The plot of 'The Cell' is intriguing. A serial killer has kidnapped another victim, and his automatic killing machine will drown her in 40 hours unless someone stops it. The FBI enlists a team of psychologists in an attempt to figure out where the killer is hiding his victim. The murderer is ... Read review
Schizoid serial killer Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio) has been captured at last, but a ... more
neurological seizure has rendered him comatose, and FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughan) has no way to determine the location of Stargher's latest and still-livi...
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Schizoid serial killer Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio) has been captured at last, but a ... more
neurological seizure has rendered him comatose, and FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughan) has no way to determine the location of Stargher's latest and still-livi...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Jennifer Lopez takes a terrifying journey into the mind of a killer in this chilling ... more
critically acclaimed psychological thriller. When serial killer Carl Stargher (Vincent D’Onofrio) falls into a coma before his last victim can be found a chi...
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Jennifer Lopez ('Out Of Sight', 'Selena') takes a terrifying journey into the mind of a ... more
killer in this chilling, critically acclaimed psychological thriller.When a serial killer Vincent D'Onofrio ('The Thirteenth Floor', 'Men In Black') falls into a co...
Tweed faces the most frightening challenge of his career as London becomes the next ... more
terrorist target in the wake of September 11th. Is Al-Qa'eda about to attack London? Who is the traitor in Britain manipulating his opponents mercilessly? Time has run out. This Tweed does know. But what is the target? When and where will the attack be launched? Panic grips Whitehall and Tweed is road-blocked by bureaucrats at every turn.
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This limited edition film cell presentation features a strip of hand selected original ... more
35mm film from The Rescuers. The collection has an ivory mount with beech effect frame, an individually numbered plaque and certificate of authenticity.
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Production Year: 2004 - Horror - Director: Zack Snyder - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer
Advantages: visually stunning Disadvantages: bad acting, plot
The plot of 'The Cell' is intriguing. A serial killer has kidnapped another victim, and his automatic killing machine will drown her in 40 hours unless someone stops it. The FBI enlists a team of psychologists in an attempt to figure out where the killer is hiding his victim. The murderer is a schizophrenic who has entered a catatonic state and is unable to talk or move. Using the latest technology, a psychologist enters the mind of the killer to ... ...Sounds good, right? Well, the plot gets confused by the fact that Jennifer Lopez's character is a child psychologist who has another patient in a coma, a little boy called Edward. This part of the plot seemed vague and slow-moving compared to the rest of the movie, which is suspensful and exciting.
The movie consists of two parts, reality and fantasy. You see what is going on inside the killer's mind and what is happening in reality. ... more
The plot of 'The Cell' is intriguing. A serial killer has kidnapped another victim, and his automatic killing machine will drown her in 40 hours unless someone stops it. The FBI enlists a team of psychologists in an attempt to figure out where the killer is hiding his victim. The murderer is a schizophrenic who has entered a catatonic state and is unable to talk or move. Using the latest technology, a psychologist enters the mind of the killer to try to find out about his crimes.
Sounds good, right? Well, the plot gets confused by the fact that Jennifer Lopez's character is a child psychologist who has another patient in a coma, a little boy called Edward. This part of the plot seemed vague and slow-moving compared to the rest of the movie, which is suspensful and exciting.
The movie consists of two parts, reality and fantasy. You see what is going on inside the killer's mind and what is happening in reality. The scenes with Lopez in the fantasy world are incredible. The makeup and special effects are amazing. The images reminded me of comic books, but with real actors-- quite an achievement. Alas, the plot and acting are not as impressive as the technical aspects of the film.
In the reality scenes, Lopez's poor acting ability is apparent. She uses the irritating technique of whispering in order to show emotion. Also, she is supposed to be a serious psychologist working on the future of scientific therapy, but she wears revealing clothing and flirts overtly with the FBI agent (Vince Vaughn). Of course there is the token shot of her world-famous bum (at home in a thong, when she is looking for something to eat in the fridge) which got a laugh out of me and my mates.
In the midst of a murder investigation, Lopez and Vince Vaughn (the FBI agent) stop by a pool to have a deep talk about the nature of their work and whether or not child abuse can drive someone to kill. Yes, that is an important theme, but the film could have pursued this question in a much more subtle way. It bothered me that they would take the time to have a deep personal conversation while time was running out for the kidnapping victim. I HOPE that doesn't happen in reality!
The one word I would use to describe this film is DISTURBING. Vincent D'Onofrio does an excellent job as a psychotic killer who is obsessed with drowning. He kidnaps women, keeps them in a cell, videotapes their every move, and eventually drowns them and bleaches their bodies to turn them into dolls. It's all very creepy... This pathology stems from his traumatic childhood and is quite gruesome. I had to close my eyes a couple of times during particularly vivid scenes. The scenes inside the killer's mind are also bloody, but not quite as disturbing because it is clear that the images are the killer's thoughts and not his actions.
Overall, this film is not perfect plotwise, but brings up important issues about sanity, reality, and fantasy, and is very entertaining to watch. When I left the cinema, I remember that my neck was actually sore from being tense for two hours.
Also, the fantasy scene with Jennifer Lopez as a warrior/nun with a crossbow was worth the price of admission.
Advantages: Good acting and some great cinematography and direction Disadvantages: Shocking, quite gross and lots of unpleasant goings-on
The Cell is an odd and quite horrendous film. I thought it looked freaky when it was released in the cinema and on video so I never gave much thought to watching it. But last night I watched it on Sky Box Office because there was nothing much else to do. Well. Yuk, yuk, creepy, gross, yuk. You’ll see why.
The Cell begins by introducing us to Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez), a psychotherapist who is part of a team pioneering a groundbreaking ... ...into the mind of a comatose young boy, in order to give him therapy and try to wake him up, as it were. We are told that the team tried once before to ‘reverse the feeds’ and insert the boy into her mind, but this did not work because the boy was unsure of his surroundings. We are also told that it is possible for three people to participate in a ‘group session’. The need for this information becomes clearer later on in the ...
jess0910 27.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Cell (DVD)
Advantages: The visuals show great imaginations Disadvantages: everything else really
The initial hype surrounding this movie on its cinema release was considerable, mixed reviews followed, along with reasonable box office success ($100m world-wide). Reviews ranged from
“From the first frame to the last, The Cell is a visually striking film, as gorgeous as it is grotesque, at times virtually unwatchable, yet impossible not to watch." To the slightly more sobering…
“A little pretentious by the half-hour mark. An ... ...I was unable to watch the cinema release but have been eagerly anticipating the recent video release to make up my own mind. For those that don’t know The Cell marks the return of Jennifer Lopez to the world of mainstream movies having been lured away from her mediocre pop career. It is a shame that she has taken such a long sojourn since her fantastic performance in the hugely under watched and rated Soderburgh classic Out of Sight where co-starring ...
Mercury 20.03.2001 (09.04.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Cell (DVD)
...fails to enchant me.
The Cell, Singh's debut feature-film following a widely-lauded career in music videos and advertising, is astonishing on several levels. Granted, none of those levels are anywhere near the level upon which the Plot is situated, but so intoxicating is most everything else that one scarcely has the wits to notice.
That plot - a flimsily-strung mesh of cliché and genre conventions - concerns the efforts of psychotherapist Catherine ... ...the mind of captured serial killer Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio) by way of an elaborate machine of some kind that transports one into the dreamscapes of another. To this end, she is assisted some by Stargher's captor, FBI agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn), himself harbouring a fair few demons also.
It is whilst wandering those dreamscapes that The Cell astounds. The work of Scandinavian artist Odd Nerdstrum is plundered throughout, and the resultant ...
DavidJay 17.10.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Cell (DVD)
Wouldn’t the world be a nicer place if Lopez just stuck to acting instead of inflicting another piece of sub-Gloria Estefan detritus on us? Remember 'Out Of Sight'? Bloody marvellous, I thought. Then came ‘If You Had My Love.’ Hmmm… thinks I, hoping this doesn’t set a trend, and the girl sticks to screen and not songs. No such luck. Having lost all respect for the artist formerly known as Jennifer, it was with a heavy ... ...She uses high-tech to enter the minds of patients, into their dreamworlds, and help them repair from the inside out. This technique, it appears, is especially effective with comatose subjects for whom other therapies are useless. When a comatose serial killer (Vincent D’Onofrio,) is brought in, our heroine must discover the location of his last victim before time runs out...
Directed by Tarsem Singh, this is the most visually intense piece ...
revere 02.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Cell (DVD)
Advantages: Surreality, Jennifer Lopez, Truly original film-making. Disadvantages: The subject matter clearly makes some people uncomfortable, and it's quite scary in parts.
...mental laboratory where she enters the mind of a young boy in a vegetative state in order to help coax him out into the real world. At least, that's how it starts. We are quickly introduced to the world of Karl, a sick and twisted serial killer who likes to slowly drown his female victims while filming them. After this he dowses them in enbalming fluid, raises himself to the roof on hooks attatched to his back and masturbates over the corpses while ... ...describe this, sick. Straight away the film enables you to develop a serious loathing of this character thanks, mainly, to the incredible acting skills of Vincent D'Onofrio. The police eventually catch him but, with one victim still missing, he refuses to say where she is. In comes Catherine. She steps into Karl's head in order to find the wherabouts of the missing girl. HERE BEGINS THE MOST SURREAL HEAD-TRIP EVER SEEN. All I want to know is how ...
VincentM-M 13.11.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Cell (DVD)
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Advantages: Good acting performances, excellent plot. DVD boxset for good price. Disadvantages: Maybe too short.
I read a review about sleeper cell in a newspaper and they rated it better than 24. I on the other hand would not go that far. I did think that sleeper cell was gripping and tense but didn't have the twists and turns that 24 presents. Even though i say it isn't as good as 24, it is one of those dramas that has you reaching for the DVD remote to watch the next episode straight away.
Sleeper cell follows the story of a muslim undercover FBI agent who infiltrates a terrorist cell that is planning a major attack in America. The actors all give excellent performances and really make the program enjoyable to watch and the fact that the members of the cell are not all middle eastern is quite refreshing because it doesn't stereotype Arab muslims as terrorists, it shows that anybody from any walk of life can be influenced by others.
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Advantages: The superb performances of Val Lehman, Sheila Florence and Fiona Spence Disadvantages: None
Well, let me tell you, since Fremantle have welcomingly began releasing the early episodes of "Prisoner Cell Block H" (episodes made between 1978-1979 - before I was even born!) I have become totally hooked all over again on this cult-classic Aussie soap, set in the fictious womens prison Wentworth Detention Centre.
The episodes on this lavishly and attractively packaged dvd box set, are now over 30 years old. So has it aged well? Incredibly, in its own bizarre yet unique way, yes it has! The essence of the series still holds up, much of it flowing quite well for its age. This is not least due to some splendid acting from certain members of the cast that ignited the show into a red hot hit. Despite the popular myth that "Prisoner Cell Block H" is legendary for its bad acting, shoddy editing and wobbly sets (and at times this is all ...
Advantages: Adrenaline Fueled And Out Of This World Disadvantages: None What So Ever
stories, the relationships make it such a good success. It brings some hope into some of our love life's you might say. Each episode that goes on we can see how more romantically attached the characters become.
The realism of the show is exceptional, from the special effects to the terror plots. All would be capable. One of the main factors of the show is the suspense. It makes us grab on to those pillows and really shout at the TV! Most importantly after the series is finished... It makes us want more!
The packaging of the box set is also very good. It has a clear description of what the shows about and the menus are very easy to navigate within the DVD's. I also feel the age restriction has been set just right as i feel it would be too much for someone younger to really relate to the characters.
Overall, i would suggest that you all ...
Catherine Deane is a psychotherapist who is brought in to try to enter the mind of a serial killer. Carl Stargher allows his victims to drown for many hours and then hangs himself up by a hook pushed straight into his back...
"...[Jennifer Lopez] gives a provocative and nuanced performance....The director [Tarsem Singh] is a dexterous visual stylist, moving effortlessly from smooth, gleaming surfaces photographed in slow motion to grainy, slightly sped-up frames..." (New York Times, p.E7, 18/08/2000)
"...There's plenty here to keep the eye busy..." (Sight and Sound, p.46-7, 01/11/2000)
"...Tarsem cleverly depicts Stargher's nightmarish psyche with some kaleidoscope optics....Plenty of disturbing, futuristic and erotic imagery..." (Total Film, p.83, 01/10/2000)
DVD Description
A wild ride inside the mind of a serial killer, THE CELL is a movie that leads viewers on a strange visual and psychological journey. Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez) is a child therapist working on an experimental new technology that allows for direct access into someone else's mind. However, the benefits of the technology are still unproven. Meanwhile FBI Agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn) is hard at work tracking down a serial killer who encloses women in a small glass cell and drowns them. Novak is able to identify the killer as Carl Stargher (Vincent D'Onofrio), but before he can be arrested, he goes into a coma. The only way to rescue his most recent victim is for Catherine to enter his mind using the experimental technology. However, Stargher's mind is so warped and frightening, there's no way to know what Deane will encounter inside of it. THE CELL is the feature film debut of Tarsem Singh, a renowned commercial and video director who overloads his film with visual splendor and horror, while sticking to a simple story of innocence lost and innocent victims saved. A must-see for fans of dark psychological thrillers, THE CELL features some controversial violence and sexual content along with amazing special effects. A chilling yet strangely elegant thriller, THE CELL is a stunning cinematic experience.
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