Unger, Joe

Mask (Special Edition)

Peter Bogdanovich directed this sensitive and moving story about a teenage boy, Rocky (Eric Stoltz), who lives with severe facial deformities and poor prognosis for survival beyond childhood. The film concentrates on that threshold-of-adulthood period familiar to past and present 16-year-olds, folding together common experiences of youth (love, hassles with mom, a desire to travel) with the special burdens endured by the hero. Stoltz, absolutely unrecognizable under lots and lots of prosthetic makeup, is quite good, as are Cher (as Rocky's mother) and Sam Elliott (Rocky's father figure). More than a tearjerker, the film is a genuine celebration of all that is most precious in life, even more to those who have nothing to take for granted. --Tom Keogh

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, the moving and inspirational drama Mask, starring Cher, Eric Stoltz and Sam Elliott, is the extraordinary award-winning film based on the real-life story of Rocky Dennis, a disfigured teenager who overcomes pain, loneliness and prejudice through fierce determination, emerging as an outstanding young man and an inspiration to his classmates and teachers.

The Mask DVD includes the Directors Cut of the film, and as a special bonus, the original Bruce Springsteen soundtrack, which was created for the film but never released in theaters. It contains several of his top hits, such as "Badlands," "Thunder Road" and "Born in the USA.

Escape from New York

In the future, crime is out of control and New York City is a maximum security prison. Grabbing a bargaining chip right out of the air, convicts bring down the President's plane in bad old Gotham. Gruff Snake Plissken, a one-eyed warrior new to prison life, is coerced into bringing the President, and his cargo, out of this land of undesirables. Kurt Russell put his Disney days behind him as the nicest bad guy in the picture. All comic-book sensibilities and macho posturing, this is one of writer-director John Carpenter's better brainless escapes. There are snappy one-liners and explosive action scenes. However, the film lacks tension and some believability even within the realm of SF fantasy. Even when it fails to gel, though, it always manages to amuse, thanks in great part to a varied and unusual supporting cast (watch for Ernest Borgnine as a cabdriver). Followed in 1996 by Carpenter's overdone and campy Escape from L.A. --Rochelle O'Gorman

A thrilling landmark film that jolts along at a breakneck pace, Escape From New York leapt to cult status with high-octane action, edge-of-your-seat suspense and a mind-blowing vision of a lone warrior (Kurt Russell) battling his way out of a post-apocalyptic Manhattan! Hailed as "stylish and scary" (Los Angeles Times), "dark and dangerous" (Newsweek) and "gloriously...fun" (Tyler Morning Telegraph), this fast-paced and furiously entertaining thriller grabs you by the throat and won't let go! In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted to a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam. But when the U.S. President (Donald Pleasence) crash-lands inside, only one man can bring him back: notorious outlaw and former Special Forces war hero Snake Plissken (Russell). But time is short: in 24 hours, an explosive device implanted in his neck will end Snake's missionand his lifeunless he succeeds!

Go Tell the Spartans

Burt Lancaster delivers one of the finest performances of his career as a hard-boiled major in command of a Vietnam outpost. A classic of wartime confrontation.

Escape from New York (Special Edition)

"Dark and dangerous!"Kurt Russell (Stargate) stars in a high-velocity sci-fi action-thriller that sets the screen ablaze with heart-stopping suspense outrageous stunts and imaginative special effects. Bristling with riveting chases and hard-hitting fight sequences Escape From New York is your passport to nonstop excitement!In a world ravaged by crime the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a prison which houses the world s most brutal inmates. And when the President of the United States (Donald Pleasence) crash lands inside only one man can bring him back: Snake Plissken (Russell) a notorious outlaw and former Special Forces war hero who in exchange for a full pardon descends into the decayed city and wages a blistering war against the captors. But time is short: in 24 hours an explosive charge planted inside Snake s body will end the mission -- and his life --unless he succeeds!A war hero turned outlaw is catapulted into an explosive adventure in which he must rescue the U.S. president from a brutal island prison in this high-octane thriller that bristles with action and excitement.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE UPC: 027616899514 Manufacturer No: 1005690

In the future, crime is out of control and New York City is a maximum security prison. Grabbing a bargaining chip right out of the air, convicts bring down the President's plane in bad old Gotham. Gruff Snake Plissken, a one-eyed warrior new to prison life, is coerced into bringing the President, and his cargo, out of this land of undesirables. Kurt Russell put his Disney days behind him as the nicest bad guy in the picture. All comic-book sensibilities and macho posturing, this is one of writer-director John Carpenter's better brainless escapes. There are snappy one-liners and explosive action scenes. However, the film lacks tension and some believability even within the realm of SF fantasy. Even when it fails to gel, though, it always manages to amuse, thanks in great part to a varied and unusual supporting cast (watch for Ernest Borgnine as a cabdriver). Followed in 1996 by Carpenter's overdone and campy Escape from L.A. --Rochelle O'Gorman

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Wes Craven's 1984 horror film is a better movie than it is generally credited for being. Forget the tawdry sequels; this highly original, almost surrealist work stars Robert Englund as a mutilated monster who kills teenagers during their dreams. Craven, who only directed one Elm Street sequel (Wes Craven's New Nightmare), takes the Hitchcockian step of layering in psychological explanations for the terror and then proving them all irrelevant in the face of mindless evil. The horror in the film is emotionally raw, in contrast to the overimaginative set pieces of most of the sequels that followed; and the final scene is as deeply unsettling as anything Luis Buñuel ever committed to film. --Tom Keogh

Digitally remastered, this is the original Nightmare film that started it all. Written and directed by Wes Craven and starring Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, A Nightmare on Elm Street remains an innovative and shocking horror-fantasy.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Production Notes
Theatrical Trailer

The Visitation

The true face of terror is revealed in this supernatural thriller based on Frank Peretti's best-selling novel. Miracles are happening in the sleepy town of Antioch, and everyone is talking about the mysterious drifter with the incredible powers. But who is this charismatic stranger — the true messiah, a false prophet or something far more sinister? The townspeople are soon divided, and when happenings at the stranger's revival tent take on a bizarre and frightening twist, it's up to an ex-minister to confront his own inner demons and unlock the shocking secret of THE VISITATION.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Infinifilm Edition)

Wes Craven's 1984 horror film is a better movie than it is generally credited for being. Forget the tawdry sequels; this highly original, almost surrealist work stars Robert Englund as a mutilated monster who kills teenagers during their dreams. Craven, who only directed one Elm Street sequel (Wes Craven's New Nightmare), takes the Hitchcockian step of layering in psychological explanations for the terror and then proving them all irrelevant in the face of mindless evil. The horror in the film is emotionally raw, in contrast to the overimaginative set pieces of most of the sequels that followed; and the final scene is as deeply unsettling as anything Luis Buñuel ever committed to film. --Tom Keogh

Moving McAllister

MOVING MCALLISTER (DVD MOVIE)

Leatherface - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

A survivalist is all that stands between two innocent college students and a family of cannibals. Original uncut classic. Year: 1996 Director: Jeff Burr Starring: Kate Hodge, William Butler, Ken Foree

Stagecoach

The idea of remaking a John Ford classic as an all-star country-Western TV movie may seem blasphemous to Western fans, but this loose-and-lanky version of Stagecoach is surprisingly entertaining. While sticking close to the original plot (involving a cultural cross-section of passengers on a dangerous trip aboard the Overland Express stagecoach), this good-natured adaptation (from the original story by Ernest Lee Haycox and screenplay by Dudley Nichols) allows ample room for Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson to play off each other like the old friends they are. As directed by Ted Post (best known for helming Clint Eastwood's Hang 'Em High), the entire production has a light, friendly atmosphere, but the story remains earnestly well-served, and the cast (which also includes Elizabeth Ashley, Mary Crosby, Tony Franciosa, and Dukes of Hazzard alumnus John Schneider) thankfully avoids the in-joke frivolity that typically ruins all-star vanity projects like this one. It's obvious that Willie (as "Doc" Holliday) and his fellow musicians are playing thinly veiled versions of themselves, but they each bring their own legendary qualities to their roles. Gary Graver's cinematography adds to the inviting, outdoorsy warmth of the show, and with many of the cast no longer with us (including June Carter Cash in a cameo role, and Merritt Butrick from Star Trek II, who died of AIDS in 1989), this respectful rendition of Stagecoach is also a memorial to some of the most beloved talents of the 20th century. --Jeff Shannon

Country music stars Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings team up for this version of the popular Western story about a group of desparate travellers on a dangerous stagecoach ride to Arizona.