When Terms of Endearment was released in 1983, director and writer James L Brooks was lauded for his depiction of a complex mother/daughter relationship. For his leading ladies he chose actresses with two of the strongest personalities in Hollywood, but armed with an exceptionally witty script and endless patience he eventually drew magnificent performances from Shirley Maclaine as Aurora and Debra Winger as her daugher Emma, assisted considerably by Jack Nicholson's considerate professionalism. As the philandering retired astronaut who beds Maclaine and then provides her with surprising support in the film's dark later moments, Nicholson shines with comic brilliance which earned him an Oscar. It was no secret that Maclaine and Winger could barely contain a mutual antipathy on set. Yet they strike sparks off each other on screen. When comedy turns to tragedy with the development of Emma's cancer, the laughs continue even while the tear ducts are being given a good work out. In the glory days of Hollywood, this would have been acknowledged a great "women's picture" and its weepy credentials are impeccable. It stands out as a warm, accessible work that admirably rejects sugary sentiment in favour of the realistic rough edges that characterise most human relationships. On the DVD: Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, this DVD is ideal for home cinema viewing. The picture and sound quality are fine, benefiting Michael Gore's gentle, memorable music and bringing the best out of Andrzej Bartkowiak's luminous photography. In addition to the original theatrical trailer, the major extra is the director's commentary in which James L Brooks reminisces with coproducer Penney Finkelman and production designer Polly Platt. They look back at their impressive work with a touching degree of wonder and apprentice directors should take note when Brooks recalls his steep learning curve in managing his leading ladies. --Piers Ford
Kevin McCallister's parents have split up. Now living with his mom he decides to spend Christmas with his dad at the mansion of his father's rich girlfriend Natalie. Meanwhile robber Marv Merchants partners up with a new criminal to hit Natalie's mansion with only Kevin left inside to fend them off in any devious and destructive way he can!
Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is a lawyer with a wife and family whose happily normal life is turned upside down after a chance meeting with a college buddy (Jason Lee) at a lingerie shop. Unbeknownst to the lawyer, he's just been burdened with a videotape of a congressman's assassination. Hot on the tail of this tape is a ruthless group of National Security Agents commanded by a belligerently ambitious fed named Reynolds (Jon Voight). Using surveillance from satellites, bugs and other sophisticated snooping devices, the NSA infiltrates every facet of Dean's existence, tracing each physical and digital footprint he leaves. Driven by acute paranoia, Dean enlists the help of a clandestine former NSA operative named Brill (Gene Hackman) and Enemy of the State kicks into high-intensity hyperdrive. Teaming up once again with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Top Gun director Tony Scott demonstrates his glossy style with clever cinematography and breakneck pacing. Will Smith proves that there's more to his success than a brash sense of humour, giving a versatile performance that plausibly illustrates a man cracking under the strain of paranoid turmoil. Hackman steals the show by essentially reprising his role from The Conversation--just imagine his memorable character Harry Caul some 20 years later. Most of all, the film's depiction of high-tech surveillance is highly convincing and dramatically compelling, making this a cautionary tale with more substance than you'd normally expect from a Scott-Bruckheimer action extravaganza. --Jeremy Storey
Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is a lawyer with a wife and family whose happily normal life is turned upside down after a chance meeting with a college buddy (Jason Lee) at a lingerie shop. Unbeknownst to the lawyer, he's just been burdened with a videotape of a congressman's assassination. Hot on the tail of this tape is a ruthless group of National Security Agents commanded by a belligerently ambitious fed named Reynolds (Jon Voight). Using surveillance from satellites, bugs and other sophisticated snooping devices, the NSA infiltrates every facet of Dean's existence, tracing each physical and digital footprint he leaves. Driven by acute paranoia, Dean enlists the help of a clandestine former NSA operative named Brill (Gene Hackman) and Enemy of the State kicks into high-intensity hyperdrive. Teaming up once again with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Top Gun director Tony Scott demonstrates his glossy style with clever cinematography and breakneck pacing. Will Smith proves that there's more to his success than a brash sense of humour, giving a versatile performance that plausibly illustrates a man cracking under the strain of paranoid turmoil. Hackman steals the show by essentially reprising his role from The Conversation--just imagine his memorable character Harry Caul some 20 years later. Most of all, the film's depiction of high-tech surveillance is highly convincing and dramatically compelling, making this a cautionary tale with more substance than you'd normally expect from a Scott-Bruckheimer action extravaganza. --Jeremy Storey
Following on from the highly successful IVANS XTC, a landmark in digital cinema, acclaimed director Bernard Rose continues the re-imagining of Leo Tolstoy's controversial 19th Century literature, in the second part of a planned trilogy.
Action superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme is back and at his hard-hitting best as Ben Archer an ex-mob enforcer seeking revenge against a ruthless Chinese kingpin responsible for his wife's brutal murder. When Archer joins forces with his old underworld friends an all-out war is waged against the Chinese Triads... Hong Kong favourite Simon Yam faces off against the Muscles From Brussels in this pulse-pounding action thriller!
Douglas 'Doogie' Howser (played by How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris) may now be 17 years-old, but balancing the demands of being a doctor and trying to live like a normal kid is harder than ever.In the second season, Doogie is plagued by odd dreams about missing his youth, helps his best friend Vinnie (Max Casella) deliver his French teacher's baby, has doubts about his relationship with girlfriend Wanda (Lisa Dean Ryan) and learns a lot about himself as a person, a doctor and a teenager.James Sikking and Belinda Montgomery co-star in this Emmy Award-winning season of the acclaimed comedy-drama created by Steven Bochco (LA Law, NYPD Blue) and David E. Kelley (Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal).
Nominated for 11 Oscars and winner of 5 Terms Of Endearment dazzled critics and audiences alike with its believable insightful story of two captivating people mother and daughter unforgettably played by Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger. Jack Nicholson turns in a great comic performance as MacLaine's neighbour a boozy womanizing former astronaut. From grand slapstick to deepest sentiment director James L. Brooks masterfully paints scenes from their evolving 30-year rela
Adapted by Nichola Bruce from the acclaimed photographic novel by Timothy O'Grady and Steve Pyke 'I Could Read The Sky' is a haunting and lyrical film about identity love loss and the isolation and loneliness of the immigrant. Dermot Healy movingly portrays a man reflecting upon his life from his rural upbringing on the West Coast of Ireland to his journey to London and experiences in the vividly modern metropolis. Driven by a dynamic music soundtrack that draws from both envir
In Hell: Kyle Lord (Van Damme) is arrested and convicted for the vigilante killing of his wife's murderer. Kyle must survive life in a maximum-security prison where inmates are made to battle to their death in a brutal no holds barred fight called ""The Shu"" for the warden's entertainment and profit. Kyle fights his oppressors and is quickly sent to ""The Shu"" where his unbridled rage catapults him to the victor's circle. Kyle has become one of the monsters he despises and must now battle within himself to survive... (Dir. Ringo Lam 2003) Wake Of Death: Action superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme is back and at his hard-hitting best as Ben Archer an ex-mob enforcer seeking revenge against a ruthless Chinese kingpin responsible for his wife's brutal murder. When Archer joins forces with his old underworld friends an all-out war is waged against the Chinese Triads... Hong Kong favourite Simon Yam faces off against the Muscles From Brussels in this pulse-pounding action thriller! (Dir. Philippe Martinez 2004) The Order: Unleash The Power. Action superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme (Nowhere To Run Universal Soldier) is back in The Order a fast-paced high-octane thriller set in the Middle East. From the director of Double Impact and featuring screen legend Charlton Heston (Planet Of The Apes Any Given Sunday) Ben Cross (First Knight Chariots Of Fire) and sexy newcomer Sofia Milos The Order is an exciting adventure packed with extreme fight choreography exotic locations and non-stop action. Journey to a turbulent world under siege as reformed artifact smuggler Rudy (Van Damme) travels to Jerusalem to rescue his museum-curator father who's been kidnapped by ruthless fanatics and recover a sacred scroll believed to hold dangerous secrets of an underground sect. Framed for murder by a scheming police chief (Cross) Rudy enlists the aid of a mysterious beauty (Milos) to clear his name and wages a one-man battle to recapture the prized manuscript before the ultimate Holy War breaks out and all hell breaks loose! (Dir. Sheldon Lettich 2001)
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