Christopher Asante

Back in civilian life, an ex-mercenary soldier (Christopher Walken) accepts an offer by an American businessman to overthrow a small African government. Making plans to lead the coup, Walken visits the country in the guise of a nature photographer. Suspicious, the government throws Walken into prison and subjects him to torture. While in prison, he meets a dissident political leader. Finally free, Walken is deported. Back in the United States, Walken recruits his band of mercenaries and makes a raid on the military headquarters of the country's dictator and completes the coup. But not entirely: Walken has been moved by the dissident leader he met while imprisoned, and has a nasty surprise for his American businessman sponsor. From Frederick Forsyth's intense, best-selling novel.

Screen legend Burt Lancaster gives an outstanding performance as an eccentric oilman who orders a young executive ("Crossing Delancey"'s Peter Riegert) to purchase a quaint Scottish village as the site for a giant oil refinery. Produced by David Puttnam ("Chariots of Fire," "Midnight Express"), with a musical score by Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler ("The Color of Money," "The Princess Bride"). New York Magazine called this "'Brigadoon' without bagpipes, a wonderful movie that creates magic without resorting to special effects" and the Daily News said "this entrancing comedy proves hard to resist...a warmly refreshing movie." Received Best Screenplay Awards from both the National Society of Film Critics and the N.Y. Film Critics, and won a place on the "top ten" lists of 16 publications including, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and Newsweek. Maltin dubs this "a little gem." Recently selected by the prestigious American Film Institute as one of the 400 greatest American films of all time.

Ends 06/30/12. Christopher Walken stars in this action drama as a mercenary hired to engineer a coup d'etat in a volatile African country.

Mercenary James Shannon, on a reconnaissance job to the African nation of Zangaro, is tortured and deported. He returns to lead a coup.