This superb nine-disc Stanley Kubrick Box Set contains all the late director's work from 1962's Lolita to Kubrick's final film, the highly controversial Eyes Wide Shut (1999). There's also the excellent and highly informative two-hour documentary: Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, narrated (a little drably) by Tom Cruise. It isn't exactly a warts-and-all portrait of Stan the Man, which is not surprising, really, given that it's directed and produced by Kubrick's brother-in-law Jan Harlan, and that Kubrick's widow Christine was closely involved in the making of it. But it does give a detailed and revealing portrait of a brilliant, demanding and often infuriating man, airing rare footage that goes right back to his earliest years as a brash youngster in the Bronx, already playing to camera with a frightening degree of self-awareness. Six of the eight movies (all but Dr Strangelove and Eyes Wide Shut) have been digitally restored and remastered, and almost all (barring Strangelove again and Lolita) now boast Dolby Digital 5.1 stereo sound remixes. For some bizarre reason, Kubrick insisted on mono sound for the 1999 set, which he approved shortly before his death. Visually the improvement over the often grainy, scratchy prints previously on offer--The Shining (1980) was notoriously messy--is immense. All the features are presented in their original ratios, which in the case of Strangelove means the changing ratios in which it was originally shot, and for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) the full glorious 2.21:1 expanse of the Cinerama screen.So what don't you get? Essentially, the early Kubrick--the work of the young, hungry director before he moved to England and started to gather all the controlling strings into his own hand: most notably the tough, taut thriller The Killing (1956) and the icily furious war film Paths of Glory (1957). Too bad Warners couldn't have negotiated the rights for those too. But what we have here is the culminating phase of Kubrick's filmmaking career--the final 27 years of one of the great masters of cinema. On the DVDs: Besides the visual and sonic improvements mentioned above, each of the eight features includes the original theatrical trailer and multiple-language subtitles. The DVD of Dr Strangelove also gives us filmographies of the principal players, plus theatrical posters and a photo gallery, while Eyes Wide Shut includes interviews (taped after Kubrick's death) with Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Steven Spielberg, plus a couple of 30-second TV spots. And with The Shining we get a fascinating 34-minute documentary made by Kubrick's then 17-year-old daughter Vivian, plus--just to add a further layer--Vivian's present-day voice-over commentary on her film. --Philip Kemp
The bizarre world you met in 'Planet of the Apes' was only the beginning... What lies beneath may be the end! The second installment in the Planet Of The Apes series. Here an earthling sent to find the astronauts of the original film discovers not only a world of intelligent talking apes but an underground cult of grotesque ""humans"" who are the survivors of a nuclear blast years ago. Unfortunately these mutants worship a nuclear bomb a weapon which not only is the
The story of Beary Barrinson a ten year old bear cub raised by a human family after he was found abandoned in the forest. Beary is desperate to find out where he really came from and travels to Tennessee to seek out his family...
A cop full of hatred can't work by the book. Charles Bronson is at his two-fisted best in this gritty action-packed thriller about a cop hellbent on wiping out a vicious child prostitution ring. Lt. Crow (Bronson) is a veteran L.A. vice cop who nearly goes berserk after his young daughter is molested by an unidentified Asian man. As he battles his own racial prejudices and feelings of rage Crowe is ordered to hunt down a brutal pimp who has kidnapped thedaughter of a Japane
The Quiet Man (Dir. John Ford 1952): John Ford's The Quiet Man celebrates one of Hollywood's most romantic and enduring epics. The first American feature to be filmed in Ireland's picturesque countryside Ford richly imbued this masterpiece with his love of Ireland and its people. Sean Thornton is an American who swears off boxing after accidentally killing an opponent. Returning to the Irish town of his birth he finds happiness when he falls in love with the fiery Mary Kate. Though he is sorely tempted to pick up the gloves against her brother the town bully Sean is determined not to use his fists. Mary Kate and Sean wed but her brother refuses to pay the dowry. Sean would rather walk away than accept this challenge. Even when his new wife accuses him of cowardice Sean stands firm. But when she boards a train to leave he is finally ready to take matters into his own hands. Rio Grande (Dir. John Ford 1950): John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara are embroiled in an epic battle with the Apaches and each other in this John Ford classic. Lt Col. Yorke (Wayne) heads to the Rio Grande to fight a warring tribe. But Yorke faces his toughest battle when his unorthodox plan to outwit the elusive Apaches leads to possible court-martial. Locked in a bloody war he must fight to redeem his honour and save his family. Against All Flags (Dir. George Sherman 1952): In 1700 the pirates of Madagascar menace the India trade; British officer Brian Hawke has himself cashiered flogged and set adrift to infiltrate the pirate ""republic."" There Hawke meets lovely Spitfire Stevens a pirate captain in her own right and the sparks begin to fly; but wooing a pirate poses unique problems. Especially after he rescues adoring young Princess Patma from a captured ship. Meanwhile Hawke's secret mission proceeds to an action-packed climax. Rare Breed (Dir. Andrew V. McLaglen 1966): In the 1880s Englishwoman Martha Price (Maureen O'Hara) and her daughter Hilary (Juliet Mills) come to America to sell their prize Hereford bull at an auction. When he is purchased by Bowen a wild Scotsman (Brian Keith) the women hire a footloose cowhand named Burnett (James Stewart) to help them transport the animal to its new owner. So begins an adventure that tests the mettle of all involved as they battle killers cattle stampedes and each other. But when they reach Bowen's ranch even greater obstacles force them to summon up extraordinary courage if they and the prize bull are to survive... Our Man In Havana (Dir. Carol Reed 1959): Jim Wormold (Alec Guinness) a vacuum cleaner salesman in Havana is recruited by the British Intelligence Services. As he has nothing to report he invents facts and pretends to discover secret operations...with disastrous consequences. Carol Reed directs this adaptation of the Graham Greene story. Lady Godiva Of Coventry (Dir Arthur Lubin 1955): Fictionalized account of events leading up the famous nude ride (alas her hair covers everything) of the militant Saxon lady
Lives were upended--and some co-opted--in the fifth and final season of Angel, as the denizens of Angel Investigations found themselves taking on one of their scariest endeavors ever: corporate life. After making a literal deal with the devil (or something distinctly devil-like), Angel (David Boreanaz) moved his team from their crumbling hotel to the high-rise digs of law-firm-from-hell Wolfram & Hart, his reasoning being they could better fight the forces of evil from the inside, and with more resources to boot. Clever maneuvering or easy rationalization? A few members of Angel's team accused him of selling out (as did a number of viewers), but as with most of the show's previous four seasons, Angel somehow took a dubious premise and mined it for gold. And with one core cast member gone (Charisma Carpenter, whose Cordelia was immersed in a deep coma), it seemed as if the show, from within and without, would suddenly fall apart--that is, until Angel's longtime nemesis Spike (James Marsters) showed up, fresh from his sacrificial roasting at the series finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Let the vampire games begin! With Buffy off the air, fans flocked to Angel's last season to get their fix of Joss Whedon's "Buffyverse" in any form they could, and the addition of Spike was a shrewd one, albeit not enough to keep the show from getting canceled. And for the first half of the season, the creative forces behind the show seemed to be toying ruthlessly with the audience. Spike was around, but not entirely corporeal; Angel himself became sullen and withdrawn; and most horrifically, sweetheart scientist Fred (Amy Acker) and former watcher Wesley (Alexis Denisof) underwent traumas that would test even the most devoted viewer. However, just when you'd be about to throw in the towel, things started changing for the better--Spike became a permanent fixture (both in the flesh and on the show), Angel's secret motives were revealed, and the introduction of demon warrior Illyria, who proved to be the show's answer to Buffy's sardonic demon-made-human Anya, was a welcome breath of fresh air. Creatively, Angel also came up with some of its best episodes, including "Smile Time" (where Angel is turned into a puppet really!) and "You're Welcome" (the show's 100th episode, which marked the bittersweet return of Carpenter's Cordelia). The ending of the series was deliberately ambiguous, and not everyone made it through alive, but in going out kicking, it was a proper sendoff for a show that always fought the good fight. --Mark Englehart
The lives of a single mother and her friends are changed forever after the death of a neighbour which bears all the hallmarks of a racist attack.
The story of Edinburgh's most famous four-legged friend comes to life.
RollerBall (2001): Rollerball takes place in the not too distant future and the future is fierce. A notorious renegade sport Rollerball packs arenas all over the world. A global viewership bets and roots for star players Jonathan Cross (Chris Klein) Marcus Ridley (LL Cool J) and their beautiful teammate Aurora (Rebecca Romjin-Stamos) who skate and motorcycle past opponents to score. Despite the danger of the fame the real threat lies in team owner Petrovich (Jean Reno) who sacrifices anything and anyone to maximize ratings which are worth more to him than the final score. In an heroic move Jonathan and his teammates attempt to expose the corruption and treachery. It's a risky play and the penalty is lethal... Fortress: Christopher Lambert stars as John Brennick a man about to experience the ultimate in criminal punishment - the Fortress. The setting is the United States in the future. With resources scarce and population soaring couples are allowed just one child. Former Black Beret Captain John Brennick and his wife Karen have broken the law. After the loss of their first child Karen is pregnant again. Caught and tried for their crime they are sent to the Fortress the most sophisticated maximum-security prison on the planet a jail built 30 storeys underground and equipped with technology beyond imagination. Each prisoner is implanted with an 'intestinator'; a device designed to inflict severe pain or death for any violation of the prison rules. Unrelenting and unforgiving the Fortress is a hellhole prison of the future. Escape-proof. Built to hold anything...except an innocent man. Future Sport: Wesley Snipes and Dean Cain star in the turbo charged sci-fi thrill ride where the only game is war... The year is 2025 and global tension is rapidly growing between the Hawaiian Liberation Organisation and the North American Alliance. On the brink of war superstar athlete Tre Ramsey (Cain) must fight with all his powers to save himself his team and the fate of his country. The question of the territory is set to be solved by holding a game of futuresport - a violent basketball and skateboarding which requires the utmost skill and agility - hold on to the ball for more than five seconds and electricity shoots through your body. Obike Fixx (Snipes) the creator of the game is coaching the HLO team - who seem willing to play by Street Rules thus increasing the danger level in the high-stakes game.
Robocop (Dir. Paul Verhoeven 1987): A sadistic crime wave is sweeping across America. In Old Detroit the situation is so bad a private corporation Omni Consumer Products (OCP) has assumed control of the police force. The executives at the company think they have the answer - until the enforcement droid they create kills one of their own. Then an ambitious young executive seizes the opportunity. He and his research team at Security Concepts create a law enforcement cyborg from the body of a slain officer. All goes well at first. Robocop stops every sleazeball he encounters with deadly piercing and sometimes gruesome accuracy. But there are forces on the street and within Security Concepts itself that will stop at nothing to see this super cyborg violently eliminated... Prepare yourself for non-stop action and adventure in one of the most explosive sci-fi stories you'll ever witness: Robocop. Rollerball (Dir. Norman Jewison 1975): The year is 2018. There are no wars. There is no crime. There is only..the Game. In a world where ruthless corporations reign supreme this vicious and barbaric ""sport"" is the only outlet for the pent-up anger and frustrations of the masses. Tuned to their televisions the people watch Rollerball: a brutal mutilation of football motorcross and hockey. Jonathan E (James Caan) is the champion player - a man too talented for his own good. The Corporation has taken away the woman Jonathan loves (Maud Adams) but they can't take away his soul - even if the diabolical corporate Head (John Houseman) tells him he'd better retire or suffer the old-fashioned way. With its surrealistic imagery and tense action sequences Rollerball grips you by the heart - and never lets you go!
Jason Blade is back to sweep the bad guys out of town once again...
Jo Jenson moves to a big city leaving behind a broken marriage and a small son. Her only joy in life is music. A choirmaster inspires her to give the performance of a lifetime but her life is still empty without her son...
Martial arts expert Jason Blade (Stazak) sets to get the gangland boss and his right-hand man responsible for the death of his partner.
Includes the following classic 10 Westerns! 1. The Alamo (dir. John Wayne, 1960) 2. Apache (dir. Robert Aldrich, 1954) 3. The Big Country (dir. William Wyler, 1958) 4. A Fistful Of Dynamite (dir. Sergio Leone, 1971) 5. The Kentuckian (dir. Burt Lancaster, 1955) 6. Posse (dir. Mario Van Peebles, 1993) 7. Red River (dir. Howard Hawks, 1948) 8. The Scalphunters (dir. Sydney Pollack, 1968) 9. Vera Cruz (dir. Robert Aldrich, 1954) 10. Wild Bill (dir. Walter Hill, 1995)
She's ruthless. He's witless. They're on the road together and falling apart at the seams! In this little-known gem of a touching drama a retarded man gets help from a sociopathic woman when tries to reunite with his dying father who years earlier disowned him...
Antonio Banderas is a wealthy nineteenth century Cuban businessman plunged into a life of subterfuge, deceit and mistaken identity in pursuit of a femme fatale (Angelina Jolie)whose heart is never quite within his grasp.
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