H.G. Wells' classic story of a brilliant but eccentric scientist whose quest for the secret of invisibility leads him to commit theft and murder finally unleashing a reign of terror on anyone who dares to thwart him.
After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the North China Sea. He returned home to Star City, hell bent on righting the wrongs done by his family and fighting injustice. As the Green Arrow, he protects his city with the help of former soldier John Diggle, computer science expert Felicity Smoak, former police captain Quentin Lance, and brilliant inventor Curtis Holt (Echo Kellum) and a new team of vigilantes-in-training. But sinister players with a connection to Oliver's past will push the team to its breaking point, threatening everything Oliver's worked for and his legacy as the Green Arrow.
It's clear from the opening episodes of its third season that Farscape has developed into a grown-up show. There's a new self-confidence and maturity here that's entirely welcome after the often wildly erratic tone of the second season. The production design and high-quality effects remain true to the show's original quirky style, although both the look and the more adult-themed scripts have become progressively darker. It's also clear that anyone who has not followed Farscape extremely closely from the very first episode of Season One will be utterly baffled by the convoluted plotting and complex character interactions. This is not the best place to begin your interstellar journey. All the principal actors know their characters inside and out by now, and delight in showing off their many weaknesses and flaws. Refreshingly, the crew of Moya are a squabbling, bickering, selfish bunch most of the time, who somehow and against expectations manage to pull together (just) at the crucial moment. The writing has matured, too, remaining as witty as ever but equally unafraid to push both genre and censorship boundaries as villains bloodily torture their victims (usually Crichton) and the main characters become more and more obsessed with their sex lives (or lack thereof). Farscape is a whole galaxy away from the clean, cosy world of Star Trek. On the DVD: with a number of key personnel changes on the horizon, these first five episodes are evidence that Farscape knows where it's going even as it delights in keeping the audience guessing. Will Aeryn survive? If so, at what cost to her crewmates? What will D'Argo do when he discovers that Chiana and his son are having an affair? Can Zhaan really be dying? Just who is Neeyala? And can Crichton keep one step ahead of S&M fetishist Scorpius, various Skarrans and sundry other bloodthirsty aliens all intent upon getting into his mind, sometimes literally? Aware that no one is going to be able to start Season Three without knowing a lot of background, sensibly the main extra is a 45-minute "Farscape Undressed" documentary, hosted by Ben Browder and Claudia Black, which introduces all the key characters and themes of the show and sets up the backstory for the new season. There are "Info Pods" on Aeryn (with interview) and Zhaan, an interview with new series composer Guy Gross, some text trivia pieces, plus a gallery. There's also a bonus sampler disc of the pilot episode, though if you really want to keep up you'd better start but not stop there. --Mark Walker
Nowadays, the word "event" is thrown around all too often when describing television programmes, but back in 1983 the debut of V: The Mini Series was a television event in the truest sense. The appearance of gigantic flying saucers over the world's largest cities heralds the arrival of aliens from a distant galaxy who look human and act benevolently. Of course, things aren't exactly what they seem, and when some suspicious humans start to question the visitors' intentions they uncover a vast alien conspiracy, along with some unusual culinary habits. Soon, the visitors have enslaved the Earth under their fascist rule, and small groups of human rebels are forced underground to fight for the freedom of their entire species. But with the future of the planet still in question the epic story comes to an abrupt end, forcing the viewer to wait for the resolution in V: The Final Battle and the on-going series. That's not to say that the original V isn't worth the price of admission: in over three hours, it manages to capture the spirit of the great classic science fiction of the 1950s and 60s. The feeling of paranoia and insecurity that runs throughout the whole thing makes it feel, at times, like an expanded episode of The Twilight Zone, only shinier (hey, it was the 1980s). The special effects were impressive for their day, inspiring similarly themed films in the 90s (the gigantic flying saucers were seen again in Independence Day, and the storage area of the mothership turns up in The X Files Movie and The Matrix). What does irritate, however, is the utter lack of subtlety in the allegorical storyline. In fact, it could only have been made more obvious by demanding that the entire cast wear "This is how it was in 1930s' Germany" t-shirts. But if V occasionally doesn't live up to its own high standards, it's still a remarkably high-quality slice of epic television drama. On the DVD: The picture is an impressive widescreen 1.85:1 ratio and the soundtrack is adequate Dolby stereo. The DVD boasts a feature-length commentary by writer and director Kenneth Johnson, as well as a 25-minute "Behind the Scenes" documentary. --Robert Burrow
If Clive Barker had written an episode of The Twilight Zone, it might have looked something like Cube. A handful of strangers wake up inside a bizarre maze, having been spirited there during the night. They quickly learn that they have to navigate their way through a series of chambers if they have any hope of escape but the problem is that there are lethal traps awaiting if they choose their route unwisely. Having established some imaginative and grisly punishments in store for the hostages, cowriter and director Vincenzo Natali turns his attention to the characters, for whom being trapped amplifies their best and worst qualities. The film is, in fact, similar to a famous episode of Rod Serling's old television series, though Natali's explanation for why these poor people are being put through hell is a lot closer to the spirit of The X-Files. Cube has some solid moments of suspense and drama and the sets are appropriately striking: one is tempted to believe at first the characters are lost inside a computer chip. --Tom Keogh
Herbie - The Love Bug (1969): The tale of a struggling race car driver named Jim Douglas who only begins winning races once he starts driving Herbie. Elated at his new found success Jim does not realise that it is the Volkswagen who is responsible for the first-place finishes! Herbie Rides Again (1974): Herbie the lovable VW protects Grandma against an evil property tycoon! Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo (1977): The lovable VW Beetle is entered for a road race from Paris to Monte Carlo. He falls in love and gets mistakenly involved in a robbery; will he manage to make it to the finishing line in time? Herbie Goes Bananas (1980): There's disorder south of the border when Herbie the almost human Volkswagen meets Paco the pickpocket and has to dismantle a counterfeiting ring down in Mexico! Herbie - Fully Loaded (2005): Herbie the most beloved movie-car of them all is back and Lindsay Lohan's behind the wheel in Disney's latest revved-up comedy hit! Maggie Peyton the new owner of 'Number 53' puts the free-wheelin' Volkswagen bug through its paces on the road to becoming a NASCAR competitor. Being a third generation member of a NASCAR family racing is in Maggie's blood but she if forbidden from competing by her overprotective father Ray Sr. (Michael Keaton). When Maggie's offered a car as a graduation present she surprisingly ends up with a battered old '63 VW Beetle; but this is no ordinary 'Bug'. As she prepares to leave town for a career at ESPN News Maggie discovers that 'Herbie' has a mind of his own... and an alternate route for her future.
Professional WWF wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper plays John Nada, a homeless, unemployed construction worker who discovers a pair of sunglasses that when worn suddenly reveal a world run by upwardly mobile, capitalist, yuppie aliens intent on keeping the human race sedate and brainwashed with subliminal messages fed through advertising and the media. Luckily for us, all John Nada wants to do now is chew gum and kick ass, and he's all out of gum. THEY LIVE is one of John Carpenter's most accomplished films. An action packed, satirical, sci-fi adventure and socio-cultural critique on the decline of spiritual values and the rise of consumerism within modern society, it also includes one of the longest fist fights in the history of cinema. Bonus Features: Audio commentary: Writer/Director John Carpenter and Actor Roddy Piper Independent thoughts: An interview with Writer/Director John Carpenter Woman of Mystery: An interview with Meg Foster Watch, Look, Listen: The sights and sounds of They Live Man vs Aliens: An interview with Actor Keith David The Making of They Live Commercials TV Spots
PART HUMAN. PART ALIEN. PURE SUPERPOWER. Mark Hamill (Star Wars) and the team behind horror classic Re-animator join forces for this electrifying live-action adaptation of Yoshiki Takaya's celebrated manga series! Having been smuggled out of the mysterious Chronos Corporation by one of its researchers, a bio-weapon known as the Guyver unit which transforms its holder into a lethal super-being ends up in the hands of Sean, a young martial arts student. Sean soon finds himself in the sights of the Chronos Corporation and its mutant henchmen, who'll stop at nothing to retrieve the weapon. Produced by Brian Yuzna (Society, Bride of Re-animator) and co-directed by special-effects masters Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang, The Guyver is an FX-laden extravaganza featuring a plethora of familiar genre faces such as Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes) and David Gale (Re-animator). SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS ¢ Brand new digital transfer of the Director's Cut ¢ High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations ¢ Original uncompressed audio ¢ Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing ¢ Brand new interview with producer Brian Yuzna ¢ Trailer ¢ Image Gallery ¢ Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nick Percival
A horror film director (Lucio Fulci) begins to be plagued by dreams re-enacting his films. Fantasy and reality blur and Fulci begins to believe he may be a killer. Visiting a psychiatrist he aims to discover if he is a blood-soaked murderer or whether his gory films have finally driven him insane.
Shameless the BAFTA award-winning and brilliantly funny drama series from writer Paul Abbott follows the roller coaster lives and loves of the highly un-orthodox yet extremely tightly knit Gallagher family. Head of the family in name only is Dad Frank - a feckless charmless self-pitying unemployed bully - a model father. Since mum went AWOL dad hit the bottle leaving his six remarkably well-balanced children Fiona Lip Ian Debbie Carl and Liam to fend for themselves. But the Gallaghers need not worry anymore now they've teamed up with the local gangsters the Maguires who continue to explode the myth of a conventional family.
An ambitious young dancer convinces a wealthy financer to open a disco-themed LA nightclub only to find her dreams of success threatened by her jealous boyfriend and her scheming nemesis. Zoe's got the moves to make it big and Michael is the man who can make it all happen for her. But Zoe's boyfriend... Chris is a dancer too and he's convinced that her relationship with Michael is getting too personal. When scheming dancer Malika sets her sights on Chris everything starts to fall apart.
From the director of "The Mummy" comes the tale of a fabled 19th-century monster-hunter summoned to a distant Eastern European land on a quest to vanquish evil.
Timothy Dalton's second and last James Bond assignment in Licence to Kill is darker and harder-edged than anything from the Roger Moore years, dropping the sometimes excruciating in-jokes that had begun to dominate the series in favour of gritty, semi-realistic action. When CIA colleague and close friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison) gets married immediately after arresting villainous drug baron Franz Sanchez (with a little help from Bond), the crime lord's retribution is swift and terrible. Bond goes on a personal vendetta against Sanchez after his licence to kill is revoked. There are plenty of spectacular stunt scenes, of course, but the meaty story of revenge is this film's distinguishing feature. Dalton's portrayal of the iconic hero as tough but flawed was a brave decision that the producers subsequently retreated from after Licence to Kill's relatively poor box-office showing. On the DVD: Timothy Dalton's insistence that Bond was a man not a superhero, and "a tarnished man" at that encouraged the producers to redefine Bond with a tougher edge more in keeping with Fleming's original conception of the character. Licence to Kill is Bond's darkest assignment. The production team experienced their usual difficulties in bringing it to the screen, the "making-of" documentary reveals, including a haunted road in Mexico and a mysterious flaming hand that appeared out of the fire during the climactic tanker explosion. There are two commentaries here, both montage selections of interviews from cast and crew. The first features director John Glen and many of the actors; the second has producer Michael G Wilson and the production team. Gladys Knight pops up in the first music video, Patte La Belle in the second ("If You Asked Me To"). There are the usual trailers, gallery of stills and a feature on the Kenworth trucks specially adapted for the movie's stunt work. --Mark Walker
1943: Angry and bereaved by the death of his younger brother, Flight Lieutenant Douglas Miller, a broken, solitary, spitfire ace, who survived The Battle of Britain, transfers to Bomber Command, determined to take the war to the skies over Germany. On arriving at his new posting, he is given the unenviable task of replacing the much loved Skipper of an experienced Lancaster Bomber crew, who was killed in action just days before. Struggling to bond with his new crew, and obsessed with his mission to wage war at any cost, Douglas must find a way to gain their trust, and overcome his inner demons, in order to become the leader they so desperately need. Bonus material: Theatrical premiere recorded Q&A with Director / Black & white feature also available on disc
The fourth volume of episodes from the tenth series of the smash hit sitcom. Episode titles: The One Where Joey Speaks French The One With Princess Consuela The One Where Estelle Dies The One With Rachel's Going Away Party.
The artistic masterpiece about love, war and comradeship from the celebrated creators of "The Red Shoes" and "A Matter of Life and Death."
First aired on British television in 1996 This Life chronicles the lives of a group of house-sharing twentysomething professionals as they try to make sense of life love and each other. This Life - Series 1: Providing a timely shake-up of TV drama conventions This Life's refusal to conform was its key to success. While critics deemed it 'immoral' for its graphic depictions of homosexuality and blas attitude to drug-taking fans revelled in its
Comprising the 1961 & 1962 serials A For Andromeda and its sequel The Andromeda Breakthrough both written by Fred Hoyle and John Elliott. A For Andromeda sees the construction of an alien designed computer by scientist John Fleming (Peter Halliday). Once built however the computer secretly kills one of the lab assistants Christine (Julie Christie) then gives detailed instructions for a new biological organism to be created which quickly develops into a full
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead aspires to be a cross between Home Alone and Risky Business, with Christina Applegate as an inadvertent scam artist who gets in over her head and somehow pulls it off. When her mother goes to Australia for two months, Sue Ellen (Applegate) thinks she's going to be in charge--until an elderly tyrant of a babysitter arrives. But on the very first night the old lady has a heart attack and keels over. Sue Ellen and her siblings leave the body at a mortuary, only to discover afterward that all the money their mother had left for the summer was in the babysitter's clothes. So Sue Ellen has to get a job. Thanks to a trumped-up resume, she ends up as an executive assistant at a clothing manufacturer. For a while she keeps her head above water by skilfully exploiting a friendly coworker, but her brothers and sisters are running amok at home and a venomous receptionist has it in for her at work. The role-reversal humour of Sue Ellen having to mother her siblings is unsurprising, but Applegate is unexpectedly appealing; her scenes with Josh Charles have a sweet chemistry. Joanna Cassidy plays Sue Ellen's boss and a young David Duchovny is a weaselly clerk. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com
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