This last ever sequence of Farscape episodes is as effective and powerful a climax as those of earlier seasons. The three-parter "We're So Screwed" (a title censored by the BBC in the UK) starts with "Fetal Attraction", in which the crew of Moya attempt to rescue the pregnant Aeryn Sun from her Scarren captors and end up starting a dangerous epidemic on a space station. They get Aeryn back and lose Scorpius; in "Hot to Katratzi", the necessity of saving his worst enemy--who just knows too much to be left a captive--forces John Crichton to gate-crash the Sebacean-Scarren peace conference and bluff his way to success. Seemingly betrayed by Scorpius, John snatches victory in "La Bomba", striking another deadly blow against the Scarren empire. The title of the last episode "Bad Timing" refers both to the show's cancellation--the cast and crew felt real bitterness towards the SciFi Channel over this--and to the cliff-hanger ending; the crew of Moya have to prevent a Scarren ship finding its way through the worm-hole to Earth. Farscape was perhaps the best ever television space opera and certainly the most sexy, stylish, funny and dramatic; it will be greatly missed. On the DVD: Farscape, Series 4 Part 5 presents the shows in 16:9 format with impressively loud Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The special features include a documentary about the cancellation of Farscape, in which the cast talk about their shock and grief and fans talk about the "Save Farscape" campaign. There are a couple of extended versions of scenes from these episodes and an extensive blooper reel, much of it hilarious. Also included is an illustrated glossary of terms from the Uncharted Territories and a collection of interesting facts about these last four episodes. --Roz Kaveney
In a world where no one is what they seem faith and trust become the key objectives and ultimate goal. Driven by the machinations of the mysterious Chloe Altena and an all new crime family Kirika and Mireille must fightfor their lives both at home and abroad as the action explodes across the globe. Yet even as the mystery surrounding the origins of Noir slowly begins to give up its clues the two assassins find themselves being driven apart both by conflicting emotions and by c
The final four episodes of Farscape's remarkable third season prove conclusively that this is the show's best and bravest year to date. Powerful issues of love, loyalty and sacrifice remain to be resolved, but after enduring a vertiginous emotional roller-coaster ride in recent episodes, Moya's reunited crew have no time to recuperate as Crichton determinedly calls them to arms for their sternest challenge yet. Scorpius and his Wormhole research must be destroyed at any price. Thus the scene is set to conclude the series' biggest story arc in a climactic confrontation aboard the Peacekeeper Command Carrier. In "I-Yensch, You-Yensch" the plan is set in motion, as a canny Rygel bargains with Scorpius and gains his grudging respect during an unexpected and tragi-comic heist by two murderously incompetent criminals. Then the two-parter "Into the Lion's Den" takes everyone onto the Command Carrier, where Aeryn is confronted by her past, Crichton's subconscious finally releases its Wormhole secrets, and Crais persuades Talyn to do something extraordinarily noble. By the end, it's hard not to sympathise with poor put-upon Scorpius. In the final episode, "Dog with Two Bones", Moya's crew seem finally free to go their separate ways as a mysterious refugee helps Crichton confront his worst fears about Aeryn. Emotions reach a climax and remain tantalisingly unresolved at the cliffhanger ending. On the DVD: Farscape, Volume 3.5 carries all the usual gallery of extra features--including deleted scenes, "Info-Pods" on Rygel, Crais and Scorpius, "Farscape Facts", trailers and stills--plus of course four uncut episodes. --Mark Walker
Black Sabbath is one of the most famous names in rock history, and a host of legendary musicians have appeared in the ranks of the multi-platinum selling band. The first cracks appeared with the departure of Ozzy, and this film explores how the revolving door policy undoubtedly affected the creation and performance of the music. For the first time ever, the key players in the Sabbath story reveal just how the changes affected the music.Featuring rare archive film of Black Sabbath in concert plus reflections of Ozzy Osborne, Geezer Butler, Tommy Iommi, Neil Murray and Bobby Rondinelli, alongside a team of working musicians , Musicologists and rock journalists, this is the ultimate definitive review of how the album was made and how the music has stood the test of time.Features rare archive performances of Black Sabbath, N.I.B, War Pigs, Iron Man, Hand Of Doom, Rat Salad, Fairies Wear Boots, and Paranoid.
With the third season well under way, it's clear that Farscape has developed into a grown-up show. There's a new self-confidence and a new maturity here that's entirely welcome after the often wildly erratic tone of the second season. The production design and high-quality effects work remain true to the show's original quirky style, although both the look and the more adult-themed scripts have become progressively darker. This second box set of Season 3 features five of the nastiest, most shocking and incident-packed episodes to date. Things start badly when psychotic madman Kaarvok kills D'Argo and Chiana and sucks out their brains. Only later do we discover he's "twinned" them when the same fate befalls Crichton--though both Crichton "twins" survive. Life just gets more and more complicated thereafter. Crichton twin 1 stays on Moya with D'Argo, Chiana and Jool, while Crichton twin 2 transfers to Talyn with Aeryn, Crais, Rygel and Stark. Talyn is being pursued by a Peacekeeper retrieval squad led by Aeryn's mum, Xhalax Sun, and is then swallowed by a Budong (in the Ben Browder-penned episode "Green-Eyed Monster") before Mrs Sun catches up with her daughter and pals. Back on Moya a mysterious "Energy Rider" possesses the crew in turn. Meanwhile on Talyn, Aeryn and Crichton twin 2 have been blissfully having sex, while Crais lusts vainly for Aeryn. Just wait until Scorpius gets involved. On the DVD: This box set contains the usual "Info Pods" and other extras, plus the first Region 2 commentary, for the episode "Relativity", with actor Lani Tupu and director Peter Andrikidis; it's a shame that they don't have a lot to say. --Mark Walker
The eighth wonder of the world. It is 1933 and vaudeville actress Ann Darrow (Oscar nominee Naomi Watts) has found herself - like so many other New Yorkers during the Great Depression - without the means to earn a living. Unwilling to compromise and allow herself to sink into a career in burlesque she considers her limited options while aimlessly wandering the streets of Manhattan. When her hunger drives her to unsuccessfully try to steal an apple from a fruit vendor's stall she is rescued - literally - by filmmaker and multiple hyphenate Carl Denham (Jack Black). It seems that the entrepreneur-raconteur-adventurer is no stranger to theft having that day lifted the only existing print of his most recent and unfinished film from under his studio executives' noses when they threatened to pull his completion funds. Carl has until the end of the day to get his crew onboard the Singapore-bound tramp steamer the S.S. Venture in hopes of completing his travelogue/action film. With that the showman is certain he will finally achieve the personal greatness he knows awaits him around the corner - and although the crew believe that corner to be Singapore Denham actually hopes to find and capture on film the mysterious place of legend: Skull Island. Unfortunately for Carl his headlining actress has pulled out of his project but his search for a size-four leading lady (the costumes have all been made) has fatefully led him to Ann. The struggling actress is reluctant to sign on with Denham until she learns that the up-and-coming socially relevant playwright Jack Driscoll (Oscar winner Adrien Brody) is penning the screenplay - the fees his friend Carl pays for potboiling adventure are a welcome supplement to Driscoll's nominal income from his stage plays. With his newly discovered star and coerced screenwriter reluctantly onboard Denham's 'moving picture ship' heads out of New York Harbor... and toward a destiny that none aboard could possibly foresee...
The 1994 movie Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted celebrating their Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. Since neither Kurt Russell nor James Spader would be able to commit, it gave the producers licence to tinker with the cast and the universe they'd explore. Replacing the roles of Colonel Jack O'Neill and Dr. Daniel Jackson respectively are Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They're joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and guilt-stricken former alien baddie Teal'c (Christopher Judge) to form the teacher's pet primary unit SG-1 With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the "overlord" pharaohnic Goa'uld--the ancient Egyptian Gods who are none too chummy after the events of the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel's wife, Sam's father literally joining a renegade faction of the Goa'uld, and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. There's something of The Time Tunnel to the show's premise, but amid a dearth of derivative look-a-likes, Stargate has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi. Concluding the cliff-hanger from the end of Season One, "The Serpent's Lair" is a rollercoaster of wit, plot twists, and cutting-edge special effects as the SG-1 team resign themselves to a suicide mission. Then it's a case of ignorance of the law being no excuse in "Prisoners", as the team winds up in a penal colony striking a deal with someone who will have far-reaching influence on their future. Sam is stalked by an assassin after a rescue mission all "In the Line of Duty". She saves someone in the most unique of ways--by taking over as host of their Goa'uld symbiont. This introduction of Jolinar is key to much of the continuing storyline. Dwight Schultz guest stars as "The Gamekeeper" in a garden that forces the team to puzzle their way out of re-living secrets of the past. But all is not what it seems. --Paul Tonks
The movie tells the story of two Brooklyn plumbers who are brothers and best friends: Mario, the brave one with the let's-a go attitude, and the perpetually anxious Luigi, who would prefer to go nowhere. We open with the Super Mario Brothers reckoning with their struggling plumbing business, and wind up in a whirlwind adventure through Mushroom Kingdom. Through their journey, we meet a cast of familiar, lovable characters, ultimately uniting together to defeat the power-hungry villain, Bowser. The Super Mario Bros. Movie takes what millions of gamers worldwide have loved for thirty-five years and levels it up to a new and breathtaking cinematic experience. Product Features Getting to Know the Cast Levelling Up: Making THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE Field Guide Peaches Lyric Video Leadership Lessons from Anya Taylor-Joy
Titles Comprise: Rectuma: Gross out comedy about Waldo Williams who on returning from a holiday in Tijuana finds that he has been infected by the Mexican Butthumping Bullfrog causing him plenty of pain and a whole lot more gas. After visiting a scientist Waldo finds that his backside has started glowing green with radiation and it's not long before his rear end takes on a life of its own detaching itself from the rest of his body to go on a killing spree leaving tracks wherever it goes and incriminating Waldo in the murders. But being framed as a murderer is the least of Waldo's problems as his rear grows Godzilla-big and wages all out war against Los Angeles! The Vampire Night Orgy: A bus breaks down in the Transylvanian mountains leaving a group of travellers stranded in a lonely village. At first everything appears normal but soon things are not what they seem. Just who is the beautiful enigmatic countess and what was the meat served up for the evening meal? Why does no-one want the travellers to leave? Murder In A Blue World: Low-budget Spanish sci-fi thriller set in a dystopian future world where gangs of depraved sadists roam the streets forcing honest citizens to stay behind locked doors. The government tries to fight back by conducting sinister mind-control experiments but as the violence rages a mysterious nurse appears and seems to offer salvation to those condemned to die. Dubbed English version. The Coming Of Sin: When Triana a wild gypsy orphan comes to stay with the beautiful but lonely Lorna the pair of them soon embark upon a passionate affair. But Triana has many secrets and is plagued by dark fantasies (expressed in a series of shockingly surreal dream sequences) which cause the relationship to develop in a bizarre and unpredictable fashion. Directed by Jose Ramon Larraz the man behind the cult classic Vampyres.
Cable Guy (Dir. Ben Stiller 1996): The manic madness of Jim Carrey strikes again in this totally wired out of control comedy! Slip the cable guy fifty bucks and you'll get the movie channels for free - it's a time honoured urban ritual. But when Steven Kovacs (Matthew Broderick) moves into his new apartment he picks the wrong cable guy - this guy doesn't want fifty bucks; he just wants a friend for life. And he won't take no for an answer. Fun With Dick And Jane (Dir. ): Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni star in this fantastic re-make of Ted Kotcheff's original 1977 comedy hit. Dick (Jim Carrey) and Jane (Tea Leoni) are a typical suburban couple. They have a nice house in a development she works as a travel agent to supplement his white-collar income. Things change in the blink of an eye when Dick's company folds; his pension has no future and he can't find a job to save his life. Their front lawn is even repossessed! To make matters worse Jane has quit her job their house has lost value and all their savings went down along with his former employers. In increasingly dire straits Dick has a brainstorm: he'll steal to supplant his income. Jane joins him and soon the dynamic duo is dressing in elaborate costumes and ineptly attempting to make it big on the wrong side of the law!
In the episodes contained in this third volume, Farscape's fourth series finally kicks into gear and does some of the most surprising things a television show has ever done. The first three episodes are all Farscape classics, which take our expectations and jump up and down on them. "Unrealised Realities" takes John Crichton (Ben Browder) through a wormhole to be interrogated by a creature who regards the Ancients who put the knowledge of wormhole technology in his brain as annoying bumblers and who tells him a lot about time and about alternate universes. This gives the cast a chance to play each other again--Claudia Black's performance as Chiana is particularly disorientating. In "Kansas" John finds himself finally back on Earth, during his own adolescence, with the task of ensuring that his father does not die in the Challenger explosion and alter his personal history. The visit to his long-missed home continues in "Terra Firma" where the crew of Moya have to cope with Bush's America and John discovers the hard way--politics, family, old girlfriends, alien assassins--that you cannot go home again. Lastly in the moderately weaker "Twice Shy", Chiana (Gigi Edgeley) and the others learn that no good deed goes unpunished as a slave they rescue turns out to be one of the more deadly individual menaces they have ever faced. --Roz Kaveney
The 1994 film Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted when celebrating their Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. In the roles of Colonel Jack O'Neill and Dr Daniel Jackson respectively are Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They're joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and guilt-stricken former alien baddie Teal'c (Christopher Judge) to form the teacher's-pet primary unit SG-1. With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the "overlord" Goa'uld--the ancient Egyptian Gods who are none too chummy after the events of the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel's wife, Sam's father literally joining a renegade faction of the Goa'uld and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. There's something of The Time Tunnel to the show's premise, but amid a dearth of derivative lookalikes, Stargate has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi. On this DVD: "Divide and Conquer" presents a disturbing theory that none of us may be who we think we are. Newly recurring guest star Vanessa Angel returns as Freya to reveal that "za'tarc" technology can programme a person to be an assassin without their knowledge. This episode becomes a claustrophobic showcase for the actors to display distrust for one another. "Window of Opportunity" is the now mandatory Groundhog Day scenario episode that all franchise series must attempt. Typically the SG-1 writers make more of the material than in other shows, with O'Neill and Teal'c growing to enjoy having 10 hours to live repeatedly. Ultimately, though, there's a lesson to be learned about the fruitlessness of trying to recapture the past. "Watergate" demonstrates the excellent continuity kept up by the show in revealing what happened to the original missing Dial Home Device--the Russians have it! Not only that, they have their own Stargate, a disturbing amount of information on the SG-1 team, a mysterious link to a water planet and a scientist who bears an uncanny resemblance to Deanna Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation (Marina Sirtis). "The First Ones" is a warm variant on the Lion and the Mouse fable when Daniel establishes a relationship with a primitive alien creature. The planet is the original home world of the Goa'uld parasites, meaning that the SG Team's rescue mission turns into a dangerous period of paranoid suspicion. Who has been compromised and what does Chaka really want with Daniel? --Paul Tonks
The 1994 movie Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted celebrating their Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. In the roles of Colonel Jack O'Neill and Dr Daniel Jackson respectively are Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They're joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and guilt-stricken former alien baddie Teal'c (Christopher Judge) to form the teacher's pet primary unit SG-1 With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the "overlord" Goa'uld--the ancient Egyptian Gods who are none too chummy after the events of the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel's wife, Sam's father joining a renegade faction of the Goa'uld, and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. There's something of The Time Tunnel to the show's premise, but amid a dearth of derivative look-a-likes, Stargate has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi. --Paul TonksOn this DVD: Resolving the cliffhanger from Volume 10, "The Devil You Know" reveals an embarrassing secret that could allow the team to escape the clutches of Satanic Sokar. Then, when following up clues to find the Harcesis child "Forever in a Day", Teal'c is the only one to notice the SGC has been taken over by chameleonic aliens trying to establish a "Foothold" on Earth for invasion. The following "Pretense" is one of those sci-fi series staples as a character is put on trial to prove their guilt on behalf of another. "Urgo" is this volume's highlight, and expands the general sardonic humour with a little pathos for the guest appearance by Dom DeLuise. Lots of slapstick ensues. As well as trailers for the next volume, the disc includes a seven-minute interview with Don Davis on his character of General George Hammond. He talks about his own Captaincy in the army and an acting career that began with MacGuyver! There's also five minutes with costume designer Christine McQuarrie explaining what has to be done in just seven days. --Paul Tonks
Unshackled is the unforgettable story of two men. One Harold Morris was white - a sharecroppers son from South Carolina. The other Marcus 'Doc' Odomes was black - raised by his mother in inner city New York. Both were doing life sentences in Georgia State Penitentiary when the prison was forced to integrate under federal mandate. It was the last prison in America to do so. They were thrown into an 8ft by 10 ft cell and the door was slammed shut. This is their story.
Respond To Sound
"Soul Power" is a verite documentary, entirely composed of footage shot in 1974 at the legendary music festival (dubbed "Zaire '74"). It shows the experiences and performances of such musical luminaries as James Brown and BB King among others.
The second season of Farscape expands upon and develops the characters introduced in the ambitious first season. John Crichton's new nemesis is the deadly Scorpius, replacing Crais who has taken the living ship Moya's offspring on a voyage into the unknown. Moya's regular crew--Aeryn, Zhaan, Chiana, D'Argo and Rygel--remain as divided and suspicious of each other as ever, yet somehow manage to pull together at times of crisis. After revelations about Pilot's introduction to Moya in "The Way We Weren't", the writers continue to exploit the show's gift for surprising as well as emotionally convincing character development. The CGI effects, prosthetics and state-of-the-art puppetry, courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop, continue to make Farscape the most original looking sci-fi show on TV. The witty scripts, peppered with post-modern pop culture references and movie in-jokes, are also a breath of fresh air. The result is episodic TV sci-fi that continually pushes at the accepted boundaries of the genre. On the DVD: the four episodes included here are all distinguished by ambitious storytelling, somewhat let down in the execution. In "Picture if You Will", an old enemy returns with a truly bizarre and barely comprehensible scheme to imprison Moya's crew inside a picture (shades of Dorian Gray maybe?). "Home on the Remains" has a contrived plot that harks right back to classic Star Trek, with Crichton even quoting Jim Kirk (the highlight, though, is Zhaan's transformation, which gives a whole new meaning to hay fever). Both "Dream a Little Dream" and "Out of Their Minds" play around with the crew's perceptions of reality--the former is a curious flashback episode set in between the first and second season, as Zhaan is put on trial for murder on a dystopian planet run by lawyers; the second plays body-swap with the crew, with everyone obviously having fun pretending to be everyone else (the aliens, however, look like leftovers from The Dark Crystal). DVD extras include a handful of deleted scenes, a DVD-ROM screensaver and yet another photo gallery. --Mark Walker
With the finals well underway Misaki and friends decide to take a well-deserved break at the beach but Icchan and his group are there too. A secret love is revealed and new loves bloom as the whole gang takes a break from the stress of the tournament at the seaside. Many more secrets about the past come to light and Misaki goes on another date but it's not with who you'd expect! The time has come for two players to qualify for the championship match while the rest get left behind
It is possible that Black Sabbath enjoy a higher global profile now that at any point in the group's long history. This, of course, is largely due to singer Ozzy Osbourne's undignified but profitable decision to allow MTV to portray him as a sort of heavy metal Grandpa Simpson. Possibly as a result of his immense celebrity, Osbourne didn't find the time to be interviewed for this retrospective documentary. However, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward are on hand to provide a telling of events which, while never as entertaining as Osbourne's familiar routine, is at least more coherent. Osbourne is irrepressibly present in the archive performance footage collected here, shot at various points between 1970 and 1978. The early stuff is especially interesting, proving beyond doubt that Sabbath--whether they realised it or not--had much more in common with the prototypical punks like The Stooges and the MC5, who were then starting to make waves in America, than they have with the uncountable long-haired and leather-trousered heavy metal bozos who have attempted to fill Sabbath's shoes since. On the DVD: The Black Sabbath Story is presented in widescreen. Sound is available in Dolby 5.1 Surround or Dolby Digital. The menu of extras is a little confusing to negotiate, but includes further interviews with band members, a gallery of Sabbath albums, and a long re-telling of Sabbath's very early history by former manager Jim Simpson.--Andrew Mueller
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