Ellie is a rock journalist who is a shadow of her former self. Her editor gives her the job of tracking down reclusive rock star Matthew Smith who some think committed suicide after one great album who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend. She enlists eccentric millionaire Charlie to help her and film the journey which will take them on a funny and heart-warming journey of discovery.
Though it's not in the same league as the classic screen musicals, Annie's heartwarming rags-to-riches storyline, social comment (shallow as it may be) and catchy songs make for an entertaining and unpretentious 90 minutes' viewing. Aileen Quinn is the irrepressible titular orphan, by no means as irritating as she looks in the cover picture; Albert Finney is Oliver Warbucks, the tyrannical tycoon (with a hidden heart of gold, of course) who adopts her for a week in the interests of good PR. The real show-stopper, though, is Carol Burnett as the gin-soaked harpy Miss Hannigan, ruling with an iron fist over an orphanage full of unruly girls, flirting with every man in sight and eventually scheming with her unscrupulous brother (Tim Curry) to kidnap Annie and reap a fat Warbucks reward cheque. While the songs--including "Tomorrow", "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" and "It's a Hard Knock Life"--are excellent, the kids' voices are shrill and the production pretty low-rent: Annie is very obviously a stage show brought to screen on a low budget. But while it lacks the polish that make the Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe musicals so special, it's funny and sweet and has a rough charm all its own. On the DVD: The film is presented in widescreen, preserving its original 2.35:1 aspect, and is enhanced for 16:9 widescreen TVs; the soundtrack is Dolby surround, though as noted above the music score is relatively rough and ready so top-notch sound isn't actually as important as it would be in other musicals. The extras are pretty disappointing--an uninspired interactive menu features only the obligatory multi-language subtitles, (very) short biographies of the key cast members, a few publicity cards and posters, the theatrical trailer and--most interestingly--an isolated musical score. No commentary from director John Huston, no documentaries, nothing about the 1930s cartoon strip that was, apparently, one of the most popular of its day. There's actually more information in the accompanying booklet than there is on the disc. --Rikki Price
A conventional but spirited monster-at-loose quickie, Proteus stars British hulk Craig Fairbrass (Beyond Bedlam) as an undercover cop marooned with a gang of panicky drug dealers (played by Americans no one has heard from since 1995) on an oilrig-cum-unethical-genetics research station where a shape-shifting creature is on the prowl, mostly impersonating human beings but occasionally appearing as a giant shark-person. The Thing-like creature absorbs personality traits from the victims it absorbs, so--in a gag reminiscent of the cancerous liver gambit from Forbidden World (1983)--it is finally defeated because it becomes a heroin addict. There is a neat joke about the way the towering hero is constantly beaten up by people far shorter than he is, and Fairbrass's fed-up mockney patter sometimes wrings a few laughs from lines like "f***ing typical--you can never find a mutated monster when you want one!" The sick humour and weird science that were the strengths of the original novel (Slimer, written by screenwriter John Brosnan and Leroy Kettle under the significantly initialled pseudonym Harry Adam Knight) is hammered out in favour of rubbery goop effects and familiar running-around waterlogged corridors being pursued by a red-filtered subjective camera. Doug ("Pinhead") Bradley shows up in old-age make-up as the evil industrialist behind the monster-making programme in the last reel, and effects man director Bob Keen stages an especially gross death scene for the villain as he chokes on a huge scaly tentacle in what looks like an outtake from a gay porn film. On the DVD: An extras-free package, full-screen transfer, and a lot of strange colour distortions that make some dark scenes look like photographic negatives. --Kim Newman
Somewhat misleadingly described by many as a mock-biopic based on the life of David Bowie, Velvet Goldmine is so much more than that. Journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) who sets out to discover whatever happened to Ziggy Stardust-like Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), the famous bisexual glam star who crashed and burned spectacularly, but in the process helped Arthur awaken his own sexuality. It's an insane homage to 1970s glam rock in the UK as only American, who knew the movement from a distance, would make; it's a tribute to film director Nicolas Roeg's best work, particularly Performance and the Bowie-vehicle The Man Who Fell to Earth; it's a sci-fi movie about an alternative reality (the film's "present" is a 1984 that never existed and frustratingly never clearly explained); it's a queer Citizen Kane with lashings of eye-glitter, a complete mess, an absolute delight and a chance to see Ewan McGregor naked in case you didn't catch him in The Pillow Book as the Iggy Pop-like Curt Wild, Slade's lover/protégé.Director Todd Haynes, who made the incredibly spare Safe and a biopic about Karen Carpenter with Barbie dolls, crams in everything--including the kitchen sink, all the washing-up and half the larder--as if terrified he'll never get another chance to shoot even a commercial again. The pacing drags like catwalk-queen's glittery taffeta train at times, but then glorious swooping musical numbers and clever bits of allusive business arrive that will brighten the day of many a pop-fan and film-buff. Never anything less than ruthlessly inventive and demanding of patience and an open mind, it's one for connoisseurs. Viewers who prefer easy-viewing eye candy are well advised to stick with fluff like Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. --Leslie Felperin
Friends since childhood Jess and Milly can't remember a time they didn't share everything secrets, clothes, even boyfriends. Their differences are the glue that binds them together. That is until Milly is hit with the life changing news that she has breast cancer and needs Jess's support more than ever. As Jess tries to balance her own life as well as being there for Milly it is only a matter of time before the pressure on their bond takes its toll.
1971. Glam Rock explodes onto the world scene in a blaze of glitter and guitars. At its centre, the flamboyant Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Together with the outrageous American rocker Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor) they challenge conformity and take on the world! 1974. Suddenly, at the height of his career, Slade decides to fake his own death on stage. The stunt backfires and he is never seen again. 1984. It's the 10th anniversary of Slade's disappearance and journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) is sent out to expose the truth behind the myth. Controversial and explicit, Velvet Goldmine takes you on a journey into Rock 'n' Roll excess. Back to the Stardust 70's. Back to the sights and sounds of the Glam era. Back to a time when anything goes!
Blinky Bill is a cheeky koala who dances to the beat of his own drum. Clever and mischievous, but at times rash and unrealistic, Blinky causes mischief and mayhem wherever he goes.
Ira Levin's scary novel about forced conformity in a small Connecticut town made the Stepford Wives a compelling 1975 thriller. Katharine Ross stars as a city woman who moves with her husband to Stepford and is startled by how perpetually happy many of the local women seem to be. Her search for an answer reveals a plot to replace troublesome real wives with more accommodating fake ones (not unlike the alien takeover in The Invasion of the Body Snatchers). The closer she gets to the truth, the more danger she faces--not to mention the likelihood that the men in town intend to replace her as well. Screenwriter William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) and director Bryan Forbes (King Rat) made this a taut, tense semi-classic with a healthy dose of satiric wit. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
Hitchcock is a love story about one of the most influential film makers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock, and his wife and partner Alma Reville. The film takes place during the making of Hitchcock's seminal movie Psycho.
Annie Dyer moves into a new apartment and quickly discovers she is not alone; a malevolent spirit repeatedly attempts to seduce her in order to possess her body as a vessel to carry out its vengeful mission.
""Everybody Out!"" Available for the very first time on DVD - all eight hilarious episodes of the BBC's top situation comedy of the early 1960s! Life in the Fenner Fashions workshop is constantly disrupted by wildcat industrial action as firebrand shop steward Paddy (Miriam Karlin) takes on penny-pinching proprietor Harold Fenner (Peter Jones) over anything and everything! It seems like every day Paddy's blowing her whistle and yelling 'everybody out!'. Poor foreman Reg (Reg V
The Sixth Sense: After the assault and suicide of one of his ex-patients award-winning child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is left determined to help a young boy named Cole who suffers from the same diagnosis as the ex-patient - they both see dead people. Malcolm cannot rest until he makes amends for his feelings of failure created by the mental breakdown of the first patient. Cole is a young boy who is paralyzed by fear from his visions of dead people. His mother is at her wits end trying to cope with Cole's eccentricities. With the help of Dr. Crowe Cole goes on a journey of self as he learns to overcome his fears all the while discovering the purpose of his gift. Unbreakable: When David Dunn (Willis) emerges from a horrific train crash as the sole survivor - and without a single scratch on him - he meets a mysterious stranger (Jackson) who will change David's life forever. Interrupting his life at odd moments it's Elijah Price's presence and probing that force David to confront his destiny on a journey of self-discovery and purpose that will absolutely stun you with its power. Signs: Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) and his family are told extra-terrestrials are responsible for the sign in their field. They watch with growing dread at the news of crop circles being found all over the world. Signs is the emotional story of one family on one farm as they encounter the terrifying last moments of life as the world is being invaded. Get ready for a close encounter of the scared kind... The Village: Run. The truce is ending... M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Village' finds the renowned writer-director crafting a suspenseful story of a small community whose inhabitants are plagued by fear of the unknown forest that surrounds them. For years they have kept a truce with mysterious creatures in the woods by vowing never to breach a clearly defined border. However when a young man (Joaquin Phoenix) becomes determined to explore the nearby towns his actions are met with menacing consequences.
The skilful blending of drawn animation and computer-generated imagery excited anime fans when this science fiction mystery was released in 1995: many enthusiasts believe Ghost suggests what the future of anime will be, at least in the short term. The film is set in the not-too-distant future, when an unnamed government uses lifelike cyborgs or "enhanced" humans for undercover work. One of the key cyborgs is the Major, Motoko Kusanagi, who resembles a cross between the Terminator and a Playboy centrefold. She finds herself caught up in a tangled web of espionage and counterespionage as she searches for the mysterious superhacker known as "The Puppet Master."Mamoru Oshii directs with a staccato rhythm, alternating sequences of rapid-fire action (car chases, gun battles, explosions) with static dialogue scenes that allow the characters to sort out the vaguely mystical and rather convoluted plot. Kusanagi's final quote from I Corinthians suggests that electronic evolution may compliment and eventually supplant organic evolution. The minor nudity, profanity and considerable violence would earn Ghost in the Shell at least a PG rating. --Charles Solomon
A college student suffers from life-threatening nightmares. A dream specialist is called in to help him before it's too late.
A geologist and a Japanese businessman take a tragic trip into the Austrailan outback in this hard-hitting drama.
The filmography of late movie maverick Herschell Gordon Lewis brims with the mad, macabre, and just downright bizarre. But perhaps the most unhinged of all his directorial efforts, and certainly the most influential, must surely be his original gore-fest Blood Feast the first ever splatter movie. Dorothy Fremont is looking to throw a party unlike any other, and she gets just that when she hires the decidedly sinister Fuad Ramses to cater the event. Promising to provide her guests with an authentic Egyptian feast, Ramses promptly sets about acquiring the necessary ingredients the body parts of nubile young women! Featuring a host of stomach-churning gore gags including the infamous tongue sequence and much more nastiness besides, Herschell Gordon Lewis Blood Feast more than lives up to its name and remains essential viewing for any self-respecting splatter fan. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard DVD presentations English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Scum of the Earth - Herschelll Gordon Lewis' 1963 feature Blood Perspectives - Filmmakers Nicholas McCarthy and Rodney Ascher on Blood Feast Herschell's History - Archival interview in which director Herschell Gordon Lewis discusses his entry into the film industry How Herschell Found his Niche - A new interview with Lewis discussing his early work Archival interview with Lewis and David F. Friedman Carving Magic - Vintage short film from 1959 featuring Blood Feast Actor Bill Kerwin Outtakes Alternate clean scenes from Scum of the Earth Promo gallery featuring trailers and more Feature length commentary featuring Lewis and David F. Friedman moderated by Mike Grady Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Twins of Evil
Hitchcock is a love story about one of the most influential film makers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock, and his wife and partner Alma Reville. The film takes place during the making of Hitchcock's seminal movie Psycho.
Hugh Grant stars in this adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel about a feckless, wealthy, single 30-something who invents an imaginary son as a way of meeting available single parents, and consequently develops a friendship with a troubled 12 year old boy.
Storey Emmenthal and his father travel between Tokyo and Geneva acquiring exotic lovers on the way while their Geneva home becomes a high class brothel...
Daring, original and utterly genre-busting, "Dead Girl" is a terrifying journey to the dark heart of the American high school generation.
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