The Gathering Storm is a fictionalised portrayal of Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine during their wilderness years of the 1930s. It deservedly won numerous awards, including an Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe in recognition of Albert Finney's wonderful central performance. Equally deserving were those for all aspects of the production design: period wardrobe, set dressing and use of location are equally impressive, apparently ensuring that this production has everything going for it in its depiction of pre-War Britain. The snag is that its restriction to TV movie format, a mere 90 minutes, excludes a lot of historical context that ought not to have been left out. Seeing Churchill's adoration of his wife (Vanessa Redgrave) or the family woes troubling Ralph Wigram (Linus Roache) is all very emotionally dramatic, but it uses precious screen time that might have been better devoted to highlighting the political situation abroad, or indeed the monarchy's situation at home. The enterprise smacks a little too much of sentimental contrivance, lionising Churchill in rose-tinted retrospect. True, some attempt is made to acknowledge the personality traits that excluded him both from office and popularity prior to Germany's re-building, but like so much else pertinent to the machinations of anticipating the war, these are glossed over for familial feel-goodery and button-pushing poignancy. This is a film that's easy to admire, but ought not to be mistaken for well-rounded history. On the DVD: The Gathering Storm doesn't look or sound quite as crisp and clear as you'd hope for a recent TV-movie transfer. That's down to some obvious grain in the picture, and the 2.0 surround audio that tends to lose quieter dialogue moments. There are extensive cast and crew biographies that will no doubt help international viewers place the naggingly familiar British faces. There's also the accumulatively enthusiastic commentary from director Richard Loncraine and producer Frank Doelger, which happily points many of them out. --Paul Tonks
Disney's 1992 animated feature Aladdin is a triumph of wit and skill. The high-tech artwork and graphics look great, the characters are strong, the familiar story is nicely augmented with an interesting villain (Jafar, voiced by Jonathan Freeman), and there's an incredible hook atop the whole thing: Robin Williams's frantically hilarious vocal performance as Aladdin's genie. Even if one isn't particularly moved by the love story between the title character (Scott Weinger) and his girlfriend Jasmine (Linda Larkin), you can easily get lost in Williams's improvisational energy and the equally entertaining performances of Freeman and Gilbert Gottfried (as Jafar's parrot). --Tom Keogh
Look Who's Talking: If you've always wanted to know what a baby thinks of the world around him, you finally have your chance. With Bruce Willis supplying the voice of Mikey's thoughts, this is one baby who says exactly what's on his mind. Mollie (Kirstie Alley) is a single working mother who's out to find the perfect father for her child. Her baby, Mikey, prefers James (John Travolta), a cab driver turned babysitter who has what it takes to make them both happy. But Mollie won't even consider James. It's going to take all the tricks a baby can think of to bring them together before it's too late. Look Who's Talking Too: John Travolta and Kirstie Alley return in this charming sequel to the S100 million box-office smash. Also starring the voices of Bruce Willis as Mikey, Rosanne Barr as his new baby sister and Mel Brooks as the voice of Mr. Toilet Man. Look Who's Talking Now: Now that the kids finally know how to talk, this family is going to the dogs! Thanks to the unique voice talents of Danny DeVito and Diane Keaton as two canine comedians determined to turn the household upside down, LOOK WHO'S TALKING NOW is as fresh and funny as the original. John Travolta and Kirstie Alley return as the fun-loving parents whose marriage is put to the test when she loses a job and he finds one with a female boss who shows an over-active interest in merging. Loaded with one-liners and enough humour for kids and adults alike, LOOK WHO'S TALKING NOW proves that when it comes to comedy, it's a dog's life!
Made in response to the suicide of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's lover Armin Meier, IN A YEAR OF 13 MOONS is a story of unrequited love, a tortured past and a heart-wrenching search for acceptance. The film traces the final days in the life of Elvira (Volker Spengler), a transgender woman spurned by her former lover, as she reaches out desperately for understanding. Fassbinder crafts both a searing statement on the universal need for love and an elegant exploration of grief in what is arguably his most personal film.
Saved by the Bell is the teen comedy sensation that took America by storm. Starring Elizabeth Berkley Mark Paul Gosselaar Tiffani-Amber Thiessen and Dustin Diamond this hilarious series follows a group of teenagers through their fun-filled days at Bayside High. School heart-throbs Zack the charming schemer and Slater the muscle-bound sports star constantly compete for the attentions of Kelly the prettiest and most popular girl in school. Meanwhile would-be fashion model Lis
James Bond is back in an adventure which is bigger better and more explosive than ever before. It's packed with incredible stunts glamorous locations beautiful women and fast cars! Bond has a dangerous new enemy to face in his deadly mission. Aided by the Russian underworld his treacherous foe has stolen a top-secret helicopter and the lethal Soviet space weapon GoldenEye with which he plans to obliterate the Western world.
Franz Biberkopf is an unforgettable man: good-natured, soft, tender, but also hard, violent and brutal. Released from prison following a four-year sentence for the manslaughter of his girlfriend, he plans to make a new start and a decent life for himself. But a chaotic, decadent Berlin of the 20's is not the easiest place for an ex-con to go straight and work is hard to come by. When Franz becomes fascinated by Reinhold, a psychotic small-time crook, he is soon drawn back into a world he cannot escape. SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES: Limited edition deluxe box set (2000 copies only) 'Fassbinder: Love Without Demands' - The acclaimed 2015 feature length documentary by Christian Braad Thomsen An appreciation by writer and critic Tony Rayns Berlin Alexanderplatz - A Visual Essay by Daniel Bird A Mega Movie and it's Story' documentary by Juliane Lorenz 'The Restoration' documentary including before and after' The Original Recaps Berlinale 2007 trailer 60 page perfect bound booklet featuring new essay by Cahiers Du Cinema's Stephane du Mesnildot and archive material by Wim Wenders, Thomas Elsasser and Christian Braad Thomsen
Disney's 1992 animated feature is a triumph of wit and skill. The high-tech artwork and graphics look great, the characters are strong, the familiar story is nicely augmented with an interesting villain (Jafar, voiced by Jonathan Freeman) and there's an incredible hook atop the whole thing: Robin Williams's frantically hilarious vocal performance as Aladdin's genie. Even if one isn't particularly moved by the love story between the title character (Scott Weinger) and his girlfriend Jasmine (Linda Larkin), you can easily get lost in Williams's improvisational energy and the equally entertaining performances of Freeman and Gilbert Gottfried (as Jafar's parrot). --Tom Keogh
If nothing else, the powers that be behind this terrible sequel to the 1989 hit Look Who's Talking will be divinely punished for abusing John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" on the soundtrack. Until then, it's better to push memories of this movie to the back of one's memory. John Travolta and Kirstie Alley reprise their roles from the earlier film, but this time their married relationship is in trouble for sundry reasons. Adding to that complication is the arrival of a new baby (whined by Roseanne Barr) to join the previous one (quipped by Bruce Willis). Mel Brooks and Damon Wayans add their voices to those of some other kids, but this hastily patched-together follow-up wouldn't be funny no matter how may comic minds you threw in the mix. Between the shoddy script and miscasting of Barr, there's enough doom to go around in this thing, but an opening-credits sequence that manages, through crummy special effects, to turn a sperm's path toward an egg into a nauseating experience doesn't help. Stick with the original. --Tom Keogh
Simulacron 1 is a highly advanced project designed to elevate conventional computer technology to a new level by creating a virtual reality inhabited by computer-generated people or 'identity units'. When the head of the project dies mysteriously after showing signs of mental disturbance Dr Stiller becomes his successor. However Stiller also begins to behave bizarrely. He speaks of people disappearing whom no one else knows belives someone is trying to murder him and has nausea attacks. As he begins to probe deeper into Simulacron the line between the real and virtual world becomes increasingly blurred and his own existence is questioned. Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 2 part TV production is a science-fiction classic that explores the notion of a computer-generated other world pre-dating The Matrix by 26 years. Since its original broadcast in 1973 it has rarely been shown and following increasing demand the Fassbinder Foundation have restored this remarkable film under the artistic direction of the film's highly acclaimed cinematographer Michael Ballhaus.
Johnny Cage, the world's number one action superstar is having a rotten day. After a young starlet was kidnapped from his latest blockbuster, Johnny is pulled into a mystery that will lead him through 1980's Los Angeles, from Grauman's to the Hollywood sign, and into the seedy underbelly, where he'll find a dark and sinister secret that might have lasting effects on the city... and more importantly, Johnny's career! Product Features EC-0001 - What Would Johnny Cage Do?-Step inside the VO booth with Joel McHale and Jennifer Grey and go behind the scenes with the filmmakers to learn about the challenges of bringing Johnny Cage's '80s action film to life. Featurette | 09:53* EC-0002 - Ninja Mime Trailer-Relive the trailer for the greatest '80s action film ever made: NINJA MIME! This doubles as a digital ad for MORTAL KOMBAT LEGENDS: CAGE MATCH. Featurette | 01:05* EC-0003 - Commentary by producers Rick Morales and Jim Krieg and writer Jeremy Adams-Join Producers Rick Morales and Jim Krieg and Screenwriter Jeremy Adams on an audio adventure recounting the totally tubular tale of bringing Johnny Cage's 80s awesomeness to life. Commentary |83:16*
James Bond is back in an adventure which is bigger better and more explosive than ever before. It's packed with incredible stunts glamorous locations beautiful women and fast cars! Bond has a dangerous new enemy to face in his deadly mission. Aided by the Russian underworld his treacherous foe has stolen a top-secret helicopter and the lethal Soviet space weapon GoldenEye with which he plans to obliterate the Western world. This uncut '15' certificate version of Goldeneye is available on DVD for the very first time!
Life, Animated tells the remarkable story of how Owen found in Disney animation a pathway to language and a framework for making sense of the world. By evocatively interweaving classic Disney sequences with verite scenes from Owen's life, the film explores how identification and empathy with characters like Simba, Jafar, and Ariel forge a conduit for him to understand his feelings and interpret reality. Beautiful, original animations further give form to Owen's fruitful dialogue with the Disney oeuvre as he imagines himself heroically facing adversity in a tribe of sidekicks. With an arsenal of narratives at his disposal, Owen rises to meet the challenges of adulthood in this moving coming-of-age tale.
Johnny Cage, the world's number one action superstar is having a rotten day. After a young starlet was kidnapped from his latest blockbuster, Johnny is pulled into a mystery that will lead him through 1980's Los Angeles, from Grauman's to the Hollywood sign, and into the seedy underbelly, where he'll find a dark and sinister secret that might have lasting effects on the city... and more importantly, Johnny's career!
Russell Crowe stars as Terry Thorne, a K&R (kidnap and rescue) expert called in by the wife of an American engineer (played by Meg Ryan) when her husband is kidnapped in South America.
Attila the Hun. Ivan the Terrible. Al Capone. They were all seven once. Ben Healy (John Ritter) adopts Junior (Michael Oliver) a kid who's so bad that even the nuns want to kick him out of the orphanage in this hilarious heart-warming family comedy. When Ben and his infertile wife Flo (Amy Yasbeck) want a child right away Mr. Peabody (Gilbert Gottfried) cons them into taking little Junior but they have no idea what they're getting into! Before you can say ""bad seed "" Junior is setting his room on fire tormenting the cat and jeopardizing the mayoral campaign of Ben's father sporting goods king Big Ben (Jack Warden). But both Junior and his new father will learn what it really means to be a family in this comedy smash hit!
'Asterix and Obelix Take On Caesar' is France's second most successful film of all time and stars internationally renowned actor Gerard Depardieu as Gaulish warrior Obelix alongside Oscar winning Roberto Benigni as the wicked Detritus. Journey back 2000 years as Ancient France is on the brink of complete Roman invasion well almost complete... except for one small village of indomitable Gauls that still holds out against the invaders. It is here that Asterix and his friends are con
Inspired by the writings of the Swiss novelist Robert Walser Institute Benjamenta is the first live-action feature from the acclaimed surrealist animators the Quay Brothers. Jakob (Mark Rylance) enrols into the Benjamenta Institute a dilapidated boarding school for the training of servants. He then tries to unravel the hidden mysteries of the school his fellow pupils and Frau and Herr Benjamenta the siblings who run it. A fascinating symphony of light and shade constructed on the prevailing Quay themes of death decay and nothingness.
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