The 1980s was the make-and-break decade for Sylvester Stallone's career, and Lock Up typifies the direction he took in his post-Rocky and Rambo days. It's a concept movie in the same mould as Rambo III just before it, and Tango & Cash just after. The hero (Frank Leone) is put in jeopardy (Gateway Prison), establishes a nemesis to defeat (in the shape of Donald Sutherland as Warden Drumgoole), makes a few friendships that can be sacrificed along the way (Tom Sizemore as Dallas) and does what he does in the name of love (Darlanne Flugel as Melissa). The revenge-twisted warden puts him through hell over a shared back-story. The torture ranges from being made to hold his breath in a delousing chamber to sanity-stretching periods in "The Hole". It's all about how far a man can be pushed. But being a Stallone vehicle, it's not all depressing. Composer Bill Conti reunites with the star to put the same sort of heroic fuel behind a prison-yard football game as he did for Rocky. A couple of feel-good songs pep up the love story and a montage of camaraderie in rebuilding a broken-down car. There's a healthy sense of realism achieved by having Sly doing all his own stunts and the use of a real-life prison. If the elements lead to a by-the-numbers conclusion (it's no Shawshank Redemption), remember this was some years before the actor wanted to get serious. On the DVD: A surprising amount of footage has been assembled in the two behind-the-scenes featurettes: we see Stallone directing his own fight scenes, and how use of New Jersey's Rahway Prison came with 2,500 real inmates to keep under control. Sound bite interviews reveal Stallone's worldly philosophies, then a trailer and gallery of 17 photos round out a decent overall package. --Paul Tonks
Eddie Murphy's 1988 vehicle Coming to America was probably the point at which his status as a mainstream big-screen comedian finally gelled, following the highly successful 48 Hours pairing with Nick Nolte. Never mind the hackneyed storyline: under John Landis's tight direction, he turns in a star performance (and several brilliant cameos) that is disciplined and extremely funny. Murphy plays an African prince who comes to New York officially to sow his wild oats. Privately, he is seeking a bride he can marry for love rather than one chosen by his parents. With his companion (Arsenio Hall, who pushes Murphy all the way in the comedy stakes), he settles in the borough of Queens and takes a job in a hamburger joint. A succession of hilarious satire-barbed adventures ensue, plus the required romantic conclusion. The script is crammed with ripe one-liners , but "Freeze, you diseased rhinoceros pizzle" has to be the most devastating hold-up line of all time. Film buffs will appreciate a brief appearance by Don Ameche as a down-and-out, but this is Murphy's film and he generates warmth enough to convert the most ambivalent viewer. On the DVD: The only--rather pointless--extra on offer is the original theatrical trailer which adds nothing apart from a rapid recap of the story. But the 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation (the picture quality is diamond sharp) and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack recreate the original authentic cinematic experience. The choreography of 1980s pop diva Paula Abdul in the lavish wedding scenes and Nile Rodgers' pounding musical score are the main beneficiaries. --Piers Ford
Like Father Like Daughter! Lisa Dolittle sends her daughter to 'Durango' a Dude Ranch to find herself. While there she must use her talent to talk to the animals in order to save Durango from being taken over by an unscrupulous neighbouring ranch...
Raw (1987): Uncensored. Uncut. Irresistible! 'Raw' the record-setting No 1 stand up concert film of all time is Eddie Murphy doing what he does best: making people laugh! Filmed live at New York's Felt Forum Murphy delights shocks and entertains with dead-on celebrity impersonations observations on '80s love sex and marriage a remembrance of Mum's hamburgers and much more. Take a front-row centre seat for the hottest show in town and the hottest comedian in recent ent
Kermit's Swamp Years is the full-length version of a one-off American cable television feature that sets out to show us the formative years of the future host of The Muppet Show. Its focus is a childhood adventure involving Kermit and his two best friends: a somewhat delinquent frog called Croaker, and a tremulous toad named Goggles. Though the film was, obviously, made some years after the death of Kermit's creator, Jim Henson, the wit, spirit and joy that informed Sesame Street and The Muppet Show are all discernible here. Henson's resounding genius was to understand that children can tell when they are being treated like idiots, and that they don't much care for it, which is why The Muppet Show is still enjoyed by adults who grew up with the programme, and why none of those adults will object to sitting through Kermit's Swamp Years with their children. On the DVD: Kermit's Swamp Years is presented anamorphically in 1.78:1 widescreen. Extras include behind-the-scenes footage, which reinforces the fact that the human magic necessary to animate the muppet characters is far more interesting and impressive than any amount of the computer wizardry now favoured by most similar films. There are also some quite well-done muppet pastiches of the common DVD special features, interviews with, and commentary from, the stars, and a collection of bloopers and out-takes. --Andrew Mueller
On a snowy Christmas Eve in the nation's capital, a team of terrorists has seized a major International Airport, and now holds thousands of holiday travellers hostage. The terrorists, a renegade band of crack military commandos led by a murderous rogue officer (William Sadler), have come to rescue a drug lord from justice. They've prepared for every contingency, except one: John McClane, an off-duty cop seized by a feeling of deadly de-ja-vu. Bruce Willis returns as the heroic cop who battle...
On a snowy Christmas Eve in the nation's capital a team of terrorists has seized a major International Airport and now holds thousands of holiday travellers hostage. The terrorists a renegade band of crack military commandos led by a murderous rogue officer (William Sadler) have come to rescue a drug lord from justice. They've prepared for every contingency except one: John McClane an off-duty cop seized by a feeling of deadly de-ja-vu. Bruce Willis returns as the heroic cop who battles not only terrorists but also an incompetent airport police chief (Dennis Franz) the hard-headed commander (John Amos) of the army's anti-terrorist squad and a deadly winter snowstorm. The runways are littered with death and destruction and McClane is in a race against time. His wife (Bonnie Bedelia) is trapped on one of the planes circling somewhere overhead desperately low on fuel. It's all-out war a heartstopping jet-propelled journey through excitement and terror. Fasten your seatbelts!
Titles Comprise: Lock UpFrank Leone is nearing the end of his prison term for a relatively minor crime. Just before he is paroled however Warden Drumgoole takes charge. Drumgoole was assigned to a hell-hole prison after his administration was publicly humiliated by Leone and has now arrived on the scene to ensure that Leone never sees the light of day. CliffhangerSarah was an inexperienced climber. She trusted Gabe to rescue her. But something went wrong high above the valley floor. Sylvester Stallone John Lithgow Michael Rooker Janine Turner and Ralph Waite star in this high-altitude avalanche of action: a non-stop adventure peaked with suspense and capped with heart-quaking terror. For Rocky Mountain Rescue the mission is almost routine: locate five climbers. With the woman he loves (Turner) and his best friend (Rooker) Gabe Walker (Stallone) braves the icy peaks only to discover that the distress call is really a trap set by merciless international terrorist Eric Qualen (Lithgow). Now millions of dollars and their own lives hang in the balance. Against explosive firepower bitter cold and dizzying heights Walker must outwit Qualen in a deadly game of hide-and-seek. Death Race 2000In the year 2000 auto racing has become very dangerous: it's not only how fast you drive but how many pedestrians you hit. David Carradine takes on Sylvester Stallone in this adrenaline thriller that will surely make you look both ways before you cross the road. Directed by Paul Bartel of 'Eating Raoul' fame and produced by Roger Corman.
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is the story of a young hustler (Van Peebles) whose aimless pleasure-seeking turns to radicalism after witnessing the beating of a black revolutionary by two white cops. Sweetback driven to a state of blind rage takes brutal revenge on the cops forcing him into a desperate life on the run. Despite a minor opening at only two theaters followed by a torrent of negative reviews 'Sweetback' mushroomed to $10 000 000 at the box office
Two of Horror's greatest directors DARIO ARGENTO and GEORGE A. ROMERO join forces for Two Evil Eyes... 'Two Evil Eyes' (aka Due Occhi Diobolici) brings together two of the horror genre's greatest directors George A. Romero and Dario Argento to remake two Edgar Allan Poe tales previously brought to the big screen by B-movie maestro Roger Corman in his 1962 film 'Tales Of Terror'. Directed by Romero The Facts In The Case Of M. Valdemar tells the story of a scheming cheating wife (Adrienne Barbeau) who convinces her psychiatrist lover (Ramy Zada) to hypnotise her dying husband (Bingo O'Malley) in order to get him to sign his fortune over to her. When the husband dies while still under hypnosis he finds himself caught in a limbo between the worlds of the living and the dead and hungry for revenge. In The Black Cat directed by Argento Harvey Keitel plays Roderick Usher a feline-hating Weegee-like forensic photographer who naturally specialises in shooting pictures of death and murder scenes. When his wife Annabel (Madeleine Potter) brings home a stray cat Usher wastes no time in disposing of the animal. Unfortunately the cat refuses to stay dead prompting Usher's terrifying murderous descent into madness. Starring genre movie favourites Adrienne Barbeau Tom Atkins Bingo O'Malley and E.G. Marshall alongside Harvey Keitel Sally Kirkland Kim Hunter Martin Balsam and John Amos the movie also marks the feature film debut of a young Julie Benz. Featuring plenty of bloody mayhem to please the gore-hounds courtesy of special make-up effects wizards Tom Savini (Dawn Of The Dead Creepshow Day Of The Dead) and John Vulich (Day Of The Dead TV's Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and set to a suitably chilling score by Pino Donaggio (Carrie Dressed To Kill The Howling) 'Two Evil Eyes' is an essential addition to every horror aficionado's collection!
Hailed as the first mainstream film to put a human face on the AIDS epidemic Longtime Companion is a drama that takes an honest unflinching look at how this devastating disease changes everyone it touches. During the summer of 1981 a group of friends in New York are completely unprepared for the onslaught of AIDS. What starts as a rumour about a mysterious ""gay cancer"" soon turns into a major crisis as one by one some of the friends begin to fall ill leaving the others
Bad Asses On The Bayou reunites the dynamic duo Frank Vega (Danny Trejo) and Bernie Pope (Danny Glover) as they travel to Louisiana to attend the wedding of their dear friend Carmen Gutierrez (Loni Love). What was pictured as a wedding weekend escape to the south turns violently ugly as madness and mayhem ensue. pressing our senior heroes to once again serve justice.
Two of the high-priests of horror directors George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead Monkey Shines) and Dario Argento (Tenebre Phenomena) each pay tribute to Edgar Allan Poe with screen adaptions of the master's most terrifying tales from the dark side. Romero's shock-filled story (The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar) centres on a greedy young wife's bid to trick her dying husband out of his millions and the terror that is unleashed when mysterious beings take possession of the old man's body. The inspiration for Argento's blood-curdling tale is Poe's The Black Cat. Skilfully grafting in chilling scenes from several of Poe's other classic stories Argento's trip into terror tells of a man's cruel obsession with his wife's cat that finally drives him to murder of the most gruesome kind.
This is a love story waiting to explode. Brooklyn NYC. Franklin Swift is a construction worker who's rarely more than one step away from the dole queue. Zora Banks is a music teacher who dreams of becoming a singer/songwriter. From different worlds a chance encounter throws the pair together - the attraction is instant and it's not long before the unlikely lovers move in together. At first they're lost in their passion for each other but all too soon real life begins to take its toll. Money is tight Franklin's past catches up with him while Zora reveals a frightening secret of her own...
This DVD set features the 2 disc special editions of all four Die Hard films! Die Hard (John McTiernan) (1988): New York cop John McClane facing Christmas alone flies to Los Angeles to see his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) and their kids in an attempt to patch things up. He arrives at his wife's high tech office building in the middle of their Christmas party just as it is gatecrashed by the ruthless master criminal Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and a dozen fellow activists intent on relieving the Nakatomi Corporation of six hundred million dollars in negotiable bonds... Die Hard 2 - Die Harder (Dir. Renny Harlin) (1990): On a snowy Christmas Eve in the nation's capital a team of terrorists has seized a major International Airport and now holds thousands of holiday travellers hostage. The terrorists a renegade band of crack military commandos led by a murderous rogue officer (William Sadler) have come to rescue a drug lord from justice. They've prepared for every contingency except one: John McClane an off-duty cop seized by a feeling of deadly de-ja-vu. Die Hard With A Vengeance (Dir. John McTiernan) (1995): This time New York cop John McClane (Willis) is the personal target of the mysterious Simon (Jeremy Irons) a terrorist determined to blow up the entire city if he doesn't get what he wants. Accompanied by an unwilling civilian partner (Samuel L. Jackson) McClane careens wildly from one end of New York City to the other as he struggles to keep up with Simon's deadly game. Die Hard 4.0: Live Free Or Die Hard (Dir. Len Wiseman) (2007): A computer genius is systematically shutting down the computer infrastructure of the US. The mysterious figure behind the scheme seems to have figured out every digital angle but he hasn't counted on an old fashioned 'analogue' cop John McClane.
A band of commandos led by a murderous officer seize an international airport. Their aim is to rescue a drug baron (Franco Nero) from justice. Detective McClane (Bruce Willis) finds himself having to battle tough anti-terrorists squads and a deadly snowstorm to break the grip of the terrorists who have control of the plane that is carrying his wife...
A New York teenager struggles to find some sanity while surrounded by an eccentric grandmother, a crazy new girlfriend, and a longing younger brother.
In the late 1960s and early 70s, a bizarre alliance between the Filippino movie company Hemisphere and the American exploitation outfit Independent International yielded a series of weirdly interconnected horror movies, most of which work the word Blood into the title. The Filippino items are strangely fascinating vampire and mad scientist pictures with oddball colour effects and a mix of naive serial-style thrills and extreme-for-the-era sex and gore; the American efforts, from director Al Adamson, are shoddier, thrown together from offcuts of previous pictures, and are lead-paced but nevertheless curiously appealing. Gaze in awe at mutant killer trees, slobbering hunchbacked servants, faded matinee idols, stripper-turned-actress heroines with concrete blonde hairdos, evil dwarves, John Carradine or Lon Chaney, footage cut in from completely different films, Dracula and Frankenstein meeting hippies and bikers, red filters when the vampires attack, chanting natives! Plus lots of exclamation marks! Plus lurid trailers! Adequately billed as "a brutal orgy of ghastly terror!", Brides of Blood concerns a landowner affected by bomb test fall-out who changes periodically into a lecherous fanged totem pole creature and "satisfies" himself by ripping apart naked native maidens staked out on an altar. With the aptly-named Beverly Hills and one of the silliest monsters ever seen. --Kim Newman
A demonic being destroys an entire town save a young boy and his sister. Twenty years later the sister is an artist with psychic abilities and her brother has grown obsessed with tracking down the demon who took out his town. Together they fight to destroy the evil being that could kill them both...
On a snowy Christmas Eve in the nation's capital, a team of terrorists has seized a major International Airport, and now holds thousands of holiday travellers hostage. The terrorists, a renegade band of crack military commandos led by a murderous rogue officer (William Sadler), have come to rescue a drug lord from justice. They've prepared for every contingency, except one: John McClane, an off-duty cop seized by a feeling of deadly de-ja-vu. Bruce Willis returns as the heroic cop who battle...
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