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An unrelentingly bleak drama from acclaimed director Mike Leigh, HARD LABOUR presents an extremely hopeless look at the life of an aging Englishwoman. The film graphically depicts the grinding daily routine of Mrs. Thornley (Liz Smith), an elderly wife and mother who works during the day cleaning the home of the wealthy, complaining Mrs. Stone (Vanessa Harris). When she returns to her own home, the abuse she suffers only increases--from her husband Jim (Clifford Kershaw), an alcoholic custodian who whines, bickers, and emotionally batters her, as well as from her daughter Ann (Polly Hemingway), who takes for granted everything her mother does for her. Even her daughter-in-law, Veronica (Alison Steadman), joins in on the abuse, making her life a constant grind of torture and turmoil. Clinging to religion as a blanket for her sorrows, she finally realizes that even the priest has no sympathy for her.Leigh's film--at only 70 minutes--is one of the most emotionally exhausting character pieces ever committed to celluloid. Each character, unable to deal responsibly with their own personal discontent, instead lashes out at everyone else, creating a soundtrack of gripes, shouts, and moans that is guaranteed to make the viewer cringe and recoil.DVD Features:Region [unknown]Keep Case
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Carroll Ballard follows up his beloved THE BLACK STALLION with NEVER CRY WOLF, another inspiring adventure story that deals with the all-important concept of man versus nature. The film opens as the government dispatches Tyler (Charles Martin Smith), a solitary biologist, into the frozen wilds of the Yukon, to determine whether aggressive wolves are the reason for a greatly reduced caribou population in the region. During the course of his lonely assignment, the bespectacled scientist comes to understand the wolves' world, respect it, and even want to be a part of it. Not surprisingly, he also discovers that the white man is responsible for the caribou's depleted numbers--not the vilified wolves. When it appears that a group of angry hunters are going to ruthlessly murder any wolf that they see, he is forced to take a stance once and for all, endangering his own life in the process.Ballard's visual epic, gorgeously photographed by Hiro Narita, proves his overflowing skill as a director. Once again, he chooses to rely on imagery to tell his story, rather than drowning out the visuals with unnecessary dialogue. Smith's inspired performance allows the audience to slip inside his mind, resulting in a deeply personal viewing experience.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseWidescreen
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
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In director Daniel Petrie's ROCKET GIBRALTAR, the affluent and somewhat eccentric Rockwell clan gets together in honor of Levi (Burt Lancaster), the family's patriarch, on his 77th birthday. Reunited on the shores of Levi's idyllic Saggaponack home, his children and their large brood of grandchildren prepare themselves for a festive celebration. While Levi spends his time leisurely reminiscing about family traditions, his adult children pursue various obsessions such as sex, baseball, and movie production. Costars include Kevin Spacey (in an early screen appearance), Bill Pullman, John Glover, Patricia Clarkson, Suzy Amis, Sinead Cusack, and Frances Conroy as Levi's various children and their spouses, a wild crew of neurotic and self-obsessed yuppies eager to please the sentimental Rockwell patriarch. As the large family spends the weekend together, they revel in past joys and memories of their youth and prepare for the big event while engaging in ever-present sibling rivalry and marital squabbles. But as a surprise, Levi's grandchildren (including a very young Macaulay Culkin in his film debut) have come up with a rather moving and unorthodox present to honor Levi's most cherished wish in a touching and insightful finale to this quiet family drama that relishes the youthful exuberance and imaginative creativity of childhood.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseFull FrameAudio: Dolby Digital 2.0 - English
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This program collects two episodes from THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES television series: THE EMPTY HOUSE and THE ABBEY GRANGE. See individual titles for details.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseInteractive Features: Scene Access Interactive Menus
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
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This grand prize winner of the Montreal Film Festival tells the story of a strange young man who befriends a middle-aged couple and their crippled daughter. A taut, well-made thriller.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseAnamorphic Widescreen - 1.66Audio: Stereo Surround - English
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
All rights reserved.