In his film debut singing idol Elvis Presley stars in this action-filled romance set in the aftermath of the Civil War. After hearing his older brother (Richard Egan) has been killed in combat a young Texas farmer (Presley) marries the man's sweetheart (Debra Paget). But his brother returns sparking a bitter sibling rivalry and tragic confrontations with Union soldiers... Featuring four Presley hits on the film's soundtrack including the title track.
Elvis: Films That Rock contains three of the King's early screen efforts: Love Me Tender (1956), Flaming Star (1960) and Wild in the Country (1961). It's pointless to suggest that they aren't among Elvis's best movies (you'll have to look elsewhere for King Creole and Jailhouse Rock, which probably are), partly because any fan's going to want them all anyway, but also because all three are interesting in their different ways. Love Me Tender, made in black and white in 1956, was Presley's first stab at acting, and this story of a family split by the American Civil War--one brother goes off to fight, the other doesn't--sees him short on screentime and being upstaged by pretty much everyone else. That said, it was a reasonably brave move for Presley to begin his movie career by dealing with this kind of subject matter, however sentimentalised. Four years later, Flaming Star took the steer by the horns with Presley portraying a young man of mixed parentage caught up in the ethnic conflict between Native Americans and the white race. Again, a brave choice of subject; this was a landmark movie insofar as it showed Presley certainly had enough acting ability to create a credible parallel career along the lines of, say, Sinatra. It wasn't to be, though, as even then his talents were being manipulated by others, which is why all his later movies--even the best ones--were little more than advertisements for his records. Wild in the Country, from the following year, saw Presley as a young tearaway who finds redemption in his talent for writing. It's pure melodrama, but the moralising is kept under control. This is a nice little collection, all in all, and an essential for any fan. On the DVD: Elvis: Films That Rock presents the three pictures in positively radiant transfers, which are absolutely gunge-free and make the very best of the beautifully stylised lighting and cinematography of the period, while the classic Cinemascope presentations translate perfectly into widescreen. Special features include trailers for all three movies. --Roger Thomas
In his film debut singing idol Elvis Presley stars in this action filled romance set in the aftermath of the Civil War. After hearing his older brother (Richard Egan) has been killed in combat a young Texas farmer (Presley) marries the man's sweetheart (Debra Paget). But his brother returns sparking a bitter sibling rivalry and tragic confrontations with Union soldiers... Featuring four Presley hits on the film's soundtrack including the title track.
WRC Crash Collection (3 Discs)
The official end of season review of the 2002 FIA World Rally Championship. Take another look at the FIA World Rally championship 2002. The world's best drivers competing in seven teams in 14 rallies accross four continents. Snow dust gravel rain mud speed heat thrills skills blowouts burnouts sweat adrenalin and champagne. It's not always pretty. It's not always even the right way up. But it's the way it is. All the action from the 2002 WRC season in one officially stag
The complete and official review of the classic 1997 World Rally Championship. This is the latest addition to the collectable DVD series of classic WRC seasons a must for enthusiasts and collectors. Includes a season preview awesome action from all 14 rounds interviews with the stars and loads of on-board action. A chance to see the sport's greats including the late Colin McRae British hero Richard Burns Tommi Makinen Carlos Sainz and cars like the Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evo which remain firm favourites today.
Director Victor Nunez's richly photographed Ulee's Gold drew critical acclaim for Peter Fonda's and Patricia Richardson's subtle performances--and premiered as the Festival Centrepiece in 1997's Sundance Film Festival. Vividly photographed and set amid southern Florida's tupelo swamps, the film's narrative hinges on the evolution of a more-than-platonic connection between neighbours Ulysses, "Ulee" for short (Fonda), and Connie (Richardson). Best-known for her role on TV's Home Improvement, Richardson makes a satisfying foray into film with this appropriately smaller role where she manages to hatch out of potential typecasting. Fonda is independent, stubborn, and reserved Ulee anchors the narrative. He is a beekeeper whose struggling small business is all that keeps him focused in the wake of his wife Penelope's death, his daughter-in-law Helen's (Christine Dunford) drug addiction, and the de facto single-parent obligations he takes on to his adolescent granddaughters (notice the Homeric references). Soon the plot twists, however, in the sociopathy of Eddie and Ferris, friends of Ulee's jailed son--a sociopathy that is also the impetus for the family to confront its dysfunction and for Connie and Ulee to see more in each other than mere neighbourliness. Thankfully, Nunez foregoes the bathos of a Hollywood ending and leaves us satisfied on one hand with Helen's healing and Eddie's justice but uncertain, though hopeful, about Ulee's next step. --Erik Macki, Amazon.com
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