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Clan of the Cave Bear


by Gerald I. Isenberg, John W. Hyde, Jon Peters, Mark Damon, Peter Guber, Jean M. Auel, John Sayles
Directed by Michael Chapman
Starring Daryl Hannah, Pamela Reed, James Remar, Thomas G. Waites, John Doolittle
Warner Home Video

List Price: $9.98
Price: $7.99
You Save: $1.99 (20%)
Available: Usually ships in 24 hours
Sales Rank: 7211
Release Date: November 23, 1999
Rated:  
Running Time: 98 minutes
Theatrical Release: January 17, 1986
Studio: Warner Home Video


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EDITORIAL REVIEWS

Product Description
Daryl hannah and pamela reed star in this richly detailed beautifully shot saga of the rise of a more advanced clan of cave people. John sayles wrote this adaptation of jean m. Auels worldwide bestseller. Bonus: first-ever widescreen video release. Subtitles in english and french. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 02/03/2004 Starring: Daryl Hannah Pamela Reed Run time: 98 minutes Rating: R Director: Michael Chapman

Amazon.com
Every statuesque, beautiful blonde woman has spent more time in the company of Neanderthals than she cares to remember. Seems it's always been that way: Clan of the Cave Bear, a 1986 feature scripted by John Sayles and based on Jean Auel's bestselling novel set in prehistoric times, stars former mermaid Daryl Hannah as an intelligent Cro-Magnon woman adopted and raised by lesser-evolved Neanderthals. Berated for her brains, sexually exploited, and generally treated as uppity chattel, Hannah's character sets out for the far country to see who else is there. Eventually, she finds more Baywatch-like gods and goddesses similar to herself, including an Aryan-looking stud with whom she discovers how good sex can feel with a warm, caring, proto-human. Sayles's writing on this project is forceful but cheeky. It's hard not to laugh at a number of scenes that shouldn't, in the strictest sense, be laughed at (the use of subtitles to decipher caveman grunts and clucks may or may not be an intentional running joke), but one gets the feeling Sayles looked upon this challenge as a pop exercise instead of (as many of the book's fans would have preferred) a religious experience. Michael Chapman, ace cinematographer of Mean Streets and The Wanderers, directed with an eye toward primitive exotica and made this a terrific-looking movie. Author Auel was reportedly unhappy with the final results on screen, but the film is well worth a fascinated look. With Pamela Reed and James Remar. --Tom Keogh


CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 3.5 based on 76 reviews)

Not really worth buying  
this movie is a bit sad. It is an ok movie but I couldn't watch it again. There are a few rape type scenes. Not a kids flick. Not really worth buying.
October 18, 2008

Yet, another wordless caveman movie  
I'll start by saying that I haven't read the books. I'll have to put them on my list because I did like this film.

Having said that I will say that it's a bit far fetched. Ayla, played by Daryl Hannah, is an uber feminist Cro-Magnon woman. Sure, that's a big boost for womankind, but totally unrealistic when it comes down to it. Having been raised by a group of male first Neanderthals chances of her being such a feminist in this hard time is really not that high.

But then there wouldn't have been a story. The "sets" were very nice and I felt put you into the mode of caveman. Their world would have been harsh, but still beautiful because of the lack of machines and high rises. Not that they would have had time to notice. The costumes and make up were pretty good too. And following the tradition of no modern languages this has subtitles for you to figure out what's going on in the story, as well as sign language to help convey what they wanted to say.

Apparently those who've read the books didn't much like the movie, but that's usually the case. For a movie for movies sake this isn't bad. It's short though. I expected a far longer film.


October 09, 2008

Big plusses, Bigger minuses  
The cover art is great and Daryl Hannah can't help but be beautiful. The music is full of portent as it highlights the arrival of a superior being. Unfortunately, the movie is difficult to watch: enough to make one throw one's hands up in dismay with the realization it isn't going to get any better. Where is the acting? Not the high school kind, how about some real acting? How about some material or direction for the actors to work with? Buy the soundtrack CD if you like, but don't waste your money on the movie.
July 26, 2008

pleasantly suprised  
My dad asked me to order this movie for him. I had never heard of it, but I watched it when I received it in the mail. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed the movie.

The characters consist of neanderthals and cro-magnons (prehistoric people) so you might think they run around grunting and throwing rocks or something. That's not what you get with this movie. The dialogue consists of simple sounds and hand gestures (you have to watch the movie with subtitles, there's no modern language in it) and it's actually consistent enough that you can pick up a few words if you pay attention. Also, I really liked that the subtitles weren't done in the stereotype usually used for "cavemen" - there's no "Crag want food! Crag crush head!" or anything like that. Although their language is simple, the subtitles are spelled out in full sentences, and the characters actually show emotion. The people involved in this movie obviously took it very seriously, and it turned out beautiful because of that.
May 07, 2008

What did you expect...a four hour epic?!?  
Read the book in back in the 1980's...just so there's no confusion.

Okay, now to the movie. First of all, at 98 minutes, this movie was
just WAY too short! I'd really love to know what ended up on the
cutting room floor, and whether any of that footage could have helped
flesh out what's otherwise a pretty decent movie anyways.

Remember that this movie came out just a few years after the release
of The Quest for Fire. Before that, there was what...One Million BC
staring Raquel Welch, The Flintstones, It's About Time...any wonder
those cave guys in those GEICO commercials get so upset?

Hey, given the time-frame this movie had to work with, I believe it
turned out pretty darned good! Locations and sets worked well, the
acting was believable, and the story line kept the feel of the book.
And let's be real...Daryl Hannah simply looked GOOD running around in
that pre-historic bathrobe! My only compliant is the length of the
movie...and that a sequel was never made!

March 26, 2008


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