Collection ID 1393
Director: Marlon Brando
Starring: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden
Genre: Western
Studio: Digiview Productions   Release date: 1961   Rated: Unrated   
Language (Country): English, Spanish (USA)
Summary: Running from the law after a bank robbery in Mexico, Dad Longworth finds an opportunity to take the stolen gold and leave his partner Rio to be captured. Years later, Rio escapes from the prison where he has been since, and hunts down Dad for revenge. Dad is now a respectable sheriff in California, and has been living in fear of Rio's return.
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My Review: Directed by and starring Marlon Brando. I was surprised to find this gem tucked away in the $1.00 bin at Wal-Mart. With an excellent cast - Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Katy Jurado, the oh so sensuous Pina Pellicer, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens and others. It's a western in the tradition of Sergio Leone's 'Man with no name' series. A bad man is the hero, but we sympathize with him and despise his lawman partner. After two bandits (Brando and Malden) rob a Mexican bank, they're pinned down on a ridge with no where to go. At the flip of a coin Dad Lonworth (Malden) goes for help, but he changes his mind after he makes it out alive. Leaving Rio (Brando) to the Mexican authorities, he high-tails it for the border; leaving Rio at the mercy of the Mexican posse. Years later, Rio escapes and seeks his vengence on the now wealthy and respectable lawman who let him suffer all those years in a Mexican prison. It's a movie about double-crosses, honor, and revenge. Excellent writting produced by a convoluted chain of revisions. The direction and acting were outstanding. Marlon Brando was vibrant, honest and engaged. The camera work captured the locations in stark relief, transforming the harsh western landscape into a character of it's own. The story is full of character developments that turn the traditional western (of the late 50's) on it's head.

Collection ID 443
Director: Don Roos
Starring: Christina Ricci, Martin Donovan, Lisa Kudrow, Lyle Lovett, Johnny Galecki
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Studio: Rysher Entertainment   Release date: 1998   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: A 16 year old Louisiana girl moves in with her homosexual half-brother and immediately starts coming on to his sexual partner, finally forcing him into an affair in which she becomes pregnant. The whole affair blows into a scandal exposing her school teacher brother and the true parent of the child is called into question as it is revealed that there have been a series of lovers.
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Collection ID 530
Director: Brian Helgeland
Starring: Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Benno Fürmann, Mark Addy, Peter Weller
Genre: Mystery
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox   Release date: 2003   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: A young priest is sent to Rome to investigate the troubling death of the head of his order.
My Rating:
My Review: A pseudo-religious/supernatural horror mystery thriller theme. I'm a sucker for the genre. I bought a copy. Unfortunately, the acting was less than laudable. The only exception was Mark Addy as Father Thomas. The story also suffered from quiet talking. Yep, a lot of dialog that was muttered or murmurred. The music was pretty good, the costumes and setting were really good. The story was really good as well. This movie really should have been titled 'Soul Eater'. This one gets a four out of seven, and only because I haven't seen this antagonist before.

Collection ID 1236
Director: Brian Helgeland
Starring: Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Benno Fürmann, Mark Addy, Peter Weller
Genre: Mystery
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox   Release date: 2003   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: A young priest is sent to Rome to investigate the troubling death of the head of his order.
My Rating:
My Review: A pseudo-religious/supernatural horror mystery thriller theme. I'm a sucker for the genre. I bought a copy. Unfortunately, the acting was less than laudable. The only exception was Mark Addy as Father Thomas. The story also suffered from quiet talking. Yep, a lot of dialog that was muttered or murmurred. The music was pretty good, the costumes and setting were really good. The story was really good as well. This movie really should have been titled 'Soul Eater'. This one gets a four out of seven, and only because I haven't seen this antagonist before.

Collection ID 757
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Starring: Jean Dujardin, François Damiens, Khalid Maadour, Youssef Hamid, Arsène Mosca
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Studio: Gaumont   Release date: 2006   Rated: See all certifications   
Language (Country): French, Arabic, German (France)
Summary: An homage to classic spy films. It's 1955 and after a fellow agent and close friend disappears, secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, a.k.a. OSS 117, is ordered to take his place at the head of a poultry firm in Cairo. This is to be his cover while he is busy investigating, foiling Nazi holdouts, quelling a fundamentalist rebellion, and bedding local beauties.
My Rating:
My Review: OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies / OSS 117: Le Caire, nid d'espions - 2008 (comedy, action, adventure) A parody on the James Bond (OSS 117) series. This movie is set in the mid 50s and it features Jean Dujardin as a French Special agent. He's self-absorbed, a bit witless, but amazingly adept. In this episode OSS agent 117 is sent to Cairo in order to investigate the disappearance of Jack Jefferson another French agent. Agent 117 mixes it up with two female spys, Nazis, Russians, and a bevy of other crazy characters. The story is a bit shallow, but the laughs are deep. The humor is under-stated, extremely funny, and continuous. Agent 117 is an amazing character and Jean Dujardin is an amazing actor. The production value is outstanding and the editing fantastic. Direction and writing were extremely well done. Unfortunately, I doubt many Americans will watch this movie. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Collection ID 1443
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Starring: Jean Dujardin, François Damiens, Khalid Maadour, Youssef Hamid, Arsène Mosca
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Studio: Gaumont   Release date: 2006   Rated: See all certifications   
Language (Country): French, Arabic, German (France)
Summary: An homage to classic spy films. It's 1955 and after a fellow agent and close friend disappears, secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, a.k.a. OSS 117, is ordered to take his place at the head of a poultry firm in Cairo. This is to be his cover while he is busy investigating, foiling Nazi holdouts, quelling a fundamentalist rebellion, and bedding local beauties.
My Rating:
My Review: OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies / OSS 117: Le Caire, nid d'espions - 2008 (comedy, action, adventure) A parody on the James Bond (OSS 117) series. This movie is set in the mid 50s and it features Jean Dujardin as a French Special agent. He's self-absorbed, a bit witless, but amazingly adept. In this episode OSS agent 117 is sent to Cairo in order to investigate the disappearance of Jack Jefferson another French agent. Agent 117 mixes it up with two female spys, Nazis, Russians, and a bevy of other crazy characters. The story is a bit shallow, but the laughs are deep. The humor is under-stated, extremely funny, and continuous. Agent 117 is an amazing character and Jean Dujardin is an amazing actor. The production value is outstanding and the editing fantastic. Direction and writing were extremely well done. Unfortunately, I doubt many Americans will watch this movie. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Collection ID 475
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, Christopher Eccleston, Alakina Mann, James Bentley
Genre: Drama
Studio: Cruise/Wagner Productions   Release date: 2001   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, French (Spain)
Summary: A woman who lives in a darkened old house with her two photosensitive children becomes convinced that her family home is haunted.
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Collection ID 1187
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, Christopher Eccleston, Alakina Mann, James Bentley
Genre: Drama
Studio: Cruise/Wagner Productions   Release date: 2001   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, French (Spain)
Summary: A woman who lives in a darkened old house with her two photosensitive children becomes convinced that her family home is haunted.
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Collection ID 266
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Genre: Action
Studio: Warner Bros.   Release date: 1995   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: Extreme measures are necessary to contain an epidemic of a deadly airborne virus. But how extreme, exactly?
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Collection ID 974
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Genre: Action
Studio: Warner Bros.   Release date: 1995   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: Extreme measures are necessary to contain an epidemic of a deadly airborne virus. But how extreme, exactly?
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