Actor Christopher Lee (1922)

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) is an epic high fantasy adventure film, directed by Peter Jackson with a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro, and Jackson himself. It is based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel of the same name. As Smaug sets Laketown ablaze, Bilbo and the Dwarves watch from the Lonely Mountain. Bard manages to escape ...

The dark fantasy film Dark Shadows (2012), directed by Tim Burton, is based on the gothic television soap opera of the same name. In 1760, young Barnabas Collins and his wealthy family relocated from Liverpool to Maine, where they built the Collinwood Mansion and founded the town of Collinsport. However, fifteen years later, Barnabas finds himself in a complicated situation. He is engaged to Josette but is also having an affair with Angelique, a servant who happens to be a witch. When Barnabas rejects Angelique, she uses her magic to murder his parents and place a curse on him. In addition, Angelique casts a spell on ...

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) is an epic high fantasy adventure film helmed by director Peter Jackson and written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro, and Jackson himself. Adapted from J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel of the same name, it serves as a prequel to Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings ...

Hugo (2011), an adventure drama directed and produced by Martin Scorsese, follows the story of a boy who lives alone in the Gare Montparnasse railway station in Paris during the 1930s. The film, adapted from Brian Selznick’s novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, centers on Hugo’s journey as he becomes involved in a mystery surrounding his father’s automaton and renowned filmmaker Georges Méliès. After his father’s tragic death, twelve-year-old Hugo is taken in by his uncle Claude, an alcoholic who works at the museum. While living with him, Hugo discovers a broken automaton and together they ...

The film Alice in Wonderland (2010), directed by Tim Burton and produced by Walt Disney Pictures, follows the story of a 19-year-old Alice Kingsleigh. Still grieving the loss of her father and feeling trapped by societal expectations, Alice begins to have strange recurring dreams. At a garden party, she is proposed to by Hamish Ascot, but her attention is soon drawn to a familiar white rabbit wearing a waistcoat and carrying a pocket watch. Following the rabbit down a rabbit hole, she accidentally shrinks after drinking from a bottle labeled ‘Drink Me’ (also known as a Pishsalver). This makes it impossible ...

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) hit theaters as an animated sci-fi film. Produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Lucasfilm Animation, it was a departure from the usual distributor 20th Century Fox for the franchise. Amidst the ongoing Clone Wars, the Galactic Republic finds themselves stranded in the Outer Rim, with the Separatists gaining control of key hyperspace lanes. On Christophsis, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker leads his forces against Count Dooku’s army alongside his teacher Obi-Wan Kenobi and clone captain Rex. Despite their valiant efforts, the clones are no match for the enemy. Enter young Jedi Ahsoka Tano, sent by Grand Master Yoda to train under ...

Corpse Bride (2005) is a stop-motion animated musical fantasy film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by John August, Caroline Thompson, and Pamela Pettler. It is based on characters created by Burton and Carlos Grangel. Set in an unnamed Victorian era town, the story follows the arranged marriage preparations of Victor Van Dort, son of nouveau riche fish merchants, and ...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) is a whimsical musical movie, directed by Tim Burton and written by John August. It is based on Roald Dahl’s beloved novel of the same name from 1964. The story follows Charlie Bucket, a kind and affectionate young boy living in poverty with his family near the famous Wonka Factory. Willy Wonka, the eccentric owner of the company, has closed his factory to outsiders for years due to issues with industrial espionage. As a result, all of his employees, including Charlie’s ...

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) is an epic space opera film directed and written by George Lucas. While above Coruscant, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker embark on a rescue mission to save Supreme Chancellor Palpatine from General Grievous, a cyborg Separatist commander. Their plans are disrupted when they encounter the Sith Lord Count Dooku, whom Anakin ultimately defeats. Despite their success, Grievous manages to escape as the flagship sustains damage and crashes onto Coruscant. Upon returning to the planet’s surface, Anakin is reunited with his wife Padmé Amidala. However, he soon ...

Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse (2004) is an action thriller helmed by director Olivier Dahan and produced by Ilan Goldman. This international co-production, involving France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, follows Chief Niemans as he delves into a string of ritualistic murders where the victims are crucified. To aid in his investigation, Niemans teams up with young officer Reda, who becomes involved when a disguised monk attempts to kill a man Reda had picked up off the street. With the help of a scholar in Christian mythology, they uncover the mysterious ...

The film, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), directed by Peter Jackson and written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, and Jackson himself, is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s second volume of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, titled The Two Towers. In one of his dreams, Frodo Baggins envisions Gandalf battling a Balrog in Moria, before ...

In the epic sci-fi film Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), directed and co-written by George Lucas, the Galactic Republic faces a new threat ten years after the events on Naboo. The Separatist movement, led by former Jedi Master Count Dooku, poses a danger to the Republic. Senator Padmé Amidala, who was once Queen of Naboo, travels to Coruscant to vote against creating an army to assist the Jedi in fighting this threat. However, upon her arrival, she narrowly escapes an assassination attempt and is placed under the protection of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker. After foiling ...

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) is an epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson and written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson. It is based on the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel, also titled The Fellowship of the Ring, which was published in 1954. The story takes place during the Second Age of Middle-earth and revolves around the Rings of Power given to the ...

In the Beginning (2000), an American biblical miniseries directed by Kevin Connor, follows the journey of Abraham’s tribe in their travels and challenges. Originally airing on NBC, this narrative takes place around 2000 B.C. As depicted in Genesis 12, God instructs Abraham and his followers to leave their country for a new land promised to be rich and bountiful. To uplift his followers during their journey, Abraham shares a sermon summarizing God’s creation of the universe. Through the use of stock footage and special-effects shots, the producers aim to connect ancient sermons with modern ...

Tim Burton’s gothic supernatural horror film, Sleepy Hollow (1999), is a loose adaptation of Washington Irving’s short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Set in 1799, the film follows New York City police constable Ichabod Crane as he investigates a string of brutal murders in the upstate Dutch hamlet. Among the insular town elders who receive him are wealthy Baltus Van Tassel, town doctor Thomas Lancaster, Reverend Steenwyck, notary James Hardenbrook, and magistrate Samuel Philipse. According to local beliefs, the killer is an undead headless ...

Treasure Island (1990) is a film adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s well-known novel, directed by Fraser C. Heston. The story centers around Jim Hawkins and his mother, who run the Admiral Benbow inn. Their peaceful days are disrupted when an aging pirate known as Captain Bones shows up, constantly on guard for a one-legged foe and causing trouble for the locals. When another pirate, Black Dog, engages in a fierce sword fight with Bones before fleeing, it becomes clear that danger lurks at every turn. Tragedy strikes when Bones suffers a heart attack and hands ...

Mio in the Land of Faraway (1987) is a fantasy film directed by Vladimir Grammatikov that tells the story of Bosse, an orphan in modern Stockholm. Neglected by his guardians Aunt Edna and Uncle Sixten, as well as bullied by his peers, Bosse’s only solace is his friendship with Benke. One night, he runs away in search of his father and meets Mrs Lundin, a kind shopkeeper who gives him an apple and asks him to mail a postcard to the Land of Faraway. As he mails the postcard, the apple turns golden and reveals a trapped genie. In shock, Bosse accidentally drops the apple and frees the genie.

1941 (1979) is an American war comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale. On Saturday, December 13th at 7:01 a.m., an Imperial Japanese Navy submarine commanded by Akiro Mitamura surfaces off the coast of California, six days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. With the goal of destroying something “honorable” in Los Angeles, Mitamura sets his sights on Hollywood. Meanwhile, a tank crew from the 10th Armored Division led by Sergeant Frank Tree and including Corporal Chuck ...

Airport ’77 (1977), the third film in the Airport series, tells the story of wealthy philanthropist Philip Stevens and his plan to reconnect with his estranged daughter and grandson by inviting them onto his private Boeing 747-100, Stevens’s Flight 23. The jetliner also carries priceless artwork from Stevens’s personal collection, which has caught the attention of a group of thieves led by co-pilot Bob Chambers. In an attempt to hijack the aircraft, they lure Captain Don Gallagher away from the cockpit and release a sleeping gas into the cabin, knocking out everyone on board. Under Chambers’s control, the plane is flown to a deserted ...

The spy film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) is the ninth installment in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. Starring Roger Moore as the iconic MI6 agent, it loosely adapts Ian Fleming’s posthumously published novel of the same name. In this thrilling tale, an American gangster named Rodney seeks out renowned hitman Francisco Scaramanga with a bounty on his head. However, his attempted assassination takes a turn when he is led into a funhouse section of Scaramanga’s estate and falls victim to the hitman’s golden gun. Meanwhile, ...