DVDpedia : Library : Title : S

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 117

Summary: A producer's film is endangered when his star walks off, so he decides to digitally create an actress to substitute for the star, becoming an overnight sensation that everyone thinks is a real person.

Theatrical: 1936

Studio: Divisa Red

Genre: Drama

Duration: 105.0

Summary: French history gets turned upside down in this lavishly mounted comedy with an international cast. As Napoleon (David Suchet) prepares for the Battle of Waterloo, he's nearly killed by an assassin. The attempted murder is foiled by Corporal Armani (Dominique Pinon), and a grateful Napoleon promotes the soldier to Field Marshal, not realizing that the rescue was a happy accident rather than an act of heroism, or that Armani's ineptitude will cost him dearly later on. Meanwhile, Napoleon is looking for inside information on the Duke of Wellington (Stephen Fry); accordingly, he is happy to make the acquaintance of Lady Edwina (Alexandra Vandernoot), who claims to be a French spy with some major dirt on the British command. Napoleon is smitten with the comely intelligence agent and soon they're enjoying a fling, but what he doesn't know is that she's actually working with the British to uncover information on the diminutive French ruler. When Edwina beats a hasty retreat, Napoleon thinks foul play is afoot, and he decides to follow her, disguising himself as a peasant woman to avoid suspicion. Though set in France and directed by Spanish filmmakers, Sabotage! was shot in English with an eye toward the American market. Special Features:
o Film Credits
o Filmographies
o Interactive Menu
o Making Of
o Photo Gallery
o Scene Access
o Trailer(s)

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 123

Summary: Director Oliver Stone ("Platoon", "JFK") offers up this brilliant, engrossing true-life account of the violent civil war in El Salvador as told through the perspective of a has-been journalist trying for one last grasp at glory and finding the true horror of war. James Woods is freelance journalist Richard Boyle, who leaves San Francisco broke with his drug-addled, disc-jockey buddy (Jim Belushi) to cover the escalating conflict and hopefully return to his former stature as a war correspondent. What he finds is a nation torn by random violence, shifting ideologies, poverty, and the malevolent influence of the United States. Boyle tries to make sense of the brutality he sees while extracting his girlfriend from the war zone and saving his own life. Featuring John Savage ("The Deer Hunter") as an earnest photojournalist, this is a fascinating and riveting depiction of the bloody strife that tore apart a nation and mirrored the disillusionment of the Vietnam era. "--Robert Lane"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]

Genre: Anime / Action / Adventure

Duration: 23

Summary: Director Shinichiro Watanabe brings his picaresque adventure-comedy "Samurai Champloo" to its conclusion as Fuu, Mugen, and Jin reach Nagasaki. The final episodes showcase Watanabe's skill as a storyteller: earlier moments that seemed to be digressions turn out to hold more significance than viewers suspected. The mystery of the "samurai who smells of sunflowers" is revealed, although Americans may not understand the significance of his ties to the Shimabara Rebellion, an uprising of Christians and peasants in the 17th century. But Watanabe doesn't resort to Morris-the-explainer scenes: the revelations and back stories of the main characters are integrated into the narrative. Mugen and Jin battle foes in duels that recall the confrontation between Spike Spiegel and Vicious in "Cowboy Bebop". Watanabe said, "I actually like to travel, but, now that I'm finished with his project, I feel like I do when I come to the end of a really long trip." Fans of "Samurai Champloo" can only hope that after a rest, he'll create new adventures for his outrageously mismatched trio. (Rated 16 and older: violence, violence against women, profanity, alcohol and tobacco use) "--Charles Solomon"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Kadokawa Eiga K.K.

Genre: Action

Summary:

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 100

Summary: How well you respond to Richard Linklater's "A Scanner Darkly" depends on how much you know about the life and work of celebrated science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. While it qualifies as a faithful adaptation of Dick's semiautobiographical 1977 novel about the perils of drug abuse, Big Brother-like surveillance and rampant paranoia in a very near future ("seven years from now"), this is still very much a Linklater film, and those two qualities don't always connect effectively. The creepy potency of Dick's premise remains: The drug war's been lost, citizens are kept under rigid surveillance by holographic scanning recorders, and a schizoid addict named Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is facing an identity crisis he's not even aware of: Due to his voluminous intake of the highly addictive psychotropic drug Substance D, Arctor's brain has been split in two, each hemisphere functioning separately. So he doesn't know that he's also Agent Fred, an undercover agent assigned to infiltrate Arctor's circle of friends (played by Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, Rory Cochrane, and Robert Downey, Jr.) to track down the secret source of Substance D. As he wears a "scramble suit" that constantly shifts identities and renders Agent Fred/Arctor into "the ultimate everyman," Dick's drug-addled antihero must come to grips with a society where, as the movie's tag-line makes clear, "everything is not going to be OK."
While it's virtually guaranteed to achieve some kind of cult status, "A Scanner Darkly" lacks the paranoid intensity of Dick's novel, and Linklater's established penchant for loose and loopy dialogue doesn't always work here, with an emphasis on drug-culture humor instead of the panicked anxiety that Dick's novel conveys. As for the use of "interpolated rotoscoping"--the technique used to apply shifting, highly stylized animation over conventional live-action footage--it's purely a matter of personal preference. The film's look is appropriate to Dick's dark, cautionary story about the high price of addiction, but it also robs performances of nuance and turns the seriousness of Dick's story into... well, a cartoon. Opinions will differ, but "A Scanner Darkly" is definitely worth a look--or two, if the mind-rattling plot doesn't sink in the first time around. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama / Fantasy

Duration: 105

Summary: The French magician and director Georges Méliès was arguably the first master of special effects, filling the silent movie houses of the early 20th century with camera trickery that stunned and delighted audiences. A century later, Michel Gondry works very much in the spirit of his artistic predecessor and countryman, creating films and music videos that feel just as hand-crafted and visually fantastical. "The Science of Sleep" concerns the flirtations and misunderstandings of Stéphane (Gael García Bernal, "Babel"), an aspiring visual artist, and Stéphanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg, "21 Grams"), his Parisian neighbor who creates whimsical sculptures from cotton balls and felt. As Stéphane toils in a caustic office for a company that makes calendars, he retreats into his dreams and finds them increasingly hard to distinguish from reality, and vice-versa. "The Science of Sleep" is a trilingual film, with dialogue spoken in French, English, and Spanish by characters who are very much global citizens, crossing boundaries of consciousness as easily as they cross boundaries of culture. Gondry decorates his love story with deliberately low-tech special effects, including cellophane made to look like bath water and a subconscious television studio constructed largely of corrugated cardboard. This is filmmaking with all the seams and stitches exposed, an appreciation for the patent falseness of films that nonetheless transport and enchant us. It's dreamy. "--Ryan Boudinot"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 96

Summary: Light and charming, "Scoop" blends murder, ghosts, and falling in love. While inside of a magician's magic cabinet, aspiring journalist Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson, "Lost in Translation") is visiting by the ghost of a dead reporter (Ian McShane, "Deadwood") who has gotten a hot tip in the afterlife: A rising young politician named Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman, "X-Men") may be the notorious serial killer who leaves tarot cards by his victims. With the magician (writer-director Woody Allen) in tow, Sondra sneaks her way into Lyman's life--and, despite increasing evidence that the tip is true, finds herself falling in love with him. "Scoop" is stronger than Allen's last film, the overrated "Match Point"; moment to moment, scene to scene, it's his most zippy and entertaining movie in years. It still suffers from laziness--Allen seems unwilling to look at the plot's holes and find a way to sew them up--and Allen's own persona, with his now-rote comic stutterings and hesitations, drags on the film's momentum. Despite this, "Scoop" has flashes of suspense and wit that, in an unknown filmmaker, would be cause for celebration. Also featuring Charles Dance ("White Mischief") and Romola Garai ("I Capture the Castle"), one of the few actresses who can compete with Johansson in lusciousness. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Crime

Duration: 124

Summary: An aging thief hopes to retire and live off his ill-gotten wealth when a young kid convinces him into doing one last heist.

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Drama

Duration: 141

Summary: True story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the three-man team behind it but also those of the nation as well.

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Drama

Duration: 95

Summary:

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Drama

Duration: 104

Summary: A young woman, recently released from a mental hospital, gets a job as a secretary to a demanding lawyer, where their employer-employee relationship turns into a sexual, sadomasochistic one.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 108

Summary: Clint Eastwood may be a little too old (plus he kind of already did his own version of this movie in 1993's "In the Line of Fire"), but Harrison Ford could have been "The Sentinel"'s lead and lent the same kind of top-flight Hollywood superstar craft that Michael Douglas brings as a superstar secret service agent fighting a frame-up in a panicky countdown to peril. That the marquee name could have belonged to anyone with the same chops as Douglas is no slam to him, Ford, Eastwood, or anyone else of their ilk. "The Sentinel" is a crackling good thriller because everyone involved is working at the top of their game. Pete Garrison (Douglas) is on the presidential protection detail when another agent is murdered. A creepy informer tells Garrison about an elaborate assassination conspiracy that's related and well underway. Garrison also happens to be having an affair with the First Lady (Kim Basinger), the stress of which causes him to flunk a lie detector test when word of the plot to kill the president becomes more than just paranoia. Garrison is soon on the run, being hunted by his protege David Breckinridge (Kiefer Sutherland, whose "24" experience gives his performance an extra edge). But Garrison is the best, using all his secret service wiles (and there are plenty, the details of which give added tension and authenticity to the taut script) to evade his former comrades as the clock ticks. You can often see the plot thickening a mile away, and as much as the movie wants to keep us guessing, the real bad guy is an easy mark for the audience. But the energy and kinetic skill which propel the action are always spot on and enough to keep us from caring about the giveaways. Co-star Eva Longoria is miles away from her "Desperate Housewives" role and miles away from any real import of character in the movie. But the rest of the cast and the whooshing forward momentum of style and anxiety are plenty to keep "The Sentinel" in full-tilt suspense mode from beginning to end."--Ted Fry"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 119 min

Summary: "Serenity" offers perfect proof that "Firefly" deserved a better fate than premature TV cancellation. Joss Whedon's acclaimed sci-fi Western hybrid series was ideally suited (in Browncoats, of course) for a big-screen conversion, and this action-packed adventure allows Whedon to fill in the "Firefly" backstory, especially the history and mystery of the spaceship Serenity's volatile and traumatized stowaway, River Tam (Summer Glau). Her lethal skills as a programmed "weapon" makes her a coveted prize for the power-hungry planetary Alliance, represented here by an Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who'll stop at nothing to retrieve River from Serenity's protective crew. We still get all the quip-filled dialogue and ass-kicking action that we've come to expect from the creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", but Whedon goes a talented step further here, blessing his established ensemble cast with a more fully-developed dynamic of endearing relationships. "Serenity"'s cast is led with well-balanced depth and humor by Nathan Fillion as Captain Mal Reynolds, whose maverick spirit is matched by his devotion to crewmates Wash (Alan Tudyk), Zoe (Gina Torres), fun-loving fighter Jayne (Adam Baldwin), engineer Kaylee (Jewel Staite), doctor Simon (Sean Maher), and Mal's former flame Inara (Morena Baccarin), who plays a pivotal role in Whedon's briskly-paced plot. As many critics agreed, "Serenity" offered all the fun and breezy excitement that was missing from George Lucas's latter-day "Star Wars" epics, and Whedon leaves an opening for a continuing franchise that never feels cheap or commercially opportunistic. With the mega-corporate mysteries of Blue Sun yet to be explored, it's a safe bet we haven't seen the last of the good ship Serenity. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Pioneer Video

Genre: Anime / Sci-Fi

Duration: 24

Summary: Disturbing, perplexing, sometimes infuriating, Ryutaro Nakamura's "serial experiments lain" covers some of the same themes as "The X-Files" and the films of David Lynch. When introverted 13-year-old Lain receives an e-mail from a dead classmate, she gains access to "the Wired," a virtual world that promises unlimited power to those who can exploit it. Gradually the borders between the real and the virtual blur, and Lain's own identity begins to fade and fragment. Her parents tell her that she is not really their child, her online self grows in power and independence, and shadowy organizations pursue her in both worlds. Finally she begins to realize that she is either reality's only hope, or its worst enemy.
Nakamura keeps the pace of "serial experiments lain" deliberately slow, imbuing the early episodes with a sense of mounting dread that pays off as the plot develops. The anime technique of panning across static images creates a meditative stillness that works perfectly, and the repetition of certain key images gives them a dreamlike significance. Viewers will either love or hate the complex plot, which seems intent on incorporating every possible paranoid conspiracy, from sinister nanotechnology to alien plots. However--unlike many other anime--it somehow hangs together, and frankly "not" understanding everything is part of the pleasure of this kind of story. Fans of action-heavy anime and people who like every loose end tied up should steer clear, but those who surrender themselves to the slowly unfolding mysteries of the plot will be amply rewarded. "--Simon Leake"

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 127

Summary: Police drama about two cops, one new and one about to retire, after a serial killer using the seven deadly sins as his MO.

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Genre: Drama

Duration: 118

Summary: Seven Pounds employs a tactic of misdirection, surprise, and a little confusion, as the film jumps around in time and waits to provide an explanation until almost halfway through. The story and the direction it's headed can be guessed earlier on, though the film is careful not to ever succumb to over-predictability. Director Gabriele Muccino has again crafted an emotionally engaging work of love, guilt, sacrifice, and retribution, and Will Smith has delivered another triumphantly powerful performance. Mixing an intricate drama with delicate romance and a compelling plan for redemption, Seven Pounds could easily be the feel-good movie of the year if it wasn't so depressing in its approach to salvation.



Tormented by his past, IRS agent Ben Thomas (Will Smith) sets out on a mission of redemption to drastically change the lives of seven strangers. But as his plans are slowly put into motion, he finds himself falling for the beautiful Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), a young woman whose heart condition finds her prematurely facing the fragility of life, and in turn Ben must come to terms with his own mortality and his dire plan for retribution.



Although the idea behind Seven Pounds has Shakespearean references (see The Merchant of Venice), seven is too high a number for a two hour film. It calls for more characters, few of which receive adequate screen time (or perhaps purposefully aids in the confusion) and lessens the realism of the plot. The secret behind the film is so important that the trailers, teasers, poster artwork and more are all shrouded with mystery - and as the film unravels, the audience is kept in the dark for as long as possible. It's a novel idea, but ultimately faces two possible routes to failure: the viewer will get irritated at being kept out of the loop for so long, or the conclusion (which suffers from absurdity under hindsight scrutiny) won't live up to the anticipation. What saves the whole thing is Will Smith, who remains just interesting enough that the mind-boggling narrative progression is forgivable.



Rejoining director Gabriele Muccino (The Pursuit of Happyness) for another serious drama role is an appropriate choice for Smith; during the last few years he's tried his luck with almost every genre and has had great success, but his most impressive work comes from dramatic realism. The script isn't all that clever, but Smith is able to add enough wonderment to Ben that anticipation (and maybe impatience) builds. Rosario Dawson also delivers one of her finer performances, while the remaining supporting characters add little to the intensity of Smith's role. The majority of his films lie solely on his ability to carry the plot, and Seven Pounds more than any before it, requires that audiences enjoy Smith's onscreen bravura.



- The Massie Twins

Theatrical: 1958

Studio: Criterion Collection

Genre: Drama & Fantasy

Duration: 96

Summary: THE SEVENTH SEAL is like the cinematic unfolding of a painting by Brueghel, whose canvasses recounted in massive detail a wide range of vagaries of the human condition, especially in their more macabre aspects. This extraordinary film likewise spins out one remarkable vision after another, whether it is a warrior returning from the Crusades engaged in a chess match with Death, or a man receiving a vision of the Madonna walking with the infant Christ, or images of the plague, or an unforgettable procession of flagellants beating themselves to atone for the sins of the age. Ingmar Bergman employs many of his usual great actors and actresses in this film. Max von Sydow is riveting as the world-weary knight Antonius Block, who, tired and disillusioned as he is, nonetheless resists Death's advances. Gunnar Björnstrand plays his companion, the squire Jöns, who is an unwavering tower of strength in the midst of the death and chaos all around him. Bengt Ekerot was not a Bergman regular, but he became the most famous and most successful personification of death in the history of film. Absolutely no one who has seen this film can forget his eerie presence throughout the whole of the film. When the film BILL AND TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY was made, Death in that film was transparently copied directly from Bengt Ekerot's character.The real stars of this film are the director and his cinematographer Gunnar Fischer. Very, very few films ever made have as many famous and unforgettable shots as this one. Many of the images even today have an almost overwhelming power, such any of a number of shots of Bengt Ekerot in his black garb and white face, beckoning with outstretched arm Antonius Block to come with him. The final image in the film, with death leading his party along the crest of a hill is haunting and profoundly moving. It is also a widely imitated shot.One thing that makes this movie especially moving is the way Bergman accepts many of the precepts and beliefs of that time, and yet gives them an undeniably modern twist. Antonius Block's crisis of belief, generated by the horrors he has witnessed both abroad and upon his return to Europe, reflects the existential crises many were feeling in the 1950s. Yet, the film ends on an odd note of hope, as the itinerant entertainer and his family, who witness the Dance of Death from afar, survive and carry on. Death has come and taken, but nonetheless, human life continues.

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Palm Pictures (Video

Genre: Arthouse / Drama

Duration: 128

Summary: Various lives converge on an isolated island, all connected by an author whose novel has become inextricably entwined with his own life.

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 85

Summary: No other Woody Allen film has ever been hustled into oblivion faster than this black-and-white mélange of "Mittel"-European nightmare, absurdist farce, and homage to German expressionism--sort of Woody Allen meets Franz Kafka in "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari", set to Kurt Weill's score for "The Threepenny Opera". Yet the daft experiment is not without charm and, as the title suggests, oodles of atmosphere.
In a murky, seriously deranged cityscape only a studio art department could create, a giant bald strangler (Michael Kirby) is going around killing people with piano wire. The authorities are powerless (though he stomps about freely, occasionally declaiming speeches), so vigilante posses start roving the streets. For some reason, they dragoon a noisy nebbish named Kleinman (Allen) to assist them. So Kleinman goes into the fog, kvetching, and meets Irmy (Mia Farrow), a circus sword swallower (no double-entendres, please) whose clown of a husband (John Malkovich) is two-timing her with the strongman's wife (Madonna). Add an "et cetera" here, because the big, mostly wasted cast also includes Kenneth Mars as the strongman, Donald Pleasence as a philosophical coroner, John Cusack as a student who mistakes Irmy for a prostitute, and Kathy Bates, Jodie Foster, and Lily Tomlin as the real prostitutes in whose company she happens to be at the time. None of this adds up, and the whole thing moves and feels less like a film than one of Allen's oddball New Yorker sketches. Still, as the fever dream of an art-house addict, it has its moments. "--Richard T. Jameson"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Studio Canal

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 99

Summary: Nous sommes heureux de vous offrir un DVD pilote de la série Charlie Jade.A presque 30 ans, Shaun ne fait pas grand-chose de sa vie. Entre l'appart qu'il partage avec ses potes et le temps qu'il passe avec eux au pub, Liz, sa petite amie, n'a pas beaucoup de place. Elle qui voudrait que Shaun s'engage, ne supporte plus de le voir traîner. Excédée par ses vaines promesses et son incapacité à se consacrer un peu à leur couple, Liz décide de rompre. Shaun est décidé à tout réparer, et tant pis si les zombies déferlent sur Londres, tant pis si la ville devient un véritable enfer. Retranché dans son pub préféré, le temps est venu pour lui de montrer enfin de quoi il est capable...

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Aardman Animations

Genre: Animation

Duration: 7

Summary: Shaun the Sheep is a character based on "A Close Shave", a Wallace and Grommit short film that came out during the 90's. In this TV show, Shaun lives with a flock of sheep on a farm in contemporary Britain. Each show is seven minutes long and revolves around a fun cast of mostly-animal characters going through little capers.



I'm a little biased, admittedly, being an Aardman animation fan. That said, I find Shaun the Sheep to be exceptionally clever, well-produced, and highly rewarding to watch. I watch most of what my 2-year old son watches, one of my motivations being that he won't be watching anything too brain-dead, and Shaun is the show I enjoy watching the most. The Shaun stories are consistently of high quality and mindful of both their young and old audiences. There's plenty of visual and auditory allusion for the old folks, but lots of plain old fun for the kids.



I've shown Shaun to a number of my son's friends and they all think it's a hoot. I think this is the best thing you can add to your family video library collection.



The only reason I can't give this a perfect rating is because I'm reviewing a prerelease DVD, something I haven't seen. If the video quality matches other Aardman videos (like Creature Comforts), I'm sure it will get that 5-star rating.

Theatrical: 1999

Studio:

Genre: Animation

Duration: 5

Summary:

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 138

Summary: Master filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci applies his considerable talent to this haunting adaptation of the Paul Bowles novel. John Malkovich and Debra Winger play Port and Kit Moresby, characters loosely based on Bowles and his wife Jane, who flee New York for North Africa, where they hope to find mystical truths that will reignite the spark of their marriage. But instead they lose their moral bearings (with help from a friend, played by Campbell Scott, who has an affair with Kit) while traveling deeper and deeper into the Sahara. Before long, what started as a vacation at exotic lodgings has descended into a tour of hell, as they stumble farther and farther into an unknowable spiritual territory. Though long and at times slow-moving, the film features marvelously nuanced acting by Malkovich and Winger and visionary filmmaking that makes the landscape at once picturesque and threatening. "--Marshall Fine"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Paramount Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 125

Summary: A movie that would not have been out of place in the run of paranoid-political thrillers of the 1970s, "Shooter" works an entertaining variation on the assassination picture. Mark Wahlberg, carrying over good mojo from "The Departed", slides neatly into the character of Bob Lee Swagger, master marksman. Swagger has retreated from his duty as an off-the-books hired gun for the military, having become disillusioned with his government (switching on his TV at his remote mountain cabin, he mutters, "Let's see what kind of lies they're trying to sell us today."). Ah, but the government needs Swagger to scope out the location of a rumored attempt on the life of the president, so a shadowy government operative (Danny Glover) begs Swagger to use his sniper's skills to out-fox the assassin. From there--well, spoilers are not fair, since the movie has a few legitimate shocks and a very nice wrong-man scenario about to unfold.
A novel by the Washington Post's Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Stephen Hunter gives the movie a logical spine, even if the premise itself is the stuff of conspiracy theorists. Wahlberg gets support from Michael Pena, as a skeptical FBI agent; Kate Mara, as a trustworthy widow; and Ned Beatty, trailing along memories of "Network", as a supremely cynical Senator. Along with the well-executed action sequences (the previously unreliable director Antoine Fuqua gets it in gear here), the movie includes a few potshots at the Bush administration. No, that doesn't put "Shooter" at the level of "The Parallax View" or "All the President's Men", but it provides some tang along with the flying bullets. "--Robert Horton"

Beyond "Shooter"
More Sniper / Hit Man Movies on DVD
More DVDs with Mark Wahlberg
The Novel Stills from "Shooter" (click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Velocity / Thinkfilm

Genre: Art House & International

Duration: 102

Summary: In his aim to make an honest film about sex, John Cameron Mitchell ("Hedwig and the Angry Inch") has taken a somewhat documentary approach to "Shortbus", a film describing various New Yorkers' sexual pathos. Framed by shots roving a homemade diorama of the city, "Shortbus" is comprised of vignettes featuring actors who helped craft this story of people's disconnect in sexual endeavors. Jamie (PJ DeBoy) and James (Paul Dawson), a gay couple experiencing a lull in their relationship, visit Sophia (Sook-Yin Lee), a sex therapist whose inability to orgasm results in her clients inviting her to a sex club after which the film is titled. Sophia's husband, Rob (Raphael Barker), is also willing to experiment, so the two independently embark on adventures in self-pleasure. Dominatrix Severin (Lindsay Beamish) plays a crucial role in Sophia and Rob's lives, as her search for real humanity overlaps with their desire for passion. As each character's plot complicates, the viewer sees a similar melancholy bulldozing its way into these seemingly disparate lives. The depression is repeatedly used in comedic scenes, such as when James is asked on a date while still hospitalized for his attempted suicide. Yo La Tengo's score, which includes Animal Collective among others, lends this film a graceful ambience. Unlike porn, "Shortbus" has a resonance that encourages the viewer to consider one's own sex life as an important aspect of happiness. "--Trinie Dalton"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Dreamworks Animated

Genre: Adventure

Duration: 90

Summary: A reclusive ogre and a chatterbox donkey go on a quest to rescue a princess for a tyrannical midget lord.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: UIP

Genre: Adventure

Duration: 92

Summary: Princess Fiona's parents invite her and Shrek to dinner to celebrate her marriage. If only they knew the newlyweds were both ogres.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Concorde Video

Genre: Triller / Drama

Duration: 127

Summary: A lot of movies can be described as "dripping with atmosphere," but in the case of "Silent Hill" it's literally true. Faithfully adapted from the Konami video games by French director Christophe Gans and "Pulp Fiction" cowriter Roger Avary (both self-confessed video game addicts), this dark and grisly horror-fest is nothing if not a triumph of cinematography and production design, consisting of a minimal and mostly incoherent plot propped up by a mysterious maze of sets that literally seep, drip, and ooze with the atmospheric evil of past misdeeds. Welcome to the abandoned and perpetually foggy ghost town of Silent Hill, where grey ash falls like snow, a devastating coal-mine fire still burns in a hellish underground, and demons of various shapes and sizes make your worst nightmares seem like a walk in the park. It's here that distressed mother Rose (played by "Pitch Black" heroine Radha Mitchell) has taken her daughter Sharon (Jodelle Ferland) in hopes of discovering the source of Sharon's sleepwalking nightmares. What they find instead is a burned-out legacy of unspeakable evil, as Silent Hill's dark secrets are revealed. As opposing denizens of Silent Hill's meta-morphing underworld, Canadian actresses Alice Krige and Deborah Kara Unger seem to be the only ones who recognize this morbid mess as campy comedy; Gans (who established his visual flair with "The Brotherhood of the Wolf") and Avary take it far too seriously, and the entire movie is utterly devoid of any emotional hooks or plot logic that would make us care about anything that happens. In crafting a loyal big-screen rendition of "Silent Hill" and its Playstation sequels, they've forgotten that movies play by a different and more demanding set of rules. As a result, they've made an impressive-looking but ultimately hollow horror film that only "Silent Hill" game-players can truly appreciate. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1976

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 87

Summary: Made thirty years ago and one of Brooks' less well-known films, it deserves to be known better.
The plot revolves around Brooks' character, Mel Funn, a movie director who has fallen from grace due to his drink problem. Assisted by Marty Feldman and Dom DeLuise, he pitches an idea to studio exec Sid Caesar for a silent movie. Caesar, who gives a good comic performance, rejects the notion until Funn promises to recruit major stars to appear in it. The recruitment of those stars forms most of the remainder of the plot and Funn & co try many slapstick ruses to acquire the services of Burt Reynolds, Paul Newman, Liza Minelli, James Caan, Marcel Marceau and Ann Bancroft, all of whom appear as themselves in the movie.
As with most of Brooks' films, there is too little incidental music, which would seem even more necessary in a silent film, but aside from that it has fairly good pace and some excellent comic moments, James Caan with boxing gloves and faulty trailer is among the best.
DVD quality is excellent.

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Paramount Studio

Genre: Drama

Duration: 121

Summary: An endless white landscape of rolling hills and snow-blanketed forests. A lonely acoustic score (by Danny Elfman) playing in the background. A vision of rural simplicity portrayed in hushed tones. The stillness is about to shatter. Brothers Hank (Bill Paxton), an accountant at a small-town feed store, and Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton), an unemployed, hygienically challenged dim bulb, accompanied by Jacob's oafish pal Lou (Brent Briscoe), stumble across a downed plane in the brush containing a corpse and a sack containing millions of dollars--surely the aftermath of a drug deal, they conclude. Greed overcomes good sense, and the three agree to hide the money for a year and keep the secret to themselves. A simple plan indeed, and it doesn't take long for it to go all to hell as the lure of wealth tears at kinship and friendship, and the ruthless machinations of impetuous partners leave a body count in its wake. Bridget Fonda costars as Hank's wife, whose initial hesitation gives way to cold-blooded plotting. Sam Raimi, best known for wowing audiences with stylistic gymnastics and manic mayhem, directs this quietly desperate thriller with chilly restraint, finding its cold, tragic heart in the estranged relationship between Hank and Jacob: the college boy blind to the truth of his own family and the town loser whose tortured soul reveals a humanity lost on his brother (a brilliant performance by Thornton). Adapted by Scott B. Smith from his acclaimed novel. --Sean Axmaker

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Dentsu

Genre: Adventure

Duration: 135

Summary: Japan sinks! Proving once again that Japan will never cease to find inventive ways to destroy itself on screen, this summer's blockbuster Sinking of Japan brings apocalypse through tectonics. Based on Sakyo Komatsu's best-selling novel, Sinking of Japan was first put on the big screen in Moritani Shiro's 1973 classic. In 2006, director Higuchi Shinji remakes the disaster movie, taking the story to new levels with a huge budget, stunning CG special effects, and superstars Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (from Smap) and Shibasaki Kou (Memories of Matsuko and Orange Days) in the leading roles.
Due to tectonic plate collisions, Japan is literally sinking into the ocean. Informed that the archipelago will be no more in 40 years' time, the government discreetly tries to arrange for massive migration. Scientist Tadokoro (Toyokawa Etsushi) and submarine pilot Onodera Toshi (Kusanagi Tsuyoshi) soon discover, however, that the sinking is faster than anyone had imagined - Japan will cease to exist in less than a year's time! With earthquakes, tidal waves, and volcano eruptions successively rocking through the nation, hysteria settles in, and it seems much of the population may be wiped out even before the sinking is complete. In the midst of the chaos, Toshi develops a close relationship with young orphan Misaki (Fukuda Mayuko) and dedicated rescue worker Abe Reiko (Shibasaki Kou), who refuses to leave Japan in the face of peril. The one way to save the country is to break off the plate that is pulling Japan into the ocean through strategic deepwater detonations. It is a virtual suicide mission, and Toshi is the only one left who can operate the submarine.

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Caravan Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 98

Summary: "The African Queen" meets "Swept Away " in this sometimes labored romantic comedy by director Ivan Reitman. Fortunately, he cast an old pro in Harrison Ford, as Quinn Harris, a South Seas charter pilot who must ferry New York fashion editor Robin Monroe (Anne Heche) from one island to another--a hop that falls flat when they fly into a mammoth storm that causes them to crash on a deserted island. The pair resent and resist each other, until they are forced to team up to escape from the island--and some modern pirates who want their heads. If that part of the story is unconvincing, you can always focus on the smoldering comic chemistry between Heche, who displays strong comic instincts, and the ever-reliable Ford. The script is just an excuse for these two flinty characters to strike increasingly romantic sparks off each other, which is always enjoyable to watch. "--Marshall Fine"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Triller / Drama

Duration: 104

Summary: Steeped in rain, humidity, and eerie bayou atmosphere, "The Skeleton Key" is an entertaining supernatural thriller that makes excellent use of its Louisiana locations. New Orleans and the rural environs of Terrebonne Parish are crucial in setting up the creepy circumstances that find compassionate caregiver Caroline Ellis (Kate Hudson) newly employed at the backwater plantation home of Violet (Gena Rowlands) and her invalid husband Ben (John Hurt), who's been rendered mute and seemingly helpless by a recent stroke. The place is rife with mystery, shrouded in the secrets of a suspicious past and, under Violet's stern supervision, plagued by superstition involving the use of Hoodoo magic spells (not to be confused with Voodoo, as explored in the similarly suspenseful Angel Heart) intended to protect the house from harm. But Caroline soon discovers the source of the mystery, and why Ben (who can barely utter a word) is so desperate to escape his seemingly comfortable domesticity. There are a few loopholes in the screenplay by prolific horror writer Ehren Kruger ("The Ring" and "The Brothers Grimm"), but director Iain Softley ("Wings of the Dove") expertly emphasizes the edgy air of mystery, pushing some effective shocks while encouraging fine work from Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard (as Violet's lawyer) and especially Rowlands, who's genuinely disturbing as "Skeleton Key" nears a twist ending that's undeniably effective. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Paramount Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 106

Summary: After New York City receives a series of attacks from giant flying robots, a reporter teams up with a pilot in search of their origin, as well as the reason for the disappearances of famous scientists around the world.

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV)

Genre: Anime / Adventure

Duration: 121

Summary:

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Horror

Duration: 105

Summary: The films of Tim Burton shine through the muck like a jack-o-lantern on a foggy October night. After such successes as "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Edward Scissorhands", it should come as no surprise that "Sleepy Hollow" is a dazzling film, a delicious reworking of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". Dark and moody, the film is a thrilling ride back to the turn of the 19th century. Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, a seemingly hapless constable from New York City who is sent to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to solve the mystery of the decapitations that are plaguing the town. Crane is a bumbling sort, with a tremendous faith in science over mysticism, and he comes up against town secrets, bewitching women, and a number of bodies missing heads. Christina Ricci, as beautiful as ever, is Katrina Van Tassel, the offbeat love interest who alternately charms and frightens Crane.
The film, while occasionally gory (as one should expect from a movie about a headless horseman), is not terribly frightening, although it is suspenseful. Both Depp and Ricci are convincing, and the art direction and production values give the village its harsh feel. Toward the end, once the secrets are revealed, the film does slow down; however, this stylistic horror film provides many tricks and even more treats. "--Jenny Brown"

Theatrical: 1972

Studio: Palomar Pictures Corporation

Genre: Drama

Duration: 138

Summary: Milo Tindle and Andrew Wyke have something in common, Andrew's wife. In an attempt to find a way out of this without costing Andrew a fortune in alimony, he suggests Milo pretend to rob his house and let him claim the insurance on the stolen jewelry. The problem is that they don't really like each other and each cannot avoid the zinger on the other. The plot has many shifts in which the advantage shifts between Milo and Andrew.

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Genre: Drama

Duration: 86

Summary: Two extremely clever British men are in a game of trickery and deceit. Andrew Wyke, an aging famous author who lives alone in a high-tech mansion, after his wife Maggie has left him for a younger man; and Milo Tindle, an aspiring actor, equipped with charm and wit, who demonstrates both qualities once again). When Wyke invite Tindle to his mansion, Tindle seeks to convince the former into letting his wife go by signing the divorce paper. However, Wyke seems far more interested in playing mind games with his wife's new lover, and lures him into a series of actions he thoroughly planned in seeking revenge on his unfaithful spouse.

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 99

Summary: A London woman's love life and career both hinge, unknown to her, on whether or not she catches a train. We see it both ways, in parallel.

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 95

Summary: After a run of serious-tinged comedies like "Deconstructing Harry", "Celebrity", and "Sweet and Lowdown", Woody Allen turns to pure farce with the lightweight, appealing "Small Time Crooks", the sunniest film Allen's made in years. Doing a 180 from his nebbishy intellectual persona, Allen plays a less-than-smart ex-con named Ray, who can't even keep a dishwasher job and is perennially supported by his wife Frenchy (Tracey Ullman). When Ray hatches a plot to lease a storefront near a bank and tunnel into the bank's vault, Frenchy is skeptical about putting their life savings behind the scheme, especially after meeting Ray's dim-bulb trio of support (Michael Rapaport, Jon Lovitz, and Tony Darrow, all sublimely ridiculous) and learning she's supposed to provide the front by opening up a cookie store. Soon enough, their get-rich-quick scheme pays off, but not the way they anticipated, and they're suddenly swimming in money and bad taste. All of Allen's farcical shenanigans are basically a setup for a look at Ray's and Frenchy's diverging paths--she wants culture and upper-class acceptance, he wants pizza in front of the TV and poker with his pals. Soon, the lowbrow Frenchy enlists a fortune-digging art broker (Hugh Grant) to make her a lady, and Allen plans a high society robbery with the help of Frenchy's dimwit cousin (Elaine May, who makes an art form of comic stupidity). It's absolutely refreshing to see Allen making a blithely happy film after wrestling with angst over the past few years; watching Allen play a dumb schlemiel is a treat that's been sorely missed. And in Ullman he's found a leading lady who can match him line for line; she wisely resists the urge to overplay Frenchy's crassness and comes up with a finely modulated characterization that makes her relationship with Ray the film's warm, heartfelt core. We'd almost forgotten Woody Allen could be this fun and goofy; it's good to see that part of him back in form. "--Mark Englehart"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action

Duration: 121

Summary: Based on a much-praised 1992 bestseller by Peter Hoeg, "Smilla's Sense of Snow" is a film of moody power and boundless mystery in its first half, but it becomes an overblown, conspiracy-laden schlock thriller in its second. Julia Ormond stars as the half-Inuit, Greenland native of Hoeg's book, a loner who is supported by an emotionally ambivalent father (Robert Loggia) in Copenhagen. Apparently perceived as a troublemaker who sees secret plots everywhere, Smilla finds herself largely alone in an effort to discover what really happened to a six-year-old Inuit boy who fell (or jumped) off the roof of her apartment building. Somewhat aided by an ambiguous neighbor (Gabriel Byrne), Smilla investigates a connection between the child's death and the misdeeds of a mining company, a story hook that conveniently ratchets up the action but quickly dissipates the more compelling, introspective intrigue of the film's beginning. Ormond is fascinating, somehow more beautiful than usual through her emphasis of her character's destabilizing conflicts (isolation and a possibly unhinged intelligence). But she isn't done any favors by an unreliable script or by the usually superb Danish director Bille August's chronic problems working in English-language films (including his disastrous "The House of the Spirits"). The DVD edition of this film includes an original theatrical trailer and a short feature on the making of the production. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Crime

Duration: 104

Summary: Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers, and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 126

Summary: This enjoyable thriller, written and directed by Phil Alden Robinson (the screenwriter of "Field of Dreams"), follows a raggedy group of corporate security experts who get in over their heads when they accept an assignment poaching some hot hardware for the National Security Agency. Robert Redford plays the group's guru, an aging techno-anarchist who has been hiding from the feds since the early 1970s; his companionable gang of freaks includes Dan Aykroyd, David Strathairn, Mary McDonnell, the late River Phoenix, and Sidney Poitier, as a veteran CIA operative turned "sneaker." The technological black box that everybody is after, an array of computer chips that can decode any encrypted message, isn't a very plausible invention, but it's a serviceable McGuffin, and the megalomania of the master plotter played by Ben Kingsley has more resonance than most. Modest inferences can be drawn about the very latest high-tech threats to civil liberties. "--David Chute"

Theatrical: 1959

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 122

Summary: Maybe "nobody's perfect," as one character in this masterpiece suggests. But some movies are perfect, and "Some Like It Hot" is one of them. In Chicago, during the Prohibition era, two skirt-chasing musicians, Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), inadvertently witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. In order to escape the wrath of gangland chief Spats Colombo (George Raft), the boys, in drag, join an all-woman band headed for Florida. They vie for the attention of the lead singer, Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), a much-disappointed songbird who warbles "I'm Through with Love" but remains vulnerable to yet another unreliable saxophone player. (When Curtis courts her without his dress, he adopts the voice of Cary Grant--a spot-on impersonation.) The script by director Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is beautifully measured; everything works, like a flawless clock. Aspiring screenwriters would be well advised to throw away the how-to books and simply study this film. The bulk of the slapstick is handled by an unhinged Lemmon and the razor-sharp Joe E. Brown, who plays a horny retiree smitten by Jerry's feminine charms. For all the gags, the film is also wonderfully romantic, as Wilder indulges in just the right amounts of moonlight and the lilting melody of "Park Avenue Fantasy." "Some Like It Hot" is so delightfully fizzy, it's hard to believe the shooting of the film was a headache, with an unhappy Monroe on her worst behavior. The results, however, are sublime. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Archipel 35

Genre: Drama

Duration: 100

Summary: Olivier, a carpentry instructor at a vocational training center for troubled boys, has his world turned upside down with the arrival of Francis, a mysterious 16-year-old. Unbeknownst to Francis, a past tragedy, involving Olivier's son, connects him to his new teacher. When Olivier's ex-wife, Magali, is told of the boy's existence she is horrified. Olivier becomes obsessed, stalking the boy, furtively, while struggling to maintain a professional distance in his presence. As the secret that Bond's Olivier to the Francis is revealed, Olivier is thrown further into a conflicted world in which he is forced to take a journey of profound emotional and moral complexity.

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Drama

Duration: 98

Summary: Internal madness is hypnotically externalized in David Cronenberg's "Spider", a disturbing portrait of schizophrenia. Adapted by Patrick McGrath from his celebrated novel, this no-frills production begins when "Spider" Cleg (Ralph Fiennes, in a daring, nearly nonverbal role) returns to his childhood neighborhood in London's dreary East End, where a traumatic event from his past percolates to the surface of his still-erratic consciousness. Released from a mental institution and left to fend for himself, he pursues elusive memories while staying in a halfway house run by a stern matron (Lynn Redgrave), unable to distinguish between past, present, and psychological fabrication. The distorting influence of Spider's mind is directly reflected in Cronenberg's cunning visual strategy, presenting a shifting "reality" that's deliberately untrustworthy, until the veracity of nearly every scene is called into question. With an impressive dual-role performance by Miranda Richardson, "Spider" falls prey to its own lugubrious rhythms, but like the acclaimed 1995 indie film "Clean, Shaven", it's a compelling glimpse of mental illness, seen from the inside out. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 102

Summary: Two bumbling government employees think they are U.S. spies, only to discover that they are actually decoys.

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Walt Disney Home Video

Genre: Anime / Adventure

Duration: 125

Summary: The highest grossing film in Japanese box-office history (more than $234 million), Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (Sen To Chihiro Kamikakushi) is a dazzling film that reasserts the power of drawn animation to create fantasy worlds. Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Lewis Carroll's Alice, Chihiro (voice by Daveigh Chase--Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch) plunges into an alternate reality. On the way to their new home, the petulant adolescent and her parents find what they think is a deserted amusement park. Her parents stuff themselves until they turn into pigs, and Chihiro discovers they're trapped in a resort for traditional Japanese gods and spirits. An oddly familiar boy named Haku (Jason Marsden) instructs Chihiro to request a job from Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette), the greedy witch who rules the spa. As she works, Chihiro's untapped qualities keep her from being corrupted by the greed that pervades Yubaba's mini-empire. In a series of fantastic adventures, she purges a river god suffering from human pollution, rescues the mysterious No-Face, and befriends Yubaba's kindly twin, Zeniba (Pleshette again). The resolve, bravery, and love Chihiro discovers within herself enable her to aid Haku and save her parents. The result is a moving and magical journey, told with consummate skill by one of the masters of contemporary animation. MPAA Rated: PG ("Some scary moments") --Charles Solomon

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Tartan Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 103

Summary: Working miracles with only a single set and a handful of characters, Korean director Kim Ki-Duk creates a wise little gem of a movie. As the title suggests, the action takes place in five distinct episodes, but sometimes many years separate the seasons. The setting is a floating monastery in a pristine mountain lake, where an elderly monk teaches a boy the lessons of life--although when the boy grows to manhood, he inevitably must learn a few hard lessons for himself. By the time the story reaches its final sections, you realize you have witnessed the arc of existence--not one person's life, but everyone's. It's as enchanting as a Buddhist fable, but it's not precious; Kim (maker of the notorious "The Isle") consistently surprises you with a sex scene or an explosion of black comedy; he also vividly acts in the Winter segment, when the lake around the monastery eerily freezes. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action

Duration: 126

Summary: Retiring CIA agent Nathan Muir recalls his training of Tom Bishop while working against agency politics to free him from his Chinese captors.

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 127

Summary: George Lucas transports audiences back to the future with "Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace", the first instalment of a prequel trilogy in which the director imagines the foundation for the entire six-part saga. Reflecting the symbolic and mythological bases of at least five story arcs, "The Phantom Menace" wields a newly emerged, youthful vibrancy courtesy of Lucas' invigorating return to the director's chair and his healthy respect for the emotional sources of fantasy. Despite receiving a storm of adverse criticism (notably for Jar Jar Binks) Lucas continually fascinates with his ability to place his characters--some new, some old, some CGI--in the same dramatic situations posed in the original trilogy: whether it be the juxtaposition of primitives with technologically advanced societies or the timeless battle between good and evil, the very familiarity of these recurring scenarios and rhythms galvanises the viewer. Of course, the state-of-the-art visual effects contribute mightily to the final impact. Much has been written about the kinetic Pod Race sequence (compared favourably with the chariot race in "Ben Hur") and the "War and Peace"-style military battles, but even these events are upstaged by the new planetary vistas: consider the Romanesque grandeur of Naboo, the underwater city of Otoh Gunga illuminated by Art Nouveau lamps, the decadent brio of Tatooine, or the dizzying skyscrapers of the city planet Coruscant (imagine "Blade Runner" in daylight). Despite the beauty of his iridescent images, Lucas exercises discipline, cutting fast within frames filled with rich detail and activity. As a result, "The Phantom Menace" lends itself to repeated viewings.
On the DVD: This spectacular two-disc DVD set was certainly worth the wait. Simply put, this is the most comprehensive packaging of supplementary materials so far assembled for DVD. Most importantly, Lucas film offers an anamorphic, 2.35:1 film transfer and a highly active Dolby 5.1 audio mix. Disc 1 includes an insightful commentary with Lucas--his first for DVD--and other key personnel, making for a great tour. The bulk of extra treasures can be found on Disc 2, including seven deleted scenes completed just for this set that possess the same quality as the film; in fact, some moments (the "Air Bus Taxi" and "Pod Race Grid" sequences) are so good that Lucas reincorporated them into the film proper. Viewers can also enjoy no less than 12 Web documentaries, five informative featurettes, the popular John Williams music video "Duel of the Fates" and numerous galleries of stills, trailers and television spots. Better yet, Lucas premieres "The Beginning," a 66-minute documentary edited from hundreds of hours of behind-the-scenes footage. This is not your standard-issue studio documentary, instead "The Beginning" is an Oscar-worthy, "cinema verityé"-style exploration of the creative process behind every aspect of the film's production. One of the most memorable moments involves a late-day visit to the set by Steven Spielberg: watching Lucas and Spielberg behave like kids in a candy store is one more reminder why the "Star Wars" saga remains enduringly popular. --"Kevin Mulhall"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 137

Summary: The most densely plotted instalment of the saga so far, "Attack of the Clones" is a tale of both Machiavellian political drama and doomed romance; it's epic war film and silly comic-book fantasy combined, as teenage Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) chafes at the restrictions imposed by his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and falls in love with Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). Renegade Jedi Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) is leading a breakaway federation of disgruntled systems; while the insidious influence of Darth Sidious is felt rather than seen as his invisible hand guides apparently unrelated events, from Jar Jar's unwitting instigation of a disastrous Senate decision to bounty hunter Jango Fett's revelatory role at the centre of the conspiracy.
Along the way the story has fun with the conventions of Chandleresque detective fiction as Obi-Wan explores the seedier side of Coruscant, and incorporates the noble warrior ethos of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in its portrayal of the Jedi order. The portentous tone is lightened by tongue-in-cheek self-referential dialogue and the antics of robotic clowns R2D2 and C3PO. (One niggle for music fans, though, is the cavalier cut-and-paste approach to John Williams's music score.) Like the "Empire Strikes Back", "Clones" is the bridging film of the trilogy and thus ends on an equivocally bittersweet note.
On the DVD: "Attack of the Clones" is an all-digital film, and so looks suitably superb in this anamorphic widescreen transfer, accompanied by a THX encoded Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. Anyone who owns "The Phantom Menace" two-disc set will know what to expect from the special features: here's another group commentary led by George Lucas, two lengthy documentaries on the digital effects ("From Puppets to Pixels" and "The Previsualisation of Episode II") plus several other featurettes and Web documentaries, notably "Films Are Not Released, They Escape", a look at the sound design. There's also a fun trailer for the R2-D2 mockumentary "Beneath the Dome", trailers, photo galleries and more to satisfy any "Star Wars" fan. --"Mark Walker"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 134

Summary: Ending the most popular film epic in history, "Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith" is an exciting, uneven, but ultimately satisfying journey. Picking up the action from "Episode II, Attack of the Clones" as well as the animated "Clone Wars" series, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), pursue General Grievous into space after the droid has kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). It's just the latest maneuver in the ongoing Clone Wars between the Republic and the Separatist forces led by former Jedi turned Sith Lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). On another front, Master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz) leads the Republic's clone troops against a droid attack on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. All this is in the first half of Episode III, which feels a lot like Episodes I and II. That means spectacular scenery, dazzling dogfights in space, a new fearsome villain (the CGI-created Grievous can't match up to either Darth Maul or the original Darth Vader, though), lightsaber duels, groan-worthy romantic dialogue, goofy humor (but at least it's left to the droids instead of Jar-Jar Binks), and hordes of faceless clone troopers fighting hordes of faceless battle droids.
But then it all changes.
After setting up characters and situations for the first two and a half movies, Episode III finally comes to life. The Sith Lord in hiding unleashes his long-simmering plot to take over the Republic, and an integral part of that plan is to turn Anakin away from the Jedi and toward the Dark Side of the Force. Unless you've been living under a rock the last 10 years, you know that Anakin will transform into the dreaded Darth Vader and face an ultimate showdown with his mentor, but that doesn't matter. In fact, a great part of the fun is knowing where things will wind up but finding out how they'll get there. The end of this prequel trilogy also should inspire fans to want to see the original movies again, but this time not out of frustration at the new ones. Rather, because Episode III is a beginning as well as an end, it will trigger fond memories as it ties up threads to the originals in tidy little ways. But best of all, it seems like for the first time we actually care about what happens and who it happens to.
Episode III is easily the best of the new trilogy--OK, so that's not saying much, but it might even jockey for third place among the six "Star Wars" films. It's also the first one to be rated PG-13 for the intense battles and darker plot. It was probably impossible to live up to the decades' worth of pent-up hype George Lucas faced for the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy (and he tried to lower it with the first two movies), but Episode III makes us once again glad to be "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." " --David Horiuchi, Amazon.com"

Theatrical: 1977

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 121

Summary: Finally, finally! Just bought these and watched them again - god it was good. Spaceships look real rather than CGI animated because they are real. The effects ILM used back then were done with real models and explosions, but done so well you couldn't tell they were models. So, so, so much better than CGI animation that just looks like a computer game. I trawled the charity shops a few years ago to pick up the originals on VHS, knowing every time I watched them it could be the last given VHS's abilty to be chewed up. Finally I don't have to worry about this any more!

And I know these are kids movies, but when I first watched them, I was a kid - watching them again now takes me back in a way to those first magical moments and that is why this film is so well loved. It's also the fact that Star Wars tells a classic story which taps into the basics of good story telling. Sure, I love the Godfather too, but I'm not so lifeless I can't enjoy moments of childish glee when the fantastic John Williams score kicks in or when the Millenium Falcon blasts out of trouble just in time!

And directors who use CGI, please could you take note of a little film called Jurassic Park. 1993 it was made and it still is one of the best films I've seen which obviously uses CGI but still manages to make it look real. It's been nearly 14 years now and we still get films which don't use the technology half as well as they did back then!

Theatrical: 1980

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 127

Summary: To be fair - these are the films I saw and loved back as a kid. No altered / added scenes, all of the dialogue that was used the first time around. (Bring my shuttle). The transfer is fine, not in anyway as bright and sharp as the 2004 set, but still the colours now look as I remember them. One small problem, ANH is a bit fuzzy in places and a small number of scenes have a 'speckled with white flickering dots' look but these are minor points. The matte errors are back in Empire and Jedi, although those in ANH are now hardly visible compared to the hideous green squares in the 2004 set. No pink cored lightsabers, no music cues drowned out and no glaring Hayden. (there are no differences I can see having a quick look at the SEs) I would have liked to see them properly restored, but they didn't get it right with the last disks so I'm not really complaining. Boba Fett has a decent voice once again, no CG and Han indeed shoots Greedo in an awesome fashion.

Theatrical: 1983

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 135

Summary: Watching the original versions of the original Star Wars trilogy on DVD is like travelling back in time - not so much to the innocence of youth but more to the days when picture quality was never much of a consideration on video releases and Fox had the reputation for the worst transfers in the business. Watching the PAL DVDs is to step back into an age of low resolution standards conversions from NTSC to PAL with all the loss of detail and motion blurring that that entailed: certainly if you've got one of the old remastered video releases you might as well hold on to that, because the quality isn't as poor as this. The sound quality is pretty awful as well. From Lucas' past track record it's all too easy to imagine this is just a scam to allow him to sell a remastered version a couple of years down the line, but it's even harder to dispel the notion that somewhere Lucas is whining "See how soft the focus is? How can you say these are better films?"

Return of the Jedi isn't as bad as the scarred memories of working at a movie theatre showing it five times a day for 12 weeks would have it, but it's still the least of the series. With no producer or studio to rein him in this time, Lucas offers something that's little more than a rehash of the first two films, but with bigger Death Stars, more spaceships, more teddy bears and far, far too many Muppets, it's crippled by an atrocious opening section where one after another the heroes try to rescue Han Solo only to get captured in the most tedious ways possible. Richard Marquand's inability to direct action is much to the fore in this section, and he's not much better in the rest of the film, while Harrison Ford gives a particularly bad performance that's all too indicative of a bored man with nothing to do but stuck here anyway because of contractual obligation. If you can forget the dire first third, the rest of the film is okay when it's dealing with the Skywalkers' family feuds but less successful on the ground in the Teddy Bears Picnic - sorry, Ewok scenes. Still, it does have Princess Leia in the slavegirl outfit...

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 129

Summary: Humans of a fascisticly militaristic future do battle with giant alien bugs in a fight for survival.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: 2 Entertain Video

Genre: TV Series / Crime

Duration: 340

Summary: I missed this when it aired on TV and bought the DVD on a friend's recommendation. I'm gald I did, this is outstanding. Interesting to see a pre 'Life on Mars' pairing of John Simm and Philip Glenister (surely a Regan for the new millenium) David Morrisey and Bill Nighy also turn in very convincing performances.

The chief tenet of the show is that politicians will go to almost any length to manipulate events to their advantage, but there is a massively unexpected twist in the denouement that makes this worth watching alone,

Buy or borrow this - you won't regret it.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Horror

Duration: 99

Summary: Striking images abound in the twisty, surreal thriller "Stay": Walruses rubbing up against the glass in an aquarium; a corridor painted neon green; entire crowds composed of twins and triplets; a piano being lifted several stories in the air. The plot is impossible to encapsulate: A psychiatrist named Sam (Ewan McGregor, "Trainspotting") takes on a colleague's patient, Henry (Ryan Gosling, "The Notebook"), who announces his intention to kill himself. As Sam pursues Henry, hoping to save him, the world around them begins to fracture and distort--until the movie's conclusion, which may induce viewers to argue loudly about whether or not it makes sense. But "Stay"'s weakness isn't whether it coheres, but its terrible dialogue. David Lynch movies (a clear influence) work in part because the dialogue is usually simple, even banal, and doesn't compete with the rich chaos of the visual images and narrative turns. "Stay"'s dialogue, full of portents, interferes with an intriguingly corrupt (in the sense that digital information corrupts) storyline and eerily dislocated visuals; try watching it with the sound off. Also featuring Naomi Watts ("Mulholland Drive"), with brief appearances by Janeane Garofalo ("The Minus Man"), Bob Hoskins ("Mona Lisa"), and other familiar faces. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Anime / Adventure

Duration: 126

Summary: The first feature Katsuhiro Otomo has written and directed since his watershed "Akira" (1988), "Steamboy" offers a fantastic, sepia-toned vision of the past-as-future. In place of the dystopic Neo-Tokyo of "Akira", "Steamboy" is set in England in 1866. Young Ray Steam receives a Steam Ball, a mysterious, powerful device, from his inventor grandfather. Governments and businesses covet the Steam Ball, and Ray finds himself in a murderous conflict over its possession. He's also caught between his father, a 19th century Darth Vader who builds terrible weapons for an American arms merchant, and his grandfather, who believes science should improve people's lives. Otomo uses computer graphics to create dazzling visuals that few recent films--animated or live action--can match: monumental systems of gears and pistons; machines that dwarf the Tower of London; antique weapons of mass destruction. But the dazzling imagery can't disguise the lack of a coherent plot and the flimsiness of the characters.

"Steamboy" is being released in a dubbed version that's been shortened by 20 minutes, and a more satisfying subtitled version that preserves Otomo's original pacing. Both versions suggest that "Steamboy" is the work of an important filmmaker who can't quite shape his awesome visions into a effective narrative. (Rated PG-13 for action violence.) "--Charles Solomon"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Animation

Duration: 60

Summary:

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Universal/A&M

Genre: Music

Duration: 160

Summary: first i must say i'm a fan o'sting and i own all his records.this dvd is what i expected from sting.PERFECT!i first heard the audio album and then i was sure the next dvd i will own.
something important about this dvd is the new flavuor of the songs.he has looked to them from a new angle.the whole concert is very mellow(as sting says it's like a love letter)and song selection is great.i like "moon over b.st."&"perfect love gone wrong"version hear the brass parts are owsome.also "all this time "but the week poit is "every breath you take"exept this track there is no bad point.
no matter you are a fan or not you will love the concert.there's also a new version of "frogile"which is nice.and also i love the clip of frogile which exist on the documentary part.and the documentary part is more than enough!!
you can see the whole band comming to sting's house and interviewed one by one.and the musicians here what can i say,i
always admire sting for the players he chooses.we have old guys and new guys here.like manu katche on drums new players on percussins.i also love piano and organ player.you will also love the cello parts which is done very smooth and tasty.
don't miss this dvd.it's defenatly one of the best dvd's i own.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 113

Summary: Much was written about Will Ferrell's first "dramatic role" as Harold Crick, an IRS auditor who begins hearing a voice narrating his life. But "Stranger Than Fiction" is hardly a drama. However, what Ferrell does--like Jim Carrey before him in "The Truman Show"--is handle a toned-down character with genuineness and affection: you believe he is this guy. Crick leads a lonely life filled with numbers and routines. While at first he considers the voice a nuisance, Crick decides more action is needed when it speaks of "his demise." Enter Professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman), who takes on the absurd notion with revelry, trying to find out what kind of book Crick's life is leading. It turns out that the voice Crick is hearing belongs to Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson), a very real--and troubled--author who is writing a book in which Crick is a fictional character. As usual with these things, the stuffed shirt learns to live a better life--Crick even falls for one of his audits, a brash baker named Ana (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Marc Foster ("Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland") has the right tone for the film, using great urban scenes (the unnamed city is Chicago) with interesting visualizations of Crick's world of numbers. He also directs Ferrell, Hoffman, and Gyllenhaal to their most charming performances (plus Linda Hunt and Tom Hulce pop up in two funny scenes). Ferrell succeeds in being a romantic lead you can root for; a scene where he eats Ana's freshly baked cookies is totally delightful without a hint of sarcasm. Screenwriter Zach Helm has two personal traits with his story: like Crick he followed his heart (he stopped rewriting scripts and only worked on his own) and like Eiffel, the final results are not a masterpiece, but good, and entertaining enough. Britt Daniel of the band Spoon worked on the dynamite soundtrack."--Doug Thomas"















Extras from " Stranger Than Fiction "



"Counting Brush Strokes," A featurette
on the filming of "Stranger Than Fiction"high bandwidth


Tax Man!:

A clip from the film
high bandwidth

Queen Latifah on working with Emma Thompson
high bandwidth
Stills from " Stranger Than Fiction" (click for larger image)

























































Beyond " Stranger Than Fiction " on Amazon.com










Comic Actors Go Dramatic





CD Soundtrack








Emma Thompson Essentials

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Genre: Drama

Duration: 89

Summary: "Studio 54" is no "Saturday Night Fever"--more like "Sunday Morning Hangover". This portrait of the legendary Manhattan disco and its colourful cofounder, Steve Rubell, plays like the outtakes of a much more interesting film—where are the sex, the drugs, the classic disco music? (It shouldn't surprise viewers that Miramax and writer-director Mark Christopher had a falling-out over the final cut of the film; Miramax prevailed.) Considering that the essence of Studio 54 was about the rich and beautiful, it seems a bit unwise to focus on the poor and only somewhat beautiful, namely Shane (Ryan Phillippe), a Jersey boy who gets taken in by the razzle-dazzle of the disco era. Crossing the river, Shane finds another, more exciting life at Studio 54 as a shirtless bartender, and soon finds himself partying with the crème de la crème--and smitten with comely soap star Julie (Neve Campbell).
The permutations of the story are familiar, but too many elements are missing. Most of Phillippe's performance seems to have ended up on the cutting-room floor (although his chiselled torso gets maximum exposure), Campbell's role is basically a glorified cameo and Breckin Meyer and Salma Hayek, as Phillippe's only true pals, are wasted. The one true gem of the film, though, is Mike Myers' take on the late Steve Rubell, an inspired high-wire performance that balances humour and tragedy without ever giving in to camp or pathos--his drunken proposition of Philippe is a minor treasure. The soundtrack does feature some unknown chestnuts and a few new remixes, including an inspired disco version of--believe it or not--Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind". --"Mark Englehart"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Action

Duration: 94

Summary:

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Crime

Duration: 104

Summary:

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 107

Summary: A novel blend of doomsday thriller and meditative science fiction, Danny Boyle's "Sunshine" imagines a disturbing future in which mankind must re-ignite the sun or face total extinction. A team of scientists and crew members (played by an eclectic cast that includes Cillian Murphy from Boyle's "28 Days Later", "The Fantastic Four"'s Chris Evans, Rose Byrne of TV's "Damages", and martial-arts legend Michelle Yeoh) is dispatched to the dying star, but disaster strikes from almost every conceivable angle; as the crew is whittled down by accidents and psychological breaks, the survivors must discover a way to carry out the mission or seal the fate of the world's population. Alternately exciting and pensive, "Sunshine"'s dichotomous tone may throw viewers expecting a special-effects bonanza (though the film's visuals are frequently stunning), but for those who recall such cerebral '70s efforts as "Silent Running" and "Phase IV", Boyle's unusual take will be refreshing and even fascinating. The DVD includes commentaries by Boyle and Dr. Brian Cox, who served as the film's science advisor; Boyle also lends his voice to a brace of deleted scenes, including an alternate ending (which doesn't improve on the one used in the film). Thorough production diaries cover every aspect of the film's execution, from casting to special effects design, while a pair of unrelated short films by Chris Shepherd and Dan Arnold seems to be included only as a gesture of Boyle's appreciation for these directors. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Platinum Disc

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 120

Summary: To Woody Allen/Peter Falk/Neil Simon fans, this is must viewing. I think they both had a good time making this, and I sure enjoyed the viewing. Even if you don't like the film as much as other Woody films, the music, as always, is a pleasure. I would love an album of "Songs Woody Allen Movies are Made of." This film manages to get the story of two old ex-partners who reunite briefly to be touching, yet not sticky. Sarah Jessica Parker is excellent as the incredibly patient neice of Peter Falk, and Whoopi Goldberg really steals a scene here as Falk's nurse!

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Musical

Duration: 116

Summary: After years of rumors, it turns out that Tim Burton was the perfect visionary to film "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street", Stephen Sondheim's Broadway masterpiece, and the result is a macabre and moving musical movie as enthralling as anything Burton has ever done. The show's mix of gothic horror, Grand Guignol, "very" dark humor, and witty and beautiful music never was the stuff of traditional musical comedy, but it's a powerful work, and perhaps the richest of the late 20th century. In the movie, Burton's frequent collaborator, Johnny Depp, plays Todd, a wronged man whose lust for revenge drives him to murder (an 19th-century legend who has been traced to a real-life barber). Helena Bonham Carter, another Burton mainstay, is Mrs. Lovett, the barber's partner-in-unspeakable-crime. It's no surprise that Depp is an excellent choice to convey Todd's brooding intensity and volcanic rage, but he can also sing a score that is so challenging it has often played in opera houses (though not with the same style as the Broadway original, Len Cariou, and he occasionally lapses into pop style). Bonham Carter is small of voice and lacks the humor of the original Broadway Lovett, Angela Lansbury, but she sings on pitch, in rhythm, and in character at the same time, which is no small feat for a Sondheim show. Aficionados will regret the loss of certain musical passages--"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" is just an instrumental overture and the chorus is gone altogether, among others--but the reassuring presence of orchestrator Jonathan Tunick and conductor Paul Gemignani ensures that the music feels right and sounds great. And the film's depiction of a Victorian London hellhole--with cinematography by Dariusz Wolski and costumes by Colleen Atwood--also looks and feels right.
The excellent cast is filled out by Alan Rickman as the villainous Judge Turpin, Timothy Spall as his seedy Beadle, Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat") as a rival barber, Jamie Campbell Bower as the young lover Anthony, Jayne Wisener as his object of affection, and Ed Sanders as the young Toby. For fans of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp who don't think they like musicals, "Sweeney Todd" should be a revelation (though not for the squeamish, as the gore is intense and completely appropriate). For fans of Broadway and Sondheim, it's hard to imagine getting a better adaptation than this. The fact that there's no newly composed Oscar-bait song sung by a Josh Groban-type over the end credits only makes it better. "--David Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 95

Summary: Woody Allen makes beautiful music but only fitful comedy with his story of "the second greatest guitar player in the world." Sean Penn plays Emmett Ray, an irresponsible, womanizing swing guitar player in Depression-era America who is guided by an ego almost as large as his talent. "I'm an artist, a truly great artist," he proclaims time and time again, and when he plays, soaring into a blissed-out world of pure melodic beauty, he proves it. Samantha Morton almost steals the film as his mute girlfriend Hattie, a sweet Chaplinesque waif who loves him unconditionally, and Uma Thurman brings haughty moxie to her role as a slumming socialite and aspiring writer who's forever analyzing Emmett's peculiarities (like taking his dates to shoot rats at the city dump). The vignettelike tales are interspersed with comments by jazz aficionados and critics, but this is less a "Zelig"-like mockumentary than an extension of the self-absorbed portraits of "Deconstructing Harry" and "Celebrity". The lazy pace drags at times and the script runs dry between comic centerpieces--the film screams for more of Allen's playful invention--but there's a bittersweet tenderness and an affecting vulnerability that is missing from his other recent work. Shot by Zhao Fei ("The Emperor and the Assassin", "Raise the Red Lantern"), it's one of Allen's most gorgeous and colorful films in years, buoyed by toe-tapping music and Penn's gruffly charming performance. "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 99

Summary: "Swordfish" is a superficial movie, so let's address the superficial facts: Halle Berry was well paid to bare her breasts in this gratuitous cyber-action thriller, and while Berry's many fans will enjoy a cheap drool at the actress's expense, her brief topless scene doesn't justify this insipid parade of glossy violence from the director of 2000's "Gone in 60 Seconds". Add yet another notch in John Travolta's bad-movie belt, and you've got Hollywood bankruptcy in full blossom. Go ahead, marvel at director Dominic Sena's biggest money shot--a 360-degree pan as a robbery hostage is blown to bits by a bomb that pelts a surrounding SWAT squad with deadly ball bearings.
The plot, as if it matters: Travolta's a slick, self-appointed antiterrorist who recruits a top-flight computer hacker (Hugh Jackman) to transfer a $9.5 billion government slush fund into a cluster of secret accounts. Berry's the curvaceous bait who lures Jackman into the scheme; Don Cheadle's an FBI agent hot on their tails; and an obligatory subplot turns Jackman's daughter (Camryn Grimes) into an innocent bargaining chip. By the time a hostage transport bus is airlifted in the film's not-so-thrilling climax, "Swordfish" will hold your passive attention or put you to sleep--it all depends on your tolerance for Sena's brand of derivative bloodlust. It's pornography of a sort, and efficiently mechanical, but you can bet good money that Berry and her costars didn't cash their paychecks proudly. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Msi Music Corp

Genre: Art House & International

Duration: 112

Summary:

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: EMS GmbH

Genre: Drama

Duration: 112

Summary:

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 128

Summary: "Syriana" is an oil-based soap opera set against the world of global oil cartels. It is to the oil industry as "Traffic" was to the drug trade (no surprise, since writer/director Stephen Gaghan wrote the screenplay to "Traffic"): a sprawling attempt to portray the vast political, business, social, and personal implications of a societal addiction, in this case, oil. A major merger between two of the world’s largest oil companies reveals ethical dilemmas for the lawyer charged with making the deal (Jeffrey Wright), and major global implications beyond the obvious; a CIA operative (George Clooney) discovers the truth about his work, and the people he works for; a young oil broker (Matt Damon) encounters personal tragedy, then partners with an idealistic Gulf prince (Alexander Siddig) attempting to build a new economy for his people, only to find he’s opposed by powers far beyond his control. Meanwhile, disenfranchised Pakistani youths are lured into terrorism by a radical Islamic cleric. And that’s just the start. As in "Traffic", in one way or another all of the characters’ fates are tied to each other, whether they realize it or not, though the connections are sometimes tenuous. While "Syriana" is basically a good film with timely resonance, it can’t quite seem to measure up to Gaghan’s ambitious vision and it very nearly collapses under the weight of its many storylines. Fortunately they are resolved skillfully enough to keep the film from going under in the end. To some viewers, "Syriana" will seem like an unfocused and over-loaded film that goes, all at once, everywhere and nowhere. Others will find it to be an important work earnestly exploring major issues. In either case, it’s a film that deserves to be taken seriously, and it’s likely to be one that will be talked about for a long time to come. "--Dan Vancini"