Rating: 
Summary: Cool, baseball and sex...hey-what happened to the baseball?
Review: The catchline for Bull Durham talks about sex and baseball. Sounds great, right? Well, sort of. The movie has nowhere near enough baseball to make it a worthwhile sports movie-it actually borders on a chick flick. I forced myself to sit through two of Hollywood's most overrated actors (Costner, and the horribly cast Susan Sarandon), falling in love, leaving, doing it all over again, having sex, leaving again...you get the point. Actually, when he's playing baseball, Costner does a pretty good job as the aging Crash Davis. And where this movie really hits the mark is in baseball. So in a way, it's a half-great movie. The atmosphere of the minors is a joy to watch, with fans passing notes to the players, and the players being jerks to the batboys. Trey Wilson and Robert Wuhl, who play the manager and assistant manager of the Durham Bulls, respectively, do a masterful job. Wuhl steals the show as the talkative Larry-the shower scene (not THAT kind of shower scene) may be the best moment in motion picture baseball (possibly finishing second to Who's on First)-and for that reason alone it's worth seeing the movie. Tim Robbins does a great job as Ebby Calvin, but isn't give much of a role to work with to make it really memorable. But by the end, I'm left with Sarandon and Costner, gazing into each others eyes...I wanted to puke. Really a letdown. As I said though, the baseball is right on, and for that reason you should see this if you haven't already, but after about the first half, you can go to sleep.
Rating: 
Summary: See It Again and Again
Review: You could say that Bull Durham breathed new life into baseball films. This low budget movie with no stars made a great deal of money at the box office. It also made other studios take the chance on baseball films. Now of course, it wasn't just baseball that made Bull Durham so popular, though the baseball is quite good, it's the solid writing and sympathetic characters that make the film work. The three no-stars are now all Hollywood Power players and the movie still hold up well. The Special Edition of Bull Durham is the second DVD release of this film. The first edition was good for an early release DVD. It even had Ron Shelton's commentary. The new DVD has that plus a commentary track by Costner and Robbins, and a new making-of documentary. Ron Shelton's commentary focuses on his days as a minor league player and how tough it was to get this movie made. He also talks a great deal about the production of the film and the actors. Shelton makes a bold statement that only Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell are good enough athletes to look like baseball players on film. Robbins' and Costner's commentary is more of a conversation about their experiences as actors on the piece. They joke about making the film and even talk about some of the scenes that they shot that didn't make it into the film or the DVD for that matter. The commentary was fun to listen to because the actors had a great time reliving the experience of making the film. The making of featurette is like most DVD tag-ons, which is to say that it is mostly forgettable. The other extras are decent diversions, but mostly just bulk. As a baseball and movie fan the DVD is worthwhile just for the crisp film and commentary tracks.
Rating:
Summary: A diamond in the rough
Review: I thought I read the book, or at least I dreamed it, but this is NOT adapted from something by Larry McMurtry, although it sure seems like it oughta be. It is one hell of a funny, crafty, too real for life, kind of movie. The brilliant script, full of clever one-liners, was written by Ron Shelton (White Men Can't Jump (1992)), who actually played minor league ball in the Orioles farm system. Shelton also directed and did a bang-up job. This is a funny movie that is really funny. What I recalled (when I found out this wasn't from Larry McMurtry) was a baseball novel for juniors that I had read when I was a kid about a crafty, veteran minor league catcher who had once made it to the big leagues but got beaned and never got over it, always bailing out from an inside curve ball. (This was in the days before batting helmets.) He fell back to the minors and went from team to team and town to town, hitting a ton until somebody figured out that his knees would buckle if you brushed him back a bit, and then he'd have to move on. Kevin Costner's part reminds me of that guy (without the beaning phobia). Susan Sarandon plays Annie Savoy, a baseball groupie in her sexual prime who likes to read poetry and give the players hitting advice. She is just wonderful as she plays sexy mom to the boys, a new one every summer, just so she can avoid any kind of real relationship or commitment. And so along comes Crash Davis (Kevin Costner, one of the more underrated and less flashy stars of our time), playing an itinerant catcher who has managed to hit nearly 300 minor league home runs. He is tough and savvy and once made it to the Show for 21 days. Tim Robbins plays Ebby Calvin "Nuke" "Meat" LaLoosh, a not too bright, wild-armed phenom who needs more than a little guidance. He gets a lot from both Crash and Annie, who are intent on schooling him in their differing expertise. Nuke is just the hunk Annie needs to keep her from falling in love with Crash, but...well, this is a romantic comedy, so you can be sure that love will find a way. The baseball shtick and the interior dialogues of Robbins and Costner during the games ("Why's he want the heat? I wanna throw the deuce..." And, "Don't think, ... Get that...woman out of your head--Time out!") are really funny, and the bit where Robbins shakes him off and Costner, as an object lesson for his young pitcher, tells the batter what's coming next allowing the batter to hit it out of the park (or onto the Bull Durham sign to win a free steak dinner--is this genuine Americana or what?) are a crack up. But also great are the scenes with Sarandon as she philosophizes ("I believe in the Church of Baseball") and wise-cracks her way through the boys of summer, especially the scene where she ties Nuke up in bed and reads him some Walt Whitman. Now THAT really tires the boy out! Another great scene is on the bus when Crash lets the other players know that he once made it to the bigs where "...you hit white balls for batting practice and the ballparks are like cathedrals." Beautiful. Best dead-pan one-liner is when Crash catches Nuke in the locker room trying to adjust the panty hose girdle that Annie has talked him into wearing under his uniform: "The rose goes in the front, big guy." By the way, the great rock and roll soundtrack includes the galvanizing baseball song, "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man" by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame. (Or maybe the title's "In Center Field": "Put me in coach. I'm ready to play, today, in center field.") It's a shame that Shelton did not win the Oscar for this script, it's really that good. (Ronald Bass won for Rain Man.) The characters are just fascinating and full of life, and not just the three leads. The bit players are funny too, including the hard-talking, middle-brained manager, the mindless pattering coaches, the sweet young groupie girl who makes it with all the players as fast as she can. Even the team clown is good. The irreverent characterizations, the sweet story, the realistic atmosphere of baseball in small town America (only slightly burlesqued), and some fine acting all rolled together make this one highly diverting little film, actually one of the best baseball films ever made. See this with your best babe. She'll like it as much as you.
Rating: 
Summary: Wanted more
Review: Couldn't they have included the often talked about deleted scenes??? I LOVE this movie: its part of my annual opening day celebration. So my rating isn't on that. But I rented this newest version instead of buying and I'm glad I did. The additions to this version don't make it worth upgrading if you already have it on DVD. It was neat to listen to Kevin and Tim giggle through the movie, but I wish they had included the deleted scenes Kevin and Ron talk about.
Rating: 
Summary: All About Crash Davis
Review: Sorry, people, but this is THE best film about baseball ever made. To have a character like Annie Savoy (Saranden) liken this sport to a religion is priceless and probably true. The meetings on the mound, especially the one about wedding gifts ("Candles sticks are good.") puts professional sports and those bohuncks who think they can be the next Ted Williams, Michael Jordon, Tiger Woods, or Emmit Smith, into a clear perspective.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, sexy, and realistic
Review: When Bull Durham came out, it set the gold standard for baseball movies. The funny thing about it, though, is even if you are not a baseball fan, this is a movie to see. The writing, the direction, and the acting all are top notch in this movie, which is funny and tocuhing. Susan Sarandon is stunning and may have turned in the years best performance as a "baseball Annie" with both looks and a brain. Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins are great and the supporting cast is terrific. The DVD is wonderful, with good colors and delightful extras. The commentary with Costner and Robbins is a lot of fun. This is one DVD that will be a great addition to anyone's collection.
Rating:
Summary: This is a simple game...
Review: This film was my favorite baseball movie until "61*" appeared, but it's still a classic. Some really great performances, but the chemistry is what's outstanding. There are some weaknesses, but this film pretty much defines synergy -- it's greater than the sum of its parts. The Costner/Robbins commentary is great fun, in part because Costner isn't afraid to open up and criticize the pitfalls of the movie-making process. His descriptions of the deleted/alternate scenes leave us longing for a 20th anniversary edition (should there be one) that could include them. It also would have been great to hear Susan Sarandon's comments. The guys clearly hadn't seen the movie in a while and there's quite a bit of genuine laughter. Early in the commentary, Costner says something like, "If weren't not careful, we're just going to sit here and watch this thing." You get the impression that he's drawing Robbins out and helping him to become more comfortable -- remarkably like the Crash/Nuke relationship by the end of the film. If the deleted/alternate scenes would have been included, I would have given this edition 5 stars. Regardless, it's worth owning.
Rating:
Summary: Kevin Costner Prime
Review: This film has many pleasures but its greatest is seeing Kevin Costner at the height of his romantic leading man roles. He is incredibly appealing and attractive in this film and if you can't figure out nowadays why women were once crazy about him, this film will show you. This is the first film I'd ever seen Tim Robbins in and he is very comedic and winning as a young baseball rookie on the rise. Susan Sarandon, the romantic interest for both men, is solid throughout, as usual. This was the film where she met Robbins, who became her longtime companion. The story is both baseball and romance oriented. It is set in the minor leagues, not the majors, with the Robbins' character showing every sign of breaking out of the minors and into the majors and the Costner character having to come to grips with how soon one is over the hill in this game. Sarandon's character has an affair with a minor league ballplayer every summer which never lasts past the close of the season. She doesn't intend to change her record for either Robbins or Costner. This film, "No Way Out" and "Dances with Wolves," are the films where you will see why Costner's fans were legion at one time.
Rating:
Summary: The Audio Commentary w/ Kevin C. & Tim R. is Lots of Fun!
Review: If you love baseball, then odds are you've seen & love Bull Durham, a sexy fun dramady starring Kevin Costner, Susan Surandon & Tim Robbins. It's easily one of the best baseball movies ever made and the first of three in Mr. Costner's Baseball Trilogy (Field of Dreams & For Love of The Game would follow). The extra features included in this Special Edition are pretty nice. Plus I also enjoyed the extra outer packaging sleeve that comes with the DVD case. It's all white and looks like a big baseball. The classic picture of Kevin standing next to a car with a beer in one hand and a bat in the other, with Susan perched beside him is still what's on the actual DVD case. For the first time we actually get the trailers to Bull Durham and I really enjoyed watching the teaser & theatrical trailers. But does anyone remember the original TV spots which always ended with the bathtub scene and seeing the candles getting put out with a splash of water? The new making of documentary: Between the Lines, is a nice retrospective look back at the movie, with everyone involved, from Kevin, Susan & Tim, to director Ron Shelton himself, plus Robert Wuhl and others. What also makes it fun is real Bull Durham baseball players also comment on the film and really give you the dirt on how it measured up to really being in the minors. The other featurettes: Kevin Costner Profile & Sports Wrap are a little disappointing because they're very short (maybe 4 minutes each) and aren't new, just old featurettes made during the filming of the movie. But they're still nice to have. The Photo Gallery is nice too, but don't expect a lot of pics. There's about maybe a hundred or so. Now some of you will be surprised to learn that the Joe Cocker music video is not on the DVD. I mean it might be a hidden easter egg but I doubt it. More likely they were unable to get the rights to it and therefore not allowed to include it on the disc. Which is sad because it's a great song. I was lucky enough to get the soundtrack on CD which has been out of print for years. They really should re-release it because the songs are just wonderful! The audio commentaries included are both fun & insightful. If you own the previous release of Bull Durham on DVD then you already have the Ron Shelton commentary which I enjoyed a lot. He gives a lot of great stories and explanations about the film that really open your eyes a bit more. But the real gem is the new commentary between Kevin Costner & Tim Robbins. One thing you'll notice right away is all the scenes Kevin talks about that didn't make the final cut. It's a real shame there's no deleted scenes section on this DVD so we could actually see them because they sound pretty good. There's a couple of freindly jabs from Kevin on how Tim was lucky enough to end up with Susan Surandon and how he didn't even know they were dating during filming. It does get a little intense when the love scene between she and Kevin comes up. Tim says "This is the part of the movie I don't like watching". But Kevin handles the tension nicely like a pro and talks about other things during the scene. It's a lot of fun. I wish these guys did another movie togeher! The ironic thing I noticed is that Ron Shelton states that, regarding the famous speech given by Kevin at Susan's house, that he doesn't really like it and would not've written it the same way had he made the film today. While Kevin, in his audio commentary says that it's a great speech but he didn't deliver it well enough and the strength of it lies with the words themsleves. That's what made it powerful, not his acting. Personally I think he's too hard on himself. Plus I always smile during the part of the speech when he says "I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone", since Kevin starred in JFK. It's a great speech and he does it perfectly.
For some reason MGM decided to give both a widescreen version and a standard pan & scan version for this DVD release, which means no cover art on the front of the disc. I don't understand why they needed the standard version since the film only has a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. But one reason you may want to consider keeping your old copy of Bull Durham on DVD is that the previous release was presented in THX for superior picture and sound quality. The new special edition version is not. And I think the THX version does look better too. Guess MGM didn't feel like using it for their release. You don't have to be a baseball fan to love this movie. The acting is great, the characters are great, the music is timeless, & the romantic side is just as strong and touching as anything else. Pick up this special edition of Bull Durham. While your at it, pick up the rest of Mr. Costner's baseball trilogy on DVD and then watch 'em all back to back. You'll be glad you did. Bull Durham -Rated the #1 Sports Movie of All Time by Sports Illustrated "I'm the player to be named later" - Kevin Costner as Crash Davis
Rating:
Summary: Let's hear it for the Sixty-Minute Man!
Review: I loved "Bull Durham,". Not only the best sports movie but truly one of the best movies I've ever seen. But has anybody else noticed that it's also one of the sexiest movies ever made? Most movie sex is either boring or just embarrassing. In Bull Durham some of the sex scenes at the beginning (with Annie and her protege, Nuke,) are laugh-out-loud funny. But wow, that final one between Crash and Annie has got to be one of the biggest turn-on scenes in cinema history! And whoever chose the Dominoes singing "Sixty-Minute Man" as the sound track for that marathon display of sexual energy is some kinda genius. Tell you a secret, guys. You want to turn your date on? Don't take her to some x-rated gross-out flick. Rent Bull Durham.
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