In the world of music video looks are indeed everything and few stars have been better suited to exploiting the constantly mutating tastes of MTV faddism than the woman who literally looks like a million dollars. Showcasing Madonna's gift for associating herself with the prime movers in music and style, all the videos collected in this comprehensive two-disc collection are beautifully shot and instantly evoke the mood swings of popular culture in the 1980s and 90s. The Immaculate Collectioncovers the earlier period from "Lucky Star" to "Vogue", with highlights including the Catholic soap-opera of "Papa Don't Preach" and the videos for "Express Yourself", "Oh Father" and "Vogue" that helped send David Fincher on this way to directing features such as Seven and Fight Club. A Fincher video for "Bad Girl" also opens the second collection, covering the years 1993 to 1999, with Mark Romanek's treatment for "Rain" the standout offering from the first eight songs. Despite these early highlights, however, there is no denying the degree to which the videos get noticeably better overall when good songs are the driving force in the collection's second half, comprising five tracks from the Ray of Light album and the Austin Powers theme "Beautiful Stranger". Compared to the lightweight covers of "Fever" and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", the pseudo-surrealism of "Bedtime Story", and flimsy flirtation with S&M in "Human Nature" these later videos are marked improvements. Although the Thomas Crown Affair eroticism of "The Power of Goodbye" already seems a little dated, the morphing black witch of "Frozen" and life on speed of "Ray of Light" are both wonderfully realised. Best of all is the closing moment of "Substitute for Love" when, having survived paparazzi harassment and the harsh, transmogrifying faces of the crowd, Madonna and child conjure a truly arresting moment of private joy and vindication. Nowhere is her ability to take the potentially embarrassing and make it both playful and moving more evident. Neither disc features any extra components, but the excellent sound quality is a reminder of why the music video format has been rejuvenated by DVD; buy The Ultimate Collection and your greatest hits CD will never seem quite the same again. --Steve Napleton
From filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the science fiction action-adventure Ready Player One, based on Ernest Cline's bestseller of the same name. The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger. SPECIAL FEATURES Journey alongside Steven Spielberg and the cast for over 90 minutes of bonus content loaded with Easter eggs, 80s nostalgia and how they achieved the impossible. Plus more!
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
Available for the first time on DVD! Based on the novel by Walter Macken. A boy and his little sister run away to Ireland to escape from their cruel stepfather. Their evil uncle is the next of kin and when he discovers that they are heirs to a fortune he chases after them with one wicked purpose in mind!
All four seasons of the child-friendly horror based on the books by R.L. Stine. Each episode finds a normal kid faced with a scary, paranormal situation.
Extreme Measures loses credibility near the climax when it sacrifices its hold on reality, but this entertaining, intelligent thriller effectively applies a formulaic plot to the complicated ethics of medical research. It also gives Hugh Grant an opportunity to break free from lightweight comedy by playing an emergency room surgeon who discovers that a renowned neurologist (Gene Hackman) has been conducting secret experiments on patients. When Grant fails to save a patient whose body later mysteriously disappears from the morgue, his investigation leads to an underground community of healthy homeless people, some of whom have been test subjects in Hackman's revolutionary, but criminal research toward a cure for paralysis. Co-produced by actor-model Elizabeth Hurley and capably directed by Michael Apted, this otherwise conventional thriller rises above its limitations by asking morally complex questions that give its far-fetched plot an extra kick of dramatic impact. --Jeff Shannon
The ultimate small-screen representation of Loaded-era lad culture--albeit a culture constantly being undermined by its usually sharper female counterpart--there seems little argument that Men Behaving Badly was one of 1990s' definitive sitcoms. Certainly the booze-oriented, birds-obsessed antics of Martin Clunes' Gary and Neil Morrissey's Tony have become every bit as connected to Britain's collective funny bone as Basil Fawlty's inept hostelry or Ernie Wise's short, hairy legs. Yet, the series could easily have been cancelled when ITV viewers failed to respond to the original version, which featured Clunes sharing his flat with someone named Dermot, played by Harry Enfield. Indeed, it was only when the third series moved to the BBC and was then broadcast in a post-watershed slot--allowing writer Simon Nye greater freedom to explore his characters' saucier ruminations--that the show began to gain a significant audience. By then, of course, Morrissey had become firmly ensconced on the collective pizza-stained sofa, while more screen time was allocated to the boys' respective foils, Caroline Quentin and Leslie Ash. Often glibly dismissed as a lame-brained succession of gags about sex and flatulence, the later series not only featured great performances and sharp-as-nails writing but also sported a contemporary attitude that dared to go where angels, and certainly most other sitcoms, feared to tread. Or, as Gary was once moved to comment about soft-porn lesbian epic Love in a Women's Prison: "It's a serious study of repressed sexuality in a pressure-cooker environment." Series 6 includes: "Stag Night" in which Gary agrees with Dorothy's suggestion they get married ("We've tried everything else.") provoking potentially disastrous stag-night shenanigans; "Wedding" in which Gary and Dorothy's wedding day fails to run smoothly. ("I don't want to get married--I haven't slept with enough women," he complains. "Do you want to squeeze one in?"); "Jealousy" in which the quartet make the grave error of going away for a weekend in the country; "Watching TV" concerns a quiet night in with Captain Kirk & Co ("On the Starship Enterprise, when no one's looking, do you think they all swivel round in their chairs really fast?"); "Ten" in which the communal boat is rocked by the simultaneous arrival of Dorothy's nephew and Deborah's mother; and "Sofa" in which Tony buys a snake. --Clark Collis The DVD version also features a quiz.
Killjoys follows a trio of interplanetary bounty hunters sworn to remain impartial as they chase deadly warrants throughout the Quad, a distant system on the brink of a bloody, multiplanetary class war. Starring Hannah John-Kamen as Dutch, and Aaron Ashmore and Luke Macfarlane as brothers John and D'avin, Season Three features the trio struggling to find the balance between politics, family and the good of the Quad. Out of the ashes of Khylen's death, Aneela and her army are preparing for battle. With Johnny on the lamb, Dutch and D'avin are down one member as they prepare for the fight of their lives.
Berserker' is based upon an old Nordic legend. A 'Berserker' was a bloodthirsty warrior who was kept in chains and used as the first line of assult in Viking raids. Now in the present day America the 'Berserker' has risen out of hell to stalk a mixed group of college students camping in the woods. When the blood feast begins the screaming suspense starts clawing at the nerves. Can anything human destroy the Berserker? Or will the carnage continue over the centuries....?
WillowTimid yet valiant dwarf and apprentice magician Willow Ufgood (Davis) is entrusted with delivering a tiny royal infant from evil queen Bavmorda to fulfil a prophecy that will restore peace and justice to the land... LegendIn Ridley Scott's 'Legend' young Jack (Cruise) lives in a magic forest populated with friendly and exotic creatures. But the delicate balance between good and evil is upset when the Lord of Darkness seizes Jack's beloved Lili (Sara) and a horn from one of the last unicorns thereby gaining control of the universe. LadyhawkeLadyhawke is an enchanting tale of a beauty a knight - and a pickpocket known as the Mouse. Once the knight and the lady were lovers. Now the curse of an evil Bishop keeps them always together eternally apart. By day she is a hawk by night he is a wolf. To end the evil spell the knight vows to break into the Bishop's stonghold with help from the Mouse...
Brian Jacques' has a dedicated following of young readers across the globe who are totally enthralled by his Tales of Redwall books. Fans of the series will be pleased to hear that the atmosphere of the bestselling books is captured perfectly in this stunning full-length feature, which follows the story of a young Matthias, a heroic mouse in search of his destiny, and the beautiful and brave mousemaid Cornflour. Together, they begin their quest to find the lost sword of the legendary Martin the Warrior so they can save Redwall Abbey from the evil Cluny the Scourge--a wicked one-eyed rat intent on bringing Redwall to its knees. Adapting such a popular book for the screen could so easily have detracted from the essence of the original story, with its battle of good versus evil interspersed with warmth and humour, and its ability to truly capture a child's imagination. But this team have pulled it off with aplomb: the animation is spot on, the atmosphere is highly charged, the characters are true to Jacques' originals and, although those who know the book well will spot that some detail is missing, the important, magical, elements of the story are all there. This is exciting stuff, filled with heroism and humour, and packaged into 85 minutes of pure, unadulterated pleasure for lovers of fantasy and adventure. Age range: 7 and over. --Susan Harrison.
15-year-old Mike takes a job at the local swimming baths, where he becomes obsessed with an attractive young woman, Susan, who works there as an attendant.
In 1998 two piglets escaped from an abattoir. This is their story as they hit the headlines as 'Butch and Sundance'. Evading capture for some time they finally earn their freedom and take up residence at an animal sanctuary in Kent.
The Pixar-like roll of Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad) continues with another sure-fire hit. In charting the meteoric rise, catastrophic fall and Lazarus-like comeback of rocker Dewey Cox, Walk Hard parodies the classic Hollywood bio-pic, cashing in mostly on Walk the Line. John C. Reilly, one of Hollywood's most solid character actors, makes the most of his Golden Globe-nominated star turn as Dewey, whose road to stardom is paved with a childhood tragedy that claims the life of his prodigiously talented brother ("The wrong kid died," is his father's mantra), instant stardom (his first record is a hit just 35 minutes after it was recorded), sex and drugs, and the inevitable "dark (effen) period" that leads him to rehab. Reilly gets solid back-up from current and former Saturday Night Live alumni, including Kirsten Wiig as his incredibly fertile first wife who has no faith in his musical aspirations ("You're never going to make it," she cheerily ends one phone call); Tim Meadows (never better) as Dewey's drummer, who, in one of the film's best scenes, does a poor job of dissuading him from trying marijuana); and Chris Parnell as his bass player. Jenna Fischer leaves Pam back at The Office as Darlene, Dewey's virtuous duet partner. Hilarious cameos give Walk Hard a great "Hey!" factor: Hey, that's Frankie Muniz as Buddy Holly. Hey, that's "Kenneth" from 30 Rock. Hey, there's Jack Black and Paul Rudd as--no kidding--Paul McCartney and John Lennon revealing "a rift in the Beatles." Some of the jokes are obvious (come on; the guy's last name is Cox), others inspired. But the decades-spanning music, echoing the styles of gritty Johnny Cash, romantic Roy Orbison, obtuse Bob Dylan, trippy Brian Wilson, and even a bit of anachronistic punk rock, is as pitch perfect and affectionately observed as in The Rutles, This Is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind. Walk Hard earns its R-rating, particularly for a sure-to-be-talked-about scene of hotel-room debauchery. But: Hilarious? Outrageous? Twisted? To quote the title of one of Dewey's hit songs, "Guilty as Charged." --Donald Liebenson
Four original episodes from the much-loved animated series. Welcome to the wonderful world of Care-a-Lot and its magical inhabitants the Care Bears! These adorable furry friends each have their own individual caring mission. With a bright-coloured logo adorning each of their tummies these friendly little guys share their own uniquely special gift of caring with all who need their help. Join Cheer Friend and Funshine Bear for another round of fun-filled adventures in this secon
He once was a man now he's a 'Hell Spawn' battling the forces of evil on Earth and in himself. Using his strange powers he fights to uncover the truth about his identity and fulfil his destiny. One of the comic book industry's most popular and intriguing characters Spawn explodes on the screen in a maelstrom of fantastic imagery with action romance and high-level espionage!
Described by series cocreator Brannon Braga as "a single episode that lasts 24 hours," the third season of Star Trek: Enterprise is arguably the best in the show's four-season run. With the epic "Xindi saga" as the season's primary story arc, the series found its tonal focus in the unpredictable space of the Delphic Expanse, where alien encounters and matter-warping spatial anomalies forced Capt. Archer (Scott Bakula) to make extreme decisions that tested his ethical boundaries. Realizing the need for a fresh viewpoint, Braga and cocreator Rick Berman hired Manny Coto, a TV veteran who conceived or wrote several of the season's finest episodes (not forgetting Mike Sussman and other members of the series' first-rate writing staff). Coto's involvement was instrumental in shaping the Xindi saga, which began (with season 2's cliffhanger) when Earth was attacked by a Xindi probe--a massive weapon which Archer must now destroy. This vital mission dominates season 3, deriving its potent drama from an impressive variety of characters and subplots focused on the five-species Xindi council, which finds its voice of reason in Primate member Degra (season regular Randy Oglesby) and rancor in the Reptilian Commander (Scott MacDonald), pivotal characters whose fates will be tragically intertwined. Despite lower ratings and budgetary cutbacks (as evident in several ship-bound episodes with minimal casting), season 3 was equally strong as a showcase for the Enterprise regulars, with plenty of fan speculation rising from the sexy and soothing Vulcan "neuro-pressure" sessions between the insomniac Tucker (Connor Trinneer, better than ever) and T'Pol, whose hidden addiction to a toxic compound allows Jolene Blalock to mine the volatile depths of her character (who now sports a more appealing hairstyle and wardrobe). Meanwhile, security chief Reed (Dominick Keating) engages in heated competition with Major Hayes (reliable guest Steven Culp, from the first season of Desperate Housewives), the leader of NX-01's Military Assault Command Operation (or MACO), which Reed views with territorial suspicion. And while Enterprise still fumbled to develop the characters of Hoshi (Linda Park) and Travis (Anthony Montgomery), John Billingsley continued to bring clutch-player excellence to his role as Dr. Phlox in several highlight episodes including "Doctor's Orders" and "Similitude," the latter featuring equally strong work by Trinneer in an ethically complex (and fan-favorite) examination of the cloning--a typical example of Star Trek at its best. The alternate timeline of "Twilight" also honours the classic Trek tradition, while "Harbinger" reveals the existence of the trans-dimensional Sphere Builders, whose moon-sized creations affect Enterprise throughout its season-long mission. Finally, the crucial appearances of blue-skinned Andorian Shran (Jeffrey Combs) bring both suspense and comic relief to the season's grim proceedings, adding depth and tentative alliance to Enterprise's pre-Federation politics--a crucial element that assumes greater importance with the jaw-dropping cliffhanger of "Zero Hour" and the surprises in store for season 4, which will bring Enterprise ever closer to the original Star Trek timeline.
Hawaii's foremost moustache-wearing private investigator returns for another season of Magnum P.I. Thomas Magnum a former Naval Officer in Vietnam lives in the guest house of - strangely absent - millionaire author Robin Masters on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. However he finds himself forever under the watchful eye of Higgins ex-British Army and estate manager. In exchange for testing the estate's security he gets plenty of perks fore his Private investigation g
Jim Jarmusch's Down by Law is in the same minimalist, oddball, black-and-white groove as his classic of American independent cinema, Stranger than Paradise (1984). The setting is Louisiana, where two losers (musicians Tom Waits and John Lurie) find themselves stuck in a jail cell together. One day they are joined by a boisterous Italian (Roberto Benigni), and the chemistry changes--suddenly an escape attempt is on the horizon. Conventional drama is not Jarmusch's intention; one of the emotional high points of this film is the three guys marching around their prison cell shouting, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" Yet the deadpan style creates its own humorous mood, underscored by melancholy (also underscored by the music of Lurie and the gravel-voiced songs of Waits). This was the first American film for Italian comedian Benigni, (Life is Beautiful), and he lights it up with his effervescent clowning. Jarmusch has said that Down by Law forms a loose trilogy with Stranger than Paradise and the subsequent Mystery Train (1989)--a triptych of disaffected, drifting life in the United States. Few filmmakers have ever surveyed ennui so entertainingly. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com
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