White Lightning / The End - 2 DVD Set (Amazon.com Exclusive)

As the years roll by these great films become harder & harder to get your hands on! The quality of these films are top notch & played perfectly in my player. As far as the movies go they are both great! When I was a kid growing up it was stars like Burt Reynolds, Charlton Heston. Clint Eastwood & Kirk Douglas that defined what a Tough guy was all about! I had a great time watching "White Lightning" again . The last time I saw it I was a kid & it was edited for T.V. so seeing as an adult uncut & widescreen was like watching it for the first time! I wish Amazon.com could offer more hard to find Burt Reynold's films like "Skullduggery" & " W.W. & the Dixie Dancekings ". The only way this combo could have been better is if it were "White Lightning" & its sequel "Gator"!

One of the great highlights and revolutionaries of the city of Hollywood was burt reynolds and he is often linked with clint eastwood and they appeared in a cliched film and one not worthy of their teaming City Heat. For many years they were compared and developed a following and reputation outside of their nation, europe and the world, and from the struggles they went through to make it in the film industry, an industrywhich was their goal. Reynolds struggled and worked his way through TV, Dan August, but later shed his tv skin and slithered his way through a variety of films, from a southern backdrop, and tells of something of the south and the character he portayed and he was able to attract attention with the public in big cities he became a popular draw. One of his most enjoyable films, and he became alarge draw in person, PERSONA, they liked him as much as his films, that is not always a good thing for a reviewer of his films, we lack that critical detachment, forgive this or that faux pas, enthusiasm, campiness in production, darawing too much on his early life, and taking knocks at all aspects of hollywood culture..an dhis films are his own views of hollywood and fans..Toronto and Buffalo..one of his best films were shot in that great city BEST FRIENDS, and often as today he is seen as through the rear view mirror, and we appreciate the CREATIVE PEOPLE at amazon who preserve these film productions for the international audience and they are enjoyable. Starting Over even with a Christmas scene never one him an oscar, here against proper hollywood ethics campy aspects, the world of his friends and fans, he values and fans more than the creative environment of hollywood wants to pursue new ground..I recall this film..on TV city..is one of my highlights as an attempt to pursue an area of existentialism, and here i believe(I may be wrong)hes taken on Jerry Belson, the man behind some writing on dick van dyke show and That Girl. Here we have a beginning(and the film seems almost like a play) a religious opening with robert Benson at the time popular for some film and near death he talks of religion and sex and how sex and his experiences, and women sidetracked him from his proper religious vocation. Women got in his way of his search..or proper vocation as a person..an ideal of ancient times..and the piece presents apsychiatrist friend dom deluise..carl Reiner..old friends..and a film he almost sees as a party..the set aplace to have fun and party..actresses at the time knew you were coming to a Reynolds film the atmosphere man of the world and his world wide friends and community in america and the world..and the film holds up to the end..its funny and meaningful..and had a good run in its time? White Lightning brings us to the south the mythic south and here we enter a film a world apart from andy griffith and petticoat junction so the characters must be elevated. Here we have a person in jail, at odds with the federal forces, and a tax charge often imposed to do away with the unwanted, and here we have the whiskey trade.and you can see SAm Whiskey..and a group of southern persons like lepers in medieval dramas cast off men and women..and like ancient religious dramas the thief on the run expects the men and women to have values of a sublime world apart from the law and order of the south..the early scene with parents, a passing church, and a ride through a swamp or lake..a well written scene..boys drowned in a swamp..from youth a truma like incident he recalls..made him what he is..the small towns of the south and the young ladies..will they reform to the world of his values which always are different than the world around him..what are they..??..the drownings..not tht world and something the females are all too intent on sex..he drives her by a church...as a reaction..here we have a person looking .amids much car racing..excitements and and and..for life beyond the eyes ears..and they became his film..the cast off female Jennifer Billingsley i think?..turns in a great performance..as well as Sally Field..in the End a female and lover he never did marry in real life..its good to look back on these films and the south as a backdrop to ancient values..and of the old south as a particular place..and you can see this in many novels..as it tries to hold its own against the assimilation..attempts to break down local forces..the police and sherriff and laws ad the fBI.. Sadly Burt was an actor whoose film career took a downward turn, after Stroker Ace and CAnnon ball run 2..which often happens and forreasons we dont always know? He came from an area of the south, and this mythic era of the mind lost its focus..and interest and he changed to more big city film subjects..the modern film..and he wasnt really at home..and he had a personal theatre..and was known for his brother..lonnie anderson was a wife later on..and was in his films..and he had a 30'a and 40's idea of the film star..his personal loves were part of his films, and by far one of the better romantic stars and actors able to relay love and romance to the various females in his stars..and i like him as a romantic star comparable to some of the best out of hollywood..especially in his southern films..and with sally field..The End..she took the title of this film al too seriously..and she too was incorporated into his film world...th epeople at the time in Hollywood and his film reviewers and fans and people who helped him grow in stature..often outside his country..as an idependent film presence..Im rambling on and I can do research and write a book but will end up here but that is an idea..the people in his films, PR, reviewers and fans and people he picked up,,his attempt to go it alone..wa s outside of the mainstream hollywood culture at the time..THE END..there is much personal matter..and there is some existential drama here which gives it a deeper area of exploration much like Mass Appeal..he also changed the talk show and after his entertaining appearances on the carson show..many film stars would have to entertain be folksy, self deprecating, jabs and stabs here and there jokes about persons he knew in a comical vein..to draw a laugh..lampoon..when you do this and get a laugh rather than dead pan serious..it comes off...and afterwards all celebrities in the mass media..we see this on OPRAH..would come on and perform and entertain..and many felt reluctant to go on..and many and i dont think the actor thought it would have this effect..many came on having to copy his behavior...THE AUDIENCE, TV AUDIENCE AND STUDIO, felt a need to be like burt..but that is a separate iissue..two of his better films White Lightning..and its ideas of avenging the deaths of kids in swampland as a focal point in peoples minds..and the END..about religious vocation death and suicide..which were successful ventures and youll see his frequent worker on many of these productions hal Needham..who was behind the scenes on many of these films and later directed..old ideas and concepts..the END

The End: One of Burt’s best and love the XKE. Dom’s great too…”Wait for my knife”

White Lightning is a personal favorite, and I was thrilled to find it partnered with The End at such a reasonable price. I understand why Vanishing Point and Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry and other such films have such followings, but in my humble opinion, White Lightning is as good as it gets when it comes to movies on wheels. Plus, there's a lot more to this one than thrilling (non-CGI) car chases, to include humor, a bit of drama, and a great supporting cast.

I bought this 2 DVD set as a birthday gift for my older brother who hadn't seen the dark comedy, "The End" since his teen years. The comedy was directed by Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner's father, and is actually very funny with lots of dry humor from Burt Reynolds, who plays a man who thinks about and unsuccessfully tries to kill himself. Reynolds has great comedic chemistry with Dom Deluise who plays a lovable character with a dual personality. This is a very good comedy, but one that's rarely shown on cable television today because of the fact that it deals with suicide, which is such a serious problem in our society. The DVD was definitely worth the price since "The End' is still as funny as I remember it.

Ya know, at first, I was going to get upset. This doesn't look like your normal manufactured DVD - it looks like more of a DVD-R. You know how a reg mfg DVD is clear, bronze-ish, clear coated, the like. This is more blue. a more "written" look - you can even see where the data ends. I am not sure if it is clear coated for long term protection. this is the first time I've bought anything like this. Now, why I gave if FIVE stars. I love this movie. I hadn't seen it in quite a while and it just felt good to watch. The picture quality was EXCELLENT. it looks like some processing has been done and care taken. It does not say widescreen anywhere but damn, this looks good for being a 1973 picture. Only one complaint, when they're in the alley and Burt says "you super giant ASS," you can still see his lips say HOLE lol. I did not watch The End yet so you're on your own with that one. I would say "get this" no matter what :-) enjoy

The DVD I received of this double feature is a DVD-R disc that skips and freezes and was a saste of money. I've learned to avoid DVD-R discs for that reason. But nowhere on the product page does it inform customers that it is a DVD-R. Also, DVD-R discs have a limited lifespan of maybe 10 years, so even if they play OK they're still a waste of money. I cannot recommend this product.

Bought this dvd for just one of its two films. The End is one of Burt Reynolds' best comedies. Great that it's still available. Really enjoyed watching it again after many years.

The DVD consists of two individual DVDs enclosed and the person who asked me to get this set, mainly for Burt Teynolds in The End said he was more than pleased with his purchase.

Two for one, good value.