Critics and controversy aside, The Da Vinci Code is a verifiable blockbuster. Combine the film's huge worldwide box-office take with over 100 million copies of Dan Brown's book sold, and The Da Vinci Code has clearly made the leap from pop-culture hit to a certifiable franchise (games and action figures are sure to follow). The leap for any story making the move from book to big screen, however, is always more perilous. In the case of The Da Vinci Code, the story is concocted of such a preposterous formula of elements that you wouldn't envy Akiva Goldsman, the screenwriter who was handed a potentially unfilmable book and asked to make a filmable script out of it. Goldsman's solution was to have the screenplay follow the book as closely as possible, with a few needed changes, including a better ending. The result is a film that actually makes slightly better entertainment than the book. So if you're like most of the world, by now you've read the book and know that it starts out as a murder mystery. While lecturing in Paris, noted Harvard Professor of Symbology Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is summoned to the Louvre by French police help decipher a bizarre series of clues left at the scene of the murder of the chief curator, Jacques Sauniere. Enter Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), gifted cryptologist and Sauniere's granddaughter. Neveu and Langdon are forced to team up to solve the mystery, and from there the story is propelled across Europe as it balloons into a modern-day mini-quest for the Holy Grail, complete with alternative theories about the life of Christ, ancient secret societies headed by historical figures like Leonardo Da Vinci, secret codes, conniving bishops, daring escapes, car chases, and, of course, a murderous albino monk controlled by a secret master who calls himself "The Teacher." Taken solely as a mystery thriller, the movie almost works--despite some gaping holes--mostly just because it keeps moving forward at the breakneck pace set in the book. Brown's greatest trick might have been to have the entire story take place in a day so that the action is forced to keep going, despite some necessary pauses for exposition. Hanks and Tautou are just fine together but not exactly a memorable screen pair; meanwhile, Sir Ian McKellen's scenery-chewing as pivotal character Sir Leigh Teabing is just what the film needs to keep it from taking itself too seriously. In the end, this hit movie is just like a good roller-coaster ride: try not to think too much about it--just sit back and enjoy the trip. --Daniel Vancini, Amazon.com
Universal Soldier Luc Deveraux is back. Jean-Claude Van Damme gallantly attempts to resurrect interest in his tepid career with this action-riddled roller-coaster ride. Set in the not-too-distant future, Deveraux has been employed by the government to oversee the new UniSol project. What is UniSol? It's a military plan to turn dead soldiers into invincible fighting machines (see the first Univeral Soldier for more details). It's also the scheme that went horribly wrong when the soldiers turned psycho, killing the scientists who created them. Not deterred by this early setback, the government replicates the project. This time they work out that they can control the soldiers through a supercomputer called SETH (kind of like HAL in 2001, but smarter). But, as we all know, machines frequently break down. Pretty soon the computer comes to the conclusion that it's superior to humans and therefore it must destroy them. Uh oh.Van Damme to the rescue. The muscles from Brussels heroically leap into action confronting the dangerous soldiers led by Bill (WCW) Goldberg and Michael Jai White (last seen in Spawn). The action is impressive and the stunts are engrossing. Goldberg is charismatic as the cartoonish villain who sneers and snouts while muttering macho things like, "I'm gonna kill that guy." Van Damme looks more at home in a production that he is not directing, and for once he lets his fists do the talking. Ironically, the movie is missing the gloss and big-budget pathos of its predecessor (created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich), making the original decidedly better. -- Jeremy Storey, Amazon.com
Another six helpings of the chewiest fat served-up by your favourite characters from the smash hit TV sketch show. Episodes comprise: 1. The Lighthouse Keepers 2. Oh James I Am Moist! 3. And Blag Your Nat King Co-ole! 4. Dirtylittleb*****d.com 5. Take A Drink 6. Case Of Dunn vs MacLean
There's a new reporter at the Daily Planet: Clark Kent, who shares a workspace with Lois Lane. There's a new hero in Metropolis, too. No one knows who he is. But Jimmy Olsen was on the scene of one of the do-gooder's exploits, and he snapped a blurred photo of the hero in superspeed action – a hero everyone now calls the Red-Blue Blur. Red-jacketed, blue-shirted Clark Kent draws closer to his Superman destiny in the exciting 22-episode, 6-disc Season 8 of Smallville. Another Kryptonian destiny also takes shape. Davis Bloome begins to realize he is Doomsday. His mission on Earth: kill Clark Kent. So many new events (will Jimmy and Chloe's marriage last?), so many new faces (Tess Mercer, Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy among them!), so many state-of-the-art effects – so don't miss a single thrill-packed moment!
Millions of years from now after Socrates Shakespeare and the Bible are long forgotten only two great works will remain: the sci-fi cinema epic Star Wars and Adult Swim's stop-motion animated cheap gag extravanganza Robot Chicken. And now for the first time they come together for the third time in this all new special. That's right all your mot beloved Star Wars characters are going back through the comedy meat grinder. Watch Darth Vader fall into a toilet while Emperor Palpatine rides the endless Death Star escalator! See Gary the Stormtrooper's speederbike test-drive come to a gruesome Ewok-splattering end! And witness the firepower of Boba Fett's fully armed and operational T-SHIRT CANNON! Plus much much more! It's Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III. Set your phasers to ''fun''! (Oh wait wrong franchise.)
Get ready for big laughs on the high seas as Adam Sandler plays Shecky Moskowitz a cruise ship waiter who has his eyes on becoming the ship's comedian. Shecky notices that the ship's comedian Dickie Diamond always gets the stunningly gorgeous beauty queens on board by being the funny man. Dickie doesn't want any competition and refuses to give Shecky a chance to perform on the ship as his warm up act. As fate would have it Dickie hat is blown overboard and he gets locked in the bathroom. With the comedian presumed lost at sea and the ship in need of a comedy act Shecky is given his big break at stand up. The big question is will he sink or swim? Shecky's antics rock the boat in this hilarious sea adventure that's jam packed with hysterical comic sketches and sexy fantasy sequences.
Saint Francois D'Assise (3 Dvd)
Starring Joanna Lumley and David McCallum Sapphire And Steel was one of the most enigmatic and acclaimed of all ITC-produced adventures. It continues to baffle and delight viewers twenty years later. Sapphire (Lumley) and Steel (McCallum) are the mysterious agents charged with protecting the Universe from the malevolent forces of Time with their uncanny powers. Assignment IV an evil amorphous entity uses photographs to move between time dimensions. It takes over a junkshop and entraps the inhabitants. A golden anniversary party where the guests are being killed off is the subject of Assignment V. Sapphire and Steel meet another element/detective Silver at an abandoned petrol station in Assignment VI and become embroiled in mystery.
When danger looms in Townsville the call goes out for Bubbles Blossom and Buttercup - The Powerpuff Girls! Under the watchful eye of their mentor Professor Utonium the girls fly into action against a colourful gallery of nefarious villains -- saving the day before bedtime! Created by cartoonist Craig McCracken the series began life as one of Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons. Join the Powerpuff Girls for over 2 hours of crime-busting fun!
A troubled young man, who believes himself to be a vampire, goes to live with his elderly and religious cousin in a small Pennsylvania town where he tries to redeem his blood-craving urges after he falls for a lonely housewife, all the while his hostile cousin becomes convinced that the young man is actually Nosferatu. Product Features A new Second Sight 4K restoration supervised and approved by Director of Photography Michael Gornick UHD presented in HDR10+ Audio commentary by George A Romero, John Amplas and Tom Savini Audio commentary by George A Romero, Richard P Rubinstein, Tom Savini, Michael Gornick and Donald Rubinstein A new audio commentary by Kat Ellinger A new audio commentary by Travis Crawford Taste the Blood of Martin: A new feature length documentary including location tour Scoring the Shadows: A new interview with composer Donald Rubinstein 'J Roy - New And Used Furniture': a short film by Tony Buba Making Martin: A Recounting Trailer, TV and radio spots Limited Edition Contents Rigid slipcase with original classic artwork Soft cover book with new essays by Daniel Bird, Miranda Corcoran, Travis Crawford, Heather Drain, Kat Ellinger, Andrew Graves, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Elena Lazic, , Stephen Thrower, Jon Towlson, Simon Ward and Tony Williams Original Soundtrack CD by Donald Rubinstein 5 collectors' character art cards illustrated by Adam Stothard
How do you prevent terrorists from unleashing mayhem on the entire world? You don't. This is a job for IMF agent Ethan Hunt. The world's greatest spy returns in the movie event of the year, M:I-2. Top action director John Woo brings his own brand of excitement to the mission that finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) partnering up with the beautiful Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton) to stop renegade agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from releasing a new kind of terror on an unsuspecting world. But before the mission is complete, they'll traverse the globe and have to choose between everything they love and everything they believe.
The acclaimed computer-generated animation series 'Xcalibur' brings the stuff of Arthurian legend kicking and screaming into the 21st century as an adventure-packed flight of the imagination. Now you can experience the excitement and artistry of this ground-breaking series as all 40 episodes of 'Xcalibur' come to DVD in a Special Collector's 10-disc box set. Shortly before his death King Edwynn entrusts the magical Sword of Justice Xcalibur to Prince Erwann instructing him to hid
The climax of the battle is covered in the fourth and final disc in the series, with programmes on the final attack and defeat of the Imperial Guard and the Pursuit by the Prussians in the immediate aftermath of the battle to Genappe. The final programme in the collection covers the last battle of the Napoleonic era fought at Wavre, the day after Waterloo and the Allied pursuit to Paris. This disc also contains programmes that detail the clothing and equipment of a Highlander and a soldier of the 95th Rifles.
On the morning of 30th June 1860 the body of three-year-old Saville Kent is found brutally murdered and hidden down a servants' privy in the grounds of the elegant Road Hill House on the edge of a sleepy Somerset village. As the local police struggle to solve the crime the case becomes a national scandal and on the orders of the Home Secretary Inspector Jonathan Jack Whicher the so-called Prince of Sleuths from the newly formed Scotland Yard detective department is despatched to the countryside to identify the killer and restore order but this case is to prove the most difficult of his career. Behind the seemingly respectable middle-class faade of the Kent family Whicher discovers adultery insanity and jealousy in a world populated by gossiping servants a wicked stepmother and rebellious children. With the local police actively working against him it's a struggle for Whicher to find the evidence and nail the culprit. Adapted from Kate Summerscale's best-selling book this gripping true story of murder psychological suspense and courtroom drama has all the hallmarks of a classic Victorian murder mystery: a body a detective and a country house full of secrets and suspects.
Blue Steel contains all the familiar elements of action cinema, such as gun fetishism and the glamorisation of violence, yet tells the story from a uniquely feminine viewpoint. Directed by one of Hollywood's few female action directors, Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break, Strange Days), and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Blue Steel is superficially an engaging action thriller about a rookie cop stalked by an obsessive killer, but Bigelow also offers an underlying message about our fascination today with gun culture and violence. The director subverts an essentially male-dominated genre with a film that displays all the requisite action credentials yet at the same time offers a portrait of how women deal with a violent world. --Abi Brennan
On High Street UK the priority is to shift units make money and smash targets... and no one knows that better than the staff of Phone Shop. It's Austerity Britain and times are hard and getting harder. Star salesman little Gary Patel is still detained at Her Majesty's pleasure and the ever resourceful sales staff of Phone Shop Sutton are feeling the pinch - something has to be done. Whilst Ashley Jerwayne and Christopher look to make an extra couple of quid on the side and Janine attempts to climb her way up the greasy pole of Croydon's social scene Lance is struggling to keep the staff together as head-hunters hustlers and head office all conspire against him. Phone Shop is written directed and produced by Phil Bowker and features a hugely-talented ensemble cast including Tom Bennett Andrew Brooke Emma Fryer Javone Prince and Martin Trenaman.
When a bored-with-life English teacher meets a West Coast Swing champion dancer they have an instant connection. Both feel that the other can fulfil what was missing in their lives. But Jessica's got a workaholic fiance who's not a bad guy when he's not on his Blackberry and Jake's got his former partner Corinne who just won't let Jake away from the dangling carrot of a rekindled relationship. Jake and Jessica must try to elude all obstacles romantic or otherwise to stay focused on the goal - winning the World Title and winning each other. Will they give in to the pressure or come out like champs?
Based on the best selling novel by Dean R Koontz and directed by Brett Leonard Hideaway is a terrifying journey from the unconscious mind to the heart of evil. Following a miraculous escape from death after a near fatal car crash Hatch Harrison (Jeff Goldblum) has suffered terrifying visions of horrific murders murders which he inexplicably feels that that he himself has committed. Tortured by these images Hatch starts to suspect that he has not returned from death alone and that
A Superhero Movie with a Mind of its OwnPacked with high-flying action and non-stop laughs, Megamind puts a whole new hilarious twist on the superhero movie. Super villain Megamind’s (Will Ferrell) dreams have come true when he conquers the city’s protector, Metro Man (Brad Pitt), gaining control of Metro City. But when a new villain (Jonah Hill) is created and chaos runs rampant, the world’s biggest “mind” and his comic sidekick Minion (David Cross) might actually save the day.
Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 2" picks up as Andy heads off to Cowboy Camp, leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggin, owner of Al's Toy Barn, kidnaps Woody.
Please wait. Loading...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy