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

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Columbia Tristar Hom

Genre: Documentary

Duration: 117 min

Summary: Pretty amazing stuff, this film. Amazing in what it presents - and even more amazing that in spite of all their efforts, the so called "conservatives" have been unable to block its screening. Enjoy it while you can, though, folks. Another four years of bush, and be assured the whole Chicken Hawk gang will push though Patriot act II . . . . something that will make Michael Moore films illegal under some kind of national security guise. Don't bet they won't at least try. If this film doesn't make you downright furious, you couldn't possibly be a thinking person. The right wingers should be furious because of all the rights all the bush legislation has taken away. The patriot act doesn't fit the true conservative genre at all - instead of protecting individual liberties (which conservative claim they do), it destroys them - ala Nazi methodology in the 1930's. The left wingers should be furious because of the almost unfathomable amount of money and resource bush and his group have wasted in Iraq -instead of ending poverty or suffering - heaven forbid we waste money on THAT. It should be almost killing you inside almost to think about it. We should all be furious - to the point of outrage - that we were outright lied to about WOMD. And about 9/11. And that on these false premises - thousands and thousands die; Our reputation as a nation destroyed - probably for generations to come; our priorities set totally backwards . . . and yet the man still garners a 40% approval rating. God - what have we come to? Moore presents his premise brilliantly, cohesively, and even with a touch of humor. Highly recommend this film. Based on the quality of reviews from the Rush Limbaugh right, it won't sway much viewpoint (they, as is so typical, resort to such brilliant slams as "fat liberal" and other similarly inspired remarks), but at the very least it will help all truly thinking Americans. I don't care if you're Democrat or Republican - you should very strongly support the continuation of the making of this kind of film. Freedom of speech is one of the very core principles upon which this nation was founded. Thankfully, it still exists to a degree. God Bless Michael Moore for having the guts to do what he does.

Theatrical: 1966

Studio: Fox

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 96 mins

Summary: A diplomat is nearly assassinated. In order to save him, a submarine is shrunken to microscopic size and injected into his blood stream with a small crew. They have just begun their voyage when it becomes clear there is a saboteur on board.
Special Features:
**English Surround Sound 2.0

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: MGM/UA Video

Genre: Drama

Summary: "Fargo" rightly earns its place among the 100 best films of the 20th Century, and is my personal favorite film of all time. Deadpan hilarious and tragic all at the same time, the film is a Lake Wobegon tale gone wrong. "Fargo" avoids the huge name actors and actresses, but assembles one of the best acting classes I've ever seen. William H. Macy's portayal of Jerry Lundergaard tops the list. Jerry, the car salesman down on luck and money, decides to have two thugs kidnap his own wife in order to use the ransom money for a business deal. But Jerry isn't your phototypical bad guy here; he's best described as a nebish (a nervous, unsure character). His plans blow up on his face, and he quickly loses his grip on the situation. By the end, you truly feel sorry for the guy, even if he did start the whole mess. Equally impressive is Steve Buscemi, one of the most underated actors of our time. Watch throughout the movie as more and more rage boils inside of his kidnapper character. Frances McDormand earned her Oscar as the adorable and morally sensible cop Margie. Peter Stormare's character is a truly frightening brute. And Harve Presnell is the perfect fit for anyone whose had an in-law with a grudge against them. "Fargo" is a great movie for repeat viewing because it can be analyzed in and out. The greatest scene perhaps is when Margie's school friend Mike meets her for a drink. On the surface, it is extraneous to the plot, but look for a deeper signifigance as it relates to events in the movie. The bottom line is that "Fargo" is just a terrific, terrific film.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Vital Distribution

Genre: Music DVDs - Concerts

Summary:

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: BBC Worldwide Publishing

Genre: Comedy, Television, Box Set

Summary: Often hailed as the greatest ever British sitcom, Fawlty Towers is closer to the more elaborate tradition of farce. Comprising two series made in 1975 and 1979, the total of just 12 episodes were painstakingly constructed by writers John Cleese and Connie Booth. Unlike most British farce, however, Fawlty Towers deals with the big themes--death, psychology, xenophobia and even sex-o-phobia (Basil's marriage to Sybil is the most sterile ever depicted in a sitcom). Basil's contempt for his guests is, of course, legendary. It takes little from patrons to unleash his sledgehammer sarcasm: "Rosewood, mahogany, teak? Sorry, I was wondering what you'd like your breakfast tray made out of", he sneers at a guest who dares to request breakfast in bed. Like every Englishman, he wants to be king of his own castle and resents having to take in lodgers to maintain the place, especially the open-necked younger generation, whom he regards as sub-human. Mostly, though, Fawlty Towers is comedy of exasperation--who can forget the "damn good thrashing" Basil gives his clapped-out car, or the nervous breakdowns he almost suffers trying to make himself understood to Manuel? It's also comedy of embarrassment. The very fear of losing his dignity generally leads Basil into the most spectacularly undignified of predicaments. His inevitable misery is our sheer delight. -- David Stubbs On the DVD: each six-episode season is given its own disc with a commentary track from John Howard Davies and Bob Spiers, directors of Season 1 and Season 2 respectively. The third disc has all the additional material, the best of which are new interviews with John Cleese, Andrew Sachs and Prunella Scales. Also included are text biographies of all the leads and the guest stars, a short background featurette on Torquay and the hotel owner who is said to have inspired Basil, a very short blooper reel of outtakes and a brief teaser with Cleese in character entitled "Cheap Tatty Review". Much of this extra material was comfortably fitted onto the individually available Season 1 and 2 discs, so it's a bit of a mystery why a third disc was deemed necessary for the box set. --Mark Walker

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Horror

Summary: Own all three terrifying Final Destination films in one gift set!

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Walt Disney Home Video

Genre: Cartoon & Animation

Summary: Pirates of the Carribean, eat your heart out. 'Finding Nemo' is the best sea, animated and family film yet. Once again, PIXAR Animation studios delivered amazing and incredibly realistic animation. Finding Nemo is a great movie because it has a very interesting plot which will make you involved from start to finish. It's cast is great, Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGernes, Willem Dafoe, etc. Also, the humor and dramatic and intense sequences blend in to make this film. It's humorous, such as the screenplay and funny facial expressions. Intense, such as the Angler fish scene, when its all dark and the Angler fish pops out of no where, and when you see it's face, you'll know what I'm talking about! And dramatic such as the loving relationship between Marlin and Nemo, and the friendship between Dory and Marlin. But what makes this movie so amazing is that all of the material is REAL!(Except the talking fish with eyelids and all) Clown fish, Jelly Fish, Anemones-- all of it is real, and delivers an educational impact on us on how beatiful and overwhelming the ocean is.So basically, if you've been living under a rock for the past 9 months and haven't seen this movie, BUY THIS MOVIE!!And even if you already saw it and don't have it, stop reading this review and order it now!

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Horror

Summary: David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of the science fiction classic about a scientist who accidentally swaps body parts with a fly is both smart and terrifying: an allegory for the awful processes of slow death and a monster movie with a tragic spin. Jeff Goldblum gives a masterful performance as a sweet, nerdy scientist whose romance with a writer (Geena Davis) makes him more fully alive. Next thing you know, a tiny oversight in an experiment causes him to transmogrify, gradually, into something more like an insect than a human. This is Cronenberg ("Scanners", "Videodrome") country, so expect "The Fly" to be a gross-out, but in the way that disease corrupts the body and can make a loved one unrecognizable on every level. This is one of Cronenberg's best films, and certainly one of the important movies of the 1980s. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical:

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 95

Summary: David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of the science fiction classic about a scientist who accidentally swaps body parts with a fly is both smart and terrifying: an allegory for the awful processes of slow death and a monster movie with a tragic spin. Jeff Goldblum gives a masterful performance as a sweet, nerdy scientist whose romance with a writer (Geena Davis) makes him more fully alive. Next thing you know, a tiny oversight in an experiment causes him to transmogrify, gradually, into something more like an insect than a human. This is Cronenberg ("Scanners", "Videodrome") country, so expect "The Fly" to be a gross-out, but in the way that disease corrupts the body and can make a loved one unrecognizable on every level. This is one of Cronenberg's best films, and certainly one of the important movies of the 1980s. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox

Genre: Horror

Summary: The FlyDavid Cronenberg's 1986 remake of the science fiction classic about a scientist who accidentally swaps body parts with a fly is both smart and terrifying: an allegory for the awful processes of slow death and a monster movie with a tragic spin. Jeff Goldblum gives a masterful performance as a sweet, nerdy scientist whose romance with a writer (Geena Davis) makes him more fully alive. Next thing you know, a tiny oversight in an experiment causes him to transmogrify, gradually, into something more like an insect than a human. This is Cronenberg (Scanners, Videodrome) country, so expect The Fly to be a gross-out, but in the way that disease corrupts the body and can make a loved one unrecognizable on every level. This is one of Cronenberg's best films, and certainly one of the important movies of the 1980s. --Tom Keogh The Fly IIChris Walas, the effects whiz who turned Jeff Goldblum into the gooey, grotesque Brundle-Fly in David Cronenberg's The Fly, makes his directorial debut in this equally icky sequel. Eric Stoltz is Brundle's genetically diseased offspring, a boy genius brought up in an experimental laboratory by a nefarious foster father eager to see what his inevitable metamorphosis will bring. No surprise here: like father, like son. Daphne Zuniga is his sweet young girlfriend, and John Getz reprises his role from the first film as a bitter alcoholic with a very bad fake beard. This cut- rate "Son of the Fly" knockoff pales next to Cronenberg's classic, degenerating into a gory revenge flick. Walas strains under a limited budget, and many of the more elaborate creatures (a monstrously mutated dog, the skeletal fly monster leaping about the warehouse-like lab) are rather shabby. The makeup is suitably gooey, slathered in ooze and pus, and the mayhem-filled finale is a nasty but impressive over-the-top frenzy of blood and gore climaxing in the nastiest piece of poetic justice since Freaks. The opening birth scene (with a look-alike subbing for mom Geena Davis) is an homage to Larry Cohen's It's Alive. --Sean Axmaker

Theatrical: 1980

Studio: Universal

Genre: Horror

Duration: 89 mins

Summary:

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Columbia Tristar Hom

Genre: Documentary

Summary: The Fog of War, the movie that finally won Errol Morris the best documentary Oscar, is a spellbinder. Morris interviews Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and finds a uniquely unsettling viewpoint on much of 20th-century American history. Employing a ton of archival material, including LBJ's fascinating taped conversations from the Oval Office, Morris probes the reasons behind the U.S. commitment to the Vietnam War--and finds a depressingly inconsistent policy. McNamara himself emerges as--well, not exactly apologetic, but clearly haunted by the what-ifs of Vietnam. He also mulls the bombing of Japan in World War II and the Cuban Missile Crisis, raising more questions than he answers. The Fog of War has the usual inexorable Morris momentum, aided by an uneasy Philip Glass score. This movie provides a glimpse inside government. It also encourages skepticism about same. --Robert Horton

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre: Television, Reality TV

Summary: Food Safari is the ultimate journey into new culinary worlds on our doorstep. We aim to make the exotic familiar by guiding you through key ingredients and easy recipes across 13 delicious cuisines. Each episode explores a new cuisine with the help of professional chefs and homecooks who show us their tips and secrets, cheat's recipes and classic favourites. It's like Cooking for Dummies across the world.
Presenter Maeve O'Meara takes us deep into our cities and suburbs to uncover the very best of ingredients for Moroccan, Malaysian, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Indian, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Turkish, Lebanese and Spanish food. Along the way, we meet people who really know their food and who make this series so real. Many of them are Maeve's old friends, and they happily share simple tips while preparing easy, mouth-watering dishes. It's a bit like getting a kiss on both cheeks as you pull up a chair to learn great new recipes from a food savvy friend.

Theatrical: 1956

Studio: Warner Studios

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Summary: Forbidden Planet is easily one of the finest science fiction movies ever made. Although released in 1956, it still compares favorably with much flashier movies from more recent years. The film is not a "blast-fest" in the Star Wars style, but blends modest action and beautiful hand painted special effects with a fascinating study of basic human nature. Those expecting 1950's B-movie special effects will be pleasantly surprised, as top quality hand rendered artwork abounds, as well as a flying saucer with no strings attached! Also, one of the more memorable big-screen automatons, Robby the Robot, appears in much of the film. The movie also contains some of the best sci-fi film music ever recorded, as it rises and falls to the mood of the scenes. To complement the attractive visuals and sounds is excellent casting, with Walter Pidgeon perfectly suited to the imperious Dr. Morbius. Fine performances by Leslie Nielsen and Anne Francis, among others, help create a dramatic tension you can feel as the film nears its climax. Monsters, mystery and a little humor make Forbidden Planet a genuine classic, which any sci-fi fan should take time to enjoy!

Theatrical: 1956

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Summary: This 1956 pop adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is one of the best, most influential science fiction movies ever made. Its space explorers are the models for the crew of "Star Trek"'s "Enterprise", and the film's robot is clearly the prototype for Robby in "Lost in Space". Walter Pidgeon is the Prospero figure, presiding over a paradisiacal world with his lovely young daughter and their servile droid. When the crew of a spaceship lands on the planet, they become aware of a sinister invisible force that threatens to destroy them. Great special effects and a bizarre electronic score help make this movie as fresh, imaginative, and fun as it was when first released. "--Amazon.com"
On the DVDs
Nestled in a metal collector's box decorated with variations of original promo art, the colorfully designed 2-disc 50th Anniversary Edition of "Forbidden Planet" (also available separately) comes in a slip-covered fold-out case accompanied by a pocket of 17 miniature lobby card reproductions (eight for "Forbidden Planet", nine for the 1957 companion movie "The Invisible Boy"). On disc 1, "Forbidden Planet" is presented with a new digital transfer from restored picture and audio elements, with soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, offering considerable improvement over the film's previous DVD release. A selection of deleted scenes were taken from a faded and scratchy 16-millimeter "work print" that had originally been viewed by composers Louis and Bebe Barron as they were creating the film's unique electronic score; they consist of full or partial scenes cut from the final film--mostly for good reason, but collectors (and those who first saw this rare material on the original Criterion Collection laserdisc) will welcome their inclusion here. The "lost footage" is crude special-effects test footage, again primarily of interest to sci-fi historians and aficionados. Given the fact that the original "Robby the Robot" cost over $100,000 to build in 1955, it's easy to see why MGM wanted to get their money's worth: An excerpt from the 1950s TV series "MGM Parade" shows "Forbidden Planet" star Walter Pigeon appearing briefly with Robby, and the popular robot gets even more attention as a guest star in "The Robot Client," an episode of the "Thin Man" TV series (starring Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk) that originally aired on Feb. 28, 1958. Disc 1 also includes a gallery of seven science-fiction movie trailers dating from 1953's "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" to 1960's "The Time Machine".
Disc 2 begins with 1957's "The Invisible Boy", a still-enjoyable B-movie that served as Robby's post-"Forbidden Planet" showcase. Here, filmdom's favorite automaton plays sidekick to a young boy (Richard Eyer) who turns invisible when he gets caught up in a super-computer's scheme of global domination. Also included are three documentaries, all of them very good to excellent: In addition to reuniting the surviving cast members of the '56 classic (including Leslie Nielsen, Anne Francis, Richard Anderson, Warren Stevens, and Earl Holliman), "Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of "Forbidden Planet"" is an appreciative tribute to "Forbidden Planet" with some of Hollywood's foremost sci-fi fans including special effects masters Dennis Muren and Phil Tippett, SF movie expert Bill Warren, and others. "Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon" is a featurette about the robot's design, creation, and pop-cultural history, featuring original "Robby" designer Robert Kinoshita, Bill Malone (current owner of the original Robby), and Fred "The Robot Man" Barton, a lifelong robot fanatic builds fully authorized, full-scale Robby replicas for sci-fi fans with deep pockets. Closing out disc 2 is "Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us," a 2005 documentary from Turner Classic Movies, written and directed by Time magazine critic Richard Schickel. It's a thoroughly comprehensive survey of '50s sci-fi and its influence on the next generation of film directors, including engaging interviews with George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, Ridley Scott and James Cameron.
Last but certainly not least, the Ultimate Collector's Edition of "Forbidden Planet" comes with a highly detailed three-inch tall die-cast replica of Robby the Robot. Should you display it proudly on your toy shelf or keep it in its cellophane wrapper? That's a tough call for devoted Robby fans... so you'll just have to decide for yourself! "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical:

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Science Fiction

Summary: This 1956 pop adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is one of the best, most influential science fiction movies ever made. Its space explorers are the models for the crew of "Star Trek"'s "Enterprise", and the film's robot is clearly the prototype for Robby in "Lost in Space". Walter Pidgeon is the Prospero figure, presiding over a paradisiacal world with his lovely young daughter and their servile droid. When the crew of a spaceship lands on the planet, they become aware of a sinister invisible force that threatens to destroy them. Great special effects and a bizarre electronic score help make "Forbidden Planet" as fresh, imaginative and fun as it was when first released.

Theatrical: 1975

Studio:

Genre: Asian Cinema

Summary:

Theatrical: 1981

Studio: Hbo Home Video

Genre: Crime & Thriller

Duration: 120

Summary: Paul Newman stars in this harsh portrait of a police station in a crumbling neighborhood. Newman plays John Murphy, a veteran policeman who's been on the force long enough to be tired, but not so long that he's lost his idealism. The plot is loosely tied to the arrival of Connolly, the new precinct captain (Edward Asner). Is he a crusader who's going to finally whip a corrupt, apathetic force into shape, or an interloping by-the-book bureaucrat who can't possibly understand the neighborhood and will do more harm than good? The movie is gratifyingly ambiguous on this point and many others. While Newman's character is almost by default the hero, he is far from perfect--most all the major characters get complex personalities, just like real people. The Bronx itself is given complex, thoughtful treatment as well, full of both overwhelming problems and hope for the future. "Fort Apache, the Bronx" also has action sequences, but doesn't make the mistake of reveling in violence. Here, black and white are far less defined and, consequently, far more satisfying. "--Ali Davis"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Dimension

Genre: Crime & Thriller

Duration: 147

Summary: The two-disc edition of "Sin City" easily makes the earlier single-disc theatrical-cut release obsolete by including the regular theatrical cut on the first disc, recutting the movie into four extended segments on the second disc (separated by story line), then piling on an impressive load of bonus features. But there's a catch. Billed as "Recut, Extended, Unrated," with "over 20 minutes" of new footage, the new set's four separate stories are extended by only about 6.5 total minutes of movie action (see details below in "What's New"); the rest of the added running time is the splashy new title shots (named by the title of the story or book) and the four minutes of credits that run at the end of each segment. Each addition makes the movie even closer to the comic books, and these extended segments are generally preferable to the theatrical equivalents (unfortunately, there's no Play All option), but don't expect the same impact as Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" extended editions. And although this version is unrated, the only risqué addition is a bit of violence from Miho that's no worse than the rest of the crazy violence in the film.
How Are the Bonus Features?
Robert Rodriguez has always loved DVDs, so the bonus features are extensive. On the first disc, there is somehow room for the theatrical cut of the film with its DTS track (the extended versions have only Dolby 5.1), two commentary tracks, an alternate audio track with a live audience in Austin, Texas, an interactive map of characters and locations, and 47 minutes of featurettes covering Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino, cars, costumes, props, and special effects. The first commentary is Rodriguez and Miller discussing the concepts and the cast. The second commentary is mostly by Rodriguez, but Tarantino drops in briefly for the scene he directed (with Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro in the car), as does an enthusiastic Bruce Willis for his segment.
The Tarantino scene gets a lot of attention on the second disc as well, in a 14-minute take in which he can be heard coaching the actors. Also on the disc are Rodriguez's usual "flic school" (among the topics is how scenes were created by merging footage of actors who never actually met), footage of Bruce Willis's band performing in Austin at the time of the shooting, and another Rodriguez cooking school (this time it's breakfast tacos). But the most interesting feature is the "green screen version" of the film: the entire film as it was shot in front of the green screen, sped up to play in only 12 minutes. You can see the actors (in color!) interacting only with the props and each other. Last, there's a DVD-sized complete comic book of "The Hard Goodbye."
What's New in the Extended Version?
"The Customer Is Always Right" (the opening sequence with Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton) has no new footage, but now goes straight into the one-minute epilogue with Hartnett and Alexis Bledel that closed the theatrical cut. "The Hard Goodbye" (with Mickey Rourke as "Marv" ) has two new sequences totaling about two minutes: Marv encounters his mother and finds his gun, and talks to Weevil in the club. In "The Big Fat Kill" (with Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro), some short dialogue is restored, along with another wicked slice by Miho (Devon Aoki)--about a minute total. "That Yellow Bastard" (with Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba) has about 3.5 new minutes: there are more visitors to Hartigan's hospital bed, including his wife and a nurse; Carla Gugino's Lucille character comes to assist Hartigan when he wants to get out of jail (probably the best addition); and Mr. Shlubb and Mr. Klump have some more lines." --David Horiuchi"
More "Sin City" at Amazon.com
The Graphic Novels and Books
Films by Robert Rodriguez
Our interview with Frank Miller
The Soundtrack
From Graphic Novel to Big Screen
Films by guest director Quentin Tarantino

Theatrical: 1971

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Crime & Thriller

Duration: 104

Summary: William Friedkin's classic "policier" was propelled to box-office glory, and a fistful of Oscars, in 1972 by its pedal-to-the-metal filmmaking and fashionably cynical attitude toward law enforcement. Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle, a brutally pushy New York City narcotics detective, is a dauntless crime fighter and Vietnam-era "pig," a reckless vulgarian whose antics get innocent people killed. Loosely based upon an actual investigation that led to what was then the biggest heroin seizure in U.S. history, the picture traces the efforts of Doyle and his partner (Roy Scheider) to close the pipeline pumping Middle Eastern smack into the States through the French port of Marseilles. (The actual French Connection cops, Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso, make cameo appearances.) It was widely recognized at the time that Friedkin had lifted a lot of his high-strung technique from the Costa-Gavras thrillers "The Sleeping Car Murders" and "Z"--he even imported one of Costa-Gavras's favorite thugs, Marcel Bozzuffi, to play the Euro-trash hit man plugged by Doyle in an elevated train station. There was an impressive official sequel in 1975, "French Connection II", directed by John Frankenheimer, which took Popeye to the south of France and got him hooked on horse. A couple of semi-official spinoffs followed, "The Seven-Ups", which elevated Scheider to the leading role, and "Badge 373", with Robert Duvall stepping in as the pugnacious flatfoot. "--David Chute"

Theatrical: 1980

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Horror

Duration: 95

Summary: One summer at Camp Crystal Lake, a group of young counselors begin to get ready to lead campers. Unfortunately for the former, someone isn't happy about what's going on in the camp and enjoys playing Kill the Counselor. As bodies fall to the ground in the camp, no one is safe.

Theatrical:

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Horror, Box Set

Duration: 734 mins

Summary:

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Horror

Duration: 86

Summary: After years of wondering why this great horror classic was not available until now is revealed! We nowdays take for granted that every movie will be available on DVD and unrated. So why did it take so long for this film to be released? The studio misplaced the cut scenes! In fact director Stuart Gordon was originally told that they were thrown away. Luckily for us in 2005 someone found them! Now we all get to see one of the most original horror films of all time the way it was supposed to be seen.

If you have not seen this film, there is no real way of describing it properly. You just have to see it. It's thrilling, well acted, and gory as hell. You'll be talking about it for days with your friends. Plus at a good price, you just have no excuse owning it. A great addition for your horror collection if you already love Gordon's Re-Animator films and his take on Lovecraft stories.

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: Dimension Home Video

Genre: Horror

Summary: "Evil Mexican Vampire Strippers" -- sounds very cheesy, no? Well, as a matter of fact, "From Dusk Till Dawn" is. It's also weirdly entertaining in a gory, cheesy, bizarre vampire-laden way, with over-the-top vampires, crossbow-wielding teens, and ministers kicking butt alongside killer bank robbers. The Gecko brothers are a pair of robbers on the run from the cops: Seth (George Clooney), a murdering thug with a few scruples left, and Ritchie (Quentin Tarantino) a murdering rapist psycho thug who has none. After destroying a roadside liquor, Ritchie "accidently" rapes and murders their hostage (no details are shown), and they take an ex-minister Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel) and his teenage kids hostage. Soon they ramble over the Mexican border in the minister's RV, to a strip club called... well, I probably can't say what it's called on amazon.com. But when a bar-brawl turns ugly, a snake-charming stripper (a cameo by Salma Hayek) suddenly turns into a not-so-pretty vampire. And Seth, his ex-hostages,This is a B-movie in every sense, and there's something appealingly cheesy about it. It's a bit predictable -- you know as certain moments approach that so-and-so is going to turn around and be a vampire, you know that Jacob is going to regain his faith... but who cares? If you're looking for amazing plot twists, this is not the movie to watch. The first half is a seedy, gritty hostage situation; the second half is an unashamed flying-body-parts-wallow-in-the-black-gore-fest. These vampires are not in the gorgeous stylish Anne Rice mold -- they are, pardon the pun, ugly as sin. The dialogue is mostly snappy except for the occasional line like "Welcome to slavery." The sets are impressively run-down, seedy and dusty, and the torchlit tunnel didn't even make me laugh at all. (Although as a woman, I would have preferred less stripping -- I fast-forwarded through that part. Or was Rodriegez making a comment on stripper clubs by filling them with evil vampires?) And it takes a good director to not make me laugh at vampire heads bursting into flame as a kid flings holy water balloons at them, or the "disco ball" scene near the end.Weirdly, Clooney actually makes us care about Seth; he has virtually no redeeming characteristics until the vampires start up. Then we get to see a certain change of heart in him now that he's seen that, including the surreal but effective scene where he lectures Jacob on God, heaven, hell, and why he now believes in them (now there's irony for you!). Ritchie has no such luck scriptwise; this psychotic creep was more appealing as a vampire than as a human. Keitel also manages a poignant moment, such as the scene where he insists that his kids kill him if and when he transforms into a vampire. "From Dusk Till Dawn" is a cult film in the best sense of it: Either you'll love it, or you'll hate it. It's a stupid vampire flick in every sense of the word, which is why (except for the stripping) I guiltily enjoyed it. (Not for the weak of stomach)

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Roadshow

Genre: Comedy, Television

Duration: 345 mins

Summary: Based at an (unspecified) commercial network, Frontline goes behind the scenes of the ratings-obsessed world of commercial current affairs. Covering everything from the use of hidden cameras, foot-in-the-door bullying interview techniques and cheque-book journalism, take a satirical look at the egos, the dubious practices, and the occasional hypocrisy of a medium that purports to objectively present public affairs. While strongly satirical, Frontline is not a 'comedy' in the traditional sense, filmed in a shooting style that leans towards documentary realism.

Theatrical: 1987

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: War

Summary: Stanley Kubrick's 1987, penultimate film seemed to a lot of people to be contrived and out of touch with the '80s vogue for such intensely realistic portrayals of the Vietnam War as "Platoon" and "The Deer Hunter". Certainly, Kubrick gave audiences plenty of reason to wonder why he made the film at all: essentially a two-part drama that begins on a Parris Island boot camp for rookie Marines and abruptly switches to Vietnam (actually shot on sound stages and locations near London), "Full Metal Jacket" comes across as a series of self-contained chapters in a story whose logical and thematic development is oblique at best. Then again, much the same was said about Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey", a masterwork both enthralled with and satiric about the future's role in the unfinished business of human evolution. In a way, "Full Metal Jacket" is the wholly grim counterpart of "2001". While the latter is a truly 1960s film, both wide-eyed and wary, about the intertwining of progress and isolation (ending in our redemption, finally, by death), "Full Metal Jacket" is a cynical, Reagan-era view of the 1960s' hunger for experience and consciousness that fulfilled itself in violence. Lee Ermey made film history as the Marine drill instructor whose ritualized debasement of men in the name of tribal uniformity creates its darkest angel in a murderous half-wit (Vincent D'Onofrio). Matthew Modine gives a smart and savvy performance as Private Joker, the clowning, military journalist who yearns to get away from the propaganda machine and know firsthand the horrific revelation of the front line. In "Full Metal Jacket", depravity and fulfillment go hand in hand, and it's no wonder Kubrick kept his steely distance from the material to make the point. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1978

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Crime & Thriller

Duration: 1978

Summary:

Theatrical:

Studio: Fox

Genre: Crime & Thriller

Duration: 206 mins

Summary: FX:
Rollie Tyler (Brown) is the best special effects artist in showbiz. But this it not the studio seeking him out... it's the Justice Department. His assignment: to fake the assassination of an important underworld witness. And after he pulls the illusion off, making the informant disappear – Rollie is dumbfounded to learn that he's being pinned for the murder! Double-crossed and now hunted by those who hired him, Rollie quickly learns that he can trust no-one… and that the only thing that can save his life is his unequalled mastery of illusion. FX 2:
Five years after his first deadly adventure, Rollie Tyler (Brown) has left the special effects business and now designs sophisticated electronic toys for a living. But when his girlfriend's ex-husband (Tom Mason), a police detective, persuades him to devise an illusion to capture a serial killer, Rollie is once again lured into the lethal world of make-believe. And soon, he finds himself trapped in a murderous maze of deceit and treachery in which he must depend on his ingenious tricks – and his friendship with detective Leo McCarthy (Dennehy) – to expose a terrifying underworld conspiracy... but only if he can stay alive!