Customer Reviews

Soldier Jack [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While this film has some poignant messages about living and dying, it is also chockful of humor and wit.

Jack, a generous and fortunate soldier, has returned from war. When he gives his last sandwich to a strange, wrinkled man, he receives two gifts that he dubiously accepts. Jack quickly learns that the gifts--a bag and a Mason jar--may make his fortune.

In the middle of the film, Jack stays in a house haunted by three poker-playing devils. They cheat and plan to kill Jack once they have won his money. Fortunately for him, Jack knows how to cheat, too, and foils their plans. These scenes are ripe with humor and fun when you first expect to be scared. Children under five may not appreciate the costumes and humor, but older students will.

Soon Jack has all he desires, except for a wife. His next adventure involves rescuing the President's daughter from death when all hope for her survival is gone. He succeeds because he is Jack, after all. He saves the girl and wins her hand. Luck is his until old age makes many people eager for Death to return to the land. Jack knows that he must release Death and finally move on with his own life and death.

This is the eighth and perhaps most humorous offering from Davenport Films. The scenes with three wild turkeys, and later the three devils, are fun. Throughout the film, Jack is a pleasure to watch in his simple good humor and trickery. There is even a tribute to classic film slapstick with a hallway and multiple doors chase scene. Don't miss this one!

Been searching for years for those adaptations of fairy tales I remember watching in elementary school in Charlotte, NC in the late '80s. Finally found this and others (by searching "Jack and the Dentist's Daughter") and knew them on sight. Loved them all, and remember this one well. Can only give it four stars though, since I haven't really seen it since about 1989.

This is one of many Jack stories, but unfortunately the only one I know of that has been made into a movie. I'm an elementary school teacher and I like to tell my students the occassional Jack story when we have the time. It's fun to tell them this story, then watch the video and compare the story I tell with the video. During the Great Depression of the 1930s one of the make-work projects of the federal government involved the collection of folk tales from the people of Apalachia. Richard Chase compiled many of those stories into a book published in 1943 titled Jack Stories. This video is well worth the time to watch it. If you can find a copy of the book, its also worth reading. The stories were recorded on records, too. Those used to be available from our local library and might some day turn up on Amazon.

I know an actor whom is in this fantastic movie, his name is Keith Fulwood, he has been is other movies "Being There" with Peter Sellers, he has made commercials, has been on stage, with the production of Sizzwa Boze is dead

I can't believe somebody else besides me has actually seen this movie. When I was a kid, my mother worked at the library and brought movies home all the time for my brother and me to watch. This was one of them. It was so odd, but became kind of a cult classic for my mom, my brother and me. It's kind of like a lot of cult classic movies whereas, it's really bad, but you can't help but like it. For years, we would all quote, "Whickety whack! Into my sack!" The scenes with the turkeys and the devils are really funny too. It's just really a bizarre movie and I'd forgotten about it until now when I thought to look it up on Amazon. I really didn't think even Amazon would have it but sure enough, they do! You should see this movie for a good laugh. It's not Oscar-worthy or anything and you can't take it seriously or be cynical. It's just fun!