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List Price: $19.99 | | Label: Image Entertainment
Salesrank: 65467
Released: December 17, 1997 |
| Our Price: $39.99 |
| Used Price: $3.40 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Intriguing Tony Bill-directed film, based on a quirky screenplay by playwright John Patrick Shanley. Set in the Bronx in the early 1960s, Five Corners deals with the effects of the release from prison of the neighborhood psycho (John Turturro), who is free to once again stalk the woman of his dreams (Jodie Foster). Her boyfriend (Todd Graff) is crippled and can't save her. The neighborhood tough guy who did rescue her last time (Tim Robbins) has decided to become a nonviolent pacifist working for civil rights and refuses to lift his hand in violence. A strange, fascinating mix, including several set pieces that come out of nowhere to energize an already edgy story. --Marshall Fine
Description of Five Corners:
Five Corners is so filled with inspired, memorable moments that it's tough to completely fault it when it inanely begins spiraling out of control towards the conclusion. After all, the entire picture is so beautifully messy from the outset that any hope for rational tie-ups is equally absurd. This indie ensemble piece (back when John Turturro, Jodie Foster, and Tim Robbins were considered indie actors) follows a group of Bronx teenagers during a 48-hour period in 1964. At the center of the action is just-released, unreformed rapist Heinz (a sinister turn by Turturro), who returns to his old neighborhood looking for payback. His victim, Linda (Foster), calls on her protector--and the man who put Heinz in jail--Harry (Robbins), but unfortunately, her hero now listens to Dylan and preaches antiviolence. After Heinz bludgeons a penguin from the zoo (director Tony Bill's way of showing that Heiz is crazy!), he turns his attention to Linda. As he moves to a desperately unnecessary violent climax, Bill tries showing a cross-section of these tense times but never has a firm grasp of the era. It's definitely not your usual period piece. Screenwriter and former playwright John Patrick Shanely (Moonstruck) uses a number of surreal touches (people are shot with arrows, girls huff glue in the back of convertibles, mothers are tossed out of windows, and then there's that penguin) that keep you off guard. Oddly, this is a film that you admire more afterward than you enjoy it while watching it. Note: Cinematographer Fred Murphy's compositions are shamefully lost on this cut-rate DVD transfer. The picture quality is often hazy, and hardly better than a low-cost video. --Dave McCoy
Five Corners Reviews:
is this the best they could do ???????? 
2007-11-11 - in this day and age,crackheads should not be in charge transfering vhs to dvd.i almost wasnt going to make a comment but its just so pathetic.its not worth mucking up a very good review on a POS copy here.ill wait for the proper transfer to come out and give the well deserved 4 stars then.amazon should stop selling this and sue that company.
Very good film, but watch out for lousy DVD transfers 
2006-11-04 - A quirky independent film with a strong cast, Five Corners mixes light touches and the very serious in unpredictable ways. The main action takes place over a couple days in the Bronx in 1964. John Turturro returns to his neighborhood with pent-up anger, particularly against Jodie Foster, the timid victim of the attempted rape that sent him to prison. Tim Robbins was her savior then, now only interested in preparing to become a civil rights freedom rider. Todd Graff is her willing but ineffectual boyfriend, crippled trying to stop the attempted rape. As Turturro tries to reestablish contact with Foster, she seeks Robbins' protection while trying to keep her boyfriend from getting hurt again. A subplot involves a couple out-of-control women and a couple mischief-making men who provide some comic relief and more. And there are penguins and mysterious bow and arrow shootings. There is a slightly surreal edge, and a peculiar usage of the famous duet from Delibes' Lakme.
Though very much its own thing, the nostalgia and offbeat mood reminded me of American Graffiti and Diner at times. The acting and rich dramatic texture drew me in so that I was willing to follow the odd turns without complaint. Turturro is particularly impressive. Unlike some, I didn't think the film fell apart at the end, which made as much sense as the rest and had some strong dramatic content. Very much worth seeing.
I have a Disc Plaza/Cascadia DVD release, part of a double bill. It's somewhat dark, soft, pixelly at times, not very good color, pan-and-scan. Sound is OK mono. Because of the poor quality I had to use the stop-action function to see who did what at a crucial point at the end. There are other editions out on DVD (search DVDs for the title), but the transfers may not be any better than this one. (Keep in mind that unless a review says which DVD release it's commenting on, it might not be the one for which the review is posted, so most of the remarks about video quality, including the ones from Amazon itself, aren't very useful.)
My copy is a bit under 90 minutes. According to the times listed for other DVD releases, most are 92 minutes, one is listed at 93, and a VHS edition is listed at 94. Such figures aren't always correct, but it may be that there are slightly different cuts of the film.
Summer of '64 and all is not well.
2006-05-08 - This is an interesting time-capsule of the early 60's. Tony Bill does an excellent job of coloring the time with innocence and uncertain turmoil in this look at that era.It is marvelous to see the early Tim Robbins, John Torturro and Jodie Foster, when they responded to direction with exceptional results. A small neighborhood would have a tight group of kids with some delinquents thrown in. Foster gets pursued by Torturro's demented character and only grabs the attention of Robbins at the last instant. Robbins does such a wonderful job, you believe he is going to be in Mississippi when the lunatic strikes, and that he may not care enough.How much action can pigeons conjure up? At the end, I don't care much about the anticlimax. I just knew that I saw the finest actors of the next generation, for I know that I could have wandered onscreen with any of the three above and had a good time together. I forgive it for unravelling at the end, when it lost its spell.Most of the time it succeeds as a window to '64.
DVD transfer didn't go so well, but not terrible
2005-04-03 - Tim Robbins, Jody Foster and John Turtorro. These 3 names alone tell us how well this movie will be performed. All 3 of these fine actors will give 100% to any role they choose to accept. John Turturro plays a loser from Brooklyn straight out of prison for trying to rape Jody Foster. Tim Robbins, a wisened street kid turned civil rights peace activist, saved her from the first attack. Now, with Turturro on the loose, Foster returns to Tim Robbins for support. Good acting with a hint of comedy. 5 star movie, 3 star DVD transfer. It's still worth owning at this price.
Quirky Film about 1960s Bronx
2005-02-24 - Producer/Director Tony Bill's "Five Corners" is blessed with a decent - if often messy - screenplay from noted playwright John Patrick Shanley and splendid performances from John Turturro, Jode Foster, and especially, Tim Robbins. To his credit, Bill captures successfully the spirit of the Bronx in the early 1960s, inspite of Shanley's confusing screenplay. The film follows the fortunes and misfortunes of several teenagers for 48 hours. Turturro is especially effective as the sinister psychopath Heinz, newly released from prison, who is obsessed with neighborhood gal Linda (Jodie Foster), whose crippled boyfriend (Todd Graff) is unable to help her ward off Heinz's advances. In desperation she turns to Harry (Tim Robbins), the fellow who had put Heinz into prison, but he is now more concerned with the Civil Rights movement, Bob Dylan's music, and preaching nonviolence, than resuming his role as Linda's enforcer. Robbins' performance is nearly as memorable as Turturro's (I was pleasantly surprised to see Tim Robbins on the big screen, since my last memory of him was back in high school!); both of their performances nearly overshadow Foster's usual excellent work.
