An imperturbable English gentleman played by the unflappably urbane David Niven attempts to completely circumnavigate the world in eighty days in order to win a large wager. But is he also conveniently missing from London as an investigation into a robbery at the Bank Of England begins? Winner of 5 Oscars at the 1957 Academy Awards!
San Francisco has been the setting of a lot of exciting movie car chases over the years, but this 1968 police thriller is still the one to beat when it comes to high-octane action on the steep hills of the city by the Bay. The outstanding car chase earned an Oscar for best editing, but the rest of the movie is pretty good, too. Bullitt is a perfect star vehicle for cool guy Steve McQueen, who stars as a tenacious detective (is there any other kind?) determined to track down the killers of the star witness in an important trial. Director Peter Yates (Breaking Away) approached the story with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, using a variety of San Francisco locations. Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Duvall appear in early roles, and Robert Vaughn plays the criminal kingpin who pulls the deadly strings of the tightly wound plot. --Jeff Shannon
In Sister Act Whoopi Goldberg plays a Reno lounge singer who hides out as a nun when her villainous boyfriend (Harvey Keitel) goes gunning for her. Maggie Smith is the mother superior who has to cope with Whoopi's unorthodox behaviour, but the cute script turns the tables and shows the latter energising the stodgy convent with song and attitude. A real crowd-pleaser and a perfect vehicle for Goldberg, this is a happy experience all around. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
First and foremost a star vehicle for Tom Cruise, this paper-thin Horatio Alger story of a young bartender with dreams of get-rich-quick success is notable only for Cruise's immense likeability in contrast to a creaky plot and thinly drawn characters. Cruise plays Brian Flanagan, a young entrepreneur and ladies' man who with his mentor (Bryan Brown) takes the New York bar scene by storm. Through setbacks and tragedy, Brian eventually realises there's more to life than a quick buck, and fights for the woman he loves (Elisabeth Shue). Despite its shortcomings, a worthwhile viewing for Tom Cruise fans. --Robert Lane, Amazon.com
The Living Daylights, new boy Timothy Dalton's first Bond outing, gets off to a rocking start with a pre-credits sequence on Gibraltar, and culminates in a witty final showdown with Joe Don Baker's arms dealer, set on a model battlefield full of toy soldiers. While the Aston Martin model whizzing through the car chase has been updated for the late 1980s--including lethal lasers and other deadly gizmos--the plot is pretty standard issue, maybe a little more cluttered and unfocused than usual, involving arms, drugs and diamond smuggling. Nevertheless, the action-formula firmly in place, this one rehearses the moves with ease and throws in some fine acting. Maryam d'Abo, playing a cellist-cum-spy, is the classy main squeeze for 007 (uncharacteristically chaste for once). Dalton, with his wolfish, intelligent features, was a perfectly serviceable secret agent, but never caught on with the viewers, perhaps because everyone was hoping for a presence as charismatic as Sean Connery's in the franchise's glory days.--Leslie Felperin On the DVD: Casting the new Bond takes up much of the "making-of" documentary: first Sam Neill was in the running, but vetoed by Cubby Broccoli, who wanted Timothy Dalton and had considered him as far back as On Her Majesty's Secret Service (but Dalton felt he was just too young at the time). When Dalton proved unavailable, Pierce Brosnan was hired. Then, at the last minute, Brosnan's Remington Steele contract was renewed and he had to drop out. Dalton came back in, on the proviso that he could give Bond a harder, more realistic edge after the action-lite of the Roger Moore years. The second documentary attempts to profile the enigmatic Ian Fleming, who was apparently as mysterious and chameleon-like as his alter ego. The commentary is a miscellaneous selection of edited interviews from various members of the cast and crew. There's also Ah-Ha's "Living Daylights" video, and a "making-of" featurette about it. A brief deleted scene (comic relief--wisely dropped) and trailers complete another strong package. --Mark Walker
This is the way it was.... Caveman Tumak is banished from his savage tribe. He finds a brief home among a group of gentle seacoast dwelling cave people until his unstable nature forces his banishment from them as well. Missing him one of their women Loana (Welch) leaves with him and the couple must survive the onslaught of giant reptiles before their love can be fulfilled...
The King of Comedy, which flopped at the box office, is actually a gem waiting to be rediscovered. Like A Face in the Crowd (a not-so-distant cousin to this film), Network, and The Truman Show, its target is show business--specifically the burning desire to become famous or be near the famous, no matter what. Robert De Niro plays the emotionally unstable, horrendously untalented Rupert Pupkin, a wannabe Vegas-style comedian. His fantasies are egged-on by Marsha, a talk-show groupie (brilliantly played by Sandra Bernhard) who hatches a devious, sure-to-backfire plan. Jerry Lewis is terrific in the straight role as the Johnny Carson-like talk-show host Jerry Langford. De Niro's performance as the obsessive Pupkin is among his finest (which is saying a lot) and he never tries to make the character likable in any way. Because there's no hero and no-one to root for, and because at times the film insists we get a little too close and personal with Pupkin, some will be put off. Yet it's one of Scorsese's most original and fascinating films, giving viewers much to consider on the subject of celebrity. Its inevitable climax is clever and quietly horrific. --Christopher J Jarmick
The film packed with stunning images jaw-dropping scenes and superb performances from Robert De Niro and Mickey Rourke is a fusion of two genres - the classic Chandleresque detective story and the supernatural. Harry Angel is hired for $125 a day to track down the big band swinger Johnny Favourite. What seems like a straight-forward missing person case dramatically becomes a murder hunt for this down-and-out private detective. His client Louis Cypher a mysterious stranger is forced to up his fee to keep Angel on the case. Each of Angel's leads ends up as a victim of a ritualistic act of murder as he begins to put together the pieces in the jigsaw of Johnny's strange story... the nightmare has just begun.
James Bond (Roger Moore) may have met his match in Octopussy (Maud Adams) an entrancing beauty involved in a devastating military plot to destroy detente. From the palaces of India to a speeding circus train in Germany and a mid-air battle on the wing of a high-flying jet only Agent 007 can stop the nightmarish scheme!
Robert Redford, usually a pretty good judge of material, got snookered badly in Legal Eagles, an Ivan Reitman comedy which also stars Debra Winger and Daryl Hannah. Redford is a rising assistant D.A. who is prosecuting a woman (Hannah) for theft of a painting by her father. Before he knows whats hit him, hes involved romantically both with the defendant and with her scattered lawyer (Winger). Redford is as good as he can be, given the circumstances but this is a film that doesnt know where its going. Originally intended as a serious film about the legal wrangling over the estate of the late Mark Rothko, this film quickly degenerated when the script was turned over to Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr, whose sparkling oeuvre includes Turner and Hooch. --Marshall Fine, Amazon.com
Timothy Dalton makes his debut as secret agent 007 in this action-packed Cold War thriller. James Bond is given an assignment to guard the life of a high-ranking Russian defector. The trouble is the defection is nothing but a scam to enable the pesky Russkie to perpetrate a perfidious arms deal. Along the way Bond hooks up with the delectable cellist Kara Malovy (Maryam D'Abo) who is not all that she seems to be...
In an attempt to catch lightning in a bottle, John Cleese wrote Fierce Creatures with the purpose of reuniting the comedic cast of A Fish Called Wanda. Media mogul (Kevin Kline) owns a London zoo. He demands that the park raise more profit, so the new zoo director (Cleese) orders that only dangerous animals be displayed in order to maximize ticket sales. In a dual role, Kline also plays the mogul's son, who plans to run the zoo with the help of displaced employees (including Michael Palin) and zoo programmer Willa Weston (Jamie Lee Curtis). The situation lends itself to comedic confusion and split-second timing, and for a few good laughs the film is a pretty safe bet. It's not as hilarious as A Fish Called Wanda (that's a pretty tall order), but Cleese knows comedy, and his efforts are worth a look. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher star in this modern reworking of "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner"
Baron Zorn (Robert Hardy) believes his son Emil (Shane Briant) and daughter Elizabeth (Gillian Hills) are suffering from a madness they inherited from their late mother. He keeps his children locked up, but at night Emil is released and murders women in the local village. Discredited psychologist Falkenberg (Patrick Magee - Dementia 13, The Masque of the Red Death) analyses the family and it transpires that the children witnessed their mother cut her own throat. The villagers, driven on by a manic priest (Michael Hordern) identify Zorn as the ˜demon' responsible for killing their daughters. The deranged Emil escapes with Elizabeth, but the murderous Zorn pursues them. Blood, he vows, will have blood One of the most ambitious and unusual horror films produced by Hammer, Demons of the Mind was directed by Peter Sykes (Venom, To the Devil a Daughter) and released in 1972. The distinguished cast includes Shane Briant, who would go on to appear in three further films for Hammer. EXTRAS: NEW FEATURETTE - Blood Will Have Blood: Inside Demons of the Mind ORIGINAL TRAILER
The film packed with stunning images jaw-dropping scenes and superb performances from Robert De Niro and Mickey Rourke is a fusion of two genres - the classic Chandleresque detective story and the supernatural. Harry Angel is hired for 5 a day to track down the big band swinger Johnny Favourite. What seems like a straight-forward missing person case dramatically becomes a murder hunt for this down-and-out private detective. His client Louis Cypher a mysterious stranger is forced to up his fee to keep Angel on the case. Each of Angel's leads ends up as a victim of a ritualistic act of murder as he begins to put together the pieces in the jigsaw of Johnny's strange story... the nightmare has just begun.
Ole Bornedal's thriller about a young law student who takes a job as a night watchman in a creepy morgue is long on style but comes up a little short on quality of storytelling. Bornedal sets things up in high style as Martin Bells (Ewan McGregor doing an American accent) makes his rounds in the middle of the night, with only corpses and his own paranoia for company. When bodies start coming in, the prostitute victims of a grisly serial killer, the imposing detective on the case (a hulking Nick Nolte) begins to suspect that Bells is the killer, as all clues start pointing to him. Coscripted by Steven Soderbergh (Out of Sight) and adapted from Bornedal's 1994 Danish thriller, Nightwatch forsakes out-and-out thrills for a more moody approach with flickering lights, menacing shadows and echoing footsteps down long hallways. If only there was a little more energy before the highly effective denouement, which does get scares, even after the killer is revealed. Still, McGregor is supported by a stronger than average cast: in addition to Nolte, Josh Brolin does an amusing turn as McGregor's out-of-control best friend, Patricia Arquette fares well in the standard girlfriend role and the always creepy Brad Dourif makes the most of a sinister and funny bit part as the on-call doctor. You won't jump out of your seat but by the end of Nightwatch you will find yourself remarkably tense. --Mark Englehart
Rafaella Phillips (Stacy Haiduk) is young beautiful and has a wonderful marriage with the man of her dreams John Henry (Darren McGavin). He is much older than her but they are so in love their happiness looks destined to last forever. Then tragedy strikes when John falls ill and is confined to his bed while his life slowly ebbs away. Rafaella dedicates her life to nursing him and making him happy but deep down she knows her own needs and desires are going unfulfilled. At this vulnerable time in her life she meets a handsome stranger Alex Hale (Robert Urich). He offers her the emotional support and comfort that she so desperately needs and with it a chance at happiness and hope for the future. Rafaella is torn between a man with whom she could so easily fall in love and her devoted husband who needs her to be there for him until the end...
Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger create a phantasmagoric marriage of cinema and opera in this one of a kind take on a classic story. In Jacques Offenbach's fantasy opera The Tales of Hoffman a poet dreams of three women - a mechanical performing doll a bejeweled siren and the consumptive daughter of a famous composer - all of whom break his heard in different ways. Powell and Pressburger's feverishly romantic adaptation is a feast of music dance and visual effects an
Starring Robert Newton (Kiss the Blood Off My Hands), Phil Brown (The Camp on Blood Island), Sally Gray (They Made Me a Fugitive), and Naunton Wayne (Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes), Obsession takes a dark and unsettling journey into the mind of a murderer. When psychiatrist Clive (Newton) learns that his wife, Storm (Gray), is having an affair, he resolves to take revenge by kidnapping and murdering her lover, Bill (Brown), and dissolving his corpse in acid. As Bill languishes in Clive's cellar, Detective Finsbury (Wayne) doggedly pursues the case... Written by Alec Coppel (Vertigo), scored by Nino Rota (The Godfather), and directed by Edward Dmytryk (The Sniper) during his blacklist-induced exile in Britain, Obsession's original release was delayed due to the ongoing court case of real-life 'Acid Bath Murderer' John Haigh. INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES New 4K restoration by Powerhouse Films Original mono audio Audio commentary with film historians Thirza Wakefield and Melanie Williams (2024) The John Player Lecture with Edward Dmytryk (1972): archival audio recording of the prolific director in conversation with author and critic John Baxter, recorded at London's National Film Theatre Richard Dyer on 'Obsession' (2024): the academic and author explores the themes and the making of the filmThe BEHP Interview with Gordon McCallum (1988): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring sound recordist McCallum in conversation with Alan LawsonImage gallery: promotional and publicity materials New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearingLimited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Fintan McDonagh, archival articles on Edward Dmytryk's period in Britain and the making of Obsession, an archival interview with actor Naunton Wayne, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film creditsWorld premiere on Blu-rayLimited edition of 4,000 copies for the UK and the US All extras subject to change
From its cleverly choreographed opening sequence to its heart-stopping climax on a rampant carousel, this 1951 Hitchcock classic readily earns its reputation as one of the director's finest examples of timeless cinematic suspense. It's not just a ripping-good thriller but a film student's delight and a perversely enjoyable battle of wits between tennis pro Guy (Farley Granger) and his mysterious, sycophantic admirer, Bruno (Robert Walker), who proposes a "criss-cross" scheme of traded murders. Bruno agrees to kill Guy's unfaithful wife, in return for which Guy will (or so it seems) kill Bruno's spiteful father. With an emphasis on narrative and visual strategy, Hitchcock controls the escalating tension with a master's flair for cinematic design, and the plot (coscripted by Raymond Chandler) is so tightly constructed that you'll be white-knuckled even after multiple viewings. Strangers on a Train remains one of Hitchcock's crowning achievements and a suspenseful classic that never loses its capacity to thrill and delight. --Jeff Shannon
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