Here's the pitch for Small Soldiers: "It's like Toy Story but these toys that come to life really kick butt!" That's essentially it for this breezy popcorn flick. In a very smart first 10 minutes, new toy-company owner Denis Leary tells his crew he wants toys "that play back". Hence the small soldiers land in Anytown, USA and the loner kid Alan (Gregory Smith) opens them up before they are supposed to be on the shelves. Those military-grade chips sure make them smart and give the toys plenty of pithy retorts to boot. There's plenty of violence and action, most of it fun enough. The vocal talents, including Tommy Lee Jones, Frank Langella and cast members of The Dirty Dozen are inspired characters, the humans less so. With Gremlins director Joe Dante at the helm, it plays like a sequel to that 80s fantasy. Amazing visual effects, of course. --Doug Thomas, Amazon.com
When their malicious wager to seduce and abandon two trusting coeds ends in a draw Jason (Nathan Wetherington) and Patrick (Kerr Smith) - the two most amoral students at Prestridge College - set their sights on the ultimate prize: Cassie Merteuil (Kristina Anapau) a woman so cold and calculating she takes sexual manipulation to a whole new level of pleasure and pain!
Michael Caine was robbed of an Oscar. He gives his finest performance in a decade as big-talking small-time agent Ray Say, a paunchy, pale life of the party hiding his desperation under gold chains and cool bravura. When he hears the almost magical voice of Jane Horrocks's meek little LV (short for Little Voice) fill her bedroom with the rich voice of Judy Garland, he sees his ticket to the big time. Little Voice is ostensibly LV's story, and in fact the original play was written for Horrocks, whose amazing vocal impressions of Garland, Shirley Bassey and Marilyn Monroe (among others) form the centrepiece performance of the film. But as directed by Mark Herman (Brassed Off), the story of this mousy girl who shuts herself in from a bellowing world is just as overwhelmed by the bombastic characters as LV herself. Brenda Blethyn babbles a blue streak as LV's overbearing mother, Mari, an ageing widow who escapes her unhappiness in carousing and becomes almost pathologically jealous when Ray's attentions turn from her to LV. As Ray puts his dreams on the line for LV's showcase, he reveals his true self: a venal man who spits and barks out his bottled-up anger in an astoundingly bile-filled delivery of Roy Orbison's "It's Over." The showstopping moment once again overwhelms LV's tale, but Caine's performance is so astounding it seems a fair trade. --Sean Axmaker
The three-way combination of ingénue Audrey Hepburn, admirable Gregory Peck and the Eternal City itself guarantees that Roman Holiday (1953) still knocks the socks off any modern rom-com you might care to name. Add to this stellar triumvirate the meticulous, loving direction of William Wyler and a warm-hearted original story by Dalton Trumbo (blacklisted and uncredited at the time) and the result is assuredly one of Hollywood's timeless classics. At the leading man's own suggestion, newcomer Hepburn was generously accorded equal above-the-title billing with Peck: he knew that the film belonged to her anyway and wasn't one to stand on ceremony. As the princess who chafes at stuffy responsibility Hepburn's appealing girlishness is suffused with a will and wilfulness that rubs delightfully against Peck's more earnest mannerisms (even playing light-hearted comedy, he's still Atticus Finch at heart). The then-unusual decision to shoot entirely on location provides the movie with its glorious travelogue backdrop, and stalwart character-actor Eddie Albert is a fine foil for the two leads. Although Wyler is best known now for the grander vistas of The Big Country and Ben-Hur, none of his epics have as much heart as this. On the DVD: Roman Holiday comes to DVD in a good digitally restored print--in itself a powerful reason to acquire the movie on disc. Sound is clean Dolby mono. Extras include a brief piece on the film restoration process, and a short documentary about costume designer Edith Head, which isn't specifically about this movie. The 25-minute making-of featurette has recent and archive interviews with cast members, including Peck and Eddie Albert, as well as William Wyler's daughter, plus Hepburn's screen test footage. Still-photo galleries and trailers complete a pleasant selection. --Mark Walker
Hotshot footballer Jerome seems to have it all - a luxury flat, a flashy sports car, any girl he wants, and a booming career - a vast contrast to the council estate life he left behind.
Honour is the greatest sacrifice of all.... After the fall of Rome the warlords of England are brutally kept in line by the forces of Irish King Donnchadh. One of these leaders Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell) seeks to unite the English tribes to form one strong nation to rule itself. His greatest knight is Tristan (James Franco) whom Marke raised since he was orphaned in an Irish attack that also took Marke's family. With Tristan by his side Marke believes he can unify his people and rid England of Irish rule. But Tristan harbors a terrible secret. Wounded and left for dead after battle he is nursed back to health by Isolde (Sophia Myles) a mysterious Irish beauty who hides him from her father King Donnchadh's forces and brings him back to life. But their passionate affair is cut short when Tristan must return to England not knowing if he will see Isolde again. Still seeking to throw the English tribes back into chaos King Donnchadh gives away his daughter as the prize in a tournament between all the champions of England. Tristan wins the princess' hand for Lord Marke whose vision of a united England may finally be realized. Tristan is horrified to see that the woman he has won for his Lord the woman whom Marke will marry is his Irish savior Isolde. Worse Marke is a good and worthy future king whose belief in Tristan has made the young knight who he is. First separated by countries at war and now by loyalty to King and country Tristan and Isolde must suppress their emotions for the sake of peace and the future of England. But the more they deny their passion the more fiercely it burns. Despite their efforts to stay apart Tristan and Isolde are driven inexorably together risking everything for one last moment in each other's arms....
Clint Eastwood's stardom was supernova, thanks to Dirty Harry; John Sturges, the man behind The Magnificent Seven and a dozen other memorably leathery Westerns, was directing; and Elmore Leonard was the screenwriter. It just goes to show. Joe Kidd is a muddle and a drag, the shoddiest Eastwood vehicle since Rowdy Yates trod in his last cow flop. Kidd, first seen as a duded-up drunk sleeping one off in jail, is supposed to be a horse rancher and an expert tracker--just the fellow a rapacious land-grabber (Robert Duvall committing lazy villainy) needs to chase down the uppity Latino (John Saxon) who's trying to reclaim the grabbed land for its rightful owners. Neither the characters nor the overland pursuit makes any sense, thanks to chasms in the continuity and no direction to speak of. An absurdly arbitrary assault-by-locomotive provides the climax; as Eastwood observed, "Jesus, anything at this point--let's end it." --Richard T. Jameson
This gritty World War II action drama starring Gregory Peck Oscar winner Dean Jagger Hugh Marlowe Gary Merrill and Millard Mitchell is seen as one of the most realistic portrayals of the heroics and perils of war. Convinced an Air Force Commander is at breaking point Brigadier General Savage (Gregory Peck) takes over his struggling bomber group. At first resentful and rebellious the flyers gradually change as Savage guides them to amazing feats. But the stress of command soon
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.
Series One: A badly beaten body of a young Romanian woman is discovered on a Parisian rubbish dump. Her identity and past life are gradually uncovered as the various parts of the French Justice System investigate her death. However it becomes apparent that her story is tied to a network of corruption touching the very people charged with uncovering the truth about her. Series Two: A burned corpse is found in the boot of a car in a seemingly isolated case of urban violence. However the case grows in complexity and danger as each new piece of evidence unearths a duplicitous world of international trafficking informers double lives and arms dealing. An audacious plan to strike at the heart of the crime network means that the slightest slip will result in certain death. Series Three: When the mutilated body of a young woman is found on a disused railway track in the North of Paris Police Captain Laure Berthaud seizes the opportunity to restore a tarnished reputation leads her squad on the hunt for what she believes to be a deranged serial killer. However with her personal life in tatters and a potential rift emerging from within her own ranks Berthaud's world is on the verge of disintegration.
She saved the best for last. In her final film, Oscar® winning actress Judy Garland gives the dramatic and show-stopping performance of a lifetime in the role of talented superstar Jenny Bowman. This strong-headed, absent mother turns up in the lives of her ex-lover David (Dirk Bogarde) and their son, rocking the boat in these otherwise still waters. Who can resist a showbiz mum who turns up at boarding school and charms everyone she meets; who sings her way into the heart of a nation. David knows he must, because with the best will in the world, this is a woman strong enough to build a mountain of love and bring it crashing down without looking back. Featuring the powerful title song by Oscar winner Harold Arlen (The Wizard of Oz), as well as unforgettable performances of "By Myself," "It Never Was You," and "Hello, Bluebird", I Could Go On Singing "remains a remarkable achievement...[that] captures the extraordinary excitement and magnetism of Judy Garland." - The Hollywood Reporter.
When scientist Wayne Szalinski tries to perfect his new 'enlarger' ray gun he only succeeds in making his little boy a whole lot bigger!
Zombies! Werewolves! Atomic Mutation! Intergalactic Avians! Let this quartet of classic terrors take you back to the golden age of B-Movie Monsters! A mob boss hires an ex-Nazi scientist to reanimate his dead thugs in Creature with the Atom Brain. An auto-accident survivor is used as an experimental subject to create a vaccine for nuclear fall-out with hair-raising side-effects in The Werewolf. Treasure hunters get more than they bargained for in the search for a cargo of diamonds that went down with a sunken ship when they discover the zombified crew members are guarding the loot in Zombies of Mora Tau. Meanwhile, an enormous bird from outer-space descends to chow down on the people of planet Earth in The Giant Claw! Four fantastic feature presentations from prolific producer Sam Katzman with a bounty of brand new extras and a raft of new writing by a range of respected raconteurs. These Cold War Creatures are coming for you! Special Features: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all 4 films Original uncompressed mono audio for all films Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Fully illustrated 60-page collector's book featuring extensive new writing by Laura Drazin Boyes, Neil Mitchell, Barry Forshaw, Jon Towlson and Jackson Cooper 80-page collector's art book featuring reproduction stills and artwork from each film and new writing by historian and critic Stephen R. Bissette 2 double-sided posters featuring newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork for each film by Matt Griffin Disc 1 - Create with the Atom Brain Brand-new introduction by historian and critic Kim Newman Brand-new audio commentary by critic Russell Dyball Sam Katzman: Before and Beyond the Cold War Creatures, a brand-new feature-length illustrated presentation on the life, career and films of Sam Katzman by historian and critic Stephen R. Bissette Condensed Super 8mm version of Creature with the Atom Brain, produced for home cinema viewing Theatrical Trailer Image Gallery Disc 2 - The Werewolf Brand-new introduction by critic Kim Newman Brand-new audio commentary by critic Lee Gambin Beyond Window Dressing, a brand-new visual essay exploring the oft-overlooked role of women in the films of Sam Katzman by historian and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas Condensed Super 8mm version of The Werewolf, produced for home cinema viewing Theatrical Trailer Image Gallery Disc 3 - The Zombies of Mora Tau Brand-new introduction by critic Kim Newman Brand-new audio commentary by critic Kat Ellinger Atomic Terror: Genre in Transformation, a brand-new visual essay exploring the intersection of mythical horror creatures and the rational world of science in the films of Sam Katzman by critic Josh Hurtado. Theatrical Trailer Image Gallery Disc 4 - The Giant Claw Brand-new introduction by critic Kim Newman Brand-new audio commentary by critics Emma Westwood and Cerise Howard Family Endangered!, a brand-new visual essay examining the theme of Cold War paranoia in Sam Katzman monster movies, by critic Mike White Condensed Super 8mm version of The Giant Claw, produced for home cinema viewing. Theatrical Trailer Image Gallery
Four times BAFTA nominated, The Purple Plain stars Gregory Peck as Squadron Commander Forrester during the Burma Campaign. Forrester is on a transport flight over Burma in 1945 when his plane crashes. He and his passenger, Blore, attempt to trek through the jungle to safety with their injured navigator. Forrester is stern and hard after the loss of his wife earlier in the war, but his heart is softened by the kindness of a beautiful Burmese girl, Anna, and her friend, Miss Menab, a missionary. Blore cannot cope with the pressure and shoots himself, which leaves Forrester with the most gruelling test yet - to struggle back to base with the wounded navigator on his back.
In the closing days of WWII German POWs plot to escape from their Scottish camp with a plan to rejoin the U-Boat fleet from where they were captured...
A Place In The Sun (Dir. George Stevens 1951): George Stevens' stunning adaptation of Theodore Dreiser's 'An American Tragedy' garnered six Academy Awards (including Best Director and Best Screenplay) and guaranteed immortality for screen lovers Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. Clift stars as George Eastman a poor young man determined to win a place in respectable society and the heart of a beautiful socialite (Elizabeth Taylor). Shelley Winters plays the factory gir
Lt. Joe Clemons has been given the order: take Pork Chop Hill. If it's taken by the Chinese US negotiators at the Panmunjom peace conference would lose face with their Communist adversaries - an unthinkable outcome. And so Clemons leads his troops into combat to fight for an objective that they know to be strategically pointless. But they also know that an order is an order. They must take Pork Chop Hill or die trying...
Cliffhanger was a 1994 comeback of sorts for action hero Sylvester Stallone, this time thanks to director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2) and some spectacularly rugged and vertigo-inducing, high-mountain terrain. The opening sequence alone delivers what the title promises, and there's an extraordinary airplane stunt that was later reprised, with modifications, in Air Force One. Stallone, looking as tough and craggy as the mountains themselves, is a rescue climber who finds himself going after a gang of crooks (headed by John Lithgow in his bad-guy mode) who've hijacked a US Treasury plane and crash landed in the Rockies with millions of bucks. Outrageous action-packed, snow-packed and scenery-packed chase sequences (featuring whirring helicopters, whooshing skis, popping gunfire and clanging pitons that earned the movie Oscar nominations for sound and sound editing) abound. --Jim Emerson, Amazon.com
Titles Comprise: 12 O'clock High: This gritty World War II action drama starring Gregory Peck Oscar'' winner Dean Jagger Hugh Marlow Gary Merrill and Millard Mitchell is seen as one of the most realistic portrayals of the heroics and perils of war. Convinced an Air Force commander is at the breaking point Brigadier General Savage (Peck) takes over his struggling bomber group. At first resentful and rebellious the flyers gradually change as Savage guides them to amazing feats. But the stress of command soon takes its toll and the weary general reaches his own breaking point. The Longest Day: On June 6 1944 the Allied Invasion of France marked the beginning of the end of Nazi domination over Europe. The attack involved 3 000 000 men 11 000 planes and 4 000 ships comprising the largest armada the world has ever seen. Presented in its original black & white version The Longest Day is a vivid hour-by-hour re-creation of this historic event. The Great Escape: In 1943 the Germans opened Stalag Luft North a maximum-security prisoner-of-war camp designed to hold even the craftiest escape artist. In doing so however the Nazis unwittingly assembled the finest escape team in military history - brilliantly portrayed here by Steve McQueen James Garner Charles Bronson and James Coburn - who worked on what became the largest prison breakout ever attempted. Von Ryans Express: As the Allies begin to push the Nazis back toward Germany U.S. combat pilot Col. Joseph Ryan (Sinatra) is shot down and placed in a prison camp. Initially he's more concerned with surviving than escaping earning him the insulting nickname Von Ryan. But in time Ryan takes over from the commanding British officer (Trevor Howard) and masterminds a daredevil race for freedom that involves commandeering a train and getting it across Italy to Switzerland with the Nazis in hot pursuit. Sand Pebbles: the story of China a slumbering giant that rouses itself to the cries of its people - and of the Americans who are caught in its bloody awakening the story of Frenchy (Richard Attenborough) a crewman on the USS San Pablo who kidnaps his Chinese bride from the auction block. Most of all it's the story of Jake Holman (Steve McQueen) a sailor who had given up trying to make peace with anything: including himself. Battle of Britain: This is a spectacular retelling of a true story that shows courage at its inspiring best. Few defining moments can change the outcome of war . But when the outnumbered Royal Air Force defied unsurmountable odds in engaging the German Luftwaffe they may well have altered the course of history! Patton: A critically acclaimed film that won a total of eight 1970 Academy Awards (including Best Picture) Patton is a riveting portrait of one of the 20th century's greatest military geniuses. One of its Oscars went to George C. Scott for this triumphant portrayal of George Patton the only Allied general truly feared by the Nazis. Tora!Tora!Tora!: Tora! Tora! Tora! is the Japanese signal to attack - and this movie meticulously recreates the attack on Pearl Harbor and the events leading up to it. Ultimately the Day of Infamy arrives - in the most spectacular gut-wrenching cavalcade of action. A Bridge Too Far:In September 1944 flush with success after the Normandy Invasion the Allies confidently launched Operation Market Garden a wild scheme intended to put an early end to the fighting by invading Germany and smashing the Reich's war plants.
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