Rating: 
Summary: EXCELLENT ... DVD!
Review: I posted earlier in anticipation of this DVD and my expectations were far exceeded! Thank you Warner Bros! By now you've probably read the plot about a rich, decadent family's empire crumbling in sync with the rise of the Nazi party. This DVD is the ultimate way to experience the film! First off, this is indeed the UNCUT VERSION, don't let the R rating fool you. It runs 157 minutes (as compared to my old 147 minute VHS tape), and according to the MPAA ratings database, this uncut version was resubmitted this year and received an R rating (it was originally X-rated in 1969). Way to go WB DVD giving us this classic in all it's uncut, shocking glory! Also, the quality of the DVD is probably as good as it's going to get! No need to complain when we've got a widescreen uncut print on our hands, right? The movie is old so it's not going to look clean and crisp and new like a DVD of "Daddy Day Care" or "Gigli." I'm just glad it's out on DVD now and I hope that in this format the movie will now be discovered by people who haven't yet seen it. Maybe I'm hyping it up too much, and I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me and find the movie too boring, but it takes its time and after watching it, you look back and everything you've been exposed to in the film seems like an unsettling dream. That's entertainment!
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT ... DVD!
Review: I posted earlier in anticipation of this DVD and my expectations were far exceeded! Thank you Warner Bros! By now you've probably read the plot about a rich, decadent family's empire crumbling in sync with the rise of the Nazi party. This DVD is the ultimate way to experience the film! First off, this is indeed the UNCUT VERSION, don't let the R rating fool you. It runs 157 minutes (as compared to my old 147 minute VHS tape), and according to the MPAA ratings database, this uncut version was resubmitted this year and received an R rating (it was originally X-rated in 1969). Way to go WB DVD giving us this classic in all it's uncut, shocking glory! Also, the quality of the DVD is probably as good as it's going to get! No need to complain when we've got a widescreen uncut print on our hands, right? The movie is old so it's not going to look clean and crisp and new like a DVD of "Daddy Day Care" or "Gigli." I'm just glad it's out on DVD now and I hope that in this format the movie will now be discovered by people who haven't yet seen it. Maybe I'm hyping it up too much, and I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me and find the movie too boring, but it takes its time and after watching it, you look back and everything you've been exposed to in the film seems like an unsettling dream. That's entertainment!
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Movie
Review: I saw this classic movie in 1969. It never left my mind. When will it be put on DVD where it belongs.
Rating: 
Summary: Springtime For Hitler
Review: I think I understand what Camp is. "The Damned" is a film taking upon itself the allegorical rise and fall of Nazi Germany in such an overindulgent manner that one cringes and giggles at the same time. I guess Gay folks everywhere can blame Luchino Visconti the "great" director for making a laughing stock out of homosexuals in Nazi SS garb. Mel Brooks realized in his film "The Producers" that Nazi's are damn funny, but not even Brook's vision could foresee the downfall of the Essenbeck family as the currents of early Nazi bloodshed swirls about. The uniforms are Art Deco at its worst. The young blonde, Aryan, cross-dressers are a bathhouse dream until they're lined up against the wall. Rome may have had Caligula, but The Reich had blonde pedophiles. What a thrill to see Helmut Berger swishing about in Marlene Dietrich bodice and stockings. I watched the whole thing and I'm going to end this review to take a shower.
Rating:
Summary: Mesmerizing
Review: I was quite young when The Damned was originally released, but remember the controversy when it played on television in the mid 70s. The DVD release was my first opportunity to see it, and I did so with apprehension. I have seen Pasolini's "Salo" and wished I hadn't, and I still don't have the nerve to watch an "Ilsa" movie, so I wasnt quite prepared for what turns out to be a lush and gorgeously photographed family psycho-drama. Its a difficult film to wrap around, I felt a lot of the dialogue was dull and mundane and on second viewing I had to watch it with the closed captioning on just so I could absorb the first half hour. Im not very familiar with Italian filmmaking styles but I can see the influence of this movie in Coppola's The Godfather, from the "look"* down to the story structure and pacing. Not understanding the historical significance of some of the background events, the burning of the Reichstadt and the night of the Long Knives, didnt make my first viewing any easier. But Ive watched it 4 times in the first month of release and I am very happy with the purchase of the DVD and feel I have received my entertainment dollars worth. Its a big fat scandalous family saga! *"the Look" of the damned is nothing short of beautiful: the clothes and fashions of early 1930s Europe, the oppulance of the Von Essenbeck's home, the use of the color red against sombre tones. Mesmerizing!
Rating: 
Summary: History lesson, but truth somewhat exaggerated
Review: I wrote a review on The Damned several months ago, and my question is why did it not appear among Customer Reviews?
Rating:
Summary: Shocking
Review: I wrote a review on THE DAMNED several months ago, but it never appeared, and I will try and reiterate my comments on this movie. Firstly, I saw this movie at the old Ascot movie theatre in the Bronx where foreign films were featured. I was working long hours at that particular time, and as a result, I fell asleep through a good part of this movie. However, I recently watched it on video, and it was a totally shocking to me. Yes, Mr. Visconti was able to evoke feelings of anger, hatred and disbelief to the viewers, and reviewers. All the dangerous issues were handled quite explicitly such as pedophilia, transvetitism, and incest. It was a controsersial movie to say the least. For the people who had suffered and survived at the hands of the Germans, they might have been satisfied with this movie; but on the other hand, the average German citizen might have been quite angry with the movie. I had difficulty with all the dangerous issues. I know about Oedipus, but studying or reading anything in Greek mythology, you see as something way out there in ancient times, and something even abstract or something that persons of the 20th century could not relate to in any way. Luchino Visconti could not have presented the scene of mother rape any clearer. Visconti must have been able to have some extremely upsetting reactions from most of the viewers. I, for one, had such an explicit reaction to such an explicit scene, that I had to remove myself from the room, and literally, in the vernacular, throw up. In addition to to the clearly illustrated scenes of transvestism, pedophelia, gay orgys, murder committed within a family, mother rape, there was a dangerous sub-plot. Sophia, the mother of Martin had to have seduced her son. It is not said in so many words, but there is the undertone in the scene in front of the future step-father of Martin where Sophia says to Martin, and about Martin in a suggestive tone of voice "Martin, I know all your desires." I would not view this movie again, but I would certainly suggest it to the psychology experts, because they might be better able to understand what motivated such abnormal behavior in a seemingly upper middle class, and civilized family. Recently, I visited old friends in Germany, not too long after seeing THE DAMNED, and I must say that I had to let go of comparisons that I would have been inclined to make of people I saw in Germany and if I would view them through the eyes of the cast of characters in THE DAMNED. Yes, the late Luchio Visconti directed a powerful movie.
Rating:
Summary: Ignored masterpiece!!
Review: I'm jumping for joy that Warner Bros. has decided to finally release this movie onto DVD! I watched it in high school and wrote a report about it and I've always thought it was an amazing film! When I've brought it up in conversation, people are like, "What did you call me?" and they've never even heard about it. Rated X upon it's 1969 release, this Nazi era tale of power, greed, hate, and perversion within a wealthy family is beautifully crafted and takes its time going where it needs to go, yet is never boring. The "Night of the Long Knives" scene (even in the edited R-rated video version I saw) was very shocking and eye opening. If you haven't seen it, don't miss it! I can only hope that Warner Bros. has released it in its original, unedited version for DVD!! In any case, I've preordered my copy and am looking forward to watching it again!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT FILM - VERY BADLY PRODUCED DVD
Review: Oh, how disappointing! This is such a great movie and it deserves better treatment. As somebody already pointed out, the sound is aweful, but the compression as well is so low en. It just looks aweful! Shame!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT FILM - VERY BADLY PRODUCED DVD
Review: Oh, how disappointing! This is such a great movie and it deserves better treatment. As somebody already pointed out, the sound is aweful, but the compression as well is so low en. It just looks aweful! Shame!
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