Stars: Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin, John Leguizamo, Benicio Del Toro, Patti D'Arbanville, Andrew J. Ferchland

Director: Tony Scott

Summary: When baseball celebrity Bobby Rayburn falls into a career slump, Gil Renard's obsession with baseball takes a sinister turn as he secretly vows to restore his idol's reputation - whatever the cost...

Quick-tempered Gil Renard (Robert De Niro) has an ex-wife who hates him, a son who fears him, and a job that he's about to lose. The only thing that this down-on-his-luck knife salesman can count on is baseball. He's a loyal, die hard fan, specifically when it comes to his favorite player, Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes). Renard has followed Rayburn's career since day one and is thrilled that his hero has just signed with his hometown team, the San Francisco Giants. When Rayburn hits a slump, his number one fan decides to help him by any means necessary. But when Rayburn discovers the lengths to which his admirer has gone to "help" him and begins to fear Renard, the disturbed fan becomes disillusioned with his hero and focuses his aggression toward Rayburn and his family. De Niro is creepy and menacing as the obsessed Renard, a psychotic stalker who ingratiates himself with his victim. Directed by Tony Scott (TOP GUN, CRIMSON TIDE), the film is based on the novel by Peter Abrahams.

WIN DVDs by rating this DVD

Average User Rating:

WIN DVDS by being amongst the first to review this DVD. Reviewing DVDs earns you bonus entries and lets you WIN DVDs!Please login before reviewing this DVD. If you're a new user, register for free and enter to WIN FREE DVDs!

Like the finest of film scores with its fluid beauty and succession of intensely romantic tunes, Puccini's opera Madame Butterflyhas a surprisingly cinematic feel. In 1995 director Frederic Mitterand exploited this quality of the story, exposing a young woman's disillusionment against a backdrop of cultural chasms. Shot on location, with Tunisia doubling convincingly as a turn of the century Nagasaki, this Butterflyshines with fragile beauty. The house becomes a brilliantly used set; airy and full of the scent of flowers and at the same time a cage for the trapped woman. Archive footage of bygone Nagasaki is used skilfully to underline the distance between the 15-year-old bride and Pinkerton.

Purists may prefer a more traditionally robust, stage-bound Butterfly, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more visually heartbreaking interpretation. Chinese soprano Ying Huang doesn't rock the rafters with her vocal power; hers is a tender, delicately observed performance. Tenor Richard Troxton's self-seeking Pinkerton is well sung. Overall, this is a haunting cinematic treatment of an enduringly popular opera.

On the DVD:Madame Butterflyis presented in a letterbox widescreen format (enhanced for 16:9 widescreen televisions). The Dolby Digital surround soundtrack engulfs the listener in some of Puccini's most memorable tunes, stringing you out and leaving you emotionally spent. The main special feature is a charming portrait of Ying Huan, providing interesting insights into how the film was made and how she won the role. --Piers Ford

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Year:	1996
Release Date:	September 27, 1999
Runtime:	111 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	E D V 9026
Keywords:	General, Fan, Drama
Genre:	Drama