Bob a troubled but loveable therapy patient who fears everything calls upon a noted psychiatrist who helps him overcome his fears. When the doctor takes a quiet family holiday in New Hampshire Bob terrified of being alone keeps popping up unexpectedly at the family's retreat. That's right about when the fun begins....
A flawed but stylish adaptation of the Chester Gould comic strip by director Warren Beatty, who also stars in the title role. The minimalist plot involves a battalion of baddies who confront the intrepid detective in a series of strung-together vignettes. Al Pacino is a comedic if overblown standout as Big Boy Caprice and Madonna simply smoulders as aggressive blonde bombshell Breathless Mahoney. It matters not that the plot is Spartan, as this dazzling eye candy is much enhanced by Stephen Sondheim's songs, including the Academy Award-winning ditty, "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)". Beatty took his cue from the source material and concentrated on the relationships between these people, whether strained, romantic or hateful. The performances are subtle and more amusing than you would expect from such a visually bold picture. Shot in bright, primary colours, this also won Oscars for Best Art/Set Direction and Makeup (for those inventively hideous criminals). Watch for well-known names, such as Dustin Hoffman and Dick Van Dyke, in cameo appearances and supporting roles. --Rochelle O'Gorman
Hook is Steven Spielberg's most spectacular film of the 90s. It is also seriously underrated, arguably the equal of ET, (1982) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, (1977). An unofficial sequel to J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Hook adopts the startling premise of what happened after "the boy who never grew up", grew up. Robin Williams, in his career best performance, is the corporate suit forced to remember he once was "The Pan", returning to Neverland to battle nefarious Captain Hook (a splendid Dustin Hoffman), for his children's love. This is a ravishingly beautiful, stunningly designed film, at once highly imaginative and with a genuinely magical atmosphere which ranges from exquisite, delicate fantasy to slapstick tomfoolery. There is fine support from Maggie Smith, Julia Roberts and Bob Hoskins, and John Williams' rapturously romantic score is yet another career high. Slated upon release, and dubbed a flop though it grossed $200 million, Hook reacted against the "greed is good" 80s by upholding family values and responsibility while evoking a genuine sense of wonder. Only the somewhat pantomime final showdown disappoints, but alongside Legend, (1985)and Labyrinth, (1986), Hook is ripe for reassessment as a fantasy classic. The DVD transfer is superb and the disc, though not packed with additional features, has some interesting extras. --Gary S. Dalkin
Now that the Graduation Ceremony is over at Huntingdon Hills High it's time for the real festivities to begin at the party of the year. Jennifer Love Hewitt stars as beautiful class knockout Amanda Beckett who has just been dumped by her super-jock boyfriend Mike Dexter. Aspiring writer Preston Meyer (Ethan Embry) tries to work up the courage to proclaim his long-standing adoration for her before he leaves town. Meanwhile Preston's introverted confidante Denise Fleming (Lauren Amb
Aaron Schimberg's impressive second feature is his response, as a filmmaker with facial deformity, to cinematic portrayals of disfigured people, from Freaks to The Elephant Man. Simultaneously empathetic and sardonic, Chained for Life's multi-layered meta-narrative casts Jess Weixler (Teeth) as Mabel, a well-intentioned Hollywood star. She takes the role of a blind woman in a hospital-based horror movie about abnormalities, directed by an egomaniacal German filmmaker. As shooting progresses, Mabel gradually falls for her friendly British co-star Rosenthal, played by Under the Skin actor Adam Pearson. Extras DISC ONE: CHAINED FOR LIFE High Definition presentation Original mono soundtrack Audio commentary with writer-director Aaron Schimberg A Different Kind of Intimacy (2020, 18 mins): actor Jess Weixler reflects on the themes and production of Chained for Life Good Things Happen to Good People (2020, 10 mins): actor and activist Adam Pearson discusses the role of Rosenthal We Are Family (2020, 17 mins): actor Sari Lennick recalls her experiences of making the film Eight deleted/extended scenes (13 mins) Super 8 On-set Footage (2018, 2 mins, mute): silent material shot by film archivist John Klacsmann Late Spring/Regrets for Our Youth (2009, 5 mins): short diary film by Aaron Schimberg Theatrical trailer Image gallery Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing DISC TWO: GO DOWN DEATH (LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE) UK premiere presentation of Aaron Schimberg's 2013 debut feature High Definition presentation Original mono soundtrack It would be sad to see this end up in a dump (2013, 6 mins): rare behind-the-scenes footage shot by producer-editor Vanessa McDonnell Eight deleted scenes (32 mins) Theatrical trailer Image gallery Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet containing new writing on Chained for Life by David Jenkins, Jeff Billington on the 1950 exploitation film Chained for Life, Alejandro Bachmann and Michelle Koch on Go Down Death, and film credits Limited edition of 3,000 copies
This underrated teen comedy from 1998 is guilty of being a proud underachiever, and it doesn't bring anything new to the genre, but look closely and you'll find the makings of a much better movie buried under all the keg-party antics. The basic story is typical for this kind of comedy. A young, aspiring writer named Preston (Ethan Embry) has been lusting after class beauty Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt, from TV's Party of Five) for four years of high school, but he's never had the nerve to tell her. Now that they're about to graduate he has finally worked up the courage to write her a soul-baring love letter. At the raucous graduation keg party that takes up most of the movie's 98 minutes, Preston agonises while Amanda's selfish jock ex-boyfriend tries to win her back, and delivering his love letter turns out to be more difficult than he ever imagined. What's interesting about Can't Hardly Wait has little to do with its attractive leads, however. The most engagingly real and entertaining characters are the misfits who show up in the sub-plots, including a geek (Charlie Korsmo) who turns into the life of the party and a pair of old friends (Seth Green, Lauren Ambrose) who confront each other about their mutual needs and insecurities. There are some really good scenes between these two and this modest movie has a few other pleasant surprises up its sleeve. That doesn't make it particularly good but it does make it an agreeable waste of time. --Jeff Shannon
A heart surgeon gets to experience firsthand exactly the kind of treatment that his patients receive. Through it all Jack learns that compassion and caring are a physician's most important skills and he ultimately becomes an extraordinary doctor....
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