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DVD and VIDEO SHOP 2
Films on DVD and Video
Welcome to Part 2 of our DVD and Video Shop for films with a German-Hollywood Connection—in English and German—chosen for their outstanding quality and their Germanic connections. These titles can be purchased directly from Amazon.com by following the links below. All DVDs and videos are in the NTSC format for North America. Amazon.com is solely responsible for fulfillment of video orders placed through these links. Also see our new German Movies on DVD page and our Film Bookstore.
M o d e r n H o l l y w o o d
Hollywood films directed by German/Austrian directors or starring German/Austrian actors
For classic Hollywood films, see DVDs/Videos Part 1
Air Force One (1997) (VHS, DVD)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close. Amazon.com commentary: "Harrison Ford plays a U.S. president who single-handedly employs his rigid antiterrorism policy when a band of Russian thugs hatch a mid-flight takeover of Air Force One. Gary Oldman, who chews the scenery as the lead terrorist, will shoot a hostage at the slightest provocation. Glenn Close plays the sternly pragmatic vice president who negotiates with Oldman from her Washington seat of power." Directed by Wolfgang Petersen. - The widescreen version of this film; the DVD version of this film.
Leonardo DiCaprio DVDs
Blade Runner/Director's Cut (DVD)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer. This is one of the great sci-fi films, with a dark neo-noir flavor. Some of the scenes in this Ridley Scott film are straight out of Fritz Lang's silent classic "Metropolis." I personally happen to agree with those who favor the original narrated, more film-noirish version over this director's cut, but to each his or her own. - Blade Runner/Director's Cut (widescreen VHS)
Blow (2001) (DVD)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Franka Potente ("Run Lola Run"). Based on a true story, "Blow" chronicles the high-speed rise and fall of George Jung (Depp), who became the largest importer of Colombian cocaine to the US. German actress Franka Potente plays a stewardess who gets involved with Jung's trafficking. Directed by Ted Demme. - More about this film
City of Angels (1998) (DVD, VHS)
Directed by Brad Silberling. A remake of Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire (1988), starring Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan, and Dennis Franz. Wenders was a consultant on this Hollywood effort to transplant his Himmel über Berlin (the German title for 'Wings') to L.A., but the operation was not entirely successful. Despite some nice images of angels in high places -- and other scenes hauntingly reminiscent of the original, much was lost in translation. This DVD version does includes some cool extras: Five theatrical trailers; cinematographer commentary; production design commentary; interviews with Alanis Morissette and Peter Gabriel; two documentaries on the making of the film. But you'll probably like this film better if you haven't seen Wenders' original. - The VHS version of 'City of Angels'
Enemy Mine (1985) (VHS)
Starring: Louis Gossett Jr., Dennis Quaid. Amazon.com commentary: Lizard-like Draconian Louis Gossett Jr. and his mortal enemy, earthling Dennis Quaid, crash-land on a hostile planet during a brutal space battle. Forced to rely on one another for survival, they overcome their differences and become fast friends. You can almost hear them break into an off-key version of 'It's a Small World.' German director Wolfgang Petersen, so brutally honest with his film Das Boot, turns warm and cuddly..." This was Petersen's first Hollywood film.
Godzilla (1998) (VHS, DVD)
Starring Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo. Amazon.com commentary: "As 'gigantic monster reptile attacks New York' movies go, you've got to admit that Godzilla delivers the goods, although its critical drubbing and box-office disappointment were arguably deserved. It's a shameless, uninspired crowd pleaser that's content to serve up familiar action with the advantage of really fantastic special effects, and if you expect nothing more you'll be one among millions of satisfied customers. There's really no other way to approach it -- you just have to accept the fact that Independence Day creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin are unapologetic plagiarists, incapable of anything more than mindless spectacle that can play in any cinema in the world without dubbing or subtitles." Directed by Roland Emmerich - The widescreen version of this film; the DVD version of this film. More about 'Godzilla' at IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Independence Day (1996) (VHS)
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Will Smith. "The War of the Worlds" meets the 1990s in this amusing sci-fi romp with a $71-million budget -- mostly for special effects. Directed by Roland Emmerich. - The widescreen version of this film.
The Man in the Iron Mask (1997) (VHS)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Gabriel Byrne, Gerard Depardieu, Jeremy Irons. The Musketeers try to rescue the man in the mask, DiCaprio in a dual role. Directed by Randall Wallace.
Palmetto (1998) (VHS)
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue. This interesting neo-noir thriller, based on a James Hadley Chase novel, was directed by German director Volker Schlöndorff.
Stargate (1994) (VHS, DVD)
Starring: Kurt Russell, James Spader. Amazon.com commentary: "In this visually creative space adventure, a timid, glasses-wearing Egyptologist uncovers an ancient portal to another planet and is dispatched there forthwith--along with blundering, clodfooted government troops." Now a television series ("SG-1"), I liked the Stargate movie better than Independence Day -- both by director Roland Emmerich. - The DVD version of this film.
Titanic (1997) (VHS)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet. Is there really anyone left who has not heard all the hype for this flick? (Winner of 11 Oscars including Best Picture!) Well, I liked it. OK, so it's not "Citizen Kane" and, yes, some of the dialog is sappy -- but it's damn good entertainment. And it thrust young Leo (whose mom and granny are German) into megastar status. (See some of his previous work on this page also.) Directed by James Cameron. - The widescreen version of this film.
You've Got Mail (1998) (VHS, DVD)
Starring: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Based on Ernst Lubitsch's "The Shop Around the Corner," Nora Ephron's update is an OK film, but it fails to capture the grittier and more timeless tone of the Lubitsch original. - The DVD version of this film.
S i l e n t F i l m C l a s s i c s
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) (VHS, DVD)
Stars: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Lil Dagover. Amazon.com commentary: "A milestone of the silent film era, this eerie German classic remains the most prominent example of German expressionism in the emerging art of the cinema. Dr. Caligari, an evil mountebank, hypnotizes an innocent villager (Veidt) and compels him to carry out fiendish murders. Silent film with music track, featuring fantastical, heavily stylized sets, antirealist acting, and evocative subjective camerawork. The Kino version preserves the original color-tinted film and includes an excerpt from director Robert Wiene's 'Genuine Tale of a Vampire.'" - The DVD version of this film.
Nosferatu (1922) (VHS, DVD)
Starring: Max Schreck. Amazon.com commentary: "F.W. Murnau changed the name and ghastly appearance of his villain, but this unauthorized version of Bram Stoker's Dracula couldn't fool the Stoker estate, and it became the center of a lawsuit that almost resulted in its complete destruction. Thankfully this masterpiece survives." Directed by F.W. Murnau. - The DVD version of this film.
Pandora's Box (1928) (VHS)
Starring Louise Brooks. Directed by G.W. Pabst. Austrian director Pabst invited Brooks to Germany to make this classic. The raven-haired Brooks played "the irresistible Lulu, a cabaret star who entices, captures, and eventually destroys all men who cross her path. Her beauty and her fetching charm draw an assortment of repressed and lonely people." English intertitles.
F i l m s i n G e r m a n (VHS)
Some films also on DVD; also see: German Movies on DVD
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) (VHS)
Klaus Kinski, in one of his more colorful, bizarre roles, plays a Spanish conquistador obsessed with the idea of conquering the South American continent and locating El Dorado. One of director Werner Herzog's best films. Loosely based on a true story. German with English subtitles.
The American Friend (1977) (VHS)
Dennis Hopper and Bruno Ganz (of "Wings of Desire" fame) in a "...vague but suspenseful statement about American gangster films and the Americanization of European cinema and lifestyles, centering on a young German picture-framer (Ganz) hired to assassinate a mobster." (L. Maltin) Directed by Wim Wenders. English and German with English subtitles.
The Blue Angel - Director's Cut (1930) (VHS)
Marlene Dietrich's first starring role -- as Lola-Lola. Restored, uncensored original German version featuring 13 minutes cut from the American and English releases. Part of the "Treasures from the Weimar Republic 1919-1933" series. German with English subtitles.
Das Boot - Director's Cut (1982) (VHS, DVD)
The re-edited, remastered director's edition of the acclaimed World War II submarine epic by German director Wolfgang Petersen. A great film gets even better! German with English subtitles.
BUY > DVD version from Amazon.com (US, Region 1)
Ecstasy (1933) (VHS)
Hedy Lamarr made this film in Europe before coming to Hollywood. "Undistinguished romantic drama was once notorious for scenes of...Hedy in the buff -- and showing her in the throes of sexual passion." (Leonard Maltin) Directed by Gustav Machaty.
M (1931) (VHS)
Peter Lorre in his first film role. Director Fritz Lang, in his first sound film, used the technique masterfully to create a classic. Based on a true case of a serial child murderer. German with English subtitles.
The Nasty Girl (1990) (VHS)
Starring: Lena Stolze. Based on the true story of a girl who shakes up her quiet Bavarian hometown with a school essay that unearths past Nazi crimes by town officials. Directed by Michael Verhoeven. German with English subtitles.
Tin Drum (VHS, DVD)
Starring: Mario Adorf. Powerful drama (based on the novel by Günter Grass) dealing with a young boy's reaction to Nazi Germany. Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The special-edition DVD release has a widescreen presentation, director commentary, isolated musical score, English subtitles, and production notes. German with English subtitles. Directed by Volker Schlöndorff.
The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993) (VHS)
A fascinating look at the 91-year-old woman who went from movie starlet to Hitler's favorite director. Riefenstahl is an active still photographer today. English and German with English subtitles. Directed by Ray Mueller. - The DVD version of this film.
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