A man (Al Pacino) stages a bank robbery so that his homosexual lover can pay for a sex-change operation. He bungles the robbery and is caught up in a stand-off with police, bargaining with the lives of his hostages. The event soon gets television coverage and the hostages begin to get friendly with their kidnappers, while their attempts to bargain are bungled all the way. Directed by Sidney Lumet.Based on: A true story/The book by Patrick Mann Technical Specs: Languages(s): EnglishInteractive Menu
Find Me Guilty tells the true story of mobster Jack DiNorscio and the longest mafia trial in U.S. history. After being arrested for dealing drugs, Jack makes the unusual decision to defend himself, despite having no legal experience.
Directed by Sidney Lumet (Serpico) and penned by Joel Schumacher (Batman and Robin), this lavish 1978 adaptation of the Broadway hit The Wiz was the biggest production filmed in New York City up to that point, utilising the newly revamped Astoria Studios and locations around the city. Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross (reprising his Tony-winning role as the Lion) star in this Academy Award-nominated musical for the whole family. The Wiz is probably the grandest take on L. Frank Baum's classic tale The Wizard of Oz. The production team created sets with a sense of urban magic and spectacle: a New York subway station literally comes to life, and the massive plaza between the World Trade Center towers is transformed into the Emerald City, featuring nearly 400 dancers with three costume changes. Like all good musicals, the Quincy Jones arrangements are highly hummable long after viewing (especially the funky "Ease On Down the Road" and the inspirational "Brand New Day"). In an era before MTV, the camera stays nearly stationary as Ross and Lena Horne vocally soar through their numbers. Their stage-like performances successfully make the leap to film, making The Wiz a testament to their singing talents and star presence. The then-thirtysomething Ross raised some eyebrows playing the traditionally teenaged Dorothy, but she and her supporting cast (including Richard Pryor as the Wiz) carry the tunes with an infectious verve that will appeal to folks of all ages. --Shannon Gee
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance KidOne of the most popular screen Westerns ever made, this Academy Award-winning classic blends adventure, romance and comedy to tell the true story of the West's most likeable outlaws. No-one is quicker than Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) when it comes to get rich quick schemes, and his sidekick Sundance (Robert Redford) is a wizard with a gun. When these two bungling bank and train robbers tire of running from the law, they set out for Bolivia with Sundance's girlfriend (Katharine Ross). Though they can barely speak enough Spanish to communicate: This is a stick-up!, that's only a minor detail to the two nicest bad-guys whoever rode the West. Special Features: The Making of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Audio Commentary by George Roy Hill, Hal David, Robert Crawford and Conrad Hall Cast and Crew Interviews Theatrical Trailers Alternative Credit Roll Production Notes Interactive Menus Scene Access The VerdictSidney Lumet’s riveting courtroom drama earned five Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor for Paul Newman's towering performance as a down-and-out alcoholic attorney who stumbles on one last chance to redeem himself. When attorney Frank Galvin (Newman) is given an open-and-shut medical malpractice case that no one thinks he can win, he courageously decides to refuse a settlement from the hospital. Instead he takes the case and the entire legal system as well, to court. James Mason, Jack Warden, Milo O'Shea and Charlotte Rampling co-star. Special Features: Audio Commentary by Paul Newman and others Featurette Theatrical Trailer Behind the Scenes Gallery Interactive Menus Scene Access The HustlerPaul Newman heads a superb cast featuring Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott and Piper Laurie in this riveting film that received an Academy Award nomination as Best Picture of 1961 and brought all four of its stars Oscar nominations. Newman (Best Actor nominee) is electrifying as Fast Eddie Felson, an arrogant, amoral hustler who haunts back street pool rooms fleecing anyone who'll pick up a cue. Determined to be acclaimed as the best, Eddie seeks out the legendary Minnesota Fats (Gleason, Supporting Actor nominee), who's backed by Bert Gordon (Scott, Supporting Actor nominee). The love of a lonely woman (Laurie, Best Actress nominee) could turn Eddie's life around, but he won't rest until he bests Minnesota Fats, no matter what price he must pay. Voted one of the year's ten best by the New York Times and Time, and distinguished by two Academy Awards, The Hustler is a dazzling cinematic triumph. Special Features: Audio Commentary by Dede Allen and others The Hustler: The Inside Story How to Make the Shot Trick Shot Analysis Theatrical Trailer Spanish Theatrical Trailer Behind the Scene Stills Gallery Interactive Menus Scene Access
Connery Hoffman and Broderick star as three generations of a family formerly linked to organized crime. Grandfather Jesse has been in and out of jail and his son Vito has decided to leave a life of crime in order to become a respectable family man but when grandson Adam comes up with a can't-miss heist plan the intergenerational sparks begin to fly.
Media madness reigns supreme in screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky's scathing satire about the uses and abuses of network television. But while Chayefsky's and director Sidney Lumet's take on television may seem quaint in the age of "reality TV" and Jerry Springer's talk-show fisticuffs, Network is every bit as potent now as it was when the film was released in 1976. And because Chayefsky was one of the greatest of all dramatists, his Oscar-winning script about the ratings frenzy at the cost of cultural integrity is a showcase for powerhouse acting by Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight (who each won Oscars), and Oscar nominee William Holden in one of his finest roles. Finch plays a veteran network anchorman who's been fired because of low ratings. His character's response is to announce he'll kill himself on live television two weeks hence. What follows, along with skyrocketing ratings, is the anchorman's descent into insanity, during which he fervently rages against the medium that made him a celebrity. Dunaway plays the frigid, ratings-obsessed producer who pursues success with cold-blooded zeal; Holden is the married executive who tries to thaw her out during his own seething midlife crisis. Through it all, Chayefsky (via Finch) urges the viewer to repeat the now-famous mantra "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" to reclaim our humanity from the medium that threatens to steal it away. --Jeff Shannon
Alan Strang (Peter Firth) is a troubled teenager who suffers from an uncontrollable urge to blind horses. In court, facing prosecution for his actions, psychiatrist Dr Martin Dysart (Richard Burton) attempts to unravel the root causes of Alan's pathologic affliction. Adapted by Peter Shaffer from his own landmark, Tony-winning play, Equus is a gripping psychological thriller exploring how corrupted ideals can lead to grave consequences. Special Features: To Be Confirmed ***FIRST PRESSING ONLY*** Fully illustrated booklet with new essays
Odd teaming of man-of-integrity A-list studio director Sidney Lumet (Twelve Angry Men, Serpico, The Verdict) with muckraking, lively independent screenwriter Larry Cohen (It's Alive, God Told Me To, Q: The Winged Serpent), the court-room drama Guilty As Sin relies rather heavily on the plot of Jagged Edge. Jack Warden reprises Robert Loggia's grumpy but decent private-eye role exactly, while ice-maiden lawyer Rebecca De Mornay is ensnared in a web of duplicity and violence by her client (Don Johnson), accused of murdering his wife. It hasn't got the gravitas of Lumet's best or the maniacal energy of top-rate Cohen film, but as a no-brain thriller it offers a couple of edgy, interesting star performances, with Johnson in particular cutting loose from his image with a display of razor-edged smiling charm as the killer gigolo. --Kim Newman
A film adaptation of the play by Peter Shaffer, Equus stars Richard Burton as Martin Dysart, a psychiatrist who takes on an unusual case: a young stable boy (Peter Firth) who, in frenzy, has blinded six horses. Their sessions reveal that the boy has a quasi-religious fetish for horses and he rides them in the dead of night, experiencing an ecstasy unlike anything Dysart has ever known. Dysart begins to question: Is the pursuit of normalcy worth the loss of individual passions? Equus features a lot of hokum--its therapy scenes are absurd crescendos of revelation and insights--but its central question has substance, the direction is energetic, and the performances are powerful; Burton, handsome and haggard, brings a complex self-loathing to his role. It also features Jenny Agutter and Joan Plowright. --Bret Fetzer
The first of several lavish Christie adaptations from producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin introducing Albert Finney as the first screen Hercule Poirot. This 1974 production of Agatha Christie's 1934 classic is a judicious mixture of mystery murder and nostalgia. Which member of the all-star cast onboard the luxurious train perforated the no-good American tycoon with a dagger twelve times? Was it Ingrid Bergman's shy Swedish missionary; or Vanessa Redgrave's English rose; Sean Connery as an Indian Army Colonel: Michael York or Jacqueline Bisset; perhaps Lauren Bacall; Anthony Perkins or John Gielgud as the victim's impassive butler. Finney spreads unease among them with subdued wit and finesse. Arguably the most successful screen adaptation of a Christie novel in addition to Bergman's Oscar for Best Supporting Actress 'Murder On The Orient Express' achieved nominations for Best Actor Screenplay Photography Costume Design and Music Score.
I will be retiring from this programme in two weeks' time because of poor ratings. In 1976 two of the key players in the Golden Age of Television writer Paddy Chayefsky and director Sidney Lumet delivered a coruscating attack - at once savage and hilarious - on the medium that made their names. Since this show is the only I had going for me in my life I've decided to kill myself. To speak Chayefsky's Oscar-winning dialogue Lumet enlisted a powerhouse cast list including Faye Dunaway William Holden Peter Finch (as 'the mad prophet of the airwaves' Howard Beale) Robert Duvall Ned Beatty and Beatrice Straight. Five of them would be nominated for Academy Awards three would win. I'm going to blow my brains out right on this programme a week from today. As well as its four Oscars Network was also garlanded with a quartet of Golden Globes a BAFTA and numerous other awards. In the years since its release its reputation has only grown: the Library of Congress granted it a place on their prestigious National Film Registry; the American Film Institute named it as one of the greatest American films of all time; and the Writers Guild of America declared it screenplay one of the ten best of all time. It remains a true classic. So tune in next Tuesday. Special Features: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the film Uncompressed mono PCM audio Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing The Directors: Sidney Lumet - a 1999 documentary on the director containing interviews with Jack Lemmon Rod Steiger Christopher Walken and others Tune in Next Tuesday - a visual essay by Dave Itzkoff the author of Mad as Hell: The Making of Network and the Fateful Vision of the Angriest Man in Movies Theatrical Trailer Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jay Shaw Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Mike Sutton and an American Cinematographer article by director of photography Owen Roizman illustrated with original stills and artwork
The fabulous land of Oz rocks in the spectacular musical based on the smash hit Broadway show. In this Motown production Dorothy is a shy Harlem kindergarten teacher who while searching for her lost dog Toto in a swirling blizzard is whisked to a wonderland to follow the yellow brick road. Director Sidney Lumet (Serpico Murder on the Orient Express) not content to merely film the stage production transforms the physical attributes of New York City into the fabulous land of Oz.
The four films in this Agatha Christie Murder Mystery Collection demonstrate exactly why Christie's reassuringly formulaic whodunits have been extraordinarily resilient source material. In each we find a corpse (or several), an assorted group of suspects gathered in a self-contained location, all with a motive to commit murder, and the coincidental presence of the totem detective (Poirot or Miss Marple). Between 1974 and 1981, producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin mined the Christie seam for some of its ripest riches. Murder on the Orient Express (1974), directed by Sidney Lumet, features a cavalcade of stars including Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall, John Gielgud and Sean Connery; while Christie herself gave Albert Finney's Poirot her blessing. The Art Deco setting exudes glamour; the plot is preposterously diverting; the lighting, silvery and washed-out, giving the suspects an appropriately grim and ghoulish air. With a superior Anthony Shaffer screenplay Death on the Nile (1978) saw Peter Ustinov taking over as Poirot. The backdrop of ancient Egyptian monuments helps bring this adaptation a touch of class, complemented by composer Nino Rota's epic theme tune. The Mirror Crack'd (1980) features Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak as rival Hollywood legends descending on a quaint English village to make a film, with Rock Hudson as Taylor's husband and Angela Lansbury as a rather unconvincingly robust Miss Marple. Shaffer returned to the fray, adapting Evil Under the Sun (1981) and moving Poirot from the Cornish Riviera to an island off the coast of Albania. Ustinov reprises his role and Maggie Smith returns, camper than ever, as the hotel owner inconvenienced by murder. On the DVD: It's a pity that the sound quality hasn't been sharpened up, though: Murder on the Orient Express sometimes evokes memories of the muffled incoherence of an old fleapit. Apart from trailers, extras are few and far between. There are no cast lists or filmographies. But Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun both feature interesting short promotional "'making of"' documentaries in 4:3 format. --Piers Ford
Based on John le Carré's first novel, Call for the Dead (which introduced spymaster George Smiley), The Deadly Affair sees an ageing British secret agent (James Mason) set out to uncover the truth behind a government employee's apparent suicide. Eschewing the glamour of the era's Bond thrillers, Lumet's chilling and intelligent take on the spy drama presents a palpable and darkly sinister picture of Cold War intrigue. The exemplary cast also includes Maximilian Schell, Harriet Andersson, Harry Andrews, Roy Kinnear and Lynn Redgrave. INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES: High Definition remaster Original mono audio Audio commentary The John Player Lecture with James Mason (1967, tbc mins): archival audio recording of an interview conducted by Leslie Hardcastle at the National Film Theatre, London The Guardian Lecture with Sidney Lumet (1983, tbc mins): archival audio recording of an interview conducted by Derek Malcolm at the National Film Theatre, London David Kipen on screenwriter Paul Dehn (2017, tbc mins) New interview with camera operator Brian West (2017, tbc mins) Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography New English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Limited edition exclusive booklet featuring newly commissioned writing by Thirza Wakefield , an overview of contemporary critical responses, and historic articles on the film World premiere on Blu-ray Limited Dual Format Edition of 3,000 copies
An early example of the techno-thriller, The Anderson Tapes--sharply directed by Sidney Lumet from the novel by Lawrence Sanders--follows just-out-of-stir Duke Anderson (a balding Sean Connery) as he plots the heist of an entire New York apartment building, enlisting a crew that includes Martin Balsam as a vintage 1971 gay stereotype and a very young Christopher Walken in perhaps the first of his jittery crook roles. The gimmick is that Anderson has been out of circulation so long that he doesn't realise his mafia backers are only supporting him because they feel nostalgic for the days before they were boring businessmen and that the whole setup is monitored by a criss-crossing selection of government and private agencies who don't care enough to thwart the robbery, which instead becomes unglued thanks to a gutsy young radio ham. With a cool Quincy Jones score, very tight editing, a lot of spot-on cameo performances from the likes of Ralph Meeker as a patient cop, this hasn't dated a bit: it's wry without being jokey and suspenseful without undue contrivance. On the DVD The Anderson Tapes offers a nice anamorphic transfer, a few trailers and various foreign language options. --Kim Newman
Murder On The Orient Express: The first of several lavish Christie adaptations from producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin introducing Albert Finney as the first screen Hercule Poirot. This 1974 production of Agatha Christie's 1934 classic is a judicious mixture of mystery murder and nostalgia. Which member of the all-star cast onboard the luxurious train perforated the no-good American tycoon with a dagger twelve times? Was it Ingrid Bergman's shy Swedish missionary; or Vanessa Redgrave's English rose; Sean Connery as an Indian Army Colonel: Michael York or Jacqueline Bisset; perhaps Lauren Bacall; Anthony Perkins or John Gielgud as the victim's impassive butler. Finney spreads unease among them with subdued wit and finesse. Arguably the most successful screen adaptation of a Christie novel in addition to Bergman's Oscar for Best Supporting Actress 'Murder On The Orient Express' achieved nominations for Best Actor Screenplay Photography Costume Design and Music Score. (Dir. Sidney Lumet 1974) Death On The Nile: Peter Ustinov makes his debut as Agatha Christie's brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in this lavish and star-studded follow-up to Murder On The Orient Express:. As Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the Nile a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board and every elegant passenger becomes a prime suspect. Can Poirot identify the killer and motive before the ship of clues reaches the end of its murderous journey? Bette Davis David Niven Angela Lansbury Maggie Smith Mia Farrow George Kennedy Olivia Hussey Simon MacCorkindale Jane Birkin Jack Warden and Lois Chiles co-star in this sumptuous Oscar-winning classic adapted by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) and filmed on location throughout exotic Egypt. (Dir. John Guillermin 1978) The Mirror Crack'd: Mirror mirror on the wall who is the murderer among them all? The year is 1953. The small English village of St. Mary Mead home to Miss Jane Marple is delighted when a big American movie company arrives to make a movie telling of the relationship between Jane Grey and Elisabeth I starring the famous actresses Marina Rudd and Lola Brewster. Marina arrives with her husband Jason and when she discovers that Lola is going to be in the movie with her she hits the roof as Lola and Marina loathe each other on sight. Marina has been getting death threats and at a party at the manor house Heather Babcock after boring Marina with a long story drinks a cocktail made for Marina and dies from poisoning. Everybody believes that Marina is the target but the police officer investigating the case Inspector Craddock isn't sure so he asks Miss Marple his aunt to investigate... (Dir. Guy Hamilton 1980) Evil Under The Sun: Evil is everywhere. Even in paradise... Hercule Poirot is called in to investigate a case for an insurance company regarding firstly a dead woman's body found on a moor and then a important diamond sent to the company to be insured turns out to be a fake. Poirot discovers that the diamond was bought for Arlena Marshall by Sir Horace Blatt and Arlena is on her honeymoon with her husband and step-daughter on a tropical island hotel. He joins them on the island and finds that everybody else starts to hate Arlena for different reasons - refusing to do a stage show stopping a book and for having an open affair with Patrick Redfern another guest in full view of his shy wife. So it's only a matter of time before Arlena turns up dead strangled and Poirot must find out who it is.... (Dir. Guy Hamilton 1982)
Just the name "Orient Express" conjures up images of a bygone era. Add an all-star cast (including Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset and Lauren Bacall, to name a few) and Agatha Christie's delicious plot and how can you go wrong? Particularly if you add in Albert Finney as Christie's delightfully pernickety sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Someone has knocked off nasty Richard Widmark on this train trip and, to Poirot's puzzlement, everyone seems to have a motive--just the set-up for a terrific whodunit. Though it seems like an ensemble film, director Sidney Lumet gives each of his stars their own solo and each makes the most of it. Bergman went so far as to win an Oscar for her role. But the real scene-stealer is the ever-reliable Finney as the eccentric detective who never misses a trick. --Marshall Fine
When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewellery store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that threatens to tear the family apart once and for all.
Titles Comprise: Serpico: Sidney Lumet's tense thriller based on real events featuring an outstanding Al Pacino as an undercover officer who incurs the wrath of cop colleagues for exposing corruption within the force... The Untouchables: Brian De Palma's The Untouchables is a must-see masterpiece: set to a classic Ennio Morricone score this is the glorious and fierce depiction of the larger than life mob warlord who ruled Prohibition-era Chicago - and the law enforcer who vowed to bring him down. This classic confrontation between good and evil stars Kevin Costner as federal agent Eliot Ness Robert De Niro as gangland kingpin Al Capone and Sean Connery winning an Oscar as Malone the cop who teaches Ness how to beat the mob: shoot fast and shoot first. Chinatown: A landmark movie in the film noir tradition Roman Polanski's Chinatown stands as a true screen classic. Jack Nicholson is private eye Jake Gittes living off the murky moral climate of sunbaked pre-war Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one unforgettable night in ... Chinatown.
Sharon Stone plays the title character, a gun moll with a heart of gold who takes a seven-year-old boy under her wing when her mobster friends threaten to rub him out (after killing his entire family). This remake of John Cassavetes' l980 film should probably have been nipped in the bud; Stone is totally miscast in the title role. As for the other characters, they don't inspire much sympathy or even interest in the audience, not even the cute kid. Why do directors feel the need to do remakes of good movies? As problematic as Cassavetes' films tend to be, Sidney Lumet should have known better than to take this on. Sharon Stone fans may enjoy this film, but there are plenty of disappointing problems that tend to get in the way. --Jerry Renshaw, Amazon.com
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