Released to box-office indifference in 1986, Manhunter introduced Hannibal Lecter and established the rules of the modern race-to-find-the-serial-killer thriller five years before The Silence of the Lambs packed cinemas everywhere. This was Michael Mann's third feature, reuniting William L Petersen and Dennis Farina from his debut Thief (1981) as FBI agents hunting the killer dubbed "The Tooth Fairy". Petersen's Will Graham is the man who put "Lecktor" (as it is spelt here) behind bars, and, as in Silence of the Lambs, he is forced to consult the Doctor, played here with understated malevolence by Brian Cox. Manhunter is an exceptionally well-photographed film: Mann's regular cinematographer Dante Spinotti creates sparse, elegantly framed, often monochromatically lit compositions essential to the shifting psychological moods. The performances are very good, and the typically 1980s, Vangelis-esque electronic score effectively sustains tension. Once the killer is introduced the scenes with Joan Allen have a genuinely unsettling, almost surreal quality, although there is at least one serious plot flaw--how does "The Red Dragon" get his letter to Lecter? Manhunter never packs the sheer excitement of Silence of the Lambs, nevertheless, it is a powerful and compelling thriller that remains far superior to the Anthony Hopkins-starring Hannibal (2001) and Red Dragon (2002). On the DVD: Manhunter on disc has a revealing 10-minute conversation with Dante Spinotti in which he explains how he created the film's distinctive look. Also included is a more general 17-minute making-of documentary. The anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 image is generally very good, being just a little soft in one or two early scenes. The sound is listed as Dolby Digital 5.1, but appears to replicate the main stereo signal in the rear channels. Audio is nonetheless powerful and clear, though lacks the sheer edge and atmospherics of some more recent thrillers. --Gary S Dalkin
With the centennial of the invention of Motion Pictures comes a program with all the laughs that can be crammed into 100 minutes of non-stop merriment. Journey on a rip-roaring trip through the world of cinema comedy with the funniest moments in the history of Hollywood from the slapstick of the silents through the screwball comedies of the 1930s and '40s to the hi-jinks of Hollywood's most recent comedies. All the great movie comics are here from the great comic actors of the past to the laughmakers of today. Here are profiles of favorite comedy stars plus revealing looks at some of the 'forgotton' comics of the silent and talkie era. From past greats such as Laurel & Hardy The Marx Brothers and Buster Keaton through to modern day stars as Eddie Murphy Leslie Nielsen and Jim Carrey. Enjoy rare early movie comedy behind the scenes footage foreign film fun mockumentaries musical comedies and the unintentional hilarity of movies like Reefer Madness. 100 stars provide hundreds of laughs for a century's worth of a fun-filled film feast. This is one comedy kaleidoscope you'll watch again and again!
Leonard Grey (Caan) is superintendent of Jericho Mansions. His world may be small but he cares for every inch of it. For the last thirty years the building has been his universe as beyond the front door of the apartment block lies a terrifying agoraphobic nightmare into which for as long as he can remember he has never dared to venture. Yet Leonard's sanctuary is beginning to crumble as forces conspire to kick him out including a murder in which all the clues point to him alone...
What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? sees a change of direction for Robert Aldrich's unofficial trilogy which all involve "ageing actresses" in macabre thrillers (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte). The busy Aldrich only produced What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?, calling in TV director Lee H Katzin (a Mission: Impossible regular) to handle the megaphone. Aldrich also opted to shoot the film in pastel colours appropriate to the unusual Arizona desert setting rather than the gothic black and white of the earlier films. The film cast the less iconic Geraldine Page as the genteelly unpleasant Mrs Clare Marrable. Left apparently penniless by her departed husband, Mrs M opts to keep up appearances by hiring a succession of timid elderly housekeepers, bossing them around with well-spoken nastiness, duping them out of their life savings and, on the pretence of getting help with a midnight tree-planting program, lures them into their own graves, batters them to death and plants lovely pines over them. Page gets her own way with the meek likes of Mildred Dunnock, until the feistier, red-wigged R!uth Gordon applies for the job and gets down to amateur sleuthing. While Bette Davis and her partners went wildly over the top in previous films, Page and Gordon play more subtly, finding odd pathetic moments in between the monstrous, irony-laced horror stuff. The supporting cast of pretty or handsome young things, mostly putty in the hands of the manipulative Page, contribute striking little cameos (Rosemary Forsyth sports a pleasing 1969 hairdo as the kindly but intimidated neighbour), but the film belongs to its leading ladies, delivering a fine line in twist-packed cat-and-mouse theatrics. The video is handsomely letterboxed, as befits a film made before widescreen films were shot with all the action in the middle of the frame to facilitate television sales. --Kim Newman
Part Man, Part Machine, All Cop. RoboCop, from Orion Pictures, marked director Paul Verhoeven's (Flesh + Blood) Hollywood debut and instantly became an enduring sci-fi/action classic when it landed in theaters in the summer of 1987. Verhoeven's peerlessly exciting and kinetic visuals were matched by a sharp script, iconic cast and exceptional special effects by Rob Bottin (The Thing) and Phil Tippett (The Empire Strikes Back). The film takes place in Detroit in the not-too-distant future. Heroic cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai) is gunned down in the line of duty, only to be resurrected as RoboCop a cybernetic mix of spare human parts and Motor City steel, and the latest defense against crime designed by the all-powerful OCP Corporation. As RoboCop's memories of his former life as Murphy resurface, only his ex-partner (Nancy Allen, Dressed To Kill) stands beside him to fight against the vicious thugs responsible for his death, as well as a nefarious top-level OCP executive orchestrating the chaos from above. Unsurpassably thrilling, unexpectedly moving and unforgettably hilarious in equal measure, the future of law enforcement is back in a definitive 4K UHD Blu-ray presentation packed with hours of brand new bonus features and exclusive collectable packaging. 4K Ultra Hd Blu-ray Limited Edition Contents 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by MGM, transferred in 2013 and approved by director Paul Verhoeven Newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper Director's Cut and Theatrical Cut of the film on two 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray⢠discs with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) Original lossless stereo and four-channel mixes plus DTS-HD MA 5.1 and Dolby Atmos surround sound options on both cuts Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts Six collector's postcards (Limited Edition exclusive) Double-sided fold-out poster (Limited Edition exclusive) Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork (Limited Edition exclusive) 80-page Limited Edition collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Omar Ahmed, Christopher Griffiths and Henry Blyth, a 1987 Fangoria interview with Rob Bottin, and archive publicity materials (some contents exclusive to Limited Edition) Disc One Director's Cut Commentary by director Paul Verhoeven, executive producer Jon Davison and co-writer Ed Neumeier (originally recorded for the Theatrical Cut and re-edited in 2014 for the Director's Cut) Commentary by film historian Paul M. Sammon Commentary by fans Christopher Griffiths, Gary Smart and Eastwood Allen The Future of Law Enforcement: Creating RoboCop, an interview with co-writer Michael Miner RoboTalk, a conversation between co-writer Ed Neumeier and filmmakers David Birke (writer of Elle) and Nicholas McCarthy (director of Orion Pictures' The Prodigy) Truth of Character, an interview with star Nancy Allen on her role as Lewis Casting Old Detroit, an interview with casting director Julie Selzer on how the film's ensemble cast was assembled Connecting the Shots, an interview with second unit director and frequent Verhoeven collaborator Mark Goldblatt Analog, a featurette focusing on the special photographic effects, including new interviews with Peter Kuran and Kevin Kutchaver More Man Than Machine: Composing RoboCop, a tribute to composer Basil Poledouris featuring film music experts Jeff Bond, Lukas Kendall, Daniel Schweiger and Robert Townson RoboProps, a tour of super-fan Julien Dumont's collection of original props and memorabilia 2012 Q&A with the Filmmakers, a panel discussion featuring Verhoeven, Davison, Neumeier, Miner, Allen, star Peter Weller and animator Phil Tippett RoboCop: Creating A Legend, Villains of Old Detroit, Special Effects: Then & Now, three archive featurettes from 2007 featuring interviews with cast and crew Paul Verhoeven Easter Egg Four deleted scenes The Boardroom: Storyboard with Commentary by Phil Tippett Director's Cut Production Footage, raw dailies from the filming of the unrated gore scenes, presented in 4K (SDR) Two theatrical trailers and three TV spots Extensive image galleries Disc Two Theatrical Cut Commentary by director Paul Verhoeven, executive producer Jon Davison and co-writer Ed Neumeier (originally recorded for Theatrical version of the film) Two Isolated Score tracks (Composer's Original Score and Final Theatrical Mix) Edited-for-television version of the film, featuring alternate dubs, takes and edits of several scenes (95 mins, SD only) Split screen comparisons between the Director's Cut and Theatrical Cut, and the Theatrical Cut and edited-for-TV version RoboCop: Edited for Television, a compilation of alternate scenes from two edited-for-television versions, including outtakes newly transferred in HD from recently unearthed 35mm elements
A highly personal sequel to his previous year's Tonite Let's All Make Love in London, The Fall sees British director Peter Whitehead chronicling the turbulent, world-changing events taking place in America between the autumn of 1967 and the summer of 1968. Exploring the transition from the optimism of 'flower power' to a darker more violent mood, The Fall both fictionalises and questions Whitehead's own role as a documentary filmmaker. Capturing key events of the period from anti-war protests at the Pentagon and Columbia University to the assassination of Robert Kennedy the film also features writers Arthur Miller and Paul Auster, civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael, artist Robert Rauschenberg and actress Julie Bovasso, among others; the soundtrack features original music by The Nice and soul singer PP Arnold. Considered by Whitehead to be his most significant work, The Fall is presented here in a brand-new High Definition restoration from the original film elements.
Robocop: A sadistic crime wave is sweeping across America. In Old Detroit the situation is so bad a private corporation Omni Consumer Products (OCP) has assumed control of the police force. The executives at the company think they have the answer - until the enforcement droid they create kills one of their own. Then an ambitious young executive seizes the opportunity. He and his research team at Security Concepts create a law enforcement cyborg from the body of a slain officer. All goes well at first. Robocop stops every sleazeball he encounters with deadly piercing and sometimes gruesome accuracy. But there are forces on the street and within Security Concepts itself that will stop at nothing to see this super cyborg violently eliminated... Terminator: In 2029 giant super-computers dominate the planet hell-bent on exterminating the human race! And to destroy man's future by changing the past they send an indestructible cyborg - a Terminator - back in time to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) the woman whose unborn son will become mankind's only hope. Can Sarah protect herself from this unstoppable menace to save the life of her unborn child? Or will the human race be extinguished by one mean hunk of mutant metal? Rollerball (1975): Set in 2018 Rollerball is a sensation glimpse of a future where the world is ruled by six giant corporations; a place where there is no war no poverty and no unrest but also no free will and no God. There is still a place for violence in this antiseptic world of plenty and mankind''s vicious and sadistic impulses are vented in the Rollerball arena a violent and deadly game broadcast world-wide to satisfy the bloodlust of millions. James Caan is outstanding as Jonathan E the game''s greatest player a man whose devastating talent threatens to make him a hero - and a threat to the Corporations'' grip on power. When Jonathan is asked to retire he refuses electing instead to captain his team to the world finals in an escalating spiral of carnage.
A romantic comedy drama Summer Rain follows three girls living together through their last summer in Brighton: Britain's sexy funky coastal capital. On her 21st birthday Michelle (Clea Smith) decides that it is time to ""grow up"" and dump her long-term boyfriend Gary (Paul Vaughan Evans) but he will do anything to win her back! Vicky (Lara Clancy) and Becky (Cath Sampson) try to help Michelle face the future only to question theirs - just how do you move on and ""grow up""? Winner of Best Film at the Director's View and Reel To Reel film festivals.
Saber of London The hit show featured the crime solving exploits of the gallant and charming one-armed private investigator, who greeted his viewers with the famous words “I’m Mark Saber - and this is London”. Man From Interpol “Crime is International but so is the Law”. The series plotted the globetrotting adventures of Anthony Smith, the man from Interpol, as he sought to bring master criminals from all corners of the world to justice.
A Fascinating Insight Into The Personal And Public Life Of A Great Australian Icon And International Star.The Boy From Oz tells the dazzling funny and heartbreaking story of the great entertainer Peter Allen from his humble beginnings growing up in the Australian Outback through a meteoric rise to fame as an international star who would go on to sell out week-long shows at Radio City Music Hall.Singing in pubs at age 11 Peter Allen survived family tragedy to become a local TV star at 16. Discovered by Judy Garland he married her daughter Liza Minnelli and went on to become a beloved performer and an Oscar winning songwriter.Narrated by Jack Thompson The Boy From Oz features rare footage of Peter's family including a family appearance on This Is Your Life.
A highly personal sequel to his previous year's Tonite Let's All Make Love in London, The Fall sees British director Peter Whitehead chronicling the turbulent, world-changing events taking place in America between the autumn of 1967 and the summer of 1968. Exploring the transition from the optimism of 'flower power' to a darker more violent mood, The Fall both fictionalises and questions Whitehead's own role as a documentary filmmaker. Capturing key events of the period from anti-war protests at the Pentagon and Columbia University to the assassination of Robert Kennedy the film also features writers Arthur Miller and Paul Auster, civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael, artist Robert Rauschenberg and actress Julie Bovasso, among others; the soundtrack features original music by The Nice and soul singer PP Arnold. Considered by Whitehead to be his most significant work, The Fall is presented here in a brand-new High Definition restoration from the original film elements.
DVD is supplied in a special Fathers Day packaging. An ideal gift for Fathers Day. There's a new law enforcer in town...and he's half man, half machine! From the director of Total Recall and Basic Instinct comes a Sci-Fi fantasy witha sleek, high powered drive about an indestructible high-tech policeman who dishes out justice at every turn! When a good cop (Peter Weller) gets blown away by some ruthless criminals, innovative scientists and doctors ar able to piece him back together as an unstoppable crime-fighting cyborg called Robocop. Impervious to bullets and bomb, andequipped with high-tech weaponry, Robocop quickly makes a name for himself by cleaning up the crime ridden streets of violence-ravaged Detroit. But despite his new, Hardened exterior, Robocop is Tormented by scraps of memory of his former life, and relives vivid nightmares of his own death at the hands of the vicious killers. Now he is out to seek justice...He wants revenge! Fast, Furious and entertaining, Robocop is a fiercely paced action film that doesn't let up on the thrills.
Hellraiser A man is brought partially back to life by the blood of his brother. He befriends his sister-in-law who agrees to supply the blood he requires to live but he is still haunted by the evil forces which held him captive in death. Children Of The Corn In Gatlin Nebraska the corn crop has failed. When a sinister boy comes into the small community preaching a solution the adults need to watch their backs.
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