Cinderella Man (2005): James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe) dubbed 'Cinderella Man' was a once-promising light heavyweight for whom a string of losses in the ring and a broken right hand became synonymous with the Great Crash. With one good hand Braddock was forced to labour on the docks of Hoboken while only his manager (Paul Giamatti) still believed in him finding fights for Braddock to help support his wife (Renee Zellweger)and children. One of the sport's oddest couples
Clockers (Dir. Spike Lee 1995): When there's murder on the streets everyone is a suspect. A gritty realistic adaptation of Richard Price's best-selling novel director Spike Lee examines the violent world of urban drug dealing through the eyes of Strike (Mekhi Phifer) a 19-year-old ""clocker "" short for round-the-clock pusher. Strike agrees to kill a fellow employee of his boss Rodney Little (Delroy Lindo) an influential popular drug lord. But when the hit goes down it is Strike's moral law-abiding brother Victor (Isaiah Washington) who confesses shocking everyone. The detective assigned to the case Rocco Klein (Harvey Keitel) doesn't believe Victor - the more that Klein along with others in Strike's life start putting the heat on the more the clocker finds himself up against the wall. The question is: Who is the real killer? Shot on location in New York City and Mexico. 'Clockers' was originally supposed to be directed by Martin Scorsese with Robert DeNiro in the role of Rocco Klein. The pair decided to film 'Casino' instead and Lee stepped in - Scorsese remained a producer. Inside Man (Dir. Spike Lee 2006): It looked like the perfect bank robbery. But you can't judge a crime by its cover. Acclaimed actors Denzel Washington Clive Owen and Jodie Foster come together to explore the lure of power the ugliness of greed and the mystery of a perfect robbery in a combustible new crime drama from Spike Lee. The hardbitten but unorthodox Detective Fraiser (Washington) pits his wits against a high-class bank robber Dalton Russell (Owen) following the robbery of a Manhattan bank. As the chase unfolds political corruption and hidden agendas threaten to destabilise an already volatile situation.
Charles Fuller adapted his Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier's Play for the big screen in 1984. The film version, A Soldier's Story is essentially a murder mystery, played out against a background of inter and intra-racial conflict at a Second World War training camp. To the consternation of his white opposite number at the camp, a black captain (Howard W Rollins) arrives to investigate the death of a black sergeant (Adolph Caesar). Suspicion immediately falls on a pair of bigoted white officers but as the tale unfolds in a series of flashbacks, it soon becomes clear that a different kind of prejudice is also at work. Assisted by some excellent performances, director Norman Jewison opens the story out from its stage roots. There's a wonderful baseball scene (filmed on location at Little Rock) in which the double standards of Dennis Lipscomb's fidgety white captain are exposed with neat irony; he'll cheer his successful black team all the way home in the name of sport. His gradual, forced liberalisation provides the film with an important comic element. A Soldier's Story wears its heart on its sleeve without being superficial in any way. It's a compelling tale, well told and often highly entertaining, in which nobody gets off lightly, least of all the good guy. On the DVD: The widescreen presentation helps give an epic feel to what could, in other hands, have been a claustrophobic production. The picture quality is fine. But the monaural sound track is often rather muffled, leaving you straining to catch some of the dialogue. This is also a shame because the blues music--an inspired job by Herbie Hancock, assisted by Patti Labelle singing her lungs out as bar owner Big Mary--is an important element of the film's underlying theme and deserves to be better heard. The extras are valuable. Norman Jewison's commentary is detailed and sensitive. As he says, the film deals with "ideas in racism never seen on screen before", and he acknowledges the strength of his actors in getting those ideas across. "March to Freedom" is an excellent short documentary which features the moving testimonies of black servicemen on the insufferable prejudices they encountered while attempting to defend their country during the Second World War; A Soldier's Story is thus put sharply into context. --Piers Ford
An Evening With Ray Charles: Ray Charles in concert with the Edmonton Symphony in 1981. Tracklist: 1. Overture 2. Riding Thumb 3. Busted 4. Georgia On My Mind 5. Oh What A Beautiful Morning 6. Some Enchanted Evening 7. Hit The Road Jack 8. I Can't Stop Loving You 9. Take These Chains From My Heart 10. I Can See Clearly Now 11. What I'd Say 12. America The Beautiful Ray: The Movie (Dir. Taylor Hickford 2004): Jamie Foxx stars in this biopic of legendary soul and R&B singer Ray Charles. Riding high on a wave of Oscar buzz Foxx proved himself worthy of all the hype by portraying blind R&B legend Ray Charles in a warts-and-all performance that Charles approved shortly before his death in June 2004. Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents (such as the suggestion that the accidental drowning of Charles's younger brother caused all the inner demons that Charles would battle into adulthood) the film does a remarkable job of summarizing Charles's strengths as a musical innovator and his weaknesses as a philandering heroin addict who recorded some of his best songs while flying high as a kite. Foxx seems to be channeling Charles himself and as he did with the life of Ritchie Valens in La Bamba director Taylor Hackford gets most of the period details absolutely right as he chronicles Ray's rise from ""chitlin circuit"" performer in the early '50s to his much-deserved elevation to legendary status as one of the all-time great musicians. Foxx expertly lip-syncs to Ray Charles' classic recordings but you could swear he's the real deal in a film that honors Ray Charles without sanitizing his once-messy life. Jamie Foxx picked up a Best Actor gong for his efforts as 'The Genius'. Ray A Gospel Christmas: Legendary superstar Ray Charles was joined by the world famous 120 member Voices of Jubilation Gospel Choir of Newark New Jersey for his first ever Christmas Special. They combined their talents in this unprecedented musical showcase not only to entertain but also to spread positive messages to a wide audience. What makes this endeavor so special is that the twelve-time grammy winner Charles has never performed traditional holiday music in a live concert setting. And of course Ray Charles brings his own unique jazz/rhythm and blues interpretation to these traditional holiday favourities. Tracklist includes: The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) Little Drummer Boy Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas Silent Night The First Noel Hark The Herald Angels Sing Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer and many more.
American Gangster:Ridley Scott's American Gangster is a brutal, slick, and stylish portrayal of real life cult figure and international drug smuggler Frank Lucas. With tangled webs, deceit, strong aggression, shady characters and sinister plans, American Gangster has the gritty and pleasurable nostalgia of classic gangster films such as The Godfather and Scarface. Drug-kingpin Frank Lucas smuggles heroin into the US by hiding it with the bodies of soldiers killed during battle in Vietnam. By delivering a product that is far superior to his competitors, Lucas has rapidly established his status as Harlem's most innovative drug dealer. While Lucas delicately constructs his own criminal empire, Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), one of the few honest detectives in a corrupt system, senses a sizeable shift within the hierarchy of the drug underworld and sets out to investigate this hitherto unknown power player that has come out of the shadows to dominate the drug trade. But with Detective Trupo (Josh Brolin), Roberts' crooked and jealous colleague, wanting to obstruct and ruin the integrity of his idealistic counterpart, Roberts is left with little option other than to take desperate measures to end Lucas' rule in Harlem.Academy Award winning lead actors Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe both turn in exhilarating and exceptional performances. With an engrossing story, powerful dialogue, realistic violence, and sharp stylish scenes, American Gangster delivers a complete, memorable, finely made, and richly satisfying crime epic that can be savoured again and again.Carlito's Way : The year is 1975 and former gangster Carlito Brigante has just been released from jail after serving the first five years of a long sentence. Carlito's lawyer David Kleinfeld has discovered a loop hole in the law and this time, Carlito is determined to go straight. He wants to retire to the Bahamas and set up a small business with his girlfriend Gail. All he needs is a stake. Suddenly Kleinfeld comes forward with the perfect proposition. Just a small debt of friendship. Consider it a favour. But if Carlito's learned anything from the streets, it's that a favour will kill you faster than a bullet...Casino: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci star in Director Martin Scorsese's riveting look at how blind ambition, white-hot passion and 24-carat greed toppled an empire. Las Vegas in 1973 is the setting for this fact-based story about the Mob's multi-million dollar casino operation - where fortunes and lives were made and lost with a roll of the dice...
When a crowded city bus blows up in Brooklyn and a campaign of terror begins to make its bloody mark on the streets of New York it's up to FBI special agent Anthony ""Hub"" Hubbard (Washington) and U.S. Army General William Devereaux (Willis) to find out who's responsible and put an end to the destruction. Together they face explosive danger at every turn when they team up to a wage an all-out war against a ruthless band of terrorists.
A black high school student who is dating a white girl is killed by the girl's brother and his biker gang. The victim's brother a member of a black biker gang goes looking for revenge. The black biker gang members were professional American football players!
A trio of thrilling feature films from high-octane producer Jerry Bruckheimer including Pearl Harbor Crimson Tide and Con Air. Pearl Harbor features the life and times of a group of people who find themselves caught up in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and in the aftermath of the bombing America's involvement in the Second World War. Crimson Tide is a tense story set aboard an American nuclear submarine caught up in a global crisis. Con Air finds a recently paroled man on an aircraft with some of the most notorious criminals of all time during a hijacking.
In debt. In danger. In deep. Trent a young club promoter finds himself in debt to a loan shark named Benny. After being threatened that he must obtain the money Trent must find a way to pay Benny without letting his father a prominent politician know his job or that he is no longer in school. Trent is saved from the loan shark by a sexy female night-club owner named Kyria. He becomes one of her ""call boys"" as long as Kyria pays off his debt. However everything changes
Never forgive. Never forget. When his sister turns up missing retired homicide detective Eddie Burns (Rhames) finds himself back on the job and hot on the trail of a sadistic monster (Oldman). But as he finds himself being pulled deeper and deeper into the world of pornography and drugs Burns soon discovers that he has a great deal in common with the prey that he is stalking. And as the renegade lawman squares off with evil personified in the ultimate battle one man will be puni
Released amidst rumours of romance between co-stars Angelina Jolie and soon-to-be-divorced Brad Pitt, Mr. and Mrs. Smith offers automatic weapons and high explosives as the cure for marital boredom. The premise of this exhausting action-comedy (no relation to the Alfred Hitchcock comedy starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery) is that the unhappily married Smiths (Pitt and Jolie) will improve their relationship once they discover their mutually-hidden identities as world-class assassins, but things get complicated when their secret-agency bosses order them to rub each other out. There's plenty of amusing banter in the otherwise disposable screenplay by Simon Kinberg (xXx: State of the Union, Fantastic Four), and director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) gives Pitt and Jolie a slick, glossy superstar showcase that's innocuous but certainly never boring. It could've been better, but as an action-packed summer confection, Mr. and Mrs. Smith kills two hours in high style. --Jeff Shannon
In the ruthless world of contract killing the line between business and pleasure is one that should never be crossed. Music sensation Treach stars in the explosive and intense thriller Love And A Bullet. Maleek 'Ghost' Bishop (Treach) is a nasty dangerous killing machine - loaded with rage and a temper that's primed to explode. As word of his prowess in the fine art of murder spreads he finds himself recruited to join an elite band of professional hitmen. But when the big boss
Die Hard: New York cop John McClane facing Christmas alone flies to Los Angeles to see his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) and their kids in an attempt to patch things up. He arrives at his wife's high tech office building in the middle of their Christmas party just as it is gatecrashed by the ruthless master criminal Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and a dozen fellow activists intent on relieving the Nakatomi Corporation of six hundred million dollars in negotiable bonds... McClane's a maverick smartass with a distinct disdain for being given orders. He's alone tired hurting and the only chance anyone has got. Twelve bad guys one cop. The odds are against John McClane; just the way he likes it! Bandits: Strap yourself in for one hilarious action-comedy with great chemistry great one-liners and expert direction. Bruce Willis makes all the right moves as the man with the perfect bank-robbing plan - and two imperfect partners. Busting out of prison Joe (Willis) and Terry (Billy Bob Thornton) are on the run and out of money. That changes when they devise a scheme to place bank managers under house arrest the night before they rob their banks. But success as the infamous sleepover bandits isn't the only change in store for them. As they cross state lines and federal laws they meet Kate (Cate Blanchett) a sexy eccentric housewife whose indecision as to which of the two bandits she wants could spoil their partnership for good! The Siege: When a crowded city bus blows up in Brooklyn and a campaign of terror begins to make its bloody mark on the streets of New York it's up to FBI special agent Anthony ""Hub"" Hubbard (Washington) and U.S. Army General William Devereaux (Willis) to find out who's responsible and put an end to the destruction. Together they face explosive danger at every turn when they team up to a wage an all-out war against a ruthless band of terrorists. Hart's War: Fourth generation war hero Col. William McNamara is imprisoned in a brutal German POW camp. Still as the camp's highest-ranking American officer he commands his fellow inmates keeping a sense of honour alive in a place where honour is easy to destroy all under the dangerous ever-watchful eye of SS Major Wilhelm Visser. Never giving up the fight to win the war McNamara is silently planning waiting for his moment to strike back at the enemy. A murder in the camp gives him the chance to set a risky plan in motion. With a court martial to keep Visser and the Germans distracted McNamara orchestrates a cunning scheme to escape and destroy a nearby munitions plant enlisting the unwitting help of young Lt. Tommy Hart. Together with his men McNamara uses a hero's resolve to carry out his mission ultimately forced to weigh the value of his life against the good of his country.
Michael Jordan slams, Bugs Bunny jams and the Looney Tunes starts hoop it up in the rim-rattin' roundball romp that's one of the funniest animation/ live action capers ever made. Jokes fly as the Tune Squad takes on the Nerdlucks in a hard-court game to decide if the Looney Tunes remain here...or become attractions at a far-off galactic off-ramp called Moron Mountain. The Nerdlucks have a monstrous secret weapon: they've stolen the skills of the top NBA stars like Charles Barkley and Patric Ewing and have become Monstars. But the Tune Squad's secret weapon happens to be the finest player in this or any other universe. He's outta this world. So's the fun. Special Features: Commentary by Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Director Joe Pytka; Featurette Jmmin' with Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan; 2 Music Videos: Seal's Fly like an Eagle and the Movie Cast's Monstars Anthem Hit 'Em High Theatrical Trailer.
A slow burning, yet entirely gripping, mobster film, American Gangster pits Denzel Washingtons Frank Lucas against Russell Crowes law enforcer Richie Roberts. Spread over a necessarily prolonged running time, their story is then brutally, expertly, told. And while American Gangster isnt in the league of prime Scorsese and Coppolla classics (such as Goodfellas and The Godfather), its the nearest weve come in quite some time to something of that ilk. Its all based on a true story, which does mean you need to forgive it some of its obvious narrative conventions, yet this also lends it a gravitas that the film eagerly makes the most of. Its great too to see British director Ridley Scott tackling meatier material again. This is the man, after all, who gave us Blade Runner, Alien and Gladiator, and he duly delivers with American Gangster. His finest work it isnt, but an engrossing, explosive and hard-as-nails drama it absolutely is. Whats more, American Gangster is powered by two of the finest leading men working in Hollywood right now, and its terrific to see Washington and Crowe on top form here. And while in cinematic terms its hardly a film that treads new ground, its nonetheless a proper, grown-up and engrossing movie, and a very good one at that. --Jon Foster
Donizetti - Lucia Di Lammermoor (Cillario RAI Chorus)
Fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real-time. Special Features Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet - An Exploration Of The Development And Production Of The Film As Told By The Cast And Crew. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: I. The Principle Of Belief - Christopher Nolan Talks About Why He Wanted To Make This Film And The Twists He Wanted To Bring To The Spy Genre. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: Ii. Mobilizing The Troupe - The Filmmakers To Talk About Casting And What The Actors Brought To Their Roles. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: Iii. The Approach - The Company Discusses How Nolan&Rsquo;S Filmmaking Philosophies And In-Camera Approach Applied To The Challenges In This Film. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: Iv. The Proving Window - A Look At The Cinematography And The Unique Ways They Shot The Movie. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: V. The Roadmap - Examining The Ways The Cast And Crew Kept Track Of The Continuity Across Multiple Perspectives And Timelines. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: Vi. Entropy In Action - Breaking Down The Complex Action In The Film And The Stunt Requirements For The Actors. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: Vii. Traversing The Globe - Exploring The Logistics Of Travelling And Shooting In Real Locations As Well As Capturing The Epic Marine Sequences In Different Countries Around The World. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: Viii. How Big A Plane? - The Story Of The Dramatic Crashing Of A Real 747. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: Ix. The Dress Code - Costume Designer Jeffrey Kurland Takes Us Through Some Of The Iconic Costumes From The Film. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: X. Constructing The Twilight World - A Look At The Practical Sets Designed And Built By Nathan Crowley & Team And The Techniques They Used To Enhance The Scope And Scale Of The Film. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: Xi. The Final Battle - Inside The Epic Sequence Which Had The Cast And Crew Using Everything That They Had Learned On The Film To Pull It Off. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: Xii. Cohesion - Nolan Discusses His Approach Of Involving The Composer And The Editor Early On In The Pre-Production And All The Way Through The Completion Of The Film To Truly Integrate Them Into The Creative Process. Looking At The World In A New Way: The Making Of Tenet: Xiii. Doesn't Us Being Here Now Mean It Never Happened? - The Cast And Crew Discuss The Unique Experience Of Working On The Film.
Denzel Washington stars as a government operative/soldier of fortune who has pretty much given up on life. In Mexico City, he reluctantly agrees to take a job to protect a child whose parents are threatened by a wave of kidnappings. He eventually becomes close to the child and their relationship reawakens and rekindles his spirit. When she is abducted, his fiery rage is unleashed on those he feels responsible, and he stops at nothing to save her.
Broken Arrow: When a Stealth Bomber crashes in the Utah desert during a top-secret test run the military quickly moves in to retrieve its two broken arrows. But the situation spins wildly out of control after one of the pilots reveals the crash to be part of an incredible nuclear extortion plot! Speed: Hold on tight for a rush of pulse-pounding thrills breathtaking stunts and unexpected romance in a film you'll want to see again and again. Keanu Reeves stars as Jack Traven an LAPD Swat team specialist who is sent to defuse a bomb that a revenge-driven extortionist (Dennis Hopper) has planted on a bus. But until he does Jack and passenger Sandra Bullock must keep the bus speeding through the streets of Los Angeles at more than 50 miles an hour - or the bomb will explode! The Siege: When a crowded city bus blows up in Brooklyn and a campaign of terror begins to make its bloody mark on the streets of New York it's up to FBI special agent Anthony Hub Hubbard (Washington) and U.S. Army General William Devereaux (Willis) to find out who's responsible and put an end to the destruction. Together they face explosive danger at every turn when they team up to a wage an all-out war against a ruthless band of terrorists.
The Notebook (Dir. Nick Cassavetes) (2004): A sweeping love story told by a man reading from his faded notebook (James Garner) to a woman in a nursing home (Gena Rowlands - real-life mother of Nick Cassavetes). 'The Notebook' follows the lives of two North Carolina teens from very different worlds (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams). Though her upbringing takes place in an antebellum mansion and he grew up in the kind of house where musicians strum on the porch that doesn't stop Noah and Allie from spending one incredible summer together before they are separated first by her parents and then by WWII. After the war is over everything is different. Allie is engaged to a successful businessman and Noah lives alone with his 200-year-old house that he lovingly restores. But when Allie reads a newspaper article about Noah's handiwork. She knows that she's got to find him and make a decision once and for all about the path her life - and her love - must take... Peter's Friends (Dir. Kenneth Branagh) (1992): Ten years after leaving university Peter and his best friends reunite for a New Year's party to end all parties. Having weathered most of life's triumphs and disasters there doesn't seem to be much left to shock them - but Peter has a special surprise that will test their friendship to the utmost. A wonderfully wicked comedy about life love and other natural disasters. Much Ado About Nothing (Dir. Kenneth Branagh) (1993): Much Ado About Nothing is a fast moving yet intricate tale of love and romantic combat a 'Merry War' of trust and treachery social graces and sheer physical attraction chastity under suspicion and marriage in jeopardy'.
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