Gene hackman in DVDs & Videos

Description:

As in his 1977 film THE LATE SHOW, Robert Benton focuses on a private detective who's playing the back nine. With the passing of a quarter century, however, the director's tone had grown more somber. Paul Newman stars as the detective, Harry Ross, living in semiretirement in Santa Monica on the estate owned by his movie-star friends, Jack (Gene Hackman) and Catherine Ames (Susan Sarandon). When Harry delivers a package as a favor to Jack, he finds fellow private dick Lester Ivar (M. Emmett Walsh) dying from a bullet wound. Harry checks out Ivar's apartment, where he uncovers 20-year-old clippings relating to the disappearance of Catherine's first husband. As he tries to get to the bottom of the case, he enlists the help of a former lover, LAPD lt. Verna Hollander (Stockard Channing), and receives unsolicited assistance from feckless chauffeur Reuben Escobar (Giancarlo Esposito). Ex-cop and former studio security chief Raymond Hope (James Garner) also seems to know a thing or two about the case. Strong ensemble acting and Benton's characteristically nuanced and intelligent writing highlight this sinuous, richly textured murder mystery.

Description:

At once engagingly naturalistic and exhilaratingly dynamic, Gene Hackman has reached a level of accomplishment that many actors couldn't even dream of. See this master at work in three widely varied films: the classic sports picture HOOSIERS, the true-crime racial drama MISSISSIPPI BURNING, and the transcendent action-thriller THE FRENCH CONNECTION. See individual titles for complete details.

Description:

An affectionate parody that pays homage to the FRANKENSTEIN films (from the novel FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley) directed by James Whale in the 1930s, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is both a zany comedy and a cinematic tour de force. Written by director Mel Brooks and the film's star, Gene Wilder, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN has all the usual--and in this case slightly unusual--suspects: the reluctant scientist Frederick Frankenstein, who is actually the grandson of the infamous creature-creator (pronounced "Fronken-steen" and played by Wilder), his spoiled fiancée (Madeline Kahn), Igor the pop-eyed hunchback (Marty Feldman), his dizzy assistant (Teri Garr), the castle's hideous head housekeeper (Cloris Leachman), and, of course, the Monster (Peter Boyle). Highlights include the sets, which are the original ones used in the Whale films; the beautiful black-and-white cinematography; and the fine screenplay. Combining noirish elegance with uproarious sight gags and double entendres is a feat Brooks pulls off fabulously, directing the wonderful ensemble to act with sensitivity and humanistic feelings as well as with lunatic abandon. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is a treat from beginning to end.

Description:

Sydney Pollack directs Tom Cruise in this fast-paced legal thriller based on John Grisham's best-selling novel. Lured by extraordinary financial perks, Mitch McDeere, a young and hungry Harvard Law student, turns down offers at the top law firms to take a position at a small but wealthy Memphis firm. Mitch, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks fueled by ambition and greed, ignores his wife Abby's initial misgivings about the suspiciously paternalistic practices of his new employers. It's only when two of his fellow lawyers die in a mysterious accident that Mitch begins to share her apprehensions. He then launches an investigation into the true nature of the firm and discovers that it is a front for a complex and sinister web of organized crime, one from which no lawyer has managed to escape alive. Solid storytelling and fine performances bring this seemingly improbable situation straight into reality.

Description:

Based on the true-life exploits of notorious Depression-era bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, BONNIE AND CLYDE is recognized as one of the most violent films to come out of mainstream Hollywood. Bonnie (Faye Dunaway) is bored with life and wants a change. She gets her chance when she meets a charming young drifter by the name of Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty). Clyde has dreams of a life of crime that will free him from the hardships of the Depression. The two fall in love and begin a crime spree that extends from Oklahoma to Texas. They rob small banks with skill and panache, soon becoming minor celebrities known across the country. People are proud to have been held up by Bonnie and Clyde; to their victims, the duo is doing what nobody else has the guts to do. To the law, the two are evil bank robbers who deserve to be gunned down where they stand. Beatty and Dunaway are marvelous as the young criminal lovers, delivering subtle and complete performances. Also excellent are Gene Hackman as Clyde's brother, Buck; Estelle Parsons as Buck's wife, Blanche; and the always enjoyable Michael J. Pollard as C.W. Moss. The film has made a large impact on American culture, expressing the mood of rebellion rampant in the late 1960s and beyond.

Description:

Based on the true-life exploits of notorious Depression-era bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, BONNIE AND CLYDE is recognized as one of the most violent films to come out of mainstream Hollywood. Bonnie (Faye Dunaway) is bored with life and wants a change. She gets her chance when she meets a charming young drifter by the name of Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty). Clyde has dreams of a life of crime that will free him from the hardships of the Depression. The two fall in love and begin a crime spree that extends from Oklahoma to Texas. They rob small banks with skill and panache, soon becoming minor celebrities known across the country. People are proud to have been held up by Bonnie and Clyde; to their victims, the duo is doing what nobody else has the guts to do. To the law, the two are evil bank robbers who deserve to be gunned down where they stand. Beatty and Dunaway are marvelous as the young criminal lovers, delivering subtle and complete performances. Also excellent are Gene Hackman as Clyde's brother, Buck; Estelle Parsons as Buck's wife, Blanche; and the always enjoyable Michael J. Pollard as C.W. Moss. The film has made a large impact on American culture, expressing the mood of rebellion rampant in the late 1960s and beyond.

Description:

John Travolta, engaging actor and versatile master of the voice squeak, is known for his multiple career highs. Enjoy these bright spots from the early 1980s and mid-1990s. Included in this triple feature are Brian De Palma's paranoid thriller BLOW OUT, Barry Sonnenfeld's rough-and-tumble Hollywood satire GET SHORTY, and John Woo's nuke-fueled action flick BROKEN ARROW. See individual titles for complete details.

Description:

Superman has recognized at last the greatest threat to humanity, and he is out to rid the world of nuclear weapons. But Lex Luthor, now a nuclear arms entrepreneur, creates Nuclear Man--a solar-powered Kryptonia Android and genetic clone whose powers equal (and potentially surpass) those of Superman--to rid the world of the Man of Steel. Christopher Reeve once again dons the Superman costume, this time for director Sidney J. Furie (LADY SINGS THE BLUES), receiving wonderful support from regulars Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, and Jackie Cooper in addition to newcomers Mariel Hemingway and Jon Cryer.

Description:

In Clint Eastwood's acclaimed Western, Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman), a sadistic, dictatorial sheriff, enforces gun control on a tiny frontier town, doling out his own brand of due process as he sees fit. When he denies justice to the prostitutes of the town brothel, one of whom has been slashed by a client, the women hire Bill Munny (Eastwood), a reformed gunslinger, to gain vengeance. However, Munny must contend with his new moral code in the face of revisiting the life he left behind. Eastwood's directorial masterpiece also stars Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris.

Description:

In this slick political thriller, an emotionally disconnected, aesthetically refined master thief is out for one final score before retiring to his treasure-lined hideaway. But during a robbery at a mansion near Washington, he witnesses a bizarre sex murder involving the President of the United States. As the president's slimy handlers frantically cover the crime up, the career criminal--and only outside witness--becomes the Secret Service's prime target. His relationship with his estranged daughter hangs in the balance. Adapted from the best-selling novel by David Baldacci.

Description:

Long-festering secrets and lies come to light in this two-pack of tense thrillers. In the 1996 adaptation of John Grisham's THE CHAMBER, a young lawyer (Chris O'Donnell) fights to stop the execution of his grandfather, an admitted member of the Ku Klux Klan. BREACH (2007) recounts the true story of Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper), an FBI agent convicted of spying for the Soviet Union. See individual titles for additional details.

Description:

Riding high after the box office success of SHAMPOO and HEAVEN CAN WAIT, Warren Beatty used his seemingly limitless power to write, produce, direct, and star in this epic historical romance. The film recounts a particularly eventful period in the life of notorious American communist John Reed (Beatty), who journeyed to Russia to witness the Bolshevik Revolution firsthand. Before that, he met the already wed Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton) in Portland in 1915. However, they shared such a mutual attraction for words, and each other, that soon Bryant was living with Reed in New York City. It was here where they befriended some of the early 20th Century's most recognizable faces: Eugene O'Neill (Jack Nicholson), Emma Goldman (Maureen Stapleton), Max Eastman (Richard Herrmann), and Horace Whigham (George Plimpton). Yet Reed's commitment to his craft caused an endless friction in the relationship, until Louise found her own journalistic voice, leading the couple to Russia at a crucial moment in history. But just when they appeared to have come to a perfect place in their relationship, tragedy struck. REDS is one of the last vestiges of early Hollywood, a broad, sweeping spectacle that is simultaneously thought provoking and unabashedly entertaining. Beatty inserts fascinating interviews with actual participants from that earlier era throughout the film to provide even more context and insight. At a time when Ronald Reagan had just become the president of the United States, Beatty's sympathetic portrait of notorious American communist John Reed seemed even more daring. Yet, as it continues to age, the film only continues to grow in relevance, assuring its rightful place at the top of the Hollywood canon.

Description:

Based on the incredible true story of how a small-town high school's basketball team became Indiana State Champs in 1954. This film follows the controversial outsider who came to town to teach high school history and coach basketball and who was not afraid to make big waves in a small pond. Academy Award Nominations: Best Supporting Actor--Dennis Hopper, Best Original Score.

Description:

Based on the true-life exploits of notorious Depression-era bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, BONNIE AND CLYDE is recognized as one of the most violent films to come out of mainstream Hollywood. Bonnie (Faye Dunaway) is bored with life and wants a change. She gets her chance when she meets a charming young drifter by the name of Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty). Clyde has dreams of a life of crime that will free him from the hardships of the Depression. The two fall in love and begin a crime spree that extends from Oklahoma to Texas. They rob small banks with skill and panache, soon becoming minor celebrities known across the country. People are proud to have been held up by Bonnie and Clyde; to their victims, the duo is doing what nobody else has the guts to do. To the law, the two are evil bank robbers who deserve to be gunned down where they stand. Beatty and Dunaway are marvelous as the young criminal lovers, delivering subtle and complete performances. Also excellent are Gene Hackman as Clyde's brother, Buck; Estelle Parsons as Buck's wife, Blanche; and the always enjoyable Michael J. Pollard as C.W. Moss. The film has made a large impact on American culture, expressing the mood of rebellion rampant in the late 1960s and beyond.

Description:

An affectionate parody that pays homage to the FRANKENSTEIN films (from the novel FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley) directed by James Whale in the 1930s, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is both a zany comedy and a cinematic tour de force. Written by director Mel Brooks and the film's star, Gene Wilder, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN has all the usual--and in this case slightly unusual--suspects: the reluctant scientist Frederick Frankenstein, who is actually the grandson of the infamous creature-creator (pronounced "Fronken-steen" and played by Wilder), his spoiled fiancée (Madeline Kahn), Igor the pop-eyed hunchback (Marty Feldman), his dizzy assistant (Teri Garr), the castle's hideous head housekeeper (Cloris Leachman), and, of course, the Monster (Peter Boyle). Highlights include the sets, which are the original ones used in the Whale films; the beautiful black-and-white cinematography; and the fine screenplay. Combining noirish elegance with uproarious sight gags and double entendres is a feat Brooks pulls off fabulously, directing the wonderful ensemble to act with sensitivity and humanistic feelings as well as with lunatic abandon. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is a treat from beginning to end.

Description:

Director Gary Fleder (THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, KISS THE GIRLS) tackles best-selling novelist John Grisham's tale of jury manipulation in RUNAWAY JURY. Jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman) can spin any jury in favor of his client. At least he always could before. But his latest job may turn out to be his most challenging. As an explosive civil case goes to trial in New Orleans, Fitch thinks he has arranged for the perfect jury and has the verdict sealed in favor of his client, a gun manufacturer. Soon, however, he starts receiving phone calls from the mysterious Marlee (Rachel Weisz), who claims that she can turn the jury any way she wants and--for a price--she'll spin it his way. Meanwhile, Marlee is making the same offer to the plaintiff's lawyer, Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman), a Southern gentleman who always plays by the rules. Marlee's insider is Juror #9, Nick Easter (John Cusack), who is working with her to influence his fellow jurors. Are these two just grifters in it for the money, or do they have another agenda? The audience is kept guessing until the very end.

Description:

Vincent Bruce (Warren Beatty) is an idealistic young war veteran who has just begun working as a therapist in a mental institution in his Maryland hometown. His first patient is a sex-obsessed schizophrenic named Lilith (Jean Seberg), who quickly becomes smitten with him. At first, Vincent maintains a strictly professional relationship, but eventually he falls for and seduces her. Their union, however, begins to take a heavy emotional toll on Vincent, especially when he begins working with Stephen (Peter Fonda), a troubled young man who has also fallen under Lilith's spell. Can Vincent regain his fading sanity before it's too late? Based on the novel by J.R. Salamanca.

Description:

University professor Marion Post is experiencing a type of midlife crisis, so she rents an apartment in order to write a book. The apartment is next to a psychiatrist's office, and she inadvertently hears what transpires between the doctor and some of her patients. She becomes obsessed with the life and ongoing therapy of one woman in particular who believes that her marriage is ending. Through this patient, Marion begins to think about issues in her own life and the causes of her own unhappiness. Woody Allen's intense psychodrama, based somewhat on Ingmar Bergman's psychoanalytic masterpiece WILD STRAWBERRIES, features fabulous performances from Gena Rowlands and Gene Hackman, as well as terrific minor turns by Blythe Danner, John Houseman, and Martha Plympton.

Description:

An epic (at least in length), personal telling of the life of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp. This dark film traces the early development of his strong sense of family loyalty and follows his career as a marshal with his brothers and his friend Doc Holliday. Academy Award Nominations: Best Cinematography.

Description:

Based on the incredible true story of how a small-town high school's basketball team became Indiana State Champs in 1954. This film follows the controversial outsider who came to town to teach high school history and coach basketball and who was not afraid to make big waves in a small pond. Academy Award Nominations: Best Supporting Actor--Dennis Hopper, Best Original Score.

Description:

Written and directed by David Mamet, HEIST is a crime thriller that follows aging master thief Joe Moore (Gene Hackman) as he plans one last robbery before literally sailing off into the sunset. What seems like the perfect heist gets complicated, however, when Joe's "business" partner, Bergman (Danny DeVito), insists that his shifty nephew, Jimmy Silk (Sam Rockwell), join the crew--consisting of Joe's young wife, Fran (Rebecca Pidgeon), and longtime associates Bobby Blane (Delroy Lindo) and Don "Pinky" Pincus (Ricky Jay). A tense battle of wits and wills ensues, leading to plenty of twists and turns before the grand finale. HEIST works wonderfully as a fast-paced, slight-of-hand caper flick. By focusing on dialogue over violence, Mamet allows his excellent script and remarkable cast to shine. Hackman (who seems incapable of giving a bad performance) and Lindo are particularly outstanding and carry the film as deftly as their characters plot their crime. Although the one-last-robbery tale has been told hundreds of times before, it's rarely been told better than this.

Description:

An epic (at least in length), personal telling of the life of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp. This dark film traces the early development of his strong sense of family loyalty and follows his career as a marshal with his brothers and his friend Doc Holliday. Academy Award Nominations: Best Cinematography.

Description:

This slick adaptation of Elmore Leonard's 1990 novel features John Travolta as Chili Palmer, a Miami loan shark who's been sent to L.A. to collect on a bad debt from trash movie producer Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), the maker of the stunning flops "Grotesque" and "Slime People." But this is Harry's lucky day, because Chili is also a film buff, and when he's done talking tough he starts pitching Harry a script idea. As everyone knows, the best background for the motion picture industry is the criminal underworld, and Chili is smoothly launched into the life of a producer: romancing a B-movie scream queen, schmoozing superstars, getting reservations in the hottest restaurants in town. However, Chili's not the only mobster wanting to turn producer. It seems that a thug named Bo Catlett (Delroy Lindo), another of Harry's lenders, also wants a piece of the action. Add in a group of angry drug smugglers and there is an abundance of double- and triple-crosses, as well as plenty of wisecracks and Hollywood insider jokes. GET SHORTY crosses the line of life imitating art--and vice versa--many times, including the real Ernest "Chili" Palmer (on whom the character is based) playing a Mafia henchman. Barry Sonnenfeld's entertaining romp is a wild look at the celebrity life in Hollywood, featuring numerous cameos of stars playing themselves.

Description:

After a long time employee complains about being denied a promotion, the company he works for demotes him to the position of night manager in an all-night drug store. His apparent loss turns out to be his gain, however, when he befriends the nutty clientele of the store.

Description:

In this adaptation of Carrie Fisher's semiautobiographical novel, an actress struggles to kick her drug addiction while coming to terms with her domineering mother. Suzanne Vale (Meryl Streep) has grown up as the spoiled daughter of famous Hollywood star Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine). Although she has talent, Suzanne can't seem to get out from under her mother's shadow. The two women have grown apart, but they're forced back together again after Suzanne has a near-fatal overdose. Because of Suzanne's drug problem, the insurers of the film she's working on make her stay with someone who can keep an eye on her during production. As a result, Suzanne winds up moving back home with her mother--which might not be ideal, considering Doris's addiction to booze. Director Mike Nichols guides an all-star cast (that also includes Gene Hackman, Richard Dreyfuss, Rob Reiner, and Annette Bening) through this entertaining look at the dark side of showbiz.

Description:

On a reconnaissance flight over eastern Europe, disillusioned naval pilot Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) and his partner, Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht), photograph a scene they were not meant to see. When their plane is shot down and Stackhouse is quickly captured and executed, Burnett must struggle to survive in unfamiliar hostile territory with a cold-blooded assassin and hundreds of enemy troops on his heels. Meanwhile, on an American battleship in the Adriatic Sea, Burnett's commanding officer, Admiral Reigart (Gene Hackman), attempts to negotiate his soldier's return amidst tense political and military maneuvers. Soon Burnett discovers exactly why he's being hunted, making his situation--and Reigert's actions--even more perilous. Benefiting from Wilson's straightforward performance and Hackman's typically engaging presence, BEHIND ENEMY LINES proves itself with a solid story (loosely based on real-life events) and excellent action sequences. Shot in a cold, icy light, John Moore's film features a nail-biting aerial chase, a tense race across a grenade-filled wasteland, and a stunningly explosive final battle. Wilson, typically cast in quirky comedic roles, is an unlikely action hero who turns out to be the movie's secret weapon. By avoiding excessive macho posturing, BEHIND ENEMY LINES is smarter, more exciting, and better looking than most Hollywood military thrillers.

Description:

Robert Dean (Will Smith) is a labor lawyer who is unknowingly in possession of evidence related to a serious politically motivated crime. Government agents eager to hide their guilt believe that Dean is on to them, and proceed to turn his life upside-down, ruin his reputation, and frame him for various incidents, thanks to the latest in high-tech government surveillance techniques. In an attempt to clear his name and reclaim his life, Dean teams up with the reclusive Brill (Gene Hackman), a former federal employee who has as much high-tech equipment and expertise as the government itself. Hackman's role is an extension of Harry Caul, the character he portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola's brilliant 1974 film, THE CONVERSATION. Smith scores as a man who is desperate to reclaim his identity and prove his innocence. This intense technological thrill-ride from director Tony Scott questions how much access the government should have to the communications of private citizens, and leaves the viewer with the unsettling feeling that Big Brother is definitely watching. Watch for the uncredited appearances of Jason Robards, Seth Green, Tom Sizemore, and Philip Baker Hall.

Description:

HEARTBREAKERS follows Max (Sigourney Weaver) and Page (Jennifer Love Hewitt), a mother and daughter who are expert grifters, through one after another of their perfectly executed scams. Max gets wealthy men to fall in love with her and marry her, then Page seduces them, setting up grounds for Max to divorce them and cash out. HEARTBREAKERS is a fun, fast-moving comedy directed by David Mirkin.

Description:

GET SHORTY: This slick adaptation of Elmore Leonard's 1990 novel features John Travolta as Chili Palmer, a Miami loan shark who's been sent to L.A. to collect on a bad debt from trash movie producer Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), the maker of the stunning flops GROTESQUE and SLIME PEOPLE. But this is Harry's lucky day, because Chili is also a film buff, and when he's done talking tough he starts pitching Harry a script idea. As everyone knows, the best background for the motion picture industry is the criminal underworld, and Chili is smoothly launched into the life of a producer: romancing a B-movie scream queen, schmoozing superstars, getting reservations in the hottest restaurants in town. However, Chili's not the only mobster wanting to turn producer. It seems that a thug named Bo Catlett (Delroy Lindo), another of Harry's lenders, also wants a piece of the action. Add in a group of angry drug smugglers and there is an abundance of double- and triple-crosses, as well as plenty of wisecracks and Hollywood insider jokes. GET SHORTY crosses the line of life imitating art--and vice versa--many times, including the real Ernest "Chili" Palmer (on whom the character is based) playing a Mafia henchman. Barry Sonnenfeld's entertaining romp is a wild look at the celebrity life in Hollywood, featuring numerous cameos of stars playing themselves. BE COOL: In this sequel to the 1995 mobster comedy GET SHORTY, John Travolta returns as Chili Palmer, a smooth-talking loanshark turned successful movie producer. But he's tired of the film industry, and so he sets his sights on the music business, teaming up with music producer Edie (Uma Thurman)--the widow of a recently murdered colleague. Seeing great potential in an up-and-coming singer named Linda Moon (Christina Milian), Chili makes it his goal to rescue the young talent from her sleazy manager Raji (Vince Vaughn), and make her a star. But it doesn't take long for Chili to realize that in the music industry, not everybody plays by the rules. Combining organized crime and record label know-how as they infiltrate the music industry, Chili and Edie (Thurman) must free Moon from her contract with Raji and record label exec Nick Carr (Harvey Keitel), while fending off the Russian Mafia and a whole slew of enemies, played by Cedric the Entertainer and Andre Benjamin (of OutKast), among others. Director F. Gary Gray casts The Rock against type as Raji's flamboyant aspiring-actor bodyguard, Elliot. In fact, the film's most humorous scene might be when Elliot breaks into Edie's home in order to show Chili a monologue from the film BRING IT ON. Overall, the film's tone is a self-referential one, established in the first five minutes by Chili's complaints about the nature of sequels and the PG-13 rating system. From here on out, the film's humor becomes more and more dependent on the audience's knowledge of all things pop culture, with a dance scene between Travolta and Thurman recalling their memorable pairing in PULP FICTION.

Description:

When Russian rebels gain control of nuclear weapons in the USSR, the United States retaliates by deploying the USS Alabama, a nuclear submarine commanded by Captain Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman). Veteran soldier and Naval legend Ramsey selects Lt. Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington)--a Harvard graduate who prefers using brains over weapons--as his Executive Officer. While submerged, the Alabama is attacked by a Russian sub and loses radio contact just as an order is being transmitted from headquarters. Old Navy dog Ramsey firmly believes that the interrupted transmission ends with an order to fire their nuclear missiles at the Russian rebels. Hunter, desperate to avoid starting World War III, is determined to re-establish radio contact and act only after complete orders are received. Without the second-in-command's agreement, the missiles cannot be launched, and soon Ramsey and Hunter are engaged in a tense battle of wills, forcing the crew to choose sides. In the tradition of TOP GUN and TRUE ROMANCE, director Tony Scott keeps the tension running high in this fast-paced military thriller. Hackman scores as the tradition-bound Ramsey, and Washington is superb as the thoughtful young officer who feels compelled to take a stand against his superior.