Publisher's Synopsis
A collection of films by director Ridley Scott. In 'Gladiator' (2000), after the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) betrays the Emperor's beloved General Maximus (Russell Crowe) and takes the throne for himself. Maximus is sold as a slave and then trained as a gladiator, keeping himself strong with thoughts of vengeance. Eventually he is taken to the Colosseum, where he prepares to fight in a contest presided over by the corrupt Commodus. Will he suffer the ultimate humiliation and die for the entertainment of his enemy or will he survive the rigors of the arena and find a way of exacting his revenge? In 'Robin Hood' (2010), after the death of Richard the Lionheart (Danny Huston) in the Crusades, Sir Robin of Loxley (Crowe) returns from war to his home in the north of England. There, he comes up against the oppressive regime imposed by the tyrannical new Sheriff of Nottingham (Matthew Macfadyen). Robin summons up a group of supporters and puts his formidable archery skills to use in an effort to free the people from corruption and political injustice. Cate Blanchett co-stars as Maid Marian. 'American Gangster' (2007) is a biopic of 1970s Harlem drug baron Frank Lucas. When his boss dies, underworld driver Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) seizes his chance and begins to build his own criminal empire. Utilising the bodies of dead US soldiers, Lucas begins importing heroin direct from South-East Asia, increasing purity on the street, and undercutting his rivals in one swoop. Before long he's amassed a fortune, bringing him to the attention of maverick policeman Ritchie Roberts (Crowe), an honest cop in an otherwise corrupt force, who makes it his business to shut Lucas down. In 'Hannibal (2001), the sequel to 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991), it is ten years since the events of the previous film and FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore), recently in trouble with her superiors over a bungled shoot-out, suddenly receives a letter from the escaped Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins). It does not reveal his whereabouts but, after many years of inactivity, it does announce his interest in returning to the public domain. Clarice begins scanning the internet, desperately searching for any clues which will help her reach him before he strikes again. In 'Someone to Watch Over Me' (1987) tough Queens cop Mike Keegan (Tom Berenger) is assigned the late shift of a round-the-clock watch to protect a beautiful New York socialite (Mimi Rogers) from a killer she must testify against. Despite a seemingly stable marriage, Keegan begins to fall for his attractive charge. Finally, 'Black Hawk Down' (2001) deals with the US military blunders which took place in Somalia in 1993. Following a series of attacks by warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid on a Red Cross distribution centre, a group of US Rangers are sent on a mission to capture two of Aidid's close associates in the capital city Mogadishu. However, after successfully apprehending their targets, the Americans come under heavy attack from the residents of the city. In the ensuing chaos, a US Black Hawk helicopter is shot down, and the surviving crew find themselves trapped in a confused and relentless shooting battle with the enemy.
