Posts Tagged ‘political’

Timecop (1994)

Friday, February 22nd, 2008
Genres: Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Countries: Japan | USA
Actors: Van Damme, Jean-Claude | Sara, Mia | Silver, Ron | McGill, Bruce | Reuben, Gloria | Bellis, Scott | Schombing, Jason | Lawrence, Scott | Welsh, Kenneth | Woolsey, Brent | Loree, Brad | Kelly, Shane | Faraci, Richard | Lambert, Steven | McNulty, Kevin
Directors: Hyams, Peter
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In Washington DC in 1994, the Senate Oversight Committee (SOC) is being spoken to in the capitol building by George Spota, who explains that for the past 20 years, Doctor Hans Kleindast, the Nobel laureate who help the government with the space program back in the 1960s and 1970s, has been doing research, and his field of research has been time travel. The SOC believes that Hans is a quack — until George tells the SOC that Hans actually succeeded in his research and took a trip to the past then back to the present. You can’t travel into the future because the future hasn’t happened yet. George makes it clear that a covert agency is needed to police time travel, so the Time Enforcement Commission (TEC) is formed. Named as the director of the TEC is Commander Eugene Matuzak, formerly of the Washington DC police department. Senator Aaron McComb, who sees possibilities, agrees to chair the oversight on the new program. Sometime later, at a shopping center, TEC agent Max Walker and his wife Melissa are being watched by a pair of shady looking men. Later, at home. Max and Melissa spend some passionate time together. That night, Melissa is about to tell Max something extremely important when the phone rings. Max answers the phone and is told to go to TEC headquarters. Max gets dressed and as soon as Max opens the front door to go outside, he is attacked by the two men from the shopping center. As the two men are beating Max up. Max sees Aaron looking out the window of the bedroom that Melissa is still in, and Aaron is holding Melissa hostage, forcing Melissa to watch Max’s beating. The two men outside then shoot Max, who is wearing a bulletproof vest — and then an explosion engulfs the house, killing Melissa. On October 30, 1929, on Wall Street in New York City, a man named Lyle Atwood enters an office building and rides an elevator up to an office. There is a sudden ripple in the office, and Max enters from the future. It turns out that Lyle is Max’s partner, and Lyle is planning to stop the depression from happening. Max wants to know who Lyle is working for, and Lyie calls two security men into the office to deal with Max. Max beats up the two security men, and Lyle pulls out a gun and opens fire on Max. When Lyle runs out of bullets, Max forces Lyle to admit that he’s working for Aaron, and that Aaron has paid off a lot of other TEC agents as well. Lyle then jumps out the window. Max jumps out after Lyle, grabs him, and takes Lyle with him back to present time, which is now the year 2004, ten years after Melissa’s murder. TEC judge Marshall sentences Lyle to be immediately executed, so Lyle is sent back to 1929 and is dropped to his death from the point in midair where Max and Lyle disappeared to 2004. At TEC Headquarters in 2004, Aaron, Max, and Matuzak are showing Senator Malcolm Nelson around the TEC building. Aaron reminds everyone that people who go back in time risk coming into contact with a past version of themselves. The same matter cannot occupy the same space at the same time, because if that happens, and if it’s a person accidentally making physical contact with their past version, that person will die, and their body will disappear from the face of the Earth. Later, Max tells Matuzak that Aaron wants to shut down the TEC so no one can stop him from altering the past to his advantage, because Aaron is now running for President of the United States. Aaron’s fading campaign for president is dealt a blow when he is denied federal campaign matching funds. Just before Max wakes up, two men break into his home to kill him, but Max turns the tables and kills the two men who broke in. TEC internal affairs investigator Sarah Fielding questions Max. Max soon learns that Sarah may be on the wrong side in this. Max must travel back and forth in time to bring Aaron down…and when Max goes back to 1994 and finds out what Melissa wanted to tell him 10 years ago, it gives Max incentive to at least try to prevent Melissa’s murder.

Mouse That Roared, The (1959)

Friday, February 22nd, 2008
Genres: Comedy | War
Countries: UK
Actors: Sellers, Peter | Seberg, Jean | Hartnell, William | Kossoff, David | Leo McKern | Parke, MacDonald | Willis, Austin | Bateson, Timothy | Landis, Monte | Gifford, Alan | Gordon, Colin | Kasket, Harold | Brown, Wally | Cey, Jacques | Clay, Charles
Directors: Arnold, Jack
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The best laid plans of mice and men … A cold war satire emphasising the new emerged American Superpower’s use of foreign aid to buy friends and keep then away from the USSR’s influence. Peter Sellers, as the scheming Prime Minister of Grand Fenwick, plots with Peter Sellers, as the scheming Grand Duchess, to declare war on the USA, lose and get that foreign aid. Unfortunately, they forget to tell Peter Sellers, as Tully Bascombe, commander of their mediaeval army. This honourable man does his best for his country and through a series of unbelievable circumstances (well, this is a comedy) to win. Now, who has to give aid to whom?

Being There (1979)

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008
Genres: Comedy | Drama
Countries: USA
Actors: Sellers, Peter | MacLaine, Shirley | Douglas, Melvyn | Warden, Jack | Dysart, Richard | Basehart, Richard | Attaway, Ruth | Clennon, David | Brill, Fran | DuBarry, Denise | Burbridge, Oteil | Keller III, Ravenell | Corrigan, Brian | Brown, Alfredine P. | Jacob, Donald
Directors: Ashby, Hal
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A simple-minded gardener named Chance has spent all his life in the Washington D.C. house of an old man. When the man dies, Chance is put out on the street with no knowledge of the world except what he has learned from television. After a run in with a limousine, he ends up a guest of a woman (Eve) and her husband Ben, an influential but sickly businessman. Now called Chauncey Gardner, Chance becomes friend and confidante to Ben, and an unlikely political insider.

Evita (1996)

Tuesday, February 19th, 2008
Genres: Biography | Drama | Musical
Countries: USA
Actors: Madonna | Banderas, Antonio | Pryce, Jonathan | Nail, Jimmy | Sus, Victoria | Littman, Julian | Merediz, Olga | Pallas, Laura | Worsley, Julia | Luján Hidalgo, María | Villamil, Servando | Corr, Andrea | Polycarpou, Peter | Brooker, Gary | Yerro, Maite
Directors: Parker, Alan
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Based on the incredible true story, Eva (Evita) Peron, starts out life as a poor girl who goes on to become an actress and then become the wife of the president of Argentina, Juan Peron. The musical is a story of love and politics, showing all the battles and triumphs Evita has in her short, but amazing life.

White Nights (1985)

Monday, February 18th, 2008
Genres: Drama
Countries: USA
Actors: Baryshnikov, Mikhail | Hines, Gregory | Skolimowski, Jerzy | Mirren, Helen | Page, Geraldine | Rossellini, Isabella | Glover, John | Gryff, Stefan | Hootkins, William | Rimmer, Shane | Faure, Florence | Savile, David | Liston, Ian | Young, Benny | Drake, Hilary
Directors: Hackford, Taylor
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Nikolai Rochenko, a Russian ballet dancer who 8 years ago defected to the West. He is in a plane flying over Russia when all of a sudden, a malfunction forces the plane to land in Russia. The KGB tells everyone that his injuries are so severe that he has to remain confide for a while. But in reality they want him to return to them, so they bring him to his old apartment and an American, Raymond Greenwood, who himself defected to Russia several years ago, is placed there to keep an eye on him. However, Rochenko is not about to give in and is determined to escape. So with help from his former lover, he gets word to the Americans. And even Raymond is started to be disillusioned with Russia, and he has to decide if he is going to do what he was sent to do or help Rochenko.

Murder at 1600 (1997)

Monday, February 18th, 2008
Genres: Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller
Countries: USA
Actors: Snipes, Wesley | Lane, Diane | Benzali, Daniel | Miller, Dennis | Alda, Alan | Cox, Ronny | Diane Baker | Donovan, Tate | Yulin, Harris | Wright, Tom | Pryor, Nicholas | Rocket, Charles | Bennett, Nigel | Gorski, Tamara | O'Keeffe, Douglas
Directors: Dwight H. Little
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When the murdered body of a young woman who works in the White House is found. Homicide detective Harlan Regis is called in. Upon arriving Senior Secret Service Agent Spikings objects to his presence, but he has the support of the National Security Adviser. Preliminary investigation suggests that it might be a sex crime. And Regis learns that the President’s son has a history of similar acts. He tries to get more info but Spikings’ impeding him but he is determined to find out what happened. Secret Service Agent Nina Chance tries to help him.

Air Force One (1997)

Monday, February 18th, 2008
Genres: Action | Drama | Thriller
Countries: Germany | USA
Actors: Ford, Harrison | Oldman, Gary | Close, Glenn | Crewson, Wendy | Matthews, Liesel | Guilfoyle, Paul | Berkeley, Xander | Macy, William H. | Stockwell, Dean | Everett, Tom | Prochnow, Jürgen | Bullock, Donna | Miller, Michael Ray | Weintraub, Carl | Latham, Elester
Directors: Petersen, Wolfgang
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Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman star in this thriller about a steadfast U.S. President who has just told the world he will not negotiate with terrorists. Now, Russian neo-nationalists have hijacked Air Force One and the President is faced with a nearly impossible decison: give in to terrorist demands or sacrifice not only the country’s dignity, but the lives of his wife and daughter.

Catch a Fire (2006)

Sunday, February 17th, 2008
Genres: Drama | History | Thriller
Countries: France | South Africa | UK | USA
Actors: Robbins, Tim | Luke, Derek | Mbuli, Bonnie | Shabangu, Mncedisi | Masha, Tumisho | Khumalo, Sithembiso | Pheto, Terry | Burgers, Michele | Lovinga, Mpho | Mxo | Anstey, Jessica | Savage, Charlotte | Nkyonyeni, Nomhlé | Mabizela, Michael | van Jaarsveldt, Eduan
Directors: Noyce, Phillip
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A political thriller: the real-life story of a South African hero’s journey to freedom. In the country’s turbulent and divided times in the 1980s, Patrick Chamusso is an oil refinery foreman and soccer coach who is apolitical - until he and his wife Precious are jailed. Patrick is stunned into action against the country’s oppressive reigning system, even as police Colonel Nic Vos further insinuates himself into the Chamussos’ lives.

300 (2006)

Sunday, February 17th, 2008
Genres: Action | Drama | History | War
Countries: USA
Actors: Butler, Gerard | Headey, Lena | West, Dominic | Wenham, David | Regan, Vincent | Fassbender, Michael | Wisdom, Tom | Pleavin, Andrew | Tiernan, Andrew | Santoro, Rodrigo | Cimmino, Giovani | McHattie, Stephen | Kramer, Greg | Ivanovici, Alex | Kelly, Craig
Directors: Snyder, Zack
Download: DivX 

It is spring 480 BC, Persian King Xerxes, continuing his father Darius’ master plan to conquer the Hellenic city-states, arrives in Hellas. The previous Persian invasion and diplomatic attempts have already turned most northern Hellas tribes and states to the Persian side. But the people of Athens and Sparta, the largest Hellenic powers at the time, feel quite insulted by the Persian emissaries’ request to surrender to Xerxes, and so slay them. In Sparta, King Leonidas consults the local oracle, who gives two options: Either a spartan king will have to be sacrificed, or Sparta will be burned to the ground. A year earlier (481, BC) a Panhellenic consortium of all southern city-states had already recognized the superiority of the Spartan army (the best organized and trained army at the time) and had declared King Leonidas as supreme commander of the combined Hellenic army. It is then decided that a small force should block Xerxes’ way to southern Hellas in the Thermopylae passage. This passage was, at that time, 12 meters wide. The great historian Herodotus, possibly exaggerating, states that there were 1,700,000 Persians (their true number could have been anywhere from 100,000 to 1,000,000) against 7,000 Hellenic hoplites and slaves, including the 300 men of the Spartan King elite guard. King Xerxes waited four days for the Hellenes to be frightened and eventually surrender and was quite astonished by his opponents’ complete apathy. Xerxes tried to convince Leonidas to drop weapons, give up his position, kneel before him and live on as a local governor under Xerxes. King Leonidas replied “molon lave,” which means “Come and get them.” The three-day battle began, with the 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians (the other Hellenes where sent by Leonidas to protect passages to their flanks) slaying thousands of Persians with minimal losses. The whole Persian campaign would have failed if it hadn’t been for Efialtes, who showed Xerxes a secret passage to the Hellenic flanks. After a final battle led by King Xerxes himself, the Hellenic force was slain and their heroism and glory was written forever in history. From the beginning of the battle, the Hellenes buried their dead in the spot where they fell. Then battle signs where made for the dead of each Hellenic faction. For the Pelloponisians, (including the 300 Spartans) the sign generally read (free translation) “In this place 4,000 Pelloponisians fought 30 millions).” For the 300 Spartans (Lakaedaemonians), the sign reads (free translation) “Oh foreigner, tell the Lakaedaemonians that we are buried here obeying their laws,” meaning that they never hesitated and never retreated from the enemy. The impact of the battle was enormous for both sides. The Persians’ morale dropped to zero, and the Hellenes lost their fear for the Persian conqueror and organized their defense. After several successful battles, the Hellenes ultimately defeated the Persian army and repelled their invasion in the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC.

Patriot Games (1992)

Sunday, February 17th, 2008
Genres: Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller
Countries: USA
Actors: Ford, Harrison | Archer, Anne | Bergin, Patrick | Bean, Sean | Birch, Thora | Fox, James | Jackson, Samuel L. | Walker, Polly | Freeman, J. E. | Jones, James Earl | Harris, Richard | Norton, Alex | Fraser, Hugh | Threlfall, David | Armstrong, Alun
Directors: Noyce, Phillip
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Jack Ryan, the hero of Tom Clancy’s techno-thriller series, returns in the sequel to _The Hunt for Red October_. Ryan is on vacation in England when he spoils an assassination attempt on an important member of the Royal Family. Ryan gets drawn back into the CIA when the same splinter faction of the IRA targets him and his family.