The fourth volume of Farscape's fourth (and final) series does all those things that the later stages of any season should do: individual episodes play interesting games with how we think television works, while the tension of the overall story arc builds and builds. Of the individual episodes here, "Mental as Anything" is an ensemble piece for the male members of Moya's crew: D'Argo's back-story gets some sort of resolution and Scorpius puts John Crichton through hell for the best of reasons. "Bringing Home the Beacon" is rather more fun-- the women of Moya frustrate a Sebacean/Scarren peace treaty--but ends in stark tragedy. In "Constellation of Doubt", Moya picks up, and the crew obsessionally watch, a documentary from American television about their recent visit to earth: Crichton gets to see human paranoia and wishful thinking through cold, intelligent alien eyes. Finally, in "Prayer", Aeryn suffers terribly at the hands of her Scarren captors and Crichton makes a devil's bargain with Scorpius to save her. By this point the season is building to the surprises of its last episodes: Farscape was about to be cancelled, but it never lost its edge. On the DVDs: Farscape, Series 4 Vol. 4 includes a dictionary of alien slang and technical terms with illustrative clips from the show, as well as text files on the villainous Peacekeepers Braca and Grayza. The high point of the extras, though, is an interview with the wonderfully flakey Gigi Edgeley (Chiana) and a lot of deleted scenes from "Constellation of Doubt", with footage of Chiana, Aeryn and Noranti interacting with Crichton's family in bizarre and touching ways. --Roz Kaveney
In 1963 a group of determined criminals carried out the most daring and lucrative crime of the century...The Great Train Robbery. All of the gang were caught tried and sentenced but one gang member served only two years of a thirty year term before escaping from Wandsworth Prison. Overnight Ronnie Biggs (Freeman) became the world's most wanted man. With every police force in the world hunting for him Biggs changed his identity and his face; somehow managing to keep one step ahead
This last ever sequence of Farscape episodes is as effective and powerful a climax as those of earlier seasons. The three-parter "We're So Screwed" (a title censored by the BBC in the UK) starts with "Fetal Attraction", in which the crew of Moya attempt to rescue the pregnant Aeryn Sun from her Scarren captors and end up starting a dangerous epidemic on a space station. They get Aeryn back and lose Scorpius; in "Hot to Katratzi", the necessity of saving his worst enemy--who just knows too much to be left a captive--forces John Crichton to gate-crash the Sebacean-Scarren peace conference and bluff his way to success. Seemingly betrayed by Scorpius, John snatches victory in "La Bomba", striking another deadly blow against the Scarren empire. The title of the last episode "Bad Timing" refers both to the show's cancellation--the cast and crew felt real bitterness towards the SciFi Channel over this--and to the cliff-hanger ending; the crew of Moya have to prevent a Scarren ship finding its way through the worm-hole to Earth. Farscape was perhaps the best ever television space opera and certainly the most sexy, stylish, funny and dramatic; it will be greatly missed. On the DVD: Farscape, Series 4 Part 5 presents the shows in 16:9 format with impressively loud Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The special features include a documentary about the cancellation of Farscape, in which the cast talk about their shock and grief and fans talk about the "Save Farscape" campaign. There are a couple of extended versions of scenes from these episodes and an extensive blooper reel, much of it hilarious. Also included is an illustrated glossary of terms from the Uncharted Territories and a collection of interesting facts about these last four episodes. --Roz Kaveney
The final four episodes of Farscape's remarkable third season prove conclusively that this is the show's best and bravest year to date. Powerful issues of love, loyalty and sacrifice remain to be resolved, but after enduring a vertiginous emotional roller-coaster ride in recent episodes, Moya's reunited crew have no time to recuperate as Crichton determinedly calls them to arms for their sternest challenge yet. Scorpius and his Wormhole research must be destroyed at any price. Thus the scene is set to conclude the series' biggest story arc in a climactic confrontation aboard the Peacekeeper Command Carrier. In "I-Yensch, You-Yensch" the plan is set in motion, as a canny Rygel bargains with Scorpius and gains his grudging respect during an unexpected and tragi-comic heist by two murderously incompetent criminals. Then the two-parter "Into the Lion's Den" takes everyone onto the Command Carrier, where Aeryn is confronted by her past, Crichton's subconscious finally releases its Wormhole secrets, and Crais persuades Talyn to do something extraordinarily noble. By the end, it's hard not to sympathise with poor put-upon Scorpius. In the final episode, "Dog with Two Bones", Moya's crew seem finally free to go their separate ways as a mysterious refugee helps Crichton confront his worst fears about Aeryn. Emotions reach a climax and remain tantalisingly unresolved at the cliffhanger ending. On the DVD: Farscape, Volume 3.5 carries all the usual gallery of extra features--including deleted scenes, "Info-Pods" on Rygel, Crais and Scorpius, "Farscape Facts", trailers and stills--plus of course four uncut episodes. --Mark Walker
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is Wagner's most life-affirming opera, a romantic comedy about life and love in 16th century Nürnberg with none of the mythological characters and settings of the composer's other operas. The story concerns a knight, Walther Von Stolzing (here sung by Paul Frey) who must win the hand of the woman he loves, Eva (Helena Doese) by competing in a competition to become the Master Singer of the city. Against him are various romantic rivals, while in the role of his eventual mentor is the shoemaker Hans Sachs (Donald McIntyre). Doese brings just the right innocent femininity to one of only two important female roles--the other is filled by Rosemary Gunn as her governess, Magdalene. Paul Frey is fine as the romantic young knight, but the opera belongs to the great New Zealand Wagnerian bass-baritone, Donald McIntyre. His performance is richly insightful as only one so steeped in the world of the composer could be. The staging is deliberately unspectacular, the colours muted to the natural earth tones of the Middle Ages, focusing all attention on the characters, drama and exhilarating music. Though running three-and-a-half hours, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an excellent introduction to Wagner's art; especially as presented in this 1990 performance in an engagingly direct and unpretentious style, one that draws the audience in and makes for highly effective small-screen viewing. On the DVD: Die Meistersinger is presented on two DVDs to maximise picture quality over the 227-minute playing time. The image is 4:3 and is typical of a 1990 live opera performance recorded on video, being perfectly acceptable while revealing all the faults of the medium. The stereo sound is very good without being exceptional. There are optional subtitles in English, German, French and Spanish but no extras. --Gary S Dalkin
Two fascinating documentaries on one disc. Each tackles the politics and history of American anarchism in a unique engaging and often hilarious manner.For the first Anarchism in America filmmakers Steven Fischler and Joel Sucher took a rambling cross-country trip. Their mission was to search out evidence of anarchist activity in communities from rural Atkins Bay Maine to cosmopolitan San Francisco. A strange cast of characters emerged. Starting with the premise that Americans embody anarchist principles of freedom and independence the filmmakers were not disappointed. Along with archival footage of luminaries like Emma Goldman they introduce us to Mildred Loomis 80-years-old and still advocating back to the land individualism: beat poet Kenneth Rexroth: science fiction author Ursula Le Guin: long-distance trucker Li'l John: punk rockers the Dead Kennedys: and among many others AK Press author Murray Bookehin.The second film The Free Voice of Labor: The Jewish Anarchists traces the history of a Yiddish anarchist newspaper - publishing it's final issue after 87 years. Narrated by anarchist historian Paul Avrich the story is mostly told by the newspaper's now elderly but decidedly unbowed staff. It's the story of one of the largest radical movements among Jewish immigrant workers in the 19th and 20th centuries the conditions that led them to band together their fight to build trade unions their huge differences with the Communists their attitudes towards violence Yiddish culture and their loyalty to one another.Steven Fischler and Joel Sucher since studying with Martin Scorsese in 1969 have been making Emmy and Guggenheim award-winning non-fiction films that explore American social history.
With the third season well under way, it's clear that Farscape has developed into a grown-up show. There's a new self-confidence and a new maturity here that's entirely welcome after the often wildly erratic tone of the second season. The production design and high-quality effects work remain true to the show's original quirky style, although both the look and the more adult-themed scripts have become progressively darker. This second box set of Season 3 features five of the nastiest, most shocking and incident-packed episodes to date. Things start badly when psychotic madman Kaarvok kills D'Argo and Chiana and sucks out their brains. Only later do we discover he's "twinned" them when the same fate befalls Crichton--though both Crichton "twins" survive. Life just gets more and more complicated thereafter. Crichton twin 1 stays on Moya with D'Argo, Chiana and Jool, while Crichton twin 2 transfers to Talyn with Aeryn, Crais, Rygel and Stark. Talyn is being pursued by a Peacekeeper retrieval squad led by Aeryn's mum, Xhalax Sun, and is then swallowed by a Budong (in the Ben Browder-penned episode "Green-Eyed Monster") before Mrs Sun catches up with her daughter and pals. Back on Moya a mysterious "Energy Rider" possesses the crew in turn. Meanwhile on Talyn, Aeryn and Crichton twin 2 have been blissfully having sex, while Crais lusts vainly for Aeryn. Just wait until Scorpius gets involved. On the DVD: This box set contains the usual "Info Pods" and other extras, plus the first Region 2 commentary, for the episode "Relativity", with actor Lani Tupu and director Peter Andrikidis; it's a shame that they don't have a lot to say. --Mark Walker
Anywhere But Here (Dir. Wayne Wang 2000): Adele is a flashy flirtatious dreamer. Her daughter Ann is a quiet no-nonsense realist. On the surface they're like oil and water but deep down they're two of a kind. ""Susan Sarandon makes magic"" (Chicago Tribune) and ""Natalie Portman soars"" (NY-1) in this funny and touching story about a mother who knows best...and a daughter who knows better! Where The Heart Is (Dir. Matt Williams 2000): Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman
She's All That When High School prom king and all round coolest guy in the neighbourhood Zack (Freddie Prinze Jr) is told by his girlfriend Taylor (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) that she's leaving him for Brock Hudson star of MTV's The Real World he's naturally more than a little put out. After all it doesn't do for the class president and captain of the school soccer team to be seen with anything less than the prettiest girl in the school especially with prom night coming up. French KissStraight-laced Kate (Ryan)has her future all planned out: marry her fiance Charlie (Timothy Hutton) and live happily ever after. What she didn't count on was Juliette the beautiful French woman Charlie falls for on a business trip to Paris! Determined to win him back Kate jumps on a plane where she meets Luc (Kline) a petty thief whom she immediately dislikes. But when Luc sneaks a stolen necklace into Kate's purse she finds herself travelling through France with him on a trip full of surprises: the biggest one being that this con man is stealing her heart! Down To YouFrom the moment they meet amid the chaos of college in New York City Al (Prinze) and Imogen (Stiles) begin a romantic journey where true love often competes with the temptation to stray from commitment. As time passes and an outrageous array of friends enter the scene they'll celebrate all the highs and confront all the lows that greet their passionate affair.
Handsome Richard Grieco and the sensationally sexy Angie Everhart set the screen on fire in Sexual Predator - a blisteringly hot erotic thriller full of intrigue and suspense and packed with the most incredibly intense love scenes since 9 1/2 Weeks. Photographer J.C. Gale (Grieco) is found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the fatal and accidental erotic asphyxiation of a beautiful young woman. Beth Spinella (Everhart) the agent assigned to monitor his probation is the dead
Cars: Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is a cocky rookie race car. Speeding on his way to a big race he crashes into Radiator Springs destroying lots of the inhabitants' belongings! In order to make up for what he did the raucous roadster is sentenced to community service. Though he will do anything to get away from the work McQueen must learn to respect and bond with the Radiator Springs inhabitants in order to get out of the town and back on the racetrack... (Dir. John Lasseter 2006) Toy Story: As 6-year-old Andy's favourite toy Woody (Tom Hanks) a take-charge pull-string cowboy is confident in his role as room leader. But after Andy's birthday party newcomer Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) a flashy space ranger with laser action and pop-out wings crash-lands into Woody's world. Buzz instantly wins the admiration of Andy's other toys igniting a rivalry that lands the duo inside the home of Sid - the toy-torturing boy next door. To escape Sid's evil plans Woody and Buzz must work together and realize they've got the perfect friend: in each other! (Dir. John Lasseter 1995) Toy Story 2: While Andy is away at summer camp Woody is toynapped by Al a greedy toy collector. His best friends including Buzz Mr Potato Head Slinky Dog and Rex set out on a heroic rescue mission to save him. Along the way they meet a whole host of new friends including Jessie the cow girl and Bullseye the horse. Together the gang set out to make sure Woody is home safely before Andy returns... (Dir. John Lasseter 1999) Monsters Inc.: Monsters Inc. is the largest scare factory in the monster world and the top Kid-Scarer is James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) a huge intimidating monster with blue fur large purple spots and horns known as ""Sulley"" to his friends. His Scare Assistant best friend and roommate is Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) a lime green opinionated feisty monster. And visiting from the human world is Boo a tiny girl who turns the monster world upside down and teaches Sulley and Mike that laughter is more powerful than a scream.... (Dir. Peter Docter David Silverman & Lee Unkrich 2002) A Bug's Life: On behalf of ""oppressed bugs everywhere"" an inventive ant named Flik hires ""warrior bugs"" to defend his colony from a horde of greedy grasshoppers led by Hopper. But when Flik's cavalry turns out to be a motley group of flea circus performers the stage is set for comic confusion...as well as unlikely heroes! (Dir. John Lasseter 1998) Finding Nemo: Nemo an adventurous young clownfish is unexpectedly taken to a dentist's office aquarium. It's up to Marlin (Albert Brooks) his worrisome father and Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) a friendly but forgetful regal blue tang fish to make the epic journey to bring Nemo home. Their adventure brings them face-to-face with vegetarian sharks surfer dude turtles hypnotic jellyfish hungry seagulls and more. Marlin discovers a bravery he never knew but will he be able to find his son? (Dir. Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich 2003) The Incredibles: Bob Parr was once known as Mr Incredible the world's greatest superhero. Fifteen years later Bob and his wife Helen (formerly Elastigirl) have adopted civillian identities and retreated to the suburbs to lead ""normal lives"" with their three children. Now Bob's a clock-punching insurance claims adjuster fighting boredom and an ever-bulging waistline. However Bob is thrown back into the world of super-heroism when he receives a mysterious communication summoning him to a remote island for a top-secret mission.... (Dir. Brad Bird 2004)
This boxset contains the following films: A Knight's Tale (Dir. Brian Helgeland) (2001): Heath Ledger is William Thatcher a peasant squire who breaks all the rules when he passes himself off as a nobleman and takes the jousting world by storm. The only thing that stands between William and his dream of becoming the world champion of this most extreme of competitions is the bad boy of the sport Count Adhemar. And when the two rivals go lance to head at the world finals to determine who will be named the ultimate champion you'd better arm yourself and hang on tight for the thrill ride of your life! Ned Kelly (Dir. Gregor Jordan) (2003): The true story of the most notorious outlaw of his time; persecuted by the police and hunted by an empire Ned Kelly had the largest reward in the world on his head. Forced into hiding when his family was unlawfully imprisoned Ned and his gang soon became folklore...
In the episodes contained in this third volume, Farscape's fourth series finally kicks into gear and does some of the most surprising things a television show has ever done. The first three episodes are all Farscape classics, which take our expectations and jump up and down on them. "Unrealised Realities" takes John Crichton (Ben Browder) through a wormhole to be interrogated by a creature who regards the Ancients who put the knowledge of wormhole technology in his brain as annoying bumblers and who tells him a lot about time and about alternate universes. This gives the cast a chance to play each other again--Claudia Black's performance as Chiana is particularly disorientating. In "Kansas" John finds himself finally back on Earth, during his own adolescence, with the task of ensuring that his father does not die in the Challenger explosion and alter his personal history. The visit to his long-missed home continues in "Terra Firma" where the crew of Moya have to cope with Bush's America and John discovers the hard way--politics, family, old girlfriends, alien assassins--that you cannot go home again. Lastly in the moderately weaker "Twice Shy", Chiana (Gigi Edgeley) and the others learn that no good deed goes unpunished as a slave they rescue turns out to be one of the more deadly individual menaces they have ever faced. --Roz Kaveney
Plaster Caster is an intimate documentary portrait of legendary artist and groupie Cynthia Plaster Caster famous for plaster casting the penises of rock stars including most notoriously Jimi Hendrix. The film explores how Cynthia developed her unique pursuit follows the ups and downs of casting sessions with a shy guitarist and an extroverted glam rocker and goes along for the rise as Ms. Caster prepares for her first gallery show in New York City. Featuring candi
City by city mile by mile a married couple on the verge of a breakup travel across the country to revisit their tumultuous past and rediscover what it means to fall in and out of love - and maybe back again. With each new stop comes a new revelation for the couple - a chance to expose their weaknesses fears and betrayals with an edgy mix of acrid humour biting cruelty and extraordinary moments of heartfelt emotion. Where they're heading is up to them.
Nothing ever happens in Suddenly. It's a just small town with small concerns. That is until the President decides to show up... In this intelligent 1954 film noir thriller Frank Sinatra delivers an electrifying lead performance as psychotic undercover assassin John Baron. Alleged to have been viewed by Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963 only days prior to the shooting of President Kennedy Suddenly was subsequently withdrawn from circulation by United Artists at Sinatra's personal request.
Kevin & Perry Go Large: Kevin and Perry the two gormless teenagers from the Harry Enfield Show go feature-length. This film tells the complete story of Kevin and Perry's adventure in Ibiza. It's the summer holidays and Kevin and Perry know that there is only one place where the DJ reigns supreme and girls will shag anyone - Ibiza. The boys are ready to set out armed with top gear and a suitcase full of condoms. The only problem is Mr. and Mrs. Patterson are coming too. On arrival the boys spy the girls of their dreams - Candice and Gemma - superstar DJ Eye Ball Paul. It looks like Kevin and Perry may have the best summer ever. South Park - Bigger Longer Uncut: If you're male or female or of any particular ethnic sexual religious or national persuasion you may be offended by this movie. Or perhaps this movie may make you laugh more than any other recent comedy. Fame. Authority. Show tunes. The military. Race. Sex. Religion. The way to a woman's heart. The creators of TV's South Park skewer all in a feature-length story that plunges an outraged U.S. into war with Canada after South Park schoolkids sneak into a restricted Canadian-made film and emerge their fragile little minds warped spouting expletives that would make a sex-shop proprietor blush. What? Your mind is already warped? Well friend looks like this movie is perfect for you. Stan Kyle Kenny and Cartman sneak into an R-Rated movie and it warps their fragile little minds. Soon their indignant parents declare war on Canada and our young heroes are America's last hope to stop armageddon. Ace Ventura Pet Detective: He's the best there is. In fact he's the only one there is! He's Ace Ventura Pet Detective. Jim Carrey is on the case to find the Miami Dolphins' missing mascot and quarterback Dan Marino. He goes eyeball to eyeball with a man-eating shark stakes out the Miami Dolphins and woos and wows the ladies. Whether he's undercover under fire or underwater he's always gets his man..or beast!
The second season of Farscape expands upon and develops the characters introduced in the ambitious first season. John Crichton's new nemesis is the deadly Scorpius, replacing Crais who has taken the living ship Moya's offspring on a voyage into the unknown. Moya's regular crew--Aeryn, Zhaan, Chiana, D'Argo and Rygel--remain as divided and suspicious of each other as ever, yet somehow manage to pull together at times of crisis. After revelations about Pilot's introduction to Moya in "The Way We Weren't", the writers continue to exploit the show's gift for surprising as well as emotionally convincing character development. The CGI effects, prosthetics and state-of-the-art puppetry, courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop, continue to make Farscape the most original looking sci-fi show on TV. The witty scripts, peppered with post-modern pop culture references and movie in-jokes, are also a breath of fresh air. The result is episodic TV sci-fi that continually pushes at the accepted boundaries of the genre. On the DVD: the four episodes included here are all distinguished by ambitious storytelling, somewhat let down in the execution. In "Picture if You Will", an old enemy returns with a truly bizarre and barely comprehensible scheme to imprison Moya's crew inside a picture (shades of Dorian Gray maybe?). "Home on the Remains" has a contrived plot that harks right back to classic Star Trek, with Crichton even quoting Jim Kirk (the highlight, though, is Zhaan's transformation, which gives a whole new meaning to hay fever). Both "Dream a Little Dream" and "Out of Their Minds" play around with the crew's perceptions of reality--the former is a curious flashback episode set in between the first and second season, as Zhaan is put on trial for murder on a dystopian planet run by lawyers; the second plays body-swap with the crew, with everyone obviously having fun pretending to be everyone else (the aliens, however, look like leftovers from The Dark Crystal). DVD extras include a handful of deleted scenes, a DVD-ROM screensaver and yet another photo gallery. --Mark Walker
Frank Sinatra stars in this thriller about an obsessed killer and Sterling Hayden plays the level-headed local sheriff of a drowsy town called Suddenly. Sinatra's performance as the psychopathic killer is one of his best and one of the most powerful portrayals of a psychopath ever committed to film. Sinatra plays a hired assassin who takes over the home of a widow her son her aging father-in-law and the town's sheriff in order to shoot the President passing through by train. Whil
Set during World War II a young Scottish woman married to a rancher falls in love with a passionate Italian prisoner-of-war...
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