Honeydripper
by John Sayles
List Price:
Our Price: $24.99
You Save: $2.99 (11%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $3.23 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Albert Hall, Charles S. Dutton, Danny Glover, Darryl Edwards, Vondie Curtis-HallDirector: John Sayles
Brand: Universal
Cinematographer: Dick Pope
Composer: Mason K. Daring
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 124 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-06-24
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Reviews of Honeydripper
DVD Review: Authentic southern Blues story
Summary: 5 Stars
Having lived in the south for many years, "Honeydripper" was a nostalgic trip for us. Thought the acting excellent for the most part. Certainly the setting rang true. There is a long wait for the music, but the reward is worth it.
DVD Review: No one makes movies like John Sayles !
Summary: 5 Stars
John Sayles is a true independant filmmaker who not only finances, directs, edits and writes his movies but often times acts in and writes music for them. For "Honeydripper" Sayles did it all, and he wrote a couple of songs. He has dealt with the African American experience in movies before like: "Brother From Another Planet", "Passion Fish" and "City of Hope", but since most of the characters in "Honeydripper" are black he delves even deeper into the issue and the film is written more like a play with echoes of the work of August Wilson.
It's 1950 in the deep South and Danny Glover's Tyrone is barely making it and his Honeydripper lounge featuring aging blues players can't compete with the popular Jukejoint next door. To make matters worse the Honeydripper is about to close down unless Tyrone can come up with some serious money.
Most of the story revolves around the conflicts and relationships Tyrone has with his wife ( a powerful performance by Lisa Gay Hamilton), his partner (an excellent Charles Dutton), his daughter (a nice debut by model Ya Ya DeCosta), a young musician stranger (effectively played by young bluesman Gary Clark Jr.) and the white sheriff (a tailor made role for Stacey Keach). My favorite character is played by veteran bluesman Keb' Mo', a sort of bluesy greek chorus muse who appears at pivotal times only to Glover and Clark.
Sayles always takes his time developing his characters and the world in which they live, and though it may seem slow at first this lets you begin to care about what will happen to them. A big plus is the terrific music, and except for Glover, it is all played by the actors themselves and surprisingly it was all done live while filming.
Yes the movie, like a play, takes it's time to develop, but the payoff was one of the most uplifting times I've had at the movies in a long while.
I read that Sayles has decided to stop making movies and just write. I'm sure it must be getting harder to get these kinds of movies made and harder still to get them released, unfortunately no one makes movies like John Sayles.
DVD Review: John Sayles Does It Again
Summary: 5 Stars
John Sayles, perhaps more than any other American filmmaker, has his finger on the pulse of what make this country special. A gifted storyteller, not one of his films is alike, but hes's at his best when he takes a small moment in time and uses it to explore a major change. EIGHT MEN OUT uses the Black Sox scandal to reflect the loss of innocence of our nation. LONE STAR uses a murder mystery to unearth skeletons long hidden, etc. With HONEYDRIPPER, Sayles latest, he explores the moment Blues Became Electric, opening the door for Rock & Roll, the dominant music of the last half of the 20th Century. He does so in the style of the late August Wilson, using quiet rhythms and essentially one locale to tell the story. In the process, he gets allows his stellar cast to deliver some great performances, including Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, Keb Mo, Vondie Curtis-Hall and newcomer YaYa Dacosta, as China Doll. Gary Clark, Jr. is a little stiff in his acting debut, but once he picks up the guitar, he puts a smile on your face. Parts of the story may move a little slow, but Honeydripper's built for comfort, not for speed. Once you know the plot, you'll begin to pick out minor details in the fabric of the film that absolutely glow. Mind you, this is a film that could never be made within the Hollywood studio system, so if you're looking for Rush Hour 3, then move along. But if you like a good story told well or just love the Blues, Honeydripper deserves a spot on your personal video shelf.DVD Review: Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
Honeydripper is probably one of the best movies I've seen in the last year or so, besides the Great Debaters. Danny Glover gives a great performance of a bar/club owner who has to compete with the new sounds of the day, rock & roll, as opposed to the blues singing that was the prominent popular music along with Jazz for so many years.
It's set in the south and portrays things the way they were without being too over-dramatic and all the characters are likeable. Charles 'Roc' Dutton does a great job as Danny's sidekick also. Look out for Keb' Mo', the blues singer that is surprisingly very good as the mysterious guitar player that keeps appearing throughout the movie to give Danny advice.
It's rare that you see such a good movie that portrays African-Americans as humans with emotions without being silly, campy, or unrealistic. If you've seen the movie Life with Eddie Murphy & Martin Lawrence, this one has the same time period piece feel, but told as a serious story about how we have to deal with a constantly changing world.
Description of Honeydripper
From Oscar? nominated director, John Sayles, comes an electrifying and vivid rock 'n' roll fable. When Tyrone, owner of the Honeydripper lounge, is faced with having to shut down his juke joint, his hopes rest on one man-the famous Guitar Sam. It's a make or break weekend for the Honeydripper, this better be some Saturday night!With exquisite performances by Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, Stacy Keach, Mary Steenburgen and Sean Patrick Thomas; and featuring musicians Keb' Mo' and Dr. Mable John-Honeydripper is an award winning film, full of great music and plenty of soul.
Music has often played a significant part in John Sayles' stories, but in Honeydripper it largely is the story, as the veteran writer-director's 2007 film depicts a significant (if mythical) turning point when the past reluctantly gave way to the future. The year is 1950. In the somewhat ironically-named town of Harmony, Alabama, old school blues pianist Tyrone "Pinetop" Purvis (Danny Glover) and his funky roadhouse, the Honeydripper, are on the skids, rapidly losing customers to the joint next door, where young people are flocking to hear more modern sounds. Against his better judgment, Pinetop dismisses his dignified but out-of-date singer (played by Dr. Mable John, one of the several real musicians who lend the film considerable authenticity) and books "New Orleans sensation" Guitar Sam, hoping to save his club from foreclosure. But Guitar Sam proves to be as elusive as Godot, and as the big night approaches, Pinetop is running out of ideas. Enter young Sonny Blake (Gary Clark Jr.), who ambles into town with his newfangled, self-constructed electric guitar and proceeds to rock the house with a style that suggests a combination of T-Bone Walker and Chuck Berry and effectively ushers in the rock 'n' roll era. Story-wise, that's about it. This is a character-driven film, and there are a lot of good ones, including Lisa Gay Hamilton as Tyrone's conflicted wife, Charles Dutton as his partner, and Stacey Keach as the corrupt local lawman. It's also a film loaded with metaphors and symbols, including the electric guitar as the dividing line between old and new and blues musician Keb' Mo' as a kind of one-man Greek chorus, dispensing homilies before disappearing into the shadows. The pace is leisurely, the dialogue colorful, and Sayles (who not only edited the film but has a small acting role as well) once again shows himself to be a modest master at creating movies for those looking for good, no-frills entertainment. A 30-minute making-of featurette and cast interviews are the principal bonus features. --Sam Graham
General DVDs
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Bestsellers in General DVDs
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Eighth SeasonRelease date: 2008-10-14; DVD
Best price: $43.99
Price in other shops:
Mad Men - Season OneMAD MEN - SEASON 1 (DVD MOVIE); Release date: 2008-07-01; DVD
Best price: $27.00
Price in other shops:
The Unit - The Complete Third SeasonRelease date: 2008-10-14; DVD
Best price: $25.50
Price in other shops:
Smallville - The Complete Seventh SeasonRelease date: 2008-09-09; DVD
Best price: $34.97
Price in other shops:
House, M.D. - Season FourHOUSE: SEASON FOUR (DVD MOVIE); Release date: 2008-08-19; DVD
Best price: $28.99
Price in other shops:
Dexter - The Complete Second SeasonPARAMOUNT PICTURES; Release date: 2008-08-19; DVD
Best price: $18.25
Price in other shops:
Grey's Anatomy: The Complete Fourth SeasonBuena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2008-09-09; DVD
Best price: $31.00
Price in other shops:
John Adams (HBO Miniseries)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-06-10; DVD
Best price: $30.96
Price in other shops:
The Dark Knight (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)Release date: 2008-12-09; DVD
Best price: $16.99
Price in other shops:
The Dark Knight (Two-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy)Release date: 2008-12-09; DVD
Best price: $22.99
Price in other shops:
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
The Diving Bell and the ButterflyBuena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2008-04-29; DVD
Best price: $17.59
Price in other shops:
Charlie Wilson's War (Full Screen)UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAIN.; Release date: 2008-04-22; DVD
Best price: $7.00
Price in other shops:
Vantage Point (Single-Disc Edition)Sony; Release date: 2008-07-01; DVD
Best price: $6.69
Price in other shops:
Definitely, Maybe (Widescreen)DEFINITELY, MAYBE - WS (DVD MOVIE); Release date: 2008-06-24; DVD
Best price: $12.99
Price in other shops:
There Will Be BloodLEWIS,DANIEL DAY; Release date: 2008-04-08; DVD
Best price: $8.79
Price in other shops:
Before the Devil Knows You're DeadImage Entertainment; Release date: 2008-04-15; DVD
Best price: $9.47
Price in other shops:
The Great DebatersWELLSPRING/GENIUS; Release date: 2008-05-13; DVD
Best price: $10.59
Price in other shops:
The Bucket ListWarner Brothers; Release date: 2008-06-10; DVD
Best price: $8.24
Price in other shops:
The SavagesSAVAGES - WIDESCREEN (DVD MOVIE); Release date: 2008-04-22; DVD
Best price: $8.80
Price in other shops:
In BrugesIN BRUGES (DVD MOVIE); Release date: 2008-06-24; DVD
Best price: $13.99
Price in other shops: