Netflix New Releases July 18, ‘05
There are tons more New Releases where these came from, but who has time to list them all? For serious. Here are a few you might be interested in. Kiosk editors choice indicated by ***.
Constantine***
John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a private investigator who believes in things that go bump in the night — which makes him somewhat of an eccentric in a world ruled primarily by logic. So, it comes as a surprise to him when a female cop (Rachel Weisz) seeks his counsel after her twin sister dies in what first appears to be a suicide. She wants definitive proof of the cause of death … but the answers may only come with blind faith on her part.
Born Into Brothels
Exclusively at Netflix: In this Oscar-winning documentary, photographer Zana Briski and director Ross Kaufman travel to Sonagchi, Calcutta, and film the relationships they develop with kids (ages 10-14) of prostitutes who work the city’s red-light district. Amid the sadness and squalor lie faint glimmers of hope, as in the story of a 12-year-old street artist who’s invited to participate in the World Press Photo Foundation program.
Man of the House
Texas Ranger Roland Sharp (Tommy Lee Jones) finds himself college bound when he’s tapped to protect a boisterous group of University of Texas cheerleaders — who happen to be the only witnesses to a federal snitch’s murder. To keep an eye on them, Sharp goes undercover as their assistant coach, a job that requires him to live with them and master the art of choreography … with hilarious results. Anne Archer costars as Sharp’s love interest.
Ice Princess
In this new take on the traditional “ugly duckling turns into a swan” tale, Casey (Michelle Trachtenberg), a smart high school student whose mother (Joan Cusack) has her eyes set on Harvard, longs to become a figure skater like Gen (Hayden Panettiere), a beautiful prodigy who’s active in the sport’s circuit. Invited to train with Gen and her mother (Kim Cattrall), Casey must choose her destiny: Should she be an ice princess or a collegiate?
Horror in the East***
Japan’s shocking treatment of World War II POWs and the country’s refusal to surrender are examined in this two-part program. From cultural, political and economic factors to the assault on Nanking and the brutality of Japan’s POW camps, the complex story is told through archival footage and interviews with former Japanese soldiers, kamikazes and Allied POWs. The DVD also includes documentaries on the Indian army and the war in Burma.
Rachmaninoff: Miserly Knight
This dramatic presentation of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s moody one-act opera features Sergei Leiferkus as “The Miserly Knight,” a man so consumed with his wealth that he brings about his own demise. Filmed live at the Glyndebourne Opera House in 2004, this production also features vocalists Richard Berkeley-Steele, Maxim Mikhailov, Viacheslav Voynarovskiy and Albert Schagidullin, backed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Porky
Initially created to team with a cat named Beans, Porky Pig found his niche as Warner Brothers’ straight man, serving as the character audiences could always identify with and delivering his trademark “That’s all, folks!” This collection of classic cartoons pushes the shy and stuttering swine (first voiced by actual stutterer Joe Dougherty and later by Mel Blanc) to the center of the action, showing off some of his most memorable work.