Director Martin Brest rocketed to the top of Hollywood's A list with the blockbuster success of Beverly Hills Cop, and this 1988 follow-up is even better. Midnight Run is a genuine rarity--an action comedy that's dramatically satisfying--thanks to a sharp script by George Gallo, the superb teaming of Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin, and Brest's consummate skill in combining suspense and humour with well-developed characters. De Niro plays a maverick bounty hunter whose latest assignment is Grodin, an accountant accused of embezzling from the Mob. De Niro thinks he's in for an easy job, transporting Grodin (who's afraid to fly) from New York to Los Angeles, but soon discovers that both the FBI and the Mafia are hot on Grodin's trail. Equal parts road trip, action thriller, and a quirky character study, Midnight Run moves at a breakneck pace but still gives De Niro and Grodin time to create rich, memorable performances as two men who seem to be opposites, but gradually develop mutual respect and admiration. Mainstream entertainment at its best. --Jeff Shannon
ChinaTown: A landmark movie in the film noir tradition Roman Polanski's Chinatown stands as a true screen classic. Jack Nicholson is private eye Jake Gittes living off the murky moral climate of sunbaked pre-war Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one unforgettable night in ... Chinatown. The Two Jakes: Jack Nicholson returns as private eye Jake Gittes in this atmospheric 'Chinatown' follow-up that's hit upon the elusive sequel formula for somehow enhancing a great original. Much has changed since we last saw Jake. The war has come and gone 1948 Los Angeles teems with optimism and fast bucks. But there's one thing Jake knows hasn't changed: Nine times out of ten if you follow the money you will get to the truth. And that's the trail he follows when a routine case of marital hanky panky explodes into a murder that's tied to a grab for oil - and to Jake's own past. Terms of Endearment: This Oscar-winning film is both eccentrically funny and an old-fashioned tearjerker. The story centers around the volatile relationship between a mother and daughter spanning 30 years. The various permutations of their lives are examined including the daughter's bout with terminal cancer. Heartburn: Heartburn is an autobiographical tale based on the marriage of high-flying journalists Carl Bernstein (who helped uncover the Watergate scandal for the Washington Post) and Nora Ephron. When the two meet at a friends wedding they fall in love and subsequently marry. Living in different cities the relationship begins to unravel as the pair slowly drift apart and infidelities eventually wreck the marriage. Focusing on social events like weddings parties and birthdays the film expertly brings to life the cynical and often destructive world of a group of thirty something's living out their lives through their relationships with their families and each other. Intriguing performances from Nicholson and Streep depict a relationship that neither has any real control over. These interactions between the two central characters and their circle of friends are brilliantly real allowing the audience to establish an affinity with the lives of the protagonists. Further enhanced by a script that casts a wickedly sharp and witty observation on life the film offers a snapshot of reality that is totally absorbing.
McLintock: Cattle baron banker and model citizen George McLintock has the world in his hands. The only thing missing is his wife Katherine who left him two years earlier suspecting him of adultery. In an effort to get on with his life McLintock saves a beautiful but impoverished widow from resettlement and hires her as his cook welcoming both her and her two children into his home. Sparks begin to fly and McLintock's simple and serene lifestyle comes to a crashing halt
A reporter and kick boxer search for a missing friend and turn up a series of underground kick boxing matches organised by an illegal arms dealer.
Dare you see what Mr. Diablo sees? Dr Diablo a creepy circus entertainer promises to reveal to his customers their innermost desires and promptly proceeds to indulge in a quartet of horror yarns. This anthology of grizzly tales was produced by Amicus studios one of the few British studios in competition with Hammer. Enoch: Colin Williams murders his frail old uncle to get his hands on a fortune. But the uncle's telepathic cat uses Williams to stock up on its supply
All is well at an afternoon barbecue until one of the guests decides to seduce the hosts wife and kill the next door neighbour (for being miserable). Things go from bad to worse as the friends plot against each other to cover up their part of the crime and keep hidden their own skeletons that are rapidly being discovered.
'A Better Way To Die' is an action-packed manhunt movie that launches from the seedy streets of Chicago across the highways of America's heartland. Weary from the violent chaos of South Chicago Boomer (Scott Wiper) quits his job in the police force and heads off to the picturesque village of Ceder Falls where he plans to rekindle a romance with his one-time girlfriend (Natasha Henstridge) An encounter with an eccentric one-armed private detective (Joe Pantoliano) sets off a bizarre series of events causing Boomer to be mistaken for a mysterious government operative turning him into a prime target for the Chicago Mafia. What starts as a peaceful road trip in search of a better future erupts into a fierce quest for 'A Better Way To Die...'
Featured tracks include: 'Behind The Sun' 'Show Me Your Soul' 'Stone Cold Bush' 'Special Secret Song' and 'Knock Me Down.'
Chinatown: A landmark movie in the film noir tradition Roman Polanski's 'Chinatown' stands as a true screen classic. Nicholson is private eye Jake Gittes living off the murky moral climate of sun-baked pre-war California. Hired to investigate an extra-marital affair Gittes is swept up in a maelstrom of double dealings and deceits uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one unforgettable night in Chinatown. Co-starring film legend John Huston and featuring an Academy Award-winning script by Robert Towne 'Chinatown' captures a lost era in a masterfully woven movie that remains a timeless gem. The Two Jakes: Jack Nicholson returns as private eye Jake (or J.J.) Gittes in this atmospheric Chinatown follow-up which he also directed. Much has changed since we last saw Jake. The war has come and gone and 1948 Los Angeles teems with optimism and fast bucks. But there's one thing Jake knows hasn't changed: Nine times out of ten if you follow the money you will get to the truth. And that's the trail he follows when a routine case of marital hanky panky (involving the other Jake of the title - Harvey Keitel) explodes into murder that's tied to a grab for oil - and to Jake's own past.
This 1997 thriller For Hire ponders the question of what terrible things a person might be persuaded to do, given the right circumstances and the right price. Rob Lowe plays Mitch, a Chicago cab driver trying to make it as an actor, married to the pregnant Faye. Among his clients are bestselling writer Lou Weber (Joe Mantegna), who befriends Mitch and confides in him that a drug dealer is trying to kill him. Over the next few days, Mitch begins to suffer severe stomach pains, collapsing in Weber's apartment after a fare and is diagnosed with inoperable stomach cancer. With only a short time to live, he decides to take up Weber's offer to rub out his drug dealer stalker for $50,000, a nest egg for his family after he's gone. A not entirely unpredictable twist follows, hinted at by the Lucifer-like beard sported by Mantegna and the film alights only briefly to meditate on the potential for evil in all of us before resuming its journey along conventional, though certainly passable Hollywood thriller lines. An intriguing precept--it's just a slight shame that neither the players nor director's hearts seem really to be in this movie. On the DVD: Features a trailer. --David Stubbs
Poetry is essential and Daisy Goodwin told us why in Essential Poems (To Fall in Love With). This series was transmitted from 14-18 February 2003 and looks at how poets from William Shakespeare and Andrew Marvell to Maya Angelou and Wendy Cope are still relevant today. Starring Amanda Holden Stephen Tompkinson Ralf Little Jo Whiley and Andrew Lincoln.
Lucky Dog: Stan befriends a stray dog and Oliver Hardy takes a liking to Stan's wallet. After causing so much chaos Stan's only option is to get rid of the dog. Just in time the dog comes up trumps saves the day and teaches the villain Hardy a lesson too. The Stolen Jools: A famous actress has her jewels stolen. Everyone from the police to the mob want to know the identity of the theif and almost everyone is under suspicion. A star studded cast of the most promi
He Tamed The West But Could He Tame Her? Cattle baron banker and model citizen George McLintock has the world in his hands. The only thing missing is his wife Katherine who left him two years earlier suspecting him of adultery. In an effort to get on with his life McLintock saves a beautiful but impoverished widow from resettlement and hires her as his cook welcoming both her and her two children into his home. Sparks begin to fly and McLintock's simple and serene lifesty
It was in 1959 that ex-boxer and paratrooper turned screenwriter Rod Serling first opened the door to the "dimension of imagination" that is The Twilight Zone, a show quite unlike anything that had gone before, and better than much that has followed in its wake. This television series ran from 1959-1964 and it still looks fresh as ever, particularly on DVD. What distinguished the series (and still does) is the quality of the scripts, many of which were penned by Serling, but with significant contributions from veteran sci-fi authors and screenwriters such as Richard Matheson. Actors of the calibre of Robert Redford, Burgess Meredith, Lee Marvin and William Shatner gave some of their best small-screen performances, while an unforgettable main title theme by Bernard Herrmann and musical contributions from young turks such as Jerry Goldsmith underline the show's attraction for great creative talent both behind and in front of the cameras.There are four more selected episodes from the series on Volume 2. "Time Enough at Last" (episode 8) features Burgess Meredith in a heartbreaking role as the only survivor of nuclear holocaust whose dreams are (literally) shattered before his very eyes. "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" (episode 22) is Serling at his humanitarian best, issuing a plea against prejudice and intolerance and dissecting the mechanics of mob hysteria all in the space of a half-hour television show. "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (episode 123) is one of the Zone's most celebrated set pieces, featuring a pre-Star Trek William Shatner as the paranoid passenger who sees a gremlin on the plane's wing. Directed by Richard (Lethal Weapon) Donner from a script by Richard Matheson, this episode was one of those remade in the 1983 Twilight Zone film. There is more aircraft oddity in "The Odyssey of Flight 33" (episode 54), co-written by Serling with technical dialogue assistance from a TWA pilot, giving the crew's conversation the stamp of authenticity as they plunge back and then forward in time.On the DVD: A neat animated menu with a winking eye guides the viewer "Inside the Twilight Zone", which consists of digests of background information on the individual episodes, as well as a general history of the show, season-by-season breakdown and a potted biography of Serling. --Mark Walker
The Skulls: For Luke McNamara (Joshua Jackson) an invitation to join the prestigious secret college organization The Skulls is a dream come true. Acceptance into the Skulls would ensure Luke a place at the table and guarantee him both the financial means and the connections to make it into law school. But after the suspicious suicide of his friend Will Luke is forced to confront the possibility that he was murdered for attempting to reveal the secrets of The Skulls and he embarks on a deadly game of cat and mouse. In trying to uncover the truth behind Will's death Luke comes to realize just how powerful The Skulls organization really is. And he learns that the truth like success comes at a very high price. (Dir. Rob Cohen 2000) The Skulls 2: After a college student is tapped to join the elite secret Skulls fraternity he witnesses a girl's death and his life starts to fall apart... (Dir. Joe Chappelle 2002) The Skulls 3: Clare Kramer stars as Taylor Brooks a sexy young undergraduate who is determined to become the first female member of the secret Skulls society. After she coerces the Council into including her in the initiation rites of the elite brotherhood Taylor soon finds herself engulfed in a sinister world of deception intimidation and murder... (Dir. J. Miles Dale 2003)
Stan Laurel in 'The Home Wrecker' Discharged from the 372nd infantry on account of a bean shortage Smithy (Laurel) seeks employment as a labourer. Given a note to take to the Foreman who upon reading it asks ""Do you know anything about building?"" ""No "" Smithy replies to which the foreman says ""Just the man we're looking for"". So starts a wonderful little comedy. Oliver Hardy in 'The Four Wheeled Terror' Hardy plays ""Dangerous Dan McGraw"" who along with his henchmen try to pr
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