"Romeo
and Juliet is updated to the tenements of New York in this Oscar-winning
musical landmark. Adapted by Ernest Lehman from the Broadway production, the
movie opens with an overhead shot of Manhattan, an effect that director Robert
Wise would repeat over the Alps in The Sound of Music four years later. We are
introduced to two rival gangs: The Jets, second-generation American teens, and
the Sharks, Puerto Rican immigrants. When the war between the Jets and Sharks
reaches a fever pitch, Jets leader Riff (Russ Tamblyn) decides to challenge the
Sharks to one last "winner takes all" rumble. He decides to meet Sharks leader
Bernardo (George Chakiris) for a war council at a gymnasium dance; to bolster
his argument, Riff wants his old pal Tony (Richard Beymer), the cofounder of
the Jets, to come along. But Tony has set his sights on vistas beyond the
neighborhood and has fallen in love with Bernardo's sister Maria (Natalie
Wood), a love that, as in Romeo and Juliet, will eventually lead to tragedy. In
contrast to the usual slash-and-burn policy of Hollywood musical adaptations,
all the songs written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim for the
original Broadway production of West Side Story were retained for the film
version, although some alterations were made to appease the Hollywood censors,
and the original order of two songs were reversed for stronger dramatic impact.
The movie more than retains the original choreography of Jerome Robbins, which
is recreated in some of the most startling and balletic dance sequences ever
recorded to film. West Side Story won an almost-record 10 Oscars, including
Best Picture, supporting awards to Chakiris and Rita Moreno as Bernardo's
girlfriend Anita, and Best Director to Robbins and Wise. Richard Beymer's
singing was dubbed by Jim Bryant, Natalie Wood's by Marni Nixon (who also
dubbed Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady), and Rita Moreno's by Betty Wand." -
iTunes
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ROCKY
PLOT SUMMARY
"Rocky
Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), a Philadelphia boxer, is but one step removed from
total bum-hood. A once-promising pugilist, Rocky is now taking nickel-and-dime
bouts and running strongarm errands for local loan sharks to survive. Even his
supportive trainer, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), has given up on Rocky. All this
changes thanks to Muhammad Ali-like super-boxer Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).
With the Bicentennial celebration coming up, Creed must find a "Cinderella"
opponent for the big July 4th bout - some unknown whom Creed can "glorify" for
a few minutes before knocking him cold. Rocky Balboa was not the only
Cinderalla involved here: writer/director Sylvester Stallone, himself a virtual
unknown, managed to sell his Rocky script (one of 35 that he'd written over the
years) on the proviso that he be given the starring role. Since the film was to
be made on a shoestring and marketed on a low-level basis, the risk factor to
United Artists was small. For Stallone, this was a make-or-break opportunity -
just like Rocky's million-to-one shot with Apollo Creed. Costing under a
million dollars, Rocky managed to register with audiences everywhere, earning
back 60 times the cost. The film won several Academy Awards, including Best
Picture." - iTunes
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PLATOON
PLOT SUMMARY
"Chris
Taylor is a young, naive American who, upon his arrival in Vietnam, quickly
discovers that he must do battle not only with the Viet Cong, but also the
gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and intense anger growing within him. While
his two commanding officers draw a fine line between the war they wage against
the enemy and the one they fight with each other, the conflict, chaos and
hatred permeate Taylor, suffocating his realities and numbing his feelings to
man's highest value...life." - iTunes
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THE ENGLISH
PATIENT
PLOT SUMMARY
"Anthony
Minghella wrote and directed this award-winning adaption of Michael Ondaatje's
novel about a doomed and tragic romance set against the backdrop of World War
II. In a field hospital in Italy, Hana (Juliette Binoche), a nurse from Canada,
is caring for a pilot who was horribly burned in a plane wreck; he has no
identification and cannot remember his name, so he's known simply as "the
English Patient," thanks to his accent. When the hospital is forced to
evacuate, Hana determines en route that the patient shouldn't be moved far due
to his fragile condition, so the two are left in a monastery to be picked up
later. In time, Hana begins to piece together the patient's story from the
shards of his memories; he's actually Count Laszio Almasy (Ralph Fiennes), of
Hungarian nobility and an explorer working with a group mapping uncharted
territory in North Africa. An Englishman, Geoffrey Clifton (Colin Firth), soon
joins Almasy's team; travelling with him is his lovely and spirited wife,
Katherine (Kristin Scott Thomas). Katherine and Laszio soon fall in love, which
leads Laszio to betray his friend, his country and all that is dear to him.
Meanwhile, Hana and the Patient are joined by Kip (Naveen Andrews), a Sikh with
a gift for difusing mines, and Caravaggio (Willem Dafoe), an intelligence agent
who knows some of Laszio's most shameful secrets. The English Patient won nine
Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting
Actress (Juliette Binoche)." - iTunes
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PIRATES OF THE
CARIBBEAN THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
PLOT SUMMARY
"From
producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pearl Harbor) comes Pirates Of The Caribbean: The
Curse Of The Black Pearl, the thrilling high-seas adventure with a mysterious
twist. The roguish yet charming Captain Jack Sparrow's (Academy Award (R)
Nominee Johnny Depp) idyllic pirate life capsizes after his nemesis, the wily
Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), steals his ship, the Black Pearl, and later
attacks the town of Port Royal, kidnapping the governor's beautiful daughter
Elizabeth (Keira Knightley). In a gallant attempt to rescue her and recapture
the Black Pearl, Elizabeth's childhood friend Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) joins
forces with Jack. What Will doesn't know is that a cursed treasure has doomed
Barbossa and his crew to live forever as the undead. Rich in suspense-filled
adventure, sword-clashing action, myster, humor, unforgettable characters, and
never-before-seen special effects, Pirates is a must-have epic on the grandest
scale ever." - iTunes
