Flight of the Red Balloon

• Inspired by Albert Lamorisse'sic 1956 Academy Award®-Winning short*, Flight of the Red Balloon is the latest masterwork from director Hou Hsiao Hsien (Three Times, Millennium Mambo). Expanding on the key elements of Lamorisse's short - a young boy, a red balloon and Paris - Hou weaves the tale of a boy, Simon (Simon Iteanu) dealing with the increased fragility of his loving yet preocc

One of the most famous short films ever made, The Red Balloon is a childhood fantasy with appeal for viewers of every age. It is the story of Pascal, a lonely French boy who befriends a wondrous red balloon which follows him everywhere--to school and church--and even hovers outside his window when he is in his room. Filmed entirely in the picturesque back streets and narrow alleys of Old Montmartre, the film has been acclaimed through the world as an immortal masterpiece of lyrical poetry. The Red ! Balloon is both a beguiling fantasy and a touching allegory on the magic powers of love and friendship. The late French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse made this classic, 1956 short work about a lonely little Parisian boy (Pascal Lamorisse) befriended by a large red balloon, which seems to have a will of its own. As with his preceding short, 1952's White Mane, Lamorisse took home a grand prize from the Cannes Film Festival for The Red Balloon, and the latter film also won an Academy Award. There have been some stimulating pieces of film criticism (some pro, some con) written about the aesthetics of this little movie over the years, but there's no question it makes for a touching, allegorical piece always certain to prompt conversations among viewers of any age. --Tom Keogh Inspired by Albert Lamorisse's classic 1956 Academy Awardr-Winning short, Flight of the Red Balloon is the latest masterwork from director Hou Hsiao Hsien (Three Times, Millennium Mamb! o). Expanding on the key elements of Lamorisse's short - a you! ng boy, a red balloon and Paris - Hou weaves the tale of a boy, Simon (Simon Iteanu) dealing with the increased fragility of his loving yet preoccupied mother, Suzanne (Academy Awardr - Winner Juliette Binoche of The English Patient, Cach‚). When a Taiwanese film student, Song (Fang Song), is hired to help care for Simon, a unique extended family is formed - utterly dependent on each other yet lost in separate dreams mirrored by a delicate, shiny red balloon.

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Enemy of the State [Blu-ray]

• A former NSA operative aids the innocent victim of a politically motivated assassination cover-up. Directed by Tony Scott. Format: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: DRAMA Rating: R Age: 786936724936 UPC: 786936724936 Manufacturer No: 05346400

Will Smith and Gene Hackman trigger rapid-fire suspense in ENEMY OF THE STATE on Blu-ray’s high definition disc. The star-studded adventure Rolling Stone calls "a dynamite thriller" heats up as this volatile new format explodes onto the screen. After a Washington, D.C. attorney is given â€" without his knowledge â€" a video tying a top National Security Agency official to a political murder, he finds himself targeted by a relentless team of lethal NSA surveillance operatives. Watch as nonstop action meets cutting-edge technology in astounding 1080p, and hear the echo of every footstep with 5.1 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed audio. Surrender your senses to the awe! some power of Blu-rayâ„¢ High Definition!Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is a lawyer with a wife and family whose happily normal life is turned upside down after a chance meeting with a college buddy (Jason Lee) at a lingerie shop. Unbeknownst to the lawyer, he's just been burdened with a videotape of a congressman's assassination. Hot on the tail of this tape is a ruthless group of National Security Agents commanded by a belligerently ambitious fed named Reynolds (Jon Voight). Using surveillance from satellites, bugs, and other sophisticated snooping devices, the NSA infiltrates every facet of Dean's existence, tracing each physical and digital footprint he leaves. Driven by acute paranoia, Dean enlists the help of a clandestine former NSA operative named Brill (Gene Hackman), and Enemy of the State kicks into high-intensity hyperdrive.

Teaming up once again with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Top Gun director Tony Scott demonstrates his glossy style with c! lever cinematography and breakneck pacing. Will Smith proves t! hat ther e's more to his success than a brash sense of humor, giving a versatile performance that plausibly illustrates a man cracking under the strain of paranoid turmoil. Hackman steals the show by essentially reprising his role from The Conversation--just imagine his memorable character Harry Caul some 20 years later. Most of all, the film's depiction of high-tech surveillance is highly convincing and dramatically compelling, making this a cautionary tale with more substance than you'd normally expect from a Scott-Bruckheimer action extravaganza. --Jeremy StoreyRobert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is a lawyer with a wife and family whose happily normal life is turned upside down after a chance meeting with a college buddy (Jason Lee) at a lingerie shop. Unbeknownst to the lawyer, he's just been burdened with a videotape of a congressman's assassination. Hot on the tail of this tape is a ruthless group of National Security Agents commanded by a belligerently ambitious fed! named Reynolds (Jon Voight). Using surveillance from satellites, bugs, and other sophisticated snooping devices, the NSA infiltrates every facet of Dean's existence, tracing each physical and digital footprint he leaves. Driven by acute paranoia, Dean enlists the help of a clandestine former NSA operative named Brill (Gene Hackman), and Enemy of the State kicks into high-intensity hyperdrive.

Teaming up once again with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Top Gun director Tony Scott demonstrates his glossy style with clever cinematography and breakneck pacing. Will Smith proves that there's more to his success than a brash sense of humor, giving a versatile performance that plausibly illustrates a man cracking under the strain of paranoid turmoil. Hackman steals the show by essentially reprising his role from The Conversation--just imagine his memorable character Harry Caul some 20 years later. Most of all, the film's depiction of high-tech surveilla! nce is highly convincing and dramatically compelling, making t! his a ca utionary tale with more substance than you'd normally expect from a Scott-Bruckheimer action extravaganza. --Jeremy Storey

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