Cullum, John

1776 (Restored Director's Cut)

The hit Broadway musical by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards became the basis for this 1972 film about America's first congress and the nation's declaration of independence from Britain. Most of the original cast members are aboard, including William Daniels as John Adams. The film is a little stodgy and moves stiffly from scene to scene--the adaptation to the screen is not a smooth success. But it is nonetheless captivating, considering that so few films have dealt directly with America's birth. Directed by Peter H. Hunt. --Tom Keogh

Hawaii

Two cultures collide in this vast lavish and truly spectacular film starring Julie Andrews Max Von Sydow Richard Harris Gene Hackman and Carroll O'Connor. Adapted from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and nominated* for seven Oscars® this "majestic gorgeously framed epic is adventuresome picture-making a credit to the industry" (The Film Daily) and riveting entertainment!They came to bring God but instead brought disease and destruction. The Rev. Abner Hale (Von Sydow) and his gentle wife Jerusha (Andrews) attempt to convert early 19th-century Hawaiian natives to Christianity but find themselves ill-equipped to endure the unexpected tribulations of paradise. Surging with the excitement of windstorms firestorms shark attacks and magnificent island scenery Hawaii shines as passionately as the island paradise itself!*1966: Supporting Actress (Jocelyne LaGarde) Cinematography Color Costume Design Color Special Visual Effects Score Song SoundSystem Requirements:Running Time: 161 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 027616921918 Manufacturer No: 1008152

George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) directed this adaptation of James Michener's novel about the history of the 50th state. Max von Sydow plays a zealous missionary with a Calvinist bent, intent on enlightening the natives even as his wife (Julie Andrews) is romanced by the dashing Richard Harris. The film is both a glossy vision of Hawaii in the early 19th century and a sometimes-brutal drama full of death, a rough childbirth, stormy weather, etc. Hill's blunt editing, meant to emphasize the more terrifying aspects of the natural order of life, makes the film look particularly dated and mannered today. This is best appreciated for its cast, all of whom were making inroads in Hollywood at the time. --Tom Keogh

The Day After

The countdown has begun! Against the real-life backdrop of the US deployment of WMDs in Europe during the escalating cold war this dramatically involving [and] agonizingly graphic film (The Hollywood Reporter) about nuclear holocaust detonated a direct hit into the heartland of America. Starring Jason Robards JoBeth Williams Steven Guttenberg John Cullum and John Lithgow this controversial potent drama (Leonard Maltin) remains one of the most talked-about programs in history (Newsweek)! When cold-war tensions reach the ultimate boiling point the inhabitants of a small town in Kansas learn along with the rest of America that they have less than 30 minutes before 300 Soviet warheads begin to appear overhead! Can anyone survive this ultimate nightmare or the nuclear winter that is sure to follow?System Requirements: Running Time 127 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 027616911254 Manufacturer No: 1006987

Few American movies have dealt as graphically with nuclear holocaust as The Day After, which accounted for the controversy that surrounded the telefilm at the time of its initial network broadcast. In previous films, nuclear warfare was a matter for crusading politicians or military might, but here, both are kept in the background (the airman played by William Allen Young is more concerned with returning to his new wife than his duties) and the focus is fixed firmly on middle America--literally so, as the setting is Lawrence, Kansas, the near-center of the country. Audiences are briefly introduced to a representative cross-section of American life, including a doctor (Jason Robards), a young bride-to-be (Lori Lethin), a graduate student (Steve Guttenberg), and an academic (John Lithgow), before the Bomb hits nearby Kansas City. The ensuing destruction is utterly horrific, but a few manage to survive to struggle vainly with rising radiation levels and the slow, inevitable collapse of society. As a protest vehicle, The Day After is a triumph--its scenes of nuclear devastation remain the most powerful statements against nuclear armament ever depicted. It's buoyed by strong direction from Nicholas Meyer, who previously specialized in fantasy (Time After Time), and a capable cast who weather the material with grim determination. Edward Hume's script occasionally stumbles into sudsy territory, but the end result compares with equally moving British efforts like The War Game and Threads. The original network broadcast ran 120 minutes (edited from three hours); this is the 126-minute European theatrical cut. --Paul Gaita

The Notorious Bettie Page

In an incandescent performance Gretchen Mol (The Shape of Things) stars as Bettie Page who grew up in a conservative religious family in Tennessee and became a photo model sensation in 1950s New York. Bettie's legendary pin-up photos made her the target of a Senate investigation into pornography and transformed her into an erotic icon who continues to enthrall fans to this day. Complemented by an ensemble cast of acclaimed actors such as David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) and Lili Taylor (High Fidelity) the film brings to vivid life Bettie?s fascinating world.Running Time: 90 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 026359329524 Manufacturer No: 93295

The cult pin-up idol Bettie Page gets the full-fledged biopic treatment in The Notorious Bettie Page, a movie that somehow seems as tame and innocent as the naughty photographs Bettie made in the 1950s. After a few scenes of Bettie growing up, the film quickly leads us to her more-or-less glory years, when she posed for countless peekaboo photos and some nudie films. These would make her an und