Billy Bob Thorton is a Father Christmas with a difference in this outrageous festive comedy.
Barbra Streisand's self-absorbed remake of a 1958 French film stars Jeff Bridges as a college professor tired of sexual politics. He makes a deal with a dowdy colleague (Streisand) that they provide companionship for one another, with no thought of getting into bed. She agrees but soon becomes frustrated, the agreement only reinforcing her unfulfilled desire to have a complete relationship with a man. Mimi Rogers is on hand as Babs's striking sister, and Lauren Bacall received an Oscar nomination for her role as the heroine's selfish mother. The Mirror Has Two Faces is OK, but it becomes an irritating vanity piece for Streisand (who directed as well as stars). Her character constantly gazes upon her own reflection and is told at least a dozen times, one way or another, just how attractive she is. One wants to shout out, we get it already--you're pretty! --Tom Keogh
Released to mark the 40th anniversary of her death in 1962, The Diamond Collection brings together all of Marilyn Monroe's films for 20th Century Fox. This handsome box set stands as a salutary reminder of the considerable achievements of an actress who still reigns supreme as the greatest screen goddess of them all. The uninitiated might be surprised at the versatility of someone whose legend is founded so much on her image as a sex symbol. In particular, her touching performance as the abused second-rate bar singer Cherie in Bus Stop (1956) is a rounded study of a woman still capable of dreaming when life has done everything to dull her. The box set as a whole offers plenty of evidence that while she certainly specialised in a unique and complex variation on the blonde bombshell stereotype--embodied in her timeless performances as Lorelei Lee (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) and short-sighted Pola in How to Marry a Millionaire, both 1953--she could certainly diversify. The documentary, Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days, provides a sympathetic take on the troubles and behaviour which led to her being sacked from her final picture, Something's Got to Give. The presentation of the restored footage from that movie is less successful, though, as the glimpses of Monroe's incandescent screen presence, belying her illness and depression, leave a palpable sadness in their wake. Better by far to focus on her earlier work. Whatever the role, her luminous beauty and statuesque figure, combined with an unselfconsciously joyful sexuality and an on-screen vulnerability, were always at their best under the careful guidance of directors like Billy Wilder and Otto Preminger. These qualities continue to give her an enduring appeal. On the DVD: The Diamond Collection has been digitally restored using, for the most part, the original negatives, making this a sumptuous package for any Monroe fan. Niagara and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes are both presented in standard 4:3 ratio but the rest--filmed in Cinemascope and presented here in letterbox format--are certainly better-served by widescreen viewing. The colours, like Monroe, come alive. The sound quality is crisp and Monroe's singing--she had limited but genuine musical talent--has polished up well. Multiple extras include before-and-after restoration comparisons, trailers from various countries, stills and posters, and newsreel footage. Eleven discs of Marilyn in one box, this is a veritable feast indeed. --Piers Ford
Drifters is a brand new six-part comedy series about three best friends living in Leeds who've graduated had a year out and are struggling to find a job that doesn't suck a place to live that is half decent and a boyfriend they actually like. Written by and starring Jessica Knappett the show explores the very funny very humiliating experiences of Meg her eccentric cousin Bunny (Lydia Rose Bewley) and their friend Laura (Lauren O'Rourke) as they discover that life might just be a bit tougher than they had imagined... From demeaning promotions jobs complete with mad outfits (well have you ever dressed as a mobile phone to pay the rent?) to pursuing the men of their dreams - yet dating the men of their nightmares - the girls face disasters in both their work and personal lives.
From the producers of the original hit film... Tense action-thriller in which Dr. Kimble an eminent surgeon wrongly accused of brutally murdering his wife is relentlessly pursued by US Marshal Samuel Gerard (Mykelti Williamson). Following his escape from police custody Dr. Kimble must find the real murdereer a one-armed man he saw at the scene of the crime before he is found and executed for a crime he did not commit. The chase is on!
The Beautiful fugitive Grace (Kidman) arrives in the isolated township of Dogville pleading that she is on the run from a team of gangsters and desperately needs help. The kindly Tom (Bettany) a self-appointed town spokesman encourages the little community to hide her and in return Grace agrees to work for them. Initial suspicion turns to trust as the townsfolk realise that they need her. Grace and Tom form a relationship. However when a search for Grace is announced the people of Dogville demand a better deal in exchange for the risk of harbouring her and her workload becomes harder the women take against her and the men start abusing her. Even Tom distances himself from her plight. But Grace has a secret and it is a dangerous one and soon the town of Dogville will regret that it abused Grace so badly.
The four films in this Agatha Christie Murder Mystery Collection demonstrate exactly why Christie's reassuringly formulaic whodunits have been extraordinarily resilient source material. In each we find a corpse (or several), an assorted group of suspects gathered in a self-contained location, all with a motive to commit murder, and the coincidental presence of the totem detective (Poirot or Miss Marple). Between 1974 and 1981, producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin mined the Christie seam for some of its ripest riches. Murder on the Orient Express (1974), directed by Sidney Lumet, features a cavalcade of stars including Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall, John Gielgud and Sean Connery; while Christie herself gave Albert Finney's Poirot her blessing. The Art Deco setting exudes glamour; the plot is preposterously diverting; the lighting, silvery and washed-out, giving the suspects an appropriately grim and ghoulish air. With a superior Anthony Shaffer screenplay Death on the Nile (1978) saw Peter Ustinov taking over as Poirot. The backdrop of ancient Egyptian monuments helps bring this adaptation a touch of class, complemented by composer Nino Rota's epic theme tune. The Mirror Crack'd (1980) features Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak as rival Hollywood legends descending on a quaint English village to make a film, with Rock Hudson as Taylor's husband and Angela Lansbury as a rather unconvincingly robust Miss Marple. Shaffer returned to the fray, adapting Evil Under the Sun (1981) and moving Poirot from the Cornish Riviera to an island off the coast of Albania. Ustinov reprises his role and Maggie Smith returns, camper than ever, as the hotel owner inconvenienced by murder. On the DVD: It's a pity that the sound quality hasn't been sharpened up, though: Murder on the Orient Express sometimes evokes memories of the muffled incoherence of an old fleapit. Apart from trailers, extras are few and far between. There are no cast lists or filmographies. But Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun both feature interesting short promotional "'making of"' documentaries in 4:3 format. --Piers Ford
THE UNFORGETTABLE STORY OF THE LEGENDARY BRUCE LEE Based on true events, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is the incredible journey of the life, love and unconquerable spirit of the martial arts legend. From a childhood of rigorous martial arts training, Lee realizes his dream of opening his own kung-fu school in America. Before long, he is discovered by a Hollywood producer (Robert Wagner) and begins a meteoric rise to fame and an all too short reign as one of the most charismatic action heroes in motion picture history. Hailed as an immeasurably entertaining movie by CBS-TV, Dragon: Te Bruce Lee Story is ablaze with comedy, touching romance and spectacular martial arts sequences.
In I FEEL PRETTY a woman who struggles with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy on a daily basis wakes from a fall believing she is suddenly the most beautiful and capable woman on the planet. With this newfound confidence she is empowered to live her life fearlessly and flawlessly, but what will happen when she realizes her appearance never changed? Features:
13 of the geekiest episodes yet! Crank up the gravity and put your head safely in a jar! It is Season Seven of Futurama - the animated sci-fi comedy from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Crammed with a whole new dimension of extras not shown on TV this cosmic collection includes 13 bizarre and brilliant episodes involving ancient prophecies presidents heads robot gangsters angry butterflies and of course sausage making. It is a shipload of futuristic fun! Episodes Comprise: The Bots and the Bees A Farewell to Arms Decision 3012 The Thief of Baghead Zapp Dingbat The Butterjunk Effect The Six Million Dollar Mon Fun On a Bun Free Will Hunting Near-Death Wish Viva Mars Vegas 31st Century Fox Naturama
In some ways, HBO's Six Feet Under plays kid brother to the Sopranos: it's spunkier, less refined, chancier and a bit of a punk. Nevertheless, the show, set in the southern California mortuary Fisher and Sons, deserves its place in the pantheon of great television series. The initial series was a showcase for the most original characters, including tight-lipped brother David (Michael C Hall) coming out of the closet, emotionally trippy mom Ruth (Frances Conroy) and the most complex girlfriend on the face of the planet, Brenda (Rachel Griffiths). Slowly, the major force in series two 2 is the unassuming lead, Peter Krause. Part of the long line of good-looking actors who never get respect because they make it look too easy, Krause finds the perfect blend of optimism and wonderful, bittersweet anguish as Nate, the prodigal son. The opening series' happy ending is forgotten as relationships change, the business is still under fire from the evil conglomerate Kroehner, and a lively dream sequence is just around the corner. As with the first series, creator Alan Ball lets many others direct and write the show, but his stamp is all over it. The eccentricities of the characters are shaped, and not always suddenly. Take daughter Claire (Lauren Ambrose), who sheds her bad boyfriend only to find more complex relationships on her road to discovering her own groove. One person in the mix is Ruth's beatnik sister (Patricia Clarkson, in an Emmy-winning role). She's a joyous embodiment of thriving--if ageing--counter-culture. Another new character is Nate's old girlfriend, the granola-loving Lisa (Lili Taylor). With Brenda heading down another destructive course, Nate is at more than one crossroads by series' end. For fans who groove with the wild, serio-comedic world of the Fishers (and let's face it, many didn't), the second series goes down like a fine meal of fusion cuisine. --Doug Thomas
Loaded with comedic talent and written with an off-kilter, yet knowing touch, The Little Hours is a charming & hilarious romp. Italy, 1347: Bored, volatile nuns Alessandra (Alison Brie - Glow), Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza Ingrid Goes West), and Ginevra (Kate Micucci The Big Bang Theory) live in a monastery under the watchful eye of Father Tommasso (John C. Reilly Step Brothers). The arrival of a handsome new groundskeeper (Dave Franco 21 Jump Street) - introduced to the sisters as a deaf mute to discourage temptation - soon leads to a frenzy of hormones, substance abuse, and wicked revelry. Bonus Features: Interviews Gag Reel
This town drama from Ted Demme centres on former classmates coming together for their 10-year reunion. Scott Rosenberg's (Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead) script thoughtfully passes over the usual grumblings of young adults who can't believe they still live in the same snowbound town. They accept--even welcome--their blue-collar jobs, whether ploughing snow or cutting hair. Willie (Timothy Hutton), the lone wanderer, returns to his listless house in a state of flux, the piano-bar circuit wearing thin as is his relationship with Tracy, a well-off attorney (Annabeth Gish). He isn't the only one with problems. Tommy (Matt Dillon) occasionally sleeps with his now-married high school sweetheart Darian (Lauren Holly) while the earnest Sharon (Mira Sorvino) is left to wait. Paul (another thick-headed role for Michael Rapaport) refuses to commit to Jan (Martha Plimpton) until it's too late. Paul is enamoured with the idea of the supermodel (the title's "beautiful girls") that, he believes, can make life perfect. It's a very satisfying comedy, with some forced poignancy (Willie's description of Tracy as a "seven and a half" comes off as a death sentence). Rosie O'Donnell's dissertation on why Playboy and Penthouse have ruined male expectations is much like Meg Ryan's orgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally: it's hilarious, even memorable, but never wholly believable. The two wild cards thrown into Beautiful Girls give the film its kick. Uma Thurman enters as the local barman's (Pruitt Taylor Vince) radiant cousin. From the big city, she can flirt with the awestruck guys and still keep her head. Willie's true emotional tug is from Marty, his precocious 13-year-old neighbour. If you didn't see Natalie Portman's sophisticated work in Leon, her performance here will come as a revelation. You deeply believe that Willie and Marty are connected despite their age difference. Their courtship will never come to be, but the way the two talk (and talk some more) about their lives is the most insightful part of Rosenberg's script. Everyone's so comfortable in his or her roles that you may truly feel sad when the film ends. --Doug Thomas, Amazon.com
The complete third season of the quirky U.S. drama series created by 'American Beauty' writer Alan Ball. One of the most acclaimed shows on TV Six Feet Under takes a darkly comic look at a dysfunctional L.A. Family running an independent funeral home. This season thanks to the financial contributions of their mortician Frederico Fisher & Sons has become Fisher & Diaz and the Fisher family members face major adjustments as they open a new chapter in their professional and perso
All three seasons of the smash hit WW2 drama. Three series that dramatize the choices and survival that explores the emotional torment of life and the brutal reality of living within a senseless war. During the Autumn of 1942, in occupied France, U-612 is now ready for its maiden voyage, preparing to head into the increasingly brutal warfare with its young crewmen, including the new commander, Klaus Hoffmann. As the 40 young men take on their first mission, they struggle with the cramped and claustrophobic conditions of life underwater. Their personalities are pushed to the limit as tensions rise and loyalties begin to shatter.
Murder On The Orient Express: The first of several lavish Christie adaptations from producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin introducing Albert Finney as the first screen Hercule Poirot. This 1974 production of Agatha Christie's 1934 classic is a judicious mixture of mystery murder and nostalgia. Which member of the all-star cast onboard the luxurious train perforated the no-good American tycoon with a dagger twelve times? Was it Ingrid Bergman's shy Swedish missionary; or Vanessa Redgrave's English rose; Sean Connery as an Indian Army Colonel: Michael York or Jacqueline Bisset; perhaps Lauren Bacall; Anthony Perkins or John Gielgud as the victim's impassive butler. Finney spreads unease among them with subdued wit and finesse. Arguably the most successful screen adaptation of a Christie novel in addition to Bergman's Oscar for Best Supporting Actress 'Murder On The Orient Express' achieved nominations for Best Actor Screenplay Photography Costume Design and Music Score. (Dir. Sidney Lumet 1974) Death On The Nile: Peter Ustinov makes his debut as Agatha Christie's brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in this lavish and star-studded follow-up to Murder On The Orient Express:. As Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the Nile a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board and every elegant passenger becomes a prime suspect. Can Poirot identify the killer and motive before the ship of clues reaches the end of its murderous journey? Bette Davis David Niven Angela Lansbury Maggie Smith Mia Farrow George Kennedy Olivia Hussey Simon MacCorkindale Jane Birkin Jack Warden and Lois Chiles co-star in this sumptuous Oscar-winning classic adapted by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) and filmed on location throughout exotic Egypt. (Dir. John Guillermin 1978) The Mirror Crack'd: Mirror mirror on the wall who is the murderer among them all? The year is 1953. The small English village of St. Mary Mead home to Miss Jane Marple is delighted when a big American movie company arrives to make a movie telling of the relationship between Jane Grey and Elisabeth I starring the famous actresses Marina Rudd and Lola Brewster. Marina arrives with her husband Jason and when she discovers that Lola is going to be in the movie with her she hits the roof as Lola and Marina loathe each other on sight. Marina has been getting death threats and at a party at the manor house Heather Babcock after boring Marina with a long story drinks a cocktail made for Marina and dies from poisoning. Everybody believes that Marina is the target but the police officer investigating the case Inspector Craddock isn't sure so he asks Miss Marple his aunt to investigate... (Dir. Guy Hamilton 1980) Evil Under The Sun: Evil is everywhere. Even in paradise... Hercule Poirot is called in to investigate a case for an insurance company regarding firstly a dead woman's body found on a moor and then a important diamond sent to the company to be insured turns out to be a fake. Poirot discovers that the diamond was bought for Arlena Marshall by Sir Horace Blatt and Arlena is on her honeymoon with her husband and step-daughter on a tropical island hotel. He joins them on the island and finds that everybody else starts to hate Arlena for different reasons - refusing to do a stage show stopping a book and for having an open affair with Patrick Redfern another guest in full view of his shy wife. So it's only a matter of time before Arlena turns up dead strangled and Poirot must find out who it is.... (Dir. Guy Hamilton 1982)
A nobody is about to become a somebody... and impress EVERYBODY. Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) is picture-perfect and downright delightful in this hilarious comedy that gives cell phone a whole new meaning. Mandy has just been invited to the biggest party of the year by the most popular boy in school but there's one problem - she's grounded! When her father agrees to let her go study with friends he insists on checking in every half hour via video cell phone. Trapped by technology Mandy and her cell mates need a little ingenuity - and a lot of imagination - to make it to the party with exposing the plan to Dad's prying eyes!
Max Max, a precision-trained military dog, serves on the front lines in Afghanistan until he loses his handler, U.S. Marine Kyle Wincott (Robbie Amell), in the line of duty. Tramatized, Max is sent stateside, where the only human he can connect with is Kyle's brother, Justin (Josh Wiggins). The Pair strikes up an unlikely friendship as they unravel a mystery that may deliver more excitement - and danger - thank they bargained for. Special Features: Working With Max Max 2: White House Hero Duty calls againm and our hero dog Max returns to action in Max 2: White house hero. His new assignment brings him to Washington, D.C., to serve on the U.S. president's secret service detail. When a foreign leader arrives with his precocious daughter, Alex (Francesca Capaldi), tensions arise between the two contries. First Son TJ (Zane Austin), along with Max and Alex, uncovers a dangerous plot that puts both kids and both nations in jeopardy. A highly sensitive mission will put Max's specialized skills, intelligence and loyalty to the test. Special Features: A Ruff Life Kids on the Case: Making of Max 2
When lawyer and proud family man Chris Cleek (Sean Bridgers – True Blood, Deadwood) stumbles across a wild, feral woman (Pollyanna McIntosh – Exam, Burke and Hare) bathing in a woodland stream near his isolated country home, he makes a decision that will dramatically change both their lives. Capturing her, Chris chains The Woman up in the fruit cellar below his house, intending to tame and civilize her. But when the task at hand proves to be more difficult than first imagined, he sets in motion a collision course for a brutal showdown between his family and the wild female force of nature...From author Jack Ketchum (The Girl Next Door, The Lost) and director Lucky McKee (May), The Woman is laced with intense savagery and dark humour that builds to a haunting and simply unforgettable climax.
Matt Groening's second series of the 31st century sci-fi sitcom Futurama maintained the high scripting standards of the first as well bringing improved digital animation. Couch potato Fry now seems thoroughly reconciled to his new existence, transported 10 centuries hence to "New New York" and working for Professor Farnsworth's delivery service. He's surrounded by a cast of freaks, including the bitchily cute Amy (with whom he has a romantic brush) and Hermes, the West Indian bureaucrat. Most sympathetic is the one-eyed Leela (voiced by Katey Sagal). Like Lisa Simpson, she is brilliant but unappreciated; she finds solace in her pet Nibbler, a tiny creature with a voracious, carnivorous appetite. By contrast, Bender, the robot, is programmed with every human vice, a sort of metal Homer Simpson with a malevolent streak. In one of the best episodes, Bender is given a "feelings" chip in order to empathise with Leela after he flushes Nibbler down the toilet. Elsewhere, Fry falls in love with a Mermaid when the team discover the lost city of Atlanta, Fry and Bender end up going to war after they join the army to get a discount on gum, and John Goodman guest stars as Santa Claus, an eight-foot gun-toting robot. Brimful with blink-and-you'll-miss-them hip jokes (such as the sign for the Taco Bellevue hospital) and political and pop satire, Futurama isn't a stern warning of things to come but rather, as the programme-makers put it, "a brilliant, hilarious reflection of our own materially (ridiculously) over-developed but morally under-developed society." On the DVD: Futurama's four-disc package presents the show in 4:3 with a Dolby Digital soundtrack. Among the many extras here are audio commentaries, storyboards, trailers, mock ads for "Soylent Chow" and "Human Rinds" and deleted scenes, including one from "Bender Gets Made" in which he seeks to evade the Robot Mafia by changing his identity. --David Stubbs
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