The Believers
by John Schlesinger
from MGM (Video & DVD)
John Schlesinger's The Believers, a kind of voodoo twist on Rosemary's Baby, is a horror movie where the echoes of otherworldly menace set the tone of terror, but the real evil comes from the hearts of humans. Recently widowed psychologist Martin Sheen moves to New York with his emotionally fragile son, and they become entwined in an underground cult that practices ritual sacrifice of children. Schlesinger is more interested in the human tale of loss and healing and the desperation of a grieving father fighting to protect his only child from a barbarous cabal. He favors mood and menace over spectacular splashes of horror, and even those moments of occult attack are directed with a sly sense of ambiguity. Though overlong and short on moments of genuine terror, this is a rare horror movie grounded in the palpable and powerful emotions of its characters. --Sean Axmaker
They know who you are. They know where to find you. And if you get in their way, there's nothing between heaven and earth that can save you. Martin Sheen ("The West Wing"), Helen Shaver (The Craft) and Jimmy Smits (Star Wars: Episode II) star in this "horrifying" (LA Herald-Examiner) occult thriller. Police psychiatrist Cal Jamison (Sheen) is plunged into a demonic nightmare when he finds detective Tom Lopez (Smits) next to the body of a ritually sacrificed child. Though Lopez is branded the prime suspect in a string of similar murders, Cal is not convinced of his guilt and begins a search for the truth. Soon Cal's investigation makes him a believer in the supernaturaland the target of a terrifying conspiracy.
Kinsey
by Bill Condon
from 20th Century Fox
One of the best films of 2004, Kinsey pays tribute to the flawed but honorable man who revolutionized our understanding of human sexuality. As played by Liam Neeson in writer-director Bill Condon's excellent film biography, Indiana University researcher Alfred Kinsey was so consumed by statistical measurements of human sexual activity that he almost completely overlooked the substantial role of emotions and their effect on human behavior. This made him an ideal researcher and science celebrity who revealed that sexual behaviors previously considered deviant and even harmful (homosexuality, oral sex, etc.) are in fact common and essentially normal in the realm of human experience, but whose obsession with scientific method frequently placed him at odds with his understanding wife (superbly played by Laura Linney) and research assistants. In presenting Kinsey as a driven social misfit, Condon's film gives Neeson one of his finest roles while revealing the depth of Kinsey's own humanity, and the incalculable benefit his research had on our collective sexual enlightenment. With humor, charm, and intelligence, Kinsey shines a light where darkness once prevailed. --Jeff Shannon
Liam Neeson stars as Alfred Kinsey, a man driven by scientific passion and personal demons to investigate the elusive mystery of human sexuality. Laura Linney garnered a Best Actress OscarÂ(r) nomination for her compelling performance as KinseyÃ"â??s free-thinking wife. This provocative drama dares to lift the veil of shame from a society in which sex was hidden, knowledge was dangerous and talking about it was the ultimate taboo.
Dance With the Devil
from Unapix
She's sexy, shameless and loves taking people to their limit. She's a dangerous young woman who dreams about a jaguar that licks her naked body and sleeps by her side. Her past is bathed in blood and weird passions? Now she's met the man of her wildest dreams. He's dark, tough and mysterious. He likes robbing banks, trafficking in corpses and spicing it all with voodoo rituals. Together, the duo sets off toward Mexico destined to become the most feared outlaws in the continent. With a pair of teenage hostages, this non-stop murderous road trip will take you on a bullet-riddled ride of sex, violence and high-octane evil.
Someone to Watch Over Me
by Ridley Scott
from Sony Pictures
This stylish, smart 1987 movie stars Tom Berenger as a New York cop and family man who falls for the rich and beautiful witness (Mimi Rogers) he's assigned to protect. Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) does something here he should be doing a lot more often: directing contemporary film noir with his eye for extraordinary art direction. Berenger and Rogers rise to the occasion, seemingly aware that they're making something special. --Tom Keogh
Stanley & Iris
by Martin Ritt
from MGM (Video & DVD)
Man and woman. Student and teacher. Stanley and Iris. Two great stars (Leonard Maltin) Oscar® winners* Jane Fonda and Robert De Niro light up the screen in this bold tender and quietly noble love story (The Hollywood Reporter) from the creators of Norma Rae.He s a shy illiterate short-order cook who s never taken a chance at love. She s a newly widowed factory worker who s vowed to never love again. But as their friendship slowly blossoms and Iris helps Stanley learn to read his strong yet gentle kindness helps mend her broken heart. And where once two lonely strangers stood trapped within the past Stanley and Iris can now begin a new chapter of their lives together.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 027616901378 Manufacturer No: 1005907
