domestic space, rural and religious customs and vernacular language. A wonderfully expressive color film, The Quiet Man uses its vivid Technicolor palette to lend a radiant, dreamlike quality to the lushly verdant Irish landscapes captured within it. The film’s predominantly nostalgic tone has led many to overlook its darker and subtly critical undertones - especially with regard to its depiction of the Church - and its innovative, unusual use of voiceover narration. Friday March 19 at 7pm Stagecoach With John Wayne, Claire Trevor, John Carradine US 1939, 35mm, b/w, 97 min. Print courtesy of the UCLA Film and Television Archive Set at the frontier between civilization and wilderness, Stagecoach realizes the Platonic ideal of the classic Western, with a cast comprised of exemplary stock types—the heroic cowboy, the villainous outlaw, the fallen woman with a heart of gold, the brave but fragile wife—and a climax that hangs on a nick-of-time rescue by the cavalry. Stagecoach’s thrilling cinema is born from the alchemy that combines all these elements into a story that provides both variety and closure while assuring a seamless narrative drive. Most surprising are the striking visual touches – the iconic travelling shot that introduces John Wayne’s Ringo, and Ford’s expressionistic use of light. Friday March 19 at 9pm 3 Godfathers With John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, Harry Carey, Jr. US 1949, 35mm, color, 106 min. Ford’s offbeat Biblical allegory reimagines the three Magi as a trio of slightly befuddled bank robbers, “badmen” notably out of place in an increasingly civilized West. John Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz and newcomer Harry Carey, Jr. share a wonderfully naturalistic repartee as the not-so-wise men who unexpectedly become fathers to an infant son at the seemingly worst possible time. Despite its comic touches, 3 Godfathers is tinged with a mournful tone that anticipates a major theme of 1960s and 1970s revisionist Westerns - the inexorable death of the frontier. Filmed largely in Death Valley, 3 Godfathers renders the torturous heat-warped landscape of the unforgiving desert into scorching Technicolor. Saturday March 20 at 7pm Drums Along the Mohawk With Henry Fonda, Claudette Colbert, Edna May Oliver US 1939, 35mm, color, 104 min. A kind of pre-Western, Drums Along the Mohawk shifts the location of the frontier between civilization and wilderness from the Southwest to the Northeast—upstate New York during the Revolutionary War, to be precise. In gorgeous Technicolor, Ford presents the story of a young couple trying to make a home in New York’s Mohawk Valley in 1776. Lindsay Anderson notes that the years of 1939 and 1940 constitute Ford’s rediscovery of America, with Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, Drums Along the Mohawk and The Grapes of Wrath coming in the wake of a number of films set abroad, and especially a rediscovery of the American past. Others have pointed out that Drums should be understood in the context of the American present of 1939. Drums Along the Mohawk reveals a snapshot of American anxiety about the possibility of war on the eve of conflict in Europe. The British are not the primary villains; the Mohawk are. Despite Claudette Colbert being perhaps too glamorous to be a pioneer’s wife, the film abounds with moments that emphasize the important role such women had. (Andrew Sarris identifies Drums as the first panel in a matriarchal trilogy, followed by How Green Was My Valley and Seven Women.) Saturday March 20 at 9pm The Sun Shines Bright With Charles Winninger, Arleen Whelan, Stepin Fetchit US 1953, 16mm, b/w, 90 min. One of Ford’s personal favorites, this rarely screened late work offers a fascinating vision of Americana that captures the quaint - and often outright bizarre - charms and disturbing contradictions of small town Kentucky at the end of the 19th century. Returning once more to the figure of Judge Priest, famously played by Will Rogers in two Ford films of the 1930s, The Sun Shine Bright centers its complex cross-section of the town’s many splintered factions - white and African-American, male and female - around the figure of the level-headed and temperate lawman. Punctuated by the lyrical passage of the steamboat, the film interweaves multiple storylines into a polyphonic and choral portrait of a provincial community reluctantly harboring the seeds of inevitable change. Sunday March 21 at 7pm How Green Was My Valley Directed by John Ford. With Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara, Donald Crisp US 1941, 35mm, b/w, 118 min. Print courtesy of the UCLA Film and Television Archive It would be no exaggeration to call Ford’s multiple-Oscar winning saga of a struggling Welsh mining family one of the most emotionally resonant and genuinely moving films of the studio era. Like The Grapes of Wrath the year before, How Green Was My Valley is a triumph of expressive realism that gives emotional depth and dignity to those suffering social injustice, rendering vivid and authentic the difficult lives and plain pleasures of the coal miners and their families. In his first starring role, child actor Roddy MacDowell poignantly captures the awkward, fragile innocence of youth in his portrayal of a wide-eyed, precocious romantic pulled abruptly into adulthood. Originally assigned to William Wyler, Ford was – incredibly - only appointed at the very last minute to what would become one of his best-known works. Preservation funded by The Film Foundation. Monday March 29 at 7pm Air Mail With Ralph Bellamy, Gloria Stuart, Pat O’Brien US 1932, 35mm, b/w, 84 min. A rousing tale of the bonds and rituals within a community of risk-taking pilots, Air Mail anticipates Howard Hawks’ iconic films of daring fliers, Ceiling Zero and Only Angels Have Wings. Ford’s film, in contrast, is steeped in a sober atmosphere of menace and gloom, darker than the devil-may-care nobility embodied by Hawks’ pilot heroes. Air Mail’s dramatic heart lies in the feisty pilots’ oscillation between alpha-male competition amongst themselves and bonding in the face of the stark dangers of their job. Pre-Code immorality is radiantly emblazoned on the film - when, for example, the widow of one pilot immediately takes up with another. But Air Mail is perhaps most notable as the one time that Ford, so influenced and enamored by German expressionism and F.W. Murnau, worked with Karl Freund, the great expressionist cinematographer who shot several of Murnau’s masterpieces. Preserved by the Library of Congress. Harvard Film Archive is a division of Fine Arts Library of the Harvard College Library . Copyright © 2017 President and Fellows of Harvard College..	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_8	Stagecoach Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 22 December 2016 8:51 AM, PST NEWS 101 out of 122 people found the following review useful: A great western which enables multiple interpretations from New York City 30 April 2005 John Wayne is "The Ringo Kid" in this John Ford-directed parable of outcasts traveling towards various kinds of figurative and literal redemption/salvation. On a surface level, the basic plot is disarmingly simple--a motley crew of eight takes a stagecoach from Tonto to Lordsburg, trying to avoid Geronimo and his Apaches on the way. They are having their own problems with the U.S. government and are thus likely to attack. The stagecoach bounces from outpost to outpost while the relationships of its passengers evolve, helping each other to "find themselves" and (usually) providing hope of some kind of new life. The Ringo Kid has been wrongly accused of a crime and is on his way to Lordsburg to avenge both the false accusations and more importantly, the murder of his father and brother. Dallas (Claire Trevor) is implied to be a prostitute, and so is ostracized from Tonto (which means "stupid", "foolish" or "daft" in Spanish) by a self-stylized matronly moral majority. Doc Boone (Thomas Mitchell) is far more concerned with getting drunk than being a doctor, and is partially ostracizing himself from Tonto. Hatfield (John Carradine) is a "gambler gentleman" with a shady reputation and a false identity. Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt) is trying to get to her husband, who is in the military; she's in a surprisingly "secret" physical state. Samuel Peacock, whom everyone keeps mistaking for a reverend, is in the alcohol business and just wants to get back east to get back to his business. Henry Gatewood is a crooked banker trying to flee before his questionable dealings are discovered. And the stagecoach drivers consist of a lovable buffoon, Buck (Andy Devine) and the most forthright, straight arrow of the bunch, Marshal Curly Wilcox (George Bancroft). Even though Stagecoach remains tightly focused on its wilderness road trip, that might seem like a large stable of characters to shape into a taut plot. Ford, working from script by Dudley Nichols and Ben Hecht, based on a short story, "Stage to Lordsburg", by Ernest Haycox (which itself bears a relation to Guy de Maupassant's "Boule de Suif", 1880), keeps the proceedings in check by only giving us the information we need to explore the evolving relationships, and only focusing on each character when they're important to the plot. This results in a few of the characters being functionally absent for extended lengths of time, but Ford can so easily establish a "deep" character with a minimum of screen time that the absences are not a detriment. The principal focus, of course, is between Ringo and Dallas, as on a significant level, Stagecoach becomes a romance. They're initially brought together via their mutual ostracization, even among the ostracized, which gives them an immediate bond beyond their physical attraction towards one another. Wayne and Trevor are both fantastic in their roles, avoiding the occasional overacting by some other performers. But this is a film where it's difficult to count the slight overacting as a flaw, as it was more of a stylistic tendency of the genre during this period and it provides a nice counterbalance to Wayne and Trevor. Stagecoach is also famous for its setting. Much of the film was shot in Utah's Monument Valley, along authentic stagecoach "roads". The (beautiful) starkness of the desert is often taken as a symbolic trip through a kind of purgatory for the characters, where they're left alone with their souls, their only connection being their small group, to contemplate their pasts and futures. Whether we choose to read something along those lines into the film or not, Monument Valley is at least a captivating presence in the film, although for me, the cinematography could have been better technically, especially considering that Stagecoach was made at the same time as The Wizard of Oz (1939). Ford's famous tendency to do only one take results in a couple minor gaffes, such as the initial shot of John Wayne--a zoom into a close-up--that is out of focus for most of the zoom. As one could guess, eventually our passengers run into a band of Apaches, who are often interpreted as representing more of a "natural force" that our heroes must surmount. The climax features a fabulous extended chase/fight sequence with a number of amazing stunts by both humans and animals. The most impressive human stunts are performed by the legendary Yakima Canutt, including one that involved being dragged through the dirt by the horse-pulled stagecoach, which was moving along at about 40 miles per hour and supposedly missed running over Canutt by only 12 inches (30.5 cm). This scene was an inspiration for a similar stunt in Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Although it's not a "perfect" film to me, and it's not even my favorite western (I'm more partial to the classic spaghetti westerns, for example), Stagecoach is a very good film and was very influential, despite being made at a time when Ford was told that he was committing professional suicide by even contemplating a western. As the plethora of critical literature attests, it works on many levels, including as an allegorical microcosm of U.S. Depression-era society, and should be seen at least once by anyone serious about film literacy. Was the above review useful to you? 72 out of 93 people found the following review useful: The classic film that started it all. from The Beach 20 September 2003 The Overland Stage Lines stagecoach is traveling from the frontier town of Tonto, Arizona to Lordsburg, New Mexico. Geronimo, the Apache chief, has just jumped the reservation and starts an uprising. Before leaving Tonto, the passengers are notified by the Calvary that they are now traveling at their own considerable risk but they will be escorted by the soldiers (here's a clue: don't believe it). Among the passengers are a prostitute being thrown out of town by a group of women with their noses so stuck up in the air you could fly flags off of them. She is joined by a drunken doctor, a gentlemen card shark, a meek whiskey salesman, a crooked banker, a pregnant woman on her way to meet her husband, and a young cowboy who just broke out of jail and out to revenge his family's murder. The coach driver and his shotgun complete the group. It's all based on a short story called appropriately Stage to Lordsburg but also on a French story (Guy de Maupassant's Boule de Suif) with similar characters traveling in a coach during the Franco-Prussian War. The basic structure of the plot is also familiar to fans of disaster films. Passengers are introduced, board a common conveyance and face a tremendous danger. The exciting adventure of who lives, who dies, will the stage make it to its destination, and what happens next is highlighted by perhaps the most famous stunts in film history by the most famous and respected stuntman of all Yakima Canutt. If one of the stunts looks familiar, Steven Speilberg recreated it for his first Indiana Jones film. The film is also a lot more. Unlike other westerns up to its time which were mainly shoot-em-ups between the good guys in the white hats and the bad guys in the black hats, it examines very serious social issues and how different people look down at others differently. Besides prejudice, some of the characters are flawed with alcoholism, greed and revenge. We also see the good in bad people with respect for new life and ultimately redemption. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Interior Decoration, Best Film Editing, Best Supporting Actor (won) and Best Score (won), Stagecoach was John Ford's first sound Western and elevated the genre in both critical praise and popularity. The low camera angles in Monument Valley would become a John Ford trademark. Despite doing 70 films, this is the one that made Wayne a star and it's easy to see why. Many consider it his best performance; both subtle and clear he cares for the needs of the people around him and yearns for his own need for a home, a wife and a family. It is considered one of the great films in cinemas greatest year, 1939. Gone With the Wind, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Wuthering Heights, Dark Victory, The Wizard of Oz, Of Mice and Men and Ninotchka were all nominated for best picture alongside Stagecoach that year. Regarding the political incorrectness of an Apache uprising, well, they happened. If you just happened to be in a stagecoach in the middle of the southwest during an Apache uprising chances are you would be killed. This story does not examine the reasons for the uprising only the effects on a group of travelers trying to travel through it. Was the above review useful to you? 55 out of 67 people found the following review useful: Great ensemble western from Prague, Kalamazoo 6 May 2004 I grew up watching the old, crotchety, gruff John Wayne, the iconic hero of the right wing, and even though I'd seen some of his early films on television, I'd forgotten what a sexy and compelling presence he had when a young man. It's easy to see while watching his performance how this film made him a star. As great as Wayne is in this film, he doesn't overshadow any of his fellow performers. Thomas Mitchell plays the drunken doctor thrown out of town, a performance that earned him an Academy Award. Andy Devine is hilarious as the complaining, squeaky voiced stagecoach driver. John Carradine is sleek and snake-like as the gambler. Claire Trevor gives a heartbreaking turn as the good-hearted whore thrown out of town by pious hypocrites. Donald Meek plays his name, a meek whiskey salesman befriended by the whiskey-loving Doc. Each actor quickly and deftly sketches his character so vividly that every performance is memorable. But the real star of the show is John Ford, the director. To introduce and define nine characters in the context of a fast-paced western is no easy task, and he accomplishes it in masterly fashion. Much of the action takes place in the limited confines of a stagecoach, but Ford takes advantage of the limits by staging brilliant and subtle bits between characters; John Wayne casts sultry glances at Clare Trevor, who blossoms under his glance, the young calvary wife's eyes glaze over as the banker pontificates, and Doc sneaks sips of whiskey from the samples case while he solicitously keeps the wind from chilling the whiskey salesman. When the action moves outside, he films the action in dynamic angles and stunts that were the most daring of its time. If you enjoy westerns and haven't seen this, you have a great night of film-watching ahead of you. And if the last time you saw Stagecoach was some midnight years ago when you wandered home for a bit of the late show before bedtime, watch it again and rediscover what a great western it is Was the above review useful to you? 62 out of 84 people found the following review useful: Over the rise, it's the Duke, Winchester in hand from Buffalo, New York 5 September 2005 One of my favorite movie shots of all time comes in Stagecoach when the coach rounds a bend and you see a figure in the distance and has the camera zooms in closer you recognize it as John Wayne, saddle in one hand and winchester rifle in the other. Certainly the figure of John Wayne is familiar enough even to today's moviegoers as the man who put more people in theater seats than any other player. But back then in 1939 all he was known as was B picture cowboy who was a friend of John Ford, whom Ford happened to be giving a break to. He sure took advantage of it. Wayne heads an ensemble group of players who are journeying from Tonto to Lordsburg by stagecoach. It is a dramatization of the western novel by Ernest Haycox and John Ford brilliantly cast his film. Anyone of them could have been Oscar material, but one player did win an Oscar, Thomas Mitchell as the alcoholic Doc Boone. 1939 was maybe the highpoint of Mitchell's career. Imagine being in three films nominated for Oscars, Stagecoach, Gone With the Wind, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. He could have been nominated for any one of them. On top of the coach is driver Andy Devine and riding shotgun is Marshal George Bancroft. Devine is a befuddled dunce and a lot of reviewers usually pass him over in talking about the film. To be sure he is, but there is a scene where the stagecoach has to cross a deep stream. A pontoon like device is rigged, but it's professional teamster Andy Devine who drives the stage across with his team swimming it. He may be a dunce, but he's a professional at his job. I think it was Andy's moment to shine. Bancroft is a stern but kindly marshal. He and Mitchell are friends of Wayne who plays the Ringo Kid. Wayne's busted out the penitentiary to get the Plummer brothers who framed him. There's a reward for Wayne, but Marshal Bancroft ain't worried about the reward, he's concerned about Wayne getting killed, biting off more than he can chew. However Mitchell spends most of the journey cultivating mild mannered Donald Meek who's a whiskey salesman. A useful friend to have you like to imbibe. If ever a character actor was aptly named it certainly had to be Donald Meek. In 1939 you couldn't say that Claire Trevor was playing a prostitute named Dallas. But it's surely hinted at often enough. Claire Trevor was Hollywood's greatest portrayer of girls with easy virtue and a heart of gold which she has here. She got her Oscar in Key Largo again playing just such a role. The difference is she loves good guy John Wayne instead bad guy Edward G. Robinson in Key Largo. And to add to the mix we have an embezzling banker on the journey played by Berton Churchill who played many a sanctimonious hypocrite in his career. He gets news that the telegraph is down because of the Apaches on the warpath and in an act of impulse fills a satchel full of the bank's money and grabs the stagecoach at the last minute. He's also trying to escape a hatchet faced harridan of a wife. Nevertheless he's the least sympathetic and most useless character on the journey. A few months ago I saw and reviewed the film Carrie which was based on a Theodore Dreiser novel. The lead character in that, George Hurstwood is also an embezzler of his employer's money as he runs away to New York to get away from his harridan of a wife. But Hurstwood, same crime for the same reasons, is a sympathetic figure. Not our friend banker Gatewood as Churchill portrays him here. It some times depends on the writer's point of view. The last two passengers are John Carradine a mysterious gambler of Southern origins and the pregnant wife of an Army Captain played by stage actress Louise Platt. He also boards the stage at the last minute as he's crushing out big time over her. He becomes her protector during the journey. Of course Stagecoach is the first film that John Ford shot in Monument Valley and the long shots of the valley with the lonely stagecoach driving on to Lordsburg are breathtaking. And there's the Indian attack. The question is often asked why didn't the Indians just shoot the horses. The real answer is you wouldn't want to cut short abruptly one of the most spectacular chase scenes in film history. And then of course maybe the Indians wanted the live horses. Ford uses for the first time a spectacular gambit during the Indian attack. I won't say more, but think about the fact that he repeated the same shot in Fort Apache with the Indians chasing John Agar and the repair party there. What I like most about Stagecoach altogether is that it sticks to the first rule of movies, it moves. Even in the scenes of dialog inside the coach you get the feeling of movement. Nothing static about it, and the story could never be adequately done on a stage. It's what movie making is all about. Was the above review useful to you? 41 out of 55 people found the following review useful: Not just a great western but one of the best movies ever made. from Costa Mesa CA 4 March 2002 Stagecoach has all the hallmarks of a truly great film.The characters,the direction, the camera work, the scenery, the soundtrack. The story may seem simple but the characters are skillfully developed and colorful. They are real and interesting, not cliches. The desert setting and the stagecoach itself serve to make the great directing and camera work even greater. So many classic scenes in one movie. There are lot of little things like the shot of the coyote howling in the desert night. The shot of the stagecoach from behind going through a sand wash. The shot of the Indians on the hill looking down at the stagecoach. They look real and they look serious. The shot of the "Ringo Kid" watching Mr. Hatfield die.The "Kid" does'nt say a word but you can tell he's thinking about his murdered brother. The very first shot of John Wayne in his very first "A" movie may be his most memorable. Even if you've never seen Stagecoach you have seen that scene of the "Ringo Kid" holding his rifle and saddle while waving down the stage with the Monument Valley as a backdrop. No actor ever had a more spectacular debut. When you here the soundtrack, you can't help thinking about the Old West. John Ford should have won the Oscar for best director. His attention to details make this movie a classic. Classic in the sense that Stagecoach does'nt seem manufactured but seems like something that always was. Was the above review useful to you? 39 out of 52 people found the following review useful: Grandeur of Monument Valley, Utah, became part of the signature on a John Ford Western... 15 September 2002 * This review may contain spoilers * The remarkable thing about Ford's Westerns is his gift for simultaneously contemplating people as individuals and as representatives of virtues, vices, and other abstract qualities "Stagecoach" is the Western to combine successfully the poetic grandeur and sense of myth-making of the real and imagery West with pure entertainment values It is the Western in which the public first saw Monument Valley, Utah on film a place that Ford would revisit again and again, and that became his favorite location for the exterior sequences of his Westerns It is the first Western to combine successfully the poetic grandeur and sense of myth-making of the real and imaginary West with pure entertainment values... It is so rich it has become a treasury of Western characters and motifs Prior to 'Stagecoach,' the western was in grievous decline, but with 'Stagecoach' a renaissance occurred... "Stagecoach" makes much capital out of an early means of communication Ford used it as a symbol there is nothing more striking, as an image of loneliness, than a long-shot of a coach twisting its way through the arid and dry South-Western landscape but also as a box for shaking and mixing human drama The combination is devastating Despite some complaining criticism that there is just a little too much contrivance about the selection of passengers riding in the 'box', that they look as if they've been handpicked for contrast and for drama, "Stagecoach" always repays another look It still works admirably Time takes little away from it Everything seems to fit in "Stagecoach" from the first moment that the camera races in on the imposing figure of John Wayne, a man of heroic size with a powerful stance, twirling his Winchester rifle in one hand to the gallery of colorful portraits in a shaking box to the dramatic black and white photography taking advantage of every trick of light and shade including cloudscapes and silhouettes Ford carefully selected 'characters' boxed in for a troublesome ride They are not characters, save perhaps for the drunken doctor, in the usual Ford sense of beloved eccentrics They are highly contrasted 'types' who, by some alchemy that the movie develops, do grow to some extent into credible human beings Apart from the drunken Doc (superb1y played by Thomas Mitchell), there's the mysterious southern gambler (John Carradine), a pregnant wife (Louise Platt) joining her soldier husband, a Whisky salesman (Donald Meek) who could kid anyone at first sightespecially an audiencethat he's a parson, a whore with a heart of gold (Claire Trevor), and an absconding banker (Barton Churchill). Andy Devine is in the driving seat, George Bancroft, as a U.S. Marshal, rides shot-gun and keeps a wary though fatherly eye on the Ringo Kid (john Wayne) who has come along for at least part of the ride... Two things are at once apparent Ford is employing a dramatic device for which there is plenty of precedentcompressing diverse characters into a confined and highly charged situation in the certainty of reactions, and, secondly, that the Claire Trevor character is the spitting image, as they say, of Maupassant's tart, Boule de Suife Geronimo will be the catalyst for this load of combustibles He's on the loose again and the escorting cavalry have already had to say their farewells to the coach party Along the way you will also see: The birth of a child, the telegraph lines cut, an attack by Indians, a chase, a cavalry rescue, a poker game, a three-against-one gunfight on the streets of a town, and an exciting climax "Stagecoach" leaves a whole host of abiding impressions There is the dramatic black and white photography taking advantage of every trick of light and shade in the wonderful Monument Valley location It was the first time that Ford had used this setting within the Navajo Indian reservation around and about the Arizona-Utah state dividing line The eroded lunar landscape has its own beauty and its own menace and these two qualities are reflected in the film Cloudscapes and silhouettesthese linger on. "Stagecoach" bulged with all the required ingredients of the classic Western It carried a full complement of the historic-pioneering elements and it also made room for that other constituent, the domestic law and order issue Was the above review useful to you? 37 out of 50 people found the following review useful: Stagecoach, a great movie, a great western. from Lincoln, England 26 March 2002 I first saw Stagecoach the year it was released 1939, when I was nine years old. I saw it again the other afternoon as a rerun on tv. Despite that technically it is showing it's age, afterall it is 63 years old, and all of it's players are no longer with us, it is still one of the greatest westerns to ever grace a cinema screen. The indian attack, the cavalry to the rescue, the drunken doctor, the bar room floozie with a heart of gold, the gambler, and the hero doing "what a man's got to do" and escaping without a scratch . All the ingredients and more of a classic western but done superbly. Not a scene overplayed, not a (film) shot wasted. Was the above review useful to you? 31 out of 42 people found the following review useful: One of the greatest westerns of all time. from Brea, Ca. USA 18 December 1998 Stagecoach is not your normal, run of the mill, western. It will have you on the edge of your seat as passengers make their way through some dangerous Indian country. By the time the film ends, you will know all of the characters very well and ,for the most part,care whether they live or die.John Ford's excellent directing, great performances from John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Andy Devine and, especially, Thomas Mitchell who won an Acadamy Award for his portrayal of a drunken doctor aboard the stage. Add a great score, super stunt work, and filming done at Monument Valley (Arizona /Utah border) and you have a complete motion picture. I highly recommend "Stagecoach". Was the above review useful to you? 25 out of 32 people found the following review useful: A Western with a timeless appeal; one of the few essential Ford/Wayne collaborations from United States 15 July 2000 This film is not exactly a matured western, as it does show and (may or may not) endorse the conventional slaying of the battling natives by gunfire and such. But it shows how much a western can change in time, yet still have an appeal with its story elements, character, and especially with its style. An American classic nevertheless with director John Ford bringing his valley in Arizona which he would later use with star John Wayne in The Searchers and She wore a Yellow Ribbon, among others for himself as director, to the film of the tale of a group of people all stuck together on a stagecoach. After reading the short story from which the film is based on, some of the characters made sense, but they are still very much casted perfectly. New star John Wayne is in one these kinds of iconic performances that only got as good as with the Searchers. Plus there is Oscar winner Thomas Mitchell as a drunken, but not stupid, doctor. Very memorable as character study and as a pure action Western as well. As far as the style goes, the long-touted rumor that Orson Welles watched this film 40 times before directing Citizen Kane only makes the experience more enjoyable. Was the above review useful to you? 29 out of 40 people found the following review useful: Setting the Stage. from United States 30 April 2004 "Grand Hotel"-styled Western that puts nine very different people together on the titled vehicle to go across some very dangerous Indian territory. There is convict John Wayne (in his star-making role), scorned prostitute Claire Trevor, drunken doctor Thomas Mitchell (in a well-deserved Oscar-winning role), slick gambler John Carradine, pregnant youngster Louise Platt, shady banker Berton Churchill, whiskey salesman Donald Meek, lawman George Bancroft and driver Andy Devine on this star-studded ride. Soon the characters are turned from would-be stereotypes to very complicated three-dimensional figures that are all deep and humanistic. "Stagecoach" does not only benefit from its actors and screenplay though as legendary director John Ford (Oscar-nominated) shows his ability to mix and mesh quiet, heartfelt moments with amazingly detailed action sequences that were way ahead of their time. A great picture from arguably the cinema's finest single year of films. 5 stars out of 5. Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 36:	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_12	Film History of the 1930s Film History of the 1930s 1970s \| 1980s \| 1990s \| 2000s \| 2010s The Golden Age of Hollywood: From 1930 to 1948 The 1930s decade (and most of the 1940s as well) has been nostalgically labeled "The Golden Age of Hollywood" (although most of the output of the decade was black-and-white). The 30s was also the decade of the sound and color revolutions and the advance of the 'talkies', and the further development of film genres (gangster films, musicals, newspaper-reporting films, historical biopics, social-realism films, lighthearted screwball comedies, westerns and horror to name a few). It was the era in which the silent period ended, with many silent film stars not making the transition to sound (e.g., Vilmy Banky, John Gilbert, and Norma Talmadge). By 1933, the economic effects of the Depression were being strongly felt, especially in decreased movie theatre attendance. As the 1930s began, there were a number of unique firsts: young 'platinum blonde' star Jean Harlow appeared in her first major role in Howard Hughes' World War I aviation epic, Hell's Angels (1930) ; the "Blonde Bombshell" was signed by MGM in 1932 and soon became a major star enigmatic silent star Greta Garbo (originally named Greta Lovisa Gustafsson), part of MGM's galaxy of stars and nicknamed "The Divine Garbo" and "The Swedish sphinx," spoke her first immortal, husky, Swedish-accented words in director Clarence Brown's MGM film Anna Christie (1930) . (As a floozy, she spoke: "Gimme a vhiskey, ginger ale on the side. And don't be stingy, baby") - it was Garbo's first talkie (advertised as "GARBO TALKS!") the first of Hollywood's dramatic prison dramas (a new subgenre) was produced by MGM, The Big House (1930), directed by George Hill B-actor John Wayne made his debut in his first major role in a western directed by Raoul Walsh, The Big Trail (1930) - one of the first films shot in Grandeur, Fox's experimental wide-screen 70mm format. Both the film and the new process flopped; it would be nine more years before his star-making appearance in Stagecoach (1939) Broadway actress Helen Hayes made her screen debut in The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) and won the Best Actress Academy Award for her first talkie MGM stars Clark Gable and Joan Crawford starred together in the risque pre-Code film Dance, Fools, Dance (1931), the first of eight features that teamed them together the best-known Charlie Chan actor, Warner Oland, played the detective for the first time in Charlie Chan Carries On (1931) RKO won its sole Best Picture Academy Award for the western Cimarron (1931) in 1930, the Motion Picture Production Code, administered by Joseph I. Breen (and former Postmaster General Will Hays) set film guidelines regarding sex, violence, religion, and crime (not yet strictly enforced until the Production Code Administration (1934)) the first daily newspaper for the film industry had its debut in 1930, The Hollywood Reporter Katharine Hepburn made her screen debut in A Bill of Divorcement (1932) Olympic swimming champion Johnny Weissmuller made his screen debut as the vine-swinging ape-man in Tarzan, the Ape Man (1932) Curly-topped, dimpled child star Shirley Temple appeared in her first films, an Our Gang type series of shorts titled Baby Burlesks (1933) the first appearance of the cartoon character Popeye was in the Betty Boop cartoon from Paramount and Max Fleischer, Popeye the Sailor (1933) the world's first drive-in theatre opened in Camden, N.J. in June, 1933; the fourth drive-in was located on Pico in Los Angeles, CA and opened in September, 1934 the first Three Stooges comedy film (the first of their 190 slapstick comedy films that lasted through 1959) with Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard, was released by Columbia, the short Woman Haters (1934) (with all the dialogue in rhyme) Walt Disney's 8-minute The Wise Little Hen (1934) featured the first appearance of Donald Duck the longest Hollywood talkie released up to that time, MGM's The Great Ziegfeld (1936), at 2 hours, 59 minutes MGM star Spencer Tracy won consecutive Best Actor Oscars in the late 30s for his appearances in Captains Courageous (1937) and Boys Town (1938) - this wouldn't happen again until Tom Hanks won back-to-back Oscars in the 90s for Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994) Josef von Sternberg and Marlene Dietrich: Although Austrian-born director Josef von Sternberg's best works were in his silent films (Underworld (1927), The Last Command (1928), and The Docks of New York (1929)), he acheived greatest notoriety during the 30s. Exotic German actress Marlene Dietrich's stardom was launched by von Sternberg's The Blue Angel (Germany, 1929) with her role as the leggy Lola Lola, a sensual cabaret striptease dancer and the singing of Falling in Love Again. It was Germany's first all-talking picture. Dietrich would soon go on to star in many other films - usually with characters that were variations on Lola - jaded femme fatales. Dietrich was 'discovered' and appeared in her first Hollywood feature film, Morocco (1930), again as a nightclub singer with co-star Gary Cooper as a French legionnaire. Dietrich was subsequently promoted by Paramount Studios as a 'continental' German rival to MGM's imported star Greta Garbo. A few years later, Dietrich collaborated further with von Sternberg in Dishonored (1931), Shanghai Express (1932) , Blonde Venus (1932) (with Dietrich as a demure wife who is transformed into a cabaret star), The Scarlet Empress (1934) (with Dietrich as Russia's Catherine the Great), and in The Devil is a Woman (1935) (as a money-hungry, seductive vamp). Dietrich and von Sternberg made a total of seven films together. By 1946, von Sternberg was the uncredited assistant to director King Vidor for Duel in the Sun (1946) . The Sound Era's Coming-of-Age: Most of the early talkies were successful at the box-office, but many of them were of poor quality - dialogue-dominated play adaptations, with stilted acting (from inexperienced performers) and an unmoving camera or microphone. Screenwriters were required to place more emphasis on characters in their scripts, and title-card writers became unemployed. The first musicals were only literal transcriptions of Broadway shows taken to the screen. Nonetheless, a tremendous variety of films were produced with a wit, style, skill, and elegance that has never been equalled - before or since. Rouben Mamoulian, a successful Broadway director, refused to keep the cumbersome sound cameras pinned to the studio floor, and demonstrated a graceful, rhythmic, fluid, choreographed flowing style in his films - first with his directorial debut 1929 film Applause (1929) (and later with Love Me Tonight (1932)), one of the first great American musicals starring legendary Roaring 20s torch singer Helen Morgan in her first film role. Applause also introduced a revolutionary sound technique: a double-channel soundtrack with overlapping dialogue. Mastery of techniques for the sound era were also demonstrated in the works of director Ernst Lubitsch, who advanced the action of his films with the integrated musical numbers. The first filmic musical was Lubitsch's first talkie, the witty and bubbly The Love Parade (1929/30) with Jeanette MacDonald (in her debut film) and Maurice Chevalier (in his second picture) - the recipient of six Academy Awards nominations (including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor). After directing three more musical comedies in the next three years, including Best Picture-nominated One Hour with You (1931/32) with the same leads, Lubitsch filmed his last musical, The Merry Widow (1934) with equally naturalistic musical expressions and the winner of the Best Art Direction Academy Award. Also, in the first filming of the Ben Hecht-MacArthur play, Lewis Milestone's The Front Page (1931), a mobile camera was combined with inventive, rapid-fire dialogue and quick-editing. Other 1931 films in the emerging 'newspaper' genre included Mervyn LeRoy's social issues film about the tabloid press entitled Five Star Final (1931) (with Edward G. Robinson and Boris Karloff in a rare, non-monster role), Frank Capra's Platinum Blonde (1931) (with Jean Harlow), and John Cromwell's Scandal Sheet (1931). After 1932, the development of sound-mixing freed films from the limitations of recording on sets and locations. Scripts from writers were becoming more advanced with witty dialogue, realistic characters and plots. Hecht adapted Noel Coward's work for Lubitsch's Design for Living (1933), starring Gary Cooper, Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins, and Dudley Nichols adapted Maxwell Anderson's play for director John Ford's screen version Mary of Scotland (1936). Two-Color and Three-Color (Full-Color) Technicolor Development: One of the first 'color' films was Thomas Edison's hand-tinted short Annabell's Butterfly Dance. Two-color (red and green) feature films were the first color films produced, including the first two-color feature film The Toll of the Sea, and then better-known films such as Stage Struck (1925) and The Black Pirate (1926). It would take the development of a new three-color camera, in 1932, to usher in true full-color Technicolor. The first film (a short) in three-color Technicolor was Walt Disney's animated talkie Flowers and Trees (1932) in the Silly Symphony series. [However, others claim that the first-ever color cartoon was Ted Eschbaugh's bizarre Goofy Goat Antics (1931).] In the next year, Disney also released the colorful animation - The Three Little Pigs (1933). Its optimistic hit theme song: "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" (based upon the tune of Happy Birthday) became a Depression-era anthem. It was one of the earliest films displaying 'personality animation' - each of the three pigs had a distinctive personality. In 1934, the first full-color, live-action short was released - La Cucaracha (1934). Hollywood's first full-length feature film photographed entirely in three-strip Technicolor was Rouben Mamoulian's Becky Sharp (1935) - an adaptation of English novelist William Makepeace Thackeray's Napoleonic-era novel Vanity Fair. The first musical in full-color Technicolor was Dancing Pirate (1936). And the first outdoor drama filmed in full-color was The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936). In the late 30s, two beloved films, The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Gone with the Wind (1939) , were expensively produced with Technicolor - what would the Wizard of Oz (with ruby slippers and a yellow brick road) be without color? And the trend would continue into the next decade in classic MGM musicals such as Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and Easter Parade (1948). Special-effects processes were advanced by the late 1930s, making it possible for many more films to be shot on sets rather than on-location (e.g., The Hurricane (1937) and Captains Courageous (1937) .) In 1937, the Disney-produced Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) was the first feature-length animated film - a milestone. The colorful Grimm fairy tale was premiered by Walt Disney Studios - becoming fast known for pioneering sophisticated animation. Film History of the 1930s	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_15	John Wayne and Alex Cord: Two Ringo Kids of ‘Stagecoach’ - The New York Times The New York Times DVD \|The Man Who Dared to Fill John Wayne’s Boots Search Continue reading the main story Photo Slim Pickens, Van Heflin and Alex Cord in a still from the 1966 remake of “Stagecoach.” Credit Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment IN 1966, the bravest man in movies must have been Alex Cord, the Long Island native who stepped into the John Wayne role in Gordon Douglas’s color and CinemaScope remake of John Ford’s 1939 “Stagecoach.” On one hand, it was a fabulous break for an unknown actor with only one major role (in Richard Quine’s “Synanon” ) to his credit. On the other, it was practically an engraved invitation to commit career suicide. For Wayne, his role as the Ringo Kid finally made him a movie star, after 10 years of false starts and setbacks. The part remained indissolubly associated with him, as the movie went on to become an American classic and, for many viewers, the one-film definition of the western genre. The 1966 “Stagecoach,” on the other hand, received moderately approving reviews (“an enjoyable trip most of the way,” Robert Alden wrote in The New York Times) and began the slow slide into obscurity that seems to be the fate of overreaching remakes. Though it has occasionally surfaced on television, Douglas’s “Stagecoach” has remained elusive on home video until now, as it arrives in a limited edition DVD from the boutique label Twilight Time. Continue reading the main story The lanky, long-faced Mr. Cord actually bears a closer resemblance to Tom Tyler, who played the Ringo Kid’s gun-slinging nemesis, Luke Plummer, in the John Ford film, than he does to the towering, barrel-chested Wayne. Under Douglas’s direction, Mr. Cord creates a less charismatic but more approachable Ringo. Advertisement Continue reading the main story In the original film, Ford introduces Wayne with a highly uncharacteristic visual flourish: the camera darts toward Wayne in a rapid dolly shot, as the actor, standing in front of what appears to be a projected background, twirls his rifle in a grand, theatrical gesture. The shot briefly goes out of focus as Ford’s cinematographer, Bert Glennon, struggles to keep up with the change in scale — an effect that may have been accidental, but which grants Wayne an almost supernatural aura, as his face emerges from the blur to fill the screen in a dominating close-up. This is mythmaking, pure and simple. Douglas, by contrast, discovers Mr. Cord’s Ringo sitting by the side of the road, in a roomy, wide-screen composition that fully integrates the actor with natural environment. In the background, a rushing waterfall imparts some of its strength and wonder to the character, but Douglas soon moves to a higher angle that eliminates the waterfall from the image, and actually seems to diminish Ringo’s stature by looking down on him, hemmed in by a cluster of trees. There’s no Homeric apotheosis here, just a frank appraisal of a man who lives within the limits of the natural world. The comparison illuminates the difference between two films and two filmmakers working from what is essentially the same script (although the rewrite, by Joseph Landon, expands some scenes and eliminates others, large passages of Dudley Nichols’s original dialogue are recycled). While Ford was indisputably the greater artist, Douglas has put his finger on one of the weaknesses of “Stagecoach”: Ford’s determination to make a sort of meta-western, a film that deals in archetypes rather than individuals, and epic themes rather than genre conventions. With “Stagecoach,” Ford’s return to the genre after 13 years of more “prestigious” material, the western achieves self-consciousness, an awareness of itself as America’s official foundation myth. Douglas almost literally brings the material back to earth, shifting the action from the black-and-white, lunar landscape of Monument Valley (“Stagecoach” was the first film that Ford shot among its eerie promontories) to the fecund greenery of a Colorado mountain range. Ford, in Andrew Sarris’s famous phrase, keeps his eye on the horizon line of history; Douglas, whose sensibility is at once more pessimistic and humanistic than Ford’s, concentrates on the immediate problems facing the characters in the foreground. Photo Mr. Cord with Ann-Margret, his romantic partner in the film. Credit Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment The 1966 “Stagecoach” is an intriguing anticipation of the disaster-film cycle that would begin in earnest with “Airport” in 1970. An all-star cast (for 1966, at least — Ann-Margret, Red Buttons, Mike Connors, Bing Crosby, Robert Cummings, Van Heflin, Slim Pickens, Stefanie Powers) faces an apocalyptic threat (provided in “Stagecoach” by some uncharacterized Indians, the weakest element in both movies) while trapped within a restricted environment, much like the casts of “The Poseidon Adventure” and “The Towering Inferno.” But what at first seems a threat becomes a sort of therapy, as some characters reveal their hidden weaknesses (Cummings’s smiling, sanctimonious banker has a satchel full of stolen cash), others discover their hidden strengths (Crosby’s alcoholic doctor sobers up long enough to deliver a baby), while the frayed social network pulls more tightly together. The 1970s disaster films would add a theological dimension (remember the inverted Christmas tree in “The Poseidon Adventure”?) that remains quite foreign to Douglas’s pragmatic personality. There is nothing metaphorical or metaphysical about the violence in “Stagecoach,” which retains the shocking, graphic immediacy that Douglas pioneered in films like “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” (1950) and “Them!” (1954). Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy In Ford’s film, the great set piece is the Indian attack on the stagecoach as it crosses an open stretch of desert. Douglas, no doubt wary of trying to surpass one of the most famous sequences in film history, almost throws away the scene. He covers Ford’s epic vistas with a single helicopter shot and quickly moves the chase into a wooded area, where it ends, not with the magnificent sense of release and deliverance of Ford’s film, but in a squalid shootout. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Instead, Douglas concentrates on Ringo’s last-reel showdown with Luke Plummer, a scene played so perfunctorily by Ford that it seems like an anticlimax (though a brilliant one, I think). For Douglas, the darkened western town, with its deserted streets and little pools of light, becomes an urban jungle right out of one of his early films noirs, and Ringo’s confrontation with a vigorously characterized, actively sadistic Plummer (Keenan Wynn) is brutal and personal. When John Wayne’s Ringo rides off with his newfound love (Claire Trevor, as the “saloon girl” with a heart of gold), Ford seems to imagine them as a new Adam and Eve, whose children will populate an American Eden of freedom and democracy. Alex Cord’s Ringo enjoys a more prosaic fate, but perhaps a less burdensome one: when he rides away with his saloon girl (a young and impossibly lush Ann-Margret), we see a couple of kids escaping an adult world that has become too corrupt and confining for them. “Stagecoach” did not make Cord a star, but it didn’t destroy him: he moved into Euro-westerns and television (including a long run as a star of the CBS series “Airwolf” ) and today raises horses and writes novels. That seems to me a happy ending, too. (Twilight Time, available exclusively through screenarchives.com , $19.95) ALSO OUT THIS WEEK A BETTER LIFE Chris Weitz (“About a Boy”) directed this study of a Mexican gardener (Demián Bichir) working without papers in Los Angeles. When his truck is stolen, he and his teenage son go searching for it, in an apparent homage to Vittorio De Sica’s “Bicycle Thieves.” “As is sometimes the case with movies that take on civil and political rights without force-feeding the audience, ‘A Better Life’ plays the human interest angle hard,” Manohla Dargis wrote in The New York Times in June. (Summit, Blu-ray $30.49, DVD $26.99, PG-13) PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES Johnny Depp returns as Capt. Jack Sparrow in the fourth installment of the spoofy swashbuckling series from the producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Ian McShane joins the cast as the rival pirate Blackbeard, as does Penélope Cruz as a woman from Jack’s past. Rob Marshall ( “Nine” ) directed; with Geoffrey Rush and Kevin McNally. “More energy will be expended parsing the box-office returns than discussing the merits of the film, which is likely to be judged entertaining enough and therefore, in the end, not much fun at all,” A. O. Scott wrote in The Times in May. (Disney, Blu-ray 3-D/Blu-ray/DVD combo $49.99; Blu-ray/DVD combo $39.99, PG-13) IT TAKES A THIEF Robert Wagner is a cat burglar recruited by the United States government to steal for the side of truth and justice in an ABC series that ran from 1968 to 1970. This box set includes all 66 episodes on 18 discs. (Entertainment One, $199.98, not rated) BAD TEACHER Cameron Diaz sheds her nice-girl image for a raunchy comedy about a Chicago schoolteacher who hates her job and schemes to marry a wealthy colleague (Justin Timberlake). With Jason Segel; Jake Kasdan ( “Walk Hard” ) directed. “In ‘Bad Teacher,’ a breezily crude comedy about unladylike pleasures like guzzling booze, swearing at children and being mean because, well, you can be, Cameron Diaz taps into her inner thug,” Ms. Dargis wrote in The Times in June. “It’s a beautiful thing.” (Sony, Blu-ray/DVD combo $40.99, DVD $30.99, R) PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES Andrew Rossi’s documentary examines the workings of the Times’s media desk, focusing on the reporters David Carr, Tim Arango and Brian Stelter. (Magnolia Home Entertainment, $26.98, R) A version of this article appears in print on October 16, 2011, on Page AR13 of the New York edition with the headline: The Man Who Dared to Fill John Wayne’s Boots. Order Reprints \| Today's Paper \| Subscribe	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_20	Stagecoaching in Texas \| Texas Almanac Stagecoaching in Texas A restored 1880 Butterfield Overland stagecoach. Early-day Texas travelers had only four choices when they needed to get from one town to another — walk, ride a horse, bounce along in a buggy or take a stagecoach. Multi-passenger horse-drawn stagecoaches — Texas’ first regularly scheduled non-maritime, for-hire public transportation — came into use soon after the Mexican province won its independence from Mexico in 1836. By 1837, only a year after the Battle of San Jacinto, a stage line connected Houston and Harrisburg, a distance of five miles. A year later, the Telegraph and Texas Register carried a display advertisement noting availability of a “Regular Line of Stages From Houston to Washington.” The stage departed an inn called the Houston House at 6 a.m. on Thursdays, and, weather permitting, rolled into Washington-on-the-Brazos 30 hours later. A stage left Washington-on-the-Brazos for Houston at 6 a.m. every Wednesday. As proprietor J.F. Brown noted in his ad, “The subscriber having the contract for carrying the mail, will run regular with a carriage to accommodate passengers.” That not-so-well-crafted sentence from 1838 summarizes the business model for stagecoaching that stood for more than 70 years in some parts of Texas. A stagecoach operator’s bread-and-butter came in the form of a government mail contract. Passengers and light freight sometimes paid for themselves, sometimes not, but an annual payment from the government enhanced that profit or loss. The first Congress of the Republic of Texas set up a postal system and established postal routes, but as with most government enterprises in the near-decade of Texas national sovereignty, a lack of money left Texans with mail service that fell far short of its model in the neighboring United States. By 1839, with the founding of Austin as the republic’s capital, a stage line carried mail, passengers and freight along a hardly improved 150-plus-mile route from Houston to the new city on the frontier. Rolling Stock Though “stagecoach” served as the generic description for horse-drawn conveyances carrying passengers, three types of coaches traveled the rough roads of Texas. The first, the one that comes to mind for most when they think of stagecoaches, was the Concord coach. The distinctive teacup-on-four-wheels design of the stagecoach emerged as an icon of the Old West, but the coaches came from a manufacturer in New England. The history of the Concord coach traces to 1813, when 21-year-old Lewis Downing moved from Massachusetts to Concord, N.H., and began operating a carriage shop. Thirteen years later, Downing hired journeyman coach builder J. Stephen Abbot, who soon became his partner. In 1827, they built the first vehicle that came to be called the Concord coach. The firm of Abbott & Downing went on to produce more than 3,000 stagecoaches, the “Cadillacs” of the industry. Pulled by either four or six horses, the coaches came in 6-, 9- or 12-passenger sizes. (Up to six passengers, including the driver and a messenger in charge of the mail sacks, also could sit on top of the coach.) Handcrafted from oak and ash, with elm wheels and a curved body of basswood, the coaches had red upholstered seats (though some had leather seats) and a leather “boot” on the back for luggage. Standing 8-½ feet high and weighing 1-¼ tons, the Concord usually came in red with yellow trim. Fancy paintings and gold scroll often decorated the coach’s doors. “It is roomy and grand, with rhythm in its roll and the play of its wheels,” one happy traveler wrote of the Concord stage. “It is poetry in motion.“ That “rhythm” came from the coach’s innovative thoroughbraces, long, 4-inch-wide leather strips that in a latter era would be called shock absorbers. In addition to lessening the bumps associated with traveling unpaved roads, the thoroughbraces caused the stagecoach to swing from side to side. If the coach got stuck in the mud, savvy drivers knew that motion made it easier for the horses to extract it. Mark Twain, in Roughing It, likened a stagecoach to a “cradle on wheels.” At the height of their popularity and production, Concord coaches ranged in price from $500 to twice that. Other carriage makers, mostly smaller operations, also built coaches similar in appearance to the Concord-made vehicles. Still, the Concords saw the most use on the basis of their deserved reputation for quality. The second commonly used vehicle was a four-horse wagon covered with a canvas tarp that could be rolled up in warm weather or tied down in cold or rainy conditions. Built on a Concord frame, these vehicles were called celerity wagons. Also known as mud wagons, they had a lower center of gravity and being lighter, could travel faster. Often pulled by mules, they usually served the shorter, less-trafficked, more rugged routes, particularly in West Texas. In later years, two-horse hacks, also with roll-down canvas tops, plied routes connecting smaller communities with towns having rail service. Stagecoach Inns and Stations Every stagecoach route in Texas stretched along a series of stopping points where drivers could hitch on a fresh team in 10 minutes and be on their way again. Three times a day, passengers could get a hurried meal. Long-haul stages tended to run 24-hours-a-day, but some stage stops featured overnight accommodations. The distance between stops varied depending on the terrain and the availability of water, but 15 to 30 miles apart was the norm. In the early days of stagecoaching in Texas, especially in the more populated areas, those stops came at rural inns offering travelers bed and board. These inns ranged from log cabins with a dogtrot to handsome two-story Greek Revival–style houses. In cities, hotels often served as departure points. As Texas grew to the west and south, the stops in more remote areas tended to be less fancy. In the vastness of West Texas, a stage stop usually amounted to little more than a stone or adobe structure and a corral for the stock. Stagecoach stop fare ranged from terrible — wormy biscuits and grease-laden meat of unknown source — to something weary travelers looked forward to. Meal prices ran from 40 cents to a dollar in the late 1850s. A man named Sargent ran a hotel that served as the stage stop in Brackettville, the town that had grown up outside the Army garrison at Fort Clark in Kinney County. Vinton E. James, passing through on the stage in 1876, spent the night at the Sargent Hotel. He later wrote: “Next morning, after a hearty breakfast of hot cakes and coffee we told our host, Mr. Sargent, goodbye.” At most stage stations, pork or wild game, beans, bread and coffee awaited tired, dusty travelers. But at the better places, usually those in the more settled areas of East Texas, a hungry stage passenger might find a variety of wild game, oysters or fish. Biscuits or cornbread could be slathered in butter and washed down with sweet milk, as it was called. “The fare, though rough, is better than could be expected so far from civilized districts,” New York Herald correspondent Waterman L. Ormsby said of stagecoach stop food in Texas. “It consists of bread, tea, and fried steaks of bacon, venison, antelope, or mule flesh — the latter tough. …” He added, “the stomach does not long remain delicate after a few days of life on the plains.” Connecting Texas Ports Stagecoaches carried passengers inland from Texas’ two busiest ports, Galveston and Indianola. “The U.S. Mail stage leaves the Planter’s House on the arrival of the steamers from New Orleans and Galveston by which travelers will have a speedy and direct passage to Victoria, Cuero, Gonzales, Seguin, New Braunfels, and Austin,” a Dec. 29, 1848, advertisement in the Galveston News said of the stage service available at its rival port down the coast. “Messrs. Harrison and McCullough, the well known proprietors of the line, have placed upon it an excellent coach, and will make their trips so as to enable passengers landing at Indian Point [Indianola] to proceed to the interior with as little delay as possible.” Overland Routes The 1848 discovery of gold along the American River in California turned Sacramento and San Francisco into boom towns and stimulated the development of stagecoach transportation in Texas, half-way across the continent. Frontiersman Henry Skillman garnered a mail contract to provide service from San Antonio to El Paso to Santa Fe in 1851, the first of his stages rolling out of San Antonio on Nov. 3, 1851. Skillman lost his contract in 1854, but after a short interval partnered with George H. Giddings to resume the Texas-to-New Mexico service. In the summer of 1857, the operators suddenly faced a business challenge from James Birch, who landed a $150,000-a-year contract to provide through service to San Diego. Birch owned 400 mules and horses and employed 65 men to run 50 Concord stages or celerity wagons (which saw more usage in Texas) on a 1,476-mile route that took an average of 27 days to cover. A passenger wanting to get all the way to El Paso from the Alamo City had to pony over $100. Passage to California from Texas cost twice that. Mules provided most of the motive power, giving Birch’s enterprise its nickname, “The Jackass Mail.” When Birch died in the fall of 1857, Giddings and R.E. Doyle bought his contract. The Jackass Mail not being sufficient to handle all the non-maritime mail going in and out of the Golden State, U.S. Postmaster General Aaron Brown executed an ambitious mail contract with New Yorker John Butterfield in March 1857. Butterfield’s contract netted him $600,000 yearly to provide twice-a-week mail service in each direction. The agreement also allowed him to collect fares for carrying passengers. Butterfield oversaw the surveying of a route that extended 2,795 miles from St. Louis to San Francisco. The oxbow-shaped route, selected by the postmaster general because it would be usable year-round (though Brown, being a Southerner, may also have had something to do with it) crossed the Red River into Texas at Benjamin Franklin Colbert’s ferry at Preston in Grayson County and continued for 740 miles toward El Paso, cutting across the upper Pecos River to Pine Springs at the foot of the Guadalupe Mountains, then via Hueco Tanks to El Paso. After mid-1859, Butterfield moved the trans-Pecos segment of the route more to the south, his stages fording the snake-like river at the legendary Horsehead Crossing. The Texas leg of the trip took eight days on average. With significant financial support from William G. Fargo and Henry Wells (owners of Wells, Fargo & Co. and American Express), Butterfield’s Overland Mail Co. built a stage stop every 15 to 20 miles, digging cisterns and putting up corrals. The significance of the operation — the nation’s first commercial transcontinental transportation system — can be judged by the level of investment: The company purchased 250 stagecoaches or celerity wagons in addition to freight and water wagons, some 1,200 horses and 600 mules, and kept nearly 800 drivers, conductors, station keeps, blacksmiths and wranglers on its payroll. The first Butterfield stage left the St. Louis area on Sept. 16, 1858, with the initial east-bound stage having pulled out of San Francisco the day before. Butterfield’s contract stipulated that the trip take less than 25 days. “Remember boys,” Butterfield famously said, “nothing on God’s earth must stop the United States mail!” Twenty-three-year-old Waterman L. Ormsby, a correspondent for the New York Herald, rode with Butterfield and his son aboard the west-bound stage when it left Missouri. In what became a classic of Western Americana, the young journalist chronicled the inaugural trip for posterity. When the stagecoach finally reached California, Ormsby wrote: “Had I not just come over the route, I would be perfectly willing to go back, but I now know what Hell is like. I’ve just had 24 days of it.” Stage Lines Span the State “As a general thing,” the 1859 Texas Almanac informed its readers, “the service is as good as can be found elsewhere.” Travel by stagecoach normally cost a dime a mile, though rates could be doubled when rain-swollen streams and muddy roads made operations more difficult. The Austin-based firm of Risher & Sawyer operated two important routes in the 1850s, a line than connected Austin and San Antonio three times weekly and a Houston–Austin route. The Texas State Gazette offered its “best wishes for … success” in 1852 when Col. George W. Grant had formed a company that would run a stage “every alternate day” from Austin to Houston, making the trip in only two days. One way from the Capital City to Houston cost $15. From Austin to the Alamo City, one old-timer later recalled, “the trip was made in 18 hours with breakfast at the Blanco Creek, supper in New Braunfels and arrival at San Antonio sometime during the night, weather and floods permitting.” In wet weather, the 75-mile trip took the worst part of a week. Shortly before the beginning of the Civil War, Texas had 31 stage lines in operation. B. Risher and a new partner, C.K. Hall, ran 16 of those lines. They had some 300 men working for them and owned more than 1,000 horses and mules. The Overland Mail Co. ranked as the largest stagecoach firm doing business in Texas, but Butterfield’s connection to the company ended in 1860, when Fargo and the other stakeholders relieved him of his day-to-day managerial authority over a difference in operational philosophy. The Overland line continued its Texas runs until March 2, 1861, less than six weeks before the outbreak of the Civil War, when Congress moved the main mail route farther to the north. With blue-coated U.S. cavalry troopers having been withdrawn from the state following secession, and with most able-bodied Texans off fighting Yankees, the virtually unprotected Texas frontier contracted eastward by a hundred miles or more. Indian attacks increased while stagecoach travel decreased. Except for a line connecting San Antonio and Eagle Pass, San Antonio represented the western-most extent of stage service in Confederate Texas. Stage traffic increased, however, between the state’s southern-most railhead at Alleyton in Colorado County and the Rio Grande Valley, where Southern-grown cotton was shipped to foreign markets on blockade runners via ports at the mouth of the river on the Mexican side. The route from Alleyton to Brownsville came to be called the Cotton Road. Following the war, Texas stagecoach operations and routes expanded. Communities without service eagerly sought a connection. “Here we are, 35 miles from a stage line, and have to send the mail that distance every week to the Post Office,” the Tyler Journal lamented in November 1865. Only a few weeks later, another Tyler newspaper, The Reporter, informed its readers that “Sawyer, Risher & Hall have established a stage line from Marshal via Tyler, to Crockett. This is a much needed improvement and places Tyler again within reach of the balance of the world by stage.” By the early 1870s, Risher and Hall ran seven routes operating out of Austin, Brenham, Columbus, La Grange, San Antonio, Victoria and Waco. E.M. Sawyer and his brother Frederick, had four lines, including the one through Tyler. Calling them “indefatigable and enterprising,” the editor of the 1867 Texas Almanac said the state “is probably more indebted [to Sawyer, Risher and Hall] for mails … than to all others together. There is nominally a mail agent for Texas and Louisiana, but so far as Texas is concerned, he is only nominally an agent.” Ben Ficklin operated a stage line connecting Fort Smith, Ark., and San Antonio with service to El Paso beginning in 1868. After Ficklin’s death in 1871, his partner F.C. Taylor took over the operation. One of their more important stations, a stop on the Concho River, became, along with Fort Concho, the nucleus for the city of San Angelo. Indian Attacks Stagecoach travel in the less-settled areas, particularly far West Texas, remained risky even after the Civil War. The caution John Butterfield had offered his customers before the war still held sway: “You will be traveling through Indian country and the safety of your person cannot be vouchsafed by anyone but God.” During the 2 years, 5 months and 17 days that the Overland Mail Co. served Texas, it lost more than 50 employees to Indians and many of its stage stops were sacked by Indians bent on stealing mules and horses. They escaped with hundreds of head. Before the Butterfield line supplanted the San Antonio–San Diego “Jackass Mail,” Apaches killed all occupants of a west-bound stage in Quitman Canyon, southwest of present-day Sierra Blanca in what is now Hudspeth County. “The Indians had ambuscaded the road by building blinds on each side of the road,” former Texas Ranger Capt. George W. Baylor recollected in 1899. “They riddled the stage with bullets and arrows.” When searchers found the battered stage, Baylor continued, “There was a great deal of blood on the dashboard and the bottom of the stage … showing the first volley at close range must have killed or wounded most of the party [aboard the stage].” Only one body was ever found, and it had been burned beyond recognition. The last known Indian attack on a stagecoach occurred in January 1881, also in Quitman Canyon. Rangers trailed the warriors responsible for the raid and killed most of them in the final clash between the state officers and hostile Indians. Guards brandish weapons on a Wells Fargo wagon transporting $150,000 of gold bullion in 1890. John C.H. Grabill Collection. Robberies Stagecoach robberies happened so often it came to be considered something of a right of passage to hand over one’s money and valuables to a masked man with a gun on some lonely roadside. “At one time,” wrote journalist Alexander Sweet in his humor sheet Texas Siftings, “the traveling public became so accustomed to going through the usual ceremonies that they complained to the stage companies if they came through unmolested. Being robbed came to be regarded as a vested right.” Fifty-eight years after the fact, Austin resident Sam Moore still liked to talk about the time he faced highwaymen in 1879. Just back from a trail drive, Moore had boarded the west-bound stage in Austin. The Capital City had rail service to points north and east, but stagecoaches remained the only form of public transportation to West Texas. “When we reached the Peg Leg Crossing, on the San Saba River, a fellow wearing a mask rode out and unhitched the horses and ordered everyone from the coach,” Moore recalled in an interview in the long-defunct Austin Dispatch in 1937. Riding with him that day were four traveling salesman — then called “drummers” — and a young woman. Drummers usually conducted their business in cash and road agents considered them “rich pickings.” The outlaws searched the salesmen and relieved them of cash and coin. After examining the lady’s purse and jewelry, the lead robber handed it back, courteously saying he didn’t rob women. Then the gunman turned his attention to Moore. “He … punched me in the ribs with his gun, and said, ‘Keep your stuff, there ain’t no cowboy got a damn thing.’ ” Noticing the masked man’s eyes looked somewhat familiar, Moore figured the robber knew him. The young cowboy may or may not have known the robber, but he later maintained the man was Rube Burrow, “a rather notorious character with whom Uncle Sam was acquainted.” Eventually arrested for murder in Tucson, Ariz., “Burrow” was extradited to Texas and booked into the Travis county jail, a castle-like stone structure built in 1875 across from the Capitol. “After a time,” Moore continued his tale, “a woman, representing herself to be ‘Burrow’s’ wife, appeared at the jail to visit her husband, with food and clean clothing.” The visits continued with regularity for several months. “Then one afternoon, when time came to let her out the ‘wife’ pushed a Colt into the jailers’ ribs and demanded the keys. Wearing a Mother Hubbard, ‘Rube Burrow’ clattered down the steps and made his escape. The woman dressed in her husband’s garb, remained in jail.” “Burrow,” whoever he really was, never again appeared in Texas. That was Moore’s story, anyway. An Alabama-born character by the name of Rube Burrow with a Robin Hood–like reputation did spend some time in Texas during the 1870s and 1880s, but his first crime is not believed to have occurred until 1886, well after the robbery Moore remembered. The Texas Rangers eventually rounded up the Peg Leg stage robbers, but the only thing that truly put an end to stage coach robbing was the expansion of rail service in Texas. And then bandits took to robbing trains. Hard Travel Even without Indians or outlaws, stagecoach travel was hard going. “To make excellent jam,” the San Antonio Herald wrote with its editorial-tongue-in-cheek, “squeeze six or eight women, now-a-days, into a common stagecoach.” A Nebraska newspaper published a list of stagecoach travel tips that worked just as well in Texas. “The best seat … is the one next to the driver,” the newspaper advised. Three important “don’ts” included not slumping over on a fellow passenger when sleeping, not asking how far it is to the next station “until you get there,” and not discussing politics or religion. Finally, “Expect annoyance, discomfort, and some hardships. If you are disappointed, thank heaven.” On the Austin–Houston route, wet weather always made the trip more difficult. “On the river and creek bottoms,” one old-timer later recalled, “passengers were requested by the driver, politely or otherwise, to step out and down, and walk in the mud, packing rails to help the stage out of the mud. Then, the trip was made in five or six days. Yet, we got along very nicely.” A Baptist preacher making the 150-mile, 35-hour trip from San Antonio to Corpus Christi encountered an unexpected form of annoyance in 1879 — a “hilariously drunk” driver. The driver’s boss, the San Antonio station agent, recognizing the extent of his driver’s level of intoxication, decided to accompany him at least as far as the first stop to give him time to sober up. “When [stage employees] loosed the heads of the four wild mules and jumped quickly out of the way,” Dr. J.M. Carroll later recalled, “the stage left the side entrance of the Menger Hotel like it was shot out of a cannon. Away we went as fast as those mules could possibly go. No effort was made to do more than keep them in the road.” Yelling and cracking his whip, the stage driver continued to operate his coach as if there were no tomorrow, which was what the terrified passengers had come to believe. “Our driver was still unsobered when we reached the first stand,” Carroll continued, “so the agent decided to go with us to the next. … The new quartette of mules was not quite so wild, so we made it to the next stand more decently. We wanted the agent to continue with us, but he said the driver was now all right, so … the agent went back.” The Rev. A.H. Sutherland never forgot his stagecoach trip from San Antonio to El Paso in the late summer of 1881. The coach left from the Menger Hotel on Alamo Plaza. “The stage line passed through Forts Concho, Stockton and Davis and covered a distance of 720 miles,” the Methodist preacher recalled in an 1917 article in the El Paso Herald. The trip took one week. Though 14 different drivers handled various legs of the route, Sutherland got no such relief as a passenger. When the stage pulled up in front of the Central Hotel, the preacher was “nearly dead of fatigue.” Stages to Trains When Sutherland made that stagecoach trip half-way across Texas, two railroads had crews laying track toward El Paso. By 1888, Texas had more than 8,000 miles of railroad with more track going down all the time. Two transcontinental routes spanned the state. For a time, two West Texas towns, Albany and Cisco, had the distinction of being possibly the only communities in the nation where a railroad and a stagecoach line competed with each other. When the Houston & Texas Central reached Albany from Cisco, the man who operated the stagecoach between the two points vowed that the railroad would not put him out of business. Indeed, the railroad lost money on that part of its route. The result was irregular and slow service. “Albany is a local option town,” The Dallas Morning News reported on June 10, 1888, “and when an old toper goes up on a round-trip ticket and fails to take a supply along with him, he is cured of the alcohol habit for the want of fuel to feed the fires by the time he gets back to Cisco. It is different with the runner of the stage line. He makes, or causes to be made, a trip every day. He keeps his horses fat, and for his own part he wears diamonds and is rapidly evoluting into a bloated bondholder.” Stagecoaches Hang On Though the stagecoach era in Texas essentially ended by the mid-1880s with the widespread availability of faster and more comfortable travel by rail, stagecoaches endured as a means of transportation in some parts of the state well beyond the declared death of the frontier. A stage line from Alice to Brownsville remained the only form of public land transportation to the Rio Grande Valley well into the 20th century. Pulled by a four-horse team, the stage left Alice at 6 a.m. every day. With a change of horses every 10 miles, the trip to the southern tip of the state took 36 hours. That line, the last long-haul stage route in Texas, operated until 1904, when the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railroad completed its tracks into Brownsville. A couple of years before the railroad killed the Alice-to-Brownsville line, a family on their way from Corpus Christi to a South Texas ranch in a mule-drawn wagon saw the stagecoach as it passed them. “We watched until they were out of sight,” one member of that family later wrote, “and could see the stagecoach for a long way — it finally became only a tiny black speck on the horizon.” From 1904 to 1906, Walter Dunlap drove a stage from Ozona to San Angelo, following a route stretching 83 miles. With a two-horse team pulling a four-wheeled, canvas-topped wagon, Dunlap normally made the trip in 9-½ to 10 hours. Once, he later recalled, he raced his stage between the two towns in slightly more than 8 hours, thanks to a pair of horses he remembered fondly nearly 60 years later, “Crazy Jim” and “Goodeye.” Dunlap changed horses every 18 or 20 miles and had to stop and open 32 different ranch gates. Tiring of that and wanting to do something that earned better money, Dunlap went to work as a cowboy and later became a rancher. Demise of the General Sam Houston The General Sam Houston, a Concord stage named after the first President of the Texas Republic, made its first run between Austin and Brenham in 1841. Pulled by six horses or mules in good weather and eight in muddy weather, the stage later made regular Austin–to–San Antonio runs. But in 1873, road worn and made obsolete by Austin’s connection to the state’s growing network of iron rails, the General Sam Houston was parked in an alley outside Patterson’s Livery Stable. And there it stayed, slowly falling apart. Finally, after more than three decades of non-use, Austin city officials ordered its removal. Noting that a movement to save the coach for posterity had “failed to bear fruit,” the Austin Statesman lamented its demise, reporting on July 17, 1909, “the ‘Sam Houston’ was torn to pieces yesterday and the timber cast in a waste heap.” Jehus, Reinsmen, Whips, Whipsters Newspaper advertisements placed by stage lines promised the usual things like comfortable rides and regular service. The quality of a company’s drivers also figured in their promotional efforts. One firm serving Austin and San Antonio assured potential customers that it had “pleasant and convenient coaches and fresh teams and skilled and accommodating drivers.” In an ad published by the Texas State Gazette in Austin, stage operators Brown & Tarbox declared they had “after a great length of time and expense, been able to procure careful and skillful drivers; and they recommend them as punctual and honest men. …” Drivers may not always have been accommodating or honest, but they definitely had to be skilled to survive in an enterprise that involved dealing with teams of unruly animals and sometimes equally unruly passengers, not to mention protecting them and their cargo from Indians and outlaws. One of the most famous drivers who ever cracked a whip in Texas was one-time Texas Ranger William A. “Bigfoot” Wallace, who drove a stage for a time on the San Antonio to El Paso route. “Uncle” Jim Davis, who died in Fort Worth at 72 in the fall of 1910, was recognized as “perhaps the last of the old-time frontier stage drivers” in North Texas. From Fort Worth to Fort Concho at San Angelo, via Granbury and Brownwood, he had driven a stagecoach until railroads drove the line he worked for out of business. Once, with 14 passengers on board, the “Lone Highwayman” held up his stage. Davis’ life symbolized the story of stagecoaches in Texas. After Fort Worth gained rail connections with most of the rest of Texas, Davis used his talent at handling teams to haul freight. In 1889, he began operating a horse-drawn cab in Cowtown and continued with that until he got too old. Davis’ life came to an end on Nov. 22, 1910, but stage coaches in Texas rolled more slowly toward the sunset of obsolescence. Indeed, as The Dallas Morning News observed that same year, “Though modern transportation agencies have stolen away the glories of the stagecoach with its galloping spans, it can still be found in commission by those who seek it. … In the South and West it is known and respected. Its latest commercial competitor is the rural free delivery, and as this expands and railroads find a way of profitably negotiating mountain passes and tapping regions whose resources are vastly greater than their population, the stage coach must yield what place it still has, but the process will be so slow that the lovers of the inconveniently picturesque may count for years to come on the chance of meeting the vehicle.” Throughout the early part of the 20th century, stagecoaches continued to operate in areas of the state not served by railroads. As late as May 1918, a stage line ran between Llano and Mason, Fredericksburg and Mason, and Brady and Mason. Motorbuses and automobiles operating on improved roads finally sent stagecoaches and their teams and drivers to the barn for the last time. Last Stage Coach The last known use of a horse-drawn vehicle for regularly scheduled public transportation came in Lake Jackson during the gasoline shortage associated with World War II. People who lived in Lake Jackson, almost all of them connected to the newly opened Dow Chemical plant at nearby Freeport, needed a convenient way to get from their homes to downtown businesses and to get their children to the day school operating in the Community Center. “We were building a new town and needed to interest people to live in Lake Jackson,” A.C. Ray later told longtime Dow employee Bill Colegrove, author of the 1983 book Episodes: Texas Dow 1940–76. Noting that Dow still used horses and mules to pull graders, someone among the business leaders suggested that the nascent town should provide its residents transportation with a modern day stagecoach. Committee members secured a used lumber dolly and added two automobile axles with balloon tires. To accommodate a team of horses, a wooden wagon tongue went on the front of the vehicle. A row of wooden seats anchored each side of the coach, with an aisle down the middle. Passengers boarded by walking up a two-step platform on the rear of the coach. Finally, a rounded canvas top provided protection from the blistering coastal sun. The conveyance, which could carry a couple dozen people, looked more like a long covered wagon than an Old West stagecoach, but they called it their stagecoach. Following the acquisition of two black draft horses, the Lake Jackson stagecoach began serving the community. “Pop” Crumrine, a farmer who knew how to handle a horse-drawn wagon, operated the one-vehicle, privately funded “transit system.” Starting at 8:30 a.m. and continuing every 45 minutes until 4:15 p.m., the coach left downtown for the residential area and then returned to the local drug store. Youngsters took particular delight in riding the stagecoach, though they preferred to hop on it from a running start rather than step up on it like the adults did. Quite popular with all concerned, the stagecoach saved passengers precious motor fuel and reduced mileage on already well-worn tires with free trips from their houses to the businesses downtown. In turn, the merchants and service providers saw a much-appreciated upswing in their receipts. But eventually a problem developed. Traditional iron horseshoes did not last long on concrete pavement. And soft horseshoes could not be had because of war-time demands for rubber. Also, with Lake Jackson having no blacksmith, Ray and fellow businessman J.T. Dunbar shoed the stagecoach horses every Sunday whether they wanted to or not. Finally, the two men had enough of their extracurricular civic duty and the Lake Jackson stagecoach rolled into history. Old West Icon Long after stagecoaches had any paying passengers to haul, they continued to capture the imagination of people through outdoor spectaculars and tent shows. Col. W.F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody used a large “genuine” Concord stage coach in his Wild West shows, even shipping it to Europe when his 500-person company traveled overseas. Stagecoaches also carried many a plot line in pulp fiction magazines, Western novels and the movie screen, the most notable film being the 1939 classic Stagecoach. Directed by John Ford and starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne, the movie used a stagecoach as a literal stage for human drama and conflict. Set in New Mexico but filmed in Monument Valley on the Utah-Arizona border, the movie captured a colorful era in transportation history. In the early 1970s, the mystique of the word “stagecoach” struck the developers of a residential community and resort in Montgomery County. The acreage under development having been located on a 19th-century stagecoach route, Stagecoach is the name the owners picked for their property. In 1980 the community incorporated as a general rule city and by 2006 had a population of 537. Impact on Texas Given the role stagecoaches performed in the settlement of Texas — for a time they provided the state’s only form of commercial transportation and communication — having a town named “Stagecoach” is a faint commemoration of the industry’s impact. Particularly across West Texas, stagecoaches fostered, along with the U.S. Army, the first settlement and development. “The Butterfield Overland and San Antonio–San Diego mail lines spurred development of the Texas portion of [the] frontier,” wrote historian Glen Ely in his 2005 Texas Christian University master’s thesis, “Riding the Western Frontier: Antebellum Encounters on the Butterfield Overland Mail, 1858–1861,” “establishing much of the regional infrastructure that later became modern West Texas.” Indeed, the San Antonio–El Paso stage line and the long arc of the Butterfield trail can be viewed as the 19th-century equivalents of Interstate-10 and Interstate-20. Ely continued: “The community histories of Sherman, Gainesville, Denton, Decatur, Bridgeport, Jacksboro, Belknap, Fort Stockton, Fort Davis, San Elizario, Socorro, Ysleta, and Franklin–El Paso all testify to the significant impact the Butterfield Overland Mail had upon their growth and development.” Midland historian Jack Scannell wrote in the West Texas Historical Association’s 1971 Yearbook that: “Where the stagecoach led, the rails followed, and with the rails came settlers, new businesses, and prosperity. To the present day, the highways, railroads, and even the airlines follow the routes laid out by the pounding hooves and spinning wells of the stagecoach.” Referring to the stage lines that connected San Antonio with El Paso, and points west, in his landmark study “Sharps Rifles and Spanish Mules: The San Antonio–El Paso Mail, 1851–1881,” historian Wayne R. Austerman used a quotation from Gen. William T. Sherman that applies to stagecoaching across all of Texas and the West. The mail companies and their stagecoaches, the Army officer said, amounted to “the skirmish line of civilization.” — written by Mike Cox for the Texas Almanac 2008–2009. Sources Austerman, Wayne R. Sharps Rifles and Spanish Mules: The San Antonio–El Paso Mail, 1851–1881. College Station: Texas A&M Press, 1985. Carter, Kathryn Turner. Stagecoach Inns of Texas. Austin: Eakin Press, 1994. The Dallas Morning News Archives, 1885–1977. Davy, Dava McGahee. “The Pinery Station: Guadalupe Mountains National Park Texas.” Carlsbad, NM: Carlsbad Caverns Natural History Association, 1979. Ely, Glen. “Riding the Western Frontier: Antebellum Encounters on the Butterfield Overland Mail, 1858–1861.” Master’s thesis, Texas Christian University, 2005. The Handbook of Texas Online, www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online. McSwain, Ross. “Crazy Jim, Goodeye Helped Establish New Time On Stage Run From San Angelo to Ozona,” San Angelo Standard-Times, Aug. 23, 1964. Moody, Ralph. Stagecoach West. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1967. Nolen, Oran W. “By Stage From Corpus Christi to San Antonio.” The Cattleman, January 1946. Ormsby, Waterman L. The Butterfield Overland Mail. San Marino, CA: The Huntington Library, 1942, 1991. Scannell, Jack C. “A Survey of the Stagecoach Mail in the Trans-Pecos 1850–1861,” West Texas Historical Association Yearbook, 1971. Smith, Marian. “The Stagecoach in Travis County.” Manuscript, Austin History Center, Austin, Texas. Texas Almanac, 1859, 1861, 1863, 1867, 1869, 1871, 1873. Thonhoff, Robert H. San Antonio Stage Lines, 1847–1881. El Paso: Texas Western Press, 1971. Wells Fargo Bank, “The Overland Stage,” ND. Wikipedia.org “Stagecoach” www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stagecoach Barton, Barbara. Stagecoach Lines and Freighters of West Texas. Knickerbocker, TX: 2007. Greene, A.C. 900 Miles on the Butterfield Trail. Denton: University of North Texas Press, 1994.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_23	John Wayne: one last shot before the final farewell - Telegraph Classic Movies John Wayne: one last shot before the final farewell In 1976, battling the cancer that would kill him, John Wayne stepped in front of the camera for one final face-off. The result was 'The Shootist’, a rich and elegiac western and, says Philip Horne, a fitting swansong for Hollywood’s most courageous gunslinger. Image 1 of 2 His last stand: John Wayne in a scene from 'The Shootist' (1976), made when he was terminally ill with cancer. John Wayne in The Shootist Photo: PARAMOUNT/ALLSTAR By Philip Horne 5:51PM BST 20 Sep 2010 During the making of The Shootist (1976), Don Siegel’s rich, elegiac western about an ageing gunfighter dying of “a cancer”, its star John Wayne became too ill to film. The actor had had a lung removed twelve years earlier and was now struggling with the stomach cancer that would eventually lead to his death in 1979. A few days later, when Wayne bravely returned to the set, he picked a quarrel with the director, who had carried on filming a gunfight scene in his absence, over the way his character was shown killing a villain. He forced Siegel to redo the scene, declaring: “Whatever the cause, I would never shoot anyone in the back. It’s unthinkable for my image… I spent many years in this business building up my image.” He certainly did – but he wasn’t the only one. The 6ft 4in Marion Morrison was a former USC American football player with a few bit parts to his rather girlie name, when he was spotted carrying an armchair across the Fox Studios lot by legendary director Raoul Walsh (one-eyed, but sharp-eyed). Walsh cast him in The Big Trail (1930) – a western, the genre Wayne would above all be associated with – and renamed him after Revolutionary War general “Mad Anthony Wayne”. But it was director John Ford who turned Wayne into an all-time star, by casting him as the Ringo Kid, in Stagecoach (1939), which is perhaps the definitive western (though based on a Maupassant novel). Wayne’s character makes his first appearance standing on the trail, firing into the air to stop the stagecoach and, as the camera whips in to a breathless close-up, he announces that: “You might need me and this Winchester, Curly!” In his dark placket-front shirt, light army-style braces, bandana and broad white hat, Ringo is a dazzling vision of male beauty and heroism. Wayne was already 32, with 78 films behind him – but the freshness of this “Kid” is unforgettable. Related Articles John Wayne's eye patch up for auction 28 Sep 2011 The Shootist opens with a montage of its hero’s past exploits – taken from Red River (Howard Hawks, 1948), Hondo (John Farrow, 1953), Rio Bravo and El Dorado (Hawks, 1959 and 1966). It’s clear this is a summation of Wayne’s career as well as that of his character in The Shootist, JB Books. Younger film-watchers may not be so aware of the Wayne legend, or of his films – it was against the heroic Wayne, in a sense, that the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone (and then Eastwood) were angled; so too were the Seventies anti-westerns of Peckinpah. Wayne’s fame is probably not dissociable, in fact, from the Cold War era – from anxieties about communism (his quite reactionary politics could be ugly) and gender (it’s often clear that his characters, men’s men, are ill at ease with women). But no one who sees a good John Wayne film (and there are many) will forget his complex, dignified presence. He was large, physically powerful, with a rolling gait, increasingly craggy as time went on – but always a careful watcher of others and a man of few words. He had indomitable courage and a basically decent heart, though also a quick temper and a capacity for black, violent rages. The great Wayne films directed by John Ford don’t figure in The Shootist montage – they’re too distinctive and different in tone. It was Hawks (at least according to Hawks) who discovered that Wayne could actually act, making him the ruthless Thomas Dunson of Red River – and in that auteur’s view: “If you try to make a western with somebody besides Wayne, you’re not in the sphere of violence and action that you are when you’ve got Wayne.” It was after this that Ford again used him for westerns – starting with the Cavalry trilogy of Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande (1950), in which he plays respectively youngish, oldish and indeterminately middle-aged characters in three films within a period of two and a half years. Wayne had already turned 40 and the elegiac is the keynote of these films. By the Fifties the western was being reshaped and challenged by new, noirish approaches. Although James Stewart (directed by Anthony Mann) and Randolph Scott (directed by Budd Boetticher) were perhaps the pioneers in the reinvention, Wayne played his part in it, too. Indeed, he is magnificent as scary, obsessed, conflicted, heroic loner Ethan Edwards, “a man that can go crazy wild”, in Ford’s masterpiece, The Searchers (1956), which was an inspiration for Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976). Without his seniors, Ford or Hawks directing him, though, Wayne could be lazy or wayward and autocratic. In his 1993 autobiography, A Siegel Film, Siegel is amusingly vivid about Wayne’s “difficult” behaviour. In the Sixties and Seventies, a grumpy Wayne complained that in the old westerns antagonists despatched each other by the gun – while in the new ones they preferred to talk each other to death. But as the American critic Andrew Sarris points out, the (highly patriotic) films Wayne himself directed, The Alamo (1960) and The Green Berets (1968) are themselves very talky. Good directors – like Ford, Hawks and Siegel – knew how to pare down Wayne’s dialogue and make use of his surprising subtlety. Hawks said that on Rio Bravo, where Dean Martin is his wrecked, drunken deputy, Wayne wasn’t at first sure how to play their scenes. The director’s tip: “He’s your best friend, watch him. See whether he is coming through.” And Wayne replied: “OK, that’s enough for me.” It obviously was. Toward the end of his career, Wayne often played parts trading self-consciously on his star image – and sometimes, in True Grit (1969), for which he won his Oscar, and The Cowboys (1972), for example, the films are seriously rewarding entertainment. The Shootist, based on a novel by Glendon Swarthout, is the culmination of this reflective, retrospective tendency. It was known that it might be Wayne’s last film, so there’s a remarkable supporting cast – above all James Stewart in a fine cameo as the Carson City doctor (Wayne and Stewart had co-starred in Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)), but also Lauren Bacall and the young Ron Howard (who would go on to direct Apollo 13 and Frost/Nixon) – as well as the great western veteran Richard Boone. The movie is set in January 1901 – Queen Victoria has just died – and in Carson City, Nevada, which has telephones, trams and motor cars, and is planning on introducing metalled roads, gas lamps and electricity. It is the whole 20th-century package. However, Wayne’s character, the abrasive JB Books, almost sole survivor of the violent Old West, does not belong in this tame, commercialised new world – about which the film is pretty ambivalent. A succession of venal characters try to exploit the nationwide fame of Books – by interviewing, marrying, burying, or stealing souvenirs from him – while quite a few others want to kill him. The nasty little sheriff wants to drive him out of town. But while the film is tinged with bitter ironies, the touching drama of his relations with his landlady (Bacall) and her restless son (Howard), who idolises Books, plus our certainty that a John Wayne movie is not going to end with its hero dying of cancer, make it an involving, exciting experience. The Shootist is a fitting memorial to a great star – and leaves his image indelibly fixed on our imagination. Free John Wayne DVDs Get The Shootist free on DVD inside next Saturday’s Telegraph; and another John Wayne classic, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, with Sunday’s paper. Philip Horne is Professor of English at UCL Start your free 30 day Amazon Prime trial»	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_32	Super Reviewer ½ A stagecoach containing a disparate assortment of characters comes under Indian attack. John Ford revolutionized the genre with this beautifully crafted western and John Wayne was catapulted to stardom for his performance as the vengeance seeking gunfighter caught up in defending a group of strangers. But for me, the film is all about Thomas Mitchell as his preferred typecast of intellectual drunkard although it's one of many wonderful performances as the faultless cast represent a hugely likeable bunch and offer Ford an opportunity to highlight social prejudices. The message is to never judge a book by its cover as outlaws can be honourable, "fallen women" can be thoughtful and considerate, drunks can be courageous and respected gentlemen can be crooks. Also featuring some ground breaking stuntwork, this story has been remade many times and its influence can be seen in everything from the work of Akira Kurosawa to The Breakfast Club and it still stands up as one of the very best of the genre. xGary Xx Super Reviewer ½ I realize that my review is going to be considered controversial, but listen, this is all just my opinion. I do love westerns. They are an American institution, and, by and large, have proven to be perhaps the only genre films that are truly uniquely American. Having said that, this film is overrated. Yes, it wasn't the first western, but it pretty much defined the genre and set the standard for basically every film to follow for the new few decades until revisionism hit starting in the late 60s. This put both John Ford and John Wayne on the map, making icons and legends out of them, but c'mon, if you strip away all of the historical, culutral, and aesthetic significances, and ignore the film's influence and legacy, it's really not all that special or interesting. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but it really hasn't held up that well. Perhaps I'd feel a lot differently had this been the first western I ever saw, but since it is so old, and things have changed so much since then, I can't help but kinda take this for granted by default. The plot follows nine travelers thrust together on the titular vehicle as they make their way across the west through the dangerous Apache Territory, and how they must all band together if they want to survive. Okay, so fine, the plot's not much, but the performances do slightly make up for it, and yeah, it looks decent, and the music is really good, and the stunts and action are okay, but I can't let myself get swept up in everything and give this one a high rating by default. I'll admit that I've done that sort of thing in the past, and maybe I need to be more honest and make some reconsiderations, but for now, with this one, I'm standing my ground and saying that yes, while this is a landmark film, it's not a masterpiece when taken solely on its own terms. Chris Weber Super Reviewer A motley group of people travel through dangerous "Indian country" (isn't it all supposed to be Indian country?). As I watched this film, I found myself wondering the characters were cliches in 1939 because then I might have found something fresh and original about John Ford's film. But in 2011, I found everything predictable with the exception of the doctor's eventual heroism. Overall, I don't feel qualified to give an educated opinion on this film; I'm trying to like Westerns, but this film feels like a racist (Natives are, of course, depicted as wild, savage, malevolent forces) cliche. I can't be the only one who thinks that, but judging from the critics' and Super Reviewers' raves, I must be. Jim Hunter	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_280_47	Reel Reviews Reel Reviews in "Best of" Movie Lists Published Date by Frank Wilkins From Leone to Ford, the western genre has been a veritable playground for filmmakers displaying their craft in tales of Old West morality and gunslinger justice. While deciding which particular elements make a western movie truly great is best left up to healthy discourse and late night sports bar discussions, what can\'t be debated are the effects the classic spaghetti westerns and even the modern-day revival westerns have had on movie watchers throughout the years. Below is our list of the best and greatest western movies of all time. While many of the classic choices can be found on the list, you\'re likely to run across a few that don\'t often appear in typical discussions of best western movies. In compiling our list of best western movies, we considered many factors including longevity, critical acclaim, and popular fan appeal among well-seasoned western movie lovers. in other words, it won\'t be just a long list of John Wayne movies! If you don\'t find your favorite, be sure to let others know about it in the comments section at the end of the list. Who knows, it may eventually get added. Unforgiven (1992) - The script floated around Hollywood for nearly 20 years before Clint Eastwood finally made the picture. He was rewarded with 4 Oscars, including a Best Picture win, which can only be claimed by three other westerns. The Searchers (1956) - Features one of the most successful director/actor duos to ever come out of Hollywood in John Ford and John Wayne. Modern audiences may be turned off by the treatment of the Indians, so be forewarned. The Good, the Bad and The Ugly (1966) - A Sergio Leone spaghetti western classic. Also known as Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo as most of the Spanish and Italian dialogue was dubbed in English after filming had completed. The Wild Bunch (1969) - Sam Peckinpah directs William Holden, Ernest Borgnine and Robert Ryan in one of the best western movies of all time. Rumor has it that more blank rounds were fired during production than were fired during all of the Mexican Revolution of 1914. That means it must be good. Red River (1948) - Many might put this John Wayne classic at the top of any list of best westerns. An argument for that can certainly be made. Howard Hawks directs the script from Borden Chase who adapted his own Saturday Evening Post story. Shane (1953) - \"There never was a man like SHANE. There never was a picture like SHANE\" reads the film\'s tagline. And many would argue that a movie as good hasn\'t been made since. Certainly belongs at the top of any list. Stars Alan Ladd and was the last film of Jean Arthur. High Noon (1952) - Gary Cooper is Marshal Will Kane, a lawman who refuses to turn his back on his enemies, despite his own townsfolk who refuse to defend him. The film was criticized in its time as being un-American as it was linked to the rampant McCarthyism of the era. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - Robert Redford and Paul Newman collaborate on one of the best western movies of all time. Features B.J. Thomas\' rendition of Burt Bacharach\'s Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head. Steve McQueen and Warren Beatty were both offered the role of the Sundance Kid. Jeremiah Johnson (1972) - Stars Robert Redford as real-life trapper John Johnston who was nicknamed \"Crow Killer.\" Was originally to star Clint Eastwood in the title role and to be directed by Sam Pekinpah. They\'re both good, but it\'s fine just as it is. Winchester \'73 (1950) - James Stewart and Shelley Winters star in this movie about a gun. The DVD features an audio commentary given by Stewart himself. The only DVD commentary he ever did. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) - Another of the best Eastwood westerns. In fact, Eastwood says it\'s his personal favorite of all the films he\'s made. Was nominated for Best Original Score but lost to The Omen. My Darling Celementine (1946) - Tells the story of what actually went down at the OK Corral, which, by the way, is a little less legendary than legend has it. Was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1991 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - John Wayne again in another John Ford film. This also stars James Stewart, Vera Miles, and Lee Marvin. Marks the first instance of John Wayne calling someone \"Pilgrim.\" Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) - Another Sergio Leone spaghetti western, this one starring Henry Fonda. It\'s Italian title is actually C\'era una volta il West. Little Big Man (1970) - Stars Dustin Hoffman and Faye Dunaway. Begins as Hoffman\'s character, Jack Crabb, is about 100 years old. Evokes a wide range of emotions and is guaranteed to make a grown man cry. Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) - John Huston directed Humphrey Bogart in this treasured classic. Features one of the most memorable movie quotes to be made more famous by a different movie. \"Badges? We ain\'t got no badges. We don\'t need no badges. I don\'t have to show you any stinking badges\" which of course, is more widely know from 1986\'s Three Amigos! Rio Bravo (1959) - Howard Hawks directed this star-studded film that features John Wayne, Angie Dickinson, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan, Claude Akins, and more. Who else could so wonderfully play a deputy with a drinking problem than Dean Martin? Features a John Wayne/Angie Dickinson love scene. He, 51- she, 26. The Gunfighter (1950) - Gregory Peck and Karl Malden star in this \"psychological\" western directed by Henry King. Not a lot of western action but instead, great characters and lots of tension. Features Bob Dylan\'s 1986 song Brownsville Girl. 3:10 to Yuma (2007) - Remakes are rarely better than the original - this being an exception. Directed by James Mangold and features an Aussie and a Welshman - Russell Crowe and Christian Bale - in a drama about settling the American Wild West. Big risk, but it pays off huge. Also, look for the brilliant performance by Ben Foster. Ride the High Country (1962) - Another of Sam Peckinpah\'s brilliant westerns, this one focusing on the fading out of the Old West. Marks the big screen debut of Mariette Hartley. The Proposition (2005) - A much overlooked \"Western\" that should be considered even though it takes place in late 1800\'s Australia. Very bloody and very violent, but also very, very good. Features a brilliant John Hurt as a deranged bounty hunter. The Magnificent Seven (1960) - Another star-studded Western, this one starring Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, and James Coburn as a band of gunfighters hired by a poor Mexican farming community to help drive off the bandits who periodically show up and steal the community\'s food and goods. Lonesome Dove (1989) - Sure, it\'s a TV mini-series, but it\'s good enough to be included on any \"best western movie\" list. Stars Robert DuVall, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover, Robert Urich, Anjelica Huston, Chris Cooper and more. Based on Larry McMurtry\'s novel of the same name. Stagecoach (1939) - Marked John Ford and John Wayne\'s first film collaboration and Wayne\'s 80th picture. Filmed on location in Utah\'s Monument Valley. Ranked #9 on the American Film Institute\'s list of the 10 greatest films in the genre \"Western\" in June 2008. Dances with Wolves (1990) - Won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and was nominated for several others, including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Actress... enough said. Tombstone (1993) - Turned out quite nicely despite its myriad production problems and various delays. Val Kilmer\'s best role? Jim Morrison may have something to say about that. Fort Apache (1948) - John Ford and John Wayne do it again! This one is the first in Ford\'s \"Cavalry Trio\", the other two being She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grand. Stars Henry Fonda and an adult Shirley Temple. True Grit (1969) - The only role for which John Wayne ever won an Oscar. Some say it was a lifetime honorary give though. The 2010 Coen Bros. version is much better however and makes us completely forget about John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn.Let\'s just say that together, they make the best western movie of all time. The Ox-bow Incident (1943) - Henry Fonda and Harry Morgan star in this brilliant little think-piece that is more of a morality-play set in the times of the Old West, than it is a classic representative of the genre. Carries the odd distinction of being the last movie ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture which received no other Academy Award nominations. Open Range (2003) - Following a string of stinkers, Open Range was a much-needed opportunity for Costner to regain his Hollywood street cred. And with this film he recaptured it in a big way. Annette Bening is at her best here. For a Few Dollars More (1965) - Another Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood \"spaghetti western\" makes the list, this one alternately titled Per Qualche Dollaro in Piu. On its 1969 re-release it was double-billed with A Fistful of Dollars. Bend of the River (1952) - Stars Rock Hudson and James Stewart in the film that marked the last time the two would work together. Seems Stewart was unhappy that Hudson received a bigger applause at the movie\'s premier. The Naked Spur (1954) - Another Anthony Mann picture makes the list, this one starring Janet Leigh alongside James Stewart. The film was nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar. Broken Trail (2006) - An AMC TV mini-series that features some of Robert Duvall\'s best work. Thomas Hayden Church isn\'t bad either. This one\'s not to be missed. True Grit (2010) - The Coen Brothers go Western. Hailee Steinfeld is something to see as the young Mattie Ross. Jeff Bridges ain\'t half bad either. Certainly one of the best western movies of the last 10 years Django Unchained (2012) - The D is silent, mother fucker! Features what may very well be one of the best director cameos of all time. Have additional information, want to know what others are saying, or don\'t agree with something we said? 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tc_282_0	David Gilmour \| New Music And Songs \| David Gilmour About David Gilmour David Gilmour gained international fame for his incisive, atmospheric guitar work and vocals with Pink Floyd, and eventually became the leader of the group during their late period, as he pursued a successful solo career and worked with some of the most respected names in British rock. Gilmour was born in Cambridge, England on March 6, 1946; his parents were both involved in education -- his father was a lecturer in Zoology at Cambridge University and his mother was a teacher -- and as a schoolboy, Gilmour struck up a friendship with a boy who attended the same grade school, Roger Barrett, who later gained the nickname Syd. Gilmour became re-acquainted with Barrett while they were studying at the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology; both were interested in music and began learning to play guitar in their spare time, as did Barrett's friend Roger Waters. In 1963, Gilmour joined a rock group, Jokers Wild, which specialized in R&B covers; in 1965, he and Barrett took the summer off and spent several months busking and traveling through France, though the adventure didn't pay off financially. After returning to England, Gilmour played with a group called Flowers for a while, as well as a revamped version of Jokers Wild called Bullitt; meanwhile, Barrett and Waters teamed up with Rick Wright and Nick Mason to form a group called the Tea Set, which was later renamed Pink Floyd. In 1967, Pink Floyd was the toast of London's burgeoning psychedelic scene on the strength of the singles "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play," and the album Piper at the Gates of Dawn. However, Barrett had become increasingly unstable, sometimes becoming catatonic on-stage or playing different songs than his bandmates, and as his ability to perform was compromised, Gilmour was invited to join the group to help with guitar and vocals when Barrett was having trouble. However, after a few shows it became evident that Gilmour's presence wasn't enough to rescue Barrett, and the group's leader was let go as Gilmour became the band's new lead guitarist by default, and he would produce and play on Barrett's two solo albums before Barrett retired from music. Gilmour made his recording debut with Pink Floyd on 1968's A Saucerful of Secrets, and over the next several years, the group's sound evolved from pop-friendly psychedelic to ambitious progressive and experimental rock. Gilmour's guitar became a key part of Pink Floyd's aural signature, and he played a larger role in the group's songwriting; their evolving approach culminated with 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon, which became a massive international hit and firmly established them as one of the biggest British acts of the day. Pink Floyd's success continued with 1975's Wish You Were Here, but as Waters began to dominate the group's songwriting and conceptualizing, Gilmour began looking for other opportunities to express himself. He'd already made guest appearances on albums by Roy Harper and Hawkwind, and during the recording of 1977's Animals, Gilmour began work on his first solo album, released in 1978 simply as David Gilmour. In 1978, he also co-produced Kate Bush's debut album, The Kick Inside, and he contributed guitar work to Wings' 1979 release Back to the Egg. 1979's The Wall became another massive success for Pink Floyd, and Gilmour co-wrote the stand-out track "Comfortably Numb," but tensions within the group grew during the recording of the album -- Rick Wright was fired during the sessions -- and after the long sessions which produced 1983's The Final Cut, Pink Floyd briefly fell apart. Following the band's splintering, Gilmour released his second solo album, 1984's About Face, and he lent his talents as a guitarist to a number of projects, including albums by Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, Pete Townshend, and Supertramp, and produced the debut album for the Dream Academy. Waters made his solo debut with 1984's The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, and he filed a lawsuit to dissolve the Pink Floyd's legal partnership. However, the court found in favor of Gilmour and Mason, and in 1987, Gilmour became Pink Floyd's new leader and principal songwriter as he relaunched the band with the album A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Pink Floyd supported the album with a successful extended tour -- their first since a small handful of elaborate shows following The Wall -- and a live album from the shows, Delicate Sound of Thunder, was released in 1988. After coming off the road, Gilmour stayed busy with session work, making guest appearances with acts as diverse as Warren Zevon and Elton John, while writing material for the next Pink Floyd effort. While a few new pieces appeared on 1992's La Carrera Panamerica, a video documenting Gilmour and Mason's participation in an auto race in Mexico, Pink Floyd's next full album, The Division Bell, didn't appear until 1994. Once again, a major international tour followed, and on many dates they performed The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety, along with other material from their catalog; one such concert was documented on the 1995 live album Pulse. An archival album drawn from Pink Floyd's performances of The Wall in 1980 and 1981 appeared in 2000, but no new material appeared. Gilmour reunited with Waters, Mason, and Wright for a one-off Pink Floyd performance at the 2005 Live 8 concert in London (a benefit to promote solutions to global poverty), but the band turned down lucrative offers for a new tour, and in 2006, Gilmour told reporters that Pink Floyd was not likely to record or perform again, saying "I have had a wonderful time, but it's over. For me, it's much less complicated to work alone." Gilmour performed a critically lauded series of acoustic shows in London in 2002, and in 2006 he released a new solo album, On an Island. The album was followed with a major concert tour; Gilmour's London concert was videotaped for a 2007 DVD release, Remember That Night: Live at the Royal Albert Hall, while a show at the Gdansk shipyards with a full orchestra appeared on the 2008 album Live in Gdansk. In 2010, Gilmour teamed up with acclaimed ambient electronic act the Orb for a collaborative album, Metallic Spheres. Gilmour decided to close the books on Pink Floyd in 2014, working with Nick Mason and producers Phil Manzanera, Youth, and Andy Jackson to complete tapes recorded in 1994. This project turned into The Endless River, an album released in November 2014. Next, Gilmour recorded his fourth solo album, reteaming with Manzanera for Rattle That Lock, released in September 2015. When not busy with music, he devotes much of his time to charitable causes, and when he put his London home on the market in 2003, he donated the 3.6 million pounds realized from the sale to Crisis, a group benefiting the homeless. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_282_1	Pink Floyd is finished says guitarist David Gilmour. - The San Diego Union-Tribune George Varga Contact Reporter Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason has long held out hope the three remaining members of the pioneering English progressive-band-turned-stadium-filling-stars will reunite, although he has been the group's lone voice of hope. Now, Floyd guitarist David Gilmour – whose 2016 North American tour includes March 23 and 24 concerts at the nearly 18,000-capacity Hollywood Bowl – has officially put to rest even the mere notion a reunion is possible. Gilmour, Mason and bassist-singer Roger Waters are the only surviving members of the band, which last year released "The Endless River." It was the group's first new studio album since "The Division Bell" came out in 1994, the last year Floyd (minus Waters) toured. After acrimoniously quitting the band in the 1980s, Waters famously sued Gilmour, Mason and Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright (who died in 2008) for continuing to record and tour as Pink Floyd without him. Gilmour's new solo album, "Rattle That Lock," will be released Sept. 18. He made it clear in a new interview that Floyd will remain locked, permanently. “I’m done with it," Gilmour told England's Classic Rock magazine. "I’ve had 48 years in Pink Floyd – quite a few of those years at the beginning, with Roger [Waters]. And those years in what is now considered to be our heyday were 95 percent musically fulfilling and joyous and full of fun and laughter. I certainly don’t want to let the other percent color my view of what was a long and fantastic time together. But it has run its course, we are done – and it would be fakery to go back and do it again. “Obviously I accept there are people who want to go and see and hear this legend that was Pink Floyd, but I’m afraid that’s not my responsibility. To me, it’s just two words that tie together the work that four people did together. It’s just a pop group. I don’t need it. I don’t need to go there.” Gilmour expressed similar sentiments in a 2002 Union-Tribune interview, although – at the time – he didn't completely dismiss the possibility of a Floyd reunion. "The last thing on my mind is the Pink Floyd thing. I'm just not thinking that way at all," he said in 2002, speaking from his family's English country home in Sussex. "I'm thinking of making an album under my own name and doing a few shows next year. "And that means Pink Floyd just doesn't come to the front of my mind. It sits there, lurking, and maybe in a few years we'll see. It's not something I'm thinking about with relish. It would take a two-year chunk out of my life, and I can't see myself wanting to be away from my kids (ages 5 months to 16) the same way I was willing to when I was an ambitious young man." And what about fans who want to see the band one last time, or younger devotees who have never had the chance to do so at all? "That's painting me into a corner a bit," Gilmour told the Union-Tribune in his 2002 interview. "I don't do things for fans. I love the fact we have fans, but artistic achievement is not done by considering other people. That may sound awful, but that's just the way it is. You can't please everyone, so you might as well please yourself." Now, Gilmour, 69, is citing a new reason Floyd will not reactivate on this, or the dark side, of the moon: The death seven years ago of band keyboardist Wright. "To do it without Rick would just be wrong," Gilmour told Classic Rock. "I absolutely don't want to go back; I don't want to go and play stadiums... under the [Pink Floyd] banner. I'm free to do exactly what I want to do and how I want to do it." Gilmour, Waters, Wright and Mason reunited in 2005 in London to perform at the Live 8 charity concert. Gilmour and Mason briefly joined Waters on stage at a 2011 charity concert in London. In late May, Waters and Mason stood side by side at London's Regent Street Polytechnic College, where they were on hand to commemorate the band's 50th anniversary. Gilmour, conspicuously, did not attend. Original Floyd guitarist and singer Syd Barrett, whom Gilmour replaced in 1969, died in 2006. Pink Floyd, Gilmour told Classic Rock, is "just a pop group. I don't need it. I don't need to go there. I'm not being coy or difficult; I just think that at my age I should do whatever I really want to do in life."	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_282_2	David Gilmour - Biography - IMDb David Gilmour Biography Showing all 39 items Jump to: Overview (3) \| Mini Bio (1) \| Spouse (2) \| Trade Mark (2) \| Trivia (19) \| Personal Quotes (12) Overview (3) 6' (1.83 m) Mini Bio (1) David Jon Gilmour was born on 6th March, 1946, in Grantchester Meadows, Cambridge. As the lead guitarist of Pink Floyd, he is by many considered one of the most influential guitarists on the rock stage. Right up to "The Dark Side of The Moon", Dave wrote his own songs, but from then up to "The Final Cut", Roger Waters wrote almost all the lyrics. Dave made up for it by producing some excellent guitar work, and production work on all those albums, most notably on the songs Shine On You Crazy Diamond (from "Wish You Were Here") and Comfortably Numb (from "The Wall"). He also did a large amount of the vocals. In the early 90s Gilmour divorced his wife Ginger. He now lives with his girl friend Polly Samson, a journalist who also contributed to some of The Division Bell's lyrics. He is a neighbour to his friend and band mate Nick Mason in Maida Vale, London and has a fully equipped recording studio, The Astoria, on his houseboat on Thames. He also enjoys flying his planes and owns the Intrepid Aviation Company collection of classic aircraft. Among great friends he counted comedy sci-fi author Douglas Adams, who died on May 11, 2001 from a heart attack while working out in a gym in Santa Barbara, California. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Jenz Kjellberg ([email protected]) Spouse (2) ( 29 July 1994 - present) (3 children) Ginger Gilmour ( 5 June 1975 - 1990) (divorced) (4 children) Trade Mark (2) Almost exclusively plays Fender Stratocasters (and occasionally Telecasters.) His echoed guitar sound and touch Trivia (19) Worked as a model before joining Pink Floyd . Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of Pink Floyd ) in 1996. Voted the best East Anglian guitarist in Total Guitar Magazine's poll of the greatest 12 British guitarists. [July 2001] The song "Comfortably Numb" from 'The Wall', was a reworking of a song written for his first solo album. The song was cut from the final song list. He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to Music. Pink Floyd 's 1973 album, "Dark Side of the Moon", topped Classic Rock Magazine's list of the 30 greatest concept albums of all time. Their 1979 album, "The Wall", came tenth and their 1983 album, "The Final Cut", came 21st on the list. [March 2003] Contrary to popular belief, he did not replace Syd Barrett as a member of Pink Floyd . He was asked by the members of Pink Floyd to join the band to supplement the guitar work of the increasingly erratic Syd Barrett. For a brief time, he and Syd were both members of Pink Floyd at the same time. When Barrett's mental breakdown made it impossible for him to continue with the group, Gilmour became a permanent, contributing member in time for their second album, 1968's "A Saucerful of Secrets". Syd Barrett also contributed one track to "A Saucerful of Secrets", his last with Pink Floyd . He departed soon after that. Hobbies include car racing, flying airplanes, collecting guitars, and vintage aircrafts. He is considered to be one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century. Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery cites him as a major influence and claims listening to the "Wish You Were Here" album made him want to become a professional musician. Discovered singer-songwriter Kate Bush He regards "Wish You Were Here" as his favourite Pink Floyd album and "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" as his favourite Pink Floyd song. Lists Jimi Hendrix as a major influence. When he saw Hendrix perform at a London nightclub in 1966, Gilmour said that nobody who saw the performance that night left the club not thinking that Hendrix would go all the way to the top. Pink Floyd were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for their outstanding contribution to British music and integral part of British music culture. (16 November 2005). Winner of the 2008 Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award. Owns numerous airplanes and is a licensed pilot. Also started a flying museum called Intrepid Aviation. In 1966, he was so low on funds that he was eventually hospitalized for malnutrition. At the moment he is a member of the Paul McCartney group but there is a rumour of a Pink Floyd 2003 album and tour. [March 2002] West Sussex, England [May 2009] Going to perform as main attraction of the Live8 concert in Hyde Park with Pink Floyd. [June 2005] Personal Quotes (12) [about the Pink Floyd reunion for Live 8 (2005)] Any squabbles Roger ( Roger Waters ) and I have had in the past are so petty in this context. [about the feud with Roger Waters ] I'm not very good at holding grudges for very long, but he's done some terrible things. [on Live 8 (2005)] Like most people I want to do everything I can to persuade the G8 leaders to make huge commitments to the relief of poverty and increased aid to the third world. It's crazy that America gives such a paltry percentage of its GNP to the starving nations. Any squabbles Roger and the band have had in the past are so petty in this context, and if re-forming for this concert will help focus attention then it's got to be worthwhile. After Dark Side we were really floundering around. I wanted to make the next album more musical, because I felt some of these tracks had been just vehicles for the words. We were working in 1974 in this horrible little rehearsal room in Kings Cross without windows, putting together what became the next two albums, 'Wish You Were Here', and 'Animals'. For me, 'Wish You Were Here' was very satisfying. I'd rather listen to it than Dark Side Of The Moon. I think we achieved a better balance of music and lyrics. 'Dark Side' went a bit too far the other way -- too much importance was placed on the lyrics. And sometimes the tunes were neglected. [speaking in 2005] It's nice to be loved and for one's contribution to be recognized in some way. I suppose I agree that we have had an influence on modern popular music. No-one can replace Richard Wright - he was my musical partner and my friend. In the welter of arguments about who or what was Pink Floyd , Rick's enormous input was frequently forgotten. He was gentle, unassuming and private but his soulful voice and playing were vital, magical components of our most recognised Pink Floyd sound. Everything in moderation, that's what I live by. I'm just not a tortured, frustrated person who has to pour all these things out of his soul. None of that is a prerequisite to being good at rock 'n' roll. [on choosing not to live as a tax exile] I'm not keener on paying tax than anyone else, but my freedom's not for sale. I've never had any religion. I'd prefer it if I did really. Even as a boy I just couldn't make myself believe. Mortality has been on my mind since I was thirteen. I had some criticisms of Dark Side of the Moon. It's kind of ludicrous in a way to have criticisms of an album that was so successful but I did voice them at the time. I thought that one or two of the vehicles carrying the ideas were not as strong as the ideas that they carried. I thought we should try and work harder on marrying the idea and the vehicle that carried it, so that they both had an equal magic, or whatever, to them. So it's something I was personally pushing when we made Wish You Were Here. It's underrated by some, but not by me. I think it's our most complete album. The period after Dark Side of the Moon when we made Wish You Were Here was a strange time. We had achieved everything really that one could hope to achieve. There was a bit of a distance between us all at that point, and Roger wasn't the only one who noticed this sense of absence. But that sense of absence is part of the album's magic. It helped create it. I don't know quite how it did. I can't regret that period at all. See also	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_282_3	David Gilmour - IMDb IMDb Soundtrack \| Music Department \| Composer David Jon Gilmour was born on 6th March, 1946, in Grantchester Meadows, Cambridge. As the lead guitarist of Pink Floyd, he is by many considered one of the most influential guitarists on the rock stage. Right up to "The Dark Side of The Moon", Dave wrote his own songs, but from then up to "The Final Cut", Roger Waters wrote almost all the lyrics. ... See full bio » Born: Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence. a list of 60 people created 10 Feb 2011 a list of 100 people created 29 Nov 2014 a list of 35 people created 05 Mar 2015 a list of 23 people created 31 Mar 2015 a list of 38 people created 8 months ago Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of David Gilmour's work have you seen? User Polls 2016 War Dogs (writer: "Wish You Were Here") 2016 La macchinazione (writer: "Atom Heart Mother Suite") 2016 Everybody Wants Some!! (writer: "Fearless") 2015 Far Out (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") 2015 David Gilmour: Rattle That Lock (Video short) (music: "Rattle That Lock") / (performer: "Rattle That Lock") 2014/III The Gambler (writer: "Time") 2014 In Reverse (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Moti Kirshenbaum (2014) ... (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") - Triple Helix DNA and Transformation (2014) ... (writer: "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" - uncredited) 2014/I Boyhood (writer: "Wish You Were Here") 2013 Family Guy (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) 2013 Watchman Video Broadcast (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - The Prism: Part 2 (2013) ... (writer: "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" - uncredited) 2013 Teen Wolf (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Tattoo (2013) ... (writer: "Comfortably Numb" - uncredited) 2012 Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story (TV Movie) (writer: "Speak to Me/Breathe") 2012 Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here (Documentary) (performer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)", "Welcome to the Machine", "Have a Cigar", "Wish You Were Here", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)") / (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)", "Wish You Were Here", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)") - Episode #3.148 (2011) ... (producer: "Mother") 2011 Showboaters (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Episode #1.1 (2011) ... (writer: "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" - uncredited) 2011 Ruisrock - 40 vuotta rockia ja rakkautta (TV Movie documentary) (writer: "The Narrow Way, Part 2") 2009-2011 Banda sonora (TV Series) (writer - 3 episodes) - Episode #7.1 (2011) ... (writer: "Wish You Were Here") - Episode #5.21 (2009) ... (writer: "Wish You Were Here") - Episode #5.14 (2009) ... (writer: "Wish You Were Here") 2011 Gent de paraula (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Episode #1.15 (2011) ... (writer: "Wish You Were Here") - Episode #1.2 (2010) ... (writer: "Comfortably Numb") 2010 Cold Case (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Flashover (2010) ... (writer: "Comfortably Numb", "Marooned", "Time", "Wish You Were Here" - uncredited) 2009/I The Box (writer: "Fearless" - as Gilmour, uncredited) 2009 The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story (Documentary) (performer: "Hushabye Mountain" (Live)) 2009 Skins (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Cook (2009) ... (writer: "One of These Days") 2008 Target Assassin (Short) (writer: "Dogs Of War") 2008 The Angry Video Game Nerd (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Dracula (2008) ... (writer: "Echoes" - uncredited) 2008 David Gilmour: Live in Gdansk (Video) (performer: "Astronomy Domine") 2008 Swing Vote (performer: "Murder") / (writer: "Murder") 2007 David Gilmour Remember That Night (TV Special documentary) (performer: "Arnold Layne") 2007 The Sopranos (TV Series) (writer - 2 episodes) - Walk Like a Man (2007) ... (writer: "Comfortably Numb") 2005-2006 The Eight (TV Series) (writer - 3 episodes) - The Creation (2006) ... (writer: "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" - uncredited) - Adam Goldberg (2006) ... (writer: "Breathe in the Air" - uncredited) - Turbo Time (2005) ... (writer: "Wish You Were Here" - uncredited) 2006 The Departed (writer: "Comfortably Numb" (1979)) 2006 David Gilmour: On an Island (Short) (performer: "On an Island") / (writer: "On an Island") 2005 Energy Hunter (Short) (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") 2005/II Wish You Were Here (Short) (writer: "Wish You Were Here") 2005 Life, the Universe and Douglas Adams (Video documentary) (performer: "I Can't Breath Anymore", "Mihalis", "Raise My Rent") / (writer: "I Can't Breath Anymore", "Mihalis", "Raise My Rent", "Wish You Were Here", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part Two)") 2005 Lords of Dogtown (writer: "Wish You Were Here") 2005 C.R.A.Z.Y. (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") 2004 Stoners (Documentary) (writer: "Cluster One", "Marooned", "Coming Back To Life", "Keep Talking", "Lost For Words", "High Hopes") - Liebe ist stärker als der Tod (2004) ... (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") 2003 Good Morning, Night (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part One)") 2003 Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (Documentary) (writer: "Time" - uncredited) Classic Albums (TV Series documentary) (performer - 1 episode, 2003) (writer - 1 episode, 2003) - Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon (2003) ... (performer: "Speak to Me", "Breathe", "On the Run", "Time", "The Great Gig in the Sky", "Money", "Us and Them", "Any Colour You Like", "Brain Damage", "Eclipse") / (writer: "Breathe", "On the Run", "Time", "Any Colour You Like") 2003 Pink Floyd Video Anthology (writer: "A Saucerful of Secrets", "Point Me at the Sky", "Atom Heart Mother", "One of These Days", "Echoes", "Careful with That Axe, Eugene", "Time") 2002 A Tribute to Leiber and Stoller (Video) (performer: "Don't") VH1 Legends (TV Series documentary) (performer - 1 episode, 2002) (writer - 1 episode, 2002) - Pink Floyd & Syd Barrett (2002) ... (performer: "Wish You Were Here", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") / (writer: "Wish You Were Here", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", "Breathe", "Comfortably Numb") Omnibus (TV Series documentary) (performer - 1 episode, 2001) (writer - 1 episode, 2001) - Syd Barrett: Crazy Diamond (2001) ... (performer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") / (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", "Wish You Were Here") 2000 The Simpsons (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) 2000 Paul Is Dead (writer: "Wish You Were Here") 1994 Pink Floyd: P. U. L. S. E. Live at Earls Court (TV Special documentary) (lyrics: "High Hopes", "Take It Back", "Keep Talking") / (music: "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", "High Hopes", "Take It Back", "Keep Talking", "Breathe", "Time", "Wish You Were Here", "Comfortably Numb", "Run Like Hell") / (performer: "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", "Learning to Fly", "High Hopes", "Take It Back", "Coming Back to Life", "Sorrow", "Keep Talking", "Another Brick In The Wall Part 2", "One Of These Days", "Speak to Me", "Breathe", "On the Run", "Time", "The Great Gig in the Sky", "Money", "Us And Them", "Any Colour You Like", "Brain Damage", "Eclipse", "Wish You Were Here", "Comfortably Numb", "Run Like Hell") / (writer: "Learning to Fly", "Coming Back to Life", "Sorrow", "One Of These Days", "On the Run", "Any Colour You Like") 1994 Pink Floyd: High Hopes (Short) (lyrics: "High Hopes") / (music: "High Hopes") / (performer: "High Hopes") 1992 Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (Documentary) (writer: "Time" - as Gilmore) 1992 La Carrera Panamericana with Music by Pink Floyd (Video) (writer: "Run Like Hell", "Pan Am Shuffle", "Yet Another Movie", "Sorrow", "Signs of Life", "Country Theme", "Mexico 78", "Big Theme", "One Slip", "Small Theme", "Carrera Slow Blues") 1991 Amnesty International's Big 30 (TV Movie) (performer: "Big Bottom", On the Turning Away") / (writer: On the Turning Away") 1989-1990 Derrick (TV Series) (writer - 3 episodes) - Tod am Waldrand (1990) ... (writer: "Shine on you crazy diamond", "Careful with that axe, Eugene") - Der Einzelgänger (1990) ... (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") - Ein merkwürdiger Tag auf dem Lande (1989) ... (writer: "Run like hell") 1989 Pink Floyd: Delicate Sound of Thunder (TV Special) (performer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part I)", "Signs of Life", "Learning to Fly", "Sorrow", "The Dogs of War", "On the Turning Away", "One of These Days", "Time", "On the Run", "The Great Gig in the Sky", "Wish You Were Here", "Us and Them", "Money" (NTSC version only), "Comfortably Numb", "One Slip", "Run Like Hell", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts II-V)" (audio only) (end credits)) / (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part I)", "Signs of Life", "Learning to Fly", "Sorrow", "The Dogs of War", "On the Turning Away", "One of These Days", "Time", "On the Run", "Wish You Were Here", "Comfortably Numb", "One Slip", "Run Like Hell", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts II-V)" (audio only) (end credits)) 1988 The Emperor of Rome (writer: "The Narrow Way") 1987 Quinceañera (TV Series) (writer: "Terminal Frost") 1987 Pink Floyd: Learning to Fly (TV Short) (performer: "Learning to Fly") / (producer: "Learning to Fly") / (writer: "Learning to Fly") 1987 Pink Floyd: Money (Short) (performer: "Money") 1987 Zeppelin: The Flying Airship (Video documentary) (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" - uncredited) 1986 Kate Bush: The Whole Story (Video) (producer: "Wuthering Heights", "The Man With The Child In His Eyes") 1984 Give My Regards to Broad Street (performer: "No More Lonely Nights") 1984 David Gilmour: All Lovers Are Deranged (Video short) (performer: "All Lovers Are Deranged") / (writer: "All Lovers Are Deranged") 1984 David Gilmour Live 1984 (Video) (performer: "Until We Sleep", "All Lovers Are Deranged", "There's No Way Out of Here", "Short and Sweet", "Run Like Hell", "Out of the Blue", "Blue Light", "Murder", "Comfortably Numb") / (writer: "Until We Sleep", "All Lovers Are Deranged", "There's No Way Out of Here", "Short and Sweet", "Run Like Hell", "Out of the Blue", "Blue Light", "Murder", "Comfortably Numb") 1984 David Gilmour: Blue Light (Video short) (performer: "Blue Light") / (writer: "Blue Light") 1983 Pink Floyd: The Final Cut (Video short) (performer: "The Gunners Dream", "The Final Cut", "Not Now John", "The Fletcher Memorial Home") 1983 Kate Bush: The Single File (Video) (producer: "Wuthering Heights", "The Man With The Child In His Eyes", "Them Heavy People") 1982 Pink Floyd: Hey You (Short) (performer: "Hey You") 1982 Pink Floyd: The Wall (writer: "Young Lust", "Comfortably Numb", "Run Like Hell") 1980 Animalympics (producer: "One Of My Turns") - Turkeys Away (1978) ... (writer: "Dogs") 1978 David Gilmour Reel (Video short) (performer: "Mihalis", "There's No Way Out of Here", "So Far Away", "No Way", "I Can't Breathe Anymore") / (writer: "Mihalis", "There's No Way Out of Here", "So Far Away", "No Way", "I Can't Breathe Anymore") 1977 Pink Floyd: Welcome to the Machine (Short) (performer: "Welcome to the Machine") 1976 The Streetwalker (writer: "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" - as Gilmour) 1976 Domination Blue (writer: "A Saucerful of Secrets", "Careful with That Axe, Eugene", "The Narrow Way Part One", "The Narrow Way Part Two" - uncredited) 1976 Virgin Snow (writer: "On the Run" - uncredited) 1976 Dominatrix Without Mercy (writer: "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" - uncredited) 1976 Exit the Dragon, Enter the Tiger (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") 1975 Pink Floyd: Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Short) (performer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)") / (writer: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)") 1973 Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon (Short) (performer: "Speak to Me", "Breathe", "On the Run", "Time", "The Great Gig in the Sky", "Money", "Us and Them", "Any Colour You Like", "Brain Damage", "Eclipse") / (writer: "Breathe", "On the Run", "Time", "Any Colour You Like") 1972 Pink Floyd at Pompeii (Documentary) (writer: "Echoes Part 1", "Careful with that Axe Eugene", "A Saucerful of Secrets", "One of these Days (I'm Going to Cut You into Little Pieces)", "Mademoiselle Nobs" (based on the song, "Seamus"), "Echoes Part 2", "On the Run", "Any Colour You Like", "Cluster One") 1972 Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (writer: "Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up", "Heart Beat, Pig Meat") 1972 Little Sisters (writer: "A Saucerful of Secrets (Syncopated Pandemonium)" - uncredited) 1972 Pink Floyd: Time (Short) (performer: "Time") / (writer: "Time") 1971 Stamping Ground (Documentary) (writer: "A Saucerful of Secrets") 1970 Zabriskie Point (writer: "Come in Number 51, Your Time is Up", "Heart Beat, Pig Meat", "Crumbling Land") 1969 More (writer: "Party Sequence", "Main Theme", "Ibiza Bar", "More Blues", "Quicksilver", "A Spanish Piece", "Dramatic Theme")	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_282_5	David Gilmour Guitarist Extraordinaire ! HD 1080p - YouTube Undo Close This video contains content from Eagle Rock and Pink Floyd, one or more of whom have blocked it on copyright grounds. Sorry about that.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_282_6	David Gilmour: 'There's No Room in My Life for Pink Floyd' - Rolling Stone David Gilmour: 'There's No Room in My Life for Pink Floyd' David Gilmour: 'There's No Room in My Life for Pink Floyd' "This album is Rick's last recorded moment with Pink Floyd," says Gilmour. "It's so sad." David Gilmour performs at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo on March 11th, 2012 in London, England. Credit: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images All Stories A couple of years ago, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Nick Mason dug out about 20 hours of instrumental recordings they'd recorded with Rick Wright during the 1993 Division Bell sessions. Stunned at the quality of what they heard, they decided to revisit the material, recording new drum and guitar parts on top of the existing tracks. "As we went through this process, our minds focused on the fact that Rick isn't coming back," says David Gilmour. "We'll never get another chance to play with him. This is his last recorded moment with Pink Floyd. It's so sad." More News Pink Floyd Say Goodbye David Gilmour and Nick Mason on why their new LP is almost certainly Floyd’s final statement The end result of their work is The Endless River, a mostly instrumental Pink Floyd album that hits shelves on November 10th. We spoke with Gilmour about assembling the album, why Roger Waters isn't a part of it, why this truly marks the end of Pink Floyd and his future plans for his solo career. What made you decide to return to this material after all this time? It's been 20 years since The Division Bell. For a couple years we've been looking at things that, for one reason or another, didn't make the album. It just seemed like a good moment to have a look at what we had and put this together. We were thrilled and really pleased with the material we found in the vault. There were things we could scarcely remember recording. You originally saw the The Division Bell as a double album, right? There was some discussion of that, but this is not really the other half of The Division Bell. This is separate. When we began that album, Rick, Nick and I took time to get to know each other musically again. We hadn't played together, at least loosely and without any intent, in a long time. Our albums tended to start with one or two people writing a song and then the whole group would put it together. This was a more organic way of starting something. I suppose you could say we got lured back into the old way of doing things when we made The Division Bell. I can see now that there are all sorts of options about the way The Division Bell could have gone. But the album is what it is, and it sounds great. I listened to it just last week. I suppose you could say this is a sidekick to it. Rick Wright, Nick Mason and David Gilmour in 1988. Rob Verhorst/Redferns What state were these songs in when you dug them out? It was a very wide palette of stuff. A lot of these things, particularly from the first couple of weeks, were just us jamming together at Nick's Britannia Row studio. We didn't even have a multitrack. I had mics going through the control desk and coming out to a DAT player in the other room. If anything sounded remotely interesting, I'd just press record. It was never even properly balanced and it was committed straight to stereo. What you can do to that is add stuff, but you can't edit and take away. Then there's other tracks we recorded on my house boat. Those went to multitrack. On some of those, we've subsequently added drums, guitar and voices. But there's only one song ["Louder Than Words"] with lyrics, which were written by [my wife] Polly Sampson, who wrote most of the lyrics on The Division Bell and my solo album On an Island. When we listened back to everything, we realized there was something great there we could tweak into something. Listening to the album, I realized just how crucial Rick was to the sound of the band. Absolutely. Roger and I have always made so much noise, on the records and in the press, that Rick tends to get slightly forgotten. But he is just as vital as anyone else to this thing. He creates a whole sonic landscape in all the things that we do. That is something you can't reproduce anywhere. No one else does it quite like him. Related Picks include 'Animals,' 'Wish You Were Here' and 'The Division Bell' Did you ever considering putting vocals on any of the tracks besides the final one? I think we thought that song was so good as it stood. Polly's words really spoke to something about the band, certainly when it came to Rick and myself. We speak better with our musical instruments. We thought that would be a lovely way to finish the album, by making the statement and not putting words on the other songs. One could argue we should have put words on one or two other songs, but I really like it the way it is. All of the songs flow together very nicely, and it does really feel like a cohesive final statement. That's right. It's saying goodbye to the whole thing. It's not me saying goodbye. I'm still around. I'm going to have a solo record next year, hopefully. I'm not quite ready to say goodbye permanently. Some of them really sound like they were made around the time of Dark Side of the Moon or "Echoes." I some ways, I think that it's closest to the Pink Floyd of the 1960s. Those pieces came out of Rick, me and Nick just jamming away together. You can hear the echoes of 1960s Pink Floyd in this record. When The Division Bell tour ended in 1994 did you intend for the band to go away for a long time, or did that just sort of happen naturally? I'm not even sure that I know the answer to that. I mean, we just never got around to doing it again, so that must say something. I think we had really pretty much done all that we'd wanted to do at that point. You were only 48 and you'd just finished the biggest tour of all time. Many people in your position would have been tempted to keep the machine rolling, but you obviously didn't feel that way. Going bigger was something that I was definitely moving away from. I've done those tours. I've enjoyed those tours, loved them. But to me, that whole thing was becoming bigger than I liked. I wasn't enjoying the size of it so much, the lack of connection with people that are a long, long way away from you. I was slightly itching to get into slightly smaller places and play to crowds where you can see them. I wanted to see each individual, more or less. I felt that was something I could do much better as a solo artist than a part of Pink Floyd. Pink Floyd during the Division Bell Tour in 1994 in London, England. Mick Hutson/Redferns Why did you wait 12 years to make a solo album? Life gets in the way sometimes. After that tour I was remarried. I had more children to raise. I took them to school in the morning and I was keen to spend more time with them. Having done that huge tour I didn't feel there was any hurry to start getting back to it. So many of your peers say their biggest regret is not spending more time with their kids when they were young. When you're in your twenties, just starting out, you are fighting the world to get your career off the ground, to make something of yourself. Sacrifices have to be made, and people suffer. You have to choose what you want. When you're a bit older and you've had that sort of success you can take a different perspective and alter your life priorities. That's what I was doing. Also, how much bigger could that band get after that last tour? You'd already packed most every stadium in the world several times over. The whole concept of whether our tour is bigger than a Rolling Stones or U2 tour is of no consequence to me. Those aren't my values. It's lovely to play to a lot of people and get our music out to a lot of people, but the figures that management and the media put out about how many dollars are earned and how many people saw the show…that's never been something that's high on my list of loves. How far are you along on your new solo album? It's coming along very well, actually. There's a lot of very, very well done sketches that are not finished yet. Some of them will be started again. There's a few months work in it yet. I'm hoping to get it out this following year. Is the sound and vibe similar to the last one? Nope. [Laughs] It's a bit of a departure in places. In what sense? I'm not going to give you any more clues than that! Are you going to tour behind it? Yeah. I'm hoping to do a bit of a tour, an old man's tour. Not a 200 dates sort of thing. What kind of venues are you going to play? You played Radio City Music Hall the last time you were in New York when you could have easily played Madison Square Garden. That's what I was saying before. The huge scale and size of Pink Floyd was something I wanted to gently back away from a bit. I wanted to make these things more personal and more manageable. This time, to be honest, I haven't really gotten to the discussion point yet. But I'm not intending to play vast places, though I'm sure people will try and persuade me otherwise. But, you know. Radio City Music Hall sounds like the right sort of vibe for me. Getting back to the record, you've said this is the final Pink Floyd album. Are you positive about that? I don't see how it could be otherwise. We've been through all of that stuff now. Anything of value is on there. Trying to do it again would mean using second best stuff. That's not good enough for me. So I think I can confidently say that is not going to happen. Obviously, going with that, there will be no more Pink Floyd shows. Without Rick, that's obviously impossible. So there's no scenario where you can see yourself touring as part of Pink Floyd again? No. Some fans were hoping to see Roger play on this new record, maybe on just a song or two. Was that even discussed? Roger was tired of being in a pop group 30 years ago. Why on Earth anyone thinks what we do now would have anything remotely to do with him is a mystery to me. He's having his fun. He's had his world tour, which went brilliantly well. And we are getting on with what we do. You'd have thought that after 30 years people might have thought, "Hmmm, maybe we won't mention him every time." I guess people saw that you played with him at Live 8, that charity show and one of his Wall gigs, and them maybe just assumed he was at least somewhat back in the mix. I think Roger is very used to being the power, the sole power, behind his career. And that's great for him. But I think the thought of him coming back into something that has any form of democracy to it wouldn't be be what he'd be good at. It's been much, much too long. As you said, I was in my forties when Floyd last toured. Let me think, I believe I was in my thirties when Roger left. I'm 68 now. It's over half a lifetime away. We really don't have that much in common anymore. That's not to say that we didn't do some of the greatest stuff that I could imagine in the time we spent together. You know, that was a mere seventeen years. It's been well over that, actually much longer, since he left. Would you be open to a charity show or something in the future where you play a song or two with him? I wouldn't rule anything out. I don't want to make hard and fast rules for myself. Anything I say to you about this stuff is, of course, just my opinion at this particular moment in my life. Anything could change, but I think the likelihood of it being any more than one little charity show or something is very, very remote. It would have to be the right thing. You say anything could change, but you seem pretty definitive about this being the end of Pink Floyd. I just try to imagine what it would be like and the thought of it makes me break out in a cold sweat. I'm an older person. I'm really enjoying my life. I'm really enjoying the music that I am making, and there's no room for Pink Floyd.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_282_8	David Gilmour — Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and photos at Last.fm singer-songwriter David Jon Gilmour, known as David Gilmour (born 6 March 1946 in Cambridge, England, United Kingdom) is an English musician and multi-instrumentalist, who was the guitarist, lead vocalist and one of the songwriters of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Gilmour was born in Cambridge, England. His father, Douglas Gilmour, was a senior lecturer in zoology at the University of Cambridge and his mother, Sylvia (née Wilson), was a teacher and film editor who raised her family at Grantchester Meadows… read more	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_282_9	1000+ images about ROGER WATERS & PINK FLOYD on Pinterest \| Pink floyd live, The moon and Pompeii Forward PINK FLOYD The Wall Tour Poster. The tour started February 7 1980 and ended on June 17 1981. The concert was only performed 31 times in four cities: Los Angeles, CA (7), New York, NY (5), Dortmund, Germany (8) and London, England (11). See More	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_282_10	About \| David Gilmour David Gilmour Cookies RATTLE THAT LOCK is David Gilmour’s fourth solo album and follows the No. 1 platinum release ‘On An Island’ (although in the interim there was of course the Pink Floyd release ‘The Endless River’ which went to No. 1 in 21 countries). It was released worldwide on Friday 18 September 2015, and went to No. 1 in 11 countries around the world. Rattle That Lock includes 10 songs, all with music by David: five with lyrics by novelist Polly Samson, two by David himself and three instrumentals. The album was recorded at various places, including David’s Astoria houseboat studio and in Hove, Sussex, UK. As with ’On An Island’, production was by David Gilmour and Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera, with engineering by Andy Jackson, assisted by Damon Iddins. Live dates have been booked to support the album release – see details on this page – and click below to see our video of the deluxe box and vinyl content. Click below to see our video of the deluxe box and vinyl content. DELUXE VERSION : ORDER NOW In advance of David's North American tour dates, a video has been completed for the full track of In Any Tongue, one of the stand-out tracks from Rattle That Lock and the live show. Aubrey 'Po' Powell, David's Creative Director, was looking for a talented animator to work on a video for The Girl In The Yellow Dress, and discovered in America a young film maker named Danny Madden, whose short film Confusion Through Sand had won recognition at the 2014 SXSW Film Festival. Po was so taken with the work that he showed it to David and lyricist Polly Samson, who immediately employed Danny to make the Yellow Dress film. However, David and Polly had also written In Any Tongue about the futility of war, and by chance some of the illustrations in Danny's film fitted the mood exactly. Danny gave his permission to use an edited part of Confusion Through Sand to fit In Any Tongue, and the die was cast. Danny's animation has been laid on to the complete album track (see video, above right). Rattle That Lock’s striking cover was art directed by Dave Stansbie from The Creative Corporation under the creative directorship of Aubrey Powell from Hipgnosis. Front cover photograph is by Rupert Truman of StormStudios, while artist photographs in the various release formats are by Kevin Westenberg, with recording session photographs by Polly Samson. Please see the individual pages for all release configurations. All editions are available now. POLAND - WROCŁAW: FREEDOM SQUARE - JUNE 25 2016 AUSTRIA - VIENNA, SCHLOSS SCHÖNBRUNN - JUNE 27, 28 2016 ITALY - ROME, CIRCUS MAXIMUS - JULY 2, 3 2016 ITALY - POMPEII, ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE - JULY 7, 8 2016 ITALY - VERONA, ARENA DI VERONA - JULY 10, 11 2016 GERMANY - STUTTGART, SCHLOSSPLATZ - JULY 14 2016 FRANCE - PARIS, CHÂTEAU DE CHANTILLY - JULY 16 2016 GERMANY - WIESBADEN, BOWLING GREEN - JULY 18 2016 FRANCE - NÎMES, ARÈNES DE NÎMES - JULY 20, 21 2016 FRANCE - BESANÇON, SALINE ROYALE D'ARC-ET-SENANS - JULY 23 2016 BELGIUM - TIENEN, GROTE MARKT - JULY 27, 28 2016 UK – LONDON: THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL - SEPTEMBER 23, 25, 28, 29, 30 2016 NORTH AMERICA 2016 LOS ANGELES, USA, Hollywood Bowl - MAR 24, MAR 25, 2016 LOS ANGELES, USA, THE FORUM - MAR 27, 2016 TORONTO, CANADA, Air Canada Centre - MAR 31, APR 1, 2016 CHICAGO, USA, Auditorium Theatre - APR 6, 2016 CHICAGO, USA, United Center - APR 4, APR 8, 2016 NEW YORK, USA, Radio City Music Hall - APR 10, 2016 NEW YORK, USA, Madison Square Garden - APR 11, APR 12, 2016 EUROPE 2015 12. CROATIA - PULA 14. ITALY - VERONA 15. ITALY – FLORENCE 17. FRANCE – ORANGE 19. GERMANY – OBERHAUSEN 23, 24, 25 UK – LONDON OCTOBER	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_282_20	David Gilmour Tickets \| David Gilmour Tour \| TicketsNow David Gilmour Tickets Read Reviews 1 Reviews David Gilmour, singer/guitarist for legendary rock band Pink Floyd, is on a nationwide solo tour! Don't miss your chance to see David Gilmour perform LIVE on tour! Buy your David Gilmour tickets now! David Gilmour tickets are currently unavailable. Be the first to get email alerts and exclusive discounts for David Gilmour tickets. Complete the form below and click 'Subscribe'. First time subscribers! Get 10% off David Gilmour tickets when you sign up for Insider Alerts. Name You entered an invalid email address. Please click here to correct Email address is a required field. Please click here to correct. You entered an invalid mobile phone. Please click here to correct You entered an invalid Zip or Postal Code (US or Canada only). Please click here to correct" Zip Code is a required field. Please click here to correct. Name is a required field. Please click here to correct. You can also bookmark this page and check back often as our inventory is updated frequently. Related Concert Tickets [1 of 1 customers found this review helpful] David Gilmour is a legend. By Swenie Da from Oslo, Norway on 7/11/2006 Pros: Crowd Was In To It, Engaging Stage Presence, Great Encores, Great Lighting, Great Sound, Perfect Set List Cons: Best For: Casual Fans, Die-Hards Only, Everyone The show had everything I hoped for. Old classics (Time, Breathe, Great Gig in the Sky, Shine on you Crazy Diamond and Comfortably Numb) and the complete new album. The sound was awesome and noone plays a solo guitar like David. Was this review helpful to you? Yes / No - You may also flag this review . Please let us know what kind of issue this is: Profanity	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_282_40	David Gilmour's Guitars and Gear Support Us David Gilmour’s Guitars and Gear David Jon Gilmour was born on 6 March 1946 in Cambridge, England. He is mainly known for his work as the lead guitarist and singer of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. David joined the band in 1967 as a fifth member next to Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, David has worked as a producer for various artist, and has enjoyed a successful career as a solo artist. He has been also actively involved in several charities during his career for which hes been rewarded with Order of the British Empire. Rolling Stone magazine ranked David number 14 on their list of the greatest guitarists of all time. As for gear, David is mostly known for playing Fender Stratocaster(s). Perhaps his best known guitar is a 1969 model with black finish and matching pickguard, which he started using around 1970. In the 80s he mostly relied on 57′ Stratocaster reissue models, and on his solo album he 1995 Fender Esquire nicknamed “Workmate”. One piece of equipment that is perhaps David’s signature thing is the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi, which he used extensively over the years. David Gilmour’s Electric Guitars: 1960s Fender Telecaster David got this guitar as a present for his 21st birthday (1967). In David’s own words: “I started out on a Telecaster before I joined Pink Floyd, and it was the first really good guitar I had.”. David’s Telecaster had a white finish, rosewood neck, and white pickguard. He used it with the band Bullitt, and it was his main guitar in the early days of Pink Floyd. Unfortunately, the guitar was lost due to an airline company’s mistake and never recovered. 1960s Fender Stratocaster This appears to be one of David’s earliest Stratocaster guitars. He supposedly got it from his bandmates around 1968, and used it until it was stolen in 1970. The guitar was an early to mid ’60s rosewood Strat with small headstock and white body finish. 1969 Fender Stratocaster This has been David’s main guitar for the most part of his early career. He bought it at Manny’s guitar store in New York in May 1970 during Pink Floyd’s North American tour, because he needed a new guitar after his old one was stolen along with the rest of Pink Floyd’s rig just couple of weeks earlier. This guitar has gone through many modifications over the years. First and foremost, it wasn’t even originally black but it was repainted at the Manny’s from it’s original sunburst finish. In the 70s David fitted it with a rosewood neck from one of his guitars, which he kept on up until 1978 when it was replaced with Charvel maple neck with a Fender logo. David also installed XLR connector for the guitar’s input to reduce the noise generated by Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face which he was using at the time. Not entirely satisfied with the results, he decided to install a Gibson PAF pickup in the middle position, which required drilling holes in the body and the pickguard. Not willing to part with his original Fender single-colis, David bought a black pickguard, and installed the old pickups there. He eventually swapped the pickguards, and installed a DiMarzio FS-1 in the bridge position, and later replaced it with Seymour Duncan SSL-1. In it’s current state, the guitar is fitted with a 1983 Fender c-shaped maple neck, 1971 Fender pickups in the neck and middle, and a SSL-1C ( SSL-5 Prototype) in the bridge. It styles the black pickguard, and a 5-way switch instead of the original 3-way pickup switch. If you wanna know all the details about David’s black Strat, Pink Floyd’s technician Phil Taylor wrote a book called The Black Strat: A History of David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster which explains all there is to know. Here’s a short interview with David Gilmour featuring his Black Strat: In the mid 80′ David replaced all his Strats with Fender 1957 reissue models. He donated this particular guitar to Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas where it was on display until 1997 when David requested it back. It was restored by his technician Charlie Chandler, and David used it ever since. It has been played for the first time at Pink Floyd reunion in 2005. 1984 Fender Stratocaster ’57 reissue Gilmour’s main guitar during post-Roger Waters era with Pink Floyd. The body was finished in Candy Apple Red and the guitar was fitted with a maple neck. David supposedly bought the guitar at the London Warehouse where he also got a several other ’57 reissue models (including a cream-coloured one) which he continued to play throughout the ’80s, up until the most recent days. Most of David’s 57 Reissue models were re-fitted with three EMG active pickups . 1954 Fender Stratocaster #0001 This Stratocaster has a white body, maple neck, gold plated pickguard and hardware. David bought it in mid 1970s from his guitar tech Phil Taylor, who previously got it from Seymour Duncan. The guitar supposedly goes back to Leo Fender himself, and it is one of the most unique vintage Stratocasters out there. Although the name suggests otherwise, this is not the first Stratocaster ever made because the prototypes were already been made before this one, but it is certainly one of the first production models. David played the #0001 Strat on the 2004 Strat Pack show that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster, but for obvious reasons he likes to keep it safe at home rather than carry it on tours. Here’s a short interview with David featuring the #0001 Stratocaster (starts at 2:11) Double-neck Stratocaster This was a custom made guitar by Dick Knight with two standard Fender necks. David wanted to be able to play both normal guitar and slide on the same instrument, so the both necks on the guitar were 6 strings, but the lower neck had higher action on the strings for slides. The guitar was used during the spring US tour in 1972 but later abandoned. 1959 Fender Telecaster Used on “Dogs” from the album Animals from 1977. During the recording sessions the guitar was equipped with a Gibson PAF (neck), which was replaced with a single-coil for the following tour. 1955 Fender Esquire “The Workmate” This ’55 Esquire was used on the recording of David’s first solo album, and during the “The Wall” recording sessions. It has a custom fitted neck pickup which was installed by Seymour Duncan – who sold this guitar to David in the first place. David nicknamed this guitar “The Workmate” because of its worn looks. Fender Telecaster ’52 Reissue David used this Telecaster on the 87/90 tour with the Pink Floyd for the song “Run Like Hell”. The guitar was tuned to dropped D for that particular song, and David had another similar Telecaster with standard tuning which he used for “Astronomy Domine”. 1955 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop model with P-90 pickups and a Bigsby vibrato bridge. David used this guitar to record several guitar parts on “The Wall” album and the solo on “Another Brick in the Wall (part 2)”. David used this guitar during “Meddle” and “Dark Side of the Moon” recording sessions. Gretsch Duo-Jet David Gilmour playing Comfortably Numb on his Gretsch: The origins of this guitar are unknown. David supposedly used it on some of the songs from his first solo album, advertisement David Gilmour’s Acoustic Guitars: Gibson J-45 One of the first acoustics that David was seen playing. This was around the time of “Atom Heart Mother” album in 1970, and David can be seen playing in on one of the gigs in San Francisco that same year. ’80 Gibson J-200 Celebrity David used this guitar for live performances of “Wish You Were Here” during the 1994 tour, and uses it nowadays as his main onstage acoustic. He actually owns two of these guitars – one tuned to standard pitch and the other tuned to D,A,D,G,A,D for “Poles Apart”. Martin D-35 This has often been referred as David’s favorite acoustic guitar. Taylor 712CE David’s main acoustic during 2001 and 2002. Here’s a video of “Wish You Were Here” featuring this Taylor: Ovation Custom Legend 1619-4 Used on the Comfortably Numb recording sessions. David Gilmour’s Guitar Amps: – Hiwatt DR103 100W Used with WEM Super Starfinder 200 cabinets with 4×12” Fane Crescendo speakers. David started using these amps in 1969, and still uses them today. David Gilmour’s Guitar Strings: – GHS Boomers Custom (gauges are .010, .012, .016, .028, .038 and .048.) – Ernie Ball Earthwood light gauge strings for Acoustic David Gilmour’s Guitar Picks: If you want to know even more about David Gilmour’s gear please check gilmourish.com For more gear lists like this visit Gear Page Contribute to this Gear List GroundGuitar is a project started with the simple idea of collecting the stories behind instruments and gear used by the most influential guitarists of the rock era and presenting them in simple and intelligible fashion. Unfortunately, most of these little pieces of history are now scattered all over various magazine interviews, books, and online articles, and the task of collecting them all in one place is not an easy one. If you're knowledgeable of the subject and you feel like helping out, you can contribute to the project in couple of ways: Detecting and pointing out mistakes in the existing content. Pointing out missing pieces of gear. Providing any sort of feedback, including personal stories, photos, sending us links to interviews where there's gear mentioned etc. You can send us a message using the contact form bellow. Contributing to this gear list will earn you a humble spot in the contributor box at the bottom of the page. Please leave this field empty. From the Blog	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_288_2	Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited - Music on Google Play 1 5 Cynthia Fabian Highway 61 Revisited You really just have to listen to it yourself... And I can smell my beat-up ancient Martin D-18 for some reason whenever I listen to this album. It also kinda makes me laugh to myself when I see the "other artists like this" tag below the song list because there aren't any. Janet Chambless The best yet I'm a huge music fan. I'm into all kinds of different music, but I've never heard an album I thought was perfect. But this album comes the closest. One day I'll be listening to Desolation Row over and over thinking this is the best song on the album, then the next day, I'll think it's Ballad of a Thin Man, then next week, it will be Like a Rolling Stone. Every song on this album became my favorite song at one point or another, except Queen Jane Approximately, which is still a good song. BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A Google User Highway 61 Revisited Just another example of Dylan during his greatest years. I remember sitting in the Jungles of South Vietnam listening to this album, then someone came in with Blond on Blond, Man, I would not have made it without these songs............. LOVED HIM THEN, AND THROUGHOUT MY LIFE!!!!!!! Brenda Mcauley Highway 61 one of my favorites. The truth hurts but it feels good not to be alone Grassroots of free thinking politically, socially and morally through music. Jeff Zweygardt BEST EVERRRR my favorite album by Uncle Robert! 2nd only to Nashville Skyline. Actually its a tie. WAIT, I need to run thru the entire catalog again to make sure. :) barbara keyock Full Review Janet Chambless May 14, 2016 The best yet I'm a huge music fan. I'm into all kinds of different music, but I've never heard an album I thought was perfect. But this album comes the closest. One day I'll be listening to Desolation Row over and over thinking this is the best song on the album, then the next day, I'll think it's Ballad of a Thin Man, then next week, it will be Like a Rolling Stone. Every song on this album became my favorite song at one point or another, except Queen Jane Approximately, which is still a good song. BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Full Review A Google User September 11, 2012 Highway 61 Revisited Just another example of Dylan during his greatest years. I remember sitting in the Jungles of South Vietnam listening to this album, then someone came in with Blond on Blond, Man, I would not have made it without these songs............. LOVED HIM THEN, AND THROUGHOUT MY LIFE!!!!!!! Full Review Brenda Mcauley September 28, 2014 Highway 61 one of my favorites. The truth hurts but it feels good not to be alone Grassroots of free thinking politically, socially and morally through music. Full Review Jeff Zweygardt February 4, 2016 BEST EVERRRR my favorite album by Uncle Robert! 2nd only to Nashville Skyline. Actually its a tie. WAIT, I need to run thru the entire catalog again to make sure. :) barbara keyock September 18, 2015 Stuck inside of mobile Music is forever on this whole CD, timeless Paul Fretthold March 4, 2015 Desolation row One of his best! moshe cohen May 14, 2014 A classic The electric dylan..revolutionary at the time. Legendary now and forever. Branden Rennie December 7, 2015 Tombstone Blues The world's happiest song. About targets hit and missed. Jesse Munoz July 12, 2014 My favorite Dylan album, brings back so many memory's Full Review Alan Ford October 29, 2015 Ahead of his time + apart from his /religious period) he sang his political poems beautifuly "the reason for taste for the kush" jason portwood August 9, 2014 Highway 61 revisited From my era just fantastic. Judd Hayes August 18, 2014 One of the greatest albums ever! It's probably my favorite album. No question. Derek Traywick June 1, 2014 Awesome~! It's just an awesome album! Full Review Mike Krivak February 15, 2016 The one and only If I could own one album it would be this one Best album the 60,s Full Review Reggie Ellis January 21, 2015 Highway 61 Revisited One of his greatest album's.One of the greatest album's of all time in my opinion.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_288_3	Highway 61 Revisited - YouTube Highway 61 Revisited Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Nov 8, 2014 Category License Standard YouTube License	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_288_4	Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited – Classic Pick on The Home Stretch - KXCI Tucson 91.3 FM BOB DYLAN – HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED Released August 30, 1965– 50 years ago Highway 61 serves as a turning point in Dylan’s career as well as pivotal moment within rock music as a whole. Trading his lone folk troubadour persona for a cynical bohemian leading a full rock band, he incorporated blues, folk, and country influences with literate, poetic, and surreal imagery in a way that had never before been done. It stands as one of rock’s most influential and important albums. The Classic Pick is a weekly feature at 4pm M-F on The Home Stretch, sponsored by the Good Oak Bar. Each Monday at 4pm Kris Kerry stops by KXCI to give us insight on this classic album. Interesting trivia: Highway 61 Revisited, Dylan’s 6th studio album, marks the first time he utilized a full rock band, except for the closing 11-minute ballad, “Desolation Row.” Extraordinarily influential, it has been stated by some that the 1960s didn’t really start until the release of this album. Others state that rock music didn’t really arrive until Dylan “plugged in” for the first time on this release. Rolling Stone describes Highway 61 as “one of those albums that changed everything,” placing it number 4 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Only 24 at the time, Dylan was already well known – as a folk singer. Initial reviews expressed both bafflement and admiration. Some critics were floored, celebrating a sound so completely novel, while others were upset with Dylan’s abandonment of traditional folk. Commercially successful, the album peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard 200, and number 4 on the UK album charts and was soon certified gold. Interestingly though, it didn’t reach platinum status until the 1990s. The album was recorded in two blocks of sessions. The first block in mid-June of 1965 with Tom Wilson, resulting I the legendary song “Like a Rolling Stone.” In July Dylan performed his famously controversial electric set at the Newport Folk Festival where some of the crowd booed his performance. Following this performance, Dylan retuned to recording this time w/ Bob Johnson. Thomas Wilson was producer on “Like A Rolling Stone” only. He also worked w/ The Mothers of Invention, The Velvet Underground, Eric Burdon & The Animals, and Simon & Garfunkel among others. Bob Johnson gets producer credit on rest of album. Johnson is a legendary producer that has worked with the likes of Johnny Cash (Folsom Prison and San Quentin recordings et al.), Leonard Cohen, The Byrds, Marty Robbins, and Simon & Garfunkel (Sounds of Silence, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme) in addition to Dylan. In addition to Highway 61, he also produced Blonde on Blonde, John Wesley Harding, and Nashville Skyline among others. Both sessions were recorded at Columbia Studio A on Seventh Avenue in New York June-early August, 1965. With Dylan being so revered at this point, many accomplished musicians appeared on album. Some of these include: Mike Bloomfield, a famous 60s blues guitarist, was ranked number 22 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” He is in both the Blues Hall of Fame and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Played in Paul Butterfield Blues Band, has several solo releases and played with Muddy Waters and Janis Joplin among others. Charles McCoy was an admired country guitarist that also played with Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. He regularly appeared on Hee Haw. Paul Griffin, a well respected studio pianist, played with many well-known artists, including Steely Dan, Don McLean (notably on “American Pie”), John Denver, Van Morrison, and Dizzy Gillespie. He also arranged the soundtrack for 1979 move, The Warriors. Al Kooper was a producer and also the founder of Blood, Sweat and Tears. His organ riff on “Like A Rolling Stone” was totally improvised. Harvey Brooks, a studio jazz bassist, played with the Doors and Miles Davis in addition to Dylan. Drummers include Bobby Gregg and Sam Lay, who had worked with Simon & Garfunkel, John Cale, Hawlin’ Wolf, and Muddy Waters. Bobby Gregg was also a member of The Band. Dylan played acoustic guitar, harmonica and some piano. Dylan is purported to have performed “Like a Rolling Stone” more than 2000 times in concert. Dylan has eleven Grammy Awards, one Academy Award (original song “Things Have Changed” on Wonder Boys soundtrack), and one Golden Globe Award (same song/movie). Dylan was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Bruce Springsteen performed the induction speech. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, by Barak Obama in 2012. Obama stated that there was, “not a bigger giant in the history of American Music.” NEWS BLOG	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_288_6	Highway 61 Revisited \| HDtracks - The World's Greatest-Sounding Music Downloads http://www.hdtracks.com/highway-61-revisited?___store=default 133734 Highway 61 Revisited http://s3.amazonaws.com/hdtrack_img/HD827969239926_185.jpg 17.99 USD InStock /Pop /Singer/Songwriter /Rock/Rock Originals /Classic 100 /Classic 100 Rock /Greatest Debut Albums/Top Hi-Res Male Vocalists /Grammy Hall of Fame /Best Hi-Res of the 60's /Rock/60s Rock /Super Hi-Res © 2012 Sony Music Entertainment ℗ 2012 Originally Released 1965 Sony Music Entertainment THIS ALBUM DOWNLOAD FEATURES HIGH RESOLUTION COVER ART ONLY. LINER NOTES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. One of Music's Most Influential Records! Highway 61 Revi... <p><strong>© 2012 Sony Music Entertainment<br /> ℗ 2012 Originally Released 1965 Sony Music Entertainment</strong><br /> <br /> <strong>THIS ALBUM DOWNLOAD FEATURES HIGH RESOLUTION COVER ART ONLY. LINER NOTES ARE NOT AVAILABLE.</strong><br /> <br /> <strong>One of Music's Most Influential Records!</strong><br /> <br /> <em>Highway 61 Revisited</em> is the seminal masterpiece by Bob Dylan. It is listed at #4 on <em>Rolling Stone</em>’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and features the #1 song on <em>Rolling Stone</em>’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” "Like A Rolling Stone." It peaked at #3 on the <em>Billboard</em> 200, is one of <em>NME</em>’s “Greatest Albums of All Time”, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.</p> 17.99 Bob Dylan Pop,Singer/Songwriter,Rock Originals,Classic 100,Classic 100 Rock,Top Hi-Res Male Vocalists,Grammy Hall of Fame,Best Hi-Res of the 60's,60s Rock,Super Hi-Res 2013-10-20	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_288_7	Classic Albums Remade: Bob Dylan, 'Highway 61 Revisited' Classic Albums Remade: Bob Dylan, 'Highway 61 Revisited' Robert of the Radish Pin it Share Our Classic Albums Remade playlist series is an opportunity for us to dig out timeless albums, and rebuild them track for track. We do it by compiling cover versions of every song that appeared on the original album, and put them in the same order. It’s a great way to get a sense of the influence these albums have, as well as a way to experience the diverse range of interpretations available for a single artist. The album we’ve chosen to remake this time is Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited, which was named by Rolling Stone magazine as the fourth-best album of all time, and they described it as “one of those albums that, quite simply, changed everything.” It has stood the test of time, and continues to influence new generations of musicians regardless of current fashions.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_288_8	Highway 61 Revisited - 60s Rock - Rock \| HDtracks - The World's Greatest-Sounding Music Downloads http://www.hdtracks.com/highway-61-revisited?___store=default 133734 Highway 61 Revisited http://s3.amazonaws.com/hdtrack_img/HD827969239926_185.jpg 17.99 USD InStock /Pop /Singer/Songwriter /Rock/Rock Originals /Classic 100 /Classic 100 Rock /Greatest Debut Albums/Top Hi-Res Male Vocalists /Grammy Hall of Fame /Best Hi-Res of the 60's /Rock/60s Rock /Super Hi-Res © 2012 Sony Music Entertainment ℗ 2012 Originally Released 1965 Sony Music Entertainment THIS ALBUM DOWNLOAD FEATURES HIGH RESOLUTION COVER ART ONLY. LINER NOTES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. One of Music's Most Influential Records! Highway 61 Revi... <p><strong>© 2012 Sony Music Entertainment<br /> ℗ 2012 Originally Released 1965 Sony Music Entertainment</strong><br /> <br /> <strong>THIS ALBUM DOWNLOAD FEATURES HIGH RESOLUTION COVER ART ONLY. LINER NOTES ARE NOT AVAILABLE.</strong><br /> <br /> <strong>One of Music's Most Influential Records!</strong><br /> <br /> <em>Highway 61 Revisited</em> is the seminal masterpiece by Bob Dylan. It is listed at #4 on <em>Rolling Stone</em>’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and features the #1 song on <em>Rolling Stone</em>’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” "Like A Rolling Stone." It peaked at #3 on the <em>Billboard</em> 200, is one of <em>NME</em>’s “Greatest Albums of All Time”, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.</p> 17.99 Bob Dylan Pop,Singer/Songwriter,Rock Originals,Classic 100,Classic 100 Rock,Top Hi-Res Male Vocalists,Grammy Hall of Fame,Best Hi-Res of the 60's,60s Rock,Super Hi-Res 2013-10-20 /Rock/60s Rock	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_288_9	When Bob Dylan Painted His Masterpiece, 'Highway 61 Revisited' Subscribe to Ultimate Classic Rock on It all started with “ Like a Rolling Stone .” Coming off his most accomplished LP to date — Bringing It All Back Home , from earlier in 1965 — Bob Dylan set up shop in a New York City studio in June of that year and recorded the first song from the album that would make him a star. More importantly, it set him on the course that would lead to one of rock’s most influential and enigmatic careers. From the start, Dylan knew it was time for reinvention and evolution. Tired of the folksinger tag that was attached to him following four albums of varying folk, blues, protest, traditional and personal songs, the 24-year old singer-songwriter scraped the edges of Bringing It All Back Home‘s tougher cuts, stirred them into a mix of electric rock, pop and blues music, assembled a group of musicians he hoped would follow him into battle and proceeded to lay down one of rock’s all-time greatest albums, Highway 61 Revisited, which was released on Aug. 30, 1965. The session players — including guitarist Mike Bloomfield and keyboardist Al Kooper — had to learn quick, or they would sink under the rising tide of Dylan’s swelling creativity. Dylan would repeatedly, and instinctively, record his new songs on the spot, testing out songs in dozens of takes, messing with their rhythms, tempos, styles, times and tones. (Many of these alternate versions can be heard in the various Bootleg Series volumes Dylan has released since 1991.) Doom was on his mind. So was a raging anger that found its way into “Like a Rolling Stone,” spurred by an exhausting tour of England. Highway 61 Revisited is funny too. But mostly it’s apocalyptic, swerving through “Tombstone Blues,” “Ballad of a Thin Man,” “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” and, finally, the 11-minute closing epic, “Desolation Row,” with one eye on the wasteland behind him and the other on the impending current creeping forward. It’s also a road trip of sorts, a journey through mid-’60s America — post-JFK, post-Eisenhower, post-everything-’50s — that ties together back roads (like the real Highway 61) and its connection to a past being overtaken by the future, not to mention the inherent blues connection. Dylan knew the score going into the album. This would be a career-changer if he played it right. And the crisp, electric mix coupled with his freewheeling poetry (somewhere between the icons who influenced him and the Beats whom he’d outlast) clicked. Highway 61 Revisited sounds like a defining work, right from the “Like a Rolling Stone” drum smack that opens the record. But Dylan, restless with his time and place, guaranteed that the album wouldn’t be a tight fit with the five that preceded it. The acoustic “Desolation Row,” in its own winding folksinger-at-the-end-of-the-world way, sort of approaches the familiar territory mapped out on records like The Times They Are A-Changin’ . But it’s a million miles away from the protest songs that made him a new star of a movement he never really wanted to be part of. Damaged characters stroll through the back alleys of Dylan’s mind in search of something to validate their presence. “Einstein disguised as Robin Hood / With his memories in a trunk / Passed this way an hour ago with his friend / A jealous monk.” What does it mean? Does it even matter? The album’s nine songs usher in a period of unrelenting creativity for the artist. Everyone else was left to play catch-up after this. Highway 61 Revisited was biblical, epic, draining, harrowing, hilarious and most of all brilliant. Dylan painted his masterpiece and he wasn’t even 25 years old. His band and producers ( Bob Johnston on everything but “Like a Rolling Stone,” which was produced by Tom Wilson) deserve credit too. They deserve credit for following Dylan into his great unknown, putting up with his whims, his endless takes and his countless restructuring, making things up, or so it seemed, as he went along. Highway 61 Revisited sounds like a pop record at times. But it’s so much more: An art piece for the ages to be dissected, reflected upon, imitated and worshiped. The Beatles may receive most of praise for bringing 20th century music into a new era, but there’s a really good chance they wouldn’t have gotten there without Highway 61 Revisited. The album marked Dylan’s slow surge into the mainstream. Bringing It All Back Home reached the Top 10 five months earlier, but Highway 61 Revisited pushed its way to No. 3. Likewise, “Like a Rolling Stone” made it to No. 2, Dylan’s best-ever showing on the singles chart (it also paved the way for “Positively 4th Street,” a leftover from the sessions, to enter the Top 10, Dylan’s only back-to-back hits). But those numbers are a small part of the story. Dylan wouldn’t look back. Within a couple months, he’d start work on his next album, the double-record opus Blonde on Blonde, an extension of Highway 61 Revisited‘s themes, attitude, spite and humor, bringing to a close the pinnacle period in Dylan’s long history. There was plenty more to say, explore and tear apart in the years to come. But he never got better than this. Bob Dylan Albums Ranked Worst to Best Image of	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_288_16	Bob Dylan, 'Highway 61 Revisited' \| 500 Greatest Albums of All Time \| Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. 500 4. Bob Dylan, 'Highway 61 Revisited' Columbia, 1965 Bruce Springsteen described the beginning of "Like a Rolling Stone," the opening song on Highway 61 Revisited, as the "snare shot that sounded like somebody'd kicked open the door to your mind." Folk singer Phil Ochs was even more rhapsodic about the LP: "It's impossibly good... How can a human mind do this?" Recorded in a staggering six days, Highway 61 Revisited – named after the road that runs from Bob Dylan 's home state of Minnesota down through the Mississippi Delta – is one of those albums that changed everything. In and of itself, "Like a Rolling Stone," rumored to be about Andy Warhol acolyte Edie Sedgwick, forever altered the landscape of popular music – its "vomitiﬁc" flow (Dylan's term), literary ambition and sheer length (6:13) shattered limitations of every kind. "Ballad of a Thin Man" delivered the definitive Sixties comment on the splintering hip-straight fault line: "Something is happening here, but you don't know what it is/Do you, Mister Jones?" If anyone questioned whether or not Dylan had truly "gone electric," the roaring rock & roll of "From a Buick 6" and "Tombstone Blues" – powered by guitarist Mike Bloomﬁeld – left no doubt. The album ends with "Desolation Row," a surrealist night journey that runs 11 minutes. Dylan evokes a Hieronymus Bosch-like season in hell that seems to foretell all the Sixties cataclysms to come. "The Titanic sails at dawn," he sings wearily. "Everybody is shouting, 'Which side are you on?'" That "Desolation Row" is an all-acoustic track – a last-minute decision on Dylan's part – is one final stroke of genius: a spellbinding new vision of folk music to close the album that, for the time being at least, destroyed folk music.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_288_18	Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited \| PopMatters Highway 61 Revisited The year was 1965. America’s involvement in Vietnam is escalating and American troops are sent to the Dominican Republic in an attempt quell a rebellion on the island. The Johnson Administration announces an anti-poverty initiative as part of his Great Society. Selma, Alabama is racked with violence as segregationists attack peaceful civil rights marchers and riots break out in Watts, causing 34 deaths and injuries to 1,000 people. Against this backdrop, Bob Dylan makes what will prove to be a prophetic musical statement, plugging in, turning up the volume and altering the pop music landscape for years to come. First came Bringing It All Back Home, with one side of electric music and one side of what can best be described as acoustic rock, followed in short order by the single “Like a Rolling Stone”, bursting onto the charts like that first gunshot that started the Revolutionary War, and his controversial electric performance Newport Folk Festival and the single. And yet, all of that was just prelude. On August 30, Dylan released what remains for me the most electrifying rock-and-roll album of all time, Highway 61 Revisited. From its opening rim shot, which snaps the album into motion, an opening that stands above nearly all others in the history of rock and roll, a crack that strikes deep into the soul, Dylan spins and whirls into a snarling, searing 51 minutes of anarchic imagery and music. This is Bob Dylan at the height of his phantasmagoric powers, the dark visionary, the painter of nightmarish inner landscapes who brings together the strands of disparate worlds, mixes them and deconstructs them, crafting a world of disillusion and alienation that offers what may have been the first inclination that the Age of Aquarius was not all peace and love. This is an album of brutality and innocence, an album that could only have been produced by an artist at the height of his powers, with a war raging overseas in the shadow of a presidential assassination. It is that rare album on which not only are there no weak cuts, but on which each song is a masterpiece, a classic rock and roll album. Some history is in order, here. This is Dylan’s second electric effort, released in August of 1965, just five months after the remarkable Bringing It All Back Home. The earlier effort featured an electric side and an acoustic side, though the acoustic songs are nothing like anything he’d recorded in the past. In structure, in approach, they are songs that seem designed for full-band backing. Dylan had been making the move toward rock and roll for about a year, starting with the release of the more personal Another Side of Bob Dylan, an album that lacked much of the topical fireworks of his two previous albums. Another Side was still a folk album, but sounded different than the folk music that was popular at the time both in terms of content and song structure. Then in February 1965, Dylan released “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, the rollicking, rocking masterpiece that would forever change how rock and roll would be played from then on. “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, with its images of revolution and chaos, prefigured the pitched political battles that were to soon characterize the decade—but its musical impact was not apparent until the release in July of “Like a Rolling Stone” and Dylan’s fateful appearance at the Newport Folk Festival several days later. The 1965 festival has taken on mythic stature in the annals of rock and roll and there is some dispute over exactly what happened when Dylan walked on stage dressed in leather jacket and white shirt with snap-tab collar and cranked out his allegory of intellectual freedom, “Maggie’s Farm”, “It Takes A Lot to Laugh” and “Like A Rolling Stone”. There apparently was booing and the crowd was angry—though just how angry and how much booing remains in dispute. He left the stage and came back to play a pair of acoustic songs—“It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” and “Mr. Tambourine Man”—and left again. He then went into the studio to record what was to become Highway 61 Revisited—and it seems clear from the finished product, at least, that Dylan was affected by what went down at Newport. Much of the album was recorded and finished in the wake of Newport and some of the disc seems in some ways a rebuke to those who had created an image of Dylan that Dylan had no interest in living up to. (The brutal “Positively Fourth Street” was recorded during these sessions, though not included on the album.) Dylan had already made his statement of liberation on Bringing It All Back Home, when he sang “Well, I try my best / To be just like I am / But everybody wants you / To be just like them. / They sing while you slave and I just get bored. / I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more.” The result is Dylan’s hardest rocking album, an album of biting satire and vituperation, of fevered playing and controlled aggression. There are the brutal recriminations of “Like a Rolling Stone”, a song so pointedly nasty, so harsh and unforgiving, that it is almost scary. “How does it feel / How does it feel / To be on your own / With no direction home / Like a complete unknown / Like a rolling stone?” Dylan sings, running down the song’s target, a woman who “dressed so fine” and attended “the finest schools” only to find herself finally taken down a peg, lost and alone. “Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people / They’re drinkin’, thinkin’ that they got it made / Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things / But you’d better lift your diamond ring, you’d better pawn it babe,” Dylan sings without sympathy. “You used to be so amused / At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used / Go to him now, he calls you, you can’t refuse / When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose / You’re invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.” “Tombstone Blues” is a dervish of images and surging, gyrating music—a truly anarchic explosion of music. The key here is the mix—somehow producer Bob Johnston allows each of the players their own space, allows us to hear each instrument as it weaves its musical line in and around the others, with Michael Bloomfield’s biting guitar and Al Kooper’s rambling piano charging up the entire effort. “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” is Dylan’s easy blues, a hobo song that ambles along its way, the languid beat masking the urgency—hinted at throughout by Dylan’s keening harmonica—an urgency that suddenly spills out in the final verse: “Don’t say I never warned you / When your train gets lost.” That hidden urgency explodes in Al Kooper’s bouncing organ on “From a Buick 6”, as the singer navigates the cruelties of the world, with a little help from his “soulful mama”. “Ballad of a Thin Man” reprises the theme of dislocation that Dylan raised in “Like a Rolling Stone”, telling the story of a man, Mr. Jones, lost in the modern world, Mr. Jones wandering lost in the wilderness: “Because something is happening here” but he doesn’t “know what it is”. But it also is Dylan’s response to the changing times, a coda to “The Times They Are A-Changin’” in which he derides the comfortable and the would-be opinion makers and trendsetters (He is “well read” and has “many contacts”). There is the chuckle at the end of the first verse that lets you know Dylan has no sympathy for Mr. Jones, the song tracing with a growing derision Mr. Jones’s pretensions and growing alienation—“There ought to be a law / Against you comin’ around.” With “Queen Jane Approximately”, Dylan leaves the door open, saying that there might be some relief from the alienation and dislocation—“Won’t you come see me, Queen Jane?” Then comes the title cut, which kicks off what I’ve always thought of as a three-song nightmare suite: “Highway 61 Revisited”, “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”, and the majestic “Desolation Row”. The songs pile up a series of incongruous images, from the demanding god of Highway 61, where the good, the bad, and the horrid are all quite at home, to the story of Tom Thumb kicking around Juarez. It is on “Desolation Row” that Dylan brings this nightmare to its logical and illogical conclusion, with a host of unlikely characters—Cinderella, Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot, Dr. Filth and Nero—casting about in a world that seems to jump off a Brueghel canvas, or maybe out of a William S. Burroughs novel. “They’re selling postcards of the hanging / They’re painting the passports brown / The beauty parlor is filled with sailors / The circus is in town,” Dylan sings atop a truly beautiful guitar line, a slowed-down flamenco riff that seems at odds with the dislocation and brutality of the lyrics. The lyrics are a thick jumble of images, much of them contradictory, leaving us to wonder whether “Desolation Row” is heaven or hell. The Good Samaritan is heading to the carnival, but Casanova is punished for going there. Einstein had been famous “For playing the electric violin / On Desolation Row”, while Ophelia, who finds death “quite romantic”, stares at “Noah’s great rainbow” and “She spends her time peeking / Into Desolation Row.” And it’s not as if the singer knows the answer either—or that we are asking the right questions: “All these people that you mention / Yes, I know them, they’re quite lame / I had to rearrange their faces / And give them all another name / Right now I can’t read too good / Don’t send me no more letters no / Not unless you mail them / From Desolation Row.” Highway 61 Revisited does not fit in comfortably with the other trends of its time. It was one of a handful of albums (including the Beatles’ Rubber Soul and Revolver) that gave literate rockers the green light to create a kind of intelligent, probing rock music that had not existed before. But it also was, in many ways, the first punk-rock album—it has the same sense of antagonistic glee that the Sex Pistols brought to their songs—and hinted at the dissolution and discontent that would come only a few years later, with the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., with Altamont and the deaths of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and others as the ‘60s turned to the ‘70s. Share via	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_288_19	Home \| The Official Bob Dylan Site Amazon \| iTunes \| Bob Dylan Store Bob Dylan on Muhammad Ali “If the measure of greatness is to gladden the heart of every human being on the face of the earth, then he truly was the greatest. In every way he was the bravest, the kindest and the most excellent of men.” Hear “All the Way” off ‘Fallen Angels’ “All the Way” is the second song released off the album Fallen Angels out May 20. Both “All the Way” and “Melancholy Mood” are available instantly with all digital pre-orders of the album. The track can also be streamed here and on Apple Music. ‘Fallen Angels’ is Now Available! Order your copy today. Bob Dylan’s new album, Fallen Angels, is available now for instant download, on CD, or on limited edition vinyl. Visit the Bob Dylan Music Store “The Cutting Edge” Exclusive Premieres See and hear all the exclusive premieres from Bob Dylan’s The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12 Introducing the Bob Dylan Studio A Revisited Micro-site Put yourself in the studio during the 1965-66 sessions by visiting the Studio A Revisited microsite, which gives you an opportunity to play with the four studio “stems” that make up “Like A Rolling Stone” and more. Bob Dylan Wins a 2016 Grammy Award Can You Sing As Well As Bob Dylan? Singing Session on Studio A Revisited has launched and allows fans around the globe to step up to the microphone in an attempt to match Bob Dylan’s unique phrasing and timbre. Bob Dylan – The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12 BOB DYLAN – THE CUTTING EDGE 1965-1966: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 12, A DELUXE 6CD ANTHOLOGY, TO BE RELEASED BY COLUMBIA RECORDS/LEGACY RECORDINGS ON NOVEMBER 6 Latest Volume in Acclaimed Dylan Bootleg Series Premieres Previously Unreleased Studio Recordings–including Never-Before-Heard Songs, Outtakes, Rehearsal Tracks, and Alternate Versions–from the Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde Sessions “The Lyrics: Since 1962” Available Now! Visit the Bob Dylan Store Apparel, posters and more at the Bob Dylan Store . Run your fingers down my spine; Bring me a touch of bliss The Story of “The Cutting Edge” WATCH THE VIDEO	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_298_0	BBC ON THIS DAY \| 8 \| 1984: Moscow pulls out of US Olympics About This Site \| Text Only 1984: Moscow pulls out of US Olympics Twelve weeks before the opening ceremony of the Los Angeles Olympic Games, the USSR has announced it is boycotting them. It is expected most of the Eastern Bloc will follow suit. The announcement, which was made on Russian TV this afternoon, blamed the commercialisation of the games and a lack of security measures, which amounted to a violation of the Olympic charter. The Soviet Union accused the United States of using the games "for political purposes" and "stirring up anti-Soviet propaganda" and of having a "cavalier attitude to security of Russian athletes". In 1980 the USA and more than 60 other countries boycotted the Moscow Olympics in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Top athletes The Russians' withdrawal will devalue the Los Angeles Games far more than the US boycott as it seems certain that top-class athletes from the Eastern Bloc will also be prevented from taking part. The White House denounced the move calling it a "blatant political act". John Hughes, a State Department spokesman, said the USA had "gone the extra mile" to ensure adequate security measures were in place. He took the opportunity to attack the USSR for its "barbarous behaviour" in Afghanistan and its persecution of Russian dissidents such as Dr Andrei Sakharov living in forced exile in the Russian town of Gorky. Moscow has still not officially told the IOC of its boycott but there is little hope that the decision will be reversed.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_298_2	Rowing at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games \| Olympics at Sports-Reference.com Rowing at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games Host City: Los Angeles, United States Date Started: July 30, 1984 Date Finished: August 5, 1984 Events: 14 Participants: 447 (286 men and 161 women) from 30 countries Youngest Participant: Philippe Cuelenaere (12 years, 334 days) Oldest Participant: Manuel Mandel (47 years, 304 days) Most Medals (Athlete): 3 athletes with 2 medals Most Medals (Country): United States (8 medals) Overview Rowing at the 1984 Summer Olympics was held at man-made Lake Casitas in Los Padres National Forest, north of Los Angeles. Many of the events were heavily impacted by the Soviet-led boycott, as Bulgaria, the Soviet Union, and especially East Germany were the dominant powers in many of the rowing disciplines. Especially affected were the women’s events, many of which had rarely, if ever, seen winners at the Olympics or the World Championships from outside of the Eastern Bloc. Nonetheless, 30 nations still took part, up five from the 1980 Games and down only one from 1976, the last time the Olympics were not the subject of a major boycott. Romania benefitted the most from the boycott, winning five of the six women’s events in the Eastern Bloc’s absence and topping the medal table with eight medals overall, six of which were gold. The United States also took eight medals, only two of which, however, were gold, making it the only other nation to win more than one rowing title at the Games. The 1984 program remained the same as it had been in 1976 and 1980 and held women’s event for the third time. This was the last time that they would compete over 1000 metres as, beginning in 1988, they would join the men in competing over 2000 metres. Puerto Rico made its Olympic debut by sending [Juan Félix] to the men’s single sculls; although he would compete again in 1988 he remains, as of 2012, the only individual to have represented this nation in Olympic rowing. China, meanwhile, also appeared in rowing for the first time by sending crews to the men’s and women’s coxed fours events, while Korea, by sending a crew to the latter event, took part in rowing for the first time in two decades and only the second time ever. In the coxless pairs, Spain’s [Fernando Climent] and [Luis Lasúrtegui] won silver, which was their country’s first, and of 2012 only, medal in Olympic rowing, despite the nation having made its first appearance in rowing in the inaugural 1900 tournament. Sisters [Greet] and [Nicolette Hellemans] of the Netherlands, meanwhile, highlighted the impact of the Soviet boycott on rowing\: they both won silver and bronze in the double sculls and coxed eights respectively and became the tournament’s only multiple medalists for a nation that had never previously won an Olympic or World Championship medal in either discipline. Medalists A Sports Reference Site : About SR/Olympics \| Privacy Statement \| Conditions & Terms of Service \| Use of Data Data provided by OlyMADMen , led by Hilary Evans, Arild Gjerde, Jeroen Heijmans, and Bill Mallon. Members: David Foster, Martin Frank, Jørn Jensen, Carl-Johan Johansson, Taavi Kalju, Martin Kellner, George Masin, Stein Opdahl, Wolf Reinhardt, Ralf Regnitter, Paul Tchir, Magne Teigen, Christian Tugnoli, Morten Aarlia Torp, and Ralf Schlüter. Sports Reference LLC and www.sports-reference.com are not sponsored by or affiliated with the Olympics, the United States Olympic Committee or the International Olympic Committee. Trademarks featured or referred to on this website are the property of their respective trademark holders and not Sports Reference LLC or www.sports-reference.com . Part of the	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_298_3	1984 Summer Olympics boycott - Wikipedia, Photos and Videos 1984 Summer Olympics boycott NEXT GO TO RESULTS [51 .. 100] WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE e Countries boycotting the 1984 Games are shaded blue The boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles was after the U.S.-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow . The boycott involved 14 Eastern Bloc countries and allies, led by the Soviet Union , which initiated the boycott on May 8, 1984. The boycott affected a large number of Olympic events that were normally dominated by the absent countries. Boycotting countries organized another major event, called the Friendship Games , in July and August 1984. Contents 7 References Announcement of boycott[ edit ] The USSR announced its intentions to boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics on May 8, 1984, [1] citing security concerns and “chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria being whipped up in the United States.” [1] A US official said the country had ignored suggestive comments by the Soviets in the weeks building up to the announcement and that, in spite of all the indications, the United States was “absolutely dumbfounded” when the official announcement arrived. [2] After the announcement, six more nations joined the boycott, including Bulgaria , East Germany (on May 10), Mongolia and Vietnam (both May 11), [3] and Laos and Czechoslovakia (both May 13). China formally confirmed that it would be present at the games in Los Angeles, while the Laotians and Czechoslovaks announced their decision to boycott the event. [4] Later, Afghanistan also decided to boycott the event, becoming the eighth country to boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics. [5] Even later, Hungary (May 16) and Poland (May 17) became the ninth and tenth communist countries to join the boycott. Hungary claimed the lives of its athletes would be put in danger if they were to spend time in Los Angeles. On the other hand, Poland said that the United States was engaging in a “campaign aimed at disturbing the Games”. [6] [7] On May 24, Cuba became the eleventh country to announce its participation in the boycott, making front page news in the United States because it was a “serious blow to boxing and baseball”. [8] South Yemen was the twelfth country to remove itself from the event (May 27); the Los Angeles Times stated that this was due to their “ Marxist ” connections. [9] North Korea was the thirteenth nation to boycott the 1984 Olympics. [10] Ethiopia became the first African state to participate in the boycott, followed by Angola . [11] Iran had earlier decided to boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics because of “United States interference in the Middle East, its support for the regime occupying Jerusalem, and the crimes being committed by the U.S.A. in Latin America, especially in El Salvador”. [12] Iran and Albania were the only countries to not attend both the 1980 Moscow and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Libya also boycotted the Olympics after Libyan journalists were refused entry into the United States in July, along with the 1983 ban upon US exports to Libya and a renewal of bans upon travel to Libya by holders of US passports . [13] Libya and Ethiopia were the only nations to boycott both the 1976 Montreal and 1984 Los Angeles Games. In addition, Albania did not attend any games from 1976 to 1988, although there was no official explanation for their absence at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and 1988 Seoul Olympics. Politically, Albania allied with China after the Sino-Soviet split , remaining antagonistic towards the Soviet Union; however, it also opposed China's rapprochement with the United States in the late 70s, resulting in the Sino-Albanian split . A similar antagonism towards both superpowers existed in Iran since 1979. This resulted in Iran and Albania boycotting both the 1980 and 1984 Olympics independently without endorsing the boycott on the opposing side. Revenge hypothesis[ edit ] Jimmy Carter declared that the United States would boycott the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, with 64 other countries joining the boycott. [14] This was the largest Olympic games boycott ever. In 1984, three months before the start of the 1984 summer games in Los Angeles, the Soviet Union declared it would "not participate" in the 1984 games, due to the commercialization of the games and lack of security for the athletes. 13 other countries joined in the boycott. Most of the world’s media interpreted the Soviet boycott as retaliation for the US boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games , [15] [16] which had been in response to the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan , [15] whereas the state-controlled Soviet media repeated the government line that the boycott was a safety measure to protect their own athletes. However, no threat to Eastern Bloc athletes was ever discovered, and the athletes from the Eastern Bloc country that did attend the 1984 games in Los Angeles—Romania—encountered no problems, and in fact were widely cheered above all other visiting nations at the Opening Ceremonies when they marched into the Coliseum. Romania ended up finishing third in overall medal count at the Games. Among those subscribing to the “revenge hypothesis” was Peter Ueberroth , the chief organizer of the 1984 L.A. Games, who expressed his views in a press conference after the boycott was announced, on the same day that the Olympic torch relay in the United States began in New York City . U.S. President Ronald Reagan later stated his belief that the Soviets feared some of their athletes might defect. As well, President Reagan and his administration agreed to meet all of the demands of the Soviet Union in turn for the Soviet Bloc's attendance at the 1984 Olympics, marking a stark contrast in Reagan’s “hawkish” views on Cold War foreign policy. [17] As more countries withdrew, the IOC announced on the deadline week that it would consider extending the deadline for entry into the Olympics. [18] The three top medal winners from the 1980 Games (which was the subject of a boycott by sixty nations) in Moscow were among the boycotters, and media analysis noted this would weaken the field of competitors in a number of sports. [19] Boycotting countries[ edit ] Listed in the chronological order of their withdrawal, not by alphabetical or any geographical order. 15 or 18 (from different sources) in all. Seychelles Somalia had broken relations with the Soviet Union after the latter’s support for Ethiopia in the Ethio-Somali War . Yugoslavia was a non-aligned country that acted independently of the Soviet Union. Yugoslavia shared friendly relations with both the Soviet Union and the United States, therefore it did not participate in either of the boycotts. It had just hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics . In popular culture[ edit ] In the Season 4 episode, " Lisa's First Word ", of the U.S. television show The Simpsons , Krusty Burger is featured in a promotion where the characters get free food if they receive a slip that features an event that was "won" by the United States. The promotion was rigged, as was said in the episode, where every game card was to be in an event that "Communists never lose". However, almost immediately after that is said, word of the boycott is spread and the rigging backfires. Krusty Burger loses so much money on the promotion that Krusty publicly states that he will “personally spit in every 50th burger”. The Krusty Burger promotion paralleled a real-life McDonald's scratch-card promotion from the 1984 Olympics. The promotion was called “If the US Wins, You Win!” and gave away Big Mac hamburger sandwiches for every gold medal, fries for every silver medal, and Coca-Cola beverages for every bronze. [20] The events of the boycott as well as the earlier 1980 Summer Olympics boycott were referenced in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain , when the character Revolver Ocelot explains to Venom Snake what had transpired during the nine years he was in a coma. The boycott of the '84 Summer Olympics also receives a brief offhanded mention in Peter Bogdanovich's 1990 comedy Texasville, which takes place earlier that summer. In an opening scene, a radio announcer mentions that while the majority of Soviet Bloc countries will not participate in the Games, Ceaușescu's Romania is expected to attend.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_298_4	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles , California , United States in 1984. When Tehran , the only other interested city on the international level, declined to bid due to the concurrent Iranian political and social changes, the IOC awarded Los Angeles the Games by default. This was the second occasion Los Angeles hosted the games; it previously hosted in 1932 . In response to the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including the Soviet Union , Cuba and East Germany , boycotted the Games ; only Romania elected to attend. For differing reasons, Iran and Libya also boycotted. The USSR announced its intention not to participate on May 8, 1984, citing security concerns and "chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria being whipped up in the United States." Boycotting countries organized another large event in June–September 1984, called the Friendship Games ; however, not even a single competition was held between July 28 and August 12. Representatives of the organizing countries, the Soviets in particular, underlined it was "not held to replace the Olympics". Elite athletes from the U.S. and USSR would only compete against each other at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow, organized in response to the boycotts. Where ambitious construction for the 1976 games in Montreal and 1980 games in Moscow had saddled organizers with expenses greatly in excess of revenues, Los Angeles strictly controlled expenses by using existing facilities except a swim stadium and a velodrome that were paid for by corporate sponsors. The Olympic Committee led by Peter Ueberroth used some of the profits to endow the LA84 Foundation to promote youth sports in Southern California, educate coaches and maintain a sports library. The 1984 Summer Olympics are often considered the most financially successful modern Olympics. [4] The host state of California was the home state of U.S. President Ronald Reagan , who officially opened the Games. He had served as Governor of California from 1967 to 1975. The official mascot of the Los Angeles Games was Sam the Olympic Eagle . The logo of the games featured five blue, white and red stars arranged horizontally and struck through with alternating streaks; it was named "Stars in Motion." These were the first Summer Olympic Games under the IOC Presidency of Juan Antonio Samaranch . On July 18, 2009, a 25th anniversary celebration was held in the main stadium. This celebration included a speech by the former president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, Peter Ueberroth, and a re-creation of the lighting of the cauldron. Host selection The selection process for the 1984 Summer Olympics consisted of a single finalized bid, with the International Olympic Committee accepting the bid of Los Angeles. A bid from Tehran was withdrawn before the selection. Los Angeles had unsuccessfully bid for the two previous Summer Olympics, for 1976 and 1980. The United States Olympic Committee had at least one bid for every Olympics since 1944 , but had not succeeded since the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932 , the previous time a single bid had been issued for the Summer Olympics. [5] Torch relay The 1984 Olympic Torch Relay began in New York City and ended in Los Angeles, traversing 33 states and the District of Columbia. Unlike later torch relays, the torch was continuously carried by runners on foot. The route covered more than 9,320 mi (15,000 km) and involved 3,636 runners, including 200 from the sponsoring company AT&T . Noted athlete O.J. Simpson was among the runners, carrying the torch up the California Incline in Santa Monica . Gina Hemphill, granddaughter of Jesse Owens, carried the torch into the Coliseum, completed a lap around the track, then handed it off to the final runner, Rafer Johnson , winner of the decathlon at the 1960 Summer Olympics . With the torch, he touched off the flame which passed through a specially designed flammable Olympic logo, igniting all five rings. The flame then passed up to cauldron atop the peristyle and remained aflame for the duration of the Games. Music John Williams composed the theme for the Olympiad, " Olympic Fanfare and Theme ". This piece won a Grammy for Williams and became one of the most well-known musical themes of the Olympic Games, along with Leo Arnaud 's " Bugler's Dream "; the latter is sometimes attached to the beginning of Olympic Fanfare and Theme. Composer Bill Conti also wrote a song to inspire the weightlifters called "Power". An album, The Official Music of the XXIII Olympiad—Los Angeles 1984, featured three of those tracks along with sports themes written for the occasion by popular musical artists including Foreigner , Toto , Loverboy , Herbie Hancock , Quincy Jones , Christopher Cross , Philip Glass and Giorgio Moroder . [7] The album was released on Columbia Records and the catalogue number was BJS 39322. The Brazilian composer Sérgio Mendes also composed a special song for the 1984 Olympic Games, "Olympia," from his 1984 album Confetti . A choir of approximately one thousand voices was assembled of singers in the region. All were volunteers from nearby churches , schools and universities. Etta James performed " When the Saints Go Marching In " at the Opening Ceremony. [8] Vicki McClure along with the International Children's Choir of Long Beach sang " Reach Out and Touch ". Lionel Richie performed a 9-minute version of his hit single " All Night Long " at the closing ceremonies. [9] Highlights Arts Festival The 1984 Summer Olympics was preceded by the 10-week-long adjunct Los Angeles Olympic Arts Festival, which opened on June 2 and ended on August 12. It provided more than 400 performances by 146 theater, dance and music companies, representing every continent and 18 countries. It was organized by then- CalArts President Robert Fitzpatrick . General The opening ceremony featured the arrival of Bill Suitor by means of the Bell Aerosystems rocket pack (also known as a Jet Pack). The United States Army Band formed the Olympic rings, waiting to start the opening ceremony. As a result of an IOC agreement designating the Republic of China (Taiwan) Chinese Taipei , the People's Republic of China returned to the summer Olympics for the first time since Helsinki 1952 and won 15 gold medals. In weightlifting, athletes from the Chinese Taipei and China teams won medals at the same event. Eleven athletes failed drug tests at the Los Angeles Games. Local Los Angeles artist Rodolfo Escalera was commissioned to create nine paintings depicting the summer games that would later be turned into collectible plates and presented as "The Official Gift of the 1984 Olympics". Track and field Carl Lewis , making his first of four appearances at the Olympics, equaled the 1936 performance of Jesse Owens by winning four gold medals, in the 100 m, 200 m, 4 × 100 m relay and long jump. Eighteen-year-old Zola Budd , a South African runner given British citizenship in order to dodge the apartheid -based ban on South African competitors, collided with home favourite Mary Decker-Slaney in the final of the 3000 m, causing the American to fall. With the crowd booing her for the rest of the race, Budd dropped back and finished well down the order. She was later cleared of wrongdoing and was also declared not culpable by Decker-Slaney. While the Decker-Budd duel was highly sensationalized, the race itself was won by Maricica Puica of Romania, one of that era's most successful middle distance runners, whose accomplishment was diminished by the controversy. Edwin Moses won the gold medal in the 400m hurdles 8 years after winning in 1976. Joaquim Cruz won the 800 meter run with a time of 1:43.00 to set an Olympic record. Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco became the first female Olympic champion of a Muslim nation—and the first of her country—in the 400 m hurdles. Carlos Lopes , from Portugal, won the Marathon with a time of 2:09:21, an Olympic record that stood for 24 years. It was the first gold medal ever for Portugal. Gold medal favourite, World Record holder and the then World Champion, Robert de Castella from Australia , finished in 5th place, 1:48 behind Lopes. A marathon for women was held for the first time at the Olympics (won by Joan Benoit ). The event was considered notable because of Swiss runner Gabi Andersen-Schiess , who – suffering from heat exhaustion – stumbled through the last lap, providing dramatic images. Daley Thompson apparently missed a new world record in winning his second consecutive gold medal in the decathlon ; the next year his score was retroactively raised to 8847, giving him the record. Sebastian Coe became the first man to win consecutive gold medals in the 1500m . Other sports The first gold medal to be awarded at the Los Angeles Olympics was also the first-ever medal to be won by an athlete from China when Xu Haifeng won the 50 m Pistol event. Archer Neroli Fairhall from New Zealand was the first paraplegic Olympian at any Olympic Games, coming 35th in the Women's individual event. Future Dream Team members Michael Jordan , Patrick Ewing , and Chris Mullin were on the team that won the gold medal in basketball . The 1984 US men's Olympic basketball team was coached by Indiana Hoosiers head coach Bobby Knight . Connie Carpenter-Phinney became the first woman to win an Olympic cycling event when she won the women's individual road race . Post Closing Ceremony Fanfare Featured powerful trumpet and choral music as Richard Basehart lent his voice to a rousing monologue. Thus Spake Zarathustra blared as a 52-foot diameter scale model UFO appeared and then communicated via sound and light. Next, a 7'8" tall man dressed in gray alien costume emerged and saluted humanity's efforts. [11] Handover of the Olympic flag from the Mayor of Los Angeles to the Mayor of Seoul , the host of the 1988 Summer Olympics . Venues 19 Participating National Olympic Committees Athletes from 140 nations competed at the Los Angeles Games. The following countries made their first Olympic appearance in 1984: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, British Virgin Islands , Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea , Gambia , Grenada, Mauritania, Mauritius, North Yemen , Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and the United Arab Emirates. Zaire had competed previously as Congo Kinshasa. The People's Republic of China made their first appearance in a Summer Olympics since 1952, while for the first time the Republic of China team participated under the politically made-up name as Chinese Taipei . The Soviet Union led the Warsaw Pact and other Communist and Socialist countries on a boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics, in retaliation for the U.S.-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow over the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. However, a handful of Socialist countries disregarded the boycott and attended anyway. Among them were Yugoslavia (which hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics ), the People's Republic of China , and Romania . The fact that Romania, a Warsaw Pact country, opted to compete despite Soviet demands led to a warm reception of the Romanian team by the United States. When the Romanian athletes entered during the opening ceremonies, they received a standing ovation from the spectators, which comprised mostly U.S. citizens. Romania won 53 medals, including 20 golds, more than the nation has in any other Olympics. The number of athletes representing that nation is shown in parentheses: Participating National Olympic Committees Libya Los Angeles as host city Following the news of the massive financial losses of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada , only Los Angeles and New York City expressed serious interest in hosting the 1984 games. Given only one city per country is allowed to bid for any Games, the USOC vote for an American bid city was essentially the deciding vote for the 1984 Olympics host city. In this case, Los Angeles's bid won by a vote of 55 to 39. New York City's 1984 bid fell 16 votes shy of winning the Games and is the closest the city has ever come to becoming a host city for the Olympics, coming even closer than they did in their 2012 bid . [15] Los Angeles is the only US city to host the Summer Olympics twice. The low level of interest among cities was seen as a major threat to the future of the Olympic Games. However, with the financially successful Los Angeles Games, cities began to line up to be hosts again. The Los Angeles and Montreal Games are seen as examples of what to do and what not to do when organizing the Olympics, and serve as object lessons to prospective host cities. Montreal organizers had run up a substantial debt eight years earlier by constructing many new, overly ambitiously designed venues, but as the only bidding city the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee was able to extract concessions from the IOC: namely, that the city would not be responsible for any cost overruns and that it could use area venues that were already in existence, particularly Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum , which was also the Olympic Stadium for the 1932 Summer Olympics . [16] The Olympic Velodrome and the Olympic Swim Stadium, funded largely by the 7-Eleven and McDonald's corporations respectively, were the only two new venues constructed specifically for the L.A. Games. The resulting low construction costs, coupled with a heavy reliance on private corporate funding, allowed the Games to generate a profit of more than $200 million, making them by far the most financially successful in history. [4] In addition to corporate support, the Olympic committee also made use of the burgeoning prices being paid for exclusive television rights. Starting with the Los Angeles Games, these contracts would be a significant source of revenue. Adjusted for inflation, the Los Angeles Games received twice the amount received by the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics and four times that of the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics . Because these contracts were signed well in advance of the Games, Los Angeles found itself in an easier planning position as most of its revenue was already assured before the Games. On September 1, 2015, Los Angeles has been chosen as the U.S. candidate to bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics . [17] In popular culture McDonald's ran a promotion entitled "When the U.S. Wins, You Win" where customers scratched off a ticket with the name of an Olympic event on it, and if the U.S. won that event then they would be given a free menu item: a Big Mac for a gold medal, an order of french fries for a silver medal, and a Coca-Cola for a bronze medal. The promotion became a near financial disaster due to the Soviet boycott which led to the U.S. winning far more Olympic medals than expected. [18] This promotion was parodied in the The Simpsons episode " Lisa's First Word ", where Krusty Burger runs a similar offer. The promotion was intended to be rigged so that prizes would only be offered in events dominated by the Eastern Bloc , but the Soviet-led boycott causes Krusty to personally lose $44 million. He vehemently promises "to spit in every fiftieth burger," to which Homer retorts "I like those odds!" Chief Wiggum also exclaims that he could kiss Carl Lewis , who won four gold medals at the Games. On NCIS , Tim McGee has an obsession with jet packs, stemming from having attended the 1984 Olympic ceremony as a child and having Bill Suitor fly over his head in his jet pack. This storyline is based on the real experience of executive producer and writer Jesse Stern. Pop punk band Bowling For Soup references the games in the song " I Can't Stand LA ". During a section showing appreciation for the city, the song states, "thank you for hair metal and the '84 Olympics." Jilly Cooper 's novel Riders has a storyline set at the show jumping event in the 1984 LA Olympics. Computer company Apple Inc made an advertisement tying its product Macintosh into the 1984 Olympics javelin throwing competition and the novel 1984 . The commercial features a javelin thrower hurling a javelin at a telescreen of Big Brother , destroying it. Broadcast rights	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_298_5	1000+ images about 1984 Olympics, Los Angeles & Sarajevo on Pinterest \| Carl lewis, L'wren scott and Gymnastics Forward In 1984, Mary Lou Retton became the first American woman to win the all-around gymnastics gold medal at the Olympics -- and the first female gymnast outside of Eastern Europe to accomplish that feat. If that wasn't enough, Retton picked up two perfect 10s in floor exercise and vault. That helped her eek out a win against Romania's Ecaterina Szabo. The all-around was among the five medals she won in those games. See More	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_298_6	Olympic Boycott History \| Formae Mentis NGO™ Olympic Boycott History 1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics were celebrated in 1976 in Montreal, Quebec, Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games in May 1970 over the bids of Moscow and Los Angeles, which later hosted the 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games respectively. In protest at a tour of South Africa by the New Zealand All Blacks rugby union team early in the year, Congo’s official Jean Claude Ganga led a boycott of 28 African nations as the IOC refused to bar the New Zealand team. Some of the nations (including Morocco, Cameroon and Egypt) had already participated, however, as the teams withdrew only after the first day. From Southern and Central Africa, only Senegal and Ivory Coast took part. Both Iraq and Guyana also opted to join the Congolese-led boycott. Because of the Munich massacre, security at these games was in evidence, as they it been earlier in the year at the Winter games in Innsbruck, Austria, though far lower than the norm for today’s Olympic games. The organization of the Olympics was financially terrible for Montreal, as the city faced debts well after the Games had finished. The Olympic Stadium, a daring design of French architect Roger Taillibert, remains a lasting monument to the huge deficit, as it never had an effective retractable roof, and the tower was completed only after the Olympics. The Montreal games of 1976 are the most expensive Games ever organized to date. The boycott was due to the participation of New Zealand national rugby union team (the All Blacks) continued to play rugby South Africa. (South Africa had been banned from the Olympics since 1964 due to its apartheid policies). 1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott of the Moscow Olympics was a part of a package of actions to protest against the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Though the Games have aimed to be an arena free of politics, the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan spurred United States President Jimmy Carter to issue an ultimatum that the United States would boycott the Moscow Olympics if Soviet troops had not withdrawn from the country by February 20, 1980; the official announcement confirming the boycott was made on March 21. The United States was joined in the boycott by some other countries including Japan, West Germany, China and Canada. Some of these countries competed at the Olympic Boycott Games at Philadelphia. Notably, the United Kingdom, France, and Greece supported the boycott but allowed their athletes to participate if they wished (the U.S. did not). The United Kingdom and France sent a much smaller delegation of athletes than usual. Nevertheless, the delegation of the United Kingdom was the largest among Western Europe, with 170 athletes applying to compete. Spain, Italy, Sweden, Iceland and Finland were other principal nations representing western Europe, though Italian athletes belonging to military corps did not attend the Games, due to the government’s support of the boycott. The boycott severely affected many events. The Olympic Boycott Games (titled the Liberty Bell Classic) was an event held at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1980 by 29 of the boycotting countries of the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Participating nations included the United States, Canada, the People’s Republic of China, Egypt, Thailand, West Germany, Sudan and Kenya. It began on July 16, shortly before the 1980 Summer Olympics opened on July 19. Earlier in the year, the United States had previously considered holding an alternate games in the Ivory Coast, Italy, Japan, West Germany or China. 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics took place in Los Angeles, United States of America, with 14 nations missing due to the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics, and several others for other reasons. On May 8, 1984 the Soviet Union issued a statement, that the country would boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles due to “chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria being whipped up in the United States”. 13 Soviet allies joined the boycott. Iran was the only country to boycott both Moscow and Los Angeles. The Friendship Games or Druzhba Games or Druzhba-84 Competition was an international multisport event that was held in 1984 in nine different countries under the motto: “Sport, Friendship, Peace”. An alternative to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, it was organized by the Soviet Union and other Eastern bloc countries (constitutionally socialist states) which had boycotted that event. Some 2,300 athletes from almost 50 countries took part in the competition.[1] The opening ceremony was held at the Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium, as at the 1980 Summer Olympics, during which the flame in the cauldron was lit. The Soviet Union proposed that CNN televise the Friendship Games, an offer rejected by Ted Turner. Turner said that the network would simply give spot coverage to the Friendship Games, “as we would any other sporting event.”	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_298_8	1984 Summer Olympics 1984 Summer Olympics Games of the XXIII Olympiad Host city (5,263 men, 1,566 women) [1] Events Part of a series on 1984 Summer Olympics IOC The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles , California , United States in 1984. When Tehran , the only other interested city on the international level, declined to bid due to the concurrent Iranian political and social changes, the IOC awarded Los Angeles the Games by default. This was the second occasion Los Angeles hosted the games, the first being in 1932 . In response to the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including the Soviet Union , Cuba and East Germany , boycotted the Games ; only Romania and Yugoslavia elected to attend. For differing reasons, Iran and Libya also boycotted. The USSR announced its intention not to participate on May 8, 1984, citing security concerns and “chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria being whipped up in the United States.” [2] Boycotting countries organized another large event in June–September 1984, called the Friendship Games ; however, not even a single competition was held between July 28 and August 12. Representatives of the organizing countries, the Soviets in particular, underlined it was “not held to replace the Olympics”. Elite athletes from the U.S. and USSR would only compete against each other at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow, organized in response to the boycotts. Where ambitious construction for the 1976 games in Montreal and 1980 games in Moscow had saddled organizers with expenses greatly in excess of revenues, Los Angeles strictly controlled expenses by using existing facilities except a swim stadium and a velodrome that were paid for by corporate sponsors. The Olympic Committee led by Peter Ueberroth used some of the profits to endow the LA84 Foundation to promote youth sports in Southern California, educate coaches and maintain a sports library. The 1984 Summer Olympics are often considered the most financially successful modern Olympics. [3] The host state of California was the home state of U.S. President Ronald Reagan , who officially opened the Games. He had served as Governor of California from 1967 to 1975. The official mascot of the Los Angeles Games was Sam the Olympic Eagle . The logo of the games featured five blue, white and red stars arranged horizontally and struck through with alternating streaks; it was named “Stars in Motion.” These were the first Summer Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Juan Antonio Samaranch . On July 18, 2009, a 25th anniversary celebration was held in the main stadium. This celebration included a speech by the former president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, Ueberroth, and a re-creation of the lighting of the cauldron. Contents 19 Further reading Host selection After the murder of Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists in Munich (1972) and significant financial debts of Montreal (1976), few cities by the late 1970s were willing to bid for the Summer Games. Only two cities -Teheran and Los Angeles- made serious bids for the 1984 Summer Games. But before a “winning” city could be anointed in 1978, Tehran, too, dropped out. Hence, the selection process for the 1984 Summer Olympics consisted of a single finalized bid, with the International Olympic Committee accepting the bid of Los Angeles. The bid from Tehran was withdrawn before the selection as a result of Iran ‘s policy changes following the Iranian Revolution and change of the country’s ruling system. Los Angeles had unsuccessfully bid for the two previous Summer Olympics, for 1976 and 1980. The United States Olympic Committee had at least one bid for every Olympics since 1944 , but had not succeeded since the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932 , the previous time a single bid had been issued for the Summer Olympics. Torch relay The 1984 Olympic Torch Relay began in New York City and ended in Los Angeles, traversing 33 states and the District of Columbia. Unlike later torch relays, the torch was continuously carried by runners on foot. The route covered more than 9,320 mi (15,000 km) and involved 3,636 runners, including 200 from the sponsoring company AT&T . Noted athlete O.J. Simpson was among the runners, carrying the torch up the California Incline in Santa Monica . Gina Hemphill, granddaughter of Jesse Owens, carried the torch into the Coliseum, completed a lap around the track, then handed it off to the final runner, Rafer Johnson , winner of the decathlon at the 1960 Summer Olympics . With the torch, he touched off the flame which passed through a specially designed flammable Olympic logo, igniting all five rings. The flame then passed up to cauldron atop the peristyle and remained aflame for the duration of the Games. Music John Williams composed the theme for the Olympiad, “ Olympic Fanfare and Theme “. This piece won a Grammy for Williams and became one of the most well-known musical themes of the Olympic Games, along with Leo Arnaud ‘s “ Bugler’s Dream “; the latter is sometimes attached to the beginning of Olympic Fanfare and Theme. Composer Bill Conti also wrote a song to inspire the weightlifters called “Power”. An album, The Official Music of the XXIII Olympiad—Los Angeles 1984, featured three of those tracks along with sports themes written for the occasion by popular musical artists including Foreigner , Toto , Loverboy , Herbie Hancock , Quincy Jones , Christopher Cross , Philip Glass and Giorgio Moroder . [4] The Brazilian composer Sérgio Mendes also produced a special song for the 1984 Olympic Games, “Olympia,” from his 1984 album Confetti . A choir of approximately one thousand voices was assembled of singers in the region. All were volunteers from nearby churches , schools and universities. Etta James performed “ When the Saints Go Marching In ” at the Opening Ceremony. [5] Vicki McClure along with the International Children’s Choir of Long Beach sang “ Reach Out and Touch “. Lionel Richie performed a 9-minute version of his hit single “ All Night Long ” at the closing ceremonies. [6] Highlights Arts Festival The 1984 Summer Olympics was preceded by the 10-week-long adjunct Los Angeles Olympic Arts Festival, which opened on June 2 and ended on August 12. It provided more than 400 performances by 146 theater, dance and music companies, representing every continent and 18 countries. It was organized by then- CalArts President Robert Fitzpatrick . General The opening ceremony featured the arrival of Bill Suitor by means of the Bell Aerosystems rocket pack (also known as a Jet Pack). The United States Army Band formed the Olympic rings, waiting to start the opening ceremony. As a result of an IOC agreement designating the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the name of Chinese Taipei , the People’s Republic of China returned to the summer Olympics for the first time since Helsinki 1952 and won 15 gold medals. Military anthem of China was played for both teams during the opening ceremony. In weightlifting, athletes from the Chinese Taipei and China teams won medals at the same event. Eleven athletes failed drug tests at the Los Angeles Games. Local Los Angeles artist Rodolfo Escalera was commissioned to create nine paintings depicting the summer games that would later be turned into collectible plates and presented as “The Official Gift of the 1984 Olympics”. Track and field Carl Lewis , making his first of four appearances at the Olympics, equaled the 1936 performance of Jesse Owens by winning four gold medals, in the 100 m, 200 m, 4 × 100 m relay and long jump. Eighteen-year-old Zola Budd , a South African runner given British citizenship in order to dodge the apartheid -based ban on South African competitors, collided with home favourite Mary Decker in the final of the 3000 m, causing the American to fall. With the crowd booing her for the rest of the race, Budd dropped back and finished well down the order. She was later cleared of wrongdoing and was also declared not culpable by Decker. While the Decker-Budd duel was highly sensationalized, the race itself was won by Maricica Puica of Romania, one of that era’s most successful middle distance runners, whose accomplishment was diminished by the controversy. Edwin Moses won the gold medal in the 400m hurdles 8 years after winning in 1976. Joaquim Cruz won the 800 meter run with a time of 1:43.00 to set an Olympic record. Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco became the first female Olympic champion of a Muslim nation—and the first of her country—in the 400 m hurdles. Carlos Lopes , from Portugal, won the Marathon at the age of 37, with a time of 2:09:21, an Olympic record that stood for 24 years. It was the first gold medal ever for Portugal. Gold medal favorite, World Record holder and the then World Champion, Robert de Castella from Australia , finished in 5th place, 1:48 behind Lopes. A marathon for women was held for the first time at the Olympics (won by Joan Benoit ). The event was considered notable because of Swiss runner Gabi Andersen-Schiess , who – suffering from heat exhaustion – stumbled through the last lap, providing dramatic images. Daley Thompson apparently missed a new world record in winning his second consecutive gold medal in the decathlon ; the next year his score was retroactively raised to 8847, giving him the record. Sebastian Coe became the first man to win consecutive gold medals in the 1500m . Other sports The first gold medal to be awarded at the Los Angeles Olympics was also the first-ever medal to be won by an athlete from China when Xu Haifeng won the 50 m Pistol event. Archer Neroli Fairhall from New Zealand was the first paraplegic Olympian at any Olympic Games, coming 35th in the Women’s individual event. Connie Carpenter-Phinney became the first woman to win an Olympic cycling event when she won the women’s individual road race . Post Closing Ceremony Fanfare Featured powerful trumpet and choral music as Richard Basehart lent his voice to a rousing monologue. Thus Spake Zarathustra blared as a 52-foot diameter scale model UFO appeared and then communicated via sound and light. Next, a 7’8″ tall man dressed in gray alien costume emerged and saluted humanity’s efforts. [8] Handover of the Olympic flag from the Mayor of Los Angeles to the Mayor of Seoul , the host of the 1988 Summer Olympics . Venues The Opening Ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles venues Stanford Stadium , Stanford University , Stanford , California – soccer preliminaries Cost The Oxford Olympics Study established the outturn cost of the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics at USD 719 million in 2015-dollars. [10] This includes sports-related costs only, that is, (i) operational costs incurred by the organizing committee for the purpose of staging the Games, e.g., expenditures for technology, transportation, workforce, administration, security, catering, ceremonies, and medical services, and (ii) direct capital costs incurred by the host city and country or private investors to build, e.g., the competition venues, the Olympic village, international broadcast center, and media and press center, which are required to host the Games. Indirect capital costs are not included, such as for road, rail, or airport infrastructure, or for hotel upgrades or other business investment incurred in preparation for the Games but not directly related to staging the Games. The cost for Los Angeles 1984 compares with costs of USD 4.6 billion for Rio 2016 and USD 15 billion for London 2012, the most expensive Summer Olympics to date. Average cost for the Summer Games since 1960 is USD 5.2 billion. Medals awarded The 1984 Summer Olympic program featured 221 events in the following 21 sports: Aquatics Participating nations Number of athletes Athletes from 140 nations competed at the Los Angeles Games. The following countries made their first Olympic appearance in 1984: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, British Virgin Islands , Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea , Gambia , Grenada, Mauritania, Mauritius, North Yemen , Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and the United Arab Emirates. Zaire had competed previously as Congo Kinshasa. The People’s Republic of China made their first appearance in a Summer Olympics since 1952, while for the first time the Republic of China team participated under the politically made-up name as Chinese Taipei . The Soviet Union led the Warsaw Pact and other Communist and Socialist countries on a boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics, in retaliation for the U.S.-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow over the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. However, a handful of Socialist countries disregarded the boycott and attended anyway. Among them were Yugoslavia (which hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics ), the People’s Republic of China , and Romania . The fact that Romania, a Warsaw Pact country, opted to compete despite Soviet demands led to a warm reception of the Romanian team by the United States. When the Romanian athletes entered during the opening ceremonies, they received a standing ovation from the spectators, which comprised mostly U.S. citizens. Romania won 53 medals, including 20 golds, more than the nation has in any other Olympics. The number of athletes representing that nation is shown in parentheses: Participating National Olympic Committees Los Angeles as host city Newspaper vending machine bringing news of the 1984 Summer Olympics. Following the news of the massive financial losses of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada , only Los Angeles and New York City expressed serious interest in hosting the 1984 games. Given only one city per country is allowed to bid for any Games, the USOC vote for an American bid city was essentially the deciding vote for the 1984 Olympics host city. In this case, Los Angeles’s bid won by a vote of 55 to 39. New York City’s 1984 bid fell 16 votes shy of winning the Games and is the closest the city has ever come to becoming a host city for the Olympics, coming even closer than they did in their 2012 bid . [12] The low level of interest among cities was seen as a major threat to the future of the Olympic Games. However, with the financially successful Los Angeles Games, cities began to line up to be hosts again. The Los Angeles and Montreal Games are seen as examples of what to do and what not to do when organizing the Olympics, and serve as object lessons to prospective host cities. Montreal organizers had run up a substantial debt eight years earlier by constructing many new, overly ambitiously designed venues, but as the only bidding city the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee was able to extract concessions from the IOC: namely, that the city would not be responsible for any cost overruns and that it could use area venues that were already in existence, particularly the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum , which was also the Olympic Stadium for the 1932 Summer Olympics . [13] The Olympic Velodrome and the Olympic Swim Stadium, funded largely by the 7-Eleven and McDonald’s corporations respectively, were the only two new venues constructed specifically for the L.A. Games. The resulting low construction costs, coupled with a heavy reliance on private corporate funding, allowed the Games to generate a profit of more than $200 million, making them by far the most financially successful in history. [3] In addition to corporate support, the Olympic committee also made use of the burgeoning prices being paid for exclusive television rights. Starting with the Los Angeles Games, these contracts would be a significant source of revenue. Adjusted for inflation, the Los Angeles Games received twice the amount received by the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics and four times that of the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics . [14] Because these contracts were signed well in advance of the Games, Los Angeles found itself in an easier planning position as most of its revenue was already assured before the Games. [15] On September 1, 2015, Los Angeles has been chosen as the U.S. candidate to bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics . [16] In popular culture McDonald’s ran a promotion entitled “When the U.S. Wins, You Win” where customers scratched off a ticket with the name of an Olympic event on it, and if the U.S. won that event then they would be given a free menu item: a Big Mac for a gold medal, an order of french fries for a silver medal, and a Coca-Cola for a bronze medal. The promotion became a near financial disaster due to the Soviet boycott which led to the U.S. winning far more Olympic medals than expected. [17] This promotion was parodied in the The Simpsons episode “ Lisa’s First Word “, where Krusty Burger runs a similar offer. The promotion was intended to be rigged so that prizes would only be offered in events dominated by the Eastern Bloc , but the Soviet-led boycott causes Krusty to personally lose $44 million. He vehemently promises “to spit in every fiftieth burger,” to which Homer retorts “I like those odds!” Chief Wiggum also exclaims that he could kiss Carl Lewis , who won four gold medals at the Games. On NCIS , Tim McGee has an obsession with jet packs, stemming from having attended the 1984 Olympic ceremony as a child and having Bill Suitor fly over his head in his jet pack. [18] This storyline is based on the real experience of executive producer and writer Jesse Stern. [19] Pop punk band Bowling For Soup references the games in the song “ I Can’t Stand LA “. During a section showing appreciation for the city, the song states, “thank you for hair metal and the ’84 Olympics.” Jilly Cooper ‘s novel Riders has a storyline set at the show jumping event in the 1984 LA Olympics. Broadcast rights	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_298_9	The History of the Olympic Games \| Scholastic The History of the Olympic Games Compare the ancient Olympics to the modern games. Plus, learn how money, politics, and performance-enhancing drugs have become major influences, often causing controversy. Grades 6–8, 9–12 The Olympic Games are an international sports festival that began in ancient Greece. The original Greek games were staged every fourth year for several hundred years, until they were abolished in the early Christian era. The revival of the Olympic Games took place in 1896, and since then they have been staged every fourth year, except during World War I and World War II (1916, 1940, 1944). Perhaps the basic difference between the ancient and modern Olympics is that the former was the ancient Greeks' way of saluting their gods, whereas the modern Games are a manner of saluting the athletic talents of citizens of all nations. The original Olympics featured competition in music, oratory, and theater performances as well. The modern Games have a more expansive athletic agenda, and for 2 and a half weeks they are supposed to replace the rancor of international conflict with friendly competition. In recent times, however, that lofty ideal has not always been attained. The Ancient Olympics The earliest reliable date that recorded history gives for the first Olympics is 776 B.C., although virtually all historians presume that the Games began well before then. It is certain that during the midsummer of 776 B.C. a festival was held at Olympia on the highly civilized eastern coast of the Peloponnesian peninsula. That festival remained a regularly scheduled event, taking place during the pre-Christian golden age of Greece. As a testimony to the religious nature of the Games (which were held in honor of Zeus, the most important god in the ancient Greek pantheon), all wars would cease during the contests. According to the earliest records, only one athletic event was held in the ancient Olympics — a footrace of about 183 m (200 yd), or the length of the stadium. A cook, Coroibus of Elis, was the first recorded winner. The first few Olympics had only local appeal and were limited to one race on one day; only men were allowed to compete or attend. A second race — twice the length of the stadium — was added in the 14th Olympics, and a still longer race was added to the next competition, four years later. When the powerful, warlike Spartans began to compete, they influenced the agenda. The 18th Olympiad included wrestling and a pentathlon consisting of running, jumping, spear throwing (the javelin), discus throwing, and wrestling. Boxing was added at the 23rd Olympiad, and the Games continued to expand, with the addition of chariot racing and other sports. In the 37th Olympiad (632 B.C.) the format was extended to five days of competition. The growth of the Games fostered "professionalism" among the competitors, and the Olympic ideals waned as royalty began to compete for personal gain, particularly in the chariot events. Human beings were being glorified as well as the gods; many winners erected statues to deify themselves. In A.D. 394 the Games were officially ended by the Roman emperor Theodosius I, who felt that they had pagan connotations. The Modern Olympics The revival of the Olympic Games in 1896, unlike the original Games, has a clear, concise history. Pierre de Coubertin (1863–1937), a young French nobleman, felt that he could institute an educational program in France that approximated the ancient Greek notion of a balanced development of mind and body. The Greeks themselves had tried to revive the Olympics by holding local athletic games in Athens during the 1800s, but without lasting success. It was Baron de Coubertin's determination and organizational genius, however, that gave impetus to the modern Olympic movement. In 1892 he addressed a meeting of the Union des Sports AthlÃ©tiques in Paris. Despite meager response he persisted, and an international sports congress eventually convened on June 16, 1894. With delegates from Belgium, England, France, Greece, Italy, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the United States in attendance, he advocated the revival of the Olympic Games. He found ready and unanimous support from the nine countries. De Coubertin had initially planned to hold the Olympic Games in France, but the representatives convinced him that Greece was the appropriate country to host the first modern Olympics. The council did agree that the Olympics would move every four years to other great cities of the world. Thirteen countries competed at the Athens Games in 1896. Nine sports were on the agenda: cycling, fencing, gymnastics, lawn tennis, shooting, swimming, track and field, weight lifting, and wrestling. The 14-man U.S. team dominated the track and field events, taking first place in 9 of the 12 events. The Games were a success, and a second Olympiad, to be held in France, was scheduled. Olympic Games were held in 1900 and 1904, and by 1908 the number of competitors more than quadrupled the number at Athens — from 311 to 2,082. Beginning in 1924, a Winter Olympics was included — to be held at a separate cold-weather sports site in the same year as the Summer Games — the first held at Chamonix, France. In 1980 about 1,600 athletes from 38 nations competed at Lake Placid, N.Y., in a program that included Alpine and Nordic skiing, biathlon, ice hockey, figure skating and speed skating, bobsled, and luge. But the Summer Games, with its wide array of events, are still the focal point of the modern Olympics. Among the standard events are basketball, boxing, canoeing and kayaking, cycling, equestrian arts, fencing, field hockey, gymnastics, modern pentathlon, rowing, shooting, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, weight lifting, wrestling (freestyle and Greco-Roman), and yachting. New sports are added to the roster at every Olympic Games; among the more prominent are baseball, martial arts, and most recently triathlon, which was first contested at the 2000 Games. The Games are governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), whose headquarters is in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Summer and Winter Games were traditionally held in the same year, but because of the increasing size of both Olympics, the Winter Games were shifted to a different schedule after 1992. They were held in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994, in Nagano, Japan in 1998, in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2002, in Turin, Italy in 2006, and in 2010, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Politics and the Olympics The ideology of nationalism, which swept the world during the early 20th century, left its mark on the Olympics. Athletic nationalism was brought to a peak by Nazi Germany, which staged the 1936 Games in Berlin and used the Olympics to propagandize its cause. The Germans built a powerful team through nationalized training and scientific advances and dominated the Games in terms of medals won. The political overtones of the Olympics did not lessen with the fall of Nazi Germany. In 1956, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon boycotted the Melbourne Games to protest the Anglo-French seizure of the Suez Canal, and the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland boycotted as well to protest the USSR's invasion of Hungary. In Mexico City in 1968, two African American runners used the victory pedestal to protest U.S. racial policies. In the Munich Olympics in 1972, 11 Israeli athletes were massacred by Palestinian terrorists. And in 1976 in Montreal, 33 African nations, to be represented by about 400 athletes, boycotted the Games to protest South Africa's apartheid policies. The most serious disruptions to the modern Olympics, however, occurred in 1980 and 1984. In 1980, under strong pressure from the Carter administration, the U.S. Olympic Committee voted to boycott the Summer Games in Moscow to protest the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. About 40 nations followed suit, including West Germany, China, and Japan, depriving the Soviets of their chief athletic competition and raising doubts about the future of the Olympic movement. Although the 1984 Winter Games, in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, proceeded without boycotts, the Summer Games, in Los Angeles, were undercut by an Eastern-bloc boycott led by the USSR. Fear of an openly hostile environment in Los Angeles was cited by the Soviet Olympic Committee as the reason for nonparticipation, but most commentators believed the reasons to be political: the poor state of recent U.S.-Soviet relations, revenge for the U.S. boycott in 1980, and possible embarrassment to the Soviets on worldwide television caused by planned anti-Soviet demonstrations and defections of Eastern-bloc athletes. The popularity and financial success of the 1984 Los Angeles Games were, however, greater than anticipated. In 1988 the Winter Games — in Calgary, Alberta, Canada — went on without incident. At the Summer Games, in Seoul, South Korea, only six nations (including Cuba and North Korea) boycotted, and the focus returned to the athletes.The 1992 Winter and Summer Games (in Albertville, France, and Barcelona, Spain, respectively) were the first Olympics without the Eastern-bloc sports machine, were the last for the "Unified Teams" from the former USSR, and marked the return of South Africa to Olympic competition. The 1996 Summer Games, in Atlanta, Ga., were the largest ever; they were marred by a bombing that took the lives of two people. The 1994 and 1998 Winter Games transpired without incident. The 2000 Summer Games were held in Sydney, Australia, to great acclaim. In Sydney, politics took a back seat to the competition, although North and South Korea were temporarily reunited as their athletes marched as one country in the opening ceremonies. Athens, Greece — site of the first modern Olympics — was the site of the Summer Games in 2004. Though it has potential for political controversies due to its rapid modernization and its communist state-Beijing, China was selected for the 2008 Summer Games. Money and the Olympics The biggest influence on the modern Olympic Games is money. Commercialism exists side by side with the outstanding athleticism and the spirit of friendship imbuing competitors from around the world. Since the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, it has become clear that a city hosting the Games can anticipate a financial windfall, as spectators and sponsors converge for the event. Because of the tremendous potential for profit, the process of selecting host cities has become politicized, and there is a large potential for corruption. In fact, a scandal erupted in late 1998, when it was found that promoters involved with Salt Lake City's (winning) bid for the 2002 Winter Games had bribed IOC members, who were forced to resign; the Nagano and Sydney bids were also under suspicion of bribery. Athletes, too, especially in the "glamour sports" such as gymnastics, ice skating, or track and field, can reap tremendous financial gains for winning performances, through product endorsements and personal appearances. Originally, Olympic athletes were expected to remain strictly amateurs and not earn money even for endorsing products. However, by the last decades of the 20th century, professionalism among competitors received official acceptance, as the IOC finally recognized that many world-class athletes were already functioning as professionals. At the elite level of competition in many Olympic sports, the athlete must devote him- or herself entirely to the sport, all but precluding the holding of a full-time job. The end of amateurism began in 1960s in the Communist countries, where top athletes were supported by the state, but were officially considered amateurs. To counter this, in the 1970s and 1980s athletes in non-Communist countries sought out corporate sponsors, in effect becoming "employees" of the sponsor. By the late 1980s, restrictions were eased on athletes earning prize money at their sports, and professional athletes were permitted to represent their countries at the Olympics. This now includes the star athletes who play in the American professional leagues, such as the U.S. basketball "Dream Team" of National Basketball Association superstars who dominated the 1992 Olympic competition. In addition, with IOC rules concerning amateurism vacated, many medal-winning contestants have cashed in on their Olympic fame with product endorsements or performance tours. Performance-Enhancing Drugs Winning medals at the Olympic Games has always been considered the most prestigious mark of an athlete, and a source of glory for the athlete's country. This has led to the use of performance-enhancing drugs by athletes, intentionally or otherwise, despite the health risks to the athlete and IOC rules prohibiting the use of these substances. The types of drugs banned include stimulants (which can be found in common cold and cough medications; caffeine is also banned), narcotics, anabolic steroids, diuretics, certain hormones (such as human growth hormone), and in some sports, beta blockers. The testing of athletes for drug use began for the Olympics in 1968, at the Mexico City Games, but did not become widespread until the 1972 Games. Over the years, as drugs such as human growth hormone have been developed, tests have been added for newer drugs. With such great rewards at stake, there are athletes and even national sports programs willing to use performance-enhancing drugs despite the risks to future health and the disgrace of getting caught. The best-known example of drug use is the East German sports federation, which had a systematic program for giving its athletes steroids from 1974 to 1989. During that time East German women suddenly dominated events such as swimming, winning medals in 11 of 13 events both in 1976 and 1980. Other swimmers suspected that the East German women were using steroids, because the drugs affected their physical appearance, but the team was never caught. After the reunification of Germany, the East German sports federation's records were opened and the program was exposed. In 2000 the former head of the federation and the doctor who developed and administered the drug plan were convicted of systematic and overall doping. The former athletes maintain that they never knew they were taking steroids, claiming that they were told that the various medications were vitamins. As drug testing procedures have improved, more athletes have been caught. In Seoul there was suspicion of widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs after Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive; he was stripped of his gold medal. In the mid-1990s, China's female swimmers and runners quickly rose to the top of elite competition, arousing suspicions of drug use; by the late 1990s many were caught through more diligent drug testing. The IOC publicly decries the use of performance-enhancing drugs. However, it is commonly believed that even with out-of-competition testing, the drugs and masking agents available to athletes is far ahead of the tests used to detect these substances. A study released in September 2000 that was financed by the U.S. government accused the IOC of permitting drug use to persist in order to maintain the mystique of the Olympics and record-breaking performances. The IOC formed the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in late 1999 to test athletes at the upcoming Olympics and to increase drug testing standards, but how effective WADA will be in the long run is not yet known. Jim Benagh Bibliography: Finding, John E., and Pelle, Kimberly D., Historical Dictionary of the Modern Olympic Movement (1996); Greenberg, Stan, Guinness Book of Olympic Records (1992); Guttmann, Allen, The Olympics (1992); Henry, Bill, et al., An Approved History of the Olympic Games (1984); Hill, Christopher, Olympic Politics: Athens to Atlanta, 1896–1996, 2d ed. (1997); Swaddling, Judith, The Ancient Olympic Games, 2d ed. (2000); Wallechinsky, David, The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics: Sydney 2000 Edition (2000); Young, David C., The Modern Olympics: A Struggle for Revival (1996). ×	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_298_11	1984 Los Angeles Summer Games \| Olympics at Sports-Reference.com 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games Host City: Los Angeles, United States (July 29, 1984 to August 12, 1984) Opening Ceremony: July 28, 1984 (opened by President Ronald Reagan) Lighter of the Olympic Flame: Rafer Johnson Taker of the Olympic Oath: Edwin Moses (athlete) Closing Ceremony: August 12, 1984 Events: 221 in 26 sports Participants: 6,798 (5,224 men and 1,567 women) from 140 countries Youngest Participant: Philippe Cuelenaere (12 years, 334 days) Oldest Participant: Luis del Cerro (60 years, 54 days) Most Medals (Athlete): United States (174 medals) Overview After 52 years, the Summer Olympic returned to the United States in 1984, and once again, the Games came to Los Angeles. Looking for respite after the previous three difficult Olympics, the IOC would not find it in Los Angeles. » Click to show/hide rest of overview In May 1984, the Soviet Union announced that it would not attend the Olympics in Los Angeles, citing concerns over the safety of its athletes because of the "anti-Soviet and anti-Communist activities" in the Los Angeles area. Most people considered the boycott one of retribution for the United States' refusal to compete in Moscow. Most of the Eastern European countries joined in the Soviet-bloc boycott, notably East Germany (GDR), and they were joined by Cuba. Although only 14 invited countries did not compete in Los Angeles, the absence of the U.S.S.R., Cuba, and the GDR made many of the events mere shadows of what was anticipated. Still, more countries and athletes competed at Los Angeles than in any previous Olympics. However, what the 1984 boycott lacked in numbers relative to the 1980 boycott, it made up for it in its impact on the competition. Boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, gymnastics, and track & field would have been dominated by the boycotting nations. The nations which did not compete were: Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Laos, Mongolia, North Korea, Poland, South Yemen, Vietnam, and the U.S.S.R. Bravely, Romania defied the boycott and competed at the Olympics, receiving an ovation at the opening ceremonies second only to that of the host country. Yugoslavia, not Soviet dominated, was the only other country from Eastern Europe to compete. After all that, the Olympics were very well run, although the Europeans had numerous complaints, mostly about customary American methods of doing business. American television concentrated on U.S. athletes, which infuriated the Europeans. Notably, decathlon champion [Daley Thompson] (GBR) appeared at the closing ceremonies wearing a T-shirt saying )Thanks, America, for a great Games), on the front, and )But what about the television coverage?) on the back. For the first time ever, the Games were managed in an entrepreneurial fashion. Organizing committee President Peter Ueberroth insisted that the Olympics be designed to break even or even provide a profit. Again, the Europeans, used to the simon-pure idealistic image of the Olympics for the Olympics' sake, rebelled against this philosophy. But Ueberroth was determined not to have another white elephant like Montréal and he succeeded admirably in that regard. So admirably, in fact, that when the final tally came in, the organizing committee had made several hundred million dollars. It should be pointed out, however, that Ueberroth's marketing methods, though decried by the Europeans, have since been copied by all organizing committees and even the IOC itself. Much of the profit was given to the U.S. Olympic Committee, some to support youth sports programs in the U.S., and some was given back to the participating nations to help pay their expenses for participating. Still, it left a sour taste in many people's mouths, especially since the Organizing Committee was maintaining until the very end that it would not make a profit, but only come out approximately even. As to the sports themselves, the competition was good, though diluted in many ways because of the boycott. [Carl Lewis] emerged as the American men's star, equalling [Jesse Owens]' 1936 feat of winning four gold medals in track & field. But Lewis did not have Owens' appeal to the American public and his image, almost obsequiously nurtured by his manager, failed to live up to his deeds on the track. Failing Lewis, the American public reached instead to [Mary Lou Retton], an American gymnast who won the all-around individual gold for the first time in history. To win she needed a perfect ten on her last event, the horse vault. Given two vaults, she achieved the 10, not once, but twice. After the debacles of Munich and Montréal, Los Angeles had been the only bidder for the Games of 1984. But Los Angeles, despite its problems, revitalized the Olympic Movement to some degree. Having shown that the Olympics did not need to be a "loss-leader" and could, in fact, produce an operating profit, many cities now were interested in hosting the Olympics. Shortly after the 1984 Olympics, six cities would bid to host the 1992 Games. And the IOC reached out to a strange bedfellow, Seoul, Korea, to provide a bit of solace to its troubled Movement in 1988. Country Medal Leaders A Sports Reference Site : About SR/Olympics \| Privacy Statement \| Conditions & Terms of Service \| Use of Data Data provided by OlyMADMen , led by Hilary Evans, Arild Gjerde, Jeroen Heijmans, and Bill Mallon. Members: David Foster, Martin Frank, Jørn Jensen, Carl-Johan Johansson, Taavi Kalju, Martin Kellner, George Masin, Stein Opdahl, Wolf Reinhardt, Ralf Regnitter, Paul Tchir, Magne Teigen, Christian Tugnoli, Morten Aarlia Torp, and Ralf Schlüter. Sports Reference LLC and www.sports-reference.com are not sponsored by or affiliated with the Olympics, the United States Olympic Committee or the International Olympic Committee. Trademarks featured or referred to on this website are the property of their respective trademark holders and not Sports Reference LLC or www.sports-reference.com . Part of the	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_298_13	Politics and the Olympics \| Special Reports \| guardian.co.uk Politics Politics and the Olympics 'No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in the Olympic areas' So says chapter 5 of the Olympic charter. But the modern Olympic movement has had to contend with wars, boycotts, protests, walkouts and even terrorist attack. Ahead of today's expected cabinet decision on a London bid for the 2012 Games, Anne Mellbye looks back at the most political Olympic Games of the past 100 years. 1936, Berlin The 1938 Olympic Games were intentionally awarded to Germany so the republic could show that it had regained its status among European countries. With the Nazis in power, however, Adolf Hitler used the event as a platform to prove his theory of racial superiority. His attempt failed as African-American Jesse Owens became the hero of the Games winning four gold medals. During the long jump competition, Owens' German rival, Luz Long, publicly befriended him in front of the Nazis. Luz Long was killed during WWII, but Owens kept in touch with his family for long after the war. 1948, London Following world war two, the Olympics took on a greater political significance as participation came to symbolise political recognition and legitimacy. Germany and Japan were not invited to London because of their war-time roles, while the Soviet Union was invited but did not show up. To limit Britain's responsibility to feed the athletes, it was agreed that the participants would bring their own food. No new facilities were built, but Wembley stadium had survived the war and proved adequate. The male athletes were housed in an army camp in Uxbridge and the women housed at Southlands College in domitories. The 1948 London Games were the first to be shown on television, although very few people in Great Britain yet owned sets. Though there had been much debate as to whether or not to hold the 1948 Olympic Games, they turned out to be great popular success. Approximately 4,000 athletes participated, representing 59 countries. 1952, Helsinki The Helsinki Games marked the beginning of Cold war tensions. West Germany participated for the first time, and the USSR returned to the Olympics after a 40-year absence. The USSR initially planned to house its athletes in Leningrad (now St Petersburg) and fly them into Finland each day. In the end, separate housing facilities for Eastern bloc athletes were set aside. 1956, Melbourne Three separate protests affected the Melbourne Games. China withdrew after the International Olympic Commission recognised Taiwan, and would not return to the Olympics before 1980. Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon sat out to protest at Israel's invasion of the Sinai Peninsula, while Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands boycotted over the Soviet invasion of Hungary. The conflict between USSR and Hungary was brought on-stage when they faced each other for the water-polo semi-final. The game was terminated by the referee after a fierce exchange of kicks and punches. Hungary who was leading at the time, was credited with a victory. 1960, Rome The Rome Games marked the end of South African participation in the Olympic Games. Its racist apartheid regime meant the country was excluded until the 1992 Barcelona Games. At the 1960 Olympics, marathon-runner Abebe Bikila, running barefoot, became the first black African Olympic champion. Free of other major political disruptions, the Rome Games became a showcase for Italy, attracting a record 5348 athletes from 83 countries. 1964, Tokyo The first Asian country to host the Olympics, Tokyo spent $3bn rebuilding the city to show off its post-war success. The Yoshinori Sakai was chosen as the final torchbearer, who was born on the day that Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb. 1968, Mexico City 1968 was a year of universal unrest: Europe was rocked by student protests, the Vietnam war raged on, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated and the USSR invaded Czechoslovakia. Meanwhile at the Olympics, East Germany competed separately for the first time. Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who finished first and third in the 200 metres, gave the Black Power salute during the national anthem as a protest against racism in the US. 1972, Munich The largest Games yet staged, the 1972 Olympics were supposed to represent peace. But the Munich Games are most often remembered for the terrorist attack that resulted in the death of 11 Israeli athletes. With five days of the Games to go, 8 Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic Village, killing two Israelis and taking nine others hostage. The Palestinians demanded the release of 200 prisoners from Israel. In an ensuing battle, all nine Israeli hostages were killed, as were five of the terrorists and one policeman. IOC president Avery Arundage took the decision to continue the Games after a 34-hour suspension. 1976, Montreal Around 30 African nations staged a last-minute boycott after the IOC allowed New Zealand to compete. New Zealand's rugby team had recently played in the racially segregated South Africa, who had been banned from the Olympics since 1964. Taiwan withdrew when Communist China pressured the host country (and trading partner) to deny the Taiwanese the right to compete. 1980, Moscow Over 60 nations including West Germany and Japan boycotted the Moscow Games to protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The American-led boycott reduced the number of participating nations from 120 to 81, the lowest number since 1956. Countries such as Britain and France supported the boycott, but allowed their Olympic committees to participate if they wished. Probably due to a lack of competition, the Moscow Games became the most successful for the British athletes, who finished ninth overall. 1984, Los Angeles Following the western boycott of the 1980 Games, the USSR led a boycott of the US-staged event by 14 socialist nations. The absentees claimed the Los Angeles Olympic Committee was violating the spirit of the Olympics by using the Games to generate commercial profits. 1988, Seoul For the first time since the Munich Games, there was no organised boycott of the Summer Olympics. Though North Korea stayed away from the Olympics, joined by Ethiopia, Nicaragua and Cuba. The Seoul Games went on with little interruption, and their success represented a major milestone on the journey from dictatorship to democracy for South-Korea. 1992, Barcelona The 1992 Barcelona Games marked the first Olympic Summer Games since the end of the Cold war. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia fielded seperate teams, while the rest of the former Soviet Union competed as the "Unified Team". Germany competed under one flag for the first time since 1964, while post-apartheid South Africa was invited ending a 32-year ban. 1996, Atlanta The Atlanta Games were the first to be held without any governmental support. This led to a commercialisation of the Games that disappointed many. In addition, a pipe bomb exploded in Atlanta's Centnnial Olympic Park killing two people and injuring a further 110. Although the incident was referred to as a terrorist bomb, the motive or group responsible was never determined. Approximately 10,000 athletes participated in Atlanta, representing 197 countries (including Hong Kong and the Palestinian Authority). 2000, Sydney The Sydney Games were the largest yet, with 10,651 athletes competing in 300 events. Despite its size, the event was well organised and renewed faith in the Olympic movement after the 1996 Atlanta bombing. The Australians chose Aboriginal athlete and national hero Cathy Freeman to light the Olympic torch. 2004, Athens Next time round, the Olympic Games will return to its origins when Athens hosts the XXVIII Olympiad. Greece was the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games more than 2,000 years ago, and Athens staged the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. 2008, Beijing The 2008 Games, due to be staged in Beijing, have provoked outrage from human rights groups who say allowing China to host the Games legitimises its repressive regime. Protestors also claim China will use the Games as a propaganda tool. Supporters argue the Olympics will accelerate the progress of social liberalisation. Taiwan government officials strongly support the Beijing Games, believing that the event will reduce the risk of China using force against its neighbour. When the USSR invaded Afghanistan it provoked a boycott of the Moscow Games the following year.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_304_0	Wild Palms : Wikis (The Full Wiki) The Full Wiki More info on Wild Palms Wikis Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Wild Palms Wild Palms main cast (listed below) Format Original run May 16, 1993 – May 19, 1993 [1] Wild Palms is a six-hour mini-series , which first aired in May 1993 on the ABC network in the United States . Written by Bruce Wagner , who (with Oliver Stone ) was also the executive producer, Wild Palms was a sci-fi drama about the dangers of brainwashing through technology and drugs. It was based on a comic strip written by Wagner and illustrated by Julian Allen first published in 1990 in Details magazine . The mini-series starred James Belushi , Dana Delany , Robert Loggia , and Angie Dickinson . The episodes were directed by four people known more for their feature films : Kathryn Bigelow , Keith Gordon , Peter Hewitt , and Phil Joanou . Contents 11 External links Plot synopsis Harry Wyckoff is a successful patent attorney in 2007 in Los Angeles , living with his wife Grace, a formidable suburban housewife and boutique owner, and their two children: Coty, television addict and upcoming sitcom actor, and Deidre, a slow developer who has yet to speak a word. Grace's mother Josie is a socialite radiant with charisma. However, Wyckoff is plagued by strange dreams in which he is pursued by a rhinoceros and visions of palm trees . One day, he is visited by a former lover, Paige Katz, who asks for his help in tracking down her son Peter, who disappeared five years earlier. As Paige works for the Wild Palms Group, which Wyckoff's firm is going up against in court, their meetings raise suspicions and cost Wyckoff a promotion. After this, he gladly accepts the job offered to him by Paige's employer, Senator Tony Kreutzer, as head of the business department of his television station Channel 3, though he is puzzled by the Senator's role as the founder of the Synthiotics religion and philosophy of New Realism. Kreutzer plans to use a new virtual reality technology developed by company Mimecom in Channel 3 broadcasts, so that the action will take place in the living room of the viewers, who will be able to interact with the actors. The first program of this format will be Church Windows, a sitcom including Wyckoff's son. However, all is not well in the world. In a restaurant with his old college friend Tommy, Wyckoff sees another patron forcibly dragged away by a group of men. Strangely, no one else pays any heed to it. Wyckoff witnesses similar events happening with police around town. Though disturbed by this, Harry has no feelings of empathy for the victim, but finds himself "rooting for" the attackers, without knowing why. When Coty goes to stay with Josie, she asks if he has had "the rhinoceros dream." When he responds that he has, she tells him to keep it secret, since it means he is special. Then, in Grace's presence, Deirdre utters her first words: "Everything must go." The peculiarity of this is furthered when Senator Kreutzer tells Wyckoff of a group called the Friends who killed his father shortly after the man had a fire sale , with a banner saying "everything must go." At a dinner party, Grace and Wyckoff run into Tabba (a co-star of their son) and her "consort", Tully Woiwode. Tully is there with his sister Maisy, whom Harry recognizes as the woman who had been dining with the man who was abducted in the restaurant. When Wyckoff confronts her, she denies this. Wyckoff continues to be stunned by the bizarre occurrences going on around him. Grace sinks into depression over what she fears is a relationship between her husband and Paige; she and Wyckoff separately learn about the two political groups: the "Friends", and their enemies, the fascistoid "Fathers", who had been known to steal the children of their enemies. Grace comes to fear that Coty is not her son, but one who was put in his place when her real son was abducted. Wyckoff slowly discovers that the Fathers, led by Josie, the Senator and Paige, are developing a grand plan involving the Mimecom technology and a hallucinogenic drug called Mimezine, and that the Friends — one of whom is Grace's incarcerated father, Eli Levitt - are trying to fight back. From this start, a deadly web of intrigue, betrayal and murder surrounds Wyckoff. Cast Influences on the production design include:[citation needed] Japanese style and culture 1950s/1960s open-top cars Edwardian suits Twin Peaks - another early 90s ABC hit series, where elements such as bizarre dreams, strange perceptions of reality, 1950s/1960s American style, non-sequiturs, and other reality-bending elements were present, lurking beneath the surface in a suburban setting. Synthiotics, a kind of futuristic self-help movement; founded by Kreutzer, a former science-fiction author seems to be Wagner's caricature of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard . [2] Episodes ABC aired the mini-series over four consecutive nights [1] though it was originally designed to air as five weekly episodes:[citation needed] Everything Must Go (90 minutes) - directed by Peter Hewitt The Floating World (45 minutes) - directed by Keith Gordon Rising Sons (45 minutes) - directed by Kathryn Bigelow Hungry Ghosts (45 minutes) - directed by Keith Gordon Hello I Must Be Going (45 minutes) - directed by Phil Joanou The comic strip Creator Bruce Wagner described the comic strip that his mini-series was based on: "I used the cartoon as a sort of surreal diary. It was dreamlike and hallucinatory. I put my friends in it. I put famous people in it. I didn't care about the story. It was a tone poem ." Executive producer Oliver Stone explained why Wagner's Wild Palms comic strip caught his eye: "It was so syncretic . It was such a fractured view of the world. Everything and anything could happen. Maybe your wife isn't your wife, maybe your kids aren't your kids. It really appealed to me." [3] Reception Three of the stars of the mini-series characterized it for Entertainment Weekly : [3] Jim Belushi: "It's very tough, very challenging—a lot of viewers probably won't dig it. I shot the show for 12 weeks, looped it, watched it, and there are still things I'm not catching." Dana Delany: "It's a futuristic melodrama with a dash of virtual reality. You shouldn't even try to make sense of it. Just let it wash over you, enjoy each scene, and by the end it'll make sense." Robert Loggia: 'For me, the piece is reminiscent of Elizabethan blood-and-thunder plays like The Duchess of Malfi . Or a Greek play like Medea . Plays where you're dealing with incest and treachery and tearing somebody's eyes out." The New York Times called it "terrific" and a "truly wild six-hour mini-series" resembling "nothing so much as an acid freak's fantasy, drenched in paranoia and more pop-culture allusions than a Dennis Miller monologue." It was described as "rich and insinuating as a good theatrical film , albeit harder to follow" and said to "vibrate with an inventiveness that rarely flags." [1] Readers of the British trade weekly Broadcast were much more negative, calling it one of the worst television shows ever exported by the U.S. to the U.K.. It placed fourth on their list, exceeded only by Baywatch , The Anna Nicole Show and The Dukes of Hazzard . [4] TV Guide also blasted it, offering the interpretation that Oliver Stone was condemning television while covertly lauding cinematic films. Wild Palms DVD cover. Video releases Wild Palms was released on CLV laserdisc in March 1995 [5] and on VHS in multiple releases. It was released in Region 1 and Region 4 DVD format in October 2005 and in Region 2 in March 2008. Book A book, The Wild Palms Reader was published by St. Martin's Press before the series aired. It included time lines, secret letters, and character biographies. [3] ABC, concerned that viewers might get "hopelessly lost in the tangled story line" [3] , arranged for the primer to be published. It also included writing supposedly from the “world of the series." Contributors included: E. Howard Hunt - Nixon era scandal, writer of spy/sci-fi novels William Gibson (who appears as himself in the series) - Poet Brenda Laurel - Virtual reality consultant on the mini-series Spain Rodriguez - Underground 60’s comics artist illustrates the Mimecom backstory Hans Moravec - The science of Wild Palms, backdated to the 70’s and an email conversion between the fathers of two characters Cameos Cyberpunk author William Gibson has a cameo appearance as himself. When the author of Neuromancer is introduced as the man who invented the term "Cyberspace", he remarks, "and they won't let me forget it." Oliver Stone also has a cameo, in which he appears as himself - being interviewed on television in 2007 - after the release of files pertinent to the assassination of John F. Kennedy reveal that Stone's film, JFK , was right. Stone also referred to "the late Jack Valenti " in the scene in the 1992 movie. Stone hired musician, body-modification pioneer, and occultist Genesis P-Orridge as a consultant for the series. Poetry The series includes references to the following poetry: "Running to Paradise," by W. B. Yeats , is quoted by Senator Kreutzer in conversation with Harry Wyckoff: "The wind is old and still at play / While I must hurry upon my way, / For I am running to Paradise" " The Hollow Men " by T. S. Eliot features Kreutzer's last words "This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper". " O Captain! My Captain! " by Walt Whitman is repeatedly alluded to and recited after the Fathers' demise. References	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_304_1	Wild Palms Wild Palms Series Description Wild Palms was a 6 hour long dramatic, sci-fi miniseries on ABC about a futuristic world of the year 2007 where a huge multi-national corporation tries to take over the country using 3-D animated videos that are broadcast right into American living rooms! Most people fall victim to their plot but a few small groups of people fight to keep their minds and their freedom! Wild Palms Cast Robert Loggia ............... Senator Anton Kreutzer Angie Dickinson ............. Josie Ito Bob Gunton .................. Dr. Tobias Schenkl Brad Dourif ................. Chickie Levitt Eugene Lee .................. Lieutenant Bob Grindrod Danny Kamekona .............. Ushio Wild Palms Trivia Wild Palms was based on a full-page comic strip of the same name that was published in "Details Magazine" from 1990-93. It was illustrated by Julian Allen and written by Bruce Wagner. Many critics felt that the Wild Palm Miniseries was very similar to the " Twin Peaks TV Show " which had just aired a few years earlier and several of them called it "Twin Palms". The two shows were both very confusing due to unending plot twists. Something new was happening before a viewer had even figured out what had already happened. Co-star James Blushi (" According to Jim ") even admitted that even after reading the script several times, he still couldn't figure out what it was about. He just went to the filming locations and read his lines! Dana Delany (" Desperate Housewives "), on the other hand, said "It's a futuristic melodrama with a dash of virtual reality. You shouldn't even try to make sense of it. Just let it wash over you, enjoy each scene, and by the end it'll make sense". Despite the criticism, it should be noted that both "Twin Peaks" and "Wild Palms" were both sensually stimulating to many viewers and both have a decent cult following to this day. The weird looking police cars on Wild Palms were intended to look futuristic but they were actually 1963 Studebaker Avantis. Senator Anton Kreutzer was based on L. Ron Hubbard and the Senator's "Synthiotics" was based on Hubbard's teachings of "Scientology". At that time the public perception of Scientology was very new and suspicious. Episodes List With Original Air Dates Wild Palms - The First and Only Season Everything Must Go (2 hours) (5/16/1993) The Floating World (1 hour) (5/23/1993) Rising Sons (1 hour) (5/30/1993) Hungry Ghosts (1 hour) (6/6/1993) Hello, I Must Be Going (1 hour) (6/13/1993) Thank you for visiting our Wild Palms page! Copyright © 1997-2016 CrazyAboutTV.com	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_304_6	Hollywood Archaeology: Wild Palms « Unearthing Oliver Stone and Bruce Wagner's long-lost gonzo miniseries on Scientology, technology, and graphic novels by Alex Pappademas on May 24, 2013 1. Hallucinating Cathedrals The day will come when some genius crossbreeds a pair of Google Glasses and an Oculus Rift headset to create virtual-reality hardware as easy-to-use and omnipresent and unremarkable as the iPhone. Then each new @Horse_ebooks tweet will show up in our Daft Punk helmets as a whirling polygon we can pretend to fondle. Finally! For now, though, “virtual reality” remains a retro punch line, the Zima of technological innovations, robbed of its cool by a hundred bad ’90s movies that reached for it whenever their plots needed a hip device — the parkour of its day, more or less. Kari Wuhrer’s trapped in the game-grid and only cybercop Lorenzo Lamas can save her! If you’ve never seen it, I assume ABC’s Wild Palms — which aired 20 years ago last week, as a five-night “event series” — will sound no less dated. In the not-so-distant future — 1993’s idea of 2007, to be confusingly exact — Los Angeles attorney Harry Wyckoff (James Belushi) accepts a high-powered job at a TV network run by Senator Anton “Tony” Kreutzer. Kreutzer’s a former sci-fi writer and the founder of Synthiotics, a New Age religion with many celebrity adherents; as with “The Cause” in P.T. Anderson’s The Master, any resemblance to actual faiths is officially coincidental. In any case, we know Kreutzer’s a bad guy because he’s played by the reliably fucking terrifying human killdozer Robert Loggia, an actor whose amp starts at 11. In an Entertainment Weekly story published before the first episode aired, Loggia compared Palms to Euripides’s Medea and Elizabethan blood-and-thunder plays like The Duchess of Malfi. The rest of the cast does fine work, particularly Dana Delany (as Harry’s wife, Grace, unraveling fast) and Brad Dourif (as crippled tech guru Chickie Levitt), but only Loggia and Angie Dickinson, as Harry’s demon-dog mother-in-law, Josie Ito, really seem to understand what this bloody, operatic show wants from them. Belushi’s the weak link, although his apparent bewilderment with the material suits the character, at least for a while. Anyway: Harry thinks he’s been hired to help Kreutzer’s network, Channel 3, launch the first 3-D holographic sitcom, but it turns out the show is just the first step in Kreutzer’s plot to hook the world on a synthetic hallucinogen called mimezine, which makes holograms seem real; once that happens, he’ll be free to crush his enemies, transform himself into an immortal living hologram using a high-tech MacGuffin called the “Go chip,” and rule the collective unconscious with an iron fist. It’s all part of a war between two secret political factions, the totalitarian Fathers and a libertarian resistance group called the Friends, who work out of a system of tunnels connecting the swimming pools of L.A. like “a subway for paranoids.” Once Harry drops down the rabbit hole, just about everyone he knows turns out to be embroiled in the conspiracy, including his own family. Wild Palms was written by novelist Bruce Wagner (who adapted a serialized graphic novel 1 he’d created for Details with artist Julian Allen) and executive-produced by Oliver Stone, back when movie directors doing television was still a big deal. ABC was excited enough about the show to air it during sweeps week, but nervous enough about its complexity that the network set up a support line; confused viewers could call 1-900-773-WILD and pay 75 cents a minute to hear a recorded recap of what they’d just watched. If this innovation helped the show retain its audience from night to night, it didn’t help enough. The big ratings winner for the week turned out to be Woman on the Run: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story, with Tatum O’Neal as the titular Playboy model turned folk-hero fugitive. I’d love to hear some of those 900-number recordings someday; they probably sound totally psychotic. What did they say about Dickinson, gouging out Nick Mancuso’s eyes with her silk-gloved thumbs? Or little Ben Savage, soon to become the Tumblr generation’s Jerry Mathers via Boy Meets World, playing Harry’s bad-seed son, a child star and pawn of the Fathers who vows to “make bare every womb that ever was”? Or Ernie Hudson collapsing in the street, dosed on holo-drugs, dripping blue snot and hallucinating cathedrals? Were important thematic developments addressed when they cropped up? Last night on Wild Palms, it was suggested that addictive entertainment media turns us all into unwitting enablers of fascism. Thanks for watching ABC! It’s the kind of show that would have instantly birthed a cult, had Twitter and the Web been around to support one. But it aired in 1993, a few years before the Internet revolutionized obsessing over things, made lost causes easier to rally around, and permeated every aspect of human life. We didn’t even know what that permeation would look like yet: Palms takes place in a 2007 where set-top hologram projectors are about to become as common as cable, but there seems to be no such thing as e-mail or the Web. Which isn’t actually that strange, in historical context. The first issue of Wired magazine (which also turned 20 this year) included features on morphing FX, phone-phreaking, virtual tank-battle simulators, and Camille Paglia; the only story that portended anything about today’s Internet was the trend piece about online porn, of which there was apparently quite a bit. Wild Palms mis-imagines what the virtual world will look like; Harry dons a pair of glowing Matsuda-style eyeglasses and finds himself goggled into a Victorian ballroom, wearing a powdered wig. It’s all wrong — too immersive, too holodeck-y. But as artifacts of the early-’90s let’s-surf-the-cyberweb moment go, it’s eerily prophetic about the new and exciting forms of existential ache the Internet would infect us with. The future-tech moments that work best are the quieter scenes of desperate people reaching out to flickering images for hollow comfort and a human-connection placebo. In retrospect, only the idea that we’d have to take drugs to become afflicted with “image sickness” rings false. Not that any of this seemed obvious at the time. When Wild Palms first aired, I was 15, and David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks was still my favorite TV show, even though it had been off the air for two years after a spectacular flameout of a second season. Twin Peaks came up in nearly every advance review of Wild Palms; I was in the tank before I saw a second of it. Looking back, I realize how much of it sailed over my head. I hadn’t seen The Prisoner yet, so the shot of inmates at a state hospital tossing a big white ball around didn’t strike me as an in-joke. I didn’t realize that when Robert Morse’s Chap says “I’m a good whore — I go where I’m kicked,” he’s quoting one of Sam Peckinpah’s favorite one-liners about his relationship to Hollywood, or that Kreutzer’s recurring dream about having to dig himself out of a sand pit is basically Kobo Abe’s existential-horror classic The Woman in the Dunes. I knew who Brian Wilson was; I’d read Neuromancer, so when William Gibson showed up as himself, a gawky hipster scarecrow stooping into frame like an out-of-place boom operator, I understood why he was there. 2 But without Wikipedia to act as decoder ring, I drew a blank on the references to Kansai TV and Bruno Bettelheim, Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon and the Watchman’s prophecy against Edom from the book of Isaiah, ectopic pregnancy and “Classical Gas,” hungry ghosts and the Floating World. I liked that the show seemed smarter than me; I was probably in the minority in this regard. For every obscure name-drop, there was a sequence of perfect images, hard and bright and violent and scored with the exact right elegiac/ironic vintage pop song. At the end of the third episode, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the Friends storm a motel where the Fathers are holding Chickie Levitt; as they shoot their way out, “The House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals builds on the soundtrack, Eric Burdon’s doom-blues wail cutting against the heroic-rescue imagery onscreen. You know it’s not going to work even before the Fathers’ goons — in black suits and mirror shades, like Air Force intelligence guys on the weather-balloon beat or Lew Wasserman acolytes working for MCA — mow down Charles Rocket with machine guns. Moments like this have a visceral power that transcends cleverness and nostalgia; like the show as a whole, they’re pop-apocalyptic. We’re hearing and watching the culture collapsing into itself, the future dissolving the certainties of the past even as the past robs the future of its promise . 2. Unicorns Fallen From Grace Although Wagner went on to become an acclaimed novelist, he was just getting started when Wild Palms happened. He’d published a scabrous, undersea-trench-dark Hollywood satire called Force Majeure, shared a coscreenwriter credit on Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, and studied for 10 years with Carlos Castaneda, which is sort of the exact mix of professional qualifications you’d expect the writer of something like Wild Palms to have. Although it was Stone’s imprimatur that got the show made, Wagner was essentially its auteur, long before auteurist television was a thing — yet another way Wild Palms was ahead of its time. I was curious about how this weird mythical beast of a show came to be, so a few weeks ago I got in touch with Wagner through his agent and e-mailed him a long list of questions. Minus the answers to a few fact-checking questions, this is what he sent me back. So how did this show happen? How did you convince a network to put this show on the air? Do you think they saw this as a potential ratings bonanza? Or a project that would burnish the network’s reputation? Did they just want to be in business with Oliver Stone? It was, needless to say, a different time. Television drama has since evolved into serialized narrative that is more often DVR’d than not. It’s the new way to “read” — just as one used to settle down with a good book over a weekend or on a plane, it’s fun to marathon-watch dramas season-to-season. At the time we made Wild Palms, there was still an obsession with per-episode resolution. It was the Law. The elusive, outlandish reward of eventual syndication was always given as the reason, but the whiff of anything that could be labeled “soap opera” was almost primitively feared. The notion of unresolved hours gave agents and executives a seizure of panic akin to noticing a violent, homeless schizophrenic in the local Rite-Aid. My agent at the time was Tony Krantz, at CAA. He represented David Lynch as well. After Twin Peaks, he was in a position of strength. He showed the comic strip I wrote for Details to Oliver Stone, and Oliver immediately wanted to do something with it. I already had a relationship with Oliver, who’d optioned Force Majeure. Oliver’s always been in my corner, god bless him. I wrote a two-hour pilot but wasn’t quite sure what Tony or the network had in mind and it was a great shock when they said they wanted to do a limited series. It’s especially odd to me that it aired on ABC, considering that they’d just been through the spectacular rise and fall of Twin Peaks a year or so earlier and presumably had a sense of what kind of audience a show like this can draw. Was that show a part of the conversation when you were trying to sell Wild Palms? It was never discussed. Perhaps that was deliberate. I was a fan of Lynch’s feature work but never saw Peaks. I know that sounds phony, but it’s true nonetheless. I wasn’t a big TV watcher at the time. One aggravating thing was that because of the titles — Wild Palms, Twin Peaks — I was asked for years if I wrote Twin Palms. (I actually did write an essay for a book on the photographer William Eggleston for a publisher called “Twin Palms”!) It’s my memory that Lynch was irritated as well. I remember him shouting “Twin Peaks has nothing to do with Wild Palms!” at some party. It wasn’t a dis, he was just stating the truth. 3 Do you remember what the germ of the idea was? Was there an initial image you had in your head, like the door in the bottom of the pool, or the rhino? There was a very popular restaurant on La Brea called the City Cafe. A lot of agents and showbiz people used to eat there. An image came to me of someone being dragged from their table by other showbiz-looking men in suits and thrown into a Range Rover — what looked to be a political kidnapping of some sort. The key element of the scene being that afterward, everyone went back to their lunches without much of a fuss. (We shot that very scene at the City.) Swimming pools have always been somewhere in my work and my consciousness. I was born in the Midwest and I remember that when I first flew out to California, as the plane descended I was riveted by the thousands of little blue squares — it was a shock to my system that every backyard seemed to have one. If you add my own personal fear of drowning to that, you have my entire oeuvre in a nutshell — childhood wonder laced with death. As far as the door in the bottom, the “portal” to the radical Underground, there was a Twilight Zone called “The Bewitchin’ Pool” that made a huge impression on me as a boy. It was about two kids, a wealthy brother and sister, who escaped the horror of their parents’ violent marriage by vanishing into their beautiful pool and resurfacing through a river into a Huck Finn paradise with other orphans of ruined homes. My parents had a violent marriage, and so many of my friends had these enormous houses and gorgeous pools (we never had one — we lived in apartments). It was so evocative. Leave it to Mr. [Rod] Serling. I’m not sure where the rhino came from anymore. I’ve always regarded rhinos as unicorns fallen from grace. In July, David Cronenberg is shooting a script that I wrote called Maps to the Stars. Swimming pools are a motif. Someone called to my attention recently that the little boy in Wild Palms has stars tattooed on his chest. “I’m the one with the maps to the stars,” he says. Go figure. But the title itself was a stunning engine for me. I’d been obsessed with Faulkner’s title The Wild Palms. It was so beautiful that it’d become a poetic fetish. Paul Thomas Anderson had trouble convincing a studio to bankroll a movie about an L. Ron Hubbard–esque character and ended up having to seek out private funding to make The Master. And yet you managed to get a major network to air a miniseries that portrays a Scientology-like group (led by a former sci-fi writer) as a murderous, vindictive, child-stealing personality cult, way back in 1993. Did anyone ever raise concerns about what you were doing? Were you at all worried that you’d never work in this town again? I never had a thing about Scientology. I didn’t think The Master — which I thought was an extraordinary, elegiac film — had anything to do with Scientology either. But yes, considering the organization’s reputation, it was perhaps peculiar that there was never any discussion that I can recall from either side: ABC’s or the Church’s. It was a non-issue from start to finish. Go figure. Was there ever any kind of conversation about what you’d do if this show became a runaway hit? Did you ever think about ways to continue the story? It was always conceived of as a six-hour series. Ratings never warranted further exploration. I can’t tell you how it would be received today because it would be a completely different show. I’ve changed so much. My storytelling abilities have evolved. Wild Palms was a baptism by fire. The luxury that cable shows have is that stories can unfurl. The pace, without sacrificing that propulsion all entertaining drama must have, can be slower. These are things I didn’t understand at that time. I’d love to do a show for cable. I’ve tried. We got close with a show for FX called Self-Help, about a group of young people who create their own religion. I own the rights to all of the books by Carlos Castaneda, who I spent 10 years with. I spoke with David Chase about that a few years back. I’m in talks to develop my novel Dead Stars as a series about L.A. and Hollywood. I’d love to create a long-form world, to have that freedom to create character nuance and narrative. Oliver and I developed my novel Still Holding last year, and we have a script for television. When I was 26, I saw Fassbinder’s Berlin Alexanderplatz, and thought: a 15-hour movie. What a concept! That’s what I’d like to do. A six-season movie. To be able to play in that Mad Men world. It’s been said that science fiction doesn’t really imagine the future; it just puts a frame around certain aspects of the present and amplifies them. Was there anything particular about the culture of the early ’90s that informed the portrait of the future in Wild Palms? You know, I’ve never been a techie, but back then, “virtual reality” was very much in the air. A large part of me thought: This is coming. That this was enough to hang one’s artistic hat and story on. I’ve always been a fan of dreams and hallucinations — Bergman and Buñuel saw me through my tween and adolescent years. In Wild Palms I fused the virtual-reality experience with drugs and created something melancholy, a chemical that enhanced computer-created images, a world where one would be able to spend time with the dead, with loved ones who’d passed. That’s a recurring theme in my work: communion with the dead. In my new book, The Empty Chair, there is a woman who is searching the Sonoran Desert for a lost city whose inhabitants purport to have the power to reunite one with those one has lost. The best science fiction for me — the Varley story “Air Raid,” Phil Dick’s “I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon” — are terribly moving, terribly human. That’s what gets to me. In general, how prescient does Wild Palms seem to you? Does it seem dated, or do you look back on it fondly? You know, I haven’t watched all six hours in a while. Some of it’s noir, some of it’s camp, some of it’s deadpan existential. Some, hopefully, is just fun. I remember Angie Dickinson’s character raging in Japanese, with subtitles. And little Ben Savage, in his captain’s cap and uniform, aboard a yacht, his followers kneeling around him, reciting Wallace Stevens! It doesn’t get any better than that. For me, anyway! It was, as they say, an education. My consideration and experience wasn’t so much accuracy or vision, it was melodrama and imagination. People loved it, people hated it. Critics loved it, critics hated it. Millions of people saw it. I holed up at the Hotel Pierre and the reviews were slipped under my door. Time said it was the best of the year, James Wolcott did a column about it in Vanity Fair and said that “Wagner is a cult of one.” I had a great time. What can I say? The comic is a drifty dream-journal compared to the miniseries; the broad strokes of plot and character are the same, but it wasn’t until the second year of the strip’s run that virtual reality was mentioned, and Synthiotics doesn’t come up until five months after that. It’s a great comic, though, maybe the great lost graphic novel of the ’90s, lyrical and creepy and obsessed with the idea of celebrities as hungry ghosts that live rent-free in our brains. The art’s beautiful, too. Allen, a prolific magazine illustrator who’d never done comics before, photographed models in New York and used them as reference for watercolor art; the results are just photorealistic enough to be eerie. “Bill coined the term ‘cyberspace,'” Kim Cattrall says. “And they won’t let me forget it,” he quips. He’d been visiting the set that day; Wagner dragged him in front of the cameras to create a Marshall McLuhan–in–Annie Hall moment. “I thought the neo-Amish thing was a mistake,” Gibson said on Twitter years later, responding to a compliment about the tweedy three-piece the wardrobe department made him wear. “Suit not bad, shirt collar daft.” This is technically true, but the Peaks/Palms parallel was definitely on ABC’s mind. While touting Palms at a press tour in January ’93, new network president Robert A. Iger (now the chairman and CEO of Disney, Grantland’s corporate parent) said the decision to keep Palms self-contained was a lesson they’d learned from Twin Peaks. “Twin Peaks should have been commissioned as a seven-hour show,” Iger said. “It should have been called Who Killed Laura Palmer? and we should have found out at the end of seven hours. Then it should have faded into history as one of the more significant shows ever to air on network TV.”	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_304_9	Wild Palms \| MetaFilter Wild Palms January 25, 2012 7:44 PM Subscribe In 1993, in the era of television reinvention following the earthquake of Twin Peaks, ABC aired a 6-hour miniseries executive produced by Oliver Stone and Bruce Wagner -- Wild Palms . Featuring a monster cast (James Belushi, Dana Delaney, Robert Loggia, Angie Dickenson, Kim Cattrall, Ernie Hudson, Nick Mancuso, Bebe Neuwirth and Brad Dourif, just to name a few) and with episodes directed by the likes of Kathryn Bigelow and Phil Joanou, it was a near-future cyberpunkish surreal Television Event that the New York Times described as " nothing so much as an acid freak's fantasy, drenched in paranoia and more pop-culture allusions than a Dennis Miller monologue. " Based on a comic strip by Bruce Wagner which appeared in Details Magazine from 1990 to 1992 ( examples can be seen here ), Wild Palms explores a world of virtual reality, modern religions, hallucinogenic drugs, and media saturation. If this has you intrigued, you can watch it online: posted by octothorpe at 7:54 PM on January 25, 2012 [ 3 favorites ] Ooh, I remember hoping that, when I got to be Belushi's age, that there WOULD be VR glasses like his. pours out 40 for VRML posted by leotrotsky at 7:55 PM on January 25, 2012 [ 3 favorites ] God, that title sequence is so TwinPeaksy. posted by leotrotsky at 7:56 PM on January 25, 2012 It reminds me of World on a Wire so far, at least in terms of how plastic and unnatural everything is. I can't tell if that's intentional, or just a side effect of being made in 1993 for network television. posted by codacorolla at 7:57 PM on January 25, 2012 [ 1 favorite ] Oh man, Dennis Miller. I remember when I thought he was smart and funny. Of course I was 14 and he hadn't yet gone paranoid nutbag. posted by emjaybee at 7:59 PM on January 25, 2012 [ 10 favorites ] Details Magazine from 1990 to 1992 Back in my just out of small town, 1989 or so, i found Details, and fell in love. I remember reading those in there, and then what happened to Details?? It became like a typical mens magazine. :P I really do miss the enthusiasm for the future back then that seemed to have a hint of paranoia, but not as depressingly as it's become the last decade. Also, i have this on DVD, but haven't watched it in ages. :\ posted by scalefree at 8:13 PM on January 25, 2012 R as in Robert Logia ... posted by scalefree at 8:13 PM on January 25 I haven't been able to see Robert Logia since that Family Guy Episode without thinking about that bit. posted by birdherder at 8:16 PM on January 25, 2012 Oh man, Dennis Miller. I remember when I thought he was smart and funny. Of course I was 14 and he hadn't yet gone paranoid nutbag. Dennis Miller is essentially the same guy he's always been, he just makes more partisan jokes now. I've actually found myself enjoying his radio show a few times in the past couple of years. A voting republican, I guess, but still a free-for-all social liberal. I know, it's hard when things aren't black and white. Derail! Sorry. This is a fantastic post. Somehow Wild Palms always stayed just off my radar and I really look forward to watching all of these while I'm stuck in Green Bay for a week. posted by Roman Graves at 8:23 PM on January 25, 2012 Unfortunate that the 1920's banker look didn't catch on in 2007 (although I do like vests). On a side note: When did the beginning credits on shows start getting shorter? The credits for Wild Palms (and Twin Peaks) seemed to go on forever. LOOK at all the palm trees! See the palm trees seductively swaying in the wind! posted by littlesq at 8:25 PM on January 25, 2012 [ 1 favorite ] Yeah, I was a bit hesitant about including that pull-quote because of the inclusion of Dennis Miller and what he represents today... But I figured enough people might remember him from before his 9/11 freakout and subsequent morphing into something else that it would make sense in the context of a reference in 1993. posted by hippybear at 8:26 PM on January 25, 2012 I watched this when it aired and honestly can't remember a single thing about it. Did it have a plot, at all? posted by stargell at 8:28 PM on January 25, 2012 [ 1 favorite ] Oh, palms as in the tree… posted by Nomyte at 8:30 PM on January 25, 2012 [ 1 favorite ] I remember being excited about this when it first aired but, like stargell, remember almost nothing about it except for the rhino in the empty swimming pool. I recall thinking that must have been an expensive scene to shoot, did it have anything to do with the plot? posted by AndrewStephens at 8:32 PM on January 25, 2012 Hey, I wore shirts like those in 2007. But then I do all my clothes shopping at the MGM Costumers' Surplus Store. posted by evilmidnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight at 8:33 PM on January 25, 2012 It also had a kick ass theme by Ryuichi Sakamoto. posted by roger ackroyd at 8:38 PM on January 25, 2012 [ 2 favorites ] And OH LOOK here's Bruce Wagner's followup project, the weirdo sci-fi pilot White Dwarf . Thank you, nameless ABC exec who decided to throw money into that entertaining little bonfire. posted by roger ackroyd at 8:44 PM on January 25, 2012 [ 4 favorites ] Even at the time, this was frequently and explicitly linked to Twin Peaks. I remember watching it when it first broadcast in the UK (I must've been 13ish) and being baffled to the point of hilarity. Drained swimming pools and a Cornwall/Gloucester style eye-gouging are my main recollections. The latter was enhanced by the fact that we'd recently done sheep eye dissections in Science Club (because I was ice-fupping-cool at school). Good (not really) days. posted by howfar at 9:06 PM on January 25, 2012 Bruce Wagner's LA novels are brilliant--as good as Ellroy or Nathaniel WEst. Doesn't get the love. Thanks for this. posted by PinkMoose at 9:58 PM on January 25, 2012 Baffled was pretty much my reaction, although I was still a bit of an ass about mundanes attempting to do sf back then. I think I hated Jim Belushi at the time, too. Didn't help that I missed episode 2. When did the beginning credits on shows start getting shorter? Late 90s, pretty much. Murphy Brown was one of the first hit sitcoms I can remember that had noticeably short main titles. Then they started doing things like running the end credits in a strip next to the tag scene. Basically, broadcast TV needed to sell more commercial time, and even half-hour sitcoms lost two or even more minutes of air time. Now you've got stuff like Heroes (well, before it was cancelled, but I'm watching it now) where the only actual set-aside for titles is the eclipse and all the credits (that huge ensemble cast) run over the main action. By the way, I thought it was strange that the same year, 1993, saw the release of the apparently completely unrelated Wilder Napalm . Glenn Gordon Caron (Moonlighting) and Vince Gilligan (now known for Breaking Bad). Deliberate riff? Tongue firmly in cheek? Mere coincidence? Strange. posted by dhartung at 9:59 PM on January 25, 2012 And OH LOOK here's Bruce Wagner's followup project, the weirdo sci-fi pilot White Dwarf . Thank you, nameless ABC exec who decided to throw money into that entertaining little bonfire. Oh man, i had kind of forgotten about that. At the time i wondered "what the hell did i just watch??" but in a good way. It was so damn out there that i really wanted it to continue but knew it wouldn't. Did it have a plot, at all? Not really, but then the comic didn't either. That kind of impressed me, that really wouldn't make it appeal to many, but better than altering it i think. When did the beginning credits on shows start getting shorter? I seem to remember it being the 90s. Especially when one episode of The Simpson's made a big deal of shortening the beginning so they could show that one Michael Jackson video. Other shows were doing it too, but more and more started doing it to where it became like Lost, title card, show. At first i hated it, but since they shorten shows so much for commercials, it's nice to have more actual show. posted by usagizero at 10:06 PM on January 25, 2012 By the way, I thought it was strange that the same year, 1993, saw the release of the apparently completely unrelated Wilder Napalm. Glenn Gordon Caron (Moonlighting) and Vince Gilligan (now known for Breaking Bad). Deliberate riff? Tongue firmly in cheek? Mere coincidence? Strange. Vince Gilligan was also a main writer for X-Files, which also started airing in 1993. posted by deathpanels at 10:08 PM on January 25, 2012 I watched this when it aired and honestly can't remember a single thing about it. Did it have a plot, at all? I remember a rhinoceros. posted by St. Sorryass at 10:11 PM on January 25, 2012 I remember the clothes. At that time, I had never seen film set in The Future where people weren't dressed in silvery jumpsuits or Mad Max rags. (I was 14.) posted by Toothless Willy at 10:27 PM on January 25, 2012 I wasn't so big on the mini series but like usagizero there was something about that comic strip that really clicked... posted by hoodrich at 10:27 PM on January 25, 2012 The only thing I remember about this show is that there is a scene where Angie Dickinson, in high heels and a tight short skirt, is running up the incline of a drained swimming pool. This is filmed on location in natural light-- which actresses of a certain age notoriously hate because it's so unflattering. And, oh, yes, she was screaming out a long speech in Mandarin the whole time. I thought at the time, whoever wrote this sequence has the biggest clanking balls in the universe, because it's a scene in which a dozen different things can go wrong, including the very real possibility of your star's spraining her ankle. I have no idea how many takes it took to get La Dickinson successfully to the shallow end of the pool, but it looked incredible. Not a clue what this had to do with anything else in the miniseries, but that shot stays with me. In contrast, I can still recall great long chunks of Twin Peaks though I haven't watched it since it first aired. posted by La Cieca at 10:32 PM on January 25, 2012 I read the graphic novel ( the collected comic strips from Details) years before I saw the TV show. It's very very good. posted by Bwithh at 11:00 PM on January 25, 2012 Correction: a review of the YouTube clip reveals that Dickinson is screaming in Japanese, but the rest of the scene is just as I remembered it. She must have had a whale of a time playing the cartoon villainess. posted by La Cieca at 11:02 PM on January 25, 2012 I watched this when it aired and honestly can't remember a single thing about it. Did it have a plot, at all? This speaks for me. I remember totally buying into it, watching with anticipation because it was indeed very OUT THERE for American TV at the time, but by the time it was winding down, kind of shrugging it off as being disappointingly less than the sum of its parts. And now I honestly can't even remember the parts. Was there an evil little kid in it? posted by philip-random at 11:08 PM on January 25, 2012 Quote from a talk show clip at the end of part 5 has a host talking to Oliver Stone, saying "Fifteen years after the film 'JFK', the files were released - you were right. Are you bitter?" Wow... that would be funny, except since Stone was actually involved in the project it just comes across like spectacular self-fellating ridiculousness. Yeesh.. posted by FatherDagon at 11:20 PM on January 25, 2012 [ 1 favorite ] Man, I love Wild Palms. I think it had a real mythic quality, and it's use of pop music (well, old pop music,) had in retrospect, a real Michael Mann feel. It was the first filmed sci-fi that either didn't feel slightly archaic or inaccessibly futuristic. Part of that was the year it took place, 2007, the other was the self-conscious inundation of pop culture detritus. It surrounded the characters without comment. This omnipresence of old pop culture that was something beyond kitsch was just becoming a thing, and today I think we're prett y used topop culture constantly recycling itself, but in 1993, it was still pretty new. posted by Snyder at 12:05 AM on January 26, 2012 I actually own Wild Palms on DVD. Watched the whole thing a couple years ago, and like others here, the details haven't stuck with me. Overall, for me, the series appeals in the same way a William Gibson novel does: the overall arc is kinda disappointing, but the details and ideas along the way are really interesting. posted by jiawen at 1:53 AM on January 26, 2012 They kept killing all the main characters. That's all I can remember. Also the intentional confusion was added to by my confusion that I liked Twin Peaks and scifi, but I couldn't get a handle on Wild Palms even though I really wanted to. posted by asok at 1:59 AM on January 26, 2012 I've always wanted a copy of the Wild Palms Reader . All I remember from the show itself was a rhinoceros, and the fact that everything must go. posted by Sticherbeast at 2:51 AM on January 26, 2012 I bought this on DVD and re-watched it for the first time since it was originally broadcast. It is fucking shit. posted by ninebelow at 3:12 AM on January 26, 2012 It didn't make sense at all. But it looked gorgeous for TV at the time. posted by infinitewindow at 3:23 AM on January 26, 2012 I remember this vividly, that is to say I remember watching it and not having a freaking clue what I was watching. I remember really, really getting into it, but then again, being fifteen at the time might have had something to do with it. And that, aside from the Gibson cameo that I must have seen somewhat more recently, is all I remember of it. I think it might be better off in the past, where it's given me that warm fuzzy nostalgia kick from seeing this post instead of being dragged out into the harsh cold light of 'god, I was a moron back then.' posted by Ghidorah at 3:31 AM on January 26, 2012 "just a slight case of mood poisoning. Must be something I hate". "Wake up Harry, you're having a very important nightmare" Don't think I've seen it since it aired in the UK, but it still gets quoted around my house, and Brad Dourif is still referred to as "oh look, its Chickie Levitt again". I loved the show, and the graphic novel (though the plots differ a lot), and loved the Reader that someone mentioned up thread. The plot was massively uncompressed, and seemed to accelerate with each episode. The style actually reminds me of what Grant Morrison tends to do with comics at the moment (though it can be taken too far, wtf Action Comics no. 5). posted by couch at 4:43 AM on January 26, 2012 Man...The 90's must have been rougher on me than I thought. I vividly recall reading the Wild Palms comic in Details, but have no recollection at all of the tv show. None. posted by Thorzdad at 4:49 AM on January 26, 2012 I remember the build up to this in the UK - "its gonna be all virtual reality and william gibson type stuff" but then just finding it dull. The reception bit of the wiki page is pretty funny. Jim Belushi: "It's very tough, very challenging—a lot of viewers probably won't dig it. I shot the show for 12 weeks, looped it, watched it, and there are still things I'm not catching." Dana Delany: "It's a futuristic melodrama with a dash of virtual reality. You shouldn't even try to make sense of it. Just let it wash over you, enjoy each scene, and by the end it'll make sense." ... Readers of the British trade weekly Broadcast were much more negative, calling it one of the worst television shows ever exported by the U.S. to the U.K.. It placed fourth on their list, exceeded only by Baywatch, The Anna Nicole Show and The Dukes of Hazzard. posted by memebake at 7:10 AM on January 26, 2012 I loved this when it came out, it was a big deal for me and my college age friends to watch it together. I have a cherished copy of The Wild Palms Reader , a great bit of backstory. But I tried to watch the show again about a year ago and it was pretty tough going. The goofy early cyberspace stuff and the madcap plot are a bit much. And James Belushi is awful; it takes both Angie Dickinson and Robbert Loggia together to overcome his wallowing. Still it's a fascinating show, channelling the same disconnection that Through a Scanner Darkly does. One thing that keep Wild Palms interesting is how it's a total parody of Scientology, with Robert Loggia playing LRH. Particularly evident in the creepy scenes of little Coty Wyckoff (Ben Savage!) on board the FLAG ship. Given how deep Scientology runs in Hollywood it was very unusual to see a show parodying it. posted by Nelson at 7:40 AM on January 26, 2012 [ 1 favorite ] Loved the comic. The show was hit or miss, but I loved that someone tried to do it, and it actually got on TV. Man, Details was good for a while there. What ever happened to Anka Radakovich, anyway? posted by Chrysostom at 8:05 AM on January 26, 2012 Dennis Miller is essentially the same guy he's always been, he just makes more partisan jokes now. I've actually found myself enjoying his radio show a few times in the past couple of years. A voting republican, I guess, but still a free-for-all social liberal. I know, it's hard when things aren't black and white. He always made partisan jokes, but he also felt free to go after idiocy no matter who was doing it. There was always a sense that he felt that all of Washington was populated by morons and thieves. This is what made his old right-leaning political commentary funny. His shtick is actually much, much more black and white now that it was 20 years ago (sorry to break your snark bubble). posted by coolguymichael at 11:38 AM on January 26, 2012 My thoughts on the first episode are that it's pretty good, but that I wish fervently that anyone but Belushi was the star. posted by codacorolla at 11:42 AM on January 26, 2012 Are the YouTube videos authorized? Just curious (and still curious about MeFi policies in that regard.) Fwiw, I really enjoyed Wild Palms and was dismayed when it was canceled. Same goes for John From Cincinnati. I wish fervently that anyone but Belushi was the star. Yes. I really think that was the big thing that killed it. He stinks. posted by mrgrimm at 11:43 AM on January 26, 2012 Wild Palms "canceled"? I'm pretty sure it was always intended as a one-off mini-series. I mean, Everything Must Go and all that, didn't leave a lot of room for a followup. In 2006 a lot of places reported that David Cronenberg was going to direct a Wagner screenplay, Maps to the Stars , a satire of Hollywood. I wonder what happened to that? The Maps to the Stars Kid was such a sad character in Wild Palms. posted by Nelson at 12:31 PM on January 26, 2012 Great series. I remember being surprised (back in the pre-net days) how little comment I saw about it. I still harbor a strong hunch that it's about Scientology. posted by Twang at 6:44 PM on January 26, 2012 I wondered why that theme music sounded so familiar -- it's basically Debussy's Nuages turned up to 11. Wonder if this was on purpose or not? posted by speicus at 8:04 PM on January 26, 2012 I may have been singing the praises of Wild Palms for nearly 20 years. I also may own the soundtrack, the DVD, the VHS set, and may have also taped it off the TV when it aired here. Best thing Jim Belushi has ever been associated with. posted by cerulgalactus at 2:49 AM on January 27, 2012 Best thing Jim Belushi has ever been associated with. Nope. That would Salvador . « Older Australia Day \| Lisa Lyon Newer » This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments Related Posts	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_304_10	James's DVDs - H James's DVDs All Titles Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Starring Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Sarah Roemer. 2010 Apr: DRAMA G 93 min. loc: W - Not Viewed Based on the 1987 Japanese film Hachiko Monogatari, as well as on a true story, Hachiko: A Dog's Story stars Richard Gere as a college professor who finds an abandoned dog and takes the poor lost animal in. The film follows the two as the man and animal soon form a strong and unexplainable bond. Joan Allen co-stars in the Inferno Entertainment production Hackers Directed by Iain Softley. Starring Johnny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Bradford. 1995: THRILLER PG-13 105 min. loc: C 1.256 - Viewed In this high-tech thriller, Dade Murphy (Jonny Lee Miller) has been fascinated with computers all his life; at the age of 11, he was able to break into the computer network of several top Wall Street investment and banking firms, and he nearly caused a major stock market crash in the process. 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When a sympathetic friend rents Rachel a secluded cottage in hopes that a little peace and quiet will help the grieving mother recover from her loss, the quiet retreat is violently shattered by a series of bizarre and unexplained murders. Now with a community in fear and her sanity slowly slipping, Rachel must use her instincts to unmask the killer before it's too late and she too falls prey to the murderous rage that threatens to consume the once tranquil town. Hall Pass Directed by Bobby Farrelly, Jason Farrelly. Starring Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate. 2011 Jun: COMEDY R 105 min. loc: C 2.325 - Not Viewed This buddy comedy from the Farrelly brothers stars Jason Sudeikis and Owen Wilson as a couple of married guys who persuade their wives to give them the ultimate "get out of jail free" card: a marriage "hall pass." The agreement gives them free reign to behave like bachelors -- free from the rules and confines of fidelity, responsibility, and married life -- for one week. But soon the guys find that the small town where everybody knows them -- and their wives -- isn't very conducive to chasing tail. And making matters worse, it turns out to be harder than they thought to accept the idea of their wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) taking off for vacation on a hall pass of their own. Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Directed by Stewart Hendler. Starring Tom Green, Anna Popplewell, Enisha Brewster, Ayelet Zurer, Masam Holden. 2012 Dec: SCI-FI TV 90 min. loc: C 3.312 - Not Viewed ★★★☆ In 2525, as mankind has begun to colonise space, a group of cadets are training to fight against human insurrectionists. One of these cadets, Thomas Lasky, has doubts about his abilities as a soldier and his convictions for this war. Whilst he struggles with himself, the planet is invaded by an unknown alien race. Reeling under the assault, Lasky and his squad mates are rescued by John-117, one of the UNSC's legendary SPARTAN-II super-soldiers. John must inspire Lasky to fulfill his potential as a soldier and a leader to fight against an enemy deadlier than any that humanity has faced before. Hamburger Hill Directed by John Irvin. Starring Anthony Barrile, Michael Boatman, Don Cheadle, Steven Weber, Courtney Vance. 1987: WAR R 110 min. loc: C 2.485 - Not Viewed Though the anti-war sentiments of Hamburger Hill come through loud and clear, the film is squarely on the side of those courageous, much-maligned Americans who fought and died in Vietnam. Based on a true incident, the story takes place in 1969, as the 101st Airborne Division confronts the Vietcong in a bloody battle over Hill 937 (aka "Hamburger Hill") in the A Shau Valley. During the next ten days, both sides incur heavy losses, but the Cong refuse to surrender the hill. The ultimate American "victory" turns out to be a hollow one indeed. Scripted by Vietnam War vet Jim Carabatsos, Hamburger Hill not only underlines the futility of the war but also the pressures brought to bear upon the troops by an insensitive, often hostile media. By utilizing a cast of unknowns, director John Irvin deftly avoids the Hollywoodized slickness of such bigger-budgeted efforts as Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter. Hancock Directed by Peter Berg. Starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman. 2008 Nov: SCI-FI - 102 min. loc: W - Viewed A hard-drinking lush finds himself thrust into superhero mode in director Peter Berg's unconventional look at the private life of a crime-fighter. Will Smith stars as the embittered do-gooder whose lifestyle is more akin to a rock star than a role model, and who has grown as disillusioned with his once-admiring public as they have of him. Hand That Rocks the Cradle, The Directed by Curtis Hanson. Starring Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca De Mornay, Julianne Moore, Matt McCoy, Ernie Hudson. 1992: THRILLER R 110 min. loc: C 2.433 - Not Viewed The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is director Curtis Hanson's suburban horror story of a demented nanny bent on revenge for past wrongs. Peyton (Rebecca De Mornay) was once a happily married woman, but when her doctor husband is accused of assaulting a patient and he commits suicide, her world falls apart and she plots revenge. Claire (Annabella Sciorra), the woman who made the accusation, hires Peyton as a nanny, not knowing of their past involvement. Peyton then proceeds to terrorize the family, attempts to seduce the husband and generally destroy Claire as she feels she has been destroyed. The film, while somewhat implausible, is saved by the strong performances of Sciorra and De Mornay. Rebecca De Mornay has not given such a good performance since Risky Business, and she manages to make Peyton both believable, frightening and sympathetic. De Mornay has many great moments, but the scene, where she slowly destroys a bathroom in her impotent rage is unbelievably powerful. Hanson, a superb director of thrillers, manages to bring all the elements together to make The Hand that Rocks the Cradle a frightening psychological thriller and an interesting look at a woman's obsessive hatred and envy Hands of Stone Directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz. Starring Edgar Ramirez, Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, John Turturro, Usher, Ruben Blades, Ana de Armas, Rog E. Cathey, Drena De Niro. 2016 Aug: ACT/DRAMA R 105 min. loc: C 4.478 - Not Viewed ★★★☆ HANDS OF STONE follows the life of Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramirez), the Panamanian fighter who made his professional debut in 1968 as a 16 year‐old and retired in 2002 at the age of 50. In June 1980, he defeated Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond) to capture the WBC welterweight title, but shocked the boxing world by returning to his corner in their November rematch, famously saying the words "no mas" (no more.) Hangover, The Directed by Todd Phillips. Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis. 2009 Dec: COMEDY R 100 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★★ A blowout Las Vegas bachelor party turns into a race against time when three hung-over groomsmen awaken after a night of drunken debauchery to find that the groom has gone missing, and attempt to get him to the alter in time for his wedding. In 48 hours, Doug is scheduled to walk down the aisle, effectively ending his reign as a rowdy bachelor. Realizing that this is their last blowout with their best friend, Doug's groomsmen organize a Sin City bachelor bash he'll never forget. The next morning, the groomsmen come to in their Caesar's Palace suite to find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby tucked away in the closet. Unfortunately, Doug is nowhere to be found. With no memory of the previous night's transgressions and precious little time to spare, the trio sets out in a hazy attempt to retrace their steps and discover exactly where things went wrong. Will they find Doug in time to get him to the wedding back in Los Angeles, or will his bride experience the sharp sting of disappointment when she walks down the aisle to discover that her future husband is nowhere to be found? Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Heather Graham star in a rambunctious comedy from Old School director Todd Phillips. Hangover, The - Part II Directed by Todd Phillips. Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Bill Clinton, Paul Giamatti. 2011 Dec: COMEDY R 102 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★☆ A modest bachelor brunch devolves into a wild weekend in Bangkok when the gang travels to Thailand to see Stu get married. Still traumatized by memories of the Las Vegas fiasco, Stu (Ed Helms) vows to keep his pre-wedding partying to the bare minimum. But when Phil (Bradley Cooper), Doug (Justin Bartha), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) show up, Stu's low-key brunch makes their previous Vegas fiasco look like a family trip to Disneyland. The Hangover Part II features cameos by Bill Clinton and Paul Giamatti. Hangover, The - Part III Directed by Todd Phillips. Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong. 2013 Dec: COMEDY R 112 min. loc: C 3.405 - Not Viewed ★★☆ "The Hangover Part III" is the third and final film in director Todd Phillips' record-shattering comedy franchise. This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off Hank and Mike Directed by Matthiew Klinck. Starring Chris Klein, Thomas Michael, Joe Mantegna. 2007: COMEDY R 86 min. loc: C 1.258 - Not Viewed Chris Klein, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Michael, and Paolo Mancini star in director Matthiew Klinck's holiday-themed comedy concerning two downsized Easter bunnies whose friendship starts to suffer when the multi-national corporation that owns all holidays decides to make some serious cutbacks. Hank and Mike are the Felix Unger and Oscar Madison of holiday mascots: They may seem like a mismatched pair yet their differences are precisely what's kept them together all these years. While Hank is a hard drinking ladies man, Mike can't seem to look past his own insecurities long enough to realize how truly miserable he is. Once a year, Hank and Mike dutifully venture out to deliver Easter baskets to families everywhere. This year, however, Easter Enterprises has taken a hit, and all "Tier 2" holidays (Christmas and Hanukkah being prime examples of "Tier 1") are fair game for downsizing. Since Hank and Mike work only once a year, their jobs are the first to go. Subsequently relegated to the unemployment office and unable to break free of their furry-tailed past, these two longtime pals are about to discover just how valuable their friendship can be in times of need. Hanna Directed by Joe Wright. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams. 2011 Aug: THRILLER PG-13 111 min. loc: C 2.476 - Not Viewed A teenage assassin raised in remote Finland is dispatched on a dangerous mission by her father, an ex-CIA operative, in this innovative action thriller from director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice). Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) may look like your typical teenage girl, but she's a trained killer who has spent her entire life preparing for one mission. Schooled in the arts of survival and killing by her mysterious father (Eric Bana), Hanna finally reaches the age when she must put her skills to the test, and sets out across Europe on a collision course with a cunning intelligence operative (Cate Blanchett) who has been awaiting her arrival for years. Later, as agents close in from all sides and Hanna finally gets her target in the crosshairs, the trained assassin uncovers some secrets from the past that stir the conscience she never knew she had, and cause her to question everything she has ever known. Hannah's Law Directed by Rachel Talalay. Starring Sara Canning, Kimberly Elise, Greyson Holt, Billy Zane, Danny Glover, John Pyper-Ferguson. 2012 Dec: WESTERN NR 87 min. loc: C 3.340 - Not Viewed ★★★ Dodge City bounty hunter Hannah Beaumont (Sara Canning) sets out to capture the gang that murdered her family, and receives some much-needed help from Wild West icons Stagecoach Mary (Kimberly Elise), Wyatt Earp (Greyson Holt), and Doc Holliday in this western co-starring Billy Zane and Danny Glover Hannibal Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Ray Liotta, Giancarlo Giannini, Gary Oldman. 2001: THRILLER R 131 min. loc: C 2.203 - Not Viewed Based on the controversial sequel novel of the same name, Hannibal is the much-anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Anthony Hopkins returns as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, one of the world's most cunning and feared serial killers, who resurfaces after a decade in hiding to toy with FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore). As Starling's career flounders thanks to a drug bust gone wrong, Lecter attempts to elude a greedy Italian police detective (Giancarlo Giannini) who's willing to alert the authorities to his presence in Florence for a price. In the meantime, a maimed but wealthy former victim of Lecter's named Mason Verger (Gary Oldman) plots to get his revenge on the doctor in a most unusual and grisly fashion. The novel by Thomas Harris was adapted for director Ridley Scott by David Mamet and Steven Zaillian. Happening, The Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo. 2008 Oct: SCI-FI R loc: W - Viewed Lady in the Water director M. Night Shyamalan puts PG-13 suspense on pause to tell this grim apocalyptic tale about a family fleeing a natural disaster that poses a grave threat to the whole of humanity. Philadelphia high-school science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) is discussing the disappearance of the bees with his students when the staff is summoned to the theater and briefed about a mysterious event that is currently unfolding in New York City. According to reports, citizens in the vicinity of Central Park have suddenly and inexplicably begun seizing up just before killing themselves by whatever means are at their disposal. As the phenomena begins to spread and talk of terrorism fills the airwaves, Elliot, his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel), their friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and his daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), board a train bound for the presumed safety of the country. When the train screeches to a halt before arriving at its final destination, however, the frightened passengers are forced to fend for themselves as each consecutive news report paints an increasingly grim picture of the situation in more urbanized areas. Theories abound on what could be causing the unexplainable rash of suicides, but the only thing that everyone seems to agree on is that it's some kind of airborne contagion that is carried in the wind. It would appear that humankind's reign on planet Earth has come to an end, but perhaps if this small band of survivors can find a safe place to lie low until this all blows over, all hope for survival of the species might not be lost just yet. Happy Christmas Directed by Joe Swanberg. Starring Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, Lena Dunham, Joe Swanberg, Chris Swanson. 2014 Jun: DRAMA R 78 min. loc: C 4.190 - Viewed ★★★ When Jenny (Anna Kendrick), a hard partying 20-something moves in with Kelly (Melanie Lynskey), a budding novelist, her film director husband (Joe Swanberg) and their two-year-old son after a break up, the family's idyllic life is shaken. Jenny begins a rocky relationship with their baby sitter-cum-pot dealer (Mark Webber), and she and a friend, Carson (Lena Dunham), bring Kelly to the realization that an evolution in her life, career and relationship is necessary for her happiness. A new comedy from the director of DRINKING BUDDIES. Happy Endings Directed by Don Roos. Starring Tom Arnold, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Ritter. 2005: COMEDY R 128 min. loc: C 1.259 - Not Viewed Three loosely interrelated stories of dysfunctional relationships are played for edgy laughs in this dark comedy drama from writer and director Don Roos. An unexpected assignation between stepsiblings Mamie and Charley results in Mamie becoming pregnant, with the child being put up for adoption shortly after birth. Twenty years later, Mamie (Lisa Kudrow) is approached by Nicky (Jesse Bradford), an aspiring filmmaker with an abrasive personality who claims to know where her long-lost son is living. However, there's a catch -- Nicky wants to shoot the reunion for the student film he's working on, and won't tell her about her child unless she agrees, though her lover, Javier (Bobby Cannavale), attempts to work out a compromise. Meanwhile, Charley (Steve Coogan), now out of the closet, has a longstanding relationship with Gil (David Sutcliffe), and the couple are involved in a legal battle over whether or not Gil's donated sperm produced a baby who has been adopted by a lesbian couple they know (Laura Dern and Sarah Clarke). And finally, Jude (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a bohemian malcontent who becomes involved with Otis (Jason Ritter), a sexually ambiguous rock musician. Otis has a difficult relationship with his father, Frank (Tom Arnold), but when Jude meets Frank, she likes him fine -- in fact, she soon falls in love with him and leaves Otis for his dad. Happy Endings had its world premiere at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Happy Feet Directed by Judy Morris, et. al.. Starring Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy. 2007 Apr: ANIMATED PG 108 min. loc: W - Not Viewed In the world of the emperor penguin, a simple song can mean the difference between a lifetime of happiness and an eternity of loneliness. When a penguin named Mumble is born without the ability to sing the romantic song that will attract his soul mate, he'll have to resort to some fancy footwork by tap dancing his way into the heart of the one he loves. Directed by Babe mastermind George Miller, Happy Feet tells the tale of one penguin's quest for love, and features an all-star cast of vocal talent that includes Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, and Brittany Murphy. Happy Feet Two Directed by George Miller. Starring Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hank Azaria, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Sofia Vergara. 2012 Mar: ANIMATED PG 99 min. loc: C 3.83 - Not Viewed (SP) ★★★ The eagerly anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning hit Happy Feet Two finds tap-dancing penguin Mumble (voice of Elijah Wood) and his pals using their smooth moves to save the penguin nation. Mumble and Gloria (voice of Pink) have started a family of their own, and their young son, Erik, is just finding his footing among his fellow emperor penguins when a dire new threat thrusts their future into jeopardy. Just when it begins to look as if all hope is lost, the penguin nation bands together to dance the darkness away. Writer/director George Miller and star Robin Williams both return in this sequel also featuring the voices of Hank Azaria, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Sofía Vergara. Happy Hour Directed by Mike Bencivenga. Starring Anthony Lapaglia, Eric Stoltz, Caroleen Feeney. 2003: COMEDY R 93 min. loc: W - Not Viewed An alcoholic must choose between love, life, and the bottle in this independent comedy drama. Tulley (Anthony LaPaglia) is a self-described "drinker with a writing problem," who after publishing a handful of well-respected short stories, began work on a novel. The novel, however, turned out to be a harder task than Tulley imagined, and he opted to take a job as an advertising copywriter, where he earns a good living but makes scant use of his talent. Tulley has also fallen into a habit of heavy drinking, as his best friend, Levine (Eric Stoltz), looks on with bemused concern. One night at a bar, Tulley meets Natalie (Caroleen Feeney), a teacher who doesn't much care for children, and what starts as a one-night stand turns into a love affair. As Natalie gets to know Tulley better, she discovers the talent lurking behind his alcoholic defenses, and encourages him to devote himself to literature again. However, as they fall deeper in love, Tulley discovers he has a larger problem than his novel to deal with -- he's been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, and won't have long to live if he can't change his ways. Happy Tears Directed by Mitchel Lichtenstein. Starring Demi Moore, Parker Posey, Rip Torn, Ellen Barkin. 2010 Jun: DRAMA R 95 min. loc: C 1.260 - Not Viewed Teeth director Michael Lichtenstein takes a sharp turn from teen-oriented satire to mature family drama with this semi-autobiographical story concerning a pair of grown-up sisters who return to their family home in order to care for their ailing father. Jayne (Parker Posey) and Laura (Demi Moore) have long since moved out of their family home when they discover that their father's (Rip Torn) health has taken a turn for the worse. Returning to Pittsburgh in order to care for their slowly degenerating dad, the sisters quickly realize that their father is in total denial about his condition. Jayne has been shielded from the harsher side of life since she was just a little girl, and now as Laura begins pushing her sister to accept their bleak reality, their father takes a seedy lover (Ellen Barkin), who immediately rubs the girls the wrong way. But dealing with the father becomes the least of Jayne's and Laura's worries when the drama in their personal lives drags the demons of their past up to the surface and out into the open. Hard Boiled Directed by John Woo. Starring Chow Yun-Fat, Bowie Lam, Philip Chan. 1992: ACTION NR 247 min. loc: C 1.261 - Not Viewed Hard-Boiled is the last film directed by Hong Kong action auteur John Woo before his arrival in the U.S. This 1992 thriller, along with The Killer, is widely seen as one of his best from his Hong Kong days. Every ingredient of the quintessential Woo thriller is present, including his ever-present anti-hero (Chow Yun-Fat). Yun-Fat portrays a maverick, clarinet-playing cop nicknamed "Tequila" whose partner is killed in the dizzying chaos of a restaurant gunfight with a small army of gangsters. It is soon revealed that one of the mob's high-ranking assassins is Tony (Tony Leung), an undercover cop who, despite his badge, is dangerously close to the edge. Tequila and Tony must team up in a tense partnership, and their common pursuit of a vicious crime lord results in a brilliantly elaborate climax in a hospital, where the heroes must rescue newborn babies from the maternity ward while fighting off dozens of mob soldiers. The characters Tequila and Tony are two sides of the same coin, another trademark theme of Woo's films that would later be most fully realized with Nicolas Cage and John Travolta in the American hit Face/Off. Hard Country Directed by David Greene. Starring Kim Basinger, Jan-Michael Vincent, Tanya Tucker, Daryl Hannah, Michael Parks. 1981 Apr: ROM/WESTERN PG 102 min. loc: C 3.247 - Not Viewed ★★★ Jan-Michael Vincent stars as Kyle Richardson, who works at a dead-end job in a Texas chain-link fence factory. In the tradition of such earlier films as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Richardson enjoys himself only on weekends when he whoops it up with his buddies at the local saloon. His carousing exacts a toll on his relationship with Jodie Lynn Palmer (Kim Basinger, in her film debut). Finally, Jodie delivers an ultimatum: either settle down and get married, or she'll skeedaddle to California, there to try her luck as a country-western singer. Real-life C&W star Tanya Tucker co-stars as Jodie's best friend and role model. Hard Luck Directed by Mario Van Peebles. Starring Wesley Snipes, Mario Van Peebles, Cybill Shepherd. 2006: THRILLER R 101 min. loc: C 1.262 - Not Viewed An infamous ex-con on the road to redemption finds his quest unexpectedly complicated by the police, the mafia, and two of the nation's most vicious serial killers in a high octane crime thriller starring and directed by Mario Van Peebles and featuring Wesley Snipes and Cybill Shepherd. Hard Way, The Directed by John Badham. Starring Michael J. Fox, James Woods, Annabella Sciorra, LL Cool J, Penny Marshall, Stephen Lang. 1991: ACT/COM R 111 min. loc: C 2.205 - Not Viewed Action film director John Badham bites the hand that feeds him in this action movie spoof that features ribbing of pretty-boy Hollywood action stars by Michael J. Fox and a parody of colorful, hair-trigger James Woods types by the man himself. Woods plays New York homicide detective John Moss, who is within an inch of closing in on a serial killer who calls himself The Party Crasher (Stephen Lang) because his specialty is shooting his victims in the middle of discos. Chasing The Party Crasher after his latest victim has been dispatched, Moss finds himself hanging onto the door of a speeding truck with The Party Crasher at the wheel. When Moss is thrown off the truck and nearly killed, The Party Crasher escapes, and Moss is taken off the case. Moss is given a new assignment --to tag around with Hollywood action film star Nick Lang (Michael J. Fox), the popular hero of the "Smoking Gun" movies. Lang spotted Moss on a television news show and thinks he would be the ideal cop to study for adding authenticity to an up-coming police action picture. Posing as Moss's rookie partner, Lang follows Moss everywhere, proceeding to spoil his pursuit of The Party Crasher and interfering with Moss's burgeoning affair with his girlfriend Susan (Anabella Sciorra). Hardcore Henry Directed by Ilya Naishuller. Starring Sharito Copley, Haley Bennett, Danila Kozlovsky, Tim Roth, Svetlana Ustinova, Darya Charusha, Will Stewart. 2016 Apr: ACT/FANTASY NR 90 min. loc: C 4.450 - Viewed ★★★☆ Strap in. Hardcore Henry is one of the most unflinchingly original wild-rides to hit the big screen in a long time: You remember nothing. Mainly because you've just been brought back from the dead by your wife (Haley Bennett). She tells you that your name is Henry. Five minutes later, you are being shot at, your wife has been kidnapped, and you should probably go get her back. Who's got her? His name's Akan (Danila Kozlovsky); he's a powerful warlord with an army of mercenaries, and a plan for world domination. You're also in an unfamiliar city of Moscow, and everyone wants you dead. Everyone except for a mysterious British fellow called Jimmy (Sharlto Copley.) He may be on your side, but you aren't sure. If you can survive the insanity, and solve the mystery, you might just discover your purpose and the truth behind your identity. Good luck, Henry. You're likely going to need it... Hardwired Directed by Ernie Barbarash. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Val Kilmer, Michael Ironside. 2009 Nov: SCI-FI R 94 min. loc: C 1.263 - Not Viewed Academy Award-winner Cuba Gooding, Jr., Val Kilmer, and Michael Ironside headline this sci-fi action flick about a man who must fight for his life after receiving a lethal brain implant. Luke Gibson (Gooding, Jr.) nearly died in the car accident that killed his wife and unborn child, but upon awakening in the hospital it quickly becomes clear that his life is still in danger. A microchip has been implanted in Luke's brain, and now his every move is being monitored by Hope Industries, a powerful corporation headed by a ruthless executive (Kilmer). If Luke doesn't get it out of his head soon, he'll become another brain-dead casualty of our corporate overlords. In order to regain of his own mind and prevent Hope Industries from achieving global domination, Luke seeks help from a team of highly intelligent computer hackers. Harold & Kumar I: Go to White Castle Directed by Danny Leiner. Starring John Cho, Kai Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, David Krumholtz, Ryan Reynolds. 2004: COMEDY R 90 min. loc: C 3.107 - Not Viewed Directed by Danny Leiner, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle follows the life-changing (and mind-altering) journey of Korean-American investment banker Harold (John Cho) and Indian-American medical-school candidate Kumar (Kal Penn). Both underdogs, Harold and Kumar decide to spend what would have been an otherwise uneventful Friday night satisfying an oddly intense urge for White Castle hamburgers. However, finding a White Castle proves a highly difficult task, and the two friends wind up on an epic road trip of deep thoughts, deeper inhaling, and enough half-baked, politically incorrect philosophizing to outweigh a White Castle value meal. Harold & Kumar II: Escape From Guantanamo Directed by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg. Starring John Cho, Kai Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Rob Corddry. 2008 Jul: COMEDY R 208 min. loc: C 1.264 - Not Viewed After successfully seeking out the ultimate slider in the 2004 stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, the cannabis-craving twosome returns in this high-flying sequel that finds them labeled terrorists for attempting to sneak a marijuana-smoking implement on a flight to Amsterdam. Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) have just finished gorging themselves on savory White Castle hamburgers when they return to their apartment and hatch a plan for Harold to win the heart of his crush, Maria (Paula Garcés). Maria is going to Amsterdam, and if Harold can catch up with her overseas perhaps he can strike up a real love connection. After a close call with airport personnel and a chance encounter with Kumar's ex-girlfriend Vanessa (Danneel Harris) -- who hadn't yet told Kumar that she's engaged to be married -- the pot-loving pals finally board their flight for Amsterdam. Unfortunately for Harold, Kumar isn't able to endure the lengthy flight without an innocent puff or two from his smokeless bong. When the plane hits some turbulence and the bong is mistaken for a bomb, the flight is diverted to Guantanamo Bay and our spliff-smoking heroes are detained by overzealous Deputy Chief of Homeland Security Ron Fox (Rob Corddry). Now, if they can just escape from the world's most notorious prison compound, perhaps this hapless duo can succeed in convincing the authorities that they aren't enemy combatants, and that Kumar made the mistake of his life by letting Vanessa go. But before they can prove their innocence and get the girls, Harold and Kumar will have to outsmart the dreaded Ku Klux Klan, contend with a particularly precocious Cyclops baby, and successfully elude everyone's favorite debauched former child star -- Neil Patrick Harris. Harold & Kumar III: A Very Harold & Kumar Xmas Directed by Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz. Starring John Cho, Kai Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Patton Oswalt, Danny Trejo. 2012 Feb: COMEDY R 90 min. loc: C 3.106 - Not Viewed (SP) ★★★ Christmas gets green as pot-smoking pals Harold and Kumar reunite for a hilariously hazy holiday adventure set six years after the events of the previous film. It's been a long time since Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) escaped from Guantanamo Bay, and these days they're just not as tight as they used to be. But as they each prepare to celebrate Christmas Eve with their new best buds, Kumar receives a very special delivery that should have gone to Harold. Always the dutiful friend, Kumar does his best to see that the package reaches its intended destination by the time sleigh bells start ringing. Unfortunately, while making the delivery Kumar causes Harold's family Christmas tree to go up in flames. Thankfully for Harold, the in-laws are away for the evening, giving him just enough time to track down a replacement and avoid the wrath of his wife's temperamental father. With the clock counting down to Christmas and the family returning home soon, Harold and Kumar race though New York City on a mad dash to find the perfect substitute tree. Neil Patrick Harris returns for more raunchy fun in a sequel also featuring Danneel Harris, David Krumholtz, and Eddie Kaye Thomas Harry and Tonto Directed by Paul Mazursky. Starring Art Carney, Ellen Burstyn, Chief Dan George, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Larry Hagman, Melanie Mayron. 1974: DRAMA R 115 min. loc: C 2.327 - Not Viewed In Paul Mazursky's rueful character drama, 57-year-old Art Carney plays Harry, a 70-plus Manhattan widower who loses his tiny apartment to the wrecking ball. Accompanied by his pet, an aged cat named Tonto, Harry sets out on an odyssey to Los Angeles. During his journey, he finds a kindred spirit in a youthful hitchhiker (Melanie Mayron), who eventually finds happiness with Harry's grandson (Joshua Mostel). Harry makes stops at the homes of his grown children (Philip Bruns, Ellen Burstyn, and Larry Hagman), but each visit is more disappointing than the last; he also touches base with an old flame (Geraldine Fitzgerald), who has slipped into senility. By the time he arrives in L.A., Harry has become dispirited by his desultory visits with friends and family, but he eventually realizes that each new day can be a beginning rather than an end. Harry Brown Directed by Daniel Barber. Starring Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Charles Creed-Miles. 2010 Aug: DRAMA R 103 min. loc: C 1.265 - Not Viewed Academy Award nominee Daniel Barber (The Tonto Woman) makes his feature directorial debut with this gritty critique on contemporary British society starring Michael Caine as an elderly shut-in who's spurred to action by a senseless act of violence. Harry Brown (Caine) resides in a desolate public-housing apartment block as his sickly wife lies dying in a local hospital. He spends most of his days in solitude, only getting out to play the occasional game of chess at a nearby pub with his best friend, Leonard (David Bradley). The days of basic human decency seem to be a thing of the past, because in recent years barbarous drug dealers and gangsters have overtaken the dilapidated complex. Killing is a way of life for these young thugs, and as a result overburdened detectives Frampton (Emily Mortimer) and Hicock (Charlie Creed-Miles) are essentially relegated to knocking on doors and notifying parents when their children have been killed in the latest fracas, instead of investigating the crimes and jailing the guilty parties. When Leonard is murdered just feet from his own apartment, former Royal Marine Harry utilizes the skills he learned while fighting the IRA to take on the aggressive chavs who have intimidated the police into inaction. Harry Potter 1: The Sorcerer's Stone Directed by Chris Columbus. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman. 2001: FANTASY PG 152 min. loc: W - Not Viewed The best-selling novel by J.K. Rowling (titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in England, as was this film adaptation) becomes this hotly anticipated fantasy adventure from Chris Columbus, the winner of a high-stakes search for a director to bring the first in a hoped-for franchise of Potter films to the screen by Warner Bros. Upon his 11th birthday, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), who lives in misery with an aunt and uncle that don't want him, learns from a giant named Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) that he is the orphaned son of powerful wizards. Harry is offered a place at prestigious Hogwarts, a boarding school for wizards that exists in a realm of magic and fantasy outside the dreary existence of normal humans or "Muggles." At Hogwarts, Harry quickly makes new friends and begins piecing together the mystery of his parents' deaths, which appear not to have been accidental after all. The film features alternate-version scenes for every mention of the titular rock. Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, John Cleese, and Fiona Shaw co-star. Harry Potter 2: The Chamber of Secrets Directed by Chris Columbus. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman. 2002: FANTASY PG 161 min. loc: W - Not Viewed Youthful wizard Harry Potter returns to the screen in this, the second film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's wildly popular series of novels for young people. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) return for a second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Headmaster Dumbledore (Richard Harris), Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), and Hagrid the Giant (Robbie Coltrane) are joined by new faculty members Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), a self-centered expert in Defense against the Dark Arts, and Sprout (Miriam Margolyes), who teaches Herbology. However, it isn't long before Harry and company discover something is amiss at Hogwarts: Students are petrified like statues, threats are written in blood on the walls, and a deadly monster is on the loose. It seems that someone has opened the mysterious Chamber of Secrets, letting loose the monster and all its calamitous powers. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione set out to find the secret chamber and slay the beast, speculation is rife that one of the heirs of Salazar Slytherin, the co-founder of the school, opened the chamber as a warning against the presence of "mudbloods" (magic-users of impure lineage) at the school -- and that the culprit may be fellow student Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets featured Richard Harris' second and final appearance as Headmaster Dumbledore; he died less than a month before the film was released in the United States. Harry Potter 3: The Prisoner of Azkaban Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith. 2004: FANTASY PG 142 min. loc: W - Not Viewed After directing the first two movies in the Harry Potter franchise, Chris Columbus opted to serve as producer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and passed the baton to Y Tu Mamá También director Alfonso Cuarón. Though "immensely popular" is an understatement when it comes to Harry Potter, Azkaban is somewhat of a departure from its predecessors, and particularly beloved among fans for its surprise ending. Prisoner of Azkaban also marks the introduction of Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who has escaped from the title prison after 12 years of incarceration. Believed to have been the right-hand-man of the dark wizard Voldemort, whom Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) mysteriously rendered powerless during his infancy, some of those closest to Harry suspect Black has returned to exact revenge on the boy who defeated his master. Upon his return to school, however, Harry is relatively unconcerned with Black. Run by Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) -- who is widely regarded as the most powerful wizard of the age -- Hogwarts is renowned for its safety. Harry's nonchalance eventually turns to blind rage after accidentally learning the first of Black's many secrets during a field trip to a neighboring village. Of course, a loose serial killer is only one of the problems plaguing the bespectacled wizard's third year back at school -- the soul-sucking guards of Azkaban prison have been employed at Hogwarts to protect the students, but their mere presence sends Harry into crippling fainting spells. With the help of his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), and Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), Harry struggles to thwart the Dementors, find Sirius Black, and uncover the mysteries of the night that left him orphaned. Harry Potter 4: The Goblet of Fire Directed by Mike Newell. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Maggie Smith. 2005: FANTASY PG-13 157 min. loc: W - Not Viewed Directed by Mike Newell, the fourth installment to the Harry Potter series finds Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) wondering why his legendary scar -- the famous result of a death curse gone wrong -- is aching in pain, and perhaps even causing mysterious visions. Before he can think too much about it, however, Harry boards the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he will attend his fourth year of magical education. Shortly after his reunion with his best friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), Harry is introduced to yet another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher: the grizzled Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson), a former dark wizard catcher who agreed to take on the infamous "DADA" professorship as a personal favor to Headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Of course, Harry's wishes for an uneventful school year are almost immediately shattered when he is unexpectedly chosen, along with fellow student Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson), as Hogwarts' representative in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which awards whoever completes three magical tasks the most skillfully with a thousand-galleon purse and the admiration of the international wizard community. As difficult as it is to deal with his schoolwork, friendships, and the tournament at the same time (not to mention his feelings toward the ever unfathomable Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), Harry doesn't realize that the most feared wizard in the world, Lord Voldemort, is anticipating the tournament, as well. ~ Harry Potter 5: The Order of Phoenix Directed by David Yates. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Emma Thompson. 2007 Dec: FANTASY PG-13 146 min. loc: W - Not Viewed Young wizard-in-training Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts for his fifth year of studies, only to find that the magical community seems to be in a curious state of denial about his recent encounter with the sinister Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in the fifth installment of the popular fantasy film series based on the best-selling books by author J.K. Rowling. Rumor has it that the dreaded Lord Voldemort has returned, but Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy) isn't so sure what to make of all the hearsay currently floating around the campus of Hogwarts. Suspecting that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) may be fueling the rumors regarding Voldemort's return in order to undermine his authority and lay claim to his job, Fudge entrusts newly arrived Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) with the task of tracking Dumbledore and keeping a protective watch over the nervous student body. The young wizards of Hogwarts will need something much more effective than Umbridge's Ministry-approved course in defensive magic if they are to truly succeed in the extraordinary battle that lies ahead, however, and when the administration fails to provide the students with the tools that they will need to defend Hogwarts against the fearsome powers of the Dark Arts, Hermione (Emma Watson), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Harry take it upon themselves to recruit a small group of students to form "Dumbledore's Army" in preparation for the ultimate supernatural showdown. Harry Potter 6: The Half-Blood Prince Directed by David Yates. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith. 2009 Dec: FANTASY PG 153 min. loc: W - Not Viewed Adolescent wizard-in-training Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for another year of schooling and learns more about the dark past of the boy who grew up to become Lord Voldemort in this, the sixth installment of the film series that originated from the writings of author J.K. Rowling. There was a time when Hogwarts was thought of as a safe haven, but thanks to Voldemort's tightening grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds, that simply isn't the case anymore. Suspecting that the castle may even harbor an outright threat, Harry finds his investigation into the matter sidelined by Dumbledore's attempts to prepare him for the monumental battle looming ever closer on the horizon. In order to discover the key to Voldemort's defenses, Dumbledore enlists the aid of resourceful yet unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, who may have a clue as to their enemy's Achilles' heel. Meanwhile, teenage hormones cause the students at Hogwarts to lose focus on their true mission. As Harry and Dean Thomas clash for the affections of the lovely Ginny, Romilda Vane attempts to woo Ron away from Lavender Brown with some particularly tasty chocolates. Even Hermione isn't immune from the love bug, though she tries her hardest to suppress her growing jealousy and keep her emotions bottled up. But there is one student who remains completely aloof from the romance blossoming all around, and he intends to leave a dark impression on his classmates. With tragedy looming ever closer, it begins to appear as if peace will prove elusive in Hogwarts for some time to come. Harry Potter 7: The Deathly Hallows - Part 1 Directed by David Yates. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grant, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes. 2011 Mar: FANTASY PG-13 146 min. loc: W - Not Viewed ★★★★ The first installment of the two-film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows follows Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they search for the pieces of Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) soul that he extracted from his being and hid in obscure locations both far and wide. If the trio is unable to locate and destroy them all, Voldemort will remain immortal. Despite their long friendship, a combination of dark forces, romantic tensions, and long-held secrets threaten to sabotage the mission. David Yates directs. Harry Potter 8: The Deathly Hallows - Part 2 Directed by David Yates. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman. 2011 Nov: FANTASY PG-13 130 min. loc: W - Not Viewed ★★★★ The final adventure in the Harry Potter film series follows Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they prepare for a final battle with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who is determined to destroy Harry once and for all. In order to defeat the powerful wizard, they must find and destroy Voldemort's last and most elusive Horcrux -- that is, the enchanted piece of soul allowing him to remain immortal -- before his nefarious plans come to fruition. David Yates directs. Harsh Times Directed by David Aver. Starring Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez, Eva Longoria. 2007 Mar: ACTION R 116 min. loc: C 1.266 - Not Viewed An unstable Gulf War veteran with a savior complex receives a shocking wake-up call upon returning stateside and accepting a position with the Department of Homeland Security in the directorial debut of Training Day screenwriter David Ayer. Jim (Christian Bale) is a Gulf War veteran who believes his sworn duty to protect his fellow Americans extends to the streets of Los Angeles, and he longs to fulfill his destiny by joining the LAPD. Rejected by the force and left to ponder his future with his impoverished Mexican paramour -- whom he had intended on bringing to the city after joining the police -- the dejected and unemployed veteran is offered a second shot at helping his country when he is subsequently approached by the Department of Homeland Security. As Jim and his unemployed best friend, Mike (Freddy Rodriguez), carve a swath of chaos through the streets of Los Angeles, the weight of their American dream soon comes crashing down in a devastating blow that threatens to dash their high hopes for a bright future. Hateful Eight, The Directed by Quentin Tarantino. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, James Parks, Dana Gourrier, Zoe Bell. 2015 Dec: WESTERN R 167 min. loc: C 4.408 - Viewed ★★★★ Set six or eight or twelve years after the Civil War, a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth and his fugitive Daisy Domergue, race towards the town of Red Rock where Ruth, known in these parts as "The Hangman," will bring Domergue to justice. Along the road, they encounter two strangers: Major Marquis Warren, a black former union soldier turned infamous bounty hunter, and Chris Mannix, a southern renegade who claims to be the town's new Sheriff. Losing their lead on the blizzard, Ruth, Domergue, Warren and Mannix seek refuge at Minnie's Haberdashery, a stagecoach stopover on a mountain pass. When they arrive at Minnie's, they are greeted not by the proprietor but by four unfamiliar faces. Bob, who's taking care of Minnie's while she's visiting her mother, is holed up with Oswaldo Mobray, the hangman of Red Rock, cow-puncher Joe Gage (Madsen), and Confederate General Sanford Smithers. As the storm overtakes the mountainside stopover, our eight travelers come to learn they may not make it to Red Rock after all.. Hatfields & McCoys (Miniseries) Directed by Kevin Reynolds. Starring Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton, Tom Berenger, Jena Malone. 2012 Jul: MINISERIES NR 290 min. loc: W - Not Viewed ★★★★ This miniseries from cable's History Channel travels back to the second half of the 19th century for an epic-length, dramatic evocation of one of history's most famous and vitriolic feuds. A conflict that first erupted in 1863 and spanned a whopping 28 years, the Hatfield-McCoy War began simply, with two Confederate soldiers, Randall McCoy (here played by Bill Paxton) and 'Devil' Anse Hatfield (here played by Kevin Costner) returning home after many months of battle in the U.S. Civil War. Initially, the future appears bright to both men, but a misunderstanding soon erupts that leads straight to a tragic murder, and an illicit love affair further complicates the situation. In time, minor clashes and disagreements blow up into a local civil war, as neighbors and friends take sides. Kevin Reynolds (Waterworld, Fandango) directs. Hatfields & McCoys: Bad Blood Directed by Fred Olen Ray. Starring Christian Slater, Perry King, Jeff Fahey, Priscilla Barnes. 2012 Jun: WESTERN PG-13 90 min. loc: C 3.175 - Not Viewed ★★★ A tragic cycle of violence ensnares two proud families in this historical drama starring Christian Slater, Perry King, and Jeff Fahey. Havoc Directed by Barbara Kopple. Starring Anne Hathaway, Bijou Phillips, Channing Tatum, Michael Biehn, Freddy Rodriguez. 2005: DRAMA NR 92 min. loc: C 2.503 - Not Viewed A pair of naïve young girls learn that even the most insignificant actions can have lasting consequences in this music-driven take on teen culture starring Anne Hathaway and Bijou Phillips and directed by two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple. Influenced by the hip-hop thug lifestyle and seeking to explore life outside of their insulated, culturally homogenized suburb, pretty young teenagers Allison (Hathaway) and Emily (Phillips) set their sights on East L.A. to experience the "gangsta" lifestyle firsthand. By the time the pair meet some true-life Latino gang-bangers and realize just how far out of their element they really are, it may already be too late to turn back. Haywire Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Gina Carano, Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum. 2012 May: THRILLER R 93 min. loc: C 3.30 - Viewed ★★★☆ Mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano makes her feature-film debut as a lethal government contractor who's betrayed by her own agency in this action thriller from writer Lem Dobbs (The Limey) and director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Contagion). Mallory Kane (Carano) is the woman the U.S. government calls on to take care of their dirty work. She's fast, efficient, and -- perhaps most important of all -- clean. But when Mallory makes the mistake of saving a Chinese journalist from certain death, she becomes an enemy to the very same government she once served. Mallory isn't going down without a fight, though, and after a close brush with death, she realizes that the only way to save her own life is to reveal the government's deception. Now, as assassins close in from all sides in an ominous attempt to silence her forever, Mallory sets a trap and races to reveal a massive deception that threatens global stability. Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, and Bill Paxton co-star. He Was a Quiet Man Directed by Farnk Cappello. Starring Christian Slater, Elisha Cuthbert, William H. Macy. 2008 Feb: DRAMA R 95 min. loc: C 1.267 - Viewed A man at the end of his emotional rope finally explodes, but not in a way anyone would have expected in this offbeat independent drama. Bob Maconel (Christian Slater) is a middle-aged nebbish working in an office building where few people know who he is and fewer still care. Bob has developed a seething hatred and resentment of those around him, and has taken to carrying a gun to work in the hope that one day he'll have the courage to take down some of his co-workers. However, one day another man working in the office snaps and opens fire; Bob grabs his weapon and kills the shooter, but not before the gunman wounds Vanessa (Elisha Cuthbert), a pretty girl who works there. Bob unwittingly becomes a hero, and is applauded for stopping the menace and saving Vanessa's life. However, as Bob keeps an eye on Vanessa at the hospital (where she may now be paralyzed for life), his sudden transformation in the eyes of others only leaves him more unsettled and disturbed. Also starring William H. Macy and Jamison Jones, He Was A Quiet Man received its world premiere at the 2007 South by Southwest Film Festival. Head In the Clouds Directed by John Dulgan. Starring Charlize Theron, Penelope Cruz, Stuart Townsend. 2004: DRAMA R 123 min. loc: C 1.268 - Viewed Australian filmmaker John Duigan directs the romantic war drama Head in the Clouds. Charlize Theron stars as ambitious photographer Gilda Bessé, who lives in France during the 1930s. She shares her stylish luxury apartment in Paris with Cambridge student Guy (Stuart Townsend) from Ireland and refugee Mia (Penélope Cruz) from Spain. When WWII starts, the three close friends are torn apart by different priorities. Thomas Kretschmann also stars as Major Thomas Bietrich. Headless Woman, The Directed by Lucrecia Martel. Starring Maria Onetto, Claudia Cantera. 2009 Dec: THRILLER NR 87 min. loc: C 1.269 - Not Viewed Acclaimed Argentinean filmmaker Lucrecia Martel steps back behind the camera for her third feature film with this tense thriller concerning a woman who fails to recognize the people surrounding her as well as their intentions after inadvertently killing a dog while driving on the highway. Budgeted at two million dollars, The Headless Woman marks the second collaboration between Agustín Almodóvar's El Deseo production company and Buenos Aires-based outfit Lita Stantic -- who had previously teamed to produce the celebrated Cannes Film Festival hit The Holy Girl. Heartbreak Kid, The Directed by Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly. Starring Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Jerry Stiller. 2007: COMEDY R 114 min. loc: C 1.470 - Not Viewed When 40-year-old San Francisco bachelor Eddie Cantrow (Ben Stiller) attends the wedding of his ex-fiancée -- and is seated at a "singles table" full of children -- he realizes maybe he's been too picky in his love life, and it's time to settle down. Fortunately, he doesn't have to compromise his standards when he meets Lila (Malin Akerman), a funny, attractive blond who does environmental research for a living. Lila's company wants to relocate her to Europe, but only because she's single -- they don't force married couples to uproot themselves. So Eddie hastily proposes to her, even though they've only been dating for six weeks. But the moment they exchange vows, Eddie starts to notice Lila's rough edges and annoying habits, which had remained hidden underneath her perfect exterior. Their Cabo San Lucas honeymoon gets off to a rough start full of tuneless pop singalongs and surprising revelations about Lila's job and her past. Things only get worse for a confused Eddie when he meets Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), a Midwesterner in Cabo for a family reunion -- and starts to wish he'd held out just a little bit longer. The Heartbreak Kid is Peter and Bobby Farrelly's remake of the 1972 Elaine May comedy of the same name, starring Charles Grodin. Heat Directed by Michael Mann. Starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman. 1995 Dec: THRILLER R 172 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★★ A successful career criminal considers getting out of the business after one last score, while an obsessive cop desperately tries to put him behind bars in this intelligent thriller written and directed by Michael Mann. Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is a thief who specializes in big, risky jobs, such as banks and armored cars. He's very good at what he does; he's bright, methodical, and has honed his skills as a thief at the expense of his personal life, vowing never to get involved in a relationship from which he couldn't walk away in 30 seconds. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) is an L.A.P.D. detective determined to catch McCauley, but while McCauley's personal code has forced him to do without a wife and children, Hanna's dedication has made a wreck of the home he's tried to have; he's been divorced twice, he's all but a stranger to his third wife, and he has no idea how to reach out to his troubled step-daughter. While McCauley has enough money to retire and is planning to move to New Zealand, he loves the thrill of robbery as much as the profit, and is blocking out plans for one more job; meanwhile, he's met a woman, Eady (Amy Brenneman), whom he's not so sure he can walk away from. The supporting cast includes Val Kilmer as Chris, one of McCauley's partners; Ashley Judd as his wife Charlene; Jon Voight as Nate; Hank Azaria as Alan Marciano; and Henry Rollins as Hugh, who is beaten up by Hanna. Heat, The Directed by Paul Feig. Starring Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Kaitlin Olson, Taran Killam. 2013 Oct: COMEDY R 116 min. loc: C 3.395 - Viewed ★★★★ Uptight FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) and foul-mouthed Boston cop Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) couldn't be more incompatible. But when they join forces to bring down a ruthless drug lord, they become the last thing anyone expected: buddies. From Paul Feig, director of "Bridesmaids." Heatstroke Directed by Evelyn Purcell. Starring Stephen Dorff, Svetlana Metkina, Maisie Williams, Peter Stomare, Andrew Roux. 2014 Jul: THRILLER NR 92 min. loc: C 4.118 - Viewed ★★☆ On a family trip in the African desert, a research scientist unintentionally travels off course and comes face to face with a group of dangerous arms dealers. He is put to the ultimate survival test as he attempts to evade the killers and protect his girlfriend and teenage daughter. Heaven is for Real Directed by Randall Wallace. Starring Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, Connor Corum, Margo Martindale, Thomas Hayden Church. 2014 Apr: DRAMA PG 99 min. loc: C 4.112 - Not Viewed ★★★ Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book of the same name, HEAVEN IS FOR REAL brings to the screen the true story of a small-town father who must find the courage and conviction to share his son's extraordinary, life-changing experience with the world. The film stars Academy Award (R) nominee and Emmy (R) award winning actor Greg Kinnear as Todd Burpo and co-stars Kelly Reilly as Sonja Burpo, the real-life couple whose son Colton (newcomer Connor Corum) claims to have visited Heaven during a near death experience. Colton recounts the details of his amazing journey with childlike innocence and speaks matter-of-factly about things that happened before his birth ... things he couldn't possibly know. Todd and his family are then challenged to examine the meaning from this remarkable event. Heaven's Prisoners Directed by Phil Joanou. Starring Alec Baldwin, Kelly Lynch, Eric Roberts, Teri Hatcher, Mary Stuart Masterson. 1996: THRILLER R 133 min. loc: C 3.123 - Not Viewed An ex-cop trying to stay away from trouble finds it literally crashing into his backyard in this crime thriller. Dave Robicheaux (Alec Baldwin) is a former New Orleans police detective who, after kicking an addiction to alcohol and confronting some serious problems with his partners, has left law enforcement behind to run a bait shop in a small Louisiana bayou town. One day, Dave and his wife Annie (Kelly Lynch) see a small plane plummet from the sky and crash into the swamp; the pilot dies, but Dave is able to rescue a young Hispanic girl from the wreckage. Dave and Annie take the child in, but as they try to find out more about the plane crash and who the little girl might be, they discover that she's actually an illegal alien from Salvador and that the pilot was involved with a local drug ring. Dave, constitutionally unable to let a mystery go unsolved, begins asking enough questions and making enough trouble that he finds himself on the bad side of his old High School friend Bubba Rocque (Eric Roberts). Bubba is a local crime boss who controls the area's drug traffic, keeps a boxing ring in his front yard, and has a wife Claudette (Teri Hatcher) who enjoys greeting her guests naked. Dave's inquiries eventually become too much for Bubba and his henchmen, and in the midst of a violent raid on their home, Annie is killed. Dave becomes obsessed with bringing Bubba and his men to justice and gets some unexpected help from Robin Gaddis (Mary Stuart Masterson), an exotic dancer with a heart of gold. While it was originally scheduled for release in 1994, Heaven's Prisoners didn't arrive on theater screens until two years later, by which time Teri Hatcher had risen to stardom on the TV series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Heavy, The Directed by Marcus Warren. Starring Gary Stretch, Vinnie Jones, Adrian Paul. 2010 Dec: THRILLER R 102 min. loc: C 2.111 - Not Viewed London enforcer "Boots" Mason (Gary Stretch) discovers that he's got a bounty on his head after getting caught in the crosshairs of rogue cop Dunn (Vinnie Jones), and seek vengeance against his estranged family as his brother (Adrian Paul) rises to power in the world of politics. Stephen Rea, Jean Marsh, and Christopher Lee co-star. Hector and the Search for Happiness Directed by Peter Chelsom. Starring Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Tracy Ann Oberman, Jean Reno, Veronica Ferres, Christopher Plummer, Jakob Davies. 2014 Aug: DRAMA R 114 min. loc: C 4.251 - Not Viewed ★★★☆ Hector (Simon Pegg) is a quirky psychiatrist who has become increasingly tired of his humdrum life. As he tells his girlfriend, Clara (Rosamund Pike), he feels like a fraud: he hasn't really tasted life, and yet he's offering advice to patients who are just not getting any happier. So Hector decides to break out of his deluded and routine driven life. Armed with buckets of courage and child-like curiosity, he embarks on a global quest in hopes of uncovering the elusive secret formula for true happiness. And so begins a larger than life adventure with riotously funny results. Based on the world-wide best-selling novel of the same name, Hector and the Search for Happiness is a rich, exhilarating, and hilarious tale from director Peter Chelsom, starring Simon Pegg, Toni Collette, Rosamund Pike, Stellan Skarsgard, Jean Reno and Christopher Plummer. Heist Directed by Scott Mann. Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Robert De Niro, Kate Bosworth, Dave Bautista, Gina Carano, Morris Chestnut, Summer Altice, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, D.B. Sweeney, Lydia Hull, Alyssa Julya Smith. 2015 Nov: THRILLER R 90 min. loc: C 4.371 - Viewed ★★★ When their attempt to rob a casino owned by the feared gangster Pope (Robert De Niro) goes awry and a shootout ensues, Vaughn (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Cox (Dave Bautista) are forced to flee on foot and hijack city Bus 657 and take the passengers hostage. Now, in a high speed chase, Vaughn will not only have to outwit the police, led by Officer Bajos (Gina Carano) who are in hot pursuit, but he will have to contend with Pope's maniacal right hand man, Dog (Morris Chestnut), in order to make it through the day alive. But we quickly learn that things are not what they seem, and Vaughn has more than one card up his sleeve. Helen Directed by Sandra Nettelbeck. Starring Ashley Judd, Goran Visnjic, Lauren Lee Smith. 2008: DRAMA R 119 min. loc: C 1.331 - Not Viewed Ashley Judd headlines this earnest psychological drama centered on the monumental inner struggle of Helen, a successful music professor and happily married mother suffering from severe mental illness. After years of suppressing her bipolar disorder, Helen suffers a crippling emotional breakdown. Subsequently hospitalized, she befriends Mathilda, who offers a sense of understanding and emotional solace that her family cannot. But in time Helen's suffering becomes overwhelming, and she begins to believe that death is the only solution. Desperate, Helen's husband and daughter fight to prove to her that life is worth living, and convince her that there are other options for overcoming her illness. Hell or High Water Directed by David Mackenzie. Starring Dale Dickey, Ben Foster, Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges, Katy Mixon, William Sterchi, Buck Taylor. 2016 Aug: THRILLER/WEST R 102 min. loc: C 4.475 - Viewed ★★★★ Texas brothers--Toby (Chris Pine), and Tanner (Ben Foster), come together after years divided to rob branches of the bank threatening to foreclose on their family land. For them, the hold-ups are just part of a last-ditch scheme to take back a future that seemed to have been stolen from under them. Justice seems to be theirs, until they find themselves on the radar of Texas Ranger, Marcus (Jeff Bridges) looking for one last grand pursuit on the eve of his retirement, and his half-Comanche partner, Alberto (Gil Birmingham). As the brothers plot a final bank heist to complete their scheme, and with the Rangers on their heels, a showdown looms at the crossroads where the values of the Old and New West murderously collide. Hell Ride Directed by Larry Bishop. Starring Larry Bishop, Michael Madsen, Dennis Hopper. 2008 Oct: ACTION R 83 min. loc: C 1.270 - Not Viewed Veteran AIP genre star Larry Bishop (son of famed Rat Packer Joey Bishop) directs and stars in this gritty revenge tale concerning a biker gang that rallies to avenge the violent murder of a fellow gang member. An homage to such classic biker films as Chrome and Hot Leather and Angel Unchained, Hell Ride was conceived when director Bishop was invited to Quentin Tarantino's home to view a print of The Savage Seven. Upon realizing that there hadn't been a true biker film in years, the pair quickly contacted Bob Weinstein and conspired to produce a lean and mean two-wheeled revenge flick that would more than make up for lost time. Hellboy II: the Golden Army Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones. 2008 Nov: FANTASY PG-13 120 min. loc: C 1.271 - Not Viewed Ron Perlman returns to the role of the big red BPRD agent in this sequel to 2004's Hellboy, directed once again by Guillermo del Toro and scripted as before in collaboration with original Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. For centuries, an ancient truce has kept the naïve citizens of the human race safe from the horrors of the invisible realm -- but that's all about to change, and fast. A ruthless leader has emerged in the invisible realm, a tyrant just as comfortable walking the surface realm as he is living in the land of fantasy. When this power-mad ruler defies his bloodline to assemble an unstoppable army of fantastical creatures that he will use to wage a supernatural war on humanity, it begins to appear that humankind's days are numbered. But Hellboy (Perlman) isn't about to stand idly by as the planet is purged by a demonic despot, and with a little help from his team at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, he may just be able to send our otherworldly overlords packing. Of course, Hellboy's pyrokinetic girlfriend, Liz (Selma Blair), is always willing to conjure up an inferno or two when things get desperate, aquatic Abe (Doug Jones) is prepared to dive headlong into any battle, and protoplasmic mystic Johann (voice of Thomas Kretschmann) proves an invaluable companion in times of inter-dimensional conflict. Now, as the creatures who inhabit the spiritual realm gear up for an all-out attack on the human plane, the only one capable of saving the Earth is a tough-talking hellspawn rejected by both worlds. Hell's Kitchen N.Y.C. Directed by Tony Cinciripini. Starring Mekhi Phifer, Rosanna Arquette, Angelina Jolie, William Forsythe. 1998: DRAMA R 101 min. loc: C 2.114 - Not Viewed ★★ In this hard-edged crime drama, four kids from the tough New York neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen decide to pull a robbery, but their first foray into crime does not go well. When the dust settles, Hayden (Ryan Slater) is dead, and Johnny (Mekhi Phifer) gets pinched by the cops, while Patty (Johnny Whitworth) and Gloria (Angelina Jolie) manage to get away. Johnny serves a five-year stretch in prison for the theft. Although Gloria was in love with Johnny, Hayden was her brother, so she's become susceptible to gossip that Johnny was responsible for Hayden's death, and she is eager to get revenge on her former lover. Patty has also fallen in love with Gloria, and while he is not happy about betraying his old friend, he's soon ensnared in Gloria's plot to kill Johnny. Patty also has to deal with the guilt he feels about his on-again, off-again affair with Gloria's mother Liz (Rosanna Arquette), a failed lounge singer sunk deep into drugs and alcohol. Meanwhile, as he tries to clear his name with Gloria, Johnny is trying to make a career as a boxer; Lou (William Forsythe), a veteran trainer and manager, offers to help Johnny, but the young fighter isn't so sure he wants to be linked to someone with Lou's ties to organized crime. Hell's Kitchen N.Y.C. was the feature directorial debut for Tony Cinciripini, who was formerly an assistant to famed acting coach Lee Strasberg. Help, The Directed by Tate Taylor. Starring Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard. 2011 Dec: DRAMA PG-13 146 min. loc: C 2.651 - Viewed ★★★★ A 1960s-era Mississippi debutante sends her community into an uproar by conducting a series of probing interviews with the black servants behind some of her community's most prominent families. Skeeter (Emma Stone) has just graduated from college, and she's eager to launch her career as a writer. In a moment of inspiration, Skeeter decides to focus her attention on the black female servants who work in her community. Her first subject is Aibileen (Viola Davis), the devoted housekeeper who has been employed by Skeeter's best friend's family for years. By speaking with Aibileen, Skeeter becomes an object of scorn to the wealthy locals, who view her actions as directly challenging to the established social order. Before long, even more servants are coming forward to tell their stories, and Skeeter discovers that friendship can blossom under the most unlikely of circumstances. Bryce Dallas Howard co-stars in a touching tale of race relations based on author Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel of the same name. Her Directed by Spike Jonze. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt, Kristen Wiig. 2014 Jan: SCI-FI R 126 min. loc: C 4.93 - Viewed ★★★★ Spike Jonze takes the helm for this comedy about a withdrawn writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with his computer's highly advanced operating system. Theodore is a lonely man in the final stages of his divorce. When he's not working as a letter writer, his down time is spent playing video games and occasionally hanging out with friends. He decides to purchase the new OS1, which is advertised as the world's first artificially intelligent operating system, "It's not just an operating system, it's a consciousness," the ad states. Theodore quickly finds himself drawn in with Samantha, the voice behind his OS1. As they start spending time together they grow closer and closer and eventually find themselves in love. Having fallen in love with his OS, Theodore finds himself dealing with feelings of both great joy and doubt. As an OS, Samantha has powerful intelligence that she uses to help Theodore in ways others hadn't, but how does she help him deal with his inner conflict of being in love with an OS? Hercules Directed by Brett Ratner. Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Rufus Sewell, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Reese Ritchie, Tobias Santelmann, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan, Joe Anderson, Rebecca Ferguson. 2014 Jul: FANTASY PG-13 99 min. loc: C 4.185 - Viewed ★★★ Fourteen hundred years BCE, a tormented soul walked the earth that was neither man nor god. Hercules was the powerful son of the god king Zeus, for this he received nothing but suffering his entire life. After twelve arduous labours and the loss of his family, this dark, world-weary soul turned his back on the gods finding his only solace in bloody battle. Over the years he warmed to the company of six similar souls, their only bond being their love of fighting and presence of death. These men and women never question where they go to fight or why or whom, just how much they will be paid. Now the King of Thrace has hired these mercenaries to train his men to become the greatest army of all time. It is time for this bunch of lost souls to finally have their eyes opened to how far they have fallen when they must train an army to become as ruthless and blood thirsty as their reputation has become. Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures' film HERCULES, starring Dwayne Johnson, bows on July 25th. Based on Radical Comics' Hercules by Steve Moore, this ensemble-action film is a revisionist take on the classic myth, HERCULES. The epic action film also stars Golden Globe Winner Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan and Academy Award (R)-nominee John Hurt Here Comes the Boom Directed by Frank Coraci. Starring Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler, Greg Germann, Joe Rogan. 2013 Jan: ACT/COM PG 105 min. loc: C 3.361 - Not Viewed ★★★ A devoted high-school teacher risks life and limb as a mixed-martial-arts fighter in order to rescue his school's music program from the cutting block in this action comedy from director Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer, Click). Back in his prime, Scott Voss (Kevin James) was a collegiate wrestler with some fairly impressive moves. Now, at 42, he teaches biology at troubled Wilkinson High School. Mr. Voss has begun to grow deeply indifferent in his role as an educator when a troubling announcement stirs him to action. Effective immediately, Wilkinson High will be eliminating all extracurricular activities. Suddenly, the most apathetic teacher on the staff has a reason to get involved. But how is a typical high-school teacher like Mr. Voss supposed to raise the $48,000 needed to save the music program from going belly up? Upon learning that some MMA fighters earn $10,000 just for stepping into the ring, Mr. Voss vows to get back in shape, and subject himself to a series of brutal beatings so his students won't have to go without. Salma Hayek and Henry Winkler co-star. Hereafter Directed by Clint Eastwood. Starring Matt Damon, Cecile De France, Jay Mohr, Bryce Dallas Howard, Frankie McLaren, George McLaren. 2011 Mar: DRAMA PG-13 129 min. loc: C 2.170 - Viewed Director Clint Eastwood delves into the mysterious world of the hereafter with this ensemble supernatural drama starring Matt Damon, Cécile De France, Jay Mohr, and Bryce Dallas Howard. In the wake of a near-death experience during a powerful tsunami, French television reporter Marie (De France) takes her married lover's advice to pen the political book she has always talked about writing. As hard as Marie tries to stay focused on the task at hand, however, she repeatedly finds her attention diverted to scientists who have been stigmatized for investigating the afterlife. Meanwhile, in America, reluctant psychic George (Matt Damon) struggles in vain to cease using his powers for profit while falling for a gorgeous stranger (Bryce Dallas Howard). All the while, his greedy brother (Jay Mohr) prods him to milk his ability for all it's worth. Over in London, a pair of inseparable twins is forcibly parted by tragedy when one of them dies suddenly. The harder the more introverted surviving twin (Frankie McLaren) attempts to reach out to his deceased brother in the afterlife, the deeper his mom sinks into heroin addiction. When his mother goes into rehab, the grieving boy is placed in foster care, and begins succumbing to his corrosive ennui. Hero Wanted Directed by Brian Smrz. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Ray Liotta. 2008 May: THRILLER R 95 min. loc: C 1.272 - Viewed Ray Liotta and Cuba Gooding, Jr. star in this tense crime thriller concerning a small town trash collector whose dangerous plan to impress a pretty girl goes tragically awry. Liam Case (Gooding, Jr.) is a garbage man whose life hasn't quite turned out the way he expected it would. In order to impress the girl of his dreams, Liam plans an elaborate heist that will culminate with him jumping in to save the day at the last minute. When the day of the heist arrives, however, the plan takes an unexpected turn and Liam winds up in the hospital. Upon learning that a mysterious killer has slain the criminal that left both himself and the bank teller for dead during the chaos of the robbery, Liam realizes that the associates of the murdered thief won't stop until they have avenged the death of their fallen partner in crime. Hesher Directed by Spencer Susser. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman, David Brochu, Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie. 2011 Sep: DRAMA R 106 min. loc: C 2.491 - Not Viewed A bullied little boy grieving the death of his mother strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Metallica-loving anarchist in this tender yet unsentimental childhood drama. In the wake of his mother's recent death, 13-year-old TJ (Devin Brochu) finds the bumpy road to emotional recovery all the more difficult due to the dual facts that he’s bullied at school and that his father (Rainn Wilson) has become a vacant pill-head. Just when it seems like things couldn’t possibly get any worse, TJ strikes up an unusual friendship with Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a greasy-haired anarchist with a beat-up van, homemade tattoos, and a soft spot for explosions. The next thing TJ knows, Hesher is sitting in his living room and watching porn on the family television. Later, though, just as TJ summons the courage to pursue a friendship with Nicole (Natalie Portman), a kindly grocery-store clerk who came to his aid in a time of need, an explosive discovery threatens to propel the embattled teen down a dangerous path of self-destruction. Hick Directed by Derick Martini. Starring Chloe Moretz, Blake Lively, Eddie Redmayne, Rory Culkin, Juliette Lewis, Alec Baldwin. 2012 Aug: DRAMA R loc: C 3.212 - Not Viewed ★★ Lymelife writer/co-director Derick Martini adapts Andrea Portes' 2007 coming-of-age novel about a young Nebraska girl who runs away from home, and learns that life on the road has its fair share of danger. Luli (Chloe Moretz) has just turned 13. Bestowed a Smith & Wesson .45 at her birthday party in a local watering hole, the young girl quickly decides that she has had enough of her volatile parents' drinking and bickering, and decides it's high time to strike out on her own. Soon offered a lift by Eddie (Eddie Redmayne), a young cowboy with a prominent limp and a full tank of gas, Luli quickly finds herself back on the side of the road after their conversation turns combative. Shortly thereafter, the young traveler has a chance run-in with Glenda (Blake Lively), a pretty con artist who talks Luli into helping her rob a gas station, and takes her under her wing en route to meet Lloyd (Ray McKinnon), a respected local contractor but volatile alcoholic. Though a subsequent brush with Eddie finds Luli's journey taking an unexpectedly dark turn, the resilient adolescent still holds out hope that there's a better life for her somewhere out there on the open road. Hide and Seek Directed by John Polson. Starring Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Franke Janssen, Elisabeth Shue. 2005: THRILLER R 101 min. loc: W - Not Viewed A newly single father discovers his daughter is caught up in a web of evil in this thriller. David Callaway (Robert De Niro) has been left to raise his nine-year-old daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning), on his own after the unexpected death of his wife. David is at first amused to discover that Emily has created an imaginary friend named "Charlie," but it isn't long before "Charlie" develops a sinister and violent side, and as David struggles with his daughter's growing emotional problems, he comes to the frightening realization that "Charlie" isn't just a figment of Emily's imagination. Hide and Seek also stars Famke Janssen, Dylan Baker, and Amy Irving. High and the Mighty, The Directed by William Wellman. Starring John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Laraine Day, Robert Stack, Jan Sterling. 1954 Jul: CLASSIC NR 148 min. loc: C 2.548 - Viewed ★★★☆ For The High and the Mighty, director William Wellman made a point of using Cinemascope to heighten the dramatic content of a confined screen space -- in this instance, the cockpit of a plane in flight. Copilot Dan Roman (John Wayne) seems a lot more in control of things than Captain John Sullivan (Robert Stack) when the plane loses an engine during a flight from Honolulu to San Francisco. Wellman crosscuts from the tension in the cockpit to the various subplots involving the plane's passengers, among them May Holst (Claire Trevor), Lydia Rice (Laraine Day), Howard Rice (John Howard), Sally McKee (Jan Sterling), Ed Joseph (Phil Harris), and Humphrey Agnew (Sidney Blackmer) (as a character named Humphrey Agnew -- a remarkable prescient cognomen given the future of the U.S. vice presidency!). Adapted by Ernest K. Gann from his best-selling novel, The High and the Mighty was one of the first (and most profitable) entries in the "terror in the sky" genre. Its theme music, written by Dimitri Tiomkin and whistled incessantly by John Wayne in the film, would later become a best-selling hit throughout the world. High Crimes Directed by Carl Franklin. Starring Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, James Caviezel, Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, Bruce Davison, Tom Bower. 2002 Apr: MYSTERY PG-13 115 min. loc: C 2.504 - Viewed ★★★ Defense attorney Claire Kubik (Ashley Judd) seems to have the perfect life. She has a high profile job at a big firm, a beautiful home outside San Francisco, and a husband, Tom (James Caviezel of The Thin Red Line), who loves her. Claire's biggest problem appears to be that she wants to have a baby, and she's having trouble getting pregnant. But when the police investigate a routine break-in at her home, they uncover the truth about her husband's identity, and her life is thrown into turmoil. Claire finds out that her husband's name is actually Ron Chapman, and that he's an ex-marine accused of murdering seven innocent civilians in El Salvador during a raid in the late '80s. He admits that he was there, and that he changed his identity to escape prosecution for the crimes, but he insists that he's innocent, and that the massacre was committed by another soldier under the orders of a powerful general (Bruce Davison), who is using Ron as a patsy to cover it up. Claire is eventually convinced that Ron's telling the truth. Faced with defending her husband in an unfamiliar military courtroom, Claire enlists the aid of Charles Grimes (Morgan Freeman), an ex-Army judge advocate with an axe to grind. Stonewalled by the military bureaucracy at every turn, they uncover a web of deception and disappearing witnesses, and they soon find their own lives in danger. High Crimes was adapted from Joseph Finder's novel by the husband and wife screenwriting team of Yuri Zeltser and Cary Bickley. The film was directed by Carl Franklin (One False Move), and co-stars Amanda Peet and Adam Scott. High Noon Directed by Fred Zinnemann. Starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Otto Kruger, Lon Chaney, Jr., Harry Morgan. 1952 Jul: CLASSIC NR 85 min. loc: C 2.462 - Viewed ★★★★ This Western classic stars Gary Cooper as Hadleyville marshal Will Kane, about to retire from office and go on his honeymoon with his new Quaker bride, Amy (Grace Kelly). But his happiness is short-lived when he is informed that the Miller gang, whose leader (Ian McDonald) Will had arrested, is due on the 12:00 train. Pacifist Amy urges Will to leave town and forget about the Millers, but this isn't his style; protecting Hadleyburg has always been his duty, and it remains so now. But when he asks for deputies to fend off the Millers, virtually nobody will stand by him. Chief Deputy Harvey Pell (Lloyd Bridges) covets Will's job and ex-mistress (Katy Jurado); his mentor, former lawman Martin Howe (Lon Chaney Jr.) is now arthritic and unable to wield a gun. Even Amy, who doesn't want to be around for her husband's apparently certain demise, deserts him. Meanwhile, the clocks tick off the minutes to High Noon -- the film is shot in "real time," so that its 85-minute length corresponds to the story's actual timeframe. Utterly alone, Kane walks into the center of town, steeling himself for his showdown with the murderous Millers. Considered a landmark of the "adult western," High Noon won four Academy Awards (including Best Actor for Cooper) and Best Song for the hit, "Do Not Forsake Me, O My Darling" sung by Tex Ritter. The screenplay was written by Carl Foreman, whose blacklisting was temporarily prevented by star Cooper, one of Hollywood's most virulent anti-Communists. John Wayne, another notable showbiz right-winger and Western hero, was so appalled at the notion that a Western marshal would beg for help in a showdown that he and director Howard Hawks "answered" High Noon with Rio Bravo (1959). Hijacked Directed by Brandon Nutt. Starring Randy Couture, Dominic Purcell, Vinnie Jones, Gina Phillips, Tiffany Dupont. 2012 Jul: THRILLER R 90 min. loc: C 3.217 - Not Viewed ★★☆ A special agent's plans to reconcile with his ex-fiancé are ruined when she boards a private jet that is targeted by hijackers working for the same crime lord that he is chasing. Hirokin Directed by Alejo Mo-Sun. Starring Wes Bentley, Jessica Szohr, Angus MacFadyen, Laura Ramsey. 2012 Nov: SCI-FI R 105 min. loc: C 3.289 - Not Viewed ★★☆ On a planet where humans must scavenge the post-apocalyptic barren wasteland, Hirokin, a reluctant samurai with a dark past sets off on a mission to fulfill his destiny. Having fought to the death to save his wife and son from the planet's evil dictator, Griffin, and his elite army of warriors, the lone samurai is left for dead in the vast desert. Armed with his samurai blade Hirokin is forced to choose between avenging the murder of his family and fighting for the freedom of his people. As he goes into war he'll discover a shocking revelation about his family leaving revenge running through his veins. History of Violence, A Directed by David Cronenberg. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt. 2005: DRAMA R 96 min. loc: W - Viewed David Cronenberg directed this screen adaptation of a graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke which explores how an act of heroism unexpectedly changes a man's life. Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) lives a quiet life in a small Indiana town, running the local diner with his wife, Edie (Maria Bello), and raising their two children. But the quiet is shattered one day when a pair of criminals on the run from the police walk into his diner just before closing time. After they attack one of the customers and seem ready to kill several of the people inside, Tom jumps to the fore, grabbing a gun from one of the criminals and killing the invaders. Tom is immediately hailed as a hero by his employees and the community at large, but Tom seems less than comfortable with his new notoriety. One day, a man with severe facial scars, Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), sits down at the counter and begins addressing Tom as Joey, and begins asking him questions about the old days in Philadelphia. While Tom seems puzzled, Carl's actions suggest that the quiet man pouring coffee at the diner may have a dark and violent past he isn't eager to share with others -- as well as some old scores that haven't been settled. Hit & Run Directed by Dax Shepard, David Palmer. Starring Dax Shepard, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold, Kristen Bell, Joy Bryant. 2013 Jan: COMEDY 101 min. loc: C 3.342 - Viewed ★★☆ An ex-getaway driver flees from determined feds and vicious gangsters after quitting the witness-protection program in order to drive his girlfriend to her new job in Los Angeles. Once upon a time, Charlie Bronson (Dax Shepard) was a getaway wheelman for a quick-triggered gang of bank robbers, comprised of unpredictable Alex (Bradley Cooper), smoldering mastermind Neve (Joy Bryant), and their sharp-dressed sidekick (Ryan Hansen). But after being placed in the Witness Protection Program and falling for pretty Annie (Kristen Bell), Charlie's criminal past has faded into the rearview mirror. When Annie lands an interview for her dream job in L.A., Charlie vows that she won't be late, and they hit the road in his custom-built muscle car. From the moment they leave town, however, Annie's obsessive ex-boyfriend Gil (Michael Rosenbaum) is hot on their trail. Gil is interested in Charlie's shady past, and after learning his true identity with the help of his policeman brother, Gil rats him out to Alex and the gang -- who promptly gas up their station wagon and give chase. Now, with bumbling U.S. Marshal Randy (Tom Arnold) trying to keep pace and protect Charlie, the former criminal finds every escape route blocked by his old gang -- a vengeful group who aren't about to let his past sins go unpunished. Hit List, The Directed by William Kaufman. Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Cole Hauser. 2011 May: ACTION R 90 min. loc: C 2.213 - Viewed A chance meeting between a depressed businessman and a cold-hearted killer leads to a frantic race against death in this thriller starring Cole Hauser and Cuba Gooding, Jr. Allan Campbell (Hauser) has just been passed over for a big promotion. With his marriage falling apart, he heads to the local bar to drown his sorrows and strikes up a casual conversation with Jonas Arbor (Gooding, Jr.). During the course of their discussion, Arbor reveals he is a professional hit man, and asks Campbell to write down the names of the five people he would like to see dead. Incredulous, Campbell plays along. But the very next day, when the people on the list begin dying under mysterious circumstances, Campbell realizes that Arbor may have been telling the truth. Horrified that what he had assumed was a bad joke has now become a matter of life and death, Campbell realizes that only he has the power to stop Arbor, and sets out to catch the killer as the cops close in. Hit, The Directed by Stephen Frears. Starring John Hurt, Tim Roth, Laura del Sol, Terence Stamp. 1984: CRIME R 98 min. loc: C 1.273 - Viewed n this offbeat crime film, Willie Parker (Terence Stamp) an English mobster turned informant, has been given a new identity and has been living in a small, isolated village in Spain for 10 years. Unfortunately for Parker, the men he has betrayed have ascertained his whereabouts and send Braddock (John Hurt), a professional hitman, and his apprentice Myron (Tim Roth) to bring Parker to Paris where his ex-associates await. After kidnapping Parker, nothing goes as planned. Now they are followed by a Spanish policeman (Fernando Rey) who seems to anticipate each of their moves, and they are burdened by Maggie (Laura del Sol), the mistress of a fellow mobster they were forced to kill. What should have been a routine hit becomes a psychological battle between all the participants as Parker, in a fight for time and for his life, plays one against the other. Set against the bleak Spanish landscape and featuring evocative and memorable theme music, the film builds to a surprising conclusion where the true nature of all the characters is revealed. Terence Stamp develops the character of Parker in a subtle but surprisingly comic performance and Laura del Sol shines as a woman who will do what is necessary to survive. Tim Roth, in his film debut, plays a brutal, but oddly endearing thug. But it is John Hurt, in a sensitive and nuanced performance, who brings a perceptive intelligence and depth to his role which adds a philosophical and psychological dimension to the film. Hurt plays his difficult role without a misstep and with a rare economy of action. Thoughtful and frequently amusing, The Hit, superbly written by Peter Prince, is both a compelling and suspenseful crime drama and also a deep and profound meditation on life, death and courage. Hitch Directed by Andy Tennant. Starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James. 2005: COMEDY PG-13 118 min. loc: W - Viewed A man who teaches dateless wonders how to become irresistible to women learns just how hard it can be to do it yourself in this romantic comedy. When a guy in New York City wants to make the right impression with a certain lady, Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Will Smith) is the man he calls. Hitch has made a career out of coordinating a man's first three dates so that they'll show him to his best advantage (for a price, of course), and more than a few have taken women to the altar they first started courting with Hitch's help. But Hitch discovers his own romantic limitations when he falls for Sara (Eva Mendes), a journalist who has her own ideas about romance, and might just expose Hitch's underground business to the world. In the midst of all this, Hitch has his hands full with Albert, a sweet but socially inept man who has enlisted Hitch's services. Hitchcock Directed by Ryan Murphy, Sacha Gervasi. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, James D'Arcy, Jessica Biel, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, Ralph Macchio. 2013 Mar: BIO PG-13 98 min. loc: C 3.365 - Viewed ★★★ Director Sacha Gervasi adapts Stephen Rebello's book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho to explore the relationship between the legendary British director (Anthony Hopkins) and his wife Alma Reville (Helen Mirren), who played a crucial behind-the-scenes role in the making of her husband's terrifying 1960 classic Psycho. Scarlett Johansson co-stars as Janet Leigh and James D'Arcy portrays Anthony Perkins in a film also featuring Jessica Biel, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, and Ralph Macchio. Hitcher, The Directed by Dave Meyers. Starring Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton. 2007 May: DRAMA R 84 min. loc: C 1.274 - Viewed A lonely stretch of highway leads to a date with terror in this thriller. Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) and Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush) are a young couple in the midst of a long-distance road trip when, during a rainstorm, they take pity on a hitchhiker, John Ryder) (Sean Bean), and give him a lift. Jim and Grace soon come to regret their benevolence when Ryder reveals himself as a violent madman determined to see them dead. Luck is with Jim and Grace, and they're able to throw off Ryder and get back on the road, but as it happens their troubles are just beginning. Ryder has already killed a handful of people and is planting evidence that suggests Jim and Grace are the murderers; now the couple is on the run from the law as they search for Ryder in a bid to clears their names. The Hitcher is a remake of the 1986 cult horror classic of the same name; the new version was produced by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller, who previously produced remakes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Directed by Garth Jennings. Starring Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Mos Def. 2005: SCI-FI PG 109 min. loc: W - Not Viewed Douglas Adams' oft-adapted tale of an normal guy making his way through the universe (it's already been presented as a novel, a radio serial, a television series, and a comic book) finally makes its way to the big screen in this endearingly goofy sci-fi comedy. Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) is a very ordinary man who is having a truly unusual day -- after discovering that one of his best friends, Ford Prefect (Mos Def), is actually an alien, Ford tells him that the planet Earth is going to be destroyed so that otherworldly forces can make room for construction of a hyperspace bypass. Since Arthur accidentally saved Ford's life years ago, Ford does him a favor -- he first gets him a ride on a spaceship passing by, and then presents him with a guidebook that will tell a beginner everything he needs to know as he hitchhikes through outer space. Along the way, Arthur encounters such interstellar notables as sleazy Galaxy president Zaphod Beebelbrox (Sam Rockwell), the girl of his dreams Tricia McMillan (Zooey Deschanel), perpetually glum robot Marvin (voice of Alan Rickman), interplanetary construction magnate Slartibartfast (Bill Nighy), and cult leader Humma Kavula (John Malkovich). The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was the first feature film for Garth Jennings, previously best known for his work in television commercials and music videos; he was recommended to the producers by director Spike Jonze after Jonze had to turn down an offer to head up the project. Hitman Directed by Xavier Gens. Starring Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, Olga Kurylenko. 2008 Mar: THRILLER NR 94 min. loc: C 1.275 - Viewed An international assassin known only as Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant) carries out high-profile hits for a mysterious organization known only as "The Agency" in this adaptation of the popular Eidos Interactive video-game series. Agent 47 is an elite, genetically engineered assassin who takes great pride in his work. His lethal grace, steady shot, and unparalleled precision have all served to make him one of the most sought after assassins in the world. But when the killer without a conscious is faced with an unanticipated series of developments, his entire perception of reality begins to shift. On assignment to take out a Russian head of state Bellicoff (Ulrich Thomsen, Agent 47 is caught off guard by the appearance of presidential look-a-likes. When the high profile hit captures the attention of such powerful intelligence organizations as the CIA and Interpol, agent Mike Whittier (Dougray Scott) is dispatched to reign Agent 47 in. Meanwhile, a mysterious Russian prostitute named Nika (Olga Kurylenko) has walked into Agent 47's life, causing the methodical killer to become overwhelmed by emotions that were previously foreign to him. Hitman: Agent 47 Directed by Aleksander Bach. Starring Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware, Zachary Quinto, Angelababy, Michaela Caspar, Michael Cocoran, Rolf Kanies. 2015 Aug: ACTION/THRILLER R 96 min. loc: C 4.380 - Not Viewed ★★★ HITMAN: AGENT 47 centers on an elite assassin who was genetically engineered from conception to be the perfect killing machine, and is known only by the last two digits on the barcode tattooed on the back of his neck. He is the culmination of decades of research - and forty-six earlier Agent clones -- endowing him with unprecedented strength, speed, stamina and intelligence. His latest target is a mega-corporation that plans to unlock the secret of Agent 47's past to create an army of killers whose powers surpass even his own. Teaming up with a young woman who may hold the secret to overcoming their powerful and clandestine enemies, 47 confronts stunning revelations about his own origins and squares off in an epic battle with his deadliest foe. Hitmen Diaries, The Directed by Jesse Johnson. Starring Raymond J. Barry, Michael Weatherly, Tom Berenger. 2010 Oct: THRILLER R 96 min. loc: C 2.77 - Not Viewed Aging, charismatic Los Angeles criminal Charlie Valentine (Raymond J. Barry) is forced to take flight from the city and seek asylum with his estranged son Danny (Michael Weatherly) after his last big score goes up in flames. Hoax, The Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Starring Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Hope Davis, Marcia Gay Harden. 2007: DRAMA R 115 min. loc: C 1.471 - Not Viewed Director Lasse Hallström offers a brisk account of the scam that shook the literary community with this semi-comic biographical drama starring Richard Gere as the man who sold a fraudulent biography of Howard Hughes to publishing giant McGraw Hill. The year was 1971; the Vietnam War was raging and protestors filled the streets. Clifford Irving (Gere) was a struggling author with bold ambitions, and the determination needed to see them through. When Irving's attempt to sell his latest novel to McGraw Hill via his in-house publisher, Andrea Tate (Hope Davis), falls through at the last minute, the frustrated author loudly proclaims that his next novel will be "the book of the century." Upon returning to his wife Edith's (Marcia Gay Harden) makeshift studio, the humiliated author catches a glimpse of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes on a magazine cover. Later, almost jokingly, Irving and his best friend Dick Suskind (Alfred Molina) begin to fantasize about a scenario in which the author convinces his publishers that he has been personally selected by Hughes to pen the billionaire's memoirs. The revenge fantasy becomes a complicated reality, however, when Irving and Suskind approach skeptical McGraw Hill heavy Shelton Fisher (Stanley Tucci) with a series of forged letters presumably written by Hughes himself and offering unwavering support for the project. His credibility continually questioned as the ante is upped at every turn, Irving is forced to maintain the increasingly difficult charade as he strong-arms McGraw Hill to pay "Hughes" an unheard-of one million dollars for the rights to his life story, acquires a the illegally procured documents that will provide the foundation for the book, and works around the clock to meet his publisher's deadline. Hobbit I, The: An Unexpected Journey Directed by Peter Jackson. Starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood. 2012 Dec: FANTASY PG-13 170 min. loc: C 4.23 - Viewed ★★★★ Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever ... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities ... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know. Hobbit II, The: The Desolation of Smaug Directed by Peter Jackson. Starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, Cate Blanchett. 2013 Dec: FANTASY PG-13 161 min. loc: C 4.73 - Not Viewed ★★★★ The second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. After successfully crossing over (and under) the Misty Mountains, Thorin and Company must seek aid from a powerful stranger before taking on the dangers of Mirkwood Forest--without their Wizard. If they reach the human settlement of Lake-town it will be time for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins to fulfill his contract with the dwarves. The party must complete the journey to Lonely Mountain and burglar Baggins must seek out the Secret Door that will give them access to the hoard of the dragon Smaug. And, where has Gandalf got off to? And what is his secret business to the south? Hobbit III, The: The Battle of the Five Armies Directed by Peter Jackson. Starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee. 2014 Dec: FANTASY PG-13 144 min. loc: C 4.273 - Not Viewed ★★★★ From Academy Award (R)-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor tohoard it as Bilbo's frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide - unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance. Hobo With a Shotgun Directed by Jason Eisener. Starring Rutger Hauer, Molly Dunsworth, Gregory Smith, Brian Downey. 2011 Jul: THRILLER NR 86 min. loc: C 2.407 - Not Viewed A hobo (Rutger Hauer) blows into a lawless town, arms himself with a shotgun, and decides to take down a ruthless crime boss in this violent, neo-exploitation throwback that began as a "fake" trailer for the "Grindhouse Trailer" competition at the 2007 South by Southwest Film Festival. Holiday Inn Directed by Mark Sandrich. Starring Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Virginia Dale, Marjorie Reynolds, Walter Abel. 1942: MUSICAL NR 101 min. loc: C 3.319 - Not Viewed ★★★★ Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire star in Holiday Inn as a popular nightclub song-and-dance team. When his heart is broken by his girlfriend, Crosby decides to retire from the hustle-bustle of big city showbiz. He purchases a rustic New England farm and converts it to an inn, which he opens to the public (floor show and all) only on holidays. This barely logical plot device allows ample space for a steady flow of Irving Berlin holiday songs (including an incredible blackface number in honor of Lincoln's Birthday). Oddly enough, the most memorable song in the bunch, the Oscar-winning White Christmas, is not offered as a production number but as a simple ballad sung by Crosby to an audience of one: leading lady Marjorie Reynolds. Fred Astaire's best moment is his Fourth of July firecracker dance. Ah, but what about the plot? Well, it seems that Astaire wants to make a film about Crosby's inn, starring their mutual discovery Reynolds. Bing briefly loses Reynolds to Astaire, but wins her back during the filming of a musical number on a Hollywood soundstage (eleven years earlier, Bing enjoyed a final clinch with Marion Davies under surprisingly similar conditions in Going Hollywood). As with most of Irving Berlin's "portfolio" musicals of the 1940s, the song highlights of Holiday Inn are too numerous to mention. This delightful film is far superior to its unofficial 1954 remake, White Christmas. Holiday, The Directed by Nancy Meyers. Starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law. 2007 Mar: COMEDY PG-13 136 min. loc: C 1.276 - Not Viewed Nancy Meyers' romantic comedy Holiday stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as two women who exchange houses in order to get a new lease on life. After each suffers her fair share of romantic disappointments, Englishwoman Iris (Winslet) and L.A. woman Amanda (Diaz) meet on-line at a website devoted to helping people exchange houses for vacations. Each agrees to spend the Christmas holiday at the other's home. While each suffers from a minor case of culture shock, both women also end up becoming involved with a man. Iris makes the acquaintance of an upbeat everyman played by Jack Black, while Amanda spends time with a handsome Brit played by Jude Law. Both women must decide what to do with these new relationships as their pre-arranged house switch is scheduled to last less than two weeks Hollow Man Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Starring Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Shue, Josh Brolin. 2000: SCI-FI R 119 min. loc: C 1.277 - Viewed In this sci-fi thriller, a man and a woman must fend off a killer whom they cannot see. Scientist Sebastian Caine (Kevin Bacon) is working with a secret military research team headed by Dr. Kramer (William Devane), assigned to create new intelligence technology. With the help of his colleagues Linda McKay (Elisabeth Shue) and Matt Kensington (Josh Brolin), Sebastian has been developing a serum that makes people invisible. The formula is new and unstable, but after a risky but successful test on an ape, an impatient Sebastian, under pressure from Kramer, decides to try it on himself. It works, but no one counted on the side effects; unable to reverse the serum's effects, an invisible Sebastian goes insane, and begins pursuing Linda (his former girlfriend) and Matt (Linda's current beau) in a fog of homicidal rage. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, Hollow Man also features Kim Dickens, Mary Randle, Joey Slotnick, and Greg Grunberg. Hollow Man 2 Directed by Claudio Faeh. Starring Christian Slater, Peter Facinelli, Laura Regan. 2006: SCI-FI R 91 min. loc: C 1.278 - Viewed A volunteer soldier and feared assassin find that the blessing of invisibility begets the curse of insanity in director Claudio Fäh's action-packed sequel to Paul Verhoeven's 2000 sci-fi thriller. When skilled mercenary Michael Griffin (Christian Slater) disappears to the eyes of the world, the world is about to become a very dangerous place. A seasoned killer who isn't afraid to take a life or two, Griffin will go to any lengths necessary to find the serum that will save his life and punish the scientists and government agents responsible for his transparent transformation. Now, with a trained killer set loose on the streets and time running out for the molecular biologist who holds the secret to Griffin's condition, it's up to fearless Seattle police detective Frank Turner (Peter Facinelli) to put his skills to the test and capture a killer who can literally vanish into thin air. Hollywoodland Directed by Allen Coulter. Starring Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane. 2006: DRAMA R 126 min. loc: W - Not Viewed The mysterious and unexpected death of an iconic Hollywood star may be just the tip of an iceberg of scandal in this show biz drama based on a true story. George Reeves (played by Ben Affleck) was a journeyman actor who had played a small role in Gone With The Wind and appeared on screen with the likes of James Cagney, Rita Hayworth and Marlene Dietrich, but his career was not exactly booming when he was cast as comic book hero Superman in a 1951 B-movie, Superman and the Mole Men. A year later, the producers of the movie launched a syndicated Superman television series with Reeves returning as the Man of Steel. The show became a major hit, and Reeves was a star at last. However, on June 16, 1959, to the shock of many, Reeves was found dead of a gunshot wound. Police soon declared Reeves' death a suicide and closed the case, but his mother (Lois Smith) refused to believe her son took his own life, and hired Louis Simo (Adrian Brody), a private detective, to find out the truth about her son's passing. Simo found many Hollywood insiders did not care to cooperate as he researched the Reeves case, but his digging uncovered plenty of evidence suggesting the actor did not take his own life, and he also revealed one of Reeves's deepest secrets -- while he was engaged to marry a pretty young starlet, Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney), Reeves was also carrying on an affair with the beautiful Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the wife of Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), a powerful and ill-tempered executive at MGM. While the producers of Hollywoodland based their story on factual accounts of the investigation into the death of George Reeves, they were denied permission to use the Superman logo and the familiar introduction to the Adventures of Superman television show by the respective copyright holders. Hologram for the King, A Directed by Tom Twyker. Starring Tom Hanks, Alexander Black, Sarita Choudhury, Tom Skerritt, Ben Whishaw, David Menkin, Christy Meyer. 2016 Apr: DRAMA R 90 min. loc: C 4.442 - Not Viewed ★★★ Cultures collide when an American businessman (Tom Hanks) is sent to Saudi Arabia to close what he hopes will be the deal of a lifetime. Baffled by local customs and stymied by an opaque bureaucracy, he eventually finds his footing with the help of a wise-cracking taxi driver (Alexander Black) and a beautiful Saudi doctor (Sarita Choudhury). Home Alone Directed by Chris Columbus. Starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, John Candy. 1990: COMEDY PG 103 min. loc: C 2.615 - Not Viewed Home Alone is the highly successful and beloved family comedy about a young boy named Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) who is accidentally left behind when his family takes off for a vacation in France over the holiday season. Once he realizes they've left him "home alone," he learns to fend for himself and, eventually has to protect his house against two bumbling burglars (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) who are planning to rob every house in Kevin's suburban Chicago neighborhood. Though the film's slapstick ending may be somewhat violent, Culkin's charming presence helped the film become one of the most successful ever at the time of its release. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Directed by Chris Columbus. Starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard. 1992: COMEDY PG 120 min. loc: C 2.616 - Not Viewed John Hughes and Chris Columbus repeat their best-selling formula from the first Home Alone film with this sequel. Once again Kevin McCallister's (Macaulay Culkin) family leave him behind, only now he gets on a flight to New York instead of going with his family to Miami. Kevin manages to hail a cab and is delivered to the doorsteps of the Plaza Hotel, where, using his father's credit card, he rents out a suite and has the time of his life -- although a smarmy hotel clerk (Tim Curry) and bellboy (Rob Schneider) eye him with suspicion. But ingenious Kevin keeps them at bay, using the same tomfoolery he applied to his uncle in the first picture. He takes time out from his consumer debauch to chat with a friendly old toy-store magnate (Eddie Bracken) and pontificate to a homeless Pigeon Lady (Brenda Fricker) on the meaning of Christmas. But then he runs into his old enemies Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern).When he finds out that they plan on robbing the old man's toy store on Christmas Eve, he mans the battle stations once again, complete with electric prods, flames of fire, and sundry blunt instruments. Home Invasion Directed by Doug Campbell. Starring Haylie Duff, Lisa Sheridan, Jason Brooks, C. Thomas Howell, Barbara Niven. 2012 Mar: THRILLER NR 90 min. loc: C 4.57 - Not Viewed ★★☆ When Nicole (Lisa Sheridan) kills a home invasion robber in self-defense, his vengeful girlfriend, Jade (Haylie Duff), befriends her at a crime victim support group and sets about trying to destroy her life. Home Invasion - 2015 Directed by David Tennant. Starring Natasha Henstridge, Jason Patric, Scott Adkins, Liam Dickinson, Kyra Zagorsky, Michael Rogers, Brenda Crichlow. 2016 Feb: THRILLER PG-13 98 min. loc: C 4.383 - Viewed ★★☆ Terror arrives at the one place we all feel safest in this taut psychological thriller starring Natasha Henstridge. When a wealthy woman and her stepson are targeted by a trio of expert thieves in their remote mansion, her only form of help comes from a call with a security systems specialist. But as the intruders become increasingly hostile and the connection wavers, will she trust him to be her eyes and navigate her to safety? Home of the Brave Directed by Irwin Winkler. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Biel, Brian Presley. 2007 Oct: WAR R 105 min. loc: W - Viewed As their tour of duty in Iraq draws to a close, four American soldiers learn that they are scheduled to embark on one final, fateful mission that will forever change their concept of war. Shortly after receiving the news that they will soon be reunited with their families back in the United States, a unit serving in Iraq is deployed one a humanitarian mission to deliver medical supplies to a remote Iraqi village. Upon arriving in the village, the unit is viciously ambushed and many lives are lost. Now, as the surviving members of the battalion return home and attempt to readjust to civilian life, the physical injuries and psychological scars sustained during that tragic event continue to take a heavy emotional toll on the war-torn soldiers. Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Biel, and rapper-turned-actor 50 Cent star in an affecting psychological war drama from Academy Award-winning director Irvin Winkler. Home Sweet Hell Directed by Anthony Burns. Starring Jordana Brewster, Katherine Heigl, Patrick Wilson, Kevin McKidd, James Belushi, Aiden Flowers, Alyshia Ochise, Steffie Grote, Madison Wolfe. 2015 Feb: COM/DRAMA R 97 min. loc: C 4.269 - Not Viewed ★★★ Don Champagne seems to have it all: a successful business, a perfect house, perfect kids and a perfect wife. Unfortunately, when his wife, Mona (Katherine Heigl), learns of Don's affair with a pretty new salesgirl (Jordana Brewster), this suburban slice of heaven spirals out of control. Don soon realizes that Mona will stop at nothing, including murder, to maintain their storybook life where "perception is everything". Homefront Directed by Gary Fieder. Starring Jason Statham, James Franco, Kate Bosworth, Winona Ryder, Rachelle Lefevre. 2013 Nov: THRILLER R 101 min. loc: C 4.48 - Viewed ★★★☆ Phil Broker is a former DEA agent who has gone through a crisis after his action against a biker gang went horribly wrong and it cost the life of his boss' son. He is recently widowed and is left with a 9-years-old daughter,Maddy. He decides to quit the turbulent and demanding life of thrill for Maddy's sake and retires to a small town. His daughter fights off a boy who was bullying her at school and this sets in motion a round of events that end in his direct confrontation with the local Meth drug lord. His past history with the biker gang also enters the arena, making matters more complex. But he has a mission in his mind to protect his daughter and he is ready to pay any cost that it demands. Homesman, The Directed by Tommy Lee Jones. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter, Barry Corbin, David Dencik, William Fichtner, John Lithgow, James Spader, Tim Blake Nelson. 2014 Jun: WESTERN R 122 min. loc: C 4.242 - Not Viewed ★★★☆ When three women living on the edge of the American frontier are driven mad by harsh pioneer life, the task of saving them falls to the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank). Transporting the women by covered wagon to Iowa, she soon realizes just how daunting the journey will be, and employs a low-life drifter, George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones), to join her. The unlikely pair and the three women (Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter) head east, where a waiting minister and his wife (Meryl Streep) have offered to take the women in. But the group first must traverse the harsh Nebraska Territories marked by stark beauty, psychological peril and constant threat. Hoodlum Directed by Bill Duke. Starring Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth, Andy Garcia. 1997: THRILLER R 130 min. loc: W - Viewed The white-run Mafia and the black-run numbers game meet head on with explosive impact in this period crime thriller. Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (Laurence Fishburne) is an African-American ex-con who, after a stay in prison, returns to Harlem at the height of its renaissance before World War II. Looking for work, Bumpy becomes a lieutenant for Stephanie St. Clair (Cicely Tyson), the queen of Harlem's numbers racket. Bumpy's old friend Illinois Gordon (Chi McBride) gently expresses his concern about Bumpy's life of crime, and social worker Francine Hughes (Vanessa L. Williams), who is attracted to Bumpy (and vice versa), suggests he should be doing something more positive with his life. But Bumpy contends that the numbers game is the only business in the community that blacks are able to control themselves. The numbers game is very profitable -- enough so that mob boss "Lucky" Luciano (Andy Garcia) wants in on the action. He assigns one of his key men, "Dutch" Schultz (Tim Roth), to try to strike a deal with Stephanie, but negotiation isn't Dutch's strong suit -- he finds that murder is a far more effective tactic in taking control of a business, and Dutch is not the sort of person who's bothered by violence. Hoodlum was director Bill Duke's second film set in the milieu of the Gangster days of the 1920s and 1930s, after his breakthrough picture A Rage in Harlem. Hoodwinked Directed by Cory Edwards. Starring Jim Belushi, Glenn Close, Anne Hathaway. 2006: ANIMATED PG 80 min. loc: C 1.279 - Not Viewed Forget everything you know about Little Red Riding Hood; the classic fairy tale gets a new look and a new style in this computer-animated comedy for the whole family. Grizzly (voice of Xzibit) and Stork (voice of Anthony Anderson) are a pair of critter cops who have been called the homey bungalow of Granny (voice of Glenn Close) to investigate a disturbance of the peace. It seems there was an altercation involving Granny, her granddaughter Little Red Riding Hood (voice of Anne Hathaway), a Big Bad Wolf (voice of Patrick Warburton), and a Woodsman (voice of Jim Belushi). However, as the detectives interview the participants and get each individual's perspective, they learn that Granny isn't so helpless, Red may have been doing more than just visiting relatives, the Wolf isn't the predator he's been cracked up to be, and the Woodman doesn't have much of an intellectual advantage over the trees he chops down. Hoodwinked also features the voice talents of Andy Dick, David Ogden Stiers, and Chazz Palminteri. Hop Directed by Tim Hill. Starring James Marsden, Russell Brand, Kaley Cuoco, Hank Azaria, Elizabeth Perkins. 2012 Mar: ANIMATED PG 96 min. loc: C 3.161 - Not Viewed (SP) Jobless slacker Fred (James Marsden) discovers that hares make horrible houseguests after injuring the Easter Bunny (Russell Brand) and agreeing to nurse the little hopper back to health in this animated comedy from the writers of Despicable Me, and director Tim Hill (Rocko's Modern Life, SpongeBob SquarePants). For the past 4,000 years, the Easter Bunny has brought joy and candy to kids all across the globe; however, the time has come for a new Easter Bunny to take over the tradition. But while EB is the next in line to receive the official title, he couldn't care less about becoming the official bearer of chocolate eggs and jellybeans. Escaping to Hollywood in a bid to find fame and fortune, EB hops in front of an oncoming car driven by Fred, who agrees to give him a place to recover until he's healthy enough to hop along home. Now, the harder Fred struggles to stop his furry new companion from sending his life into a tailspin, the more satisfaction he begins to get out of his newfound responsibility. With a little luck and a whole lot of patience, Fred just might become the man who saved Easter for everyone. Hope Springs Directed by David Frankel. Starring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell, Jean Smart. 2012 Dec: COMEDY PG-13 100 min. loc: C 3.315 - Viewed ★★★☆ An aging couple strive to conquer their sexual hang-ups and save their 30-year marriage from going stale by visiting a renowned couple's therapist in this comedy from director David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada, Marley & Me). After three decades of marriage, Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) still love each other deeply. But somewhere along the way, their passion for one another seems to have perished. Upon learning about a relationship therapist (Steve Carell) in Great Hope Springs whose methods have yielded incredible results, Kay pleads with Arnold to sign up for a weeklong session. Little does the committed couple realize that overcoming years of sexual repression will prove to be quite an exhausting challenge. Horrible Bosses Directed by Seth Gordon. Starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey, Lindsay Sloane, Meghan Markle. 2011 Oct: COMEDY R 98 min. loc: C 2.543 - Not Viewed ★★★☆ Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and Charlie Day star in this workplace comedy about three frustrated employees who hatch a plan to kill their micromanaging bosses, only to find their murderous plot snowballing into disaster. Seth Gordon (The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters) directs a screenplay written by Michael Markowitz, Jonathan Goldstein, and John Francis Daley. Horrible Bosses 2 Directed by Sean Anders. Starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine, Christopher Waltz, Jonathan Banks, Lindsay Sloane, Keegan-Michael Key, Jerry Lambert. 2014 Nov: COMEDY R 108 min. loc: C 4.254 - Not Viewed ★★★ The follow-up to the 2011 hit comedy "Horrible Bosses" reunites Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis as everyone's favorite working stiffs: Nick, Dale and Kurt. Jennifer Aniston ("We're the Millers"), and Oscar (R) winners Jamie Foxx ("Ray") and Kevin Spacey ("American Beauty," "The Usual Suspects") also reprise their "Horrible Bosses" starring roles, while Chris Pine ("Star Trek: Into Darkness") and Oscar (R) winner Christoph Waltz ("Django Unchained," "Inglourious Basterds") star as new adversaries standing between the guys and their dreams of success. Fed up with answering to higher-ups, Nick, Dale and Kurt decide to become their own bosses by launching their own business. But a slick investor soon pulls the rug out from under them. Outplayed and desperate, and with no legal recourse, the three would-be entrepreneurs hatch a misguided plan to kidnap the investor's adult son and ransom him to regain control of their company. Horse Whisperer, The Directed by Robert Redford. Starring Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill, Diane Wiest, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Cooper. 1998: DRAMA PG-13 169 min. loc: C 3.21 - Not Viewed Robert Redford directed himself for the first time in this romantic drama adapted from the 1995 best-seller by Nicholas Evans. Fourteen-year-old Grace MacLean (Scarlett Johansson of Manny & Lo) and her friend Judith go horseback riding in upstate New York on a winter morning, but their horses lose their footing on ice and slide onto a road, where Judith and her horse are killed by a jackknifing truck. Grace and her horse are also seriously injured -- doctors must amputate Grace's right leg -- and the frightening incident leaves a lasting trauma not only on Grace but also on her horse, Pilgrim. Grace's mother -- magazine editor Annie MacLean (Kristin Scott Thomas) -- seeking Grace's recovery, feels there's a link between her crippled, embittered daughter and Pilgrim's behavior. Learning about a horse trainer with a special gift, she takes Grace and Pilgrim to Montana where horse whisperer Tom Booker (Robert Redford) lives on a ranch with his younger brother Frank (Chris Cooper), Frank's wife Diane (Dianne Wiest) and their children. Tom's work with the horse also has a rejuvenating effect on the guilt-ridden Grace. Annie loses her magazine job, and the low-key romantic involvement between Annie and Tom develops during the summer, stifled by the unexpected arrival of Annie's husband, Robert MacLean (Sam Neill). Screenplay by Eric Roth and Richard LaGravenese (who adapted The Bridges of Madison County). Filmed in Montana and Saratoga Springs, New York. Horseman, The Directed by Stephen Kastrissios. Starring Peter Marshall, Hannah Levien. 2010 Jun: THRILLER R 96 min. loc: C 1.280 - Not Viewed A seemingly ordinary man turns to violence in this independent thriller from Australia. Christian Forteski (Peter Marshall) is a businessman whose teenage daughter Jesse (Hannah Levien) has been living on the edge since her parents divorced. Jesse runs away from home, and several weeks later Christian's anxiety about his missing daughter turns into rage when he receives a video in the mail of Jesse being brutally raped. Normally level headed, Christian jumps into his car and sets out to find whoever is responsible for making the video, starting with the people who mailed it to him. While heading north to Queensland, Christian picks up Alice (Caroline Marohasy), a teenage hitchhiker who reminds him a bit of Jesse. Christian and Alice strike up a friendship, and she begins to see the older man as someone she can trust, without knowing that Christian was turned into a deranged killing machine, leaving a trail of victims as he drives across the country to avenge his daughter. The Horseman was the first feature film from writer and director Steven Kastrissios; it was expanded from a short film by Kastrissios which was a prizewinner at the 2006 Queensland New Filmmaker Awards. Horseman, The - 2010 Directed by Steven Kastrissios. Starring Peter Marshall, Hannah Levien, Caroline Marohasy. 2008: THRILLER R 96 min. loc: C 1.281 - Not Viewed ★★★ A seemingly ordinary man turns to violence in this independent thriller from Australia. Christian Forteski (Peter Marshall) is a businessman whose teenage daughter Jesse (Hannah Levien) has been living on the edge since her parents divorced. Jesse runs away from home, and several weeks later Christian's anxiety about his missing daughter turns into rage when he receives a video in the mail of Jesse being brutally raped. Normally level headed, Christian jumps into his car and sets out to find whoever is responsible for making the video, starting with the people who mailed it to him. While heading north to Queensland, Christian picks up Alice (Caroline Marohasy), a teenage hitchhiker who reminds him a bit of Jesse. Christian and Alice strike up a friendship, and she begins to see the older man as someone she can trust, without knowing that Christian was turned into a deranged killing machine, leaving a trail of victims as he drives across the country to avenge his daughter. The Horseman was the first feature film from writer and director Steven Kastrissios; it was expanded from a short film by Kastrissios which was a prizewinner at the 2006 Queensland New Filmmaker Awards. Horton Hears a Who (Dr. Seuss) Directed by Steve Martino, Jimmy Hayward. Starring Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett. 2008 Dec: ANIMATED G 86 min. loc: W - Not Viewed When a kindly elephant hears a faint cry of help from a floating speck of dust, his attempts to protect the tiny particle cause his neighbors to question his sanity in this animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss' classic 1954 children's book of the same name. Produced by Ice Age makers Blue Sky, scripted by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, and directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino, Horton Hears a Who reunites Bruce Almighty co-stars Jim Carrey and Steve Carell as the eponymous elephant and the mayor of Whoville respectively. Host, The Directed by Andrew Niccol. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Rachel Roberts, Jake Abel, Chandler Canterbury, Diane Kruger. 2013 Aug: SCI-FI PG-13 126 min. loc: C 3.550 - Not Viewed ★★☆ What if everything you love was taken from you in the blink of an eye? "The Host" is the next epic love story from the creator of the "Twilight Saga," worldwide bestselling author, Stephenie Meyer. When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about - Jared (Max Irons), Ian (Jake Abel), her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and her Uncle Jeb (William Hurt) , proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world. Hostage Directed by Florent Emilio Siri. Starring Bruce Willis, Kevin Pollak, Ben Foster. 2005: THRILLER R 113 min. loc: W - Viewed A cop looking for a quieter way of life is thrown into the most dangerous crisis of his life in this thriller based on the novel by Robert Crais. Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) used to be a hostage negotiator with the Los Angeles Police Department, but after a standoff goes horribly wrong, Talley moves himself and his family to a small, quiet town of Bristo Camino, where he serves as chief of police. When three young criminals attempt to steal a car from a wealthy accountant, the situation quickly spins out of control and the thieves are trapped inside the heavily fortified home, taking the accountant and his family hostage. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department soon arrives on the scene, and Talley eagerly hands over the situation to them, but when he unexpectedly finds himself in telephone contact with one of the children inside, he begins to suspect that the cops are in over their heads. After he's approached by a masked stranger who has an agenda of his own, Talley is forced to decide if he should protect the safety of the family in the house or his own wife and kids. Hostage was the first English-language film from director Florent Emilio Siri. Hostel Directed by Eli Roth. Starring Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson. 2005: HORROR NR 94 min. loc: C 1.282 - Viewed Cabin Fever director Eli Roth skips the humor of his freshman feature and goes straight for the jugular in this unrelenting scare-fest about a pair of libidinous American backpackers seeking cheap thrills in the European countryside. Their carefree college days close behind and the responsibility of the real world looming ever closer on the horizon, Josh (Derek Richardson) and Paxton (Jay Hernandez) strap on their backpacks and prepare for a stratospheric last hurrah of booze, babes, drugs, and debauchery halfway across the globe. It's during a visit to Amsterdam that the pair meets up with raucous Icelandic backpacker Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson), and after the three globe-trotting thrill seekers catch wind of a Slovakian city whose male population has dwindled as a result of civil strife -- leaving the ladies ready and willing to accept any male companionship that might turn up at the local hostel -- the trio quickly beats a hasty retreat to the out-of-the-way oasis. Upon check-in, the trio is greeted by a bevy of beautiful locals and is quickly convinced that the hedonistic hideaway is indeed the real deal. Hazily awakening the following morning to find no trace of backpacking buddy Oli, Paxton chalks his former traveling companion's disappearance up to capriciousness and prepares for another day of debauchery, despite Josh's rapidly elevating sense of unease. Now trapped defenselessly in a foreign land without any means of escape and no way of anticipating the unimaginable hell that lies ahead, the pair is plunged into a torturous netherworld where the screams of the damned fill the air with dread and the warm rays of the sun are little more than a fading memory. Hot Pursuit Directed by Anne Fletcher. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara, Matthew Del Negro, Michael Mosley, Robert Kazinsky, Richard T. Jones, Mike Birbiglia, Jim Gaffigan, John Carroll Lynch, Joaquin Cosio. 2015 May: ACT/COM PG-13 87 min. loc: C 4.320 - Viewed ★★☆ In "Hot Pursuit," an uptight and by-the-book cop (Reese Witherspoon) tries to protect the sexy and outgoing widow (Sofia Vergara) of a drug boss as they race through Texas, pursued by crooked cops and murderous gunmen. Hot Tub Time Machine Directed by Steve Pink. Starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson. 2010 Jun: COMEDY R 99 min. loc: W - Not Viewed Disappointed at the way their lives have turned out, four longtime friends reunite at the ski resort where they used to party and find themselves transported back to the year 1986 by a magical jacuzzi. Adam (John Cusack), Lou (Rob Corddry), Nick (Craig Robinson), and Jacob (Clark Duke) have all seen better days; Adam's and Nick's love lives are in the dumps, Lou is clinging to his hard-partying past, and video-game addict Jacob can't even muster the courage to walk outside. A fun stay at the ski resort where the gang made some of their best memories seems like just the thing to cheer everyone up, but after a night of heavy drinking in the hot tub, the four friends wake up to find they're about to live through the '80s a second time. Determined not to make the same mistakes twice, Adam, Lou, Nick, and Jacob decide to take full advantage of the unique opportunity presented to them, and create the lives they've always wanted. Chevy Chase, Crispin Glover, and Lizzy Caplan co-star. Hotel Rwanda Directed by Terry George. Starring Don Cheadle, Nick Nolte, Sophie Okonedo. 2004: DRAMA PG-13 122 min. loc: C 1.283 - Viewed Hotel Rwanda tackles one of the most horrifically ugly events in recent history, when the Hutu extremists of Rwanda initiated a terrifying campaign of genocide, massacring hundreds of thousands of minority Tutsis (who had been given power by the departed Belgian colonists), while the rest of the world looked on and did nothing. Don Cheadle stars as Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager at the fancy Les Milles Collines hotel in Kigali. Paul is a Hutu, and a very successful businessman who smoothly greases the wheels, making powerful connections in all strata of Rwandan life. His wife, Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo of Aeon Flux), is a Tutsi. She urges Paul to use his influence to help local Tutsis, who are being harassed and beaten with increasing frequency, but Paul will only use the political capital he's built up to help his own family, if and when they need it. Soon enough, the violence escalates, and the Hutus begin their genocide of the Tutsis. European guests and staff at the hotel are flown out of the country, and Paul is left in charge. He finds that his conscience won't allow him to watch as the innocent are slaughtered, and before long, the hotel has become a well-appointed refugee camp. Paul is seen as a traitor by some, putting his life in danger, and the predicament of his "guests" grows more precarious every day, but despite good intentions on the part of a journalist (Joaquin Phoenix) and a UN peacekeeping colonel (Nick Nolte), the rest of the world is not eager to intervene and stop the massacre. Hotel Rwanda was directed by Irish filmmaker Terry George (Some Mother's Son), who co-wrote the script with Keir Pearson. Hotel Transylvania Directed by Genndy Tratakovsky. Starring Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher. 2012 Sep: ANIMATED PG 91 min. loc: C 4.13 - Not Viewed ★★★☆ Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's (Adam Sandler) lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula has invited some of the world's most famous monsters--Frankenstein and his bride, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more--to celebrate his daughter Mavis's 118th birthday. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem--but his world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis. Houdini Directed by Uli Edel, Gene M. Gamache. Starring Adrien Brody, Kristin Connolly, Megan Dodds, Evan Jones, Simon Nader. 2014 Sep: MINISERIES NR 120 min. loc: C 4.163 - Viewed ★★★★ Follow the man behind the magic as he finds fame, engages in espionage, battles spiritualists and encounters the greatest names of the era, from U.S. presidents to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Grigori Rasputin. Adrien Brody stars as legendary illusionist Harry Houdini in this mini-series documenting his incredible rise from hungry immigrant to living legend. Kristen Connolly co-stars in a film by Uli Edel (The Baader Meinhof Complex). Part 1: From humble beginnings at circus sideshows to sold out concert halls in Europe, Part 1 of Houdini follows the rise of the boy Erich Weiss as he becomes the man Harry Houdini, master escapologist. The rabbi's son from Wisconsin is the epitome of the American Dream as he makes his way through the early 20th century vaudeville craze and emerges as America's first bonafide world renowned superstar. Part 2: Harry Houdini conducts an epic battle against the spiritualists whose practices he found to be false and misleading. As the 20th century progresses and modernity overtakes industrial age antiquity, Houdini must come to terms with his new place in a fast-changing world. Hours Directed by Eric Heisserer. Starring Paul Walker, Genesis Rodriguez, Christopher Matthew Cook, Judd Derek Lormand, Nick Gomez. 2014 Feb: THRILLER PG-13 97 min. loc: C 4.119 - Viewed ★★★ Before sunrise on August 29, 2005, Nolan Hayes (PAUL WALKER) arrives at a New Orleans hospital with his pregnant wife, Abigail (GENESIS RODRIGUEZ), who has gone into early labor. What should be one of the happiest days of Nolan's life quickly spirals out of control when the birth goes tragically wrong and Hurricane Katrina ravages the hospital, forcing an evacuation. Told to stay with his child, who is on a ventilator, and await transfer by ambulance, Nolan and his newborn are soon cut off from the world by power outages and rising floodwaters. When no one returns to help, Nolan faces one life-and-death decision after another, fighting to keep his daughter alive, as minute-by-agonizing minute passes...becoming unimaginable hours. House at the End of the Street Directed by Mark Tonderai. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue, Max Thieriot. 2013 Jan: THRILLER PG-13 101 min. loc: C 3.344 - Not Viewed ★★☆ A teenager (Jennifer Lawrence) and her mother (Elisabeth Shue) move to a new town and make a gruesome discovery about the house next door in this tale of terror from Hush director Mark Tonderai. Shortly after learning that the neighboring house was recently the scene of a horrific double homicide, the curious teen forges a tender friendship with the boy who cheated death (Max Thieriot) on that fateful night. House Bunny, The Directed by Fred Wolf. Starring Anna Faris, Colin Hanks, Rumer Willis. 2008 Dec: COMEDY PG-13 loc: C 1.284 - Not Viewed When Playboy playmate Shelley (Anna Faris) is unceremoniously evicted from Hugh Hefner's lavish mansion in order to make room for some younger beauties, her quest for employment finds her serving as den mother to an unpopular L.A. sorority in this Happy Madison production directed by Fred Wolf. Colin Hanks, Rumer Willis, Katharine McPhee, Monet Mazur, and Beverly D'Angelo co-star. House of the Rising Sun Directed by Brian A. Miller. Starring Dave Bautista, Amy Smart, Dominic Purcell, Danny Trejo. 2011 Jul: THRILLER R 88 min. loc: C 2.388 - Viewed A former cop goes to work at a mafia strip club after being released from prison, and races to solve a vicious crime before he takes the fall in this hard-hitting action thriller starring WWF brawler Dave Bautista (aka Batista). Ray (Bautista) used to uphold the law; now he's fallen on the wrong side of it. But he's served his sentence, and he's content just taking things one day at a time. In order to earn a little extra income, Ray takes a job as the head of security at The House of the Rising Sun, an underworld strip club that also houses an illicit gambling den. When a savage gang of thieves strike fast and hard, the police finger Ray as the mastermind of the violent robbery. Now, in order to regain his honor and avoid ending up back in prison, Ray must catch the real culprits, before the police catch up with him. House of Wax Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. Starring Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Paris Hilton. 2005: HORROR R loc: C 1.285 - Viewed A bunch of college students are stranded in a small town where suffering for art takes on a whole new meaning in this tale of terror. Carly (Elisha Cuthbert) and her boyfriend, Wade (Jared Padalecki), have hit the road with a handful of their friends to attend a championship college football game; tagging along with them are Carly's bratty friend Paige (Paris Hilton, Carly's trouble-making twin brother Nick (Chad Michael Murray), and Blake (Robert Ri'chard), Paige's latest boy toy. While camping out for the night, the gang makes the mistake of getting on the wrong side of a mysterious local redneck, and the next morning they discover that Wade's car no longer works. As the others continue on to the big game, Carly and Wade make their way into the closest town, Ambrose, and discover it's all but deserted, except for a local tourist attraction, the House of Wax. However, it isn't long before they find out why the wax sculptures at the museum look so freakishly real, and discover a pair of murderous brothers are keen on making them part of the next exhibit. House of Wax is an in-name-only remake of the well-remembered 1953 3-D horror outing starring Vincent Price, which was in turn based on the 1933 picture Mystery of the Wax Museum. How Do You Know Directed by James L. Brooks. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Jack Nicholson, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson. 2011 Mar: COMEDY PG-13 121 min. loc: C 2.176 - Viewed Director James L. Brooks returns to the helm for this ensemble comedy starring Reese Witherspoon, Jack Nicholson, Paul Rudd, and Owen Wilson, which centers on the story of a passionate athlete who finds herself romantically torn between a narcissistic baseball star and a straight-laced businessman. As far back as Lisa (Witherspoon) can remember, her life has been defined by sports. Then, in the blink of an eye, she's cut from the team. With her identity in crisis as she attempts to regain her footing in life, Lisa begins dating Matty (Wilson), a Major League Baseball pitcher and notorious womanizer. Meanwhile, terminally honest businessman George (Rudd) finds himself on the road to financial ruin or worse after being wrongly implicated in a financial crime. As George struggles to clear his name and reconcile his turbulent relationship with his father, Charles (Nicholson), a chance meeting with Lisa at the lowest point in both of their lives leaves him optimistic that things may work out after all. Meanwhile, Lisa and George both realize that the only thing that's certain about the future is that we never know what fate has in store for us. How the Grinch Stole Christmas Directed by Chuck Jones. Starring Boris Karloff, June Foray, Thurl Ravenscroft. 1965: ANIMATED NR 60 min. loc: C - Not Viewed ★★★★ Chuck Jones' animated version of the classic Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas originally aired on television in 1966 and has since become a holiday family favorite. Voiced by Boris Karloff (who also narrates), the Grinch lives on top of a hill overlooking Whoville with his dog, Max. Each year at Christmas time, the Grinch's hatred grows stronger toward those insufferably cheerful Whos down in Whoville. Content to exchange presents, eat large banquets, and sing songs in the town square, the Whos live in a blissful ignorance of the Grinch's contempt. One year, he gets the idea to stop Christmas from coming by dressing up as Santa Claus. He cobbles together an outfit and makes his dog drag him around on a sleigh while sneaking into the Whos' homes and stealing their presents, food, and decorations. After he has stolen every last thing, the Whos wake up on Christmas morning to sing in the town square, causing the Grinch to question the basis of his nefarious plan. Thurl Ravenscroft (the voice of kid cereal mascot Tony the Tiger) provides the vocals for the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." This story was remade into a live-action movie in 2000 by director Ron Howard starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People Directed by Robert B. Weide. Starring Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges. 2009 Feb: COMEDY R 110 min. loc: C 1.286 - Not Viewed Frequent Curb Your Enthusiasm director Robert B. Weide makes his feature directorial debut with this screen adaptation of British writer Toby Young's comedic novel of the same name. When self-promoting scribe Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) accepts a position as a contributing editor for iconic fashion magazine "Sharps," his subsequent attempts to ingratiate himself with both his egotistical boss, Clayton Harding, and the superficial celebrities who populate the pages of the magazine prove disastrously hilarious. How to Marry a Millionaire Directed by Jean Negulesco. Starring Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, David Wayne, Rory Calhoun, Cameron Mitchell. 1953: COMEDY NR 105 min. loc: C 3.219 - Not Viewed ★★★★ A remake of 1933's The Greeks Had a Word for Them, as well as a retread of 20th Century-Fox's favorite plotline, How to Marry a Millionaire was the first Hollywood comedy to be lensed in Cinemascope. Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe play three models of modest means who rent an expensive Manhattan penthouse apartment and pose as women of wealth. It's all part of a scheme hatched by Bacall to snare rich husbands for herself and her roommates. The near-sighted Monroe is wooed by an international playboy, but ends up settling for the tax-dodging fugitive (David Wayne) who owns the girls' apartment. The knuckle-headed Grable goes off on an illicit weekend in the mountains with a grouchy married executive (Fred Clark), but falls instead for a comparatively poor--but very handsome--forest ranger (Rory Calhoun). And Bacall very nearly lands an aging millionaire (William Powell), but has a sudden attack of conscience and opts instead for the supposedly poverty-stricken chap (Cameron Mitchell) who has been pursuing her since reel one. It turns out that she has actually landed one of the richest men in New York--and upon learning this, our three luscious heroines faint dead away. Before the opening credits roll in How to Marry a Millionaire, we are treated to a "live" orchestral rendition of Alfred Newman's "Street Scene" overture, conducted by Newman himself. In addition to its being the first wide-screen comedy, Millionaire was also the first-ever presentation of the weekly NBC series Saturday Night at the Movies, premiering on the small screen on September 23, 1961. How to Rob a Bank Directed by Andrews Jenkins. Starring Nick Stahl, Erika Christensen, Gavin Rossdale. 2008 Aug: ACTION - 81 min. loc: C 1.287 - Not Viewed Nick Stahl, Erika Christensen, and Gavin Rossdale star in a high-stakes caper film in which the only thing for certain is that nothing is as it seems. Fed up with the manner in which super-sized corporations continually stack the deck against the common man, Jason "Jinx" Taylor (Stahl) reaches his wit's end after attempting to withdraw his last 20 dollars from the bank and getting refused due to the fact that the transaction fee will overdraw him. Locked in a tightly sealed bank vault with pretty Jessica (Christensen), Jinx struggles to find a way out as armed robber Simon (Rossdale) and his men search for a means of getting in. As Officer De Gespe (Terry Crews) and his men surround the bank, it begins to appear that the situation is slightly more complicated than the cops anticipated. When Simon fails to intimidate Jinx into opening the vault, loyalties are tested and the situation quickly turns volatile. Soon it's revealed that the true mastermind of the operation is a man whom no one had expected, and that in order to collect the funds that have been skimmed from bank fees over the course of many years, he will have to convince Jinx and Jessica to issue a secret PIN number. Now, in order to escape with both the cash and their lives, Jinx will have to convince cops and robbers alike that he and Jessica are merely hostages who need to be released before things get truly out of hand. How to Train Your Dragon I Directed by Chris Sanders, David Soren. Starring Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Craig Ferguson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig. 2010 Mar: ANIMATED PG 98 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★★ Long ago up North on the Island of Berk, the young Viking, Hiccup, wants to join his town's fight against the dragons that continually raid their town. However, his macho father and village leader, Stoik the Vast, will not allow his small, clumsy, but inventive son to do so. Regardless, Hiccup ventures out into battle and downs a mysterious Night Fury dragon with his invention, but can't bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon, whom he dubs Toothless, begin a friendship that would open up both their worlds as the observant boy learns that his people have misjudged the species. But even as the two each take flight in their own way, they find that they must fight the destructive ignorance plaguing their world. The son of a Viking chief must capture a dragon in order to mark his passage into manhood and prove his worthiness to the tribe in directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois' adaptation of Cressida Cowell's popular children's book. Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse provide voices for the DreamWorks Animation production. How to Train Your Dragon II Directed by Dean DeBlois. Starring Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrara, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig. 2014 Jun: ANIMATED PG 102 min. loc: C 4.202 - Not Viewed ★★★★ It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snotlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons. Howl's Moving Castle Directed by Hayao Miyasaki. Starring Christian Bale, Emily Mortimer, Lauren Bacall. 2004: ANIMATED PG 119 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★★☆ Hayao Miyazaki, the Japanese animation director who wowed audiences worldwide with his award-winning film Spirited Away, brings another visually spectacular tale of imagination to the screen. Sophie is an 18-year-old girl who toils in the hat shop opened years ago by her late father. Often harassed by local boys, one day Sophie is unexpectedly befriended by Howl, a strange but flamboyant wizard whose large home can travel under its own power. However, the Witch of the Waste is displeased with Sophie and Howl's budding friendship, and turns the pretty young woman into an ugly and aged hag. Sophie takes shelter in Howl's castle, and attempts to find a way to reverse the witch's spell with the help of Calcifer, a subdued but powerful demon who exists in the form of fire, and Markl, who protects the four-way door which can instantly take visitors to other lands and dimensions. Howl's Moving Castle was released in North America by Walt Disney Pictures, who distributed the film both in its original Japanese and in a dubbed English version; the English-speaking voice cast includes Christian Bale, Emily Mortimer, Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall, and Billy Crystal. Hugo Directed by Martin Scorsese. Starring Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone. 2012 Mar: FANTASY PG 126 min. loc: C 3.42 - Not Viewed (SP) ★★★☆ Martin Scorsese's adaptation of Brian Selznick's award-winning novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret stars Asa Butterfield, as an orphan boy who lives in a Parisian train station. Sent to live with his drunken uncle after his father's death in a fire, Hugo learned how to wind the massive clocks that run throughout the station. When the uncle disappears one day, Hugo decides to maintain the clocks on his own, hoping nobody will catch on to him squatting in the station. His natural aptitude for engineering leads him to steal gears, tools, and other items from a toy-shop owner who maintains a storefront in the station. Hugo needs these purloined pieces in order to rebuild a mechanical man that was left in the father's care at the museum -- the restoration was a project father and son did together. When Georges (Ben Kingsley), the old man who runs the toy stand, catches on to the thievery, he threatens to turn Hugo over to the station's lone police officer (Sacha Baron Cohen, who makes every effort to send any parentless child in the station to the orphanage. But Hugo's run-in with Georges leads to a friendship with the elderly gentleman's goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), who unknowingly possesses the last item Hugo needs to make the mechanical man work again. Hulk Directed by Ang Lee. Starring Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte. 2003 Jun: COMIC BOOK PG-13 138 min. loc: C 3.264 - Not Viewed ★★★ Ang Lee directs the live-action feature film The Hulk, based on the Marvel comic book created by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby. Emotionally stunted Dr. Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) is part of a research team at the University of California at Berkeley. Corporate hustler Glenn Talbot (Josh Lucas) takes notice of the lab and makes plans to take it over. Then Bruce accidentally gets hit by an experimental ray and grows into a huge beast, destroying the lab in the process. A creepy janitor who claims to be his real father, Dr. David Banner (Nick Nolte), starts to secretly use the experimental ray on himself. He creates some mutant dogs and sends them after Bruce's lab mate and ex-girlfriend Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly). After Bruce saves her life in the form of the Hulk, she lets her distant father, General Ross (Sam Elliott), take him to an abandoned army base in the desert. However, Glenn Talbot takes over the operation and wants to patent the creature's superpowers for his own profit, so he holds Bruce unconscious in an isolation tank. When provoked, Bruce turns into the Hulk and makes a break for San Francisco, leading to a desert chase sequence involving military aircraft, tanks, and bombs. Only the sight of Betty can make him turn back to his human form. When he is eventually captured, Dr. David Banner shows up for a final confrontation with his son and his old adversary, General Ross. Hulk, The Incredible Directed by Louis Leterrier. Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, Christina Cabot, Lou Ferrigno. 2008 Oct: COMIC BOOK PG-13 113 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★☆ Mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner has been traveling the globe in search of the antidote that will allow him to break free from his primal alter ego, but both the warmongers who long to exploit him for their own gain and a horrific creature known as The Abomination are determined to stop him from achieving his noble goal in Transporter 2 director Louis Leterrier's take on the classic Marvel Comics superhero tale. For years, Bruce (Edward Norton) has been living in the shadows, pursued by the military and haunted by the rage within. But traveling the world in secrecy isn't easy, and as hard as he tries Bruce can't get Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) off his mind. The daughter of Bruce's nemesis Gen. Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt), Betty represents everything that is beautiful in the world to a man who lives his life on the run. Eventually, Bruce returns to civilization and faces the wrath of The Abomination. While the Hulk may be a formidable force of nature, The Abomination is decidedly more powerful, and determined to destroy Bruce Banner. Created when KGB agent Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) exposed himself to a higher dose of the same radiation that transformed Bruce into The Hulk, The Abomination is unable to change back into human form and holds Bruce accountable for his frightful condition. With time fast running out for both Bruce and The Hulk, New York City is about to become the ultimate urban battle zone as two of the most powerful creatures ever to walk the earth clash in a massive, no-holds-barred fight to the finish. Human Stain, The Directed by Robert Benton. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris. 2003: DRAMA R 105 min. loc: W - Not Viewed For his first film since 1998's Twilight, acclaimed director Robert Benton helmed this tense drama written by Fatal Attraction co-scribe Nicholas Meyer and based on the novel of the same name by Philip Roth. Set in the late '90s at the height of the Clinton sex-scandal, The Human Stain stars Anthony Hopkins as Coleman Silk, a respected professor at a New England college who suddenly finds his life unraveling after a comment he makes about some African-American students is misinterpreted as a racial slur. As the scandal heats up, Nathan Zuckerman (Gary Sinise), a writer researching a biography of Silk, begins to dig deeper and deeper into Silk's life. Eventually, matters are made worse when an affair with a young married janitor named Faunia Farley (Nicole Kidman) is exposed. But amid the controversy, Silk must struggle to keep his greatest secret, a secret he's held for the majority of his life, from becoming public. Ed Harris, who previously worked with Benton in 1984's Places in the Heart, also stars. Human Trafficking Directed by Christian Duguay. Starring Mira Sorvino, Donald Sutherland, Robert Carylyle, Isabelle Blais, Larry Day. 2005 Oct: THRILLER NR 180 min. loc: C 3.185 - Not Viewed ★★★☆ For naïve audiences under the impression that sexual slavery is a thing of the past, director Christian Duguay's Golden Globe-nominated tale of the multi-billion-dollar modern slavery industry proves that even in the 21st century, human life can still be measured in dollars. Four girls from across the world, including a 12-year-old American tourist on vacation overseas, have been kidnapped and thrust into the terrifying world of international sex trade, and a specialized team of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are determined to bring down the global network that sponsors such heinous crimes. A former victim who has dedicated her life to protecting the innocent, ICE agent Kate Morozov (Mira Sorvino) braves the flesh-peddlers of Russia and endures the terror of an urban torture chamber located in the very heart of Queens in order to bring the ruthless kingpin behind these crimes to justice. When the world's most dedicated cop crosses swords with the man who drives one of the most expansive global conspiracies on the planet, the stage is set for an explosive confrontation of epic proportions. Humboldt County Directed by Danny Jacobs, Darren Grodsky. Starring Jeremy Strong, Fairuza Balk, Peter Bogdanovich. 2009 Feb: DRAMA R 98 min. loc: C 1.288 - Not Viewed An ambitious and straight-laced young man falls in with a group of stoners and aging hippies in this independent comedy drama. Peter Hadley (Jeremy Strong) is a medical student in his early twenties whose dreams of a residency at a prestigious teaching hospital are dashed when he flunks out of a class taught by his father (Peter Bogdanovich). Trying to blot out his awful day, Peter heads to a jazz club, where he ends up going home with Bogart (Fairuza Balk), the sexy singer with the band. The next day, Peter tags along with Bogart as she pays a visit to her family, and is soon stranded with her aunt and uncle as she heads back into the city. Jack (Brad Dourif) and Rosie (Frances Conroy) are former academics-turned-bohemian dropouts who live in a remote and idyllic community near California's redwood forests, where they support themselves by growing marijuana. Also living with Jack and Rosie are Max (Chris Messina), Bogart's sometime boyfriend, and Charity (Madison Davenport), Max's young daughter. While Peter clearly doesn't fit in with Jack, Rosie, and their friends at first, before long he develops an appreciation and respect for their way of life as he ponders his future, but the risks of their profession become equally clear to him, and Max is looking for a big score so he and Charity can move on. Humboldt Country was the first feature film from the writing and directing team of Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs. Hung Directed by Colette Burson, Dmitry Lipkin. Starring Thomas Jane, Jane Adams, Anne Heche. 2010 Jun: TV SERIES NR 315 min. loc: W - Not Viewed Original Air Date—28 June 2009 Years ago, as a student at Detroitʼs West Lakefield High School, Ray Drecker was athletic, popular and destined for success. Today, as a West Lakefield teacher and coach of the varsity basketball team (which is on an unprecedented losing streak), heʼs underpaid, uninsured and embittered that his wife of 20 years left him for her dermatologist, Ronnie Haxon. After fire damages the rundown lakeside home he inherited from his parents, Rayʼs fortunes reach an all-time low when his twin children Darby and Damon, who had been living with him, move in with their mom and her smug husband. Lonely, run down and at witʼs end, Ray attends a self-help class, where the mantra is to identify a personal “winning tool” to market for financial success. After a not-so fulfilling encounter with fellow attendee Tanya Skagle, a would-be poet, Ray has a “eureka” moment. With the help of Tanya, the well-endowed Ray sets out to exploit his greatest asset in hopes of changing his fortunes. Hunger Games I, The Directed by Gary Ross. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Willow Shields, Wes Bentley, Stanley Tucci, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Paula Malcomson. 2012 Aug: SCI-FI PG-13 142 min. loc: C 4.40 - Viewed ★★★★ Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who is selected to compete in a vicious televised tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses. In the future, North America is no more. In its place has risen Panem, a divided nation split into 12 districts. Every year, each district selects a teen of each gender (called "Tributes") to test their worth in a competition known as the Hunger Games, which are broadcast across the nation as entertainment, and to reinforce the government's total power. When her younger sister is selected as District 12's latest "Tribute," Katniss volunteers to take her place, and trains under hard-drinking former Hunger Games champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) to sharpen her killer instincts. Now in order to survive the game and emerge the victor, this young combatant must put all of her skills to the ultimate test. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth co-star. Hunger Games II, The: Catching Fire Directed by Francis Lawrence. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Jack Quaid, Taylor St. Claire, Willow Shields, Donald Sutherland, Lenny Kravitz, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Paula Malcomson. 2013 Nov: SCI-FI PG-13 146 min. loc: C 4.42 - Viewed ★★★★ A year after winning the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and her partner, Peeta Mellark must go on what is known as the Victor's Tour wherein they visit all the districts. But before leaving, Katniss is visited by President Snow who fears that Katniss defied him a year ago during the games when she chose to die with Peta. With both Katniss and Peeta declared the winners, it is fueling a possible uprising. He tells Katniss that while on tour she better try to make sure that she puts out the flames or else everyone she cares about will be in danger. But unfortunately she fails to do that. So Snow decides to enact what is known as the Quarter Quell, the right to make a change to the Hunger Games, which he is allowed to do every 25 years. He decides to hold an edition of the Hunger Games wherein previous winners will compete again. Their mentor Haymitch thinks their best chance to survive is form an alliance with some of the others. They decide to align themselves with Finnick and his partner, Mags. But Snow is secretly hoping Katniss will be killed. Hunger Games III, The: Mockingjay - Part 1 Directed by Francis Lawrence. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Elizabeth Banks, Mahershala Ali, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Paula Malcomson. 2014 Nov: SCI-FI PG-13 125 min. loc: C 4.259 - Viewed ★★★☆ The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the third in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins that has over 65 million copies in print in the U.S. alone Hunger Games IV, The: Mockingjay - Part 2 Directed by Francis Leonard. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Willow Shields, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Sam Claflin, Mahershala Ali, Paula Malcomson. 2015 Nov: SCI-FI PG-13 137 min. loc: C 4.424 - Viewed ★★★☆ After young Katniss Everdeen agrees to be the symbol of rebellion, the Mockingjay, she tries to return Peeta to his normal state, tries to get to the Capitol, and tries to deal with the battles coming her way...but all for her main goal; assassinating President Snow and returning peace to the Districts of Panem. As her squad starts to get smaller and smaller, will she make it to the Capitol? Will she get revenge on Snow? Or will her target change? Will she be with her "Star-Crossed Lover", Peeta? Or her long time friend, Gale? Deaths, Bombs, Bows and Arrows, A Love Triangle, Hope. What will happen? Hunt to Kill Directed by Keoni Waxman. Starring Steve Austin, Gil Bellows, Gary Daniels. 2010 Nov: ACTION R 97 min. loc: C 2.90 - Not Viewed Divorced single father and U.S. Border Patrol Agent Jim Rhodes (Steve Austin) strikes back with a vengeance after being kidnapped, along with his teenage daughter, by a dangerous gang of fugitives. Now, in the dense Pacific Northwest mountains, hunting season is about to get underway. Hunted, The Directed by William Friedkin. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio Del Toro, Connie Nielsen, Leslie Stefanson. 2003: THRILLER R 94 min. loc: C 2.191 - Viewed A rogue special-forces soldier is tracked down by his former mentor in this action thriller from director William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist). In his first role since winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2001, Benicio del Toro stars as Aaron Hallam, one of the U.S. military's most skilled hand-to-hand combat operatives. In the years following his successful assassination of a Serbian warlord in late-'90s Kosovo, Hallam finds himself plagued by traumatic flashbacks of death and destruction, so much so that when he finally returns home, he regresses into a feral, survivalist state in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. There, he deliberately and elaborately hunts and kills poachers who happen to cross his path. When the FBI investigates the murders, they call in the man who taught Hallam everything he knows: retiree L.T. Bonham (Tommy Lee Jones). As the instructor pursues his unhinged former pupil, Bonham begins to learn about key events in Hallam's life that pushed him over the edge. Hunter, The Directed by Daniel Nettheim. Starring Willem Dafoe, Frances O'Connor, Sam Neill, Morgana Davies. 2012 Jul: THRILLER R 101 min. loc: C 3.423 - Viewed ★★★☆ The Hunter is the story of Martin, a skilled and ruthless mercenary sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger's genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a family whose father has gone missing. Usually a loner, Martin becomes increasingly close to the family; however, as his attachment to the family grows, Martin is led down a path of unforeseen dangers, complicating his deadly mission. Hunting Party, The Directed by Richard Shepard. Starring Richard Gere, Terrence Howard, Jesse Eisenberg, James Brolin. 2008 Jan: COM/DRAMA R 101 min. loc: C 1.289 - Viewed ★★★☆ An emerging journalist (Jesse Eisenberg), an experienced cameraman (Terrence Howard), and a discredited reporter (Richard Gere) find their bold plan to capture Bosnia's top war criminal quickly spiraling out of control when a UN representative mistakes them for a CIA hit squad in a light-hearted thriller inspired by Scott Anderson's popular Esquire article. The Weinstein Company provides stateside distribution for a film written and directed by Richard Shepard (The Matador). Huntsman II, The: Winter's War Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan. Starring Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt, Nick Frost, Rob Brydon, Fred Tatasciore, Sam Claflin. 2016 Apr: ACT/FANTASY PG-13 121 min. loc: C 4.458 - Not Viewed ★★★ Freya the Ice Queen (Emily Blunt) brings her sister Ravenna (Charlize Theron) back to life, and the powerful evil siblings plan to conquer the Enchanted Forest. Only the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) and his secret lover Sara (Jessica Chastain) can stop them in this sequel continuing the inventive twist on the Snow White fable Huntsman, The I: Snow White and the Huntsman Directed by Rupert Sanders. Starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost. 2012 Sep: FANTASY PG-13 128 min. loc: C 3.246 - Not Viewed ★★★ The enchanting Snow White (Kristen Stewart) joins forces with the fierce Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), who was recruited by the diabolical Queen (Charlize Theron) to kill the fair beauty, and together they fight to rid their kingdom of evil in this bold new take on the fairy-tale classic from commercial director Rupert Sanders. Obsessed with being the fairest woman in the land, the Queen learns that Snow White will soon surpass her in beauty, and seeks to achieve immortality by consuming the young girl's heart. But the Huntsman is the only one capable of braving the dark forest to seek out Snow White. Threatened with death should he refuse to follow his order, the Huntsman finds Snow White, and begins training her for the arduous battle ahead. Meanwhile, a handsome prince (Sam Claflin) falls hopelessly under Snow White's spell. Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Eddie Izzard, Bob Hoskins, Toby Jones, Eddie Marsan, and Stephen Graham co-star as the seven dwarfs Hurricane Season Directed by Tim Story. Starring Forest Whitaker, Isaiah Washington. 2010 Mar: DRAMA PG-13 loc: C 1.290 - Not Viewed Tim Story directs this sports drama based on real events, with Forest Whitaker starring as Al Collins, a high-school basketball coach who leads a ragtag team to the state finals just a year after the Katrina disaster in this Weinstein Co. production. Robert Eisele (The Great Debaters) provides the screenplay. Hurt Directed by Barbara Stepansky. Starring Melora Walters, William Mapother, Johanna E. Braddy. 2009 Nov: THRILLER R 97 min. loc: C 1.291 - Not Viewed A grieving family contends with a growing sense of dread after moving to the desert and experiencing a series of tragic, inexplicable accidents. When Robert Coltrane died suddenly, the life his family once knew was forever changed. In an effort to regain some sense of normalcy, his widow Helen (Melora Walters) takes their teenage children Conrad (Jackson Rathbone) and Lenore (Johanna E. Braddy) to live with their reclusive uncle Darryl (William Mapother) in Arizona. But life around William's house is far from normal; not only is the seldom seen uncle something of a gun fanatic, but just as the family is settling in they receive a most unusual visitor. It seems that before Robert died, he agreed to take in Sarah (Sofia Vassilieva), a lovely yet troubled young girl from a particularly unstable background. Shortly after Sarah's arrival, the Coltrane's are plagued by a series of macabre occurrences that seem to have no reasonable explanation Hurt Locker, The Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Guy Pearce, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly. 2010 Jan: WAR R 130 min. loc: W - Viewed ★★★★ Based on the personal wartime experiences of journalist Mark Boal (who adapted his experiences with a bomb squad into a fact-based, yet fictional story), director Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War-set action thriller The Hurt Locker presents the conflict in the Middle East from the perspective of those who witnessed the fighting firsthand -- the soldiers. As an elite Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team tactfully navigates the streets of present-day Iraq, they face the constant threat of death from incoming bombs and sharp-shooting snipers. In Baghdad, roadside bombs are a common danger. The Army is working to make the city a safer place for Americans and Iraqis, so when it comes to dismantling IEDs (improvised explosive devices) the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) crew is always on their game. But protecting the public isn't easy when there's no room for error, and every second spent dismantling a bomb is another second spent flirting with death. Now, as three fearless bomb technicians take on the most dangerous job in Baghdad, it's only a matter of time before one of them gets sent to "the hurt locker." Jeremy Renner, Guy Pearce, and Ralph Fiennes star. Hustler, The Directed by Robert Rossen. Starring Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, Murray Hamilton, Michael Constantine, Jake LaMotta. 1961 Sep: CLASSIC NR 135 min. loc: C 2.607 - Viewed ★★★★ As The Hustler's "Fast" Eddie Felson, Paul Newman created a classic antihero, charismatic but fundamentally flawed, and nobody's role model. A pool player from Oakland, CA, as good as anyone who ever picked up a cue, Eddie has an Achilles' heel: arrogance. It's not enough for him to win: he must force his opponent to acknowledge his superiority. The movie follows Eddie from his match against billiards champ Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) as he falls in love with Sarah (Piper Laurie), an alcoholic would-be writer and sometime prostitute, and falls under the spell of Bert Gordon (George C. Scott), a successful gambler who offers to take Eddie under his wing and teach him how to play in the big time. However, when Sarah joins Eddie and Bert on a trip to Louisville for a high-stakes match with a dandy named Findlay (Murray Hamilton), the consequences prove tragic. Along with a classic performance by Newman, The Hustler also features turns by Scott, Laurie, and Gleason, in a rare dramatic role. Cameos from pool champ Willie Mosconi and boxer Jake LaMotta add to the atmosphere of Harry Horner's grubby production design and Eugen Schüfftan's camerawork. Director Robert Rossen, who had been working in films since 1937, was to direct only one more film, Lilith (1964), before his death in 1966. In 1986, Newman returned to the role of "Fast" Eddie in Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money, for which he finally earned an Academy Award as Best Actor. Hysterical Blindness Directed by Mira Nair. Starring Uma Thurman, Gena Rowlands, Juliette Lewis, Ben Gazzara. 2002: DRAMA NR 99 min. loc: W - Not Viewed Two aging single women in 1980s New Jersey enact a depressing routine of deluded barroom romance in this made-for-cable drama. At least 15 years after her father walked out on her, Debby (Uma Thurman) still has issues with men. She spends her evenings carousing with best friend, Beth (Juliette Lewis), and her hung-over days working customer service and dreaming of a proper romance. Debby's endless stream of dissatisfactions includes single mom Beth's precocious daughter, whose needs sometimes interrupt the women's search for boyfriends, and the shrewish condescension of her older co-workers. But on the very same day that high-strung Debby experiences a bout of hysterical blindness at work, she enjoys a strained encounter in the parking lot of her favorite watering hole with handsome construction worker Rick (Justin Chambers). This brief flirtation convinces Debby that she's finally found Mr. Right, but it's obvious to anyone else watching that Rick is Mr. Right Now, at best. As the relationship staggers along, Debby becomes convinced that the same is true of Nick (Ben Gazzara), the kindly widower who is courting her waitress mother, Virginia (Gena Rowlands). But even Nick's fatherly overtones and fine intentions can't shield Debby and Virginia from the vicissitudes of life. Executive-produced by star Thurman, Hysterical Blindness was directed by Mira Nair, fresh off the success of the art-house hit Monsoon Wedding. The associate producer was writer Laura Cahill, who adapted her own play for the small screen. The film premiered August 25, 2002, on HBO.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_304_21	Armstrong FIL 2032 - History of Film II UNIT THREE (Part Two): Trends of the 70s Extend Into the 80s: The Introduction of 'High-Concept' Films: The decade of the 1980s tended to consolidate the gains made in the seventies rather than to initiate any new trends equal to the large number of disaster movies, or "rogue cop" movies that characterized the previous decade. Designed and packaged for mass audience appeal, few 80s films became what could be called 'classics'. The era was characterized by the introduction of 'high-concept' films - with cinematic plots that could be easily characterized by one or two sentences (25 words or less) - and therefore easily marketable and understandable. Producer Don Simpson (partnered with Jerry Bruckheimer) has been credited with the creation of the high-concept picture (or "modern" Hollywood blockbuster), although its roots could be seen in the late 70s (i.e., the prototypical Jaws (1975), Saturday Night Fever (1977), Star Wars (1977), Alien (1979) - known in high-concept terms as, "Jaws in Space"). Simpson was the first producer to understand and exploit the significance of MTV. His action-packed, loud, flashy, simplistic, and tightly-structured films brought crowds to the multiplexes every summer. His lowest common-denominator films reflected the MTV generation, such as in his debut film Flashdance (1983) - with its pop soundtrack and iconic 'freeze-frame' ending. Other successes followed in the 80s: Beverly Hills Cop (1984) with its 'fish-out-of-water' high concept, the sexy Thief of Hearts (1984), the high-flying Top Gun (1986) - the epitome of Simpson's technique, and the stock-car racing film Days of Thunder (1990) again with Tom Cruise. By the end of the 80s era as a result, most films were not designed for 'thinking' adult audiences (such as Driving Miss Daisy (1989)), but were 'low-brow' for dumbed-down teen audiences looking for sheer entertainment value or thrills (for example, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), James Cameron's Aliens (1986), or Die Hard (1988)). After the innovations of the 70s, films in the 80s were less experimental and original, but more formulaic, although there was a burst of films eager to capitalize on new special effects (CGI) techniques now available. Predictions were grim for the industry - production costs were soaring while ticket prices were declining. The average ticket price at the beginning of the decade was about $3, and over $4 by the end of the decade, while the average film budget was over $18 million. However, fears of the demise of Hollywood proved to be premature. Another Search for a Blockbuster: The personal cinema of 70s auteur directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin, Peter Bogdanovich, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg was now superseded by the advent of the "blockbuster" phenomenon that they had created. The industry continued to pander to the tastes and desires of "young people" - one of the negative legacies of Star Wars (1977) of the late 70s. Steven Spielberg's and George Lucas' names have often been associated with the term "blockbuster" - and their films inevitably continued to contribute to the trend during this decade, such as The Empire Strikes Back (1980), the great and exhilarating escapist-adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Return of the Jedi (1983), and the childhood fantasy hit E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) with a lovable stranded alien, inspired by Peter Pan, the resurrection themes of Christianity, and with an anti-science bias. There were others that were successful, such as Ghostbusters (1984), Romancing the Stone (1984), and Back to the Future (1985), and their successive sequels. Following this model, Hollywood continued to search, with demographic research and a "bottom line mentality," for the one large "event film" that everyone (including international audiences) had to see (with dazzling special effects technology, sophisticated sound tracks, mega-marketing budgets, and costly, highly-paid stars). Most big-screen event movies, scheduled to be released at advantageous times (at summer and Christmas-time) would take expensive fortunes to produce - but they promised potentially lucrative payoffs. In retrospect, many of the blockbusters in the 80s, such as those mentioned above, were well-constructed films with strong characters and plots not entirely built upon their special-effects. Big Losers, Flops and Bombs: Turkeys of the 80s Decade : There were a number of highly-touted films of the era that fared very poorly. Within a few years, it was becoming clear that blockbusters would not always insure instant profits and success: Director Michael Cimino's and United Artists' incomprehensible, over-long epic Western film Heaven's Gate (1980) about Wyoming's Johnson County wars cost almost six times above-budget to produce (from $7.5 million to about $44 million). It was originally a 5-hour 25 minute version that was cut down to 219 minutes for its November, 1980 NYC premiere. The film was immediately pulled, re-cut and then re-released five months later (after being shortened by 70 minutes) in 1981 - and still failed due to bad press. It stunned its studio by becoming the biggest flop in film history at the time (US box-office was about $1.5 million) - it lost at least $40 million. UA's corporate parent, Transamerica, had to sell the studio to MGM for only $350 million as a result. [UA was responsible for earlier hits Midnight Cowboy (1969), Annie Hall (1977), and the James Bond films.] Since then, the film has been synonymous for any film facing major financial disaster and for the director-centric era of the 70s. Bank-rolled support for independent 'auteur' directors of the New Wave of 70s directors (who controlled their own production costs with little studio oversight) ended when this film's director (Best Director winner for The Deer Hunter (1978)) was criticized as being self-indulgent, financially irresponsible and ego-driven. The end of the era also arrived due to similar failures by other auteurs: Peter Bogdanovich with At Long Last Love (1975), Martin Scorsese with New York, New York (1977) and even Steven Spielberg with 1941 (1979). [Martin Scorsese's planned film project Gangs of New York (2002) (with 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture), first conceived in 1978, was shelved as a result, and released many years after initial plans and screenplay completion.] (Apparently the Poster People were confused with who was who. Cameron Diaz sure doesn't look like Daniel Day-Lewis, and vice versa, I think...) MGM/UA's and Terence Young's Korean War epic Inchon (1981) with Laurence Olivier (as General Douglas MacArthur) was produced by Rev. Sung Myung Moon and his Reunification Church - it was an embarrassment that was quickly withdrawn, with a budget of about $50 million and a US box-office of only $5 million. Hugh Hudson's (famous for the Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire (1981)) miscalculated historical epic of the American Revolution was WB's Revolution (1985), with star Al Pacino miscast as an 18th century New York fur trapper. It grossed only $359,000 on a budget of about $28 million. The film's colossal failure curtailed Hudson's major directorial efforts until the big-budget I Dreamed of Africa (2000) 15 years later, and Pacino wouldn't star in another film for four years (until Sea of Love (1989)). John Huston's first and sole musical, Annie (1982), a dull, uninspired major flop (that barely broke even) - inspired by the Broadway musical. The rights to the show were sold in 1978 for $9.5 million, the highest amount ever at the time. Howard the Duck (1986), based on Steve Gerber's 70s Marvel Comics character (which went out of print in 1981), and from executive producer George Lucas (and his screenwriting pal, director Willard Huyck), was one of the worst and least successful big-budget films ever made. Lucas hired Willard Hyuck and his wife Gloria Katz (the screenwriter for Lucas' film American Graffiti (1973)) to write the big-screen version. This misguided Universal film domestically grossed about $15 million on a budget of $30 million. The highly-anticipated Shanghai Surprise (1986), produced by Handmade Films (headed by the Beatles' George Harrison), starred newlyweds: pop diva singer Madonna and volatile actor Sean Penn. Lacking a coherent plot and without any chemistry between the two leads in poorly-acted characterizations, the overlong film failed miserably (with a box-office take of only $2.3 million with a budget of $17 million) and was nicknamed "Flop Suey". Columbia Pictures' and writer/director Elaine May's Ishtar (1987), was a poor imitation of the Hope/Crosby/Lamour "Road" pictures. It was a very expensive comedy film ($55 million) with only a small box-office gross of about $14 million, was a tremendous disaster and one of the worst films ever made according to some reviewers - in spite of its stars Warren Beatty, Isabelle Adjani and Dustin Hoffman (who won an Oscar the next year for Rain Man (1988)). Writer/director Terry Gilliam's (of Monty Python fame) deeply-troubled but visually-captivating fantasy production of The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen (1989) was a major failure, due to production delays, legal issues, and on-location difficulties. Despite four Oscar nominations, it had a US gross of only $8 million with a film budget of about $46 million. And one more at the start of the 90s, director Brian De Palma's political satire The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), vaguely based upon Tom Wolfe's best-selling saga about stockbroker Sherman McCoy, featured multi-million dollar contracts for its miscast stars Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis. Savaged by critics, it had a budget of $47 million, and grossed only about $16 million. Unexpected Successes: Who would know or be able to predict that other films would be successful: Victor/Victoria (1982), set in 1930s Paris, in which Julie Andrews pretended to be a man -- pretending to be a woman, something that confused James Garner; Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy (1982), a dark comedy about the search for stand-up comic celebrity by Rupert Pupkin (Scorsese's favorite actor Robert DeNiro), self-proclaimed as The "King of Comedy"; the film also featured an appearance by real-life comedian Jerry Lewis as arrogant Jerry Langford -- Pupkin's talk-show host idol -- who was kidnapped and tied up (and duct-taped) with assistance from his accomplice Masha (Sandra Bernhard) after Pupkin was snubbed, so that he could take his spot on the show; Milos Forman's Best Picture-winning Amadeus (1984), a biopic (adapted by Peter Shaffer from his own play) without big-name stars and about foul-mouthed genius Wolfgang Mozart (Tom Hulce) and a rival composer named Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) vying for the favor of an Austrian king. James Cameron's The Terminator (1984) was a story about Sarah Connor - the unsuspecting future mother of John - the leader of a human rebellion against the machines (which were exemplified by the brutal metallic cyborg T-800 played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who journeyed back in time to assassinate her); the intense and lean film established an action film genre that extends to the present day. The musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors (1986), originally a Roger Corman horror film in the 60s, about a florist shop that spawned a hungry plant named Audrey II that consumed demented dentist Steve Martin as one of its victims; its song "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space" was Oscar-nominated. Tim Burton's ambitious, hyped and over-marketed production of a dark-shaded Batman (1989) - a Warners' mega-hit film promoted with lucrative merchandising that became the blockbuster hit of the last year of the decade, with an over-the-top performance by Jack Nicholson as the villainous Joker ("Where does he get those wonderful toys?") and comedian Michael Keaton in a serious, dual role as the comic book hero - the dark avenger of Gotham City. Big Business Entertainment: Film budgets skyrocketed due to special effects (expensive digital effects) and inflated salaries of name-recognition stars (and their agents). Big business increasingly took control of the movies and the way was opened for the foreign (mostly Japanese) ownership of Hollywood properties. To save money, many more films were being made in non-US locations by mid-decade. A number of the studios were taken over by multi-national conglomerates as their entertainment divisions: United Artists (acquired in 1969 by airline tycoon Kirk Kerkorian and temporarily abandoned) was bought and merged with MGM in 1981 to form MGM/UA; the company's film library was bought out by media mogul Ted Turner in 1986 for his cable TV channel, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.; then, in 1990 MGM was purchased by Sony Entertainment of Japan - home to both Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures (see below) 20th (or Twentieth) Century Fox was taken over by oil tycoon Marvin Davis in 1981 and then entered into a 50% shared ownership with Australian publisher Robert Murdoch in 1985, becoming part of Fox, Inc. The film production unit was renamed simply Fox Film Corporation in 1989, and by the end of the century became known simply as Fox . Columbia Pictures was purchased by the Coca-Cola Company in 1982; (Tri-Star Pictures was also created - a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS); Tri-Star Pictures bought Loew's Theaters in 1986; British film producer David Puttnam briefly headed Columbia Pictures for a few years beginning in 1986; the Sony Corporation of America purchased Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc. and Tri-Star Pictures from Coca-Cola for $3.4 billion in 1989, re-naming itself Sony Pictures Entertainment; in 1992, Sony Pictures Classics became an autonomous company within Sony Pictures . in 1966, Paramount became a wholly owned subsidiary of Gulf + Western Industries, Inc; in 1989, Gulf + Western was reconfigured and renamed Paramount Communications, Inc.; then in 1994, Paramount merged with Viacom International. MCA/Universal (which had officially merged in 1962) became a powerful TV production company, and started its organized studio tours - one of LA's most popular tourist attractions; they were acquired by Matsushita Electrical Industrial, Co. in 1991; in June 1995, The Seagram Company Ltd. (VO) purchased a majority equity in MCA from Matsushita; then in late 1996, MCA Inc. was renamed Universal Studios, reclaiming its heritage as one of the industry's oldest and most prestigious movie studios . Walt Disney Productions remained as one of the few studio-era survivors, with Michael Eisner as chairman and CEO beginning in 1984; it set up Touchstone Pictures in 1984 to make feature films that appealed to adult audiences; Buena Vista was Disney's distributor . Warner Communications merged with Time, Inc. - announced in 1989 (and completed in 1990) to become Time-Warner, Inc., a component of the media empire AOL-Time Warner. A few independent film companies, such as New Line Cinema and Miramax, began to make more experimental and offbeat films to fill the gaps provided by the major studios. Because costly film decisions were more in the hands of people making the financial decisions, not the film makers, movies were made only if they could guarantee financial success, thereby pandering to a few select, well-known star names attached to film titles without as much attention paid to intelligent scripts. With this kind of pressure, the most popular film stars demanded higher salaries, up front, and well as a percentage of the film's gross take, earning as much as $20 million. Budgets and actors salaries skyrocketed out of control, and powerful agents for agencies such as Creative Artists Agency (CAA) negotiated outrageous deals. Notable 1980s Milestones: Thirty-six year old Sherry Lansing was named president of production at 20th Century Fox in 1980 - and became the first female to hold this position and head a major studio (she resigned in 1982 to become an independent producer). In the early 1980s, Sony's superior video recording standard, termed Betamax, was overtaken by VHS (Video Home System) developed by JVC, with a longer record time of 2 hours; in 1987, when VHS commanded 95% market share, Sony finally began to abandon Betamax in 1980, Pioneer began to market its videodisk (laserdisc) players, thereby widening the availability of films for consumer viewing and purchase; In 1981, the music-video cable network MTV began broadcasting on August 1st at 12:01 am - the first music video that was aired was Video Killed the Radio Star - the debut single of the British duo - the Buggles. Ronald Reagan, a former President of the Screen Actor's Guild (from 1947-1952) and governor of California, became the first movie-star President of the US (the 40th) in 1981. His conservative reign and hard-edged approach toward the Soviet Union was reflected in Hollywood's many action-adventure films of the decade with aggressive, macho stars (Rocky, Rambo, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Clint Eastwood and others) - even his futuristic anti-missile defense system co-opted the name of Lucas' 70s film Star Wars (1977). In 1984, the Voyager Company introduced its Criterion Collection line of 'special edition,' high-quality, feature-packed laserdiscs, often with state-of-the-art transfers, the CAV (full feature) format, the full theatrical 'letter-box' format, special commentary tracks and supplemental material, dual audio, interviews and annotated commentary by film-makers and scholars, director's cuts, deleted scenes, storyboards and production designs, and other bonus features (theatrical shorts or trailers, shooting scripts, posters, stills galleries, print booklets, out-takes, dual versions of a film, and other extras, etc.) that have since become commonplace on DVDs by the turn of the century. New Technologies: Home Entertainment-Video, Cable TV, and Sound: Cable TV networks, direct broadcast satellites, and 1/2 inch videocassettes (in the VHS format) in the 80s encouraged broader distribution of films. Sales and revenues from pre-sold theatrical features for videocassette reproduction and cable TV distribution contributed increased percentages for studios' earnings - sometimes outpacing box-office profits. [In an influential decision, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Universal v. Sony Betamax (1984) that home video-taping for personal use was not a copyright infringement.] NOTE: My very first VHS recording (1982) was of the Michael Jackson "Thriller" music video (one of my exceptional musical pals, Chris Silagyi, of the late 70s "New Wave/Pop" band, 20/20, actually played me a demo version of the tune a YEAR prior to its actual album release. My favorite part of the demo? Vincent Price doin' some rappin'! Little did I know...) Many studios entered the business of producing films for commercial TV networks, and the release of their films for the home entertainment-video market became a profitable rental-sales business. The pre-recorded video of Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959) brought sales of over a million copies when it was released in 1986. And then to illustrate the burgeoning video industry over the next few years, 1988 sales of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) surpassed 15 million. Tri-Star Pictures Motion Picture Company, one of Hollywood's major producer/distributors, was created in 1983 as a joint venture of CBS Inc., Columbia Pictures, and Time-Life's premium cable service Home Box Office (HBO) (founded in 1972). HBO and Showtime both functioned as producer/distributors in their own right by directly financing films and entertainment specials for their own pay-television cable stations. [In 1989, Time Inc. merged with Warner Communications, becoming the major media giant Time-Warner.] The spread of access to cable television (and satellite broadcasts) threatened traditional one-screen theaters and film attendance. On the other hand, multi-plex movie theaters with multiple screens spread across the country during the 80s, while the number of drive-in theaters drastically declined. Multi-track Dolby stereo sound, the THX sound system (named after George Lucas' first feature film), and Dolby SR ("spectral recording") (all designed to produce higher quality sound, noise reduction, surround-sound and other special effects) were introduced in the 70s and 80s, and advertised as a special feature for films such as Amadeus (1984) and Aliens (1986). The first movie to be shown in a THX-certified auditorium was Return of the Jedi (1983). [In 1992, a new technology dubbed Dolby Digital was introduced to movie-goers in Batman Returns (1992), and then DTS Digital Sound made its debut in Jurassic Park (1993).] Colorization' of the Classics: After Ted Turner purchased the vast library-inventory of classic MGM and UA films in 1986 and proposed colorization of the B/W films, there was a bitterly-fought debate over the topic in mid-decade. Topper (1937) was the very first B/W feature film to be released to the home video market in 1985 in a 'colorized' version, using computer technology - a controversial modernizing technique at the time. Colorized ("computer-colored" or "color-imaged") films began to be broadcast on television for the first time in 1985. When the classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947), converted by Color Systems Technology (CST) for 20th Century Fox, aired in 1985, it became the highest rated non-network movie in syndication. Colorization became extremely controversial in the late 1980s, especially with regard to "classic" monochrome films such as Citizen Kane (1941) (which ultimately was not colorized). Other films to be colorized including, King Kong (1933), Hughes' The Outlaw (1943), Laurel and Hardy's Way Out West (1937), The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). By the mid-90s, colorization of films was no longer an issue. Another, "passing fad" that didn't do much in returning an investment for either Ted Turner, or any others pushing "colorized" black and white movies. The Trend Toward Teenage Comedies - The Teen Sex Comedy: The trend for "youth films" began with a number of late 70s and early 80s films with young actors and actresses. Some attributed the trend toward teenaged cinematic fare to the tremendous success of Star Wars (1977) with young audiences. The films were entertainment geared for teenagers and pre-teen audiences (both were becoming sizeable segments of movie theatre attendance). At the end of the previous decade, Steve Tesich's Oscar-winning screenplay helped to highlight Peter Yates' youthful bicycle film, Breaking Away (1979), about four boys (Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, and Jackie Earle Haley) and their frustrations/hopes in a recession-affected Midwest college town - it was a portent of the times. Writer/director Barry Levinson's debut film Diner (1982) was a bitter-sweet, rites-of-passage tale of six male buddies in their twenties growing up in late 50s Baltimore and hanging out in the local diner Fells Point - with remarkably realistic dialogue scenes. One of the earliest youth-oriented films was actually responsible for also launching the teen-sex film -- it was Porky's (1982) (followed by its sequels: Porky's II: The Next Day (1983) and Porky's Revenge (1985)). The R-rated film was typical of sex-drenched "dumbed down" films (with lots of gratuitous female nudity) telling about a group of horny males who sought sexual experiences and the loss of virginity through various sexual encounters and schemes (often humiliating) and by voyeurism. Youth-Oriented (Yuppie) Films: Female director Amy Heckerling's energetic, candid and unassumingly real Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), her directorial debut feature film, was the quintessential teen film of the 1980s. It included a number of stereotyped but realistic roles derived from screenwriter Cameron Crowe's (a former Rolling Stone writer) undercover study-exposé of L.A. high school life during a year at a San Diego HS: Stoned, unforgettable, bleached blonde California surfer dude Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) with checkered sneakers: "I've been stoned since the third grade"; Pudgy teenaged high-school freshman Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who awkwardly lost her virginity in a baseball dugout to older stereo salesman Ron Johnson (D.W. Brown), and after another sexual experience became pregnant and had an abortion; Stacy's 'worldly' friend Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates) who taught her with a carrot, in the school's cafeteria, about how to deliver oral sex; Strict US history teacher Mr. Hand (Ray Walston); Ticket-scalping lecherous male Mike Damone (Robert Romanus) who impregnated Stacy during a quick sexual encounter in a pool bathhouse. Yes, this is a German YouTube posting of the trailer for Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). The text roughly translates as, "I believe I stand in the forrest." Go figure... [The film was also notable for being the American Graffiti (1973) of its decade, because it introduced so many new and future stars, including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold, Sean Penn, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, Nicolas Cage, and Anthony Edwards).] Strong sexual content included nude scenes for both Leigh and Cates. Heckerling's only other notable film (so far - don't write her off. She's still writing stuff, perhaps to direct again) in her career was another teenage film - Clueless (1995) - a satirical, funny tale loosely based on Jane Austen's Emma, about an adorable but rich, bratty, self-obsessed and shallow Beverly Hills teenager named Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone), memorable for her color-coordinated designer wardrobe, and rich California slang. The Rise of the Brat Pack: Joel Schumacher's St. Elmo's Fire (1985) - a soap-operish, teen version of The Big Chill (1983) for the younger Yuppie generation with ensemble acting, was responsible for giving the self-indulgent, self-absorbed, and socially-apathetic stars who portrayed seven Georgetown graduates (up and coming yuppies) who hung out at a bar their detested nickname "The Brat Pack." Brat Packers in this film included: Emilio Estevez Judd Nelson Mare Winningham On and off screen, the stars wore designer clothes, drove the coolest sports cars, and projected a 'fast lane' cynical attitude about life. And their Hollywood careers went...? John Hughes' 'Teen' Films: In the 1980s, the most consistent output, and the most watchable and solid films of the sub-genre of youth-oriented teen comedies starring teenage characters (who were experiencing adolescent angst) were from writer/director John Hughes. Hughes had first made himself known in the early 80s by co-writing National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) and scripting Mr. Mom (1983). He was responsible for a number of comedic, "teen"-oriented coming-of-age or 'rites of passage' films directed toward a youth audience, frequently emphasizing the tensions of the adolescent and post-adolescent years, the problems of growing up, the high school years, aspects of peer pressure, teen parties, money, rebellion, friendship, romantic relationships among teens, and family strains. Hughes directed several popular films, after signing a three-year, $30 million deal including: Sixteen Candles (1984) with Molly Ringwald as a sensitive teen turning sixteen and having a horrible birthday, upstaged by her sister's wedding week; Weird Science (1985) a wacky comedy about two nerds who created the Ultimate sexy woman (Kelly LeBrock) through their computer and ideas from the Frankenstein (1931) film; The dialogue-rich, dark and provocative R-rated The Breakfast Club (1985) which told a story of five disparate, crudely-cliched high-school teens forced to be together (a teen version of an encounter group) during a Saturday detention, and struggling with issues of conformity and parental values, and the entertaining Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) which defined a teenage rebel of the 80s - a risk-taking, spirited high-school prankster and malingerer Ferris (Matthew Broderick), and his friend (Mia Sara), who ditched school (and Principal Rooney) for a day in downtown Chicago (filled with tips on how to fake a high fever, break into a computer system, and crash a parade). Following his success with teen-angst romances, Hughes' next films were the adult comedy Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), and the less-satisfying adult-oriented She's Having a Baby (1988) with Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern as yuppie newlyweds on the verge of parenthood. The film had an influence on the forthcoming entire sub-genre of baby films. [Hughes would strike gold in the 90s with the commercial giant Home Alone (1990). Other Teen-Oriented Films: Paul Brickman's satirically funny Risky Business (1983) (with its oft-quoted line: "What the f--k?") commented on the decade's materialistic greed by portraying a conservative teen named Joel Goodson (Tom Cruise in an early starring role) - noted for dancing in his underwear to "Old Time Rock & Roll" - who held an outrageous party in his house, and set up a profitable hooker-business (with call-girl Rebecca DeMornay) as a school project during his parents' absence. And director Susan Seidelman's successfully-marketed feminist screwball comedy Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) starred Rosanna Arquette and pop singer Madonna (in her film debut). It was set in the hip, 80's New Wave culture of New York's Lower East Village SoHo, and helped popularize the chart-topping song "Into the Groove." One of the best teen movies ever made was Rob Reiner's second feature film -- the romantic comedy The Sure Thing (1985), with 17 year-old John Cusack (as Walter "Gib" Gibson) searching for romance with beautiful, white-bikinied and California-tanned Nicollette Sheridan ("The Sure Thing") while finding real love with prim student Alison Bradbury (Daphne Zuniga) on the roof-top by film's end. One of the best teen romance/comedies of the decade was Cameron Crowe's directorial debut film Say Anything... (1989) with John Cusack (as underachieving, trench-coated Lloyd Dobler) and Ione Skye (as beautiful valedictorian Diane Court) in outstanding roles as high-school graduates and unlikely lovers - the film was most noted for a boom-box blaring Peter Gabriel that he held above his head to serenade his girlfriend. Other films examined disenfranchised, alienated and coming-of-age youth including Rob Reiner's sentimental Stand By Me (1986) about the rites-of-passage of four small-town Maine boys (including River Phoenix, who died of a drug overdose in 1993 at the age of 23) in the 1950s while looking for the corpse of a dead kid. The horror/ comedy The Lost Boys (1987) was a teen vampire film with a tagline appreciated by teens: "Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire." At least two films were related to books (dubbed 'yuppie fiction' or 'MTV novels') published by young authors about the 1980s cocaine-drug culture. Marek Kanievska's Less Than Zero (1987), set in Beverly Hills with college-aged teens (Andrew McCarthy, Robert Downey, Jr., and Jamie Gertz), illustrated both the bright side of the materialistic business world and the downside of failure and drug use. Director James Bridges' Bright Lights, Big City (1988), based on Jay McInerney's screenplay adaptation of his own 1984 tragi-comedy novel (his first) of the same name, starred Michael J. Fox as an aspiring writer and Manhattan yuppie whose life was brought down by drugs, alcohol, and nightlife. It co-starred Kiefer Sutherland (his hard-partying friend), Phoebe Cates (his model wife) and Swoosie Kurtz. The novel was named after the 60s song Bright Lights, Big City, originally sung by blues singer Jimmy Reed. Endless Sequels - The Beginning of a "Nasty Trend" : Throughout cinematic history, there has been a tradition of re-doing films in series or installments with familiar, recurring sets of performers and plot routines), such as the repeated appearance of Charlie Chaplin's "Little Tramp" character in numerous films, serials such as The Perils of Pauline (1914) with a returning heroine, the Universal horror film recycles (i.e., Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, etc.), The Thin Man (1934) mysteries, the many James Bond and Tarzan films, and Mickey Rooney's Andy Hardy movies, to name just a few. Before 1980, there were very few sequels - maybe two or three each year. Beginning in the early 80s (and from then on), however, a mind-staggering, steady stream of mindless, crude sequels were produced each year, usually inferior to their originals - with some notable exceptions. Remakes and sequels, with the 'same story, different title' principle, were designed to defray the monetary risks of Hollywood film-making. Most often, these sequels were hastily-made, inferior knockoffs made by lesser film-makers and without key cast members (wisely reluctant to reappear) from the original. Predictably, the repetitive carbon copies usually resulted in dwindling box-office returns. John Carpenter's highly-successful, low-budget slasher Halloween (1978) sparked a revival of horror films in the 80s and forever since. Other film-makers attempted to cash in on its success at the box-office with similar story-lines. A large percentage of the films in the 80s (and later) were nightmarish slasher films (e.g., the Evil Dead series, the very successful Friday the 13th franchise and series, and A Nightmare on Elm Street films (the first one by director Wes Craven) with a new villain - the terrifying burn victim Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) with knives on his fingers who appeared in bad dreams as a child molester). [There was also a 44-episode TV anthology in the late 80s and early 90s of Freddy Krueger films made-for-TV films, including Freddy's Nightmares: Dreams That Kill (1990) and Freddy's Nightmares: Freddy's Tricks and Treats (1990)] Sequels and "variations" from Lucas and Spielberg: The sci-fi films and sequels of George Lucas after Star Wars (1977), with Lucas as producer, were Eighties blockbusters: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) (the second in six planned installments of the original Star Wars saga) and Return of the Jedi (1983). The later film introduced Lucasfilms' THX sound system in theatres. Without the sequels, ancillary product sales and further merchandising would dry up. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) was a fast-paced, full-of-stunts (the gigantic boulder roll, for example, in the exciting opening) tribute to the serials of the 30s and 40s in Saturday matinees with its tale of the search for the Ark of the Covenant involving sadistic Nazis, a duplicitous Frenchman, snakes, an exciting chase sequence, the blinding-zapping climax, and a spunky love interest (Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood) for the bull-whipping, fedora-wearing lead character (Harrison Ford). After Raiders, Steven Spielberg completed his trilogy of the Raiders' explorer-adventurer-archaeologist hero with two more films in the 80s (and a fourth film added in 2008). [It should be noted that the inferior Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), inspired the creation in mid 1984 of a new ratings category between PG and R (the new rating of PG-13 - meaning some material inappropriate for children under 13, unless accompanied by adult/parent), was due to an intense torture scene of a crazed Hindu priest ripping out a beating heart from a human sacrifice victim] Spielberg also served as producer for a number of films: Barry Levinson's Indiana Jones type adventure The Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) with virtuoso special effects sequences created by Lucas' computer animators (Pixar), and the fantasy-comedy "Back to the Future" trilogy (with Robert Zemeckis as director). The first film in the enormously-successful film series was Back to the Future (1985), an inventive time-travel comedy starring Michael J. Fox as teenaged Marty McFly who cruised back to 1955 in a DeLorean with mad scientist-inventor Dr. Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and confronted intriguing 'what if' Oedipal questions regarding his parents (Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover). An Indiana Jones-type adventure film Romancing the Stone (1984), also by director Robert Zemeckis, tried to capitalize on the decade's most popular films by taking a romantic fiction writer (Kathleen Turner) into an exciting, non-stop escapade in Colombia with a soldier-of-fortune (Michael Douglas). [The film also was the breakout film for Danny DeVito, who would later be a lead actor in Ruthless People (1986) and later would debut-direct Throw Momma From the Train (1987).] It was followed by the similar sequel, the romantic adventure comedy The Jewel of the Nile (1985). Although not the third film in the series, DeVito (as director), Turner, and Douglas were re-teamed in the failed black comedy The War of the Roses (1989). Horror and Humor - Spielberg's teen-oriented productions: Director Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist (1982) was about a 5 year-old girl (Heather O'Rourke) who unleashed the spirits through the TV set ("They're here") and was kidnapped by unfriendly spirits, and a suburban house built over an old Indian burial ground. Joe Dante's anarchic comedy Gremlins (1984) was about furry, loveable mogwai creatures in a Capra-esque small-town setting that mutated after being dowsed with water (or after being fed after midnight) into murderous gremlins - a reversal of Spielberg's own E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982); the subversive film famously included Phoebe Cates' monologue about how the sacred cows of Santa Claus and Christmas were ruined for her, and was partly responsible for the institution of the PG-13 rating The critically, poorly-received (I LOVE this movie!), kid-oriented adventure by director Richard Donner entitled The Goonies (1985) was about a group of kids who searched for treasure with One-Eyed Willie's treasure map. Cross-Over TV Comedy Show Stars: In the late 70s and early 80s, many budding comedians, including John Belushi, Bill Murray, Joan Rivers, Chris Farley, Robert Klein, Peter Boyle, Alan Arkin, Fred Willard, James Belushi, Shelley Long, and Martin Short, first appeared as sketch comedians in a Chicago troupe comedy theater named Second City. Its offshoot in Toronto, Canada featured Rick Moranis, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Martin Short, Mike Myers, and John Candy, among others. Many of them used Second City as a career springboard, and would go on to become well-known TV comedians and movie stars. NBC TV's live late-night show Saturday Night Live, which debuted in October of 1975, also provided its first cast of 'Not Ready for Prime Time Players" including Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Jane Curtin. Cross-over film appearances of these improvisational, comedic stars now on sketch-based TV shows swelled in this decade. Two major stars, John Belushi (who appeared in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)) and Dan Aykroyd starred as recently-released Joliet prison inmates turned bandleader brothers Elwood and Jake (from their recurring sketches on the small screen) in director John Landis' The Blues Brothers (1980). [A few years later, a helicopter accident on the film set of Landis' Twilight Zone - The Movie (1983) - based upon Rod Serling's classic sci-fi TV show, killed actor Vic Morrow (veteran actor, star of TV's Combat!, and father of actress Jennifer Jason Leigh) and two Vietnamese child actors. Landis was indicted with three counts of involuntary manslaughter, but finally acquitted during the nine-month trial that began in September 1986.] Twenty-one year old comedian Eddie Murphy, another regular on Saturday Night Live, was emerging as a major star and box-office moneymaker with his first film, portraying convicted prisoner Reggie Hammond (and mismatched with Nick Nolte) in director Walter Hill's excellent cops-and-robbers action buddy film 48 Hrs. (1982). He also appeared in John Landis' Trading Places (1983) in which a rich man (Dan Aykroyd) traded places with a poor man (Murphy) as part of a dollar bet between the Duke brothers. [In the late 80s, Murphy departed from his Beverly Hills Cop action-crime drama/comedy series, trying something different with The Golden Child (1986) and Coming to America (1988), a film about a pampered African prince (from the fictitious monarchic state of Zamunda) who journeyed to New York City to find a bride/queen - a story-line reminiscent of many 40s-era comedies. Paula Abdul was the film's choreographer. [Comedian and writer Art Buchwald accused the film's producers at Paramount of plagiarism (the film's plot resembled his film treatment 'King for a Day'), and won a sizeable court judgment in 1995.] Ivan Reitman (known for the irreverent National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) and Meatballs (1979) with Bill Murray in his first lead role as a goof-off summer camp counselor) directed Stripes (1981). In the film, Murray starred as a reluctant enlistee in the US Army (along with overweight John Candy as Ox and Judge Reinhold as stoned Elmo) who suddenly ran afoul of Sgt. Hulka (Warren Oates) - in a male version of Private Benjamin (1980). (The storyline in Private Benjamin (1980), with TV regular Goldie Hawn from Laugh-in playing a spoiled, self-obsessed Jewish princess who was widowed on her wedding night and then joined the Army, was reminiscent of the "This is the Army" comedies in the 40s and 50s.) Murray also appeared in Harold Ramis' directorial debut film -- the popular anarchic comedy Caddyshack (1980) (with Chevy Chase in his second lead role after appearing with Goldie Hawn in Foul Play (1978)) as deranged golf-course groundskeeper Carl Spackler at the Bushwood Country Club, who tried to blow up a mischevious gopher enemy - an animatronic gopher named Chuck E. Rodent. Reitman also directed the immensely popular sci-fi comedy film Ghostbusters (1984), with a screenplay by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, and stars including Aykroyd, Murray, Ramis, and Rick Moranis. TV comedian Steve Martin (known for his "happy feet," rabbit ears, and arrow through the head on The Smothers Brothers Show and other variety shows) appeared in his first major film at the end of the previous decade, in Carl Reiner's The Jerk (1979). After Pennies from Heaven (1981), he also appeared in a few films that paid homage to classic Hollywood genres, including Carl Reiner's mock Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) with Martin as detective Rigby Reardon mingling with footage from classic 40s noirs and other film stars, and the spoof of 50s mad-scientist films The Man With Two Brains (1983). This was followed by Carl Reiner's well-acted All of Me (1984) in which he shared a body and split personality with Lily Tomlin. Next was Fred Schepisi's update of the Cyrano de Bergerac romantic legend Roxanne (1987), and then he co-starred with John Candy (as a shower-ring salesman) in John Hughes' slapstick, screwball road film Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) about a nightmarish journey at Thanksgiving time. Abrahams/Zucker Brothers: The joke and pun-filled Airplane! (1980), from the trio of Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams, was inspired by the serious melodrama Airport (1970) and aggressively spoofed (like Mel Brooks had done earlier) the entire disaster film genre of the 70s with fast-paced jokes ("Don't call me Shirley"), sight gags, and sexual double entendres. Abrahams and the Zuckers, the creators of Airplane! did not contribute to the sequel Airplane 2: The Sequel (1982), but they spoofed Elvis, 60's beach films and more in Top Secret! (1984). They resurrected their short-lived TV series Police Squad and brought Leslie Nielsen to the screen - perfect in the role as the deadpan, bumbling LA detective Lt. Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988). Parenthood Comedies: The gender-role comedy Mr. Mom (1983) starred Michael Keaton and Teri Garr as a couple who reversed their domestic roles - he wore a gas mask to change diapers and she got a job and saved the Tuna account. More challenges of parenthood were presented in two hilarious, but light-weight comedies: director Amy Heckerling's Look Who's Talking (1989) with unmarried single mother Kirstie Alley choosing taxi-driver John Travolta as the perfect father/baby-sitter for her baby (Bruce Willis provided the humorous "off-screen" voice and impressions of the child Mikey all the way from conception to age one); and director Ron Howard's heart-warming, thoughtful Parenthood (1989) with Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen as model, middle-class parents in the middle of a four-generational family. Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame directed the romantic comedy Three Men and a Baby (1987), with 'foster parents' trio Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson (an architect, a cartoonist, and an actor) as middle-aged, eligible bachelor-roommates with a infant girl on their hands - it was a re-make of the French hit Three Men and a Cradle (1985). Animations and Kids' Comedies: The ground-breaking, escapist TRON (1982) from writer/director Steven Lisberger used cutting-edge computer graphics combined with live action (featuring human stars Jeff Bridges and David Warner) in a tale set within a gladiatorial computer game. Technical breakthroughs were also accomplished in Robert Zemeckis' innovative Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) - the most expensive film of the 80s decade at $70 million. It seamlessly blended animated cartoon characters (superstar Roger and his wife Jessica voiced by Kathleen Turner) and live action in a hard-boiled, 1940s-style Hollywood murder mystery featuring Bob Hoskins as noir detective Eddie Valiant. [The film was a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and the Walt Disney Studio. Earlier, Disney had married animation and live-action in the 60s hit Mary Poppins (1964).] Computer animation would become a dominant force in future years after Pixar's digitally-animated Tin Toy was awarded the Best Animated Short Film Oscar in 1988 - it was the first computer animated film to win an Oscar. Disney also scored with one of its old-fashioned musical animations that appealed to both children and adults. Its 28th feature-length cartoon The Little Mermaid (1989) heralded a new generation of successful animations, with its classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Traditional Films and Modern-Day Dramas: Some of the films of the era seemed traditional and conservative reflecting the times, rather than being radical and innovative. Writer/director Lawrence Kasdan's landmark "coming-of-middle-age" film The Big Chill (1983), chronicled the reunion of a group of eight friends (ex-college radicals) during a funeral for friend Alex (Kevin Costner as the corpse - unseen and edited out of the film). They comprised a "Big Chill generation" who grew up in the 60s (Kevin Kline, Tom Berenger, William Hurt, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, Jobeth Williams, Mary Kay Place, and Meg Tilly). Kasdan's film marked the aging of the 'baby-boomer' generation (now growing into yuppies). Romance was back in fashion in Norman Jewison's Italian-American romance/comedy Moonstruck (1987) with a widowed Loretta (Best Actress-winning Cher) finding love with the baker brother (Nicolas Cage) of her fiancee. Barry Levinson's entertaining, old-fashioned The Natural (1984) about a gifted baseball player, and Phil Alden Robinson's idealistically-uplifting fantasy classic Field of Dreams (1989) - also about baseball - with one of Kevin Costner's finest roles, reminded one of Frank Capra's films. On Golden Pond (1981) (the first film that starred both Jane and father Henry Fonda and the first film pairing of Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn) earned two major Academy Awards - it was Hepburn's fourth Oscar award (a record) and ailing Henry Fonda's first, shortly before his death. The film was about a visit of estranged daughter Chelsea (Jane Fonda) with her aging parents. Director Ron Howard's sci-fi fantasy Cocoon (1985) told of a group of seniors in a Florida retirement home who were rejuvenated by an alien treatment in a "fountain of youth." Jessica Tandy starred as aging Jewish widow Mrs. Wertham with a tolerant black chauffeur (Morgan Freeman) in the South in Bruce Beresford's Driving Miss Daisy (1989), notable for winning both Best Picture and Best Actress. An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) was a traditional romantic drama about the son of a career sailor (Richard Gere) who attempted to better himself by training at Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School, and who was eventually lifted up by love with townie Debra Winger (and a pal of mine, Lou Gossett, Jr., just happened to win the Academy Award for "Best Supporting Actor" for his portrayal of Sgt. Emil Foley). Barry Levinson directed the award-winning, road-trip drama Rain Man (1988) with Dustin Hoffman as autistic idiot savant Raymond - the older brother of self-centered, manipulative hustler Charlie (Tom Cruise), who were reunited together after their father's death. Writer/producer James Brooks also directed Broadcast News (1987) - a behind-the-scenes look at contemporary TV journalism and journalistic integrity through three characters: a dumb but handsome newscaster (William Hurt), smart but awkward newswriter and reporter (Albert Brooks), and over-achieving, high-strung network news producer (Holly Hunter) - all of whom, plus the director (for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay), received Academy Award nominations. David Lynch directed the melancholy The Elephant Man (1980) about Victorian England's John Merrick - a grotesquely-deformed and alienated man (John Hurt) afflicted by a disease ("I am not an animal") that was treated by doctor Anthony Hopkins. 80s Melodramas and 'Tearjerkers': The decade was also characterized by 'weepies' - films with strong emotional content that appealed, in particular, to female audience members, and often revolved around terminal illness. One of the most successful examples was director/writer James Brooks' first feature film - the bittersweet, Best Picture-winning melodrama Terms of Endearment (1983), based on the novel by Larry McMurtry. The multiple Oscar-wining film told about three decades in the troubled lives of widowed mother Aurora Greenaway (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter Emma (Debra Winger), ending with a teary hospital sequence. It also starred Jack Nicholson as ex-astronaut and Aurora's next-door neighbor Garrett Breedlove engaged in a torrid affair with her. Other representative "tearjerkers include, Beaches (1988), Steel Magnolias (1989), and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). Martin Scorsese - "Raging": Raging Bull (1980) was voted by American film critics at the end of the era as the best film of the decade and an abrupt turn-about from the triumphant Rocky (1976) of a few years earlier. Robert De Niro gained a record amount of weight (about 60 pounds) in order to accurately portray the beleaguered, machismo middle-weight boxer Jake LaMotta who had to battle 'Sugar Ray' Robinson and his brother Joey (Joe Pesci). Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) (from screenwriter Paul Schrader who had adapted Nikos Kazantzakis' novel and had provided scripts for other Scorsese films - Taxi Driver (1976) and Raging Bull (1980)) was controversial and considered blasphemous by fundamentalists for its human portrayal of the Christ figure (played by Willem Dafoe). The violence of vigilante cab driver Travis Bickle in Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976) was echoed in the shooting of President Reagan by a Jodie Foster-obsessed John Hinckley, Jr. in late March, 1981. Science-Fiction Films: The cult science-fiction classic from Ridley Scott, the futuristic, visually-bleak, film-noirish Blade Runner (1982) with a Vangelis soundtrack, set in a squalid 2019 Los Angeles (in an amazing opening sequence viewing the cityscape), was based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?. It unexpectedly grew in stature, popularity and acclaim over time as the decade advanced, but was originally pulled from theatres after an unsuccessful opening. Controversy arose over the voice-over of star Harrison Ford as the downbeat, called-out-of-retirement blade-runner Rick Deckard, and over the studio-appended 'happy' ending - both of which were excised in the Director's Cut released in 1991, that also restored a unicorn dream sequence. Ken Russell's American-produced, suspenseful sci-fi thriller Altered States (1981), adapted by Paddy Chayefsky from his own book of the same name, was about the de-evolutionary, hallucinatory effects of mind-altering drugs and experiments on sensory deprivation in an isolation tank by a daring psychologist (William Hurt in a debut feature role) - noted most for its depiction of a psychedelic, hallucinatory experience and the exploration of the far reaches of the psyche. John Carpenter's modern-day The Thing (1982) was set at the South Pole in an Antarctic research station that was threatened by a shape-shifting alien "thing" (with great special effects, but NOT for the squeamish) -- it was a remake of The Thing From Another World (1951), set at the North Pole. Paul Verhoeven's breakthrough film, Robocop (1987), starred Peter Weller as a police officer of the future after being killed in action in crime-ridden Detroit and being brought back by cyborg technology. In addition to Spielberg's E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future films, the computerized visual effects of Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic dazzled in James Cameron's underwater alien adventure epic (a truly under-appreciated film, in my opinion) The Abyss (1989) - the spectacular 'sea tentacle' morphing effects would later be used to greater effect in Cameron's own megahit Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). The Resurgent Wave of British Cinema: Hugh Hudson's dark horse Best Picture winner Chariots of Fire (1981) opened the decade with slow-motion footraces under the credits and a Vangelis piano score. It starred Ben Cross as a Jewish athlete and Ian Charleson as a Christian Scottish athlete who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics. During the victory speech of the film's Best Original Screenplay-winning writer, Colin Welland proclaimed "The British are coming!" The British film was victorious over Warren Beatty's three hour Communism epic Reds (1981) (with twelve Oscar nominations - four of which were for Beatty as producer, director, co-writer, and star, and with three wins), the story of the dawn of communist society told by American writer John Reed (Beatty) in 'Ten Days That Shook the World'. The romantic comedy Educating Rita (1983), starring Michael Caine as a cynical English literature lecturer and Julie Walters as one of his older working-class students, used Britain's Open University as its backdrop. In My Left Foot (1989), Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for his portrayal of Irish writer/artist Christy Brown who suffered from cerebral palsy. The following year, British director Richard Attenborough's epic Gandhi (1982), with Ben Kingsley in the title role as the 20th century pacifist leader, also succeeded by taking top honors (eight Academy Awards). Director John MacKenzie's modern-day crime film The Long Good Friday (1980) presented the threatened empire of London gangster Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins) over a "Good Friday" weekend. John Boorman's Excalibur (1981) resurrected the magic of the Arthurian legend. Scotland was the setting for the sword and sorcery fantasy epic Highlander (1986), starring Christopher Lambert as the great immortal Clansman who could die only by decapitation. The Merchant-Ivory team of American-born director James Ivory, Indian-born producer Ismail Merchant, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer-Jhabvala generated sophisticated, nostalgic, intelligent, and lush costume dramas beginning in the mid-80s: A luminous and engaging E.M. Forster adaptation titled A Room With a View (1986) took multiple Oscar nominations and starred china-faced beauty Helena Bonham Carter and Daniel Day-Lewis in a story that began in Italy and ended in England, followed by: Maurice (1987), Howard's End (1991), and The Remains of the Day (1993). And Those Crazy Australians: The biggest international box-office hit of 1986 was Australia's surprise 'sleeper' comedy film "Crocodile" Dundee (1986) with Paul Hogan (known to American viewers as a spokesman for Austrialian tourism commercials) as the scriptwriter and in the title role as the rugged outback adventurer - at home in Bush Country and able to survive in the alien streets of New York with transvestites and street gangs. The film was the first foreign film that had the biggest annual US box-office gross to date. Screen Biographies and Fact-Based Films: The biopic made a comeback in films such as Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), with Best Actress-winning Sissy Spacek as the rags-to-riches country singer superstar Loretta Lynn who made it from Kentucky to Nashville, Mike Nichols' Silkwood (1984) - a fact-based story about 28-year old Oklahoma plutonium plant worker and union activist 'whistleblower' Karen Silkwood (Meryl Streep), and Robert Benton's memorable Places in the Heart (1984) about a Depression-Era young widow Edna Spalding (Sally Field) with two young children. British director Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom (1987) was set in the 1970s South Africa in a story featuring Kevin Kline as a white liberal newspaper editor, and Denzel Washington as outspoken murdered hero Steve Biko. Alan Parker's Mississippi Burning (1988), the story of the investigation of the 1964 murder of three civil rights activists, provoked controversy over its dramatic propagandist message regarding racism. Epics in the 80s: Large-scale, Best Picture contenders included Warren Beatty's big-budget epic Reds (1981) about radical American journalist John Reed (played by Beatty) during the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, and Bernard Bertolucci's engrossing and colorful The Last Emperor (1987) with nine Academy Awards, about the life of the last emperor of China - Pu Yi from childhood in the Forbidden City to his Emperor-ship and then to his lowly status as a gardener in Mao's China. It was remarkable that Bertolucci was allowed to film inside the Forbidden City. Milos Forman's Amadeus (1984), adapted from Peter Shaffer's play, was about the legendary (foul-mouthed and silly) musical genius Wolfgang Mozart (Tom Hulce) and the plotting of his second-rate, intensely-jealous and bitter competitor Antonio Salieri (Murray Abraham). Richard Attenborough's major, epic-style British film - the screen biography of the Indian spiritual and political leader Gandhi (1982) was a major award winner due to Ben Kingsley's outstanding performance in the lead role. Writer/director Philip Kaufman's epic screen tribute to the early years of the heroic US Mercury astronaut space program (and the first seven astronauts in the 1960s space program) The Right Stuff (1983) was a box-office failure (an underappreciated film, in my opinion), yet it received eight Oscar nominations (and won four). It was based on Tom Wolfe's best-selling book about the space race after the Russians launched Sputnik, highlighting the era of Chuck Yeager (Sam Shepard) breaking the sound barrier in the late 40s through the orbiting of the Earth in the early 60s by John Glenn (Ed Harris). The old-style, sweeping epic of the 50s and 60s made a comeback in the form of the grand-scale travelogue/romance Out of Africa (1985) based on the life and works of Danish writer Isak Dinesen (Meryl Streep). War Films of the 80s: In the Reagan era, Hollywood finally allowed Americans to come to terms with the Vietnam War and its aftermath in a combination of films employing a successful formula - a stoic, gung-ho action hero: Sylvester Stallone starred in director George Cosmatos' Rambo: First Blood, Part II (1985) - part of a series of pro-American, revisionist Vietnam films. In this comic-strip-like action film, Stallone was showcased as a larger-than-life, ex-Green Beret macho commando/hero John Rambo saving American MIA POWs being held in Vietnamese prison camps. [The first film in the series was First Blood (1982), about traumatized war veteran Rambo who went berserk and became a killing machine using his guerrilla training after being mistreated and unfairly arrested in a small town by the sheriff (Brian Dennehy). Other films displayed more critical perspectives on war in general, and on other dramatic political upheavals in the world including, Peter Weir's historical anti-war film Gallipoli (1981, Aus.) about the futile campaign of Anzac recruits (two sprinters Archy (Mark Lee) and Frank (Mel Gibson)) against the Turks in 1915 - ending with a haunting freeze-frame on the Anzac battlefield at Gallipoli; Wolfgang Petersen's historically-accurate and claustrophobic Das Boot (1981, W. Germ), a terrifying war drama about a German U-boat in the North Atlantic during WWII. It became one of the most successful foreign-language films ever (with six Oscar nominations!), and Roland Joffe's The Killing Fields (1984) which visualized the horrors of war (during Pol Pot's regime) in a story of the friendship between NY Times reporter Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) and his Cambodian aide Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor) who became separated during the Khmer Rouge bloodbath. Also, Stanley Kubrick's first film after seven years was the unforgettable and provocative picture Full Metal Jacket (1987) - filmed on a set that re-created Vietnam in East London; uniquely, it depicted urban rather than jungle combat in Vietnam; And, Tony Scott's ultra-positive, macho Top Gun (1986) with ear-shattering, competitive acrobatic flying sequences, a rock soundtrack (from Simpson/Bruckheimer) and award-winning hit song by Berlin, "Take My Breath Away," and, mega-star Tom Cruise as Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell - a crack, fighter pilot trainee at the US Navy's Fighter Weapons School at San Diego; noted for the line: "I feel the need - the need for speed." Musicals: Although the much-publicized Annie (1982) by renowned director John Huston failed, other non-traditional dance musicals flourished - Staying Alive (1983), written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, starred John Travolta (in his 10th film) as an aspiring Broadway dancer (six years after Saturday Night Fever (1977)); Although successful at the box-office, it contributed to the downfall of Travolta's career for the rest of the decade. Adrian Lyne's slick Flashdance (1983) was the immensely popular, highly kinetic, music-video style film - with an Oscar-winning title song by Irene Cara. It featured 19 year-old Jennifer Beals in her first starring role as Alex - a day welder in Pittsburgh and night dancer in a men's club who aspired to successfully audition for ballet school. [The film almost singlehandedly inspired off-the-shoulder, oversized torn sweatshirts, legwarmers, the aerobics exercise class craze of the 80s, and the skillful art of removing one's bra from under one's shirt; it also introduced two newcomers, writer Joe Eszterhas and producer Jerry Bruckheimer (who went on to produce Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Top Gun (1986), among other films)] Footloose (1984) with John Lithgow as a strict minister and Kevin Bacon as the illegal dancer in town featured Kenny Loggins' hit single of the title song. The teen-oriented dance/romance Dirty Dancing (1987) about a young girl named Baby (Jennifer Grey, Joel Grey's daughter) finding sexual awakening with Patrick Swayze in the early 60s through wild dancing at a Catskills vacation resort. Western-style Saturday Night Fever film, James Bridges' Urban Cowboy (1980) featured Houston honky-tonks, mechanical bull-riding in bars, blue-collar cowboys, and country music dancing (including the Cotton-Eyed Joe) - and popular young stars John Travolta and Debra Winger. The Continuing Rise of Independent and Non-Hollywood Films: Independent (or "indies") films made by various directors and writers provided uncompromising, low-budget, original visions of reality outside the studio system, following in the tradition of the first wave of independents by John Cassavetes in the 60s. Innovative films included Jim Jarmusch's acclaimed minimalist road-film comedy Stranger Than Paradise (1984) (that won the Camera d'Or at Cannes in 1984) and another odyssey film of three escaped prisoners entitled Down By Law (1986). Writer/director David Lynch made some of his best films in the 80s. His brilliant but disturbing Blue Velvet (1986) starred Dennis Hopper who revitalized his acting career in the repulsive role as the villainous, sadistic, and blackmailing Frank Booth toward a brutalized Isabella Rossellini. The unique film visualized the repulsive and twisted horrors that lurked behind ordinary small-town life - all stemming from the mysterious discovery of a severed human ear in a field by a naive college student. German film-maker Wim Wenders directed the haunting Paris, Texas (1984) with Nastassja Kinski (as a lost wife working in a peep-show behind a one-way window) and Harry Dean Stanton as wandering husband Travis (on an obsessive quest to piece together his family) in an impressive Sam Shepard adaptation. The non-linear film included a Ry Cooder soundtrack, and an impressive opening credits sequence in the desert. Maverick filmmaker Jonathan Demme (noted for The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Philadelphia (1993) in the next decade) began his career as a B-movie director/writer and trainee under Roger Corman, and had a number of cult classics in the 80s, including: Melvin and Howard (1980), the concert documentary Stop Making Sense (1984) about the Talking Heads with singer/guitarist David Byrne, Swing Shift (1984), Something Wild (1986) - filmed here in Tallahassee and Quincy, FL)), Swimming to Cambodia (1987), and Married to the Mob (1988). The first feature film from independents Ethan Coen (producer) and Joel Coen (director) - the complex, suspenseful film noir thriller, Blood Simple (1984) - truly one of their best films, in my opinion)) was just the beginning of their many off-beat, dark-edged films - this one featured the screen debut of Coen regular Frances McDormand. It was a tale of murder, mis-read motives, a premature burial, plot twists, and a gruesomely-impaled hand (belonging to vile private eye M. Emmet Walsh). The black comedy won the Grand Jury Prize at the newly-created Sundance Film Festival. Raising Arizona (1987) was next - an original, contemporary screwball comedy-farce about the kidnapping of a baby (one of the Arizona quintuplets) by a childless couple (Holly Hunter and Nicolas Cage). Writer/director Michael Moore's iconoclastic documentary Roger & Me (1989), an expose about the disastrous effects of the closing of a General Motors plant (headed by CEO Roger Smith) on Flint, Michigan, earned almost $8 million - the highest ever earned for the "documentary" genre. Spike Lee and John Singleton in the '80s: Black movie-making emerged in a stronger state in the mid-80s, with films from independent film writer-director- star Spike Lee. His modest debut was with the hip romantic comedy She's Gotta Have It (1986), about a liberated, sexually-voracious Brooklyn woman named Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) and her three boyfriends; the film was reportedly made in about two weeks with over-drawn credit cards budgeted at about $175,000. Then came, School Daze (1988) which told about factions in an African-American Southern college. Do the Right Thing (1989) is Lee's finest film to date. It is a thought-provoking, controversial, crackling, prefiguring study of racism in America that is seen in the explosive conflict and relations between Italian- and African-Americans, Koreans and white law-enforcement in a Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood block during a stifling hot summer day. (The film was bolstered with Public Enemy songs on the soundtrack). Jungle Fever (1991), Lee's film after Do the Right Thing examined inter-racial romance. Twenty-four year-old John Singleton would soon join Spike Lee as an influential black moviemaker in the early 90s with his debut film - the coming-of-age drama Boyz 'N the Hood (1991), one of the highest-grossing films ($57 million) ever directed by an African-American. With his film, Singleton became the youngest nominee for Best Director in Academy Award history, and the first African-American to be nominated as Best Director. Re-Runs of Previous TV Material: Hollywood studios turned for script material to vintage 50s TV series: The serious, popular detective series Dragnet was converted into the comedy Dragnet (1987) with Dan Aykroyd impersonating Jack Webb's speech and deadpan manner (e.g., "Just the facts, Ma'am") as a squarish detective; Tom Hanks starred as Aykroyd's non-conformist partner Pep Streebeck, and Joe Friday's original partner in the TV series, Harry Morgan, was featured in a cameo as police captain Bill Gannon. A beloved television series was re-worked in Brian De Palma's Chicago crime film The Untouchables (1987), with a script from Pulitzer-winning playwright David Mamet, a score from Ennio Morricone, borrowings from the 'Odessa Steps' sequence in Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925), and Robert De Niro as Al Capone, Sean Connery as honest Chicago cop Jimmy Malone - an Oscar-winning role, and Kevin Costner as Prohibition-era federal agent Eliot Ness Brian De Palma: In the 80s, De Palma was also credited with many sensational, Hitchcock-like thrillers: Dressed to Kill (1980) (paralleling Psycho (1960) and its shower scene); Blow Out (1981), a Hitchcockian type film that paid homage to Antonioni's Blow-Up (1966) and Coppola's The Conversation (1974); The X-rated (then revised to R) Scarface (1983) with "Godfather" actor Al Pacino as Tony Montana - a violent update of Howard Hawks' gangster classic Scarface (1932), soaked with blood and cocaine powder in a story of "Scarface's" rise from Cuban emigre-dishwasher to Miami drug lord, along with icy blonde wife Elvira (Michelle Pfeiffer); The daring erotic thriller Body Double (1984) (similar to the voyeuristic Rear Window (1954) and obsessive Vertigo (1958)) with a semi-pornographic theme and an infamous drill-murder, featured a memorable, pseudo 'music video' of "Relax" from one-hit group Frankie Goes To Hollywood -- set in an S&M porno film. PG-13 Ratings Debut, and R-Rated, Adult-Oriented Features: For most of the 70s and part of the early 1980s, the increase in violent movies, horror films, and slasher films (with an increase in depictions of violence toward women) encouraged Jack Valenti, the president of the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA) to finally take action. The MPAA created a new ratings category between R and PG known as PG-13. It issued its first PG-13 rating (after the inappropriately PG-rated Poltergeist (1982) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) from Spielberg for its heart-ripping sequence) for right-wing writer/director John Milius' Red Dawn (1984), an imaginative tale reflecting fears of a Russo-Cuban invasion of the American heartland. By 1986, a rating of PG was automatically given to films with swearing and narcotics use. Paul Mazursky's R-rated Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), with Nick Nolte as a homeless person (similar in character to Spielberg's alien E.T.) befriended by a filthy rich Beverly Hills couple, was noted for being Disney's (under the name of its adult-oriented subsidiary Touchstone Films) first film to use the 'F' word. The biographical R-rated romantic drama Sid and Nancy (1986) was a story of punk rock, heroin addiction, infatuation and doomed love between Sex Pistols' singer Sid Vicious (Gary Oldman) and groupie Nancy (Chloe Webb). There were a few adventurous American films, with R ratings, that were specifically aimed at adult audiences. As the decade was just about to dawn, Richard Gere bared all (one of the first instances of a male star appearing nude) as a high-living, convertible-driving gigolo in director Paul Schrader's American Gigolo (1980), accompanied by Blondie's song "Call Me." Reflecting the Puritan morality of the late 80s, however, and inspiring many talk-shows on its issues of marital infidelity and the dangers of dating, was Adrian Lyne's follow-up film to Flashdance (1983) - Fatal Attraction (1987), a suspenseful, melodramatic, erotic thriller about one-night stands, sexual games, and obsessive love (with Glenn Close as Alex Forrest - a murderous jilted, stalking woman). Its crowd-pleasing ending was determined by focus groups and preview audiences and substituted for the original version found in the script and filmed earlier. Revival of Film Noir with Neo-Noir Films: Dark, shadowy scenes, deadly females, and menacing circumstances were brought back in modern, revisionistic film noirs in this decade. Lawrence Kasdan's first film was the steamy, modern-day Floridian, 40's style film noir Body Heat (1981) (with Kathleen Turner in a sexy screen debut) - based upon the plot-line of Double Indemnity (1944) with William Hurt as the sexually-horny lawyer duped by a rich, gorgeous trophy wife. Jessica Lange and Jack Nicholson instilled heavy sex in the kitchen into Bob Rafelson's lackluster remake of the 1946 classic film noir The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981). Taylor Hackford's Against All Odds (1984) attempted to loosely remake the classic Out of the Past (1947) with Rachel Ward as spoiled heroine Jessie (the Jane Greer role), Jeff Bridges as ex-football star Terry Brogan (the Robert Mitchum role), and James Woods as gambler/businessman Jake (the Kirk Douglas role). Cast members from the original film in the remake included Jane Greer (now as the mother), and Paul Valentine (as a two-bit hood in the original, but now as "Councilman Weinberg"). The Coens' Blood Simple (1984) featured sleazy characters, an endless murder scene, and double-crosses - all characteristics of classic film noir. Alan Parker's occult post-noir Angel Heart (1987) (originally X-rated) featured a seedy private detective's (Mickey Rourke) search for a missing singer in New Orleans for a devilish client Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) and involved voodoo, corruption, devilish circumstances - and an infamous sex scene (restored on unrated video/DVD releases) between Rourke and "The Cosby Show" star Lisa Bonet. The first film appearance of serial killer Hannibal Lecter (later appearing in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Ridley Scott's Hannibal (2001)) was in Michael Mann's thriller Manhunter (1986). Jim McBride's erotic crime noir The Big Easy (1987) featured Cajun music (my good friend, Lisa Jane Persky as Police Lieutenant, McCabe) and a slick detective's (Dennis Quaid) murder investigation and romance with a repressed DA (Ellen Barkin). Ridley Scott directed the visually-compelling top-notch romantic crime thriller Someone to Watch Over Me (1987), while Roger Donaldson's No Way Out (1987) was based on John Farrow's classic The Big Clock (1948). Al Pacino played a New York police detective who fell for one of his suspects (Ellen Barkin) - a potential serial killer in the tense Sea of Love (1989). The 1990s - Decade of Money, Mega-Spending and Special Effects: In the 1990s for the most part, cinema attendance was up - mostly at multi-screen cineplex complexes throughout the country. Although the average film budget was almost $53 million by 1998, many films cost over $100 million to produce, and some of the most expensive blockbusters were even more. In the early 1990s, box-office revenues had dipped considerably, due in part to the American economic recession of 1991, but then picked up again by 1993 and continued to increase. The average ticket price for a film varied from about $4.25 at the start of the decade to around $5 by the close of the decade. As indoor multiplexes multiplied from almost 23,000 in 1990 to 35,600 in the year 2000, the number of drive-ins continued to decline (from 910 in 1990 to 667 in 2000). There still existed an imbalanced emphasis on the opening weekend, with incessant reports of weekly box-office returns, and puffed-up reviews and critics' ratings (still happening to this day). The belief was sustained that expensive, high-budget films with expensive special effects (including shoot 'em-ups, stereotypical chase scenes, and graphic orchestrated violence) meant quality. However, the independently-distributed film movement was also proving that it could compete (both commercially and critically) with Hollywood's costly output. Pressures on conventional studio executives to make ends meet and deliver big hit movies increased during the decade. Higher costs for film/celebrity star salaries and agency fees, spiraling production costs, promotional campaigns, expensive price tags for new high-tech and digital special-effects and CGI (computer generated images), costly market research and testing (to develop risk-averse, formulaic, stale, and over-produced films), scripts created by committee, threats of actor and writer strikes, and big-budget marketing contributed to the inflated, excessive spending (for inferior products) in the Hollywood film industry. True character development, interesting characters, credible plots, and intelligent story-telling often suffered in the process. High-Cost Demanding Stars: In the mid-1990s, perks and the excessive demands of mega-stars sometimes reached epidemic proportions for many of the highest-paid stars (including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Demi Moore, Julia Roberts, and others). They often demanded script approval prior to filming, directorial and other casting choices, approval of the use of images for publicity, restrictions on film scheduling, studio-paid personal and entourage jet travel, various 'extras' (such as a personal gym and trainer/nutritionist, limo service), their choice of the positioning of credits (for example, above the title and in relation to other stars), the inclusion of nudity and other 'body-related' clauses, and final-cut approval. For example, at one time, Jack Nicholson wouldn't agree to filming during LA Lakers' basketball home games, and Harrison Ford, Kevin Costner and Tom Cruise would have the studios pay for their private jets. To promote her film Ghost (1990), Demi Moore (who earned the nickname "Gimme" Moore) traveled with a bodyguard, masseuse, hair stylist, cosmetician, fashion consultant, and an assistant (who had an assistant). Reportedly, she ordered studio chiefs to charter two planes for her and her entourage while promoting both of her flop movies Striptease (1996) and G.I. Jane (1997). Her support staff for the freely-adapted $50 million film The Scarlet Letter (1995) was no different, while the movie bombed and earned only a small fraction of its budget. And Julia Roberts (with a $10 million salary) ordered the studio to have a jet ready in London to fly from Pinewood Studios back to the US for the weekend during the making of Mary Reilly (1996), at a cost of more than $41,000 per month--for approximately three months. It became clear that once stars were earning multi-million dollar salaries, a director and a studio could easily lose control of the film, especially when the demanding star was also one of the film's producers. Ironically, however, a highly-paid star in a big-budget film didn't guarantee a film's success. The Digital Age and Home Viewing: The VCR was still a popular appliance in most households (about three quarters of them in 1991) and rentals and purchase of videotapes were big business - much larger than sales of movie theater tickets. Rather than attending special film screenings, members of the Academy of Motion Pictures viewed Oscar-nominated films on videotape, beginning in 1994. The signs of the burgeoning of the digital age portended revolutionary change. In 1990, Kodak introduced the Photo CD player. And in 1992, the Second Edition of the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary, was also made available on CD-ROM. By 1992, broadcast TV was beginning to lose large numbers of viewers to cable-only channels. By 1997, the first DVDs (digital video discs) had emerged in stores, featuring sharper resolution pictures, better quality and durability than videotape, interactive extras, and more secure copy-protection. In just a few years, sales of DVD players and the shiny discs proliferated and would surpass the sale of VCRs and videotapes. And with the digital revolution, some pioneering film-makers were experimenting with making digital-video (DV) films, pushing digital imagery and special effects, or projecting films digitally. A number of films also used special-effects CGI in more subtle, innovative ways: Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy (1990) was the first 35 mm feature film with a digital soundtrack . Wolfgang Petersen's In the Line of Fire (1993) included retouched footage of political crowd scenes . Jurassic Park (1993) was the first film with DTS sound. Forrest Gump (1994) used digital photo trickery to insert a person into historical footage, to erase the legs of amputee Gary Sinese, and to enhance the ping-pong game. Lars von Trier, founder of the Dogme 95 movement, directed the distinctive Breaking the Waves (1996) and showed how digital-video (and its hand-held cinema verite look) could be viable for dramatic feature films . The English Patient (1996) was the first Oscar-winning American film with a digitally edited soundtrack - two of its nine awards were for Best Film Editing and Best Sound. George Lucas' Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) included characters that were entirely digitally rendered, such as Jar Jar Binks . One of the emerging trends of the late 80s and 90s was that although about the same number of pictures were produced as in the "Golden Age of Hollywood" (about 450-500 in a year), many of the films that were produced (some estimates say 40%) went directly to video (laserdisc or DVD) or cable with no cinematic theatrical release at all. And the window of time between a film's theatrical opening and availability for cable TV or home viewing shrunk. The proliferation of films helped to assuage the tremendous appetite for new products demanded by cable stations, video rental stores, the local megaplexes, digital satellite services, foreign markets, and the Internet. In the early 90s, the World Wide Web was born, and home computers were becoming the hot new technology - with vast repercussions for the film industry. [One of the decade's many films about malevolent computers was The Net (1995) with Sandra Bullock - a God awful film, in my opinion] Groundbreaking Internet Film-Marketing: Case Study - The Blair Witch Project Foretelling new methods of Internet-based marketing, Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick's roughly-made, offbeat independent film The Blair Witch Project (1999) (from small-time distributor Artisan Films) was a quasi-documentary about an October 1994 horrifying camping trip and investigation of a local legend that was experienced by no-name actors: three vanished Montgomery College student film-makers (Heather, Josh, and Mike) in Maryland's Black Hill Forest (near Burkittsville). The cult film reaped a greater audience (and box-office receipts) from Internet exposure and astute promotion and marketing. The 'Blair Witch' website, a popular destination for web surfers (with millions of hits), created tremendous advance buzz (is it real?) for this low-budget film that was directed by a group of students from the University of Central Florida in eight days. It was innovatively shot on 16mm B/W and color digital video, and basically looked like a home-made film with unknown actors and poor production values. Surprisingly, it easily became one of the most profitable films (percentage-wise) of all time, grossing $140.5 million (domestic) and $249 million (worldwide), but budgeted at only about $60,000 [a tremendous profit-ratio]. Remarkably, it had no stars, no large marketing budget, no state-of-the-art special effects, and no creatures/monsters. Many believed that the story was true, rather than the ingenious marketing hoax that it was. I'll gladly show you my Blair Witch Project, With Dogs (1999) anytime. Just ask! Changes in The Major Studios: 1990: Warner Communications and Time Inc. merged to form Time/Warner, the largest communications merger to date, at a cost of $14 billion. Late 1990: Japanese corporation Matsushita Industrial, Inc. acquired the entertainment conglomerate MCA/Universal for $6.1 billion. 1991: MGM Studios struggled under its new chief Alan Ladd, Jr. (until replaced by Frank Mancuso in 1993). Brandon Tartikoff chaired Paramount (until replaced by Sherry Lansing in 1992). 1994: Viacom bought Paramount Pictures after a bidding war with USA Networks/QVC. Disney became the first studio to gross $1 billion at the box office. Showtime Networks and Castle Rock Entertainment entered into a multi-year, 50-picture exclusive output deal. 1995: Seagram bought MCA/Universal from Matsushita for $5.7 billion and renamed it Universal Studios. Disney bought the ABC Network. Two members of the Creative Artists Agency, one of the world's leading talent and literary agencies, moved to head Hollywood film studios: Ron Meyers to MCA, and Michael Ovitz to the Disney Company (until 1996). 1996: Time/Warner acquired Ted Turner's Turner Broadcasting System (TBS), including its cable TV stations and its extensive film library. 1997: Orion Pictures was sold to MGM. A Newcomer Studio - DreamWorks: It was significant that the first new Hollywood studio in many decades, DreamWorks (SKG), was formed in October 1994 as the brainchild of director-producer Steven Spielberg, ex-Disney executive producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, and film producer/music industry giant David Geffen. The studio's first theatrical release was first-time feature director Mimi Leder's The Peacemaker (1997) starring George Clooney and Nicole Kidman. This was followed by Amistad (1997), Mouse Hunt (1997), Paulie (1998), Deep Impact (1998), and Small Soldiers (1998). Their first real hit was also their first film to be nominated for Best Picture - Saving Private Ryan (1998). After their first major animated film Antz (1998), they also turned out The Prince of Egypt (1998), the claymation Chicken Run (2000), Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) (direct-to-video), The Road to Eldorado (2000), and Best Animated Feature-winning Shrek (2001). By decade's end, DreamWorks had three consecutive Best Picture winners: Sam Mendes' suburban satire American Beauty (1999) Ridley Scott's sword and sandal epic Gladiator (2000) Ron Howard's biopic A Beautiful Mind (2001) In addition to producing films, DreamWorks also produced TV shows (Spin City, Freaks & Geeks, The Job, Undeclared), and music, including the soundtracks to DreamWorks films and record deals with popular artists. One of the new issues that all studios and other media industries had to confront was the pirating of films, and the illegal sharing/swapping of MPEG music files. Independent Films: Existing alongside mainstream Hollywood film production is that of the independents. By the end of the decade, most studios had formed independent film divisions (such as Fox's Searchlight division) that would make films with artistic, edgy, or 'serious' social issues or themes, and without major Hollywood stars. Unlike the glitzy Academy Awards Oscars, the IFP Independent Spirit Awards - founded in 1984 - honored visionary, innovative film-makers, and unsung actors and actresses in independent films who "embody independence and who dare to challenge the status quo." Indicative of the times, in the 1996 Academy Awards race, four of the five Best Picture-nominated films (all but Jerry Maguire (1996)) were from independent studios. The Independent Film Channel was launched by the Bravo cable network in 1994 as an outlet for independent films. In similar fashion, in 1995, the Sundance Channel was created by the Showtime cable TV network (in partnership with Robert Redford). Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute (established in 1980) took over the Utah/US Film Festival. In 1991, it was renamed the Sundance Film Festival (the film festival was held annually since 1981 in January in Park City, Utah and expanded in length) - "dedicated to the support and development of emerging screenwriters and directors of vision, and to the national and international exhibition of new, independent dramatic and documentary films." By the end of the decade, however, independent film-making had become more mainstream and institutionalized - sharing some of the same concerns and corporate worries that traditional Hollywood studios had always confronted. Miramax Studios: The small, independent Miramax Studios, formed in 1979 by brothers and co-chairmen Harvey and Bob Weinstein (the name was derived from the combination of their parents' names: Miriam and Max; Sorry, but they always remind me of two guys who should be affilitated with the Mafia, if they ain't), produced and distributed independent and foreign, and then - more recently - even mainstream films. Miramax made a name for itself in the late '80s and '90s by making "art" films and the small independent and foreign language movies that other studios refused to make, including Working Girls (1987), Italy's Best Foreign Language Film Cinema Paradiso (1988, It./Fr.), the UK's award-winning My Left Foot (1989), Steven Soderbergh's Sex Lies and Videotape (1989), Stephen Frears' The Grifters (1990), former video store clerk Quentin Tarantino's heist pic Reservoir Dogs (1992), and Jane Campion's New Zealand pic The Piano (1993). It shrewdly marketed writer/director Neil Jordan's original British film The Crying Game (1992) with a surprise gender twist experienced by Forest Whitaker, earning Jordan a Best Original Screenplay Oscar. In 1993, Walt Disney Studio Entertainment acquired the maverick studio for $65 million - a move that encouraged other Hollywood studios to begin buying up indie production and distribution companies. Miramax's biggest cult hit of the 90s was Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994), made with a budget of $8 million, and went on to win the Palm d'Or at Cannes and seven Oscar nominations, Miramax Studios then gathered together a stable of hip, young actors including Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon. During the decade, Hollywood was disturbed that Miramax did so well, with the releases of Kevin Smith's low-budget black and white debut film Clerks (1994), Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway (1994), Sirens (1994), Larry Clark's Kids (1995), Sling Blade (1996) and Swingers (1996), the Best Original Screenplay-winning Good Will Hunting (1997), the Best Picture-nominated Italian film Life is Beautiful (1998), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), and The Cider House Rules (1999). Miramax began an unbroken, eleven-year streak lasting from 1992 until 2002, of Best Picture-nominated films each year, beginning with The Crying Game (1992). It was the longest streak for any company since the Academy limited the Best Picture nominees to five films in 1944. Miramax's sister (or subsidiary) company Dimension Films, specializing in horror films and science fiction, revitalized these genres with Scream (1996, 1997, 2000) and Scary Movie (2000, 2001) series. Trends in the 90s: Films with Serious Themes The trend toward sequels from the previous decade continued, but Hollywood was also attempting to deal with serious themes, including homelessness, the Holocaust, AIDS, feminism, and racism, while making bottom-line profits. There were a number of mainstream films that confronted the issues in a profound way. Director Jonathan Demme's Philadelphia (1993) was the first big-studio attempt to deal with AIDS, winning for Tom Hanks the first of consecutive Best Actor Oscars. He starred as a lawyer with AIDS who found that Denzel Washington was the only person who would take his case. With seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director, Steven Spielberg's long and serious B/W Holocaust 'prestige' epic Schindler's List (1993) was a significant milestone but also a grim story about an opportunistic German businessman (Liam Neeson) in Poland who ultimately saved over 1,000 Jews from a Holocaust death by employing them as cheap labor. This historical drama was released only a few months after Spielberg's major entertainment blockbuster Jurassic Park (1993). Soon before its bankruptcy in 1991, Orion Pictures distributed the three-hour western - director/producer/actor Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves (1990), that retold the story of the Wild West from the viewpoint of Native Americans and displayed some of the subtitled dialogue in Sioux. Kevin Costner starred as Lt. John Dunbar who married Stands With a Fist (Mary McDonnell), and inadvertently became a hero. The film won the Best Picture Academy Award and six other Oscars, the first "western" to do so since Cimarron (1931). Orion also released Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs (1991), a chilling thriller about serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) and featuring Jodie Foster as young agent Clarice Starling seeking help from the psychopath to catch another psychopath named Buffalo Bill. The remarkable film swept the top five Oscars (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Writer) - it was the first horror film to be so honored. [It repeated the earlier success of two other sweep films: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and It Happened One Night (1934).] The immensely popular box-office hit Forrest Gump (1994) by director Robert Zemeckis looked back on the 60s and Vietnam War era through the eyes of a slow-witted Everyman (Best Actor-winning Tom Hanks with his second Oscar win), reportedly with an IQ of 75. He would spout Gump-isms ("Life is like a box of chocolates") and the film's exceptional special effects placed the unassuming Forrest within documentary newsreels - creating the illusion of meeting with Presidents (Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon), missing legs and the finale's floating feather. Racial issues and social tensions were disturbingly portrayed by Michael Douglas in Falling Down (1993). Actor Tim Robbins' independent film Dead Man Walking (1995) confronted the issue of capital punishment in a powerful tale with Oscar-winning Susan Sarandon portraying real-life Catholic nun Sister Helen Prejean as a death-row spiritual counselor for convicted murderer and rapist Sean Penn. In Scent of a Woman (1992), Best Actor-winning Al Pacino starred as a blind ex-Marine (Col. Frank Slade), known for saying "Hoo-hah!", who intended to commit suicide - until hiring a young college student (Chris O'Donnell). Female Directors into the 90s: Similarly, from the 80s into the 90s, female directors were exerting greater influence and demonstrating their skill within the film industry: Barbra Streisand with her first film Yentl (1983) (as director/producer/co-writer/actor) and The Prince of Tides (1991), Penny Marshall with the soul-transference fantasy/comedy Big (1988) starring Tom Hanks as a youngster in an adult body, Penelope Spheeris with Wayne's World (1992) starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey from TV's Saturday Night Live, Kathryn Bigelow with the exciting, fast-moving action-crime film Point Break (1991) and the dark, virtual reality futuristic film Strange Days (1995), and New Zealand director Jane Campion with the Oscar winning sensual and haunting masterpiece that was filmed from a female perspective The Piano (1993) - a love story set in 19th century New Zealand about the tragic consequences of an arranged marriage and erotic passion between mute Holly Hunter and native Harvey Keitel. Director Penny Marshall's A League of Their Own (1992) was the true story of WWII manpower shortages that impacted baseball. Tom Hanks managed an all-female baseball team which included Geena Davis and Madonna. Writer/director Nora Ephron, famous for When Harry Met Sally...(1989) created the witty, simple romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle (1993) (a re-make of An Affair to Remember (1957)) with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as the perfect couple brought together by a talk-radio program. Ephron also directed the fantasy comedy Michael (1996) with John Travolta as the atypical title character - an angel (with wings) who drank, smoked, swore, and lived in Iowa. After her success in The Silence of the Lambs (1990), actress Jodie Foster became a producer and director for Egg Pictures, releasing her directorial debut film Little Man Tate (1991) and then a comedy about family relationships on Thanksgiving weekend titled Home for the Holidays (1995). Shifting Action in the '90s: There seemed to be a significant shift toward action films in the 90s - with their requisite speed, kinetic hyper-action, and of course, violence. Most of the biggest and popular films were not dialogue-based and character-driven. One of the greatest summer smashes of the decade was Andrew Davis' The Fugitive (1993) - a spin-off from the celebrated 1963-67 TV series (with David Janssen), with Harrison Ford as the wrongly-convicted surgeon Dr. Richard Kimble in flight from dogged US Marshal (Tommy Lee Jones) and in pursuit of a one-armed man. Brian De Palma's big-budget slick summer blockbuster Mission: Impossible (1996) derived from the popular 1960s TV series, was financially successful given its Tom Cruise star power and huge marketing campaign. During the 1993 filming of the martial arts action-thriller adapted from a comic book, The Crow (1994; a fave of mine), Bruce Lee's actor son Brandon was killed in an accident on the set (and it was an accident - no conspiracy theories, please). Hong Kong action director John Woo proved that he could make mainstream Hollywood films with the high-powered Broken Arrow (1996), his second US film, and filled with Woo's trademark action sequences. He also directed Face/Off (1997), a brilliantly-acted film with stars John Travolta as an FBI agent and Nicolas Cage as the villain - who both swapped faces after plastic surgery. Jan de Bont's action disaster-thriller Speed (1994) was just as its title suggested - a fast-paced, out-of-control tale about a mad bomber (Dennis Hopper) vs. an LA SWAT team cop (Keanu Reeves), and a runaway suburban LA bus (driven by Sandra Bullock) wired to explode if it slowed below 50 mph. The vacation-cruise sequel Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) paled in comparison. The producers of Top Gun (1986) made their last film The Rock (1996) - Michael Bay's successful action thriller with an all-star cast set on the island prison Alcatraz, with renegade Marines (led by Ed Harris) and a task force teaming Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage. Major Blockbusters: Phenomenal Successes Since the making of Jaws (1975), studio executives were primed toward making blockbusters to meet the bottom line. In the 90s, many of the greatest box-office hits of all time (in the top twenty) were made and marketed with sophisticated publicity and merchandising campaigns: Steven Spielberg's and Universal's f/x laden Jurassic Park (1993) (based upon Michael Crichton's 1990 novel) with photo-realistic, computer-generated dinosaurs spliced into live-action sequences, i.e., the car-crunching T-Rex sequence; Adrian Lyne's Indecent Proposal (1993), in which wealthy Robert Redford offered one million dollars as the price-tag for one night with married Demi Moore; Chris Columbus' Mrs. Doubtfire (1993); Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump (1994); The Lion King (1994); The apocalyptic disaster film ("Earth! Take a good look. It could be your last") from director Roland Emmerich Independence Day (1996) - that set a record by grossing $100 million in box-office receipts during its first six days, and won a Best Visual Effects Oscar - mostly for the sequence of the White House exploding; Twister (1996) - about the chasing of tornadoes by researcher Bill Harding (Bill Paxton) while trying to divorce his wife Jo (Helen Hunt); Titanic (1997); Men in Black (1997) - with Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith as black-clad buddies on a mission; The Mummy (1999), a glossy remake of the original, with French Foreign legion hero Brendan Fraser stumbling upon an ancient city in Egypt and awakening high priest Imhotep. But the biggest box-office ($294 million) and critics favorite - and psychological thriller - was writer/director M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense (1999) - about a 9 year-old boy (Haley Joel Osment) who saw ghosts of dead people (with the memorable tagline "I see dead people") all around south Philadelphia, and who shared his ghostly experience with child psychologist Bruce Willis. The mysterious film from an unknown director generated much talk over its unexpected twist ending. [There were at least five films famous for their gripping twist or surprise endings in this decade: The Crying Game (1992), Se7en (1995), The Usual Suspects (1995), and Fight Club (1999) could be added.] Hollywood was relieved (and recouped its costs) when its traditional kind of blockbuster did well in the summer of 1991, evidenced by James Cameron's expensive sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). It featured superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger ("Hasta la vista, baby!") as a T-800 cyborg, and incredible, quicksilver "morphing" effects of the opposing, molten-metal T-1000 android (Robert Patrick) produced with high-powered Silicon Graphics super-computers). It was the first film with a $100 million budget. [Cameron had written and directed the earlier low-budget The Terminator (1984) with modest success. Likewise, he had transformed Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) into a big-budget sequel titled Aliens (1986).] Writer/director Cameron's next film (with secret agent Arnold Schwarzenegger as Harry) was True Lies (1994) - a Bond-like spy-adventure packed with special effects, thrills, an exciting jet and car chase over the Florida Keys, and tongue-in-cheek comedy about how Harry's wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) didn't know his occupation. [It was the first movie with a budget to exceed $100 million, and eventually grossed $365 million.] Ridley Scott closed the decade with the Best Picture, multiple-Oscar winner Gladiator (2000), a computer-enhanced Roman Empire sandals-toga epic with Australian actor Russell Crowe as the virtuous and wronged Maximus who sought revenge in the Coliseum. The Phenomenon of Titanic: Writer/director James Cameron solidified his reputation as the undisputed king of mega-blockbusters in this decade with his studio-shared (Fox and Paramount) Titanic (1997) (grossing $600 million in the US alone, and $1.8 billion worldwide for the studios). It was the first film with a budget exceeding $200 million. Titanic retold the spectacular, epic-disaster of the 1912 ill-fated, maiden voyage cruise of the R.M.S. Titanic, when it was pierced by an iceberg. The tense scene of the sinking of the ship was created with state-of-the-art digital effects and a life-size version of the ship. In addition, a secondary love story between star-crossed lovers - poor passenger Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and upper-class Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), told in flashback by an older Rose (Gloria Stuart) slowly built to the inevitable conclusion. [Titanic became the highest grossing and most successful film of all time (passing the megahit of the past Gone with the Wind (1939)); It was the most expensive film in Hollywood history estimated at about $200 million; It tied Ben-Hur (1959) with its eleven Oscar wins] The Wachowski Brothers' The Matrix: Writers-directors Andy and Larry Wachowski's second feature film (following Bound (1996)) was the ambitious and inventive virtual-reality flick The Matrix (1999). It starred Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves, and won four Academy Awards (all in sound, editing, and visual effects technical categories). Slacker hacker Thomas Anderson/Neo (Keanu Reeves) was called as a messianic figure to save the world (of approximately the year 2199) from virtually indestructible Sentient Agents. The blockbuster's wild popularity was due to its combination of comic-bookish plot, mysticism, philosophical complexity, computer-enhanced digital effects of its unbelievable action scenes, flying bullet-dodging ("bullet-time") and intriguing virtual worlds in which reality was redefined as a computer simulation. It helped to illustrate what the future would be of futuristic sci-fi action films with slick and smart plots, and jaw-dropping action. Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarrintino - Solid, Significant Directors of the '90s: Martin Scorsese directed the following in the decade before the turn of the century: The graphically-violent and compelling GoodFellas (1990) - a virtuoso adaptation of Nicolas Pileggi's best-selling book Wiseguy and a true-life account of gangster/FBI informant Henry Hill (in the witness protection program ultimately) noted for his statement: "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster", with fellow gangsters Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci ("I'm funny how? Like a clown? I amuse you?"); Cape Fear (1991), a commercially-successful remake of director J. Lee Thompson's 1962 thriller film (with Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum), with Robert DeNiro as a vengeful, psychopathic ex-convict stalking defense attorney Nick Nolte; The costume drama The Age of Innocence (1993), an adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel of passion, hypocrisy, sexual longing and emotional/ psychological repression set in 1870s Victorian New York society, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer as illicit lovers, and Winona Ryder (who had a Best Supporting Actress nomination); Casino (1995), a Las Vegas-based gangster film (again from a Pileggi adaptation) set in the 1970s, with favorite stars Robert DeNiro (as gambling executive Ace) and Joe Pesci (as Mob enforcer Nicky), and Oscar-nominated Sharon Stone (she won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress) as a hedonistic, drug-addicted ex-prostitute named Ginger McKenna; Kundun (1997), a unique, episodic, historical epic about the 14th Tibetan Dalai Lama's life, with visually-rich cinematography by Roger Deakins; Bringing Out the Dead (1999), a stunning urban drama about a haunted New York paramedic/ambulance driver (Nicolas Cage); the film reunited Scorsese with his frequent scriptwriter Paul Schrader, who scripted Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), and The Last Temptation of Christ (1988); Gangs of New York (2002), a period drama from Herbert Asbury's book, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Cameron Diaz; nominated for 10 Oscars (without any wins). Violence accompanied a number of films of emerging maverick writer/director Quentin Tarantino, a self-promoting videostore clerk who demonstrated his exciting, self-taught, original filmmaking genius (with generous helpings of violence, sex, and profanity) in his first film Reservoir Dogs (1992). The cult hit broke many of the rules of conventional crime films in its tale of a group of color-named criminals whose jewelry heist went awry. It began with a deconstruction of Madonna's 'Like A Virgin' and even featured director Tarantino as Mr. Brown. Tarantino served as co-screenwriter (with Roger Avary) and director of an acclaimed (Best Screenplay-winning) follow-up, low-budget independent film Pulp Fiction (1994). The Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner and seven-time Academy Award nominee was an ultra-violent, intermingling, non-linear trio of criminal life stories intertwined in a sleazy Los Angeles (involving hitmen, a crime boss' overdosing wife played by Uma Thurman, and a boxer - Bruce Willis) that gave John Travolta a super-star comeback (famed as a hitman for talking about what the French call fast-food Big Macs). It began with and returned to a scene of Pumpkin and Honey Bunny holding up a restaurant. Director/screenwriter Tarantino also followed up with a more mature character study in his leisurely crime thriller Jackie Brown (1997) with ex-blaxploitation 70s star Pam Grier in a stand-out role as an ex-con. Nineties Neo-Noirs: Belfast-born actor/director Kenneth Branagh directed his second film (following his revisionist rendering and scripting of Shakespeare's Henry V (1989)), the intelligent and suspenseful noir thriller Dead Again (1991). In the film, Branagh starred as a cynical L.A. private detective who investigated a twisting cycle of murder involving a mysterious amnesia victim (Emma Thompson, Branagh's real-life wife at the time). A master of modern noir, writer-director John Dahl contributed three great stylish neo-noirs in the decade: Kill Me Again (1989), Dahl's film debut, with Joanne Whalley-Kilmer as a ruthless, deceptive woman involved in an intricate plot of double-cross between psychotic mobster Michael Madsen and private eye Val Kilmer hired to fake her own death. Red Rock West (1993), a great sleeper film, with Nicolas Cage as a loser-drifter caught in a twisting murder plot and a case of mistaken identity in an isolated Wyoming town, with a psycho contract killer (Dennis Hopper) and the intended femme fatale victim (Lara Flynn Boyle). John Dahl's contemporary film noir The Last Seduction (1994), starred Linda Fiorentino in an outstanding, single-minded role as a scheming, amoral, sexy and lethal femme fatale; the film was broadcast on HBO cable TV before being released in theaters - thereby eliminating and invalidating its eligibility for an Oscar nomination (Best Actress or Best Picture) Gus Van Sant's dark comedy-satire To Die For (1995) featured Nicole Kidman as obsessed and determined cable-TV weather reporter Suzanne Stone who sought to have Joaquin Phoenix kill her obstructive husband Matt Dillon. Bryan Singer's mystery/crime thriller The Usual Suspects (1995), screened at Sundance, had a complicated screenplay and a surprise ending. It starred Kevin Spacey in his first Oscar-winning performance of the decade as a petty crook - and the all-knowing, black-hearted villainous crime lord Keyser Soze. Spacey also appeared in British theater director Sam Mendes' motion-picture directorial debut picture - DreamWorks' brightly-colored black comedy about an unhappily-married couple in suburbia, American Beauty (1999) and became a multiple Oscar winner for his role as head of the dysfunctional family. While his real estate-selling wife (Annette Bening) was having an affair, he was obsessing over his daughter's cheerleader friend (Mena Suvari). Curtis Hanson, who had earlier directed the thriller The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), directed the much-acclaimed, modern film noir and police drama L.A. Confidential (1997), set in early 50s Los Angeles and adapted from James Ellroy's crime story. A shooting at an all-night diner set the stage for the film. Two of its Aussie stars, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce, became more familiar to movie-goers since 1997, as has character actor Kevin Spacey (who portrayed a detective who also served as a TV consultant). The film received nine nominations and two Oscars (Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Kim Basinger). The Coen brothers continued to make twisted but influential independent films, including the gangster film Miller's Crossing (1990), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), and the film-noirish, Oscar-winning black comedy Fargo (1996) - their most conventional film to date, about a kidnapping-blackmail scheme that went awry. It had a twisting plot and featured Best Actress-winning Frances McDormand as a determined, pregnant Minnesota police sheriff investigating a triple-murder, and William H. Macy as the perpetrator - a desperate used car salesman. The pair also directed the quirky The Big Lebowski (1997) with Jeff Bridges as a stoned, bowling-loving 'Dude' caught in a complex case of mistaken identity. The Struggling Musical Genre: There was very little evidence of films from the musical genre beyond just a few examples: the first major Hollywood musical in almost a decade and a half was director Alan Parker's Evita (1996) - based on the stage musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice and starring an impressive Madonna in the lead role as Argentina's first lady Eva Peron. The film won Golden Globe Awards for Best Comedy/Musical and Best Actress, and one of its songs, "You Must Love Me" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. A second example was Woody Allen's revival of the musical-romantic comedy - Everyone Says I Love You (1996). Some of the best musicals of the decade were animated features (see more below), jump-started by Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989). Some examples included: Beauty and The Beast (1991), the only musical nominated for Best Picture for many years and the first animated Best Picture nominee in Academy history, Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Anastasia (1997) - the first animated feature film from 20th Century Fox, and The Prince of Egypt (1998) - DreamWorks' first animated feature film. Some Highlight Comedies from the '90: Harold Ramis' excellent existentialist romantic fantasy Groundhog Day (1993) featured Bill Murray as an egotistical TV weatherman doomed to experience deja vu and repeat the same day over and over again (February 2, 1992) - beginning with a Sonny and Cher song - during the Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania "Ground Hog Day" festivities. Ron Underwood's enjoyable and funny City Slickers (1991) followed a group of suburbanized, married, mid-life friends (including Billy Crystal as 40 year old Mitch Robbins) on a two-week cattle drive led by Curly - a weathered and grizzly trail boss (Best Supporting Actor Oscar-winning Jack Palance). Their experience was repeated in the sequel City Slickers: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994) with virtually the same cast. Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon were brought together as two long-time feuding, cantankerous neighbors who pursued the same woman in Grumpy Old Men (1993). Tim Burton saluted a 50's maverick, angora-wearing director-writer-producer (one of the worst, but praised cult and B movie film-makers of all time) in his black and white Ed Wood (1994), with Johnny Depp in the title role and Best Supporting Actor Oscar-winner Martin Landau as horror star and morphine addict Bela Lugosi. Robin Williams played a homeless tramp (searching for the Holy Grail) and Jeff Bridges portrayed a shock-jock who instigated a shooting tragedy in Terry Gilliam's fantasy comedy The Fisher King (1991). Joe Pesci played a New York lawyer called to defend an accused relative, but found himself out of his element in Alabama in My Cousin Vinny (1992). In Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Nicolas Cage lost his fiancee Sarah Jessica Parker to gambler James Caan in a bet and had to travel to Hawaii and then back to the strip - where he parachuted down as a sky-diving Elvis. And in in a romantic comedy set in 1985, The Wedding Singer (1998), Adam Sandler (as broken-hearted wedding singer Robbie Hart) was left at the altar, while Drew Barrymore (as waitress Julia Sullivan) was engaged to the wrong guy. The Super-Stardom of Jim Carrey: Hammy and crude, face-twisting, clownish comedian Jim Carrey, of Fox TV's comedy show In Living Color, began to make a name for himself in Tom Shadyac's directorial debut film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1993) as a low-cost, Florida missing-animals detective searching for a kidnapped dolphin (the mascot for the Miami Dolphins football team). His next two films propelled him into super-stardom - both were from New Line Cinema (purchased by Ted Turner in 1993): Peter Farrelly's very low-brow physical comedy Dumb and Dumber (1994) starred Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne (memorable in a hilarious bathroom scene) - two manic, intellectually-challenged buddies on a cross-country road trip to Aspen, Colorado to deliver a briefcase; Chuck Russell's adventure/fantasy/comedy The Mask (1994) combined gags with great cartoonish digital effects when Carrey, as shy bank teller Stanley Ipkiss, donned an ancient, magical mask and was transformed into a green superhero; the film marked the debut of actress Cameron Diaz. The sequel Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995) suffered from a poor script and infantile-minded comedy. Carrey turned to more legitimate acting at the end of the decade in two films. In Peter Weir's comedy/drama The Truman Show (1998), Carrey played the role of Truman Burbank, a happy suburbanite resident of the paradisical fictional community of Seahaven, and the unwitting, imprisoned star of a real-life documentary TV series ("On the Air, Unaware") created and controlled by Christof (Ed Harris). And in Milos Forman's biopic Man on the Moon (1999), he assumed the role of legendary comic Andy Kaufman. In consecutive years, Carrey won the Golden Globe Best Actor award for both roles, but was un-nominated for an Academy Award. Notable British Films: The most successful British film of the first half of the decade was Mike Newell's surprise hit Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), an intelligent, well-scripted romantic adult comedy about the major rites of passage in life (and death). It featured a long-running romance between a reserved Britisher and confirmed bachelor (Hugh Grant) and attractive American (Andie MacDowell), with a hilarious bit-part by Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr. Bean). Writer-director Scott Hicks' Australian/UK film Shine (1996) told the story of recovering gifted pianist David Helfgott (Best Actor-winning Geoffrey Rush) with a history of mental problems. Due to the film's popularity, the real-life Helfgott went on a musical concert tour, but received mostly negative reviews. The decade's most successful British film was first-time director Peter Cattaneo's Best Picture-nominated The Full Monty (1997) about a group of displaced, unemployed Sheffield steel-mill workers who become 'Chippendale-style' male strippers. It brought new popularity to two hits: Hot Chocolate's "You Sexy Thing," and Donna Summers' "Hot Stuff." The edgy and visually-fresh film about drug addiction, Trainspotting (1995) was based upon Irving Welsh's famous novel set in Edinburgh, with original Scottish characters (and unknown actors) including Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie, and featuring a pulsing soundtrack with Iggy Pop singing "Lust for Life". Although not a British film, Rob Roy (1995) starred Liam Neeson as 18th century Scottish legend Robert Roy MacGregor based upon Sir Walter Scott's legendary novel. Distinctive Independent Film-Makers: In the 90s' era of blockbusters, independent films made significant headway. The major studios set up specialty art-house production and distribution divisions, such as Sony Pictures Classics and Fox World Cinema. There were any number of shoestring-budget, non-mainstream films that appealed to disenchanted Generation-Xers, from directors such as Richard Linklater, Kevin Smith, Edward Burns, Todd Solondz, Gus Van Sant and Jim Jarmusch. Richard Linklater: Writer/director Richard Linklater's first feature Slackers (1991) was a free-form, low-budget film that defined a generation of dead-beat, drop-out, misfit individuals living on the edge of the college town of Austin, Texas during a 24-hour period. [Many of Linklater's films would be contained within a 24-hour time frame.] The word 'slacker' was immediately seized upon as a word to define a group within the twenty-something subculture. His next film, a rambling ensemble drama Dazed and Confused (1993), dubbed 'the American Graffiti (1973) of the 90s', followed graduating Texas high-school students on their last academic day in the Bicentennial year of 1976. The quotable, archetypal film introduced many exceptional acting newcomers to audiences, including Milla Jovovich, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Renee Zellweger, Matthew McConaughey, Cole Hauser, Adam Goldberg, and Joey Lauren Adams. Linklater's more accessible and sweet film Before Sunrise (1995) followed the overnight budding romance between a traveling young American (Ethan Hawke) and a French student (Julie Delpy) in Vienna, and the dialogue-heavy SuBurbia (1997), an adaptation of writer/actor Eric Bogosian's play, examined a group of punk twenty-somethings outside a suburban Austin convenience store. In the new decade, Linklater's innovative 6th film, Waking Life (2001) combined digital video and animation to produce a highly philosophical avant-garde film. Kevin Smith: The Jersey Trilogy Writer/director Kevin Smith's first film (the first in a so-called "Jersey trilogy") was a dead-pan, low-budget, comedy cult film titled Clerks (1994) made in grainy 16 mm and originally rated NC-17 for foul language - it chronicled one day in the unglamorized, working-class life of Dante (Brian O'Halloran) - a twenty-two year old college dropout and Quick Stop convenience store clerk in New Jersey with his video-store clerk best friend Randal (Jeff Anderson). Smith went on to make Mallrats (1995) about two suburban New Jersey 'slackers' (Jason Lee and Jeremy London) who retreated to a shopping mall after being dumped by their girlfriends (Shannen Doherty and Claire Forlani), and then the low-budget comedy-drama Chasing Amy (1997) - an honest and appealing story of love between two New Jersey comic-book artists (Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams). Smith's final film of the decade was the controversial religious satire Dogma (1999), with Linda Fiorentino as a Catholic abortion clinic worker, Alanis Morissette as God, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as banished fallen angels, Chris Rock as Rufus (the 13th Apostle), and Salma Hayek as a celestial muse named Serendipity. Original Films of the Decade: Tim Burton's fantasy romance/comedy Edward Scissorhands (1990) starred Johnny Depp as the scissor-handed title character who was created by Vincent Price and adopted by an Avon lady. Mike Nichols' The Birdcage (1996) was the American version of La Cage Aux Folles (1978), a weird in-law story about a young man who brought his fiancee home to meet his parents. Robin Williams starred as gay nightclub owner named Armand Goldman, and Gene Hackman as a right-wing conservative politician - whose daughter is engaged to William's son. Terry Gilliam's Twelve Monkeys (1995) remade La Jetee (1962), starring Bruce Willis who came back from the future (the year 2035) to learn what killed 5 billion people years earlier. Wes Anderson's Rushmore (1998) was an unusual but smart comedy about an improbable love triangle between precocious 15 year-old 10th grade private school student Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), his befriended depressed local steel factory millionaire/magnate and jaded mentor Herman Blume (Bill Murray), and Rushmore Academy's recently-widowed first-grade teacher Ms. Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). And Reese Witherspoon starred as determined Student Council candidate Tracy Flick in Alexander Payne's satirical Election (1999). One of the most original, bizarre and surrealistic films of the 90s was Spike Jonze's debut feature Being John Malkovich (1999) with an inventive script by executive producer Charlie Kaufman - the story of a street puppeteer/filing clerk (John Cusack) in a Manhattan office building who discovered and entered a sealed portal that led into the mind of actor-celebrity John Malkovich. At the end of the decade, Darren Aronofsky's shocking anti-drug Requiem for a Dream (2000) featured numerous addictions (food, diet pills, TV, and heroin) exhibited with an intoxicating style. It starred Oscar-nominated Ellen Burstyn as a diet-pill-popping, Coney Island widow/mother of her junkie son and his girlfriend( Jennifer Connelly). David Lynch directed the weirdly-perverse, surreal and erotic Wild At Heart (1990) with Laura Dern and Nicolas Cage as on-the-road lovers Sailor and Lulu. His next film was the truly bizarre, breathtaking and enigmatic Lost Highway (1997). He finished the decade with an uncharacteristic, G-rated, sentimental, real-life tale The Straight Story (1999), about an aging brother's (Best Actor-nominated Richard Farnsworth) lawn-mower journey to visit his ailing brother (Harry Dean Stanton). Documentary Films: In the documentary film genre, the most critically-acclaimed documentary appeared mid-decade: director Steve James' videotaped three-hour Hoop Dreams (1994), the six-year dramatic, uphill story of two hopeful teenaged, inner-city African-American basketball players (William Gates and Arthur Agee) in Chicago (with partial athletic scholarships at St. Joseph's - a predominantly white, suburban Catholic school) who struggle and aspire to be superstars in the NBA. Animated - and Family Oriented Films: Disney's studios had a number of animated-cartoon feature classics in the 90s: Beauty and the Beast (1991), the first animated feature ever to be nominated as Best Picture; Aladdin (1992), an 'Arabian Nights' tale about a street urchin who fell in love with a princess, with the hit song "A Whole New World" and Robin Williams as the voice of the Genie; The Lion King (1994), featuring Jeremy Irons as the voice of Scar and the theme of the 'Circle of Life'; its sound track was available in stores three weeks before its film opening; the romanticized fantasy Pocahontas (1995) - the first Disney animated feature based on historical fact; it had an outdoor premiere in Central Park, New York City on June 10, 1995 attended by nearly 100,000 people - the biggest premiere of any film ever; winner of two Oscars: Best Original Musical or Comedy Score, and Best Song "Colors of the Wind"; The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996); Mulan (1998), an expensively-made story of ancient China; Tarzan (1999), the first full-length animated feature about "the King of the Jungle" and winner of Best Original Song (Phil Collins) for "You'll Be In My Heart"; Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), based on the Jules Verne adventure; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) with Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello succeeded (and grossed $130 million) with stylish comic-book violence and licensed product merchandising until the public was saturated with two more sequels in 1991 and 1993; Beethoven (1992) was about a tiny puppy adopted by suburb-dweller Charles Grodin that grew into a giant, slobbering and destructive St. Bernard who was threatened by an evil veterinarian (Dean Jones); Free Willy (1993) told of a boy (Jason James Richter) punished for vandalism by having to clean up the graffiti mess at a theme park, where he developed a close emotional bond with one of the performers - a killer whale named Willy (Keiko). Director Henry Selick's and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) was a monumental work of art - a stop-motion animated and musical fable. It was followed by producer Burton's and director Selick's PG-rated James and the Giant Peach (1996) - about the fantastic adventurish journey of a young boy, and the PG-rated comic fantasy Monkeybone (2001), based on Kaja Blackley's comic book novel Dark Town - with a title character combining traits of Curious George and Bart Simpson. Chris Noonan's magical Australian film Babe (1995), about a talking pink piglet with a talent for herding sheep for Farmer Hoggett, was an unexpected success. It featured Ferdinand the duck, Duchess the cat, and a sheepdog named Fly. The sequel Babe: Pig in the City (1999) was a darker version of the original. John Lasseter's and Pixar's Toy Story (1995) (with the tagline 'To Eternity - and Beyond!') was the first feature-length film completely animated by computer - the film and its pioneering digital animation studio Pixar won a Special Achievement Award. It featured cowboy toy Woody (with voice of Tom Hanks) and the futuristic, high-tech Buzz Lightyear (with voice of Tim Allen) and a richly detailed and imaginative world. Its blockbuster sequel was just as remarkable and considered the superior film, Toy Story 2 (1999) - produced by Pixar Animation Studios. Barbie, the most popular toy of the 1900s, made her movie debut in the popular film, and Kelsey Grammer provided the voice of the Prospector. Woody was threatened because he was regarded as a highly-collectible 1950s TV character. The film also featured the poignant "You've Got a Friend in Me" and Randy Newman's Oscar-nominated "When She Loved Me." Japan's collectible Pokemon trading cards and video games (Nintendo and Game Boy) became enormously popular with America's children, courtesy of Warner Bros. studios. The crude and cartoonish Pokemon: The First Movie (1998), dubbed in English for American audiences, had the most lucrative Thanksgiving weekend film opening of the 1900s when released in the US in 1999. Its "pocket monster" star was Pikachu, a bright-eyed, baby-talking yellow creature with a lightning-bolt tail. The gross-out, vulgar feature South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999) rivaled Disney's family-oriented animations, and produced an Oscar-nominated song "Blame Canada"with bawdy lyrics - ("Time's have changed, Our kids our kids are getting worse, They won't obey their parents, They just want to fart and curse!..."). Adult-Oriented Films: Filmmaking and production expenses continued to escalate, as well as the violence and sex depicted. In some cases, the returns were enormous. Henry and June (1990), based on Anais Nin's memoirs, was the first film to be released with the NC-17 (No Children Under 17 Admitted) rating (which had replaced the old "X" rating in 1990 without the commercial stigma) for its explicit handling of sex. Director Paul Verhoeven was successful in the early part of the decade with Total Recall (1990), and the commercially-successful investigative thriller Basic Instinct (1992) - the year's most popular movie. In 1990, scriptwriter Joe Eszterhas had sold his script for the erotic thriller for a record $3 million to Carolco Pictures. The film included gory violence, uncrossed/panty-less legs during a police interrogation, and sleazy, steamy sex scenes between Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone (playing a bi-sexual blonde suspected of murder), and with psychiatrist Jeanne Tripplehorn. Verhoeven's much-hyped, widely-distributed, NC-17 rated Showgirls (1995), teamed with writer Joe Eszterhas, became a camp classic rather than the erotic, Las Vegas lap-dancing drama it was supposed to be. Director Milos Forman's sympathetic portrayal of Hustler publisher Larry Flynt (Woody Harrelson) as a First Amendment hero in The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) brought criticism to the film. The eroticizing of gruesome car crashes in David Cronenberg's graphic Crash (1996) also engendered controversy and brought an NC-17 rating. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997) examined the world of late 70s and 80s pornography with Mark Wahlberg as well-endowed adult film star Dirk Diggler, Burt Reynolds in a comeback role as a director/producer of skin flicks, Julianne Moore as veteran porn star Amber Waves, and Heather Graham as an uninhibited Rollergirl. Adrian Lyne's controversial Lolita (1997) with nymphet teenager Dominique Swain, a remake of Kubrick's 1962 classic, first aired on Showtime cable TV, and then experienced distribution problems. Please, oh, please, can I be a "Boogie Knight," too? The most anticipated film was legendary director Stanley Kubrick's psychosexual Eyes Wide Shut (1999), his final film released posthumously in the summer of 1999, with real-life husband/wife superstars at the time (Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, who would later divorce in 2001). The dreamy, visually-beautiful, thought-provoking film was a sexy adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novella Dream Story (Traumnovelle) and destined to become a Kubric classic. Although it was condemned as misogynistic, out-of-touch, and uncompelling, the story was about a Manhattan doctor (Cruise) who, after hearing an emotional confession from his wife (Kidman), explored his own sexuality during a tortuous, adventurous nocturnal journey (including a visit to a masked orgy in Long Island featuring all-nude naturally-endowed females). Segments of the orgy scene in the film were digitally-altered in order to bring the film an R-rating. 2000 and Beyond -The First Decade of the New Millennium: Change and Innovation: Although technically, the new millennium dawned on January 1st 2001, the new decade of films (and film history) began on January 1, 2000. It began with trumped fears over Y2K and major terrorists attacks on 9/11/2001, was marked at its midpoint with the devastating natural disasters of the Asian tsunami of 2004 and of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and ended with the financial meltdown of the economy (the second crash and recession of the decade). The end of the decade was punctuated by James Cameron's revolutionary and major blockbuster film Avatar (2009), the highest grossing (domestic) film of 2009 - and of the decade. [It became only the fifth film in movie history to exceed $1 billion in worldwide grosses, and did so in less than 3 weeks.] The film soon surpassed the highest-grossing (worldwide) film of all-time - Cameron's own Titanic (1997). The decade was overwhelmed by the ascendancy of Google, Amazon, YouTube, the blogosphere, Craigslist, new media and social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc), reality TV (capped by Survivor and American Idol), the popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Netflix, and 24/7 cable news shows - all competing for audiences or market share. New tech products included ubiquitous laptops (smaller and smaller), the iPod, Skype, Hulu, eBooks, Blackberrys and smart phones. Television moved from analog to digital broadcasting - and new flat-screens replaced bulky cathode-ray tubes, video rental stores converted to DVDs, and dial-up connections became broadband. Answering machines, real Rolodexs, reservations by phone, heavy phonebooks and cellphones, lickable stamps, VHS tapes (and players) and insertable floppy disks all went by the wayside. Although the first TiVo digital video recorder (DVR) shipped in early 1999, it wasn't until the decade of the 2000s, after further technological improvements, that it became a commonplace media appliance for recording TV programs - allowing for 'time-shifting' of viewing, and for fast-forwarding through commercials. However, the majority of DVRs now in use were being installed in cable or satellite set-top boxes, threatening to make stand-alone TiVo machines also obsolete. Sensationalized celebrity deaths were a new phenomenon -- surrounding the demise of Anna Nicole Smith, Michael Jackson, and Farrah Fawcett - among others. Happenings in Entertainment: Some of the historic events related to the world of entertainment happened in these explosive, fast-moving ten years: 950PT, is the purity of replica watches the mark, and the role of the above balance sign almost.Crown mark, this mark is uk replica watches 's own factory standard.Daytona used Rolex classic oyster strap, this metal strap in the late 1930s launch, by three rows of large, flat composition of the chain, extremely strong, Oyster Series has been the rolex replica uk most widely used A strap. 2000: The last original "Peanuts" comic strip appeared in newspapers one day after its creator Charles M. Schulz died of colon cancer. The popular comic strip debuted 50 years earlier. 2000: File-sharing site Napster was sued, for illegally distributing songs. 2001: Apple announced iTunes at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, for organizing and playing digital music and videos, and the first iPod was released. 2001: DVD sales revenues first exceeded VHS videotape sales revenues. 2001: The dot.com tech bubble burst. 2001: director Pitof's dark 19th century crime fantasy Vidocq (2001) was the world's first-completed theatrical feature film shot entirely on Hi-Def digital video. This first full-length, all-digital film was shot using a Sony HD-CAM 24P1 (1080p, 24fps) high-definition digital camera, producing astonishing visuals. It was released a year before George Lucas' and Hollywood's first big-budget all-digital production of Star Wars - Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002). 2002: The much anticipated online movies-on-demand venture formed by five major Hollywood studios (Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Bros.) was launched with the establishment of MovieLink. This marked the first time a large supply of recent, popular films were available legally on the Internet via a broadband connection. 2002: Controversial white rapper Eminem entered the mainstream with the release of his movie 8 Mile (2002). It was the first film with an Oscar-winning rap/hip-hop song ("Lose Yourself"). 2003: Social networking website MySpace began. 2003: Tabloids were addicted to the 'supercouple' of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, dubbed by the name-blend "Bennifer" (a combination of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez), who appeared together in Gigli (2003). 2003: By mid-March, DVD rentals first topped those of VHS videotape rental revenues. 2003: Hollywood action film star Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected the 38th governor of California. 2004: Facebook launched. 2005: The first YouTube video was uploaded in late spring, but the site didn't officially launch until November 2005. The site soon became the most prominent and popular participatory site for uploading, viewing, and sharing self-produced video clips. 2005: The action sequel Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), the first Sony Pictures film, was also the first feature film to be released on Blu-Ray Disc, a next generation, high-definition optical disc format. The popularity of the new DVD format (and the start of a new optical disc format called Blu-Ray) completely doomed the once-ubiquitous VHS videotape cassette format. In early 2006, the last major Hollywood motion picture to be released in VHS videotape cassette format was David Cronenberg's crime-thriller A History of Violence (2005). 2005: The trend of developing a name-blend for a celebrity super-couple continued with the prominent media and tabloid obsession over Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, dubbed "Brangelina." Their secret real-life pairing was rumored when they co-starred together in the action film Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), leading afterwards to Pitt's separation and divorce from Jennifer Aniston in 2005 after five years of marriage. 2006: The social networking and blogging site Twitter was founded and debuted. 2007: The first broadband movie ever distributed by a major studio was Paramount's prankster sequel Jackass 2.5 (2007), marking a new age of online-first movie distribution. 2007: The film magazine Premiere, which first began publishing in the US in the pre-Internet world of 1987, issued its final print publication with its April 2007 issue. 2007-2008: The Writer's Guild of America (WGA) went on strike in early November after a stalemate in negotiations occurred with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Issues included increased compensation for the film and TV writers for DVD residuals and compensation for "new media" distribution (content distributed through emerging digital technologies, such as the Internet, including downloads, streaming, smart phones, and video on demand, etc.). When the 3-month strike ended in mid-February 2008, it was estimated that it resulted in a total loss of $2.5 billion show-business. 2008: A backlot fire at Universal Studios destroyed several icons from movies, such as Courthouse Square, the clock tower from Back to the Future, and the King Kong exhibit on the studio tour. 2008: The video website Hulu launched. 2009: For the first time since 2002, domestic movie ticket sales surpassed revenue from the purchase of DVDs. The recessionary economy and the current transitionary stage from DVDs to Blue-Ray and to video-on-demand digital downloads through Internet-enabled televisions, were partially accountable for the reversal. Writer/director Jason Reitman's Up in the Air (2009) was an insightful quasi-comedy, perfectly reflecting its time of economic distress at the end of the decade, about a single, corporate down-sizing hit-man (George Clooney) happily in the business of career-transition - traveling around the country and firing employees, until the threat of video-conferenced, technological firings imperiled his own job. The After-Effects of 9/11 and the Iraq War on Film: As often happens, war (or politically-oriented or anti-war) films with ties to current 'headline' events go into a period of declining popularity, especially when the country is actually fighting a long and drawn-out war. The 'Second' Gulf War (Operation Iraqi Freedom) was soon the source of Hollywood interpretations, but it appeared that American audiences did not want realistic war dramas -- war was the ultimate 'reality TV' -- during actual wartime. Warner Bros.' terrorist-themed action film Collateral Damage (2002), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, originally due to be released on October 5, 2001, was postponed until early February 2002, due to the terrorist attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center on 9/11/01. At the same time, Ridley Scott's intense combat film Black Hawk Down (2001), released only a few months after 9/11, captured the visceral tension of a disastrous helicopter mission in Somalia in 1993. Spike Lee's 25th Hour (2002) was a post 9/11 examination of racial hatred, fears and prejudice, portrayed in the character of convicted NY drug dealer Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) who was facing seven years in prison. Its most memorable scene was a scathing diatribe of ethnic/socio-economic archetypal slurs delivered before a mirror. The first 9/11 related feature film from Hollywood, on the 5th year anniversary, was Paul Greengrass' and Universal's real-time drama United 93 (2006). Another 9/11 related film was Paramount's and Oliver Stone's World Trade Center (2006) that opened in late summer, and told the story of two Port Authority cops (Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena) who were among the last rescue workers to be pulled from the rubble. The innovative documentary film Voices of Iraq (2004) was made by distributing 150 inexpensive, lightweight, digital video-cameras to the people throughout Iraq - the film's subjects and participants. Over 400 hours of film footage was edited down to less than 80 minutes, and although presumably unbiased, it presented a fairly positive view of the US. Filmgoers were mostly reluctant to attend films that dealt with the realities of the unpopular war (and mentioned the word "Iraq" or "war" in ad campaigns), and film studios shied away from making war films for much of the decade. However, there were some exceptions. Director Irwin Winkler's R-rated war drama Home of the Brave (2006) told about four American soldiers (Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Biel, Brian Presley, and 50 Cent) on their last mission in Iraq when they were ambushed. Subsequently, they suffered both physical and emotional trauma upon readjustment to civilian life in Spokane, Washington. It was the first major Hollywood feature film to depict returning soldiers from the war in Iraq. Made on a budget of $12 million, the film was a serious flop, earning only about $500,000 (worldwide), and only $52,000 domestically. It recouped some of its losses from sale of DVDs, at $4.7 million. There were lots of other Iraq War-related box-office casualties, especially in 2007: Paul Haggis' In the Valley of Elah (2007) reflected the confusions and atrocities of war in its story of a retired Vietnam vet (Tommy Lee Jones) searching for his missing, returned Iraqi War soldiering son near his Army base in New Mexico, where the Iraq War was only a backdrop. Michael Winterbottom's sad A Mighty Heart (2007) told of the kidnapping-disappearance of journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002 and his truth-seeking wife Mariane's (Angelina Jolie) heroic search for him. South African director Gavin Hood's coldly observant war on terror drama Rendition (2007) starred Reese Witherspoon as a determined, pregnant American wife whose Egyptian-born, chemical engineer/husband - falsely-accused of being a terrorist suspect - was detained and tortured in a secret detention facility in Northern Africa. Brian DePalma's fictional anti-war documentary Redacted (2007), with the tagline: "Truth is the first casualty of war," was a fictional story based on real events in Iraq (including the 2006 rape/murder of an Iraqi teen girl by two US soldiers) -- it was a daring recreation of videos/blogs made by soldiers serving in Iraq, to bring the 'redacted' (edited or altered) sensitive and confidential information into the open. And writer and first-time director James Strouse's understated Grace is Gone (2007) told about a grieving Minnesota father (John Cusack) who took a road trip with his two young 12 and 8 year-old daughters to a fictional Florida theme park (Enchanted Gardens) where he struggled in the catharctic ending to tell them that their soldiering mother Grace had been killed in Iraq. Kimberly Peirce's raw Stop-Loss (2008) explored the human consequences (post-traumatic stress disorders, or soldiers going AWOL) of the questionable military policy dubbed 'stop-loss' which allowed the US government to involuntarily extend a soldier's enlistment contract for duty in Iraq. The realistic terrors of the Iraq War for a squad of bomb defusers were dealt with in Best Director-winning Kathryn Bigelow's tense war thriller The Hurt Locker (2009), the Best Picture of its year. The Major Hollywood Studios in the 2000s: The Hollywood studio system during the 2000s was mostly dominated by six global entertainment companies or conglomerates, which made about 90% of the North American films: Time Warner (formerly Warner Bros.) 20th Century Fox (purchased by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation) Viacom (formerly Paramount) Walt Disney (joined with Pixar) NBC Universal (owned by GE and merged with NBC, formerly Universal) These six companies generally farmed out the production of their films to literally dozens of other independents and in-house pseudo-indie subsidiaries (such as Warner's New Line, Fox's Searchlight, and NBC Universal's Focus Features). At mid-decade in 2005, independent films made outside the Hollywood system faced an uphill battle. This was the first year since 1995 that every $100 million hit came from a major studio. The first major business deal of the 20th century was the America Online (AOL) purchase of Time Warner, Inc. for an estimated $182 billion - in stock ($163 billion) and debt ($17 billion). America Online was one of the largest Internet access subscription service companies and Internet providers in the US. The historic merger, the largest corporate acquisition and the most expensive buyout on record in the country's history, created a global media and entertainment conglomerate, bringing together America Online and CompuServe on-line services and Netscape's Internet browser with the Warner Brothers studio, Cable News Network (CNN) and the Time publishing empire. The merger reflected the growing dominance of the Internet in areas such as publishing, music, film, and broadcasting. However, by the end of the decade (2009), the merger of the decade ended -- Time Warner announced that it would spin off AOL as a separate independent company. In 2005, Viacom's Paramount Pictures acquired the 11-year-old DreamWorks studio (founded in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen) for approximately $1.6 billion. The stand-alone studio's demise marked the end of a Hollywood era, although it had reached a creative peak in 1998-2001 when its most popular and critically-successful films were released, including Saving Private Ryan (1998), American Beauty (1999), Gladiator (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001) - and Shrek (2001) - they had three consecutive Best Picture winners beginning in 1999. DreamWorks ended its troubled 2 1/2 year partnership with Paramount in late 2008. A few months later in early 2009, DreamWorks realized its intentions to reinvent itself as an independent company. It signed a long-term, exclusive 30-picture distribution deal with the Disney Company for five-years. Future films would be released by Disney's Touchstone Pictures division. Also, movie mogul brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein ceased being co-chief executives at the Disney-owned film production company Miramax, in September of 2005. [In 1993, Disney acquired Miramax for about $80 million - a studio known for creative and independent film making and production. Miramax was responsible for some of the most successful films after the merger, including Pulp Fiction (1994), The English Patient (1996), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Good Will Hunting (1998), Chicago (2002), and Cold Mountain (2003).] The Weinstein brothers established The Weinstein Company, founded in 2005 after they left Miramax. In late 2009, Walt Disney Co. purchased comic book and action hero company Marvel Entertainment for about $4 billion. Marvel was the comic-book company behind X-Men and Spider-Man. Disney's Pixar animation unit was expectant over the opportunities that the Marvel acquisition would generate. Using Social Media Networking to Market Films: In the latter half of the decade, Hollywood studios realized that they could leverage the popularity of social networking sites (such as Facebook and Twitter) to market films, encourage positive word-of-mouth, raise awareness, and stimulate ticket sales, by grassroots Internet campaigns and promotions. Millions of Facebook fans signed on to be followers of the romantic vampire Twilight sequel, The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), and an official Twitter page was also established for the film. The first screening of director Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009) from Universal Pictures at the annual Comicon convention in San Diego was packed by people who won admission via Twitter. Warner Bros. and director Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are (2009), adapted from Maurice Sendak's classic children's tale, had more than 1.5 million devotees on its Facebook page as the film was first debuting in theatres. The movie's website also offered an iPhone app. And Lionsgate Entertainment's Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009), promoted and produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, sponsored a weeklong Twitter-based charity fundraising and promotional campaign using TwitCause, run by the San Francisco online forum called Experience Project Inc. The best example came from the low-budget, breakout, independent horror film Paranormal Activity (2009). Filmed in 2007 in only ten days, it was budgeted at only $15,000. San Diego filmmaker Oren Peli's film first gained a cult following after being screened at the 2008 Slamdance Film Festival. Then, it was shown - in limited release - in college towns throughout the country at midnight shows. The studio launched a campaign with the Eventful feature developed by a San Diego company known for promoting concerts. With its Internet feature called "Demand It," Paramount asked users -- fans and would-be watchers, to help determine the film's fate and see if it warranted a potential wide-release in additional markets. When one million frenzied fans demanded to see it, the film was expanded to 160 screens, and grossed $7.9 million in box-office revenue, breaking the record for highest grossing weekend ever for a film playing in less than 200 theaters. It went on to become a surprise box office hit, due in part to a grassroots Internet campaign that included a "Tweet Your Scream" promotion using the social networking site Twitter. It eventually made estimated earnings of $107.9 million (to date), an almost 720K% return on investment. But sometimes, the hype of Web marketing could also doom a film -- Sacha Baron Cohen's shock comedy Brüno (2009) bombed despite pre-release buzz, because moviegoers emerged from early showings and warned other Twitter followers to avoid the film. The same thing occurred a few years earlier, when Snakes on a Plane (2006), starring Samuel L. Jackson, created a pre-release Internet blogging frenzy, but then after the film's release had only modest returns. New Blockbuster Benchmarks : Nothing characterized the decade more than the ever-increasing budgets, box-office returns, and benchmarks set for films. In recent times, it was a major milestone if a film reached a total of $100 million in domestic gross earnings. Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975) is often cited as the first $100 million in domestic theatrical rentals. Now, however, $200 million was the new bar for a blockbuster, and the $100 million mark was only significant as a benchmark, i.e., the comic-book blockbuster Spider-Man (2002) was the first film to pass the $100 million level in a single weekend, a record also soon surpassed. One of the most recent records to be broken was for budget/production costs, when Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) became the most expensive picture ever made at $300 million. Routinely, however, many 'event' films cost $200 million. And for only the fifth time in all of film history, a film has reached $1 billion at the box-office (worldwide) - James Cameron's Avatar (2009). At the end of 2009, the domestic yearly box-office gross total topped the $10 billion mark (at $10.6) for the first time ever. Prognosticators were anxious to see which films would break further benchmarks, with possible clues from past top-performing examples. The Decade's Steady Stream of Box-Office Blockbusters and Sequels: The decade spawned many new blockbuster series (or franchises), sequels, serials, or reboots, often featuring comic-book superheroes, fantastical tales (based on previous novels by Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and C.S. Lewis), CGI-animated characters, or action-thrillers. It could easily be said that some of the biggest films of the decade were based on adaptations of previous artistic works: Books (i.e., the LOTR's trilogy, the Harry Potter series, the Narnia books, the Twilight saga, Brokeback Mountain, etc.) Comic Books (X-Men, Spider-Man, also The Dark Knight) TV shows/Cable TV series (Sex and the City (2008), based upon HBO's 1998-2004 series) TV movies (i.e., High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), based upon a Disney Channel original movie, and its 2007 TV sequel) Broadway plays (Chicago (2002), based upon the 1975 musical) Rides at Theme Parks (the Pirates of the Caribbean movies) Broadway musical plays based on movies (Hairspray (2007), based on 2002 Broadway musical, that was based on John Waters' film Hairspray (1988)) Many of these huge money-making franchise-blockbusters were the top-grossing films of their individual years in the decade: 2000: How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2001: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 2002: Spider-Man 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2004: Shrek 2 2005: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 2007: Spider-Man 3 2008: The Dark Knight 2009: Avatar In just one year, 2002, three of the four top-grossing films (domestic) were franchise sequels: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). The number one film of the year Spider-Man (2002) had its own profitable sequels in 2004 and 2007. The original Star Wars trilogy and its three Prequels (1999-2005), a total of six films (not including re-releases) currently hold the # 1 place as the top-grossing (domestic) film franchise. However, the Harry Potter film franchise (6 films from 2001 to 2009) may eventually end up being the most commercially-successful Movie-Series Franchise of All Time, once new installments are released in the coming decade. Following close behind was the franchise of 22 James Bond-related films (from 1962 to 2008), and the 7 Batman-related films (from 1989 to 2008). Many of the biggest blockbuster film franchises of the decade did not receive high marks for film-making quality, with some exceptions (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the first Shrek film, etc.). Some of the factors that could spell the end of franchises have included aging stars (i.e., the Die Hard or Indiana Jones films), the high-salary demands of actors, accelerating expenses, unoriginal and unsatisfactory plot-lines and an over-reliance on CGI and special effects (the Star Wars prequels, for example), and the end of source-materials (such as in the case of the filmed Harry Potter books). However, with the proliferation of franchises in the decade, it wasn't likely that they would disappear anytime soon. The Significant Impact of Females - and Female Audiences at the Box-Office: Female audiences helped to significantly drive the box-office for a few films in the decade. The best example was female director Catherine Hardwicke's vampire romance Twilight (2008) which earned $70.6 million in its opening weekend box-office - breaking the record for the biggest opening for a female director, previously held by Mimi Leder for Deep Impact (1998) at $41.1 million. At the time, it was the highest-grossing film by a female director, at $193 million (domestic) and $385 million (worldwide), soon to be surpassed by its own sequel The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), with $143 million in its opening weekend, and grossing $293 million (domestic) and $703 million (worldwide). Catherine Hardwicke became the only female director to launch a successful franchise - so far. The success of the two films was fueled by young females: 75 percent of the movie’s audience were female - and half were under 25, a new fan-girl contingent dubbed "tweens." Also, the romantic comedy Sex and the City (2008) was the biggest 'chick flick' on record at $153 million (domestic) and $415 million (worldwide), and The Devil Wears Prada (2006) was another huge moneymaker at $125 million (domestic) and $327 million (worldwide). Other predominantly female audiences spurred these three 2008 films: the 3-D documentary, live-action G-rated concert film Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (2008), High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), which broke the U.S. record for the highest-scoring musical opening (at $42 million domestic), and the film version of the ABBA musical Mamma Mia! (2008) starring Meryl Streep. Although women remained in the minority in terms of film-making (as directors, writers, and producers), 2009 was a watershed year: (1) Kathryn Bigelow's Best Picture-winning The Hurt Locker (2009) marked the first ever Oscar win for a female director (and American director) as Best Director, (2) Betty Thomas became the most-successful female director at the domestic box-office, for her holiday hit Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009) - it was the first female-directed film to gross more than $200 million (at $218 million in mid-March 2010), (3) director Anne Fletcher's The Proposal (2009) (starring Sandra Bullock) was a tremendous hit, scoring $164 million (domestic) at the box-office, (4) It's Complicated (2009), directed and written by Nancy Meyers and starring Meryl Streep, made $112 million (domestic) at the box-office, (5) Best Actress Oscar-winning Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side (2009) and veteran actress Meryl Streep both outperformed their male counterparts fairly consistently. Streep competed against Bullock and was Oscar-nominated for her lead role in writer/director Nora Ephron's Julie & Julia (2009), which made $94 million (domestic) at the box-office. Twisting, Enigmatic, Cult-Favorites of the Decade (so far...): The era of the 2000s seems to be currently noted for unique, enigmatic, thought-provoking cult favorites, including these notable examples: Writer/director Christopher Nolan's, uniquely-told, engaging independent film Memento (2001) with its time-shifting, episodic, neo-noirish and non-linear tale. It was a huge success, for its reverse-chronological order, non-linear innovative structure. The puzzling film-noirish story told about a haunted, tattooed protagonist (Guy Pearce) suffering from short-term amnesia while searching for the truth regarding the rape/murder of his wife, as he interrogated characters including a crooked cop (Joe Pantoliano) and femme fatale barmaid (Carrie-Anne Moss). It was up for two Academy Award nominations in 2001, but didn't receive any awards. Writer/director Cameron Crowe's rock 'n' roll romance Almost Famous (2000), his coming-of-age tribute to his days as a teenaged rock journalist, on the road with up-and-coming early 1970s band Stillwater and groupie Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), with its most memorable "Tiny Dancer" scene. Richard Kelly's time-travel sci-fi cult classic Donnie Darko (2001) was about a paranoid, troubled schizophrenic teenager who survived a jet-engine crashing into his bedroom, and had visions of a giant bunny (Frank) who predicted Doomsday in 28 days. The original film was little noticed when originally released, but midnight screenings and the release of the 2004 "Director's Cut" on DVD helped it to become a major cult favorite. Best Director-nominated David Lynch's surreal, enigmatic, puzzle-box mind-bending, modern noir film about Hollywood, obsession and unrequited love, a contract hit, dashed dreams and suicide titled Mulholland Dr. (2001), which portrayed the twisting, and shifting identities of its two female protagonists - wholesome, pert blonde Canadian ingenue and aspiring actress Betty Elms/Diane Selwyn (Naomi Watts), and her dark-haired brunette/blonde counterpart - a full-bodied amnesiac and bi-sexual femme fatale named 'Rita'/Camilla Rhodes (Laura Elena Harring). Brian DePalma's slick crime thriller Femme Fatale (2002), a cinematically and visually-inventive masterpiece that opened with a breathtaking jewel heist at the Cannes Film Festival (and a double-crossing faked switch of a diamond-studded bra). It starred Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as the thieving heroine with a stolen identity, shifting realities and ended with the film's major "it's a dream" plot twist. Before Sunset (2004) - Richard Linklater's nine years-later sequel to Before Sunrise (1995), provided naturalistic, honest, real-time conversations in Paris between two reunited, would-be lovers (Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy). the whimsical romance Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) was inventive scripter Charlie Kaufman's bizarre, artful and absurdist fantasy about the lobotomizing erasure of painful romantic memories in the relationship between two ex-lovers (Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet). Other films that have been, at present, "popular" during this century, include: scriptwriter Charlie Kaufman's offbeat, convoluted follow-up to Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002), David Cronenberg's thriller A History of Violence (2005), the futuristic dystopian sci-fi Children of Men (2006, UK), Guillermo Del Toro's bold childhood fantasy Pan's Labyrinth (2006, Sp.), and writer-director Quentin Tarantino's two-part derivative revenge epic Kill Bill (2003-2004) followed by his exploitative Grindhouse entry Death Proof (2007) with a classic car chase. Kill Bill The Successful Return of Adult-Oriented, R-Rated Comedies, Rom-Coms, Teen Sex Comedies, and 'Bromances': Although PG and PG-13-rated films have generally proven to be the biggest moneymakers, the decade has so far proved that semi-offensive R-rated comedies, including retooled romantic comedies and 'bromances' (guy-meets-guy romances) containing generous portions of profanity, sex and nudity, and debauchery, could also be popular - and appealing to male audiences. But sometimes success bred repetitiveness and exploitation. Although there were some bright spots, it was a decade of prurient films with abundant and gratuitous T&A nudity, in-the-toilet gross-out humor and jokes about oral sex, farts and excrement, homosexuality, penis size, and incest - and more. As if the original box-office teen comedy hit American Pie (1999) and its first two sequels (American Pie 2 (2001) and American Wedding (2003)) weren't enough - the oft-told tale of high school (and college) boys searching for sex - four more direct-to-video (DVD) spinoffs were also generated. One of the significant commercial trends in the film industry, exemplified by these films, was to release 'unrated' versions of R-rated (and PG 13-rated) films on DVD and videocassette, often with additional racy content that would have undoubtedly changed their original MPAA ratings. The four American Pie Presents: sequels were released in both R-rated and Unrated versions (including the scenes that were removed in order to receive an R-rating): American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005) American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile (2006) American Pie Presents: Beta House (2007) American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009) Three more R-rated, un-PC gross-out comedy films (for strong sexual content, gross humor, language and some drug content) followed the same pattern of rowdy hijinks, topless nudity, and raunch. They were the tired and contrived sex-and-school romp National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002) about a seventh year undergraduate student (Ryan Reynolds) at Coolidge College who, among other things, hired busty young women to be "topless tutors." It was followed by an unconnected sequel Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj (2006), and a prequel Van Wilder: Freshman Year (2009). The R-rated Not Another Teen Movie (2001) was also released to serve as a tasteless parody of Hollywood teen (high school) flicks from the last few decades. It used cliched lines of dialogue and most of its unoriginal characters were stereotypical teen portrayals (for example, the Pretty Ugly Girl, the Popular Jock, the Bitchy Cheerleader, the Token Black Guy, the Dream Girl, the Naked Foreign Exchange Student). Judd Apatow's directorial debut breakthrough film The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), a hilarious sex comedy that signaled the return of raunchy R-rated fare, about a middle-aged male virgin (Steve Carell) seeking a sex partner and finding love with an appealing, intelligent newly-single mother (Catherine Keener); Wedding Crashers (2005) - surpassed There's Something About Mary (1998) as the top R-rated comedy in two decades (although surpassed by The Hangover (2009)). Apatow helped to foster the burgeoning careers of Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen. A new generation of comic male actors, dubbed the 'Frat Pack' or 'Slacker Pack' (Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Owen and Luke Wilson) had emerged in the 2000s, and appeared together in many films, including, actor/director/producer Stiller's own Old School (2003), Zoolander (2001), Dodgeball (2004) and Tropic Thunder (2008). Major Stars of the Decade and Declining Star Power: One of the major trends of the decade was that there were fewer A-list star-driven hits, from the likes of Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise, due to the rise of pre-established franchises and the emergence of often younger or unknown stars. For example, the pairing of Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in Michael Mann's gangster film Public Enemies (2009) was no guarantee of box-office success -- its production budget of $100 million was barely matched by its domestic earnings of $97 million. When star legends Robert De Niro and Al Pacino shared the screen for the first time in Michael Mann's crime film Heat (1995), it was a major event - and the film was a critical and commercial success. Now, their teaming in the R-rated crime thriller Righteous Kill (2008) opened to negative reviews and the film (that barely recouped its expenses) was considered one of the worst of the year. Many films without big-name stars did very well during the decade, bolstered by lots of new faces and names. Examples included the low-budget, docu-style sci-fi hit District 9 (2009) (made by a first-time feature film director Neill Blomkamp, and with unknown actor Sharlto Copley) and The Hangover (2009) - the fastest R-rated comedy to reach the $200 million mark (it took 30 days) and the top R-rated comedy ever, also with a trio of unknowns (Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper). A number of other unknowns appeared, such as Chris Pine (as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek (2009) reboot), or Megan Fox (as Mikaela Banes in the Transformers films). Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson became the young stars of the Harry Potter films, while Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson took the spotlight for the Twilight films. Even though Erin Brockovich (2000) brought mega-star actress Julia Roberts her first Best Actress Oscar, and she became the highest-paid actress (and one of the most powerful actresses) in Hollywood at the time, according to Forbes Magazine and other publications (she was the first female to crash the $20 million salary barrier for her role in the film), her star-drawing film power and earnings potential slightly declined during the decade. However, she could still generate millions for herself - in early 2010, she signed a contract with cosmetics giant Lancome to become its 'latest face' - a deal reportedly worth $20 million. Mission: Impossible III (2006) failed to be the action-thriller blockbuster that it was destined to be - it had a $47.7 million opening weekend at U.S. theaters, below the $65 million to $70 million that had been projected by some box office trackers. Speculation arose that this was, in part, due to cocky mega-star Tom Cruise's erratic behavior and off-screen public relations disasters, evidenced on NBC's Today Show with Matt Lauer, and the couch-jumping incident on the Oprah Winfrey Show. His strident Scientology advocacy and his denouncements in May 2005 against Brooke Shields regarding her use of anti-depressants for post-partum depression were also the focus of criticisms. At one time, 44 year-old Cruise was the industry's most successful and best-paid actor, but was dropped by parent company Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone and by his film studio, Paramount Pictures for his "unacceptable conduct" - after a 14 year production pact. However, Cruise still had considerable appeal and box-office clout -- from 1986 to 2008, he appeared in the most $100 million dollar-grossing films (15 blockbusters), making him the most 'over-paid' actor in big-budget movies. In 2008, Will Smith was the highest-paid Hollywood actor earning $80 million, while second place went to Johnny Depp with earnings of $72 million. Will Smith was the first (and only) actor to have eight consecutive movies take in more than $100 million at the domestic box office. However, the box office star's appearance in the drama Hancock (2008) fell far short - the $55 million-budgeted film took in only $70 million in domestic earnings. The only thing that saved the film was its foreign box-office. His wife Jada Pinkett-Smith had the most consecutive $100 million gross movies for an actress: 4 films. Her seven $100+ million films included: The Nutty Professor (1996), Scream 2 (1997), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), Collateral (2004), Madagascar (2005), and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008). Forbes also reported that 23 year-old actress Keira Knightley became the second highest-paid Hollywood actress with earnings of $32 million in 2007 for her role in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) followed by Cameron Diaz with earnings of $50 million for her roles in the Shrek films and the romantic comedy, What Happens in Vegas (2008). It was announced in 2006 that actress Reese Witherspoon would attain the highest salary for a female for one film, becoming the highest paid actress of all time, for her $29 million deal to star/produce the horror thriller Our Family Trouble (2011). Her salary beat the previous record of $25 million held by Julia Roberts for Mona Lisa Smile (2003). According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest grossing actress of the 2000s decade was Emma Watson, for her six live-action Harry Potter films (2001-2009), which earned $1.7 billion (domestic), or $5.4 billion (worldwide) - or roughly $900 million per film (worldwide). Likewise, her lead co-star Daniel Radcliffe was the highest average-grossing box-office star in a leading role in the decade, averaging about $285 million (domestic) per film. Technological and Special Effects Innovations During Our Decade (and Class Together): George Lucas' second Star Wars pre-quel, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), the fifth film in the hugely successful Star Wars series, was the first big-budget major Hollywood film shot entirely with digital video cameras (at 24 fps) - best screened in theaters equipped with digital projectors. The 96-minute long film Russian Ark (2002) (aka Russkiy kovcheg) from director Aleksandr Sokurov was the longest single-shot feature-length narrative film (with no cuts) in movie history, as the camera roamed through the halls of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg during 19th century Russia. Its tagline described: "2000 cast members, 3 orchestras, 33 rooms, 300 years, ALL IN ONE TAKE." Able Edwards (2004) was the first publicly-released feature film shot entirely without physical sets against a green screen. Produced in similar fashion was the big-budget Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) with very photo-realistic, all-CGI backgrounds and live actors. Human actors were completely filmed in front of a green/blue screen with no background sets at all. Director Peter Jackson's absolutely lack-luster re-make of King Kong (2005), the tragic beauty-and-the-beast love story of the 1933 Kong film, featured a computer-generated Kong. It was somewhat remarkable for having the largest number of special/visual effects shots in a single film, surpassing the previous records set by Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), and Jackson's own trilogy of, The Lord of the Rings films. The more than 3,200 final shots in the film were culled from 3 million feet of live-action footage and 2,510 visual effects shots. (but, who cares - - It was still a terrible movie!) Visual Effects: The Technique of Performance Capture: Performance capture (or motion capture) became more widespread and sophisticated as a special effects technique in the 2000s. Performance capture referred to a digital blend of live performance and animated elements. Actors wore heavy, dot-sensor-covered spandex body suits and a helmet, and initially acted out their scenes in isolation from other sets, props, costumes, or actors. Expressions and movements were first recorded by digital cameras as 3D "moving data points" - and afterwards, the digitally-recorded performances were translated and embellished by key-frame artists and integrated into an exclusively virtual environment. In the second part of Peter Jackson's trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), CGI-imagery was combined with "motion capturing" (of the movements and expressions of actor Andy Serkis, who also served as the voice) to produce the barely-seen, supporting character of Gollum (originally known as Sméagol) Performance capture-advocate Robert Zemeckis experimented with the technology in his own The Polar Express (2004); in his next film, Beowulf (2007), an adaptation of the Old English epic poem, he used advanced motion-capture technology to transform live action into digital animation - it was released simultaneously in standard 2-D and non-Imax 3D versions and had the biggest 3-D rollout of any film in history (to date). The technique was also used in Disney's and Zemeckis' 3-D A Christmas Carol (2009), an adaptation of Dickens' 1843 classic story, in which Jim Carrey played multiple roles, including old miser Scrooge (at different stages of his life) and the three Christmas ghosts; it was released in both Disney Digital 3-D and IMAX 3-D (it was the first Disney animated film released in this format). Director Zack Snyder's Watchmen (2009), a filmed adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel (a 12-issue publication by DC Comics between 1986 and 1987), featured the photo-realistic, all-CGI character of the all-powerful, blue-glowing "atomized" scientist Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) which was also created with the process of motion capture. James Cameron's ambitious, monumental animated/live-action fantasy Avatar (2009), his first feature film since Titanic (1997), was a futuristic, epic 3-D film with ground-breaking special effects involving performance capture. The expensive sci-fi romance epic was set in the year 2154 and told about invasive Earth-dwellers (created as avatars) seeking the rare mineral unobtanium on the distant alien moon of Pandora, inhabited by indigenous blue-skinned, 10 foot tall Na'vi. The Expansion of 3-D and IMAX Releases: The Future of Film The decade of the 2000s saw advancements in 3D and an explosion of releases of both 3-D films and IMAX films. There were many varieties of 3-D, including Disney Digital 3D, Real D 3D, InTru3D, D-BOX, and IMAX 3D. And with many more theatres converted to the 3D format, that meant increased demand and bookings (and ticket prices) for 3D films. Would 3D be the future of filmmaking, a logical extension of CGI? One of the major concerns of the burgeoning trend toward 3D was the availability of theater chains to meet the demand. Films released in IMAX 3-D included: Ghosts of the Abyss (2003) and Aliens of the Deep (2005) and many other IMAX-only short features, as well as portions of feature films, such as The Dark Knight (2008). The DreamWorks sci-fi spoof of 50s monster movies Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) was the first computer-animated feature film to be shot directly in stereoscopic 3-D -- dubbed the Ultimate 3-D. Previously, 3-D CGI films were made in a non 3-D version and then dimensionalized. The film was about the growth of Californian Susan Murphy (voice of Reese Witherspoon) who was hit by a meteor on her wedding day and grew to monstrous size (49 feet and 11 inches) and was named Ginormica. 3D releases included: Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (2003), The Polar Express (2004), Chicken Little (2005), Monster House (2006), Superman Returns (2006) - with 20 minutes in converted 3D, Meet the Robinsons (2007), Beowulf (2007), Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (2008), Bolt (2008), My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009) - the first R-rated horror film released in Real D 3D, Coraline (2009), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), Up (2009), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), The Final Destination: Death Trip 3D (2009), A Christmas Carol (2009), and Avatar (2009). 2010-2011 3D film releases included: Pixar's Toy Story 3 (2010), Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010), and Shrek Forever After (2010) - to name just a few. Text written by Tim Dirks and edited by Malcolm Armstrong (© 2015, all rights reserved) END of Unit THREE Notes (PART TWO)	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_304_27	1998 Catalog of Releases Addams Family Reunion Direct-to-video sequel in the Addams Family franchise, with Daryl Hannah as Morticia and Tim Curry as Gomez. In clamshell packaging. Director: Dave Payne. Stars: Daryl Hannah, Tim Curry. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 90 min., Comedy, Warner, $19.96 SRP. Air Bud: Golden Receiver Air Bud, that high-flying athletic pooch who captivated audiences with his ability to sink baskets, is back, this time on the gridiron as he saves the day for his young master's junior high school football team. Along the way he also saves the coach's job and mom's romance. Director: Richard Martin. Stars: Kevin Zegers, Cynthia Stevenson, Gregory Harrison, Nora Dunn. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: G, 90 min., Family, Box office gross: $10.215 million, Disney, $14.98 SRP. Air Force One Excitement on Air Force One as the President is hijacked by terrorists and actually fights back. Available in widescreen and pan-and-scan. Day and date DVD release. Stars Harrison Ford, Glenn Close, Gary Oldman. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, $22.95. Alan Smithee Film, An: Burn Hollywood Burn Satire on Hollywood about a director whose freshman effort is so bad that he wants to take his name off the credits. When he can't, he takes the film's negative hostage and threatens to burn it. Written by Joe Eszterhas. Stars Ryan O'Neal, Eric Idle, Richard Jeni, Sandra Bernhard, Jackie Chan. Directed by Alan Smithee. Buena Vista, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Alien Resurrection Fourth outing in the "Alien" franchise has Sigourney Weaver's Ripley cloned back to life to give birth to an alien for further scientific and warfare research. Naturally things get a bit out of hand. In pan-and-scan and widescreen versions. Stars Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Brad Dourif, Ron Perlman, Dan Hedaya. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. All My Sons Dramatic story of a self-made man who knowingly sells defective aircraft parts to the Army during World War II that leads to a crash killing 21 men, and the effect it has on his family (in particular his sons). Stars Edward G. Robinson, Burt Lancaster, Howard Duff, Henry Morgan. Directed by Irving Reis. Universal, 1948, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 All Dogs Christmas Carol, An The cuddly characters from the "All Dogs Go to Heaven" series are back in a new animated holiday adventure. Voices of Steven Weber, Don De Luise, Sheena Easton, Ernest Borgnine, Bebe Neuwirth. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: G, 73 min., Animated, MGM, $14.95 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. All That Heaven Allows A wealthy New England widow (Jane Wyman) defies social constraints and the town's gossip when she falls for a younger, sexy gardener. Douglas Sirk's searing look at mid-1950s morality. Stars Rock Hudson, Conrad Nagel, Agnes Moorehead. Universal, 1955, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Alligator People, The Abandoned by her husband on their wedding day, a young woman traces the man to the Louisiana bayous where she uncovers horrible experiments using serum derived from alligators. Stars Beverly Garland. Fox Summer Drive-In Collection, 1959, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98. Almost Heroes Silly comedy about a pair of erstwhile explorers who attempt to beat Lewis and Clark to the Pacific Ocean in the early 1800s. Too much talk and not enough action for this last starring role for the late-Chris Farley. Director: Christopher Guest. Stars: Chris Farley, Matthew Perry, Eugene Levy, Kevin Dunn. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 90 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $6.114 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. American Pop Animated classic released to video for first time, traces four generations of American men and the music they make, from vaudeville through swing through psychedelia and rock, featuring a heavy lineup of rock stars on the soundtrack. Columbia TriStar, 1981, MPAA rating: R, $13.95 minimum advertised price American Tail, An Re-issue of the by-now classic animated adventures of Fievel the mouse and his family and their journey from the pogroms of Russia to the safety of the New World. Universal is re-releasing this just prior to the theatrical (and subsequent video) release of their latest sequel, "An American Tail III -- The Treasure of Manhattan Island." Voices of Phillip Glasser, Dom DeLuise, Christopher Plummer, Nehemiah Persoff, Madeline Kahn. Directed by Don Bluth. Universal, 1986, MPAA rating: G, $19.98. American Tail, An: Fievel Goes West Re-issue of the by-now classic animated sequel to the adventures of Fievel the mouse and his family, this time following their adventures in the Old West. Universal is re-releasing this just prior to the theatrical (and subsequent video) release of their latest sequel, "An American Tail III -- The Treasure of Manhattan Island." Voices of Phillip Glasser, James Stewart, Dom DeLuise, Nehemiah Persoff, Amy Irving, John Cleese. Directed by Phil Nibbelink. Universal, 1991, MPAA rating: G. $19.98. American Werewolf in Paris, An A sequel of sorts to "An American Werewolf in London," this special-effects-fest follows an American who falls in love with a sad, mysterious woman who turns out to have a pretty hairy secret. Stars Tom Everett Scott, Julie Delpy. Buena Vista, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Amistad Historical drama set in 1839, about a revolt on a Spanish slave ship by 53 Africans. The ex-slaves are caught off the coast of Connecticut and tried in a U.S. court, where they're aided in their fight by former President John Quincy Adams. Stars Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughy. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Universal, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Anastasia Fox's foray into animated feature films was a moderate success, considering it went up against Disney's rerelease of "The Little Mermaid." The film is a Hollywood interpretation of the myth of the lost daughter (Princess Anastasia) of the executed Russian Romanovs. In pan-and-scan and widescreen versions, with clamshell packaging. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: G, $26.99. Apostle, The One man's journey to redemption as a Pentecostal preacher starts life anew as the mysterious E.F., dubs himself The Apostle after committing a crime of passion, and takes command of the souls he preaches to, but is not always in command of his own. Stars Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, Miranda Richardson, Billy Bob Thornton. Directed by Robert Duvall. Universal, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. DVD: Yes. Armageddon The Earth faces destruction from an asteroid in this smash summer blockbuster. With only 18 days before impact, Bruce Willis (in typical gonzo mode) heads a crew of misfit roughnecks on a mission to outer space to detonate a nuclear device inside the rock to knock it out of orbit. In widescreen and pan-and-scan versions. Stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Keith David, Steve Buscemi. Directed by Michael Bay. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 154 min., Action, Box office gross: $200.00 million, Buena Vista, $22.99 SRP. Artemisia True story of Artemisia Gentileschi, the beautiful and talented daughter of one of Italy's most acclaimed painters, who, forbidden to follow her passion for art, persuades another artist to take her under his wing, where she gets involved in a treacherous world of art, love and sex. Stars: Valentina Cervi. 1997, CC, MPAA rating: R, 95 min., Drama, Box office gross: $0.349 million, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. As Good as It Gets Eccentric, anal-retentive writer discovers love and a new respect for other human beings when he teams up with a single mother and her sick young boy. Academy Awards for Helen Hunt, Jack Nicholson. A great, warm, loving film. Co-stars Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr. Directed by James L. Brooks. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, $14.95 Assignment, The Typical genre action-thriller about U.S. naval officer trained to hunt down a terrorist ("The Jackal") by becoming him. Sound all-too-familiar? Stars Aidan Quinn, Ben Kingsley, Donald Sutherland. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Avengers, The Weak filmization of the classic 1960s suave TV spy series has Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman starring as John Steed and Emma Peel in a dull production that goes nowhere. Sean Connery plays evil meteorologist Dr. August De Wynter who wants to mess around with the environment and its up to Steed and Peel to stop him. Director: Jeremiah Chechik. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 90 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $23.322 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Barney's Great Adventure: The Movie Purple dinosaur Barney comes to the big screen in this kids adventure that wanders from a farm to a circus to a main street parade to a French restaurant to a hot air balloon ride. Director: Steve Gomer. Stars: Barney, George Hearn, Shirley Douglas. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: G, 75 min., Family, Box office gross: $11.080 million, PolyGram, $22.95 SRP. BASEketball The creators of TV's "South Park" come up empty when they star in this story about two slackers who invent a new sport: a combination of baseball and basketball that takes off and eventually catches the eye of a sports maven who wants to start a league. Silly comedy. Director: David Zucker. Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Yasmine Bleeth, Jenny McCarthy. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $7.017 million, Universal, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero Direct-to-video animated adventure with Batman and Robin going after cryogenic super criminal Mr. Freeze, who has kidnapped Batgirl in a plot to save the life of his wife. In clamshell packaging. Voices of Kevin Conroy, Michael Ansara, Loren Lester, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Warner Home Video, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, $19.96. Bean Rowan Atkinson reprises his role from numerous British comedy shorts as Mr. Bean, an ungainly goofball prone to all sorts of slapstick accidents. Here he's pawned off by London's National Art Gallery as a curator and exiled to America. Stars Rowan Atkinson, Peter MacNicol, Pamela Reed, Harris Yulin. PolyGram, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Beaumarchais the Scoundrel Period piece following the love affairs, scandals and espionage associated with legendary French playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais whose work influenced the likes of Mozart and Rossini. Letterboxed, in French with English subtitles. Director: Edouard Molinaro. Stars: Fabrice Luchini, Sandrine Kiberlain, Michel Serrault, Michel Piccoli. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 100 min., Drama, New Yorker, No SRP, Priced for rental. Best of the Best: Without Warning Action star Phillip Rhee returns in this fourth "Best" outing, here getting caught up in the Russian underworld, high-tech crime and counterfeit money. Co-stars Ernie Hudson. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 90 min., Action, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: No. Big Lebowski, The Coen Brothers' comedy about bowler dude Jeff Lebowski mistaken for rich philanthropist Jeff Lebowski, and the former's involvement in rescuing the kidnapped wife of the latter. Stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore. PolyGram, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Big Hit, The Professional and romantic misadventures of a beleaguered hit man whose assignment to make a quick and easy weekend kidnapping goes comically awry. Added to his problems are a mistress who absconds with his money, the arrival of his fiancee's parents, and an overzealous video store clerk chasing him down for an overdue tape. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christina Applegate, Lela Rochon, Elliott Gould, Lanie Kazan. Directed by Che-Kirk Wong. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 91 min., Comedy-Thriller, Box office gross: $26.910 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Big One, The "Roger and Me" documentary director Michael Moore here goes on a subversive odyssey in search of the answer to the question: at a time when corporations are posting record profits why are so many Americans still in danger of losing their jobs? Stars Michael Moore. Directed by Michael Moore. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 90 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.713 million, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. Billboard Dad The child stars of TV's "Full House" and now pre-teen stars of ABC's primetime series "Two of a Kind" take their girlish adventures direct-to-video in this comedy about two sisters determined to find their single dad a mate via advertising on a billboard in Hollywood. Director: Alan Meter. Stars: Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 90 min., Family, Warner, $19.96 SRP. Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss Campy comedy that takes am askance look at love in the '90s. A photographer falls for a handsome is-he-or-isn't-he coffeehouse waiter and asks him to pose for a series of photos recreating great Hollywood screen kisses. Look out! Director: Tommy O'Haver. Stars: Sean P. Hayes, Brad Rowe. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 93 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $2.056 million, Trimark, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Black Cauldron, The Disney's sword-and-sorcerer animated film finally comes home to video. Voices of Grant Bardsley, John Byner, John Hurt. Directed by Ted Berman. Buena Vista, 1985, MPAA rating: PG, $26.99 Black Dog A high octane thriller about a trucker who must deliver a load of illegal arms to save the lives of his kidnapped wife and daughter. Plenty of chases, crashes and shots of big rigs flying through the air. Stars Patrick Swayze, Meat Loaf, Randy Travis, Gabriel Casseus. Directed by Kevin Hooks. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 89 min., Action, Box office gross: $12.711 million, Universal, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Black Angel Riveting whodunit about a woman who struggles to clear her husband of murder conviction. Stars Dan Duryea, June Vincent, Peter Lorre, Broderick Crawford. Universal Noir Collection, 1946, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Blackjack Dolph Lundgren plays a top-notch federal agent in the witness protection program assigned to protect a supermodel from a highly trained assassin. Not released theatrically in the States. Directed by John Woo. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Blade Wesley Snipes plays a half-breed immortal (half human, half-vampire) with big muscles and even bigger guns whose mission in life is to exterminate the increasing number of vampires haunting the earth, the latter led by Stephen Dorff in his own effort to destroy mankind. Exciting but brutal. Director: Stephen Norrington. Stars: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristoffersom. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: 120, R min., Horror, Box office gross: $70.000 million, New Line, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Blues Brothers 2000 Long-awaited sequel falls a bit flat as Dan Aykroyd reprises his role as Elwood Blues. Here the renegade rocker is released from prison and sets about assembling an all-new cast of blue-sters with the help of John Goodman, Joe Morton, J. Evan Bonifant. Co-stars Nia Peeples. Directed by John Landis. Universal, 1998, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. DVD: Yes. Boogie Nights Outrageous look at the California adult film entertainment industry in the 1970s. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy. New Line, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Borrowers, The Kids story about four-inch people sharing a house with regular sized people and their adventure when the regular sized people are evicted by a behemoth banker. Stars John Goodman. PolyGram, 1998, $22.95 Boxer, The Classic love story amid the turmoil of Northern Ireland, with Daniel Day-Lewis as former IRA member who takes up boxing in prison and then attempts to fight in the ring instead of the streets when he's released. Emily Watson plays the wife of another imprisoned IRA member who falls for the boxer. Directed by Jim Sheridan. Universal, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Brass Bottle Architect discovers an antique bottle is the home of a jovial genie; inspired the TV series I Dream of Jeannie. Stars Tony Randall, Burl Ives, Ann Doran, Barbara Eden, Edward Andrews. Directed by Harry Keller. Universal, 1963, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Brassed Off A small town in Yorkshire, England, is turned upside town when the local mines are closed; its spirit is revived when its beloved brass band goes on to compete in National Championships. Stars Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald, Ewan McGregor. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars, The Inspired by the full-length animated film and Parent's Choice Award winning "The Brave Little Toaster," this sequel reunites the gang of appliances and sends them off on a fun-filled adventure to outer space. Disney, 1998, MPAA rating: NR, $22.99 Breaking Up Silly romantic comedy starring Salma Hayek and Russell Crowe. Warner, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Breast Men Comedy about two young doctors who implement the breakthrough -- so to speak -- of breast enhancement surgery. Spans the history of the implant from the hip 1960s through the excessive 1980s. Stars David Schwimmer, Chris Cooper, Emily Proctor, Louise Fletcher. HBO, 1998, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Broken English A beautiful and fiery young woman, a recent immigrant with her family to New Zealand, falls for a handsome Maori boy, against the wishes of her father. Romeo and Juliet Down Under. Stars Alexsandra Vujcic, Rade Serbedzija, Julian Arahanga. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Brother's Kiss, A Fine small film about the divergent lives of two brothers (whose early lives were shattered by one shocking moment): one becomes a cop to cleanse his life, the other gives up chances of playing pro ball for menial jobs, crime and drugs. Stars Rosie Perez, Nick Chinlund, Michael Raynor, Cathy Moriarty, John Leguizamo. Directed by Seth Zvi Rosenfeld. BMG, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Buddy Rene Russo plays an animal-loving heiress who adopts a baby gorilla. Based on a true story. Not a great career move for Russo. Available in clamshell packaging. Stars Rene Russo, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Cumming, Paul Ruebens. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, $14.95. Buffalo Soldiers African-American cavalrymen fight in the Indian Wars in this TNT original telefilm. Stars Danny Glover, Mykelti Williamson, Carl Lumbly. Warner, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night Direct-to-video animated tale about two mice and a Blue Jay who find the true meaning of Christmas in 19th century Austria. In duracase packaging. Voices of Phil Hartman, Tom Arnold, Jim Cummings. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: G, 48 min., Animated, Columbia TriStar, $12.95 SRP. DVD: No. Butcher Boy, The From the director of "The Crying Game" comes this dark drama about a rambunctious 12-year-old Irish boy growing up in the '60s whose life is molded by violent TV and a dysfunctional family life, leading him to commit increasingly cruel and deadly deeds. Chilling. Stars Eamonn Owens, Stephen Rea, Alan Boyle, Fiona Shaw. Directed by Neil Jordan. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 120 min., Drama, Box office gross: $2.000 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. Cafe Society A millionaire playboy is entrapped by an overzealous cop and betrayed by a beautiful woman in this fictionalized account of a fascinating 1950s scandal. Stars Frank Whaley, Peter Gallagher, Lara Flynn Boyle. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Can't Hardly Wait After four frustrating years of high school, what's a new grad to do but let it all explode at one final blow-out party before moving on to the real world? Coming together for a night of romance and fun is an assortment of jocks, geeks, bimbos, prom queens, headbangers and misfits. Directors: Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. Stars: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Seth Green, Jenna Elfman. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 101 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $25.339 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Canyon Passage Multi-threaded Western about pack-mule express owner, light-fingered banker/gambler and outlaws. Highlighted by four songs sung by Hoagy Carmichael, who wanders through the action. Stars Dana Andrews, Brian Donlevy, Ward Bond, Susan Hayward. Universal Western Collection, 1946, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Career Girls Reunited six years after graduation, two unlikely college roommates take a funny and poignant look at the girls they were and the women they have become. Directed by Mike Leigh ("Secrets and Lies"). Stars Katrin Cartlidge, Lynda Steadman, Mark Benton. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Casablanca Special edition of the classic in clamshell packaging with a great documentary on the making of the film. Director: Michael Curtiz. Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains. 1942, 145 min., Drama, MGM, $19.98 SRP. Casper Meets Wendy Wendy the Witch and Casper the Friendly Ghost forge a boo-tiful relationship when they join forces to foil an evil warlock's plot to attack Wendy's family of Witless Witches. Live action and CGI animation. Direct-to-video. Stars: Cathy Moriarty, Terri Garr, Shelly Duvall, George Hamilton. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 90 min., Family, Box office gross: $ million, Fox, $19.98 SRP. Cats Special London production executive produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Stars Elaine Page, John Mills. Directed by David Mallet. 1998, CC, PolyGram, $24.95 SRP. DVD: No. Chairman of the Board Prop-driven comedian Carrot Top made the transition to the big screen but he should have stayed home. The bland story has the red-head playing an inventor who is bequeathed a major industrial company and promptly turns everything upside down. Stars Carrot Top, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Raquel Welch, Larry Miller. Directed by Alex Zamm. Trimark, 1998, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror Latest in the seemingly never-ending sequels to the original Stephen King horror story, here with six college students on a road trip who get in deep trouble when they take a wrong turn and discover a town taken over by evil. No, it's not Hollywood! Dimension, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Children of the Revolution In the late 1940s in Australia, a devout follower of Josef Stalin travels to Russia to met her idol; she returns pregnant and gives birth to a boy, Joe, hoping he'll grow to be a true revolutionary. But Joe's idea of revolution is not what his mother had in mind. Stars Judy Davis, F. Murray Abraham, Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Chinese Box Drama follows the last days of a dying British journalist and his relationship with a beautiful Chinese woman set against the backdrop of the handover of British Hong Kong to the Chinese. Director: Wayne Wang. Stars: Jeremy Irons, Gong Li, Ruben Blades. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 99 min., Drama, Box office gross: $2.154 million, Trimark, No SRP, Priced for rental. Chipmunk Adventure, The Made-for-video kids animation, in clamshell packaging. Universal, 1998, MPAA rating: G, $19.98 City of Angels Based on Wim Wenders' 1988 "Wings of Desire," this romantic fantasy follows the adventures of an Earth-bound angel (Cage) who decides to give up his wings to love a human, here in the form of a cold, driven cardiovascular surgeon (Ryan). Fine leads, lush camera. Director: Brad Silberling. Stars: Nicolas Cage, Meg Ryan, Andre Braugher, Dennis Franz. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 120 min., Romantic fantasy, Box office gross: $75.870 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. City of Industry Jewelry thief's last heist before quitting and leaving L.A. goes awry. So what else is new? Stars Harvey Keitel, Stephen Dorff, Timothy Hutton. Orion, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Cold Around the Heart Two reckless lovers hit the road with a stash of stolen diamonds in this lackluster flop of an actioner starring David Caruso, Kelly Lynch and Stacey Dash. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Cop Land A small town sheriff -- a longtime admirer of the big city cops who inhabit his neighborhood -- uncovers a massive conspiracy among the locals, and he has to choose between protecting his idols or upholding the law. Stars Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Cousin Bette Cousin Bette (Jessica Lange), a bitter spinster, enlists the aid of a young sensual temptress (Elisabeth Shue) to get even with all the people who have wronged, scorned and betrayed her in this period ensemble piece based on the novel by Honore de Balzac. Director: Des McAnuff. Stars: Jessica Lange, Elisabeth Shue, Bob Hoskins, Hugh Laurie, Aden Young, Kelly MacDonald. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 108 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.117 million, Fox, No SRP, Priced for rental. Critical Care Director Sidney Lumet's black comedy take on hospital care, where the virtually dead are worth more than the living. An examination of the juncture of medicine, money and morality. Stars James Spader, Helen Mirren, Wallace Shawn, Kyra Sedgwick, Anne Bancroft. LIVE, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 Four high school graduates-to-be in the dusty, sleepy West Texas town of Dancer contemplate their futures and wonder if the pact they made at the age of 11 to leave the tiny dustbowl town following their graduation will survive the test of time. Stars Breckin Meyer, Ethan Embry, Peter Facinelli, Eddie Mills. Directed by Tim McCanlies. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 97 min., Comedy-Drama, Box office gross: $0.565 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Dangerous Beauty Costume drama set in 16th century Venice, Italy, about a young woman who rises above her station to become a courtesan, becomming intimate with the Venetian elite until forces of repression come down on her and she's branded a witch. Director: Marshall Herskovitz. Stars: Catherine McCormack, Rufus Sewell, Jacqueline Bisset, Oliver Platt, Moira Kelly, Joanna Cassidy. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 114 min., Costume Drama, Box office gross: $4.530 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. Dark City Sci-Fi film noir about a haunted everyman (Rufus Sewell) who awakens one day with amnesia to find a mutilated female body in his apartment. Soon he's being chased by both the police and a cult of ominous beings known only as the Strangers. Co-stars Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt. Directed by Alex Proyas. New Line, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Dead Heart Culture clash comes to the fore Down Under when murder and lust stalk an aboriginal settlement outside Alice Springs, Australia. Stars Bryan Brown, Ernie Dingo. Directed by Nick Parsons. Fox Lorber, 1998, MPAA rating: NR, $89.98 Deceiver Run-of-the-mill psychological thriller about a Princeton grad with a genius-level I.Q., accused of brutally murdering a call girl, who masterfully turns the tables on the police. Stars Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Michael Rooker, Rosanna Arquette, Ellen Burstyn, Renee Zellweger. Directed by Jonas and Joshua Pate. MGM, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Deconstructing Harry Life and art, sex and love intersect in this "return-to-his-roots" comedy by Woody Allen, who once again plays a despicable (but loveable) sex-and love-hungry best-selling author who gets in trouble when his latest book reveals all about his friends. Stars Woody Allen, Kirstie Alley, Richard Benjamin, Billy Crystal, Judy Davis, Julie Kavner, Demi Moore. New Line, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Deep Rising A band of ruthless hijackers seize a luxurious ship only to find it devoid of passengers and crew: it seems there's an evil being lurking behind every deck and passageway, devouring all living things. Now they must battle the creat. Serves 'em right. Director: Stephen Sommers. Stars: Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, Derrick O'Connor, Anthony Heald. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 106 min., Horror, Box office gross: $11.194 million, Hollywood, No SRP, Priced for rental. Deep Impact The world is on the brink of destruction as a comet heads for the Earth in this summer box office smash. Great special effects highlight an intelligent story line. In widescreen and pan-and-scan. Stars Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Morgan Freeman, Maximilian Schell, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave. Directed by Mimi Leder. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 123 min., Action, Box office gross: $140.000 million, Paramount, No SRP, Priced for rental. Dennis the Menace Strikes Again Direct-to-video sequel follows the further adventures of comic strip bad boy Dennis the menace. Stars Justin Cooper, Don Rickles, Betty White. Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, 1998, MPAA rating: G, $19.94. Desperate Measures A police officer, in need of a bone marrow transplant for his young son, strikes a deal with a sociopathic convict who happens to be a perfect blood match, setting off a horrible and violent chain of events. Stars Andy Garcia, Michael Keaton. Columbia TriStar, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Destroy All Monsters Earth's monsters -- Godzilla, Ghidrah, Mothra, Rodan -- go on a rampage. In widescreen. A.D.V. Films, 1968, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Devil Rides Out, The (a k a The Devil's Bride) Hammer horror film about a devil's cult that can only be stopped by a potent ritual; released in widescreen. Features U.S. and U.K. trailers. New-to-video. Stars Christopher Lee. Anchor Bay, 1968, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98. Devil's Advocate, The Keanu Reeves plays a hotshot attorney from Florida who joins Al Pacino's upscale New York law firm, only to find out the true meaning of the film's title. Co-stars Charlize Theron. Warner Home Video, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Diary of a Seducer Philosophical romantic comedy about the lengths peope are willing to go for love; the film follows the adventures of a young student who becomes obsessed with a fellow student when he lends her a rare (and possessed with aphrodisiac power) book. Stars Chiara Mastroianni, Melvil Poupaud, Jean-Pierre Leaud. In French with English subtitles. Fox Lorber, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Different for Girls Childhood boy friends meet 15 years later and fall in love in this off-beat gender blender romance. Stars Rupert Graves, Steven Mackintosh. Fox Lorber, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Dirty Work Low concept, ill-mannered comedy has pair off foul-mouthed schemers come up with the idea of creating a professional service that offers revenge against its clients' enemies. This allows for all manner of bathroom-humor gags and gagging offal jokes. Director: Bob Saget. Stars: Norm Macdonald, Artie Lange, Jack Warden, Don Rickles, Chevy Chase. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 82 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $10.020 million, MGM, No SRP, Priced for rental. Disappearance of Garcia Lorca, The Drama based on the events surrounding the mysterious death during the Spanish Civil War of the famed poet Federico Garcia Lorca; a young journalist 18 years later attempts to unmask the culprit. Stars Andy Garcia, Esai Morales, Edward James Olmos. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Don King: Only in America HBO bio-drama on rise of sports entrepreneur Don King, played here by Ving Rhames (who won a Golden Globe for Best Actor for the role). Stars Ving Rhames. Warner, 1997, NR, priced for rental. Dr. Dolittle Pleasingly funny remake of 1967 film that starred Rex Harrison as a man who could talk to animals. Murphy here eschews scenery-chewing for a more laid back presence as a physician whose life gets complicated when he finds that denizens of the animal world talk to him -- and he understands and talks back to them. Co-stars Ossie Davis, Oliver Platt, Kristen Wilson. Directed by Betty Thomas. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 85 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $138.000 million, Fox, $19.98 SRP. DVD: No. Dream for an Insomniac Romantic comedy set in a hip San Francisco coffee house, highlighted by a reverse Sleeping Beauty tale. A struggling actress who hasn't slept a full night since she was six years old meets her Prince Charming only days before she's set to move to LA. Director: Tiffanie Debartolo. Stars: Ione Skye, Jennifer Aniston, Mackenzie Astin, Seymour Cassel. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 87 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.015 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: No. Dream With the Fishes Terry, a straightlaced, unhappy young man (David Arquette) helps Nick (Brad Hunt), who has a terminal illness, live out his fantasies in the short time he has left; when Nick dies, Terry realizes that he has caught Nick's love of life. Co-stars Cathy Moriarity. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Easy Living Comedy about relations between the rich and the poor. When a millionaire throws his spoiled wife's sable coat out the window, it lands on an unsuspecting secretary, kicking off a series of misunderstandings. Stars Jean Arthur, Edward Arnold, Ray Milland, Franklin Pangborn, William Demerest. Universal Cinema Classics, 1937, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98. Edge, The Two very different men -- an intellectual billionaire (Anthony Hopkins) and a hotshot fashion photographer (Alec Baldwin) -- are pitted against nature, a grizzly bear and themselves when their plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness. Co-stars Elle MacPherson. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Education of Little Tree, The Based on Forrest Carter's best-seller about a shy, nervous boy who returns to his Indian roots with his grandparents after he loses both his parents, learning to live off the land and gaining serenity and self-confidence. Stars James Cromwell, Graham Greene, Tantoo Cardinal, Joseph Ashton. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag A hit man (Joe Pesci) with a duffel bag of eight heads (as proof of a custom-ordered hit) runs into comedic trouble when his bag gets picked up by a college kid en route to Mexico to visit his girl friend and her folks. Billed as a mindless comedy. Yes indeed! Stars Joe Pesci, Kristy Swanson, Todd Louiso, Georga Hamilton, Dyan Cannon. Orion, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Elective Affinities Gorgeous adaptation of Goethe's 19th century novel about aristocratic couple whose marital bliss is interrupted when the husband's closest male friend and the couple's goddaughter arrive for an extended visit, causing an exploration of the phenomenon of elective affinities. Director: Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Hugues Anglade. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 98 min., Drama, Fox Lorber, $89.98 SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: No. Elmopalooza! ABC primetime celebration of 30 years of Sesame Street starring the one and only Elmo, 20 of his human friends, and a lot of Muppets. In clamshell packaging. Stars Rosie O'Donnell, Fugees, Cindy Crawford, Richard Belzer, the Muppets. Sony Wonder, 1998, MPAA rating: NR, $12.98 End of Summer Sex and scandal rocks a posh seaside resort when a beautiful spinster gets involved with a seductive young woman, a dashing millionaire and a social-climbing reverend. Stars Jacqueline Bisset, Peter Weller, Julian Sands, Amy Locane. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. End of Violence, The Latest film from Wim Wenders explores life in the modern world (Los Angeles) through the actions of several characters whose lives ultimately converge. Stars Bill Pullman, Andie MacDowell, Gabriel Byrne. MGM, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Escape From Atlantis A workaholic attorney single dad takes off with his three rebellious teens on sail boat trip to the Bahamas but a storm causes them to land in the fantasy world of Atlantis. Sue 'em. Stars Jeff Speakman, Brian Bloom, Tim Thomerson. Universal, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Eve's Bayou Life and love among a close-knit family in Louisiana, from the point-of-view of 10-year-old Eve Batiste, with a philandering father and a dab of "gifted" spiritualism throwing a wrench into an otherwise stable life. Great performances, script. Stars Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Debbi Morgan, Vondie Curtis Hall, Diahann Carroll. Trimark, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Event Horizon Gruesome goings-on in 2047 when a rescue mission is sent to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the crew of the Event Horizon, a prototype spaceship designed to reach distant stars. Thrills and chills. Stars Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neil, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Excess Baggage Alicia Silverstone plays a brazen, ignored teenager who will do anything to get the attention of her wealthy father. When she locks herself in her BMW to fake a kidnaping and the Beemer is stolen by a professional car thief (Benicio Del Toro), she finds herself way over her head as the mob, the cops and her dad's ex-CIA assassin bodyguard track them down. Co-stars Jack Thompson, Christopher Walken. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Exorcist, The The classic tale of the devil inhabiting an innocent, brought out by Warner in a 25th anniversary edition featuring a documentary on the making of the film, in widescreen and pan-and-scan versions. A deluxe edition for $49.98 also contains a CD soundtrack and a book. Stars Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow. Directed by William Friedkin. Warner, 1973, MPAA rating: R, $19.98. DVD: Due Sept. 29. Fairy tale: A True Story Based on the real-life adventure in 1917 of two girls who claimed to have photographed fairies living in their garden. Stars Peter O'Toole, Elizabeth Earl, Harvey Keitel. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Fall Romance between a cab driver and a supermodel, written, produced, and directed by and starring Eric Schaeffer. Co-stars Amanda De Cadenet. Orion, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Fallen Supernatural thriller about evil incarnate that leaves the body of an executed serial killer and is passed from person to person to commit more crimes; Denzel Washington is the police detective who tracks down the new killers. Stars Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland. Directed by Gregory Hoblit. Warner, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Family Life Socially conscious drama about a rebellious young girl whose overbearing parents and strict upbringing causes her to sink into mental illness. Fox Lorber, MPAA rating: NR, $79.98, priced for rental. Fast, Cheap & Out of Control Fascinating documentary that looks at four eccentrics: a lion tamer, a topiary gardener who shapes hedges into bears and giraffes, a man who is fascinated with hairless mole rats, and an M.I.T. scientist who creates robots. Directed by Errol Morris. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas It took 27 years for Hunter S. Thompson's celebrated book (based on a series of articles in "Rolling Stone") to come to the big screen and boomers hoping that the film would capture some of the excitement of the time (and Thompson's drugged out attack on the establishment and the craziness of the American Dream) will be sorely disappointed. In widescreen and pan-and-scan versions. Director: Terry Gilliam. Stars: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 123 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $10.355 million, Universal, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Fencing Master, The A fencing master falls in love with a beautiful pupil and teaches her his deadly thrust to the throat. He soon gets involved in the world of politics and intrigue when people are murdered with his trademark moves. In Spanish with English subtitles. Stars Omero Antonutti, Assumptia Serna, Joaquim De Almeida. New Yorker, 1992, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. FernGully ... The Last Rainforest II Sequel to successful 1992 "FernGully." FoxVideo, 1997, $19.98. Fire Down Below Segal plays an Environmental Protection Agency marshal sent to investigate the murder of a colleague who uncovers a hazardous waste coverup in a small town. Day and date DVD release. Stars Steven Seagal, Kris Kristofferson. Warner, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Firestorm Weak action adventure starring former football pro Howie Long as a smoke jumper, a forest-fire fighter who parachutes into raging infernos to save the day. Here he must fight a fire as well as a group of convicts who make their escape posing as fire-fighters. Co-stars Scott Glenn, William Forsythe, Suzy Amis. Fox, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Due May 26. Flubber Disney's remake of its 1961 "The Absent Minded Professor," here with Robin Williams as the creator of the green goo that can revolutionize the world. Mildly amusing, even for the little ones. Stars Robin Williams. Disney, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, $22.99. For Richer or Poorer Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley star as Manhattan socialites on the run from the IRS: the pair had plenty of money but a lousy marriage and accountant. Hiding out in the Amish country of Pennsylvania, they discover that hard work might be more difficult than hard time. Stars Tim Allen, Kirstie Alley, Michael Lerner. Universal, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. For the Love of Mary Deanna Durbin plays a White House operator who must delicately juggle the attentions of three suitors, at times tangling up political figures and her own romances. Stars Edmond O'Brien, Ray Collins. Universal, 1948, MPAA rating: NR, $19.98 Fortune, The Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson plan to fleece heiress Stockard Channing but love and lust make fools of the bumbling duo in this comedy set in the 1920s. Columbia TriStar, 1975, MPAA rating: PG, $19.95 Four Days in September Political drama, based on a true story, about a group of idealists in Brazil in 1969 who kidnap the American ambassador to bring international attention to their fight for freedom. Stars Alan Arkin, Pedro Cardoso, Fernanda Torres. Directed by Bruno Barreto. Miramax, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Frankenstein Created Woman Peter Cushing stars as scientist Frankenstein who experiments with transferring souls of the dead into other bodies; terror breaks loose when the soul of his dead assistant is placed into the body of his former lover. Hammer horror, widescreen with trailer. New-to-video. Anchor Bay, 1967, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98. French Exit Rival screenwriters battle it out and fall in love in Hollywood. Stars Jonathan Silverman, Madchen Amick. Directed by Daphna Kastner. Columbia TriStar, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Full Monty, The Sleeper of a comedy about out-of-work steel workers in England who become male dancers. Stars Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, Tom Wilkinson, Steve Huison, Paul Barber, Hugo Speer. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Moved up from April. Full of Life Comedic great Judy Holliday struts her stuff in this comedy about the lives of a pregnant woman and her husband thrown off-kilter when his Italian-conservative-bricklayer father shows up with his own ideas about birth and marriage. Co-stars Richard Conte, Salvatore Baccaloni. New to video. Columbia TriStar, 1956, MPAA rating: NR, $19.95 G.I. Jane Demi Moore's career goes from stripping to strapping as she stars in this action drama about the first woman to train to become a Navy SEAL. Co-stars Viggo Mortensen, Anne Bancroft. Buena Vista, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Game, The A shrewdly successful businessman's well-ordered life is thrown topsy-turvy when his brother gives him an unexpected birthday gift - an enrollment in the Game, a nebulous adventure that turns into a matter of life and death. Stars Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Peter Donat, James Rebhorn, Carroll Baker. PolyGram, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe The mean, fire-breathing turtle returns with a vengeance. In widescreen. A.D.V. Films, 1996, MPAA rating: PG, $19.98 Gang Related Two street detectives (James Belushi and Tupac Shakur) have a lucrative side business knocking off drug dealers, cleansing the city of scum, and keeping the money to boot -- until one day they kill an undercover DEA agent and they scramble for their lives. Co-stars Lela Rochon, Dennis Quaid. Orion, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Gattaca In a bleak future, a person's genic code determines one's station in life; those with inferior genetics are "de-generate" inferiors. Fortunately there's a thriving black market for the right genetic stuff, which underlies the quest in this icy drama. Stars Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Loren Dean, Jude Law. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. George Wallace Director John Frankenheimer directed this HBO CableACE award-winning bio-drama of Alabama Governor George Wallace Stars Gary Sinise, Mare Winningham, Joe Don Baker, Angelina Jolie. Warner Bros., 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Gia Life and death of super model Gia, who dominated fashion and magazine covers for a brief, flaming moment in the 1970s. Great performance by Angelina Jolie (Jon Voight's daughter) as the woman who was "too beautiful to die, too wild to live." Co-stars Mercedes Ruehl, Faye Dunaway. Directed by Michael Christofer. HBO, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Giga Shadow Fourth and final episode in the sexy Showtime sci-fi adventure series "Tales From a Parallel Universe," here with guest star Malcolm McDowell. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Gingerbread Man, The Limited theatrical release for this John Grisham thriller that he wrote directly for the screen. Story concerns a successful lawyer who comes to the aid of a waitress whose hillbilly father is stalking her. Naturally the lawyer gets in way over his head. Stars Kenneth Branagh, Robert Duvall, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Berenger, Daryl Hannah. Directed by Robert Altman. PolyGram, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Girls in Prison Campy tale of a young singer who travels to Hollywood to fulfill her dream of stardom only to get framed for murder. Part of Showtime's Rebel Highway series. Director: John McNaughton. Stars: Missy Crider, Bahni Turpin, Ione Skye, Anne Heche. 1994, CC, MPAA rating: R, 82 min., Thriller, Dimension, No SRP, Priced for rental. Godspell Modern-day version of the gospels, with John the Baptist calling a disparate group of young New Yorkers from their workaday lives to follow and learn from Jesus, forming a roving acting troupe that enacts the parables through song and dance. Columbia TriStar, 1973, MPAA rating: G, $19.95. Godzilla The likeable lizard that trampled Tokyo some 40 years ago now does the same for Manhattan, all spiffed up with the best CGI that money can buy. It's a lot more fun and exciting than the pundits and critics would have you believe -- this is a real popcorn-chomper. In widescreen and pan-and-scan. Stars Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Harry Shearer, Maria Pitillo. Directed by Roland Emmerich. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 139 min., Sci-Fi, Box office gross: $135.669 million, Columbia TriStar, $22.95 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Godzilla vs. King Ghidora Godzilla goes up against King Ghidora, a three-headed archrival. Columbia TriStar, 1991, MPAA rating: NR, $9.99 Godzilla vs. Mothra (Gojira vs. Mosura) Godzilla gets a rematch with Mothra and also has to fend off Battra (Black Mothra) in this latest Godzilla adventure. Columbia TriStar, 1992, MPAA rating: NR, $9.99 Going All the Way Two young men develop an unlikely relationship after returning from the Korean War and decide that there's more to life (and more women) than available in their home town. Stars Ben Affleck, Jeremy Davies, Rose McGowan, Amy Locane, Rachel Weisz. PolyGram, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Good Burger Buddy comedy about two off-beat high school teens (Kenan & Kel of Nickelodeon's "Kenan & Kel") who help a no frills, failing burger joint become the hottest fast food spot in town, eventually going up against an evil burger conglomerate. Stars Kenan & Kel, Shaquille O'Neal, Sinbad, Abe Vigoda. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Good Times The only motion picture starring Sonny & Cher, directed by William ("French Connection") Friedkin, new- to-video. Sonny & Cher play themselves in series of vignettes that has Sonny daydreaming after the pair get a movie offer. Anchor Bay, 1967, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Good Will Hunting Heart-warming drama about a therapist who tries to reshape the life of a young man who lives an outcast life as a misunderstood and non-productive genius. Academy awards to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for screenplay, Robin Williams for supporting actor. Stars Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Robin Williams, Minnie Driver. Directed by Gus Van Sant. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Graduate, The Classic comedy reissued in widescreen and pan-and-scan. Stars Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katherine Ross. Directed by Mike Nichols. PolyGram, 1967, MPAA rating: PG, $14.95. Gravesend Four kids from the Italian neighborhood of Gravesend get together for a night of goofing off; when a gun goes off the kids have to dispose of a corpse, testing their mettle and their friendships. PolyGram, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Grease 20th anniversary re-release, digitally re-mastered, in pan-and-scan and widescreen versions for $14.98, as well as a limited edition featuring a collectible CD single and an on-pack booklet featuring the original script and hit lyrics, for $19.98. Stars John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Didi Conn. Directed by Randal Kleiser. Paramount, 1978, MPAA rating: PG, $14.95 Great Expectations Production of Charles Dickens' classic story of a young orphan who makes his way up in the world with the help of a mysterious benefactor. Stars Henry Hull, Phillips Holmes, Jane Wyatt, Walter Brennan. Directed by Stuart Walker. Universal, 1934, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Great Expectations Director Alfonso Cuaron updates Charles Dickens' classic to the 20th century, adding steam and decadence to the traditional mix. Stars Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft, Robert De Niro, Hank Azaria, Chris Cooper. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Fox, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Half Baked Three slackers attempt to bail out a fourth bud arrested for killing a diabetic police horse by feeding him too much junk food. Pot smoking is at the heart of this mis-fired comedy as the boys sell marijuana to make bail. Stars Dave Chappelle, Guillermo Diaz, Harland Williams, Rachel True, Tommy Chong. Directed by Tamra Davis. Universal, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Halloween: H20 It's been 20 years since the original "Halloween" but don't think that ol' Michael Myers is gone. He's back to terrorize a whole new generation of students, but this time he's got to contend with a blast from the past -- Laurie Strode, who he just couldn't seem to catch in the first one. Great fun for fans of the series. Director: Steve Minor. Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Michelle Williams, LL Cool J, Adam Arkin. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 86 min., Horror, Box office gross: $52.810 million, Dimension, No SRP, Priced for rental. Hard Rain Armored car driver battles armed crooks who use the cover of a torrential downpour and rampaging waters of a killer flood to make their heist. Action and story about as water-logged as Los Angeles during El Nino. Stars Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, Minnie Driver, Randy Quaid. Directed by Mikael Salomon. Paramount, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Hav Plenty A homeless novelist with writer's block gets invited by a female friend (who's engaged to a famous singer) to spend New Year's eve at her home, creating romantic confusion when sparks fly. Director: Christopher Scott Cherot. Stars: Christopher Scott Cherot, Chenoa Maxwell. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 87 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $2.275 million, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. He Got Game Basketball drama about prisoner (Denzel Washington) offered a reduced sentence if he can persuade his estranged high school hoop star son to sign with the governor's alma mater. It's a high-stakes game of one-on-one in this latest effort from Spike Lee. Director: Spike Lee. Stars: Denzel Washington, Ray Allen, Milla Jovovich. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 130 min., Drama, Box office gross: $21.021 million, Buena Vista, No SRP, Priced for rental. Hercules Disney's interpretation of Greek legend Hercules, here watered down and spruced up with urban frills for consumption by America's kids; still a fun and fanciful production that, although it is no "Lion King," still charms in its own right. Voices of Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Egan. Disney, 1997, MPAA rating: G, $26.99. Hercules & Xena: The Battle for Mount Olympus Animated Hercules and Xena, with the voices of Kevin Sorbo from TV's "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and Lucy Lawless from TV's "Xena: Warrior Princess." Universal, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, $19.98. Here Come the Nelsons The irrepressible Nelsons in their first and only feature. The film is, of course, based on the radio show "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" that ran from 1944 to 1952 and was the precursor to their TV series that continued until 1966. Great slice of Americana Stars Ozzie Nelson, Harriet Nelson, Ricky Nelson, David Nelson, Rock Hudson. Universal, 1951, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 High Art Erotic love story about two very different women -- one a young magazine editor, the other a faded photographer who has wallowed in years of sexual manipulation and isolation -- and the resulting affair that reawakens their spirits. Director: Lisa Cholodenko. Stars: Ally Sheedy, Radha Mitchell, Patricia Clarkson, Gabriel Mann. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 102 min., Drama, Universal, No SRP, Priced for rental. Hollow Reed Gay man fights with ex-wife for custody of his son after he discovers the boy's stepfather is abusing him. Stars Martin Donovan, Ian Hart, Sam Bould, Joely Richardson. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Home Alone 3 Third in the series, not up to the previous two adventures but still with its funny parts. This time around Alex is stuck home with the chicken pox and foils a group of international criminals who are after a top secret chip hidden in a toy car. Stars Alex D. Linz, Haviland Morris, Kevin Kilner, Olek Krupa, Rya Kihlstedt. Directed by Raja Gosnell. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, $19.98 Homegrown Three pot farmers in Northen California take over their bosses business when he's murdered, entering into a bizarre world of duplicity, double-dealing, greed and danger in this off-kilter black comedy. Director: Stephen Gyllenhaal. Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Hank Azaria, Ryan Phillippe, John Lithgow, Kelly Lynch, Jamie Lee Curtis. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 102 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.271 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Yes. Hoodlum Mob boss Dutch Schultz (Roth) wants to seize control of the Harlem numbers racket in NYC 1934, but he has to go up against local mobster Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (Fishburne). Day and date DVD release. Stars Tim Roth, Lawrence Fishburne, Vanessa Williams, Andy Garcia. MGM, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Hope Goldie Hawn directed this TNT original telefilm about a family that faces long-simmering racial tensions in a small Southern town during the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Stars Christine Lahti, Catherine O'Hara, J.T. Walsh. Warner, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Hope Floats Young married woman (Sandra Bullock) and her daughter leave philandering husband and return home to mom (Gena Rowlands) in small town of Smithville, Texas, where she starts anew. Gentle drama about remaking your life and love, with Harry Connick Jr. as a fine love interest. Co-stars Michael Pare. Directed by Forest Whitaker. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 110 min., Drama, Box office gross: $57.106 million, Fox, $19.98 SRP, Priced for rental. Horse Whisperer, The Story of a 14-year-old girl emotionally and physically scarred after a horse riding accident. Her mother searches for a horse whisperer, someone who can cure troubled horses, finding Redford who eventually rebuilds all the lives shattered by the accident. Stars Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill, Scarlett Johansson. In widescreen and pan-and-scan versions. Directed by Robert Redford. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 168 min., Drama, Box office gross: $74.766 million, Touchstone, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. House of Seven Gables, The Adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel about a bankrupt family in the 19th century and their fight over their ancestral mansion Stars George Sanders, Margaret Lindsay, Vincent Price. Directed by Joe May. Universal, 1940, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 House of Yes, The Offbeat film about a young man who brings his fiancee home for Thanksgiving to his off-kilter family -- whose patriarch mysteriously disappeared the day JFK was assassinated. Everyone is an eccentric, from mom on down to sister Jackie-O. Stars Parker Posey, Josh Hamilton, Tori Spelling, Freddie Prinz Jr., Genevieve Bujold. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Hugo Pool Off-center comedy about one day in the life of a pool cleaner named Hugo (a grown-up Alyssa Milano from TV's "Who's the Boss?") and her wacky clientle, her horse-race-gambling mother and her druggie father. Misses the mark. Tedious. Stars Milano, Patrick Dempsey, Malcolm McDowell, Cathy Moriarty, Robert Downey Jr., Sean Penn. Directed by 3Robert Downey Sr. BMG, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Hurricane Streets Lies, deceit, and murder rock the world of a young petty thief in the mean streets of New York's lower east side. Winner of three Sundance Film Festival awards. Director: Morgan J. Freeman. Stars: Brendan Sexton III, Shawn Elliott, L.M. Kit Carson. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 86 min., Drama, MGM, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: No. Hush Thriller about young woman moving to her new husband's country estate only to be confronted by her angry mother-in-law, discovering her dark secrets and dangerous plans. Director: Jonathan Darby. Stars: Jessica lang, Gwyneth Paltrow, Johnathon Schaech. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 96 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $13.513 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Yes. I Got the Hook-Up Comedy about pair of street businessmen who run a shopping center out of their van and scam their way into a truckload of cellular phones, eventually running afoul of angry customers, crooks, and the FBI. Stars: Master P, A.J. Johnson. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 93 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $10.142 million, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. I Know What You Did Last Summer After an accident on a winding road, four teens make the mistake of dumping their victim's body into the sea. Naturally, one year later the dead man returns from the grave looking for more than an apology. From the pen of Kevin (Scream) Williamson. Stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle-Gellar, Freddie Prinz Jr. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. I Love You, Don't Touch Me! Another entry in the 1990s skein of twentysomething romantic comedies that looks at love and dating, here following a young woman in and out of love as she searches for the quintessential perfect boyfriend. They loved it at the Sundance festival. Director: Julie Davis. Stars: Marla Schaffel, Mitchell Whitfield, Michael Harris, Meredith Scott Lynn. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 85 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.067 million, Orion, No SRP, Priced for rental. I Love You, I Love You Not Bright teenage girl who feels she doesn't fit in with her fancy Manhattan private school falls for the most popular boy, turns to her grandmother and their country house for solace and guidance. Stars Claire Danes, Jeanne Moreau, Jude Law. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Ice Storm, The Set in 1973, this drama explores one day and night in the life of a Connecticut suburban family -- faced with the changing sexual mores (wife swapping, promiscuity) of late-'60s and '70s. Stars Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood. Depressing affirmation of the nuclear family. Directed by Ang Lee. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. If I Were King Period piece (set in the 15th century) about roguish poet Francois Villon, who uses the passion of his poetry to defeat the Burgundians and save the French empire while capturing the love of an aristocratic princess. Stars Ronald Coleman, Frances Dee, Basil Rathbone. Universal Cinema Classics, 1938, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98. Illtown Drug dealers strive for yuppie respectability on the streets of Miami until the nightmarish return of a former partner sets events into a downward spiral. Stars Michael Rapaport, Lili Taylor, Kevin Corrigan, Tony Danza, Isaac Hayes. Directed by Nick Gomez. Artisan Entertainment, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Imitation of Life The great Preston Sturges adapted the screenplay from Fannie Hurst's soap opera about a poor widow who uses a maid's pancake recipe to make money. Subtext of race relations comes to the fore as the women raise their daughters together. Stars Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Ned Sparks, Louise Beavers. Directed by John Stahl. Universal Cinema Classics, 1934, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98. In & Out Kevin Kline plays Howard Brackett, an on-his-way to be married small town English teacher whose life is torn asunder when a former student announces on television (during the Academy Awards, no less) that Howard is gay. Great turns by Joan Cusack, Tom Selleck and, of course, the ever incredible Kline. Co-stars Matt Dillon and Debbie Reynolds. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. In Cold Blood Superb adaptation of Truman Capote's new-journalism account of the brutal, random murder of a family by a pair of mindless, ex-con drifters. Stars Robert Blake, Scott Wilson. Directed by Richard Brooks. Columbia TriStar, 1967, MPAA rating: NR, $19.95 In God's Hands Three surfers travel the world looking for extreme waves and surfing action. The performers are all surf champions, so the camera never has to cut away from the action. For surf fans only. Director: Zalman King. Stars: Matt George, Shane Dorian, Matty Liu. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 98 min., Adventure, Box office gross: $1.431 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. In the Company of Men Two white-collar executives, frustrated with their lives and rejected by their girl friends, decide to wreck a woman's life to feel better about themselves. They pick a beautiful deaf woman and enter a world of one-upmanship and psychological warfare Stars Aaron Eckhart, Matt Malloy, Stacy Edwards. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Informant, The Tale of political intrigue in Northern Ireland about a reluctant IRA recruit captured and forced to testify against his co-conspirators. Stars Timothy Dalton, Cary Elwes, Anthony Brophy. Directed by Jim McBride. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Intimate Relations Comedy of seduction about a handsome lodger caught in a tangled web of passion with his sexually frustrated landlady and her precocious teenage daughter. Stars Rupert Graves, Julie Walters, Matthew Walker. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Irma Vep Backstage look at a modern movie disintegrating in midproduction as an aging French director attempts to remake a 1915 serial silent "Les Vampires" (Irma Vep is an anagram of the word vampire). Lyrical, lush production. French in English subtitles, widescreen. Stars Jean-Pierre Leaud, Maggie Cheung. Fox Lorber, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, $89.98, priced for rental. Island in the Sun Romance set on a lush Caribbean island follows four different love affairs. Steamy drama was controversial as it featured Dorothy Dandridge as the first black actress to star in an interracial love story. Stars Dandridge, James Mason, Joan Fontaine, Harry Belafonte. Fox, 1957, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Jackal, The Loose remake and rejiggering of Fred Zinnerman's 1973 "The Day of the Jackal," with Bruce Willis here as a ruthless assassin with no name and no identity hired to kill someone high up in the U.S. government, with Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier, Diane Verona sent to track him down. Widescreen and pan-and-scan. Universal, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Jackie Brown Quentin Tarantino actioner about a stewardess who supplements her income by smuggling cash into the country for a gunrunner. When she gets caught, she attempts to play off the cops against the bad guys in an attempt to walk away with half a million. Stars Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Bridget Fonda, Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton, Robert Forster. Directed by Quentin Tarantino. Dimension, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Jerusalem Based on a true love story set amongst a group of Swedish religious pilgrims who emigrated to the Holy Land in 1896 to live closer to God. Stars Maria Bonnevie, Ulf Friberg, Olympia Dukakis. Directed by Billie August. In Swedish with English subtitles. Fox Lorber, 1996, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Jesus Christ Superstar Told entirely in song, images and music, highlights the last week of Christ's life, based on the Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber broadway in turn based on the best-selling double-record of the same name. In widescreen for the first time. 25th anniversary in THX. Stars Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman. Universal, 1973, MPAA rating: G, $14.98 Joey A Down Under adventure featuring a spirited boy and a baby kangaroo. MGM, 1998, MPAA rating: PG, $14.95 John Grisham's The Rainmaker Trials and tribulations of a young law school grad (Matt Damon) who, together with his crafty legal aid (Danny DeVito), challenges corporate America. Co-stars Jon Voight, Mickey Rourke. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. johns Graphic depiction of the world of two young male street hustlers. Stars: David Arquette, Lukas Haas. 1997, CC, MPAA rating: R, 96 min., Drama, Box office gross: $0.050 million, Fox Lorber, No SRP, Priced for rental. Julian Po Christian Slater and Robin Tunney star in this heartwarming story about a mysterious drifter whose life takes a fateful turn when he stops at a sleepy small town. New Line, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story Live-action sequel about a young boy raised by animals in the jungle. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: G, 93 min., Adventure, Disney, $22.99 SRP. Kicked in the Head Romantic comedy about a downwardly mobile man who falls for a stewardess. Stars Kevin Corrigan, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Rapaport, Lili Taylor, James Woods. Fox, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Kiki's Delivery Service Animated feature about the coming of age of a teen witch, her black cat JiJi and friend Tombo, from acclaimed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, new to video. A smash hit in japan in 1989, now released and dubbed in English. Director: Hayao Miyazaki. Stars: Voices of Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman, Debbie Reynolds, Janeane Garofalo. 1989, CC, Animated, Buena Vista, $19.99 SRP. Killers, The A complex tale of treachery and crime is unraveled when an insurance investigator takes on the case of a gas station attendant killed by two professional killers. Stars Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, Albert Dekker. Directed by Robert Siodmak. Universal Noir Collection, 1946, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Killing Time Weak English thriller about a day in the life of an Italian hitwoman hired by an English policeman to kill a sadistic gangland boss. Stars Craig Fairbass, Kendra Torgan. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Kiss Me Guido Comedy of manners and mistaken identities has an aspiring actor move to NYC, where he answers a Village Voice ad for a GWM rommate, thinking the letters mean "Guy With Money." A nice take on both gay and straight culture clashes. Stars Nick Scotti, Anthony Barrile. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Kiss or Kill Off-beat road thriller about two attractive grifters (Francis O'Connor and Matt Day) who earn their living by conning unsuspecting businessmen and blackmailing them. When one of their marks dies, they hit the road and begin to doubt each other. Co-stars Chris Haywood. Universal, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Kiss the Girls When a forensic psychologist and police detective from Washington, D.C., learns that his niece has been kidnapped from college in North Carolina, he heads South to investigate, where he tracks down a killer who collects beautiful women. Stars Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Cary Elwes, Tony Goldman. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Kissing a Fool A romantic triangle of sorts about a ladies man (David Schwimmer) who falls for unlikely lover (Mili Avital). As their wedding day approaches, he persuades a friend (Jason Lee) to test her faithfulness and the pair hit it off -- all too well. There's a wedding at the end. Directed by Doug Ellin. Universal, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Knock Off Another disappointing outing from the boy-next-door-kick-and-slug action star. This lackluster story revolves around Van Damme as the king of knock offs (those cheap copies of brand name goods) whose attempts to go straight are thwarted by KGB and CIA thugs as well as the filmmakers. Director: Tsui Hark. Co-stars: Rob Schneider, Lela Rochon, Paul Sorvino. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 91 min., Action, Box office gross: $9.883 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. Krippendorf's Tribe Anthropology professor pretends to discover a lost New Guinea tribe and creates an incredible scheme to pull off the hoax in this light comedy. Stars Richard Dreyfuss, Jenna Elfman, Lily Tomlin. Directed by Todd Holland. Touchstone, 1998, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Kull the Conqueror Kevin Sorbo (TV's "Hercules") plays a dynamic warrior who rise to king of Valusia, then has to fend off corrupt noble relatives to stay in power in this sword and sorcerer fantasy. Get this: Tia Carrere plays a 3,000 year- old witch. Universal, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Kundun Director Martin Scorsese brings to life the story of a boy from rural Tibet who grows up to become the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political leader of his people. Touchstone, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. L.A. Confidential Fabulous adaptation of James Ellroy's novel about seedy cops, seedy Hollywood, seedy politics in the soft underbelly of the City of Angels. Stars Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, Russell Crowe, Danny DeVito. Warner, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Lady and the Tramp" One of Disney's most memorable (and most requested) animated musicals about an uptown Cocker Spaniel named Lady and her freedom-loving mongrel from the wrong side of the tracks, Tramp, and their adventures from a dog's point of view. Stars: Voices of Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Lee Millar, Peggy Lee. 1955, CC, MPAA rating: G, 75 min., Animated, Disney, $26.99 SRP, Widescreen $29.99. Lamerica Visually arresting tale of moral conflict in the aftermath of Albania's shift away from Communism, following the story of a young and arrogant entrepreneur who exploits a just-released political prisoner. Italian with yellow subtitles. Widescreen. New Yorker, 1994, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Land Before Time, The: Secret of Saurus Rock Latest entry in the "Land Before Time" franchise about dinosaur kids living in the prehistoric Great Valley. This time, Littlefoot and friends explore the myth of the Lone Dinosaur, setting off a series of mishaps in the Valley. Direct-to-video. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 77 min., Animated, Universal, $19.98 SRP. Land Girls, The Three young girls enlist as volunteers in the Land Girls program in England during WWII -- to help alleviate food shortages by working on a farm -- and take turns with the chores and the local men. Failed romance. Director: David Leland. Stars: Catherine McCormack, Rachel Weisz, Anna Friel, Steven Mackintosh. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 111 min., Drama, Box office gross: $0.234 million, PolyGram, No SRP, Priced for rental. Last Days of Disco, The A sequel of sorts to the director's "Metropolitan," this tale of a group of the "me decade's" bourgeois young lovers and their last gasp of freedom, set against the dying days of early 1980s disco, requires a lot of patience to get to the nourishing meat. A throbbing 22 song soundtrack. Stars Chloe Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale, Mackenzie Astin, Chris Eigeman, Burr Steers. Directed by Whit Stillman. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 114 min., Drama, Box office gross: $3.020 million, PolyGram, No SRP, Priced for rental. Last Don II, The Mario Puzo-scripted telefilm sequel follows the saga of the Cleriuzio mafia family as the Don is on the verge of death and his nephew takes over the organization, fanning the flames of an internal war for control of the family. Director: Graeme Clifford. Stars: Danny Aiello, Joe Mantegna, Kirstie Alley. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 127 min., Drama, Trimark, No SRP, Priced for rental. Lawless Breed, The Western based on the life of famed outlaw John Wesley Hardin. Stars Rock Hudson, Julie Adams. Universal Western Collection, 1952, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Le Bonheur Happily married carpenter falls for a postal clerk in this New Wave romance from Agnes Varda. Home Vision, 1965, MPAA rating: NR, $29.95 Leading Man, The A playwright and an actor are locked in a bitterly personal two-man show when the writer asks the leading man to seduce his wife so he can carry on an illicit love affair. Mystery and intrigue soon come to the fore. Great acting turn by rocker Jon Bon Jovi. Also stars Anna Galiena, Lambert Wilson. Directed by John Dugan. BMG, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. DVD: No. Leave It to Beaver The 1960s TV sitcom updated for the 1990s, with the kids more sophisticated and June Cleaver sexier. And with a savvy audience that skipped this Beaver remake. Stars Christopher McDonald, Janine Turner, Erik von Detten, Cameron Finley. Universal, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, $19.98. Les Miserables Not the well-received musical but a beautifully filmed dramatic version of the Victor Hugo novel has Liam Neeson as the eternally hunted Jean Valjean and Geoffrey Rush as the driven policeman whose sole mission in life is to track Valjean down. Director: Billie August. Stars: Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, Claire Danes. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 134 min., Drama, Box office gross: $13.871 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Lethal Weapon 4 They said it couldn't be done -- a third "Lethal Weapon" sequel that stands on its own -- but they were wrong. The team of Mel Gibson, Danny Glover and Joe Pesci returns in a well-crafted adventure that is just as high-powered and exciting as its predecessors. The story -- about the smuggling of Chinese immigrants -- is merely secondary to the characters' interactions and the spellbinding action. Buckle up for this one. Director: Richard Donner. Co-stars Rene Russo, Chris Rock, Jet Li, Darlene Love. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 127 min., Action, Box office gross: $129.636 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Lewis & Clark & George Yet another modern American road movie, with escaped cons on cross country search for gold. When they pick up a sexy mute woman, they get some rude surprises. Stars Rose McGowan, Salvator Xuereb, Dan Gunther. Directed by Rod McCall. BMG, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Life Less Ordinary, A A janitor at a giant corporation and the daughter of the corporation's boss are thrown together by a pair of angels who help them engineer a kidnapping and send them on a wild, headlong cross-country odyssey of guns, bank-robbing and karaoke. Romantic comedy stars Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter, Delroy Lindo. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Lion King, The: Simba's Pride Direct-to-video sequel. 1998, CC, Animated, Disney, $26.99 SRP. DVD: No. Lisbon Story Wim Wenders' exploration of a sound engineer's journey of self-discovery. Called to Portugal by a director friend to help on a movie, he arrives with no friends to be found and instead starts recording random sounds, meets gangsters and falls in love. Stars Patrick Bauchau, Teresa Salgueiro. Fox Lorber, 1995, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Little Indian, Big City French film that was the inspiration for Tim Allen's "Jungle 2 Jungle," in which a successful businessman discovers that he has a lost son in the South American jungle, brings him back to Paris where the boy changes dad's outlook on life. Buena Vista, 1996, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Little Men Louisa May Alcott's book about a boarding school for boys run by a grown-up Jo (from "Little Women") is faithfully if fitfully brought to the big screen. Stars Mariel Hemingway, Chris Sarandon. Warner, 1998, MPAA rating: PG, $14.95. Little Mermaid, The Fully restored and digitally remastered edition of one of the most-requested of all Disney animated features. Great fun for the whole family. Disney, 1989, MPAA rating: G, $26.99 Live Flesh A handsome loner vows to become the world's greatest lover but his attempts to seduce a wealthy, strung-out junkie lands him in jail for six years. Released, he seeks revenge, crossing paths with the ex-junkie, who has married the cop who sent him away. Stars Javier Bardem, Francesca Neri, Liberto Rabal. Directed by Pedro Almodovar. Orion, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Living in Peril A driven young architect moves to Los Angeles to pursue a dream job that turns into a terrifying nightmare of ambitious treachery. Not released in the States. Stars Rob Lowe, James Belushi, Dean Stockwell. New Line, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Locusts, The Mysterious drifter shows up in a small town and sets off the usual lust, revenge, forbidden passions and fatal secrets. Stars Kate Capshaw, Ashley Judd, Vince Vaughn. Orion, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Long Way Home, The Academy Award-winning documentary tells the untold story of the aftermath of the Holocaust and the return to normal lives for some survivors, spanning three years from 1945 to 1948. Narrated by Morgan Freeman with voices of Edward Asner, Martin Landau, Miriam Margolyes. BWE Video, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, $24.95 Lost in Space Remake of the TV series, spruced up with special effects for the '90s. This action-adventure stands up against many recent sci-fi remakes and sequels and, despite some hokey acting and lines, actually delivers quite a bit of excitement. Don't be fooled by weak box office and reviews: this one is great fun. In pan-and-scan and widescreen versions. Director: Stephen Hopkins. Stars: Gary Oldman, William Hurt, Matt LeBlanc, Mimi Rogers, Heather Graham, Jared Harris. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 130 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $67.006 million, New Line, $22.98 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Lost World, The Irwin Allen directed this sci-fi adventure about a team of scientists who travel to the Amazon jungle to explore a distant plateau where creatures from the dawn of time still prowl. Stars Claude Rains, David Hedison, Jill St. John. Fox Summer Drive-In Collection, 1960, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98. Love Letters Penned by Ayn Rand, this WWII love story has a Cyrano de Bergerac touch: a G.I. pens love letters for a friend, setting up deception, deceit, intrigue and suspense when the two soldiers come home. Stars Joseph Cotton, Jennifer Jones, Robert Scully, Ann Richards. Universal, 1945, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Love Serenade Two sisters vie for the affection of a slick disk jockey who has moved to their small Australian town to take over the local radio station. Stars Miranda Otto, Rebecca Frith. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Love Walked In Piano player and his loving wife get involved in an extortion scheme that goes awry: a private detective friend wants them to coerce a faithful married man into a tryst to either blackmail him or prove to his wife that he's cheating. Stars Denis Leary, Terence Stamp, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Michael Badalucco. Directed by Juan J. Campanella. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Ludwig Luchino Visconti's stirring account of the mad bavarian King Ludwig II, abandoned by his true love as well as betrayed by his friend, composer Richard Wagner. Stars Helmut Berger, Romy Schneider. Fox Lorber, 1973, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Ma Vie en Rose (My Life in Pink) Whimsical Belgian comedy about a 7-year-old boy who just wants to dress up as a girl, causing all sorts of problems for himself and his family. Stars Georges du Fresne, Michele Laroque, Jean-Philippe Ecoffey. Directed by Alain Berliner. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Maborosi Haunted by the mysterious loss of her grandmother, a woman struggles to come to terms with the sudden loss of her husband, moving with her young son to a remote village on the Sea of Japan. In Japanese with English subtitles. Stars Makiko Esumi. Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. New Yorker, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Mad City This grim look at how the media help to manipulate reality left audiences gasping for air. John Travolta plays a fired museum security guard who demands his job back at gun point, Dustin Hoffman plays a reporter who exploits the situation to make broadcast news. Warner, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Madeline Childhood classic "Madeline" finally gets adapted to the big screen and while it's fairly faithful to Ludwig Bemelman's 1930s Paris-based books about the adventures of the fearless, red-headed little girl who lives "in a an old house in Paris, that was covered with vines," the film gets all the notes right but misses the song. In clamshell packaging. Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer. Stars: Francis McDormand, Hatty Jones, Nigel Hawthorne. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 89 min., Family, Box office gross: $28.946 million, Columbia TriStar, $15.95 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Major and the Minor, The Screwball comedy about a career woman who disguises herself as a 12-year-old to save train fare, gets taken under the wing of a military school major and must extricate herself from all sorts of close calls while falling in love. Stars Ginger Rogers, Ray Milland. Directed by Billy Wilder. Universal, 1942, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Major League: Back to the Minors Second sequel to "Major League" really strikes out. Corbin Bernsen returns as the owner of farm team South Carolina Buzz, hires Scott Bakula to manage the team. Naturally the minor leaguers are a group of misfits that the new manager whips into shape. Predictable. Co- stars Dennis Haysbert. Directed by John Warren. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $3.551 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. Maker, The A young man learns the rules of scamming when his long-lost brother reappears to instruct him in the art of crime, leading them to a game where the stakes are life and death. Stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Matthew Modine, Mary-Louise Parker. Artisan, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. DVD: No. Man From Mallorca, The Two Stockholm cops track down a lone gunman who robbed a post office and who later killed the only eye witnesses. In Swedish with English subtitles. Stars Sven Wollter, Thomas von Bromssen, Thomas Hellberg. New Yorker, 1984, MPAA rating: NR, $89.95, priced for rental. Man in the Iron Mask, The Shoestring version of the Alexandre Dumas classic, flopped at the box office due to low budget, weak scripting. Overshadowed a month after its release by the big studio production of the classic. Stars Timothy Bottoms, Meg Foster, Edward Albert. Monterey Home Video, 1998, $49.95 Man in the Iron Mask, The Another version of the Dumas classic, about the Three Musketeers rescuing the true king of France from prison. Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu, Gabriel Byrne. Directed by Randall Wallace. MGM, 1998, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Man in the Shadow A sheriff must make a stand for law and order when the brutal murder of a Mexican farm worker is covered up by a powerful land baron. Stars Jeff Chandler, Orson Welles. Universal Western Collection, 1957, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Man Who Knew Too Little, The Bill Murray stars as a video store clerk from Iowa who flies to London to surprise his younger brother (Peter Gallagher), gets involved in a particpatory interactive theatre piece and gets sucked into a deadly game of cat and mouse due to mistaken identity, thinking all the time that he's "acting." Typical Bill Murray fare. Co- stars Joanne Whalley. Warner, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Mask of Zorro, The Swashbuckler picks up the legend of Zorro (Anthony Hopkins) -- the Spanish aristocrat who donned a mask and grabbed a sword to fight injustice in Old California -- 10 years after his wife was killed and his baby daughter was stolen by the governor of the territory. Too old to take on new enemies, he hands his dueling mantle to a young protege (Antonio Banderas). In pan-and-scan and widescreen. Co-stars Catherine Zeta-Jones. Directed by Martin Campbell. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 136 min., Action, Box office gross: $85.000 million, Columbia TriStar, $22.95 SRP. Masterminds Sixteen-year-old slacker/computer whiz must outwit British mastermind who has taken over ritzy Shady Glen School and holds the kids hostage. Stars Patrick Stewart, Vincent Kartheiser. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Matchmaker, The Janeane Garofalo stars as a jaded political aide who travels to a small Irish town to exploit her boss's ancestral roots to help his political career. Once there she gets involved in the local Matchmaking festival and finds love. A light-hearted, innocuous romantic comedy. Co-stars David O'Hara, Denis Leary. PolyGram, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. McHale's Navy Big-screen adaptation of the successful TV series of the same name, featuring the small screen's cast. Stars Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway, Joe Flynn. Universal, 1964, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 McHale's Navy Joins the Airforce Sequel to the big-screen adaptation of the successful TV series of the same name, this time shy star Ernest Borgnine. Stars Tim Conway, Joe Flynn. Universal, 1965, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Meet the Deedles Silly comedy about twin brothers who, when faced with expulsion from high school, are sent to grow-up at a Wyoming summer camp. While there they pose as park rangers in order to meet a sexy ranger, causing all kinds of mishaps and stupidity. Stars Paul Walker, Steve Van Wormer, Dennis Hopper, Robert Englund. Buena Vista, 1998, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Melody Time Walt Disney's 10th animated film arrives on video for the first time to commemorate its 50th anniversary; fully restored and THX-certified, features "Johnny Appleseed," "Pecos Bill," "Bumble Boogie." Disney, 1948, $22.99. Men With Guns Set in a fictional Latin American country, follows the search by a wealthy doctor for a part of his country far from the reach of the men with guns, the men who, behind the affluent world, wage a brutal campaign of terror on indigenous peoples.In Spanish with English subtitles. Stars Frederico Luppi, Dan Rivera Gonzales, Damiam Delgado, Tania Cruz. Directed by John Sayles. Columbia TriStar, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. DVD: No. Mercury Rising Bruce Willis plays a renegrade FBI agent who tries to protect an autistic child -- who just happens to have cracked an unbreakable billiona dollar military code -- from a death warrant issue by a high strung NSA officer (Alec Baldwin). Widescreen. Director: Harold Becker. Stars: Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Miko Hughes. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 112 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $32.806 million, Universal, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Yes. Merlin NBC's four-hour fantasy adventure about Merlin, King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable makes it to home video in sell-through clamshell packaging. Stars Sam Neil, Helena Bonham Carter, John Gielgud, Rutger Hauer, Miranda Richardson, Isabella Rossellini. Hallmark, 1998, MPAA rating: NR, $19.95. Midaq Alley Set in the old downtown section of Mexico City, this acclaimed film is divided into four parts. The first three follow the lives of three individuals: a spinster, a family man, and a beautiful young woman.The fourth takes place four years later as a coda to their lives. Stars: Salma Hayek, Ernesto Gomez Cruz, Margarita Sanz. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 140 min., Drama, Fox Lorber, No SRP, Priced for rental. Midnight Express Grueling story about an American college student imprisoned in Turkey for attempting to smuggle out two kilos of hashish. Screenplay by Oliver Stone. Digitally remastered, "making-of" docu, widescreen and pan-and-scan. Director: Alan Parker. Stars: Brad Davis, John Hurt, Randy Quid, Bo Hopkins. 1978, MPAA rating: R, 122 min., Drama, Columbia TriStar, $19.95 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Writer gets involved in a shocking murder in Savannah, Georgia. Directed by Clint Eastwood. Stars Kevin Spacey, John Cusack. Warner, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Mimic Scientists create a new species from recombinant DNA to counteract an epidemic threatening children in New York City. Unfortunately, the new species grows and evolves beneath the city and mimics the form of humans to hunt its prey -- humans. Stars Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Josh Brolin, Giancarlo Giannini. Dimension, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Ministry of Fear Espionage thriller based on Graham Greene novel about man just released from an asylum during World War II in England who stumbles upon a spy ring but doesn't know who will believe him. Directed by Fritz Lang. Stars Ray Milland, Marjorie Reynolds, Carl Esmond, Hillary Brooke. Universal Noir Collection, 1944, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Moby Dick The spectacular USA Network cable TV version of Herman Melville's American classic, fresh from its March broadcast. Stars Patrick Stewart, Henry Thomas, Ted Levine, Gregory Peck. Hallmark, 1998, MPAA rating: PG, $19.98 Money Talks A search for stolen diamonds has a fast-talking hustler (Chris Tucker) and a straight-laced reporter (Charlie Sheen) on the run from the cops, crooks and commandos. Co-stars Heather Locklear, Paul Sorvino. New Line, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Mongolian Tale, A A famous troubadour recounts his true love for the woman he abandoned during the course of this simple love story set against the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. Mongolian with English subtitles. New Yorker, 1995, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Moondance Two brothers living as best friends in the country have their relationship tested when both fall for an 18-year-old German girl. Not released theatrically in the states. Stars Ruaidhri Conroy, Ian Shaw, Julia Brendler, Marianne Faithfull. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation Second in the successful video game-translated-to-movie franchise. Stars Robin Shou, Talisa Soto. New Line, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Most Wanted Keenen Ivory Wayans is on the run in the streets of Los Angeles after being framed for the murder of the First Lady. Stars Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Paul Sorvino. New Line, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Mouse Hunt Two hapless brothers inherit a run-down house that turns out to bean historical mansion worth a fortune. They're all set to fix it up and sell it when they discover there's someone on the premises who doesn't want to leave: a mouse that fights back. "Home Alone" with cheese. In clamshell packaging. Stars Nathan Lane, Lee Evans, Christopher Walken, Michael Jeter. Universal, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, $22.98 Mouth to Mouth Wild adventure of sex, murder and revenge about a down-and-out actor who gets a job on a sex phone line and meets up with a client who wants more than he can give over the phone. Stars Javier Bardem, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon. In Spanish with English subtitles. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Mr. Arkadin (a k a Confidential Report Tycoon with a dark past is blackmailed by his daughter's suitor. Digitally remastered European version available for the first time on video. Stars Orson Welles, Michael Redgrave, Patricia Medina, Akim Tamiroff. Directed by Orson Welles. Home Vision, 1955, MPAA rating: NR, $29.95 Mr. Magoo Leslie Nielsen brings to life the famous cartoon character of the 1950s and 1960s (voiced by Jim Backus) whose near-sightedness gets him into one comedic predicament after another. Stars Leslie Nielsen, Kelly Lynch, Ernie Hudson. Directed by Stanley Tong. Walt Disney, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Mr. Nice Guy More Jackie Chan stunts, action and comedy as he plays a TV chef who helps a newswoman escape from the thugs of a local drug lord. Stars Jackie Chan, Richard Norton, Miki Lee, Karen McLymont, Gabrielle Fitzpatrick. Directed by Samo Hung. New Line, 1998, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride The story of Toad, Mole, Badger and Rat's adventures to save their homes and Toad Hall from the nefarious weasels in this live-action musical retelling of "The Wind in the Willows." Stars: Terry Jones. Eric Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 87 min., Family, Walt Disney, $19.99 SRP. Mrs. Brown Forbidden love comes to the fore in the fascinating yet true story of the scandal surrounding the affair between England's Queen Victoria and a Scottish stableman. Stars Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Mrs. Dalloway Intelligent adaptation of Virginia Woolf's novel of the same name about the dull existence of an upper-crust English woman during the 1920s. Great performance by Redgrave as the title character whose station in life leaves her empty, unfulfilled. Director: Marleen Gorris. Stars: Vanessa Redgrave, Rupert Graves. 1997, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 97 min., Drama, Box office gross: $3.300 million, BMG, No SRP, Priced for rental. Mummies Alive! The Legend Begins Latest attempt by the folks at Disney and DIC Entertainment to create an animated franchise, here about four warriors who come back to life in modern San Francisco from ancient Egypt (3500 years ago) to stop a magician from enslaving humankind. Disney, 1998, MPAA rating: G, $14.99 Mummy's Shroud, The Hammer horror film about archeological team that unearth's an Egyptian tomb, setting into action a deadly curse. In widescreen. New-to-video. Anchor Bay, 1967, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98. My Giant Crystal plays a third-rate talent agent who's convinced he's headed for the big time when he takes under his wing, so to speak, a 7-foot 7-inch Shakespeare-quoting Romanian giant. A gentle comedy about values and priorities in life. Director: Michael Lehmann. Stars: Billy Crystal, Gheorghe Muresan, Kathleen Quinlan, Joanna Pacula. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 97 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $7.570 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. My Man A vivacious prostitute with a heart of gold takes pleasure in making men suffer for her love ... until she meets her match in a penniless hustler. Provocative and erotic. In French with English subtitles. Stars Anouk Grinberg, Oliver Martinez, Mathieu Kassovitz. Directed by Bertrand Blier. New Yorker, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, $89.95, priced for rental. My Sex Life ... Or How I Got Into an Argument Relationship film about a 29-year-old assistant professor who finds it difficult to begin life, told in overlapping stories and story fragments "to allow contradictory sensations to co-exist in art as they do in life." In French with English subtitles. Stars Mathieu Amalric. Fox Lorber, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, $89.98, priced for rental. Myth of Fingerprints, The Drama about a family reunion in which no one can disconnect from nor connect with each other. A favorite of the Sundance Film Festival. Stars Julianne Moore, Roy Scheider, Blythe Danner, Noah Wyle, James Legros. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Naked Lies Run-of-the-mill spy thriller about sexy FBI agent who helps the Treasury Dept. bring an international counterfeiter to justice by infiltrating his organization. Stars Shannon Tweed, Steven Bauer, Jay Baker. Columbia TriStar, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. DVD: No. Napoleon Precocious puppy embarks on a magical journey through the Australian outback, along the way meeting a chatty parrot, a wise owl and a clever koala; available in clamshell packaging. Orion, 1998, MPAA rating: G, $14.95 Negotiator, The Psychological thriller about a police hostage negotiator (Samuel L. Jackson) charged with murder and embezzlement who takes an entire Chicago Internal Affairs Division hostage to negotiate the truth behind the trumped up charges, eventually facing off with another negotiator (Kevin Spacey). Director: F. Gary Gray. Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse, Ron Rifkin, J. T. Walsh. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 138 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $43.088 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. Nenette and Boni Erotic drama about a 19-year-old man whose doldrums, and obsession with a baker's wife, are jolted into reality by the appearance of his estranged sister. In French with English subtitles; letterboxed. Stars Gregoire Colin, Alice Houri, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi. New Yorker, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, $89.95, priced for rental. Never Say Die The great Preston Sturges co-wrote the screenplay for this Bob Hope comedy about a man who thinks he has only one month to live and marries a maiden to save her from a Russian prince. Stars Bob Hope, Martha Raye, Andy Devine, Monty Wooley, Alan Mowbray. Directed by Elliott Nugent. Universal Cinema Classics, 1939, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98. Newton Boys, The True story of brothers during the depression who decided that the real crooks of their time were the banks and the insurance companies -- and set out to rob them all: they were America's most successful robbers, knocking over 80 banks from Texas to Canada. Stars Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Skeet Ulrich, Vincent D'Onofrio, Julianna Margulies. Fox, 1998, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Burn"> Niagara Niagara Iconoclastic road movie about the misadventures of a young couple on their way to Toronto in search of a black Barbie doll. He's emotionally withdrawn and repressed, she has Tourette's syndrome; matters get more complicated when they rob a pharmacy. Stars Robin Tunney, Henry Thomas, Michael Parks. Directed by Bob Gosse. Artisan Entertainment, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Nico Icon Documentary on German model Christa Paffgen's rise from the fashion runways to the big screen (Andy Warhol's "Chelsea Girls") to her cult status as the goddess of rock group The Velvet Underground. In English, German, French with English subtitles; black & white. Fox Lorber, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Night and the Moment, The Love and seduction in 18th Century France as a libertine writer (Willem Dafoe) seeks the love of a mysterious marquise (Lena Olin). Co-stars Miranda Richardson. Never released theatrically in the States. Miramax, 1993, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Nightwatch Poor law student takes a job as the watchman at the city morgue during the reign of a serial killer and becomes the chief suspect in the grisly murders. Misfired thriller. Stars: Ewan McGregor, Patricia Arquette, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 101 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $1.154 million, Dimension, No SRP, Priced for rental. Nil by Mouth Actor Gary Oldman's directorial debut was a darling of the 1997 Cannes International Film Festival but failed to get widespread U.S. distribution. Film delivers another gritty, powerful, intense portrait of urban life in modern England. Music by Eric Clapton. Stars Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke, Charlie Creed-Miles, Ednore Dore, Laila Morse. Columbia TriStar, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Ninja Turtles: East Meets West Direct-to-video sequel featuring the four heroes in the half shell, here grown up and joined by a female mutant turtle, Venus, to battle a new enemy, the nefarious Dragon Lord. Fox, 1998, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 No Looking Back Small town malaise gets thicker when the downtrodden life of an unhappy waitress and her steady boy-friend takes a turn for the worse when she rekindles an affair with her nasty ex-boyfriend. Downer of a film. Stars Lauren Holly, Edward Burns, Jon Bon Jovi. Directed by Edward Burns. PolyGram, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. No Way Out Vivid portrayal and indictment of racial prejudice. When a young black doctor operates on two brothers brought in for gunshot wounds, it sets off a chain of violent confrontations between a psychopath, his gang and the black community. Stars Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier. Fox, 1950, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Nothing to Lose Silly carjacking comedy doesn't really go anywhere. Stars Tim Robbins, Martin Lawrence. Buena Vista, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Object of My Affection, The Romantic comedy has Jennifer Aniston fall in love w new roomate even though he just wants friends. When she gets pregnant, she decides she'd rather raise the child with him instead of her boyfriend, leading the threesome to explore the fine line between love, sex and friendship. Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd, John Pankow. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 111 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $29.106 million, Fox, No SRP, Priced for rental. Odd Couple II, The Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon reunite for this sequel of sorts to the classic 1968 Neil Simon comedy "The Odd Couple." Here the pair reunite after several decades to go on a wacky road trip to attend the wedding of Oscar's son to Felix's daughter. Co-stars Christine Baranski, Jonathan Silverman, Jean Smart. Directed by Howard Deutch. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 97 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $18.000 million, Paramount, No SRP, Priced for rental. Oliver Twist Home video of "Wonderful World of Disney" telefilm version of the Dicken's classic. Stars Richard Dreyfuss, Elijah Wood, Alex Trench. Buena Vista, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, $19.98 One Night Stand An erotically charged love story that explores the passion and betrayal of a one night stand. Stars Wesley Snipes, Natassjia Kinski, Kyle MacLachlan, Ming-Na Wen, Robert Downey Jr. New Line, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Operation Condor 2: The Armour of the Gods Miramax picked up for video this Jackie Chan martial arts adventure, which was originally released in 1986 as "Armour of God." Bet they wish they had tried a theatrical release now that the Jackie Chan-Chris Tucker "Rush Hour" is such a big success. This one has Jackie as a fortune hunter whose ex-girlfriend is kidnapped, forcing him to hunt down the priceless "Armour of the Gods" to pay the ransom. For die-hard Chan fans only. Stars: Jackie Chan. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 85 min., Action, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: No. Opposite of Sex, The Offbeat comedy about a 16-year-old girl (Christina Ricci) who leaves Louisianna to live with her half-brother in Indiana, where she disrupts the lives of everyone she encounters -- from her brother's gay lover (whom she seduces) and a spinster best friend (Lisa Kudrow) to a local sheriff and a bible-thumping ex-boyfriend. She's more a catalyst than protagonist, fomenting scandals, robberies and murder -- and though the film revolves around sex, there's little of it on-screen, leaving this pleasing film to work its magic on an intellectual level. Co-stars Martin Donovan, Lyle Lovett, Johnny Galecki. Directed by Don Roos. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 100 min., Comedy-Drama, Box office gross: $5.070 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Oscar and Lucinda A man of the cloth who has a penchant for gambling falls for an heiress and glass factory owner and the pair bet their lives and fortunes on the construction of a glass church for the Australian wilderness -- as a symbol of their love and beliefs. Stars Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett. Directed by Gillian Armstrong. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Overnight Delivery Convinced his girlfriend has cheated on him, a young man gets a stripper to send his ex the world's most disgusting poison pen letter. When he discovers he's made a mistake, he has 24 hours to get the letter back. Stars Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Christine Taylor. New Line, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Palmetto A bitter reporter who has served jail time on trumped-up charges for exposing graft in his corrupt Florida small town gets involved with sexy women in an extortion scheme. The film is a poor, limp imitation of "Body Heat." Stars Woody Harrelson, Gina Gershon, Elisabeth Shue. Directed by Volker Schlondorff. Warner, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Paperback Romance A beautiful romance writer with a secret unwittingly falls for a dashing jewel thief in a romantic comedy of errors. Stars Gia Carides, Anthony LaPaglia. Orion, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Parent Trap, The Remake of Disney's 1962 family comedy that starred Hayley Mills, about identical twins, separated at birth when their parents split, who meet up as pre-teens and scheme to reunite their wayward mother and father. A rare case of a remake better than the original. Stars Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson, Lindsay Lohan. Directed by Nancy Meyers. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 124 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $56.000 million, Buena Vista, $22.99 SRP. Passion in the Desert A love story of sorts -- about a captain in Napoleon's doomed Egyptian campaign army stranded in the desert who gets taken in by and bonds with a leopard. A surreal affair. Director: Lavinia Currier. Stars: Ben Daniels, Michael Piccoli. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 93 min., Drama, Box office gross: $0.250 million, New Line, No SRP, Priced for rental. Paulie Parrot who can actually talk (and not just mimic words) is separated from the little girl who raised him and gets into a variety of adventures as he tries to find his way home. Clamshell packaging. Director: John Roberts. Stars: Gene Rowlands, Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin, Bruce Davison. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 82 min., Family, Box office gross: $22.236 million, DreamWorks, $22.99 SRP. Peacekeeper, The Typical Dolph Lundgren actioner has him playing an Air Force Major who must go up against a madman who has targeted the U.S. for nuclear destruction. So what's new? Stars Dolph Lundgren, Roy Scheider, Montel Williams. Directed by Frederic Forestier. Trimark, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Peacemaker, The George Clooney and Nicole Kidman team up as an Army Special Intelligence Officer and a nuclear scientist, respectively, to foil the plot of terrorists who hijack Russian warheads and plan to use them to blow up the U.N. building in New York. Available in widescreen and pan-and-scan versions. Universal, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Perfect Furlough Army psychologist dreams up a gimmick to boost morale at a remote Arctic army unit, sends a corporal on the "perfect furlough" to Paris, where the soldier ends up wooing her. Stars Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Elaine Stritch. Directed by Blake Edwards. Universal, 1959, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Perfect Murder, A Remake of sorts of Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder" has Michael Douglas as a wealthy industrialist who blackmails his young wife's lover into murdering her, bringing devastating consequences when the attempt goes awry. Stylish thriller almost stands on its own. Director: Andrew Davis. Stars: Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Viggo Mortensen, David Suchet. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $67.360 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies, A A powerful personal testimony that chronicles the films that most influenced Martin Scorsese, including hundreds of clips, from King Vidor's "Duel in the Sun" through "Lust for Life" and "Bonnie and Clyde." Three volume set. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, $59.99 Peter Pan Restored 45th anniversary edition of the classic Disney film, which had been on moratorium since 1990. Disney, 1953, MPAA rating: G, $26.99. Phantasm: Oblivion Sequel to cult film Phantasm, featuring the terrifying legions of the undead and their thirst for vengeance. Direct-to-video. Stars: Angus Scrimm. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 90 min., Horror, MGM, $59.95 SRP. Phantom Lady Innocent man is framed for the murder of his wife. Directed by Robert Siodmak. Stars Franchot Tone, Ella Raines, Elisha Cook Jr., Regis Toomey. Universal Noir Collection, 1944, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Phantoms Supernatural thriller about survivors of the disappearance of a small Colorado town who battle a terrifying force of evil that has surfaced from below the earth to destroy mankind. Stars Ben Affleck, Liev Schreiber, Rose McGowan, Joanna Going, Peter O'Toole. Directed by Joe Chappelle. Dimension, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Phoenix Ray (Rat Pack) Liotta stars as a police detective whose gambling habit has gotten him in trouble. Caught between a brutal bookie, a lethal loan shark and a heist gone wrong, he comes up with a daring plan to settle his debts once and for all. Director: Danny Cannon. Stars: Ray Liotta, Anthony LaPaglia, Anjelica Huston, Daniel Baldwin, Jeremy Piven. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $0.043 million, Trimark, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Picnic at Hanging Rock Director Peter Weir's sensuous mystery (based on true story) about the disappearance of three girls on a school picnic in the Australian outback. Weird mix of Victorian repression, supernatural unease & primitive longing. Director's cut, with theatrical trailer, digitally remastered, letterboxed, unavailable for 15 years. 1975, MPAA rating: NR, 107 min., Drama, Home Vision, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Picture Perfect Talented advertising director (Jennifer Aniston) can't get a promotion until she can prove that she's settled down, so she creates a fictitious fiance based on someone she met at a wedding. All goes well - until she has to produce him. Another comedy of misunderstandings, mixed signals and deception. Disappointing in its predictability. Co-stars Jay Mohr, Kevin Bacon, Olympia Dukakis. Illeana Douglas. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Pillow Book, The Sensuous story of woman whose life is affected by two family traditions: body painting and readings from "The Pillow Book," written by an aristocratic lady-in-waiting to the Japanese Imperial Court in the Tenth century. Stars Vivian Wu, Ewan McGregor, Ken Ogata, Judy Ongg. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: NC-17, priced for rental. Pink Jungle, The Comedy/Adventure about a photographer on assignment in South America who gets caught up in diamond smuggling. Stars James Garner, Eva Renzi, Michael Ansara, George Kennedy. Directed by Delbert Mann. Universal, 1968, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Players Club, The Ice Cube wrote, directed and starred in this comedy about the behind-the-scenes action at a private men's club. Director: Ice Cube. Stars: Ice Cube, Bernie Mac, Jamie Foxx, Monica Calhoun. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $22.973 million, New Line, No SRP, Priced for rental. Playing God A Los Angeles surgeon (David Duchovny) is stripped of his license after performing an operation while incapacitated and becomes a "gunshot doctor" for a criminal (Timothy Hutton). Should he keep his lurid life or face his demons and regain his destiny? Should Duchovny stick to "The X-Files"? Co-stars Angelina Jolie. Buena Vista, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Pocahontas: Journey to a New World Direct-to-video sequel has Pocahontas and her friends embarking on a thrilling adventure to England in 1612. Plenty of history-distortions and new musical numbers. Voices of Irene Bedard, Judy Kuhn, David Ogden Stiers, Billy Zane. Jean Stapleton. Disney, 1998, MPAA rating: G, $26.99. Police Story Jackie Chan stars in and directs this martial arts cop drama cum comedy about a "one-man police force" after the Hong Kong mob. First of the Police Story trilogy. Stars Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Bridget Lin. Directed by Jackie Chan. New Line, 1985, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Ponette A four-year-old girl must come to grips with the death of her mother after she's sent to live with her aunt and cousins; shot with a "pre-school "point of view. Stars Victoire Thivisol. Directed by Jacques Doillon. Fox Lorber, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Postman, The Kevin Costner stars as a lone drifter who becomes an inspirational force in uniting America after the Apocalypse. Directed by Kevin Costner. Warner, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Power Rangers in Space Latest feature length outing for the fading heroes of the kids cult circuit. Direct-to-video. 1998, CC, Action, Fox, $14.98 SRP. Price Above Rubies, A The young wife of a Hasidic scholar grows restless and discontented with her proper life and develops a growing desire for independence. Stars: Renee Zellweger, Julianna Margulies, Glenn Fitzgerald. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 120 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.081 million, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. Primary Colors" Timely look at a Southern candidate's run for the White House and the attendant machinations, scandals and games that play out before election day. Based on the best-selling novel (by anonymous) that was loosely based on the Clinton campaign. Director: Mike Nichols. Stars: John Travolta, Emma Thompsom, Kathy Bates, BillyBob Thornton, Larry Hagman, Muura Tierney. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104min., Comedy-Drama, Box office gross: $38.966 million, Universal, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Yes. Prince Valiant Dumb adventures of comic book hero Prince Valiant, thankfully never released on these shores. Stars Ron Perlman, Joanna Lumley. Fox, 1998, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Prophecy II, The Direct to video sequel in which the angel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) returns to Earth to lead the forces of evil against mankind; all that stands in his way is a young woman (Jennifer Beals) impregnated by a good angel (Russell Wong) to give birth to a half angel/human savior. Dimension, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Proposition, The Childless rich couple get more than they bargained for when they hire a young man to father their child: betrayal, scandal and murder. Stars William Hurt, Madeleine Stowe, Neil Patrick Harris, Kenneth Branagh. PolyGram, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Quest for Camelot The animated adventures of a brave young woman and her friends who journey to rescue Camelot from the evil forces who have captured the magical sword Excalibur. Stars: Voices of Pierce Brosnan, Gary Oldman, Jane Seymour, Gabriel Byrne, Cary Elwes, Don Rickles. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: G, 86 min., Animated, Box office gross: $22.413 million, Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, $22.95 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Quick Silver Highway A mysterious storyteller has the power to make his listeners end up as the subjects of his terrorizing stories. Stars Christopher Lloyd, Matt Frewer. Directed by Mick Garris. Fox, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Trea"> Rage, The Action-thriller about an FBI agent tracking down a ruthless psychopath who has launched an assassination plot against military and political leaders. Not released in the States. Stars Lorenzo Lamas, Gary Busey, Roy Scheider. Dimension, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Rat Pack, The HBO's captivating profile of the Rat Pack -- Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop and their swingin' '50s and failed attempt to ride politics into the 1960s -- comes to home video. Ring a ding ding. Director: Rob Cohen. Stars: Ray Liotta, Joe Mantegna, Don Cheadle, William Peterson, Angus MacFadyen. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 120 min., Drama, Box office gross: $ million, HBO, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Real Blonde, The Comic tale of a young man's quest for true love, epitomized by his search for a Real Blonde. Set amid the glittering world of New York's fashion and entertainment industries. Should be a sleeper on video. Stars Matthew Modine, Catherine Keener, Daryl Hannah, Maxwell Caulfield, Elizabeth Berkley. Directed by Tom DiCillo. Paramount, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. DVD: No. Red Cherry Story of two childhood friends, orphaned in China and sent to school in Russia, and their struggle through the horrors of World War II. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Stars Guo Ke-Ye. Directed by Ye Ying. Fox Lorber, 1995, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Red Corner Justice -- the Red Chinese way -- comes to the fore in this thriller about an American entertainment attorney wrongfully accused of killing a women in mainland China. Stars Richard Gere, Bai Ling. MGM, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Reincarnation of Golden Lotus, The A young dancer caught in the anarchy of the Cultural Revolution discovers uncanny similarities between her life and that of a 12th century enchantress who is raped, persecuted, unhappily married to a rich man and who got revenge against her enemies. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Stars Joi Wong, Eric Tsang, Lam Chun Yen. New Yorker, 1984, MPAA rating: NR, $89.95, priced for rental. Replacement Killers, The Action adventure in the vein of the great Hong Kong shoot'em ups, starring one of the knights of Chinese action, Chow Yun-Fat. Here he's a hit man who backs off from a killing only to face an army of killers sent to execute him. He's aided by a killer of a female, Mira Sorvino. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Columbia TriStar, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Repulsion Roman Polanski's first successful release, with Catherine Deneuve as a young, quiet woman alone in her London apartment, both attracted to and repulsed by sex, pushed over the edge and slowly but surely falling into a surreal, psychotic nightmare existence. Stars Catherine Deneuve. Columbia TriStar, 1965, MPAA rating: NR, $19.95 Requiem for a Heavyweight Big screen adaptation of Rod Serling's classic telefilm about a washed-up fighter forced back into the ring by an unscrupulous manager to pay off mob debts. A classic. Stars Anthony Quinn, Mickey Rooney, Julie Harris, Jackie Gleason. Columbia TriStar, 1962, MPAA rating: NR, $19.95 Richie Rich'$ Christmas Wish Kid-friendly twist on "It's a Wonderful Life," with Harvey Comics' Richie Rich wishing he was never born. When his wish comes true, he has to get back to his real life and save Christmas for his friends and family. Direct-to-video. Stars: David Gallagher, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Eugene Levy, Michelle Trachtenberg. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 85 min., Family, Warner, $19.96 SRP. Ride Hip-Hop comedy about a group of wannabe singers and rappers from harlem who have to get to Miami in 24 hours to make their fortune in the music biz. Stars: Guest appearnaces by Snoop Doggy Dogg, Doctor Dre, MTV's Downtown Julie Brown. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 84 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $5.476 million, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. Rocketman Dumb comedy about a bumbling NASA scientist selected as last-minute replacement on a manned mission to Mars, where he wrecks havoc, falls for a voluptuous female Mission Specialist, and gets outwitted by a mischievous chimp. Stars Harland Williams, Jessica Lundy, William Sadler. Buena Vista, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Rocky Horror Picture Show, The The cult fave comes to home video in special editions that contains additional footage (two numbers: "Superheroes" and "Once in a While") in widescreen and pan-and-scan versions at $19.98 and $14.98 respectively. Director: Jim Sharman. Stars: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick. 1975, CC, MPAA rating: R, min., Musical, Fox. Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella "The Wonderful World of Disney" tele-musical version of Cinderella. Stars Whitney Houston, Brandy, Jason Alexander. Buena Vista, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, $19.99 Royal Deceit Murder, passion, betrayal in 6th century Denmark and Scotland as a young prince avenges the murder of his father, the king, at the hands of his uncle. Sound familiar? Not released theatrically in the States. Stars Christian Bale, Gabriel Byrne, Helen Mirren. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer -- the Movie New version of the Christmas classic. Stars: Voices of John Goodman, Eric Idle, Bob Newhart, Sarah Jessica Parker, Debbie Reynolds, Whoopie Goldberg. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 90 min., Animated, GoodTimes, $14.99 SRP. DVD: No. Saint Michael Had a Rooster Directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, based on a story by Leo Tolstoy, about the life of a romantic idealist and leader of a group of anarchists in Italy in the last quarter of the 19th century. In Italian with English subtitles. Stars Giulip Brogi. Fox Lorber, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Scooby-Doo, Shaggy Velma, Daphne and Fred reunite to investigate a haunted mansion in the deep bayous of Louisiana in this direct-to-video animated film based on the long-running cartoon series. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 70 min., Animated, Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, $19.96 SRP. Scream 2 The crew from "Scream" return for more chills, thrills, and bloody spills. This time around there's a copy-cat killer who shows up after a movie is made of the book about the first set of Scream killings. Self-referential, anyone? Stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Jada Pinkett-Smith. Directed by Wes Craven. Dimension, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Searchers, The Restored classic, with documentary in clamshell packaging; pan-and-scan and widescreen versions. Director: John Ford. Stars: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood. 1956, CC, 119 min., Western, Warner, $19.95 SRP. Secret of NIMH 2, The Sequel to the animated "The Secret of NIMH," about a widowed mouse who becomes a heroine when she saves her threatened homestead. In this feature, when the mice of Thorn Valley need a hero, they turn to brave Timmy to save the day. Direct-to-video. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 70 min., Animated, MGM, $14.95 SRP. A Self Made Hero Comedy about a mamma's boy who fancies himself a leader of the French Resistance. In French with English subtitles; letterboxed. Stars Mathieu Kassovitz, Anouk Grinberg. New Yorker, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, $89.95, priced for rental. Senseless Impoverished but brilliant economic student takes odd jobs to pay his way through college, finally entering a competition for a $60,000 award, in which he faces fierce competition. In the midst of battle, he takes one more job: testing a drug that's supposed to heighten his senses. Naturally, this comedy makes him "senseless." Stars Marlon Wayans, David Spade, Rip Torn. Directed by Penelope Spheeris. Miramax, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Seven Years in Tibet Vehicle for Brad Pitt has him star as Austrian mountaineer who escapes British prisoner of war camp, climbs Himalayas and is transformed by his meetings with Tibet's Dalai Lama. Co-stars David Thewlis, B.D. Wong. In widescreen and pan-and-scan versions. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Sex and Zen Soft-core adaptation of 17th century erotic Chinese masterpiece "Prayer Mat of the Flesh." In Chinese with English subtitles, English dubbed versions. Stars Lawrence Ng, Amy Yip. Directed by Michael Mah. Indigo Media, 1993, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Shall We Dance? Sleeper from Japan about over-worked, middle-aged accountant who takes ballroom-dance lessons in order to get close to a beautiful woman, along the way finding a new passion for life. English subtitles. Stars Koji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. She's So Lovely Robin Wright Penn and Sean Penn end tempestuous love affair with his incarceration in a mental hospital; 10 years later she has a new life married to wealthy John Travolta but Sean comes looking for her, and rekindles old fires. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Shepherd of the Hills A stranger helps Ozark Mountain folk shed their mutual hatreds. In particular, he helps one local moonshiner (John Wayne) overcome the hatred of the father he has never seen, who apparently deserted his mother and left her to die. Stars Harrey Carey Sr., Beulah Bondi. Universal, 1941, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Shivers Director's cut of David Cronenberg's first major film, about sexually-tinged parasites that take over a high-rise apartment complex. Originally titled "They Came From Within." Stars Paul Hampton, Joe Silver, Lynn Lowry. Avalanche, 1975, MPAA rating: R, $89.95, priced for rental. Silence of Neto, The A young boy's coming of age in Guatemala in the 1950s period marked by political upheaval, CIA meddling, and Cold War paranoia. Filmed on location. In Spanish with English subtitles. Stars Eva Tamargo Lemus. Directed by Luis Argueta. Peachtree, 1994, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Silent Treatment, The Dramatic tale of a once famous composer, silent since the Holocaust, who leaps suddenly back to life. Stars Max von Sydow, Sarah Miles, Lothaire Bluteau, Sofie Grabol. Directed by Krzysztof Zanussi. Peachtree, 1992, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Six Days, Seven Nights A gruff, wisecracking cargo pilot and a sensual but tough New York magazine editor crash land on a deserted island where they struggle with themselves, their environment and modern-day pirates. Director: Ivan Reitman. Stars: Harrison Ford, Anne Heche. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 102 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $73.088 million, Buena Vista, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day and Date. Slappy and the Stinkers Five inventive 7-year-olds free a 100-pound seal (named Slappy) on a field trip to an aquarium, setting up all sorts of misadventures. Bombed at the box office. In clamshell packaging. Stars Joseph Ashton, Scarlett Pomers, Gary LeRoi Gray. Columbia TriStar, 1998, MPAA rating: PG, $13.95 Sliding Doors Smart drama with a story telling twist about a twentysomething PR exec (Gwyneth Paltrow) whose life goes in two distinct directions -- literally -- when she decides to take a train home. Two different and simultaneous stories unfold side-by-side; the narrative flip-flops seamlessly between the two stories. Co-stars John Hannah, John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn. Directed by Peter Howitt. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 97 min., Drama, Box office gross: $11.827 million, Paramount, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Small Soldiers Toy soldiers come alive in this special effects laden saga of military technology used in mass-produced toys, setting off a war between foot-high GI armies the Gorgonites and the Commando Elite. Stars Gregory Smith, Kirsten Dunst, Jay Mohr, David Cross, Phil Hartman, Denis Leary, Ann Magnuson. Directed by Joe Dante. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 109 min., Fantasy, Box office gross: $56.600 million, Universal, $22.99 SRP. Smile Like Yours, A Greg Kinnear and Lauren Holly star as a happily married couple whose passionate relationship gets stalled when she obsesses on motherhood. When all attempts at natural procreation fail, they turn to artificial means. Haven't we seen this before? Co-stars Joan Cusack. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Snowriders Warren Miller Entertainment documentary follows snow riders as they plunge through chest-deep snow powder, launch off cliffs and soar over incredible slopes using skis, snow boards and even inner tubes. 1996, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 96 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $2.035 million, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: No. Snowriders 2: The Journey Continues Warren Miller Entertainment documentary follows skiers as they swish down vertical mountains on mountain bikes, windsurfers, kayaks and skis. 1997, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 94 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $2.263 million, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: No. Something in the Wind Feisty Deanna Durbin plays a young girl trying to swindle a family's fortune -- all with good reason -- in this musical-comedy. Stars Donald O'Connor. Universal, 1947, MPAA rating: NR, $19.98 Sonatine Action comedy about middle-aged gang boss who tries to consolidate his power and is thwarted by his higher-ups. In Japanese with yellow English sub-titles. Stars Takeshi Kitano. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 94 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.047 million, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. Soul Food Mother Joe dishes out more than food to her three daughters and their families at their traditional Sunday supper -- there's advice and love -- until she's felled by illness. A warm family drama. Stars Vanessa L. Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Michael Beach. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: R, $19.98. Sour Grapes Seinfeld creator Larry David strikes out with this really dumb comedy about buddies who fight over gambling winnings in Atlantic City. Director: Larry David. Stars: Steven Weber, Craig Bierko, Karen Silas, Viola Harris. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 92 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.260 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. Spanish Prisoner, The Complex thriller about the young creator of The Process, a top-secret formula, and the con game that springs up around him. Not sure if his bosses are going to cut him in on the profits, he turns to new and old friends for help. But who can he trust? Director: David Mamet. Stars: Campbell Scott, Rebecca Pidgeon, Steve Martin, Ben Gazzara, Ed O'Neil, Rick Jay. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 110 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $8.845 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Spawn of the North Honest fisherman is forced by Russian pirates to become a one-man vigilante in Alaska in the early part of the century. Stars Henry Fonda, Dorothy Lamour, John Barrymore, George Raft. Directed by Henry Hathaway. Universal, 1938, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Species II This sequel to the 1995 box office hit continues in the tradition of splashing blood and guts that has made this alien-being-on-the-rampage genre so popular. Never mind that the story is silly and the performances perfunctory -- go for the gore. Stars Michael Madsen, Natasha Henstridge, Marg Helgenberger, Mykelti Williamson, George Dzundza. Directed by Peter Medak. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 93 min., Sci-Fi, Box office gross: $19.217 million, MGM, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Sphere Adaptation of Michael Crichton novel has great cast cavorting undersea to investigate a space ship that has languished at the ocean's bottom for 300 years, leading to alien thrills and chills. Stars Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Coyote, Queen Latifah. Directed by Barry Levinson. Warner, 1998, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Spice World Five days in the life of the Spice Girls. Stars The Spice Girls. Columbia TriStar, 1998, MPAA rating: PG, $14.95 Spirit of Mickey, The A definitive collection of the best Mickey Mouse shorts, featuring "Steamboat Willie," which introduced Mickey to the world, as well as the never-before-released "Orphan's Picnic." Disney, 1998, $22.99. Squeeze Three Boston teens are in a moral squeeze, caught between gang life and the promises of a youth center. Stars Tyron Burton, Eddie Cutlanda, Phuong Duong. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Star Kid The adventures of a dork whose life of derision and comic book worship takes a turn for the better when he joins forces with a seven-foot cyber-warrior from outer space to save the world from intergalactic villains. Stars Joesph Mazzelo. Directed by Manny Coto. Trimark, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Star Maps Comedy-drama about young Latino who sells Hollywood star maps to realize his dream of becoming a star. In reality he's a front for prostitutes. Stars Douglas Spain, Effrain Figueros. Fox, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Stargate SG-1 Feature length telefilm that kicked off Showtime's TV series of the same name; based on the 1994 feature film. Stars Richard Dean Anderson. Orion, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Starship Troopers Director Paul Verhoeven brings to life Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 tale of intergalactic war between giant insects and mankind, with extravagant special effects and less-than-spectacular acting and directing. Stars Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Strategic Command Run of the mill military adventure starring action hero Michael Dudikoff; direct-to-video. Co-stars Paul Winfield, Richard Norton. Cabin Fever, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Student Affair, The Professor has an affair with a lusty co-ed, forcing his wife to hire a private detective, who in turn lusts after the wife. Silly comedy. Stars Ed Begley Jr., Sally Kellerman, Sandra Taylor. Fox, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Substitute 2, The Sequel of sorts to 1996 Tom Berenger teacher revenge flick. Here Treat Williams plays a mercenary who penetrates a high school to avenge the death of his estranged brother, a substitute teacher. Co-stars B.D. Wong, Guru. Artisan Entertainment, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. DVD: Yes. Subway Stories All-star cast in 10 stories of the life, laughter, fear, and sex of riding the subway in New York City; an HBO original movie. Stars Anne Heche, Gregory Hines, Bonnie Hunt, Christine Lahti, Denis Leary, Rosie Perez, Mercedes Ruehl, Jerry Stiller, Lili Taylor, Zachary Taylor, Steve Zahn. HBO Home Video, 1997, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Suicide Kings Plot-twisting thriller about five college preppies who concoct a crazy plan to kidnap a retired mobster and hold him for ransom so that they can, in turn, ransom a kidnapped woman. Director: Peter O'Fallon. Stars Christopher Walken, Henry Thomas, Denis Leary. Moved from September. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 103 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $1.650 million, Artisan, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Summer Fling Typical coming-of-age story about 17-year-old with eccentric family who parties all summer awaiting results of his final exams.Teen love and angst. Stars Gabriel Byrne, Catherine O'Hara, Christina Ricci, Jared Leto. Directed by . Miramax, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Summer of the Monkeys Coming of age tale about a young boy who wants to capture four runaway circus chimps for the reward money and fulfill his dream of buying a pony. Stars: Corey Sevier, Michael Ontkean, Wilford Brimley, Leslie Hope. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: 101, G min., Family, Walt Disney, $19.99 SRP. DVD: No. Swan Princess III and the Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure Second sequel in the animated kids franchise. Here an evil sorceress tries to steal a magical treasure that gives its keeper unlimited power. There's five musical numbers here, as well as a 12-minute sing-a-long at the end. In Duracase packaging. Columbia TriStar, 1998, MPAA rating: G, $14.95 Sweet Hereafter, The Following a tragic bus accident involving children, a high-profile lawyer descends upon a small town with promises of retribution and a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of the grieving community. Stirring drama. Stars Ian Holm. New Line, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Swept From the Sea Based on Joseph Conrad's "Amy Foster," about a young woman who first befriends and then marries (against the desires of her friends and family) a Ukrainian emigrant who is the sole survivor of a doomed ship headed to America. A poignant tale of courage in the face of hatred, of the resiliency of the human heart. Stars Rachel Weisz, Vincent Perez, Kathy Bates, Ian McKellen. Directed by Beeban Kidron. Columbia TriStar, 1998, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Switchback FBI agent (Randy Quaid) steps outside his job to find the brilliant but nameless serial killer who has kidnapped his son. He tracks down a former railroad man (Danny Glover) and a mysterious hitchhiker, both of whom nay hold the key to the search. Also stars Jared Leto. Paramount, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Due June 16. Tango Lesson, The Written, directed by and starring Sally Potter; the film is an interesting story about a filmmaker who, dissatisfied with her latest screenplay, stumbles upon the tango and an Argentinean tango dancer in Paris, offering to put him in the film if he teaches her to dance. Stars Potter, Pablo Vernon. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Tarzan and the Lost City Latest foray at capturing the Edgar Rice Burroughs' jungle king on film falls short of Johnny Weissmuller. Here the ape-man is on the verge of marrying Jane in England when he gets wind (so to speak) of danger back home, and lights out for Africa. Stars Casper Van Dien, Jane March, Steve Waddington. Directed by Carl Schenkel. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 83 min., Adventure, Box office gross: $2.147 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. Telling Lies in America Coming-of-age drama about ostracized high school senior who finds solace with the help of a rock 'n' roll DJ during the pop explosion of the early 1960s. Fine performance by Kevin Bacon as the smoothtalking DJ. Written by Joe Eszterhas. Co-stars Brad Renfro, Calista Flockhart, Maximilian Schell. BMG, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Temptress Moon From the director of "Farewell My Concubine" comes this sweeping drama of love, jealousy, seduction and betrayal that follows the life of a young man who seduces and blackmails rich women for his crime boss. In Chinese with English subtitles. Stars Leslie Cheung, Gong Li, Kevin Lin. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The: The Next Gen. The title says it all. Stars Renee Zellweger, Matthew McConaughey. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. This World, Then the Fireworks Bad-to-the-bone twins (Billy Zane and Gina Gershon) use their physical beauty to get what they want in life. When they go after new prey, a repressed female cop, who has some powerful needs not to mention prime beach front property, they met their match. Co-stars Sheryl Lee. Directed by Michael Oblovitz. Orion, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Thousand Acres, A Rich land-owner (Jason Robards) distributes his 1,000 acre farm equally to three daughters, dividing the family as long-guarded secrets, unspoken rivalries, frustrated desires surface. "King Lear" is turning in his grave. Stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Jason Leigh. Buena Vista, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Three for the Show Musical remake of 1940 comedy "Too Many Husbands," with Betty Grable planning a musical comedy star whose husband (Jack Lemmon) is reported missing in action during WW2. When she marries his best friend, who should return from the dead to claim his wife? Co-stars Gower Champion. Columbia TriStar, 1955, MPAA rating: NR, $19.95. Three Lives and Only One Death A banker/armsdealer is caught in a surrealistic shell game in which the primary players remain a mystery, including a traveling salesman, a professor of Negative Anthropology and an opulent butler. In French with English subtitles. Stars Marcello Mastroianni, Anna Galiena, Marisa Paredes, Chiara Mastroianni. New Yorker, 1996, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain The three unstoppable Ninja brothers are back in this direct-to-video sequel that follows their adventures at an amusement park, trying to save their hero Dave Dragon from some evil folks. Stars: Hulk Hogan, Jim Varney, Loni Anderson. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 94 min., Adventure, Columbia TriStar, $13.95 SRP. Tight Spot Hard-boiled model serving a prison term for a crime she didn't commit is offered freedom in exchange for appearing as a material witness in the trial of a big-time mobster. Exciting mid-1950s acting and pyrotechnics. New to video. Stars Ginger Rogers, Edgar G. Robinson, Lorne Greene, Brian Keith. Columbia TriStar, 1955, MPAA rating: NR, $19.95 Titanic The box office behemoth wends its way to home video in pan-and-scan and widescreen THX versions. Director: James Cameron. Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Gloria Stuart, Frances Fisher. 1997, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 194 min., Romantic adventure, Box office gross: $581.000 million, Paramount, $29.95 SRP. To Each His Own Olivia de Havilland plays a woman who falls for a dashing WWI fighter pilot who's killed on a mission. When she bears his child, she puts the boy up for adoption. She later becomes a success, but must watch her son grow up in someone else's arms. Stars John Lund, Mary Anderson. Universal, 1946, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 To Kill a Mockingbird Classic film based on Pulitzer Prize-winning Harper Lee novel with Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, a small town lawyer in 1930s South defending a black man against charges of raping a white woman; Robert Duvall made his debut as Boo Radley. Pan-and-scan and widescreen. Co-stars Mary Badham, Philip Alford, John Megna. Universal, 1962, MPAA rating: NR, $19.98 Tomahawk Western that follows the plight of Indian sympathizer Jim Bridger and his attempts to stop a government wagon route to be built through Sioux hunting grounds. Stars Van Heflin, Yvonne De Carlo. Universal Western Collection, 1951, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Tomorrow Never Dies Latest James Bond epic pits 007 against an evil media baron (Jonathan Pryce) who wants to start a naval war between China and Great Britain. Joining him in his adventures is Chinese action heroine Michelle Yeoh, who out-Bonds the hero. Stars Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher. MGM, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Top of the World Ex-cop turned ex-con travels to Las Vegas to win back his estranged wife and inadvertantly wins big at a slot machine. Instead of offering him a change of life, the win causes him to be mistaken for a thief and hunted by a killer. Stars: Peter Weller, Dennis Hopper, Tia Carrere, David Allen Grier, Joe Pantoliano, Peter Coyote. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98 min., Thriller, Trimark, No SRP, Priced for rental. Trail of the Lonesome Pine, The A young engineer (Fred MacMurray) comes to the Blue Ridge Mountains to build a railroad through the underdeveloped goal lands and gets caught up in a bitter family feud. Stars Henry Fonda, Sylvia Sidney. Universal, 1936, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Trial, The Orson Welle's unique adaptation of Franz Kafka's classic novel. Restored widescreen edition. Director: Orson Welles. Stars: Anthony Perlins, Jeanne Moreau, Orson Welles. 1963, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 119 min., Drama, New Yorker, $29.95 SRP. Truce, The Based on renowned writer Primo Levi's thought-provoking and emotionally compelling account of his journey back to his homeland at the end of World War II. Along the way he rediscovers friendship, love and laughter. Stars: John Turturro. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 117 min., Drama, Box office gross: $0.149 million, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. True Women Friendship, romance, courage and survival in the Old West as two sisters struggle to protect their Texas homeland while their men are off fighting in the Civil War. Telefilm stars Dana Delaney, Annabeth Gish, Angelina Jolie. Hallmark, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, $14.98 12 Angry Men William Friedkin directs this telefilm remake of Sidney Lumet's 1957 classic film (itself based on Reginald Rose's teleplay) about 12 jurors and their search for the truth in a trial. Stars Ossie Davis, George C. Scott, Dorian Harewood, Tony Danza, Jack Lemmon, Hume Cronyn. Orion, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, $59.99, priced for rental. TwentyFourSeven From the poverty and despair of a small industrial town, one man with a dream forms a boxing club to give troubled teens self-respect and a fighting chance. Hard-boiled down-and-out British drama. Stars: Bob Hoskins. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 96 min., Drama, Box office gross: $0.050 million, Universal, No SRP, Priced for rental. Twilight A retired private investigator (Paul Newman) aggrees to help his movie star friends (Susan Sarandon and Gene Hackman) and becomes embroiled in a dangerous and complex murder mystery. Director: Robert Benton. Stars: Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman, Stockard Channing. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 96 min., Suspense, Box office gross: $15.030 million, Paramount, No SRP, Priced for rental. Twilight of the Golds Family that appears to have everything going for it enters a period of crisis when confronted with searing revelations about their children. Originally broadcast on Showtime, followed by a weak theatrical release. Stars Brendan Fraser, Faue Dunaway, Jennifer Beals, Garry Marshall, Jon Tenny. BMG, 1997, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Two Friends Follows the friendship of two seemingly different girls: one a promiscuous squatter experimenting with drugs, the other a student at an elite girls' high school. Stars Emma Coles, Kris Bidenko, Kris McQuade. Directed by Jane Campion. New Yorker, 1998, MPAA rating: NR, $89.95. Two Girls and a Guy Two beautiful young women compare notes about their respective "world's greatest boyfriend" and discover they're talking about the same guy. Sparks fly when the girls team up to confront their two-timing lover. Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Heather Graham, Natasha Wagner. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 100 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $1.909 million, Fox, No SRP, Priced for rental. Two Years Before the Mast Based on the Richard Henry Dana book, set in the 1840s, about a rich man and idealistic writer who takes part on a voyage on one of his father's ships, discovers the brutality involved and leads the sailors to a mutiny. Stars Alan Ladd, Brian Donlevy, Howard da Silva, William Bendix. Universal, 1946, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 U-Turn There's sex, murder and betrayal in Superior, Arizona, as a gambler on his way to pay off a Vegas debt gets stuck in the weirdness of a desert mining town. Stars Sean Penn, Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Voight, Jennifer Lopez, Claire Danes, Nick Nolte, Joaquin Phoenix. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. U.S. Marshals Tommy Lee Jones returns as tough, relentless Chief Deputy Marshal Sam Gerard in this spin-off from "The Fugitive" (sans Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble of course). This time out Gerard chases down fugitive Wesley Snipes after he escapes from a plane crash. Exciting stuff. Also stars Robert Downey Jr., Joe Pantoliano. Directed by Stuart Baird. Warner, 1998, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Ulee's Gold Critically acclaimed drama about a beekeeper in Florida who's reunited with the family he has long ignored and the love he had long forgotten. Stars Peter Fonda, Patricia Richardson. Orion, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Up in Central Park Musical-comedy with Deanna Durbin portraying a young Irish immigrant who comes to America with her father and gets involved with a crooked politician. Stars Dick Haymes, Vincent Price. Universal, 1948, MPAA rating: NR, $19.98 Wag the Dog Terrific political satire (and most topical) about the spin control put into motion to divert attention from a sex scandal in the White House. A fake war in Albania is created, setting off all sorts of repercussions. Great acting by all concerned. Stars Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche. Directed by Barry Levinson. New Line, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Washington Square Based on the Henry James novel, this melodrama is the story of a young heiress torn between her domineering father and a charming, handsome yet penniless young man. Her quandary: does he love her for herself or her money? Stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ben Chaplin, Albert Finney, Maggie Smith. Buena Vista, 1997, MPAA rating: PG, priced for rental. Wedding Singer, The Winning romantic comedy about the trials and tribulations of a struggling singer/songwriter in 1985 who makes ends meet performing at bar mitzvahs and weddings. His loser life is enlivened by a romance with a klutzy waitress. Stars Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore. Directed by Frank Coraci. New Line, 1998, MPAA rating: PG-13, priced for rental. Welcome to Sarajevo Based on true stories of TV journalists covering the war in Sarajevo: specifically several jaded members of the press who sought to help some of the children orphaned by the war in Bosnia. Stars Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Emily Lloyd. Directed by Michael Winterbottom. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Wes Craven's Wishmaster An ancient Djinn (genie) is awakened and transported to Los Angeles, where he roams the streets, granting malevolent wishes and wrecking havoc. Produced by Wes Craven. Stars Tammy Lauren, Andrew Divoff, Robert Englund. LIVE, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. When Pigs Fly Supernatural fantasy about a woman and a girl, tied to a rocking chair in which they both died -- 100 years apart -- and what happens when the chair -- and the spirits -- are given to a down and out jazz musician. Stars Marianne Faithfull, Alfred Molina, Seymour Cassel. Directed by Sara Driver. Peachtree, 1993, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. When the Cat's Away A lonely make-up artist returns from vacation to find that the cat she had entrusted to a dotty old lady has disappeared; her quest to find the feline leads her to a Parisian world she didn't know existed and where she finds the cat and love. French with English subtitles. Stars Garance Clavel, Olivier Py, Renee Le Calm. Columbia TriStar, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Whole Town's Talking, The A mild-mannered average Joe is mistaken for a recently escaped mobster. Given an identification pass by the police to clear himself, the man is embroiled in trouble when the bad guy steals the pass and strikes out on a crime spree. Stars Edward G. Robinson in a dual role, Jean Arthur. Directed by John Ford. Columbia TriStar Classics, 1935, MPAA rating: NR, $19.95 Why Do Fools Fall in Love Musical biopic of famed teenage heartthrob rocker Frankie Lymon told in flashbacks from the point of view of his three wives -- Rashomon style -- as they contest the deceased musician's estate. Fine slice of life of the '60s coupled with sturdy performances by all involved. Director: Gregory Nava. Stars: Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox, Lela Rochon, Larenz Tate. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 116 min., Biopic, Box office gross: $12.273 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. Wide Awake Coming of age comedy about a 10-year-old boy's search for the meaning of life. Stars: Joseph Cross, Rosie O'Donnell, Denis Leary, Dana Delany, Robert Loggia. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 88 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.258 million, Miramax, No SRP, Priced for rental. Wild Horses When an elderly pensioner robs a bank to recover his $15,000 nest egg, one of the clerks gives him $500,000 and volunteers to be his hostage. On the lam together they contact the press about the illegal origins of the money and in the process become folk heroes. In Spanish with English subtitles. Stars Hector Alterio, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Cecilia Dopazo. New Yorker, 1995, MPAA rating: NR, priced for rental. Wild Things A scandalous, twisted tale of revenge, sex and murder set against the backdrop of a tony yachting enclave in Florida unfolds when a guidance counselor is accused of sexually assaulting high school students. Twists and turns galore with hot young cast Director: John McNaughton. Stars: Neve Campbell, Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Denise Richards. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: R, 108 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $29.753 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Yes. Wings of the Dove, The Wealthy young woman falls in love with a journalist, whose station in life is far below hers, and she must decide to go with her heart -- and live virtually penniless -- or go with her position and wealth. Based on the Henry James story. Stars Helena Bonham Carter, Charlotte Rampling, Elizabeth McGovern. Directed by Iain Softley. Miramax, 1997, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Winter Guest, The Drama about a grieving widow who unwittingly finds emotional support from her very independent mother. First directorial outing for actor Alan Rickman. Stars Phyllida Law, Emma Thompson. New Line, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Witches, The (a k a The Devil's Own African witchcraft haunts an English teacher in this Hammer horror film released in widescreen. Features U.S. and U.K. trailers. Stars Joan Fontaine. New-to-video. Anchor Bay, 1966, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Bride)"> Woo Jada Pinkett Smith stars as Woo, a woman who has it all except for a man she can love and respect. Taking a chance on a blind date, she spends one hilarious night in NYC with a mild-mannered law clerk. Co-stars Tommy Davidson, Dave Chappelle, Duane Martin, LL Cool J. Directed by Daisy V.S. Mayer. New Line, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental. Woody Allen Wild Man Blues Documentary follows Woody Allen on a whirlwind tour of Europe with his New Orleans jazz band. For die-hard Allen fans only. Director: Barbara Kopple. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 103 min., Documentary, Box office gross: $0.526 million, New Line, No SRP, Priced for rental. Wrongfully Accused Leslie Nielsen returns in yet another spoof-mode, here playing Ryan Harrison -- get it?-- wrongfully accused of a string of crossbow murders. He's on the lam, chasing after the real culprit: a one-armed, one-eyed, one-legged man. Sound familiar? Director: Pat Proft. Stars: Leslie Nielsen, Richard Crenna, Kelly Le Brock, Michael York, Sandra Bernhard. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 86 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $9.610 million, Warner, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. X-Files, The The cult-TV show is transposed to the big screen with giant sound and special effects. Agents Scully and Mulder come across a conspiracy by a shadow government that has struck a deal with colonizing ETs. The 50-year-long coverup goes awry when a deadly virus -- actually a life form that needs to be incubated in human hosts - - is set loose and Mulder and Scully jump in to save the world. Complicated plot requires a bit of knowledge of the TV show to help get one through the rough spots. In pan-and-scan and widescreen. Features extra footage and interviews with Chris Carter and Gillian Anderson. Stars David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Martin Landau, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Blythe Danner. Directed by Rob Bowman. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 121 min., Sci-fi, Box office gross: $83.000 million, Fox, pan-and-scan $22.98, widescreen $24.98. You Gotta Stay Happy Romantic comedy about an heiress who marries a proper man, realizes on her honeymoon that he's not right for her, flees to the adjacent hotel room of a cargo plane company owner who she persuades to take her to California, where they fall in love. Stars Joan Fontaine, James Stewart, Eddie Albert. Directed by H.C. Potter. Universal, 1948, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 You and Me An ex-convict marries a woman who keeps her own past a secret out of fear that she will lose him. Directed by Fritz Lang. Stars George Raft, Sylvia Sidney, Robert Cummings. Universal Noir Collection, 1938, MPAA rating: NR, $14.98 Zero Effect Lawrence Kasdan's 22-year-old son directed and wrote this detective thriller about very private detective Daryl Zero whose latest case (a blackmailed lumber tycoon) leads him to fall for a quiet paramedic. Too much talk and not enough action. Stars Bill Pullman, Ben Stiller, Ryan O'Neal, Kim Dickens. Warner, 1998, MPAA rating: R, priced for rental.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_304_45	Library Media Type: DVD Sid and Nancy 30th Anniversary Edition Gary Oldman (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Lost In Space) and Chloe Webb (The Newton Boys) execute performances that are nothing short of phenomenal (Los AngelesTimes) as Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his unforgettable junkie girlfriendtwo socialmisfits who literally love each other to death. In this riveting biography of burnt-out icons (The Washington Post), award-winning* writer/director Alex Cox (Repo Man) creates a great film ('siskel & Ebert ) about the destructive lives of two 1970's punk legends. Their love affair is one of pure devotion. Sid falls hard for groupie Nancy Spungen, who seduces him with her affectionand addiction to heroin. Their inseparable bondto each other and their drugseventually corrodes the band, sending Sid and Nancy down a dark road of despair. Out of money, hope and options,the despondent two hit rock bottom while living in squalor at New York's infamous Chelsea Hotel. But their journey takes yet another tragic turn as they face their final curtainand attempt to fulfill their destiny of going out in a blaze of glory! 1986: Critics Award, Sao Paulo International Film Festival Son of Rambow : Widescreen Edition Traffic - Criterion Collection Traffic examines the effect of drugs as politics, business, and lifestyle. Acting as his own director of photography, Steven Soderbergh employs an innovative, color-coded cinematic treatment to distinguish the interwoven stories of a newly appointed drug czar and his family, a West Coast kingpin's wife, a key informant, and cops on both sides of the U.S./Mexican border. Rarely has a film so energetic and suspenseful presented a more complex and nuanced view of an issue of such international importance. Instantly recognized as a classic, Traffic appeared on more than 200 critics' ten-best lists, and earned 5 Academy Award® nominations. Willow From legendary, filmakers George Lucas and Ron Howardcomes one of the most beloved fantasies. A classic battle between good and evil. Blade Wesley Snipes plays a half-mortal, half-immortal charged with ridding the earth of a race of vampires led by Stephen Dorff in this action-packed blockbuster. DVD Features: AN AD EXEC AND A SHOWER-CURTAIN-RING SALESMAN BECOMECO-TRAVELERS ON THE WAY TO THANKSGIVING IN CHICAGO. Dogma When two banished angels find a loophole that will allow them back into heaven at the cost of humankind an unsuspecting mortal woman two prophets and the thirteenth apostle are the only ones who can stop them. Special features: subtitles in english spanish and french talent files and murch more. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 01/22/2008 Starring: Ben Affleck Matt Damon Run time: 130 minutes Rating: R Director: Kevin Smith Wayne's World THE ORIGINAL PARTY-DOWN MOVIE OF THE YEAR, FEATURING ROCKIN' TUNES, RADICAL BABES, AND YOUR MOST EXCELLENT HOSTS, WAYNE CAMPBELL AND GARTH ALGAR. Waiting for Guffman FORREST GUMP (DVD)(SPECIAL COLLECTORS EDITION)DOLB The Blob Far more deadly than ever!, THE BLOB has returned in this horrific tale about a vile, malignant life-form that crashes to earth in a cozy, rural American town called Arborville. Untroubled by conscience or intellect, the Blob does only one thing ? and does it well. It eats anything and everything that moves: men, women, children. And tonight it wants to swallow Arborville whole. The original version of The Blob thrilled and terrified audiences back in the 1950s. Now the oozing, gooey killer is back with a whole new high-tech look. What was once only suggested now comes to life in this visually gut-wrenching thriller in the tradition of such classic remakes as The Thing and The Fly. Platinum Comedy Series - Steve Harvey - One Man The Elephant Man You could only see his eyes behind the layers of makeup, but those expressive orbs earned John Hurt a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his moving portrayal of John Merrick, the grotesquely deformed Victorian-era man better known as The Elephant Man. Inarticulate and abused, Merrick is the virtual slave of a carnival barker (Freddie Jones) until dedicated London doctor Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins in a powerfully understated performance) rescues him from the life and offers him an existence with dignity. Anne Bancroft costars as the actress whose visit to Merrick makes him a social curiosity, with John Gielgud and Wendy Hiller as dubious hospital staffers won over by Merrick. David Lynch earned his only Oscar nominations as director and cowriter of this somber drama, which he shot in a rich black-and-white palette, a sometimes stark, sometimes dreamy visual style that at times recalls the offbeat expressionism of his first film, Eraserhead. It remains a perfect marriage between traditional Hollywood historical drama and Lynch's unique cinematic eye, a compassionate human tale delivered in a gothic vein. The film earned eight Oscar nominations in all, and though it left the Oscar race empty-handed, its dramatic power and handsome yet haunting imagery remain just as strong today. Sean Axmaker Wishmaster/Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 08/30/2005 The Evil Dead In the fall of 1979, Sam Raimi and his merry band headed into the woods of rural Tennessee to make a movie. They emerged with a roller coaster of a film packed with shocks, gore, and wild humor, a film that remains a benchmark for the genre. Ash (cult favorite Bruce Campbell) and four friends arrive at a backwoods cabin for a vacation, where they find a tape recorder containing incantations from an ancient book of the dead. When they play the tape, evil forces are unleashed, and one by one the friends are possessed. Wouldn't you know it, the only way to kill a "deadite" is by total bodily dismemberment, and soon the blood starts to fly. Raimi injects tremendous energy into this simple plot, using the claustrophobic set, disorienting camera angles, and even the graininess of the film stock itself to create an atmosphere of dread, punctuated by a relentless series of jump-out-of-your-seat shocks. The Evil Dead lacks the more highly developed sense of the absurd that distinguish later entries in the seriesEvil Dead 2 and Army of Darknessbut it is still much more than a gore movie. It marks the appearance of one of the most original and visually exciting directors of his generation, and it stands as a monument to the triumph of imagination over budget. Simon Leake Night of the Living Dead It s one of the most celebrated horror films in the history of cinema. Now, Elite Entertainment has added even more bonus materials and special features to the classic title Night of the Living Dead. Marking the initial release in Elite s Millennium EditionTM DVD series, Night of the Living Dead has been restored with a newly approved THX Transfer, and includes a wide array of never-before-seen DVD features. Considered one of the true, classic horror films of all time, Night of the Living Dead tells the story of a group of strangers taking shelter in a farmhouse while the rest of the world is doing battle against an army of hungry un-dead. Special Features Include: Newly Approved THX Transfer Trailers/TV Spots Dual Commentary Tracks featuring George A. Romero and the Entire Cast Film Parody "Night of the Living Bread" Original Mono Soundtrack Dolby Digital 5.1 Remix Still Photo Gallery Featuring RARE COLOR Photos The History of Romero's Company, The Latent Image Scenes from the "Lost" Romero Film, "There's Always Vanilla" Liner notes by George A. Romero and Stephen King AND MORE! Metropolis In the futuristic city of Metropolis, humans and robots who once lived together peacefully are now involved in a bitter revolution. Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete Second Season 22 episodes on 6 discs: The Child, Where Silence Has Lease, Elementary Dear Data, The Outrageous Okona, Loud as a Whisper, The Schizoid Man, Unnatural Selection, A Matter of Honor, The Measure of a Man, The Dauphin, Contagion, The Royale, Time Squared, The Icarus Factor, Pen Pals, Q Who?, Samaritan Snare, Up the Long Ladder, Manhunt, The Emissary, Peak Performance, Shades of Gray. Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete Third Season 26 episodes on 7 discs: Evolution, The Ensigns of Command, The Survivors, Who Watches the Watchers, The Bonding, Booby Trap, The Enemy, The Price, The Vengeance Factor, The Defector, The Hunted, The High Ground, Deja Q, A Matter of Perspective, Yesterday's Enterprise, The Offspring, Sins of the Father, Allegiance, Captain's Holiday, Tin Man, Hollow Pursuits, The Most Toys, Sarek, Menage a Troi, Transfigurations, The Best of Both Worlds Part 1. Friday the 13th, Part VII - The New Blood Years after tommy jarvis chained him underwater at camp crystal lake the hulking killer jason vorhees returns to the camp grounds when hes released accidently by a teenager with psychic powers. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 08/22/2006 Starring: Larry Cox Diana Barrows Run time: 90 minutes Rating: R Director: John Carl Buechler Strange Brew What matters most in life, eh? Hockey, donuts and beer? A slab of back bacon? And did we mention beer? At least, that's what matters most to Bob (Rick Moranis) and Doug (Dave Thomas) McKenzie when they bring the goofy lunacy of SCTV's "The Great White North" to the great wide movie indoors. Star Trek III - The Search for Spock Admiral kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned enterprise to return to the restricted genesis planet to recover spocks body. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/01/2007 Starring: William Shatner Phil Morris Run time: 105 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Leonard Nimoy Signs From M. Night Shyamalan, the writer/director of THE SIXTH SENSE and UNBREAKABLE, comes the story of the Hess family in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who wake up one morning to find a 500-foot crop circle in their backyard. Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) and his family are told extraterrestrials are responsible for the sign in their field. They watch, with growing dread, the news of crop circles being found all over the world. SIGNS is the emotional story of one family on one farm as they encounter the terrifying last moments of life as the world is being invaded. "It's easy for a filmmaker to blow up the world but what Shyamalan does is much riskier. He tries to blow our minds. I was engaged by every inch of SIGNS." - Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper. Boyz N the Hood John Singleton’s award-winning portrayal of social problems in inner-city Los Angeles takes the form of a tale of three friends growing up together in the ‘hood’. Facing tough lives, two succumb to the crime surrounding them in their environment, but one learns to have the strength of character to do what is right and to always take responsibility for his actions. Academy Award ® nominee for Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (1992). Stars Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix Reloaded), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Boat Trip), Ice Cube (Barbershop), Morris Chestnut (The Break Up Handbook), Angela Bassett (How Stella Got Her Groove Back). The Adventures of Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark/ Temple of Doom/ Last Crusade) - Widescreen Edition Indiana Jones, an archaeologist and adventurer, battles Nazis and travels the globe searching for rare and mystical artifacts. Track: 1: Indiana Jones & The Raiders Of The Lost Ark,Track: 2: Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom,Track: 3: Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade,Track: 4: Bonus Disc Media Type: DVD BAD BOYS II (DVD/SPEC ED/2 DISC/WS 2.40/A/DD 5.1/E Conan - The Complete Quest This set contains both Conan The Barbarian and Conan The Destroyer. The set also contains numerous bonus materials. Excellent for the Conan fan! Rain Man Dustin Hoffman is a 'triumph (People) in an Oscar(r)-winning role, and Tom Cruiseis 'terrific (ABC Radio) in a film that's fascinating, touching and full of smart surprises (Newsweek)! Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) has just discovered he has an autistic brother named Raymond (Hoffman) and is now taking him on the ride of his life. Or is it the other way around? From his refusal to drive on major highways to a four minutes to Wapner meltdown at an Oklahoma farmhouse, Raymond first pushes hot-headed Charlie to the limits of his patience and then pulls him completely out of his self-centered world! But what began as an unsentimental journey for the Babbitt brothers becomes much more than the distance between two placesit's a connection between two vastly different people and a poignant, profound and powerful film (Joel Siegel, ABC-TV)! 1988: Actor Torque High-Speed Action Adventure. Biker Cary Ford (Martin Henderson) returns to his hometown to reunite with his girlfriend (Monet Mazur). Once home, Ford is framed for a murder he didn't commit, targeted for revenge by the victim's brother (Ice Cube) and pursued by the FBI as he tries to clear his name and outrace his enemies. Garfield and Friends, Volume One Get set for the first Garfield & Friends collection, featuring 24 episodes of the hilarious animated Saturday Morning TV series starring that fat and sassy feline who lives for lasagna and can't stand diets, exercise and Mondays! Along with his not-too-bright pooch pal, Odie, and gullible owner, Jon, Garfield coughs up a hairball of humor that every human will love. Each episode contains a Garfield sandwich, featuring two slices of Garfield & Friends and a chewy center of U.S. Acres, the show featuring Garfield’s farm-fresh friends, also created by comic genius Jim Davis. Chopping Mall Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 08/17/2004 Run time: 77 minutes Rating: R Baadasssss! Dramatizes Melvin Van Peeble's struggle to make the first truly \independent" film" The Shawshank Redemption A quiet banker sent to prison for murder learns to cope with prison life and develops a synergistic relationship with another lifer. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Media Type: DVD Dawn of the Dead Packed with more blood, more gore, and more bone-chilling, jaw-dropping thrills, Dawn of the Dead Unrated Director's Cut is the version too terrifying to be shown in theaters! Starring Mekhi Phifer, Ving Rhames and Sarah Polley in an edgy, electrifying thrill-ride. When a mysterious virus turns people into mindless, flesh-eating zombies, a handful of survivors wage a desperate, last-stand battle to stay alive…and human. The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi /Sonatine Double Feature ZATOICHI: THE BLIND SWORDSMAN stars Japanese screen legend Beat Takeshi in an action-packed, award-winning film that has been compared to "Kill Bill Volume One." SONATINE also stars Beat Takeshi in a fast and furious gangland thriller with an edgy "Pulp Fiction" attitude. Both of these films include bonus DVD features, including an introduction to SONATINE by Quentin Tarantino, acclaimed director of such film favorites as "Pulp Fiction" and "Kill Bill" Volumes One and Two. Garfield and Friends, Volume Two Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 10/14/2008 Run time: 528 minutes Garden State Writer/Director Zach Braff delivers "an Oscar®-worthy performance" (CBS-TV Chicago) opposite a "wacky and endearing" (Newsweek) Natalie Portman in this quirky, coming-of-age comedy. Twentysomething, emotionally detached Andrew "Large" Largeman (Braff) hasn’t been home to New Jersey in nine years. Now, as Large attempts to re-connect with a variety of odd acquaintances – including his father – he decides to risk getting high on the most potent and unpredictable drug there is…life! Co-starring Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm and Method Man, Garden State is "marvelous fun" (Rolling Stone) The Village M. Night Shyamalan (SIGNS, UNBREAKABLE, THE SIXTH SENSE), the director who brought you the world's greatest thrillers on DVD, now creates his most thought-provoking triumph yet ... breaking international records and dazzling audiences around the globe! THE VILLAGE is a smart, edge-of-your-seat chiller crawling with terrifying surprises and frightening twists and turns. An isolated, tight-knit community lives in mortal fear of an oppressive evil inhabiting the forbidden forest just beyond their tiny village. So frightening that no one ventures into the woods ... until one villager dares to face the unknown. With unforgettable performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Adrien Brody, and newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard, this powerful motion picture is one of Hollywood's best psychological thrillers and ranks with the best of Hitchcock! The Notebook Behind every great love is a great story. Two teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks fall in love during one summer together, but are tragically forced apart. When they reunite 7 years later, their passionate romance is rekindled, forcing one of them to choose between true love and class order. Get Shorty Golden Globe(r) winner John Travolta leads an all-star cast in the hysterical comedy thatTime calls "smart, shrewdly crafted [and] hilarious!" Loan shark Chili Palmer (Travolta) is bored with the business. So when he arrives in LA to collect a debt from down-and-out filmmaker Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), Chili talks tough...and then pitches Harry a script idea. Immediately, Chili is swept into the Hollywood scene: He schmoozes film star Martin Weir (Danny DeVito), romances B-movie queen Karen Flores (Rene Russo) and even gets reservations at the hottest restaurants intown. In fact, all would be smooth for this cool new producer, if it weren't for the drug smugglersand the angry mobster who won't leave him alone! 1996: Actor (Comedy)Get Shorty Spaceballs The farce is with you in this "uproarious salute to science fiction" (The Hollywood Reporter) that teams comedy legend Mel Brooks with an all-star cast of cutups including John Candy (Splash), Rick Moranis (Ghostbusters) and Bill Pullman (Ruthless People)! When the evil Dark Helmet (Moranis) attempts to steal all the air from planet Druidia, a determined Druish Princess (Daphne Zuniga), a clueless rogue (Pullman) and a half-man/half-dog creature who's his own best friend (Candy) set out to stop him! But with the forces of darkness closing in on them at ludicrous speed, they'll need the help of a wise imp named Yogurt (Brooks) and the mystical power of "The Schwartz" to bring peaceand merchandising rightsto the entire galaxy! Million Dollar Baby "I DON'T TRAIN GIRLS", trainer Frankie Dunn growls. But something's different about the spirited boxing hopeful who shows up daily at Dunn's gym. All she wants is a fighting chance. Clint Eastwood plays Dunn and directs, produces and composes music for this acclaimed, multi-award-winning tale of heart, hope and family. Hilary Swank plays resilient Maggie, determined not to abandon her one dream. And Morgan Freeman is Scrap, gym caretaker and counterpoint to Dunn's crustiness. Grab your dreams and come out swinging. DVD Features: Interviews The Muppet Show - Season One It's time to raise the curtain on THE MUPPET SHOW! Join Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, the Swedish Chef and more, in the complete first season of this groundbreaking twist on the classic Variety Show. Included are all 24 episodes, completely restored and remastered, plus two never-before-seen episodes, bonus features, and something you were never meant to see: Jim Henson's original "pitch reel" that propelled the Muppets' blend of original songs, sketch comedy and guest stars into a primetime hit for all ages! Come discover for yourself the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational pleasures of THE MUPPET SHOW: SEASON ONE! Layer Cake Planning to retire and begin a new life, Mr. X (Daniel Craig, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), a successful West End drug dealer, has been asked for one last favor: to negotiate the sale of one million hits of Ecstasy. Unfortunately for Mr. X, the pills were stolen from a Serbian drug lord who'll cut off his head if he sells them. And with a London crime czar (Michael Gambon, Open Range & The Insider) promising to retire him permanently if he doesn't, Mr. X may be rightfully concerned about his future. Nothing worth losing his head over. Lost - The Complete First Season From J.J. Abrams, the creator of Alias, comes the action-packed adventure that became a worldwide television event. Stranded on an island that holds many secrets, 48 people must band together if they hope to get home alive. Now you can experience the nonstop excitement and mystery of every episode, from the show's stunning first minute to its spectacular finale, on a seven-disc set. Presented in a widescreen theatrical format with 5.1 Surround Sound and bursting with more than eight hours of original bonus features including unaired Lost flashbacks from the final episode Lost is a real find. The Fly Seth Brundle, a brilliant but eccentric scientist attempts to woo investigative journalist Veronica Quaife by offering her a scoop on his latest research in the field of matter transportation, which against all the expectations of the scientific establishment have proved successful. Up to a point. Brundle thinks he has ironed out the last problem when he successfully transports a living creature, but when he attempts to teleport himself a fly enters one of the transmission booths, and Brundle finds he is a changed man. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Season One, Vol. 1 Excitement and adventure a wait those who enter the magical land of Eternia! Join He-Man and the Masters of the Universe as they battle against Skeletor and his crew of dastardly villains in the greatest adventures ever told!These first 33 episodes are only the beginning of the most phenomenal stories ever created in animation! Relive the excitement as you enjoy the adventures of the universe s greatest warriors. The power has returned!System Requirements: Running Time 710 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 787364649495 The Lesser Lights of Heaven In their 10+ years of existence, one could say that ZAO has definitely had enough highs and lows to make for a great documentary. Now with over 200,000 records sold over their career, that time has finally come as Ferret releases the band’s (and the label’s) first ever DVD, "The Lesser Lights Of Heaven". This 2-DISC, 6-HOUR DVD, is directed by Alternative Press writer and longtime friend and manager Ryan J. Downey. It captures the band from their beginnings in Greensburg, PA, and follows them as they crossover their faith-based hardcore music to the masses. ZAO tells their story in their own words in a revealing full-length documentary. It including interviews with several ex-members, A&R folks, producers and friends and a multitude of footage shot over the years by professionals and fans. This release also has, not one, but THREE full-length concerts, including: a full live set from this summer's "Strhess Tour" shot in San Diego, California; a full live set from January's "Praise The War Machine" tour shot in Pomona, California; and over a dozen songs from various eras. In addition, there is live footage from over the years, including the infamous show where the band broke up onstage, as well as Cornerstone and Warped tour footage capturing the band in front of tens of thousands of people. Capote In November, 1959, the shocking murder of a smalltown Kansas family captures the imagination of Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman), famed author of Breakfast at Tiffany's. With his childhood friend Harper Lee (Catherine Keener), writer of the soon-to-be published To Kill a Mockingbird, Capote sets out to investigate, winning over the locals despite his flamboyant appearance and style. When he forms a bond with the killers and their execution date nears, the writing of "In Cold Blood," a book that will change the course of American literature, takes a drastic toll on Capote, changing him in ways he never imagined. Stellar performances from Hoffman and Keener, as well as Academy Award® winner Chris Cooper (Adaptation) are why critics are calling Capote a "must-see movie." Shogun Assassin In a time of evil and tyranny, a stone-faced ronin wanders the countryside with his young son (and a weapon-filled baby cart), hunted by the merciless minions of an evil Shogun. Once a noble samurai, he is now the most feared assassin in Japan, known only as Lone Wolf. Starring the legendary Tomisaburo Wakayama, Shogun Assassin is perhaps the most famous samurai film in the Western world. Created by editing together the first two Kozure Ookami (Lone Wolf & Cub) films, Shogun Assassin has sliced through pop culture much like the Lone Wolf slices through evildoers, influencing everything from GZA's 1995 Liquid Swords album to Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume 2. A quarter-century after its initial release, it remains one of the most deliriously violent and action-packed films of all time! Now available for the first time in North America, Academy Award-winnning director Robert Houston's legendary epic has been reconstructed for this official release from new digital transfers of the original Lone Wolf & Cub films. DVD Features: Program Notes Brick Brendan Frye is a loner, someone who knows all the angles but has chosen to stay on the outside. When the girl he loves turns up dead, he is determined to find the "who" and "why" and plunges into the dark and dangerous social strata of rich girl Laura, intimidating Tug, drug-addled Dode, seductive Kara, and the ominous Pin. But who can he really trust? These are the ingredients of Brick, a gritty and provocative thriller that critics describe as "a clever, twist-filled whodunit!" (Claudia Puig, USA Today) History of the World Part I Mel Brooks' uproarious version of history proves nothing is sacred as he takes us on a laugh-filled look at what really happened throughout time. His delirious romp features everything from a wild send-up of "2001" to the real stories behind the Roman Empire (Brooks portrays a stand-up philosopher at Caesar's Palace), the French Revolution (Brooks reigns as King Louis XVI) and the Spanish Inquisition (a splashy song-and-dance number with monks and swimming nuns.) It's Mel and company at their hilarious best. Young Frankenstein If you were to argue that Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein ranks among the top-ten funniest movies of all time, nobody could reasonably dispute the claim. Spoofing classic horror in the way that Brooks's previous film Blazing Saddles sent up classic Westerns, the movie is both a loving tribute and a raucous, irreverent parody of Universal's classic horror films Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Filming in glorious black and white, Brooks re-created the Frankenstein laboratory using the same equipment from the original Frankenstein (courtesy of designer Kenneth Strickfaden), and this loving attention to physical and stylistic detail creates a solid foundation for nonstop comedy. The story, of course, involves Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and his effort to resume experiments in re-animation pioneered by his late father. (He's got some help, since dad left behind a book titled How I Did It.) Assisting him is the hapless hunchback Igor (Marty Feldman) and the buxom but none-too-bright maiden Inga (Teri Garr), and when Frankenstein succeeds in creating his monster (Peter Boyle), the stage is set for an outrageous revision of the Frankenstein legend. With comedy highlights too numerous to mention, Brooks guides his brilliant cast (also including Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, and Gene Hackman in a classic cameo role) through scene after scene of inspired hilarity. Indeed, Young Frankenstein is a charmed film, nothing less than a comedy classic, representing the finest work from everyone involved. Not one joke has lost its payoff, and none of the countless gags have lost their zany appeal. From a career that includes some of the best comedies ever made, this is the film for which Mel Brooks will be most fondly remembered. Befitting a classic, the Special Edition DVD includes audio commentary by Mel Brooks, a "making of" documentary, interviews with the cast, hilarious bloopers and outtakes, and the original theatrical trailers. No video library should be without a copy of Young Frankenstein. And just rememberthatthat's Fronkensteen. Jeff Shannon Beyond Young Frankenstein SUPERMAN II-SPECIAL EDITION (DVD/2 DISC/WS-2.40/EN The Doors Jim Morrison (Val Kilmer), one of the most sensual and exciting figures in the history of rock and roll, explodes on the screen in THE DOORS, the electrifying movie about a time called the sixties and a legendary outlaw who rocked America's consciousness - forever. Meg Ryan, Kevin Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley and Billy Idol also star. Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film Every fear you’ve ever felt. Every evil you’ve witnessed. Every nightmare you’ve ever known… have come together for the first time in one film. Going to Pieces is the ultimate anthology that takes you on a horrifying journey through your favorite slasher films including Halloween, Psycho, Friday the 13th, Prom Night, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream and When a Stranger Calls. Interviews with horror icons John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Rob Zombie, Tom Savini and many more guide you through a series of gruesome scenes from classic films and recent hits. Watch as the history of the slasher film comes alive…if you dare! Re-Animator Scientist Herbert West has discovered a fluid which brings living tissue back to life. After the death of his professor West moves to a new university to continue his research. He involves a fellow student and the student's fianc ©e in his research by experimenting on their dead cat. Dan fascinated by West's research agrees to smuggle him into the hospital morgue...Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: NR UPC: 013131502190 Manufacturer No: DV15021 Ghost Rider GHOST RIDER (DVD/EXTENDED CUT/2 DISC/WS 2.4 A/DD 5 Behind the Mask - The Rise of Leslie Vernon You know legendary maniacs Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger. Now meet Leslie Vernon, the next great psycho-slasher. Nathan Baesel of INVASION stars as Vernon, a good-natured killing machine who invites a documentary film crew to follow him as he reminisces with his murder mentor (Scott Wilson of IN COLD BLOOD), evades his psychiatrist/nemesis (Robert Englund of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET), deconstructs Freudian symbolism, and meticulously plots his upcoming slaughter spree. But when the actual carnage begins, where do you draw the line between voyeuristic thrills, mythic evil, and good old- fashioned slasher movie mayhem? Angela Goethals (24) and Zelda Rubinstein (POLTERGEIST) co-stars in this ingeniously twisted and awardwinning shocker that Film Threat hails as "a masterpiece…". Taxi Driver At 26, Vietnam veteran Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is slipping slowly into isolation and violence on the streets of New York City. Trying to solve his insomnia by driving a yellow cab on the night shift, he grows increasingly disgusted by the people who hang out at night: "Someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets." His touching attempts to woo Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), a Senator's campaign worker, turn sour when he takes her to a porn movie on their first date. He even fails in his attempt to persuade child prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster) to desert her pimp Sport (Harvey Keitel) and return to her parents and school. Driven to the edge by powerlessness, he buys four handguns and sets out to assassinate the Senator, heading for the infamy of a `lone crazed gunman'. DVD BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE: "Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver" Featurette "Producing Taxi Driver" Featurette "Influence and Appreciation" Documentary Robert De Niro, Oliver Stone, Roger Corman and others pay tribute to Scorsese and the film "God’s Lonely Man" Documentary "Travis’ New York Locations" Featurette Storyboard to Film Comparisons with Martin Scorsese Introduction New Feature-length Commentary by Writer Paul Schrader New Feature-length Commentary by Professor Robert Kolker "Taxi Driver Stories" Featurette "Including Scorsese at Work" Photo Montage Original Screenplay Read Along Blades of Glory When rival figure skaters Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) go ballistic in an embarrassing, no-holds-barred fight at the World Championships, they are stripped of their gold medals and banned from the sport for life. Now, three-and-a-half years on, they’ve found a loophole that will allow them to compete: if they can put aside their differences, they can skate together – in pairs’ figure skating Friday Night Lights - The First Season TV's hottest new drama, Friday Night Lights, touches down on DVD with all 22 Season One episodes in a 5-disc collection! In the small town of Dillon, everyone comes together on Friday nights when the Dillon High Panthers play. But life is not a game; and the charismatic players, new coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler), and the passionate fans find that their biggest challenges and obstacles come off the field in the compelling day-to-day dramas of their tight-knit community. From producers Brian Grazer (The Da Vinci Code) and Peter Berg (The Kingdom) comes the critically acclaimed TV series based on the best-selling novel and hit theatrical movie. Discover why The Associated Press calls it "breathtaking in how it captures ordinary life set against extraordinary passions." Resident Evil / Resident Evil: Apocalypse Resident Evil: Something rotten is brewing beneath the industrial mecca known as Raccoon City. Unknown to its millions of residents, a huge underground bioengineering facility known as The Hive has accidentally unleashed the deadly and mutating T-virus, killing all of its employees. To contain the leak, the governing supercomputer, Red Queen, has sealed all entrances and exits. Now a team of highly-trained super commandos including Rain (Michelle Rodriguez - The Fast and the Furious, Girlfight), Alice (Milla Jovovich - The Fifth Element) and Matt (Eric Mabius - Cruel Intentions) must race to penetrate The Hive in order to isolate the T-virus before it overwhelms humanity. To do so, they must get past the Red Queen's deadly defenses, face the flesh-eating undead employees, fight killer mutant dogs and battle The Licker, a genetically mutated savage beast whose strength increases with each of its slain victims. Resident Evil Apocalypse : After narrowly escaping the horrors of the underground Hive facility, Alice (Milla Jovovich) is quickly thrust back into a war raging above ground between the living and the Undead. As the city is locked down under quarantine, Alice joins a small band of elite soldiers, led by Valentine (Sienna Guillory, Love, Actually) and Carlos (Oded Fehr, The Mummy Returns), enlisted to rescue the missing daughter of Dr. Ashford, the creator of the mutating T-virus. It’s a heart-pounding race against time as the group faces off against hordes of blood- thirsty zombies, stealthy Lickers, mutant canines and the most sinister foe yet. Written and produced by the visionary director of Resident Evil, Paul W. S. Anderson (Alien Vs. Predator) and directed by Alexander Witt, Resident Evil Apocalypse is a superior sci-fi suspense sequel. Severance Working nine to five is a real killer but teambuilding holidays can sometimes be even worse.A coach lurches out of the hustle and bustle of Budapest and heads towards the mountainous border. Aboard are seven employees of the international weapons manufacturer Palisade Defence global suppliers of innovative weaponry for the past 75 war-torn years. The lucky group are being treated to a team-building weekend at the company s newly built luxury spa lodge by their president George Cinders.But things quickly go awry as the colleagues find themselves faced with the chop when their corporate weekend is sabotaged by a deadly enemy. Forget office politics only the smartest will survive this bloody office outing.System Requirements:Running Time: 90 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R UPC: 876964000956 Manufacturer No: 10095 Knocked Up - Unrated The writer and director of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" delivers another a hilarious hit comedy that's bursting at the seams with never-before-seen-footage! They say that opposites attract. Well, for slacker Ben (Seth Rogen) and career girl Alison (Katherine Heigl), that's certainly the case - at least for one intoxicated evening. Two months and several pregnancy tests later, Ben and Alison go through a hysterically funny, anxious and awkward courtship that leads to huge laughs in the biggest comedy of the year! 1408 (Thriller) Based on a short story by Stephen King, a man who specializes in debunking the paranormal checks into the infamous room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel, only to discover… the terror is real. Misery A "heart-stopping psychological thriller" (Joel Siegel) this Academy AwardÂ(r)-winning film is "one of the best horror movies" (Time) ever. Adapted from a Stephen King story by OscarÂ(r)-winning** screenwriter William Goldman (All the President's Men) and directed by Rob Reiner (A Few Good Men), this chiller starring Kathy Bates (Titanic) and James Caan (The Godfather), is "a Hitchcockian kind of cat-and-mouse" (The New York Times) gameplayed between two cunning mindsone as sharp as a tack and the other as blunt as a sledgehammer. Novelist Paul Sheldon (Caan) doesn't remember the blinding blizzard that sent his car spinning off the road. Nor does he remember being nursed back from unconsciousness. All he remembers iswaking up in the home of Annie Wilkes (Bates)a maniacal fan who is bent on keeping her favorite writer as her personal prisoner for the rest of his "cock-a-doodie" life! Talk to Me Academy Award® nominee Don Cheadle portrays the one and only Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. in this funny feel-good and inspiring true story. Ex-convict Greene talks his way into an on-air radio gig with program director Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his unprecedented "tell it like it is" style breaks all the rules while electrifying a city and bringing a nation together when it needs it the most. Also starring Cedric The Entertainer Taraji P. Henson Mike Epps and Martin Sheen Talk to Me tells the extraordinary story of an outrageous and beloved voice ready to shake up the world in the movie critics are hailing as "fresh and revelatory" (Carina Chocano Los Angeles Times).System Requirements:Running Time: 119 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/URBAN LIFE Rating: R UPC: 025193330420 Manufacturer No: 62033304 Hearts of Darkness - A Filmmaker's Apocalypse Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse is an engrossing, unwavering look back at Francis Ford Coppola’s chaotic, catastrophe-plagued Vietnam production, Apocalypse Now. Filled with juicy gossip and a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at the stressful world of moviemaking, the documentary mixes on-location home movies shot in the Philippines by Eleanor Coppola, the director’s wife, with revealing interviews with the cast and crew, shot 10 years later. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Lord Voldemort has returned, but few want to believe it. In fact, the Ministry of Magic is doing everything it can to keep the wizarding world from knowing the truth - including appointing Ministry official Dolores Umbridge as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. When Professor Umbridge refuses to train her students in practical defensive magic, a select group of students decides to learn on their own. With Harry Potter as their leader, these students (who call themselves "Dumbledore's Army") meet secretly in a hidden room at Hogwarts to hone their wizarding skills in preparation for battle with the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. . New adventure - more dangerous , more thrilling than ever - is yours in this enthralling film version of the fifth novel in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. A terrifying showdown between good and evil awaits. Prepare for battle! DVD Features: Media Type: DVD Monty Python's Life Of Brian - The Immaculate Edition On a Midnight Clear 2000 years ago, three wise men enter a manger where a babe is wrapped in swaddling clothes. It is an infant called Brian...and the three wise men are in the wrong manger. For the rest of his life, Brian (Graham Chapman) finds himself regarded as something of a Messiah, yet he's always in the shadow of this Other Guy from Galilee. Brian is witness to the Sermon of the Mount, but his seat is in such a bad location that he can't hear any of it ("Blessed are the cheesemakers?"). Ultimately he is brought before Pontius Pilate and sentenced to crucifixion, which takes place at that crowded, non-exclusive execution site a few blocks shy of Calvary. Rather than utter the Last Six Words, Brian leads his fellow crucifixees in a spirited rendition of a British music hall cheer-up song "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life." The whole Monty Python gang (Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, and Terry Gilliam) are on hand in multiple roles, playing such sacred characters as Stan Called Loretta, Deadly Dirk, Casts the First Stone, and Intensely Dull Youth; also showing up are Goon Show veteran Spike Milligan and a Liverpool musician named George Harrison. The Aristocats This enchanting tale begins in Paris, when a kind and eccentric millionairess wills her entire estate to her family a family of adorable high-society cats. But when Edgar, the greedy butler, overhears her plan, he catnaps Duchess, the elegant, soft-spoken mother, and her three mischievous kittens and abandons them in the French countryside. Soon, they re being escorted home by the charming Thomas O Malley, a rough-and-tumble alley cat, who takes them to his pad along the way, where Scat Cat and his band of swingin jazz cats perform the memorable Ev rybody Wants To Be A Cat. Enriched by highstyle Disney animation (The New Yorker) and toe-tapping music by Academy Award® winning songwriters the Sherman brothers, The Aristocats is a timeless treasure and the last animated feature to get the nod from Walt Disney himself. American Gangster Academy Award® winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe team with director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) for an epic story as powerful as it is true. Armed with ruthless, street-wise tactics and a strict sense of honor, crime boss Frank Lucas (Washington) rules Harlem's chaotic drug underworld. When outcast cop Richie Roberts (Crowe) sets out to bring down Lucas's multi-million dollar empire, it plunges both men into a legendary confrontation. American Gangster is "a brutal and brilliant film" (Pete Hammond, Maxim) 101 Dalmatians 101 Dalmatians has charmed audiences for generations with its irresistible tail-wagging stars, memorable music, and a wonderful blend of fantasy, humor, and adventure. Now, with spectacular new bonus features and brilliantly restored, Walt Disney s beloved animated classic shines like never before in an all-new 2-disc Platinum Edition. Cruella De Vil, Disney s most outrageous villain, sets the fur-raising adventure in motion when she dognaps all of Pongo and Perdita s puppies. Through the power of the Twilight Bark, Pongo leads a heroic cast of animal characters on a quest across London to rescue them. Bring home the exciting 2-disc Platinum Edition with something for everyone, including the all-new virtual Dalmatians game, over 101 pop-up trivia facts, an all-new music video and much more! Walk the Line Hamburger Hill Van Damme Action Pack Quadruple Feature 4 Times the Action! Enjoy 4 action-packed films from Jean-Claude Van Damme in the Van Damme Fight Pack Quadruple Feature including Hard Target, Timecop, Street Fighter and The Quest. Batman Gotham Knight Acclaimed screenwriters including David Goyer (Batman Begins), Josh Olson (A History of Violence) and Alan Burnett (Batman The Animated Series) join forces with revered animation filmmakers on six spellbinding chapters chronicling Batman’s transition from novice crimefighter to Dark Knight. These globe-spanning adventures pit Batman against the fearsome Scarecrow, the freakish Killer Croc and the unerring marksman Deadshot. Using an arsenal of high-tech gadgetry from Wayne Industries, Batman’s ethical boundaries exist only where he chooses to place them, leaving some fearful of his power. The sharp storytelling, complemented by stylish art from some of the world’s most visionary animators, masterfully depicts the blurred lines of Batman as man, myth and legend. War Games Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) and Ally Sheedy (The Breakfast Club) star in this compelling drama filled with action, suspense and high-tech adventures! Featuring superb performances by Dabney Coleman and Barry Corbin, WarGames is "brilliant...funny...and provocative" (New York)a fast-paced cyber-thriller. Computer hacker David Lightman (Broderick) can bypass the most advanced security systems, break the most intricate secret codes and mastereven the most difficult computer games. But when he unwittingly taps into the Defense Department's war computer, he initiates a confrontation of global proportionsWorld War III! Together with his girlfriend (Sheedy) and a wizardly computer genius (Tony AwardÂ(r) winner John Wood), David must race against time to outwit his opponent...and prevent a nuclear Armageddon. The Big Bang Theory: The Complete First Season University physicists Leonard and Sheldon know whether to use an integral or a differential to solve the area under a curve. But they don’t have a clue about girls. Or dating. Or clothes. Or parties. Or having fun. Or, basically, life. So when a pretty blonde named Penny moves in the apartment across the hall, the guys decide to get an education outside of the classroom. Boys, you have a lot to learn. With series creators Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) and Bill Prady (The Gilmore Girls) concocting the right mix of logic and lunacy and stars Johnny Galecki (Roseanne) and Jim Parsons (Judging Amy) turning geekdom into Phi Beta fun, The Big Bang Theory is big on laughs. And life. Dirty Harry Class of 1999 The time is the future and youth gang violence is so high that the areas around some schools have become "free fire zones," into which not even the police will venture. When Miles Langford (Malcolm McDowell), the principal of Kennedy High School, decides to take his school back from the gangs, robotics specialist Dr. Robert Forrest (Stacy Keach) provides "tactical education units." These human-like androids have been programmed to teach and are supplied with weapons to discipline problems. These kids will get a lesson...in staying alive!!! Tinker Bell Born into the fantastic world of Pixie Hollow, Tinker Bell thinks her fairy talent as a tinker isn't as special or important as the other fairies talents. But when Tink tries to change who she is, she creates nothing but disaster! With encouragement from her friends Rosetta, Silvermist, Fawn and Iridessa, Tink learns the key to solving her problems lies in her unique tinker abilities and discovers that when she s true to herself, magical things can happen. School of Rock - with Digital Copy Genre: Comedy Media Type: DVD Wolfhound The last remaining member of a slaughtered tribe pursues vengeance against all odds for his family’s murder. When he discovers his target is a brutal, Sauron-like tyrant, his personal quest grows into an all-out war to rescue a nation and exact revenge. Stills from Wolfhound (Click for larger image) The Last Starfighter 25th Anniversary Edition “Greetings, Starfighter! You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Kodan Armada.” So begins an adventure of galactic proportions in The Last Starfighter. After Earthling Alex (Lance Guest) conquers the Starfighter video game, he is recruited by alien Centauri (Robert Preston) to be part of an elite legion of fighters. Leaving behind his trailer park home for the outer regions of space, Alex becomes the last hope for the beleaguered Star League and hundreds of worlds – including Earth. Loaded with out-of-this-world bonus features and digitally remastered for optimum picture quality, The Last Starfighter 25th Anniversary Edition is the ultimate video game fantasy come true! The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Second Season Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 08/18/2009 Run time: 558 minutes Rating: Nr Happy Birthday to Me Welcome to upscale Crawford Academy, where everyone – especially new student Ginny (Melissa Sue Anderson of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE) – wants to be part of the school’s most popular clique. But now somebody has begun butchering the group’s members. Could a deadly accident from Ginny’s past be connected to the brutal killings? And as her 18th birthday approaches, will Ginny be the guest of honor at the most horrific party of all? Matt Craven (DISTURBIA), Lawrence Dane (SCANNERS) and Hollywood legend Glenn Ford (THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, 3:10 TO YUMA) co-star in this twisted slasher shocker from Oscar®-nominated director J. Lee Thompson (THE GUNS OF NAVARONE) that features – as its infamous poster promised – “six of the most bizarre murders you will ever see!” G.I. Joe: Resolute G.I. Joe is a highly trained, classified special operations unit composed of men and women from around the globe. Officially, these warriors don't even exist. Few know the truth – that G.I. Joe fights a secret war, as the first and last line of defense against forces that seek to plunge our world into chaos. Wherever there's trouble, G.I. Joe is there. In G.I. Joe: Resolute, the raging battle between G.I. Joe and Cobra Commander has never been more intense. Every life is at stake... and even the good guys can die. All games end today…Now you know... and knowing is half the battle. Defying Gravity: The Complete First Season Set in the very near future, eight astronauts from five countries undertake a mysterious six-year international mission on the spaceship Antares. This sexy and provocative sci fi thriller follows 4 men and 4 women through the solar system where their pasts reveal intimate and interconnected secrets that have a strange effect on the present and mysteries yet to be revealed. DVD includes 5 episodes never seen on television. Audio: English: 51 Dolby Digital EXLanguage: Dubbed: English / Subtitled: English, French & SpanishTheatrical Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 1.78:1 Maximum Overdrive/Raw Deal Studio: Phase 4 Films Release Date: 03/09/2010 Rating: R Krod Mandoon & The Flaming Sword of Fire Krod Mandoon and The Flaming Sword of Fire, Comedy Central’s first foray into the action-adventure fantasy realm, chronicles the deeds of the brave but emotionally insecure Krod and his ineffectual band of freedom fighters—Aneka, the lovely warrioress who uses her beauty (and body) to get she wants; Zezelryck, the sorcerer who’s more mouth than magic; Loquasto, Krod’s dim-witted (and poorly-shooting) servant; and Bruce, known more for his extravagant outfits than his prowess in battle—in their struggle against the evil Chancellor Dongalor (Matt Lucas, Little Britain USA). Battle Royale I - Special Edition Hirohide Abe, Kinji Fukasaku Asian exclusive NTSC/All Code Special Edition DVD! Loaded with Special Features, WowWow Special, Audition, TV Spot, WowWow Trailer, Making Film, Birthday Party, CG, Orchestra Recording, Tokyo Film Festival, Theatrical Trailer, DVD Trailer, Art Gallery, emorial Photo Album, The First Term, 1999. 4 : The Book Was Published, Wowow Special, 1999. 10 ~ 2000. 5 : Audition, 2000. 6 ~ 9 : Shooting, Making Of Birthday Party, Memorial Photo Album. - The Second Term, 2000. 10 : Crank Up, CG, Orchestea Recording, Tokyo Film Festival, 2000. 11 : Marketing, BR Affair, 2000. 12 : Release, Art Gallery, - The Third Term, 2001. 2 : Filming A Special Edition, Making Of, 2001. 3 : Finished, 2001. 4 : Special Edition Release, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spot, Wowow Trailer, DVD Trailer, 'Movie Is A War' Trailer. With the Japanese currently leading the way in thought-provoking cinematic violence it's only fitting that Kenta Fukasaku's Battle Royale is being touted as A Clockwork Orange for the 21st century. Based on the novel by Koshun Takami, the film opens with a series of fleeting images of unruly Japanese school kids, whose bad behavior provides a justification for the 'punishments' which will ensue. To be honest, anyone who has grown up with Grange Hill will view these aggressive teenagers' acts as pretty moderate, but in the context of Japanese culture, their lack of respect is a challenge to the traditional values of respecting ones elders. Once the prequel has been dispensed with, the classmates are drugged and awaken on an island where they find they have been fitted with dog collars that monitor their every move. Instructed by their old teacher ('Beat' Takeshi) with the aid of an upbeat MTV-style video, they are told of their fate, after an impartial lottery they have been chosen to fight each other in a three-day, no-rules contest, the 'Battle Royale'. Their only chance of survival in the 'Battle' is through the death of all their classmates. Some pupils embrace their mission with zeal, while others simply give up or try to become peacemakers and revolutionaries. However, the ultimate drive for survival comes from the desire to protect the one you love. The film looks like a war-flick on occasions, with intense Apocalypse Now-style imagery (check out the classical score blasted over the tannoys with sweeping shots of helicopters). Yet, Battle Royale works on many different levels, highlighting the authorities' desperation to enforce law and order and the alienation caused by the generation gap. But whether you view the film as an important social commentary or simply enjoy the adrenalin-fuelled violence, this is set to become cult viewing for the computer game generation and beyond. Widescreen 16:9, DTS & Dolby Digital 5.1, Original Japanese Dialogue with optional English or Korean Subtitles. Tartan Asia. 2003. Hot Shots! Jim Abrahams Recruited to join a top-secret mission for the Air Force, a renegade pilot (Sheen) finds himself coping with an incompetent admiral (Bridges) and a carefully-selected squadron of flyers who are either inept or half-blind. He also winds up in competition with the corps' model of military perfection (Elwes) for the heart of the base's sultry psychiatrist (Golino) Hot Shots! Part Deux Jim Abrahams In this hilarious "Hot Shots!" sequel, former renegade pilot Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen) is once again recruited for a secret mission. This time the country's incompetent president (Lyod Bridges) sends him to the Middle East to resue U.S. hostages and the countless men who have already been sent in to rescue them. Pining for his former lover (Valeria Golino) in a Buddhist temple, Topper manages to pull himself together and sets out on his laugh-laden, action-packed task. Airplane! Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker Mission Impossible III J.J. Abrams Tom Cruise returns as Special Agent Ethan Hunt, who faces the mission of his life in "Mission: Impossible III." Director J. J. Abrams ("Lost"," "Alias") brings his unique blend of action and drama to the billion-dollar franchise. Seinfeld - Season 6 Andy Ackerman 1. The Chaperone What fabric does George suggest the Yankees use for their uniforms? a) Rayon 5. Ink Product Description: DISC ONE THE CHAPERONE-When Jerry dates a beauty contestant, Kramer wants to chaperone. Mr. Pitt hires Elaine. George encourages the Yankees to make cotton jerseys. THE BIG SALAD-George has issues when his girlfriend takes credit for buying Elaine a salad. Jerry is disturbed that his girlfriend was Newman's ex. Kramer gets involved in a slow-speed chase with a suspected murderer. THE PLEDGE DRIVE-Elaine sees Mr. Pitt eating a candy bar with a knife and fork, starting a trend. George thinks everyone's giving him the finger. Jerry hosts a PBS pledge drive. THE CHINESE WOMAN-George's phone lines get crossed with Donna Chang's and Jerry dates her - but she's not Chinese. THE COUCH-Elaine dates a hunky moving man. Kramer and Poppie go into the pizza business. George tries to rent Breakfast at Tiffany's instead of reading it to impress his girlfriend. Poppie pees on Jerry's couch. THE GYMNAST-Jerry dates a Romanian gymnast. Elaine tries to tear Mr. Pitt from a 3-D poster. George's girlfriend's mother catches him eating from the trash. DISC TWO THE MOM & POP STORE-George thinks he bought Jon Voight's car. Kramer tries to save a store. Jerry crashes a party to watch the Macy's parade. THE SOUP-Kenny Bania offers Jerry a suit in exchange for a meal, but soup doesn't count. THE SECRETARY-Jerry sees his dry cleaner wearing his jacket. George's secretary out-earns him. Kramer gets Uma Thurman's phone number. Elaine finds that Barneys uses skinny mirrors. THE SWITCH-Jerry tries to pull the roommate switch. George dates a bulimic. Elaine agonizes over Mr. Pitt's busted racket. Kramer's first name is revealed and we meet his mother. THE RACE-Superman fan Jerry dates a woman named Lois, whose boss is his high-school nemesis. Elaine dates a Communist; now George wants to. Kramer works as a Santa with Mickey as his elf. Jerry races his nemesis again to settle their score. THE LABEL MAKER-Elaine and Jerry find that Tim Whatley "re-gifted" a label maker. Kramer and Newman play Risk. George is threatened by his girlfriend's male roommate. Everyone has Super Bowl fever and Jerry's sick over who joins him at the game. DISC 3 THE SCOFFLAW-George learns the truth about a friend's illness. Kramer brings in a notorious scofflaw. THE HIGHLIGHTS OF 100 (PARTS 1&2)-An hour-long look at highlights from the first 100 episodes. THE BEARD-Elaine poses as a beard for a gay man and tries to convert him. George wears a toupee and turns down a bald woman. Kramer makes money posing in police lineups. Jerry takes a lie detector test to prove he's not a fan of "Melrose Place." THE KISS HELLO-Elaine's friend loves to "kiss hello" but Jerry hates it. Kramer adorns the apartment lobby with photos to encourage tenants to know their neighbors. THE DOORMAN-Mr. Pitt's doorman intimidates Jerry. Elaine and Jerry cover themselves when a couch is stolen from the lobby. Frank Costanza moves into George's apartment. Kramer and Frank make a bra for men but argue over the name. DISC FOUR THE JIMMY-George goes into business with a buddy who refers to himself in the third person. Jerry discovers his dentist keeps Penthouse in his waiting room. Kramer comes off as mentally challenged at a benefit. THE DOODLE-George is upset by his girlfriend's sketch of him. Jerry's flea-infested apartment forces his parents into Elaine's hotel. THE FUSILLI JERRY-Elaine's boyfriend uses one of Jerry's moves. Kramer mistakenly receives license plates that read "Assman." THE DIPLOMAT'S CLUB-Jerry's plan to meet a gorgeous model is derailed. George proves that he's not racist. Elaine plans to quit her job, until she realizes she's in her boss's will. THE FACE PAINTER-Puddy paints his face for a hockey game. George tells his girlfriend he loves her. THE UNDERSTUDY-Jerry and George are accused of injuring Bette Midler so Jerry's girlfriend can take the stage in their Broadway show. Elaine has Frank translate her manicurist's conversations. Elaine meets J. Peterman and lands herself a new job. Seinfeld - Season 7 Andy Ackerman "No soup for you!" "He stole my marble rye!" "Bosco!" "Spongeworthy?" ...and nobody can forget - George gets engaged! Here's your invitation to 24 original full-length episodes of the Emmy® award-winning Season 7 of Seinfeld. All remastered with new high-definition picture and sound. In addition, there are 13 hours of exclusive never-before-seen special features from the creative talents behind the show, including all new interviews with Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards and Jason Alexander. Seinfeld - Season 8 Andy Ackerman Jerry Seinfeld: Submarine Captain You know him as "Master of his Domain;" now in a behind-the-scenes documentary, dive beneath the surface to see how Jerry Seinfeld juggled his act as star and show runner following Larry David’s departure. Inside Looks Behind-the-scenes stories from the cast and creators. Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That Never-before-seen outtakes and bloopers. In the Vault Season Eight never-before-seen deleted scenes ... saved from the cutting room floor. Yada, Yada, Yada Cast and crew audio commentaries. Sein-Imation See classic SEINFELD scenes re-imagined in Sein-Imation. Notes About Nothing Behind-the-scenes trivia and production notes. Shrek 2 Andrew Adamson SHREK 2 (DVD) (WS/DOL DIG 5.1 SUR/DOL DIG 2.0/STER The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Andrew Adamson Prepare to enter another world when Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media present C.S. Lewis' timeless and beloved adventure. With the stunningly realistic special effects, you'll experience the exploits of Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, four siblings who find the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game of "hide-and-seek" at the country estate of a mysterious professor. Once there, the children discover a charming, once peaceful land inhabited by talking beasts, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs, and giants that has been turned into a world of eternal winter by the evil White Witch, Jadis. Aided by the wise and magnificent lion Aslan, the children lead Narnia into a spectacular climactic battle to be free of the Witch's glacial powers forever! The Chronicles of Narnia, Narnia, and all other book titles, characters and locales original thereto are trademarks of C.S. Lewis Pte Ltd. and are used with permission. © Disney/Walden Shrek Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson Dreamworks Shrek - DVD You've never met a hero quite like Shrek, the endearing ogre who sparked a motion picture phenomenon and captured the world's imagination with the Greatest Fairy Tale Ever Told! Short Description: Relive every moment of Shrek's(Mike Myers) daring quest to rescue feisty Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) with the help of his lovable loudmouthed Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and win back the deed to his beloved swamp from scheming Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). Enchantingly irreverent and "monstrously clever" (Leah Rozen, People Magazine), Shrek is ogre-sized adventure you'll want to see again and again. Features: Disc 1- Record your voice over your favorite character's lines and star in one of 12 entire scenes! Behind the scenes featurette Hidden fun facts Game Swamp: over 15 interactive games and activities including Shrek Pinball, Rescue the Princess and Soup Slam Shrek's music room - videos from Smash Mouth, Baha Men and more Favorite scenes selection Hints for Shrek X-Box video game only available on this DVD Starring: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow and Eddie Murphy Directedby: Andrew Adamson and Vicki Running time: 93 minutes This film is presented in "Widescreen" and "Standard" formats Copyright 2001 Universal Home Video Rated PG Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains Lou Adler LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS never received a formal theatrical release and was only seen on late-night cable, poor-quality bootlegs, or on rare occasions at film festivals. Yet somehow this 1981 film about a trio of misfit teenage girls who start a punk band went on to inspire a generation of female rockers. SHE CAN T FOOL ALL THE FANS ALL OF THE TIME . . . Recently orphaned Corrine Third Degree Burns (a 14-year-old Diane Lane) enlists her cousin (Laura Dern) and sister (Marin Kanter) to launch a punk rock band, The Stains. Three rehearsals later, The Stains score the opening slot on a cross-country tour with aging metal act The Metal Corpses (led by Fee Waybill of The Tubes) and British punk rockers The Looters (real-life punk pioneers Paul Simonon from The Clash and Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols). The Stains meteoric rise (and equally lightening-quick fall) owes more to TV exposure than to talent. High Tension Alexandre Aja MARIE & ALEXIA ARE CLASSMATES & BEST FRIENDS. TO PREPARE FORCOLLEGE EXAMS IN PEACE & QUIET, THEY DECIDE TO SPEND A WEEKENDAT ALEXIA'S PARENTS' SECLUDED FARMHOUSE. IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT,A STRANGER KNOCKS ON THE DOOR. WITH THE 1ST SWING OF HIS KNIFE, THE GIRLS' IDYLLIC WEEKEND TURNS INTO AN ENDLESS NIGHT OF HORROR Seinfeld - Season 3 Jason Alexander, David Steinberg, Joshua White, Tom Cherones Relive your favorite Seinfeld moments like never before in this 4-disc set with all 22 episodes from the third season remastered in high definition for the best possible picture and sound quality! With approximately 13 hours of exclusive special features from the creative talents behind the show, this DVD is a must own! The Poseidon Adventure Irwin Allen, Ronald Neame One of the most gripping disaster films of all time follows ten survivors as they struggle to escape from an ocean liner capsized by a tidal wave. Suspenseful terror, combined with the victims' intimate and personal stories, results in compelling and hear Jaws 3 Joe Alves An engineer and a marine biologist face a great white mother shark at a florida sea park. Originally 3-d. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 08/01/2006 Starring: Dennis Quaid Lea Thompson Run time: 99 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Joe Alves The Core Jon Amiel AFTER A GEOPHYSICIST DISCOVERS THAT THE EARTH'S INNER CORE HASSTOPPED ROTATING, AN ELITE TEAM OF SCIENTISTS HAS ONE LASTCHANCE TO SAVE THE WORLD - BY JOURNEYING INTO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH! Millennium Michael Anderson Time-hoppers from the future, led by Cheryl Ladd, are abducting airline passengers about to crash, and transporting them a millennium hence in order to reseed a future blighted by environmental disaster. This is a dangerous business, plagued by the specter of accidentally creating time paradoxes, which could throw the future out of whack. Unfortunately, they've lost a couple of the stunners they use to subdue troublesome passengers, and these fall into the hands of a curious physicist (Daniel J. Travanti) and an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (Kris Kristofferson). Cheryl Ladd must retrieve these devices before a time paradox wipes out her world, but manages to complicate things by developing a romance with Kristofferson. All of which is very intriguing, having come from the short story, "Air Raid," by science fiction luminary John Varley, who also is credited with the screenplay. The part about airline abductions to save the disastrous future is straight from the original story, and the rest is expanded (you wouldn't say extrapolated) from it. The results are not very happy. About a third of the film is maddeningly wasted by repeating action from a different point of view. Seems natural when there are disparate timelines to deal with, but here nothing is added by the conceit. Only Travanti turns in a creditable performance as the physicist, bent on proving his theories about the future. He seems hungry for discovery, which is one of the things you want from a science fiction story, that sense of awe. But here it's just, "Aw, shucks!" Jim Gay Boogie Nights Paul Thomas Anderson From Hollywood's hottest new director comes the outrageous epic that throws the covers back on California's adult entertainment industry in the swinging seventies. It's a touching and often humorous portrait of a most unusual family of filmakers, brought AVP - Alien Vs. Predator - The Unrated Edition Paul W.S. Anderson "It may be our planet, but it?s their war!" The deadliest creatures from the scariest sci-fi movies ever made face off for the first time on film. The incredible adventure begins when the discovery of an ancient pyramid buried in Antarctica sends a team of scientists and adventurers to the frozen continent. There, they make an even more terrifying discovery: two alien races engaged in the ultimate battle. Whoever wins...we lose. Event Horizon Paul W.S. Anderson The year is 2047. Years earlier, the pioneering research vessel Event Horizon vanished without a trace. Now a signal from it has been detected, and the United States Aerospace Command responds. Hurtling toward the signal's source are a fearless captain (Laurence Fishburne), his elite crew and the lost ship's designer (Sam Neill). Their mission: find and salvage the state-of-the-art spacecraft. What they find is state-of-the-art interstellar terror. Bottle Rocket Wes Anderson Three suburban wannabe criminals get mixed up with the real deal when the local godfather involves them in a big heist. No Track Information Available Media Type: DVD Dead Poets Society William M. Anderson, Peter Weir In an age defined by crew cuts, sport coats, and cheerless conformity, he not only broke the mold ... he reinvented it. Academy Award(R) winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, GOOD WILL HUNTING, 1997) delivers an extraordinary performance in one of the most compelling motion pictures of all time. Williams stars as English professor John Keating, a passionate iconoclast who changes his students' lives forever when he challenges them to live life to the fullest and "Carpe Diem" seize the day! Keating's unconventional approach meets with irrepressible enthusiasm from his students, but the faculty at staid, exclusive Welton Academy prep school is, to put it mildly, not amused. Featuring a star-marking performance by Ethan Hawke and over three hours of never-before-seen bonus materials, this Special Edition of DEAD POETS SOCIETY will captivate and inspire you again and again. Rudy David Anspaugh All his life, people have told Rudy he's not good enough, not smart enough, not big enough. But nothing can stop his impossible dream of playing football for Notre Dame. From the time he's a young boy, Rudy (Sean Astin) is determined to join the Fighting The 40-Year-Old Virgin Judd Apatow ANDY STITZER HAS GONE 40 YEARS WITHOUT 'DOING IT'. NOW HIS PALS ARE MAKING IT THEIR MISSION TO HELP HIM SCORE ... FAST! CAN HESURVIVE THEIR HILARIOUSLY BAD ADVICE? WILL HE LAND IN THE ARMSOF THE WAY-TOO-EXPERIENCED OR THE WAY-TOO-DRUNK? OR CAN HE FIND TRUE LOVE WHERE HE LEAST EXPECTS IT-FROM A GORGEOUS GRANDMOTHER? Rome: The Complete First Season Michael Apted, Allen Coulter, Timothy Van Patten (HBO Dramatic Series) Four hundred years after the founding of the Republic, Rome is the wealthiest city in the world, a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people; epicenter of a sprawling empire. The Republic was founded on principles of shared power and fierce personal competition, never allowing one man to seize absolute control. But now, those foundations are crumbling, eaten away by corruption and excess. After eight years of war, two soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo unwittingly become entwined in the historical events of ancient Rome. A serialized drama of love and betrayal, masters and slaves, husbands and wives, ROME chronicles a turbulent era that saw the death of the republic and the birth of an empire. DVD Features: Death Note Box Set 1 Tetsuro Araki A 5-disc box set containing the first 20 episdoes of Death Note! Meet Light Yagami, a brilliant but bored high school student whose life is changed when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami, or god of death, named Ryuk. When Light discovers that any human whose name is written in the book dies, he vows to use its power to rid the world of evil. But every action has its consequences, and Light soon finds himself in a life or death battle of wits with the mysterious genius detective called L. Humanity itself becomes the battleground to determine what form of justice will prevail! Bilingual (English/Japanese) Death Note Box Set 2 Tetsuro Araki Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 04/14/2009 Run time: 400 minutes Rating: Nr Suspiria Dario Argento The Terrifying First Chapter of DARIO ARGENTO'S "Three Mothers" Trilogy... Uncut, Uncensored and Remastered from the Original Negative! Jessica Harper (PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE) stars as Suzy Banyon, a young American ballet dancer who arrives at a prestigious European dance academy run by the mysterious Madame Blanc (Joan Bennett of DARK SHADOWS) and Miss Tanner (Alida Valli of KILLER NUN). But when a series of bizarre incidents and horrific crimes (including what Entertainment Weekly calls "the most vicious murder scene ever filmed") turn the school into a waking nightmare of the damned, Suzy must escape the academy's unspeakable secret of supernatural evil. Experience the most shocking and hallucinatory horror movie in history as you've never seen or heard it before, now featuring the fully remastered landmark score by Goblin and a heart-stopping new film transfer supervised by cinematographer Luciano Tovoli. This is the definitive version of Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA, an aria of terror beyond imagination and one of the most extraordinary horror films ever made. Dawn of the Dead Dario Argento, George A. Romero No Description Available No Track Information Available Artist: DAWN OF THE DEAD Title: DAWN OF THE DEAD Street Release Date: 09/07/2004 Darren Aronofsky Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 02/18/2003 Rating: Ur The Karate Kid John G. Avildsen, Bud S. Smith A fatherless teenager faces his moment of truth in The Karate Kid. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) arrives in Los Angeles from the east coast and faces the difficult task of making new friends. However, he becomes the object of bullying by the Cobras, a menacing gang of karate students, when he strikes up a relationship with Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the Cobra leader's ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend but afraid to confront the dangerous gang, Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi (Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita), whom he learns is a master of the martial arts, to teach him karate. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is a mastery over the self, mind, and body and that fighting is always the last answer to a problem. Under Miyagi's guidance, Daniel develops not only physical skills but also the faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremendous odds as he encounters the fight of his life in the exciting finale to this entertaining film. 13 Tzameti Géla Babluani 22 year-old S bastien (Georges Babluani) leads an impoverished life constantly struggling to support his immigrant family. While repairing the roof of a neighbor s house he overhears a conversation about a forthcoming package which promised to make the household rich. Sensing the opportunity of a lifetime S bastien intercepts the package which contains a series of veiled instructions. Following the cryptic clues he assumes a false identity and manages to slip through the grasp of the encroaching police as he ventures deeper towards the unknown. The closer he gets to his destination the less he understands. Ultimately he comes face to face with a disreputable ring of clandestine gamblers placing bets on a depraved game of chance where the spoils are unimaginable millions and the losses are counted in lives. System Requirements:Run Time: 90 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: NR UPC: 660200314729 Manufacturer No: PALMDV3147 Executive Decision Stuart Baird A government analyst joins a crack anti-terrorism unit trying to save a hijacked airplane with deadly virus aboard, headed toward Washington, D.C. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Media Type: DVD The Omen Stuart Baird, Richard Donner The first film in classic, four-part legacy of terror stars Gregory Peck as an ambassador who is talked into switching his wife's (Lee Remick) stillborn baby with an orphaned infant. When young Damien is Five, the horror begins with his nanny's dramatic suicide. As the death toll escalates, Damien's father, realizing his son is the antichrist, decides that he must kill the boy and rid the world of the evil. Fire and Ice Ralph Bakshi From The Director Of The Original Animated LORD OF THE RINGS And The Illustrator Of CONAN THE BARBARIAN It began as a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between two of the greatest icons of the fantasy genre: Controversial animator Ralph Bakshi (director of FRITZ THE CAT, WIZARDS and the original THE LORD OF THE RINGS) and legendary illustrator Frank Frazetta (creator of the iconic CONAN THE BARBARIAN, VAMPIRELLA and Edgar Rice Burroughs book covers). It became - and remains - one of the most startling animation epics of all time. Now experience a world unlike any ever seen, where savage warriors, horrific monsters and luscious maidens battle for the soul of a civilization in a time of good and evil, pleasure and pain, and FIRE & ICE This long-unavailable cult favorite has been remastered in High Definition from the original vault materials, remixed in stunning 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX, and loaded with exciting Extras. Disc 2 contains FRAZETTA: PAINTING WITH FIRE, the acclaimed 93 minute documentary that explores the remarkable life and career of the man who changed fantasy art forever. Archer Winsten, NEW YORK POST "Fantastic Monsters, Nightmarish Visions And Gobs Of Action!" [Rec] Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza From Executive Producers who brought you Quarantine, comes the movie that inspired the terror. A beautiful TV reporter (Manuela Velasco, Law of Desire) and her cameraman are doing a routine interview at a local fire station when an emergency call comes in. Accompanying the firefighters to a nearby apartment, the news team begins recording the bloodcurdling screams coming from inside an elderly woman's unit. After authorities seal off the building to contain the threat, the news crew, firefighters and residents are trapped to face a lethal terror inside. With the camera running, nothing may survive but the film itself. Cube Zero Ernie Barbarash Every nightmare has a beginning. In this prequel to the cult hit Cube, one of the most successful sci-fi thrillers of the last decade, a new group of unwilling participants frantically moves through an ominous construct of cube-shaped rooms. Each room holds the threat of hideously inventive and painful death. Finding the real exit, however, may not offer the freedom one seeks. Lord of Illusions Clive Barker From best-selling author and celebrated director Clive Barker comes a supernatural thriller that rips apart the boundaries between sanity and madness, between the art of illusion and the terrifying forces of magic. With heart-stopping suspense, masterful visual effects (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times) and non-stop terror, it's a riveting journey into the shadowy corners of the human soul. Scott Bakula ( Quantum Leap ) portrays Harry D Amour, a private detective visiting Los Angeles ona routine investigation. Harry gets more than he bargains for when he encounters Philip Swann (Kevin J. O Connor), a performer whose amazing illusions captivate the world. But are they really illusions? Harry isn't so sure as he is thrust into a nightmare of murder, deception and terrifying assaults from the dark beyond. Hellraiser: 20th Anniversary Edition Clive Barker Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 10/23/2007 Run time: 93 minutes Rating: R Outpost Steve Barker Set in war-torn Eastern Europe, a band of battle-worn mercenaries undertake a dangerous mission into a no-man's land at the behest of a mysterious businessman. When they locate and secure a disused military bunker, they also discover a terrifying secret that has laid buried for half a centuryand which they'll have to fight to survive. No Man's Land: The Rise of Reeker Daniel Barone, Dave Payne A sheriff and his son chase casino robbers, only to find the all of them are being chased by something else. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Steve Barron Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie is the live-action, feature film adaptation of the cult comic book and the popular animated television show. After prolonged exposure to radiation, four teenage turtlesMichelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatellohave mutated into ninjas and have begun living in the sewers of a large city. Under the guidance of a ninja master Splinter the Rat and television reporter April, the Turtles embark on a mission to run crime out of the city and battle the warlord Shredder. Year: 1990 Director: Steve Barron Starring: Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, Corey Feldman DVD Features: Basilisk: The Complete Series Basilisk All the episodes that complete the epic story at a great low price! The Kouga and the Iga, two ninja clans with four hundred years of hostilities between them, meet at the request of Lord Ieyasu. There they learn that the peace forced upon them is to be broken by the whim of royalty, and that the outcome of this battle will determine the next Shogun. The passions of the past quickly reignite as two scrolls are sent out into the night. Ill-fated is this event indeed, for lovers stand with hands entwined as travesty approaches on the wings of a hawk. Reared from birth as sworn enemies, Gennosuke and Oboro, each the heir of these rival clans, seek lasting peace between their peoples. But the terms have been set, and two lists seal their destinies. Two lists from which a name can only be crossed out in blood. No mercy will be spared to the enemy. Mad Monster Party Jules Bass Baron Von Frankenstein (voice of Boris Karloff) has decided to retire as the head of the Worldwide Organization of Monsters. But first, he must inform the other monsters about his plans. How to deliver the news? How else - through a MAD MONSTER PARTY! Von Frankenstein’s guests include a who’s who of Halloween favorites, including the Werewolf, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Mummy, the Invisible Man and more. But who among them is fit to be the new head of the monsters? Find out in this treasured stop-motion classic from the team who brought you "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” "Frosty the Snowman” and other beloved holiday specials. Deathwatch Michael J. Bassett No Description Available. Genre: Horror Media Type: DVD Dodgeball - A True Underdog Story Alan Baumgarten, Rawson Marshall Thurber You'll dodge, duck, dip, dive. . . and laugh out loud watching Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller settle their differences in a winner-take-all dodgeball competition. Under the painful tutelage of legendary ADAA champ, Patches O'Houlihan (Rip Torn), Peter LaFleur (Vaughn) and his Average Joes take on the Purple Cobras, led by egomaniacal fitness guru, White Goodman (Stiller). It's an over-the-top underdog tale filled with hilarious sight gags and balls-out fun! Bad Boys Michael Bay Miami cops Marcus Burnett, a family man and Mike Lowry, a ladies' man are given 72 hours to regain drugs stolen from their police station; matters are complicated when they have to pretend to be each other. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Media Type: DVD The Rock - Criterion Collection Michael Bay A highly decorated, retired U.S. Marine general (Ed Harris) seizes a stockpile of chemical weapons and takes over Alcatraz, with 81 tourists as hostages on the San Francisco Bay isle. His demand: Restitution to families of soldiers who died in covert operations. The response: An elite Navy SEAL team, with support from an FBI chemical-warfare expert (Nicolas Cage) and a former Alcatraz escapee (Sean Connery), is assembled to penetrate the terrorists' defenses on the island and neutralize the threat before time runs out. The result: A fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller with a first-rate cast, directed by Michael Bay and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry bruckheimer. The Orphanage Juan Antonio Bayona Academy-Award nominated filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro (director of Pan's Labyrinth) presents The Orphanage, a chilling ghost story about a woman who discovers dark and horrific secrets hidden within her cherished childhood home and her desperate attempt to rescue her family from the nightmare into which she unwittingly led them. The Rundown Peter Berg The Rock teams up with Seann William Scott for a wildly entertaining action-adventure that Good Morning America's Joel Siegel raves is "One of the year's biggest, most fun movies!" Beck (The Rock) is a bounty hunter sent into the treacherous jungles of the Amazon to bring the rebellious Travis (Seann William Scott) back to the States. When Beck and Travis reluctantly join forces to hunt down a priceless treasure, this unlikely team embarks on a pulse-pounding, non-stop thrill-ride. Virtuality Peter Berg Nothing is what it seems in this daring, futuristic movie event from legendary Director Peter Berg (Hancock) and Executive Producers Michael Taylor and Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica). Twelve extremely talented men and women have been chosen to be part of the Phaeton mission, a 10-year trek to explore a distant planetary system. In order to endure the stress of being confined to their high-tech vessel, the crew passes the time using advanced virtual reality modules that allow them to take on various identities. But as the ship approaches a critical phase of their journey, a deadly flaw is discovered in the virtual system, forcing them to question if someone onboard might be a killer. Starring Clea DuVall (Carnivále), Joy Bryant (Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins), Sienna Guillory (Eragon), Ritchie Coster (The Dark Knight) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Firewall), it’s a dazzling trip to unexplored reaches of outer space and the inner imagination that Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune calls a “complex and intriguing film.” Alvin and the Chipmunks Peter E. Berger, Tim Hill Genre: Comedy Rating: PG Media Type: DVD The Strangers Bryan Bertino Inspired by true events, this heart pounding, nail-biting frightener mercilessly explores our most universal fears, where simply opening the door to a stranger leads to a grueling night of terror one could never imagine. Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman star in this relentless suspense thriller that will keep you up at night and make you never want to answer the door again! Leon - The Professional Luc Besson Alien Nation Kent Beyda, Graham Baker Thought-provoking, witty and entertaining, this action-packed blend of science fiction and police drama finds Los Angeles the new home of 300,000 humanoid extraterrestrial. When a gang of these Newcomers kills a police detective's (JAMES CANN) partner, he sets out to solve the crime with his new partner (MANDY PATINKIN) - the L.A.P.D.'s first Newcomer detective. But the unlikely pair soon uncover a far more dangerous threat to society. Fright Night Kent Beyda, Tom Holland A TEENAGE ENLISTS THE HELP OF A TV HORROR MOVIE HOST TO SUBDUE A SUAVE VAMPIRE IN THIS CLASSIC. SPECIAL FEATURES: FULL SCREEN AND WIDESCREEN VERSIONS, DOLBY SURROUND SOUND, SUBTITLES: ENGLISH, SPANISH, FRENCH, PORTUGESE, CHINESE, KOREAN, AND THAI, AND THEATRICAL TRAILER. Point Break Kathryn Bigelow Young FBI agent Johnny Utah (Reeves) goes undercover at the suggestion of his partner (Gary Busey) to learn if a group of wild surfers is actually a gang of bank robbers. He soon comes under the dangerous spell of the surfers' charismatic leader, Bodhi (Swyaze), a mystical mastermind who'll do absolutely anything for a thrill - and expects his followers to do the same. The Iron Giant Brad Bird A young boy rescues a huge robot which has rocketed to earth from space - and tries to protect the genial giant from a nosey government agent and the military. A captivating animated feature that's part metal, part magic and all heart. Dance of the Dead Gregg Bishop On the night of the big high-school prom, the dead rise to eat the living, and the only people who can stop them are the losers who couldn't get dates to the dance. Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Liam Lynch Exclusive Slipsleeve Edition includes Exclusive Bonus Disc with 17 Deleted Scenes, Home Movies, "Hell O'Clock News", Internet Shorts and more! The Secret of NIMH Don Bluth Get ready to meet some runaway rodents with an earth-shattering secret! Suspenseful and heartwarming, this beautifully animated odyssey stars Mrs. Brisby, a mild-mannered mother mouse with a plan to move Heaven and Earth (or at least her house and home) to save her family from Farmer Fitzgibbon's plow! Along the way she gets some help from a lovelorn Crow, a busybody neighbor mouse and a fearsome Great Owl. Unfortunately, Mrs. Brisby will need an engineering miracle to hoist her home, and for that she must face a mysterious rat, fend off a ferocious cat and claim a magic amulet! But when Mrs. Brisby discovers the astounding secret of NIMH...it could change her life forever! This timeless tale of love, courage and determination will transport the whole family into an enchanting world where the bravest hearts live in the meekest of mice. Star Trek The Next Generation - The Complete First Season Cliff Bole, Corey Allen, James L. Conway, Joseph L. Scanlan, Kim Manners 25 episodes on 7 discs: Encounter at Farpoint, The Naked Now, Code of Honor, The Last Outpost, Where No One Has Gone Before, Lonely Among Us, Justice, The Battle, Hide and Q, Haven, The Big Goodbye, Datalore, Angel One, 11001001, Too Short a Season, When the Bough Breaks, Home Soil, Coming of Age, Heart of Glory, The Arsenal of Freedom, Symbiosis, Skin of Evil, We'll Always Have Paris, Conspiracy, The Neutral Zone. Four new exclusive featurettes: "The Beginning" (the genesis of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Gene Roddenberry's vision), "Selected Crew Analysis" (first-season cast members discuss their roles), "Making of a Legend" (first-season production staff reminisce about their favorite episodes), "Memorable Missions" (cast and crew discuss key episodes and events of the first season). Rampage Uwe Boll The boredom of small town life is eating Bill Williamson alive. Feeling constrained and claustrophobic in the meaningless drudgery of everyday life and helpless against overwhelming global dissolution, Bill begins a descent into madness. His shockingly violent plan will shake the very foundations of society by painting the streets red with blood. Run Lola Run Mathilde Bonnefoy, Tom Tykwer Lola receives a frantic phone call from her boyfriend Manni, who's lost a small fortune belonging to his mobster boss. If Lola deosn't replace the money in twenty minutes, Manni will surely suffer severe consequences. Genre: Foreign Film - German Media Type: DVD Nightwatch Ole Bornedal This edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller stars Ewan McGregor (MOULIN ROUGE, TRAINSPOTTING) and Nick Nolte (I LOVE TROUBLE, CAPE FEAR) leading an exciting Hollywood cast! Martin (McGregor) is a cash-strapped law student trying to make easy money as night watchman at the old city morgue. But Martin's peaceful graveyard shift fast becomes a time of terror when a serial killer begins wreaking havoc after hours ... and leaving behind clues pointing to Martin's guilt! Also starring Patricia Arquette (ED WOOD, FLIRTING WITH DISASTER) and Josh Brolin (MIMIC), NIGHTWATCH is a stylishly original motion picture that leads you on a shocking series of twists and turns! Return of the Living Dead Part II Charles Bornstein, Ken Wiederhorn Inquisitive kids release deadly gas from a misplaced military canister, causing corpses from a nearby cemetary to rise and wreak havoc. DVD Features: Audio Commentary:Commentary by Director Ken Wiederhorn and co-star Thor Van Lingen Theatrical Trailer Mary Poppins Dave Bossert, Robert Stevenson Experience the extraordinary animation, dazzling special effects, and award-winning music of Walt Disney's MARY POPPINS in this fully restored and remastered 2-Disc 40th Anniversary Edition! Join the "practically perfect" Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) for a "Jolly Holiday" as she magically turns every chore into a game and every day into a whimsical adventure. Along the way you'll be enchanted by unforgettable characters such as the multitalented chimney sweep Bert (Dick Van Dyke). Unpack Mary's magical carpetbag full of bonus features, including an all-new animated short, games, and a never-before-heard deleted song. You won't need "A Spoonful Of Sugar" to love every moment of this timeless Disney classic! Philadelphia Juan Botas, Jonathan Demme, Jeffrey Schwarz, Lucas Platt Hailed as a landmark film that dazzles with deep emotion and exceptional acting PHILADELPHIA stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington as two competing lawyers who join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. And as their unlikely friendship develops their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.System Requirements:Running Time: 125 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG-13 UPC: 043396078536 Manufacturer No: 07853 Days of Glory Rachid Bouchareb (War/Action) Set during WWII, North African soldiers enlist in the French army and battle their way across Europe to liberate the "fatherland" and confront discrimination. Saw II - Unrated Darren Lynn Bousman No Description Available. Genre: Horror Media Type: DVD Saw III - Director's Cut Darren Lynn Bousman Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 05/13/2008 Run time: 120 minutes Rating: Ur Saw IV Darren Lynn Bousman Jaws Laurent Bouzereau, Steven Spielberg SPIELBERG PITS THREE MENA AGAINST A GREAT WHITE SHARK THAT HASBEEN ATTACKING SWIMMERS AT AN ISLAND RESORT IN NEW ENGLAND. THE FILM REDEFINED THE WORD "BLOCKBUSTER," AND JOHN WILLIAMS' SCORE STILL HAUNTS SWIMMERS AROUND THE WORLD Back to the Future - The Complete Trilogy Laurent Bouzereau, Robert Zemeckis Experience theiComplete Trilogy!Presented by Steven Spielberg directed by Oscar® winner Robert Zemeckis and starring time travelers Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd the phenomenally popular Back To The Future films literally changed the future of the adventure movie genre. Now this unprecedented Back To The Future DVD Trilogy immerses you in all the breathtaking action outrageous comedy and sheer moviemaking magic of one of the most brilliantly inventive wildly entertaining motion picture triumphs in Hollywood history!System Requirements:Starring: Michael J. Fox Christopher Lloyd Crispin Glover Elisabeth Shue and Lea Thompson. Directed By: Robert Zemeckis. Running Time: 344 Min. (Total) Color. These films are presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2002 Universal.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG UPC: 025192212123 Manufacturer No: 61022121 Reign of Fire Rob Bowman Matthew McConaughey (U-571) and Christian Bale (SHAFT) star in an explosive action-packed adventure with bone-charring special effects that will have you glued to your seat! When workers in a London tunneling project awaken an unearthly fire-breathing beast from centuries of slumber, all hell breaks loose. Twelve-year-old Quinn (Bale) sees his mother, one of the workers, die trying to escape this new terror. Twenty years later as a "fire chief," he tries to keep a group of refugees alive with fierce dragons dominating the air, burning the land and feeding on the ash. Unexpectedly, Van Zan (McConaughey), a hotshot American militia leader, shows up with a ragtag group of slayers on a perilous crusade to hunt down and destroy the beasts. Tempers flare when there is a struggle for leadership until both men realize only one species is getting out of this alive. Millions Danny Boyle From legendary director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) comes ?a family film of limitless imagination and surprising joy!? (Chicago Sun-Times) It?s holiday season and seven-year-old Damian believes he?s received a divine gift from above when a suitcase filled with cash literally falls out of the sky. Damian is anxious to share the wealth with those less fortunate while his fun-loving brother Anthony would rather spend it like there?s no tomorrow! But when the loot turns out to be stolen, both the boys? plans are put to the test?with heartwarming and hilarious results. 28 Days Later Danny Boyle, Toby James Hailed as the most frightening film since The Exorcist, acclaimed Director Danny Boyle's visionary take on zombie horror "isn't just scary…it's absolutely terrifying" (Access Hollywood). An infirmary patient awakens from a coma to an empty room…in a vacant hospital…in a deserted city. A powerful virus, which locks victims into a permanent state of murderous rage, has transformed the world around him into a seemingly desolate wasteland. Now a handful of survivors must fight to stay alive, unaware that the worst is yet to come… Ben-Hur Charles Brabin, Christy Cabanne, Fred Niblo, J.J. Cohn, Rex Ingram The numbers speak volumes: 100,000 costumes, 8,000 extras, 300 sets and a staggering budget in its day the largest in movie history. Ben-Hur's creators made it the best, the greatest Biblical-era epic ever. Charlton Heston brings a muscular physical and moral presence to the role of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman in Palestine whose heroic odyssey includes enslavement by the Romans, a bold escape from an embattled slave galley, vengeance against his tormentors during a furious arena chariot race and fateful encounters with Jesus Christ. Heston's charismatic performance brought him the Best Actor Oscar; the winner as 1959's Best Picture with the legendary William Wyler earning his third Best Director trophy, the film won a total 11 Academy Awards a tally unequaled until 1997's Titanic set sail. DVD Features: Audio Commentary:Commentary by Film Historian T. Gene Hatcher with Scene Specific Comments from Charlton Heston Documentaries:New Documentary: Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema - Current filmmakers such as Ridley Scott and George Lucas reflect on the importance and influence of the film 1994 Documentary: Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic Hosted by Christopher Plummer Directed by William Wyler - 1986 Emmy Award-nominated documentary featuring the last interview with Wyler before his death Featurette:Ben-Hur: A Journey Through Pictures - New audiovisual recreation of the film via stills, storyboards, sketches, music and dialogue Other:The 1925 Feature-length Silent Version of Ben-Hur with a stereophonic orchestral score by composer Carl Davis. Vintage Newsreels Gallery Highlights from the 1960 Academy Awards Ceremony Theatrical Trailer Gallery Outtakes:Screen Tests: Leslie Nielsen and Cesare Danova Leslie Nielsen and Yale Wexler George Baker and William Russel Haya Harareet Hair and Make-up Tests Demolition Man Marco Brambilla IN THE YEAR 2032, PSYCHOPATHIC CRIMINAL SIMON PHOENIX IS THAWED FROM A CRYOGENIC STATE FOR A PAROLE HEARING. BUT HE ESCAPES AND BEGINS A RAMPAGE THROUGH THE PEACEFUL CITY OF SAN ANGELES. ONLY JOHN SPARTAN A '90S KIND OF COP, CAN BE THAWED TO FACE PHOENIX, A '90S KIND OF CRIMINAL. Scent of a Woman Martin Brest SCENT OF A WOMAN (DVD)WIDE 16X9 1.85:1/ENGLISH/SPA Beverly Hills Cop Martin Brest A HIP DETROIT DETECTIVE DRIVES OUT TO LOS ANGELES AND SHOWS UNHIP POLICE HOW TO CATCH A KILLER. La Bamba Don Brochu, Luis Valdez LA BAMBA (98-REMAS/DVD/WS 1.85/DD5.1/DSS/ENG-PORT- Blazing Saddles Mel Brooks Mel Brooks scored his first commercial hit with this raucous Western spoof starring the late Cleavon Little as the newly hired (and conspicuously black) sheriff of Rock Ridge. Sheriff Bart teams up with deputy Jim (Gene Wilder) to foil the railroad-building scheme of the nefarious Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman). The simple plot is just an excuse for a steady stream of gags, many of them unabashedly tasteless, that Brooks and his wacky cast pull off with side-splitting success. The humor is so juvenile and crude that you just have to surrender to it; highlights abound, from the lunkheaded Alex Karras as the ox-riding Mongo to Madeline Kahn's uproarious send-up of Marlene Dietrich as saloon songstress Lili Von Shtupp. Adding to the comedic excess is the infamous campfire scene involving a bunch of hungry cowboys, heaping servings of baked beans and, well, you get the idea. Jeff Shannon The Producers Mel Brooks A "startling, stunning, outrageous [and] breathtaking debut" (Los Angeles Times) from acclaimed writer/director Mel Brooks (Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs), this Oscar(r)-winning* comedy combines "pure pell-Mel lunacy [and] wild, ad-lib energy [into an] uproariously funny" (Time) film! Low-rent Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and his high-strung accountant, Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder), discover that, with the help of a few gullible investors, they can make more money on a flop than on a hit! Armed with the worst show ever written ("Springtime for Hitler") and an equally horrific cast, this double-dealing duo is banking on disaster. But when their sure-to-offend musical becomes a surprise smash hit, they find themselves in the middleof a Broadway blitzkrieg! 1968: Original Screenplay Robin Hood - Men in Tights Mel Brooks Cary Elwes stars as Robin Hood, the dashing defender of the down-trodden, who along with his merry men and Maid Marion, resides in Sherwood Forest. There they have become together to fight against the seriously neurotic Prince John, the not quite-evil Sheriff of Rottingham, and the mad scorceress Latrine. GoldenEye - 2-Disc Ultimate Edition Pierce Brosnan 2 Disc Collectors Edition The World Is Not Enough - 2-Disc Ultimate Edition Pierce Brosnan Two Disc Collector's Edition Jaws - The Revenge Michael Brown, Joseph Sargent The final installment in the Jaws Series, Jaws the Revenge brings a closure to the long running saga between the Broady's of Amity Island and The Great White Shark. Set in the crystal clear waters off Bahama Island, the final showdown will end it all!! City Slickers O. Nicholas Brown, Ron Underwood Comic genius Billy Crystal (When Harry Met Sally) stars in this hilarious film about cowboys, careers and mid-life crises. Co-starring Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby and Jack Palance in an Academy AwardÂ(r)-winning role, City Slickers is "the rowdiest western jokefest since Blazing Saddles" (Rolling Stone). It'll rope you in...and keep you laughing from first frameto last! New Yorker Mitch Robbins (Crystal) is 39 and miserable. He's tired of his job andbored with his life. And his two best friends Ed, (Kirby) and Phil (Stern), aren't doing much better. So when they all decide to chase their troubles away with a fantasy vacation, Mitch and his pals trade their briefcases for saddlebags and set out to find freedom and adventure herding cattle underthe wide New Mexico sky. But what they discover instead is scorching sun, sore backsides...and moreinsight into themselvesand each otherthan they ever thought possible! 1991: Supporting Actor Police Academy Robert Brown, Zach Staenberg, Hugh Wilson When the mayor decides that the doors of the police academy be open to any and all, the applicants swarm forth like hordes of losers in a colorful assortment of nonregulation sizes, shapes and eccentricities. Day of the Dead Pasquale Buba, George A. Romero Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 03/25/2008 Run time: 102 minutes Rating: Nr Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead Norman Buckley, Don Coscarelli If You Don’t Get It This Time, He’ll Have To Drill It Into Your Head! The mutant dwarf creatures are attacking, the silver spheres are flying, and The Tall Man is back with a vengeance! Fifteen years after the original horror classic, writer/producer/director Don Coscarelli reunites brothers Mike (A. Michael Baldwin) and Jody (Bill Thornbury) to help their friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister) destroy The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) once and for all. Is the ultimate force of evil any match for a bald, former ice cream vendor with a ‘70 Hemicuda and a four-barrel shotgun? Cindy Ambuehl (JAG) co-stars in this insane sequel packed with sex, violence and gore galore that takes the PHANTASM series to a whole new dimension! Features: Widescreen Presentation Audio Commentary with Stars Michael Baldwin and Angus Scrim Deleted Scenes, Also On DVD PHANTASM and PHANTASM III trailers PHANTASM III: Behind The Scenes Screenplay (DVD-ROM) The Illusionist Neil Burger Unlock the mysteries of the year's most spellbinding film from the producers of Crash and Sideways! Oscar(r) nominees Paul Giamatti and Edward Norton lead an all-star cast in this "stunning" film (USA Today) that conjures an exhilarating blend of suspense, romance and mind-bending twists. The acclaimed illusionist Eisenheim (Norton) has not only captured the imaginations of all of Vienna, but also the interest of the ambitious Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). But when Leopold's new fiancée (Jessica Biel) rekindles a childhood fascination with Eisenheim, the Prince's interest evolves into obsession...and suddenly the city's Chief Inspector (Giamatti) finds himself investigating a shocking crime. But even as the Inspector engages him in a dramatic challenge of wills, Eisenheim prepares for his most impressive illusion yet in this "mesmerizing" (Entertainment Weekly) and "beautifully acted" (Good Morning America) film that "teases you until the very end!" (The New York Times). Tron Robert Meyer Burnett, Steven Lisberger A masterpiece of breakthrough CGI ingenuity, Disney celebrates the 20th anniversary of TRON, a dazzling film at the flashpoint of a continuing revolution in its genre. This special collector's edition showcases an epic adventure inside a brave new world where the action is measureed in microseconds. When Flynn (Jeff Bridges) hacks the mainframe of his ex-employer to prove his work was stolen by another executive, he finds himself on a much bigger adventure. Beamed inside by a power-hungry master control program, he joins computer gladiators on a deadly game grid, complete with high-velocity "light cycles" and Tron (Bruce Boxleitner), a specialized security program. Together, they fight the ultimate battle with the MCP to decide the fate of both the electronic world and the real world! Edward Scissorhands Tim Burton Once upon a time in a castle high on a hill lived an inventor whose greatest creation was named Edward. Although Edward had an irresistible charm, he wasn't quite perfect. The inventor's sudden death left him unfinished, with sharp shears of metal for hands. Edward lived alone in the darkness until one day a kind Avon lady took him home to live with her family. And so began Edward's fantastical adventures in a pastel paradise known as Suburbia. Big Fish Tim Burton A MAGICAL JOURNEY THAT DELVES DEEP INTO A FABLED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A DYING FATHER & HIS SON. THE SON RECREATES HIS FATHER'S ELUSIVE LIFE IN A SERIES OF LEGENDS & MYTHS INSPIRED BY THE FEW FACTS HE KNOWS, DISCOVERING BOTH HIS FATHER'S GREAT FEATS & HIS GREAT FAILURES. Ed Wood Tim Burton From Tim Burton, acclaimed director of BIG FISH, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, and BATMAN, and the producer of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, comes the hilarious, true-life story of the wackiest filmmaker in Hollywood history, Ed Wood! Johnny Depp (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, CHOCOLAT, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS) stars as the high-spirited movieman who refuses to let unfinished scenes, terrible reviews, and hostile studio executives derail his big-screen dreams. With an oddball collection of showbiz misfits, Ed takes the art of bad moviemaking to an all-time low! The all-star cast features Bill Murray (LOST IN TRANSLATION, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS), Sarah Jessica Parker (TV's SEX AND THE CITY), Patricia Arquette (STIGMATA, LITTLE NICKY), and an Academy Award(R)-winning performance by Martin Landau (Best Supporting Actor, 1994) as Bela Lugosi. Hailed by critics everywhere, this laugh-packed comedy hit is sure to entertain everyone! Batman Tim Burton Thanks to the ambitious vision of director Tim Burton, the blockbuster hit of 1989 delivers the goods despite an occasionally spotty script, giving the caped crusader a thorough overhaul in keeping with the crime fighter's evolution in DC Comics. Michael Keaton strikes just the right mood as the brooding "Dark Knight" of Gotham City; Kim Basingerplays Gotham's intrepid reporter Vicki Vale; and Jack Nicholson goes wild as the maniacal and scene-stealing Joker, who plots a take over of the city with his lethal Smilex gas. Triumphant Oscar-winning production design by the late Anton Furst turns Batman into a visual feast, and Burton brilliantly establishes a darkly mythic approach to Batman's legacy. Danny Elfman's now-classic score propels the action with bold, muscular verve. Jeff Shannon Batman Returns Tim Burton The first Batman sequel takes a wicked turn with the villainous exploits of the freakish and mean-spirited Penguin (Danny DeVito), whose criminal collaboration with evil tycoon Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) threatens to drain Gotham City of its energy supply. As if that wasn't enough, Batman (Michael Keaton) has his hands full with the vengeful Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), who turns out to be a lot more dangerous than a kitten with a whip. As with the first Batman feature, director Tim Burton brings his distinct visual style to the frantic action but this time there's a darker malevolence lurking beneath all that extraordinary production design. Jeff Shannon Beetlejuice Tim Burton Tim Burton's Corpse Bride Tim Burton, Mike Johnson Set in a 19th century European village, this stop-motion, animated feature follows the story of Victor (voiced by JOHNNY DEPP), a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride, while his real bride, Victoria, waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love. DVD Features: Production Notes Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones Ben Burtt, George Lucas The STAR WARS saga continues on DVD with Episode II Attack of the Clones. Anakin Skywalker has grown into an accomplished Jedi apprentice, and he faces his most difficult challenge yet as he must choose between his Jedi duty and forbidden love. Relive the adventure the way it was meant to be seen in spectacular digital clarity, including the climactic Clone War battle and Jedi Master Yoda in the ultimate lightsaber duel. Experience this 2-disc set that features over six hours of bonus materials, and see how Episode II unlocks the secrets of the entire STAR WARS saga. Star Wars - Episode I, The Phantom Menace Ben Burtt, Paul Martin Smith, George Lucas Begin your STAR WARS DVD collection with STAR WARS: Episode 1 THE PHANTOM MENACE. Packed with over six hours of additional material, including exclusive documentaries and never-before-seen deleted scenes, this 2-disc set provides the perfect showcase for the incredible detail and breathtaking scope of George Lucas's first episode in the mythic STAR WARS saga. The Signal Dan Bush, David Bruckner, Jacob Gentry It s New Year s Eve in the city of Terminus and chaos is this year s resolution. All forms of communication have been jammed by an enigmatic transmission that preys on fear and desire driving everyone in the city to murder and madness. In a place once marked by conformity but now sent into complete anarchy the rebellious Ben must save the woman he loves from the bedlam in the streets as well as her crazed sadistic husband. But the only way he can tell who to trust or who has given in to violence is by uncovering the true nature of The Signal.Told in three parts from three unique perspectives by three visionary directors The Signal was originally conceived as an experimental film project called Exquisite Corpse where one filmmaker would begin a story then hand it off to another filmmaker to continue and then to another and so on until the movie was complete. The story eventually took shape and evolved into a scifi/ horror/thriller that imagines a world where everyday anxieties become the catalyst for inhuman terror. The Signal is a horrific journey towards discovering that the most brutal monster might actually be within all of us.System Requirements:Running Time: 103 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR/SUPERNATURAL Rating: R UPC: 876964001045 Manufacturer No: 10104 World Trade Center Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Stephen Dorf, Jay Hernandez, Michael Shannon, Oliver Stone Target Exclusive 3-Disc Edition. Bonus disc includes 75 minutes of interviews with survivors and rescuers. From three-time Academy Award winner Oliver Stone comes this inspiring true story about courage, family and our nation's unyielding spirit. Oscar winner Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena (Crash) star as John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, two New York City Port Authority policemen who were trapped in the rubble of September 11, 2001. As McLoughlin and Jimeno bond together in a fight for survival, the events of an unimaginable day unfold through the eyes of the two policemen, their loving wives (Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal), survivors and rescuers throughout the city. Terminator 2 - Judgment Day James Cameron After he pushed the envelope of computer-generated special effects in The Abyss, director James Cameron turned this hotly anticipated sequel to Terminator into a well-written, action-packed showcase for advanced special effects and for one of the most invincible villains ever imagined. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a legitimate sequel: there's more story to tell about a hulking, leather-clad android (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who arrives from the future to protect a rebellious teenager and future leader (Edward Furlong) from being killed by the tenacious T-1000 robot (Robert Patrick), whose liquid-metal construction makes him seemingly unstoppable. The fate of the future lies in the balance, with Linda Hamilton (who would later marry her director) reprising her role as the rugged woman whose son will change the course of history. The digital video disc of this blockbuster hit is presented with a digitally mastered THX soundtrack. Jeff Shannon The Terminator James Cameron In the year 2029, the ruling super-computer, Skynet, sends an indestructible cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) before she can fulfill her destiny and save mankind. Aliens James Cameron In this action-packed sequel to Alien, Sigourney Weaver returns as Ripley, the only survivor from mankind's first encounter with the monstrous Alien. Her account of the Alien and the fate of her crew are received with skepticism - until the mysterious disappearance of colonists on LV-426 leads her to join a team of high-tech colonial marines sent in to investigate. Personally supervised by director James Cameron, this special edition includes scenes eliminated prior to the film's 1986 release which broaden the narrative scope and enrich the emotional impact of the film. Titanic James Cameron Leonardo DiCaprio and Oscar-nominee Kate Winslet light up the screen as Jack and Rose, the young lovers who find one another on the maiden voyage of the "unsinkable" R.M.S. Titanic. But when the doomed luxury liner collides with an iceberg in the frigid North Atlantic, their passionate love affair becomes a thrilling race for survival. From acclaimed filmmaker James Cameron comes a tale of forbidden love and courage in the face of disaster that triumphs as a true cinematic masterpiece. Tell No One Guillame Canet Based on Harlan Coben s International best selling novel, Tell No One tells the story of pediatrician Alexandre Beck who still grieves the murder of his beloved wife, Margot, eight years earlier. When two bodies are uncovered near where Margot's body was found, the police reopen the case and Alex becomes a suspect again. The mystery deepens when Alex receives an anonymous e-mail with a link to a video clip that seems to suggest Margot is somehow still alive and a message to Tell No One . One of the Best Reviewed Films of the Year! (Rotten Tomatoes - 96% among top critics) 2008 Top 10 List Selections: -Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman -New York Times Stephen Holden -Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turran -USA Today - Susan Wloszczyna -Plus over 10 others (Washington Post, Oregonian, Newark Star Ledger, Seattle Times, Austin Chronicle, etc.) Bonus Features: English Subtitles Higher Learning Bruce Cannon, John Singleton People from all different walks of life encounter racial tension rape responsibility and the meaning of an education on a university campus. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 12/21/2004 Starring: Omar Epps Jennifer Connelly Run time: 127 minutes Rating: R Director: John Singleton Kingdom Of The Spiders [Special Edition] John 'Bud' Cardos William Shatner stars as veterinarian Rack Hansen in this cult classic about an Arizona town infested with a horde of arachnids that turn on the humans whose insecticides have depleted their natural food supply. After livestock belonging to rancher Walter Colby fall victim to a spider attack, entomologist Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling) arrives and tries to help Rack deal with the crisis: but with the big county fair fast approaching, Mayor Connors refuses to let them quarantine the ranch. Soon the remaining residents of the town must barricade themselves at Emma Washburns lodge in an effort to save themselves from the eight-legged invaders in the ultimate man vs. spider showdown. Bonus Features All-New Interview With William Shatner * Jim Brockett: Spider Wrangler Featurette * Audio Commentary By Director John Bud Cardos, Producer Igo Kantor, Spider Wrangler Jim Brockett And Cinematographer John Morrill; Moderated By Hostel Producer Scott Spiegel And Lee Christian * Rare Behind-The-Scenes Footage * Interview With Writer Stephen Lodge * Poster Gallery * And More! Joyeux Noel Christian Carion Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee for Best Foreign Film, Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas) tells the true-life story of the spontaneous Christmas Eve truce declared by Scottish, French and German troops in the trenches of World War I. Enemies leave their weapons behind for one night as they band together in brotherhood and forget about the brutalities of war. Diane Krüger (Troy), Daniel Brühl (Good Bye Lenin!) and Benno Fürmann (The Princess and the Warrior) head a first-rate international cast in a truly powerful, must-see film. Once John Carney No Description Available. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Media Type: DVD Vampires John Carpenter THE FUTURE OF MANKIND RESTS IN THE HANDS OF MASTER SLAYER JACKCROW AS HE MOVES TO PREVENT THE MASTER VAMPIRE FROM REACHING HISULTIMATE GOAL FOR THE LEGIONS OF UNDEAD, THE ABILITY TO WALK IN DAYLIGHT. IF YOU'VE ALWAYS BOUGHT THE MYTH THAT VAMPIRES CANONLY WALK IN THE DARK, YOU HAVEN'T MET THE MASTER. Big Trouble in Little China John Carpenter Directed by thrill master John Carpenter, this edgo-of-your seat adventrue stars Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, a tough-talking, wisecracking truck driver whose hum-drum life on the road takes a sudden supernatural tailspin when his best friend's fiancee is kidnapped. Speeding to the rescue, Jack finds himself deep beneath San Francisco's Chinatown, in a murky, creature-filled world ruled by Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician who mercilessly presides over an empire of spirits. Dodging demons and facing baffling terrors, Jack battles his way through Lo Pan's dark domain in a full-throttle, action-riddled ride to rescue the girl. Co-starring Kim Cattrall, this effects-filled sci-fi spectacle speeds to an incredible, twist-taking finish. They Live John Carpenter No Description Available. Genre: Science Fiction Media Type: DVD Christine John Carpenter An eerie, twisted love story of a teenager and his obsessively jealous 1958 Plymouth Fury —- as only Stephen King can tell it! Christine is a red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury who seduces 17-year-old Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon). She demands his complete and unquestioned devotion and when outsiders seek to interfere, they become the victims of Christine's horrifying wrath. This special edition is packed with added features. Starring Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Harry Dean Stanton, Christine Belford. A Stephen King classic. Halloween John Carpenter Fifteen years ago, Michael Myers brutally murdered his sister. Now, after escaping from a mental hospital, he's back to relive his grisly crime again, and again...and again. This is Halloween like you've never seen or heard it before! Halloween has been fully restored under the supervision of Lucasfilm's THX digital mastering Services. The DVD was transferred by the award-winning colorist Adam Adams (Terminator 2, Titanic) from a new 35mm interpositive (made from the original camera negative) and approved by the film's cinematographer Dean Cundey (Jurassic Park, Who Framed Roger Rabbit). The new Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack was created by Chace Productions in association with Alan Howarth using the original 16-track music studio master and the recently discovered original 35mm magnetic dialogue and effects tracks. Primer Shane Carruth Everything you think you know about modern science is about to unravel in this critically acclaimed film about two young engineers and the consequences they face when they invent a machine that enables them to travel back in time.Running Time: 77 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS UPC: 794043784927 Star Trek - Generations David Carson A two-disc collectable box set containing exclusive bonus features, STAR TREK GENERATIONS - SPECIAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION fast forwards to the 23rd century, uniting crew members from the original series with the Next Generation crew. In STAR TREK GENERATIONS - SPECIAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION, a test run takes an unexpected turn when the starship encounters two vessels trapped inside the Nexus, a mysterious energy ribbon. During a perilous rescue attempt, Kirk is swept out into space. Seven decades later, captain Jean-Luc Picard (Stewart) and the crew of Enterprise-D rescue an El Aurian physicist named Soran (McDowell). Unbeknownst to Picard, Soran harbors a deadly plan that includes the destruction of the Enterprise and millions of lives. Picard's only hope for a future lies within the Nexus. The X-Files - The Complete Second Season Chris Carter, Daniel Sackheim, David Nutter, James A. Contner, James Whitmore Jr. In this second season box set, Mulder and Scully get glimpses of the global conspiracy as they investigate UFO's, alien abductions, genetic engineering, and ominous government agents. Swing Kids Thomas Carter In 1939, Nazi Germany declares war on freedom and demands conformity from its youth. But a group calling themselves Swing Kids rebel with their "swing music" from America. When two of them dare to stand up against the powerful forces around them traditions will be broken and loyalties must be crossed! Robert Sean Leonard (DEAD POETS SOCIETY) and Christian Bale (SHAFT, AMERICAN PSYCHO) deliver gripping performances as two friends who must choose between their individual freedom or loyalty to the murderous Third Reich. Also featuring screen favorite Barbara Hershey (BEACHES, TIN MEN), SWING KIDS is an inspirational and powerful story about friendship and finding the courage to fight for what you believe in! Inglorious Bastards Enzo G. Castellari Three Disc Collector's Edition Includes Exclusive New Bonus Features And Never-Before-Released Soundtrack CD "Whatever THE DIRTY DOZEN did," screamed the ads, "they do it dirtier!" INGLORIOUS BASTARDS is more than just the inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's long-rumored next movie; this 1978 international smash remains perhaps the biggest and most badass war movie in EuroCult history! Exploitation legends Fred 'The Hammer' Williamson and Bo (WALKING TALL, KILL BILL) Svenson star as the leaders of a gang of condemned criminals who escape from an Allied prison camp with a plan to blast their way to the Swiss border, only to find themselves 'volunteering' for a suicide mission deep inside Nazi occupied France. Academy Award(r) nominee Ian Bannen (FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX, BRAVEHEART) co-stars in this explosive action epic from director Enzo Castellari (STREET LAW, THE BIG RACKET), now fully restored from original vault elements for the first time ever in America! Police Story 2 Jackie Chan (Martial Arts/Foreign) The explosive sequel to Jackie Chan’s groundbreaking original, Police Story 2 is famous internationally for some of the most daring and inventive stunt sequences ever committed to film. Despite his success at apprehending criminals, Kevin Chan's unorthadox approach to his work as a police officer sees him demoted to the traffic branch. Despite this, the man he put behind bars is now out of prison, and has vowed to make his life a misery. Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Larry Charles Sacha Baron Cohen brings his Kazakh journalist character Borat Sagdiyev to the big screen for the first time. Leaving his native Kazakhstan, Borat travels to America to make a documentary. As he zigzags across the nation, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences. His backwards behavior generates strong reactions around him exposing prejudices and hypocrisies in American culture. Lightning Bug Joshua Charson, Robert Hall A drama/thriller, set in the south, about a young boy who longs to escape the misery of his childhood and the misunderstanding of his hometown. A gifted, self-taught, special effects make up artist, Green dreams of going to Hollywood to make his own monsters. But the real demons of Green's life threaten to hold him back: a drunken stepfather who terrorizes his mother, a group of religious fanatics who want to destroy his work, and the love of a girl who can't let go of small town life. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Jeremiah S. Chechik Make merry as Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid and an ensemble of comedy favorites strive to gift-wrap the "perfect Christmas" for the Griswold family. The most successful of the three vacations. Year: 1989 Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, The Emperor and the Assassin Kaige Chen Ying Zheng, the King of Qin, has one driving ambition: to unify China's seven kingdoms into one empire. As this goal turns into a bloody quest, the emperor's lover begins to question her loyalty to him. Genre: Foreign Film - Chinese Media Type: DVD Seinfeld - Seasons 1 & 2 Tom Cherones Seinfeld has never looked this good! All 18 episodes from the first two seasons have been remastered in high definition for the best possible picture and sound quality. Including 2 versions of the pilot episode and approximately 13 hours of exclusive special features from the creative talents behind the show, this DVD is a must own! Seinfeld - Season 4 Tom Cherones Relive your favorite Seinfeld moments like never before in this 4-disc set with all 24 episodes from the fourth season remastered in high definition for the best possible picture and sound quality! With approximately 13 hours of exclusive special features from the creative talents behind the show, this DVD is a must own! The episodes included in Season 4 are: 41. The Trip (1) 4. Marlon Brand from The Godfather 5. Edward Scissorhands Ready to buy? Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering. a9.com Instant Reward Active. You Save 1.57% Tell a Friend Seinfeld - Season 5 (1990) Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus Director: Andy Ackerman, Jason Alexander Rating: Seinfeld - Season 5 See larger image List Price: $49.95 Price: $32.47 and this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. See details You Save: $17.48 (35%) Availability: This title will be released on November 22, 2005. You may order it now and we will ship it to you when it arrives. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. See more on holiday shipping. Edition: View highlights from Seinfeld: Seasons 5 & 6 and vote for your favorite scenes here. Other Versions (DVD) List Price Price Other Offers: DVD Seinfeld - Seasons 1 & 2 $49.95 $29.97 117 used & new from $19.99 DVD Seinfeld - Season 3 $49.95 $29.97 116 used & new from $21.00 DVD Seinfeld - Season 6 $49.95 $32.47 DVD Seinfeld - Season 4 $49.95 $29.97 97 used & new from $26.50 DVD Seinfeld - Seasons 5 & 6 Giftset (Includes Handwritten Script and Collectible Puffy Shirt) $119.95 $77.97 Better Together Buy this DVD with Seinfeld - Season 6 DVD ~ Jerry Seinfeld today! Total List Price: $99.90 Buy Together Today: $64.94 Customers who bought this DVD also bought * Seinfeld - Season 6 DVD ~ Jerry Seinfeld * Seinfeld - Season 4 DVD ~ Jerry Seinfeld * Seinfeld - Season 3 DVD ~ Jerry Seinfeld * Seinfeld - Seasons 1 & 2 DVD ~ Jerry Seinfeld * Friends - The Complete Tenth Season DVD ~ Lisa Kudrow * Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition) DVD ~ George Lucas Explore Similar Items: in DVD, in Books, and in Music Storyline Genres: Comedy Plot Outline: The continuing misadventures of neurotic New York stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his equally neurotic New York friends. Plot Synopsis: Jerry Seinfeld stars in this television comedy series as himself, a comedian. The premise of this sitcom is Jerry and his friends going through everyday life, discussing various quirky situations that we can all relate to (especially if we live in New York). The eccentric personalities of the offbeat characters who make up Jerry's social circle contribute to the fun. Plot Keywords: Title Spoken By Character \| Stand Up Comedy \| Eccentric \| Ensemble Cast \| Friend \| Product Placement \| New York Yankees \| New York \| Single \| Sitcom \| Apartment \| Baseball \| (Show all 21 plot keywords recommended by customers) Product Details * Actors: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander, See more * Directors: Andy Ackerman, Jason Alexander * Format: Color, Box set, Dolby * Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 * Number of discs: 4 * Rated: * Studio: Columbia Tristar Home Video * DVD Release Date: November 22, 2005 * Run Time: 498 minutes * Average Customer Review: Based on 15 Reviews * DVD Features: o Available Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese o Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) o Featurette: Jason + Larry = George o Deleted Scenes: In the Vault o Inside Looks o Commentaries: Yada, Yada, Yada o Notes About Nothing o NBC Promos and TV Spots: Sponsored by Vandelay Industries o Exclusive Stand-Up Material: Master of His Domain o Bloopers: Not That There's Anything Wrong With That * Note on DVD sets: During shipping, discs in multidisc sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase. * From IMDb: Quotes & Trivia * ASIN: B000BBOUEU * Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12 in DVD This is item 4 in The Seinfeld Series. Theatrical Release Information US Theatrical Release Date: May 31, 1990 MPAA: Production Company: Castle Rock Entertainment, West-Shapiro Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA\| New York City, New York, USA\| Ren-Mar Studios - 846 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA Editorial Reviews Seinfeld: Season 5 Trivia 1. The Mango What kind of fruit does Kramer attempt to return to Joe's Fruit Stand? a) Plum b) Mango c) Peach d) Kiwi 2. The Puffy Shirt What does George's father wear in the pool? a) Swim cap b) Sneakers c) Flip Flops d) T-shirt 3. The Sniffing Accountant Which grammatical element causes Elaine to break up with Jake Jarmel? a) Split infinitive b) Capitalization c) Exclamation point d) Question mark 4. The Bris Who does Jerry enjoy mimicking in The Bris? a) Marlon Brando from The Godfather b) Al Pacino from Scent of a Woman c) Robert De Niro from Taxi Driver d) Sylvester Stallone from Rocky 5. The Barber What movie calms Jerry's barber Enzo during his fit of rage? a) Edward Scissorhands b) Shampoo c) The Barber of Seville d) Hairspray Answers: 1. Peach 2. Sneakers 3. Exclamation point 4. Marlon Brand from The Godfather 5. Edward Scissorhands Product Description: DISC 1 THE MANGO- Jerry learns Elaine faked orgasms with him and pleads for another chance. Kramer's banned from his local fruit stand and George discovers the sexual power of mango. THE GLASSES-George loses his glasses and thinks he sees Jerry's girlfriend with his cousin. A strange dog bites Elaine and Kramer helps Jerry buy a powerful air conditioner. THE PUFFY SHIRT-During dinner with Kramer's low-talking girlfriend, Jerry unwittingly agrees to wear a puffy pirate shirt for his upcoming "The Today Show" appearance. THE SNIFFING ACCOUNTANT-Jerry thinks his accountant is a drug addict. Jerry, Kramer and Newman plot a stakeout. George plans another career change: bra salesman. THE BRIS-Jerry and Elaine agree to be godparents to their friends' newborn boy. They find a shaky mohel to perform the bris. Kramer is convinced he saw a pigman at the hospital. DISC 2 THE LIP READER-George tries to get Jerry's deaf girlfriend to read lips at a party. Kramer becomes a ball boy at the U.S. Open. THE NON-FAT YOGURT-Jerry and Elaine try to confirm that their favorite frozen yogurt is non-fat. Their research causes a stir during the NYC mayoral election. Elaine dates George's boyhood nemesis. Now, for the first time, see two versions of this episode! THE BARBER-Jerry frets over leaving his incompetent barber. Elaine enlists Kramer to participate in a bachelor auction. THE MASSEUSE-Jerry's masseuse girlfriend won't give him a massage. Elaine dates Joel Rifkin - not the mass murderer. THE CIGAR STORE INDIAN-Jerry offends Elaine's friend with a cigar store Indian. Kramer sells his coffee table book idea to Elaine's boss. DISC 3 THE CONVERSION-George converts to the Latvian Orthodox religion for a girl. Jerry spots a suspicious ointment in his girlfriend's medicine cabinet. THE STALL-Elaine agonizes over a woman's refusal to pass toilet paper under the stall of a public restroom. Kramer convinces Jerry that his girlfriend makes a living as a phone sex operator. George befriends Elaine's "mimbo" boyfriend. THE MARINE BIOLOGIST-George starts dating an old classmate when Jerry tells her that George is a successful marine biologist. Elaine's electronic organizer injures a passerby when her Russian novelist client launches it from their limo. Kramer golfs on the beach. THE DINNER PARTY-En route to a dinner party, Elaine and Jerry pair off to buy a babka. George's jacket gets in the way at the liquor store where he and Kramer look for a bottle of wine. THE PIE-Jerry meets his girlfriend's father and loses his appetite. Elaine discovers that a mannequin resembling her has been showing up in window displays. George plots to buy a suit on sale. Kramer dates a Monk's cashier. THE STAND-IN-Kramer is hired as a stand-in on a soap opera. He encourages Mickey to put lifts in his shoes, but his advice doesn't sit well with the other little people. George is ready to break up with his girlfriend until he discovers that she's being urged to call it quits with him. DISC 4 THE WIFE-Jerry lets his girlfriend pose as his wife so that she can receive his dry-cleaning discount, but the scam backfires when his family learns of his "marriage." Elaine's health club boyfriend wants to turn George in for peeing in the shower. THE FIRE-George panics during a fire at his girlfriend's son's birthday party and bolts for an escape route. Kramer saves Elaine's co-worker's pinky toe. THE RAINCOATS (PARTS 1 & 2)-Elaine dates a "close talker" who loves spending time with Jerry's parents. Jerry is caught making out during Schindler's List. Morty and Kramer go into business together. THE HAMPTONS-A weekend getaway to the Hamptons spins out of control when Jerry's girlfriend sees George, a victim of "shrinkage," naked. THE OPPOSITE-George decides to do the opposite of his instincts and everything falls into place, even a job with the Yankees. Meanwhile, Elaine loses her boyfriend and her job, but Jerry remains "even Steven." Seinfeld - Season 9 Tom Cherones Seinfeld: Season 9 is a four-disc boxed set including all 24 episodes from the ninth and final season of the long-running series, including the finale and hours of exclusive, never-before-seen bonus footage. The wealth of bonus features for Seinfeld: Season 9 include scenes from "The Roundtable" (excerpts from the one-hour table discussion), deleted scenes, bloopers, trivia, interviews, stand-up comedy footage, and other behind-the-scenes bonus material. The ninth season was nominated for five Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, and features an astounding array of noteworthy episodes such as the unique backwards episode, "The Betrayal," and the reemergence of a classic arcade game in "The Frogger." The season culminates in the highly rated two-part finale, which boasts an illustrious gathering of some of the show’s most memorable guest stars including Larry Thomas (Soup Nazi), Wendel Meldrum (Low-Talker), Golden Globe® Award-winner Teri Hatcher, TV journalist Geraldo Rivera, and others. Police Story Peter Cheung, Jackie Chan Police Story breaks new ground with its breathtaking fights and incredible stunt sequences. Featuring a top-notch cast, which includes multi-award winning actresses Brigitte Lin & Maggie Cheung, director Chan combines a compelling storyline of an honest cop on the run from a false murder charge with dynamic visuals and full-blooded fight action which is electrified with emotional underscoring. In the case of this particular project the price of excellence was high, with many of Jackie's elite stunt team being seriously injured during the course of principal photography. Killer Klowns from Outer Space Stephen Chiodo Finally the truth about clowns is out! Beneath their smirky sinister grins and wildly patterned clothes are clever killers from out of this world. The "juxtaposition of their toy-store arsenal and malevolent intent proves to be a tasty combination" (Los Angeles Times) in this killer entertainment that will leave you fearing these big-top creatures for good. A spaceshiplooking like a circus tentlands in a field near a small town, signaling the attack of deviant, red-nosed, balloon-twisting psychos from another world who plan to annihilate mankindby turning people into cotton candy! Luckily, the town's teen citizenry decides to fight back and teach the cosmic bozos a lesson. But these klowns are no klutzes, turning popcorn, peanuts and caramel corn into playfulbut deadlyweapons of madcap destruction and mayhem! Tae Guk Gi - The Brotherhood of War Kyeong-hie Choi, Je-gyu Kang In the powerful tradition of Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers comes this box-office hit from Korea.From the director of Shiri comes the epic tale of two brothers. Jin-tae, a shoemaker, has worked tirelessly to provide money for the younger Jin-seok to go to college. But each of their hopes and dreams are shattered when both are forced to join the army against their will. Torn away from home and family, Jin-tae vows to protect Jin-seok despite the dangers–and the cost. In the searing crucible of battle, fate intervenes, forcing their bonds of faith, love and trust to be tested time and again in this suspense-filled, action-packed war drama. Kung Fu Hustle Stephen Chow Stephen Chow (director and star of Shaolin Soccer) is at it again with his newest action-packed and comedic martial-arts adventure, KUNG FU HUSTLE. From wildly imaginative kung fu showdowns to dance sequences featuring tuxedoed mobsters, you've never seen action this outrageous and characters this zany! With jaw-dropping fight sequences by Yuen Wo Ping (famed action choreographer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix), KUNG FU HUSTLE will blow you away! In a town ruled by the Axe Gang, Sing (Stephen Chow) desperately wants to become a member. He stumbles into a slum ruled by eccentric landlords who turn out to be kung fu masters in disguise. Sing's actions eventually cause the Axe Gang and the slumlords to engage in an explosive kung fu battle. Only one side will win and only one hero will emerge as the greatest kung fu master of all. The Rocky Horror Picture Show Graeme Clifford, Jim Sharman Fasten your garter belt and come up to the lab and see what's on the slab! It's The Rocky Horror Picture Show Special Edition, a screamingly funny, sinfully twisted salute to sci-fi, horror, B-movies and rock music, all rolled into one deliciously decadent morsel. And now there's even more to make you shiver with antici...pation: two additional musical numbers, "Once In A While" and "Superheroes", never seen theatrically or available on video! The madcap, musical mayhem begins when rain-soaked Brad and Janet take refuge in the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite mad scientist from outer space who is about to unveil his greatest creation - and have a bit of fun with his reluctant guests! Join Tim Curry, Barry Bostwick, Susan Sarandon and rock star Meat Loaf in the most popular cult classic of all time. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind George Clooney George Clooney (OCEAN'S ELEVEN), Drew Barrymore (CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE), and Sam Rockwell (THE GREEN MILE), star in the comedy thriller that poses an irresistible question: What would happen if a wildly successful TV producer was also a top-secret CIA assassin? While a maverick creator of America's favorite game shows gains notoriety for his smash television hits, he is also drawn into a shadowy world of danger as a covert government operative! But soon his life begins to spiral out of control both of them! Directed by George Clooney and based on Chuck Barris' cult-classic autobiography, with a script by Charlie Kaufman (ADAPTATION), this entertaining hit delivers comedy to keep you laughing . . . and intrigue to keep you guessing! The Man Who Wasn't There Ethan Coen, Joel Coen 2001 - The Man Who Wasn't There - DVD Video - Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, Richard Jenkins, Scarlett Johansson, Jon Polito, Tony Shaloub, James Gandolfini - Director: Joel Coen - Written by Joel & Ethan Coen - A Coen Brothers Film - Special Features - Dolby Digital 5.1 - Rated R - Collectible The Big Lebowski Ethan Coen, Joel Coen After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plotwhich finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same nameis almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy case of the munchies. Jeff Shannon Barton Fink Ethan Coen, Joel Coen Set in Hollywood during the 1940's, "Barton Fink" is a comic satire about creative egos, flashy moguls, a travelling salesman and a nasty case of writer's block. Barton Fink (John Turturro) is a New York playwright lured to Hollywood to work as a screenwriter. It doesn't take long for Barton's life to erupt in complete chaos. His studio boss orders the serious-minded Barton to write a low budget wrestling movie. Deeply disappointed, Barton returns to his seedy hotel, types one sentence and then¿ nothing. To make matters worse, he is continually interrupted by Charlie (John Goodman), a chatty travelling insurance salesman who lives next door. Eventually they become friends and Charlie tries to help Barton by teaching him the finer points of wrestling. As the clock ticks away and the temperature climbs, Barton becomes more desperate as his life spins out of control. Miller's Crossing Ethan Coen, Joel Coen Leo is the benevolent Irish gangster and political boss who rules an Easter city with the help of Tom, his trusted lieutenant and counselor. But their control of the town is challenged by an over-reaching Italian underboss and his ruthless henchman. Just as this threat erupts, Leo and Tom have a falling out over the same woman. Tom, caught in the jaws of a gangland violent outcome. Voltron - Defender of the Universe - Collection One: Blue Lion Franklin Cofod From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend. The legend of Voltron: Defender of the Universe! A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil. A force of space explorers, Kieth, Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and Sven are sent to find the last princess of planet Arus, Allura, and the keys to Voltron. Together they find the five robot lions that make up the legendary robot. King Zarkon, an evil warlord, rains down destruction across the universe. But our heroes form Voltron at the last moment, and begin a new war against his cruel empire. Q - The Winged Serpent Larry Cohen OK, who's Q, anyway? "Q" is short for Quetzacoatl, an enormous winged serpent and Aztec deity who's called back to life after a series of ritual human sacrifices in Manhattan. It takes a lot to keep a critter like Q satisfied, so he flies around and lops the heads off sunbathers, window washers and swimmers as handily as popping grapes off the vine. The police are confounded by the murders, decapitated bodies (blood rains from the skies on NYC denizens) and Q-sightings. The solution comes in the unlikely form of Jimmy (Michael Moriarty), a petty thief. After a heist goes bad, he hides from his cronies in the uppermost spires of the Chrysler Building and stumbles on the giant bird's nest and egg. He leads the NYPD up to the lair for a big showdown with Q, but it's not quite as easy as anybody thought, of course. Director/screenwriter Larry Cohen was one of the more inventive, original voices of Seventies B-movies, with credits that include God Told Me To, Black Caesar, It's Alive!, Hell Up in Harlem and The Stuff. With Q, Cohen put together an interesting, entertaining mix of Fifties sci-fi homage (complete with great stop-motion special effects for the terrifying beast), action movie, and crime drama. It also touches on the metaphysical question of how exactly one goes about killing off a god. It'd be difficult to think of a more compelling performance from Moriarty; as the piano-playing, scat-singing small-time crook Jimmy, he's repellent and sleazy. However, he's struck on something that will give him 15 minutes to bask in the spotlight ("I'm the most important man in New York!", he gloats) and give him a chance to redeem himself and save thousands of lives. Moriarty brings a depth to the character that makes him absorbing, if not quite sympathetic, and gets to come across with the choice line, "Stick it up your…brain! Your small little brain!". With plenty of humor, suspense, a gallon or two of gore, and great performances from Moriarty and David Carradine and Richard Roundtree as his cop nemeses, this is great, original, entertaining sci-fi fare. Jerry Renshaw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Chris Columbus In this enchanting film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's delightful bestseller, Harry Potter learns on his 11th birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and posseses magical powers of his own. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. He learns the high-flying sport Quidditch and plays a thrilling game with living chess pieces on his way to face a Dark Wizard bent on destroying him. For the most extraordinary adventure, see you on Platform 9 3/4! DVD Features: DVD ROM Features:Be sorted by the Sorting HatCollect wizard trading cardsDownload Quidditch screensaver and your own RemembrallReceive Owl email messagesSample game demos and much more! Deleted Scenes:Never-before-seen footage Featurette:Self-guided tour of Hogwarts, including the Gryffindor common room, the Great Hall, Harry's room, and Hagrid's hut controlled by your own remote.Learn to play Quidditch with an original Quidditch montage featuring Oliver Wood and Harry.Meet the ghosts of Hogwarts.Open a Screaming Book, enjoy video highlights of students and professors, and much more! Interactive Menus Interviews:Interviews with Director Chirs Columbus and Producer David Heyman Other:Catch a Snitch with your remote!Have a wand choose you at Ollivanders Wands.Cast a spell over a scene and in eight languages with "Harry Potter throughout the world".Create potions correctly or wind up in the infirmary.Sneak past Fluffy and other challenges to reveal the secret in the Mirror of Erised. Scene Access Theatrical Trailer Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Chris Columbus The next installment in the Harry Potter series finds young wizard Harry Potter (DANIEL RADCLIFFE) and his friends Ron Weasley (RUPERT GRINT) and Hermione Granger (EMMA WATSON) facing new challenges during their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they try to uncover a dark force that is terrorizing the school. HARRY POTTER characters, names, and related indicia are trademarks of and (c) Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights (c) J.K.R. (c) 2007 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. The Wraith Scott Conrad, Gary Rocklin, Mike Marvin Jake is killed by neighbourhood thugs and returns as a mystical figure (the wraith) to gain revenge. Studio: Labels Unlimited Inc Release Date: 03/02/2010 Starring: Charlie Sheen Randy Quaid Run time: 93 minutes Rating: Pg13 Mulan Barry Cook, Tony Bancroft 1. "An impressive achievement ranking with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE LION KING!" Roger Ebert 2. Deleted Scenes Never-Before-Heard Song; Alternate Openings 3. Songs of MULAN 4. Music Videos Featuring Jackie Chan, Raven, And Christina Aguilera 5. "Discovering MULAN" Embark On A Behind-The-Scenes Adventure With The Filmmakers 6. Early Presentation Reels 7. Progression Reels 8. DisneyPedia: "Mulan's World" Explore The Fascinating World Of Ancient China With Your Host, Mushu 9. MULAN Fun Facts 10. Audio Commentary 11. Storyboard-To-Film Comparisons The Outsiders - The Complete Novel Francis Ford Coppola In 1983, Francis Ford Coppola's film of S.E. Hinton's novel struck a powerful chord with audiences, capturing the intense feelings of being caught between childhood and adulthood, and not belonging anywhere. Decades later, Coppola has revisited the film and reintegrated 22 minutes of character-enriching footage, including a new beginnning and ending more true to the book. A rousing new rock-n-roll soundtrack featuring six songs from Elvis Presley and other music greats make this new version of The Outsiders one of movie history's great rediscoveries. Bram Stoker's Dracula Francis Ford Coppola, Kim Aubry No Description Available. Genre: Horror Media Type: DVD Phantasm Don Coscarelli The Original Classic From The Director Of THE BEASTMASTER and BUBBA HO-TEP Michael Baldwin and Bill Thornbury star in the shocker that started it all, in which two brothers discover that their local mortuary hides a legion of hooded killer dwarf creatures, a flying drill-ball, and the demonic mortician known as The Tall Man (an iconic performance by Angus Scrimm) who enslaves the souls of the damned. More than 25 years later, it remains unlike any fright film you’ve ever seen. Reggie Bannister co-stars in the heart-stopping classic from writer/director Don Coscarelli that launched the most uniquely chilling series in horror history and is still hailed as one of the scariest movies of all time. Experience PHANTASM again, now featuring frightening extras never before seen in America! Features:Widescreen Presentation TV Spots Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Don Coscarelli and Stars Michael Baldwin, Angus Scrimm and Bill Thronbury Deleted Scences, Also on DVD PHANTASM Trailer, PHANTASM III Trailer PHANTASM: Behind-the-Scences, PHANTASM: Actors Having a Ball Phantasmagoria, 1979 PHANTASM Interview, 1988 Fangoria TV Commerical Leviathan George P. Cosmatos Plunge into this go-for-the-jugular sci-fi thriller starring Peter Weller (Robocop) and Richard Crenna (Rambo). Featuring nonstop action, nerve-shattering suspense and awesome creaturesfrom the OscarÂ(r)-winning* special effects wizard (Stan Winston) who brought dinosaurs to life in Jurassic Park and The Lost World, this terrifying underwater adventure will scare you senseless! On the dark and forbidding ocean floor, the crew of a deep-sea mining rig discovers a sunken freighter that harbors a deadly secret: a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong. With a storm raging on the surface and no hope of rescue, the captain (Weller) and his team are propelled into a spine-tingling battle for survival against the ultimate foea hideous monster thatcannot die...and lives to kill! 1986: Visual Effects, Aliens; 1991: Visual Effects and Makeup, Terminator 2: Judgment Day; 1993: Visual Effects: Jurassic Park Tombstone - The Director's Cut George P. Cosmatos George P. Cosmatos presents the Director's Cut of his incredibly popular TOMBSTONE, the action-packed, star-studded western that brings the legendary feud between the Earps and the Clantons to life. Former U.S. Marshall Wyatt Earp's (Kurt Russell) plan for peace, quiet, and prosperity misfires when he, his brothers, and the outrageous rogue Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) encounter that ruthless band of outlaws, the Clantons. Gripping performances and explosive action fill the screen in this legendary western about Tombstone and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Cobra George P. Cosmatos Sylveter Stallone creates another electrifying American hero in the Rocky/Rambo mold: Cobretti the cop, a fearless dispenser of justice out to stop a gang of serial killers. Year: 1986 Dances with Wolves - Extended Cut Kevin Costner A "truly spectacular" (The New York Times) film that combines action, romance and breathtaking adventure, Dances With Wolves is "a cinematic masterpiece" (American Movie Classics) that is nothing short of "a triumph" (Roger Ebert)!Sent to protect a US outpost on the desolate frontier, Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) finds himself alone in the vast wilderness. Befriending the very people he's sent to protect the outpost from, the Sioux Indians, Dunbar slowly comes to revere those he once feared. But when the encroaching US Army threatens to overrun the Sioux, he is forced to make a choiceone that will forever change his destiny and that of a proud and defiant nation. Open Range Kevin Costner Packed with epic action, OPEN RANGE is a powerfully gripping story that's never been told until now, and stars Academy Award(R) winners Robert Duvall (1983 Best Actor, TENDER MERCIES) and Kevin Costner (1991 Best Director, DANCES WITH WOLVES), and Academy Award(R) nominee Annette Bening (1999 Best Actress, AMERICAN BEAUTY). A group of free grazers, four men trying to escape their past, are driving cattle and living off the land on the open range a place where nature makes the only laws. When a ruthless, evil rancher tries to run them out of town, the men's peaceful existence takes a tumultuous turn and ends in the grittiest, most explosive gunfight on film as two men battle a town for honor, justice, and a way of life that's quickly disappearing. Waterworld - DTS Kevin Costner, Kevin Reynolds Let's be honest: this 1995 epic isn't nearly as bad as its negative publicity led us to expect. At the time it was the most expensive Hollywood production in history (it had a Titanic-sized $200 million budget), and the film arrived in theaters with so much controversy and negative gossip that it was an easy target for ridicule. The movie itself, a flawed but enjoyable post-apocalypse thriller, deserves better. Waterworld stars Kevin Costner as the Mariner, a lone maverick with gills and webbed feet who navigates the endless seas of Earth after the complete melting of the polar ice caps. The Mariner has been caged like a criminal when he's freed by Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and enlisted to help her and a young girl (Tina Majorino) escape from the Smokers, a group of renegade terrorists led by Dennis Hopper in yet another memorably villainous role. It is too bad the predictable script isn't more intelligent, but as a companion piece to The Road Warrior, this seafaring stunt-fest is adequately impressive. Jeff Shannon Shocker Wes Craven Bonus features: theatrical trailer film highlights talent bios production notes and web links. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 09/02/2003 Starring: Michael Murphy Richard Brooks Run time: 109 minutes Rating: R Director: Wes Craven Wes Craven's New Nightmare Wes Craven Heather Langenkamp learns the Nightmare movies were protecting the world from a real-life demon. Also starring Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. DVD Features: DVD ROM Features The Nines Douglas Crise, John August The Nines consists of three short films, each featuring the same actors in different — and sometimes overlapping — roles. Together, three stories form a single narrative that explores the relationships between author and character, actor and role, creator and creation. Alternately funny and unsettling, The Nines is like a riddle where the answer is the question: "How does it all add up?" "The Prisoner" tells the story of a troubled television star (Reynolds) who finds himself under house arrest, with his chipper publicist (McCarthy) and his disillusioned next-door neighbor (Davis) providing his only links to the outside world. Mysterious events lead him to question whether one or more of the women are deceiving him about the nature of his incarceration. "Reality Television" is a half-hour episode of "Behind the Screen," a Project Greenlight-style documentary series tracking the process of creating a network television drama. "Knowing" finds an acclaimed videogame designer (Reynolds) and his wife (McCarthy) facing car trouble deep in the woods. Their daughter (Elle Fanning) uncovers information which leads to a difficult and irrevocable choice. A History of Violence David Cronenberg An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father (Viggo Mortensen) commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner. DVD Features: Audio Commentary:Director David Cronenberg Commentary Deleted Scenes:Deleted scene w/director commentary Documentary:"Acts of Violence" documentary Featurette:"The Unmakeing of Scene 44" "Violence's History: U.S. vs. International Versions" "Too Commercial for Cannes" Eastern Promises David Cronenberg Viggo Mortensen and Academy Award® nominee Naomi Watts star in this electrifying thriller from critically acclaimed director David Cronenberg (A History of Violence). Criminal mastermind Nikolai (Mortensen) finds his ties to a notorious crime family shaken when he crosses paths with Anna (Watts), a midwife who has accidentally uncovered evidence against them. Their unusual relationship sets off an unstoppable chain of murder, mystery and deception in the explosive film critics are calling "provocative and engrossing" (Claudia Puig, USA Today). Jerry Maguire Cameron Crowe Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 06/26/2007 Run time: 139 minutes Rating: R Alien: 20th Anniversary Edition [Award Series] David Crowther, Ridley Scott The terror begins when the crew of a spaceship investigates a transmission from a desolate planet, and discovers a life form that is perfectly evolved to annihilate mankind. One by one, each crew member is slain until only Ripley is left, leading to an explosive conclusion that sets the stage for its stunning sequel, "Aliens." Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Alfonso Cuarón In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry, Ron and Hermione, now teenagers, return for their third year at Hogwarts, where they are forced to face escaped prisoner, Sirius Black, who poses a great threat to Harry. Harry and his friends spend their third year learning how to handle a half-horse half-eagle Hippogriff, repel shape-shifting Boggarts and master the art of Divination. They also visit the wizarding village of Hogsmeade and the Shrieking Shack, which is considered the most haunted building in Britain. In addition to these new experiences, Harry must overcome the threats of the soul-sucking Dementors, outsmart a dangerous werewolf and finally deal with the truth about Sirius Black and his relationship to Harry and his parents. With his best friends, Harry masters advanced magic, crosses the barriers of time and changes the course of more than one life. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron and based on J.K. Rowling 's third book, this wondrous spellbinder soars with laughs, and the kind of breathless surprise only found in a Harry Potter adventure. DVD Features: 3D Animated Menus Challenges:Three great interactive challenges! Test your memory with "Magic You May Have Missed", help Crookshanks "Catch Scabbers", and go on an unexpected quest with Sir Cadogan. DVD ROM Features:Wizard Trading Cards.Hogwarts Timeline. Deleted Scenes:A selection of mystifying exclusive never-before-seen footage Featurette:Conjuring a Scene - an in-depth look at the making of key scenes from the filmMeet the animal trainers from the movie in Care of Magical Creatures. Interviews:Raucous interviews with the cast lead by Johnny Vaughan and the Shrunken HeadCreating the Vision - a revealing interview with J.K. Rowling and the filmmakers. Other:Self-guided iPIX tours into Honeydukes and Professor Lupin's Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Choir Practice - sing-along with the Hogwarts choir.Hogwarts Portrait Gallery - get a closer look at the various portraits lining the walls of Hogwarts castle. Electronic Arts game preview. Theatrical Trailer:Harry Potter 1, Harry Potter 2, Harry Potter 3 Deep Star Six Sean S. Cunningham When futuristic scienticts try to set up an undersea research and missle lab a group of subterranean monsters get in the way. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 03/22/2005 Starring: Cindy Pickett Nia Peeples Run time: 103 minutes Rating: R His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th Sean S. Cunningham, Daniel Farrands Jason Voorhees has carved his place into American pop culture and is one of the most recognizable cinematic killer in horror history. Now nearly, 30 years later, see how it all happened! With over 100 interviews with cast and crew, behind the scenes footage and dozen of film clips spanning the entire Friday the 13th series leading up to the 2/13/09 remake, there is no better way to get up close and personal with one of the most feared icons of our generation. Shut off the lights, lock up the cabin and get ready to learn all about a boy... His Name Was Jason. HIS NAME WAS JASON: 30 YEARS OF FRIDAY THE 13TH is a two disc set loaded with over 4 hours of bonus material. This film is a behind the scenes look at the franchise that broke horror box office records and made Jason a pop culture icon. With over 80 interviews from the cast and crew of the Friday the 13th film franchise, including the new Friday the 13th film, these firsthand accounts of never-before-told stories and rare behind the scenes photographs offer the ultimate look at the history of FRIDAY THE 13TH! Friday the 13th Sean S. Cunningham, Steve Miner FRIDAY THE 13TH: They comprise the most successful and shocking tales of terror in cinema history. Now, for the first time, the first eight classic Friday The 13th movies are available together in this killer DVD collection. Beginning with the picture that critics have called the original slasher flick, this collection spans nine years and includes seven additional blood-soaked, suspense-filled sagas starring one of the most horifying characters ever to wear a hockey mask and wield a machete: Jason Voorhees. It's a splatterfest of fear all the way from Crystal Lake to the mean streets of Manhattan. In addition, the collection includes a special disc filled with never-before-seen footage and fabulous extras that will slay even the most jaded horrorfilm aficionado! FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2: Two months after the events of the original Friday the 13th, Alice (Adrienne King), the lone survivor or Mrs. Vorhees' killing spree, meets a grisly end in her city apartment. Five years later, a new group of co-eds converges near Camp Crystal Lake, scene of the original massacre and the drowning of Jason Vorhees that preceded it. This time around, the horny collegians attend a nearby training school for camp counselors. As half the group parties in town, an unseen assailant picks off the other half one by one. Only when camp leader Paul (John Furey) and his girlfriend, Ginny (Amy Steel), return to camp do they uncover the identity of their stalker — none other than Jason (Warrington Gillette) himself, alive but grotesquely deformed as a result of his childhood drowning. Flashbacks chronicle Jason's behind-the-scenes activities in the first film (perhaps explaining how his mother was able to throw the dead bodies of muscular youths through windows with such apparent ease). The young couple's only hope to defeat the fiend lies in psych major Ginny's insights in Jason's mental state. Fido Andrew Currie No description available for this title. Item Type: DVD Movie Packaging: Sleeve The Great Raid John Dahl Nearly three years after it was filmed, The Great Raid finally appeared as a welcome reminder that good old-fashioned World War II movies never go out of style. While lacking the scale, prestige, and pulse-pounding momentum of Saving Private Ryan, this fact-based war drama benefits from a back-to-basics approach to realism and a rousing rescue climax that more than compensates for the slower passages that precede it. Adapted from the books The Great Raid on Cabanatuan and Ghost Soldiers, it chronicles the five-day mission (in late January 1945) to rescue 511 American prisoners of war held by the Japanese at Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines. Under the direction of neo-noir specialist John Dahl (The Last Seduction), the film's three-part structure follows the raid mission led by Lt. Col. Mucci (Benjamin Bratt); the plight of the POWs at Cabanatuan, including malaria-stricken Maj. Gibson (Joseph Fiennes); and civilian resistance in Manila as carried out by real-life hero and Gibson's (fictional) would-be lover Margaret Utinsky (Connie Nielsen), whose effort to aid the POWs is vigilantly monitored by the enemy Japanese. In keeping with war-movie traditions, Dahl handles character and action with no-nonsense intelligence, favoring a slow build over pumped-up adrenalin. By the time the miraculous rescue is executed with critical assistance by Filpino guerillas, The Great Raid has earned its stripes, honoring the brave men who carried out the most successful rescue mission in U.S. military history. Jeff Shannon The 'Burbs Joe Dante A suburbanite cancels his vacation trip to help keep watch on his creepy new neighbor. When a grouchy neighbor disappears the watch group descends on the suspect house. Item Type: DVD Movie Packaging: Sleeve Innerspace Joe Dante A devil-may-care test pilot volunteers to be shrunk and injected in to a rabbit as part of a top secret experiment. When industrial spies steal one of the two microchips needed to reverse the process, the pilot is accidentally injected into the body of a timid supermarket clerk. the two, along with the pilot's girlfriend, have 24 hours to find the stolen microchip before the pilot uses up his oxygen supply. Gremlins 2 - The New Batch Joe Dante Billy Peltzer and Kate Beringer move to New York City and meet up with their Mogwai friend, Gizmo, when a series of accidents creates a new generation of diverse gremlins. Billy, Kate, and Gizmo must once again use all their experience to prevent another catastrophe. The Howling Joe Dante From the director of Gremlins and Piranha comes the ultimate masterpiece of primal terror. Filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense, "genuine thrills [and] amazing special effects" (Us), this riveting werewolf tale sinks its teeth into your deepest fears and never lets go! Severely traumatized by a near-fatal encounter with a serial killer, TV newscaster Karen White (Dee Wallace) takes time off at a secluded retreat called "the Colony." But when, after nights of being tormented by bestial, bloodcurdling cries, Karen ventures into the woods seeking answers, she makes a terrifying discovery. Now she must fight not only for her life but for her soul! The Green Mile Frank Darabont, Constantine Nasr Miracles happen in unexpected places, even on death row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. There John Coffey, a prisoner with supernatural powers, brings a sense of spirit and humanity to his guards and fellow inmates. Tom Hanks leads a stellar cast (including Michael Clarke Duncan as Coffey) in this emotional, uplifting story of guards and captives; husbands and wives; prisoners and a remarkable mouse named Mr. Jingles; and, on another level, of a moviemaker and his source. Frank Darabont returns after his 1994 directorial debut The Shawshank Redemption to adapt another Stephen King tale into a crowd-pleasing entertainment nominated for four Academy Awards?, including Best Picture. DVD Features: Audio Commentary:Commentary by Director Frank Darabont Deleted Scenes:Bitterbuck?s Family Says Goodbye Coffey?s Prayer Featurette:Michael Clarke Duncan's Screen Test Tom Hanks? Make-up Tests Theatrical Trailer:The Teaser Trailer: A Case Study Teaser Trailer Theatrical Trailer Audio Commentary:Commentary with Director Frank Darabont Documentaries:Miracles and Mystery: Creating the Green Mile Documentary:Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile Under Siege Andrew Davis Commando cook whips hijackers of nuke-armed Navy battleship. The Fugitive Andrew Davis Catch him if you can. The Fugitive is on the run! Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones race through the breathless manhunt movie based on the classic TV series. Ford is prison escapee Dr. Richard Kimble, a Chicago surgeon falsely convicted of killing his wife and determined to prove his innocence by leading his pursuers to the one-armed man who actually committed the crime. Jones (1993 Academy Award and Golden Globe winner as Best Supporting Actor) is Sam Gerard, an unrelenting bloodhound of a U.S. Marshal. They are hunted and hunter. And as directed by Andrew Davis (Under Siege), their nonstop chase has one exhilarating speed: all-out. So catch him if you can. And catch an 11-on-a-scale-of-10 train wreck (yes, the train is real), a plunge down a waterfall, a cat-and-mouse jaunt through a Chicago St. Patrick's Day parade and much more. Better hurry. Kimble doesn't stay in one place very long! Collateral Damage Andrew Davis COLLATERAL DAMAGE (DVD/WS 1.85/5.1/ENG-FREN-SPAN-S Half Baked Tamra Davis THE STORY OF THREE NOT SO BRIGHT MEN WHO COME UP WITH A SERIESOF CRAZY SCHEMES TO GET A FRIEND OUT OF JAIL. Little Miss Sunshine Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris Take a hilarious ride with the Hoovers, one of the most endearingly fractured families in comedy history. Father Richard (Greg Kinnear) is desperately trying to sell his motivational success program...with no success. Meanwhile, "pro-honesty" mom Sheryl (Toni Collette) lends support to her eccentric family, including her depressed brother (Steve Carell), fresh out of the hospital after being jilted by his lover. Then there are the younger Hoovers?the seven-year-old, would-be beauty queen Olive (Abigail Breslin) and Dwayne (Paul Dano), a Nietzsche-reading teen who has taken a vow of silence. Topping off the family is the foul-mouthed grandfather (Alan Arkin), whose outrageous behavior recently got him evicted from his retirement home. When Olive is invited to compete in the "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant in far-off California, the family piles into their rusted-out VW bus to rally behind her?with riotously funny results. Heima Dean DeBlois Studio: Wea-des Moines Video Release Date: 11/20/2007 The Silence of the Lambs Jonathan Demme Based on Thomas Harris's novel, this terrifying film by Jonathan Demme really only contains a couple of genuinely shocking moments (one involving an autopsy, the other a prison break). The rest of the film is a splatter-free visual and psychological descent into the hell of madness, redeemed astonishingly by an unlikely connection between a monster and a haunted young woman. Anthony Hopkins is extraordinary as the cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter, virtually entombed in a subterranean prison for the criminally insane. At the behest of the FBI, agent-in-training Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) approaches Lecter, requesting his insights into the identity and methods of a serial killer named Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). In exchange, Lecter demands the right to penetrate Starling's most painful memories, creating a bizarre but palpable intimacy that liberates them both under separate but equally horrific circumstances. Demme, a filmmaker with a uniquely populist vision (Melvin and Howard, Something Wild), also spent his early years making pulp for Roger Corman (Caged Heat), and he hasn't forgotten the significance of tone, atmosphere, and the unsettling nature of a crudely effective close-up. Much of the film, in fact, consists of actors staring straight into the camera (usually from Clarice's point of view), making every bridge between one set of eyes to another seem terribly dangerous. Tom Keogh The Emperor's New Groove - The Ultimate Groove Mark Dindal Originally developed as an epic called Kingdom of the Sun, The Emperor's New Groove lost scale and most of Sting's song score (some of which can be heard on the soundtrack) on its way to the screen. The end result is the lightest Disney film in many a moon, a joyous romp akin to Aladdin in its quotient of laughs for kids and adults. The original story centers on the spoiled teenage emperor Kuzco (David Spade), who enjoys getting the best of his Aztecan subjects. When he fires Yzma (Eartha Kitt), his evil sorceress, she seeks revenge and turns Kuzco into a llama with the help of her hunk of the month, a lunk named Kronk (Patrick Warburton). Alone in the jungle, the talking llama is befriended by Pacha (John Goodman), who has just been told to vacate his pastoral home by the human Kuzco. What's an ego to do? That's pretty much the story and the characterssimple, direct, funa Disney film on a diet. For any fan of the acidic humor of Spade, this is essential viewing. As narrator of his tale, Kuzco uses a sarcastic tone to keep the story jumping with plenty of fun asides (he even "stops" the film at one point to make sure you know the story is about him). Even better is character actor Warburton (Elaine's stuck-up boyfriend on Seinfeld), who steals every scene as the dim-witted, but oh-so-likable Kronk. There's even a delicious Tom Jones number that starts the film off with a bang. Doug Thomas Strangers with Candy Paul Dinello Jerri Blank (Amy Sedaris) is a forty-seven year old ex-con who decides to return to her childhood home after thirty-two years working the streets and in prison. Upon her arrival she discovers her father is in a self-induced coma. Hoping to wake him Jerri decides to turn her life around by picking it up exactly where she left off as a high school freshman. But for a former boozer user and loser hanging with the in crowd is going to be harder than turning tricks!System Requirements:Run Time: 91 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 821575549059 Manufacturer No: TF-54905 G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: Season 1.1 Buzz Dixon G.I. Joe is the code name for Americas highly-trained special missions force. Its purpose: to defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world! In 1983 Hasbro made a bold statement when it relaunched its classic toy line of military action heroes as an adventure-based team of unique characters, each with his, and her, own specialties. And because it captured the imaginations and hearts of boys and girls aspiring to make a difference in the world, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was an immediate success lasting over 25 incredible years. Now you can relive the original animated adventures of Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Flint, Lady Jaye and rest of the Joe team with this 4-disc DVD set of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, including the first part of the series inaugural season, the three annual 5-part miniseries that started it all: The MASS Device, The Revenge Of Cobra: The Weather Dominator and The Pyramid Of Darkness. G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: Season 1.2 Buzz Dixon G.I. Joe is an elite group of special military operatives, fighting for freedom wherever there is trouble. This is the second part of the first season of the animated series that introduced Hasbros popular line of G.I. Joe action figures. It offers 22 action packed episodes including the fan favorites Viper Is Coming and The Gamesmaster. Bonus Features: Everyday Heroes: The History of G.I. JOE featurette. * Knowing Is Half The Battle PSAs. * Archival Hasbro toy commercials. G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: Season 1.3 Buzz Dixon G.I. JOE is the code name for Americas daring, highly-trained special missions force. Its purpose: to defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless organization determined to rule the world! The exciting first season of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comes to an end with its final 22 episodes, including fan favorites like Worlds Without End,The Traitor, Cold Slither and There s No Place Like Springfield. Bonus Features * G.I. Joe Animated Series Featurette * Knowing Is Half The Battle PSAs * Archival Hasbro Toy Commercials G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: Season Two Buzz Dixon For the First Time on DVD: The Complete Second Season! After Cobras countless defeats by the heroic special forces unit known as G.I. Joe, the mad supergenius Dr. Mindbender seeks to dethrone the maniacal Cobra Commander by genetically combining the DNA of the most formidable conquerors in history. The result is a threat more menacing and power hungry than Cobra Commander can ever hope to challenge: the mighty Serpentor! Armed with a new master, a new army of Battle Android Troopers and a new set of plans for world domination, Cobra seems unstoppable! That is, of course, unless General Hawk and his team of commandos have anything to say about it. Yo Joe! Bonus Features * Greenshirts: The Legacy Of G.I. Joe * Knowing Is Half The Battle: PSAs * Archival Hasbro Toy Commercials Wedding Crashers David Dobkin In this hilarious box office hit, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson have perfected the art of wedding crashing but when one of them actually falls in love their sacred rule, "never leave a fellow crasher behind," may be broken! DVD Features: Other Repo Man Dennis Dolan, Alex Cox A volatile, toxic potion of satire and nihilism, road movie and science fiction, violence and comedy, the unclassifiable sensibility of Alex Cox's Repo Man is the model and inspiration for a potent strain of post-punk American comedy that includes not only Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), but also early Coen brothers (Raising Arizona, in particular), Men in Black, and even (in a weird way) The X-Files. Otto, a baby-face punk played by Emilio Estevez, becomes an apprentice to Bud (Harry Dean Stanton), a coke-snorting, veteran repo-man-of-honor prowling the streets of a Los Angeles wasteland populated by hoods, wackos, burnouts, conspiracy theorists, and aliens of every stripe. It may seem chaotic at first glance, but there's a "latticework of coincidence" (as Tracey Walter puts it) underlying everything. Repo Man is a key American movie of the 1980sjust as Taxi Driver, Nashville, and Chinatown are key American movies of the '70s. With a scorching soundtrack that features Iggy Pop, Fear, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, and Suicidal Tendencies. Jim Emerson Scrooged Richard Donner Most critics couldn't get behind Bill Murray's modern retelling of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, finding it too unfocused at times and not nearly wicked enough. Still, if you're a Murray fan, you have to enjoy his deliciously nasty portrayal of the world's meanest TV executive, who has his cathartic moment one cold Christmas night in New York City. The various ghosts lead him on a ghost-town tour of Manhattan, with stops at holidays past, present, and future and a Kumbaya moment when Al Green and Annie Lennox sing "Put a Little Love in Your Heart." The effects are otherworldly, but one wishes the writing were as sharp as Murray's edgy portrayal Lethal Weapon Legacy Richard Donner With over seven minutes of previously unavailable scenes, the director's cut of Lethal Weapon is a long-overdue present for fans. Riggs' solitary homelife and the tragic loss spurring him in a reckless disregard for his own safety now come into greater fo The Goonies Richard Donner Following a mysterious treasure map into a spectacular underground realm of twisting passages, outrageous booby-traps and a long-lost pirate ship full of golden dubloons, the kids race to stay one step ahead of a family of bumbling bad guys... and a mild-mannered monster with a face only a mother could love. DVD Features: Theatrical Trailer Superman - The Movie Richard Donner A box-office smash, an Academy Award winner* and a fan favorite since it first flew into theatres in December 1978, Superman: The Movie assembles a cast and creative contingent as only a big movie can. At its heart (just as in three sequels) is Christopher Reeve's intelligent, affectionate portrayal of a most human Man of Steel. Watching Superman again isn't just like being a kid again. It's better. The movie's legacy soared even higher when director Richard Donner revisited this beloved adventure 22 years later and integrated eight minutes into the film. Enjoy more footage of the Krypton Council, a glimpse of stars of prior Superman incarnations, more of Jor-El underscoring his son's purpose on Earth and an extended sequence inside Lex Luthor's gauntlet of doom. Reeve, Marlon Brando (Jor-El), Gene Hackman (Luthor) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) give indelible performances that fuel the film's aura of legend. Looks like a swell night for flying. Why not come along? The Lives of Others Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck This critically-acclaimed, Oscar®-winning film (Best Foreign Language Film, 2006) is the erotic, emotionally-charged experience Lisa Schwarzbaum (Entertainment Weekly) calls "a nail-biter of a thriller!" Before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, East Germany’s population was closely monitored by the State Secret Police (Stasi). Only a few citizens above suspicion, like renowned pro-Socialist playwright Georg Dreyman, were permitted to lead private lives. But when a corrupt government official falls for Georg’s stunning actress-girlfriend, Christa, an ambitious Stasi policeman is ordered to bug the writer’s apartment to gain incriminating evidence against the rival. Now, what the officer discovers is about to dramatically change their lives - as well as his - in this seductive political thriller Peter Travers (Rolling Stone) proclaims is "the best kind of movie: one you can’t get out of your head." Fubar Michael Dowse This critically acclaimed mockumentary centers around a pair of dim witted head bangers living in Calgary, much to the detriment of their fellow countrymen. If you laughed at Spinal Tap, now laugh at their fans! Boondock Saints Troy Duffy Explore the harrowing world of The Boondock Saints as never before in this Unrated Special Edition! Digitally remastered for extraordinary picture quality and exploding in 5.1 EX Dolby Surround Sound, this definitive two-disc edition of the cult phenomenon features deleted scenes, outtakes, two audio commentaries, a printable script and more! Hot on the trail of the assailants behind the brutal murder of Russian thugs, FBI agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe) is surprised to discover the killers are Irish twin brothers (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus) who believe they've been chosen to rid the world of evil. But as they unleash more brutality on the criminals of Boston's underworld, Smecker finds himself torn between busting the vigilantes...and joining them! Beverly Hills Ninja Dennis Dugan SPECIAL FEATURES: FULL SCREEN AND WIDESCREEN VERSIONS, DOLBYSURROUND SOUND AND DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1, LANGUAGES: ENGLISH, SPANISH (STEREO), PORTUGUESE (STEREO), SUBTITLES: ENGLISH,SPANISH, PORTUGUESE, CHINES, KOREAN AND THAI, TALENT FILES, AND THEATRICAL TRAILER. Snakes on a Plane David R. Ellis, Lex Halaby On board a flight over the Pacific Ocean, an assassin, bent on killing a passenger who's a witness in protective custody, let loose a crate full of deadly snakes. DVD Features: Theatrical Trailer Final Destination 2 David R. Ellis, Michelle Palmer This summer, fasten your seatbelts for the ultimate rollercoaster!! Packed with cutting-edge special effects, state-of-the-art gore and enough scares to send your heartbeat into overdrive, Final Destination 2 is a killer sequel to the smash-hit original. DVD Features: 3D Animated Menus Audio Commentary:with Director David Ellis, Producer Craig Perry and Screenwriters Eric Bress & J. Mackye Gruber DVD ROM Features:Play Movie Script-to-screen Link to original website Screensaver, Wallpapers, "Chain Reaction" activity Exclusive content at infinifilm.com Deleted Scenes Documentaries:"The Terror Gauge" "Cheating Death: Beyond & Back" "Bits & Pieces: Bringing Death to Life" Extended takes Full Screen Version:and also Widescreen version on one disc Other:DTS ES 6.1 Surround Sound Exclusive infinifilm fact track with exclusive material Trailers for the orginal Final Destination and upcoming Highwaymen Widescreen & Fullscreen on one disc Theatrical Trailer Independence Day Roland Emmerich In Independence Day, a scientist played by Jeff Goldblum once actually had a fistfight with a man (Bill Pullman) who is now president of the United States. That same president, late in the film, personally flies a jet fighter to deliver a payload of missiles against an attack by extraterrestrials. Independence Day is the kind of movie so giddy with its own outrageousness that one doesn't even blink at such howlers in the plot. Directed by Roland Emmerich, Independence Day is a pastiche of conventions from flying-saucer movies from the 1940s and 1950s, replete with icky monsters and bizarre coincidences that create convenient shortcuts in the story. (Such as the way the girlfriend of one of the film's heroesplayed by Will Smithjust happens to run across the president's injured wife, who are then both rescued by Smith's character who somehow runs across them in alien-ravaged Los Angeles County.) The movie is just sheer fun, aided by a cast that knows how to balance the retro requirements of the genre with a more contemporary feel. Tom Keogh The Patriot Roland Emmerich WHEN WIDOWER AND WAR HERO BENJAMIN MARTIN SEES HIS FAMILY VICIOUSLY ATTACKED BY RED COATS, HE CAN NO LONGER AVOID FIGHTINGIN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. TOEGETHER WITH HIS SON HE FORMS A MILITIA TO TAKE UP ARMS AGAINST THE BRITISH AND SOON IS EMBROILED IN THE REDEMPTION OF REVENGE AND THE PASSION OF LOVE. Universal Soldier Roland Emmerich LUC AND SCOTT WERE KILLED IN VIETNAM, BUT THE ARMY HAS A SECRET PROJECT FOR REANIMATING DEAD PEOPLE AS NEAR-PERFECT SOLDIERS. The Nightmare Series Encyclopedia Robert Englund Welcome to Primetime: A documentary exploring the "Nightmares" - A Prelude to the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth: Weave through this interactive environment and unlock the mysteries of the franchise. The Nightmare Series Encyclopedia Index: An unabridged, clickable listing of the disc's content. Final "Dream World" Trivia Game Interactive Freddy Character That Will Haunt Your Computer from togglethis :) Wizards Donald W. Ernst, Ralph Bakshi Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, this fantasy adventure follows the story of Avatar, the kindly, eccentric sorcerer-ruler of Montagar, a rainbow paradise inhabited by elves and fairies. Avatar?s evil brother, Blackwolf, dominates Scortch, a bleak land of goblins and wraiths. When the power-hungry Blackwolf attacks Montagar, Avatar, accompanied only by a spirited young woman and a courageous elf, must enter the darkness of Scortch to save his world. WIZARDS is a thought-provoking, kaleidoscopic feast for the eyes that will enthrall animation fans and film lovers of all ages. The Lord of the Rings Donald W. Ernst, Peter Kirby, Ralph Bakshi Animated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic tale of Middle Earth. Genre: Children's Video Media Type: DVD Mr. Brooks Bruce A. Evans Consider MR. BROOKS. A successful businessman. A generous philanthropist. A loving father and devoted husband. Seemingly, he's perfect. But Mr. Brooks has a secret... he is also the notorious Thumbprint Killer and no one has ever suspected it... until now. Head Case: Season 1, Vol. 1 Jason Farrand Meet Dr. Elizabeth Goode, Ph. D (Alexandra Wentworth), a brash and judgmental therapist who uses her own unconventional methods of therapy to treat the elite of the entertainment, sports and music industries. Her unique brand of treating the celebrity psyche has made her the “it” therapist in Hollywood and NY with an undeniably thriving practice. Rosanna Arquette, Andy Dick, Ione Skye, Lea Thompson, Richard Kind, James Denton, David Alan Grier, Greg Grunberg, Monica Potter, Joel Madden, Christopher Lloyd, Jason Lewis, Jonathan Silverman, Jennifer Finnigan, Ahmet Zappa, Trudie Styler, Cindy Margolis and Jeff Goldblum guest star as themselves in this Starz Originals series that the New York Post hails as “unscripted, unusual, funny and real!” Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy Daniel Farrands, Andrew Kasch Dumb and Dumber Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly For Harry and Lloyd, every day is a no-brainer. Join these two halfwits as they travel across the country to return a suitcase full of cash to its rightful owner. Along the way, they'll confound and confuse everyone who crosses their path. There's Something More About Mary Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly Ted (Ben Stiller) is still in love with his high school prom date, Mary (Cameron Diaz), even though it's been years after the humiliating incident that cut their date short. Ted hires Pat, a private detective (Matt Dillon) to track her down, but Pat ends up falling in love with her too, starting a battle for Mary's heart. Zathura - Special Edition Jon Favreau A new adventure from the world of Jumanji. Approximately 101 minutes. Widescreen. Rated PG. King of New York Abel Ferrara When drug lord Frank White is released from prison, he sets out to destroy opposing gangs. When some renegade cops try to stop him, he puts out a contract on them too. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Will Ferrell Seven David Fincher A retiring cop and his replacement track a psychotic killer who's using the seven deadly sins as a guide. Starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow. Panic Room David Fincher American Ninja Sam Firstenberg Get ready for breathtaking action and electrifying martial arts magic as a young American becomes one of the greatest masters of Ninjitsu, the deadliest art of the Orient. American Ninja is entertainment as swift and sure as the flashing blade of a samurai's sword! Stationed in the Philippines, 18-year-old U.S. Army private Joe Armstrong (Michael Dudikoff) is escorting a supply convoy when it is ambushed by rebelsone of whom he recognizes as a Black Ninja warrior. Instinctively, Joe defends himself using the esoteric martial art of Ninjitsuan ability that puts him under suspicion by his commander and fellow soldiers. Alone in his fight against corruption, the boy finally discovers the secret of his mysterious pasta secret that pits him against the evil Black Star Ninja in the ultimate martial arts battle. Red Sonja Richard Fleischer After her family is murdered, a young woman becomes a master of the sword and seeks revenge on the evil queen responsible for the mayhem that has befallen her. Undisputed II - Last Man Standing Isaac Florentine Sequel to the 2002 film. This time, Heavyweight Champ George "Iceman" Chambers (White) is sent to a Russian jail on trumped-up drug charges. In order to win his freedom he must fight against the jailhouse fighting champ Uri Boyka (Adkins) in a battle to the death. This time he is not fighting for a title, he is fighting for his life! Glengarry Glen Ross James Foley A group of sleazy real estate men face a high-pressure stress as they are put in danger of getting the ax by their hard-driving bosses.System Requirements:Starring: Al Pacino Alan Arkin Alec Baldwin Ed Harris Jack Lemmon and Kevin Spacey. Directed By: James Foley. Running Time: 100 Min. Color. This film is presented in both "Widescreen" and "Standard" formats. Copyright 2002 Artisan Entertainment.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 012236114505 Manufacturer No: 13286 Man on the Moon Milos Forman Jim carrey hilariously portrays the late andy kaufman in this entertaining comedy. Kaufman is considered one of the most innovative eccentric and enigmatic comics of all time. Along for the ride to the top is kaufmans manager george shapiro his best friend and writer bob zmuda and his girlfriend. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 04/12/2005 Starring: Jim Carrey Courtney Love Run time: 119 minutes Rating: R Director: Milos Forman Finding Neverland Marc Forster Award winners Johnny Depp (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL), Kate Winslet (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND), Dustin Hoffman, and Julie Christie (TROY, HAMLET) star in this magical tale about one of the world's greatest storytellers and the people who inspired his masterwork "Peter Pan." Well-known playwright James M. Barrie (Depp) finds his career at a crossroads when his latest play flops and doubters question his future. Then by chance he meets a widow (Winslet) and her four adventurous boys. Together they form a friendship that ignites the imagination needed to produce Barrie's greatest work! An enchanting big-screen treat with an acclaimed cast of stars, FINDING NEVERLAND has been hailed as one of the year's best motion pictures! Stranger Than Fiction Marc Forster AN IRS AUDITOR SUDDENLY FINDS HIMSELF THE SUBJECT OF NARRATIONONLY HE CAN HEAR: NARRATION THAT BEGINS TO AFFECT HIS ENTIRELIFE, FROM HIS WORK, TO HIS LOVE-INTEREST, TO HIS DEATH. Tomorrow Never Dies Dominique Fortin, Roger Spottiswoode Pierce Brosnan returns for his second stint as James Bond (after GoldenEye), and he's doing it in high style with an invigorating cast of costars. It's only appropriate that a Bond film from 1997 would find Agent 007 pitted against a media mogul (Jonathan Pryce) who's going to start a global war (beginning with stolen nuclear missiles aimed at China) to create attention-grabbing headlines for his latest multimedia news channel. It's the information age run amok, and Bond must team up with a lovely and lethal agent from the Chinese External Security Force (played by Honk Kong action star Michelle Yeoh) to foil the madman's plot of global domination. Luckily for Bond, the villain's wife (Teri Hatcher) is one of his former lovers, and at the behest of his superior M (Judi Dench), 007 finds ample opportunity to exploit the connection. Although it bears some nagging similarities to many formulaic action films from the '90s, Tomorrow Never Dies (with a title song performed by Sheryl Crow) boasts enough grand-scale action and sufficiently intelligent plotting to suggest the Bond series has plenty of potential to survive into the next millennium. Armed with the usual array of gadgets (including a remote-controlled BMW), Brosnan settles into his role with acceptable flair, and the dynamic Yeoh provides a perfect balance to the sexism that once threatened to turn Bond into a politically incorrect anachronism. He's still Bond, to be sure, but he's saving the world with a bit more sophisticated finesse. In addition to theatrical trailers, this special edition DVD comes with a feature-length audio commentary by director Roger Spottiswoode, more commentary by stunt director Vic Armstrong and producer Michael G. Wilson, a storyboard overlay that compares action-sequence concepts with final footage, a 45-minute "Secrets of 007" featurette covering the evolution of the Bond character, and an isolated music-only track with an interview of composer David Arnold. Bond would be proud.Jeff Shannon Planet of the Apes Hugh S. Fowler, Franklin J. Schaffner Rule the planet with this thrilling, action-packed "wild ride" (The Washington Post) from legendary director Tim Burton (Sleepy Hollow, Batman). Troll/Troll 2 Claudio Fragasso, John Carl Buechler TROLL TROLL 2 Star Trek - First Contact Jonathan Frakes In their second big screen adventure, the year is 2373 and the crew of the Enterprise-E has learned the Borg has returned. Because of Captain Picard's past experiences with the Borg, Starfleet has ordered the Enterprise to stay out of the fight. Realizing too much is at stake, Picard disobeys orders and takes the Enterprise to Earth. His knowledge of Borg technology leads the Federation fleet to victory, but a Borg sphere escapes and opens a temporal vortex. The Enterprise pursues and travels back to April 4, 2063; the day before the first warp flight. Star Trek - Insurrection Jonathan Frakes When the crew of the Enterprise learns of the Federation plot against inhabitants of a unique planet, Capt. Picard begins an open rebellion in an effort to defend the planet’s people and the principles in which the Federation was founded. The Lookout Scott Frank Acclaimed screenwriter Scott Frank (Out Of Sight and Get Shorty) makes a mind-blowing directorial debut in The Lookout, a gritty, high-tension crime thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (TV’s Third Rock From The Sun, Brick), Jeff Daniels (RV) and Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers). Chris "Slapshot" Pratt (Gordon-Levitt), whose once-bright future has been dimmed by a severe head injury, is a night janitor at a bank. Lonely and frustrated, Chris falls prey to a con man’s seductive promise of romance and a better life, and agrees to help rob the bank where he works. Filled with heart-pounding action, edge-of-your-seat suspense and a twist you’ll never see coming, The Lookout will grip you and never let go. The Bird With the Crystal Plumage Franco Fraticelli, Dario Argento The Stunning Debut By Dario Argento The Italian Master Of Terror In his first film as writer/director, Dario Argento (SUSPIRIA, DEEP RED, TWO EVIL EYES) single-handedly created the giallo genre and instantly emerged as the filmmaker critics worldwide hailed as 'The Italian Hitchcock'. Tony Musante (TRAFFIC, OZ) and Suzy Kendall (CIRCUS OF FEAR, TORSO) star in this pulse-pounding suspense thriller about an American writer in Rome who witnesses - and is helpless to stop - a brutal assault, the cunning vengeance of a maniac, and the heart-stopping horror that lives - and kills - deep in the dark. Blue Underground is proud to present this legendary shocker remastered in High Definition from its original camera negative - including recently discovered never-before-seen footage of explicit violence - remixed in 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX. Exclusive Extras in this 2-Disc Special Edition include four all-new featurettes with Argento, Oscar® winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, legendary composer Ennio Morricone, co-star Eva Renzi and much more! High Fidelity Stephen Frears From the guys who brought you GROSSE POINTE BLANK comes the absolutely hilarious HIGH FIDELITY. John Cusack (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH) stars as Rob Gordon, the owner of a semi-failing record store located on one of the back streets of Chicago. He sells music the old-fashioned way on vinyl, with two wacky clerks, the hysterically funny rock snob Barry (Jack Black) and the more quietly opinionated underachiever Dick (Todd Luiso). But Rob's business isn't the only thing in his life that's floundering his needle skips the love groove when his longtime girlfriend Laura (newcomer Iben Hjejle) walks out on him. And this forces him to examine his past failed attempts at romance the only way he knows how! For a rocking fun time, give HIGH FIDELITY a spin. It's sure to make your all-time top five list for comedies with a bullet. The Full Monty - Fully Exposed Edition David Freeman, Peter Cattaneo Six unemployed men, inspired by a touring group of male strippers, decide they can make a small fortune by putting on a striptease show of their own-but with one small difference. They intend to go the "full monty" and strip completely naked! In this hi 28 Weeks Later Juan Carlos Fresnadillo 28 WEEKS LATER is sequel to the successful 28 Days Later. The film pick up six months after the Rage virus has spread throughout the city of London. The United States Army has restored order and is repopulating the quarantined city, when a carrier of the Rage virus enters London and unknowingly re-ignites the spread of the deadly infection, wreaking havoc on the entire population. The virus is not yet dead, and this time it's more dangerous than ever!! City of the Living Dead Lucio Fulci "WOE BE UNTO HIM WHO OPENS ONE OF THE SEVEN GATEWAYS TO HELL, BECAUSE THROUGH THAT GATEWAY, EVIL WILL INVADE THE WORLD." The Seven Gates Of Hell have been torn open, and in three days the dead shall rise and walk the earth. As a reporter (Christopher George of PIECES) and a psychic (Catriona MacColl of THE BEYOND) race to close the portals of the damned, they encounter a seething nightmare of unspeakable evil. The city is alive - with the horrors of the living dead! Directed and co-written by the legendary Lucio Fulci (ZOMBIE, THE BEYOND), CITY OF THE LIVIND DEAD features some of the maestro's most shocking and controversial sequences of all time. This is the definitive version of Fulci's hallucinogenic masterpiece of horror: uncut, uncensored and presented in all its brain-ripping, gut-spewing, head-drilling glory! The Big Red One - The Reconstruction Samuel Fuller THE FAMOUS FIRST DIVISON OF THE U.S. ARMY IS THE BACKGROUND OF THIS WORLD WAR II FILM. MARVIN STARS AS AN EXPERIENCED SERGEANT WITH FOUR TEENAGERS IN HIS SQUAD. COMBAT PERIOD COVERS THE LANDING IN NORTH AFRICA THRU THE INVASION OF EUROPE. 12 Monkeys Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe, Terry Gilliam Inspired by Chris Marker's acclaimed short film La Jetée (which is included on the DVD Short 2: Dreams), 12 Monkeys combines intricate, intelligent storytelling with the uniquely imaginative vision of director Terry Gilliam. The story opens in the wintry wasteland of the year 2035, where a virulent plague has forced humans to live in a squalid, oppressively regimented underground. Bruce Willis plays a societal outcast who is given the opportunity to erase his criminal record by "volunteering" to time-travel into the past to obtain a pure sample of the deadly virus that will help future scientists to develop a cure. But in bouncing from 1918 to the early and mid-1990s, he undergoes an ordeal that forces him to question his own perceptions of reality. Caught between the dangers of the past and the devastation of the future, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who is initially convinced he's insane, and a wacky mental patient (Brad Pitt in a twitchy Oscar-nominated role) with links to a radical group that may have unleashed the deadly virus. Equal parts mystery, tragedy, psychological thriller, and apocalyptic drama, 12 Monkeys ranks as one of the best science fiction films of the '90s, boosted by Gilliam's visual ingenuity and one of the finest performances of Willis's career. Jeff Shannon King Arthur - The Director's Cut Antoine Fuqua King Arthur the Extended Unrated Director's Cut contains fourteen minutes of never-before-seen footage, including more intense battle sequences and the scenes "Rain and Snow" and "Saxons Surrounded." Bonus Features • Alternate Ending "Badon Hill" With Optional Director Commentary • Blood On The Land: Forging King Arthur • Cast And Filmmaker Round Table • Director Commentary • Konami's King Arthur Playable Xbox Demo Superman IV - The Quest for Peace Sidney J. Furie Christopher Reeve not only dons the title hero's cape for the fourth time but also helped develop the movie's provocative theme: nuclear disarmament. "For me, it's the most personal of the entire series," Reeve said. "It directly reflects what Superman should be, and should be doing." Superman does a lot this time around. To make the world safe for nuclear arms merchants, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) creates a new being to challenge the Man of Steel: the radiation-charged Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow). The two foes clash in an explosive extravaganza that sees Superman save the Statue of Liberty, plug a volcanic eruption of Mount Etna and rebuild the demolished Great Wall of China. Your quest for excitement is over! The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring Joel Gallen, Michael Pellerin, Peter Jackson Not seen in theaters, this unique version of the epic adventure features over 30 minutes of new and extended scenes integrated into the film by the director. Brotherhood of the Wolf - Director's Cut Christophe Gans Brotherhood of the Wolf leaps into a new realm of suspense with this thrilling 2-disc Director's Cut of the international film sensation! When a mysterious beast ravages the countryside, two unlikely heroes are called in to fight the evil. And now, their battle against dark, unspeakable terror is even more gripping with a daring extended version of the film that showcases more of the breathtaking martial arts action and over four hours of in-depth bonus features. The incredible hit that took audiences and critics alike on “a wild ride” (Premiere) is back with more chilling adventure that’s sure to have pulses racing all over again. Shock Waves Norman Gay, Ken Wiederhorn Studio: Wea-des Moines Video Release Date: 09/30/2003 Joy Division Grant Gee Joy Division is a "fascinating look at the brief but vital trajectory of a band that died with its troubled frontman, Ian Curtis" (Jason Gargano, Cincinnati CityBeat), only to be reborn as the equally influential New Order. Featuring interviews with all surviving band members, Joy Division explores the Manchester origins of this revolutionary act, their partnership with Factory Records founder Tony Wilson, and collaboration with legendary producer Martin Hannett. Clash of the Titans Timothy Gee, Desmond Davis Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 03/02/2010 Run time: 158 minutes Rating: Pg Sleeping Beauty Clyde Geronimi Awaken your senses to the majesty of SLEEPING BEAUTY, Walt Disney's classic fairy tale. See more than you've ever seen before through the magic of state-of-the-art technology, and experience this groundbreaking film restored beyond its original brilliance, in the way Walt envisioned it pristine, beautiful, utterly breathtaking. SLEEPING BEAUTY will transform your home into a fantastic world your family will want to experience again and again. In the original story, Princess Aurora sleeps for 100 years before being awakened by a prince's kiss. In the Disney version, Prince Philip comes to her rescue much sooner. George Brun's orchestral score, which was nominated for an Academy Award, expertly blended famous themes from Tchaikovsky's ballet. With a budget that exceeded $6 million in 1959, this was Walt Disney's most lavish and expensive animated feature to date. Determined to make the characters as realistic as possible, Disney had a live action film shot with actors posing as Sleeping Beauty, the Prince, and Maleficent, for the animators to use. New York Times critic Bosley Crowther called the fight between Prince Philip and Maleficent the noisiest and scariest go-round he (Disney) has ever put into one of his films. All-New Digital Restoration With Enhanced Picture And Sound All-New 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Surround Sound All-New Once Upon A Dream Music Video, Performed By HANNAH MONTANA'S Emily Osment Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough A Fully Immersive Virtual Tour All-New Enhanced Dance Game With Help From Briar Rose's Forest Friends, You Can Learn How To Dance Never-Before-Seen Alternate Opening All-New Making Of SLEEPING BEAUTY Featurette And Much, Much More Alice in Wonderland Clyde Geronimi, David Hand, Hamilton Luske, Robert Florey, Wilfred Jackson Experience the magic, fun, and adventure of ALICE IN WONDERLAND like never before in this new Masterpiece Edition 2-Disc set. Join Alice as she falls into the madcap world of Wonderland and meets extraordinary characters such as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, and the frantically late White Rabbit. And the fun continues with new bonus features including the Virtual Wonderland Party, the newly discovered Cheshire Cat song "I'm Odd," Mickey's "Thru the Mirror" animated short, plus sing-along songs and all-new games. Your family will want to experience this timeless Disney masterpiece again and again! Cinderella Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson The most celebrated of all the Disney classics, CINDERELLA, is also known as one of Walt Disney's all-time favorite films. CINDERELLA has enchanted generations with its spellbinding story, charming music, and endearing characters that live in your heart forever. The beloved fairy tale becomes pure Disney magic as beautiful Cinderella shares her dreams of romance and a better life with the lovable mice Gus and Jaq. When Cinderella's cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, the delightful Fairy Godmother appears! With a wave of her wondrous wand and a bouncy "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," the Fairy Godmother transforms a simple pumpkin into a magical coach and Cinderella's rags into a gorgeous gown. At the ball, Cinderella falls in love with Prince Charming, but must flee before the stroke of midnight breaks the spell! Now with an all-new digital restoration, Disney's Enhanced Home Theater Mix, and all-new games and music videos, this 2-Disc Special Edition of Cinderella is the perfect fit for everyone who believes dreams really do come true. Also available on Video. Lady and the Tramp Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson Walt Disney's LADY AND THE TRAMP, filled with memorable music and purebred fun, now shines like never before with an all-new digital restoration! Embark on a thrilling adventure with the most unforgettable characters: Lady, a lovingly pampered cocker spaniel; Tramp, a mutt from across the tracks with a heart of gold; Jock and Trusty, Lady's best friends; and Si and Am, two of the most devious cats to prowl across the screen. The happiest of endings takes place on a lovely bella notte as Lady learns what it means to be footloose and leash-free. Unleash all the fun and excitement in this 2-Disc Special Edition, including never-before-seen deleted scenes, 5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, all-new games, making-of secrets, and much more! Anvil: The Story of Anvil Sacha Gervasi AT 14, THEY MADE A PACT TO ROCK TOGETHER FOREVER. THEY MEANT IT. Ronin Antony Gibbs, John Frankenheimer In a world where loyalties are easily abandoned and allegiances can be bought, a new and deadlier terrorist threat has emerged...free agent killers. Featuring "high-octane action" (Gene Shalit, "Today"), a "first-rate cast" (L.A. Daily News) and exhilarating car chases that "are nothing short of sensational" (The New York Times), Ronin is "the real deal in action fireworks" (Rolling Stone) directed by "a master of intelligent thrillers" (Roger Ebert). The Cold War may be over, but a new world order keeps a group of covert mercenaries employed by the highest bidder. These operatives, known as "Ronin," are assembled in France by a mysterious client for a seemingly routine mission: steal a top-secret briefcase. But the simple task soon proves explosive asother underworld organizations vie for the same prize...and to get the job done, the members of Ronin must do something they've never done before...trust each other. Dune Antony Gibbs, David Lynch IN THE DISTANT FUTURE, A MAN APPEARS TO BE THE PROPHET THAT A LONG-SUFFERING GALAXY HAS BEEN WAITING FOR. The Passion of the Christ Mel Gibson THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST depicts the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth (Jim Caviezel), beginning with his betrayal by Judas Iscariot (Luca Lionello) and ending with his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. Directed by Mel Gibson (BRAVEHEART)who funded the film himself and co-wrote the screenplayPASSION uses flashbacks to substantiate a handful of pertinent moments in Jesus' life and teachings, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the Last Supper, as well as his relationships with his mother and his disciples. Still, the drama focuses on the seemingly endless torture inflicted upon Jesus by Roman soldiers at the urging of the Jewish crowd that considers him a blasphemer, despite the attempts of a sympathetic Pontius Pilate (Hristo Naumov Shopov) to spare him from death. The faint of heart should be prepared for the brutal, barbaric beatings that Christ endures. Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, and Hristo Jivkov are touching as Mary, Magdalene, and John respectively, who are devastated by Jesus' fate yet aware that they can do nothing to change it. Performed in Aramaic and Latin with English subtitles, Gibson's labor of love is sure to prompt discussion and debate as to historical and Biblical fact. Mel Gibson's Apocalypto Mel Gibson From Mel Gibson, director of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST and the Academy Award®-winning BRAVEHEART (Best Director, Best Picture, 1995) comes the thrilling historical epic APOCALYPTO. This intense, nonstop action-adventure transports you to an ancient South American civilization, for an experience unlike anything you’ve ever known. In the twilight of the mysterious Mayan culture, young Jaguar Paw is captured and taken to the great Mayan city where he faces a harrowing end. Driven by the power of his love for his wife and son, he makes an adrenaline-soaked, heart-racing escape to rescue them and ultimately save his way of life. Filled with unrelenting action and stunning cinematography, APOCALYPTO is an enthralling and unforgettable film experience.' Monty Python and the Holy Grail Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones MONTY PYTHON & HOLY GRAIL (DVD/SPECIAL EDITION) Monty Python's the Meaning of Life Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones The Running Man Paul Michael Glaser In this action thriller based on an early story by Stephen King, Los Angeles in the year 2017 has become a police state in the wake of the global economy's total collapse. All forms of entertainment are government controlled, and the most popular show on television is an elaborate game show in which convicted criminals are given a chance to escape by running through a gauntlet of brutal killers known as "Stalkers." Anyone who survives is given their freedom and a condominium in Hawaii, so when a wrongly accused citizen (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is chosen as a contestant, all hell breaks loose. Cheesy sets and a slimy role for game-show host Richard Dawson make this violent mess of mayhem a candidate for guilty pleasure; it is the kind of movie that truly devoted Arnold fans will want to watch more than once. And check those creditschoreography by Paula Abdul Masters of the Universe Gary Goddard Planet Eternia and the Castle of Greyskull are under threat from the evil Skeletor who wants to take over the planet. A group of freedom fighters, led by the heroic He-Man are accidentally transported to Earth by a mysterious Cosmic Key which holds the power to make Skeletor all-powerful. Once on Earth, He-Man joins alliances with two teenagers as they attempt to find the key and return home. Over the Top Menahem Golan No Description Available. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Media Type: DVD Pocahontas Eric Goldberg, Mike Gabriel All the music, adventure, and colorful fun of Disney's POCAHONTAS come to life like never before in the 10th Anniversary Edition 2-Disc Set. Bursting with all the "Colors Of The Wind," POCAHONTAS tells the story of a free-spirited girl who wonders what adventures await "Just Around The Riverbend." Pocahontas along with her playful pals Meeko and Flit relies on the guidance of her loving and wise Grandmother Willow when English settlers arrive on the shores of their village. Her chance meeting with the courageous Captain John Smith leads to a beautiful friendship that bridges the gap between two cultures, and changes history. Now fully restored, POCAHONTAS includes the song "If I Never Knew You," and never-before-seen animation seamlessly integrated into the original film. This 2-Disc 10th Anniversary Edition is loaded with spectacular bonus features, all-new games, and soaring Academy Award(R)-winning music (1995 Best Original Musical Score, Best Original Song, "Colors Of The Wind"). Disney's POCAHONTAS is a fun-filled adventure your whole family will enjoy. The Punisher Mark Goldblatt The one-man execution squad based on the marvel comics creation wont rest until he avenges the murder of his wife. Studio: Ingram Entertainment Release Date: 07/22/2003 Starring: Dolph Lundgren Jereon Krabbe Run time: 92 minutes Rating: R Director: Mark Goldblatt Nightbreed Mark Goldblatt, Clive Barker Set in the canadian wilderness, a search is on for a serial killer and an ancient tribe of monsters called the night-breed. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Michel Gondry WHEN JOEL DISCOVERS THAT HIS GIRLFRIEND CLEMENTINE HAS HAD THEIR TUMULTUOUS RELATIONSHIP ERASED FROM HER MIND THROUGH AN EXPERIMENTAL SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURE, HE DECIDES TO ERASE HIS OWN PAIN BY GETTING THE SAME TREATMENT. BUT AS EACH MEMORY IS ELIMINATED, JOEL SUDDENLY REALIZES HOW MUCH HE STILL LOVES HER. Right at Your Door Chris Gorak After multiple dirty bombs are detonated spreading deadly toxic ash across Los Angeles Brad (Rory Cochrane) inadvertently quarantines his wife Lexi (Mary McCormack) outside their new home by safely sealing himself inside. With the city under siege and Martial Law in effect Brad and Lexi struggle to survive with little supply limited time and no information - all the while separated by thin doors and thinner sheets of plastic. When "help" finally does arrive it appears to be anything but.Cast: Mary McCormack Rory CochraneDirector: Chris GorakSystem Requirements:Run Time: 96 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: R UPC: 031398223498 Manufacturer No: 22349 Dagon Stuart Gordon Based on a short story by HP Lovecraft the undisputed master of macabre Paul and his girlfriend Barbara are celebrating the success of their new company on a yacht off the coast of Spain. When a sudden storm smashes their boat on a reef Barbara and Paul swim to the nearest town for help. The decrepit fishing village of Imboca at first seems to be deserted but unblinking eyes peer out from boarded-up houses. The strange inhabitants offer little help to the stranded couple. By nightfall Barbara is missing and Paul finds himself pursued by the entire town but a town of what?System Requirements: Running Time 98 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R UPC: 658149800229 Manufacturer No: ST8002D From Beyond Stuart Gordon The second H.P. Lovecraft adaptation by Stuart Gordon FROM BEYOND is pure Lovecraftian science-terror. Out-there scientist Dr. Pretorious (Ted Sorel) and his assistant Dr. Tillinghast (Jeffery Combs) are working towards breaking through earthly perceptions and revealing a new alternate universe. They do this by stimulating the pineal gland of the human brain which enables people to see the strange creatures that inhabit a parallel dimension. Unfortunately these creatures can now see humans as well and they are none too pleased with it. Dr. Pretorious is killed by the floating monstrosities but the police blame his assistant for the murder and lock him up. Only Dr. Katharine McMichaels (Barbara Crampton) believes the insane tales of Dr. Tillinghast and it's up to her to shut down the experiment that threatens to unleash the other-dimensional creatures on this universe forever. Great special effects and solid performances by Combs and Crampton complement a near-perfect realization by Gordon of Lovecraft's vividly detailed and chilling vision of scientific possibilities.System Requirements:Running Time: 85 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R UPC: 027616085504 Manufacturer No: M108550 Stuck Stuart Gordon Mena Suvari (American Beauty) unforgettably stars as Brandi, a hard-partying, overworked nursing assistant in this delicious, darkly humorous psychological thriller from director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond). Brandi accidentally steers her car into a homeless man, movingly played by Stephen Rea (The Crying Game), sending him flying through the windshield. Not wanting to jeopardize a possible job promotion, she chooses not to get him medical help, leaving him clinging to life in her garage. But soon her psyche begins to unravel as captor and captive are pitted against each other in a bloody...even outrageous battle for survival. Director Stuart Gordon delivers what Variety called "ingeniously nasty and often shockingly funny" entertainment. Hatchet Adam Green Get ready for one of the most talked-about, red- blooded American horror movies of the past 20 years: When a group of New Orleans tourists take a cheesy haunted swamp tour, they slam face-first into the local legend of deformed madman Victor Crowley. What follows is a psycho spree of seat-jumping scares, eye- popping nudity, skull-splitting mayhem and beyond. Joel David Moore (DODGEBALL), Deon Richmond (SCREAM 3) and Mercedes McNab (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) star – along with horror icons Tony ‘Candyman’ Todd, Robert ‘Freddy Krueger’ Englund and Kane ‘Jason’ Hodder – in this screamingly funny carnage classic that Fangoria hails as “a no-hold-barred homage to the days when slasher films were at their reddest and wettest!” Friday the 13th, Part VI - Jason Lives Bruce Green, Tom McLoughlin As a child, Tommy Jarvis did what many others died trying to do, he killed Jason Vorhees, the mass murderer who terrorized the residents of Crystal lake. But now, years later, Tommy is tormented by the fear that maybe Jason isn't really dead. So, Tommy and a friend go to the cemetery to dig up Jason's grave. Unfortunately for Tommy, (and very unfortunately for his friend), instead of finding a rotting corpse, they discover a well rested Jason who comes back from the dead for another bloody rampage in Friday The 13th - Part VI: Jason Lives. Robot Chicken: Star Wars Christopher Greenbury, Tariq Anwar, Sam Mendes AMERICAN BEAUTY (DVD) DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 & DTS 5.1 The Bourne Supremacy Paul Greengrass BOURNE SUPREMACY (DVD) (WS/DOL DIG 5.1 SUR/ENG/SPA United 93 Paul Greengrass One of the most shocking events in modern American history gets a skilled and respectful treatment in United 93. The movie begins by following the four terrorists who hijacked the plane that never reached its target on 9/11/2001, tracking them as they enter the airport and wait for their flight, surrounded by the people who will die from their actions. From there, it cuts to and fro among air traffic controllers and the military as, gradually, it becomes clear that planes are being hijacked and crashed into buildings. As the focus turns to the captive United Flight 93, the passengers discover, due to cell phone connections with family, that they're on a suicide mission andalmost paralyzed by stress and anxietydecide to fight back. Most movies create tension by implying what might happen, but with United 93 the audience knows exactly what happened: Every person on that plane died. As a result, the movie is more relentlessly gut-wrenching than suspenseful (though the dawning realization of the air traffic controllers has an effective creeping dread). But writer/director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) manages to keep the scale of the events human; there are no glamorous heroics, only terrifying confusion and desperate, hopeless bravery. One can only hope the movie brings some peace to the families of the passengers, as United 93 is the cinematic equivalent of a war memorial, commemorating lives lost in a moment of horrible, harrowing conflict. Bret Fetzer A Mighty Wind Christopher Guest Documentary-style Comedy. Christopher Guest follows up his acclaimed ensemble comedies Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman with a docu-comedy about three folk groups from the '60s who reunite for a memorial concert in New York City following the death of a legendary folk manager. DVD Features: Media Type: DVD Crash - The Director's Cut Paul Haggis This compelling urban thriller tracks the volatile intersection of a multiethnic cast of characters struggling to overcome their fears as they careen in and out of one another's lives. In the gray area between black and white, victim and aggressor, during the next 36 hours, they will all collide. The Wizard of Oz Jack Haley Jr., King Vidor, Mac Kenny, Mervyn LeRoy, Richard Thorpe An All-New Wizard of Oz With State of The Art Ultra-Resolution Picture Quality and Over 10 Hours of Bonus Extras. DVD Features: Audio Commentary:Commentary by John Fricke and multiple cast and crew members. Biographies:We Haven't Really Met Properly - includes 9 orginal cast biographies Deleted Scenes:If I Only Had a Brain; If I Only Had a Heart; Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Over the Rainbow; The Jitterbug Documentary:Memories of Oz -2001 TCM documentary Featurette:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook; Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz; The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz; Because of the Wonderful Things it Does: The Legacy of Oz Music Clips:Audio Vault Includes: Over the Rainbow; Munchkinland Medley Rehearsal Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Sequence Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Voice Tests; If I Only Had a Brain; We're Off to See the Wizard; If I Only Had a Heart; If I Only Had the Nerve/We?re Off to See the Wizard; Emerald City/The Merry Old Land of Oz; If I Were King of the Forest; The Jitterbug; Over the Rainbow/Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Kansas Underscoring; Munchkinland Underscoring; and more Music Only Track Newsreel:Cavalcade of the Academy Awards Excerpt - 1939 newsreel Other:Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power - 1938 MGM short; Leo Is on the Air Radio Promo; Good News of 1939 Radio Show; 12/25/1950 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast Photo gallery:Oz on Broadway; Pre-MGM; Sketches and Storyboards; Costume and Make-up Tests; Richard Thorpe's Oz; Buddy Ebsen; Oz Comes to Life; Behind the Scenes; Portraits; Special Effects; Post Production; Deleted Scenes; Original Publicity TV Special:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic - 1990 TV special Theatrical Trailer:1939 What is Oz? Teaser; 1940 Loews Cairo Theater Trailer; 1949 Re-issue Trailer; 1949 Grownup Re-issue Trailer; 1970 Children's Matinee Re-issue Trailer; 1998 Warner Bros. Re-issue Trailer; Texas Contest Winners [1939 trailer] Laid to Rest Robert Hall A terrifying story of a young girl who wakes up in a casket with a traumatic head injury and no memory of her identity. She quickly realizes she was abducted by a deranged serial murder and must survive the night and outsmart the technologically inclined killer who is hell bent on finishing what he started. 2009 Reaper Award winner - Best Slasher Film Rocky Richard Halsey, Scott Conrad, John G. Avildsen Nominated* for 10 Academy Awards(r) and winner for Best Picture, it's the film that inspired a nation! Audiences and critics alike cheered this American success story of an "everyman" triumphing over all odds. Featuring a dynamic musical score, a thrilling fight sequence and four Oscar(r) - nominated* performances, this rousing crowd-pleaser will send spirits soaring. Fighting for love, glory and self-respect, Rocky(r) scores an exultant knockout! Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is a Philadelphia club fighter who seems to be going nowhere. But whena stroke of fate puts him in the ring with a world heavyweight champion, Rocky knows that it's his one shot at the big time - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go the distance and come out a winner! 1976: Actor (Stallone), Actress (Talia Shire), Supporting Actor (Burgess Meredith, Burt Young), Director (won), Original Screenplay, Original Song, Editing (won), Sound Jason Goes to Hell David Handman, Adam Marcus Scare yourself into purgatory as the body count continues. The relentless, hockey-masked killer Jason Voorhees returns for more bloody cranage in this ninth chapter of the frightfully successful Friday the 13th series. Year: 89 Director: Adam Marcus Starring: John D. LeMay, Kari Keegan, Erin Gray DVD Features: Theatrical Trailer A Beautiful Mind Daniel Hanley, Mike Hill, Ron Howard Winner of 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, A Beautiful Mind is directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard and produced by long-time partner and collaborator, Academy Award winner Brian Grazer. A Beautiful Mind stars Russell Crowe in an astonishing performance as brilliant mathematician John Nash, on the brink of international acclaim when he becomes entangled in a mysterious conspiracy. Now only his devoted wife (Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly) can help him in this powerful story of courage, passion and triumph. Pet Sematary Daniel P. Hanley, Mary Lambert For most families, moving is a new beginning. But for the Creeds, it could be the beginning of the end. Because they’re just moved in next door to a place that children built with broken dreams, the Pet Sematary. It’s a tiny patch of land that hides a mysterious Indian burial ground with the powers of resurrection. Master of the Macabre, Stephen King, will take you and the Creeds to hell and back. (But the Creeds don’t have return tickets.) Your tour guide is kindly old Judd Crandall (Fred Gwynne), the neighborhood nice guy who knows the secrets of life, but has seen enough to firmly believe that "sometimes dead is better." L.A. Confidential Curtis Hanson Three police detectives each use their own approach to find the truth behind a group murder. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Media Type: DVD 8 Mile Curtis Hanson Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 05/22/2007 Run time: 111 minutes Rating: R The Long Kiss Goodnight Renny Harlin DAVIS IS A SCHOOLTEACHER WHOSE FORMER LIFE AS A LETHAL CIA ASSASSIN SUDDENLY CATCHES UP TO HER WITH A VENGEANCE. JACKSON IS THE DETECTIVE WHO HELPS HER UNCOVER THE PAST BEFORE IT BURIES THEM BOTH. TOGETHER THEY MAKE AN UNBEATABLE TEAM THAT WILL BLOW YOU AWAY. Deep Blue Sea Renny Harlin Researchers ont he undersea lab aquatica have genetically altered the brains of captive sharks to develop a potential cure for alzheimers disease. Theres an unexpected side effect: the critters got smarter and meaner. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 05/31/2005 Starring: Thomas Jane Michael Rapaport Run time: 105 minutes Rating: R Director: Renny Harlin Cliffhanger Renny Harlin A mountain climber who has lost his nerve finds himself on a rescue mission involving millions of stolen Treasury dollars and ruthless criminals. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Media Type: DVD A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 - The Dream Master Renny Harlin Freddy, the psycho-sandman, returns to terrorize the teenagers on Elm street, but finds himself squared off against the "Dream Master," a beautiful young girl who just may have the psychic ability to lay the horror to rest. Die Hard 2 - Die Harder Renny Harlin Directed by Renny Harlin, the 1990 sequel, Die Hard 2 (unofficially referred to as Die Harder), doesn't match the level of the original, but it's still an exciting thrill ride with some terrific action sequences. One year after the Nakatomi incident, McClane (Willis) is awaiting his wife's (Bedelia) plane to arrive at Dulles Airport when he stumbles onto a plot to paralyze the entire airport, including all the planes trying to land. It's up to McClane to take on the cadre of bad guys despite all the bureaucrats standing in his way, and before the planes run out of fuel and crash to the ground. The cast includes William Sadler as rogue military man Col. Stuart, Dennis Franz as the latest bureaucratic cop to get in McClane's way, Richard Thornburg as the annoying reporter from the original movie, John Amos as a special-forces commander, early-in-their-career John Leguizamo and Robert Patrick as terrorists, and future politician and Law and Order actor Fred Thompson as the head of air traffic control. David Horiuchi The Hitcher Robert Harmon WHEN YOUNG JIM HALSEY STOPS TO PICK UP A HITCHHIKER, HE OPENS THE DOOR TO TERRIBLE EVIL. THE MYSTERIOUS HITCHER IS A RELENTLESS SLAUGHTERER, PREYING ON THOSE WHO INVITE HIM INTO THEIR LIVES. SPECIAL FEATURES: FILMOGRAPHIES, SCENE ACCESS, ORIGINAL THEATRICAL TRAILER. Fletch Richard A. Harris, Michael Ritchie Chevy Chase is at his hilarious best as Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, a newspaper reporter who changes his identity more often than his underwear. While working on a drug expose, he stumbles onto a scam that gets him up to his byline in murder, police corruption and forbidden romance. For this ace newsman, it'll be the story of the year, if he can only stay alive till the deadline. Featuring all-new bonus features, Fletch: The "Jane Doe" Edition is a must-own comedy-thriller classic. Just don't call him "Irwin"! American Psycho Mary Harron Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is a Wall Street yuppie obsessed with success, status and style, with a stunning fiancé (Reese Witherspoon). He is also a psychotic killer who rapes, murders and dismembers both strangers and acquaintances without provocation or purpose. Based on the controversial novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the film offers a sharp satire to the dark side of yuppie culture in the ‘80s, while setting forth a vision that is both terrifying and chilling. The Adventures of Milo and Otis Masanori Hata MILO & OTIS 10TH ANNIVERSARY-ADV OF (DVD/P&S/DSS/E The Smurfs - Season One, Vol. One Bob Hathcock, Carl Urbano, George Gordon, Rudy Zamora The long wait is over...the Smurfs on DVD for the first time ever! They're finally here! Handy, Hefty, Grouchy, Brainy, Lazy, Smurfette, Papa Smurf and more favorites bring you the greatest show on Smurf - on DVD for the first time ever. It's Season One, Vol. 1 of Smurfs' Adventures, the Emmy-winning animated series [Outstanding Children's Entertainment Series 1982-83] that delighted Saturday morning cartoon fans for nearly a decade. Of course, where Smurfs are, you'll also find evil wizard Gargamel and his cat Azrael - plus monsters, dragons and trolls - keeping our three-apple-high heroes on their tiny blue toes throughout 19 cartoon escapades. Ready for adventure, laughs and enchantment? Abso-Smurfly! DVD Features: Music Video Mad Max Cliff Hayes, George Miller Setting Mel Gibson on a sure path to superstardom, this highly acclaimed "crazy collide-o-scope"(Newsweek) of highway mayhem "cinematically defined the postapocalyptic landscape" (TV Guide). Featuring eye-popping stunts that are "electrifying and very convincing" (Variety) and "an authentically nihilistic spirit" (The Village Voice), Mad Max is "pure cinematic poetry" (Time). In the ravaged near future, a savage motorcycle gang rules the road. Terrorizing innocent civilians while tearing up the streets, the ruthless gang laughs in the face ofa police force hell-bent on stopping them. But they underestimate one officer: Max Rockatansky (Gibson). And when the bikers brutalize Max's best friend and family, they send him into a mad frenzy that leaves him with only one thing left in the world to live forrevenge! Payback - The Director's Cut Brian Helgeland Gibson stars as a career criminal out to get even with his partners who tried to kill him and took off with his $70,000 cut of a street heist. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Media Type: DVD The Punisher Jonathan Hensleigh Each DVD at launch will include a 28 page mini-comic inside the amray case. The comic is the first ever prequel comic to a movie. It is an alternate origin story to the Punisher and ends with the opening dock scene of the movie. It is written by Garth Ennis, premiere writer of Punisher comics, and the cover is illustrated by Tim Bradstreet. The comic is being written exclusively for this promotion, and will not be anywhere else in the marketplace for 6 months. The comic is full color and has a retail value of $2.25. 10,000 comics out of the total run will have a unique cover and be positioned as a limited edition. They will be randomly inserted into the DVDs and randomly distributed to retail. Labyrinth Jim Henson Relive the magic! This newly restored, 2-disc anniversary edition of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth contains an all-new commentary and bonus features that are guaranteed to captivate as never before. David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly invite you into a magical universe where nothing is what it seems! Babysitting infant stepbrother Toby on a weekend night isn’t young Sarah’s (Connelly) idea of fun. Frustrated by his crying, she secretly imagines the Goblins from her favorite book, Labyrinth, carrying Toby away. When her fantasy comes true, a distraught Sarah must enter a maze of illusion to bring Toby back from a kingdom inhabited by mystical creatures and governed by the wicked Goblin King (Bowie). The Dark Crystal Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Gary Kurtz Enjoy incredible footage from the Henson archives in this 2-disc 25th Anniversary Edition of The Dark Crystal. Travel back in time to the faraway planet of Thra. Cheer on the Mystics as they fight to overthrow the evil Skeksis and take back control of their planet! When Jen, a member of the Gelfling tribe, sets out to find the crystal’s missing shard, his dangerous journey brings him face to face with monsters at every turn. Determined to restore peace to their planet, Jen will not back down! From the brilliant imagination of Jim Henson, this masterpiece of animation recounts the timeless tale of good vs. evil and has become a cult favorite of children and grown-ups alike! Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Stephen Herek Keanu Reeves (The Matrix) and Alex Winter (The Lost Boys) deliver "spirited performances" (The Hollywood Reporter) in the original righteous comedy about the two ditzy dudes from San Dimas, California. Also starring George Carlin, this hysterically funny historical comedy is a "snappily directed" (Time), "bouncy good time" (The Boston Globe) and a party that goes on and on! Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) have spent so much time forming their rock band, The Wyld Stallyns, that they're flunking history. Whoa, duuuude! And when Ted's dad threatens to send him away to military school, Bill and Ted realize it could mean the most heinous end of The Stallyns! Luckily, a guardian angel from the future, Rufus (Carlin), has come to them with a most bodacious solution: a time-traversing phone booth to take them into the past to learn about the world from some of history's most influential personalities. Their journey through time turns out to be a blastÂ...but will they learn enough to pass their class? National Lampoon's European Vacation Pembroke J. Herring, Amy Heckerling The Griswalds are on vacation again when they win a deluxe tour of the old world and take on the European continent the continent loses. National Lampoon's Vacation Pembroke J. Herring, Harold Ramis VACATION-20TH ANNIVERSARY (DVD/NATIONAL LAMPOON) Alien Raiders Augie Hess, Ben Rock Fresh veggies on aisle 1. Fresh kills throughout the store. Something terrible is happening at Hastings Market. Something bloody. Something deadly. Something inhuman. And caught up in the grisly horror inside the market are shoppers turned hostages, unearthly alien terrors…and a dedicated commando band of raiders on a search-and-destroy mission to stop the intruders dead cold no matter where they hide. From Raw Feed, creators of the Rest Stop and Otis shockers, comes the sci-fi/horror tale Alien Raiders, a nerve-shredding battle for human survival against aliens that invade our world by invading our bodies. Be alert. Beware. Be afraid. The creatures next host could be your neighbor. Your kid brother. No its you! Napoleon Dynamite Jared Hess Napoleon Dynamite is a new kind of hero, complete with a tight red 'fro, sweet moon boots, and skills that can’t be topped. Napoleon spends his days drawing mythical beasts, duking it out with his brother, Kip, and avoiding his scheming Uncle Rico. When t Garfield - The Movie Peter Hewitt You'll scamper through tons of games like the all-new Garfield Comic Creator and Find Odie Maze Game, catch 17 hilarious deleted scenes, take in "Pick of the Litter," a documentary about bringing Garfield to life, go behind-the-scenes of Garfield And Friends, have your very own copy of the Baha Men music video "HOLLA," ? and much more! So grab a pan of lasagna, enjoy the full-length Garfield movie, and get ready for hours of family fun with Garfield! Samurai 7: Box Set Futoshi Higashide, Hirofumi Ogura, Hiroyuki Okuno, Inuo Inukawa, Jiro Fujimoto The Viridian Collection contains all 7 volumes of the series inspired by Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Samurai 7 is set in a futuristic world that has just seen the end of a massive war, many villages are being terrorized by Nobuseri bandits. The Nobuseri are no normal bandits. They were once men, but during the war they modifed themselves with machines to become living weapons and now apprear as more machine than man. A group of villagers decide to hire samurai to protect their village. These men of valor are as skilled as they are unique. Garfield - A Tail of Two Kitties Tim Hill America's favorite fat cat is back, and this time, he's giving England the royal treatment! It's a British invasion of a different kind when Garfield, along with pals Jon and Odie, travels to London and meets his mirror-image in Prince, an aristocratic kitty who has inherited a fabulous castle. The two trade places, and soon Garfield is living large as only he can! There's just one problem: the dastardly Lord Dargis wants him out of the picture. A Tail of Two Kitties is twice the laughs and double the fun for the whole family... It's good to be the king! Undisputed Walter Hill Two of Hollywood's hottest stars Wesley Snipes (BLADE 1&2, PASSENGER 57) and Ving Rhames (PULP FICTION, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 1&2) go head-to-head in this explosive crime thriller! When the world's heavyweight champion (Rhames) is sent to prison, everything points to an inevitable showdown with the penitentiary's undefeated champ (Snipes). But to make sure the meeting will happen, a former mob boss (Peter Falk TV's COLUMBO, CORKY ROMANO) must call in favors from the outside world. Then the battle is on ... and the action, adrenaline, and intensity switch into high gear! Also featuring Master P (RHYME & REASON, I GOT THE HOOK-UP) and Ed Lover (RIDE) this powerfully entertaining motion picture is another crowd-pleaser from the hit-making director of 48 HRS., ANOTHER 48 HRS., and LAST MAN STANDING! Red Heat Walter Hill A highly disciplined russian detective and a fearless but undisciplined chicago cop are one mismatched team hot on the trail of russias deadliest drug smuggler throughout the mean streets of chicago. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 08/30/2005 Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger James Belushi Run time: 106 minutes Rating: R Director: Walter Hill The Warriors Walter Hill A battle of gigantic proportions is looming in the neon underground of New York City. The armies of the night number 100,000; they outnumber the police 5 to 1; and tonight they're after the Warriors - a street gang blamed unfairly for a rival gang leader's death. This contemporary action-adventure story takes place at night, underground, in the sub-culture of gang warfare that rages from Coney Island to Manhattan to the Bronx. Members of the Warriors fight for their lives, seek to survive in the urban jungle and learn the meaning of loyalty. This intense and stylized film is a dazzling achievement for cinematographer Andrew Laszlo. Trainspotting - Director's Cut Masahiro Hirakubo, Danny Boyle From the director of 28 DAYS LATER ... The motion picture sensation that wowed critics and audiences nationwide, TRAINSPOTTING delivers a wild mix of rebellious action and wicked humor! It's the story of four friends as they try to make it in the world on their own terms ... and who end up planning the ultimate scam! Powered by an outstanding cast of stars including Ewan McGregor (BIG FISH, STAR WARS EPISODES I, II & III) Robert Carlyle (THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, THE FULL MONTY) and Jonny Lee Miller (DRACULA 2000, MANSFIELD PARK), and a high-energy soundtrack, TRAINSPOTTING is spectacular, groundbreaking entertainment! Ferris Bueller's Day Off Bueller...Bueller... Edition Paul Hirsch, John Hughes "Bueller…Bueller…?" Sorry, not here! Instead, high-schooler Ferris Bueller (Mathew Broderick), his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara), and his best bud Cameron (Alan Ruck) are off on the spontaneous romp through Chicago known as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. You’ll also enjoy righteous bonus materials that give you an insider’s peek at this hilarious comedy hit from John Hughes (Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Sixteen Candles). So, barf up a lung, forge a "sick note" from the parents, and tag along on the funniest adventure to ever sweep through the Windy City. What are you still doing here? Save Ferris! Death Race 2000 - Special Edition Tina Hirsch, Paul Bartel "Low budget films allow one to experiment, to take chances with a zany idea like DEATH RACE 2000. Paul Bartel had the type of black humor that was required to direct this cross-country racing mayhem; while Chuck Griffith handled 2nd unit direction for the action sequences, featuring futuristic fast cars created by an award-winning designer. To compete with David Carradine's dark hero, I cast Sylvester Stallone as the heavy, whom I had first noticed with his brilliant performance in THE LORDS OF FLATBUSH. This combination was particularly effective, and DEATH RACE 2000 remains one of my most successful films of all time." Roger Corman In the year 2000, hit and run has become the national sport. It's a no-holds barred cross-country race, in which the aim is to kill off not only your opponents, but as many pedestrians as possible. David Carradine takes on Sylvester Stallone in this classic adrenaline thriller that will make you look both ways twice before you cross. Gremlins Tina Hirsch, Joe Dante A man buys a Mogwai as a Christmas present for his son. The young boy is told to keep the pet away from water, out of the light and never to feed it after midnight. Inadvertently, the creature is dampened and almost instantly, produces half a dozen furry replicas of itself which continue to multiply and turn the small town upside-down. DVD Features: Theatrical Trailer Explorers Tina Hirsch, Joe Dante EXPLORERS are the inventive story about three idealistic and thrill-seeking boys who combine their wits and astuteness to build their own spaceship. Accordingly, the boys blast-off into the galaxy and embark on journeys both whimsical and weird. Downfall Oliver Hirschbiegel This takes you into hitlers bunker during the brutal & terrifying last days of the third reich. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 04/24/2007 Starring: Bruno Ganz Julianne Kohler Run time: 155 minutes Rating: R Frequency Gregory Hoblit A phenomenon allows police officer John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel) to save the life of his long-dead father (Dennis Quaid). But changing the past leads to a string of brutal, serial homicides. Now, they both must race across time to stop the killer. DVD Features: Theatrical Trailer Child's Play Tom Holland The "chills come thick and fast" (Los Angeles Times) as voodoo and terror meet within an innocent-looking doll inhabited by the soul of a serial killer who isn't ready to die. From the Director of Fright Night comes a "clever, playful" (The New York Times) and stylish thriller with "excellent special effects" (Leonard Maltin) and heart-pounding suspense guaranteed to scare! After 6-year-old Andy Barclay's (Alex Vincent) babysitter is violently pushed out of a window to her death, nobody believes him when he says that "Chucky," his new birthday doll, did it! Untilthings start going terribly wrong dead wrong. And when an ensuing rampage of gruesome murders lead a detective (Chris Sarandon) back to the same toy, he discovers that the real terror has just begun'the deranged doll has plans to transfer his evil spirit into a living human beingyoung Andy! Heathers Norman Hollyn, Michael Lehmann Welcome to Westerburg High, where Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) is beginning to tire of her membership in the powerful yet cruel clique of 'Heathers' When Veronica falls for the mysterious new kid Jason Dean (Christian Slater), their dislike for the Heathers quickly escalates into a savage cycle of murder, suicide and Slushies. Now that her teenage angst has a body count, are Veronica and JD headed for the prom...or hell? Shannen Doherty co-stars in one of the greatest black comedies of all time, newly remastered and better than ever! What's your damage? This is HEATHERS like you've never seen or heard it before! Includes a 4 Page Collector's Booklet The Last Dragon Christopher Holmes, Michael Schultz A YOUNG MAN SEARCHES FOR THE MASTER TO OBTAIN THE FINAL LEVEL OF MARTIAL ARTS MASTERY KNOWN AS THE GLOW Lilo & Stitch Darren T. Holmes, Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois "As Elvis might put it, you can't help falling in love with LILO & STITCH." Claudia Puig, USA TODAY. Out-of-this-world storytelling, stunning Disney animation, and wild and irresistible characters are at the heart of Disney's hilarious new animated adventure. This worldwide box office sensation is a heartwarming comedy about the power of loyalty, friendship, and finding your place in the world. On the lush and tropical Hawaiian Islands, an independent little girl named Lilo adopts what she thinks is an innocent puppy, completely unaware that he is a mischievous creature who has escaped from a faraway planet. Stitch takes Hawaii by storm, wreaking havoc and hanging ten while he evades the alien bounty hunters who are bent on recapturing him. It's an action-packed comedy the whole family will enjoy over and over again. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Tobe Hooper It has been called "grisly," "sick," and "perverse," as well as "raw," "unshakeable," and "the movie that redefined horror." It was attacked by churches, banned by governments, and acclaimed by only the bravest of critics. It stunned audiences worldwide and set a new standard in movie terror forever. In 1974, writer-producer-directorTobe Hooper unleashed this dark, visionary tale about a group of five young friends who face a nightmare of torment at the hands of a depraved Texas clan. Today it remains unequaled as a landmark of outlaw filmmaking and unparalleled in its impact as perhaps the most frightening motion picture ever made. Dark Sky Films presents this masterpiece like you've never seen or heard it before, newly transferred in High Definition from the 16mm camera originals, remixed in 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo Surround, and featuring never-before-seen Bonus Features produced exclusively for this definitive collection. Bonus Features:Steelbook PackagingFeature-length commentary with actors Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Allen Danzinger, and art director Robert A. BurnsFeature-length commentary with director Tobe Hooper, cinematographer Daniel Pearl, and actor Gunnar HansenTheatrical Trailers & TV and Radio Spots"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth""Flesh Wounds"A Tour of the TCSM house with Gunnar HansenDeleted Scenes and OuttakesBlooper Reel"The Shocking Truth" OuttakesStill Gallery Poltergeist Tobe Hooper Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 01/08/2008 Run time: 114 minutes A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 - The Dream Child Stephen Hopkins In the fifth installment to this hit horror series, Freddy attempts to create an evil baby out of the souls of his victims. DVD Features: Theatrical Trailer Predator 2 Stephen Hopkins This electrifying action sequel unleashes the deadly invisible Predator in another jungle the urban jungle of Los Angeles. Danny Glover stars as a lieutenant who mistakenly concludes that mangled bodies found by the police are the work of feuding gangs. Instead, he finds himself confronting a savage alien who has come from a distant world to hunt humans for sport. Gary Busey and Ruben Blades co-star in this suspense-packed, high-tech thriller. Far and Away Ron Howard A stubborn Irish farmer and a fiesty landowner's daughter emigrate to America in 1892 to make a new life for themselves. Includes notes, bios, highlights, and trailer. Ransom Ron Howard In this action-thriller, Academy Award(R)-winning superstar Mel Gibson (Best Director, BRAVEHEART, 1995) is Tom Mullen, a wealthy executive whose charmed life is suddenly shattered when his young son is abducted and held for ransom by a gang of ruthless criminals! That's when Mullen defies the experts and takes matters into his own hands ... boldly turning the tables on the kidnappers in a last-chance effort to rescue the boy! A critically acclaimed smash from Academy Award(R)-winning director Ron Howard (A BEAUTIFUL MIND, 2001) that features Rene Russo (THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR) and Gary Sinise (THE HUMAN STAIN) in an excellent supporting cast you'll find RANSOM pays off big with unpredictable twists and unstoppable excitement! Apollo 13 Ron Howard Nominated for nine Academy Awards , including Best Picture, Apollo 13 is now available in an incredible 2 -Disc Anniversary Edition with never-before-seen bonus materials. Produced by Academy Award winner Brian Grazer and directed by Oscar winner Ron Howard, Apollo 13 stars Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris in the inspiring and riveting story of the real-life space flight that gripped a nation and changed the world. Cinderella Man Ron Howard Academy Award winners Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger star in this triumphant, powerfully inspiring true story. In a time when America needed a champion, an unlikely hero would arise, proving how hard a man would fight to win a second chance for his family and himself. Suddenly thrust into the national spotlight, boxer Jim Braddock would defy the odds against him and stun the world with one of the greatest comebacks in history. Driven by love for his family, he willed an impossible dream to come true. Backdraft Ron Howard BACKDRAFT ANNIVERSARY EDITION (DVD) DOL DIG 5.1/EN From Hell Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes Heavy on atmosphere and light on everything else, From Hell is visually impressive while lacking the depth of the acclaimed graphic novel it's based upon. Making their third feature since 1993's Menace II Society, twins Allen and Albert Hughes approach the Jack the Ripper case with physical precision, re-creating the gritty Whitechapel district of 1888 London in meticulous detail. What they've forgotten is the sheer terror that gripped Whitechapel in the wake of the Ripper's slaying of five prostitutes, investigated here by a Scotland Yard sleuth (Johnny Depp) who uses opium, laudanum, and absinthe to fuel his semiprescient visions of the slayings. Heather Graham attempts a slippery Cockney accent as a would-be victim, while Ian Holm steals the show as a has-been surgeon with devilish delusions of grandeur. Violence is obliquely suggested or briefly graphic, but no matter how you cut it, From Hell is only marginally thrilling as it treads familiar territory. Jeff Shannon Return to Me Bonnie Hunt Who knew that when he ordered the special, he d get the dish of his life? David Duchovny ('the X-Files ) and Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) ignite sparks in this warm-hearted winner (JeffCraig, 'sixty Second Preview ) about a widower and a waitress who meet and fall in love. Featuring an incredible all-star cast, this hilarious romantic comedy delivers a lot of laughs, tears and joysthat will make your spirits soar. It took a lot of cajoling to get Bob (Duchovny), a recently widowed architect, to go on a blind date at a quirky Irish-Italian eatery. Once there, he's smitten instantly not with his date but with the sharp-witted waitress, Grace (Driver). With unsolicitedhelp from Grace's matchmaking grandfather (Carroll O Connor), Bob asks her out. And as their relationship blossoms, everything seems to be going great, until an unbelievable truth is revealed one that could easily break both of their hearts for good. In the Loop Armando Iannucci It s the razor-sharp smash that critics are calling brilliant (San Francisco Chronicle), blisteringly funny (USA Today) and "One of the best films of the year... a little piece of heaven (Chicago Tribune). Peter Capaldi stars as a foul-mouthed British government spokesman who must act quickly when a mid-level minister (Tom Hollander of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN) tells an interviewer that U.S. war in the Middle East is unforeseeable . But when they are both summoned to Washington D.C., the hapless politico quickly becomes a pawn of bureaucrats, spin doctors and military advisors, including a hardnosed General (James Gandolfini, in a performance Rolling Stone hails as slyly hilarious ). Gina McKee (WONDERLAND), Anna Chlumsky (MY GIRL) and Steve Coogan (TROPIC THUNDER) co-star in this hilarious satire from director/co-writer Armando Iannucci, the award-winning creator of the classic BBC sitcoms I M ALAN PARTRIDGE and THE THICK OF IT. The Machine Girl Noboru Iguchi Ami (Minase Yashiro, in her film debut) is a tough but otherwise average high school girl, trying to lead a normal life. Her world comes crashing down when her brother and his friend are killed by ruthless bullies. As Ami tracks down the ringleader, she is surprised to discover the bullies' association with a sinister ninja yakuza family. When she goes after her revenge, she soon finds herself in over her head and minus her left arm. Barely surviving, Ami escapes and seeks out shelter from two kindly garage mechanics. They take pity on her, fitting her with a high-powered machine gun where her arm used to be. She then teams up with the chainsaw-wielding mother (Asami) of her brother's slain friend and together they unleash an unholy, non-stop, over-the-top kill fest against the equally creative machinery (drill bra, flying guillotine) of their relentless ninja enemies. Jason X James Isaac, Michelle Palmer Legendary Friday The 13th killer Jason Voorhees returns for the tenth time, this time stalking victims aboard a space ship in the year 2455. DON'T MISS OUT ON THE HALLOWEEN EVENT OF 2002! Trick or treat this year with Jason! Consumers will definitely demand this title for late-night scares or holiday-themed parties. JASON/FRIDAY THE 13TH SERIES IS A STRONG $228 MILLION COMBINED BOX-OFFICE FRANCHISE! GORE SCORES! Horror Genre still scares up frightfully high business: Jeepers Creepers 324% Hannibal 274% Final Destination 273% Hollow Man 248% The Cell 247% LOW VHS FLAT PRICING @ $35.005. FIRST JASON/FRIDAY THE 13TH DVD WITH SIGNIFICANT ADDED VALUE! Fans of the series will buy the DVD for this alone. Paramount has only released 1-6 with a trailer as the only extra. Jason X will have two documentaries, a jump-to-a-death feature and other "tricks and treats" for fans to crave. FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER SEAN S.CUNNINGHAM, THE CREATOR OF THE CLASSIC ORIGINAL FRIDAY THE 13TH. Internet Movie Database 4/12/02Video Store Magazine 4/8/02 Species Conrad Buff IV, Roger Donaldson When a beautiful human-alien hybrid (Natasha Henstridge) escapes from observation, scientist XavierFitch (Ben Kingsley) dispatches a crew of experts to find her before she is able to fulfill her horrific purpose: to mate with unsuspecting men and produce offspring that could destroy mankind. As her deadly biological clock ticks rapidly, Fitch and his team are hurled into a desperate battle in which the fate of humanity itself hangs in the balance! Dead Alive Peter Jackson A son tries to keep the neighbors from finding out that his mother has turned into a murderous ghoul. Genre: Horror Media Type: DVD The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers Peter Jackson Not seen in theaters, this unique version of the epic adventure features over 40 minutes of new and extended scenes integrated into the film by the director. DVD set consists of four discs with hours of original content including multiple documentaries, commentaries and design/photo galleries with thousands of images to give viewers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at the film. Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship continue their quest to destroy the One Ring and stand against the evil of the dark lord Sauron. The Fellowship has divided and now find themselves taking different paths to defeating Sauron and his allies. Their destinies now lie at two towers - Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupted wizard Saruman waits and Sauron's fortress at Baraddur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor. DVD Features: Scene Access The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King Peter Jackson The WINNER of 11 Academy Awards including BEST PICTURE is now 50 minutes longer! This extended version of the epic conclusion of The Lord of the Rings trilogy includes new score by Howard Shore and over 350 new digital effects shots. The Frighteners Peter Jackson A psychic private detective who consorts with deceased souls becomes engaged in a mystery as members of the town community begin dying mysteriously. King Kong Peter Jackson Experience King Kong as never before in this exclusive 2-Disc Special Edition! See the larger-than-life film, plus, watch three-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson take you behind the scenes of this epic adventure. Thrilling, in-depth featurettes reveal the genius behind the creation of this timeless story. March of the Penguins Luc Jacquet In the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family. This courtship will begin with a long journey - a journey that will take them hundreds of miles across the continent by foot, in freezing cold temperatures, in brittle, icy winds and through deep, treacherous waters. They will risk starvation and attack by dangerous predators, under the harshest conditions on earth, all to find true love. DVD Features: Documentaries:CRITTERCAM : EMPEROR PENGUINS: penguin diving and feeding Documentary:OF MEN AND PENGUINS: The incredible filmmaking process of the movie Other:8 BALL BUNNY: A classic WB animated short with Bugs Bunny and a penguin Conquest of the Planet of the Apes Alan Jaggs, Marjorie Fowler, J. Lee Thompson Colorful, futuristic sets, a relentless pace and an action-packed climax highlight the fourth episode of the legendary Apes saga, starring Roddy McDowall and Ricardo Montalban. The time is the near future. Apes have supplanted dogs and cats as household pets, and replaced servants as personal assistants - until their continual mistreatment provokes one advanced ape from the future, Caesar (McDowall), to lead a spectacular revolt. It's thrilling science fiction that offers both a serious message and stirring entertainment. Amélie Jean-Pierre Jeunet Perhaps the most charming movie of all time, Amélie is certainly one of the top 10. The title character (the bashful and impish Audrey Tautou) is a single waitress who decides to help other lonely people fix their lives. Her widowed father yearns to travel but won't, so to inspire the old man she sends his garden gnome on a tour of the world; with whispered gossip, she brings together two cranky regulars at her café; she reverses the doorknobs and reprograms the speed dial of a grocer who's mean to his assistant. Gradually she realizes her own life needs fixing, and a chance meeting leads to her most elaborate stratagem of all. This is a deeply wonderful movie, an illuminating mix of magic and pragmatism. Fans of the director's previous films (Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children) will not be disappointed; newcomers will be delighted. Bret Fetzer The Mission Roland Joffé Rodrigo Mendoza (ROBERT DE NIRO) was a violent soldier-for-hire in 1750s South America. Now he is a man of peace serving the Rain Forest Indians he once enslaved. But armies of Spain and Portugal threaten the lifestyle and safety of the native peoples. Now Rodrigo may have to pick up his sword and musket once again. From the producer of Chariots of Fire and the director of The Killing Fields comes a powerful epic co-starring JEREMY IRONS and graced with dazzling Academy Award-winning cinematography, set to a memorable music score and scripted by the Oscar-winning screenwriter of A Man for All Seasons and Doctor Zhivago. Daredevil Mark Steven Johnson Darker than its popular comic-book predecessor Spider-Man, the $80 million extravaganza Daredevil was packaged for maximum global appeal, its juvenile plot beginning when 12-year-old Matt Murdock is accidentally blinded shortly before his father is murdered. Later an adult attorney in New York's Hell's Kitchen, Murdock (Ben Affleck) uses his remaining, superenhanced senses to battle crime as Daredevil, the masked and vengeful "man without fear," pitted against dominant criminal Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) and the psychotic Bullseye (Colin Farrell), who can turn almost anything into a deadly projectile. Daredevil is well matched with the dynamic Elektra (Jennifer Garner), but their teaming is as shallow as the movie itself, which is peppered with Marvel trivia and cameo appearances (creator Stan Lee, Clerks director and Daredevil devotee Kevin Smith) and enough computer-assisted stuntwork to give Spidey a run for his money. This is Hollywood product at its most lavishly vacuous; die-hard fans will argue its merits while its red-leathered hero swoops and zooms toward a sequel. Jeff Shannon Daredevil: Director's Cut Mark Steven Johnson Darker than its popular comic-book predecessor Spider-Man, the $80 million extravaganza Daredevil was packaged for maximum global appeal, its juvenile plot beginning when 12-year-old Matt Murdock is accidentally blinded shortly before his father is murdered. Later an adult attorney in New York's Hell's Kitchen, Murdock (Ben Affleck) uses his remaining, superenhanced senses to battle crime as Daredevil, the masked and vengeful "man without fear," pitted against dominant criminal Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) and the psychotic Bullseye (Colin Farrell), who can turn almost anything into a deadly projectile. Daredevil is well matched with the dynamic Elektra (Jennifer Garner), but their teaming is as shallow as the movie itself, which is peppered with Marvel trivia and cameo appearances (creator Stan Lee, Clerks director and Daredevil devotee Kevin Smith) and enough computer-assisted stuntwork to give Spidey a run for his money. This is Hollywood product at its most lavishly vacuous; die-hard fans will argue its merits while its red-leathered hero swoops and zooms toward a sequel. Jeff Shannon Jurassic Park Adventure Pack Joe Johnston No description available for this title. Item Type: DVD Movie Packaging: Sleeve Superman III Iain Johnstone, Richard Lester After Superman: The Movie's epic storytelling and Superman II's awesome battles, how could the first two hits be topped? In Superman III, meet Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor), a half-witted computer programming natural. For him a keyboard is a weapon - and Superman faces the microelectronic menace of his life. Christopher Reeve reprises his most beloved role, deepening his character's human side as Clark Kent reunites with old flame Lana Lang (Annette O'Toole) at a Smallville High class reunion. And when Superman becomes his own worst enemy after Kryptonite exposure, Reeve pulls off both roles with dazzling skill. Incredible visual effects abound - but above all it has heart, heroism and high-flying humor. All in superabundance. Punch-Drunk Love Leslie Jones, Paul Thomas Anderson The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format. Adaptation Spike Jonze The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format. Tenacious D - The Complete Master Works Spike Jonze, Dave Skinner, Gabe Swarr, Liam Lynch, Tom Gianas With pitchfork and shovel, Tenacious D has labored to finally unearth the first ever Tenacious D-VD from the fragrant bowels of Hades. For years, this turd has been spit-polished, massaged, and finally sanctified by both Jables and KG, and they are now ready release it to the world. This highly provocative DVD contains the legendary and epic recital at London's Brixton Academy that was by chance recorded on November 3, 2002. Watch as Jack and Kyle slay the mighty dragon and treat the British public to a phenomenal performance that includes the now classic D melodies; Wonderboy, Explosivo, Kyle Quit The Band, Friendship, Kielbasa, Dio, The Cosmic Shame, F#! Her Gently, Tribute and the ever popular Live Short Films that have been screened during The D's shows. The Complete Masterworks also contains the groundbreaking, hard to get (legally), HBO episodes which tell the tale of The D in their early days on the road to stardom. But that's not all! Act now and a bonus second disc will be gifted to the first twelve million loyal Tenacious D apostles, included is an intimate portrait of Jack and Kyle and their life of carnal debauchery on the road. Lucky owners of the DVD will catch rare and gruesome behind the scenes glimpses of the making of the Tribute & Wonderboy videos as well as never before seen footage of The D as they perform their secret backstage rituals. TENACIOUS D: THE COMPLETE MASTERWORKS is truly a harbinger of the good times ahead as we all await the coming apocalypse. Alive Michael Kahn, Frank Marshall Witness ALIVE, the thrilling true-life adventure of challenge and survival! In this action-packed hit, a team of tough rugby players survive a plane crash deep in the desolate, snow-covered Andes. Stranded there, they must overcome incredible odds to stay alive! See for yourself the unforgettable story of ordinary young men who find courage in the face of disaster and test the very limits of human endurance! It's an astonishing death-defying triumph that will both entertain ... and inspire you! Shaolin Soccer Kit-Wai Kai, Stephen Chow With tons of action, eye-popping special effects, and nonstop laughs, here's a hilarious martial arts comedy about a team of misfits who take their best shot at winning a championship! Sing is a skilled Shaolin kung fu devotee whose amazing "leg of steel" catches the eye of a soccer coach! Together they assemble a squad of Sing's former Shaolin brothers inspired by the big-money prize in a national soccer competition! Using an unlikely mix of martial arts and newfound soccer skills, it seems an unbeatable combination ... until they must face the dreaded Team Evil in the ultimate battle for the title! Azumi Shuichi Kakesu, Ryûhei Kitamura Studio: Urban Vision Release Date: 11/28/2006 Sleepaway Camp Ron Kalish, Sharyn L. Ross, Robert Hiltzik Welcome to camp arawak where teenage boys and girls learn to experience the joys of nature as well as each other. But when these happy campters begin to die in a series of horrible accidents they discover that someone or something has turned this summer of fun into a vacation to dismember. Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 08/20/2002 Starring: Mike Kellin Paul Deangelo Run time: 84 minutes Rating: R Director: Robert Hiltzik Death Note Shusuke Kaneko PHENOMENON: With over 25 million copies sold, the hit manga series has finally been adapted into two live-action feature films directed by Shusuke Kaneko, widely known for the popular, Gamera, monster film series. DEATH NOTE was first released in Japan in July 2006, grossing over $28 million* with 2.3 million tickets sold. Its sequel, DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME, was released in Japan in November 2006 and was even more successful, grossing over $52 million with 4.3 million tickets sold. Both movies stayed at #1 on box office for weeks not only in Japan, but also in Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand. As a result of this success, a spin-off film directed by Hideo Nakata (director of the original Japanese version of The Ring) will be released shortly on February 9, 2008, titled L: Change the World. Adapted from the bestselling manga, with original characters and plot twists developed only for live-action film, the story takes unexpected turns before arriving at a shocking ending. Ace student Light Yagami finds the Death Note, a notebook intentionally dropped by a rogue "Shinigami death god named Ryuk. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies. Upset with the current justice system, Light takes matters into his own hands and vows to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of all evil, and become the God of the new world. Soon, the number of suspicious deaths of reported criminals catches the attention of the International Police Organization. A mysterious detective known only as L quickly learns that the serial killer, nicknamed Kira by the public, is located in Japan. Light realizes that L will be his greatest enemy, and a game of psychological cat and mouse between the two begins. Music by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Theme Song: DANI CALIFORNIA* * We are very proud to be involved and happy to be involved. - Flea (Base guitarist of Red Hot Chili Peppers) Death Note 2: The Last Name Shusuke Kaneko DEATH NOTE: The Last Name is a sequel to the movie DEATH NOTE, which closely follows major plot elements from the original manga series, while featuring several new key story differences. The story begins on the heels of the first movie as Light Yagami joins the investigation team in pursuit of the serial killer known as "Kira." While L still strongly suspects that Light is "Kira," Light tries to uncover L's real name so he can kill him with his Death Note. Confusingly enough, a new rash of murders all around the world are taking place, with a Second Kira" claiming responsibility. Light learns the identity of the Second Kira and suggests they join forces to get rid of L. Will L be able to catch "Kira" before he is killed? Bilingual (English/Japanese), featuring star voice actors from Anime series Director s interview Director & Cast Profile Revenge of the Nerds - Panty Raid Edition Jeff Kanew In this hilarious satire on college life, a group of misfits led by Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards decides to start their own fraternity after being rejected by every house on campus. Chaos results, with a brains vs. brawn battle, as the football t Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story Jake Kasdan One of the most iconic figures in rock history, Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) had it all: the women (over 411 served), the friends (Elvis, The Beatles) and the rock 'n' roll lifestyle (a close and personal relationship with every pill and powder known to man). But most of all, he had the music that transformed a dimwitted country boy into the greatest American rock star who never lived. A wild and wicked send-up of every musical biopic ever made, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is gut-busting proof that when it comes to hard rocking, living and laughing, a hard man is good to find. Dreamcatcher Lawrence Kasdan Four young friends perform a heroic act and are changed forever by the uncanny powers they gain in return. Years later, on a hunting trip in the Maine woods, they are overtaken by a blizzard, a vicious storm in which something much more ominous moves. Challenged to stop a deadly alien force, they confront an unparalleled horror, with the fate of the world in the balance. Donnie Darko Richard Kelly In the tradition of Urban Legends and Final Destination, Donnie Darko is an edgy, psychological thriller about a suburban teen coming face-to-face wit his dark destiny. Jake Gyllenhaal leads a star-filled cast (including Drew Barrymore, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze and Mary McDonnell) as a delusional high-school student visited by a demonic rabbit with eerie visions of the past - and deadly predictions for the future. This "excitingly original" (Entertainment Weekly) nail-biter will keep you on the edge of your seat until the mind-bending climax. Monster House Gil Kenan Even for a 12-year old, D.J. Walters has a particularly overactive imagination. He is convinced that his haggard and crabby neighbor Horace Nebbercracker, who terrorizes all the neighborhood kids, is responsible for Mrs. Nebbercracker's mysterious disappearance. Any toy that touches Nebbercracker's property, promptly disappears, swallowed up by the cavernous house in which Horace lives. D.J. has seen it with his own eyes! But no one believes him, not even his best friend, Chowder. What everyone does not know is D.J. is not imagining things. Everything he's seen is absolutely true and it's about to get much worse than anything D.J could have imagined. The Last Unicorn Tomoko Kida, Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass Brought to life by the luminary voice talents of Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury and Rene Auberjonois (STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE, "Boston Legal"), this animated treasure is the story of a lonely unicorn who sets out on an extraordinary quest to find her lost brothers and sisters. Along the way she meets a colorful cast of characters, including a bumbling wizard who magically transforms her into a beautiful damsel. When a handsome prince falls in love with her, he challenges the evil foe who holds her captive. But the task proves harder than imagined, and the unicorn soon discovers that real magic comes from believing in the impossible. Featuring songs performed by America. Children of the Corn Fritz Kiersch Black Sheep Jonathan King An experiment in genetic engineering turns harmless sheep into blood-thirsty killers that terrorize a sprawling New Zealand farm. Over the Hedge Karey Kirkpatrick, Tim Johnson The pack strikes back! In DreamWorks' smash hit comedy, a band of hungry forest critters goes "over the hedge" to take a bite out of Suburbia. Plus, check out the All-New Mini-Movie, Hammy's Boomerang Adventure only on the Over the Hedge DVD… It's the funniest, furriest, four minutes you'll see this year! Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer Jon Knautz JFK - Director's Cut Barbara Kopple, Danny Schechter, Oliver Stone A film that chronicles New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison's investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It explores all the credible assassination theories that have raised the nation's persistent questions, doubts and suspicions. Ren & Stimpy - The Complete First and Second Seasons John Kricfalusi, Bob Camp, Bong Hee Han, Chris Reccardi, Gregg Vanzo Join Ren and Stimpy in their bizarre and gross world that features the oddly lovable duo in some outlandish situations coupled with hilarious jokes. THE REN AND STIMPY: THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS - UNCUT feature the guest voice of music star Frank Zappa and consist of amusing episodes combined with the gross-out humor that became popular when the show first premiered on Nickelodeon in 1991. GoodFellas James Y. Kwei, Martin Scorsese GOODFELLAS (DVD/SPECIAL EDITION/WS/2 DISC) Natural City Min-ho Kyung, Byung-chun Min Rebuilt after a devastating war, the world of 2080 has given rise to advanced technologies including the creation of cyborgs. Created with artificial intelligence (AI), human-like emotions and great strength, they serve one master for their entire lifespan. When the cyborgs revolt, R (Yoo Ji-tae)and Noma (Yoon Chan), Rs best friend and commander, lead an elite military squad ordered to eliminate the rebellion. Unbeknownst to anyone, R has fallen in love with Ria (Seo Rin), his cyborg, and is illegally harvesting AI chips from dead cyborgs in order to save her life. Torn between his love for Ria and the battle to save mankind, humanitys fate hangs in the balance. The Wicker Man Neil LaBute Out patrolling a California highway, police officer Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) stops a station wagon to return a little girl's lost doll. Moments later, a runaway truck slams into the station wagon, igniting it into a fiery wreck with the mother and child trapped inside. Edward fails to save them before the car explodes...and then spends months of his life choking down pills to get the image of their faces out of his head. But Edward is about to get a second chance. A desperate letter from his former girlfriend, Willow (Kate Beahan), arrives at his home with no postmark. Willow came into his life and left just as unexpectedly years before. But now, her daughter Rowan has gone missing, and Edward is theonly person she trusts to help locate her. She asks him to come to her home on a private island - Summersisle - a place with its own traditions where people observe a forgotten way of life. Edward seizes the opportunity to make his life right again, and soon finds himself on a seaplane bound for the islands of the Pacific Northwest. But nothing is what it seems on isolated Summersisle, where a culture, dominated by its matriarch Sister Summersisle (Ellen Burstyn), is bound together by arcane traditions and a pagan festival called "the Day of Death and Rebirth." The secretive people of Summersisle only ridicule his investigation, insisting that a child named Rowan never existed there... or if she ever did was no longer alive. But what Edward doesn't know is that Willow's plea for help has invited more into his life than a chance for redemption. In unraveling Summersisle's closely held secrets, Edward is drawn into a web of ancient traditions and murderous deceit, and each step he takes closer to the lost child brings him one step closer to the unspeakable. And one step closer to the Wicker Man. Replicant Ringo Lam No Description Available. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Packaging: Sleeve Constantine Francis Lawrence Based on the DC Comics/Vertigo Hellblazer graphic novels and written by Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, Constantine tells the story of John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), a man who has literally been to hell and back. When he teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldly events, the two become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at whatever cost. DVD Features: Additional Scenes:18 minutes of Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Francis Lawrence Alternate endings Audio Commentary Documentaries:THE PRODUCTION FROM HELL Director's Confessional Collision with Evil Holy Relics IMAGINING THE UNDERWORLD Hellscape Visualizing Vermin Warrior Wings Unholy Abduction Demon Face [Easter Egg] FORESIGHT: THE POWER OF PRE-VISUALIZATION with Optional Commentary by Francis Lawrence Documentary:Conjuring Constantine: from comic book to movie Featurette:Imagining the Underworld * Hellscape * Visualizing Vermin * Warrior Wings * Unholy Abduction * Demon Face [Easter Egg] Music Video:A Perfect Circle's "Passive" music video Theatrical Trailer Weird Science Chris Lebenzon, Mark Warner, Scott K. Wallace, John Hughes Two high-school nerds computer-generate a magical beauty who shows them how to meet girls. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 09/15/2009 Starring: Kelly Lebrock Bill Paxton Run time: 94 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: John Hughes The Stuff Armond Lebowitz, Larry Cohen No Description Available No Track Information Available Genre: HORROR Deep Impact Mimi Leder In DEEP IMPACT, Leo Beiderman (Elijah Wood), joins a field study for his high school's Astronomy Club and discovers a new comet that unfortunately is headed for Earth. While scientists build a cave to prevent the extinction of the human race, they estimate that only 800,000 people can be selected to survive the "Deep Impact." The threat of a comet ending the world quickly sends Americans into a panic until the president announces a plan to send astronauts on a mission to destroy the comet before it reaches earth. Hulk Ang Lee The larger-than-life Marvel Super Hero the Hulk explodes onto the big screen! After a freak lab accident unleashes a genetically enhanced, impossibly strong creature, a terrified world must marshal its forces to stop a being with abilities beyond imagination. Enter the Dragon Bruce Lee, Fred Weintraub, John Little, Robert Clouse, Tom Kuhn Recruited by an intelligence agency, outstanding martial arts student Bruce Lee participates in a brutal karate tournament hosted by the evil Han. Along with champions Roper and Williams, he uncovers Han's white slavery and drug trafficking ring located on a secret island fortress. In the exciting climax, hundreds of freed prisoners fight in an epic battle with Lee and Han locked in a deadly duel. A Tale of Two Sisters Hyeon-mi Lee, Ji-woon Kim Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 06/27/2006 Undercover Brother Malcolm D. Lee With clothes and music from the 1970s, a super-secret agent thwarts a plan to brainwash all humanity. Genre: Feature Film Urban Comedy Rating: PG13 Media Type: DVD Roll Bounce Malcolm D. Lee ROLL BOUNCE is the freshest, funkiest, coming-of-age comedy on wheels! It's the late '70s when roller skating to soul tunes and disco was a way of life for teen skater Xavier (Bow Wow) and his pals. But when their local rink closes, "X" and his crew must pull together as a team to try and win big money at a rival rink's Roller Jam skate off! Malcolm X Spike Lee Adapted from the novel "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" written by Alex Haley this is an amazing biopic of one of the most influential African American leaders to date. It follows the life and times of Malcolm Little through his transformation to Malcolm X and his departure from the Nation of Islam. Spike Lee's epic film captures the internal struggles the spiritual political and structural changes that Malcolm Submitted himself to throughout his life to achieve his changing goals.Running Time: 202 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 085393353124 Inside Man Spike Lee Academy Award winner Denzel Washington, Academy Award nominee Clive Owen and Academy Award winner Jodie Foster star in this intense and explosive crime thriller. The perfect bank robbery quickly spirals into an unstable and deadly game of cat-and-mouse between a criminal mastermind (Owen), a determined detective (Washington), and a power broker with a hidden agenda (Foster). As the minutes tick by and the situation becomes increasingly tense, one wrong move could mean disaster for any one of them. From acclaimed director Spike Lee comes the edge-of-your-seat, action-packed thriller that The Wall Street Journal calls "a heist film that’s right on the money." Best in Show Robert Leighton, Christopher Guest A BLUE RIBBON LOOK AT DOG SHOW PARTICIPANTS AND THE POOCHES WHO LOVE THEM. Teen Wolf & Teen Wolf Too Christopher Leitch, Rod Daniel TEEN WOLF TEEN WOLF TOO Nightmare City Umberto Lenzi Now They Are Everywhere! There Is No Escape! When a radioactive spill causes mass contamination, thousands of infected citizens are transformed into bloodthirsty undead fiends. But these are not your standard stumbling gut-munchers; this is an all-out attack by fast-moving, flesh-ripping, ass-kicking maniacs that can only be stopped by a bullet to the brain. Get ready for an all-you-can-eat buffet of gunfire, gore and gratuitous aerobics where zombies run, chaos reigns and heads explode. This is NIGHTMARE CITY! Hugo Stiglitz (TINTORERA), Mel Ferrer (EATEN ALIVE) and Francisco Rabal (SORCERER) star in this wild splatterfest directed by the notorious Umberto Lenzi (CANNIBAL FEROX, GHOSTHOUSE). Originally released in America as the heavily-edited CITY OF THE WALKING DEAD, NIGHTMARE CITY has been transferred from original vault materials and is now proudly presented completely uncut and uncensored. EXTRAS: "Tales Of The Contaminated City" - Interview with Director Umberto Lenzi Theatrical Trailer Umberto Lenzi Bio The Lawnmower Man Brett Leonard EXPERIMENTS CHANGE A SIMPLE LAWNMOWER MAN INTO A SUPERHUMAN BEING. THE STAGE IS SET FOR A DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE STRUGGLE FOR THE CONTROL OF JOBES MIND, THE PROFESSOR WANTING TO HELP MANKIND, THE OTHER A GROUP WANTING TO CREATE AN INVINCIBLE WAR MACHINE. For a Few Dollars More Sergio Leone "The leading icon of a generation" (Roger Ebert), Academy Award(r) winner* Clint Eastwood continues his trademark role as the legendary "Man With No Name" in this second installment of the famous Sergio Leone trilogy. Scripted by Luciano Vincenzoni and featuring Ennio Morricone's haunting musical score, For A Few Dollars More is a modern classicone of the greatest Westerns evermade. Eastwood is a keen-eyed, quick-witted bounty hunter on the bloody trail of Indio, the territory's most treacherous bandit. But his ruthless rival, Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef, High Noon), is determined to bring Indio in first...dead or alive! Failing to capture their preyor eliminate each otherthe two are left with only one option: team up, or face certain death atthe hands of Indio and his band of murderous outlaws. Commando Mark L. Lester Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as retired Colonel John Matrix the ex-head of a special commando strike team he s forced back into action when his daughter (Alyssa Milano) is kidnapped. With the help of the feisty stewardess Matrix has only a few hours to over his greatest challenge; finding his daughter before she gets killed.System Requirements:Running Time: 90 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R UPC: 024543440796 Manufacturer No: 2244079 Showdown in Little Tokyo/Bloodsport Mark L. Lester, Newt Arnold No wimps! Get ready for a knock-down, shake-down Showdown in Little Tokyo (Side A) when Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee team in the "smart, fast-moving martial-arts action-adventure" (Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times). L.A.'s colorful Little Tokyo is the setting as buddy cops Lundgren and Lee battle an entrenched cadre of Japanese gangsters (and try to avoid being filleted into sashimi by Yakuza swordsmen!). Jean-Claude Van Damme makes his first headlining role one to remember in Bloodsport (Side B), a stirring brawlfest about the first Westerner ever to win the Kumite, Hong Kong's fierce, single-elimination world championship of full-contact fighting. This is action that connects again and again! Unleashed Louis Leterrier UNLEASHED (DVD) (UR) Transporter 2 Louis Leterrier Jason Stratham returns in his signature role as ex-Special Forces operative Frank Martin aka "The Transporter." Now retired from his chosen profession of moving dangerous goods with no questions asked, he makes a living driving for a wealthy family in Miami, Florida. But when their young son is abducted, Frank must use his battle-tested combat skills to save the boy and thwart the kidnapper's nefarious master plan. Double Impact Sheldon Lettich What could be better than Jean-Claude Van Damme in an explosively entertaining action extravaganza?Two of him! There's twice the excitement, twice the mayhem and twice the fun in this turbo-charged adventure that pushes the thrills into overdrive. Van Damme leaps into the dual roles of Chad and Alex Wagner, twin brothers who were separated after their parents' brutal murder. Years later, the two couldn't be more different: Chad is a slick Beverly Hills fitness instructor while Alex isa rough-and-tumble smuggler on the gritty streets of Hong Kong. But when fate throws them together again, Chad and Alex discover that there's one thing they have in common: they're both fighting machines! Determined to enact revenge on their parents' killers, the martial-arts experts kick, chop andshoot all the way to an electrifying final showdown aboard a gargantuan freighter in Hong Kong Harbor. The Clash - Westway to the World Don Letts UHF Jay Levey "Weird Al" Yankovic, Kevin McCarthy (Innerspace), Michael Richards ("Seinfeld"), David Bowie (The Cable Guy), Victoria Jackson ("Saturday Night Live") and Fran Drescher ("The Nanny") star in this inspired comedy about an offbeat guy who turns a deadbeat TV station into a raging success! Broadcasting Weird Al's uniquely strange brand of humor, UHF's Channel 62 is a place you'll want to visit...with increasing frequency! George Newman (Weird Al) is a daydreamer whose hyperactive imagination keeps him from holding a steady job...until his uncle hires him as manager of Channel 62, a TV station that's losing money and viewers fast. But when George replaces the station's reruns with bizarre programs like "Wheel of Fish," "The Wonderful World Of Phlegm" and "Raul's Wild Kingdom" (where poodles fly from third-story windows), ratings begin to soar! But as the ratings rise, so does the wrath of TV mogul R.J. Fletcher (McCarthy), who wants to turn the station into a parking lot. Can George find the money he needs to stay on the air? Stay tuned! Young Sherlock Holmes Barry Levinson VICTORIAN LONDON SCHOOLBOYS HOLMES AND WATSON FORM THEIR HABITS IN PURSUIT OF A DEADLY PAGAN CULT. Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume Two Abe Levitow, Arthur Davis, Cal Dalton, Cal Howard, Chuck Jones Greetings, Looneytics! For all who rightly place Looney Tunes alongside Mom, apple pie and web-surfing at work as American institutions, this is your time to rise and shine and watch. Yes, here on 4 discs you'll find 60 more of the finest, funniest, bestest Golden Era cartoons from the feverishly bent artistic minds at Termite Terrace. Disc 1 showcases a certain wascally wabbit. The happiness of pursuit is center stage in Disc 2 and 3's respective batches of Road Runner and Sylvester/Tweety fun. Disc 4 is an all-star cavalcade of Hollywood parodies and more. All 60 toons are restored, remastered, uncut. And each disc is chock-a-block with bonus goodies. It's a 24-carrot gem of a collection. Anything less would be dethpicable. Looney Tunes - Golden Collection Abe Levitow, Arthur Davis, Chuck Jones, Constantine Nasr, Friz Freleng They're the crown princes of animation. They're the international ambassadors of cartoon comedy. They're the fabulously funny friends you grew up with! And now, 56 of the very best animated shorts starring the very wackiest Warner Bros. cartoon characters have been rounded up on DVD for the first time ever in The Looney Tunes Golden Collection! Just barely contained in four special edition discs, each specially selected short has been brilliantly restored and re-mastered to its original, uncut, anvil-dropping, laughter-inducing glory! Featuring some of the very earliest, ground-breaking on-screen appearances of many all-time Looney Tunes favorites, it's an unprecedented celebration for cartoon-lovers eager to re-live the heady, hilarious, golden age of Warner Bros. animation! Sparkling with one unforgettable, landmark animated marvel after another, there's that icon of carrot-crunching aplomb, Bugs Bunny, in a dazzling assortment of his very best classic shorts. Also highlighted in their own delightfully zany series of cartoon gems: the ever-flustered Daffy Duck and eternal straight-man Porky Pig. Plus, all the rest of the beloved Looney Tunes lineup starring in some of the most wildly imaginative cartoon shorts ever created! Including an array of exclusive bonus DVD features from expert commentaries to insights into the evolution of these classic characters, this is the ultimate animated experience for anyone who's ever thrilled to the timeless query: "Ehhh? what's up, Doc?" Friday Night Lights: The Second Season Allison Liddi, Daniel Attias, David Boyd, Dean White, Jeffrey Reiner Friday Night Lights shines brighter than ever as the critically acclaimed series arrives in a 4-disc collection in 5.1 surround sound! From producers Brian Grazer (The Da Vinci Code), Peter Berg (The Kingdom) and Jason Katims and inspired by the best-selling book and hit film, Friday Night Lights provides a heartfelt look at the families, friendships, and faiths of residents in a closely knit Texan town. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast, this intense and compelling show has critics saying "there is no finer or truer drama on network TV" (Matt Roush, TV Guide). Fire in the Sky Robert Lieberman FIRE IN THE SKY is the comprehensive story of a logger named Travis Walton who mysteriously disappears in 1975 only to turn up bloodied and bruised five days later. Walton and co-workers accidentally discover a UFO and unfortunately they all escape except Walton who is elevated aboard the bizarre aircraft. Onboard he undergoes painful unearthly medical treatments and tests. Enchanted Kevin Lima ENCHANTED - WIDESCREEN (DVD MOVIE) Swingers Doug Liman Hip and hilarious critics and audiences alike are raving about this must-see comedy hit! It's a laugh-out-loud look at a fun group of friends who spend their days looking for work and their nights in and out of Hollywood's coolest after-hours hangouts! When the lovesick Mike (Jon Favreau RUDY) can't seem to shake a relationship rut, his smooth, fast-talking buddy Trent (Vince Vaughn THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK 2) decides he'll do whatever it takes to show Mike a good time! Whether laughing over martinis in smoky cocktail lounges ... or searching for beautiful babes on an outrageous road trip to Vegas, these young swingers are determined to rewrite the rules of modern dating! Also starring Heather Graham (AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME). The Bourne Identity Doug Liman Freely adapted from Robert Ludlum's 1980 bestseller, The Bourne Identity starts fast and never slows down. The twisting plot revs up in Zurich, where amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), with no memory of his name, profession, or recent activities, recruits a penniless German traveler (Run Lola Run's Franka Potente) to assist in solving the puzzle of his missing identity. While his CIA superior (Chris Cooper) dispatches assassins to kill Bourne and thus cover up his failed mission, Bourne exercises his lethal training to leave a trail of bodies from Switzerland to Paris. Director Doug Liman (Go) infuses Ludlum's intricate plotting with a maverick's eye for character detail, matching breathtaking action with the humorous, thrill-seeking chemistry of Damon and Potente. Previously made as a 1988 TV movie starring Richard Chamberlain, The Bourne Identity benefits from the sharp talent of rising stars, offering intelligent, crowd-pleasing excitement from start to finish. Jeff Shannon MTV Films Present: Better Luck Tomorrow Justin Lin A group of over-achieving Asian-American high school seniors engage in some extra curricular crime. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Media Type: DVD A Scanner Darkly Richard Linklater Set in a not-too-distant future where America has lost its "war" on drugs, Fred, an undercover cop, is one of many people hooked on the popular drug, Substance D, which causes its users to develop split personalities. Fred is obsessed with taking down Bob, a notorious drug dealer, but due to his Substance D addiction, he does not know that he is also Bob. Based on a classic novel by Philip K. Dick. Starring Keanu Reeves ("Constantine," "The Matrix" trilogy), Academy Award-nominee and Golden Globe-winner Winona Ryder ("Girl, Interupted," "Mr. Deeds"), Academy Award and Emmy-nominee and Golden Globe-winner Robert Downey Jr. ("Good Night, And Good Luck" "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang"), and Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominee and Emmy-winner Woody Harrelson ("North Country," "The People vs. Larry Flynt"). Directed by Academy Award-nominee Richard Linklater ("Before Sunset," "Dazed and Confused"). Filmed in live-action, and then animated using the same critically acclaimed process that Linklater used in his previous film, "Waking Life." Silver Bullet Daniel Loewenthal, Daniel Attias A BOY IN A WHEELCHAIR STOPS A WEREWOLF WITH HIS UNCLE AND SISTER. FROM A STEPHEN KING STORY. Johnny Mnemonic Robert Longo The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format. The Exorcist Evan A. Lottman, Norman Gay, William Friedkin The account of a young girl who is possessed, and the Exorcist who tries to save her. Genre: Horror * Episode IV, A New Hope Commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher * Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back Commentary by George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher * Episode VI, Return of the Jedi Commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher * "Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy," the most comprehensive feature-length documentary ever produced on the Star Wars saga, and never-before-seen footage from the making of all three films * Featurettes: The Legendary Creatures of Star Wars, The Birth of the Lightsaber, The Legacy of Star Wars * Teasers, trailers, TV spots, still galleries * Playable Xbox demo of the new Lucasarts game Star Wars Battlefront * The making of the Episode III videogame * Exclusive preview of Star Wars: Episode III Star Wars - Episode III, Revenge of the Sith George Lucas Anakin begins a tragic transformation into the menacing Darth Vader when he is torn between his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, his beloved Padme, and the dark powers of the Sith. Genre: Science Fiction Media Type: DVD The Incredibles Bud Luckey, Brad Bird, Roger Gould From the Academy Award(R) winning creators of FINDING NEMO (2003 Best Animated Feature Film) comes the action-packed animated adventure about the mundane and incredible lives of a house full of superheroes. Bob Parr and his wife Helen used to be among the world's greatest crime fighters, saving lives and battling evil on a daily basis. Fifteen years later, they have been forced to adopt civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs where they live "normal" lives with their three kids, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top secret assignment. He soon discovers that it will take a super family effort to rescue the world from total destruction. Exploding with fun and featuring an all-new animated short film, this spectacular 2-disc collector's edition DVD is high-flying entertainment for everyone. Moulin Rouge! Baz Luhrmann A spectacle beyond anything you've ever witnessed. An experience beyond everything you've ever imagined. Behind the red velvet curtain, the ultimate seduction of your senses is about to begin. Welcome to the Moulin Rouge! Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor sing, dance and scale the heights of passionate abandon in the year's most talked-about movie from visionary director Baz Luhrmann (William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, Strictly Ballroom). Enter a tantalizing world that celebrates truth, beauty, freedom and above all things, love. Romeo & Juliet - The Music Edition Baz Luhrmann Baz Luhrmann's dazzling and unconventional adaptation of William Shakespear's classic love story is spellbinding. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes portray Romeo and Juliet, the youthful star-crossed lovers of the past. But the setting has been moved from it's Elizabethan origins to the futuristic urban backdrop of Verona Beach. Peter Pan Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson Let your dreams take flight with Walt Disney's original classic. PETER PAN soars to new heights in the magical 2-disc Platinum Edition DVD with an all-new digital restoration. Fantastic adventures await Wendy and her brothers when Peter Pan, the hero of their stories, whisks them away to the magical world of Never Land. After following Peter and his feisty sidekick Tinker Bell past "the second star to the right and straight on till morning," they explore the island and Peter's secret hideout with the rambunctious Lost Boys and leap into high-flying battles with swashbuckling pirates and the infamous Captain Hook! Bursting with fantasy, adventure, and pixie dust, this 2-disc Platinum Edition includes three all-new games in Camp Never Land, deleted scenes, a new discovery in which Walt Disney reveals why he made PETER PAN and much more. Maniac Cop William Lustig You have the right to remain silent. forever! Restored and re-mastered from original vault materials, Maniac Cop will blow you away with an all-new high-definition transfer and DTS surround sound! Bruce (The Evil Dead Trilogy) Campbell and Tom (Lethal Weapon) Atkins star in this action-packed cult classic! Innocent people are brutally killed on the streets of New York by a uniformed police officer. A young cop, Jack Forrest (played by Bruce Campbell), finds himself marked as the chief suspect after his wife is murdered. As Lieutenant Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins) investigates these mysterious killings, the death toll rises and he suspects a mysterious police cover-up. This "maniac" cop must be stopped, but it might not be so easy! He isn't an ordinary man. He's inhuman. driven by supernatural forces. and ready to take on the entire police force, hell-bent on revenge! Prom Night Paul Lynch THE CULT CLASSIC THAT MADE MILLIONS IS BACK! And In Wide Screen! Prom Night Remake in Theatres April 2008. Four Hamilton High School seniors have been hiding the truth of what happened to ten-year-old Robin Hammond for six long years. But someone saw what they did and is preparing for revengea prom night killing spree. Hooded, masked, and wielding an axe, he'll stalk his prey in the dark, empty halls, striking when his victims are alone. And just as the spotlight falls upon the newly crowned king and queen, the killer will show everyone what his favorite game to play is... Shakespeare in Love John Madden Triumphant winner of 7 Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture this witty, sexy smash features Oscar(R)-winning Best Actress Gwyneth Paltrow (SLIDING DOORS, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS) and an amazing cast that includes Academy Award-winners Judi Dench (Best Supporting Actress), Geoffrey Rush (Best Actor SHINE), and Ben Affleck (GOOD WILL HUNTING, PEARL HARBOR). When Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes ELIZABETH) needs passionate inspiration to break a bad case of writer's block, a secret romance with the beautiful Lady Viola (Paltrow) starts the words flowing like never before! There are just two things he'll have to learn about his new love: not only is she promised to marry someone else, but she's successfully impersonating a man in order to play the lead in Will's latest production! A truly can't-miss motion picture event with outstanding critical acclaim to match its impressive collection of major awards everyone will love this funny behind-the-scenes look at the writing of the greatest love story ever told! Tremors Attack Pack Brent Maddock, Ron Underwood, S.S. Wilson Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward star as two country handymen who lead a cast of zany characters to safety in this exciting sci-fi creature comedy. Just as Val McKee (Bacon) and Earl Basset (Ward) decide to leave Perfection, Nevada, strange rumblings prevent their departure. With the help of a shapely seismology student (Finn Carter), they discover their desolate town is infested with gigantic man-eating creatures that live below the ground. The race is on to overcome these slimy subterraneans and find a way to higher ground, in this enjoyable thriller co-starring Michael Gross and Reba McEntire. They’re back! The giant underground creatures that terrorized a desert town in Tremors are now plowing their way through Mexican oil fields, gobbling up everything and everyone around-and only one man can stop them! In the style of its predecessor, this comedy sci-fi creature feature reunites Fred Ward as down-on-his-luck Earl Basset and Michael Gross as gung-ho survivalist Burt Gummer, two desert desperados who take on the task of destroying the monsters. Partnered with them is Christopher Gartin, a young guy in need of kicks, cash, and a career change, and Helen Shaver, a sexy and intrepid scientist who’s seen it all…until now. Together they devise an ingenious plan for tracking and killing the creatures. Tremors 2 is filled with high-speed action and plenty of laughs-until the predators wise up. Those morphing, man-eating monsters are shaking things up again in the dusty little town of Perfection, Nevada – and survivalist Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) is the only solution to the latest in evolution! Aided by a couple of young local entrepreneurs (Shawn Christian and Susan Chuang), Burt pits his impressive knowledge of weaponry against the newest and deadliest generation of Graboids. If Burt and his new partners can’t find a way to stop them, then the creatures that put Perfection on the map will wipe it right off the face of the earth. Tremors 3 promises earth-shaking, explosive, edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Get ready to be shaken to your core by the all-new prequel to the original Tremors! When workers in a remote mining town of Rejection, Nevada, fall prey to an unseen creature, the mine’s owner, Hiram Gummer (Michael Gross), great-grandfather to Tremors’ Burt Gummer, hires a mercenary to destroy the carnivorous creatures before they swallow up his profits. What follows is an all-out assault that takes the battleground from deep in the earth to a suspense-filled showdown on the streets of Rejection! Tremors 4:The Legend Begins will thrill you with incredible action sequences, awesome bonus features and earth-shaking special effects created by the award-winning team behind the original box-office hit, Tremors. Chucky - The Killer DVD Collection Don Mancini, Jack Bender, John Lafia, Ronny Yu Cop Land James Mangold This tense action-thriller explodes with nonstop excitement and riveting star performances! Sylvester Stallone (SPY KIDS(TM) 3-D: GAME OVER, DRIVEN) stars as Freddy Heflin, the sheriff of a place everyone calls "Cop Land" a small and seemingly peaceful town populated by the big city police officers he's long admired. Yet something ugly is taking place behind the town's peaceful facade. And when Freddy uncovers a massive, deadly conspiracy among these local residents, he is forced to take action and make a dangerous choice between protecting his idols ... and upholding the law! Robert De Niro (ANALYZE THAT!, MEET THE PARENTS), Harvey Keitel (RED DRAGON, U-571) and Ray Liotta (IDENTITY, JOHN Q) head an incredible cast in this critically acclaimed and unforgettable motion picture! Walk the Line James Mangold A solid and entertaining biopic, Walk the Line works less as a movie than an actors' showcase for its stars. Joaquin Phoenix's total immersion into the skin of singer Johnny Cash is startlingwatching it, you can't believe this is the same guy who whined about being "vexed" in Gladiator. As he evolves from a farm boy to gospel croonin' plunker to the Man in Black, Phoenix disappears into Cash's deep baritone, his way of slinging the guitar onto his back, and his hunched-up style of strumming. But it's more than just picking up mannerisms: Phoenix also sings as Johnny Cash, and it's quite impressive. The story of how Johnny Cash became Johnny Cash traces from his childhood under a distant father (Robert Patrick) to his early attempts at a music career, during which he married his girlfriend Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin). During a tour with the likes of Elvis (Tyler Hilton) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Malloy Payne), he encounters singer June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), and his love for herand her rejection of him through the yearsspurs him into drugs, drinking, and depression. As with most movies based on real-life singers, as his popularity grows, the women come a-flockin', and the childhood demons surface. Witherspoon, who matches Phoenix drawl for drawl, plays June both as a sassy spitfire whose charm breaks your heart, and as a sympathetic friend who tries to help Cash get overwell, her. The love story is what endures, but the movie comes most alive during its musical numbers, and even if you're not a country fan, it may just get you to run out and buy a Johnny Cash album.Ellen A. Kim 3:10 to Yuma James Mangold No Description Available. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Media Type: DVD The Last of the Mohicans Michael Mann An epic adventure and passionate romance unfold against the panorama of a frontier wilderness ravaged by war. Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis (Best Actor in 1989 for My Left Foot) stars as Hawkeye, rugged frontiersman and adopted son of the Mohicans, and Madeleine Stowe is Cora Munro, aristocratic daughter of a proud British Colonel. Their love, tested by fate, blazes amidst a brutal conflict between the British, the French and Native American allies that engulfs the majestic mountains and cathedral-like forests of Colonial America. Collateral Michael Mann VINCENT IS A COOL, CALCULATING CONTRACT KILLER AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME. MAX IS A CABBIE WITH BIG DREAMS LOOKING FOR HIS NEXT FARE. THIS FATEFUL NIGHT, MAX WILL TRANSPORT VINCENT ON HIS NEXT MISSION - ONE NIGHT, 5 STOPS, 5 HITS & A PERFECT GETAWAY. TOGETHER, THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN A NON-STOP RACE AGAINST TIME. Hamlet Richard Marden, Franco Zeffirelli Treachery. Madness. Murder. The story of Hamlet has been told for 400 years...but it's never been told like this! Mel Gibson (the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon films) takes on his richest part to date, the title role in a dynamic new version of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet, Jesus of Nazareth), the location-shot production has a sumptuous look that won Academy Award nominations for Art Direction and Costume Design. Gibson plays the prince of medieval-era Denmark, who senses treachery behind his royal father's death. Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons) plays Hamlet's mother Gertrude, all too dangerously entangled in that treachery. A brilliant supporting cast, including Alan Bates as Claudius, Paul Scofield as the ghost of Hamlet's father, Ian Holm as Polonius and Helena Bonham-Carter as Ophelia, adds its powerful presence to this immortal tale of high adventure and evil deeds. Big, bold and heroic, this is a vivid and virile Hamlet for the modern age and all time. The X-Files - The Complete Third Season Stephen Mark, Robert Mandel This season, series creator Chris Carter expanded the mythology with plots like the alien black oil and Scully's implant, but also further developed the show's trademark humor and continued to explore paranormal possibilities. Say Anything Richard Marks, Cameron Crowe In this charming critically-acclaimed tale of first love, Lloyd (John Cusack), an eternal optimist, seeks to capture the heart of Diane, an unattainable high school beauty and straight-A student (Ione Skye). He surprises just about everyone-including himself-when she returns the sentiment. But Diane's over-possessive, divorced Dad (John Mahoney) doesn't approve and it's going to take more than just the power of love to conquer all. Dog Soldiers Neil Marshall This lean, efficient horror flick stands well above most bloated blockbusters. Dog Soldiers follows a military squad on a training mission in the Scottish wilds, where they run into a pack of werewolves. There's nothing fancy about the plotthe soldiers hole up in a farmhouse and desperately try to fend off the werewolves until dawnbut the script is full of smart dialogue and clever ideas, the direction is dynamic, and the performances (from Kevin McKidd, Sean Pertwee, Emma Cleasby, and Liam Cunningham, among a solid cast of relative unknowns) are strong and committed throughout. Dog Soldiers pays homage to Night of the Living Dead, Aliens, and The Evil Dead, among other films, but the references are woven into the fabric of the movie. An unpretentious, tension-inducing flick like this is a pleasant reminder that even crude special effects can be more evocative than expensive computer flashiness. Bret Fetzer Chicago Rob Marshall Winner of six Academy Awards(R) (2003) including Best Picture, and starring Academy Award nominee (Best Actress, CHICAGO) and Golden Globe winner (Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, CHICAGO) Renée Zellweger (BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY), Academy Award winner (Best Supporting Actress, CHICAGO) Catherine Zeta-Jones (TRAFFIC), Academy Award nominee (Best Supporting Actress, CHICAGO) Queen Latifah (BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE), Golden Globe winner (Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, CHICAGO) Richard Gere (UNFAITHFUL), and Academy Award nominee (Best Supporting Actor, CHICAGO) John C. Reilly (GANGS OF NEW YORK) CHICAGO is a dazzling spectacle cheered by audiences and critics alike! At a time when crimes of passion result in celebrity headlines, nightclub sensation Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) and spotlight-seeking Roxie Hart (Zellweger) both find themselves sharing space on Chicago's famed Murderess Row! They also share Billy Flynn (Gere), the town's slickest lawyer with a talent for turning notorious defendants into local legends. But in Chicago, there's only room for one legend! Also starring Lucy Liu (CHARLIE'S ANGELS). Mean Streets Scorsese, Martin Harvey Keitel plays Charlie, working his way up the ranks of a local mob. Amy Robinson is Teresa, the girlfriend his family deems unsuitable because of her epilepsy. And in the starmaking role that won Best Supporting Actor Awards from the New York and National Society of FIlm Critics, De Niro is Johnny Boy, a small-time gambler in big-time debt to loan sharks. This is a story Martin Scorsese lived, a semi-biographical tale of the first-generation sons and daughters of New York's Little Italy. DVD Features: Theatrical Trailer Inside Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo Four months after pregnant Sara loses her husband in a horrific auto accident, she is visited on Christmas Eve by a mysterious madwoman. Alone and desperate to save her unborn child, Sara fights to stay alive as each of her potential rescuers die at the womans sadistic hands. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Chuck McCann, Robert T. Gillis, Bill Melendez, Phil Roman LINUS IS DETERMINED TO SEE THE GREAT PUMPKIN ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT EVEN IF IT MEANS MISSING TRICKS OR TREATS. In Bruges Martin McDonagh Colin Farrell and Academy Award-nominee Ralph Fiennes star in this edgy, action-packed comedy, filled with thrilling chases, spectacular shoot-outs and an explosive ending you won't want to miss! Hit men Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson, Harry Potter) have been ordered to cool their heels in the storybook city of Bruges (it's in Belgium) after finishing a big job. But since hit men make the worst tourists, they soon find themselves in a life & death struggle of comic proportions against one very angry crime boss (Fiennes)! Get ready for the outrageous and unpredictable fun you will have In Bruges, the movie critics are calling, "wildly entertaining" - Stephen Rebello, Playboy. Anchorman - The Legend of Ron Burgundy Adam McKay IT'S THE 70'S & RON BURGUNDY IS THE KING OF SAN DIEGO - THE MOST POPULAR ANCHORMAN IN TOWN. IN RON'S WORLD, WOMEN DON'T BELONG IN THE NEWSROOM, UNLESS THEY'RE DOING COOKING SEGMENTS. SO WHEN RISING STAR REPORTER VERONICE CORNINGSTONE FILLS IN FOR RO ONE NIGHT & RATINGS SOAR, IT MAKES HIM THINK. AND THAT'S NOT EASY! Talladega Nights - The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Adam McKay TALLADEGA NIGHTS-BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY (DVD/UNRATE Waiting... Rob McKittrick A hilarious comedy about frustrated waiters, stingy tippers and dicey food, Lions Gate Films' WAITING... stars Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris and Justin Long as young employees battling boredom at Shenanigan's, a generic chain restaurant. A waiter for four years since high school, Dean (Justin Long) has never questioned his job at Shenanigan's. But when he learns that Chett, a high school classmate, now has a lucrative career in electrical engineering, he's thrown into turmoil about his dead-end life. Dean's friend Monty (Ryan Reynolds) is in exactly the same boat, but he couldn't care less. More concerned with partying and getting laid, Monty is put in charge of training Mitch (John Francis Daley), a shy new employee. Over the course of one chaotic shift, Mitch gets to know the rest of Shenanigan's quirky staff: Monty's tough-talking ex-girlfriend, Serena (Anna Faris), Shenanigan's over-zealous manager, Dan (David Koechner), and head cook Raddimus (Luis Guzman), who's obsessed with a senseless staff-wide competition known only as "The Game"... Featuring crazy busboys, unsanitary kitchen antics, and lots of talk about sex, WAITING... is a hysterical, behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant industry, and an affectionate ode to those lost, and thoroughly unproductive, days of youth. The Black Hole G. Gregg McLaughlin, Gary Nelson THE CREW OF THE SPACESHIP PALAMINO STUMBLES ACROSS THE LOST SHIP USS CYGNUS HOVERING ON THE EDGE OF AN IMMENSE BLACK HOLE. ONCE ABOARD THEY FIND THE SHIP IS MANNED BY ROBOTS ITS ONLY HUMAN INHABITANT ONE DR HANS REINHARDT AN EMINENT SCIENTIST MISSING FOR THE PAST TWENTY YEARS. Rogue - Unrated Greg Mclean From the director of Wolf Creek comes this terrifying look at nature's perfect killing machine. When a group of tourists stumble into the remote Australian river territory of an enormous crocodile, the deadly creature capsizes their boat - trapping them on a tiny mud island with the tide quickly rising and darkness descending. As the hungry predator closes in for the kill, they must fight for survival against all odds. Starring Michael Vartan (Alias) and Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill), Rogue delivers brutal action and breathless suspense as it speeds towards one of the most intense final showdowns ever filmed. Wolf Creek Greg Mclean Welcome to Wolf Creek, where the suspense of The Blair Witch Project meets the horror of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Inspired by Australia’s "Backpacker Killer" who murdered seven backpackers in the ‘90s, Wolf Creek won wide acclaim from critics, filmmakers and audience members alike at the Sundance Film Festival. Three unsuspecting hikers take off for a drive across Australia. When the trio returns from a four-hour hike to Wolf Creek National Park, they find their car is dead. Help comes in the form of big, back-slapping bushman Mick (John Jarratt). Since Mick appears to be more Crocodile Dundee than Freddy Krueger, the trio trusts him…which proves to be a grave mistake. Quentin Tarantino said, "Jarratt delivers a performance that’s destined to go down as one of the greatest film heavies of the last 25 years. "Not since the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre has terror felt so real." Ken Fox, TV Guide Henry - Portrait of a Serial Killer John McNaughton Ever seen a film so terrifying that it made you want to sleep with all the lights on? A film so unsettling that some of its scenes were stuck in your mind long after you'd finished viewing it? John McNaughton's horrific masterpiece HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER is that kind of film. Based on true events, this critically-acclaimed classic so believably portrays the senseless killing spree of a dangerous sociopath on the loose, Michael Rooker in a bone-chilling performance, that people can't stop talking about it even twenty years after it was filmed. If you've never seen HENRY before, get ready for the ride of your life. If you have seen HENRY and are one if its many fans, you're not going to want to miss this 20th Anniversary Special Edition, which is packed full of never-before-seen extras and is presented here in a stunning new high definition transfer supervised by the director. V for Vendetta James McTeigue In a futuristic Britain where a totalitarian regime rules, a young woman is rescued from certain death by a masked vigilante calling himself "V," who launches a one-man crusade against government tyranny and oppression. Item Type: DVD Movie Packaging: Sleeve Die Hard with a Vengeance John McTiernan The third installment of the hugely succesful Die Hard series, reteams Bruce Willis and director John McTiernan in a new action/adventure extravaganza of special effects, unexpected comedy and non-stop thrills. Die Hard John McTiernan This seminal 1988 thriller made Bruce Willis a star and established a new template for action stories: "Terrorists take over a (blank), and a lone hero, unknown to the villains, is trapped with them." In Die Hard, those bad guys, led by the velvet-voiced Alan Rickman, assume control of a Los Angeles high-rise with Willis's visiting New York cop inside. The attraction of the film has as much to do with the sight of a barefoot mortal running around the guts of a modern office tower as it has to do with the plentiful fight sequences and the bond the hero establishes with an LA beat cop. Bonnie Bedelia plays Willis's wife, Hart Bochner is good as a brash hostage who tries negotiating his way to freedom, Alexander Godunov makes for a believable killer with lethal feet, and William Atherton is slimy as a busybody reporter. Exceptionally well directed by John McTiernan. Tom Keogh Predator John McTiernan The ultimate hunter meets the ultimate adversary?in the ultimate Collector?s Edition DVD! Arnold Schwarzenegger wages an all-out war against an unseen enemy, a force more powerful and deadly than any on Earth?because the Predator is not of this Earth. Now, you can explore the depths of the Predator jungle with this all-new 2-disc set packed with over 5 hours of out-of-this-world extras, including an in-depth documentary, director?s commentary, never-before-seen bonus footage, revealing featurettes and more! City of God Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund Celebrated with worldwide acclaim, this powerful true story of crime and redemption has won numerous prestigious awards around the globe! The streets of the world's most notorious slum, Rio de Janeiro's "City of God," are a place where combat photographers fear to tread, police rarely go, and residents are lucky if they live to the age of 20. In the midst of the oppressive crime and violence, a frail and scared young boy will grow up to discover that he can view the harsh realities of his surroundings with a different eye: the eye of an artist. In the face of impossible odds, his brave ambition to become a professional photographer becomes a window into his world ... and ultimately his way out! Robin Hood James Melton, Tom Acosta, Wolfgang Reitherman ROBIN HOOD-MOST WANTED EDITION (DVD) Road to Perdition Sam Mendes Shadow of the Vampire E. Elias Merhige Clever, engaging, and boosted by the sublime casting of Willem Dafoe as Nosferatu actor Max Schreck, Shadow of the Vampire is a film full of good ideas that are only partially developed. Its premise is ripe with possibilities, but the movie's too slight to register much impact, so you're left to relish its delightful performances and director E. Elias Merhige's affectionately tongue-in-cheek homage to a landmark of German silent cinema. John Malkovich is aptly loony as the eccentric director F.W. Murnau, whose passion in filming the 1922 classic Nosferatu leads to the extreme casting of Schreck as the vampire, a vision of evil who, in this movie's delightfully twisted imagination, actually is a vampire, sucking the blood of cast and crewmembers who've dismissed Schreck as an overzealous method actor. As these on-set maladies and "accidents" continue, Schreck wields greater control over Murnau, who descends into a kind of obsessive art-for-art's-sake madness until diva costar Greta Schroeder (Catherine McCormack, doing wonderful work) is served up as the actor's ultimate motivation. Merhige and his actors (including Cary Elwes, as intrepid cameraman Fritz Wagner) have great fun with this ghastly escapade, and the humor is kept delicately subtle to balance the movie's artistic aspirations. To that end, Dafoe is just right, his bald pate and gaunt features a perfect match for the mysterious Schreck, his grimace and talon-like fingers suggesting a human vulture on the prowl. Likewise, the re-creation of Nosferatu's expressionist style is both fanciful and brilliantly authentic. Too bad, then, that this movie suffers a mild case of vampiric anemia; if it shared the depth and richness of, say, Ed Wood, this might have been a cult classic for the ages. Jeff Shannon Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - The Director's Cut Nicholas Meyer Admiral kirks midlife crisis is interrupted by the return of an old enemy looking for revenge and a potentially destructive device Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/01/2007 Starring: William Shatner Nichelle Nichols Run time: 116 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Nicholas Meyer Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country Nicholas Meyer The crews of the enterprise and the excelsior must stop a plot to prevent a peace treaty between the klingon empire and the federation. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/01/2007 Starring: William Shatner Mark Lenard Run time: 113 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Nicholas Meyer My Bloody Valentine George Mihalka Twenty years after a valentines day tragedy a small town prepares for its annual holiday dance. When a box of candy arrives containing an eerie warning & a blood-soaked heart the townsfolk realize that this valentines day romance is as good as dead .. And so are they! Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 01/13/2009 Run time: 90 minutes Rating: R Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome George Miller, George Ogilvie Gibson stars as Max, the world-weary hero who stands alone against the barbarians of a post-nuclear Australia. Turner is Auntie Entity, the ruler of Bartertown. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Media Type: DVD Run Ronnie Run! Troy Miller Based on the incredibly popular character Ronnie Dobbs from the hit HBO series "Mr. Show", Run Ronnie Run tells the story of a drunken, mullet-haired criminal who can't seem to keep himself from getting arrested. When spotted once again on a national reality show, a Hollywood TV producer gets the brilliant idea to base an entire show on Ronnie himself. Soon, Ronnie is a national TV star and the toast of Hollywood but how long can a guy from the backwoods of Tennessee survive in the big time Bubba Ho-Tep Donald Milne, Don Coscarelli Mud Creek, Texas, is about to get all shook up. When mysterious deaths plague the Shady Rest retirement home, it's up to an aging, cantankerous "Elvis" (Bruce Campbell) and a decrepitand black"JFK" (Ossie Davis) to defeat a 3,000-year-old-Egyptian mummy with a penchant for sucking human souls! Can the King show the world that he can still take care of business? Friday the 13th, Part 3, 3-D Steve Miner Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 02/03/2009 Run time: 95 minutes Rating: R Prince of Darkness Steve Mirkovich, John Carpenter A priest summons a professor to an old church to see a canister of liquid satan. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 10/07/2003 Starring: Donald Pleasence Victor Wong Run time: 102 minutes Rating: R Director: John Carpenter Friday the 13th, Part VIII - Jason Takes Manhattan Steve Mirkovich, Ted Pryor, Rob Hedden A passing boat bound for new york pulls jason along for the ride. Look out new york here comes hell in a hockey mask. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 08/22/2006 Starring: Todd Shaffer Scott Reeves Run time: 100 minutes Rating: R Director: Rob Hedden Princess Mononoke Hayao Miyazaki Claire Danes (THE MOD SQUAD), Minnie Driver (GOOD WILL HUNTING), and Billy Bob Thornton (ARMAGEDDON, SLING BLADE) head a cast of hot Hollywood stars who lend their talents to this exquisitely animated, overwhelmingly acclaimed adventure epic! Inflicted with a deadly curse, a young warrior named Ashitaka (Billy Crudup WITHOUT LIMITS) sets out for the forests of the west in search of the cure that will save his life. Once there, he becomes inextricably entangled in a bitter battle that matches Lady Eboshi (Driver) and a proud clan of humans against the forest's animal gods, who are led by the brave Princess Mononoke (Danes), a young woman raised by wolves! Also starring Gillian Anderson (THE X-FILES) and Jada Pinkett Smith (SCREAM 2), this monumental struggle between man and nature will have you transfixed as stunning artistry blends with epic storytelling to create a uniquely entertaining motion picture! Spirited Away Hayao Miyazaki From one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the history of animated cinema comes the most acclaimed film of 2002. Hayao Miyazaki's latest triumph, filled with astonishing animation and epic adventure, is a dazzling masterpiece for the ages. It's a "wonderfully welcoming work of art that's as funny and entertaining as it is brilliant, beautiful, and deep" (Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal). SPIRITED AWAY is a wondrous fantasy about a young girl, Chihiro, trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world. An unforgettable story brimming with creativity, SPIRITED AWAY will take you on a journey beyond your imagination. "To enter the world of Hayao Miyazaki is to experience a kind of lighthearted enchantment that is unique to the world of animation" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). It's a fantastic tale the whole family will want to experience over and over again. The Sixth Sense Andrew Mondshein, M. Night Shyamalan Hollywood superstar Bruce Willis (ARMAGEDDON, THE SIEGE) brings a powerful presence to an edge-of-your-seat thriller from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan (Oscar(R)-nominee for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director) that critics are calling one of the greatest ghost stories ever filmed. When Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Willis), a distinguished child psychologist, meets Cole Sear (Oscar(R)-nominee Haley Joel Osment, Best Supporting Actor), a frightened, confused, eight-year-old, Dr. Crowe is completely unprepared to face the truth of what haunts Cole. With a riveting intensity you'll find thoroughly chilling, the discovery of Cole's incredible sixth sense leads them to mysterious places with unforgettable consequences! Spiral Joel David Moore;Adam Green;Joel Moore AN ALL NEW DESCENT INTO TERROR FROM THE DIRECTOR AND STAR OF HATCHET Joel David Moore stars with Zachary Levi (Chuck) and Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia and THE GRUDGE 2) in the harrowing story of a shy and possibly disturbed telemarketer/painter, his arrogant longtime friend and boss, and the carefree new co-worker whose love may offer a portrait of normalcy. But in a life scarred by dark secrets, can the truth be the most horrifying pose of all? Tricia Helfer of Battlestar Gallactica co-stars in this acclaimed psychological shocker co-directed by Adam Green and Moore that FrightFest hailed as "almost unbearably tense... a Hitchcock-tail of precision direction and startling imagery packing a final shock punch!" Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machines Jonathan Mostow A decade has passed since John Connor (NICK STAHL) helped prevent Judgment Day and save mankind from mass destruction. Now 25, Connor lives "off the grid" - no home, no credit cards, no cell phone and no job. No record of his existence. No way he can be traced by Skynet - the highly developed network of machines that once tried to kill him and wage war on humanity. Until?out of the shadows of the future steps the T-X (KRISTANNA LOKEN), Skynet's most sophisticated cyborg killing machine yet. Sent back through time to complete the job left unfinished by her predecessor, the T-1000, this machine is as relentless as her human guise is beautiful. Now Connor's only hope for survival is the Terminator (ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER), his mysterious former assassin. Together, they must triumph over the technologically superior T-X and forestall the looming threat of Judgment Day?or face the apocalypse and the fall of civilization as we know it. Superbad - Unrated Greg Mottola From the guy who brought you Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin comes Superbad. Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) want nothing more than to lose their virginity before they head off to college. To do that, though, they need to get liquor for the big party that night. With the help of their friend Fogell, a.k.a. McLovin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and his fake I.D., the three of them go on a hilarious chase for that elusive booze, dodging incompetent cops (Knocked Up's Seth Rogen and "Saturday Night Live's" Bill Hader), angry neighbors and jealous boyfriends. Resident Evil - Extinction Russell Mulcahy Milla Jovovich is back in the third chapter of the hugely successful Resident Evil franchise! This action-packed horror film is set in the Nevada desert and filled with intense special effects and more zombie terror! Las Vegas means fun in the sun. Well, at least the sun is still there. Except for a few rusting landmarks, it looks pretty much like the rest of the desert - or the whole country, for that matter. The crowds are now flesh-eating zombies: the mass undead, the oozing, terrifying sludge of what remains. Here, the newly upgraded Alice, along with her crew (Oded Fehr, Mike Epps, Ali Larter, Ashanti) will make a final stand against evil - with one goal: to turn the undead dead again. Beyond Resident Evil: Extinction Resident Evil: Apocalypse on DVD Stills from Resident Evil: Extinction (click for larger image) Army of Darkness Bob Murawski, Sam Raimi Two Discs Of Mind-Blowing Mayhem From The Director Of THE EVIL DEAD And SPIDER-MAN! The one and only Bruce Campbell stars as Ash, a hapless housewares clerk time-warped back to the Dark Ages by the demonic power of the Necronomicon. Now armed with only a '73 Oldsmobile, his trusty chainsaw and a 12-gauge double-barreled S-Mart shotgun, our knuckleheaded hero must battle vicious she-bitches, a diabolical Evil Ash and the relentless hordes of the medieval dead in the most outrageously spectacular horror comedy every made. Get ready for some sugar, baby: This is ARMY OF DARKNESS - THE BOOMSTICK EDITION! By overwhelming fan demand, this groovy double-disc set presents the U.S. Theatrical Version complete with its notorious original ending and the Director's Cut with over 15 minutes of additional footage. There's also deleted scenes, a wild audio commentary with Bruce Campbell, writer/director Sam Raimi and co-writer Ivan Raimi, an exclusive featurette, storyboards and much more. So listen up, you primitive screwheads: This is ARMY OF DARKNESS like you've never seen it before! Includes an 8-Page Collector's Booklet with all-new liner notes by star Bruce Campbell Under Siege 2: Dark Territory Geoff Murphy An electronic wiz and his militia have seized a sleek passenger train and turned it into a rolling command center for an awesome weapons satellite. But the hijackers didnt count on one thing one of the passengers is ex-navy seal casey ryback. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 05/31/2005 Starring: Steven Seagal Eric Bogosian Run time: 100 minutes Rating: R Director: Geoff Murphy Aladdin John Musker, Ron Clements Soar away on a magic carpet ride of nonstop thrills and fun in the most spectacular adventure of all time! Now meticulously restored and enhanced experience the wonders of ALADDIN like never before, from the Academy Award(R)-winning music (Best Original Song, Best Original Score, 1992) to the unforgettable moments of sidesplitting comedy and soaring adventure. In the heart of an enchanted city, a commoner named Aladdin and his mischievous monkey, Abu, battle to save the free-spirited Princess Jasmine. Aladdin's whole life changes with one rub of a magic lamp as a fun-loving, shape-shifting Genie appears and grants him three wishes, setting him on an incredible journey of discovery. Through his adventures, Aladdin proves that he is a prince where it truly matters most on the inside! The Little Mermaid John Musker, Ron Clements The Little Mermaid, one of the most celebrated animated films of all time and winner of two Academy Awards(R) (Best Music, Original Score; Best Music, Original Song, "Under The Sea," 1989) splashes onto an exciting 2-Disc DVD with an all-new digital restoration. Ariel, a fun-loving and mischievous mermaid, is off on the adventure of a lifetime with her best friend, the adorable Flounder, and the reggae-singing Caribbean crab Sebastian at her side. But it will take all of her courage and determination to make her dreams come true—and save her father's beloved kingdom from the sneaky sea witch Ursula! Dive into a world of music and adventure in this new 2-Disc Platinum Edition your family will enjoy again and again! The Great Mouse Detective Ron Clements;Burny Mattinson;John Michener;John Musker From the creators of The Princess and the Frog and The Little Mermaid comes the story of a clever little hero on a great big adventure. Join the Sherlock Holmes of Mousedom on a heroic journey unraveling clues through London. If you like Sherlock Holmes, you'll love The Great Mouse Detective. When the diabolical Professor Ratigan kidnaps the city's master toymaker, the brilliant Basil of Baker Street and his trusted sidekick Dawson set off to track down Basil's lifelong nemesis. Little do they know that the evil rat's trail leads all the way to The Queen at Buckingham Palace! Get on the case with Basil, the master of disguise, as he tries to elude the ultimate rattrap and foil the perfect crime. Now digitally remastered, fully restored and complete with exclusive bonus features, The Great Mouse Detective is better than ever in the Mystery In The Mist Edition! Bonus Features Include: All-New Digital Restoration, New So You Think You Can Sleuth Game, The Making Of The Great Mouse Detective, The World's Greatest Criminal Mind Sing-Along Song, Dylan & Cole Sprouse: Blu-ray Is Suite!, Learn How To Take Your Favorite Movies On The Go Death Note 3: L, Change the World Hideo Nakata Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 08/25/2009 Run time: 129 minutes Rating: Nr He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Series Jong-Sik Nam 2002's HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE was a revival of the classic 80's cartoon. These new episodes focus on the early adventures of Prince Adam, who, having just become Eternia's most powerful guardian HE-MAN, grapples with his new, awesome powers. HE-MAN must lead the MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE into battle against the villainous SKELETOR and his evil warrior henchman, who scheme to rule Eternia and spread chaos through the kingdom. This Complete Collection starts with the three-part movie that shows how Price Adam becomes He-Man and leads Man-At-Arms, Teela, Ram Man, Buzz-Off, Mekanek and other MASTERS OF THE UNIVESE as they battle Skeletor, Trap Jaw, Tri-Klops, Evil-Lyn, Mer-Man and other villains for control of Eternia. Cypher Vincenzo Natali A pulse-pounding cyber thriller starring Jeremy Northam (GOSFORD PARK, EMMA) and Lucy Liu (KILL BILL VOLUME 1, CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE), CYPHER is sure to entertain you! When computer expert Morgan Sullivan (Northam) joins a huge multinational company, he assumes a new identity and is sent undercover to investigate corporate espionage. Before long, he finds himself caught up in a vicious cycle of paranoia and mistrust. Then along comes Rita (Liu), a sexy and smart secret agent who informs Sullivan that he's being brainwashed and that she is the only one who can help him! Loaded with riveting twists and amazing special effects ... you're sure to applaud this fast-paced thriller! Lucas Priscilla Nedd-Friendly, David Seltzer At 14 years old, Lukas is a bit too small for his age, and far too smart for his high school classmates. He's more interested in symphonies and science fairs than food fights and football. But when Lucas finds himself falling in love with a cheerleader, who only has eyes for the school's top jock, he grows desperate for her attention, Even if it means risking his pride and his neck at the big game. The Grey Zone Tim Blake Nelson Based on real life events this film chronicles a unit of auschwitzs sonderkommando a special squad of jewish prisoners who staged the only armed revolt that would ever take place at auschwitz. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 02/01/2005 Starring: Steve Buscemi Mira Sorvino Run time: 108 minutes Rating: R Director: Tim Blake Nelson Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Mike Newell When Harry Potter's name emerges from the Goblet of Fire, he becomes a competitor in a grueling battle for glory among three wizarding schools - the Triwizard Tournament. But since Harry never submitted his name for the Tournament, who did? Now Harry must confront a deadly dragon, fierce water demons and an enchanted maze only to find himself in the cruel grasp of He Who Must Not Be Named. In this fourth film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, everything changes as Harry, Ron and Hermione leave childhood forever and take on challenges greater than anything they could have imagined. DVD Features: Media Type: DVD Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home Leonard Nimoy To save earth from an alien probe kirk and his crew go back in time to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it humpback whales. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/01/2007 Starring: William Shatner Deforest Kelley Run time: 119 minutes Rating: Pg The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Marcus Nispel Red Dawn Thom Noble, John Milius Red Dawn opens with one of the most shocking scenes ever filmed; on a peaceful morning, through the windows of a high school classroom, students see paratroopers land on the varsity football field: the invasion of the United States has begun! As their town is overrun by foreign nationals, eight teenagers escape to the mountains. Taking the name of their high school football team, the Wolverines, they wage unremitting guerrilla warfare in defense of their parents, their friends and their country. Powerful, chilling and absolutely gripping, this outstanding film features some of today's most popular stars, including Patrick Swayze (Ghost), Charlie Sheen (Platoon), C. Thomas Howell (The Hitcher), Lea Thompson ("Caroline in the City"), Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing) and veteran actor Harry Dean Stanton (Alien). When it comes to thrilling entertainment, Red Dawn wins the war with a vengeance! Audio: English: Stereo 2.0 / Spanish: Mono / French: StereoLanguage: Dubbed: French & Spanish / Subtitled: French & SpanishTheatrical Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 1.85:1 Disc 1: Widescreen Feature FilmCarnage Counter: This feature on the DVD will keep a running tally of violent acts - deaths, bodily injuries, shots fired, etc. - at the top of the screen so that the viewer can keep count as the film plays. Disc 2: Special Features:Red Daw Rising - a retrospective look at the making of the film.Building the Red Menace - what it took to make "World War III"Military Training - this piece explores the extensive training that the actors had to go through in order to become convincing guerilla fightersWWIII Comes To Town - This piece goes back to Las Vegas, New Mexico and finds out from locals and extras what happened when 'Red Dawn' came and turned their hometown into the fictional town of Calumet, Colorado and the center of World War III. Memento Christopher Nolan Leonard Shelby, an insurance investigator has developed short-term memory loss after attempting to intervene in his wife's murder, and uses notes and tattoos in an attempt to hunt down her killer. Genre: Mystery Media Type: DVD The Prestige Christopher Nolan Award-winning actors Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson star in THE PRESTIGE, the twisting, turning story that, like all great magic tricks, stays with you. Two young, passionate magicians, Robert Angier (Jackman), a charismatic showman, and Alfred Borden (Bale), a gifted illusionist, are friends and partners until one fateful night when their biggest trick goes terribly wrong. Now the bitterest of enemies, they will stop at nothing to learn each other's secrets. As their rivalry escalates into a total obsession full of deceit and sabotage, they risk everything to become the greatest magician of all time. But nothing is as it seems, so watch closely. And be prepared to watch it again and again. The Return of the Living Dead Dan O'Bannon Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the cemetery'those brain-eating zombies are back and hungry for more tasty mortals. A fiendish mix of outrageous humor and heart-stopping terror, The Return of the Living Dead is a veritable smorgasbord of fun (LA Herald-Examiner) filled with skin-crawling jolts, eye-popping visuals and relentless surprise! On his first day on the job at an army surplus store, poor Freddy unwittingly releases nerve gas from a secret U.S. military canister, unleashing an unbelievable terror. The gas re-animates a corps of corpses, who arise from their graves with a ravenous hunger for human brains! And luckily for those carnivorous cadavers, there is a group of partying teens nearby, just waiting to be eaten! Suicide Kings Peter O'Fallon Bad Moon Carroll Timothy O'Meara, Eric Red Full moon, crescent moon, quarter moon...each is a Bad Moon for Ted Harrison. By day, he's a photojournalist enjoying a stay with family in the Pacific Northwest. By night, he transfigures into a horrific half-humana werewolf. Writer/Director Eric Red (The Hitcher, Body Parts) delivers a new infusion of thrills with this roaring, red-blooded shocker. Michael Pare portrays Ted, hiding his accursed condition from his sister (Mariel Hemingway) and nephew (Dennis the Menace's Mason Gamble) Year: 1997 Director: Eric Red Starring: Mariel Hemingway, Michael Pare, Mason Gamble Ace Ventura Deluxe Double Feature Steve Oedekerk, Tom Shadyac Allllll righty then. Let's get to it. As Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Jim Carrey instantly soared to stardom while tearing decorum to pieces. The award-winning actor plays the screwloose sleuth determined to sniff out the Miami Dolphins' missing mascot and quarterback Dan Marino. Jim Carrey returns in Ace Ventura When Nature Calls as the alligator-wrasslin,' elephant-calling, monkeyshining, loogie-launching, burning coals-crossing, disguise-mastering pet detective. Includes a bonus DVD with specially selected cartoons from the hit TV show Ace Ventura The Animated Series. DVD Features: Audio Commentary:Commentary by Director Tom Shadyac TV Spot Mamoru Oshii Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 02/23/1999 Run time: 120 minutes Akira Katsuhiro Ôtomo In 1988, the landmark Anime film AKIRA, by director Katsuhiro Otomo, defined the cutting edge of Anime around the world. By today's standards, Akira remains the pinnacle of cel animation and retains the explosive impact of its highly detailed animation and its intensely violent saga of power and corruption. Neo-Tokyo has risen from the ashes of World War III to become a dark and dangerous megalopolis infested with gangs and terrorists. The government seethes with corruption and only maintains a token control over the powerful military that prevents total chaos and hides the secrets of the past. Childhood friends Tetsuo and Kaneda plunge into Neo-Tokyo's darkest secret when their motorcycle gang encounters a military operation to retrieve an escaped experimental subject. Tetsuo, captured by the military, is subjected to experiments that make him a powerful psychic, but, unfortunately for Neo-Tokyo, Tetsuo's powers rage out of control and he lashes out at the world that has oppressed him! Nothing can stop the destructive forces that Tetsuo wields except possibly the last boy to destroy Tokyo. Insert: 1) Black BRC response card (regular version). 2) Todd McFarlane Toy Insert (limited to 300,000 total inserts) * Anime masterpiece first time ever on DVD for North American release! * Created and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. Special Features: * Digitally re-mastered including High Definition film transfer, High Definition restoration. * THX Certified * New English dialogue, new 5.1 mix (on the English audio only), scene access and more. * Disc 2 contains supplementary materials including "Akira" Production Report, "Sound Clip," director's interview, trailers, production materials, Restoration of "Akria", and "Akria" glossary. * Widescreen format (1:78) and enhanced for widescreen TV's (anamorphic). Akria The Special Edition (DVD9, 2 discs) Scarface Brian De Palma Pacino plays a ruthless Cuban gangster involved in a cocaine empire, in this violent crime epic inspired by the 1932 classic of the same title. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Media Type: DVD Mission Impossible Brian De Palma Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, a secret agent framed for the deaths of his espionage team. Fleeing from government assassins, breaking into the CIA's most impenetrable vault, clinging to the roof of a speeding bullet train, Hunt races like a burning fuse to stay one step ahead of his pursuers... and draw one step closer to discovering the shocking truth. Mission Impossible II Brian De Palma, John Woo The world's greatest spy returns in the movie event of the year, M:I-2. Top action director John Woo brings his own brand of excitement to the mission that finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) partnering up with the beautiful Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton) to stop renegade agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from releasing a new kind of terror on an unsuspecting world. But before the mission is complete, they'll traverse the globe and have to choose between everything they love and everything they believe in. The Untouchables Bill Pankow, Brian De Palma In THE UNTOUCHABLES, federal agent Elliot Ness leads a group of mob fighters with the intent of taking out the infamous Al Capone in 1930's Prohibition-era Chicago. Realizing that practical methods will not work in securing Capone's capture, Ness and his men resort to using even more force in order to take down the Chicago mob boss once and for all. Galaxy Quest Dean Parisot For four years, the courageous crew of the NSEA Protector - "Commander Peter Quincy Taggart" (Tim Allen), "Lt. Tawny Madison" (Sigourney Weaver) and "Dr. Lazarus" (Alan Rickman) - set off on thrilling and often dangerous missions in space . . . and then their series was canceled! Now, twenty years later, aliens under attack have mistaken the Galaxy Quest television transmissions for "historical documents" and beamed up the crew of has-been actors to save the universe. With no script, no director and no clue, the actors must turn in the performances of their lives in this hilarious adventure Jeffery Lyons (NBC-TV) calls "The funniest, wittiest comedy of the year." Chicken Run Nick Park, Peter Lord CHICKEN RUN (DTS) (DVD) The Hills Run Red Dave Parker You heard the story. The one about the goriest, bloodiest splatter flick ever, the one made in the ’80s but mysteriously lost. Flash forward to now: Young cinema buffs search for the secret location where the movie was shot, hoping to find the film. What they find is that the goriest, bloodiest splatter flick ever is more than a movie. It’s real. And it’s happening to them. The Hills Run Red with a whole new level of horror as the terrified interlopers confront a demented killer who covers his hacked-up face with a babydoll mask. Wait, Babyface is just a character from the movie, right? Wrong. He’s alive. He’s waiting. He’s thrilled to meet fans who will die – slowly, gruesomely, shockingly – for his art. Roll camera! Team America - World Police Trey Parker In TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE, a group of marionette puppets form Team America, an international police force dedicated to maintaining global stability. Discovering that a power hungry dictator, Kim Jong II, plans to destroy the world and is brokering weapons of mass destruction to terrorists, the team enlists the undercover help of Broadway star Gary Johnston and embarks on a harrowing mission to save the world. Opposed to this, is the Film Actors' Guild, or F.A.G., whose members include puppets representing actors Alec Baldwin, Tim Robbins, Matt Damon, Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. In spite of the lack of support they receive, the team sticks to their plan of saving the world and putting an end to terrorism. Friday Night Lights Josh Pate, Peter Berg Based on the best-selling book by H.G. Bissinger, Peter Berg's gritty, powerful drama tells the true story of a small Texas town in which high school football is the only thing that matters. Set in 1988, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS opens on the first day of practice for the Odessa Permian Panthers. Under intense pressure and scrutiny from the town's residents, head coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) nonetheless maintains a calm façade. His star player, Boobie Miles (Derek Luke), is a running back with unlimited potential, but the rest of the team is undersized and lacking killer instinctespecially quarterback Mike Winchell (Lucas Black), who's shy and short of confidence, and Don Billingsley (Garrett Hedlund), who is tormented by his father (Tim McGraw) for being too soft. When Boobie goes down on opening day with a career threatening knee injury, the season appears to be over. But Gaines won't give up, and neither will the rest of his feisty players. Billy Bob Thornton delivers another outstanding performance in Berg's impassioned drama, as do the film's young actors (most notably Luke, Black, and Hedlund). Tobias Schliessler's fuel-injected photography and Explosion in the Sky's electrifying score make FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS an even more spectacular movie-going experience. Frailty Bill Paxton YEARS AFTER TERRORIZING A SMALL TEXAS COMMUNITY, THE GOD'S HAND KILLER HAS RETURNED, LEAVING IN HIS WAKE A PERPLEXING TRAIL OF FEAR AND DEATH. CONVINCED THAT HE KNOWS THE KILLER'S IDENTITY, FENTON MEIKS SHOWS UP AT FBI HEADQUARTERS, INTENT ON PUTTING AN END TO THE MURDEROUS RAMPAGE AND RELIEVING HIS CONSCIENCE. Reeker Dave Payne When a lonely highway is inexplicably closed, five students sharing a ride to a party find themselves trapped at a deserted travel oasis. Refusing to let the new circumstances interfere with their fun, they settle in, only to be interrupted by odd, haunting visions of severely mutilated travelers – victims of a killer – a killer trailing a dark force of decay and rot. Led by a blind grad student with heightened senses, they must survive the night and confront what appears to be a terrifying abyss between the living and the dead. As the body count rises, the bizarre mystery deepens. Those strong enough to survive are left to answer the burning question: What the hell is the Reeker? Dolls Lee Percy, Stuart Gordon They're cute, they're cuddly...and they kill! From horror director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator) and screenwriter Ed Naha (Troll) comes this "fiendish nightmare" (The Hollywood Reporter) that combines the pint-sized playmates of childhood with bone-chilling fun, resulting in "a bloody bonbon you chew with relish" (Los Angeles Times)!A precocious girl, her nasty parents, two punk-rock losers and a weak-kneed salesman inadvertently become the guests of two ghoulish senior citizens in their dark, haunted mansion. The old couple make and collect dolls that, when not sitting still like good little mannequins, creep around in the night, offing the guests one by one! You may laugh at first, but if they turn on you, you'll regret it...for the rest of your short life! Das Boot - The Director's Cut Wolfgang Petersen Follows the daring patrol of U-96, one of the famed German U-boats known as the \gray wolves." Genre: Feature Film-Drama Media Type: DVD""" Enemy Mine Wolfgang Petersen In this visually stunning sci-fi adventure, two warriors engaged in a savage, futuristic war between Earth and the planet Dracon. Crash-land on a desolate, fiery planet. At first, the human, (Dennis Quaid) and his reptilian, alien opponent (Louis Gossett, JR) are intent on destroying each other, the two stranded pilots gradually realize that the only way either of them will survive is to overcome their undying hatred. The Neverending Story Wolfgang Petersen Schoolboy enters book about boy warrior and empress. The Burrowers J.T. Petty The Dakota Territories. 1879. A handful of brave pioneers maintain isolated settlements in the badlands beyond civilization. Irish Immigrant Fergus Coffey is near to winning the hand of his beloved Maryanne when she is suddenly taken from him, her family brutally abducted in a nighttime attack on their homestead. Suspicion falls immediately on hostile Indians. Experienced Indian fighters Will Parcher and John Clay form a posse and set out to rescue the kidnapped settlers, taking along a naïve teenager hoping to prove himself a man, an ex-slave looking for his place, and their ranch-hand, Coffey. But as men vanish in the night, and horrific evidence accumulates with the dead and dying, the group discovers that their prey is far more terrifying than anything human, and their prospects are far more terrible than death. Old School Todd Phillips OLD SCHOOL (DVD)(UR)FF/DOL DIG 5.1/DOL/ENG/SPAN & Starsky & Hutch Todd Phillips In Starsky & Hutch, the origins of the charismatic crime-fighting duo David Starsky and Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson are explored when these undercover Bay City detectives are partnered for their very first assignment. Ben Stiller plays the tightly wound Detective David Starsky who is thrown together with Owen Wilson's easygoing Detective Ken Hutchinson on a high-stakes case. Platinum-selling rapper and actor Snoop Dogg plays their savvy street informant Huggy Bear. Vince Vaughn also joins the cast as Reese Feldman, a smooth-talking entrepreneur with an eye towards the future. DVD Features: Audio Commentary:Commentary with Director Todd Phillips Deleted Scenes Easter Eggs:Vince's Bit for the Kids Easter Egg (Vince discusses his thoughts on DVD special features) Featurette:Last Look Special - Documentary Spoof (A spoof on behind-the-scenes documentaries) Other:Fashion Fa Shizzle Wit Huggy Bizzle (Fashion insights with Snoop Dogg) Outtakes Theatrical Trailer Ong-Bak - The Thai Warrior Prachya Pinkaew When the head of his village's sacred Buddha statue is stolen, simple country boy Ting (Tony Jaa) is sent to Bangkok to retrieve it. Raised by a monk who has trained him in Muay Thai, Ting has vowed to never use his lethal martial arts skills. But once he arrives in the big city, Ting is forced to fight. It's non-stop action as Ting infiltrates Bangkok's seedy underworld and takes on a series of lowlifes and criminals in his quest to obtain the sacred head. The Protector Prachya Pinkaew Thai martial arts virtuoso Tony Jaa stars as Kham, who travels to Australia to take on a gang and rescue a kidnapped elephant. American Movie Barry Poltermann, Jun Diaz, Chris Smith This 1999 Grand Jury Prize winner of the Sundance Film Festival tells the intense and humorous story of Mark Borchardt's obsession to make his horror film, Coven. Genre: Documentary Media Type: DVD Heavy Metal Gerald Potterton Based on the fantastical illustrated magazine Heavy Metal producer Ivan Reitman enlists the world s greatest comic book artists to create the otherworldly tale of a glowing green orb from outer space that spreads destruction throughout the galaxy. Only when encountered by its one true enemy - to whom it is inexplicably drawn - will goodness prevail throughout the universe. Lavishly drawn vignettes of the orb s dark victories include the character voices of John Candy and Harold Ramis plus a pounding soundtrack by Black Sabbath Blue Oyster Cult Cheap Trick Devo Donald Fagen Don Felder Grand Funk Railroad Sammy Hagar Journey Nazareth Stevie Nicks Riggs and Trust. Highly imaginative and full of surprising special effects Heavy Metal set the standard for alternative contemporary animation. An intoxicating experience not to be missed.System Requirements:Voices By: John Candy and Harold Ramis. Directed By: Gerald Potterton. Running Time: 90 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 1999 Columbia TriStar Home Video.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: UPC: 043396039292 Manufacturer No: 03929 The Naked Gun/The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear/Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult Artist Not Provided NAKED GUN: Those screw-loose Airplane! creators have done it again! Leslie Nielsen stars as Police Squad's own granite-jawed, rock-brained cop Frank Drebin, who bumbles across a mind-control scheme to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. Priscilla Presley, O.J. Simpson, a stuffed beaver, two baseball teams and an odd assortment of others join the wacko goings-on and blow the laugh-o-meter to smithereens. NAKED GUN 2 & 1/2: Leslie Nielsen returns as the intrepid (and accident-prone) Lt. Frank Drebin in Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear, "un film de David Zucker." This second feature film from the "Police Squad!" series finds Drebin as a guest at a White House dinner, receiving an award for shooting his 1,000th drug dealer, although he admits to shooting only 998 — he ran over the last two in his car. ("Luckily, they turned out to be drug dealers"). Also at the White House dinner is energy czar Dr. Albert S. Meinheimer (Richard Griffiths), whom President George Bush (John Roarke) has chosen to start a new national energy policy. Since Meinheimer believes in promoting alternative energy resources, the evil leaders of the polluting energy industries (coal, oil, and nuclear power—or the lobby groups SMOKE, SPILL and KABOOM) are horrified at Bush's choice. Joining together with arch-villain Quentin Hapsburg (Robert Goulet), they plan to kidnap the real Meinheimer and substitute a fake Meinheimer in his place who will enact energy policy according to the dictates of the energy lobby. Drebin becomes deeply involved in the conspiracy when he runs into his ex-girl friend Jane (Priscilla Presley), who is not only Meinheimer's public relations director but also Hapsburg's current paramour. NAKED GUN 33 & 1/3: The further misadventures of bumbling Los Angeles police Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) are chronicled in this third installment in the popular Naked Gun comedy series. This by-the-numbers entry begins with Drebin as a happily retired house-husband called back into action when an evil terrorist organization threatens Los Angeles. As in the other Naked Gun films, this plot is merely an excuse for an unhinged, rapid-fire succession of gags, ranging from satirical lampoons of cop movies to broad slapstick, all played with a perfectly straight face. Nielsen provides his familiar combination of complete witlessness and oblivious dignity as Drebin, and the film attempts to match the earlier Naked Gun films — and the Police Squad! television series that inspired them — in the number of jokes. However, the film proved less successful than its predecessors, as some viewers found that the freewheeling comic style of the earlier films had solidified into its own formula, now mildly entertaining but disappointingly predictable. Halloween II / Halloween III - Season of the Witch Artist Not Provided HALLOWEEN II Picking up precisely where its predecessor left off, Halloween II follows the same ill-fated characters as they encounter the knife-wielding maniac they left for dead in the first Halloween. It seems the inhuman Michael Myers is still very much alive and out for more revenge as he stalks the deserted halls of the hospital where his sister lies waiting. As he gets closer and closer to his terrified target, Dr. Loomis discovers the chilling mystery behind the crazed psychopath's savage actions. Written by horror masters John Carpenter and Debra Hill, Halloween II is a spine-tingling dark ride into the scariest night of the year. HALLOWEEN III Producer John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing) presents the third chilling installment in the shocking Halloween franchise. When a terrified toy salesman is mysteriously attacked and brought to the hospital, babbling and clutching the year's most popular Halloween costume, an eerie pumpkin mask, Dr. Daniel Challis is thrust into a terrifying Halloween nightmare. Working with the salesman's daughter, Ellie, Daniel traces the mask to the Silver Shamrock Novelties company and its founder, Conal Cochran. Ellie and Daniel uncover Cochran's shocking Halloween plan and must stop him before trick-or-treaters across the country never come home in this terrifying thriller. The Crow Alex Proyas Catch the explosive, action-packed hit that thrilled moviegoers and dazzled critics everywhere! Brandon Lee (RAPID FIRE) plays Eric Draven, a young rock guitarist who, along with his fiancee, is brutally killed by a ruthless gang of criminals. Exactly one year after his death, Eric returns watched over by a hypnotic crow to seek revenge, battling the evil crime lord and his band of urban thugs, who must answer for their crimes. Loaded with intense, nonstop action and a hot #1 hit soundtrack, THE CROW delivers exhilarating, fast-paced entertainment! I, Robot Alex Proyas In the year 2035, technology and robots are a trusted part of everyday life. But that trust is broken when a scientist is found dead and a skeptical detective (Smith) believes that a robot is responsible. Bridget Moynahan co-stars in this high-tech action thriller that questions whether technology will ultimately lead to mankind's salvation . . . or annihilation. American Hardcore Paul Rachman Fueled by a ferocious soundtrack, director Paul Rachman's American Hardcore gives fans an all-access pass to the rise and fall of the U.S. punk scene, an explosive musical and cultural phenomenon that shaped everything from the grunge movement to the emo and pop/punk music currently riding the charts. Set against the conservative early '80s political landscape, American Hardcore chronicles the homegrown hardcore scene that was a swift kick in the head to corporate rock and mainstream complacency, as disaffected teens adopted the same collective credo - harder, faster, louder. From downtown warehouses to suburban bedrooms, the scene spread from city to city like wildfire, uniting bored, angry outcasts into an authentic underground revolution. A raw blast of politics, passion, and rage, American Hardcore features never-before-seen live footage from Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, MDC, SSD, DOA, DRI, The Adolescents, 7 Seconds and many more, plus exclusive interviews with punk icons like Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, Keith Morris and H.R. (Paul Hudson). The Quick and the Dead Sam Raimi HEROD IS THE UNDISPUTED RULER OF REDEMPTION, A HAVEN FOR MISCREANTS OF EVERY TYPE, AND THE FASTEST KILLER IN THE WEST. ON ONE DAY, A MYSTERIOUS YOUNG WOMAN RIDES INTO TOWN, A SIX-SHOOTER STRAPPED TO HER HIP AND REVENGE BURNING IN HER HEART. SHE'S COME TO KILL HEROD, BUT SHE FINDS THAT SHE IS PARALYZED BY HER PAST. Spider-Man Sam Raimi A teen is bitten by a spider and gains superhero powers. Spider-Man 2 Sam Raimi Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) gives up his crime-fighting identity of Spider-Man in a desperate attempt to return to ordinary life and keep the love of MJ (Kirsten Dunst). But a ruthless, terrifying new villain, the multi-tentacled Doc Ock, forces Peter to swing back into action to save everything he holds dear. The Evil Dead 2 Sam Raimi Ash (Bruce Campbell), the sole survivor of The Evil Dead, continues his struggle with the forces of the dead. With his girlfriend possessed by demons and his body parts runnning amok, Ash is forced to single- handedly battle the legions of the damned as the most lethal and groovy hero in horror movie history! Welcome to Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn, director Sam Raimi's infamous sequel to The Evil Dead and outrageous prequel to Army of Darkness! Darkman Trilogy Sam Raimi DARKMAN TRILOGY (DVD) (2DISCS/ENG SDH) Spider-Man 3 Sam Raimi Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) finally has the girl of his dreams, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), and New York City is in the throes of Spider-mania! But when a strange alien symbiote turns Spider-Man¿s suit black, his darkest demons come to light changing Spider-Man inside as well as out. Spider-Man is in for the fight of his life against a lethal mix of villains - the deadly Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), Venom (Topher Grace), and the New Goblin (James Franco) - as well as the enemy within himself. Caddyshack Harold Ramis The greenskeeper is about to start World War III - against a gopher. The judge plays to win but his nubile niece has her mind set on scoring her own way. The playboy shoots perfect golf by pretending he is the ball. And the country club loudmouth just doubled a $20,000 bet on a 10-foot putt. Insanity? No. Caddyshack. Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight and Bill Murray tee off for a side-splitting round of fairway foolishness that does for golf what Animal House did for college fraternities and Police Academy did for law enforcement. Groundhog Day Harold Ramis Bill Murray is at his wry, wisecracking best in this riotous romantic comedy about a weatherman caught in a personal time warp on the worst day of his life. Teamed with a relentlessly cheerful producer (Andie MacDowell) and a smart-aleck cameraman (Chris Elliott), TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is sent to Punxsutawney , Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. But on his way out of town, Phil is caught in a giant blizzard, which he failed to predict, and finds himself stuck in small-town hell. Just when things couldn't get worse, they get worse; Phil wakes the next morning to find it's Groundhog Day all over again... and again... and again. Groundhog Day was cheered by critics as Bill Murray's best movie ever. Escape from New York Todd C. Ramsay, John Carpenter A thrilling landmark film that jolts along at a breakneck pace, Escape From New York leapt to cult status with high-octane action, edge-of-your-seat suspense and a mind-blowing vision of a lone warrior (Kurt Russell) battling his way out of a post-apocalyptic Manhattan! Hailed as "stylish and scary" (Los Angeles Times), "dark and dangerous" (Newsweek) and "gloriously...fun" (Tyler Morning Telegraph), this fast-paced and furiously entertaining thriller grabs you by the throat and won't let go! In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted to a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam. But when the U.S. President (Donald Pleasence) crash-lands inside, only one man can bring him back: notorious outlaw and former Special Forces war hero Snake Plissken (Russell). But time is short: in 24 hours, an explosive device implanted in his neck will end Snake's missionand his lifeunless he succeeds! Hellbound: Hellraiser II - 20th Anniversary Edition Tony Randel In 1988, it emerged as the shocking follow-up to the film that redefined the face of horror. Two decades later, it remains the most brutally original sequel in horror film history. Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence and Kenneth Cranham co-star in this hit sequel from executive producer Clive Barker that experiences the flesh like no other. The time to play has come again: Surrender yourself to the infernal labyrinth of hellbound: Hellraiser II – The 20th Anniversary Edition. SPECIAL FEATURES The UNRATED version of the classic 1988 release Audio Commentary with Cast and Crew 60 MINUTES OF NEW FEATURETTES: The Soul Patrol - ALL-NEW interviews with Cenobite performers Simon Bamford, Nicholas Vince, and Barbie Wilde. Outside The Box - ALL-NEW interview with Director Tony Randel about how HELLBOUND shaped his creative future. The Doctor Is In - ALL-NEW interview with Kenneth Cranham on his experiences playing the villainous Dr. Channard. Under The Skin - NEVER BEFORE RELEASED IN THE US interview with Doug Bradley (PINHEAD) Cloverfield Matt Reeves Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives Pusher Trilogy Nicolas Winding Refn Writer and director Nicolas Winding Refn made his 1996 feature film debut, PUSHER. This violent, edgy, yet moving cult classic established Refn as an uncompromising filmmaker of great talent and depth. Following PUSHER, Refn returned to the Copenhagen underworld in 2004 with PUSHER II: WITH BLOOD ON MY HANDS, while 2005 saw the release of PUSHER III: I'M THE ANGEL OF DEATH. All three PUSHER films display Refn effortlessly blending moody atmospherics and frenetic action, portraying his characters with a depth and confidence belying his years. Though each film can be appreciated independently of the other two, Refn subtly interweaves these three tales so that a minor character in one film moves to the fore to become the central character of the next. The resulting trilogy stands as a masterful reinvention of international crime cinema, as poignantly human as it is brutally and viscerally realized. The PUSHER TRILOGY reveals the humanity in even the most violent criminals and how every pusherno matter what his statusis only one bad deal away from total ruin. The Jerk Carl Reiner That wild and crazy guy, Steve Martin, makes his film-starring debut in the wacky comedy hit The Jerk. Steve portrays Navin Johnson, adopted son of a poor black sharecropper family, whose crazy inventions lead him from rags to riches and right back to rags. Along the way, he's smitten with a lady motorcycle racer, survives a series of screwball attacks by a deranged killer, becomes a millionaire by inventing the "Opti-grab" handle for glasses - and shows why he's one of the hottest comic performers in the world. This is Spinal Tap Rob Reiner You're about to get personal with one of music history's greatest and loudest heavy metal bands, Spinal Tap! Whether or not you're a die-hard fan of the group, you'll love this detailed "rockumentary" of Engand's legendary Spinal Tap. Acclaimed commercial director Marty DiBergi takes you behind the scenes for an intimate look at a band whose time has come and gone and come again and.... Through interviews, rare footage and lots of musicincluding classic Tap tunes like "Big Bottom" and "Hell Hole"you'll get acquainted with David St. Hubbins (lead guitar), Nigel Tufnel (lead guitar), Derek Smalls (lead bass) and every drummer who ever livedand diedfor this renowned rock band. Be a part of the sights, sounds and smells of this celebrated heavy metal phenomenon. It's an experience you'll never forget. When Harry Met Sally Rob Reiner "Brimming over with style, intelligence and flashing wit" (Rolling Stone), this "splendid and irresistible" (Los Angeles Times) film from director Rob Reiner(American President is one of the best-loved romantic comedies of all time. Featuring dazzling performances from Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby, exceptional music from Harry Connick Jr., and an OscarÂ(r)-nominated* screenplay by Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally is an "explosively funny" commentary on friendship, courtships - and other hardships - of the modern age (Newsweek)! Will sex ruin a perfect relationship between a man and a woman? that's what Harry (Crystal) and Sally (Ryan) debate during their travels from Chicago to New York. And eleven years and later, they're still no closer to finding the answer. Will these two best friends ever accept that they're meant for each other...or will they continue to deny the attraction that's existed since the first moment When Harry Met Sally? 1989 A Few Good Men Rob Reiner FEW GOOD MEN (DVD/SPEC EDI/WS 2.35/DD 5.1/DSS/EN-C The Princess Bride Rob Reiner A wondrous tale of wit and whimsey the princess bride will transport you to a magical land where fantasy reigns supreme and kings and queens of all ages will want to return again and again. Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 04/10/2007 Starring: Robin Wright Mandy Patinkin Run time: 98 minutes Rating: Pg Stand By Me Rob Reiner In a small woodsy Oregon town, a group of friendssensitive Gordie (Wil Wheaton), tough guy Chris (River Phoenix), flamboyant Teddy (Corey Feldman), and scaredy-cat Vern (Jerry O'Connell)are in search of a missing teenager's body. Wanting to be heroes in each other's and their hometown's eyes, they set out on an unforgettable two-day trek that turns into an odyssey of self-discovery. They sneak smokes, tell tall tales, cuss 'cause it's cool and band together when the going gets tough. When they encounter the town's knife-wielding hoods who are also after the body, the boys discover a strength they never knew they had. STAND BY ME is a rare and special film about friendship and the indelible experiences of growing up. Filled with humor and suspense, STAND BY ME is based on the novella 'The Body' by Stephen King. Ghostbusters Ivan Reitman Three unemployed parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service. Who ya gonna call? Studio: Ingram Entertainment Release Date: 09/02/2003 Starring: Bill Murray Sigourney Weaver Run time: 107 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Ivan Reitman Ghostbusters 2 Ivan Reitman GHOSTBUSTERS 2 (REPACKAGED) (DVD/WS 2.35 A/DD 5.1/ Thank You for Smoking Jason Reitman WARNING: Thank You For Smoking "just might make you laugh your head off!" (MAXIM). Aaron Eckhart stars as Nick Naylor, a sexy, charismatic spin-doctor for Big Tobacco who'll fight to protect America's right to smoke even if it kills him while still remaining a role model for his 12-year old son. When he incurs the wrath of a senator (William H. Macy) bent on snuffing out cigarettes, Nick's powers of "filtering the truth" will be put to the test. As Nick says, "If you want an easy job, go work for the Red Cross." Juno Jason Reitman Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is a cool, confident teenager who takes a nine-month detour into adulthood when she's faced with an unplanned pregnancy-and sets out to find the perfect parents for her baby. With the help of her charmingly unassuming boyfriend (Michael Cera), supportive dad (J.K Simmons) and no-nonsense stepmom (Allison Janney), Juno sets her sights on an affluent couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) longing to adopt their first child. Office Space - Special Edition with Flair David Rennie, Mike Judge Unable to endure another mind-numbing day at Initech Corporation, cubicle slave Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) gets fired up and decides to get fired. Armed with a leisurely new attitude and a sexy new girlfriend (Jennifer Aniston), he soon masters the art of neglecting his work, which quickly propels him into the ranks of upper management! Now the stage is set for Peter to carry out a high-tech embezzling scheme that's sure to mean the end of his job and a one-way ticket to easy street. Can he pull it off before all corporate hell breaks loose? Idiocracy David Rennie, Mike Judge From Mike Judge, one of the creative minds behind Beavis and Butt-Head, King of the Hill and Office Space, comes an outrageous sci-fi comedy that'll make you think twice about the future of mankind. Meet Joe Bowers (Luke Wilson). He's not the sharpest tool in the shed. But when a government hibernation experiment goes awry, Bowers awakens in the year 2505 to find a society so dumbed-down by mass commercialism and mindless TV programming that he's become the smartest guy on the planet. Now it's up to an average Joe to get human evolution back on track! Filled with razor-sharp sarcasm and outrageous sight gags, Idiocracy will make you laugh out loud whether you're an absolute genius or a complete idiot! The Count of Monte Cristo Kevin Reynolds Jim Caviezel (HIGH CRIMES) and Guy Pearce (THE TIME MACHINE) give sizzling performances in THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO the greatest tale of betrayal, adventure, and revenge the world has ever known. When the dashing and guileless Edmond Dantes (Caviezel) is betrayed by his best friend (Pearce) and wrongly imprisoned, he becomes consumed by thoughts of vengeance. After a miraculous escape, he transforms himself into the mysterious and wealthy Count of Monte Cristo, insinuates himself into the French nobility, and puts his cunning plan of revenge in action. This swashbuckling thriller will have you sitting on the edge of your seat until the last ounce of revenge is exacted. Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves Kevin Reynolds For the good of all men, and the love of one woman, he fought to uphold justice by breaking the law. In this richly-detailed, action-packed retelling of the legendary story, Robin Hood must battle the evil Sheriff of Nottingham not only to save King Richard the Lionhearted and England but also to save his love, the noble beauty Maid Marian. Snatch Guy Ritchie Trouble begins when boxing promoter, Turkish and his sidekick Tony get involved with jewel thieves and gangsters looking to fix fights. Item Type: DVD Movie Packaging: Sleeve Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels Guy Ritchie A MODERN CRIME COMEDY ABOUT FOUR LADS GETTING IN OVER THEIR HEADS IN LONDON'S UNDERWORLD. Meet the Parents Jay Roach MALE NURSE GREG FOKKER MEETS HIS GIRLFRIEND'S PARENTS BEFORE PROPOSING, BUT HER SUSPICIOUS FATHER IS EVERY DATE'S WORST NIGHTMARE. Austin Powers In Goldmember Jay Roach Austin Powers - International Man of Mystery Jay Roach It's a smashing shagadelic party as Mike Myers (Wayne's World 1 & 2, So I Married an Axe Murderer) and Elizabeth Hurley (Dangerous Ground) star in a non-stop, hilarious comedy adventure. Frozen in the 60's, secret agent Austin Powers (Myers) is thawed back into action to once again battle his archenemy Dr. Evil. With his sexy sidekick Ms. Kensington (Hurley), Austin must stop Dr. Evil's outrageous plot to control the world. But first, this time-warped swinger must get hip quick and discover that there's no free love in the 90's! An all-star supporting cast including Michael York, Robert Wagner, Mimi Rogers and Carrie Fisher make Austin Powers a wacky, far-out trip you won't forget. DVD Features: Audio Commentary:Commentary by actor Mike Myers and director M. Jay Roach. Deleted Scenes Other:An original animated sequence "Music to Shag to". Spy genre retrospective. Star highlights with scenes (all Letterbox 1.85, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) from Dangerous Ground (1997), Monkey Trouble (1994), Rapture, The (1991) (qv), and Wide Sargasso Sea (1993). Production Notes Theatrical Trailer Austin Powers - The Spy Who Shagged Me Jay Roach First he fought for the Crown, now he's fighting for the family jewels! Mike Myers returns as the world's grooviest superspy who must return to the Swingin' Sixties to recover his ''mojo'' and stop Dr. Evil from liquidating the world. DVD Features: Theatrical Trailer Desperado Robert Rodriguez In this continuation of "El Mariachi," a traveling musician looking for work gets mistaken for a hitman and is thereby entangled in a web of love, corruption, and death. This leads to a very high body count, involvement with a beautiful woman who works for the local drug lord, and finally, the inevitable face-to-face confrontation and bloody showdown. Stars Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. Deluxe Edition packed with special features! Featurette: "Sneak Peak: Once Upon A Time in Mexico. Featurette: "10 More Minutes: Anatomy of a Shootout." Audio Commentary with Director Robert Rodriguez. Once Upon a Time in Mexico Robert Rodriguez Robert Rodriguez returns with the mythic guitar-singing hero, El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas), in the third installment of the El Mariachi/Desperado trilogy. The saga continues as El Mariachi makes his way across a rugged landscape on the trail of Barrillo (Willem Dafoe), a kingpin who is planning a coup against the president of Mexico. Enlisted by Sands (Johnny Depp), a corrupt CIA agent, El Mariachi demands retribution, and the adventure begins. The character, made famous by Banderas, remains a slinger of guitars and guns, a tragic and bloodied hero, but a survivor forever. Grindhouse Presents, Planet Terror - Extended and Unrated Robert Rodriguez (Horror) A fun zombie film that busts at the seams with gross special effects, amazing action, and deliciously over-the-top moments, as gun-legged Cherry Darling and one man wrecking crew El Wray try to save the world from a horde of flesh-eating zombies. Jacob's Ladder Tom Rolf, Adrian Lyne A Vietnam vet, back at home in New York City, finds himself losing his grip on reality, in a horrifying way; only his friend can help him. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Media Type: DVD""" George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead George A. Romero From legendary frightmaster George A. Romero comes one of the most daring, hypnotic and absolutely vital horror films of the past decade (fangoria.com). Romero continues his influential Dead series, this time focusing on a terrified group of college film students who record the pandemic rise of flesh-eating zombies while struggling for their own survival. Intensely gruesome and relentlessly grisly fueled by the directors signature realistic special effects Diary of the Dead is must-see horror that is Romero at his finest (bloody-disgusting.com). Creepshow George A. Romero, Michael Spolan Two macabre masters - writer Stephen King and director George A. Romero - conjure up five shocking yarns, each a virtuoso exercise in the ghouls-and-gags style of classic '50s horror comics. A murdered man emerges from the grave for Father's Day cake. A meteor's ooze makes everything ... grow. A professor selects his wife as a snack for a crated creature. A scheming husband plants two lovers up to their necks in terror. A malevolent millionaire with an insect phobia becomes the prey of a cockroach army. Add the spirited performances of a fine cast (Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, E.G. Marshall and King himself) and the ghoulish makeup wizardry of Tom Savini. Let the Creepshow begin. DVD Features: Theatrical Trailer Jason and the Argonauts Maurice Rootes, Don Chaffey Fantastic special effects by Ray Harryhausen and exciting mythological adventure make this a film that is fun for everyone. It's the story of Jason (Todd Armstrong), a fearless sailor and explorer, who returns to the kingdom of Thessaly after a 20-year voyage to make his rightful claim to the throne. But to do so, Jason must first find the magical Golden Fleece. He selects a crew and with the help of Hera, Queen of the Gods, sets sail in search of the Fleece. Jason and his crew must overcome incredible obstacles including a 100-foot bronze giant, the venomous Hydraa huge creature with the heads of seven snakes, and a spectacular battle with an army of skeletons. Candyman Bernard Rose A graduate student researching modern folklore discovers the spirit of a bitter slave. Genre: Horror Media Type: DVD Beneath the Planet of the Apes Marion Rothman, Ted Post In the acclaimed sequel to Planet of the Apes, another astronaut (James Franciscus) crashes through the time barrier searching for the missing Taylor (Charlton Heston). The daring rescue leads to a subterranean city where mutant humans, who practice mind control, worship a weapon capable of destroying the entire planet. Both an action-oriented science-fiction adventure and a wry commentary on today's world, it's imaginative entertainment for fantasy buffs of all ages. Escape from the Planet of the Apes Marion Rothman, Don Taylor Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter reprise their roles from the original Planet of the Apes in this third chapter of the Apes saga. Two intelligent simians from the future, Cornelius (McDowall) and Zire (Hunter) travel to present-day Earth. They become instant sensations, wined and dined and treated like celebrities - until a high-level plot forces them to run for their lives! The Bourne Ultimatum Christopher Rouse, Paul Greengrass Matt Damon returns as highly trained assassin Jason Bourne, who is on the hunt for the agents who stole his memory and true identity. With a new generation of skilled CIA operatives tracking his every move, Bourne is in a non-stop race around the globe as he finally learns the truth behind his mysterious past. Loaded with incredible fight and chase sequences, it's the exhilarating movie with "mind-blowing action" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times) that you can't afford to miss! Dreamscape Joseph Ruben The President of the United States is about to be assassinated in a dream where there is no morning after. Only one man can save hima man who must plunge himself into the President's horrendous nightmare. Dennis Quaid stars as Alex Gardner, a psychically gifted young man recruited to help Dr. Paul Novotny (Max Von Sydow) and the beautiful Dr. Jane DeVries (Kate Capshaw) in an experiment to help patients disturbed by menacing nocturnal illusions. But corrupt high-ranking government official Bob Blair (Christopher Plummer) has darker plans for Alex's unusual powers. Soon Alex is propelled inside the President's nightmare, a frightening wasteland of nuclear holocaust, and locked in a fantastic battle that could only happen in a dream. This action-packed science fiction adventure will excite and thrill you with its unusual journey through the mind's most terrifying recesses. Audio Commentary by the Producer, Writer and Special Effects Artist - Special Effects Make-Up Making Of - Production Stills 16X9 - 1.85:1 - Color - English - 5.1 Dolby Digital, 5.1 DTS Eraser Chuck Russell Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Eraser, an elite federal marshal who "erases" the pasts of jeopardized informers and relocates them into safe anonymity. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 - Dream Warriors Chuck Russell Often described as the best of the Elm Street sequels, Patricia Arquette (Stigmata) is placed in a hospital psychiatric ward with six other troubled teens, who all dream about the same horrible Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) trying to kill them. Three Kings David O. Russell Three US soldiers plan to steal Sudam Hussein's gold. The Counterfeiters Stefan Ruzowitzky Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film, The Counterfeiters tells the true story of Salomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics), a swindler who made a name for himself as Berlin's "King of the Counterfeiters." However, his life of women and easy money is cut short when he's arrested and placed in a Nazi concentration camp. With the German army on the verge of bankruptcy, Sorowitsch makes a sobering deal with his captors: in exchange for a comfortable bed, good food and fair treatment, Sorowitsch, along with the other hand-picked specialists, must counterfeit bank notes to fund the Nazi War effort. If he does as they say, he lives another day. If he rebels, he faces the same fate as the rest of the camp's prisoners. But if he lives, will he be able to live with himself? The X-Files - The Complete First Season Daniel Sackheim, David Nutter, Fred Gerber, Harry Longstreet, Jerrold Freedman Get reacquainted with Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), and all the clever plots dealing with the occult, monsters, urban legends, conspiracy theories, and the rest that made this show an uncanny hit. Robots Carlos Saldanha, Chris Wedge Fasten your seat bolts and gear up for a hilarious, heartwarming comedy that's "Fun for the whole family!" (Clay Smith, Access Hollywood) With the help of his misfit mechanical friends, a small town robot named Rodney embarks on the adventure of a lifetime as he heads for the big city to pursue his dreams?and ultimately proves that anyone can shine no matter what they're made of. Featuring an all-star voice cast and a groundbreaking visual style that pushes the boundaries of animated filmmaking. Robots is a dazzling, fun-filled feast for the eyes and a riveting good time for all ages! Cube John Sanders, Vincenzo Natali No Description Available. Genre: Science Fiction Media Type: DVD Scanners Ronald Sanders, David Cronenberg Welcome to the world of the Scannersa race of humans with telekinetic powers that can wreak havoc beyond your most dreaded nightmare. Writer/director David Cronenberg (The Fly, Naked Lunch) brings the terror closer than ever beforehe brings it right into your mind. Cronenberg is a modern-day horror master whose name fits in easily with the likes of King, Craven and Carpenter...and Scanners, with its spectacular and shockingly realistic special effects, is a startling masterpiece of the genre. When a rogue Scanner of unparalleled power (Michael Ironside) wages a bloody war against the normals, young empath Cameron Vale (Stephen Lack) is recruited to trackhim down. But Vale is inexperiencedand a battle with another Scanner could mean a grisly death...or worse. Can Vale vanquish his insanely violent, power-mad adversary? Only one thing is certain: Scanners delivers the chills-down-your-spine, heart-in-your-throat, you-can't-watch-but-you-daren't-leave goods (Time)! The Dead Zone Ronald Sanders, David Cronenberg Christopher Walken wakes from a coma due to a car accident, only to find he has lost five years of his life, and yet gained psychic powers. Foreseeing the future appears to be a 'gift' at first, but ends up causing problems… Good Will Hunting Gus Van Sant Robin Williams won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck nabbed one for Best Original Screenplay, but the feel-good hit Good Will Hunting triumphs because of its gifted director, Gus Van Sant. The unconventional director (My Own Private Idaho, Drugstore Cowboy) saves a script marred by vanity and clunky character development by yanking soulful, touching performances out of his entire cast (amazingly, even one by Williams that's relatively schtick-free). Van Sant pulls off the equivalent of what George Cukor accomplished for women's melodrama in the 1930s and 40s: He's crafted an intelligent, unabashedly emotional male weepie about men trying to find inner-wisdom. Matt Damon stars as Will Hunting, a closet maths genius who ignores his gift in favour of nightly boozing and fighting with South Boston buddies (co-writer Ben Affleck among them). While working as a university janitor, he solves an impossible calculus problem scribbled on a hallway blackboard and reluctantly becomes the prodigy of an arrogant MIT professor (Stellan Skarsgård). Damon only avoids prison by agreeing to see psychiatrists, all of whom he mocks or psychologically destroys until he meets his match in the professor's former childhood friend, played by Williams. Both doctor and patient are haunted by the past and, as mutual respect develops, the healing process begins. The film's beauty lies not with grand climaxes, but with small, quiet moments. Scenes such as Affleck's clumsy pep talk to Damon while they drink beer after work, or any number of therapy session between Williams and Damon offer poignant looks at the awkward ways men show affection and feeling for one another. Dave McCoy Murder Party Jeremy Saulnier In search of a good time Chris drops in on a Halloween party thrown by pretentious Brooklyn artists in this satirical horror film. Without warning he becomes the object of their "Murder Party" an overblown art project that involves his torture and death. Naturally Chris isn't so thrilled about this idea. However though stuck in an unwieldy cardboard costume Chris isn't as helpless as he looks playing off hipster rivalries in a gory and often hilarious game of survival.System Requirements:Running Time: 80 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: NR UPC: 876964001083 Manufacturer No: 10108 Night of the Living Dead Tom Savini It's a ned dawn for terror when the dead come back to feast on the living in this contemporary version of the horror classic. Special features: full screen and widescreen versions, subtitles: english, spanish, portugese, chinese, korean, thai, director's commentary, talent files, theatrical trailers & more. Casino Thelma Schoonmaker, Martin Scorsese GREED, DECEPTION, MONEY, POWER, AND MURDER OCCUR BETWEEN TWOBEST FRIENDS AND A TROPHY WIFE OVER A GAMBLING EMPIRE. Pathology Marc Schölermann The creators of CRANK crank up the shock value in this twisted tale of terror that combines pulse- pounding thrills with heart-stopping suspense! Ted Grey (Milo Ventimiglia) is a brilliant medical student with a promising future in forensics. But when he joins the nation's most prestigious pathology program, he unknowingly becomes a pawn in a terrifying game of death and destruction as his fellow students use their razor-sharp skills to commit unthinkable murders. When the pathological secrets of his colleagues begin to unfold, Ted quickly realizes that what he doesnâ??t know... could kill him. Dane Cook - Vicious Circle Michael Schultz, Marty Callner Superstar comic Dane Cook comes home to Boston in his first-ever solo HBO concert! Performing at the TD Banknorth Garden ?in the round? in front of 18,000 fervent fans, Cook delivers a hilarious, high-energy routine, touching on such universal issues as the therapeutic value of a good lie, the sincerity behind a post-sneeze ?God bless you,? cheating and its value in relationships and the shock and awe of seeing your father?s genitals for the first time. This collector?s edition 2-disc DVD set includes the original 90-minute broadcast version of the concert, and 2-hour DANEgerous extended concert, and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. DVD Features: Other:Dane Cook's Tourgasm Teaser Falling Down Joel Schumacher A man who has lost his job and his marriage takes a walk through the troubled urban landscape of Los Angeles on a hot, destructive day, with a retiring police officer trying to anticipate the next stop. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Media Type: DVD Raging Bull Martin Scorsese Robert De Niro teams with director Martin Scorsese in this "extraordinarily compelling" (Leonard Maltin) film that introduced unflinching realism to stunned audiences in 1980. An "exceedingly violentas well as poetic" fight picture that maps "the landscape of the soul" (The New York Times),Raging Bull garnered eight OscarÂ(r) nominations and won two, including Best Actor for De Niro. De Niro gives the performance of his career as Jake La Motta, a boxer whose psychological and sexual complexities erupt into violence both in and out of the ring. Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty are unforgettable as the brother who falls prey to Jake's mounting paranoia and jealousy, and the fifteen-year-old girl who becomes his most prized trophy. A "brilliantly photographed film of extraordinary power and rare distinction" (The Wall Street Journal), Raging Bullis filmmaking at its riveting best. 1980: Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Pesci), Supporting Actress (Moriarty), Cinematography, Sound, Editing (won) The Aviator Martin Scorsese An epic biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career, from the late 1920's to the mid-1940's. DVD Features: Audio Commentary: Commentary by Scorsese Deleted Scenes:Deleted scene: Howard Tells Ava About His Car Accident Documentaries:Modern Marvels: Howard Hughes a 45 minute Documentary By The History Channel Documentary:2 Music Featurettes: Scoring The Aviator: The Work Of Howard Shore The Wainwright Family - Loudon, Rufus And Martha Featurette:A Life Without Limits: The Making of The Aviator The Role Of Howard Hughes In Aviation History An evening with Leonardo DiCaprio and Alan Alda The Affliction of Howard Hughes: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD Panel Discussion With Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, And Howard Hughes' Widow Terry Moore Other:2 Behind-the-scenes featurettes: The Age Of Glamour: The Hair And Makeup Of The The Visual Effects Of The Aviator Photo gallery The Departed Martin Scorsese, Richard Schickel Rookie cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) grew up in crime. That makes him the perfect mole, the man on the inside of the mob run by boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). It's his job to win Costello's trust and help his detective handlers (Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen) bring Costello down. Meanwhile, SIU officer Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) has everyone's trust. No one suspects he's Costello's mole. How these covert lives cross, double-cross and collide is at the ferocious core of the widely acclaimed The Departed. Martin Scorsese directs, guiding a cast for the ages in a visceral tale of crime and consequences. This is searing, can't-look-away filmmaking: like staring into the eyes of a con - or a cop - with a gun. Legend Ridley Scott Tom Cruise stars in this visually-stunning fantasy adventure in which pure good and evil battle to the death amidst spectacular surroundings. Set in a timeless mythical forest inhabited by fairies, goblins, unicorns and mortals, this fantastic story has Tom Cruise as a mystical forest dweller, chosen by fate to undertake a heroic quest. He must save a beautiful princess, Mia Sara, and defeat the demonic Lord of Darkness, Tim Curry, or the world will be plunged into a never-ending ice age. Co-starring Billy Barty and Alice Playten and directed by Ridley Scott, famed for his remarkable settings and unparalleled imagery, the incredibly realized fable is the stuff movie legends are made of. Black Hawk Down Ridley Scott Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 08/28/2007 Run time: 144 minutes Rating: R Gladiator Ridley Scott SET IN ROMAN TIMES A BANISHED ROMAN GENERAL FIGHTS HIS WAY BACK AS A GLADIATOR. THE ONLY POWER STRONGER THAN THE EMPEROR IS THE GREATEST HERO IN ALL THE EMPIRE. Kingdom of Heaven Ridley Scott From Ridley Scott, the visionary director of Black Hawk Down and Gladiator, comes this spectacular epic of courage, honor and adventure. Orlando Bloom stars as Balian, a young Frenchman in Medieval Jerusalem during the Crusades, who, having lost everything, finds redemption in a heroic fight against overwhelming forces to save his people and fulfill his destiny as a knight. The Last Boy Scout Tony Scott Private eye and ex-quarterback team up on dirty case. Beverly Hills Cop II Tony Scott A clever detective from detroit shows los angeles how to stop a hit womans so called alphabet crimes. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 03/22/2005 Starring: Eddie Murphy Brigitte Nielsen Run time: 100 minutes Rating: R Director: Tony Scott True Romance - Director's Cut Tony Scott This rock'n'roll adventure story tells of two unlikely lovers who accidentally double-cross the Detroit mob by stealing valuable contraband. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, flee to Los Angeles where they are sought by both gangsters and cops. Top Gun Tony Scott In TOP GUN, Tom Cruise stars as Maverick, a talented training pilot in an elite U.S. school for fighter pilots. When he stumbles upon some MiG's over the Persian Gulf, and his wingman panics, Maverick cleverly talks him through the situation to safety. Consequently, he is moved up in rank and sent to the Top Gun Naval Flying School. There he has several conflicts with other students while trying to live up to his deceased father's reputation. Unable to cope with the death of his best friend, and fellow pilot, Goose, Maverick contemplates dropping out, but follows through with his dream and ultimately becomes one of the "best of the best." Man on Fire Tony Scott Hard-drinking, burnt-out ex-CIA operative John Creasy (Washington) has given up on lifeuntil his friend Rayburn (Oscar winner Christopher Walken) gets him a job as a bodyguard to nine-year-old Pita Ramos (Dakota Fanning). Bit by bit, Creasy begins to reclaim his soul, but when Pita is kidnapped, Creasy unleashes a firestorm of apocalyptic vengeance against everyone responsible. Oliver and Company George Scribner A timeless classic inspired by Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, Oliver & Company is a fun-filled, action-packed musical adventure voiced and sung by one of the most talented casts in Disney history! The film artfully blends lovable characters, cool songs, and action-packed adventure into a contemporary classic. Disney's hip, high-energy tale begins in the concrete canyons of New York City, where Oliver, an adorable orphaned kitten, is befriended by Dodger, a carefree mutt with a certain street savoir faire. The mischievous little cat is welcomed by Dodger's pack of pickpocket pooches, including dim-witted Einstein, ravishing Rita, and live-wire Tito. This ragtag family of misfits runs into trouble when the evil mastermind Sykes aided by his two daunting Dobermans schemes to kidnap the lonely little rich girl who just adopted Oliver! It's up to the brave kitten and his newfound friends to race to the rescue in an electrifying chase through the city's subway system. Boasting five outstanding original songs and the musical talents of Billy Joel, Bette Midler, and Huey Lewis and overflowing with brilliant animation, Oliver & Company is a modern masterpiece. The Naked Gun 33 1/3 - The Final Insult Peter Segal ED COAXES HIS "POLICE SQUAD" PAL FRANK OUT OF RETIREMENT TO THWART A TERRORIST BOMBING. Tommy Boy Peter Segal When the family business starts to fail Tommy must hit the road as a salesman with a smug family accountant. No Track Information Available Genre: COMEDY VIDEO The Care Bears Movie Arna Selznick The World is in trouble...and it's up to the Care Bears to save it! Starring everyone's favorite animated characters and featuring the voices of Mickey Rooney and Georgia Engel, as well as songs performed by Carole King. The Care Bears Movie will dazzle and delight viewers of all ages. Way up high where the clouds and rainbows live, the Care Bears watch over the Earth and make sure everyone is kind and friendly to one another. So when they see an evil spirit trick a lonely boy into helping make people mean, the huggable heroes jump into action! They come to the rescue with the animals from the Forest of Feelings...but it's going to take an awful lot of love to defeat the spirit's powerful spell. Ninja Scroll Kevin Seymour, Yoshiaki Kawajiri Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 09/30/2003 Bruce Almighty Tom Shadyac A guy who complains about god too often is given almighty powers to teach him how difficult it is to run the world. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 11/27/2007 Starring: Jim Carrey Philip Baker Hall Run time: 101 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Tom Shadyac Dumbo Ben Sharpsteen With high-flying entertainment and messages about friendship, acceptance, courage, and believing in yourself, Walt Disney's DUMBO is "a timeless classic for children of all ages. Walt Disney at his finest" (Us Weekly). Meet Dumbo, Mrs. Jumbo's sweet little "Baby Mine" who charms all who see him . . . until it's discovered that he has huge floppy ears! With the support of his very best friend, Timothy the mouse, Dumbo soon learns that his spectacular ears make him unique and special, allowing him to soar to fame as the world's only flying elephant. You'll love all the daring adventure, colorful characters, award-winning music, and a circus tent full of fun bonus features! Go behind the scenes with DisneyPedia's "My First Circus," an all-new activity where you can learn about your favorite circus animals. This Big Top Edition also features Sing-Along Songs, a DVD Storybook, a new digital transfer, and much more. Star Trek V - The Final Frontier William Shatner The crew of the Enterprise truly goes where no man has gone before, after a Vulcan takes over the ship and steers it to the center of the universe. Genre: Science Fiction Media Type: DVD Sukiyaki Western Django Taiji Shimamura, Takashi Miike Two clans the white genji clan led by yoshitsune and the red heike clan led by kiyomori battle for a legendary treasure in a desolate mountain town. One day a lone gunman drifts into town. Two clans try to woo the lone gunman to their side but he has ulterior motives. Studio: First Look Home Entertain Release Date: 11/11/2008 Run time: 98 minutes Rating: R The Transformers - The Movie Nelson Shin During the 1980s, one cartoon series ruled the airwaves... TheTransformers. This paragon of consumerism was created with a dual purposeto entertain and to galvanize children to buy the toys. Somewhere along the line, the show became a cult favorite, so in 1986 they fashioned an epic tale of good versus evil specifically for the big screen. The result looked vaguely like an animated remake of Star Wars. Who are the Transformers? The good guys are the Autobots: Optimus Prime, Jazz, Ultra Magnus, and many more. Their mortal enemies are the evil Decepticons, led by Megatron and StarScream. The Autobots must save their home planet from an evil entity known as Unicron (voiced by Orson Welles). At the same time, they must defend themselves from an all-out attack from the Decepticons. Along the way, lives are lost, battles are fought, and a new Autobot leader is born. The story and action never stop in a thrilling ride that often makes you forget that you're watching an '80s cartoon with inferior graphics. The violence will also come as a mild shock to those who haven't seen this film for a whiledefinitely a movie for the 8 and over audience. For those who grew up on this series, this is a movie that must be watched. Unlike cartoon serials before and after, The Transformers relied on solid stories and interesting characters, a manifesto the film itself upholds with gusto and grace while also being morally responsible. Don't underestimate this movie; there is definitely more to it than meets the eye. Jeremy Storey A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 - Freddy's Revenge Jack Sholder Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) is back in the dreams of a Springwood teen as he uses the youth to bring him more souls. This sequel adds a psychological dimension to the Nighmare series. DVD Features: DVD ROM Features:Read the screenplay while you watch the film; New Dream World trivia game - test your Nightmare knowledge; Up-to-the-minute cast, crew trivia info and more DVD ROM exclusive web site Full Screen Version:Widescreen and fullscreen versions of the film Interactive Menus:Original animated menus Scene Access:"Jump to a Nightmare" scene navigation Theatrical Trailer:Original theatrical trailer The Hidden Jack Sholder A demonic extraterrestrial creature is invading bodies of innocent victims and transforming them into inhuman killers with an unearthly fondness for heavy-metal music red ferraris and unspeakable violence. Special features: commentary by director jack sholder and tim hunter and much more. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/26/2006 Starring: Kyle Maclachlan Michael Nouri Run time: 98 minutes Rating: R Director: Jack Sholder/tim Hunter Unbreakable M. Night Shyamalan Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson star in a mind-shattering, suspense-filled thriller that stays with you long after the end of this riveting supernatural film. After David Dunn (Willis) emerges from a horrific train crash as the sole survivor and without a single scratch on him he meets a mysterious sranger (Jackson). An unsettling stranger who believes comic book heroes walk the earth. A haunting stranger, whose obsession with David will change David's life forever. Casper Brad Silberling Steven Spielberg produced this live-action feature starring the friendly ghost created in 1940 by Joe Orolio. In it, greedy heiress Carrigan Crittenden inherits the haunted Whipstaff Manor and discovers that the house contains a treasure, which is closely guarded by three nasty ghosts. She invites ghost therapist Dr. James Harvey, and his daughter Kat, to move into the eerie mansion and get rid of the supernatural creatures. The nephew of the three spirits is Casper, a friendly ghost who becomes Kat's pal. Casper takes Kat to his father's secret lab where he once attempted to bring Casper back to life with a special machine. Carrigan eavesdrops on their conversation and decides to become a ghost herself, in the hope that she will get the booty more easily. Then she can use the machine to change back to a human. However, Carrigan doesn't realize that you can't flirt with the afterlife. The Simpsons Movie David Silverman No Description Available. Genre: Feature Film-Comedy Media Type: DVD Platoon Claire Simpson, Oliver Stone Winner of 4 Academy AwardsÂ(r), including Best Picture, and based on the first-hand experience of OscarÂ(r)-winning director Oliver Stone, Platoon is powerful, intense and starkly brutal. "Harrowingly realistic and completely convincing" (Leonard Maltin), it is "a dark, unforgettable memorial" (The Washington Post) to every soldier whose innocence was lost in the war-torn jungles of Vietnam. Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) is a young, naive American who, upon his arrival in Vietnam, quickly discovers that he must do battle not only with the Viet Cong, but also with the gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and intense anger growing within him. While his two commanding officers (OscarÂ(r)-nominated* Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe) draw a fine line between the war they wage against the enemy and the one they fight with each other, the conflict, chaos and hatred permeate Taylor, suffocating his realities and numbing his feelings to man's highest value life. Wall Street Claire Simpson, Oliver Stone In this riveting, behind-the-scenes look at big business in the 1980's, an ambitious young broker (Charlie Sheen) is lured into the illegal, lucrative world of corporate espionage when he is seduced by the power, status and financial wizardry of Wall Street legend Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). But he soon discovers that the pursuit of overnight riches comes at a price that's too high to pay. Apt Pupil Bryan Singer OBSESSED WITH THE ATROCITIES WAR CRIMINAL KURT DUSSANDER COMMITTED DURING THE WAR, YOUNG TODD BOWDEN BEGINS A GAME OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE WHICH SPIRALS OUT OF CONTROL AND PRODUCES TERRIFYING RESULTS. Superman Returns Bryan Singer He's back. A hero for our millennium. And not a moment too soon, because during the five years (much longer in movie-fan years!) Superman sought his home planet, things changed on his adopted planet. Nations moved on without him. Lois Lane now has a son, a fiance and a Pulitzer for "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." And Lex Luthor has a plan that will destroy millions - no, billions - of lives. Filmmaker Bryan Singer (X-Men) gives the world the Superman it needs, honoring the legend everyone loves while taking it in a powerful new direction. Brandon Routh proves a perfect choice to wear the hero's cape, leading a top cast that includes Kate Bosworth as Lois and Kevin Spacey as Lex. And the thrills - from a sky-grapple with a tumbling jumbo jet to a continent-convulsing showdown - redefine Wow. "I'm always around," Superman tells Lois. You'll be glad he is. Berserk Complete Michael Sinterniklaas The entire Anime legend, Berserk, in one collection. Completely remastered, every bloody battle and brutal strike like they've never been seen before. In the castle town of Midland, a new king has come to power through treachery and violence. His demonic agents victimize the citizens, until one night a mysterious warrior comes to destroy them. Known as the Black Swordsman, he has an unrelenting grudge against the king. Before the twilight of Midland, a young mercenary named Guts fights for his fortune on the front lines. There he meets Griffith, who is charismatic, graceful and deadly. Griffith s mercenary company, the Band of the Hawk, is a powerful military force and the talk of elite political circles. Between the strength of Guts anger and Griffith's ambition, the face of midland will never be the same. Hard Candy David Slade A smart, charming teenage girl, Hayley probably shouldn't be going to a local coffee shop to meet Jeff, a 30-something fashion photographer she met on the Internet. But before she knows it, she's mixing drinks at Jeff's place and stripping for an impromptu photo shoot. It's Jeff's lucky night. But Hayley isn't as innocent as she looks, and the night takes a turn when she begins to impose a hard-hitting investigation on Jeff in an attempt to reveal his possibly scandalous past. 30 Days of Night David Slade Josh Harnett (Black Dahlia, Pearl Harbor) crosses over to the dark side in this bone-chilling adaptation of the cult-hit graphic novel, brought to the screen in all its demonic glory. In a small Alaskan town, thirty days of night is a natural phenomenon. Very few outsiders visit, until a band of bloodthirsty, deathly pale vampires mark their arrival by savagely attacking sled dogs. But soon they find there are much more satisfying thirst-quenchers about: human beings. One by one, the townspeople succumb to a living nightmare, but a small group survives - at least for now. The vampires use the dark to their advantage, and surviving this cold hell is a game of cat and mouse - and screams. Chasing Amy: The Criterion Collection Kevin Smith Chasing Amy is the third installment in the "New Jersey Trilogy" from award-winning writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma). Cult comic-book artist Holden (Ben Affleck) falls in love with fellow artist Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), only to be thwarted by her sexuality, the disdain of his best friend Banky (Jason Lee), and his own misgivings about himself. Filled with Smith's unique ear for dialogue and insight into relationships, Chasing Amy offers a thoughtful, funny look at how perceptions alter lives, and how obsession and self-doubt skew reality. Mallrats Kevin Smith BOTH DUMPED BY THEIR GIRLFRIENDS, TWO BEST FRIENDS SEEK REFUGEIN THE LOCAL MALL. Clerks II Kevin Smith 10 years later Dante and Randal are working at a fast-food restaurant and Dante considers leaving the clerk life behind for greener pastures.System Requirements:Run Time: 97 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 796019795982 Manufacturer No: 79598 Clerks Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier Miramax Home Entertainment is proud to present this amazing, three-disc collector's set that includes two versions of the original indie classic, a killer, brand-new, 90-minute documentary "Snowball Effect: The Story Of CLERKS," and more never-before-seen bonus material than you can shake a salsa shark at! Cemetery Man Michele Soavi Rupert Everett (MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING) stars as Francesco Dellamorte, a cemetery watchman whose job is to slaughter the living dead when they rise hungry from their graves. But following a tragic tryst with a lusty young widow (stunning Anna Falchi in one of three sexy roles), Francisco begins to ponder the mysteries of existence. Is there long-term satisfaction in blasting the skulls of ‘returners’? Will his imbecile assistant find happiness with the partial girl-corpse of his dreams? And if death is the ultimate act of love, can a psychotic killing spree send Dellamorte to the brink of enlightenment? Italian horror master Michele Soavi (STAGE FRIGHT) directed this brilliantly bloody black comedy — also known as DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE — that Gore Score calls "a deliciously demented, delightfully surreal stew of sex, death, splatter, male-bonding, barfing, zombies and nothing less than the Ultimate Meaning of Life!" Solaris Steven Soderbergh Superstar George Clooney turns in a stellar performance in this "brilliant sci-fi movie" (New York Daily News) from Academy Award winners Steven Soderbergh (2000 - Best Director, Traffic) and JamesCameron (1997 - Best Picture, Titanic). Aboard a lonely space station orbiting a mysterious planet, terrified crew members are experiencing a host of strange phenomena, including eerie visitors who seem all too human. And when psychologist Chris Kelvin (Clooney) arrives to investigate, he confronts a power beyond imagining that could hold the key to mankind's deepest dreams?or darkest nightmares. Co-starring Natascha McElhone and Jeremy Davies, Solaris is "mind-bending!" (Rolling Stone) Van Helsing - Stephen Sommers Like a roller coaster ready to fly off its rails, Van Helsing rockets to maximum velocity and never slows down. Having earned blockbuster clout with The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, writer-director Stephen Sommers once again plunders Universal's monster vault and pulls out all the stops for this mammoth $148-million action-adventure-horror-comedy, which opens (sans credits) with a terrific black-and-white prologue that pays homage to the Universal horror classics that inspired it. The plot pits legendary vampire hunter Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) against Dracula (the deliciously campy Richard Roxburgh), his deadly blood-sucking brides, and the Wolfman (Will Kemp) in a two-hour parade of outstanding special effects (980 in all) that turn Sommers' juvenile plot into a triple-overtime bonus for CGI animators. In alliance with a Transylvanian princess (Kate Beckinsale) and the Frankenstein monster (Shuler Hensley), Van Helsing must prevent Dracula from hatching his bat-winged progeny, and there's so much good-humored action that you're guaranteed to be thrilled and exhausted by the time the 10-minute end-credits roll. It's loud, obnoxious, filled with revisionist horror folklore, and aimed at addicted gamers and eight-year-olds, but this colossal monster mash (including Mr. Hyde, just for kicks) will never, ever bore you. A sequel is virtually guaranteed. Jeff Shannon Men in Black Barry Sonnenfeld Two agents who keep an eye on aliens in New York City must try to save the world after the aliens threaten to blow it up. Genre: Science Fiction Media Type: DVD E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial Steven Speilberg Steven Spielberg's 1982 hit about a stranded alien and his loving relationship with a fatherless boy (Henry Thomas) struck a chord with audiences everywhere, and it furthered Spielberg's reputation as a director of equally strong commercial sensibilities and classical leanings. Henry Thomas gives a strong, emotional performance as E.T.'s young friend, Robert MacNaughton and Drew Barrymore make a solid impression as his siblings, and Dee Wallace is lively as the kids' mother. The special effects almost look a bit quaint now with all the computer advancements that have occurred since, but they also have more heart behind them than a lot of what we see today. Tom Keogh Amistad Steven Spielberg AN EPIC JOURNEY OF ONE MAN'S FIGHT FOR HIS LIFE AND HIS FREEDOM. THIS STORY OF COURAGE AND DETERMINATION IS PRESENTED BY A DIRECTOR WHOSE VISION GOES TO THE HEART OF THE STORY AND THE SOUL OF ITS CHARACTERS. ONCE AGAIN STEVEN SPIELBERG HAS CREATED A FILM EVENT THAT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. Empire of the Sun Steven Spielberg A young boys experiences after the army of imperial japan invades china following the december 1941 pearl harbor attack shape steven spielbergs spectacular inspiring and acclaimed tale about growing up in a time of war. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/26/2006 Starring: Christian Bale Miranda Richardson Run time: 153 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Steven Spielberg Schindler's List Collector's Gift Set Steven Spielberg Steven Spielberg had a banner year in 1993. He scored one of his biggest commercial hits that summer with the mega-hit Jurassic Park, but it was the artistic and critical triumph of Schindler's List that Spielberg called "the most satisfying experience of my career." Adapted from the best-selling book by Thomas Keneally and filmed in Poland with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, Spielberg's masterpiece ranks among the greatest films ever made about the Holocaust during World War II. It's a film about heroism with an unlikely hero at its centerCatholic war profiteer Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who risked his life and went bankrupt to save more than 1,000 Jews from certain death in concentration camps. By employing Jews in his crockery factory manufacturing goods for the German army, Schindler ensures their survival against terrifying odds. At the same time, he must remain solvent with the help of a Jewish accountant (Ben Kingsley) and negotiate business with a vicious, obstinate Nazi commandant (Ralph Fiennes) who enjoys shooting Jews as target practice from the balcony of his villa overlooking a prison camp. Schindler's List gains much of its power not by trying to explain Schindler's motivations, but by dramatizing the delicate diplomacy and determination with which he carried out his generous deeds. As a drinker and womanizer who thought nothing of associating with Nazis, Schindler was hardly a model of decency; the film is largely about his transformation in response to the horror around him. Spielberg doesn't flinch from that horror, and the result is a film that combines remarkable humanity with abhorrent inhumanitya film that functions as a powerful history lesson and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the context of a living nightmare. Jeff Shannon War of the Worlds Steven Spielberg WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005) (DVD/LIMITED EDITION/WS)- Munich Steven Spielberg DURING THE 1972 OLYMPIC GAMES IN MUNICH, 11 ISRAELI ATHLETES ARE TAKEN HOSTAGE & MURDERED BY A PALESTINIAN TERRORIST GROUP KNOWN AS BLACK SEPTEMBER. IN RETALIATION, THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT RECRUITS A GROUP OF MOSSAD AGENTS TO TRACK DOWN & EXECUTE THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACK. Undead Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig No Description Available. Genre: Horror Media Type: DVD The 6th Day Roger Spottiswoode IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE WHEN CLONING PLANTS, PETS, ANDHUMAN ORGANS IS ACCPETED, A SINISTER CORPORATION HAS BEGUNILLEGALLY DUPLICATING ENTIRE HUMAN BEINGS. THEY MISTAKENLYCLONE THE WRONG MAN: A MAN WHO IS NOW THE ONLY ONE WITH THE POWER TO EXPOSE THEIR EVIL. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Tim Squyres, Ang Lee An epic set against the breathtaking landscapes of ancient China, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, combines the exhilarating martial arts choreography by Yuen Wo-Pind (The Matrix) with the sensitivity and classical storytelling of an Ang Lee film. The result is something truly unexpected: romantic, emotionally powerful entertainment. Rocky II Sylvester Stallone It's the rematch of the century as Rocky Balboa takes on Apollo Creed in this powerful follow-up toone of the most acclaimed movies in film history. Writer-director-star Sylvester Stallone succeeds in creating a powerful feel-good movie hailed as "a stunning effort in every way" (New York Post). After club fighter Rocky Balboa (Stallone) goes the distance with the world heavyweight champion, boxing fans clamor for a rematch. But Rocky, having sustained massive injuries in the bout, announces his retirement. Though he tries to make a new life for himself, Rocky realizes that he can't escape his true calling. The ring beckons once more, and the "Italian Stallion" must prepare for the fight of his life. Rocky III Sylvester Stallone Rocky battles his most powerful adversary yetthe ferocious Clubber Lang (Mr. T)in this hard-hitting actioner that comes out swinging with adventure, humor and emotionally charged human drama. For what may be the most exciting and fast-paced film in the series, Sylvester Stallone writes, directs and stars with explosive passion and intensity. As Rocky Balboa (Stallone) fights his way into the hearts of millions, life couldn't be better. He scores ten consecutive wins, lands lucrative endorsement contracts and becomes famous throughout the world. But when Clubber Lang KOs Rocky in a humiliating defeat, it becomes apparent that the "Italian Stallion" has lost his edge. Considering hanging up his gloves, Rocky receives encouragement from an unlikely ally: his old nemesis, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). With Creed's help, Rocky strives to regain the "eye of the tiger" before confronting Lang in a grueling rematch for the world heavyweight championship. Rocky IV Sylvester Stallone East meets West when Rocky takes on a vicious Soviet fighter who literally killed his last opponent! Sylvester Stallone writes, directs and stars in this war between nations in which the only battle is fought in a boxing ring. Rocky Balboa (Stallone) proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a six-foot-four-inch, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky's training regimentakes him to icy Siberia, where he prepares for a globally televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he's about to facea powerfully charged fight to the finish in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country! Rocky Balboa Sylvester Stallone When he loses a highly publicized virtual boxing match to ex-champ Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), reigning heavyweight titleholder Mason Dixon (Antonio Tarver) retaliates by challenging the Italian Stallion to a nationally televised, 10-round exhibition bout. To the surprise of his son (Milo Ventimiglia, TV's Heroes) and friends, Rocky agrees to come out of retirement and face an opponent who's faster, stronger and thirty years his junior. With the odds stacked firmly against him, Rocky takes on Dixon in what will become the greatest fight in boxing history, a hard-hitting, action-packed battle of the ages! Finding Nemo Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich From the Academy Award(R)-winning creators of TOY STORY and MONSTERS, INC. (2001, Best Animated Short Film, FOR THE BIRDS), it's FINDING NEMO, a hilarious adventure where you'll meet colorful characters that take you into the breathtaking underwater world of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Nemo, an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken to a dentist's office aquarium. It's up to Marlin (Albert Brooks), his worrisome father, and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a friendly but forgetful regal blue tang fish, to make the epic journey to bring Nemo home. Their adventure brings them face-to-face with vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more. Marlin discovers a bravery he never knew, but will he be able to find his son? FINDING NEMO's breakthrough computer animation takes you into a whole new world with this undersea adventure about family, courage, and challenges. Take the plunge into FINDING NEMO, a "spectacularly beautiful animated adventure for everyone" David Sheehan, CBS-TV Friday the 13th, Part V - A New Beginning Danny Steinmann Jason is back, hockey mask and all. And he's up to his old maniacal tricks in Friday The 13th, Part V: A New Beginning. This time he seems to have set his sights on the young patients at a secluded halfway house. And more than a few of his teen targets end up in half, in quarters...you name it, Jason does it. The Fox and the Hound Art Stevens, Richard Rich, Ted Berman FOX & THE HOUND-25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (DVD) The Right Stuff Douglas Stewart, Philip Kaufman Academy Award winning film telling the story of America's first astronauts, men who created a new type of hero, based on the story of Chuck Yeager. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Media Type: DVD Payback Kevin Stitt, Brian Helgeland There were reasons writer-director Brian Helgeland's cut of Payback was dismissed by distributors Paramount and Warner Bros., then heavily re-shot and re-tooled by Mel Gibson's production company, Icon Entertainment. Those reasons are explained in detail by Gibson, Helgeland, and others in the special features of Payback: The Director's Cut (Special Collector's Edition). Among them: Helgeland's version was too dark. America wasn't ready in 1999 to see Gibson play an unapologetic, 1970s-style antihero who might not get exactly what he wants. Audiences didn't have the patience to wait for answers to their story questions. A dog dies. (A big no-no.) All of these comments make sound, practical sense. But here's the bottom line: Helgeland's cut, perhaps even a bit more disciplined and taut (according to Payback’s editor, Kevin Stitt) than it was in 1999, is a serious movie with an organic tone and logic that makes the film look the way it was meant to look: as a neo-noir film for adults. The theatrical release of Payback, by contrast, was and is silly and vulgar, self-sabotaging, pointlessly vicious, and perversely jaunty. It is very much likedeliberately likethe Lethal Weapon series. The Director’s Cut makes clear that’s not at all what Helgeland had in mind. Kudos to Gibson and Icon for giving Helgeland a chance to restore his film and get it out on this DVD. But a look at both versions (this disc does not include the theatrical cut) back-to-back can certainly make one's head spin. Icon’s revisions in the original release show little faith in a contemporary audience’s ability to discern much about a story or mood or character from spare but telling details. That film relies on crass swatches of voiceover narration, cute inserts, added scenes, and hipster tunes on the soundtrack. All of that was designed to tell an audience how to feel rather than encourage a cinematic experience encountered with an open heart and mind. Worst of all is a specious third act nakedly built around an obligatory Gibson-gets-tortured sequence, leading the film to a lazy, comforting conclusion. The Director’s Cut eschews all of that. Gibson’s character, Porter (based on the central character in the novel "The Hunter," written by Donald E. Westlake under the pseudonym Richard Stark), is a man returning from the brink of death with nothing but his identity and the memory of something (an almost-nominal amount of money) taken from him. His iron determination, his capacity for brutality and inducing fear, and his survival instinct make him anything but warm and cuddly. It's his few ties to the pastespecially an interrupted relationship with a call girl (Maria Bello)that humanize him. One doesn't have to like Porter; one just accepts him and follows his journey in an honest, unmitigated fashion. That’s exactly what Helgeland does, and his cleaner, leaner, smarter cut is instantly rewarding for its uncompromising, undistracted toughness. Special features include a documentary about the film’s history, and a wonderful interview with Westlake. Tom Keogh A Knight's Tale Kevin Stitt, Brian Helgeland A ROUSING STORY OF LOWBORN WILLIAM THATCHER'S QUEST TO CHANGE HIS STARS, WIN THE HEART OF AN EXCEEDINGLY FAIR MAIDEN AND ROCK HIS MEDIEVAL WORLD. FOLLOW THIS FEARLESS SQUIRE AND HIS BAND OF MEDIEVAL MISFITS AS THEY CAREEN THEIR WAY TOWARD IMPOSSIBLE GLORY THAT'S PART ROMANCE, PART ROAD TRIP & PART SWASHBUCKLER. The Road Warrior David Stiven, Michael Balson, George Miller In a post-nuclear war world, Gibson plays Max, a lone adventurer who drives the roads of outback Australia in an endless search for gasoline. His opponents include Lord Humungus, and they battle over a tiny band of civilized survivors and their horde of fuel. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Media Type: DVD Any Given Sunday Oliver Stone When a devastating hit knocks a professional football legend and quarterback Cap Rooney (Denis Quaid) out of the game, a young, unknown third-stringer is called in to replace him. Having ridden the bench for years because of a string of bad luck stories and perhaps insufficient character, Willie Beaman (Jamie Foxx) seizes what may be his last chance, and lights up the field with a raw display of athletic prowess. His stunning performance over several games is so outstanding and fresh it seems to augur a new era in the history of this Miami franchise, and forces aging coach Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino) to reevaluate his time-tested values and strategies and begin to confront the fact that the game, as well as post-modern life may be passing him by. Adding to the pressure on D'Amato to win at any cost is the aggressive young President/Co-owner of the team, Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz), now coming into her own after her father's death. Christina's driving desire to prove herself in a male dominated world is intensified by her focus on the marketing and business of football, in which all coaches and players are merely properties. Natural Born Killers - Oliver Stone Collection Oliver Stone The story of a husband and wife who are serial killers involved in a cross country killing spree that elevates them from fugitives into media celebrities. DVD Features: Other:"Chaos Rising" (36:36) The Magnificent Seven John Sturges Spectacular gun battles, epic-sized heroes and an all-star cast that includes Academy AwardÂ(r) winners Yul Brynner* and James Coburn, together with Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach and Charles Bronson, make The Magnificent Seven a legend among westerns. Spawning three sequels and a successful television series, and featuring Elmer Bernstein's OscarÂ(r)-nominated* score, thisstunning remake of The Seven Samurai is "a hard-pounding adventure" (Newsweek) and "an enduringly popular" (Leonard Maltin) cinematic classic. Merciless Calvera (Wallach) and his band of ruthless outlaws are terrorizing a poor Mexican village, and even the bravest lawmen can't stop them. Desperate, the locals hire Chris Adams (Brynner) and six other gunfighters to defend them. With time running out before Calvera's next raid, the heroic seven must prepare the villagers for battle and help them find the courage to take back their town or die trying! Ginger Snaps Brett Sullivan, John Fawcett Dark Floors Stefan Sundlof, Joona Louhivuori, Antti Kulmaka, Pete Riski A father and his autistic daughter try to escape a hospital that has mysteriously become a portal for dark creatures from a different world. Starring members of the internationally successfull heavy metal badn "Lordi." Jaws 2 Jeannot Szwarc The tourist island of Amity is once again threatened by a giant killer white shark when it attacks a group of teenagers. Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure Media Type: DVD Ju-on Nobuyuki Takahashi, Takashi Shimizu AN EERIE TALE OF A FAMILY WHO IS BRUTALLY KILLED IN THEIR OWN HOME, LEAVING BEHIND AN EVIL SPIRIT LURKING IN THE SHADOWS. WHEN AN UNKNOWING HOMECARE WORKER ENTERS, THE SPIRIT IS AWAKENED & A TERRIFYING CHAIN OF EVENTS BEGINS, PASSING THROUGH ALL THOSE WHO STEP FOOT IN THIS DARK HOUSE. US REMAKE, "GRUDGE" Freddy's Dead - The Final Nightmare Rachel Talalay A child psychologist`s nightmares lead her to the town of Springwood and Freddy Krueger. Die Another Day Lee Tamahori When his top-secret mission is sabotaged, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) finds himself captured by theenemy, abandoned by MI6 and stripped of his 00-license. Determined to get revenge, Bond goes head-to-head with a sultry spy (OscarÂ(r) winner* Halle Berry), a frosty agent (Rosamund Pike) anda shadowy billionaire (Toby Stephens) whose business is diamonds but whose secret is a diabolical weapon that could bring the world to its knees! Bristling with excitement and bursting with explosivespecial effects, Die Another Day is an adrenaline-pumping thrill-ride with "stunts and non-stop action [that] will astonish you" (Jeffrey Lyons, WNBC-TV)! 2001: Actress, Monster'sBall Jackie Brown Quentin Tarantino Quentin Tarantino presents the premiere of the JACKIE BROWN COLLECTOR'S SERIES DVD, complete with your favorite award-winning movie, all-star cast, and never-before-seen footage. What do a sexy stewardess (Pam Grier), a street-tough gun runner (Samuel L. Jackson), a lonely bail bondsman (Academy Award®-nominee Robert Forster), a shifty ex-con (Robert DeNiro), an earnest federal agent (Michael Keaton), and a stoned-out beach bunny (Bridget Fonda) have in common? They're six players on the trail of a half million dollars in cash! The only questions are ... who's getting played ... and who's gonna make the big score! Combining an explosive mix of intense action and edgy humor, Tarantino scores again with the entertaining JACKIE BROWN! Pulp Fiction Quentin Tarantino Critics and audiences worldwide hailed PULP FICTION as the star-studded picture that redefined cinema in the 20th Century! Writer/director Quentin Tarantino (Academy Award(R) Winner Best Original Screenplay, 1994) delivers an unforgettable cast of characters including a pair of low-rent hit men (John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson), their boss's sexy wife (Uma Thurman), and a desperate prizefighter (Bruce Willis) in a wildly entertaining and exhilarating motion picture adventure that both thrills and amuses! Reservoir Dogs - (Mr. Pink) 10th Anniversary Special Limited Edition Quentin Tarantino Quentin Tarantino came out of nowhere (i.e., a video store in Manhattan Beach, California) and turned Hollywood on its ear in 1992 with his explosive first feature, Reservoir Dogs. Like Tarantino's mainstream breakthrough Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs has an unconventional structure, cleverly shuffling back and forth in time to reveal details about the characters, experienced criminals who know next to nothing about each other. Joe (Lawrence Tierney) has assembled them to pull off a simple heist, and has gruffly assigned them color-coded aliases (Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, Mr. White) to conceal their identities from being known even to each other. But something has gone wrong, and the plan has blown up in their faces. One by one, the surviving robbers find their way back to their prearranged warehouse hideout. There, they try to piece together the chronology of this bloody fiascoand to identify the traitor among them who tipped off the police. Pressure mounts, blood flows, accusations and bullets fly. In the combustible atmosphere these men are forced to confront life-and-death questions of trust, loyalty, professionalism, deception, and betrayal. As many critics have observed, it is a movie about "honor among thieves" (just as Pulp Fiction is about redemption, and Jackie Brown is about survival). Along with everything else, the movie provides a showcase for a terrific ensemble of actors: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Christopher Penn, and Tarantino himself, offering a fervent dissection of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" over breakfast. Reservoir Dogs is violent (though the violence is implied rather than explicit), clever, gabby, harrowing, funny, suspenseful, and evenin the endunexpectedly moving. (Don't forget that "Super Sounds of the Seventies" soundtrack, either.) Reservoir Dogs deserves just as much acclaim and attention as its follow-up, Pulp Fiction, would receive two years later. Jim Emerson Kill Bill - Volume One Quentin Tarantino The acclaimed fourth film from groundbreaking writer and director Quentin Tarantino (PULP FICTION, JACKIE BROWN), KILL BILL VOLUME 1 stars Uma Thurman (PULP FICTION), Lucy Liu (CHARLIE'S ANGELS, CHICAGO), and Vivica A. Fox (TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME) in an astonishing, action-packed thriller about brutal betrayal and an epic vendetta! Four years after taking a bullet in the head at her own wedding, The Bride (Thurman) emerges from a coma and decides it's time for payback ... with a vengeance! Having been gunned down by her former boss (David Carradine) and his deadly squad of international assassins, it's a kill-or-be-killed fight she didn't start but is determined to finish! Loaded with explosive action and outrageous humor, it's a must-see motion picture event that has critics everywhere raving! Kill Bill - Volume Two Quentin Tarantino With this thrilling, must-see movie event, writer and director Quentin Tarantino (PULP FICTION) completes the action-packed quest for revenge begun by The Bride (Uma Thurman) in KILL BILL VOL. 1! Having already crossed two names from her Death List, The Bride is back with a vengeance and taking aim at Budd (Michael Madsen) and Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), the only survivors from the squad of assassins who betrayed her four years earlier. It's all leading up to the ultimate confrontation with Bill (David Carradine), The Bride's former master and the man who ordered her execution! As the acclaimed follow-up to the instant classic VOL. 1 you know all about the unlimited action and humor, but until you've seen KILL BILL VOL. 2, you only know half the story! Grindhouse Presents, Death Proof - Extended and Unrated Quentin Tarantino A deranged stuntman stalks his victims from the safety of his killer car, but when he picks on the wrong group of badass babes, all bets are off in an adrenaline-pumping, high speed, white-knuckle automotive duel of epic proportions, where anything can happen. Alligator Lewis Teague Twelve years ago two incidents occurred which bore no similarity until now. After returning from their Florida vacation, the Kendal family decided their pet baby alligator was too much of a nuisance and flushed him down the toilet. At the same time, Slade Laboratories was conducting secret hormonal experiments with dogs and the dead dogs were disposed of in the city sewer. The baby alligator fed on the dead dogs... and after twelve years its body chemistry took on grotesque mutations. When several brutal murders are discovered, David Madison is put on the case to find the so-called Jack-the-Ripper killer. But this is no human psychopath - it is a ravaging animal-turned-monster bent on destroying everything in its wake. Cujo Lewis Teague In rural Maine, Vic and Donna Trenton (Hugh-Kelly and Wallace) struggle to repair their crumbling marriage, while their young son Tad (Danny Pintauro) befriends a hulking, lovable, 200-pound St. Bernard named Cujo. With Vic away on business, Donna and Tad take their decrepit car to be fixed at the remote farm of their mechanic (Lauter). As their aging Pinto sputters to a stop and dies, Cujo appears. But the once docile dog has undergone a hideous transformation - and becomes a slavering, demonic, killer possessed by almost supernatural strength...and unholy cunning. Critically acclaimed, CUJO is a fearsome, spine-chilling tour de force from the most popular name in horror! Hitch Andy Tennant HITCH (DVD/P&S 1.33/DD 5.1/DSS/ENG-SUB/FR-BOTH)-NL Phantasm II Peter Teschner, Don Coscarelli The Tall Man is back with a vengeance in Phantasm II, the second chapter in the cult classic Phantasm series! Released after seven years in a mental hospital, Mike convinces his old pal Reggie to join forces with him to hunt down and destroy The Tall Man once and for all. Mike’s visions lead the two to a quiet little town where a horde of flying killer balls aim to slice and dice their gruesome way through each of them. Exploding with special effects, unparalleled thrills, horror and suspense, Phantasm II climaxes with a blood-curdling conclusion that you have to see to believe. Party Down: Season 1 Rob Thomas Party Down is a Starz original series about a group of struggling dreamers who are stuck working for tips while waiting for their big break. As employees of the L.A. catering company “Party Down,” these misfits mingle with guests at everything from sweet sixteen parties to the most lavish Hollywood soirees. Follow these engaging wannabes as they wait on guests while waiting on something better to come along. Battle for the Planet of the Apes J. Lee Thompson Roddy McDowall and Claude Akins star in the fifth and last chapter of the legendary Apes saga. Set in 2670 A.D., an idyllic society of man and ape is threatened by both a militant gorilla (Akins) and a tribe of still-intelligent mutant humans. Finally, simmering tensions dividing the primates erupt in an apocalyptic climax. When the smoke clears, the carnage is everywhere, but there is hope for a new beginning for man and ape. Co-starring John Huston, Paul Williams, and Lew Ayres. District B13 Frédéric Thoraval, Pierre Morel In this action packed film set in the ghettos of Paris in 2010 an undercover cop and ex-thug try to infiltrate a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb.System Requirements:Running Time: 85 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: FOREIGN/LATIN Rating: NR UPC: 876964000208 Manufacturer No: 10020 Batman - Mask of the Phantasm Bruce W. Timm, Eric Radomski Unmasking the Phantasm is just one of the twists in Batman: Mask of Phantasm, "one of the most imaginative films of the past year" (Chuck Rich, Westwood One). Only here will you discover all-new revelations about Batman's past, his archrival the Joker and the most grueling battle of Batman's life - the choice between his love of a beautiful woman and his vow to be the defender of right. Batman: Mask of Phantasm is a "mystery that is genuinely absorbing, suspenseful and moving" (Cincinnati Enquirer) and a film no fan should be without! Can the Dark Knight elude the police, capture the Phantasm and clear his name? Year: 1993 Director: Eric Radomski Starring: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Abe Vigoda The Beyond Vincenzo Tomassi, Lucio Fulci Lucio "King of the Eyeball Gag" Fulci made his name with a series of gory, gooey horror epics, and The Beyond stands above all as his outré masterpiece. The largely incoherent plot has something to do with a turn-of-the-century curse and a doorway to hell in the cellar of an old New Orleans hotel. Fulci shows his usual sensitivity with wooden acting, clumsy dialogue, and buckets of oozing blood and pus, but don't let that get in the way of enjoying this mad tale of zombies from hell invading Earth and eating their way through a cast of humans: crucified martyrs, blind visionaries, creepy hotel handymen, befuddled cops, and a plucky pair of heroes desperately fleeing a horde of hungry undead. The blood-red art direction is eerily beautiful, and Fulci's relentless long takes, punctuated by jolting shock cuts and eruptions of grotesque violence, create a mood of sheer paranoid horror right down to the final, mind-bending image. And don't forget the Fulci claim to fame: eyes are gouged out, eaten away, melted with acid, and (shudder) popped out by a spike through the back of the skull. Yech! If you dare ignore such piddling details as narrative logic and let yourself get carried away on the creepy visuals, it's a deliciously stylish treat, an edgy bit of gothic gore pitched in all its bone-crunching, flesh-ripping, organ-splatting glory. This sadistic, sanguinary hell-spawn tale is for gore-hounds only. The DVD features chatty but largely jokey commentary by David Warbeck and Catriona MacColl and an alternate German credits sequence featuring Fulci's preferred sepia-tinged prologue (but no alternate footage). Sean Axmaker Zombie Vincenzo Tomassi, Lucio Fulci Studio: Wea-des Moines Video Release Date: 07/27/2004 Run time: 92 minutes Rating: Nr The Devil's Backbone Guillermo del Toro Seething passions, wandering ghosts, and an unexploded bomb fill this beautifully filmed tale of war and suspense. Though The Devil's Backbone was advertised as a horror movie in the States, it's really more of a drama that happens to have ghosts in it. During the Spanish Civil War, young Carlos is abandoned at a completely isolated orphanage. The tensions therein have been building for years, exacerbated by the unexploded bomb resting menacingly in the courtyard. Bullies scheme, tempers flare, and a ghost that visits Carlos's bed seems to be the key to it all. The movie is full of excellent performances, especially by Marisa Paredes as the gruff-but-kind headmistress, Eduardo Noriega as the handyman with secrets to keep, and Federico Luppi as the benevolent professor who likes to keep deformed fetuses in jars. A rich, satisfying drama with some good, spooky fun thrown in. Ali Davis Blade II Guillermo del Toro Get set for more action, more vampires and more Wesley Snipes in this second monster-hit installment in the Blade franchise. Dancer in the Dark Lars von Trier Recording star bjork is miraculous as selma a factory worker in ruarl america and single mother who is losing her eyesight from a hereditary disease. Determined to protect her 10-year-old son from the same fate selma is saving her money to get him an operation. Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 02/08/2005 Starring: Catherine Deneuve David Morse Run time: 141 minutes Rating: R Director: Lars Von Trier Dead Birds Alex Turner When a group of criminals on the run after a bank robbery take refuge in an abandoned house, they have no idea what evil they have come upon. Isolated and presumed deserted, the house is anything but safe...As the night wears on and a thunderstorm grows outside, each member of the group begins to have visions of the atrocities that occurred within the house, haunting it forever. Voices in the well, visions of mangled bodies and clawing under the stairs plague their waking hours. As the fear in the group begins to grow and the supernatural forces in the house start to manifest themselves, the group turn on each other and exact the wrath of the soul trapped within the walls. Below David Twohy On what should be a routine rescue mission during World War II, the submarine USS Tiger Shark picks up three survivors of a U-boat attack. But for the crew trapped together in the sub's narrow corridors and constricted spaces the unexpected visitors seem to spark a series of chilling, otherworldly occurrences! Starring Hollywood favorites Olivia Williams (THE SIXTH SENSE, THE POSTMAN), Bruce Greenwood (THIRTEEN DAYS, DOUBLE JEAPOARD), and Matt Davis (LEGALLY BLONDE, BLUE CRUSH). The Chronicles of Riddick - Pitch Black David Twohy When their ship crash-lands on a remote planet, the marooned passengers soon learn that escaped convict Riddick (Vin Diesel) isn't the only thing they have to fear. Deadly creatures lurk in the shadows, waiting to attack in the dark, and the planet is rapidly plunging into the utter blackness of a total eclipse. With the body count rising, the doomed survivors are forced to turn to Riddick with his eerie eyes to guide them through the darkness to safety. With time running out, there's only one rule: Stay in the light. Pitch Black is the original sci-fi hit that introduced the world to the character of Riddick, the ultimate anti-hero. Take a ride on the pulse-pounding adrenaline rush that USA Today calls "the best excuse to root for the bad guy since Arnold in the original Terminator." Cold Prey Roar Uthaug Five teenage snowboarders are forced to spend the night in a mysteriously abandoned ski lodge. Except somebody – or something – already lives there. It is huge, savage and unstoppable…and now it’s pissed off. But if you think this is going to be the usual ‘trapped teens stalked by a maniac’ movie, you’re dead wrong: From the first chilling kill to the final horrific twist, prepare yourself for the smart, intense and award-winning European sensation that has terrified audiences around the world and put the edge back into the body-count genre. Rome: The Complete Second Season Various The year is 44 B.C. Julius Caesar has been assassinated and civil war threatens to destroy the Republic. In the void left by Caesar's demise, egos clash and numerous players jockey for position. The brutally ambitious Mark Antony attempts to solidify his power, aligning himself with Atia, but coming to blows with her cunning son Octavian, who has been anointed in Caesar's will as his only son and heir. Meanwhile Titus Pullo attempts to pull his friend Lucius Vorenus out of the darkness that has engulfed his soul in the wake of personal tragedy. For once again, the fates of these two mismatched soldiers seem inexorably tied to the fate of Rome itself. The 5 Deadly Venoms Five Deadly Venoms, Chang Cheh The dying master of the powerful Poison Clan assigns his final martial arts student one last, epic quest find his 5 most mysterious and dangerous disciples, each trained in a different fighting style, and bring them together to root out a conspiracy that could divide and destroy the entire clan. Stills from The 5 Deadly Venoms (Click for larger image) The Ring Gore Verbinski AN INQUISITIVE REPORTER VIEWS A MYSTERIOUS VIDEOTAPE THAT IS LINKED TO SEVERAL DEATHS, SHE SETS IN MOTION A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT PUTS HER LIFE IN DANGER. NOW SHE IS IN A RACE AGAINST TIME TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. Total Recall Paul Verhoeven This science fiction blockbuster from 1990 began its production life as a very different movie than the one that was released. An adaptation of the Philip K. Dick short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale," Total Recall was originally conceived of with Richard Dreyfuss starring as a Walter Mitty-like character who experiences a variety of artificially induced fantasies. The movie we know is a mega-budget action epic set on Mars. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a normal working man who discovers that his entire reality has been invented to conceal a plot of planetary domination. Oscar-winning special effects and violent action propel the twisting plot, in which Arnold manipulates his manipulators in a world of dazzling high technology. Director Paul Verhoeven (Robocop) indulges his usual penchant for gratuitous bloodshed, but the movie has enough cleverness to rise above its excesses. Jeff Shannon Robocop Paul Verhoeven There's a new law enforcer in town and he's half man, half machine! From the director of Total Recall and Basic Instinct comes a "sci-fi fantasy with sleek, high-powered drive" (Time) about an indestructible high-tech policeman who dishes out justice at every turn! When a good cop (Peter Weller) gets blown away by some ruthless criminals, innovative scientists and doctors are able to piece him back together as an unstoppable crime-fighting cyborg called "Robocop." Impervious to bullets and bombs, and equipped with high-tech weaponry, Robocop quickly makes a name for himself by cleaning up the crime-ridden streets of violence-ravaged Detroit. Hollow Man Paul Verhoeven HOLLOW MAN (DIRECTORS CUT) (DVD/WS 1.85 A/DD 5.1/E Timecrimes Nacho Vigalondo A man being pursued by a murderer stumbles into a mysterious lab and accidentally travels back in time. A naked girl in the midst of the forest. A cloaked stranger with his face covered in bandages. A disquieting mansion on the top of a hill. All of them pieces of an unpredictable jigsaw puzzle where terror, drama and suspense will lead to an unthinkable sort of crime. Who's the murderer? Who's the victim? The Matrix Reloaded Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski In the second chapter of the Matrix trilogy, Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army. In their quest to save the human race from extinction, they gain greater insight into the construct of The Matrix and Neo's pivotal role in the fate of mankind. DVD Features: DVD ROM Features:Web links to the official Matrix website Documentaries:PRELOAD: Go behind the scenes with the cast and crew THE FREEWAY CHASE: Anatomy of the mind-blowing scene ENTER THE MATRIX: Making of the ground-breaking video game WHAT IS THE ANIMATRIX? THE MATRIX UNFOLDS: A look at the Matrix phenomenon GET ME AN EXIT: Matrix-inspired design advertising Other:THE MTV MOVIE AWARDS RELOADED The Matrix Revolutions Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski Provocative Futuristic Action Thriller. The Matrix Revolutions marks the final explosive chapter in the Matrix trilogy. DVD Features: DVD ROM Features:Links to The Matrix Online promo site and the official Matix website Documentaries:REVOLUTIONS RECALIBRATED: The making of the final chapter of The Matrix trilogy, including a segment on Neo Realism: The Evolution of Bullet Time Documentary:CG Revolution: The incredible special effects arsenal, including the segment Super Big Mini-Models Featurette:SUPER BURLY BRAWL: Behind the final Neo/Smith showdown, including the segments Double Agent Smith and Mind Over Matter: The Physicality of The Matrix Other:BEFORE THE REVOLUTION: A 3-D Matrix timeline FUTURE GAMER: THE MATRIX ONLINE: an introduction to the massively mulit-player game Photo gallery:3-D EVOLUTION: Multidimensional stills gallery Theatrical Trailer Wet Hot American Summer David Wain The setting is camp firewood the year 1981. Its the last day before everyone goes back to the real world but theres still a summers worth of unfinished business to resolve. At the center of the action is camp director beth who struggles to keep order while she falls in love with a local professor. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 09/02/2003 Starring: David Hyde Pierce Molly Shannon Run time: 97 minutes Rating: R Director: David Wain The Fly II Chris Walas After Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) was "debugged", his son, Martin Brundle (Eric Stoltz), born of the human fly, is adopted by his father's place of employment (Bartok Inc.) while the employees simply wait for his mutant chromosones to come out of their dormant state. And thus "THE FLY" is reborn!! Transformers: The Complete First Season John Walker Where it all began! This 25th anniversary DVD set includes the complete first season from the Generation One animated series. Packed with Generation One extras including a new look at the Transformers, rare PSAs, original toy commercials, and more. Four million years after crash landing on an unfamiliar planet, sentient robots with the ability to disguise themselves as common vehicles awaken on present day Earth. Engaged in a crucial race to find a new energy source for their home planet of Cybertron, Optimus Prime and the heroic Autobots must defend the innocent people of Earth against their archnemeses, Megatron and the power-hungry Decepticons. For 25 years the war between the peace loving Autobots and the villainous Decepticons has captivated children and adults alike, launching countless collectible toys, comic books, animated series and feature films beloved by loyal fans. Now you can return to where the phenomenon began with the original The Transformers: The Complete First Season. Transformers: Season Two, Volume 1 John Walker The War Against the Decepticons Rages On in The First 28 Episodes of Season Two! The adventures of Optimus Prime and his valiant Autobots continue as they protect their new home planet, Earth, and its people against power-hungry Megatron and his Decepticons. With the help of their human friends Spike, Sparkplug, Chip and Carlee, the Autobots search for the fuel necessary to send them home and reenergize their planet of Cybertron. But if the Decepticons seize their energy source first, the entire universe may suffer the consequences under the reign of the malevolent Megatron. This 4-DVD set contains the first 28 episodes from the second season of The Transformers, including fan-favorites such as the two-part Dinobot Island, Enter The Nightbird, The Master Builders and The God Gambit. Transformers: Season 2, Volume 2 John Walker Four million years after crash-landing on an unfamiliar planet, sentient robots with the ability to disguise themselves as common vehicles awaken on present-day Earth. Engaged in a crucial race to find a new energy source for their home planet of Cybertron, Optimus Prime and the heroic Autobots must defend the innocent people of Earth against their archnemeses, Megatron and the power-hungry Decepticons. Complete your second season adventures of The Transformers with this action-packed 4-disc set that includes fan-favorite episodes such as The Secret Of Omega Supreme, The Search For Alpha Trion, Hoist Goes Hollywood and the thrilling two-part The Key To Vector Sigma! Bonus Features The Combiner: Forming The Transformers Animated Series * Rare PSAs * Concept Art Transformers: Seasons Three & Four [25th Anniversary Edition] John Walker Following the defeat of the planet eater known as Unicron and the end of the great Cybertronian War, the victorious Autobots, led by Rodimus Prime, finally reclaim their home world. But when Galvatron is returned to the ranks of power by his exiled Decepticons, his war against the Autobots is revived, and this time it is fueled by vengeance! Opening with the five part fan favorite miniseries The Five Faces Of Darkness, The Transformers explosive third season follows the valiant Autobots as they are targeted for destruction by not only their old foes, the Decepticons, but also the mysterious and deadly creators known as the Quintessons! This final four-disc set of the megapopular animated series concludes with the rarely seen three episode fourth season of The Transformers that introduces you to the amazing world of the Headmasters! Bonus Features * The Autobots, The Decepticons & The Fans: A look at the loyal fans of The Transformers * From the Files of Teletraan-2 * Rare PSAs * Art Galleries We Were Soldiers Randall Wallace In 1965, 400 American troops faced an ambush by 2,000 enemy troops in the Ia Drang Valley (also known as the Valley of Death), in one of the most gruesome fights of the Vietnam War. WE WERE SOLDIERS is a detailed recreation of this true story: of the strategies, obstacles, and human cost faced by the troops that participated. The story focuses on the lieutenant colonel that led the attack, Hal Moore (Mel Gibson), and a civilian reporter who accompanied them, Joseph Galloway (Barry Pepper), as well as a number of other soldiers who were involved. This is an unusual Vietnam film in that it also shows the North Vietnamese perspective on the battle; their leader Lieutenant General Nguyen Huu An (Don Duong) is depicted as a brave soldier and smart commander. And in addition to the many gory battlefield sequenceswhich seem to have been influenced by SAVING PRIVATE RYANwe also see how the carnage of war affects those left behind, the soldiers' wives and children. Ultimately this is a moving anti-war film, which, by sticking close to the true stories of real soldiers, very effectively brings home the overwhelming horror of war. Stephen King's It Tommy Lee Wallace Based on the King Of Horror's 1986 Best Seller, "It" is a jittery, jolting excursion into personal fear. "It" raises goosebumps-and brings out the stars. Harry Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Annette O'Toole, Tim Reid, John Ritter, Tim Curry and Richard Thomas star in this thriller about a malevolent force in a small New England town. The Gate Rit Wallis, Tibor Takacs After an old tree is removed from the ground, three young children accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from the hole in a suburban backyard. What follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the three kids struggle to overcome a nightmarish hell that is literally taking over the Earth. The Ice Pirates Tom Walls, Stewart Raffill Spoofy-goofy comedy, otherworldly special effects, spectacular space creatures, bedraggled 'bots, and biceps-ripplnig swashbuckling highlight this cult fave. In the future, as the galaxy's water supply starts to run out, a band of pirates searches for a new water source. Saw - Unrated James Wan OBSESSED WITH TEACHING HIS VICTIMS THE VALUE OF LIFE, A DERANGED, SADISTIC KILLER IS ABDUCTING MORALLY WAYWARD PEOPLE AND FORCING THEM TO PLAY HORRIFIC GAMES FOR THEIR OWN SURVIVAL. Major League David S. Ward A baseball comedy and slob comedy rolled into one, this one actually works as entertainment, if not as a piece of cinematic mastery. James Gammon is the has-been manager hired to lead the last-place Cleveland Indians whose owner wants them to lose so she can sell them. But the team of has-beens and never-wases that he assembles (including Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, and Wesley Snipes) develops a sense of pride and turns the team around. There's plenty of rowdy humor about sex, race, and whatever else they can make fun of. Look for Rene Russo (in her first film role) as Berenger's romantic interest; Snipes also had his first showy role as Willie Mays Hayes, the team's base-stealing ace. Marshall Fine Magnum Force Ferris Webster, Ted Post Magnum Force, which was released in 1973 as a sequel to Dirty Harry has Eastwood reprise his famous role as Inspector Callahan, which has him face crooked cops and a traitorous boss as well as suffering re- assignment from homicide to stakeout duty after his handling of the Scorpio case. Callahan and his new partner, Earlington -Early- Smith (Felton Perry), are called off a case in which a man acquitted of murder is found dead along with his chauffer, lawyer and bodyguard. Soon after, a mafia figure, and several of his family and friends are also gunned down. Then, a well-known pimp is murdered too. Callahan and Early are soon re-assigned to investigate the homicides. Featuring: New Commentary by writer John Milius-In this gritty, entertaining commentary, legendary Hollywood screenwriter Milius discusses Eastwood, the world of Dirty Harry and the rugged resilience of crime drama in American cinema; New Featurette "A Moral Right: The Politics of Dirty Harry" Filmmakers, social scientists and authors take a provocative look at the moral, political and ethical themes of the Dirty Harry films; The Hero Cop: Yesterday and Today; Trailer Gallery Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World Peter Weir When a sudden attack by a French warship inflicts casualities and severe damage upon his vessel, Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey (Crowe) of the British Royal Navy is torn between duty and friendship as he embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes chase across two oceans to intercept and capture the enemy at any cost. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture! Witness Peter Weir A YOUNG AMISH BOY IS SOLE WITNESS TO A MURDER. POLICEMAN JOHN BOOK GOES INTO HIDING IN AMISH COUNTRY TO PROTECT HIM UNTIL THE TRIAL. In Good Company Paul Weitz IN GOOD COMPANY (DVD) (WS/DOL DIG 5.1 SUR/ENG/SPAN The Cottage Paul Andrew Williams Forced into hiding after their kidnapping plan goes awry, two rival siblings, David (Andy Serkis - The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Peter (Reece Shearsmith - Shaun of the Dead), find themselves fighting for their sanity while they hole up in a secluded country cottage. Weighed down by a hostage who refuses to stay quiet, or tied down, they are soon held captive by their own victim. But everyone's problems go from bad to worse when they come face-to-face with their psychotic axe-wielding neighbor - a demented farmer with a dark, nasty secret buried where you'd least expect. Equilibrium Kurt Wimmer Delivering awesome high-tech action in the power-packed style of THE MATRIX and MINORITY REPORT, EQUILIBRIUM stars Christian Bale (REIGN OF FIRE) and Taye Diggs (CHICAGO) in a thrilling look at a future where the only crime is being human! In an attempt to end wars and maintain peace, humankind has outlawed the things that trigger emotion literature, music, and art. To uphold the law, a special breed of police is assigned to eliminate all transgressors. But when the top enforcer (Bale) misses a dose of an emotion-blocking drug, he begins to realize that things are not as they seem! Also starring Sean Bean (THE LORD OF THE RINGS) and Emily Watson (RED DRAGON). Sling Blade - Director's Cut Hughes Winborne, Billy Bob Thornton The Miramax Collector's Series proudly presents the two-disc release of the powerful motion picture applauded by critics and moviegoers alike ... written, directed, and starring Billy Bob Thornton (1996 Academy Award(TM) Winner, Best Adapted Screenplay and Academy Award(R) Nominee, Best Actor). Twenty five years after committing an unthinkable crime, a quiet man named Karl (Thornton) is finally returning home. Once there, he is befriended by a fatherless boy and his mother. But when his new-found peace is shattered by the mother's abusive boyfriend (Grammy-winner Dwight Yoakam), Karl is suddenly placed on a collision course with his past! Also featuring Robert Duvall (OPEN RANGE), John Ritter (BAD SANTA), and J.T. Walsh (BREAKDOWN) SLING BLADE is an unforgettable movie experience! Charlotte's Web Gary Winick The classic story of loyalty, trust, and sacrifice comes to life in this live-action adaptation. Fern (Dakota Fanning) is one of only two living beings who sees that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him, the runt of the litter, into a terrific and radiant pig. As Wilbur moves into a new barn, he begins a second profound friendship with the most unlikely of creatures – a spider named Charlotte – and their bond inspires the animals around them to come together as a family. When the word gets out that Wilbur's days are numbered, it seems that only a miracle will save his life. A determined Charlotte – who sees miracles in the ordinary – spins words into her web in an effort to convince the farmer that Wilbur is "some pig" and worth saving. Pumpkinhead Stan Winston Lance Henriksen (Aliens, Millenium ) stars in this vivid, stylish, atmospheric (The Hollywood Reporter) and heart-poundingly scary fright fest directed by four-time OscarÂ(r)winner* Stan Winston and written by Mark Patrick Carducci and Gary Gerani. When a group of rambunctious teenagers inadvertently kill his only son, Ed Harley (Henriksen) seeks the magic of a backwoods witch to bring the child back. But when she tells him the child's death is irrevocable, his grief develops into an all-consuming desire... for revenge! Defying superstition, he and the witch invoke 'the pumpkinhead a monstrously clawed and fanged demon which, once reborn, answers only to Ed's bloodlust. But as the invincible creature wreaks its slow, unspeakable tortures on the teens, Ed confronts a horrifying secret about his connection to the beastand realizes that he must find a way tostop its deadly mission before he becomes one with it forever! 24 Hour Party People Michael Winterbottom "Magnificent" (The New York Times), "amazing" (Los Angeles Times) and "a blast" (Rolling Stone), this true story of the raucous anti-establishment explosion that revolutionized the music industry is "miraculous one of the smartest, liveliest, most engaging and involving works you're likely to see this year" (Premiere)! Blown away by an unknown local band called the Sex Pistols, TV personality Tony Wilson (Steve Coogan) is inspired to invent a uniquely anarchic record label. Soon he's promoting everyone from New Order to Happy Mondays on his newly formed Factory Records and partying like a rock star. From Tony's speedy rise to Factory's hedonistic fall, this "wonderful party of a movie stamps on a smiley face that will stay with you for hours" (New York Post)! Star Trek - The Motion Picture: The Director's Cut Robert Wise When a destructive space entity is spotted approaching earth admiral kirk resumes command of the starship enterprise in order to intercept examine and hopefully stop it. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/01/2007 Starring: Stephen Collins Leonard Nimoy Run time: 1430 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Robert Wise The Sound of Music Robert Wise Julie Andrews in the heartwarming true story that has become a cinematic treasure. Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music." Julie Andrews is Maria, the spirited, young woman who leaves the convent and becomes a governess to the seven unruly charm and songs soon win the hearts of the children and their father but when Nazi, Germany unites with Austria, Maria is forced to attempt a daring escape with her new family. The Room Tommy Wiseau "The Room" is an electrifying American black comedy about love, passion, betrayal and lies. It has five major characters, Johnny, played by Tommy Wiseau is a successful banker with great respect for an dedication to the people in his life, especially his future wife Lisa. Johnny can also be a little too trusiting at times which haunts him later on. Lisa, played by Juliette Danielle, is the beautiful blonde fiance of Johnny. She has always gotten her way and will manipulate to get what she wants. She is a taker, with a double personality, and her deadly schemes lead to her own downfall. Mark, played by Greg Sestero, is a young, successful and independent best friend of Johnny. He has a good heart, but gets caught up in Lisa's dangerous web and gives in to temptation. This eventually brings him to great loss. Claudette, played by Carolyn Minnott, is the classy, sophisticated mother of Lisa who has had disappointing relationships in her life. She wants her daughter to be married as soon as possible so she can benefit. Denny, played by Philip Haldiman, is an orphan boy, naive and confused about life, love, and friendship. Denny is a very ambitions and also very grateful tot he people who are in his life. "The Room" depicts the depths of frienships and relationships in one life and raises life's ral and most asked question: "Can you ever really trust anyone? Enter "The Room" and leave forever changed! Live Free or Die Hard - Unrated Len Wiseman "The best of the best is back and better than ever" (WNYW-TV) in the latest installment of the pulse-pounding, thrill-a-minute Die Hard action films. New York City detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) delivers old-school justice to a new breed of terrorists when a massive computer attack on the U.S. infrastructure threatens to shut down the entire country over Independence Day weekend. Final Destination James Wong Horror tale with a twist, Final Destination tells the story of teenager with strange premonitions about death and the mysterious accidental deaths that follow his life. Directed by X-Files veteran James Wong. DVD Features: DVD ROM exclusive web site Documentaries Music Only Track Final Destination 3 James Wong, Julie Ng Fasten your seatbelts and brace yourself for the "2-Disc Thrill Ride Edition" of Final Destination 3! It's the DVD that takes you on a ride BEYOND terror where YOU control your limit of fear!! DVD Features: Other Windtalkers John Woo In the brutal World War II Battle of Saipan, Sergeant Joe Enders (Academy Award(r) winner*Nicolas Cage) guardsand ultimately befriendsBen Yahzee (Adam Beach), a young Navajo trained in the one wartime code never broken by the enemy, the Navajo Code. But if Yahzee should fall into Japanese hands, how far will Enders go to save the military's most powerful secret? John Woodirects this "exciting" (Premiere), Hard Boiled John Woo A tough-as-nails cop teams up with an undercover agent to bring down a gun smuggling ring. Features some of the most amazing and influential action set pieces in cinematic history. Face/Off John Woo FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) knows how to stop elusive terrorist Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage). He'll become him. Archer undergoes a futuristic surgery and has Troy's face mapped onto his, then infiltrates the terrorist's world to discover his deadly secrets. But as much as Archer looks and acts like Troy, he doesn't really know him. He never figures Troy will retaliate and force doctors to transform him into Archer. Now the agent faces a shattering nightmare: his archrival is living with his family. The Travolta/Cage star-power comes on strong and so does the excitement in this roaring thrill machine of a movie directed by John Woo (Broken Arrow). So buckle up. It's going to be a furious fight. Speed [Award Series] John Wright, Jan de Bont Hold on tight for a rush of pulse-pounding thrills, breathtaking stunts and unexpected romance in a film you'll want to see again and again. Keanu Reeves stars as Jack Traven, an L.A.P.D. SWAT team specialist who is sent to diffuse a bomb that a revenge-driven extortionist (Dennis Hopper) has planted on a bus. But until he does, Jack and passenger Sandra Bullock must keep the bus speeding through the streets of Los Angeles at more than 50 miles per hour - or the bomb will explode. A high-octane chase of suspense, non-stop action and surprise twists, Speed is a joyride sure to keep everyone on the edge of their seats. The Return of Swamp Thing Jim Wynorski Beautiful horticulturalist Abigail visits her stepfather determined to solve the mystery death of her mother. He wants her dead for the creation of his immortality serum. But Swamp Thing comes to her rescue and the two become an unlikely pair of lovers hunted by the insane Dr. Arcane.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR/COMEDIC HORROR UPC: 883929007615 Manufacturer No: 1000036696 Boiler Room Ben Younger AN AMBITIOUS GROUP OF YOUNG TURKS OPERATED AN ILLEGAL STOCK BROKERAGE FIRM. THEIR SUCCESS AT ANY LIFESTYLE AND PHILOSOPHY REDEFINES THE NOTION OF WEALTH AND SUCCESS IN TODAY'S ULTRA FAST-PACED AND COMPETITIVE WORLD. CORRUPTION, BETRAYAL, AND CONSCIENCE COLLIDE AS THE FBI STARTS TO CLOSE IN ON THEM. Freddy vs. Jason Ronny Yu It's the battle everyone's been DYING to see! Teenagers find themselves caught in the middle of a battle between two legendary boogeymen: Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger. Who will win in the bloodiest and goriest showdown in history? DVD Features: Alternate endings:Alternate opening and Ending Audio Commentary:Commentary with Director Ronny Yu, Actors Robert Englund (FREDDY) & Ken Kirzinger (JASON) Comparison Scenes DVD ROM Features Deleted Scenes:18 Deleted Scenes with optional commentary from Director Ronnie Yu and Executive Producer Douglas Curtis Documentaries:Behind the scenes coverage of the films development - including screenwriting, set design, make up, stunts and principle photography Visual effects exploration Featurette Full Screen Version:Both fullscreen and Widescreen on one disc Interviews Music Video:Ill Nino "How Can I Live" Storyboards TV Spot:Lots of TV spots Theatrical Trailer D.O.A. - Dead or Alive Corey Yuen Four gorgeous women are invited to a remote island to participate in a fighting tournament. The Transporter Corey Yuen, Louis Leterrier Frank Martin (Jason Statham) is the best as what he does: transporting dangerous or illegal goods with no questions asked. But his last shipment, a beautiful young woman kidnapped by international slave traders, brings deadly complications to his delivery plans. Now Frank must kick into overdrive in a nonstop action-packed fight to save his precious cargo - and his life. Cast Away Robert Zemeckis Tom Hanks "gives one of the towering screen performances of all time" (New York Post) as Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems engineer whose ruled-by-the-clock existence abruptly ends when a harrowing plane crash leaves him isolated on a remote island. As Chuck Who Framed Roger Rabbit Robert Zemeckis It's 1947 Hollywood, and Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), a down-on-his-luck detective, is hired to find proof that Marvin Acme, gag factory mogul and owner of Toontown, is playing hanky-panky with femme fatale Jessica Rabbit, wife of Maroon Cartoon superstar Roger Rabbit. When Acme is found murdered, all fingers point to Roger, and the sinister, power-hungry Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) is on a mission to bring Roger to justice. Roger begs the Toon-hating Valiant to find the real evildoer and the plot thickens as Eddie uncovers scandal after scandal and realizes the very existence of Toontown is at stake! WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT is deliciously outrageous fun the whole family will enjoy. Hero Yimou Zhang Master filmmaker Quentin Tarantino presents HERO starring martial arts legend Jet Li in a visually stunning martial arts epic where a fearless warrior rises up to defy an empire and unite a nation! With supernatural skill ... and no fear ... a nameless soldier (Jet Li) embarks on a mission of revenge against the fearsome army that massacred his people. Now, to achieve the justice he seeks, he must take on the empire's most ruthless assassins and reach the enemy he has sworn to defeat! Acclaimed by critics and honored with numerous awards, HERO was nominated for both an Oscar® (2002 Best Foreign Language Film)and Golden Globe! House of Flying Daggers Yimou Zhang MEL IS AN EXOTIC, BEAUTIFUL BLIND DANCER, ASSOCIATED WITH A DANGEROUS REVOLUTIONARY GANG, KNOWN AS THE HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS. CAPTURED BY OFFICERS OF THE DECADENT TANG DYNASTY, MEL FINDS HERSELF BOTH THREATENED - & ATTRACTED - TO THE MOST UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. Liar Liar Don Zimmerman, Tom Shadyac A boy's birthday wish that his habitual liar father go for one day without lying comes true, and the father finds his business and personal life in shambles as a result of all the honesty. Genre: Feature Film-Comedy Media Type: DVD Navy Seals Don Zimmerman, Lewis Teague They're America's ultimate weapon. Charlie Sheen (Platoon), Michael Biehn (The Terminator) and Bill Paxton (Twister) team up as three of America's finest Navy commandos in this pulse-pounding adventure that brings out the heavy artillery for explosive action and breathtaking suspense "that will leave you clenching your teeth" (The Washington Post)! The Navy's elite SEAL (SEa, Air and Land) squad is made up of the best of the best: supreme warriors who take on dangerous missions no other fighting force would dare attempt. Sent to rescue the crew of a U.S. aircraft held hostage by mideast terrorists, the SEALs know that their skills will be put to the test. But when they discover that the terrorists have seized the plane's arsenal of deadly Stinger missiles, they're thrust onto the frontlines of the battle of a lifetime. Friday the 13th - The Final Chapter Joseph Zito Having been revived at the hospital jason returns to crystal lake to meet more victims. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 08/22/2006 Starring: Kimberly Beck Wayne Grace Run time: 91 minutes Rating: R Director: Joseph Zito The Naked Gun 2 1/2 - The Smell of Fear David Zucker Frank and ed of police squad blunder through another case an energy-related plot in washington d.C. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/17/2005 Starring: Leslie Nielsen George Kennedy Run time: 85 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: David Zucker Top Secret David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 02/03/2009 Run time: 90 minutes Rating: Pg Blood Diamond Edward Zwick An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonard DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai), this urgent, intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact. DVD Features: Audio Commentary:Commentary with Director, Edward Zwick (A revealing look at a filmmaker?s personal journey.) Documentary:Blood on the Stone (RT: 50:00) Follow the path of a diamond from the ground to the store. Featurette:1) Becoming Archer (RT: 8:29) - A profile of Leonardo DiCaprio and how he trained for the war; 2) Journalism on the Front Line (RT: approx 6:07) - Jennifer Connelly on Women Journalists at war; 3) Inside the Siege of Freetown (RT: 10:28) - See how Ed Zwick tackled the pivotal scene. Music Video:"Shine On Em" by rap artist Nas The Siege Edward Zwick When a crowded city bus blows up in Brooklyn and a campaign of terror begins to make it's bloody mark on the streets of New York, it's up to FBI special agent Anthony "Hub" Hubbard (Washington) and U.S. Army General William Devereaux (Willis) to find out who's responsible and put an end to the destruction. Together, they face explosive danger at every turn when they team up towage an all-out war against a ruthless band of terrorists.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_0	Zero Mostel " If I Were a Rich Man " - YouTube Zero Mostel " If I Were a Rich Man " Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Nov 24, 2012 Tony Awards 1971 Zero Mostel " If I Were a Rich Man " 0:33 . 1:49 . 2:05 . 2:56 . 4:21 Broadway's Lost Treasures When autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next. Up next Play now Mix - Zero Mostel " If I Were a Rich Man "YouTube Fiddler On The Roof - If I Were A Rich Man [With Lyrics] - Duration: 5:21. WorldMusic77777 969,166 views 5:21 Comedy Tonight - Duration: 9:56. the8treluver 113,247 views 9:56 Josh Groban in Fiddler On The Roof -- May 1999 -- Part 2 "If I Were a Rich Man" - Duration: 10:40. joshgrobancornerpub 81,976 views 10:40	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_1	If I Were a Rich Man Lyrics - Fiddler on the Roof Soundtrack Lyrics Fiddler on the Roof Soundtrack Lyrics "Dear God, you made many, many poor people. I realize, of course, that it's no shame to be poor. But it's no great honor either! So, what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune?" If I were a rich man, Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum. All day long I'd biddy biddy bum. If I were a wealthy man. I wouldn't have to work hard. Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum. If I were a biddy biddy rich, Yidle-diddle-didle-didle man. I'd build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen, Right in the middle of the town. A fine tin roof with real wooden floors below. There would be one long staircase just going up, And one even longer coming down, And one more leading nowhere, just for show. I'd fill my yard with chicks and turkeys and geese and ducks For the town to see and hear. And each loud "cheep" and "swaqwk" and "honk" and "quack" Would land like a trumpet on the ear, As if to say "Here lives a wealthy man." If I were a rich man, Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum. All day long I'd biddy biddy bum. If I were a wealthy man. I wouldn't have to work hard. Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum. If I were a biddy biddy rich, Yidle-diddle-didle-didle man. I see my wife, my Golde, looking like a rich man's wife With a proper double-chin. Supervising meals to her heart's delight. I see her putting on airs and strutting like a peacock. Oy, what a happy mood she's in. Screaming at the servants, day and night. The most important men in town would come to fawn on me! They would ask me to advise them, Like a Solomon the Wise. "If you please, Reb Tevye..." "Pardon me, Reb Tevye..." Posing problems that would cross a rabbi's eyes! And it won't make one bit of difference if i answer right or wrong. When you're rich, they think you really know! If I were rich, I'd have the time that I lack To sit in the synagogue and pray. And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall. And I'd discuss the holy books with the learned men, several hours every day. That would be the sweetest thing of all. If I were a rich man, Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum. All day long I'd biddy biddy bum. If I were a wealthy man. I wouldn't have to work hard. Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum. If I were a biddy biddy rich, Yidle-diddle-didle-didle man.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_2	Fiddler on the roof - If I were a rich man (with subtitles) - YouTube Fiddler on the roof - If I were a rich man (with subtitles) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Aug 19, 2006 If I were a rich man Category	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_3	ZERO MOSTEL - IF I WERE A RICH MAN - (FIDDLER ON THE ROOF) LYRICS If I Were A Rich Man - (Fiddler On The Roof) Lyrics Zero Mostel - If I Were A Rich Man - (Fiddler On The Roof) Lyrics Dear God, You made many, many poor people I realize, of course, that it's no shame to be poor But it's no great honor either So, what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune? If I were a rich man, ya, ha, deedle, deedle Didle, didle, deedle, deedle, dum All day long, I'd, biddy, biddy, bum If I were a wealthy man, I wouldn't have to work hard Ya, ha, deedle, deedle, didle, didle, deedle, deedle, dum If I were a biddy, biddy rich, yidle, diddle, didle, didle, man I'd build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen Right in the middle of the town A fine tin roof with real wooden floors below There would be one long staircase just going up And one even longer coming down And one more leading nowhere, just for show I'd fill my yard with chicks and turkeys and geese and ducks For the town to see and hear And each loud 'Cheep' and 'Swaqwk' and 'Honk' and 'Quack' Would land like a trumpet on the ear As if to say, "Here lives a wealthy man" If I were a rich man, ya, ha, deedle, deedle Didle, didle, deedle, deedle, dum All day long, I'd, biddy, biddy, bum If I were a wealthy man, I wouldn't have to work hard Ya, ha, deedle, deedle, didle, didle, deedle, deedle, dum If I were a biddy, biddy rich, yidle, diddle, didle, didle, man I see my wife, my Goldie, looking like a rich man's wife With a proper double chin Supervising meals to her heart's delight I see her putting on airs and strutting like a peacock Oy, what a happy mood she's in Screaming at the servants day and night The most important men in town, would come to fawn on me They would ask me to advise them like a Solomon the Wise If you please, Reb Tevye, pardon me, Reb Tevye Posing problems that would cross a rabbi's eyes And it won't make one bit of difference if I answer right or wrong When you're rich, they think you really know If I were rich, I'd have the time that I lack To sit in the synagogue and pray And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall And I'd discuss the Holy books with the learned men Several hours every day, that would be the sweetest thing of all If I were a rich man, ya, ha, deedle, deedle Didle, didle, deedle, deedle, dum All day long, I'd, biddy, biddy, bum If I were a wealthy man, I wouldn't have to work hard Ya, ha, deedle, deedle, didle, didle, deedle, deedle, dum If I were a biddy, biddy rich, yidle, diddle, didle, didle, man Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_6	If I Were a Rich Man - TV Tropes If I Were a Rich Man You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share If I Were a Rich Man × "If I had a million dollars I'd buy you an exotic pet Yep! Like a llama, or an emu." A character has a fantasy about being rich, filthy rich, and the sybaritic lifestyle they would lead. Usually done when a character has just made up a Get Rich Quick Scheme that you know is not going to work . Such fantasies typically include bathing in pools of money , and other forms of Conspicuous Consumption . Note that this is just a daydream of it, not an alternate reality, possible future, or the actual result of a wish. A Sub-Trope of Fantasy Sequence . If the character is pretending to be rich (and not just imagining it), then the trope is Mock Millionaire . In a musical, may be the inspiration for a Money Song . open/close all folders Advertising Commercials for the Canadian lottery "Lotto 6/49" encourage this trope on the part of the viewer, using the slogan "Imagine The Freedom". A frequent selling point for lotteries with advertised jackpots running in the hundreds of millions of dollars. For example, TV ads for the New York Lottery, for its participation in both Mega Millions and Powerball, include exaggerated depictions of winners living the high life like driving a luxury sedan in reverse down his driveway to pick up the newspaper ... then driving back towards the house as the camera pulls back to reveal that the driveway is more akin to a winding road in the woods with the house nowhere in view. The slogan used: "New York Lottery — yeah, that kind of rich." Anime and Manga Pokï¿½mon 's Team Rocket has these often. One time Jessie pictures herself waving yen bills around ◊ , while lounging around in a purple slinky dress and a feather boa . Kotaro in Papuwa. Keeping in mind that this Dude Looks Like a Lady (to the point that some viewers have refused to believe that he's a boy), he occasionally has fantasies along these lines... which involve him living in a castle in an elaborate dress, like a princess. As it happens, his family actually is rather wealthy, he just doesn't know it. Mako of Nerima Daikon Brothers is prone to these. This is one of the things Keiichi mulls over when Belldandy appears to grant him a wish in the second episode of the Ah! My Goddess TV series. Comic Books The Firefly spin-off comic Better Days has these for almost the entire crew. They range from Shepherd Book 's Hookers and Blow ("Kidding. Reckon I'd give it to the abbey.") to River's fantasy wedding. To a fish . Film What would Lawrence from Office Space do if he were a rich man? "...two chicks at the same time, man." What would Peter Gibbons Do? "Nothing." Mamma Mia! has the heroine and her friends sing "Money, Money, Money" by ABBA while having a fantasy about lying around on a private yacht being waited on by handsome sailors. Played with in High Society , where two reporters, while taking in the luxurious home of the high society family they're writing a story about, sing "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire!" ("I Don't!"), listing in the song all the luxuries they could afford if they were rich, and for each one, claiming not to want it. By their expressions and the effort they put into the song, it's implied to be a case of Sour Grapes , however. At the start of the remake of The Italian Job , the robbers fantasize about what each will do with his share of the loot. Lyle wants an expensive stereo set-up (speakers so loud they blow a woman's clothes off, literally), Handsome Rob wants a car, and Left Ear wants a mansion with a room just for his shoes. You get to see their dreams come true at the very end of the film, once they get the loot back from Steve who, with no ideas of his own, stole each of theirs along with the money. Willy Krueger in Mr. Krueger's Christmas frequently has these fantasies, distracting him from his lonely life as a custodian at an apartment building. In The Treasure of the Sierra Madre each of the three prospectors tell the others what they will do now that they've struck it rich. Howard, the old prospector, is done looking for gold. He'll settle down with some kind of store and spend his days reading adventure stories. Curtin, an orchard because of his (somewhat idealized) memories of picking fruit one summer when he was a kid (read The Grapes of Wrath ). Fred C. Dobbs? First a Turkish Bath to clean out all the dirt. Then clothes — a dozen of everything. Then a fancy restaurant ordering everything on the Bill of Fare and if it isn't just right, and maybe even if it is, he'll send it back and bawl out the waiter. When Curtin asks "Then what?" Dobbs answers "Well, what would be?" The two younger man stare into space with very intense looks until Howard interrupts them to remind them it wasn't all that healthy to be thinking about women in their current situation. Big dreams for $30,000 each but it was 1925. Literature The Twelve Chairs / The Little Golden Calf : This is Ostap Bender 's motivation in both books he appears in. The third and final part of The Little Golden Calf is actually a deconstruction: even after Bender gets his long-desired wealth, it turns out to be near-useless in the Soviet Union, where he can't be openly rich, while goods and services are mostly gained for government favors, not money. Dorothy Parker wrote a short story called "The Standard of Living" about two girls who like to play "If you had a million dollars..." It ends with them going to a jeweler's to look at a necklace, guessing that it costs a thousand dollars, or maybe ten thousand.... The jeweler tells them it's $250,000. As they walk away, one of them asks the other what she would do if, say, someone died and left her ten million dollars. We don't get the details, but in Guards! Guards! when Vimes hears that the bounty for the dragon is fifty thousand dollars: Vimes: What he couldn't do with fifty thousand dollars ... Vimes thought about this for a while and then thought of the things he could do with fifty thousand dollars. There were so many more of them, for a start. Subverted with Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, who, even when making money hand over fist by being the manager for the Disc's only rock band, would still need several billion years to become richer than his wildest dreams. The Stormlight Archive : Dark version. The peasant Moash tells his fellow peasants that if he were in charge, the nobles would be worked to death instead . Another peasant darkly notes that this is no different than what is currently happening, just to someone else. When Moash becomes a noble in the second book , he proves himself at least as selfish as the nobles he so despised. Live-Action TV Happens on an episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody when they take a Inept Aptitude Test . Zack (the slacker doofus) gets the result of "millionaire". Cody (the studious dork) gets "custodial engineer". Cody's even in the fantasy to sweep up... In the treasure hunt episode, everyone in the main cast has one. Zack imagines that he's married to Maddie and has his own private arcade, Cody imagines winning the Nobel Prize in every subject (plus baking), Maddie imagines becoming the president, Esteban imagines becoming manager of the Tipton Hotel and making London a bellhop, and London... imagines it to be just like her life is right now, as she's already filthy rich. Disney did a music video of the song starring Scrooge McDuck And The Beatles did a cover generally regarded as worse. Travie McCoy, "Billionaire" ("I wanna be a billionaire...so fuckin' bad...") ABBA , "Money Money Money" ("All the things I could do, if I had a little money!") Newspaper Comics Peanuts had a strip in which Lucy tells Charlie Brown that if she had a million dollars, she'd spend it all on marshmallows. Calvin has frequently fantasized about this, although for him rich is ten dollars. Theater The Trope Namer is a song from Fiddler on the Roof which also toys with it. The only real thing he shows humbleness towards is that he would be able to work less so he could spend more time in Synagogue praying, which points up why he is willing to have his daughters tutored. Perchik: Money is the world's curse! Tevye: May God smite me with it. And may I never recover! Higher And Higher: The song "Disgustingly Rich" from the obscure Rodgers and Hart musical. In The Musical In the Heights , there's a song called "$96,000", which is all the characters fantasizing in counterpoint about what they'd do if they were the ones with the winning lottery ticket. Allegro: The ironically titled song "Money Isn't Everything" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's play. Twelfth Night : Malvolio has quite the indulgent one about marrying the rich Olivia. The Alchemist has many characters fantasizing about what they'd do with the Philosopher's Stone. Sir Epicure Mammon gets the longest speech; he plans on feasting on exotic delicacies like quail tongue and lampreys, and he'd be so rich that feather mattresses would be too coarse — he'd have to have air ... he'd set up a system of aqueducts to carry milk and rose-water to everyone.... Inverted in Camelot with "What Do the Simple Folk Do?", which features a lord and lady wondering about the peasantry. At the end, they decide that the peasants wonder what the nobles do. Web Comic One storyline in Rob and Elliot features the titular characters earning 10 million dollars in merchandising fees. While they wait for their residuals to arrive they fantasize about throwing money around like confetti, rolling around in piles of cash and tossing wads of dollar bills at each other like snowballs...only for their fantasy to immediately be cut short by the arrival of a lone check for the money. Cut to the two of them impotently throwing the check around at each other and rolling around on top of it. One of the guys at the bar in Mandatory Roller Coaster fantasizes about being rich enough to go to the doctor. Seven of Off-White does this. The things she has fantasized about include fancy stilettos, pink googles, comics, fur coats, rings, frag grenades, anti-tank rocket launcher... Western Animation The Simpsons : Homer Simpson has a few of these. Upon hearing of an opportunity to "become a moderately wealthy man", Homer imagines himself rolling in a small pile of money and shouting, "I'm sort of rich! I can rent anything I want!" Making $11 on the stock market, and fantasizing about getting a carwash. One of his odder ideas was that winning the lottery would let him become a 100-foot tall gold-plated demigod. He imagined himself living in a house made of pearls and losing his teeth to his breakfast, a bowl of pearls. He had a fantasy of having his own recording studio. He imagines what his life would be like if he robbed the Kwik-E-Mart, and sees himself sitting in a rocking chair outside a huge mansion, wearing a top hat, smoking cigars, monocle and a sash saying "Senator", while Marge go-go dances in a swimsuit next to him. By the time he decides he will rob the place, he has already done his shopping and is driving away from it. After sinking his money into a doomed stock, he assures the broker that he knows the risks... as he imagines himself in a Broadway revue, singing "We're in the Money" with a group of scantily-clad female dancers as the curtains open to reveal a giant gorilla roaring and holding fistfuls of cash. Homer: You heard the monkey, make the trade. "With ten thousand dollars we'd be millionaires! We could buy all kinds of useful things, like... love!" Bart got in on this once. After being told of winning $500 in a lawsuit, he imagines hitting Vegas, betting it all on roulette. And loses. He still chuckles after the dream plays out. Bart once found a $1000 bill Mr. Burns lost and made an additional $2000 showing it to people, then fantasized it letting him having "Bart's Moon Party from Outer Space , with R2-D2 playing the bass" (sung by imaginary singers and then by Homer, in reality, a couple minutes later ). Lisa had one, briefly — when the FBI informed the family that Homer had stolen the trillion-dollar bill, Marge says it's going straight in the college fund. Lisa — this was before much of her development into the hippie of the family — yells "Who needs college?! We're trillionaires! Let's buy dune buggies!" One episode has Bart dreaming that he is a rich and famous rock star. Of course, his dream just shows him insulting his fans onstage, throwing a liquor bottle at Milhouse after being criticized for his spoiled, hedonistic attitude, and (strangely) having a British accent. Family Guy : Peter Griffin, though he usually think of some ridiculous thing he would spend the money on. In fact, in the very first episode, a computer error at the welfare office resulted in them getting a huge check from the government, which he used in part to build a moat around the house (to keep the Black Knight away, of course). Done in Xiaolin Showdown in an illusion made by Wuya to help her We Can Rule Together Speech. Raimundo sees himself in a mansion with his own video arcade, a skateboard park, and a butler serving him pizza and soda — basically, anything and everything he wants or could ever want... She does however give him these things later after his Faceï¿½Heel Turn , though. Tom and Jerry : The Movie had a song that riffed on the concept. In Jimmy Neutron , the kids ponder what they will do with the money they'll get after they acquire Astro Rubies. Radcliffe in Pocahontas has one when he imagines how rich he will be once he finds gold in the New World. Beavis and Butt-Head : Monsieurs Butt-head and Beavis do this when they hear that there's a reward being offered for their missing friend. Butt-head imagines laying next to a pool while a girl brings him a drink. Beavis does the same thing — except his girl brings him a detonation plunger. When they considered what they might get for copying David Letterman , they just imagined sitting on the couch with piles of cash and some chicks. Futurama : Mom started to wonder about what she would do if she had all the money of the world but stopped when she remembered she does have it. Recess : In one episode, the gang finds a hundred dollar bill, and each of them fantasizes what they'd do with it. All of their fantasies include a jetpack. On The Wild Thornberrys , Eliza told Darwin she'd buy, among other things, a swimming pool full of chocolate. When Darwin asked whether she could eat it all, she said, "No, and I don't care!" In King of the Hill , Bobby comes to the mistaken assumption that his father is a millionare* He overheard Hank talking about his $1000 bonus, assumed it was his daily paycheck, and then added it up through bad math. What follows is an Imagine Spot where the Hills are portrayed as a combination rich hip-hop artists and Scrooge McDuck , with a pair of white tigers, a personal helicopter, and a dollar sign-shaped swimming pool. Real Life Who hasn't fantasized about what they would do if they won the lottery? Glam Rap runs on this trope. Especially since most such rappers aren't rich at all , or get their money through some non-music means (such as launching a clothing line.) :: Indexes ::	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_7	Jerry Bock - IMDb IMDb Jerry Bock was born on November 23, 1928 in New Haven, Connecticut, USA as Jerrold Lewis Bock. He was married to Patricia Faggen. He died on November 3, 2010 in Mount Kisco, New York, USA. See full bio » Born: a list of 619 people created 10 May 2011 a list of 521 people created 01 Jul 2014 a list of 121 people created 01 Jan 2015 a list of 55 people created 23 Nov 2015 Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of Jerry Bock's work have you seen? User Polls 2011 The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (TV Movie) (music: "Will I Ever Tell You?", "Will He Like Me?") 2011 Pan Am (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) 2010 Sex and the City 2 (writer: "Sunrise Sunset") 2010 Spise med Price (TV Series documentary) (writer - 1 episode) - Den sidste nadver (2010) ... (writer: "If I Were a Rich Man" - uncredited) 2009 Dancing with the Stars (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Episode #9.6 (2009) ... (writer: "Rich Girl" - uncredited) - The Grasshopper Experiment (2007) ... (music: "To Life" - uncredited) Great Performances (TV Series) (1 episode, 2003) (writer - 2 episodes, 1985 - 2007) (music - 1 episode, 2001) 2006 Last Holiday (writer: "Rich Girl") 2006 Class Act (Documentary) (writer: "If I Were a Rich Man") 2005 Gilmore Girls (TV Series) (music - 1 episode) 2004 The 58th Annual Tony Awards (TV Special) (music: "Tradition/Bottle Dance") 2004 American Idol (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) 2004 The Lion King 1 1/2 (Video) (writer: "Sunrise, Sunset") 2003/I The In-Laws (writer: "Too Close for Comfort") 2002 If I Were a Rich Man (writer: "Moi si j'étais riche" (adapted from "If I Were A Rich Man")) 2002 Idol (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Episode #1.15 (2002) ... (writer: "Gdybym byl bogaczem") 2002 Hollywood Ending (writer: "Too Close For Comfort" (1956)) 2001 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (TV Series) (writer: "If I Were A Rich Man") 2000 Friends (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Red Sees Red (2000) ... (music: "Sunrise, Sunset") 1999 Election (writer: "Matchmaker, Matchmaker") 1999 Hit and Runway (writer: "If I Were A Rich Man") - The Screaming Skull (1998) ... (music: "Tevye's Dream" - uncredited) - The Undead (1997) ... (music: "Tevye's Dream" - uncredited) - The Day the Earth Froze (1993) ... (music: "Prologue: Tradition") - Teenage Caveman (1991) ... (music: "If I Were a Rich Man") - Time of the Apes (1991) ... (music: "Prologue: Tradition") 1998 The Rat Pack (TV Movie) (writer: "Too Close for Comfort") 1996 3rd Rock from the Sun (TV Series) (music - 1 episode) - Dick Like Me (1996) ... (music: "Fiddler on the Roof" - uncredited) 1995 Barbra: The Concert (TV Special documentary) (music: "Will He Like Me?" (1963)) 1995 Stars in Their Eyes (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Episode #6.2 (1995) ... (writer: "If I Were a Rich Man") 1994 The Simpsons (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Bart's Girlfriend (1994) ... (writer: "Sunrise, Sunset") 1994 North ("IF I WERE A RICH MAN") 1994 The 48th Annual Tony Awards (TV Special) (music: "I Don't Know His Name", "She Loves Me") 1993 Mr. Wonderful (music: "Mr. Wonderful") 1992 Seinfeld (TV Series) (music - 1 episode) - The Limo (1992) ... (music: "If I Were a Rich Man" - uncredited) 1991 The 45th Annual Tony Awards (TV Special) (music: "If I Were a Rich Man") 1990 Opportunity Knocks (writer: "Tradition" - as Jerry Boch) It's Garry Shandling's Show. (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode, 1987) (music - 1 episode, 1987) 1986 Saturday Night Live (TV Series) (music - 1 episode) - Robin Williams/Paul Simon (1986) ... (music: "Sunrise, Sunset", "Matchmaker", "To Life", "If I Were a Rich Man" - uncredited) 1984 Superstar (TV Series) (music - 1 episode) - Episode dated 28 September 1984 (1984) ... (music: "Si j'etais riche (If I Were a Rich Man)") 1982 Zeg 'ns Aaa (TV Series) (music - 1 episode) - De flat (1982) ... (music: "Als Ik Toch Eens Rijk Was" - uncredited) 1981 Close Harmony (Documentary short) (writer: "To Life") 1979 Best Boy (Documentary) (writer: "If I Were a Rich Man") - Episode #1.5 (1979) ... (music: "Sunrise, sunset") 1978 She Loves Me (TV Movie) (music: "Good Morning, Good Day", "Sounds While Selling/Thank You, Madam", "No More Candy", "Three Letters", "Tonight at Eight", "I Don't Know His Name", "Perspective", "Ilona", "I Resolve", "Will He Like Me?", "Romantic Atmosphere", "Tango Tragique", "Dear Friend", "Try Me", "Where's My Shoe?", "Ice Cream", "She Loves Me", "A Trip to the Library", "Grand Knowing You", "Twelve Days to Christmas", "Ice Cream (Reprise)") 1977 Sinatra and Friends (TV Special) (music: "If I Were a Rich Man" - uncredited) One Day at a Time (TV Series) (lyrics - 1 episode, 1976) (music - 1 episode, 1976) - Happy New Year (1976) ... (lyrics: "Mr. Wonderful") / (music: "Mr. Wonderful") 1974-1975 The Ernie Sigley Show (TV Series) (writer - 3 episodes) - Episode dated 29 May 1975 (1975) ... (writer: "Money medley - 'If I Were a Rich Man' / 'Money (Makes the World Go Round)' / 'You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two'") 1972 The Graham Kennedy Show (TV Series) (writer - 1 episode) - Episode dated 17 October 1972 (1972) ... (writer: "Fiddler on the Roof medley - 'Sunrise, Sunset', 'If I Were a Rich Man', 'Prologue', 'Tradition', 'Finale'") 1971 Fiddler on the Roof (music: "Tradition" (1964), "Prologue" (1964), "Matchmaker" (1964), "If I Were a Rich Man" (1964), "Sabbath Prayer" (1964), "To Life" (1964), "Tradition (reprise)" (1964), "Miracle of Miracles" (1964), "Tevye's Dream (The Tailor, Motel Komzoil)" (1964), "Sunrise, Sunset" (1964), "Wedding Celebration and Bottle Dance" (1964), "Do You Love Me?" (1964), "Far From the Home I Love" (1964), "Little Bird, Little Chavela" (1964), "Chava Ballet" (1964), "Anatevka" (1964) - uncredited) 1970 Liza (TV Movie) (writer: "Tradition") 1969 Salesman (Documentary) (writer: "If I Were a Rich Man" - uncredited) 1969 The Kraft Music Hall (TV Series) (music - 1 episode) - Broadway's Best: 1969 (1969) ... (music: "If I Were A Rich Man")	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_8	Stage 1960s II: Long Running Hits (The images below are thumbnails click on them to see larger versions.) Sunset of a Golden Age Zero Mostel's Tevye tells God what life would be "If I Were a Rich Man" in Fiddler on the Roof. With a brutal winter just ahead, the traditional Broadway musical had a bounteous autumn harvest that stretched from 1964 through 1966. No less than six musicals that opened in this three year period ran for over a thousand performances an unprecedented crop of long-running hits. Boasting solid scripts and superb integrated productions, they were the ultimate fulfillments of the post-Oklahoma tradition 1. Hello Dolly! (1964 - 2, 844 performances) - For details on this show, please see the section discussing Gower Champion on the previous page . 2. Funny Girl (1964 - 1,348 performances) - After torturous previews, multiple directors and extensive rewrites, this fictionalized biography of comedienne Fanny Brice was given some much needed polish by Jerome Robbins . The results made a star of Barbra Streisand , who wisely avoided imitating Brice, building her own fresh characterization and relying on her own distinctive vocal stylings. Composer Jule Styne and lyricist Bob Merrill 's brassy score included the hit songs "People" and "Don't Rain on My Parade." The gifted Streisand went off to Hollywood for the screen version, winning an Academy Award for Best Actress. She never appeared in another stage musical. 3. Fiddler on the Roof (1964 - 3,242 performances) - Composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick teamed with librettist Joseph Stein for this adaptation of Sholom Aleichem's stories about Tevya, a philosophical dairy farmer who tries to uphold Jewish Orthodox traditions against overwhelming odds in Tsarist Russia. Zero Mostel 's powerful but self-indulgent performance in the lead helped establish the show. It then went on to a record-setting run under a long series of fine actors in the role of Tevya. Audiences the world over identified with this unlikely but ultimately irresistible hit. The much loved score includes "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "If I Were a Rich Man," and "Do You Love Me?," and "Sunrise, Sunset." The final and arguably the most memorable Broadway staging by Jerome Robbins , it included jubilant wedding celebrants balancing wine bottles on their hats, and a dancing circle of townspeople that embodied the idea of a community coming together and coming apart. 4. Man of La Mancha (1965 - 2,328 performances) - Librettist Dale Wasserman, composer Mitch Leigh and lyricist Joe Darion built a musical around the story of Spanish novelist Cervantes. He is thrown into prison by the Inquisition and tries to save the manuscript for his masterful Don Quixote from destruction by his fellow prisoners -- by enacting it with their assistance. Richard Kiley scored the greatest triumph of his career in the title role, as did co-star Joan Diener playing the tattered kitchen girl Aldonza. Despite mixed reviews, the show enjoyed long runs everywhere from London to Tokyo, and "Impossible Dream (The Quest)" became an international standard. Director Albert Marre's unpretentious staging was so effective that it was copied by most major professional productions of La Mancha for more than thirty years. 5. Mame (1966 - 1,508 performances) - Jerry Herman followed up his smash Hello Dolly by teaming with playwrights Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee for an adaptation of their long-running comedy Auntie Mame. Angela Lansbury wowed audiences in the title role, winning her first Tony for Best Actress playing the eccentric heiress who liberates her orphaned nephew from a stodgy upbringing. Beatrice Arthur 's hilarious performance as the bitchy actress Vera Charles brought her a Tony for Best Featured Actress. Herman's score included the show-stopping title tune, the moving "If He Walked Into My Life," and the hilarious Lansbury-Arthur duet "Bosom Buddies." Mame proved a worldwide favorite, enjoying successful productions into the next century. 6. Cabaret (1966 - 1,165 performances) - Composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb worked with librettist Joe Masteroff on this searing adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's play I Am a Camera. As a young American writer falls in love with a cabaret singer, we meet seedy chorus girls, Nazi storm troopers, and other denizens of the demi-monde in early 1930s Berlin. Joel Grey gave an electrifying performance as the leering Master of Ceremonies, a role he repeated in the acclaimed 1972 film version becoming one of the very few actors to win the Tony and Academy Awards for the same role. The score included "Wilkommen" and the hit title song. Three decades later, an innovative Broadway revival would rack up an even longer run (1998 - 2,398 performances). With characters and stories that speak to the heart of human experience offering different perspectives on the search for love and triumph of the human spirit in a harsh world it is no wonder that these six shows remain among the most frequently performed musicals. But the late 1960s marked a time of cultural upheaval. Young Americans were rocking to a different beat, and the Broadway musical was about to be dragged into a new, uncertain era. The changes would prove painful for many - including those behind the scenes, as well as those in the audience.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_9	Fiddler On The Roof London theatre stage show This show has now closed, click here for a listing of current and future London shows Previewed 19 May 2007, Opened 29 May 2007, Closed 16 February 2008 at the Savoy Theatre in London A major revival of the classic musical Fiddler On The Roof in London starring Olivier Award winner Henry Goodman and directed by Lindsay Posne. Tevye, the dairyman is an old-fashioned father who, like the other fathers in the small village of Anatevka, has raised his children to uphold the age-old Jewish customs of his ancestors. Now the time has come to find husbands for his beloved daughters and as tradition dictates, suitable matches must be made. But this is Tsarist Russia, 1905 and as the nation teeters on the brink of great upheaval, Tevye is soon to find the young are guided by their hearts not their elders. Fiddler On The Roof features some of the most memorable songs in musical history, including Tradition, Matchmaker and the unforgettable If I Were A Rich Man. This new production of Fiddler On The Roof, one of the best-loved stage and screen musicals, comes to London for a limited saeson following a sell-out two month season last Christmas at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. Reprising his role from the Sheffield Theatre season is Henry Goodman as 'Teyve' (up to 16 February 2008, Henry Goodman will also not be performing on Friday 28 December 2007 at 3.00pm and Friday 4 January 2008 at 3.00pm) Cast subject to change. Directed by Lindsay Posner with choreography by Jerome Robbins, recreated by Sammy Dallas Bates, with additional choreography by Kate Flatt, designs by Peter McKintosh and lighting by Peter Mumford. An all-time music classic, Fiddler On The Roof has captivated audiences around the globe since its original Broadway opening in September 1964. Winner of 9 Tony Awards, the spectacular stage show broke the Broadway 'long-run record by playing for 3,242 performances. The London production opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in February 1967 and played for just over 2,000 performances. Fiddler On The Roof has been revived in London a couple of times for short seasons - in 1983 at The Apollo Victoria Theatre and in 1994 at The London Palladium. Proving it's timeless popularity, the show was revived on Broadway for its fifth time in February 2004 when it played for 781 performances. The musical was made into an Oscar winning film in 1971, starring Topol as 'Teyve'. "When a trio of New York writers first proposed a musical about a Russian Jewish father marrying off his daughters against a background of Tsarist repression, the big noises of Broadway didn't want to know. Too ethnic, they complained meaning only Jews would come. Since then, Fiddler On The Roof has been produced in 75 countries and 50 languages. Lindsay Posner's thrilling, gut-wrenching revival will leave audiences in no doubt why. With Jerry Bock's staggeringly beautiful score based on traditional Jewish folk tunes, Sheldon Harnick's light-footed lyrics and a script by Joseph Stein, which takes us from wry Jewish comedy to the heartache of expulsion from the land, this is as good as musical theatre gets." The Daily Express "There may be no bright colours in Lindsay Posner's new production of Fiddler on the Roof with its evocative, rackety set of planks and gantries, but the charaters are bursting with life... Henry Goodman gives 'Teyve' all the glorious eccentricities the lines demand. This is a comic tour de force. Yet there is more than comedy in Goodman's performance. He never lets the audience lose sight of the fact that Tevye is a poor man struggling through difficult conditions - balancing between laughter and tears, never failing into caricature or wallowing in tragedy." The Sunday Telegraph "Lindsay Posner's triumphant Sheffield Crucible production of Fiddler On The Roof has been squished into the Savoy Theatre and has, paradoxically, expanded into a more intensely emotional show. A story of a father and his daughters, of matchmaking in a female-dominated household, it struck me that this is Pride And Prejudice set in a Jewish shtetl. A brilliant, beady-eyed Henry Goodman lives the part of Tevye, who keeps up a running commentary with God, whom he blames for everything - and who appears to be sitting in the upper circle. 'I know we are the chosen people,' he says, 'but once in a while, can't you choose someone else?' A great revival of one of the greatest musicals." The Mail on Sunday Fiddler On The Roof in London at the Savoy Theatre previewed from 19 May 2007, opened on 29 May 2007 and closed on 16 February 2008. © thisistheatre.com 2004 - 2016. All rights reserved. \| E&EO \| Privacy Policy \| Updated 29 April 2015	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_18	Kurt Cobain - Wikiquote Kurt Cobain Jump to: navigation , search All in all is all we are. Kurt Donald Cobain ( 20 February 1967 – ca. 5 April 1994 ) was the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist of the American grunge band, Nirvana . He is survived by his wife Courtney Love and his daughter Frances Bean Cobain . Contents In Aberdeen , I hated my best friends with a passion, because they were idiots. As quoted in The Daily Of The University Of Washington (1989-05-05). I'd like to live off the band, but if not, I'll just retire to Mexico or Yugoslavia with a few hundred dollars, grow potatoes, and learn the history of rock through back issues of Creem magazine. As quoted in The Daily Of The University Of Washington (1989-05-05). It's really not hard to keep your dignity and sign to a major label ...Most people don't have any dignity in the first place. As quoted in Sounds (1990-10). Rap music is the only vital form of music introduced since punk rock . As quoted in M.E.A.T (1991-09). I knew I was different. I thought that I might be gay or something because I couldn't identify with any of the guys at all. None of them liked art or music, they just wanted to fight and get laid. It was many years ago but it gave me this real hatred for the average American macho male. As quoted in Melody Maker (1991-09-14). Rape is one of the most terrible crimes on earth. And it happens every few minutes. As quoted in New Musical Express (1991-11-23). Hope I die before I turn into Pete Townshend . As quoted in BAM (1992-01-10). I would like to get rid of the homophobes , sexists , and racists in our audience. I know they're out there and it really bothers me. As quoted in SPIN (1992-01). We sound like the Bay City Rollers after an assault by Black Sabbath . And, we vomit onstage better than anyone. As quoted in Guitar World (1992-01). If I went to jail, at least I wouldn't have to sign autographs . As quoted in Details (1992-02). I just can’t believe anyone would start a band just to make the scene and be cool and have chicks. I just can’t believe it. As quoted in Option (1992-01-02). I can’t comment on Soundgarden because I know them personally and I really like them a lot, but I have strong feelings towards Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains and bands like that. They’re obviously just corporate puppets that are just trying to jump on the alternative bandwagon - and we are being lumped into that category. As quoted in Flipside (1992-03). Zits are beauty marks. As quoted in Sassy (1992-04). All drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and everything that goes along with your self-esteem. They’re no good at all. But I’m not going to go around preaching against [them]. As quoted in Rolling Stone (1992-04-16). I wouldn’t wear a tie-dyed tee-shirt unless it was dyed with the urine of Phil Collins and the blood of Jerry Garcia . As quoted in Melody Maker (1992-07-18). Yeah, I was run out of town. They chased me up to the castle of Aberdeen with torches. Just like the Frankenstein monster. And I got away in a hot air balloon. And I came here to Seattle . As quoted in Monk Magazine (1992-10). If you're really a mean person you're going to come back as a fly and eat poop. As quoted in Monk Magazine (1992-10). Jocks have completely taken over music... And just to get back at them, I’m going to start playing basketball . As quoted in Musician (1993-10). I wouldn't have been surprised if they had voted me Most Likely To Kill Everyone At A High School Dance. As quoted in Howl (1993-07-22). The thrill and embarrassment of becoming international pop stars was too much, so we opened our mouths and put our foot in sometimes. As quoted in Details (1993-11). I'm a much happier guy than a lot of people think I am. As quoted in Rolling Stone (1993-01-27). I can't play [guitar] like Pete Townshend . The flip side of that is that Pete Townshend could probably never have played like me. As quoted in Fender Frontline Magazine (Fall 1994). If it was up to me, I'd get more oil tanker drivers drunk. I don’t value music much. I like the Beatles , but I hate Paul McCartney . I like Led Zeppelin, but I hate Robert Plant . I like the Who, but I hate Roger Daltrey . As quoted in The NIRVANA Reader: 1988 – 1992 (Published December 2008). Video[ edit ] They're claiming that [the grunge bands ] finally put Seattle on the map, but, like, what map? ...I mean, we had Jimi Hendrix . Heck, what more do we want? From an interview with Marc Coiteux on Musique Plus, 1991-09-21, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They ( Extreme ) surround themselves with these professional, dickhead, commercial rock and roll guys...when they show up at an airport, their manager runs ahead of them and yells at the people greeting them, 'No video! We want a path straight to the van! We don't want any pictures taken!' Y'know, I'm like, "So what?" Date unknown, but believed to be 1992-06-30 in Sweden [1] . Same thing happened in the punk movement in the late 70's...a punk band would start, play one gig, and get signed to a major label right away, 'cause it [was] a trend. That just shows there are a lot of old school dinosaurs in the record industry who need to be weeded out. Date unknown, but believed to be 1992-06-30 in Sweden [2] . Music comes first; lyrics are secondary. Most of my lyrics are contradictions. I'll write a few sincere lines, and then I'll have to make fun of [them]. I don't like to make it too obvious, because if it is too obvious, it gets really stale. You shouldn't be in people's faces 100% all the time. We don't mean to be really cryptic or mysterious, but I just think that lyrics that are different and weird and spacey paint a nice picture. It's just the way I like art. Date unknown, but appears on Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! . I would like to think there's some purity in us, yeah. Naive - y'know, purposely naive. From an interview on MTV with Zeca Camargo, 1993-01-21, Rio de Janeiro , Brazil Incesticide liner notes (1992)[ edit ] Punk Rock (while still sacred to some) is, to me, dead and gone. We just wanted to pay tribute to something that helped us to feel as though we had crawled out of the dung heap of conformity. I'll be the first to admit that we're the 90's version of Cheap Trick or the Knack but the last to admit that it hasn't been rewarding. At this point I have a request for our fans. If any of you in any way hate homosexuals, people of different color, or women, please do this one favor for us - leave us the fuck alone! Don't come to our shows and don't buy our records. Last year, a girl was raped by two wastes of sperm and eggs while they sang the lyrics to our song "Polly" . I have a hard time carrying on knowing there are plankton like that in our audience. To be positive at all times is to ignore all that is important, sacred or valuable. To be negative at all times is to be threatened by ridiculousness and instant discredibility. [p. 18] I use bits and pieces of others [sic] personalities to form my own. [p. 95] John Lennon has been my idol all my life but he's dead wrong about revolution... find a representative of gluttony or oppression and blow the motherfuckers [sic] head off. [p. 130] Why in the hell do journalists insist on coming up with a second rate Freudian evaluation on my lyrics when 90% of the time they've transcribed the lyrics incorrectly? [p. 190] I mean it seems like there are only two options for songwriters [sic] personalities either theyre [sic] sad, tragic visionaries like morrissey or michael stipe or robert smith or theres [sic] the goofy, nutty white boy, Hey lets party and forget everything people like Van Halen or all that other Heavy metal crap. [p. 44] Birds...scream at the top of their lungs in horrified hellish rage every morning at daybreak to warn us all of the truth. They know the truth. Screaming bloody murder all over the world in our ears, but sadly we don't speak bird. [p. 224] When I hear the term Right wing I think of Hitler and Satan and Civil war. [p. 259] I would only wear a tie dyed T Shirt if it were dyed with the urine of Phil Collins and the blood of Jerry Garcia . [p. 269] I am not well read, but when I do read, I read well. [p. 124] I need an easy friend I do, with an ear to lend. The lady whom I feel maternal love for Cannot look me in the eyes But I see hers and they are blue And they cock and twist and masturbate. She loves him more than he will ever know He loves her more than he will ever show For putting me on this Earth I feel very privileged With the lights out, it's less dangerous Here we are now, entertain us I feel stupid, and contagious Here we are now, entertain us. Load up on guns, and bring your friends. A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido. I found it hard, It was hard to find Oh well, whatever, never mind. Who likes all our pretty songs And he likes to sing along And he likes to shoot his gun But he knows not what it means. Come as you are, as you were As I want you to be As a trend, as a friend, as a known enemy Take your time, hurry up The choice is yours, don't be late. 'Cause today I found my friends They're in my head. I'm so ugly, that's okay 'Cause so are you, Think I should get off her first Think she wants some water To put out the blow torch. One baby to another says I'm lucky to have met you I love myself better than you I know it's wrong, but what should I do? It's OK to eat fish 'Cos they don't have any feelings Teenage angst has paid off well Now I'm bored and old. Do it and do it again Waste me Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld So I can sigh eternally. And the flowers sing in D minor And the birds fly happily. And if you save yourself You will make him happy. Things have never been so swell I have never failed to fail. Neither side is sacred; no one wants to win Feeling so sedated; think I'll just give in. If I may, and if I might Lay me down, weeping. Note: All stage banter sourced from The Live Nirvana Tour History . We're Nirvana and we really don't particularly like heavy metal . 1990-08-17 at the Palladium , Hollywood, California Hello, we're major label corporate rock sell outs. 1991-08-27 at Bremen, Germany Hi, my name is Kurt Cobain, I'm homosexual, I'm a pagan , I'm a drug abuser, and I like to fuck pot-bellied pigs ! 1991-12-02 at Newcastle, UK We're waiting for the dinosaurs to die out. They will die. And then we'll move into their homes. 1992-02-14 at Kokusai Koryu Centre, Osaka, Japan I've been waiting for that! (After an audience member requests "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd .) I don't think MTV would let us play that. (After an audience member requests "Rape Me." ) 1993-11-18 at Sony Music Studios, New York City, New York (MTV Unplugged). What are they tuning, a harp ? I thought we were a big rich rock band. We should have a whole bunch of extra guitars. 1993-11-18 at Sony Music Studios, New York City, New York (MTV Unplugged). What's the matter with all you people at the back, did you come here to see Gloria Estefan ? 1993-12-31 at Oakland Coliseum Arena , Oakland, California , in between "About a Girl" and "Lithium". I spent all of my life trying to stay away from sports and here I am in a sporting arena. Misattributed[ edit ] It's better to burn out than to fade away. Quoted by Cobain in his suicide note, this is from the song Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) by Neil Young , from his album Rust Never Sleeps (1979) Quotes about Cobain[ edit ] Genius is a weird and inappropriate word, and hard work is underrated, but Kurt Cobain had a distinct and personal take on the world, and generally, when someone strikes a chord with his audience, that’s what people respond to...I have to admit that I wasn’t particularly a fan of Nirvana when I was asked to work on In Utero , but during the course of making the record I came to appreciate that they were genuine about their band and their music, that Kurt was capable of sophisticated thinking, and that they and their music were unique. Lou Barlow , quoted by Marc Hawthorne in "Interview: Dinosaur Jr." , The A.V. Club (2005-07-20). He had a touch most guitarists would kill for. Chuck Berry , according to Kurt Cobain by Christopher Sandford , Orion Press, 1995. People were trying to call me to do interviews on the anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. They want me to say some poignant shit about some poor guy who blew his head off. It's just like, "Give me a fuckin' break, man"...Just say the guy made some good records, and let's get on with it. Frank Black , quoted by Scott Gordon in "Interview: Frank Black" , The A.V. Club (2006-10-19). I remember watching Kurt come through and thinking, "God, this music is nuclear," This is really splitting the atom. They raised the temperature for everybody. Manufactured pop never looked so cold as when that heat was around. Nirvana made everything else look silly. Bono , quoted in Lorraine Ali, "Cries From The Heart," Newsweek (2002-10-28). I was simply blown away when I found out that Kurt Cobain liked my work, and I always wanted to talk to him about his reasons for covering "Man Who Sold The World." It was a good straightforward rendition and sounded somehow very honest. It would have been nice to have worked with him, but just talking would have been real cool. David Bowie , quoted in "A Fan's Notes," SPIN (1995-04). Cobain was very shy, very polite, and obviously enjoyed the fact that I wasn’t awestruck at meeting him. There was something about him, fragile and engagingly lost. William S. Burroughs , according to Nirvana: The Day-By-Day Chronicle by Carrie Borzillo . Kurt's got a literary bent, and jokes that he likes "anything that starts with a B. I think I like Burroughs best, and I'm into Bukowski and Beckett ." Katherine Turman, 'Smells Like...NIRVANA', in: RIP Magazine February 1992. I'm sorry I couldn't have spoken to the young man. I see a lot of people at the Zen Center, who have gone through drugs and found a way out that is not just Sunday school. There are always alternatives, and I might have been able to lay something on him. Or maybe not. Leonard Cohen , quoted by Peter Howell, Addicted To Noise (1995-08-06). That kid has heart. Bob Dylan , after hearing the Nirvana song "Polly" , according to Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R. Cross , Hyperion, 2001. A couple weeks ago, one of my students gave me a mixed tape of Kurt Cobain and there was a version of "Black Girl" of great artistry. Great vocal control and subtlety, it's almost as good as Leadbelly's . Allen Ginsberg , quoted by George Petros in "ALLEN GINSBERG. GROOVIN' GURU. Beat laureate ALLEN GINSBERG goes bananas," Seconds, Issue 28 (1994). He's the most talented person I ever worked with because he was talented in so many different ways. He's a guitar player and a lead singer and he wrote all the songs. He did everything for Nirvana that it took Jimmy Page and Robert Plant to do for Led Zeppelin . Kurt also designed the album covers and wrote treatments for the videos. He even designed the t-shirts. He was really a comprehensive genius when it came to the art of rock and roll. Danny Goldberg , quoted by Stephen Elliott in "The Shorty Q&A with Kurt Cobain's Former Manager Danny Goldberg" , The Rumpus, (2009-01-30). I suddenly realized Michael [Pitt] was much taller than Kurt, and much more buff, actually. Kurt was a wee little man, with these big piercing blue eyes and this tremendous smile — and that's one thing that nobody can replicate. Kim Gordon , quoted by Rodrigo Perez and Courtney Reimer in "Sonic Youth Revisit Their Friend Kurt Cobain In 'Last Days'" , MTV.com (2005-07-22). I still dream about Kurt. Every time I see him in a dream, I’ll be amazed and I get this feeling that everyone else thinks he’s dead. It always feels totally real, probably because I’m a very vivid dreamer. But, in my dreams, Kurt’s usually been hiding - we’ll get together and I’ll end up asking him, "God, where have you been" Dave Grohl , quoted in "I still dream about Kurt" NME (2007-10-31). I met him a few times. As a writer I had enormous respect for him. He was an incredible writer and an incredible singer. And when I met him I found him to be a very special person. He was one of those special people. There was a light inside him that you could see. He had a charisma that went beyond his physical presence. PJ Harvey , quoted by Barney Hoskyns in "AUDIO: AUDIO: PJ Harvey (2004)" , Rock's Backpages Audio (2004-04-14). Kurt really reminded me a lot of John [Lennon] in his writing, singing, and guitar playing. More attitude than technique, but he had incredibly strong rhythm and a great solo sense. Jim Keltner , according to Classic Rock Albums: Nevermind by Jim Berkenstadt and Charles Cross, Schirmer, 1998. Rage and aggression were elements for Kurt to play with as an artist, but he was profoundly gentle and intelligent. Thurston Moore , quoted in "When The Edge Moved To The Middle," The New York Times (2004-04-08). I went to see Nirvana at a small club called the Pyramid on Avenue A in New York City . It was hard to hear the guitar, but the guy playing and singing had a vibe; he hopped around like a muppet or an elf or something, hunched over his guitar, hop hop hop, hippety hippety hop. I loved that. When he sang, he put his voice in this really grating place, and it was kind of devilish sounding. At the end of the set he attacked the drum kit and threw the cymbals, other bits and finally himself into the audience. Later I saw the same guy passing the bar. He was little, with stringy blond hair and a Stooges T-shirt. I felt proud. Iggy Pop , quoted in "A Fan's Notes," SPIN (1995-04). [Cobain] was a revealing symbol. He called himself passive-aggressive. There was self-pity, whining. There was a diminishment, a diminution. He was sitting there in his sweater, hunched over his guitar, looking like a little lost boy. Compare that with the great figures of my generation: Jimi Hendrix. Pete Townshend. Keith Richards. Camille Paglia , Playboy interview, March 1995 Kurt Cobain represents a very legit, realistic outlook. Before that, in my head, to be a white artist was to be privileged. You celebrated the glamor and you got respect. But here's someone that was really taking a hip-hop stance on all of that. Who doesn't play their hit single in concert? Are you crazy? He took that nihilistic Sonic Youth approach, that tortured-everyday-guy thing, to the hilt ?uestlove , quoted by Ryan Dombal in "?uestlove: 15 Years" , Pitchfork (2011-08-19). Cobain changed the course of where the music went. There are certain people where you can see the axis of musical history twisting on them: Hendrix was pivotal, Prince was pivotal, Cobain was pivotal. Vernon Reid , quoted in The "Immortals - The Greatest Artists Of All Time" , Rolling Stone (2004-04-15). In Kurt’s voice I could hear his love of bluegrass music , of Bill Monroe and Leadbelly . It’s in the twang of his voice. Patti Smith , quoted by Jim Farber in "Patti Smith still doesn’t change horses midstream," Pop Matters (2007-10-13). Yeah, he talked a lot about what direction he was heading in. I mean, I know what the next Nirvana recording was going to sound like. It was going to be very quiet and acoustic, with lots of stringed instruments. It was going to be an amazing fucking record, and I’m a little bit angry at him for killing himself. He and I were going to record a trial run of the album, a demo tape. It was all set up. He had a plane ticket. He had a car picking him up. And at the last minute he called and said, "I can't come." Michael Stipe , quoted by Jeff Giles in "Everybody Hurts Sometimes," Newsweek (1994-09-26). I was in Pioneer Square - I went to see some band, I don't know if it was the the Melvins . Kurt was there - I think Kurt was by himself and I was by myself. I went over to tell him how much I loved Bleach . He was very quiet and subdued. He said, "Thanks - that means a lot coming from you. Consider yourself our biggest influence." Kim Thayil , quoted by Greg Prato in Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music, ECW Press, 2009. And like I said I love Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, the lyrics are so deep--stuff like "The animals I've trapped have now become my pets". Tricky , quoted by David Trueman in "Tricky Business - An interview with Tricky" on Amazon.co.uk. He's your archetypal small guy - wiry, defiantly working class and fiery. Everett True , in "Everett True Thrashes It Out With The Latest Wizards From Seattle's Sub Pop Label Who Arrive In Britain Next Week," Melody Maker (1989-10-21). Kurt's wounds were so deep that when the music floated to the surface after being filtered through his soul, it was incorporeal. Steven Tyler , quoted in "A Fan's Notes," SPIN (1995-04). ...With Kurt Cobain you felt you were connecting to the real person, not to a perception of who he was - you were not connecting to an image or a manufactured cut-out. Lars Ulrich , quoted in "Lars Ulrich: Kurt Cobain Didn't Want to Share the Stage with Guns N' Roses," Blabbermouth.net (2004-04-01). You know, I always thought I'd go first. I don't know why I thought that, it just seemed like I would. I mean, I didn't know him on a daily basis - far from it. But, in a way, I don't even feel right being here without him. It's so difficult to really believe he's gone. I still talk about him like he's still here, you know. I can't figure it out. It doesn't make any sense. Eddie Vedder , quoted in "I'm Not Your Fuckin' Messiah" , Melody Maker Magazine (1994-05-21). He really, really inspired me. He was so great. Wonderful. One of the best, but more than that. Kurt was one of the absolute best of all time for me. A Baltimore Love Thing by 50 Cent . Everything I love the most get taken away. My momma and music is next. And if that happens before I turn 28. Then I'm going out with Kurt Cobain. I think I'm Jimi Hendrix , I think I'm Kurt Cobain I think I'm John Lennon , gone insane Someone take this gun, before I blow out my brains (BANG). Gone Insane by Ab-Soul. And KDC you were much too young And you changed my life But I draw the line at suicide. Here's to Life! Here's to Life by Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution . Bloody ink on my pen spelled suicide Kurt Cobain even died cause you scrutinize A transvestite in trouble, gee We can make a double CD People want to see blood, To see 'em messed up like a Kurt Cobain. I'll spend my days with J.F.K. , Marvin Gaye , Martha Raye , and Lawrence Welk , And Kurt Cobain, Kojak, Mark Twain and Jimi Hendrix's poltergeist. Fire Water Burn by The Bloodhound Gang . And going for the clincher, a girl cries out in vain How Jesus lived 6 years longer than Kurt Cobain And Jesus' hair was longer, and Jesus' arms were stonger And Jesus's eyes were bluer, and Jesus' thoughts were truer. Jesus Lived 6 Years Longer Than Kurt Cobain by Bollock Brothers . Thanks to Elvis and Kurt Cobain The world will never be the same. One Day At A Time by Deana Carter . Just because they knew your name Doesn't mean they know from where you came What a sad trick you thought that you had to play. It's a shame about your future It's a crime about your past. The Fall (Kurt's Blues) by Cher . Blown away by fame We could all feel the shotgun hit the floor. The Day Seattle Died by Cold . What of Kurt Cobain, will his presence still remain? I'm Still Remembering by The Cranberries . Where did you sleep last night With the angels locked up tight Love was his only light Did she have another one? My sister, she says she knows Elvis Presley She knows Jesus, John Lennon, and Kurt Cobain personally. Maybe Angels by Sheryl Crow . Kurt Cobain was so young Sad to see this poet's gone. Sacred Life by The Cult . A whole generation of kids blowin' out their fuckin' brains to this Kurt Cobain music. Devils's Night by D12 . See niggas, they want my name next to Kurt Cobain But I don’t sniff cocaine, I sniff propane. I’ma Smack This Muthafucka by DJ Kay Slay featuring Noreaga . A daily dose of eMpTyV Will flush your mind right down the drain Shannon Hoon and Kurt Cobain, Make yourself a household name. Just Let Me Breathe by Dream Theater . My favorite color is red, like the blood shed from Kurt Cobain's head, when he shot himself dead. Cum On Everybody by Eminem . Get your brains bashed in so bad You gone have Kurt Cobain asking To autograph a bloodstained napkin. Nigga that's no lie, no joke, no game, no fabrication Last name must be Cobain. Suicide 2 by Fabolous featuring Paul Cain & Freck Billionaire. And I want it so bad I'd shoot the sunshine into my veins. I can't remember the good old days. He lies in an empty room With his hair burnt to the back It sure sounds funny Mighty K.C. by For Squirrels . Or take me away like a bullet from Kurt Cobain. My Life by Game . I hang with John and Kurt and Jimi too With Sandy, Jannie , Albert, Charlie, the whole departed crew. Kurt Cobain's rich as fuck He's buried in the ground. Self Suicide by Goldie Lookin' Chain . Y hoy me encuentro tan solo y triste Cual hoja al viento Como Kurt Cobain, de sentimiento. (And today I am so alone and sad Like a leaf in the wind I wish to cry, I wish to die Like Kurt Cobain, of feeling.) Decadencia (en vivo) by Héroes del Silencio . I'll finish with a bang like Kurt Cobain's biography. Hard Road by Hilltop Hoods . Now I'ma pull a fuckin' Jeffrey Dahmer Now he's suicidal, just like Nirvana. They all stand straight and swing to the side No heads, but they feet still glide Take a step back, twist and dive I even seen Kurt Cobain get live. Headless Boogie by Insane Clown Posse The whole world was crying when Kurt's gun went bang When Eazy-E died though, it wasn't no thang Rapper dies of A.I.D.S. but you hardly mention Rocker blows his face off and becomes a legend. Get that type of media coverage Obama get, spit that Kurt Vonnegut That blow your brain Kurt Cobain, that Nirvana shit Trained, raw, like Big Daddy Kane Plus I’m born on the same day as Kurt Cobain What's coursing through my veins? Horrible, hurts the brain Listen to Jimi Hendrix, worshiping Kurt Cobain Time to Die by King Gordy Frightening, so fucking frightening Enough to drive a man insane, a woman insane The reason Lauryn Hill don't sing, or Kurt Cobain Loaded that clip and then said bang, the drama it bring is crazy Low budget hoes trynna knock ya game, like Did Courtney Love kill Kurt Cobain, from close range Turn his brain to shrimp lo mein? Sign of the Power by Outsidaz . Maybe I'm crazy, addicted to pain Maybe the cocaine destroyed my brain Private conversations with Kurt Cobain I'm drownin' my fears in the acid rain. Acid Rain (In Loving Memory of Kurt Cobain) by Pastor Troy . And so I parallel the brains of Cobain. Are You Gonna Go Our Way by Public Enemy . He gathered up his loved ones And he brought them all around To say, "Goodbye, nice try." Let Me In by R.E.M. Cobain, can you hear the spheres Singing songs off station to station? When highs are the lows And lows are the way. Maybe if I put a bullet in my brain They'd remember me like Kurt Cobain And the parasites on MTV Would wipe their eyes and act like they knew me . The Aging Musician by The Residents . Yeah the whole Byrd gang's in here, like Kurt Cobain was here. Santana's Town (Dipset) by Juelz Santana . Sometimes I wonder what goes on inside her mind When she said she thought Dave Grohl had died, and Kurt Cobain was still alive. Murdered In The Mosh by Son of Dork . Hard luck god, he never had a chance, you know. Incurable romantics never do. There was this boy who played in a rock n' roll band And he wasn't half bad at saving the world She said he could do no right, so he took his life The story is true. Too Cool Queenie by Stone Temple Pilots . Toward another, he has gone To breathe an air beyond his own. About a Boy by Patti Smith . Disturbed by the fame I Try by Talib Kweli . Kurt Cobain reincarnated Don't Wake Daddy by The Tragically Hip . See the whites of their eyes, white skin, white lies House of Pain white, Everlast , Kurt Cobain white Black and White by R.A. the Rugged Man . So I watched pay per view and polished my shoes and my gun Was diggin' on Kurt Cobain sing about lithium. Me and My Monkey by Robbie Williams . He rocked the United States by flying all over the country and playing that rock and roll He is a good singer He is my rock star. Kurt Cobain by Wesley Willis . Xzibit easily dispersed like crack cocaine See I lent my shotgun to Kurt Cobain And the motherfucker never brought it back (Ah, that's wack) Enemies & Friends by Xzibit .	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_34	Michael Jackson \| Rolling Stone artists > M > Michael Jackson > Bio Michael Jackson Bio No single artist – indeed, no movement or force – has eclipsed what Michael Jackson accomplished in the first years of his adult solo career. Jackson changed the balance in the pop world in a way that nobody has since. He forced rock & roll and the mainstream press to acknowledge that the biggest pop star in the world could be young and black, and in doing so he broke down more barriers than anybody. But he is also among the best proofs in living memory of poet William Carlos Williams' famous verse: "The pure products of America/go crazy." When Jackson died on June 25th, 2009, of apparent cardiac arrest in Los Angeles at age 50, the outpouring of first shock, then grief, was the largest, most instantaneous of its kind the world had ever known, short of the events of September 11th, 2001. What immediately became obvious in all the coverage is that despite the dishonor that had come upon him, the world still respected Michael Jackson for his music – for the singles he made as a Motown prodigy, for the visionary disco he made as a young adult, for Thriller, a stunningly vibrant album that blew up around the world on a scale we'll never see again, for his less impactful but still one-of-kind later work, even for his cheesy ballads. In 2009 Jackson was the biggest-selling artist in the world. Michael's father, Joe Jackson, was a crane operator during the 1950s, in Gary, Indiana – a place in which, according to Dave Marsh's Trapped: Michael Jackson and the Crossover Dream, quotas were imposed on how many black workers were allowed to advance into skilled trades in the city's mills. Michael's mother, Katherine Scruse, was from Alabama but was living in East Chicago, Indiana, when she met Joe. She had grown up hearing country & western music, and although she entertained her own dreams of singing and playing music, a bout of polio had left her with a permanent limp. Joe and Katherine were a young couple, married in 1949, and began a large family immediately. Their first child, Maureen (Rebbie), was born in 1950, followed by Sigmund (Jackie) in 1951, Toriano (Tito) in 1953, Jermaine in 1954, La Toya in 1956 and Marlon in 1957. Michael was born on August 29th, 1958, and Randy was born in 1961. Janet, the last born, wouldn't arrive until 1966. Michael and his siblings heard music all the time. Joe had a strong inclination toward the rowdy electric urban blues that had developed in nearby Chicago, and also for early rock & roll. Along with his brothers, Joe formed a band, the Falcons, and made some modest extra income from playing bars and college dances around Gary. When the Falcons folded, Joe retired his guitar to a bedroom closet, and he guarded it jealously, just as he did everything in his domain. Katherine, though, sometimes led her children in country-music singalongs, during which she taught them to harmonize. Soon he was working all his sons into an ensemble. Though Joe was at heart a blues man, he appreciated that contemporary R&B – Motown and soul – was the music that attracted his sons. Joe groomed Jermaine to be lead singer, but one day, Katherine saw Michael, just four at the time, singing along to a James Brown song, and Michael – in both his voice and moves – was already eclipsing his older brother. She told Joe, "I think we have another lead singer." Katherine would later say that sometimes Michael's precocious abilities frightened her – she probably saw that his childhood might give way to stardom – but she also recognized that there was something undeniable about his young voice, that it could communicate longings and experiences that no child could yet know. Michael was also a natural center of attention. He loved singing and dancing, and because he was so young – such an unexpected vehicle for a rousing, dead-on soulful expression – he became an obvious point of attention when he and his brothers performed. Little Michael Jackson was cute, but little Michael Jackson was also dynamite. By Joe's own admission he was unrelenting. "When I found out that my kids were interested in becoming entertainers, I really went to work with them," he told Time in 1984. "I rehearsed them about three years before I turned them loose. I saw that after they became better, they enjoyed it more." That isn't always how Michael remembered it. "We'd perform for him, and he'd critique us," he wrote in Moonwalk. "If you messed up, you got hit, sometimes with a belt, sometimes with a switch…I'd get beaten for things that happened mostly outside rehearsal. Those moments – and probably many more – created a loss that Jackson never got over. Again, from Moonwalk: "One of the few things I regret most is never being able to have a real closeness with him. He built a shell around himself over the years, and once he stopped talking about our family business, he found it hard to relate to us. We'd all be together, and he'd just leave the room." Around 1964, Joe began entering the Jackson brothers in talent contests, many of which they handily won. A single they cut for the local Steeltown recording label, "Big Boy," achieved local success. "At first I told myself they were just kids," Joe said in 1971. "I soon realized they were very professional. There was nothing to wait for. The boys were ready for stage training, and I ran out of reasons to keep them from the school of hard knocks." In 1966, he booked his sons into Gary's black nightclubs, as well as some in Chicago. Many of the clubs served alcohol, and several featured strippers. "This is quite a life for a nine-year-old," Katherine would remind her husband, but Joe was undaunted. "I used to stand in the wings of this one place in Chicago and watch a lady whose name was Mary Rose," Michael recalled. "This girl would take off her clothes and her panties and throw them to the audience. The men would pick them up and sniff them and yell. My brothers and I would be watching all this, taking it in, and my father wouldn't mind." Sam Moore, of Sam and Dave, recalled Joe locking Michael – who was maybe 10 years old – in a dressing room while Joe went off on his own adventures. Michael sat alone for hours. He also later recalled having to go onstage even if he'd been sick in bed that day. Michael and his brothers began to tour on what was still referred to as the "chitlin circuit" – a network of black venues throughout the U.S. (Joe made sure his sons kept their school studies up to date and maintained their grades at an acceptable level.) In these theaters and clubs, the Jacksons opened for numerous R&B artists, including the Temptations, Sam and Dave, Jackie Wilson, Jerry Butler, the O'Jays and Etta James, though no one was as important to Michael as James Brown. "I knew every step, every grunt, every spin and turn," he recalled. "He would give a performance that would exhaust you, just wear you out emotionally. His whole physical presence, the fire coming out of his pores, would be phenomenal. You'd feel every bead of sweat on his face, and you'd know what he was going through…You couldn't teach a person what I've learned just standing and watching." The most famous site on these tours was the Apollo in New York, where the Jackson 5 won an Amateur Night show in 1967. Joe had invested everything he had in his sons' success, though of course any real recognition or profit would be his success as well. While on the circuit, Joe had come to know Gladys Knight, who was enjoying a string of small successes with Motown, America's pre-eminent black pop label. With the encouragement of both Knight and Motown R&B star Bobby Taylor, Joe took his sons to Detroit to audition for the label. In 1969, Motown moved the Jackson family to Los Angeles, set them up at the homes of Diana Ross and the label's owner, Berry Gordy, and began grooming them. Michael remembered Gordy telling them, "I'm gonna make you the biggest thing in the world…Your first record will be a number one, your second record will be a number one, and so will your third record. Three number-one records in a row." In 1959, Gordy founded Tamla Records – which soon became known as Motown – in Detroit. By the time he signed the Jackson 5, Motown had long enjoyed its status as the most important black-owned and -operated record label in America, spawning the successes of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Temptations, Mary Wells, the Four Tops, and Diana Ross and the Supremes, among others. In contrast to Stax and Atlantic, Motown's soul wasn't especially bluesy or gritty, nor was it a music that spoke explicitly to social matters or to the black struggle in the U.S. By its nature the label exemplified black achievement, but its music was calibrated for assimilation by the pop mainstream – which of course meant a white audience as much as a black one (the label's early records bore the legend "The Sound of Young America"). At the time, rock music was increasingly becoming a medium for album-length works. By contrast, Motown maintained its identity as a factory that manufactured hit singles, despite groundbreaking albums by Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Gordy was looking for a singles-oriented group that would not only deliver hits for young people, but would also give them somebody to seize as their own, to identify with and to adore. The Jackson 5, Gordy said, would exemplify "bubblegum soul." The Jackson 5's first three singles – "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "The Love You Save" – became Number One hits as Gordy had promised, and so did a fourth, "I'll Be There." The group was established as the breakout sensation of 1970. Fred Rice, who would create Jackson 5 merchandise for Motown, said, "I call 'em the black Beatles…It's unbelievable." And he was right. The Jackson 5 defined the transition from 1960s soul to 1970s pop as much as Sly and the Family Stone did, and at a time when many Americans were uneasy about minority aspirations to power, the Jackson 5 conveyed an agreeable ideal of black pride, one that reflected kinship and aspiration rather than opposition. They represented a realization that the civil rights movement made possible, and that couldn't have happened even five or six years earlier. Moreover, the Jackson 5 earned critical respectability. And though they functioned as a group, there was no question who the Jackson 5's true star was, and who they depended on. Michael's voice also worked beyond conventional notions of male-soul vocals – even worked beyond gender. Cultural critic and musician Jason King, in an outstanding essay, recently wrote, "It is not an exaggeration to say that he was the most advanced popular singer of his age in the history of recorded music. His untrained tenor was uncanny. By all rights, he shouldn't have had as much vocal authority as he did at such a young age." For at least the first few years, Michael and his brothers seemed omnipresent and enjoyed universal praise. But soon they experienced some hard limitations. The music they were making wasn't really of invention – they didn't write or produce it – and after Michael was relegated to recording throwback fare like "Rockin' Robin," in 1972, he worried that the Jackson 5 would become an "oldies act" before he left adolescence. The Jackson 5 began pushing to produce themselves and to create their own sound. Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye had demonstrated an ability to grow and change – and sell records – when given creative leeway, and with 1974's "Dancing Machine," the Jacksons proved they could thrive when they seized a funk groove. Motown, however, wouldn't consider it. "They not only refused to grant our requests," Michael said in Moonwalk, "they told us it was taboo to even mention that we wanted to do our own music." Michael understood what this meant: Not only would Motown not let the Jackson 5 grow, they also wouldn't let him grow. Michael bided his time, studying the producers he and his brothers worked with. "I was like a hawk preying in the night," he said. "I'd watch everything. They didn't get away with nothing without me seeing. I really wanted to get into it." In 1975, Joe Jackson negotiated a new deal for his sons – this time with Epic Records, for a 500 percent royalty-rate increase. The contract also stipulated solo albums from the Jacksons (though the arrangement did not include Jermaine, who married Gordy's daughter Hazel and stayed with Motown, creating a rift with the family that lasted for several years). Motown tried to block the deal, and in the end stopped the brothers from using the Jackson 5 name; the group would now be known as the Jacksons. Epic initially placed them with Philadelphia producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, but it wouldn't be until 1978's Destiny that the Jacksons finally seized control over their own music and recast their sound – sexy and smooth in the dance-floor hits "Blame It on the Boogie" and the momentous "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)," and reflecting a new depth and emotional complexity in songs like "Push Me Away" and "Bless His Soul." Destiny, though, was merely a prelude: By the time the album was finished, Michael was ready to make crucial changes that would establish his ascendancy as a solo artist. He fired his father as his manager and in effect found himself a new father, producer Quincy Jones, whom Michael connected with while filming The Wiz (a reworking of The Wizard of Oz). Jones was a respected jazz musician, bandleader, composer and arranger who had worked with Clifford Brown, Frank Sinatra, Lesley Gore, Count Basie, Aretha Franklin and Paul Simon, and he had written the film scores for The Pawnbroker, In Cold Blood and In the Heat of the Night. Jackson liked the arranger's ear for mixing complex hard beats with soft overlayers. "It was the first time that I fully wrote and produced my songs," Jackson said later, "and I was looking for somebody who would give me that freedom, plus somebody who's unlimited musically." Specifically, Jackson said his solo album had to sound different than the Jacksons; he wanted a cleaner and funkier sound. The pairing proved as fortuitous as any collaboration in history. Jones brought an ethereal buoyancy to Jackson's soft erotic fever on songs like "Rock With You" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," and in a stunning moment like "She's Out of My Life," Jones had the good sense to let nothing obscure the magnificent heartbreak in the singer's voice. The resulting album, Off the Wall – which established Jackson as a mature artistic force in his own right – has the most unified feel of any of his works. It was also a massive hit, selling more than 5 million copies in the U.S. alone by 1985. Michael Jackson had in effect become one of the biggest black artists America had ever produced, and he expected Off the Wall to win top honors during the 1980 Grammy Awards ceremony. Instead, it received only one honor, for Best Male R&B vocal. The Doobie Brothers' "What a Fool Believes" won for Record of the Year, and Billy Joel's 52nd Street won Album of the Year. Jackson was stunned and bitter. "My family thought I was going crazy because I was weeping so much about it," he recalled. "I felt ignored and it hurt. I said to myself, 'Wait until next time' – they won't be able to ignore the next album…That experience lit a fire in my soul." Jackson told Jones – and apparently others as well – that his next album wouldn't simply be bigger than Off the Wall, it would be the biggest album ever. When Thriller was released in November 1982, it didn't seem to have any overarching theme or even a cohesive style. Instead, it sounded like an assembly of singles – like a greatest-hits album, before the fact. But it became evident fast that this was exactly what Jackson intended Thriller to be: a brilliant collection of songs intended as hits, each one designed with mass crossover audiences in mind. Jackson put out "Billie Jean" for the dance crowd, "Beat It" for the white rockers, and then followed each crossover with crafty videos designed to enhance both his allure and his inaccessibility. Yet after hearing these songs find their natural life on radio, it was obvious that they were something more than exceptional highlights. They were a well-conceived body of passion, rhythm and structure that defined the sensibility – if not the inner life – of the artist behind them. These were instantly compelling songs about emotional and sexual claustrophobia, about hard-earned adulthood and about a newfound brand of resolution that worked as an arbiter between the artist's fears and the inescapable fact of his fame. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'?" had the sense of a vitalizing nightmare in its best lines ("You're stuck in the middle/And the pain is thunder/Still they hate you, you're a vegetable/They eat off you, you're a vegetable"). "Billie Jean," in the meantime, exposed the ways in which the interaction between the artist's fame and the outside world might invoke soul-killing dishonor ("People always told me, be careful of what you do/'Cause the lie becomes the truth," Jackson sings, possibly thinking of a paternity charge from a while back). And "Beat It" was pure anger – a rousing depiction of violence as a male stance, as a social inheritance that might be overcome. In sum, Thriller's parts added up to the most improbable kind of art – a work of personal revelation that was also a mass-market masterpiece. It's an achievement that will likely never be topped. Except, in a sense, Jackson did top it, and he did it within months after Thriller's release. It came during a May 16th, 1983, TV special celebrating Motown's 25th anniversary. Jackson had just performed a medley of greatest hits with his brothers. It was exciting stuff, but for Michael it wasn't enough. As his brothers said their goodbyes and left the stage, Michael remained. He seemed shy for a moment, trying to find words to say. "Yeah," he almost whispered, "those were good old days…I like those songs a lot. But especially—" and then he placed the microphone into the stand with a commanding look and said, "I like the new songs." He swooped down, picked up a fedora, put it on his head with confidence, and vaulted into "Billie Jean." This was one of Michael Jackson's first public acts as a star outside and beyond the Jacksons, and it was startlingly clear that he was not only one of the most thrilling live performers in pop music, but that he was perhaps more capable of inspiring an audience's imagination than any single pop artist since Elvis Presley. There are times when you know you are hearing or seeing something extraordinary, something that captures the hopes and dreams popular music might aspire to, and that might unite and inflame a new audience. That time came that night, on TV screens across the nation – the sight of a young man staking out his territory, and just starting to lay claim to his rightful pop legend. "Almost 50 million people saw that show," Jackson wrote in Moonwalk. "After that, many things changed." He was right. That was the last truly blessed moment in Michael Jackson's life. After that, everything became argument and recrimination. And in time, decay. At the time, we knew that Michael Jackson was an immensely talented young man – he seemed shy but ambitious, and he certainly seemed enigmatic. Nobody knew much about his beliefs or his sex life; he rarely gave interviews, but he also didn't land himself in scandals. He did, however, describe himself as a lonely person – particularly around the time he made Off the Wall. Former Los Angeles Times music critic Robert Hilburn recently wrote of meeting Jackson in 1981, when the singer was 23, that Jackson struck him as "one of the most fragile and lonely people I've ever met…almost abandoned. When I asked why he didn't live on his own like his brothers, instead remaining at his parents' house, he said, 'Oh, no, I think I'd die on my own. I'd be so lonely. Even at home, I'm lonely. I sit in my room and sometimes cry. It is so hard to make friends, and there are some things you can't talk to your parents or family about. I sometimes walk around the neighborhood at night, just hoping to find someone to talk to. But I just end up coming home.'?" In any event, Michael Jackson seemed clearly reputable – eminent though not heroic, not yet messianic, and certainly not contemptible. Thriller placed seven singles in Billboard's Top 10 and also became the biggest-selling album in history (presently around 50 million copies or more), and at the 1984 Grammy Awards, Jackson finally claimed his due, capturing eight awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. Then, months later, it was announced that Michael would be setting out on a nationwide tour with the Jacksons. He hadn't wanted to undertake the venture but felt obliged ("Those were slim shoulders on which to place such burdens," he wrote of his lifelong family pressures). It was during this period that a backlash first set in against Jackson, though from the press more than from the public. The mid-1980s was a time when many in the music press had misgivings about mass popularity – especially if it seemed to represent a homogenized or acquiescent culture. Michael Jackson, after all, wasn't an artist with a message of sociopolitical revolution, nor did his lyrics reflect literary aspirations. To some then – and to some now – he represented little more than an ambition for personal fame. But there was a trickier concern at play. The racial dimensions of Jackson's image proved complex beyond any easy answers at that time, or even since. Some of that was attributable to charges that Jackson seemed willing to trade his former black constituency for an overwhelmingly white audience – otherwise how could he have achieved such staggering sales figures in the U.S.? But what probably inspired these race-related arguments most – the terrain where they all seemed to play out – was the topography of Jackson's face. With the exception of later accusations about his sexual behavior, nothing inspired more argument or ridicule about Michael Jackson than that face. In his childhood, Jackson had a sweet, dark-skinned countenance; many early Jackson 5 fans regarded him as the cutest of the brothers. J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness, has written, "[Michael] believed his skin…'messed up my whole personality.' He no longer looked at people as he talked to them. His playful personality changed and he became quieter and more serious. He thought he was ugly – his skin was too dark, he decided, and his nose too wide. It was no help that his insensitive father and brothers called him 'Big Nose.'?" Also, as Jackson became an adolescent, he was horribly self- conscious about acne. Hilburn recalled going through a stack of photos with Jackson one night and coming across a picture of him as a teenager: "'Ohh, that's horrible,' [Jackson] said, recoiling from the picture." The face Jackson displayed on the cover of Thriller had changed; the skin tone seemed lighter and his nose thinner and straighter. In Moonwalk, Jackson claimed that much of the apparent renovation was due to a change in his diet; he admitted to altering his nose and his chin, but he denied he'd done anything to his skin. Still, the changes didn't end there. Over the years, Jackson's skin grew lighter and lighter, his nose tapered more and more and his cheekbones seemed to gain prominence. To some, this all became fair game for derision; to others, it seemed a grotesque mutilation – not just because it might have been an act of conceit, aimed to keep his face forever childlike, but more troublingly because some believed Jackson wanted to transform himself into a white person. Or an androgyne – somebody with both male and female traits. Michael Jackson wanted his next album to be bigger than Thriller, which was of course too much to ask. Jackson was also seeking vindication. He felt misjudged and maligned by much of the criticism heaped on him after the 1984 Victory Tour. Some of the scrutiny he received about his "freakishness" – his devotion to his animals as if they were his friends, his ongoing facial reconstruction, scornful charges that he slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to maintain his youthfulness – was judgmental, even moralistic. Worse, too much of it came from reporters and gossip columnists, even political commentators, who displayed little if any real appreciation for Jackson's music and little respect for the sheer genius of his work. At that time, Jackson's art was still his best way of making a case for himself. In 1987, he released Bad, his much-anticipated successor to Thriller. If not as eventful and ingenious as Off the Wall and Thriller, Bad was as good as any album he ever made. It was taut and funky, it had snap and fever, it radiated rage and self-pity but also yearning for grace and transcendence – particularly in "Man in the Mirror," a song about accepting social and political responsibility, and about the artist negotiating his way back into the world. Bad sold millions and launched five Number One singles, three more than Thriller, but because it couldn't match the accomplishments of Thriller, it was viewed as a flop. Jackson then staged his first solo tour later that year. On several nights, I saw him turn in inspiring performances that also served as timely reminders of a sometimes overlooked truth about him: Namely that whatever his eccentricities, Michael Jackson acquired his fame primarily because of his remarkably intuitive talents as a singer and dancer – talents that were genuine and matchless and not the constructions of mere ambition or hype. Though he had the lithe frame of Fred Astaire, the mad inventiveness of Gene Kelly, the sexy agony of Jackie Wilson, the rhythmic mastery of James Brown – or of Sammy Davis Jr., for that matter – nobody else moved like Michael Jackson. Certainly nobody else broke open their moment in one daring physical display like Jackson. He didn't invent the moonwalk – that famous and impossible backward gliding movement from his Motown 25 performance of "Billie Jean" – but it didn't matter. He had defined himself in that moment and dared anybody else to match it, and nobody ever did. During the Bad tour his moves were breathtaking, sometimes unexpected. In 1988, he was again nominated for key Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, but he was up against hard competition. Artists like U2 and Prince had fashioned the most ambitious and visionary music of their careers – music that reflected the state of pop and the world in enlivening ways. More to the point, in 1988 there was suspicion among many observers that Jackson's season as pop's favorite son had passed. He would win no Grammys that year. In the Rolling Stone Readers' poll, Jackson placed first in six of the readers' "worst of the year" categories (including "worst male singer"); in addition, The Village Voice Critics' Poll failed to mention Jackson's Bad in its selection of 1987's 40 best albums. This was a startling turnaround from four years before, when Jackson and his work topped the same polls in both publications. Michael Jackson never really regained momentum or ambition after the negative reaction to Bad. He had finally left the family home in Encino and built his own fortress estate known as Neverland, about 100 miles north of L.A., with an amusement park and train rides redolent of Disneyland. It became a place where he brought the world to him, or at least that part of the world he seemed to care about, which mainly included children – the people, he said, he felt most at home with, since part of him wanted to experience and share the childhood he felt his father and entertainment career had deprived him of. But it was also Michael's appetite for the company of children that would create the most lamentable troubles in his life. In 1993, a story broke that Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy with whom he had kept frequent company. It was a terribly serious accusation, and given his fondness for the company of children, the charges seemed all too credible to some observers. The story played big in not just tabloid newspapers but in some mainstream media as well. No criminal charges were filed, but in 1994 Jackson settled the matter out of court (reportedly for something in the vicinity of $20 million), which struck many as a tacit admission to the allegations. Jackson, though, categorically denied the claim. He later told British journalist Martin Bashir that he simply wanted to put the issue behind him. The episode did enormous damage to Jackson's image, and perhaps to his psychology as well. It was during that time that, according to some, he developed a dependency on medications that stayed with him through the rest of his life. (Jackson's need for drugs may also have stemmed from pains attributable to various surgeries.) That same year he unexpectedly married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of rock & roll's most eminent pioneer, Elvis Presley. Some saw it as an effort to both rehabilitate and bolster his image by asserting a heterosexual authenticity, and by linking his name to even greater fame. The marriage lasted 18 months. Presley has never spoken negatively of Jackson, only affectionately, saying in the days after her ex-husband's death that she left him only because she felt she couldn't save him from himself. Jackson married again in 1996, this time to a nurse from his dermatologist's office, Debbie Rowe. The couple had two children, son Prince Michael Jackson and daughter Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. Apparently, the children were the true objective of the marriage for Jackson; the couple divorced in 1999 and Rowe gave up custody of the children. (Rowe has admitted in the past that Jackson wasn't the children's biological father, but rather that they were conceived by artificial insemination.) Through the course of all this, sadly, Jackson's musical drive fell off, and the music that did emerge was only sporadically successful. His new music was often a testament of self-justification. In "Childhood," a song from 1995's HIStory: Past, Present and Future, he put forth his case for his otherness: "No one understands me/They view it as such strange eccentricities/It's been my fate to compensate/For the childhood I've never known/Before you judge me, try hard to love me/Look within your heart, then ask/Have you seen my childhood?" His hurt and anger also began to come out more in his body over the years. Sometimes his expression looked terrified, his eyes peering over surgical masks or from behind the cover of a burqa. Other times he moved with an explosive fury, as in those moments at the end of his infamous but incredibly successful 1991 video for the song "Black or White." Those movements seemed so different from the joyful ones of years before. But despite good moments – and too many treacly and self-aggrandizing ones – Michael Jackson's 1990s music had no real presence in the ongoing current of popular culture. His final album, Invincible, from 2001, yielded a few adventurous tracks – Jackson was finally accommodating the stylistic and cultural innovations made by hip-hop and other urban music forms – but overall it wasn't enough to live up to its title. This isn't to say that Michael Jackson was no longer a huge star but rather that his legend had transmuted: He was now known for his excesses and bad choices. He lived in a castle; he contracted another baby, Prince Michael II (whose mother has never been identified); and he then recklessly dangled the baby over a balcony in Berlin. Sometimes you had to wonder whether Jackson had any real idea how his actions struck the world – which is perhaps OK, unless you expect the world to love you unconditionally. Jackson's most egregious lapse of judgment became evident in a notorious 2003 interview with Martin Bashir, in which the singer professed that he still shared his bed at Neverland with children who were not his own. During one point in the broadcast, Jackson sat holding the hand of a 13-year-old boy, a cancer survivor, and explained what he saw as the innocent and loving nature of that behavior. The public response was swift and hypercritical; many thought that despite the accusations he had faced in 1993, Jackson could still act as he wanted with impunity. The reaction was so devastating to Jackson that, according to some rumors, later that year he attempted a morphine overdose; at the very least, some observers declared Jackson had committed career suicide. The controversy became as serious as possible when the boy in the video accused Jackson of fondling him. This time, the matter went to trial. The horrible drama that Jackson had landed in was in keeping with the dominant themes of his life and art: his obsessions with stardom, mystery, hubris, fear and despoiled childhood. If the charges were true, one had to wonder what Jackson truly saw when he looked at the childhoods of others. Was he capable of disrespecting their innocence, just as his own was once ruined? But if the charges weren't true, then one had to ask what measure of satisfaction could be won in his ruin? The 2005 trial was the spectacle everybody expected it to be – a drama about justice and celebrity, sex and outrage, morality and race. Even though it dragged on, it was clear the prosecution didn't have a case so much as it had umbrage. The trial was a farce – it's dismaying the case ever made it to trial – and Jackson was acquitted on all charges. But the damage done seemed, in many ways, final. Jackson walked out of the courtroom that day a shaken, listless man. His finances were also coming undone; he had been spending ludicrous sums and he'd mismanaged his money – which took some doing, since he had made such a vast fortune. The biggest star in the world had fallen from the tallest height. He left the country and moved to Bahrain; he was only occasionally seen or heard from. Nobody knew whether he could recover his name, or even preserve his considerable music legacy, until early 2009, when he announced an incredibly ambitious series of 50 concerts – which he described as the "final curtain call" – to take place at London's O2 arena, beginning July 13th. On June 24, 2009, as Rolling Stone reported, "Jackson ran through a six-hour dress rehearsal of his concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. More than a dozen people who witnessed the final rehearsal -- from his promoter to his choreographer to his musicians -- all agree on one thing: Jackson was better than he'd ever been. He popped, just like he had in his glory days, singing and out-dancing the young pros that surrounded him. 'He was so brilliant onstage,' recalls his tour director, Kenny Ortega. 'I had goose bumps.'" The next day he was dead. Reports in the aftermath of Jackson's death revealed a disturbing dependence on Ambien and other prescription drugs. Jackson's autopsy report ruled his death a homicide, stating that Dr. Conrad Murray – Jackson's live-in physician -- wrongfully administered the sedative propofol to his patient. On February 8, 2010, Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's 2002 will stated that his estate would give 40 percent to both his mother Katherine and Michael's children; the remaining 20 percent would go to charity. As of February, 2010, Jackson's estate had earned 100 million since his death, though claims on the estate exceeded $22 million. Joe Jackson was not named as a benefactor in the will. This Is It, the documentary that covers the rehearsals for the O2 shows, grossed more than $250 million worldwide, and with vaults of unreleased music due out in the future, the Jackson estate will likely surpass Elvis Presley's in terms of earnings. In the days that followed his death, Jackson was everywhere. Makeshift memorials sprung up around his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and outside Harlem's Apollo Theater. His music blared from radios all across the world and his CDs flew off the shelves. 1.6 million people registered for a chance to win tickets to Jackson's public memorial at the Staples Center. At the memorial, Magic Johnson, Brooke Shields, and other celebrities paid tribute, and Stevie Wonder sang "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer." The most moving moment came from Jackson's eleven-year-old daughter Paris, who made her first ever public statement: "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," she said. "And I just wanted to say I love him — so much." In the wake of his death, everyone in the world seemed to talk of his or her favorite Jackson song, or favorite Jackson dance move or favorite Jackson video. I'll never forget that night back in early 1983, when onstage in Pasadena, California, at the Motown 25th anniversary show, Michael Jackson gave his first public performance as a mature artist staking his own claim, vaulting into that astonishingly graceful, electrifying version of "Billie Jean." Dancing, spinning, sending out impassioned, fierce glares at the overcome audience, Jackson did a powerful job of animating and mythologizing his own blend of mystery and sexuality. I'd never seen anything quite like it before. Maybe I never will again. Michael Jackson didn't just grab the gold ring: He hooked it to a new bar and set it even higher, and nobody has yet snatched it with quite the same flair or results. Adapted from Triumph & Tragedy: The life of Michael Jackson (2009)	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_42	Pearly Gate jokes, humor by JavaCasa An old lady was on a flight. She was sitting beside a young businessman. After the in-flight meal she took out her Holy Bible and starts her devotion. The businessman glances at her and said. Do you really believe those stuff in the Bible is true? "Well, yes, as a matter of fact I do," said the old lady. "Yeah, right..." the man scoffs, "like... what's that guy's name, the one who got swallowed by a whale..." "You mean Jonah?" "Yeah, Jonah, I mean, how do you actually survive for 3 days in a fish's bowel?" "I don't know," replied the old lady, "but I can ask him when I see him in heaven someday." Feeling smart, the young man said: "Ok, but what if he's not in heaven because he went to hell?" "Then young man, you can ask him" replied the old lady calmly. Pearly Gates? Over the massive, carved front doors of a church, these words were inscribed: "The Gates of Heaven". Below that was a small cardboard sign which read: "Please use other entrance." A man had just had a severe heart opperation and as he was coming to a nun was holding his hand and gently patting it. We he opened his eyes she said, "I hate to ask at a time like this but do you have insurance?" "No mam, he replied." "Well do you have enough cash to pay your bill?" "No mam," he replied again. "Do you have any relatives who can help you?" "Only a spinster sister who is a nun," he replied. "Oh," said the nun, "she is no spinster, she is married to God!" "Well send the bill to my Brother-in-law," he replied. A pastor always used the phrase, "It might be worse," when some calamity would come his way. One day a friend said to him, "I've something to tell you, and you won't be able to use your favorite phrase. I dreamt last night that I died and went to hell." "It might be worse," said the preacher. The friend came unglued: "man alive, how could it be worse?" to which the pastor replied: "it might be true." three friends all died and went to heaven at the same time. Saint Peter meet them at the gates and said to one of them "welcome to Heaven! here is your reward." after saying that Saint Peter immediately handcuffed him to a extremely unattractive woman. "Saint Peter! why is this my heavenly reward?" the man asked? Saint Peter replied, "when you were five you killed a bird with a stone." Saint Peter then turned to the next guy and did the exact same thing for the exact same reason. He was asked the same question and answered the same. finally he turned to the third guy and said, "Welcome to Heaven! Here is your reward." the third man was immediately handcuffed to a beautiful girl. extremely happy the man walked off. the other two men, who had stuck around to see what their friends fate was, were outraged. "How come he gets a beautiful girl and were stuck with these? We can name a few things that he did that were worse than ours!" Saint Peter said, "When she was five she killed a bird with a stone." Joke A young couple were killed in an accident on the day before their wedding. When they arrived at the Pearly Gates, St. Peter asked if there was anything he could do to make being in heaven even more pleasant. So they explained about dying the day before their wedding and asked if it was possible to be married in heaven. "No problem," said St Peter, "leave it with me." A hundred years or so later they met St Peter and asked about the wedding. "Everything is being arranged," he assured them. Another hundred years passed, and they met St Peter again. They reminded him about the wedding and said, "We know that in heaven, time is of no consequence, but we have been waiting over two hundred years." St Peter replied, "I am sorry. All the arrangements were made the day after you arrived and there is only one thing preventing us from having the wedding..... We're waiting on a minister!" Joke A cat died and went to heaven. At the gate, he told God how he had been abused all his life on earth - people swept him with broom, he had no where to sleep, etc. God tells him he is going to make his life very comfortable in heaven. The next day 6 mice came to heaven. They gave God a similar story about their hard life on earth - how they had to be running all the time because cats were constantly chasing them. God tells them he'll make their life comfortable. They ask that he give them skates so that they wouldn't have to do much walking or running anymore. God granted their request, fitting them with skates. A week later God was passing by and found the cat comfortably resting. He asked the cat how things were going. The cat says, "Oh wonderful, God, and those meals on wheels that you have been sending me are delicious !" Joke A man died and approached the Pearly Gates. St. Peter told him heaven was getting crowded so he had to test people with the point system. If he got to 100 points he could enter. The man told Peter that he gave to the poor. Peter marked him down for 3 points. The man thought again, then said that he tithed. Peter added one point. The man, desperately searching his memory, finally said that he never cussed. Peter added 1/2 a point. By now the man got very frustrated and said that at this rate he could only get in by the grace of God. Peter replied, "Come on in!" Joke A cute little interlude ... Three guys die together and go to heaven.... St. Peter says, "We only have one rule...don't step on the ducks as they are God's favorite creation." They enter heaven and see ducks everywhere, and it's almost impossible to not step on a duck. The first guy accidentally steps on one, and soon here comes St. Peter with the biggest, ugliest woman he'd ever seen... St. Peter chains them together and says, "Your punishment is to be chained to this ugly woman forever." The next day the second guy steps on a duck...Sure enough, St. Peter comes with another ugly woman and chains them together. Seeing this, the third guy is very, very careful. He goes for months and doesn't step on any ducks. One day, St. Peter comes along with this beautiful woman: Blonde, blue-eyed, very young and very sexy. He chains them together and leaves without a word. The man remarks, "I wonder what I did to deserve this good fortune?" And the Blonde says, "I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck. Joke A man went on a vacation to Florida from their home in Alaska. He waits for his wife to come the next day to stay with him. He tries to e-mail her trying to remember it. He messes up, and instead his e-mail gets to a preacher's wife whose husband died the day before. The message says: "Having fun, but it sure is hot down here. I cant wait for your arrival here soon." Joke A good Christian engineer died and was erroneously sent to Hell. Once there, he went to work reorganizing everything. He installed air-conditioning, cooling jets, refrigeration, the works. Meantime, up in Heaven, the snafu was discovered and God sent and angry message down to Hell. "I request the immediate return of the engineer you have there. He belongs with us!"... "No way", replied the Devil, "here he came, here he stays"...."If you do not comply instantly, I will sue you!" exclaimed God. "And where are you going to find a lawyer up there?"...came back the Devil. Mary Joke An 85 year old couple, having been married almost 60 years, die in a car crash. They had been in good health the last ten years, mainly due to the wife's interest in health food. When they reached the pearly gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion, which was decked out with a beautiful kitchen and master bath suite with Jacuzzi. As they "oohed and aahed", the old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost. "It's free," Peter replied, Remember, this is Heaven." Next they went out back to see the championship golf course the home backed up to. They would have golfing privileges every day, and each week the course changed to a new one representing the great golf courses on Earth. The old man asked, "What are the green fees?" "This is heaven," St. Peter replied. "You play for free." Next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch with the cuisine's of the world laid out. "How much to eat?" asked the old man. "Don't you understand yet?" St. Peter asked. "This is heaven. It's free!" "Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol foods?" the old man asked timidly. "That's the best part...you can eat as much as you like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you never get sick. This is Heaven." The old man looked at his wife and said, "You and your stupid bran muffins. I could have been here ten years ago! Joke A teacher, a doctor, and a lawyer all die and end up at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter meets them there and says "It's good to have you here, but we're a little over crowded today. You'll each have to answer 1 question before I can let you in." Peter turns to the teacher and says "What was the name of the famous ship that hit an iceberg and sank in the early 1900s?" The teacher smiles and says "That's easy. The Titanic." Peter lets her in. Then he turns to the doctor and says "How many people died on the Titanic?" The doctor says "Well, that's a tricky one, but luckily I just saw the movie, so I know. 1500." Peter lets the doctor in, too. Then Peter turns to the lawyer and says "Name them." A man died and went to heaven. He was met at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter who led him down the golden streets. They past mansions after beautiful mansions until they came to the end of the street where they stopped in front of a shack. The man asked St. Peter why he got a hut when there were so many mansions he could live in. St. Peter replied, "I did the best with the money you sent us." The pope arrived at the pearly Gates and St. Peter greeted him and quickly told him that it was very difficult to get an audience with God. The Pope said he did not mind because when he was alive he had the same problem. They chuckled together over this and St. Peter said he realized the pope was probably anxious to know a few things judging from the number of times he prayed for guidance. The pope agreed saying that he had a real hankering to see the origional sriptures. So S. Peter showed him to the room where the origional manuscripts were stored. He left the old gentlemen ther to search them out and soon forgot all about him. A while later he heard a great wail coming from the room. St. Peter went to investigate and found the Pope in an aweful sweat.St. Peter asked the Pope what was wrong and this loud pitiful voice replie O NO! it says C-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e not c-e-l-e-b-a-t-e!!!- 3 ministers and their wives were just coming back from a convention when they got in a wreck and were all kiled. All 3 couples stood in line wating to get into heaven . St Peter opened the books and said to the first man: I can see that you were a good man but had one problem. You lusted after alcohol your whole life you never drank but your lust was so strong you would never marry until you met a girl named Sherry. Sorry, you can't come in. The second minister approached St Peter and he said: you were a good man, but it says here you lusted after money and your lust was so strong that you would not marry until you met a girl named Penny. Sorry, you cannot come in. The third minister turned to his wife and said: come on Fanny, lets leave. Three men arrived at the pearly gates. ST. Peter said to the first one, "Welcome, I see in my book that you've led an upstanding life, honest, generous, loving, always faithful to your wife. Congratulations, you will travel through heaven in a Cadillac. To the second man, St. Peter said, "You've lived a respectable life, but oh dear, I see that you've had an indescretionate relationship with your secretary. You'll be travelling through heaven on a motorcycle. To the third man, St. Peter said. "However did you get here?" "Beat's me" said the man, "I've lied, cheated and messed around plenty." "Oh, well," replied St. Peter. "You're here, by the grace of God. So I say that you may travel through heaven on a bicycle." The third man was pleased with his luck, pedaling down the golden streets when he saw the first man draped over the hood of his Cadillac, sobbing. "What's up" said the cyclist, "You lived the good life and have the rewards." "Yes," said the first man, "But I just saw my wife go by on a skateboard!" Saint Peter greets Bill Gates at the pearly gates and says, "Bill, have you got a million dollars to get into heaven?" And Bill Gates says, "No, I have a billion dollars and don't you know, these gates are named after me!" One night a man died and went to heaven. He met St. Peter at the pearly gates and St. Peter escorted him in. As they walked down a long hall there were clocks everywhere but they all went at different speeds. The man asked St. Peter for an explanation. St. Peter explained that each person on earth had a clock and that each time they sinned the clock ticked a tock. Promptly they passed a clock that wasn't moving and the man asked whose it was. Oh, that is Billy Grahms. They passed many other clock along the hall but one persons they never saw. So he asked St. Peter, where is Bill Clinton's clock. St. Peter said, Oh, we keep it in the office for a fan. Three nurses appeared before St. Peter at the pearly gates. St. Peter said to the first, "Tell me what you did on earth." Said she, "I was a birthing room nurse. I helped bring hundreds of precious babies into the world." "Enter!" said St. Peter. Then he turned to the second. "And how about you?" he asked. She replied, "I was a trauma unit nurse. I helped save hundreds of lives of people involved in terrible accidents." "Enter!" cried St. Peter, and turned to the third. "I worked for an HMO," she admitted. "Over the years I saved my company hundreds of thousands of dollars by refusing extended care to people who were trying to bilk the system." "You may enter!" said St. Peter. "You really mean it?" asked the nurse incredulously. "Yes," replied St. Peter. "You've been pre-approved for three days." -Paul of SC 40 lawyers showed up at the pearly gates, asking for admission. St. Peter had never seen 40 lawyers at the same time, and didn't know quite what to do. "Wait here," he said, "I have to go consult." He hurried to the Throne. "Lord," he said, "There are 40 lawyers standing at the pearly gates. What do I do?" God said, "True, it is an unusual situation. But just give them the standard morality test, and admit the five highest scores." St. Peter headed back to his post. A minute later, he came running back to the Throne. "They're gone! They're gone!" he shouted. "Do you mean to say all 40 of them just up and left?" God asked. "No, no!" said Peter. "It's the pearly gates! They're gone! They're gone!" -Paul of SC Ronald Frump was a rich tycoon, who profited from hostile corporate takeovers, often evicted hundreds of people at once from their Manhattan apartments to make way for his building projects, and was known for his ruthless firing policies. He also cheated on his income taxes, and had little concern for the safety and welfare of his employees, as long as his profit margin was maximized. He had no use for philanthropic endeavors, and was curt to any who would solicit his goodwill on behalf of the poor. You get the picture. Even the only remotely charitable act by Mr. Frump was really self-serving. He was in a hurry to get to yet another hostile takeover meeting, and on his way he gave a paper boy a dollar bill for a 50-cent newspaper. Not wanting to wait for the boy to fish out the other 50 cents, he bruskly said, "Don't worry about it. Keep it." So Mr. Frump finally died, and found himself before the pearly gates. Having been used to a sense of entitlement his whole life, he approached St. Peter and, rather presumptuously said, "Well, it's me--Ronald Frump. You can let me in now." "Well, hold it just a second, here, Mr. Frump," replied St. Peter. "I'm looking in the books here, and it seems you've been a pretty greedy fella all your life. You've run people out of their homes, you've robbed from the poor, you've made life miserable for everyone with whom you've had contact. Now, in light of that, can you think of any reason why I should let you into this holy place?" Mr. Frump was in a panic. This was the first time he did not have the upper hand in a "negotiation," and this was for all the chips. In his panic, he grasped at the only straw available to him. "Well, once I gave a paper boy a dollar for a 50-cent newspaper, and told him to keep the change." St. Peter scratched his chin as he puzzled over this for a few seconds, and finally said, "I'd better run this won past God. Wait right here." Mr. Frump was on pins and needles as he waited. Finally, St. Peter returned. "Well?" St. Peter took his hand, placed two quarters in it, and said, "The Lord said to give you your 50 cents back and tell you to go to hell!" A reporter went to heaven and saw two long lines. Over one line was a sign which read "For Men Who Were Dominated By Their Wives." The other line had a sign over the doorway which read, "For Men Who Dominated Their Wives," but there was only one man in that line. Being a reporter, he went up to the man all by himself and said, "Sir, could you tell me why you're the only man in this line for "Men Who Dominated Their Wives?" "Sure," the other man responded, "my wife told me to stand here." A very wealthy man decided to prove the quote, "You can't take it with you", wrong. Before he died he requested that his gold be buried with him. Sure enough after his death he found himself in heaven along with his gold. He was so excited that he had actually taken it with him. He went up to St. Peter to enter the gates and exclaimed "Look at this, you can take it with you." Peter looked at the gold in the mans hand and asked "Why would you want to bring pavement with you?" [Think about it!! (Heavens streets are paved with gold)] A bus load of ladies from the Women's Fellowship had a tragic accident and they were all killed so all 50 arrived at the Pearly Gates together. St. Peter was taken by suprise and said that due to redecorating there wasn't room for them so they would havr spen a little time in hell until their mansion was ready. the devil reluctantly agreed to offer them the temporary accommodation. 3 weeks later St. Peter phoned up hell to say that all was now ready and the ladies could be sent to heaven. "Couldn't I keep them just a little longer?" pleaded the devil. "Why?" enquired St Peter. "Well, only 2 more cake sales and we've raised enough for air conditioning!" Neil Sydney, Australia Once there was a guy named Joe. One day he died and found himself standing in front of the pearly gates. St. Peter: "Joe, if you can answer one question, I'll let you into heaven." Joe: "sounds easy enough." St. Peter: "ok, who is with you always?" Joe: "O, that's easy: Andy!" St. Peter: "Andy?" Joe: "Yeah, haven't you heard that hymn �Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me?�" Tragically, three friends die in a car crash, and they find themselves at the gates of heaven. Before entering, they are each asked a question by St. Peter. "When you are in your casket and friends and family are mourning upon you, what would you like to hear them say about you?", asks St. Peter. The first guy says, "I would like to hear them say that I was a great doctor of my time, and a great family man." The second guy says, "I would like to hear that I was a wonderful husband and school teacher who made a huge difference in our children of tomorrow." The last guy replies, "I would like to hear them say...... LOOK!!! HE'S MOVING!!!!!" Email...to????? A businessman from Wisconsin went on a business trip to Louisiana. Upon arrival, he immediately plugged his laptop into the hotel room port and sent a short E-mail back home to his wife, Jennifer Johnson, at her address, [email protected]. Unfortunately, in his haste, he mistyped a letter and the E-mail ended up going to [email protected], a Jean Johnson in Duluth, the wife of a preacher who had just passed away and was buried that day. The preacher's wife took one look at the E-mail and promptly fainted. It read, "Arrived safely, but it sure is hot down here!" A doctor died and went to heaven. As he stood in a very long line at the pearly gates, he decided that because of his service to humanity he should not have to wait in line. He left the line and approached the gate. Upon arrival at the gate St. Peter explained that all are equal in the eyes of the lord and he should wait in line, like the rest of the good people. This made the Doctor very angry. All of my service to humanity the lives I have saved. The quality of life I've restored. He continued to mutter his contributions as he returned to his place in line. A few minutes later a man in a white lab coat with a Doctors bag rushed past the M.D. approaching the gates, the man nodded to St. Peter and the gates flew open, in went the man and the gates closed. Well this was to much for the doctor and he went to speak again with St. Peter. He explained to St. Peter that he had been in practice on earth for many years and he felt he had made more contributions than the young doctor that had just entered heaven. St. Peter understanding the Doctors feeling gently explained to the the doctor. "Sir, I understand your feelings, however you must understand that the young doctor that just entered, was God, you see he sometimes likes to play Doctor" Two priests died at the same time and met Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter said, "I'd like to get you guys in now, but our computer's down. You'll have to go back to Earth for about a week, but you can't go back as humans. What'll it be?" The first priest says, "I've always wanted to be an eagle, soaring above the Rocky mountains." "So be it," says St. Peter, and off flies the first priest. The second priest mulls this over for a moment and asks, "Will any of this week 'count', St. Peter?" "No, I told you the computer's down. There's no way we can keep track of what you're doing. The week's a freebie." "In that case," says the second priest, "I've always wanted to be a stud.""So be it," says St. Peter, and the second priest disappears. A week goes by, the computer is fixed, and the Lord tells St. Peter to recall the two priests. "Will you have any trouble locating them?" He asks. "The first one should be easy," says St. Peter. "He's somewhere over the Rockies, flying with the eagles. But the second one could prove to be more difficult." "Why?" asketh the Lord. St. Peter answered, "He's on a snow tire, somewhere in North Dakota." Two buddies Bob and Earl were two of the biggest baseball fans in America. For their entire adult lives, Bob and Earl discussed baseball history in the winter and they pored over every box score during the season. They went to 60 games a year. They even agreed that whoever died first would try to come back and tell the other if there was baseball in heaven. One summer night, Bob passed away in his sleep after watching the Yankee victory earlier in the evening. He died happy. A few nights later, his buddy Earl awoke to the sound of Bob's voice from beyond. "Bob is that you?" Earl asked. "Of course it me," Bob replied. "This is unbelievable!" Earl exclaimed. "So tell me, is there baseball in heaven?" "Well I have some good news and some bad news for you. Which do you want to hear first?" "Tell me the good news first." "Well, the good news is that, yes, there is baseball in heaven, Earl." "Oh, that is wonderful! So what could possibly be the bad news?" "You're pitching tomorrow night." A rich man knew he would die soon, but he hated to leave his hard-earned riches behind. So he had all his assets converted to gold bars, put them in a big bag on his bed, draped his body over the bag of gold, and breathed his last. Next we see him at the gate of Heaven. St. Peter says (very surpised), "Wow! You managed to get here with something from earth! Let's see what you brought." He opened the bag, looked inside, then looked quizzically at the man. "You brought...pavement?!" George Bush died and went to heaven and St. Peter met him at the gates. George ask St. Peter if the people in heaven were as friendly as the people in Texas were. St. Peter said, Sure they are. Well George goes for a walk and passes by Mosses and decides to speak to him. Mosses just looks the other way and keeps on walking. Slightly upset by this, George goes back to St. Peter and tells him what happened with Mosses. St. Peter seemed confused so he seeks Mosses and ask him why he ignored Mr. Bush. Mosses looked St. Peter in the eye and said, Well Peter, if you will remember, the last time I spoke to a Bush I spent 40 years in the wilderness.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_316_47	7 Things You Might Not Know About The Golden Girls \| Mental Floss 7 Things You Might Not Know About The Golden Girls Image credit: Like us on Facebook Ed. Mental Floss mourns the loss of actress Estelle Getty, who passed away today after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia. We all hope that she went to a better place than Shady Pines, and thank her for the many laughs she gave us over the years. Have you ever threatened someone by simply saying "Shady Pines, Ma"? When you feel as jumpy as a virgin at a prison rodeo, is cheesecake the only remedy that will soothe your nerves? If so, you just might be a Golden Girls fan. The show originally ran on NBC from 1985 to 1992, and 15 years later, it still attracts an average of 16 million viewers weekly on Lifetime, despite being aired four times daily. 1. Where did the idea actually come from? Former NBC wunderkind Brandon Tartikoff got the idea for the series while visiting an elderly aunt. His aunt's neighbor was also her best friend, and he was amused at how they constantly bickered with one another, but yet they always remained pals. 2. "Jealousy is an ugly thing, Dorothy. And so are you in anything backless." Estelle Getty was 47 years old before she first appeared on stage, so it was no wonder that she felt intimidated by her veteran co-workers. Since Sophia was a last-minute addition as a regular character, who would've thought that she would ultimately become the most popular Golden Girl? Part of her charm was the stroke that had damaged the part of her brain that censored her speech, which allowed the writers to give her some classic cutting lines: BLANCHE (trying to entice a suitor): I'm going to take a long, hot steamy bath, with just enough water to barely cover my perky bosoms. SOPHIA: You're only going to sit in an inch of water? Estelle seemed to fluff her lines more often than not, and had to resort to using cue cards or script pages taped to the kitchen table. Some of her co-stars felt a bit put out that they had to do so many re-takes because of Estelle, yet she was the cast member that received the most fan mail. As time went on, Estelle had some other odd medical problems that ultimately led to a misdiagnosis of Parkinson's Disease. Sadly, the medications she was given (in error) further exacerbated the problem. It wasn't until the mid-2000s that she was finally diagnosed as suffering from Lewy Body Dementia . Betty White kept in touch with Estelle described her current health situation as "a curtain wafting in and out" "“ she has her good days when she's active and communicative, and other days when she does nothing more than doze in her favorite chair. 3. Looking for Bea Arthur in all the Wrong Places When casting the show, Lee Grant was first offered the role of Dorothy, but she refused to play a woman old enough to have grandchildren. Even though the original production notes describing Dorothy Zbornak listed her as "a Bea Arthur type," it took some time before the producers got the bright idea of actually offering the part to actress Beatrice Arthur. A Golden Girls fact: Bea Arthur (Dorothy) was actually a year older than the actress who portrayed her mother on the show. 4. Why wasn't Betty White the sexy one? This and the answers to more all after the jump... When Rue McClanahan and Betty White were first hired for the series, it was with the intent of Betty playing man-hungry Blanche, and Rue the naÃ¯ve Rose. However, both actresses felt that those roles were too similar to characters they'd recently played: Rue's Vivian on Maude and Betty's Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. They asked the producers if they could switch roles, and after the first table reading it was agreed that the change was a brilliant idea. 5. What happened to the flamboyant cook? The pilot episode featured a flamboyantly gay cook named Coco (played by Charles Levin) who worked for the Girls. By the time the series was picked up, though, his part had been eliminated for two reasons. One was that the writers noted that in many of the proposed future scripts the main interaction between the women occurred in the kitchen while preparing and eating food, and a separate cook would distract from that camaraderie. In addition, the character of Sophia had originally been planned as an occasional guest star, but Estelle Getty had tested so strongly with preview audiences that the producers quickly made Sophia a regular character (and chief chef), which made Coco superfluous. 6. The Gay and Lesbian factor A 2005 study by Simmons Market Research determined that more gays and lesbians watched The Golden Girls than the general population in any given week. Admittedly, the show touched on homosexuality more than once: Blanche's brother came out as gay in one episode, Dorothy's college friend was a lesbian, and then there was that time that clueless Rose was trying to prove herself on her first day on the job as a production assistant on a local Miami TV talk show"¦ 7. "Cheesecake," and the real Golden Girls' appeal A large part of the Golden Girls' appeal was that they were all women over age 50 who were still actively working, volunteering in the community, and, yes, dating and having sex. They showed the world that menopause didn't automatically equal resigning oneself to knitting afghans and baking cookies. This was brilliantly illustrated when the Girls were preparing to go on a Valentine's Day cruise with some gentlemen friends and Dorothy suggested that they should perhaps bring along some "protection." Of course, Rose got it all wrong "¦ Now is your chance to come out and admit your Golden Girls love. What is your favorite St. Olaf story? How crazy do you go trying to match the internal architecture of their house with the outside shots? And please try and explain to me the varying number and ages of the Girls' children and grandchildren. Past 'Confessions of a TV-Holic'...	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_0	Pitcairn's Island, free ebooks, ebook, etext treasure found hidden with no evidence of ownership Title: Pitcairn's Island (1933) Author: Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall * A Project Gutenberg Australia eBook * eBook No.: 0800421h.html Language: English Date first posted: April 2008 Date most recently updated: April 2008 Project Gutenberg Australia eBooks are created from printed editions which are in the public domain in Australia, unless a copyright notice is included. We do NOT keep any eBooks in compliance with a particular paper edition. Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing this file. This eBook is made available at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg Australia License which may be viewed online at http://gutenberg.net.au/licence.html GO TO Project Gutenberg Australia HOME PAGE Pitcairn's Island by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall The Bounty Trilogy Wyeth Edition Comprising the Three Volumes: Mutiny on the Bounty (1932) Men Against the Sea (1933) Pitcairn's Island (1934) [This file contains only PITCAIRN'S ISLAND] by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall Illustrations by N C Wyeth Grosset and Dunlap, publishers: 1945 PITCAIRN'S ISLAND To ELLERY SEDGWICK CONTENTS Chapter I Chapter II Chapter III Chapter IV Chapter V Chapter VI Chapter VII Chapter VIII Chapter IX Chapter X Chapter XI Chapter XII Chapter XIII Chapter XIV Chapter XV Chapter XVI Chapter XVII Chapter XVIII Chapter XIX Chapter XX Chapter XXI Epilogue THE PITCAIRN COMMUNITY The "Bounty" Men Their Women Fletcher Christian Maimiti Edward Young Taurua Alexander Smith Balhadi John Mills Prudence William McCoy Mary Matthew Quintal Sarah John Williams Fasto (later Hutia) Isaac Martin Susannah William Brown Jenny The Indian Men Their Women Minarii Moetua Tetahiti Nanai Tararu Hutia Te Moa Nihau Hu The vowels in the Polynesian language are pronounced approximately as in Italian; generally speaking, syllables are given an equal stress. The native names in this book should be pronounced roughly as follows:— Hu Hoo Hutia Hoo-tee-ah Maimiti My-mee-tee Minarii Mee-nah-ree Moetua Mo-ay-too-ah Nanai Nah-nigh Nihau Nee-how Tararu Tah-rah-roo Taurua Ta-oo-roo-ah Te Moa Tay-moa Tetahiti Tay-tah-hee-tee She makes a grand light (Go to this point in the text >>> ) The chief raised his musket and fired (Go to this point in the text >>> ) He looked worse than any naked savage (Go to this point in the text >>> ) CHAPTER I On a day late in December, in the year of 1789, while the earth turned steadily on its course, a moment came when the sunlight illuminated San Roque, easternmost cape of the three Americas. Moving swiftly westward, a thousand miles each hour, the light swept over the jungle of the Amazon, and glittered along the icy summits of the Andes. Presently the level rays brought day to the Peruvian coast and moved on, across a vast stretch of lonely sea. In all that desert of wrinkled blue there was no sail, nor any land till the light touched the windy downs of Easter Island, where the statues of Rapa Nui's old kings kept watch along the cliffs. An hour passed as the dawn sped westward another thousand miles, to a lone rock rising from the sea, tall, ridged, foam-fringed at its base, with innumerable sea fowl hovering along the cliffs. A boat's crew might have pulled around this fragment of land in two hours or less, but the fronds of scattered coconut palms rose above rich vegetation in the valleys and on the upper slopes, and at one place a slender cascade fell into the sea. Peace, beauty, and utter loneliness were here, in a little world set in the midst of the widest of oceans—the peace of the deep sea, and of nature hidden from the world of men. The brown people who had once lived here were long since gone. Moss covered the rude paving of their temples, and the images of their gods, on the cliffs above, were roosting places for gannet and frigate bird. The horizon to the east was cloudless, and, as the sun rose, flock after flock of birds swung away toward their fishing grounds offshore. The fledglings, in the dizzy nests where they had been hatched, settled themselves for the long hours of waiting, to doze, and twitch, and sprawl in the sun. The new day was like a million other mornings in the past, but away to the east and still below the horizon a vessel—the only ship in all that vast region—was approaching the land. His Majesty's armed transport Bounty had set sail from Spithead, two years before, bound for Tahiti in the South Sea. Her errand was an unusual one: to procure on that remote island a thousand or more young plants of the breadfruit tree, and to convey them to the British plantations in the West Indies, where it was hoped that they might provide a supply of cheap food for the slaves. When her mission on Tahiti had been accomplished and she was westward bound, among the islands of the Tongan Group, Fletcher Christian, second-in-command of the vessel, raised the men in revolt against Captain William Bligh, whose conduct he considered cruel and insupportable. The mutiny was suddenly planned and carried swiftly into execution, on the morning of April 28, 1789. Captain Bligh was set adrift in the ship's launch, with eighteen loyal men, and the mutineers saw them no more. After a disastrous attempt to settle on the island of Tupuai, the Bounty returned to Tahiti, where some of the mutineers, as well as a number of innocent men who had been compelled to remain with the ship, were allowed to establish themselves on shore. The Bounty was a little ship, of about two hundred tons burthen, stoutly rigged and built strongly of English oak. Her sails were patched and weather-beaten, her copper sheathing grown over with trailing weed, and the paint on her sides, once a smart black, was now a scaling, rusty brown. She was on the starboard tack, with the light southwesterly Wind abaft the beam. Only nine mutineers were now on board, including Fletcher Christian and Midshipman Edward Young. With the six Polynesian men and twelve women whom they had persuaded to accompany them, they were searching for a permanent refuge: an island so little known, so remote, that even the long arm of the Admiralty would never reach them. Goats were tethered to the swivel stocks; hogs grunted disconsolately in their pens; cocks crowed and hens clucked in the crates where several score of fowls were confined. The two cutters, chocked and lashed down by the bulwarks, were filled to the gunwales with yams, some of them of fifty pounds weight. A group of comely girls sat on the main hatch, gossiping in their musical tongue and bursting into soft laughter now and then. Matthew Quintal, the man at the wheel, was tall and immensely strong, with sloping shoulders and long arms covered with tattooing and reddish hair. He was naked to the waist, and his tanned neck was so thick that a single unbroken line seemed to curve up from his shoulder to the top of his small head. His light blue eyes were set close together, and his great, square, unshaven chin jutted out below a slit of a mouth. The light southwesterly air was dying; presently the ship lost way and began to roll gently in the calm, her sails hanging slack from the yards. Clouds were gathering on the horizon to the north. Quintal straightened his back and turned to glance at the distant wall of darkness, rising and widening as it advanced upon the ship. Christian came up the ladderway. He was freshly shaven and wore a plain blue coat. The tropical sun had burned his face to a shade darker than those of the girls on the hatch. The poise of his strong figure and the moulding of his mouth and jaw were the outward signs of a character instant in decision, resolute, and quick to act. His black eyes, deep-set and brilliant, were fixed on the approaching squall. "Smith!" he called. A brawny young seaman, who had been standing by the mainmast, hastened aft, touching his turban of marae cloth. "Clew up the courses, and make ready to catch what water you can." "Aye, aye, sir!" Smith went forward, shouting: "All hands, here! Shorten sail!" A group of white seamen appeared from the forecastle. The brown men turned quickly from the rail, and several of the girls stood up. "To your stations!" Smith ordered. "Fore and main courses—let go sheets and tacks! Clew lines—up with the clews!" The lower extremities of the two large sails rose to the quarters of the yards, the native men and half a dozen lusty girls shouting and laughing as they put their backs into the work. Smith turned to the seaman nearest him. "McCoy! Take Martin and rig the awning to catch water. Look alive!" Christian had been pacing the quarter-deck, with an eye on the blackening sky to the north. "To the braces, Smith!" he now ordered. "Put her on the larboard tack." "Braces it is, sir." Edward Young, the second-in-command, was standing in the ladder-way—a man of twenty-four, with a clear, ruddy complexion and a sensitive face, marred by the loss of several front teeth. He had gone off watch only two hours before and his eyes were still heavy with sleep. "It has a dirty look," he remarked. "Only a squall; I'm leaving the topsails on her. By God! It will ease my mind to fill our casks! I can't believe that Carteret was mistaken in his latitude, but it is well known that his timekeeper was unreliable. We're a hundred miles east of his longitude now." Young smiled faintly. "I'm beginning to doubt the existence of his Pitcairn's Island," he remarked. "When was it discovered?" "In 1767, when he was in command of the Swallow, under Commodore Byron. He sighted the island at a distance of fifteen leagues, and described it as having the appearance of a great rock, no more than five miles in circumference. It is densely wooded, he says in his account of the voyage, and a stream of fresh water was observed, coursing down the cliffs." "Did he land?" "No. There was a great surf running. They got soundings on the west side, in twenty-five fathoms, something less than a mile from the shore...The island must be somewhere hereabout. I mean to search until we find it." He was silent for a moment before he added: "Are the people complaining?" "Some of them are growing more than restless." Christian's face darkened. "Let them murmur," he said. "They shall do as I say, nevertheless." The squall was now close, concealing the horizon from west to north. The air began to move uneasily; next moment the Bounty lurched and staggered as the first puff struck her. The topsails filled with sounds like the reports of cannon: the sun was blotted out and the wind screamed through the rigging in gusts that were half air, half stinging, horizontal rain. "Hard a-starboard!" Christian ordered the helmsman quietly. "Ease her!" Quintal's great hairy hands turned the spokes rapidly. In the sudden darkness and above the tumult of the wind, the voices of the native women rose faint and thin, like the cries of sea fowl. The ship was righting herself as she began to forge ahead and the force of the wind diminished. In ten minutes the worst was over, and presently the Bounty lay becalmed once more, this time in a deluge of vertical rain. It fell in blinding, suffocating streams, and the sound of it, plashing and murmuring on the sea, was enough to drown a man's voice. Fresh water spouted from the awnings, and as fast as one cask was filled another was trundled into its place. Men and women alike, stripped to their kilts of tapa, were scrubbing one another's backs with bits of porous, volcanic stone. Within an hour the clouds had dispersed, and the sun, now well above the horizon, was drying the Bounty's decks. A line of rippling dark blue appeared to the southwest. The yards were braced on the other tack, and the ship was soon moving on her course once more. Young had gone below. Christian was standing at the weather rail, gazing out over the empty sea with an expression sombre and stern beyond his years. In the presence of others, his features were composed, but oftentimes when alone he sank into involuntary reflections on what was past and what might lie ahead. A tall young girl came up the ladderway, walked lightly to his side, and laid a hand on his shoulder. Maimiti was not past eighteen at this time. Of high lineage on Tahiti, she had left lands, retainers, and relatives to share the dubious fortunes of her English lover. The delicacy of her hands and small bare feet, the lightness of her complexion, and the contours of her high-bred face set her apart from the other women on the ship. As she touched his shoulder, Christian's face softened. "Shall we find the land to-day?" she asked. "I hope so; it cannot be far off." Leaning on the bulwarks at Christian's side, Maimiti made no reply. Her mood at the moment was one of eager anticipation. The blood of seafaring ancestors was in her veins, and this voyage of discovery, into distant seas of which her people preserved only legendary accounts, was an adventure to her taste. Forward, in the shadow of the windlass, where they could converse unobserved, two white men sat in earnest talk. McCoy was a Scot who bore an Irish name—a thin, bony man with thick reddish hair and a long neck on which the Adam's apple stood out prominently. His companion was Isaac Martin, an American. Finding himself in London when the Bounty was fitting out, Martin had managed to speak with her sailing master in a public house, and had deserted his own ship for the prospect of a cruise in the South Sea. He was a dark brutish man of thirty or thereabouts, with a weak face and black brows that met over his nose. "We've give him time enough, Will," he said sourly. "There's no such bloody island, if ye ask me! And if there is, it's nowheres hereabout." "Aye, we're on a wild-goose chase, and no mistake." "Well, then, it's time we let him know we're sick o' drifting about the like o' this! Mills says so, and Matt Quintal's with us. Brown'll do as we tell him. Ye'll never talk Alex over; Christian's God Almighty to him! I reckon Jack Williams has had enough, like the rest. That'll make six of us to the three o' them. What's the name o' that island we raised, out to the west?" "Rarotonga, the Indians said." "Aye. That's the place! And many a fine lass ashore, I'll warrant. If we do find this Pitcairn's Island, it'll be nothing but a bloody rock, with no women but them we've fetched with us. Twelve for fifteen men!" McCoy nodded. "We've no lasses enough. There'll be trouble afore we're through if we hae no more." "In Rarotonga we could have the pick o' the place. It's time we made him take us there, whether he likes it or not!" "Make him! God's truth! Ye're a brave-spoken fellow, Isaac, when there's none to hear ye!" Martin broke off abruptly as he perceived that Smith had come up behind him unaware. He was a powerfully made man in his early twenties, under the middle stature, and with a face slightly pitted with smallpox. His countenance was, nevertheless, a pleasing one, open and frank, with an aquiline nose, a firm mouth, and blue eyes set widely apart, expressing at the same time good humour and self-confident strength. He stood with brawny tattooed arms folded across his chest, gazing at his two shipmates with an ironic smile. Martin gave him a wry look. "Aye, Alex," he grumbled, "it's yourself and Jack Williams has kept us drifting about the empty sea this fortnight past. If ye'd backed us up, we'd ha' forced Christian to take us out o' this long since." Smith turned to McCoy. "Hearken to him, Will! Isaac's the man to tell Mr. Christian his business. He knows where we'd best go! What d'ye say, shall we make him captain?" "There's this must be said, Alex," remarked McCoy apologetically, "we're three months from Tahiti, and it's nigh three weeks we've spent looking for this Pitcairn's Island! How does he know there's such a place?" "Damn your eyes! D'ye think Mr. Christian'd be such a fool as to search for a place that wasn't there? I'll warrant he'll find it before the week's out." "And if he don't, what then?" Martin asked. "Ask him yourself, Isaac. I reckon he'll tell 'ee fast enough." The conversation was interrupted by a hail from aloft, where the lookout stood on the fore-topmast crosstrees. "Aye, man, what d'ye see?" roared Smith. "Birds. A cloud of 'em, dead ahead." Pacing the after deck with Maimiti, Christian halted at the words. "Run down and fetch my spyglass," he said to the girl. A moment later he was climbing the ratlines, telescope in hand. One of the native men had preceded him aloft. His trained eyes made out the distant birds at a glance and then swept the horizon north and south. "Terns," he said, as Christian lowered his glass. "There are albacore yonder. The land will be close." Christian nodded. "The ship sails slowly," he remarked. "Launch a canoe and try to catch some fish. You and two others." The native climbed down swiftly to the deck, calling to his companions: "Fetch our rods, and the sinnet for the outrigger!" The people off watch gathered while the Polynesian men fetched from the forecastle their stout rods of bamboo, equipped with handmade lines and curious lures of mother-of-pearl. The cross-booms were already fast to the outrigger float; they laid them on the gunwales of the long, sharp dugout canoe, and made them fast with a few quick turns of cord. They lowered her over the side, and a moment later she glided swiftly ahead of the ship. The Bounty held her course, moving languidly over the calm sea. The canoe drew ahead fast, but at the end of an hour the ship was again abreast. One man was angling while the two paddlers drove the light vessel back and forth in the midst of a vast shoal of albacore. A cloud of sea birds hovered overhead, the gannets diving with folded wings, while the black noddy-terns fluttered down in companies each time the fish drove the small fry to the surface. Schools of tiny mullet and squid skipped this way and that in frenzied fear, snapped at by the fierce albacore below and the eager beaks of the birds. The angler stood in the stern of the canoe, trailing his lure of pearl shell far aft in the wake. Time after time the watchers on the ship saw the stiff rod bend suddenly as he braced himself to heave a struggling albacore of thirty or forty pounds into the canoe. While the people of the Bounty gazed eagerly on this spectacle, one of the native men began to kindle a fire for cooking the fish. It was plain that there would be enough and to spare for all hands. Presently the canoe came alongside and two or three dozen large albacore were tossed on deck. Alexander Smith had relieved the man at the masthead, and now, while all hands were making ready for a meal, he hailed the deck exultantly: "Land ho-o-o!" Men and women sprang into the rigging to stare ahead. Christian again went aloft, to settle himself beside Smith and focus his telescope on the horizon before the ship. The southerly swell caused an undulation along the line where sea met sky, but at one point, directly ahead, the moving line was interrupted. A triangle, dark and so infinitely small that none but the keenest of eyes could have made it out, rose above the sea. With an arm about the mast and his glass well braced, Christian gazed ahead for some time. "By God, Smith!" he remarked. "You've a pair of eyes!" The young seaman smiled. "Will it be Pitcairn's Island, sir?" he asked. "I believe so," replied Christian absently. The land was still far distant. The wind freshened toward midday, and after their dinner of fish all hands gazed ahead at the rugged island mounting steadily above the horizon. The natives, incapable of concern over the future, regarded the spectacle with pleased interest, but among the white men there was more than one sullen and gloomy face. While the island changed form as it rose higher and higher before the ship, Christian sat in his cabin on the lower deck. With him were two of the Polynesian men, leaders of the others, whom he had asked to meet him there. Minarii, a native of Tahiti, was a man of huge frame, with a bold, stern countenance and the assured, easy bearing of a man of rank. His voice was deep and powerful, his body covered with tattooing in curious and intricate designs, and his thick, iron-grey hair confined by a turban of white marae cloth. His companion, Tetahiti, was a young chief from Tupuai, who had left his island because of the friendship he felt for Christian, and because he knew that this same friendship would have cost him his life had he remained behind when the ship set sail. The people of Tupuai were bitterly hostile to the whites; good fortune alone had enabled the mutineers to leave the island without loss of life. Tetahiti was a powerfully made man, though of slighter build than Minarii; his features were more gently moulded, and his expression less severe. Both had been told that the Bounty was seeking an island where a settlement might be formed; now Christian was explaining to them the true state of affairs. They waited for him to speak. "Minarii, Tetahiti," he said at last, "there is something I want you two and the other Maoris to know. We have been shipmates; if the land ahead of us proves hospitable, we shall soon be close neighbours ashore. For reasons of policy, I have not felt free to tell you the whole truth till now. Too much talk is not good on shipboard. You understand?" They nodded, waiting for him to proceed. "Bligh, who told the people of Tahiti that he was Captain Cook's son, lied to them. He was not a chief in his own land, nor had he the fairness and dignity of a chief. Raised to a position of authority, he became haughty, tyrannical, and cruel. You must have heard tales in Tahiti of how he punished his men by whipping them till the blood ran down their hacks. His conduct to all grew unbearable. As captain, he drew his authority direct from King George, and used it to starve his crew in the midst of plenty, and to abuse his officers while the men under them stood close by." Minarii smiled grimly. "I understand," he said. "You killed him and took the ship." "No. I resolved to seize the ship, put him in irons, and let our King judge between us. But the men had suffered too much at Bligh's hands. For sixteen moons they had been treated as no Maori would treat his dog, and their blood was hot. To save Bligh's life, I put the large boat overboard and sent him into her, with certain men who wished to go with him. We gave them food and water, and I hope for the sake of the others that they may reach England. As for us, our action has made us outlaws to be hunted down, and when our King learns of it he will send a ship to search this sea. You and the others knew that we were looking for an island, remote and little known, on which to settle; now you know the reason. We have found the island. Minarii, shall you be content to remain there? If the place is suitable, we go no further." The chief nodded slightly. "I shall be content," he said. "And you, Tetahiti?" "I can never return to my own land," the other replied. "Where you lead, I shall follow." § § § Four bells had sounded when Christian came on deck, and the Bounty was drawing near the land. At a distance of about a league, it bore from east-by-north to east-by-south, and presented the appearance of a tall ridge, with a small peak at either end. The southern peak rose to a height of not less than a thousand feet and sloped more gently to the sea; its northern neighbour was flanked by dizzy precipices, against which the waves broke and spouted high. Two watercourses, smothered in rich vegetation, made their way down to the sea, and midway between the peaks a slender thread of white marked where a cascade plunged over a cliff. The coast was studded with forbidding rocks, those to the north and south rising high above the spray of breaking seas. Clouds of sea fowl passed this way and that above the ship, regarding the intruders on their solitude with incurious eyes. Everywhere, save on the precipices where the birds reared their young, the island was of the richest green, for vegetation flourished luxuriantly on its volcanic soil, watered by abundant rains. No feature of the place escaped the native passengers, and exclamations of surprise and pleasure came from where they were grouped at the rail. The leadsman began to call off the depths as the water shoaled. They had thirty fathoms when the northern extremity of the island was still half a mile distant, and Christian ordered the sails trimmed so that the ship might steer southeast along the coast. The wind was cut off as she drew abreast of the northern peak; the Bounty moved slowly on, propelled by the cat's-paws that came down off the land. The shore, about four cables distant, rose steeply to a height of two hundred feet or more, and there was scarcely a man on board who did not exclaim at the prospect now revealed. Between the westerly mountains and others perceived to the east lay a broad, gently sloping hollow, broken by small valleys and framed on three sides by ridges and peaks. Here were many hundreds of acres of rich wooded land, sheltered on all sides but the northern one. The sea was calm. Before an hour had passed, the sails were dewed up and the Bounty dropped anchor in twenty fathoms, off a cove where it seemed that a boat might land and the steep green bluffs be scaled. Standing on the quarter-deck, Christian turned to Young. "I fancy we shall find no better landing place, though we have not seen the southern coast. I shall take three of the Indians and explore it now. Stand offshore if the wind shifts; we can fend for ourselves." The smaller canoe was soon over the side, with Tetahiti and two other men as paddlers. Christian seated himself in the bow, and the natives sent the little vessel gliding swiftly away from the ship. Passing between an isolated rock and the cape at the eastern extremity of the cove, the canoe skirted the foot of a small wooded valley, where huge old trees rose above an undergrowth of ferns and flowering shrubs. The pandanus, or screw pine, grew everywhere above the water's edge, its thorny leaves drenched in salt spray and its blossoms imparting a delicious fragrance to the air. Presently they rounded the easternmost cape of the island, which fell precipitously into the sea, here studded with great rocks about which the surges broke. As the canoe turned westward, a shallow, half-moon bay revealed itself to Christian's eyes. The southerly swell broke with great violence here, on a narrow beach of sand at the foot of perpendicular cliffs, unscalable without the aid of ropes let down from above. A cloud of sea fowl hovered along the face of the cliffs, so high overhead that their cries were inaudible in the lulls of the breakers. "An ill place!" said Tetahiti, as the canoe rose high on a swell and the beach was seen, half-veiled by smoking seas. "No man could climb out, though a lizard might." "Keep on," ordered Christian. "Let us see what is beyond." The southern coast of the island was iron-bound everywhere, set with jagged rocks offshore and rising in precipices scarcely less stupendous than those flanking the half-moon bay. On the western side there was a small indentation where a boat might have effected a landing in calm weather, but when they had completed the circuit of the island Christian knew that the cove off which the ship lay at anchor offered the only feasible landing place. The sun was setting as he came on board the Bounty; he ordered the anchor up and the sails loosed to stand off to windward for the night. CHAPTER II At dawn the following morning the island bore north, distant about three leagues. Close-hauled, on the larboard tack, the ship slid smoothly through the calm sea, and toward seven o'clock she passed the southeastern extremity of the island. About half a mile to the northwest, after rounding this point, was the shallow indentation where the Bounty had been anchored the previous day. Sounding continuously, with lookouts aloft and in the bows, she approached the land and again came to anchor half a mile from the beach, in seventeen fathoms. Christian and Young stood together on the quarter-deck while the sails were clewed up and furled. With his spyglass Christian examined the foreshore carefully. Presently he turned to his companion. "I shall be on shore the greater part of the day," he said. "In case of any change in the weather, heave short and be ready to stand off." "Yes, sir." The three men looked up quickly to find Quintal standing behind them. "God love us! It's Matt himself," said McCoy, uneasily. "Come aboard, Matt; we was wishin' for ye," Martin put in with an attempt at heartiness. Quintal squatted on the balls of his feet, his brawny hands on his knees, and grinned at them accusingly. "I've no doubt o' that," he said, "and searchin' for me far and wide. And where did ye find all this?" "Never ye mind, Matt. We ain't thieved it. It's private stock. Would ye relish a taste?" Quintal looked longingly at the bottle. "Ye know damned well I would. No, don't coax me, Isaac. I'd best leave it alone." "That's common sense, lad," said McCoy. "Ye ken yer weakness. We'll no think the less o' ye for standin' out against it." Quintal seated himself in the fern with his back to a tree. "Go on with your boozin'," he said. "What's this, Mills? The little wench ain't shakin' a cloth?" "She's havin' her first spree," said Mills. "She's took to brandy that easy. Where's Jack Williams?" "I've not seen him these two hours." "Not alone, I'll warrant, wherever he is. And it won't be Fasto that's with him." "Aye, he's fair crazed over that—what's her name? Hutia?" "Why can't he keep to his own?" Mills growled. "Where's the need, John?" Martin asked. "I mean to take a walk with Hutia myself, once we're well ashore." "Aye, ye'll be a proper trouble-maker, Isaac, give ye half a chance," said Quintal. "The Indians can play that game as well as ourselves. I'm with John. Let each man keep to his own." "Aye, aye, to that!" said McCoy. "Once there was trouble started 'twixt us and the Indians, there'd be the deil and a' to pay. We've the chance, here, to live quiet and peaceful as ever we like. I say, let's take it and hold fast by it." "And how long will the Indians hold by it, think ye?" asked Martin. "There's three without women. They'll be snoopin' after ours, fast enough." "They'll leave mine alone," said Mills. "That I'll promise!" "Say ye so, John? She'll be amongst the first. I'll warrant some of 'em's had her before now." Mills sprang to his knees and grasped Martin by the shoulders, shaking him violently. "What d'ye say, ye devil? Speak up if ye've seen it! Tell me who, or I'll throttle ye!" "Let me go, John! God's name! I've seen naught! I was only havin' a game wi' ye." Mills glared at him suspiciously, but upon being reassured by the others he released him and resumed his place. "Christian's gone aboard again," said Quintal; "him and Young." "There, lads, we can take it easy," said McCoy in a relieved tone. "Prudence, will 'ee gie us a dance?" He turned to Mills: "Ye don't mind, John? It's a joy to see her." "Mind? Why should he?" said Martin. "Come, Prudence, up wi' ye, wench!" The fumes of the brandy had already mounted to the girl's brain and she was ready enough to comply. The men well understood the quick rhythmic slapping of hands upon knees that marked the time for the dances of the Maori women. Prudence danced proudly, with the natural abandon of the young savage, pausing before each of the men in turn, her slim bare arms akimbo, gazing tauntingly into their eyes as she went through the provocative movements of the dance. Of a sudden she broke off with a peal of laughter and ran lightly away into the thickets. The men cheered heartily. "Come back, ye little imp," Martin called. "We'll have more o' the same." "That we will," said McCoy. "John, I'll trade wenches wi' ye any day ye like." "Keep your own," said Mills, with a harsh laugh. "I'm well pleased with what I got. Come back, ye little mischty! We've not done wi' ye yet." The girl feigned reluctance for a moment; then, running back to Mills, she seized the bottle from his hands and drank again. Quintal watched her with fascinated eyes, nervously clasping and unclasping his great hairy hands. By this time the others were in the mellow state of the first stages of a spree. "Matt Quintal," Martin exclaimed, "I'll see no man sit by with a dry gullet! Ye're perished for a drink, that's plain. Come, have a sup." He passed over a bottle which Quintal accepted, hesitatingly. "Thank 'ee, Isaac. I'll have a taste and no more." It was a generous taste that called for another, and yet another, freely offered by Mills and Martin. A few moments later Quintal reached across and seized the partly emptied bottle at McCoy's side. "Damn yer blood, Matt!" McCoy exclaimed anxiously. "Easy, now! There's but eight quarts for the lot of us!" Quintal held him off with one hand while he drank. "D'ye grudge me a drink, ye hog?" he said, grinning. "Ye've another full bottle beside ye. I'll take that if ye'll like it better." "It's nae that I grudge ye a drink, Matt, but there's enough in the bottle wi' what ye've had to make ye mad drunk, and well ye know it." "Aye," said Mills. "Drink slow, Matt, and water it a-plenty. It'll last the night if ye do that." The afternoon was now well advanced, and the shadow of the high ridge to the westward had already crept beyond the little glade where the men were seated. They drank and lolled at their ease. There was no need, now, to urge Prudence to dance. Martin, Quintal, and McCoy slapped their knees and cheered her on as her gestures and postures became more and more wanton and provocative, but the expression on Mills's face was increasingly sullen. "That'll do, lass," he said, at length. "Off wi' ye, now. Go back wi' the others." But the girl laughed without heeding and, as though with intent to enrage him, passed him by without a glance, dancing before Quintal, gazing into his eyes with a sultry smile. Of a sudden Quintal seized her by the arm, pulling her into his lap, and gave her a bearlike hug, kissing her heartily. Mills sprang to his feet. "Let her go, damn yer blood! Let her go, I say!" The girl, sobered a little, began to struggle, but Quintal held her fast. He turned to Mills with a drunken leer. "She knows who's the best man, don't 'ee, wench?" Pinioning her arms, he kissed her again and again, but as Mills strode forward he got to his feet just in time to receive a blow in the face, delivered with all the strength of Mills's arm. The blood streamed from his nose and he staggered back, but recovered himself. An insane light came into his closely set blue eyes. He tossed the girl aside and clenched his enormous fists. "Ye bloody bastard! I'll kill ye for that!" He gave Mills a blow on the chest that knocked him full length, but he was up again in a second. Rushing forward, he grappled Quintal around the waist. McCoy and Martin were both on their feet by this time, looking anxiously on. "Stop it, lads!" McCoy called, earnestly. "Matt, think what ye do." Glaring wildly, Quintal turned his head and gave McCoy a backhanded blow that sent him sprawling. Mills, for all his strength, was no match for the younger man, and in a moment Quintal had him down, with a knee on his chest and his fingers around his throat. Mills's eyes started from their sockets and his tongue protruded from his mouth. "He'll kill him, Isaac! Pitch in!" McCoy shouted. The two men sprang upon his back, tugging and straining with all their strength. Quintal loosed one hand to seize Martin's arm, giving it such a wrench that he cried out with pain. Meanwhile, with the pressure partly relieved from his throat, Mills gave a desperate heave and, with the others to help him, managed to topple Quintal over. The three men were upon him at once, but their combined strength was not sufficient to keep him down. Breaking Mills's hold on his legs, he struggled to his feet, the others clinging to him desperately. "God be praised! Here's Alex," McCoy panted. "Quick, mon!" Before Quintal had time to turn his head, Smith's burly form was upon him with the others. He fought like a demon, but the odds were now too great. Presently he lay helpless, breathing heavily, his face streaming with sweat and blood, his eyes glaring insanely. "Will ye give in, ye devil?" said Smith. With a bellow of rage Quintal resumed the struggle, and his four antagonists needed all their strength to hold him. "Is there a bit o' line amongst ye?" Smith panted. "We must seize him up." "Prudence!" Mills called; "fetch some purau bark!" The girl, who had been looking on in terror, understood at once. Running to a near-by hibiscus tree, she bit through the tough smooth bark of some of the low-hanging branches and quickly ripped it down, in long strips. After a prolonged struggle the four men had Quintal bound, hand and foot. Presently his eyes closed and he fell into a heavy sleep. "Ye was needed, Alex," said McCoy, in a weak voice. "He'd ha' done for the three of us...Ye'll not let on ye've seen us?" he added. "We can booze quiet now Matt's asleep." "I was sent to look for ye," said Smith. "Mr. Christian's decided to burn the ship. Ye can stay, or go to see her fired, as ye've a mind; but he wanted ye to know." "Burn and be damned to her, now," said Mills. "He reckons what timbers there is left in her will be more trouble to get out than they're worth." "I could ha' told him that three days back," said Martin. "See here, Alex! We've a good sup o' brandy left. Ye'd best stay and have a share." He held out a bottle while Smith stood irresolutely, looking from one to another of them. Of a sudden he threw himself on the ground beside them. "So I will, Isaac!" he said, as he seized the bottle. "We're hogs for drinkin' it on the sly, but away with that!" § § § Dusk deepened into night. Quintal was snoring loudly, and Martin had now reached the maudlin stage of drunkenness. His thoughts had turned to home and he blubbered half to himself, half to his companions, cursing Christian the while, and the hard fate that had left them stranded forever on a rock in mid-ocean. Smith and McCoy, having vainly tried to quiet him, at length gave it up and paid no further heed to him. Mills drank in silence; when deep in his cups he became more and more dour and taciturn. Prudence was asleep with her head in his lap. "Ye're a marvel for drink, Will," Smith was saying. "I'll Warrant ye've had twice as much as Martin, but there's none would know it from yer speech." "I've a good Scotch stomach and a hard Scotch head," McCoy replied. "Ye maun go north o' the Tweed, mon, if ye'd see an honest toper. We've bairns amangst us could drink the best o' ye English under a table, and gang hame to their mithers after, and think nae mair aboot it." Smith grinned. "Aye, ye're grand folk," he replied, "and well ye know it." "We've reason to, Alex; but aboot this burnin' o' the ship..." "Christian's aboard of her now, with Young and Jack Williams. They'll be firin' her directly." Presently a faint reddish glow streamed up from behind the seaward cliffs to the east. It increased from moment to moment until the light penetrated even to where they sat. Smith got to his feet. "We'd best go and see the last of her, Will. I'll cut Matt loose; there's no harm in him now. What'll ye do, John, stay or come with us?" Mills rose and took the native girl up in his arms. "Go past the tents," he said. "I'll leave her there." Martin was asleep. McCoy took up the bottle beside him and held it up to the light. "Isaac's a good sup left here, lads." "Leave that," Mills growled. "It's his, ain't it?" "Will it be safe, think ye? Matt might wake..." "So he might; there's a good Scotch reason," said Smith. "Pass it round, Will." Having emptied the bottle, they left it at Martin's side, and the men proceeded slowly down the valley, Smith leading the way. They found no one at the tents; Mills left Prudence there and they went along the roughly cleared path to the lookout point above the cove. The ship was burning fiercely, flames and sparks streaming high in the air. In the red glare they could plainly see the other members of the Bounty's company seated among the rocks on the narrow foreshore. "She makes a grand light," said McCoy, glumly. "Aye," said Smith. They were silent after that. CHAPTER IV A deeper awareness of their isolation from the world of men now came home to them. The empty sea walled them round, and the ship, burned to the water's edge but still lying where she had been driven upon the rocks, was an eloquent reminder to all of the irrevocable nature of their fate. For some of the white men, in particular, the sight of the blackened hulk, washed over by the sea, had a gloomy fascination not to be resisted. In the evening when work for the day was over, they would come singly, or in groups of two or three, to the lookout point above the cove and sit there until the last light had left the sky, gazing down upon all that remained of the vessel as though they could not vet realize that she was lost to them forever. Among the mutineers, Brown was the one most deeply affected by the nature of their fate. He was a small, shy man of thirty years, with a gentle voice and manner, in marked contrast with those of some of the companions chance had forced upon him. Curiously enough, his presence among them was due to that very mildness of his character, and to his inability to make immediate decisions for himself. He had sailed in the Bounty in the capacity of assistant to Mr. Nelson, the botanist of the expedition, and had spent five happy months on Tahiti, studying the flora of the island and helping to collect and care for the young breadfruit trees. Upon the morning of the mutiny he had been shaken from sleep by Martin, who had thrust a musket into his hands and ordered him on deck. There he had stood with his weapon, during the uproar which followed, completely bewildered by what was taking place, appalled by what he had unwittingly done, and incapable of action until the opportunity for it had been lost. Christian had beew as surprised as grieved when, later, he discovered Brown among the members of his own party; and Brown of necessity transferred to Christian his dependence for the protection and guidance furnished up to that time by his chief, Mr. Nelson. He knew nothing of ships or the sea, but he had a prfound knowledge of soils and plants, and his love of nature compensated him, in a measure, for hours of desperate homesickness. He suffered no more from this cause than did many of the women of the Bounty's company. They longed for the comfort of numbers; for the gaiety of their communal life at Tahiti; for the quiet lagoons lighted at night by the torches of innumerable fishermen; for the clear, full-running mountain streams where they had bathed at evening. They longed for the friends and kindred whom they knew, now, they could never hope to see again; for the voices of children; for the authority of long-established custom. Conditions on this high, rockbound island were as strange to them as the ways of their white lords, and the silence, the loneliness, awed and frightened them. Two only of their numbers escaped, in part, the general feeling of forsakenness: the young girl whom Mills had taken, and whom he had named, with unconscious irony, "Prudence," and Jenny, the consort of Brown. Jenny was a slender, active, courageous woman of Brown's own age, with all the force of character he lacked. She was the oldest of the women, but she was sprung from the lower class of Tahitian society, and, although of resolute character, she maintained toward Maimiti and Taurua, the consorts of Christian and Young, the deference and respect which their birth and blood demanded that she should. To Moetua, as well, the same deference was extended; for she too was of the kindred of chiefs, and her husband, Minarii, had been a man of authority on Tahiti. Gradually the sense of loneliness, common at first to all, gave place to more cheerful feelings, and men and women alike set themselves with a will to the work before them. A tract of land near the temporary settlement was chosen for the first garden, and for the period of a week most of the company was engaged in clearing and planting. This task finished, the garden was left to the charge of Brown and some of the women, while the others, under Christian's direction, were occupied with house-building. The site chosen for the permanent settlement lay beneath the mountain which they called the "Goat-House Peak," a little to the eastward of a narrow valley whose western wall was formed by the mountain itself. By chance or by mutual agreement they had divided themselves into households, and all save Brown and Jenny, who wished to live inland, had chosen sites for their dwellings on the seaward slope of the main valley. Christian's house was building below the gigantic banyan tree where he and Maimiti had halted to rest on the day of their first visit ashore. The second household was that of Young and Alexander Smith, with their women, Taurua and Balhadi. Mills, Martin, and Williams formed the third, with Prudence, Susannah, and Fasto; Quintal and McCoy, Sarah and Mary, the fourth; and the native men, the fifth. This latter was the largest household, of nine members: Minarii, Tetahiti, Tararu, Te Moa, Nihau, and Hu, with the wives of the three first, Moetua, Nanai, and Hutia. Te Moa, Nihau, and Hu were the three men unprovided with women. The white men, with the exception of Brown, were erecting wooden houses made partly of the Bounty materials and partly of island timber, and the rofs were to be of pandanus-leaf thatch. The dwelling for the native men was situated in a glade a quarter of a mile inland from Bounty Bay. Quintal and McCoy lived nearest to the landing place. The houses of the other mutineers were closer together, but hidden from one another in the forest that covered the valley. The native men, helped by the stronger of the women, were allotted the task of carrying the supplies to the settlement while the white men were building a storehouse to contain them. Christian, with the general consent, grudgingly given by some of the men, took the stores into his own charge and kept the keys to the storehouse always on his person. He ruled the little colony with strict justice, granting white men and brown complete liberty in their personal affairs so long as these did not interfere with the peace of the community. An equitable division of labour was made. Williams was employed at his forge, with the native, Hu, as his helper. Mills and Alexander Smith had charge of the saw pit; Quintal and McCoy looked after the livestock, building enclosures near the settlement for some of the fowls and the brood sows. Brown was relieved of all other employment so that he might give his full time to the gardens. The native men were employed as occasion demanded, and during the early months of the settlement it was they who did the fishing for the community and searched for the wild products of the island—plantains, taro, candlenuts for lighting purposes, and the like. Christian and Young had general supervision of all, and set an example to the others by working, with brief intervals for meals, from dawn until dark. As for the women, they had work and to spare while the houses were building, in collecting and preparing the pandanus leaves for thatch. These had first to be soaked in the sea, then smoothed and straightened and the long, thorn-covered edges removed; after which they were folded over light four-foot segments of split canes and pinned thus with slender midribs from the leaves of palm fronds. Some two thousand canes of these raufara, as they were called, each of them holding about forty pandanus leaves, were needed for the thatching of each dwelling. From the beginning Christian had set aside Sunday as a day of rest, in so far as the community work was concerned. Neither he nor Young was of religious turn of mind, and the other white men even less so; therefore no service was held and each man employed himself as he pleased. § § § Late on a Sunday afternoon toward the end of February, Christian and Young had climbed to the ridge connecting the two highest peaks of the island. It was an impressive lookout point. To the eastward the main valley lay outspread. On the opposite side the land fell away in gullies and precipitous ravines to the sea. Several small cascades, the result of recent heavy rains, streamed down the rocky walls, arching away from them, in places, as they descended. Small as the island was, its aspect from that height had in it a quality of savage grandeur, and the rich green thickets on the gentler slopes, lying in the full splendour of the westering sun, added to the solemnity of narrow valleys already filling with shadow, and the bare precipices that hung above them. The view would have been an arresting one in the most frequented of oceans; it was infinitely more so here where the vast floor of the sea, which seemed to slope down from the horizons, lay empty to the gaze month after month, year after year. The ridge at that point was barely two paces in width. Christian seated himself on a rock that overhung the mountain wall; Young reclined in the short fern at his side. Sea birds were beginning to come home from their day's fishing far offshore. As the shadows lengthened over the land their numbers increased to countless thousands, circling high in air, their wings flashing in the golden light. The two friends remained silent for a long time, listening to the faint cries of the birds and the thunder of the surf against the bastions of the cliffs nearly a thousand feet below. The spirit of solitude had altered both of these men, each in a different way. Brief as their time on the island had been, the sense of their complete and final removal from all they had known in the past had been borne in upon them swiftly, and had now become an accepted and natural condition of their lives. Christian was the first to speak. "A lonely sound, Ned," he said at length. "Sometimes I love it, but there are moments when the thought that I can never escape it drives me half frantic." Young turned his head. "The booming of the surf?" he asked. "I have already ceased to hear it in a conscious way. To me it has become a part of the silence of the place." "I wish I could say as much. You have a faculty I greatly admire. What shall I call it? Stillness of mind, perhaps. It is not one that you could have acquired. You must have had it always." Young smiled. "Does it seem to you such a valuable faculty?" "Beyond price!" Christian replied, earnestly. "I have ften observed you without your being aware of the fact. I believe that you could sit for hours on end without forethought or afterthought, enjoying the beauty of each moment as it passes. What would I not give for your quiet spirit!" "Allow me to say that I have envied you, many's the time, for having the reverse of my quietness, as you call it. There is all too little of the man of action in my character. When I think what a sorry aide I am to you here..." "A sorry aide? In God's name, Ned, what could I do without you? Supposing..." He broke off with a faint smile. "Enough," he added. "The time has not come when we need begin paying one another compliments." They had no further speech for some time; then Christian said: "There is something I have long wanted to ask you...Give me your candid opinion...Is it possible, do you think, that Bligh and the men with him could have survived?" Young gave him a quick glance. "I have waited for that question," he replied. "The matter is not one I have felt free to open, but I have been tempted to do so more than once." "Well, what do you think?" "That there is reason to believe them safe." Christian turned to him abruptly. "Say it again, Ned! Make me believe it! But, no...What do I ask? Could nineteen men, unarmed, scantly provided with food and water, crowded to the point of foundering in a ship's boat, make a voyage of full twelve hundred leagues? Through archipelagoes peopled with savages who would ask nothing better than to murder them at sight? Impossible!" "It is by no means impossible if you consider the character of the man who leads them," Young replied, quietly. "Remember his uncanny skill as a navigator; his knowledge of the sea; his prodigious memory. I doubt whether there is a known island in the Pacific, or the fragment of one, whose precise latitude and longitude he does not carry in his head. Above all, Christian, remember his stubborn, unconquerable will. And whatever we may think of him otherwise, you will agree that, with a vessel under him, though it be nothing but a ship's launch, Bligh is beyond praise." "He is; I grant it freely. By God! You may be right! Bligh could do it, and only he! What a feat it would he!" "And it may very well be an accomplished fact by now," Young replied. "Nelson, Fryer, Cole, Ledward, and all the others may be approaching England at this moment, while we speak of them. They would have had easterly winds all the way. They may have reached the Dutch East Indies in time to sail home with the October fleet." "Yes, that would be possible...If only I could be sure of it!" "Try to think of them so," Young replied earnestly. "Let me urge you, Christian, to brood no longer over this matter. You are not justified in thinking of them as dead. Believe me, you are not. I say this not merely to comfort you; it is my reasoned opinion. The launch, as you know, was an excellent sea boat. Think of the voyages we ourselves have made in her, in all kinds of weather." "I know..." "And bear this in mind," Young continued: "there are, as you say, vast archipelagoes known to exist between the Friendly Islands and the Dutch settlements. It is by no means unlikely that Bligh has been able to land safely, at various places, for refreshment. How many small uninhabited islands have we ourselves seen where a ship's boat might lie undiscovered by the savages for days, or weeks?" He broke off, glancing anxiously at his companion. Christian turned and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Say no more, Ned. It has done me good to speak of this matter, for once. Whatever may have happened, there is nothing to be done about it now." "And if Bligh reaches home?" Christian smiled, bitterly. "There will be a hue and cry after us such as England has not known for a century," he replied. "And the old blackguard will be lifted, for a time at least, to a level with Drake. And what will be said of me..." He put the palms of his hands to his eyes in an abrupt gesture and kept them there for a moment; then he turned again to his companion. "It is odd to think, Ned, that you and I may live to be old men here, with our children and grandchildren growing up around us. We will never be found; I am all but certain of that." Young smiled. "What a strange colony we shall be, fifty years hence! What a mixture of bloods!" "And of tongues as well. Already we seem to be developing a curious speech of our own, part English, part Indian." "English, I think, will survive in the end," Young replied. "Men like Mills and Quintal and Williams have a fair smattering of the Indian tongue, but they will never be able to speak it well. It interests me to observe how readily some of the women are acquiring English. Brown's woman and that girl of Mills's are surprisingly fluent in it, even now." "Do you find that you sometimes think in Tahitian?" "Frequently. We are being made over here quite as much as the Indians themselves." "I feel encouraged, Ned, sincerely hopeful," Christian remarked presently. "Concerning the future, I mean. The men are adjusting themselves surprisingly well to the life here. Don't you think so?" "Yes, they are." "If we can keep them busy and their minds occupied...For the present there is little danger. That will come later when we've finished house-building and are well settled." "Let's not anticipate." "No, we shan't borrow our troubles, but we must be prepared for them. Have you noticed any friction between ourselves and the Indian men?" "I can't say that I have. Nothing serious, at least, since the day when Martin chucked their sacred temple stones into the sea." Christian's face darkened. "There is a man we must watch," he said. "He is a bully and a coward at heart. The meanest Maori in the South Sea is a better man. Martin will presume as far as he dares on his white skin." "It is not only Martin who will do so," Young replied; "Mills and Quintal have much the same attitude toward the Indians." "But there is a decency about those two lacking in Martin. I have explained him to Minarii and Tetahiti. I have told them that Martin belongs to a class, in white society, that is lower than the serfs among the Maoris. They understand. In fact, they had guessed as much before I told them." Young nodded. "There is little danger of Martin's presuming with either of them," he said. "It is Hu and Tararu and Te Moa whom he will abuse, if he can." "And his woman, Susannah," Christian added. "I pity that girl from my heart. I've no doubt that Martin makes her life miserable in countless small ways." He rose. "We'd best be going down, Ned. It will be dark soon." They descended the steep ridge to the gentler slopes below and made their way slowly along, skirting the dense thickets of pandanus and rata trees, and crossing glades where the interlaced foliage, high overhead, cut off the faint light of the afterglow, making the darkness below almost that of night. In one of these glades two others of the Bounty's company had passed 'that afternoon. Scarcely had Christian and Young crossed it when a screen of thick fern at one side parted and Hutia glanced after the retreating figures. She was a handsome girl of nineteen with small, firm breasts and a thick braid of hair reaching to her knees. She stood poised as lightly as a fawn ready for flight, all but invisible in the shadows; then she turned to someone behind her. "Christian!" she exclaimed in an awed voice. "Christian and Etuati!" Williams was lying outstretched in the thick fern, his hands clasped behind his head. "What if it was?" he replied gruffly. "Come, sit ye down here!" Seizing her by the wrist, he drew her to him fiercely. The girl pushed herself back, laughing softly. "Aué, Jack! You want too much, too fast. I go now. Tararu say, 'Where Hutia?' And Fasto say, 'Where my man?'" Williams took her by the shoulders and held her at arm's length. "Never ye mind about Fasto, ye little minx! 'Which d'ye like best, Tararu or me?" The girl gave him a sly smile. "You," she said. Of a sudden she slipped from his grasp, sprang to her feet, and vanished in the darkness. CHAPTER V A path, growing daily more distinct, and winding picturesquely among the trees, led from Bounty Bay along the crest of the seaward slopes as far as Christian's house, at the western extremity of the settlement. Close to his dwelling a second path branched inland, along the side of a small valley. This led to Brown's Well, a tiny, spring-fed stream which descended in a succession of pools and slender cascades, shaded by great trees and the fern-covered walls of the ravine itself. The uppermost pool had been transformed into a rock cistern where the drinking water for the settlement was obtained. A larger one, below, was used for bathing, and during the late afternoon was reserved for the exclusive use of the women. This was the happiest hour of the day for them. At the bathing pool they cast off, with the strange English names bestowed on some of them by the mutineers, the constraint they felt in the presence of the white men. But in the midst of their laughter and cheerful talk there were moments when a chance remark concerning Tahiti, or a passing reference to something connected with their old life there, would cast a shadow on their spirits, passing slowly, like the shadow of a cloud on the high slopes of the valley. One afternoon several of the women were sunning themselves on a great rock which stood at the brink of the pool. Their bath was over and they were combing and drying their hair, while some of them twined wreaths of sweet fern. Moetua had spoken of the tiare maohi, the white, fragrant Tahitian gardenia. "Say no more!" said Sarah, her eyes glistening with tears. "We know that we shall never see it again. Alas! I can close my eyes and smell its perfume now!" "Tell me, Moetua, if all were to do again, would you leave Tahiti?" Susannah asked. "Yes. Minarii is here, and am I not his wife? This is a good land, and it pleases him, so I must be content. Already I think less often than I did of Tahiti. Do not you others find it so?" "Not I!" exclaimed Susannah bitterly. "I would never come again. Never! Never!" "But we were told before we left that the ship was not to return," remarked Balhadi quietly. "Christian made that known to all of us." "Who could have believed it!" said Sarah. "And Mills and the others said it was not so, that we would surely return...Do you remember, you others, the morning after we set sail from Matavai, when the wind changed and the ship was steered to the westward?" "And we passed so close to the reefs of Eimeo?" Susannah put in. "Do I not remember! Martin stood with me by the rail with his arm tight around me. He knew that I would leap into the sea and swim ashore if given the chance!" "Quintal held me by the two hands," remarked Sarah, "else I should have done the same." "Why did the ship leave so quickly?" asked Nanai. "No one in Matavai knew that she was to sail that night." "They feared that you would change your minds at the last moment," Moetua replied. "That is how I was caught," said Prudence. "Mills went to my uncle with his pockets filled with nails, the largest kind; he must have had a score of them. My uncle's eyes were hungry when he saw them. 'You shall spend the night on the ship, with the white man,' he told me. So he was given the nails and I went with Mills. When I awoke at daybreak, the vessel was at sea." "And you like him now, your man?" Hutia asked. Prudence shrugged her shoulders. "He is well enough." "He is mad about you," said Susannah. "That is plain." "He is like a father and a lover in one," the girl replied. "I can do as I please with him." "For my part," observed Moetua, "I would not change places with any of you. I prefer a husband of our own race. These white men are strange; their thoughts are not like ours. We can never understand them." "I do not find it so," said Balhadi. "My man, Smith, might almost be one of us. I can read his thoughts even when his speech is not clear to me. White men are not very different from those of our blood." "It may be so," replied Moetua, doubtfully. "Maimiti says the same. She seems happy with Christian." "It is different with Maimiti," Sarah put in. "Christian speaks our tongue like one of us. The others learn more slowly." Prudence had finished combing her hair and was beginning to plait it rapidly, with skillful fingers. She glanced up at Sarah: "How is it with you and Quintal?" she asked. "How is he as a lover, you mean?" "Yes, tell us that." Sarah glanced at the others with a wry smile. "Night comes. He sits with his chin on his great fists. What are his thoughts? I do not know. Perhaps he has none. He is silent. How could it be otherwise when he is only beginning to learn our speech? He pays no heed to me. I wait, well knowing what is to come. At last it comes. When he is wearied, he rolls on his back and snores. Atira! There is no more to tell." Prudence threw back her head and burst into laughter. The others joined in and the glade rang with their mirth. Sarah's smile broadened; a moment later she was laughing no less heartily than the rest. "What a strange man!" said Nanai, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. Sarah nodded. "He thinks only of himself. I shall never understand his ways." "What of the men who have no wives?" asked Moetua, presently. "How miserable they are!" said Hutia, laughing. "Who is to comfort them?" "Not I," remarked Balhadi. "I am content with my man, and will do nothing to cause him pain or anger." "Why should he be angry for so small a thing?" asked Nanai. "You know nothing of white men," said Prudence. "They consider it a shameful thing for the woman of one man to give herself to another. Nevertheless, I will be one of those to be kind to the wifeless men." "And I!" exclaimed Susannah. "I fear Martin as much as I hate him, but I shall find courage to deceive him. To make a fool of him will comfort me." "This matter can be kept among ourselves," said Moetua. "The white men need never know of it." "Christian would be angry, if he knew," remarked Balhadi gravely. "It is as Prudence says: the white men regard their women as theirs alone. Trouble may easily come of this." "Then Christian should have brought more women, one for each," replied Moetua. "He must know that no man can be deprived of a woman his life long." "He knows," said Susannah. "He is a chief, like Minarii, and would protect me from Martin, if it came to that." "And it will come to that," observed Prudence. "Yes," put in Nanai. "You should go to Christian now, and tell him how you are treated. Martin is a nohu." "He is worse than one," Susannah replied gloomily. "I believe that he has not once bathed since we came here. I can endure his cruelty better than his filth...Alas! Let us speak of something more pleasant. I try to forget Martin when here with you." All of these women were young, with the buoyant and happy dispositions common to their race. A moment later they were chatting and laughing as gaily as though they had not a care in the world. § § § The garden was now in a flourishing condition. The red, volcanic soil was exceedingly rich, and the beds of yams, sweet potatoes, and the dry-land taro called tarua gave promise of an early and abundant harvest. The pale green shoots of the sugar cane were beginning to appear, and young suckers of the banana plants were opening in the sun. An abundance of huge old breadfruit trees had been found in the main valley, but Brown had, nevertheless, carefully planted the young trees brought from Tahiti, clearing a few yards of land here and there in favoured spots. Like the plants, the livestock loosed on the island throve well. The hogs grew fat on the long tubers of the wild yam, and the place was a paradise for the fowls, with neither bird nor beast of prey to molest them, and food everywhere to be had for the picking. The small, brown, native rat had, as yet, no taste for eggs and did not harm the young chicks. The fowls began to increase rapidly, and the cheerful crowing of the cocks was a welcome sound, relieving the profound silence which had been so oppressive to all during the first days on shore. On the further side of the high peak, to the west of the settlement, a house and a pen had been made for the goats, where they were fed and watered each day. From the main ridge of the island to the cliffs on the southern side the land sloped gently, forming an outer valley as rich as that on the northern side. This was named the Auté Valley, from the circumstance that the first gardens of the auté, or cloth-plant, fetched from Tahiti, were set out here. Brown had chosen to live on this southern slope, remote from the others; his little thatched house stood in a sunny glade, embowered in the foliage of lofty trees and near a trickle of water sufficient for one family's needs. He and Jenny had cleared a path through the thickets behind and above them, over the ridge and down to join another path which led through the heart of the Main Valley to the settlement. Jenny, Brown's girl, though small and comely, had all the resolution the gardener lacked. They had lived together on shore during the long months at Tahiti while Captain Bligh was collecting his cargo of breadfruit plants, and the thought of returning to her had been Brown's only solace after his involuntary part in the mutiny. Her feeling toward him was that of a mother and protectress, for Jenny was one of those women of exceptionally strong character who choose as husbands small, mild men, in need of sterner mates. Like Brown, Minarii had a deep love of nature and of growing things. Nearly every evening he came to exchange a word with Jenny and to mark the growth of the young plants; little by little, a curious friendship sprang up between the stern war-chief and the lonely English gardener. A man of few words in his own tongue, Brown was incapable of learning any other, but Jenny spoke English by this time, and with her as interpreter he spent many an evening listening to Minarii's tales of old wars on Tahiti, and of how he had received this wound or that. One evening late in February, Minarii and Moetua, his wife, came to Brown's house. The native set down a heavy basket, and his grim face relaxed as he took Brown's hand. "We have been down over the southern cliffs," Moetua told Jenny. "The birds are beginning to lay. Here are eggs of the kaveka and oio, which nest on the face of the cliff. You will find them good. Minarii made a rope fast at the top and we clambered down. Fasto came as well." "Thank them," Brown put in to Jenny. "I shudder to think of any man, to say nothing of women, taking such risks!" Minarii turned to his wife. "Go and eat, you two, while I prepare our part." While Brown went to fetch some wild yams, Minarii kindled a fire, heated several stones, and dropped them into a calabash of water, which began to boil at once. Eggs were then dropped in till the calabash was full, and the yams hastily scraped and roasted on the coals. The two men made a hearty meal. The moon came up presently and the visitors rose to leave. When they were gone, Jenny spread a mat before the doorstep and sat down to enjoy the beauty of the night. She patted the mat beside her, and Brown stretched himself out, with his head on her knee. The night was windless; the moonlight softened the outlines of the house and lay in pools of silver on the little clearing. Smoothing Brown's hair absently, jenny recounted the gossip of the settlement. "I have been talking with Moetua," she said. "There is trouble coming, and Williams is the cause of it. Do you know why he sent Fasto with them to-day?" "I suppose he wanted some eggs," said the gardener, drowsily. "Perhaps he likes eggs, but he likes Hutia better. He meets her in the bush each time he can get Fasto out of the way. And Tararu is a jealous husband, though a fool. Jealous! Yet he would like to be the lover of Mills's girl!" "Of Prudence? That child?" "Child!" Jenny gazed down at him, shaking her head wonderingly. "You yourself are only a child," she said. "You understand only your plants and trees." John Williams was working alone on his house, while Martin and Mills carried plank up the path from Bounty Bay. The framing of the two-story dwelling was now finished, and he was sawing and notching the rafters. The three women had worked well in preparing the thatch, and he planned to finish the roof before beginning on the walls and floor. It was close to midday and the sun was hot in the clearing. Williams was naked to the waist; the sweat streamed down his chest, matted with coarse black hair. He put down his saw and dashed the perspiration from his eyes. "Fasto!" he called. A short, dark, sturdy woman stepped out of the shed where their cooking was done. She was of humble birth, silent, docile, and industrious. Williams appreciated to the full her devotion to him, as well as her skill in every native pursuit. "Dinner ready?" he asked. "Fetch me a pail of water." She dashed the water over his head and shoulders, while he scrubbed the grime from his face. Then she brought his dinner of roasted breadfruit, yams, and a dozen tern's eggs, spreading broad green leaves for a tablecloth beside him on the ground. He squeezed her arm as she leaned over him. "Hard as nails! Sit ye down and eat with me, old girl." She shook her head. "Oh, damn yer heathen notions!...Any more eggs? No?" Ignorant of the native tongue, which he held in contempt, Williams had forced the woman to learn a few words of English. Tears came into her eyes, for she felt that she had been remiss in her wifely duty. Struggling to express herself, she murmured: "Fetch more eggs, supper." "Aye. There's a good lass. Work hard and eat hearty, that's Jack Williams." As he rose, he gave her a kiss and a pat on the back. Fasto smiled with pleasure as she went off to the cookhouse with the remnants of the meal. Toward mid-afternoon, when he paused once more in his work, the blacksmith had put in nine hours on the house and accomplished much. Fasto had gone off an hour earlier with her basket, toward the cliffs on the south side of the island. Martin and Mills were still engaged in their task at the cove. Scrubbing himself clean, Williams hitched up the kilt of tapa around his waist and glanced quickly up and down the path. Sounds of hammering came from McCoy's house, but no one was in sight. Crossing the path, he disappeared into the bush. A quarter of a mile south of the settlement, in the midst of the forest, an old pandanus tree spread its thorny leaves to the sun. Its trunk, supported on a pyramid of aerial roots, rose twenty feet without a branch. Hutia was descending cautiously, taking advantage of every roughness of the bark. The ground was littered with the leaves she had plucked for thatch. She sprang down lightly from the tree and began to gather up her leaves in bundles, working mechanically as she glanced this way and that and stopped to listen from time to time. Then suddenly she dropped her work and stepped into the shadow of a thick-spreading purau tree close by. Williams appeared, walking softly through the bush. He glanced aloft at the pandanus tree and down at the bundles of leaves on the ground. Peering about uncertainly, he heard the sound of soft laughter. Next moment the girl was in his arms. "Where is Fasto?" she asked apprehensively. "Never ye mind about her; she'll not be back till dark." While Williams lingered in the bush and his mates toiled up from the cove with the day's last load of plank, Prudence sat by the house, stripping thorns from a heap of pandanus leaves beside her. She was scarcely sixteen, small of stature and delicately formed, with a pale golden skin and copper-red hair. She turned her head as she heard the sound of a footfall on the path. From the corner of her eye she saw Tararu approaching. Bending over her work as if unaware of his coming, she gave a little start when he spoke. "Where are the others?" he asked. "Aué! You frightened me!" Tararu smiled, seating himself at her side. "Afraid of me? I must teach you better, some day when Mills is not so close...Where are the other women?" "Collecting leaves." "You have worked well. How many reeds of raufara are needed?" "Two thousand," said Prudence. "One thousand eight hundred and seventy are done." With eyes cast down upon her work, she began to sing softly, a rhythmic and monotonous little melody sung in Tahiti by the strolling players of the arioi society. Tararu bent his head to listen, chuckling silently at the broad double-meaning in the first verse. She began the second verse, and as he listened to the soft, childish voice, the man regarded her intently. "A bird climbs the cliffs, Robbing the nests of other birds, Seeking eggs to feed her mate. But the mate is not building a nest. No! He is hiding in a thicket with another bird." Prudence sang on as if unaware that she had a listener, making no further mention of the doings of birds. After a futile attempt to catch her eye, Tararu rose and walked away inland. Like many philanderers, he felt the most tender solicitude concerning the virtue of his own wife. Hutia was making her way down to the settlement with a heavy bundle of leaves on her back. She moved silently through the bush, with eyes alert, and was aware of her husband a full ten seconds before he knew of her approach. Her gait and posture changed at once, and she looked up wearily as the man drew near. "Lay down your burden," Tararu ordered. She dropped the bundle of leaves with a sigh. "It was good of you to come." Tararu gazed down at her without a smile, but she returned his glance so calmly that his suspicions were shaken. He was deeply enamoured of her, though always ready for a flirtation with another girl, and he desired nothing more than to be convinced of her innocence. No guilty wife, he thought, could meet her husband so fearlessly. He smiled at last, took up the bundle, and led the way to the settlement. § § § One evening in early March, Hutia was making her way to the bathing pool. She had had words with Tararu, who had knocked her down while two of the native men stood by, and, wishing to nurse her anger alone, she had delayed her bath until an hour when the other women should have returned to the settlement. She had no eyes for the beauty of the glade. Hedged in by thick bush, which made a green twilight at this hour, the place was deserted save for Prudence at her bath. The girl stood knee-deep in the water, her back to Hutia and enveloped to the waist in her unbound hair. She had a small calabash in her hand and was bending to take up water when Hutia spoke. "Make haste!" she said harshly. "I wish to bathe by myself." Prudence glanced coolly at the other girl. "Who are you? Queen of this island? Am I your servant, me, with a white man for husband?" "Husband!" exclaimed Hutia angrily. "Aye, and you'd like to have mine as well. Take care! I have seen you looking at him with soft eyes!" "Keep him!" Prudence said jeeringly, turning to face the other. "Keep him if you can!" "What do you mean?" "What I say!" Prudence laughed softly. "You keep him! A black-haired loose woman like you!" She was of the ehu, or fair Maoris, and her words stung Hutia to the quick. "Red dog!" "Sow!" Hutia sprang on the smaller girl fiercely, seized her by the hair, and after a short tussle succeeded in throwing her down in the pool. There, astride of her enemy's back and with hands buried in her hair, she held her under water, jerking at her head savagely till the younger girl was half drowned. At last she was satisfied. She stood up, turned her back scornfully, and began to bathe. Prudence rose from the pool, donned her kilt and mantle with trembling hands, took up her calabash, and disappeared into the bush. Stopping to compose herself and to arrange her hair before she reached the settlement, she went straight to the cookhouse where she knew that Fasto would be at work. "There is something I must tell you," she said to the elder woman, who sat on a little three-legged stool as she grated a coconut for her fowls. "You have been kind to me. I am young and you have been like a mother. Now I must tell you, before the others begin to mock." "Aye, child, what is it?" said Fasto. This simple and industrious woman had a soft heart, and the girl's youth appealed to the mother in her. She took her hand and stroked it. "What is it, child?" she repeated. Prudence hesitated before she spoke. "It is hard to tell, but will come best from one who loves you. Open your eyes! Williams is a good man and loves you, but all men are weak before women's eyes. Hutia has desired him long. Now they meet each day in the bush, while you and Tararu are blind...You do not believe me? Then go and see for yourself. Hide yourself near the great pandanus tree at the hour when Williams goes inland to bathe. Your man will come, and Hutia will steal through the bush to meet him." Fasto sat in silence, with bowed head and eyes filling with tears as she continued to stroke the girl's hand. "I cannot believe it, child, but I will do as you say. Should I find my husband with that woman...There will be no sleep for me this night." § § § When the moon rose on the following evening, Williams was striding along the path that led to McCoy's house. Most of the inmates were already in bed, but Mary sat cross-legged on the floor, plaiting a mat of pandanus by the light of a taper of candlenuts. She was a woman of twenty-five, desperately homesick for Tahiti. Williams called to her softly. "Mary! Eh, Mary! Is Will asleep?" McCoy rose from his bed of tapa and crossed the dim-lit room to the door. "Jack? I was only resting. We're dead beat, Matt and me." "Come outside...Have 'ee seen Pasta?" "No. What's up?" "She went off to fetch eggs; before I had my bath, that was, and not a sign o' her since. I was cursing her for a lazy slut at supper time, but, by God, I'm afeared for her now! Her lazy! The best wench on the island, pretty or not!" "I've seen naught of her," said McCoy. "Wait, I'll ask Mary." He went into the house, and Williams heard them whispering together. Presently he returned. "Aye, Mary's seen her; she passed this way late in the afternoon. Mary gave her a hail, but she never turned her head. She'd her egging basket. Like enough she was making for the Rope." The blacksmith stood irresolute for some time before he spoke. "Thank 'ee, Will. I'll be getting home. If she's not back by morning, I'll make a search." His heart was heavy and his thoughts sombre as he trudged home through the moonlit bush. Though he lay down on his sheets of clean tapa, smoothed by Fasto's hands, he could not sleep. At daybreak he set out with Martin and one of the native men. They launched the smaller canoe and ran her out through the breakers. The morning was calm, with a light air from the west, and as they paddled around Ship-Landing Point, they scanned the declivities above. Beyond the easternmost cape of the island, flanked by jagged rocks offshore, they entered the half-moon cove at the foot of the Rope. As the canoe rose high on a swell, the native gave an exclamation and pointed to the beach of sand at the base of the cliffs, where something lay huddled beneath a small pandanus tree. "Steer for the shore!" the blacksmith ordered gruffly. They had a near thing as a feathering sea swept them between two boulders, but Williams paddled mechanically, face set and eyes staring at the beach ahead. He was out of the canoe before it grounded; while the others held it against the backwash, he hastened across the narrow beach to the pandanus tree. The cove was a lonely, eerie place, hemmed in by precipices many hundreds of feet in height. The western curve of the cliffs lay in full sunlight, which glinted on the plumage of a thousand sea fowl, sailing back and forth at a great height. Williams came trudging back, took from the canoe a mantle of native cloth, and returned to spread it gently over the bruised and bloodstained body of Fasto. He knelt down on the sand beside her. Hearing Martin's step behind him, he motioned him away. The others stared in silence for a moment, then walked quickly away along the foot of the cliffs. After a long interval, Williams hailed them. He was standing by the canoe with Fasto's body, wrapped in tapa, in his arms. He laid her gently in the bilges; at a word from the native steersman, the little vessel shot out through the surf. Williams dropped his paddle and sat with shoulders bowed, silent and brooding, while the canoe rounded the cape and headed northwest for Bounty Bay. CHAPTER VI A few days after the burning of the Bounty, Minarii had chosen a site for the temple he and the other Polynesian men were to build. A homeless wanderer might worship kneeling in the wash of the sea, the great purifier and source of all holiness, but settled men must erect a temple of their own. The six native men were worshipers of the same god, Ta'aroa, and their marae would be dedicated to him. Sometimes alone, sometimes in company with Tetahiti, Minarii had made a leisurely exploration of those parts of the island least likely to attract the whites, and at last, on a thickly wooded slope to the west of the ridge connecting the two peaks, he had found the spot he was searching for. He was alone on the afternoon when he began his clearing, and had not long plied his axe when he perceived that other worshipers had assembled here in the past. As he made his way through the dense undergrowth he discovered a platform of moss-grown boulders, set with upright stones before which men had once kneeled. Close by, on rising ground, stood two images of gross human form and taller than a man, and before one of them was a slab of rock which he stooped to raise. The task required all of his strength, but he was rewarded by the sight of a skeleton laid out in the hollow beneath, with hands crossed on the ribs and the mouldering skull pillowed on a large mother-of-pearl shell. "Ahé!" he exclaimed under his breath. "A man of my own race, and from a land where the pearl-oyster grows!" He gazed at it for some time, then replaced the heavy slab carefully and descended from the marae. Religion entered into every act of a Polynesian's life, and save in time of war they held the dead and the beliefs of others in deep respect. The bones would lie in peace, and no stone of the old temple would be employed to build the new. Minarii chose another site that lay a stone's throw distant, and measured off a square six fathoms each way. There was a plentiful supply of boulders in the ravine below. Here the leisurely task began, all six of the natives working at it whenever they had an hour to spare. Little by little the temple of Ta'aroa took form—a rocky platform set with kneeling stones and surrounding a small pyramid three yards high, made sacred by the two stones brought from the ancestral temple at Tahiti. The clearing was shaded by majestic trees, and a neat fence enclosed the whole, bordered with a hedge of flowering shrubs. On a morning early in April, Minarii and his companions were sweeping the pavement and tidying the enclosure in preparation for the ceremony of awakening the god. The shoulders of all six were bared in sign of respect. Presently while the others waited in deep silence, Minarii stepped aside to put on the sacred garments of his office. The flush of dawn was in the east when he returned, clad in flowing lengths of tapa, dyed black. His companions knelt by their stones, their faces now clearly revealed in the increasing light, while their priest turned toward the still hidden sun, holding his hands aloft as he chanted:— "The clouds are bordering the sky; the clouds are awake! The rising clouds that ascend in the morning, Wafted aloft and made perfect by the Lord of the Ocean, To form an archway for the sun. The clouds rise, part, condense, and reunite Into a rosy arch for the sun." Bowing his head, he awaited in silence until the sun began to touch the heights with golden light. He then made a sign to Tetahiti, who stepped behind the little pyramid and returned with a small casket, curiously carved and provided with handles like a litter. This was the dwelling place of the god, now believed to be present. Minarii addressed him solemnly:— "Hearken to us, Ta'aroa! Grant our petitions. Preserve the population of this land. Preserve us, and let us live through thee. Preserve us! We are men. Thou art our god!" The chanting ceased, and a moment of profound silence followed; then the priest concluded: "0, Ta'aroa, we have awakened thee. Now sleep!" The ceremony was over. The casket had been conveyed to its niche at the base of the pyramid, and Minarii had returned to the small hut near by to resume his customary garments, when voices were heard from the thicket and a moment later Mills and McCoy appeared at the edge of the clearing. They halted at the sight of the native men and then came forward to the fenced enclosure. McCoy gazed at the stonework admiringly. "A braw bit o' work," he remarked. "And the six of ye built this, Tetahiti?" The native regarded him gravely. "This is our marae," he explained, "where we come to worship our god." "What's that he says?" Mills asked, contemptuously. Without waiting for a reply, he passed through the gate and stood surveying the marae. He was about to mount the stone platform when Minarii, who had now returned, laid a hand on his arm. "Your shoulders! Bare your shoulders before you set foot there!" Knowing scarcely a dozen words of the native tongue, Mills shook him off and was about to proceed when McCoy called out anxiously: "Are ye horn-mad, John? Bare yer shoulders, he says. It's their kirk, mon! Would ye enter a kirk wi' a covered head?" Mills gave a harsh laugh. "Kirk, ye call it? It's a bloody heathen temple, that's what it is! I'll have a look, and I'll peel my shirt for no Indian!" Before he had mounted three steps Minarii seized him by the arm and threw him to the ground so fiercely that he lay half stunned. "Ye fool!" McCoy exclaimed. "Ye've slashed a het haggis now!" Minarii stood over the prostrate Englishman threateningly, his eyes blazing with anger. The faces of the other native men expressed the horror they felt at this act of desecration. Fortunately for Mills, McCoy, who spoke the native tongue with considerable fluency, was able to smooth matters over. "Let your anger cool, Minarii," he said, rapidly. "You are in the right, but this man meant no harm. He is ignorant, that is all." "Take him away!" ordered Minarii. "Come here no more. This is our sacred place." Mills struggled to his feet, dazed and enraged, and stood with clenched fists, eyeing the native while McCoy spoke. "Pull yersel' together, John! Say naught and get out o' this afore there's blood shed! Come along, now. They've right on their side, and he's an unchancy loon to meddle with." Mills was in middle age, and Minarii's stern face and gigantic figure might have intimidated a far younger man. He turned aside and permitted McCoy to lead him away. The natives gazed after them in silence as they climbed the ridge and disappeared on the path leading to the settlement. "Go you others," said Minarii, "and let no more be thought of this. The man was ignorant. As McCoy said, he meant no desecration." Tetahiti remained behind and the two men lingered outside the enclosure surveying their handiwork with deep satisfaction. "The building was auspicious," said Minarii, after a long silence. "The sacredness is in the stones." Tetahiti nodded. "Did you not feel the god lighten the heavy boulders as we worked?" he asked. "They were as nothing in our hands. Ta'aroa is well pleased with his dwelling place. Here we can offer prayers for our crops and for fishing, and dedicate the children who will come. Now for the first time my heart tells me that this is indeed my land—our land." Minarii was silent for some time before he asked: "You know these white men better than I; have they no god?" "Christian has never spoken to me of these things and I do not like to ask; but I would say that they worship none." "It is strange that they should be godless. Captain Cook came three times to Matavai; I remember his visits well. He and his men were of the same race as these, but they worshiped their god every seventh day, in ceremonies not unlike our own. They bowed their heads; they knelt and listened in silence while one of them chanted. Our white men do none of these things." "It must be that they have no god," Tetahiti replied. Minarii shook his head gravely. "Little good can come to godless men. It would be well if we were alone here with our women. The ways of these whites are as strange to us as our ways to them." "There are good men among them," said Tetahiti. "Aye, but not all. Some yearn for Maori slaves." "Martin, you mean? Tihé! He is slave-born!" "It is not Martin alone," Minarii remarked, gravely. "Humble folk like your man Te Moa and my Hu rely upon us to protect them, and yet already Quintal and Williams and Mills treat them as little better than slaves. We want no bad blood here. We must be patient for the good of all, but the day may come..." He broke off, gazing sombrely before him. "Christian knows nothing of this," said Tetahiti. "Shall I open his eyes?" "It would be well if he knew, but these things he must learn for himself. We must wait and say nothing." § § § For a month or more after the burial of Fasto, Williams had seen nothing of Hutia. The girl was fond of him, in her way, and was wise enough to bide her time. Strive as he might, the blacksmith could not rid his mind of the thought that Fasto had learned of the intrigue, and that in her chagrin she had thrown herself from the cliffs. Though rough and forthright, he was by no means an unkindly man. For a time he had gone about his work in silence, without a glance at Hutia when she passed, but little by little his remorse was dulled, and the old desire for the girl overpowered him. Once more their meetings in the bush had begun, conducted, on her part at least, with greater discretion than at first. But Williams was far from satisfied; he wanted the girl for his own. What had begun as mere philandering gradually became an obsession. On many a night he lay awake far into the morning hours, torturing his brain in attempts to conjure up some means of obtaining Hutia. Now at last he felt that he could endure no more. One afternoon when he was working with Mills at the forge he put down his hammer. "Stand by for a bit, John," he said. Mills straightened his back with a grunt. "What's up?" he asked, incuriously. "I can't go on the like o' this. Every man of ye has his woman. I've none." "Ye'll not get mine," growled Mills. "Take a girl from one of the Indians." "Aye, Hutia'd do." The other gave a dry laugh. "Ye should know! A pretty wench, but an artful one, Prudence reckons." "I'm thinkin' what Christian would say; and Minarii..." "Damn the Indians! Call for a show of hands. Ye've the right. Where'd we be without Jack Williams and his forge?" § § § Christian's house was the most westerly in the settlement, and stood on rising ground close to the bluffs, which sloped more gently here than at Bounty Bay. To the west, a deep ravine led the waters of Brown's Well to the shingle, three hundred feet below. A belt of trees and bush along the verge of the bluffs screened the house from the sea. The dwelling was of two stories, heavily framed and planked with the Bounty's oaken strakes; the bright russet of its thatch contrasted pleasantly with the weathered oak. The upper story was a single large, airy room, with windows on all sides, which could be opened or closed against the weather by means of sliding shutters. It was reached by an inside ladder which led through a hatchway in the floor. It was here that Christian and Maimiti slept. A partition divided the lower floor into two rooms. One was reserved for Christian's use. A roughly fashioned chair stood by a table of oak which held a silver-clasped Bible and a Book of Common Prayer, the Bounty's azimuth compass, and a fine timekeeper by Kendall, of London. Christian wound the instrument daily, and checked it from time to time by, means of lunar observations, taken with the help of Young. Christian had finished his noonday meal and was seated with Maimiti on a bench by the door, on the seaward side of the house. The sun was hot, and the sea, visible through a gap in the bush below, stretched away, calm, blue, and lonely, to the north. Looking up, presently, Christian observed Williams approaching. The blacksmith touched his forelock to Christian, and saluted Maimiti as though she had been an English lady. "Might I speak with ye a moment, sir?" he asked. "Yes. What is it, Williams? Do you wish to see me alone?" "Aye." The blacksmith remained standing, after the girl had gone, and hesitated for some time before he spoke. "I doubt but ye'll think the less of me for what I have to say, but I must out with it. Men are fashioned in different ways—some hot, some cold, some wise, some fools. I reckon ye'll admit I'm no laggard and know my trade; but I've a weakness for the women, if weakness that be...It's this, sir: I've lost my girl, and must have another." He waited, clasping and unclasping his hands nervously. Christian reflected for a moment and said, slowly: "I foresaw this. It was bound to come. I don't blame you, Williams; your desire is a reasonable one. But surely you can see that no man is likely to give up his woman to you. What I propose might seem abhorrent at home, but the arrangement was an honourable one in ancient times. Have you no friend who would share his girl with you?" Williams shook his head. "It won't do, sir; I'm not that kind. I must have one for myself." "Which would you have?" "Tararu's wife? And what of Tararu?" "He's but an Indian, and should give way." "He's a man like ourselves. Consider your own feelings, were the situation reversed." "I know, sir," Williams replied stubbornly, "but I must have her!" He clenched his fists and looked up suddenly. "Damn the wench! I believe she's cast a spell on me!" "Well, it has come, with a vengeance," Christian said, as though to himself. He raised his head. "Your seizure of another man's wife might have the gravest consequences for all of us. My advice is, do nothing of the kind." "Ye're right, sir; I know that well enough. But I'm past taking advice." "You mean that you would seize the woman regardless of the trouble you may cause the rest of us? Come, Williams! You're too much of a man for that!" "I can't help it, Mr. Christian; but I'll do this, if ye'll agree. Put it to a vote. If there's more say I shan't have her, I'll abide by that." "You've no right to ask for a show of hands over such a matter," Christian replied, sternly; "the less so since you are not denied the favours of this woman as matters stand." He paused to reflect. "Nevertheless, this is a question that does concern us all, and I will do as you ask. We'll have it out to-night. Fetch the others here when you have supped." § § § The evening was windless, after the long calm afternoon, and the stars were bright as the mutineers assembled before Christian's house. Brown was the last to arrive. When he had joined the group, Christian rose and the murmur of conversation ceased. "Williams, have you told the others why we are gathered here?" "No, sir; I reckoned that would come best from ye." Christian nodded. "A question has arisen that concerns every man and woman on the island. Williams has lost his girl. He says that he must have another." He paused, and a voice in the starlight growled, "He'll have none of ours!" "He wants Hutia," Christian explained, "Tararu's wife." "He's had her times enough," Quintal put in. Williams sprang up, angrily, and was about to speak when Christian checked him. "That is no business of ours. He wants her in his house. He wishes her to leave her husband and live openly with him, and has asked me to put the question to a vote. His desire for a woman is a natural one; under other circumstances it would concern him alone, but not as we are situated. Differences over women are dangerous at all times, and in a small community like ours they may have fatal consequences. The girl's husband is a nephew of Minarii, whom you know for a proud man and a chief among his own people. Is it likely that he would stand by while Tararu's wife was seized? And what of Tararu himself? Justice is universal; the Indian resents injustice as the Englishman does. We are of two races here; so far there has been no bad blood between us. To stir up racial strife would be the ruin of all." He paused, and a murmur of assent went up from the men on the grass. But Mills spoke up for his friend. "I'm with Jack. Ain't we to be considered afore the Indians?" "Aye, well spoke!" said Martin. "Well spoke?" said McCoy. "I winna say that! I'm wi' Mr. Christian. It's no fault o' Jack's there's not been trouble afore now. I'm nae queasy. I'll share my Mary wi' him." "Keep your Mary!" growled Williams. "Are you ready for the vote?" Christian said. "Remember, this is to decide the matter, once and for all. We are agreed to abide by the result. Those who would allow Williams to take Tararu's wife, show hands." He peered into the darkness; the hands of Mills and Martin alone were lifted. "We're six to three against you, Williams," said Christian. "I believe you'll be glad of this one day." "I'll abide by the vote, sir," the blacksmith replied in a gruff voice. May passed and June ushered in the austral winter, with cold southwest winds and tempestuous seas. The evenings grew so chill that the people were glad to remain indoors after sundown, natives and whites alike. Those evenings were far from cheerful in the blacksmith's house. Since the night of the meeting he had become more and more gloomy and taciturn. Mills tried in vain to draw him into talk; at last he gave up and turned to Prudence for company. Williams avoided Hutia. He had given his word, and he knew that if he were to keep it their meetings must cease. He found no peace save in the exhaustion of hard work. In the dusk of a morning late in June; Mills rose to find Williams already up and gone. He felt mildly surprised, for the blacksmith brooded and paced the floor so late that he seldom wakened while it was still dark. Williams had been busy with a pair of the Bounty's chain plates, converting them into fish spears for the Indian men, and during the early forenoon, while Mills worked at clearing a bit of land not far off, he was again surprised, as he rested from his labour, to hear no cheerful clink of hammer on anvil. Toward nine o'clock his vague feeling of uneasiness grew so stroug that he wiped the sweat from his face and dropped his axe. Martin limped out of the house as he approached. For a moment Mills forgot the blacksmith. "Damn 'ee!" he exclaimed. "Ye've done naught but lie abed, I'll warrant!" "It's all I can do to walk, man!" said Martin. "Work? With an old musket ball in me leg, and the nights perishin' cold? Let the Indians work! That's what we fetched 'em for." "Where's Jack?" Mills asked. "That's what I want to know." "Ye've not seen him?" "No. And the large cutter's gone. Alex Smith came up from the cove an hour back. He and Christian are on the mountain now. Not a doubt of it: Jack's took the boat and made off." Mills turned to take the path that led past Christian's house and on to the Goat-House Peak. Halfway to the ridge he met the others coming down. "Is it true that Jack's made off with the boat?" Christian nodded, and led the way down the mountainside at a rapid walk. They halted at Christian's house while he acquainted Maimiti with the situation and sent for some of the Indian men. He then hastened on to the landing place. The little crowd on the beach watched in silence while Christian had the larger of the two canoes dragged to the water's edge. With Minarii in the stern, they shot the breakers and passed the blackened wreck of the ship, wedged between the rocks. Christian waved to the northeast, took up a paddle, and plied it vigorously. The wind had died away two hours before, and the sun shone dimly through a veil of high cloud. The sea was glassy calm, with a gentle southerly swell. Before an hour had passed, Minarii pointed ahead. The cutter's masthead and the peak of her lugsail were visible on the horizon, though the boat was still hull-down. § § § Williams sat on the cutter's after-thwart, his chin propped in his hands. From time to time he raised his head to glance back toward the land. He feared pursuit, but hoped the wind might make up before it came. It was useless to row, he had discovered; with only one man at the oars, the heavy boat would scarcely move. One of the Bounty's compasses lay in the stern sheets, with Williams's musket, a small store of provisions, and several calabashes filled with water. The blacksmith had some idea of where Tahiti lay, and knew that he would have a fair wind, once he could work his way into the region of the trades. But the thought that obsessed him was to get away from Pitcairn; as a destination, any other island would do. He might fetch Tahiti, he thought vaguely, or pick up one of the coral islands which they had passed in the Bounty. He cared little, in fact, where he went, or whether he died of thirst or was drowned on the way. Presently he stood on a thwart, peering ahead with narrowed eyes for signs of wind. Then, turning to glance backward, he perceived the canoe, scarcely a mile away. He stepped down from the thwart, took up his musket, measured a charge from his powderhorn, and rammed the wad home. With sombre eyes, he selected a ball from his pouch. 'The canoe came on fast. When it was half a cable's length distant, the blacksmith stood up and leveled his piece. "Stop where ye are!" he ordered, hoarsely. Christian rose to his feet, waving the paddlers on. "Williams!" he ordered sternly, "lay down your musket!" Slowly, as if in a daze, the black-bearded man in the boat obeyed, slumping down on the thwart with shoulders bowed. The canoe lost way, riding the swell lightly alongside, and Christian sprang aboard the cutter. "Are you mad?" he asked, with the sternness gone from his voice. "Where could you hope to fetch up?" "Aye, Jack," put in Mills, "ye must be clean daft!" "Leave be, Mr. Christian," muttered Williams. "I'll not go on as I have. Where I fetch up is my own concern." Christian seated himself beside him. "Think, Williams," he said kindly. "This boat is common property. And how would we fare without a blacksmith? Tahiti lies three hundred leagues from here. You would be going to certain death...Come, take yourself in hand!" Williams sat gazing at his bare feet for a long time before he spoke. "Aye, sir, I'll go back," he said reluctantly, without raising his head. "I've done my best. If trouble comes o' this, let no man hold me to account." CHAPTER VII From now on Williams spent most of his time away from the settlement. On a lonely wooded plateau, on the western side of the island, he set to work to clear a plot of land and to build a cabin. Through the cold months of July, August, and September, he left the house each morning before the others were awake, returning at dusk. Mills respected his silence, and Martin, after one or two rebuffs, ceased to question him. In early October he announced that he was leaving for his new home, and, with Mills to help him, he carried his belongings over the ridge and down to the distant clearing where his cabin stood. Though small, the cabin was strong and neatly built, with walls of split pandanus logs, set side by side. The floor alone was of plank, and the few articles of furniture had been put together with a craftsman's skill. Mills had not seen the place before. He glanced around admiringly. "Ye've a snug little harbour here, Jack," he said as he set down his burden. "All Bristol-fashion, too! So ye're bound to live alone?" "Aye." Mills shrugged his shoulders. "I've no cause to meddle, but if it's Hutia ye're still pinin' for, why don't ye take her and be damned to the Indians?" "I've no wish to stir up trouble. Christian's been fair with us. I'll do what I can to be fair in my turn. I'll try living alone away from the sight of her, but I'm not sayin' how this'll end. Thank 'ee for the lift, John," he added. "Tell the lads I'll come over when there's work for the forge." The shadows were long in the clearing, for it was late afternoon. Grass was already beginning to hide the ashes about the blackened stumps. As he sat on the doorstep of his house, the slope of the ground to the west gave Williams a view of the sea above the tree-tops. Snow-white terns, in pairs, sailed back and forth overhead. It was their mating season and they were pursuing one another, swooping and tumbling in aerial play. No wind was astir; the air, saturated with moisture, was difficult to breathe. Williams rose, cursing the heat, went to the small cookhouse behind his cabin, and kindled a fire to prepare his evening meal. At last the sun set angrily, behind masses of banked-up clouds, dull crimson and violet. It was not a night for sleep. The blacksmith was on foot before dawn, and the first grey of morning found him crossing the ridge, on his way to Christian's house. Alexander Smith wakened at the same hour. Like Williams, he had tossed and cursed the heat all night, between snatches of fitful sleep. He opened the door, rubbed his eyes with his knuckles, stretched his arms wide, and yawned. The moon, nearly at the full, was still up, though veiled by clouds in the west. The big red rooster in the purau tree flapped his wings, crowed and regarded the ground with down-stretched neck and deep, explosive cackles. With a prodigious noise of wings, he left his perch and landed with a heavy thump. One after the other, the hens followed, and each in turn was ravished as she touched the ground. The last hen shook herself angrily, the cock made a final sidewise step with lowered wing, and glanced up at his master as if to say: "Well, that's over with! Now for breakfast!" Smith grinned. The fowls followed him in a compact little flock to the cookhouse, where the coconut-grater stood. Seating himself astride the three-legged stool to which the grater of pearl shell was lashed, he began to scrape out the coconut meat, a crinkled, snowy shower that soon filled his wooden bowl. He stopped once to fill his own mouth, and chuckled, as he munched, at the impatience of the fowls, standing in a wistful circle about the bowl. He rose, calling, as the natives did, in a high-pitched, ringing cry, and while the fowls came running with outstretched wings he scattered grated coconut this way and that. Hearing the familiar call, the pigs in their sty under the banyan tree burst into eager grunts. "Mai! Mai! Mai!" responded Smith, gruntingly, and strolled across to empty the half of his coconut into their trough. He had the seaman's love of rural things. It was now broad daylight. Balhadi came to the door, greeted her husband with a smile, and went to the cookhouse to prepare his breakfast. Smith stripped off his shirt and dipped a large calabashful from the water barrel for his morning wash. After scrubbing his face vigorously with a bit of tapa, he made the morning round of his plants. A fenced enclosure, of about half an acre, surrounded his house, and he derived keen pleasure from the garden he had laid out inside, with its stone-bordered paths and beds of flowering shrubs. Spring was coming on fast. He walked slowly, stooping often to examine the new growth or to inhale the perfume of some waxen flower. Now and again, as he straightened his back, he paused to glance at his newly completed house. Young was not a strong man, nor clever with his hands, and Smith had put up the building almost alone. He still derived from the sight of his handiwork a deep and inarticulate satisfaction. It was a shipshape job—stoutly built, weatherproof, and sightly, with its bright new thatch. The Indians said that such thatching would last ten years. Balhadi was calling him to eat. She was a short, strongly made woman, wholesome and still youthful, with a firm, good-humoured face. Smith felt a real affection for her, expressed in robust fashion. He pulled her down to his knee, gave her a resounding kiss, and fell to on his breakfast. Ten minutes later he shouldered his axe and strode away to his morning's work in the bush. "Alex! Alex O!" Tetahiti was hailing him from the path. He and Smith were good friends, and both loved fishing. "I came to fetch you," said the native. "Can you leave your work till noon? There is wind on the way, but the morning will be calm. I have discovered where the albacore sleep." Smith nodded, and stood his axe against the fence. He followed Tetahiti down the path that led to Bounty Bay. They passed Mills's house, and McCoy's, and halted at the dwelling of the natives, not far from the landing place. The men had gone to their work in the bush; Smith chaffed with Moetua while his companion fetched the lines. Hutia was nowhere to be seen. "Look," said Tetahiti, "we've octopus for bait. I speared two last night." The sea was fairly calm in the cove, sheltered from the westerly swell. The native selected a dozen longish stones, weighing three or four pounds each, and tossed them into the smaller of the two canoes. They were soon outside the breakers and paddling to the northwest, while Tetahiti glanced back frequently to get his bearings from the land. At a distance of about a mile, he gave the word to cease paddling. "This is the place," he said, as the canoe lost way and floated idly on the long, glassy swell. "I have been studying the birds for many days; this is where the fish cease to feed on the surface, and go down to sleep in the depths." Each man had a ball of line two hundred fathoms or more in length. One end was tied to the outrigger boom; to the other, running out from the centre of the ball, the hook was attached. They now baited their hooks and made fast their sinkers, with a hitch that permitted the stones to be released by a sharp jerk. "Let us try at one hundred fathoms," said Tetahiti. Smith lowered his sinker over the side and allowed the line to run out for a long time, until a knot appeared. He pulled sharply and felt the hitch unroll and the release of the sinker's weight. Then, moving his line up and down gently, to attract the attention of the fish six hundred feet below, he settled himself to wait. The sun was well up by now, but the horizon to the north was ominous. There was not the faintest breath of wind; even at this early hour the heat was oppressive. "We shall have a storm," remarked the native. "The moon will be full to-night." Smith nodded. "Christian thinks so, too." "Your ears are opened," said Tetahiti. "You are beginning to speak our tongue like one of us!" "I have learned much from you. What day is this—what night, I mean?" "Maitu. To-night will be hotu, when the moon rises as the sun sets." Smith shook his head, admiringly. "I can never remember. We whites have only the names of the seven days of our week to learn. Your people must learn the twenty-eight nights of the moon!" "Yes, and more; I will teach you the sayings concerning maitu: 'A night for planting taro and bamboo; an auspicious night for lovemaking. Crabs and crayfish shed their shells on this night; albacore are the fish at sea. Large-eyed children and children with red hair are born on this night.'...Mau!" He shouted the last word suddenly as he struck to set the hook and allowed his line to run hissing over the gunwale. Smith watched eagerly, admiring the skill with which Tetahiti handled the heavy fish. Next moment it was his turn to shout. For a full half-hour the two men sweated in silence as they played their fish. Smith's was the first to weaken. It lay alongside the canoe, half dead from its own exertions—a huge burnished creature of the tunny kind. Holding his tight line with one hand, Tetahiti seized the catch by the tail while Smith clenched his fingers in the gills. A word, a heave in unison, and the albacore lay gasping in the bilges—a magnificent fish of a hundred pounds or more. Smith clubbed it to death before lending Tetahiti a hand. The sea grew lumpy and confused as they paddled back to the cove. A swell from the north was now rolling into Bounty Bay, making their landing a difficult one. Minarii was awaiting them on the shingle. He helped them pull the canoe up into the shade. "You come none too soon," he said. "The sea is making up fast. You are weary; let me carry your fish." He fastened the tails of the albacore together, hoisted the burden of more than two hundredweight to one shoulder, and led the way up the steep path. It was nearly noon. The workers had returned from the bush, and smoke went up from the cookhouses of the little settlement. Minarii set down his burden at the native house, and made a sign to his man Hu to cut up the fish. The women gathered about, exclaiming at sight of the catch. There was neither buying nor selling among the Polynesians. When fish was caught, it was shared out equally among all members of the community, high and low alike, a custom already firmly rooted on Pitcairn. "I will carry Brown's share to him," said Minarii. Hu and Te Moa slung the remaining shares between them on a pole, and walked up the path, followed by Smith. McCoy's Mary stood before her house. She was great with child and had trouble in stooping to take up the cut of fish dropped on the grass at her feet. "Hey, Will!" called Smith. "Here's a bit of fish for 'ee." McCoy and Quintal appeared in the doorway. "Thank 'ee, Al ye're a lucky loon. Albacore!" "Aye," put in Quintal. "Next best to a collop of beef!" After a stop at the house of Mills, Smith dismissed the two natives at his own door and went on to Christian's house, Balhadi accompanying him. She carried a gift of a taro pudding, done up in fresh green leaves. "For Maimiti," she explained. "This may tempt her to eat." "When does she expect her child?" "Her time is very close—to-day or to-morrow, I think." Christian met them at the door and Balhadi carried the fish and her pudding to the cookhouse. "A fine albacore, Smith!" "I reckon he'd go a hundredweight, sir!" said Smith with a fisherman's pride. "And Tetahiti got one might have been his twin brother. All hands'll have a feed of 'em." "Stop to dine with us." "I hate to bother ye, sir, at a time like this." Christian shook his head. "No, no! Jenny's here, and Nanai, to lend a hand. They'll make a little feast of it, with your girl. They're funny creatures, brown or white; birth and death are what they love. Come in." "Thank 'ee, sir. I've a cut of fish for Jack; I'll just hang it up in the shade." "He left not ten minutes gone. Come in and rest before we dine. They'll be giving us some of your fish. Do you like it raw, in the Indian style?" "Aye, sir, that I do!" "And I, when prepared with their sauce of coconut. We think of the Indians as savages, yet we have much to learn from them." "I don't know what we'd do without 'em, here. We'd get no fish without the men to teach us how to catch 'em, and as for the girls, I reckon we'd starve but for them!" They were sitting by the table in Christian's room, for Maimiti could no longer climb the ladder to the apartment upstairs, and the dining room was set aside for her use. The two men were silent for a time while the chronometer beside them ticked loudly and steadily. Christian glanced at its dial, which registered the hour in Greenwich, and the sight set his thoughts to wandering back through the past—to his boyhood in Cumberland and on the Isle of Man, to his early days at sea. "Had that old timekeeper a voice," he remarked, "it could tell us a rare tale! It was Captain Cook's shipmate on two voyages, traveling thousands of leagues over seas little known even now. It began life in London; now it will end its clays on Pitcairn's Island." Smith nodded. "Like me, sir!" he said. "Were you born in London? I took you for a countryman." "Aye, Mr. Christian; born there and reared in a foundling's home. I'm under false colours here. My real name is John Adams; the lads used to call me 'Reckless Jack.' I got into a bit of trouble and thought best to sign on as Alexander Smith." Christian nodded, and asked after a brief pause: "Tell me, Smith, are you contented here?" "That I am, sir! My folk were countrymen, till my dad was fool enough to try his fortune in London. It's in my blood. Happy? If ye was all to leave, and give me the chance, I'd stop here with my old woman to end my days." Christian smiled. "I am glad, since I fetched you here. It would be curious, were we able to look ahead twenty years. There will be broad plantations, new houses, and children—many of them—I hope." "And yours'll be the first-born, sir!" Jenny appeared in the doorway, carrying a platter of fish. She smiled at the two men, and beckoned Balhadi in to help set the table. An hour later Smith rose to take his leave. "Ask Williams to come down to the cove this afternoon," said Christian. "We shall need all hands to get the boats up out of reach of the sea." A heavy swell from the north was bombarding the cliffs as Smith made his way over the ridge. The heat was sultry, though the sky was now completely overcast, and he knew that the wind could not be far off. Williams met him at the cottage door. "Come in, Alex. Set ye down. What's that—fish? A monster he must have been, eh? Here, let me hang it up; Puss has smelt it already." The blacksmith's cat, a fine tabby whose sleekness proved her master's care, was mewing eagerly, and Williams paused to cut off a small piece for her. "She's spoiled," he remarked. "D'ye think she'd look at a rat? But I hate rusty tools and scrawny living things." As they entered the cottage, Smith observed, on the floor close to the bed, a round comb of bamboo, such as the women used. Next moment, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Williams kick it hastily under the bed. He glanced about the neat little dwelling appreciatively. "Ye've the best-built house of the lot," he said, "and the prettiest to look at. Aye, it's small, but all the better for that." "What d'ye think of the weather, Alex?" Williams asked. "It'll he blowing a gale by night. I'd best be getting back. Mr. Christian wants all hands at Bounty Bay. He's afeared for the boats." The blacksmith nodded. "I'll come along with ye," he said. The wind was making up from the northwest, with heavy squalls of rain, and before the two men reached the cove it hauled to the north, blowing with ever-increasing force. § § § It was late afternoon when the people began to straggle back, up the steep path to the settlement. The boats and the two canoes had been conveyed to the very foot of the bluff, far above where they were usually kept, and it seemed that no wave, no matter how great, could reach them there. But at nightfall the gale blew at hurricane force. The deep roar of the wind and the thunder of breaking seas increased as the night wore on. The rocky foundations of the island trembled before the onslaught of wind and wave. There was little sleep for anyone, and there were moments when it seemed that only a miracle could preserve the houses from being carried away. Daybreak came at last. Toward seven o'clock Smith went trudging up the path to Christian's house. The wind was abating, he thought, though the coconut palms along the path still bent low to the gusts, their fronds streaming like banners in the gale. Smith glanced up apprehensively from time to time as a heavy nut came whacking to the ground. Once, in a place where the path was somewhat exposed, he staggered and leaned to windward to keep his feet. Each time a great comber burst at the foot of the cliffs, he felt the ground tremble underfoot. At last he reached Christian's house. The sliding shutters on the weather side were closed, but the door was open in the lee. Smith found Christian in the room, with Jenny and Taurua. "Balhadi is with her," Christian said, drawing the newcomer aside and raising his voice to make it heard. "The pains have begun. What of the boats?" "Gone, sir, all but the large cutter," replied Smith regretfully. "The sea's higher 'n ye'd believe! All was snug an hour back. Then a roarin' great sea came in and carried away both canoes and the small cutter. And when the wind had cleared the air of spray, we looked out, sir, and the old Bounty was gone!" Christian paced the floor nervously for a minute or two, stopping once to listen at the door of the other room. Then, halting suddenly, he addressed Taurua: "Go in to her, you and Jenny; say that I am going down to the landing place and shall not be long." He turned to. Smith. "Come, there is nothing I can do here at such a time." They found Young and a group of men and women at the verge of the bluffs, crouching to escape the full force of the wind while they watched with fascinated eyes the towering seas that ran into Bounty Bay. Speech was impossible, but Young took Christian's arm and pointed out to where the blackened hulk of the ship had lain wedged among the rocks. No trace of her remained. The waves were breaking high among the undergrowth at the foot of the path, and during the brief lulls, when the spray was blown ashore, Christian saw that the cove was a mass of floating rubbish and uprooted trees, and that avalanches had left raw streaks of earth where the sea had undermined the steep slopes toward Ship-Landing Point. The gale was abating when at last the three men turned to make their way back to Christian's house. At the door they heard faintly, between gusts of wind, the wail of a newborn child. The door of the other room opened, and Jenny and Taurua came in, with the smiles of women who have assisted at a happy delivery. Balhadi appeared behind them. She beckoned to Christian. "É tamaroa!" she said. "A man-child!" As she closed the door behind him, Christian saw Maimiti on a couch covered with many folds of tapa; and close beside her, swathed to the eyes in the same soft native cloth, an infant who stirred and wailed from time to time. Maimiti looked pale and worn, but in her eyes there was an expression of deep happiness. Balhadi pulled back the tapa that muffled the baby's face. "Look!" she said proudly. "Was ever a handsomer boy? And auspiciously born! You know our proverb: 'Born in the hurricane, the child shall live in peace.'" Young smiled when Christian came out of the room. "It is fitting that your child should be our first-born," he remarked, as he held out his hand. "What shall you name him?" "Nothing to remind me of England," replied Christian. "Smith, Balhadi has proven herself a true friend to-day. You shall be the child's godfather. Give him a name." The seaman grinned and scratched his head. "Ye'll have naught to remind 'ee of England? I have it, sir. Ye might name him for the day, if ye know what day it is." The father smiled grimly as he consulted his calendar. "It's a good suggestion, Smith. The day is Thursday, and the month October. Thursday October Christian he shall be!" He glanced out through the doorway. "Here come the others; set out the benches." The other mutineers and their women were approaching the house. One after another, the men shook Christian's hand, while the women filed in to seat themselves on the floor by Maimiti's couch. When the benches were full, Christian raised his voice above the roar of the wind. "There's a question that calls for a show of hands. Shall we issue an extra grog ration to-day, and drink it here and now?" Every hand went up, but McCoy asked anxiously: "How much ha' we left, sir?" Christian drew a small, worn book from his pocket and turned the pages. "Fifty-three gallons." McCoy shook his head gloomily. "A scant four months' supply!" When the glasses were full, the men toasted the child in the next room:— "A long life to him, sir!" "May he be as good a man as his father!" McCoy was the last to drink. He watched the filling of his glass with deep interest, and sniffed at the rum luxuriously before he took a sip. "I'll nae drink it clean caup out," he said apologetically, and then, as he held the glass aloft, "Tae our first bairn! I've run 'ee a close race, sir. My Mary'll hae her babe within the week!" CHAPTER VIII With the warm spring rains of November, the planting of the cleared lands began. The weather was too sultry for hard work when the sun was overhead; the men went out to their plantations at daybreak, rested through the hot noon hours, and worked once more from mid-afternoon till evening dusk. Smith, Young, and Christian had joined forces in clearing a considerable field in the Auté Valley. Now the rubbish had been burned and the smaller stumps pulled, and the volcanic soil, rich and red, lay ready to nourish a crop of yams. On a morning toward the middle of the month, the three men set out well before sunrise, taking the path that led south, up the long slope of the plateau, and over the ridge. No wind was astir, a light mist hung over the tree-tops, and the fresh spring verdure was beaded with dew. A party of women, ahead, took the path that branched off to the east. Presently, with Christian leading the way, the men toiled up the steep trail to the ridge, and came to a halt. Dropping the heavy basket of lunch, Smith was the last to seat himself. The place commanded a. wide prospect to the north—over the rich plateau, christened the Main Valley, to the misty greyish-blue of the sea beyond. It was a custom, well established by now, to rest here for a few minutes each morning before descending to work in the Auté Valley. The upper rim of the sun was touching the horizon, gilding the small, fluffy, fair-weather clouds. The clearings in the Main Valley were not as yet extensive enough to be visible from the ridge. From the sea to the bare summits of the ridges, virgin forest clothed the land. Here and there, the silvery foliage of a clump of candlenut trees contrasted with the dark green of the bush, and scattered coconut palms curved up gracefully to their fronded tops, sixty or seventy feet above the earth. In the valley below, the women were at work beating out bark cloth. Each tapa-maker had her billet of wood, fashioned from the heart of an ironwood tree, and adzed flat on the upper surface. They varied from a fathom to a fathom and a half in length, and were supported on flat-topped stones set in the earth, so spaced that no two beams gave forth the same note when struck. They were, in fact, rude xylophones; the women derived great pleasure from the musical notes of their mallets, and the measured choruses produced when several of them worked together. "Tonk, tink, tonk, tonk; tinka-tonk, tink!"—the deliberate notes were sweet, measured, and musical. Young loved the sound of them, which expressed to him the very spirit of rustic domesticity, of the dreamy happiness of the islands, of morning in the dewy bush. Presently the men rose and made their way down the slope of the Auté Valley, to the glade where Brown's cottage stood. The seed yams, fetched from Tahiti, had been planted early in February in a good-sized clearing near by. The gardener and Jenny had tended them till they were ready to be dug, weeding the rows carefully, and watering the young plants in times of drought. They had been left in the ground until October, and stored on platforms in the shade, out of the reach of rats and wandering swine. A slender column of smoke rose from Jenny's cookhouse. The gardener was on his knees, absorbed in potting a young breadfruit plant which he had just severed from the parent tree. Christian approached so softly that Brown started at the sound of his voice. He rose stiffly, dusting the earth from his hands. "Morning, sir." He smiled at Young and gave Smith a friendly nod. "What's to be planted to-day, Mr. Christian?" "Have you many more of the long yams? The tahotaho?" "Aye. There's a-plenty. To my way of thinking, they're the best of the lot." He led the way to a large raised platform, under a spreading tree. It held two or three tons of sprouted yams, all of the same variety, and averaging no less than fifty pounds in weight. While Christian chatted with the gardener, his companions went to the cookhouse and returned with half a dozen bags of coarse netting and three carrying poles. Each bag was now filled with yams, handled gently in order not to injure the sprouts. Young's load was made light, but Smith and Christian balanced a hundredweight at either end of their poles. In a land where wheels and beasts of burden were unknown, no other method of transport was possible. Christian squatted, settled the stout pole on his shoulder, raised himself upright with a grunt, and led the way to the new clearing. It lay about four hundred yards distant from Brown's cottage, in a westerly direction, and the feet of the three men had already worn a discernible path through the bush. The land sloped gently to the south, hemmed in by high green walls of virgin forest. Christian dashed the sweat from his eyes when he had set down his load. The hills were to be about a yard apart, and all had been well lined and staked the day before. Young set to work at cutting up the yams, so large that many of them sufficed to plant twenty-five or thirty hills. Side by side on two rows, Christian and Smith began to ply their mattocks, digging a hole at each stake, filling it in with softened earth and decaying vegetation. Their companion was soon planting the sprouted bits of yam, pressing the earth down carefully over each. The two men worked doggedly till nearly ten o'clock, striving to keep ahead of Young, never halting, save to spit on their hands and take fresh grips on their mattock hafts. They had cast their shirts aside, and the sweat streamed from their shoulders and backs. The sun was high overhead when Christian flung down his mattock and wiped his face with his bare forearm. "Avast digging!" he said to Smith. "Aye, sir; I've had enough." Young followed them to a shady spot where they sluiced their bodies with water from a large calabash. Smith wandered away into the bush and was back before long, with a cluster of drinking coconuts and a broad leaf of the plantain, to serve as a cloth for their rustic meal. He drew the sheath knife at his belt, cut the tops from a pair of nuts, and offered them to his companions. Christian threw back his head and finished the cool, sweet liquor at a draught. He smiled as he tossed the empty nut away. "We've a rare island," he remarked, "where grog grows on the trees!" "What have the girls given us to-day?" inquired Young, glancing at the basket hungrily. Smith spread the plantain leaf on the ground and began to remove the contents of the basket, displaying a large baked fish, the half of a cold roast suckling pig, cooked breadfruit, scraped white and wrapped in leaves, and a small calabash filled with the delicious coconut sauce called taioro. The three men seated themselves on the grass and were beginning their meal when Jenny appeared, carrying a large wooden bowl which she set down before them. "A pudding," she explained. "I made two." When she was gone, they fell to heartily, dining with the relish only hard work can impart. The fish disappeared, and the crisp, browned suckling pig; the pudding of taro and wild arrowroot, covered with sweet coconut cream, soon went the same way. Smith sighed. "I'm for a nap, sir," he said, as he rose to his feet with some difficulty; "I've stowed away enough for three!" Five minutes later he was snoring gently in the shade of a purau tree, a stone's throw distant. Christian turned to Young. "There's a good man, Ned," he remarked. "Yes. I've come to know him well. Had he been reared under more fortunate circumstances..." Christian nodded. "He's a fine type of Englishman, and a born leader, I suspect. Life's wasteful and damned unjust! What chance has a man in the forecastle? Who can blame him if he diverts himself with trollops or dulls his mind with drink? Not I! Smith deserved a better chance from life. He has the instincts of a gentleman." They fell silent. The sun was now directly overhead, and presently they moved to a place of dense shade where they could sit with their backs to the trunk of an ancient candlenut tree. "Seamen are a strange lot," Christian remarked, presently. "You and I have been together since the Bounty left Spithead, and now we shall pass the remainder of our lives on this morsel of land. Yet I know nothing of you, nor you of me! Where was your home, Ned? Tell me something of your life before you went to sea." "I was born in the West Indies, on St. Kitts, and lived there till I was twelve years old." "I've been there! It was eight—no, nine years ago. We cast anchor at Basseterre to load sugar, and I had a run ashore. I was only a lad at the time." "We lived just outside the town, at the foot of Monkey Hill. I loved the island, and was unhappy when sent away to school. Here in the South Sea I feel more at home than in England." "Odd that we should both be islanders! My own boyhood was passed on the Isle of Man. My first speech was the Manx, not unlike the Gaelic of the Highlanders." Christian smiled, half sadly. "I can still hear the voice of our old nurse, singing the lament for Illiam Dhone." "Who was he?" "William Christian, my ancestor—Pair-Haired Illiam' in our language. He was executed in 1663, for high treason against the Countess of Derby, then Queen of Man. He was innocent." For two hours or more, till Smith wakened, they chatted idly of the past. Then, as the shadows began to extend eastward, the three men fell to work once more. It was dusk when they laid down their mattocks and filed homeward, past Brown's cottage and over the ridge. § § § The summer proved warm and rainy and the yams grew well. They were ready for digging when autumn had dried out the soil and June ushered in the winter of 1791. Midway of the settlement, near the house of Mills, the communal storage platforms, called pafatas, had been set up. Supported on stout posts higher than a man's head, and floored with a grating of saplings laid side by side, the four large platforms were designed to hold twenty tons or more of yams. As with the fish, so with the fruits of the earth; all hands were to share alike. As the yams were dug, the men fetched them in on their carrying poles and passed them up to the women, one by one, to be stowed aloft. The long yams were laid crisscross, to allow a free circulation of air; day after day the piles grew higher, till at last, toward the middle of the month, it was announced that another day's work would see the harvest home. Four large hogs were killed that night, scalded, scraped, and hung from the branches of a banyan tree. There was a sense of rejoicing in the houses, of deep satisfaction with a communal task performed, of happy anticipation of well-earned rest. At daybreak the people began to assemble by the platforms, exchanging good-natured banter as they eyed the preparations for their evening feast. Hu and Te Moa had been appointed cooks, and were already engaged in scraping out pits for two large earth ovens, one for baking the hogs and one for ti roots, yams, taro, and other vegetables. McCoy slapped the smooth white flank of one of the hogs. "Ye're forbid to Jews, and no true Scot'll eat 'ee, but bide here till Will McCoy comes back!" He turned to Quintal: "Vivers for all hands, Matt! Gin we'd ilk a tass o' grog!" Quintal grinned, and at that moment Christian came around the turn of the path. He was carrying his small boy, now eight months old, and Maimiti followed him. McCoy caught his eye. "Can't 'ee spare a sup o' grog for to-night, sir? Just a wee tassie all round?" Christian shook his head. "We've but four bottles left. It was agreed to save that for medical stores." "Aye, sir," replied McCoy regretfully. "So it was, I mind me; I'll say nae mair." Presently the men took up their poles and bags of netting; several of the women accompanied them to lend a hand as they scattered, to the different parts of the island where their plantations were situated. Christian handed young Thursday October to his mother, shouldered his pole, and took the path with Smith and Young to the Anté Valley. All day long the yams came in and were stowed aloft, without a halt for dinner or a rest at noon. At sunset the pafatas were bending under their loads, and every soul on Pitcairn's Island, save Minarii and his wife, was there by the ovens, still covered with heaps of matting and breadfruit leaves. Minarii had cleared and planted the largest field on the island, and his crop was the heaviest of all. Aided by Moetua, he had toiled like a Titan throughout the day. Now, in the dusk of evening, they were fetching in the last load. A shout went up from the natives as they came in sight. Minarii was in the lead, half running, half walking, with bent knees. His carrying pole was a mighty bludgeon of hardwood, but it curved and swayed with the man's movements, for no less than two hundredweight of yams was suspended from either end. Behind him came Moetua, trotting under a load Young or McCoy could not have lifted from the ground. As the couple set down their burdens, several of the natives, men and women, sprang forward to lend a hand. Prudence and Nanai swarmed up the posts of the nearest pafata and squatted, clapping their hands. Up went the yams, of forty, fifty, and sixty pounds weight, to be stowed amid shouting and much good-natured mirth. Tararu was about to heave up the last of them when Minarii laid a hand on his arm. "For the god," he said. "Ta'aroa will be content with his first fruits." Christian nodded to the two cooks. "Open the ovens!" he ordered. When Minarii and his wife returned, bathed like the others, and the woman with a wreath of flowers on her hair, the feast had been spread on a stretch of level lawn. Christian sat at the head of the rustic table, and below him the men faced each other in two lines. The women had their meal at a little distance, and a bright fire of coconut husks burned between. Two hours later, when the last of the broken meats had been gathered up and the natives were drumming and dancing in the firelight, Christian took leave of the company. Maimiti followed him, with her sleeping child on her arm. "A happy day," he said, as they strolled homeward in the starlight. "We have begun well here. Your people and mine were like brothers to-night!" It was past midnight when the fire was allowed to die out and the people straggled back to their houses to sleep. The new day began to brighten the eastern sky, and one by one the fowls fluttered down from the trees. Still the doors of the houses remained closed, and the people slept. Only Minarii was afoot. In the first grey of dawn he had taken the path to the marae, bearing a little offering of first fruits for his god. Uncovering his shoulders reverently, he had climbed to the rude platform of stone and laid the basket of food on Ta'aroa's altar. Then, after a brief prayer, supplicating the acceptance of the offering and the continued favour of the god, he had set out to return to his house, where he meant to rest throughout the morning. Upon reaching the summit of the Goat-House Ridge, he seated himself on a flat rock to rest. The sun was above the horizon now; the sky was cloudless, and there was a light, cool breeze from the west. No music of tapa mallets came up from the wooded depths of the Main Valley; all was still save for the occasional long-drawn crowing of the cocks. He drew a deep breath. Life was good, he thought, and this island, to which the white captain had led him, was a good land. The fish from this sea were sweet; pigs throve here without attention; as for yams, who in Tahiti had seen the equal of these? He had had many wives, but Moetua was the best of them, though she had never borne him a child. A fine, strapping girl, a fit mate for a man like himself! And she had no eyes for the other men. He rose, stretching his arms wide as he turned, and glanced casually and half instinctively around the half-circle of horizon to the west. Suddenly his easy pose became rigid. For a full minute or more he gazed westward, hands shading his eyes. Then he turned and plunged down the steep path toward Christian's house. Christian, clad only in a loin cloth, was scrubbing himself by the water cask at the rear of the house when Minarii arrived. He hailed the native man cheerily, then paused, with the calabash in his hand, to give him a keen glance. "What is it, Minarii?" he asked. "I have been on the ridge. Chancing to glance westward, I saw that something broke the line where sea and sky meet. It gleamed white when the rising sun shone upon it. Christian, it is a sail!" Christian's face was impassive. "You are sure?" he asked. Minarii nodded: "It is a white man's ship. Our sails of matting are brown." "Is she steering this way?" "I could not make out." "Find Smith," said Christian. "Tell him to come to me at once." Maimiti sat on the doorstep, suckling her eight months' boy. Christian stopped for a moment to caress her hair and to gaze down tenderly at his son. When he came out of the house, spyglass in hand, Alexander Smith was striding up the path. "We are going to the Goat-House," Christian told the girl. As they walked away briskly, he informed Smith of Minarii's news. "We'll stop on the mountain till we make certain of her course. It is too early for a ship sent out from England to search for us, but a British vessel may have put in at Matavai by chance and learned of the mutiny from the others there. She would be on the lookout for us." Both men were panting when they reached the summit, and both turned their eyes westward, where a speck of white broke the line of the horizon. Christian rested his glass in the fork of a scrubby tree, focused it, and gazed out to the west. Three or four minutes elapsed before he lowered the glass. "She's hull and courses down," he said. "I can make out topsails, topgallants, and royals when they catch the sun." He handed the glass to Smith, who scrutinized the distant vessel long and earnestly. "She's steering this way, sir," he said at last. "Look again. Ye'll see her foretopmast staysail." Christian soon convinced himself of the truth of Smith's words, and they turned to go. "With this westerly wind, she'll come on fast, sir," remarked Smith. "Aye," replied Christian grimly, as he picked his way down the steep path. "She should be close in by one o'clock.". He said no more till they were approaching the house. Halting at the door, he turned to Smith. "Go at once to Brown and Williams, and tell any others you meet on the way. Every fire must be put out. I want all hands, men and women, to assemble at McCoy's house. Tell them to waste no time." "A ship is coming," he told Maimiti, when Smith was gone. "Unless they make a landing, we have nothing to fear. I am going to warn the others. Do you stop here and gather together everything we possess from the ship—plates, knives, axes, tools. All must be well hidden. Should they land, we will conceal ourselves in the bush till they are gone." At Young's house, Christian stopped to explain the situation and to give his orders. Half consciously, he had taken command of the island as if it had been a ship. All fires were extinguished and the mutineers set to work with their women collecting every article of European manufacture, in preparation for flight to the bush. When all were assembled before McCoy's house, Christian revealed his plan. "She is making direct for the island," he said. "If the wind holds, she will fetch the land within a few hours. From the cut of her sails she is a small English frigate. She cannot have been sent out in search for us, but it is possible that she touched at Tahiti and learned of the mutiny there. Our course is clear in any case. If they pass without making a landing, they must not know that the island is inhabited. Should they land, we must take to the bush and remain hidden there, with everything that might betray us as white men." He paused, and the men spoke rapidly in low voices among themselves. "Williams and Mills," Christian went on, "I leave the smithy to you. See that the bellows, the forge, and the anvil are safely hidden, and every trace of Williams's work removed. Young, the path leading up from Bounty Bay must be wiped out and masked. Take the Indian men. Yours is the most important task of all! Pile stones in a natural manner here and there on the path, and plant young ironwood trees between; their foliage will not wilt for a day or two. McCoy, take charge of the houses, and see that nothing remains to betray us. Smith, you shall be our lookout, and report instantly should the ship change her course. And remember, no fires! If they land, we shall repair at once to the grove of banyan below the Indian temple. They will never find us there." Mills slapped the stock of the musket in his hand. "Find us or not," he growled, "I don't mean to be taken. Not while I've powder and lead!" "Are ye daft?" asked McCoy. "One shot'd be the ruin of us all!" "Aye," said Christian sternly, "McCoy is right!" The people dispersed to their tasks and Christian walked back to set his own house in order. Smith followed and stopped at the door while the spyglass was fetched. Less than two hours had passed when Smith returned. "She's an English man-of-war, sir, not a doubt of it! A frigate of thirty-two, I reckon, and coming straight on for the land." By early afternoon Christian's orders had been carried out, and the people were assembled not far from McCoy's house and a quarter of a mile from the landing place. The path leading up from the cove had been masked so skillfully that no trace of it was visible, and after a final inspection by Christian the workers had made their way separately up the bluff. The ship was now close in; Smith was stationed on a point that jutted out beyond a small ravine, to hail the others when she rounded the northern cape. Christian was admonishing the group of men and women on the grass. "She is a man-of-war, and there will be a dozen spyglasses trained on shore. When she comes in sight, the women must remain here. Maimiti, you will see to that! The men shall go with me to the point, but once there, we must take care not to be seen." There was a rapid murmur of conversation as he ceased to speak, broken by a hail from Smith. The ship had rounded Young's Rock and was now little more than a mile from Bounty Bay, and at a distance of about three cable lengths from shore. Her courses were clewed up; she came on slowly under her topsails, before the fair westerly wind. At a sign from Christian the men followed him down to Smith's lookout point. The place was well screened by bush and about three hundred feet above the beach; the rise to the plateau was steep enough here to merit the name of cliff. Each man chose for himself a peephole through the foliage, and seated himself to watch the progress of the ship. There were exclamations from the mutineers:— "She's English, not a doubt!" "A smart frigate, eh, lads?" Nearly an hour passed while the vessel coasted the island slowly, sounding as she approached the cove. The men peering through the bush could see the red coats of marines, and a stir and bustle amidships as she drew abreast of Bounty Bay. A boat was going over the side; presently, with two officers in the stern and a full crew at the oars, she began to pull toward the cove, while the frigate tacked and stood offshore. Though the wind was westerly, there was a high swell from the north, and one of the officers astern rose to his feet as the boat drew near the breakers. At a sign from him, the men ceased rowing, and the cutter rose and fell just beyond the first feathering of the seas. "They'll never chance it!" muttered Young. Christian nodded without taking his eyes from the boat. "She's been to Tahiti," growled Mills, "ye can lay to that! Thank God for the swell!" The taller of the officers, a lieutenant from his uniform, was raising his spyglass to scan the rim of the plateau. For a long time the glass moved this way and that while the officer examined the blank green face of the bush. At last he snapped his telescope together and made a sign to the rowers to return to the ship. Hove-to under her topsail; she was a good mile offshore by now, and the cutter was a long time pulling out to her. Through his glass Christian watched the falls made fast, and the sway of the men at the ropes as the boat went on board. Presently the courses were loosed and the frigate slacked away to bear off to the east. CHAPTER IX By the end of the year, the swine had multiplied to an extent which made it necessary to fence all the gardens against their depredations. The fowls, wandering off into the bush, had gone wild and regained the power of flight lost in domesticity. The women caught as many as they required in snares, baited with coconut; when a man wished to eat pork, half an hour's tramp with a musket sufficed to bring a fat hog to bag. Sometimes they shot a fierce old sow, ran down the squeaking pigs, and fetched them in to be tamed and fattened in the sties. During the breadfruit season, from November till May, the trees planted by the ancient inhabitants of the island produced more than enough to feed all hands. The pandanus abounded everywhere; its nuts, though somewhat laborious to extract, were rich, tasty, and nourishing. The long, slender, wild yams grew in all the valleys, and in the natural glades, where the sunlight warmed the fertile soil, were scattered patches of ti—a kind of dracaena, with a large root, very sweet when baked. Pia maohi, or wild arrowroot, indigenous to all the volcanic islands of the Pacific, was here, valuable for making the native puddings of which the white men soon grew fond. The coconuts would have been enough for ten times the population of the island. At the proper season, the cliffs provided the eggs and young of sea birds, the latter, when nearly full grown, being fat, tender, and far from ill-flavoured. Shellfish and crustaceans were to be gathered on the rocky shores when the weather was calm, and fish abounded in the sea. Once their houses were built, and the land cleared for plantations of yams and cloth-plant, the mutineers found themselves able to live with little labour. There were two small Christians now—Thursday October and the baby, Charles; McCoy was the father of a boy and a girl, and Sarah had presented Quintal with an infant son. The adult population numbered twenty-six, now that Fasto was dead, and their island would have supported in comfort at least five hundred more. There had been little friction during the two years past, for the hard work together, the sense of sharing a common task, had bred good feeling between whites and Polynesians. Now, as the second anniversary of their settlement on the island approached, all began to take life more easily. Minarii and Tetahiti spent much time at sea in the cutter, fishing for albacore; certain of the white men took to loafing in the shade, while they forced the humbler natives to perform the daily tasks too heavy for womenfolk. Williams was seldom seen at the settlement, and McCoy, once the most sociable of men, was frequently absent from his house. No one knew where he spent so many hours each day, and none cared save Quintal, who grumbled incuriously at times when he wished to chat with his friend. Mary suspected that her husband was tired of her and had found consolation elsewhere, but his absence brought her more relief than jealousy, for he had been a trial to her since the daily grog ration had ceased; his cuffs were far more frequent than his caresses. With two small children to occupy her, Mary would have been content had her husband moved away for good. With the secretiveness of a Scot, and unknown to all the others, McCoy was conducting certain experiments in a narrow gorge on the unfrequented western slope of the island. In his youth he had been apprenticed to a distiller, and, while acquiring a rough knowledge of the distiller's art, he had also acquired an inveterate love of alcohol. Unlike most British seamen of his day, McCoy cared little for sprees and jovial drinking bouts, and under ordinary circumstances never went to excess. What he loved was the certainty of an unfailing supply of grog, the glow and gentle relaxation of a quiet glass or two by himself. When the last of the Bounty's rum was gone, save for the small amount preserved in case someone fell ill, McCoy's moods of gaiety had ceased, and he had grown silent and morose. The idea had come in a flash, one afternoon when he was alone at Williams's forge. He was searching for a bit of wire, or a nail, to make a fishhook, and as he turned over the odds and ends of metal fetched from the ship he came on a few yards of copper tubing, coiled up and made fast with a bit of marline. A coil! With a coil, cooled in water, it would be no trick at all to set up a small still! Hiding the tubing carefully, he strolled home deep in thought. The copper pot from the ship would be the very thing, but it was at Christian's house and not to be had without awkward explanations. There were a number of kettles which had been placed on board for trade with the Indians; he had two of his own, but they were too small to make more than a pint a day; yet a pint a day would be ample for one. It would be best to keep the matter to himself. He suspected that Christian would scent danger and put an immediate stop to it. He might let Matt Quintal in...No, Quintal always went mad when enough grog was on hand. What could he use? Sugar cane was not plentiful, and all of the people were fond of chewing it. He could never get enough without exciting suspicion. Why not ti? The roots would have to be baked to make them sweet, then mashed in water and allowed to ferment. There was plenty of ti; nearly everyone was heartily tired of it. Deliberately, and with the greatest secrecy, McCoy went about his preparations. Musket on his arm, as if pig-hunting, he wandered about the island casually till he found a spot that suited him. Far off from Williams's cottage, and below the upper slopes frequented by the increasing flock of goats, he found a narrow, walled-in gorge, where a trickle of water wandered down from the peak. Little by little, carrying his light loads before sunrise or in the dusk of evening, he accumulated what he needed there—a kettle, the coil, a supply of the roots, a native pestle of stone for mashing them, and a keg in which to ferment the mash afterwards. Then, still without arousing curiosity, he fetched several bags of coconut shells, which burn with an intense and smokeless heat. The kettle was of cast iron, and held about two gallons. McCoy set it up carefully on three stones, inserted one end of his coil in the spout, and made the joint tight with a plaster of volcanic clay. He bent the flexible coil so that it passed into a large calabash sawed in half, and out, through a watertight joint, after a dozen turns. A dam of stones and mud across the watercourse formed a little pool, from which the cold water could be dipped to fill the calabash. When all was ready, he cooked a large earth oven of the roots, mashed them with his pestle on a flat rock, and stirred up the mash with water in his keg. The month was January, and the weather so hot that fermentation was not long delayed. When McCoy lifted the lid of his keg, thirty-six hours after the first stirring, a yeasty froth covered the mash. He stirred it once more, replaced the lid, and strolled homeward, killing a fine yearling hog on the way. He was so obsessed with his plans, so eager to see and to taste the results of the experiment, that he scarcely closed his eyes all through the night. Long before the others were awake, he took up his musket and stole out, past Mary, sleeping peacefully, with her two children at her side. The stars were bright overhead; the day promised well. Striding along the starlit path, McCoy passed the house of Mills, passed Young's house, and turned inland along the near bank of the ravine that led down from Brown's Well. He halted for a moment to drink, where the rivulet ran into the upper end of the pool. Starlight was giving place to dawn as he climbed to the small plateau above and toiled up to the summit of the Goat-House Ridge. Lack of breath forced him to rest for a moment here, where another man might have lingered to admire the wide prospect of land and sea. Beyond the sleeping settlement and the jagged peak of Ship-Landing Point, the sea stretched away, misty and indistinct in the morning calm. But in the east the sun announced its approach in a glory of colour among the low scattered clouds—blended gold and rose, shimmering like mother-of-pearl. McCoy shouldered his musket and took a dim goat-path leading down to the west. He found the mash working powerfully; there was a rim of froth on the ground about the keg. He put a finger into the mess, tasted, and spat it out. Then, after a thorough stirring, he ladled the kettle full with half a coconut shell. Unwrapping his tinder carefully, he ignited the charred end with a stroke of flint on steel and blew up the dried leaves beneath the kettle to a flame. Soon a hot, smokeless fire of coconut shells was burning brightly. The lid of the kettle was of heavy cast iron, and fitted tightly, but McCoy now plastered it about with clay before he filled his sawn calabash with water and stood a pewter half-pint on a rock, where it would catch the drip from the coil. The kettle sang, and began to boil at last, while he poured more cool water over the coil from time to time. A drop formed at the end of the copper tube, grew visibly, and fell into the half-pint. Another drop formed and fell; another and another, while the man watched with eager eyes. When there was an inch or more of spirit in the pot McCoy could wait no longer. He built up his fire, replenished the mash in the kettle, and substituted his half coconut shell for the pewter pot. Then, after ladling more cool water into the calabash, he seated himself with his back to a tree. He passed the half-pint under his nose, sniffing at the contents critically. "I've smelt waur!" he muttered, and took a preliminary sip. McCoy made a wry face and swallowed violently. He opened his mouth wide and blew out his breath with all his force. "Ouf! There's nae whiskey in Scotland can touch her for strength! I've tasted waur—het from the still, that is." He took a more substantial sip this time, coughed, sputtered, and rose to his feet. "It's water she needs just now. Gie her time! Gie her time! Ouf! A glass o' this'd set old Matty daft!" Mixed with a small measure of water, the spirit proved more palatable, though McCoy made many a wry face as he sipped. All through the morning he kept his fire going and the kettle full, drinking the raw spirit as fast as it condensed in the coil. The sun was overhead when he allowed the fire to die out and stretched himself to sleep in the shade, with flushed face and laboured and irregular snores. He awoke late in the afternoon, and, though his head ached unmercifully, he made his way back to the settlement in deep content. McCoy's supply of ti had been obtained from a natural glade not far. inland from the house where Martin lived with Mills. The plant, more or less rare elsewhere on the island, grew in great plenty here, and at the suggestion of the natives the glade had not been et out to yams, though it lay close in and there was no clearing to be done. In the beginning both natives and whites had eaten the sweet baked roots with relish, but the ti proved cloying after a time and the plants were allowed to flourish undisturbed. Returning to his house in the cool of late afternoon, McCoy glanced through the scattered bush and perceived Martin in the distant glade, plying a mattock side by side with Hu. He left the path abruptly, and was surprised and displeased to see that they were grubbing up the roots of ti and casting them aside. "What're ye up to, Isaac?" he asked angrily. Martin halted in his work, and the native rested on his mattock-haft. "Get on with yer work, ye lazy lout," exclaimed Martin. "Did I tell 'ee to rest?" He turned to McCoy. "What's that to you?" "Damn yer eyes! Ye're grubbing up all the ti!" "It's no more yours than mine! Who wants it, anyway? I'm going to make a yam patch here." "I want it! There's others on the island beside yersel'! Yams? Ye've the whole place to plant 'em on." "Aye. And walk half a mile out to work. If ye'd a musket ball in your leg like me, ye'd think different." McCoy controlled his temper with difficulty. "Listen, Isaac," he said, "I've a tooth for sweets; not a day but I grub up a root or two. There's nae patch of ti on the island the like o' this. Ye've scarce made a start; be a good lad and plant the yams elsewhere!" After considerable persuasion, Martin agreed to leave the glade undisturbed. He summoned the native in a manner brutal and contemptuous, and led the way to the house, mumbling his discontent. McCoy picked up his musket and went home. Late the same evening he was reclining with Quintal on a mat spread before the doorstep. The women and children had gone into the house to sleep. McCoy had been brooding over his argument with Martin. Sooner or later, he feared, someone mote intelligent than Martin might preempt the ti patch, and put him in a position from which he would be unable to extricate himself without disclosing the secret of the still. "Matt," he said, breaking a long silence, "did 'ee ever think o' dividing the land? We live like Indians here—sharing all hands alike; it ain't in white human natur to keep on so." Quintal nodded. "When I clear a bit o' land," McCoy went on, "and put in yams, or plantains, or what not, I'd like to think it's mine for good, and for little Sarah and Dan when I'm underground. Ye've young Matty to think on, and there'll be more bairns coming along." "Aye," said Quintal, "I'm with 'ee there." "Let every man gang his ain gait! If ye fancy yams, plant 'em for yersel'. Gin it's taro ye want, though it's nae white man's vivers to my mind, why, plant taro, and damn the rest! That's a Scot's way, and an Englishman's too." Slow in thought and with no gift of words, Quintal had a high opinion of McCoy's sagacity. "Aye, Will," he said, "the land would divide up well. There's enough and to spare, for the nine of us. We could make a common of the west end, for the goats." "Nine, ye swad! And the Indian men?" Quintal grunted contemptuously. "Never mind them! Give 'em land, and they'll not work for us." McCoy gave his companion a quick glance. "Matt! Ye're nae dowff as ye look! Aye...there's summat in that. But we must no put their beards in a blaze!" § § § One morning, about a fortnight after Quintal's talk with McCoy, Tararu was fishing from the rocks below Christian's house. The sea was calm, for this part of the coast was sheltered from the southerly swell. Tararu was the nephew of Minarii, and well born in Tahiti, though neither his person nor his character was such as was usual among the native aristocracy. He was of low stature and slight build, and there was more cunning than determination in his face. An idle fellow, who preferred the company of women to that of men, he spent much of his time in solitary fishing excursions, which gave him an excuse to be absent when there was hard work to be done. The tuna-fishing offshore was too strenuous for his taste, and, though the others jeered at him for following a sport usually relegated to women, they were always glad to share his catch. He squatted on a weed-covered rock, beside a shallow pool left by the receding tide. The water was deep, close inshore, at this place. Tararu's line was made of native flax, twisted on his naked thigh; his barbless hook was of pearl shell, and his sinker a pear-shaped stone, pierced at its small end to allow the line to be made fast. He baited his hook with a bit of white meat from the tail of a crayfish, whirled the sinker about his head, and cast out. The coiled line flew from his left hand, the sinker plunged into the sea twenty yards away. He drew in a fathom or two tentatively, till he felt the line taut from his stone, and squatted once more to wait for a bite. The birds were beginning to nest, and many hundreds of them came and went about their business over the calm sea. The morning was so still that he could hear, very faintly, the clink of Williams's hammer at the forge, and the bleating of young goats on the ridge to the west. The sun was not yet high enough to be unpleasantly warm. Though his eyes were open, Tararu seemed to doze, as motionless as the black rock beneath his feet, and scarcely more animate. But he was on the alert when at last a fish seized his bait. He did not strike as a white fisherman would have done; his incurved hook of pearl shell did not permit of that. Tararu kept a taut line, allowing the fish to run this way and that, while the hook turned and worked ever deeper into its jaw. It was a large, blue-spotted fish of the rock-cod kind, called rod, and weighing ten pounds or more—a rare prize. Presently, he swung it up out of the sea, disengaged the hook, and slid the fish into the pool beside him, where it sank to the bottom with heaving gills. Slowly and methodically he baited his hook once more. The sun was high overhead and the pool well stocked with fish when Tararu coiled his line and laid it on a ledge above him to dry. The last wave but one had wet him to the ankles and streamed hissing into the pool. He opened his knife, and began to sharpen it on a flat pebble. The blade was half worn away by long use. "Tararu! Tararu O!" One of his countrymen was approaching, clambering down over the rocks. Tararu greeted him with a lift of the eyebrows, and held out his knife. "Look," he said, pointing to the pool, "I have been lucky! Clean and string them while I rest." Hu was a small, humble, dark-skinned man, whose ancestors for many generations had been servants to those of Minarii. He grunted with pain and put a hand to his side as he stooped over the pool. "Are you hurt?" asked Tararu. "Have you had a fall?" "Not a fall," replied the other, beginning to clean the first fish that came to hand. "Martin again." "Did he beat you?" "Aye...with a club." "What had you done?" Hu shook his head. "Done? How can I say? Nothing I do pleases him. We went together to the yam field. He sat in the shade and directed me at the work. The holes I dug were not deep enough, or too deep. I put in too many dead leaves when I filled them; I cut up the seed yams too fine! I am your man, and your uncle's—not Martin's slave! I told him so; then he beat me." His hands trembled as he worked, and he caught his breath in a sob of anger. "What can I do? Will you not protect me, you or Minarii?" Tararu reflected for some time with downcast eyes. "There is only one way," he said at last. "I dare not stir Minarii too deeply, for if trouble comes with the whites, they will take their muskets and shoot us all. Kill Martin! Kill him in a way that none will suspect." "Mea au roa!" exclaimed Hu, looking up from his task with gleaming eyes. "But how is it to be done?" Tararu leaned over the pool, fumbled among the fish remaining there, and drew forth an odd creature, about a foot long, with a small mouth and a strange square body, checkered in black and white. "With this!" he said. "A huéhué," remarked the other. "I have heard that there is poison in them." "The flesh is sweet and wholesome if the gall bladder is removed entire. The gall is without colour and has no strong taste, yet four drops of it will kill a man. Squeeze out the bladder on a bit of yam or on a pudding. He will be dead before the setting of the sun." Hu shook his head. "Leave poisoning to wizards and old women. Not even Martin could I kill in that way!" Tararu shrugged his shoulders, and the other went on: "But it might he done on the cliffs. He has ordered me to go with him to the Rope this afternoon. The birds are beginning to lay." When the fish were cleaned and scaled, Hu shouldered the heavy string and followed Tararu in the stiff climb to the plateau. Toward mid-afternoon, Martin and Smith sauntered down the path to the house of the natives. They carried egging baskets and coils of rope, and found Hu waiting to accompany them. Smith led the way to the ridge, and a short walk brought them to the verge of the cliffs hemming in the little half-moon bay. The Rope was exposed to the full force of the southerly swell, and the thunder of the breakers came up faintly from far below. Sea birds in thousands sailed back and forth along the face of the cliff. Smith peered over the brink and dropped the coil of two-inch line from his shoulder. Making fast one end to the trunk of a stout pandanus tree, he tossed the coils over the cliff, slung his basket about his neck, and began to reconnoitre the ground. There were many nests in the scrub pandanus bushes that stood out almost horizontally from the wall of rock. Birds sat in some of them; in others, deserted temporarily during the heat of the day, he perceived the clutches of eggs. Martin was making fast his rope at a place about thirty yards away. It was his custom to take one of the natives on these egging excursions, to perform the task he had no stomach for. Smith gripped the rope with both hands and scrambled over the brink of the cliff, pressing the soles of his bare feet against the rock. Little by little he lowered himself to a jutting rock fifty feet below, where he could rest at ease, and where he had spied two well-filled nests within reach. He had transferred the eggs to his basket when the sounds of a scuffle and angry shouting reached his ears. Smith listened for a moment, set his lips, and began to climb the ropes rapidly, hand over hand, aiding himself with his feet. At the summit, he set down his basket before he rose from his knees. Then, half running through the scrub, he made for the sound of Martin's angry voice. "Kill me, would 'ee? Take that, ye Indian bastard! And that, God damn 'ee!" Martin stood over the bloody and prostrate form of Hu, kicking him savagely at each exclamation. He swung about as he felt Smith's hand on his shoulder, and said, still shouting: "The bastard! Tried to rush me over the cliff, he did!" He made as if to kick the native once more, but Smith's powerful grip held him back. "Avast, Isaac!" ordered Smith, and then, glancing down, he asked: "Is this true?" "Aye," groaned the prostrate man, who could scarcely speak, "it is true." Martin wrenched himself free and aimed another kick at Hu. Smith sprang on him and pulled him back roughly. "I'll not stand by and see the like o' this!" he exclaimed. "Damn your blood, Alex!" said Martin angrily. "I tell 'ee, he tried to push me over the cliff!" "D'ye think I'm blind, man? Ye've given him cause, and to spare!" Anger got the better of Martin's customary caution. Smith had released him, and now stood between him and the native, who was rising painfully to his feet. Martin clenched his fists. "This is my lay! Stand by! Or d'ye want a clout on the jaw?" Next moment, with a light of insane rage in his eyes, he sprang forward and struck Smith a heavy blow. The smaller man grunted without flinching, put up his hands, and lowered his head. The fight was over in two minutes; Martin lay on the ground with a bruised jaw and breathing heavily through his nose. When he sat up dazedly at last, Smith spoke. "We'll say no more of this...It's best so. Mind what I say, Isaac, it'll go hard with ye if I catch ye bullying this man again. And Hu,—though I can't say I blame ye much,—remember, no more such murderin' tricks!" He touched his lips. "Mamu's the word!" CHAPTER X It was a calm night in February 1792; the sky was cloudless and the rising moon low over the sea. The natives had supped and were reclining on the grass before their house, gossiping in subdued voices, broken by the occasional soft laughter of the women. Minarii lay in silence, hands behind his head. Tararu stood alone at some little distance, gazing up the moonlit path. Though they spoke lightly of other things, one thought was in every mind, for Hutia had not returned. In their love of decorum, the Polynesians resemble the Chinese; to their minds, an action is often less important than the manner in which it is performed, and the appearance of virtue more so than virtue itself. Like the others, Tararu had long known where the girl spent so many hours each day, but hitherto she had conducted her affairs with discretion, taking care to put no affront upon her husband's dignity. Now at last the persuasions of Williams had overcome her fear of a scene. Turning his head slightly Minarii perceived that Tararu was gone. He sat up, seemed to reflect for a moment, and lay down once more, his lips set in a thin, stern line. The moon was well up when Tararu emerged from a thicket near the lonely cottage of Williams. Stepping lightly and keeping to the shadows, he reached the open door and listened for a moment before he peered into the house. His wife was asleep on a mat just inside, her head pillowed on the blacksmith's brawny arm. For an instant, passion overcame his fear of Williams; had he carried a weapon, he would have killed the blacksmith as he lay. Hutia's small naked foot was close to the door, and Tararu stretched out a shaking hand to rouse her. At first she only murmured incoherently in her sleep, but when he had nearly pulled her off the mat, she opened her eyes. "Come outside!" he whispered fiercely. Williams sat up. "What do you want?" he growled. "My woman!" exclaimed Tararu, in a voice that broke with anger. "My woman, you white dog!" The blacksmith sprang to his feet. His fists were clenched and his short black beard bristled within an inch of Tararu's chin. "She's my woman now! Clear out!" Williams looked so formidable, so menacing, that the native cast down his eyes, but his sense of dignity would not permit him to turn away quickly enough to please the other man. As he turned slowly, trembling with anger and humiliation, a kick delivered with all the strength of the blacksmith's sturdy leg sent him sprawling on all fours. He rose with some difficulty while Williams stood over him. "Now will you go?" he asked truculently. Tararu clenched his teeth and limped away up the moonlit slope. Though the others had gone into the house to sleep, Minarii still lay outside, wide awake, when Tararu returned. He sat up to listen impassively to a torrent of whispered words, and when the other fell silent his reply was a grunt of contempt. "You call yourself a man," he remarked after a short pause, "and come to me with this woman's tale! Atira! If you want the woman, rouse her and fetch her home." Tararu hesitated. "I did waken her," he admitted. Then emotion got the better of him, and he went on incoherently: "My words roused Williams—he kicked me and knocked me down!" Minarii's deep voice interrupted him. "Were you not my sister's son..." He rose, with an expression of stern displeasure on his face. "Tihé! To think that I should take a hand in such affairs! Wait for me here; perhaps soft words will right the wrong. If not..." He shrugged his great shoulders as he turned away. The night was warm and Alexander Smith was working in the little garden before his house. Young and Taurua had gone early to bed; Balhadi had been helping her man to water some ferns planted the day before, but drowsiness had overcome her, and she too had retired. The moon was so bright that Smith watered and raked and weeded as if it had been day. It was late when he stopped and sat down on the rustic bench by the path. He had been fishing with Tetahiti the day before, and a long siesta in the afternoon had left him with no desire to sleep. The moon was nearly at the zenith when he raised his head at the sound of a step on the path. It was Minarii, and Hutia walked behind him, bowed and sobbing. He halted at sight of Smith. "It is fortunate that you are awake, Alex," he said. "There is trouble—trouble that may lead to graver things." He went on to recount the happenings of the night. "Where is Williams?" Smith asked. "On the floor of his house," replied Minarii grimly. "He fought like a man...Look!" He pointed to a great black bruise on his jaw. Smith thought for a moment before he spoke. "We must act quickly. Only Christian can handle this. Stop here while I rouse him." When he was gone, Minarii seated himself with his back to a hibiscus tree and the girl crouched beside him. Presently his hand fell on her shoulder in a grip that made her wince. Concealed in the deep shadow of the tree, they watched the blacksmith move down the path toward the house of Mills. Williams was in no mood for half-measures. He limped painfully, and halted from time to time to spit out a mouthful of blood. When he had wakened Mills, they walked side by side to the house of McCoy. "Damn him, he was too much for me!" said the blacksmith, thickly. "Had you or Matt been there, we'd have murdered him!" Mills grunted sympathetically. "Here we are," he remarked. "I'll go in and fetch 'em." A moment later he came out with McCoy and Quintal, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. They listened attentively to what the blacksmith had to say. "Where are they now?" asked Quintal. "At the Indian house, I reckon." McCoy smiled sourly. "This'll mean a fight. Curse ye, Jack! Ye have yer woman week days and Sabbaths to boot; must ye stir up the whole island because ye can nae sleep wi' her nights?" Williams turned away angrily. "Then stop where ye are. Come along!" he said to Mills. "We'll fetch the muskets." "Ne'er fash yersel', Jack," put in McCoy. "We'll help ye fast enough, but it's an unchancy business for all that!" "We'd best get it over with," said Mills. "Teach the bloody Indians their place...Who's this?" Christian was striding rapidly down the moonlit path, followed by Smith and Minarii. Hutia brought up the rear, half trotting to keep pace with the men. She longed to slip into the bush and escape, but dared not. Williams moved forward truculently when he perceived Minarii, only to fall back at sight of Christian's face. "What is all this?" Christian asked sternly, coming to a halt. "I made up my mind last night, sir," Williams replied with a mingling of defiance and respect. "I told my girl to stop with me and leave her Indian for good. He came to fetch her when we were asleep. I woke and kicked him out. Then Minarii came." He drew a deep breath and spat out a mouthful of blood. "He was too much for me. When I came round, he was gone and my girl with him. What could I do but make haste down to the settlement and fetch the others to lend a hand?" Minarii stood with head high and arms folded on his bare chest. His face was impassive and sternly set. Christian turned to him. "Shall I tell you what Williams says?" "He has not lied." Christian glanced down distastefully at Hutia, cowering on the grass with her head in her arms. "Is the peace of this land to be broken because of a loose girl and two men who forget their manhood?" "Well spoken!" said Minarii. "On that point we see alike. But I cannot stand by while my sister's son is shamed before all, and cursed and kicked by a commoner, even though he be white." "Then fetch Tararu. He must come at once." As Minarii walked toward the natives' house, Christian turned to the four mutineers. "I'm going to settle this matter here and now!" he said. "We have had more than enough of it. The woman shall choose the man she wishes to live with, and there is to be no murmuring afterward. Let that be understood." "I'm with ye, Mr. Christian!" exclaimed McCoy. "Aye," muttered Quintal. "That's the way to settle it." When Minarii returned, followed by his nephew, Christian spoke once more. "Tararu," he said, "stand forth! The woman shall choose between you. And let the man rejected keep the peace." "Stand forth, Williams," he went on. "Minarii, tell her that she is to make her choice and abide by it." The girl was still crouched on the grass, face hidden in her arms. Minarii spoke to her in a harsh voice before he pulled her roughly to her feet. With eyes cast down, but without a moment of hesitation, she walked to the blacksmith and linked her arm in his. § § § Autumn came on with strong winds from the west, and fine rains that drizzled down for days together. In early April the weather turned so cold that the people spent much of the time in their houses. Situated more than seven degrees of latitude to the south of Tahiti, Pitcairn's Island lay in the region of variable westerly winds, and its climate was far colder and more invigorating than that of the languorous isles to the north. One night in April, the wind shifted from west to southwest and blew the sky clear. While the stars twinkled frostily, the sleepers in the house of Mills stirred with the cold, half wakening to pull additional blankets of tapa up to their chins. Mills and Prudence slept in the room upstairs, on a great standing bed-place filled with sweet fern and covered with many layers of soft bark cloth. Prudence lay on her side, her unbound hair half covering the pillow, and one arm thrown protectingly over the tiny child who slumbered between her and the wall. Presently the open window on the east side of the room became a square of grey in the dawn. The old red cock from Tahiti, roosting in the tapou tree, wakened, clapped his wings loudly, and raised his voice in a long-drawn challenging crow. Prudence stirred and opened her eyes. The baby was already awake, staring up gravely at the thatch. The young mother roused herself, leaned over to sniff fondly at the child's head, on which a copper-red down was beginning to appear, and sat up, shivering. Taking care not to waken Mills, she threw a sheet of tapa over her shoulders, picked up the child, and stepped lightly over the sleeping man. With her baby on one arm, the girl climbed nimbly down the ladder, crossed the room where Martin snored beside Susannah, opened the door softly, and went out. It was broad daylight now and the glow of sunrise was in the east. Save for mare's-tails of filmy cloud, the sky was clear; the trees swayed as the strong southwest wind hummed through their tops. Prudence drew a long breath and threw back her head to shake the heavy hair over her shoulders. In the maturity of young motherhood, she was among the handsomest of the women. Her brown eyes were set wide apart under slender, arched brows; though small, her figure was perfectly proportioned; her beautiful hair, of the strange copper color to be found occasionally among Maoris of unmixed blood, fell rippling to her knees. Her race was the lightest-skinned of all brown folk, and the chill, damp winds of Pitcairn's Isle had brought the glow of young blood to her cheeks. Mills was deeply attached to her, in his rough way; she had been happy with the dour old seaman since the birth of their child. Eliza raised her voice in a wail and Prudence smiled down at her as she walked to the outdoor kitchen. "There!" she said, as she deposited the baby in a rude cradle Mills had made, and tucked her in carefully. "Lie still! You shall have your meal presently." As if she understood, the child ceased to cry and watched her mother gravely as she struck a spark to her tinder and blew up the flame among some chips of wood. When the fire was burning well, Prudence filled the pot from the barrel of rain water and set it on to boil. She took up Eliza, seated herself on the stool used for grating coconuts, and teased the child for a moment with her breast, offered and withdrawn. Soon the baby was suckling greedily; after a time, before the kettle had boiled, her eyelids began to droop, and presently her mother rose to place her in the cradle once more, sound asleep. Prudence now took some eggs and half a dozen plantains from a basket hanging out of reach of rats, and dropped them into the boiling water. From another basket she took a breadfruit, cooked the day before. She heard Mills at the water barrel, washing his face, and turned to greet him as he appeared at the kitchen door. He stooped over the cradle and touched the sleeping baby's head with a stubby thumb. "Liza, little lass," he said, "ye've a soft life, eh? Naught but eat and sleep." Prudence set food before him, and stood leaning on the table as he fell to heartily. "I am hungry for fresh meat," she said. "See, the weather has changed. Take your musket and kill a hog for us." Mills swallowed half of an egg and took a sup of water before he replied. "Aye, that I will, lass. Fire up the oven, for I'll not fail. Ye must eat for two, these days." When he was gone and she had eaten her light breakfast of fruits, she spread a mat in the shelter of the banyan tree by the forge, and fetched her sleeping child and an uncompleted hat she was weaving for Mills. Susannah was stirring in the kitchen, but Martin would not be on foot for another hour or two. Prudence glanced up from her work at the sound of a footstep and saw Tararu approaching, an axe on his shoulder. She had scarcely laid eyes on him since the trouble with Williams; he had ceased his former gossiping and flirtatious way with the women, and spent most of his time in the bush. He caught her eye and made an attempt to smile. Polynesian etiquette demanded that some word be spoken, and he asked, in a hoarse voice: "Where is Mills?" "Gone pig-hunting," she replied. The Bounty's grindstone stood close by, near the forge. Tararu took the calabash from its hook, filled it at the water barrel, and replaced it so that a thin trickle fell on the stone. Picking up his axe, he set to work. Prudence bent over her plaiting, glancing at the man from time to time out of the corner of her eye. He ground on steadily, first one side of the blade and then the other, halting occasionally to test the edge with his thumb. An hour passed. Something in Tararu's manner, and in the meticulous care with which he worked, struck the girl as out of the ordinary. He was a lazy, shiftless fellow as a rule. "Never have I seen an axe so sharpened!" she remarked. He grunted, intent on his task, and she went on: "What is your purpose?" He looked up and hesitated for a moment before he replied. "I have been clearing a field for yams. Yesterday I found a purau tree, tall, straight, and thick. To-morrow I shall fell it, and begin to shape a canoe." As he went to work once more, Prudence's quick mind was busy. Canoe-building was practised in Tahiti only by a guild of carpenters called tahu'a, which included men of all classes, even high chiefs. Minarii was an adept, but Tararu knew no more of the art than a child of ten. Yet why should he lie to her? After a long time the axe was sharpened to Tararu's satisfaction, bright and razor-edged. He shouldered it, gave Prudence a surly nod, and walked away into the bush. The girl took up her child, gathered her work together absently, and went into the house, deep in thought. When she reappeared, a mantle of tapa was thrown over her shoulders, and she carried her child, warmly wrapped against the wind, on one arm. She had plaited her hair in two long, thick braids, twisted them around her head, and pinned them in place with skewers of bamboo. Walking with the light and resilient step of youth, she took the path that led past Smith's house and Christian's, and up, over the summit of the Goat-House Ridge. Half an hour later, she was approaching Williams's lonely cottage. At some distance from the door she halted and gave the melodious little cry with which a Polynesian visitor announced his presence to the inmates of a house. Hutia appeared at the door and greeted the other without a smile. "Where is your man?" asked Prudence. "At work in the bush." "Hutia," said the younger girl earnestly, coming close to her old enemy, "you and I have not been friends, but should anything happen to Williams, my man would never cease his mourning, for the two are like brothers." "Come into the house," Hutia said, her manner changing. "The wind is over cold for aiu." She took the baby from the younger girl's arms and covered the little face with kisses before she closed the door. "Now tell me what is in your mind," she went on. Prudence recounted at length how Tararu had sharpened his axe, how he had replied to her question, and her own suspicions. The other girl's expression turned grave. "Aye," she said at last, "I fear you are right. He is a coward at heart and will come by night if he comes." "So I think," replied Prudence. "Who knows? I may be wrong, but you will do well to warn your man." "Guard him, rather; I shall tell him nothing. He would only mock me for a woman's fears. If I convinced him of danger, he would go in search of Tararu, bringing on more trouble with Minarii. No. We have two muskets here. I can shoot as straight as any man!" Prudence stood up after a time and took her child. "I must return to light the oven," she remarked. "Mills has gone to shoot a pig." "Let us be friends from now on," said Hutia. "There is no room for had blood on this little land." When the young mother was gone, Hutia set about her household tasks, and greeted Williams with her usual cheerful and casual manner at dinner time. But when he had supped that evening, and stretched himself out, dead-tired, she waited only until certain that he was in a sound sleep before making her preparations. In the light of a taper of candlenuts, smoking and sputtering by the wall, she loaded the two muskets, measuring the powder with great care, wadding it with bits of tapa, and ramming the bullets home with patches of the same material, greased with lard. The last skewered nut was ablaze when the task was finished, giving her time to see to the priming and wipe the flints carefully before the light flickered and winked out. With a heavy musket in each hand she stepped softly across the room and out into the starlit night. Like many of the women, Hutia understood firearms thoroughly. The house had only one door. Shivering a little in the chill breeze, she stationed herself in a clump of bushes, one musket across her knees, the other standing close at hand. Even in the dim starlight, no one would be able to leave or enter the house unperceived, and she knew that two hours from now she could count on the light of the waning moon. A long time passed while the girl sat alert and motionless. At last the sky above the ridge began to brighten and presently the moon rose, in a cloudless sky, over the wooded mountain. The shadow of the house took form sharply; the clearing was flooded with cold silvery light, bounded by the dark wall of the bush. It was nearly midnight when Hutia turned her head suddenly. Pale and unsubstantial in the moonlight, the shadowy figure of a man was moving across the cleared land. The girl cocked her musket as she rose. Tararu approached the cottage slowly and softly. When he was within a dozen yards of her, Hutia stepped out into the moonlight. "Faaea!" she ordered firmly, in a low voice. He gave a violent start and endeavoured to conceal his axe behind him. "Come no closer," she went on, "and make no sound. If you waken Williams he will kill you. I know why you are here." Tararu began to mumble some whispered protestation of innocence, but she cut him short, scornfully. "Waste no words! It is in my mind to shoot you as you stand." Hutia's hands were shaking a little with anger. Her former husband was only too well aware of her high temper and determined recklessness when roused. With a suddenness that took her aback, he sprang to one side and bounded away across the clearing, axe in hand. She raised the musket and took aim between his shoulders. For five seconds or more she stood thus, her finger on the trigger she could not bring herself to pull. She lowered the weapon, watched the runner disappear into the bush, and turned toward the cottage. When Williams rose next morning, he found Hutia up before him as usual and his morning meal ready. "Ye've a weary look, lass," he remarked. "Sleep badly?" "Aye—I had bad dreams." She looked up from her work. "The sea is calming down. I shall go fishing this morning, in the lee." The blacksmith nodded. "Good luck to ye. I could do with a mess of fish!" § § § Toward noon of the same day, Tararu was at work on a small clearing in the Auté Valley. None of the men, save Martin perhaps, had a deeper dislike of work; his chief object in clearing the little yam field was to be alone. He was beginning to hate the house of the natives, where he now spent as little as possible of his time. Their ideas of courtesy prevented an open display of contempt, but Minarii treated him coldly, and he could not face the disapproval in Tetahiti's eye. The morning was cool, and he plied his axe with more diligence than usual. Tararu's basket of dinner hung from the low branch of a purau tree at the edge of the clearing, and he was working at some distance, unaware that he was not alone. Peeping through a screen of leaves, Hutia had reconnoitred the cleared land and was now approaching the basket cautiously, unseen and making no sound. She glanced at the man, whose back was turned to her, reached into the basket, took out a large baked fish, done up in leaves, and unwrapped it, crouching out of sight. Glancing up warily once more, she squeezed something which had the appearance of a few drops of water into the inside of the fish, holding it carefully to give the liquid time to soak in. A moment later the fish was wrapped up and returned to the basket, and Hutia disappeared, as quietly as she had come. Ten minutes had passed when Tararu glanced up at the sun and dropped his axe. As he strolled across to where his basket hung, he heard a cheerful hail and saw Hu. "You've not eaten?" asked the newcomer. "That is well. I've brought you some baked plantains; the women said you had none." "Fetch a banana leaf to spread the food on, and you shall share my meal." The servant was the only one of his countrymen whose manner toward him had not changed; Tararu was grateful for the little attention and glad of his company. They ate with good appetites, gossiping of island trivialities, and when the last of the food was gone both men lay down to sleep. CHAPTER XI One afternoon Christian was trudging up the path that led to the Goat-House Ridge. Toiling to the summit, he left the path and turned north along the ridge, to make his way around to the seaward slope of the peak. His path was the merest cranny in the rock, scarcely affording foothold, but he trod the ledge with scarcely a downward glance. Deeply rooted in the rock ahead of him, two ironwood trees spread gnarled limbs that had withstood the gales of more than a century; a goat would have been baffled to reach them by any way other than Christian's dizzy track. Reaching the trees, he lowered himself between the roots to a broad ledge below and entered a cave. It was a snug little place, well screened by drooping casuarina boughs—ten or twelve feet in depth, and lofty enough for a tall man to stand upright. Half a dozen muskets, well cleaned and oiled, stood against the further wall; there was a keg of powder, a supply of bullets, and two large calabashes holding several gallons of water. The cave was a small fortress, where a single resolute man might have held an army at bay so long as he had powder and lead. It was here that Christian spent an hour when he wished to be alone, lost in sombre reflections as he gazed out over the vast panorama of lonely sea and listened to the booming of the surf many hundreds of feet below. For the situation of the mutineers and the native men and women with them he felt a deep and tragic sense of responsibility, and since the passing of the frigate he had realized that sooner or later their refuge was certain to be discovered. He had resolved not to be taken alive when that day came. Christian now took up his muskets, one after the other, and concealed them with his powder and ball among the roots of the further ironwood tree. When nothing but the calabashes of water remained in the cave, he made his way back to the ridge and took the path to the settlement, walking rapidly. He found Maimiti with her baby, Charles, seated on a mat in the shade of a wild hibiscus tree. Nanai, the wife of Tetahiti, was beside her. Thursday October Christian, a sturdy boy of two, had trotted down the path to Young's house, where he spent much of his time with Balhadi and Taurua, childless women who loved the small boy dearly. "Come with me," said Christian to his wife. "There is something I wish to show you. You'll look after the baby, eh, Nanai?" "Shall we be gone long?" Maimiti asked. "Till sunset, perhaps." She followed her husband up the trail to the ridge and along the breakneck path to the ironwood trees. When he lowered himself to the ledge before the cave and held up his arms for her, she gave an exclamation of surprise. "Ahé! No one knows of this place!" "Nor shall they, save you. I want no visitors here!" He seated himself on the ledge, with his back to the wall of rock, while Maimiti examined the cave with interest. Presently she sat down beside him and they were silent for a time, under a spell of beauty and loneliness. Sea birds hovered and circled along the face of the cliff below, the upper surfaces of their wings glinting in the sun and their cries faintly heard above the breakers. The wind droned shrilly through the foliage of the ironwood trees, thin, harsh, and prickly. At length Christian spoke. "Maimiti, I have brought you here that you may know where to find me in case of need. I love this place. Sometimes, in its peace and solitude, I seem to be close to those I love in England." "Where is England?" she asked. He pointed in a northeasterly direction, out over the sea. "There! Across two great oceans and a vast island peopled by savage men. Such an island as your people never dreamed of, so wide that if you were to walk from morning till night each day it would take three moons to cross!" "Mea atea roa!" she said wonderingly. "And Tahiti—where is my island?" "Yonder," replied Christian, pointing to the northwest. "Are you no longer homesick? Are you happy here?" "Where you are, my home is, and I am happy. This is a good land." "Aye, that it is." He glanced down at her affectionately. "The cool weather is wholesome. Your cheeks grow pink, like an English girl's." "Never have I seen boys stronger and better grown than ours." "All the children are the same. And since we came here not a man or a woman has been ill. Were not some of the fish poisonous, our island would be like your Rohutu Noanoa, a paradise." "Do you believe that Hu and Tararu died of eating a fish?" He turned his head quickly. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Surely they died of poisoning; they were known to have eaten a large fish declared to be poisonous in Tahiti." "The faaroa is harmless here; I have eaten many of them." "What do you mean?" he repeated, in a puzzled voice. She hesitated, and then said: "It was whispered to us by one who should know. The others suspect nothing. What if Tararu hated. Williams more bitterly than we supposed? What if he sharpened an axe expressly to kill him by night, and found Hutia waiting with a loaded musket, outside the door? I think she made it her business to poison Tararu's dinner, and that Hu partook of the food by chance!" Christian knew that suspicion was foreign to Maimiti's nature, and the seriousness of her words made him look up in astonishment. "But have your people poisons so subtle and deadly?" he asked. "Aye, many of them, though they are not known to all. Hutia's father was a sorcerer in Papara, an evil man, often employed by the chiefs to do their enemies to death. The commoners believe that such work is accomplished by incantations; we know that poison is administered before the incantations begin." Christian remained silent, and she went on, after a pause: "The others suspect nothing, as I said." He sighed and raised his head as if dismissing unpleasant thoughts from his mind. "It is ended," he said, rising to his feet. "Let us speak no more of this." § § § Three years had passed since the arrival of the Bounty at Pitcairn, and the little settlement presented the appearance of an ordered and permanent community. The dwellings had lost their look of newness and now harmonized with the landscape as if they had sprung from the soil. Each house was surrounded by a neat fence enclosing a small garden of ferns and shrubbery, and provided with an outdoor kitchen, a pigsty at a little distance, and an enclosure for fattening fowls. As in Tahiti, it was the duty of the women to keep the little gardens free of weeds, and to sweep the paths each day. Winding picturesquely among the trees, well-worn trails led to the Goat-House, to the western slope where Williams lived, to the Auté Valley where the principal gardens of the cloth-plant had been laid out, to the yam and sweet-potato patches and plantain walks, to the rock cisterns Christian had insisted on building in case of drought, to the Rope, and to the saw pit, still used occasionally when someone was in need of plank. The smithy, under the banyan tree by the house of Mills, looked as if it had been in use for many years. The vice and anvil bore the marks of long service; the bellows had been mended with goatskin, to which patches of hair still clung; there was a great pile of coconut shells close to the forge, and another of charcoal made from the wood of the mapé. The ground underfoot was black with cinders for many yards about. The life of the mutineers had become easy, too easy for the good of some. Quintal, Martin, and Mills had taken to loafing about their houses, forcing most of their work on Te Moa and Nihau. Happy with the girl who had given him so much trouble in the past, Williams saw little of his friends. Smith and Young worked daily, clearing, planting, or fishing for the mere pleasure of the task. For more than a year McCoy had kept the secret of the still. Only a Scot could have done it, one gifted with all the caution and canny reserve of his race. Little by little he had exhausted the principal supplies of ti, and for many months now he had been able to obtain no more than enough to operate his still twice or, rarely, three times each week. A small stock of bottles, accumulated one by one, were hidden where he concealed the still when not in use; by stinting himself resolutely, he managed to keep a few quarts of his liquor set aside to age. In this manner, which had required for some time a truly heroic abstinence, McCoy was enabled to enjoy daily a seaman's ration of half a pint of grog. His temperament was an unusual one, even among alcoholics. When deprived of spirits, he became gloomy, morose, and irritable, but a glass or two of rum was sufficient to make him the most genial of men. Mary had been astonished and delighted at the change in him. He conversed with her for an hour or more each evening, laughing and joking in the manner the Polynesians love. He romped with two-year-old Sarah and took delight in holding on his knees the baby, Dan. With his grog ration assured, there was no better father and husband on the island than McCoy. He longed to make a plantation of ti, but decided after much thought that the risk was too great. Explanations would be lame at best, and the sharper-witted among his comrades would be certain to suspect the truth. Meanwhile, he realized with a pang that the island produced only a limited supply of the roots, hound to be exhausted in time. Even now, fourteen months of distilling had so diminished the ti that McCoy's cautious search for the roots, scattered here and there in the bush, occupied most of his waking hours. He took the work with intense seriousness, and though by nature a kindly man, not inconsiderate of others, he now joined heartily with Quintal in forcing Te Moa to perform their daily tasks in the plantations and about the house. If the native was remiss in weeding a yam patch or chopping firewood, McCoy joined his curses to Quintal's blows. The unfortunate Te Moa was rapidly sinking to the condition of a slave. After Hu's death, Martin had similarly enslaved Nihau, and Mills, seeing that his neighbours were comfortable in the possession of a servant who did nearly all their work, soon fell into the same frame of mind. The natives resented their new status deeply, but so far had not broken out in open revolt. § § § On a morning in late summer, McCoy set out on one of his cautious prowls through the bush. He took care to avoid the clearings where others might be at work, and carried only a bush knife and a bag of netting for the roots. Making for a tract of virgin bush at the western extremity of the Main Valley, where he had formerly spied several plants which should be mature by now, he was surprised and displeased, toward eight o'clock, to hear the strokes of a woodsman's axe not far ahead. He concealed his bag, which contained three or four smallish roots, and moved forward quietly, knife in hand and a frown on his face. Tetahiti was a skilled axeman who loved the work. He was felling a tall candlenut tree, and each resounding stroke bit deep into the soft wood. Warned by a slight premonitory crackle of rending fibres and the swaying of branches overhead, he stepped back a pace or two. A louder crackling followed; slowly and majestically at first, and then with a rushing progress through the air, the tree which had weathered the gales of many years succumbed to the axe. McCoy had just time to spring aside nimbly as it crashed to earth. "Who is that?" called Tetahiti, in dismay. "It is I, McCoy." "Had I known you were there..." McCoy interrupted him. "Eita e peapea! It was my fault for approaching unannounced." He was irritated, but not on account of the tree. "What are you doing here?" he asked. The native smiled. "You have heard the men of Tahiti call me 'Tupuai taro-eater.' We love it as the others love their breadfruit. I never have enough, so I am clearing this place, where the soil is rich and moist." "Aye," said McCoy sourly, as he caught sight of several splendid ti plants hitherto concealed by the bush, "the soil is good." Tetahiti pointed to where he had thrown together several roots larger than any McCoy had seen. "Where the ti flourishes as here, taro will do well." Seeing the other stoop to examine the roots with some show of interest, he went on: "These are the best kinds; the ti-vai-raau, largest of all, and the mateni, sweetest and easiest to crush." "Are you fond of it?" "No, its sweetness sickens me. But I thought I would fetch in a root for Christian's children." "Then give me the rest." The native assented willingly, and before long McCoy was trudging over the ridge and down toward his still, bent under a burden far heavier than usual. His thoughts were gloomy and perplexed as he prepared a ground oven to bake the roots. It was late afternoon when he returned to the house. He found Quintal alone, sitting on the doorstep with his chin in his hands. His expression was morose, and he seemed to be thinking, always a slow and painful process with him. "What's wrong, Matt?" asked McCoy. "The Indians, damn their blood!" "What ha' they done?" "It's Minarii...I'd a mind to put Te Moa to work on my valley—ye know the place, a likely spot for the cloth-plant. I took a stroll up that way and found Minarii clearing the bush. 'Chop down as many trees as ye like,' said I, 'but mind ye, this valley is mine!' He looked at me cheeky as a sergeant of marines. 'Yours?' he says. 'Yours? The land belongs to all!'" "Did ye put him in his place?" Quintal shook his head. "There'd been bloodshed if I had." "Aye, he's a dour loon." "We was close enough to a fight! It was the thought of Christian stopped me; I want him on my side when the trouble comes." McCoy nodded slowly. "Ye did right; it's a fashions business, but we'll ha' peace gin we divide the land." "How'll we go about it?" "We've the right to a show of hands. I'll see Jack Williams, and Isaac, and Mills; we'll be five against the other four. Then we'll go to Christian." Quintal brought his huge hand down resoundingly on his knee. "Ye've a level head! Aye, let every Englishman have his farm, and be damned to the rest!" "Ilka cock fight his ain battle, eh?" said McCoy, with a complacent grin. § § § Late the next evening Tetahiti was trudging up the path from the cove. He had been fishing offshore since noon, and carried easily, hanging from the stout pole on his shoulder, nearly two hundredweight of albacore. At the summit of the bluff he set down his burden with a grunt and seated himself on a boulder to rest for a moment. He glanced up at the sound of a step on the path, and saw that Te Moa was approaching at a rapid walk. "I was hastening down to help you," said the man apologetically. "Let us stop here while I rest," Tetahiti replied; "then you can carry my fish to the house. There is enough for all." "I must speak!" said Te Moa after a short silence. "I can endure no more!" "Are the white men mistreating you again?" "They take me for a dog! Quintal sits in his house all day, like a great chief. McCoy is always away in the hills; I think he has secret meetings with some of the women. In the beginning I did not dislike these men; I shared their food as they shared in the work, and McCoy smiled 'when he spoke, but they are changed, and little by little I have become a slave. Have you noticed Quintal's eyes? I fear him—I believe he is going mad." "Aye, I have seen him on his doorstep, talking to himself." "What can I do? If I displease him, he beats me, both he and McCoy." Tetahiti flushed. "They are dogs, beneath a chief's contempt! Let them work for themselves. Cease going to their house." "I fear Quintal. He will come and fetch me." "Let him try!" Tetahiti's deep voice was threatening. "I will deal with him. We have been patient, hoping to avoid bad blood. Once he affronts you in public, Christian will put an end to all this." He rose and helped the other to shoulder the heavy load of fish. Half an hour later, stopping at Quintal's house to give Sarah a cut of albacore, Te Moa found the women alone. "They are gone to Christian's," Mary explained, "on some business that concerns them all. Best wait till morning to distribute your fish." The sun had set, and in the twilight, already beginning to lengthen with the approach of spring, the mutineers were seated on the plot of grass before Christian's house. He and Young sat on a bench facing the men. Williams was the last to arrive. The hum of talk ceased as McCoy rose to his feet. "Mr. Christian," he said, "there's a question come up that's nae to be dismissed lightly. Ye've bairns, sir, as have I, and John Mills, and Matt Quintal here. We've them to think on, and the days to come. A man works best on his ain land. The time's come, I reckon, to divide up the island, giving each his share." Christian nodded. "Quite right, McCoy!" he said heartily. "Mr. Young and I were speaking of the same thing only last week. As you say, a man works with more pleasure when the land is his, and the division will leave no grounds for dispute after we are dead. The island can be divided so that each will have a fair share; I have already given the matter some thought. A show of hands is scarcely necessary. Are there any who disagree?" "Not I, sir!" said Alexander Smith, and there was a chorus: "Nor I! Nor I!" "Then it only remains to survey the place and see that all are dealt with fairly. Mr. Young and I will undertake the task, and propose boundaries for the approval of all hands. Let us meet again one evening, say a fortnight from now." "Ye've an easy task, sir," remarked McCoy; "John Mills and I was talking of it an hour back. The island'll divide itself natural into nine shares." "Nine!" exclaimed Christian. "Thirteen, you mean." "Surely ye're nae counting the Indians, sir?" "Would you leave them out?" "There's nae call to share with 'em." Christian controlled his temper with an effort. "Is this your idea of justice, McCoy?" he asked quietly. Alexander Smith spoke up. "Think of Minarii, Will! Think of Tetahiti! How would they feel if we did as ye propose? There's land and to spare for five times our numbers! We'd be fools to stir up bad blood!" "We've oursel's to think on, Alex," replied McCoy stubbornly. "Oursel's and our bairns. The Indians can work our lands and share what they grow." "That's my notion!" put in Martin approvingly. "I'm with 'ee, lad!" remarked Quintal, and Mills exclaimed: "Aye! Well spoke!" "Listen!" ordered Christian quietly. "Think of the consequences of such a step. All of you know something of the Indian tongue. They have a word, oere, which is their greatest term of contempt. It means a landless man. Two of our four Indian men were chiefs and great landowners on their own islands. Would you reduce them to the condition of oere here? Attempt to make them slaves, or dependents on our bounty? We have land and to spare, as Smith says. To leave the Indians out of the division would be madness! Their sense of justice is as keen as our own. Do you wish to make enemies of them, who will brood over their grievances and hate us more bitterly each day? Make no mistake! I would feel the same were I treated as you propose to treat these men who have been our friends!" McCoy shook his head. "I can nae see it that way, sir. We've oursel's to think on, and we've the right to call for a show of hands—ye promised that!" "Mr. Christian is right," said Young. "Such a course would be madness. Bloodshed would come of it—I'm sure of that!" Brown ventured to remark, "Well spoken, Mr. Young," but he shrank before the black look Martin turned on him. "We want a show of hands, sir," growled Mills, "and we want it now!" "You're in the right," Christian said sternly. "See that you don't misuse it! McCoy's proposal is folly of the most dangerous kind! So he it...Shall we divide the island into nine shares, leaving the Indians out?" McCoy raised his hand, as did Quintal, Mills, Williams, and Martin. They were five against the other four. "One thing I must insist on," said Christian, after a moment's pause. "The decision is so serious, so charged with fatal consequences, that you must give it further thought. We shall meet again, the first of October. I trust that one or more of you will change his ideas on reflection, for the step you propose would be the ruin of our settlement. Yes, the ruin! Think it over carefully, and before you go each man is to give me his promise to say nothing of this to the Indians." Young and Christian remained seated on the bench after the others were gone. Neither man spoke for some time. The evening was warm and bright with stars. "They hold the Indians in increasing contempt," said Young, "and would make slaves of them, were it not for you." Christian smiled grimly. "Make a slave of Minarii? Or of Tetahiti? For their own sakes I hope they attempt nothing so mad!" "They are no better and no worse than the run of English seamen, but a life like ours seems to bring out all that is bad in them. They are better under the stern discipline of the sea." "They'll get a taste of it if they persist in this folly! McCoy is at the bottom of this! Unless he has changed his mind when we meet to settle the matter in October I shall be forced to take stern measures, for his own good!" "Aye, we are facing a crisis. I fear it was a mistake to give them the vote. You'll have to play the captain once more, to save them from their own folly!" Young rose to take his leave. When he was gone, Christian entered the house and climbed the ladder to the upper room. The sliding windows were open and the starlight illuminated the apartment dimly. He crossed the room on tiptoe to the bed-place where Maimiti and her two boys slept under blankets of tapa. Maimiti lay with her beautiful hair rippling loose over the pillow; the younger boy slept as babies sleep, with small fat arms thrown back on either side of his head. Presently Christian descended the ladder and lit a taper of candle-nuts in the lower room. The Bounty's silver-clasped Bible lay on the table; he took up the book and began to read while the candlenuts sputtered and cracked. He read at random, here and there, as he turned the pages, for he could not sleep and dreaded to be alone with his thoughts. The Bible, which had brought comfort to so many men, brought none to Christian that night. "And the Lord passed by before him," he read, "and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation." The man sighed as he turned the pages, and presently he read: "I will punish you seven times more for your sins...I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you...And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth." Christian closed the book slowly and set it down on the table at his side. He covered his face with his hands, and sat bowed, elbows on his knees. The last of the candlenuts burned down to a red glow and winked out, leaving the room in darkness, save for the faint starlight that found its way through the window. Though the bearing of the five trouble-makers grew more arrogant with the assurance that the land would soon be theirs and the Maoris their bondsmen, three weeks passed without an open break. Minarii and Moetua were building a house in the small valley Quintal considered his own; the native had disregarded with contempt Quintal's warning that he was a trespasser and only McCoy's dissuasion had prevented a serious quarrel between the two. "Bide yer time, mon," the Scot admonished him more than once. "Ye've only to do that and we'll put him off all lawfu' and shipshape." Quintal watched the building with an increasing dull anger. "Bide the devil!" he would growl in reply. "Wait till his house is finished...I'll show him who owns the land!" McCoy would shrug his shoulders impatiently. "It's nae beef nor brose o' mine, but ye told Christian ye'd bide!" Minarii's house was small, since only he and his wife were to live there, but it was handsomely and strongly built, with a thatch of bright yellow pandanus leaves and a floor of flat stones chinked with sand. It stood in the new clearing, on a slope of Quintal's valley. Tetahiti had helped the builders with the ornamental lashings of the ridgepole, and on the morning when the house was finished, toward the end of the month, he strolled up to admire the completed work. Minarii was sprinkling sand from the watercourse into the chinks of his stone paepae, and straightened his back as he perceived the other approach. "Come in!" he called. "It is finished, eh?" remarked Tetahiti, glancing critically about the single lofty room. "You two have worked well. A pretty house! You of Tahiti are more skillful carpenters than the men of my island." "It is but a bush hut. Nevertheless we shall soon come here to live. It is in my mind to make a large enclosure for the breeding of swine." 'Tetahiti nodded. "Aye. Pigs thrive on this island." "Let us go inland together. I was about to set out when you came. Yesterday, in the Auté Valley, I marked down a sow with eight young pigs of an age to catch." The other shook his head. "I am going back to the house to sleep. It was dawn when I came in from the night fishing." The sun was overhead when Tetahiti awoke from his siesta. He lay on a mat in the shade of a purau tree near his house, and for a moment, while he collected his thoughts confused by dreams, he stared up wild-eyed at the broad, pale green leaves which made a canopy overhead. Hearing his wife's footstep, he sat up, yawning. Nanai was approaching with a basket of food. She smiled at her husband as she set down his dinner beside him on the mat. "Have you slept well?" she asked. "Nihau prepared your meal. There's a joint of cold pig, and baked plantains, and fish of your own catching with coconut sauce." She retired to a little distance while he ate, and fetched him a calabash of water to rinse his hands when the meal was done. "Tetahiti," she said earnestly, "there is something I must tell you while we are alone. You must know, though I cannot believe it true." He nodded to her to go on, and she continued: "Susannah told me, swearing me to secrecy. Martin told her, she said. When I tell you, you will understand why I break my word." "Faaite mai!" ordered Tetahiti, a little impatiently. "Susannah says that the whites have had a meeting, unknown to us, and have decided to portion out the land, setting stones on the boundaries of each man's share." "You cannot believe it?" he interrupted. "Why not? It is our ancient custom and would avoid dissension here." "Aye, but let me finish. She says that the Maori men are to be left out of the division, that you will be oere from now on, slaves to work the lands of the whites." Tetahiti laughed scornfully. "A woman's tale!" he exclaimed. "You know little of Christian if you suppose he would allow such a thing!" "I told you I did not believe it!" said Nanai. She left him, a little piqued in spite of herself at his reception of the news. The man lay down once more, hands behind his head. Though incredulous of Susannah's tale, he could not dismiss the thought of it, and little by little, as he reflected on certain things that had seemed without significance hitherto, and on the increasingly overbearing attitude of the whites, the seed of suspicion took root in his mind. He rose slowly and took the path to Martin's house. He found the woman he sought alone. Mills was at work in the hush, and Martin lay snoring in the shade of the banyan tree. Though dark and by no means pretty, Susannah had once been a pleasant, lighthearted girl. Three years of Martin had broken her spirit. She went about her household duties mechanically, and rarely smiled. She gave a start at the sound of Tetahiti's voice. He beckoned her to the doorway, and asked in a low voice:— "The tale you told Nanai...is it true?" "She told you?" asked Susannah nervously. "Aye. It was no more than her duty. Did you invent this woman's story?" "I told her only what Martin told me." He glanced at her keenly, perceived that she was speaking the truth. "Why should he invent such lies?" "Lies?" said Susannah, shrugging her shoulders. "Who knows? Perhaps it is the truth!" Martin awakened suddenly, perceived Tetahiti at the door, and sprang to his feet. He came limping across to the house. "What d'ye want here?" he asked, unpleasantly. Tetahiti turned slowly and looked at the black-browed seaman with stern disdain. "To learn the truth. I think your words to this woman were lies!" "Aué! Aué!" moaned Susannah, wringing her hands. "What words?" asked Martin, unable to return the other's glance. "That you white men have portioned out the land among you, unknown to us, and that we are to be left landless! Did you tell her that?" Martin stood with downcast eyes. "No," he muttered after a moment's pause; "she must have invented the tale." The native took one stride, seized him by the neck, and shook him angrily. "You lie! Now speak the truth lest I choke it out of you!" He released Martin, who stood half crouched, his knees trembling visibly. "Have you agreed to portion out the land?" Reluctantly the seaman met the angry native's eyes. "Aye," he replied, sullenly. "And we are to be left out of the division?" Martin nodded once more, and Tetahiti went on still more fiercely: "Did Christian consent to this?" "Aye." Without further speech Tetahiti turned on his heel and strode off rapidly in the direction of Christian's house. Pale and badly shaken, Martin stood watching him till he was out of earshot, before he entered the house, seized Susannah by the hair, and began to cuff her brutally. § § § Christian had taken a brief nap after his dinner, and when he awakened Maimiti was standing in the doorway, a basket of tapa mallets in her hand. Balhadi stood outside. Seeing that he had opened his eyes, Maimiti said: "We are going to Brown's Well to beat the cloth." He sat up with a sharp twinge, for he had had a headache since dawn and felt irritable and out of sorts. "Let Balhadi go. Don't work to-day. Who knows at what moment the pains may begin!" "Our child will not be born before night." "Then work at something here if you must work. It is madness to go inland at a time like this." Usually the most affectionate and docile of wives, Maimiti was now in one of the perverse humours which accompany her condition. She shook her head stubbornly. "I desire to go, and I am going. Men do not understand these things!" He said no more as the two women turned away and walked down the path. He was thinking, in a mood of dejected irritation, of the gulf which divided Polynesians and whites. No man respected the good qualities of the natives more, but they seemed willful as children, believing that the wish justified the act, and living so much in the present that they were incapable of worry, of plans for the future, or of ordered thought. He rose and stood in the doorway, with a hand on his aching head. The short, burly figure of Alexander Smith appeared beneath the trees. He was coming down the path from the Goat-House, and perceiving Christian at the door, he approached, holding up a rusty axe. "I found it, sir!" he announced. "Good! Where?" "On the ridge. Where Tetahiti was felling that tapou tree." Christian sighed as he took the axe and felt its edge absently. "It's the best I have left. The Indians! When they finish a bit of work, no matter where, they drop their tools and forget where they've left 'em...They're all alike!" Smith grinned. "Ye're right, sir! D'ye think I can learn my old woman to put things back where they belong? Not if we was to live in the same house for a hundred years!" "Aye, there are times when they would try a saint." Presently Smith took leave of Christian, who went into the house once more and lay down on his settee. The violent throbbing of his headache moderated as he closed his eyes; he was drifting into a troubled sleep when the sound of rapid steps aroused him. Never in his life had Tetahiti entered any man's house—chief's or commoner's—without the customary hail and pause for the invitation from within; to do so was a most flagrant breach of the first law of Polynesian courtesy. But now he entered Christian's garden, strode up the path without a halt, and in through the open door. Christian opened his eyes. Before he could speak the man was standing over him with a scowl on his face, blurting out in a voice vibrant with anger: "Is it true? True that you whites have held a secret meeting? That you have dared to divide the land among you, leaving us as oere, as slaves?" Taken completely by surprise, Christian said: "Who told you this?" "No matter!" replied Tetahiti furiously. "Is it true?" "Yes...no...let me explain to you..." "I knew it!" the other cut him short. Christian controlled his temper with an effort. "Sit down, Tetahiti. I will explain." "Explain! There is nothing to explain. It is shame I feel that I should have regarded you as my friend! A chief? You are no better than Quintal! Aye, no better than Martin, that base-born hog!" The white man sprang up and faced the other so sternly that he recoiled a pace. Then, composing himself with a violent effort, he went on: "Sit down! You must know..." The native interrupted him fiercely: "Enough!" He spun on his heel and flung himself out through the door. "Wait!" called Christian in a voice anxious and peremptory. There was no reply. Tetahiti strode down the path to Bounty Bay, glancing neither right nor left, nor returning the salutations of his countrywomen in the houses of the mutineers. He found his wife awaiting him at the door. She had been watching his approach with anxious eyes. "Where is Minarii?" he asked gruffly. "Is it true?" "Where is Minarii?" "He has not been here; I think he is at his new house in the bush. Is it true?" He made no reply; Nanai took his arm and gazed up anxiously at his face. He shook her off without a word and turned away as abruptly as he had come. It was mid-afternoon; a still, warm day in early spring. The trees shadowing the lower parts of Quintal's valley were beautiful with the pale green of new foliage; a clear, slender brooklet, revived by recent rains, trickled down the watercourse. While still at some distance from the house of Minarii, Tetahiti became aware of a faint scent of burning wood; glancing up, he perceived that a column of smoke rose above the tree-tops ahead. As he reached the edge of the clearing, he gave a deep exclamation of astonishment. Only a pile of smouldering embers marked the spot where the newly completed house had stood. Close by, with arms folded, and head bent as if deep in brooding thought, he perceived the gigantic figure of the chief. Minarii turned his head as the other approached. "What is this?" "I did not see it done. It is Quintal's work!" They were silent for a time, both staring at the embers with sombre eyes. At last Tetahiti said: "Let us sit down, Minarii. There is something you must know." CHAPTER XII The house of Quintal and McCoy had long been in darkness. Their sleeping rooms were on the upper floor, divided by a partition of matting. The ground floor was used as a common room and was furnished with two tables, some roughly made chairs and benches, and a cupboard used for food and to contain various household utensils. Some time after midnight, Minarii stole silently out of this dwelling and proceeded in the direction of Christian's house. A light was burning there, for Maimiti was in labour with her third child, and a number of the women were gathered to assist Balhadi, who was the most skillful midwife among them. Minarii advanced with the greatest caution and halted at the edge of the clearing, where he crouched for some time, listening and watching. It was a clear, starlit night, and he could make out the forms of Christian and Young walking back and forth across the grassplot on the north side of the house, and those of various women seated on the bench by the open doorway. Withdrawing as noiselessly as he had come, he crossed the belt of forest land, skirting some of the nearer gardens of the settlement until he came to a footpath leading over the western ridge. Crossing the ridge and descending the slope for some distance, he struck into another path which entered the ravine which the white men called Temple Valley by reason of its having been set aside by Christian for the use of the native men in the practices of their religion. This valley, narrow and rocky, was, in fact, little more than a gorge, and near the head wall, in a cleft not a dozen paces across, the natives had erected the stone platform that served as their marae. The path leading to it was steep, winding over the roots of great trees and among rocks that had fallen from the heights above; but Minarii was familiar with every foot of the way, and, dark as it was, he proceeded without hesitation. Mounting steadily, he came at length to a huge boulder that all but blocked further passageway. Here he halted. "Tetahiti?" he called, in a low voice. "É, teié," came the reply, almost at his side. The darkness was intense; scarcely a gleam of starlight penetrated the foliage of the great trees overarching the ravine. Minarii seated himself with his back to the rock. "The others have come?" he asked. "We are here," a voice replied. "Listen well," said Minarii. "In the house of Quintal and McCoy there were, as you know, two muskets. I have taken these, and the powder and ball kept by them. You have done what was agreed, Tetahiti?" "I have the muskets from Young's house, and Nihau has those of Mills and Martin. We have powder and ball for twenty charges." "Will not the weapons be missed?" Nihau asked. "That is a chance that must be taken," said Minarii. "I have my ironwood club," said Nihau. "I care not whether I carry a musket." "You speak foolishly," Minarii replied. "We have not to do with men of our own race, here. Our purpose is to kill them, and quickly. I have my club, but I shall carry a musket as well, and you shall do the same." "It must now be decided whether any are to be spared," said Tetahiti. "I am thinking of Christian." "Wait," said Minarii. "Let us first consider the others. Five I can kill with joy in my heart—Quintal, Williams, Martin, Mills, and McCoy." "We waste words in speaking of these," Tetahiti replied. "I long to see them dead," Nihau added, fiercely, "and their bodies trampled in the mud!" "Good. Four remain. We must be of one mind about them. Tetahiti, speak now of Christian." "You ask a hard thing, Minarii. He is a brave and good man, and our friend." "Our friend?" There was scorn in Minarii's voice. "Does a friend insult his friends? He is a chief in his own land. He knows you and me to be chiefs in ours. And he has agreed to divide the land among his own men, leaving us with nothing, as though we were slaves! Had he spit in our faces, the shame could not have been greater." "Your anger is just," Tetahiti replied, "but what he has done was not meant to shame us, this I know." "And how do you know?" "This is what he once told me: his men must have a voice here, equal with his own. Those who are strongest in numbers have their will, even against the desire of their chief." "That is a lie!" Minarii replied. "One of two things must be true: either he is no chief, as we have believed, or he wishes to shame us. The first cannot be so. Would he be ruled, then, by pigs of men such as Quintal and Mills and Martin? Would he bow to them in a thing so important as the division of our lands if he did not wish us ill?" "I have nothing to reply," said Tetahiti. "My mind is as dark as your own; yet I cannot believe that Christian wishes to shame us." "Why, then, should he do so?" Minarii asked. "A chief does what he wills. Christian and Young shall both be killed," he continued, quietly. "Let their deaths be at my hands. Even though it were as you have said, do you not see that they must die? The blood of their countrymen would cry out for ours. Christian and Young are men. They would take their just revenge upon us." Tetahiti was long in replying. "It is true," he said at length. "There is no other way. But understand this, Minarii: he who kills Christian shall call me friend no longer." "Let that be as it will," Minarii replied, grimly. "The island is large enough. You can go with your women to one side. I will go with mine to the other." "Minarii," said Tetahiti, "Brown is your friend. Is he to be spared?" "He is like my brother, a younger brother. He has nothing but good in his heart. He will see us coming and suspect nothing. Who could strike him down?" "It can be done," said Te Moa. "Let him be among the last when our blood is hot and the lust for killing upon us all. I could do it then." "If Christian is not to be spared, Brown shall die," said Tetahiti. "I see that it must be so," Minarii replied; "but you shall not touch him, Te Moa! Tetahiti shall kill my friend, since I am to kill his. But see that you do it swiftly, you man from Tupuai!" "My hand shall be as steady as your own. His death shall be as swift as you make that of Christian." "It remains to be seen whether this land will seem as large as I thought, with the white men dead," said Minarii. "It may be too small to hold us two." When Tetahiti replied, the anger was gone from his voice. "Enough, Minarii. Let there be no hot words between us. I see that my friend must die. Can you be blind to the need of death for your own? His life, alone, among the slayers of his countrymen would seem to him worse than death. Do you not see this?" "I see it," Minarii replied, coldly. "Let no more be said of him." "One remains to be spoken of. What of Smith?" "A brave and good man who has done none of us harm," said Nihau. "Evil is the need that calls for his death." "There is no other way," said Minarii. "It must be as Nihau says." They were silent for some time; then Minarii again spoke. "I say this for you, Nihau, and Te Moa. We four have nine to kill. There must be no blundering, and you must do exactly as we say." "So it shall be," Nihau replied. "The plan shall be in your hands, Minarii," said Tetahiti. "It falls to you of right as the older man." "I am content," Minarii replied, "and I must be obeyed as you would obey a chief in war." "It is agreed," said Tetahiti. "This is not war, and it will be a shame to us forever that we must kill men as hogs are killed for the oven; yet it must be done." "If we used no secrecy in this affair, Minarii, but challenged those five to fight us four?" asked Tetahiti. "That is spoken like a chief," said Minarii. "It is what I, myself, would most desire, but Christian would never allow them to accept such a challenge; then our purpose would be known and our chance for killing them gone." "We could wait," said Nihau, "making a pretence of friendship until their minds were again at rest. When they believed we had forgotten we could fall upon them as we plan to do now." "Speak no more of this," said Minarii, sternly. "Could you wait in patience for such a time? If I have my way they shall all be dead before another sun has set." "If it is willed," said Tetahiti. "That must first be known." "It is willed that they shall die; that is certain," said Minarii. "Whether or not it shall be in the coming day we shall soon know." The strip of sky above them was now suffused with a faint ashy light, sifting like impalpable dust into the gloom of the ravine. Soon the dim outlines of trees and rocks and the crags above them could be discerned, and the forms of the men, who had long been only voices in the darkness, were revealed to each other. Minarii sat by the boulder where he had first halted. He was a man of commanding presence. Naked, save for the strip of bark cloth about his loins, he seemed equally unconscious of the chill dampness of the night air and of the long fatigue of his motionless position. Tetahiti sat near him, his back to a tree and his legs outstretched. The thick mantle of tapa around his shoulders was wet and limp with the heavy night dews. Nihau and Te Moa were seated on the lowest of the roughly laid stone steps that led to the marae. The ravine was extremely narrow at this point, and beyond the stone platform the fern and moss-covered head wall rose toward the ribbon of sky in a series of giant steps of basaltic rock. Presently Minarii rose. Nihau and Te Moa made way for him as he mounted the stone staircase to the platform of the marae. Tetahiti removed his mantle and followed, the other two bringing up the rear. They waited in silence at the summit of the staircase while Minarii retired to a small thatched house at one side of the marae. He appeared a moment later in his ceremonial robes, whereupon Tetahiti proceeded to the rocky recess where the casket containing the god was kept. This was brought to the altar stone in the centre of the platform. All four now took their places at the kneeling stones and the ceremony of awakening the god was carried out. A moment of deep silence followed; then Minarii made his prayer:— "Our God, who listens: hear us! Judge, Thou, if we have summoned Thee amiss. Judge, Thou, if our wrongs are great and our cause just. Known to Thee is the cause before tongue can speak; Therefore it is told. If our anger is Thy anger, let it be known! If the time favours, speak!" A few moments later the four men filed down from the marae, and as soon as they were beyond sacred ground Minarii halted and turned to face his companions. "Our success is sure," he said, "and now we must not rest until they are all dead." "What is first to be done?" asked Tetahiti. "You and I should return to the village," said Minarii. "Our absence may be wondered at, but if we two go down they will suspect nothing." "I have promised to obey you," said Tetahiti, "but this thing I cannot do. Maimiti's child must now have come. I cannot face her and Christian, knowing what we have to do." "That was to be expected, and we shall not go down," Minarii replied. "Nihau alone shall go." "What shall I do there?" Nihau asked. "Tell the first woman you meet that I am hunting pig, with Williams, and that you three will be fishing until evening from the rocks below the western valley. Go now and return quickly." § § § The path from the settlement to the western valley crossed the high lands a little below the Goat-House Peak. Here it branched, a second trail leading southward along the ridge to the partially clear lands of the Auté Valley. The ridge was bare at the junction of the two paths, and at this point was a rustic bench used as a resting place on journeys across the island. Not far to the right rose a small heavily wooded spur which commanded a view of the ridge and of the valleys on either side. Here Minarii, Tetahiti, and Te Moa now lay concealed, awaiting the return of Nihau. The sun had not yet risen, but a few ribbed clouds, high in air, glowed with saffron-coloured light. A faint easterly breeze was blowing, fragrant with the breath of sea and land. The summit of the spur was only a few yards in extent. Tetahiti and Te Moa, their muskets beside them, lay at a point directly above the junction of the two paths. Minarii watched the steep approach from the settlement. That people were astir there was evident from the threadlike columns of wood smoke that rose straight into the air above the forests until caught by the breeze, which spread them out in gossamer-like canopies above the dwelling houses. The houses themselves were hidden from view; not even the clearings, some of them of considerable extent, could be seen from above. Save for the smoke, the island, in whatever direction, presented the appearance of a solitude that had never been disturbed by the presence of man. Half an hour passed. Minarii crept back to where the others were lying. A moment later Nihau appeared; he crossed the open space by the rustic bench and plunged into the thicket to the right. When he had joined them the four men crouched close, talking in low voices. "They suspect nothing," said Nihau. "I met Nanai, Moetua, and Susannah on their way to the rock cistern. They will be making tapa to-day." "You saw Christian?" asked Tetahiti. "No. He and Young are still at Christian's house. Maimiti's child was born just before the dawn." "Is the child a boy or a girl?" "A girl." "What men have you seen?" asked Minarii. "Only Smith, carrying water down from the spring to Christian's house." "Minarii, it is a hard thing to kill Christian on this day when his child is born," said Tetahiti. "It is a hard thing," Minarii replied, "nevertheless we shall do as we have planned, and now two of us shall go quickly to Williams's house and not return to this place until he is dead." "Then he shall fall at my hands," said Tetahiti. "Christian may work in his yam garden to-day. He may be the first to come this way and I would not be the one left to meet him here." "That is as it should be," said Minarii. "Te Moa shall go with you. See that Williams's woman is not allowed to escape. Take her and bind her. Carry her to the lower end of the small valley behind Williams's house. She must be left there until we come to release her." "It shall be done," said Tetahiti. He grasped his musket and was about to rise when Minarii laid a hand on his arm. A moment later Hutia appeared on the path leading from Williams's house. She carried a basket with a tapa mallet projecting from it, and was humming softly to herself as she sauntered along the path. Upon reaching the bench she seated herself there for a moment to examine a scratch on her leg. She wet a finger and rubbed the place; then she held her small pretty hands out before her, regarding them approvingly as she turned them this way and that. The valley was all golden now in the light of the just-risen sun. The girl rose and stood for a moment looking down over the forests. Still singing, she went lightly down the path and disappeared among the trees. "It is plain from this that our god was not awakened unwisely," said Minarii. "He is ordering events to suit our purposes and now none of you can doubt that this is the day appointed for what we must do." "I see it," said Tetahiti. "Wait here. We shall soon return." Followed by Te Moa, he made his way through the thick bush below the spur, and was soon lost to view. "It will be well if Christian comes now," said Nihau. "Nothing shall be done here," said Minarii. "If any turn into the path for the Auté Valley, we will follow. If they go down into the western valley, we will wait here until Tetahiti returns. Now watch and speak no more." § § § Christian and Young were seated in a small open pavilion on the seaward side of Christian's house. Christian held his eldest child, now a sturdy lad of three years, on his lap. "You must make haste, Ned," he was saying, "else I shall have such a start as you will never be able to overcome." Young smiled. "Taurua and I are both envious of you and Maimiti," he replied. "The poor girl is beginning to fear that we are to have no children." "Taurua? Nonsense! She'll bear you a dozen before she's through. What a difference children will make, here, in a few years' time! What a change they have brought already!" "What are we to do in the matter of their education? Have you considered the matter at all?" "Mine shall have none, in our sense of the word," Christian replied. "You shan't teach them to read and write?" "What end would it serve? Consider the difficulty we should have in trying to give children, who will know life only as they see it here, a conception of our world, our religion. Let their mothers' religion be theirs as well. Save for the cult of Oro, the war god, the Indian beliefs are as beautiful as our own, and in many respects less stern and savage. We believe in God, Ned; so do they. It would be a mistake, I think, to mingle the two conceptions." "You may be right," Young replied, doubtfully; "and yet, when I think of the future..." "When our children are grown, you mean?" "Yes. What would our parents think, could they see their grandchildren, brought up as heathens, worshiping in the Indian fashion?" Christian smiled, bleakly. "There's small chance of their ever knowing of these grandchildren." They were silent for some time. Christian sat stroking the thick black hair of the solemn little lad on his lap. "If the chance were offered, Ned, of looking into the future, would you accept it?" "I should want time to consider the matter," Young replied. "I would; whatever it might reveal, I should like to know. What would I not give to see this boy, twenty years hence, and the second lad, and the little daughter born this morning! God grant that their lives may be happier than mine has been! It is strange to think that they will never know any land but this!" "We can't be certain of that." "Not completely certain, but chances are strongly against any other possibility. We must make it a happy place for them. We can and we shall," he added, earnestly. "But get you home, Ned, and sleep. Your eyes look heavy enough after this all-night vigil." "They are, I admit. And what of yourself? Why not come to my house for a little rest? We shan't be disturbed there." "No, I feel thoroughly refreshed, now that Maimiti's ordeal is over. This evening I shall call the men together. Whether they will or no, the division of land shall be altered to include the Indians and on equal terms with ourselves." "It is a wise decision, Christian; one we shall never regret, I am certain of that." Christian accompanied his friend a little distance along the path. Returning to the house, he tiptoed to the door of Maimiti's chamber and opened it gently. Balhadi sat crosslegged on the floor by the side of the bed. The newly born infant lay asleep in a cradle made of one of Christian's sea chests. He crossed the room softly and stood for a moment looking down at Maimiti. She opened her eyes and smiled wanly up at him. "I knew you had come," she said. "I heard you in my sleep." He knelt down beside the bed, stroking her hair tenderly. She took his other hand in both of hers. "Aué, Christian! Such a time this little fledgling gave me! Her brothers came so easily, but I thought she would never come." "I know, dear. Are you comfortable now?" "Yes; how good it is to rest! Does she please you, this little daughter?" "She will be like you, Maimiti. Balhadi and Taurua both say so. Already I love her." "There—I am content. Balhadi, let me have her...Oh, the darling! How pretty she is!" Balhadi laid the sleeping child in the mother's arms, and a moment later Maimiti herself had fallen into a profound slumber. § § § On the spur overlooking the ridge, Minarii and Nihau were still waiting, so well concealed that no scrutiny from below could have revealed their hiding place; nevertheless, they had a clear view of the ridge and of the bench there which faced eastward, a little to the left of the path. The sun was well above the horizon when the sound of voices was heard from below, and shortly afterwards Mills appeared, followed by Martin. The men were bare to the waist and wore well-patched seamen's trousers chopped off at the knee. Their heads were protected by handkerchiefs knotted at the four corners. Upon reaching the summit of the ridge they halted. Martin walked to the bench and sat down. "Do as ye like, John," he said, "I'll have a blow." "Aye," said Mills, "ye'd set the day long if ye could have yer way." "Where's the call for haste? Come, set ye down, man, and cool off. There'll be time enough to sweat afore the day's done." Mills joined his companion, and for a time the two men had no further speech. "Have ye seen Christian this morning?" Martin asked, presently. Mills shook his head. "My woman was over half the night. This bairn's a girl, she says." "Aye; that makes seven, all told, for the lot of us, and three of 'em Christian's." "And where's yours?" Mills asked. "What's wrong with ye, Marty, that your woman's not thrown a foal in three years?" "Ye've no great call to boast, with the one," Martin replied. "The fault's Susannah's—that I'll warrant." "Aye, lay it to the woman," Mills replied scornfully. "And why not? I board her times enough. If she was a wench from home, now, she'd be droppin' her young 'un a year, reg'lar as clockwork. She's bloody stubborn, is Susannah." "Is she takin' to ye better now?" "She's not whimperin' for Tahiti all the while, the way she was. I've beat that out of her...What's that? A shot, wasn't it?" "Aye. That'll be Williams. Huntin' pig, I reckon." "I've a mind to go myself this afternoon; there's a fine lot o' pig tannin' wild in the gullies yonder. What do ye say we invite ourselves to dinner with Jack? I've not seen him this week past." "I'm willin'; but come along now. We've work and to spare, to get through afore dinner time." "Damn yer eyes, John! Can't ye set for half an hour? The day's young yet." "Dawdle if ye like, ye lazy hound! I'm goin'." "Fetch my axe from the tool-house; I'll be along directly," Martin called after him. Mills went on without replying and was lost to view below the crest of the ridge. § § § Nihau turned slightly and slipped his musket forward, glancing at Minarii as he did so. The chief, without turning his head, stretched out a hand to stay him. In the stillness of the early morning the crowing of the cocks could be heard and the rhythmical sound of tapa mallets in the valley below. Martin sat leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped loosely, gazing vacantly at the ground between his bare feet. Presently he turned to look down the path along the ridge to his right. Tetahiti and Te Moa were approaching, their bodies half hidden by the fern on either side of the path. After a casual glance, Martin turned away again. At sight of him, Tetahiti stopped short, then came quickly on, changing his musket from his right hand to his left. As they neared, Martin again turned his head slightly to give them a contemptuous glance. "So ye're pig-hunters, are ye?" he said, derisively. "And where's the bloody pig? Safe enough, I'll warrant! Which of ye missed fire? I heard but the one shot." The two natives stood before him without speaking. Martin rose, lazily. "Give me yer piece," he said, to Te Moa. "I'll learn ye how to put in a charge, and much good may it do ye." He stepped forward, holding out his hand for the musket. With the quickness of a cat, Tetahiti seized him by the wrist. At the same moment Minarii and Nihau appeared from the bush at the side of the ridge. Passing his musket to Te Moa, Nihau stepped forward and seized Martin by the other arm, and before the white man could again speak he was half pushed, half dragged along the path leading to the Auté Valley. For a few seconds he was too astonished to offer resistance; then he held back, making violent efforts to wrench himself free. "What's the game?" he cried, hoarsely. "Let me go, ye brown bastards! Let me go, I say!...John! John!" "Loose him," said Minarii. Tetahiti and Nihau released their holds. Minarii reached forward and grasped him by the back of the neck. Martin howled with pain in the powerful grasp of the chief, who held him at arm's length, with one hand. "Don't 'ee, Minarii!" he cried, in an anguished voice. "Don't 'ee, now!" The chief dropped his hand. "Walk," he said. About one hundred yards beyond there was a broad slope of partially clear land. They turned off here. They had gone but a little way when Martin again halted and turned toward Minarii. His eyes were dilated with terror. He glanced quickly from one to another of the four men. "What do ye want?" he cried in a trembling voice. "Te Moa!...Nihau!...For God's sake, can't ye speak?" Minarii again reached forward to grasp him. Of a sudden Martin's legs went limp and he fell to his knees. They lifted him up and he fell again. "Carry him," said Tetahiti. Nihau and Te Moa grasped his arms, lifting him, and carried him along with his legs dragging on the ground. At a sign from Minarii they dropped him at a spot where a great pile of brush had been heaped up for burning. Martin fell prone. He turned his head, his eyes glaring wildly. Minarii motioned to Te Moa, who stepped back, unloosing the long bush knife fastened by a thong to his belt. Martin struggled to his knees. "Oh, my God! Don't 'ee, lads! Don't 'ee kill me!" With an awful cry he sprang to his feet, but Nihau was upon him at once, and, throwing out his leg, tripped him and sent him sprawling. "Be quick," said Minarii in a contemptuous voice. As Martin again rose to his knees, Te Moa swung the long, keen blade with all his force, taking off his head at a blow. The air seemed to be ringing still with the last despairing cry of the murdered man. The head, which appeared to leap from the body, had rolled a little way down the slope. Te Moa ran after it and held it aloft with an exultant shout, letting the blood stream down his arm. Scarcely had he done so when Mills appeared, axe in hand, at the edge of the clearing. At sight of Te Moa, whose back was toward him, he stopped short; then with a bellow of fury he rushed upon him. Te Moa turned and leaped aside just in time to save himself. The impetus carried the white man past him, and before he could again turn and raise his axe, Minarii, concealed from his view by the brush pile, sprang out, and with a quick blow of his club broke Mills's arm and sent the axe flying from his hand. The boatswain lurched to one side, and Nihau, swinging his club at arm's length, brought it down with crushing force on the man's head. They dragged the two bodies into the thicket beyond the clearing, where Nihau, with a clean stroke of his knife, severed the head of Mills from the trunk. Te Moa cut a small straight branch from an ironwood tree, shaving it down and rounding it, sharpening it to a needle's point at one end. Laying Martin's head on the ground, he drove the ironwood splinter through it, from ear to ear. A thong of bark was pulled through with it, and he then fastened the head at his hip, to his belt of sharkskin. Nihau did the like with Mills's head. Minarii and Tetahiti squatted near by, watching. Minarii rose. "Come," he said. He grasped his club and his musket and made his way noiselessly through the bush toward the ridge. The others followed. They came to a little hollow under the western side of the ridge, well screened by fern and not more than a dozen paces below the junction of the paths. Here Minarii halted, and the others crouched beside him. Minarii turned to Nihau. "Watch there," he said, pointing to the spur above them. "If any come, throw a handful of earth here where we wait." Nihau took his musket and disappeared in the fern. "This plan was well made," said Tetahiti. "There is no honour in killing men so; yet it must be done," said Minarii. They spoke no more after that. Presently there was a light patter of earth and small pebbles among the fern that sheltered them. Minarii lay on his belly, and drew himself forward a little way. Several minutes passed; then they heard the light tread of bare feet along the path in front of them, and a slight rustling and rasping of the bushes on either side. Minarii pushed himself back to where Tetahiti lay. He waited for a few seconds, then rose to his knees and glanced to left and right over the top of the fern. "Who passed?" Tetahiti asked. Minarii avoided his glance. "You have agreed to obey me this day as you would obey a chief in war. Wait here, then—you and Te Moa." Tetahiti rose to his knees and looked down over the thickly wooded land below them, but there was no one to be seen. Stooping, he seized Minarii's musket and thrust it into his hand. "Your club shall be left here," he said. "Go quickly." Two hundred yards from their hiding place, on a shaded knoll, a combined tool- and store-house had been erected for the common use. Minarii crept forward until he could command a view of this house. He saw Christian appear with an axe in his hand and go on down the path. Minarii then examined carefully the charge in his musket. He waited where he was until he heard the clear steady sound of axe strokes in the forest beyond. Taking up his musket, he proceeded in that direction. Several small clearings had been made on these upland slopes. Minarii halted opposite the second one. Christian was at work a short distance from the path, hewing down a large purua tree. He swung his axe steadily, with the deliberate measured strokes of a skilled woodsman. His back was toward Minarii, who approached stealthily, his musket held in one hand, until he was not ten paces distant. "Christian," he called, quietly. Christian turned his head. Seeing who it was, he leaned his axe against the tree. "Oh, Minarii." He straightened his back and flexed the muscles of his shoulders, turning toward the native as he did so. Of a sudden the faint smile on his face vanished. "What is it?" he asked. For a second or two they stood regarding each other, Minarii grasping his musket in both hands. An expression of amazement, of incredulity, came into Christian's eyes, then one of sombre recognition of his danger. He stepped back quickly, reaching behind him as he did so toward his axe. With a swift movement, the chief raised his musket to his shoulder and fired. Christian staggered back against the tree; then sank to his knees, his head down, swaying slightly. Of a sudden he fell forward and lay still. CHAPTER XIII Alexander Smith's taro garden lay in swampy ground within a five-minute walk of the settlement. He had been at work there for some time, knee-deep in mud, clearing the weeds and water grass from around the young plants. Having reached the end of a row, he waded to firm ground, cleaned his muddy hands on the grass, and sat down to rest. Rising presently to resume his work, he stopped short, hearing his name called. For a moment he saw no one; then Jenny appeared from behind a covert and ran headlong toward him. "What is it, Jenny?" "Come quickly!" she said, in an agonized voice. She ran ahead of him into the forest beyond the clearing. Halting there, she was unable to speak for a moment, holding out her hands, which were smeared with blood. Then she burst into a torrent of words. "It is Brown's blood, not mine, that you see! Tetahiti has killed him! Have you heard no shots?" "Yes, but..." "Tetahiti has killed him, I tell you! They are all together—Tetahiti, Minarii, Nihau, and Te Moa. They have muskets, clubs, and knives. Three are already dead. Where is Christian?" "He has gone to the Auté Valley." "Then he too must be dead! Come quickly! Arm yourself!" "Wait, Jenny! You say..." "Will you come?" she cried, wringing her hands. "Mills's head I have seen! It is hanging at Nihau's belt! They are seeking you now!" Faintly, from far to the eastward, the sound of a shot was heard. "There! Will you believe me? It is not pig they are shooting, but men!" She turned and sped down the slope toward the settlement. Smith ran after her and seized her hand. "Maimiti must know nothing of this, Jenny! You understand? Now do as I tell you! Young is asleep in his house. Go and warn him. Tell him I will meet him there. I must fetch Christian's musket." The woman nodded and sped on down the path. All was silent in Christian's house. The door stood open. Smith entered softly. Balhadi lay asleep on the floor by the door leading to Maimiti's chamber. Smith shook her gently by the shoulder. She sat up quickly, rubbing her eyes. "Aué! Oh, it is you, Alex. Shh! We must not disturb Maimiti. She is having a good sleep. She needs it, poor child!" "Where is Christian's musket, Balhadi?" "His musket? Let me see. Yes, it is hanging on the wall in the other room." "Fetch it, with the powder flask and the bullet pouch." Smith returned to the door and looked out. The little glade lay peaceful and deserted. Balhadi returned with the musket. "What is it, Alex?" she asked, in a low voice. Motioning her to follow him, Smith went around the dwelling to a small outbuilding used as a storehouse. "Listen, Balhadi, what you feared has happened. The Maoris are killing the white men..." "Aué!" "I have met Jenny. Three are already dead, she says. She has seen Nihau with Mills's head at his belt. Te Moa has Martin's. Brown is dead. Christian may be, but that is not known. Where is Young?" "At his house, I think. Go quickly, Alex!" "You must stay with Maimiti. Say nothing to her..." "No, no! Do you think you need to tell me that? Go! Make haste!" Save for the clearings made for the houses and the path to the cove, the forests of the island had been little disturbed along the seaward slope of the plateau. Smith ran across the path into the heavily wooded land, making his way with great caution toward Young's house. Jenny, Prudence, and Taurua were standing in the dooryard. Smith revealed himself at the edge of the clearing. Taurua ran toward him at once. "Ned is not here, Alex," she said, in a trembling voice. "He came home to sleep—that I know. I left Maimiti only a little time ago. Ned was not in the house when I came, and we can't find him." "You must find him!" "We shall if he is alive, but we are afraid to call out. Two shots have been fired in the direction of Quintal's plantation." "I heard them. Fetch my musket, and the powder and ball. Run!" Taurua returned, bringing only a cutlass. Jenny followed her. "The muskets are gone, both yours and Ned's," she said. "They must have taken them in the night." "Then you must keep this one for Young," he said, handing her the weapon. "Give me the cutlass." "What shall you do?" "I must find Christian, if he is alive. Now go, all three of you, and search for Young. I shall make my way to the Auté Valley. If I find that the others are dead, I shall hide near the Goat-Home. Tell Young to come there." He then reentered the forest and was lost to view. The three women separated and continued their search. Taurua, having hidden the musket, went along the seaward slope, examining every hollow among the rocks, every clump of bushes. Presently she found Young, stretched out on a grassy slope, asleep. She roused him and clung to him a moment, unable to speak; then she quickly informed him of what had happened. He gazed at her in silence for a moment. "Ned! Are you awake?" she cried. "Do you understand what I say?" "Only too well. Christian is dead, I fear. You say Alex left his musket for me? Why did you let him, Taurua?" "Why? Because he is stronger than you! He can defend himself well with a cutlass." Young rose. "I must find him at once," he said. "Where is the musket?" Taurua went ahead. A moment later she beckoned Young to follow. Prudence and Jenny had returned to the house. There was a window at the eastern end of the dwelling overlooking the path in the direction of the cove. Prudence, her child in her arms, kept watch there. Jenny watched from the window at the opposite end of the house. Taurua brought the musket from the bushes where she had hidden it. The powder flask was half filled, and there were only four balls in the bullet pouch. Young had just seated himself to charge the musket when Prudence called softly from the window: "Hide, Ned!...Minarii!" Taurua seized him by the arm and pulled him into the room adjoining. Two large chests stood there, near the bed. Young crouched between them and Taurua threw over him a large piece of tapa. Jenny concealed herself behind the curtains of the bed-place. Prudence remained at the window, crooning softly to her child. Taurua reentered the common room and quickly seated herself on a stool in one corner, resuming a task, interrupted some time before, of grating coconut meat into a bowl. She had herself well in hand. A moment later Minarii appeared in the doorway. He now carried only his musket. He greeted them casually. Taurua looked up, smiling. She did not trust herself to speak at first. "Where are you going, Minarii?" Prudence asked. "Is it you who has been shooting pig this morning?" "É," he replied, "Williams and I. We wounded a large boar on the ridge. He ran down into the Main Valley. We have not yet found him. Where is Young, Taurua?" "Fishing, at the cove. He went early this morning." Minarii glanced around the room. "If you pass Brown's house," said Prudence, "will you tell Jenny that I have the bundle of reeds for her? I'll carry it up this afternoon." "I'll tell her if I see her." He took up his musket, nodding to the two women as he turned away. "A noho, orua." "Haere oé," they replied. He turned and went back the way he had come. Prudence remained at the window. "We have fooled him, Taurua. He thinks we know nothing." "Is he keeping to the path?" "Yes...He is out of sight now." Taurua rose and went quickly into the other room. A moment later Young, waiting his chance, ran out of the house and disappeared into the forest. § § § It was getting on toward mid-morning. Young had been gone for some time. The three women sat on the bench by the doorstep, talking in low voices. "Minarii would have saved Brown?" Taurua was saying. "He could easily have killed him had he meant to do so," Jenny replied. "This happened: We were weeding the yam garden near the house. Minarii found us there. 'There is little time for words,' he said. 'Three of the white men are dead. Tetahiti, Nihau, Te Moa, and I have killed them. They shall all die except Brown. Him I will save if I can. When I shoot my musket over his head he must fall to the ground and lie as dead. He must not move till the others have passed; then let him hide in the woods. It is his only chance.' Then he fired into the air and pushed Brown and sent him sprawling. 'Go into the house!' he said to me. 'Go at once and stay there! The others are close behind.' He went on into the forest. Soon came the other three. I watched from a tiny hole in the thatch. They halted when they saw Brown lying on his face. They walked toward him and stopped again. Brown could not have heard them. He moved, turning his head a little. Tetahiti was not ten paces from him. He raised his musket and shot him through the head. When I saw what he would do, I ran from the house and sprang on him from behind, but it was too late. Then the three of them bound my hands and feet and carried me into the house. As soon as I could free myself I ran to warn Alex." "I see how it was," said Taurua. "Minarii must have killed Christian. They must have quarreled over who should die, and..." "The beast! The vile dog!" Jenny exclaimed, her eyes blazing. "Tetahiti shot my man as he lay on the ground! Aué! Aué!" She put her head in her arms, rocking back and forth on the bench; but she made no further outcry. The time for weeping had not come. All three women were too stunned for tears. "Nanai must have known of this," said Prudence, fiercely. "Both Nanai and Moetua must have known of what was to happen to-day, and they gave us no warning." "You are wrong, Prudence," Taurua replied. "Minarii and Tetahiti would never have told their wives of such a plan." "I shall hate them forever!" "That can be understood," said Taurua, "but they are not to be blamed. I saw them both early this morning. Had they known, I could have guessed it at once. No, they are as innocent as ourselves." They talked in low voices, waiting, listening, hearing nothing save the crowing of cocks in the forest and the soughing of the wind through the trees. Prudence's child awoke and began to cry. She reentered the house and took it up, nursing it in her arms as she walked the room. Taurua laid a hand on Jenny's arm. "Listen!" The two women turned their heads at the same moment. At the turn of the path below the house Mary and Sarah appeared, half running, half walking, carrying their children in their arms. Taurua and Jenny ran forward to meet them. Mary was weeping hysterically. "You know, Taurua? They have been here?" she cried. "Tell us quickly—are your men dead?" "They must be! Minarii..." "Hush, Mary," said Sarah. "We don't know that they are dead." "They must be! McCoy has only his bush knife. Quintal has nothing to defend himself with. How can they escape? Aué, Prudence! Are you here? Do you know that your man is dead? Ours will be next!" The moment they had entered the house, Mary sank to the floor and lay there, her head buried in her arms. Taurua took up her child. "What has happened, Sarah?" she asked. "You heard the shots?" "Yes." "They were fired at Quintal. He and McCoy were to make a fence to-day, and Quintal had gone up the valley to carry down some posts he had cut. He left me to sharpen his axe. I was carrying it up to him when Minarii and Te Moa stepped out from behind some bushes. Te Moa was covered with blood and he had Martin's head hanging at his belt. Minarii took the axe from me and told me to go back to the house. Just then I saw my man come out of the bush with a bundle of poles on his shoulder. I shouted to him. Minarii and Te Moa ran toward him. Both fired, but they must have missed, for Quintal ran back into the forest." "What of McCoy?" "He was still at the house. I ran down to warn him, and before any of them came to look for him he had time to escape." "Had the muskets at your house been taken?" Jenny asked. "Yes. I must have looked at the very hooks where they hung, early this morning, without wondering why they were not there." "Who came to search the house?" "Tetahiti and Nihau. McCoy had just gone. I asked Tetahiti if they had killed Quintal. He would say nothing, but as they went out again Nihau stopped at the door. 'You want to know if your man is dead?' he asked. 'Yes,' I replied. 'I will tell you this,' he said; 'you will be one of my women to-morrow, and Te Moa shall have Mary.' Then he ran on after Tetahiti." "Which way did they go?" "Inland, up the valley. What of Ned, Taurua? And Christian and Alex?" "They are dead! They must be by this time!" Mary cried in a terrified voice. Again she broke out in hysterical weeping. She clutched and held fast to Taurua's legs. Jenny took her roughly by the shoulders. "Hush, Mary!" she said. "What a coward you are! Stop, I say! Have you no spirit?" "Could there be a more worthless woman?" said Prudence, in her soft voice. "Leave her, Jenny; there is nothing to be done with such a thing as she is." They tried in vain to quiet her. She became more and more hysterical, clinging to Taurua with all her strength. Sarah was, herself, on the verge of panic, but controlled herself. Of a sudden, Mary raised her head. Her eyes were dilated with terror. "Come," she said, in a low gasping voice. "We must hide! They will kill us, too! Yes...they will kill us all! Shhh! Do you hear anything?" She sprang to her feet, gazing wildly toward the door; Taurua spoke to her soothingly. "Be silent, Mary. You are in no danger. None of the women will be killed." "Yes! Yes! You have not seen them! They are like sharks maddened with blood!" Prudence stepped forward and struck her across the face with her open hand. "Will you be silent?" she said. The sharp blow, better than words could have done, quieted the terrified woman. She sank down again, whimpering in a low voice. Taurua lifted her up. "Come, Mary; lie you down in the other room. We will watch. No one shall harm you." The others waited in silence. Presently Taurua returned. "The poor thing has worn herself out," she said. "She will sleep, I think." "May she sleep well," said Jenny. She held Mary's two-year-old boy on her lap. "What will this son be like," she added, "if he has his mother's nature?" Taurua went to the door and stood for a moment looking into the forest beyond the path. "I must return to Maimiti," she said. "Balhadi is alone there. Stay here, you three." "And wait, doing nothing, while all our men are killed?" Jenny asked. "Not I!" "What would you do?" Sarah asked. "One thing at least I can do. My man lies on the ground before our house, a prey to the ants. His body shall be left there no longer. Prudence, will you come with me?" "No, no, Prudence! Stay!" Sarah begged. "Don't leave me alone with Mary!" "Sarah, no possible harm can come to you here," Taurua said. "If they had meant to kill us, do you not think that they would have done so before now? Jenny is right. Something may be done to help our men. Listen, Jenny, this you shall do: Find Hutia; she may be at the rock cistern. She will go with you. When you have cared for your man's body, then learn if you can what ones are dead; if you can find Alex and Young, let them know that we think McCoy and Quintal are still living. Or, if you will, stay with Maimiti and I will go in your place. Prudence has her child; she must remain here with Sarah and Mary." "Stay you with Maimiti," Jenny replied. "I will go." So it was decided, and the two women set out on the path to Christian's house. § § § It was late afternoon. Prudence sat alone on the bench before Young's house. Sarah and Mary remained within doors, their children around them, talking in whispers. Mary was quiet now. Three hours had passed and nothing had been heard, nothing seen. Prudence turned her head. "Taurua is returning," she said. The other two women rose and came to the door, waiting anxiously. Taurua was alone. "Jenny has not come?" she asked. Prudence shook her head. "We have seen no one since you left," she replied. "Who are at Christian's house?" "A little time after I went there, Susannah came. She was at the rock cistern with Hutia. They knew nothing until Jenny brought them word. Both have gone with Jenny. We must wait." Taurua went to the outdoor kitchen, returning with some cold baked yams and plantains, which she placed on the table. "Here is food," she said, "for those who need it. Prudence, you and Mary should eat for the sake of your babies." She prepared some food for the two older children, who seized it greedily, but the women themselves ate nothing. Now that Taurua had come, Mary and Sarah ventured to the bench by the doorstep, and the four women sat there, talking little, peering into the forest beyond the path, streaked through with shafts of golden light. "Maimiti has not been told?" Prudence asked. "She had just wakened when I went back," Taurua replied. "She is so happy with her little daughter. She said to me: 'Now, Taurua, I have nothing more to wish for.' Every little while she would send Balhadi or me to the door to look for Christian. How could we tell her? How? Who could do it?" Her eyes filled with tears. "Aué, Maimiti 'ti é!'" In a moment all the women except Prudence, who sat dry-eyed, forgetting themselves and their own sorrows, were weeping together for the mother of the newly born child. "What will she do, Taurua?" Sarah asked, at length. "We must not think of it now," Taurua replied, drying her eyes. "And we do not yet know that he is dead. Let us hope while we can." The sun had disappeared behind the western ridge before Jenny returned. Hutia and Susannah were with her. Their kirtles of tapa were torn and soiled and their arms and legs covered with cuts and bruises. As soon as they had entered the house, Taurua closed the doors and the wooden shutters to the windows. "Now, Jenny?" she asked. The women were breathing hard. "Give us some water," Jenny said. "Our throats are dry with dust." They drank greedily. "We have seen Minarii and Nihau, but no one else," Jenny began. "They passed almost within arm's length of where we lay hidden in the fern." "If we had had muskets we could have killed them both," Hutia added. "They must have gone again to the Auté Valley, for they were coming down from the ridge. As soon as they had passed we went on. We went first to Hutia's house. Williams's body was lying in the doorway. He had been shot through the head. We carried him inside. Then we went to Christian's new clearing just below the ridge. We found an axe leaning against a tree half cut through. There was blood on the ground close by, but what happened there we do not know. We searched everywhere, but could not find his body. "You saw Mills's body?" Prudence asked. Jenny hesitated, glancing quickly at Hutia. "No," she said, "it must have been hidden." "And you saw none of our men, Jenny? No one at all?" Sarah asked, in a trembling voice. Jenny shook her head. "That is not strange," Taurua said, quietly. "They lie concealed." "They are dead!" Mary cried, burying her face in her hands. "Hush, Mary! What a foolish woman you are! They may be together now, all of them. It must be so." "But if they are, Taurua, what can they do without weapons?" "Ned has a musket. Alex Smith has a cutlass. Quintal is a man as strong of body as Minarii. He will cut him a club in the bush. We have reason to hope, I tell you!" "Do you think that Minarii will rest until they are all dead? Never! He well knows that his own life will not be safe until all the white men have been killed." "It is true," Sarah said, wretchedly. "We shall never know peace now until one party or the other are all dead." "And who wishes for peace until those four are killed?" Jenny exclaimed. "I saw Tetahiti shoot my man as he lay helpless on the ground. Do you think I shall rest until he himself is dead?" "Let us speak no more of this," said Taurua. "There has been bloodshed enough..." She broke off. The report of a musket shot was heard close by. Mary ran into the house, her hands pressed to her ears. The other women rose quickly and looked at one another. "Let us go in," said Taurua, "and make ready the house. Some of our men may have to come here to defend themselves." "And one of them may be lying dead within sound of our voices," said Jenny. "I must know what has happened. You others prepare the house." Without waiting for a reply, she ran across the path and plunged into the forest. She quickly crossed the wooded land bordering the path. Beyond this, and not more than one hundred and fifty yards from Young's house, there was half an acre of cleared ground planted to sweet potatoes and yams. The report of the musket shot had come from this direction. Jenny halted within the border of the woodland and looked out across these gardens. She saw no one. She skirted the plantations and was about to proceed farther into the valley, when she came upon a cutlass lying half hidden by a clump of plantains. There was fresh blood on the dead leaves near by and she discovered naked footprints in the moist earth of the plantain walk a little way beyond. She had proceeded but a short distance farther, when she came upon Alexander Smith lying face down, groaning feebly. She knelt beside him, and, putting her arms around him, lifted him to a sitting position with his head resting against her shoulder. He opened his eyes drowsily. "Jenny?" he said. She examined him swiftly. The ball had entered at his shoulder and had come out at the neck. "Alex, could you walk with me to help?" He nodded. With one arm around her shoulders, he struggled to his feet, but they had gone only a few steps when his body went limp. With both arms around him, she held him for a moment and then let him sink gently down. She ran back to Young's house and returned with Taurua and Hutia. Smith was a solidly built man and it was all the three women could do to lift and carry him, but a quarter of an hour later they had him in Young's bed. He was breathing heavily and had lost much blood. "It is a clean wound; the ball has passed through," said Taurua. "The great artery has not been touched—that is certain. Otherwise he would be dead." The women worked quickly and in silence. Susannah carried water while Taurua and Jenny staunched the flow of blood from Smith's wound and bound it well. He was now unconscious and his face ghastly pale. Hutia kept watch by the door and Prudence by the window. The sun had set and the shadows began to deepen in the room. "They left him for dead that is clear," said Jenny. "Did Minarii know that he still lives, mad with killing, as he now is, he would come and club him as he lies." "Yes," said Taurua, "and we must be prepared if they come here. I shall go now for Balhadi. Keep watch, you two. If you see any of them coming, cover Alex at once with the tapa mantle as though he were dead and kneel all of you by the bed, wailing and crying. They will believe and not molest you. When Balhadi comes she can be prepared to gash herself with a paohino. Seeing her face streaming with blood, they will be sure to think her man dead." "The plan could not be better," said Jenny. "Make haste, Taurua; we shall do as you say. Balhadi must lose no time in coming." Taurua set out for Christian's house. It was a lonely way between the two dwellings, with ancient forest trees overarching the path. She had gone about half the distance when she heard her name called, and halted. Nanai came out from behind a screen of bushes and beckoned to, her, earnestly. Taurua went to where she stood and regarded her coldly, waiting for her to speak. Nanai was deeply agitated, but controlled herself. "Hate me if you will, Taurua, for what my man has done this day," she said, "but believe, if you can, what I say: I knew nothing of their plans, and Moetua is as innocent as myself." "I am willing to believe it," Taurua replied, "but this will not give life to murdered men. Speak quickly if you have more to say, for I have little time to spend here." "Your man lives..." Taurua grasped her by the arm. "You know this? Where is he?" "On the Goat-House Peak, hidden in a spot where they will never be able to find him. It was I, Taurua, who told him of the place and led him there." Taurua gazed at her searchingly. "We have long been friends," she said. "You would not deceive me—that I could never believe." Nanai's eyes filled with tears. "You are like my own sister, Taurua, and Ned has been as a brother. Ask your heart if I could act basely toward you. But this I ask in my turn. If Ned is spared, he must put thoughts of revenge from his heart. Tetahiti is my husband." "Though he and those with him were killed, the dead cannot breathe again. I cannot promise that his word will be given, but I shall do what I can to bring this about." "It is enough, Taurua. Minarii is terrible in anger, but the desire for killing is short-lived. Ned has only to remain hidden. His life will be spared. Tetahiti will wish it—of that I am sure. Moetua and I will stand with you all in this." "Alex is badly hurt. We have carried him to our house. We know nothing of Christian." "Listen, Taurua. Moetua is close by. We shall go together in search of him. Perhaps we can help him if he still lives. Whatever has happened, I will bring you word when we know. Do what can be done to soften the hearts of the others toward us two. What our men have done is done. That cannot be forgiven, but let them know that Moetua and I are blameless." "That I shall do," Taurua replied, "but keep well aloof from them until a later time, and most of all from these three—Jenny, Hutia, and Prudence. Their men have been murdered by your husbands. Their anger toward you can be understood." "They shall not see us," Nanai replier' "Now I must hasten to Maimiti," said Taurua. "Go, and good go with you for your kindness to me." Nanai clung to her for a moment; then she turned and disappeared in the shadows of the forest. Balhadi had seen Taurua approaching. She came quickly to the door and the two women spoke in whispers. "He will live, Balhadi, this I believe," Taurua was saying. "I would not tell you so if I thought there was no hope. But do as I have said if Minarii or the others come. Cover Alex as you would cover a corpse, and all of you wail over him as for one dead. They will believe and not molest him." A moment later she was alone in the room. She went to the door of Maimiti's bedroom and halted there, listening; then she returned to a bench near the table, and seated herself, her chin in her hands, staring unseeingly out of the window. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and for a time she wept silently. Presently she heard Maimiti's voice calling Balhadi. Drying her eyes quickly, she entered the room where the mother was lying. "Balhadi has gone to her house, Maimiti." "Oh, is it you, Taurua? Christian has not come?" "Not yet. Shall I light a taper?" "There is no need. I love this dim light of evening. Such a good sleep I have had! Look, Taurua, how she sucks! She is like a little pig. Where can Christian be? He told me he would come early in the afternoon, and here it is past sundown!" "He will come soon." "Go up the path to meet him, dear. He must surely be coming now. What a strange father he is! You would think he had a little daughter born to him every day! Go quickly, Taurua. Tell him to hasten." Taurua nodded and turned hastily away. She stood for a moment outside the door gazing up the path now barely discernible in the dim light of evening. A moment later she seated herself on a bench there and buried her head in her arms. CHAPTER XIV In the rich little valley between Ship-Landing Point and the easternmost cape of the island, Tetahiti and Nihau lay in the fern where they had slept, conversing in voices inaudible a few yards away. The moon had set long since, but the first faint grey of dawn was in the east. Nihau sat up, shrugged his shoulders, and spat. He began to count on his fingers. "Nine muskets we have; fourteen were landed from the ship. Five are missing, though Young may have taken that which always stood in Christian's house." Both men started and seized their weapons at the sound of a footfall close by, but relaxed at a low hail from Minarii. He was followed by Te Moa, who carried a bunch of ripe plantains on his back. He set down the fruit, as well as four drinking nuts fastened together with strips of their own fibrous husk, and Tetahiti reached into the fern behind him for a basket of baked yams. They ate quickly and in silence. When the meal was over, Tetahiti remained for some time deep in thought. "Minarii," he asked, "will you not consent to spare Young? Quintal and McCoy must be hunted down, but Young..." "He too must die! Speak no more of this! They must all be killed, and quickly!" "Where can the others be?" said Nihau. "Wherever they are, they shall not live to see the end of this day." Minarii rose, taking up his musket as he spoke. "Go with Nihau and search the western slopes," he went on. "Waste no more powder at long range. With Te Moa, I shall comb this end of the island, so that a rat could not escape our eyes. Let us meet a little after nightfall in the thicket close to Quintal's house." Minarii beckoned to his follower, and led the way up to the head of the valley and across the ridge. It was a stiff climb and both men were panting as they skulked along the ridge to the brink of the curving cliffs called "the Rope." Their feet made no sound on the rocky path, and, though the stars were only beginning to pale, Minarii moved with the alert caution born of years of bush warfare. He halted in a clump of pandanus at the very edge of the cliff. "I had not thought of this place," he said to Te Moa in a low voice. "Keep watch while I scan the beach below. It will soon be day." He set down his musket and stretched himself out at full length to peer down the dizzy face of the precipice at the narrow strip of beach many hundreds of feet below. Though the morning was windless, a southerly swell had made up during the night, and great seas came feathering and smoking into the shallow bay, to burst with long-drawn roars that seemed to shake the solid rock. The spray of the breakers hung in the air, oftentimes veiling cove and beach from the eyes of the watcher above. Sea fowl wheeled and soared before their nesting places. The light grew stronger. Presently the sun's disc broke the horizon to the east. Peering down through a tangle of thorny pandanus, Minarii gave a sudden low exclamation. He beckoned over his shoulder to the other man. "I see him!" exclaimed Te Moa in a whisper. "There by the big rock! Ah, he is gone!" "Who is it?" "I could not tell for the drifting spray." Minarii reached for his musket, measured the distance with his eye, and shook his head. Some time passed before Te Moa whispered rapidly: "Look! At the eastern end of the sands!" "McCoy or Young," said Minarii. "Quintal is a span wider in the shoulders." The fog of salt spray closed in again; when it dispersed, the man or men on the beach had disappeared. Minarii backed away from the verge of the cliff and crouched in the pandanus thicket. "What think you?" he asked. "Your eyes are younger than mine. Are there two, or one?" "Two, I think. Quintal and McCoy." "Perhaps. Yet one man might have walked the distance in the shelter of the scrub." "Whether one or two, they are trapped," said Te Moa. "No man could climb the cliffs nor enter those breakers and live." "And safe from us," remarked Minarii, musingly. "This sea is a miti vavau, sprung from a distant storm. It made up quickly and will calm down as fast. I will keep watch here. Go you to the landing place and lash the outrigger on our canoe. Go softly. When the work is done, hide yourself near the path at the top of the bluff. If the swell goes down, I will hasten across to you. If not, we shall meet as appointed, near Quintal's house." When Te Moa was gone, Minarii settled himself to watch. He lay as immobile as the basalt crags of the ridge. Twice during the hours of the morning he had glimpses of a figure below, but the swell grew heavier as a south wind made up; the cove was now one smother of foam, half invisible under the wind-driven spray. The sun reached its zenith and began to decline. In spite of the south wind, it was warm in the shelter of the scrub. Minarii grew drowsy as the afternoon advanced. He was stifling a yawn when his quick ear caught the sound of a footstep not far off. He took up his musket, cocked it noiselessly, and turned his head to peer out through the matted leaves. Twenty yards to the west, the low scrub parted and Matthew Quintal stepped out into the open, glancing this way and that. He wore a knotted handkerchief on his head, and a pair of trousers cut off roughly at the knee. His eyes were bloodshot and his great arms crisscrossed with scratches beneath the growth of coarse red hair. He came to a halt, crouching to avoid showing himself against the sky line, and began to gaze intently at the ridges and hillsides to the westward, one hand shielding his eyes from the sun. Firearms—even bows and arrows—were regarded as cowards' weapons by the men of the island race, and Minarii hated Quintal so fiercely that he yearned to kill him with his bare hands. He set down the musket softly beside his club, and stepped out of the thicket, a look of sombre rejoicing in his eyes. Flexing the huge biceps of his left arm, he smote the muscle a resounding blow with his right hand; the native challenge to combat. The blow rang out like a pistol shot. Quintal spun on his heel; then he rushed toward Minarii. They came together crouching, with their hands low. Minarii feinted and lashed out with his right fist, a mighty blow that drove home smacking on the other's jaw. Only Quintal's great bull neck saved him; he blinked, staggered, and rushed in under the native's guard, seizing him beneath the arms in a hug that might have cracked the ribs of an ox. Minarii grunted as he was lifted off his feet; next moment he drove his thumbs deep into his enemy's throat. With eyes starting from his head, Quintal brought his knee up sharply, and as the other released his grip and staggered back, grunting with pain, the white man sprang on him and brought him to the ground. They grappled, twisting fiercely as each strove for a throttling hold on the other's neck. Then suddenly, as they had fallen, they were up again, but this time Quintal had his left arm braced on the native's chest, and a grip on Minarii's great sinewy right wrist. A breath too late, the warrior realized his danger. As they turned in a half-circle, his battering fist rained blows on Quintal's head, but the Englishman held on doggedly, exerting all of his enormous strength. Next moment, with a loud snap, the bone broke. Grunting with pain and anger, Minarii wrenched himself free and got in a blow that caught Quintal unaware. His head flew back; as he stood swaying with vacant eyes, the native's uninjured hand shot up under his chin and closed on his throat. Both men were bleeding from a score of deep scratches, for they were fighting in the thorny pandanus scrub on the very brink of the cliff. With huge fingers sunk in his enemy's neck, Minarii dragged him toward the precipice. Dazed, throttled, and in great pain, Quintal reached up feebly, felt for a finger, and bent it back with all the strength that remained to him. As the clutching hand at his throat let go, he struggled to his feet. At that moment Minarii aimed a mighty kick at his chin. Had the toughened ball of the warrior's foot found its mark, the fight would have been over; but, as it chanced, the crumbling rock on which he stood gave way. He staggered, waving his left arm in an effort to regain his balance. The white man sprang forward, seized the upraised foot of his enemy, and hurled him backward. Quintal craned his neck and saw the warrior's body rebound from a crag a hundred feet down, crash through a thicket of dwarf pandanus standing out horizontally from the cliff, and plunge on and down, to fetch up against a stout palm-bole, five hundred feet below. The Englishman was scarcely able to stand. One eye was swelling fast, he was scratched and bruised from head to foot, and his throat bore the red imprints of the dead man's fingers. He swallowed with difficulty, coughed, spat out a mouthful of blood, and felt his neck tenderly. Then, after a long rest with head in his arms, he set out at a limping shuffle, across the ridge and down into the valley to the west. Only the bent and torn pandanus leaves and a sprinkle of blood here and there on the rocky ground bore witness to the combat. The sea fowl still soared before their eyries on the Rope, with the afternoon sun glinting on their wings. The sun went down at last behind the western ridge, and the bowl of the Main Valley began to fill with shadows. In the thick bush, well back from the settlement, Tetahiti and Nihau were making their way cautiously toward the place of rendezvous. All through the day they had searched the western half of the island, without a glimpse of the men they sought. Tetahiti was in the lead. He halted as they came to one of the paths that led inland; then he seized Nihau's arm and pulled him back into the bush. Next moment Moetua came into view. She was unaccompanied. Tetahiti called to her in a low voice: "Moetua O!" As she turned, he beckoned her to follow him into the bush. "Where is Minarii?" she asked. "With Te Moa, searching for the white men." She was nearly of his own stature, and now she looked him squarely in the eyes, without a smile. "Tetahiti," she said earnestly, "have you not had enough of killing? Will you spare none?" "All must die. Those are your husband's words. Have you seen Quintal or McCoy?" "No. As for Young, if I knew where he was concealed I would not tell you!" Tetahiti shrugged his shoulders. "I am of the same mind, yet Minarii is right; it is the white men or ourselves. None shall be left alive." "Blood! Blood!" she said in a low voice as she turned away. "Men are wild beasts. To-day I hate them all!" Te Moa was awaiting them at the rendezvous, an area of unfelled bush not far from Quintal's house. He told Tetahiti of what they had seen at the Rope, and of the chief's instructions to him. "Here is food," he said. "You two are weary and I have done nothing all day. Sleep when you have eaten. Minarii will soon be here. I will keep watch and arouse Nihau when I can stay awake no longer." § § § Prudence and Hutia sat close together on the floor of Mills's house. The smaller girl caressed, from time to time, the head of the sleeping baby on her knees. The door opened softly. Hutia called in a low voice not without a slight quaver: "Ovai tera?" "It is I, Jenny!" She closed the door and felt her way across the darkened room. "Listen!" she whispered rapidly. "Our chance has come! Have you courage to seize it?" "Courage for what?" asked Prudence coolly. "To kill the slayers of our men!" Prudence rose, set down her child on a bed, and came back to Jenny's side. "Now tell us what is in your mind." "I have found Tetahiti and Nihau and Te Moa asleep. Te Moa lies with his back to a tree at some little distance from the others. His musket is between his knees. They must have posted him as a sentinel, but sleep has overcome him. We have an axe and two cutlasses. Are your hearts strong? Will your arms not falter?" "Not mine!" said Hutia grimly. "I claim Nihau," remarked Prudence, in her soft voice. "Aye," said Jenny, "and Tetahiti is mine!" Hutia slapped her knee softly. "Eita e peapea! I will bear my part, so that the three die...But Minarii, where is he?" "He may come soon," said Jenny. "We must make haste. The moon will set before long. Take the cutlasses and let me have the axe." They rose and took up their weapons. Prudence bent over her sleeping child for a moment before she left the house. An hour passed and the moon hung low over the western ridge. Quintal was making his way down toward the settlement. He walked with a limp, slowly and cautiously, keeping in the shadows of the bush. Passing the blackened platform of stones where Minarii's house had stood, he began to reconnoitre the thicket which separated him from the cleared land surrounding his own deserted house. He was about to emerge into the moonlight when he caught his breath suddenly, halted, and whispered: "Christ!" Next moment he stooped to take up the severed head of Te Moa, and turned the face to the moon. McCoy's old cat, fetched from Tahiti, was a great night wanderer in the bush. He rubbed his back against Quintal's leg, turned away, and began to lap at something on the ground. Fiercely and noiselessly, with his bare foot, Quintal kicked him away. He glanced this way and that, walked to a tree that stood at a few yards' distance, and came to a halt before the bodies of Tetahiti and Nihau. "All dead!" he muttered. "And a good job, too! Who could ha' done this?" With three muskets under his arms, Quintal now took the path to the settlement. The candlenuts were alight in the house of Mills, but the windows and doors were barred. Quintal whistled softly outside, and after a moment's pause Jenny called, "Who is it?" in an uncertain voice. He made himself known. Presently the door was unbarred and he entered the house. Prudence was on the floor, suckling her child; Hutia started to her feet nervously at sight of him. "Where is Minarii?" asked Jenny, closing and fastening the door. "Dead. I killed him. What Englishmen are dead? I found Jack killed by a musket ball, and the headless bodies of Martin and Mills." Jenny told him briefly all that she knew, and he asked: "Where is Will McCoy?" She shook her head. "Who killed the men I found yonder in the bush?" he went on. The three women exchanged glances, and at last Jenny spoke: "If I tell you, will you keep the secret? Parau mau?" "Aye!" "They were the murderers of our husbands," said Jenny slowly. "We killed them as they slept." Quintal blinked bloodshot eyes as his slow mind considered this information. "Damn my eyes!" he exclaimed. "Women's work, eh?" "Listen," Jenny said. "It was our right and duty to kill these men. But their wives may have other thoughts. They must not know the truth. There has been trouble enough on this unhappy land. Will you tell the others that you killed those three?" "Aye, if you wish it; why not?" "You will tell no one, not even Sarah?" "No. Where is she?" "At Young's house." Prudence covered her breast and laid the sleeping child on Mills's bed. "We are glad to have you here," she remarked. "We feared Minarii, and the spectres of the newly dead!" Quintal limped across to Mills's bed-place and lay down. Hour followed hour while the three women whispered nervously and lit fresh tapers of candlenuts. At last the stars paled before the light of dawn. When the last of the fowls had fluttered down from the trees, Hutia slipped out of the house. Jenny was moving about in the outdoor kitchen, and Prudence sat astride a rude little three-legged stool by the door, grating coconuts. Presently the basket was full and she stood up. "Pé! Pé! Pé!" she called, ringingly, while the fowls began to run with outstretched wings, increasing their speed as the girl flung out handful after handful of the crinkled snow-white flakes. She upturned the basket, dusted her hands, and entered the house. Quintal still slept heavily, face turned to the wall. Prudence bent over her child, her lips caressing the cool little forehead. She took a comb of bamboo from the shelf above the bed, seated herself on the doorstep, and began to undo the long and heavy plait of her hair. Shaking her head impatiently, she raised a hand to dash the tears from her eyes. Mary and Sarah were approaching the house, leading McCoy's children and Quintal's boy. As Prudence glanced up, Sarah asked, "Where is he?" "He still sleeps." Without rising, she moved a little to let the older girl pass into the house. Mary stood before her, her eyes red with weeping. McCoy's two children clung to the folds of her kirtle. "Has Matt seen my man?" Prudence shrugged her shoulders. She felt only contempt for this soft, unready woman who became hysterical when it was time to act. Sarah was kneeling at Quintal's side. He turned uneasily and opened his eyes. His two-year-old son was trying to climb on to the bed. The father's eye brightened and he smiled. "Up, Matty!" He lifted the child to his side. "There's a stout lad! Eh, Sarah, old wench!" "Where is McCoy?" she asked. "Dead, like enough. We must search for him." He rose, stretching his muscles gingerly, limped out through the hack door to the water barrel, and dashed a calabash of water over his head. His injured leg had stiffened during the night, and he found it next to impossible to walk. Sarah spread a mat for him close to the door and fetched him a breakfast of half a dozen ripe plantains. He ate half-heartedly, for he was only beginning to realize the full extent of the catastrophe. Will McCoy dead, no doubt, and Christian, too. And Jack Williams...old John Mills. Murdering bastards, those Indian men. Damn their blood, why couldn't they have kept the peace? Alex Smith would probably die, from what the women said. Quintal drew a deep breath and raised his head. The woman beside him leaned forward at sight of his gloomy face. "Ye must help me," he said, "I can scarce walk. There's naught to hurt ye in the bush; take Mary and make a search for Will. The children can stop with me." "Where shall we search?" "Try the eastern cape. Let Mary follow the ridge west above Tahutuma. If ye don't find him, there, work down the Main Valley. He may be living; hail him, from time to time, on the chance." Sarah nodded as she rose, but Mary would not go until Jenny agreed to accompany her. Sarah set out to the east, while the other two crossed the Main Valley to the ridge. The sea had calmed during the night. The sun was about an hour up and the morning cool and cloudless. Sarah glanced fearfully this way and that as she walked. Now and then she stopped and hailed: "Will! Will O! Will McCoy!" but for some time her clear hails died away without a response in the morning calm. When she had turned inland and was gazing down over the broad wooded bowl of the plateau, she heard a faint rustle in the bushes and a hoarse voice. "Sarah? Are ye alone?" "Don't you know Alex?" "Know him? God bless me! How should I know him?" The lad in the canoe regarded the captain earnestly, then turned to his companions again for another low colloquy in an unintelligible dialect. At length he said, "Our father would make you welcome on shore, sir." "Come aboard first, my lads. You've nothing to fear from us," Folger replied in a kindly voice. The steersman glanced at his companions, and, after a moment of hesitation, they dashed their paddles into the water and drew alongside. A line was dropped to them and made fast, and the three young islanders swarmed on deck with rare agility. The captain stepped forward to greet them, a smile on his kindly, weather-beaten face. "I am Captain Folger," he said, extending his hand to the tallest lad, "and this is Mr. Webber, the mate." "My name is Thursday October, sir. This is my brother, Charles, and this is James." The spokesman, for all his youthful appearance, was a full six feet in height, and magnificently proportioned, with a handsome, manly countenance and a ready smile. All were barefoot, bare-chested, and bare-legged, and dressed in kilts of some strange cloth which reached to their knees. Their manner was easy and they showed no further signs of timidity, though they stared about them in round-eyed wonder at what they saw. "What a huge, great ship, sir!" remarked Thursday October in a voice of awe. "We've heard of them from our father, but have never seen one before." The people of the Topaz were crowded as far aft as convention allowed, regarding their visitors with glances as interested as those the three lads bestowed on the ship. "You shall be shown over her, presently," said the captain, "but I want to ask you about your island, first. Is there a landing place on the other side?" "Only one, and that dangerous. We land and embark in the cove yonder." Folger glanced toward the land and shook his head. "Our boats could never risk it. You have plenty of fresh water here?" "Yes, sir." The captain' pointed to the scuttle-butt, outside the galley door. "We've a score of casks like that one. Could they be landed in your bay?" "That would be easy, sir," Thursday October replied, quickly. "If you would tow them to the edge of the breakers, we could swim them in, one by one." "And you could fill them, once on shore?" "Yes, sir; though we would have to fetch the water down in calabashes." "How long would it take?" "Brown's Well is the nearest water." The lad thought for a moment, measuring with his eye the cask by the galley. "With all of us at work, I'll warrant we could do it in two or three days." "And you'd be willing to lend us a hand?" The lad's face lighted up. "To be sure we would, sir! There's a plenty of us ashore to help." "Good! Never mind the work, young man. You shall be well rewarded. Now the boatswain will show you over the ship, above decks and below. Keep your eyes open and choose what will be most useful to you. Within reason, it shall be yours for filling my casks." As the three lads followed the boatswain forward, Captain Folger turned to the mate. "The weather has a settled look, Mr. Webber; yet I don't feel free to leave the ship. Will you go ashore and see that no time is wasted in filling the casks?" Webber's expression of pleasure was so transparent that Folger went on without waitiug for a reply. "I envy you! Who can they be? There's a mystery here; you must solve it." "I'm to go in the canoe, sir?" "Yes, and you'd best stay ashore until the work's done. We'll tow the casks in with the longboat. Tell Mr. Alex, or whoever he is, that we'll be off the cove, ready to work, by noon." When the young islanders had finished their tour of the ship, they proved reluctant to make known their wants. Being urged, they at length informed the captain that a couple of knives, an axe, and a copper kettle would be more than ample compensation for watering the ship. Folger, who had taken a great fancy to the lads, gave them the kettle at once, and then forced upon them half a dozen each of large clasp knives and axes. "And what style of man is Mr. Alex?" he asked, as they were handing down their things into the canoe. "Is he tall or short?" "Like yourself, sir," Thursday October replied. "Short and strong-made." Folger went below and returned with a new suit of stout blue broadcloth on his arm. "Take this to Mr. Alex with my compliments." Thursday October's eyes lit up with pleasure. "God will reward you for your kindness, Captain! We have no such warm clothes as these. Our father is no longer young and often feels the cold in the wintertime." The three then shook hands warmly with Folger and the boatswain, waved to the others, and sprang down into the canoe, followed by the mate. A moment later they had cast off and were paddling swiftly toward the cove, now about three miles distant. Webber was seated amidships, and as they drew near to the land he forgot his curiosity in admiration of the sixteen-year-old lad who sat on the forward thwart. Never, he thought, as he watched the play of muscles on the paddler's back and shoulders, had he seen a nobler-looking boy. His countenance, when he turned his head, had the open, fearless look of a young Englishman, yet there was something at once pleasing and un-English in his swarthy complexion, his black eyes, and the thick black hair falling in curls to his shoulders. They were close in with the land now, to the east of the little cove, where a huge rock, rising high above the waves, stood sentinel offshore. A bold and lofty promontory, falling away in precipices to the sea, gave the cove some shelter from the southeast winds; the swell, rising as it approached the land, rushed, feathering and thundering, into the caverns at the base of the cliffs, each wave sending sheets of spray to a great height. The cove itself was studded with jagged rocks, black and menacing against their setting of foam. It seemed incredible, at first glance, that even skilled surfmen could effect a landing at such a place. The cove was iron-bond, save at one spot where Webber now saw a tiny stretch of shingly beach, at the foot of a steep, wooded slope. A score or more of people were gathered there, staring at the approaching canoe. To reach the shingle, Webber perceived, the little craft would have to be steered with the greatest nicety, through a maze of rocks that threatened instant destruction. Yet the young paddlers seemed wholly unconcerned and approached with an air of complete confidence. They halted briefly on the verge of the breaking seas, and then, at a word of command from Thursday October, all three dashed their paddles into the water at once. A great feathering sea lifted the canoe and bore her forward as swiftly as a flying fish on the wing. She turned, flashed between two boulders, and was swept high on to the little beach. Half a dozen sturdy lads rushed into the surf to hold her against the backwash; the paddlers sprang over the side to seize the gunwales, and with the next comber they carried her high up on the shingly sand.' The little crowd on the beach, Webber observed with some surprise, was made up of boys and girls who might range from ten to eighteen years of age. Not a grown man or woman awaited the canoe. Where were the parents of all these youngsters? Thursday October had said that they had never before seen a ship. It seemed remarkable indeed to the mate of the Topaz, if Alex, the father, were truly an Englishman, so long cut off from humankind, that he and the other adults should show so little interest in visitors from the outside world. The young people seemed shy, almost apprehensive. None stepped forward to greet the stranger; they seemed rather to shrink from him, whispering together in little groups and regarding him with bright eyes which expressed curiosity and wonder. The boys, like the three who had come out to the vessel, all wore kilts of figured cloth; the girls were neatly clad in the same materials, and most of them wore chaplets of sweet-scented flowers. Some of the girls would have attracted attention anywhere, though their beauty was more of the Spanish than of the English kind. When they whispered together, they spoke in some jargon unknown to the visitor. The three paddlers now returned from a long thatched shed, well above high-water mark, where they had carried their canoe. The youngest, known as James, carried the suit of clothes, and now the boys and girls clustered around him, feeling of the cloth and exclaiming softly in wonder and admiration. Thursday October touched Webber's arm. "Come this way, sir," he said. The land rose steeply from the beach to the sloping plateau above, in a wooded bluff perhaps two hundred feet in height. A zigzag path led to the summit, and the lads and lasses were already trooping upward and were soon lost to view. Webber followed his guide, envying the agility of the lad, who strode along freely and without a halt, while he himself panted with his exertions and was obliged from time to time to cling to the roots of trees, bushes, or tufts of grass. At length they reached the summit, where the mate halted to regain his breath. The young islander then led the way along a well-footed path that followed the seaward bluffs, winding this way and that among great trees whose deep shade felt deliciously cool. After crossing two small valleys, or ravines, they reached a kind of village, consisting of five houses scattered far apart along a stretch of partially cleared land which sloped gently toward the sea. The houses were of two stories and thatched with leaves of the pandanus. They looked old and weather-beaten, but were strongly timbered, and three of them were planked with oak which Webber recognized as the strakes of a shipwrecked vessel. As they passed the first house he saw a dark, gypsy-looking woman peering out at him, and, at another open window-place, a second, somewhat younger, with a handsome face and thick rippling hair of a copper-red color the Englishman had never seen before. He caught glimpses of several other women at the farther dwellings, but they were no more than glimpses. Faces vanished from view the moment he looked toward them. Presently they came to an ancient banyan tree on the seaward side of the path. Its huge limbs, from which innumerable aerial roots depended, like hawsers anchoring the tree still more firmly to the earth, seemed to cover half an acre or more. Directly opposite, on the inland side of the path at a distance of about thirty yards, stood a dwelling, delightfully pleasant and neat like all of the others, with a greensward dappled with sunlight and shadow and bordered with flowers and flowering shrubs. A man of about fifty stood in the doorway. He was short and powerfully built, clad in the same strange cloth the others wore, but neatly cut and sewed into the form of frock and trousers, after the fashion of the old-time British tar. His grey hair fell upon his shoulders, and his features and the glance of his eye expressed strength tempered with benevolence. "Welcome, sir," he said, stepping forward and extending his hand. "My name is Webber. I am mate of the ship yonder." With a word of apology to the visitor, Thursday October now stepped forward and spoke rapidly and briefly to the old man, in the same curious jargon the mate had heard on the beach—a language in which certain words of English were discernible, but whose sense was unintelligible to him. Presently the old man dismissed the lad with a nod and ushered the Englishman into the house. "Dinah!" he called. "Rachel! Where are ye, lasses?" Two little girls not yet in their teens appeared at the door, regarding the stranger with bright-eyed timidity. "Fetch some coconuts for the gentleman," their father went on, "and what fruit ye can find." The children dashed away without replying, while their father brought forward a chair. "Sit ye down, sir, and rest, and taste of what our island affords. Ye've been long at sea, I take it?" "Three months and more," the mate replied. "Little we thought there was land anywhere hereabout. What is the name of your island?" "It's Pitcairn's Island, sir. No doubt ye've been misled by the chart. Captain Carteret laid it down a hundred and fifty miles west of its true position." "But he called it uninhabited." "Aye, so it was in his day...Ye need water, the lad says. We've plenty here, but it'll be a three-day task at best to get it clown to the beach. Can ye bide the time?" "We've no choice. Scarcely a spit of rain have we had since we left the coast of Peru. Most of our casks are empty." "And what might your errand be in these parts?" "We're a sealing ship," Webber replied. "We were bound to the westward when we raised your island. Are there seals hereabout? In that case we'd like well to fish here, if you've no objection." The islander shook his head. "Ye'd have no luck, Mr. Webber. I've seen a few of the animals on the rocks at rare times. The last was all of ten years back." The old man fell silent, elbows on the rude table and chin in his hands. Webber had a slightly uncomfortable feeling that he was being studied and appraised. His curiosity concerning the inhabitants of this seagirt rock was so intense that once or twice he drew breath to put the direct question, but he thought better of it each time. His host was, plainly, a man of intelligence, who would realize how strange this little community must appear to a man from the outside world. If he had reasons for keeping silent, they should be respected. If willing to satisfy a stranger's curiosity, he would do so in his own good time. "Ye're an Englishman, I take it?" said the islander at last. "Yes. But the ship is American. She hails from Boston, in New England." The old man gave him a keen glance. "Say ye so!" he replied. "Then there's still peace between us and the Colonies?" "Aye, and a brisk trade, too." The old man sighed and paused for a moment before he spoke. "Close on to twenty years I've been here, Mr. Webber. Ye're the first man to set foot on shore in all that time." Webber looked up in astonishment. "Twenty years!" he exclaimed. "Then you've heard nothing of what's happened in the world—of the revolution in France; of old Boney, of Trafalgar, and all the rest!" The children now returned, bringing drinking nuts and a dozen great yellow plantains in a wooden bowl, together with other fruits which were strange to the mate. He partook of them with the relish of a sailor long at sea, and, while he ate, narrated briefly the events of the stormy years at the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth. The old man displayed little interest in political happenings and battles on land, but the account of England's naval victories brought a flush to his cheek and a sparkle to his eye. Yet all the while he seemed to labour under a baffling and unnatural reserve, maintaining a silence concerning himself out of keeping with a countenance as frank and open as that of John Bull himself. The sun was high when Thursday October returned to escort the visitor down to the beach. "I'd take it kindly, sir," said the old man as he rose to his feet, "if ye'd stop with me whilst the watering is done. Or will your captain come ashore?" "He'll want to stretch his legs before we leave," the mate replied, "but he will remain on board till the work is finished. I shan't put you out if I accept?" The islander laid a hand on his arm. "Put me out, Mr. Webber? God bless ye, sir, never in the least! Ye'll be welcomed, and hearty, by one and all—that I promise ye!" The longboat was towing the first of the barrels into the cove when the mate arrived at the beach. All the young people engaged in the task of swimming them in through the surf, shouting and sporting in the breakers, where they seemed as much at home as on land. Webber had never seen such swimmers; they appeared and disappeared in the swirling white water among the rocks, guiding the great, clumsy casks to the landing place, where they were beached without the slightest mishap. Soon all the first lot were ashore and rolled to a piece of level land that had been dug out of the hillside, while the longboat pulled back to the ship, now two miles distant. Toward the close of the afternoon, Webber went for a ramble about the plateau, with some of the younger children as his guides. They led him first to a rock cistern in the depths of the valley and retired while he refreshed himself with a bath. No man could have asked for merrier companions, once their shyness had worn off. They brought him fruits and flowers, and spoke freely, even eagerly, of the trees and plants of the island, of the wild swine, the goats and fowls; but, for all their childlike faith and trust in him, Webber was aware of the same reserve so noticeable in the man they called father. They seemed to be partakers in a conspiracy of silence concerning their history; and it was silence the guest respected, however much his curiosity was aroused. Toward sunset he returned to the house where he had been bidden to sup and spend the night. He found his host seated on a bench outside the door with half a dozen of the smaller children seated on the grass around him. He was giving them an exercise in dictation, and the mate observed that he read from the Bible—a copy so worn and well thumbed that it was falling to pieces. He read slowly, a phrase at a time, while the children, with lips pursed and chubby fingers clasped round their pencils,—the blunt spines of a kind of sea-urchin,—set down the words as he pronounced them. For slates they used thin slabs of rock ground smooth on both sides. "Avast!" said the old man as he perceived his guest. "That'll do for to-day, children. Rachel, run and tell Mother we're ready to sup. Come in, Mr. Webber. Ye've an appetite, I hope? I must tell ye, sir, ye've filled my old head so full of republics, and battles, and what not, I've been woolgathering' all the afternoon!" As they were about to seat themselves at the table, a woman of forty or forty-five came in through the back door, bearing a large platter containing baked pig and heaped up with sweet potatoes, yams, and plantains, all smoking hot. She had a pleasant homely face and the mate perceived at once that she was not of white blood. "This is Balhadi, Mr. Webber, the mother of the little girls yonder." The mate stepped forward to greet her, and as he did so, his host spoke to her in the curious speech the islanders used among them selves. As soon as he had finished, she stepped forward and took the stranger's hand in both of hers, caressing it as a mother might do, her eyes glistening with tears as she peered up at him; then she turned and withdrew. The two men seated themselves, and when the old man had heaped their plates he bowed his head, and, quietly and reverently, asked God's blessing on the food of which they were about to partake. Webber was a religious man in the fine sense of the word; cant and snuffling were hateful to him, and he felt his heart touched and uplifted by the simplicity and the deep sincerity of the brief prayer. Twilight was fading to dusk by the time they had finished the meal. While they were still at the table the mate had observed, through the open doorway, small groups of people turning in at the gateway and gathering on the grassplot before the dwelling. His host now led the way outside and for a few moments they remained seated on the bench by the door, looking on in silence at the scene before them. All the inhabitants of the island seemed to have assembled there. They sat in groups on the grass, speaking in soft voices among themselves. They were clothed in fresh garments and the younger women wore newly made wreaths of fern and flowers pressed lightly down over their loose dark hair. The visitor gazed about him with the keenest interest, thinking that he had never seen a group of healthier, happier-looking children. Counting them idly, he found that the young people numbered four-and-twenty, and seated among them were eight or nine women of middle age, the mothers, evidently, of this little flock. It was clear that they were all of Indian blood. But where were the fathers? With the exception of his host and himself, not a man of mature age was present. Presently the old man rose to his feet, and at a sign from him the older women came forward to greet the visitor. The first to take his hand was a tall and slender woman of forty; the Englishman thought he had never seen a face at once so sad and so maturely beautiful. "Mr. Webber," said his host, "let me make ye known to Maimiti, Thursday October's mother." She greeted him in a soft, low voice, making him welcome in a few words of English spoken with a strange accent, very pleasant to hear. Following her came a woman of commanding presence, a head taller than the mate himself, whom his host introduced as Moetua. In her fine carriage, the poise of her head, most of all in the proud spirit that looked out of the dark eyes, Webber was reminded of some mother of the heroic stage, or of some queen of the Amazons capable of performing deeds worthy to be handed down in the legends of primitive races. Next came four women with English names,—Mary, Susannah, Jenny, and Prudence,—although they were evidently of the same race as the others. It was Prudence whose handsome face and copper-red hair he had admired at the window of the house he had passed on the way from the cove. These were followed by three more with strange Indian names which he found it impossible to keep in mind. Some greeted him in silence, merely shaking his hand; others spoke to him in the English tongue, though in a manner which revealed that they were little accustomed to the common use of it; but, whether silent or not, all made him feel, by the simple sincerity and kindliness of their manner, that he was indeed a welcome guest. Meanwhile, some of the younger people had brought a small table and two chairs from the house which they placed on the greensward, and a moment later Dinah appeared carrying her father's Bible, and Rachel with a kind of taper made of a dozen or more oily nuts threaded like beads on the midrib of a coconut leaflet which was stuck upright in a bowl of sand. The topmost nut was burning brightly, with hissings and sputterings, while a slender column of smoke rose from it, ascending vertically in the still air. The little company now seated themselves on the grass before the table, and the murmuring of voices ceased. The old man turned to his guest. "This is the hour for our evening worship, sir," he said. "We should be pleased to have ye join with us." A chair was placed for the visitor at one side of the group, whereupon his host seated himself at the table and opened his silver-clasped Bible, holding the volume close to the flickering light. He turned the pages slowly with his large, rough fingers. Presently, clearing his throat, he began to read. "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid." Webber felt himself carried back to his boyhood, twenty years before. His grandfather, a white-bearded yeoman farmer, had read a chapter from the Bible each evening, in just such a quiet, earnest voice, after the same admonitory clearing of the throat; but how different a scene was this to the one he so well remembered in the north-country farmhouse of his childhood! The old man read on, his finger slowly following the lines, while the members of his little congregation listened with an air of the deepest interest and respect. When the lesson was at an end, all knelt and repeated the Lord's Prayer in unison, and as the guest listened to the voices of youths and maidens mingling with the clear, childish accents of the little children, he felt that here indeed was worship in purity of heart, in simple unquestioning trust in God's loving-kindness toward His children. It was as though all felt His presence there among them. The service over, old and young came forward to bid the stranger good-night before dispersing to their various homes. When the last of them had gone, it seemed to Webber that his host looked at him with even more kindness and with less reserve than hitherto. "It's plain that ye've a great love of children, Mr. Webber," he said. "Ye've some of your own, I take it?" "That I have; three of them, the oldest about the age of the lad I had on my knee a moment ago. Whose child is he?" "My own, though he's living with his foster mother just now...It's over early for bed, sir. Would ye relish a bit of a walk? I've a bench not far off, overlooking the sea. It's a pretty spot and the moon will be up directly." He led the way along the path toward the cove, but turned off in a moment on another leading through the groves to a rustic seat placed at the very brink of the cliff which fell steeply to the sea. "Many's the time I come here of an evening, Mr. Webber," he explained, as they seated themselves. "Ye may think me fanciful, but there's times when the breakers seem the very voice of God—comforting at a time like this, wrathful on a night of storm...Look! Yon she comes!" The moon, a little past the full, was rising above the lonely horizon, flashing along the white crests of the breakers far below and glinting along the motionless fronds of the coconut palms. The islander turned to his guest, hesitated, and said at last: "No doubt ye've wondered at my not naming myself. Smith's my name—Alexander Smith." He watched his companion's face closely, as though to divine what effect the mention of the name might produce. As there seemed nothing to say, Webber remained silent. "And ye must have wondered about other things," the old fellow went on, after a long pause. "Who we are, set down on this bit of land so far from any other." The mate smiled. "I should have been more or less than human had my curiosity not been aroused." His companion sat leaning forward, elbows on his knees, his hands clasped loosely, as he gazed out over the moonlit sea. "Ye're an honest man, that's sure," he said, at length, "and a kindhearted man...I'd never believe ye could wish harm to me and mine?" "Harm you? God forbid!" the mate replied, earnestly. "Set your mind at rest there, my friend. I would as soon harm my own little family as this flock of yours." "What happened, Mr. Webber, was long ago—more than twenty years back..." Of a sudden he turned his head. "Did ye ever hear of a ship called the Bounty?" The words came to Webber like a thunderclap—like a blaze of lightning where deep darkness had reigned a moment before. In common with most seamen of his day, he had heard of the notorious mutiny on board the small armed transport sent out from England to fetch breadfruit plants from the island of Tahiti to the West Indies. He remembered clearly the principal events in that affair. The fate of the Bounty and those who had been aboard her constituted one of the mysteries of the sea. The mate turned to his companion and said, with emotion in his voice, "Then you're..." "Aye," Smith interrupted quietly, "one of Fletcher Christian's men, Mr. Webber. It was here we came." A hundred questions crowded into Webber's mind, but his companion was now more eager still. "What can ye tell me of Captain Bligh?" he asked, anxiously. "Was he ever heard of again?" "Indeed he was! He got home, at last, with most of his men, after the greatest open-boat voyage in the history of the sea." Smith brought his hand down resoundingly on his knee. "Thank God for that!" he exclaimed, reverently. "You've done me a great service, sir. Now I'll sleep better of a night. And the men we left on Tahiti? What became of them?" "I've read a book or two on the subject," Webber replied; "and the tale is well known. A ship-of-war was sent out to search for the Bounty. Let me see...Pandora, I think she was called. They found a dozen or fifteen of the Bounty's company on Tahiti. The Pandora seized them and they were being taken home in irons when the vessel was wrecked off the coast of New Holland. A number of her company and several of the prisoners were lost, and the rest of her people were forced to take to the boats. They reached England nearly a year later, as I remember it, when the prisoners were tried by court-martial. Three or four, I believe, were hung." Smith had been listening with an air of almost painful eagerness. "Ye don't recollect the names of the lads was hung?" he asked.. Webber shook his head, as he was forced to do when his companion asked after numerous men by name. "I'm sorry; I can tell you the fate of none of them," he replied. "Of the Bounty's company I remember only Captain Bligh, and Christian, the officer said to have led the mutiny." "It was Mr. Christian's son, Thursday October, that brought ye ashore." "And where is Christian, and the others who came with you? As I remember it, there were a dozen or more in all." "Nine," said Smith. "That is, nine of us white men. Besides, there was six Indian men and twelve women that came with us from Tahiti. The women ye met this evening are the mothers of these lads and lasses." "But where are the fathers?" "There's none left, save me." "You mean they've gone elsewhere?" Smith shook his head. "No. They're dead, sir." The mate waited for him to proceed. The old fellow sat staring before him. At length he said: "Are ye a patient man, Mr. Webber? Could ye listen to a story 'twould take me a couple of evenings to tell?" "An account, you mean, of what has happened here?" "Aye." "I should like nothing better! Why, man, there are scores in England would travel a hundred leagues to hear the tale from your lips! Have no fear! You'll find me a patient listener, I promise you!" "I've no wish to tell it, God knows," Smith continued, earnestly. "And yet, if so be as I could...it would ease my heart more than I could well say. I've little learning—that ye can see for yourself; but I've forgot nothing that's happened here. Ye shall have the truth, Mr. Webber. I'll keep nothing back, but I'll ask ye to bear in mind that the Alex Smith who speaks is not the Smith of the Bounty days. "Well, sir, to begin at the beginning..." § § § As he listened, the mate of the Topaz was lost to the present moment. He felt himself carried, in an all but physical sense, into the past. In place of Alexander Smith—stout, middle-aged, and fatherly—he saw a rough young seaman in the midst of as strange a company as ever sailed an English ship. He was conscious of the heave of the Bounty's deck beneath his feet, of the hot suns, the wind and weather of bygone days. He found himself looking on at old unhappy scenes, sharing the emotions and hearing the voices of men long since dead—voices that had broken the silence of this lonely sea and still lonelier island, nearly twenty years before. CHAPTER XVI Where was I, sir? (Smith proceeded, on the following evening). Aye, if ye recollect, Mr. Christian and me was lying wounded in the house. Save for what I learned afterwards, I can tell ye nothing of the time that followed. Ye can fancy the state the women was in. Moetua and Nanai went off into the bush by themselves after they'd fetched Mr. Christian. Jenny and Taurua stopped with Mrs. Christian, who kept asking for her husband and wondering why he didn't come back. Ye'll recollect that she'd been brought to bed of a daughter on the morning the killing began. Hutia stopped with Balhadi to care for us. Mr. Christian had lost so much blood, he lay quiet as a dead man. I'd a high fever; for three days without a let-up, they told me, I babbled, and cursed and raved. The rest of the women, with McCoy's children and little Matt Quintal and Eliza Mills, gathered in one house. They was that dazed and listless they might have starved, I reckon, if they'd not had the little 'uns to think on. They sat huddled on the floor the day long, with scarce a word exchanged, some of 'em crying softly with heads covered, as Indians do. The days was bad enough; it was the nights they dreaded most. They've strange notions, not like ours. They reckon that the spirits of the new dead, no matter if dear friends or husbands in life, are fierce, ravening things, hating the living. Of a night, the women in Mills's house would bar every door and window, and huddle with the children by their candlenut torch, quaking at every little sound outside. Quintal stopped alone at his place, sitting on the doorstep most of the time, with his chin in his hands, and he'd speak to no one. I've no notion what was going on in his mind. It may be he felt the loss of Mills and Jack Williams, or was thinkin' of the fix Mr. Christian was in, and how he'd brought the trouble on by burning Minarii's house. The killing started at dawn, as ye know. September twenty-second, it was, 1793, a date I'll not forget. The last of the Indians was killed on the night of the twenty-third. Next morning, when Moetua and Nanai was gone, Taurua came across from Mr. Christian's house to speak to my old woman. She told her Mrs. Christian was in such a state it was all they could do to keep her in bed. It was agreed by all she'd have to be told. Mr. Young said, long afterwards, he'd as soon face the hangman as live through that morning again. They tried to soften the news to Mrs. Christian, but she guessed what they held back. Up she got, in her kirtle, threw a mantle over her shoulders, took up her newborn babe, and went out the door without a word. When they reached our house, she went straight to the bed-place, motioning Hutia away. Mr. Christian's eyes was closed and his fever was high. Hutia took the child, and his wife settled herself at the head of the bed-place to keep the cloths on his forehead wrung out cool and fresh. Ye know what a shock the like of that will do to a woman. Mrs. Christian's milk had begun to flow strong and good that morning; by nightfall her breasts was dried up. When the baby cried, Balhadi fed it on what the Indians call ouo, the sweet jelly they scrape out of young coconuts. Aye, and she throve on it; for the next year she'd naught else. All that night, through the next day and the night following, Mr. Christian and I lay there, tended by the women and Mr. Young. He'd told Mrs. Christian what had happened; after that she scarce spoke a word. It must have been the morning of the third day when the fever left me and I opened my eyes. Here I was in my own house, weak as a cat and bad wounded. My left shoulder and my neck was all stiff and sore. When I tried to move, it pained me cruel. My head was light from the fever and it was a good bit afore I could set my thoughts in order. It came back slow—how Jenny'd come to my taro patch, how I'd climbed the Goat-House, hoping to meet up with Mr. Young, and hid myself alongside the path in the Main Valley, on the chance of cutting down one of the Indians and getting his musket. Towards sunset I'd crept down to Mr. Young's plantain walk, for I'd had naught to eat all day. Then I recollected Te Moa, and Nihau, with Mills's head at his belt, stepping out sudden as I was reaching up for some ripe fruit, and the shot that knocked me down; how I'd scrambled up and made a run for it; then something to do with Jenny, and no more. Three was killed, she'd told me at the taro patch. That was all I knew. My bed-place was on the north side of the room, by an open window. It was a calm, sunny morning, with scarce enough breeze to move the tree-tops. Here and there, where the screen of bush was thin, the sea showed blue through the trees. Beautiful, it was, and peaceful; ye'd never have thought men could plot murder in such a place. I set my teeth and turned my head the other way. I saw someone on the other bed, across the room, but couldn't make out who it was. Mrs. Christian sat on the floor beside him with her back to me, and I could see neither her face nor his. He never moved, and I took a notion he was dead. Taurua and my old woman was feeding a tiny baby on a mat, and Mr. Young stood near by. I called out to him. Balhadi sprang up, baby and all; and Mr. Young came across to me. "Hush, Alex!" said he. "Thank God ye're better, now the fever's down!" My old woman tried to smile at me, and nodded with a hand on my head. "Who's that yonder?" said I. "Mr. Christian." Mr. Christian turned his head slow on the pillow and saw me. "Are ye hurt, Smith?" "Aye, sir, but not bad," said I. His voice was stronger when he spoke next. "Ye must tell me the whole of it, Ned. I want to know." There was no getting out of it. Mr. Young told him, quick and short. However he felt, he gave no sign; just lay there, a-starin' up at the ceiling; then his eyes closed, and Mr. Young tiptoed out o' the room. Mrs. Christian never moved from her place at the foot of the bed, where she could watch his face. She was blind to what I could see. Trust a good woman to hope. It was afternoon when he came round again and drank a little of the water she offered him. Then a long time passed without a word said. It was well on toward eight bells when young Thursday October came to the door. He was three at the time, and ye never saw a handsomer little lad. He'd a finger in his mouth as he stood in the doorway, looking into the room with his round eyes. At last he came in on tiptoe, half afraid, even after he'd made his father out. Mr. Christian turned his head and saw the little fellow. Desolate, his face was; such a look as I hope never to see another man wear. "Take the child out," said he. His wife took up the lad and set him down outside the door. She was gone for a minute or two; I think it took her that long to get herself in hand. The afternoon wore through. Balhadi fed me a bit of sweet coconut water now and again. I could look out the window, as I told ye. A fine breeze had made up; the trees was swaying, and there was whitecaps out at sea. All the womenfolk was gathered outside, waiting. Mr. Christian was conscious this while, but he spoke no more than a word or two. He knew he was dying, most like, and felt glad to go. All he'd touched was ruined, he'd be thinking: the Bounty's voyage, the men set adrift with Captain Bligh in the launch, those who'd stopped on Tahiti, and now our little settlement, where he'd hoped for so much. Aye...I'll warrant there was never a man waited his end with greyer thoughts than Mr. Christian. My heart bled for him. The breeze died away after sundown, as it often does here. I don't recollect a stiller, more beautiful evening. It was spring in these parts, as ye'll remember, and the twilight came on slow. Mrs. Christian gave her husband a sip of water, set down the cup, and stopped where she was, seated on the bed beside him. He put a hand on hers and looked up with a faint smile. Then he turned his head, slow. "Alex," he said. "Sir?" When he spoke again it took me by surprise, and I'm not certain of the words to this day. He said, "There's a chance, now," or "There's still a chance"—one or the other. He seemed to expect no reply, so I made none, but lay there trying to make out just what he meant. If he'd said, "There's a chance, now," the words was the bitterest ever spoke, for he must have meant that with him dead and out of the way there might be hope for us. I can scarce believe he spoke so, but it may have been. After a long time I heard his voice again: "Never let the children know!" and those was the last words I heard him say. I must have dozed off then, and when I opened my eyes it was dark in the room. It was Mrs. Christian's low, hopeless cry that woke me. I couldn't see her, or Mr. Christian, but I knew the end had come. CHAPTER XVII The month that followed was a sorry time, with the silence of death over all. I was afeared, at first, that Mrs. Christian might lose her reason. She wasn't one to weep, and that stony kind of grief ain't natural in a woman. Tears would have helped but none came. It made my heart sore to see her going about the house with that dazed, dead look on her face, like as if the truth hadn't come home to her yet. And there was nothing ye could do to help. She had to fight it through alone. Sometimes a whole day'd pass without her speaking a word. Aye, it was a numb, hopeless time for all, and I'll never forget how lonesome it seemed with so many gone. There was one, Martin, I'd have had no wish to see back. We was all of a mind about him: he was better dead; but the others, whites and Indians alike, was sore missed and most of all, of course, Mr. Christian. We could see better, now, the man he'd, been, and the deep need we had for him: There was no one could take his place. We was like sheep without a shepherd. Mr. Young was the hardest hit of any of the men, I reckon; ye'd scarce believe the change that came over him. He'd sit on the bluffs for hours at a time, lookin' out over the sea, or wander about the settlement like a man walkin' in his sleep. There'd been no one fonder of a joke in the old days, but after Mr. Christian's death I never again heard him laugh. My bein' hurt and needin' a bit of care was a help to him. When Maimiti or Balhadi wasn't settin' by me, he was, and I'd try to get his mind on other things: plans for the future—how we'd divide ourselves up, now, amongst the houses, the new gardens we'd make, and the like. He'd try to show interest, but it was plain he had no heart for anything. But Mrs. Christian wouldn't give in, and having the children to see to and the other women to comfort was a godsend to her. Little by little she became more like her old self, and she'd hearten the others with her quiet ways. I don't know what some would have done without Maimiti. One day when she and Mr. Young was by me in the house, she spoke of Moetua and Nanai. Ye'll mind that they was the wives of Minarii and Tetahiti. They'd not been near the settlement since the day they brought Mr. Christian down, but lived by themselves in Jack Williams's old house on the other side of the island. Some believed they must have known their men meant to kill all the whites, and there might have been a war and a massacre amongst the womenfolk if it hadn't been for Maimiti and Taurua; they knew well enough that Moetua and Nanai had naught to do with it and was as innocent as themselves. Well, Mrs. Christian asked Mr. Young to go across and coax 'em down, if he could. "Tell 'em to come for my sake, Ned," said she. All the women liked Mr. Young; they'd do anything he said. Inside of an hour he was back, and they with him. He came in first and they stood at the door. Ye've seen Moetua, sir; ye can picture what she was in her young womanhood. I've seen thousands of Indian women, whilst on the Bounty, on islands scattered all over this ocean, but none to match Moetua for strength and beauty. She was like a young oak tree. I can't say better than that she was a fit wife for Minarii. It'd done my heart good just to see them two going about together. It wasn't fear of Prudence and Hutia or all the womenfolk together that kept her away from the settlement at this time. She'd have been more than a match for the lot of 'em. But she knew Quintal had killed her husband, and she was afeared she might take her revenge on him. She'd not his great brute strength, but, with the fire of hate in her heart, I'll not say she couldn't have mastered him and put him to death. Nanai had a softer nature. She was of the best Indian blood: ye could tell at a glance the difference there was between her and women the like o' Jenny or Hutia. She was gentle. She needed someone to cling to, and it was a blessing she had Moetua, after Tetahiti was killed. Half crazed as some o' the women was, after the killing, I reckon they might have found a way to murder Nanai if she hadn't been with Moetua. As I've said, they stood at the door, waiting. The minute she saw 'cm, Maimiti came across and took 'em by the hands and brought 'em in. "Moetua," said she, "what our men have done is done. It may be that your husband killed mine; now both lie dead. Nanai, Christian and Tetahiti were friends. We have been like sisters in the past. I have nothing but love in my heart for ye two. Will ye come here and live with me?" I can tell ye what was said, but not how it was said. Never a woman lived with a more kind, gentle nature than Mrs. Christian. Moetua took her in her arms and held her close. She had a beautiful husky voice, near as deep as a man's. "Aye, that we will!" said she. Then the three of them wept together, with their arms round each other. Glad I was to see that meeting. It was the first time Mrs. Christian had shed tears. As soon as I was able to walk, she asked me if I'd let her have my house and move over to hers. I knew how it was with her: she'd a terror of setting foot in the house where she and Mr. Christian had lived. So we moved down there—my old woman, and Hutia, and Prudence, who was to live with us. Mr. Young took Mills's house, with Taurua and Jenny. Quintal and McCoy stopped where they always had, with their own two girls and Susannah. My wound healed slow. I was able to walk by the end of October. But it was close to Christmas before I had any use of my left arm. I was good for little this while and had to stop indoors. It was a quiet time, but desperate lonesome, as I've said. Quintal and McCoy kept clear o' me, and I was glad they did, for my heart was bitter towards both. I knew we'd mostly them to thank for bringin' trouble to a head with the Indians. I wouldn't have cared if I'd never set eyes on either of 'em again. Ye'd have said, sir, that God had give us that time to mind us of the past and the mistakes we'd made, and to make sure of our ways for the days to come; but some of us was too ignorant to profit by it, and the rest too weak or stubborn. I'm speakin' of the men. What followed was no fault o' the women. Them that went our ways did it because we led 'em or forced 'em to it. I've spoke of McCoy's still. He had it going long afore the killing started, but he was that close about it not even his crony, Matt Quintal, knew what he was up to. There's no better way to show ye what a sly clever man Will McCoy could be. On this mite of an island, where there was so few of us, he'd been able to make spirits, enough for his own use, and none of us knew. It wasn't till later I learned all that went on. McCoy had been shook bad by the days he was in the bush with the Indians after him. A time or two they all but had him; they'd passed within a few feet of where he lay hid, and he'd seen Mills's bloody head, and Martin's, hangin' at their belts. Aye, he'd been near daft with fear, and, when all was over, the women who went in search of him couldn't coax him back to the settlement. He'd not even believe Mary, his own girl, and it wasn't till Quintal came and showed him the Indians' dead bodies that his mind was set at rest. Then off he went again, no one knew where. Quintal was crazed himself, in a different way. There'd always been something a little queer about Matt; I'd noticed it in the old days on the Bounty. It wasn't often, but now and again something he'd say or do would show ye the man wasn't quite right in his head. The trouble got worse, after the killing. He'd set on his doorstep muttering to himself, the women said, and act so queer, most of the time, they was afeared of him. For all that, he began to work about his place again, chopping wood, doing a bit o' weedin' in the gardens, and the like. Then it came over him, of a sudden, that McCoy had quit the house. Slow and dogged, Quintal began to search for him, and found him at last in one of the gullies on the west side of the island. McCoy had made him a hut, close by his still, a dry, cozy little place with a soft bed of fern inside. "So this is where ye hide out!" said Matt. "What's come over ye, Will, and what's all this gear ye've got?" McCoy saw he'd have to tell, and he was glad, in a way, that Quintal'd found him. "Set ye down, Matt," said he. He pulled a bottle out of the fern, and a pewter half-pint he had by him. "Taste that," said he, and he poured him out a big dollop of spirits. Quintal took a sniff and then poured it down. "It ain't bad, not by a long way," said he; "but what is it? Where'd ye get it from?" "I made it," said McCoy, "out o' ti roots." Then he told Quintal how it was done. They got the Bounty's big copper kettle. The other McCoy had was too small to make spirits for more than one; with the big one they could brew any amount and set some of it aside to age. A new still was set up, and so new trouble started. In the beginning they went at their drinking quiet-like. It was noticed, of course, that they'd be off together somewheres, but the womenfolk was glad to have 'em gone, and took no thought of what they might be up to. After a few weeks they'd bring their grog to the house, and they teached their girls and Susannah to drink with 'em. It wasn't long till Prudence and Hutia took to goin' there of an evening, and sometimes even Jenny would go. That's how I first got wind of it. I'll say this for myself, sir, and it's the one right thing I did in all that time: I tried to hold Hutia and Prudence back, at first. But they'd found that grog could make 'em forget the troubles we'd had. Once they knew that, there was no keepin' em away from McCoy's house; but the women I've spoke of was the only ones that ever touched the stuff. The others would have naught to do with it. One evening before I was able to get about much, Mr. Young came in to see me. He was like a new man, and it was easy to guess where he'd been. "Alex," said he, "I've brought ye what will do ye a world of good." "What's that?" said I, knowing well enough what it was. He'd a bottle under his arm, which he set on the table. "Will McCoy's sent this along to ye, with his hearty good wishes," said he; "and it's grand stuff, Alex. Ye'd scarce know it from the best London gin." "Ye've had a good sup already, Ned," said I. "That's plain to be seen." "I have so," said he. "Where's the sense of our holding out against a tot o' good grog now and again? It's a sad lonesome life we lead here. God knows a little good cheer won't harm us." "Ned," said I, "I'll not say I don't wish I had a cag o' the same, but have ye reckoned what this might lead to? Ye've never seen Quintal in his cups. I have. He's the devil himself!" "He was quiet and pleasant as ye please to-night," said Mr. Young. "That may be," said I. "There's times when he's harmless enough; but ye never know when he'll be the other way." "Quintal or no Quintal," said he, speakin' a little thick, "I'm for the grog! I've not felt like this in months, lad. My idea is that a little o' this—seamen's rations, mind ye, like we had in the old days—will harm none of us." I said naught for a bit. Of a sudden he looked at me in a sober way, and got up from his chair. "God forgive me, Alex!" said he. "If ye wish to abstain, I'd cut off my right hand before I'd be the one to urge ye!" He grabbed up the bottle and was about to go, and, fool that I was, I begged him to set down again. I'd been away from spirits for so long, I could just as well have kept off it; and I knew how it would be once I started again. No seaman ever loved his rum more than myself. I'd been used to it from the time I was a mere lad, and words can't say how I coveted a share o' that bottle. Well, sir, the long and the short of it was that I fetched a couple of half-pints and a calabash of water, and between us we finished the whole bottle. And Mr. Young was right: it did me a world of good. I'd been low-spirited enough, but after a few drinks everything was bright and sunny. Balhadi looked on at the two of us, pleased as anything to see us so cheerful again. At this time none of the womenfolk knew the harm there was in drink. In years past there'd been a spree or two in the bush, but these they'd not seen, and for the most part we'd drunk our grog rations from the old Bounty's supply quiet and peaceable till all was gone. So the womenfolk, hein' ignorant, made no fuss at all, at first, about the still. Most wouldn't drink because they couldn't abide the taste o' spirits, but they didn't mind us doing it. As soon as I was able to get about, I took to joinin' the others at McCoy's house. At first there was no harm in any of us. We'd agreed each man was to have his half-pint a day and no more. It was even less at the start, because we hadn't enough to make up a half-pint around, but that was soon mended. We'd never worked harder in the old days than we did now at clearing land for ti-planting. Quintal and me took charge o' that, and Mr. Young and McCoy minded the still. They soon had a cag o' spirits set by to age and started filling another. We hunted the island over for wild ti roots whilst them we'd planted was coming along. The food gardens was left to the womenfolk. Ye can guess what followed, sir. We was young seamen, save Mr. Young, and the eldest of us scarce five-and-twenty. As soon as there was a good store of spirits set by, no more was said about half a pint a day, though Mr. Young held fast to that at first. The rest of us drank as much as we'd a mind to, and the five girls with us. There was Sarah Quintal, and McCoy's Mary, and the three others I've spoke of—Susannah, Hutia, and Prudence. These last had no men o' their own, and the grog made 'em as wild and hot-blooded as ourselves. Ye'll not need to be told how it was with us. We took no thought o' wives or anything else. There was trouble a-plenty afore many weeks. Mrs. Christian wasn't long in seein' the truth o' things. She'd come to Mr. Young and me and beg us to leave off for the children's sakes if for naught else. And we'd be shamed to the heart and promise to do better; but, a few days after, back we'd go and all would be as before. It got so as Mrs. Christian and the other decent women would have naught to do with us. She gathered the children away from McCoy's house, and she fitted bolts and bars to her house, well knowing what a dangerous man Quintal was, at times, when he was drunk. One night, when the rest of us was too far gone to stop him, he near killed Sarah. She and Mary both had more than enough bad treatment. They'd have been only too glad to leave the house, but didn't dare to, for fear o' what their men might do. So it went with us for another three months; then a thing happened that brought even such brutes as we'd become to our senses. The four of us men was at McCoy's house, drunk as usual, with Prudence and Hutia and Susannah. Mary and Sarah had got to the place where they was more afraid to stay than to go, and Mrs. Christian had taken 'em in at her house. Quintal had been of a mind to fetch 'em back, but the rest of us had talked him out o' that and got him quieted down. McCoy didn't mind Mary going, for he still had some decency in him and he knew she'd be best away with the children. I came stumbling back to my own house about midnight and Balhadi got me into bed. She'd stayed by me all this while, and Taurua had done the like by Mr. Young, which only goes to show how patient and long-suffering good women can be. But they was near to the end of their patience, as I'm about to tell ye. It seemed to me I'd scarce closed my eyes when I was shook awake by Balhadi. "Quick, Alex!" said she. "Rouse the others and come! Quintal's just gone by toward Maimiti's house! He means mischief!" I set out at a run for McCoy's house and roused him and Mr. Young, who was sleeping there. Before we'd come halfway back, we heard Quintal batterin' at the door of Mrs. Christian's house. The sound of it sobered us, I can promise ye! The moon was about an hour up. Quintal was at the door with a fence post he'd picked up, and all but had it battered down by the time we got there. McCoy yelled at him, but he gave no heed. We could hear the children crying indoors, and then Mrs. Christian's voice, cool and quiet. "I've a musket here," said she. "I'll shoot him if he sets foot inside. Stand away, ye others!" McCoy was the only one of us who could ever manage Quintal with words. He ran up now and took hold of his arm. "Matt, are ye mad?" said he. Quintal turned and gave him a shove that threw him clear across the dooryard. "I want Moetua," said he. I dragged him back, and Will was at his legs and Mr. Young tried to hold one of his arms. The three of us was no match for him, and that's the truth. Then the women took a hand. Balhadi pitched in with us; then what was left of the door was broke down and out came Moetua. Hating Quintal as she did, she was better than two men. She got her fingers round his throat and would have killed him if it hadn't been for Maimiti. We tied him up and carried him, half dead, back to McCoy's house. That was the last straw for the women. Even Prudence and Hutia left us, wild young things that they was in those days, and they took Susannah with 'em. They joined the others at Mrs. Christian's house. We'd bound Quintal hand and foot, so he couldn't move, and had to keep him so all the next day, for he was like a wild animal. Nothing we could say would quiet him. That same morning, Balhadi went down to Mrs. Christian's and was gone till afternoon. There was a scared, sober look on her face when she came back. I noticed it, though I was still muddled and sleepy with the drink I'd had. She'd a mind to tell me something,—I could see that,—but she held off, and I didn't coax her to come out with it, whatever it was. The fact is, I was ashamed and disgusted with myself, thinking how I'd used Balhadi all these months, and I was short and surly with her to hide how I felt. Around the middle of the afternoon I told her to fetch me a bite to eat, which she did. When I'd finished I lay down for a nap, and having had no sleep the night before, I didn't wake till daylight the next morning. Balhadi was nowhere about. It was a day of black squalls, makin' up out of the southeast, with hot calm spells betwixt 'em. I went to the edge of the bluffs, as I always did of a morning, for a look at the sea and sky. While I was there, a squall came down so sudden I'd no time to run to the house, and squatted in the lee of a clump o' plantains, takin' what shelter I could. It was over in ten minutes, and I was looking out to the eastward when I saw something afloat about a mile offshore. For all my bleary eyes, it looked like a capsized boat. I rubbed and looked again and made out what I thought was people in the water alongside, and some up on the keel. I'd no notion of the truth, but ye'll know the start it gave me to see a capsized boat, with men clinging to it, in this lonely ocean. In all the years we'd been here we'd sighted but the one ship I've told ye of. I scanned the horizon all round, as far as I could see, for the ship this boat belonged to, but there was none in view; then I ran to McCoy's house to get the spyglass. Him and Mr. Young was there, still asleep. I shook 'em out of it and the three of us hurried down to the lookout point above the cove. Ye know how it is when ye get a glass on something far off—it jumps right up to your eye. What I saw was our cutter, upside down, and all our womenfolk around it, some swimming, some clinging to the boat as best they could, while they held their little ones up on the keel. Ye'll know the shock it gave us—such a sight as that. Even with it there before our eyes, we was hard put to believe it was real. We ran back to McCoy's house to fetch Quintal. He was snoring fit to shake the place down. We pulled him out of the bed-place tryin' to waken him. "Rouse him out of it," said Ito Will. "Kick him awake somehow! Let him know young Matt's out there like to drown!" Then Mr. Young and me ran to the cove. We dragged the biggest of the canoes down into the water. By good luck there was no great amount of surf and we was soon beyond it. We made the hafts o' them paddles bend, I promise ye! Afore we was half a mile out, another black squall bore down on us—solid sheets of water, and wind fit to blow the hair off your head. It passed, quick as it had made up, and there was the cutter, not a cable's length off. Had the girls been women from home, more than one of the children would ha' been drowned that day; but these knew how to handle themselves in the sea. Prudence and Mary came swimmin' to meet us, and passed up their babes afore they clambered aboard. Next minute we was alongside, and took little Mary from Mrs. Christian. Then the older ones they had on the keel was passed over to us. McCoy and Quintal was on the way by this time in the other canoe. Quintal was in the stern. He made the water boil and no mistake! "Is Matt safe?" he yelled when he was still a quarter of a mile off. "Aye, safe!" I hailed back. "And all hands!" Mary was in our canoe, with their two little ones, half drowned, in her lap, and I'll not forget the look on Will's face when he saw 'em. We was takin' the other women on board, Mrs. Christian the last. The two canoes held the lot of us. We took the cutter in tow and made for the cove. Some of the women was weeping, but not a word was spoke all the way. Mrs. Christian sat on a thwart with little Mary in her arms. She'd a look of hopelessness and despair that'll haunt me to my last day. We ran the breakers and got the women safe ashore, and them with the children hurried on to the settlement. The others helped us get the cutter righted and bailed out and back in the shed. We had no words with 'em or they with us. We was too shocked and sobered by what they'd tried to do to have a harsh word for any of 'em. Will ye believe it, sir? They'd meant to sail off with the young 'uns in that bit of a cutter! Mrs. Christian understood the compass, and they minded some low islands we'd passed in the Bounty on the way from Tahiti. That's where they was bound, if so be as they could find 'em. Unbeknownst to us, Mrs. Christian had got 'em together, provisioned the cutter, and set sail to the north. Had they not made the sheet fast and capsized in a squall, they'd all ha' been lost, as certain as sunrise! But this'll show ye how desperate they was. They was sickened to the heart's core of men, and they'd come to hate the island where there'd been so much bloodshed and misery. We'd drove 'em to the point where they'd sooner chance death by drowning, or thirst and starvation, than live with us and have their children brought up by such fathers as we'd become. That evening the four of us got together, but not to drink. It was McCoy himself that spoke first. "Mr. Young," said he, "I'm done with it! I know how much blame falls to my share in all that's passed. I'll be the cause o' no more trouble. We've children and good women here. I'm for a decent life from now on." "I'm with ye, Will!" said I, standin' up, "and there's my hand on it!" We was all of a mind, Quintal as hearty and earnest as the rest. There was to be no more distilling, that was agreed on and swore to, and we went to our beds sober and peaceable for the first time in many a day. Aye, we thought we was turning a new leaf that evening. There was to be naught but peace and quiet in the days to come. CHAPTER XVIII Now, sir, I'll pass over three years. It was a time I don't like to think about. I said I'd tell ye the truth of what's happened here, and so I will, but ye'd not want to hear the whole of it. There's little to be said about those years save that we went from bad to worse. Not all at once. For two or three months after the womenfolk tried to leave the island we kept our word, and not a drop of spirits was touched. We did try, the four of us, to make a new start; then it was the old story over again: our solemn promises was broke, and the end of it was that Maimiti left the settlement with her three children and went over to the Auté Valley to live, and Moetua and Nanai went with her. They built a house with no help from any of us, and not long after, Jenny and Taurua, Mr. Young's wife, joined 'em, and they gathered all the children up there, away from us. I was glad they did. The settlement was no place for children, that's the truth of it. Balhadi had stayed by me all this while, hoping I'd come to my senses, and Mary had done the like by McCoy, but little heed we gave to either of 'em. Four of the women—Hutia, Susannah, Prudence, and Sarah, Quintal's girl—stayed on with us, for the most part, and we lived together in a way it shames me to think of. Mr. Young made one with us in this. Ye'll wonder he could have done it. He was a gentleman born. How did it come he could join with men the like of Quintal, McCoy, and myself? My belief is he'd lost all heart and hope, seein' how things went. He was never a man to lead. He must have thought we could never be made to go his way, so he went ours. But it was plain he hated himself for doing it. Never have I seen a sadder face than Mr. Young's at this time. It was a blow to him when Taurua left to join Maimiti, but he didn't change his ways. He took to drinking harder than ever, like as if he wanted to kill himself. For all that, he was a gentleman in whatever he did. I knew well enough it was only the grog that made him able to abide the rest of us. So things went till the end of 1797. I mind me well of a spree we had in the fall of that year. We'd started by killing a pig and making a feast. There was the four of us and the women I've spoke of. It happened that jenny and Moetua had come down to the settlement that day. They found us in a carouse that was the worst, I reckon, we'd ever had up to that time. McCoy recollected that it was four years to the very week from the time when the last of the Indian men was killed. He was so drunk he cared for naught, and he told the women we'd made the feast to mind us o' that. Then Quintal made him brag before Moetua, who'd been Minarii's wife, about how he'd thrown her husband over the cliff at the top of the Rope. I was far gone in drink myself, then, and I've no doubt I did my part to make the women hate us the more. I've little recollection of what happened after, but I know the women was horror-struck at our brute ways. There was fighting 'twixt Quintal and McCoy and some o' them, but I was too drunk to take part in it. I was awake early next morning and found I'd climbed to the loft, somehow. Mr. Young was asleep on a bed on the other side of the room. I went down the ladder and found Quintal and McCoy sprawled out on the floor, and a precious-looking pair they was! McCoy was scratched and bruised all over his body, and he had every stitch of clothing torn off him. Quintal's face and beard was smeared and caked with blood from a deep gash on his head; one of the women must have given him an awful knock. The benches and tables was upset, and glass from broken bottles was scattered all over the floor. I went along home for a bit, but there was no one about, or in any of the other houses. I went on to Mr. Christian's old place where Prudence and Susannah lived at this time. Maimiti had never set foot there—or in the settlement, for the matter of that—since the day she'd moved to the Auté Valley. The Bounty's chronometer was at Mr. Christian's house. He'd kept it going from the time the ship was seized from Captain Bligh to the day he was killed. Mr. Young minded it after that, till he took to drinking so hard; then I'd looked after it, and if I did nothing else I saw that it was never allowed to run down. I don't know why I did it, for time meant nothing to us and we'd the sun to go by. Likely it was because the clock was a link with home and minded me of the days before we'd brought so much misery on ourselves. Anyway, I never missed a day in winding it, and I took charge of Mr. Christian's calendar. He'd said to me once: "Alex, if anything happens to Mr. Young or me, see that ye keep my calendar going; else ye won't know where ye are." Ye might have thought the four of us would sober up now, after such a spree as we'd had, but it wasn't the way with us then. We was at it again all that day, and the next, but on the third morning I'd had enough. It was then I began to suspicion something was amiss with the womenfolk. Not one had come near us, and we'd nothing left to eat in the house save a bunch of plantains. Quintal and McCoy and me made out a meal with 'em, and I carried some up to Mr. Young, who was lying down in the loft. He always kept to himself as much as he could. He'd come down now and again, but he said not a word more than was needed to any of us. I told him about the women, but he was in a black mood and begged me to go away and leave him alone. McCoy and Quintal had lost track of the days; they didn't know how long we'd been drinking steady and they didn't care. The two of them was in a stupor again when I left the house about the middle of the morning. The settlement was empty, just as it had been the past two days. I went along to the pool below Brown's Well; there was hardly an hour of the day but ye'd find some of the women at the spring, but there was none that morning, so I went along the trail that goes along the western ridge and into the Auté Valley from that side. When we first came here, all that high land was covered with forest, but we'd cleared bits of it here and there. It was as pretty a place as ye could wish to see, high and cool, with rich little valleys running down to the north, and paths amongst the trees, and open places where we'd made gardens. We'd left the forest standing round about. For three months past none of us men had set foot in the Auté Valley. As I've said, we'd hardly drawn sober breath in all that time; the work was left to the womenfolk. Balhadi and Taurua had kept Mr. Young and me supplied with food, and Mary and Sarah had done the like for the other two. Hutia and Prudence and Susannah would come to McCoy's house now and again, but we'd seen little enough of the others. They kept away, and we'd not lay eyes on 'em for weeks together. I went along the old trail, amongst the woods and fields, till I came to open sunny land that stretched south to the cliffs above the sea. And there I stopped. All the land here was cleared and laid out in gardens, and the women was at work amongst them, and they'd made pens for fowls and pigs to one side. But what made me stand and stare was a kind of stockade, beyond, and close against the cliffs to the south'ard. It was made of the trunks of trees set close together deep in the ground and all of a dozen feet high. I judged it to be about twenty yards square. I could see it was new built, and it was as strong a little fort as men could have made. I was so took aback that I stood stock-still for a bit; then I went on, slow, till some of the women spied me, and four of 'em came up to meet me. Mrs. Christian was in front. Moetua and Prudence and Hutia came with her, and each one carried a musket. They halted and waited for me, and when I was about a dozen yards off Maimiti said, "Stand where ye are, Alex! What is it ye want?" I didn't know what to say, I was that surprised, and I was ashamed to meet Maimiti face to face, knowing what she must think of such a drunken useless thing as I'd become. The last time I'd seen her was a day long before, at Brown's Well. She spoke about Mr. Christian, and how well he'd thought o' me. She begged me to take hold of myself, and I'd give my solemn promise I would. Three days after I was back at McCoy's house, and things went on just as they had before. A man who's lost his self-respect will try, like as not, to brazen it out, if he can, and so I did. "Where's Balhadi?" said I. "I want her to come home." Mrs. Christian looked me straight in the eyes; then she said, very quiet: "Go back where ye've come from. Balhadi wants nothing more to do with ye." "Let her tell me that herself," said I. I knew well enough it was so. For three years Balhadi and me had lived together as happy as heart could wish, and I knew she'd been as fond of me as I was of her. But after the still was started everything fell to pieces. At last she let me go my own way. Maimiti beckoned to the others, who'd gathered in the gardens below and stood looking toward us. They came to where we stood. Balhadi was amongst them, and when Maimiti asked if she wanted to go back with me she said, "No." Then Maimiti said, "Now go ye back, Alex, and mind ye this: Ye're to stay on the other side of the island. Ye may do as you please there; but from this day, if any of ye set foot in the Auté Valley, it will be at your peril. We have all the muskets here, and the powder and ball, and the lead for making more. Ye know that the half of us can shoot as well as any of ye men, so get ye gone to your friends and let them know what I've said." "Do ye think, Maimiti," said I, "that we'll rest with matters in this state? Our wives had best come back if they know what's good for 'em." Then Taurua spoke up. "Say ye so, Alex? We've give ye chances enough, and ye're worse than pigs, the lot of ye. Not one of us shall go, and ye'd best let us alone." They was in dead earnest; I could see that. In my heart, I was proud of their spirit and well knew they had all the right on their side; but the badness in me came to the front, and I said things I was ashamed of even as I said 'em. I began to threaten and bluster and talk big, and I was mean enough to tell Sarah that Quintal would half kill her as soon as he could lay hands on her. She had a deathly fear of Quintal, and with reason. Many's the time he'd beat her in the past. The old scared look I'd seen so often came into her face; it was like as if she saw Quintal behind me. Mrs. Christian put an arm around her shoulders as a mother might have done. She had a gentle, womanly nature, but no man could better Maimiti in courage. There, before the others, she told me what miserable things the four of us was. She didn't raise her voice, but what she said struck home. "And let Quintal know this," she went on in her quiet way. "We keep watch here day and night. If he or any of ye try to molest us, I promise it shall be for the last time. Now be off, for we've no more to say to ye." I went back the way I'd come, and the women stood watching until I was out of sight in the forest. When I'd reached the ridge below the Goat-House Mountain I sat down on a bench we had there and looked out over the land, all so peaceful and quiet and sunny. I thought of the times I'd rested in the place with Mr. Christian as we'd go back and forth from the settlement. He'd tell me about his hopes and plans, and ask my advice about this and that. He was always thinking of ways to do us good and make us more happy and contented as time went on. I never heard him speak of the mutiny, but I knew he thought he'd ruined the lives of all of us, and felt bound to do what he could to make up for it. He planned and worked with that in mind, and if we'd backed him up the way we should have, not a drop of blood would ever have been spilt here. Little comfort I had from my thoughts that morning. I saw no light ahead, and I didn't care what happened. I've no mind to defend myself. I knew right from wrong, but I'd a reckless streak in me that made me take to the bad at this time as though to spite myself. I went down to the village and searched through the houses. The women had took every musket and pistol, as Mrs. Christian said, and all the powder and ball and lead was gone from the storehouse. They'd carried away their own things as well, but none of ours was touched save the weapons. Mr. Young and me had some fowls penned up near the house. I'd clean forgot 'em and the poor things was half dead. I fed and watered them and went along to join the others. Quintal and McCoy was still dead drunk; I couldn't have roused 'em if I'd wanted to. Mr. Young wasn't in the house, but I found him on the slope to seaward. I could see from the look he gave me that he'd no wish for company, but I thought I'd best tell him what had happened. When I had, he smiled in a bitter way. "It's what we might have expected," he said. "The wonder is they haven't all left us long since." "What's to be done now?" said I. I could see how little heart he had for anything. "What's to be done? Nothing, Alex. I mean to leave 'em alone. The rest of ye can do as ye've mind to," and with that he got up and went off amongst the trees, home. I would have liked well to go with him, but I knew he wanted to be alone, so I stayed where I was. Before I go on, I'd best tell ye something more about Quintal and McCoy. McCoy was a good neighbor when he was sober. He was quiet and hard-working and fond of his wife and children, but there was an ugly streak in him that showed now and again. It wasn't often ye'd see it, and then it was best to leave him alone. I've known him to beat Mary black and blue, and be so sorry for it, after, there was nothing he wouldn't do to make it up to her. He'd more brains than the rest of us seamen together, but spirits was a thing he couldn't resist. Once the still was set going, he thought of naught but that. He would drink more than any two of us, and I often wondered how long he could keep it up at that rate. Quintal was a big man—not tall, but thick through and strong as a bull, and slow-witted as he was strong. He'd sit for hours at a time, saying nothing, and ye'd wonder if he ever had a thought in his head. There was little harm in him, sober, but all the women except Moetua had a mortal fear of him, drunk. Maimiti he'd never laid hands on, but the others whose men had been killed he thought of as his own property to do as he liked with. Moetua was near as strong as Quintal himself. He'd tried to handle her, but she taught him a lesson or two he didn't forget. All the womenfolk hated him except his Sarah. They'd come to think of him as worse than a wild beast, which wasn't far from the truth. In the afternoon, when McCoy and Quintal woke up, I told 'em what the women had told me. "It couldn't have happened better," said McCoy. "Let 'em go their way and we'll go ours." "What!" said Matt. "And have naught to do with 'em for the rest of our lives?" "Rest ye patient," said McCoy. "D'ye think they'll stop as they are for long? They'll come to heel soon enough if we take 'em at their word. It's Maimiti and Taurua's put 'em up to this, with two or three more to back 'em. Leave 'em alone. We'll have our cronies back soon enough." Quintal was in one of his ugly spells. "'I'll not leave 'em alone," said he. "They'll play none o' their games with me. I'll fetch a pair of 'em down." "Ye'll do naught o' the kind, Matt," said McCoy. "Don't be a fool. They've all the muskets, and there's a good half-dozen can shoot as well as any of us. They're in no way to be trifled with now, that's plain; but if we set quiet here we'll have 'em back of their own wish." "Set quiet if ye like," said Quintal. "I'm going." Up he got and off he went, out of the house and across the valley, without another word. "What d'ye think, Alex?" said McCoy. "Will they try to harm him?" For all Maimiti had said, I didn't believe they would. We'd had our way so long, doing as we pleased and giving no heed to any of 'em, that we'd come to fancy we could keep on using 'em as we'd a mind to. "They'll not shoot," said I, "unless he tries to climb their stockade, and he'll not do that, for it's all of a dozen feet high." "We'd best go and see what happens," said McCoy. "I'd like well to have a look at the fort they've made." So we followed across the valley to the southern ridge. We didn't catch sight of Quintal till we'd reached the upper side of the Auté Valley. He was standing at the edge of a thicket, staring down at the fort. "God bless me!" said McCoy when he saw the place. The three of us stood for a bit, looking out across the valley. Some of the women was at work in the gardens about a hundred yards away, and others farther on. They didn't see us, for we kept hid amongst the trees. "When could they ha' done all this?" said Quintal. The pair of 'em was surprised as I'd been at sight of the fort; for all I'd told them, they wasn't expecting to see such a strong-made place. "There's no matter o' that now," said McCoy. "Ye see it, Matt, and if ye're not daft ye'll come back with Alex and me. Ye'll only make things worse if ye try any hard usage with 'em. Come along down, man, and leave 'em alone." But there was no talking Quintal over, once he got a notion into his head. He'd a great conceit of his strength, and was too thick-witted to believe the women would dare to hold out against him, even with muskets in their hands. "Stand ye here and watch," said he. "I want none o' yer help, if that's what ye're afeared of." Quintal hadn't washed himself for days, and he had a great bushy beard that half covered his chest. He'd no clothes on save a bit of dirty marae cloth about his middle, and with his club in his hand he looked worse than any naked savage I've ever laid eyes on. All that piece of land down from the ridge had been cleared; the women had seen to that, so as they could have a view of anyone coming. The minute Quintal showed himself out of the forest there was a conch shell blown by someone on watch on a platform inside the stockade. Those at work in the gardens had spied him at the same time. There was half a dozen outside, and instead of running back to the fort, as we'd expected, they spread out in a line and waited for Quintal to come on. I saw Moetua and Prudence in the centre. Moetua carried a cudgel and Prudence had a musket. Mrs. Christian was off to one side, with Hutia; and Balhadi and Taurua stood on the other side. Moetua got down on her knees, and Prudence, who was a little thing, but as good a shot as any man, stood behind with the musket resting on Moetua's shoulder. Mrs. Christian knelt down behind a boulder and rested her piece on that. They'd not been twenty seconds in getting ready for Quintal. He was a good sixty yards off when he halted; then he went on, slow and steady, like the thick-skulled simpleton he was. Afore he'd gone three steps farther, Maimiti blazed away at him, and we saw Quintal half swing round and go down. He gave a bellow and leaped up again, and at that, Prudence fired. Quintal waited for no more. He ran back up the slope as fast as he could go, with the women after him, Moetua in the lead. He came crashing into the thickets and on he went down into the Main Valley. McCoy and I didn't wait to see what the women meant to do. We followed Quintal. He was on a bench by the door, holding his hand over his left shoulder, and with blood streaming down one side of his face. Maimiti's shot had torn through the muscles of his shoulder, but Prudence had meant to kill, and a near thing it was for Quintal. The ball had all but took off one of his ears. McCoy and I was busy for the next hour getting him bandaged. We'd no more doubt that the women was in earnest. Quintal had learned the only way he could—by being hurt; he had to lay up for near two months while his wounds was healing. He was in an ugly temper all this while, and it was as much as we could do to get a word out of him. Whether it was drink, or lonesomeness, or both together, I don't know, but McCoy and I could see he was getting more queer in his head every day. He'd talk to himself, even with us in the room, and half the time ye could make naught of what he'd say. Things went on quiet enough for a while. Quintal and McCoy worked on at making spirits, and before they was through they filled up every bottle we had, with a cag or two beside. I kept clear of 'em as near as I could. I did some gardening again, and with that and fishing I was busy most hours of the day. But when night came I'd set me down to drink with 'em, hating myself all the while for doing it. McCoy was sure some of the women would come back. "Rest easy, Matt," he'd say to Quintal. "There'll be no need to chase after 'em. We'll have a two-three of 'em down here before the week's out." But two months went by and not one came near us. We saw little of Mr. Young. As I've said, he went off home the day I told him about the women leaving, and he came no more to McCoy's house. And never again, to his last day, did he touch a drop of spirits. I was worried about his health. The year before, he was took with what looked like asthma trouble, and it was getting worse. He needed someone to look after him, but he was bound to do for himself, and he wouldn't hear to my letting the women know he was sick. He was always friendly when I went along to see him, but I knew he wanted to be alone and that made me slow to bother him. Not a word did he say about my keeping on with Quintal and McCoy, but I was sure how he felt. By the time Quintal's wounds was healed, him and McCoy decided they'd had enough of waiting. They'd come to think the right of things was on our side now. I was strong against makin' any move, but they was bound to stir up more trouble. "What'll ye do?" said Ito Will. "Fetch Mary back, willing or not?" "Mary?" said he. "I'd not have her ow if she was to crawl on her knees, beggin' me. There's a-plenty besides her, and one of 'em I'll take!" Quintal was gettin' more ugly every day, and he was of the same mind. I knew I couldn't keep 'em quiet for long, and I had the notion to go across and warn Mrs. Christian. I should have done it, but, as I've said, I had a stubborn streak in me. I'd been told to keep away from the Auté Valley, and so I did. One day Quintal was bound to go. There was no use arguing with either of 'em, so I tried another plan. I fetched out a bottle of spirits, hopin' to get 'em so dazed with grog they'd not be able to move. "There'll be the devil to pay now," said I, "so we may as well have a good spree afore trouble starts." They was agreeable, and didn't go that day, but early next morning, when I was away, they set out across the island. They was still drunk, but able to take care of themselves, and they'd sense enough left to recollect the women could shoot. They'd no mind to go marchin' down amongst 'em the way Quintal had. I was told what happened, afterward. When they got to the top of the ridge they hid themselves so as they could look across the gardens to the stockade. Some of the women was at work outside and they still carried muskets. They'd waited a good two hours when they saw Nanai and Jenny come out of the fort. They'd baskets on their arms, but no weapons, and they went off to the westward. There's a steep little valley runs down to the sea below the mountain on the southern side. They waited till they was sure that was where Nanai and Jenny was bound; then they back-tracked and came round to the west side of the Auté Valley, and hid themselves close to the path that goes down this ravine. They'd only to wait to catch the women as they came up. "I'll take Jenny and you can have Nanai," said McCoy. Jenny was Mrs. Christian's right hand. McCoy believed we had her to thank for coaxin' Prudence and Hutia away from us. He was glad to have this chance to get back at her. Presently they spied Nanai comin' up amongst the trees, below. It was a stiff climb and she had a carrying pole, with a bunch of plantains at one end and a basket of shellfish on the other. Nanai was about twenty-three at this time. She'd been Tetahiti's wife, if ye remember. There was none had a greater fear of Quintal. When she reached level ground she set down her load to rest not three steps from where they was hid. Out Quintal jumped and grabbed her. She was so terrified she made no struggle at all, and they had her tied hand and foot in a minute. They stuffed leaves in her mouth with a strip of marae tied across it, to make sure she wouldn't cry out. Jenny wasn't far behind, and they had her before she knew where she was. She was small, but wiry as a cat, and she fought like one, tooth and nail. It was as much as Quintal could do to hold her while McCoy put a gag over her mouth. He got the palm of his hand bit through doing it. When they had her tied he took her over his shoulder, and Quintal came after, with Nanai. I'd come back to the house, in the meantime, and found no one there. I guessed what Quintal and McCoy was up to, but I didn't believe they'd be able to get at the women. In case they had, I didn't want to be mixed up in it. So I went along to Mr. Young's house and spent the night there. I said naught to him about the others. They brought the girls to the house and Nanai was loosed, but Jenny was kept tied at first. Then McCoy began to crow over Jenny, but she had a fiery spirit and gave him as good as he sent. "Lay hands on me, Will McCoy, and I won't rest till I've killed ye," said she. "Where's Alex and Ned Young?" "Leave Ned out o' this," said McCoy. "He has naught to do with us. He's been a sick man this long while; yet, betwixt ye, ye've kept Taurua away from him." Then he told her I was off on a woman hunt of my own and would be along with another of 'em directly. Nanai was crouched in a corner, with Quintal on a bench in front of her. All at once she made a spring for the door, but Quintal grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back. Ye'll not wish to hear what went on after this. First they tried to force the girls to drink with 'em, and in the end they abused both in a shameful way. In the night, when Quintal and McCoy was asleep, they got away. When I came down from Mr. Young's next morning I could see there'd been a fight in the house. McCoy was nursing his bit hand with a rag tied round it. But not a word was said of what had happened. They was a glum surly pair, and no mistake! CHAPTER XIX The next day Mr. Young came along to see us. He was having one of his bad attacks of asthma and it was all he could do to speak. When we'd set a chair for him he broke in a fit of coughing was pitiful to see. It wasn't till that morning that it came in to me what a state Mr. Young was in. He'd wasted down to little more than skin and bone. When his coughing spell was over he told us what he'd come for. "I've been asked to bring ye a message from the women," said he. "Maimiti says the three of ye must leave the island. They're all agreed on this. Ye can take the cutter and what ye need in the way of supplies, but ye must clear out." "Clear out!" said I. "Where to?" "I don't know. Tahiti, I suppose. Where ye like, so long as it's away from here. They'll give ye three days to make plans." "And do they think we'll be fools enough to go?" said McCoy. "Maimiti says ye must," he replied, almost in a whisper. He had to fight for breath every few words he spoke. "Ye'd best do it. I'll go with ye." "Go with us?" said I. "That ye won't, Ned. D'ye think we'd allow it, sick as ye are?" He held up his hand. "Wait, Alex...It's no matter what happens to me. I want to go...Get away from here...We could fetch some island to the westward; one o' them we passed on the way from Tahiti. Try it, anyway." "And if we won't go, what then?" said McCoy. "Maimiti means what she says. They'll take action." Quintal laughed. "Let 'em try!" said he. My heart went out to Mr. Young. He'd no wish to go, I knew that well enough; but he was the only one could use a sextant, and he knew we could never fetch up any place without him. Even with him our chances would be poor enough. But he was thinkin' of the women and children more than us. He wanted them to have a chance to live quiet decent lives. "What are ye for, Alex?" said Quintal. "Ye'll wish to give in to the bitches, I'll warrant—let 'em drive us out. Damn yer eyes! If it'd not been for yerself and Will, we'd ha' learned 'em who's masters here long afore this." "Aye, ye made a brave show, Matt, a while back," said I, "runnin' up the hill with the lot of 'em at yer heels. They've had right enough on their side, the womenfolk, and well ye know it! It'll be yerself and Will has drove 'em to this." "Drove 'em, did we?" said McCoy. "We've not been near 'em till yesterday, and much good it's done us to keep clear. But there'll be some drivin' now, I promise ye!" Mr. Young shook his head. "Take care!" said he. "They mean what they say." "Sit ye down, Will," said I. "Let's talk this over quiet, and see what's best to be done." But neither of 'em would listen to reason and was all for doin' something straight off. Mr. Young could have been no more sick of 'em than I was. Presently he got up, shaky and weak, and made ready to go. "I've done all I can," said he. "Now look out for yourselves!" "Never ye mind about us," said Quintal. "We'll do that and more!" I wanted to help Mr. Young along the path, home, but he wouldn't hear to it and went off alone. McCoy was uneasy about the still, and nothing would do but it must be hid away. Quintal helped him carry it to a place in the valley where they'd never be able to find it. As I've said, we'd spirits enough on hand to last us for months, and that was stowed away as well, in a safe place. I didn't know just what to do. Ye may think it strange, but I still had a soft spot in my heart for Will and Matt. We'd been shipmates so long, and I'd the wish to stand by 'em, come what might. And wasn't I as much to blame, or near as much, as themselves? For all that, I wanted bad to follow after Mr. Young and talk things over with him. I'd the notion the pair of us should see Mrs. Christian and try to patch things up; join with the women, mebbe, if they'd have us, and leave McCoy and Quintal to go their own way. But, when I thought it over, that seemed to me a dangerous thing for all. It would oppose us men, two and two, and might lead to the killing of one side or the other. What I wanted above all was for us to keep clear of any more bloodshed. And there was another thing. It shames me to say it, but I couldn't abide the thought of bein' without drink. So the end of it was I did naught, but waited to see what would come. That day McCoy and Quintal got as drunk as I'd ever seen 'em, and stayed so, and lucky it was that Matt was in none of his ugly spells. He drank himself to sleep with scarce a word said. I had my share, but not so much but I was up and about, doin' my chores. But I mind how low-spirited I was, thinkin' of the lonesome unnatural life we had, when there was no need for it. And all this time I missed the children and craved to see 'em. What fools we was to think more of our grog than we did of them! The three days went by, but there was no sign of the women. That didn't surprise us, for we'd no idea they'd do anything. After we'd et, at midday, we had our sleep, as usual. It was towards the middle of the afternoon when I woke up; I could see the streaks of sunlight slanting down through the chinks in the windows. The house had four shutters, two on each side. I got up to open 'em. As I was sliding the first one back, a musket was fired from the edge of the forest, and the ball sang past within an inch or two of my head. I ducked down and slammed the window shut. McCoy was asleep on the floor by the table. He raised up his head. "What's that?" said he, and he'd no more than spoke when another ball splintered through the boards of the shutter I'd just closed. That roused Quintal; he sat up and glared at the two of us. I motioned 'em to keep quiet, and crawled to a knothole in one of the planks that gave me a view across the strip of cleared land, which was about twenty yards wide. At first I saw naught but a bit of the forest; then I made out the barrel of a musket was pushed through the bushes and pointing at the door, and another farther along. A minute later I had a glimpse of Hutia behind a tree. We'd been caught, right enough, and was still so muddled with sleep, it took us a quarter of an hour to get our wits together. While I was spying out the valley side of the house, Quintal opened the door a wee crack on the other side. Two shots was fired the minute he did it. One grazed his hipbone, breaking the skin. We knew, then, the place was surrounded, and the women meant to kill us if they could. McCoy called out for Mrs. Christian, but there was no answer save another shot through the wall. For all their warnings, we'd not believed they'd take any such action as this. We'd no mind to give in, now, but all we could do was to keep well hid. Every little while shots would be fired through the windows or doors; we had to lay flat on the floor. There was fourteen muskets amongst 'em, and half a dozen pistols, and the women who couldn't shoot kept the extra ones loaded for the others. Quintal and I was for making a rush out, but McCoy was against this. "Don't be fools," said he. "That's what they hope we'll do, and it's little chance we'd have to get clear by daylight. We'd best wait till dark, unless they take it into their heads to rush us before." So we stayed as we was, with the doors blocked with the benches and tables and some bags of yams and sweet potatoes. We didn't speak above a whisper all this time. We'd little fear they would try to come to grips with us in the house. They'd keep well off and trust to the musket; but they was bound to get us into the open afore dark, and so they did. Some of 'em slipped up to the ends of the house with torches of dry palm fronds and set fire to the thatch. In a couple of minutes the whole place was in a blaze. There was no time for anything except to get out as quick as ever we could, and a chancy thing it was. Quintal was so thick-headed as to clear away the benches we'd piled in front of the door. I heard the women on that side shooting at him as I went out one of the windows on the seaward side. I dodged around the cookhouse as one of them fired at me. She was hid behind a rock, and before any of the others could shoot I was across the hit of open ground and amongst the trees. As soon as I was well out of view I slowed down to a walk, for I was sure they'd not scatter and try to follow us. I went up the western ridge and on to the Goat-House Peak. It was near dark by that time; the house was still in a full blaze, but it soon burnt itself out. I heard no more shots; all was as quiet as though there was no one but me on the island. I knew the women would do no more prowling round at night; they'd keep together and go back to the fort, so I waited till moonrise and then went down to Mr. Young's house. I made certain there was no one about, and slipped inside. Mr. Young was gone. Afterward I learued that some of the women had come down the day before, with a litter they'd made, and carried him up to their place so's they could look after him. I got a scare and jumped halfway across the room when something brushed against my leg, but it was only one of the Bounty's cats was born on the ship on the way out from England. He was a great pet of mine. I went out to the cook-shed to scratch up a coconut for him, and whilst I was at it I heard McCoy's voice calling out for Ned. He was hid under the banyan tree below the house. He'd been shot through the fleshy part of the leg and had lost a good deal of blood. Moetua had chased him, he said, but he'd managed to get clear of her in the forest. Quintal he'd not seen. It was a painful wound he had. I cleaned the place and bound it up. As soon as that was done he was all for moving on. He was scared bad. "They mean to kill us, Alex; I take that as certain," said he. "Like enough they've done for Quintal." "That may be," said I, "but they'll not come in the night. We can rest here till daylight, and then hide out till we know what they're up to." We went off next morning while it was still dark. McCoy was too lame to go far, but I hid him in a thicket where they could never have found him. I kept watch on the settlement and no one came near it. Not a sign of Quintal did we see in all that time, though I searched far and wide for him. We was both sure he was dead. We kept away from the settlement for ten days; then we moved into Mr. Young's house. We felt none too easy at first, not knowing but the women might be spying on us and making ready for another attack; but after three weeks we felt certain they meant to leave us alone as long as we didn't molest them. McCoy was laid up this while; I spent a good piece of my time getting food and searching for Quintal's body. It was a lonesome life. I can't say we relished it. It was in March 1797 that the women burned the house. After that McCoy and I let up on the drinking. We'd have a sup together now and again, but there was no swilling it down the way we'd done before. One day McCoy was away from sunup, and when he came back he told me he'd seen his girl, Mary. He'd met her in the forest, without the others knowing. "What did she say of Quintal?" I asked him. "They thought they'd hit him," said he, "but they couldn't be sure what happened." "Did ye tell Mary we'd not seen him?" "Aye. He's dead, Alex, for certain. Who knows but he may have lingered on for days, past helping himself, and us knowing nothing about it?" "What else did Mary tell ye?" I asked. "How did they know but what we'd been killed as well? And yet none of 'em came near to see." "They've known. They kept watch of us for a fortnight, Mary says. They reckoned Quintal had been bad hurt and we was nursing him." "There's a thing I'd like well to know," said I. "Did Mary and Balhadi come down with the rest the day they burned the house?" "They did not; and I'll tell ye more, Alex. They was against the others coming, and Sarah Quintal with 'em. Bad as we'd used 'em, they had o wish to see us dead." "And what's the mind of the rest about us now?" "We'll not be troubled, Mary says, as long as we let 'em alone." "It's a wonder to me, Will, ye didn't try to coax Mary back," said I. "So I did, but she'll not come. They've had enough of us, Alex. That's the truth of it." "Will," said I, "could we break up the cursed still and be sober again? It would be desperate hard at first, but like enough we could do it." Many's the time I've thought, since, of what might have happened if he'd said, "So we can, Alex! We'll not rest till it's done!" I was in the mind, and if I'd made an honest try I might have coaxed McCoy. But the truth is I was half afraid he'd agree. "I couldn't, Alex," said he. "God forgive me, I couldn't! Where'd we be, in such a lonesome shut-off place, without a drop to cheer us up now and again?" "It's right ye are," said I. "I was daft to think of it," and there was an end o' that. "How is it with Ned Young?" I asked him. "He's been desperate sick, Mary says, and he's still in his bed." "It's little we'll see of Ned from now on," said I. "He'll never come back to us, and it'll be better so for all hands. And now I'll tell ye, Will, what I mean to do. Ye can go as you've a mind to, but I'll keep clear of the women if so be as I can. There's been trouble enough here. I'll be the cause of no more." "There'll be no need o' that," said he. "I'll be seeing Mary again, and I'll have a word with her whenever ye say. I'll warrant there's a two-three of the women will be willing enough to come down and pass the time o' day with ye." But I told him I'd go it alone for the present. The next day we roamed the Main Valley over on a last hunt for Quintal's body. There wasn't a place he might have crawled into that we hadn't searched, but we tried once more. By the middle of the afternoon we was ready to give up. We'd come out on the western ridge, and McCoy thought we ought to hunt through the gullies on that side, but I was sure no man as bad hurt as Quintal must have been would crawl that far to die. There'd be no sense in it. "But it's what Quintal might do, for all that," said McCoy. "There was no sense in him, poor loon! We'd best look, anyway. I'll feel better when it's done." I was willing, for I hated to think of poor Matt's body lying unburied; but before we went down on that side we climbed the Goat-House Peak for a look around. And there, close to the top, where the cliffs made a straight drop to the sea, we found an axe handle leaned up against a rock. It was one of them had been in McCoy's house the day it was burned. It gave us a shock to see it, for we knew that Matt himself had carried it there. It was stained with dried blood, and we saw what we thought was blood on the rock itself. It's a chancy place, the Goat-House Peak; the footing is none too sure for a well man; and the axe handle was resting not three feet from the edge of the seaward cliffs. McCoy crawled to the edge and looked over, but there was nothing to see save the surf beating up against the rocks. We looked no farther. We couldn't guess why Matt had come there, but we knew he had, and there'd be no body to find. He might have lost his balance, but, knowing Matt, we thought he must have been so bad hurt he'd thrown himself off to make an end. We went down without a word. He was a rough, hard man, was Quintal. Ye'll think, sir, from what I've said of him, that he was naught but a great brute we might be glad to think was dead. A brute he was, in his strength,—I've never seen his equal there, save Minarii,—and dangerous bad, times, when drunk. But there'd been a side to him I've not brought out the way I should have. There was none but liked the old Matt Quintal that first came to Pitcairn, and it was that one I was thinking about as we went back to the settlement. It hit McCoy harder than it did me, for they'd been cronies ever since the Bounty left England, and they'd lived together here. Quintal thought the world and all of McCoy, and when he was sober would do whatever he said; but these last years, when he was growing so queer, not even McCoy could manage him. That night it set in to raining and blowing hard from the east, and it kept on for three days. There was nothing we could do but stay in the house. We started drinking again, McCoy on one side of the table and me on the other. Before half the night was over he'd finished two quarts of spirits, but for all that he'd no mind to leave off. He'd took it into his head he was to blame for all the misery there'd been on the island, and he'd talk of naught but that. "It's the truth I'm speaking, Alex," he'd say. "I was the first to want the land divided, and talked it up and egged the others on to stand out against Christian. That's what started the killing. There's not a murdered man, Indian or white, but that has me to thank for his death." And so he went on, the night through, till I was half crazed with hearing the same thing over and over again. Finally I could stand it no more. "Ye'd best go to bed, Will," I said, and with that I went out of the house. The night couldn't have been wilder or blacker. I lost my way and fell down a dozen times before I reached Mr. Christian's house. All wet and slathered in mud, I rolled into his old bed-place and went to sleep. It was past midday when I woke up, and raining harder than ever. I went out in it for a bath and to feed my pigs and fowls. When I'd cleaned up the muddy mess I'd made in Mr. Christian's house, I went to the out-kitchen and boiled me some yams and cooked some eggs; had my own breakfast and carried some up to McCoy. He was settin' at the table, wide awake, just as I'd left him. He'd finished what was left in the bottle I'd been at the night before, but he spoke to me as sober as though he'd been drinking nothing stronger than water. There was no more weeping talk. I tried to coax him to eat a bite, but he wouldn't touch what I'd brought him. "Leave me alone," said he. "Go back to Christian's house, or wherever ye've been. I'm wanting no company." "I can manage without yours," said I, and left him there. It rubbed me the wrong way to have him speak like that when I'd taken the trouble to cook his breakfast and bring it to him. The wind shifted to the north and blew a gale; low grey clouds was scudding past not much over the trees. I went down the cove to see if the Bounty's old cutter was safe. We had it in a shed above the landing place. Not that we ever used it much. I don't think it had been out of the shed since the time the womenfolk tried to go off in it. We might as well have broken it up, for any good it was to us, but we'd patch and caulk it, none of us knew why, exactly. I've never but once seen a heavier surf in the cove than there was that day. It was an awesome sight to watch the great seas piling in, throwing spray and solid water halfway up to the lookout point. The shed was gone and the cutter with it, and the wreckage was scattered far out across the cove. We had two Indian canoes, but they was safe. We'd lost canoes before, and when we made the last ones we took care to dig out a place for 'em well above the reach of any sea that might make up. I went back to Mr. Christian's house, and for two days I kept away from McCoy. Then I got a bit worried about him, and after I'd had my supper I went along to see him whether he wanted me to or not. The wind had gone down, but it was still cloudy, unsettled weather. McCoy had all the doors and the windows shut. I called out to him, but there was no answer, so I pushed open the door and went in. It was so dark inside that I could see naught at first. "Will! Where've ye got to?" said I. Then I heard his voice from the corner of the room. "Is it yourself, Alex? Quick, man! Shut the door!" I slammed it to in spite of myself, he spoke in such a terror-struck voice. "What is it, lad?" I said. I didn't know but what the women might have changed their minds about leaving us alone; but when he begged me to make a light I knew it couldn't be that. We kept a supply of candlenut tapers ready for lighting on a shelf, along with a flint and steel and a box of tinder. The tinder had got damp with the rainy weather and I was a quarter of an hour getting a taper alight. I found McCoy huddled down in a corner with the table upset and pulled up close, to hide behind. The minute I saw him I knew what was wrong. He had the horrors coming on, for the first time since I'd known him. "Alex!" said he, "Alex!"—and that was as much as he could get out at first. He was a pitiful sight, shakin' and shiverin', with his knees under his chin and his eyes staring up at me like a wild man's. "What's all this, Will?" said I, in as easy a voice as I could manage. "What's this game ye're playin' on me?" And whilst I spoke I righted the table and pulled it back into the middle of the room. "Come aboard, lad! D'ye still hate the sight of an old shipmate?" He kept his eyes on the door, with a look on his face I'll not forget. Then up he sprung, and in three steps he was beside me on the bench, and gripped my arm with both his hands, so tight that the marks of his finger nails was there for days. "Don't let him touch me!" said he, in a voice it sickened me to hear. Then he slid down to the floor under the table and held me fast by the legs. "What ails ye?" said I. "What are ye afeared of?" "Minarii," said he, in a whisper. "There by the door!" "Will, ye daft loon! There's no Minarii here. Don't ye think I could see him if there was? Come, have a look for yourself." He got up slow to his knees and turned himself till he could look toward the door. "Are ye satisfied ow?" said I. "There's one here but ourselves." "Aye, he's gone," said he, in a weak, shaky voice. "Ye've scared him off." "He's never been here," said I. "It's naught but your fancy. I'll show ye." I tried to get up, but he held me fast and wouldn't let go. "Don't leave me, Alex! Stay close here!" I got him up on the bench again, but he kept tight hold of my arm. I'd seen a man or two with the horrors before. McCoy's was just coming on and I knew what I was in for. I coaxed him to loose me, after a bit, and I got a carrying pole was standing in a corner, and laid it on the table. "I'll let no one touch ye, Will; ye can lay to that!" said I. "I'll knock 'em silly with this afore they know where they are." That quieted him some, but try as I would I couldn't get him to bed. He was afeared to lie down. There was eight empty bottles scattered about the room. One I'd about finished the last night we was together. The rest McCoy had emptied alone, and I wouldn't have believed it unless I'd seen it. He got worse as the night went on. He babbled wild and I couldn't make sense of it; but what he'd see was Minarii, with the heads of the murdered white men, and he was possessed with the notion that he'd come for ours. Time and again he'd be certain Minarii had opened the door, and I'd grab up the carrying pole and rush at naught, making out I'd drove him off. McCoy would think I had, and rest quiet for half an hour, maybe; then it would be the same thing over again. So it went till long past midnight. I kept a light going until I'd burned all the tapers we had in the house. It had been bad enough before; ye can fancy what it was when the light was gone. I was twice McCoy's heft, and three times as strong, or so I'd believed; but it was all I could do to hold him when the terror was on him, and the screams he let out was like nothing human. Once he got loose and dashed his head so hard against the wall that it knocked him out for a bit. That gave me a chance to get him on to the bed and there I held him to daylight. He was in convulsions at the last, and if ever ye've held a man in that state, ye'll know what I went through. It was just beginning to get light in the room when his body went limp under me and I saw he'd dozed off. I was done up and no mistake. It was as much as I could do to walk to the table and set down. Every muscle of me was tired and I was famished for sleep. I put my head on my arms and knew no more till I was roused by another yell, and before I could get my wits together McCoy was out of the door and running down the path toward Mr. Christian's house. I followed, but the path's no easy one to race over, especially after such rains as we'd had. I slid and fell and got up again, and stumbled over the roots of trees, and by the time I got to Mr. Christian's house McCoy was making straight for the bluffs above the sea. I yelled, "Will! Come back!" But he never turned his head, and down he went, out of sight. The sea was higher if anything than it had been the day before. When I reached the edge of the bluffs where I could look over, McCoy was halfway down. Whether he jumped or fell I don't know, but all at once he made a fearsome drop and struck amongst the rocks far below, just as a great sea came roaring in and took him, throwing up spray as high as where I stood. Another came directly after, and I caught a glimpse of his body being washed down and under it. I stood there for a half an hour, but I saw him no more. CHAPTER XX I found his body the next afternoon. It had been washed to the mouth of the little valley west of Mr. Christian's house, and it was so battered and crushed 'twixt the rocks and the sea, ye'd scarce have thought it was anything human. Ye'll know how I felt when I had to take it up, but take it up I did, and buried it. Then, sir, I went straight to the place where we'd hid our store of spirits. It was in a hole amongst the rocks on the seaward side of McCoy's old house. And I bashed in the two small tags and emptied 'em, and I took the rest, bottle by bottle, and broke every one into a thousand pieces against the rocks. Then I went to the place where we'd hid the still, and I took the copper coil and ran back to the bluffs, and I threw it as far as ever I could; and when I saw it splash in the sea I said, "God be thanked, there's an end of it!" What with watching over McCoy and searching for his body all the next day, I was knocked up. I felt I could sleep for a week, but I couldn't bring myself, then, to go back to Mr. Christian's house, or to any of ours. I went to the place where the Indians had lived. It was in a pretty glade not far from where the path goes down to the cove. Many an evening I'd spent in that house afore there was any trouble amongst us. I'd a great liking for the Indians, and for Minarii and Tetahiti in particular. You'd go far to find two better men, brown or white. I'd been with 'em, day after day, and to say the truth, I'd found more pleasure with them than with my own mates. I'd puzzled now and again to think why they'd wanted to kill the lot of us. I knew they hated some, but I wouldn't have believed they'd have wanted all of us dead. But when ye come to think of it, they wouldn't dare leave any of us alive, once they'd started killing. There could be no friendship after that. It would have been us or them till one side or the other was wiped out. I'd not been near their house in months, and it was a sorry-looking place now. The trail was grown over with bushes and the house going to rack and ruin. It gave me a lonesome feeling to see it, but I went in, and laid me down, and was asleep in five minutes. I slept till daylight, and the first thing I thought about when I woke up was how bad I wanted a good stiff tot o' grog. I tried hard to put the notion out o' my head, but the more I tried the worse it got, and the end of it was I hurried along to the place where we'd kept the spirits to see if I mightn't have missed a bottle the day before. I found I hadn't, and I rested there, looking down at all them bits of broken glass shining on the rocks below, and cursing myself for the fool I'd been. There was no shame in me for being such a weak thing. I could think of naught but that I must get me a drink, somehow. Then I was minded of the bottles McCoy had emptied, and I thought I might find a drop left in one of 'em. A drop was all there was. I suppose I drained out a couple of spoonfuls from the lot, and then I washed out each bottle with a sup o' water so's to have it all. But that was only a torment, and I didn't rest till I'd searched all the houses in hopes of finding a bottle put by somewhere. I found one that had about a half-pint in it, in the tool-shed, and went near daft with joy at the sight of it. Ye'll understand, sir, if ye've been a toper and left off sudden, the state I was in. There'd not been a day in four years I hadn't had my two or three tots o' grog, and most days there'd been a sight more taken. I'd got so as I needed spirits more than food or sleep or anything else, and if there was ever a sorry man it was me, that day, thinking how I'd thrown the copper coil into the sea. We'd nothing else would serve to distill spirits with. Then I minded how McCoy had made some beer, once, with ti roots. He'd made a mash and let it ferment. It was bitter stuff, and fair gagged ye to get it down, but it was strong. I'd no sooner thought of it than I set off with a mattock over my shoulders for McCoy's ti plantation. I wanted to get a mess of roots to baking straight off; but before I got to the place I stopped. I could take ye to the very spot, sir, and show ye the rock I set on whilst I fought the thing out with myself. I thought of all the misery we'd brought on the womenfolk and ourselves those last years. I thought of the children. I knew that if I digged up them ti roots I was lost; I'd finish the way McCoy had. "Never!" said I. "Back with ye, Alex Smith, and make an end, once and for all!" And so I did, though I went through torments for a fortnight. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, and I wasn't sure but I'd have the horrors myself afore I was done. But I held fast. Little by little things got easier for me. I could have my rest at night; there was no more walking up and down till I was so beat I could scarce stand. At times when it was hardest, I set my mind on Mr. Christian, and it would strengthen me to think how pleased and comforted he'd be if he could know the fight I was makin'. I'd never forgot the hopeless look on his face the day he died. It was when his lad, Thursday October, had walked into the room. I remembered him saying, "Take the child out," to Mrs. Christian. There's no father could have loved children more. He couldn't bear to see the lad, that was it, thinking what might happen once he was gone. A blessing it was he couldn't see what did happen. It was a rare thing to get back my self-respect. I'd wake of a morning with a feeling of peace in my heart, and there wasn't a day long enough for the work I had in hand. I cut off the beard I'd let grow, and shaved regular, like I used to, and kept myself clean and tidy. I moved back into my old house where I'd lived with Mr. Young, and made everything shipshape there; then I went through the other houses and set them to rights as well as I could, working alone, though why I did it I couldn't say. I might have had the notion in the back of my head that the women would want to come back some day. I was bound not to go too near 'em, for I had my pride. If they wanted to keep clear, they could for all of me, and Mr. Young with 'em. I'd not be the one to make the first move. I had work and to spare, days, but night was a lonesome time. There was little I could do after dark but set and think. When I was redding up the houses, I found the Bounty's old Bible and Prayer Book. They'd been Mr. Christian's, before. After his death Mr. Young took charge of 'em, and I'd often see him reading in one or the other, though he wasn't what ye'd call a religious man. But these was all we had in the way of books, and I reckon they helped him pass the time. I found a couple of the Bounty's spare logbooks that he'd filled with writin', but what it was I couldn't make out. Little schooling I'd ever had in my young days. It was as much as I could do to write my name, but I'd got far enough along to spell out words of print. I thought, maybe, with the Bible to help, I could bring back what I'd been teached as a lad, but I had to give up. It was all gone clean out o' my head. One day—it was around a month after I'd buried McCoy—I was weeding a bit of garden I'd made near the house. I'd set me down to rest when I heard a rustlin' in the bushes behind me. I looked round, and there was my old woman. Not a word was spoke. In three steps she was down on her knees beside me. She put her arms around me and her head on my shoulder, and began to weep in the soft quiet way the Indian women do. I was touched deep, but I sat lookin' straight in front of me. After a bit, when I was sure I had myself in hand, I said: "Where's your musket, Balhadi? Ain't ye afeared to go roamin' without it? I might do ye a mischief." She said naught, but only held on to me the tighter. I reached up and took hold of her hand, and we rested so for a good ten minutes. I'll not go into all that was said. It was like the old days afore any trouble was started. I told her about McCoy and she had her cry over that, not being a woman to nurse hard feelings towards anyone, and Will was a good man, well liked by all when he'd been sober. She cried more, for joy, when I told her I'd destroyed the still and the spirits. I felt paid a hundred times over for the misery I'd suffered in getting myself in hand. I'd been hurt that Mr. Young hadn't come near me, but Balhadi said it was because he was too sick to come. He'd been in his bed all this while. "I'd like well to see him," said I. "Then come, Alex," said she, taking hold of my hand. "There's not been a day but he's spoke of ye, and what ye've told me will do him more good than any of us women can. Ye'll be welcomed hearty, that I promise, and there'll be none gladder to see ye than Maimiti." So I started along with her, but afore we'd gone a dozen yards I stopped. "No, Balhadi," said I. "I'll rest here in the settlement. Ye can tell Maimiti and the others how it is with me now. If they want to see me, they know where they can find me, and they can do as they've a mind about coming back. I'll not be the one to coax 'em." So off she went, alone. That was the middle of the morning, and three hours later here they came, all the womenfolk, some carrying children or leading 'em, some with baskets and bundles,—all they could manage at one time,—Maimiti in the lead, and Moetua with Ned Young pickaback, as though he'd been a child. Some of the young ones I'd never seen; others I'd hardly laid eyes on for three years. Thursday October was a fine lad, now, past eight years, and his brother Charles was six, and little Mary Christian five, who was born the very day the killing began. There was eighteen children, all told, two of 'em mine, and it shames me to say that neither of these was Balhadi's. When I saw that little flock, as pretty, healthy children as a man could wish to look on, I was grieved past words, thinking of the fathers of so many dead and buried, never to have the joy of their own. It was hard to believe that the four of us that was left after the massacre had been such crazed brutes when we'd all these little ones to cherish and care for. Whatever had come over us? There's no way to explain or reason it out. We was stark, staring mad, that's all there is to say. The women came along one by one to greet me kindly. Not a word was said of what was past. I could see Mrs. Christian's hand there. Better women never breathed than herself and Taurua, Mr. Young's girl. Both had courage would have done credit to any man, but they'd no malice in their hearts. I began to see from that morning the change that had come over all the women. The time that had gone by had something to do with it, but what they'd been through was the main reason. It aged their hearts and sobered 'em beyond their years. Prudence and Hutia, in particular, had been wild young things when the Bounty came to the island, up to any kind of mischief, and enough they'd made, one way and another. But they'd grown to be fine women, and good steady mothers to their children. We divided ourselves up into households like we had before. Mrs. Christian with her children, and Sarah and Mary with theirs, moved into the house where Mr. Young and me had lived before. Moetua, Nanai, Susannah, and Jenny went to the Christians' house; Mr. Young, with Taurua and Prudence and their children, lived where Mills and Martin had; Balhadi, Hutia, and me took ours to the Indians' old place. In a few days all their things was moved down from the Auté Valley. It did my heart good to see the houses that had stood empty so long filled with women and children, and the paths and dooryards cleared, and the gardens new made. Mr. Young was like a different man. I never heard him laugh or joke the way he had in the days afore trouble came, but he'd found peace again. The old hopeless look was gone out of his face. His strength was slow in coming back, and he'd set in his dooryard, watching the children come and go, and taking deep comfort, as I did, in the sight of 'em. Thursday October was a son any father might have been proud to own—as handy a lad as I've ever seen, and bright and active beyond his years. He'd a deal of his father's nature in him and his mother's as well. There couldn't have been a finer cross in blood than theirs. Next to him was Sarah McCoy, only a few months younger; than came her brother Dan, who was seven, and after him a pair of stout lads, young Matt Quintal and Mr. Christian's second boy, Charles. These five followed me about as close as my shadow, and words couldn't tell how I joyed to have 'em with me. None of the children knew what had happened here in the past, whilst they was little, and we was all of a mind they should never know. § § § One morning I set off with the five I've spoke of for a day of roaming on the west side of the island. That part, as you've seen, sir, is all steep gullies and ravines, with bits of open land between, good for nothing in the way of gardens. Even if it had been good land we'd not have bothered with it, having enough and to spare in the Main Valley. I hadn't been down there in months, nor any of the womenfolk, and the children had never set foot in it. It was a bright cool morning, quiet and peaceful; we could hear the cocks crowing far and wide through the forests. I mind how it came to me, as we was climbing the western ridge, that this place was home to me at last. Ye may wonder I'd not thought of it so long since, seeing we'd no means of leaving it. I liked the island fine in the beginning, but after a year or so I always had the notion in the back of my head that some day a ship would come—not an English ship, in search of us, but a Spanish one, likely, or a ship from the American colonies. It was in my mind to change my name and go off in her, and make my way back to England in the end. But now I was thinking of Pit-cairn's Island as home. There's no better way to show ye the change that come over me, and it was the children that brought it to pass. When we got on the ridge to the south of the Goat-House Mountain, I set me down to rest, and little Sarah McCoy with me. The lads was eager to go on, and down they ran into the western valleys, as sure of foot as the goats that roamed wild there. I let 'em go, knowing they couldn't lose themselves. Sarah and I followed, after a bit. She was a quiet little mite, as pretty as a picture, with dark curly hair like her mother's. It made my heart sore to think her father couldn't have lived to see her as she was then. There had been a path down to the western shore, but it was all grown over now, it had been so long since any of us had gone that way. We came out on an open spot overlooking the sea and waited there. The lads had gone roaming off in every direction, into the little valleys and down the rocks to the bit of beach on that side. I'd no mind to follow, knowing they was well able to take care of themselves. The fowls had increased wonderful the years we'd been on the island; hundreds ran wild through the bush. The boys loved to hunt for their eggs; they'd find enough in half an hour for all the settlement, and there was even more to be had in this wild part of the island. We'd not waited long before Thursday October and the two youngest lads came back with a basket full of 'em, and some fine shellfish they'd found amongst the rocks. Little Matt Quintal had gone off by himself, and, after waiting half an hour or thereabouts, I went in search. I'd not gone a quarter of a mile when I spied him below me, scrambling through the thickets as fast as he could go. I thought he was chasing one of the wild roosters, but when I called out he came runnin' towards me, so terrified he couldn't speak. I grabbed him up and he held fast around my neck with his face pressed tight against my shoulder. I set him down on my knee. "What's this, Matty?" said I. "Was ye tryin' to run away from yer shadow?" He held on to me like he'd never let go. I talked quiet and easy to him, and finally he got so's he could speak. He told me he'd seen a varua ino. That's what the Indians call an evil spirit. There's not one of the women but believes to this day in ghosts and spirits of all kinds, good and bad. Many's the time they claim to see or hear 'em. It's always tried my patience the way they talk o' such things at night, and tell the young 'uns tales about 'em. I've wished often enough to put a stop to such foolishness, but ye might as well try to change the colour o' their skins. I wouldn't mind if it was only to do with the mothers, but the children listen with all their ears and believe every word they're told. The lad was half crazed with fear, and shivering all over, but at last I got him to say what he thought he'd seen. It was a huge great man, he said, a-settin' on a rock. "Did he see ye?" I asked. "No; he had his back towards me," said he. "I'll tell ye what ye saw, lad," said I. "There's some old stone images yonder where ye've been. They was made by folk that lived here long ago. They're ugly things, bigger'n a man and made to look like men, but they're naught but stone, and there's no more harm in 'em than there is in this rock we're a-settin' on." "I saw it move," said he. "Ye saw naught o' the sort, Matt," said I. "Ye fancied ye did, I don't doubt..." "No, no! I did! I saw it move!" said he, and he stuck to that. I couldn't coax him out o' the notion, so I took him on my shoulder and carried him back to where the other children was. Brought up as they'd been, they was all sure that little Matt must have seen an evil spirit. But they wasn't afeared of it with me there. So I told 'em to wait where they was while I chased that ghost clean off the island. "If there is one yonder," said I, "as soon as he sees me he'll go flyin' off beyond the cliffs, and that'll be the last o' him. He'll never come back again." They set there as quiet as mice and made no fuss whatever. They all believed Father Alex could do anything he was a mind to, and that even varua inos was afeared o' him. What I reckoned to do was go off a piece, out of sight of the children, and then come back and tell 'em the spirit was gone, for good and all. But when I'd gone about as far as I thought was needed, I spied something that gave me a shock. In a bit of soft ground I saw the tracks of bare feet, half again as big as my own. I'd seen them tracks before, many's the time, but I couldn't believe these was real, even as I looked at 'em. I crossed over the place and went along a dry gully for about fifty yards, makin' no noise, till I came to a wall of rock that slanted under, where I'd sheltered from the rain more than once in the old days. The Indians had used it for a camp when they fished on that side of the island; half a dozen could sleep dry there, and well sheltered from the wind. I pushed by the bushes and peered through. There sat Matt Quintal with his back to me, just as his own lad had seen him. He'd nothing on save what was left of a pair of seaman's trousers; it was the same pair he'd worn the day the women burned us out of the house. Under the rock was a bed he'd made of fern and dry grass, and he was squatting in the Indian fashion, close by, cracking fowl's eggs and drinking 'em down. There was the carcass of a wild pig to one side, all torn apart, and the bones of others was scattered around where he'd thrown 'em. The smell of the place was enough to sicken a dog. If I'd had my wits about me, I'd have backed off without a word, but I called out, "Matt!" afore I could stop myself. He turned his head slow, looking this way and that, and then he spied me. When I saw his face I felt the chills go up and down my back. Ye never saw such a pair of eyes outside of a madhouse; and he'd a great beard, now, that reached to his waist, and bushed out the width of his chest. I tried to be easy and natural. "Matt, ye rogue," said I. "Where have ye hid yourself this long while? God's truth! We thought ye was dead!" I'd no more than got this out when he grabbed up a club thick as my arm and made a rush at me with a bellow that was like nothing in nature, brute or human. I ran for my life, jumping over rocks and dodging amongst the trees; then I caught my foot in some vines and pitched for'ard. I turned my head as I fell, thinkin' he was right at my heels, but he'd stopped thirty or forty yards back; and there he stood, with his great club in one hand, looking around in a puzzled way, like as if he wasn't sure I'd been there. I lay flat amongst the bushes, and I didn't move till he'd gone back the way he'd come. When I'd shook myself together I hurried along to the children, and glad they was to see me again. They'd heard the roar Quintal let out, but they'd not seen us, and I thought best to say it was me that made the noise to scare off the evil spirit. "Did ye see it, Alex?" Dan'l McCoy asked. "Nay, lads," said I; "but if there was one, I reckon I scared him so he'll bother us no more. But I want none of ye to come down to this side of the island till I've had a good hunt through it, for I saw a great wild boar in the gully yonder. He might do one of ye a mischief." We went home, then, and Sarah McCoy and little Matt kept tight hold of my hands all the way. § § § I told Mr. Young what I'd found. The only way we could reason it out was that Quintal had got so crazed he'd clean forgot there was anyone on the island save himself. He couldn't have been roaming the Main Valley or he'd have been seen. "It's not likely he's ever been across the island since he went down there," said Mr. Young; "but now that he's seen ye, Alex, there's no telling what he may do." He shook his head in a mournful way. "I thought we'd got to the end of our troubles at last," said he, "and here's another sprung up. We must be under a curse." I was anxious enough, myself, and it was hard to say what was best to be done. One thing was certain: the women would have to be told; so we called 'em together, and I gave 'em the full truth of what I'd seen. They was horror-struck, especially Sarah, who'd been Quintal's woman. For all that, she wouldn't hear to a hand being lifted against him. Jenny wanted us to shoot him and be done with it, and Prudence and Hutia backed her up, but Mrs. Christian and the rest was against this. "Haven't we had trouble enough here, Jenny," said I, "without hunting down a poor crazed man to shoot him in cold blood?" "Better that," said she, "than leave him free to harm us and the children. And that he'll do, sooner or later. The time will come, Alex, when ye'll wish ye'd done as I say." It came sooner than we feared it would. Two days later I was giving some of the women a hand at mending fence at Mr. Christian's house. There was Jenny and Susannah and Moetua, and, natural enough, we had Quintal on our minds. I'd seen to the loading of all the muskets, and there was two or three in every house, ready for use in case of need. Jenny had a sharp, bitter tongue when she'd a mind to use it, and she was trying to make out to the others I was afeared of Quintal. I let her run on, paying no heed to her woman's talk, and whilst she was in the midst of it we heard screams from the direction of the Christians' house. Directly after there were shots fired. I ran there as fast as I could and found the women in a terrible state. Little Sarah McCoy had gone to Brown's Well for water, and whilst she was dipping it up she saw Quintal coming down the path from the ridge. The minute he spied her he chased after her. Mrs. Christian heard the screams and rushed out with a musket. Quintal had all but caught the lass when Mrs. Christian fired over his head. At the sound of the shot he stopped short and ran off into the bush. Sarah was old enough to remember Quintal, but she thought it was his ghost she saw. It made my heart sick to see her shivering and shaking in her mother's arms. She didn't get over the shock for days after. We didn't dare rest, any longer, scattered as we'd been. Half of the women and children moved into Mr. Young's house, and the rest came with me. Mr. Young was too poorly to leave the village, but that same afternoon I took a musket to protect myself and went into the valley to spy out Quintal, if I could, but not a sign of him did I see. Then I climbed the mountain, where I could overlook the island. I had the Bounty's spyglass with me and I searched the western valleys bit by bit. There was little ye could see, below, because of the trees and thickets, but at last I spied him as he was climbing down amongst the rocks to go to the beach. I felt easier after that, and ye can imagine the relief it was to the womenfolk to know that he'd gone to his old place. They scarce left the houses after that, not knowing how soon he might take it into his head to come back. Every day I'd go to the ridge with a musket and the spyglass to keep watch, and most times I'd have a glimpse of him. Once I saw him with the carcass of a wild pig acrost his shoulder, and it sickened me to think of him eating the raw flesh. He'd no way of making fire, but he seemed to care naught about that. Another time I'd a good view of him for near a half-hour. He was stark naked, settin' on a rock. The spyglass brought him as close as though he was within speakin' distance. He was talkin' to himself, and going through queer motions as a crazed man will. One afternoon I'd no sight of him. It was getting on towards sundown and I was ready to come away when I spied Hutia and Prudence running along the ridge towards where I was. When they saw me they beckoned in a desperate way, but they didn't call out. It didn't take me long to reach 'em. Quintal was in the Main Valley, but that wasn't the worst of it. He'd come all the way round, by the Auté Valley, more than likely, and he'd rushed out of the forest on Sarah, his own woman, and Mary McCoy. They was not over a hundred yards from the house. Mary told what happened. Quintal had passed her by and chased after Sarah. The poor woman was so terrified she'd run away from the house instead of towards it. Then she saw she was trapped, and the only way she could go was towards the crag we call Ship-Landing Point, that shuts in the east side of the cove. Quintal was close behind. Sarah went on to the very top of the crag, and when she could go no further she threw herself off, sooner than let him catch her. Mr. Young had gathered all the women and children at my house by the time I got there. Three had gone down to the cove to search for Sarah's body. No one knew where Quintal had got to. Mary was the only one had spied him and she'd run to the house without waiting to see what he'd do next. I was on my way to the landing place when I met the women coming up. Moetua had Sarah in her arms. She was still breathing, but she died within the half-hour. It was dark by that time. The women laid Sarah's body out and covered it with a cloth, and some of 'em was crouched down beside it, wailing and crying as the Indians do when there's death in the house. Mr. Young and me tried to quiet 'em, but they was past listening to reason. The children took fright from the mothers, and most of them was crying as well. Mrs. Christian and Taurua was the only ones kept themselves in hand. Mr. Young stood guard on one side of the house and me on the other, and it was as much as we could do to stop there with the women carrying on as they did. About an hour after Sarah's body was brought up, Susannah was found missing. There was only one candlenut taper burning in the house, and with the light so dim, and so many there, none had noticed that Susannah wasn't amongst 'em. I couldn't believe, at first, that anything had happened to her, for I'd seen her with the others just before I'd gone down to the cove to help bring Sarah's body up. We knew she'd not go roaming off alone, after what had happened. Then one of the children said he'd seen someone going to the out-kitchen, which was about twenty yards from the house. It was getting dark and he couldn't be sure who it was. We'd no doubt, then, that Quintal had been hiding near by, waiting for such a chance, and that he'd grabbed Susannah. Some thought he might have carried her to one of the other houses; so, dark as it was, I made a search, and glad I was when I'd finished. Wherever Quintal had gone, there was nothing more we could do till daylight. Ye can fancy the night we put in; never was there a longer one. Jenny came out to where I stood guard to tell me it was my fault Sarah was lying dead. "And Susannah will be dead by this time," said she. "If ye'd been half a man, Alex Smith, ye'd have killed the brute the day ye found him." The poor woman was half crazed herself, after all that had happened. I couldn't blame her for letting out at me. Mr. Young and me set out in search at the crack o' dawn. He was in no fit state to come, but he was bound to do it. We each had a musket and I carried a hand axe in my belt in case of need. We knew we'd got to kill Quintal, and ye can fancy how we felt. We took the path through the settlement and past Brown's Well, and when we got up on the ridge Mr. Young was so tired he had to rest. I've never felt more sorry for anyone than I did for him that morning. It was only his spirit gave him the strength to go on. We both thought Quintal would go back to his old place in the gully, and it was there we meant to look first. "Alex," said he, "if we see him alone, no matter if his back is turned, we must both shoot, and shoot to kill." That was all the speech we had. I led the way when we got down into the western valley. We went slow, stopping every few yards to listen. When we got close I whispered to Mr. Young to watch that side whilst I went forward to look. I crawled through the bushes without making the least noise; then I came to the place. Susannah was lying on her back, without a rag to her body, with her feet tied together and her arms bound to her side with long strips of marae that went round and round her. Quintal was nowheres in sight. I made sure of that, then came out quick as ever could, and I had her free in five seconds. She was in a terrible state, all covered with scratches and bruises, and one of her ears had been bit clean through, but I thanked God she was alive. She made no sound as I cut her loose. I whispered, "Get ye back yonder, Susannah. Ned's there. Where's he gone?" She motioned that he was somewhere on the far side of the place. I lifted her up; she was scarce able to stand, but she managed to do as I told her. I looked to the priming of my musket and went for'ard. Quintal was asleep behind some bushes not a dozen steps farther on. As soon as I saw him I backed off to the far side of the gully and raised my piece; but I couldn't pull the trigger. I've never felt worse in my life than I did that minute. I stood lookin' at him, thinking of the Matt Quintal I'd known on the Bounty. Then I minded me of the women and children and of Sarah lying dead, and I knew I had to go through with it. I picked up a handful of pebbles and tossed it on him. He was lying on his back and saw me the minute he raised his head. His club was there beside him. He grabbed it and up he sprang, and as he came for me I pulled the trigger, but the musket missed fire. I'd only time to dodge to one side and grab my hand axe. He made such a rush that he went past me. I ducked under the blow he aimed at me and threw out my leg, and he went sprawling his full length. Then, sir, as he got to his knees, I brought the axe down on his head with all my strength. CHAPTER XXI It was a merciful quick death, sir. He was killed on the instant, without a cry from his lips. I set me down for a bit, shook to the heart; then I put by the axe and went back to where Mr. Young was waiting. Maimiti had give us a tapa mantle to fetch for Susannah, fearin' the state she might be in, dead or alive. She'd put this over her and was crouched there beside him. "Go ye back with her, Ned," said I. "The women will be half crazed till they know she's safe. Ye can tell 'em it's done. He'll trouble us no more." I didn't know my own voice as I spoke, and Mr. Young said never a word. He was not a man of strong nature, even in health, and there's none hated strife and bloodshed more than him who'd had to share in so much. I knew the horror he'd have of seein' Quintal's body. I was bound to spare him that. Bruised and hurt as she'd been, Susannah had more strength left than him, and it was her took his arm and helped him up the steep rocky way. Slow they went, and I watched till they was out of sight amongst the trees and appeared again, high above, and crossed over the ridge to the Main Valley. Then I went back to where Quintal lay, and digged his grave with the axe I'd killed him with. It was hard, slow work, but I did it, and laid him in the place and smoothed over the ground, and covered it with leaves and moss so that none could tell where it was. Then I went down to the sea and threw the axe far out, and washed myself, and walked back across the island. We buried Sarah the same day. She'd no kin amongst the women, and three was chosen to act as such and mourn her in their fashion, weeping and wailing, gashing their faces and breasts cruel with little sticks they called paohinos, set with sharks' teeth. Ye wouldn't have known 'em in that state; it was like as if they was out of their senses. Such things brought home to me how little we understood our womenfolk for all the years we'd lived with 'em. Sometimes they'd seem no different from women at home; then of a sudden ye'd see the gap there was between our ways and theirs. As I've said, they had a mortal terror of the new dead, especially them they'd been afeared of in life. For a week they was all huddled into my house at night, women and children together, with tapers burnin' from sundown to sunup. Not even Moetua would set foot outside the door after dark. But that passed. In the end Mr. Young and me coaxed 'em back to their own houses, and we lived as we had before. And now, at last, sir, I've reached the end of the evil times. From that day we've had peace here, and, with God's help, so it shall be through all the years to come. Quintal had to be put to death—that I believe. The lives of none would have been safe with him roamin' the island, crazed brute he'd become, ready to spring out on women and children. But it was little comfort I took from thinkin' so as I stood, that day, over his grave. Ye'll know how I felt, after all the blood had been spilt here. I wished I was dead and buried with him. Aye, peace followed, but there was none in my heart for many a long day. Mr. Young had used up what little strength he had and was in his bed for a fortnight. Then he began to mend, and I thought he was on the way to full health again. He saw how it was with me, though I never spoke Quintal's name, and made out as well as I could to seem easy in mind. But he knew, and it was thanks to him and the children that I got through the worst of that time. No words could tell the blessing the children was to all. They made a new life for us, as different from the old as day from night. There was twenty-one at this time, all the way from nine years to a pair of newborn babes. Three was Christians, seven Youngs, three McCoys, two Mills, four Quintals, and there was two of my own. None, so far as I know, belonged to the Indian men; they was all ours of the Bounty. So the women said, but the truth is we didn't know for certain who was the fathers of some. There was no doubt about Mrs. Christian's, but the others of one name was not always by the same mothers. Yell bear in mind the rough, wild way we lived; and the past six years there'd been more than twice the number of women there was men. Some without men of their own wanted children as bad as the rest. Aye, for all their hate of us at that time, they still had the great wish for children. It gave 'em something to live for. If they'd not cleared out of the settlement, sickened of our drunken ways, I'll warrant there'd have been half again as many. Ye may think it strange, but, now that all was peace, it was the wish of Balhadi and Taurua, our own two girls, that Mr. Young and me should be fathers of babes to any that wanted 'em. And when I recollect the need there was for children, and the blessings they've brought, and the way we've lived these last years, like one big family of kind and loving hearts, I can't feel it was a wrong way of life. It seems to me it was the right way, and the only way for that time. None of the children, God be thanked, was old enough to recollect the time of the murders. Four or five remembered McCoy and Quintal, but they soon forgot, as children do, and we never spoke the names of any that was dead. We was bound that no memory of that time should be carried on to them. And they healed our hearts, sir, and in the end made this small island like a heaven on earth. That's a strong way to put it, but so it was. There was scarce an acre of ground but had some sad or shameful thing joined with it, and at first they'd come to mind as I'd go from place to place. I'd have a horror of walking about. But the children mended that. They made the earth sweet and clean once more. Before another year was gone they overlaid the whole island with so many new and happy memories that had to do with them alone, the old ones all but faded out beneath 'em. They took after the Indian ways and spoke their mothers' tongue, as it was natural they should. A happier set of children never grew up together. There was no strife amongst 'em, and that seemed strange to me when I'd recollect the fightin', wranglin' 'uns I'd been brought up with in London, and the bloody noses I got and give from the time I was five years old. I thought it must be so with all children, but amongst these there was never a blow struck or a harsh word spoke. Aye, it was a joy to see 'em. Ye'll know the comfort Mr. Young and me took to be with 'em from day to day, watchin' 'em grow and blossom out in new ways. If I was partial towards any of the lads, it was to Thursday October and little Matt Quintal, but the truth is I loved every one as though they was my own flesh and blood. I'd take a walk of an evening, after supper, which we always had afore sundown. The mothers would be in the dooryards with the little ones on their laps and the older lads and lasses playin' their games close by; and I'd be struck to the heart with pity that Mr. Christian couldn't have lived to see 'em as they was then. Now I must tell ye of a thing happened close after Quintal's death, for it's the greatest blessing has come to me all the years of my life, though I didn't know it at the time. As a usual thing I'd go along to Mr. Young's house of an evening, for I couldn't abide to be alone with my thoughts. One evening I'd gone late. The women and children was already abed, and Mr. Young was at his table, writin' in one of the old Bounty's logbooks. I'd often seen him at that. He gave me a nod and went on with it, and I set me down to wait till he was through. "What is it ye write there so often, Ned?" I asked him. "Is it a journal ye're keepin'?" "Aye," said he. "I've a record here of births and the like, but that's not the whole of it." Then he told me he'd write down whatever he could recollect out of books he'd read in past years. It was Mr. Christian had first put him in the way of it. About a year after we'd come here they begun doing it in their spare time, and they'd filled pages and pages. After Mr. Christian's death, Mr. Young had left off, but now he'd took it up again in earnest. He'd been a great reader from the time he was a lad, and there could have been little he hadn't mastered and kept in mind. He read me a bit from a story called The Pilgrim's Progress, as he'd recollected and set it down. I was taken clean out of myself and begged him to go on, which he did, from one piece to another he had there. Mind ye, sir, I was naught but an ignorant seaman, with no more knowledge of the joy to be had from books than the pigs that run wild here. I didn't even know the names of our English writers, not a blessed one! Mr. Young told me about 'em. I could have listened the night through. "Was ye never teached to read and write, Alex?" said he. "A little, when I was a mite of a lad," said I, "but it's all gone from me now." "How would ye like to take it up again?" said he. "I'll help. Ye've a taste for it, that's plain." "I'd like it well enough," said I, "but ye'd soon sicken of the bargain, Ned, for I'm dismal ignorant. Hard work ye'd have tryin' to pound learnin' into my head." "I'll chance that," said he, "and if ye're willin' we'll begin afore we're a day older." Little I thought anything would come of it, but I was only too pleased to say aye to that. I was in desperate need of something to keep my mind off Quintal. Whether I could be teached or not didn't matter so much. I could try, anyway, and pass the evenings, which was the worst time of day for me then. That was the start of it. The next day Mr. Young took me in hand, and slow work he had at first. But he was that patient he could have teached a stone image, and I'll say this for myself: I was bound to learn. And once I had a thing, it was mine. I never forgot. He began to read to me out of the Bible. In the foundling home where I was raised, I'd heard bits from the Bible, but I was a wild young lad and gave no heed. It was different, now. I listened with all my ears, careful and patient, and Mr. Young was a master reader. We started with the Book of Genesis. Every evening when my lesson was over he'd go through half a dozen chapters, and I'd have that to think over till the next evening. Our life went on as peaceful as heart could wish. Mornings, as a usual thing, we was all at work in the gardens. Two or three times a week, afternoons, the women would be at their tapa-making below the rock cistern. There was a pretty sight to see, sir. Many's the time I'd go up to look on. There'd be four or five beatin' out the marae at once—they took turns at it—whilst the others looked after the babes and the little ones. They'd be scattered amongst the rocks with the sunlight flickerin' down on 'em through the trees, the mothers combing the children's hair after their baths, and makin' wreaths of, ferns for their heads and garlands of flowers to hang around their necks. They could do wonders with blossoms; they'd spend hours stringin' 'em together in different ways, and whilst they was at it they'd sing their Indian songs. There'd been no laughter or singin' for years till after Quintal's death, and it warmed my heart to see such a blessed change in the womenfolk. Their homesickness for Tahiti was gone at last. They'd talk of it, of course, but not in the old heartsick way, with tears in their eyes. Pitcairn's Island was home, now, to all. Midday, after we'd had our dinners, was a time of rest, the Indian fashion. For two hours, or thereabouts, ye'd hear no sound; then all would be astir again to do as they'd a mind to. That was the time I'd take the older lads and lasses to roam the hills and valleys; or we'd go offshore, when the season was right, in the canoes, to fish. The Indians had showed me how and when to fish in these waters. There's a skill to it I wouldn't have believed in the old days; and some of the Bounty men was that stubborn they'd never acknowledge that the Indians knew better about such matters than themselves. But I learned by goin' out with 'em, and I've passed on all I've learned to the children. But it's little they've got from me compared to what their mothers has teached 'em, or what they've picked up, natural. They know the use of every plant and tree and flower on the island. They know the winds and the seasons and the nesting times of the birds. If there's anything they don't know about this island I'd be pleased to hear what it is. They learned to swim near as soon as they learned to walk. I used to be afeared to let the little ones go into the water, but bless ye, I soon got over that! Birds ain't more at home in the air than these lads and lasses are in the sea. In these days the older ones swim all the way around the island for the fun of it. To see 'em sport in the breakers ye'd think they was born amongst 'em. But there's no need to tell ye all this, sir, for ye can see for yourself how it is with us. It's the same now as it was then, save that the little tots has grown up more. But I like to mind me of the days when it was all new and we could scarce believe in the peace that had come at last. I had my lessons with Mr. Young late of an afternoon, and evenings as well. Some of the children took to comin' in to watch, and it wasn't long till I found they was gettin' the hang o' things just from listenin' to what Mr. Young would tell me. Not their letters, of course, but the way of speakin' English. They'd carry away any amount of it in their heads. One day I spoke to Mr. Young about this. "They're as bright as new buttons, Ned," said I. "If ye was to teach them along with me, I'll warrant they'd soon catch the meaning and go on full sail, leagues ahead of the place I've reached." "Aye," said he, "I've thought o' that." He got out of his chair and walked up and down the room for a bit, turning the thing over in his mind. "But where'd be the good of it, Alex? We want to do what's best for them. I'd come to think Mr. Christian was right. It was his wish they should have their mothers' ways and their mothers' beliefs. No, let's keep 'em as they are. If I was to teach 'em to read, they'd have naught but the Bible for their lesson book, and what they'd find there would only puzzle and upset their minds." I believed then he had the right of it, and no more was said. Mr. Young had brought me along as far as the Book of Leviticus, and I didn't know what to make of a good part of what I'd listened to, myself. I could fancy how it would have puzzled the children. There was the story of the children of Israel, and God favouring them and hardening Pharaoh's heart so Moses could bring plagues on the Egyptians: rivers of blood, and swarms of vermin and frogs, and diseases for their cattle, and the like. If it was God had hardened Pharaoh's heart, I couldn't see that Pharaoh was to blame; and I wondered about the innocent people amongst the Egyptians, for there's always good as well as bad in any land. Why should they be made to suffer for the evil ones amongst 'em? Mr. Young told me it was a story the Israelites had wrote for themselves, to show their side of things. That's how it looked to me, but I took a powerful interest in the Bible for all that. Many's the night we sat over it till the small hours, for Mr. Young was as pleased to read as I was to listen. We went on so for nine months, and slow but sure I learned to read. I couldn't well say how pleased and proud I was when I found I'd got the way of it; and I worked at writin' as well. What I'd lost as a lad came back, but it was hard work that brought it. Not a day passed without my lesson, and I'd study by myself for hours together. Then Mr. Young's health give way again. He'd never got back his strength, and the old asthma trouble came on worse than ever. We had a long spell of cold rainy weather, and that may have brought it. The women tried all their Indian medicines of herbs and poultices and the like, but this was a thing they'd never seen before, and they couldn't find a cure for it. If ye've ever watched a man drown, sir, powerless to help him, ye'll know how it was with us. He'd be took bad four or five days together and fight for his breath in a way was pitiful to see. And all that time he was getting weaker. So it went for three long months, but we never give up hope. We tried all ways we could think of to give him a little ease. One afternoon we had him propped up with pillows in a chair I'd made for him. He'd been better that day, but I saw a look in his face that told me he knew he was dying. He didn't talk much—just sat with his hands in his lap, lookin' through the trees to seaward. We was alone in the room. Presently he turned his head. "Alex," said he, "there's a thing or two I want to speak of, while I can." My heart smote me, the way he said it. He wanted so bad to live. There was a time, after Mr. Christian's death, when he'd no wish to go on, but the children had changed that. He wanted to grow old amongst 'em, along with me, and see 'em reared to manhood and womanhood. "If ever a ship should come," said he, "and it's likely there will, soon or late, ye'd best tell who ye are. If there's a good man aboard of her—one ye can trust—I'd make a clean breast to him, Alex, of what's happened here. Let him know the truth." "I will so, Ned," said I. "It's yourself has been spared of all of us to bring up the children. It's a great trust and a sacred one. Guard it well. Be faithful to it. I know ye will." He took my hand and held it. "That's all," said he. "I'd have liked well to stay on with ye, lad. But it's not to be." I couldn't speak, sir. All I could do was to hold his hand in both of mine, with the tears streamin' down my face. Then Mrs. Christian and Taurua came in. I couldn't bear to set with him longer. I had to leave the room. He died that same night, the three of us by him, and we laid him to rest the following day. Words can't say how we missed him. For all he was so far above me in blood and rearing, I loved him as if he'd been my own brother. He had the most kind and gentle nature. If ever ye could have laid eyes on him, ye'd have known at first sight he was a good man, one ye could love and trust. When we lost him we was that stunned and grief-stricken there was naught we could take up with the least relish or pleasure. It seemed as if we couldn't go on without Mr. Young. Aye, it was a dark, lonesome time that followed. But lonesome's not the word. It was worse than that for me. It was as if I'd been told that of all the Bounty men that sailed from England together there was none left save myself. I walked the island with a heart heavy as lead. I thought of the mutiny and the part I'd played in it, and how I'd helped to set Captain Bligh and eighteen innocent men adrift in a little boat, in the middle of the ocean. As I lay in bed at night I'd see the launch riding the waves, and them in it dead of thirst or starvation; or a picture would come to mind of the lot of 'em bein' murdered by savages on some island where they'd landed. I'd think of the blood spilt here, and Quintal's face would come before me; night and day I'd see it, until I was near desperate, not knowing how I was to live with such memories behind me. The children was no help to me, then. I was struck with fear at the very sight of 'em, thinking of what might happen when they was grown men and women. I minded what Mr. Young had read to me once: that the sins of the fathers would be visited on the children for generations. I'd come to believe that. I believed it was God's law them innocent babes should be punished for our sins, and us through them. I tried to pray to Him, but I didn't know how, and ye'll mind I thought of Him, then, as a God of wrath and vengeance. I'd heard naught and read naught of a God of forgiveness and love. But that was to come. I was to be led into the way of peace at last; but it was a long way, sir, and I can't tell ye the torment I suffered through afore I found it. Aye, if ever a man felt lost and desperate, it was Alex Smith, sir. I couldn't believe there was any hope for me. It may have been because I was alone, with no other man I could open my heart to. However it was, I believed the blood of all the innocent men that had died since the mutiny was on my head. I believed it was meant I should be made the scapegoat for the guilty ones and be punished for 'em. By thinkin' so much over the past, I'd come to believe it was God's will I should be destroyed, by my own hand. One day—it was around two months after Mr. Young's death—I went to the great cliff on the south side of the island with the intent to throw myself off. I was out of my mind, sir—that's the truth of it. Ye've been to the top of the Rope. Ye know what a fearsome place it is, with a straight drop to the sea, hundreds of feet below. It was there Quintal and Minarii had battled with their bare hands, when Minarii was pushed to his death over the cliff. I reached the place not knowing how I got there, stumbling along like a blind man, with my heart bitter as gall. It was midday when I crossed the island. I thought all the women and children was in the settlement having their usual rest, but I wasn't more than half a dozen steps from the brink of the cliff when I spied three of the children curled up there, asleep, like kittens in the sunshine. There was little Matt Quintal, and Eliza Mills, and Mary, Mrs. Christian's youngest, who was seven years old at that time. Matt had a little pole beside him he'd cut from the bush, with a basket of yams on one end and a small bunch of plantains on the other. The lasses had their eggin' baskets filled and put away in the shade close by; and afore they'd gone to sleep they'd made garlands of blossoms to hang around their necks. I stepped back and stared at 'em like a man has been waked out of a horrible dream, and all at once there flowed into my heart a flood of hope and joy and love I could never explain. It must have been God's mercy that showed me that pretty innocent sight, for as sure as ye hear me, sir, if they hadn't been there I'd have flung myself off the cliff. I sank down on my knees beside 'em. The tears ran down my cheeks, and a voice inside me spoke as plain as words, tellin' me I was to live for them children, and love and cherish 'em, and think no more of evil times past and done with. Ye'd have said Mary heard that voice. She opened her eyes and looked at me in a puzzled way. The next minute she jumped up and had her little arms around my neck. "Alex! What is it?" says she, but my heart was so full I couldn't speak. All I could do was hold her close. Presently I said, "Never mind, darlin'. I'm weepin' for joy, if ye wish to know, and the love I have for ye lads and lasses." Our voices roused up the other two, and they didn't know what to make of seein' me in such a state. Eliza came on the other side and I gathered her in with Mary and held the two of 'em so; and Matty stood on his knees in front of me with a look of wonder on his face. He hadn't a trace of his father in him. He'd gone all to the mother's side, as handsome a lad as ye could hope to see, with dark curly hair and great brown eyes, true and trustful like them of a dog. "Alex, are ye hurted?" says he. "Nay, lad," says I, "but ye've give me a turn, the three of ye, lyin' asleep so close to the edge of the cliff. You might have rolled off it." Then Eliza's face brightened up and she laughed at me, and the others with her. "Was ye weepin' for that, Alex?" says she. "Why, we've climbed down there many's the time." "What!" says I. "Not over the Rope?" "Aye," says she; and afore I could think, the lad jumped to his feet. "I'll show ye, Alex," said he, and over he went. I was scared out of my wits. The cliff is all but sheer, and a missed handhold or foothold would send ye to your death, hundreds of feet below; and there went Matt, like a crab down a wall of reef! I called and begged him to come back, scarce darin' to breathe, and when he'd gone down, twenty-five feet or so, to show how easy he could do it, up he climbed again, as cool as ye please. In my heart I was proud of his pluck, but I didn't let on. Many a fright the children has give me since, the lot of 'em, the way they clamber down cliffs and along ridges that would scare a goat, but they never come to grief, and I've got used to seein' 'em now, in a way. They're as much at home on the rocks and ledges as they are in the sea. I like to mind me of that day. I wasn't a Christian man, Mr. Webber, I don't know if I'll ever merit to be called one, but if it wasn't God's love that saved me, what could it have been? It must have been that! He must have seen and took pity on me for the children's sakes. He had work for me to do. There's no explainin' it, else. And somehow the load of misery was lifted from my heart so that I never felt it again so sore and heavy as at that time. I'd left off my study at readin' and writin' when Mr. Young was took sick. Now I went at it again, though why I did I couldn't have said for certain. I think I had the notion to go on so as I could read the bits Mr. Christian and Mr. Young had wrote down in the old Bounty's logbooks. I took more interest in them than I did in the Bible, and I got to the place where I could read and understand the most part. But all this while, sir, I was bein' led. I know that, now. God was bringin' me to a knowledge of His love in His own way. I went back to the Bible, takin' it up where Mr. Young had left off readin' to me. If I'd known what I know now, I'd have gone straight to the New Testament, but like enough it was best I should have burrowed along, slow and patient, like a mole in the dark. I did that for three years. I didn't read all. There was parts too knotty for me and I'd have to pass them by; but others, like the Psalms 'and the Proverbs, I'd come back to again and again till I got so I knew most of 'em by heart. I've heard tell of men bein' led all of a sudden, in a day or a week, to the knowledge of God. It wasn't so with me. I was brought to it little by little, but when I came to the Life of Jesus, my heart began to open like doors swingin' apart. Once I was sure God was a loving and merciful Father to them that repent, it seemed to me I could feel His very presence, sir, and I grew more sure every day of His guiding hand. And I knew, in the end, that I'd come to the way of Life—the only way. I'll say no more of this, for it's a sacred, holy thing, but I was certain I'd found it because of the peace that came to me and has never left me since. But I was troubled about the children. Not as they was then, but over what might happen when they was grown men and women. They had their fathers' blood in their veins. How could I know something wouldn't happen to lead 'em into our old ways? For all Mr. Young had said, I couldn't believe it was God's wish they should be kept in ignorance of His Holy Word. The more I thought about it, the more strong it came in to me that I'd been led so as I could lead them. It seemed to me I could hear the very voice of Jesus: "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." And I did, sir. I brought 'em to Him, and their mothers with 'em. Ye'll wonder an ignorant seaman could have done it. I couldn't have, alone. It was God showed me the way. I began with the mothers. I'd gather them together of an evening and tell them the story of the Bible. Not the whole of it, of course. There was a deal I didn't know, but I had the main parts well in mind. It was a joy to see the interest they took. It was the story they fancied in the beginning, but they soon got to see there was more to it than that. What made it easier for me was that they was all young women at the time we left Tahiti and their minds was not hardened into the Indian beliefs; and I teached 'em in a way that surprised me. I'd never have thought I could do it so well. It seemed as if I was told what to say, and I'd have an answer ready for every question they'd ask. It was God's doing, the whole of it. If it was a joy to teach the mothers, ye'll know what it was when I started with the children. Their little hearts was so eager and open and ready to receive there was times I was afeared to speak, lest I'd have God's teaching wrong. They'd believe without the least question of doubt. That made me slow and careful. I said naught about sin, for they didn't know what it was, and I saw no need to put any idea of it into their hearts. I teached 'em what I believed Jesus would wish 'em to be teached: to love one another, to speak truth and act it, to honour their mothers and do as they'd be done by. All this was in the Indian language, which I'd learned to speak near as well as themselves. But as I went on I saw I'd got to do more. I looked to the years to come, when I'd be gone and they left without the skill to read God's Word for themselves. They might forget what they'd heard from me and drift into evil ways as we had. I saw I had to teach 'em their letters. Aye, it was a sacred duty. Once I was sure of that, I didn't rest till I'd started a school for the older ones. As ye know, likely, the Indians has no letters of their own. Theirs is naught but a spoken tongue, and it would have puzzled a better head than mine to know how to go about such a task. Mr. Young would have known, and sorry I was I hadn't pleaded with him till he'd agreed to teach the children along with me. There was times I thought I'd have to give up. It wasn't the children's fault. They was bright and quick. Often they'd see what I was drivin' at afore I was sure of it myself. All I had on my side was the deep wish to teach 'em and a stubborn streak in me that wouldn't let me give in till I'd showed 'em what letters meant, and how they was put together to make words. Their knowin' bits of English was a great help, but if ever a man sweat blood over a thing was past his skill, that man was myself. But they got the notion of it at last, and, once they had, it would have amazed ye to see how fast they went on. Thursday and Charles Christian and Mary McCoy was the best, but there was little to choose amongst the five I took into the first school. I'll not forget how proud they was when they got so as they could read a few lines and write little messages to one another. Their mothers thought it was the wonder of the world, and when ye come to look at it, there's few things to equal the wonder of writin'. I'm blessed if I can see how men ever came to the knowledge of it in the first place. There was a writin' chest had belonged to Captain Bligh, with a good store of paper in it, and ink, and pens. I cherished them sheets of paper as if every one was beat out of gold. When the ink was gone I made-some that did famous out of candlenut ash, and pens we had a-plenty, with all the fowls there is on the island. When the last of the paper was gone, I made slates for the children out of slabs o' rock. There's a kind of rock here ye can chip off in thin layers. They's what we used for slates, and we still do; but it's hard to grind it down and make it smooth. The school was a pride to the children as much as it was to me. I didn't have to coax 'em into it. Bless ye, no! They all wanted to learn their letters. I took the young ones in as fast as they came to an age, and the older ones was a great help with them. And the questions they'd ask, once they learned to read a bit! They'd make my old head swim! I didn't let 'em read the Bible for themselves. There was parts would only have puzzled 'em, as Mr. Young said. I picked out the chapters, and the most of it was Christ's teaching to His disciples. And they'd take it to their hearts, sir, and keep it there—aye, and live by it. And now I'm near to the end of the story. I might go on for another night, or a week of nights, for the matter of that, tellin' ye what's happened these past five years; but I've no wish to try ye past the limit of patience. Ye can see how it's been. Our life has gone by as quiet as a summer's day. There's never been the least strife amongst us since the day Quintal was killed. We've lived for the children. Their mothers and me has never had a thought save how we can make their lives as happy as ours was miserable in the old days. They're good mothers, for all they was heathens before, and still are, in some of their ways. But there's heathen ways, sir, us white men could study to our profit. I have. There's been time for it here. I've learned more from these Indian women than ever I've been able to teach them. Aye, it's a quiet life and a good life we've had here these nine years. I doubt if ye could find anywhere a family of human beings that lives together with more kindness and good will. We're at peace, in our lives and in our hearts. There's the sum of it, in few words. Now and again, when I go out to fish, I pass over the place where the hulk of the Bounty lies. I look down at her and mind me of the times I trod her decks. I mind me of the day we put out from Portsmouth, all of us so eager for the voyage ahead, and thinkin' what we'd see amongst the islands we was bound for. Little we knew what was to come! Little we guessed how soon we was to be scattered far and wide, and the ends some of us was to meet! We did a cruel wrong when we set Captain Bligh adrift with all them innocent men. He was a hard man and an unjust man. But, no matter how sore we was tried, we should never have seized the ship, and none knew it better than Mr. Christian when it was too late. Ye'll know from what I said that he never had a moment's pleasure or peace of heart from that time to the day of his death. Aye, it was a cruel, lawless deed, and all that can be said for us is that the mutiny wasn't a cold-blooded, planned-out thing. It was the matter of half an hour and was over with afore it came in to us what we'd done. Then it was past mending. We was punished for it as we deserved, but I'll say no more o' this, for it's over and ended. Ye'll never know the joy it's give me to hear that Captain Bligh and his men won through to safety. I can be truly a peace from this time on. That knowledge was the one thing needful, and I never thought to have it. Now I've done what Mr. Young wished I should do: told ye the story from start to finish, and kept nothing back. I'd have told ye, regardless, Mr. Webber, for it's been a burden on my heart all these years. I thank ye kindly that ye've let me ease the weight of it. It's a late hour. Ye'll be ready for bed, and we'll go along to the house. The last of the casks is filled, Thursday says, and ready to be towed out. It's been a rare treat to the children to be of service to ye. They've a sea stock on the beach will last ye halfway home, I shouldn't wonder—pigs and fowls and fruits and vegetables. We've food and to spare here. Bless ye! We could fill a score of ships like the Topaz and never miss it in the least. There's one thing more I'd like to speak of. It's about the children. If only I could keep 'em as they are, Mr. Webber—ignorant of the world, and the world ignorant of them! That would be my heart's wish! Maybe ye'll say it's a foolish wish; but if ye could be in my place, see and be with 'em from day to day, ye'd feel as I do. Aye, ye would so—I'm certain of it. They've missed so much that children outside is laid open to, almost from babyhood. I'd not have ye think they're perfect, without flaw or blemish. They're human. But I do believe ye might search the world around without finding children more truly innocent and pure-minded than these. When I think they was sprung from rough, hard seamen, for the most part, mutineers and pirates, I can scarce believe they're our own flesh and blood. It's a miracle! There's no other name for such a thing! Never a night passes that I don't thank God that He's let these Indian mothers and me live to see it. Aye, if only we could keep 'em so! I'll not forget the morning the Topaz was sighted. It was Robert Young spied ye first. We was in the school when he came runnin' up from the bluffs. "Alex," said he, "there's a great canoe comin' over the sea!" There was an end of lessons. The lads had never seen a ship, though I'd told 'em there was such things. I had to, for they'd seen what's left of the old Bounty. We rushed to the bluffs, and when I saw the vessel, Mr. Webber, my heart sank. Shall I tell ye what I wished to do? Ye was still miles off and couldn't have seen the smoke of our fires. I wanted to put 'em out, gather the womenfolk and the lads and lasses—every chick and child—and hide with 'em in the forest, in the deepest part of the valley. It wasn't that I was afeared for myself. I was thinkin' of the children. I wanted to keep 'em clear of all knowledge of the world their fathers was raised in. I wished sore to do it! But they was so stirred up and eager, it would have broke their hearts if I'd not let 'em go off to ye and ask ye ashore. And now ye've found us, it'll soon be known we're here. I've no doubt it'll cause a bit of a stir, outside, when Captain Folger tells that he's found the hiding-place of the old Bounty's men. I wouldn't try to coax him or yerself to keep silent about us, Mr. Webber. It's your duty to report us—that I know. And other ships will come, once it's known that Pitcairn's Island is summat more than a lonely rock for sea birds...Aye. Soon or late they'll come, as Mr. Young said...Well... But God bless me! I mustn't keep ye up longer. Ye'll be perished for sleep. I'll warrant I could talk the night through, it's been so long since I've had a seaman to yarn with. Good night, sir, and rest well. I'll be astir bright and early to meet Captain Folger. EPILOGUE At sunset on the following day, Alexander Smith was seated with half a dozen of the children on the highest pinnacle of the crag, Ship-Landing Point, overlooking Bounty Bay. Below them, at various places along the seaward cliffs, were the other members of the Pitcairn colony, all steadfastly gazing eastward. The Topaz, with all sail set, under a fresh westerly breeze, had drawn rapidly away from the land and was now far out, looking smaller than a child's toy vessel against the lonely expanse of blue water. The hush of early evening was over land and sea. The ravines and valleys were filled with purple shadow, deepening momentarily, and, in the last level rays of the sun, crags, ridges, mountain peaks, and the lofty cliffs that bounded the island on the west stood out in clear relief, bathed in mellow golden light. The old seaman turned to a little girl at his side, who was weeping softly, her head in her arms. "There, lass! Comfort ye now. Bless me! Ye'll have the lot of us weepin' with ye directly." The girl raised her head, making an attempt to smile through her tears. "It's sad to have them go so soon," she replied. "Will they never come back?" "That I couldn't tell ye, darlin'. But who knows? They might." "But where is it they're going, Alex?" one of the boys asked. "Home...a long way...thousands of leagues from where we are." "What is a league?" "A league? Well, let me think...If the land here was half again as big as it is, ye'd have just about a league from one end to the other." "And they have thousands of leagues to sail before they reach their home?" "Aye—thousands, the way they'll go." "Then we'll never see them again!" "Now, Mary, lass! Don't ye start weepin' along of Rachel! Wouldn't ye have Captain Folger see his dear ones? And there's Mr. Webber with three children, the oldest the age of yourself, waitin' for him in his own land. Think of the joy there'll be the day he comes home!" "I want them to go home; it isn't that. But I want them to come back. And if it's so far...they do hope to come again, don't they?" "Aye; and mebbe they will. But ye can't never tell about ships—where they'll be off to next." "Where is their home?"	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_1	Charles Nordhoff Biography - eNotes.com Charles Nordhoff Biography link Link Charles Bernard Nordhoff, the senior member of the writing team of Nordhoff and Hall, was born in London of American parents on February 1, 1887. Brought back to Philadelphia at the age of three, he then grew up in California and Mexico, worked for two years on a Mexican sugar plantation, and attended Stanford University for one year before finally settling down in Cambridge, Massachusetts, long enough to receive a degree from Harvard University in 1909. These peripatetic early years were to set the restless pattern of his entire life. Not waiting for the United States to enter World War I, he enlisted in the French Ambulance Corps in 1916, becoming, later, a pilot in the French Air Service, and serving, finally, in the Lafayette Flying Corps. Nordhoff met James Norman Hall while both were serving as members of the Lafayette Flying Corps, and their productive collaboration began when they were commissioned to edit the corps’ history. This task completed, they went together to Tahiti. There they wrote independently at first but, becoming interested in the tales they had heard concerning Pitcairn Island, they revived their partnership and under the sponsorship of Ellery Sedgwick, who helped them secure necessary documents from England, they set to work on the island’s history. Their collaborative effort, Mutiny on the Bounty, appeared in 1932, and its success as a novel and as a motion picture cemented their partnership. Two sequels, Men Against the Sea and Pitcairn’s Island, soon followed. The pair produced six further novels, but only one—Botany Bay, about the colonization of Australia—won significant praise from critics. The smoothness of their teamwork continued to draw comment, but in fact Nordhoff was gradually withdrawing from writing. Plagued by alcoholism, poor health, and personal problems, he eventually moved to California, where he died on April 11, 1947. Hall remained in Tahiti, where he had married the half-Tahitian daughter of a British sea captain. He died on July 5, 1951, while working on his autobiography, My Island Home.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_2	Pitcairn Islands Study Center - Books For Sale USD $30.00 includes postage in the U.S. Contact [email protected] for overseas postal cost. The H.M.S. Bounty Genealogies 4th Edition, Paul Lareau, 338 pages. Description: This great genealogical work, has been compiled from years of research about the descendants of the mutineers of H.M.S. Bounty. This 4th edition is the most complete genealogical record ever put on paper of those who followed in the wake of Captain Bligh and the members of his crew, both loyalists and mutineers. Interesting historical detail has been added to the basic genealogical record of many of the descendants listed. A complete index of names allows the researcher or reader to quickly find all the records of the person of his or her Bounty-related interest. Price and ordering: USD $35.00 including postage and handling in the U.S. Price to other countries please contact [email protected]. Order at PayPal.com to [email protected]. Or send name, address and credit card particulars to [email protected]. Or send check made to Pitcairn Islands Study Center to the Center at 1 Angwin Ave., Angwin, CA 94508 USA. Orders may also be placed by telephone: 707-965-6504. A Doctor's Letters from Pitcairn Island, 1937 Dr. Rufus Southworth. Description: This is a private, numbered printing of 500 books, with a 10-page center panel of photographs. Written by a physician who spent six months on Pitcairn caring for the medical and some of the psychological needs of the islanders, this book gets "inside" the Pitcairners' lives in a way no other book has done. Certain to become an expensive, rare book because of its limited printing, these letters from Dr. Southworth to his family, gathered into a book are an intimate, revealing picture of life on Pitcairn in a most interesting and sometimes graphic way. Price and ordering: USD $25.00 including postage and handling in the U.S. For prince to all other countries, contact [email protected] . See all other ordering particulars as explained for the genealogies book above. Pitcairn - Port of Call Only one copy available. $20.00 includes postage in U.S. Contact [email protected] for overseas postal cost. Mutineer Description: Mutineer is the story of John Adams, who signed aboard the Bounty under the name of Alexander Smith, of his finding the Bounty's Bible, turning the Pitcairners to Christianity, and of the change of the Pitcairners' religious practice in the 1880s. Price and ordering: Two copies available. $20.00 includes postage in the U.S.. Contact hford@puc,edu for overseas postal cost. Heirs of Exile Description: This is an intimately-told story of the life and history of Pitcairn Island by Alta Hilliard Christensen. One copy available. Many photographs, poems, hymns and informative map of the island in the inside covers of this most interesting 1955-published book Price and ordering: $25.00 includes postage in the U.S. Contact [email protected] for overseas postal cost. Pitcairn Description: This small-sized book recounts a full year of ham (amateur) radio conversations on a wide range of Pitcairn-Bounty-related subjects between Tom Christian on Pitcairn Island, and Eddie Pullen and Herbert Ford at the Adventist's international radio broadcast headquarters in Glendale, California. Included among the many accounts and pictures in the book is Great Britian's Prince Phillips' visit to Pitcairn (along with Lord Louis Mountbatten) in 1971 in the royal yacht Britannia Price and ordering: Two copies available. $20.00 includes postage in the U.S. Contact [email protected] for overseas postal cost. John Tay, Messenger to Pitcairn Description: This story of sailor-turned-missionary-to-Pitcairn Island is interestingly told in this small paperback book by Sadie Owen Engen. Mr. Tay's story ends at the headstone of his grave where he is buried in downtown Suva, Fiji Price and ordering: One copy available. $15.00 includes postage in the U.S. Contact [email protected] for overseas postal cost. H.M.S. Bounty Alexander McKee, 1961, 222 pages. One copy available Description: In this startling, fully documented book, Alexander McKee uncovers the answers to the many long-unsolved questions about the ship, her captain and crew. Using all the natural drama of violent storms and savage native attacks, McKee reconstructs the actual voyage of the ill-fated ship use name is forever linked with one of the epic scandals in naval history. Price and ordering: USD$25.00 including postage and handling. See all other ordering particulars as explained for the genealogies book under "New Books" above. The Saga of the Bounty Irving Anthony, Ed., 1935, 358 pages, illustrations. One copy available Description: Of his excellent editing of various sources of the Bounty Saga in his book, Anthony writes: "Forty-four seamen, a botanist and a gardener shared the cluttered ship with four four-pound guns and ten swivels. The ship was victualled for eighteen months. Bligh's meanness cheated them in the purchasing of the stores and skimped the rations served. Severe in command, he took no heed of the hardships of irregular service. He quarreled with his master and his surgeon at the outset of the voyage, but all that belongs to the story. Let the dead speak and the book get on with its purpose. Price and ordering: USD$25.00 including postage and handling. See all other ordering particulars as explained for the genealogies book under "New Books" above. Mister Christian William Kinsolving, 1996, 380 pages. One copy available Description: Of this book author Stuart Woods writes: "Mister Christian is an utterly convincing, brilliantly realized extension of one of history's greatest stories, one that I, like other readers, had sadly thought to be long finished. Kinsolving has, in research, language, and sheer storytelling power, given Fletcher Christian new and astonishing life; and his readers a fresh and absorbing tale to keep them late at their firesides. The novel cries out for a sequel!" Price and ordering: USD$25.00 including postage and handling. See all other ordering particulars as explained for the genealogies book under "New Books" above. The Mutiny on Board HMS Bounty William Bligh, adapted by Deboarh Kestel, 1992, 238 pages. One copy available Description: In this Baronet Books "Great Illustrated Classics" title Ms. Kestel tells the story of the famed mutiny in the language of younger readers. Almost every page of the book has an accompanying page of interesting, line-drawing illustration about the page of text. Any younger reader who enjoys reading about adventure would treasure this book. Price and ordering: USD$20.00 including postage and handling. See all other ordering particulars as explained for the genealogies book under "New Books" above. The Life of Vice Admiral William Bligh George MccKaness, 1931, 400 pages (two volumes in one) with an excellent index, and a fold-out map of the Bounty's launch track across the Pacific Ocean after the mutiny. One copy available Description: This is the authorative work on the life of William Bligh, captain of HMS Bounty, who retired as a Vice Admiral of the Blue of the British Royal Navy. McKanass has brought a wealth of knowledge of this key figure of the Bounty Saga to light. He has, if anything, overly researched his subject, but for those with an interest in the Mutiny on the Bounty the abundance of information about Bligh found in this two-volumes-in-one book is inspiring. Price and ordering: USD$45.00 including postage and handling. See all other ordering particulars as explained for the genealogies book under "New Books" above. The Bounty Trilogy	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_4	Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) Pages: ( 1 ) ( 2 ) Background Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) is one of the best nautical adventure films of all time and one of MGM's greatest classics. The rousing, 18th century story of the Bounty's mutiny, directed by Frank Lloyd, was adapted from the first two volumes of the Charles Nordhoff-James Norman Hall 1932 best selling novel The Bounty Trilogy (composed of Mutiny on the Bounty, Men Against the Sea, and Pitcairn Island). It echoed the semi-documentary In the Wake of the Bounty (1933, Australia) which starred Errol Flynn in his movie debut as Fletcher Christian; both films were based upon the 1932 novel Mutiny on the Bounty by Nordoff and Hall. For authenticity, the film was shot on location in the South Pacific's Tahiti, as well as on Catalina Island, Santa Barbara, and in MGM's Culver City studios, over a period of three months. The over-budget (about $2 million) MGM film was the studio's most expensive production since Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925), but it was also the highest-grossing film of 1935 (at $4.5 million). It was nominated for a total of eight Academy Awards, and its sole Oscar was for Best Picture. It was very unusual that the profitable film received no other Oscars than Best Picture (two other earlier MGM productions had done the same thing - Broadway Melody (1928-29) and Grand Hotel (1932) ). The other seven nominations included three Best Actor nominations (Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, and Franchot Tone, who split the vote and gave the award to Victor McLaglen for The Informer) - a unique accomplishment (although Tone's performance was more like a supporting role, but the awards category hadn't been created yet), Best Director (Frank Lloyd), Best Screenplay (Talbot Jennings, Jules Furthman and Carey Wilson), Best Film Editing (Margaret Booth), and Best Score. It was the first film to have three acting nominations, and the first film to have three co-performers competing against each other in the same category - as Best Actor. Charles Laughton, who had won the Best Actor Oscar for The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), gave an exaggerated portrayal of the duty-obsessed, cruel and arrogant Captain Bligh - he made the character one of the screen's most memorable and abusive villains. The film's tagline reflects his character: "A thousand hours of Hell for one moment of love." [The first choice for the Bligh role was Wallace Beery.] Virile Clark Gable, who had won the Best Actor Oscar the previous year for It Happened One Night (1934) , took the secondary role as the fair-minded First Mate Fletcher Christian, although he was reluctant to wear silly-looking breeches, sport a sailor's pony-tail, and shave off his mustache. With his performance, he solidified his status as one of the leading actors of the 30s. The screenplay departed from some of the facts of the true event by romanticizing the cavortings of the 'beefcake' crew with the Tahitian native women, and by distorting the historical record with a denouncement and snubbing of the contemptuous, malevolent Bligh at the conclusion of the court-martial trial - in fact, the notorious Captain Bligh was later promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral by the British Navy. [Of the various film versions of the tale, The Bounty (1985), starring Anthony Hopkins as Bligh and Mel Gibson as Fletcher Christian, was the most accurate.] One remake, starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard, the 70 mm Panavision widescreen version of Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), fared poorly. The Story The tale was the rousing, handsome adventure story of the sailing of the H. M. S. Bounty in 1787, departing from Portsmouth, England for a two year voyage, its scientific mission to transport breadfruit from Tahiti to the West Indies as an inexpensive food source for plantation slave laborers. Before the ship sets sail with a crew of English conscripts, preparations are made. A toast is given by Midshipman Roger Byam (Franchot Tone), on his first cruise as a midshipman: To the voyage of the Bounty. Still waters of the great golden sea. Flying fish like streaks of silver, and mermaids that sing in the night. The Southern Cross and all the stars on the other side of the world. The ship is captained by a tyrannical, harsh, sadistic disciplinarian Captain William Bligh (Charles Laughton) and his well-respected Master's Mate (first officer to the Captain) Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable, appearing without a mustache for the last time in a film). Before they set sail in their third voyage together, Bligh orders a flogging of a dead man, to punish the infraction to the letter of the law. He tells Christian: They respect but one law - the law of fear...I expect you to carry out whatever orders I give, whenever I give them. On the journey, Bligh quickly shows contempt for the men in his crew, and treats them with brutality, in a regime of fear and punishment. Bligh lectures the seamen: The ship's company will remember that I am your captain, your judge, and your jury. You do your duty and we may get along. Whatever happens, you'll do your duty. He barks chilling, staccato orders to his Master's Mate in an oft-repeated line: "Mr. Christian - come here." He cruelly and sadistically meets a sailor's request for water in the hot weather: "I'll give you water. Mr. Morrison. Keel haul this man." Bligh continually goads Fletcher Christian who has already gained the respect of the entire crew. Christian resents his Captain's inhumanity (at one point, Bligh puts his men on half-rations): I've never known a better seaman, but as a man, he's a snake. He doesn't punish for discipline. He likes to see men crawl. Sometimes, I'd like to push his poison down his own throat. The voyage is long and arduous, but the Bounty finally arrives in Tahiti. Christian is ordered to stay on deck, but Byam is allowed to go ashore, where he is befriended by Hitihiti, the island's chieftain. Byam is quickly entranced after meeting and falling in love with one of the beautiful Tahitian women, Tehani (Maria "Movita" Castaneda, who later married Marlon Brando!). When the chief arranges for Christian to come ashore for one day, the Master's mate also meets and falls in love with Hitihiti's granddaughter, Maimiti (Mamo Clark).	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_5	Streamline \| The Official Filmstruck Blog – The Sequels That Never Were The Sequels That Never Were Posted by Greg Ferrara on June 3, 2016 Coming on TCM tomorrow is one of those sequels that was never necessary but also turned out to be not bad. Â The sequel is 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the original is 2001: A Space Odyssey, and, of course, both movies now take place in the past, a past somehow completely missing smart phones and Facebook. Â It’s a tough business predicting the future but it’s just another workday in Hollywood taking popular story lines and characters and rehashing them for one more go around. Â In 2010, the characters are actually different except for the spirit/presence of Dave Bowman, but it’s an extension of the story. Â And while I didn’t much care for that particular story extension, there are three classic Hollywood films that never got a sequel (or the sequel I wanted) that, frankly, I wouldn’t have minded seeing. Â And I should clarify thatÂ up front, that I’m not necessarily talking about movies that didn’t have sequels. Â One of the movies I’m thinking of did indeed have a sequel, just not the one I wanted to see. Â Speaking of which… Does anyone think The Color of Money is the right sequel for The Hustler? Â Regardless of whether you think it’s good or bad (my own personal take is it’s Scorsese-lite and a kind of dull enterprise), the sequel I want to see is what in the hell happens to Eddie (Paul Newman) after he walks out on Bert (George C. Scott) following the pool hall match between him and Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) Â - I want to just pause for a moment to let it sink in that, yes, for one brief shining moment, the universe put Paul Newman, George C. Scott, and Jackie Gleason together in a movie and we got to see it – because Eddie threatens Bert with murder and Bert threatens Eddie to never walk in a pool hall again and… and… we get The Color of Money 25 years later?!?! Â Give me something in 1966 instead, where we start the movie right after he walks out of that joint and follow through five years of hustling on the sly, evading the far reach of Bert, and trying to make something more of himself. Â I don’t want to see Eddie 25 years later training some brash young kid. Â Who cares?! Â Give me Eddie right after that confrontation. Â Added bonus: We would have had Scott and Gleason reprise their roles. Â Oh well. I may be the only one who feels this way about this next choice but I stand by my selection: Mutiny on the Bounty. Â If you’ve ever read some of the histories on the subject (I have) you know that what happened on Pitcairn Island after the mutineers settled there was pretty dark and deadly. Â You will also be aware that stories of what exactly happened are conflicting. Â The lone surviving mutineer, John Adams, discovered in 1808 (the mutineers settled there in 1790), alternated the stories of Fletcher Christian’s death many times over the years. Â Sometimes he said Christian had been murdered. Â Other times, disease took him. Â He even gave an account where Christian committed suicide. Â Another resident of the island, a woman who called herself Jenny, said Christian was shot by one of the Tahitian men they had taken with them on the Bounty. Â One thing every story agreed on: At some time, shortly after settling, perhaps a year or two in (they had children and began a farming/fishing lifestyle), all hell broke loose and violent conflict broke out. Â Somehow, Adams, alone among the mutineers, survived. Â Since we don’t know what really happened, the story would fall into the The Cat’s Meow territory of speculative fiction. Â I know it wouldn’t be the real story but I’d love to see it nonetheless. For my third selection, a movie that seemed to be set up for a sequel, so much so that many critics at the time thought there was one coming. Â The movie is All About Eve and the subject of the sequel would be Phoebe. Â The character of Phoebe shows up at the very end, played by Barbara Bates. Â She seems even more brazen than Eve so you might think a sequel would just be more of the same. Â Well, first off, aren’t they intended to be? Â The bad ones just go through the same motions a second, third, or fourth time but the good ones do give you more of the same by extending the story outwards. Â It’s all conjecture of course but I would guess that, in a sequel, Phoebe would be seen through immediately by Eve but Addison, who would have been replayed by George Sanders, would be intrigued by her unbridled lust for success. Â The conflict would come from Addison purposely and pointedly mentoring both of them, one against the other. Â That is, Phoebe’s success does come at the expense of Eve, as Eve’s did at the expense of Margo, but in unison with it and the two actresses would fight for that Sarah Siddons award, or so we would think. Â Perhaps it could end by a late game reveal that the two had joined forces early on and come up with a plan that destroys Addison. Â I don’t know. Â It’s for a screenwriter to figure out the hows and whys and Joseph L. Mankiewicz was just one such screenwriter. Â I wish he’d done it. There are probably plenty of good dramas out there that would be well served by an extension of the story. Â Of course, sequels are usually made from action/adventure/sci-fi movies where the characters are easily serialized into ongoing adventures where they can continue to battle on distant worlds, fight dinosaurs, kill sharks, or race really fast and furious cars. Â And I don’t really have a problem with that, honestly, I’d just like some good old dramatic sequels as well. Â Sequels have such a bad rep precisely because they’re usually just easy ways for the studio to cash in on the same action again but there have been many good ones that weren’t about cashing in but telling more of the story. Â From The Road Back to The Godfather, Part II, Hollywood has made serious and revered sequels to critically acclaimed Best Picture winners (All Quiet on the Western Front, The Godfather) or entire trilogies following a single relationship through time (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight). Â It can happen and with the three above, I wish it had. Â Surely there are other movies out there without a sequel that you have wanted to see. Â Which ones are they? Â Maybe, finally, we can get them made.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_6	Nordhoff, Charles, the younger AND James Norman Hall \| Searchable Sea Literature Nordhoff, Charles, the younger AND James Norman Hall Posted on February 27, 2012 by admin NORDHOFF, CHARLES [BERNARD] the younger (1887-1947) AND JAMES NORMAN HALL (1887-1951). Writers Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall were born the same year but worlds apart, Nordhoff in London of American parents and Hall in Colfax, Iowa. They met during World War I as members of the Lafayette Flying Corps, whose history they subsequently detailed in written collaboration. For their next project the two chose to produce a collection of travel pieces about the South Pacific, and they embarked for Tahiti early in 1920. Nordhoff went on to the Cook Islands, and Hall to the Tuamotu Archipelago; their account of their travels, Faery Lands of the South Seas, appeared the following year (1921). Both men continued living on Tahiti but at first pursued separate writing careers. By 1912 [1922? website ed.], however, the two had resumed collaboration, first on a juvenile novel about the Lafayette Flying Corps and then on a trilogy of novels about what they would help to make one of the most famous events in maritime history. Inspired by a historical account of the mutiny aboard the H.M.S. Bounty on 27 April 1789, Nordhoff and Hall undertook to re-create the mutiny in fictional terms. If their first volume succeeded, they intended to treat subsequent events in further novels, and succeed it did. Mutiny on the Bounty (1932) was a best-seller and inspired a memorable motion picture in 1935, starring Charles Laughton as Captain William Bligh and Clark Gable as First Mate Fletcher Christian, the mutineers’ leader. Other film versions were released in 1962 and 1984, the latter with Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins. Nordhoff and Hall followed Mutiny on the Bounty with Men against the Sea and Pitcairn’s Island (both 1934). The former elevates Bligh, the ostensible villain of the first volume, into a heroic figure who guides his tiny boat of loyalists for well over 3,000 miles across the Pacific to the island of Timor in the East Indies. The latter dramatizes the violent fate of the Bounty mutineers on Pitcairn Island, southeast of the Tuamotus, and is the least historical of the trilogy due to the paucity of information available. Although occasionally marred by problems of tone and, in the final volume, structure, the Bounty trilogy is popular fiction of a very high order. As testament to the enduring interest of the saga, William Kinsolving came out with Mister Christian in 1996, a fictional tale in which Fletcher Christian escapes Pitcairn Island, frees an Englishwoman from debauched privateers and finds love with her on a deserted island, finds his way to England, and survives as a fugitive between decks in the sea battles of the Napoleonic Wars. Nordhoff and Hall continued to write, both independently and in collaboration, Hall four times more prolific than Nordhoff, but nothing they produced subsequently could match the dramatic appeal of their most famous saga. Hall produced a pendant volume in The Tale of a Shipwreck (1934), in which he discusses not only the Bounty but also a voyage to Pitcairn and the wreck of his own schooner on the return trip. Hall’s rollicking yarn Doctor Dogbody’s Leg (1940) was reprinted as a Heart of Oak Classic by Henry Holt in 1998. Together the two wrote The Hurricane (1936), The Dark River (1938), and No More Gas (1940), all minor works with a Pacific island setting; Botany Bay (1941), a grim, but far more substantial, novel about the infamous Australian penal colony; and Men without Country (1942), a slight adventure novel about prisoners who escape the penal colonies of French Guiana and sail across the Atlantic to offer their services to the Free French. In Lost Island (1944) Hall bade fictional farewell to the idyllic Pacific world he saw vanishing and in The Far Lands (1950) to the Pacific of the distant past. Nordhoff died in California in 1947. Hall died in 1951, leaving an unfinished autobiography, My Island Home (1952). Hall’s grave in Tahiti overlooks Matavai Bay, where the Bounty once anchored. by Grove Koger (2000) This entry was posted in N and tagged male . Bookmark the permalink .	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_7	Fletcher Christian - iSnare Free Encyclopedia Fletcher Christian Not to be confused with Christian Fletcher . Fletcher Christian Thursday October , Charles and Mary Ann Christian Parent(s) Charles Christian, Ann Dixon Fletcher Christian (25 September 1764 – 20 September 1793) was master's mate on board HMS Bounty during Lieutenant William Bligh 's voyage to Tahiti for breadfruit plants. In the mutiny on the Bounty , Christian seized command [1] of the ship from Bligh on 28 April 1789. Contents 10 External links Early life Christian was born on 25 September 1764, at his family home of Moorland Close, Eaglesfield , near Cockermouth in Cumberland . Fletcher's father's side had originated from the Isle of Man and most of his paternal great-grandfathers were historic Deemsters , their original family surname McCrystyn. Fletcher was the brother to Edward and Humphrey, being the three sons of Charles Christian of Moorland Close and of the large Ewanrigg Hall estate in Dearham , Cumberland, an attorney-at-law descended from Manx gentry, and his wife Ann Dixon. [2] [3] Charles's marriage to Ann brought with it the small property of Moorland Close, "a quadrangle pile of buildings ... half castle, half farmstead." The property can be seen to the north of the Cockermouth to Egremont A5086 road. [4] Charles died in 1768 when Fletcher was not yet four. Ann proved herself grossly irresponsible with money. By 1779, when Fletcher was fifteen, Ann had run up a debt of nearly £6,500 (equal to £787,835 today), [4] and faced the prospect of debtors' prison . Moorland Close was lost and Ann and her three younger children were forced to flee to the Isle of Man, to their relative's estate, where English creditors had no power. The three elder Christian sons managed to arrange a £40 (equal to £4,848 today) per year annuity for their mother, allowing the family to live in genteel poverty. Christian spent seven years at the Cockermouth Free School from the age of nine. One of his younger contemporaries there was Cockermouth native William Wordsworth . It is commonly misconceived that the two were 'school friends'; Christian was six years the senior of the future Poet Laureate . His mother Ann died on the Isle of Man in 1819. [5] Fletcher Christian's house Map showing Bounty's movements in the Pacific Ocean, 1788–1790 Voyage of Bounty to Tahiti and to the location of the mutiny, 28 April 1789 Movements of Bounty after the mutiny, under Christian's command Course of Bligh's open-boat journey to Coupang Postage stamp, UK issue for Pitcairn Islands (1940) showing King George VI and an artist's interpretation of Fletcher Christian Naval career See here for a comparison of assignments to William Bligh Fletcher Christian began his naval career at a late age, joining the Royal Navy as a cabin boy when he was already seventeen years old (the average age for this position was between 12 to 15). He served for over a year on a third-rate frigate along with his future commander, William Bligh, who was posted as the ship's sixth lieutenant. Christian next became a Midshipman on the sixth-rate post ship HMS Eurydice and was made master's mate six months after the ship put to sea. The muster rolls of HMS Eurydice indicate Christian was signed on for a 21-month voyage to India. The ship's muster shows Christian's conduct was more than satisfactory because "some seven months out from England, he had been promoted from midshipman to master's mate". [6] After the Eurydice had returned from India , Christian was reverted to Midshipman and paid off from the Royal Navy. Unable to find another Midshipman assignment, Christian decided to join the British merchant fleet and applied for a berth on-board William Bligh's ship the Britannia. Bligh had himself been discharged from the Royal Navy and was now a merchant captain. Bligh accepted Christian on the ship's books as an Able Seaman, but granted him all the rights of a ship's officer including dining and berthing in the officer quarters. On a second voyage to Jamaica with Bligh, Christian was rated as the ship's Second Mate . Although Bligh had known Christian for only a little over a year, in 1787 he approached Christian to serve on-board the HMAV Bounty for a two-year voyage to transport breadfruit from Tahiti to the West Indies. Bligh originally had every intention of Christian serving as the ship's Master , but the Navy Board turned down this request due to Christian's low seniority in service years and appointed John Fryer instead. Christian was retained as Master's Mate. The following year, halfway through the Bounty's voyage, Bligh appointed Christian as Acting lieutenant, thus making him senior to Fryer. On 28 April 1789, Fletcher Christian led a mutiny on-board the Bounty and from this point forward was considered an outlaw. He was formally stripped of his naval rank in March 1790 and discharged after Bligh returned to England and reported the mutiny to the Admiralty Board . Date Stripped of Naval rank and discharged in absentia Mutiny on the Bounty Main article: Mutiny on the Bounty In 1787, Christian was appointed master's mate on Bounty, on Bligh's recommendation, for the ship's breadfruit expedition to Tahiti . During the voyage out, Bligh appointed him acting lieutenant. Bounty arrived at Tahiti on 26 October 1788 and Christian spent the next five months there. Bounty set sail with its cargo of breadfruit plantings on 4 April 1789. Some 1,300 miles west of Tahiti, near Tonga , mutiny broke out on 28 April 1789, led by Christian. According to accounts, the sailors were attracted to the "idyllic" life and sexual opportunities afforded on the Pacific island of Tahiti . It has also been argued that they were motivated by Bligh's allegedly harsh treatment of them. Eighteen mutineers set Bligh afloat in a small boat with eighteen of the twenty-two crew loyal to him. Following the mutiny, Christian attempted to build a colony on Tubuai , but there the mutineers met with conflict with natives. Abandoning the island, he stopped briefly in Tahiti where he married Maimiti , the daughter of one of the local chiefs, on 16 June 1789. [7] While on Tahiti, he dropped off sixteen crewmen. These sixteen included four Bligh loyalists who had been left behind on Bounty and two who had neither participated in, nor resisted, the mutiny. The remaining nine mutineers, six Tahitian men and eleven Tahitian women then sailed eastward. In time, they landed on Pitcairn Island , where they stripped Bounty of all that could be floated ashore before Matthew Quintal set it on fire, stranding them. The resulting sexual imbalance, combined with the effective enslavement of the Tahitian men by the mutineers, led to insurrection and the deaths of most of the men.[ citation needed ] Death The American seal-hunting ship Topaz visited Pitcairn in 1808 and found only one mutineer, John Adams (who had used the alias Alexander Smith while on Bounty), still alive along with nine Tahitian women. The mutineers who had perished had, however, already had children with their Tahitian wives. Most of these children were still living. Adams and Maimiti claimed Christian had been murdered during the conflict between the Tahitian men and the mutineers. According to an account by a Pitcairn woman named Jenny who left the island in 1817, Christian was shot while working by a pond next to the home of his pregnant wife. Along with Christian, four other mutineers and all six of the Tahitian men who had come to the island were killed in the conflict. William McCoy , one of the four surviving mutineers, fell off a cliff while intoxicated and was killed. Quintal was later killed by the remaining two mutineers, Adams and Ned Young , after he attacked them. Young became the new leader of Pitcairn. John Adams gave conflicting accounts of Christian's death to visitors on ships that subsequently visited Pitcairn. He was variously said to have died of natural causes, committed suicide, gone insane and been murdered. [8] Christian was survived by Maimiti and his son, Thursday October Christian (born 1790). Besides Thursday October, Fletcher Christian also had a younger son named Charles Christian (born 1792) and a daughter Mary Ann Christian (born 1793). Thursday and Charles are the ancestors of almost everybody with the surname Christian on Pitcairn and Norfolk Islands, as well as the many descendants who have moved to Australia , New Zealand and the United States . Rumours have persisted for more than two hundred years that Christian's murder may have been faked, that he had left the island and that he made his way back to England . [9] Many scholars believe that the rumours of Christian returning to England helped to inspire Samuel Taylor Coleridge 's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner . [10] There is no portrait or drawing extant of Fletcher Christian that was drawn from life. Bligh described Christian as "5 ft. 9 in. high [175 cm]. blackish or very dark complexion. Hair - Blackish or very dark brown. Make - Strong. A star tatowed [ sic ] on his left breast, and tatowed [ sic ] on the backside. His knees stand a little out and he may be called a little bow legged. He is subject to violent perspiration, particularly in his hand, so that he soils anything he handles". [11] Appearances in literature Christian's principal literary appearances are in the treatments of Bounty story, including Mutiny on the Bounty , Pitcairn's Island and After the Bounty (an edited version of James Morrison 's journal). In Peter F. Hamilton 's Night's Dawn trilogy, Fletcher Christian's ghost appears, possessing a human body, and helps two non-possessed girls escape. [12] William Kinsolving's 1996 novel Mister Christian and Val McDermid 's 2006 thriller The Grave Tattoo are both based on Christian's rumoured return to the Lake District and the fact that he was at school with William Wordsworth . In 1959 Louis McNeice produced a BBC Radio play called I Call Me Adam about the mutineers' lives on Pitcairn. Film portrayals Clark Gable as Fletcher Christian Christian was portrayed in films by: Mel Gibson in The Bounty (1984) The 1935 and 1962 films are based on the 1932 novel Mutiny on the Bounty in which Christian is a major character and is generally portrayed positively. The authors of that novel, Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall , also wrote two sequels, one of which, Pitcairn's Island , is the story of the tragic events after the mutiny that apparently resulted in Christian’s death along with other violent deaths on Pitcairn Island . (The other sequel, Men Against the Sea , is the story of Bligh's voyage after the mutiny.) This series of novels uses fictionalised versions of minor crew members as narrators of the stories. The Bounty , released in 1984, is less sympathetic to Christian than previous treatments were. Musical portrayal David Essex in Mutiny! (1985) See also	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_11	Fletcher Christian - 必应 Fletcher Christian 弗莱彻·克里斯( 1764年9月25日–1793年9月20日)是在塔希提岛的威廉布莱的航行期间对面包果植物上的邦蒂号船长的大副。在叛舰喋血记，基督教抓住船的命令从威廉布莱1789年4月28日。 Fletcher Christian (25 September 1764 – 20 September 1793) was master's mate on board HMS Bounty during William Bligh's voyage to Tahiti for breadfruit plants. In the mutiny on the Bounty, Christian seized command of the ship from William Bligh on 28 April 1789. 弗莱彻·克里斯和其余的赏金反叛者定居在皮特凯恩岛与他们的塔希提新娘，他们在那里度过剩下的日子。答 Fletcher Christian and the rest of the Bounty mutineers settled on Pitcairn Island with their Tahitian brides, where they lived out the rest of their days. In what year did fletcher christian lead the mutiny on the bounty 答 Mutiny on the Bounty took place on morning of April 28th, 1789, led by Masters Mate Fletcher Christian (September 25, 1764 - October 3, 1793). Is the story of fletcher christian and the mutiny on the bounty F... 答 Real event. Mutiny on the Bounty took place on morning of April 28th, 1789, led by Masters Mate Fletcher Christian (September 25, 1764 - October 3, 1793) Fletcher Christian Early life Christian was born on 25 September 1764, at his family home of Moorland Close, Eaglesfield, near Cockermouth in Cumberland. Fletcher's father's side had originated from the Isle of Man and most of his paternal great-grandfathers were historic Deemsters, their original family surname McCrystyn. Fletcher was the brother to Edward and Humphrey, being the three sons of Charles Christian of Moorland Close and of the large Ewanrigg Hall estate in Dearham, Cumberland, an attorney-at-law descended from Manx gentry, and his wife Ann Dixon. Charles's marriage to Ann brought with it the small property of Moorland Close, "a quadrangle pile of buildings ... half castle, half farmstead." The property can be seen to the north of the Cockermouth to Egremont A5086 road. Charles died in 1768 when Fletcher was not yet four. Ann proved herself grossly irresponsible with money. By 1779, when Fletcher was fifteen, Ann had run up a debt of nearly £6,500 (equal to £780,204 today), and faced the prospect of debtors' prison. Moorland Close was lost and Ann and her three younger children were forced to flee to the Isle of Man, to their relative's estate, where English creditors had no power. The three elder Christian sons managed to arrange a £40 (equal to £4,801 today) per year annuity for their mother, allowing the family to live in genteel poverty. Christian spent seven years at the Cockermouth Free School from the age of nine. One of his younger contemporaries there was Cockermouth native William Wordsworth. It is commonly misconceived that the two were 'school friends'; Christian was six years the senior of the future Poet Laureate. His mother Ann died on the Isle of Man in 1819. He appeared in 1783, now eighteen years old, on the muster rolls of HMS Eurydice outward bound for a 21-month voyage to India. The ship's muster shows Christian's conduct was more than satisfactory because "some seven months out from England, he had been promoted from midshipman to master's mate". Christian twice sailed to Jamaica with Bligh. Fletcher Christian Mutiny on the Bounty Main article: Mutiny on the Bounty In 1787, Christian was appointed master's mate on Bounty, on Bligh's recommendation, for the ship's breadfruit expedition to Tahiti. During the voyage out, Bligh appointed him acting lieutenant. Bounty arrived at Tahiti on 26 October 1788 and Christian spent the next five months there. Bounty set sail with its cargo of breadfruit plantings on 4 April 1789. Some 1,300 miles west of Tahiti, near Tonga, mutiny broke out on 28 April 1789, led by Christian. According to accounts, the sailors were attracted to the "idyllic" life and sexual opportunities afforded on the Pacific island of Tahiti. It has also been argued that they were motivated by Bligh's allegedly harsh treatment of them. Eighteen mutineers set Bligh afloat in a small boat with eighteen of the twenty-two crew loyal to him. Following the mutiny, Christian attempted to build a colony on Tubuai, but there the mutineers met with conflict with natives. Abandoning the island, he stopped briefly in Tahiti where he married Maimiti, the daughter of one of the local chiefs, on 16 June 1789. While on Tahiti, he dropped off sixteen crewmen. These sixteen included four Bligh loyalists who had been left behind on Bounty and two who had neither participated in, nor resisted, the mutiny. The remaining nine mutineers, six Tahitian men and eleven Tahitian women then sailed eastward. In time, they landed on Pitcairn Island, where they stripped Bounty of all that could be floated ashore before Matthew Quintal set it on fire, stranding them. The resulting sexual imbalance, combined with the effective enslavement of the Tahitian men by the mutineers, led to insurrection and the deaths of most of the men.[citation needed] Fletcher Christian Death The American seal-hunting ship Topaz visited Pitcairn in 1808 and found only one mutineer, John Adams (who had used the alias Alexander Smith while on Bounty), still alive along with nine Tahitian women. The mutineers who had perished had, however, already had children with their Tahitian wives. Most of these children were still living. Adams and Maimiti claimed Christian had been murdered during the conflict between the Tahitian men and the mutineers. According to an account by a Pitcairnian woman named Jenny who left the island in 1817, Christian was shot while working by a pond next to the home of his pregnant wife. Along with Christian, four other mutineers and all six of the Tahitian men who had come to the island were killed in the conflict. William McCoy, one of the four surviving mutineers, fell off a cliff while intoxicated and was killed. Quintal was later killed by the remaining two mutineers, Adams and Ned Young, after he attacked them. Young became the new leader of Pitcairn. John Adams gave conflicting accounts of Christian's death to visitors on ships that subsequently visited Pitcairn. He was variously said to have died of natural causes, committed suicide, gone insane and been murdered. Christian was survived by Maimiti and his son, Thursday October Christian (born 1790). Besides Thursday October, Fletcher Christian also had a younger son named Charles Christian (born 1792) and a daughter Mary Ann Christian (born 1793). Thursday and Charles are the ancestors of almost everybody with the surname Christian on Pitcairn and Norfolk Islands, as well as the many descendants who have moved to Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Rumours have persisted for more than two hundred years that Christian's murder may have been faked, that he had left the island and that he made his way back to England. Many scholars believe that the rumours of Christian returning to England helped to inspire Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. There is no portrait or drawing extant of Fletcher Christian that was drawn from life. Bligh described Christian as "5 ft. 9 in. high [175 cm]. blackish or very dark complexion. Hair - Blackish or very dark brown. Make - Strong. A star tatowed [sic] on his left breast, and tatowed [sic] on the backside. His knees stand a little out and he may be called a little bow legged. He is subject to violent perspiration, particularly in his hand, so that he soils anything he handles". Christian was portrayed in films by: Wilton Power in The Mutiny of the Bounty (1916) Errol Flynn in In the Wake of the Bounty (1933) Clark Gable in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) Marlon Brando in Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) Mel Gibson in The Bounty (1984) The 1935 and 1962 films are based on the 1932 novel Mutiny on the Bounty in which Christian is a major character and is generally portrayed positively. The authors of that novel, Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, also wrote two sequels, one of which, Pitcairn's Island, is the story of the tragic events after the mutiny that apparently resulted in Christian’s death along with other violent deaths on Pitcairn Island. (The other sequel, Men Against the Sea, is the story of Bligh's voyage after the mutiny.) This series of novels uses fictionalised versions of minor crew members as narrators of the stories. The Bounty, released in 1984, is less sympathetic to Christian than previous treatments were. Notes ^ Mutiny on the HMS Bounty: Bligh, Christian, Pitcairn, Norfolk at the Wayback Machine (archived December 5, 2000) ^ Glynn Christian, Fragile Paradise: The discovery of Fletcher Christian, Bounty mutineer; 2nd ed. (U.S.A.: Bounty Books, 2005), p. 11. ^ Charles Christian at thepeerage.com, accessed 28 May 2010 ^ a b Anderson. The Bounty. p.60. ^ Hough. Captain Bligh and Mister Christian. p.56. ^ Anderson. The Bounty. p.57. ^ thePeerage.com - Person Page 11908 ^ Alexander, C. (2003) pp.359-360 ^ The poet Robert Southey reported in correspondence a sighting of Christian in England in about 1803. Curry, K. (ed)(1965) New Letters of Robert Southey, vol. 1, pp 519ff, cited in Alexander, C. (2003), p.405 ^ Williams; Oakeshott. The Cambridge Journal. p.190. ^ "Bounty's Crew Encyclopedia, Christian, Fletcher". Pitcairn Island Study Center (PISC). The text on the PISC website is used with permission from Mutiny and Romance in the South Seas: A Companion to the Bounty Adventure by Sven Wahlroos. ^ Hamilton. The Neutronium Alchemist. ^ Ian Fairclough (2012-10-29). "Bounty victim was mutineer’s relative". The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 2012-10-29. Bibliography Hamilton. The Neutronium Alchemist. Alexander, Caroline (2003). The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty. New York: Viking. ISBN0-670-03133-X. Hough, Richard (1973). Captain Bligh and Mister Christian: The Men and the Mutiny. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co. ISBN0-525-07310-8. Williams, T.F.D.; Oakeshott, M. (1954). The Cambridge Journal. London: Bowes and Bowes. Further reading Christian, Glynn (2005). Fragile Paradise: the Discovery of Fletcher Christian, Bounty Mutineer. Classic Travel Books, Long Riders' Guild Press. ISBN1-59048-250-6. Conway, Christiane (2005). Letters from the Isle of Man - The Bounty-Correspondence of Nessy and Peter Heywood. The Manx Experience. ISBN 1-873120-77-X.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_18	MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY MEL GIBSON ANTHONY HOPKINS MARLON BRANDO CHARLES LAUGHTON CLARK GABLE YAHOO RATING - B+ IMDb RATING - 6.8 out of 10 COMMENT - More historically accurate than the 1935 film, but Bligh is still presented unfairly. The movie concludes with scenes from the court-martial of William Bligh for the loss of his ship. (Bligh was acquitted.)...There are lots of beautiful sunsets and lush island scenes, where great efforts are made to hide the frontal nudity of natives. TRIVIA - Brando was at his most outrageous in Tahiti, ordering changes to the script (e.g., he wanted the final scenes on Pitcairn Island reshot to include his ideas about man's inhumanity to man), demanding that film crew members prepare for a friend's wedding, and insisting that planeloads of champagne and other goodies be flown in for his consumption. He married a Tahitian actress in the film (his third wife) and bought an atoll on which he created a posh resort and an environmental reserve. The 1984 Version In 1984, the movie The Bounty starring Anthony Hopkins as Bligh and Mel Gibson as Christian was released. The movie is set during the trial of Lt. William Bligh upon arriving home after the mutiny had occurred. In this movie, the events of the voyage up to and after the mutiny are shown as a series of flashbacks. Bligh is not so much portrayed as a cruel tyrant in this film, but rather as a traditional ship's captain - a man of his times. While some savage beatings were carried out under Bligh's watch in this film, it seems to be in this film no different than any other captain would have done. The crew is shown in a different light than in the previous two films. They are shown to be a much more "rough and tumble" group than the crews in the other films. Many of them are shown as typical sailors of the time. Their motivations in this film are not always as noble as in the other two films. In this film, Fletcher Christian is a more complex character. He is shown at first as a friend of Bligh. At first Bligh thinks so much of Christian that he asks the man to sail with him for a second time. However over the course of the film both men turn against each other. The feelings become much more acrimonius after the ship leaves Tahiti after Fletcher has been forced to leave his wife behind on Tahiti. In this film, she is more of a reason that Fletcher mutinied than in the previous two films. Afterwards, Fletcher is shown as feeling remorseful because of the mutiny. He tells another mutineer that he wished he had given Bligh some muskets. In this film, the crew is shown as having more responsibility than they did in other films. This film does not so much hold Bligh as responsible - rather it is the desire of some of the crew to go back to Tahiti. However, it does make the fact that Bligh was going to try circumnavigation as one of the reasons that some of the crew decided to mutiny. Like the 1935 film, this version also concentrates on the trials of Bligh and those who were forced into the launch with him. It is the only film to show that one man died because of an attack by the natives of an island where the launch stopped. Once Bligh's launch reaches a Dutch colony, his part in the story comes to an end. It shows the later voyages of the Bounty as they go to Pitcairn Island. It then goes to Bligh's trial where he is subsequently acquitted by the Admirality. The 1984 film was probably one of the more historically accurate of the films dealing with the Bounty. It shows both Bligh and the crew as more products of their time than anything else. This film also suggests that the motives behind the mutiny might not have been as noble as suggested in the other films. It also portrays the natives mostly nude as they would have appeared at the time of The Bounty's visit to the island (the previous films couldn't portray this because of censorship and decency concerns). Despite the distinguished castï¿½including Daniel Day-Lewis and Liam Neeson in supporting roles and Laurence Olivier in a cameo appearance as Admiral Hoodï¿½the film had a tepid critical reception (the capsule review in Newsday read in its entirety as follows: "Man the bilge pumps") and was not a great commercial success. PLOT DESCRIPTION The 1932 publication of Charles Nordhoff and James Norton Hall's Mutiny on the Bounty sparked a revival of interest in the titular 1789 ship mutiny, and this 1935 MGM movie version won the Oscar for Best Picture. Clark Gable stars as Fletcher Christian, first mate of the infamous HMS Bounty, skippered by Captain William Bligh ( Charles Laughton ), the cruelest taskmaster on the Seven Seas. Bligh's villainy knows no bounds: he is even willing to flog a dead man if it will strengthen his hold over the crew. Christian despises Bligh and is sailing on the Bounty under protest. During the journey back to England, Bligh's cruelties become more than Christian can bear; and after the captain indirectly causes the death of the ship's doctor, the crew stages a mutiny, with Christian in charge. Bligh and a handful of officers loyal to him are set adrift in an open boat. Through sheer force of will, he guides the tiny vessel on a 49-day, 4000-mile journey to the Dutch East Indies without losing a man. Historians differ on whether Captain Bligh was truly such a monster or Christian such a paragon of virtue (some believe that the mutiny was largely inspired by Christian's lust for the Tahitian girls). The movie struck gold at the box office, and, in addition to the Best Picture Oscar, Gable, Laughton, and Franchot Tone as one of the Bounty's crew were all nominated for Best Actor (they all lost to Victor McLaglan in The Informer ). The film was remade (badly) in 1962 and adapted into the "revisionist" 1984 feature The Bounty with Mel Gibson as Fletcher Christian and Anthony Hopkins as Captain Bligh. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide Type: Features Rating: NR (Mild Violence)	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_19	The Bounty, Pitcairn Island, and Fletcher Christian's Descendants The Bounty, Pitcairn Island, and Fletcher Christian's Descendants April 28 marks the anniversary of the world's most famous mutiny by Borgna Brunner Phrases in the Pitcairnese Dialect I starten. – I'm going. Bou yo gwen? – Where are you going? I gwen down Farder's morla. – I'm going down to Father's place tomorrow. Bou yo bin? – Where have you been? I gwen out yenna fer porpay. – I'm going out yonder for red guavas. Foot yawly come yah? – Why did you come here? Up a side, Tom'sa roll. – Up at that place, Tom fell down. Source: Ray and Eileen Young, New Zealand residents descended from Midshipmen Edward Young of the Bounty. Courtesy of the Pitcairn Island Web site. It is not surprising that the most famous of all mutinies , that of the British HMS Bounty , has become ideal fodder for popular history and legend. The mutiny has generated five films (who can think of Fletcher Christian without picturing Marlon Brando ?) as well as countless books (including a historical novel by Mark Twain , The Great Revolution in Pitcairn). Set in the paradisiacal islands of the South Seas, the mutiny involved a host of colorful characters, including the tyrannical Captain Bligh , the aristocratic Fletcher Christian (a distant relation of William Wordsworth's ), numerous uninhibited Tahitian women, and a pack of sailors made up of cockney orphans and ruffian adverturers. Anglo-Tahitian Culture Preserved What has also helped to perpetuate the romantic fascination with the mutiny is the existence of a small community on Pitcairn Island directly descended from the mutineers and their Tahitian wives. Living on a 1.75 square mile volcanic speck in the South Pacific that is surely one of the most isolated places on Earth, the contemporary Pitcairn Islanders still bear the surnames of the eighteenth century mutineers (Tom Christian, for example, is the great-great-great-grandson of Fletcher). The islanders speak a dialect that is a hybrid of Tahitian and eighteenth-century English. It is as if history had been preserved in a petri dish (another admittedly romantic notion about an already widely romanticized past). Paradise The Bounty left England on Dec. 23, 1787, and reached Tahiti in 1788. It was sent to collect a cargo of breadfruit saplings, which was then to be transported to Jamaica where the breadfruit would serve as food for slaves working on the plantations. After sailing 27,000 miles over ten months, the crew spent a sybaritic idyll on Tahiti, where they reveled in the subtropical climate, lush surroundings, and overwhelming warmth and hospitality of the Tahitians. A scientist of the time, gladly abandoning reason for passion, claimed that the Tahitians knew "no other god but love; every day is consecrated to it, the whole island is its temple, all the women are its idols, all the men its worshippers." Many of the men found Tahitian companions, and Fletcher Christian and a Tahitian named Maimiti fell deeply in love and later married. For Christian, Maimiti had the face that launched one mutinous ship. Breadfruit Bligh On April 4, 1789, the Bounty embarked on the second leg of its journey with a cargo of a thousand breadfruit saplings aboard. A little more than three weeks later, near the island of Tonga , the crew, led by first mate Fletcher Christian, staged a mutiny against Captain William Bligh, under whom they claimed to suffer inhuman treatment. Bligh and eighteen loyal sailors were set adrift in a 23-foot open boat. According to Captain Bligh's diary, the mutineers threw breadfruit after him as he was forced off the Bounty, and yelled, "There goes the Bounty bastard, breadfruit Bligh!" Miraculously, Bligh and his loyalists survived the seven-week, 3,600-mile voyage in the cramped boat, finally reaching the island of Timor . Discovering Pitcairn Pitcairn's coordinates are 25 04 S, 130 06 W. After the mutiny, Christian and his sailors returned to Tahiti, where sixteen of the twenty-five men decided to remain for good. Christian, along with eight others, their women, and a handful of Tahitian men then scoured the South Pacific for a safe haven, eventually settling on Pitcairn on January 23, 1790. An isolated volcanic island 1,350 miles southeast of Tahiti, it was named after British midshipman Robert Pitcairn, who first sighted the island on July 2, 1767. Its location had been incorrectly charted by the explorer Carteret , who missed the mark by 200 miles, and was therefore the ideal refuge for the mutineers. Although a British ship spent three months searching for them, the mutineers eluded detection. Those who had remained on Tahiti were not so lucky. They were swiftly captured and brought to trial in England, where seven were exonerated and three were hanged. Psychoanalyzing Captain Bligh The circumstances leading to the mutiny remain unclear. History has alternately presented William Bligh as horrifically cruel or as a disciplined captain merely running a tight ship. Scenes from movies in which he keel-hauled sailors or gave their water rations to the breadfruit plants have no historical basis, but diplomacy and compassion were clearly not his strong suits. In short, the captain is believed to have been a foul-tempered, highly critical authoritarian with a superiority complex. Bligh himself contended that the mutineers "had assured themselves of a more happy life among the Otaheitans [Tahitians] than they could possibly have in England, which, joined to some female connections, has most likely been the leading cause of the whole business." Bligh Climbs the Naval Ladder Rather than Walking the Plank Certainly the stark contrast between the pleasures of Tahiti and the bleak life aboard the Bounty played a role in igniting the mutiny, but the blame seems to rest largely on Bligh's failings as a captain. The fact that Bligh was later involved in yet another mutiny and again accused of "oppressive behavior" makes the occasional attempts to rehabilitate his reputation unconvincing. In 1805 he was appointed governor of New South Wales, Britain's colony of Australia. The colonists, well accustomed to harsh leaders and conditions, found Bligh's rule intolerable. Within three years, they mutineed; Bligh was imprisoned and sent back to England. Ironically, having two mutinies on his record did not stymie Bligh's career–he was eventually promoted to Vice Admiral. Although he was arrogant and cruel, he was also courageous and intelligent, as well as an excellent navigator, astronomer, and cartographer–he could never have survived the seven-week, 3,600-mile post-mutiny voyage otherwise. The Ebb & Flow 2014: 48 * Pitcairn's population dropped to zero when all the inhabitants emigrated to Norfolk Island. Landing on Pitcairn Island in 1790, the mutineers and Tahitians remained invisible to the world for eighteen years. Despite the fledgling society's opportunity to invent itself from scratch, island culture more closely resembled Lord of the Flies than a Rousseauvian utopia. When an American whaler discovered the island in 1808, murder and suicide had left eight of the nine mutineers dead. Pitcairn Joins the Commonwealth Pitcairn flourished under the leadership of the last surviving mutineer, John Adams, a Cockney orphan who had joined the Bounty under the pseudonym Alexander Smith. He reverted to his real name on Pitcairn–apparently deciding it was the sort of place where he could let his hair down. Adamstown, the capital, is named after him. Despite his former hard-drinking days and near illiteracy, Adams emphasized the importance of religion and education to the Bounty's second generation–which included Fletcher Christian's son, Thursday October Christian, the first child born on the island. In 1825, a British ship arrived and formally granted Adams amnesty, and on November 30, 1838, the Pitcairn Islands (which also include three uninhabited islands–Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno) were incorporated into the British Empire . Emigration to Norfolk Island By 1855, the population had grown to nearly 200, and the tiny island, with only 88 acres of flat land, could no longer sustain its people. As a result, Queen Victoria bequeathed them Norfolk Island , a former penal colony more than 3,700 miles to the west. On May 3, 1856, the entire population of 194 people reluctantly abandoned Pitcairn. Within 18 months, however, seventeen of the immigrants returned to Pitcairn, followed by another four families in 1864. Contemporary Norfolk has approximately 1000 Bounty descendants–about half its population–and celebrates Bounty Day (the day the Pitcairners first arrived) on June 8. Contemporary Pitcairn Languages: English (official); Anglo-Tahitian dialect Chief Occupations: subsistence farming and fishing Agriculture: citrus fruits, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams, and beans. Average Temperature: 55°-90°F Major source of revenue: postage stamps and handicrafts Currency: New Zealand dollar Area: 1.75 square miles Today about 50 people live on Pitcairn. All but a handful–a pastor, the schoolteacher, and others–are direct descendants of the mutineers. The only way to reach the island is by ship, but storms and Pitcairn's dangerous harbor have sometimes prevented landings. In recent years one of Pitcairn's thrice-annual supply ships ran aground on a reef on its way from Norfolk to Pitcairn. Mail service takes approximately three months, and for medical attention, Pitcairners must wait for a ship to transport them to New Zealand, several thousand miles to the west. All are Seventh-Day Adventists who converted sometime after 1886, when an American missionary arrived on the island. The islanders support themselves by producing postage stamps and making handicrafts, which they sell primarily to visitors on passing ships. Their meager revenue does not cover the enormous costs incurred in keeping the remote island running–electricity, among other things, is exhorbitant and cargo costs several thousand dollars per ton to transport. Great Britain has until now subsidized the island, but it is uncertain whether it will continue to underwrite the expenses of its tiny but costly colony. World Wide Web Brings the Wide World to Pitcairn There are individuals and organizations around the world devoted to the Pitcairners, their genealogy, and the history of the mutiny (the genealogical tree extends to 7,500 known descendants throughout the world). Friends of the Pitcairn Islanders have even launched the island into cyberspace–the Pitcairn Island online portal , and Norfolk Island has its own site . It is now even possible to buy Pitcairn Island handicrafts through the Pitcairn Island Online Shop ! Pitcairn has also recently begun to sell its Internet domain name–".pn"–to those needing a unique URL. "Yahoo.com" may be out of the question, but "Yahoo.pn" just might be up for grabs. Islander Tom Christian originally sold the rights to the ".pn" domain to a British Internet company. When the cash-strapped islanders realized they were seeing no financial reward they fought for and eventually took back control of their domain name. Pitcairn Island. Courtesy of the Pitcairn Island Web Site. Paradise Lost In recent years, however, a sexual abuse scandal has cast a deep shadow over the island. Accounts of the victimization of women and young girls on Pitcairn began surfacing in 1999. Seven men–more than half the adult male population of the island–were charged with 96 counts of abuse, including rape and sexual assault. Some of the charges dated back four decades. Subject to British law, the accused faced trial in October 2004 on Pitcairn. Three judges, a number of lawyers, and legal staff members made the 3,000-mile journey to Pitcairn from New Zealand. Eight women, all former Pitcairn Islanders, testified by video link from Auckland, New Zealand. On Oct. 29, 2004, four men were convicted of multiple sex offenses and received jail sentences of up to six years; two others were sentenced to community service. Jay Warren, the island's magistrate, was found innocent. The appeals of all four men were dismissed, and they are currently being jailed on Pitcairn and guarded by a prison staff from New Zealand.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_30	Fletcher Christian (1764 - 1793) - Find A Grave Memorial Death: Sep. 20, 1793, Pitcairn Islands Mutineer. Master's Mate and Acting Lieutenant on the HMS Bounty. His ancestors came from the Isle of Man and it appears that rebellion ran in the family. Christian's great-great-grandfather, the Manxman Illiam Dhone, led an uprising against the English on the island and was executed in 1663. He was also related to the poet William Wordsworth and both men were born in Cockermouth, Cumberland. His father was a gentleman farmer who died when Christian was three, plunging the family into financial straits. Christian's mother saw to it that he and his older brother received good educations, but in 1780 they lost their ancestral farm at Moorland Close and had to go live with relatives. Christian's decision to join the Royal Navy at age 17 was probably motivated by monetary concerns; he enlisted as a common seaman, which was unusual (not to mention demeaning) for someone with a gentleman's background. In a strange coincidence, the Lieutenant on Christian's first ship, the HMS Cambridge, was William Bligh, though the two had very little contact. Returning home in 1782, he fell in love with a young heiress named Isabella Curwen. She liked the tall, handsome and muscular Christian but chose to marry one of his cousins instead. The heartbroken young seaman returned to the Navy. In April 1783 Christian was on the HMS Eurydice as Midshipman on a voyage to India; during that time he was promoted to Acting Lieutenant, showing that he was a naturally skilled officer. Through family connections Christian then joined the crew of the merchant ship Britannia in 1785; the Commander was William Bligh. They sailed together twice to the West Indies and on the second trip Bligh promoted Christian to Second Mate. In 1787 Bligh was commissioned by Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society, for a voyage to the South Seas; its purpose was to transport breadfruit plants from Tahiti to the West Indies in order to grow cheap food for slaves. The ship Bligh was given was a former merchant vessel, the Bethia, refitted and renamed the HMS Bounty by Banks. Bligh chose Christian as Master's Mate---and the rest is history....Christian's motives for eventually taking the Bounty have intrigued people for over 200 years and have invited endless speculation about his character. The romantic view (effectively pushed by Hollywood) portrays him as a champion of the underdog rebelling against tyranny, while many historians (especially those partial to the British Navy) have dismissed Christian as a selfish neurotic who couldn't hack naval discipline, or even as a bloodthirsty pirate. The known facts are less clear cut. As an officer he was uniformly praised as extremely able, fair-minded, and compassionate towards the crew, never so much as cursing at a sailor; not a man aboard the Bounty, loyalist or mutineer, ever had a bad word to say about him. Even Bligh seemed to have liked Christian and promoted him to Acting Lieutenant (third-in-command of that small crew) not long after setting sail. But beneath this ideal officer was a deeply conflicted man, wracked with self-doubt and prone to profuse bouts of nervous sweating. The mildest criticism would depress him for days. The ship's senior officers accused Bligh of giving Christian preferential treatment---meaning that he wasn't verbally abused by the Commander as much as his colleagues---but Christian himself felt unfairly singled out for grief. The Bounty's stay in Tahiti (1788-89) was the turning point. Although there was much work to be done gathering the breadfruit plants and reconditioning the vessel, life on the island was a comparative paradise. After nearly six months of swimming, feasting, and polygamous sex with the natives, many of the crew were reluctant to face the difficult voyage home under an increasingly hot-tempered Bligh. (Three of the men attempted to desert and Bligh had them flogged). Christian certainly felt this way; he'd fallen in love with a Tahitian woman named Maimiti, calling her "Isabella" after his unrequited flame back in England. When the Bounty finally embarked for the West Indies in April 1789, the mood of the crew was incendiary. Even so, the mutiny that occurred three weeks later, on April 28, was an improvised, spur-of-the-moment fluke. On the night of April 27 Christian told some of the younger officers that he intended to jump ship aboard a raft and head back for Tahiti. According to one story, Midshipman Ned Young persuaded Christian to drop this scheme and commandeer the ship instead; but this is based more on Young's later ruthless behavior than any real evidence. The seed was probably planted---inadvertently---by another young Midshipman, George Stewart. Attempting to convince Christian that his steadfast presence was vital to the morale of the crew, Stewart warned him, "The men are ready for anything". Christian was left to chew on this remark during his early morning watch. Around 7:00 AM on April 28, Carpenter's Mate Charles Norman spotted a shark following the Bounty and requested a musket to shoot it. This gave Christian a perfect excuse to gain access to the ship's arms chest, the key to which was kept by Armorer Joseph Coleman. Motive, willing accomplices, and now opportunity---the elements all fell into place. While seaman Matthew Quintal was sent to pass the word, Christian and seaman John Adams went to Coleman for the key; once the arms chest was opened, Christian and Adams seized Coleman and the hastily gathered mutineers rushed in to arm themselves. Within moments a group led by Christian had stormed into Bligh's cabin (he had just woken up and was half naked) and arrested him. The mutiny lasted about an hour; despite the chaos, Christian saw to it that no one was killed or seriously injured. For a time there was indecision over what to do next. Christian only wanted to get rid of the four most hated men aboard: Bligh, Midshipmen Thomas Hayward and John Hallett, and the Ship's Clerk John Samuel; but more than half the crew remained loyal to Bligh, so 18 of them were put into the Bounty's launch with the deposed Commander and set adrift. (The remaining seven loyalists were kept against their will, mainly because there was no room for them in the launch). For the next nine months the Bounty was almost continuously at sea, with Christian growing hardened and desperate in his behavior. They sailed first to Tahiti; then to the island of Tubai; then back to Tahiti. In September 1789 Christian realized that his only chance to remain free was to settle on whatever uncharted South Seas island he could find. Of the 22 Bounty men on Tahiti, only eight (all mutineers) agreed to go along, taking with them 12 Tahitian women and six Tahitian men. (Christian was accompanied by Maimiti, now his wife, and she would bear him three children). On January 15, 1790, the Bounty arrived at Pitcairn Island, a 1.3-mile hunk of volcanic rock isolated in the South Pacific. First sighted by westerners in 1767, it was named for its discoverer, Robert Pitcairn. Although it was charted, Christian was delighted to learn that Pitcairn's position on the nautical maps had been mistakenly placed 188 miles west of its actual location, making it difficult to find---and an excellent refuge. After determining that the island had sufficient natural resources for survival, the mutineers burned and sank the Bounty on January 23. (The event is commemorated on Pitcairn as "Bounty Day"). If Christian had hoped to build a peaceful, thriving community with everyone pitching in for the common good, he was soon disabused of that notion. The mutineers fell prey to a "Lord of the Flies" mentality and there was constant squabbling over duties, land, provisions, and especially over the women. Mutineer Ned Young, aided by Adams, exploited each situation to his advantage and became de facto ruler of Pitcairn; Christian grew increasingly depressed, and island tradition has it that he would often retreat into a nearby cave to brood. (The cave, naturally, is now named for him). The biggest dilemma was the growing hostility of the Tahitian men. Kidnapped into virtual slavery by Christian, they were abused by some of the white men and had to share three women between them. The tension reached breaking point in 1793 with the accidental death of mutineer John Williams' consort. Williams demanded a replacement and was given one of the natives' women, sparking a killing spree that came to be known on the island as "Massacre Day". Early on September 20, 1793, the Tahitians, armed with stolen muskets and clubs, began slaughtering the mutineers at their homes. Five Bounty men were killed; Christian was the second to go, shot at least twice and finished off with a club and a rock. He may have eluded British justice, but he could not escape Darwin's law of survival of the fittest. He was probably buried close to where he fell. Today there are many of his descendants living on Pitcairn, on Norfolk Island, and throughout the Pacific....After two centuries Fletcher Christian remains a vivid figure in popular culture. Almost from the beginning there were those who refused to believe he actually died, at least not in the grisly manner recorded by history. Shortly before his death in 1831, Bounty survivor Peter Heywood swore that he saw a man who looked exactly like Christian on a Plymouth street in 1808. This gave rise to the legend that Christian somehow returned undetected to England---a legend bolstered by mutineer John Adams. The mutineers had scuttled the Bounty but not its sloop, which they kept for fishing expeditions and, if needed, a quick getaway from the island. When British sailors visited Pitcairn in 1814, they noticed that the sloop was nowhere to be seen. The enigmatic Adams would not explain its disappearance, and he refused to show his visitors where Christian was buried. There are probably sensible explanations for both. Moored along Pitcairn's rocky coastline---the island has no beach or natural harbor---the sloop was probably dashed to pieces in a storm. As for the gravesite, Adams may not have wanted anyone to see how carelessly Christian had been buried, his resting place unmarked and grown over with tropical foliage. (Guilt may have played a role as well, since there is evidence that Ned Young, with Adams' knowledge, helped provoke the events which led to Christian's murder). And it is hard to dismiss the testimony of Maimiti, who described her husband's death in great detail. But the idea of Christian truly beating the law and returning home to live happily ever after is too tantalizing for some to relinquish. It adds to the enduring mystery and attraction of the world's most famous mutineer. (bio by: Bobb Edwards)	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_32	Mutiny on the Bounty (1789) The Story of the Court-Martial of the Bounty Mutineers by Douglas Linder (c) 2004 The true story of the the 1789 mutiny on the Bounty is far more complicated than suggested by film versions of the event , which have emphasized the gratuitous cruelty of the ship's captain, William Bligh . The psychological drama that played out in the South Seas starring Bligh, the efficient disciplinarian, and his mate, the sensitive and proud Fletcher Christian, led to, among other things: one of the most amazing navigational feats in maritime history, the founding of a British settlement that continues to exist today, and a court-martial in England that answered the question of which of ten captured mutineers should live--and which should die--for their actions. The ill-fated voyage of the Bounty would never have happened had it not been for the discovery in 1769 of a botanical curiosity, given the name " breadfruit ," on the island of Tahiti. On board the Endeavor, captained by the celebrated James Cook, as it sailed into Tahiti was some of England's best scientific talent, including botanist Joseph Banks . After the American colonies achieved independence, and the reliable supply of fish they had been exporting to England became unavailable, Banks (named in 1778 as the president of the Royal Society) concluded breadfruit might fill the sudden gap in the diet of English slaves working the sugar plantations of Jamaica and the Lesser Antilles. Support built for an expedition to retrieve and transplant breadfruit, thanks to Banks constantly pushing the idea, and in 1787 Banks successfully petitioned the king to sponsor the effort. A vessel was obtained and a commander, William Bligh, selected. The voyage, however, did not rank high in the Admiralty's priorities--the ship was small, and Bligh was denied the status "master and commander" and the other commissioned officers and security force usually given to the captain of a voyage of such length. William Bligh's career at sea had a remarkable upward trajectory. By age 22, he had been appointed sailing master (the person in charge of day-to-day management of the ship) of the Resolution, captained by James Cook. After rounding the Cape of Good Hope, the Resolution spent a year exploring the Pacific from the southern islands to the Arctic north. In the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii), Bligh witnessed Cook being bludgeoned to death on a beach by natives--a shocking event which might have powerfully shaped his own ideas about discipline. By 1786, Bligh earned command of his own ship, the Britannia, and brought on as a young able-bodied seaman Fletcher Christian, a twenty-three-year-old man with connections to the extended Bligh family. On August 20, 1787, Lieutenant Bligh took command of the Bounty. When he began to fit-out and man the ship one of the first persons he recruited was Fletcher Christian. On December 23, 1787, after weeks of delay, the Bounty sailed from Spithead, England, bound for Tahiti by way of Cape Horn . Arriving at the tip of South America in late March, the Bounty encountered day after day of mountainous waves that finally forced Bligh to order a ten thousand mile detour around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. The Bounty reached Cape Town on May 24, where it remained for thirty-eight days as it was completely overhauled and resupplied. Bligh wrote, "Perhaps a Voyage of five Months which I have now performed without touching at any one place but at Tenarif [Canary Islands], has never been accomplished with so few accidents, and such health among Seamen in a like continuance of bad weather." During the difficult months at sea and the layover on the Cape, Bligh and Christian remained on good terms. In Cape Town, in fact, Bligh loaned money to Christian, a not insignificant act of friendship from someone who himself had to watch every penny. Seven weeks after leaving the Cape, the Bounty anchored off the southern coast of Tasmania. At Adventure Bay on Tasmania the first signs of real trouble surfaced. Bligh criticized his carpenter, William Purcell, for cutting poor quality billets of wood. Purcell responded that Bligh just came onshore "to find fault" and became so insolent that Bligh ordered him back to the ship. Bligh lamented that he was so shorthanded he could not afford to confine or to try Purcell for refusing orders (and flogging was not, for a warrant officer, an available option)--a fact Purcell seemed to recognize as he continued a course of studied disobedience. James Morrison, boatswain's mate, wrote that at Adventure Bay "were sown seeds of eternal discord between Lieut. Bligh & the Carpenter, and it will be no more than true to say, with all the Officers in general." Adventure Bay also brought on the voyage's first death. Able seaman James Valentine contracted an ailment there that led to his being bled by the ship's surgeon, Thomas Huggan. Unfortunately, the bleeding resulted in an infection which led to Valentine's delirium and death. Bligh blamed Valentine's death on the incompetence of Huggan and the indifference of officers who, he believed, should have spotted symptoms earlier. Tahiti 28,086 miles after leaving England, on October 24, 1788, the Bounty rounded a reef on Tahiti's Point Venus . Islanders in throngs of canoes greeted the ship, and "in ten minutes," wrote Bligh, the Bounty was so filled with Tahitians that "I could scarce find my own people." Within a few days, Bligh busied himself gaining the permission of various island chiefs to pull up and carry to the ship breadfruit. Bligh's relations with the natives were cordial, and he loved the place, as this entry in his log makes clear: "[Matavai Bay, Tahiti is] certainly the Paradise of the World, and if happiness could result from situation and convenience, here it is to be found in the highest perfection. I have seen many parts of the World, but Otaheite [Tahiti] is capable of being preferable to them all." The onset of the rainy season meant that the Bounty would be in Tahiti for five months. Crew members constructed a compound that served as a nursery for breadfruit, and Bligh gave the breadfruit project nearly his full attention. Discipline problems were fairly minor (although Purcell's insolence continued to be an issue) during the first few months of the Bounty's stay on the island, but Bligh's order prohibiting crew members from most trading with natives led to considerable grumbling. Still, crew members couldn't be too unhappy, what with an abundant supply of native women, most of whom seem quite pleased to enjoy frequent sexual relations with their pale-faced visitors for the price of a few nails. The first serious problem of the Tahitian stay occurred in January, when three crew members (Charles Churchill, John Millward, and William Muspratt) and a considerable amount of arms and ammunition turned up missing. Bligh demanded that his Tahitian friends aid in returning the deserters and their supplies. He warned he would "make the whole Country suffer for it" if they failed to "bring the Deserters back." Bligh's temper erupted a few days after the desertion when he found that spare sails he had ordered out of storage had been left mildewed and rotted. "Scarce any neglect of duty can equal the criminality of this," he fumed in his log. Three weeks after they disappeared, the deserters were tracked down at in a village five miles away from the Bounty. The men were subjected to repeated lashings and placed in irons, but they remained grateful that Bligh had indicated that he would not recommend them for a court-martial, a proceeding that might be expected to result in their executions. Bligh blamed the desertion in large part on Midshipman Thomas Hayward, who had fallen asleep at his station at the critical time. Bligh began compiling a long list of complaints in his own mind of misconduct and neglect by his officers. He complained: "Such a neglectfull and worthless petty Officers I believe never was in a Ship as are in this. No Orders for a few hours together are Obeyed by them, and their conduct in general is so bad, that no confidence or trust can be reposed in them." With 1,015 breadfruit safely on board, the Bounty was readied for its departure after twenty-three weeks in Tahiti. Many of the men did not share Bligh's interest in leaving their island pleasures behind. On the early afternoon of April 5, the ship sailed west. Mutiny On April 11, the Bounty anchored at an island the natives called Whytootackee, one of the Friendly Islands. Soon after leaving Whytootackee, Master John Fryer later reported, Bligh and Christian argued bitterly. According to Fryer, around midnight on April 21, Christian complained to Bligh, "Sir, your abuse is so bad that I cannot do my duty with any pleasure. I have been in hell for weeks with you." The Bounty continued to sail westward, landing at Anamooka on April 24. Bligh again had words with Christian at Anamooka, calling him a "cowardly rascal" for letting fear, while he was under arms, of "a set of naked savages" interfere with his work of supervising the kegging of water. The captain became further enraged when a native diver was able to slip the grapnel, a small anchor, off its line. Bligh decided to detain some chiefs that were on board the Bounty until the grapnel was returned. In his rage over the lost grapnel, Bligh also chastised officers and crew as "lubberly rascals" who could be easily disarmed by five people "with good sticks." The grapnel never showed up and Bligh, not really anxious to cart the chiefs back to England, returned them to native canoes. The Bounty headed north through calm seas toward the island of Tofua. On the morning of August 27, Bligh concluded that some coconuts were missing from the pile kept between the guns. "Don't you think those coconuts have shrunk since last night?" he asked Fryer. Bligh announced that he would find and punish the coconut thief. He questioned one person after another about the missing nuts. According to boatswain's mate James Morrison, Christian responded to Bligh's interrogation of him by saying, "I hope you don't think me guilty of stealing." Bligh answered, "Yes, you damned hound, I do--You must have stolen them from me or you could give a better account of them....I suppose you'll steal my yams next, but I'll sweat you for it you rascals. I'll make half of you jump overboard before you through Endeavor Straights." He ended the confrontation with orders that rations for yams be cut in half. Christian was left devastated by the incident. William Purcell reported that Christian left Bligh with tears "running fast from his eyes in big drops." Bligh seemed to shrug off the blowup, and later invited Christian to dine with him--as had been his custom on every third evening--that night. Bligh described what happened in the predawn hours of April 28: "Just before sun-rising, Mr. Christian, with the master at arms, gunner's mate, and Thomas Burket, seaman, came into my cabin while I was asleep, and seizing me, tied my hands with a cord behind my back, and threatened me with instant death, if I spoke or made the least noise." The mutineers hauled Bligh--still in his nightshirt and naked from the waist down--out of bed and forced him on deck. As others gathered on deck, the mutineers ordered two boatswain to lower the Bounty's launch. Eighteen people either were ordered into the launch or entered voluntarily. Bligh by now recognized was about to be set adrift. Assorted provisions were gathered, including twine, canvas, lines, sails, a twenty-gallon cask of water, 150 pounds of bread, a tool chest, a compass and a small quantity of rum. Bligh implored Christian to remember that, back in England, his children had bounced on his knee. Christian, replying with emotion, said, "I am in hell--I am in hell." Bligh, after being ordered into the launch, asked for arms, but only received laughs. At the last minute, four cutlasses were tossed into the twenty-three-foot boat. Bligh reported: "After having undergone a great deal of ridicule, and been kept some time to make sport for these unfeeling wretches, we were at length cast adrift in the open ocean." To three loyalists detained on board the Bounty against their will, Bligh called out, "Never fear, my lads; I'll do you justice if I ever reach England!" Tracking Down the Mutineers Eleven months after the mutiny, and against all odds, William Bligh reached the home shores of England. Bligh took rightful pride in his accomplishment, and in his Narrative of the Mutiny , published just months after his return, he devoted a scant six pages to the mutiny and eighty to the story of his remarkable 3,618-mile subsequent voyage in an overloaded, under provisioned boat. The English Chronicle called Bligh's navigation of "his little skiff through so dangerous a sea" a "matchless...undertaking that seems beyond the verge of probability." A court-martial, routine in cases where captains lose ships, found him innocent of any wrongdoing. The nation hailed Bligh as a hero and within a year he was appointed captain of a new breadfruit expedition, this one with a full complement of lieutenants and marines for better security. In the summer of 1790 Captain Edward Edwards assumed command of the 24-gun frigate Pandora , with orders to sail to the Pacific and bring back whatever Bounty mutineers he and his men could round up. On board as his third lieutenant was Thomas Hayward, a Bounty midshipman who accompanied Bligh on his legendary journey in the 23-foot launch. The Pandora arrived in Tahiti in on a fine March day in 1791. Three Bounty crew members, anxious to rebuild their lives back in England, swam out to the Pandora. Peter Heywood, who was just seventeen at the time of the mutiny, and Joseph Coleman and George Stewart, after announcing that they were formerly of the Bounty, were arrested and placed in chains. Coleman informed Captain Edwards of events after the mutiny. He explained that Fletcher Christian left sixteen men on Tahiti and then departed with the other mutineers in search of a safe tropical haven. Of the sixteen left in Tahiti, Coleman said, two men, Charles Churchill and Matthew Thompson, had been murdered. From talking with curious Tahitians that had climbed aboard the Pandora, Edwards learned the probable whereabouts of the eleven remaining fugitives on the island. Edwards mounted a roundup effort with the help of local leaders. By the second day, able seaman Richard Skinner was in chains. A party dispatched to arrest a group that had recently sailed in a schooner on the south coast discovered that the mutineers, having heard of the Pandora's arrival, fled into the mountain forests. The search party found three mutineers, James Morrison, Charles Norman, and Thomas Ellison, asleep in a shelter and returned them to the Pandora, where they were placed in a newly constructed prison hut on the quarterdeck. "Pandora's box" became the name of the eleven by eighteen foot space. About the same time, Michael Byrn, a fiddler who was nearly blind, became the eighth Bounty crew member captured. Within the next ten days, the last of the Tahitian fugitives were rounded up. Searchers discovered Henry Hilbrant and Thomas McIntosh in the hill country near Papara. In the same area the following night, whey found the last four men: Thomas Burkett, John Millward, John Sumner, and William Muspratt, the cook's assistant. From journals taken from the captured men, Captain Edwards pieced together the story that unfolded after the mutiny. Tensions erupted, it seemed, shortly after Christian took control of the Bounty, with some of the men complaining that Christian and his closest friends "were always served better than these who were thought to be disaffected." The ship anchored first on the island of Tubuai, some 350 miles south of Tahiti. Quarreling among the men increased, with claims to native women the most intense source of disagreement. Within a week, the Bounty sailed from tiny island back to Tahiti for supplies. With a load of pigs, goats, plants, chickens and--most significantly--nine Tahitian women, eight Tahitian men, and seven boys and one girl, the ship sailed back to the Tubuai. For three months, the mutineers struggled to build a community in Tubuai, but by September tensions had become unbearable among the various factions. The decision was made to split up, with some men to be brought back to Tahiti, while the others would sail with Christian in search of a new place of safety. On September 21, 1789, after dropping off sixteen men, each with a musket and seventeen pounds of powder, Christian and eight of his followers bid a final farewell to Tahiti. Where they sailed and what became of them, no one knew. He had told the men he would "search for an unknown or uninhabited island in which there was no harbour for shipping" and there would run the Bounty ashore--but that was the only clue as to the party's whereabouts. For the next three months, Edwards took the Pandora from one Pacific island to another, in a dogged search for the remaining fugitives. Trouble developed in the Samoas during a June rainstorm, when a vessel carrying nine men was lost. In August, with Christian's party still uncaptured, the Pandora finally turned toward England. On Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the Pandora ran aground and broke up. Thirty-one crew members and four of the fourteen prisoners (Skinner, still in handcuffs, Hilbrant, still in irons, and Sumner and Stewart, struck by a falling gangway) went down with the ship. The other ten prisoners, scattered among four lifeboats, eventually reached Coupang and, finally, England in March 1792. Court-Martial for Mutiny All ten of the Bounty prisoners (Burkett, Byrn, Coleman, Ellison, Heywood, McIntosh, Millward, Morrison, Muspratt, and Norman) faced the same charge: mutiny. Under the law of England, it mattered not whether a man actively participated in seizing command of the ship or took no action to oppose the mutiny. As Nessy Heywood, sister of one of the charged men, Peter Heywood, was reminded in a letter, "The man who stands Neuter is equally guilty with him who lifts his arms against his Captain." The President of the court-martial announced that all ten men would be tried together. Rejecting requests for separate trials, Lord Hood proclaimed, even before the proceeding began: "The Bounty's Mutineers being charged with and were guilty of the same atrocious Crime, committed at the same time." The court-martial of the Bounty mutineers opened on the gray morning of September 12, 1792 in the captain's great cabin of Lord Hood's ship, the Duke, moored in Portsmouth Harbor on England's southern coast. William Bligh, already a national hero, was far from Portsmouth on that day: As captain of the Providence, he was on his way back to the South Pacific on another breadfruit-gathering mission. The ten defendants in the court martial, each charged with violation of Article XIX of the Articles of War, knew that conviction meant probable death. The law read: "If any Person in or belonging to the Fleet shall make or endeavour to make any mutinous Assembly upon any Pretence whatsoever, every Person offending herein, and being convicted thereof by the Sentence of the Court-martial shall suffer Death." Judge Advocate Moses Greetham, handling the case for the British Navy, opened the proceeding by describing the long series of events, beginning with the breadfruit commission, that led to the court-martial. The jury of twelve naval officers in blue coats and gold buttons listened as Greetham continued by reading William Bligh's detailed report of the mutiny. The prosecution's case took only a few days. The key witnesses, unsurprisingly, were Bounty loyalists. After each witness testified, the defendants themselves--a rather uneducated lot with no special knowledge in the ways of the law--were given the opportunity to cross-examine them. One defendant, however, did have both helpful connections and sound legal advice. Young Peter Heywood (just fifteen at the time of the mutiny), acting on that legal advice, reserved his defense until the prosecution had closed its case. The prosecution based its case against the mutineers on three fundamental mistakes they made. First, in the prosecution's view, they took no actions to directly thwart the mutiny. Second, they did not get into the Bounty's launch with Captain Bligh. Finally, the prosecution noted, none of the men made any determined effort to return to England after the mutiny, but instead many went into hiding in Tahiti. Master of the Bounty, John Fryer , testified first for the prosecution. Fryer, who occupied a cabin opposite Bligh's, described being awoken by shouting just before dawn on the night of April 28, 1789. Mutineer Matthew Quintal stepped into his cabin and warned him that if he said anything he was a dead man. Fryer testified that he looked out his cabin door and saw Christian holding a cord that tied that hands of his nightshirt-clad captain. "Damn his Eyes," he recalled a mutineer saying to Bligh, "put him into the Boat, and let the bugger see if he can live upon three fourths of a Pound of Yams a day." Fryer told the court that he pleaded with Christian to abandon his mutinous ways, but Christian replied that he should "hold his tongue" and that "Bligh has brought all this on himself." Fryer offered damning testimony concerning some of the defendants. John Millward, he said, guarded him with arms. When Fryer suggested to Millward that he "knock down" the mutineer standing next to him, Fryer said, Millward cocked his musket and pointed it at Fryer with the warning, "Mr. Fryer be quiet; no one will hurt you." Fryer also reported seeing Thomas Burkett carrying a weapon during the mutiny. The Bounty's master told the court that we encouraged James Morrison to turn against the mutineers, Morrison replied, "It is too late." Finally, Fryer reported that he observed Thomas Ellison obeying Christian's order to loose the top gallants. Fryer's testimony was helpful to several of the other defendants, however. Fryer noted that Joseph Coleman "called out several times to recollect that he had no hand in the business," and he testified that during the mutiny he saw Thomas McIntosh and Charles Norman leaning against a rail, apparently crying. William Cole , the boatswain, testified next. He described visiting the seamen's quarters to awaken three of the defendants, Morrison, Millward, and McIntosh, after discovering Christian had taken the ship. None, he said, wanted anything to do with the mutiny, but while he was talking to them one of the mutineers, Charles Churchill, walked into the room and "called out to Millward, desired him to come upon Deck immediately to take a Musquet." Millward, Cole testified, complied with the request. Cole also recalled seeing the prisoner William Muspratt "with a Musquet in his Hand." Asked by the court whether he observed any of the defendants actively resist the mutiny, Cole answered that he did not. The court also asked Cole, "You have said that Coleman, Norman and McIntosh were retained in the Bounty against their will--Have you reason to believe that any of the other prisoners were detained against their inclinations?" Cole responded, "I believe Mr. Heywood was." The court swore in William Peckover the next morning. Peckover testified that Burkett, who was carrying arms, called down from the Bounty to the overloaded launch to see if he needed anything else. When Peckover said that he had "only what I stood in, a shirt, and a pair of trousers," Burkett left and returned ten minutes later with additional clothes, which he tossed into the boat. Peckover testified that except for Coleman, Norman, McIntosh, and Byrn, he "had every reason to suppose" that the other six defendants supported the mutiny. Witness William Purcell described, in his testimony, how he succeeded in changing Christian's mind, convincing the chief mutineer to allow the Bounty loyalists to have the larger and safer of the two available launches. Christian also relented to the ship's carpenter's demand that he be allowed to take his tool chest. Christian's concession on the tool chest prompted other mutineers to urge that Purcell be ordered to stay on the Bounty, as he with his tool chest might secure the loyalists "another vessel in a month." Purcell was the first witness to offer evidence that incriminated young Peter Heywood. Purcell testified that he saw Heywood on the booms with "his hand on a cutlass." When the carpenter called out to Heywood, "In the name of God Peter, what do you do with that?", Heywood "instantly dropped it." Purcell undid some of his damage to Heywood's case, however, when he described him as "a person confused and that he did not know that he had the weapon in his hand." Members of the court had a great number of question's concerning the cutlass, including one as to whether Purcell thought the mutineers would have knowingly allowed a person "well disposed to the Captain" to touch such a weapon. Several additional witnesses rounded out the case for the prosecution. They included midshipmen Thomas Hayward and John Hallett , able seaman John Smith , and Lieutenants Larkan and Corner of the Pandora. The prosecution rested its case on Friday, and the court allowed the defendants the weekend, as Caroline Alexander writes in The Bounty (2003), "to prepare and rehearse the words that would damn or save them." The Defenses The four men who Bligh had previously described as having been detained against their will, Norman , McIntosh , Coleman , and Byrn each offered short prepared defenses. The defenses included--for Norman and McIntosh--personal letters from Bligh declaring them innocent of mutiny. In the cases of these men, the court-martial was more a formality than a threat, and their eventual acquittal a virtual certainty. For three other men, execution was no less likely than acquittal was for the four detained loyalists. Thomas Burkett , for example, faced the damning testimony of more than one prosecution witness that he, with musket in hand, escorted Captain Bligh from his cabin. His long shot defense consisted of accusations against Fletcher Christian forced him to participate in the mutiny against his will and suggestions that he desired to retake the Bounty and return it to England--but never had the support to pull it off. Millward and Ellison also confronted long odds, having been described by witnesses as being armed with cutlasses at the time of the mutiny. In his defense, Ellison called Christian "a mad man" and said that he feared what would happen if he attempted to thwart the mutiny. Millward, in his prepared statement, claimed that he--like Burkett--had hoped to retake the Bounty at an opportune time, but that the time never came. Unfortunately for Millward, when prosecution witness William Cole, was asked by Millward to confirm his story of a conversation about retaking the boat, Cole failed to recall any such discussion. Genuine doubt existed only as to the fates of the three remaining defendants, James Morrison , William Muspratt , and Peter Heywood . Morrison mounted a tenacious defense. He succeeded it getting witnesses to support his argument, that he had wanted to join Bligh in the launch, but had been prevented by mutineers from doing so. He also pulled off something rare in the court-martial in successfully impeaching two witnesses that testified against him. Muspratt had to contend with incriminating testimony that placed a musket in his hands at the time of the mutiny. He attempted to call two of his fellow defendants, Byrn and Norman, as witnesses to confirm his claim that he expressed displeasure with the mutiny as it was in progress, but the Court denied his request. Most public attention focused on the case of Peter Heywood, the lone charged officer. Heywood's youth, and his upbringing in a wealthy and well-connected British family (one of the court-martial judges, in fact, was related by marriage to the Heywood family), invited considerable speculation. Heywood's connections were also responsible for landing him a post on the Bounty, a letter of recommendation on his behalf came from William Bligh's own father-in-law, Richard Betham. Representing Heywood was the well-respected barrister, Francis Const. Heywood based his aggressive defense on three main arguments: (1) his "bitterly deplored...extreme youth and inexperience" prevented him from acting wisely at the time of the mutiny, (2) that he had desired to join Bligh on the launch but was sleeping below and did not arrive on deck until most of the action had occurred, and (3) when he finally did have an opportunity to get into the launch, it had become so severely overloaded that his joining the loyalists would have only increased the long odds that the launch could eventually make it to safety. On this last point concerning the launch's overloaded condition, Heywood wisely drew support from Bligh's own published statements on the matter. Const tried to present Heywood as the likable young victim of a series of unfortunate events. He counted on the captains sitting in judgment of Heywood to remember their own early years as untutored midshipman. Verdicts Testimony in the Bounty court-martial ended on September 18, and the twelve post-captains began what would be several hours of deliberations over their fates. The ten defendants assembled in the great cabin to hear Lord Hood announce the verdicts of the court . As anticipated, Coleman, Norman, McIntosh, and Byrn received acquittals. The other six defendants were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. In the cases of Heywood and Morrison, however, the court "in consideration of various circumstances" did "earnestly recommend" them both "to His Majesty's Royal Mercy." A few weeks later, the King pardoned both men. Muspratt, too, eventually gained his release, with the granting of his petition for a pardon based on his having been denied the opportunity to call his desired witnesses. On October 29, 1794, at 11:26 in the morning, Burkett, Millward, and Ellison were hanged by the yardarm aboard a British naval ship the Brunswick in Portsmouth Harbor. The bodies remained hanging from the yards for two hours in the rain. Pitcairn Island On January 15, 1790, Fletcher Christian and his band of mutineers, Tahitian wives, and six male servants, ran the Bounty on shore on uncharted Pitcairn Island , where the ship broke up. It would be twenty years before the outside world would hear from them again. The admiralty journal Quarterly Review contained in an 1810 the notice that the American sealing vessel Topaz, under a Captain Folger, stopped at Pitcairn and discovered an Englishman, Alexander Smith , who claimed to be the last surviving Bounty mutineer. Smith presented Captain Folger with a chronometer, that proved to be the one assigned to the Bounty, thus confirming his unlikely story. The report included Smith's (a.k.a. Adams) claim that Christian was the "leader and sole cause" of the mutiny. Christian, according to Smith, was murdered "in the neck with a pistol ball" around 1793 in an uprising of jealous Tahitian men. The thirty-five survivors on Pitcairn "acknowledge Smith as father and commander of them all" and, the report noted, they "have been educated by him in a religious and moral way." Among the thirty-five was Thursday October Christian, Fletcher's twenty-year-old son, and the island's first-native born resident. Today, the population of Pitcairn numbers about fifty, nearly all of whom are descendants of the original mutineers. Dark-skinned with both European and South Pacific features, the Pitcairn natives use a unique language that combines elements of English and Tahitian. The British Empire incorporated Pitcairn in 1838. Pitcairn made news again in 2004, with the indictment of seven island men on various sex charges. One of the seven was Steven Christian, a lineal descendant of Fletcher Christian, and the elected mayor of Pitcairn. Christian admitted to having sexual relations with at least three girls under the age of 16.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_349_39	Mutiny on the HMS Bounty - Apr 28, 1789 - HISTORY.com Mutiny on the HMS Bounty Share this: Mutiny on the HMS Bounty Author Mutiny on the HMS Bounty URL Publisher A+E Networks Three weeks into a journey from Tahiti to the West Indies, the HMS Bounty is seized in a mutiny led by Fletcher Christian, the master’s mate. Captain William Bligh and 18 of his loyal supporters were set adrift in a small, open boat, and the Bounty set course for Tubuai south of Tahiti. In December 1787, the Bounty left England for Tahiti in the South Pacific, where it was to collect a cargo of breadfruit saplings to transport to the West Indies. There, the breadfruit would serve as food for slaves. After a 10-month journey, the Bounty arrived in Tahiti in October 1788 and remained there for more than five months. On Tahiti, the crew enjoyed an idyllic life, reveling in the comfortable climate, lush surroundings, and the famous hospitality of the Tahitians. Fletcher Christian fell in love with a Tahitian woman named Mauatua. On April 4, 1789, the Bounty departed Tahiti with its store of breadfruit saplings. On April 28, near the island of Tonga, Christian and 25 petty officers and seamen seized the ship. Bligh, who eventually would fall prey to a total of three mutinies in his career, was an oppressive commander and insulted those under him. By setting him adrift in an overcrowded 23-foot-long boat in the middle of the Pacific, Christian and his conspirators had apparently handed him a death sentence. By remarkable seamanship, however, Bligh and his men reached Timor in the East Indies on June 14, 1789, after a voyage of about 3,600 miles. Bligh returned to England and soon sailed again to Tahiti, from where he successfully transported breadfruit trees to the West Indies. Meanwhile, Christian and his men attempted to establish themselves on the island of Tubuai. Unsuccessful in their colonizing effort, the Bounty sailed north to Tahiti, and 16 crewmen decided to stay there, despite the risk of capture by British authorities. Christian and eight others, together with six Tahitian men, a dozen Tahitian women, and a child, decided to search the South Pacific for a safe haven. In January 1790, the Bounty settled on Pitcairn Island, an isolated and uninhabited volcanic island more than 1,000 miles east of Tahiti. The mutineers who remained on Tahiti were captured and taken back to England where three were hanged. A British ship searched for Christian and the others but did not find them. In 1808, an American whaling vessel was drawn to Pitcairn by smoke from a cooking fire. The Americans discovered a community of children and women led by John Adams, the sole survivor of the original nine mutineers. According to Adams, after settling on Pitcairn the colonists had stripped and burned the Bounty, and internal strife and sickness had led to the death of Fletcher and all the men but him. In 1825, a British ship arrived and formally granted Adams amnesty, and he served as patriarch of the Pitcairn community until his death in 1829. In 1831, the Pitcairn islanders were resettled on Tahiti, but unsatisfied with life there they soon returned to their native island. In 1838, the Pitcairn Islands, which includes three nearby uninhabited islands, was incorporated into the British Empire. By 1855, Pitcairn’s population had grown to nearly 200, and the two-square-mile island could not sustain its residents. In 1856, the islanders were removed to Norfolk Island, a former penal colony nearly 4,000 miles to the west. However, less than two years later, 17 of the islanders returned to Pitcairn, followed by more families in 1864. Today, around 40 people live on Pitcairn Island, and all but a handful are descendants of the Bounty mutineers. About a thousand residents of Norfolk Island (half its population) trace their lineage from Fletcher Christian and the eight other Englishmen. Related Videos	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_362_14	Helen Keller FAQ \| Perkins School for the Blind Perkins School for the Blind Helen Keller FAQ Who was Helen Keller? Helen Keller is considered by many to be a leading figure of the twentieth century. When she was an infant, illness robbed her of her vision and hearing. Thanks to the pioneering strategies developed by Perkins’ first director, Samuel Gridley Howe , and the tenacity of Perkins alumna, Anne Sullivan , she became the world’s best known individual with deafblindness. Today, she is still regarded as one of the most powerful and well-known advocates for people who are blind and deafblind. Her books and speeches have inspired millions including many well-known individuals such as Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels, Ronald Reagan and Eleanor Roosevelt. Through her tireless efforts, she transformed the way the world viewed people with disabilities. Where was Keller born? A very healthy baby, Keller was born June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama, to retired Army Captain Arthur Keller and his second wife, Kate. Keller had a younger brother, Phillips Brooks and a sister, Mildred. Her father was a cotton plantation owner and the editor of a popular news weekly, The North Alabamian. She lived a full life of 87 years, dying on June 1, 1968. How did Keller become deafblind? At the age of 19 months, Keller became very ill with a high fever, leaving her totally deaf and blind. Doctors at that time diagnosed it as "brain fever." Experts today believe she suffered from scarlet fever or meningitis. How did Keller communicate with others? By age 7, Keller had developed nearly 60 hand gestures to communicate with her parents and ask for things. However, she was often frustrated by her inability to express herself. With the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan , Keller learned the manual alphabet and could communicate by finger spelling. Within a few months of working with Sullivan, Keller's vocabulary had increased to hundreds of words and simple sentences. Sullivan also taught Keller how to read braille and raised type, and to print block letters. By age 9, Keller began to learn to speak and read lips, skills she continued to develop throughout her lifetime. Who was Anne Sullivan? Anne Sullivan was Keller's teacher, companion and friend for nearly 50 years. Sullivan was born April 14, 1866 in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, to poor Irish immigrants. At the age of 5, Sullivan contracted trachoma, a contagious conjunctivitis that attacks the eyes, and was left almost entirely blind. She later received several eye operations that restored some of her vision. After graduating class valedictorian from Perkins School for the Blind in 1886, she moved to Tuscumbia, Alabama, to become Keller's teacher. Sullivan remained with Keller until her death on October 20, 1936. Where did Keller attend school? Keller attended Perkins School for the Blind for four years. She then spent a year at the Cambridge School for Young Ladies to prepare for Radcliffe College. In 1904, she graduated cum laude from Radcliffe and became the first person with deafblindness to earn a bachelor of arts degree. Later, Keller was the first woman to be awarded an honorary degree from Harvard University. She also received honorary degrees from Temple University and the Universities of Glasgow, Scotland; Delhi, India; Berlin, Germany; and Witwatersrand and Johannesburg, South Africa. What subjects did Keller study? Keller was an avid reader and follower of politics and world events. Among her favorite books were philosophy texts and volumes of poetry. She also enjoyed studying history and economics as well as foreign languages including French, Latin and German. After completing school, what did Keller do? Keller used her education and influence to help improve the lives of others. She published several books and essays about her own life and views and spent much of her time lecturing and lobbying for important social issues including women's suffrage and assistance for people who were blind and deafblind. Keller also performed vaudeville and had a taste of Hollywood, making two movies about her life, "Deliverance" and "The Unconquered." Much of Keller's later years were spent traveling around the world, raising money and awareness for the blind and other social issues. Did Keller ever marry? No, although she was briefly engaged and had many admirers. Keller's teacher and lifetime companion Sullivan did marry, however, and Keller lived with Sullivan and her husband, John Macy. Did Keller meet anyone famous? Keller made several famous friends and acquaintances. Among her friends were author Mark Twain and inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Keller also met Charlie Chaplin, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martha Graham, India's former Prime Minister Nehru, the Queen of England, and 12 U.S. presidents, from Grover Cleveland to John F. Kennedy. What kind of causes and charities did Keller advocate for? Keller worked for a variety of causes during her life. She was an outspoken suffragist, an advocate of worker's rights and an opponent of child labor, but she is best known for her commitment to improving the quality of life for people who are blind and deafblind. As a student at Perkins, she initiated and ran fundraising campaigns to establish a Perkins kindergarten for the blind and to pay for the education of Tommy Stringer, a poor boy with deafblindness whom she met. As an adult, she lobbied for programs for the prevention of blindness, laws for the education and protection of the blind and deafblind, as well as state-assisted programs to help people with disabilities with job training and placement. Did Keller receive any awards? Keller received numerous awards throughout her life for her humanitarian efforts. In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson awarded Keller the highest American honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. On the 50th anniversary of her graduation from Radcliffe College, she received the Alumnae Achievement Award. Radcliffe also dedicated the Helen Keller Garden in her honor and named a fountain in the garden for her teacher Anne Sullivan. Keller later received Brazil's Order of the Southern Cross, the Philippines' Golden Heart, Japan's Sacred Treasure, and in 1991, was named one of the most important people of the twentieth century by Life magazine. Who assisted Keller after Sullivan died? After Sullivan passed away in 1936, Polly Thomson, who had worked in the Keller household since 1914, became Keller's aide. Thomson passed away in 1960 and Winifred Corbally, a nurse-companion, assisted Keller until Keller's death in 1968. How can I learn more about Keller? Keller published many articles, essays and books. Among them are two autobiographies, “The Story of My Life” and “Midstream: My Later Life,” and a biography of her life with Sullivan called “Teacher: Anne Sullivan.” She also published “Optimism: An Essay,” “The World I Live in,” “The Song of the Stone Wall,” “Out of the Dark,” “My Religion,” “Peace at Eventide,” “Helen Keller in Scotland,” “Helen Keller's Journal,” “Let Us Have Faith” and “The Open Door.” Among the many biographies are “Helen and Teacher: The story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy” by Joseph P. Lash and “Helen Keller: A Life” by Dorothy Herrmann. In addition, the movie "The Miracle Worker" was released in 1962 and was remade for television in 2000. "The Miracle Worker" chronicles many of the challenges and triumphs during Keller's youth. Anne Bancroft won an Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of Sullivan. Patty Duke played the part of Keller and also won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Both actresses also starred in the Broadway version. 175 North Beacon Street	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_372_13	What Does the Bible Say About Money? Hebrews 13:5 ESV / 735 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 1 Timothy 6:10 ESV / 554 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. Matthew 6:24 ESV / 473 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Ecclesiastes 5:10 ESV / 364 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. Matthew 6:19-21 ESV / 336 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:33-34 ESV / 300 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV / 284 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. Matthew 6:31-33 ESV / 262 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Acts 4:32-35 ESV / 252 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 1 Timothy 5:8 ESV / 222 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Acts 2:44-45 ESV / 217 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. Proverbs 13:22 ESV / 206 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous. Luke 16:11 ESV / 187 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? Proverbs 30:8-9 ESV / 174 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 ESV / 163 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. Proverbs 22:1 ESV / 163 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. Matthew 25:14-30 ESV / 117 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. ... Malachi 3:10 ESV / 117 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. Acts 20:35 ESV / 115 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Philippians 4:11-13 ESV / 106 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 1 John 2:15-17 ESV / 105 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Luke 12:15 ESV / 103 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 1 John 3:16-18 ESV / 100 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. James 2:14-17 ESV / 93 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Luke 21:1-4 ESV / 92 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Acts 8:20 ESV / 87 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV / 83 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. Exodus 22:25 ESV / 82 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. Philippians 2:3-4 ESV / 71 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Song of Solomon 8:6-7 ESV / 69 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised. Luke 14:28 ESV / 66 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Ezekiel 28:4 ESV / 61 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful By your wisdom and your understanding you have made wealth for yourself, and have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries; Luke 12:23-24 ESV / 55 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Proverbs 22:26-27 ESV / 52 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you? Isaiah 55:2 ESV / 48 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Isaiah 55:1 ESV / 48 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Jeremiah 29:11 ESV / 47 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Matthew 19:24 ESV / 44 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Luke 19:23 ESV / 43 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ Luke 16:13 ESV / 41 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Proverbs 23:4-5 ESV / 39 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. Isaiah 65:11-13 ESV / 38 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful But you who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in.” Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame; Psalm 15:5 ESV / 36 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 ESV / 36 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Luke 16:19-31 ESV / 27 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ... Luke 16:9-12 ESV / 25 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? Matthew 6:28 ESV / 25 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, Mark 12:41-44 ESV / 24 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Acts 3:6 ESV / 23 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” Ezekiel 7:19 ESV / 23 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. 2 Kings 12:16 ESV / 21 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord; it belonged to the priests. Mark 6:8 ESV / 20 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— Matthew 22:21 ESV / 20 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” Matthew 19:21 ESV / 20 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Ecclesiastes 10:18-19 ESV / 20 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks. Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything. 2 Kings 12:4 ESV / 20 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things that is brought into the house of the Lord, the money for which each man is assessed—the money from the assessment of persons—and the money that a man's heart prompts him to bring into the house of the Lord, Luke 19:15 ESV / 19 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. Mark 14:11 ESV / 19 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. Ecclesiastes 7:12 ESV / 19 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it. Genesis 47:14-18 ESV / 19 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” And Joseph answered, “Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord's. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. Luke 9:3 ESV / 18 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. Matthew 27:3 ESV / 18 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, Micah 3:11 ESV / 18 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.” Proverbs 13:7 ESV / 17 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. 1 Timothy 2:9 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, Amos 8:5 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, Isaiah 46:6 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! Isaiah 13:17 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold. 2 Kings 12:7-16 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Therefore King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore take no more money from your donors, but hand it over for the repair of the house.” So the priests agreed that they should take no more money from the people, and that they should not repair the house. Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord. And the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. And whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king's secretary and the high priest came up and they bagged and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord. Then they would give the money that was weighed out into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the Lord. And they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord, ... 1 Peter 1:18 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, Matthew 2:11 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Jeremiah 32:44 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 43:24 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities. Nehemiah 5:10 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 2 Chronicles 34:9 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful They came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel and from all Judah and Benjamin and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 24:14 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made utensils for the house of the Lord, both for the service and for the burnt offerings, and dishes for incense and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord regularly all the days of Jehoiada. 2 Chronicles 24:11 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And whenever the chest was brought to the king's officers by the Levites, when they saw that there was much money in it, the king's secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and take it and return it to its place. Thus they did day after day, and collected money in abundance. 2 Chronicles 24:5 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you act quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. 2 Kings 22:9 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” Genesis 23:9 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.”	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }
tc_372_22	Jesus - Wikiquote Jesus Jump to: navigation , search A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. What is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. You shall know the truth , and the truth shall set you free . Jesus of Nazareth (8–2 BC – 29–36 AD), also known as Jesus Christ , Yeshua , Yasu , and Isa , is the central figure of Christianity , a philosopher , teacher , and martyr , believed to be the Messiah of ultimate salvation and Son of God by followers of Christian traditions. He is also considered an important prophet by Muslims . All Biblical quotes in this article should specify the translation or version which is being used. Contents Repent : for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The sayings of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament have had a profound effect on human history and culture. The most often quoted English translation is the Authorized King James Version (KJV), first published by the Church of England in 1611. Some of the most well-known quotes are in bold. Main article: Gospel of Matthew I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven : for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Chapters 1–4[ edit ] 3:15 (KJV) Said to John the Baptist . It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 4:4 (KJV) Said to Satan It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 4:7 (KJV) Said to Satan Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 4:10 (KJV) Said to Satan Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 4:17 (KJV) Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 4:19 (KJV) Said to Peter and Andrew Chapters 5–7, the Sermon on the Mount [ edit ] Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven . Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 5:1–12 (NIV) Often referred to as "The Beatitudes" this is the start of "The Sermon on the Mount ". You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13–16 (NIV) (See also: Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34, 35) But whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 5:22 (KJV) You have heard that it was said, "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 5:38–41 (NIV) You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. Exodus 20:14, Seventh Commandment Matthew 5:27–30 (NKJV) Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:43–45 (KJV) Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Matthew 6:26 (NKJV) Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness , and all these other things will be added to you. So never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Each day has enough of its own troubles. Matthew 6:33-34 , New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Matthew 7:1–5 (NKJV) (Also Luke 6:37–42) Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7–8 (NKJV) (Also Luke 11:9–13) Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13–14 (NKJV) (Also Luke 13:24) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7:15 (KJV) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Matthew 7:20 (KJV) Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' Matthew 7:21–23 (NKJV) (Also Luke 6:24; 13:26, 27) Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. Matthew 7:24–27 (NKJV) (Also Luke 6:47–49) Chapters 8–12[ edit ] See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 8:4 (KJV) Said to a man cured of leprosy. I will come and heal him. 8:7 (KJV) Said to a Roman officer. Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 8:10–12 (KJV) Said about the officer. Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. 8:13 (KJV) Said to the officer. The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 8:32 (KJV) Said to devils which were possessing a man. Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 9:2 (KJV) Said to a man sick of the palsy. Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 9:4–6 (KJV) Said to some scribes. Follow me. 9:9 (KJV) Said to Matthew. They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 9:12–13 (KJV) Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. 9:15–17 (KJV) Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. 9:22 (KJV) Said to a woman, diseased with an issue of blood, who touched the hem of his garment. Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. 9:24 (KJV) Said about a girl thought to be dead. Believe ye that I am able to do this? 9:28 (KJV) Said to two blind men. According to your faith be it unto you. 9:29 (KJV) Said to the two blind men. See that no man know it. 9:30 (KJV) Said to the two blind men. The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death. 10:21 (HCSB) Said to his disciples. Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. 10:5–42 (KJV) Said to his disciples. For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 Indeed, a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. 10:35,36 , New World Translation Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 11:4–6 (KJV) What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. 11:7–19 (KJV) Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. 11:21–24 (KJV) I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 11:25–30 (KJV) Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. 12:3–8 (KJV) Said to some Pharisees. What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 12:11–12 (KJV) Said to the Pharisees. Stretch forth thine hand. 12:13 (KJV) Said to a man with a withered hand. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 12:25–37 (KJV) Variant: He that is not on my side is against me, and he that does not gather with me scatters. 12:30, New World Translation An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. 12:39–45 (KJV) Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. 12:48–50 (KJV) Chapters 13–16[ edit ] Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 13:3–9 (KJV) Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 13:11–23 (KJV) Said to his disciples when they asked why he spoke in parables. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 13:24–30 (KJV) The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 13:33 (KJV) He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 13:51 (KJV) Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. Bring them hither to me. 14:18 (KJV) Said about the loaves and fishes. Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 14:29 (KJV) Said to Peter. O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 14:31 (KJV) Said to Peter after Peter failed to walk on water. Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 15:13–14 (KJV) Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. 15:28 (KJV) I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 15:34 (KJV) When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. 16:6 (KJV) O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 16:15 (KJV) Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 16:23 (KJV) If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. 17:7 (KJV) Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 17:9 (KJV) Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 17:17 (KJV) Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. 17:25 (KJV) Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. become as little children 18:3–20 suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me 19:14 (KJV) Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 18:23 I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. 18:22–35 (KJV) [H]is master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." 18:34–35 Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 19:4–6 (KJV) Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. 19:8–9 (KJV) All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. 19:14 (KJV) Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 19:17 (KJV) Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 19:21 (KJV) Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 19:26 (KJV) Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. 19:29 Chapters 20–24[ edit ] For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. 20:1–16 (KJV) Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. 20:18–19 (KJV) What wilt thou? 20:21 (KJV) Asked of the mother of the sons of Zebedee, who answered that she wanted one son to sit on Jesus's left hand and one on his right. Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 20:22 (KJV) Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. 20:23 (KJV) Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. What will ye that I shall do unto you? 20:32 (KJV) Asked of two blind men. Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 21:13 (KJV) Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. 21:19 (KJV) Said to a fig tree. Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. [22] And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. 21:24–25 (KJV) Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 21:27–40 (KJV) Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 21:27–42 and 44 (KJV) The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. 22:20 (KJV) Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. 22:21 (KJV) Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 22:29–32 (KJV) Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 22:42 (KJV) How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 22:43–45 (KJV) The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. 24:2 (KJV) Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 24:5–51 (KJV) [T]he sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. … They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory... I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 24:29–34 Chapters 25–26[ edit ] Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. 26:2 (KJV) Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. 26:21 (KJV) He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Thou hast said. 26:25 (KJV) Said to Judas. Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. 26:26–29 (KJV) All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 26:34 (KJV) Said to Peter. Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane: Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 26:36 (KJV) Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 26:38 (KJV) O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 26:39 (KJV) What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 26:42 (KJV) Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. Friend, wherefore art thou come? 26:50 (KJV) Said to Judas. Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 26:52–54 (KJV) Said to Peter. Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 26:64 (KJV) Said to Caiaphas, the high priest. Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. Mark 2:27 (KJV) Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. Mark 3:28-29 (KJV) They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Ger′asenes. And when he had come out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the fetters he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out, and bruising himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him; and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” And he begged him eagerly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him, “Send us to the swine, let us enter them.” So he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea. Mark 5:1-20 He also said to them, "You completely invalidate God's command in order to maintain your tradition! For Moses said: Honor your father and your mother; and, Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death. 7:9–10 Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 8:34b–36 (KJV) 9:40 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. The next day when they came out from Bethany, He was hungry. After seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, He went to find out if there was anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Mark 13:31, NWT Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. On the Mount of Olives[ edit ] Speech on the Mount of Olives , on the night before his crucifixion. Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 13:5b–11 (KJV) Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. 13:12–20 (KJV) And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. 13:21–27 (KJV) Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. 13:28–37 (KJV) Main article: Gospel of Luke Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. "And he said to them (Joseph and Mary), “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” Luke 2:49 (ESV) And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Jesus on usury from the Sermon on the Mount , Luke 6:34–35 Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. (KJV) 9:55–56 Rebuking James and John for asking if he would command fire to come down from heaven, to consume a village of Samaritans for not receiving them, because they seemed to be headed for Jerusalem. In that very hour he became overjoyed in the holy spirit and said: “I publicly praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have carefully hidden these things from wise and intellectual ones and have revealed them to young children. Yes, O Father, because this is the way you approved. Luke 10:21 , New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. 10:31–37 The famous parable of the Good Samaritan . He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? 11:40 (KJV) Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him. 11:52 When there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. 12:1–5 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. 12:6–7 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." 12:15–21 (NIV) Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. 12:40 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 12:48 I came to set fire to the earth, and I wish it were already on fire! 12:49 (CEV) Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? 12:51–57 (KJV) Variant translation of 12:57: Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 14:26 “What man among you with 100 sheep, on losing one of them, will not leave the 99 behind in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he gets home, he calls his friends and his neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous ones who have no need of repentance. 18:14 NIV Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. 18:16–17 (KJV) Variant translation: Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. (NIV) Behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. 19:2–10 He added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. 19:11–27; The last line of this parable has been quoted as if it were a command of Jesus, when it is in fact a command given by the protaganist of his story. In later interpretations it was used to justify the collective condemnation and persecution of Jews for not accepting Jesus as the Messiah , as when John Chrysostom , one of the Three Holy Hierarchs , and a Doctor of the Church uses this passage directly to condemn the Jews: The Jewish people were driven by their drunkenness and plumpness to the ultimate evil; they kicked about, they failed to accept the yoke of Christ, nor did they pull the plow of his teaching. Another prophet hinted at this when he said: "Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn heifer." … Although such beasts are unfit for work, they are fit for killing. And this is what happened to the Jews: while they were making themselves unfit for work, they grew fit for slaughter. This is why Christ said: "But as for these my enemies, who did not want me to be king over them, bring them here and slay them." ( Luke 19:27 ) John Chrysostom (349–ca. 407), Eight Homilies Against the Jews , Homily 1 At the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him. 19:29–35 Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out. Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them. 20:9–19 He is a God, not of the dead, but of the living, for they are all living to him. Luke 20:38 , New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures People will become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth , for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory . ...and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. Luke 22:36 (NKJV) The Gospel of John [ edit ] I am the door : by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved , and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal , and to kill , and to destroy : I am come that they might have life , and that they might have it more abundantly . I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep . A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Main article: Gospel of John You are Israel's teacher, and do you not understand these things?I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven–the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. John 3:10–21 Variant translation: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. ~ 3:17 If I [Jesus] testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 5:31 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 6:53–56 He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8:7 Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 8:32 I am the door : by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal , and to kill , and to destroy : I am come that they might have life , and that they might have it more abundantly . I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep . 13:17 , New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 13:34–35 KJV I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 14:6 14:14 (KJV) My Father is glorified in this, that you keep bearing much fruit and prove yourselves my disciples. Just as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain in my love. If you observe my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love . “These things I have spoken to you, so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be made full. This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his life in behalf of his friends. You are my friends if you do what I am commanding you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, because I have made known to you all the things I have heard from my Father. 16:33 , NWT The glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. 17: 1–26, ( KJV ) Variant translations: Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name — the name you gave me — so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. 17: 1–26, ( NIV ) My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 18: 36, [1] (KJV) Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 18:37, [2] (KJV) Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. John 20:17 (KJV) Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. … Receive ye the Holy Ghost : Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. John 20:22-23 (KJV) Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe . John 20:27 Acts of the Apostles [ edit ] And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 1:4–5 (KJV) It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35b Revelation [ edit ] Statements attributed to Jesus by John of Patmos in his vision of Christ and the Apocalypse . I am Alpha and Omega , the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. Revelation 1:11 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter Revelation 1:18–19 Variant: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, and the living one, and I became dead, but look! I am living forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of the Grave. The victor and the one who keeps My works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations— and He will shepherd them with an iron scepter; He will shatter them like pottery— just as I have received [this] from My Father. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Revelation 22:13 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David , and the bright and morning star. Revelation 22:16 Statements of Jesus preserved in the original Aramaic , transliterated into Greek . For more details on these statements see the Wikipedia articles on the Aramaic of Jesus and Words of Jesus on the cross . Talitha koum Aramaic: "טלתא קומי" (Ţlîthâ qûm) Greek transliteration: "ταλιθα κουμ" (Talitha koum) Words said when reviving the daughter of a Jewish leader after she had been declared dead. Jesus asked, "Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." He then spoke this quote, one of his few statements which have been reliably preserved as a transliteration of the Hebrew/Aramaic which he spoke. (Mark 5:38–42) Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"[ edit ] Aramaic: "אלהי אלהי למא שבקתני" (Êlî êlî lâmâ `azabtânî) Greek transliteration (Mark 15:34): "ελωι ελωι λεμα σαβαχθανι;" (Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?) Greek transliteration (Matthew 27:46): "ηλι ηλι λεμα σαβαχθανι;" (Eli, Eli lama sabbachthani?) Words spoken during his crucifixion. Jesus here seems to be quoting a targum of the first line of Psalm 22. This is a quote from King David: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [Why art thou so] far from helping me, [and from] the words of my roaring?" (Psalm 22:1). Quoting the first verse was a standard Jewish way of referring to a whole psalm. This psalm is regarded by many to be a prophecy of the Messiah's suffering. It ends with a declaration of victory, "They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done [this]." (Psalm 22:31) Variants of major statements[ edit ] Variants of major statements from different sources compared Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9–13 (KJV) The version in Luke does not contain the last verse of this passage, and some tranlations have these two lines as forgive us our trespass as we forgive those who trespass against us In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9–13 (NKJV) And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Luke 11:2–4 (KJV) Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (Matthew 7:1–2) (KJV) Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Luke 6:37–38) (KJV) Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. (John 7:24) (NASB) Variant translation: Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment. (NIV) So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him. (Luke 17:3–4) (NIV) If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. (Matthew 18:15) (NIV) (Some manuscripts read: "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault...") Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the Son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either on earth or in heaven. Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the Son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either on earth or in heaven. (Gospel of Thomas Saying 44) The terms " Holy Spirit " or "Holy Ghost" are used as translations of the Greek word πνευμα ( Pneuma ) meaning "Spirit" or "Breath"; in most of the traditional theologies that developed in the centuries after the crucifixion of Jesus these have been taken to mean the third person of the Christian Trinity . Other interpretations not dependent upon trinitarian doctrines also exist. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. (Matthew 12:31–32) (KJV) Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. (Mark 3:28–29) (KJV) Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part. Mark 9:38–40 (KJV) He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Matthew 12:30 (KJV) Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. Luke 9:49–50 (KJV) He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. Luke 11:23 (KJV) The apparent contradiction of these four quotes is not so great a paradox as it might seem. Plainly some could interpret these assertions as being made with an absolutely universal context and application, and thus as absolutely contradictory, but other interpretations recognize that the context of the assertions differ, and thus their application. When someone is actively promoting things they consider wise, like compassion or liberty against human apathy or hostilities then those who are not "for" them are against them; but when they are simply doing good, or maintaining and exercising personal freedom and compassion, especially in hostile environments, then those who are not actively against them are for them. All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Matthew 26:52 (KJV) This also is referenced by the author of Revelation 13:10: He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Proverbial variants (unsourced translations): He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword. They who live by the sword shall die by the sword. Main article: Thomas the Apostle The Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves , then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty. The Gospel of Thomas or Evangelion Thomas (Good Message of Thomas), unlike the four canonical gospels, contains very little narrative, and is mostly a list of statements that Yeshua is said to have made. It should be noted that this work was never accepted as canonical , and debate continues whether it was most likely written before or after the gospels that did become canonical. The number at the end of any quotation in this section refers to the generally accepted number of the saying. You read the face of the sky and of the earth , but you have not recognized the one who is before you, and you do not know how to read this moment . Whoever shall find the interpretation of these words shall not taste of death. (1) I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. (John 8:49–51) Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All . (2) If those who lead you say, 'See, the Kingdom is in the sky ,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea ,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves , then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty. (3) And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:21) The man old in days will not hesitate to ask a small child seven days old about the place of life , and he will live. For many who are first will become last, and they will become one and the same. (4) Recognize what is in your sight , and that which is hidden from you will become plain to you. For there is nothing hidden which will not become manifest. (5) Do not tell lies , and do not do what you hate , for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven . For nothing hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain without being uncovered. (6) Blessed is the lion which becomes man when consumed by man; and cursed is the man whom the lion consumes, and the lion becomes man. (7) This saying has been interpreted by some as refering to such anger as consumes a man…(rather than is consumed by him, through his reason and love), 'til that man is the lion of Anger. Other more mystical interpretations might also be found or devised that have merit. The Kingdom is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of small fish. Among them the wise fisherman found a fine large fish. He threw all the small fish back into the sea and chose the large fish without difficulty. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear. (8) Now the sower went out, took a handful (of seeds), and scattered them. Some fell on the road; the birds came and gathered them up. Others fell on the rock, did not take root in the soil, and did not produce ears. And others fell on thorns; they choked the seed and worms ate them. And others fell on the good soil and produced good fruit: it bore sixty per measure and a hundred and twenty per measure. (9) He spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:3–9) see also: Mk4:3–8, Lk8:5–8 I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I am guarding it until it blazes. (10) This heaven will pass away, and the one above it will pass away. The dead are not alive, and the living will not die. In the days when you consumed what is dead, you made it what is alive. When you come to dwell in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one you became two. But when you become two, what will you do? (11) Jesus said to His disciples, "Compare me to someone and tell Me whom I am like." Simon Peter said to Him, "You are like a righteous angel." Matthew said to Him, "You are like a wise philosopher." Thomas said to Him, "Master, my mouth is wholly incapable of saying whom You are like." Jesus said, "I am not your master. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated by the bubbling spring which I have measured out." And He took him and withdrew and told him three things. When Thomas returned to his companions, they asked him, "What did Jesus say to you?" Thomas said to them, "If I tell you one of the things which he told me, you will pick up stones and throw them at me; a fire will come out of the stones and burn you up."(13) If you fast, you will give rise to sin for yourselves; and if you pray, you will be condemned; and if you give alms, you will do harm to your spirits. When you go into any land and walk about in the districts, if they receive you, eat what they will set before you, and heal the sick among them. For what goes into your mouth will not defile you, but that which issues from your mouth—it is that which will defile you. (14) If the flesh came into being because of spirit, it is a wonder. But if spirit came into being because of the body, it is a wonder of wonders. Indeed, I am amazed at how this great wealth has made its home in this poverty. (29) Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the Son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either on earth or in heaven. (44) I disclose my mysteries to those who are worthy of my mysteries. (62) I will destroy this house, and no one will be able to build it....(71) Adam came from great power and great wealth, but he was not worthy of you. For had he been worthy, [he would] not [have tasted] death. (85) [Foxes have] their dens and birds have their nests, but human beings have no place to lay down and rest. (86) You read the face of the sky and of the earth , but you have not recognized the one who is before you, and you do not know how to read this moment . (91) One who seeks will find, and for [one who knocks] it will be opened (94) If you have money, don't lend it at interest. Rather, give [it] to someone from whom you won't get it back." (95) When you make the two into one, you will become children of Adam, and when you say, 'Mountain, move from here!' it will move (106) Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me; I myself shall become that person, and the hidden things will be revealed to him. (108) His disciples said to Him, "When will the Kingdom come?" Jesus said, "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying 'Here it is' or 'There it is.' Rather, the Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it." (113) Simon Peter said to Him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of Life." Jesus said, "I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (114) [Jesus laughs as he watches his disciples offering a prayer to God before Passover.] Disciples: Why are you laughing at us? Jesus says that he is laughing not at them but at their strange idea of pleasing their God. You will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me. Jesus to Judas, Judas Judas: I know who you are and where you have come from. You are from the immortal realm of Barbelo . Jesus: Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the Kingdom. Exchange between Judas and Jesus from the Judas . See " Jesus Laughed " and " Judas Saves: Why the lost gospel makes sense ". Only Judas has guessed the master aright—and has discerned that he comes from the heavenly realm of the god " Barbelo ." In the realm of Barbelo, it seems, earthly pains are unknown and the fortunate inhabitants are free from the attentions of the God of the Old Testament. Jesus himself is descended in some fashion from Adam's third son, Seth. With Judas' help, he hopes to guide the seed of Seth back to the realm of Barbelo. A paraphrasing of Jesus' statements in the Judas from " Judas Saves: Why the lost gospel makes sense ". See also " Jesus Laughed ". [O]ut beyond the stars, there exists a divine, blessed realm, free of the materiality of this earthly one. This is the realm of Barbelo , a name that gnostics gave the celestial Mother, who lives there with, among others, her progeny, a good God awkwardly called the Self-Generated One. Jesus, it turns out, is not the son of the Old Testament God, whose retinue includes a rebellious creator known as Yaldabaoth , but an avatar of Adam’s third son, Seth. His mission is to show those lucky members of mankind who still have a “Sethian” spark the way back to the blessed realm. Jesus, we learn, was laughing at the disciples’ prayer because it was directed at their God, the Old Testament God, who is really no friend of mankind but, rather, the cause of its suffering. A paraphrasing of Jesus' statements in the Judas from " Jesus Laughed ". See also " Judas Saves: Why the lost gospel makes sense ". Judas: I saw myself as the twelve disciples were stoning me. Jesus: You will be cursed by the other generations … you will come to rule over them. Exchange between Judas and Jesus from the Judas . See " Jesus Laughed " and " Judas Saves: Why the lost gospel makes sense ". Lift up your eyes and look at the cloud and the light within it and the stars surrounding it. The star that leads the way is your star. The Gospel of Mary [ edit ] All natures, all formed things, all creatures exist in and with one another and will again be resolved into their own roots, because the nature of matter is dissolved into the roots of its nature alone. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Sin as such does not exist, but you make sin when you do what is of the nature of fornication, which is called "sin." For this reason the Good came into your midst, to the essence of each nature, to restore it to its root. For this reason you come into existence and die. In response to a question by Peter: "Since you have now explained all things to us, tell us this: what is the sin of the world?" Be of good courage, and if you are discouraged, still take courage over against the various forms of nature. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Peace be with you. Receive my peace for yourselves. Take heed lest anyone lead you astray with the words, 'Lo, here!' or 'Lo, there!' for the Son of Man is within you. Follow him; those who seek him will find him. Go, therefore, and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. I have left no commandment but what I have commanded you, and I have given you no law, as the lawgiver did, lest you be bound by it. The Hadith (الحديث)[ edit ] The Prophet said, "On the Day of Resurrection the Believers will assemble and say, 'Let us ask somebody to intercede for us with our Lord.' … 'Go to Jesus, Allah's Slave, His Apostle and Allah's Word and a Spirit coming from Him.' Jesus will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking, go to Muhammad the Slave of Allah whose past and future sins were forgiven by Allah.' So they will come to me and I will proceed till I will ask my Lord's Permission and I will be given permission." The Book of Mormon and LDS Scripture[ edit ] The Book of Mormon (1830)[ edit ] This section contains quotes by Jesus that occur in the Book of Mormon and Mormon Scriptures Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. The Book of Mormon , Ether 3:14 . Jesus is both the Father and the Son. Behold, that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof. And behold, that great city Moroni have I caused to be sunk in the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof to be drowned. And behold, that great city Moronihah have I covered with earth, … And behold, the city of Gilgal have I caused to be sunk, and the inhabitants thereof to be buried up in the depths of the earth; Yea, and the city of Onihah and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Mocum and the inhabitants thereof, and the city of Jerusalem and the inhabitants thereof; and waters have I caused to come up in the stead thereof, to hide their wickedness and abominations from before my face, … And behold, the city of Gadiandi, and the city of Gadiomnah, and the city of Jacob, and the city of Gimgimno, all these have I caused to be sunk, … that great city Jacobugath, which was inhabited by the people of king Jacob, have I caused to be burned with fire … the city of Laman, and the city of Josh, and the city of Gad, and the city of Kishkumen, have I caused to be burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof, because of their wickedness in casting out the prophets, and stoning those whom I did send to declare unto them concerning their wickedness and their abominations. And because they did cast them all out, that there were none righteous among them, I did send down fire and destroy them, … And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this land, and upon this people, … Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. The Book of Mormon , 3 Nephi 9:3–15 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil— And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works. And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world. And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father. And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words. And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. The Book of Mormon , 3 Nephi 27:13–19 . In the Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ gave a specific definition of the gospel. Doctrine and Covenants[ edit ] Jesus , Doctrine and Covenants , 93:21 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph , that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines— Behold, and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer thee as touching this matter. Therefore, prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which I am about to give unto you; for all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same. For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory. … if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood … Then shall they be gods, because they have no end … to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ , whom he hath sent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law. … God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was the law; and from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the promises. … Was Abraham, therefore, under condemnation? Verily I say unto you, Nay; for I, the Lord, commanded it. … Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children; and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto him, and he abode in my law; as Isaac also and Jacob did none other things than that which they were commanded; and because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods. David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me. … David's wives and concubines were given unto him of me … And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith , receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph … Let no one, therefore, set on my servant Joseph ; for I will justify him … as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else. And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified. … [T]hen shall she believe and administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for I will destroy her; … if she receive not this law … she then becomes the transgressor; and he is exempt[.] Jesus Christ , speaking through Joseph Smith 's 12 July 1843 polygamy revelation on plural marriage and His demand that Emma Smith , the first wife, accept all of Joseph Smith 's plural wives; Doctrine and Covenants , 132:1–4, 19, 20, 24, 34, 35, 38, 39, 52, 60–66 . Quotes about Jesus[ edit ] In Jesus, God wills to be true God not only in the height but also in the depth — in the depth of human creatureliness, sinfulness and mortality. ~ Karl Barth Sorted by historical period and date, with sections for quotes from major religious works. New Testament[ edit ] This section contains quotations about Jesus that occur in the New Testament For, indeed, while we were still weak, Christ died for ungodly men at the appointed time. For hardly would anyone die for a righteous man; though perhaps for a good man someone may dare to die. But God recommends his own love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Paul of Tarsus , Romans , 5:6-8; New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (2013 Revision) He rose again the third day, 1 Corinthians 15:4[ edit ] After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. On the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher and saw the stone taken away from the sepulcher. The Bible on the discovery of Jesus' absence from the tomb, Matthew 28:1–2 's account of the discovery of the tomb (two Mary's arrive at the tomb after sunrise, but before the stone had been removed) versus John 20:1 's account (one Mary arrives at the tomb before sunrise, but after the stone had been removed). So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Jesus said unto her, "Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father …" The Bible on the location and events of the resurrected Jesus' first appearance, Matthew 28:8–9 's account of the appearance of the resurrected Jesus (Jesus appears away from that tomb, and the Mary's touch his feet; see also Luke 24:13–15 in which Jesus appears on the road to Emmaus , seven miles from Jerusalem ) versus John 20:17 's account (Jesus appears at the tomb and tells Mary not to touch him). Holy Bible – the first Easter Sunday morning Regarding The Evidence for the Resurrection, please see Anderson 1950, below . For "Easter Enigma – Are the Resurrection Accounts in Conflict?", please see Wenham 2005, below . The table lists all the verses, according to the KJV, always in verse order. Matthew John Mt ch28 1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came ["went" (NIV)] Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Mk ch16 1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came ["were on their way" (NIV)] unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. 3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? Lk ch24 1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came ["went" (NIV)] unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. Jn ch20 1 The first day of the week cometh ["went" (NKJV, NIV, Wenham 2005 pp81f)] Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, Mt ch28 2 And, behold, there was ["had been" (KJV margin, Wenham 2005 p78)] a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord ["had" (Wenham 2005 p78)] descended from heaven, and came ["had come" (Wenham 2005 p78)] and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became ["had trembled and become" (Wenham 2005 p78)] as dead men. Mk ch16 4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. Lk ch24 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. Jn ch20 and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. . Mt ch28 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. Mk ch16 5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. Lk ch24 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men ["angels" (Luke 24:23)] stood by ["[or] appear[ed] to" (Wenham 2005 p85)] them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words, Jn ch20 3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. Mk ch16 9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. Jn ch20 11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mt ch28 9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. Mk ch16 10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. Lk ch24 9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Jn ch20 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. Mt ch28 11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. 12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, 13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. 14 And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. 15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. Lk ch24 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. Sources[ edit ] I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. John the Baptist Gospel of Matthew 3:11-12 King James Version. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. John, 1 John 4:9–10 King James Version. Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. Paul of Tarsus , 1 Corinthians 15: 25-26 , NWT Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. … Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. The Bible , Revelation 19:10–21 (NKJV) This passage has been interpreted by some as referring to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ , and by others as not actually referring to Jesus, but some herald of the ultimate triumph of Christ . Josephus[ edit ] Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. John 1:1–3 ; Genesis 1:1–3 ; Acts 14:15 ; Acts 17:24–26 ; Hebrews 11:3 ; Nehemiah 9:6 ; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, 1 Peter 3:18–19 ; Revelation 1:18 ; The third day he rose again from the dead; Hebrews 12:2 ; Hebrews 1:1–6 ; Mark 16:19 ; Hebrews 9:24 ; Hebrews 10:12–13 ; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. Acts 10:42 ; 2 Timothy 4:1 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:15–18 ; 2 Peter 3:8–13 ; Matthew 24:27,36 ; Matthew 25:31–34,41,46 ; John 5:22 ; John 14:1,3 ; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10 ; Hebrews 9:27 ; I believe in the Holy Ghost; Galatians 6:2,10 ; The Forgiveness of sins; Acts 13:38 ; 1 John 1:8–2:2 ; 1 Timothy 1:15 ; Matthew 26:26–28 ; Luke 7:48 ; Acts 10:43 ; Romans 3:23 ; Romans 4:5 ; Romans 5:6–10 ; Romans 10:4–13 ; 1 John 4:9–10 ; Ephesians 1:7 ; John 1:29 ; The Resurrection of the body, 1 Corinthians 15:42–44,50–54 ; Philippians 3:20–21 ; Job 19:25–27 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 ; John 5:28–29 ; John 6:39–40,44 ; And the Life everlasting. Text of the Apostles' Creed from the Book of Common Prayer at the Church of England website www.cofe.anglican.org . Scripture references are KJV—some from www.godonthe.net/evidence/apostle.htm and www.baptistboard.com/archive/index.php/t-28938.html and Evangelical Lutheran synod of Missouri, Ohio and other states (1905), "A Short Exposition of Dr Martin Luther's Small Catechism", Concordia available from www.archive.org . Pliny the Younger, Governor of Bithynia[ edit ] Meanwhile, with those who have been brought before me as Christians I have pursued the following course. I have asked them if they were Christians, and if they have confessed, I have asked them a second and third time, threatening them with punishment; if they have persisted, I have commanded them to be led away to punishment.... Moreover, they affirmed that this was the sum of their guilt or error; that they had been accustomed to come together on a fixed day before daylight and to sing responsively a song unto Christ as God; and to bind themselves with an oath, not with a view to the commission of some crime, but, on the contrary, that they would not commit theft, nor robbery, nor adultery, that they would not break faith, nor refuse to restore a deposit when asked for it.... For the contagion of this superstition has permeated not only the cities, but also the villages and even the country districts. Yet it can apparently be arrested and corrected. At any rate, it is certainly a fact that the temples, which were almost deserted, are now beginning to be frequented.... The Gospel of Mary [ edit ] He questioned them about the Saviour: Did He really speak privately with a woman and not openly to us? Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did He prefer her to us? Then Mary wept and said to Peter, My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you think that I have thought this up myself in my heart, or that I am lying about the Saviour? Levi answered and said to Peter, Peter you have always been hot tempered. Now I see you contending against the woman like the adversaries. But if the Saviour made her worthy, who are you indeed to reject her? Surely the Saviour knows her very well. That is why He loved her more than us. Rather let us be ashamed and put on the perfect Man, and separate as He commanded us and preach the gospel, not laying down any other rule or other law beyond what the Saviour said. And when they heard this they began to go forth to proclaim and to preach. Mary 9:4–10 Acts of Pilate, or The Gospel of Nicodemus[ edit ] The elders of the Jews answered and said unto Jesus: What shall we see? Firstly, that thou wast born of fornication; secondly, that thy birth in Bethlehem was the cause of the slaying of children; thirdly, that thy father Joseph and thy mother Mary fled into Egypt because they had no confidence before the people. Babylonian Talmud[ edit ] Yeshua's [Jesus's] mother was Miriam [Mary]... This is as they say about her in the Pumbeditha : This one strayed from [was unfaithful to] her husband... He is guilty as a beguiler who says, "I will worship (other gods),"… In the case of any one who is liable to death penalties enjoined in the Law, it is not proper to lie in wait for him except he be a beguiler... [as] they did to Ben Stada [Jesus] whom they hanged on the eve of the Passover... The husband of his [Jesus'] mother was called Stada [Joseph ben Stada], and her seducer Pandera [a Roman name]. The Talmud , Mishnah 27:15, "Offenders Liable to Capital Punishment: The Beguiler to Idolatry" (ca. 200). Peter Schäfer in Jesus in the Talmud (Princeton, 2007) explains: "if the [Babylonian Talmud] takes it for granted that [Jesus's] mother was an adulteress, then the logical conclusion follows that we was a mamzer , a bastard or illegitimate child". Palestinian Talmud[ edit ] Early Middle Ages[ edit ] And the Son of God died; it is by all means to be believed, because it is absurd. And he was buried and rose again; the fact is certain because it is impossible. Tertullian (150–225), De Carne Christi. (This is actually a famous paraphrased translation, based upon separate statements of Tertullian). … the Son of God died; it is by all means to be believed, because it is absurd. Original Latin : et mortuus est dei filius: prorsus credibile est, quia ineptum est. Tertullian , De Carne Christi (5), (ca. 155–230). See also Fideism and Credo quia absurdum . Josephus … in seeking after the cause of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple … ought to have said that the conspiracy against Jesus was the cause of these calamities befalling the people, since they put to death Christ. Origen (c. 185–c. 254), Origin Against Celus, Book I, Chapter XLVII This, I shall say, is He, the son of the carpenter or the whore, the destroyer of the Sabbath, the Samaritan and Who had a devil. This is He, Whom ye bought of Judas: this is He, Who was smitten with a reed and with bufferings, dishonoured with spittings, drugged with gall and vinegar. This is He, Whom the disciples stole secretly away, that it might be said that He had risen again[.] Tertullian , De spectaculis (ca. 197–202) Jesus reveals the law to us when he reveals to us the secrets of the law. For we who are of the catholic Church, we do not spurn the law of Moses but accept it, so long as it is Jesus who reads it to us. Indeed, we can only possess a correct understanding of the Law when he reads it to us, and we are able to receive his sense and understanding. Origen (c. 185–c. 254), in R. B. Tollington, trans., Selections from the Commentaries and Homilies of Origen, London, 1929, p. 54 ‘If,’ said he, ‘the Father begat the Son, he that was begotten had a beginning of existence: and from this it is evident, that there was a time when the Son was not. It therefore necessarily follows, that he had his substance from nothing.’ Arius of Alexandria , (ca250/256–336) on the Arian heresy [3] How can we admit that the divine became an embryo, and that after its birth, it was wrapped in swaddling clothes, covered with blood, bile, and even worse things? Porphyry of Tyre (c. 233–c. 309 CE), Porphyry Against the Christians: The Literary Remains (Guildford 1994), expressing the Neoplatonist 's skepticism about Jesus' divinity Every prophet, every ancient writer, every revolution of the state, every law, every ceremony of the old covenant points only to Christ, announces only him, represents only him. Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 263–339?), Demonstratio Evangelium, 4: 15 in J. P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Graeca, Paris, 1857–66, vol. 22, p. 296 [T]he Jewish people were driven by their drunkenness and plumpness to the ultimate evil; they kicked about, they failed to accept the yoke of Christ, nor did they pull the plow of his teaching. Another prophet hinted at this when he said: "Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn heifer." … Although such beasts are unfit for work, they are fit for killing. And this is what happened to the Jews: while they were making themselves unfit for work, they grew fit for slaughter. This is why Christ said: "But as for these my enemies, who did not want me to be king over them, bring them here and slay them." ( Luke 19:27 ) Saint John Chrysostom (349–ca. 407) in Κατά Ιουδαίων [Adversus Judaeos or Against the Jews or Against Judaizing Christians] as translated in Eight Homilies Against the Jews , Homily 1. Many Christians have since condemned Chrysostom's rhetoric against Jewish traditions, and its later use for antisemitic campaigns, specifically those of Nazi Germany; Rev. Richard John Neuhaus explains that "John Chrysostom in fourth-century Constantinople should not be held responsible for the misrepresentation of his writings by Nazis in twentieth-century Germany" (First Things, November 1996 ). How hateful to me are the enemies of your Scripture! How I wish that you would slay them [the Jews] with your two-edged sword, so that there should be none to oppose your word! Gladly would I have them die to themselves and live to you! Augustine of Hippo , (412), Confessions 12.14.17 The heathen ... begins to praise Christ, not in order to do him honor, but to make you despair. It is the deadly cunning of the serpent, to turn you away from Christ by praising Christ, to extol deceitfully the one he doesn’t dare to disparage. He exaggerates the sovereign majesty of Christ in order to make him out quite unique, to stop you hoping for anything like what was demonstrated in his rising. Augustine of Hippo , “How to answer their exaggerated praise of Christ and their disparaging of Christians,” Sermon 361:15 The Qur'an (القرآن) and the Hadith (الحديث)[ edit ] The Dome of the Rock (مسجد قبة الصخرة) in Jerusalem (built 692 CE) which contains inscriptions that proclaim God's uniqueness and deny that He has any son or requires any assistance. This section contains quotes about Isa (Jesus) that occur in the Qur'an and the Hadith . The Qur'an (القرآن)[ edit ] And when Allah said: O Isa, [Jesus] I am going to terminate the period of your stay (on earth) and cause you to ascend unto Me and purify you of those who disbelieve and make those who follow you above those who disbelieve to the day of resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, so l will decide between you concerning that in which you differed. Original : إِذْ قَالَ اللّهُ يَا عِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَإِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَفَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْفَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ The Qur'an , Sura 3:55 ( The Family of Amram , سورة آل عمران) Then because of their breaking of their covenant, and their disbelieving in the revelations of Allah, and their slaying of the prophets wrongfully, and their saying: Our hearts are hardened — Nay, but Allah set a seal upon them for their disbelief, so that they believe not save a few — And because of their disbelief and of their speaking against Mary a tremendous calumny; And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Allah's messenger — they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain. But Allah took him up unto Himself. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise. There is not one of the People of the Scripture but will believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them. Original :فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَاقَهُمْ وَكُفْرِهِم بَآيَاتِ اللّهِ وَقَتْلِهِمُ الأَنْبِيَاءَبِغَيْرِ حَقًّ وَقَوْلِهِمْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌ بَلْ طَبَعَ اللّهُ عَلَيْهَابِكُفْرِهِمْفَلاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلاَّ قَلِ وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلَى مَرْيَمَبُهْتَاناً عَظِيماً وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَمَرْيَمَرَسُولَ اللّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّالَّذِينَاخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مَا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلاَّ اتِّبَاعَالظَّنِّوَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينا بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللّهُعَزِيزاً حَكِيماً وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلاَّ لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِوَيَوْمَالْقِيَامَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدا The Qur'an , Sura 4:155–159 ( The Women , سورة النساء) O followers of the Book! [The Bible] do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies) against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa son of Marium [Jesus son of Mary] is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He communicated to Marium and a spirit from Him; believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one God; far be It from His glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector. Original : يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لاَ تَغْلُواْ فِي دِينِكُمْ وَلاَ تَقُولُواْعَلَى اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقِّ إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُاللّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ فَآمِنُواْ بِاللّهِوَرُسُلِهِ وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ ثَلاَثَةٌ انتَهُواْ خَيْراً لَّكُمْ إِنَّمَا اللّهُإِلَـهٌوَاحِدٌ سُبْحَانَهُ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتوَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ وَكِيل The Qur'an , Sura 4:171 ( The Women , سورة النساء) Certainly they disbelieve who say: Surely Allah, He is the Messiah, son of Marium; and the Messiah said: O Children of Israel! serve Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Surely whoever associates (others) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden to him the garden, and his abode is the fire; and there shall be no helpers for the unjust. Certainly they disbelieve who say: Surely Allah is the third (person) of the three; and there is no god but the one God, and if they desist not from what they say, a painful chastisement shall befall those among them who disbelieve. Original : لَقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ هُوَالْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَقَالَ الْمَسِيحُ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اعْبُدُواْاللّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللّهُعَلَيهِالْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلاَثَةٍ وَمَا مِنْإِلَـهٍ إِلاَّ إِلَـهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَإِن لَّمْ يَنتَهُواْ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِي Then she brought him to her own folk, carrying him. They said: O Mary! Thou hast come with an amazing thing. O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a wicked man nor was thy mother a harlot. Then she pointed to him. They said: How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, a young boy? He spake: Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a Prophet, And hath made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and hath enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I remain alive, And (hath made me) dutiful toward her who bore me, and hath not made me arrogant, unblest. Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive! Such was Jesus, son of Mary: (this is) a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt. It befitteth not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should take unto Himself a son. Glory be to Him! When He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is. And lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So serve Him. That is the right path. The sects among them differ: but woe unto the disbelievers from the meeting of an awful Day. See and hear them on the Day they come unto Us! yet the evil-doers are today in error manifest. And warn them of the Day of anguish when the case hath been decided. Now they are in a state of carelessness, and they believe not. Original : فَأَتَتْ بِهِ قَوْمَهَا تَحْمِلُهُ قَالُوا يَا مَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْئاًفَرِيّاً يَا أُخْتَ هَارُونَ مَا كَانَ أَبُوكِ امْرَأَ سَوْءٍ وَمَا كَانَتْأُمُّكِ بَغِيّاً فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ قَالُوا كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَن كَانَفِيالْمَهْدِ صَبِيّاً قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِينَبِيّاً وَجَعَلَنِي مُبَارَكاً أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُ وَأَوْصَانِي بِالصَّلَاةِوَالزَّكَاةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيّاً وَبَرّاً بِوَالِدَتِي وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِيجَبَّاراً شَقِيّاً وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُوَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيّاً ذَلِكَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ قَوْلَ الْحَقِّالَّذِي فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ مِن وَلَدٍ سُبْحَانَهُإِذَا قَضَى أَمْراً فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَرَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْفَاعْبُدُوهُ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ فَاخْتَلَفَ الْأَحْزَابُ مِنبَيْنِهِمْ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن مَّشْهَدِ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ أَسْمِعْ بِهِمْوَأَبْصِرْ يَوْمَ يَأْتُونَنَا لَكِنِ الظَّالِمُونَ الْيَوْمَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ وَأَنذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْحَسْرَةِ إِذْ قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍوَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ The Qur'an , Sura 19:27–39 ( Maryam , سورة مريم And when Allah will say: O Isa son of Marium! [Jesus son of Mary] did you say to men, Take me and my mother for two gods besides Allah he will say: Glory be to Thee, it did not befit me that I should say what I had no right to (say); if I had said it, Thou wouldst indeed have known it; Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I do not know what is in Thy mind, surely Thou art the great Knower of the unseen things. Original : وَإِذْ قَالَ اللّهُ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِيوَأُمِّيَ إِلَـهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْأَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِحَقٍّ إِن كُنتُ قُلْتُهُ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُ تَعْلَمُمَا فِينَفْسِي وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِكَ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوب The Qur'an , Sura 5:116 ( The Dinner Table , سورة المائدة And when Isa son of Marium [Jesus son of Mary] said: O children of Israel! surely I am the apostle of Allah to you, verifying that which is before me of the Taurat and giving the good news of an Apostle who will come after me, his name being Ahmad [Muhammad], but when he came to them with clear arguments they said: This is clear magic. Original : وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِإِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقاًلِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّراً بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِنبَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ فَلَمَّاجَاءهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالُوا هَذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ Say: He, Allah, is One. Allah is He on Whom all depend. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And none is like Him. Original : بِسْمِ اللهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ لَمْ يَلِدْوَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ The Qur'an , Sura 112:1–4 ( The Unity , سورة الإخلاص This statement was declared as a rebuke to Christian doctrines of Jesus as the incarnation of God, and that God could beget a son that was his equal. The Hadith (الحديث)[ edit ] The Prophet said, "On the night of my Ascent to the Heaven, I saw Moses who was a tall brown curly-haired man as if he was one of the men of Shan'awa tribe, and I saw Jesus, a man of medium height and moderate complexion inclined to the red and white colors and of lank hair. I also saw Malik, the gate-keeper of the (Hell) Fire and Ad-Dajjal [the Antichrist ] amongst the signs which Allah showed me." Hadith , translation of Sahih Bukhari , Volume 4, Book 55, Number 65 The Prophet said, "On the Day of Resurrection the Believers will assemble and say, 'Let us ask somebody to intercede for us with our Lord.' … 'Go to Jesus, Allah's Slave, His Apostle and Allah's Word and a Spirit coming from Him.' Jesus will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking, go to Muhammad the Slave of Allah whose past and future sins were forgiven by Allah.' So they will come to me and I will proceed till I will ask my Lord's Permission and I will be given permission. Hadith , translation of Sahih Bukhari , Volume 6, Book 50, Number 3 Islamic Inscriptions from the Dome of the Rock (مسجد قبة الصخرة)[ edit ] Oh God, bless Your Messenger and Your servant Jesus son of Mary. Peace be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he shall be raised alive! O People of the Book! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning God save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a Messenger of God, and His Word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers, and say not 'Three' — Cease! (it is better for you! — God is only One God. Far be it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And God is sufficient as Defender. Islamic inscription in the east-northeast inner octagonal arcade of the Dome of the Rock , Jerusalem (692 CE), [link to full text and translation ] Oh God, bless Your Messenger and Your servant Jesus son of Mary. Peace be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he shall be raised alive! Such was Jesus, son of Mary, (this is) a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt. Islamic inscription in the north-northwest inner octagonal arcade of the Dome of the Rock , Jerusalem (692 CE), [link to full text and translation ] It befitteth not (the Majesty of) God that He should take unto Himself a son. Glory be to Him! When He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is. Lo! God is my Lord and your Lord. So serve Him. That is the right path. God (Himself) is witness that there is no God save Him. Islamic inscription in the northwest-west inner octagonal arcade of the Dome of the Rock , Jerusalem (692 CE), [link to full text and translation ] There is no god but God. He is One. Praise be to God, Who hath not taken unto Himself a son, and Who hath no partner in the Sovereignty, nor hath He any protecting friend through dependence. Islamic inscription in the west-northwest inner octagonal arcade of the Dome of the Rock , Jerusalem (692 CE), [link to full text and translation ] High Middle Ages[ edit ] The purpose and cause of the incarnation was that He might illuminate the world by His wisdom and excite it to the love of Himself. Peter Abelard (1079–1142), as quoted in "The Abelardian Doctrine Of The Atonement" (1892), published in Doctrine and Development : University Sermons (1898) by Hastings Rashdall, p. 138 If it be necessary, therefore, as it appears, that the heavenly kingdom be made up of men, and this cannot be effected unless the aforesaid satisfaction be made, which none but God can make and none but man ought to make, it is necessary for the God-man to make it. St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109), Cur Deus Homo Yes, you Jews. I say, do I address you; you, who till this very day, deny the Son of God. How long, poor wretches, will ye not believe the truth? Truly I doubt whether a Jew can be really human, for he will neither yield to human reasoning, nor accept the authorities which are both God's and his own. Peter the Venerable (c. 1092–1156), Tractatus contra Judaeos 3, PL 189. 551A Late Middle Ages[ edit ] Christ is not God, not the saviour of the world, but a mere man, a sinful man, and an abominable idol. All who worship him are abominable idolaters. And Christ did not rise again from death to life nor did he ascend into heaven. Matthew Hammond , burned at the stake by the Bishop of Norwich on 20 May 1579, cited in Jonathan Miller . (2004). A Brief History of Disbelief [TV-Series]. BBC Four . The Reformation and Counter-Reformation[ edit ] He did not call them Abraham's children, but a "brood of vipers" [Matt. 3:7]. Oh, that was too insulting for the noble blood and race of Israel, and they declared, "He has a demon' [Matt 11:18]. Our Lord also calls them a "brood of vipers"; furthermore in John 8 [:39,44] he states: "If you were Abraham's children ye would do what Abraham did... You are of your father the devil. It was intolerable to them to hear that they were not Abraham's but the devil's children, nor can they bear to hear this today. Martin Luther (1543), quoting what Jesus is said to have declared to some of the Jewish religious leaders of his time. On the Jews and Their Lies [4] In those holy fields. Over whose acres walk'd those blessed feet Which, fourteen hundred years ago, were nail'd For our advantage on the bitter cross. William Shakespeare , Henry IV, Part I (c. 1597), Act I, scene 1, line 24 And on his brest a bloodie crosse he bore, The deare remembrance of his dying Lord, For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore. Edmund Spenser , The Faerie Queene (1589–96), Book I, Canto I, Stanza 2 The Age of Reason (Seventeenth Century)[ edit ] I must at this juncture declare that those doctrines which certain churches put forward concerning Christ, I neither affirm nor deny, for I freely confess that I do not grasp them. Baruch Spinoza , Theologico-Political Treatise [5] (1677) The Age of Enlightenment (Eighteenth Century)[ edit ] [N]either antiquity nor any other nation has imagined a more atrocious and blasphemous absurdity than that of eating God. This is how Christians treat the autocrat of the universe. Frederick the Great , Letters of Voltaire and Frederick the Great (New York: Brentano's, 1927), transl. Richard Aldington , letter 215 from Frederick to Voltaire (19 March 1776) We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus! John Adams and John Hancock (April 18, 1775) [6] ) I doubt whether the people of this country would suffer an execution for heresy, or a three years imprisonment for not comprehending the mysteries of the trinity. Thomas Jefferson , Notes on Virginia, 1782. Published in The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes , Federal Edition, Paul Leicester Ford , ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904, Vol. 4 , p. 81 One could wish no easier death than that of Socrates, calmly discussing philosophy with his friends; one could fear nothing worse than that of Jesus, dying in torment, among the insults, the mockery, the curses of the whole nation. In the midst of these terrible sufferings, Jesus prays for his cruel murderers. Yes, if the life and death of Socrates are those of a philosopher, the life and death of Christ are those of a God. Jean-Jacques Rousseau , Émile: Or, On Education (1762), Book IV You will next read the new testament. It is the history of a personage called Jesus. Keep in your eye the opposite pretensions I. of those who say he was begotten by god, born of a virgin, suspended & reversed the laws of nature at will, & ascended bodily into heaven: and 2. of those who say he was a man of illegitimate birth, of a benevolent heart, enthusiastic mind, who set out without pretensions to divinity, ended in believing them, & was Punished capitally for sedition by being gibbeted according to the Roman law which punished the first commission of that offence by whipping, & the second by exile or death in furcâ. … Do not be frightened from this inquiry by any fear of it's consequences. If it ends in a belief that there is no god, you will find incitements to virtue in the comfort & pleasantness you feel in it's exercise, and the love of others which it will procure you. If you find reason to believe there is a god, a consciousness that you are acting under his eye, & that he approves you, will be a vast additional incitement; if that there be a future state, the hope of a happy existence in that increases the appetite to deserve it; if that Jesus was also a god, you will be comforted by a belief of his aid and love. In fine, I repeat that you must lay aside all prejudice on both sides, & neither believe nor reject anything because any other persons, or description of persons have rejected or believed it. Your own reason is the only oracle given you by heaven, and you are answerable not for the rightness but uprightness of the decision. I forgot to observe when speaking of the new testament that you should read all the histories of Christ, as well of those whom a council of ecclesiastics have decided for us to be Pseudo-evangelists, as those they named Evangelists. Because these Pseudo-evangelists pretended to inspiration as much as the others, and you are to judge their pretensions by your own reason, & not by the reason of those ecclesiastics. Most of these are lost. There are some however still extant, collected by Fabricius which I will endeavor to get & send you. Thomas Jefferson , Letter to Peter Carr, August 10, 1787. Published in The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes , Federal Edition, Paul Leicester Ford , ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904, Vol. 5 , pp. 324–327 The ancient and popular doctrine of the Millennium was intimately connected with the second coming of Christ. As the works of the creation had been finished in six days, their duration in their present state, according to a tradition which was attributed to the prophet Elijah, was fixed to six thousand years. By the same analogy it was inferred that this long period of labour and contention, which was now almost elapsed, would be succeeded by a joyful Sabbath of a thousand years; and that Christ, with the triumphant band of the saints and the elect who had escaped death, or who had been miraculously revived, would reign upon earth till the time appointed for the last and general resurrection. So pleasing was this hope to the mind of believers, that the new Jerusalem, the seat of this blissful kingdom, was quickly adorned with all the gayest colours of the imagination. … Though it might not be universally received, it appears to have been the reigning sentiment of the orthodox believers; and it seems so well adapted to the desires and apprehensions of mankind, that it must have contributed in a very considerable degree to the progress of the Christian faith. But when the edifice of the church was almost completed, the temporary support was laid aside. The doctrine of Christ's reign upon earth was at first treated as a profound allegory, was considered by degrees as a doubtful and useless opinion, and was at length rejected as the absurd invention of heresy and fanaticism. A mysterious prophecy, which still forms a part of the sacred canon, but which was thought to favour the exploded sentiment, has very narrowly escaped the proscription of the church. Edward Gibbon (1788), The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , 1, Chap. 15 , on the progress of the Christian religion, and the sentiments, manners, numbers, and condition of the primitive Christians [7] How shall we excuse the supine inattention of the Pagan and philosophic world to those evidences which were presented by the hand of Omnipotence, not to their reason, but to their senses? During the age of Christ, of his apostles, and of their first disciples, the doctrine which they preached was confirmed by innumerable prodigies. The lame walked, the blind saw, the sick were healed, the dead were raised, daemons were expelled, and the laws of Nature were frequently suspended for the benefit of the church. … Under the reign of Tiberius, the whole earth, or at least a celebrated province of the Roman empire, was involved in a preternatural darkness of three hours. Even this miraculous event, which ought to have excited the wonder, the curiosity, and the devotion of mankind, passed without notice in an age of science and history. It happened during the lifetime of Seneca and the elder Pliny, who must have experienced the immediate effects, or received the earliest intelligence, of the prodigy. Each of these philosophers, in a laborious work, has recorded all the great phenomena of Nature, earthquakes, meteors, comets, and eclipses, which his indefatigable curiosity could collect. Both the one and the other have omitted to mention the greatest phenomenon to which the mortal eye has been witness since the creation of the globe. Edward Gibbon (1788), The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , 1, Chap. 15 , on the progress of the Christian religion, and the sentiments, manners, numbers, and condition of the primitive Christians [8] [Jesus] claims that not the observance of outer civil or statutory churchly duties but the pure moral disposition of the heart alone can make man well-pleasing to God (Matthew V, 20-48); … that injury done one’s neighbor can be repaired only through satisfaction rendered to the neighbor himself, not through acts of divine worship (V, 24). Thus, he says, does he intend to do full justice to the Jewish law (V, 17); whence it is obvious that not scriptural scholarship but the pure religion of reason must be the law’s interpreter, for taken according to the letter, it allowed the very opposite of all this. Furthermore, he does not leave unnoticed, in his designations of the strait gate and the narrow way, the misconstruction of the law which men allow themselves in order to evade their true moral duty, holding themselves immune through having fulfilled their churchly duty (VII, 13). He further requires of these pure dispositions that they manifest themselves also in works (VII, 16) and, on the other hand, denies the insidious hope of those who imagine that, through invocation and praise of the Supreme Lawgiver in the person of His envoy, they will make up for their lack of good works and ingratiate themselves into favor (VII, 21). Regarding these works he declares that they ought to be performed publicly, as an example for imitation (V, 16), and in a cheerful mood, not as actions extorted from slaves (VI, 16); and that thus, from a small beginning in the sharing and spreading of such dispositions, religion, like a grain of seed in good soil, or a ferment of goodness, would gradually, through its inner power, grow into a kingdom of God (XIII, 31-33). Immanuel Kant , Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone , Book IV, Part 1, Section 1, “The Christian religion as a natural religion,” as translated by Theodore M. Greene Let us suppose there was a teacher of whom an historical record (or, at least, a widespread belief which is not basically disputable) reports that he was the first to expound publicly a pure and searching religion, comprehensible to the whole world. … Suppose that all he did was done even in the face of a dominant ecclesiastical faith which was onerous and not conducive to moral ends (a faith whose perfunctory worship can serve as a type of all the other faiths, at bottom merely statutory, which were current in the world at the time). Suppose, further, we find that he had made this universal religion of reason the highest and indispensable condition of every religious faith whatsoever … and this without further adding to this faith burdensome new ordinances or wishing to transform acts which he had initiated into peculiar holy practices, required in themselves as being constituent elements of religion. After this description one will not fail to recognize the person who can be referenced, not indeed as the founder of the religion which, free from every dogma, is engraved in all men’s hearts (for it does not have its origin in an arbitrary will), but as the founder of the first true church. Immanuel Kant , Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone , Book IV, Part 1, Section 1, “The Christian religion as a natural religion,” as translated by Theodore M. Greene What have we learned from this false thing called "revealed religion"? Absolutely nothing that is useful to man, and everything that is dishonorable to God. What does the Bible teach us?—rapine, cruelty, and murder. What does the New Testament teach us?—to believe that God had sex with a woman engaged to be married. The belief in this debauchery is what is called faith. Thomas Paine , The Age of Reason (1794) Every national church or religion has established itself by pretending some special mission from God, communicated to certain individuals. The Jews have their Moses; the Christians their Jesus Christ, their apostles and saints; and the Turks their Mahomet; as if the way to God was not open to every man alike. Each of those churches shows certain books, which they call revelation, or the Word of God. The Jews say that their Word of God was given by God to Moses face to face; the Christians say, that their Word of God came by divine inspiration; and the Turks say, that their Word of God (the Koran) was brought by an angel from heaven. Each of those churches accuses the other of unbelief; and, for my own part, I disbelieve them all. Thomas Paine , The Age of Reason (1794) [9] Having thus made an insurrection and a battle in heaven, in which none of the combatants could be either killed or wounded — put Satan into the pit — let him out again — given him a triumph over the whole creation — damned all mankind by the eating of an apple, these Christian mythologists bring the two ends of their fable together. They represent this virtuous and amiable man, Jesus Christ, to be at once both God and man, and also the Son of God, celestially begotten, on purpose to be sacrificed, because they say that Eve in her longing had eaten an apple. Thomas Paine , The Age of Reason (1794) [10] If I owe a person money, and cannot pay him, and he threatens to put me in prison, another person can take the debt upon himself, and pay it for me. But if I have committed a crime, every circumstance of the case is changed. Moral justice cannot take the innocent for the guilty even if the innocent would offer itself. To suppose justice to do this, is to destroy the principle of its existence, which is the thing itself. It is then no longer justice. It is indiscriminate revenge. Thomas Paine , The Age of Reason (1794) [11] As to the Christian system of faith, it appears to me as a species of atheism; a sort of religious denial of God. It professes to believe in a man rather than in God. It is a compound made up chiefly of man-ism with but little deism, and is as near to atheism as twilight is to darkness. It introduces between man and his Maker an opaque body, which it calls a redeemer[.] Thomas Paine , The Age of Reason (1794) [12] The most extraordinary of all the things called miracles, related in the New Testament, is that of the devil flying away with Jesus Christ, and carrying him to the top of a high mountain; and to the top of the highest pinnacle of the temple, and showing him and promising to him all the kingdoms of the world. How happened it that he did not discover America? or is it only with kingdoms that his sooty highness has any interest. Thomas Paine , The Age of Reason (1794) [13] Here then is the whole story, foolish as it is, of this child and this virgin; and it is upon the barefaced perversion of this story that the book of Matthew, and the impudence and sordid interest of priests in later times, have founded a theory, which they call the gospel; and have applied this story to signify the person they call Jesus Christ; begotten, they say, by a ghost, whom they call holy, on the body of a woman, engaged in marriage, and afterwards married, whom they call a virgin, seven hundred years after this foolish story was told; a theory which, speaking for myself, I hesitate not to believe, and to say, is as fabulous and as false as God is true. … It is not then the existence or the non-existence, of the persons that I trouble myself about; it is the fable of Jesus Christ, as told in the New Testament, and the wild and visionary doctrine raised thereon, against which I contend. The story, taking it as it is told, is blasphemously obscene. It gives an account of a young woman engaged to be married, and while under this engagement, she is, to speak plain language, debauched by a ghost, under the impious pretence, (Luke i. 35,) that "the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee." Notwithstanding which, Joseph afterwards marries her, cohabits with her as his wife, and in his turn rivals the ghost. This is putting the story into intelligible language, and when told in this manner, there is not a priest but must be ashamed to own it Thomas Paine , The Age of Reason (1794) [14] Matthew says, that the angel that was sitting upon the stone on the outside of the sepulchre told the two Marys that Christ was risen, and that the women went away quickly. Mark says, that the women, upon seeing the stone rolled away, and wondering at it, went into the sepulchre, and that it was the angel that was sitting within on the right side, that told them so. Luke says, it was the two angels that were standing up; and John says, it was Jesus Christ himself that told it to Mary Magdalene; and that she did not go into the sepulchre, but only stooped down and looked in. Now, if the writers of these four books had gone into a court of justice to prove an alibi, (for it is of the nature of an alibi that is here attempted to be proved, namely, the absence of a dead body by supernatural means,) and had they given their evidence in the same contradictory manner as it is here given, they would have been in danger of having their ears cropt for perjury, and would have justly deserved it. Yet this is the evidence, and these are the books, that have been imposed upon the world as being given by divine inspiration, and as the unchangeable word of God. The Nineteenth Century[ edit ] Alphabetized by author I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved — the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced! John Adams , letter to Thomas Jefferson (September 3, 1816). Published in Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams (UNC Press, 1988), p. 488 I want to say to you, about myself, that I am a child of this age, a child of unfaith and scepticism, and probably (indeed I know it) shall remain so to the end of my life. How dreadfully has it tormented me (and torments me even now) this longing for faith, which is all the stronger for the proofs I have against it. And yet God gives me sometimes moments of perfect peace; in such moments I love and believe that I am loved; in such moments I have formulated my creed, wherein all is clear and holy to me. This creed is extremely simple; here it is: I believe that there is nothing lovelier, deeper, more sympathetic, more rational, more manly, and more perfect than the Saviour; I say to myself with jealous love that not only is there no one else like Him, but that there could be no one. I would even say more: If anyone could prove to me that Christ is outside the truth , and if the truth really did exclude Christ, I should prefer to stay with Christ and not with truth. Fyodor Dostoevsky Letter To Mme. N. D. Fonvisin (1854), as published in Letters of Fyodor Michailovitch Dostoevsky to his Family and Friends (1914), translated by Ethel Golburn Mayne, Letter XXI, p. 71 [ [16] ] The divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity. Nowhere in the Gospels do we find a precept for Creeds, Confessions, Oaths, Doctrines, and whole carloads of other foolish trumpery that we find in Christianity. John Adams , letter to Thomas Jefferson . Published in The Quotable John Adams (Globe Pequot, 2008), p. 185ff Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [the Fourth of July]? Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity? John Quincy Adams (1837, during a speech at Newburyport, Massachusetts. From: [17] ) If there ever was an anarchist on Earth the gospel Jesus was one. Frank S. Billings, How Shall the Rich Escape? (1894), p. 54 I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander , Caesar , Charlemagne , and I, founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of people would die for Him. Napoleon Bonaparte My dear children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about Him. No one ever lived, who was so good, so kind, so gentle, and so sorry for all people who did wrong, or were in any way ill or miserable, as he was. And as He is now in Heaven, where we hope to go, and all to meet each other after we are dead, and there be happy always together, you never can think what a good place Heaven is, without knowing who he was and what he did. Charles Dickens , The Life of Our Lord (1849), Chapter 1, opening paragraph One sacrifice, however great, is insufficient to pay the debt of sin. The atonement requires constant self-immolation on the sinner’s part. That God’s wrath should be vented upon His beloved Son, is divinely unnatural. Such a theory is man-made. … The material blood of Jesus was no more efficacious to cleanse from sin when it was shed upon ‘the accursed tree,’ than when it was flowing in his veins as he went daily about his Father’s business. … His disciples believed Jesus to be dead while he was hidden in the sepulchre, whereas he was alive[.] Mary Baker Eddy (1867), Founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist , Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures , pp. 23:3–6, 25:6–8, 44:28–29 It is plain that God does not employ drugs or hygiene, nor provide them for human use; else Jesus would have recommended and employed them in his healing. The sick are more deplorably lost than the sinning, if the sick cannot rely on God for help and the sinning can. … The universal belief in physics weighs against the high and mighty truths of Christian metaphysics. This erroneous general belief, which sustains medicine and produces all medical results, works against Christian Science[.] … If we would heal by the Spirit, we must not hide the talent of spiritual healing under the napkin of its form[.] … The tender word and Christian encouragement of an invalid, pitiful patience with his fears and the removal of them, are better than hecatombs of gushing theories, stereotyped borrowed speeches, and the doling of arguments, which are but so many parodies on legitimate Christian Science, aflame with divine Love. Mary Baker Eddy (1867), Founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist on the denial of drugs, hygiene, and medicine to the sick and their replacement by spiritual healing, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures , pp. 143:5, 155:15 The theory of three person in one God (that is, a personal Trinity or Tri-unity) suggests polytheism, rather than the one ever-present I AM. … Jesus Christ is not God, as Jesus himself declared, but is the Son of God. Mary Baker Eddy (1867), Founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist , Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures , pp. 256:9–11, 361:11–13 Christ saw much in this world to weep over, and much to pray over: but he saw nothing in it to look upon with contempt. Edwin Hubbell Chapin as quoted in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895) by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, p. 160 The spirit of contempt is the true spirit of Antichrist; for no other is more directly opposed to Christ. Henry Giles , as quoted in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895) by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, p. 160 Christ plays in ten thousand places, Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his To the Father through the features of men's faces. Gerard Manley Hopkins , in "As Kingfishers Catch Fire, Dragonflies Draw Flame" (undated poem, c. March–April 1877) He saw his followers using the instruments of pain. He heard the groans — saw the faces white with agony. He heard the shrieks and sobs and cries of all the moaning, martyred multitudes. He knew that commentaries would be written on his words with swords, to be read by the light of fagots. He knew that the Inquisition would be born of the teachings attributed to him. He saw the interpolations and falsehoods that hypocrisy would write and tell. He saw all wars that would be waged, and he knew that above these fields of death, these dungeons, these rackings, these burnings, these executions, for a thousand years would float the dripping banner of the cross. He knew that hypocrisy would be robed and crowned — that cruelty and credulity would rule the world; knew that liberty would perish from the earth; knew that popes and kings in his name would enslave the souls and bodies of men; knew that they would persecute and destroy the discoverers, thinkers and inventors; knew that his church would extinguish reason's holy light and leave the world without a star. He saw his disciples extinguishing the eyes of men, flaying them alive, cutting out their tongues, searching for all the nerves of pain. He knew that in his name his followers would trade in human flesh; that cradles would be robbed and women's breasts unbabed for gold. And yet he died with voiceless lips. Robert Green Ingersoll , About the Holy Bible (1894) More concisely put in A Christmas Sermon: If Christ was in fact God, he knew the persecutions that would be carried on in his name; he knew the millions that would suffer death through torture; and yet he died without saying one word to prevent what he must have known, if he were God, would happen. His parentage was obscure; his condition poor; his education null; his natural endowments great; his life correct and innocent: he was meek, benevolent, patient, firm, disinterested, & of the sublimest eloquence. The disadvantages under which his doctrines appear are remarkable. 1. Like Socrates & Epictetus , he wrote nothing himself. 2. But he had not, like them, a Xenophon or an Arrian to write for him. On the contrary, all the learned of his country, entrenched in its power and riches, were opposed to him, lest his labors should undermine their advantages; and the committing to writing his life & doctrines fell on the most unlettered & ignorant men; who wrote, too, from memory, & not till long after the transactions had passed. 3. According to the ordinary fate of those who attempt to enlighten and reform mankind, he fell an early victim to the jealousy & combination of the altar and the throne, at about 33. years of age, his reason having not yet attained the maximum of its energy, nor the course of his preaching, which was but of 3. years at most, presented occasions for developing a complete system of morals. 4. Hence the doctrines which he really delivered were defective as a whole, and fragments only of what he did deliver have come to us mutilated, misstated, & often unintelligible. 5. They have been still more disfigured by the corruptions of schismatising followers, who have found an interest in sophisticating & perverting the simple doctrines he taught by engrafting on them the mysticisms of a Grecian sophist, frittering them into subtleties, & obscuring them with jargon, until they have caused good men to reject the whole in disgust, & to view Jesus himself as an impostor. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, a system of morals is presented to us, which, if filled up in the true style and spirit of the rich fragments he left us, would be the most perfect and sublime that has ever been taught by man. The question of his being a member of the Godhead, or in direct communication with it, claimed for him by some of his followers, and denied by others, is foreign to the present view, which is merely an estimate of the intrinsic merit of his doctrines. 1. He corrected the Deism of the Jews, confirming them in their belief of one only God, and giving them juster notions of his attributes and government. 2. His moral doctrines, relating to kindred & friends, were more pure & perfect than those of the most correct of the philosophers, and greatly more so than those of the Jews; and they went far beyond both in inculcating universal philanthropy, not only to kindred and friends, to neighbors and countrymen, but to all mankind, gathering all into one family, under the bonds of love, charity, peace, common wants and common aids. A development of this head will evince the peculiar superiority of the system of Jesus over all others. 3. The precepts of philosophy, & of the Hebrew code, laid hold of actions only. He pushed his scrutinies into the heart of man; erected his tribunal in the region of his thoughts, and purified the waters at the fountain head. 4. He taught, emphatically, the doctrines of a future state, which was either doubted, or disbelieved by the Jews; and wielded it with efficacy, as an important incentive, supplementary to the other motives to moral conduct. Thomas Jefferson , ' "Syllabus of an Estimate of the Merit of the Doctrines of jesus, Compared with Those of Others" in a letter to Benjamin Rush (12 April 1803) . Published in The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes , Federal Edition, Paul Leicester Ford , ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904, Vol. 9 Works Vol. 9 (PDF) , pp. 462. The Christian priesthood, finding the doctrines of Christ levelled to every understanding, and too plain to need explanation, saw in the mysticism of Plato, materials with which they might build up an artificial system, which might, from its indistinctness, admit everlasting controversy, give employment for their order, and introduce it to profit, power and pre-eminence. The doctrines which flowed from the lips of Jesus himself are within the comprehension of a child ; but thousands of volumes have not yet explained the Platonisms engrafted on them; and for this obvious reason, that nonsense can never be explained. Thomas Jefferson , letter to John Adams (July 5, 1814). Published in The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes , Federal Edition, Paul Leicester Ford , ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904, Vol. 11 , pp. 397–398. 48: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 49: Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 50: And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 51: The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 52: Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 53: And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 54: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children. 55: The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 56: Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 57: But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 58: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 59: And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. 60: And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 61: Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. 62: Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 63: There laid they Jesus, 64: And rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. Thomas Jefferson , The " Jefferson Bible " ( The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth ) on the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus, which omits all Biblical passages asserting Jesus' virgin birth, miracles, divinity, and resurrection. The priests have so disfigured the simple religion of Jesus that no one who reads the sophistications they have engrafted on it, from the jargon of Plato , of Aristotle & other mystics, would conceive these could have been fathered on the sublime preacher of the sermon on the mount. Thomas Jefferson , Letter to Benjamin Waterhouse (October 13, 1815). Published in The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes , Federal Edition, Paul Leicester Ford , ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904, Vol. 11 , p. 492 I, too, have made a wee-little book from the same materials, which I call the Philosophy of Jesus; it is a paradigma of his doctrines, made by cutting the texts out of the book, and arranging them on the pages of d blank book, in a certain order of time or subject. A more beautiful or precious morsel of ethics I have never seen; it is a document in proof that I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus, very different from the Platonists, who call me infidel and themselves Christians and preachers of the gospel, while they draw all their characteristic dogmas from what its author never said nor saw. They have compounded from the heathen mysteries a system beyond the comprehension of man, of which the great reformer of the vicious ethics and deism of the Jews, were he to return on earth, would not recognize one feature. Thomas Jefferson , Letter to Charles Thomson (January 9, 1816), on his The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (the " Jefferson Bible "), which omits all Biblical passages asserting Jesus' virgin birth, miracles, divinity, and resurrection. Published in The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes , Federal Edition, Paul Leicester Ford , ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904, Vol. 11 , pp. 498–499 The Pennsylvania legislature, who, on a proposition to make the belief in God a necessary qualification for office, rejected it by a great majority, although assuredly there was not a single atheist in their body. And you remember to have heard, that when the act for religious freedom was before the Virginia Assembly, a motion to insert the name of Jesus Christ before the phrase, "the author of our holy religion," which stood in the bill, was rejected, although that was the creed of a great majority of them. Thomas Jefferson , Letter to Albert Gallatin (June 16, 1817). Published in The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes , Federal Edition, Paul Leicester Ford , ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904, Vol. 12 , p. 73 But the greatest of all the reformers of the depraved religion of his own country, was Jesus of Nazareth. Abstracting what is really his from the rubbish in which it is buried, easily distinguished by its lustre from the dross of his biographers, and as separable from that as the diamond from the dunghill, we have the outlines of a system of the most sublime morality which has ever fallen from the lips of man; outlines which it is lamentable he did not live to fill up. Epictetus and Epicurus give laws for governing ourselves, Jesus a supplement of the duties and charities we owe to others. The establishment of the innocent and genuine character of this benevolent moralist, and the rescuing it from the imputation of imposture, which has resulted from artificial systems,* invented by ultra-Christian sects, unauthorized by a single word ever uttered by him, is a most desirable object, and one to which Priestley has successfully devoted his labors and learning. It would in time, it is to be hoped, effect a quiet euthanasia of the heresies of bigotry and fanaticism which have so long triumphed over human reason, and so generally and deeply afflicted mankind; but this work is to be begun by winnowing the grain from the chaff of the historians of his life. I have sometimes thought of translating Epictetus (for he has never been tolerable translated into English) by adding the genuine doctrines of Epicurus from the Syntagma of Gassendi, and an abstract from the Evangelists of whatever has the stamp of the eloquence and fine imagination of Jesus. The last I attempted too hastily some twelve or fifteen years ago. It was the work of two or three nights only, at Washington, after getting through the evening task of reading the letters and papers of the day. But with one foot in the grave, these are now idle projects for me. My business is to beguile the wearisomeness of declining life, as I endeavor to do, by the delights of classical reading and of mathematical truths, and by the consolations of a sound philosophy, equally indifferent to hope and fear. Thomas Jefferson , Letter to William Short, October 31, 1819. Published in The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes , Federal Edition, Paul Leicester Ford , ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904, Vol. 12 , pp. 141–142. Jefferson's footnote on "artificial systems" for this passage: * e.g. The immaculate conception of Jesus, his deification, the creation of the world by him, his miraculous powers, his resurrection and visible ascension, his corporeal presence in the Eucharist, the Trinity; original sin, atonement, regeneration, election, orders of Hierarchy, etc. — T.J. My aim in that was, to justify the character of Jesus against the fictions of his pseudo-followers, which have exposed him to the inference of being an impostor. For if we could believe that he really countenanced the follies, the falsehoods and the charlatanisms which his biographers father on him, and admit the misconstructions, interpolations and theorizations of the fathers of the early, and fanatics of the latter ages, the conclusion would be irresistible by every sound mind, that he was an impostor. I give no credit to their falsifications of his actions and doctrines, and to rescue his character, the postulate in my letter asked only what is granted in reading every other historian. When Livy and Siculus , for example, tell us things which coincide with our experience of the order of nature, we credit them on their word, and place their narrations among the records of credible history. But when they tell us of calves speaking, of statues sweating blood, and other things against the course of nature, we reject these as fables not belonging to history. … I say, that this free exercise of reason is all I ask for the vindication of the character of Jesus. We find in the writings of his biographers matter of two distinct descriptions. First, a groundwork of vulgar ignorance, of things impossible, of superstitions, fanaticisms and fabrications. Intermixed with these, again, are sublime ideas of the Supreme Being, aphorisms and precepts of the purest morality and benevolence, sanctioned by a life of humility, innocence and simplicity of manners, neglect of riches, absence of worldly ambition and honors, with an eloquence and persuasiveness which have not been surpassed. These could not be inventions of the groveling authors who relate them. They are far beyond the powers of their feeble minds. They shew that there was a character, the subject of their history, whose splendid conceptions were above all suspicion of being interpolations from their hands. Can we be at a loss in separating such materials, and ascribing each to its genuine author? The difference is obvious to the eye and to the understanding, and we may read as we run to each his part; and I will venture to affirm, that he who, as I have done, will undertake to winnow this grain from its chaff, will find it not to require a moment's consideration. The parts fall asunder of themselves, as would those of an image of metal and clay. … There are, I acknowledge, passages not free from objection, which we may, with probability, ascribe to Jesus himself; but claiming indulgence from the circumstances under which he acted. His object was the reformation of some articles in the religion of the Jews, as taught by Moses . That sect had presented for the object of their worship, a being of terrific character, cruel, vindictive, capricious and unjust. Jesus, taking for his type the best qualities of the human head and heart, wisdom, justice, goodness, and adding to them power, ascribed all of these, but in infinite perfection, to the Supreme Being, and formed him really worthy of their adoration. Moses had either not believed in a future state of existence, or had not thought it essential to be explicitly taught to his people. Jesus inculcated that doctrine with emphasis and precision. Moses had bound the Jews to many idle ceremonies, mummeries and observances, of no effect towards producing the social utilities which constitute the essence of virtue; Jesus exposed their futility and insignificance. The one instilled into his people the most anti-social spirit towards other nations; the other preached philanthropy and universal charity and benevolence. The office of reformer of the superstitions of a nation, is ever dangerous. Jesus had to walk on the perilous confines of reason and religion: and a step to right or left might place him within the gripe of the priests of the superstition, a blood thirsty race, as cruel and remorseless as the being whom they represented as the family God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, and the local God of Israel. They were constantly laying snares, too, to entangle him in the web of the law. He was justifiable, therefore, in avoiding these by evasions, by sophisms, by misconstructions and misapplications of scraps of the prophets, and in defending himself with these their own weapons, as sufficient, ad homines, at least. That Jesus did not mean to impose himself on mankind as the son of God, physically speaking, I have been convinced by the writings of men more learned than myself in that lore. But that he might conscientiously believe himself inspired from above, is very possible. Thomas Jefferson , Letter to William Short, August 4, 1820, on his reason for compiling the Syllabus of an Estimate of the Merit of the Doctrines of Jesus. Published in Thomas Jefferson: Writings, Merrill D. Peterson, ed., New York: Library of America, 1994, pp. 1435–1440 [18] The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend all to the happiness of man. 1. That there is one only God, and he all perfect. 2, That there is a future state of rewards and punishments. 3. That to love God with all thy heart and thy neighbor as thyself, is the sum of religion. These are the great points on which he endeavored to reform the religion of the Jews. But compare with these the demoralizing dogmas of Calvin . 1. That there are three Gods. 2. That good works, or the love of our neighbor, are nothing. 3. That faith is every thing, and the more incomprehensible the proposition, the more merit in its faith. 4. That reason in religion is of unlawful use. 5. That God, from the beginning, elected certain individuals to be saved, and certain others to be damned; and that no crimes of the former can damn them; no virtues of the latter save. Now, which of these is the true and charitable Christian? He who believes and acts on the simple doctrines of Jesus? Or the impious dogmatists, as Athanasius and Calvin? Verily I say these are the false shepherds foretold as to enter not by the door into the sheepfold, but to climb up some other way. They are mere usurpers of the Christian name, teaching a counter-religion made up of the deliria of crazy imaginations, as foreign from Christianity as is that of Mahomet . Their blasphemies have driven thinking men into infidelity, who have too hastily rejected the supposed author himself, with the horrors so falsely imputed to him. Had the doctrines of Jesus been preached always as pure as they came from his lips, the whole civilized world would now have been Christian. I rejoice that in this blessed country of free inquiry and belief, which has surrendered its creed and conscience to neither kings nor priests, the genuine doctrine of one only God is reviving, and I trust that there is not a young man now living in the United States who will not die an Unitarian . Thomas Jefferson , letter to Benjamin Waterhouse , (June 26, 1822). Published in The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes , Federal Edition, Paul Leicester Ford , ed., New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904, Vol. 12 , pp. 241–243 The truth is, that the greatest enemies of the doctrine of Jesus are those, calling themselves the expositors of them, who have perverted them to the structure of a system of fancy absolutely incomprehensible, and without any foundation in his genuine words. And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter... But may we hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this most venerated reformer of human errors. Thomas Jefferson , letter to John Adams (11 April 1823) [19] Over the years, alas, it has happened again and again, and the repetition continues, that someone goes ahead, someone for whom another person longs, whom he wishes to follow, but never has any human being, never has any loved one, never has any teacher, never has any friend gone ahead-in order to prepare a place for the one following. Just as the name of Christ is the one and only name in heaven and on earth, so also is Christ the one and only predecessor who has gone ahead in this way. Between heaven and earth there is only one road: to follow Christ. In time and eternity there is only one choice, one single choice: to choose this road. There is only one eternal hope on this earth: to follow Christ into heaven. There is one blessed joy in this life: to follow Christ; in death there is one final blessed joy-to follow Christ to life! Soren Kierkegaard Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits 1847, Hong 1993 p. 229 Christ said: Whoever denies me before people I also will deny before my heavenly Father-even if it were not so, it would still follow solely of itself, follow from the inner urge in the Christian that he would do this. On the other hand, although the confession is commanded and enjoined with the full emphasis of eternity, if the confession is not the consequence of that inner urge, then a confession of that kind is not what is required. Therefore, if someone could presumptuously want to delude himself into thinking that the most sagacious thing, because after all it is required, the most sagacious thing, in view of eternity’s judgment, would be to confess Christ: then such a person does not only not confess Christ but blasphemously distorts him, as if Christ were a vain power seeker who craved a great name in the world. No, that was not why Christ required the confession, and that is not the way he required it. On the contrary, he actually required that his followers have such inwardness that confession follows of itself-when it is required. The same inwardness can also be silent and just as pleasing to God, but this same true inwardness surely cannot be silent-when confession is required. Indeed, how could a person’s faith be strong enough to believe unto salvation, strong and disregardful enough in this way (alas, this may be just about the most difficult kind of disregard, to pay no attention to one’s own fantasies about merit or to the mitigating inventions of one’s passions or to the horrifying images of terrified imagination in the consciousness of guilt, but without this disregard one cannot have faith unto salvation) if a person does not have a faith strong and disregardful enough to dare to confess-if it is required. Soren Kierkegaard Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits 1847, Hong 1993 p. 321-322 For God has other Words for other worlds, But for this world the Word of God is Christ. Harriet King , The Disciples (1873), Ugo Bassi, III ("The Sermon in the Hospital") I know there is a God, and that He hates injustice and slavery. I see the storm coming, and I know that His hand is in it. If He has a place and work for me–and I think He has–I believe I am ready. I am nothing, but truth is everything. I know I am right because I know that liberty is right, for Christ teaches it, and Christ is God. I have told them that a house divided against itself cannot stand, and Christ and reason say the same; and they will find it so. Douglas doesn't care whether slavery is voted up or voted down, but God cares, and humanity cares, and I care; and with God’s help I shall not fail. I may not see the end; but it will come and I shall be vindicated; and these men will find that they have not read their Bibles aright. Abraham Lincoln anecdote registered by novelist Josiah Gilbert Holland, in his Life of Abraham Lincoln (1866), Chapter XVI, p. 287. University of Nebraska Press, as something that Lincoln said in a conversation with educator Newman Bateman, in the Autumn of 1860. All sorrow, labor, suffering, I, tallying it, absorb in myself, Many times have I been rejected, taunted, put in prison, and crucified, and many times shall be again.. .~ Walt Whitman in Leaves of Grass, "Chanting the Square Deific" My charity has no death — my wisdom dies not, neither early nor late, and my sweet love bequeath'd here and elsewhere never dies. ~ Walt Whitman in Leaves of Grass, "Chanting the Square Deific" My spirit to yours dear brother, Do not mind because many sounding your name do not understand you, I do not sound your name, but I understand you... ~ Walt Whitman in Leaves of Grass, "To Him That Was Crucified" There is truth in Jesus which is terrible, as well as truth that is soothing; terrible, for He shall be Judge as well as Saviour; and ye cannot face Him, ye cannot stand before Him, unless ye now give ear to His invitation. Henry Melvill , as quoted in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895) by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert The Bible tells me explicitly that Christ was God; and it tells me, as explicitly that Christ was man. It does not go on to state the modus or manner of the union. I stop, therefore, where the Bible stops. I bow before a God-man as my Mediator, but I own as inscrutable the mysteries of His person. Henry Melvill , as quoted in Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895) by Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert The Author of the Sermon on the Mount is assuredly a far more benign being than the Author of Nature. But unfortunately, the believer in the Christian revelation is required to believe that the same being is the author of both! If he doesn’t resolutely avert his mind from this subject or practise the act of quieting his conscience by sophistry, he will be involved in endless moral perplexities, because the ways of his Deity in Nature are often totally at variance with what he thinks to be the commands of that same Deity in the Gospel. Those who suffer the least moral damage from this tangle are probably those who never try to reconcile the two standards — the one set by Nature, and the one set by Jesus in the Gospels — with one another, but admits to himself that the purposes of Providence are mysterious, that its ways are not our ways, that its justice and goodness are not the justice and goodness that we can understand and that it is fitting for us to practise. When this is how the believer feels, however, the worship of God stops being the adoration of abstract moral perfection. It becomes a matter of the bowing down to a gigantic image of something not fit for us to imitate. It is the worship of pure power. I say nothing of the moral difficulties and perversions involved in revelation itself; though even in the Christianity of the Gospels, at least in its ordinary interpretation, there are some that are so flagrant that they almost outweigh all the beauty and benignity and moral greatness that so clearly distinguish the sayings and character of Christ. For example, thinking "This is the object of highest worship!" of a being who could make a Hell and create countless generations of human beings with the certain foreknowledge that he was creating them to be sent to Hell. Is there any moral atrocity that couldn’t be justified by the imitation of such a Deity? And could we possibly adore such a being without frightfully distorting the standard of right and wrong? Any other of the outrages to the most ordinary justice and humanity involved in the common Christian idea of God’s moral character sinks into insignificance beside this dreadful Hell-focused idealization of wickedness. Florence Nightingale , in Cassandra (1860) People talk about imitating Christ, and imitate Him in the little trifling formal things, such as washing the feet, saying His prayer, and so on; but if anyone attempts the real imitation of Him, there are no bounds to the outcry with which the presumption of that person is condemned. Florence Nightingale , in Cassandra (1860) The Church is now more like the Scribes and Pharisees than like Christ... What are now called the "essential doctrines" of the Christian religion he does not even mention. Florence Nightingale , as quoted in The Life of Florence Nightingale (1913) by Edward Tyas Cook, p. 392 In his last moments he cries out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!" What conclusion is it natural to draw from this distressing exclamation? It appears to be this, that on the part of Jesus Christ, there was a virtual renunciation of his confidence in the Creator; and on the supposition that there was originally a concerted plan of execution well understood by both the parties, the fulfilment of it seems here to have been relinquished, and the beneficial effects annihilated. On the part of Jesus, it is saying, "I have been deceived in this undertaking. I did not expect that I should have been forsaken in this hour of my greatest distress; but I rested with confidence on eternal wisdom, for a timely escape from this wretched misfortune." On the part of the Father, there is a want of attention and support in this trying hour. He forsakes his beloved Son; he gives him up to the murderous fury of vindictive enemies; and neither the one nor the other of the parties exhibits that spirit of fortitude and constancy which might justly have been expected on so interesting an occasion. The reflecting mind concludes, therefore, that the whole is but a fiction, and that no such stipulation ever took place between the man Jesus Christ, and the Creator of the world. Elihu Palmer , Principles of nature; or, a development of the morals causes of happiness and misery among the human species (1801) He declared that in the present world evil is the reigning power. Satan is "the prince of this world," and everything obeys him. The kings kill the prophets. The priests and the doctors do not that which they command others to do; the righteous are persecuted, and the only portion of the good is weeping. The "world" is in this manner the enemy of God and his saints; but God will awaken and avenge his saints. The day is at hand, for the abomination is at its height. The reign of goodness will have its turn. The advent of this reign of goodness will be a great and sudden revolution. The world will seem to be turned upside down: the actual state being bad, in order to represent the future, it suffices to conceive nearly the reverse of that which exists. The first shall be last. A new order shall govern humanity. Jesus, in some respects, was an anarchist , for he had no idea of civil government. That government seems to him purely and simply an abuse. A great social revolution, in which rank will be overturned, in which all authority in this world will be humiliated, was his dream. Will you touch, will you mend me Christ? Won't you touch, will you heal me Christ? Will you kiss, can you cure me Christ? Won't you kiss, won't you pay me Christ? See my eyes, I can hardly see See me stand, I can hardly walk I believe you can make me whole See my tongue, I can hardly talk. See my skin, I'm a mass of blood See my legs, I can hardly stand I believe you can make me well See my purse, I'm a poor, poor man. Jesus Christ Superstar , lyrics by Tim Rice (1970) So you are the Christ you're the great Jesus Christ Prove to me that you're divine - change my water into wine That's all you need to do then I'll know it's all true C'mon King of the Jews. Prove to me that you're no fool - walk across my swimming pool If you do that for me then I'll let you go free C'mon King of the Jews. Jesus Christ Superstar , lyrics by Tim Rice (1970) I remember when this whole thing began No talk of God then, we called you a man And believe me, my admiration for you hasn't died But every word you say today Gets twisted round some other way And they'll hurt if they think you've lied. Tim Rice , Jesus Christ Superstar (1970): Judas in "Heaven on Their Minds" For, if Christ be simply an ideal picture, the man who sketched it will be as difficult to account for as the Being himself. George Sexton, a leading 19th century skeptic who converted to orthodox Christianity. Victorian Skeptics on the Road to Damascus Must then a Christ perish in torment in every age to save those that have no imagination? George Bernard Shaw , in Saint Joan : A Chronicle Play In Six Scenes And An Epilogue (1923) No sooner had Jesus knocked over the dragon of superstition than Paul boldly set it on its legs again in the name of Jesus. George Bernard Shaw , Androcles and the Lion (1913) If Christ were here now there is one thing he would not be — a Christian. H.G. Wells , British author (1866–1946) (from: [20] ) Consolator most mild, the promis'd one advancing, With gentle hand extended, the mightier God am I, Foretold by prophets and poets in their most rapt prophecies and poems, From this side, lo! the Lord Christ gazes — lo! Hermes I — lo! mine is Hercules ' face, All sorrow, labor, suffering, I, tallying it, absorb in myself, Many times have I been rejected, taunted, put in prison, and crucified, and many times shall be again, All the world have I given up for my dear brothers' and sisters' sake, for the soul's sake, Wending my way through the homes of men, rich or poor, with the kiss of affection, For I am affection, I am the cheer-bringing God, with hope and all-enclosing charity, With indulgent words as to children, with fresh and sane words, mine only, Young and strong I pass knowing well I am destin'd myself to an early death; But my charity has no death — my wisdom dies not, neither early nor late, And my sweet love bequeath'd here and elsewhere never dies. My spirit to yours dear brother, Do not mind because many sounding your name do not understand you, I do not sound your name, but I understand you, I specify you with joy O my comrade to salute you, and to salute those who are with you, before and since, and those to come also, That we all labor together transmitting the same charge and succession, We few equals indifferent of lands, indifferent of times, We, enclosers of all continents, all castes, allowers of all theologies, Compassionaters, perceivers, rapport of men, We walk silent among disputes and assertions, but reject not the disputers nor any thing that is asserted, We hear the bawling and din, we are reach'd at by divisions, jealousies, recriminations on every side, They close peremptorily upon us to surround us, my comrade, Yet we walk unheld, free, the whole earth over, journeying up and down till we make our ineffaceable mark upon time and the diverse eras, Till we saturate time and eras, that the men and women of races, ages to come, may prove brethren and lovers as we are. The Book of Mormon , Mosiah 3:17 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. The Book of Mormon , Helaman 5:12 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust. Jesus doesn't do miracles any more because everyone has dwindled in unbelief. Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth. The Book of Mormon , Mormon 9:19–21 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good. And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness. The Book of Mormon , 2 Nephi 33:10-11 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. The Book of Mormon , 2 Nephi 25:26 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. The Book of Mormon , 2 Nephi 31:20 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot. Woody Allen , in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Paul, in the fifteenth chapter of his Epistle to the Corinthians, gives a detailed list of several resurrection appearances. Now there is scarcely a scholar who has doubted the genuineness of 1 Corinthians, and its date is generally accepted as about 56 A.D. But the apostle writes that he had not only previously given his readers this information orally (i.e., in 49 A.D.), but had himself 'received' it, presumably from those who were apostles before him. This may take us back to 40 A.D. or to within some ten years of the crucifixion.... Paul tells us that in 56 A.D. the majority of some 500 original witnesses were still alive.... Sir Norman Anderson, O.B.E., Q.C., LL.D., F.B.A., "The Evidence for the Resurrection", IVP, 1950. Jesus Christ is to me the outstanding personality of all time, all history, both as Son of God and as Son of Man. Everything he ever said or did has value for us today and that is something you can say of no other man, dead or alive. There is no easy middle ground to stroll upon. You either accept Jesus or reject him. Sholem Asch , in an interview with Frank S. Mead of The Christian Herald (1944), as quoted in The Controversial Sholem Asch : An Introduction to his Fiction (1976) by Ben Siegel, p. 148 In Jesus, God wills to be true God not only in the height but also in the depth — in the depth of human creatureliness, sinfulness and mortality. Karl Barth , as quoted in Basket of Gems (2009) by Mark Stibbe, p. 89 From my youth onwards I have found in Jesus my great brother. That Christianity has regarded and does regard him as God and Savior has always appeared to me a fact of the highest importance which, for his sake and my own, I must endeavor to understand … I am more than ever certain that a great place belongs to him in Israel's history of faith and that this place cannot be described by any of the usual categories. Martin Buber , in Two Types of Faith (1961) Foreword We, as Christians, are asked to take a very great deal on trust; the teachings, for example, and the miracles of Jesus. If we had to take all on trust, I, for one, should be sceptical. The crux of the problem of whether Jesus was, or was not, what he proclaimed himself to be, must surely depend upon the truth or otherwise of the resurrection. On that greatest point we are not merely asked to have faith. In its favour as a living truth there exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true. Lord Darling, who deputised for the Lord Chief Justice 1914-1918, quoted by Michael Green in "Man Alive", IVP, 1967 I had the good luck a few years ago to visit the archeological site of Zippori in Israel... I could see here displayed the Greek culture that Jesus decisively rejected, the same Greek culture that infiltrated the Christian religion soon after his death and has dominated Christianity ever since. Freeman Dyson , The Scientist As Rebel (2006) First, Jesus was no simple peasant, but grew up in intimate contact with an urban and overwhelmingly Greek culture. And second, he intended to lead a spiritual regeneration of his people, based on a total repudiation of Greek culture. In all his preaching, he quotes from the Law and the Prophets, the old Hebrew scriptures. After seeing what the Greek culture had to offer, he went back to his Hebrew roots. Freeman Dyson , The Scientist As Rebel (2006) As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene....No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life. Albert Einstein , physicist (1879–1955) (from: [21] ) I am absolutely convinced that no amount of wealth in the world can help humanity move forward, even in the hands of the most devoted worker. The example of great and pure individuals is the only thing that can lead us to noble thoughts and deeds. Money only appeals to selfishness and irresistably invites abuse. Can anyone imagine Moses, Jesus or Ghandi armed with the money-bags of Carnegie? Albert Einstein Not a single one of our ancient sources indicates that Jesus was married, let alone married to Mary Magdalene . All such claims are part of modem fictional reconstructions of Jesus' life, not rooted in the surviving accounts themselves. The historical approach to our sources may not be as exciting and sensationalist as fictional claims about Jesus (he kept a lover! he had sex! he made babies!), but there's something to be said for knowing what really happened in history, even if it is not as titillating as what happens in novels. Bart D. Ehrman , Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code (2004), Ch. 7: "Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Marriage" Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His divine manhood. While still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying — and that was his coat . When he was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress . I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life. James Allan Francis , One Solitary Life (1963), p. 1–7. This miniature book, made up entirely of the text above, was hand set and printed by Doris V. Welsh, a former staff member of the Newberry Library, in an edition of 150 copies. No information in the book is given for the first published source of this essay by James Allan Francis, D. D. (1864–1928), nor could it be found in the essays and sermons by Francis in the collections of his writings in the Library of Congress. Nor was the Newberry Library able to identify the original published source. As an anonymous work and with some variations in the text, "One Solitary Life" was published in The Irish Echo, December 27, 1969, p. 10; in the Congressional Record, December 23, 1969, vol. 115, p. 13105; and on a variety of Christmas greeting cards in the 1970s and 1980s. A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act. Mahatma Gandhi , (1869–1948) (from: [22] ) I have regarded Jesus of Nazareth as one amongst the mighty teachers that the world has had. . . . I shall say to the Hindus that your lives will be incomplete unless you reverently study the teachings of Jesus. Mahatma Gandhi , The Message of Jesus Christ. Cited in The Watchtower magazine (15 December 2001) Jesus was the first socialist, the first to seek a better life for mankind. Mikhail Gorbachev , as quoted in Daily Telegraph (16 June 1992) I'm hoping that [the defrauded faithful will] see that it's not necessary to look to some person to jerk you off to get off and put your belief in. MarJoe Gortner , one-time child evangelist who exposed the fraudulence of fundamentalist Christian sermons in America in the 1972 academy-award winning documentary MarJoe . He estimates that he raised $3 million (1960s) dollars in donations. Would you get out your checkbook tonight? … Bring what you would for JESUS tonight. MarJoe Gortner , one-time child evangelist who exposed the fraudulence of fundamentalist Christian sermons in America in the 1972 academy-award winning documentary MarJoe . He estimates that he raised $3 million (1960s) dollars in donations. [To an elderly women requesting a blessing.] Do you believe that the Lord's going to do it tonight? Do you believe that he's going to touch this condition? Say Yes Lord. Say THANK YOU JESUS! In the name of Jesus! In the name of JESUS! [Woman collapses in euphoria.] Thank you Jesus. Hallelujah! MarJoe Gortner , one-time child evangelist who exposed the fraudulence of fundamentalist Christian sermons in America in the 1972 academy-award winning documentary MarJoe . He estimates that he raised $3 million (1960s) dollars in donations. Christian anarchism is based upon the answer of Jesus to the Pharisees, when He said that he without sin should be the first to cast the stone, and upon the Sermon on the Mount, which advises the return of good for evil and the turning of the other cheek. Therefore, when we take any part in government by voting for legislative, judicial, and executive officials, we make these men our arm by which we cast a stone and deny the Sermon on the Mount. The dictionary definition of a Christian is one who follows Christ; kind, kindly, Christ-like. Anarchism is voluntary cooperation for good, with the right of secession. A Christian anarchist is therefore one who turns the other cheek, overturns the tables of the moneychangers, and does not need a cop to tell him how to behave. A Christian anarchist does not depend upon bullets or ballots to achieve his ideal; he achieves that ideal daily by the One-Man Revolution with which he faces a decadent, confused, and dying world. Ammon Hennacy , "Christian Anarchism" in The Book of Ammon (1965) If I thought that the Jews killed God, I'd worship the Jews. Bill Hicks I say: my feeling as a Christian points me to my Lord and Saviour as a fighter. It points me to the man who once in loneliness, surrounded only by a few followers, recognized these Jews for what they were and summoned men to the fight against them and who, God's truth! was greatest not as sufferer but as fighter. In boundless love as a Christian and as a man I read through the passage which tells us how the Lord at last rose in His might and seized the scourge to drive out of the Temple the brood of vipers and of adders. How terrific was His fight for the world against the Jewish poison. Today, after two thousand years, with deepest emotion I recognize more profoundly than ever before — the fact that it was for this that He had to shed His blood upon the Cross. Adolf Hitler , Munich speech of April 12, 1922 The best characterization is provided by the product of this religious education, the Jew himself. His life is only of this world, and his spirit is inwardly as alien to true Christianity as his nature two thousand years previous was to the great founder of the new doctrine. Of course, the latter made no secret of his attitude toward the Jewish people, and when necessary he even took the whip to drive from the temple of the Lord this adversary of all humanity, who then as always saw in religion nothing but an instrument for his business existence. In return, Christ was nailed to the cross, while our present-day party Christians debase themselves to begging for Jewish votes at elections and later try to arrange political swindles with atheistic Jewish parties—and this against their own nation. Adolf Hitler , Mein Kampf (1925), Vol. 1, Chapter 11 Variant translation: And the founder of Christianity made no secret indeed of his estimation of the Jewish people. When He found it necessary, He drove those enemies of the human race out of the Temple of God. Vol. 1, p. 174 All good men are anarchists. All cultured, kindly men; all gentlemen; all just men are anarchists. Jesus was an anarchist. Elbert Hubbard , in A Message to Garcia and Thirteen Other Things (1901), p. 147 Listen, Christ, You did alright in your day, I reckon— But that day's gone now. They ghosted you up a swell story, too, Called it Bible— The popes and the preachers've Made too much money from it. They've sold you too many Kings, generals, robbers, and killers— Even to the Czar and the Cossacks, Even to Rockefeller's church, Even to THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. You ain't no good no more. They've pawned you Till you've done wore out. Goodbye, Christ Jesus Lord God Jehova, Beat it on away from here now. Make way for a new guy with no religion at all— A real guy named Marx Communist Lenin Peasant Stalin Worker ME— I said, ME! You're getting in the way of things, Lord. And please take Saint Ghandi [sic] with you when you go, And Saint Pope Pius, And big black Saint Becton Of the Consecrated Dime. And step on the gas, Christ! Move! Don't be so slow about movin'! The world is mine from now on— And nobody's gonna sell ME To a king, or a general, Or a millionaire. Langston Hughes , "Goodbye Christ," The Negro Worker, November/December 1932, p. 32 Jesus was an anarchist savior. That's what the Gospels tell us. Ivan Illich , The Educational enterprise in the Light of the Gospel, Chicago (13 November 1988) When [Jesus] executes judgment over the world at Armageddon, he will destroy all but the faithful Jehovah's witnesses. [Jesus is then shown hurling fireballs that destroy New York City, breaking dams, causing fires, and murdering many people, including children]. Jesus, alias Michael , will always remain invisible to those on earth, and can be seen only by the 144,000 select Jehovah's witnesses who rule with Him from heaven. From a Jehovah's Witness 's cartoon explaining Jesus. He comes into the world God knows how, walks on the water, gets out of his grave and goes up off the Hill of Howth. What drivel is this? James Joyce , Stephen Hero, ch. 21 (1944) Although Jesus is widely considered mankind's greatest moral teacher, the greatest Christians, not to speak of scholars, have never been able to agree what his moral teachings were. Matthew, and he alone, reports that Jesus said: "Let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No." But the four Evangelists agree in ascribing to Jesus evasive and equivocal answers to plain questions, not only those of the high priest and Pilate; and quite generally the Jesus of the New Testament avoids straightforward statements, preferring parables and hyperboles. Some of the parables are so ambiguous that different Evangelists, not to speak of later theologians , offer different interpretations. … On concrete moral issues, Jesus can be, and has been, cited on almost all sides. Walter Kaufmann , in "The Faith of a Heretic" in Harper's Magazine (February 1959) Jesus Christ was an extremist for love, truth and goodness. Martin Luther King, Jr. from: aaa.net.au I've come here to tell the most exciting story in the history of mankind: the life of Jesus Christ. I'm not talking about the Jesus in those horribly gaudy pictures. Not the Jesus with the jaundice-yellow skin—whom crazy human society has turned into the biggest whore of all time. Whose corpse they perversely drag around on disgraceful crosses. I don't mean the jabbering about God or the blubbering hymns. I don't mean the Jesus whose moldy kiss frightens little girls out of horny dreams before their First Communion and then make them die of shame and disgust when they foam in the latrines. I'm talking about the man: the restless man who says we have to turn over a new leaf all the time, now! I'm talking about the adventurer, the freest, most fearless, most modern of all men, the one who preferred being massacred to rotting with others. I'm talking about the man who is like what all of us want to be. You and I. Klaus Kinski , in Kinski Uncut : The Autobiography of Klaus Kinski (1996), p. 1–2 After the fall of so many gods in this century, this person, broken at the hands of his opponents and constantly betrayed through the ages by his adherents, is obviously still for innumerable people the most moving figure in the long history of mankind. Hans Küng , theologian (b. 1928) (from: [23] ) I accept the resurrection of Easter Sunday not as an invention of the community of disciples, but as a historical event. If the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on that Easter Sunday were a public event which had been made known...not only to the 530 Jewish witnesses but to the entire population, all Jews would have become followers of Jesus. Pinchas Lapide , Orthodox Jewish scholar (b. 1922) (from: [24] ) The true founder of anarchy was Jesus Christ and … the first anarchist society was that of the apostles. Georges Lechartier, as quoted in Anarchism : A History of Libertarian Ideas and Movements (1962) by George Woodcock , Part One : The Idea, Ch. 2 : The Family Tree p. 36 I am trying to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him, 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the sort of thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or He would be the devil of hell. You must make a choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. Political leaders are never leaders. For leaders we have to look to the Awakeners! Lao Tse , Buddha , Socrates , Jesus, Milarepa , Gurdjiev , Krishnamurti . Henry Miller , in My Bike & Other Friends (1977), p. 12 In his own lifetime Jesus made no impact on history. This is something that I cannot but regard as a special dispensation on God's part, and, I like to think, yet another example of the ironical humour which informs so many of his purposes. To me, it seems highly appropriate that the most important figure in all history should thus escape the notice of memoirists, diarists, commentators, all the tribe of chroniclers who even then existed. Malcolm Muggeridge , journalist (1903–90) (from: [26] ) Jesus died too soon. If he had lived to my age he would have repudiated his doctrine. Friedrich Nietzsche , Thus Spoke Zarathustra Jesus wanted to liberate everyone from the law — from all laws. But this could not be achieved by abolishing or changing the law. He had to dethrone the law. He had to ensure that the law be man’s servant and not his master (Mark 2:27-28). Man must therefore take responsibility for his servant, the law, and use it to serve the needs of mankind . Albert Nolan , in Jesus Before Christianity: The Gospel of Liberation (1976), p. 72 As long as ministers and laymen labor under the delusion that contemporary Christianity is the same religion that Jesus practiced they will remain immunized against his way of life and will lack the vision. Kirby Page , Jesus or Christianity A Study In Contrasts (1929) Those persons who were responsible for his tragic death had only the faintest understanding of what he was seeking to accomplish. Even his own disciples so completely misinterpreted his teaching that at the very end they argued among themselves as to who should have the chief places. ...they still visualized twelve thrones of solid gold and quarreled among themselves over the seats of honor on the right and left of the king. How much less able to fathom the meaning of his words and deeds were the ecclesiastical leaders. Kirby Page , Jesus or Christianity A Study In Contrasts (1929) When Jesus was nailed to the cross, how was it that he could, in spite of so much pain and suffering, pray that those who nailed him should be forgiven? When an ordinary coconut is pierced through the shell, the nail enters the kernel of the nut. But in the case of the dry nut the kernel becomes separate from the shell; and when the shell is pierced, the kernel is not touched. Jesus was like the dry nut; his inner soul was separate from his physical shell. Consequently the sufferings of the body did not affect him. Though the nails were driven through and through, he could pray with calm tranquility for the good of his enemies. Bertrand Russell , Why I am not a Christian (1927), "The Character of Christ" You will remember that Christ said, "Judge not lest ye be judged." That principle I do not think you would find was popular in the law courts of Christian countries. I have known in my time quite a number of judges who were very earnest Christians, and none of them felt that they were acting contrary to Christian principles in what they did. Then Christ says, "Give to him that asketh of thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." That is a very good principle... Then there is one other maxim of Christ which I think has a great deal in it, but I do not find that it is very popular among some of our Christian friends. He says, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that which thou hast, and give to the poor." That is a very excellent maxim, but, as I say, it is not much practised. All these, I think, are good maxims, although they are a little difficult to live up to. I do not profess to live up to them myself; but then, after all, it is not quite the same thing as for a Christian. Bertrand Russell , Why I am not a Christian (1927), "The Character of Christ" Having granted the excellence of these maxims, I come to certain points in which I do not believe that one can grant either the superlative wisdom or the superlative goodness of Christ as depicted in the Gospels... there one does find some things that do not seem to be very wise. For one thing, he certainly thought that His second coming would occur in clouds of glory before the death of all the people who were living at that time. There are a great many texts that prove that. He says, for instance, "Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of Man be come." Then he says, "There are some standing here which shall not taste death till the Son of Man comes into His kingdom"; and there are a lot of places where it is quite clear that He believed that His second coming would happen during the lifetime of many then living. That was the belief of His earlier followers, and it was the basis of a good deal of His moral teaching. When He said, "Take no thought for the morrow," and things of that sort, it was very largely because He thought that the second coming was going to be very soon, and that all ordinary mundane affairs did not count. I have, as a matter of fact, known some Christians who did believe that the second coming was imminent. I knew a parson who frightened his congregation terribly by telling them that the second coming was very imminent indeed, but they were much consoled when they found that he was planting trees in his garden. The early Christians did really believe it, and they did abstain from such things as planting trees in their gardens, because they did accept from Christ the belief that the second coming was imminent. In that respect, clearly He was not so wise as some other people have been, and He was certainly not superlatively wise. Bertrand Russell , Why I am not a Christian (1927), "Defects in Christ's Teaching" There is one very serious defect to my mind in Christ's moral character, and that is that He believed in Hell. I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment. Christ certainly as depicted in the Gospels did believe in everlasting punishment, and one does find repeatedly a vindictive fury against those people who would not listen to His preaching — an attitude which is not uncommon with preachers, but which does somewhat detract from superlative excellence... You will find that in the Gospels Christ said, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of Hell." That was said to people who did not like His preaching. It is not really to my mind quite the best tone, and there are a great many of these things about Hell. There is, of course, the familiar text about the sin against the Holy Ghost: "Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this World nor in the world to come." That text has caused an unspeakable amount of misery in the world, for all sorts of people have imagined that they have committed the sin against the Holy Ghost, and thought that it would not be forgiven them either in this world or in the world to come. I really do not think that a person with a proper degree of kindliness in his nature would have put fears and terrors of that sort into the world. Bertrand Russell , Why I am not a Christian (1927), "The Moral Problem" Christ says, "The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth"; and He goes on about the wailing and gnashing of teeth. It comes in one verse after another, and it is quite manifest to the reader that there is a certain pleasure in contemplating wailing and gnashing of teeth, or else it would not occur so often. Then you all, of course, remember about the sheep and the goats; how at the second coming He is going to divide the sheep from the goats, and He is going to say to the goats: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." He continues: "And these shall go away into everlasting fire." Then He says again, "If thy hand offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into Hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched." He repeats that again and again also. I must say that I think all this doctrine, that Hell-fire is a punishment for sin, is a doctrine of cruelty. It is a doctrine that put cruelty into the world, and gave the world generations of cruel torture; and the Christ of the Gospels, if you could take Him as his chroniclers represent Him, would certainly have to be considered partly responsible for that. Bertrand Russell , Why I am not a Christian (1927), "The Moral Problem" There is the instance of the Gadarene swine, where it certainly was not very kind to the pigs to put the devils into them and make them rush down the hill into the sea. You must remember that He was omnipotent, and He could have made the devils simply go away; but He chose to send them into the pigs. Then there is the curious story of the fig-tree, which always rather puzzled me. You remember what happened about the fig-tree. "He was hungry; and seeing a fig-tree afar off having leaves, He came if haply He might find anything thereon; and when he came to it He found nothing but leaves, for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it: 'No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever'.... and Peter.... saith unto Him: 'Master, behold the fig-tree which thou cursedst is withered away.'" This is a very curious story, because it was not the right time of year for figs, and you really could not blame the tree. I cannot myself feel that either in the matter of wisdom or in the matter of virtue Christ stands quite as high as some other people known to History. I think I should put Buddha and Socrates above Him in those respects. Bertrand Russell , Why I am not a Christian (1927), "The Moral Problem" Christ said "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" and when asked "who is thy neighbour? went on to the parable of the Good Samaritan . If you wish to understand this parable as it was understood by his hearers, you should substitute "Germans and Japanese" for Samaritan. I fear my modern day Christians would resent such a substitution, because it would compel them to realize how far they have departed from the teachings of the founder of their religion. Bertrand Russell , Unpopular Essays (1950), Ch. 9: Ideas That Have Helped Mankind There was no point of controversy between Jesus and the Jews; Jesus brought no new doctrine unto them. Jesus said, What the masters in Israel teach, what the Pharisees and the Scribes teach, is perfectly correct. There was no dogma which was the cause of controversy between Jesus and the nation; there was no new custom that Jesus introduced: He went into the Temple every day. He observed the ordinances and festivals of Israel. What was the subject of dispute and controversy between Jesus and the Jews? It was no doctrine, it was no innovation, it was Jesus Himself whom they rejected. There was an antipathy in them to the person of Jesus: it was the Lord Himself whom they hated, because they hated the Father. . . . But Jesus knew . . . that it was because He was one with the Father, because He was the express image of His being, because He was the perfect manifestation of the character of God, that they hated Him; and therefore Jesus was pained, not because they hated Him, but because they hated in Him the Father. Adolph Saphir[ citation needed ] Jesus then realized he had been brought here under false pretences, as the lamb is led to sacrifice and that his life had been planned for death since the very beginning. Remembering the river of blood and suffering that would flow from his side and flood the entire earth, he called out to the open sky where God could be seen smiling, Men, forgive Him, for He knows not what He has done. José Saramago , O Evangelho Segundo Jesus Cristo (1991); The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, trans. Giovanni Pontiero (1993), p. 341 In the most deeply significant of the legends concerning Jesus, we are told how the devil took him up into a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time ; and the devil said unto him: "All this power will I give unto thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it. If thou, therefore, wilt worship me, all shall be thine." Jesus, as we know, answered and said "Get thee behind me, Satan !" And he really meant it; he would have nothing to do with worldly glory, with "temporal power;" he chose the career of a revolutionary agitator, and died the death of a disturber of the peace . And for two or three centuries his church followed in his footsteps, cherishing his proletarian gospel. The early Christians had "all things in common, except women;" they lived as social outcasts, hiding in deserted catacombs, and being thrown to lions and boiled in oil. But the devil is a subtle worm; he does not give up at one defeat, for he knows human nature, and the strength of the forces which battle for him. He failed to get Jesus, but he came again, to get Jesus' church. He came when, through the power of the new revolutionary idea, the Church had won a position of tremendous power in the decaying Roman Empire; and the subtle worm assumed the guise of no less a person than the Emperor himself , suggesting that he should become a convert to the new faith, so that the Church and he might work together for the greater glory of God. The bishops and fathers of the Church, ambitious for their organization, fell for this scheme, and Satan went off laughing to himself. He had got everything he had asked from Jesus three hundred years before; he had got the world's greatest religion. Upton Sinclair , in The Profits of Religion : An Essay in Economic Interpretation (1918), Book Seven : The Church of the Social Revolution, "Christ and Caesar" Christ did not ask or want to be what he was not. Dejan Stojanovic , in The Sun Watches the Sun (1999) “Christ” (Sequence: “Is It Possible to Write a Poem”) Burning the witch Giordano Bruno is one more wound inflicted on Christ ’s body. Dejan Stojanovic , in The Sun Watches the Sun (1999) “Christ” (Sequence: “Is It Possible to Write a Poem”) The two main Pillars of our Civilization, Jesus and Shakespeare said: "Nothing shall be impossible to Humans" (Jesus) "Impossibility is only seemingly impossible" (Shak.) B. B. Stoller, Biologizing the Universe (1983) Where is my faith? Even deep down … there is nothing but emptiness and darkness … If there be God—please forgive me. When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul … How painful is this unknown pain—I have no Faith. Repulsed, empty, no faith, no love, no zeal, … What do I labor for? If there be no God, there can be no soul. If there be no soul then, Jesus, You also are not true. Teresa, Mother; Kolodiejchuk, Brian (2007). Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light . New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0385520379 . Every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is the one person in the world at that moment. Where the dear Lord was crucified Who died to save us all. Cecil Frances Alexander , There is a Green Hill Hail, O bleeding Head and wounded, With a crown of thorns surrounded, Buffeted, and bruised and battered, Smote with reed by striking shattered, Face with spittle vilely smeared! Hail, whose visage sweet and comely, Marred by fouling stains and homely, Changed as to its blooming color, All now turned to deathly pallor, Making heavenly hosts affeared! St. Bernard of Clairvaux , Passion Hymn, 'braham Coles' translation In every pang that rends the heart The Man of Sorrows had a part. Michael Bruce , Gospel Sonnets, Christ Ascended. Attributed to John Logan, who issued the poems with emendations of his own. "Every pang that rends the heart." See also Oliver Goldsmith , The Captivity Lovely was the death Of Him whose life was Love! Holy with power, He on the thought-benighted Skeptic beamed Manifest Godhead. Samuel Taylor Coleridge , Religious Musings, line 29 A pagan heart, a Christian soul had he. He followed Christ, yet for dead Pan he sighed, As if Theocritus in Sicily Had come upon the Figure crucified, And lost his gods in deep, Christ-given rest. Maurice Francis Egan , Maurice de Gurin Fra Lippo, we have learned from thee A lesson of humanity: To every mother's heart forlorn, In every house the Christ is born. R. W. Gilder , A Madonna of Fra Lippo Lippi In darkness there is no choice. It is light that enables us to see the differences between things; and it is Christ that gives us light. J. C. and A. W. Hare, Guesses at Truth Who did leave His Father's throne, To assume thy flesh and bone? Had He life, or had He none? If he had not liv'd for thee, Thou hadst died most wretchedly And two deaths had been thy fee. George Herbert , The Church, Business Vicisti, Galliloæ. Thou hast conquered, O Galilæan. Attributed to Julian the Apostate . Montaigne , Essays, Book II, Chapter XIX. Claim dismissed by German and French scholars. Emperor Justinian at the dedication of the Cathedral of St. Sophia, built on the plan of the Temple of Jerusalem, said: "I have vanquished thee, O Solomon" All His glory and beauty come from within, and there He delights to dwell, His visits there are frequent, His conversation sweet, His comforts refreshing; and His peace passing all understanding. Thomas à Kempis , Imitation of Christ, Book II, Chapter I. Dibdin's translation Into the woods, my Master went, Clean forspent, forspent. Into the woods my Master came, Forspent with love and shame. But the olives they were not blind to Him, The little gray leaves were kind to Him: The thorn-tree had a mind to Him, When into the woods He came. Sidney Lanier , A Ballad of Trees and the Master God never gave man a thing to do concerning which it were irreverent to ponder how the Son of God would have done it. George MacDonald , The Marquis of Lossie, Volume II, Chapter XVII The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. Matthew, VIII. 20 In all his lineaments, though in his face The glimpses of his Fathers glory shine. John Milton , Paradise Regain'd (originally published in 1671), lines 91–93; in The Works of John Milton (1931), vol. 2, part 2, p. 408. Satan is speaking of Christ. The Pilot of the Galilean Lake. John Milton , Lycidas, line 109 Near, so very near to God, Nearer I cannot be; For in the person of his Son I am as near as he. Whom soft-eyed Pity once led down from Heaven To bleed for man, to teach him how to live, And, oh! still harder lesson! how to die. Beilby Porteus , Death, line 316 Thou hast conquered, O pale Galilean; The world has grown gray from thy breath; We have drunken from things Lethean, And fed on the fullness of death. Algernon Charles Swinburne , Hymn to Proserpine And so the Word had breath, and wrought With human hands the creed of creeds In loveliness of perfect deeds, More strong than all poetic thoughts; Which he may read that binds the sheaf, Or builds the house, or digs the grave, And those wild eyes that watch the waves In roarings round the coral reef. His love at once and dread instruct our thought; As man He suffer'd and as God He taught. Edmund Waller , Of Divine Love, Canto III, line 41 Even to atheists he is the supremely good man, the exemplar and moral authority with whom no one may disagree. Alan Watts , Beyond Theology: The Art of Godmanship (1964) This doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven , which was the main teaching of Jesus, and which plays so small a part in the Christian creeds, is certainly one of the most revolutionary doctrines that ever stirred and changed human thought . It is small wonder if, the world of that time failed to grasp its full significance, and recoiled in dismay from even a half apprehension of its tremendous challenges to the established habits and institutions of mankind . It is small wonder if the hesitating convert and disciple presently went back to the old familiar ideas of temple and altar, of fierce deity and propitiatory observance, of consecrated priest and magic blessing, and these things being attended to reverted then to the dear old habitual life of hates and profits and competition and pride. For the doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven, as Jesus seems to have preached it, was no less than a bold and uncompromising demand for a complete change and cleansing of the life of our struggling race, an utter cleansing, without and within. Ray Bradbury , as quoted in Sci-fi legend "Ray Bradbury on God, 'monsters and angels'" by John Blake, CNN : Living (2 August 2010) It's often said of Jesus that he could have saved himself, but he chose not to. And if you read the Gospels it's clear that he could have talked himself out of that crucifixion quite easily, but he was just too stubborn. The Romans didn't really want to kill him at all, but in the end they went along with it because he was being such a prick about it. The truth is he couldn't wait to get up on that cross. In fact, I think Christianity only exists because Jesus Christ just happened to be a masochist. I think he took one look at the hammer and nails and he couldn't believe his luck. He thought, "Well, in three days I'll be in Heaven, but until then I'm going to enjoy myself." Pat Condell , Happy Easter ( April 5 , 2007; from Youtube ) I've heard it suggested from some people that Christians are so irrationally obsessed with [homosexuality] because deep down they're terrified that Jesus himself might have been gay. There's no real evidence for it, but then there's no real evidence for anything to do with religion. So yeah, I'll buy it. Well, keep an open mind, that's what I always say. … If we take the actual Gospels as gospel then what we've got is a man in his thirties, unmarried in a culture where it's almost unheard of for a man of thirty to be unmarried. Plus, come on, you can't ignore the twelve boyfriends, especially when there's a missing passage from the Gospel of Mark that actually describes Jesus spending a night with a naked youth. We're told that the youth came to Jesus wearing a linen cloth over his naked body, and stayed with him that night, 'for Jesus taught him the mystery of the kingdom of God.' I bet he did. Along with one or two other little mysteries while he was at it. Well, why not? He was only human. The apostle John repeatedly refers to himself as the one who Jesus specially loved. I don't know whether he meant it "in the Greek manner", so to speak, but what would it matter if he did? This is the point. If Jesus was gay, would it negate the teachings and the parables? Would the Sermon on the Mount lose its authority if preached by the queen of queens rather than the king of kings? And if somebody could prove historically, beyond all doubt, that Jesus was in fact homosexual, would Christians then reject Jesus, or would they reject the evidence as usual? Your guess is as good as mine. From what I've read in the Gospels, I think Jesus was a pretty common sense sort of person, and I don't think he would have had a problem with anybody being who they are. I do think, though, that he had a problem with people who pretend to be one thing while being another. Pat Condell , Was Jesus gay? ( November 2 , 2007; from Youtube ) Of course Jesus was a theist, but that is the least interesting thing about him. He was a theist because, in his time, everybody was. Atheism was not an option, even for so radical a thinker as Jesus. What was interesting and remarkable about Jesus was not the obvious fact that he believed in the God of his Jewish religion, but that he rebelled against many aspects of Yahweh's vengeful nastiness. At least in the teachings that are attributed to him, he publicly advocated niceness and was one of the first to do so. To those steeped in the Sharia-like cruelties of Leviticus and Deuteronomy; to those brought up to fear the vindictive, Ayatollah-like God of Abraham and Isaac, a charismatic young preacher who advocated generous forgiveness must have seemed radical to the point of subversion. No wonder they nailed him. Jesus Christ—who, as it turns out, was born of a virgin, cheated death, and rose bodily into the heavens—can now be eaten in the form of a cracker.~ Sam Harris “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild. Richard Dawkins as quoted by Alister McGrath , "The Dawkins Delusion: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine" (2011) In 1939, in a stadium much like this, in Munich Germany, they packed it out with young men and women in brown shirts, for a fanatical man standing behind a podium named Adolf Hitler, the personification of evil. And in that stadium, those in brown shirts formed with their bodies a sign that said, in the whole stadium, "Hitler, we are yours." And they nearly took the world. Lenin once said, "give me 100 committed, totally committed men and I'll change the world." And, he nearly did. A few years ago, they took the sayings of Chairman Mao, in China, put them in a little red book, and a group of young people committed them to memory and put it in their minds and they took that nation, the largest nation in the world by storm because they committed to memory the sayings of the Chairman Mao. When I hear those kinds of stories, I think 'what would happen if American Christians, if world Christians, if just the Christians in this stadium, followers of Christ, would say 'Jesus, we are yours'? What kind of spiritual awakening would we have? Pastor Rick Warren (17 April 2005 ) speech at the Anaheim Angels sports stadium, transcript and video "If you don't worship me you will burn forever." I always thought that was ugly. Jesus Christ—who, as it turns out, was born of a virgin, cheated death, and rose bodily into the heavens—can now be eaten in the form of a cracker. Sam Harris , The End of Faith (2004), p. 73 The god of Moses would call for other tribes, including his favorite one, to suffer massacre and plague and even extirpation, but when the grave closed over his victims he was essentially finished with them unless he remembered to curse their succeeding progeny. Not until the advent of the Prince of Peace do we hear of the ghastly idea of further punishing and torturing the dead. Isaac Haldemann, quoted by Karen Armstrong (2007) in The Bible: A Biography , p. 209 I have been called arrogant myself in my time, and hope to earn the title again, but to claim that I am privy to the secrets of the universe and its creator — that's beyond my conceit. I therefore have no choice but to find something suspect even in the humblest believer … Even the most humane and compassionate of the monotheisms and polytheisms are complicit in this quiet and irrational authoritarianism: they proclaim us, in Fulke Greville's unforgettable line, “Created sick — Commanded to be well.” And there are totalitarian insinuations to back this up if its appeal should fail. Christians, for example, declare me redeemed by a human sacrifice that occurred thousands of years before I was born. I didn't ask for it, and would willingly have foregone it, but there it is: I'm claimed and saved whether I wish it or not. And if I refuse the unsolicited gift? Well, there are still some vague mutterings about an eternity of torment for my ingratitude. That is somewhat worse than a Big Brother state, because there could be no hope of its eventually passing away. In any case, I find something repulsive about the idea of vicarious redemption. I would not throw my numberless sins onto a scapegoat and expect them to pass from me; we rightly sneer at the barbaric societies that practice this unpleasantness in its literal form. There's no moral value in the vicarious gesture anyway. As Thomas Paine pointed out, you may if you wish take on another man's debt, or even to take his place in prison. That would be self-sacrificing. But you may not assume his actual crimes as if they were your own; for one thing you did not commit them and might have died rather than do so; for another this impossible action would rob him of individual responsibility. So the whole apparatus of absolution and forgiveness strikes me as positively immoral, while the concept of revealed truth degrades the concept of free intelligence by purportedly relieving us of the hard task of working out the ethical principles for ourselves. You can see the same immorality or ammorality in the Christian view of guilt and punishment. There are only two texts, both of them extreme and mutually contradictory. The Old Testament injunction is the one to exact and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (it occurs in a passage of perfectly demented detail about the exact rules governing mutual ox-goring; you should look it up in its context Exodus 21 . The second is from the Gospels and says that only those without sin should cast the first stone. The first is a moral basis for capital punishment and other barbarities; the second is so relativeistic and “nonjudgmental” that it would not allow the prosecution of Charles manson. Our few notions of justice have had to evolve despite these absurd codes of ultra vindictiveness and ultracompassion. … Judaism has some advantages over Christianity in that, for example, it does not proselytise — except among Jews — and it does not make the cretinous mistake of saying that the Messiah has already made his appearance. … However, along with Islam and Christianity, it does insist that some turgid and contradictory and sometimes evil and mad texts, obviously written by fairly unexceptional humans, are in fact the word of god. I think that the indispensible condition of any intellectual liberty is the realisation that there is no such thing. Christopher Hitchens , Letter to a Young Contrarian (2001) Jesus is great — is there a better role model? No. It's religion, it's the people who get in between — the bureaucracy, you know. … It's the way people abuse Jesus. Was there ever a greater victim of name dropping? Sarah Silverman in Jesus Is Magic (2005) I don't believe in Jesus or God . But I do believe that fundamentalists in religion or anything else are bad, and that they have more hate than love. Jesus' words have become so perverted over time — it's been like a game of telephone . If he existed, Jesus would fuckin' kill himself. Sarah Silverman , in an interview with boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel for Esquire magazine (January 2007) Jesus is said to have said on the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Because Jesus was insane and the God he thought would rescue him did not exist. And he died on that cross like a fool. He fancied himself the son of God and he could barely convince twelve men to follow him at a time when the world was full of superstition. Cenk Uygur , "If You're a Christian, Muslim or Jew - You are Wrong", The Huffington Post (25 May 2011) "It now seems to me that these resurrection stories exhibit in a remarkable way the well-known characteristics of accurate and independent reporting, for superficially they show great disharmony, but on close examination the details gradually fall into place." (Wenham 2005 p11.) "I first became interested in the subject in 1945 when living in Jerusalem...." (Wenham 2005 p10.) [John Wenham also wrote "The Elements of New Testament Greek" (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1965, 1991).] "None of them [the gospel writers and Paul] attempts to tell the whole story; all would echo John's closing words: "There are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written."" (Wenham 2005 p43.) "Bethany was nearly two miles from the city...." (Wenham 2005 p45.) "… the Paschal full moon." (Wenham 2005 p49.) "...it could have been undeniably dark on the women's departure and undeniably light on their arrival, particularly if their starting-point were Bethany.... the words "went" in Matthew, Mark and Luke [RSV] translate the same verb as the "came" in John.... If John is thinking of Mary Magdalene setting off from Bethany, the translation "went to the tomb early, while it was still dark" would be precisely accurate." (Wenham 2005 pp81f re John 20:1.) "Mary's words 'we do not know where they have laid him' clearly imply the presence of other women." (Wenham 2005 p91, emphasis Wenham's, re John 20:2.) "… an angel, depicted as all biblical angels are, not as a winged creature, but as a man. The two-winged cherubim and six-winged seraphim are scarcely angels." (Wenham 2005 p85.) "If witnesses, who had been in the tomb at the same time, had been asked independently, "Precisely how many men did you see?" and had given different answers, that would have shown one or other to be unreliable. But these witnesses are not answering the question "How many?", they are giving (as all descriptions must be) incomplete descriptions of a complex event." (Wenham 2005 p87.) "John.... saw, not disorder left by grave-robbers, but the visible tokens of his master set free from the bonds of death." (Wenham 2005 p93 re John 20:8 "saw, and believed".) "As the two appearances [of the Saviour] are distinct, that to Mary Magdalene must be put first (as Mark 16:9 says) and the second must be put at a sufficient interval after the women's flight from the tomb to allow for all the comings and goings recorded by John.... this [second] meeting [Matthew 28:9,10 "Jesus met them"] somewhere on the track between Jerusalem and Bethany...." (Wenham 2005 p95f.) John W Wenham, (1984, 1992, 2005), "Easter Enigma – Are the Resurrection Accounts in Conflict?" Milton Keynes, England: Paternoster. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock. Chapters 7–11 If you wake up tomorrow morning thinking that saying a few Latin words over your pancakes is going to turn them into the body of Elvis Presley , you have lost your mind. But if you think more or less the same thing about a cracker and the body of Jesus, you're just a Catholic.	{ "last_modified_datetime": "2024-02-04T17:15:47.217988" }

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