Village Roadshow Pictures (USA): 61

The American superhero horror film, Constantine (2005), marked Francis Lawrence’s directorial debut. In Mexico, a scavenger discovers the tip of the spear that pierced Jesus Christ in a ruined church, but becomes possessed after taking it to Los Angeles. John Constantine, a cynical occult expert, helps exorcise a demon from a young girl and learns about a treaty between Heaven and Hell that should prevent this type of possession. With terminal lung cancer, Constantine seeks an extension to his life by working with the half-breed angel, Gabriel, to deport Hell’s forces. However, Gabriel reminds him that ...

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 ...

House of Wax (2005), a slasher film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, follows the story of Carly Jones, her brother Nick, her boyfriend Wade Felton, and their friends as they camp in a wooded area on their way to a football game. A stranger in a pickup truck briefly interacts with them before leaving after Nick smashes one of his headlights. The next day, Wade discovers his car’s fan belt has been cut and Lester offers to take Carly and Wade to the nearby town of Ambrose while the others continue to the game. In Ambrose, a ghost town, the couple meets Bo Sinclair who offers to sell them a fan belt and give them a ...

Catwoman (2004) is an American superhero film directed by Pitof and loosely based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The story follows Patience Phillips, a timid individual whose closest source of support is her friend Sally. Patience is employed at Hedare Beauty, a cosmetics company preparing to launch their latest product, a skin cream known as Beau-line that claims to reverse aging. While delivering a revised advertisement to the company’s research and development lab, Patience overhears scientist Dr. Ivan Slavicky and CEO Laurel Hedare discussing the harmful side effects of the cream. Instead of ...

Taking Lives (2004) is an American psychological thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso. In the early 1980s, teenagers Martin Asher and Matt Soulsby meet on a bus to Mont-Laurier, Quebec. The vehicle breaks down, so they obtain a car, which later gets a flat tire. As Matt fixes the tire, Martin notices their similar height and shoves him into the path of an oncoming truck, causing the death of both Matt and the driver. Martin then takes Matt’s guitar and clothes and continues on foot, imitating his singing voice. Twenty years pass and FBI profiler Illeana Scott is called in by Inspector Leclair to assist Montreal ...

Ocean’s Twelve (2004) is a heist comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by George Nolfi. Terry Benedict tracks down all eleven members of Danny Ocean’s crew, demanding the return of the $160 million they stole from his casinos plus an additional $38 million in interest. The deadline for repayment is two weeks. With only half of the money on hand, the group devises a plan to pull off a heist in Amsterdam to avoid trouble with authorities in the United States. A man named Matsui tips them off about the whereabouts of the first ever issued stock ...

Dreamcatcher (2003) is an American science fiction horror film, based on Stephen King’s novel from two years prior. Four friends – Jonesy, Beaver, Pete, and Henry – are taking their annual hunting trip in Maine. As children, they all obtained telepathic abilities which they refer to as ‘the line’, after protecting a boy named Douglas ‘Duddits’ Cavell from bullies and becoming his friend. One night, Jonesy receives a message from Duddits to cross the street, but as he does so, he gets hit by a car. However, his injuries miraculously heal within six months and he is able to join ...

Mystic River (2003) is an American neo-noir crime drama film helmed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood. Set in Charlestown, Boston, the film follows three childhood friends, Jimmy Markum, Sean Devine, and Dave Boyle as they play street hockey one day in 1975. While writing their names on a patch of wet concrete, Dave is taken by two men posing as police officers and subjected to four days of abuse before finally managing to escape. Fast forward twenty-five years and we find Jimmy, now a former inmate running a local convenience store; Sean, a detective for the Massachusetts State Police facing marital issues after his ...

The Matrix Revolutions (2003), the third film in The Matrix series, was released six months after prior and was written and directed by the Wachowskis. It picks up immediately after the events of The Matrix Reloaded. Neo and Bane are still unconscious on the ship Hammer’s medical bay when the movie begins. Inside the Matrix, Neo is stuck in a zone called Mobil Ave, situated between the machine world and the Matrix. Here, he meets a group of programs, including a girl named Sati. The ‘father’ informs Neo that this area is controlled by a program called the Trainman, who is loyal to the ...

The Wachowskis’ science-fiction action film, The Matrix Reloaded (2003), continues the story of The Matrix. Neo and Trinity have now become romantically involved six months after the previous events. Morpheus receives an urgent message from Captain Niobe of the Logos for an emergency meeting among all ships in Zion. It has been discovered that an army of Sentinels is rapidly approaching Zion and will arrive in just three days. In response, Commander Lock orders all ships to return to Zion to prepare for defense. However, Morpheus requests that one ship remain behind to contact the Oracle. Inside the ...

Queen of the Damned (2002), a horror film directed by Michael Rymer and written by Scott Abbott and Michael Petroni, is based on the 1988 novel The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice. This adaptation incorporates elements from its prequel, The Vampire Lestat, published in 1985. A nu metal band’s music awakens the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt from a long slumber, prompting him to join as their lead singer. The ensemble, known as The Vampire Lestat, finds global ...

Hearts in Atlantis (2001), directed by Scott Hicks, is an American mystery drama film loosely based on Stephen King’s Low Men in Yellow Coats, a story from his 1999 collection of the same name. In the film, middle-aged photographer and businessman Robert ‘Bobby’ Garfield returns to his hometown after learning about the death of his best friend, decorated soldier John ‘Sully’ Sullivan, in a car accident. As he visits his childhood home, now abandoned, Bobby reflects on his past. During one summer in the 1960s, eleven-year-old Bobby ...

In the crime film Training Day (2001), directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Ayer, ambitious police officer Jake Hoyt is assigned to work with decorated narcotics detective Alonzo Harris for a one-day evaluation. As they patrol in Alonzo’s Monte Carlo, they come across some college kids buying marijuana, which Alonzo takes and encourages Jake to smoke. When Jake refuses, Alonzo threatens him at gunpoint, explaining that rejecting drugs on the streets could result in his death. Eventually, Jake gives in and smokes the laced pipe while Alonzo laughs. Moving ...

The American romantic drama film, The Majestic (2001), was produced and directed by Frank Darabont and written by Michael Sloane. Set in 1951 during the height of McCarthyism, the story follows Peter Appleton, a rising young Hollywood screenwriter. He is informed by his agent Leo Kubelsky and attorney Kevin Bannerman that he has been accused of being a communist due to attending an antiwar gathering in college. Despite claiming he only went to impress a girl, the accusation causes his latest film, Ashes to Ashes, to be delayed and credited to someone else. It also leads ...

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Ocean’s Eleven (2001) is a heist comedy film featuring professional thief Danny Ocean. After serving four years in a New Jersey prison, Ocean heads to Los Angeles to reunite with his colleague Rusty Ryan. The two then travel to Las Vegas to seek the financial support of their wealthy friend Reuben Tishkoff. Their goal is to pull off a daring multi-million dollar heist, targeting three of Tishkoff’s rival Terry Benedict’s casinos: the Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand. Knowing that the casinos are required to have enough cash to cover all bets placed by patrons, ...

Space Cowboys (2000), an American adventure drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, tells the story of two U.S. Air Force pilots and aspiring astronauts- William ‘Hawk’ Hawkins and Frank Corvin. In 1958, while testing a modified Bell X-2, Hawk decides to attempt breaking speed and altitude records. However, the plane stalls and they are forced to eject, narrowly missing a Boeing B-50 Superfortress with navigator ‘Tank’ Sullivan. After landing safely on the ground, Frank throws a punch at Hawk but their fight is interrupted by flight engineer Jerry O’Neill. Their superior, Bob ...

The Wachowskis brought us The Matrix (1999), a science fiction and action-packed film. At an abandoned hotel, Trinity is cornered by a police squad, but her superhuman abilities allow her to overpower them before fleeing. As she runs from both the police and a group of suited Agents with similar powers, she answers a ringing public telephone and disappears. Thomas Anderson, also known as Neo in the hacking world, becomes intrigued by constant online mentions of ‘the Matrix’. Trinity contacts Neo and informs him that Morpheus has the answers he’s seeking. However, Agent Smith and his team arrive at ...

American filmmaker David O. Russell released Three Kings (1999), a darkly humorous war movie based on a story by John Ridley. Set after the Gulf War, it follows a group of bored U.S. soldiers tasked with wrapping up loose ends. To pass the time, they throw wild parties at night. Among them is Major Archie Gates, an Army Special Forces soldier who trades sex for stories with journalist Cathy Daitch. Their escapades are interrupted by Adriana Cruz, a TV reporter assigned to their unit. During a search of an Iraqi officer, Sergeant First Class Troy Barlow and his best friend ...

Deep Blue Sea (1999) is an American science fiction horror film directed by Renny Harlin. In a remote underwater facility, doctors Susan McCallister and Jim Whitlock are conducting research on mako sharks to reactivate dormant human brain cells found in Alzheimer’s disease patients. This leads to chaos when one of the sharks escapes and attempts to attack a boat full of young adults. In response, corporate executive Russell Franklin is sent to investigate. While testing a certain protein complex removed from the largest shark’s brain tissue, Jim loses his arm when the shark awakens in the laboratory. The ...

In Paradise Road (1997), an Australian war film directed by Bruce Beresford, a group of women from England, America, the Netherlands, and Australia are imprisoned by the Japanese in Sumatra during World War II. During a dance at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore for soldiers and their families, they are abruptly forced to flee when the Battle of Singapore breaks out and a bomb explodes outside. The women and children are quickly taken away on a boat for safety. However, the boat is soon bombed by Japanese fighter planes, causing them to jump into the water. Among them are three women – Adrienne Pargiter, Rosemary ...