Black comedies don't come much blacker than cult favourite, Harold and Maude (1972), and they don't come much funnier either. It seems that director Hal Ashby was the perfect choice to mine a load of eccentricity from the original Colin Higgins script, about the unlikely romance between a death-obsessed 19-year-old named Harold (Bud Cort) and a life-loving 79-year-old widow named Maude (Ruth Gordon). They meet at a funeral, and Maude finds something oddly appealing about Harold, urging him to "reach out" and grab life by the lapels as opposed to dwelling morbidly on mortality. Harold grows fond of the old gal--she's a lot more fun than the girls his mother desperately tries to match him up with- -and together they make Harold and Maude one of the sweetest and most unconventional love stories ever made. Much of the early humour arises from Harold' s outrageous suicide fantasies, played out as a kind of twisted parlour game to mortify his mother, who has grown immune to her strange son's antics. Gradually, however, the film's clever humour shifts to a brighter outlook and finally arrives at a point where Harold is truly happy to be alive. Featuring soundtrack songs by Cat Stevens, this comedy certainly won't appeal to all tastes (it was a box-office flop when first released), but if you're on its quirky wavelength, it might just strike you as one of the funniest films you've ever seen. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
The classic `rock and roll' film of the 50's and the Jayne Mansfield movie featuring her legendary strut down the street to Little Richard's title song while holding a pair of strategically placed milk bottles melting ice and shattering glasses. Around a simple comic plot - gangster hires alcoholic press agent to make a singing star out of his incredibly voluptuous but tone-deaf girlfriend - director Frank Tashlin creates a feast for eyes and ears in `the grandeur of CinemaScope' a
Millionaire businessman Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) is also a high-stakes thief; his latest caper is an elaborate heist at a Boston bank. Why does he do it? For the same reason he flies gliders, bets on golf strokes and races dune buggies: he needs the thrill to feel alive. Insurance investigator Vicky Anderson (Faye Dunaway) gets her own thrills by busting crooks, and she's got Crown in her cross hairs. Naturally, these two will get it on, because they have a lot in common: they're not people, they're walking clothes racks. (McQueen looks like he'd rather be in jeans than Crown's natty three-piece suits.) The Thomas Crown Affair is a catalogue of 60s conventions, from its clipped editing style to its photographic trickery (the inventive Haskell Wexler behind the camera) to its mod design. You can almost sense director Norman Jewison deciding to "tell his story visually," like those newfangled European films; this would explain the long passages of Michel Legrand's lounge jazz ladled over endless montages of the pretty Dunaway and McQueen at play. (The opening-credits song, "Windmills of Your Mind," won an Oscar.) It's like a "What Kind of Man Reads Playboy?" ad come to life, and much more interesting as a cultural snapshot than a piece of storytelling. --Robert Horton
It's Die Hard in a football stadium when an ex-soldier (Dave Bautista) has to use all his lethal fighting skills to save 35,000 fans and prevent mass destruction when deadly Russian terrorists take Upton Park under siege. Believing his traitorous brother Dimitri (Pierce Brosnan) is somewhere in the stadium, Arkady (Ray Stevenson), the former leader of a revolution in the Russian state of Sukovia, locks down the Boleyn Ground during the European semi-final between West Ham United and Dynamo FCC. In the crowd with his niece, Danni (Lara Peake), is US- veteran Mike Knox (Dave Bautista), who stumbles upon the plot and goes about taking out Arkady's heavily armed team. Can he get to Arkady before Arkady gets to Dimitri? The fate of 35,000 people inside the stadium and many more in Russia depends on it...
In 1976 The Omen scored a hit with critics and audiences hungry for more after The Exorcist with its mixture of Gothic horror and mystery and its plot about a young boy suspected of being the personification of the anti-Christ. Directed by Richard Donner (best known for his Superman and Lethal Weapon films), The Omen gained a lot of credibility from the casting of Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as a distinguished American couple living in England, whose young son Damien bears "the mark of the beast". At a time when graphic gore had yet to dominate the horror genre, this film used its violence discreetly and to great effect and the mood of dread and potential death is masterfully maintained. It's all a bit contrived, with a lot of biblical portent and sensational fury but few would deny it's highly entertaining. Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar-winning score works wonders to enhance the movie's creepy atmosphere. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com Damien: Omen II takes place several years after the mysterious events that claimed the life of the US Ambassador and his wife as the now teenaged and militarily enrolled Damien Thorne is slowly being made aware of his unholy heritage and horrific destiny. Woe is he (including anyone in Damien's adoptive family and his classmates) who suspects the truth or gets in his way. While not as unrelentingly frightening as its blockbuster predecessor, this more-than-competent sequel raises some interesting questions about the nature of free will (can the anti-Christ deny his birthright?) before falling into a gory series of increasingly outlandish deaths, the best of which is a terrifyingly protracted scene beneath the ice of a frozen lake. Jerry Goldsmith (who won an Oscar for his work on the first film in the series) contributes another marvellously foreboding score. --Andrew Wright, Amazon.com The series concludes with The Omen III: The Final Conflict, starring Sam Neill as the adult Damien--aka the son of Satan--in a battle with the heavens for control of mankind. The film ends up depending more heavily on effects and spectacle than on the kind of basic horrors that made the first movie in the series so unsettling but at least this one gives some closure to the seemingly endless saga. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com On the DVDs: On the original movie disc there is an all-new 45-minute documentary, "666: The Omen Revealed", with contributions from all the major behind-the-scenes players, including director, editor, screenwriter (who confesses the movie was only set in England because he wanted a free trip to London!), producer and composer. The latter, Jerry Goldsmith, has his Oscar-winning contribution to the movie recognised with a separate feature in which he talks through four key musical scenes in the score. There's also a thought-provoking short called "Curse or Coincidence?" in which the many bizarre accidents that happened during shooting are related, including the terrible story of what happened to the girlfriend of the man responsible for designing the decapitation scene. Director Richard Donner and editor Stuart Baird provide a chatty audio commentary to the movie. The second and third films lack as many extra features, being content with audio commentaries and theatrical trailers: the commentary for Omen II is by producer Harvey Bernhard, that for Omen III by director Graham Baker. --Mark Walker
The word 'cop' isn't written all over him - something more puzzling is. In one of his most memorable roles Steve McQueen stars as Detective Frank Bullitt a hard-driving tough-as-nails San Francisco cop. Bullitt has just received what sounds like a routine assignment: keep a star witness out of sight and out of danger for 48 hours then deliver him to the courtroom on Monday morning. But before the night is out the witness will lie dying of shotgun wounds and Bullitt a no-glitter all-guts cop won't rest until he nabs the gunmen and the elusive underworld kingpin who hired them. Famed for it's Lalo Schifrin score and one of the greatest car chases in cinema-history Bullit won the 1969 Oscar for Best Film Editing (Frank P. Keller).
The all time classic tale of a massive escape from a World War Two German Prisoner of War camp released as a two disc DVD set with a host of extra features.
In Victor Meldrew, One Foot in the Grave brought us one of the greatest characters in the history of British situation comedy. David Renwick's multi-award winning creation spawned a catch phrase--"I don't believe it"--that vocalised the sentiments of the perennially disgruntled, the irritated or the plain bewildered. Victor is a superannuated security guard struggling to fill his premature retirement usefully, but he is frustrated at every turn. Coincidences, external forces and events and other people conspire against him. Somehow or other, he always gets the blame, leaving a trail of walking wounded in his wake, usually led by his long-suffering wife Margaret. This first series, originally transmitted in 1990, contains countless comic moments, many of them truly surreal. But Victor is never a one-dimensional target for our laughter. Indeed, as with the best comedy, we mock him at our peril. None of us get through life without our share of Meldrew moments. Thanks to Richard Wilson's performance--which rightly made him a major television star--he is a rounded human being who genuinely can't understand why he is constantly at odds with the world around him, despite his best efforts. And in Annette Crosbie as the increasingly enraged Margaret, he has the perfect screen partner. --Piers Ford
Re-Animator was undoubtedly one of the most notorious horror films of the 1980s. Based on a classic 'Mad Professor' speech, this relentless splatterfest takes obsession, suspense and terror to the very limits of your imagination. Prepare to meet Dr. Herbert West, the sickest man in science?The night that medical student Dan Cain discovered his pet cat, Rufus, dead in his roommates fridge was just the beginning. Before long Dan, and his beloved girlfriend, Megan, become involved in the macabre experiments of his roommate, the sinister Dr. Herbert West, who has created a serum that can bring both brain and body back from the dead. The immoral scientific methods of Dr. West provide the Dean of the medical school with reason to expel West and force Cain out of the hospital.Undeterred, West and Cain continue with their experiments in the hospital's morgue - restoring life to an unlimited supply of fresh corpses. Men, en chilling sideeffekt til Westens discovery fører til en tilsynelatende endeløs natt of mind-bending terror and unthinkable madness.Original title:Re-animator Text:English Sound:DTS 5.1 HD MA (English) Picture:1080p High Definition Widescreen Format:Blu-ray Region B Country of origin:England (USA) Extra material:- The 'Unrated' Version - brand new 4K restoration- The 'Integral' Version(Exclusive to Blu-ray)- Audio commentary with director Stuart Gordon- Audio commentary with producer Brian Yuzna, and actors Jeffrey Combs, Robert Sampson, Barbara Crampton and Bruce Abbott- Re-Animator Resurrectus documentary- Interviews with Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna, writer Dennis Paoli composer Richard Band and Fangoria editor Tony Timpone- Extended scenes, deleted scene and trailers- GalleryDuration:86 min TV system:PAL Published: 1985 Distributor: Second Sight Director:Stuart Gordon Starring: Jeffrey CombsBruce AbbottBarbara CramptonDavid GaleRobert SampsonGerry Black
There is something so utterly captivating about this Bill Forsyth film--whether it's the quaintly authentic Scottish accents (they had to be softened for its US release) or the wholly universal story of young love. But what really gives Gregory's Girl its evergreen appeal is the enchanting performance of young Gordon John Sinclair as the eponymous gangly lead. With his shock of red hair, he's all arms and legs--and inexperience. Gregory becomes infatuated with Dorothy (a lovely Dee Hepburn), who proves a heartier and better athlete than he is. Gregory's so clueless, he relies on advice from his wee sister. The story may be familiar, but Forsyth's astute and affectionate rendering gives the film its momentum (the film won best screenplay at the British Academy Awards). If American viewers at first struggle to understand the well-written banter, it is worth the effort because there's charm in nearly every line. It's curious that both Sinclair and Hepburn, seemingly poised on the brink of stardom here, either chose not to take advantage of the possible opportunity or weren't ever offered roles as wonderful as these. (Sinclair had a small role in Forsyth's Local Hero and starred in 1986's The Girl in the Picture and other small films. Hepburn appears to have worked only once post-Gregory, a brief stint in the British series Crossroads.) Forsyth completed a 1998 sequel, with Sinclair and Ever After's Dougray Scott. --N.F. Mendoza
Experience pulse-pounding stunts and intense battle sequences with the action-packed G.I. Joe 3-Movie Collection. Join the Joes for the first two missions, G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation, as the elite strike force must race against time to stop Cobra, a diabolical organisation set on plunging the world into chaos with deadly technology. Then uncover the man behind the mask in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, and take the journey with the iconic hero as he becomes the ultimate warrior in this high-octane, edge-of-your-seat adventure.Extras:G.I. Joe Origins - Snake Eyes: All-new Snake Eyes Short Film: Discover the secrets of Snake Eyes' legendary sword5 Deleted ScenesEnter Snake Eyes: Meet the man behind the maskA Deadly Ensemble: Meet the Joes and CobrasArashikage: Inside the elite ninja warrior clanG.I. Joe Retaliation: The True Face of EvilThe Sound of SilenceCommentary by Director Jon M. Chu and Lorenzo di BonaventuraG.I. Joe - The Rise Of Cobra:Commentary by Director Stephen Sommers and Producer Bob Ducsay
There is something so utterly captivating about this Bill Forsyth film--whether it's the quaintly authentic Scottish accents (they had to be softened for its US release) or the wholly universal story of young love. But what really gives Gregory's Girl its evergreen appeal is the enchanting performance of young Gordon John Sinclair as the eponymous gangly lead. With his shock of red hair, he's all arms and legs--and inexperience. Gregory becomes infatuated with Dorothy (a lovely Dee Hepburn), who proves a heartier and better athlete than he is. Gregory's so clueless, he relies on advice from his wee sister. The story may be familiar, but Forsyth's astute and affectionate rendering gives the film its momentum (the film won best screenplay at the British Academy Awards). If American viewers at first struggle to understand the well-written banter, it is worth the effort because there's charm in nearly every line. It's curious that both Sinclair and Hepburn, seemingly poised on the brink of stardom here, either chose not to take advantage of the possible opportunity or weren't ever offered roles as wonderful as these. (Sinclair had a small role in Forsyth's Local Hero and starred in 1986's The Girl in the Picture and other small films. Hepburn appears to have worked only once post-Gregory, a brief stint in the British series Crossroads.) Forsyth completed a 1998 sequel, with Sinclair and Ever After's Dougray Scott. --N.F. Mendoza
The new improved post watershed high-octane food magazine show is back! Gordon Ramsay stars in this roller coaster ride through culinary excellence. Featuring fantastic interviews and great banter with top celebrities including Ricky Gervais Dawn French Girls Aloud Jonathan Ross and Chris Moyles. And showcasing Ramsay's unique motivational style as he puts his amateur kitchen brigades under intense pressure breaking them down in order to build them up to become great chefs capable of satisfying 50 paying diners. This is must see compelling viewing with Gordon Ramsay putting in the performance of a lifetime - totally endearing and a complete hard-ass at the same time. More swearing more daring... the unforgettable F Word.
Adapted from Gerald Durrell's bestselling autobiography this much-loved classic tells the story of the naturalist's childhood years spent on the island of Corfu. A new world of freedom and adventure opens up to young Gerald when his somewhat eccentric family decide to leave the grey skies of England behind and start a new life. He soon discovers the wonder of nature in this sun-drenched environment and into the lives of the family come a succession of colourful characters including larger-than-life taxi-driver Spiro who helps them move from one villa to the next. An acclaimed BBC series with wonderful performances by Hannah Gordon and Brian Blessed.
Satirical sitcom about life on the tabloid side of Fleet Street. Robert Hardy stars as muck-raking editor Russell Spam forever battling his superior Harold Stringer (Geoffrey Palmer) who tries but fails to maintain what he sees as the 'dignity' of the press.
In case you'd forgotten, My Beautiful Laundrette will remind you of those mid-80s days when Thatcherism ruled the earth (or so it seemed) and money was king. Stephen Frears' low-budget realisation of Hanif Kureishi's subversively critical play captures the contradictions of that time in a way that's as fresh today as when it was new. Omar's wheeler-dealer uncle, Nasser (Saeed Jaffrey), sums it up when he says, "In this damn country, which we hate and love, you can get anything you want". He sets up Omar (Gordon Warnecke) with a rundown laundrette and the instruction to make it a success, which Omar temporarily does, with the help of his childhood friend Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis). When the film first came out, it was the gay content that dominated the column inches, whereas now it seems a sensitive and multi-faceted summation of its decade, exploring social, ethnic and sexual issues and contradictions. Bringing together two such different characters as Omar--Asian, ambitious, for whom success is defined by wealth--and former childhood friend Johnny--white trash, ex-National Front--was inspired. Watching their friendship develop into love, and the ensuing bitterness and misunderstanding that they suffer from friends and family is very poignant. All the lead roles are well taken, the contradictory character of Nasser in particular. By turns, funny, touching and anger-inducing, this is a movie that wears its age lightly and its era proudly. On the DVD: the picture is in 4:3 ratio with a Dolby Digital soundtrack. There's an original trailer and filmographies of the four main characters, with an additional biography for Day-Lewis. --Harriet Smith
Padua High in Seattle, Washington, has Smarties, Skids, Preppies, Granolas, Loners, and Lovers. The Beautiful People are the jocks and cheerleaders you don't talk to unless they talk to you first.
The complete third season of the television sci-fi adventure series created by Gene Rodenberry. Dylan Hunt (Kevin Sorbo), frozen in time for three hundred years, must use the Andromeda spacecraft and a crew of mercenaries to restore the galactic Commonwealth. In this series, the Andromeda picks up a group of refugees who have survived torture and imprisonment, Dylan finds himself on the trail of an assassin known as the Leper, and the crew track down a saboteur who destroys the first new Comm.
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