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A History Of Violence [DVD] [2005]
 
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A History Of Violence [DVD] [2005]

DVD ~ Viggo Mortensen
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
RRP: £19.99
Price: £19.98 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Customers buy this item with Eastern Promises [DVD] DVD ~ Viggo Mortensen

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  • This item: A History Of Violence [DVD] [2005] DVD ~ Viggo Mortensen

    Temporarily out of stock.
    Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your account will only be charged when we ship the item.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A History Of Violence [DVD] [2005]
90% buy the item featured on this page:
A History Of Violence [DVD] [2005] 3.6 out of 5 stars (102)
£19.98
Eastern Promises [DVD]
5% buy
Eastern Promises [DVD] 3.5 out of 5 stars (51)
£4.88
Eastern Promises [Blu-ray] [2007]
2% buy
Eastern Promises [Blu-ray] [2007] 3.3 out of 5 stars (3)
£9.98
American Gangster Extended Edition [2007] [DVD]
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Product details

  • Actors: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Ashton Holmes
  • Directors: David Cronenberg
  • Writers: John Wagner, Josh Olson, Vince Locke
  • Producers: Cale Boyter, Chris Bender, J.C. Spink, Jake Weiner
  • Format: Anamorphic, PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 18
  • Studio: Entertainment in Video
  • DVD Release Date: 20 Mar 2006
  • Run Time: 96 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000E6TVRS
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 6,942 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

On the surface, David Cronenberg may seem an unlikely candidate to direct A History of Violence, but dig deeper and you'll see that he's the right man for the job. As an intellectual seeker of meaning and an avowed believer in Darwinian survival of the fittest, Cronenberg knows that the story of mild-mannered small-town diner proprietor Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is in fact a multilayered examination of inbred human behavior, beginning when Tom's skillful killing of two would-be robbers draws unwanted attention to his idyllic family life in rural Indiana. He's got a loving wife (Maria Bello) and young daughter (Heidi Hayes) who are about to learn things about Tom they hadn't suspected, and a teenage son (Ashton Holmes) who has inherited his father's most prominent survival trait, manifesting itself in ways he never expected. By the time Tom has come into contact with a scarred villain (Ed Harris) and connections that lead him to a half-crazy kingpin (William ! Hurt, in a spectacular cameo), Cronenberg has plumbed the dark depths of human nature so skillfully that A History of Violence stands well above the graphic novel that inspired it (indeed, Cronenberg was unaware of the source material behind Josh Olson's chilling adaptation). With hard-hitting violence that's as sudden as it is graphically authentic, this is A History of Violence that's worthy of serious study and widespread acclaim. --Jeff Shannon


Synopsis

Canadian director David Cronenberg, whose impressive oeuvre includes such disparate works as THE DEAD ZONE, THE FLY, DEAD RINGERS, M. BUTTERFLY, and SPIDER, has made what might be the best film of his career with A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Loosely based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, the movie stars Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall, a quiet, easygoing family man who runs a diner in a small Indiana town. But when two dangerous criminals come into the restaurant prepared to wreak havoc, Stall turns hero and shoots them both. After Stall's story is blasted all over the media, Philly mobster Carl Fogaty (an excellent Ed Harris) shows up, claiming that Tom is actually former hit man Eddie Cusack and they've got some important business to finish. While Stall insists that Fogaty is mistaken, his family his wife, Edie (Maria Bello); teenage son, Jack (Ashton Holmes); and young daughter, Sarah (Heidi Hayes) get dragged into the danger that constantly threatens to explode. Cronenberg, whose films often deal with the fantastical, the futuristic, and the supernatural, has done a masterly job creating a wholly believable modern world where evil lurks just around the corner. Howard Shore's tense, moody music complements the outstanding acting in a violent, powerful film that is not to be missed.

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Customer Reviews

102 Reviews
5 star:
 (33)
4 star:
 (30)
3 star:
 (14)
2 star:
 (12)
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Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (102 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the upgrade, 9 Mar 2009
By PJ Rankine (Wallington, Surrey United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
No need to introduce this movie to film buffs but suffice it to say its worth the upgrade to blu-ray. The film is an anamorphic print and fills the screen. The opening shot of the motel in full sunlight is so sharp its almost unreal. The true dolby soundtrack is first class. Not too much in the way of extras but a worthy addition to your high def library.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Movie, Great Bluray!, 2 Mar 2009
By David Lawson (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
If you're not familiar with this David Cronenberg gem, then you are missing out! It has style, substance & class performances from all. This new BD transfer is very good, with a very sharp & detailed picture & vibrant colours & inky blacks The DolbyTrueHD soundtrack is always fully immersive & given extra depth & dimensionality by a great musical score. This comes Highly Recommended!
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43 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars mediocre movie, but gorgeous DVD..., 8 Mar 2007
By H. Serkan SILAHSOR (Ankara, TURKEY) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Some viewers think that History of Violence is Cronenberg's most remarkable film since "The Fly" and "Dead Ringers". I disagree with this. With its dumb plot, so-so casting, ridiculous sex scenes, gratuitous violence and unnecessary amounts of blood & gore, it is a mediocre, B-movie at best. Although the start of the movie is promising with a highly disturbing sequence (which was forced, plastic and surreal too), it loses steam in the second half because its too hard to digest the fact that Tom Stall was able to live a lie and hide his real identity from his wife and children for so long. Also, the storyline was slow and unconvincing in several parts. I think Cronenberg hoped that strong, sharp and bloody scenery would enhance the movie, but the scenery wasn't smart enough. Especially, sex scenes were pointless and made little sense for the storyline.

The movie is not a REAL THRILLER since it doesn't leave you with any mystery, even though Cronenberg thinks it does. However the plot is very very CREATIVE: Once upon a time there was a small-town family man living happily with his family. But he has a great problem: a shady past which would return to haunt him. One night, he kills two random muggers in self-defence while he is about to close his diner and suddenly becomes a local hero. Of course, this hits national news and KEEN Irish mobsters think he is Joey Sleazebag, a former mob killer, and they have beef with him. Then they begin to haunt his family, so he kills all the mobsters who try to kill him. Then he goes and kills his brother, who was trying to kill him and his henchmen. Yupppieeeee...

On the positive side, Ed Harris and William Hurt are excellent villains. Also the DVD has a great collection of extras. The picture and sound are well put together. Most notably, it contains an exhaustive documentary on the making of the film, covering everything from the pre-planning stages for the film all the way to its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received a thunderous standing ovation. "A Look At Scene 44", a trademark scene of Cronenberg which he opted to leave out of the film, and "Acts of Violence" featurettes might be interesting to check out.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars GOOD GRIPPIMG FILM!
This film was better than expected.

Lots of suspense.

Is he just a nice family man or.. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bargain Hunter

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4.0 out of 5 stars Better than US BD
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4.0 out of 5 stars Very good
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3.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic film let down by poor PQ
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Published 8 months ago by Mr. Nicholas J. Reede

2.0 out of 5 stars Starts off good but fails to deliver.......
I was expecting a lot from A History of Violence due to the fact it had received Oscar nominations and the countless great reviews but unfortunately for me it just didn't work. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Ashpan

3.0 out of 5 stars avoid and you wont mourn,watch and you may like alot
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4.0 out of 5 stars Don't dis the diner owner!
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