The Railway Children (1970) and Swallows and Amazons (1974) are perfect bedfellows: two classic children's novels, simply and faithfully adapted for the big screen. Together they evoke a poignant nostalgia for the periods in which they are set--Edwardian and 1920s England, respectively--and for the childhood of anyone who has grown up watching them. Sentimentality reigns, of course, but it's never cloying. The truthfulness of the juvenile performances, balanced with restrained sympathy from the adults, sees to that. Flourishing under Lionel Jeffries' delicate direction, Jenny Agutter dominates The Railway Children as the oldest daughter of a family thrown on hard times when their father is wrongly sent to prison. They avert a train disaster, save an imperilled steeple chaser and reunite an exiled Russian with his wife, all with equal enterprise. Happy endings prevail after every crisis. And no number of repeat viewings can ever diminish the impact of father's return. One of the most expert tear-duct work-outs in film history, it hits the spot every time. Perhaps the lack of such a pivotal scene has kept Swallows and Amazons in the relative shade. But its gentle appeal survives with equal charm, not least in the resourcefulness of the eponymous children and the period detail. Together this pairing makes a double bill to treasure, and a piquant reminder that Disney doesn't have a complete monopoly on the rich heritage of children's cinema. On the DVD: The Railway Children and Swallows and Amazons is presented in standard 4:3 picture format, from so-so prints, and with acceptable mono soundtracks. Both films envelope the viewer in a comforting Sunday-afternoon haze. There are no extras, apart from scene indexes. --Piers Ford
Every one of your favourite moments, including Michael's (Steve Carrell) infamous encounter with a breakfast grill, Dwight's (Rainn Wilson) power plays, Jim's (John Krasinski) pranks, Andy's (Ed Helms) struggles with anger management, and of course Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim's evolving romance. Developed for American television by Primetime Emmy® Award Winner Greg Daniels, The Office: The Complete Series includes every single episode plus bonus materials that are guaranteed to leave you satisfied and smiling, that's what she said
Journey to an ancient world of exploration, betrayal and high-stakes power struggles with the first four seasons of Vikings. Although Norse warrior brothers Ragnar and Rollo begin as allies on and off the battlefield, jealousy and ambition pit them against one another. Determined to leave a legacy to his own sons, the restless Ragnar engages in conquests, sometimes amidst shame and defeat. All the while, two women he has loved Aslaug and Lagertha feud, each hoping to one day rule the land. With its fascinating plot twists, searing emotion and spectacular effects, this breathtaking series continues to conquer viewers across the globe!
An in-depth examination of the ways in which the U.S. Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of people in a small industrial town in Pennsylvania.
The Lakes brought writer Jimmy McGovern and actor John Simm a great deal of critical praise in 1997. Following a particularly dry period for British TV drama, the show's realistic characterisations and their painfully honest decisions hit audiences hard. Simm is a twentysomething trapped in a life of compulsive gambling, theft and being on the dole in Liverpool. On a whim he heads north to the Lake District. He expects to find the countryside quietude where his hidden poetical leanings might find a home, but instead gets caught up in a community like any other. Lies, temptation and tragedy beset every household just as much as the big city. The focus of Series 1 is Danny's relationship with Emma (Emma Cunniffe) and the consequences of having a child. As time races by, his link to the Lakes becomes an exercise in torment when the eyes of blame fall easily upon him after the accidental deaths of four schoolgirls. Stoking the flames of a series of secondary explosions in waiting are a pair of affairs, one adulterous, the other complicated by religion. In the far longer sequel series that came two years later, these back-stories would come to the fore. Although exploring Danny's tortured soul might have been the obvious continuation, instead an almost Hitchcockian murder scenario occupies far more screen time. But by stretching things out, this second series does not have the same self-contained impact of the original. Additional writers only served to drag out Danny's boy-to-man journey. Ultimately, lessons are learned, including the realistic conclusion that life is without a poetical status quo. Despite the tail-off in overall quality, you'd be hard pressed to identify a better British drama in the years since. On the DVD: The Lakes complete series 1 and 2 box set comes with two separate commentary tracks for the very first episode. In interviews, John Simm fondly recalls how cold the lake water was and director David Blair recalls putting him in it. It's a shame the two weren't recorded together. It's also a shame that's all there is in this package. Even a few cast biographies would have been welcome. Picture is 4:3 and stereo sound is as you'd expect from 1990s UK TV. --Paul Tonks
From his first gig as a nervous Catskills comedian it's obvious that Lenny Bruce (Dustin Hoffman) is a force to be reckoned with. Armed with a shocking routine and a stripper as his muse (Valerie Perrine) Lenny turns comedy and America on its ear with his abrasive and often offensive humour. But life in the smoke-filled bars of the comedy curcuit begins to take its toll. The drugs and arrests for his subject matter wear heavily on this maverick crusader but don't stop him from goi
Join Stewie Lois Peter Meg Chris and Brian in their most subversive shocking and hysterically funny adventure yet with this full-length adaptation of the cult TV Show. When Stewie everybody's favourite maniacal baby genius has a near-death experience at his first swimming lesson he is temporarily distracted from his plans for world domination. Determined to make the most of his time on the planet Stewie decides to turn his back on his evil ways forever and start anew! With
John Wayne hams it up as a one-eyed, broken-down marshal in this 1969 adaptation of Charles Portis's bestselling novel. Kim Darby plays the formal-speaking adolescent who goes to Wayne for help tracking down her father's killer, and singer Glen Campbell straps on his guns to join the quest. Directed by old lion Henry Hathaway (Rawhide), True Grit is largely a showcase for Wayne (who finally won an Oscar), but it is also a decent Western with a particularly stirring final act. --Tom Keogh
Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father's global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he's truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can't understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. Leaving everything she knows behind, Lara goes in search of her dad's last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn't be higher for Lara, whoagainst the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spiritmust learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.
Sylvester Stallone never courted as much controversy as he did with the screen violence of the Rambo trilogy. From 1982 to 1988, they kept his name above Schwarzenegger's in the muscle hero league, with "Rambo" becoming a descriptive phrase in the language to describe gung-ho aggression (in Japanese, "rambo" means "violence"). The strangest part of the character's success is that originally he had none. Both David Morrell's novel and the original incarnation of First Blood had the Vietnam vet committing suicide after his rampage through small town America. The un-Hollywood ending was changed when Stallone and the producers recognised here was a character with possibilities. First Blood: Part II was co-written by James (Titanic) Cameron, a man who has always recognised box office possibilities. Stallone took a very relevant (to 1985) issue of surviving POWs and created an alternative end to the Vietnam War. This was achieved courtesy of the Cold War animosity that still existed towards the Russians, embodied in a suitably vile cameo from Steven Berkoff. A little love interest helped ground the movie and prevent it from completely turning into a video game, as did the best of Jerry Goldsmith's stirring scores for the trilogy. After saving himself and then his Country, Rambo III was simply about saving his friend Richard Crenna. The code of honour was by this point watered down into a song lyric, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". Nevertheless the final instalment continues to say something about the indomitable American spirit that will not accept defeat lightly. Patriotism may never have been portrayed quite so bloodily before Rambo's arrival, but at least a generation learned to question attitudes to war veterans, as well as the benefits of carrying a compass in your hunting knife. On the DVD: The Rambo trilogy on disc brings together all three movies in crisp 2.35:1 widescreen transfers. Sadly the extras are a little thin considering how much more was on the old Laser Discs. The first film has but a trailer; the third has a few minutes of behind the scenes material; the second has quite a few mini-documentaries that could really have done with being edited together, and having repeated interviews cut out. But there's still fun to be had hearing how deep and meaningful the movies were in conception.--Paul Tonks
Brick Bardo a traveller from outer space lands on Earth unfortunately for him although being normal sized on his own planet he is now doll sized here on Earth!
Ant-Man: Marvel Studios introduces the newest member of the Avengers: Marvel's Ant-Man. Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from ruthless villains! With humanity's fate in the balance, Pym and Lang must pull off a daring heist against insurmountable odds. This action-packed adventure takes you to new levels of pulsepounding excitement! 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. Features: Ant-Man: Featurettes: Making Of An Ant-Sized Heist: A How To Guide Let's Go To The Macroverse WHIH News Front Deleted & Extended Scenes - Audio Commentary By Peyton Reed And Paul Rudd Gag Reel Audio Commentary by Peyton Reed And Paul Rudd Ant-Man And The Wasp: Play Movie With Intro By Director Peyton Reed Making Of Featurettes: Back In The Ant Suit: Scott Land 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
Al Pacino (The Godfather), Jack Warden (Shampoo), and John Forsythe (The Trouble with Harry) lead the ensemble cast of ...And Justice for All, a brutal indictment of the American legal system from director Norman Jewison (A Soldier's Story).Firebrand defence attorney Arthur Kirkland (Pacino) finds that the demands of his job are at odds with his conscience. When he is forced to defend a judge (Forsythe) who is accused of a terrible crime, he plunges into a moral crisis.Written by Barry Levinson (Rain Man) and Valerie Curtin, and with acting support from Lee Strasberg (The Godfather Part II) and Jeffrey Tambor (The Larry Sanders Show), ...And Justice for All is a riveting and powerful exploration of hypocrisy and injustice.INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURESHigh Definition remasterOriginal mono audioAudio commentary with director Norman Jewison (2001)Audio commentary with film historians Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson (2025)Norman Jewison: The Testimony of the Director (2008): archival interviewBarry Levinson: Cross-Examining the Screenwriter (2008): archival interviewBarry Levinson at the BFI (2000): archival audio recording of the writer-turned-director in conversation at BFI Southbank, LondonOriginal theatrical trailerImage gallery: promotional and publicity materialNew and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Sergio Angelini, archival interviews with Al Pacino, Barry Levinson, and Norman Jewison, and full film creditsUK premiere on Blu-rayLimited edition of 3,000 copies for the UKAll features subject to change
The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home: This ambitious TV series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own nouveau riche brood. The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognisable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get. Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatisation of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchman and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed. The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional", perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. --Sam Sutherland, Amazon.com
Experience the dazzling story of cinematography as seen through the lenses of the world's greatest filmmakers and captured in classic scenes from over 125 immortal movies. Discover Gordon Willis's secrets of lighting Marlon Brando in The Godfather and Greg Toland's contributions to Citizen Kane. Hear William Fraker on filming Rosemary's Baby; Vittorio Storaro on his use of colour and light in Apocalypse Now; and much much more. From black and white to Te
When small town Washington sheriff Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy) detains a vagrant drifter for resisting arrest, little does he realise that he has set in motion a series of events that bring mayhem and bloody reckoning to his community. The shabby vagrant is in fact former Green Beret John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a hero of the Vietnam War who has returned home to find America no longer wants him. Responding to brutal treatment from Teasle's Deputies with sudden ferociousness, Rambo makes a daring escape from the town jail, steals a motorcycle and roars off towards the wilderness with the sheriffs not far behind Based on the bestselling novel by David Morrell, filmed during a brutal winter in British Columbia, First Blood is a breathtaking portrayal of America at odds with itself. Features: Rambo takes the '80s Part 1 Drawing First Blood - Making Of Alternate Ending Outtake Deleted scene: Dream in Saigon Original Trailer Sylvester Stallone Audio commentary Screenwriter David Morell Audio commentary
THE PUNISHER Special agent Frank Castle (Tom Jane) lives the good life with a devoted family and a job he loves. But his world falls apart when his last assignment pits him against ruthless businessman Howard Saint (John Travolta). Seeking the revenge of his murdered family, Castle becomes a merciless vigilante hell bent on destroying Saint and his band of underworld assassins on his mission of redemption: vindicating the common man with a brand of justice the law cannot provide. PUNISHER: WAR ZONE Waging his one-man war on the world of organised crime, ruthless vigilante-hero Frank Castle sets his sights on over-eager mob boss Billy Russoti. After Russoti is left horribly disfigured by Castle, he sets out for vengeance under his new alias: Jigsaw. With the Punisher Task Force hot on his trail and the FBI unable to take Jigsaw in, Frank must stand up to the formidable army that Jigsaw has recruited before more of his evil deeds go unpunished. BONUS FEATURES: THE PUNISHER Audio Commentary by Director Jonathan Hensleigh Alternate Opening Sequence War Journal Behind-the-Scenes featurette on the Making of the Movie Drawing Blood Bradstreet Style featurette Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary Step Up Music Video performed by Drowning Pool PUNISHER: WAR ZONE The Making of Punisher: War Zone featurette Training for the Punisher featurette Weapons of the Punisher featurette Meet Jigsaw featurette Creating the Look of the Punisher featurette Audio Commentary with Director Lexi Alexander and Cinematographer Steve Gainer
Upon its release The Godafther: Part II was hailed as the best sequel to a movie ever made however this film is much more than that. Coppolla utilised a quite brilliant screenplay and turned it into a visually captivating treat as well as using his directorial skills to make the audience view the rise and demise of the ill-fated Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) as first-person participants with masterful skill. Add to this an astounding performance by Pacino and an Oscar-winning portra
Classic westerns collection of 3 Blu-ray discs starring Clint Eastwood in 1080p High Definition.
Take off your thinking caps and toss 'em in a corner, 'cos you won't need 'em when you're watching this deliriously dumb thriller from 1997. Bruce Willis stars as a demoted FBI agent who comes to the aid of an autistic boy whose mind holds a potentially deadly secret. It seems that by gazing on a puzzle magazine and making order out of a hidden system of numbers, the 9-year-old autistic boy (Miko Hughes) has accidentally deciphered a sophisticated top-secret government code. This makes him the prime target of the ruthless bureaucrat (Alec Baldwin, in one of his silliest roles) and Willis comes to the rescue. This formulaic thriller sets up this plot with a lot of entertaining urgency but you can't give any thought to Mercury Rising or the whole movie collapses under the weight of its own illogic and nonsense. The redeeming values are the performances of Willis, young Hughes and newcomer Kim Dickens as a woman who agrees (perhaps too easily, it seems) to aid Willis in his plot to out manoeuvre the bad guys. Mercury Rising is not a waste of time compared to other formulaic thrillers but its entertainment value depends on how much you enjoy being smarter than the movie. --Jeff Shannon
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