Papillon (Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner 1973): They called him Papillon meaning butterfly. If only he had wings to go with the name. Unable to fly Henri Charriere virtually willed himself free. He persisted until he did the impossible: escape Devil's Island. Based on Charriere's bestseller and shot in Spain and Jamaica Franklin J. Schaffner's film of Papillon united two stars at key career junctions. After a decade of fine work in The Great Escape The Sand Pebbles and Bullitt Steve McQueen found in Charriere another ideal tough-guy role. Coming off The Graduate Midnight Cowboy and Little Big Man Dustin Hoffman again distinguished himself as Dega Charriere's scruffy friend. Midnight Express (Dir. Alan Parker 1973): Brad Davis and John Hurt star in this riveting true story of a young American's nightmarish experiences in a Turkish prison and his unforgettable journey to freedom. Busted for attempting to smuggle hashish out of Istanbul American College student Billy Hayes (Davis) is thrown into the city's most brutal jail. After suffering through four years of sadistic torture and inhuman conditions Billy is about to be released when his parole is denied. Only his inner courage and the support of a fellow inmate (Hurt) give him the strength to catch the Midnight Express (prison code for escape). Missing (Dir. Costa Gavras 1982): Director Constantin Costa-Gavras made his English-language film debut with this political thriller based on a true story. Although the nation depicted is never named directly the action clearly takes place in Chile after the military coup. Missing centers around the disappearance of Charles Horman (John Shea) an American expatriate who lives with his wife Beth (Sissy Spacek) in South America. One night armed soldiers enter their home and drag him away. In desperation Beth decides to contact Charles's father Ed (Jack Lemon) and ask for help. In contrast to his left-wing daughter-in-law Ed is staunchly patriotic. But as he gets the runaround from both American and Chilean officials Ed receives a cold hard lesson in political reality... and learns some ugly truths about US involvement in Latin America.
All reports confirm that the world is witnessing an unprecedented shower of meteorites - a once in a lifetime spectacle that must be seen.' Bill Masen lies in his hospital bed and listens to the radio broadcast in frustration - the bandages on his eyes are not meant to be removed until the following morning. When the time comes he is relieved to find he can see perfectly. But is soon to discover that he is one of the few people left in the world that can. The previous night's light show has blinded all those who watched. With the meteorites have come the spores of a man-eating alien plant form - Triffidus Celestus. Multiplying quickly they uproot themselves in search of a prey that stumbles helplessly in the dark. The fate of the world is in the hands of a few as the Triffids threaten the future of mankind in this classic adaptation of John Wyndham's sci-fi chiller.
The companion film to 'Smoke' 'Blue In The Face' is about a motley crew of characters whose lives intersect and collide at a corner cigar shop in Brooklyn managed by Augie Wren (Harvey Keitel). More of a neighbourhood institution then a money-making proposition the shop may soon be a memory as the owner is thinking of selling it to a health food chain. The neighbourhood is on hand to give their say - in a series of hilarious situations they talk until they are blue in the face in
Ming The Merciless Emperor of Mongo has unleashed his latest terrible weapon for the destruction of Earth a 'purple dust' that is killing the population. Flash Gordon Dale Arden and Dr Zarkov take off for the planet of Mongo to confront Ming and destroy his deadly factory. Before Flash Gordon can 'conquer the universe' he must confront Ming the Rock Men and Annihilations and protect the mining for Polarite the only known antidote to the purple dust.
An evil gang takes over an amusement park only to be foiled by three Ninja-trained brothers and a TV action star in 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, a smartly-paced, if by-the-numbers, kiddie action flick. Medusa (Loni Anderson) and Lothar (Jim Varney) head up the gang with ransom money and mayhem on their minds. But they don't count on the young trio, taught by their Asian grandfather, and Dave Dragon (Hulk Hogan), making a live appearance at the park. What follows is campy humour, lots of Karate-style action and plenty of Home Alone-type boy vs foolish bad-guy high jinks. And girls aren't left out: the brothers' neighbour, a brainy techno girl, is on hand to hack into the computer and override the gang's murderous plans, while also providing 007-style gadgets for hand-to-hand combat. While there is plenty of gunplay in the 90-minute film, no one is killed or even significantly hurt, making it appropriate for ages five and up. --Kimberly Heinrichs, Amazon.com
Avenging betrayal and murder fighting for good in a world steeped in evil. Award-winning llustrator of Spiderman Todd McFarlane brings a life's work to the screen in this dark stylish and brutal animated incarnation of his Spawn anti-hero. Double-crossed and murdered Al Simmon's is sent to the fires of Hell. He makes an ill-fated deal with the Devil to return to see his wife again. Disfigured and trapped in the body of a hell-spawn caught between life and death he roams New York looking for trouble. The cloak and chains of Spawn explode from the comic-book page onto the screen in a deadly tornado of untapped unwrapped merciless power! Episode titles: Hunter's Moon Chasing The Serpent Prophecy.
In A World Of Lies Nothing Is More Dangerous Than The Truth. When the daughter of a billionaire philanthropist is murdered in a rough sex romp gone bad District Attorney Jack Campioni (Tom Berenger) is quick to indict an up-and-coming rap artist. Fresh off the acquittal of Councilman Steven Mayer (John Ritter) high-profile defense attorney Kitt Devereaux (Melanie Griffith) comes to the aid of the young rapper. Teaming with investigator Al Gordon (Huey Lewis) Devereaux finds herself up against unexpected dangerous forces including one of the city's most politically ambitious families. Blindsided at every turn Devereaux offers herself up as bait - and in the end discovers that behind every conspiracy theory lies a grain of truth.
First broadcast in 1955 The Adventures of Robin Hood stars Richard Green as Robin of Locksley. Together with his band of merry men he protects the countryside from evil Prince John (Donald Pleasence). Features all 39 episodes from the third series spread over 5 discs: The Salt King A Tuck In Time Pepper The Charter A Change Of Heart Brother Battle My Brother's Keeper An Apple For The Archer The Angry Village The Mark The Bride Of Robin Hood To Be A Student Th
The Quiet Man: John Ford's The Quiet Man celebrates one of Hollywood's most romantic and enduring epics. The first American feature to be filmed in Ireland's picturesque countryside Ford richly imbued this masterpiece with his love of Ireland and its people. Sean Thornton is an American who swears off boxing after accidentally killing an opponent. Returning to the Irish town of his birth he finds happiness when he falls in love with the fiery Mary Kate. Though he is sorely tempted to pick up the gloves against her brother the town bully Sean is determined not to use his fists. Mary Kate and Sean wed but her brother refuses to pay the dowry. Sean would rather walk away than accept this challenge. Even when his new wife accuses him of cowardice Sean stands firm. But when she boards a train to leave he is finally ready to take matters into his own hands. The resulting fist-fight erupts into the longest brawl ever filmed followed by one of the most memorable reconciliation's in motion picture history! (Dir. John Ford 1952) Rooster Cogburn: Two of the most popular stars in screen history are brought together for the first time in the follow up to True Grit. The film returns John Wayne to the role of the rapscallion eye patched whiskey guzzling Deputy Marshall that won him an Academy Award. Katharine Hepburn is prim Eula Goodnight a Bible thumping missionary who teams up with the gun fighter to avenge the death of her father. While in pursuit of the outlaws a warm rapport develops between the rough n' tumble lawman and the flirty reverend's daughter. (Dir. Stuart Miller 1975)
The new generation of Cyborgs are more lethal powerful dangerous and smarter than the computers that programmed them. So intelligent they are capable of regenerating themselves without human control - a chilling prospect for the civilized world.
A romantic adventure for the dangerous at heart... Sean Penn is Glendon Wasey a quick-witted fortune hunter looking for a fast track out of China. Madonna is Gloria Tatlock a determined missionary nurse seeking the healing powers of opium for her patients. She wants to help the suffering...he wants the boat fare back to the States. So fate sets them on a hectic exotic chaotic and quite often romantic quest for stolen drugs. The trouble is the opium they're after is also the target of every thug and smuggler in Shanghai. It's a wild rickshaw-race adventure with every concubine Kung Fu killer and crime boss in town in hot pursuit! You're in for a Shanghai Surprise as Sean Penn and Madonna star in this high-flying grand adventure set in 1937 China with music by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison.
Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979. Product Features Picture-in-Picture: eyewitness account Rescued From Tehran: We were there Feature-length Commentary (On 4K And Blu-ray) With director Ben Affleck and writer Chris Terrio
Richard Gere stars as Navy recruit Zack Mayo while the stunning Debra Winger is his love interest. Lou Gossett Jnr. won an Academy Award for his brilliant portrayal of a tough drill instructor. David Keith plays Zack''s struggling fellow candidate. Zack Mayo is a young loner with a bad attitude. Tempted by the glamour and admiration of the life of a Navy pilot he decides to sign up for Officer Candidate School. After thirteen tortuous weeks under Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley (Gossett Jnr.) he slowly begins to learn the importance of discipline love and friendship. Foley warns Zack about the local girls who will do anything to catch themselves a pilot for a husband but despite this Zack finds himself falling in love with Paula (Winger).
Not only is Puccini's final opera Turandot among the composer's most popular works, but following The Three Tenors and a certain football contest, it has in "Nessun dorma!" what is almost certainly the best-loved aria in all opera. Written 20 years after Madame Butterfly (1904), Puccini's version of an 800-year-old fairy-tale is set in a legendary Peking and scored on a grand scale, incorporating not only Chinese musical techniques but a vast range of oriental percussion. Puccini draws heavily on the chorus, and as ever makes intense demands on his heroine, to which Eva Marton rises powerfully, very well complemented by the tenor Michael Sylvester as Calaf. However, what makes this 1994 San Francisco Opera version so enchanting as a visual experience is the realisation by David Hockney, who not only designed the sets and costumes but also directed the production. His vision is highly stylised, richly imagined, atmospheric and very beautiful, and it is a testament to how well this version is directed that much of the original magic is communicated through the confines of a TV screen. --Gary S. DalkinOn the DVD: Other than a well-appointed booklet, and the option to watch with or without subtitles, there are no special features. The 4:3 picture is a major improvement on video, though no doubt due to the original source materials, not as detailed as the best DVDs. The sound is powerful PCM stereo, with a slight tendency to become strident at especially dramatic moments. The layer change is particularly badly done, interrupting the choir in full flow, rather than being placed between tracks.
A woman whose sister has been murdered shoots the mobster responsible. Later behind bars she becomes the subject of a mob contract. Hell hath no fury in the prison thriller.
Smoke (Dir. Wayne Wang 1995): Departing from the conventions of Hollywood story-telling Smoke is constructed like an emotional jigsaw puzzle: pieces interweave and interconnect to form an intricate whole. Unrelated characters - a cigar store manager (Harvey Keitel) who has taken photographs in front of his store at the same hour every day for 14 years; a novelist (William Hurt) unable to go on writing after his wife is killed in a random act of street violence; a man (Forest Whitaker) who ran away from his past and tries to start over after accidentally killing his wife. These characters amongst others making their way through the lonely urban landscape might seem to have little in common. But in the couse of this motion picture they cross paths by chance and end up changing each other's lives in indelible ways. Blue in the Face (Dir. Wayne Wang & Paul Auster 1995): The companion film to Smoke Blue In The Face is about a motley crew of characters whose lives intersect and collide at a corner cigar shop in Brooklyn managed by Augie Wren (Harvey Keitel). More of a neighbourhood institution then a money-making proposition the shop may soon be a memory as the owner is thinking of selling it to a health food chain. The neighbourhood is on hand to give their say - in a series of hilarious situations they talk until they are blue in the face in this movie about relationships the city and sex.
Outrunning the past to save the future... Izzy Maurer (Harvey Keitel) is a jazz saxophonist whose life is permanently changed when he is hit by a stray bullet. After his recovery Izzy stumbles across the body of a stranger and winds up with the murdered man's briefcase. Inside is a mysterious stone which leads himito Celia Burns (Mira Sorvino). Together they discover the power of the stone and the threat of those who want it as the story takes a dark and surprising turn into
An opera in three acts from the Teatro Real Madrid. Enjoy the world premiere of the full and original version of Merlin by Isaac Albniz over a century after he completed the work. Albniz composed this 'Wagnerian' opera to an English libretto by his patron Francis Burdett Money-Coutts between 1898 and 1902. Many believed the score was lost until the conductor Jos De Eusebio reconstructed it from various manuscript sources and publishers' proofs. For this stunning production dire
A portrait of one of the 20th century's most influential cultural icons, with testimonies from artists, musicians, writers and friends. William Burroughs is now regarded as a huge influence over late 20th century fiction and cultural life. This documentary features previously unseen footage of Burroughs in conversation, as well as footage of him at many of his infamous readings, where he brought to life his writing, in front of audiences the world over.
Without the security of the job he wants or the future he dreamed of, Paul Dynan (Kevin Zegers), plans the perfect crime to help his struggling family - extort a fortune from three wealthy men (Ray Liotta, Victor Garber, Stephen McHattie).The plan: to abduct their socialite children (Laura Vandervoort, Dustin Milligan, John Bregar) and collect a healthy ransom of $3-million dollars. Over the course of one long night, Paul and his accomplices hold the rich kids hostage awaiting the ransom with little idea of the secrets that will surface between the fathers when they are forced to choose between their children and their money. Once blood is shed and things go horribly wrong, Paul must fight to stay one step ahead of his own twisted game.
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