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Frequency - New Line Platinum Series

Frequency - New Line Platinum Series

List Price: $14.97
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Suspense Meets Storytelling in this Multi-faceted Thriller
Review: I just saw Frequency and was quite impressed.

Parts of the film sent chills down my spine. Both the casting and the acting were extremely good in this movie. Jim Caveizel (who played the homeless addict in the less-than-stellar Pay It Forward) is perfect for the part here, as is Dennis Quaid for the role of his father.

The film is about a policeman in Queens, NY, whose firefighter dad died in the line of duty when he was six years old (in 1966). Thirty years later, on an October night in 1999, as he is fiddling with his ham radio, the now 36-year-old son hears a voice coming from the radio that is somehow familiar. Unbeknownst to both men at first, his father is on the other "end," and is speaking to him from 1969, the day before he is to be killed in the fire. When the son ("John Sullivan") figures out that he's speaking to his father, he quickly tells his father about the terrible fire that will occur the next day, and tells him about the fatal mistake his father made 30 years before, in an effort to prevent the tragedy and save his father's life. Luckily, the plan works, and the Senior Sullivan ("Frank"), changes his actions accordingly on the day of the blaze and survives the fire. Unfortunately, the fact of his survival changes things beyond either of their imaginations. Everything the father does now that he is alive will affect everything else, since he "wasn't supposed to be there." This is an interesting part of the film, because I'm sure people often think, "what if I/they had done that instead, where would I be now?...what impact would that have had on the world, or on other people's lives.... would I have met my spouse/been in an accident/avoided an accident?" etc, etc...

A parallel storyline is that John (the son) is working on a case involving a serial killer who goes after nurses (the "Nightingale Murders," they're called). But after he saves his father's life, his mother (a nurse) suddenly disappears from the family pictures... and he has to find a way to save both her (in the past, through communicating with his father) and any other of the serial killer's victims, (and also figure out the identity and whereabouts of the killer, in order to save them). The plot may sound a bit silly and outlandish in such a brief description, but the actors and the details play this out so well that it becomes a riveting, suspenseful film. The film makes up for any deficiencies in the realism (of radio time-travel) with an engaging story, lots of well-paced action, and characters who are played so well that you care what happens to them, and want it to be good. It is an interesting journey into "what-if's," and even though those of us who have lost a parent may cry for a second at the end when that soft, country song plays, we will be better for the experience of the film, as it is a nice story (ie: the idea of being able to see the loved ones we have lost again and live with them, side-by-side again and do the things we always did together), nicely told. The film offers a loving portrait of a father-son relationship. Some nice flashback images of John's childhood with his father (and mother and best friend, who we also see as older adults) complete the picture, making it watchable and endearing without being sappy or overly sentimental. Plus, the idea of the father and son team solving a case together as age contemporaries but in different "times/eras" was a new spin on an old formula, and I found it really interesting. Each storyline (the son who lost his father and was still grieving thirty years later, and the crime story), had enough good material for two solid, separate movies. Together, they create a really memorable, enjoyable movie experience. Another bonus here is the lack of real violence. I found it refreshing to see a thriller that was so suspenseful and entertaining and thought-provoking that it didn't have to rely on mindless violence to get its point across. Violence wouldn't have added to the story, and without it, the story sets itself apart from other films in the same genre with a more humanist, sensitive approach. The film definetely shines in that regard. This is also a movie that baseball fans will appreciate, as it has some interesting scenes involving the son foretelling some future (for the father) games.

As far as overall mood and tone go, the nearest film I can think of (the most similar) is the excellent The Sixth Sense. This movie is like that film, but without the ghosts.

The DVD features background data on phenomena such as Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights), Ham Radios, and the influence of solar events on such radio frequencies. The various people interviewed in the extensive extras are real scientists who know their stuff. This was definetely a loaded, interesting DVD.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Could have been a Twilight Zone episode
Review: I loved this movie.. It reminded me of the classic Twlight Zone Episodes Plus on the DVD there is a nice Subtitle feature which makes the movie like an MTV POP UP video...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of those movies you'll watch over...and over...
Review: The year 2000 wasn't very good in the movie department. Remember the Titans and Frequency were the only good films I've seen that came out that year. Frequency just so happens to be the most underrated year of 2000. Still, both are excellent movies that one (who is old enough to stand a few scenes of violent/gorey content) should consider viewing.

Frequency is the story of John's (James Caviezel) realization that he can talk to his presently dead father through his old radio. Through this new discovery, John saves his father's, Frank's (Dennis Quaid, who also gave a great performance in the wonderful movie Dragonheart), life, which triggers a series of serial murders. One of the new victims include Frank's wife, and John's mother. While trying to save the other victims, the two have to find out who the serial killer is, and stop him.

This movie is just a classic. It makes you laugh, makes you cry (I can't remember if I did, but just in case I did, I'll mention it anyway), and makes you remember how important the family is. I highly recommend this film. Oh, yeah, one more thing-I would recommend watching this movie twice or watching it with someone who has watched it before and can explain what's going on before passing judgement. Luckily, I watched this movie for the first time on home video and had my mom with me to explain things to me (she had already seen it in movie theaters). Also, if after watching Dennis Quaid's (as well as everyone else's) great performance, and you want to see another excellent movie he's been in, I would highly recommend Dragonheart, which is also featured on this website.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a really good movie!
Review: Despite the suppossed flaws, this is a great movie! Since all films require us to enter the world of the characters, the problems with the inconsistent science behind the film matters little to me. Or perhaps, it's that we have to be able to explain every bit of a movie like this, or we feel it fails. NOT TRUE...

Watch this movie. The son and father relationship is really solid and makes the movie both an emotional and exciting trip.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Frequency badly treated
Review: I hate it when a movie blows my socks off to the point where I'm the first guy in line when it's out in stores, but dosen't do well in theatres. Dennis Quaid makes an amazing return to the silver screen in a beautiful movie all about time travel. One of my favourite subjects. The intensity between father and son when it's discoverd they can talk through time is simply awe inspiring. I had not known who James Caviezel was before veiwing the film and immediatly did a background check, the man is gifted and I hope Hollywood gives him his due. If you like movies that show you the same place and two different times then this is the right film for you.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Quite the Movie
Review: Two movies for the price of one. Dennis Quaid is a loving father/firefighter who sadly dies in a warehouse fire. 30 years later his son (now a police officer) is able to talk to his long lost father on his dad's old radio. The reuniting of these two is the first movie, the second is the amazing story of stopping a murderer. Now that his son is a cop, Quaid is navigated by his son through the past to stop the "Nighting Gale" murderer. In the end, Quaid is reunited with his son after surviving the cruel past. With amazing twists and great onscreen acting, "Frequency" is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. You cry, you smile, you laugh.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Don't dismiss this as just a sci-fi movie
Review: I'll admit, when I first read reviews of 'Frequency' it didn't appeal at all, as always with the sci-fi genre, I dismissed it as a boring, plotless movie. However when faced with a 9 hour flight and an absolutely dire selection of movies I chose to watch this and discovered it was a lot deeper than your average sci-fi. First of all, it had a story, and a good one at that. Second of all I found it completely gripping and I was so tense. You find yourself willing Dennis Quaid, who plays the father, to survive the fire, and your heart plummets when you discover that other members of the family are in danger and pass through various other crises and have to be helped via a ham radio connection to the future, which is in fact the present day. Confused? Don't worry, I don't blame you, but I promise that when you watch this DVD all will become crystal clear because despite its seemingly compilcated storyline the movie is very easy to follow. I think that the aspect of this movie that differentiates it from normal sci-fi is the fact that entwined in, and, inextricably linked to the somewhat spooky story is a development of a father-son relationship, in some respects similar to 'Field of Dreams'. It is this which makes the movie what it is for sure. Although there is immense tension, at times bordering on fear, 'Frequency' has the substance that many films of this genre lack. Therein lies the success. If you don't get what I mean from this review, which, judging by what I've written is highly likely, don't worry, as you will probably understand me once you have seen this DVD, so get watching!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An extremely well done movie with stunning imagery use.
Review: I waited a long time to see this film, and all I can say is that it was well worth it. Quaid and Caviezel are very good in their roles. I can't help but comparing this film to the 80's blockbuster trilogy "Back to the Future" although the underlying theme here is somewhat darker. It is competently directed, and holds the viewer's attention from beginning to end. It is a film worth having not only because of the performances from the lead actors, but also because of the very interesting use of imagery in it, and the attention to detail it shows. I believe it demands repeated viewings so you don't miss significant little tidbits here and there.

On the whole, two thumbs up. This is a truly entertaining film. Especially for people who have liked Back to the Future. I recommend it unreservedly.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What a suprise!
Review: I didn't expect much of this movie but I was pleasantly suprised. This movie actually touched me. This is something that rarely happens because I am usually into action movies like Predator and Die Hard. I wish I saw this one in the theater. I'm glad to have it on Dvd though. The extras are great.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Ride
Review: I remember one review that described Frequency as intended for people who thought Field of Dreams was good, but really could have used a serial killer. It's a flip comment, but it actually gets to the core of the movie pretty well. There's the exploration of the father-and-son relationship between Frank and John Sullivan across the decades (and the fact that Quaid and Caviezel can put that relationship across without appearing together on screen is quite the accomplishment), and there's the cop-suspense story about the hunt for a serial killer preying on women. The stories are handled with care, and for the most part the script does a good job of establishing the rules of its fantastic premise and sticking with them. (There are a few slipups, as the screenwriter notes on one of the two commentary tracks.) Stories that involve altering the timestream almost always end up sinking under the weight of paradoxes, and Frequency does to an extent, but for the most part the film holds up. And because it has that emotional core to fall back on, one or two imperfections in the plot can't detract from it.

I'd give the movie itself 4 stars; the fifth comes from all the extras that New Line packs onto this disc, including two commentaries, a copy of the shooting script, and various storyboards and other effects info. This one is worth spending some time with.


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