Military & War - Page 42

Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video Brand: Dreamworks Video

Seen through the eyes of a squad of American soldiers, the story begins with World War II's historic Omaha Beach D-Day invasion, then moves beyond the beach as the men embark on a dangerous special mission. Captain John Miller (Hanks) must take his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Face with impossible odds, the men question their orders. Why are eight men risking their lives to save just one? Surrounded by the brutal realities of war, each man searches for his own answer -- the strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honor, decency and courage. When Steven Spielberg was an adolescent, his first home movie was abackyard war film. When he toured Europe with Duel in his 20s, he saw old men crumble in front of headstones at Omaha Beach. That image became the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, his film of a mission following the D-day invasion that many have called the most realistic--and maybe the best--war film ever. With 1998 production standards, Spielberg has been able to create a stunning, unparalleled view of war as hell. We are at Omaha Beach as troops are slaughtered by Germans yet overcome the almost insurmountable odds. A stalwart Tom Hanks plays Captain Miller, a soldier's soldier, who takes a small band of troops behind enemy lines to retrieve a private whose three brothers have recently been killed in action. It's a public relations move for the Army, but it has historical precedent dating back to the Civil War. Some critics of the film have labeled the central characters stereotypes. If that is so, this movie gives stereotypes a good name: Tom Sizemore as the deft sergeant, Edward Burns as the hotheaded Private Reiben, Barry Pepper as the religious sniper, Adam Goldberg as the lone Jew, Vin Diesel as the oversize Private Caparzo, Giovanni Ribisi as the soulful medic, and Jeremy Davies, who as a meek corporal gives the film its most memorable performance. The movie is as heavy and realistic as Spielberg's Oscar-winning Schi...

Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent Brand: BERENGER,TOM Model: 4944557

Gettysburg (DVD)Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen and Sam Elliott head an all-star cast in this epic adaptation of Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Killer Angels, a stunning account of the bloodiest battle of the United States' Civil War--Gettysburg. On July 1, 1863, two armies with distinctly different visions--one, of freedom for all; the other, of freedom for some--square off at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Three days of fierce fighting transform the quiet wheat fields of this tiny farming town into a mass graveyard for over 50,000 soldiers. Filmed on location at the actual battlefield, this monumental production captures on a grand scale the legendary battle of Gettysburg.]]>

Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Brand: REAGAN,RONALD/NANCY

Dramatic World War II action aboard a U.S. submarine is the setting for the only film in which Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis star together. Based on a true incident, submarine Commander Casey Abbott (Reagan) leads a daring mission to enter the heavily mined Tsushima Straits to sever a vital link between the Asiatic mainland and the Japanese home islands. Abbott charts the dangerous waters, destroys an enemy island installation and sinks thousands of tons of enemy shipping. In the course of the operation, Abbott teaches his second in command, Lt. Commander Landon (Arthur Franz), the important difference between command decision and emotional reaction. Landon is put to the test when he must order a crash dive which leaves Abbot swimming alone in the trackless sea. When rescued, Abbott is cared for by nurse Blair (Davis), and now he, too, must test his own emotions. As the sole movie co-starring Hollywood's only First Couple, Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis, Hellcats of the Navy is either a privileged artifact or a hootworthy campfest, depending on your politics. Reagan plays a submarine ("hellcat") commander in the Pacific during World War II; Davis is the game little nurse back on shore who's decided he's (this is a quote) "Mr. Right." They share maybe eight minutes among the film's 82. Reagan's commander is a pretty glum guy, making unpopular life-or-death decisions into which his executive officer (Arthur Franz) reads nasty personal motives. This is a B movie all the way: drab supporting cast, script and direction that can't even get the cliches right, and bland studio footage of the actors intercut with speckly stock action shots and blatant miniatures exploding. Any contemporaneous episode of the syndicated TV series The Silent Service got more sense of excitement and wartime pressure aboard a submarine. Now if only the DVD had included that classic Saturday Night Live takeoff with Ron Reagan Jr. time-traveling back to the Hellcats set to spark the romance between dad (Randy Quaid) and mom (Terry Sweeney)....

Manufacturer: Fox Home Entertainment Brand: MEANS,RUSSELL Model: 4955650

James Fenimore Cooper's Hawkeye guides British sisters with his Indian friends, Chingachgook and Uncas.

Manufacturer: New Line Home Video Brand: Warner Home Video Model: N10717

Pan's Labyrinth (DVD) (WS)In a dark time for a young girl, Spain and the entire world, the haunting fantasies within her mind merge into reality, giving birth to a land of fantastical creatures and secret destinies--Pan's Labyrinth . . . El laberinto del fauno. 1944. Rural Spain. As Franco consolidates his brutal hold after years of civil war, lonely and dreamy Ofelia must come to terms with the cruelty around her. Living with her mother and adoptive father--a military officer under the Fascist government who is tasked with ridding last rebels from their area, Ofelia creates a fable, giving life to a secret inner world to help her cope with a world gone wrong. From acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro (Cronos, Mimic) and produced by Alfonso Cuarón, director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Y tu mamá también.]]>