As visually stylish as it is graphically violent, this thriller directed by Luc Besson concerns Mathilda (Natalie Portman), a 12-year-old girl living in New York City who has been exposed to the sordid side of life from an early age: her family lives in a slum and her abusive father works for drug dealers, cutting and storing dope. Mathilda doesn't much care for her parents, but she has a close bond with her four-year-old brother. One day, she returns from running an errand to discover that most of her family, including her brother, have been killed in a raid by corrupt DEA agents, led by the psychotic Stansfield (Gary Oldman). Mathilda takes refuge in the apartment of her secretive neighbor, Leon (Jean Reno), who takes her in with a certain reluctance. She discovers that Leon is a professional assassin, working for Tony (Danny Aiello), a mob kingpin based in Little Italy. Wanting to avenge the death of her brother, Mathilda makes a deal with Leon to become his prot~g~e in exchange for work as a domestic servant, hoping to learn the hitman's trade and take out the men who took her brother's life. However, an affection develops between Leon and Mathilda that changes his outlook on his life and career. Besson's first American film boasted a strong performance from Jean Reno, a striking debut by Natalie Portman, and a love-it-or-hate-it, over-the-top turn by Gary Oldman. L~on was originally released in the U.S. in 1994 as The Professional, with 26 minutes cut in response to audience preview tests. Those 26 minutes were restored in the director's preferred cut, released in 1996 in France as L~on: Version Int~grale and in the U.S. on DVD as L~on: The Professional in 2000.
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Roger Avary's adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' The Rules of Attraction comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. Supplemental materials include a commentary track recorded by many of the actors and crew members, an episode of Anatomy of a Scene from Sundance, and a preview of Avary's next film Glitterati (also an Ellis adaptation). This is a solid release from Lion's Gate that will satisfy those who found much to admire in Avary's hyperstylized film.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Neil LaBute's adaptation of his stage play The Shape of Things comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1, while a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Surround. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a commentary track recorded by LaBute and lead actor Paul Rudd. The two have an easy camaraderie that is engaging and are obviously proud of the work they did on the film, so much so that they occasionally lash out at specific reviewers and what they wrote about the movie. A short featurette in which LaBute discusses how the project moved from the stage to the screen has been included, as has a short, but funny, promotional film entitled "Welcome to Mercy College." The theatrical trailer rounds out this strong release from Universal.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
The tenth anniversary of the popular prison drama The Shawshank Redemption sees a deluxe DVD edition of the film hitting stores for the first time. The movie's image is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, and a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital Stereo. English, Spanish, and French subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a commentary from writer/director Frank Darabont, a making-of documentary, and a second documentary explaining how the film has attained such a high level of popularity, seeing as it was not exactly a blockbuster when it initially played in theaters. A Charlie Rose interview with Darabont and stars Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, the movie's trailer, and a spoof of the film featuring sharks round out this first-rate release from Warner Bros.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This movie is in my top 20 movies of all time. You won't regret taking 2 1/2 hrs out of your day to watch this perfect movie. This has to be Morgan Freeman & Tim Robbins' best performance's in a movie ever.
Frank Oz's satiric remake of The Stepford Wives suffered a supposedly rocky time during production with many of the high-powered stars supposedly unhappy with different elements of the shoot. One would never know that were the case based on Oz's commentary track on the film's initial DVD release. He is polite and gracious toward every member of the cast, and dishes no dirt on anyone. His discussion skews toward what they cut in order to maintain the flow of the story. The film itself is presented in a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. English soundtracks are rendered in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround, and a French soundtrack has been recorded in Dolby Digital 5.1. English and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Other supplemental materials include five behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, trailers, and a rather humorous blooper reel that showcases stars Nicole Kidman and Matthew Broderick suffering a serious case of the giggles, as well as a hilariously unintended Woody Allen impression by Broderick. This is a fine presentation of the film, but those hoping for some insider gossip on the film's production will be disappointed.
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Jenniphr Goodman's literate, offbeat romantic comedy The Tao of Steve comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. A closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a commentary track recorded by the cast and crew, trailers, talent files, and a weblink. This is a solid release of a wonderful little seen film from Columbia/TriStar.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
An immigrant fleeing the war that ravages his tiny Eastern European homeland finds himself stuck in the terminal of one of New York City's airports when the time of his landing coincides precisely with the point at which the war causes his nation of origin to no longer exist, meaning that his passport and paperwork are no longer valid. Direction Steven Spielberg Actors Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chi McBride, Diego Luna, Stanley Tucci, Special Features 1.85 1, Anamorphic 16x9, Widescreen . Language English / Add. French / Sub. English, French, Spanish Year 2004 Runtime 128 minutes.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Fans of the 1963 thriller Charade will delight in Universal's star-studded remake The Truth About Charlie. This disc, while lacking in many groundbreaking extras, does contain one shining feature: the full-length version of Charade starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, this original film looks beautiful. The mono soundtrack is paltry compared to the 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound found on the modern-day remake, but it still sounds adequate. On the main feature, "The Making of 'The Truth About Charlie,'" is a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes featurette with all the major players taking part. Thandie Newton talks about what fun it was to film this movie in Paris, while director/writer/producer Jonathan Demme explains why he wanted Newton in the title role. The featurette contains interviews, off-camera shenanigans, and scene shots from around Paris. Viewers even get to see off-camera fans drooling over Mark Wahlberg. In other features, there's a tiny collection of marginally enjoyable deleted scenes. Then there's a featured audio commentary with Demme, production notes, biographies, and the theatrical trailer.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
The Truth About Charlie is a pretty good movie. I think more people would have liked it if it wasn't a re-make of Charade. Charade was a much better movie, but I think this movie is worth watching. Hopefully, you'll agree with me.
The special edition of The Usual Suspects has much going for it, on both sides of the disc. Naturally there is a commentary track with director Bryan Singer and Oscar-winning writer Christopher McQuarrie. Naturally, it is very interesting and detail heavy. There is also another commentary track featuring composer John Ottman, who offers insights the other two do not. With such a dialogue-intensive script as this, the soundtrack has to be up to snuff, and the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround here has been designed to highlight the words without muting the ambient noise. This DVD makes the best case yet in the argument for widescreen vs. pan-and-scan because it gives you the option. Choose the 2.35:1 anamorphic letterboxed version and you'll see a digitized movie the way it was supposed to be seen, in sharp colors and remarkable clarity; choose the TV-style full-frame version and you'll see scenes where the person talking isn't on the screen, and the visual image is slightly dreary. New supplements include "Pursuing the Suspects," a documentary about the casting choices, and "Doin' Time With The Usual Suspects," which collects interviews with the cast members as they talk about the movie and their lives after. "Heisting Cannes with The Usual Suspects" goes to France with the cast and feels like an elaborate home movie. "Keyser Soze: Lie or Legend" continues the parlor game of Who Was Soze? that fans of the movie love to play. Speaking of games, an easter egg is solved if you can piece together the order the clues to Soze's identity appear in the film, with your reward being even more documentary material, one having to do with the film's composer. Less interesting is an elaborate, indulgent gag reel of outtakes introduced by Singer that is nearly a short movie in itself. It's not very interesting, but the rest of the disc is fascinating.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This is the greatest Movie ever! I have never been more on edge near the ending of a movie before, and it delivers the best ending to a movie ever. You'll never see anything like it.