Peter Hanson

The War of the Roses -- In this blackest of comedies, a perfect 18-year marriage suddenly becomes unglued and the gleefully evil Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver (Michael Douglas) Rose single-mindedly inflict as much misery as possible on each other. Rather than just get divorced, they declare war, fighting to the bitter end over their huge mansion and every possession in it.

The Ten Commandments -- The Egyptian Prince, Moses, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people.

Screenwriters ranging from newcomers to living legends share their triumphs and hardships in this probing, insightful, and often hilarious odyssey through the world of movie storyingtelling. Candid and unafraid to name names, dozens of participants reveal the fascinating creative adventures that gave birth to notorious flops and beloved classics. The storytellers include Shane Black ("Lethal Weapon"), John Carpenter ("Halloween"), Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption"), William Goldman ("The Princess Bride" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), and Paul Schrader ("Taxi Driver").

Dozens of acclaimed Hollywood screenwriters discuss their successes and failures, share amusing anecdotes and insider insights, and reveal their experiences with big-name actors and directors in this fascinating documentary. Writers include William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver), John Carpenter (Halloween), Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) and many others.

An ex-Confederate Army officer, John Parrish (Glenn Ford, 3:10 to Yuma, 1957), plans to sell up to nearby Anchor Ranch and move east with his fiancée, but the low price offered by Anchor's crippled owner, Lee Wilkenson (Edward G. Robinson, Mackenna's Gold), and the outfit's bullyboy tactics make him think again. When one of his ranch hands is murdered, he decides to stay and fight, utilizing his war experience. Meanwhile, all is not well at Anchor Ranch where the owner's wife, Martha (Barbara Stanwyck, T.V.'s The Big Valley), has been carrying on for years with her husband's brother who, in turn, keeps a local Mexican sweetie in town.

In this blackest of comedies, a perfect 18-year marriage suddenly becomes unglued and the gleefully evil Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver (Michael Douglas) Rose single-mindedly inflict as much misery as possible on each other. Rather than just get divorced, they declare war, fighting to the bitter end over their huge mansion and every possession in it. Not even the calculating guidance of Oliver's lawyer (Danny DeVito) can stop this uncompromisingly nasty two some as their vicious battle sends them on an increasingly dark and dangerous path.

In this blackest of comedies, a perfect 18-year marriage suddenly becomes unglued and the gleefully evil Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver (Michael Douglas) Rose single-mindedly inflict as much misery as possible on each other. Rather than just get divorced, they declare war, fighting to the bitter end over their huge mansion and every possession in it.

In this blackest of comedies, a perfect 18-year marriage suddenly becomes unglued and the gleefully evil Barbara (Kathleen Turner) and Oliver (Michael Douglas) Rose single-mindedly inflict as much misery as possible on each other. Rather than just get divorced, they declare war, fighting to the bitter end over their huge mansion and every possession in it.

The War of the Roses can best be described as a slapstick tragedy concerning the decline and literal fall of a marriage. After 17 years, Oliver (Michael Douglas) and Barbara (Kathleen Turner) Rose want a divorce. Not for this couple is there anything resembling a "civilized understanding"... and so it goes, culminating in a disastrous showdown around. DeVito and screenwriter Michael Leeson never let us forget that the couple's self-indulgent imbroglio exacts an awful price upon their children (Sean Astin and Heather Fairfield). The War of the Roses was adapted from the novel by Warren Adler.

After his car breaks down on the way to a fishing vacation, drifter John Emmett (Sterling Hayden) accepts a ride from Ann Nicholson (Ruth Roman), whose story has more turns than Emmett expected -- including a murder charge and experience in Cold War espionage. With Communist spies and CIA agents hot on their trail, sparks fly between the two strangers in this adventure drama, also starring Werner Klemperer as a persistent spy.

A powderkeg... with a lit fuse! Charlton Heston, Anne Baxter and Tom Tryon are Three Violent People in this taut, lean-as-leather western with an emphasis on character. Heston is straightlaced rancher Colt Saunders, an ex-Confederate cavalryman coping with the land-grabbing tax policies of greedy Reconstruction leaders. Baxter (Heston's costar in The Ten Commandments) plays Saunder's bride Lorna, who's determined to hide her shady past from her intolerant husband. And Tom Tryon (author of The Other) is Cinch Saunders, an amputee embittered by his brother's dominance. Colt, Lorna and Cinch are volatile ingredients destined to explode. When the carpetbaggers cagily play each of the trio against each other, little do they know they're playing with fire.

For sheer pageantry and spectacle, few motion pictures can claim to equal the splendor of Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 remake of his epic The Ten Commandments. Filmed in Egypt and the Sinai with one of the biggest sets ever constructed for a motion picture, this version tells the story of the life of Moses (Charlton Heston), once favored in the Pharaoh's (Yul Brynner) household, who turned his back on a privileged life to lead his people to freedom. With a rare on-screen introduction by Cecil B. DeMille himself, this unforgettable movie experience is enhanced by a Dolby surround stereo soundtrack.