Fires Within (DVD)
FIRES WITHIN is a taut family drama set in the expatriate Cuban community of Miami. As the film opens, Isabel (Greta Scacchi) waits for her husband, Nestor (Jimmy Smits), at Opa Locka Airport with her young daughter, recalling the events that brought them to this point. In Cuba, against her wishes, Nestor pursued an anti-Castro political stance and, as a result, was jailed. Refusing to let Isabel help get him out of prison, Nestor told his wife to leave Cuba. Isabel and the baby, Maribi, set off for Florida in a small boat and only survive because they are rescued by Sam (Vincent DOnofrio). Now eight years have passed; Isabel and her daughter live in Miami, and Sam has become more than the man who rescued them. As Nestor arrives, difficult choices must be made....
In FIRES WITHIN, Australian director Gillian Armstrong looks at Nestors stand and examines the suffering that it has brought to his family. Armstrong and scriptwriter Cynthia Cidre explore Isabels dilemma as she considers her future, her daughter, her wish for a calm life, and what she will do about the two men who, each in his own way, love her.R"
Director: Gillian Armstrong
ACTORS: Greta Scacchi, Jimmy Smits, Vincent D`Onofrio
Matchstick Men (VHS)
Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage) is a con man and trickster who has had to overcome enormous problems with obsessive-compulsive disorder in order to stay on top of his game. His partner in crime, Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell), helps him run a daily business conning housewives out of their money with telephone scams. Frank is frustrated with their small-fry clientele however, and urges Roy to look for bigger business ventures. Roy resists Frank`s urges, and instead leads a bizarre existence in which he is completely dominated by his compulsions to clean, eat canned tuna every night, and open his front door three times before he can walk through it. His world is turned upside down, however, when he starts seeing a shrink who helps Roy to get in touch with his missing 14-year-old daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman). Angela soon becomes embroiled in Roy and Frank`s scams, pushing Roy to take on a grandiose scheme that could give them financial security for the rest of their lives. Directed by Ridley Scott, this fast-paced crime drama takes several twists and turns as it works its way towards a surprising conclusion. Cage is perfectly cast as the con artist beset by neuroses and family problems, and has an excellent foil in the younger, more abrasive Rockwell. Weaving a tale of trust, family, friendship and deceit, director Scott utilizes the talents of his actors to delve into complex themes, resulting in a breathtaking film in which nothing can be taken for granted.PG-13"
Director: Ridley Scott
ACTORS: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman, Bruce McGill, Bruce Altman
Slapstick Masters (DVD)
Four classic comedies originating from the early 1900`s are collected on one DVD, including:
EASY STREET - Charlie Chaplin transforms from a vagrant to a policeman, and tackles a man a lot bigger than he is.
ONE WEEK - Buster Keaton has his prefabricated home sabotaged by his bride`s ex!
CHASING CHOO CHOOS - Monty Banks attempts to get on a runaway train, with spectacular, and funny, results.
BIG BUSINESS - Laurel and Hardy decide that July would be a good time of the year to sell....yes, you guessed it, Christmas trees!NR"
ACTORS: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Monty Banks, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy
Mexico City (DVD)
A harrowing thriller set in the dusty metropolis of Mexico City, MEXICO CITY stars Stacy Edwards as Mitch, a young woman who travels to the city with her brother, Sam, for a one night layover while on vacation. Unfortunately, when Sam takes off to have a look around the city while Mitch sleeps, he never returns, sending his sister into a panic when she wakes up the next day. Frightened and unable to speak Spanish, Mitch heads to the American Embassy where she requests help. However, when the Mexican authorities seem content to sweep Sam`s case under the table, Mitch must set off to find her brother on her own.R"
Director: Richard Shepard
ACTORS: Stacy Edwards, Robert Patrick, Roberto Sosa
Skin of Our Teeth (DVD)
The much lauded American playwright Thornton Wilder (OUR TOWN) won the coveted Pulitzer Prize for this comedy-tinged look at an American family. Wilder`s characters, the Antrobus family, represent the writer`s idea of what the American people are all about. This production features an all-star cast including Rue McClanahan (TV`s GOLDEN GIRLS) and Blair Brown.NR"
