In a prequel to legendary horror "The Exorcist," priest Lancaster Merrin encounters unspeakable evil in the deserts of East Africa.
Written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, Cemetery Junction, set in the 70's, follows the trials and misadventures of three twenty-somethings in the sleepy town of Reading.
An IRA film with a difference, Neil Jordan's The Crying Game takes the Anglo-Irish conflict as the starting point for a thoughtful, often poignant and sometimes humorous examination of gender and identity. Stephen Rea is the IRA volunteer who befriends a kidnapped British soldier (the gauche but likeable Forest Whitaker), then takes the questions of loyalty and instinct (the "frog and scorpion" fable) with him to London, where he falls for the dead man's girlfriend (the appealing Jaye Davidson). Love and terrorism are fused in a violent and suspenseful denouement, where truth manifests itself in an unexpected yet meaningful way. Miranda Richardson and Adrian Dunbar are persuasive as the IRA agents, and there are excellent cameos from Jim Broadbent as an East End barman and Tony Slattery as a property shark, all making the most of Jordan's stylish, Academy Award-winning script. Anne (Art of Noise) Dudley contributes a moodily atmospheric score, with three versions of "When a Man Loves a Woman" to point up the gender issue. On the DVD: The Crying Game comes to disc with a widescreen picture that reproduces adequately for an early 90s film. The soundtrack, though, has real presence. There are subtitles in English and Russian(!), though the theatrical trailer is hardly a major bonus. An interview or a commentary with Jordan, discussing the motivation behind the project, would really have benefited a film which cuts across genres so successfully as this. --Richard Whitehouse
In a prequel to legendary horror "The Exorcist," priest Lancaster Merrin encounters unspeakable evil in the deserts of East Africa.
With Time Bandits, only his second movie as director, Terry Gilliam's barbed humour and hyperactive visual imagination got themselves gloriously into full gear. Sketched out in a matter of weeks over Michael Palin's kitchen table while Gilliam struggled to get his dream project Brazil off the ground, this is a children's film made by a director who "hates kid films" and all the "mawkish sentimental crap" that goes with them. The 11-year-old hero, Kevin, finds himself lugged out of his suburban bedroom and off through a series of wormholes in time and space by a gang of rapacious, bickering midgets in search of loot, en route encountering (and casually despoiling) a gallery of eminent historical figures that include Agamemnon, Napoleon and Robin Hood, along with assorted ogres, giants and monsters. As co-screenwriters, Gilliam and Palin cheerfully filch ideas from everyone from Homer and Jonathan Swift to Lewis Carroll and Walt Disney, while the sets--as always with Gilliam--ingeniously work towering miracles on puny budgets. "The whole point of fairy tales", according to Gilliam, "is to frighten the kids" and Time Bandits taps into some archetypal nightmare imagery. But the whole farrago is much too good-humoured to be seriously scary. Not least of the movie's pleasures are a series of ripe cameos from the likes of Ian Holm as an irascible Bonaparte, Sean Connery good-humouredly spoofing his own image as Agamemnon, John Cleese's version of Robin Hood as inanely condescending minor royalty ("So you're a robber too! Jolly good!"), David Warner hamming it up gleefully as the Evil Genius, and the great Ralph Richardson playing the Supreme Being as a tetchy public-school headmaster. On the DVD: Time Bandits on disc comes with a generous wealth of extras. Along with the expected trailer--sent up Python-style by a disaffected voice-over--we get excerpts from Gilliam's storyboard and notated script, filmographies for Gilliam, Palin, Connery and David Rappaport (the leader of the vertically challenged gang), stills, production shots, a scrapbook with cast photos and drawings, notes on the film and plenty more background data, plus a cheerfully relaxed 27-minute interview with Gilliam and Palin. There's also an informative and appealingly unpretentious full-length commentary shared between Gilliam, Palin, Cleese, Warner and Craig Warnock, who played Kevin. The transfer, clean and crisp, is in the original full-width ratio, and there's a choice of Dolby Stereo or Dolby 5.1 sound. --Philip Kemp
The Stunning new BBC series to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armistice 11th November 1918. Through cinematic recreations, interviews with top historians and state-of-the-art CGI, 100 Days To Victory is a gripping account of the last 100 Days of the First World War, telling the story of how the Allied generals worked together in new ways to win the war. Five of historys most visionary leaders Marshal Ferdinand Foch (France), Field Marshal Douglas Haig (Britain), General John J. Pershing (United States), General Arthur Currie (Canada) and General John Monash (Australia) came together to defeat the enemy with unprecedented teamwork and innovation. Exciting and dramatic, this docudrama brings the men and women behind WWIs finest multinational feat of arms vividly to life. Includes subtitles for the Hard Of Hearing
In the irreverent spirit of fun that made The LEGO® Movie a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble LEGO Batman stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker's hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up. Will Arnett reprises his starring role from The LEGO Movie as the voice of LEGO Batman, aka Bruce Wayne. Zach Galifianakis (Muppets Most Wanted, the Hangover films) stars as The Joker; Michael Cera (TV's Arrested Development) as the orphan Dick Grayson; Rosario Dawson (TV's Daredevil) as Barbara Gordon; and Ralph Fiennes (the Harry Potter films) as Alfred. Click Images to Enlarge
The Invention Of Lying: Written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson, this hilarious comedy takes place in an alternative reality in which lying does not exist. Everyone, even politicians and advertisers, speaks the truth (and nothing but the truth). But when a loser named Mark (Gervais) discovers lying, he finds that dishonesty has its rewards. In a world where every word is assumed to be the absolute truth, Mark succeeds in lying his way to fame and fortune. But things soon get out of control, as people start to treat his lies as gospel.Cemetery Junction: From Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant comes a hilarious and heartwarming new comedy about three friends who dream of breaking free from the mundane world of Cemetery Junction. Knowing that they can't spend the rest of their lives drinking, fighting and joking around, they're forced to make a choice.Nothing is quite as simple as it should be though, especially when one of them falls for his boss's daughter, only to find that she is already engaged to be married. To get what they want they'll need to break the rules, whatever the cost.Accompanied by a killer '70s soundtrack and an all-star cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Matthew Goode and Ricky Gervais, this critically acclaimed new film from the creators of The Office and Extras is simply unmissable.
Written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, Cemetery Junction, set in the 70's, follows the trials and misadventures of three twenty-somethings in the sleepy town of Reading.
Three motorcycle couriers take an impromptu road trip out of the city and in to rural Wales.
A boy with no immunity lives in an isolation bubble. A girl brings brightness into his closet world and forces him to choose between life or love & death. From the Director of 'Grease'.
There are Victorian country-house shenanigans aplenty in Impromptu: novelist George Sand (Judy Davis, affected but pretty charming) has eyes for Franz Liszt's young protégé Chopin (Hugh Grant, solid as always, but burdened by a silly Polish accent and a script that never lets him stretch out), but various lovers, jealous rivals, and Chopin's own overdeveloped sense of propriety conspire to confound her. Impromptu is witty but overlong--probably 20 minutes of hijinks and repartee, not to mention several completely gratuitous and redundant characters, could have been sliced from the film. Davis plays Sand as an impetuous, overgrown tomboy, outraging her genteel hosts by wearing pants, chomping cigars, and falling off horses; her coterie of artist-friends assure us, in a series of naked plot devices, that she nonetheless has a heart of gold. It's all good silly fun, and about as feminist as your average Def Leppard video--the other two developed female characters are ugly stereotypes: a featherbrained, feckless social climber (Emma Thompson, who once again proves she's up for anything) and a spiteful, back-stabbing shrew (the ever-capable Bernadette Peters). Director James Lapine clearly belongs to the Dr Quinn: Medicine Woman school of historical accuracy, so don't expect to learn anything about the period or the artists themselves. --Miles Bethany
In 1954 four athletes across three continents were trying to run a mile under the milestone 4 minute mark - a feat then thought impossible. With two supremely gifted athletes emerging as front runners: England's Roger Bannister and Australia's John Landy a race into the history books was on...Based on Roger Bannister's sporting achievement this film is a story of dedication perseverance and glory.
Jeremy Renner portrays the leader of a bomb-defusing squad in Iraq in this fierce tale of war.
All the dreams you've ever had.... and not just the good ones. The first of three Terry Gilliam films collectively referred to as his Trilogy of the Imagination (along with Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen) Time Bandits is a wonderfully inventive fantasy with a massive cult following and universal appeal. A sleeper hit in 1981 the film grossed well over eight times its million budget. Co-written by Gilliam and fellow Monty Python veteran Michael Palin (who also appears in the film) Time Bandits tells the story of Kevin (Craig Warnock) a young imaginative boy kidnapped by a band of mischievous dwarves who have stolen a map of the universe detailing the locations of holes in the space-time continuum from the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson). The dwarves with Kevin in tow set off on a bizarre journey back and forth though time with the intention of looting the fortunes of history's rich and famous. Along the way they meet the likes of King Agamemnon (Sean Connery) Robin Hood (John Cleese) and Napoleon (Ian Holm) among others and even get to sail on the Titanic moments prior to its unfortunate encounter with an iceberg. Unknowingly the diminutive bandits are being watched by the spectre of Evil Genius (David Warner) who wants the map for his own typically wicked purposes...
The Quiet Man (Dir. John Ford 1952): John Ford's The Quiet Man celebrates one of Hollywood's most romantic and enduring epics. The first American feature to be filmed in Ireland's picturesque countryside Ford richly imbued this masterpiece with his love of Ireland and its people. Sean Thornton is an American who swears off boxing after accidentally killing an opponent. Returning to the Irish town of his birth he finds happiness when he falls in love with the fiery Mary Kate. Though he is sorely tempted to pick up the gloves against her brother the town bully Sean is determined not to use his fists. Mary Kate and Sean wed but her brother refuses to pay the dowry. Sean would rather walk away than accept this challenge. Even when his new wife accuses him of cowardice Sean stands firm. But when she boards a train to leave he is finally ready to take matters into his own hands. Rio Grande (Dir. John Ford 1950): John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara are embroiled in an epic battle with the Apaches and each other in this John Ford classic. Lt Col. Yorke (Wayne) heads to the Rio Grande to fight a warring tribe. But Yorke faces his toughest battle when his unorthodox plan to outwit the elusive Apaches leads to possible court-martial. Locked in a bloody war he must fight to redeem his honour and save his family. Against All Flags (Dir. George Sherman 1952): In 1700 the pirates of Madagascar menace the India trade; British officer Brian Hawke has himself cashiered flogged and set adrift to infiltrate the pirate ""republic."" There Hawke meets lovely Spitfire Stevens a pirate captain in her own right and the sparks begin to fly; but wooing a pirate poses unique problems. Especially after he rescues adoring young Princess Patma from a captured ship. Meanwhile Hawke's secret mission proceeds to an action-packed climax. Rare Breed (Dir. Andrew V. McLaglen 1966): In the 1880s Englishwoman Martha Price (Maureen O'Hara) and her daughter Hilary (Juliet Mills) come to America to sell their prize Hereford bull at an auction. When he is purchased by Bowen a wild Scotsman (Brian Keith) the women hire a footloose cowhand named Burnett (James Stewart) to help them transport the animal to its new owner. So begins an adventure that tests the mettle of all involved as they battle killers cattle stampedes and each other. But when they reach Bowen's ranch even greater obstacles force them to summon up extraordinary courage if they and the prize bull are to survive... Our Man In Havana (Dir. Carol Reed 1959): Jim Wormold (Alec Guinness) a vacuum cleaner salesman in Havana is recruited by the British Intelligence Services. As he has nothing to report he invents facts and pretends to discover secret operations...with disastrous consequences. Carol Reed directs this adaptation of the Graham Greene story. Lady Godiva Of Coventry (Dir Arthur Lubin 1955): Fictionalized account of events leading up the famous nude ride (alas her hair covers everything) of the militant Saxon lady
When Neil Jordan is really on his game, as he is with The Good Thief, his directorial skill is a marvel to behold. In the character-driven mode of Jordan's Mona Lisa and The Crying Game, this smooth, underrated caper provides an abundance of cinematic riches, not the least being Jordan's peerless knack for dialogue and a tailor-made role for Nick Nolte. For better or worse, Nolte's off-screen drug abuse served him well in portraying Bob Montagnet, ace thief, recovering heroin addict, and beloved denizen of the French Riviera, where his luck is about to take some very clever turns. The elegant plot is yours to discover; in loosely remaking the French classic Bob le Flambeur, Jordan crafts what one reviewer aptly called "the underbelly of Ocean's Eleven", involving an impenetrable vault full of priceless art, a rescued Russian prostitute, an eccentric band of accomplices and high-stakes poker in Monte Carlo. Nolte is right at home in this rich-and-risky milieu and the combined talents of Jordan and ace cinematographer Chris Menges make The Good Thief a pleasure from start to finish. --Jeff Shannon
In the great Australian spirit of courage and high adventure comes a true blue legend, from the creators of Phar Lap and The Man From Snowy River. Four gallant men of the Australian Light Horse Regiment are thrust into the last great cavalry charge when the British campaign in Palestine becomes a stalemate in 1917. In a desperate attempt to aid the Allies' cause 800 young Australian horsemen set off against gunfire and insurmountable odds in a last ditch attempt to save the attacking British soldiers from imminent annihilation by the Turco-German Army.Featuring Jon Blake (ANZACS), Peter Phelps (Lantana), Gary Sweet (The Tracker), Bill Kerr (Gallipoli), Gerard Kennedy (Against The Wind), Anthony Andrews (Brideshead Revisited), Sigrid Thornton (The Man From Snowy River) and with a crisp new high definition transfer epically framed by Academy Award® winning cinematographer Dean Semler, The Lighthorsemen is an action-packed heroic gallop into Australia's wartime history.Audio commentary with director Simon WincerNew interview with producer Antony I. GinnaneNew interview with director Simon WincerNew interview with composer Mario MilloDeleted scenesProduction galleryTheatrical trailer
A trip to the Dentist isn't what it used to be... Years ago demented dentist Dr. Alan Feinstone (Bernsen) was sentenced to spend his life in a maximum security mental hospital. Now he's escaped and determined to practice - again. Resettled in the tiny farm town of Paradise the good doctor conveniently disposes of the local dentist and he's Open for Business! Within moments of wielding a scalpel on his first patient he is transformed into his former deranged self. The more patients Alan sees the more brutal his cleaning techniques become. When a few residents suspect something peculiar about the town's new dentist Alan vows to treat them before they drill up his chilling past.
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