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||| Andrei Tarkovsky |||
Andrei Tarkovsky

Tarkovsky's contemplative, metaphysical films, more experienced than watched, are perhaps best described in the director's own words: sculptures in time.

In the post-apocalypse, a writer and scientist hire a "stalker" to guide them into The Zone, a mysterious and restricted wasteland with fabled, alien properties. Their journey, captured by Tarkovsky as a succession of incredible images, has, since, been read as political commentary, religious allegory, and Chernobyl prophesized.

Tarkovsky's visionary biography of the 15th-century icon painter is one of cinema's most majestic and solemn experiences. In some way, it will change you.

An adaptation of Stanis?aw Lem's novel of the same name, Tarkovsky's genre-less sci-fi film, which is set mostly aboard a space station hovering off a strange planet, tangles with issues of identity, death and reality in a way that will leave you agape, in the full meaning.

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Netflix to screen "The Wizard of Oz" online October 3, 2009... FREE!

By CarrieSpecht

September 10th, 2009

The world's largest online movie rental service will be treating online viewers to a free, commercially uninterrupted online screening of the newly restored 1939 classic to celebrate its 70th anniversary for 24 hours, from 9:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 3 to 9:00 a.m. ET the following day, by visiting www.netflix.com/wizardofoz.

Netflix to screen

While anyone in America can instantly watch "The Wizard of Oz" online on a computer on October 3, Netflix members on an unlimited plan will be able to instantly watch "The Wizard of Oz" in hi-definition on their TVs via a range of Netflix ready devices, including the Netflix ready Blu-ray disc player, Internet Tvs, Blu-ray disc players, digital video players, the Xbox 360, and TiVo digital video recorders.

The instant streaming of "The Wizard of Oz" over the Internet on October 3 is being powered by Microsoft Silverlight (TM), a web browser plug-in that works with Windows and Mac operating systems, as well as all major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer. Silverlight installs in less than 10 seconds for new users, without requiring a system restart. When viewers click the "Play" button, "The Wizard of Oz" will begin playing in as little as 30 seconds. Viewers will also have the option of fast-forwarding, rewinding and pausing the video stream.

"Making a movie of this stature available for free over the Internet on an uninterrupted basis is a first," said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix. "At the same time, it's a great opportunity for people to get a taste of what instantly watching movies streamed from Netflix is all about. We're thrilled to be able to do this on both scores."

Warner Bros. Entertainment has for the past year been celebrating the 70th anniversary of this iconic film with a slate of spectacular festivities spanning the globe. Additional information on all of the Netflix "The Wizard of Oz" events can be found at www.netflix.com/wizardofoz. This same restoration of the film will be issued on Blu-Ray (marking the title's debut on that format) later this month