Library

Languages: English, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: David Cronenberg's signature obsessions flower in "Eastern Promises", a stunning look at violence, responsibility, and skin. Near Christmastime in London, a baby is born to a teenage junkie--an event that leads a midwife (Naomi Watts) into the world of the Russian mob. Central to this world is an ambitious enforcer (Viggo Mortensen) who's lately buddied up with the reckless son (Vincent Cassel) of a mob boss (Armin Mueller-Stahl, doing his benign-sinister thing). Screenwriter Steve Knight also wrote "Dirty Pretty Things", and in some ways this is a companion piece to that film, though utterly different in style. The plot is classical to the point of being familiar, but Cronenberg doesn't allow anything to become sentimental; he and his peerless cinematographer Peter Suschitzky take a cool, controlled approach to this story. Because of that, when the movie erupts in its (relatively brief) violence, it's genuinely shocking. Cronenberg really puts the viewer through it, as though to shame the easy purveyors of pulp violence--nobody will cheer when the blood runs in this film. Still, "Eastern Promises" has a furtive humor, nicely conveyed in Viggo Mortensen's highly original performance. Covered in tattoos, his body a scroll depicting his personal history of violence, Mortensen conveys a subtle blend of resolve and lost-ness. He's a true, haunting mystery man. "--Robert Horton"
Stills from "Eastern Promises" (click for larger image). Photos by Peter Mountain.



Vincent Cassel (left) and Viggo Mortensen (right) star in David Cronenberg's "EASTERN PROMISES", a Focus Features release.

Armin Mueller-Stahl (center) stars in David Cronenberg's "EASTERN PROMISES", a Focus Features release.
Viggo Mortensen (left) and Naomi Watts (right) star in David Cronenberg’s "EASTERN PROMISES", a Focus Features release.
Viggo Mortensen (left) and Naomi Watts (right) star in David Cronenberg’s "EASTERN PROMISES", a Focus Features release.
Naomi Watts stars in David Cronenberg's new thriller "EASTERN PROMISES", a Focus Features release.
Armin Mueller-Stahl (left) and Naomi Watt (right) star in David Cronenberg's "EASTERN PROMISES", a Focus Features release.
Mina E. Mina (left), Vincent Cassel (center) and Viggo Mortensen (right) star in David Cronenberg's "EASTERN PROMISES", a Focus Features release.
Vincent Cassel stars in David Cronenberg’s "EASTERN PROMISES", a Focus Features release.
Viggo Mortensen stars in David Cronenberg’s "EASTERN PROMISES", a Focus Features release.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: They were fighting over a woman when the plane went down. Now, their only chance for survival is each other.

Summary: Writer David Mamet created two engrossing and memorable characters, played by Alec Baldwin as the urbane fashion photographer and Anthony Hopkins as a reserved and intellectual billionaire. They find themselves teamed up against a giant Kodiak bear, and their own inner demons, when lost together in the Alaskan wilderness. There is a lot going on in this picture, as the subject matter includes male rivalry, the isolationism of extreme wealth, and, most conspicuously, the survival of the fittest. Mamet's script, which sounds a little too arch in spots, is well served by New Zealand director Lee Tamahori, who knows how to capture beauty and brutality in one frame. Although the themes are enormous in scope, they are well balanced. One rarely overpowers the other, nor does the achingly beautiful scenery overshadow the acting. Even if you do not like the intellectualism of the dialogue, there are some great scenes with the bear. "--Rochelle O'Gorman"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: In this city, only the cops are above the law.

Summary: If Edison, the city in which "Edison Force" takes place, is equivalent to Batman's Gotham City, then Batman, in this action drama, is Justin Timberlake. Pollack (Timberlake) is a naïve young news reporter who clumsily discovers, and eventually exposes, complete corruption within the F.R.A.T. division of Edison's police department. F.R.A.T. recruits are unmarried men with a history of violence, contracted out as bounty hunters to halt rampant murder, drug dealing, and prostitution on the streets. As two of their main men, Lazerov (Dylan McDermott) and Deed (LL Cool J) kill several innocent people while on duty, Pollack begins digging for evidence to bust them. Inept, Pollack enlists help from seasoned journalists Moses Ashford (Morgan Freeman) and Lee Wallace (Kevin Spacey), who do help Pollack crack the case, but not without warning Pollack against the perils of devoting one's life to exposing fraudulent behavior. True journalists, in "Edison Force", are superheroes. Though it's difficult not to envision Timberlake as the pop star he is, it is always a pleasure to see the handsome LL Cool J in a uniform and wielding guns. The most convincing actor in "Edison Force" is Kevin Spacey, whose hard-boiled acting imbues his part with a "Mean Streets" quality. Action-packed, this film deserves mention in the history of cop films, though in terms of style, it has nothing on great film noir. "--Trinie Dalton"

Languages: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: His scars run deep.

Summary: "Edward Scissorhands" achieves the nearly impossible feat of capturing the delicate flavor of a fable or fairy tale in a live-action movie. The story follows a young man named Edward (Johnny Depp), who was created by an inventor (Vincent Price, in one of his last roles) who died before he could give the poor creature a pair of human hands. Edward lives alone in a ruined Gothic castle that just happens to be perched above a pastel-colored suburb inhabited by breadwinning husbands and frustrated housewives straight out of the 1950s. One day, Peg (Dianne Wiest), the local Avon lady, comes calling. Finding Edward alone, she kindly invites him to come home with her, where she hopes to help him with his pasty complexion and those nasty nicks he's given himself with his razor-sharp fingers. Soon Edward's skill with topiary sculpture and hair design make him popular in the neighborhood--but the mood turns just as swiftly against the outsider when he starts to feel his own desires, particularly for Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Most of director Tim Burton's movies (such as "Pee Wee's Big Adventure", "Beetlejuice", "Batman") are visual spectacles with elements of fantasy, but "Edward Scissorhands" is more tender and personal than the others. Edward's wild black hair is much like Burton's, suggesting that the character represents the director's own feelings of estrangement and co-option. Johnny Depp, making his first successful leap from TV to film, captures Edward's childlike vulnerability even while his physical posture evokes horror icons like the vampire in "Nosferatu" and the sleepwalker in "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari". Classic horror films, at their heart, feel a deep sympathy for the monsters they portray; simply and affectingly, "Edward Scissorhands" lays that heart bare. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Comments: Do you hate spiders? Do you really hate spiders? Well they don't like you either.

Summary: In the grand tradition of atomic-age monster movies, "Eight Legged Freaks" delivers everything you'd want from a giant-spider thriller. The plot's hardly original, but familiarity is half the fun, beginning when toxic waste results in a stampede of gigantic, ravenous arachnids in the depressed mining town of Liberty, Arizona. David Arquette is Liberty's prodigal son, returning to save the town from greedy developers, and to reunite with the lovely local sheriff (Kari Wuhrer), whom he never stopped loving. Before long they're saving the town from a teeming horde of jumbo-size "jumpers," "orb-weavers," tarantulas, and other eight-legged beasties, brought to life by digital effects that are consistently fantastic. Though not quite as witty as the similarly exciting "Tremors", this "arach-attack" offers a deft balance of creepy shocks, sight gags, and tongue-in-cheek satire. Cleverly expanding his New Zealand short "Larger Than Life," first-time director Ellory Elkayem gives genre fans and arachnophobes a giddy nightmare they won't soon forget. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: She's the last thing that stands between good and evil.

Summary: While 2003's "Daredevil" was a conventional superhero movie, the 2005 spinoff, "Elektra", is more of a "wuxia"-styled martial arts/fantasy flick. Elektra (Jennifer Garner) has returned to her life as a hired assassin, but she balks at an assignment to kill a single father (Goran Visnjic, "ER") and his teenage daughter (Kirsten Prout). That makes her the target of the Hand, an organization of murderous ninjas, scheming corporate types, and a band of stylish supervillains seeking to eliminate Elektra and tip the balance of power in the ongoing battle of good vs. evil.

As the star of "Alias", Garner has proven that she can kick butt with the best of them, and some of the visual effects are impressive, but the action sequences tend to be anticlimactic, and there's not much to the story. Fans will notice numerous references to Frank Miller's comic books, but there's very little resemblance to Miller's cold-blooded killer (Elektra with an agent? Elektra referring to herself as a "soccer mom"?).

Is "Elektra" better than "Daredevil"? Not really, even with the distinct advantage of having all Garner and no Ben Affleck. That could be the spinoff's greatest disappointment: after "Spider-Man 2" raised the bar for comic-book movies, "Elektra" lowered it back to "Daredevil"'s level. Directed by Rob Bowman (the "X-Files" movie), and featuring Terence Stamp as the mysterious mentor Stick, Will Yun Lee ("Die Another Day") as the chief villain, and NFL-player-turned-mixed-martial-arts-champion Bob Sapp as the immovable Stone.
DVD features
Ben Affleck's much-rumored cameo is one of the deleted scenes on the "Elektra" DVD. It's a one-minute throwaway, and while he's supposedly appearing as Matt Murdock (who romanced Elektra in "Daredevil"), the barrage of celebrity gossip makes it impossible to see him as anything other than Jennifer Garner's real-life boyfriend. There's also a making-of featurette, which is mostly promotional hype other than a few interesting effects shots; four editing featurettes; and Jennifer Garner's videotaped message to ComicCon. "--David Horiuchi"
More on "Elektra"

"Elektra: The Album" (Soundtrack CD)

"Elektra: The Movie" (Comic Adaptation)

Frank Miller Comic Books

"Daredevil" (Director's Cut) (DVD)

Jennifer Garner stars in "Alias" (DVD)

More Superhero DVDs

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Woman. Warrior. Queen.

Summary: In 1998's "Elizabeth", Shekhar Kapur added a layer of suds to his history lesson; the director follows the same audience-pleasing recipe in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age". Since the first film, Blanchett scored an Oscar for her note-perfect rendition of Katharine Hepburn in "The Aviator", and she plays the preternaturally bemused monarch in a similar fashion. By 1585, Elizabeth I is an experienced ruler about to face two of her biggest challenges: betrayal by her Catholic cousin, Mary Stuart ("Control's" Samantha Morton), and invasion by the Spanish Armada. It isn't so much that the Protestant Elizabeth wishes to rid England of "papists," but that she wants her country to remain free from foreign domination. Closer to her home, she enjoys a sisterly relationship with lady-in-waiting Bess (rising Aussie star Abbie Cornish). That changes when Sir Walter Raleigh (a dashing Clive Owen) hits the scene. In order to continue exploring the New World, he seeks the queen’s sponsorship. She is charmed, but Raleigh only has eyes for Bess. As in the previous picture, Elizabeth enjoys better luck at affairs of state than affairs of the heart, but the conclusion is more beatific than before (and Kapur intends a third installment if Blanchett is willing). "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" is a rush of royal intrigue, bloody torture, fantastic headpieces, and irresistibly ripe dialogue, like "I have a hurricane in me that will strip Spain bare if you dare to try me!" To Kapur, victory for the Virgin Queen was a viable alternative to sex. --"Kathleen C. Fennessy"
Beyond "Elizabeth – The Golden Age" on DVD
More from Cate Blanchett
British Royalty on DVD
More Drama from Universal Studios
Stills from "Elizabeth – The Golden Age" (click for larger image)

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Comments: Enough Is Enough

Summary: Ridiculous, manipulative, and utterly irresistible, this push-button thriller instantly qualifies as a guilty pleasure, even when you know it's just a B-movie potboiler with moxie to spare. Taking a savvy clue from Ashley Judd's "Double Jeopardy" and any number of endangered-female melodramas from Hollywood's golden age, Jennifer Lopez stars as a blue-collar beauty who marries the "really" wrong guy (Billy Campbell). Eventually, of course, she discovers his philandering and spends the rest of the movie in nomadic flight from his hot-tempered brutality. Bankrolled by her estranged father (Fred Ward), she protects her young daughter, but knowing she must face the inevitable showdown with Campbell, she buffs up with "Krav Maga" self-defense courses and... well, we won't spoil the "surprise." With Campbell doing everything but twirl his mustache, this shameless provocation is beneath the talents of director Michael Apted, but with J. Lo in charge, it's a revenge fantasy that's guaranteed to please. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Come see where all your money went.

Summary: One of the greatest scandals in American corporate history is chronicled in the riveting documentary "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room". Based on the bestselling book by "Fortune" magazine reporters Bethany McLean and Peter Elkin, and directed by Alex Gibney (who also produced "The Trials of Henry Kissinger"), the film is an epic morality tale, drawing upon a wealth of insider interviews and archival material to show how Enron, once the nation's seventh largest corporate entity, essentially faked its bookkeeping to report profits that never existed. The corrupt and closely-guarded mismanagement by Enron executives (including Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, later placed on criminal trial) is revealed through such heinous concepts as "Hypothetical Future Value" (a way of reaping fortunes based on false profit projections) and the use of offshore "shell" companies to hide the massive losses that eventually toppled the company (along with the venerable Arthur Anderson accounting firm) and left 20,000 employees jobless. As a maddening portrait of hubris and white-collar crime, "Enron" transcends political and corporate boundaries by showing how smart and powerful men grew blinded by greed and brought ruin upon themselves, along with thousands of otherwise innocent victims. For better and worse, it's a perfect double-feature with eye-opening 2004 documentary "The Corporation". "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: We Know It's Big. We Measured.

Summary:
By dint of the inexplicable popularity of their send-up of movie genres in the parody movies "Scary Movie" and "Date Movie", writer/director duo Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer probably got an epic-sized bucket of cash for this hastily stitched pastiche of drive-by entertainment. There's no particular variety of movie they were sent to send up this time, unless big box-office grossers has now become a genre in and of itself. If so, "Epic Movie" may well qualify as part of that league itself. Very little expense has been spared to make so-called "comic" references to a slew of mostly recent blockbusters--"The Chronicles of Narnia", "Borat", "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", the "X-Men" and "Harry Potter" series, "Superman Returns", "Nacho Libre", and "The Da Vinci Code" to name a few--and it's assumed we've seen them all. In a goofy thread of a story about four orphans plucked from some of the above, battle must be done through various bastardized plots from same so that a prophecy can be fulfilled and they can assume their rightful place as rulers of a sacred land. Lots of crotch kicks, fart, urine, and vomit jokes speed by as we pass through Willie Wonka's factory and a magical wardrobe with an unusually interesting assortment of look-alikes and name actors caught up in the gag mix (some of it legitimately funny). Darrell Hammond, Crispin Glover, David Carradine, Kevin McDonald, Carmen Electra, Kal Penn put on game (and sometimes gamy) faces, and it's definitely a hoot to watch comedy improv alums Fred Willard and Jennifer Coolidge as Aslo the Lion and the White Bitch do battle in a Narnian good vs. evil character smackdown. As lame as you already expect a movie like this to be, anything that can throw together an homage to C.S. Lewis alongside MTV's "Punk'd" in less than 90 minutes can't be all bad. --"Ted Fry"

"Epic Movie" Extras
Watch the writers and producer talk about how adding song and dance made Epic Movie a smash.


Beyond "Epic Movie"
More Comic Spoofs
More Kal Penn Films
More From 20th Century Fox


Stills from "Epic Movie"

Languages: English, Latin

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Infinite Space - Infinite Terror

Summary: Drawing from Andrei Tarkovsky's heady science fiction meditation "Solaris" by way of "Alien" and "Hellraiser", this visually splendid but pulpy piece of science fiction schlock concerns a mission in the year 2047 to investigate the experimental American spaceship "Event Horizon", which disappeared seven years previously and suddenly, out of nowhere, reappeared in the orbit of Neptune. Laurence Fishburne stars as mission commander Captain Miller and Sam Neill is Dr. Weir, the scientist who designed the mystery ship. Miller's T-shirt- and army-green-clad crew of smart-talking pros finds a ship dead and deserted, but further investigations turn up blood, corpses, dismembered body parts, and a decidedly unearthly presence. It turns out that the ship is really a space-age haunted house where spooky (and obviously impossible) visions lure each of the crew members into situations they should know better than to enter. The ship is gorgeously designed, borrowing from the dark, organic look of "Alien" and adding the menacing touch of teeth sprouting from bulwark doors and clawlike spikes inexplicably shooting out of the engine room floor. Unfortunately the film is not nearly as inventive as the production design--it turns into a woefully inconsistent psychic monster movie that sacrifices mood for tepid shocks--but the special effects are topnotch, and ultimately the movie has a trashy B movie charm about it. "--Sean Axmaker"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital

Comments: Desire. Defy. Escape.

Summary: Drew Barrymore and Angelica Huston star in this enchanting adventure about having the courage to make your dreams come true. A "modern" young woman of thei16th Century, Danielle is as independent and wise as she is beautiful and kind. Against remarkable o

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Have a nice end of the world.

Summary: Based on the evidence in "Evolution", one thing is perfectly clear: special effects have evolved, but director Ivan Reitman has reverted to primitive pandering. Equally obvious is the fact that "Evolution" is a de facto rip-off of Reitman's 1984 classic "Ghostbusters", but this time there's no Bill Murray to deliver the best punch lines (we have to settle for fellow ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd in a broad supporting role), and the comedy has devolved into a grossfest including deep-rectal extraction of alien insects, fire-hose enemas into a giant alien sphincter, and a full-moon display of David Duchovny's naked posterior. Whereas "Ghostbusters" was a shrewd, irreverent mainstream comedy that combined gooey spectral ectoplasm with something resembling genuine wit, "Evolution" is a crude, juvenile romp in which all things slimy are elevated to comedic supremacy.
Granted, that's not always a bad thing. As latter-day ghostbuster equivalents, Duchovny, Orlando Jones, and Seann William Scott make a fine comedic trio, and Julianne Moore is equally amusing as a clumsy scientist and Duchovny's obligatory love interest. Despite the meddling of clueless military buffoons, they join forces to eradicate a wild variety of rapidly evolving alien creatures that arrived on Earth via meteor impact, and the extraterrestrial beasties (courtesy of effects wizard Phil Tippet and crew) are outrageously designed and marvelously convincing. For anyone who prefers lowbrow humor, "Evolution" will prove as entertaining as "Ghostbusters" (or at least "Galaxy Quest"), while others may lament Reitman's shameless embrace of crudeness. One thing's for certain: after seeing this movie, you'll gain a whole new appreciation for Head & Shoulders shampoo. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: No mortal could possess it! No kingdom could command it!

Summary: This lush retelling of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a dark and engrossing tale. Director John Boorman ("Deliverance") masterfully handles the tale of the mythical sword Excalibur, and its passing from the wizard Merlin to the future king of England. Arthur pulls the famed sword from a stone and is destined to be crowned king. As the king embarks on a passionate love affair with Guenevere, an illegitimate son, and Merlin's designs on power, threaten Arthur's reign. The film is visually stunning and unflinching in its scenes of combat and black magic. Featuring an impressive supporting cast, including early work from the likes of Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne, "Excalibur" is an adaptation of the legend both faithful and bold. "--Robert Lane"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Play it. Live it. Kill for it.

Summary: Fantastic DVD here, and at a great price. You can also find an even more budget-conscious version, but there will be fewer extras.
Opinions on this film vary. Die-hard Cronenberg fans sometimes find eXistenZ to be a little lightweight. Especially when compared to more provocative films like Crash or depressing films like Spider or Dead Ringers.
On the other end of the spectrum, those unfamiliar with Cronenberg's work may find this movie to be too bizarre!
I won't talk too much about the plot, as other reviewers are better at it than I am, but I'll say that it's kind of a game within a game within a game (within a game?). Like a few other films of the day it explores the nature of reality (The Matrix of course is most popular).
eXistenZ was actually Cronenberg's biggest budget at 25 million (not including his current project A History of Violence). The special effects are fantastic, and there are some good moments of gore. A couple people get shot in and around the face. Yes, this is a return to his past in many ways, though again, in a slightly more playful manner.
There's plenty of extras on the DVD, most notably three separate commentaries and a long (almost an hour, I think) feature about production designer Carol Spier which mostly focuses on eXistenZ but also touches on some of her earlier work with Cronenberg.
Definitely worth getting, and an especially good introduction to Cronenberg's work (before moving on to more disturbing pictures like Videodrome and The Brood, and more slow, paced pictures such as Spider and Crash).

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Horror buffs will surely be compelled to compare and contrast "Dominion" with "Exorcist: The Beginning", two films weirdly linked by film history. Director Paul Schrader shot "Dominion" only to find studio bosses underwhelmed by its horror aspects, at which point Renny Harlin was hired to direct another take on the subject with the same lead actor, setting, and similar storyline. That became the 2004 theatrical release "Exorcist: The Beginning".
As expected, the Schrader version has more tortured religiosity and visual poetry than Harlin's cheesier (but admittedly gripping) re-do. Father Merrin (Stellan Skarsgard) carries his guilt from the Nazi occupation to a remote African archaeological dig, where a mysteriously buried church has been uncovered. Strange stuff happens nearby, and a fervent young priest (good performance by Gabriel Mann) parries spiritual points with the now-doubting Merrin. Some of the ideas are strong and the sun-and-sand cinematography by the great Vittorio Storaro is often stunning. As beautiful as the film is to look at, it must be admitted that the climax is disappointingly flat, the leading lady (Clara Bellar) is a washout, and one begins to yearn for the occasional genre shock of the kind Schrader was able to conjure up in his remake of "Cat People". If you're an "Exorcist" fan, watch it for its serious treatment of Merrin's crisis, which ties in to his character in the 1973 original. "--Robert Horton"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: A new chapter of evil

Summary: "This movie is cursed!" exclaimed movie-magazine headlines regarding "Exorcist: The Beginning", but those dire warnings turned out to be exaggerated. Considering a tumultuous production history that actually "did" seem cursed, Renny Harlin's much-maligned prequel to "The Exorcist" is a surprisingly competent, serious-minded shocker filled with the same anxious foreboding that made the 1973 original so phenomenally effective. The story lacks focus and feels cobbled together (perhaps the result of its tortured development, which included the untimely death of original director John Frankenheimer), but Stellan Skarsgård is well-cast as Father (now Mr.) Merrin, a lapsed Catholic priest summoned to East Africa in 1949 to retrieve a demonic idol. He discovers a buried church, a vast underground cavern, demonic possession, and a legacy of carnage that preys upon guilt-ridden memories from his parish in Nazi-occupied Holland. Harlin delivers the gross-out moments that Warner Brothers demanded, but otherwise shows remarkable restraint while cinematographer Vittorio Storaro delivers doom-laden visual atmosphere. It's not the classic many were hoping for--not even close--but it's still a win-win scenario for horror fans, since it's rumored the unreleased and "abandoned" version directed by Paul Schrader will be paired with this film for its DVD release. Comparisons will no doubt prove interesting. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Something beyond comprehension is happening to a little girl on this street, in this house. A man has been called for as a last resort to try and save her. That man is The Exorcist.

Summary: Director William Friedkin was a hot ticket in Hollywood after the success of "The French Connection", and he turned heads (in more ways than one) when he decided to make "The Exorcist" as his follow-up film. Adapted by William Peter Blatty from his controversial bestseller, this shocking 1973 thriller set an intense and often-copied milestone for screen terror with its unflinching depiction of a young girl (Linda Blair) who is possessed by an evil spirit. Jason Miller and Max von Sydow are perfectly cast as the priests who risk their sanity and their lives to administer the rites of demonic exorcism, and Ellen Burstyn plays Blair's mother, who can only stand by in horror as her daughter's body is wracked by satanic disfiguration. One of the most frightening films ever made with a soundtrack that's guaranteed to curl your blood, "The Exorcist" was mysteriously plagued by troubles during production, and the years have not diminished its capacity to disturb even the most stoical viewers. Don't say you weren't warned! "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0

Comments: It's four years later...what does she remember?

Summary: This sequel to the Oscar-winning horror film based on the novel by William Peter Blatty was virtually laughed off the screen when it came out in 1977. It was an unintentionally hilarious mishmash and received such terrible reviews that director John Boorman yanked it out of theaters. He reedited it, cutting eight minutes in hopes of getting the story (written by William Goodhart) to the point of coherency, to no avail. The film remains a kind of reverse gold standard for sequels. It's still a ridiculously overacted, although at times visually haunting, movie. Richard Burton stars as a troubled priest (something of a specialty of his) who is brought in to follow up on the case of Linda Blair, who is institutionalized, still troubled by her encounter with the devil (who wouldn't be?). By the time they confront Satan's minion in the final struggle, you'll be rooting for evil to win. "--Marshall Fine"

Languages: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Do you dare walk these steps again?

Summary: The evil is back. The Exorcist novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter William Peter Blatty triumphs again with this spellbinding sequel starring George C. Scott.Year: 1990