Hidalgo (Full Screen Edition)

• A sandstorm of epic proportions. A swarm of locusts so massive it obliterates the relentless sun. Deadly traps that defy imagination. These are just a few of the astonishing obstacles Frank T. Hopkins, the greatest long-distance racer ever, faces in the rousing action-adventure HIDALGO. Based on a true story and starring Viggo Mortensen (THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy), Hopkins (Mortensen) and his

A sandstorm of epic proportions. A swarm of locusts so massive it obliterates the relentless sun. Deadly traps that defy imagination. These are just a few of the astonishing obstacles Frank T. Hopkins, the greatest long-distance racer ever, faces in the rousing action-adventure HIDALGO. Based on a true story and starring Viggo Mortensen (THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy), Hopkins (Mortensen) and his mustang Hidalgo enter the ultimate extreme sport of its time -- the Ocean Of Fire. Underdogs challenging ! the finest Arabian horses and riders, they must not only survive the grueling race across 3,000 miles of the Arabian Desert’s punishing terrain, but they must thwart the evil plots of competitors who vow victory at all costs! A great story of personal triumph, amazing special effects, and memorable characters make HIDALGO one of the most thrilling adventures ever.Director Joe Johnston has always had an entertaining sense of adventure, and with Hidalgo he proves it in spades. It's yet another underrated film for Johnston (along with such enjoyable popcorn flicks as The Rocketeer and Jurassic Park III), dismissed by many critics but a welcome treat for anyone drawn to good ol'-fashioned movie excitement. In his first role since playing Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo Mortensen brings handsome appeal to his low-key portrayal of Frank T. Hopkins, a real-life long-distance horse racer who, as the movie opens, has witnessed the appall! ing massacre of Native Americans at Wounded Knee in 1890. Drif! ting int o Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, he agrees to compete, with his trusty mustang, Hidalgo, in "The Ocean of Fire," a treacherous 3,000-mile horse race across the Arabian desert. Toss in a bunch of conspiring competitors, a noble sheik (Omar Sharif), his lovely daughter (Zuleikha Robinson), and enough fast-paced danger to fill 133 minutes, and you've got a rousing, humorous, and lightly spiritual adventure that's a lot of fun to watch. It hardly matters that it's almost pure fiction (the real Hopkins was known by many as "a pathological liar"). More important is the love of movies and moviemaking that Johnston so delightfully conveys. --Jeff Shannon

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Carlito's Way [Blu-ray]

• Condition: New
• Format: Blu-ray
• AC-3; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; Subtitled; Widescreen

Academy Award winner Al Pacino stars as an ex-druglord fighting to escape his violent, treacherous past in this action-filled tour de force from acclaimed director Brian De Palma. Sprung from prison on a legal technicality by his cocaine-addled attorney (Sean Penn), former drug kingpin Carlito Brigante (Pacino) stuns the local underworld by vowing to go straight. Dedicated to making a change, he reunites with his former girlfriend (Penelope Ann Miller) and rekindles their romance. But his dream of a legitimate life is undermined at every turn by ruthless former associates and even deadlier young thugs like Benny Blanco (John Leguizamo), who are out to make a name for themselves. Despite good intentions, Carlito's misguided loyalties and outmoded code of "honor" plunge him into a savage life-or! -death battle against the relentless forces that refuse to let him go in this powerful crime saga. Starring: Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, Luis Guzman, Viggo Mortensen, John Leguizamo, James Rebhorn, Joseph Siravo, Ingrid Rogers, Adrian Pasdar Directed by: Brian De PalmaAl Pacino cuts a noble figure in this very enjoyable drama by director Brian De Palma (Scarface), based on a pair of books by Edwin Torres. Pacino plays a Puerto Rican ex-con trying hard to go straight, but his loyalty to his lowlife attorney (a virtually unrecognizable Sean Penn) and enemies on the street make that choice difficult. Penelope Ann Miller plays, somewhat unlikely, a stripper who has a romance with Pacino's character. The film finds De Palma tempering his more outlandish moves (think of Body Double or Snake Eyes) just as he did with the popular Untouchables and Mission: Impossible. But while Carlito's Way was not commercially successful an! d never rises to the level of greatness, it is a genuinely com! pelling movie graced with a fine performance by Pacino and a surprising one from Penn. --Tom KeoghFrom the director of Scarface comes the critically acclaimed crime thriller Carlito’s Way. Oscar® winner Al Pacino gives an electrifying performance as former drug kingpin Carlito Brigante, who is sprung from prison by his high-powered attorney (Academy Award® winner Sean Penn). He stuns the New York underworld by vowing to go straight from a history of violence, but his plans are undermined by misguided loyalties and an outmoded code of honor. In a life-or-death battle, Carlito takes on the relentless forces that refuse to let him go. Co-starring John Leguizamo and Luis Guzmán, Carlito’s Way is a powerful, action-packed ride all the way to its explosive conclusion.Al Pacino cuts a noble figure in this very enjoyable drama by director Brian De Palma (Scarface), based on a pair of books by Edwin Torres. Pacino plays a Puerto Rican ex-con trying hard to go straight, b! ut his loyalty to his lowlife attorney (a virtually unrecognizable Sean Penn) and enemies on the street make that choice difficult. Penelope Ann Miller plays, somewhat unlikely, a stripper who has a romance with Pacino's character. The film finds De Palma tempering his more outlandish moves (think of Body Double or Snake Eyes) just as he did with the popular Untouchables and Mission: Impossible. But while Carlito's Way was not commercially successful and never rises to the level of greatness, it is a genuinely compelling movie graced with a fine performance by Pacino and a surprising one from Penn. --Tom Keogh

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