Warchild : Genre : T

Theatrical: 1952

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Television

Duration: 662

Summary: In 1952 Superman flew right into the hearts and minds of the American TV audience faster than a speeding bullet. Though most people were already familiar with man of steel through his comic books, as well as the popular radio show, it was the new medium's "Adventures of Superman" that transformed our resident Kryptonian into a timeless icon. For many young baby boomers, Superman was the ultimate symbol of truth, justice and the American way. After watching this nostalgic trip back in time it is easy to see why: George Reeves. Reeves is the quintessential Superman. He is kind, confident, smart, always does the right thing and can literally do anything physically. Even Reeves' Clark Kent is cool, even cocky without any of the trademarked shy, clumsy and hickish traits the character has developed over the years. And then there's Phyllis Coates as the Lois Lane. Coates portrayal of Lois is surprisingly one of the stronger female roles in '50s television. She is one tough cookie able to stand her ground against criminals, fight off bad guys and is not afraid to outwardly express herself. Sadly, Phyllis Coates would be replaced by Noel Neill in subsequent seasons.
"Adventures of Superman" also stands the test of time well as one of the best shows from the early days of television. A lot of it has to do with how the writers, producers and actors approached the making of the show. This first season, as well as the second, were made as if they were making a serious show suitable for kids and adults. Instead of being a kids' comic book show, the episodes have a strong "mini-serial-crime-movie" feel, are very story driven and include loads of elements from the popular film noir style of the 1950s. This is evident in such classic episodes such as the season opener "Superman on Earth," "The Stolen Costume" where Superman has his costume stolen by a burglar, and the tense horror-noir "The Haunted Lighthouse." Also included on this DVD set is the 1951 theatrical release "Superman and The Mole Men" which later became the televised two-part episode "The Unknown People." --"Rob Bracco"

Theatrical:

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Television

Duration: 154

Summary: There's no better time of year than Christmas, especially in South Park. So, stop fighting with the family, gather 'round the fire and watch these classic South Park episodes. Join in as the citizens of South Park sing many of everyone's favorite holiday classics like, "Mr Hankey, the Christmas Poo" and "Christmas Time in Hell". See the boys bring Christmas to Iraq and learn how hard it is to be a Jew during this holiday season. Christmas is a time when we all can put aside our differences and agree on what the holidays are really about: presents!

Theatrical: 1967

Studio: Dragnet Productions

Genre: Television

Duration: 30

Summary: The classic police drama is updated for the 1960s. No-nonsense Sgt. Joe Friday and his partner, Officer Bill Gannon, tackle traditional police cases and face new challenges such as LSD, race riots, and public service TV shows.

Theatrical: 1954

Studio: Genius Entertainment

Genre: Television

Duration: 30

Summary: Space hero Flash Gordon and his crew of the Galaxy Bureau of Investigation patrol space, battling space monsters, power-mad alien dictators and other threats to the stability of the universe.

Theatrical: 1979

Studio:

Genre: Television

Duration: 89

Summary: 3 Episodes fo the Green Hornet

Theatrical: 1966

Studio: 20th Century Fox Television

Genre: Television

Duration: 30

Summary: Britt Reid, daring young owner/publisher of "The Daily Sentinel," dons a mask and fights crime as The Green Hornet. While the police and public believe the Hornet to be a ruthless criminal, the District Attorney knows Reid's secret identity, and welcomes his assistance in fighting racketeers and criminals. Also assisting Reid in his crusade are his secretary, Lenore Case, and his faithful valet, Kato, who is a kung fu expert and who drives the sleek "Black Beauty," the Hornet's well armed car.

Theatrical: 1955

Studio: Jackie Gleason Enterprises

Genre: Television

Duration: 30

Summary: Ralph Kramden is a New York bus driver who dreams of a better life. With his eccentric good friend, Ed Norton the sewer worker, he constantly tries crackpot schemes to strike it rich. All the while, his exasperated wife, Alice, is always there to bring him down to earth or to pick him up if he beats her to it. For as much as they fight, even dunderhead Ralph knows that she is the greatest and vice versa.

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Television

Duration: 308

Summary: For those "South Park" fans who have wondered if their beloved animated series would lose its satirical edge after a decade on the air, the "Complete Tenth Season" boxed set provides a resounding negative. Creators Matt Park and Trey Stone come out swinging with the season opener, "The Return of Chef," which addresses both the media frenzy churned up over the headline-grabbing "Trapped in the Closet" episode from the previous season, as well as the departure of Isaac Hayes, who voiced the well-loved Chef (and netted the series its highest ratings for a debut episode in years). Not content to leave one religion alone, the show tackles the 2006 riots over the depiction of Mohammed in Dutch newspapers (and delivers a much-deserved zing to "Family Guy") in the two-part "Cartoon Wars" (the revelation of "Family Guy"'s "real" writers is among the funniest notions ever penned for "South Park") and intelligent design in "Go God Go" (Mrs. Garrison is up in arms over being forced to teach evolution until the arrival of Richard Dawkins changes her mind). Also in the show's firing line are such sacred cows as Oprah Winfrey (Towelie pens a faux memoir a la "A Million Little Pieces" in "A Million Little Fibers"), Al Gore (who attempts to drum up interest in his hunt for the mythical "ManBearPig"), environmentalists (who create a new form of pollution with their hybrids in "Smug Alert!"), the popular online game World of Warcraft ("Make Love, Not Warcraft," which earned the series an Emmy nomination) and George W. Bush (who tangles with Kyle over 9/11 in "Mystery of the Urinal Deuce"). Of course, "South Park" wouldn't be "South Park" without moments of jaw-dropping bad taste, and viewers are treated to not one but two jokes about the death of Steve Irwin (including his appearance at a Halloween party thrown by Satan in the critically reviled "Hell on Earth 2006), children with terminal diseases, teacher-student sexual relations, and a whole host of bodily functions and absurdly graphic violence (the latter is provided by a trio of serial killers in "Hell on Earth 2006"). Supplemental features on the three-disc set are limited to a brief introductory commentary track on each of the episodes by Parker and Stone; while short, they underscore the duo's irreverence and highlight some of the trials they underwent to produce the season (in particular, the network's concern over "Cartoon Wars"). "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Sahamongkol Film International Co. Ltd.

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 114

Summary: Pusit is having the worst day of his life. He just lost his job and is in serious debt. That is all about to change when he receives a mysterious phone call with a tempting offer. If he could complete 13 tasks, he will win 100 million Baht. Pusit agrees and the game begins.

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: MGM

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 110

Summary: Harry Mitchell, an L.A. manufacturer with a fancy car, a nice house, and a wife running for city council, has his life overturned when three hooded blackmailers appear with a video tape of Harry and his young mistress. He's been set up, and they want $100,000. To protect his wife's political ambitions, Harry won't go to the police; instead, he shines them on and then doesn't pay. They up their demands, so he goes on the offensive, tracking them down and trying to turn one against the other. Their sociopathic leader, Alan, responds with violence toward the mistress and menace toward Harry's wife. Will Harry let up and pay off Alan or can he find some other solution?

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 121

Summary: Director Clint Eastwood's 1997 box-office hit stars himself as Luther Whitney, a highly skilled thief who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, witnessing the murder of a woman involved in a secret tryst with the U.S. president (played by Gene Hackman). Determined to clear his name, Whitney cleverly eludes a tenacious detective (Ed Harris) while investigating a corruption of power reaching to the highest level of government. Adapted by veteran screenwriter William Goldman from David Baldacci's novel, this thriller balances expert suspense with well-drawn characters and an intelligent plot that's just a pounding heartbeat away from real White House headlines. "Absolute Power" features the great Judy Davis in a memorable supporting role as the White House chief of staff who desperately attempts to cover up the crime. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2009

Studio:

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 86

Summary: Louis Koo (Overheard) delivers one of the most compelling performances of his career as a paranoid hitman who designs his hits to look like accidents, but he may have met his match in Richie Jen (Exiled).

Theatrical: 1940

Studio: ROAN

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 62

Summary: Dr. Bernard Adrian is a kindly mad scientist who seeks to cure a young woman's polio. He needs spinal fluid from a human to complete the formula for his experimental serum. Meanwhile, a vicious circus ape has broken out of its cage, and is terrorizing towns people.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 109

Summary: This is one of the better movies to enjoy as HD DVD version. The picture quality is stunning. 80% of the movie plays at night or in dark environment. That's when you see the difference to the standard DVD: Where the DVD version was murky and impossible to detect any details in dark areas, the HD DVD shines. I was able to see wall structures in finest detail and things like that add to the true movie feeling. I whish there were more HD DVDs like this one.

The sound is good, too. Even though the disk makes no use of the new audio standards for HD DVD, it still rocks. To my ears, it was not better than the DVD version, though. The surround effects are well placed and the subwoofer had plenty to do.

Yeah, I know I only talked about the tech aspect in this review; but HD DVDs are still scarse and early adopters are frankly more interested if the picture and sound quality is good. Believe it or not: Even if this was a really bad movie (and it isn't), most owners of HD DVD players would still watch it just to test their precious high tech home movie theatre.

If you read the other reviews it's clear: The movie IS good. Thank god. Unfortunately, there are only a few really good movies on HD DVDs out there and this is one of them.

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: AFDF

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 115

Summary: Seven years after the death of his wife, company executive Aoyama is invited to sit in on auditions for an actress. Leafing through the resumés in advance, his eye is caught by Yamazaki Asami, a striking young woman with ballet training. On the day of the audition, she's the last person they see. Aoyama is hooked. He notes her number from her file, calls her and takes her to dinner. He hesitates to call again, worried that he'll seem too eager. When he does, Asami knowingly lets the phone ring for some time before answering. She's alone in her darkened room - alone, that is, apart from the writhing victim she has tied up in a sack on the floor...

Theatrical: 2010

Studio: China Star Entertainment

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 87

Summary: Fatal Move director Dennis Law deals out another powerful blow in his latest triad-themed offering Bad Blood! With Law also in writing and producing capacities, the 2010 movie retains many of the main cast of Fatal Move including Simon Yam, Eddie Cheung, Pinky Cheung, and Lam Suet, and sees the return of cinematographer Herman Yau and action choreographer Li Chung Chi. Action favorites Andy On, Xiong Xinxin, Ken Lo, and martial arts starlet Jiang Luxia are onboard the violent actioner, as are TVB stars Bernice Liu and Chris Lai. Veteran actors Chan Wai Man, Amy Chum, and Wong Tin Lam round out the ensemble cast of the gangster whodunit about the bloody infighting within a triad clan.

Crime lord Lok Cheung On (Eddie Cheung) runs a smuggling ring in Hong Kong. He gets caught during a failed counterfeit money operation in Mainland China and is executed. After he's gone, a deadly struggle for power breaks out within the gang, with a series of murders and assassinations aimed at members of the Lok clan. One by one, the various sons and daughters, wives and mistresses, brothers and cousins fall as they turn on each other in paranoia. The overbearing Simon Yam, the seemingly benign Bernice Liu, the crippled Andy On, the gentle Chris Lai, or the mysterious dumb girl Jiang Luxia - any of them could be the mastermind behind all the ruthless killings - or his/her next victim.

Theatrical: 1982

Studio: Verdict Productions Inc.

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 95

Summary: A group of college students accidentally see a local redneck kill his wife. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse ensues, with the students trying to escape the area while the killer sets out to eliminate the witnesses who can tie him to the murder.

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Europa Corp.

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 101

Summary: Damien and Leito return to District 13 on a mission to bring peace to the troubled sector that is controlled by five different gang bosses, before the city's secret services take drastic measures to solve the problem

Theatrical: 1970

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 105

Summary: the beguiled is one of eastwood's and director don siegel's best pairings and the clostest thing clint ever did to a horror movie. i'll say nothing else about that but this civil war gothic thriller will leave you with a chill running up your back. as a yank soldier wounded in battle he finds himself taken in by the girls of a school and being nurseed back to health. clint playes the bad guy here really so before long he is using the women for his own needs. from there well you just have to watch this underrated thriller and see. you will never forget this creepy little thriller i just know you won't. turn down the lights and let the film creep over you

Theatrical: 1989

Studio: Film Workshop

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 105

Summary: At the end of the Vietnam war, Cheung goes to Saigon, intent on bringing his uncle and cousin back to Hong Kong. In Saigon, Cheung meets beautiful gangleader Chow, and relies on her help for their safe return. A love triangle develops between the cousins and Chow Further complicating matters, Chow's lover Ho, a gang leader, appears Ho deports the cousins, and kills their uncle. Cheung and his cousin return to Vietnam seeking revenge, while Chow and Ho also become entangled with a local vietnamese warlord. Chow tries to stop the battle, but the warlord kills Chow and Ho. Just before her death Chow gives the cousins the last two air tickets with which to leave Vietnam

Theatrical: 1963

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 119

Summary: Vacationing in northern California, Alfred Hitchcock was struck by a story in a Santa Cruz newspaper: "Seabird Invasion Hits Coastal Homes." From this peculiar incident, and his memory of a short story by Daphne du Maurier, the master of suspense created one of his strangest and most terrifying films. "The Birds" follows a chic blonde, Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), as she travels to the coastal town of Bodega Bay to hook up with a rugged fellow (Rod Taylor) she's only just met. Before long the town is attacked by marauding birds, and Hitchcock's skill at staging action is brought to the fore. Beyond the superb effects, however, "The Birds" is also one of Hitchcock's most psychologically complicated scenarios, a tense study of violence, loneliness, and complacency. What really gets under your skin are not the bird skirmishes but the anxiety and the eerie quiet between attacks. The director elevated an unknown model, Tippi Hedren (mother of Melanie Griffith), to being his latest cool, blond leading lady, an experience that was not always easy on the much-pecked Ms. Hedren. Still, she returned for the next Hitchcock picture, the underrated "Marnie". Treated with scant attention by serious critics in 1963, "The Birds" has grown into a classic and--despite the sci-fi trappings--one of Hitchcock's most serious films. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Mutual Film Company

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 89

Summary: An ex-con takes a job driving a truck cross country. What he doesn't know is that the truck is filled with illegal weapons and now he must fight to survive and save his family.

Theatrical: 1969

Studio: Fantoma

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 86

Summary: A blind sculpter kidnaps a beautiful young model and takes her back to his home. He and his mother live in a warehouse that he has turned into a surreal tribute to the senses. It is filled with huge sculptures of body parts and the female form. He is obsessed with exploring the senses to the fullest. At first, the model only wants to escape from this bizarre scene, but eventually she succumbs to his strange vision and even surpasses his obsession.

Môjû

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Malpaso

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 110

Summary: Retired FBI profiler Terry McCaleb (Eastwood), who has recently had a heart transplant, is hired by Graciela Rivers (De Jesus), to investigate the death of her sister, Gloria, who happens to have given McCaleb his heart. On the case, he soon deducts that the killer, who staged the murder to look like a random robbery, may actually be a serial killer Terry was trailing for years in the FBI. Can the elderly and feeble McCaleb, who had intended to spend his retirement living on his boat in the Los Angeles harbor, and who can't drive, and has to nap regularly, muster up the endurance to find the killer?

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Stage 6 Films

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 118

Summary: For the last 8 years the brothers have been living with their father on a sheep farm deep in isolated Ireland. One day their uncle tells them that they have been framed for the murder of a Bostonian Catholic priest. The boys must return to Boston to not only clear their names but find the men who framed them.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 108

Summary: When a CIA operation to purchase classified Russian documents is blown by a rival agent--who then shows up in the sleepy seaside village where Bourne (Damon) and Marie (Potente) have been living under assumed names--the pair collapse their lives and head out. Bourne, who promised retaliation should anyone from his former life attempt contact, is forced to once again take up his life as a trained assassin to survive.

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Anchor Bay

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 92

Summary: Before Penelope Spheeris's directed "Wayne's World," she made another film about a pair of young men. "The Boys Next Door," though, contains little of the offbeat humor that marked the Dana Carvey/Mike Meyers collaboration. You won't find subtle and not so subtle pop culture references punctuated with over the top antics in "The Boys Next Door." Nor will you hear a single reference to "party on." In a way, "The Boys Next Door" resembles Spheeris's other films, namely "The Decline of Western Civilization," in that it looks closely at the sort of young people we don't normally see on television or in the print media. In the case of "Decline," Spheeris examined the effects of punk rock music on select members of America's youth. In "Boys Next Door," it's how the loss of hope leads a select few youngsters to a life of murder and mayhem. The movie, interestingly enough, begins with an error. Pictures of notorious criminals David Berkowitz, Ken Bianchi, and Ed Kemper float by in order to set a context for what we are about to see. Regrettably for the film, Berkowitz, Kemper, and Bianchi were serial killers. The two boys we meet in the movie, Roy and Bo, are spree killers. There is a big difference between the two as anyone interested in true crime stories knows.

Roy Alston (Maxwell Caulfield) and Bo Richards (Charlie Sheen) are just two of your average, everyday kids getting ready to graduate from high school. They are also the loner type, two kids who paired up with each other after the other kids excluded them from the various social circles. Both Roy and Bo are instantly recognizable high school types, at least for those of us perceptive enough to notice those around us during those painful years of compulsory schooling. They are a little rough around the edges, thanks to their miserable home lives and their relative poverty, but occasionally they make tentative overtures to others that are cruelly rebuffed. One can only feel sorry for Bo when he admires one of the prettiest girls in his class from afar, hoping against hope that he can somehow approach her and strike up a meaningful connection. Roy, the more cynical of the two, has long since reconciled himself to being an outcast, and he spends most of his time quashing any kernels of kindness popping up in Bo's mind. There's something more about Roy, something that goes beyond cynicism into the realms of downright cruelty and hatred. We first see it when he talks to a Marine recruiter on campus about joining the Corps so he can kill people. Not good. Later, of course, Roy will give full vent to his murderous rages.

After crashing a graduation party and finding themselves tossed out on the street, the two decide to cruise down to Los Angeles for a day or two for some old fashioned hijinks. Besides, getting away for a few days sounds like a good idea when the only thing they have to come back to is a couple of cruddy jobs at a local factory, jobs that will probably last a lifetime. The two barely enter the Los Angeles area when all heck breaks loose at a gas station. Roy, thinking the attendant ripped him off over two bucks in gas, beats the man to a bloody pulp. Later, at the beach, one of the boys throws a beer bottle that strikes an elderly woman on the head. Two young ladies attempt to confront the pair about the bottle, and one of them ends up taking a ride around the parking lot on the hood of Roy's car. More atrocities follow, all escalating with ferocious brutality. A gay man dies at their hands, as does an attractive young couple whose only crime involved first making eye contact with Bo and later spurning him in a video arcade. By the time Roy murders Angie (Patti D'Arbanville) while she's in the process of wooing Bo, the game is about over. Two cops, Detective Mark Woods (Christopher McDonald) and Detective Ed Hanley (Hank Garrett), have been tracking these two since the gas station heist, and a lucky break puts the boys right in their hands. Or does it?

I remember seeing "The Boys Next Door" back in the mid 1980s on cable. I was impressed with it then and consider it a good movie now. Aside from the misidentification of the two as serial killers, the movie still contains plenty of good performances, good dialogue, and shocking scenes. Sheen and Caulfield both carry off their respective roles convincingly, but Caulfield does the best job in the frightening role of Roy Alston. His speech about how he feels inside sends chills down the spine, as does his transformation from composed youth to shrieking beast. Oddly enough in a film larded with killings, I consider the bottle scene one of the most disturbing in the film. The look on that old lady's face when the bottle conks her on the head is so upsetting that it's not easy to forget, especially when the camera cuts back to Bo and Roy in order to show them laughing about what they did. There's just something about this scene that successfully telegraphs, just as much as the murders, the coldness of these two kids. "The Boys Next Door" does contain at least one unintentionally hilarious scene in the form of Detective Ed Hanley's haircut. Geez, I thought he was wearing a tricorn hat or something!

Extras on the DVD include a commentary with Spheeris and Caulfield, a trailer, and cast biographies. The picture quality looks great for a twenty year old film. I would recommend this movie to most fans of low budget cinema, but it's also got an appeal to Charlie Sheen completists (Is there such a thing? God help us!) and lovers of movies dealing with the criminal mindset.

Theatrical: 1993

Studio:

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 92

Summary:

Theatrical: 1968

Studio: MGM

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 108

Summary: François Truffaut's 1968 thriller was an attempt to reconcile the exclusive experience of the Hitchcockian hero with the expansiveness of Jean Renoir's view of flawed humanity. Jeanne Moreau stars as a newlywed whose husband is shot dead on the church steps following their wedding. The story then follows her systematic and relentless efforts to track down the men who were involved in the killing, murdering each one with a creative efficiency that Truffaut does not mean for us to take too seriously. The film's real point is the interesting tension between the audience's growing knowledge about and sympathy toward the guilty fellows, who really are rather ordinary people, and the narrative hook concerning the heroine's reinvention into a figure of insulated emotion and revenge. (Moreau's character resembles nothing so much as the pathological but vulnerable title character of Hitchcock's "Marnie".) "The Bride Wore Black" (based on a novel by Cornell Woolrich) is not meant to be taken as an object lesson in irony, however. In the finest and most entertaining tradition of Hollywood movies (certainly most of Hitchcock's movies), one can watch Truffaut's film without giving a thought to anything other than its own smooth movement. Take a step back, however, and there are riches to be explored. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 99

Summary: The young executive of a publicity agency Henry Creedlow is a man that has repressed morbid thoughts and is walked over by most of his acquaintances: his wife is cheating him with his boss and stealing money of his investments with his best friend; his housemaid is frequently stealing his house and offending him in Spanish; even his annoying poodle does not respect him. While in his daily morning routine listening to a talk show on the radio, he hears a man committing suicide live because he had been felt miserable and disrespected for a long time, and Henry feels impressed with the tragic event. On the next morning, he wakes up with his face covered by a white mask, changing his personality and seeking revenge against those that have humiliated him.

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Arts Magic

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 87

Summary: The success of his first major film, the experimental, surrealistic Tetsuo: The Iron Man, hurled Shinya Tsukamoto into the midst of the world film scene. With a slew of comparisons to David Lynch, critics hailed Tsukamoto as one of the greatest "style-over-substance" directors of our time: an apt description, as practically all of his early films are brilliantly shot and put together while their stories often feel ever so slightly lacking. With BULLET BALLET, Tsukamoto begins to challenge this mold and emerge as one of the world's greatest storytellers. Still, BULLET BALLET is only his first real attempt at putting story and character on an equal level with polish and style, and as such makes more than a few missteps.



Goda (Shinya Tsukamoto) is a successful director of television commercials - very loosely based, Tsukamoto states, on a man who in the 1970s was called the "Kurosawa of TV commercials" - with a serious, seemingly normal girlfriend of ten years. In the films first few minutes, however, Goda returns home to find her dead: suicide. The police discover that the fun she used was obtained from ties she had, unbeknownst to Goda, with the underworld. Goda's life is instantly changed, though for a short while he is able to keep up appearances, as his entire life is taken over by his urge for vengeance against those who provided his girlfriend with the means to kill herself. For the first (and strongest) half of the film, Goda's life sinks to one objective that controls his every action: obtaining a gun. Along the way, he comes upon the young thugs that he feels caused his girlfriend's death, including another young woman, Chisato (Kirina Mao), who will in many ways echo the behavior of Goda's late lover. When Goda eventually gets his gun by marrying a Korean immigrant, it is soon taken from him. And here, the film falls apart. the thief, Goto (Takahiro Murase), is forced to kill a random individual (he gets to choose, his boss just wants someone to die), but Goto's choice somehow brings a seemingly random hitman (Hisashi Igawa) upon the young gangsters, and in the film's corpse-laiden finale, shows the young people just how dangerous the stakes are in the "games" they play. This last half works fine on paper, but feels awkward, random, and heavy handed in execution.



Wearing nearly half a dozen different hats (including director, writer, director of photography, lead actor, and editor), Tsukamoto somehow manages, as he so often does, to fulfill his responsibilities with a talent, creativity, and energy that is rare even in films when each of those positions are filled by a different individual. Perhaps most notable, however, is his work as the film's director. As such, he manages to weave together elements of various important directors (both from Japanese cinema of the past and Tsukamoto's own international contemporaries). At different moments in the film, he evokes the wild, handheld style of Kinji Fukasaku, the dream-like beauty of Wong Kar-Wai's contemporary films (a sequence where Chisato invades Goda's apartment might have been a deleted scene from Chungking Express), the artistic experimentation of Seijun Suzuki, and, in some of the film's most memorable moments, a unique, almost neo-realistic, take on Eisenstein's montage theory. The film is beautiful to behold, and the care that Tsukamoto obviously put into every frame and every interaction pays off, even if the logic of the events themselves starts to rip the film apart.



As the film's lead actor, Tsukamoto is as good as ever when he calls upon himself to be the generally dry and cold Japanese everyman, with moments of explosive emotion, that has, after a 10 or 15 year hiatus, become so popular again in Japanese cinema. The rest of the cast is generally good as well, but any nuances they may or may not attempt to add to their roles get swallowed up in Tsukamoto's ultra-stylish world, rendering the characters realistic. Tsukamoto successfully imbues Bullet Ballet with the air of a documentary, and in so doing renders each of the performances invisible.



BULLET BALLET's problems are all inherent in the story, a real pity since the film is one of the closest to Tsukamoto's heart. It took reportedly ten or fifteen years from his original concept to Screen. Sadly, but not necessarily surprisingly, this original concept is the film's ending, where an older, war-hardened assassin teaches young hoodlums the terror of violence by forcing them to experience death; Tsukamoto may have been so blinded by his love for this long-held idea that, in creating BULLET BALLET's concept, he couldn't see what a destructive change of pace and tone it would be for the film overall. Still, BULLET BALLET marks a decided shift in Tsukamoto as an artist, and in a variety of ways is a truly mystifying film. It may not be one of his masterpieces, but it is a crucial and intriguing film in his development as a director.



The film actually deserves a little more than three stars, I'd give it 3.5, but I'd rather round down than up since some of Tsukamoto's other films are more imporant viewing than this one.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 144

Summary: After receiving license to kill from the MI-6, the secret agent James Bond follows his leads and avoids the destruction of the greatest airplane in the world in Miami plotted by the evil banker Le Chiffre to crash the bonds in the stock market and break the air flight company. The banker loses the funds of international terrorist organizations and organizes a poker game in Casino Royale, in Montenegro, to raise the money of the investors. James Bond travels with the British accountant Vesper Lynd to bet and defeat La Chiffre and force him to look for protection with the MI-6, disclosing the names of the terrorists. James wins, but is double-crossed, in a game of betrayals and murders.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 104

Summary: Catwoman is the story of shy, sensitive artist Patience Philips (Halle Berry), a woman who can't seem to stop apologizing for her own existence. She works as a graphic designer for Hedare Beauty, a mammoth cosmetics company on the verge of releasing a revolutionary anti-aging product. When Patience inadvertently happens upon a dark secret her employer is hiding, she finds herself in the middle of a corporate conspiracy. What happens next changes Patience forever. In a mystical twist of fate, she is transformed into a woman with the strength, speed, agility and ultra-keen senses of a cat. With her newfound prowess and feline intuition, Patience becomes Catwoman, a sleek and stealthy creature balancing on the thin line between good and bad. Like any wildcat, she's dangerous, elusive and untamed. Her adventures are complicated by a burgeoning relationship with Tom Lone (Benjamin Bratt), a cop who has fallen for Patience but cannot shake his fascination with the mysterious Catwoman, who appears to be responsible for a string of crime sprees plaguing the city.

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Fine Cut

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 123

Summary: Joong-ho is a dirty detective turned pimp in financial trouble as several of his girls have recently disappeared without clearing their debts. While trying to track them down, he finds a clue that the vanished girls were all called up by a same client whom one of his girls is meeting with right now.

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Armor Entertainment

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 110

Summary: Remake of "Cellular"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Hollywood Media Bridge

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 90

Summary: A seasoned senior enlisted special operations (spec ops) United States Marine is wounded during combat operations in Iraq. He is retired from the Marine Corps and visits a friend on a ranch in the south west. When he arrives he discovers his friend has disappeared and no one will even admit to knowing of him.

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: New Line

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 100

Summary: Adapted from the controversial novel by J.G. Ballard, "Crash" will either repel or amaze you, with little or no room for a neutral reaction. The film is perfectly matched to the artistic and intellectual proclivities of director David Cronenberg, who has used the inspiration of Ballard's novel to create what critic Roger Ebert has described as "a dissection of the mechanics of pornography." Filmed with a metallic color scheme and a dominant tone of emotional detachment, the story focuses on a close-knit group of people who have developed a sexual fetish around the collision of automobiles. They use cars as a tool of arousal, in which orgasm is directly connected to death-defying temptations of fate at high speeds. Ballard wrote his book to illustrate the connections between sex and technology--the ultimate postmodern melding of flesh and machine--and Cronenberg takes this theme to the final frontier of sexual expression. Holly Hunter, James Spader, and Deborah Unger are utterly fearless in roles that few actors would dare to play, and their surrender to Cronenberg's vision makes "Crash" an utterly unique and challenging film experience. It's rated NC-17, so don't say you weren't warned! "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 100

Summary: Chief Niemans is investigating a series of ritual murders: The victims are crucified. He teams up with young officer Reda, who gets embroiled after a man dressed as a monk tries to kill a confused guy Reda picked up on the street. Together with a specialist on christian mythology they uncover a mysterious group called "Angels of the Apokalypse".

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Legacy Filmworks

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 94

Summary: After serving 6 years for a crime he didn't commit, Shane Daniels is released from jail with an apology from the State of Arizona. Within hours of his freedom, he unluckily bears witness to a cop killing by Chinese mafia who have a kidnapped girl and a bag of drugmoney. In this action packed thrill ride, Shane agreed to help the girl to get her uncle back to safety. To to that he gets some help from Russian mafia, whos boss owns him a favor for saving his son from the Chinese cop killing action mentioned above.

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: MGM

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 118

Summary: Set in the Los Angeles Police Department in April 1992, Dark Blue is a dramatic thriller that takes place just days before the acquittal of four white officers in the beating of black motorist Rodney King and the subsequent L.A. riots. In this racially-charged climate,the LAPD's elite Special Investigations Squad (SIS) is assigned a high-profile quadruple homicide. As they work the case, veteran detective Eldon Perry, known for his tough street tactics and fiery temper, tutors SIS rookie Bobby Keough in the grim realities of police intimidation and corruption. Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Holland, the only man in the department willing to stand up to the SIS, threatens to end Perry's brand of singlehanded "justice" on the Los Angeles streets. While navigating through the tumultuous neighborhoods of South Central L.A., Perry and Keough must track down cold-blooded killers and face their own demons, which prove to be more ruthless than the criminals they pursue.

Theatrical: 1974

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 93

Summary: This controversial, 1974 drama exploits urban paranoia and presents vigilantism as cathartic release. But it is also a captivating, Everyman-ish story of a New Yorker who goes through a sea change after crime depletes his family, and who runs afoul of the law while taking it into his own hands. Charles Bronson stars as the vengeance-seeking urban warrior who goes on a punk-killing spree after his wife and daughter are attacked by intruders. Director Michael Winner ("The Wicked Lady") shamelessly builds upon audience identification with Bronson's rage, but he also makes an interesting story out of the latter's tug-of-war with disapproving police. It's an unpleasant film all around, but not nearly as bad as its horrifying, numerous sequels. Watch for a very young Jeff Goldblum--in this, his second movie--as one of the assailants of Bronson's loved ones. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1972

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 109

Summary: One of the key films of the 1970s, John Boorman's "Deliverance" is a nightmarish adaptation of poet-novelist James Dickey's book about various kinds of survival in modern America. The story concerns four Atlanta businessmen of various male stripe: Jon Voight's character is a reflective, civilized fellow, Burt Reynolds plays a strapping hunter-gatherer in urban clothes, Ned Beatty is a sweaty, weak-willed boy-man, and Ronny Cox essays a spirited, neighborly type. Together they decide to answer the ancient call of men testing themselves against the elements and set out on a treacherous ride on the rapids of an Appalachian river. What they don't understand until it is too late is that they have ventured into Dickey's variation on the American underbelly, a wild, lawless, dangerous (and dangerously inbred) place isolated from the gloss of the late 20th century. In short order, the four men dig deep into their own suppressed primitiveness, defending themselves against armed cretins, facing the shock of real death on their carefully planned, death-defying adventure, and then squarely facing the suspicions of authority over their concealed actions. Boorman, a master teller of stories about individuals on peculiarly mythical journeys, does a terrifying and beautiful job of revealing the complexity of private and collective character--the way one can never be the same after glimpsing the sharp-clawed survivor in one's soul. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Image

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 91

Summary: Full of road-weary travelers with secrets to keep and lies to tell, a gritty tour bus follows a sun-baked desert highway. But one fiendish spirit rides among them with a brutal plan to cull the passengers, one life at a time. Making their way through the jagged mountains and brutal stretches of sand along Devil's Highway, they turn on each other as despair and terror overtake them until only a few remain in this disturbing tale of survival. Featuring a talented cast that includes: Shane Brolly (Underworld) Natassia Malthe (Elektra, Chaos) Robert Miano (Donnie Brasco) Al Sapienza(The Sopranos)

Theatrical: 2005

Studio:

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 105

Summary: Two teenagers joining the same class in a high school die on the same day. The one to be top of the class is killed by a big knife on the street, the other - the second best of the class indeed - seems to be jumped from the top of the school building. Everybody believes that he first killed his classmate and than himself. But when the police finds small pill boxes into the stomachs of both kids confessing their murder two South Korean cops are torn into a new case of murder series. While they try to hunt down the serial killer, more pupils are getting killed...

Theatrical: 1952

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 76

Summary: Airline pilot Jed stays at the New York hotel where girlfriend Lyn is a singer. He sees Nell in a window opposite his and they get chummy. When the girl she's baby-sitting, Bunny, enters Nell goes crazy and sends her to her room. She fantasizes that Jed is her long lost fiance. Jed comes to realize that Nell is more than a little whacko.

Theatrical: 1971

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 90

Summary: While traveling through the desert for an appointment with a client, the businessman David Mann from California passes a slow and old tanker truck. The psychotic truck driver feels offended and chases David along the empty highway trying to kill him.

Theatrical: 1975

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 129

Summary: Clint Eastwood held the dual role of director and star of this 1975 spy thriller, which makes up for sluggish pacing with a breathtaking climax on a treacherous peak in the Swiss Alps. The plot kicks into gear when Eastwood, playing a retired assassin, is recruited back into a secret organization to avenge the murder of an old friend. He's then blackmailed into making a second "hit"; this time his target is one of three men who will be attempting to conquer the Eiger, a dangerous peak in Switzerland. Himself an accomplished climber, Eastwood's character joins the expedition with George Kennedy as leader of the ground crew. Shifting loyalties, apparent betrayals, and paranoid suspicion factor into the suspenseful climax on the sheer face of the mountain. This memorable sequence--for which Eastwood performed his own mountain-climbing stunts--is effectively intense, built on a standard plot of double-cross and intrigue that was intended to combine Eastwood's screen persona with the global adventure of the James Bond films. For the most part it works--it's not one of Eastwood's better films, but it's got some first-class thrills (and a sly performance by Jack Cassidy) to grab and hold your interest. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 93

Summary: Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Jerry Maguire, Pearl Harbor) leads an all-star cast which includes Burt Reynolds (The Longest Yard, The Dukes of Hazzard), James Woods (Any Given Sunday, John Q), Anne Archer (Clear and Present Danger) and Angie Harmon (TV's 'Law and Order') in this political action/thriller opening with a presidential assassination and following a perilous path of intrigue. The Secret Service agent (Gooding, Jr.) in charge of the president's protection detail blames himself for his team's failure and quits his post only to become obsessed with solving the crime. A tenacious reporter (Harmon) aids him in his quest. Together they unravel a web of lies as they try to divine the truth behind the conspiracy among shadowy assassins and ex-special ops.

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 133

Summary: Steven Seagal gets killed during the first 20 minutes of this enjoyable thriller, so the movie scores points for ingenuity because it immediately improves when you realize that Seagal's role is just a heroic cameo. That leaves Kurt Russell to star as an American intelligence expert who (due to Seagal's untimely demise) finds himself leading a strike force against Islamic terrorists who have seized in-flight control of a 747 jetliner with 400 passengers. It's not all that different from "Air Force One", but the formula story perks right along with considerable suspense as Russell's cohorts (Oliver Platt, Joe Morton) try to defuse a chemical bomb that could wipe out (you guessed it) the entire Eastern seaboard. John Leguizamo plays one of the U.S. commandos attempting to stop the violent hijackers, and Halle Berry costars as a flight attendant who risks her life to assist Russell's rescue team. As action movies go, "Executive Decision" marked an impressive directorial debut for veteran film editor Stuart Baird. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio:

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 88

Summary: An Irishman (Paul Ronan) emmigrates to New York during the most heated point of the tensions in Northern Ireland in 1991. However, escaping the conflict in his home country does not free him from the strife. Soon he finds himself in the middle of a gun running operation involving his cousin (Ronan Carr) and two hot-headed friends (Paul Clarke, Mickey McGloine). And things get further complicated when the Irishman gets involved with the long-suffering wife (Jenny Conroy) of one of the gun-runners.

Theatrical: 1977

Studio: Celestial

Genre: Thriller

Summary:

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Neal H. Moritz Productions

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 107

Summary: Heading back to the streets where it all began, two men rejoin two women to blast muscle, tuner and exotic cars across Los Angeles and floor through the Mexican desert. When a crime brings them back to L.A., fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto reignites his feud with agent Brian O'Connor. But as they are forced to confront a shared enemy, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmaneuver him. And from convoy heists to precision tunnel crawls across international lines, two men will find the best way to get revenge: push the limits of what's possible behind the wheel.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 105

Summary: "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" has all the elements that spelled success for its predecessors: Speed, sex, and minimal dialogue. The plot doesn't need explication; it's a nonsensical series of confrontations and standoffs that serve to get us from one race to another. "Tokyo Drift" can most accurately be described as a visual poem about screeching tires, crunching fiberglass, and sleek female skin, set to a killer soundtrack of Japanese pop and hip-hop. The actors are only needed for tight close-ups of narrowed eyes or sweaty hands tightly gripping gearshifts, though Sung Kang, "Better Luck Tomorrow", stands out as a vaguely philosophical hoodlum with deadpan charisma. The curved bodies of the cars and the luscious flesh of the women are both shot with a fetishistic hunger. The "drift" style of racing--in which the cars are allowed to slide in order to take sharp turns at high speeds--grabs your eyes; there's a strange, spectral beauty to rows of cars sliding sideways down a mountain road at night. Also starring Lucas Black ("Friday Night Lights") as our wheel-happy hero; Bow Wow ("Roll Bounce") as the scam-artist comic relief; and martial arts legend Sonny Chiba ("Kill Bill") as a yakuza big shot. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Danger After Dark

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 98

Summary: Intensely grotesque and shocking as hell, Feed is a heavyweight thrill ride through the depths of depravity. A veteran of cyberporn investigations, Australian cop Philip Jackson is no stranger to the dangerous side of sexual fetishes. He may have found his sickest case yet when he discovers a sinister side to an American website devoted to fat-admiring men and obese women called "feeders" and "gainers." Could the man behind it all be force-feeding missing women to death? Tense, dark and deeply disturbing, director Brett Leonard (The Lawnmower Man, Virtuosity) takes the crime-thriller genre to a twisted, gut-wrenching new level.

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: 235 Films

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 89

Summary: A screenwriter suffering from writer's block decides to lock himself in his apartment for 18 days in order to meet a career-making deadline. His script involves characters from his past, including a terrifying and disfigured clown. As cabin fever sets, he soon finds himself living in a world where what's real and what's fiction begin to cross lines with chilling and fatal consequences.

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Seagal/Nasso Productions

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 105

Summary: Environmental protection agent Jack Taggart is fighting big business types led by Orin Hanner who are dumping toxic waste somewhere in the Kentucky hills region. They also killed his fellow agent and are killing the nature of the region.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 109

Summary: Four adopted brothers come together to bury the woman who raised them. At the funeral, the brothers discover that their mother was murdered, and they look to seek revenge.

Theatrical: 1963

Studio: MGM

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 115

Summary: Directed with consummate skill by Terence Young, the second James Bond spy thriller is considered by many fans to be the best of them all. Certainly Sean Connery was never better as the dashing Agent 007, whose latest mission takes him to Istanbul to retrieve a top-secret Russian decoding machine. His efforts are thwarted when he gets romantically distracted by a sexy Russian double agent (Daniela Bianchi), and is tracked by a lovely assassin (Lotte Lenya) with switchblade shoes, and by a crazed killer (Robert Shaw), who clashes with Bond during the film's dazzling climax aboard the Orient Express. "From Russia with Love" is classic James Bond, before the gadgets, pyrotechnics, and Roger Moore steered the movies away from the more realistic tone of the books by Ian Fleming. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: HILT Productions

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 109

Summary:

Theatrical: 1977

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 111

Summary: Clint Eastwood is a down-and-out cop who is sent on a routine mission to pick up a witness and deliver her to the Phoenix courthouse. Sounds easy until he realizes he's been set up by the man who gave him this simple assignment. The interplay between Eastwood and the witness, a clever prostitute played by the actor's former girlfriend, Sondra Locke, is tough and playful. They obviously had strong chemistry. The story is highly implausible at times, but the action sequences are satisfying. Eastwood directs "The Gauntlet" very much in the style of his Academy Award-winning Western "Unforgiven". Although the body count is surprisingly low for an Eastwood action film, a house, several cars, and a large bus get shot through with more holes than a big wheel of Swiss cheese. For Eastwood fans, this is the laconic hero at his prime. "--Richard Natale"

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Malone Productions

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 96

Summary: When private eye Malone attempts to retrieve a briefcase from a seedy hotel, he walks into a trap. Bullets and blood fly as Malone battles an army of thugs to protect not only the case, but also a bombshell client who may be more trouble than she’s worth.

Theatrical: 1965

Studio: MGM

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 110

Summary: From the opening bomb blast outside a steamy nightclub to a last-minute escape from the president's personal jet, James Bond's third screen adventure is an exhilarating, pulse-pounding thrill-ride! Sean Connery takes command as Agent 007 and faces off wit

Theatrical: 1977

Studio:

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 93

Summary: Blood for Money! Sonny Chiba is "Golgo 13", a cold, calculating, ruthless assassin, working for the U.S. drug syndicate. His assignment: "take-out" Hong Kong's underworld kingpin. His only obstacle: a relentless cop, determined to stop him - no matter what the cost. The result is an explosive adventure through the seamy, violent streets of Hong Kong.

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Weinstein Company

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 131

Summary: Though "Hannibal Rising's" Lecter (Gaspard Ulliel) is a pussycat compared to Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs", this sequel's story of revenge is grizzly enough to satisfy lovers of Thomas Harris's epic tale. After young Hannibal (Aaron Thomas) is forced to watch his little sister, Mischa (Helena Lia Tachovska), devoured by starving soldiers in his homeland Lithuania, Hannibal vows to avenge his sister's death by slaying those who committed not only war crimes against the Lecters, but also against other families during WW II. In detailing Hannibal's revenge plan, the film investigates the psychological implications of witnessing cannibalism to justify Hannibal's insatiable appetite for human flesh. The most interesting aspect of "Hannibal Rising"—its analytical connections drawn between Hannibal's childhood traumas and his murderous adult obsessions—is also the film's weak point. The links oversimplify Lecter's complex character. For example, though titillating to see flashbacks of Lecter's sister hacked up and boiled while Lecter visits a Parisian meat market, the reference is too obvious. One learns why he excels in his medical school classes dissecting cadavers, and we're given explicit explanation for why he slices off and eats his victims' cheeks. The story only complicates when Hannibal interacts with his sexy Aunt, Lady Murasaki (Gong Li). When Murasaki educates him in the art of beheading, the viewer sees Hannibal's sword fetish as a manifestation of physical lust. "--Trinie Dalton"

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre: Thriller

Summary:

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 101

Summary: Dakota Fanning--the elfin star of "Uptown Girls", "The Cat in the Hat", and "Man on Fire"--trades in her blond locks for a semi-gothic brunette do in "Hide and Seek". Fanning plays Emily, a young girl whose mother commits suicide. To help Emily through the trauma, her father David (Robert DeNiro), a psychologist, takes her to an isolated house in upstate New York. But instead of healing, Emily gets dark circles under her eyes, mutilates her favorite doll, and develops an imaginary friend named Charlie. In no time at all, things get spooky and David suspects this imaginary friend isn't so friendly. "Hide and Seek" owes a lot to "The Shining", but whether the creepiness is borrowed or not, there's a decent dose of it (though the twist at the end is unlikely to surprise many viewers). DeNiro does his job with professional gloss, but Fanning carries the movie; she's got the kind of charisma that goes beyond acting ability--that ineffable glow that makes an audience want to watch her. "Hide and Seek" also features Famke Janssen ("X-Men"), Elisabeth Shue ("Leaving Las Vegas"), and the ever-dependable Dylan Baker ("Happiness"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1963

Studio: Kurosawa Production Co.

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 143

Summary: An executive mortgages all he owns to stage a coup and gain control of the National Shoe Company, with the intent of keeping the company out of the hands of incompetent and greedy executives. He needs the same money, though, to pay the ransom that will possibly save a child's life. His resolution of that dilemma -- the certain loss of the company vs. the probable loss of the child -- makes for one distinct drama, and an ensuing elaborate police procedure makes for a second.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: New Line

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 96

Summary: On the surface, David Cronenberg may seem an unlikely candidate to direct "A History of Violence", but dig deeper and you'll see that he's the right man for the job. As an intellectual seeker of meaning and an avowed believer in Darwinian survival of the fittest, Cronenberg knows that the story of mild-mannered small-town diner proprietor Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is in fact a multilayered examination of inbred human behavior, beginning when Tom's skillful killing of two would-be robbers draws unwanted attention to his idyllic family life in rural Indiana. He's got a loving wife (Maria Bello) and young daughter (Heidi Hayes) who are about to learn things about Tom they hadn't suspected, and a teenage son (Ashton Holmes) who has inherited his father's most prominent survival trait, manifesting itself in ways he never expected. By the time Tom has come into contact with a scarred villain (Ed Harris) and connections that lead him to a half-crazy kingpin (William Hurt, in a spectacular cameo), Cronenberg has plumbed the dark depths of human nature so skillfully that "A History of Violence" stands well above the graphic novel that inspired it (indeed, Cronenberg was unaware of the source material behind Josh Olson's chilling adaptation). With hard-hitting violence that's as sudden as it is graphically authentic, this is "A History of Violence" that's worthy of serious study and widespread acclaim. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Anka Film

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 100

Summary: It’s hard not to feel like one has entered a certain dimension of video-game logic while watching "Hitman", a lightly enjoyable action-suspense movie indeed based on a popular and bloody game about a mysterious hired gun with a bar-code tattoo on his bald head and a number (47) in lieu of a name. Living like a chaste monk while slipping past borders to kill his targets, 47 (Timothy Olyphant of "Deadwood") moves like a determined shark and speaks softly to his contact at the enigmatic "the Organization," which raises cast-off children to become well-paid assassins. Fruitlessly pursued by an Interpol cop (Dougray Scott) who can never get sovereign governments to cooperate, 47 has no trouble slipping in and out of countries to ply his trade. Until, that is, he’s set up to take a fall in Russia by shooting a national leader who is promptly replaced by a lookalike double. Suddenly on the run, 47 has to retrace his steps and formulate a lethal plan for extricating himself from a trap. Caught in the chaos is the lovely Nika (Olga Kurylenko), forced into sex slavery by 47’s new enemies and the one person who seems uniquely qualified to break through 47’s many personal barriers. Directed by France’s Xavier Gens, "Hitman" features loads of bloody mayhem and unabashed moments of pulp absurdity, such as a scene in which 47 and three other Organization killers agree to fight one another respectfully, then proceed to pulverize each other with swords and fists. As fodder for gamers, however, "Hitman" is packed with visuals and dramatic moments that seem so odd on the big screen until one realizes they are basically placemarkers for the video-game edition.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Miramax

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 113

Summary: You get two hostage crises for the price of one in "Hostage", an overwrought but otherwise involving thriller grounded by Bruce Willis's solid lead performance. Making a dramatic pit-stop on his way to "Die Hard 4", Willis plays a traumatized former Los Angeles hostage negotiator, now working as a nearly-divorced police chief in sleepy Ventura County, California. Willis suddenly finds himself amidst two potentially deadly stand-offs when a trio of hapless teenagers seize hostages in the fortress-like home of an accountant (Kevin Pollack) whose connections to organized crime result in Willis struggling to rescue his estranged wife and daughter, who are being held hostage by faceless thugs at an undisclosed location. Having directed two of Tom Clancy's "Splinter Cell" video games, director Florent Siri brings plenty of slick, competent filmmaking to Willis's desperate dilemma, and the film boasts a gritty, graphic style that draws attention away from implausible plot twists. The bothersome, over-the-top performances by the teenaged villains also slightly compromise this gloomy but emotionally gripping adaptation of Robert Crais's novel, named as one of Amazon.com's best books of 2001. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1960

Studio: Kuk Dong

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 111

Summary: Widely considered one of the best Korean films of all time, the 1960 black and white classic The Housemaid is finally available on DVD! Known for his psychodramas and sexual horror films, Kim Ki Young made The Housemaid in the early years of a career that would see him continuously pushing the boundaries of cinema. This domestic noir about sexual obsession and a family's dreadful unraveling shocks and thrills even half a century later. The Housemaid stars Lee Eun Shim as the eponymous femme fatale, and Kim Jin Kyu and Ju Jeung Ryu - two of the greatest stars from the Golden Age of Korean Cinema - as the married couple who self-destruct under her will. Acclaimed actor Ahn Sung Ki, only eight years old at the time, also appears in the film. Great efforts were taken by the Korean Film Archive and World Cinema Foundation to digitally restore and remaster The Housemaid, unveiling this great masterpiece to film fans worldwide.

Middle-aged composer Dong Sik (Kim Jin Kyu) has his hands full trying to provide for his pregnant wife (Ju Jeung Ryu) and two kids. He hires a housemaid (Lee Eun Shim) to help out around the house, but the strange and sultry young woman has other plans in mind as she sets out to seduce Dong Sik. Tragedy begets tragedy, as wife and mistress face off in increasingly manipulative and horrifying manners for power over the household and their clueless lover.

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 90

Summary: A whodunit revolving around a group of 10 strangers who find themselves running from a desert storm. They hole up in a roadside motel that proves as hospitable as the Bates Motel. The patrons are killed, one by one, and the survivors must try to figure out who the killer is before they, too, check out... permanently! Stars John Cusack (upcoming The Runaway Jury, America's Sweethearts), Ray Liotta (Narc, Hannibal, Unlawful Entry), Rebecca DeMornay (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Never Talk to Strangers), Jake Busey (Tomcats, Starship Troopers), Amanda Peet (upcoming The Whole Ten Yards, High Crimes), Alfred Molina (Frida, Chocolat), John C. McGinley (Stealing Harvard, The Animal, TV's Scrubs), Directed by James Mangold (Kate & Leopold, Girl, Interrupted, Cop Land).

Theatrical: 1967

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 114

Summary: There was bound to be a Flint sequel, and this one delivers the same kind of zany fun as its predecessor, "Our Man Flint". Flint is recruited once again by Lee J. Cobb to be the government's top secret agent, this time to solve a mishap involving the President. Turns out, the Chief Executive has been replaced by an evil duplicate. The new plan for world domination involves feminine aggression, and Flint, with his overpowering charisma, is just the man to turn the hostile forces around. "In Like Flint" is still over the top, but some of the novelty has worn off, and it doesn't have quite the same edge as the original. Even Jerry Goldsmith's score is a bit more subdued. But the film still has James Coburn and that funny phone. "--Bill Desowitz"

Theatrical: 1963

Studio: Guilty Pleasures

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 77

Summary: Not only is it great to see "Creatures" in such glorious color, but this DVD is packed with really GOOD extras. This is truly one of the more bizarre of all low-budget horror/exploitation flicks of the 60s - and that's saying a lot. It also happens to be among the most fun to watch. Somehow, it's funny, cheesy, incomprehensible and kind of sweet all at the same time. And dig the ladies in those musical numbers!

As for the commentaries by director/star Ray Dennis Steckler and drive-in critic Joe Bob Briggs, I have to say I like 'em both. I do have to disagree with the reviewer who didn't like the Joe Bob commentary. Joe Bob has an amazing depth of knowledge when it comes to movies, and his humor and observations are right on the money. Sure, he points out the inadequacies of "Creatures," but isn't that part of the fun? After all, if you're going to examine a movie like this, how can you NOT mention cheap sets, out-of-step dancers and actors with sky-high pompadours? Joe Bob clearly loves this movie, and his enthusiasm for this sort of cinema is infectious.

If you're even considering buying this DVD, you're probably already familiar with the movie. Rest assured that the extras are a worthy addition...and are just as 'incredibly strange' as you'd hope.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 96

Summary: From the creators of The Ring, Grudge, and Dark Water comes Infection. A patient in a hospital dies due to malpractice. The doctors responsible panic and stage a cover up. Shortly thereafter, another patient is left at the hospital doors dying of bizarre symptoms. When the patient dies, the doctors involved in the cover up being acting strangely, then one by one, develop the same mysterious and deadly symptoms.

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Miramax

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 111

Summary: Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill, Vol. 1" is trash for connoisseurs. From his opening gambit (including a "Shaw-Scope" logo and gaudy '70s-vintage "Our Feature Presentation" title card) to his cliffhanger finale (a teasing lead-in to 2004's Vol. 2), Tarantino pays loving tribute to grindhouse cinema, specifically the Hong Kong action flicks and spaghetti Westerns that fill his fervent brain--and this frequently breathtaking movie--with enough cinematic references and cleverly pilfered soundtrack cues to send cinephiles running for their reference books. Everything old is new again in Tarantino's humor-laced vision: he steals from the best while injecting his own oft-copied, never-duplicated style into what is, quite simply, a revenge flick, beginning with the near-murder of the Bride (Uma Thurman), pregnant on her wedding day and left for dead by the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (or DiVAS)--including Lucy Liu and the unseen David Carradine (as Bill)--who become targets for the Bride's lethal vengeance. Culminating in an ultraviolent, ultra-stylized tour-de-force showdown, Tarantino's fourth film is either brilliantly (and brutally) innovative or one of the most blatant acts of plagiarism ever conceived. Either way, it's hyperkinetic eye-candy from a passionate film-lover who clearly knows what he's doing. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1975

Studio: Exeter Associates

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 122

Summary: Mike Locken is one of the principle members of a group of freelance spies. A significant portion of their work is for the C.I.A. and while on a case for them one of his friends turns on him and shoots him in the elbow and knee. His assignment, to protect someone, goes down in flames. He is nearly crippled, but with braces is able to again become mobile. For revenge as much as anything else, Mike goes after his ex-friend.

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Eleven Eleven Films

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 93

Summary: Four individuals sign up for a psychological research study only to discover that they are now subjects of a brutal, classified government program

Theatrical: 1991

Studio: Geffen

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 105

Summary: A down and out cynical detective teams up with a down and out ex-quarterback to try and solve a murder case involving a pro football team and a politician.

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 132

Summary: The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format.

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 130

Summary: "The best of the best is back and better than ever" (WNYW-TV) in the latest installment of the pulse-pounding, thrill-a-minute Die Hard action films. New York City detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) delivers old-school justice to a new breed of terrorists when a massive computer attack on the U.S. infrastructure threatens to shut down the entire country over Independence Day weekend.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: HBO

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 90

Summary: Edward Furlong (Pecker) and Bai Ling (The Crow) star as Sam and Nadia, a pair of bank robbers who become involved in a hostage situation after their heist is botched. Now, with the lives of other hostages in their hands, and with a crooked agent (Michael Madsen (Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2) ready to unleash his own brand of justice, the thieves must become heroes to protect the innocent from two crazed killers. Also starring Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) and Jordana Spirro (?My Boys?), Living and Dying is an action-packed, blood-spattered ballet of cops, robbers, killers and way too many guns.
DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Featurette

Theatrical: 1974

Studio: Anchor Bay

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 88

Summary: Max Baer's friendly fascist is one reason, but not the only one, to catch this disturbing 1974 film. In fact, Baer's smiling, upright sheriff seems a blood brother in some twisted sense to Mayberry's Andy Griffith. Based on fact, the movie portrays the misadventures of real-life brothers Alan and Jesse Vint, as they frolic through the 1950's South on their way to a date with the Army. Bad luck and Sheriff Baer however turn their joyride into a nightmare that finally ends in tragedy. The last scenes are a suspense-filled stunner. This is Baer's production and he uses it to observe the effects of gun culture, brutality, and race prejudice in fairly subtle fashion. Except for Geoffrey Lewis's overdone station attendant, the acting is first rate, with Joan Blackman a long way from her frothy Elvis movies. Special recognition should go to the casting of the two southern lowlifes who are the most convincing and sinister drifters I've seen, and are guaranteed to put chills up the spine. At times the script seems too deliberate, as though there are explanations for everything. Still, this is a first-rate thriller that deserves its cult status, and is ultimately a long, long way from the bucholic ideal of Sheriff Andy's Mayberry.

Theatrical: 1981

Studio: Jef Films

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 77

Summary: This is one of the most disturbing (and not to mention unintentionally funny) films I've ever seen. The dubbing is atrocious, the violence over-the-top, and the full frontal nudity extreme -- there is a LOT of male frontal nudity in this film; so much so that I suspect that either the writer or director was...well, INTO male full frontal nudity.

When watching this, notice how the gang members NEVER damage the hero's (?) car -- it probably wasn't in the budget. Perhaps it was even a loaner!

I'm giving this 4 stars simply because of how awful it is. It's so bad, it's funny.

Theatrical: 1968

Studio: Image

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 68

Summary:

Theatrical: 1972

Studio: Chartoff-Winkler Productions

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 100

Summary: A professional hit man (Bronson) is planning to retire, always a difficult move for one in such a profession. A young apprentice (Vincent) appears to be eager to learn all the skills of the trade - but is that all he wants ?

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 122

Summary: The movie, written by Bono, starts when a billionaire's son dies in a skid row hotel and a federal agent turns the lives of the miscreant residents upside down to find out if it was suicide or murder.

Theatrical: 1966

Studio: Columbia Pictures Corporation

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 105

Summary: The handsome top agent Matt dies a tragic death in his bath tub - the women mourn about the loss. However it's just faked for his latest top-secret mission: He shall find Dr. Solaris, inventor of the Helium laser beam, powerful enough to destroy a whole continent. It seems Dr. Solaris has been kidnapped by a criminal organization. The trace leads to the Cote D'Azur...

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: HDNM Entertainment

Genre: Thriller

Summary:

Theatrical: 1966

Studio: Sven Persson Films

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 96

Summary: Actor-turned-director Cornel Wilde ("The Best Years of Our Lives") released this fascinating fever dream of a thriller in 1966, basing its terrifying story on the legendary escape of trapper John Colter from Blackfoot Indians. Wilde plays a laconic, big-game hunter (the script refers to him only as "Man") managing an ivory-gathering safari for an arrogant loudmouth who refuses to pay tribute to a local chief. The chief's tribe takes exception to this slight, capturing the hunters and subjecting them to sundry, nightmarish tortures. (The worst, arguably, is the baking of one poor fellow inside a head-to-toe clay suit.) Wilde's character is stripped bare and given a bit of a lead before being pursued by a party of spear-wielding men. For the next few days, the Man lives by his wits in the most violent surroundings, never far from the predator-prey cycle in the animal kingdom and even saving a boy from an attack by slave-traders on his village. Horrifying as the Man's journey becomes, there is something redemptive about Wilde's jaded character going back to nature in a radical fashion. Wilde the filmmaker expertly mingles stock footage of jungle beasts with his own bold images of a savage Eden, though nothing gets under one's skin quite like some of those torture scenes. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Mei Ah

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 99 Minutes

Summary: Based on a popular Internet novel, Naraka 19 is a horror thriller with a unique modern twist. For the first time since 49 Days, Gillian Chung of Twins takes on a lead film role as Rain, a student who checks into her university dorm room only to discover that it has a troubled and ominous history. Ten years prior, a student named Gao Yuan (Jones Xu) committed suicide in the room, and the resulting psychic scars run deep. Rain's roommates begin getting text messages on their mobile phones inviting them to play a special game, where they must traverse the 18 levels of Hell in order to reach the fabled "Naraka 19". However, the price for not passing a level is madness or even death! In order to uncover the game's secret, as well as her friends' fates, Rain agrees to join the game. Suddenly, she finds herself in a dark and fantastic world, surrounded by demons and otherworldly creatures, with only her wits and her surprisingly handy mobile phone to point the way home.



The original fiction for Naraka 19 has attained quite a following online, resulting in some concerns from fans about how the film version would turn out. Allaying those fears is director Carol Lai, who follows up her last horror film, the under-appreciated The Third Eye with this new effort, utilizing state-of-the-art CG effects to render the fantastic levels of Hell visited by Rain and her roommates. The effects resemble those from the Pang Brothers hit Re-cycle, with hidden psychological pains bringing grisly imagery and the threat of violence to each character's individual Hell. Backing Gillian Chung is a promising cast, including Patrick Tam (Beast Cops), Shaun Tam (Star Runner), Yan Ng (Whispers and Moans), new EEG singer Vincy, models Maggie Li and Bonnie Xian, and finally Gillian Chung's Twin partner, Charlene Choi, in a very special cameo.

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: American World Pictures (AWP)

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 93

Summary: A Las Vegas cab driver finds a million dollars of stolen money in his cab after his fare is murdered. Soon after, a ruthless hitman is in persuit; he will stop at nothing to recover the money and dispose of all witnesses.

Theatrical: 1966

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 108

Summary: There's really been only one rival to James Bond: Derek Flint. That's because of James Coburn's special brand of American cool. He's so cool, in fact, that he doesn't care to save the world. That is, until he's personally threatened. He's a true libertarian, with more gadgets and girls than Bond, but with none of his stress or responsibility. Here he's totally unflappable as he thwarts mad scientists who control the weather--and an island of pleasure drones. Lee J. Cobb costars as Flint's flustered superior, and Edward Mulhare plays a British nemesis with snob appeal. For fans of Austin Powers, incidentally, the funny-sounding phone comes from the Flint films. However, "Our Man Flint"'s best gadget remains the watch that enables Flint to feign death. There's a great Jerry Goldsmith score, too. "--Bill Desowitz"

Theatrical: 1989

Studio: MGM

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 108

Summary: Gene Hackman is a career officer assigned a routine mission well beneath him: deliver a prisoner (Tommy Lee Jones) from Europe to the United States. However, the simple assignment becomes a daring cat-and-mouse game played as the last flames of the Cold War are flickering. This is the first of three films that teamed Jones with director Andrew Davis. In 1989 Jones was a wild card: an actor respected but only popping up in grade B fare. After Davis's "Under Siege" and "The Fugitive", Jones was America's favorite gruff character actor, with an Oscar on his mantel. With a weaker script, Davis still creates the same kind of magic here. Hackman is superb as the officer, an action role similar to others that the nearly 60-year-old unexpectedly excelled at ("Bat 21", "Narrow Margin") during this period. Tight, tense, and with no letup in the third act, "The Package" is a good gem for a Saturday night flick. "--Doug Thomas"

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 100

Summary: The 21st successor to the role of Bengalla's resident superhero must travel to New York to prevent a rich madman from obtaining three magic skulls that would give him the secret to ultimate power.

Theatrical: 1971

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 103

Summary: Clint Eastwood (making his very assured directorial debut) is a poetry-spouting stud-muffin DJ stalked by a maniacally amorous fan after a misguided one-night stand in this enjoyably schlocky, undeniably effective film about good intentions gone murderously wacky. Although many of the "very" '70s trappings presented here may ultimately be too dated to be taken seriously (including a very self-indulgent jazz number and a hilariously gooey seduction number between Eastwood and Donna Mills), the core premise of infatuation taken out of bounds remains uncomfortably plausible--and was influential enough to be appropriated by one of the biggest hits of the '80s. (Here's a hint--it starred Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and a very unfortunate bunny rabbit). A well-staged and occasionally very frightening thriller worth watching for Jessica Walter's peerlessly unhinged performance alone. Frequent Eastwood collaborator Don Siegel (director of "Dirty Harry", "Coogan's Bluff", and "The Beguiled", to name but a few) has a nice cameo as Murphy, the mustachioed, chess-playing bartender. "--Andrew Wright"

Theatrical: 1987

Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 105

Summary: Martin Fallon is an IRA bomber who tries to blow up a troop truck but instead kills a bus load of school children. He loses heart and quits the movement and goes to London trying to leave the U.K. and start a new life. The IRA wants him back (he knows too much) and the local crime boss, Meehan, will only help him if he performs one last hit, on a rival crime boss. When Fallon does perform the hit, he is seen by a catholic priest. He refuses to kill an innocent again and must find a way to escape the police without killing the priest who can identify him.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: New Line

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 159

Summary: Starring Harvey Keitel and Scott Glenn. Clayton Price (Glenn) an American government hit man gone astray assassinates a U.S. military leader in Mexico and now on the run he makes a pact with a vacationing couple to help him disappear in the Mexican jungle. What this couple doesn't know is Price's secret past and the fact that the U.S. CIA is quick on his trail led by CIA operative Walter McGrane (Keitel). It is McGrane's instructions to bring back Price at any cost, dead or alive.

Theatrical: 1989

Studio: New World Pictures

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 89

Summary: Based on the Marvel Comic, Dolph Lundgren is Frank Castle an ex-cop who lives in the sewers and acts as judge, jury, and executioner to the city's criminals in retaliation for the unpunished murders of his wife and kids. Frank's ex-partner Jake (Louis Gossett Jr.) finally catches up with the vigilante as he tries to stop the Japanese mob, which is trying to take over the city's mafia operation.

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 103

Summary: "Punisher: War Zone" cannot be adequately described as "over the top"--it's a relentless catalogue of brutal mayhem punctuated, here and there, with outrageous sentimentality. Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher (Ray Stevenson, "Rome") has dedicated his life to killing the kind of gangsters who murdered his family. But when he unknowingly kills an undercover FBI agent, Castle falls into a crisis of conscience and decides to lay down his guns. Unfortunately, one of the last gangsters he thought he'd killed survived, albeit horribly disfigured, and seeks revenge on the wife and daughter of that slain FBI agent--so Castle has to go one last spree of vigilante justice! But this plot summary will not prepare you for the jolting violence of "Punisher: War Zone"; rarely do more than a few minutes go by without startling physical savagery, particularly to people's heads, which get blown apart with numbing frequency. This violence somehow goes hand in hand with dizzyingly saccharine moments when a young girl gazes at Castle with trusting eyes, knowing in her heart that he's the only one who can protect her. The dialogue goes beyond cliche into tough guy baroque. Stevenson underplays Castle to good effect, because everyone else in the movie--including Dominic West ("The Wire"), Doug Hutchison ("The Green Mile"), and Wayne Knight ("Seinfeld")--chews the scenery like it's slathered with gravy. Some viewers will find this movie revolting; others will worship it like a golden calf. You probably know where you stand. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Umvd Import

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 114

Summary: Hong Kong action film `Purple Storm' has one clever idea at the center of it, but you may not like it exactly because of its total implausibility. Still the idea - turning an amnesic terrorist into a secret agent working for the police - is an interesting one, and Daniel Wu playing a young terrorist who begins to be aware of his better side of personality did a fantastic job together with capable supports and terrific actions.

Khmer Rouge terrorist Soong (Kwok-Leung Gan) arrives in Hong Kong with his faithful and deadly men. His mission is twofold: one is to accomplish his `revolution' in Asia, and the other is to retrieve his own son Tod (Daniel Wu), who is captured alive by the Hong Kong police after he got shot, and lost completely his memories.

While Soong prepares for the plans, Ma Li (Emile Chau) leader of Anti Terrorist Force decides to adopt an audacious plan suggested by Doctor Shirley Kwan (Joan Chen). That is, master and manipulate the unconscious part of Tod's mind, and create the false memories of the past for him as an undercover agent working for the government. This could be naturally an ingenious plan to kill Soong who is searching for his lost son.

As the film is set in today's Hong Kong, the actions of the film do not use much wires or kung-fu, but during the running time tension almost always prevails all over the scenes. There are numerous plot holes and incredible situations, and the CG images should have been brushed up for the finished version, but the actors' superb acting and good photography convey the intense atmosphere that this kind of action needs. Among many good things about the film, the most memorable is the acting from Daniel Wu, Kwok-Leung Gan, Emile Chau, and Josie Ho as deadly female terrorist.

And `Purple Storm' is also a "welcome back" work for Joan Chen who returned to the Asian film industry after so many disappointing projects like `Judge Dredd.' Though her work here is slightly better than a cameo, Joan Chen went on to appear in a series of acitically acclaimed films like `Jasmine Flower' or `Sunflower.'

`Purple Storm' is an above-average action film, which might look slightly Americanized. But the basic part of the film is that of Hong Kong films, and for those good parts the film is worth seeing.

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: De Laurentiis

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 97

Summary: Mark Kaminsky is kicked out of the FBI for his rough treatment of a suspect. He winds up as the sheriff of a small town in North Carolina. FBI Chief Harry Shannon, whose son has been killed by a mobster named Patrovina, enlists Kaminsky in a personal vendetta with a promise of reinstatement into the FBI if Patrovina is taken down. To accomplish this, Kaminsky must go undercover and join Patrovina's gang.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Dreamworks

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 85

Summary: Veteran horror director Wes Craven lends his proven talent to the non-horror thriller "Red-Eye", turning it into an above-average potboiler that makes the most of its 85 tension-packed minutes. That's a perfect running time for a movie like this, in which a resourceful heroine Lisa (Rachel McAdams, the breakout star of 2005) is trapped on a red-eye flight with creepy villain Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy, even more menacing than he was as the Scarecrow in "Batman Begins") who's playing middle-man in the plot to assassinate a Homeland Security official. He's got her father pinned down by a would-be killer, using that advantage to coerce Lisa into phoning the luxury resort where she works and arranging to move the target into a pre-set position. It's a situation from which there is seemingly no escape, but of course Craven and screenwriter Carl Ellsworth find a way to milk the suspenseful dilemma for all it's worth, even managing to wedge in a few intriguing character details to enhance the fast-moving plot. It's still a B-movie, but it's tightly constructed and well-executed by Craven, whose previous films made him a perfect choice to maximize all that "Red-Eye" has to offer. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Carolco

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 104

Summary: Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a Russian policeman sent after a Russian drug dealer who has escaped to the United States and is awaiting extradition in Chicago. Jim Belushi plays his temporary partner on the Chicago police. When the drug dealer escapes, the two police must overcome their differences in order to recapture him.

Theatrical: 1965

Studio: Entertainment

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 104

Summary: A Belgian girl, Carol, works as a manicurist at a London beauty salon. While having lunch, a good looking young man, Colin, spots her and makes a date for another evening. She shares a flat with her sister Helen. Her sister's married lover, Michael, brings out her dislike of men which she cannot explain to Colin. Michael takes Helen abroad for a holiday. Left alone in their flat, Carol's moments of catalepsy and hallucination increase and deepen into madness.

Theatrical: 2007

Studio:

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 113

Summary: