Twister was a mega-million-dollar blockbuster--helmed by a director (Dutchman Jan de Bont) hot off another scorcher hit (Speed)--that flaunted state-of-the-art digital effects and featured a popular leading actress (Helen Hunt) who would win an Academy Award for her next film (As Good As It Gets). But ask anybody who's seen it and they'll tell you who the real star of Twister is: the cow. Not to give anything away, but the cow is one of those inspired little touches (like, say, Bronson Pinchot's career-making cameo in Beverly Hills Cop) that adds a touch of personality to a gigantic Hollywood production. The story is blown out the window after an impressive prologue in which Hunt's character, as a little girl, witnesses her daddy being sucked into a tornado. Basically, Hunt and Bill Paxton are thrill-seeking meteorologists chasing twisters in order to study them (and help warn people of them, of course) with a new technology they've developed. If you thought the Kansas tornado in The Wizard of Oz was every bit as scary as the Wicked Witch of the West, then this may be the movie for you. --Jim Emerson
Now watch the epic Hunger Games franchise from start to finish. All 4 films now available in one Complete Collection boxset, featuring: The Hunger Games: Gary Ross directs this sci-fi action film based on the best-selling novel by Suzanne Collins. Jennifer Lawrence stars as 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a citizen of the totalitarian post-apocalyptic country of Panem, formerly the United States. Every year, the all-powerful ruling agency known as the Capitol selects one boy and one girl from each of Panem's 12 impoverished rival districts to fight to the death on live national television in a contest known as 'The Hunger Games', in which the winner is given food to feed their entire district for a year. When her younger sister Primrose (Willow Shields) is selected as a contestant, Katniss steps up to take her place in the match. Under the tutelage of inebriated former champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), Katniss goes into training for the fight of her life. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Jennifer Lawrence reprises her role as Katniss Everdeen in the second instalment of the sci-fi adventure trilogy based on the novel by Suzanne Collins. Fresh from her triumph in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss, along with fellow winner Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), returns home to District 12 for some much needed rest. But soon after, while on a 'Victory Tour' of the other districts, she becomes aware of growing dissent to the Capitol's rule, and realises that rebellion is in the air. As Panem prepares itself for the third 'Quarter Quell' (75th Hunger Games), autocratic ruler President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland), still smarting from the Capitol's humiliation in the last games, stacks the deck to ensure that the upcoming tournament will wipe out any resistance from the districts once and for all. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1: The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the third in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins that has over 65 million copies in print in the U.S. alone. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 brings the franchise to its powerful final chapter in which Katniss Everdeen [Jennifer Lawrence] realises the stakes are no longer just for survival they are for the future. With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow [Donald Sutherland] in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends including Gale [Liam Hemsworth], Finnick [Sam Claflin] and Peeta [Josh Hutcherson] Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to liberate the citizens of Panem, and stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.
Now watch the epic Hunger Games franchise from start to finish. All 4 films now available in one Complete Collection boxset, featuring: The Hunger Games: Gary Ross directs this sci-fi action film based on the best-selling novel by Suzanne Collins. Jennifer Lawrence stars as 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a citizen of the totalitarian post-apocalyptic country of Panem, formerly the United States. Every year, the all-powerful ruling agency known as the Capitol selects one boy and one girl from each of Panem's 12 impoverished rival districts to fight to the death on live national television in a contest known as 'The Hunger Games', in which the winner is given food to feed their entire district for a year. When her younger sister Primrose (Willow Shields) is selected as a contestant, Katniss steps up to take her place in the match. Under the tutelage of inebriated former champion Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), Katniss goes into training for the fight of her life. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Jennifer Lawrence reprises her role as Katniss Everdeen in the second instalment of the sci-fi adventure trilogy based on the novel by Suzanne Collins. Fresh from her triumph in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss, along with fellow winner Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), returns home to District 12 for some much needed rest. But soon after, while on a 'Victory Tour' of the other districts, she becomes aware of growing dissent to the Capitol's rule, and realises that rebellion is in the air. As Panem prepares itself for the third 'Quarter Quell' (75th Hunger Games), autocratic ruler President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland), still smarting from the Capitol's humiliation in the last games, stacks the deck to ensure that the upcoming tournament will wipe out any resistance from the districts once and for all. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1: The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the third in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins that has over 65 million copies in print in the U.S. alone. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 brings the franchise to its powerful final chapter in which Katniss Everdeen [Jennifer Lawrence] realises the stakes are no longer just for survival they are for the future. With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow [Donald Sutherland] in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends including Gale [Liam Hemsworth], Finnick [Sam Claflin] and Peeta [Josh Hutcherson] Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to liberate the citizens of Panem, and stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.
Spiral is back for another intriguing, gripping and critically acclaimed series about the imperfect people upholding law and order in Paris. Laure Berthaud returns early from maternity leave to help the team put a name to an anonymous murder victim identifiable only by use of his dismembered torso. Meanwhile, a high-profile trial involving a boy accused of murdering his own father tempts a jaded Joséphine. Magistrate Roban grows distracted and makes uncharacteristic mistakes.
Jack Nicholson stars in this chilling and classic horror from director Stanley Kubrick.
Franc Roddam's terrifically energetic movie, set to music from the Who's Quadrophenia, is--at the very least, the best film ever based on a rock album (and, yes, that includes Tommy, Pink Floyd: The Wall, and Jesus Christ Superstar). Actually, this tale of the battle between two early 1960s youth subcultures--Mods and Rockers--in the seaside teenage wasteland of Brighton, isn't so much a cinematic "version" of the Who's 1979 double-record rock opera as it is a story based on the sequence of songs on the album. Quadrophenia is about that crucial time in teenhood when the lion's share of your sense of identity is tied up in the music you listen to, the clothes you wear, and the groups you hang out with. Jimmy (Phil Daniels) identifies himself with the sharp-dressing, scooter-riding Mods, who listen to American soul and British pop-rock. The Rockers, on the other hand, are leather-jacketed, black-booted, motorcycle-riding tough guys who listen primarily to classic American rock & roll. The film captures this minor pop-culture revolution perfectly. Look for Sting as a club-hopping slickster, who's shameful secret is that he's a hotel bellboy by day. --Jim Emerson
Stephen Spielberg directs the worldwide phenomenon Ready Player One. When an unlikely young hero, Wade Watts decides to join the ultimate contest to find the digital Easter eggs to win the Oasis, an expansive virtual reality universe where anything is possible, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery, and danger.
A milestone film from 1971 and winner of five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, The French Connection transformed the crime thriller with its gritty, authentic story about New York City police detectives on the trail of a large shipment of heroin. Based on an actual police case and the illustrious career of New York cop Eddie Egan, the film stars Gene Hackman as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, whose unorthodox methods of crime fighting are anything but diplomatic. With his partner (Roy Scheider), Popeye investigates the international shipment of heroin masterminded by the suave Frenchman (Fernando Rey) who eludes Popeye throughout an escalating series of pursuits. The obsessive tension of Doyle's investigation reaches peak intensity during the film's breathtaking car chase, in which Doyle races under New York's elevated train tracks in a borrowed sedan--a sequence that earned an Oscar for editing and was instantly hailed as one of the greatest chase scenes ever filmed. Produced on location, The French Connection had an immediate influence on dozens of movies and TV shows to follow, virtually redefining the crime thriller with its combination of brutal realism and high-octane craftsmanship. Boosted by the film's phenomenal success, director William Friedkin gained even more attention with his follow-up film, The Exorcist. --Jeff Shannon
Flashdance was the aspirational feel-good movie of 1983, with its thudding Giorgio Moroder soundtrack, Fame-meets-An Officer and a Gentleman storyline and a doe-eyed but iron-willed heroine played by the promising Jennifer Beals. By day Alex (Beals) is a Pittsburgh welder. By night she dances self-choreographed pieces for beer swillers in a seedy nightclub. Then she goes home and dreams of entering the city's ballet school and a professional career. Adrian Lyne's film is full of compromises. It never really gets to grips with Alex's misfit status in a male-dominated world. And in the end, she is given the leg-up she needs by her boss (Michael Nouri) who won't take "no" for an answer. That's called stalking these days. But Flashdance also has some fascinating surreal moments. The infernal qualities of life on an industrial site are well described by good lighting and the dances take on a bizarre life of their own within the film. Beals is often in shadowy long shot for these scenes and, in fact, most of the actual dancing was done by a more qualified stand-in. On the DVD: Flashdance is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack. On disc the film still pulsates with that 1980s anything-is-possible energy. Apart from standard subtitle options and scene selections, there are no extras. --Piers Ford
For the first time on 4K Ultra HD, the Golden Globe® Best Motion Picture winner (2000, Musical/Comedy), restored under the supervision of Oscar®-winning Writer/Director Cameron Crowe (2000, Best Original Screenplay). Almost Famous is the semi-autobiographical odyssey of 15-year-old William Miller (Patrick Fugit), whose writing talent and earnest passion for rock music earns him an assignment for Rolling Stone, interviewing and touring with Stillwater (Billy Crudrup, Jason Lee). Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) is the young groupie who guides him through the wild world of rock heroes, all-night parties, and the most dangerous intensity of all-love.
Based on Chris Ryan’s best-selling book STRIKE BACK is a compelling story of betrayal glory redemption and revenge. This explosive boxset tracks the elite British military unit – Section 20 – from its original incarnation with John Porter (Richard Armitage) being led by Hugh Collinson (Andrew Lincoln) through to the recruitment of Scott & Stonebridge (Sullivan Stapleton & Philip Winchester) and revamped units led respectively by Colonel Grant (Amanda Mealing) Major Dalton (Rhona Mitra) and Lieutenant Colonel Philip Locke (Robson Green). The team’s counterterrorism brief takes them to exotic locations across the globe as they embark on high-octane covert missions from Iraq to South Africa from Colombia to Russia and through to Thailand and the Swiss Alps.
On the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, two young lovers forge a legacy that will create scandal for generations to come. Years later, when the humble Trenchards (Tamsin Greig and Philip Glenister) move to Belgravia, they find themselves mixing with the venerated Brockenhursts (Harriet Walter and Tom Wilkinson). The families share a history that threatens inheritances and reputations, and there are those who would do anything to ensure secrets remain buried. Pride and loyalty will be tested as forbidden love blossoms amongst the rivalry and lives hang in the balance. This six-part drama is adapted by Julian Fellowes from his bestselling novel and features a stellar ensemble cast which also includes Jack Bardoe, Alice Eve, James Fleet, Tara Fitzgerald, Bronagh Gallagher, Richard Goulding, Diana Hardcastle, Adam James, Ella Purnell, Saskia Reeves and Paul Ritter.
Jesus Christ Superstar is a phenomenon: a brilliant example of modern moviemaking that translates a legendary rock opera to the screen. Told entirely in song images and music the story focuses on the last week of Christ's life his betrayal and crucifixion seen from the point of view of Judas. Producer-director Norman Jewison shot his film entirely on location in Israel and fills the screen with a never-ending series of dazzling images.
A hapless New York advertising executive is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive
Ricky Tomlinson - star of TV's "The Royle Family" - plays football manager Mike Bassett in this spoof documentary that follows the turn of events after he becomes manager of England's international football team - because no one else wants the job!
The story of Calamity Jane, her saloon, and her romance with Wild Bill Hickok.
Take The Full Monty, add a sharper emotional edge and replace the strutting strippers with a dignified British band. That's the essence of Brassed Off, a bittersweet gem released in 1996, a year before its more popular (and Oscar-nominated) counterpart. In the Yorkshire town of Grimley, there has always been a coal mine, just as for the last 111 years there has been a brass band and it seems that Danny (the wondrous Pete Postlethwaite) has been the director for every one of those years. Tory economic policies, however, are closing coal mines around the country in favour of nuclear power and Grimley appears to be next on the list. Danny is unfazed by the threat, claiming, "It's music that matters." But some of the men are about to quit the band until the appearance of Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald at her most radiant), who dazzles the all-male group (including old flame Andy, played by Ewan McGregor) first with her beauty, then with her flügelhorn playing. The new member gives the band a boost as they continue to perform and compete but closure remains very real, as director Mark Herman (Little Voice) accompanies the band's performances (played with gusto by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band) with scenes of angry labour-management confrontations and family strife. In this context, some of the characters claim that the music is an irresponsible form of escapism. It becomes clear, however, from a touching performance of "Danny Boy" to the stirring conclusion at Royal Albert Hall, that music is an expression of the human spirit, a bit of beauty and sanity in a harsh world. With defiance, the band can play "Land of Hope and Glory" even when the land offers them neither. --David Horiuchi
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes the winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer's block. He settles in along with his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and his son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), who is plagued by psychic premonitions. As Jack's writing goes nowhere and Danny's visions become more disturbing, Jack discovers the hotel's dark secrets and begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac hell-bent on terrorizing his family.
Love gets a second chance - 38 years on - in this warm and witty comedy by Bob Larbey. a worldwide success, As Time Goes By stars Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer as long-lost sweethearts Jean Pargetter and Lionel Hardcastle, who lost touch after a whirlwind romance in the early 1950s when he was posted to Korea. The couple are reunited 38 years later when Lionel returns to England to write his memoirs, and Jean's agency supplies him with a secretary.
Three Men And A Baby (Dir. Leonard Nimoy 1987): They changed her diapers. She changed their lives. Take three of Hollywood's hottest stars of the '80s add one adorable baby girl and the result is one of the biggest funniest comedy hits ever! Three handsome Manhattan bachelors finding their dating and mating rituals irreparably damaged when an unexpected new roommate - complete with crib pacifier and dirty diaper - shows up on their doorstep. This bouncing bundle of
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