Modern blockbuster cinema came of age with the release of three huge science fiction/fantasy extravaganzas in the late 1970s. In 1978 Superman was the last of these, a gigantic hit unfairly overshadowed by Star Wars (1977) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Christopher Reeve is completely convincing as both Superman and mild-mannered alter ego Clarke Kent, sparking real chemistry with Margot Kidder's fellow reporter Lois Lane. Very much a film of two halves, the opening tells the origin of Superman from the apocalyptic fate of Krypton to his nostalgically rendered boyhood in the mid-West. After a wonderful sequence introducing the Fortress of Solitude the film changes gear as the adult Clarke Kent arrives in Metropolis and Superman battles arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman). Though the tone becomes lighter and introduces comedy, Superman succeeds because Donner plays the titular character straight. From Marlon Brando's heavyweight cameo to the surprisingly wrenching finale, Superman unfolds as an epic modern myth, a spiritual fable for a secular age and a fantastic entertainment for the young at heart. With breathtaking production design, still special effects, gorgeous cinematography, thrilling set-pieces, wit, romance and John Williams' extraordinarily rich music score, Superman has the power to make you believe a man can fly.On the DVD: Superman is presented in an extended director's cut which adds eight minutes to the theatrical original. The restored material is so artfully integrated many viewers may not even notice, but it would have been nice to at least have the opportunity to watch the original via seamless branching. The sound has been remixed into extraordinarily powerful Dolby Digital 5.1--the superb main title sequence is worth the price alone--and the anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 image is, except for some unavoidably grainy effects shots, pristine. The commentary by Richard Donner and writer Tom Mankiewicz reveals more about the background than all but the most dedicated fan will ever need to know, while film music aficionados will revel in the opportunity to listen to John Williams' score isolated in Dolby Digital 5.1. On the second side of the disc are a eight alternate John Williams music cues, a selection of deleted scenes and the screen tests of a variety of would-be Lois Lanes, introduced and with optional commentary by casting director Lynn Stalmaster. These are fascinating, and show how right for the part Margot Kidder really was. A DVD-ROM only feature presents the storyboards plus various Web features, while the real highlight is a 90-minute documentary divided into three sections covering pre-production, filming and special effects. The picture quality on all the extras is very good indeed. An enthralling package, DVD doesn't get much better than this. --Gary S Dalkin
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson's (Angel) case, by shouting out one wordSHAZAM!this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heartinside a ripped, godlike bodyShazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he'll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.
A box-office smash, an Academy Award-winner and a fan favourite since it first flew into theaters, Superman: The Movie assembles a cast and creative contingent as only a big movie can. As its heart (and for three sequels) is Christopher Reeve's intelligent, affectionate portrayal of a most human Man of Steel. Reeve, Marlon Brando (Jor-El), Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) give performances that fuel the film's aura of legend. Watching Superman isn't just like being a kid again. It's better. Includes theatrical version on both 4K and remastered Blu-Ray Disc. Extras: Commentary by Director Richard Donner and Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewicz Taking Flight: The Development of Superman Making Superman: Filming the Legend Screen Tests Music-Only track Theatrical Trailers and TV Spot.
Gerard Butler (London Has Fallen, Geostorm), Pablo Schreiber (Orange is the new Black, American Gods), O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton) and Curtis 50 Cent Jackson (Power, Southpaw) star in gritty action thriller DEN OF THIEVES. A notorious crew of bank robbers plan to pull off the ultimate heist to steal $120million in cash from the Federal Reserve Bank in downtown LA right under the noses of the state's most feared police unit.
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson's (Angel) case, by shouting out one wordSHAZAM!this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heartinside a ripped, godlike bodyShazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he'll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.
Decades before blockbuster Extended Cuts were common, Superman proved a true Man of Tomorrow. Superman: The Movie received an ahead-of-its-time makeover for its television premiere - nearly 40 more minutes of story, creating a two-night television event. Audiences had already been swept off their feet by Christopher Reeve's Last Son of Krypton, and now there was more to enjoy. Unseen in decades, this version is paired here with Richard Donner's definitive vision of his film, the Special Edition Director's Cut (2000), to create a supersized celebration of Metropolis' favourite son that preserves the director's intent while feeding superfan demands. Extras: (On Superman: The Movie Special Edition Disc); Commentary by Director Richard Donner and Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewicz, 3 Documentaries: Taking Flight: The Development of Superman, Making Superman: Filming the Legend, and The Magic Behind the Cape, Screen Tests, Restored Scenes, Additional Music Cues, Music-Only track
Gerard Butler (London Has Fallen, Geostorm), Pablo Schreiber (Orange is the new Black, American Gods), O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton) and Curtis 50 Cent Jackson (Power, Southpaw) star in gritty action thriller DEN OF THIEVES. A notorious crew of bank robbers plan to pull off the ultimate heist to steal $120million in cash from the Federal Reserve Bank in downtown LA right under the noses of the state's most feared police unit.
Director Richard Lester (A Hard Day's Night) took over the franchise with this first sequel in the series, though the film doesn't look much like his usual stylish work. (Superman III is far more Lesteresque.) Still, there is a lot to like about this film, which finds Superman grappling with the conflict between his responsibilities as Earth's saviour and his own needs of the heart. Choosing the latter, he gives up his powers to be with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), but the timing is awful: three renegades from his home planet, Krypton, are smashing up the White House, aided by the mocking Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman). The film isn't nearly as ambitious as its predecessor, but the accent on relationships over special effects (not that there aren't plenty of them) is very satisfying. --Tom Keogh
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson's (Angel) case, by shouting out one wordSHAZAM!this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heartinside a ripped, godlike bodyShazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he'll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.
During World War 2 Carrie and Nick are evacuated to a small Welsh town to live with the strict Mr Evans and his sister Auntie Lou and find they've entered a world of curses witches and druids; a world where nothing is quite what it seems...
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson's (Angel) case, by shouting out one wordSHAZAM!this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heartinside a ripped, godlike bodyShazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he'll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.
Connery Hoffman and Broderick star as three generations of a family formerly linked to organized crime. Grandfather Jesse has been in and out of jail and his son Vito has decided to leave a life of crime in order to become a respectable family man but when grandson Adam comes up with a can't-miss heist plan the intergenerational sparks begin to fly.
Judy Holliday stars as Gladys Glover a young woman who wants to make a name for herself so she rents a billboard on Columbus Circle and advertises her name. When a wealthy soap manufacturer tries to wrestle the billboard away from Gladys he finds himself falling in love with her. Can an aspiring model find happiness on a billboard?
After being involved in a fatal hit and run incident Assistant DA Mitch Brody (Dominic Cooper) must prosecute an innocent man (Samuel L Jackson) for a crime he knows he didn't commit.
In this action-packed 1870s western Maureen O'Hara stars as Kate Maxwell a saloon proprietress caught between her feelings for suave promoter Jim Averell (William Bishop) and the town's appealing but less flamboyant sheriff (Alex Nicol). Unknown to Kate Jim who has set her up to buy and sell mavericks is using her saloon as a clearinghouse for rustled beef. There's plenty more about Jim that Kate doesn't know and by the time she learns the truth both she and the town are in
A jazz trumpeter tries to woo a fellow musician in mourning for her dead lover, and sets up a band in an attempt to bring them closer together. Covering a quarter-century of American syncopated music (ragtime, jazz, swing, blues, and boogie woogie), Syncopation features music from the turn of the 20th century through prohibition, the Great Depression, and the outbreak of WWII. Featuring jazz greats Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, Gene Krupa, Harry James, and more. Presented from a stunning 2K restoration and available for the first time in the UK on home video, Eureka Classics presents William Dieterle's Syncopation in a special Dual-Format edition. Special Features Presented in 1080p on Blu-ray from a 2K restoration completed by the Cohen Film Collection Progressive encode on the DVD LPCM 2.0 audio (Uncompressed on Blu-ray) PLUS: A collector's booklet featuring a new essay by Pasquale Iannone
From Terry Gilliam director of 'Time Bandits' and 'Brazil' comes 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen' a spectacular epic fantasy quite unlike any other film ever made. Just who is Baron Munchausen? Liar? Rogue? Madman? Or the greatest superhero ever to battle and triumph against unbeatable odds? Did he really ride through the air on a cannonball slay a three-headed griffin journey to the moon all before breakfast? Helped and hindered by a cast of quite literally thousands including Vulcan Berthold and many more the indomitable Baron succeeds in overcoming every obstacle to face his final greatest challenge: Death itself? There's never been a film remotely like this but then there's never been a hero to compare with the Baron...
This star-packed extravaganza brings the comic book legend to the screen in grand style. It begins with Superman's scientist dad sending the infant superhero down to earth just as the home planet Krypton explodes into a zillion pieces. Taking up permanent residence on earth the young Superman grows up into super-normal reporter Clark Kent wooing winsome colleague Lois Lane and keeping his true identity hidden from the world. But when three villains led by Lex Luthor come up with a dastardly real estate scheme that involves shoving California into the ocean Clark Kent decides it's time to don his cape and fight the forces of evil.
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