Reviews

I'd read some really negative comments before watching this movie. I was pleasantly surprised by the way it unfolded and particularly impressed by the performance of Holton. Never seen him before, but I thought he took on the lead role very well indeed. If I'm honest, I do prefer the made for TV version, To Catch A Killer, starring Brian Denehey. Gacy isn't as in depth but, nevertheless, is an extremely well made and interesting look at one of America's most notorious serial killers. The only criticism I have is that, at under 90 minutes long, which did seem to pass incredibly fast by the way, it really doesn't have the time to fully convey the complexity of the character or the games he played with the Police involved in the case. However, I enjoyed this movie very much and would recommend a viewing, especially to those who find this genre interesting.

A week ago I received this DVD free in a national newspaper. Until then , I was unaware of its existence. I have to tell you that this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Martin Sheen and Barnard Hughes are superb and their interplay is wonderful to see. Martin Sheen is excellent as the grieving son but is, in my opinion, surpassed by Barnard Hughes as the irascible Da. The film is a simple story but is all of the following ; unusual, funny, sad, uplifting and heartwarming.Everything about this movie oozes class, from the wonderful opening title music to the wonderful Irish humor of Da. You may have difficulty obtaining this movie on DVD, as I haven't seen it anywhere but if you do find it, even on video, you just have to see it.I promise you will love it.

I love music DVD's. I always consider them to be better value than movies, cos you are going to watch them more. This DVD really is something special.The quality of sound and vision is truly outstanding. I am fortunate enough to be able to watch on a home theater 5.1 system and the effect is fantastic. I admit to being an Eagles fan for many years but even I was amazed by this concert. The Eagles give a fantastic performance which is enhanced by the quality of DVD. My personal favorites are Heart Of The Matter, Wasted Time and The Last Resort, but all of the songs are performed wonderfully. This music DVD is certainly in my personal top two of the genre, along with the Eurythmics Peacetour, which is also exceptional. If you have looked at this DVD and considered buying it then do so immediately. You are in for a real treat, I promise. Absolutely outstanding.

In these days when truly great acting is at a premium, you simply cannot afford to miss Sean Penn in this movie. I admit to being a big fan of the man anyway but this movie allows him to take things to another level. It is impossible not to have sympathy with the central character, despite his intention, and this is due to the incredible performance of Sean Penn. If you don't rate this actors abilities that highly, watch this and your opinion will surely change. The film draws you into Sam's world and the feeling of hopelessness within it and is certainly a fascinating insight into what someone can be driven to. The music in this movie is also wonderful and adds to the atmosphere very well. A must see movie for many reasons.

I borrowed this DVD from a relative. Thankfully I can give it back quickly. To be fair, the locations and action sequences are excellent, but the one thing that, for me, drags this movie down, is the performance of Mr. Depp. I know that some people say he is supposed to look drunk throughout the film but, if this is so, then his acting is even worse than i first thought. He is meant to be a magnificent Pirate Captain but, instead, comes across as a camp, pantomime performer. It is, in my opinion, a performance bordering on embarrassing and certainly not one to deserve an Oscar nomination. It's so hard to believe that Johnny Depp was directed to act this way.

To conclude, this is not a totally dreadful movie, the action and special effects are very good and there are some beautiful locations. Kids, in particular, will probably enjoy it and its not a complicated story but it's just so difficult to overlook what, for me, (cos I know he has a lot of fans), is an amazingly bad performance by Johnny Depp.