The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

Description

The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection contains the DVD debut of 8 Hitchcock classics including "Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Special Edition," and the following 7 new single-disc DVDs: "Dial M For Murder," "Foreign Correspondent" "Suspicion," "The Wrong Man," "Stage Fright," "I Confess" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." The previously released "North by Northwest" is also included in the 10-disc Signature Collection. Each of the 9 films in the collection shows why Hitchcock is regarded as one of Hollywood's most esteemed and important directors, and also brings legendary stars to the digital front including Cary Grant, Henry Fonda, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, Montgomery Clift and many others.

Strangers on a Train - En route from Washington, D.C., champion tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger) meets pushy playboy Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker). What begins as a chance encounter turns into a series of morbid confrontations, as Bruno manipulates his way into Guy's life. Bruno is eager to kill his father and knows Guy wants to marry a senator's daughter (Ruth Roman) but can't get a divorce from his wife. So Bruno suggests the men swap murders, which would leave no traceable clues or possible motives. Though Guy refuses, it won't be easy to rid himself of the psychopathic Bruno. Hitchcock's daughter Patricia appears in this film. The extra features included on the DVD are: Alternate 'preview' version of the film; Commentary by director Peter Bogdanovich, Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stephano, Strangers on a Train author Patricia Highsmith and biographer Andrew Wilson; New making-of documentary Strangers on a Train: A Hitchcock Classic, with Farley Granger, film historian Richard Schickel, Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell and other Hitchcock family members and colleagues recalling the making of this suspense landmark; Three intriguing featurettes: The Hitchcocks on Hitch, Strangers on a Train: The Victim's P.O.V., Strangers on a Train by M. Night Shyamalan; Alfred Hitchcock's Historical Meeting, a vintage newsreel.

Each DVD will be presented in a format preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition and will include the original theatrical trailer, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish.

Customer Reviews:

Pick this along with Masterpiece Collection and you're done!.......2007-08-23

This collection is brilliant and the packaging is insignificant, It is just 9 standard DVD boxes put in one outer box.

This set does not include certain must-have classics like
Psycho
Vertigo
Rear Window
The Rope,
The Man Who Knew Too Much etc

All this is available in the brilliant Masterpiece Collection which I picked up from here.

So if you buy these 2 box sets, you're done!!!

Alfred Hitchcock Signature Movie Collection DVD set.......2007-04-12

A Must have for all hard-core Alfred Hitchcock movie fans

Wonderful Collection.......2007-04-06

This collection is absolutely fabulous. All the movies are remastered and are excellent quality especially on a big screen. Just as I remembered them. Too cool...

a must for a fan.......2007-03-08

As a long time fan of Hitchcock, I am always looking for more. I have approx. 20 of his films on DVD. This collection has some that I had never seen before. In addition, the "making of" special features are great for someone who wants to know what made Hitch so unique as a film director. I have (and will) spend many hours viewing these discs.

Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection.......2007-01-29

If you an Alfred Hitchock movie fan, you need to get this box set. There are some movies, I haven't seen before, but I did enjoy them.

Average customer rating:

The Quiet American
..........Those Big Dark Almond Eyes........To Die For.......
A Masterful Adaption with Great Performances
Classic adaptation of a classic book
EXCELLENT BUT ANTI-AMERICAN AT HEART(* * * 1/2)

The Quiet American
Starring: Michael Caine , Brendan Fraser , Rade Serbedzija , and Do Hai Yen
Director: Phillip Noyce
Manufacturer: Miramax Home Entertainment
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ASIN: B00005JLXB
Release Date: 2003-07-29

Amazon.com

The Quiet American proves that elegant and intelligent filmmaking can be emotionally powerful. Michael Caine plays Thomas Fowler, a British journalist in 1950s Vietnam with a lovely Vietnamese mistress named Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen) and a jaded view of the political strife teeming around him. He befriends a seemingly innocuous American named Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), who falls in love with Phuong--and slowly, Pyle's real purpose in Vietnam becomes revealed. Fowler finds that, to hold on to the carefully balanced life he's created for himself, he must make choices he's long avoided. Caine and Fraser are both superb and give a human face to complicated politics; as a result, The Quiet American manages to be compelling as both history and a story about very specific people embroiled in a very personal conflict. An impressive film from director Philip Noyce (Rabbit-Proof Fence, Patriot Games). --Bret Fetzer

Description

The acclaimed performances of two-time Academy Award(R)-winner Michael Caine (Best Supporting Actor, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, 1999; HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, 1986) and Brendan Fraser (THE MUMMY, GODS AND MONSTERS) power a stylish political thriller where love and war collide in Southeast Asia. Set in early 1950s Vietnam, a young American (Fraser) becomes entangled in a dangerous love triangle when he falls for the beautiful mistress of a British journalist (Caine). As war is waged around them, these three only sink deeper into a world of drugs, passion, and betrayal where nothing is as it seems. Based on the classic novel by Graham Greene -- you'll find yourself riveted by the fascinating intricacies and ever-developing intrigue of this outstanding motion picture.

Customer Reviews:

The Quiet American.......2007-08-09

Good movie and great acting by Michael Caan. Being filmed in Vietnam was a plus as the opening scene on the veranda of the Continental Palace Hotel brings back memories of Saigon in 1964.

..........Those Big Dark Almond Eyes........To Die For..............2007-06-28

Michael Caine does it again as a English journalist in 1952 Vietnam when France was still in-charge of 'their' colony....Caine has a marvelous, tranquill lifestyle here, writing timely war encounters back to his London newspaper by day and by nite cohabitating with a simply gorgeous Vietnamise knockout, who thinks he is her King in all senses of hedonism and beyond...enter a seemingly unheralded USA doctor and both men become friends through thick an thin encounters along the way...I won't go into the plot any deeper...by doing such...you can emerge yourself into this engrossing/interesting film....but one thing is for sure...you won't dare take your eyes off Do Thi Hai Yen...WOW!!!...talk about heaven with her under heaven...'those big dark almond eyes to die for and then some'...enjoy a darn good movie for a change....SSGT CHRIS SARNO-USMC FMF

A Masterful Adaption with Great Performances.......2007-04-22

I've always loved Michael Caine from ALFIE to THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING to DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS(!) to his Oscar-winning performances and he's always been great--whether the movie was any good or not. Watching him in this latest version of Graham Greene's novel, I had the feeling that Caine was firing on all pistons this time out. This is definitely one of his best roles.

And Brendan Fraser has really stepped up from the kind of movies everyone is used to seeing him in. Who knew that anyone associated with a Pauly Shore movie--ugh--could come so far. He was very good in GODS AND MONSTERS and I thought he was outstanding in BEDAZZLED (even if you weren't that wild about the movie, he was really funny and he really made it work). And he's the perfect Alden Pyle, the "quiet American" and Michael Caine's romantic rival in 1950s Vietnam.

I've recently read the novel and was blown away that Greene could write such a powerful, multi-layered story that predicted the whole Vietnam war mess for the USA--over ten years before we entered that war!

If you really want to appreciate how good this movie is, read Greene's original novel and then watch the film. There isn't an ounce of fat on the screen and this is really one of the best adaptions I've seen of a book-to-movie transition. You get that rare feeling that the filmmakers actually READ the book they're making a movie about.

Beautifully photographed, meticulously written, wonderfully acted--definitely check this out.

Classic adaptation of a classic book.......2007-01-04

This is a faithful adaptation of one of the English language's great books. Every scene is precise, Michael Caine fully earned his Academy Award nomination, and Brendan Frasier -- and unlikely casting, certainly -- shows that he's a real actor, not just a bland, pretty face. The photography is excellent and gives a good feel for Vietnam. One of my favorites.

EXCELLENT BUT ANTI-AMERICAN AT HEART(* * * 1/2).......2006-12-22

A huge Michael Caine fan, I admire his performance in THE QUIET AMERICAN as Thomas Fowler, a mature in years British correspondent in 1950's French Vietnam. Brendan Fraser does a solid job as Alden Pyle, a young American who falls in love with Fowler's Vietnamese girlfriend. (Mr. Fraser is excellent as the swashbuckling, romantic, funny male lead in THE MUMMY.) THE QUIET AMERICAN is a love triangle movie but it is also a political film and, unfortunately, it is at heart an anti-American film. The film basically condemns American efforts to organize native Vietnamese forces against the communists, which seems necessary since the French at the time were losing the war against the communists. I can't really say more about the political aspects of the movie without giving away the plot, except to say that the dramatic tone and emotional weight of THE QUIET AMERICAN make Americans the villians of the piece without little, if any, logical foundation. If you don't much like American proactive foreign policies, you will probably like this film a lot. If you are pro-American you may be disappointed at the bitter tone here. That aside, THE QUIET AMERICAN nevertheless is a beautifully filmed period piece with lots of authentic-feeling sets and excellent acting. It is a poetic movie in some ways and worth seeing for the excellent script and high production values. And for Michael Caine. The director, Philip Noyce, made PATRIOT GAMES, another well-made movie.

Average customer rating:

Contains one of the most famous special effects of all time
Foreign Correspondent
Essential Hitchcock, But Not His Best
Still a Brit at this point.
A Hitchcock Classisc? Or NOt?

Foreign Correspondent
Starring: Albert Bassermann , Robert Benchley , Frances Carson , Eduardo Ciannelli , and Eddie Conrad
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B0002HOEQC
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com essential video

The first of Alfred Hitchcock's World War II features, Foreign Correspondent was completed in 1940, as the European war was only beginning to erupt across national borders. Its titular hero, Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea), is an American crime reporter dispatched by his New York publisher to put a fresh spin on the drowsy dispatches emanating from overseas, his nose for a good story (and, of course, some fortuitous timing) promptly leading him to the "crime" of fascism and Nazi Germany's designs on European conquest.

In attempting to learn more about a seemingly noble peace effort, Jones (who's been saddled with the dubious nom du plume Hadley Haverstock) walks into the middle of an assassination, uncovers a spy ring, and, not entirely coincidentally, falls in love--a pattern familiar to admirers of Hitchcock's espionage thrillers, of which this is a thoroughly entertaining example. McCrea's hardy Yankee charms are neatly contrasted with the droll, veddy English charm of colleague George Sanders; Herbert Marshall provides a plummy variation on the requisite, ambiguous "good-or-is-he-really-bad" guy; Laraine Day affords a lovely heroine; and Robert Benchley (who contributed to the script) pops up, albeit too briefly, for comic relief.

As good as the cast is, however, it's Hitchcock's staging of key action sequences that makes Foreign Correspondent a textbook example of the director's visual energy: an assassin's escape through a rain-soaked crowd is registered by rippling umbrellas, a nest of spies is detected by the improbable direction of a windmill's spinning sails, and Jones's nocturnal flight across a pitched city rooftop produces its own contextual comment when broken neon tubes convert the Hotel Europe into "Hot Europe." --Sam Sutherland

Amazon.com

For inexplicable reasons, Foreign Correspondent never achieved the fame of The 39 Steps or North by Northwest, but it is certainly good enough to join the ranks of these better-known Hitchcock thrillers. Set just before the beginning of World War II, the film focuses on murder, international intrigue, and an innocent Joel McCrea caught between spies and counterspies. Highlights include an assassination on a rainy day with the killer escaping into a sea of umbrellas, a group of spies who signal their Dutch contacts by turning windmills against the wind, and an extraordinary climax aboard a plane that crashes into the ocean. In McCrea's final speech, you can hear the British filmmaker uniting American patriotism with the anti-Nazi cause. --Raphael Shargel

Customer Reviews:

Contains one of the most famous special effects of all time.......2007-08-11

Foreign Correspondent is Hitchcock at his absolute best. Hitch loved to focus on what he considered to be ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances. This film is no different. From the windmill that turns opposite the wind to the famous plane crash, Correspondent delivers the goods. By the way, have you ever thought about HOW they pulled that plane crash off? It is, after all, one of the most famous and celebrated special effects in the history of film. This was before the days when anything could easily and cheaply be done by simply animating it with a computer. This was when movie magic really was "magic," which means that the thought and construction of a movie special effect was then no less elaborate and creative than the invention and construction of stage illusions that magicians used. It literally was magic employed in film (in fact movie making was started by a magician--Melies!) So how did they do it? Well, in an interview Hitch once explained it all. He was quite proud of this scene. The windshield of the cockpit was actually paper. They hired a pilot to descend rapidly toward the ocean, while a camera filmed the approaching body of water. They then took that footage of the surface of the ocean getting bigger and bigger and projected it onto the paper windshield, which created the illusion that the plane the actors were in was diving toward the ocean. Above the paper windshield, on the other side, was a tank with hundreds of gallons of water. Right as the footage projected on the paper windshield made it look like the plane was hitting the ocean surface the tank was released, dumping hundreds of gallons of water that tore through the phony paper projector screen windshield. This created the illusion of a plane crashing into the sea with the water shattering the windshield and filling the plane. Amazing!

Foreign Correspondent.......2007-06-22

Unsung Hitchcock thriller is outstanding, his first to deal directly with the new war in Europe. Bolstered by a first-rate script (both James Hilton and Robert Benchley contributed much of the dialogue) and superb cast (with the suave yet treacherous Herbert Marshall particularly memorable) , "Correspondent" is consistently engrossing and entertaining, with some indelible set-pieces only this director could conjure up. Look for pivotal scenes involving umbrellas and windmills. Go, Johnny, go!

Essential Hitchcock, But Not His Best.......2007-01-01

An early Hitchcock work, 'Foreign Correspondent' is one of Turner Classic Movies' "Essentials". Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea), a crime beat reporter is dispatched to Europe in August 1939 to 'get the facts' on what is really going on over there. What he finds is an outfit called the Universal Peace Party led by Stephen Fisher (Herbert Marshall), a secret clause in an international treaty, and a kidnapped diplomat. Jones tracks down a nest of traitors and falls in love with Fisher's daughter Carol (Laraine Day) along the way.

In a classic scene, an escaping assassin's trail is revealed by an overhead shot of movement amongst tightly packed umbrellas.

Others have wondered why this Hitchcock film is not ranked with say a film like 'North by Northwest'. The simple reason is that it's just not as good as his later movies. Take, the instant cornball romance for example - the cornball I can take, but they fall in love in about 12 seconds. Or the silly notion of a meaningful secret clause in a treaty between the Dutch and the Belgians.

Of some interest is the movie's open appeal by Hitchcock for America to get in to the war, complete with patriotic music (Star Spangled Banner) at the conclusion. Trivia: Gary Cooper turned down the lead role that went to McCrea and later termed it his biggest mistake.

Recommended.

Still a Brit at this point........2006-09-30

By this time, 1940, Hitchcock was working in the U.S. but this movie, his 2nd here still has a British feel to it, even with it's all-American hero, Joel McCrea. An excellent early Hitchcock effort. I'm bad & I didn't have the foresight to view Hitchcock in any type of coherent order, like the British movies first. But from that perpective, I think Foreign Correspondent might be my favorite & even better than North by Northwest, considered by many to be his masterwork. Many movie buffs have long reviews here telling every detail of the movie, so I won't go there again. It needs to be seen more than once & you have to pay attention. there is a Hitchcock style, the "Often copied never duplicated" thing. It's true. I look for the touchstone scenes & you know them when you see them: The umbrella assassination scene, the windmills & the Europe Hot(el) scene. Of course, there is always the Hitchcock cameo, pretty easy to spot in this one. The movie takes place in the present which was England at war & a year before The United States entered. Lots of cheerleading for England, the villany of the Nazis & the inevitability of the U.S. joining England soon. George Sanders as Scott ffolliott (yes that's right) was delicious.

A Hitchcock Classisc? Or NOt?.......2006-08-10

"Foreign Correspondent", set in England on the eve of World War 2 delivers clear suspense and intrigue. Joel McCrea is an American police beat reporter sent to Europe by an impatient publisher to drum up some action stories. Herbert Marshall is the head of a "peace" organization, acting as a false front for a spy ring! Marshall's boys try to stir up trouble by kidnapping the Dutch Ambassador and staging his fake assassination. The race is on! McCrea stirs the plot by shadowing Marshall, while falling for his daughter, Laraine Day. LD believes her Dad is a loyal Brit and McCrea doesn't dissuade her. George Sanders impresses as a local reporter. There are three classic scenes that define FC: The first is the rub out, as the hit man escapes into a sea of black umbrellas. The second is that lonely windmill, spinning in reverse. The curious will have to watch FC to learn the reason. The third is a starkly realistic plane crash at sea at the film's resolution. The 2 hour run time will fly by. This reviewer recommends ignoring the rah rah windup. War was imminent; some PR was de rigueur for the times. Some may carp at the convenient romance twixt McCrea and Day but they play their parts well. This reviewer was surprised that the Director would even hint that such disloyal Brits as the Marshall character even existed on the brink of WW2. Perhaps every nation had such turncoats. Had Oscars been awarded in 1940 for sets and special effects, FC would have been a prime candidate. That plane crash, the errant windmill and "Amsterdam" assassination were produced in the studio! FC may- or may not- be a Hitchcock classic. Better not to fret about that. Those that enjoy "Foreign Correspondent" on its own terms will not be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Awesome African Film
ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES EVER
bond, james bond, in black africa!!!

Critical Assignment
Starring: Terrence Reis , Patrick Shai , Omanza Shaw , Michael Power , and Moshidi Motshegwa
Director: Jason Xenopoulos
Manufacturer: Tiger White
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0006SSPK8
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Description

Critical Assignment is an action/adventure movie that stars journalist Michael Power. While reporting from a European war zone, a courageous act of bravery seals a friendship and wins Michael international recognition. His next assignment takes him back home to Africa to report on the global water crisis. It is a story that some will not want him to write and he becomes the victim of a plot to manipulate the press. Critical Assignment is about one man's mission to uncover the truth. The action plays out against a background of breathtaking African scenery and hypnotic African music including that of Grammy-award nominee, Angelique Kidjo. (Critical Assignment is endorsed by the United Nations Environmental Programme).

Customer Reviews:

Awesome African Film.......2007-08-17

I found this movie at a blockbuster of all places and loved it. Great acting! Was very pleased that it had no profanity or bad language. Great cast and I'd like to see more movies like this. Job well done!

ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES EVER.......2006-12-10

I REALLY ENJOYED THIS MOVIE IT WAS ON POINT RARELY IS THERE A MOVIE WITH SUCH GREAT SUBSTANCE AS THIS ONE I ONLY WISH THERE WAS A WAY TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THE SOUND TRACK THE MUSIC WAS AWSOME....!

bond, james bond, in black africa!!!.......2006-04-02

this is an exotic movie. fantastically done in (south?)africa. water indeed is the most important necessity for human beings in the future. we have here a dynamite-like energetic black journalist who could run, jump, chase, drive 4-wheel jeep, ride motorbike, fly a chopper, dodge bullets....so what else you're expecting? a good story, man. this is a very nice movie. the feeling about mother africa is so deep. people over there, rich or poor, young or old, exotic africa! of course you have to forget the hiv, the aids, the poverty...just enjoy a good movie that never a moment disappoint you. and don't forget to drink a bottle of expensive water while watching. :-)

Average customer rating:

It sucks as a movie.
A poor imitation
VIET NAM - a Korean persepctive

White Badge
Starring: Sung-kee Ahn , Kyeong-yeong Lee , Hye-jin Shim , Koyeong-jae Dok , and Bo-sung Kim
Director: Ji-yeong Jeong
Manufacturer: Vanguard Cinema
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Customer Reviews:

It sucks as a movie........2004-08-01

The original fiction which has the same name was great.
It's based on the author's personal experience.
The book itself had some problem with Korean government at the middle of 80's.

But the movie.. well... read the book.

PS: Oh, for Forza Azzuri, they were using Chinese letters, not Korean letters.
Chinese letters are still used in most of Asian countries as a second letter system.

A poor imitation.......2002-03-04

This film is a poor imitation of Platoon and Deer Hunter. It's hard for me to believe that semi-illiterate Vietnamese farmers know how to write Korean language to demand compensation for the loss of their water buffaloes accidentally killed by Korean soldiers. You will be very disappointed if you're looking for war actions. Also, the director fails miserably to show the effects of psycholgical trauma experienced by the returning soldiers. The storyline is not well connected. Don't waste your money on this DVD.

VIET NAM - a Korean persepctive.......2001-06-19

This is a Korean version of... PLATOON, was how this film was marketed when it was released (early 90's?), but it really is a grand attempt at presenting the Korean involvement in the War. At the time it made waves with A list casting, location shooting in Nam (controvercial at the time for Korea) and a huge budget for the action scenes. It is essentially a buddy film of two vets - one who has succesfully adapted to society and one who has not from them dark days in Nam. I highly recommend this piece for those who are not familiar with korean cinema, and those who are interested in seeing the Nam experience from a different perspective.

Average customer rating:

Critical Assignment
Starring: Terrence Reis , Patrick Shai , Omanza Shaw , Michael Power , and Moshidi Motshegwa
Director: Jason Xenopoulos
Manufacturer: Medialink Ent Llc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000M06F0C
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Description

While reporting from a European war zone, a courageous act of bravery seals a friendship and wins journalist Michael Power international recognition. His next assignment takes him back home to Africa to report on the global water crisis. It is a story that some will not want him to write and he becomes the victim of a plot to manipulate the press. Critical Assignment is about one man's mission to uncover the truth. Critical Assignment is endorsed by the United Nations Environmental Programme.

Average customer rating:

An interesting movie
A Quiet, Compelling Drama
Unique, touching and thought-provoking
Review for ýForeign Correspondencesý
Intelligent film about trying to find love in foreign places

Foreign Correspondents
Starring: Melanie Lynskey , Wil Wheaton , Corin Nemec , Yelena Danova , and Steve Valentine
Director: Mark Tapio Kines
Manufacturer: Pro-Active Entertainment Group
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005V5MM
Release Date: 2001-12-14

Customer Reviews:

An interesting movie.......2004-01-27

Well there are two stories to this movie, that sort of tie together. As you may assume from the title, an underlying theme in this film involves letters. While this isn't addressed too much except for the first story, the theme is present durring the film.
The first story deals with a woman who has moved into an apartment and how she deals with what she finds out about it, and its previous occupant.
The second story is that of a man who is invited out from the UK to stay with a family in the US who is hosting a woman from Bosnia (I think it was Bosnia). Anyway, he is brought out in hopes of marrying her so she doesn't have to return home to a war torn country.
The acting is ok, the film is rather low budget, and there are no extras on the dvd (in fact there are no chapters as the movie in whole is 1 chapter). This stories are slow, and a bit depressing. So why 3 stars do you ask? Well I'm biased a bit. I'm one of the uncredited pool players in the second story. My little claim to cinematic fame. :)

If you like stories that tie together, or have an interest in seeing some seens from the bay area in a movie, or just want a inde sort of film, check this one out. Otherwise, it probably won't do much for your interests.

A Quiet, Compelling Drama.......2003-03-30

This quiet drama from first time filmmaker Mark Tapio Kines is intriguing and poignant. The film is separated into two stories: The first, "Dear Jenny", is about Melody (soft spoken and sweet voiced Melanie Lynskey), a young woman who has moved into a new apartment and begins receiving mail for its former occupant, Jenny. She is curious about the relationship Jenny had with Marcel, the man who keeps writing to her. Should she respond to Marcel's letters? Melody becomes increasingly compelled to get in touch with Marcel and unravel the story of the mysterious girl who once lived in her apartment. The question is, will she be able to deal with the information she'd uncover? It's not all wine and roses.

The second part is called "Love, Trevor", and is about a young man named Trevor (Corin Nemec with a not quite authentic British accent) who travels from England to the United States to visit his pen pal Mira (a refreshing performance from Yelena Danova) who is from Sarajevo but staying with a host family. The trouble is, she will be deported soon and the unsuspecting Trevor has been asked to visit for the purpose of marrying Mira to help her stay in the United States. The only kink in the set up is that Trevor really doesn't want to get married, even though he admits to his buddy Ian (the likable Steve Valentine, a true Brit with the dead on accent to back it up) that he's attracted to Mira, he's not in love with her. He does feel guilty, though. Ian tells him, "Lust and guilt won't last three years". Trevor ponders this moral question -- should he marry someone he loves as a friend but not as a life partner? And if he doesn't, will she be in mortal danger when she returns to her country?

Dear Jenny had a sense of mystery while Love Trevor had me intrigued. I HAD to know who this Jenny girl was and what happened to her and Marcel and I HAD to know which choice Trevor would make. Each story was very compelling and also had a hint of sadness as they mirrored broken relationships, loss, the frustration of indecision and the agony of guilt. In the end, both Melody and Trevor DO make their final choices and must live with the consequences.

The ending left me pondering my own choices in life. If you like introspection and quiet, thoughtful dramas, Foreign Correspondents will be perfect for you. Don't miss Wil Wheaton (Stand by Me, Star Trek TNG) as Jonas, a member of Melody's Neighborhood Watch group who develops a crush on her. He has a line that just makes one groan and grimace but at the same time it hits a nerve. You'll know which one I mean when you hear it.

Overall I enjoyed Foreign Correspondents -- especially the performances of Yelena Danova and Steve Valentine. My biggest complaint is Corin Nemec's hair, which never seems to look good no matter what movie or TV show he's in. His fake Brit accent was a bit distracting because I was so familiar with him as an American, but as the story unfolded I soon accepted him as a Brit. For a first film, this is an excellent piece of work and quite moving.

Unique, touching and thought-provoking.......2002-04-25

Mark Tapio Kines had side-stepped the cliches of the industry and made a movie that is thought-provoking, sensitive and a departure from the usual run-of-the mill fare. Starring New Zealand's Melanie Lynskey, Wil Wheaton (charmingly funny as the neighbour) and Corin Nemec, Foreign Correspondents wevaes two stories into one and gives us an insight into relationships and love lost and found.
Many elements of the film are subtle, indeed I had to watch it twice to pick up the nuances - I enjoy being required to think about what I am watching.
Mark's commentary is enlightening and entertaining and worth listening to after you've watched the feature.
I'm looking forward to Mark's new film project, (tentatively titled Claustrophobia) with great anticipation
The DVD is region-free, it'll play on any DVD player

Review for ýForeign Correspondencesý.......2002-04-24

There is something inherently romantic about receiving a hand written letter from a foreign country. This is all too enticing for each of the lead characters in "Foreign Correspondences". Director and writer Mark Tapio Kines explores the journey of two young individuals looking for love and acceptance only to have their pursuit complicated by their well-meant intentions going wrong. There are poignant performances by Melanie Lynskey and Corin Nemec as they portray characters that are both strong and completely fallible. Each of the stories are memorable and honest, you will be embrace by this sincere film.

Intelligent film about trying to find love in foreign places.......2002-01-27

This film is written by the director, which allows him to present his purpose in the way he intended it. It presents a world of misunderstandings, mistaken objectives, and rather ordinary characters trying to fit into a society not of their making. It's a story of lonely young people searching for love, but it could be about people of any age. Loneliness knows no age or gender. The film has a number of rather humorous scenes and the music is outstanding. The director's comments add to the interest in the story.

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Press Pass to the World

Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Description

"Press Pass to the World" follows a cast of respected journalists through the challenging, adventurous task of foreign reporting for some of the world's leading newspapers. From Havana's squalid streets to Hong Kong's electric skyline, filmmaker Craig McCourry travels the world chasing the story of the original story-chasers. For these journalists, foreign reporting is less of a job than it is a calling, and their daily conflicts prove that the first draft of history is often the most difficult to write. Driven by their search for truth, the mystery behind their work becomes less about HOW these journalists get the story than WHY they do what they do. "Press Pass to the World" is a whimsical and poignant look at a way of life that is about more than chasing stories -- it's about pursuing dreams. Filmed on location in New Delhi, Hong Kong, Seoul, Washington, D.C., Havana and Vienna with foreign correspondents employed by The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Time Magazine, The International Herald Tribune, The Times of India, The Jerusalem Post, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and others.

Charlie Rose with Peter Maas; Kathleen Quinlan; Michael Tilson Thomas; (March 5, 1996)

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Charlie Rose with Peter Maas; Kathleen Quinlan; Michael Tilson Thomas; (March 5, 1996)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

As the presidential elections approach, in Bosnia peace remains tentative in the war-ravaged land of the former Yugoslavia. Journalist Peter Maass is on to talk about his book, Love Thy Neighbor: A Story of War, in which he recounts the horrors and atrocities he witnessed as a foreign correspondent for The Washington Post in 1992 and 1993. A conversation about the women nominated for Best Supporting Actress for this year's Academy Awards with one of the nominees, Kathleen Quinlan. She is nominate for her role in Ron Howard's Apollo 13. Finally, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. He talks about a life filled with music and his recent appointment as director of the San Francisco Symphony.

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Foreign Correspondents

Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000BYABKO
Release Date: 2006-07-13

Product Description

Los Angeles, June 26, 1996: A lonely young girl (Melanie Lynskey) starts receiving romantic postcards meant for the previous tenant of her apartment. Curious, she delves into the womans past, eventually discovering secrets about the woman and her mysterious penpal that are darker and deeper than she expected. A well-meaning neighbor with his own odd obsessions (Wil Wheaton) tries to hold her back as she begins to get unnaturally involved . . . Mountain View, June 26, 1996: At the same time, the story of another pair of secretive penpals unfolds in this quiet Northern California suburb. An Englishman (Corin Nemec) flies out from London to visit his penpal (Yelena Danova), a refugee from Sarajevo now living with an American family. What is meant to be a friendly visit is thrown into chaos when he becomes part of a complicated plot to prevent her forced return to her war-torn homeland . . . Equal parts romance, mystery, ghost story, political fable and cinematic puzzle, Foreign Correspondents ties two seemingly unrelated stories together in one drama, revealing hidden parallels between these lost young people as they tell lies, pursue fantasies, step into dangerous emotional territory . . . and try to find love in a world that has all but forgotten them.

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