ALONG CAME A SPIDER (DVD) DOLBY DIGITAL(ENGLISH 5.1 SURROUND/WS ENHANCE16X9 DVD

Along Came a Spider
Morgan Freeman returns as forensic psychologist Dr. Alex Cross in this thriller based on the novel by James Patterson (whose work also formed the basis of the hit Kiss the Girls). Gary Soneji (Michael Wincott) is a brilliant but remorseless psychopath who has landed a teaching position at an exclusive private school in Washington, D.C. Using his extensive knowledge of kidnapping (he's taught a class on Charles Lindbergh), Soneji abducts one of his students - Megan (Mika Boorem), whose father Hank Rose (Michael Moriarty) is a United States senator. Ollie MacArthur (Dylan Baker), the detective investigating the case, has strong words for Jezzie Flannigan (Monica Potter), the Secret Service agent who mistakenly let Megan slip through her fingers. But when the kidnapper contacts Dr. Cross, the psychologist is brought in on the case, and Cross seeks out Flannigan, who he believes might have a valuable insight into the case. Soon, Cross and Flannigan come to the terrible realization that this crime only represents the tip of the iceberg for the ruthless Soneji. Along Came a Spider also features Penelope Ann Miller, Jay O. Sanders, and Kim Hawthorne. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross Monica Potter as Jezzie Flannigan Michael Wincott as Gary Soneji Dylan Baker as Ollie McArthur Mika Boorem as Megan Rose Anton Yelchin as Thomas Dunne Kimberly Hawthorne as Maggie Rose Dunne Jay O. Sanders as Detective Kyle Craig Billy Burke as Ben Devine Michael Moriarty as Senator Hank Rose Penelope Ann Miller as Elizabeth Rose

Crew Sandy Cochrane - Art Director Denise Chamian - Casting Marty Hornstein - Co-producer Sanja Milkovic Hays - Costume Designer Jim Brebner - First Assistant Director Lee Tamahori - Director Neil Travis - Editor Marty Hornstein - Executive Producer Morgan Freeman - Executive Producer Jerry Goldsmith - Composer (Music Score) Mark Isham - Composer (Music Score) Rosalina Da Silva - Makeup Ida Random - Production Designer Matthew Leonetti - Cinematographer Joe Wizan - Producer David Brown - Producer Elizabeth Wilcox - Set Designer Eric Batut - Sound/Sound Designer Chuck Jeffries - Stunts Marc DeMoss - Screenwriter Lewis Colick - Screenwriter Bill Westenhofer - Visual Effects Supervisor Stephen Flick - Supervising Sound Editor Elizabeth Wilcox - Set Decorator James Patterson - Book Author

Along Came a Spider
The novel by best-selling author James Patterson becomes this thriller that, in the chronology of the writer's series of books featuring the character of Alex Cross, is actually a prequel to Kiss the Girls (1997). Morgan Freeman brings his usual intelligent gravity to FBI Special Agent-In-Charge role he's assayed once before, while Michael Wincott, always so memorable in villain roles, plays his genius kidnapper with a nervous, detached reserve that's a thoughtful contrast to the expected over-the-top histrionics of most cinematic antagonists. His motivations are never made clear or believable, but Wincott's Gary Soneji is sufficiently frightening in his off-kilter, wounded way. Jezzie Flannigan, as portrayed by Monica Potter, is more problematic. The actress plays the tough, smart, morally conflicted Secret Service agent as a wide-eyed runway model at best, an emotionless automaton at worst. It could be to throw the audience off in preparation for a third-act twist, but Potter lacks authenticity in a part that should have been played by a seasoned performer (such as Susan Sarandon) to provide a mature, full-bodied foil for the daunting presence of Freeman. As for the story itself, major changes from the source novel may leave Patterson fans enraged, but director Lee Tamahori provides his underrated, skillful service, keeping the pace brisk and the unanswered questions properly glossed-over. Not as artistically nutritious as The Silence of the Lambs or as good as its predecessor, Along Came a Spider is just good enough, never quite reaching the heights that everyone involved is capable of, existing instead as a proper, adequately entertaining example of its genre. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
 

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General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DDS: Dolby Digital Surround Additional Features: Widescreen version enhanced for 16:9 TVs Dolby Digital: English 5.1 Surround; English Dolby Surround; French Dolby Surround English subtitles Interactive menus Scene selection Theatrical trailer Behind-the-scenes featurette MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 103 min Part of Series: Paramount Widescreen Collection   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 0. scene selection 1. Tracie [:17] 2. Abduction Of Megan Rose [4:56] 3. Alex Cross Is Invited [:17] 4. Two Aspects To Every Face [7:44] 5. The Missing Picture [6:45] 6. Overboard [3:50] 7. A Bigger Fish [3:02] 8. Change In Soneji's Agenda [3:17] 9. "Where's Megan?" [3:46] 10. The Book Is Not Closed [6:09] 11. The Spider [:46] 12. A Very Brave Girl [7:43]