Search - Shiner on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Nudity, Profanity Movie Release: 2000 DVD Release: 08/20/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 40 mins Studio: Miramax Total Copies: 1 Genres: Thriller, Crime Thriller

A minor-league criminal suddenly finds himself in deep trouble in this thriller. Billy "Shiner" Simpson (Michael Caine) is a man who has spent much of his life making a living by skirting the law, but he thinks he may finally have a legitimate path to the big time managing his son Eddie (Matthew Marsden), an up-and-coming boxer nicknamed "Golden Boy." Eddie is set to fight an American champion in a prizefight, and Billy is convinced Eddie can't lose. Even after Billy's daughter Georgie (Frances Barber) tips off the cops that he has been staging illegal underground brawls, Billy is able to convince the police not to arrest him until after Eddie's big bout. But Eddie loses in the second round, and Billy flees the arena with his son in tow. Billy and Eddie are followed by a gunman who shoots and kills the young fighter, and a distraught Billy becomes convinced someone got to Eddie and forced him to take a dive. As Billy tries to avoid both the law and the bookies with money on Eddie, he challenges a number of people he believes might know what really happened, including Eddie's coach Vic (Gary Lewis), the down-on-his-luck American promoter Frank Speeding (Martin Landau), Mel (Andy Serkis), one of Billy's henchmen (who can't say where he was when Eddie was killed), and Georgie and her husband. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Michael Caine - Billy "Shiner" Simpson
Martin Landau - Frank Spedding
Frances Barber - Georgie
Claire Rushbrook - Ruth
Frank Harper - Stoney

Michael Caine stars in the gritty, hard-hitting thriller Shiner. Miramax's efforts on this 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer are excellent. The print features very solid black levels and crisp, sharp colors making for a very rewarding picture. No edge enhancement, pixilation, or other imperfections were spotted throughout the film. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround in English and French. This 5.1 track is good, if a tad underwhelming. The Surround sounds are utilized in a few scenes, though the bulk of this track appears to be located mainly in the front and center speakers. Overall the sound mix is clear of any excessive hiss or distortion. Also included on this disc are English subtitles. The extra features on Shiner aren't worth shouting about -- all that's included on this disc is a theatrical trailer for the film, plus a few bonus trailers for other Miramax movies. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide