Starman

Rating:
Summary: John Carpenter's Best Film, Hands Down!!!!!!!!!
Review: Those of you still thinking that Halloween is director John Carpenter's greatest achievement need to look elsewhere, namely right here with Starman. A Sci-Fi/Romantic drama released back in 1985 that is so captivating, so moving and endearing, that it leaves you breathless with deep emotion and thought. Can you not be touched by the scene involving a dead deer? I've seen this film so many times and it never loses it's luster. Jack Nitzsche's music is so haunting, so alluring, so powerful with a wonderful mystical sense of longing that it draws you even further into the picture. John Carpenter has never made another film like this. It's his masterpiece because it gives us so many layers that are not found in any of his other works. You will care about these people. You will truly want them to be together. It's all there. This movie has so much heart and compassion for life. If you are not touched then please open your heart a little more. A special note to Columbia Pictures: Please release a Special Edition of this film with an audio commentary by John Carpenter, Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen (all in the same room together if possible). Mr. Carpenter has done many Special Edition DVD's for his films. Starman must not be the exception.

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the most awe inspiring and humanly sensitive movie
Review: Though made almost 20 years ago, this incredible movie never fails to move me every time I view it. John Carpenter has shown his multi talents and ability to create a masterpiece outside of his traditional genre and the stars Karen Allen and Jeff Bridges gave Oscar-deserving performances (at least the community had the smarts to nominate Bridges for Best Actor). A somewhat implausable theme of an alien visitor assuming the body of a deceased man allows Bridges to enchant his audience with his "becoming human". His teacher (Ms Allen) exemplifies the purity of the true human spirit in all of its kindness and truth. Starman is able to appreciate the purity of spirit and in the supporting cast we see our foibles mixed with what makes humankind so special in it's purest form. This is a love story that transcends all others and a masterpiece that might make you feel good about being a member of the human race...Bridges sums it up when comparing humans to other life forms he has observed in the universe with "what makes humans different is... that you are at your very best when things are at their worst" So true...so thought provoking! We owe Ms. Allen's Jenny Hayden character much thanks for showing us at our best and Mr. Bridges for showing us how to acknowledge the heart and grow to feel human love.

Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: After nearly 20 years, Starman is as timeless as ever. The music is haunting, Jeff Bridges is completely believeable in his role as an alien who needs to get home, and Karen Allen is superb as a lonely widow who helps him on his way. The movie is a nice mixture of humor as well as warmth, I'm surprised no previous reviewers have mentioned the scene involving the deer. I could have done with more extras, the DVD I have has just the trailers for "Starman" and "The Mirror Has Two Faces"... no music video, no making-of, no commentary! But overall, this DVD shines. :-D

Rating:
Summary: A WONDERFUL, MOVING FILM
Review: Starman by John Carpenter is by all accounts one of the best science fiction movies I have ever seen. OK there may not be loads of special effects to dazzle you, but this is human life seen through the eyes of an alien, which turns most sci-fi movies on their head. The development of the love story between the two characters is charming and very touching, not to mention great performances by Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen (I've always liked both of them), but Jeff Bridges really does make you think he is an alien, by the way he talks, walks and acts generally.

The music is also very good, and really comes into it's own at the end of the film. It is very haunting and the whole mood of the movie reminds me of The Dead Zone, which is another favourite of mine. I love John Carpenter's other films, eg The Fog, The Thing and Halloween, but this is very different from them.

In summary, I always judge a film by how it makes you feel, and I always feel emtionally touched after this film, even though it is sad, it is uplifting.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent sci-fi adventure!
Review: Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen are great together in this adventure of an extra terrestrial that comes to visit our planet. Unfortunately, his spaceship was shot down and made a crash landing in Wisconsin. After assuming the body of a dead house painter, he convinced the man's widow to drive him to Arizona to rendezvous with a rescue ship. Along the way, he learned more about our culture and what it's like to be human. The grieving widow learned to live and love once more, and most importantly, to care for someone else again. One of the best lines in the movie is when Starman (Jeff Bridges) revealed his overall opinion of humans. "You are at your very best when things are worst." Director John Carpenter certainly added a winning movie to his list of many credits.

Rating:
Summary: Who Knew Carpenter Had It In Him?
Review: This should shut up the people who think Carpenter does nothing but horror flicks. Carpenter was working with the Hollywwod machine here, but he didn't stick with that long before going back to what he does best. Still, this detour is one of Carpenter's finest films in terms of good movie making. Once again he's dealing with aliens here. However, this alien doesn't come in the form of martian ghosts, a shapeshifting beast, yuppies or a beach ball with feet, but as Jeff Bridges. In fact, most of the sci-fi aspect is shown right off the bat but takes a back seat to the story and performances as the films goes on. Jeff Bridges is right on target with his performance. He's totally convincing as a confused alien with his jerky movements, dialogue and looks of confusion and curiosity. These things also account for most of the humor in this film, and this movie is quite funny in spots. The story isn't totally complex or anything, but that doesn't matter. The performances are the real stars in Starman.

Rating:
Summary: One of my Favorites
Review: My dad used to watch this movie a lot and we'd watch it w/him. It took me a long time to understand it. It was the first time I'd ever seen Jeff Bridges acting. So, when my dad told me that he was the voice of Prince Lir in "The Last Unicorn", I didn't believe it because he didn't talk funny like he did in Starman. At any rate, what a great movie. The actors were wonderful, I have always liked Karen Allen. And Charles Martin Smith was great as well (remember him as Toad in American Graffiti?). This movie is not as sappy as E.T. and far from Independence Day. The music and effects are a little cheesy, but this was made in 1982 and I thought they did ok.

The picture quality is great, I remember it being grainy on VHS. There wasn't much for special features, unfortunately, but hopefully that's not why you'd buy the DVD. Over all, I'd say it's well worth the money.

Rating:
Summary: Starman
Review: A moving love story wrapped in an engaging science fiction yarn. This is so good. It even had me reaching for the kleenex once or twice (don't tell anybody.)

Rating:
Summary: "Yelled 'Greetings', and melted his lugwrench?"
Review: This is a funny sci-fi romantic comedy from director John Carpenter (more famous for his thriller-type movies, which I have not seen.) The movie made me laugh out loud a few times - no easy feat.

The opening sequence shows a Voyager probe going out to space, and then a spacecraft returning toward earth. NORAD tracks the incoming object which crashes off-course in Wisconsin. SETI sends a scientist to find the crashsite. The military is also after it, of course. The alien performs a "symbiotic transformation" into a dead man's body using DNA from in a hair sample found in a photo book. The starman kidnaps the widow, and they start a cross-country journey toward "Arizona maybe" where he must meet up with the mothership, or die. Along the way, there is some social commentary regarding our treatment of foreigners, and our society in general.

"Do you seriously expect me to tell the president...that an alien has landed...assumed the identity of a dead house painter from Madison, Wisconsin...and is presently out tooling around the countryside...in a hopped-up, orange-and-black, 1977 Mustang?"

Well acted by Karen Allen as the widow, Charles Martin Smith as the SETI scientist, Richard Jaeckel as the government man, and Jeff Bridges earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the starman. The direction and photography was good, and I think the special effects are fine (especially for 1984), though some people think they look cheap.

The DVD has the usual set up features and a trailer.

Rating:
Summary: STARMAN Shines
Review: This is a classic that can be watched over and over. One of those movies you always remember seeing the first time and when seen again, you get that original feeling all over again. Starman (Jeff Bridges) was great intergrating his alian personna with the DNA of Karen Allen's dead husband. His nomination for best actor 1984 was well deserved. Charles Martin Smith was just as good playing the role of a Gov't employed member of SETI--he quickly realized who the true enemy was--an over the top Government CIA/FBI/Special Agent etc. who was more interested in cutting up Bridges's caracter than welcoming him to our world---remember the gold disks message--welcome to planet earth! This one is a winner.