Library

Summary: "Nothing is as it seems" in "The Recruit", a guessing-game thriller that employs plot twists and conflicting loyalties as its primary raison d'etre. Surrounded by potential deception, a newly recruited CIA officer (Colin Farrell) must determine if his manipulative instructor (Al Pacino) is being honest when he identifies Farrell's fellow recruit and love interest (Bridget Moynihan) as an enemy "mole" assigned to steal a dangerous computer virus from CIA headquarters. While claiming to offer an insider's look at CIA training methods, this engrossing yet ultimately predictable plot is pure Hollywood fantasy; any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental, leaving the perpetually unshaven and scruffily coiffed Farrell to fend for himself in Pacino's cynical arena while tracing his familial roots in the spy game. Wearing its cleverness on its sleeve, "The Recruit" is an adequately elaborate puzzle of perceptions. "Everything is a test", as Farrell soon realises, and attentive viewers will enjoy piecing it all together.--"Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: AC-3

Summary: You can take the agent out of the CIA, but you can't take the CIA out of the agent--or so discovers Frank Moses, to his chagrin. Frank, played by Bruce Willis, simply wants to live his simple life with his government pension. But when a troop of black-ops guys descends on his house one night and blows it to smithereens, Frank realizes he needs to get a few of his old colleagues together and find out what's what. That's the premise of "Red", a jolly action flick based on a rather more serious graphic novel. Because Frank's old posse includes kicky roles for Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and a tea-pouring, hot-lead-spraying Helen Mirren, the movie boasts a certain appeal just at the "Holy cow, can you believe who's in this thing?" level. Actually, the rest of the cast is pretty sweet as well: Mary-Louise Parker steals much of the film as Frank's unsuspecting civilian date (swept into the action because she might innocently become a CIA target, too), Brian Cox hams it up as Frank's former Soviet adversary (wistfully recalling how he always wanted to assassinate a US president), and Karl Urban ("Star Trek") supplies brawn and brains as the current CIA agent in charge of bringing the hammer down on Frank. The breezy tone barely pauses to notice the semi-serious story point at the heart of the plot (a hazily recalled disaster in Guatemala many years earlier), nor the dead bodies that pile up around the edges of the action. "Flightplan" director Robert Schwentke lets his actors act up, which is not a capital crime given the skills of the cast list, and he shoves the plot along with fitting speed. It's not art, but as a multiplex diversion, "Red" scatters a decent share of legitimate jolts and rim-shot one-liners. "--Robert Horton"

Languages: English, Russian, French

Sound: Datasat

Summary: Retired C.I.A. agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device.

Summary: Given that "Resident Evil" is a Paul Anderson movie based on a computer game which was itself highly derivative (especially of George A Romero and James Cameron films), it's probably unfair to complain that it hasn't got an original idea or moment in its entire running time. In the early 1980s, Italian schlock films such as "Zombie Flesh Eaters" and "Zombie Creeping Flesh" tried to cram in as many moments restaged from American originals as possible, strung together by silly characters wandering between monster attacks. This is a much-improved, edited, photographed and directed version of the same gambit.
As amnesiac Milla Jovovich remembers amazing kung fu skills and anti-globalist Eric Mabius mutters about evil corporations, a gang of clichéd soldiers with nary a distinguishing feature between them (except for Michelle Rodriguez as a secondary tough chick) are trapped in an underground scientific compound at the mercy of a tyrannical computer--which manifests as a smug little-girl-o-gram--fending off flesh-eating zombies (though gore fans will be disappointed by the film's need to stay within the limits of the 15 certificate) and CGI mutants, not to mention the ever-popular zombie dogs. It's tolerably action-packed, but zips past its borrowings ("Aliens", "Cube", "Deep Blue Sea") without adding anything that future schlock pictures will want to imitate.
On the DVD: "Resident Evil" on disc has the expected trailers, both teaser and theatrical; a half-hour making-of; zombie make-up tests; featurettes on music (with Marilyn Manson), production design and costume. A lively commentary track features Anderson, Jovovich, Rodriguez and producer/zombie Jeremy Bolt--Jovovich upbraids Anderson for talking about different gradings of film stock over her nude scene and everyone else talks about how much she hurt them by punching them out during action sequences. Anderson mentions an alternate commentary track with visual effects designer Richard Yuricich, but it isn't included. --"Kim Newman"

Summary: 2002's popular video-game-derived hit "Resident Evil" didn't inspire confidence in a sequel, but "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" defies odds and surpasses expectations. It's a bigger, better, action-packed zombie thriller, and this time Milla Jovovich (as the first film's no-nonsense heroine) is joined by more characters from the popular Capcom video games, including Jill Valentine (played by British hottie Sienna Guillory) and Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr, from 1999's "The Mummy"). They're armed and ready for a high-caliber encounter with devil dogs, mutant "Lickers," lurching zombies, and the leather-clad monster known only as Nemesis, unleashed by the nefarious Umbrella Corporation responsible for creating the cannibalistic undead horde. Having gained valuable experience as a respected second-unit director on high-profile films like "Gladiator" and "The Bourne Identity", director Alexander Witt elevates this junky material to the level of slick, schlocky entertainment. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Summary: Years after the Raccoon City disaster, Alice is on her own; aware that she
has become a liability and could endanger those around her, she is
struggling to survive and bring down the Umbrella Corporation led by the
sinister Albert Wesker and head researcher Dr. Isaacs. Meanwhile, traveling
through the Nevada Desert and the ruins of Las Vegas, Carlos Olivera, L.J.,
and new survivors K-Mart, Claire Redfield, and Nurse Betty must fight to
survive extinction against hordes of zombies, killer crows and the most
terrifying creatures created as a result of the deadly T-Virus that has
killed millions. This DVD is an officially released overseas import which is
compatible with all UK & European DVD players. It has the original English
soundtrack which can be selected from the DVD setup menu.

Summary: A barrage of 3-D effects enlivens Paul W.S. Anderson's "Resident Evil: Afterlife", the fourth entry in the seemingly endless action-science fiction horror franchise based on the popular Capcom video game series. Plot, dialogue, and character development all remain secondary considerations; what's key here are the set pieces that allow Milla Jovovich to unleash maximum damage to virally infected zombies, villainous henchmen, and just about anyone else who stands in the way of her stopping the shadowy Umbrella Corporation. Jovovich retains the blend of grit and pulchritude that have made her a fanboy favorite (though said viewers may decry the film's bit of shower-scene interruptus), and she's well supported by returning cast members Ali Larter and Boris Kodjoe ("Undercovers") and "Prison Break"'s Wentworth Miller, who, as Claire's brother, is back behind bars in a postapocalyptic jail overrun by plague zombies. And the 3-D effects are impressive and give a shot of adrenaline to the already hyper-driven action and CGI elements. Those looking for more than what the "Resident Evil" franchise is designed to provide--souped-up, B-movie thrills--are advised to lower their expectations; franchise devotees should be pleased, especially by the film's final scene, which (naturally) sets up another sequel. "--Paul Gaita"

Languages: English, American Sign Language

Sound: SDDS

Summary: Alice awakes at home with her daughter Becky and her husband. But soon she realizes that she is actually in an Umbrella Corporation's underground facility. Out of the blue, the computer security system shuts-down and Alice flees to the central control room of the facility. She meets Ada Wong, who works with Albert Wesker, and she learns that a five-man team has been sent by Wesker to rescue them. However, the Red Queen sends Jill Valentine and Rain to hunt them down.

Summary: Sharper and deeper than Robin Williams's previous road material, "Live on Broadway" is a mature comedian's view of all things to do with power, prejudice and paranoia in the 21st century. On the anthrax scare of 2001: "The Senate cleared out of their building but told the rest of us 'Get on with your normal lives'!" On his solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over Jerusalem: "Time share!" On the pitfalls of America's deepening alliance with Britain: "The House of Commons is like Congress with a two-drink minimum". A viewer may have to slog through Williams's tedious breast fetishism, but patience is quickly rewarded with bitchy takes on Martha Stewart facing prison, solid satire about French existentialist judges at the Olympics and subversive op-eds about the Bush administration's inability to clarify terrorist threats to the public ("Has the CIA become the Central Intuitive Agency?"). --"Tom Keogh"

Subtitles: Nederlands

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Een in de nabije toekomst afspelend ontroerend, maar tevens humoristisch portret van een man (Frank Langella) met beginnende Alzheimer, en de robot (stem Peter Sarsgard) die de steun en toeverlaat wordt in zijn warrige bestaan.

Languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Thai, Polish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Thai, Icelandic, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish, Cantonese Chinese

Summary:

Summary: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (RHPS) is difficult to describe, yet so easy to indulge in. If you like a bit of camp, singing, perversion, muscle, transvestism, dancing, parody, and Tim Curry, then this is the film for you! With many wonderful lines, and superb song lyrics, I cannot help take RHPS with me wherever I go, whether it be quoting Frank 'N' Furter's lines (and doing the mock Chelsea accent) at unsuspecting friends - 'You must be awwwfully proud of him Janet' - or singing to an audience of imaginary Transylvanians in the shower - 'I'm a sweet transvestite' (though I'm not, of course). The plot is less Rocky, more Mocky Horror, which only adds to the general sense of decadence in Frank's castle, and from beginning to end the audience is taken on a hedonistic ride into the mind of Richard O'Brien's fantasy world (I'm very grateful). As the film and theatre show are so well known, there is not much point in re-telling the story, but I can hopefully add some light "over at the Frankenstein place". The lips we see in the opening credits belong to the show's creator, and the castle in which the fun takes place really exists in Windsor (it is now a hotel, and very nice too!). You might want to look out for some typical B-movie editing problems, such as the magically disappearing/reappearing carpet in the "Time Warp" scene (look closely), and the trickle of blood at the Freezer's entrance (Eddie is killed inside!), but I can't help think that such mistakes add to the charm - as Frank would say, 'Well, how nice!" Tim Curry has a truly sensual voice, and legs that any woman OR man would die for, while Susan Saradon, Little Nell, and Barry Bostwick never fail to entertain - '[Riff Raff, from inside the front door] You're wet. [Janet, at the doorstep] Yes, it's raining. [Brad, also at the doorstep] Yes. [Riff Raff] Yes.' In the end, the film speaks for itself, so I don't have to (doesn't mean I won't). Buy it, watch it, re-watch it, get your friends to watch it, and before long you'll be preaching to the converted! Have fun.

Summary:

Summary: Robert De Niro stars as an American intelligence operative adrift in irrelevance since the end of the Cold War--much like a masterless samurai, aka "ronin". With his services for sale, he joins a renegade, international team of fellow covert warriors with nothing but time on their hands. Their mission, as defined by the woman who hires them (Natascha McElhone), is to get hold of a particular suitcase that is equally coveted by the Russian mafia and Irish terrorists. As the scheme gets underway, De Niro's lone wolf strikes up a rare friendship with his French counterpart (Jean Reno), gets into a more-or-less romantic frame of mind with McElhone and asserts his experience on the planning and execution of the job--going so far as to publicly humiliate one team member (Sean Bean) who is clearly out of his league. The story is largely unremarkable--there's an obligatory twist midway through that changes the nature of the team's business--but legendary filmmaker John Frankenheimer ("Seconds", "The Manchurian Candidate") leaps at the material, bringing to it an honest tension and seasoned, breathtaking skill with precision-action direction. The centrepiece of the movie is an honest-to-God car chase that is the real thing: not the how-can-we-top-the-last-stunt cartoon nonsense of Richard Donner ("Lethal Weapon") but a pulse-quickening, kinetic dance of superb montage and timing. In a sense, "Ronin" is almost Frankenheimer's self-quoting version of a John Frankenheimer film.There isn't anything here he hasn't done before but it's sure great to see it all again. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Summary: 'TIME MACHINE 2011: Live In Cleveland' is an evening with Rush performing their classic hits and features the legendary 'Moving Pictures' album, performed live in its entirety. Released in 1981, 'Moving Pictures' is their most successful album, certified 4x Platinum, and features some of the band's most well known songs and perennial radio favorites, including "Tom Sawyer," "Limelight" and the Grammy®-nominated instrumental "YYZ." Captured in April 2011 in Cleveland during the renowned trio's extensive world tour, 'TIME MACHINE 2011: Live In Cleveland' marks the band's first live concert filmed in the United States. The choice to record in Cleveland was a deliberate nod of gratitude to the first city to support Rush on its airwaves, as former WMMS DJ Donna Halper is widely credited for helping break the band in 1974 by spinning "Working Man." The reinterpreted live version of "Working Man" was the encore closer on the Time Machine tour and is included on this Blu-ray. In addition to the 26-song concert set, Rush's notorious concept tour videos are included: The first short film, entitled "The `Real' History of Rush Episode No. 2 `Don't Be Rash,'" and the opening second set video, "The `Real' History of Rush Episode No. 17'...and Rock and Roll is My Name.'" The bonus material features outtakes from the short films, an alternate film version video for "Tom Sawyer,"and two rare pieces of Rush live footage from the vault: "Need Some Love" from Laura Second Secondary School with original drummer John Rutsey (1974) and "Anthem" from Passaic New Jersey (1976).