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| Shanghai Knights |
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The dynamic
duo of Chon (Jackie Chan) and Roy (Owen Wilson) are back
for more fun. This time a Chinese rebel murders Chon’s
estranged father and escapes to England with Chon and
Roy hot on his tail. Chon’s sister, Lin (Fann Wong), comes
along and they uncover a worldwide conspiracy to murder
the royal family. With the help of a kindly Scotland Yard
Inspector and a 10-year-old street urchin, the acrobatic
Chon gives Victorian Britain a kick in the pants as he
attempts to avenge his father’s death–and keep the romance-minded
Roy away from his sister. |
What’s
Cool:
- Deleted scenes
- Commentary with director David Dobkin and screenwriters
Alfred Gough and Miles Millar
- “Action Overload” featurette
- “Fight Manual” documentary with Jackie
Chan and director Dobkin
- Subtitles: Spanish
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| Gods and Generals |
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From the creators of
the TNT miniseries Gettysburg, including executive producer
Ted Turner and writer/director Ronald F. Maxwell, the film chronicles
the Civil War from its beginnings when the South rises up. Confederate
General Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall), a distinguished military man
but also a loyal native Virginian, takes the side of the South as
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang), a devoutly religious
man, becomes his most trusted lieutenant. On the other side, we have
Colonel Joshua Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels), a professor from Maine
who ends up one of the Union’s finest military leaders. As the battles
rage on we get glimpses of the wives and families left behind. |
What’s Cool:
- Commentary with director/screenwriter Ron Maxwell, source writer
Jeffrey M. Shaara and historians
- “Journey To The Past” featurette
- Historical accuracy featurette
- Introduction by executive producer Ted Turner
- Music videos: "Cross the Green Mountain" by Bob Dylan
and "Going Home" by Mary Fahl
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Still Hot…
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| Phone Booth |
|
Set entirely within
and around the confines of a New York City phone booth, this thriller
follows Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell), a fast-talkin’ media consultant
who is trapped after being told by a random caller–a serial killer
with a sniper rifle–that he’ll be shot dead if he hangs up. When
the sniper does kill someone standing nearby, the police show up but
think Stu is the culprit. Mentally and emotionally exhausted, Stu
is forced to dig deep into his psyche and find the strength
to outwit the caller, taking the game to an even more dangerous level.
Also starring Forest Whitaker and Katie Holmes. |
What’s Cool:
- Commentary with director Joel Schumacher
- Original trailer
- Subtitled in French, Spanish
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| Basic |
|
Tom Hardy (John Travolta),
an ex-Army Ranger-turned-DEA agent, is drawn into a mystery surrounding
the disappearances of a tough-nut sergeant (Samuel L. Jackson) and
a few of his elite Special Forces trainees on what appears to have
been a routine training exercise in the Panama jungle. Only two survivors
are found but neither is willing to cooperate with Capt. Julia Osborne
(Connie Nielsen) and her investigation. What really happened to West
and his Ranger team? As each layer is peeled back, more lies and deceptions
are revealed until the awful truth is discovered. |
What’s Cool:
- Commentary with director John McTiernan
- “Basic: A Director’s Design” featurette
- “Basic Ingredients: A Writer’s Perspective” featurette
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| Gangs of New York |
|
Set in New York in
the 1860s, the film tells the story of Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo
DiCaprio), a young Irish American living in a neighborhood known as
the Five Points. Hell-bent on avenging his father’s death after watching
him be brutally murdered in a bloody gang battle between Irish immigrants
and British descendents, Amsterdam searches out the man responsible–William
"Bill the Butcher" Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis). Things get
complicated when Amsterdam is haplessly drawn into Bill’s world, becoming
the man’s confidante and surrogate son while keeping his identity–and
true purpose for being there–a secret. In time, however, all is revealed,
and just when Amsterdam and Bill are about to make what could be their
last stand against each other, the city erupts into violence and chaos
over the Civil War drafts. Directed by Martin Scorsese, it also stars
Cameron Diaz. |
What’s Cool:
- Commentary by director Martin Scorsese
- The sets and costume design
- “History of the Five Points” featurette
- “Uncovering the Real Gangs of New York” Documentary
- U2’s “The Hands that Built America” music video
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