Based on Frederick Forsyth's novel "Icon", this Hallmark production has a large and excellent international cast, car chases, gun battles, and the latest in espionage gizmos. What is truly wonderful is the scenic, bustling, city of Moscow used as a backdrop for this story of terrorist activity in connection with political gain, in the midst of a presidential campaign. It is a city we rarely see in current films, and makes this above average TV miniseries a delight to watch.
The sometimes improbable plot is complex with many twists and turns, and concerns 2 candidates for the presidency, Igor Komarov (Patrick Bergin) and General Nikolayev (Joss Ackland), and the devious methods used by one of them to win. Sir Nigel Irvine of the British Embassy (Michael York) gets ex-CIA man Jason Monk (Patrick Swayze in a marvelous performance) to uncover the truth, and he teams up with his old friend Viktor (Steven Spiers) and investigator Sonija (Annika Peterson). Others in the cast include Barry Morse as the current Russian president, Jeff Fahey as a political consultant, and Ben Cross as a thuggish ex-KGB man. Directed by Charles Martin Smith, with terrific cinematography by David Connell and an atmospheric score by Mark Kilian and Daniel Licht, this is a lavish production, and highly entertaining.
The DVD package contains the full 3 hour 2-part miniseries, and comes with 2 discs, 1 with a wide screen version, the other with full screen. Bonus features include "The Making of 'Icon'", which has a short interview with Swayze and otherwise just follows the cast and crew as they are filming, with no commentary. Those who enjoyed Cold War spy thrillers will like this "modern day" film about Russian politics and intrigue
This is absolutely my new favorite movie. I love Patrick Swayze in it and the other actors are excellent also. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Steve Boyum DVD Release Date: Released the 21 September 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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How is it possible that 11:14 went virtually unreleased in theaters? After modest film-festival exposure, it played briefly in San Francisco in August 2005 (over two years after it was completed), but that's a cruel twist of fate for such a cleverly twisted movie about cruel twists of fate. Destined for sleeper status on DVD (and given a slightly higher profile by Hilary Swank's subsequent Oscar-winning performance in Million Dollar Baby), the audacious debut of writer-director Greg Marcks boasts a fantastic cast in a smartly constructed comedy/thriller, partly inspired by Blood Simple, in which a fatal traffic accident is examined and re-examined from multiple perspectives. The flashback structure involves all of the characters and events that lead up to the... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Greg Marcks DVD Release Date: Released the 11 October 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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If you love dance (balletic, rather than ballroom), you'll surely enjoy this offering starring husband and wife team Patrick Swayze and Lisa Nieme. Directed, as well, by the latter, the film also stars dancer/actor George Dr La Pena. Assisting the stars are young dancers of breathtaking ability. The entire company deserves high marks! The slight story of former lovers (Swayze and Nieme) brought back together for "one last dance" is merely a device to allow the cast to show their balletic ability. The most haunting image of the film is provided by the shots of a solo Swayze dancing in a darkened studio amid wnd-tossed gauzy curtains. The Swayzes had tried for years to interest Hollywood studios in the film, finally producing and releasing it on their own. An insightful... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Lisa Niemi DVD Release Date: Released the 23 August 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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It's hard to believe Ridley Scott's handsome epic won't become the cinematic touchstone of the Crusades for years to come. Kingdom of Heaven is greater than the sum of its parts, delivering a vital, mostly engrossing tale following Balian (Orlando Bloom), a lonely French blacksmith who discovers he's a noble heir and takes his father's (Liam Neeson) place in the center of the universe circa 1184: Jerusalem. Here, grand battles and backdoor politics are key as Scott and first-time screenwriter William Monahan fashion an excellent storyline to tackle the centuries-long conflict. Two forward-thinking kings, Baldwin (Edward Norton in an uncredited yet substantial role) and Saladin (Ghassan Massoud), hold an uneasy truce between Christians (who hold the city) and Muslims while factions... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Liam Neeson - Orlando Bloom - Eva Green Director(s): Ridley Scott DVD Release Date: Released the 11 October 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Despite super effects, a huge budget, and the cinematic pedigree of alien-happy Steven Spielberg, this take on H.G. Wells's novel is basically a horror film packaged as a sci-fi thrill ride. Instead of a mad slasher, however, Spielberg (along with writers Josh Friedman & David Koepp) utilizes aliens hell-bent on quickly destroying humanity, and the terrifying results that prey upon adult fears, especially in the post-9/11 world. The realistic results could be a new genre, the grim popcorn thriller; often you feel like you're watching Schindler's List more than Spielberg's other thrill-machine movies (Jaws, Jurassic Park). The film centers on Ray Ferrier, a divorced father (Tom Cruise, oh so comfortable) who witnesses one giant craft destroy his New Jersey town and... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Tom Cruise - Dakota Fanning - Tim Robbins Director(s): Steven Spielberg DVD Release Date: 22 November 2005
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