Mira Sorvino Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston Stephen Dorff and Blair Underwood star in this nail-biting tale of action and intrigue from the pen of Robert Ludlum as members of an elite undercover team Covert One race against time to locate the source of a deadly virus threatening the lives of millions of Americans....
This wrong-headed adaptation of the very funny (and scatological) novel by T. Coraghessan Boyle was written and directed by Alan Parker, who doesn't seem to have much of a clue. It's not a botch, just a movie that hammers its efforts at humour too hard. The focus is split between three storylines: the life of cereal tycoon John Kellogg (Anthony Hopkins with buck teeth), who has created a health spa for the wealthy that focuses on regular cleansing of the digestive tract (as well as applications of electricity); the troubles of an unhappy young couple (Matthew Broderick and Bridget Fonda), who come to the spa hoping to cure their marital ills (Broderick gets the worst of the deal); and the efforts of a young hustler (John Cusack), who is trying to break into the breakfast-cereal business but gets taken by an even bigger hustler (Michael Lerner). There are subplots about Kellogg's children but they add little. For all the excrement and enema jokes, the joys of this movie are distinctly scattered. --Marshall Fine
The second series of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine must have caused mixed feelings for those involved. There was a sense of optimism behind the scenes that stemmed from having gained a loyal following--made up of plenty of new fans--in its relatively short first year. The show had genuinely succeeded in being different from its predecessors. Better still, The Next Generation would be bowing out gracefully halfway through this year. So it was that, with several more series guaranteed, the writers changed tack from standalone tales and into long-running story arcs. This was immediately evident in the format-testing three-part opening. Through the actions of Kira and her old pals, we saw that the Bajorans would only ever work toward their own agenda, whereas the Cardassians easily switched sides to suit their various agendas. The Federation was hardly innocent of political machinations either, especially with the discovery of the Maquis terrorists a few episodes later. This three-way dynamic would underpin the entire run of the show. Expanding upon it was the handover of the Klingon saga from The Original Series and TNG, in which old warhorses Kor, Kang and Koloth first appeared. That left the Ferengi to maintain an element of fun with their Rules of Acquisition (Number 112: "Never have sex with the boss's sister"), exploration of their sexist culture and, naturally, through everything touched by the scene-stealing Quark (who was rewarded with a cameo for his real life wife). What seemed like standalone stories--Odo meeting his mentor, a trip into The Original Series' parallel universe and the culminating encounter with some super-soldiers (the Jem'Hadar)--later turned out to be more optimistic seed-sowing. Unfortunately, this second series also began with some concern about a competitor franchise, which started at exactly the same time as TNG ended. The impact of Babylon 5 on DS9 and TV SF in general by the end of the year could never have been envisioned at the start. --Paul Tonks
London's East End, 1969: Our heroes Kenny (Ray Winstone) and Danny (Jack Huston) come into possession of a mysterious box which turns out to contain a large lump of weapons grade Uranium - a true Hot Potato!Initially unaware of The Hot Potato's true value they very quickly realise the danger they've been exposed to. Ably assisted by Danny's girlfriend, the beautiful Carole (Lois Winstone) and shadowed at every turn by the unshakeable criminal Harry (Colm Meadey), Kenny and Danny reluctantly embark on a quest to offload the potato to the highest bidder. Taking them on an epic journey that criss-crosses Europe, and into the company of an ever increasing assortment of shady and bizarre characters, Hot Potato is an 'Italian Job' tinged crime caper that you won't forget!
A rich tale of one man's search for his family roots. After discovering an old picture of his father Kieran travels from Chicago to Ireland in a magical rich tale that speaks to those who have questioned their past.
Mystery, Alaska -- In this little town on the outskirts of greatness, completely isolated by glaciers and vast, snowy mountains, there are only two things to do when the temperature drops below zero
Listen To Your Heart. It's the late '60s and the British Invasion has conquered the world! The Liverpool Sound tops the charts in every country except in Ireland where traditional Irish music still reigns supreme! But could the unthinkable happen? Could an upstart Irish band from Liverpool win the All Irish Music Championship for the first time in history? Transplanted Irishman Jimmy McMahon (Colm Meany) and his motley English crew have their hearts set on it. Meanwhile back in County Clare Ireland Jimmy's stalwart older brother John Joe (Bernard Hill) and his feisty local band are determined to win the trophy for the third year in a row. Meanwhile Clare's star fiddler Anne (the radiant music icon Andrea Corr of The Corrs family band) chafes under her mother's rules against dating - especially when her eye lands on Teddy (Shaun Evans) Liverpool's star flute player. They are Ireland's answer to Romeo and Juliet. The film weaves these timeless themes of discord - star-crossed lovers feuding brothers narrow-minded parents and rebellious children - with the passion all the characters share for the music they play. And against a backdrop of amber-lit pubs narrow streets and sandy shores the visuals keep pace with toe-tapping soundtrack and reflect the honor and traditions at stake in the competition.
The fourth series of Deep Space Nine can be summed up in one word: Klingons! The show's producers apparently felt beset from all sides. Babylon 5 was a huge hit, as was Star Trek: Voyager, the flagship of new channel UPN. Stepping up DS9's action quotient seemed to be the answer. Time would tell, however, whether doing so via Trek's tried-and-tested former bad guys was the best solution. Opening with a special two-hour extravaganza, the new year was immediately unfamiliar. Dennis McCarthy's original theme--despite winning an Emmy--was deemed too subdued. As its upbeat new rendition kicked off, the station was seen in battle and swarming with activity. Moments later, we met old/new crewmember Worf, whose sudden appearance was the result of a brewing invasive strategy by the Klingons. This initiated the first of many loyalty shifts, as the Cardassians became the victims. With plenty of re-appearances by Gowron, Kor and Kurn, it was clear that an ongoing space opera was being crafted. Dukat revealed a tragedy-ridden daughter; Odo's relationship with his people (and Kira) became increasingly melancholy; and even the Jem'Hadar foot soldiers were given a sympathetic angle by their drug addiction. Adding to the layers of ambiguity about Earth's (read: the Producers') position over being at war, was the "outing" of Eddington and Sisko's girlfriend as rebel activists. Lest we forget the homely/spiritual side of the Captain, time was spent with a future version of Jake, with his father (Brock Peters), and on the nature of his role as "The Emissary". Avery Brooks worked behind the camera a couple of times, but this year the surprise was LeVar Burton directing five shows. There was still time for comedy: the Ferengi warped back to Roswell in 1947 and Bashir played at James Bond. But the year will be recalled predominately for its violence. One of the episodes Burton directed had its fight scenes drastically cut, while the series as a whole won an Emmy for its space battle effects. On the DVD: Deep Space Nine, Series 4 contains more than two hours of extra features. Although they might all have been better compiled into one long documentary, the sections devoted to Aliens, Production Design and Artwork are, nevertheless, nicely contained. "Charting New Territory" is a 20-minute featurette on all the big changes attempted this year: Worf's introduction, arming the station and being daring with stand-alone episodes. There's also a terrific and candid dossier on Michael Dorn (Worf), ten mini-cameo cast tales, four seasons' worth of episode introductions, and a well-stocked Photo Gallery. All this can be found on the set's seventh disc; there's also the fourth CD-ROM disc, which allows you to build your own station at home. --Paul Tonks END
London's East End, 1969: Our heroes Kenny (Ray Winstone) and Danny (Jack Huston) come into possession of a mysterious box which turns out to contain a large lump of weapons grade Uranium - a true Hot Potato!Initially unaware of The Hot Potato's true value they very quickly realise the danger they've been exposed to. Ably assisted by Danny's girlfriend, the beautiful Carole (Lois Winstone) and shadowed at every turn by the unshakeable criminal Harry (Colm Meadey), Kenny and Danny reluctantly embark on a quest to offload the potato to the highest bidder. Taking them on an epic journey that criss-crosses Europe, and into the company of an ever increasing assortment of shady and bizarre characters, Hot Potato is an 'Italian Job' tinged crime caper that you won't forget!
Deep Space Nine's third series begins eventfully, with Sisko promoted to captain and being gifted a prototype warship equipped with a cloaking device, while Odo learns where he came from. In the two-part opening tale, this clever gambit is played to hook viewers into the idea of DS9 becoming an ongoing mystery/conflict show. Why the sudden intense format tweaking? Mostly this was to ensure the show continued to thrive when a really rather greedy production hierarchy fast-tracked Voyager onto the air mid-season (cue unnecessary crossover episode with Tuvok). Of greater concern was ratings thief Babylon 5, which played its counter-Trek cards at precisely the right time. Fortunately the result (initially at least) was a genuine boost for DS9. Cast members seemed to have hit their stride and played off one another more assuredly than before. For example, Odo's character took several additional interesting twists, especially in his relationship with Kira. Rene Auberjonois had a very good year, directing two episodes to boot. Avery Brooks had begun this trend with the previous year's penultimate show. The real surprise was seeing Jonathan Frakes's name working behind the camera on three occasions, because he also appeared on screen in his alternate rogue Riker role, when Thomas dramatically steals the Defiant. Other welcome cameos that aided the feeling of casual camaraderie included the return of Lwaxana Troi, as well as first appearances by Quark's Mum, the spooky Founder Leader, the lovely Leeta and the sneaky Eddington. Clint Howard--a cult Trek figure--was briefly welcomed back, and with the many faces of Jeffrey Combs another was born. Stories progressed the complicated Bajoran/Cardassian healing process, while simultaneously brewing potential conflicts far worse than the behind-the-scenes ratings war. --Paul Tonks
Titles Comprise: Layer Cake: Matthew Vaughn, the producer of 'Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels' and 'Snatch', steps into the director's chair for the first time with 'Layer Cake'. Based upon JJ Connelly's London crime novel, 'Layer Cake' is about a successful cocaine dealer (Daniel Craig) who has earned a respected place among England's Mafia elite and plans an early retirement from the business. However, big boss Jimmy Price (Cranham) hands down a tough assignment: find Charlotte Ryder, the missing rich princess daughter of Jimmy's old pal Edward (Gambon), a powerful construction business player and gossip papers socialite. Complicating matters are two million pounds' worth of Grade A ecstasy, a brutal neo-Nazi sect and a whole series of double crossings...The title 'Layer Cake' refers to the layers or levels the dealer has to go through as he painstakingly plots his own escape. What is revealed is a modern underworld where the rules have changed. There are no 'codes' or 'families' and respect lasts as long as a line. Not knowing who he can trust, he has to use all his 'savvy', 'telling' and skills which make him one of the best, to escape his own. The ultimate last job, a love interest called Tammy and an international drugs ring, threaten to draw him back into the 'cake mix'. But, time is running out and the penalty will endure a lifetime.. Snatch: Guy Ritchie, writer/director of 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' delivers another awe-inspiring directorial masterpiece. 'Snatch' is an edgy and hilarious film about a diamond heist gone wrong, a colourful Irish gypsy turned prizefighter, and a very temperamental dog. In the heart of gangland, two novice unlicensed boxing promoters, Turkish (Jason Statham) and Tommy (Stephen Graham) get roped into organising a bare-knuckled fight with local kingpin villain and fellow boxing promoter Brick Top (Alan Ford). But it all goes wrong when Brick Top's fighter, who is rigged to win, is suddenly knocked out by the boys' wildcard Irish gypsy boxer, One Punch Mickey O'Neil (Brad Pitt). Unfortunately things go from bad to worse as Mickey starts playing by his own rules and the duo find they are heading for a whole lot of trouble. Meanwhile en route to New York to deliver a stolen 84-carat diamond to head honcho Avi (Dennis Farina), Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro) is robbed of the stone. Forced to jump on the next plane to London, Avi is by no means pleased. He hires local legend Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones) to find Franky and the diamond. The hunt for the missing stone launches everyone into a spiral of double-crossing vendettas as different parties pursue personal agendas, some of them farcical, most of them illegal and all of them destined to spin completely out of control...
Something very strange happened in the small village of New Bethlehem, a devout community kept under the tight reins of the town's vigilant Elders. Six girls born on the same day to different mothers. Perhaps a coincidence or as most believe a chilling omen of something yet to come. Now, on the eve of their 18th birthday, the young women are mysteriously disappearing one by one and feared dead. Terror has overtaken this quiet community. Could this be the work of a serial killer, one of the village elders or a horrific prophecy come true, born of the supernatural, The Occult?
Deep Space Nine's sixth series began ambitiously with a six-part story arc devoted to the Dominion War. This was a brave move in many ways, but a sensible one too. Whereas other SF shows wouldn't commit to showing the impact of war (Babylon 5), here there were numerous visible sacrifices. Characters were frequently kidnapped and held prisoner, allowing screen time for other members of the ever-growing cast (at its peak there were as many as 18 individuals with speaking roles per episode). This year also introduced the idea of Starfleet Intelligence and its sinister Section 31; alliances were built only to crumble almost immediately; Sisko led a suicide mission and at long last his destiny as the Emissary took a serious turn. Amid all this sturm und drang the writers felt it necessary to inject some levity. In fact, there was so much comedic sidetracking this year it actually seemed sometimes as if they were afraid of the seriesÂ’ dark tone. Witness: Quark undergoing a temporary sex change, leading a Magnificent Seven-style band of Ferengi (with a cameo from Iggy Pop), Morn's non-speaking character being sorely missed, the blend of Troi and Guinan into 60's crooner Vic Fontaine and, in one fan favourite episode ("Far Beyond the Stars"), Sisko having visions of himself and the crew as 1950s staff writers on pulp magazine Incredible Tales. There were also cute reconciliations amongst Worf's extended family (leading to Trek's first cast wedding), and even the revelation of Bashir's genetically enhanced origins quickly became a subject for easy jokes. Any of these events would have been satisfactorily cute if the war had ended and the show had moved on. But confusing the viewer, every so often the battle would be rejoined mid-episode. The clinching proof that no grand design was really at work was in the sudden and brutal dispatch of Dax. Actress Terry Farrell gave sufficient forewarning of having had enough of the show, but specifically asked not to be killed off. Despite all the jarring humour scattered about after the strong opening, the show seemed unable to avoid reverting to shock tactics for its finale. All of which hardly made the promised final year seem a particularly enticing prospect. --Paul Tonks
She's called 'Tir na nOg' because she came from a land under the sea. A magical white horse. Why she came was a mystery to all except Ossie and Tito two small boys who living day to day in a soulless slum with their dejected father Papa Reilly knew Tir na nOg had come for a special reason. When the horse is taken by the police and sold to a cruel farmer Hartnet the boys decide to steal Tir na nOg and escape to the west. But Ossie and Tito hadn't bargained for an agitated police force and a menacing posse of Hartnet's men. Only Papa Reilly can save his sons from ill fortune... but then maybe that was Tir na nOg's intention all along.
A polar bear of many words, Norm's greatest gripe is simple: there is no room for tourists in the Arctic. But when a maniacal developer threatens to build luxury condos in his own backyard, Norm does what all normal polar bears would do he heads to New York City to stop it. With a cast of ragtag lemmings at his side, Norm takes on the big apple, big business and a big identity crisis to save the day.
From the Producers of the International Emmy Award winning MOONE BOY - Starring Colm Meaney, Deirdre O'Kane and Art Malik. A fish out of water story about a loveable outsider, who must decide to embrace or defy his culture in the name of fitting in. Halal Daddy follows the exploits of Raghdan Aziz, a young British-Indian Muslim who flees the prospects of an arranged marriage in Bradford in favour of an easy life in the west of Ireland. Hanging with his mates and girlfriend Maeve, it's the perfect getaway from his controlling father. Until Raghdan's 21st birthday when his father Amir arrives unexpectedly from the UK with the gift of a run-down meat factory in the town. How will Raghdan cope with this poisoned chalice without ruining his relationship with his father forever? Or is it possible to turn recent events to his advantage and still manage to have a bit of fun? As Raghdan soon discovers, anything is possible with a little help from your friends
In an attempt to protect his family and pay off his gambling debts to a local gangster, Jimbo robs the local fish market unaware that it's owned by the gangster. On the run, he hides out in an antique shop where he takes hostage a group of people.
The seventh and final series of Deep Space Nine came down to loose ends, tying some existing ones together and allowing others to unravel. Symptomatic of the unwillingness to let DS9 go was the immediate arrival of a replacement Dax, though poor Nichole deBoer as Ezri Dax had to have known she'd already missed the boat. Her appearance encouraged last-minute romances to blossom, with Bashir finally getting some action, Odo finally getting together with Kira and Sisko finally proposing to Kassidy. Another contributing cute factor were numerous trips to the Holosuite wherein the all-knowing Vic Fontaine dished out philosophical advice. That was when the crew weren't in there to play baseball against the Vulcans or when Nog wasn't commiserating about the loss of a leg. Oh yes, and don't forget the war! There was an early announcement that the show would attempt a 10-part resolution to the Dominion War, but viewers could be forgiven for forgetting all about it with so much sentimental distraction. When the horrors of war did resurface, they at least injected a few surprises into the mix. Odo and his ambiguously "evil" Founders were hit with a melting disease, prompting a backstabbing race for the power of developing and owning a cure. The original baddie Cardassians finally settled on the Federation's side. Contrary to these interesting twists, however, were the unexpected turns taken by matters relating to Sisko's spiritual destiny. Suddenly the mystery of the wormhole and an entire religious belief system was reduced to the problem of translating correctly the words of a sacred book. The struggle to join with some evil aliens significantly diluted the attempt at resolving what had begun seven years before in the show's pilot episode. Ultimately, Sisko's destiny, as with all those who'd followed him to the open-ended climax, was to be decided elsewhere. In a move that was either bold and daring--or possibly born of desperation for not having thought things through properly--the show's storylines were to be continued in a series of spin-off books. --Paul Tonks
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