If youve got your high definition television set up, and your Blu-ray player or Playstation 3 at the ready, then surely home cinema demo material rarely comes in better shape than Independence Day. The spectacular 1996 blockbuster stars Will Smith in the early part of his movie career and, of course, tells the tale of invaders from other worlds bringing mighty ships to the Earth. And particularly in the first half, Independence Day wrings so much tension and style from their arrival that few films have equalled it since. The sheer spectacle of set pieces such as the blowing up of the White House, or the massive battle in the skies, simply deserves to be seen and enjoyed in high definition. Independence Day, of course, does go a bit daft as it goes about wrapping up its simple-yet-compelling premise, but its really very hard not to forgive it. So ambitious were the effects at the time that they still stand up now, and as far as science fiction blockbusters go, this remains one of the finest in recent memory. Of course, high definition does it wonders. The film looks razor-sharp, and coupled with a punchy sound mix, Independence Day is quite superb demo material. That its also a fun blockbuster too is an added, and very welcome treat. --Jon Foster
Sequel to the 1996 blockbuster 'Independence Day'. Enemy aliens return to earth.
Deservedly acclaimed as one of 1998's best films, this sequel to the beloved 1995 live-action fantasy proved a commercial catastrophe and a source of dismay to parents expecting another bucolic, sweet-natured fable. Every bit as sly and visually stunning as its predecessor, Babe: Pig in the City is otherwise a jolting ride beyond the Hoggetts' farm into a no less vivid but far darker world--the allegorical city of the title, which for the diminutive "sheep pig" proves truly nightmarish. Australian filmmaker George Miller (Mad Max, The Road Warrior), who produced and cowrote the first film, this time takes the director's reins, and he ratchets up the pace and the peril as effectively as he did on his influential trilogy of apocalyptic, outback sci-fi thrillers. From the opening scene, Babe: Pig in the City means to disrupt the reassuring calm achieved by the conclusion of the previous film. Babe's prior triumph proves short-lived, and within moments Miller has us literally peering into the depths as he sets up a horrific well accident that nearly kills the taciturn but good-hearted Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell), Babe's beloved "Boss." Journeying with the equally pink, even plumper Mrs. Hoggett (Magda Szubanski), the young pig finds himself in a city where animals are outcasts, staying in the lone hotel that allows pets. When Mrs. Hoggett is detained, Babe must contend with the suspicions and rivalries of the hotel's other four-legged guests. The film's G status doesn't fully telegraph the shock Miller induces: bad things happen to good animals, and Babe's new acquaintances are a far cry from his colleagues on the farm. In particular, he must contend with a cynical family of chimps given wonderful, dead-pan voice characterisations by Steven Wright and Glenne Headly. Miller's use of effects to transform his animals into "actors" is even more seamlessly integrated than in Babe. The sequel's production design is crucial to the creation of a complete, absorbing world, and purely visual ideas--such as a deluge of blue balloons during the climactic ballroom battle--achieve a splendour and originality that a room full of computer-graphics desktops couldn't muster. Ultimately, though, the film does more than amaze: as Babe's compassion and courage transform those around him, we're moved in ways that purveyors of by-the-numbers family fare can only dream of. --Sam Sutherland
One of Woody Allen's best films of the 90s, Bullets Over Broadway stars John Cusack as a virtual Woody surrogate, a neurotic, Jazz Age writer whose new play sounds wooden and unrealistic to a low-level mobster (Chazz Palminteri) assigned to watch over his boss's actress-girlfriend (Jennifer Tilly). When the hood starts contributing better story ideas and dialogue than what the official playwright can conjure, questions (not unlike those of Amadeus) about the price we pay to make art at the expense of other responsibilities are intriguingly raised. Palminteri gives a very interesting performance as the enforcer waking up to the desperate (and almost feminine) demands of his own creative psyche, and Dianne Wiest (who won an Oscar), Tracey Ullman, Jim Broadbent and Jennifer Tilly are very funny together playing the ensemble cast of Cusack's play. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
Babe: Babe's enchanting adventure begins in Farmer Hoggett's barnyard. Under the care of Fly the sheep dog Babe figures he's a sheep dog too - and acts like it! But on a farm where outrageous antics and outrageous characters abound you'll come to believe it yourself - and root for the polite little pig as he competes in the National Sheepdog Championships. Babe is a hilarious heart-warming classic your family will love watching again and again. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and winner for Best Visual Effects Babe is the timeless tale of the young orphaned piglet. Through his own innocence sheer will and remarkable way with words he overcomes the odds to become a ""pig of destiny"". (Dir. Chris Noonan 1995) Babe 2 - Pig In The City: This sequel takes the three musketeers Babe Ferdy and Mrs. Hoggett on a crusade into the midst of a large city where despite incredible obstacles they're able to turn enemies into friends raise enough money to save the farm and combine the two worlds into one. Once again it's Babe's kind and steady heart that achieves the miracles. (Dir. George Miller 1998)
Hot Fuzz' helmsman Edgar Wright takes the reins on this epic adaptation of the cult comic book about a loveable loser who must prove his love by battling his girlfriend's seven evil exes. Fast-paced and frenetic fun for the videogame generation, this pop-culture spectacular really is the Bob-omb! Meet charming and jobless Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). A bass guitarist for totally average garage band Sex Bob-omb, the 22-year-old has just met the girl of his dreams... literally. The only catch to winning Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) Her seven evil exes are coming to kill him. Genre-smashing filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) tells the amazing story of one romantic slacker's quest to power up with love in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
In Independence Day, a scientist played by Jeff Goldblum once actually had a fistfight with a man (Bill Pullman) who is now president of the United States. That same president, late in the film, personally flies a jet fighter to deliver a payload of missiles against an attack by extraterrestrials. Independence Day is the kind of movie so giddy with its own outrageousness that one doesn't even blink at such howlers in the plot. Directed by Roland Emmerich, Independence Day is a pastiche of conventions from flying-saucer movies from the 1940s and 1950s, replete with icky monsters and bizarre coincidences that create convenient shortcuts in the story. (Such as the way the girlfriend of one of the film's heroes--played by Will Smith--just happens to run across the president's injured wife, who are then both rescued by Smith's character who somehow runs across them in alien-ravaged Los Angeles County.) The movie is just sheer fun, aided by a cast that knows how to balance the retro requirements of the genre with a more contemporary feel. --Tom Keogh
Acclaimed and treasured like no other, Disney's beloved modern classic, the first animated feature film in the history of the Oscars nominated for Best Picture (1991), is brilliantly transformed to a new level of entertainment through the magic of 3D Blu-ray High Definition. The music you'll never forget, the characters who will fill your heart and the magical adventure about finding beauty within all come to spectacular life in 3D Blu-ray. Plus, all-new, immersive bonus features will transport you even further into Belle's enchanted world. So be our guest and join the beloved, independent Belle and the Beast with the soul of a prince as they cast an enchanting spell like never before.
Beauty And The Beast: When an arrogant prince is cursed to become a Beast the only way to break the spell is to love and be loved in return. But who could ever learn to love a Beast? After he imprisons Belle a bookworm who dreams of life outside her provincial village he sees her as difficult and stubborn while she views him as a monster. But the two soon taste the bitter-sweetness of finding you can change and learning you were wrong. Beauty And The Beast: Enchanted Christmas: All the enchantment of Disney's Academy Award Winning film Beauty and the Beast continues as this classic adventure casts its song-filled spell. This magical tale reveals a Christmas past when Belle vows to warm the Beast's castle with the sprit and hope of the season - despite the Beast's misgivings about Christmas. She asks all the enchanted Objects to chip in including reluctant Angelique - a beautiful tree ornament who was once the castle decorator. But Belle Cogsworth Lumiere and a host of new enchanting friends must first undo the plans of Forte - an evil plotting pipe organ - who gets wind of their plan. He will pull out all the stops to keep the Beast away from Belle's special gift of hope. From the rich detail of the Beast's castle to the astounding computer-generated imagery of the villain Forte this beautiful tale overflows with spectacular songs spellbinding visuals and the same state-of-the-art effects that brought Disney's original masterpiece to the screen. Now be our guest for a perfectly enchanting untold chapter in a tale as old as time.
When an arrogant prince is cursed to become a Beast the only way to break the spell is to love and be loved in return. But who could ever learn to love a Beast? After he imprisons Belle a bookworm who dreams of life outside her provincial village he sees her as difficult and stubborn while she views him as a monster. But the two soon taste the bitter-sweetness of finding you can change and learning you were wrong.
One of the biggest box office hits of all time delivers the ultimate encounter when mysterious and powerful aliens launch an all-out invasion against the human race. The spectacle begins when massive spaceships appear in Earth's skies. But wonder turns to terror as the ships blast destructive beams of fire down on cities all over the planet. Now the world's only hope lies with a determined band of survivors uniting for one last strike against the invaders - before it's the end of mankind.
When an arrogant prince is cursed to become a Beast, the only way to break the spell is to love and be loved in return. But who could ever learn to love a Beast? After he imprisons Belle, a bookworm who dreams of life outside her provincial village, he sees her as difficult and stubborn while she views him as a monster. But the two soon taste the bitter-sweetness of finding you can change and learning you were wrong.
One of the biggest box office hits of all time delivers the ultimate encounter when mysterious and powerful aliens launch an all-out invasion against the human race. The spectacle begins when massive spaceships appear in Earth's skies. But wonder turns to terror as the ships blast destructive beams of fire down on cities all over the planet. Now the world's only hope lies with a determined band of survivors uniting for one last strike against the invaders - before it's the end of mankind.
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