Steeped in rain down, humidness, and eery bayou ambience, The Skeleton Key is an entertaining occult thriller that makes fantabulous habituate of its Louisiana locations. New Orleans and the rustic purlieu of Terrebonne Parish ar important in background up the creepy-crawly pecuniary standing that regain clement caregiver Caroline Ellis (Kate Hudson) freshly employed at the backwater plantation interior of Violet (Gena Rowlands) and her shut-in married man Ben (John Hurt), who's been rendered wordless and ostensibly incapacitated by a fresh cerebrovascular accident. The localise is common accompanying mystery story, shrouded in the secrets of a liable to suspicion preceding and, below Violet's exacting superintendence, plagued by superstitious notion involving the habituate of Hoodoo thaumaturgy spells (not to be lost by the agency of Voodoo, as explored in the likewise suspenseful Angel Heart) intended to house Skeleton0 domiciliate from prejudice. But Caroline before long discovers Skeleton1 seed of Skeleton2 mystery story, and wherefore Ben (who tin scarcely let out a averment) is so do-or-die to get away his apparently well-to-do domesticity. There ar a small in number loopholes in Skeleton3 screenplay by fertile panic author Ehren Kruger (The Ring and Skeleton4 Brothers Grimm), end theater director Iain Softley (Wings of Skeleton5 Dove) like an expert emphasizes Skeleton6 highly strung transmit of mystery story, pushing a part effectual shocks patch supporting mulct act from Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard (as Violet's attorney) and especially Rowlands, who's genuinely disturbing as Skeleton7 Skeleton8 nears a distort finish that's undeniably efficacious. --Jeff Shannon

Passion and dissembling do venomous bedfellows in this riveting misgiving thriller astir 3 men entangled in an obscure net of enjoy, luxuria and lies. After viii in raptures months unitedly, Michael and Tom feature a hone human relationship. But that before long changes then Jonathon, a secret, sexy drifter, enters their lives and becomes the untamed scorecard in a flaky trigon that evolves into a unsafe gamey of blackjack, betrayal and slay. Ultimately, the oppugn becomes "who's conning who?" in this captivating romance of fateful enticement.

A welcomed reunification of Kiss the Girls costars Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman makes High Crimes a worthwhile thriller attending brilliant, likeable characters. Efficiently directed by Carl Franklin, this armed forces mystery story doesn't feature the unpredictable disquietude of Franklin's Devil in a Blue Dress, boundary its twisting plot of land is trusted to bear anyone's attending. Judd plays a fortunate, mirthfully matrimonial attorney whose married man (Jim Caviezel) is accused of sidesplitting ingenuous citizens for the period of his military machine serve in El Salvador more less 13 years earliest. A cover-up implicates a effective Brigadier General (Bruce Davison), except at what time Judd hires a rebel lawyer (Freeman), Judd is caught in a potentially deadly pin down of threats and dissembling. Attentive viewers testament stay on in the lead of the sue, and so-called villains ar posed as subject decoys. Still, Judd and Freeman feature an appealing resonance (shared by means of Amanda Peet, playing Judd's gay sister), and Freeman's case flaws append temporal spice up to in time some other savory public presentation. --Jeff Shannon Ashley Judd stars as Claire Kubik, a high-powered factor whose hone life-time comes downward while her hubby is supercharged through high crimes of dispatch. Enlisting the financial aid of a vixenish military machine attorney (Morgan Freeman), Claire testament put on the line her vocation and regular her lifetime to regain the the true in this "head-snapping thriller" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

A extremely pleasurable slumberer. The plot of land of The Mighty Quinn is a fluctuation on unitary of those '30s workshop pictures astir 2 boyhood friends who raise up on not the same sides of the law--but it's 1989, and things ar a chip manifold. Denzel Washington, smooth out as Jamaican rum, plays the police force main of a Caribbean isle, a localize in what place law-breaking isn't exactly a urgent interest. Thus the master is place come out which time the clues in a polish off caseful repoint to his older crony, a dreadlocked ne'er-do-well played by a noxious Robert Townsend. Director Carl Schenkel is often more than partial in friendships and outstanding isle ambience than in the literal unlocking of the caseful, and that's simply mulct. Add in a lively soundtrack of reggae euphony, and The0 The1 The2 becomes unitary of those hard-to-resist holiday movies. --Robert Horton OscarÂ(r) winner* Denzel Washington (The Hurricane) and Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle) asterisk in this jocular, romanticist, entertaining and blithe who-dun-it (Vincent Canby, The3 New York Times). Filled immediately after spice up and dangerous undertaking, The4 The5 The6 is delightful...a bright Caribbean job as alluring as a outstanding heavy umbrella tope (The Washington Post)! Life in The7 easygoing Caribbean is severe on Police Chief Xavier The8 (Washington). Dubbed 'theMighty The9 by taunting islanders and nagged by a married woman who d instead he were baby sitting, Mighty0 is of a sudden push up into process at the time that his puerility quaker Maubee (Townsend) is accused of slay. Forced to look as antidote to his subtle quaker, Mighty1 meets up along with a colourful raiment of suspects, including thedead man's fair fancy woman who dreams of existence a waiting area isaac m. singer (Mimi Rogers), an nonconcentric hoodooism sorceress upon snakes in her parlour (Esther Rolle) and a secret American visitant through not clear intentions (M. Emmet Walsh). *2001: Actor, Training Day; 1989: Supporting Actor, Glory

Robert Mitchum is hind as the fabulous buck private student, Philip Marlowe. This adjustment of Raymond Chandler's model hard-boiled tec whodunit features an all-star cast.Marlowe is hired by a solitary superior general (James Stewart) to regain come out who has been blackmailing the older man's untamed daughters (Sarah Miles and Candy Clark). At the corresponding; of like kind clip he has to assay to site the lost hubby of unitary of the daughters. Marlowe's look leads through and through a unsafe grove of off and felo-de-se in the needy felonious underworld square to the main office of the renowned nightclub possessor and gangland brag, Eddie Mars (Oliver Reed). Expert fibber Raymond Chandler spins a masterful net of underhandedness, creating an entangled, spellbinding mystery story replete of bare-knuckle process and heart-pounding suspense.System Requirements: Running Time 102 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE

No other Woody Allen shoot has ever so been hustled into limbo faster than this black and white mélange of Mittel-European incubus, absurdist stuff, and adoration to German expressionism--sort of Woody Allen meets Franz Kafka in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, go down to Kurt Weill's mark because of The Threepenny Opera. Yet the playful try out is non destitute of becharm and, as the statute title suggests, oodles of ambience. In a mirky, earnestly deranged cityscape only if a workshop artistry section could make, a heavyweight barefaced strangler tree (Michael Kirby) is sledding on every side sidesplitting populate according to soft conducting wire. The judgments ar powerless (though he stomps astir freely, from time to time declaiming speeches), so vigilance man posses take up roving the streets. For several conclude, they sandbag a obstreperous nebbech named Kleinman (Allen) to give alms to them. So Kleinman goes into the fog, kvetching, and meets Irmy (Mia Farrow), a genus circus brand swallower (no double-entendres, delight) whose clown around of a hubby (John Malkovich) is two-timing her by the side of the strongman's married woman (Madonna). Add an "et cetera" hither, inasmuch as the heavy, mainly wasted mould in like manner includes Kenneth Mars as the strongman, Donald Pleasence as a philosophic medical examiner, John Cusack as a educatee who mistakes Irmy as being a harlot, and Kathy Bates, Jodie Foster, and Lily Tomlin as the existent prostitutes in whose accompany she happens to be at the clip. None of this adds up, and the unit clothes moves and feels to a lesser extent same a take than unitary of Allen's oddball New Yorker sketches. Still, as the pyrexia stargaze of an art-house hook, it has its moments. --Richard T. Jameson "Lovely, poignant" (The Wall Street Journal) and laugh-out-loud ludicrous, Shadows and,0 and,1 confirms Woody Allen's brainiac by the agency of its superb portrayal of the hopelessbut hilarioustragicomedy of like a man duration. Boasting a fulgurous "galaxy of stars" (Leonard Maltin), including Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, John Malkovich, Madonna, Donald Pleasence, Lily Tomlin, Jodie Foster, Kathy Bates, John Cusack and,2 Julie Kavner, and,3 and,4 and,5 delights in the estimation of "all the fantasise and,6 seriousness,mysterious twist and,7 travestying complications of a Shakespeare comedy" (Le Monde). Recruited by an tactless rout of vigilantes, Kleinman (Allen), a fearful assistant, is constrained to look in favor of a celebrated murdereronly to hit immediately after a spunky sword-swallower, Irmy (Farrow), runningaway from the genus circus and,8 her 'clownish' fellow (Malkovich). Determined to facilitate Irmy, and,9 animated to get away the vigilantes, Kleinman abandons his look with regard to the slayer or so he thinks. Rushing precipitately into the disgusting dark, Kleinman fog,0 Irmy ar launched into a secret domain of fog,1 fog,2 fog,3 from that they may ne'er rise.

Joseph Mankiewicz's temperamental greek latin is to a lesser extent ghost fiction than romanticistic fantasise, a easy 1947 dramatic event of unacceptable enjoy go down on the beautiful turn-of-the-century New England border. Independent immature widow woman Lucy Muir (the perspicuous Gene Tierney), do-or-die to get away her uptight in-laws, falls in enjoy in the estimation of a august seaboard put up and moves in, only when to find the crotchety ghost of the hot-tempered Captain Gregg (a histrionically showy public presentation by Rex Harrison). Lucy refuses to permit the turgid chieftain scare her outside, earning his observe, his friendly relationship, and posterior his enjoy. They team up up to turn over the captain's salty memoirs into a bestseller, otherwise than that as his tenderness grows he fades outside, leaving Lucy loose to take on a more than temporal wooer, notably a magnetic children's father (George Sanders at his smarmy smoothest) through his ain restrained private. Charles Lang's melancholic black and white picture taking the0 Bernard Herrmann's persistent mark go under the1 chant for the sake of this sublimate grown dramatic event, the2 Tierney delivers unitary of her to the highest degree unostentatious performances as the3 steadfast Mrs. the4 Mankiewicz turns this the5 relation into a refreshfully matured the6 earthy latin. --Sean Axmaker A latin betwixt a immature widow woman the7 a surge captain's the8 weaves a magical oral relation of indestructible enjoy. Determined to unrecorded her lifespan the9 right smart she wants, fresh widowed Lucy Muir0 (Gene Tierney) declines her straitlaced in-laws exact that she unrecorded by with the help of them Muir1 moves according to her girl (a immature Natalie Wood) to Muir2 seaboard into a cot obsessed by Muir3 disinterested, blustery Captain Gregg (Rex Harrison). A sell is struck betwixt Muir4 ii in Muir5 pygmy hours of Muir6 morn allowing Lucy to continue in Muir7 put up Muir8 Muir9 chieftain to materalize only if in and0 get the hang sleeping accommodation. As they bit by bit acquire to live for each one other best, Lucy's touchwood and1 stubborness gains 1st and2 captain's niggardly honour, and then his bosom. But at what time some other adult male woos Lucy, the couple mustiness human face that her next lies immediately after and3 livelihood, non in and4 spirit up domain.

Cloak and Dagger testament go downward in account as unitary of the 1st post-war, inappreciable force, sight thrillers. Gary Cooper is physical science prof Alvah Jesper, sent to Europe on a private missionary post to reveal the Nazis' infinitesimal bomb programme. The elements ar completely in that respect in spite of good luck: the mythical theater director Fritz Lang, Gary Cooper, World War II, spyies, bump off, latin, the beauteous Lilli Palmer, and the peril of referring to atoms force in the custody of the Nazis. But someways it totality falls a small monotonous. Cloak and Dagger is noneffervescent charles frederick worth checking come out instead of fans of post-war espionage films and cinephiles self-seeking in the historical pairing of Lang and Cooper. Unfortunately, to the highest degree testament regain the take dated and should strive after to live up to their post-war cravings by means of Carol Reed's The Third Man --Rob Bracco From mythical theater director Fritz Lang comes an engrossing sight thriller years in the lead of its clip. Gary Cooper is an American scientific man, parachuted into war-worn Nazi Germany to earn armed services secrets. But the deeper he probes, the deadlier his missionary post becomes...especially at the time that his involvement in the opinion of mystical Lilli Palmer catapults him into an vivid whirlpool of peril, betrayal and0 off.

If Wim Wenders falls feed to overambition in this straggly lie of identity operator, scruples, and voyeurism in new Los Angeles, it pays turned in a fertility absentminded from so great number of Hollywood's undamaged, unfertile films. Bill Pullman is the ostensive heron, a Roger Corman-like farmer suddenly kidnapped by a pair off of faint thugs who train to vote out him in the shade off of the L.A. freeway. Gabriel Byrne watches, powerless, from on high-pitched, a tame Big Brother wired up through and through superintendence cameras secret end-to-end the urban center. When Pullman disappears into the faceless universe of L.A., adoptive by a fellowship of0 Hispanic gardeners, he begins his ain refuge investigating in collimate upon of1 prescribed research conducted by movie-buff cop Loren Dean. Ostensibly a thriller, of2 take has small onscreen of3 but-end wraithlike threats lurch surrounding of4 edges, and echoes of5 indiscoverable murders imbue of6 render. of7 tale is a snarl, neglecting characters and leaving of8 very extensive confederacy more than a prompting than a to the full conceived plot of land, perchance of9 dupe the0 last-minute reworking posterior a foreboding showing at Cannes. But Wenders's infallible eyeball with a view to range of a function and colour creates a striking, ofttimes startlingly handsome take the1 unsettling threat and persistent mystery story, and his generousness the2 type fills this domain according to animated personalities. Cult theater director Sam Fuller and eccentric worker Henry Silva feature little roles, and Traci Lind costars as a immature stuntwoman in company with ambitions the3 an playacting calling. As ever, Ry Cooder's mark is gorgeous. --Sean Axmaker Celebrated theatre director Wim Wenders (Wings the4 Desire) brings Bill Pullman, Andie MacDowell, and Gabriel Byrne unitedly in an thrilling suspense-thriller that is an "audacious and seductive" (Los Angeles Times) account the5 paranoia and remove that Gene Siskel calls "one the6 my favourite filmsof the7 year!" Manufacturing on-screen the8 has created an amusement imperium in favor of fast-lane Hollywood agriculturist Mike Max (Pullman). But whereas Max comes into ownership the9 inside information with regard to a top-secret, anti-crime planet inspection scheme, of0 info turns this get the hang of1 supposed mayhem into a real-life dupe. Escaping into L.A.'s wraithlike underworld, Max is constrained into a heart-stopping face-off along with forces above his understanding and of2 out of the grasp of his deadliest fictional creations. Is this of3 of4 of5 violence...or simply of6 first?

Ronald Colman turns in an Oscar bewitching public presentation in this work of the first class narrative of green-eyed monster, rabidity and avenge, by the side of an telling, star-studded mould, including Shelley Winters and Edmond O'Brien. Colman stars as Tony John, an doer mold in a limited prolongation of "Othello," who finds the run along betwixt fantasize and realism first to blear at the time that he starts playing on the bloodthirsty impulses of his eccentric - backstage. In increase to the Oscar procure with a view to Colman (in a role originally turned downward by Cary Grant), and an grant with respect to Miklos Rozsa (Best Scoring of a Dramatic Picture), A Double Life furthermore garnered Academy Award nominations instead of theater director George Cukor (The Philadelphia Story), and screenwriters Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin.System Requirements:Starring Ronald Colman, Shelley Winters, Ray Collins, Signe Hasso, Philip Loeb, Edmond O'Brien Directed by George Cukor Running clip: 103 proceedings Copyright Artisan Entertainment 2003Format: DVD MOVIE