Home

DARK WATERS, one of Andre de Toth?s early Hollywood films, is a sinister psychological thriller starring Merle Oberon as Leslie Calvin, a woman traumatized by a shipwreck in which she loses her parents. After a lengthy hospitalization, Leslie goes to live with her aunt and uncle, whom she has never met. Leslie is unsettled when, though she has telegrammed ahead, no comes to meet her. Kindly, handsome local doctor George Grover (Franchot Tone) drives Leslie to the family?s remote, sultry Louisiana sugar plantation, but scatterbrained Aunt Emily (Fay Bainter) and distant Uncle Norbert (John Qualen) insist they did not know of her arrival ? despite the Western Union letter in the trash. Also residing in the mansion is the strangely domineering, forbidding Mr. Sydney (Thomas Mitchell), and smarmy, young Cleeve (Elisha Cook, Jr.) who continually pressure the fragile, nervous Leslie to recall her near-death experience. Leslie gradually fears for her sanity when she starts hearing voices. Dr. Grover is the only ray of hope for Leslie on the dark, threatening bayou plantation where things are not what they seem.
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
All rights reserved.

Critically-acclaimed director Toshiaki Toyoda brings together an ensemble cast of particular distinction for this, his fourth feature and the prison-escape flick he's always dreamed of making. Nine disparate criminals break out of jail and seek a stashed fortune, supposedly hidden away by a tenth soul left behind in prison; among their ranks they count Torakichi, the group's natural leader who killed his own son; the elusive Michiru, who murdered his own father; Kazuma, a former biker who murdered four of his gang members; Inui, a bomb-crazy epileptic; Shiratori, a doctor who was put away for aiding suicide; the temperamental Ushiyama; former chinpira Shishido; pimp Kiyoshi; and porn entrepreneur Fujio. The film's first hour is comedic, with the interactions between the characters highlighting the individuality of each, allowing the audience to get to know them intimately before switching to pure tragedy in the second half. After the group's original goal meets with disappointment, one by one they set out to pursue their individual peace in a solitary fashion, seeking the lost loved ones to whom they must come clean. Sadly, their efforts at atonement are often met with explosive disaster. Modeled on John Sturges' THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963), 9 SOULS seamlessly incorporates surrealist elements and fast pacing into its hip storyline, creating a daring, innovative drama that expands genre tropes to include a vast range of emotion.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseAnamorphic WidescreenAudio: Dolby Digital 5.1 - Japanese Subtitles - EnglishAdditional Release Material: Interviews - 1. Toshiaki Toyoda - Director (2) Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer Audio Commentary - 1. Tom Mes - Japanese Cinema JournalistInteractive Features: Interactive Menus Scene AccessText/Photo Galleries: Biographies Filmographies Promotional Material
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
All rights reserved.

In Alexander Payne's ABOUT SCHMIDT, Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) is retiring from a long, dedicated tenure at Woodmen of the World Insurance Company. Though he is proud of this achievement, he finds some difficulty adjusting to life without work. To make matters worse, his loving wife Helen (June Squibb) passes away, leaving him all alone. He turns to his daughter, Jeannie (Hope Davis), for support, but she is busy planning her marriage to Randall (Dermot Mulroney), who Warren just can't stand. He decides to sponsor a Tanzanian child, Ndugu, through a program advertised on television, and sends elaborate letters to the 6-year-old boy along with his $22 monthly checks. Meanwhile, he sets off on a soul-searching voyage across the west in his new RV.Nicholson's deadpan voice-over narration, especially in his letters to Ndugu, give ABOUT SCHMIDT a solid balance between comedy and drama. The crux of the film is the daughter's wedding in Denver, where Warren is the guest of Randall's outrageous, new-agey mom (Kathy Bates). Though the funny moments make light of Warren's state in life, the overall feel of the film is a bit sad, and its enigmatic ending will keep viewers guessing what will happen to this uniquely knowable character.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseAnamorphic Widescreen - 1.85Single Side - Dual LayerAudio: DTS Surround 5.1 - English Dolby Digital 5.1 - English Stereo Surround - EnglishAdditional Release Material: Deleted Scenes (9) Woodmen Sequences Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer






2. I AM SAM






3. UNCONDITIONAL LOVEDVD-ROM Features: Web Links - 1. Childreach.org
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
All rights reserved.

Based on the novel by Emile Zola, Andre Antoine's LA TERRE tells a moving tale of a family who is torn apart at the seams. The Fouan family's poor father has given his land to his two sons, but they aren't satisfied with that. Eventually, a neighbor uncovers their intentions to take total control over the land, but the sons catch on, sparking an even crueler series of actions. Widely regarded as one of French cinema's most powerful silent films, LA TERRE reaffirms Antoine's status as a truly important director.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseFull Frame - 1.33Audio: Dolby Digital - StereoText/Photo Galleries:Stills GalleryDVD-ROM Features: DVD-ROM - 1. Text Interview with Germaine Rover
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
All rights reserved.

This British TV movie is a dramatization of the lives of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, two Cambridge graduates who helped revolutionize the comedy world in the 1960s. Rhys Ifans (NOTTING HILL) plays Cook, a raffish, quick-witted young man who forms the BEYOND THE FRINGE comedy troupe with Moore (played here by Aidan McArdle), Jonathan Miller, and Alan Bennett. As this and the subsequent events in Cook and Moore`s lives play out, British director Terry Johnson intersperses the action with shots of Ifans and Moore sitting in-character before a vast movie screen, where they comment on the events as they take place. Cook and Moore eventually break away from Miller and Bennett to form a comedy duo, performing in their own TV show (NOT ONLY...BUT ALSO), and as the potty-mouthed Derek & Clive, who remain two of the most vulgar comedy characters ever constructed. But as these events play out in Johnson`s movie, a sadness descends as Cook constantly belittles Moore, and grows furiously jealous of the diminutive star as he forms a successful Hollywood career in movies such as 10 and ARTHUR. Cook was widely regarded as the true genius behind the double act, and although he is the lesser-known of the two, it is he who NOT ONLY BUT ALWAYS... primarily focuses on. Ifans gives a superb performance as Cook lapses into alcoholism and regret, although it`s clear that Cook was fairly happy in his final days, spending time as the editor of the satirical magazine Private Eye, finding a new wife, and making the odd appearance on British television. A fascinating tale of a truly talented duo who often berated each other like an old husband and wife would, this is a welcome cinematic re-telling of Cook and Moore`s lives.
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For personal use only.
All rights reserved.