Writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television seriesThe Sopranos is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home. This ambitious TV series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegiate mob clan and his own nouveau-riche brood. The brilliant first series is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognisable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get. Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatisation of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchman and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed. The first year's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional", perceptive and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. --Sam Sutherland
A director with a dark sensibility comparable to Chabrol, Claude Miller made these two twisty Polars (French Police-Noir films) with Michel Serrault (Kill the Referee), showcasing the actor in stunning performances alongside stars including Lino Ventura (Army of Shadows) and Isabelle Adjani (Possession, The Story of Adele H).In The Inquisitor cops Gallien (Ventura) and Belmont (Guy Marchand) interrogate Martinaud (Serrault), a wealthy lawyer, for the rape and murder of two young girls. The investigation becomes further complicated when his wife (Romy Schneider, Le combat dans l'ile) gives her statement A gripping thriller with intense performances, The Inquisitor was a critical and commercial success on release, nominated for 8 César Awards, winning Best Screenplay and acting prizes for Serrault and Marchand.Serrault returns in Deadly Circuit as a P.I. who becomes obsessed with the target of his investigation, a murderer (Adjani) who he follows across Europe as she moves from one victim to another. Switching gears to pitch black humour this wild crime film features both leads on top form alongside a stunning supporting cast including Stephane Audran (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie), Macha Méril (Deep Red), Sami Frey (Bande à part), and Jean-Claude Brialy (The Bride Wore Black) among others.LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES4K restoration of The Inquisitor and 2K restoration of Deadly Circuit, presented on disc for the first time in the UKOriginal uncompressed mono audioSuccess Story - a documentary on the making of The Inquisitor (2016)Interview with Claude Miller and Michel Audiard on (1981) An appreciation of the film by filmmaker Patrice Leconte (2016)Reverse Short [Champ contrechamp] - a TV episode on crime fiction featuring Claude Miller, Michel Serrault, Alain Corneau, Michel Audiard, and others (1981)Audio commentary on Deadly Circuit by critic Rachael Nisbet (2025)A documentary on Deadly Circuit featuring co-screenwriter Jacques Adiard, director of photography Pierre Lhomme and producer Charles Gassot (2016)A Hypnotic Fascination - an interview with filmmaker Philippe Le Guay (2016)Original theatrical trailersNewly translated English subtitles for each filmReversible sleeve featuring designs based on original postersLimited edition booklet featuring new writing by Adam Scovell and an archival interview with MillerLimited edition of 1000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
"Katyn" is the story of Polish army officers murdered by the Russian secret police in the Katyn forest during the Second World War and the families who, unaware of the crime, were still waiting for their husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers to return.
French director JACQUES DEMY didn't just make movieshe created an entire cinematic world. Demy launched his glorious feature filmmaking career in the sixties, a decade of astonishing invention in his national cinema. He stood out from the crowd of his fellow New Wavers, however, by filtering his self-conscious formalism through deeply emotional storytelling. Fate and coincidence, doomed love, and storybook romance surface throughout his films, many of which are further united by the intersecting lives of characters who either appear or are referenced across titles. Demy's filmswhich range from musical to melodrama to fantasiaare triumphs of visual and sound design, camera work, and music, and they are galvanized by the great stars of French cinema at their centres, including ANOUK AIMÃE, CATHERINE DENEUVE, and JEANNE MOREAU. The works collected here, made from the sixties to the eighties, touch the heart and mind in equal measure. LOLA JACQUES DEMY's crystalline debut gave birth to the fictional universe in which so many of his characters would live, play, and love. It's among his most profoundly felt films, a tale of crisscrossing lives in Nantes (Demy's hometown) that floats on waves of longing and desire. Heading the film's ensemble is the enchanting ANOUK AIMÃE (8 1/2) as the title character, a cabaret chanteuse; she's awaiting the return of a long-lost lover and unwilling to entertain the adoration of another love-struck soul, the wanderer Roland (Le trou's MARC MICHEL). Humane, wistful, and witty, Lola is a testament to the resilience of the heartbroken. BAY OF ANGELS This precisely wrought, emotionally penetrating romantic drama from JACQUES DEMY, set largely in the casinos of Nice, is a visually lovely but darkly pragmatic investigation into love and obsession. A bottle-blonde JEANNE MOREAU (Jules and Jim) is at her blithe best as a gorgeous gambling addict, and CLAUDE MANN (Army of Shadows) is the bank clerk drawn into her risky world. Featuring a glittering score by MICHEL LEGRAND, Bay of Angels is among Demy's most somber works. THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG An angelically beautiful CATHERINE DENEUVE (Belle de jour) was launched into stardom by this glorious musical heart tugger from JACQUES DEMY. She plays an umbrella-shop owner's delicate daughter, glowing with first love for a handsome garage mechanic, played by NINO CASTELNUOVO (The English Patient). When the boy is shipped off to fight in Algeria, the two lovers must grow up quickly. Exquisitely designed in a kaleidoscope of colors, and told entirely through the lilting songs of the great composer MICHEL LEGRAND, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is one of the most revered and unorthodox movie musicals of all time. THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT JACQUES DEMY followed up The Umbrellas of Cherbourg with another musical about missed connections and second chances, this one a more effervescent confection. Twins Delphine and Solange, a dance instructor and a music teacher (played by real-life sisters CATHERINE DENEUVE and FRANÃOISE DORLÃAC), dream of big-city life; when a fair comes through their quiet port town, so does the possibility of escape. With its jazzy MICHEL LEGRAND score, pastel paradise of costumes, and divine supporting cast (GEORGE CHAKIRIS, GROVER DALE, DANIELLE DARRIEUX, MICHEL PICCOLI, and GENE KELLY), The Young Girls of Rochefort is a tribute to Hollywood optimism from sixties French cinema's preeminent dreamer. DONKEY SKIN In this lovingly crafted, wildly quirky adaptation of a classic French fairy tale, JACQUES DEMY casts CATHERINE DENEUVE as a princess who must go into hiding as a scullery maid in order to fend off an unwanted marriage proposal from her own father, the king (Orpheus's JEAN MARAIS)! A topsy-turvy riches-to-rags fable featuring songs by MICHEL LEGRAND, Donkey Skin creates a tactile fantasy world that's perched on the border between the earnest and the satiric, and features DELPHINE SEYRIG (Last Year at Marienbad) in a delicious supporting role as a fashionable fairy godmother. UNE CHAMBRE EN VILLE In this musical melodrama set against the backdrop of a workers' strike in Nantes, DOMINIQUE SANDA (The Conformist) plays a young woman who wishes to leave her brutish fiancé (Contempt's MICHEL PICCOLI) for an earthy steelworker (The Valet's RICHARD BERRY), though he is engaged to another. Unbeknownst to the girl, the object of her affection boards with her no-nonsense baroness mother (The Earrings of Madame de . . .'s DANIELLE DARRIEUX). A late-career triumph from JACQUES DEMY, Une chambre en ville received nine César Award nominations and features a rich, operatic score by MICHEL COLOMBIER (Purple Rain). Features New 2K digital restorations of all six films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the Blu-rays of Lola and Bay of Angels and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 surround soundtracks on the Blu-rays of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Young Girls of Rochefort, Donkey Skin, and Une chambre en ville Two documentaries by filmmaker Agnès Varda: The World of Jacques Demy (1995) and The Young Girls Turn 25 (1993) Four short films by director Jacques Demy: Les horizons morts (1951), Le sabotier du Val de Loire (1956), Ars (1959), and La luxure (1962) Jacques Demy A to Z, a new visual essay by film critic James Quandt Two archival interviews from French television with Demy and composer Michel Legrand, one on The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and the other on The Young Girls of Rochefort French television interview from 1962 with actor Jeanne Moreau on the set of Bay of Angels Once Upon a Time . . . The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a 2008 documentary French television program about the making of Donkey Skin Donkey Skin Illustrated, a video program on the many versions of Charles Perrault's fairy tale Donkey Skin and the Thinkers, a video program on the themes of the film, featuring critic Camille Tabouley New video conversation with Demy biographer Jean-Pierre Berthomé and costume designer Jacqueline Moreau New interviews with author Marie Colmant and film scholar Rodney Hill Q&A with Demy from the 1987 Midnight Sun Film Festival, as well as an audio Q&A with him from the American Film Institute in 1971 Archival audio recordings of interviews with Demy, Legrand, and actor Catherine Deneuve at the National Film Theatre in London Interview with actor Anouk Aimée conducted by Varda in 2012 Interview from 2012 with Varda on the origin of Lola's song Video programs on the restorations of Lola, Bay of Angels, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and Une chambre en ville Trailers New English subtitle translations Six Blu-rays PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by critics Ginette Vincendeau, Terrence Rafferty, Jim Ridley, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Anne Duggan, and Geoff Andrew, and a postscript by Berthomé
The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home: This ambitious TV series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own nouveau riche brood. The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognisable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get. Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatisation of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchman and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed. The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional", perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. --Sam Sutherland, Amazon.com
Set in 19th Century Paris, despondent artist Toulouse Lautrec (Jose Ferrer), frustrated by his physical handicaps, seeks solace in the drink, dance and distractions offered up at the infamous Moulin Rouge nightclub. An encounter with a young girl in desperate need of help (Colette Marchand) brings hope to his lonely life but, in the lusty atmosphere of the Belle Epoque, romance can quickly turn to rivalry... Directed by two-time Oscar winner John Huston (The African Queen, Beat the Devil) the film went on to be nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning two for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. This stunning 4K restoration brings new life to the film's exquisite production design and Technicolor photography, brilliantly evoking Lautrec's unique artistic visions. Special features: Newly restored in 4K and released in the UK on Blu-ray for the first time Newly recorded commentary with continuity supervisor Angela Allen. **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Fully illustrated booklet with new writing on the film and full film credits. Other extras TBC
A director with a dark sensibility comparable to Chabrol, Claude Miller made these two twisty Polars (French Police-Noir films) with Michel Serrault (Kill the Referee), showcasing the actor in stunning performances alongside stars including Lino Ventura (Army of Shadows) and Isabelle Adjani (Possession, The Story of Adele H).In The Inquisitor cops Gallien (Ventura) and Belmont (Guy Marchand) interrogate Martinaud (Serrault), a wealthy lawyer, for the rape and murder of two young girls. The investigation becomes further complicated when his wife (Romy Schneider, Le combat dans l'ile) gives her statement A gripping thriller with intense performances, The Inquisitor was a critical and commercial success on release, nominated for 8 César Awards, winning Best Screenplay and acting prizes for Serrault and Marchand.Serrault returns in Deadly Circuit as a P.I. who becomes obsessed with the target of his investigation, a murderer (Adjani) who he follows across Europe as she moves from one victim to another. Switching gears to pitch black humour this wild crime film features both leads on top form alongside a stunning supporting cast including Stephane Audran (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie), Macha Méril (Deep Red), Sami Frey (Bande à part), and Jean-Claude Brialy (The Bride Wore Black) among others.4K UHD & BLU-RAY DUAL FORMAT LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES4K UHD and Blu-ray presentation of The Inquisitor, Blu-ray presentation of Deadly Circuit (3 Discs)Original uncompressed mono audioSuccess Story - a documentary on the making of The Inquisitor (2016)Interview with Claude Miller and Michel Audiard on (1981) An appreciation of the film by filmmaker Patrice Leconte (2016)Reverse Short [Champ contrechamp] - a TV episode on crime fiction featuring Claude Miller, Michel Serrault, Alain Corneau, Michel Audiard, and others (1981)Audio commentary on Deadly Circuit by critic Rachael Nisbet (2025)A documentary on Deadly Circuit featuring co-screenwriter Jacques Adiard, director of photography Pierre Lhomme and producer Charles Gassot (2016)A Hypnotic Fascination - an interview with filmmaker Philippe Le Guay (2016)Original theatrical trailersNewly translated English subtitles for each filmReversible sleeve featuring designs based on original postersLimited edition booklet featuring new writing by Adam Scovell and an archival interview with MillerLimited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
Features SHOOT THE PIANIST, JULES ET JIM, THE SOFT SKIN, ANNE & MURIEL, A GORGEOUS GIRL LIKE ME, THE LAST METRO, THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, FINALLY SUNDAY.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Peter Berg (Deepwater Horizon, Lone Survivor), PATRIOTS DAY is an account of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the everyday heroes who inspired the world in the extraordinary hours that followed. In the aftermath of an unspeakable act of terror, Police Sergeant TOMMY SAUNDERS (Mark Wahlberg) joins courageous survivors, first responders and investigators in a race against the clock to hunt down the bombers before they strike again. Weaving together the stories of Special Agent RICHARD DESLAURIERS (Kevin Bacon), Police Commissioner ED DAVIS (John Goodman), Sergeant JEFFREY PUGLIESE (J.K. Simmons) and nurse CAROL SAUNDERS (Michelle Monaghan) this visceral and unflinching chronicle captures the suspense of the most sophisticated manhunt in law enforcement history and the strength of the people of Boston.
Love is a funny thing. Especially when Harrison Ford Julia Ormond and Greg Kinnear form the warmest romantic triangle ever! Directed by Sydney Pollack Sabrina shimmers like a fairy tale come true. Ford plays Linus Larrabee a busy tycoon who has no room for love in his appointment book. But when a romance between his playboy brother (Kinnear) and Sabrina (Ormond) daughter of the family chauffeur threatens one of Linus' business deals the CEO clears his schedule for some ruthl
A highlight of that extraordinary outpouring of energetic, innovative and imaginatively fertile films that emerged from France in the early 60s, Agnes Varda's second feature is an enduring classic.
As a dwarf Toulouse-Lautrec (Jose Ferrer) believes he's too ugly to ever fall in love. So he loses himself in painting...and cognac. A fixture as Paris' infamous turn-of-the-century Moulin Rouge nightclub Lautrec meets a girl from the street...who then breaks his heart. Luckily newfound artistic success copious amounts of drink and friendship with a new woman keep him alive. Will he be able to mend his broken heart in time to recognize the true love now staring him in the face?
Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker, the creative troika behind Airplane!, scored another hit with this big-screen adaptation of their short-lived television show Police Squad!. Deadpan as ever, Leslie Nielsen revives his TV role of Lt Frank Drebin, the idiot with a detective's badge. The jokes come thick and fast, gathering a momentum that lasts until the final act. Ricardo Montalban is a perfect foil as a villain whose aquarium is invaded by Drebin during routine questioning, and George Kennedy is delightful in a self-parodying part as an earnest but obtuse lawman. There's a hilarious bit when Drebin--wearing a live police wire while going to the bathroom--can be overheard over the loudspeakers at a speech given by a flustered mayor (Nancy Marchand). And yes, that's OJ Simpson as a detective who ends up on the wrong side of numerous Drebin blunders. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
Eight films from the groundbreaking female director Agnès Varda; Cleo from 5 to 7 Jacquot de Nantes L une Chante, L autre Pas Le Bonheur The Gleaners and I The Beaches of Agnès Vagabond La Pointe Courte
Vanessa Redgrave (in an Oscar-nominated performance) and Christopher Reeve are the stars of THE BOSTONIANS Merchant Ivory Productions' acclaimed 1984 screen adaptation of the Henry James classic which charts the struggle between two charismatic forces - feminist and a chauvinist - to gain control over the destiny of a spirited young woman. The story takes place in Boston in the aftermath of the American Civil War - a time of political and social turmoil. Verena Tarrant (Madeleine Potter Slaves Of New York) a gifted young orator has attracted the attention of Olive Chancellor (Redgrave) who wished to nurture Verena as an inspirational force for the Woman's Movement But ranged against her is Basil Ransom (Reeve) a handsome male chauvinist who wants Verena as his wife. Against a backdrop of luminous New England landscapes battle is joined and for Olive the struggle will prove an odyssey that forces her to acknowledge her true nature.
Meet Tony Soprano: your average middle-aged businessman. Tony's got a dutiful wife. A not-so-dutiful daughter. A son named Antony Jr. A mother he's trying to coax into a retirement home. A hot-headed uncle. A not too-secret mistress. A nd a shrink to tell all his secrest except the one she already knows:Tony's a mob boss. These The Sopranos chronicles a dysfunctional suburban American family. For Tony Soprano there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families his mob clan and his own nouveau-riche brood. The beginning of the epic Sopranos story can now be enjoyed in superior Blu-ray high definition and sound. Episodes Comprise: 1. The Sopranos 2. 46 Long 3. Denial Anger Acceptance 4. Meadowlands 5. College 6. Pax Soprano 7. Down Neck 8. Tennessee Moltisante 9. Boca 10. A Hit Is A Hit 11. Nobody Knows Anything 12. Isabella 13. Jeanne Cusamano
Before David Attenborough and Jacques Cousteau - there was Jean Painlev. Poetic pioneer of science films Painlev explored a twilight realm of vampire bats seahorses octopi and liquid crystals. In collaboration with his life-partner Genevive Hamon Painlev made more than 200 science and nature films and was an early champion of the genre. This selection from 50 years of passionate scientific enquiry includes his most famous films - The Sea Horse The Vampire The Love Life
Available for the first time on DVD!!! A man remembers an idyllic summer in 1958 spent on the shores of Lake Geneva in avoiding participation in the Algerian conflict during which he encountered the beguiling Yvonne and her friend Dr. Meinthe. On their first encounter he was drawn to her and they seemed destined to be together however the sun filled days of social gatherings and passionate assignations would be all too fleeting. Patrice Leconte's erotic masterpiece is available f
One of French director Maurice Pialat's most sexually charged films Loulou is a masterpiece of unabashed eroticism and authentic romance. When married woman Nelly (Isabelle Huppert) meets LouLou (Gerard Depardieu) a charming leather-jacketed stud in a crowded Paris disco she can't resist his lustful style and returns home with him. Loulou turns out to be as passionate in bed as on a dance floor and the film embarks on their freewheeling relationship... As Loulou Gerard Dep
After splitting up with his girlfriend, a depressed young man moves in with his womanising brother and divorced father in their Paris flat.
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