Tuesday Weld

Steve McQueen brings his cool fire to the role of the Cincinnati Kid, a small-timer eager to take his chances in high-stakes poker. He gets his chance. Regal, ruthless Lancey Howard (Edward G. Robinson), the elite gambler called the Man, accepts the Kid?s challenge. Norman Jewison (In the Heat of the Night, Moonstruck) directs this taut exploration of back-room gaming, building suspense with each turn of a card. And Ann-Margret, Karl Malden, Rip Torn, National Board of Review Best Supporting Actress Award winner Joan Blondell and many more comprise a full house of talent.

James Caan is at his very best as a tough, wisecracking professional thief trapped between Chicago organized crime families and corrupt police in this "gripping drum-tight tale" (Los Angeles Magazine). Michael Mann, who directed Last of the Mohicans and Manhunter and produced "Miami Vice" and "Crime Story," wrote and directed this taut, visually dazzling "heist"-drama called "the best of that breed since The Asphalt Jungle" by New West Magazine.

Ten years in planning, Sergio Leone's epic Once Upon A Time In America portrays 50 years of riveting underworld history and offers rich roles to a remarkable cast. Robert De Niro and James Woods play lifelong Lower East Side pals whose wary partnership unravels in death and mystery. Strong support comes from Tuesday Weld, Joe Pesci, Jennifer Connelly, Elizabeth McGovern and the young actors playing the central characters as ghetto kids.

Freeways are clogged. Terror stalks our cities. At shops and restaurants, the customer is seldom right. The pressure of big-city life can anger anyone. But Bill Foster is more than angry. He's out to get even. "I'm going home," Foster says as he abandons his gridlocked car on the hottest day of the year. Instead, he walks straight into an urban nightmare by turns absurdly funny and shatteringly violent. Academy Award winner Michael Douglas is Foster, an ordinary guy at war with the frustrations of daily living.