DVDpedia : Groove Quantize DVD Library : Title : W

Theatrical: 1953

Studio: Paramount Studio

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Summary: After the success of 1950's "Destination Moon" and 1951's "When Worlds Collide", visionary producer George Pal brought the classic H.G. Wells story of a Martian invasion to the big screen, and it instantly became a science fiction classic and winner of the 1953 Academy Award for Best Special Effects. It's a work of frightening imagination, with its manta-ray spaceships armed with cobra-like probes that shoot a white-hot disintegration ray. As formations of alien ships continue to wreak destruction around the globe, the military is helpless to stop this enemy while scientists race to find an effective weapon. Gene Barry and Ann Robinson play the hero and heroine roles that were de rigueur for movies like this in the '50s, and their encounter with one of the Martians is as creepy today as it was in '53. It finally takes an unseen threat--simple Earth bacteria--to conquer the alien invaders, but not before "War of the Worlds" has provided a dazzling display of impressive special effects. As memorable for its sound effects as for its spectacular visions of destruction, this is a movie for the ages--the kind of spectacular that inspired little kids such as Steven Spielberg (not to mention Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, whose "Independence Day" cribs liberally from the plot) and still packs a punch. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1979

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Summary: "The Warriors" combines pure pulp storytelling and surprisingly poetic images into a thoroughly enjoyable cult classic. The plot is mythically pure (and inspired by a legendary bit of Greek history): When a charismatic gang leader is shot at a conclave in the Bronx meant to unite all the gangs in New York City, a troupe from Coney Island called the Warriors get blamed and have to fight all the way back to their own turf--which means an escalating series of battles with colorful and improbable gangs like the Baseball Furies, who wear baseball uniforms and KISS-inspired face make-up. Pop existentialism, performances that are somehow both wooden and overwrought, and zesty, kinetic filmmaking from director Walter Hill ("Southern Comfort", "48 Hrs.") result in a delicious and unexpectedly resonant operatic cheesiness. The "Ultimate Director's Cut" doesn't radically alter the movie--some of the editing is tighter, the Greek legend has been added as an introduction--with one exception: in transitions, scenes begin and end as scenes from a comic book. While "The Warriors" always had a comic book flavor (and Hill, in an interview, says he deliberately pursued that sensibility), this device--similar to "The Hulk"--seems a bit overkill. But it's a minor problem; the movie holds its own, even 26 years later. The dvd has no audio commentary, but there are four short documentaries (really, one documentary in four parts). These include excellent interviews with Hill, actors Michael Beck, James Remar, David Patrick Kelly, and Deborah Van Valkenburgh. The producers, the cinematographer, the costume designer, the stunt coordinator, and many others give lively and in-depth descriptions of how the movie came to be. One of these documentaries includes portions of a deleted scene that was used when "The Warriors" was screened on television; no other deleted scenes are included. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1973

Studio: Warner Studios

Genre: Science Fiction

Summary: I saw this film when it was first released,seeing it on the widescreen was quite enjoyable. The story is about a futuristicamusement park ($1000 a week) called Delos which has 3 areas.RomanWorld,MedievalWorld and WestWorld.James Brolin and Richard Benjamin are the main characters in the film,Brolin being the "park vet" having been there already and bringing his pal Benjamin for his first time.Everything is fine at first. Brolin coaxes his pal to blast thegunslinger (Yul Brynner) who's at the bar with them and who's giving Benjamin a hard time.He finally blasts The gunslinger in all the bloody gorea full scale fight breaks out in the saloon.At night when it's quiet, the technicians very stealthily come up from the underground control room to collect all of the shotuprobots for repair. (Pretty convincing looking repairing)The plot is there's a virus attacking the robots central nervous systems causing them to kill the guests in all the parksWatch for the gunslinger chasing hapless Richard Benjaminall over Delos trying to kill himAn enjoyable film full of suspense & chillskeep some acid closeby

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Warner Bros.

Genre: Drama

Duration: 107 mins

Summary: An adventure in obsession... Clint Eastwood stars in and directs the colorful tale of a flamboyant filmmaker's flair for danger and adventure while on location in Africa. Based on Peter Viertel's novel inspired by The African Queen.

Theatrical: 1969

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre:

Summary: Here's how director Sam Peckinpah described his motivation behind "The Wild Bunch" at the time of the film's 1969 release: "I was trying to tell a simple story about bad men in changing times. "The Wild Bunch" is simply what happens when killers go to Mexico. The strange thing is you feel a great sense of loss when these killers reach the end of the line." All of these statements are true, but they don't begin to cover the impact that Peckinpah's film had on the evolution of American movies. Now the film is most widely recognized as a milestone event in the escalation of screen violence, but that's a label of limited perspective. Of course, Peckinpah's bloody climactic gunfight became a masterfully directed, photographed, and edited ballet of graphic violence that transcended the conventional Western and moved into a slow-motion realm of pure cinematic intensity. But the film--surely one of the greatest Westerns ever made--is also a richly thematic tale of, as Peckinpah said, "bad men in changing times." The year is 1913 and the fading band of thieves known as the Wild Bunch (led by William Holden as Pike) decide to pull one last job before retirement. But an ambush foils their plans, and Peckinpah's film becomes an epic yet intimate tale of betrayed loyalties, tenacious rivalry, and the bunch's dogged determination to maintain their fading code of honor among thieves. The 144-minute director's cut enhances the theme of male bonding that recurs in many of Peckinpah's films, restoring deleted scenes to deepen the viewer's understanding of the friendship turned rivalry between Pike and his former friend Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan), who now leads a posse in pursuit of the bunch, a dimension that adds resonance to an already classic American film. "The Wild Bunch" is a masterpiece that should not be defined strictly in terms of its violence, but as a story of mythic proportion, brimming with rich characters and dialogue and the bittersweet irony of outlaw traditions on the wane. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Vital Distribution

Genre: Music DVDs - General

Summary: The Work of Director Chris Cunningham, like the other volumes in the acclaimed Director's Series (Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry) offers a feast of visual ingenuity, with one major difference: unlike the relatively playful brightness of Jonze and Gondry, Cunningham wants to involve you in his nightmares. From the urban monstrosities of Aphex Twin's "Come to Daddy" to the limb-shattering weirdness of Leftfield's "Afrika Shox", Cunningham's music videos emphasise the freakish and the bizarre, but they are also arrestingly beautiful and otherworldly, as in the aquatic effects used for Portishead's "Only You", combining underwater movements with ominous urban landscapes. Some of Cunningham's shock effects are horrifically effective (his 'flex" video installation, excerpted here with music by Aphex Twin, is as disturbing as anything conjured by David Cronenberg), while others are cathartic or, in the case of Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker", outrageously amusing. And while the eerie elegance of Madonna's "Frozen" arose from a chaotic production, the signature work in this collection is clearly BjÖrk's "All Is Full of Love", a masterfully simple yet breathtaking vision of intimacy involving advanced robotics and seamless CGI composites. In these and other videos, Cunningham advances a unique aesthetic, infusing each video and commercial he makes with a dark, occasionally gothic sensibility. That these frequently nightmarish visions are also infectiously hypnotic is a tribute to Cunningham's striking originality. --Jeff Shannon

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Vital Distribution

Genre: Music DVDs - General

Summary: When you experience The Work of Director Spike Jonze, you enter a world where anything can happen and frequently does. From the innovative director of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation., this superior compilation of music videos, documentaries, interviews and early rarities offers abundant proof that Jonze is the real deal--a filmmaker ablaze with fresh ideas and fresh ways of filming them. While collectors will regret that only 16 of Jonze's 40 plus music videos are included here, this glorious sampling represents the cream of Jonze's bumper crop; for sheer ingenuity it doesn't get any better than this. From the Beastie Boys' popular TV cop-spoof "Sabotage" to the intensely disciplined backwards-filming technique of the Pharcyde's "Drop", it's clear that Jonze has an affinity for inventive street theatre, culminating in the sad/happy vibe of Fatlip's introspective "What's Up Fatlip?" and the pop-jazz effervescence of Bjork's "It's Oh So Quiet". Technical wizardry is also a Jonze trademark, especially in the elaborate "Happy Days" nostalgia of Weezer's "Buddy Holly" and the graceful fly-wire dancing of Christopher Walken to Fatboy Slim's pulsing "Weapon of Choice". No doubt about it: every one of these videos is an award-worthy testament to Jonze's ability to combine hard work with fun-loving spontaneity. On the DVD: The Work of Director Spike Jonze is a double-sided DVD (one in a series that includes the equally dazzling work of Michel Gondry and Chris Cunningham) accompanied by an informative 52-page booklet. The second side explores Jonze's artistic evolution with an entertaining selection of video rarities and three half-hour documentaries, the best being a revealing and very funny interview with rapper Fatlip after his dismissal from the Pharcyde. Commentaries for the music videos are consistently worthwhile, supporting Jonze's own belief that his best videos were made for artists whose work he genuinely enjoyed. Lucky for us, his pleasure is infectious. --Jeff Shannon