|
|||||
Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
A sleeper hit when released in 1986, Stand by Me is based on Stephen King's novella "The Body" (from the book Different Seasons); but it's more about the joys and pains of boyhood friendship than a morbid fascination with corpses. It's about four boys ages 12 and 13 (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell) who take an overnight hike through the woods near their Oregon town to find the body of a boy who's been missing for days. Their journey includes a variety of scary adventures (including a ferocious junkyard dog, a swamp full of leeches and a treacherous leap from a train trestle), but it's also a time for personal revelations, quiet interludes and the raucous comradeship of best friends. Set in the 1950s, the movie indulges an overabundance of anachronistic profanity and a kind of idealistic, golden-toned nostalgia (it's told in flashback as a story written by Wheaton's character as an adult, played by Richard Dreyfuss). But it's delightfully entertaining from start to finish, thanks to the rapport among its young cast members and the timeless, universal themes of friendship, family and the building of character and self-esteem. Kiefer Sutherland makes a memorable teenage villain and look closely for John Cusack in a flashback scene as Wheaton's now-deceased and dearly missed brother. A genuine crowd-pleaser, this heartfelt movie led director Rob Reiner to even greater success with his next film, The Princess Bride. --Jeff Shannon
DVD Description
In a small, woodsy Oregon town, a group of friends - sensitive Gordie (Wil Wheaton), tough guy Chris (River Phoenix), flamboyant Teddy (Corey Feldman), and scaredy-cat Vern (Jerry O'Connell) - are in search of a missing teenager's body. Wanting to be heroes in each other's and their hometown's eyes, they set out on an unforgettable two-day trek that turns into an odyssey of self-discovery. When they encounter the town's knife-wielding hoods, the boys discover a strength they never knew they had. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, Stand By Me is a rare and special film about friendship and the indelible experience of growing up.
- Blu-ray Exclusive: A video reunion with Director Rob Reiner and Actors Wil Wheaton & Corey Feldman for the first time in 25 years
- An audio commentary with Reiner
- Documentary featurette
- Stand By Me music video featuring River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is such a classic movie (and an excellent novella by Stephen King too!)
The cast are perfect, from Wil Wheaton's sensitive Gordy, to Jerry O'Connell as the loveable Verne, plus River Phoenix giving us a glimpse of what could have been...Keifer Sutherland also stars as the main antagonist, Ace Merrill.
The story begins with four friends starting off on a journey to find a body, and it gradually evolves into something much more that that, I think the phrase 'coming of age' is appropriate.
Plot wise I wouldn't say anything really happens, but we do get to experience the four boys hopes and dreams and the bond of childhood friendship, the way everything changes as you get older. I think that's why I love this movie so much, it's similar to my experiences (minus the dead body, obviously!) and most people will find some way to relate.
I would advise you to check this movie out; it may surprise you!
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Adapted from the Steven King novella, The Body, Stand by me is set in 1950s Maine( well, it is Steven King) and follows four young freinds as they they set out on a hike in search of the dead body of a child of their own age, killed by a train. The film opens with Richard Dreyfuss seated in his car, the the grown up version of his character, Gordon Lachance, now a proffesional writer. The elder Lachance acts as narrator for the story, reminicing on the events of that trip , his relationship with his freinds, paticularly Chris, played by River Pheonix, and how the search for a dead body became more than just a trip out of morbid fascination but a search for themselves, their own personal hopes and dreams, pains and sorrows and their escape into each other. The movie differs from the book in certain areas, as it must, paticularly in the relationship between Gordy and his deceased older brother( John Cusack ), and the ending is slightly less sombre. The magic of this film is the exploration of childhood that everyone can relate to, and sets this film apart from many a sickly hollywood coming of age drama. Boasting an irresistible soundtrack of old rock an roll classics, this film is responsible for bringing the Ben E. King song of the title back to life. Nostalgic but not sickly, funny and sad, this film lures your childhood memories out of their hiding place and plays them before your eyes. Compellingly acted by its child stars, this film is made all the more powerful when watched now, knowing the real life fate River Pheonix. A must see.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Based on a novella entitled "The Body" from Stephen King's anthology Different Seasons, this adaptation loses none of its power and charm on Blu-ray.
In the summer of 1959, four teenagers set off on an expedition. Their objective is to locate the corpse of a missing boy and thereby gain some degree of local fame. What none of them realises is that by the end of their two-day trek, they will have done a lot of growing up.
Director Rob Reiner struck cinematic gold when he cast the four leads. Rarely has such a relatively young cast combined to exactly the right effect. Wil Wheaton's and River Phoenix's characters carry much of the emotional burden: both lacking in confidence but sharing a formidable bond of friendship. By contrast Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell provide the comic relief but each has deeper moments to shine. All of them demonstrate a mature acting ability.
The picture on this Blu-ray is perfectly clean and bright, enhanced by a veneer of grain and some slight soft focus. The original mono soundtrack is accompanied by a subtle DTS-HD 5.1 option with only the music being given a greater spatial feel. This is especially effective in the opening moments when the slower, orchestral arrangement of the title song leads into Richard Dreyfuss' contemplative narration.
Bonus features include Reiner's audio commentary and the documentary from the 2000 DVD release together with an engrossing new picture-in-picture retrospective from Reiner, Wheaton and Feldman.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, this is a film that hasn't dated one bit. It effortlessly captures the camaraderie, joie de vivre, pain and loss of innocence that are encompassed by childhood. You can never relive it but if you ever feel the need to revisit it, Stand by Me will awaken those memories in an instant.
In the summer of 1959, four teenagers set off on an expedition. Their objective is to locate the corpse of a missing boy and thereby gain some degree of local fame. What none of them realises is that by the end of their two-day trek, they will have done a lot of growing up.
Director Rob Reiner struck cinematic gold when he cast the four leads. Rarely has such a relatively young cast combined to exactly the right effect. Wil Wheaton's and River Phoenix's characters carry much of the emotional burden: both lacking in confidence but sharing a formidable bond of friendship. By contrast Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell provide the comic relief but each has deeper moments to shine. All of them demonstrate a mature acting ability.
The picture on this Blu-ray is perfectly clean and bright, enhanced by a veneer of grain and some slight soft focus. The original mono soundtrack is accompanied by a subtle DTS-HD 5.1 option with only the music being given a greater spatial feel. This is especially effective in the opening moments when the slower, orchestral arrangement of the title song leads into Richard Dreyfuss' contemplative narration.
Bonus features include Reiner's audio commentary and the documentary from the 2000 DVD release together with an engrossing new picture-in-picture retrospective from Reiner, Wheaton and Feldman.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, this is a film that hasn't dated one bit. It effortlessly captures the camaraderie, joie de vivre, pain and loss of innocence that are encompassed by childhood. You can never relive it but if you ever feel the need to revisit it, Stand by Me will awaken those memories in an instant.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
love
I love love love this film, the story is beautifully told and the dvd was fine to play with so was the case.
Published 21 days ago by elsa123
Stand By Me
Probably the best of Stephen Kings novels to be made into a film. This is one that can be watched and enjoyed over and over again. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Pacer
Excellent Films
After initially being sceptical about watching this film I eventually sat down and watched it and was definitely not disappointed. Absolutely wonderful film. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Peter Meredith
dvd oldies
seen this movie many times and had to share it with some of my very younger friends.
arrived very promptly and exactly what i wanted thankyou,
arrived very promptly and exactly what i wanted thankyou,
Published 3 months ago by calamity
The Older I Get.....
Stand By Me [Blu-ray] [1986][Region Free]
Stand By Me is a film I always enjoyed but never loved, I never fully connected with it the way I did other 80s classics. Read more
Stand By Me is a film I always enjoyed but never loved, I never fully connected with it the way I did other 80s classics. Read more
Published 3 months ago by D. Mccaffrey
Nice little film
While waiting for "The wonder years" on dvd, this film is highly recommended. Great acting and a very nice story.
Published 3 months ago by Mirko Mihaljevic
The BEST Film Ever Made!
This film is my favourite of all time, if I was stranded on a desert island this would be the film I would take! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Hayley Blondiee Shannon
A great movie
Stand By Me is one of my favourite movies. I only discovered it about a month ago and in that space, have watched it three times. Read more
Published 4 months ago by autumnwinters
Great film!
This is a classic film with actors that have long gone....its a film about friendship, perseverance, family struggles and death. A sad yet inspiring movie!!!!
Published 4 months ago by Deena
100% the best film ever! Nothing's going to be better than this
STAND BY ME
Starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry 'O Connell, Keifer Sutherland, Richard Dreyfuss and John Cusack. Read more
Starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry 'O Connell, Keifer Sutherland, Richard Dreyfuss and John Cusack. Read more
Published 5 months ago by A. Donald
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
