This late-1980s comedy-musical from video director Julien Temple (Absolute Beginners) has an infectiously buoyant if dumb charm and plays like a cross between Little Shop of Horrors and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. If you loved either of those movies, you will have a fondness for this one, otherwise you will be irritated beyond belief. Geena Davis stars as a San Fernando Valley manicurist who finds herself in charge of three aliens after they crash-land their spaceship in her pool. With said transport broken down, Davis offers them head-to-toe makeovers (it's the least she can do), turns the fuzzy aliens into a trio of attractive guys, and lets them loose on the dating scene. She promptly falls in love with the leader (Davis's then-husband Jeff Goldblum); of course, it helps that her slimy fiancé (Charles Rocket) is cheating on her left and right. Aside from its sunny California charm, the only other thing this film has to offer is a bouncy musical score, in particular two show-stopping numbers performed by co-star (and the film's co-writer) Julie Brown: "Brand New Girl", in which Davis gets the requisite makeover ("If you want to be a femme fatale/You can't rest on your L'Oreals!"), and the entirely irrelevant but absolutely hilarious cult hit "'Cause I'm a Blonde". Davis does her standard airhead thing (still a novelty in 1989) and Goldblum is a studly if silent lead. Make sure you pay close attention to Goldblum's alien sidekicks, two then-unknown actors named Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans, both of whom manage to steal scenes with surprisingly understated charm. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com
Set in 1944, "Female Agents" follows a five strong all-female commando unit that parachutes into occupied France on a dangerous mission.
Like a good claret laid down for a couple of decades, Victor Victoria (1982) just improves with age. Based on a 1930s German screenplay, Blake Edwards' cross-dressing musical tackles sexuality and gender with a sweet generosity of spirit and endearing warmth. To Edwards' credit and that of his wife Julie Andrews in the title role it is far more than a star vehicle, with James Garner, Lesley Ann Warren and, particularly, Robert Preston (as worldly gay Toddy) contributing quick-fire performances that brim with brilliant timing. Andrews, too, is wonderful in a deceptively complex part. It shouldn't have worked at all. Victor Victoria was made at a time when the Hollywood musical's currency was at its lowest and Andrews might have been deemed a rather old-fashioned sort of star. But by keeping Henry Mancini's songs in context as stage numbers, the traditional values of the musical are subverted. And the whole thing is bathed in a soft, intimate light; this is a film of considerable artistry on every level. On the DVD: Victor Victoriais presented in widescreen with a sharp Dolby Digital soundtrack; the picture quality is splendid. Extras include lists of cast, crew and awards as well as the original theatrical trailer. Best of all is a touching--if occasionally repetitive--commentary from Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews, who clearly remember the project with great pride and affection. Somewhat belatedly they resurrected it as a Broadway show in the 1990s, in which Andrews again scored a considerable personal triumph. --Piers Ford
Warren Beatty and Hal Ashby team up for a bedhopping farce that doubles as a sly political satire Shampoo gives us a day in the life of George, a Beverly Hills hairdresser and lothario who runs around town on the eve of the 1968 presidential election trying to make heads or tails of his financial and romantic entanglements. His attempts to scrape together the money to open his own salon are continually sidetracked by the distractions presented by his lovers played brilliantly by GOLDIE HAWN (The Sugarland Express), JULIE CHRISTIE (Don't Look Now), and LEE GRANT (in an Oscarwinning performance). Star WARREN BEATTY (Bonnie and Clyde) dreamed up the project, cowrote the script with ROBERT TOWNE (Chinatown), and enlisted HAL ASHBY (Harold and Maude) as director, and the resulting carousel of doomed relationships is an essential seventies farce, a sharp look back at the sexual politics and selfabsorption of the preceding decade. Features: 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack Alternate 5.1. surround soundtrack, presented in DTSHD Master Audio New conversation between critics Mark Harris and Frank Rich Excerpt from a 1998 appearance by producer, cowriter, and actor Warren Beatty on The South Bank Show PLUS: An essay by Rich
Paul Newman and Julie Andrews star in Torn Curtain, what must unfortunately be called one of Alfred Hitchcock's lesser efforts. Still, sub-par Hitchcock is better than a lot of what's out there, and this one is well worth a look. Newman plays cold-war physicist Michael Armstrong, while Andrews plays his lovely assistant-and-fiancée Sarah Sherman. Armstrong has been working on a missile defence system that will "make nuclear defence obsolete", and naturally both sides are very interested. All Sarah cares about is the fact that Michael has been acting awfully fishy lately. The suspense of Torn Curtain is by nature not as thrilling as that in the average Hitchcock film--much of it involves sitting still and wondering if the bad guys are getting closer. Still, Hitchcock manages to amuse himself: there is some beautifully clever camera work and an excruciating sequence that illustrates the frequent Hitchcock point that death is not a tidy business. --Ali Davis
This animated feature-length life of Jesus boasts a stellar pedigree. Originally a BBC Wales production, it showcases the voices of some of Britain's finest actors in any medium: Ralph Fiennes as a brooding and humble Jesus, Miranda Richardson as Mary Magdalene, Richard E. Grant as John the Baptist and David Thewlis as Judas. The lovely, flute-heavy score is by Oscar-winner Anne Dudley (The Full Monty). And clearly a lot of expense has gone into the Claymation-like animation. But while it's hard to find fault with the rendering of this familiar story--it is respectful and definitely done, you might say, by the Book--it would have been nice if there had been a tad more joy, if it walked a bit lighter in its sandals. As it is, all the characters seem consistently subdued, whether they are expressing angst, rage, terror or bliss--none of which is helped by the figures' blank-eyed stares (if animators are becoming ever more sophisticated, why can't they get rid of those creepy blank gazes once and for all?). Still, the weight of having such formidable actors play these familiar roles lends the production a certain credibility, and parents looking for good religious videos that won't insult their kids' intelligence will be thrilled. --Anne Hurley
During the war for Texas independence one man leaves the Alamo before the deadly climax (chosen by lot to help others' families) but is too late to accomplish his mission and is branded a coward. Since he cannot now expose a gang of turncoats he infiltrates them instead; can he now save a wagon train of refugees from Wade's guerillas?
Titles Comprise: Ben Hur: Having swept the board at the Academy awards Ben Hur achieved an outstanding feat in film history winning eleven oscars in 1959 including Best Picture Best Actor and Best Director. After a ten month production schedule and a then massive million budget this 1950''s epic movie has always represented a cinematographic feat that has rarely been bettered. Doctor Zhivago: Omar Sharif stars in the title role of Doctor Zhivago portraying the surgeon-poet over a half-century period. Zhivago who is married to Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin) an aristocratic girl with whom he raises a family is also in love with Lara (Julie Christie) a nurse whose life has been destroyed by tragedy. Repeatedly brought together and separated from each woman by war and revolution Zhivago is torn apart by conflict. He loves Tonya deeply but his poetic soul belongs to Lara. Much like his beloved country Zhivago's spirit becomes battered by the devastation of war as he struggles to maintain his individualism in the face of overwhelming odds. Gone With The Wind: David O. Selznick's production of Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize winner Gone With The Wind is the pinnacle of Hollywood moviemaking ( Leonard Maltin of Entertainment Tonight) . And in Maltin's view it looks better than it has in years. This sweeping Civil War-era romance won an impressive 10 Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and its immortal characters Scarlett (Vivian Leigh) Rhett (Clark Gable) Ashley (Leslie Howard) Melanie (Olivia de Havilland) Mammy (Hattie McDaniel) and Prissy (Butterfly McQueen) populate as epic story of enduring appeal across generations.
The whimsical comedy-romance Heaven Can Wait is a delightful example of the small sub-genre of afterlife comedies. The film, which teams then lovers Warren Beatty and Julie Christie for a third time following McCabe and Mrs Miller (1971) and Shampoo (1975), is not a remake of the 1943 supernatural film of the same name, but of the Robert Montgomery classic Here Comes Mr Jordan (1941). Here Beatty is American football player Joe Pendleton, who accidentally dies, decades too early, and is incarnated in a new body which, until recently, was occupied by a ruthless multi-millionaire. James Mason is superb as a most authoritative angel (Mr Jordan), heading a fine cast including Charles Grodin, Buck Henry and Jack Warden. In a sub-plot paralleling The Shop Around the Corner (1940) and revisited in You've Got Mail (1998), Julie Christie plays an English woman outraged that one of the former millionaire's companies is destroying her village, while simultaneously falling in love with the man now occupying the hated millionaire's mortal coil. Much comic and romantic misunderstanding follows, as well as some appealing slapstick, courtesy of Dyan Cannon. Aided by a lovely musical score by Dave Grusin, this is a beautifully played and thoroughly charming bittersweet fantasy about the transcendent power of love. It is a joy for romantics everywhere. On the DVD: Heaven Can Wait comes to DVD in a good 1.77:1 ratio transfer which exhibits just a little grain in some darker scenes. The print shows some very minor, occasional damage, but nothing to complain about in a film of this vintage. The sound is the original mono mix, which is perfectly serviceable. The only extra is the theatrical trailer. --Gary S Dalkin
Based on the acclaimed book by neurologist Oliver Sacks, director Penny Marshall's hit 1990 drama Awakenings stars Robin Williams as Dr. Malcolm Sayer. Sayer is a neurologist who discovers that the drug L-Dopa can be used to "unlock" patients in a mental hospital from the mysterious sleeping sickness that has left them utterly immobilized. Leonard (Robert De Niro) is one such patient who awakens after being in a comatose state for 30 years, leaving Sayer to guide Leonard in adjusting to the world around him. Penelope Ann Miller costars as the daughter of another patient, with whom Leonard falls tenuously in love. Earning Oscar nominations for best picture, actor and screenplay, this moving fact-based drama was a hit with critics and audiences alike. --Jeff Shannon
After playing a mild-mannered funeral home director in SIX FEET UNDER, Michael C. Hall makes a smooth transition to serial killer in this original crime drama. But the twist in this smart show is that Dexter chooses to prey only on other serial killers. As a child, Dexter is adopted by a cop (James Remar) who soon realises that his new son is no ordinary boy. Since Dexter is compelled to kill, his law-abiding father pushes him to choose his quarry in a way that will best benefit society. As Dexter grows older, he works as a blood splatter expert in Miami, giving him a close view of other murderers and their handiwork. Stylish and blackly comic, this drama is adapted from Jeff Lindsay's novel DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER. This release includes the entire first series, which largely focuses on Dexter's pursuit of the coldblooded Ice Truck Killer and his own efforts to evade detection.
Billy Elliot: Inside every one of us is a special talent waiting to come out. The trick is finding it. Starring Julie Walters and newcomer Jamie Bell the film (based on a real-life story) follows the progress of little Billy Elliot a motherless 11 year-old from a poor Durham pit village. When young Billy chooses ballet classes over boxing lessons his life is changed forever. He decides to keep the lessons secret from his father a coal miner but when his ballet instructor persuades him to try out for the Royal Ballet School in London Billy must make the choice between family responsibilities and his dreams... Billy Elliot received plenty of recognition at the Academy Awards picking up nominations for Best Supporting Actress Best Director and Best Screenplay. (Dir. Stephen Daldry 2000) Steel Magnolia's: A beautiful bittersweet comedy set in deep south Louisiana 'Steel Magnolias' unites talents of America's finest actresses as six very special friends bonded together by mutual triumphs and tragedies. Despite their differences beautiful Shelby (Julia Roberts) her strong-willed mother M'Lynn (Sally Field) beauty parlour owner Truvy (Dolly Parton) elegant wealthy widow Clairee (Olympia Dukakis) sharp tongued Ouiser (Shirley MacLaine) and mousey newcomer Anelle (Daryl Hannah) enjoy a friendship that spans the boundaries of age and status. Sharing each other's strength and loyalty they face their greatest fears and highest hopes with dry wit and a self-deprecating style... (Dir. Herbert Ross 1989) Erin Brockovich: She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees. A research assistant (Roberts) helps an attorney (Finney) in a lawsuit against a large utility company blamed for causing an outbreak of cancer and other illnesses in a small community. (Dir. Steven Soderbergh 2000)
Titles Comprise:3:10 To Yuma: After a hold-up and a murder, outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) and his gang are captured. Wade's men break out of jail and wait for a chance to rescue him. The authorities suspect that a daring escape plan is underway, so they look for a guard to escort Wade by train to Yuma to stand trial. The marshal offers a bounty and Dan Evans (Van Heflin), a poor rancher hit hard by a crippling drought, takes the job. His wife pleads with him to save his own life by letting Wade go free, but for Evans, it's a matter of principle as well as money. He takes Wade and begins the dangerous trek to the station.Bend Of The River: The second of the terrific Stewart/Mann Westerns is characteristic of their pairings: adult themes played out against prairie vistas in which betrayal and violence can erupt at any time.Formerly a vicious Missouri raider, Stewart now leads a wagon train through Indian raids and hijackings to the new boom town of Portland where he becomes embroiled in the conflict between wealthy miners and farmers.Broken Trail: Set in 1898, Print Ritter (Robert Duvall) and his estranged nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church) become the reluctant guardians of five abused and abandoned Chinese girls (introducing Caroline Chan, Olivia Cheng, Jadyn Wong, Valerie Tian, and Gwendoline Yeo). Ritter and Harte's attempts to care for the girls are complicated by their responsibility to deliver a herd of horses while avoiding a group of bitter rivals intent on kidnapping the girls for their own purposes.Open Range: Academy-Award winning director Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves) helms this traditional Western tale of a way of life that is quickly disappearing. Boss Spearman (Duvall), Charley Waite (Costner), Mose Harrison (Benrubi) and Button (Luna) freegraze their cattle across the vast prairies of the West, sharing a friendship forged by a steadfast code of honor and living a life unencumbered by civilization. When their wayward herd forces them near the small town of Harmonville, the cowboys encounter a corrupt Sheriff (Russo) and kingpin rancher (Gambon) who govern the territory through fear, tyranny and violence.Rooster Cogburn: Two of the most popular stars in screen history are brought together for the first time in the follow up to True Grit. The film returns John Wayne to the role of the rapscallion, eye patched, whiskey guzzling Deputy Marshall that won him an Academy Award. Katharine Hepburn is prim Eula Goodnight, a Bible thumping missionary who teams up with the gun fighter to avenge the death of her father. While in pursuit of the outlaws, a warm rapport develops between the rough n' tumble lawman and the flirty reverend's daughter.Silverado: Get Ready for some horse-ridin', gun-totin', whiskey drinkin' fun in this digitally re-mastered collector's edition of Lawrenca Kasdan's 'Silverado', featuring a never-before seen documentary with interviews from cast and crew.The spirited Western stars Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner and Danny Glover as four unwitting heroes who cross paths on their journey to the sleepy town of Silverado. Little do they know the town where their family and friends reside has been taken over by a corrupt Sheriff and murderous posse. It's up to the sharp shooting foursome to save the day, but first they have to break each other out of jail, and learn who their real friends are.
Box set containing three classics from acclaimed director Leos Carax - The Night is Young Boy Meets Girl and Holy Motors.
1969: Dr Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams) takes up a post at Bainbridge Hospital New York. Among his patients he discovers a group of forgotten survivors of the 1916 Sleeping Sickness epidemic - a virus that turned its victims into living statues. He is particularly drawn to one of these victims Leonard Lowe (Robert de Niro). With a new experimental drug Dr Sayer discovers a vital key to awakening in himself long dormant capacities for love and friendship. Inspirational and critically acclaimed Awakenings is based on a true and haunting story.
Lowlife cable TV operator Max Renn discovers a ""snuff TV"" broadcast called Videodrome which is much more than it seems. It's an experiment that causes brain damage. Max is caught in the middle of the forces that created and the forces that want to control Videodrome his body itself turning into the ultimate weapon to fight them. Directed by David Cronenberg.
Originally scripted by comedy legends John Cleese and Graham Chapman, this hilarious farce was the first of only two main features from cult director (and Oscar-winning editor) Jim Clark. Starring James Booth, Richard Briers and Richard Beckinsale as three hapless private investigators, Rentadick is featured here as a brand-new High Definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. Armitage, a rich scientist, has problems. Not only is his luscious wife being pursued (and caught) by all and sundry, but his laboratory is under threat of industrial espionage. He engages private detectives to protect both his business and his wife, but the service he receives is certainly not what he was expecting!
A chilling reinvention of the unforgettable 1970's series - written by Primeval writer Adrian Hodges and based on Terry Nation's original novel. Left bewildered and numb untouched by a virus that had swept across the world destroying all but a random selection of desperate souls these are the 'lucky ones' left alive when so many died. This lonely few now have to step into a strange new world where everything that was once safe and familiar is now strange and dangerous. Among those struggling for survival are Abby a devoted mother with a missing son; Greg a loner hiding the pain of his past; Anya a doctor who has seen too much; Al a playboy who becomes surrogate father to Najid; and Tom Price handsome dangerous and a high security prisoner before the virus hit. In the ghost cities and empty fields power water and food supplies are scarce. Just to stay alive they will have to band together utilise their talents and learn new skills. But can they all be trusted? And what new trials await those trying to rebuild a dead civilisation?
IT'S NOT CRANBERRY SAUCE!!! What do you get if you combine Thanksgiving, American TV star Louise Lasser (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman), killer 80s synths and some of the most gruesome special effects in all of slasher history courtesy of Ed (Terminator 2) French. Why, it's Blood Rage of course! Twins Todd and Terry seem like sweet boys that is, until one of them takes an axe to face of a fellow patron at the local drive-in. Todd is blamed for the bloody crime and institutionalised, whilst twin brother Terry goes free. Ten years later and, as the family gathers around the table for a Thanksgiving meal, the news comes in that Todd has escaped. But has the real killer in fact been in their midst all along? One thing's for sure, there will be blood and rage! Shot in 1983 but not released until 1987, Blood Rage (re-cut and shown in theatres as Nightmare at Shadow Woods) is a gloriously gruesome slice of 80s slasher heaven now lovingly restored (in 3 versions no less!) from original vault elements for its first ever official home video release. BLU-RAY DISC 1 & DVD BLOOD RAGE Brand new 2K restoration of the hard home video version, transferred from the camera negative and featuring the original title card Slasher Audio commentary with director John Grissmer Both Sides of the Camera an interview with producer/actress Marianne Kanter Double Jeopardy an interview with actor Mark Soper Jeez, Louise! an interview with actress Louise Lasser Man Behind the Mayhem an interview with special make-up effects creator Ed French Three Minutes with Ted Raimi an interview with actor Ted Raimi Return to Shadow Woods featurette revisiting the original locations in Jacksonville, Florida Alternate opening titles Motion still gallery featuring rare behind-the-scenes make-up photos
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