Stars: Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise, John Heard, Carla Gugino, Stan Shaw, Kevin Dunn, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli, David Anthony Higgins

Director: Brian De Palma

Summary: Atlantic City police detective Rick Santoro is present at a boxing match when a political assassination takes place. Determined to solve the crime quickly his search for answers uncovers a widening web of conspiracy, intrigue and danger.

From its incredible opening tracking shot to its suspenseful finale, this Brian De Palma thriller maintains a giddy, fever pitch of cinematic style and excitement. Nicolas Cage stars as Atlantic City detective Ritchie Santoro (his explosive energy and flashy clothes mirror the tone of the film), who finds himself heading a high-level investigation after the U.S. secretary of defense is assassinated at the championship fight he's attending. Ritchie's old pal Naval Commander Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise) was assigned to guard the secretary and now fears for his career. A mysterious beautiful woman in white (Carla Gugino) has something to do with the case but is lost amid the 14,000 spectators trapped in the sealed-off arena crime scene. Meanwhile, a raging hurricane is tearing up the boardwalk outside, and as Ritchie begins to unravel the mystery through the casino's massive camera security system, he discovers truths he'd just as soon not have known about. Taking place almost entirely within the confines of the arena and casino on a single dark and stormy night, SNAKE EYES zips along merrily, delivering loads of glitzy atmosphere and fun, Hichcock-style suspense. The appropriately Bernard Herrmann-esque music score is by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

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!

Brian De Palma's 1998 thriller is largely an exercise in airing out his orchestral, oversized visual style (think of his Blowout, Body Doubleor Raising Cain) for the heck of it. The far-fetched story featuresNicolasCage as a crooked police detective attending a championship boxing match at which the Secretary of Defence is assassinated. The unfortunate Secretary's right-hand man (Gary Sinise) happens to be Cage's old friend, a fact that complicates the cop's efforts to reconstruct the crime from conflicting accounts--a directorial strategy bearing similarities to Kurosawa's Rashomon. The outrageousness of the scenario essentially gives DePalma permission to construct a baroque cathedral of spectacular camera stunts, which (he well knows) are inevitably more interesting than the hoary conspiracy plot. (The opening scene alone, which runs on for a number of minutes and consists of one, unbroken shot that moves in from the street, following Cage up and down stairs and in and out of rooms until finally ending ringside at the match, is breathtaking.) The shifting points of view--based on the contradictory statements of witnesses--also give De Palma licence to get creative with camera angles and scene rearrangements. The script bogs down in the third act but De Palma is just revving up for a big, operatic finish that is absolutely gratuitous but undeniably impressive. Yes, it's style over substance in Snake Eyesbut what style you're talking about.--Tom Keogh

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Year:	1998
Release Date:	June 15, 2006
Runtime:	94 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	B E D 888262
Keywords:	Action, Eyes, General, Snake, Adventure
Genre:	Action/Adventure