DVDpedia : GQ DVD & Blu-Ray Library : Title : B

Theatrical:

Studio: Warner Bros.

Genre: Drama

Duration: 184 mins

Summary: In the Eighteenth Century, in a small village in Ireland, Redmond Barry is a young farm boy in love of his cousin Nora Brady. When Nora engages to the British Captain John Quin, Barry challenges him for a duel of pistols. He wins and escapes to Dublin, but is robbed on the road. Without any other alternative, Barry joins the British Army to fight in the Seven Years War. He deserts and is forced to join the Prussian Army, saving the life of his captain and becoming his prot g and spy of the Irish gambler Chevalier de Balibari. He helps Chevalier and becomes his associate until he decides to marry the wealthy Lady Lyndon. They move to England and Barry, in his obsession of nobility, dilapidates her fortune and makes a dangerous and revengeful enemy.

Theatrical: 1991

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Summary: Welcome to the wonderfully wacky world of the Coen brothers. Joel and Ethan Coen are two of the most brilliant filmmakers in America today. Every film they turn out is a cinematic gem, and "Barton Fink" is no exception. The film centers around a slightly pompous, idealistic, left wing playwright, Barton Fink (John Turturro), who in 1941, after becoming the toast of Broadway as the pretentious voice of the common man, goes west to Hollywood at the invitation of a major studio in order to try his hand at writing screenplays. There, he meets studio head, Jack Lipnick (Michael Lerner), and his yes man and whipping boy, Lou Breeze (Jon Polito). Asked to write a screenplay for a Wallace Beery vehicle about wrestling, a subject about which the bookish Fink knows nothing about, causes Fink to go into a professional tailspin.Ensconced in a decaying old hotel, seemingly run by its slightly creepy and unctuous bell hop, Chet (Steve Buscemi), who bizarrely appears on the scene out of a trapdoor behind the hotel's front desk, Fink begins his ordeal . The elevator is run by a cadaverous, pock marked, elderly man. The corridors of the hotel seem endless. The wallpaper in Fink's room is peeling away from the wall, leaving a viscous, damp ooze in its wake. His bed creaks and groans with a life of its own. It is also hot, oppressively hot. No residents of the hotel are apparent, except for the appearance of shoes outside the doors in expectation of the free shoe shine the hotel offers its denizens and for the noise made by his neighbors. Finks meets one of his neighbors, the portly Charlie Meadows (John Goodman), a gregarious Everyman, possessed of an abundance of bonhomie. A self-styled insurance salesman, Charlie cajoles Fink out of his shell, befriending him in the process. Little does Fink know that beneath Charlie's congenial exterior lies a horrific secret that will spillover onto him in the not so distant future.At a luncheon with studio under boss, Ben Geisler (Tony Shalhoub), Fink meets a famous writer that he reveres, W. P. Mayhew (John Mahoney), a southern sot so steeped in drink that his companion/secretary, Audrey Taylor (Judy Davis), has to do his writing for him. Fink falls for Audrey but finds his overtures rebuffed. Still, she is willing to try and help him overcome his profound writer's block. In a classic Coen twist, it is this single act of kindness that acts as the catalyst for the nightmare that makes Fink's life become a living hell on earth. He goes from living a life of self-imposed isolation and angst to one that appears to have been created by a Hollywood hack, filled as it is with the most incredible situations, a real studio head's dream. John Turturro is terrific as the introverted, tightly wound, pretentious, and neurotic Fink, who in Hollywood, away from the womb of the Great White Way, is like a lamb led to the slaughter. With his sculpted afro, horn rimmed glasses, nerdy clothes, Fink is the stereotypic Hollywood notion of the commie writer. John Turturro makes the role his with a purposeful intensity.John Goodman is sensational as the garrulous Charlie Meadow, the epitome of the working class man about whom Fink likes to write. Unfortunately, all is not as it seems, as Charlie has a dark side to him, a very dark side. John Mahoney is excellent as the Faulknerian-like writer, and Judy Davis outdoes herself, as the self-sacrificing Audrey Taylor. Michael Lerner will razzle-dazzle the viewer with his over the top portrayal of a fast talking studio head who is willing to pay big bucks for the cache of having a top Broadway playwright turn out screenplay swill for the masses. Jon Polito is very good as the Uriah Heepish, quintessential yes man he portrays. Tony Shalhoub is excellent in his role, underscoring the absurdity of the old Hollywood studio system.Steve Buscemi, looking surprisingly small in his bell hop uniform, resembles an organ grinder's monkey, at times. The viewer may also expect him to bellow, "Call for Phillip Morris", as in the old cigarette campaign, though he speaks in a controlled, respectful monotone, at all times. Still, his very presence adds a slightly sinister quality to the film, though he does nothing remotely sinister, other than the way he makes his screen appearance. His entrance onto the screen in this fashion foreshadows what is to come.This film is not for everyone, as it does not have a neatly wrapped ending. Instead, it goes beyond the standard expected ending into an absurdist foray. Still, those who love films by the Coen Brothers will not be disappointed by this satiric look at Hollywood. It is little wonder that this film became the darling of the Cannes Film Festival.

Theatrical: 1982

Studio: Image Entertainment

Genre: Horror

Summary: Here's a sick little movie for you--a creepy-funny shocker that's become a semi-cult classic since its release in 1982. It's a cheesy, low-budget horror flick about a small-town geek who arrives in New York City's Times Square carrying his mutant, telepathic twin brother in a big basket (hence the movie's title, get it?). They were once Siamese twins, and now they're seeking gory revenge against the doctors who surgically separated them against their will! Talk about brotherly love! The "normal" sibling has to keep his brother well- fed, and the basket-dweller's appetite runs the gamut from hamburgers to hookers. There's plenty of lowlife "meat" to be found in the seedy motel where the brothers live. Not exactly mainstream fare, as you might already have guessed, but director Frank Henenlotter handles the gruesomeness with resourceful ingenuity. The movie even gathered enough horror-buff momentum to spawn two lesser sequels in 1990 and 1992, which is all the proof you need to add this dubious trilogy to the gross-out hall of fame. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Synergy

Genre: Horror

Summary: Basket case 2 is not as seriouse and as gory as the intense original. It takes a more humerouse veiw of the events. The leading characters show their lighter side as they are taken in by an elderly lady who looks after freaks. I found this quite a funny film with some very dark humour, its definately a one to want if your a fan of the original, but it is quite a short movie and that is its only downfall. I would definately buy it.

Theatrical: 1991

Studio: Synergy

Genre: Horror

Summary: Basket Case 3 is very strange, and it is not like usual movies! i enjoyed this movie because it is unlike any other film! it is very original and unless you have seen BC 1 or 2 then you wont have or probably will never see anything quite like this again!! hmmm where have i seen the ending before!!

Theatrical: 1980

Studio: Playback

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Summary: I loved the series, but as a DVD box set, this is a bit of a disappointment.
I've only watched the first 5 episodes, so far, but I have to report that the picture is average, at best. There's been no attempt to clean it up that I can see. At times, it has a hazy quality that makes it seem that you're viewing it across a smoky room - and there's no smokers in our house! There's a fair share of blips and scratches too, although nothing too distracting. It's still better than VHS, of course, but not by as much as I'd hoped it would be.
The sound, at least, is a massive improvement over my old video tapes of the series. Although touted as a 5.1 mix, I got nothing out of my rear speakers, save for some music over the opening credits. But all my front speakers appeared to be busy, even the sub-woofer.
I've not yet watched any of the extras, so I can't comment on those. However, you should be warned that the US version of this set has more extras still, including a Hatch/Benedict commentary over Saga of a Star World. I decided I could live without these though.
Despite all that, I'd still put this down as an essential purchase for fans of the series, and at a reasonable price (less than 40 quid, as I write this).

Theatrical: 1954

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Summary: Humanity has split the atom, unleashing a new era of science - an era that would also unleash monstrous celluloid rampages. An A-bomb test in the Arctic awakens The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, and it makes New York City its stomping ground in the movie (based on a story by Ray Bradbury) that launched a string of Atomic Age creature features. One of the best of those cautionary yarns is Them! Radiation-mutated ants - 12 feet long and capable of lifting tons - become giant problems for James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, James Arness and all of Los Angeles. They're big. They're bad. They've got a serious attitude problem. You won't find a can of bug spray big enough to stop 'em!

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Pioneer Video

Genre: Music DVDs - Concerts

Summary: Includes the songs: Djembe, Gratitude (Live), Sabotage, The Hurricane Freestyle, Triphamnmer, Skills To Pay The Bills (Live), Time For Living, Sabrosa, Something's Got to Give, Screaming At a Wall (Live), Namaste' (Live), Futterman's Rule, 5-Piece Chicken Dinner, Jimmy James, Conga + Bass, Mullethead, Ricky's Theme, and So What 'Cha Want (Live with Cypress Hill).

Theatrical: 1973

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 471

Summary: Disc 1: COFFEY Disc 2: COOLEY HIGH Disc 3: FOXY BROWN Disc 4: I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA Disc 5: HELL UP IN HARLEM

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre: Comedy, Television

Summary:

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Universal

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 112 mins

Summary: The Dude, Jeff Lebowski is unemployed and laid-back... until... victim of mistaken identity, two thugs break into his apartment in the errant belief that they are accosting Jeff Lebowski the pasadena millionare. In the hope of getting a replacement for his soiled carpet Dude visits his wealthy namesake and, with buddy, ex 'nam' veteran, Walter, he is swept into a consequence comedy/thriller of extortion, embezzlement, sex & dope.

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal

Genre: Comedy

Duration: TBC mins

Summary: Available for the first time, Bill Bailey's Cosmic Jam show is one of his most successful to date. This DVD also features the full length Director's Cut of his Bewilderness show - including the hilarious Steven Hawking sketch.

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal Pictures Video

Genre: Comedy

Summary: Bill Bailey returns with the 'sequel' to his Bewilderness live show - Part Troll. After seeing his song Insect Nation ("Human slaves, in an insect nation. Ahhh-AAHHH-ahaha!!") on Comedy Store, I got this, and it was hilarious.
Although his stand-up is great, where he really excels (and gets the biggest reaction from the crowd) is his musical performances.
These include the 'Scale Of Evil' (featuring such evil icons as Hitler and Chris De Burgh...you'll see what I mean when you watch it) and 'Drum & Bush' (Drum & Bass combined with vocal samples of George W. Bush).
If you're a fan of Bill Bailey (whether from his Bewilderness show, his appearance on Black Books or on the music/comedy quiz show Never Mind The Buzzcocks), then this should take pride of place in your DVD collection.

Theatrical: 1979

Studio: Media Home Entertainment

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Summary: Disney's foray into big-budget science fiction, close on the heels of Star Wars, had some of the most impressive special effects to grace theater screens in the 1970s. Graced by handsome production design--most notably a glass and latticework interstellar craft that looks like a battleship crossed with a modern skyscraper--The Black Hole is in many ways the most beautiful science fiction film of its era. Unfortunately, the graceful and gorgeous picture is jarred by dialogue that wouldn't pass muster in a comic book and a silly conclusion that plays like a murky, dime-store knockoff of 2001. Too bad, because the visual realization of the film is a veritable haunted house of futuristic phenomena, from the cloaked zombie-like drones shuffling through corridors to the devilish, crimson robot Maximillian, the strong arm of the mad scientist played by Maximilian Schell (a kind of wild man Captain Nemo with an even more ruthless temperament). Only the way-too-cute robot V.I.N.CENT (voiced by Roddy McDowall), a merchandising gimmick that looks like a Fisher-Price toy, mars the technological landscape. Robert Forster is the quietly authoritative captain of an exploration ship that stumbles across the seemingly derelict ship, and Anthony Perkins, Yvette Mimieux, Ernest Borgnine, and Joseph Bottoms fill out his crew. This is one case of a triumph of art direction and special effects over story--it's worth sitting through it to see the magnificent scene of the fireball rolling through the ship's enormous hull alone. The rest is just atmospheric gravy. --Sean Axmaker

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: New Line Home Entertainment

Genre: Horror

Summary: This was a fun movie and an even better DVD. Wesley Snipes stars as Blade, a day-walking vampire. Snipes also produced the film. Stephen Dorf plays a cold-blooded vampire named Deacon Frost. His plans are for total and complete destruction of the humans. Blade has a very cool look to it and it starts off with a bang. Blade enters a underground vampire nightclub and all hell breaks loose as he kills vampires right and left. As for the DVD, it has a killer anamorphic widescreen picture matted at 2:35.1 and the Dolby Digital 5.1 track is of reference quality. When Traci Lords(playing a vampire) enters the club with an unsuspecting guest the music from the club pounds out deep .1 lfe effects and has some serious surround presence when the bloodbath begins; the blood from the sprinklers comes from everywhere. I saw this movie at my local theater and it was presented in DTS and it was unbelievable. The DTS track brought out nuances in the rear channels and has real aggressive discrete channels.(possiblly an oxymoron) I might have to pick up the DTS laserdisc to see if it can match the theatrical presentation in which I saw it. Anyway, this is a cool movie and an even better DVD with a ton of extras and even a 5.1 channel theatrical preview like Lost in Space's. Highly recommended for both picture and sound quality.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: New Line Home Entertainment

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Summary: Even skeptical fans of the "Blade" franchise will enjoy sinking their teeth into "Blade: Trinity". The law of diminishing returns is in full effect here, and the franchise is wearing out its welcome, but let's face it: any movie that features Jessica Biel as an ass-kicking vampire slayer and Parker Posey--yes, Parker Posey!--as a vamping vampire villainess can't be all bad, right? Those lovely ladies bring equal measures of relief and grief to Blade, the half-human, half-vampire once again played, with tongue more firmly in stone-cold cheek, by Wesley Snipes. With series writer David S. Goyer in the director's chair, the film is calculated for mainstream appeal, trading suspenseful horror for campy humor and choppy, nonsensical action. The franchise still offers some intriguing ideas, however, including Drake (Dominic Purcell), the original vampire, whose blood contains the secret that could destroy all blood-suckers in a plot that incorporates a sinister "blood farm" where humans are held--and drained--in suspended animation. And Biel's wise-cracking sidekick (Ryan Reynolds) in her cadre of "Nightstalkers" provides comic relief in a series that's grown increasingly dour. All of which makes "Blade: Trinity" a love-it-or-hate-it sequel... supposedly the last in a trilogy, but the ending suggests otherwise. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: New Line Home Entertainment

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Summary: The movie was great.It had suspense,action,violence,vampires and let's not for get the occasional corny lines.But the film makers knew what the fans of the first movie wanted,so the film makers tried as best as they could to give it to them.They showed their knowledge of the audiance by giving them amazing fight scenes, amazing affects and of course the part in both movies when Blade gets his glasses back puts them on and... Besides the movie this DVD includes 2 discs loaded with speacial features:-Disc One:-Commentary track with director Guillermo Del Toro and writer David Goyer -Commentary track with producer Peter Frankfurt and Wesley Snipes -Isolated score -Disc Two:-Production Workshop-Director's Notebook: Interactive reproduction of director's notes with an intro by Del Toro -A Pact in Blood: Interactive collection of original documentaries -- various docs on production, story and other subjects-Art gallery-Original theatrical press kit-Deleted/alternate scenes-Blade II video game survival guide-Music video: Cypress Hill and Roni Size "Child of the Wild West"-Theatrical trailers -DVD ROM:-Script-to-Screen-Original Website If you're a fan of Blade then you certainly would enjoy this movie.

Theatrical: 1982

Studio: Warner Studios

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Summary: Directed by Ridley Scott, possibly the best director in Hollywood, Blade Runner: The Director's cut is an outstanding medley of action, noir, sci-fi, and suspense. Robots have been taken to a new level - Nexus 6 Generation Robots called "replicants", which outmatch humans in strength and ability and equal in intelligence, but lack one human quality - emotions. They were used for "slave labor" to work in places too hazardous for humans. However, replicants after a few years begin to develop their own emotions, which causes them to rebel against their masters. Special cops, called blade runners, were assigned to exterminate criminal replicants. Eventually replicants were declared illegal on earth, and were banished to a shuttle in space. LA, 2017. Rick Deckard, (Harrison Ford) a retired blade runner, is forced to "retire" five replicants that have escaped from the shuttle, but winds up falling for one, Rachael. (Sean Young) Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) leads the other three replicants to find their creator, Eldon Tyrell, to expand their short four-year life span. Incredible action scenes, dark, brooding noir, creeping suspense, and excellent sci-fi, Blade Runner: The Director's Cut will please fans of any of these genres. The Director's Cut offers production notes, subtitles, added character developement, the original ending, a unicorn dream sequence, and the deletion of unnecessary scenes and the annoying voice-overs. Plus, it is digitally restored to excellent picture and sound quality. Some "sensitive" viewers might find the plot and noir atmosphere cold, but action, noir, sci-fi, and suspense fans will enjoy it very much. With stunning special effects, incredible cinematography, compelling plot, and rich, incredible characterizations (esp. Rutger Hauer), I strongly recommend Blade Runner: The Director's Cut to action/sci-fi fans.

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 117 mins

Summary: Visually spectacular, intensely action-packed and powerfully prophetic since its debut, Blade Runner returns in Ridley Scott's definitive Final Cut, including extended scenes and never-before-seen special effects. In a signature role as 21st-century detective Rick Deckard, Harrison Ford brings his masculine-yet-vulnerable presence to this stylish noir thriller. In a future of high-tech possibility soured by urban and social decay, Deckard hunts for fugitive, murderous replicants - and is drawn to a mystery woman whose secrets may undermine his soul.

Theatrical: 1974

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Summary: Mel Brooks scored his first commercial hit with this raucous Western spoof starring the late Cleavon Little as the newly hired (and conspicuously black) sheriff of Rock Ridge. Sheriff Bart teams up with deputy Jim (Gene Wilder) to foil the railroad-building scheme of the nefarious Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman). The simple plot is just an excuse for a steady stream of gags, many of them unabashedly tasteless, that Brooks and his wacky cast pull off with side-splitting success. The humor is so juvenile and crude that you just have to surrender to it; highlights abound, from the lunkheaded Alex Karras as the ox-riding Mongo to Madeline Kahn's uproarious send-up of Marlene Dietrich as saloon songstress Lili Von Shtupp. Adding to the comedic excess is the infamous campfire scene involving a bunch of hungry cowboys, heaping servings of baked beans and, well, you get the idea. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Horror

Duration: 95

Summary: ...you don't often see those two together, great, and re-make, this is the exception. I've watched this movie a long time ago, and just recently purchased it to add to my collection. It is way better than I had remembered it. The effects are great, it is more graphic than I had remembered it. The movie picks up right from the beginning and never gets dull. Excellent flick, interesting story, great effects = great time. A must own for your collection, at a great price.

Theatrical: 2000

Studio:

Genre: Asian Cinema, Anime

Duration: 48 min

Summary: At the Yokota Air Force base in Japan, a nervous American military is on the brink of the Vietnam War. But a greater threat exists within the walls of the heavily guarded compound: Vampires. A team of top-secret undercover agents dispatches a mysterious young woman to destroy them... she is the last remaining original. Featuring brilliant character designs, top-notch animation and a stunning musical score, Blood: The Last Vampire is a breakthrough in digital filmmaking, taking anime to a whole new level.

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: MGM/UA Video

Genre: Drama

Summary: Sixteen years on, it's curious to look back at the cultural firestorm sparked by David Lynch's "Blue Velvet." While this seminal work of American surrealism hasn't lost its ability to disorient and unsettle, it is nonetheless a film that wouldn't seem too out of place these days as an HBO original. Lynch oversaw a new transfer of "Blue Velvet" for this MGM special-edition DVD. Butchered by pan-and-scan in most of its video incarnations, the film is presented in dramatic anamorphic widescreen. Lynch's artistic images are markedly enhanced by their journey through the digital domain. Some of the upgrades are on display right away: the title images of blue velvet and the color-saturated opening shot of roses against a white fence. These visuals are tough to top, but overall the movie looks great and sounds OK. The lengthy "Mysteries of Love" documentary, by making-of specialist Jeffrey Schwarz, interviews the stars and key crew members. The creator of "Eraserhead," and "Mulholland Drive" is actually a "boy scout," they say, who uses expressions like "peachy keen" and takes meetings over shakes at Bob's Big Boy. But then there are those weekend photo projects with dead chickens. ... Those interviews are current, but Lynch isn't talking so the docu utilizes grainy 1987 footage of him talking with reporters but no new shots of the press-shy director. Lynch's low-light segments look like clips from a dated crime docu, giving the enterprise a dash of oddness that he probably appreciates. A must for fans of this peculiar film, including those who own the earlier widescreen DVD.

Theatrical:

Studio: Sony BMG

Genre: Music DVDs - Concerts

Duration: 92 mins

Summary: Bob Marley & The Wailers in concert - November 15th 1979 at California's Santa Barbara County Bowl. Tracklist: Positive Vibration, Wake Up And Live, Them Belly Full (But We Hungry), Concrete Jungle, I Shot The Sheriff, Ambush In The Night, Running Away, Crazy Bald Head, Heathen, Africa Unite, Natty Dread, One Drop, Exodus, Zimbabwe, So Much Things To Say, Is This Love, Jamming, Kinky Reggae, Stir It Up, Get Up Stand Up, War, No More Trouble.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio:

Genre: Comedy

Summary: It takes a certain kind of comic genius to create a character who is, to quote the classic Sondheim lyric, appealing and appalling. But be forewarned: "Borat" is not "something for everyone." It arrives as advertised as one of the most outrageous, most offensive, and funniest films in years. Kazakhstan journalist Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen reprising the popular character from his "Da Ali G Show"), leaves his humble village to come to "U.S. and A" to film a documentary. After catching an episode of "Baywatch" in his New York hotel room, he impulsively scuttles his plans and, accompanied by his fat, hirsute producer (Hardy to his Laurel), proceeds to California to pursue the object of his obsession, Pamela Anderson. "Borat" is not about how he finds America; it's about how America finds him in a series of increasingly cringe-worthy scenes. Borat, with his '70s mustache, well-worn grey suit, and outrageously backwards attitudes (especially where Jews are concerned) interacts with a cross-section of the populace, catching them, a la Alan Funt on "Candid Camera", in the act of being themselves. Early on, an unwitting humor coach advises Borat about various types of jokes. Borat asks if his brother's retardation is a ripe subject for comedy. The coach patiently replies, "That would not be funny in America." NOT! "Borat" is subversively, bracingly funny. When it comes to exploring uncharted territory of what is and is not appropriate or politically correct, "Borat" knows no boundaries, as when he brings a fancy dinner with the southern gentry to a halt after returning from the bathroom with a bag of his feces ("The cultural differences are vast," his hostess graciously/patronizingly offers), or turns cheers to boos at a rodeo when he calls for bloodlust against the Iraqis and mangles "The Star Spangled Banner."
Success, John F. Kennedy once said, has a thousand fathers. A paternity test on "Borat" might reveal traces of Bill Dana's Jose Jimenez, Andy Kaufman, Michael Moore, "The Jamie Kennedy Xperiment", and "Jackass". Some scenes seem to have been staged (a game Anderson, whom Borat confronts at a book signing, was reportedly in on the setup), but others, as the growing litany of lawsuits attests, were not. All too real is Borat's encounter with loutish Southern frat boys who reveal their sexism and racism, and the disturbing moment when he asks a gun store owner what gun he would recommend to "kill a Jew" (a Glock automatic is the matter-of-fact reply). Comedy is not pretty, and in "Borat" it can get downright ugly, as when Borat and his producer get jiggly with it during a nude fight that spills out from their hotel room into the hallway, elevator, lobby and finally, a mortgage brokers association banquet. High-five! "--Donald Liebenson"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 80 mins

Summary: Very Niiice! In this hilariously offensive movie, Kazakhstani TV news reporter Borat is dispatched to the United States to make a documentary on the "greatest country in the world." Arriving in New York City with a producer and cameraman in tow, Borat becomes increasingly interested in locating and marrying Pamela Anderson than on his assignment. En route to Los Angeles, he meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences.

Theatrical: 1978

Studio: Artisan Entertainment

Genre: Drama

Summary: This movie has some exceptional acting talent -- Gregory Peck as an aging, obsessive Josef Mengele; Laurence Olivier as aging Nazi hunter, James Mason as an exiled Nazi leader and a fine supporting cast. The plot is one of the sickest ever. Dr. Josef Mengele has continued his sadistic experiments holed up in Paraguay, surrounded by fawning fellow Nazis. He has devoted his post World War II life to cloning Hitler (from a vile of blood drawn and skin scrapings taken shortly before Hitler's suicide). The 99 dark-haired, blue-eyed boys resulting from this work have been adopted into families around the world whose socio-economic profiles match that of the historical Hitler.The acting is over the top (especially Peck's), as is the plot. The ending is shocking, gruesome and, in two respects, emotionally touching. Don't miss Jeremy Black in the quadruple role of the young Hitler clones. He steals every scene he's in. He is particularly effective as the young Bobby Wheelock. Steve Guttenberg has a nicely-done, all-too-brief role early in the film. Peck is almost unrecognizable (he shaved the front of his head to recede his hairline for this role, and his eyes are black slits), but the character he brings to life his terrifying. I saw this movie 10 years ago and then again just recently. Every scene and every line stuck with me. I can't say the same for some other overrated horror flicks. This is a good film for just relaxing and taking a break -- not completely mindless, not particularly erudite, but very well-acted and well-cast.

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Horror

Duration: 127

Summary: Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 "Bram Stoker's Dracula" is a feverishly inventive movie that often overwhelms its own narrative flow, yet proves irresistible to watch. In the high-definition transfer on this two-disc "Collector's Edition", Coppola's baroque, operatic set design, costumes, and cinematography look as lavish as they did on the film's first release. The director's grab-bag of visual effects are still bold and unabashed, if often over-the-top, and the actors still appear caught up in a certain hysterical pitch that feels a little forced but can be a lot of fun to watch. Gary Oldman's imaginative performance as the titular vampire carries the weight of Coppola's vision of Count Dracula as a tragic-romantic hero with Christ-like overtones. Keanu Reeves still looks a little lost in the pivotal role of Jonathan Harker, the London clerk who finds himself a prisoner in a Transylvanian castle while a 400-year-old vampire makes a play for his fiancée back home (Winona Ryder). Anthony Hopkins is fearless as a daft Von Helsing, and Sadie Frost is very good as the doomed Lucy.
The second disc in this set includes several good documentaries, including a featurette on the making of the film, involving past and present interviews with the principal artists involved. (Coppola and screenwriter James V. Hart speak persuasively about their commitment to bringing Stoker's vision to the screen, rather than another revision.) Another documentary, "In-Camera: The Naïve Visual Effects of 'Dracula,'" is a fascinating overview of Coppola's sometimes-frustrated effort to get the timeless special effects he was seeking. There are also quite a few deleted scenes among the special features, the best of which is an alternative cut to the film's bloody ending. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Criterion Collection

Genre: Comedy

Summary: If Franz Kafka had been an animator and film director--oh, and a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus--this is the sort of outrageously dystopian satire one could easily imagine him making. However, Brazil was made by Terry Gilliam, who is all of the above except, of course, Franz Kafka. Be that as it may, Gilliam sure captures the paranoid-subversive spirit of Kafka's The Trial (along with his own Python animation) in this bureaucratic nightmare-comedy about a meek governmental clerk named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) whose life is destroyed by a simple bug. Not a software bug, a real bug (no doubt related to Kafka's famous Metamorphosis insect) that gets smooshed in a printer and causes a typographical error unjustly identifying an innocent citizen, one Mr. Buttle, as suspected terrorist Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro). When Sam becomes enmeshed in unraveling this bureaucratic glitch, he himself winds up labeled as a miscreant. The movie presents such an unrelentingly imaginative and savage vision of 20th-century bureaucracy that it almost became a victim of small-minded studio management itself--until Gilliam surreptitiously screened his cut for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, who named it the best movie of 1985 and virtually embarrassed Universal into releasing it. This DVD version of Brazil is the special director's cut that first appeared in Criterion's comprehensive (and expensive) six-disc laser package in 1996. --Jim Emerson

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 95

Summary: Tautly directed and superbly photographed, this crowd-pleasing thriller from 1997 is indebted to Steven Spielberg's "Duel", but more closely resembles "Dead Calm" in its strengths and weaknesses. Kurt Russell plays a stressed-out husband whose wife (Kathleen Quinlan) disappears after their car breaks down in the desert. Tracking her whereabouts leads to an interstate theft and kidnapping ring, and as Russell pursues--and is pursued by--a vicious redneck played to perfection by J.T. Walsh (in one of his final film roles), the movie succumbs to several tense, but utterly conventional action sequences. That doesn't stop the movie from being an above-average nail-biter. It is so effectively directed by co-writer Jonathan Mostow that even the more surreal situations seem plausible and altogether unsettling. Russell's performance is key to the film's success--he's smart enough to be admirable, and we can readily identify with his frustration, confusion, and torment. Through him, "Breakdown" takes on the edgy quality of a wide-awake nightmare. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]

Genre: Horror

Duration: 96

Summary: The mad Dr. Herbert West, the tormented Dr. Dan Cain, and the beheaded Dr. Carl Hill return in this terrifying sequel to "Re-Animator", the most deliriously outrageous horror movie of the decade. It's been eight months since the Miskatonic Massacre stained the halls with blood - and Dr. West and Dr. Cain's experiments have taken a bizarre turn. Now they have gone beyond re-animating the dead...into the realm of creating new life. The legs of a hooker and the womb of a virgin are joined to the heart of Dr. Cain's dead girlfriend - and the bride is unleashed upon her mate in a climax of sensual horror. Special Features include: Audio commentaries. Deleted scenes. Never-before-seen behind the scenes footage. Detailed coverage of the make-up effects. Never before seen photographs. Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, David Gale

Theatrical: 1979

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Horror

Duration: 92

Summary: Arguably the best and most personal of director David Cronenberg's early films, "The Brood" is an extremely unsettling horror film about familial disintegration and emotional trauma taken to a monstrous extreme. Art Hindle ("Black Christmas") stars as a man embroiled in a bitter custody struggle with his estranged wife (Samantha Eggar), who is undergoing therapy at psychiatrist Oliver Reed's controversial institute. Reed's treatment causes his patients to give form to their inner conflicts, and Eggar--whose psyche is at the boiling point from childhood abuse as well as the custody trial--creates a horde of homicidal humanoid children who enact bloody revenge on anyone who has threatened their "mother." Cronenberg's first feature with name actors and composer Howard Shore has its share of gruesome moments, but the film's subtext--how emotional violence impacts a family--is its most chilling aspect. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre: Asian Cinema

Summary: Very limited stock available

Lee Jun Fan was born, according to the Chinese horoscope, in both the hour and the year of the Dragon, November 27th ,1940. Dubbed 'little phoenix' as a boy in a traditional ward against evil spirits, Jun Fan eventually became known to the rest of the world as the one and only, Bruce Lee.

BRUCE LEE: THE DRAGON COLLECTION includes five of Bruce Lee's remarkable feature films, with digitally re-mastered audio and video transfers from the original masters. Also, for the first time, this collection contains a specially commissioned, exclusive documentary, The Grandmaster and The Dragon: William Cheung and Bruce Lee, featuring a first hand account by renowned kung fu Grandmaster, William Cheung, and his friendship, training and teaching of the legendary Bruce Lee. All of this is presented in a newly designed special collectors edition, hard cover booklet featuring rare images, biographical and film information, and never before published, personally hand written letters from Bruce Lee to one of his earliest friends.

Titles included:
The Big Boss
Fist of Fury
Way of the Dragon
Game of Death
Game of Death 2
The Grandmaster and The Dragon: William Cheung and Bruce Lee

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 81 mins

Summary: Borat trickster Sacha Baron Cohen returns to the big screen to offer yet another stinging dose of sociopolitical satire in this comedy that finds him assuming the persona of gay fashionmonger Bruno..

Theatrical: 1980

Studio: Universal

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 604 mins

Summary: In 1979, producer Glen A. Larson (Battlestar Galactica, The A-Team) revived the character of Buck Rogers (originally created in 1928) for a television pilot for NBC. The result got a theatrical release, only to appear a year later on television as a prelude to a series starring Gil Gerard as the astronaut who goes on a space mission, only to awaken 500 years later on a severely different Earth and be chosen to aid a special defence organisation due to his superior piloting skills. In the second season, Buck becomes a crew member on the Seacher, a spacecraft on a mission to find lost tribes of Earth on other planets. Buck's robot assistant is voiced by cartoon legend Mel Blanc. Episode List:
Time of the Hawk (1)
Time of the Hawk (2)
Journey to Oasis (1)
Journey to Oasis (2)
The Guardians
Mark of the Saurian
The Golden Man
The Crystals
The Satyr
Shgoratchx!
The Hand of Goral
Testimony of a Traitor
The Dorian Secret

Theatrical: 1968

Studio: Warner Studios

Genre: Crime & Thriller

Summary: San Francisco has been the setting of a lot of exciting movie car chases over the years, but this 1968 police thriller is still the one to beat when it comes to high-octane action on the steep hills of the city by the Bay. The outstanding car chase earned an Oscar for best editing, but the rest of the movie is pretty good, too. "Bullitt" is a perfect star vehicle for cool guy Steve McQueen, who stars as a tenacious detective (is there any other kind?) determined to track down the killers of the star witness in an important trial. Director Peter Yates ("Breaking Away") approached the story with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, using a variety of San Francisco locations. Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Duvall appear in early roles, and Robert Vaughn plays the criminal kingpin who pulls the deadly strings of the tightly wound plot. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 96

Summary: After the dark brilliance of No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading may seem like a trifle, but few filmmakers elevate the trivial to art quite like Joel and Ethan Coen. Inspired by Stansfield Turner's Burn Before Reading, the comically convoluted plot clicks into gear when the CIA gives analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) the boot. Little does Cox know his wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton, riffing on her Michael Clayton character), is seeing married federal marshal Harry (George Clooney, Swinton's Clayton co-star, playing off his Syriana role). To get back at the Agency, Cox works on his memoirs. Through a twist of fate, fitness club workers Linda (Frances McDormand) and Chad (Brad Pitt in a pompadour that recalls Johnny Suede) find the disc and try to wrangle a "Samaratin tax" out of the surly alcoholic. An avid Internet dater, Linda plans to use the money for plastic surgery, oblivious that her manager, Ted (The Visitor's Richard Jenkins), likes her just the way she is. Though it sounds like a Beltway remake of The Big Lebowski, the Coen entry it most closely resembles, this time the brothers concentrate their energies on the myriad insecurities endemic to the mid-life crisis--with the exception of Chad, who's too dense to share such concerns, leading to the funniest performance of Pitt's career. If Lebowski represented the Coen's unique approach to film noir, Burn sees them putting their irresistibly absurdist stamp on paranoid thrillers from Enemy of the State to The Bourne Identity. --Kathleen C. Fennessy


Stills from Burn After Reading (Click for larger image)