Tina Turner Movies

Omnibus films attained renewed popularity during the 1990s and 2000s; this particular seven-episode film-a-sketch arrived during that period, and involved several top-tiered international filmmakers including John Woo, Spike Lee, Ridley Scott, Emir Kusturica and three others. Each helmer was asked to shoot a segment of between 16-18 minutes in length, for UNICEF, on the subject of exploited and/or underprivileged children around the world. The package opens with "Tanza," helmed by Algerian novelist-cum-filmmaker Mehdi Charef and shot in Burkina Faso. It concerns the 12-year-old female title character - an adolescent freedom fighter - who trollops through the countryside accompanied by young male guerilla fighters who spout off deliberately nonsensical English-language dialogue. Kusturica takes the reins for the second segment, "Blue Gypsy," an overtly comical episode in the vein of Time of the Gypsies about a precocious young boy who makes the split from his alcoholic father and thieving family and goes to live in a juvenile detention center, finding it preferable to home. The third episode, helmed by co-producer Stefano Veneruso and entitled "Ciro," recalls neorealismo with its Naples-set tale of a young boy unloved and systematically neglected by his mother, who resorts to spending time with other neglected children and stealing watches, and then gets caught in the direst of ways. The fourth segment, Spike Lee's delicately-handled "Jesus Children of America," stars Hannah Hodson as Blanca, a young Brooklynite ostracized by her peers because her parents are junkies; when she learns of her HIV-positive status, her world crumbles. For the 5th episode, "Bilu and Joao," Brazilian director Katia Lund casts child actors Francisco Anawake de Freitas and Vera Fernandes as two impoverished tykes whose days involve walking around the outskirts of Sao Paulo and pulling a wooden cart, into which they pile aluminum and paper - but do so joyously, with the courage and grace of two individuals delighting in subhuman work despite the direst of circumstances. For the sixth segment, "Jonathan," Ridley Scott teams up to co-direct with daughter Jordan Scott; the episode stars David Thewlis (Naked) as an emotionally-traumatized war photographer who encounters a band of Eastern European orphans. And the closer, John Woo's "Song Song and Little Cat," studies the contrast between the lives of two young Asian girls from polar opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum: Oi Ruyi is Little Cat, an abjectly impoverished child discovered in the garbage, during infancy, by a homeless man; she grows up helping her discoverer forage for victuals until he dies, leaving her aimless and bereft. Woo cuts between her story and that of Song Song, a wealthy and pampered little girl whose story is equally tragic in its own way, as her parents are undergoing a bitter divorce. Though this film, as indicated, enlisted the support of at least two major Hollywood directors (Scott and Lee) it did encounter extreme difficulty securing U.S. theatrical and ancillary distribution, which effectively kept it out of North America in the years that immediately followed its global release. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

First-time director Samuel Benmchetrit's 2003 debut Janis et John (Janis and John) follows the comedic exploits of a down-on-his luck insurance salesman as he attempts to make up for some very poor financial decisions. Pablo Sterni (Sergi Lopez), the aforementioned insurance salesman, has, until recently, been an honest business man. As of late, though, Pablo had been siphoning money from one of his more successful client's accounts -- one that covers a very expensive sports car. When that client, Mr. Cannon (Jean-Louis Trintignant), turns in a loss claim for that car for a half-million francs, Pablo finds himself in a tight spot. Inspiration strikes when Pablo learns that his hippy-dippy cousin Leon (Christopher Lambert, billed as Christophe Lambert) has just inherited a million francs from his recently deceased father. Leon, a perpetually stoned record store owner, lives solely for the day his 1973 vision of John Lennon and Janis Joplin's Christ-like return to Earth is fulfilled. After visiting with his cousin, Pablo decides to assist Leon in reliving his dream -- as well as parting him with much of his inheritance -- by convincing his wallflower wife, Brigitte (Marie Trintignant, murdered mere weeks before the film's debut, thus marking her final film appearance) and an out-of-work actor (François Cluzet) to impersonate Janis and John. Janis et John was selected for inclusion in the 2003 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi

This video presents music icon and force of nature Tina Turner in her farewell tour in 2000. The concert, One Last Time, was recorded live at Wembley Stadium in London. The high-energy singer gives her all for this last performance. She is backed by a stellar lineup of musicians and dancers, and sings her classic hits for this nostalgic final show. Included in the repertoire are Turner favorites such as "What's Love Got to Do With It?," "Try a Little Tenderness," "Simply the Best," "Better Be Good to Me," "Whatever You Need," "I Want to Take You Higher," and "River Deep, Mountain High." ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi

This 1997 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Alec Baldwin and features musical guest Tina Turner. ~ Skyler Miller, Rovi

This video collects twenty music videos from one of the undisputed queens of rock and roll, Tina Turner. Included are promotional clips for hits like "The Best", "We Don't Need Another Hero", "Foreign Affair", "It Takes Two", and "Private Dancer. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Shindig, the hit '60s music series, presents a collection of rare television performances by female rock & roll royalty. Jimmy O'Neill is the host as these women glide through their songs with style. The Shangri-Las sing "Give Him a Great Big Kiss," Petula Clark sings "Downtown," the Supremes perform "Baby Love," Ketty Lester blasts out "Love Letters," and Aretha Franklin sings "The Shoop Shoop Song." Fontella Bass, Jackie Deshannon, Lesley Gore, the Toys, Tina Turner, and the Blossoms also appear. ~ Karla Baker, Rovi

This concert video chronicle's Prince Charles' rock-star studded event. It is filmed at the Wembley Arena and features such artists as Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, the ubiquitous Sting, and Elton John. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

MTV puts together a music awards show which features Tina Turner, Robert Palmer, Dire Straits, a-ha, Prince and the Revolution, the Pet Shop Boys and Don Henley. The hits of 1986 are collected together for your enjoyment. ~ Rovi