DVDpedia : Groove Quantize DVD Library : Title : A

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 121

Summary: Director Clint Eastwood's 1997 box-office hit stars himself as Luther Whitney, a highly skilled thief who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, witnessing the murder of a woman involved in a secret tryst with the U.S. president (played by Gene Hackman). Determined to clear his name, Whitney cleverly eludes a tenacious detective (Ed Harris) while investigating a corruption of power reaching to the highest level of government. Adapted by veteran screenwriter William Goldman from David Baldacci's novel, this thriller balances expert suspense with well-drawn characters and an intelligent plot that's just a pounding heartbeat away from real White House headlines. "Absolute Power" features the great Judy Davis in a memorable supporting role as the White House chief of staff who desperately attempts to cover up the crime. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1964

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 561

Summary: If "The Munsters" was a traditional family sitcom as reimagined by "Famous Monsters of Filmland" magazine, "The Addams Family" is a macabre twist on "Father Knows Best". The Munster and Addams clans made their TV debuts in 1964 and lasted two seasons before the networks buried them. The Addamses are now gloriously resurrected in this three-disc set that digs up the series' first 22 episodes (oddly, 12 shy of the complete first season). Inspired by Charles Addams's "New Yorker" cartoons, "The Addams Family" is fiendishly funny, with a dead-on cast that indelibly embodies Addams's characters. John Astin brings a demented glee to eccentric, frighteningly wealthy Gomez Addams. Carolyn Jones is bewitching as his pre-goth wife, Morticia, whom the Beatles might have had in mind when they sang, "Baby's in Black." Jackie Coogan is the electrifying Uncle Fester, with Ted Cassidy (who famously took a kick in the groin from Paul Newman in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid") is the monstrous butler Lurch, whose "You rang?" entered the pop culture lexicon.
"The Munsters" was family friendly. "The Addams Family" is more sophisticated and wickedly funny. As Gomez notes at one point, "There's a touch of madness" in the Addams household, where "every day is Halloween." Bear rugs growl, a disembodied hand, Thing, delivers the mail, and a torture rack is good for what ails you. The children, Wednesday (Lisa Loring) and older brother Pugsley (Ken Weatherwax), enjoy such hobbies as playing autopsy or exploding model trains. Gomez and Morticia were one of television's most passionate couples, with Gomez being driven to arm-kissing ecstasy whenever Morticia spoke French. The last episode included in this collection, "Amnesia in the Addams Family," is a classic in which Gomez is rendered "normal" following a conk on the head. The look of disgust on Morticia and Lurch's face when he asks for a glass of milk is priceless. The "altogether ooky" extras include three episode commentaries, a featurette on Charles Addams, reminiscences from cast members Astin, Loring, and Weatherwax, a segment on the creation of the classic snap-snap theme song ("They're creepy and they're kooky...."), and the inevitable theme song sing-along. "The Addams Family" at last on DVD? As Gomez might exclaim: "Capital!" "--Donald Liebenson"

Theatrical: 1981

Studio: Paramount Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 359

Summary: Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, and Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade.

All three films in their original format, restored and digitally remastered, plus a fourth disc featuring 200 minutes of extras including never-before-seen footage from all three films.

System Requirements:
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Denhom Elliott, John Rhys-Davies, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Amrish Puri, Sean Connery, River Phoenix, Alison Doody, Julian Glover.
Directed By: Steven Spielberg.
Running Time: 540 minutes., Color.
These films are presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2003 Paramount Pictures.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Pioneer Video

Genre: Science Fiction

Summary: "Akira" is one of those exceptional moments when an art form transcends itself and becomes something greater. It is one of the few anime's to be viewed by the "mainstream." It defines animation in the way that "Watchmen" defines comic books, "The Empire Strikes Back" defines science fiction, or "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" defines wuxia, as something to strive for and not quite achieve. It is a watermark.That's some pretty flowery praise, but "Akira" deserves it. Inside this movie is some of the best, most crisp and exiting animation ever captured on film. There are so many stunning moments (the battle with the clowns, the sewer race, Tetsuo's battle with the army, Kaneda's race to save his friend, the background of Neo-Tokyo) backed up with an exceptional soundtrack that blends techno music with traditional Japanese styles. The story line is traditional anime, with an explosive mixture of youth and technology juxtaposed with the traditional need to impose order on chaos. The characters are both righteous and stupid, heroic and annoying, competent and naive. Ah heck, just watch it!Seeing "Akira" get this collector's edition DVD treatment is like seeing the Mona Lisa get her own room at the Louvre. All you can say is "it's about time."

Theatrical:

Studio: Flashback

Genre: Box Sets

Summary: This Pack Contains: Alfred Hitchcock's 39 Steps
Peggy Ashcroft, Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn
Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Emlyn Williams, Leslie Banks, Robert Newton

Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes
Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew To Much
Peter Lorre, Edna Best, Leslie Banks

Alfred Hitchcock's Murder
Norah Baring, Herbert Mashall, Edward Chapman Alfred Hitchcock's Number 17
Leon M Lion, Anne Grey, John Stuart, Donald Calthorp, Barry Jones, Garry Marsh

Alfred Hitchcock's Sabotage
Sylvia Sidney, John Loder, Oskar Homolka, Desmond Tester Alfred Hitchcock's Secret Agent
John Gielgud, Madeleine Carroll, Peter Lorre

Alfred Hitchcock's The Skin Game
C.V. France, Edmund Gewnn, Helen Haye, Jull Osmond, Lohn Longden Alfred Hitchcock's The Rich And Strange
Henry Kendall, Joan Barry

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox

Genre: Science Fiction

Summary: They get drunk on sour milk. They have two hearts and bald, spotted heads. They're highly intelligent, but if you drop them in seawater they'll melt into a puddle of goop. They're "Newcomers," and they arrived as refugees in a massive alien slave-ship, quarantined for three years and then reluctantly accepted as citizens of Earth. To some humans--including seasoned Los Angeles cop Matt Sykes (James Caan)--the Newcomers are unwelcome "slags." Sykes's own virulent "speciesism" intensifies when Newcomer thugs kill his partner, but he sees logic in teaming up with Sam Francisco (Mandy Patinkin), the first Newcomer detective in the LAPD. Francisco's Newcomer knowledge is vital to their investigation of an alien drug ring, and a friendship grows from life-or-death circumstances. A routine cop thriller with a comedic sci-fi twist, Alien Nation> has two things working in its favor: Caan and Patinkin form a memorable duo, and the basic premise--as conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon (who later developed the film as a TV series)--intelligently accounts for the sociological impact of an alien population. The subtle point is made that humans are extraordinary beings who squander their potential, and the evil of drugs--as dealt by a social-climbing Newcomer played by Terence Stamp--leads to a crisis that threatens to generate global intolerance. These points are well presented in a context of overly familiar plotting and standard-issue sarcasm. It's entertaining for a brisk 90 minutes, but in its attempt to be widely appealing, Alien Nation glosses over issues that might have made it more uniquely provocative. --Jeff Shannon

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Video

Genre: Science Fiction

Summary: The Alien Quadrilogy is a nine-disc boxed set devoted to the four Alien films. Although previously available on DVD as the Alien Legacy, here they have been repackaged with vastly more extras and with upgraded sound and picture. For anyone who hasn't been in hypersleep for the last 25 years, this series needs no introduction, though for the first time each film now comes in both original and "special edition" form. Alien (1979) was so perfect it didn't need fixing, and Ridley Scott's 2003 director's cut is fiddling for the sake of fiddling. Watch it once, then return to the majestic, perfectly paced original. Conversely, the special edition of James Cameron's Aliens (1986) is the definitive version, though it's nice to finally have the theatrical cut on DVD for comparison. Most interesting is the alternative Alien 3 (1992). This isn't a "director's cut"--David Fincher refused to have any involvement with this release--but a 1991 work-print that runs 29 minutes longer than the theatrical version, and has now been restored, remastered, and finished off with (unfortunately) cheap new CGI. Still, it's truly fascinating, offering a different insight into a flawed masterpiece. The expanded opening is visually breathtaking, the central firestorm is much longer, and a subplot involving Paul McGann's character adds considerable depth to story. The ending is also subtly but significantly different. Alien: Resurrection (1997) always was a mess with a handful of brilliant scenes, and the special edition just makes it eight minutes longer. The Alien Quadrilogy offers the first and fourth films with DTS soundtracks, the others having still fine Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation. All four films sound fantastic, with much low-level detail revealed for the first time. Each is anamorphically enhanced at the correct original aspect ratio, and the prints and transfers are superlative. Every film offers a commentary track that lends insight into the creative process--though the Scott-only commentary and isolated music score from the first Alien DVD release are missing here. Each movie is complemented by a separate disc packed with hours of seriously detailed documentaries (all presented in full-screen with clips letterboxed), thousands of photos, production stills, and storyboards, giving a level of inside information for the dedicated buff only surpassed by the Lord of the Rings extended DVD sets. A ninth DVD compiles miscellaneous material, including an hourlong documentary and even all the extras from the old Alien laserdisc. "Exhaustive" hardly beings to describe the Alien Quadrilogy, a set that establishes the new DVD benchmark for retrospective releases and looks unlikely to be surpassed for some time. --Gary S. Dalkin

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Genre: Fantástico/Varios Ciencia Ficción

Duration: 96 min

Summary: In delivering non-18-rated excitement, Alien vs. Predator is an acceptably average science-fiction action thriller with some noteworthy highlights, even if it squanders its opportunity to intelligently combine two popular franchises. Rabid fans can justifiably ask "Is that all there is?" after a decade of development hell and eager anticipation, but we're compensated by reasonably logical connections to the Alien legacy and the still-kicking Predator franchise (which hinted at AVP rivalry at the end of Predator 2); some cleverly claustrophobic sets, tense atmosphere and impressive digital effects; and a climactic AVP smackdown that's not half bad. This disposable junk should've been better, but nobody who's seen Mortal Kombat or Resident Evil should be surprised by writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson's lack of imagination. As a brisk, 90-minute exercise in generic thrills, however, Anderson's work is occasionally impressive... right up to his shameless opening for yet another sequel. --Jeff Shannon

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Genre:

Summary: In delivering non-18-rated excitement, "Alien vs. Predator" is an acceptably average science-fiction action thriller with some noteworthy highlights, even if it squanders its opportunity to intelligently combine two popular franchises. Rabid fans can justifiably ask "Is that all there is?" after a decade of development hell and eager anticipation, but we're compensated by reasonably logical connections to the Alien legacy and the still-kicking Predator franchise (which hinted at AVP rivalry at the end of Predator 2); some cleverly claustrophobic sets, tense atmosphere and impressive digital effects; and a climactic AVP smackdown that's not half bad. This disposable junk should've been better, but nobody who's seen Mortal Kombat or Resident Evil should be surprised by writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson's lack of imagination. As a brisk, 90-minute exercise in generic thrills, however, Anderson's work is occasionally impressive... right up to his shameless opening for yet another sequel. --"Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Shock

Genre: Horror

Duration: 548 mins

Summary: During the 60s and 70s, Britain’s Amicus Studios were one of the world’s leading producers of low-budget horror movies Boasting spine chilling suspense, lurid titles, graphic violence, stellar casts and slick production values. The six titles presented here for the First Time on DVD in Australia are Completely Uncut and in Special Collector’s Editions. Titles include: The City of the Dead, Dr Terrors House of Horrors, The House That Dripped Blood, Asylum, and Now The Screaming Starts, The Beast Must Die (4:3)!

Theatrical: 1979

Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios

Genre: Horror

Duration: 114 min

Summary: This is a very, very underrated horror movie. One of the best "haunted house" movies ever made, in my opinion. When watching this movie, you have to keep in mind that it was made 25 years ago, before CGI effects and the like. With what was available at the time, this is a very creepy movie. This film didn't rely so much on effects as it did atmosphere. Watch the movie with the controvesy over the accuracy out of mind, and just sink into it and listen to the sounds, the music, and look at the sets and appreciate it for what it is. This is a great scary movie if you watch it as just that, a movie, and don't worry about if it really happened or not. The performances (with the exception of Rod Steiger hamming it up in every frame he is in) are excellent, the set design is awesome, the house is creepily beautiful, and the music is some of the most haunting that you'll hear. Plus, the puking Nun is a hoot! The grossest, most violent sounding vomit I have heard! Anyway, the widescreen print is gorgeous and so very appreciated by me, who has waited for years to have it in widescreen. Would have liked an updated sound, but I'll take what I can get! Love the movie, love the house, love it all!

Theatrical: 1977

Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios

Genre: Comedy

Summary: "Annie Hall" is one of the truest, most bittersweet romances on film. In it, Allen plays a thinly disguised version of himself: Alvy Singer, a successful--if neurotic--television comedian living in Manhattan. Annie (the wholesomely luminous Dianne Keaton) is a Midwestern transplant who dabbles in photography and sings in small clubs. When the two meet, the sparks are immediate--if repressed. Alone in her apartment for the first time, Alvy and Annie navigate a minefield of self-conscious "is-this-person-someone-I'd-want-to-get-involved-with?" conversation. As they speak, subtitles flash their unspoken thoughts: the likes of "I'm not smart enough for him" and "I sound like a jerk." Despite all their caution, they connect, and we're swept up in the flush of their new romance. Allen's antic sensibility shines here in a series of flashbacks to Alvy's childhood, growing up, quite literally, under a rumbling roller coaster. His boisterous Jewish family's dinner table shares a split screen with the WASP-y Hall's tight-lipped holiday table, one Alvy has joined for the first time. His position as outsider is uncontestable he looks down the table and sizes up Annie's "Grammy Hall" as "a classic Jew-hater."
The relationship arcs, as does Annie's growing desire for independence. It quickly becomes clear that the two are on separate tracks, as what was once endearing becomes annoying. "Annie Hall" embraces Allen's central themes--his love affair with New York (and hatred of Los Angeles), how impossible relationships are, and his fear of death. But their balance is just right, the chemistry between Allen's worry-wart Alvy and Keaton's gangly, loopy Annie is one of the screen's best pairings. It couldn't be more engaging. "--Susan Benson"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: New Line Home Entertainment

Genre: Drama

Summary: It's easy to be skeptical when a couple of well-connected actors throw a script together, start shooting their fabulous friends with digital cameras, and call it a movie. But Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming, who bonded in "Cabaret" on Broadway, have crafted a rough little gem in "The Anniversary Party". Influenced by "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "The Player", it's a devastating portrait of a fragile marriage and a perceptive look at life in Hollywood. The characters are based--to an eerie degree--on their Hollywood counterparts: Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates are a Shakespeare-quoting actor and his retired actress wife; Gwyneth Paltrow is a rising young starlet; etc. Leigh is an actress on the way down, and Cumming, a best-selling author and up-and-coming director, is the sexually ambiguous husband with whom she has recently reconciled. The titular party is to celebrate their sixth anniversary, and revelations about the characters accumulate as the evening progresses from a tense session of charades to an ecstasy-pill-fueled blowout by the pool. The screenplay combines brittle humor with melodrama and consists of more talk than action (as in the Dogme films that inspired it), but the proceedings are rarely less than compelling even if the characters, for the most part, aren't exactly the most likable bunch. As a result, Jennifer Beals ends up stealing the show from the bigger names in the cast simply by emerging as the most genuinely human character--the one who actually showed up to honor her friends' commitment rather than to advance her career. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Theatrical: 1976

Studio: Image Entertainment

Genre: Action & Adventure

Summary: Before making the original "Halloween" into one of the most profitable independent films of all time, John Carpenter directed this riveting low-budget thriller from 1976, in which a nearly abandoned police station is held under siege by a heavily armed gang called Street Thunder. Inside the station, cut off from contact and isolated, cops and convicts who were headed for death row must now join forces or die. That's the basic plot, but it's what Carpenter does with it that's remarkable. Drawing specific inspiration from the classic Howard Hawks Western "Rio Bravo" (which included a similar siege on disadvantaged heroes), Carpenter used his simple setting for a tense, tightly constructed series of action sequences, emphasizing low-key character development and escalating tension. Few who've seen the film can forget the "ice cream cone" scene in which a young girl is caught up in the action by patronizing a seemingly harmless ice cream truck. It's here, and in other equally memorable scenes, that Carpenter demonstrates his singular knack for injecting terror into the mundane details of daily life, propelling this potent thriller to cult favorite status and long-standing critical acclaim. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Fox

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Duration: 96 mins

Summary: In the follow-up to the worldwide hit, Alien vs. Predator, two of the deadliest extra-terrestrial lifeforms from two of the scariest film franchises ever wage their most brutal battle yet in an unsuspecting Colorado town. When a Predator scout ship crash-lands in the hills outside the town, Alien facehuggers are released in the crash, and an even more evil creature - a hybrid Alien/Predator - is also released. A man & his son hunting in the forests near the crash site soon become the first victims of the facehuggers, and when a Predator receives data about the crash on his home planet, he comes to Earth. One at a time, the inhabitants of the town become targets of the Aliens and the Predator, including the local sheriff, a young female soldier recently returned from Iraq, and several teens. Though the National Guard is called in, they are unable to stop the deadly creatures, and a plan is set in motion to destroy the town with a nuclear device...