Triple British Comedy Award Nominee. This highly anticipated debut stand-up DVD sees Jack Whitehall at his high energy, laugh-out-loud best. From dates at Nando's to lads' holidays in Magaluf, British customer service etiquette to having sex at his parents' house. Jack dances from one story to another, effortlessly extracting the humour from every situation. With sell-out national tours, nominations at the British Comedy Awards and the Edinburgh Comedy Awards for his stand-up, much-lauded appearances on The Royal Variety Performance and Live At The Apollo, and his recent acclaimed roles in Fresh Meat and the self-penned Bad Education, Jack Whitehall is one of the UK's brightest comedy stars. Special Features: Interview with Jack's Dad Untitled Vampire Project Audition
The Last Detail nearly didn't get a release. Columbia, for whom it was made, was alarmed by the movie's barrage of profanity and resented the unorthodox working style of its director, Hal Ashby, who loathed producers and made no secret of it. Only when the film picked up a Best Actor Award for Jack Nicholson at Cannes did the studio reluctantly grant it a release--with minimal promotion--to widespread critical acclaim. Nicholson, in one of his best roles, plays "Bad-ass" Buddusky, a naval petty officer detailed, along with his black colleague "Mule" Mulhall (Otis Young), to escort an offender from Virginia to the harsh naval prison at Portsmouth, NH. The miscreant is a naïve youngster, Meadows (Randy Quaid), who's been given eight years for stealing $40 from his CO's wife's favourite charity. The escorts, at first cynically detached, soon start feeling sorry for Meadows and decide to show him a good time in his last few days of freedom. Ashby, a true son of 60s counterculture, avidly abets the anti-authoritarian tone of Robert Towne's script. Meadows is a sad victim of the system--but so too are Buddusky and Mulhall, as they gradually come to realise. A lot of the film is very funny. Nicholson gets to do one of his classic psychotic outbursts--"I am the fucking shore patrol!"--and there are some pungent scenes of male bonding pushed to the verge of desperation. But the overall tone is melancholy, pointed up by the jaunty military marches on the soundtrack. Shot amid bleak, wintry landscapes, in buses and trains and grey urban streets, The Last Detail is a film of constant, compulsive movement going nowhere--a powerful, finely acted study of institutional claustrophobia. On the DVD: The Last Detail disc doesn't have much in the way of extras. There are abbreviated filmographies for Ashby, Nicholson and Quaid (though not for Young) and a trailer for A Few Good Men (1992). The mono sound comes up well in Dolby Digital, and the transfer preserves DoP Michael Chapman's subtle, subfusc palette and the 1.85:1 ratio of the original. --Philip Kemp
In the summer of 1940 young volunteer reservist T.B. ‘Septic’ Baird (John Gregson – The Longest Day) is forced to crash his Hurricane on the RAF fighter station runway in order to avoid a collision with another plane. Injured in the accident he incurs the wrath of Squadron leader ‘Tiger’ Small (Jack Hawkins - Zulu) who grounds Baird transferring him to the operations centre until he recovers. Baird is desperate to get airborne but ‘Tiger’ refuses his protests. However when risk of a bombing attack threatens the airfield Baird takes his chance to be reinstated and returns to the skies. Painstaking restored to its former glory ANGELS ONE FIVE is amongst the very best Battle of Britain war epics. Based on director George More O’Ferrall’s own WWII experience at Fighter Command HQ it offers a slice-of-life depiction of aerial
Island on Fire is, as the trailer says, "five films in one!". Despite the packaging headlining Jackie Chan this violent modern-day prison drama is an ensemble piece with Chan, a pool-player in prison for accidentally stabbing a man to death, on screen for no more than a quarter of the 92 minutes. Anyone buying this as a Chan movie may be seriously disappointed, for apart from the brevity of his role there is no trademark Chan humour. Also in the brutal and corrupt prison is Andy Lau, an undercover cop searching for the murderer of his professor, and Sammo Hung offering comedy and pathos as an inmate who keeps escaping to visit his son. There are many more characters, together with one subplot involving a mouse which anticipates The Green Mile (1999) and another concerning an assassination conspiracy which parallels Nikita, also released in 1990. Island of Fire is an uneven, always entertaining, sometimes moving film which packs an incredible amount of incident into its running time. However, it should be noted that it is an imitation of, rather than an official entry in, Ringo Lam's Fire series, which includes Prison on Fire (1987) and City on Fire (1987). On the DVD: The anamorphically enhanced 1.77-1 picture is a very good transfer of a rather grainy print, though given the many darkly lit scenes, this grain is probably part of the original film. The mono sound is fine. The film can be watched with the original Mandarin soundtrack and English subtitles, or with a much better than average English dub. The packaging claims there are over 60 minutes of extras. In fact there are nine deleted/extended scenes of variable quality, the best of which give more emotional depth to Sammo Hung's character, together with video interviews with Sammo Hung, Jimmy Wong Yu and director Chu Yen Ping. These total around 20 minutes and are interesting but not specific to the film. Also included is the theatrical trailer, Hong Kong Legends' own "music promo" trailer and eight trailers for further releases. There is also a six-page "animated" biography of Jackie Chan. --Gary S Dalkin
The great war has ended. Unicron has been defeated the Decepticons have fled and the Autobots are victorious under the command of a new leader. In the midst of the celebrations the Autobots are suddenly attacked leaving the Decepticons the obvious suspects. But the Decepticons are in bad shape low in energy without a leader and fighting amongst themselves. Who are the mysterious attackers? Find out in these five epic episodes as the Transformers face a new enemy and the truth of their creation!
A loud resounding crash reverberates around the room though the small child in the cot remains motionless and oblivious to the sound. The young child's parents worst fears are realised - little Mandy is deaf! As she cannot hear how will she ever learn to speak? Harry and Christine Mandy's parents argue over their child's education. Christine wants to send Mandy to special school where deaf children are taught to lip-read and learn to speak but Harry will not allow it. So the child remains at home until one violent argument Christine leaves taking Mandy with her.
One of the most singular auteurs of the horror and science fiction genres, David Cronenberg has wowed audiences with his depictions of body transformations and explorations of society, this collection of his early short and feature films shows a master learning his craft and exploring many of the themes that would dominate his most celebrated work. Transfer (1966), Cronenberg's first short film, is a surreal sketch of a doctor and his patient. From the Drain (1967) finds two men in a bathtub, which may be part of a centre for veterans of a future war. Stereo (1969), Cronenberg's first official feature film, stunningly shot in monochrome, concerns telepaths at the Institute for Erotic Enquiry where patients undergo tests by Dr. Luther Stringfellow. In Crimes of the Future (1970) Cronenberg worked in colour and with a larger budget, where we find the House of Skin clinic director (Ronald Mlodzik, returning from Stereo) searching for his mentor, Antoine Rouge, who has disappeared following a catastrophic plague. Cronenberg's early amateur feature films, shot in and around his university campus, prefigure his later films' concerns with strange institutions, male/female separation and ESP, echoing the likes of Videodrome, Dead Ringers and Scanners.
"The Wizard of Oz" has charmed and thrilled audiences for seven decades with its timeless music and truly heart-warming story. The unforgettable songs and characters come to life in a sing-along extravaganza that all the family can enjoy time and again.
From the award-winning creators of Peep Show, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, and starring Jack Whitehall (Bad Education), Joe Thomas (The Inbetweeners) and Robert Webb, comes Fresh Meat. Series 1 follows a group of six students about to embark on the most exciting period of their lives thus far- university. Away from home for the first time, on the brink of adult life, they are about to discover who they really are. From the moment they ship up as freshers at their shared house, their lives are destined to collide, overlap and run the whole gamut of appalling behaviour and terrible errors of judgement. JP (Jack Whitehall), public school boy with good teeth and an inflated sense of entitlement; Kingsley (Joe Thomas), charming, loveable and crushingly insecure; Josie (Kimberley Nixon), overly enthusiastic, determined to experience new things, however bad they are for you. Then there s socially awkward and know-it-all Howard (Greg McHugh); straight talking, hard-living Vod (Zawe Ashton); and finally Oregon (Charlotte Ritchie), desperate to be cool and terrified of being boring. Series 2 sees JP (Jack Whitehall), Kingsley (Joe Thomas), Josie (Kimberley Nixon), Howard (Greg McHugh), Vod (Zawe Ashton) and Oregon (Charlotte Ritchie) return to Manchester Medlock University for a new term. As they continue to face the challenges of student life, they welcome a new flatmate, a Dutch woman called Sabine (Jelka van Houten). Series 3 sees JP (Jack Whitehall), Kingsley (Joe Thomas), Howard (Greg McHugh), Vod (Zawe Ashton) and Oregon (Charlotte Ritchie) return to Manchester Medlock University for their second year. As they continue to face the challenges of student life, they meet new fresher Candice (Faye Marsay). Meanwhile, Josie (Kimberley Nixon) has moved back to Southampton to take a zoology course. Series 4 sees the 'finals countdown' on and the end of university life drawing ever closer. JP s worries about his future following a visit from his brother, Vod (Zawe Ashton) is fixed in the present as she grapples with debt. Oregon (Charlotte Ritchie) is Student Union President and busy planning her legacy, whilst Kinglsey (Joe Thomas) finds himself in an unconventional relationship. Josie is still languishing in second year and facing up to the prospect of a final twelve months in Manchester without her delightfully odd housemates. Howard (Greg McHugh), who had been on course for a first class degree, gets some unexpected news which sends him spiralling. Thrown together as housemates they are on the brink of adult life and about to discover who they really are.
Brought by executive producer Steven Spielberg Smash revolves around the creation of a new Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. As the production takes shape everyone involved in it must balance his or her often chaotic personal life with the all-consuming demands of a life in the theatre. Special Features: Deleted Scenes Gag Reel
From the award-winning creators of Peep Show, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, and starring Jack Whitehall, Joe Thomas (The Inbetweeners) and Robert Webb, Fresh Meat is Channel 4's latest comedy drama series.The series follows a group of six students about to embark on the most exciting period of their lives thus far - University! Away from home for the first time, on the brink of adult life, they are about to discover who they really are. From the moment they ship up as freshers at their shared house, their lives are destined to collide, overlap and run the whole gamut of appalling behaviour and terrible errors of judgement.They are: JP (Jack Whitehall), public school boy with good teeth and an inflated sense of entitlement; Kingsley (Joe Thomas), charming, loveable and crushingly insecure; Josie (Kimberley Nixon), overly enthusiastic, determined to experience 'new things', however bad they are for you. Then there's socially awkward and know-it-all Howard (Greg McHugh); straight talking, hard-living Vod (Zawe Ashton); and finally Oregon (Charlotte Ritchie), desperate to be cool and terrified of being boring.
Happy Birthday to Me typifies the horror genre prior to the self-reflection and irony that saturated the genre in the late '80s and '90s. A solid cast, decent acting, a well-written script, and relatively high production values result in a solid movie that is engaging on its own in addition to offering a glimpse into the history of '80s horror. The plot follows the rules of the genre (later parodied in such films as the Scream and Scary Movie series). A number of teenagers (played by actors who appear visibly older than their characters) from an elite prep school get into mischievous sexual situations fueled by alcohol and pot smoking. As teens start to disappear, murdered in a variety of violent ways, the film suggests a number of suspects. Is the killer the troubled star played by Melissa Sue Anderson who lost her overbearing, social-climbing mother in a car accident that she survived? Or is it the stern school mistress, the wacky, cool social clown, the social misfit, or none of the above? The film keeps you guessing until the final scene. Happy Birthday is a must-see for serious fans of the horror genre and this release is a solid digital mastering of the movie. Hardcore fans should note that the DVD release was not able to secure the rights to the original soundtrack so this version features an alternate soundtrack of largely nondescript '80s electronic music. --Brian Saltzman
Kung Fu Panda: The Valley Of Peace and it's inhabitants are under threat from a malevolent snow leopard, Tai Lung (Ian McShane). With everyone fearing for their very existences, the role of protector falls into the lap of the lazy, irreverent Po, (Jack Black) a panda more used to slacking off than facing great challeneges. But it is Po who must master the ways of Kung Fu and ultimately face a showdown with the colossus that is Tai Lung...Kung Fu Panda 2: Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five-Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But Po's new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. But how can Po stop a weapon that can stop kung fu? He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.
Sequels might be the lifeblood of mainstream Hollywood film production but it took 30 years for The Odd Couple 2 to reunite Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and writer Neil Simon for a follow-up to their scintillating 1967 success. Now Felix (Lemmon) and Oscar (Matthau), once mismatched flatmates, are forced to renew their old friendship when their respective children get married. Cue all the ingredients for a disaster-riddled journey to California for the wedding: lost luggage, allergies, dangerously wanton women (and their husbands), illegal immigrants and repeat visits to the same police station. All the old irritations rise quickly to the surface, Simon's dialogue is as sharp as ever and the vocal sparring skills of these two magnificent comedy players are undiminished, though there's a certain poignancy in their physical frailty: "I'm too old to hit but I could spit you to death", threatens Matthau at one point. Crumpled and puffy, neither of them looks in great shape. But the film gives a neat symmetry to two of the finest cinematic careers. As Matthau says towards the end, it's "the biggest goddamndest déjà vu anyone's ever had". On the DVD: The Odd Couple 2 on disc has no extras apart from the original theatrical trailer. The film is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with a Dolby Digital Surround soundtrack. It looks and sounds good. Alan Silvestri's score borrows the Neal Hefti theme from the 1967 original from time to time. --Piers Ford
Hollywood star Douglas Fairbanks Jr gives a lively performance as a man on the run in this dramatic thriller from British film legends Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat. Co-starring Glynis Johns and featuring cinematography from Oscar-winning Robert Krasker, State Secret is presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. The East European state of Vosnia appears to outsiders as a civilised and beautiful country but is, in truth, a tightly controlled dictatorship. When a visiting American surgeon is duped into becoming dangerously involved in Vosnian power politics he goes on the run - a wanted man, his life is forfeit if he's captured!
Henry James' classic tale of terror 'Turn of the Screw' receives its most stunning screen adaptation to date in this 19th Century period thriller.... Upon the death of her incestuous father a young woman is called on to serve as a Governess for two children Miles and Flora. Their Uncle the master became the guardian of the youngsters after the loss of their parents. Seduced by the charm of their Uncle she accepts his one condition: to take sole responsibility for them and neve
Universal's Incredible Hulk: The TV Pilots will satisfy fans of the television series by offering the two-hour 1978 pilot, as well as the feature-length second-season opener, "Married". In bringing the Hulk to TV, series creator Kenneth Johnson decided to focus on its human alter ego, scientist Bruce Banner (here renamed David), rather than the creature's rampages. In the pilot, Banner (Bill Bixby) is haunted by the death of his wife and unleashes his untapped rage in the form of a monstrous creature (Lou Ferrigno) after experimenting with radiation. And in "Married", Banner falls for a researcher (Mariette Hartley in an Emmy-winning performance) who attempts to cure his "hulk-outs". Johnson's solid scripting and direction and fine performances from the leads made the series a critical and audience favourite during its network run. --Paul Gaita
Jack London's classic tale of the Klondike Gold Rush as we follow the lives of the dog Buck and his master John Thornton.
Clint Eastwood's second film as a director (and his first Western) is a variation on the "man with no name" theme, starring Eastwood as the drifter known only as "the Stranger". He rides into the desert town of Lagos and is quickly attacked by three gunmen. Recovering with the aid of a local dwarf (a memorable role for Billy Curtis), the Stranger is hired by the intimidated townsfolk to fend off a band of violent ex-convicts. After teaching the citizens self-defence and instructing them to paint the entire town red and rename it "Hell", the Stranger vanishes. He reappears when the marauding criminals arrive, and delivers justice and teaches the townsfolk a harsh lesson about moral obligation. Is he a figure from their past or a kind of supernatural avenger? Combining humour with action, High Plains Drifter is both a serious and tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Westerns that made Eastwood a household name. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Please wait. Loading...
This site uses cookies.
More details in our privacy policy