John bassett

sort by:
add tax & shipping for
 
 
 

starting at

$7
  • product
John Singleton emerged from USC film school with his passionate script already written, and at age 23 he made the film that spawned a score of ghetto dramas. From the opening shot--a sign reading "Stop"--to the final message of "Increase the Peace," Singleton's desire to galvanize his audience is clear. The violence destroying South Central Los Angeles is seen through the eyes of Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.), whose intelligence and common sense would be wasted in the 'hood if not for his father, Furious (Laurence Fishburne), who imparts discipline and responsibility to his son. Tre's friends aren't so lucky, though, especially Doughboy (Ice Cube), who has been in and out of institutions since childhood and now sits on his porch with a forty in his hand and a pistol in his waistband. Singleton is ambitious enough to tackle a host of problems, from African American business practices to the bias of the SAT test, but the real power of the film lies in the performances of its principals. Cuba Gooding, in his first role, doesn't let Tre come off like a goody two-shoes, while Ice Cube gives a tragic nobility to a young man who knows he's doomed.

starting at

$7
 

starting at

$9
  • product
John Singleton emerged from USC film school with his passionate script already written, and at age 23 he made the film that spawned a score of ghetto dramas. From the opening shot--a sign reading "Stop"--to the final message of "Increase the Peace," Singleton's desire to galvanize his audience is clear. The violence destroying South Central Los Angeles is seen through the eyes of Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.), whose intelligence and common sense would be wasted in the 'hood if not for his father, Furious (Laurence Fishburne), who imparts discipline and responsibility to his son. Tre's friends aren't so lucky, though, especially Doughboy (Ice Cube), who has been in and out of institutions since childhood and now sits on his porch with a forty in his hand and a pistol in his waistband. Singleton is ambitious enough to tackle a host of problems, from African American business practices to the bias of the SAT test, but the real power of the film lies in the performances of its principals. Cuba Gooding, in his first role, doesn't let Tre come off like a goody two-shoes, while Ice Cube gives a tragic nobility to a young man who knows he's doomed.

starting at

$9
 

starting at

$19
  • product
BOYZ 'N THE HOOD: John Singleton emerged from USC film school with his passionate script already written, and at age 23 he made the film that spawned a score of ghetto dramas. From the opening shot--a sign reading "Stop"--to the final message, "Increase the Peace," Singleton's desire to galvanize his audience is clear. The violence destroying South Central Los Angeles is seen through the eyes of Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.), whose intelligence and common sense would be wasted in the 'hood if not for his father, Furious (Laurence Fishburne), who imparts discipline and responsibility to his son. Tre's friends aren't so lucky, though, especially Doughboy (Ice Cube), who has been in and out of institutions since childhood and now sits on his porch with a forty in his hand and a pistol in his waistband. Singleton is ambitious enough to tackle a host of problems, from African-American business practices to the bias of the SAT test, but the real power of the film lies in the performances of its principals. Cuba Gooding, in his first role, doesn't let Tre come off like a goody two-shoes, while Ice Cube gives a tragic nobility to a young man who knows he's doomed. BABY BOY: Director John Singleton (BOYZ IN THE HOOD, SHAFT) revisits South Central L.A. with BABY BOY. Former Calvin Klein model Tyrese Gibson stars as Jody, a smooth-talking but immature young black man who has fathered children with two different women. One of them, Yvette (Taraji P. Henson), wants him to be faithful and move in with her, but Jody prefers his room at Mom's (A.J. Johnson) house, and his life of aimless womanizing and hanging out with neighborhood pal Sweet Pea (Omar Gooding). However, this childhood paradise seems about to destruct with the arrival of Mom's new ex-con boyfriend, Melvin (Ving Rhames). And when a dangerous former lover of Yvette's (Snoop Doggy Dogg in a nicely unsympathetic performance) gets out of jail and moves back in, the stage is set for Jody to either stand up like a man, or die in the attempt. Singleton tells the story in a series of vibrant vignettes, and though he supplies plenty of crowd-pleasing sex and violence, the focus remains on his characters. A rich score of old and new rap and R&B gives the film a nice boost, and Rhames is superb as the aging former thug trying to find happiness with Jody's mom. POETIC JUSTICE: Pop princess Janet Jackson plays Justice, a hairdresser and poet living in South Central Los Angeles, in the second film from director John Singleton. Justice saw her first love killed over a gang grudge, and ever since she's been aloof and lonely. She agrees to go on a road trip with her friend, and meets Lucky (Tupac Shakur), a love-struck mailman who soon finds that Justice will not be easily won. As they discover that they have ideas about life in common, Justice begins to realize that maybe she is not as alone as she had thought.

starting at

$19
 

starting at

$6
  • product
John Singleton emerged from USC film school with his passionate script already written, and at age 23 he made the film that spawned a score of ghetto dramas. From the opening shot--a sign reading "Stop"--to the final message of "Increase the Peace," Singleton's desire to galvanize his audience is clear. The violence destroying South Central Los Angeles is seen through the eyes of Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.), whose intelligence and common sense would be wasted in the 'hood if not for his father, Furious (Laurence Fishburne), who imparts discipline and responsibility to his son. Tre's friends aren't so lucky, though, especially Doughboy (Ice Cube), who has been in and out of institutions since childhood and now sits on his porch with a forty in his hand and a pistol in his waistband. Singleton is ambitious enough to tackle a host of problems, from African American business practices to the bias of the SAT test, but the real power of the film lies in the performances of its principals. Cuba Gooding, in his first role, doesn't let Tre come off like a goody two-shoes, while Ice Cube gives a tragic nobility to a young man who knows he's doomed.

starting at

$6
 

starting at

$4
  • product
Bob Dylan plays the mysterious musician and ex-con Jack Fate in MASKED AND ANONYMOUS, the fictional story of a benefit rock concert in which he is the headliner. Uncle Sweetheart (John Goodman) is the promoter who arranges for Fate's release from prison in order to perform at the show. Meanwhile the sexy producer of the concert (Jessica Lange) leers at Fate with suspicion. When a pushy journalist (Jeff Bridges) and his bohemian girlfriend (Penelope Cruz) join the bunch, along with Fate's most trusted fan (Luke Wilson), what results is a strange mix of moods, characters, and dialogues. Add a Dylan cover band called Simple Twist of Fate that backs up the star as the film makes frequent cuts to performances of full songs, and MASKED AND ANONYMOUS becomes a real rock movie. The film has a foggy storyline about a dictatorial president who is Fate's father, and a setting that depicts a United States that has been transformed into a third-world country full of violence in the streets, political uprisings, and a strong anti-government sentiment. The dialogue is philosophical and nonsensical, creating a strange atmosphere broken only by Dylan's songs. It is the music that carries the film, and this tribute to Dylan and his songwriting talents can't help but win over audiences, especially those comprised of his fans.

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$5
  • product
The British actor Tom Wilkinson's astonishing performance anchors SEPARATE LIES, a nuanced adult drama packed with moral dilemmas and existential questions. Julian Fellowes, who received an Academy Award for penning Robert Altman's GOSFORD PARK, makes his first foray into the director's chair with this sophisticated film, which centers around Wilkinson's repressed upper class lawyer James Manning. A well-groomed British society couple, James and his lovely, polished wife Anne (BREAKING THE WAVE's Emily Watson) live that sort of perfectly presentable life that John Cheever has made a literary career out of exposing. Cloaked under a veil of politeness, manners, and ultimately, self-delusion, they are so far deep into enacting their roles that they come to believe them. When their maid's husband is killed in a tragic hit-and-run accident in front of their vacation home, James immediately suspects that his dashing and suspicious neighborhood Bill Bule was behind the wheel. Upon telling Anne his intention to relay the hypothesis to the law, he receives some shocking news; Anne and Bill have been carrying out an affair for months, and they were both in the car as it turned into a tool of manslaughter. These harsh facts that James is confronted with have the effect of years of psychotherapy; the man of perfection is suddenly aware of the morass of half-truths and societal pressures that have led him to this point in life. As a man whose work rests upon upholding the law, he now must face the difficult moral dilemma of either turning in his own wife for a horrific crime or keeping up appearances. Based on Nigel Balchin's largely forgotten mid-century novel A WAY THROUGH THE WOOD, this is a movie that builds up its impact gradually and smoothly. Elegant and unobtrusive camerawork, a minimalist score, and performances of subtle and understated power add up to a story that is at once morality tale, social critique, and neo-noir mystery.

starting at

$5
 

starting at

$10
  • product
In South Africa a young black couple (Angela Basset, Danny Glover) with a new baby are driven out of their shanty by white oppressors, and are forced to abandon their home and their memories of a happy life and wander around the Cape Flats looking for shelter. As their feelings of grief, shame, and misery grow, their relationship begins to fall apart. Directed by John Berry, BOESMAN & LENA is based on a play by South African author Athol Fugard.

starting at

$10
 

starting at

$12
  • product
Mary McDonnell stars as May-Alice Culhane, a New York-based soap opera star who is paralyzed in a road accident. She returns to the Louisiana bayou where she grew up and becomes the patient from hell, discharging one caretaker after another. Then along comes Chantelle (Alfre Woodard), a take-no-sass nurse with her own issues to deal with. Together the women rediscover themselves and what it means to live within limitations. PASSION FISH comes after three "guy" films in a row for director John Sayles. His wife and longtime producer, Maggie Renzi, encouraged him to develop a script with female leads. Drawing upon his work as a hospital orderly in high school and college as well as Ingmar Bergman's seminal 1966 film PERSONA, Sayles created this script about the complexities of the caretaker-patient relationship--a relationship that has all the intimacy of a married couple and yet is motivated more by mutual need rather than love. PASSION FISH is languorously paced but pays dividends in many beautiful shots of the bayou, excellent zydeco music, and thoughtful insights into the intricacies of an evolving friendship.

starting at

$12
 

starting at

$4
  • product
SUNSHINE STATE, directed and written by John Sayles, takes a close-up and occasionally comic look at the fading community of Delrona Beach, Florida. A dozen local personalities are introduced, each with their own unique challenges. The town's dilapidated houses, its stale Buccaneer Days Festival, its sluggish economy, and the constant stream of developers trying to buy up the shore front, are making the natives think about moving on. However, the black residents of Lincoln Park refuse to let their land be bought and turned into a vacation resort. Dr. Lloyd (Bill Cobbs) leads the charge to stage a protest, and tries to get help from Eunice (Mary Alice) her daughter Desiree (Angela Bassett), who is visiting from Boston. On the other side of things, Marly (Edie Falco), a former Weeki Wachee mermaid, is the surly manager of the dingy Sea-Vue Motel who would like nothing more than to sell the joint and leave Delrona Beach for good. With a dizzy, meandering camera and a documentary feeling, SUNSHINE STATE draws viewers into the daily life of Delrona Beach, developing each of nearly a dozen characters with detail and feeling. While the plotlines are sometimes depressing, the realness of the characters and their lives is endearing, and at the end of the film, the narrative gets a satisfying dose of closure.

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$9
  • product
One of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays is the story of a self-centered and weak king unable to control his kingdom and who suffers as a result. Shakespeare's dialogue is especially lyrical and poetic here and this production features a talented cast and authentic costumes and sets based on the original Globe Theater productions of Shakespeare's time.

starting at

$9
 

starting at

$2
  • product
Based on a true story, Nigel Cole's CALENDAR GIRLS has a mix of comedy and heart-tugging emotion that compares with British comedies FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and THE FULL MONTY. Annie (Julie Walters) and Chris (Helen Mirren), of bucolic Yorkshire, belong to the Women's Institute (WI), which preserves traditional homemaking practices. While they're just as dedicated as the other ladies in the group, Annie and Chris are adventurous personalities, and they poke fun at the WI's tedious lectures on broccoli and fabrics. In an effort to raise money for the local hospital while also spicing things up at the WI, the ladies decide to put a new spin on the WI calendar, which usually depicts landscapes or churches. The women will pose nude for the calendar while performing traditional activities like baking and gardening. It's no surprise that the finished calendar is a wild success, bringing the ladies instant notoriety and adoration. Stellar talent carries the story, especially from glorious Mirren, who portrays yet another daring female character, as she did in past films like THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE, AND HER LOVER. Staying true to the real-life story, the film closely matches the original calendar photos, and provides a funny, touching, uplifting tale.

starting at

$2
 

starting at

$3
  • product
The underworld and netherworld collide as two types of bloodsuckers work the same Pittsburgh turf: nefarious gangsters, and a sexy, tormented female vampire who preys on them. INNOCENT BLOOD is a uniquely amusing blend of vampire, gangster, and love stories, starring Anne Parillaud as the beguiling vampire Marie, who feeds on the head of the Pittsburgh mafia and suddenly finds herself responsible for creating a bloodthirsty killer. When the newly created vampire mobster devises a scheme to turn his macho mafia men into vampire killing machines, she knows he must be stopped. Look for cameos from such significant B-movie personages as Sam Raimi, Dario Argento, Linnea Quigley, and Teri Weigel.

starting at

$3
 

starting at

$5
  • product
An eccentric, brilliant scientist sets out to "recreate" his wife who died 25-years before. To complicate matters, just when he's about to succeed he falls head-over- heels for a beautiful coed. Based on the novel by Jeremy Leven.

starting at

$5
 

starting at

$36
  • product
This is a comprehensive book with theoretical and practical input for health care researchers exploring the humanistic and individual aspects of health and illness. It covers the main qualitative research methods and provides clear, concise and well-evidenced clinical information for researchers from all disciplines.

starting at

$36
 

starting at

$4
  • product
In this moody and melodramatic revision of the classic horror tale, based on the novel by Valerie Martin, the Jekyll and Hyde saga is told from the point of view of the doctor's long-time maid, Mary Reilly (Julia Roberts). Despite Mary's close collaboration with the staid Dr. Jekyll (John Malkovich) and her fascination with his charming "assistant" Hyde, she is unable to realize their true nature until too late.

starting at

$4
 

starting at

$16
  • product
Devoted astronomer Dr. Ellie Arroway undertakes an emotional and spiritual journey after receiving the message she's waited for all her life--a mysterious signal beamed in from alien beings, who pass along instructions for building and piloting a craft that will presumably survive the passage from Earth to their home. While struggling to fund her mission, Arroway also struggles with her feelings about the nature of things, particularly after meeting a charismatic New Age believer who questions her disbelief in God. A deliberately-paced, meditative adaptation of the eponymous novel by Ann Druyan and "pop" astronomer Carl Sagan, who died during production.

starting at

$16
 

starting at

$12
  • product
This acclaimed film version of Peter Stone's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, which was one of the last big-budget studio musicals, stars William Daniels (TV's Saint Elsewhere) as John Adams and Howard Da Silva as Ben Franklin. A rollicking, anachronistic treatment of the creation of the Declaration of Independence, with the American forefathers conducting themselves with uncharacterstic--and comical--indignity. Academy Award Nominations: Best Cinematography (Harry Stradling, Jr.)

starting at

$12
 

starting at

$5
  • product
The British actor Tom Wilkinson's astonishing performance anchors SEPARATE LIES, a nuanced adult drama packed with moral dilemmas and existential questions. Julian Fellowes, who received an Academy Award for penning Robert Altman's GOSFORD PARK, makes his first foray into the director's chair with this sophisticated film, which centers around Wilkinson's repressed upper class lawyer James Manning. A well-groomed British society couple, James and his lovely, polished wife Anne (BREAKING THE WAVE's Emily Watson) live that sort of perfectly presentable life that John Cheever has made a literary career out of exposing. Cloaked under a veil of politeness, manners, and ultimately, self-delusion, they are so far deep into enacting their roles that they come to believe them. When their maid's husband is killed in a tragic hit-and-run accident in front of their vacation home, James immediately suspects that his dashing and suspicious neighborhood Bill Bule was behind the wheel. Upon telling Anne his intention to relay the hypothesis to the law, he receives some shocking news; Anne and Bill have been carrying out an affair for months, and they were both in the car as it turned into a tool of manslaughter. These harsh facts that James is confronted with have the effect of years of psychotherapy; the man of perfection is suddenly aware of the morass of half-truths and societal pressures that have led him to this point in life. As a man whose work rests upon upholding the law, he now must face the difficult moral dilemma of either turning in his own wife for a horrific crime or keeping up appearances. Based on Nigel Balchin's largely forgotten mid-century novel A WAY THROUGH THE WOOD, this is a movie that builds up its impact gradually and smoothly. Elegant and unobtrusive camerawork, a minimalist score, and performances of subtle and understated power add up to a story that is at once morality tale, social critique, and neo-noir mystery.

starting at

$5
 

starting at

$5
  • product
The underworld and netherworld collide as two types of bloodsuckers work the same Pittsburgh turf: nefarious gangsters, and a sexy, tormented female vampire who preys on them. INNOCENT BLOOD is a uniquely amusing blend of vampire, gangster, and love stories, starring Anne Parillaud as the beguiling vampire Marie, who feeds on the head of the Pittsburgh mafia and suddenly finds herself responsible for creating a bloodthirsty killer. When the newly created vampire mobster devises a scheme to turn his macho mafia men into vampire killing machines, she knows he must be stopped. Look for cameos from such significant B-movie personages as Sam Raimi, Dario Argento, Linnea Quigley, and Teri Weigel.

starting at

$5