Based on the first-hand experience of director Oliver Stone, this is powerful, intense and starkly brutal. Harrowingly realistic and completely convincing, it is a dark, unforgettable memorial to every soldier whose innocence was lost in Vietnam.
Winning a raft of awards, not least of which four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, Oliver Stone's Platoon was a box-office smash heralding Hollywood's second wave of Vietnam war films. Where predecessors The Deer Hunter (1978) and Apocalypse Now (1979) were elaborate epics, Platoon simply showed the daily reality of the war from the point of view of ordinary soldiers. Stone's own service in Vietnam gives his work a unique authenticity. Charlie Sheen gives his best performance to date, enduring a series of increasingly large-scale and bloody battles which retrospectively make one wonder why Saving Private Ryan was hailed as so new. Against this gruelling verity the film falters over the symbolic conflict between good and evil sergeants played by Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. Even though this was also based in real life, it strikes a too conventionally Hollywood-like note in a film which otherwise maintains much of the raw power of Stone's other film from 1986, Salvador. Johnny Depp fans should look out for an early appearance by the star. Stone would return to Vietnam with the more sophisticated Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Heaven and Earth (1993). On the DVD: The 50-minute documentary "Tour of the Inferno" goes beyond the usual "making-of" to present a personal account both of the film and of Stone's own time in Vietnam. Likewise the two audio commentaries--one by Stone, the other by Captain Dale Dye, fellow veteran and military technical advisor--range between the making of the film and the degree to which the actors came to inhabit their parts, to their own wartime experiences. Both commentaries bring a fresh level of appreciation and understanding to the film. Also included is the original trailer and three TV commercials, together with well-presented stills galleries of behind-the-scenes photos and poster art. Following a credit sequence marred by dirt on the print, the anamorphically enhanced 1.77:1 image is sharp and clear. The many night scenes are very dark but remain easily comprehensible. The three-channel Dolby Digital sound is suitably raw and powerful, though an early sequence featuring rain in the jungle suffers from very distracting repeated drop-outs in the left channel. --Gary S Dalkin
One of the better romantic comedies of the 1990s, this quirky love story stars Kevin Costner as washed-up golf pro, Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy, who has the singular misfortune of falling in love with the girlfriend (Rene Russo) of his arch rival (Don Johnson). Although he is inspired to re-ignite his golf career, challenge his opponent in the US Open, and win the affection of the woman of his dreams, McAvoy has just one flaw: he's a show off when he should just focus on playing the game. Reunited with his Bull Durham writer-director Ron Shelton, Costner fits into his Tin Cup role like a favourite pair of shoes and costar Cheech Marin scores a memorable scene-stealing comeback as McAvoy's best buddy, Romeo Posar. Mixing his love of sports with his flair for fresh, comedic dialogue, Shelton takes this enjoyable movie down unexpected detours (although some may find it a bit too long), and his characters are delightfully unpredictable. --Jeff Shannon
Set ten years after the original movie, adventurer Rick O'Connell's son is kidnapped by the followers of his old nemesis The Mummy, in the belief that the boy can lead them to the tomb of the ancient and evil warrior The Scorpion King.
When a cadre of new students can't get onto their college cheerleading team they form their own squad and prepare for a cheer off...
The MummyIf you're expecting bandaged-wrapped corpses and a lurching Boris Karloff-type villain, then you've come to the wrong movie. But if outrageous effects, a hunky hero, and some hearty laughs are what you're looking for, the 1999 version of The Mummy is spectacularly good fun. Yes, the critics called it "hokey," "cheesy," and "pallid." Well, the critics are unjust. Granted, the plot tends to stray, the acting is a bit of a stretch, and the characters occasionally slip into cliché, but who cares? When that action gets going, hold tight--those two hours just fly by. The premise of the movie isn't that far off from the original. Egyptologist and general mess Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) discovers a map to the lost city of Hamunaptra, and so she hires rogue Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) to lead her there. Once there, Evelyn accidentally unlocks the tomb of Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), a man who had been buried alive a couple of millennia ago with flesh-eating bugs as punishment for sleeping with the pharaoh's girlfriend. The ancient mummy is revived, and he is determined to bring his old love back to life, which of course means much mayhem (including the unleashing of the 10 plagues) and human sacrifice. Despite the rather gory premise, this movie is fairly tame in terms of violence; most of the magic and surprise come from the special effects, which are glorious to watch, although Imhotep, before being fully reconstituted, is, as one explorer puts it, rather "juicy." Keep in mind this film is as much comedy as it is adventure--those looking for a straightforward horror pic will be disappointed. But for those who want good old-fashioned eye-candy kind of fun, The Mummy ranks as one of choicest flicks of 1999. --Jenny BrownThe Mummy Returns Proving that bigger is rarely better, The Mummy Returns serves up so much action and so many computer-generated effects that it quickly grows exhausting. In his zeal to establish a lucrative franchise, writer-director Stephen Sommers dispenses with such trivial matters as character development and plot logic, and charges headlong into an almost random buffet of minimum story and maximum mayhem, beginning with a prologue establishing the ominous fate of the Scorpion King (played by World Wrestling Federation star the Rock, in a cameo teaser for his later starring role in--you guessed it--The Scorpion King). Dormant for 5,000 years, under control of the Egyptian god Anubis, the Scorpion King will rise again in 1933, which is where we find The Mummy's returning heroes Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, now married and scouring Egyptian ruins with their 8-year-old son, Alex (Freddie Boath). John Hannah (as Weisz's brother) and Oded Fehr (as mystical warrior Ardeth Bay) also return from The Mummy, and trouble begins when Alex dons the Scorpion King's ancient bracelet, coveted by the evil mummy Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), who's been revived by... oh, but does any of this matter? With a plot so disposable that it's impossible to care about anything that happens, The Mummy Returns is best enjoyed as an intermittently amusing and physically impressive monument of Hollywood machinery, with gorgeous sets that scream for a better showcase, and digital trickery that tops its predecessor in ambition, if not in payoff. By the time our heroes encounter a hoard of ravenous pygmy mummies, you'll probably enjoy this movie in spite of itself. --Jeff ShannonThe Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor The third film in the The Mummy series freshens the franchise up by setting the action in China. There, the discovery of an ancient emperor's elaborate tomb proves a feather in the cap of Alex O'Connell (Luke Ford), a young archaeologist and son of Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and his wife Evelyn (Maria Bello, taking over the role from Rachel Weisz). Unfortunately, a curse that turned the emperor (Jet Li) and his army into terra cotta warriors buried for centuries is lifted, and the old guy prepares for world domination by seeking immortality at Shangri La. The O'Connells barely stay a step ahead of him (climbing through the Himalaya mountains with apparent ease), but the action inevitably leads to a showdown between two armies of mummies in a Chinese desert. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor has a lot to offer: a supporting cast that includes the elegant Michelle Yeoh, Russell Wong, and Liam Cunningham, the unexpected appearance of several Yeti, and a climactic battle sequence that is nightmarishly weird but compelling. On the downside, the charm so desperately sought in romantic relationships, as well as comic turns by John Hannah (as Evelyn's rascal brother), is not only absent but often annoying. Rarely have witty asides in the thick of battle been more unwelcome in a movie. Rob Cohen's direction is largely crisp if sometimes curious (a fight between Fraser and Jet Li keeps varying in speed for some reason), but his vision of Shangri La, in the Hollywood tradition, is certainly attractive. --Tom Keogh
1985 Frankie is the new understudy for an up-and-coming San Francisco based modern dance company where six muscular male dancers move their way through bold athletic choreography. Bad boy Todd a handsome and established dancer watches the innocent Frankie with interest and as opposites attract the pair quickly realise they may want to be more than just friends. When one of the dancers is injured Frankie must perform in his place - this is the opportunity of a lifetime but is Frankie good enough? Outside of work Frankie and Todd's relationship deepens and together they face a new kind of test. A disease is spreading across the city and few know anything about it except who it targets. But as they quickly learn to navigate a world filled with risk they also find it is full of hope. With electrifying dance sequences and an 80s soundtrack TEST lovingly recreates gay life in 1980's San Francisco. Special Features: Extended Dance Sequence Deleted Scene Kickstarter Video
Based on the first-hand experience of director Oliver Stone, this is powerful, intense and starkly brutal. Harrowingly realistic and completely convincing, it is a dark, unforgettable memorial to every soldier whose innocence was lost in Vietnam.
When a team of unlikely heroes hijacks a steam-powered battle wagon, a daring young wizard (Marek) steals the final piece of the all-powerful Darkspore and embarks on a desperate quest to deliver the cursed artifact to the gods for safe keeping; but when they are caught in a death race between a ruthless team of elite mercenaries and a trinity of demons, Marek must learn to believe in herself before her friends are killed and the Darkspore is lost, to stop the evil necromancer (Szorlok) from uniting the Darkspore and flooding the living world with his legions of undead.
When brash bad boy of basketball Jamal Jefferies (Miguel A Nunez Jr) is kicked off the squad for his inappropriate behaviour he is left homeless and penniless. Just like that Jamal's pro-basketball career is finished. Juwanna Bet? With sass hardcourt skills and the right shade of lipstick Jamal transforms himself into a superstar of the women's league instead as Juwanna Mann becoming a better man along the way! And he pulls it off. Well almost! Juwanna Mann is a cool fast paced comedy that will have you.
Message In A Bottle: Grieving widower Garret Blake builds boats for a living. Rebuilding his life - that's another matter. But that's before Theresa Osborne comes to his North Carolina village. Theresa a lonely divorcee and researcher for the Chicago Tribune knows Garret is the author of the message she found inside a bottle on Cape Cod beach. And she knows the message spoke to her in a way that profoundly touched her heart. Kevin Costner as Garret and Robin Wright Penn as T
Set ten years after the original movie, adventurer Rick O'Connell's son is kidnapped by the followers of his old nemesis The Mummy, in the belief that the boy can lead them to the tomb of the ancient and evil warrior The Scorpion King.
The modestly titled Ultimate Mummy Collection is an extravagant four-disc package that contains both The Mummy Ultimate Edition and The Mummy Returns Special Edition two-disc sets. For his breakthrough into the blockbuster big time, director Stephen Sommers was determined to avoid the hackneyed Hollywood Mummy clichés of flailing bandages, somnambulant zombies and wooden acting. If you're happy to settle for two out of three then the finished film could be your cup of Egyptian tea, fully delivering on its visual promise but occasionally mired in a quicksand of stilted dialogue and plot contrivance. Anrold Vosloo is disgraced high priest Imhotep, awoken from his ancient prison to unleash his vengeful wrath in a whirl of computer generated pestilence and plagues; Brendan Fraser brings an infectious boyish enthusiasm to his Indiana Jones-style adventurer, while supporting players Rachel Weisz and John Hannah are mostly eclipsed by the spectacle on offer. The lavish DVD extras include deleted scenes, a director's commentary and, most interestingly, veteran effects supervisor John Berton presenting a step-by-step guide to some of the film's most extraordinary computer generated shots. There's also the obligatory "making of" programme in which everyone insists their primary concern was to ensure the effects never superseded the story. Unfortunately, this only makes you more aware of the script's shortcomings. --Steve Napleton The Mummy Returns has an even more relentless pace and hammer headed tone than the first film--more explosions, more action and more mind-numbingly endless computer generated effects, set to a headache inducing surround soundtrack. The original cast are reunited and joined by WWF star The Rock (in a cameo role designed to plug his spin-off vehicle The Scorpion King) and young actor Freddie Boath who plays an English eight-year-old in the 1930s whose dialogue borrows from Bart Simpson. Still, despite the wearying relentlessness of its computer generated effects, endless chases and fights, this is undeniably fun popcorn fodder and provides some memorable scenes along the way, notably Rachel Weisz and Patricia Velasquez battling it out for the affections of nasty old Imhotep. Extras in this generous two-disc set include a decent commentary from the director and producer, DVD-ROM features, a 20-minute "making-of" documentary and a five-minute interview with the Rock. Best of all are the detailed special effects breakdowns of key sequences. --Mark Walker
2015 Omega Day. Confirmation of extraterrestrial life appears on television screens across the world as a massive spacecraft breaks through the atmosphere on a crash course into the Atlantic Ocean. A young paramedic - Baker - signs up to fight for his planet against the invaders. Baker joins the Special Forces members as the squad medic as they escort a classified package by chopper over enemy territory in Southern Alberta. When their chopper is shot down they find themselves surrounded and o...
It's studenta versus faculty in this provocative thriller that entertains all the way to the surprise ending! A high school senior named Maddox has watched as his classmates' freedoms have been stripped away by a domineering faculty at his suburban Chicago school. Then when he hears the story of John Stanton a student who rebelled against the system and was institutionalized under suspicious circumstances he decides it's time to act. Together with his best briends Clip and Chri
Through inspirational live performances and detailed step-by-step analysis Walfredo shows you how to: - Develop a 'split brain' style combining right-hand rock beats with left-hand global percussion - Understand and play a variety of intricate global beats - Integrate drumset with percussion instruments. Walfredo's down-to-earth teaching style offers easy-to-understand explanations and methodical demonstrations of each rhythm and the accompanying booklet includes notated versions for added clarity.
This haunting psychological thriller finds FBI agent Thomas Mackelway (Aaron Eckhart) newly transferred to the Albuquerque office from Dallas after the botched arrest of his personal nemesis results in his demotion. Suffering from migraines and tormented by his memories and his dreams, Mackelway is immediately assigned to investigate the murder of a travelling salesman. Soon, he is investigating three similar murders and receiving mysterious faxes and notes from the killer, a former government agent named Benjamin O'Ryan (Ben Kingsley). O'Ryan was part of an elite squad that was trained in remote viewing. Able to tune into the sights, sounds, and feelings of victims and killers, O'Ryan enters a trancelike state and draws the gruesome scenes that lead him to the crime and the killer. Unfortunately, he is unable to turn this ability off, and has slowly been going mad and taking justice into his own hands. Thinking he's found a kindred spirit in Mackelway, O'Ryan pulls him deeper into the hunt for 'Suspect Zero', the ultimate killer. This feature from director E. Elias Merhige (SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE) also stars Carrie-Ann Moss as Mackelway's partner, who tries to keep Mackelway from going over the edge.
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