Two introverted people, both workers in a meat-processing plant, one a world-weary financial director, the other a strict quality controller, find out by chance that they share the same dream every night. They are puzzled, incredulous and frightened. As they begin to accept this strange coincidence, they try to recreate in broad daylight what happens in their shared subconscious.
By a little bay near Marseilles lies a picturesque villa owned by an old man. His three children have gathered by his side for his last days: Angela, an actress living in Paris, Joseph, who has just fallen in love with a girl half his age and Armand, the only one who stayed behind in Marseilles to run the family's small restaurant. It's time for them to weigh up what they have inherited of their father's ideals and the community spirit he created in this magical place. The arrival, at a nearby cove, of a group of boat people will throw these moments of reflection into turmoil.
The legendary story that hovers over Orson Welles' The Stranger is that he wanted Agnes Moorehead to star as the dogged Nazi hunter who trails a war criminal to a sleepy New England town. The part went to Edward G. Robinson, who is marvellous, but it points out how many compromises Welles made on the film in an attempt to show Hollywood he could make a film on time, on budget and on their own terms. He accomplished all three, turning out a stylish if unambitious film noir thriller, his only Hollywood film to turn a profit on its original release. Welles stars as unreformed fascist Franz Kindler, hiding as a schoolteacher in a New England prep school for boys and newly married to the headmaster's lovely if naive daughter (Loretta Young). Welles, the director, is in fine form for the opening sequences, casting a moody tension as agents shadow a twitchy low-level Nazi official skulking through South American ports and building up to dramatic crescendo as Kindler murders this little man, the lovely woods becoming a maelstrom of swirling leaves that expose the body he furiously tries to bury. The rest of the film is a well designed but conventional cat-and-mouse game featuring an eye-rolling performance by Welles and a thrilling conclusion played out in the dark clock tower that looms over the little village. --Sean Axmaker
I've just met a wonderful new man. He's fictional but you can't have everything." So says Cecilia (Mia Farrow), the central figure in Woody Allen's lyrically humorous Purple Rose of Cairo. The era is the Great Depression, and she is the bullied wife who finds escape in romantic movies, falling in love with the explorer hero, Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels), of the eponymous film. So far, nothing remarkable. But Allen has Baxter spot her in the audience, fall in love with her, and desert the picture, much to the irritation of the other characters. The surreal quality of the situation develops further when Gil Shepherd--the actor who played Baxter (Daniels again)--seeks out his fictional alter ego to persuade him back into the film and thus save both their reputations. Naturally Shepherd, too, falls in love with Cecilia, and she's left to choose between fiction and reality, chooses the latter and is then cruelly jilted. The message seems clear: fairytales are just that, make-believe. There's no such thing as a happy ending. Dating from 1985 (after Broadway Danny Rose and immediately before Hannah and her Sisters), this is one of the few movies in which Allen doesn't actually appear, though he's recognisable in every line of Farrow's character. It's also a nostalgic tribute to the era that defined movie glamour, the close-up of Cecilia's face at the end a moment of pure Hollywood. At 81 minutes, this is a small but brilliant gem. On the DVD: Aside from the technological improvement of DVD over video, the new format adds little by way of features: you can view the original trailer, scan the film scene by scene, and there's a choice of subtitles in eight languages.--Harriet Smith
All the Saw films in one brilliant boxset! Saw (Dir. James Wan) (2004): With a dead body 'resting' between them two men (Whannell and Elwes) wake up in the secure lair of a serial killer who's been nicknamed Jigsaw by the police because of his unusual calling card. Given six hours a hacksaw and a bullet the two men try to figure out a way to freedom. Hot on the 'Jigsaw's trail is Detective David Tapp (Glover) an equally insane cop who was once the victim of the Jigsaw's evil scheme Saw II (Dir. Darren Lynn Bousman) (2005): Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) the master of mind games returns to toy with a new set of victims once again chosen for their perceived lack of respect for life. His traps are crueller and even more mind bending than before. And this time the policeman (Donnie Wahlberg) on the case has more than his professional integrity at stake... Saw III (Dir. Darren Lynn Bousman) (2006): Jigsaw has disappeared. Now aided by his new apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith) the puppet-master behind the cruel intricate games that have terrified a community and baffled police has once again eluded capture and vanished. While city detectives scramble to locate him Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) is unaware that she is about to become the latest pawn on his vicious chessboard. One night after finishing a shift at her hospital Lynn is kidnapped by the deranged Amanda and taken to an abandoned warehouse where she meets Jigsaw aka: John Kramer (Tobin Bell) who's now bedridden and on the verge of death. Lynn is told that she must keep the madman alive for as long as it takes Jeff (Angus Macfayden) another of his victims to complete a game of his own. Racing against the ticking clock of Jigsaw's own heartbeat Lynn and Jeff struggle to make it through each of their vicious tests unaware that Jigsaw and Amanda have a much bigger plan for both of them... Saw IV (Dir. Darren Lynn Bousman) (2007): Now upon the news of Detective Kerry's murder two seasoned FBI profilers Agent Strahm and Agent Perez arrive in the terrified community to assist the veteran Detective Hoffman in sifting through Jigsaw's latest grizzly remains and piecing together the puzzle. However when SWAT Commander Rigg is abducted and thrust into a game the last officer untouched by Jigsaw has but ninety minutes to overcome a series of demented traps and save an old friend or face the deadly consequences... Saw V (Dir. David Hackl) (2008): Agent Perez the last detective to play through Jigsaws grizzly games has been captured. After the events of Saw IV officer Rigg is after Hoffman but doesnt know there is a new piece to the puzzle he must decifier before its too late...
Set at the Maryland School of the Arts Step Up 2 The Streets| revolves around dance student Patrick (Robert Hoffman) and rebellious new student Andie (Briana Evigan). When rebellious street dancer Andie lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the school's hottest dancer Chase to form a crew of classmate outcasts to compete in Baltimore's underground dance battle The Streets she ultimately finds a way to live her dream while building a bridge between her two separate worlds.
John Badham's family-orientated adventure comedy Short Circuit, though obviously hatched in the wake of E.T. and Star Wars, manages to create its own identity through a sweet tone and an affectionate sense of fun. Military robot Number 5, a well-armed killing machine, is zapped by lightning during a test and emerges with a wacky sense of humour and a new peace-loving philosophy. Ally Sheedy (who debuted in Badham's hit WarGames) is the animal-lover whose home is sanctuary for a zoo-full of strays and who adopts the adolescent robot. Steve Guttenberg is the goofy but reclusive robotics designer who goes off in search of his creation to save him from the gun-happy army. The mix of gentle slapstick and innocent romance makes for a harmless family comedy. It veers toward the terminally cute, what with Number 5's hyperactive antics and E.T.-ish voice, and the mangled grammar of Guttenberg's East Indian sidekick (Fisher Stevens) threatens to become offensive, but Badham's breezy direction keeps the film on track. Sheedy and Guttenberg deliver spirited and engaging performances, but most importantly the robot emerges as a real person. Give credit to designer Syd Mead, an army of puppeteers and robotics operators, and the cartoony voice of Tim Blaney: Number 5 is alive. --Sean Axmaker
Trigun: Complete Collection (8 Discs)
Queen Latifah plays a shy cookware salesperson who throws caution to the wind when she learns her days are numbered.
John McTiernan directs this sci-fi action feature starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Major Alan 'Dutch' Schaefer (Schwarzenegger) and a band of mercenaries head into the Central American Val Verde jungle to rescue some American hostages from a band of guerrilla fighters. However, they soon discover there is also an extraterrestrial evil force at work in the jungle. The mercenaries are picked off one by one and soon Schaefer is forced to face the alien predator alone.
Kindly Dr. Reemer (Leo G. Carroll) has big plans for his new radioactive serum. It makes animals grow at a fantastic rate and this could solve the world's food shortage but when an accident at his Arizona laboratory leads to a tarantula injected with the serum escaping havoc results. The eerily silent desert is soon a lot scarier as cattle and humans start disappearing at an alarming rate. Local doctor Matt Hastings (John Agar) and Reemer's shapely assistant (Mara Corday) finally
One night at the cinema Pierre (Daniel Auteuil) reaches out to take Anne's (Isabelle Huppert) hand. She is annoyed and rebuffs him. He feels rejected. This small moment begins the story of the disintegration of a marriage. Over the course of several years they have slowly started to grow apart. One night after a party Anne tells Pierre that she is in love with another man. Although her admission is not surprising Pierre's reaction is. He seems to accept this as a fact of life and r
Blind Date: It's embarrassment laughs and disaster when workaholic Walter Davis is set up on a blind date for an important business function. Surprisingly the evening starts off well. His date Nadia is gorgeous and very popular but all hell breaks loose when she has one drink too many and reduces the evening (and Walter's career) to a shambles. Bad turns to worse when Nadia's psychotically jealous ex-boyfriend catches them together and Walter finds himself dragged on a hilarious adventure that could cost him his money his sanity and even his life! The Love Letter: In a sleepy New England town a letter has arrived that is sure to wake things up. It's a love letter - ardent sensual... and unsigned. As the letter falls into different hands residents of the small town start to eye one another with renewed interest - wondering who it's for and who it's from. Determined to find the letter's author Helen MacFarquhar (Kate Capshaw) begins a quest that will open her life to a new chapter involving two decidedly different men: George (Tom Selleck) an old friend from her past and Johnny (Tom Everett Scott) a young man very much in her present. Unexpectedly one mysterious love note has the power to unlock some startling secrets leaving a trail of wonderful surprises as it turns the entire town upside down. Fools Rush In: Sparks fly and cultures collide in this romantic comedy about a casual night of passion that turns into the love of a lifetime! Matthew Perry stars as Alex Whitman a New Yorker sent to Las Vegas to oversee a construction project. There he meets Isabel Fuentes (Salma Hayek) and some serious chemistry brings them together for one night. But Alex doesn't see Isabel again until three months later when he learns that she is pregnant. On a whim and a prayer he proposes. However there's more to marriage than a Vegas chapel and an Elvis impersonator as Alex and Isabel soon learn...
In this sequel/remake to 'El Mariachi' a case of mistaken identity leads to a very high body count involvement with a beautiful woman who works for the local drug lord and finally the inevitable face-to-face confrontation and bloody showdown...
Saban's Power Rangers follows five ordinary high school kids who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove and the world is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover that they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it is too late. The film stars Dacre Montgomery (A Few Less Men) as Jason the Red Ranger, RJ Cyler (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) as Billy the Blue Ranger, Naomi Scott (The 33) as Kimberly the Pink Ranger, Becky G (Empire) as Trini the Yellow Ranger, Ludi Lin (Monster Hunt) as Zack the Black Ranger, Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect, The Hunger Games franchise) as Rita Repulsa, Bryan Cranston (Godzilla, Breaking Bad) as Zordon and Bill Hader (Trainwreck, The BFG) as Alpha 5.
When a prominent French politician is found dead on the border between the UK and France detectives Karl Roebuck (Stephen Dillane) and Elise Wassermann (Clémence Poésy) are sent to investigate on behalf of their respective countries. However as the case takes a surreal turn a series of elaborate killings force the French and British police into uneasy partnership. Despite cultural divides they find common ground in the race to stop a serial killer who has no boundaries. Using increasingly ingenious methods to highlight five 'truths' about our morally bankrupt society the murderer draws Karl and Elise ever deeper into a powerful personal and deadly agenda. A compelling and sophisticated thriller set against the backdrop of Europe in crisis from the makers of Broadchurch Spooks and Life on Mars.
Meet ove (rolf lassgård), an isolated retiree with strict principles and a short fuse - the quintessential angry old man next door. having entirely given up on life, his days are spent in a constant monotony of enforcing housing association rules and visiting his beloved wife sonja's grave. ove's somewhat contend existence is disrupted, however, with the arrival of a boisterous young family who move in next door. heavily pregnant parvaneh (bahar pars) and her lively children are the complete antithesis of what ill-tempered ove thinks he needs. yet, from this unhappy beginning an unlikely friendship blooms and ove's past happiness and heartbreaks come to light. based on the international bestselling novel by fredrik backman, the award-winning a man called ove is a wistful, heartwarming tale of unreliable first impressions and a wonderful reminder that life is sweeter when it's shared.
This dramatic story of the life of composer Edward Grieg set in his native Norway includes abridged versions of his best music and highlights of his personal life.
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