Trying to explain the cult appeal of John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China to the uninitiated is no easy task. The plot in a nutshell follows lorry driver Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) into San Francisco's Chinatown, where he's embroiled in street gang warfare over the mythical/magical intentions of would-be god David Lo Pan. There are wire-fu fight scenes, a floating eyeball and monsters from other dimensions. Quite simply it belongs to a genre of its own. Carpenter was drawing on years of chop-socky Eastern cinema tradition, which, at the time of the film's first release in 1986, was regrettably lost on a general audience. Predictably, it bombed. But now that Jackie Chan and Jet Li have made it big in the West, and Hong Kong cinema has spread its influence across Hollywood, it's much, much easier to enjoy this film's happy-go-lucky cocktail of influences. Russell's cocky anti-hero is easy to cheer on as he "experiences some very unreasonable things" blundering from one fight to another, and lusts after the gorgeously green-eyed Kim Cattrall. The script is peppered with countless memorable lines, too ("It's all in the reflexes"). Originally outlined as a sequel to the equally obscure Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, Big Trouble is a bona fide cult cinema delight. Jack sums up the day's reactions perfectly, "China is here? I don't even know what the Hell that means!". On the DVD: Big Trouble in Little China is released as a special edition two-disc set in its full unedited form. Some real effort has been put into both discs' animated menus, and the film itself is terrific in 2.35:1 and 5.1 (or DTS). The commentary by Carpenter and Russell may not be as fresh as their chat on The Thing, but clearly they both retain an enormous affection for the film. There are eight deleted scenes (some of which are expansions of existing scenes), plus a separate extended ending which was edited out for the right reasons. You'll also find a seven-minute featurette from the time of release, a 13-minute interview with FX guru Richard Edlund, a gallery of 200 photos, 25 pages of production notes and magazine articles from American Cinematographer and Cinefex. Best of all for real entertainment value is a music video with Carpenter and crew (the Coupe de Villes) coping with video FX and 80s hair-dos.--Paul Tonks
The son of two legendary superheroes must try and find his own powers in this comedy.
A coldblooded management consultant infamous for downsizing every firm he comes into contact with re-examines his own morals and values when his latest assignment puts him face to face with those affected by such actions.
Just two years after Elvis Presley passed away Kurt Russell brought him back to life in the original biopic about the King of Rock n Roll. Released through ABC in 1979 Elvis marked the first time director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell would work together in what would become a legendary pairing in film history (Escape From New York Big Trouble In Little China The Thing and Escape From L.A.). Tracing Presleys life from his impoverished childhood to his meteoric rise to stardom to his triumphant return to Las Vegas Elvis features Shelley Winters (Gladys Presley) Season Hubley (Priscilla Presley) Bing Russell (Kurts real-life father as Vernon Presley) Pat Hingle (Colonel Tom Parker) Joe Mantegna (Memphis Mafia member Joe Esposito) and Ed Begley Jr. (drummer D.J. Fontana) in an all-star supporting cast for an effort that garnered numerous Emmy nominations including Outstanding Lead Actor for Russell. Restored From The Original Film Elements.
Forever Young: It's 1939 and test pilot Daniel McCormick (Mel Gibson) has the world by the tail. He has a terrific job flying B-25s a devoted soul mate (Isabel Glasser) and a long time pal and confidant (George Wendt). In fact he has everything. Almost. Despite his ability to confront danger he can't look his girlfriend in the face and propose. He always decides to wait till tomorrow to pop the question but in one terrible instant he runs out of tomorrows. Tragedy takes his
Used Cars, the 1980 film by director Robert Zemeckis, gives no indication of things to come in his career (Back to the Future, Contact, Forrest Gump), but it is representative of a certain cynical humour he shared early on with writer-partner Bob Gale. Kurt Russell and Jack Warden star in a sketchy comedy about competing used-car salesmen who resort to outrageous tactics to lure customers away from each other. The jokes, like the characters, are intentionally recycled, self-conscious comic fodder from a baby-boomer's lifetime (such as Gale's or Zemeckis') of immersion in pop culture. That makes Used Cars more pastiche than original (the film's title itself suggests that), but as such it has some good, if vaguely familiar, laughs in it. Russell, particularly, is very funny as a practiced con man. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
Ron Howard directs an all-star cast in this exciting action-thriller that shows you the mystery drama and devastation of fire as you've never seen before! Kurt Russel and William Baldwin star as two feuding siblings carrying on an heroic family tradition as Chicago firefighters but when a puzzling series of arson attacks is reported they are forced to set aside their differences to solve the mystery surrounding these explosive crimes. Scott Glenn Jennifer Jason Leigh Rebecca De Mornay Donald Sutherland and Robert De Niro also star in this acclaimed suspense story filled with some of the most awe-inspiring fire sequences ever filmed!
Directed by master film-maker John Carpenter, this edge-of-your seat adventure stars Kurt Russell as Jack Burton, a tough talking, wisecracking truck driver whose hum-drum life on the road takes a sudden supernatural tailspin when his best friend's fiance is kidnapped. Speeding to the rescue, Jack finds himself deep beneath San Francisco's Chinatown. It's a murky, creature-filled world ruled by Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician who mercilessly presides over an empire of sprits. Dodging demons and facing baffling terrors, Jack battles his way through Lo Pan's dark domain in a full-throttle, action-riddled ride to rescue the girl. Co-starring Kim Cattrall, this effects-filled sci-fi spectacle speeds to an incredible, twist-taking finish.
This box set features the following films: Stormbreaker (Dir. Geoffrey Sax) (2006): After the death of his uncle the 14-year-old hero is forced by the Special Operations Division of Britain's secret intelligence service MI6 into a mission which will save millions of lives... Dreamer (Dir. John Gatins) (2005): Ben Crane (Kurt Russell) was once a great horseman whose gifts as a trainer are now being wasted on making other men's fortunes. Sonador called 'Sonya' was once a great horse whose promising future on the racetrack was suddenly cut short by a career-ending broken leg. Considered as good as dead to her owner who also happens to be Ben's boss Sonya is given to Ben as severance pay along with his walking papers. Now it will take the unwavering faith and determination of Ben's young daughter Cale (Dakota Fanning) to bring these two damaged souls together in a quest for a seemingly impossible goal: to win the breeders' Cup Classic. However the true miracle might be that in helping this injured horse what they are actually healing is their own family... Lassie (Dir. ) (2005): Based on Eric Knight's 1938 novel about the most trustworthy of pooches Lassie Come Home the film is set on the eve of World War II in a Yorkshire mining town in northern England. The Carraclough family fall on hard times and have to sell Lassie to the Duke of Rudling (Peter O'Toole). Transported to the Duke's remote castle in the north of Scotland Lassie is determined to escape from the clutches of the Duke and his evil trainer in an effort to make her way home for Christmas and return to the family she loves...
Marked For Death: Just retired from the Drug Enforcement agency John Hatcher (Seagal) returns to his hometown and quickly discovers that drugs have infiltrated his old neighbourhood. Determined to drive the dealers out Hatcher crosses paths with a ferocious Jamaican druglord who vows that Hatcher and his family are now marked for death... Rising Sun: Special liaison officer (Snipes) is called to investigate the murder of a call-girl in the boardroom of a Japanese corporation. Accompanied by a detective with unusual knowledge of the Japanese culture (Connery) the two men must unravel the mystery behind the murder by entering an underground shadow world of futuristic technology ancient ways and confusing loyalties... Unlawful Entry: After an armed robbery attempt on their suburban home a young couple (Kurt Russell and Madeleine Stowe) do what anyone would do - they call the police. That's when they meet Los Angeles Policeman Pete Davis (Ray Liotta) and immediately warm up to his caring and sensitive attitude. He makes the couple's safety his personal concern and begins frequent patrols of their property. But this friendship turns into a twisted obsession as Davis's relationship with the couple develops and forces his way into their lives. Plunged into a nightmare where protector becomes predator the couple must somehow escape from the web of security that has become their ultimate enemy...
Spotswood (Aka The Efficiency Expert)
Before nerds geeks and cyberpunks there was regular-guy Medfield College student Dexter Riley (Kurt Russell) who accidentally turns into a human computer through a shocking lab mishap. As the hype over his instant genius threatens to swell his head he becomes the centre of a winner-take-all tug-of-war between greedy college deans and dangerous gamblers which lands him in big trouble! The ""genius"" Dexter then learns a valuable lesson when the same friends he had earlier turned his
The Thing (1982): Horror-meister John Carpenter teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic The Thing. In the winter of 1982 a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100 000 years. Soon unfrozen the shape-shifting alien wreaks havoc creates terror and becomes one of them... John Carpenter's Vampires (1998): In the blood-chilling tradition of Halloween and Village Of The Damned comes John Carpenter's unique vision of the ultimate killing machines vampires. Forget everything you've ever heard about vampires warns Jack Crow (James Woods) the leader of Team Crow a relentless group of mercenary vampire slayers. When master Vampire Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) decimates Jack's entire team Crow and the sole team survivor Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) set out in pursuit. Breaking all the rules Crow and Montoya take one of Valek's victims hostage. The beautiful prostitute (Sheryl Lee) is their sole psychic link to Valek and through her senses they will track down the leader of the undead. As Valek nears the climax of his 600 year search for the Berziers cross Jack and the new Team Crow do everything humanly possible to prevent him from possessing the only thing that can grant him and all vampires the omnipotent power to walk in the daylight... Village Of The Damned (1995): From the master of suspense John Carpenter comes a chilling new version of the sci-fi classic. Something is terribly wrong in the tiny village of Midwich. After an unseen force invades a quiet coastal town 10 women mysteriously find themselves pregnant. Local physician Dr. Alan Chaffee (Reeve) and government scientist Dr. Susan Verner (Alley) join forces when the women simultaneously give birth...and the reign of terror begins. In what the New York Times calls one scarifying trip the people of Midwich must try to find a way to stop the children in the Village Of The Damned.
The Thing (Dir. John Carpenter 1982): Horror-meister John Carpenter teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic 'The Thing'. In the winter of 1982 a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100 000 years. Soon unfrozen the shape-shifting alien wreaks havoc creates terror and becomes one of them... The Thinf From Another World (Dir. Christian Nyby 1951): Arctic researchers discover a huge frozen spaceling inside a crash-landed UFO then fight for their lives after the murderous being (a pre-Gunsmoke James Arness) emerges from icy captivity. Will other creatures soon follow? The famed final words of this film are both warning and answer: ""Keep watching the skies!""
The man with the patch is back. Call him Snake. Kurt Russell rejoins filmmakers John Carpenter and Debra Hill to do to the Big Orange what they did to the Big Apple in Escape From New York - with even more futuristic thrills and slam-bang action! Into the 9.6-quaked Los Angeles of 2013 comes Snake Plissken (Russell). His job: wade through L.A.'s ruined landmarks to retrieve a doomsday device. Don't miss the excitement as Snake surfs Wilshire Blvd. shoots hoops at the Coliseum dive bombs the Happy Kingdom theme park and mixes it up with a wild assortment of friends fiends and foes (Stacy Keach Steve Buscemi Peter Fonda George Corraface Cliff Robertson Pam Grier and more).
Horror-meister John Carpenter teams Kurt Russell's outstanding performance with incredible visuals to build this chilling version of the classic The Thing.In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Soon unfrozen, the shape-shifting alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and becomes one of them...
Titles Comprise: The Fog (1980): A thick fog rolls into the sleepy town of Antonio Bay concealing the ghosts of murdered sailors desperate to seek revenge on the descendants of their killers. In one night the inhabitants of this town will pay the ultimate price for their forefathers' murderous greed... Assault On Precinct 13 (1976): Isolated cut off inside an abandoned police station a handful of cops and some convicts on their way to Death Row must join forces and defend themselves against the gang called Street Thunder who have taken a blood oath to destroy. They Live (1988): John Nada (Piper) is a struggling labourer who drifts into town and luckily scores a job at a construction site. Discovering a box of sunglasses Nada swipes a pair and is shocked to find what he can see through them; billboards demand citizens 'Eat' or 'Sleep' TV shows spout orders at him and some people look rather less than human... Escape From New York (1981): 1997. New York City is now a maximum security prison. Breaking out is impossible. Breaking in is insane. Manhattan Island has become a maximum-security prison for three million criminals. When the American President's plane is hijacked and crashed on the island the President is taken hostage by gangland warlord 'The Duke'. Sent to the rescue is Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) a former war hero now a convicted criminal. To ensure safe return of the President the police commissioner (Lee Van Cleef) has had tiny time bombs implanted in Plissken's neck: if he gets the President out within twenty four hours he gets a pardon; if not he gets blown to pieces... Prince Of Darkness (1987): Deep in the crypt of an old church absolute evil has been lurking in the form of the Sleeper a sinister green liquid that contains the essence of the Devil himself. Discovered by a priest this liquid is investigated by physics experts in the hope that science will help fight the battle against evil but their experiments unwittingly set Satan free... Halloween (1978): 'Halloween' takes us into the world of a mad killer Michael Myers who at a very young age stabbed his older sister to death. Locked away for many years in a mental hospital Michael escapes one night and returns to his home to continue his killing spree. Jamie Lee Curtis in her first role plays the resourceful babysitter who is chased by the killer on Halloween night. The Thing (1982): In the winter of 1982 a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100 000 years. Soon unfrozen the shape-shifting alien wreaks havoc creates terror and becomes one of them...
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