The 39 Steps (DVD)
A classic British spy mystery, and one of Hitchcock`s best, THE 39 STEPS is the story of an innocent man who struggles to prove his innocence. Robert Donat gets more than he bargained for when he brings home a mysterious woman who confesses to be a British agent on the hot trail of a dangerous spy ring. The woman is killed in Donats apartment and he immediately finds himself on the run, burdened with the charge for her murder and the dangerous knowledge of her mission. The film is distinguished by its pioneering use of contrapuntal sound effects, as well as the dynamism between Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll.NR"
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
100 Days Before the Command (DVD)
A stunning examination of the plight of five young Red Army recruits as they are subjected to both grisly violence and humiliating conditions, 100 DAYS BEFORE THE COMMAND is a visually stunning film that was initially banned in its native Russia. The controversy surrounding the film comes from the homoerotic imagery that permeates the film underscoring the intense bond between the young men and contrasting the violence they encounter. An excellent film from the post-cold war former Soviet Union, 100 DAYS is both powerful and uncompromising.NR"
Director: Hussein Erkenov
ACTORS: Vladimir Zamansky, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Oleg Vasilkov, Roman Grekov, Valeri Troshin
Greenfingers (DVD)
Inspired by a true story, GREENFINGERS tells the charming tale of a group of hardened criminals who are sent to a progressive prison in modern-day England. Clive Owen (CROUPIER) stars as Colin Briggs, a strong, silent type who has been locked up for a serious, unidentified crime for which he feels a deep need to do penance--by himself. But when he is delivered to Edgefield Prison and put in a room with old Fergus Wilks (WAKING NED DEVINE`s David Kelly), his private life is no more. Fergus forces Colin to attempt to grow violets, and upon hearing of the flowers` success, the warden (Warren Clarke) decides to make Colin a gardener, giving him a staff of murderers and thieves who soon take to the soil like no one ever expected. When horticultural expert and media socialite Georgina Woodhouse (Helen Mirren) finds out about the special gardening project, she takes the men under her wing, especially Colin, who seems to be developing an interest in Georgina`s daughter, Primrose (Natasha Little). But the prisoners` dark pasts threaten to overwhelm them as they prepare to participate in the Royal Horticultural Society`s Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. In addition to the outstanding acting, the film features classy direction by writer-director Joel Hershman and an inspiring soundtrack, with songs by U2, Bruce Springsteen, and Tears for Fears, among others.R"
Director: Joel Hershman
ACTORS: Clive Owen, David Kelly, Helen Mirren, Danny Dyer, Adam Fogerty
The Experiment (DVD)
Based on the 1971 Stanford University simulation study of the psychology of imprisonment (otherwise know as the Stanford Prison Experiment), DAS EXPERIMENT is an intense psychodrama about a group of ordinary men who volunteer to take place in a paid two-week study on the mental effects of prison life. Following a series of intellectual and physical examinations, the men are separated into two groups--eight guards and twelve prisoners--and locked into a working prison, fully loaded with cameras to capture their every move. One of the prisoners, an undercover reporter named Tarek (Moritz Leibtrau of RUN LOLA RUN), uses every opportunity to provoke the guards and collect quotes for his story, but he consistently pushes the envelope too far. As egos are bruised and machismo is belittled, the guards resort to sadistic torture techniques while the prisoners formulate an escape scheme that is laden with vengeance. The experiment inevitably goes awry (even the moderators have utterly lost control) leading to a powerful climatic battle between good and evil.
Director Oliver Hirschbiegel keeps the film moving at a fast clip, effortlessly switching from the film to the prison cameras and even to a pair of 007-esque spy glasses worn by Tarek to reveal different angles of observation and offer the viewer a voyeuristic experience. DAS EXPERIMENT is an extreme thriller steeped in ultra-violence, murder, and suspense.R"
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
ACTORS: Moritz Bleibtreu, Christian Berkel, Oliver Stokowski, Woton Wilke Mohring, Stephan Szasz
Beware! Children at Play (VHS) Unrated Version The mind-numbing, blood-spattered tale of a group of children who terrorize a small town after being recruited into a cannibalistic cult. Available in rated and unrated versions.
The mind-numbing, blood-spattered tale of a group of children who terrorize a small town after being recruited into a cannibalistic cult. Available in rated and unrated versions.
Unrated"
Director: Mik Cribben
