Can't stop the signal... Beloved television cult director Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer Angel) makes a spectacular first foray onto the big screen with Serenity the cinematic adaptation of his wildly popular but short-lived sci-fi series Firefly. A mix of space western comedy and drama Serenity follows captain Malcolm Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his ragtag crew as they trade their way around the edges of civilized society. Of particular interest are two passengers they take on Simon and River Tam (Sean Maher and Summer Glau) a brother and his telepathic sister on the run from the corrupt governing Alliance. As notorious former members of the anti-Alliance opposition Mal and his crew make it difficult for Simon and River to stay hidden. Everything goes completely awry when a government assassin is sent to retrieve River. As Mal is forced to choose between his close-knit crew and the brother and sister newcomers it becomes apparent that River harbors both a dangerous secret and astounding fighting powers and Mal decides that discovering the truth about what she knows might just be worth his time. Many of the film's action sequences revolve around Summer Glau's martial arts skills in her portrayal of River. Glau prepared for her role with Hong Kong stuntwoman Ming Lu as well as stunt coordinators Chad Stahelski and Hiro Koda and as a result performed nearly all the stuntwork herself. In addition to the stellar stunts realistic graphics and an often haunting score the film's actors display a rare chemistry that brings viewers both into their lives and into a possible version of humanity's future.
Victim is quite simply a watershed moment in cinema history. The first mainstream film to portray sympathetically and realistically homosexual society, it did so at a time when homosexuality was still a crime in Britain. Janet Green and John McCormick's screenplay makes Dirk Bogarde's Melville Farr a deeply conflicted man; married and in love with his wife, he also has relationships with men; while as a lawyer he is bound to uphold the law, even as he is compelled to break it. When Jack Barrett (a young Peter McEnery) commits suicide to avoid the consequences of blackmail, Farr sees this as murder, and decides to end the extortion even if it costs him his career. Rather more skilfully plotted than it initially appears, Victim generates considerable tension, and boasts fine performances from an ensemble cast including Sylvia Syms as Farr's wife, Norman Bird, Donald Churchill and John Barrie. Basil Dearden, who memorably featured Bogarde in an early role in The Blue Lamp (1950), directs with professional assurance. Not just a historical document--though the location footage of central London circa 1961 is fascinating in its own right--Victim was instrumental in changing attitudes, which led to the decriminalisation of homosexuality. A turning point for Bogarde too, the film marked a move from matinee idol to the more serious fare of The Servant (1963) and Darling (1965). On the DVD: Victim is presented in an anamorphically enhanced 16:9 transfer, which beautifully captures the noir-ish black-and-white cinematography of Otto Heller. There is occasional print damage, but it is minimal and doesn't distract from the film. The mono sound is very good. The disc also includes the original trailer, an annotated gallery of production photographs and a 28-minute television interview with Dirk Bogarde. This excellent feature was filmed in the actor's house just prior to the release of Victim and finds him discussing his career with particular reference to Hunted (1952), the Doctor comedies, Song Without End (1960) and his latest, "bitterly controversial" picture, which he says couldn't have been made even two years earlier. --Gary S Dalkin
The Incredible Hulk: Complete 1982 Series
A serial killer in London lures young women into his clutches by posting ads in the personal columns of newspapers. After each murder he informs the police by means of a cryptic poem earning himself the tag the 'Poet Killer'. But when the poet killer murders a dancer her best friend decides to assist the police by answering one of his ads...
Video 86 - 98 (2 Discs)
It's Alan Alda vs. Hollywood in the writer-director-star's hilarious madcap comedy about the bawdy barbaric and beautifully crazed world of moviemaking. College professor Michael Burgess' life and town are turned upside down when a film company arrives to make a movie out of his best selling book on the American Revolution. To the earnest heartfelt Professor's horror leading man Michael Caine is a philandering adventurer the movie's director wants to turn his historic story into a youth-oriented lusty romp and female star Michelle Pfeiffer is so obsessed by Burgess' heroine that he begins to inexplicably fall in love with the zany actress. Spilling over with charm wry observation and riotous comedy the divine and delightful Sweet Liberty co-stars Academy Award nominee Bob Hoskins and the legendary silent film goddess Lillian Gish.
In this beautifully filmed programme Alan Titchmarsh follows six of the National Trust's loveliest gardens through the changing seasons. There's Killerton in Devon which boasts one of the most spectacular rhododendron displays in the south of England. Barrington Court Somerset the finest example of Gertrude Jekyll's work in the Trust's hands. Peckover House Cambridgeshire a charming riverside town garden where clematis and roses thrive in a setting of rare trees. Dunham Massey
16 year-old Kelly Ann gives birth to a baby boy which is immediately given up for adoption. Six weeks later trying to get over the emotional upset she goes on an overnight hike with her church youth group. When they find a baby boy in a 'lair' they are stalked by a wild beast which begins to pick them off one by one. Lee Kelly Ann's ex-boyfriend sacrifices himself to give Kelly Ann a chance to escape and she begins a new life as mother to the baby.
Love Actually: From the new bachelor Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) instantly falling in love with a refreshingly real member of the staff (Martine McCutcheon) moments after entering 10 Downing Street... To a writer (Colin Firth) escaping to the south of France to nurse his re-broken heart who finds love in a lake... From a comfortably married woman (Emma Thompson) suspecting that her husband (Alan Rickman) is slipping away... To a new bride (Keira Knightley) mistaking the distance of her husband's best friend for something it's not... From a schoolboy seeking to win the attention of the most unattainable girl in school... To a widowed stepfather (Liam Neeson) trying to connect with a son he suddenly barely knows... From a lovelorn junior manager (Laura Linney) seizing a chance with her long-tended unspoken office crush... To an ageing seen it all remember very little of it rock star (Bill Nighy) jonesing for an end-of-career comeback in his own uncompromising way... Love the equal-opportunity mischief-maker is causing chaos for all. These London lives and loves collide mingle and climax on Christmas Eve-again and again and again-with romantic hilarious and bittersweet consequences for anyone lucky (or unlucky) enough to be under love's spell. Definitely Maybe: Definitely Maybe features Ryan Reynolds stars as Will Hayes a 30-something Manhattan dad in the midst of a divorce when his 10 year-old daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) starts to question him about his life before marriage. Maya wants to know absolutely everything about how her parents met and fell in love. Will's story begins in 1992 as a young starry-eyed aspiring politician who moves to New York from Wisconsin in order to work on the Clinton campaign. For Maya Will relives his past as an idealistic young man learning the ins and outs of big city politics and recounts the history of his romantic relationships with three very different women. Will hopelessly attempts a PG version of his story for his daughter and changes the names so Maya has to guess who is the woman her father finally married. Is her mother Will's college sweetheart the dependable girl next-door Emily (Elizabeth Banks)? Is she his longtime best friend and confidante the apolitical April (Isla Fisher)? Or is she the free-spirited but ambitious journalist Summer (Rachel Weisz)? As Maya puts together the pieces of her dad's romantic puzzle she begins to understand that love is not so simple or easy. And as Will tells her his tale Maya helps him to understand that it's definitely never too late to go back...and maybe even possible to find a happy ending. Bridget Jones's Diary: In the screen adaptation of 'Bridget Jones Diary' Helen Fielding's international best-selling phenomenon documentary filmmaker Sharon Maguire has managed a rare feat: a film as captivating as the novel! Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) is a pretty and neurotic thirtysomething singleton (in her vernacular) who vows to take control of her life after being humiliated by handsome standoffish barrister Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) at her parents' New Year's party. Determined to lose weight and cut back on vices like wine cigarettes and workaholic-alcoholic-misogynistic men Bridget begins a diary to chart her progress. Unfortunately the P.R. executive hits a snag when her boss gorgeous cad Daniel (Hugh Grant) instigates a sexy e-mail flirtation. Despite her tendency to bungle book launch parties and any situation involving the ever-disapproving Mark Darcy Bridget's winning combination of charm vulnerability and wit intrigues not only the seductively dangerous Daniel but also the arrogant barrister. Featuring a note-perfect performance by Zellweger a devilish one by
An exploration of the work and philosophies of comic book author; Alan Moore
A confident mix of comedy and horror, Tucker & Dale Vs Evil brings together Firefly star Alan Tudyk and Reapers Tyler Labine as a pair of hillbillies. More to the point, theyre a pair of hillbillies who have bought themselves a secluded cabin in the middle of the woods. Anyone whos seen even a handful of horror movies will have be more than familiar with the conventions that are being set up, and might just be settling back for a dose of the familiar. But they dont really get it. Instead, Tucker & Dale Vs Evil chooses to play up the comedy, thanks to writer-director Eli Craigs very good script. Its a screenplay that accepts and warms to the trappings of a horror movie, and then has a great deal of fun playing with them. Thus, when a bunch of students turn up in the middle of the woods, things dont quite go the way that many will be expecting. Its odd that Tucker & Dale Vs Evil never really secured itself the broader theatrical exposure it deserves, because its a really smart film. Granted, its bereft of outright movie stars, but the pairing of Tudyk and Labine proves inspired, and Craig is wise enough to keep his running time nice and tight. Dont let the relatively low budget of the production lead you to think youre not getting good value from a Blu-ray upgrade, mind. In terms of picture quality in particular, you get a really sharp transfer here, and the audio mix is no slouch either. Given that most people never got to enjoy the film in cinemas, it seems right to make the most of it in the home. Tucker & Dale Vs Evil is far from the most ambitious film of recent times. But its certainly one of the funniest. It throws in the necessary gore quotient expected by fans of the horror genre, but delivers far more solid laughs that its relative anonymity might lead you to expect. Its pretty much the epitome, then, of an undercover gem. --Jon Foster
X-Men 2 picks up almost directly where X-Men left off: misguided super-villain Magneto (Ian McKellen) is still a prisoner of the US government, heroic bad-boy Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is up in Canada investigating his mysterious origin, and the events at Liberty Island (which occurred at the conclusion of X-Men) have prompted a rethink in official policy towards mutants--the proposed Mutant Registration Act has been shelved by US Congress. Into this scenario pops wealthy former army commander William Stryker, a man with the President's ear and a personal vendetta against all mutant-kind in general, and the X-Men's leader Professor X (Patrick Stewart) in particular. Once he sets his plans in motion, the X-Men must team-up with their former enemies Magneto and Mystique (Rebecca Romjin-Stamos), as well as some new allies (including Alan Cumming's gregarious, blue-skinned German mutant, Nightcrawler). The phenomenal global success of X-Men meant that director Bryan Singer had even more money to spend on its sequel, and it shows. Not only is the script better (there's significantly less cheesy dialogue than the original), but the action and effects are also even more stupendous--from Nightcrawler's teleportation sequence through the White House to a thrilling aerial dogfight featuring mutants-vs-missiles to a military assault on the X-Men's school/headquarters to the final showdown at Stryker's sub-Arctic headquarters. Yet at no point do the effects overtake the film or the characters. Moreso than the original, this is an ensemble piece, allowing each character in its even-bigger cast at least one moment in the spotlight (in fact, the cast credits don't even run until the end of the film). And that, perhaps, is part of its problem (though it's a slight one): with so much going on, and nary a recap of what's come before, it's a film that could prove baffling to anyone who missed the first instalment. But that's just a minor quibble--X-Men 2 is that rare thing, a sequel that's actually superior to its predecessor. --Robert Burrow
Tony Kaye's graphic shocking and controversial documentary which takes a look on both sides of the abortion debate.
This latest instructional DVD from Alan Gibson introduces the viewer to the basic structures training methods and ideas of the Wing Chun system. All the exercises are fully explained to aid practice and understanding. It includes training in stance stepping punching kicking reflex training entering and retreating as well as Paak sau Dan Chi sau Rolling hands Sticking hands and Lat Sau Jik Chung (the springy force of Wing Chun). The perfect film for beginners or for curious martial artists from other styles. This also features Mark Page and Shaun Aquilina.
Lindsay Anderson's filmic adaptation of David Storey's play. This is the story of an English family and their gathering together for the parents' wedding anniversary. Three grown sons argue while Mum wanders about aimlessly and Dad waits for the next crisis.
This delightful animated feature film tells the story of three children (Fly Stella and Chuck) who go on a fishing trip but get caught up in a thrilling underwater adventure. Stumbling upon Professor MacKrill's mysterious laboratory little Stella accidentally drinks a potion that turns her into a starfish! Fly and Chuck realise that the only way to save her is to turn themselves into fish and search for her in the ocean. However there is one problem - they only have 48 hours to find Stella and get the antidote or they will remain fish forever. Follow Fly Chuck and Stella's enchanting undersea adventures in this beautifully animated feature that is also packed with lots of fun delightful songs and amazing adventures!
From the creator of Truth or Dare comes a new kind of madness! A jealous husband murders his wife's lovers only to be terrorized by their bloodthirsty zombified corpses. However he displays plenty of invention in disposing of his undead love-rivals! Featuring special effects by the legendary Joel Harlow (Basket Case 2 Toxic Avenger).
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