"Progeny" as some very unexpected twists which links it back to Stargate S.G.1. Although a little slow in starting with the normal ' Lets go to more the technologically advance people from another world. In the hope to find something that might defect the wraith.' They end up in worse trouble. A rehash of Stargate S.G.1 episode that will have jumping from your seat at the end. I won't spoil the surprise.
"The Real World" Weir's back on earth but she doesn't know how she got there or why the Stargate progrm does not exist. A familiar plot line from Buffy the vampire slayer but with an old enemy from S.G.1 and the guest appearance of Richard Dean Anderson. An episode that will even have you believing it was alla dream. Just for a minute anyway!
"Common Ground" a good Sheppard episode. The Genii kidnap Sheppard and torture him by allowing another prisoner, a captured wraith to feed off him. By joining forces with the wraith Shappard escapes and we learn something new about the wraith.
"McKay and Mrs. Miller" A very good McKay story. Where we learn some more about his family. More importantly his estranged sister. Who is just as intelligent as him. We also learn his first name is Meredith! Add an alternate reality McKay too who every one seems to like more than the real McKay.
Overall four excellant episodes that are not all wraith orientated
Revisit one of the most influential, though now visibly dated, post-modern slashers of all time: 'Scream' was a landmark in the genre; written by then newcomer Kevin Williamson, directed by horror movie magnate Wes Craven & starring a largely unknown cast of precocious young Americans. 'Scream' captivated audiences worldwide by embracing and subverting every horror movie cliché known to man, with its campus set, frat-house camaraderie, relentless knife wielding serial killer in an Edvard Munch mask, clever self-reflexivity, cine-literate quips, film references, suspense & gore; the movie was a hit, reviving Craven's directorial career whilst creating a new sub-genre in the process. With an excellent, unforgettable and wholly unexpected, opening sequence,'Scream' moves onto tell the story of traumatised teen Sidney Prescott (an on form Neve Campbell) and a labyrinthine, murderous plot that shakes the small-town of Woodsboro California to its' core. Enter power-suited tabloid hack Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox, riding the crest of her 'Friends' fame) and a whole host of local high-school kids, each one ascribing to an American archetype planted deep into the subconscious of every man, woman and child on Earth via the magic of globalisation. Neve Campbell does well over the three films; standouts include a Tarantino-esque performance by video store clerk / horror movie fan Randy (Jamie Kennedy), Rosie McGowan's ultra-violent demise, Matthew Lilliard's manic performance (an acting style he'd pursue in all his future films) and a subtle turn from Skeet Ulrich, who excels in a thankless and often awkward role. Williamson would go onto corner the 'Annoying American Teen' market with hit show 'Dawson's Creek', enjoyable body-snatchers homage 'The Faculty', satirical misfire 'Teaching Miss Tingle' and fun, snappily titled teen horror 'I Know What You Did Last Summer'.
'Scream 2' comes under that rare 'sequel-better-than-the-original' category, with yet another classic opening sequence; this time in a cinema at the premiere of 'Stab', an adaptation of Gale Weathers' book about the events of the first film. A copycat killer is on the loose in Windsor College and Sidney Prescott's (Neve Campbell, still good though her acts getting a bit old) facing the serrated edge of the masked murderer's blade once more. 'Scream 2' manages to tighten its grasp of irony, for now that the filmmakers know their audience is on the same page, it gives them a newfound confidence in balancing humour with horror. And though every film in this trilogy seems to unable to avoid the obvious come the end credits, this is still a thoroughly entertaining, well written, directed and acted horror. Look out for Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O' Connell's cringe-worthy 'Top Gun' homage, memorable cameos from Sarah Michelle Geller and Portia De Rossi, the return of old favourites David Arquette (overacting as usual) and Lev Schreiber not to mention a stealthy, realistic performance by the underrated Timothy Olyphant. 'Scream 3' struggles over the finish line in a staggering, spluttering finale which plays out like an afterthought, conceived to make up a trilogy and, of course, ironic, self-referential jokes about the nature of film trilogies . Relocating to Hollywood, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell, trying everyone's patience), still haunted by memories of the Woodsboro massacres and the blowback on Windsor campus, is provoked to come out of her 'WPP' when another copycat begins a quick killing spree on the set of 'Stab 3: Return To Woodsboro' (murdering actors in the order their characters die in the script). Not terrible by any stretch, but whilst 'Scream 3' does have its moments, a lot of scenes seem too familiar or gimmicky, and though the likes of Parker Posey, Patrick Dempsey, Jenny McCarthy et all make for on oddball cast; the scream is noticeably hoarse in a reasonably entertaining, albeit instantly forgettable, conclusion.
This film is the most faithful version of the events that took place that fateful night and makes "Titanic" (1997) a very disappointing and exceedingly long-winded Holywoodised version by comparison.
"A Night to Remember" was made as accuratley as possible, using Walter Lord's book of the same name as the template and the result is a moving story of the Titanic's fateful maiden voyage back in April 1912.
Made when there were no computer generated special effects, this film still manages to put accross great realism through plenty of solid performances by its British stars (Kenneth More, Honor Blackman, Michael Goodliffe, David McCallum, Lawrence Naismith, amongst others), some very touching and heartrending moments and an escalating feeling of frustration at the sheer hopelessness and scale of the event as it unfolds before your eyes, all of which adds up to a mesmerising film experience. The authenticity of the ship"s interior and set designs adds to the convincing portrayal.
This film won a Golden Globe in 1959 for "Best English Language Foreign Film", but,amazingly, no BAFTA!
As an aside, the Producer of the film actually saw the launching of the Titanic when a young boy.
On this particular DVD there is also an engrossing hour long documentary on the making of "A Night to Remember", so it repesents particularly good value for money.
Makes a great addition to those collecting British Classics, especially as this film (made in 1958) has not, as yet, been bettered!
24 Season 6 was definitely not the best season 24 has produced in the 6 years in its existence. The season starts with Jack still in Chinese prison but being exchanged for something alot more than America seem to handle. America is under terrorist attack everywhere and only one men seems to be able to stop them..Enter Bauer Power. Filled with action, antisipation and drama, Season 6 seems to grip you in more than ever into what CTU and Jack Bauer need to achieve.
There are some bad points to this season. The season produced A LOT of new characters into the equation and is fairly hard to keep track of the overall plot. Jack also expores into his family life in this season revealing unbelievable but seemingly unreal concepts. The structure of Season 6 also seems to be stretched at times.
Fans of 24, this is a real essential buy! For Newbie 24 fans, I advise you to start with Season 1 rather than watch this season because it will be INCREDIBLY hard to pick up especially when fans of 24 didn't approve too much with this season. This Season though is still packed with its usual dosage with shocks, surprises and turns. 24 continues to provide its normal shocking turns but Season 7 will be much more different from the previous seasons. I can GUARANTEE you! Good Product
Woody Allen's second attempt at a straightforward dramatic work after Interiors is far more successful than the first one. September is filmed entirely in a country house, which Woody floods with the rich amber glow of autumnal light streaming through its lightly curtained windows. This bright, warm atmosphere plays against the often dark emotions and bitterness of the film's characters, who are desperately looking for love or some other comfort from the confusion of their lives. This is a drama of misplaced love, as the suicidal Lane (Mia Farrow) pines for Peter (Sam Waterston), who desires the sweet, sensitive Steffie (Diane Wiest), who is married but guiltily returns his feelings. Lurking outside this central triangle is Howard (Denholm Elliott), the elderly neighbor who hopelessly and quietly loves Lane, and Lane's selfish celebrity mother (Elaine Stritch), whose loud visit opens up old wounds and sets off the film's explosive climax. This is Woody's drama at its best, because he has a clear affection for these miserable characters and their stumbling efforts at making sense of it all. The film is somber, to say the least, and there's only the barest sparkle of hope amidst the anguish, but it's still a compelling viewing experience. Especially worthy of note is the lengthy, gorgeous sequence when the house's lights go out during a storm, and the candlelit atmosphere and hushed conversations take on a hypnotizing, charming aura. Dianne Wiest murmuring and smiling by candle light is worth the price of admission alone.
The best British series which has been released in a very long time!!!!!
'Skins' has a very good balance of both humour and seriousness...and the characters are really easy to sympathise with!
A definite MUST for any DVD collection!!! 10 out of 10!!
Probably Aronofsky's most accessible film (given the bitterness encased in Pi and Requiem for a Dream) this film will take you on a visual, musical and often emotional journey through one man's quest to save his dying wife.
Accompanied by an amazing score by Clint Mansell (who also worked on Darren's other projects) this film is not destined for the small screen, and requires a projector to appreciate the wonderful and often captivating visuals of the film.
Jackman's performance carries the film; he plays a man driven (almost beyond the edge) to find a cute for his wife's sickness and plays his part with incredibly clarity and emotion.
Don't be put off by what appears to initially be a very bizarre film (as I was) - give it thirty minutes and it'll have you captivated.
This early film from Polish master Krzysztof Kieslowski explores the workings of chance and fate in determining the direction of a person's life. Med student Witek, after the death of his father, has a moment of freedom where he must choose his future. He leaves his studies and tries to catch a train to Warsaw, and the film shows three different possible outcomes for his life based on whether he catches the train or not. In one, he becomes involved in the Communist party, in one he becomes a member of the student opposition, and in the third he returns to medical school, marries a fellow student, and remains politically uninvolved. The film is a wonderful study of the role of chance and the possibility of making moral choices in the midst of circumstances beyond the individual's control. It's a wonderfully sensual and erotic film, like all of Kieslowski's work, finding a place for love and desire in a politically tense context. With its inventive three-part structure and gorgeous but understated imagery, this is every bit as worthwhile as Kieslowski's more famous later films like the Three Colors Trilogy. It's a complex film: political, morally engaged, erotic, and visually stimulating. It's presented in a beautiful transfer on Artificial Eye's DVD, complete with accompanying short films from Kieslowski's early documentary years.
At first when i saw this advertised in cinemas i thought it looked terrible but that was only because it didn't show many funny scenes on the first trailer but about 2 weeks ago my dad bought it and we watched it that evening, the neighbors probaly didn't get any sleep walst that film was playing. we nearly took the house down we laughed so much. some times you get films which are funny but not as in you'd laugh out loud at much of it, this film digs a deep grave and buries that last sentence as this film will have you in stitches every second it's playing. they may be "wild" but you'd be damn crazy to miss this film!
After watching spiderman 3 at the cinema i was sad to leave the parking lot of the vue cinema for it has got to have been one of the best films i've ever seen for years. Full of non-stop action but enough to make sure that little kids who enjoy spiderman can also see it even though its a 12's plus (don't pay any attention too the rating of this film it's good for about 7's up), it's also so got a brill story line to it aswell, but there's enough of both to keep you happy.
Overall i think it's a must have film and you'd be a villian not to buy it.
This is one of the best dvd boxsets I have bought! It shows real British humour at its best. No matter how many times you watch it, it doesn"t get boring! I love Blackadder and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good laugh through every episode!
Riding high on the triumph that was 'Spiderman 2', director Sam Raimi takes the helm once more in the unimaginatively titled, though chronologically inevitable; 'Spiderman 3'. Toby Maguire returns in fine form as put upon news photographer Peter Parker a.k.a. 'Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spiderman' whilst Kristen Dunst looks visibly bored in her third outing as jobbing ginger actress Mary Jane Watson. Now things just ain't what they used to be for ol' webhead, sure he beat the odds; settled down with the girl-of-his-dreams and even managed to boost his alter ego's ever fluctuating popularity. But Spidey's harbouring doubts about how he avenged the murder of his Uncle Ben two films ago, a feeling that manifests itself in the form of tough ex-con, though ultimately sympathetic, granular super villain Sandman ('Sideways' Thomas Haden Church). And if that wasn't enough; best friend Harry Osborne (yet another understated, excellent performance from James Franco) becomes the Hobgoblin; hatching a convoluted, dastardly scheme to break / assassinate Spiderman in perceived revenge for the death of his father, oh, and an alien symbiotic entity crashes to Earth, brings out Spiderman's dark side before attaching itself to Peter's sniping, smarmy rival at 'The Daily Bugle'; Eddie Brock (good comedic madman turn by 'Traffic' actor Topher Grace) to spawn iconic Modern Age super villain: Venom. Successfully managing to counterbalance its predecessor's mega-happy ending, 'Spiderman 3', and the entire trilogy for that matter, deserves a lot of credit for the way in which it managed to create a sense of realism & ambiguity; narrative factors often absent from the vast majority of movies about guys in capes or costumes. I think some of the main reasons people found it difficult to engage with this picture as easily as they did the first and second was the length (a head spinning 140 minutes), an overabundance of characters / scenes (e.g. Mary Jane's musical number) and the fact that 'Spiderman 3' is, like the 'X-Men' saga before it, so commendably complex in its character development that if you think about it; there aren't actually any villains at all. Which, coupled with the aforementioned, makes for a demanding, and perhaps even exhausting, viewing experience. I would've liked to have seen more of Venom, or left Sandman for another time in favour of Dr Curt Conner's (Dylan Baker) long awaited metamorphosis to The Lizard, Bryce Dallas Howard worked well in her few scenes as Gwen Stacey, Stan Lee makes another memorable cameo (though not as funny as Hal Sparks elevator scene in 'Spiderman 2') whilst J.K. Simmons was born to play Jonah J. Jameson and continues to provide the laughs anytime he's onscreen. The Grecian dynamic between Peter and Harry is shown to be much deeper than their love for Mary Jane, but that both characters are interchangeable: natural allies and enemies only though a cruel twist of fate, masked behind their respective mendacities; alter egos that have bled so deeply into their personal lives that neither man can hope to escape them, or continue on the path of an unending vendetta against society. 'Spiderman 3' is essentially a film about the struggle for equilibrium and self control, for Willem Dafoe's Norman 'Green Goblin' Osborne wasn't entirely wrong when he told a dazed Spiderman about how the world would go on to treat him. Having broken box-office records (sinking 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'), it's obvious that we haven't seen the last of the wisecracking webslinger, and though Tobey Maguire would be killing a golden goose to quit ('SeaBiscuit 2' anyone?) it'd be interesting to see the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal or Joseph Gordon Levitt have a go. Overall, 'Spiderman 3' is a flawed but fascinating film, very entertaining in spite of its epic length / overindulgence and though not quite on a par with 'Spiderman 2' and lacking the pace of the trim original, makes for a worthy addition to an excellent, well made series. I only hope they handle any future films with the same care & attention-to-detail as they did the first three, after all: "With great Power Comes Great Responsibility".
In actor Charles Laughton's one film as director, he ably blends elements of film noir, horror, fairy tales, and religious allegory into one of the most unique films ever to come out of Hollywood. Robert Mitchum is uncanny as the evil preacher Harry Powell, who travels the country looking for widows to rob and murder so he can continue preaching "God's word." When he arrives in a small town, looking for the widow of a man he met in prison, in search of the $10,000 he believes she has, the town embraces him as a true man of God and eagerly sets about getting him hitched to the young widow (Shelley Winters). This is a terrifying role for Mitchum, who inhabits his crazed preacher with a mix of creepiness and lunacy, exuding oily charm when he needs it, but otherwise speechifying with a self-righteous smoothness that always conceals a threat.
Mitchum's character is an avatar of Puritanical sexual repression and religious hypocricy, a theme that Laughton returns to again and again in this film. Mitchum's sexual intimidation of Winters on their wedding night is frightening enough, but he really dominates in the scenes with her children, who are at the film's core. Indeed, in the second half, after Mitchum murders Winters and the two children escape, the film unexpectedly changes tone and becomes something quite different, a kind of grim fairy tale as viewed through the kids' eyes. Ultimately, the film is an archetypical showdown, a collision of two opposing religious views -- the sexually repressive, moralist authoritarian versus the loving, nurturing, forgiving realist. This is the central conflict at the heart of Laughton's film, though it's by no means the only theme explored in this unmatched classic. By fearlessly blending genres and even inventing a few of his own, Laughton crafted an enduring masterwork of the American cinema.
This was the first film I saw on Video,it was the late seventies and this innovation brought me to a whole new world.This film stands out since the double header of McQueen/Hoffmann playing out their roles perfectly.The story follows the book about as close as any film can,since the time restriction on layout is compressed the story plays out in excerpts of the time in incarceration.
The photoplay seems realistic and the intention of the film is plain.Papillon is not about to give up,not under any circumstances.Care should be taken to adhere to the guidance for there are scenes which younger people may find distressing.All in all the best prison break film ever made,excellent.
Usually trilogies get a little bit boring and predictable but this film did not fail! both jackie chan and chris tucker were hysterical! its a must see!
Made in an era when the BBC stood for excellence, and gave bright young things like Jonathan Miller a chance. What a bewildering assortment of riches this is: a cast the likes of which can never be equalled, as most are no longer with us: Peter Cook, Peter Sellers, Leo McKern, Malcolm Muggeridge, John Gielgud, Wilfred Brambell, Michael Redgrave. An unknown girl in the lead, which probably was the only iffy thing about it. Wondrous black and white luminous photography, excellent and haunting choice of sounds and music, audacious at the time to include sitar and tabla- very Beatles. An uncredited young Eric Idle walks by in a procession scene.
Everything about it dreamlike, full of props which probably aren't available any more, locations which probably are now "executive refurbishments". It has stayed in the mind for such a long time, and has been a very large influence. One day I too will include a man in a hip bath by an overgrown garden greenhouse in one of my commercials, just another wonderful throwaway.
If only this was screened by the BBC so that the foolish young could start something just half as good. Perhaps that is why they haven't- it would remind them of an age when they made wonderful painstaking works of art such as this. Until then, I urge everyone to buy a DVD and keep showing it to your children. They will thank you for it.
Oh so funny, can't wait for the next series to come available.
Vincent and Theo is a biography of Vincent Van Gogh and his brother Theo that largely ignores the great painter's artworks in order to focus on the man, his conflicts, and his relationships. Director Robert Altman is of course a perfect helmsman for such an idiosyncratic approach to an artist's life, with his preference for ragged technical qualities and a loose, flowing style. Altman chose to focus in on Van Gogh's tortured and even parasitic relationship with his brother Theo, an art dealer who always supported Vincent even though his paintings never made a penny during either of their lifetimes. The film opens with a modern-day auction in which the value of a Van Gogh painting for sale is escalating by the hundreds of thousands with each bid. Altman then cuts away to a shot of Vincent (Tim Roth), lying in bed with dirt on his face, as the sound from the auction continues in voiceover, with the painting's value finally ending up above £22 million. This tension between history's later estimation of artistic worth and the reality of the life that made it is at the center of the film.
To this end, Altman's trademark darting camera moves around within the Van Goghs' lives, always providing an intimate view of the artist at work which eschews glamour for grittiness and even ugliness. Roth is phenomenal here, in one of his best roles. His portrayal of Vincent has a tinge of madness, but mostly just a willingness to get down and dirty in every way -- with peasant people for subjects, with his impoverished lifestyle, and with the casual way he treats his paints and materials. Two of the most striking scenes are a pair in which Vincent smears paints on his own face in his impressionistic style, and later does the same to a prostitute in a bar. It's the ultimate symbolic expression of life and art intermingling, as Vincent attempts to transform his very life, his own being, into an artwork. In another scene, Altman shows Vincent in a field of sunflowers, and the camera seems to take on the artist's point of view, zooming and darting around the field, focusing on a single flower, finding the few broken and wilting buds within the seemingly lush whole, then zooming back out as though the artist's eye were moving on to something else. This is prime Altman, a true masterpiece about the creation of masterpieces. This wild, messy film is as fitting a tribute as any to that wild, messy artist and his wild, messy art.
Pedro Almodóvar's Talk To Her delicately handles some potentially very creepy and bizarre subject matter in order to create some genuine sympathy for its pair of unlikely heroes. The story focuses around Benigno (Javier Cámara), a hospital orderly who is obsessed with the ballet dancer Alicia (Leonor Watling), who practices at the studio across the street from his apartment. When Alicia gets in a car accident and goes into a deep coma, Benigno becomes her private nurse at the hospital, caring for her with a personal touch, talking to her, massaging and bathing her daily, and continuing to indulge his unhealthy obsession for her. Meanwhile, Almodóvar weaves in the initially separate story of Marco (Dario Grandinetti), a reporter who falls in love with his latest subject, the bullfighter Lydia (Rosario Flores). The two stories converge when Lydia too succumbs to a coma, after a fight in which she is gored by a bull.
This is a complex film, an examination of love, loneliness, and the power of memory and imagination in bridging that gap, told from a specifically masculine viewpoint. Benigno and Marco are both somewhat scarred characters, haunted by their pasts and the emotions they still carry with them.
Almodóvar shows great care in examining the depths of both men's feelings, an especially delicate operation since Benigno winds up being a potentially very unlikeable character. But despite his actions later in the film, he remains sympathetic and entirely understandable; more sad than reprehensible. He is clearly a man damaged by his mother, with something of an incomplete view of life. His reverential and confused feelings for Alicia are best summed up by a remarkable scene in which he describes to her a silent film that he recently saw, about a man who's shrunk to tiny size by his lover. Almodovar plays the scene for equal parts kitsch and pathos, making it incredibly funny even as it provides a poignant parallel to Benigno's own life. The film as a whole retains that feeling, with different emotions mingling together like tendrils of smoke in a breeze: sadness, nostalgia, love, desire, loneliness, and sensuality.
Great sound, great music. Picture is fine although there are some minor defects and it's been resized de format from 1,33 to 1,78.
A great dvd.
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