As the successor to a martyred president Lyndon B. Johnson sought to transform America into a 'Great Society' of equal opportunity. Instead he became the symbol for the most unpopular war in U.S. history. Michael Gambon (as President Johnson) Donald Sutherland (as Clark Gifford) and Alec Baldwin (as Robert McNamara) star in a compelling drama of soaring ambition and shattered dreams set inside the LBJ White House in the volatile years leading up to and during Vietnam. This HBO production was decorated director John Frankenheimer's final film.
An accountant is introduced to a mysterious sex club known as The List by his lawyer friend. But he soon becomes the prime suspect in a woman's disappearance and a multi-million dollar heist.
A solid enough thriller held together by some somewhat implausible plot devices, Deception stars Ben Affleck as Rudy, whose cellmate Nick is lucky enough to be pen-pal to the beautiful Ashley (Charlize Theron) who in turn has pledged herself, body and soul to the man inside whom she has never set eyes upon. Upon his release, Rudy decides to pose as Nick in order to take up with this luscious and adoring female. Unfortunately, the scheme backfires on Rudy when he discovers that Ashley was apparently a pawn in her ruthless brother Monster's game to coerce him into helping him and his gang of gun-runners rob a casino that Nick used to work in. Deception rumbles along at a pretty seedy, violent pace for a long time, with Rudy's efforts to escape resulting in Monster (a menacing Gary Sinise) using him as a dartboard in one memorably brutal scene. Following their raid on the casino, however (clad in Santa outfits), the plot takes a couple of devilish twists and turns which reward the viewer prepared to come this far down the road with these people. The lack of empathy may be redeemed by some viewers with a scene featuring Charlize Theron naked in a pool. --David Stubbs
Director John Frankenheimer's attention to detail coupled with excellent plot twists will keep you glued to this unmissable film. Roy Scheider plays the morally flawed hero with fantastic ease whilst John Glover's cool talking character makes a truly frightening villain. Harry Mitchell (Scheider) an L.A. manufacturer with a fancy car a nice house and a beautiful wife (Ann-Margret) running for city council has his life overturned when three hooded blackmailers appear with a video
A milestone film from 1971 and winner of five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, The French Connection transformed the crime thriller with its gritty, authentic story about New York City police detectives on the trail of a large shipment of heroin. Based on an actual police case and the illustrious career of New York cop Eddie Egan, the film stars Gene Hackman as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, whose unorthodox methods of crime fighting are anything but diplomatic. With his partner (Roy Scheider), Popeye investigates the international shipment of heroin masterminded by the suave Frenchman (Fernando Rey) who eludes Popeye throughout an escalating series of pursuits. The obsessive tension of Doyle's investigation reaches peak intensity during the film's breathtaking car chase, in which Doyle races under New York's elevated train tracks in a borrowed sedan--a sequence that earned an Oscar for editing and was instantly hailed as one of the greatest chase scenes ever filmed. Produced on location, The French Connection had an immediate influence on dozens of movies and TV shows to follow, virtually redefining the crime thriller with its combination of brutal realism and high-octane craftsmanship. Boosted by the film's phenomenal success, director William Friedkin took his attention towards redefining the horror genre with his next film The Exorcist.--Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com Following on from the original four years later, French Connection II takes "Popeye" Doyle to Marsailles to hunt down Alain Charnier, the "daddy" of the smuggling ring. Gene Hackman returns to revive his role as Doyle the brutal and uncompromising narcotics detective, and turns in an equally hard hitting performance to that offered in the original.
Though this graphic 1996 version of HG Wells' The Island of Dr Moreau was roasted by critics, it's an utterly fascinating failure, largely due to the performances of David Thewlis, Val Kilmer and especially Marlon Brando in the title role as a mad (and in this case outrageously bizarre) scientist whose experiments in crossbreeding humans with animals have gone terribly awry. Thewlis plays the wayward scholar who is rescued at sea by Kilmer and brought to Moreau's island to discover the doctor's unnatural "children". Fairuza Balk plays Moreau's half-cat daughter, but it's Brando and Kilmer (in one scene doing a killer Brando impersonation) who steal the show, along with the astounding make-up effects created by Stan Winston. A guilty pleasure by any measure, this movie has definite cult-favourite potential. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
This HBO docu-drama depicts the notorious 1971 prison revolt at the State Penitentiary at Attica, in upstate New York. One can sense the mastery of veteran theatrical feature director John Frankenheimer at the helm, in the movie's gripping suspense and gritty, hard-hitting realism. The semi-fictionalised narrative is told from the point of view of young Michael Smith, (Kyle MacLachlan), a newly recruited prison guard (the real Smith worked as a consultant on the film). When Smith arrives at Attica, the place is a revolt waiting to happen. When riots break out and the inmates take command of the prison, Smith and several other guards are held hostage. In this powder-keg climate, a relationship develops between Smith and the rebellion's wise, cool-headed leader, Jamaal, (the superb Samuel L Jackson), a political prisoner representing the African Liberation Movement. The insurrection at Attica became emblematic of protests taking place all over the United States at the time. "We've got a civil war going on in this country," says one prison guard, "This is where we hold the line." Against the Wall illustrates in no uncertain terms which side won this particular battle, and at what tragic cost. Then it goes one step further, becoming a platform for contemporary prison reform. The film's terrific performances include Clarence L Williams III as a wild-eyed, malcontent prisoner, Frederic Forrest as a rabid prison guard and Anne Heche as Smith's stalwart wife. --Laura Mirsky
A story of teenage tearing-away in 1950s America, The Young Stranger fails to make a serious, gripping narrative of the events that follow the somewhat innocuous pivotal moment when 16-year-old Harold "Hal" Ditmar (James MacArthur) punches a cinema manager. Adapted from a TV play and released two years after the benchmark for delinquency movies, Rebel Without a Cause, it has none of that film's raw urgency, seeming staid and inconsequential in comparison. The primary problem is that Hal makes an unconvincing hoodlum. His misdemeanour is less an act of rebellion than a brief misunderstanding. Far from articulating the angst of a generation, his angry tirades against his parents (Kim Hunter and James Daly) and the police set him apart from his peers and feel more like the self-pitying whines of a privileged individual. This sensation is further exacerbated by the fact that all of his problems are swiftly resolved in an all-too-neat ending. Still, The Young Stranger is an interesting period piece, not least for an amusingly tame car chase from first-time feature director John Frankenheimer. --Paul Philpott
Titles Comprise: How much does life weigh? A freak accident brings together a terminally ill mathematician (Penn) a grieving mother (Watts) and a born-again ex-con (Del Toro) in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's fantastic multi-layered follow up to his debut 'Amores Perros' a gripping story that takes them to the heights of passion the depths of obsession and sees the promise of revenge... Ronin: In a world where loyalty is earned and betrayal is a way of life a new and deadlier terrorist threat has emerged - the freelance killer! Staring Robert De Niro Jean Reno Natascha McElhone Stellan Skarsgard Sean Bean and Jonathan Pryce written by J.D. Zeik and Richard Weisz and directed by John Frankeheimer the master of intelligent thrillers Ronin is a gritty international film packed with high-octane action. The Cold War may be over but at the forefront of the New World is a group of covert mercenaries whose skills in surveillance reconnaissance and attack are for sale to the highest bidder. A mysterious client for a dangerous mission assembles five of these operatives known as 'Ronin' in Paris: steal a top-secret briefcase. Featuring some of the most exciting stomach-churning car chases ever committed to film Ronin is a tough uncompromising thriller that will leave you breathless. The Usual Suspects: Winner of two 1995 Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay this masterful atmospheric film noir enraptured audiences with its complex and riveting storyline gritty tour-de-force performances (including an Oscar-winning turn by Kevin Spacey) and a climax that is truly deserving of the word stunning. This thoroughly engrossing film (HBO) is so gripping and diabolically clever (The Wall Street Journal) that it becomes a maze you'll be happy to get lost in (Los Angeles Times)! Held in an L.A. interrogation room Verbal Kint (Spacey) attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord not only exists but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor - leaving few survivors. But as Kint lures his interrogators into the incredible story of this crime lord's almost supernatural prowess so too will you be mesmerized by a lore that is completely captivating from beginning to end!
Tony Rome (Dir. Gordon Douglas 1967): Tony Rome a tough Miami PI living on a houseboat is hired by a local millionaire to find jewelry stolen from his daughter and in the process has several encounters with local hoods as well as the Miami Beach PD. The Detective (Dir. Gordon Douglas 1968): A hard-boiled mystery starring Frank Sinatra as the tough-as-nails Detective Joe Leland 'The Detective' was based on a novel by Roderick Thorp. Called in to investigate the murder of Teddy Leikman the homosexual son of a well-connected department store mogul Leland executes an open-and-shut investigation. He quickly elicits a confession from Teddy's crazy roommate and the defendant is convicted and executed while Leland scores a promotion. But when the widow of an accountant seeks out the Detective to look into the circumstances of her husband's death Leland uncovers some startling evidence implicating a corrupt New York City political machine; an attempt on Leland's life further convinces him that the authorities have a stake in keeping this case closed. Lee Remick ('The Omen') plays Leland's estranged wife Karen. The Manchurian Candidate (Dir. John Frankenheimer 1962): One of the ""most poundingly suspenseful political thrillers ever made "" (People Magazine) and ""one of the best and brightest of modern American films"" (Roger Ebert). Ask Major Bennett Marco (Sinatra) and he'll say that Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) is a hero worthy of the Medal of Honor. But despite what he says Marco suspects otherwise. A bizarre recurring nightmare gives him the uneasy feeling that Shaw is something far less heroic and far more insidious. Is it possible that Shaw is a traitor? Can Marco convince the Army of his suspicions? How does Shaw's powermad mother (Lansbury) figure into this all? So many questions. So little precious time...
This is a box set featuring three of Robert De Niro's most renowned films from the MGM stable. Raging Bull: Based on the life and career of boxer Jake LaMotta Raging Bull focuses on Jake's rage and violence that makes him virtually unstoppable in the ring. The same anger also drives Jake to beat his wife and his brother Joey and sends Jake down a self-destructive spiral of paranoia and rage. Ronin: A woman assembles a team of professional killers from all over the world to get a hold on a certain case with some mysterious content. The case is in the hands of some ex-KGB spies and there are many people and organizations that will do anything to get their hands on it. True Confessions: De Niro (a Catholic Priest) and Duvall (a homicide Detective) play brothers drawn together after many years apart in the aftermath of the brutal murder of a young prostitute.
Acclaimed director John Frankenheimer's definitive staging of Eugene O'Neill's play. Eugene O'Neill's masterpiece is often referred to as the greatest work of 20th century American theatre centring on a crowd of misfits wastrels anarchists alcoholics prostitutes and barflies drinking away their troubles and making grandiose plans. When Hickey arrives for his yearly drunken bender to celebrate landlord Harry Hope's birthday each character's dreams and aspirations melt away wi
Ronin is the Japanese word used for Samurai without a master. In this case, the Ronin are outcast specialists of every kind, whose services are available to everyone - for money.
John Frankenheimer (The Birdman Of Alcatraz The Manchurian Candidate) is one of the most innovative filmmakers of the twentieth century whose groundbreaking techniques and definitive cinematic style has rippled through the history of movies to leave an indelible mark. Renowned actor Burt Lancaster (The Sweet Smell Of Success Elmer Gantry) can only be described as a screen legend bringing to life some of the most unforgettable realistic characters in motion pictures. Together Frankenheimer and Lancaster formed a creative partnership that managed to conceive some of the most important films of the sixties. The Young Savages was their first successful collaboration. New York''s Harlem slum Hell''s Kitchen is no place for a stranger. It''s a desperate decaying ghetto throbbing with gangland tension where restless teenage rebels are willing to risk their life to protect their turf. But when members of the notorious Thunderbird gang venture into an opposing neighbourhood and stab to death a Puerto Rican boy Assistant District Attorney Hank Bell (Lancaster) is determined to undercover the real motivation behind such a cold bloodied act.
Hal Ditmar is a clean-cut kid, the son of a wealthy movie producer. When an argument at a theatre turns into a fight between Hal and the theatre manager, Hal finds no one, not even his father, will believe his actions were justified as self-defense. The police are concerned that Hal is a juvenile delinquent in the making, but the real problem lies in Hal's father's inattention to his son. It's up to Hal's mother to try to bridge the gulf between father and son.
Battle Of Britain (Dir. Guy Hamilton 1969): This is a spectacular re-telling of a true story that shows courage at its inspiring best. Few defining moments can change the outcome of war; but when the outnumbered Royal Air Force defied unsurmountable odds in engaging the German Luftwaffe they may well have altered the course of history! The Train (Dir. John Frankenheimer 1964): Inspired by a true incident during World War II in 'The Train' Burt Lancaster plays a French Resistance fighter doggedly attempting to stop a train used by the Nazis (led by Paul Scofield as Colonel Von Waldheim) to steal precious French art treasures in the summer of 1944. Featuring spectacular action sequences expertly directed by John Frankenheimer 'The Train' is a truly thrilling war film. The Oscar-nominated screenplay by Franklin Coen and Frank Davis superbly recreates the tension of this heroic episode.
On August 22 1985 in LA California Rick Nelson showed a sold out Universal Amphitheatre crowd why he was one of Rock 'n' Roll's most vital and energetic showman. An instant success at seventeen with his 1955 hit 'I'm Walkin'' and a Rock 'n' Roll legend before he was old enough to vote. Nelson proceeded to hit the pop charts 53 more times spanning three different decades. On this DVD Rick is captured just prior to his death it's a historic concert by an immortal Rock 'n' Roll star.
Against The Wall: It was a time of protest and war. The whole world was in turmoil and nowhere more so than behind the bleak grey walls of America's toughest prison - the monument to misery and violence they called Attica. This is a terrifying story of courage and conviction amid the chaos and horror of America's bloodiest ever prison uprising directed by the acclaimed John Frankenheimer. With both guards and inmates caged like animals Attica was a timebomb just waiting to explode. In this pressure-cooker of brutality a strange bond of humanity was forged between a young rookie officer and the Black Panther leader of revolt. But their passionate belief in a human rights respect and dignity were about to be engulfed in the hatred prejudice and revenge......and the world never be the same again. Tiger Warsaw: Deeply moving story set in the steel town of Sharon Pennsylvania. Chuck Tiger Warsaw brought shame and sorrow to his family when he shot his father in a quarrel. The following 15 years he spent self-destructing dealing and taking drugs and giving his child up for adoption. Chuck returns to his hometown in a last-ditch attempt to put his shattered life back together. But his father now a semi-invalid and his sister Paula refuse to forgive him. Only his mother is glad to see him but she is torn between her love for her son and her duty as a wife. Split Decisions: The story of a fighting Irish family whose patriarch Dan has ambitious plans for his younger son Eddie to be in the Olympic Boxing Team. The Whistle Blower: Frank Jones is an ordinary law abiding businessman but his world is shattered by the arrival of the police to tell him his son is dead. The father embarks on his own investigation into his son's death and discovers that there are no limits to what the government will do to protect its secret activities. Darrow: Some people called him Lawyer for the Damned...but Clarence Darrow was simply a man who in time of justice had the courage to stand alone. The name Clarence Darrow is permanently linked to the tremendous strides in the American legal system from the late 19th century through the early decades of the twentieth century. This complex and charismatic onetime farm boy's history-making legal defences of the Pullman Rainroad Strike the Leopold/Loeb Murder Trial and the Scopes Monkey Trial have earned him the status of an authentic American hero.
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