THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996)

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Directed by Anthony Minghella

Beginning in the 1930's, "The English Patient" tells the story of Count Almasy (Ralph Fiennes) who is a Hungarian map maker employed by the Royal Geographical Society to chart the vast expanses of the Sahara Desert along with several other prominent explorers. As World War II unfolds, Almasy enters into a world of love, betrayal, and politics that is later revealed in a series of flashbacks while Almasy is on his death bed after being horribly burned in a plane crash.

Nominated for 12 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Dramatic Score, Best Film Editing, Best Art/Set Decoration, Best Costume Design and Best Sound

Won 9, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Original Dramatic Score, Best Film Editing, Best Art/Set Decoration, Best Costume Design and Best Sound

DVD Special Features:

None

SECONDS (1966)

Directed by John Frankenheimer

Rock Hudson stars in this disturbing psychological thriller with a strangely strong sense of paranoia and repression. A very secret organization offers wealthy people a second chance at life. The customer picks out someone they want to be and the organization surgically alters the customer to look like the intended person, stages the customer's death, gets rid of the intended person and the customer has a new life. Things become complicated when the customer is dissatisfied with his new identity and wants another one

Nominated for 1 Academy Award, Best Cinematography (Black/White)

DVD Special Features:

Feature Length Audio Commentary by Director, John Frankenheimer

ANGEL FACE (1952)

Directed by Otto Preminger

When Mrs. Tremayne is mysteriously poisoned with gas, ambulance driver Frank Jessup (Robert Mitchum) meets her refined but sensuous stepdaughter Diane (Jean Simmons), who quickly pursues and infatuates him. Under Diane's seductive influence, Frank is soon the Tremayne chauffeur; but he begins to suspect danger under her surface sweetness. When he shows signs of pulling away, Diane schemes to get him in so deep he'll never get out.

No Academy Award Nominations

DVD Special Features

None

THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA (1954)

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Has been movie director Harry Dawes (Humphrey Boagart) gets a new lease on his career when Kirk Edwards hires him to write and direct a film. They go to Madrid to find Maria Vargas (Ava Gardner), a dancer who will star in the film to be shot in Rome. Millionaire Alberto Bravano (Marius Goring) takes Maria from Kirk. Count Vincenzo Torlato-Favrini (Rossano Brazzi) takes Maria from Alberto.

Nominated for 2 Academy Awards, Best Supporting Actor and Best Writing (Story and Screenplay)

Won 1, Best Supporting Actor

DVD Special Features:

None

THE FORTUNE COOKIE (1966)

Directed by Billy Wilder

A cameraman is knocked over during a football game. His brother in law as the king of the ambulance chasing lawyers starts a suit while he's still knocked out. The cameraman is against it until he hears that his ex-wife will be coming to see him. He pretends to be injured to get her back, but also sees what the strain is doing to the football player who injured him.

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography (Black and White) and Best Art/Set Decoration (Black and White)

Won 1, Best Supporting Actor

DVD Special Features:

None

THE WICKER MAN (1973)

Directed by Robin Hardy

Police Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward), of the Scottish mainland, receives an anonymous letter from the offshore community of Summerisle, asking him to investigate the disappearance of a young girl there. He travels to the remote isle and discovers a secretive, tightly knit neo-pagan society. Being a devout (and rather self-righteous) Christian, he is shocked by the islanders' open sexuality and ritualistic devotion to the "old gods." As the mystery of the missing girl unravels, he begins to suspect that she is a victim of human sacrifice. In the film's chilling final sequence, the truth is revealed when Sgt. Howie meets the "wicker man."

No Academy Award Nominations

DVD Special Features:

The Wicker Man Enigma

The Christopher Lee Interview

The Wicker Man - The Director's Cut

Feature Length Commentary with Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, Director, Robert Hardy and Moderated by Mark Kermode (Recorded in 2001)