Be Cool
John Travolta is back as Chili Palmer in this sequel to
the comedy smash "Get Shorty" (1995). This time, Chili becomes a different kind
of "hit" man when he abandons the movie industry to bring his wiseguy skills and
negotiation tactics to the music business. When a friend is offed while at
lunch, Chili takes the opportunity to visit the man's wife, Edie (Uma Thurman),
and pitch himself as her new business partner at an independent record label.
With a promising young pop-star-in-training as his protege (Christina Milian),
Chili has to juggle her faux-urban manager (Vince Vaughn), his gay,
wannabe-actor bodyguard (The Rock), Russian mobsters, and an eloquent gangsta
music producer (Cedric the Entertainer) to save the label and land a hit -- and
keep from getting popped himself.
Director: F. Gary Gray. Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, The Rock, Vince
Vaughn, Andre 3000, Cedric the Entertainer, Danny DeVito, James Gandolfini,
Harvey Keitel, Debi Mazar, Christina Milian. 2005, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13,
115 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $54.501 million, MGM, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental.
Beyond the Sea
Kevin Spacey's loving bio of singer Bobby Darin.
For Darin (Spacey), performing was his life. It kept his heart beating. He came
alive onstage, even when he was near collapse offstage. With a heart damaged by
rheumatic fever, Walden Robert Cassotto -- Little Bobby -- isn't supposed to
live to see age 15. But when his mother Polly (Brenda Blethyn) shows him the
happiness that comes with music, Bobby finds the inspiration he needs to stay
alive. Making music opens a world beyond sickness, where prodigious talent,
drive and imagination can overcome a faulty heart. With the help and support of
his devoted family -- Polly, his older sister Nina (Caroline Aaron) and Nina's
husband Charlie (Bob Hoskins) -- Bobby will become a star. And so he does.
Working with his best friend and manager, Steve Blauner (John Goodman), Bobby
charts his own stubbornly eclectic musical path, writing original songs and
performing in a range of genres. Turning his sights beyond music, Bobby
launches a movie career and marries America's favorite young star, Sandra Dee
(Kate Bosworth). But Bobby's relentless professional ambition has begun to
poison his private life, and the late 1960s find him isolated, confused and
directionless. In the end, with his childhood illness finally catching up with
him, Bobby must look to his friends, family and extraordinary talent to quell
his demons and accept who he is and what his life has meant.
Director: Debi Mazar, Christina Milian. Stars: Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, John
Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn, Greta Scacchi, Caroline Aaron. 2004,
CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 118 min., Biodrama, Box office gross: $6.144 million, Lions
Gate, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
Seed of Chucky
The killer doll is back -- and his family must slay together in order to stay together in the fifth in the popular series of Chucky ("Child's Play") horror comedies. "Seed of Chucky" introduces Glen (voiced by Billy Boyd), the
orphan doll offspring of the irrepressible Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif) and his equally twisted bride Tiffany (voiced by Jennifer Tilly). When production starts on a movie detailing the urban legend of his parents' lethal exploits, Glen heads for Hollywood -- where
he brings his bloodthirsty parents back from the dead. The family dynamics are far from perfect as Chucky and Tiffany go Hollywood and get rolling on a new spree of murderous mayhem, much to gentle Glen's horror. Chucky can't believe that his child doesn't want
to walk in his murdering footsteps, and star-struck Tiffany can't believe that the movie will star her favorite actress, Jennifer Tilly (playing herself), who soon becomes an unwitting hostess to the family in more ways than one.
Director: Don Mancini. Stars: Jennifer Tilly, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Hannah Spearritt, John Waters, Redman, Steve Lawton, Tony Gardner, Jason Flemyng. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 87 min., Horror, Box office gross: $17.016 million, Universal, $23.98
VHS SRP.
Space Station
One of the most popular Imax films ever, "Space
Station" treats audiences like real astronauts from blast-off to life inside the
International Space Station. Made with the cooperation of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), "Space Station" is the story of the
unique partnership of 16 nations building a laboratory in outer space -- a
permanent facility for the study of the effects of long-duration exposure to
zero gravity and the necessary first step towards the global co-operative effort
needed if man is to someday set foot on Mars. The film is highlighted by the
challenges, setbacks and triumphs of this groundbreaking engineering feat -- and
ultimately, the shared international victory of men and women whose dreams
exceed the limits of life on Earth. "Space Station" follows two separate space
shuttles that leave from Florida's Kennedy Space Center and Russia's Baikonur
Cosmodrome to rendezvous with their new home in orbit 220 miles above Earth. A
gorgeous and involving film.
Director: Toni Myers. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 47 min., Documentary, Box
office gross: $50.287 million, Warner.
DVD only.
Machinist, The
Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale), a machinist, has lost the ability to sleep. But this is no ordinary insomnia. Trevor has not slept in a year. Fatigue has led to a shocking deterioration of his physical and mental health. Suspicious of
his appearance, Trevor's co-workers first shy away from him, then turn against him after he's involved in a shop accident that costs a man his arm. They blame Trevor for the accident. He has become a liability to himself and others, and now they want him out. Plagued
with guilt, Trevor's shame becomes suspicion, then paranoia, when it appears his workmates are conspiring to have him fired -- or worse. First he finds cryptic notes left in his apartment. Next he's told that a mysterious co-worker involved in the accident doesn't exist.
Are these mysteries part of a plot to drive Trevor mad? Or is it fatigue that's robbing him of his reason? No one is exempt from Trevor's suspicion. The only two people Trevor trusts are a gritty call-girl (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who has fallen in love with him, and an
alluring waitress and single mom (Spanish actress Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) with whom he carries on an almost fairy-tale romance, even as his life disintegrates. Determined to find an answer, Trevor investigates the strange occurrences that are turning his world into a
sleepless nightmare. Yet the more he learns, the less he wants to know.
Director: Brad Anderson. Stars: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, John Sharian, Michael Ironside. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 101 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $1.082 million, Paramount, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
Inheritance, The
Winner of six Danish Academy Awards, including
Best Picture and Best Director,
Per Fly's "The Inheritance" is a powerful and timely drama about a man torn
between his family and business. Ulrich Thomsen gives a heartbreaking
performance as Christoffer, who four years earlier abandoned the
family steel business for an idyllic life as a restauranteur with the woman he
loves, Maria (Lisa Werlinder), a rising actress. But when Christoffer's father
commits suicide, Christoffer's domineering and manipulative mother (Ghita Norby)
compels him to return home to take control. Maria's worst fears for
Christoffer are tragically realized as he must contend with a business on the
brink of financial ruin and a brother-in-law scheming for control. Christoffer
must make wrenching decisions that threaten to tear his family apart and destroy
his soul. In Norwegian with English Subtitles
Director: Per Fly. Stars: Ulrich Thomsen, Lisa Werlinder, Karina Skands, Diana
Axelsen, Ghita Norby, Lars Brygmann. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 115 min.,
Drama, Box office gross: Home Vision Entertainment.
DVD only.
Under the Flag of the Rising Sun
Sachiko Hidari gives a towering
performance in Kinji Fukasaku's devastating
anti-war drama as Mrs.Togashi, a war widow determined to clear the name of her
disgraced husband, who was court-martialed for desertion and executed. Official
records have been destroyed, and the ministry that distributes benefits
continues to deny her a pension. Twenty-six years after the war, she seeks out
four survivors of her husband's garrison. Each tells a dramatically different
story about her husband's conduct, but she is determined to learn the truth.
"Until my husband can rest in peace," she proclaims, "I'll have no comfort."
Thus begins a Rashomon-like mystery that unfolds in harrowing flashbacks,
punctuated by archival still combat images that convey the brutality and
absurdity of war. In Japanese with optional English subtitles.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku. Stars: Sachiko Hidari, Tetsuro Tamba, Noboru Mitani,
Kanemon Nakamura , Sanae Nakahara. 1972, CC, MPAA rating: R, 96 min., Drama,
Home Vision Entertainment.
DVD only.
Imaginary Heroes
"Imaginary Heroes" is a look at one long year
in the lives of an ostensibly
typical, upper-middle-class suburban family. It tells a tale of a family in
crisis with wit, warmth and a very contemporary sardonic spin. Following a
sobering family tragedy -- the death by suicide of one of their two sons -- the
Travises go to pieces. Teenaged son Tim (Emile Hirsch) views his life as a bad
dream. His father, Ben (Jeff Daniels), tunes out and treats his wife and
children like strangers. His mother, Sandy (Sigourney Weaver) sharpens her
tongue with sarcasm and dulls her senses with pot while struggling hard to
conceal a secret that threatens to ruin them all. With elements of pathos, salty
humor and self-discovery, the Travises learn to accept one another as a family.
Director: Dan Harris. Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Emile Hirsch, Jeff Daniels,
Michelle Williams, Kip Pardue. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 112 min., Drama,
Box office gross: $0.197 million, Sony, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
June 14
Hitch
Romantic comedy stars Will Smith as Alex "Hitch" Hitchens,
a legendary -- and deliberately anonymous -- New York City "date doctor" who,
for a fee, has helped countless men woo the women of their dreams. As a tactical
adviser who specializes in first impressions -- he customizes and orchestrates a
client's first three dates -- Hitch has been secretly responsible for hundreds
of New York City weddings. While coaching Albert (Kevin James), a meek
accountant who is smitten with a glamorous celebrity, Allegra Cole (Amber
Valletta), Hitch finally meets his match in the person of the gorgeous,
whip-smart Sara Melas (Eva Mendes), a gossip columnist who follows Allegra's
every move. The ultimate professional bachelor, Hitch suddenly finds himself
falling deliriously in love with Sara, whose biggest scoop could very well be
the unmasking of Manhattan's most famous date doctor.
Director: Andy Tennant. Stars: Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber
Valletta, Julie Ann Emery, Robinne Lee, Nathan Lee Graham, Adam Arkin, Michael
Rapaport. 2005, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 115 min., Comedy, Box office gross:
$173.678 million, Sony, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
Dirty Shame, A
From the wondrously fertile mind of
writer-director John Waters comes America's first carnal concussion comedy. Set
in the Harford Road area of Waters' native Baltimore, "A Dirty Shame" tells what
happens when a horde of "sex addicts" invade a blue-collar neighborhood, to the
shock and dismay of the "neuter" neighbors. Lust is in the air on Harford Road
and Sylvia Stickles (Tracey Ullman), a grumpy, repressed middle-aged
Baltimorean, doesn't like it. Though Sylvia's handsome husband Vaughn (Chris
Isaak) still has marital urges, Sylvia couldn't be less interested -- she has
work to do. She has to run the family's "Pinewood Park and Pay" convenience
store, and prepare proper meals for their exhibitionist daughter Caprice (Selma
Blair), a go-go dancer known to her adoring fans as Ursula Udders. Caprice and
her stupendously enlarged breasts have been sentenced to home detention after
several "nude and disorderly" violations. But Sylvia's world is turned upside
down one day after suffering a concussion in a freak accident. Sexy tow-truck
driver Ray-Ray Perkins (Johnny Knoxville) rushes to her aid and Sylvia realizes
he's no ordinary service man; he's a sexual healer who brings her flaming
cauldron of hidden lust to the boiling point. Vaughn is happily surprised by his
wife's resurgent libido, but when he sees her do a raunchy "hootchie-cootchie"
dance during a routine visit to a nursing home, he realizes something isn't
right. Sylvia's mother, Big Ethel (Suzanne Shepherd), already up in arms about
the libertines in their midst, decides it is time to fight back. Supported by
her sex-hating neighbors like Marge the Neuter (Mink Stole), Big Ethel leads the
battle for "Neuter normality" against Ray-Ray and his "sex addict" disciples.
Sylvia, torn between her responsibilities as a wife and mother and her suddenly
unbridled thirst for all things carnal, finds herself at the center of an
overheated battle for a throbbing Harford Road. What follows is rude, joyous and
full of sexual anarchy. A movie with a generous heart and a dirty mind.
Director: John Waters. Stars: Tracey Ullman, Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair,
Chris Isaak, Suzanne Shepherd, Mink Stole, Patricia Hearst. 2005, CC, MPAA
rating: R, 89 min., Black comedy, Box office gross: $1.339 million, New Line, No
VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
June 21
Jacket, The
A psychological thriller about a military veteran
who returns to his native Vermont suffering from bouts of amnesia. When he is
accused of murder and lands in an asylum, a well-meaning doctor puts him on a
heavy course of experimental drugs, restrains him in a jacket-like device, and
locks him away in a body drawer of the basement morgue. The process sends him on
a journey into the future, where he can foresee his death (but not who did it or
how) in four day's time. Now the only question that matters is: can the woman he
meets in the future save him? Jack Starks (Adrien Brody), a U.S. Marine serving
in the Persian Gulf War, receives a near-fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Although he recovers, the incident leaves him with shock-related amnesia. After
his release, he returns to his native Vermont. Nine months later, hitchhiking
along a snowbound Vermont highway, Starks encounters a broken down pick-up
truck. The driver, a drunken, disoriented mother named Jean, and her
eight-year-old daughter, Jackie, are stranded at the roadside. Starks offers his
help and gets the truck started. He continues hitchhiking, and is picked up by a
station wagon driven by a young man headed for the Canadian border. Shortly
afterward, the car is pulled over by the police and Starks blacks out. When he
awakens, he finds himself on trial for murder in a small town court. Found not
guilty by reason of insanity, Starks is committed to Alpine Grove, a state
institution for the criminally insane. There a staff physician, Dr. Becker,
subjects Starks to a jarring experimental treatment involving mind-altering
drugs and claustrophobic physical restraint. Once medicated, Starks is wrapped
in jacket-like restraints and left alone for hours at a time in a corpse drawer
located in the hospital's basement morgue. And in the drawer, in the dark and
under the influence, Starks initially experiences flickers of memory from the
war and the shooting of the police officer. The past gives way to the future
when he is suddenly transported to a diner in Vermont where he meets Jackie, a
waitress who takes pity on him and tries to help him find a place to sleep for
the night. Starks begins to realize that the drawer he's been confined to is
the secret to his recovery and that his future and well-being lie in the hands
of the girl he's just met.
Director: John Maybury. Stars: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris
Kristofferson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Daniel Craig, Kelly Lynch, Brad Renfro.
2005, CC, MPAA rating: R, 102 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $6.233
million, Warner, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and
Fabulous
FBI Agent Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) has became an overnight media sensation after successfully disarming a threat against the Miss United States Pageant while working undercover as a contestant
in "Miss Congeniality." Things haven't been going so well for her lately, though. Reeling from a broken romance and frustrated to find her newfound fame is jeopardizing the undercover work she loves, Gracie reluctantly lets her boss, Agent McDonald (Ernie Hudson),
talk her into serving the Bureau in the only way now possible: coifed and styled for the talk show circuit as "the face of the FBI." Though resistant at first, Gracie soon warms to the attention and it's not long before she's getting into her new role a little too much. Her
new partner Sam Fuller (Regina King), a tough, ambitious agent who is clearly not her biggest fan, is the first to point out that the pampered Bureau star is turning into FBI Barbie. But when Gracie's best friends, pageant winner Cheryl Frazier and emcee Stan Fields
(Heather Burns and William Shatner), are kidnapped in Las Vegas, Gracie's crime-fighting instincts kick back in. Not wanting to risk losing their high-profile mascot, the FBI top brass sideline her to press conference duty in Las Vegas and send Sam along as her
bodyguard, leaving local FBI supervisor Collins (Treat Williams) to spearhead the rescue effort while junior agent Jeff Foreman (Enrique Murciano) tries to keep Gracie and her entourage safely out of the way till its all over. But you can't keep a good agent down.
Director: John Pasquin. Stars: Sandra Bullock, Regina King, Enrique Murciano,
William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, Heather Burns, Diedrich Bader, Treat Williams,
Eileen Brennan, Elisabeth Rohm. 2005, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 115 min.,
Comedy-thriller, Box office gross: $47.121 million, Warner, No VHS SRP, Priced
for rental.
Cursed
In this chilling Wes Craven scarer, a girl (Christina
Ricci) and her brother get into a car accident off of Los Angeles's Mulholland
drive. When they attempt to help the other car's driver, they're attacked by a
wolf-like creature. Over the next few weeks, the siblings begin to show
supernatural strength and abilities, while a large, mysterious animal launches
bloodthirsty attacks in Los Angeles. Together, the siblings must solve the
mystery of their attacker and destroy the werewolf responsible before they turn
into nightmare creatures themselves.
Director: Wes Craven. Stars: Portia de Rossi, Mya, Shannon Elizabeth, Daniel
Edward Mora, Kristina Anapau, Jesse Eisenberg, Milo Ventimiglia, Jonny Acker,
Eric Ladin, Christina Ricci, Joshua Jackson. 2005, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13,
97 min., Horror thriller, Box office gross: $19.116 million, Dimension, $19.95
VHS SRP.
Hostage
Devastated by an unspeakable tragedy while on the job as
a hostage negotiator for the Los Angeles Police Department, Jeff Talley (Bruce
Willis) resigns and accepts a low-profile job as the Chief of Police in sleepy,
rural Bristo Camino. On a slow Monday morning Jeff Talley's job becomes anything
but quiet and sets him on a course that could change not only his professional
but personal life forever. When three delinquent teenagers follow a family home
intending to steal a car, they get more than they bargained for. The trio finds
themselves trapped in a multi-million dollar compound on the outskirts of
town with no way to escape. Panicked, they take the family hostage, placing
Talley in a situation that he never wanted to face again. The stakes quickly
evolve into a hostage situation far more volatile and terrifying than anything
Talley could imagine.
Director: Florent Emilio Siri. Stars: Bruce Willis, Kevin Pollak, Jimmy Bennett,
Michelle Horn, Ben Foster. 2005, CC, MPAA rating: R, 108 min., Thriller, Box
office gross: $32.234 million, Dimension, $19.95 VHS SRP.
Coach Carter
The inspiring true story of controversial high school basketball coach Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson), who made headlines for his emphasis on the importance of academics over athletics. Carter requested that all the members of
his team sign contracts, promising to maintain a certain grade point average. When the players failed to live up to the agreement, Carter benched the entire team, locking the gym and forfeiting games to prove his point. This infuriated the community, who saw this as a
hindrance to the future professional athletic careers of the players. Through hard work and dedication, Carter eventually got his point across to his team and the community, going above and beyond to ensure a solid academic future for the team.
Director: Thomas Carter. Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Rob Brown, Robert Ri'chard, Rick Gonzalez, Nana Gbewonyo, Antwon Tanner, Channing Tatum, Ashanti. 2005, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 136 min., Biodrama, Box office gross: $67.083 million,
Paramount, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
June 28
Pacifier, The
Vin Diesel stars as Navy SEAL Shane Wolfe who, as an elite member of the world's fiercest and most highly trained force, thought he was prepared to take on any duty no matter how perilous or impossible ... until he tried
baby-sitting. Assigned to protect the five out-of-control children of an assassinated scientist working on vital government secrets, Shane is suddenly faced with juggling two outrageously incompatible jobs: fighting the bad guys while keeping house. Replacing his usual
arsenal of wetsuits and weapons with diapers and juice boxes, Shane not only must battle a deceptive enemy but wrangle teen rebel Zoe (Brittany Snow), sullen 14 year-old Seth (Max Theriot), 8 year-old Ninja-wanna-be Lulu (Morgan York), as well as 3 year-old Peter
and baby Tyler -- not to mention their off-beat Romanian Nanny (Carol Kane). But while drop zones, demolitions and destroying enemy targets come naturally to Shane, he has no idea what tough really is until he pits his courage against diapering, den-mothering and
driver's education. He's truly a SEAL out of water, and now it's up to this one-time lone warrior to take on the most important mission of his life: keeping a family together.
Director: Adam Shankman. Stars: Vin Diesel, Lauren Graham, Faith Ford, Brittany Snow, Max Thieriot, Chris Potter, Carol Kane, Brad Garrett. 2005, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 95 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $100.566 million, Disney, No VHS SRP,
Priced for rental.
Gunner Palace
Director Michael Tucker's intimate portrait of the lives of American soldiers in Iraq. Tucker spent two months living with soldiers in one of Uday Hussein's former "pleasure palaces." The unprecedented footage he obtained takes
viewers beyond the evening news reports and reveals what life is like in a war that rages on even after the conflict is declared officially over. Gunner Palace is a unique portrait of the fragmented, chaotic and stress-filled existence of American soldiers at war in Iraq.
Tucker captured the lives of the members of the 213 Field Artillery, AKA the "Gunners", whose living headquarters are housed in Uday Hussein's Azimiya Palace, situated in the middle of Adhamiya, the most volatile area in Baghdad. Four months after President Bush
declared the end of "major combat operations," this troop of U.S. soldiers continues to live and die through what they jokingly call "minor combat." Their residence, a bombed out palace complete with swimming pool and putting green, provides a surreal backdrop to
their stories. Tucker filmed the troops over two one-month periods, slowly gaining their trust while he lived with them in the once royal residence now fondly known as "Gunner Palace." With total access to all unit operations and activities, captured in his own distinct
verite style, filmmaker Tucker provides a rare series of intimate "snapshots" that reveal the complex realities of a war that has to be seen to be understood. Portion of proceeds from each "Gunner Palace" DVD sold goes directly to help military families through the Fisher
House Foundation.
Director: Michael Tucker. 2005, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 85 min.,
Documentary, Box office gross: $0.586 million, Palm Pictures.
Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Filled with a mix of comedy and drama, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" is based on the immensely popular play of the same name written by Tyler Perry. The story focuses on Helen McCarter (Kimberly Elise),
who has seemingly had the perfect life with husband Charles McCarter (Steve Harris). Over the years, Helen has been a faithful and loving wife, while Charles built a successful and lucrative career as a prominent Atlanta attorney. They wear the latest fashions and drive
the nicest cars. They live on an expansive estate complete with an extravagant mansion, swimming pool, tennis court and all the trappings of wealth. However, on the eve of their 18th wedding anniversary Helen's paradise begins to crumble as Charles announces that he
wants a divorce. He abruptly -- and literally -- tosses Helen out of the mansion to make room for the "other woman". With all of her belongings packed in a moving van, Helen starts on her journey to put the pieces of her life back together. Through the assistance of her
family, faith, and a twist of fate, Helen finds the strength and empowerment she needs to get control of her circumstances. She also finds that the tragic events of her life soon become comic, especially with the help -- mostly unsolicited -- of pot-smoking, gun-toting, and
much beloved, grandmother figure Madea (Tyler Perry).
Director: Darren Grant. Stars: Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, Tamara Taylor, Lisa Marcos, Tiffany Evans, Cicely Tyson, Tyler Perry. 2005, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 116 min., Drama Comedy, Box office gross: $50.382 million, Lions Gate,
No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
Acacia
After 10 years of marriage, Do-il (Kim Jin-geun) and
Mi-sook (Shim Hye-jin) live a seemingly happy and secure life together. Unable
to conceive, they decide to adopt Jin-Sung (Moon Woo-bin), a young boy that
Mi-sook is drawn to after seeing his Munch-like paintings. Quiet and
introverted, Jin-Sung spends most of his time playing underneath the Acacia tree
in their backyard, away from the family. When Mi-sook becomes miraculously
pregnant, he becomes even more detached. As the once-dead Acacia tree in the
backyard begins to bloom, terrible "accidents" start to tear the household
apart. Is it Jin-Sung or something far more sinister?
Director: Park Ki-Hyung. Stars: Na-yoon Jeong, Shim Hye-jin, Kim Jin-geun, Moon
Woo-bin. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 102 min., Horror, Tartan Asia Extreme.
DVD only.
Tetsuo: The Iron Man
From director Shinya Tsukamoto -- whose
stylistic and explosive science fiction cinema has been likened to the work of
David Lynch and David Cronenberg -- comes this re-release of the film that
caused a cyber-cult sensation overseas. Somewhere between a modern-day nightmare
and a techno-fetishist's ultimate fantasy, a young man gradually mutates into a
metal being. A surreal black-and-white journey into a dark and disturbing world
where self-inflicted body transformations and post-human women form the fabric
of a strange new reality. Explosive violence, bizarre sexual imagery and
jet-black humor.
Director: Shinya Tsukamoto. Stars: Tomorowo Taguchi, Kei Fujiwara, Nobu Kanaoka.
1988, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 67 min., Sci Fi Horror, Tartan Asia Extreme. DVD
only.
All DVDs are screened on a reference system consisting of a
Rotel RDV-1060 DVD Audio/Video Player, a
Rotel RSX-972 Surround Sound Receiver, and Phase Technology 1.1 (front), 33.1 (center),
and 50 (rear) speakers and Power 10 subwoofer.
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