ANNA KARENINA (1948)

Directed by Julien Duvivier

Stefan (Hugh Dempster) and Dolly Oblonsky (Mary Kerridge) have had a little spat and Stefan has asked his sister, Anna Karenina (Vivien Leigh), to come down to Moscow to help mend the rift. Anna's companion on the train from St. Petersburg is Countess Vronsky (Helen Haye) who is met at the Moscow station by her son and it's love at first sight when he sets eyes upon Anna. Back in St. Petersburg they keep running into each other at parties. Since she has a husband, Alexei (Ralph Richardson) and small son, they must be very discreet if they are going to see each other alone.

No Academy Award Nominations

DVD Special Features:

None

SAYONARA (1957)

Directed by Joshua Logan

Film based on James A. Michener's novel of defiant desire. American servicemen stationed in Japan during the Korean War fall in love and marry Japanese nationals despite harsh paperwork impediments and orders to the contrary.

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Sound and Best Art/Set Decoration

Won 4, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art/Set Decoration and Best Sound

In her film debut, Miyoshi Umeki was the first Asian to win an Academy Award

The second Asian actor who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor was Haing S. Ngor (THE KILLING FIELDS) 1984

Others who have been nominated are:

Sessue Hayakawa, Best Supporting Actor - THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
Mako Iwamatsu, Best Supporting Actor - THE SAND PEBBLES (1966)
Ken Watanabe, Best Supporting Actor - THE LAST SAMURAI (2004)

DVD Special Features:

None

FAR FROM HEAVEN (2002)

Directed by Todd Haynes

Cathy (Julianne Moore) is the perfect 1950s housewife, living the perfect 1950s life: healthy kids, successful husband, social prominence. Then one night she surprises her husband Frank (Dennis Quaid) kissing another man, and her tidy world starts spinning out of control. In her confusion and grief, she finds consolation in the friendship of their African-American gardener, Raymond (Dennis Haysbert) - a socially taboo relationship that leads to the further disintegration of life as she knew it. Despite Cathy and Frank's struggle to keep their marriage afloat, the reality of his homosexuality and her feelings for Raymond open a painful, if more honest, chapter in their lives.

Nominated 4 Academy Awards including Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score

Julianne Moore was a double nominee in 2002, she was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress (The Hours)


DVD Special Features:

Feature Length Commentary by Director, Todd Haynes

The Making of Far From Heaven

A Filmmaker's Experience with Julianne Moore and Todd Haynes

Anatomy of a Scene Featurette

THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Directed by William Wyler

Three American servicemen return home to Boone City after the war, to find their lives irrevocably changed by their military experience. Homer Parrish (Harold Russell) has lost his hands, and has become distant from his fiancee and family as he struggles to overcome his disability.
Al Stephenson (Fredric March) returns to a family which has grown and changed during his three years away. And Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) finds himself stuck in a lousy job and a loveless marriage, while at the same time falling in love with Al's daughter (Theresa Wright). Together, the three must find a way to come to terms with their experiences and pick up the pieces, lest wartime turn out to be "the best years of their lives"

Nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Writing (Screenplay) Best Music (Dramatic or Comedy Score), Best Film Editing and Best Sound Recording

Won 7, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Writing (Screenplay), Best Music(Dramatic or Comedy Score) and Best Film Editing

One Honorary Academy Award was given to Harold Russell, for bringing hope to veterans through his appearance in the film

DVD Special Features:

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961)

Directed by Blake Edwards

Based on Truman Capote's novella, this is the story of a young, jet- setting woman, Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) in New York City who meets a young man, (Paul "Fred" Varjak) when he moves into her apartment building. He is being kept by a wealthy, older woman, 2-E (Patricial Neal) but wants to be a writer. She is working as a high-priced escort and searching for a rich, older man to marry.

The opening scene has her window-shopping at Tiffany's at six in the morning, after being up all night on a date

Nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, Best Art/Set
Decoration (Colour) and Best Music (Dramatic or Comedy) Score

Won 2, Best Music (Dramatic or Comedy) Score and Best Original Song

DVD Special Features:

None

MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Directed by John Schlesinger

A "cowboy," Joe Buck (Jon Voight), moves to New York City from Texas to make his fortune as a hustler servicing rich Park Avenue women. Shortly after arriving, he is hustled by homeless con man Ratzo Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), who had said he would manage him for a $20 fee. Bent on getting his money back, Buck finds the rapidly deteriorating Rizzo, ends up feeling sorry for him, and moving into Rizzo's room in an abandoned building to care for him. The two remain hopeful of striking it rich with Rizzo managing Buck's career, but it soon becomes obvious that they are no match for the urban jungle

Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor x 2, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing

Won 3, Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay

The only X-rated film ever to win a Best Picture Oscar.

The film was rated X upon its original release in 1969, but the unrestricted use of that rating by pornographic filmmakers caused the rating to quickly become associated with hardcore films. Because of the stigma that developed around the X rating in the ratings system's early years (many cinemas refused to run X films, and many newspapers would not run ads for them), the film was given a new R rating in 1971, without having anything changed or removed.

This was the first film to have been released with an X rating to be shown on prime time network television but film's rating had been changed to R by the time of the film's television premiere.

Andy Warhol was originally scheduled to appear in the Factory sequence. His appearance was cancelled when he was shot by Valerie Solanis.

DVD Special Features:

THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937)

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Directed by William Dieterle

A biopic of the life of Emile Zola (Paul Muni). Starting in Paris in 1862 it deals, among other events, with the Dreyfus Affair and anti-semitism in France. Captain Alfred Dreyfus was unjustly court martialed and sent to Devil's Island accused of betraying his country by disclosing military secrets.

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Writing (Screenplay), Best Art Direction, Best Assistant Director, Best Music (Score), Best Sound and Best Writing (Original Story)

Won 3, Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor and Best Writing (Screenplay)

DVD Special Features:

3 Vintage Vault Treasures:
Dramatic Short - The Little Diplomat
Musical Short - Romance Road
Cartoon Short - Ain't We Got Fun

DR STRANGELOVE OR HOW I LEARNT TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (1963)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

U.S. Air Force Colonel Jack Ripper(Sterling Hayden) goes completely and utterly mad, and sends his bomber wing to destroy the U.S.S.R. He suspects that the communists are conspiring to pollute the "precious bodily fluids" of the American people. The U.S. president meets with his advisors, where the Soviet ambassador tells him that if the U.S.S.R. is hit by nuclear weapons, it will trigger a "Doomsday Device" which will destroy all plant and animal life on Earth. Peter Sellers portraying the three men who might avert this tragedy: British Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, the only person with access to the demented Gen. Ripper; U.S. President Merkin Muffley, whose best attempts to divert disaster depend on placating a drunken Soviet Permier and the former Nazi genious Dr. Strangelove, who concludes that "such a device would not be a practical deterrent for reasons which at this moment must be all too obvious". Will the bombers be stopped in time, or will General Jack Ripper succeed in destroying the world?

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director,Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay

DVD Special Features:

The Art of Stanley Kubrick

Inside the Making of Dr. Strangelove

Interview with Peter Sellers and George C. Scott

LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (1962)

Sidney Lumet

Author Eugene O'Neill gives an autobiographical account of his explosive homelife, fused by a drug-addicted mother, a father who wallows in drink after realizing he is no longer a famous actor and an older brother who is emotionally unstable and a misfit. The family is reflected by the youngest son, who is a sensitive and aspiring writer.

Nominated for 1 Academy Award, Best Actress

DVD Special Features:

None

SERPICO (1973)

Directed by Sidney Lumet

Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) is a New York cop in the early 1970s. Unlike all his colleagues, he refuses a share of the money that the cops routinely extort from local criminals. Nobody wants to work with Serpico, and he's in constant danger of being placed in life threatening positions by his "partners". Nothing seems to get done even when he goes to the highest of authorities. Despite the dangers he is in, he refuses to be corrupted, in the hope that one day, the truth will prevail.

Nominated for 2 Academy Awards, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay

DVD Special Features:

First Documentary, Serpico: From Real to Reel

Second Documentary, "Inside Serpico"

Serpico: Favorite Moments

Photo Gallery with Commentary by Director Sidney Lumet

CRIES AND WHISPERS (1972) VISKNINGAR OCH ROP

Directed by Ingmar Bergman

A family drama takes place in a mansion in the late 1800's Sweden
Karin (Ingrid Tullin) and Maria (Liv Ullmann) watch over their sister Agnes (Harriet Andersson)' sickbed together with the servant Anna (Kari Sylwan). Through flashbacks the lives of both sisters are described, which are full of lies, deceit, callousness, self despise, guilt and forbidden love. Agnes' dramatic death cramp arouses only aversion in them.
They both retreat in their own way from her when she grasps for their hands.

Nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design

Won 1, Best Cinematography

DVD Special Features:

None

BORN YESTERDAY (1950)

Directed by George Cukor

Uncouth, loud-mouth junkyard tycoon Harry Brock (Broderick Crawford) descends upon Washington D.C. to buy himself a congressman or two, bringing with him his mistress, ex-showgirl Billie Dawn (Julie Holliday). Brock hires newspaperman Paul Verrall (William Holden) to see if he can soften her rough edges and make her more presentable in the capital's society. But Harry gets more than he bargained for as Billie absorbs Verall's lessons in U.S. history and not only comes to the realization that Harry is nothing but a two-bit, corrupt crook and in the process also falls in love with her handsome tutor.

Nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Writing (Screenplay) and Best Costume design (Black and White)

Won 1, Best Actress

Judie Holliday beat the odds by defeating two other highly favored contenders in the Best Actress race, Bette Davis (All About Eve) and Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard)

DVD Special Features:

None

THE MAGNIFICIENT AMBERSONS (1942)

Directed by Orson Welles

Based on the novel by Booth Tarkington, The Magnificient Ambersons tells the story of young, handsome, but somewhat wild Eugene Morgan, who wants to marry Isabel Amberson, daughter of a rich upper-class family but she instead marries dull and steady Wilbur Minafer.
Their only child, George, grows up a spoiled brat. Years later, Eugene comes back, now a mature widower and a successful automobile maker. After Wilbur dies, Eugene again asks Isabel to marry him, and she is receptive.
But George resents the attentions paid to his mother, and he and his aunt Fanny manage to sabotage the romance. A series of disasters befall the Ambersons and George, and he gets his come-uppance in the end.

Orson Welles next film after the controversy surrounding the release of his other masterpiece, CITIZEN KANE (1941)

After post production by Orson Welles, RKO recut the original ending to make it more upbeat particularly as Pearl Harbour had just been invaded and America was about join the Allies in World War II

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art/Set Decoration(Black and White) and Best Cinematography(Black and White)


DVD Special Features:

Documentary - Hollywood Remembers Orson Welles

THE GREAT ZIEGFELD (1936)

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Directed by Robert Z. Leonard

Musical biopic based of the life and career of the Broadway impressario, Florenz Ziegfeld Jnr

Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Writing (Original Story), Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing and Best Dance Direction

Won 3, Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Dance Direction

Luis Rainer was the first winner of two consecutive Best Actress Academy Awards in 1937 (THE GREAT ZIEGFELD) AND 1938 (THE GOOD EARTH)

Her record stood for 30 years until Katharine Hepburn broke in 1967 (THE LION IN WINTER) and 1968 (GUESS WHO IS COMING TO DINNER)

DVD Special Features:

Documentary "Ziegfeld on Film"

Vintage movie premiere newsreel

DRIVING MISS DAISY (1989)

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Directed by Bruce Beresford

An old Jewish lady, (Jessica Tandy) and her African-American chauffeur (Morgan Freeman) in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.The movie is directly taken from a stage play and it covers over twenty years of the pair's life together as they slowly build a relationship that transcends their differences.

Nominated for 9 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Art Direction/Set Decoration and Best Costume Design

Won 4, Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Makeup

Jessica Tandy at 80, became the oldest winner of a competitive Academy Award

DVD Special Features:

Three peeks behind the scenes:

The All-New Miss Daisy's Journey
From Stage to Screen
Jessica Tandy: The Theater Legend

Feature Length Audio Commentary by Director Bruce Beresford, Writer Alfred Uhry and Producer Lili Fini Zanuck

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1968)

Directed by Stanley Kramer

A wealthy white couple (Spencer Tracey and Katherine Hepburn) are informed that their daughter's intended is coming to meet them, and he's black (Sidney Poitier)
Scripted in the late 60s, the idea of a bi-racial marriage was still fairly shocking. To smooth this over, the son-in-law to be is a prince and a Doctor, who lives in Switzerland and intends to take their daughter there to live. Set in California, it's not quite a return to Selma, Alabama, but was controversial in its day

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Art/Set Decoration and Best Music (Scoring, Adaptation or Treatment of Music)

Won 2, Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay

Spencer Tracy died two weeks after the film was completed and was nominated in the Best Actor category Posthumously

The entire principal cast earned acting nominations

DVD Special Features:

None

BRAVEHEART (1995)

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Directed by Mel Gibson

Partly historical, partly mythological, story of William Wallace (Mel Gibson), a Scottish common man who fights for his country's freedom against the cruel English ruler Edward the Longshanks (Patrick Mcgoohan), who wishes to inherit the crown of Scotland for himself around the end of the 13th century

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Dramatic Score, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Makeup, Best Costume Design and Best Sound

Won 5, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Best Sound Effects Editing


DVD Special Features:

Feature length Audio Commentary by Director, Mel Gibson

OUT OF AFRICA (1985)

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Directed by Sidney Pollack

Film based on the true story life of Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep), who establishes a coffee plantation in Africa. Her life is complicated by a philandering husband of convenience (Klaus Maria Brandauer), true love, Denys(Robert Redford), troubles on the plantation, schooling of the natives and World War 1

Nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor,Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Art/Set Decoration, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design and Best Sound

Won 7, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Art/Set Decoration and Best Sound

DVD Special Features:

Feature length commentary with Director, Sidney Pollack

THE FOG (1980)

Directed by John Carpenter

A Northern California fishing town, built 100 years ago over an old leper colony, is the target for revenge by a killer fog containing zombie-like ghosts seeking revenge for their deaths.

No Academy Award Nominations

DVD Special Features:

THE APARTMENT (1960)

Directed by Billy Wilder

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Bud Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is a struggling clerk in a huge New York insurance company. He's discovered a quick way to climb the corporate ladder by lending out his apartment to the executives as a place to take their mistresses.
He often has to deal with the aftermath of their visits and one night he's left with a major problem to solve.

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography (Black/White), Best Film Editing, Best Art/Set Decoration (Black/White) and Best Sound

Won 5, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Art/Set Decoration (Black/White) and Best Film Editing

DVD Special Features:

None