A harsh, cutting, and wickedly funny look into the darker side of show business, Swimming with Sharks tells the story of a naive and eager assistant (Frank Whaley) and his slide into the cut-throat world of Hollywood power struggles. Whaley goes to work for a top movie executive (Kevin Spacey) who almost immediately begins to wear down his new assistant's exuberance with his whining, egomaniacal tantrums and relentless verbal abuse, even as he promises his young charge a chance to move up the ladder. Culminating in a violent and ultimately ironic confrontation between mentor and protégé, this brutal 1994 black comedy benefits from some razor-sharp writing and terrific comic turns from both Whaley (Hoffa) as one whose idealism is irrevocably shattered, and Spacey (Seven, L.A. Confidential), deliciously funny as a caustic, belligerent, and ultimately sad figure. A savage indictment of both the movie business and the price of ambition, Swimming with Sharks is one of the best black comedies in recent years. --Robert Lane
Although the superhero comic book has been a duopoly since the early 1960s, only DC's flagship characters, Superman and Batman (who originated in the late 1930s) have established themselves as big-screen franchises. Until now--this is the first runaway hit film version of the alternative superhero X-Men universe created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and others. It's a rare comic-book movie that doesn't fall over its cape introducing all the characters, and this is the exception. X-Men drops us into a world that is closer to our own than Batman's Gotham City, but it's still home to super-powered goodies and baddies. Opening in high seriousness with paranormal activity in a WW2 concentration camp and a senatorial inquiry into the growing "mutant problem", Bryan Singer's film sets up a complex background with economy and establishes vivid, strange characters well before we get to the fun. There's Halle Berry flying and summoning snowstorms, James Marsden zapping people with his "optic beams", Rebecca Romijn-Stamos shape-shifting her blue naked form, and Ray Park lashing out with his Toad-tongue. The big conflict is between Patrick Stewart's Professor X and Ian McKellen's Magneto, super-powerful mutants who disagree about their relationship with ordinary humans, but the characters we're meant to identify with are Hugh Jackman's Wolverine (who has retractable claws and amnesia), and Anna Paquin's Rogue (who sucks the life and superpowers out of anyone she touches). The plot has to do with a big gizmo that will wreak havoc at a gathering of world leaders, but the film is more interested in setting up a tangle of bizarre relationships between even more bizarre people, with solid pros such as Stewart and McKellen relishing their sly dialogue and the newcomers strutting their stuff in cool leather outfits. There are in-jokes enough to keep comics' fans engaged, but it feels more like a science fiction movie than a superhero picture. --Kim Newman
The dark decadent underworld of Montreal is the backdrop for this tale of deceit and murder. The more the Gunrunner struggles to remain true to himself the deeper he becomes enmeshed in a tangled web of corruption. And soon he finds himself player pawn and victim of a much larger power struggle.
In 'Rage Of Angels' Jaclyn Smith plays determined young lawyer Jennifer Parker who fights against the odds to triumph as a top trial attorney in New York's tough world of power glamour and crime. Based on the best-selling novel by Sidney Sheldon this compelling drama switches from New York Acapulco and Paris as Jennifer finds herself in a highly-charged love triangle romantically pursued by two powerful men on opposite sides of the law. With the passion and tension in her life reaching boiling point Jennifer faces a terrifying confrontation that could destroy them all. As she moves from the law of the land to the law of the jungle the only case Jennifer can't seem to win is the trial for her heart.
A captivating story about midlife issues 'Grand Canyon' centres on the comings and goings of six characters and the unexpected miracles that occur in their lives. Affluent lawyer Mack (Kevin Kline) breaks down in the wrong neighbourhood and is threatened by a street gang. When tow-truck driver Simon (Danny Glover) arrives in the nick of time and defuses the situation Mack is so grateful he considers how he could improve Simon's life. Mack is married to Claire (Mary McDonnell) wh
When Inspector Morse first appeared on television in 1987, nobody could have predicted that it would run into the next century, maintaining throughout a quality of scripts and story lines that raised the genre of the detective series to a new level. Much of its success can be attributed to John Thaw's total immersion in the role. Morse is a prickly character and not obviously easy to like. As a detective in Oxford with unfulfilled academic propensities, he is permanently excluded from a world of which he would dearly love to be a part. He is at odds with that world--and with his colleagues in the police force--most of the time. Passionate about opera and "proper beer", he is a cultural snob for whom vulgarity causes almost physical pain. As a result, he lives from one disillusionment to another. And he is scarred--more deeply than he would ever admit--by past relationships. But he also has a naïve streak and, deep-down sensitivity, which makes him a fascinating challenge for women. At the heart of Morse's professional life is his awkward partnership with Detective Sergeant Lewis, the resolutely ordinary, worldly sidekick who manages to keep his boss in an almost permanent state of exasperation while retaining his grudging respect. It's a testament to Kevin Whateley's consistently excellent performance that from such unpromising material, Lewis becomes as indispensable to the series as Barrington Pheloung's hypnotic, classic theme music. Morse's investigations do occasionally take him abroad to more exotic locations, but throughout 14 successful years of often gruesome murders, the city of Oxford itself became a central character in these brooding two-hour dramas: creator Colin Dexter stating he finally had to kill Morse off because he was giving Oxford a bad reputation as a dangerous place! --Piers Ford
A teacher tries to uncover the reason behind a 15-year-old's chilling crime.
When a professional couple who have lived & worked together for many years finally decide to marry, their sudden betrothal causes many unexpectedly funny and awkward difficulties.
In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power.
I think they're contesting our place in the food chain", quips an Imperilled teen at an especially low moment of Komodo, a regulation trapped-with-monsters straight-to-video quickie. There was a millennial blip of such nature-on-the-rampage horrors in the year 2000 and Komodo settles comfortably onto the shelf with King Cobra, Blood Surf, They Nest, Crocodile, Spiders and Octopus. If you've seen all of them, you'll probably want to see this too--but don't say we didn't warn you. Komodo familiarly packs a few no-name actors to an island supposedly off the shore of Carolina (actually somewhere in Australasia and has them menaced by CGI creatures, then fighting back and beating the beasts. Though the title gives away the nature of the menace, ex-effects technician-turned-director Michael Lantieri keeps the monsters off-screen and purportedly mysterious for half the running time. Teenage Patrick (Kevin Zegers) is traumatised by the deaths of parents (and his dog) and retreats into an amnesiac fugue, but his psychiatrist Victoria (Jill Hennessy) brings him back to the site of the tragedy to stir his memories. It turns out that the local evil oil company has always known that a bunch of giant, flesh-eating lizards were on the loose but kept quiet about it for nebulously nefarious purposes. Oates (Billy Burke), a rebellious company minion, hooks up with Patrick (who shows unexpected resourcefulness in whipping up lizard traps) and the shrink and they have a last-reel confrontation with the monsters that allow for some very distant echoes of Jurassic Park. The CGI and model work is seamless but the monsters have too little personality and, despite their voracious appetites, require all manner of contrivances to bring their victims within snapping distance. Nice bit at the end though with a gory if not dramatic finale. --Kim Newman
A triple bill of Oscar-winning features from revered British director Anthony Minghella. Cold Mountain: In the dying days of the American Civil War a wounded soldier (Law) embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart (Kidman)... The Talented Mr Ripley: To be young and carefree amid the blue waters and idyllic landscape of sun-drenched Italy in the late 1950s; that's la dolce vita Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) craves - and Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) leads. When Dickie's father a wealthy ship builder asks Tom to bring his errant playboy son back home to America Dickie and his beautiful expatriate girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow) never suspect the dangerous extremes to which Ripley will go to make their lifestyle his own. After all it's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody... The English Patient: After a badly burned pilot (Ralph Fiennes) is pulled from the wreckage of his plane in the Sahara Desert he's placed in the care of an army nurse (Juliette Binoche) and identified only as the English patient. As his memory slowly returns a passionate and consuming love affair with a married woman (Kristin Scott Thomas) is unveiled and lives from both the past and the present become inextricably altered. Set against breath taking backdrops in North Africa and Italy this film is a riveting cinematic masterpiece that stirs the heart and touches the soul like no other film in years!
Never before have these 5 vampire movies been available together in one collection! A great collector's box set of some of the best vampire movies around. The box comes packaged in a superb limited edition 'blood pouch'; something to really get your teeth into! Near Dark (Dir. Kathryn Bigelow 1987) (2 Discs): When country boy Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar) meets the pretty and enigmatic Mae (Jenny Wright) he immediately falls for her angelic charms. Equally enamoured Mae agrees to go for a ride in Caleb's truck where despite Mae's apparent apprehension and urgency to get back home before sunrise the pair make out. During their romantic interlude Mae gives Caleb a nip on the neck before mysteriously disappearing into the night. Alone and slightly confused by the time dawn breaks Caleb is suffering from severe stomach cramps and a serious aversion to sunlight. While struggling to make his way back to his father's farm he is abducted by a group of strangers in a motorhome. The kidnappers turn out to be Mae's family a band of vampires who intend to feast on Caleb before he turns into one of them... Dracula (Dir. Roger Young 2002) (Miniseries): A television adaptation of Bram Stoker's oft-filmed classic. Headed by the brash young American investment banker Jonathan Harker (Hardy Kr''ger Jr.) and his fianc'' Mina (Stefania Rocca) a group of young adventurers are seeking new opportunities in Budapest. When the mysterious Count Tepes (Patrick Bergin) summons Jonathan to his castle in Romania for an important deal little does the banker know what horror he is about to unleash upon the world. Nosferatu (Dir. Werner Herzog 1979): It is 1850 in the beautiful perfectly kept town of Wismar. Jonathan Harker (Bruno Ganz) is about to leave on a long journey over the Carpathian Mountains to finalise real estate arrangements with a wealthy nobleman. His wife Lucy (Isabel Adjani) begs him not to go and is troubled by a strong premonition of danger. Despite her warnings Jonathan arrives four weeks later at a large gloomy castle. Out of the mist appears a pale wraith-like figure with a shaven head and deep sunken eyes who identifies himself as Count Dracula (Klaus Kinski) The events that transpire slowly convince Harker that he is in the midst of a vampire. What he doesn't know however is the magnitude of danger he his wife and his town are about to experience as victims of the Nosferatu. Directed by Werner Herzog a leading figure in German Cinema's 'new wave' of the 1970's Nosferatu is widely recognised as one of the finest films of the vampire genre. A homage to F. W. Murnau's 1922 original Herzog's Nosferatu is driven towards tragedy and visual splendour rather than the gory bloodfests of later remakes. Herzog's frequent leading man and eccentric live wire Klaus Kinski gives a sensational performance as the eerie goblin-like Dracula. Vampires: Out For Blood (Dir. Richard Brandes 2004: In the seedy world of underground raves people are vanishing without trace. Detective Hank Holten (Kevin Dillon) is the only one who knows the terrible truth: vampires are preying on the young party-goers! Vampyres (aka Daughters Of Dracula) (Dir. Jose Ramon Larazz 1974): Fran (Marianne Morris) and Miriam (Anulka Dziubinska) are two beautiful bisexual female vampires who by night roam the English countryside posing as hitchhikers in order to lure unsuspecting men back to their remote country estate where they have sex with their victims before feasting on their blood and killing them. Disposing of the bodies in a series of faked car crashes they the local police baffled by what appears to be a mysterious spate of accidents...
Cotton Club: Welcome to the Cotton Club where crime lords rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Director Francis Ford Coppola and co-writers William Kennedy and Mario Puzo create a panorama of love crime and entertainment centered on the legendary Harlem Nightclub owned by Owney Madden (Bob Hoskins). Cornet player Dixie Dwyer (Richard Gere) gets a job in Harlem's famous Cotton Club while his brother gets a job as Dutch Schultz's (James Remar) bodyguard. Dwyer falls for Schultz's mistress Vera Cicero (Diane Lane) and finds himself caught in the middle of mobster rivalry in this stylish gangster film. Chaplin: Directed by Sir Richard Attenborough and starring Robert Downey Jr and an extraordinary cast 'Chaplin' is a loving grand-scale portrait of the Little Tramp's amazing life and times. His poverty-stricken childhood in England comes to life along with his friendships with Mack Sennett (Dan Aykroyd) and Douglas Fairbanks (Kevin Kline) his many wives and scandalous affairs and his relentless pursuit by J. Edgar Hoover. Chaplin is the larger-than-life story of the actor behind the icon and a stunning depiction of a bygone era when Hollywood was at its most glamorous. Chorus Line: An adaptation of one of the most successful and unusual musicals of all time. A group of Broadway hopefuls auditioning for a place in the chorus line of a new show relate the stories of their lives -- their disappointments their dreams and the professional rejections and successes. Among the dancers trying to make the grade is the director's former lover a woman who once made it big and now would be grateful just to dance in the chorus.
When Inspector Morse first appeared on television in 1987, nobody could have predicted that it would run into the next century, maintaining throughout a quality of scripts and storylines that raised the genre of the detective series to a new level. Much of its success can be attributed to John Thaw's total immersion in the role. Morse is a prickly character and not obviously easy to like. As a detective in Oxford with unfulfilled academic propensities, he is permanently excluded from a world of which he would dearly love to be a part. He is at odds with that world--and with his colleagues in the police force--most of the time. Passionate about opera and "proper beer", he is a cultural snob for whom vulgarity causes almost physical pain. As a result, he lives from one disillusionment to another. And he is scarred--more deeply than he would ever admit--by past relationships. But he also has a naïve streak and, deep down, sensitivity, which makes him a fascinating challenge for women. At the heart of Morse's professional life is his awkward partnership with Detective Sergeant Lewis, the resolutely ordinary, worldly sidekick who manages to keep his boss in an almost permanent state of exasperation while retaining his grudging respect. It's a testament to Kevin Whately's consistently excellent performance that from such unpromising material, Lewis becomes as indispensable to the series as Barrington Pheloung's hypnotic, classic theme music. Morse's investigations do occasionally take him abroad to more exotic locations, but throughout 14 successful years of often gruesome murders, the city of Oxford itself became a central character in these brooding two-hour dramas: creator Colin Dexter said he finally had to kill Morse off because he was giving Oxford a bad reputation as a dangerous place! --Piers Ford
Kevin Sorbo stars in this action-packed sequel to the hit film Walking Tall: The Payback. After cleaning up his hometown Nick (Kevin Sorbo) retires as county sheriff and heads to Dallas where he hopes to start a new life with an FBI Agent and her twelve-year old daughter. Just being ""the boyfriend"" is tough enough for Nick. When a ruthless drug lord targets several key witnesses to a Federal case Nick finds himself in the middle of a war with nobody to trust. This time Nick
Dylan Hunt and the crew of the Andromeda return for the penultimate fourth season of the hit sci-fi show. In this season the Commonwealth that Dylan once restored looks set to betray him and destroy everything. The Collectors are manipulating each situation and the crew must decide whether to stick by their Captain and accompany him on yet another voyage to save the universe. Will they live to fight another day? Elsewhere the crew must stop an assassin from stealing the minds of the most prolific scientists in the Commonwealth; save a woman who is to be murdered by her insane father and with the threat of genocide and the outbreak of a deadly disease they must mediate an apocalyptic war. All 22 episodes from the fourth season appear in this brand new set. Episodes Comprise: Answers Given to Questions Never Asked Pieces of Eight Waking the Tyrant's Device Double or Nothingness Harper/Delete Soon the Nearing Vortex The World Turns All Around Her Conduit to Destiny Machinery of the Mind Exalted Reason Resplendent Daughter The Torment the Release The Spider's Stratagem The Warmth of an Invisible Light The Others Fear Burns Down to Ashes Lost in a Space That Isn't There Abridging the Devil's Divide Trusting the Gordian Maze A Symmetry of Imperfection Time Out of Mind The Dissonant Interval (Part One) The Dissonant Interval (Part Two)
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.
Kevin Sorbo stars in this sequel to the remake of Walking Tall as a retired soldier who returns to his hometown only to discover the place he grew up is now overrun with crime drugs and violence. Enlisting the help of his old pals he gets elected Sheriff and fights to clean up his hometown.
In the original Predator, Rambo meets Alien in a terrific science fiction thriller directed by John McTiernan just a year before Die Hard made him Hollywood's most sought-after director of action-packed blockbusters. Arnold Schwarzenegger leads an elite squad of US Army commandos to a remote region of South American jungle, where they've been assigned to search for South American officials who've been kidnapped by terrorists. Instead they find a load of skinned corpses hanging from the trees and realise that they're now facing a mysterious and much deadlier threat. As the squad is picked off one by one, Arnold finds himself pitted against a hideous alien creature that's heavily armed and wearing a spacesuit enabling the creature to render itself invisible. The title says it all in describing the relentless, escalating action that follows, maintained by McTiernan with an abundance of visual flair. The film's special effects are still impressive, and stunning locations in the Mexican jungles create a combined atmosphere of verdant beauty and imminent danger. The sequel, Predator 2, suffers from the lack of both original star Schwarzenegger and director McTiernan. Danny Glover does serviceable work as the hard-bitten city cop tracking the near-invisible Predator, who this time has chosen to do a bit of hunting on the streets of LA instead of the jungle. Look out for an Alien skull in the creature's trophy room --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
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