To Be Heard [2010]

To Be Heard is the story of three teens from the South Bronx whose struggle to change their lives begins when they start to write poetry. As writing and reciting become vehicles for their expressions of love, friendship, frustration and hope, we watch these three youngsters emerge as accomplished, self-aware artists who use their creativity to alter their circumstances. A verite film intimately shot over four years, to Be Heard is the story of three friends and the love that develops between them as they evolve as artists.

Columbia Pictures turned out many outstanding and acclaimed war dramas over the years. This four-volume box set offers a quartet of features from that studio and genre. First up is director Philip Leacock's The War Lover (1962); adapted from a novel by John Hersey, it stars Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner as World War II bomber pilots who clash head-to-head when they fall for the same woman (Shirley Anne Field). Next on the roster is 1957's Hellcats of the Navy - with Ronald Reagan as a submarine commander assigned to locate the mines off of Japanese shores during World War II; Nancy Davis (the future Nancy Reagan) co-stars as his love interest. 1968's Anzio, from director Edward Dmytryk, stars Robert Mitchum and Peter Falk in the tale of the titular WWII battle - one of the most deadly and brutal ever fought. Finally, 1966's Night of the Generals - from director Anatole Litvak - co-stars Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif in the story of a Nazi general turned serial killer and the investigator assigned to bring him to justice.