On the cusp of turning 50, it looks like Tom Cruise has entered a new phase of self-conception with a more maturely controlled version of superspy Ethan Hunt in the sleek and supercharged Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. The things Cruise has done right in M: I part four include toning down his youthful, arrogant preening and letting his cast mates share more of the spotlight (Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, and Simon Pegg all have some terrifically shiny moments). He also lets the unique creative vision of director Brad Bird shine through in a first live-action outing for the acclaimed helm of Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille. Still looking much younger than his years (that hair! those pecs! those abs!), Cruise is playing more age-appropriately, letting a little wisdom and grace seep into his charisma so the wattage of his mere presence smoulders a little deeper. It's a nice nod to a greying generation that says you can get older and still be cool. All that is not to say he doesn't play up his action-star chops to the max. In a mostly inconsequential narrative arc that has something to do with purloined nuclear launch codes, an important metal briefcase, satellite uplinks, and global annihilation that leaps from Moscow to Dubai to Mumbai, Cruise is as dangerously nimble as he has ever been. He dangles one-handed from the tallest building in the world, bounds off ledges, springs out of speeding vehicles, tumbles and careens up and down the levels of an automated parking garage, and generally sprints and jumps his way across the movie with only a scratch or bruise to show for it. Also on the outlandish upside is a happily stereotypical villain straight out of Connery-era Bond and as many bleeding-edge gadgets as the art department techno-geeks could dream up. A running gag is that many of these electronic fantasy tools fail at just the wrong moment, which is part of a larger wink acknowledging how utterly preposterous yet ingeniously conceived this behemoth of a movie really is. The gadgetry is not limited just to the miraculous props. Ghost Protocol employs CGI fakery of the highest order from the sub-industry of effects contractors that ratchet up the standard of computing power and software design, one-upping each successive action-adventure extravaganza. The loving detail that goes into blowing up the Kremlin or rendering a photo-realistic sandstorm erupting across the enhanced skyline of an Oz-like desert city is nothing short of miraculous. What's more astonishing is that Tom Cruise closes the deal with a selling power that's as new and improved as the laminates on his multi-million-dollar teeth. --Ted Fry
Based on the only surviving record of the infamous 1942 Wannsee Conference, the BBC/HBO produced Conspiracy reconstructs the two-hour meeting during which leading members of the SS and the Nazi government made definitive plans for the genocide of Europe's Jews. Sixteen men sit around a table and politely discuss the mechanics and ramifications of murdering millions. As SS General Reinhard Heydrich, overall architect of the Final Solution, Kenneth Branagh is brilliant, charming, manipulative and threatening, a cultured man seemingly without a soul. As his aid, SS Colonel Adolf Eichmann, Stanley Tucci is the incarnation of the banality of evil, an efficient and self-effacing bureaucrat in a fine performance marred only by a hint of the actor's American accent. Colin Firth is a powerful foil for Branagh as Dr Wilhelm Stuckart, author of Nazi Germany's race laws and a stickler for the rule of law, no matter how insane the law may have become; while David Threlfall makes a striking impression as the one man who comes closest to taking a moral stand, Dr Wilhelm Kritzinger. Directed in an elegantly controlled style by Frank Pierson, Conspiracy is the Janus face of the 1957 classic 12 Angry Men and a chilling companion to the BBC/HBO Churchill drama The Gathering Storm (2002). On the DVD: Conspiracy comes to DVD with text profiles of the four leading actors and the director and two featurettes, one running two minutes, the other four, neither of which is any more than an electronic press-kit. Sound is clear, perfectly good Dolby Surround, while the picture, though anamorphically enhanced at 16:9, is no more than adequate. --Gary S Dalkin
The sensational 'discovery' of Hitler's diaries and subsequent realisation that they were forged caused a world-wide scandal in 1983. Alastair Reid's tongue-in-cheek five-part dramatisation, based on Robert Harris's best-selling novel, exposes the machinations that led to Stern magazine's announcement of the scoop of the century, the ensuing bidding war for serialisation rights, acrimony among the eminent historians who were taken in and, finally, the diaries' exposure as an elaborate hoax. ...
Jack Dodds was a regular guy so why the strange last order to have his ashes thrown off Margate pier? And why did his wife refuse to do it? As his friends make the trip to the coast they try to understand Jack's death by reliving their lives through him - the war the children the good times and the bad. The journey becomes a pub crawl full of drinks and punch-ups and the men discover that through it all it's your friends who break your heart and your friends who mend it.
In the sixth and final season of LUCIFER, we close the chapter on our crime-solving Devil. With Los Angeles no longer the battleground for his angelic siblings, Lucifer's relationship with Chloe has never been stronger. Life is good. But if we know anything about this fallen angel, it's that his past always finds a way of catching up to him! Special Features Gag Reel Deleted Scenes
Black Panther: After tragedy forces yound Prince T'Challa to assume Wakanda's throne, he is faced with the ultimate test, putting the fate of his country and the entire world at risk. Pitted against his own family, the new king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and embrace his future as an Avenger. Avengers: Infinity War: An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity War brings to the screen the ultimate showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the poweful Thanos. Ant-Man and the Wasp: From the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes Ant-Man and the Wasp. Still reeling from the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang is enlisted by Dr. Hank Pym for an urgent new mission. He must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside the Wasp as they join forces to uncover secrets from the past. Captain Marvel: Set in the 1990s, Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that follows the journey of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes. While a galactic war between two alien races reaches Earth, Danvers finds herself and a small cadre of allies at the center of the maelstrom. Avengers: Endgame: The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios' grand conclusion to twenty-two films, Avengers: Endgame. Spider-Man: Far From Home: Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) returns in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Our friendly neighborhood Super Hero decides to join his best friends Ned, MJ, and the rest of the gang on a European vacation. However, Peter's plan to leave super heroics behind for a few weeks is quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) uncover the mystery of several elemental creature attacks. Spider-Man and Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) join forces to fight the havoc unleashed across the continent but all is not as it seems. Bonus Features: 'Marvel 3.2 Bonus Disc: Black Panther: Come to Wakanda Before; Come to Wakanda After Avengers: Infinity War: The Directors' Roundtable Avengers Ant-Man and the Wasp: 10 Years of Marvel Studios: The Art of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; Online Close-Up Magic University Captain Marvel: What Makes a Memory: Inside the Mind Frack; Journey Into Visual Effects With Victoria Alonso Each Individual Film Disc Contains: Black Panther: Play Movie With Director Ryan Coogler's Intro; Featurettes - From Page To Screen: A Roundtable Discussion; Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years - Connecting The Universe; Exclusive; Sneak Peek At Ant-Man And The Wasp; Gag Reel; Deleted Scenes; Audio Commentary Avengers: Infinity War: Intro By Directors Joe And Anthony Russo; Featurettes: Strange Alchemy, The Mad Titan, Beyond the Battle: Titan & Wakanda; Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Audio Commentary by Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, and Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely Ant-Man and the Wasp: Play Movie With Intro By Director Peyton Reed; Making Of Featurettes: Back In The Ant Suit: Scott Lang, A Suit Of Her Own: The Wasp, Subatomic: Super Heroes: Hank & Janet, Quantum Perspective: The VFX And Production Design Of Ant-Man And The Wasp; Gag Reel And Outtakes: Gag Reel, Stan Lee Outtakes, Tim Heidecker Outtakes; Deleted Scenes: Worlds Upon Worlds, Worlds Upon Worlds With Commentary, Sonny's On The Trail, Sonny's On The Trail With Commentary; Audio Commentary Captain Marvel: Becoming a Super Hero, Big Hero Moment, The Origin of Nick Fury, The Dream Team, The Skrulls and the Kree, Hiss-sterical Cat-titude; Deleted Scenes: Who Do You Admire Above All Others , Starforce Recruits, Heading to Torfa, What, No Smile? , Black Box, Rookie Mistake; Gag Reel; Audio Commentary; Play Movie With Intro By Directors Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck Avengers: Endgame: Audio Commentary; Play Movie with Intro by Directors Joe and Anthony Russo Spider-Man: Far From Home: Peter's To-Do List - A Short Film; Deleted Scenes; Cast Bloopers Avengers Endgame Bonus Disc: Remembering Stan Lee; Setting the Tone: Casting Robert Downey Jr.; A Man Out of Time: Creating Captain America; Black Widow: Whatever It Takes; The Russo Brothers: Journey to Endgame; The Women of the MCU; Bro Thor; Gag Reel; DELETED SCENE: Goji Berries; DELETED SCENE: Bombs on Board; DELETED SCENE: Suckiest Army in the Galaxy; DELETED SCENE: You Used to Frickin' Live Here; DELETED SCENE: Tony and Howard; DELETED SCENE: Avengers Take a Knee Added Value: 6 Original Theatrical Posters 6 Matt Ferguson Art Cards Infinity Gauntlet We Love You 3000 Art Card
Thanks to generous funding from media mogul Ted Turner, first-time director Ronald F Maxwell was able to make an almost word-for-word adaptation of Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Killer Angels. Running over four hours, Gettysburg (1993) splits into two convenient parts for TV viewing (although a 70mm print was given limited theatrical release). This story of three bloody days of conflict in July, 1863 (an unimaginable 50,000 casualties), is divided equally between Union and Confederate forces. On the Union side, Jeff Daniels is the quietly heroic Colonel Joshua Chamberlain; Sam Elliott is utterly convincing as General Buford, the Union cavalryman who holds the Confederate army at bay on the first day. Martin Sheen plays an oddly subdued and vacillating General Lee--a controversial portrait of the legendary Confederate chief--while Tom Berenger, despite being almost hidden underneath an enormous authentically period-style beard, is strong and authoritative as General Longstreet (whose opposition to Lee's plans gave many in the Confederacy a reason to blame him for the disaster at Gettysburg). Chamberlain's last-ditch defence of Little Round Top, which prevented the Union forces from being flanked on the second day of battle, forms the climax to the first half; the heartbreaking Pickett's Charge--the Confederates' disastrous frontal assault on the entrenched Union lines on the third day--is the movie's greatest set piece and one of the most compelling reasons to endure a little too much stodgy dialogue (lifted directly from the novel) and an apparently over-reverential attitude to the subject-matter. But much of this movie was made in and around the actual battle site, so it's only to be expected that the cast and crew tread carefully, as if literally under the watchful eyes of the men whose lives they are re-enacting. And re-enactment is the key: with a cast of thousands in splendidly detailed period costumes, cannonades galore and massed ranks of musketry, the sheer scale of the military spectacle is endlessly impressive. If as a piece of filmmaking it has many faults, as an historical re-enactment Gettysburg is unsurpassed--even by the epic Waterloo (1970), which drafted in a large chunk of the Russian army as Napoleonic extras. --Mark Walker
Gripping human drama. Sumptuous period epic. Glorious celebration of the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This marvelous winner of eight Academy Awards portrays the rivalry between the genius Mozart (Tom Hulce) and the jealous court composer (Best Actor Oscar Winner F. Murray Abraham) who may have ruined Mozart's career and shortened his life.
A deliriously violent medieval epic from genre master Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Total Recall), Flesh + Blood sees a savage and amoral band of mercenaries take revenge on the noblemen who betrayed them. In Western Europe, 1501, a small army of mercenaries led by the charismatic and mercurial Martin (Rutger Hauer; Blade Runner, The Hitcher) reclaim a heavily fortified castle for its owner Arnolfini, who then betrays the band and ejects them from the city by force. Swearing revenge, Martin leads a violent assault on the nobleman and ends up accidentally kidnapping the beautiful Agnes (Jennifer Jason Leigh The Hateful Eight), the fiancée of Arnolfini's son Steven, who in turn pledges to wipe out the mercenary group once and for all. With its vision of a brutal and morally bereft Medieval Europe, the film shocked audiences who had become used to the highly romanticised depictions of the era commonly seen on the big screen. Originally censored in the UK due to its extreme amounts of sex and violence, Eureka Classics is proud to present Flesh + Blood fully uncut, and on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK in a special Dual Format edition. Features: Limited Edition O-Card slipcase (first print run only) 1080p presentation of the film on Blu-ray, with a progressive encode on the DVD. Uncompressed LPCM audio (on the Blu-ray) Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Audio commentary by director Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven in the Flesh (21 mins) Verhoeven Versus Verhoeven A documentary on the iconic director, covering the entirety of his career and featuring extensive interviews with the man himself (45 mins) Audio interview with actor Rutger Hauer (24 mins) Interview with screenwriter Gerard Soeteman (17 mins) Interview with composer Basil Poledoris Original theatrical trailer A collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film (first pressing only)
Tom Cruise ignites the screen in the hit big-screen blockbuster that launched one of today's biggest, and still-growing, action movie franchises. Ethan Hunt (Cruise), is a top secret agent, framed for the deaths of his espionage team. Fleeing from government assassins, breaking into the CIA's most impenetrable vault, clinging to the roof of a speeding bullet train, Hunt races like a burning fuse to stay one step ahead of his pursuers... and draw one step closer to discovering the shocking truth. Directed by Brian De Palma (THE UNTOUCHABLES), this newly remastered Blu-ray celebrates the 25th Anniversary. Extras: Mission: Remarkable - 40 Years of Creating the Impossible Mission: Explosive Exploits Mission: Spies Among Us Mission: Catching the Train Mission: International Spy Museum Mission: Agent Dossiers Mission: Marketing Excellence in Film: Cruise Generation: Cruise Photo Gallery Trailer Gallery HD
Transported back in time to the planet Skaro Doctor Who and his companions have to try and stop Davros from ever creating the Daleks.
With top salesman Little Gary Patel in jail times are hard and are getting harder for the sales staff of PhoneShop. If they are to retain their status as Kings of the High Street they need to ensure that every mug punter within five square miles gets locked down to the worst most expensive mobile phone contract known to mankind. From training days to owl tattoos from sex lemons to the Elite Selling Krew all retail life is here in Phil Bowker's multiple-award winning hit ensemble comedy featuring Tom Bennett Andrew Brooke Emma Fryer Javone Prince Martin Trenaman and Kayvan Novak. Series 1 Special Features: PhoneShop Team Commentary Hidden Extras Series 2 Special Features: Bloop Reel Meet the Elite Janine and Friends Hot Guys with Lazy Eyes - Extended
In 1979, The Warriors seemed like a frighteningly realistic possible future for The Big Apple. The film's depiction of multiple street gangs no longer content with occupying their own territories was an uncomfortably real issue across New York City. A deceptively simple plot begins with a truce gathering representatives from all the gangs at a meeting. Would-be leader Cyrus has a vision. Unfortunately a member of the Rogues shoots him before we learn what it is, and then pins the blame on the Warriors. With anything up to 60,000 gang soldiers and 20,000 police on their trail, the seven Warrior members beat a hasty retreat any which way they can back to Coney Island. What's really going on, as per Sol Yurick's original novel, is a subtle examination of the seemingly contradictory traits of loyalty and nobility that occur in a close-knit group. Explosions of violence and a disregard for bystanders are secondary to what the characters mean to one another. All this brotherly love is presented with some truly amazing production design and cinematography: though dark, this is a world of colourful night-lights and even more colourful gang uniforms. Historically, this is a movie way past its sell-by date (it certainly won't instigate real life violence now as it did when released), but thematically it remains a worthy exploration of all those unspoken codes of honour. On the DVD: This is a good movie to test the dark end of the spectrum. It's in 1.78:1 and only in mono, but that somehow works for what's little more than a lot of running around in the dark. The only extra is the original trailer.--Paul Tonks
EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE reunites fans with Jesse Pinkman (Emmy® Award-winner[i] Aaron Paul). In the wake of his dramatic escape from captivity, Jesse must come to terms with his past in order to forge some kind of future. This riveting thriller was written and directed by Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad.
Mel Gibson stars in this action packed tale of the Amercan war of independence.
Thanks to sharp writing and a pitch-perfect ensemble cast, Frasier became one of the smartest and funniest television shows of the 1990s. Following the 1993 demise of Cheers, Diane's fussy psychiatrist boyfriend Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) seemed an unlikely candidate for a spin-off series. Yet the show earned smash ratings and dozens of Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor (Grammer) in the very first series. In an inspired bit of casting, Grammer was matched with David Hyde Pierce as his brother and fellow psychiatrist Niles, and the rest of the players included his radio-programme manager, Roz (Peri Gilpin), his father, Marty (John Mahoney), his father's physical therapist, Daphne (Jane Leeves) and the dog Eddie (Moose). In the first series, Frasier and Marty try to learn how to coexist in the same apartment, Niles and Daphne spend a stormy evening in Niles's house, Frasier acquires pushy agent Bebe (Harriet Sansom Harris) and searches for love with Amanda Donohoe among others, his ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) makes a guest appearance, the family takes a cross-country trip in a Winnebago and the two brothers collaborate on a book. --David Horiuchi
Warrior stars Tom Hardy (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises) and Joel Edgerton (The Thing). An inspirational and exhilarating roller-coaster of a film, Warrior centres around Tommy (Hardy) - an ex marine haunted by a tragic past, who enlists the help of his estranged father (Nick Nolte) to train up for the fight of his life. A former wrestling prodigy, Tommy blazes a path towards SPARTA - the biggest 'winner takes all' Mixed Martial Arts event in history. His brother, Brendan (Joel Edgerton), an ex-fighter-turned teacher, also returns to the ring in a desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin. So when Brendan's unlikely, underdog rise sets him on a collision course with the unstoppable Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront each other - and the forces that pulled them apart - in the ultimate face off.
It is the turn of the century and the Tardis materialses by the lighthouse on the desolate isle of Fang Rock. When the lighthouse engineer dies in mysterious circumstances the remaining crew blame the mythical Beast of Fang Rock; that is until the Doctor and Leela turn up. When a small clipper runs aground on the crags of Fang Rock the lighthouse offers shelter to its despairing passengers. But the Doctor soon discovers clues that suggest that no one is safe on the tiny island.
A sly piece of pop subversion, this irresistible satire of Reagan-era materialism features Tom Cruise in his star-is-born breakthrough as a Chicago suburban prepster whose college-bound life spirals out of control when his parents go out of town for the week and an enterprising call girl (Rebecca De Mornay) invites him to walk on the wild side. While Cruise boogying in his briefs yielded one of the most iconic pop-cultural moments of the 1980s, it is the film's unexpected mix of tender romance (enhanced by a moody synth score by Tangerine Dream) and sharp-witted capitalist critique that remains fresh and daring.
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