Lionsgate

It's a down-and-dirty fight, Hollywood style, when classic producer Sonny Wexler (Burt Reynolds) takes one last shot at the big time, to try and save his failing career. His chance comes in the form of a brilliant script optioned from a promising young writer (Sean Astin). But when hot studio executive Damon Black (Benjamin Bratt) undercuts the deal and eases Sonny out, Sonny has seventy-two hours to come up with enough money to purchase the script. In desperation, he turns to the Mob. What...

For generations, scientists and science-fiction writers alike dreamed of a reusable "space plane" a durable, maneuverable ship that would make trips to the heavens commonplace. Now, Modern Marvels takes a look at how a team from NASA made that dream realby developing the most extraordinary machine in history--the revolutionary Space Shuttle. This comprehensive program tells the complete story of the Shuttle, from its conception in the 1950s to its triumphant launch in 1981. Expert interviews,...

Jessica, 21, comes from a tight-knit family. Her father, mother, sister And grandfather all work at the family-owned gas station. But Jessica's not allowed to work there any more. Ever since Jessica became addicted to heroin at 17, her family cannot trust her. And even worse - he addiction is straining family relationships. Everyone wants to see her go to treatment, just organizing the intervention is tearing them apart. Growing up Hubert, now 50, never felt truly loved by his stepfather. And...

From amazing ancient Roman aqueducts and arch bridges, romantic Renaissance spans, 19th-century railroad crossovers, to monumental marvels of our time, bridges played a key role in the human quest to connect and unify. We'll trace the history of bridge types, including suspension, arch, beam, truss, and cantilever designs.

He is remembered for seven words: "Give me liberty of give me death." More than any other founding father he represented the power of the ordinary citizens of the new nation. Patrick Henry rose from simple roots to mingle with the colonial aristocracy, helping blaze the trail to freedom alongside Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. While others led men through the influence of position, wealth, and education, Henry staked his claim on the power of his voice. He was, without a doubt, the...

In the jungles of Vietnam, soldiers decorated palm trees and gave makeshift gifts to comrades. In the bitter chill of Valley Forge, Washington's men wrote longing letters home to family and loved ones who prayed for their safe return. In the blistering sands of Desert Storm, USO Santas cheered the homesick troops. CHRISTMAS AT WAR is a fascinating look at the way fighting men have dealt with the season of peace throughout history. Heartwarming and heartbreaking, it is a testament to the...

From the swords of barbarian hordes to the guns of the Spanish Empire, Europe's darkest days lasted 1,000 years. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was plunged into chaos for centuries, with mass bloodshed, rampant disease, and vicious carnage regularly raging through the streets. But below them, another world was being carved out to keep the people alive...and keep enemies on their toes. From the immense quarries of a secret society to Templar torture chambers and the tunnels of...

Humans have always been fascinated with the one part of the world that we could not conquer- the sky. How did the earth's first flying creatures come to be? In this episode of Evolve we will examine the first vertebrate flyer, the pterosaur, which took to the air over 220 million years ago and eventually evolved to be the size of small airplanes. Scientists have long pondered how they, the largest flying creatures ever, were able to achieve such an astonishing feat. Scientists examine the...

Traces the history and evolution of the world's most important fossil fuel. Without gasoline, modern life would grind to a halt. Americans use about 360-million gallons of gas every day. And though most of us could not function without gas, very few understand what it really is, how it is made, what all those different octane numbers really mean, and how researchers developed cleaner burning gasoline. All these questions will be answered as we look at the history of this "supreme" fuel.

For 25 years, construction crews dug, blasted, tunneled, and bridged their way up America's West Coast along the California, Oregon, and Washington shoreline to build the Pacific Coast Highway. Historians, road and bridge engineers, and experts relate itsstory of perseverance, primal machines, convict labor, and engineering brilliance as we tour its scenic route. And we look at the latest technologies used to keeping it running despite floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides.

He had an IQ of 169, an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration; graduated Magna cum Laude with a degree in Economics from Yale; and possessed uncanny musical talents. Meet Ken Uston--a 38-year-old senior vice president of the PacificStock Exchange in San Francisco...at least during the week. On weekends, Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos knew him as "The Mad Bomber", "The Roadrunner", "The Phantom", and other assumed names. He was the fearless ringleader of a team of...

From his Corsican origins to his ignominious defeat, trace the life and career of one of the most influential and controversial figures in history.