DVD RACK

We pick 5 old films we watched this week for your consideration.

THE UNTOUCHABLES: Complete, classic cinema. If you ever wanted to know why Kevin Costner became so good. Or just how hot the young, talented Andy Garcia was. Or just how Sean Connery got a second, Paul Newman successful career after Bond. Or just how deep De Niro's classic roles go, touch on this timeless, dramatic action thriller. Costner plays Elliott Ness in the true story of how his police force brought down notorious gangster Al Capone (De Niro). The action is acclaimed, the drama moving and the historical setting perfectly done in 1930's Chicago. Another thing this epic movie is is tense, just check into the train station scene for your ticket to this ride. There you will see movie moments that will live in cinematic history.

THE 25th HOUR: In one of Spike Lee's most underrated films, Edward Norton stars as a man who has 24 hours to live his life before he begins to do his time in prison. With all terrific, trademark Spike Lee trickery and a beautiful, poignant homage to the World Trade Centre in the opening credits, this film is dangerously dark but undeniably uplifting in parts. Plus there is brilliant support from Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson and Brian Cox who give some of their finest performances. Look out for the scene of Edward Norton reflecting in the mirror. Perhaps the most fitting image of the social tensions that existed in New York and around the world post 9/11. 10 years on, let's all remember those we lost on that tragic day.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS: Sure Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt may not be as fresh as daisy dukes like Katherine Hiegel and Ashton Kutcher but they still come up smelling like roses. In fact the younger generations could learn a lot from this golden oldie, especially the best compliment/chat up line ever from Nicholson. This comedy was brought to you from James L. Brooks. You may know him from such comedy classics as 'The Simpsons' or this years reuniting with Jack in 'How Do You Know'. This movie centre's around Nicholson's character. A miserable man with OCD, who writes romance but can't seem to create any for himself. Still deep down he is a good man and is offered the opportunity to show this to his waitress love interest (Hunt) and his gay neighbour (played delightfully by Greg Kinnear) and butter-wouldn't-melt dog Bernard. With great support from Cuba Gooding Jnr this is more then your average romantic comedy. Warm, affectionate, hilarious but insightful, this uplifting gem takes it higher then the rest. It's a classic. Great films don't get much better then this.

GOOD WILL HUNTING: With 'Hereafter', 'True Grit' and 'The Adjustment Bureau' making big box-office returns this year, let's take a look at the classic film that made Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's (who's doing brilliantly too with the Oscar worthy 'The Town') career. Written and acted brilliantly by the pair, 'Good Will Hunting' is an aspiring, inspirational movie about as a troubled maths genius played perfectly by Damon. Just in time for the Oscars this award winning classic is worthy of any accreditation and is the perfect story in and outside the movie as Damon and Affleck went from just any, old aspiring young writers to superstars overnight. Plus the ever, versatile Robin Williams is incredibly warm and honest in his performance and the film is set in the down-to-earth, English feeling, timeless, classic, beauty of Boston, New England. The film also has one of the best lines ever, so go see about it. Now how dya like them apples?

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (DIE HARD 4.0): Then again if you want to leave your thinking caps at home then how about this? The perfect couch potato chip/popcorn movie that is probably in everybody's DVD collection and on T.V. every other night or channel. With 'Die Hard 24/7' in the works, the fourth instalment of the grubby wife-beater, McClane series is one of the best. Bruce Willis may be old but he's still got it over anybody in action. Justin Long may not be as cool as Samuel L. Jackson but he's still on a continual hot streak of form. Timothy Olaphant may not be European but he sure makes a slickly, sarcastic villain and the action may not be as ludicrous as the 90's...oh wait he kills a helicopter with a car and surfs a jet. Sure this film is more serious, but it's also seriously good. The only thing that looks better then the action is Maggie Q, but Nikkita's got nothing on John McClane. Yippee kai yay. TIM DAVID HARVEY.