ANACONDA / MONEY TRAIN-2PK (DVD) DVD

Anaconda
A group of filmmakers looking for a lost native tribe instead find a man-eating monster in this thriller. Terri Flores (Jennifer Lopez) is a documentary filmmaker on assignment to make a film about the Shirishama Indians of the Amazon, a mysterious tribe known as "the People of the Mists." As Terri and her crew -- cameraman Danny Rich (Ice Cube), sound recordist Gary Dixon (Owen Wilson), anthropologist Steve Cale (Eric Stoltz), production manager Denise Kahlberg (Kari Wuhrer), and host Warren Westridge (Jonathan Hyde) -- head down the river, they discover a man whose boat has sunk and desperately needs rescue. Paul Sarone (Jon Voight), the mysterious stranger that they save from the waters, claims to know something of the Shirishama and says he will take the crew to them. Instead, he guides the group to the hiding place of the fearsome Anaconda, a gigantic snake that swallows a man whole, vomits him up, and eats him again (no small accomplishment, that). The snake is worth a fortune if captured, but can a creature so dangerous be captured at all? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Money Train
A pair of New York City cops collaborate on a plan to rob a cash-packed subway train in this action-comedy. Charlie (Woody Harrelson) and John (Wesley Snipes) are not just co-workers and close friends but also foster brothers. Because of this family connection, the reluctant John becomes involved in the more capricious Charlie's far-fetched scheme to rob the "money train" that collects the subway's daily grosses. Charlie needs the money for gambling debts, and robbing the train would have the added benefit of angering Charlie's and John's harsh, corrupt boss Captain Patterson (Robert Blake). Romantic interest is provided by a fellow police officer (Jennifer Lopez) who sparks rivalry between the brothers, but the film's main interest is in the violent events that surround the attempted heist, which naturally proves more complicated than planned. The film attempts to capitalize on the chemistry between Snipes and Harrelson, who had previously had a hit comedy with White Men Can't Jump (1992), but Joseph Ruben's unexceptional direction and a bland screenplay by Doug Richardson and David Loughery make the film less distinctive than its predecessor. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Cast Jennifer Lopez as Terri Flores Ice Cube as Danny Rich Jon Voight as Paul Sarone Eric Stoltz as Dr. Steven Cale Jonathan Hyde as Warren Westridge Owen Wilson as Gary Dixon Kari Wuhrer as Denise Kalberg Vincent Castellanos as Mateo Wesley Snipes as John Woody Harrelson as Charlie Jennifer Lopez as Grace Santiago Robert Blake as Donald Patterson Chris Cooper as Torch Joe Grifasi as Riley

Crew Sarah Knowles - Art Director Dennis Bradford - Art Director Russ Kavanaugh - Associate Producer Francine Maisler - Casting Doug Claybourne - Co-producer Michael Steele - Co-producer Ruth E. Carter - Costume Designer Jack Gill - First Assistant Director Stephen Lee Davis - First Assistant Director Terry J. Leonard - First Assistant Director Michael Steele - First Assistant Director Joseph Ruben - Director Bill Pankow - Editor George Bowers - Editor Adam Fields - Executive Producer Tracy Barone - Executive Producer Frederick Pierce - Executive Producer Mark Mancina - Composer (Music Score) Laini Thompson - Makeup Bill Groom - Production Designer John Lindley - Cinematographer Neil Canton - Producer Jon Peters - Producer Beth A. Rubino - Set Designer James J. Sabat - Sound/Sound Designer Jack Gill - Stunts David Loughery - Screenwriter Doug Richardson - Screenwriter Ted Chu - First Assistant Camera Danielle Hollowell - Costume/Wardrobe Sarah Knowles - Art Director Dennis Bradford - Art Director Russ Kavanaugh - Associate Producer Francine Maisler - Casting Doug Claybourne - Co-producer Michael Steele - Co-producer Ruth E. Carter - Costume Designer Jack Gill - First Assistant Director Stephen Lee Davis - First Assistant Director Terry J. Leonard - First Assistant Director Michael Steele - First Assistant Director Joseph Ruben - Director Bill Pankow - Editor George Bowers - Editor Adam Fields - Executive Producer Tracy Barone - Executive Producer Frederick Pierce - Executive Producer Mark Mancina - Composer (Music Score) Laini Thompson - Makeup Bill Groom - Production Designer John Lindley - Cinematographer Neil Canton - Producer Jon Peters - Producer Beth A. Rubino - Set Designer James J. Sabat - Sound/Sound Designer Jack Gill - Stunts David Loughery - Screenwriter Doug Richardson - Screenwriter Ted Chu - First Assistant Camera Danielle Hollowell - Costume/Wardrobe

Anaconda
A triple helping of cinematic cheese is what this delightfully tongue-in-cheek horror outing sets out to be and it succeeds handsomely. Among the film's many delights are laughable dialogue, characters out of the Aaron Spelling school of drama, and the frequent usage of the sudden, cheap shock school of thrills (so many objects leap out at viewers unexpectedly, one would think the picture was filmed in 3D). All of these elements keep the film's energy up as the body count predictably mounts, but the best parts of this opus of B-movie cliché and blunder are the snake and actor Jon Voight in the heavy role. The anaconda itself is a supernaturally gifted critter with the ability to swallow a man whole, yet still maintain the fitness to move at the speed of lightning. Stalking its prey, the titular zoological specimen pinwheels back and forth in looks from a computer-generated Loch Ness Monster-looking beastie to a Muppet-style length of what seems to be stuffed elephant trunk. Any zoo in the world would be lucky to have it. Then there's Voight in a winking, ironically detached performance as a Great White Hunter with a marble-mouthed accent. Voight knows how bad the script is here and just sinks his fangs into a juicy, unrepentantly sleazy, horny, greedy character. It's all on the surface, sure, but it's his most fully awake, alive, and energetic performance in decades, sadly spent in the service of a total piece of junk that at least has the good sense to know what it is. Anaconda is trash, but it's darn fun trash. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
 

Money Train
(not reviewed)
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French, Spanish Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DS: Dolby Surround (4.0) Additional Features: ANACONDA: Theatrical Trailer Interactive Menus Scene Selections MONEY TRAIN: Theatrical Trailers Interactive Menus Production Notes Scene Selections with Motion Images DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1: Cinemascope 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 2 DVD Sides: 4 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 200 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- Anaconda [WS] 1. Start [2:59] 2. Better Death [1:32] 3. Jungle Hotel [5:31] 4. Paul Sarone [1:42] 5. Fish Story [4:20] 6. Rap Rap [:58] 7. Snake Totem [2:22] 8. Wild Sounds [1:53] 9. Wild Bear [1:38] 10. A Caught Rope [2:13] 11. Tracheotomy [2:11] 12. Heading Back [1:56] 13. Something New [1:25] 14. Blowing It [6:32] 15. Treasure Hunt [1:43] 16. Squeezing Mateo [4:36] 17. Night Lights [5:27] 18. Taking Bait [3:13] 19. Wrapping Gary [1:55] 20. Bloody Poodle [1:46] 21. Squeeze Play [3:35] 22. Big Set-up [1:39] 23. Driving Lesson [:46] 24. Bottomed-out [2:31] 25. Eyes Advice [1:27] 26. On the Rocks [5:13] 27. Fuel Stop [3:07] 28. Monkey Blood [1:21] 29. Snake Trapped [3:22] 30. Wink & a Smile [:33] 31. Chimney Snake [3:04] 32. Iced [1:13] 33. Mist People [:54] 34. End Credits [4:20] Side #2 -- Anaconda [P&S] 1. Start [2:59] 2. Better Death [1:32] 3. Jungle Hotel [5:31] 4. Paul Sarone [1:42] 5. Fish Story [4:20] 6. Rap Rap [:58] 7. Snake Totem [2:22] 8. Wild Sounds [1:53] 9. Wild Bear [1:38] 10. A Caught Rope [2:13] 11. Tracheotomy [2:11] 12. Heading Back [1:56] 13. Something New [1:25] 14. Blowing It [6:32] 15. Treasure Hunt [1:43] 16. Squeezing Mateo [4:36] 17. Night Lights [5:27] 18. Taking Bait [3:13] 19. Wrapping Gary [1:55] 20. Bloody Poodle [1:46] 21. Squeeze Play [3:35] 22. Big Set-up [1:39] 23. Driving Lesson [:46] 24. Bottomed-out [2:31] 25. Eyes Advice [1:27] 26. On the Rocks [5:13] 27. Fuel Stop [3:07] 28. Monkey Blood [1:21] 29. Snake Trapped [3:22] 30. Wink & a Smile [:33] 31. Chimney Snake [3:04] 32. Iced [1:13] 33. Mist People [:54] 34. End Credits [4:20] Side #3 -- Money Train [WS] 1. Start [3:26] 2. Decoy Cops [2:21] 3. Patterson's Order [6:54] 4. $15,000 Bet [3:45] 5. Grace Santiago [:41] 6. John the D [3:24] 7. Alone at Last [4:23] 8. Three's a Crowd [6:18] 9. Aboard the Train [2:04] 10. $25,000 Light [7:02] 11. Dancing [6:24] 12. Boxing [3:39] 13. $15,000 [1:44] 14. Dipped [1:17] 15. Round Two [2:27] 16. More Bad News [1:54] 17. Grace the D [2:47] 18. The Torch [2:06] 19. In Pursuit [8:40] 20. In Trouble [3:09] 21. A Word With Brown [4:59] 22. Breaking In [2:21] 23. John Makes Tracks [1:23] 24. Plans A & B [3:53] 25. No Brakes [1:41] 26. The Gauntlet [10:44] 27. Derailed [:40] 28. Dealing With Patterson [9:32] Side #4 -- Money Train [P&S] 1. Start [3:26] 2. Decoy Cops [2:21] 3. Patterson's Order [6:54] 4. $15,000 Bet [3:45] 5. Grace Santiago [:41] 6. John the D [3:24] 7. Alone at Last [4:23] 8. Three's a Crowd [6:18] 9. Aboard the Train [2:04] 10. $25,000 Light [7:02] 11. Dancing [6:24] 12. Boxing [3:39] 13. $15,000 [1:44] 14. Dipped [1:17] 15. Round Two [2:27] 16. More Bad News [1:54] 17. Grace the D [2:47] 18. The Torch [2:06] 19. In Pursuit [8:40] 20. In Trouble [3:09] 21. A Word With Brown [4:59] 22. Breaking In [2:21] 23. John Makes Tracks [1:23] 24. Plans A & B [3:53] 25. No Brakes [1:41] 26. The Gauntlet [10:44] 27. Derailed [:40] 28. Dealing With Patterson [9:32]