Jake Robbins (Kristofferson) was shot down over Cambodia while serving in the Air Force and presumed dead by his wife Sarah (Williams). In fact Jake was captured and then he escaped with the help of Leang a Khmer Rouge peasant. Although they are on opposite sides Jake and Leang develop an understanding and fall in love. But after years of raising a family together Jake is forcibly separated from Leang when it is discovered he is an American Citizen. Waking up in the United Stat
Franklin J Schaffner's Papillon is quite possibly the definitive prison escape drama. Not as thrilling as The Great Escape, nor as emotionally cathartic as The Shawshank Redemption, its unflinching emphasis on the barbarism of "civilised" societies is nevertheless unparalleled. Significantly, the only characters to display any real kindness in this film are the social outcasts: the lepers and native Indians; everyone else has been corrupted and debased by the true villain, the penal system itself. Based on Henri Charrière' s heavily fictionalised "autobiography", the film's timeless themes of man's insatiable desire for freedom and the indomitability of the human spirit are thankfully not dependent for their impact on the source material's veracity. Dalton Trumbo's liberal-minded screenplay echoes the themes of his earlier script for Spartacus, and Schaffner's innate gift for epic cinema (this was made just two years after his great war biography Patton) is fully equal to the task of realising it on screen. The director's painterly eye for widescreen composition and his careful pacing impart a gravitas to proceedings even during the film's most squalid depictions of brutality, of which there are many emphasising the cheapness of human life among the convicts and their equally criminal prison guards in the penal colony of French Guiana. Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman form a remarkable screen pairing, with Hoffman outstanding as the pusillanimous Dega. McQueen magnificently overcomes his tough-guy persona in the extraordinary solitary confinement sequences as he is gradually reduced to a shambling, cockroach-eating wreck. Longtime collaborator Jerry Goldsmith, who had previously scored Schaffner's Planet of the Apes and Patton, attained yet another career high with his music. On the DVD: The anamorphic widescreen print of the original Panavision 2. 35:1 ratio looks fine without being as stunning as some more modern prints; the Dolby 5.1 audio does however do great service to Jerry Goldsmith's score, which can also be selected separately from the Audio Setup menu as an isolated track (note that there's no music at all in the first 20 minutes of the film). The 12-minute "Magnificent Rebel" featurette was made at the time of the film's release , and includes some fascinating footage of Henri Charrière touring the prison se t, reminiscing about his experiences and pontificating ("Society does not want free men, society wants conditioned men"). --Mark Walker
Planet of the Apes:Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall star in this legendary science-fiction masterpiece. Astronaut Taylor (Heston) crash lands on a distant planet ruled by apes who use a primitive race of humans for experimentation and sport. Soon Taylor finds himself among the hunted, his life in the hands of a benevolent chimpanzee scientist (McDowall). Winner of an honorary Academy Award for Outstanding Make-Up Achievement, Planet Of The Apes is grand entertainment, from its visually arresting beginning to the chilling last moment. Beneath The Planet of The Apes:In the acclaimed sequel to Planet of the Apes, another astronaut (James Franciscus) crashes through the time barrier searching for the missing Taylor (Charlton Heston). The daring rescue mission leads to a subterranean city where mutant humans, who practise mind control, worship a weapon capable of destroying the entire planet. Escape From The Planet of The Apes:Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter reprise their roles from the original Planet of the Apes in this third chapter of the Apes saga. Two intelligent simians from the future, Cornelius (McDowall) and Zira (Hunter) travel to present-day Earth. They become instant sensations, wined and dined and treated like celebrities - until a high-level plot forces them to run for their lives! Conquest of The Planet of The Apes:The fourth episode of the legendary Apes saga, stars Roddy McDowall and Ricardo Montalban. The time is the near future. Apes have substituted cats and dogs as household pets, and replaced servants as personal assistants - until their continual mistreatment provokes one advanced ape from the future, Caesar (McDowall), to lead a spectacular revolt that marks the beginning of the ape revolution. Battle For The Planet of The Apes:The fifth and last chapter of the legendary Apes saga is set in 2670 A.D. After the revolution, brought about by Caesar, the world is now a desolated place. Now man and apes try to live together in an uneasy harmony, with apes having the edge over man as the leaders. When the smoke clears the carnage is everywhere, but there is hope for a new beginning for man and ape. Rise of The Planet of The Apes:From the creators of Avatar comes the number 1 UK blockbuster and ultimate Sci-fi re-boot – Rise of the Planet of the Apes an origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy. Planet of the Apes (2011):In the year 2029, interstellar reconnaissance missions are relegated to chimpanzee pilots from the space station OBERON in deep space. On one such mission, a chimp loses communication and vanishes from the radar. Fearless astronaut Leo Davidson launches a rescue mission and, following a malfunction, lands on a jungle-like planet not unlike Earth. To Leo's astonishment, English-speaking apes and primitive humans inhabit the planet. Following his capture by the apes and his subsequent escape, Leo assembles a small band of defiant humans and empathetic apes in an attempt to re-establish contact with Oberon, but his focus changes following an unexpected discovery. Armed with this new information, Leo leads a rebellion against an overpowering ape force that will result in freedom or complete annihilation.
A critically acclaimed film that won a total of seven 1970 Academy Awards (including) Best Picture Patton is a riveting portrait of one of the 20th century's greatest military geniuses. One of its Oscars went to George C. Scott for his triumphant portrayal of George Patton the only Allied general truly feared by the Nazis. Charismatic and flamboyant Patton designed his own uniforms sported ivory-handled six-shooters and believed he was a warrior in past lives. He outmanoeuvred Rommel in Africa and after D-Day led his troops in an unstoppable campaign across Europe. But he was rebellious as well as brilliant and as Patton shows with insight and poignancy his own volatile personality was the one enemy he could never defeat.
Oscar-nominated drama based on the slyly subversive play by Gore Vidal. The film is set in the months leading up to a presidential election and stars Henry Fonda as one of five presidential candidates who are willing to do anything to gain an advantage over their fellow contenders. Cliff Robertson stars as Joe Cantwell, another likely candidate and Lee Tracy plays outgoing President, Art Hockstader.
One of the greatest screen biographies ever produced, Patton is a monumental film that won seven Academy Awards and gave George C Scott the greatest role of his career. It was released in 1970 when protest against the Vietnam War still raged in the States and abroad. Inevitably, many critics and filmgoers struggled to reconcile the events of the day with the film's glorification of US General George S Patton as a crazy-brave genius of World War II; how could a film so huge in scope and so fascinated by its subject be considered an anti-war film? The simple truth is that it's not--Patton is less about World War II than about the rise and fall of a man whose life was literally defined by war and who felt lost and lonely without the grand-scale pursuit of an enemy. George C Scott embodies his role so fully, so convincingly, that we can't help but be drawn to and fascinated by Patton as a man who is simultaneously bound for hell and glory. The film's opening monologue alone is a masterful display of acting and character analysis and everything that follows is sheer brilliance on the part of Scott and director Franklin J Schaffner, aided in no small part by composer Jerry Goldsmith's masterfully understated score. Filmed on an epic scale at literally dozens of European locations, Patton does not embrace war as a noble pursuit, nor does it deny the reality of war as a breeding ground for heroes. Through the awesome achievement of Scott's performance and the film's grand ambition, General Patton shows all the complexities of a man who accepted his role in life and (like Scott) played it to the hilt. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.comOn the DVD: The widescreen print of the movie (which was originally filmed using a super-wide 70mm process called "Dimension 150") is handsomely presented on the first disc, with a remastered Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. It is accompanied by a rather dry "Audio essay on the historical Patton" read by the president and founder of the General George S. Patton Jr. historical society. The second, supplementary disc carries a new and impressive 50-minute "making-of" documentary, with significant contributions from Fox president Richard Zanuck, as well as composer Jerry Goldsmith and Oliver Stone. Director Franklin J. Schaffner (who died in 1989) and star George C. Scott are heard in interviews from 1970. In the documentary, Stone provocatively complains that Patton glorified war and that President Nixon's enthusiasm for the movie was directly responsible for his decision to invade Cambodia. Also on this disc, in a separate audio-only track, is Jerry Goldsmith's magnificent music score--one of his greatest achievements--heard complete with studio session takes for the famous "Echoplex" trumpet figures. --Mark Walker
THE LONGEST DAYTHE LONGEST DAY is a vivid hour-by-hour re-creation of June 6th 1944 - the historic day that marked the beginning of the end of World War II. Featuring a stellar international cast and told from the perspectives of both sides it is a fascinating look at the massive preparations mistakes and random events that determine the outcome of one of the biggest battles in history. THE LONGEST DAY ranks as one of Hollywood's truly great war films.PATTONA critically acclaimed film that won a total of eight 1970 Academy Awards (including Best Picture) PATTON is a riveting portrait of one of the 20th century's greatest military geniuses. Charismatic and flamboyant Patton was the only Allied general truly feared by the Nazis. He outmanoeuvred Rommel in Africa and after D-Day led his troops in an unstoppable campaign across Europe. But he was rebellious as well as brilliant and as PATTON shows with insight and poignancy his own volatile personality was one enemy he could never defeat.TORA! TORA! TORA!TORA! TORA! TORA! is the Japanese signal to attack - and the motive meticulously recreates the attack on Pearl Harbour and the events leading up to it. Opening scenes contrast the American and Japanese positions. Japanese imperialists decide to stage the attack. Top U.S. brass ignore its possibility. Intercepted Japanese messages warm of it - but never reach F.D.R.'s desk. It's the most dazzling recreation of America's darkest day - and some of her finest hours!
Titles Comprise: The Boys From Brazil: This terrifying thriller is based on Ira Levin's best seller in which Dr. Josef Mengele (Gregory Peck) alive and living in South America gathers a group of former Nazis to work on a mysterious project. Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier) begins to unravel the conspiracy and discovers that Mengele has cloned 94 young Hitlers. Suddenly the terrifying extent of Mengele's plan is revealed: twisting genetic science to become a new weapon of global horror. The Eagle Has Landed: The daring World War II plot that changed the course of history. In November 1943 Heinrich Himmler (Donald Pleasance) received a simple message The Eagle Has Landed. It meant that a crack force of German paratroopers were safely in England poised and ready to kidnap the Prime Minister of England Winston Churchill. The force is under the command of Colonel Kurt Steiner (Michael Caine). All goes smoothly as the German force disguised in Polish uniforms is accepted by the villagers. But one of the men is killed while rescuing a little girl and his German uniform is discovered. The entire village has to be taken hostage and hidden in the town church. Agents and counteragents work desperately to keep the scheme alive. Steiner himself takes a dangerous gamble. He overpowers an American ranger commandeers his jeep and uniform and drives to the mansion where Churchill is relaxing. The action and suspense are nonstop in this World War II thriller which also stars Treat Williams Larry Hagman Anthony Quayle and Jean Marsh. Escape To Athena: A battle of action and wits in a World War II prison camp where the Fuhrer's scheme for looting a treasure-laden island off Greece is under way. Prisoners of war labour under the eye of the camp's Austrian Commandment Major Otto Hecht as they dig up priceless Greek art. Zeno the island's resistance leader and his woman Eleana scheme to defeat the occupiers. Zeno and his men clash with the Germans to save the lives of condemned prisoners and try to locate a submarine oil supply depot. If the Germans are to be defeated they must also seek and dismantle the communications equipment on Mount Athens which promises a blaze of action...
All eight films in the science-fiction franchise thus far. In 'Planet of the Apes' (1968) a group of astronauts, led by George Taylor (Charlton Heston), crash lands on a strange planet where mute humans are treated as slaves by intelligent apes. Taylor is hunted down and captured by horse-riding gorillas, and then taken for experimentation by chimpanzee Dr Zira (Kim Hunter). When Zira discovers Taylor's intelligence, she and her fiancé, Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), appeal to the governing council on his behalf, but the appeal fails, leaving the astronaut no choice but to go on the run. Fleeing for his freedom, Taylor soon makes a shocking discovery about the provenance of this strange planet. In 'Beneath the Planet of the Apes' (1970) astronaut Brent (James Franciscus) is on a special mission to rescue George Taylor (Heston). After travelling to the ape village where he was imprisoned, he meets Dr Zira (Hunter) and learns that Taylor was last seen in the Forbidden Zone. Setting off in pursuit he soon discovers that his colleague has been taken prisoner by an underground society of telepathic mutant humans who worship an atomic warhead. In 'Escape from the Planet of the Apes' (1971) Dr Zira (Hunter), Cornelius (McDowall) and Dr Milo (Sal Mineo) escape the nuclear devastation of Earth by travelling back in time in Taylor's spaceship, arriving in Los Angeles in the year 1973. They are initially held in captivity in a zoo, where Milo is attacked and killed by a savage gorilla. When Zira and Cornelius prove their intelligence they are released and hailed as celebrities, but some resent the apes' arrival, seeing them as a threat to human supremacy. In 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes' (1972) the year is now 1991. Caesar (McDowall), the son of Zira and Cornelius, has been sheltered for 18 years by circus owner Armando (Ricardo Montalban). Following a plague which wiped out all cats and dogs, apes have been adopted as pets by humans, but when Caesar sees them being treated as slaves, he leads his fellow simians in rebellion against their overlords. 'Battle for the Planet of the Apes' (1973) opens in the year 2670 with the ape Lawgiver (John Huston) relating how, following the 1991 simian rebellion, mankind embarked on a terrible nuclear war. In the devastation which followed, Caesar (McDowall) and the apes seized control, ruling benevolently over the human survivors, and working to rebuild society. However, civil war was being fomented by ambitious gorilla general Aldo (Claude Akins), and when Caesar ventured into the devastated city to seek out recordings of his late parents, Cornelius and Zira, he incurred the wrath of a group of mutant human survivors. In 'Planet of the Apes' (2001), Tim Burton's 're-imagining' of the 1968 original, the year is 2029, and Capt. Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) is aboard a spaceship trying to teach apes how to become space pilots. During a routine reconnaissance mission outside the mothership, Leo is sucked into a space-time hole and minutes later makes a crash landing on a strange planet where humans are subjugated by talking apes. Just as a quick death at the hands of the violent ape leader General Thade (Tim Roth) seems inevitable, Leo is rescued by the ape scientist Ari (Helena Bonham Carter). In 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' (2011) James Franco stars as Will Rodman, a genetic engineer working in present-day San Francisco who is performing scientific tests on apes in his attempt to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. His first test subject is Caesar (Andy Serkis), the prototype of a new breed of ape with human-like intelligence. But when Caesar breaks free, a revolution is triggered and an epic war for supremacy breaks out between humankind and the primates of the world. Finally, in 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' (2014), Caesar, the hyper-intelligent ape produced by human experimentation, is now the leader of a growing band of cognisant simians as a fragile truce prevails between the apes and humans. Many consider the outbreak of war to only be a matter of time, however, since the human population has been vastly reduced by a devastating virus and their role as the dominant species on Earth is in question. As tensions rise, it may only take a single spark to trigger an explosive war that will pit the humans against the apes in an all-out battle for survival...
The Abyss A civilian oil-rig crew is recruited to conduct a search-and-rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One diver (Ed Harris) soon finds himself on a spectacular odyssey over 25 000 feet below the ocean's surface where he confronts a mysterious force that has the power to change the world or destroy it... Aliens In this action-packed sequel to Alien Sigourney Weaver returns as Ripley the only survivor from mankind's first encounter with the
George C. Scott plays Thomas Hudson a sculptor whose self-imposed isolation in the Bahamas is ended by two forces; the visit of his sons and the outbreak of World War II... The film is touching in its details of a father's love and heroic in its defiance of tyranny based on the posthumous novel 'Papa' by Ernest Hemingway.
The Medusa Touch: Richard Burton stars as successful novelist John Morlar who believes he has 'a gift for disaster' - the power to cause death and destruction through unconscious telekinesis. When Morlar is viciously assaulted and left for dead the night of the Moon Mission disaster and a jet crash police investigating the attack quickly turn to Morlar's mysterious therapist Zonfeld (Lee Remick) in the belief that there is a link between the assault and Morlar's disturbing co
The Longest Day On June 6 1944 the Allied Invasion of France marked the beginning of the end of Nazi domination over Europe. The attack involved 3 000 000 men 11 000 planes and 4 000 ships comprising the largest armada the world has ever seen. Presented in its original black & white version 'The Longest Day' is a vivid hour-by-hour re-creation of this historic event. Featuring a stellar international cast and told from the perspectives of both sides it is a fascinatin
Does The Best Man Always Get To The White House?
Papillon (Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner 1973): They called him Papillon meaning butterfly. If only he had wings to go with the name. Unable to fly Henri Charriere virtually willed himself free. He persisted until he did the impossible: escape Devil's Island. Based on Charriere's bestseller and shot in Spain and Jamaica Franklin J. Schaffner's film of Papillon united two stars at key career junctions. After a decade of fine work in The Great Escape The Sand Pebbles and Bullitt Steve McQueen found in Charriere another ideal tough-guy role. Coming off The Graduate Midnight Cowboy and Little Big Man Dustin Hoffman again distinguished himself as Dega Charriere's scruffy friend. Midnight Express (Dir. Alan Parker 1973): Brad Davis and John Hurt star in this riveting true story of a young American's nightmarish experiences in a Turkish prison and his unforgettable journey to freedom. Busted for attempting to smuggle hashish out of Istanbul American College student Billy Hayes (Davis) is thrown into the city's most brutal jail. After suffering through four years of sadistic torture and inhuman conditions Billy is about to be released when his parole is denied. Only his inner courage and the support of a fellow inmate (Hurt) give him the strength to catch the Midnight Express (prison code for escape). Missing (Dir. Costa Gavras 1982): Director Constantin Costa-Gavras made his English-language film debut with this political thriller based on a true story. Although the nation depicted is never named directly the action clearly takes place in Chile after the military coup. Missing centers around the disappearance of Charles Horman (John Shea) an American expatriate who lives with his wife Beth (Sissy Spacek) in South America. One night armed soldiers enter their home and drag him away. In desperation Beth decides to contact Charles's father Ed (Jack Lemon) and ask for help. In contrast to his left-wing daughter-in-law Ed is staunchly patriotic. But as he gets the runaround from both American and Chilean officials Ed receives a cold hard lesson in political reality... and learns some ugly truths about US involvement in Latin America.
Planet of the Apes (1968)Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall star in this legendary science-fiction masterpiece. Astronaut Taylor (Heston) crash lands on a distant planet ruled by apes who use a primitive race of humans for experimentation and sport. Soon Taylor finds himself among the hunted his life in the hands of a benevolent chimpanzee scientist (McDowall). Winner of an honorary Academy Award for Outstanding Make-Up Achievement Planet of the Apes is grand entertainment from its visually arresting beginning to the chilling last moment. Rise of the Planet of the ApesOur greatest discovery will become the world's greatest threat when a scientist on the verge of a medical breakthrough begins testing on a young chimpanzee named Caesar. But when the chimp develops human-like intelligence and emotions an epic battle ensues to determine the dominant species of the planet!
A critically acclaimed film that won a total of eight 1970 Academy Awards (including Best Picture) Patton is a riveting portrait of one of the 20th century's greatest military geniuses. One of its Oscars went to George C. Scott for this triumphant portrayal of George Patton the only Allied general truly feared by the Nazis. Special mention must go to Francis Ford Coppola's superb script which he wrote while laying low from from the box-office faliure of Rain People. Charism
This box set features the following films: Kramer Vs Kramer (Dir. Robert Benton) (1979): Returning home late from work one night a career-obsessed Ted Kramer is told by his wife Joanna that she is leaving him. After a life of being 'somebody's daughter' or 'somebody's wife ' she's going off to find herself - leaving Ted to care for their 6 year-old son. Ted while trying to hold down his job gets to really know his son: cooking his meals taking him to the park understanding every need and fear. For the first time in his life he feels like a fulfilled parent. But then Joanna returns. And she wants her son back... Papillon (Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner) (1973): They called him Papillon meaning butterfly. If only he had wings to go with the name. Unable to fly Henri Charriere virtually willed himself free. He persisted until he did the impossible: escape Devil's Island. Stranger Than Fiction (Dir. Marc Forster) (2006): This is an inventive comedy about a novelist (Emma Thompson) struggling to complete her latest and potentially finest book - she only has to find a way to kill off her main character Harold Crick and she'll be done. Little does she know that Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is inexplicably alive and well in the real world and suddenly aware of her words. Fiction and reality collide when the bewildered and hilariously resistant Harold hears what she has in mind and realizes he must find a way to change her (and his) ending. Joan Of Arc (Dir. Luc Besson) (1999): The year is 1429. France is in polical and religious turmoil as members of the royal family battle for rule. But one peasant girl from a remote village gave her country the miracle it was looking for. Milla Jovovich is Joan of Arc a young woman who would inspire and lead her countrymen until her execution at the age of nineteen. Raised in a religious family Joan witnessed her sister's rape and death at the hands of an invading army. Years later as the same war raged on Joan stood before her king with a message she claimed came from God: give her an army and in God's name she would reclaim his diminished kingdom. Tootsie (Dir. Sydney Pollack) (1982): Michael Dorsey is fine actor but an irreproachable perfectionist who can hardly make ends meet; the best he can do for his wallet is take on a couple of jobs as a part-time drama coach and a part-time waiter. But when with the help of a few accessories (including rouge and a padded bra) he transforms himself into Dorothy Michaels everything changes. Dorothy lands a hot job on a soap opera monopolizes the covers of glossy magazines and wins thousands of adoring fans. But when he falls head-over-heels for his co-star Julie (Jessica Lange) he's got a real problem: How can he tell Julie he loves her when she thinks he's a she? Accidental Hero (Dir. Stephen Frears) (1992): Davis is ace reporter Gale Gayley who literally falls into the story of a lifetime when she's a passenger on a airplane that crashes into a Chicago bridge. In the smoke and darkness she's saved by a rude foul-mouthed hero who promptly disappears into the night..leaving only his shoe behind. When Gale's TV Station offers a million dollars to the mystery hero a gentle Vietnam vet (Garcia) appears to claim the prize - and share it with the city's homeless. But this screwball Cinderella story is complicated by the fact that the real hero is a small-time crook (Hoffman) whom nobody believes. Both men have something heroic inside as well as something to hide and it's up to Gale to discover the true meaning of courage.
This amazing collector's item is an individually numbered limited edition Ape head containing 12 DVDs within a digistack which slots into the back of the head! Planet Of The Apes: 35th Anniversary Edition (2 Discs): Astronaut Taylor crash lands on a distant planet ruled by apes who use a primitive race of humans for experimentation and sport. Soon Taylor finds himself among the hunted his life in the hands of a benevolent chimpanzee scientist... Winner of an Honorary Acade
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