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Stand By Me [1987]


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Editorial
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

Editorial
Special Features

1.85 Wide Screen
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 5
French\German\Italian\Spanish
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital Mono English French German Italian Spanish
Dolby Digital Mono
Feature Length Commentary By Director Rob Reiner
Featurette
Filmographies
Isolated Score
Menu Music
Music Video Ben E King stand By Me
Arabic\Bulgarian\Czech\Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\French\German\Greek\Hebrew\Hindi\Hungarian\Icelandic\Italian\Norwegian\Polish\Portuguese\Spanish\Swedish\Turkish

Editorial
Synopsis

Based on Stephen King's novella THE BODY, director Rob Reiner's STAND BY ME is the disarmingly tender and subtly sublime story of four kids on the precipice of early adulthood who embark upon a quest. There's Gordie (Wil Wheaton), the intelligent, creative one with the obviously bright future. His best buddy, Chris (River Phoenix), hardens his image in order to hide the pain from the physical abuse he endures at home, all the while harboring the hope of escaping that image. Rounding out the foursome are Vern (Jerry O'Connell), the pudgy tagalong, and Teddy (Corey Feldman), a loyal and funny but troubled kid with a death wish.
When the four boys hear about a dead body 20 miles down the railroad tracks from their small Oregon town, they clandestinely set upon the unwieldly journey to lay eyes on this rare find. Amid numerous misadventures, Gordie, Chris, Vern, and Teddy savor what may be their last chance to revel in the simple life of children; around the corner is a future that could tear them apart, not to mention a tough teen gang who desires local fame by finding the body first. Enhanced by excellent performances and an engaging plot, STAND BY ME ranks among the best of the myriad coming-of-age films to dot the 1980s cinematic landscape.
Editorial
From the Back Cover

In a small woodsy Oregon town, a group of friends - sensitive Gordie (Will 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. They sneak smokes, tell tall tales, cuss 'cause it's cool and band together when the going gets tough. When they encounter the town's knife-wielding hoods who are also after the body, the boys discover a strength they never knew they had. STAND BY ME is a rare and special film about friendship and the indelible experiences of growing up. Filled with humour and suspense, it is based on the novella "The Body" by Stephen King.

Lollipop!
Review date: 2008-08-05 Rating: 10 out of 10

Ahh this film takes me back to my childhood.
It is a classic film and to this day is still a big hit with alot of people.
A must have for your DVD collection

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Reviews


The ultimate decade of teen movies
Review date: 2008-07-14 Rating: 10 out of 10

The 80's was the ultimate decade of teen movies such as; 'The Breakfast Club', 'The Lost Boys', 'The Goonies', etc, etc & 'Stand By Me' would easily sit in this catagory of 80's greats.
Put simply the movie is about growing up, friendship & a journey between four twelve year old boys; Chris- the tough guy, Gordie- the quiet & sensitive one, Teddy- the wild angst ridden boy & Vern- the stereotypical fat, wimpy one.
The story is told through the eyes of Gordie as an adult.
The four boys set off on a journey to find the body of a local boy who has been missing for some time. With numerous obstacles in their way.
The characters are easy to relate to & the ending although very good has a highlighted significance because of the tragic premature death of River Phoenix (who plays Chris).
'Stand By Me' does not defy stereotypes,but the performances from the younger cast are so good it doesn't matter that you have probably seen the boys characters in other films (most likely 'The Goonies').
All in all River Phoenix steals the show, without doubt his best work, but be prepared to shed a few tears at the end of the film. I cry at it every time!

laugh, shout, cry and cringe with Stand By Me
Review date: 2008-06-12 Rating: 10 out of 10

i stumbled upon this film by chance, and luck was on my side. with amazing performances from Will Wheaton and River Pheonix coupled with the ultimate tale of adventure and friendship this film is a must see for people of all ages.

when 4 friends hear about the body of a lost boy in the woods, they set out to find it and claim glory for themselves, and as they encounter a host of obstacles including a speeding train and a blood thirsty dog they learn that glory is nothing, and friendship is everything.

this is by far my favourite film of all time and you will definately not regret buying it!!

Maybe Nostalgia Would Have Helped
Review date: 2008-06-02 Rating: 4 out of 10

I just sat down and watched this movie for the first time after hearing about it for as long as I can remember. And I was less than impressed.

The story follows the journey of four boys - Vern, Teddy, Chris, and Gordie (Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman, River Phoenix, and Wil Wheaton) as they transition from boy to man. Or at least teen. The summer before they start Jr. High, a boy their own age goes missing. When Vern hears where the boy's body is, they set out to find it so they can become heroes. While they journey, all four face fears, hopes, and disappointments whether it's the absence of parental love, a future career as a writer, or things that go bump in the night.

To be honest, I can understand why people like this movie. It has a good mix of drama and comedy. The acting is great. The film is set in a small town in the 50's, so there's the nostalgia factor.

So why didn't I like it? First and foremost, the language. That was the real biggie. It was one thing when Ace (Kiefer Sutherland), the leader of the local gang swore. It was something completely different to have these twelve year olds swearing all the time. And frankly, I have a hard time imagining kids swearing that much during the 50's. I'm probably way out in left field, but it doesn't right true. There are several gross out moments I didn't care for. Finally, the ending was depressing. I'll grant you it was realistic. But it was depressing.

I know lots of people who grew up watching this film and absolutely love it. As I said, I can see it why. And maybe if I had seen it when I was younger, I would like it now. As it is, I won't be watching it again.

My Favourite film
Review date: 2008-05-14 Rating: 10 out of 10

Although I've had this film ages I've never written a decent review for it, and as it's my favourite film I think it's time to.

The story is basically about a group of kids (Will Wheaton, River Phoenix - RIP, Jerry O Connoll and Cory Feldman) who find out about another kid who got killed and they go in search for his body which will take them a few days to get to as it is well out of town.

The story is nothing extraordinary in itself but the way it is told and the events which occur during the adventure in absoltly amazing.

I don't know what kind of genre this film fits into - I would suppose it's a drama, however it's also funny. The acting it top quality and when you have four lead actors of the caliber mentioned earlier with Keifer Sutherland as a supporting actor and minor roles from John Cusack and Richard Dreyfuss who offers a kind of commetry, you know the film has to be something special - which it is.

You really feel like you know the charactors when you watch the film and when the ending comes I can say with 100% certainty that this will be one of the best films you've watched - well if you have any taste!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Corey Feldman
River Phoenix
Jerry O'Connell
Kiefer Sutherland
Wil Wheaton

Creators:
Wil Wheaton (Primary Contributor)
River Phoenix (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
EAN: 5035822101234
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2000-12-04
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 85 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1986-08-08
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: French (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: German (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)
Language: Hindi (Subtitled)
Language: Portuguese (Subtitled)
Language: Turkish (Subtitled)
Language: Danish (Subtitled)
Language: Icelandic (Subtitled)
Language: Swedish (Subtitled)
Language: Hungarian (Subtitled)
Language: Polish (Subtitled)
Language: Dutch (Subtitled)
Language: Arabic (Subtitled)
Language: Finnish (Subtitled)
Language: Czech (Subtitled)
Language: Greek (Subtitled)
Language: German (Dubbed)
Language: Italian (Dubbed)

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