Vallone, Raf

El Cid (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) (The Miriam Collection)

Technically ambitious but artistically underwhelming, this 1961 epic by Anthony Mann (Man of the West) stars Charlton Heston as an 11th-century hero who drives the Moors from Spain. The film has been described as "glum," and that is indeed apt for a story that focuses so much on its central character's losses in the face of his simultaneous, mythic approbation. Then again, Mann has always been interested in the hidden weaknesses in prevailing myths, so that's not unusual. What is unusual in El Cid is the degree to which technology takes over his filmmaking, as it does here with so many grandiose and bravura moments with a roving camera that don't add up to anything beyond spectacle. As an achievement of Hollywood's technical advancements in the postwar years, and also as part of the filmographies of Mann and Heston, the film is well worth a look. But it is not the artistic equal of other epics of its day, such as Lawrence of Arabia. --Tom Keogh

Anthony Mann masterfully directs this classic tale of the 11th-century hero (Heston) who fought to unite Spain. Known as history s "compassionate warrior" the film follows El Cid s remarkable journey from peace-broker accused of treason to the King s fighting champion and later from exiled hero to legendary martyr.System Requirements:Run Time: 188 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/CLASSICS UPC: 796019803960 Manufacturer No: 80396

The Godfather, Part III (Widescreen Edition)

Sixteen years after Francis Ford Coppola won his second Oscar for The Godfather II (his first was for the 1972 Godfather), the director and star Al Pacino attempted to revive the concept one more time. Despite an elaborate plot that involves Michael Corleone seeking redemption through the Vatican while simultaneously preparing his nephew (Andy Garcia) to take over the Corleone family, the film fails to take shape as a truly meaningful experience in the way the preceding movies do. Still, Pacino is very moving as an elder Michael, filled with regret and trying hard to make amends with his wife (Diane Keaton) and grown children (one of whom is played, and not all that well, by the director's daughter, Sofia Coppola). --Tom Keogh

In this third film in the epic Corleone trilogy, Al Pacino reprises the role of powerful family leader Michael Corleone. Now in his 60's, Michael is dominated by two passions: freeing his family from crime and finding a suitable successor. That successor could be fiery Vincent (Andy Garcia)... but he may also be the spark that turns Michael's hope of business legitimacy into an inferno of mob violence.

The Secret Invasion

The Scarlet and the Black

El Cid (Two-Disc Limited Collector's Edition) (The Miriam Collection)

Now available on DVD for the first time this sweeping Oscar®-nominated epic is "one of the most spectacular mega-productions ever made" (Louis Black The Austin Chronicle). Digitally remastered and loaded with revealing special features El Cid stars Academy Award-winners Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren in two of their legendary performances. Anthony Mann masterfully directs this classic tale of the 11th-century hero (Heston) who fought to unite Spain. Known as history s "compassionate warrior" the film follows El Cid s remarkable journey from peace-broker accused of treason to the King s fighting champion and later from exiled hero to legendary martyr. Unequaled in scope grandeur and adventure El Cid is an essential part of any film lover s collection.System Requirements:Run Time: 181 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/CLASSICS Rating: UNRATED UPC: 796019803991 Manufacturer No: 80399

Technically ambitious but artistically underwhelming, this 1961 epic by Anthony Mann (Man of the West) stars Charlton Heston as an 11th-century hero who drives the Moors from Spain. The film has been described as "glum," and that is indeed apt for a story that focuses so much on its central character's losses in the face of his simultaneous, mythic approbation. Then again, Mann has always been interested in the hidden weaknesses in prevailing myths, so that's not unusual. What is unusual in El Cid is the degree to which technology takes over his filmmaking, as it does here with so many grandiose and bravura moments with a roving camera that don't add up to anything beyond spectacle. As an achievement of Hollywood's technical advancements in the postwar years, and also as part of the filmographies of Mann and Heston, the film is well worth a look. But it is not the artistic equal of other epics of its day, such as Lawrence of Arabia. --Tom Keogh

Nevada Smith

The Max Sand backstory in Harold Robbins's trashy The Carpetbaggers (an enjoyable wallow onscreen in 1964) made for a solid Western vehicle for Steve McQueen at his peak. Nevada Smith is a revenge movie, but closer in spirit to The Bravados than a Death Wish-style exercise in nihilism. Young Max, offspring of a white father and Indian mother, sets out to avenge their slaughter by three villains. His odyssey includes spiritual re-parenting at several stages, most notably by canny gun dealer Jonas Cord (a swell character part for Brian Keith). The supporting cast will have you saying, "He's in it, too!" at regular intervals (from costars Karl Malden and Arthur Kennedy down to such incidental interlopers as L.Q. Jones and Strother Martin). Since director Henry Hathaway and cameraman Lucien Ballard couldn't frame a bad shot if their lives depended on it, it's a relief that this movie is finally available in a widescreen format. --Richard T. Jameson

The Other Side of Midnight

An over-the-top film co-starring a young and gorgeous Susan Sarandon, The Other Side of Midnight is a deliciously melodramatic adaptation of Sidney Sheldon's sweeping (and often schlocky) novel of the same name. Released theatrically in 1977, the film focuses on the intermingling lives of sexily innocent Noelle (Marie-France Pisier), who has a brief affair with a cad named Larry (John Beck), who ends up marrying wealthy and proper Catherine (Sarandon). When Noelle and Larry meet first lock eyes, he is a dashing World War II American fighter pilot who professes his love for her. But when she discovers she is pregnant with his baby, he is nowhere to be found. So what's a poor girl to do but abort her baby, rise to stardom as one of the world's most famous actresses, and plot revenge against her duplicitous ex-lover? But faster than you can say, "You go, girl!" (or "Oh no she didn't," depending on your point of view), Noelle once again falls for Larry's vaguely porn star charms. But what to do with Catherine, who refuses to divorce her cheating spouse? Make no mistake about it: The Other Side of Midnight is not quality filmmaking and is probably not something Academy Award winner Sarandon even lists on her resume. But she is a joy to watch, even as she has to deliver clunky lines such as, "If you don't love me, Larry, don't lay me." This is not a great movie. Heck, it's not even a particularly good movie. But it's one of those guilty pleasures that you'll watch all the way through, even as you're complaining about the implausibility of it all. --Jae-Ha Kim

Based on the novel by Sidney Sheldon, this riveting story of love and revenge boasts dazzling portrayals by Marie-France Pisier, John Beck and Susan Sarandan in one of her career-making roles.

Although American WWII pilot Larry Douglas (Beck) promises to marry French femme fatale Noelle Page (Pisier), he instead returns Stateside and marries well-to-do Catherine Alexander (Sarandon). And once Noelle takes a Greek multi-millionaire (Raf Vallone) as a lover, she plots to shame Larry by arranging for him to be the tycoonÂ's private pilot. But in one of many delicious twists of fate in this gripping tale of love, war and betrayal, Noelle and Larry again become passionate, and when Catherine refuses to divorce Larry, the cheating couple seek a murderous revenge.

The Italian Job

Internal countercasting is a big plus in this caper comedy: where else are you going to find Benny Hill and Michael Caine in the same movie? Peter Collinson directs those two as well as Noel Coward, Raf Vallone, Rossano Brazzi, and Irene Handl in a story about the effort to steal gold bullion from the town of Turin. Screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin eschews heist film tradition by placing more emphasis on the gang's getaway than on the complex robbery itself. The film's main claim to comic fame is a wild chase scene set against an enormous traffic jam. The rest of the movie is less memorable, but that extended action sequence is well worth the wait. --Tom Keogh

I Remember Nelson

The classic Masterpiece Theatre drama

Recollections of a hero's life

Worshipped as a national savior, Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson masterminded the naval victories that thwarted Napoleon's plans to invade Britain. Yet, in the midst of public adulation, rumors swirled about his private life. Nelson took a friend's wife as a mistress and even fathered a child by her in secret.

Starring Kenneth Colley (Monty Python's Life of Brian), Geraldine James (The Jewel in the Crown), and Tim Pigott-Smith (V for Vendetta), this lavish historical drama examines Nelson through the eyes of four people close to him: his wife, who feels bitter and betrayed but ultimately loving; his friend, who helplessly loses his wife to a hero; his captain, who admires Nelson's bold leadership but disdains his lifestyle; and an ordinary seaman, who turns to his commander for inspiration while facing death. What emerges is an unconventional portrait of a complex figure and a study in the effects of fame.

DVD bonus features include photo gallery and cast filmographies.

El Cid (DVD) - BY GOLDEN CLASSIC COLLECTIBLES