Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Medieval Movie
Review: Sean Connery plays William of Baskerville, a 14th cenutry Franciscan Monk who comes to an abbey high in the Italian Alps and investigates a series of murders that surround a mysterious book.A young Christian Slater plays his companion/student. Connery is similar to a Sherlock Holmes, using very modern methods of investigation during this dark ages period. The Monastery is home to all sorts of creepy monks including Ron Perlman playing a hunched backed simpleton. William find himself the target of heresy charges by a vengeful cardinal portrayed by the villian F. Murray Abraham. The movie is somewhat slow but not in a bad way. It's a dark but thought provoking movie with religious overtones.
Rating:
Summary: Not a Rosey Movie, but a Good One
Review: It may seem a bit depressing and dark at first, but the mystery and sets are great. The music is haunting as well and adds to the atmosphere. Sean Connery's and Christian Slater's preformances are absorbing. The supporting cast are well known supporting actors that turn in excellent performances. To me Ron Perlman's performance was as good as Jack Nicholson in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". The murder of members of an order at a monastery are convaluted and require close scrutiny to solve. Between the politics, postering, and bazaar secrets the monastery has they have their work cut out for them to unravel the true clues of the murders. Any fans of "Cadfael" series or the "Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders" movie should enjoy it. Book fans, if you don't like the movie, please read the book again. Critizing the movie for not being the book insults our intelligence. After all we know no movies equal to the books of the same name. Sets, music, and direction make this movie stand out as well. All add to the medieval atmosphere that is needed to keep this from being overly dark and makes a wonderful film. Any fans of murder mysteries should enjoy it. Fans of Connery and Slater should definitely catch it. Thank goodness we can buy this on DVD July 6th.
Rating: 
Summary: Top Ten
Review: Without a doubt one of my top ten favorite movies. Easily!!!! The movie is absolutely flawless as far as movies go. Now it's time to read the book, a whole 'nother world if you're familiar with it.
Rating: 
Summary: Lawyers and Beancounters
Review: Yes I am writing this review prior to the release of this Dvd. If lack of information is any indicator, I am INCENSED that this film would be released in a format that DOES NOT reflect how it was shot. It looks like another release I've been waiting for (Map of the Human Heart) also is not widescreen. The idiots (obviously NOT film fans) who make these decisions should be hung! It is an affront to every cinematographer to butcher films in this manner. If museums decided to crop works of art there would be such a public outrage that would drown out the CEOs of the studios for good. Shame on them!
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Mystery with a Creepy Air
Review: I first saw this movie in the 80s while in college and just saw it on Bravo recently. Sure, it may not do complete justice to the book as some reviewers have lamented. I haven't read the book, so I cannot critique the movie on that point; however, given the time constraints, it probably does fall somewhat short of the book. One reviewer who claims to be a medieval expert (when compared to the average Joe) slammed the movie for its imprecise portrayal of the time period. OK, but big deal. Sean Connery and Christian Slater put in fine performances. Ron Perlman, playing the grotesque Salvatore, would have stolen the show if he had more screen time. He didn't have much of anything intelligible to say; nonetheless, it was neat to hear his mumbo jumbo, forked tongue, pig Italian dialect. Lon Chaney would have been proud of Ron. When seeing it again after many years, I picked up more on the religious and philosophical theme and debate (I guess the first time I was impressed more with the look of the film). Our medieval expert pooh poohed the movie for its supposed inaccurate parody of Christendom during the 14th century; however, 700 years later there is still much to lampoon in regard to religious dogma of all sorts from every religion. I was amused when some of the monks in the movie, believing the end times to be near, became panic stricken. Good thing nobody believes in that poppycock anymore, right? All in all, the movie is engrossing (and most of the characters delightfully gross) and a nice deviation from typical Hollywood fare, despite complaints from some reviewers that Hollywood seeps in at times. I thought the ending could have been a little better.
Rating: 
Summary: Not is widescreen - why (greed?)
Review: Other then a profit motive it's inconceivable why DVD's are released several times in various formats and special editions. Here's another example of a movie that I would like to purchase being released in a made for TV screen format rather then the widescreen version. Guess that I'll have to wait(again) before buying this DVD.
Rating:
Summary: a mystery with ugly men
Review: This movie desires more accolades than it has received. Any movie that can create a world, a feeling, a place that is tangible, desires an honorable mention. The characters are strong in their reality, they stick in your memory long after the end. They are all ugly (wisely so) except Connery and Slater, so ugly that they create an other dimension becoming part of the miserable landscape that we imagine was the nature of the medieval world. The mystery plot is weakly intriquing, but no comparison to the strength of the characters. Perhaps there never was a place filled with so many gloomy faces, but who cares, the world they create sticks to your brain like a cockleburr to a saddle blanket. The struggle against progress gives the whole murky landscape an aire of intelligence, the somber men create a visual metaphor of the ugliness of resistance to progress. The narrator (actor who played the Cardinal in The Mission), adds a solemnity of purpose and elegance to the lives we spend a little time within the world of the imagination. Worth watching. Not a great movie, but much better than average. I am often amazed at the skill of the entire production crew that is necessary to imagine and produce a scenario that appears real and captures a time and place.
Rating:
Summary: 4 stars for the movie, 0 stars for the standard version!
Review: I have waited so long for this movie to be on DVD and when it finally comes it's a Standard version, why is the general public being robbed of widescreen for this movie or any movie? Every movie that is a "standard" is robbing 40% of the screen from the paying audience. The pan and scan doesn't work any more. I hope to buy this movie soon in Widescreen! PLEASE!
Rating:
Summary: Oh No They Wouldn't Dare
Review: I rate the movie with four stars since it's a well written murder mystery taking place in an incredible location and time period. Having Sean Connery and F. Murray Abraham doesn't hurt either. The languid pace only befits the time and locale as well; allowing the viewer to savor every new detail and clue of the murders and overall plot. But would Warner Brothers dare to put this on DVD in the Standard format? I've got a sinking feeling this might be the case. They wouldn't be that inane would they?
Rating:
Summary: Genius
Review: This movie is a dark, forboding look into life in a corrupt Italian monastery, the spanish inquisition, and the catholic church in the middle ages. For those of you who like mysteries, spooky locals, superb plots, and fiendish villains, this movie is for you! It has remained one of my all time favorites throughout the years, and I'm both glad it is finally coming out on DVD, and furious it has taken so long to get there! Worth buying.
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