The characters in The Wild Thornberrys Movie are well-defined and delightful; the well-written script zips along and the animation is visually dynamic. This charming movie version of the Nickelodeon cartoon centres on Eliza, the youngest daughter of the Thornberry family. Her parents, Nigel and Marianne, travel the world to create nature programmes for television. But Eliza, thanks to a mystical encounter, has the power to talk to animals--a power that leads her on the hunt for poachers in Africa who have captured a baby cheetah. Eliza's best friend, a chimpanzee named Darwin, is along for the ride, while her resentful teenage sister Debbie is trying to bring her back to their parents. All in all, this is an excellent animated feature featuring the voices of Tim Curry, Lacey Chabert, Rupert Everett, Marisa Tomei, Alfred Woodard and Lynn Redgrave. --Bret Fetzer
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson star in this fast-paced comedy of love turned upside down.
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson star in this fast-paced comedy of love turned upside down.
In 1980, Randal Kleiser's remake of The Blue Lagoon had its critics well and truly divided. On the one hand adolescent nudity, however tasteful, was enough to give the censors the vapours. On the other, the story--essentially a reworking of Robinson Crusoe based on Stacpoole's Edwardian adventure novel with two young children as the castaways growing up on a desert island--seemed just too removed from reality. Kleiser set out to make "the ultimate South Seas film", and indeed the location shooting is a richly beautiful complement to the intimate tale of two young people coming to terms with their own adulthood. He teases out touching performances from Brooke Shields (Emmeline) and Christopher Atkins (Richard) as the marooned pair, and a nicely ambivalent cameo from Leo McKern as Paddy, the ship's cook who gets them set up on the island before rum gets the better of him. A stilted script helps none of them. But the moments of awkward self-discovery and dawning sexuality are handled with a tenderness which ultimately triumphs over some of the more implausible elements: Shields' perpetually manicured nails, for example, or the fact that she unexpectedly gives birth without breaking sweat. To say nothing of the pair's extraordinary home-building skills, which would have been beyond the remit of the average Edwardian governess to teach. Today, for all its efforts to be taken seriously as a tale of preserved innocence and discovery, it succeeds best as a good old-fashioned adventure. On the DVD: This widescreen presentation positively bulges with extras. A choice of director's commentaries means that you can hear Randal Kaiser (who had previously directed Grease) reminiscing in fine detail with writer Douglas Day Stewart, and both Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins. Some might think this overkill for a non-landmark film, but the discussions are genuinely interesting. The film was clearly a formative experience in Shields' adolescent career --she has also provided an album of personal snapshots as another extra--and it is fascinating to hear her talk about it from her current position as a star of sophisticated television sitcom. The crystal-clear digital remastering and anamorphic stereo picture and sound quality of the main film don't extend to this scratchy, sometimes inaudible documentary. --Piers Ford
In 1980, Randal Kleiser's remake of The Blue Lagoon had its critics well and truly divided. On the one hand adolescent nudity, however tasteful, was enough to give the censors the vapours. On the other, the story--essentially a reworking of Robinson Crusoe based on Stacpoole's Edwardian adventure novel with two young children as the castaways growing up on a desert island--seemed just too removed from reality. Kleiser set out to make "the ultimate South Seas film", and indeed the location shooting is a richly beautiful complement to the intimate tale of two young people coming to terms with their own adulthood. He teases out touching performances from Brooke Shields (Emmeline) and Christopher Atkins (Richard) as the marooned pair, and a nicely ambivalent cameo from Leo McKern as Paddy, the ship's cook who gets them set up on the island before rum gets the better of him. A stilted script helps none of them. But the moments of awkward self-discovery and dawning sexuality are handled with a tenderness which ultimately triumphs over some of the more implausible elements: Shields' perpetually manicured nails, for example, or the fact that she unexpectedly gives birth without breaking sweat. To say nothing of the pair's extraordinary home-building skills, which would have been beyond the remit of the average Edwardian governess to teach. Today, for all its efforts to be taken seriously as a tale of preserved innocence and discovery, it succeeds best as a good old-fashioned adventure. On the DVD: This widescreen presentation positively bulges with extras. A choice of director's commentaries means that you can hear Randal Kaiser (who had previously directed Grease) reminiscing in fine detail with writer Douglas Day Stewart, and both Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins. Some might think this overkill for a non-landmark film, but the discussions are genuinely interesting. The film was clearly a formative experience in Shields' adolescent career --she has also provided an album of personal snapshots as another extra--and it is fascinating to hear her talk about it from her current position as a star of sophisticated television sitcom. The crystal-clear digital remastering and anamorphic stereo picture and sound quality of the main film don't extend to this scratchy, sometimes inaudible documentary. --Piers Ford
Cy Endfield cowrote the epic prequel Zulu Dawn 15 years after his enormously popular Zulu. Set in 1879, this film depicts the catastrophic Battle of Isandhlwana, which remains the worst defeat of the British army by natives--the British contingent was outnumbered 16-to-1 by the Zulu tribesmen. The film's opinion of events is made immediately clear in its title sequence: ebullient African village life presided over by King Cetshwayo is contrasted with aristocratic artifice under the arrogant eye of General Lord Chelmsford (Peter O'Toole). Chelmsford is at the heart of all that goes wrong, initiating the catastrophic battle with an ultimatum made seemingly for the sake of giving his troops something to do. His detached manner leads to one mistake after another and this is wryly illustrated in a moment when neither he nor his officers can be bothered to pronounce the name of the land they're in. That it's a beautiful land none the less is made clear by the superb cinematography, which drinks in the massive open spaces that shrink the British army to a line of red ants. Splendidly stiff-upper-lipped support comes from a heroic Burt Lancaster and a fluffy, yet gruff, Bob Hoskins. Although the story is less focused and inevitably more diffuse than the concentrated events of Rorke's Drift that followed soon after, Zulu Dawn is an unflinchingly honest depiction of British Imperial diplomacy. --Paul Tonks
Four short films one heated experience! From Bollywood to Hollywood these movies will take you on a sexy journey around the globe! One is an East-meets-West boy-meets-boy love story about a spicy tryst with a hotel clerk. Then a woman tries to reconcile with her gay father but his half-naked male companions keep getting in the way. And an American on vacation meets two foreigners who keep him guessing. Finally there's a naughty comedy about two straight actors rehearsing for a film's upcoming gay sex scene. Seen in over 180 film festivals on 6 different continents.
With over two years of investigation including the collection of a million and a half words of interview transcript Standard Operating Procedure from director Errol Morris is a revealing look at the true story behind the notorious photographs taken by US soldiers in Abu Ghraib prison. The photos changed the world's image of the war in Iraq but what did they really reveal?
Billy Madison: He's heir to the Madison Hotel millions but the only subjects Billy has studied lately are babes and booze. For him life has been a ten-year party since he left high school: drinking bottomless daiquiris catching rays by the pool pulling moronic pranks and chasing anything in (or out of!) a skirt. (Dir. Tamra Davis 1995): But when Brian Madison informs his goofball son that he plans to turn over his Fortune 500 company to vice president and corporate weasel Eric Gordon Billy makes the bet of his life. He's going back to school - grades 1 through 12 in 24 weeks! - with hilarious results. And this time Mr Madison's cheque book won't be the source of Billy's academic advancement. Can bona fide blockhead Billy clean up his act to win his father's respect the family fortune and the love of his beautiful teacher Veronica? Hey it's worth a shot! Happy Gilmore: Adam Sandler stars in this hilarious comedy that scores a hole in one for gut-busting wit and outrageous slapstick. Happy a raucous hockey player turned golfer sends the sedate sport into overdrive after he becomes a media sensation with his outlandish antics on the links. It's par for the course entertainment co-starring Christopher McDonald Carl Weathers and Kevin Nealon. (Dir. Dennis Dugan 1996) Anger Management: Dave Buznik (Adam Sandler) is usually a mild-mannered non-confrontational guy. But after an altercation aboard an airplane he is remanded to the care of anger management therapist Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson) who could probably use some anger management himself. Now Dave is really mad! (Dir. Peter Segal 2003)
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson star in this fast-paced comedy of love turned upside down.
With over two years of investigation including the collection of a million and a half words of interview transcript Standard Operating Procedure from director Errol Morris is a revealing look at the true story behind the notorious photographs taken by US soldiers in Abu Ghraib prison. The photos changed the world's image of the war in Iraq but what did they really reveal?
Experience a real-life nightmare in this unique chapter in the terrifying and insanely popular Hellraiser series. When five hardcore internet gamers are invited to a special party thrown by the web site HELLWORLD, they endure a night of unspeakable terror they believed only existed in cyber space.
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