Inspired by Chris Marker's acclaimed short film La Jetée, 12 Monkeys combines intricate, intelligent storytelling with the uniquely imaginative vision of director Terry Gilliam. The story opens in the wintry wasteland of the year 2035, where a virulent plague has forced humans to live in a squalid, oppressively regimented underground. Bruce Willis plays a societal outcast who is given the opportunity to erase his criminal record by "volunteering" to time-travel into the past to obtain a pure sample of the deadly virus that will help future scientists to develop a cure. But in bouncing from 1918 to the early and mid-1990s, he undergoes an ordeal that forces him to question his own perceptions of reality. Caught between the dangers of the past and the devastation of the future, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) who is initially convinced he's insane, and a wacky mental patient (Brad Pitt in a twitchy Oscar-nominated role) with links to a radical group that may have unleashed the deadly virus. Equal parts mystery, tragedy, psychological thriller, and apocalyptic drama, 12 Monkeys ranks as one of the best science fiction films of the 1990s, boosted by Gilliam's visual ingenuity and one of the finest performances of Willis's career. --Jeff Shannon
From Academy Award-winning Director Bernardo Bertolucci comes a tale set in 1968 Paris about a American exhange student Matthew and his tumultuous relationship with French twins, Theo and Isabelle.
Directed by Brenda Chapman, the Oscar(tm)-winning director and co-writer of Pixar's Brave, COME AWAY is a whimsical and inspiring British made live-action fairy-tale and an ingeniously conceived prequel to two of the world's most beloved and enduring pieces of children's literature Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Starring Angelina Jolie, David Oyelowo, Anna Chancellor, Michael Caine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Reece Yates, the film follows the adventures of siblings Alice and Peter who transform into Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland in a bid to help their parents overcome the tragedy of losing their eldest son. Peter and Alice find strength in the power of their imaginations and set off on a real adventure to try and rescue the family - escaping to a destiny of eternal boyhood in the distant isle of Neverland - whilst Alice delves into a world of Wonderland.
Gracefully adapted from Dava Sobel's extraordinary bestseller, the four-part TV production of Longitude combines drama, history and science into a stimulating, painstakingly authentic account of personal triumph and joyous discovery. Equally impressive is the way writer-director Charles Sturridge has crafted parallel stories that complement each other with enriching perspective. The first story involves the successful 40-year effort of 18th-century clockmaker John Harrison (Michael Gambon) to solve the elusive problem of measuring longitude at sea. In 1714 the British Parliament had offered a generous reward to anyone who solved the problem, and Harrison devoted his life to that solution. The second story, some 200 years later, involves the effort of shell-shocked British Navy veteran Rupert Gould (Jeremy Irons) to restore the glorious clocks that Harrison had built. Like Harrison, Gould is the most admirable type of obsessive, but, also like Harrison, he risks his marriage to accomplish his difficult task. Thousands of sailors perished at sea before Harrison's triumph changed history, but Longitude demonstrates that Harrison's glory was slow to arrive--and his prize money even slower. A fascinating study of 18th-century British politics and clashing egos in the arena of science, the film is both epic and intimate in consequence , and Sturridge's magnificent script inspires Gambon and Irons to do some of the best work of their outstanding careers . The ever-reliable Ian Hart appears in Part 3 as Harrison's now-adult son and apprentice, and Longitude approaches its dramatic climax with the exhilarating tension of a first-rate thriller. Rallying after sickness to prove the integrity of their marvellous seafaring chronometers, the Harrisons still had to fight for official recognition, and Gould's restoration of the Harrison clockworks provides a fitting coda to this exceptional story about the thrill of discovery and the tenacity of remarkable men. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Rohmer's delightful film explores the highs and lows of a trio of twenty-something's love affairs in the French capital. With a fine cast of exceptional young actors each story uses as a backdrop a variety of stunningly photographed locations among them Montparnasse the Marais and the city's many parks and gardens. This triptych combines all those themes cherished by Rohmer aficionados: seduction elegant language and love for a city called Paris.
This 1992 performance of Handel's masterpiece was filmed at The Point Theatre Dublin. Conducted by Sir Neville Marriner.
""Go East Young Man "" sings show-biz star and martial arts wiz Johnny Tyronne. To hear is to obey. A clandestine group called the Assassins kidnaps Johnny and whisks him to a remote Arabian realm isolated from the world for 2 000 years. Sheik meets desert chic when Elvis Presley plays Johnny and teams with former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley (Presley's Girl Happy co-star) in this tuneful frolic shot on the original 1925 Cecil B. DeMille set from King of Kings and directed by movie musical veteran Gene Nelson. The kidnappers want Johnny to use his fighting finesse to kill a desert king. Johnny a hitman? No he's a hit man a top singer of songs like Kismet Harem Holiday and nine more all part of the jammin' swashbucklin' fun of Harum Scarum.
Britten's last opera, Death in Venice will always be associated with the two voices for which the major parts in it were written. It is the achievement of Robert Tear and Alan Opie, in this magisterial performance by Graeme Jenkins with the Glyndebourne touring company, to produce telling performances that are entirely separate from our memories. Tear's Aschenbach is more bull-like than Peter Pears' moralist dreamer; his drift into sentimental eroticisation of the boy Tadzio upsets him as much for the weakness it reveals as for the collapse of his virtue. Alan Opie is as much of a virtuoso as John Shirley-Quirk in the multiple roles that culminate in the corrupting voice of Dionysus--the hotelier who persuades Aschenbach to stay, the barber who gives him a toupee and paints his face, the street entertainer, the rake who flirts with sailors; the otherworldly counter-tenor of Michael Chance is spookily right as Apollo. The scenes for dancers manage to be at once dreams of the erotic and plausible adolescent sea-side wrestling; the direction by Stephen Lawless and Martha Clarke manages to capture the mistiness of the piece from which fate and strangeness suddenly emerge. On the DVD: The DVD has subtitles in German, French and Spanish, as well as an acoustic which brings out the subtleties of Britten's string, brass and percussion in this difficult work. --Roz Kaveney
Almost four decades before creating his Poppea Monteverdi wrote in the preface to his fifth book of madrigals The modern composer must create his works solely on the basis of the truth - a credo to which the music of his final opera is utterly faithful.Poppea is a potent work from opera's first true creator and pioneering genius. The fact that at the close of this highly charged 'dramma in musica' he allows evil to triumph over good (albeit temporarily) has frequently led to his being decried as amoral.Monteverdi's timeless masterpiece which creates a deep involvement in performers and audiences alike is brilliantly captured in this High Definition live recording of Pierre Audi's moving and beautifully style production from Het Muziektheater Amsterdam in 1994.
Fall and Resurrection was conceived by Sir John Tavener, perhaps the leading present-day composer of British spiritual music, to mark the new Millennium. Its premiere, preserved on this recording, took place at St Paul's Cathedral in January 2000, the acoustic of that historical venue contributing much to an intensely emotional experience for the audience, the singers and the musicians. It is an epic, tonal poem in which Tavener sublimates his own artistic achievement in a series of primordial movements and chants which encapsulate moments before, during and after Creation, ultimately offering a vision of divine hope which is tumultuous and profoundly moving. The performances, particularly from soprano Patricia Rozario and bass Stephen Richardson, are absorbing; Richard Hickox at the helm of the City of London Sinfonia ensures that all due attention is paid to the complexity and detail of Tavener's score, which is based on a Byzantine chant and including a variety of ancient instruments, from the kaval to Tibetan temple bowls. As Tavener explains in the accompanying interviews, he sees music as "liquid metaphysics", and truly sacred music can only be achieved through the total self-effacement of the composer. Thus he sets the listener--and viewer--a daunting task. Rising to it is not merely an auditory challenge. It requires an almost physical surrender. This is music which is absorbed as much as heard. On the DVD: Fall and Resurrection, presented in 16:9 anamorphic format, is splendidly delivered via a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound audio track which transports the viewer to the vaulting interior heights of St. Paul's Cathedral. Extras include two interviews with Tavener in which he talks with fascinating intensity about his own faith, the role of the composer and the complex musical and spiritual images encompassed by this work. --Piers Ford
Malik Ali (Clayton Prince) is a high-profile defense attorney who specializes in getting guilty criminals off the hook. Five years ago Hagiwara a ninja master who was once Ali's client viciously murdered Malik's wife (Heather Hunter) and children. Haunted by the past and racked with guilt Malik spends his evenings protecting the city from evil and trying to avenge the death of his family. In his latest task to protect beautiful Tracy Allen (Carla Brothers) a witness in a case agai
A young boy (Connor Paolo, Gossip Girl) is about to learn how cruel the world can become. Martin was a normal teenager before the country collapsed in an empty pit of disaster and a vampire epidemic swept across the nation's abandoned towns and cities. It is up to Mister (Nick Damici, Mulberry Street, World Trade Center), a death dealing, rogue vampire hunter, to get Martin to safety. Armed with a trunk full of wooden stakes and a desperate will to stay alive, Mister and Martin make their way through locked down towns, recruiting fellow travelers along the way. Among them are a devout nun (Kelly McGillis, The Accused, Top Gun) and a pregnant teen (Danielle Harris, Halloween, Halloween 2) As with his hit, MULBERRY STREET, Jim Mickle creates a dark and terrifying world, although this time it is fully stocked with the most vicious vampires in recent film history. STAKE LAND is a gritty, post-apocalyptic road movie with teeth! Disc 1: Commentary 1: with Jim Mickle, Nick Damici, Connor Paolo, Larry Fessenden and Brent Kunkle Commentary 2: with Jim Mickle, Adam Folk, Ruan Samul, Graham Reznick, Peter Phok and Jeff Grace. Disc 2: The Making Of Stake Land - sneak a peek behind the scenes in this special hour-long documentary about creating the dark world of Stake Land Director's Diary - Jim Mickle's pre-production plans revealed VFX Featurette - A breakdown of some of the blood-curdling visual effects Websisodes - set before the fall, these prologues tell the story behind the story: Mister, Martin, The Day I Told My Boyfriend, Jebediah, Sister, Willie. Reviews/Press: It blends John Wayne mythology into an apocalyptic vampire movie.
John Mark Ainsley leads the cast in Pierre Audi's production of Monteverdi's opera, recorded live at De Nederlandse Opera in 1997. Other cast members include Brigitte Balleys, Michael Chance, David Cordier and Mario Luperi. The conductor is Stephen Stubbs
Performed by Kings College Choir Cambridge and the The Brandeburg Consort (leader Roy Goodman). Conducted by Stephen Cleobury and filmed at King's College Chapel.
Directed by Brenda Chapman, the Oscar-winning director and co-writer of Pixar's Brave, COME AWAY is a whimsical and inspiring British made live-action fairy-tale and an ingeniously conceived prequel to two of the world's most beloved and enduring pieces of children's literature Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Starring Angelina Jolie, David Oyelowo, Anna Chancellor, Michael Caine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Reece Yates, the film follows the adventures of siblings Alice and Peter who transform into Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland in a bid to help their parents overcome the tragedy of losing their eldest son. Peter and Alice find strength in the power of their imaginations and set off on a real adventure to try and rescue the family - escaping to a destiny of eternal boyhood in the distant isle of Neverland - whilst Alice delves into a world of Wonderland.
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