Yahoo! Movies: New Crime/Gangster DVD Releases

Scarface

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:43 -0000

Brian De Palma's blood-and-sun-drenched saga of a Cuban deportee�s rise to the top of Miami's cocaine business has become something of a popular classic since its release; it's been referenced in rap songs and subsequent gangster movies and quoted the world over. Despite this lovefest with the dialogue, the film�s brutal violence and lack of positive characters still make it controversial and disliked by certain critics. Al Pacino stars as Tony Montana, whose intelligence, guts, and ambition help him skyrocket from dishwasher to the top of a criminal empire but whose eventual paranoia and incestuous desire for his kid sister (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) prove his undoing. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Tony�s neglected coke-addicted trophy wife, and Steven Bauer is his concerned friend. F. Murray Abraham, Robert Loggia, and Paul Shenar are some of Tony�s sleazy business partners and potential killers. Oliver Stone wrote the expletive-packed screenplay, based on Howard Hawks�s 1932 version--which was ostensibly about Al Capone and starred Paul Muni and George Raft. The synth-heavy Giorgio Moroder score expertly evokes the drug-fueled decadence of 1980s Miami, and De Palma provides several of his elaborate set pieces, including a horrific showstopper in a motel room with a chain saw.

RERELEASE: September 19th, 2003 (New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Detroit, Dallas, Miami and San Francisco) (2 hrs. 50 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

Boys Don t Cry

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:42 -0000

Follow Teena Brandon as she becomes Brandon Teena and claims a new male identity in the rural town of Falls City, Nebraska. There, Brandon successfully pulls off portraying a man unbeknownst to the women he's dating, eventually falling in love with Lana. He also befriends Lana's friends John and Tom. At First, Brandon's new friends like him and treat him as a buddy. But when Brandon's sexual identity is revealed, the deception triggers a spiral of horrific violence that ends in homicide. (1 hr. 54 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Young Guns II

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:41 -0000

Billy, Doc and Chavez find themselves jailed in the same place and plan an escape. Together with new recruits, they head for the Mexican border not knowing that Billy's one-time friend Pat Garrett now wears a badge and is leading a posse with one mission - get Billy the Kid. Academy Award nominations: Best Song ("Blaze of Glory", by Jon Bon Jovi). (1 hr. 45 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

3,000 Miles to Graceland

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:40 -0000

A skilled band of criminals gang together with a goal to get rich at the 2001 International Elvis Convention in Las Vegas. Dressed to the nines as flawless Elvis impersonators and armed with enough ammo and electronic gadgets to easily knock off any establishment, it's no surprise when, at the last minute, the deal goes bad. A wild action-adventure film with twisting plot and a kicking soundtrack by George Clinton, 3,000 MILES TO GRACELAND is a non-stop rollicking ride. (2 hrs. 5 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Chinatown

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:39 -0000

"Forget it, Jake -- it's Chinatown." The opaque shrug that ends this 1970s classic embodies the film's world-weary depiction of people who are never what they seem and dark motives that dwell deep below the surface. Like the water that drives the plot, secrets in Chinatown have a way of bubbling up in the most unexpected places, as detective Jake Gittes (Nicholson) discovers when he takes on Evelyn Mulwray (Dunaway) as a client. Not so much a recreation of the classic-era Chandler and Hammett private-eye stories as an outright celebration of the depravity they only hinted at. A stunning achievement for both Polanski and Towne. Followed by Nicholson's direction of THE TWO JAKES in 1990. (2 hrs. 11 min.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

Natural Born Killers

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:38 -0000

Oliver Stone's over-the-top satire on America's worshipful fascination with tabloid criminals stars Woody Harrelson as Mickey Knox and Juliette Lewis as girlfriend-wife Mallory Wilson. Commencing with the dual murder of Mallory's sexually abusive father (Rodney Dangerfield) and grossly negligent mother (Edie McClurg), the anomic couple take off on a three-week killing spree across the country, telling everyone who they are so that they get the credit for their crimes. The media are immediately enthralled with the couple, especially Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr.), the bloodthirsty host of a tabloid TV show who follows their every move. By the time they're finally arrested, they've become such huge media stars that the cops treat them more like celebrities than criminals. Even the maniacal limelight-hogging warden of the Batongaville State Prison, Dwight McClusky (Tommy Lee Jones), is in awe. Stone pulls out all the stops in the prison riot, as the unwitting Gale becomes an unwilling participant in his own broadcast of the event. Again the director switches from film to video, from color to black and white, from sitcom parody to newsreel parody, and from one film stock to another, hoping to jar the audience out of its complacency with visual hyperbole. (2 hrs.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Murder By Numbers

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:37 -0000

A tenacious homicide detective (Sandra Bullock) and her new partner (Ben Chaplin) uncover a trail of shrewdly concealed evidence that links two brilliant young men (Ryan Gosling, Michael Pitt) to a murder. (2 hrs.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Sleepers

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:36 -0000

Tommy, John, Michael, and Shakes are four young teenage punks growing up in the streets of Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen in the mid-1960s. When these four friends pull a prank that that goes awry, they find themselves serving time at the Wilkinson School for Boys, where they are repeatedly and sadistically violated and tortured by four guards--the most menacing being Noles, portrayed by Kevin Bacon. Fifteen years later, the foursome is still dealing with the emotional repercussions of their abuse. Tommy (Billy Crudup) and John (Ron Eldard) have become common criminals, and when they spot Noles in a local watering hole they can't pass up the chance for revenge. It's up to Shakes (Jason Patric), a low-profile newspaper employee, and Michael (Brad Pitt), a lawyer with the district attorney's office, to save their friends while keeping the details of their tortured childhoods secret. Dustin Hoffman appears as Danny Snyder, and Robert De Niro stars as Father Bobby, the local neighborhood priest who is as comfortable on the streets or in a bar as he is behind the pulpit. Based on the allegedly true story by Lorenzo Carcaterra, the film is directed by Barry Levinson (DINER, RAIN MAN). (2 hrs. 20 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

City That Never Sleeps

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:35 -0000

John leads the perfect double life happily married, hardworking cop by day; a lurid wretch of a man by night. When his father is murdered, he's forced to choose between his two lives in order to successfully track the killer. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:34 -0000

New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber's ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. Ryder, a criminal mastermind, leads a highly-armed gang of four, threatening to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there's one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape? (1 hr 35 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

The Brothers Bloom

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:33 -0000

The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust, intrigue and the most complex literary-inspired setups imaginable. Now they've decided to take on one last job -- showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress named Penelope the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world -- from New Jersey to Greece to Russia and Prague -- in pursuit of priceless artifacts wanted by some of their most unsavory competitors. (1 hr. 53 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Lion's Den

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:32 -0000

Writer-director Pablo Trapero crafts this tender tale of an incarcerated woman who gives birth to a baby boy and struggles to raise her son behind bars as she comes to the bleak realization that he is the only one who matters to her anymore. It all started when a pregnant Julia woke up in her apartment flanked by the bloodied bodies of her former lovers Nahuel and Romiro. Subsequently sent to a prison for mothers and pregnant convicts, Julia railed against the system by withdrawing into her own world. Upon giving birth, Julia realizes just how difficult it could be to raise a son in prison, but each day her feelings for the boy swell stronger within her. Later, when Julia pays a visit to Romiro in the men's prison, it becomes obvious that the couple's feelings for one another are just as muddled as the events of that fateful night back in Julia's apartment. (1 hr. 53 min.) Release date: Dec 8, 2009

Public Enemies

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:31 -0000

Johnny Depp and Christian Bale emerge from two of the biggest blockbuster series of all time (Pirates of the Caribbean and Batman, respectively) to star in this crime drama from HEAT director Michael Mann. Depp stars as charismatic 1930s gangster John Dillinger, whose notorious bank robberies have turned him into a celebrity during the Depression era. The rise in crime has J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) desperate to have his newly created FBI take down gangsters such as Dillinger, "Pretty Boy" Floyd (Channing Tatum), and "Baby Face" Nelson (Stephen Graham). Enter Agent Melvin Purvis (Bale), an ambitious crimefighter sent to Chicago to capture Dillinger and his gang. The criminal has evaded the law before, but he is drawn to the Second City by the beautiful Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard).

Though PUBLIC ENEMIES boasts big names, it feels more like an arthouse offering than a typical gangster picture. With its intimately shot violence and 1930s setting, the film is more BONNIE AND CLYDE than GOODFELLAS. Mann and director of photography Dante Spinotti alternate between hand-held, high-quality digital cameras and more traditional film stock, giving this crime drama a carefully composed, thoroughly modern look. But the casting of the leads is vintage Hollywood: Depp could be the modern incarnation of silent star Rudolph Valentino, and Cotillard�s wide-eyed beauty--and talent--would fit right in with the starlets of the golden age. Everyone else, including Bale, fades into the background, but it�s hard to complain when Depp and Cotillard give such magnetic performances. (2 hr. 23 min.) Release date: Dec 8, 2009

Vicious Circle

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:30 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Dec 8, 2009

Whiteout

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:29 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: Dec 1, 2009

Gomorrah

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:28 -0000

Matteo Garrone's GOMORRAH is a dense, sprawling expos� of the corruption plaguing the communities of Naples and Caserta in modern-day Italy. The all-powerful Camorra syndicate influences the lives of even the most innocent citizens. In a manner similar to THE WIRE, Garrone tells his story from many different angles, resulting in a complicated narrative that often feels novelistic. In many cases, the revolving stories never overlap or intersect. While that may be jarring to those viewers who are used to having their strings tied neatly for them by a film's conclusion, Garrone's decision results in an experience that feels much more honest and true. We witness the syndicate's impact from the top down and from the inside out, following a cavalcade of characters who are all trying in their own ways to escape the deadly world in which they live.

Based on the book by Roberto Saviano, Garrone's crime epic is a powerful indictment of the corruption that is running rampant in Italy. His decision to present such a wide spectrum of characters enables him to show just how deeply everyone is impacted by this terrifying, unchecked display of criminal power. Cinematically, he employs a dizzying array of styles in order to further establish the frighteningly ungoverned atmosphere that pervades this community. GOMORRAH succeeds as both visceral entertainment and thoughtful social commentary. (2 hrs. 17 min.) Release date: Nov 24, 2009

The Limits of Control

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:27 -0000

In spite of the title, THE LIMITS OF CONTROL constantly reveals the controlling hand of its creator, the indie icon Jim Jarmusch. The film follows Jarmusch regular Isaach de Bankole as he ambles through various parts of Spain on an ambiguous criminal mission. Credited as the "Lone Man," de Bankole encounters a series of oddly disguised accomplices and absorbs their one-sided philosophical musings, all the while piecing together the nature of his assignment. This narrative sounds more compelling in summary than it is on screen, but if you are seeing a Jarmusch picture in hopes of a scintillating story, then you are as confused as the characters from his more memorable films. The sole disappointment of this film is that, despite the overwhelming strangeness of the action (or lack thereof), none of the characters display any confusion or uncertainty, as they assuredly assess the events and still find time to practice tai chi and pontificate about music, film, science, and painting. The film is rigorously structured: each encounter invokes a definitive theme that clicks firmly into place by the conclusion. The individual scenes are entirely enjoyable, as a white-blond Tilda Swinton discusses Welles and Hitchcock, and John Hurt rasps about the depiction of Spanish bohemians in art and literature. Despite Jarmusch�s domineering presence, it is the brilliant work of his collaborators, particularly cinematographer Christopher Doyle and editor Jay Rabinowitz, that shimmers in the memory of the viewer after the final shot. Doyle makes every line, curve, and diagonal in his frames vibrate with hints of radiant significance, and his ethereal images of the Almerian landscape often draw our attention from the artificial metaphysical dialogue. Jarmusch fans will be delighted by this perplexing metaphor of a film, which aims to symbolize and summarize the whole of existence through its myriad parts. (1 hr. 56 min.) Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Bad Guys

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:26 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Nov 10, 2009

La La Linea

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:25 -0000

Director James Cotten recruits an all-star roster for this crime thriller set along the Mexican-American border. Mexican druglord Pelon has managed to escape the ire of the American government, but his decision to switch from cocaine from Colombia to heroin from Afghanistan attracts their attention. Numerous assassins come for the man�s blood, but Pelon evades them all. Hitman Mark Shields sets himself apart from the pack with 20 years of killing experience, but he becomes distracted by the presence of a woman and her daughter. This character-driven action film stars Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Armand Assante, and Esai Morales. Release date: Nov 10, 2009

Watchmen

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:24 -0000

In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the watchmen? (163 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

The Clean and Narrow

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:23 -0000

William Katt directs this indie crime-drama about a loser on the run. Buddy (Jack Noseworthy) manages to pull off a drugstore robbery but kills a clerk in the process, thanks to his bloodthirsty partner. Now his longtime nemesis, law enforcement officer Wayne (Paul Francis), is hot on his trail. Meanwhile, Buddy's wife, Marie (Laura Leighton), and his mentally impaired brother (Wes Culwell) remain in the dark as to his illegal activities. (1 hr. 22 min.) Release date: Oct 27, 2009

They Killed Sister Dorothy

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:22 -0000

Martin Sheen narrates this documentary that delves into the mystery of a 73-year-old nun's murder in the Amazon. THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY shows that the killing of this saintly woman was not a random act of violence; instead, the act was perpetrated by people who have the interests of their bank accounts, rather than those of the people and the rainforests, first in their minds. (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Oct 20, 2009

West 32nd

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:21 -0000

As films such as MEAN STREETS have exposed the underbelly of Little Italy, Mike Kang's WEST 32ND is a gritty look at New York City's Koreatown. John Cho (HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE) plays John Kim, an ambitious lawyer who sees how taking the case of a young Korean murder suspect may be able to improve the image of his firm--and himself by extension. He meets the boy's sister Lila (Grace Park), and he's immediately drawn to the case. As he investigates the case, he goes deeper and deeper into the underworld of gangs and corruption.

With OLDBOY and THE HOST, Korean films have gained a foothold in U.S. cinemas, but Korean-American films have yet to do the same. Raised in Providence, Rhode Island, director-screenwriter Kang gives an interesting look at the lives of those straddling the space between Korea and America. Cho, who was previously so funny in the stoner comedy, moves seamlessly into this intense drama. He carries the film with his deft portrayal of a complex character. Park, who is best known for her role as a Cylon in the sci-fi series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, gets to stretch a bit in her role as the conflicted Lila. Coupled with small moments of humor, her flirtation with John gives the film a brief rest from the darkness. WEST 32ND harkens back to crime films such as DONNIE BRASCO and RESERVOIR DOGS where characters with the best of intentions get in over their heads as they spend time with the "bad guys." (1 hr. 31 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Lies & Illusions

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:20 -0000

Monster-movie director Tibor Takacs (MANSQUITO, MEGASNAKE) helms the action-comedy LIES & ILLUSIONS. Christian Slater stars as successful self-help author Wes Wilson, whose happiness is shattered when his fiancee, Samantha (Sarah Ann Schultz), is killed in a seemingly random attack. Wes�s world is turned further upside down after he uncovers Samantha�s secret double life, which involved stealing a cache of diamonds from ruthless jewel smuggler Isaac (Cuba Gooding Jr.)--who now wants his loot back, and is willing to do anything to get it. (93 hr.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Skills Like This

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:19 -0000

Fans of indie comedy will find much to like in this film that was the 2007 Audience Award Winner for Best Narrative Feature at South by Southwest. In SKILLS LIKE THIS, aspiring writer Max Solomon comes to the realization that there is no future for him in words. However, Max discovers that he has a hidden talent: bank robbing. He embarks on a new life, but will it get in the way of his romance with a pretty bank teller? (1 hr. 28 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009