ectonplasm's - Rented List

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Celie. "Mr." Sofia (Oprah Winfrey). Nettie (Akosua Busia). Shug (Margaret Avery). The unforgettable characters of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize novel brighten the screen in this rhapsodically cinematic adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg.

At the center of the tale is Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), whose search for fulfillment in a world closed to her becomes a triumph of cruelty overcome by love, of pain eclipsed by joy.

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Steven Spielberg's film "Empire Of The Sun" is an inspiring action-packed epic of a small boy in a great war. That boy is Jim Graham, a young Briton whose unconquerable spirit soars high and free above the harsh confines of a Japanese internment camp during World War 2.

Through his eyes we see the fascination and horror of war. And we see a child's hold onto childhood weaken as his struggle to survive grows fiercer.

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They are fast friends and worse foes. One is Billy the Kid (Kris Kristofferson), a law unto himself. The other is the law: Sheriff Pat Garrett (James Coburn), who once rode with Billy.

Set to a bristling score by Bob Dylan (who also plays Billy's sidekick Alias) and with a Who's Who of iconic Western players, Sam Peckinpah's saga of one of the West's great legends is now restored to its intended glory. For the first time since it left the cutting room, the film has the balance of action and character development Peckinpah wanted, a mix of fury and elegy based on the director's notes and the insights of colleagues. The difference is profound, as different as an untouched target and a bull's-eye.

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Jean Servais is Tony le Stephanois, a master thief with a battered face and a tubercular cough, souvenirs of a recent stint in the pen.

The ageing Tony is reluctant to return to a life of crime, but when he realizes his girlfriend has thrown him over for a rival gangster, he agrees to attempt one last job. Together with three collaborators – a young father, a boisterous Franco-Italian and a sentimental Milanese safecracker – Tony meticulously engineers his biggest heist yet: robbing the most heavily guarded jewelry store in Paris.

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In 'Bullet Train', Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails.

Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug's latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe - all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives - on the world's fastest train...and he's got to figure out how to get off.

Rock 'n' roll history of one of Britain's finest and unfairly overlooked bands.

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"Benediction" explores the turbulent life of First World War poet Siegfried Sassoon (Peter Capaldi / Jack Lowden).

Having survived the horrors of fighting in the First World War, he was decorated for his bravery and became a vocal critic of the government's continuation of the war when he returned from service. His poetry was inspired by his experiences on the Western Front and he became one of the leading war poets of the era. Adored by members of the aristocracy as well as stars of London's literary and stage world, Sassoon embarked on affairs with several notable men as he attempted to come to terms with his homosexuality. At the same time, broken by the horror of war, his life became a quest for salvation, trying to find it within the conformity of marriage and religion. His is the story of a troubled man in a fractured world, searching for peace and self acceptance, something which speaks as meaningfully to us in the modern world as it did then.

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"Moonage Daydream" is an immersive cinematic experience; an audio-visual space odyssey that not only illuminates the enigmatic legacy of David Bowie but also serves as a guide to living a fulfilling and meaningful life in the 21st Century.

Told through sublime, kaleidoscopic, never-before-seen footage, performances and music, 'Moonage Daydream' is the first officially sanctioned film to explore Bowie's creative, musical and spiritual journey, guided by Bowie's own narration.

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This superb new film tells the story of The Rolling Stones' unparalleled journey from blues obsessed teenagers in the early sixties to their undisputed status as rock royalty.

All of The Rolling Stones have been newly interviewed and their words form the narrative arc that links together archive footage of performances, news coverage and interviews, much of it previously unseen. Taking its title from a lyric in "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Crossfire Hurricane" gives the viewer an intimate insight into exactly what it's like to be part of The Rolling Stones as they overcome denunciation, drugs, dissensions and death to become the definitive survivors. Over a year in the making and produced with the full co-operation and involvement of The Rolling Stones, "Crossfire Hurricane" is and will remain the definitive story of the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band.

An audacious, genre-defying mix of horror and folklore, 'Lamb' is the debut feature from Icelandic writer-director Valdimar Johannsson. A couple on a remote sheep farm find a mysterious newborn and decide to raise it as their own, but soon face the consequences of defying the will of nature.

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When acclaimed documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker filmed Bob Dylan during a three-week concert tour of England in the Spring of 1965, he had no idea he was about to create one of the most intimate glimpses of the rock legend ever put on film.

Wanting to make more than just a concert film, Pennebaker decided to seek out both the public and private Bob Dylan. With unobtrusive equipment and rare access to the elusive performer, he achieved a fly-on-the-wall glimpse of one of the most influential musicians of all time - and redefined filmmaking along the way.

The game of conquest is underway. Anything goes when a predatory, wealthy widow (Glenn Close) challenges a notorious rake (John Malkovich) to seduce a beautiful young newlywed (Michelle Pfeiffer). But this time, a cardinal rule will be broken: two players will fall in love - with tragic results.

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Eleven jurors are convinced that the defendant is guilty of murder. The twelfth has no doubt of his innocence.

How can this one man steer the others toward the same conclusion? It's a case of seemingly overwhelming evidence against a teenager accused of killing his father in "one of the best pictures ever made".

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August 1962: the latest attempt on the life of French President Charles de Gaulle by the far right paramilitary organisation, the OAS, ends in chaos, with its architect-in-chief dead at the hands of a firing squad.

Demoralised and on the verge of bankruptcy, the OAS leaders meet in secret to plan their next move. In a last desperate attempt to eliminate de Gaulle, they opt to employ the services of a hired assassin from outside the fold. Enter the Jackal (Edward Fox): charismatic, calculating, cold as ice. As the Jackal closes in on his target, a race against the clock ensues to identify and put a stop to a killer whose identity, whereabouts and modus operandi are completely unknown.

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"McEnroe" is on intimate portrait of one of the most explosive and compelling sporting icons of all time. John was an era-defining talent, Number One in the world in four consecutive years, but also a man prone to self-destruction.

'McEnroe' features completely unseen film archive from some of the biggest matches in tennis history - including the US Open and Wimbledon - as well as home video footage from John himself. Featuring icons such as Billie Jean King, Bjorn Borg and Keith Richards, the film brings to life a golden age of tennis and the 80's excess of John's hometown: New York City. Beyond John's tennis legacy (his combined 155 titles still rank as the highest in the Men's Open era), John's story grows to become a search for connection, a journey towards acceptance of himself and others. Compassionate, human and heartfelt, 'McEnroe' is the definitive portrait of a force of nature powered by the beating heart of New York.