Library
Matt Smith
Collection Total:
2634 Items
Last Updated:
Jun 19, 2008
Office Space - Special Edition with Flair
* * * * ~ Unable to endure another mind-numbing day at Initech Corporation, cubicle slave Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) gets fired up and decides to get fired. Armed with a leisurely new attitude and a sexy new girlfriend (Jennifer Aniston), he soon masters the art of neglecting his work, which quickly propels him into the ranks of upper management! Now the stage is set for Peter to carry out a high-tech embezzling scheme that's sure to mean the end of his job and a one-way ticket to easy street. Can he pull it off before all corporate hell breaks loose?
Gangs Of New York
* * * ~ - This motion picture event from acclaimed director Martin Scorsese earned 10 Academy Award(R) nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, along with 5 Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Song! Leonardo DiCaprio (TITANIC), Cameron Diaz (CHARLIE'S ANGELS), and Daniel Day-Lewis (THE BOXER) star in this epic tale of vengeance and survival! As waves of immigrants swell the population of New York, lawlessness and corruption thrive in lower Manhattan's Five Points section. After years of incarceration, young Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon (DiCaprio) returns seeking revenge against the rival gang leader (Day-Lewis) who killed his father. But Amsterdam's personal vendetta becomes part of the gang warfare that erupts as he and his fellow Irishmen fight to carve a place for themselves in their newly adopted homeland!
Bad Company
Joel Schumacher * * ~ - - Academy Award(R)-winner Anthony Hopkins (Best Actor, 1991, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) and the irrepressible Chris Rock star in this spy action thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat! Veteran CIA agent Gaylord Oakes (Hopkins) must recruit streetwise punk Jake Hayes (Rock) when Jake's identical twin brother is killed in the line of duty. With only nine days to complete a nuclear weapons negotiation, Jake has to go from smart talking to smooth operating and convince all parties he is the sophisticated brother he never knew. From Prague to New York the chase is on and the clock is ticking when more than a preemptive arms deal goes "bad."
Hot Fuzz
* * * * - Get ready for a gut-busting outrageous comedy from the guys that created Shaun of the Dead. Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is a big-city cop who can't be stopped - but he's making everyone else on the force look bad. When he is reassigned to a small quiet town he struggles with this new seemingly idyllic world and his bumbling partner (Nick Frost). But their dull existence is interrupted by several grisly and suspicious accidents and the crime-fighting duo turn up the heat and hand out high-octane car-chasing gun-fighting big-city justice in this hilarious hit critics are calling "Outrageous! Uproariously Funny!" (Thelma Adams US Weekly).System Requirements:Running Time: 121 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 025193321824 Manufacturer No: 62033218
Contract Killer
Wei Tung * * * * -
Children of Men
Alfonso Cuarón * * * ~ - Children of Men envisages a world one generation from now that has fallen into anarchy on the heels of an infertility defect in the population. The world's youngest citizen has just died at 18 and humankind is facing the likelihood of its own extinction.Runtime: 109 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: R UPC: 025193251428 Manufacturer No: 61032514
The Machinist
Brad Anderson (II) * * * * - THE MACHINIST is the story of Trevor Reznik, a machinist who hasn’t slept in over a year. Working in a machine shop, Trevor faces the usual occupational hazards, yet his extreme fatigue only makes them worse, causing him to accidentally cut off a co-worker’s hand. What Trevor suffers from clearly isn’t a typical case of insomnia…
Team America: World Police - Unrated
* * * * - In TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE, a group of marionette puppets form Team America, an international police force dedicated to maintaining global stability. Discovering that a power hungry dictator, Kim Jong II, plans to destroy the world and is brokering weapons of mass destruction to terrorists, the team enlists the undercover help of Broadway star Gary Johnston and embarks on a harrowing mission to save the world. Opposed to this, is the Film Actors' Guild, or F.A.G., whose members include puppets representing actors Alec Baldwin, Tim Robbins, Matt Damon, Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. In spite of the lack of support they receive, the team sticks to their plan of saving the world and putting an end to terrorism.
Suicide Kings
Peter O'Fallon * * * * - Here's another gritty independent film that tries to invade Tarantino territory by casting Christopher Walken—that most reliable of indie-film actors—as a Mobster who gets chummy with a group of preppie-like young men and becomes the victim of a kidnapping scheme. One of the kidnappers (Henry Thomas) has a sister who's been abducted by another group of kidnappers, and they've bagged Walken for his Mob connections and negotiating power. What follows is a game of psychological strategy in which the desperate group of guys slowly lose their advantage to the smarter, more experienced gangster—even though they've got Walken tied to a chair. The situation turns volatile when the young men start to doubt the wisdom of their strategy and suspect betrayal within the group, and Suicide Kingsturns into a talky, repetitious thriller only partially redeemed by Denis Leary's cagey role as Walken's Mob lieutenant. The movie's a showcase for its cast of rising talent (including Jay Mohr, Jeremy Sisto, Johnny Galecki, and Sean Patrick Flanery), but not even Walken can hold it all together. What's best about the film is Leary's sinister presence in a peripheral role and Walken's trademark villainy, here toned down to a steady, simmering menace. —Jeff Shannon
I Am Legend
Francis Lawrence * * * ~ - Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable incurable and man-made. Somehow immune Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and maybe the world. For three years Neville has faithfully sent out daily radio messages desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims of the plague — The Infected — lurk in the shadows... watching Neville's every move... waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Perhaps mankind's last best hope Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered... and quickly running out of time.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS UPC: 085391139621 Manufacturer No: 1000023980
Shortbus
John Cameron Mitchell * * * * ~ Written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell (who previously starred in and directed the film adaptation of his international stage hit Hedwig and the Angry Inch) Shortbus explores the lives of several characters living in present-day New York as they navigate the comic and tragic intersections between love and sex. Male and female straight and gay the characters find one and other - and eventually find themselves - when they all converge at a weekly underground salon called "Shortbus" a mad nexus of art music politics and polysexual carnality.Mitchell developed the film's story along with his ensemble cast all of whom are making their feature film debuts and who were selected after submitting videotaped interviews/auditions in response to a well-publicized open casting call posted on a website. Over a half million people visited the website and nearly 500 people sent in tapes before the final seven leading performers/characters were selected to workshop the storyline with Mitchell.The resulting film one of the true sensations of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival presents sex and sexuality as never before seen in mainstream entertainment and promises to be one of the most talked-about films for months - and years - to come.System Requirements:Run Time: 101 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: UNRATED UPC: 821575550758 Manufacturer No: TF-55075
Grindhouse Presents: Planet Terror - 2 DVD set W/Bonus DVD and Limited Edition Steel Book Case
* * * * * Director Robert Rodriguez ("Sin City") is back in this rip roaring zombie flick starring Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Bruce Willis, Jeff Fahey, Josh Brolin and Marley Shelton. This LIMITED EDITION features the unrated 2 DVD set, plus a bonus disc of exclusive interviews and a special steel book case!
Trainspotting [Region 2]
Danny Boyle * * * * ~ With its hallucinatory visions of crawling dead babies and a grungy plunge into the filthiest toilet in Scotland, you might not think Trainspottingcould have been one of the best movies of 1996, but Danny Boyle's film about unrepentant heroin addicts in Edinburgh is all that and more. That doesn't make it everybody's cup of tea (so unsuspecting viewers beware), but the film's blend of hyperkinetic humor and real-life horror is constantly fascinating, and the entire cast (led by Ewan McGregor and Full Montystar Robert Carlyle) bursts off of the screen in a supernova of outrageous energy. Adapted by John Hodge from the acclaimed novel by Irving Welsh, the film was a phenomenal hit in England, Scotland, and (to a lesser extent) the U.S. For all of its comedic vitality and invigorating filmmaking, the movie is no ode to heroin, nor is it a straight-laced cautionary tale. Trainspottingis just a very honest and well-made film about the nature of addiction, and it doesn't pull any punches when it is time to show the alternating pleasure and pain of substance abuse. —Jeff Shannon
Saints And Soldiers [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg. 4 Import - Australia ]
Ryan Little * * * * - Australia released, PAL/Region 4 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: English (Dolby Digital 2.0) Synopsis: A handful of fighting men must defy the odds to save their own lives and thousands of others in this drama set during World War II. In late 1944, a band of nearly a hundred American soldiers are making their way through a wooded region of Belgium when they are ambushed by German forces in a battle that became known as ?the Malmady Massacre.? Inspired by a true story, Saints and Soldiers was the first feature film from Ryan Little a Utah-based filmmaker who previously made a number of short subjects relating to issues of faith in the Church of Latter Day Saints. Special Features: Trailer(s)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Tim Burton * * * ~ - Long isolated from his own family, Willy Wonka launches a worldwide contest to select an heir to his candy empire. Five lucky children from around the world, including Charlie Bucket, draw Golden Tickets from Wonka chocolate bars and win a guided tour of the legendary candy making facility that no outsider has seen in 15 years.

DVD Features:Biographies:The Fantastic Mr. Dahl: Learn about Dahl's life story and extraordinary body of work.Challenges:4 SCRUMPTIOUS Challenges for kids to play! 1) Oompa-Loompa Dance Machine 2) The Inventing Machine 3) The Bad Nut 4) Search For the Golden Ticket DVD ROM FeaturesDocumentaries:Attack of the Squirrels: See how they trained live squirrels to perform in the film.Featurette:5 Making-Of Featurettes!Other:Becoming Oomp-Loompa: See how one actor, Deep Roy, was turned into a multi-talented army of Oompa's.
Style Wars
Tony Silver * * * * * When director Tony Silver and co-producer Henry Chalfant delivered the broadcast version of their prize-winning film to PBS in 1983, the world received its first full immersion in the phenomenon that had taken over New York City. The urban landscape was
Cradle 2 the Grave
Andrzej Bartkowiak * * * ~ - When his daughter is kidnapped and held in exchange for diamonds the leader of a crew of highly skilled urban thieves (DMX) forges an unlikely alliance with a Taiwanese Intelligence officer (Jet Li) to rescue her. Their race against the clock to find the precious stones ultimately unravels a plot to distribute a deadly new weapon of war.Running Time: 101 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE UPC: 085392341122 Manufacturer No: 23411
Where the Buffalo Roam
Art Linson * * * ~ - Bill Murray is in his early-career, shambling glory as Hunter S. Thompson, the gonzo journalist with a fondness for Wild Turkey and firearms. While Murray does not do as exact an impersonation of Thompson as Johnny Depp (in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), he does capture Thompson's dazed, anarchic nature. Unfortunately, the movie around him is just anarchic: a series of episodes (true or invented) from Dr. Thompson's career, circa 1968-72. The haphazard structure is probably meant to suggest the spirit of the counterculture or something, but it's just flabby storytelling. Thanks to Murray's blissful delivery, there are scenes that have a stoned giddiness to them: Thompson and his attorney (Peter Boyle) terrifying an unsuspecting hitchhiker, or Thompson alone in a men's room with Richard Nixon. Neil Young contributes some music, and Murray warbles "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" while drunkenly piloting a plane. —Robert Horton
The United States of Leland
Matthew Ryan Hoge * * * * - The United States of Lelandisn't a whodunit. The opening scenes of Matthew Ryan Hoge's unusual murder mystery make it clear that Leland P. Fitzgerald (The Believer's Ryan Gosling) is the killer. But why did he kill? Now that the deed is done, Leland is staying in a detention center. Everybody, but especially new teacher Pearl Madison (Don Cheadle), wants to know why he killed the mentally challenged brother of girlfriend Becky (Jena Malone). After all, Leland seemed to genuinely like the kid. Leland is just as confused (and can't remember committing the act), but he reveals more and more clues as he gradually opens up to Pearl. His estranged novelist father Albert (Kevin Spacey), meanwhile, just wants to spin another bestseller out of his son's story. Writer-director Hoge doesn't provide any easy answers in this compelling, complicated look at teenage depression. Featuring music by the Fire Theft's Jeremy Enigk. —Kathleen C. Fennessy
Devil Wears Prada
David Frankel - - - - -
Good Night, and Good Luck
George Clooney * * * * - "Good Night, And, Good Luck." takes place during the early days of broadcast journalism in 1950's America. It chronicles the real-life conflict between television newsman Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, Murrow, and his dedicated staff - headed by his producer Fred Friendly and Joe Wershba in the CBS newsroom - defy corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongering tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist 'witch-hunts'. A very public feud develops when the Senator responds by accusing the anchor of being a communist. In this climate of fear and reprisal, the CBS crew carries on and their tenacity will prove historic and monumental.

Running Time: 93 min.

Format: DVD MOVIE
Epic Movie
Jason Friedberg Aaron Seltzer * * - - - The hilarious hi-jinks begin when a hapless group of orphans from curious backgrounds come together to embark on an adventure that takes them to a special chocolate factory where they fall into an enchanted wardrobe and wind-up in a magical land. Here, hilarity ensues when the bungling bunch run into a colorful collection of characters including a flamboyant pirate and a gang of wizardry-apprentices who they join forces with to overthrow the wicked White Bitch of Gnarnia.
Syriana
Stephen Gaghan * * * - - Big oil means big money. Very big money. And that fact unleashes corruption that stretches from Houston to Washington to the Mideast ? and ensnares industrialists, princes, spies, politicos, oilfield laborers and terrorists in a deadly, deceptive web of move and 

countermove. This lightning-paced, whip-smart action thriller grips your mind and nerves with an intensity that doesn't let go for an instant. 

Running Time: 128 min.

Format: DVD MOVIE
Best of the Chris Rock Show
* * * ~ - One of the brighter lights to shine from the late-'90s Saturday Night Livecast permutation, Chris Rock successfully made the jump to his own HBO series and snagged a couple of Emmy Awards along the way. Part Saturday Night Liveand part Arsenio Hall-style show (with a raucous studio audience), this best-of video shows that Rock has definitely grown into his own style and matured as a comedian. The segments from Rock's early shows tend to suffer from that Saturday Night Livemalady in which a one-joke skit is stretched out for an excruciating period of time (see: Mike Myers). Rock's penchant for beating a dead horse is most apparent in his parodies of Fox-style reality-based shows ("When Animals Attack in High Speed Chases II"), which are genuinely clever but run on a little too long. However, when Rock sticks to live-action comedy, he proves he's one of the funniest (and most satirical) comedians around, playing with issues of politics, race, and gender mercilessly. Hands down the most hilarious segment is a CNN-style "panel" on the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, hosted by Rock and featuring "Black Guy,""White Dude" and "Sista." Most attempts at lampooning this Presidential faux pas have fallen flat on their faces, but Rock and his cast take no prisoners as they skewer the players, the media, and the "man-on-the-street" mentality surrounding the hype. Other highlights include a male version of "The Rules" as interpreted by Ike Turner, continuing coverage of the rising career of rapper Pootie-Tang and his unique brand of urban slang, and Rock's petition to rename a street in Howard Beach after Tupac Shakur (one of the few pre-filmed segments that keeps its momentum going). Rock definitely proves he's one SNLalumnus who won't be wearing out his welcome anytime soon. —Mark Englehart
Three Kings
David O. Russell * * * * - George Clooney Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube star in "Three Kings" the story of a small band of American soldiers in Iraq at the end of the Gulf War who seek adventure and fortune in attempting to steal a huge cache of gold hidden somewhere in the desert. Along the way they are confronted by heroic challenges and newfound discoveries that take them to places they could never have imagined.Running Time: 121 min.System Requirements:Starring: George Clooney Mark Wahlberg Ice Cube Spike Jonze Nora Dunn Jamie Kennedy Mykelti Williamson Cliff Curtis and Said Taghmaoui. Directed By: David O. Russell. Running Time: 115 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2000 Warner Home Video.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 085391786221
X-Men - The Last Stand
Brett Ratner * * * ~ - Experience the awesome power of The X-Men's epic, final battle. Join well-known mutant heroes and villains, and meet a cadre of all-new warriors — including Angel, Beast, Juggernaut and Colossus — in this thrilling, explosive adventure!

After a controversial "cure" is discovered, mutants can choose to retain their superhuman abilities or give up their unique gifts and become "normal." When peaceful mutant leader Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) clashes with his militant counterpart, Magneto (Ian McKellen), the battle lines are drawn for the war to end all wars.

Bursting with nonstop action, spectacular special effects and exclusive extras, X-MEN THE LAST STAND is a force of nature that "will blow you away!"
The Perfect Storm
Wolfgang Petersen * * * - - It's Halloween, 1991. Near Gloucester, Massachusetts, the six members of the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat, head out to sea for their last trip of the season. Unbeknownst to them, a shockingly brutal storm is slowly gaining steam. Before the National Weather Bureau has a chance to inform the crew of the impending danger, it's too late. The resulting battle with three merging weather fronts—an unheralded natural disaster—is grueling and tragic. Based on the true-life best selling novel by Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane and is directed by Wolfgang Petersen.

DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary with Wolfgang Peterson Commentary with S. Fangmeier and H. Elswit Commentary with Sebastian JungerDocumentaryFeaturette:James Horner FeaturetteFilmographies:HBO First Look Special (29:30)Gag ReelOther:"Whitness to the Storm" (4:30)Photo gallery:"Yours Forever" Photo MontageProduction Sketches:Storyboard Art with W. Peterson CommentaryStoryboardsTV SpecialTheatrical Trailer
American Pie - Band Camp
* * * - - Get ready for the wildest, most hilarious slice of American Pie ever! This time around, the bad-boy antics of Stifler’s younger brother Matt get him sentenced to a summer at…Band Camp! Join the fun as the outrageous Stifler tradition lives on in this uproarious romp filled with gorgeous camp counselors, hilarious hidden cameras and a late-night encounter with a certain musical instrument. Co-starring "Jim’s Dad," Eugene Levy, and an irresistible cast including a pair of Playmates, it’s a Pie-style party you’ll never forget.
Underworld
Len Wiseman * * * ~ - In the Underworld Vampires are a secret clan of modern aristocratic sophisticates whose mortal enemies are the Lycans (werewolves) a shrewd gang of street thugs who prowl the city s underbelly. No one knows the origin of their bitter blood feud but the balance of power between them turns even bloodier when a beautiful young Vampire warrior and a newly-turned Lycan with a mysterious past fall in love. Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman star in this modern-day action-packed tale of ruthless intrigue and forbidden passion all set against the dazzling backdrop of a timeless Gothic metropolis.System Requirements:Running Time: 121 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R UPC: 043396031524 Manufacturer No: 03152
Kill Bill, Volume 1
Quentin Tarantino * * * * - The acclaimed fourth film from groundbreaking writer and director Quentin Tarantino (PULP FICTION, JACKIE BROWN), KILL BILL VOLUME 1 stars Uma Thurman (PULP FICTION), Lucy Liu (CHARLIE'S ANGELS, CHICAGO), and Vivica A. Fox (TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME) in an astonishing, action-packed thriller about brutal betrayal and an epic vendetta! Four years after taking a bullet in the head at her own wedding, The Bride (Thurman) emerges from a coma and decides it's time for payback ... with a vengeance! Having been gunned down by her former boss (David Carradine) and his deadly squad of international assassins, it's a kill-or-be-killed fight she didn't start but is determined to finish! Loaded with explosive action and outrageous humor, it's a must-see motion picture event that has critics everywhere raving!
Bridget Jones's Diary
Sharon Maguire * * * * - Academy Award(R) winner Renée Zellweger (Best Supporting Actress, COLD MOUNTAIN, 2003; CHICAGO) and Hugh Grant (LOVE ACTUALLY, TWO WEEKS NOTICE) star in a delightful comedy about the ups and downs of modern romance. Bridget (Zellweger), a busy career woman, decides to turn over a new page in her life by channeling her thoughts, opinions and insecurities into a journal that becomes a hilarious chronicle of her adventures. Soon she becomes the center of attention between a guy who's too good to be true (Grant) and another who's so wrong for her, he could be just right (Colin Firth — LOVE ACTUALLY)! Based on the best-selling book, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY is another acclaimed crowd-pleaser from the hit makers of FOUR WEDDING AND A FUNERAL and NOTTING HILL.
Double Jeopardy
Bruce Beresford * * * ~ - The chase is on! Ashley Judd shines in this unstoppable untoppable box-office smash that co-stars Tommy Lee Jones in his "best performance since The Fugitive."*Judd plays Libby Parsons who discovers that the husband she's convicted of murdering staged his own "death" and framed her for the crime. Released on parole she skips town to find him — and that puts parole officer Travis Lehman (Jones) on her trail. Packed with more crowd-pleasing excitement than several movies put together Double Jeopardy delivers "lots of action and spine-tingling suspense from start to finish."**System Requirements: Running Time 105 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R UPC: 097363331544 Manufacturer No: 333154
Kill Bill, Volume 2
Quentin Tarantino * * * * - With this thrilling, must-see movie event, writer and director Quentin Tarantino (PULP FICTION) completes the action-packed quest for revenge begun by The Bride (Uma Thurman) in KILL BILL VOL. 1! Having already crossed two names from her Death List, The Bride is back with a vengeance and taking aim at Budd (Michael Madsen) and Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), the only survivors from the squad of assassins who betrayed her four years earlier. It's all leading up to the ultimate confrontation with Bill (David Carradine), The Bride's former master and the man who ordered her execution! As the acclaimed follow-up to the instant classic VOL. 1 — you know all about the unlimited action and humor, but until you've seen KILL BILL VOL. 2, you only know half the story!
This is England
Shane Meadows * * * * - School is out for summer and 12 year old Shaun is about to find a dangerous new group of friends. Having lost his father in the Falklands War life has been lonely in this grim coastal town in northern England. When Shaun meets the local skinheads however their companionship and even their violence appeal to Shaun s hurt and rage. In Combo an older volatile skinhead Shaun finds a big brother and under Combo s leadership the gang and young Shawn will arrive at an irreversible act of violence. System Requirements:Run Time: 103 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/CHILDHOOD DRAMA Rating: UNRATED UPC: 796019807623 Manufacturer No: 80762
Cashback
Sean Ellis (II) * * * * - Art student Ben Willis develops insomnia after going through a painful break-up. To kill time he joins a colorful cast of characters on the late shift at the local supermarket. They all have their own time-killing devices and Ben s allows him to see the beauty of the everyday world including the people inside it especially Sharon the quiet checkout girl who just may hold the answer to resolving Ben s insomnia. System Requirements:Running Time: 102 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR UPC: 876964000925 Manufacturer No: 10092
Fantastic Four - Rise of the Silver Surfer
* * * ~ - Catch a wave of "terrific adventure" and "non-stop action" (CBS-TV) in this fun and fantastically entertaining smash-hit! "Invisible Woman: Sue Storm and "Mr. Fantastic" Dr. Reed Richards are about to be married when a mysterious alien... the Silver Surfer... crashes the proceedings and heralds Earth's impending destruction. With time running out the Fantastic Four reluctantly teams up with the nefarious Dr. Doom in a thrilling effort to save our planet!System Requirements:Running Time: 92 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/ALIEN INVASION Rating: PG UPC: 024543470779 Manufacturer No: 2247077
U-571
Jonathan Mostow * * * - - Taut and gripping, U-571follows the exploits of a fictional team of World War II U.S. submariners who undertake a secret mission to capture a German Enigma machine to decode German documents. Writer-director Jonathan Mostow (Breakdown) tells an intense, economical tale, reminiscent of the best classic war films, while infusing it with modern sentiments.

Spring 1942: A crew of young submarine sailors are on a much-needed 48-hour liberty when they're suddenly called together and engaged in an expedition. At the helm are Lieutenant Commander Mike Dahlgren (Bill Paxton), Lieutenant Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey), and Chief Klough (Harvey Keitel). Other pivotal crew members include Tyler's Annapolis pal Lieutenant Pete Emmett (Jon Bon Jovi, proving his acting mettle) and Lieutenant Hirsch (Jake Weber), who, along with Marine Major Coonan (David Keith), organizes the mission. As much of the movie takes place in a submarine during WWII, there are inevitable comparisons with the technical masterpiece Das Boot, but Mostow's masterfully shot tale can hold its own.

McConaughey's Tyler is believably earnest as he comes to grips with the reality, tragedy, and consequence of being in command. While this explosion-filled film consistently maintains its tense pace (as did the underrated Breakdown), it also presents with surprising restraint a genuine human story—and the remarkable journey of an unexpected hero. —N.F. Mendoza
American Beauty
Sam Mendes * * * * - From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street, American Beautymoves with a mesmerizing confidence and acuity epitomized by Kevin Spacey's calm narration. Spacey is Lester Burnham, a harried Everyman whose midlife awakening is the spine of the story, and his very first lines hook us with their teasing fatalism—like Sunset Boulevard's Joe Gillis, Burnham tells us his story from beyond the grave.

It's an audacious start for a film that justifies that audacity. Weaving social satire, domestic tragedy, and whodunit into a single package, Alan Ball's first theatrical script dares to blur generic lines and keep us off balance, winking seamlessly from dark, scabrous comedy to deeply moving drama. The Burnham family joins the cinematic short list of great dysfunctional American families, as Lester is pitted against his manic, materialistic realtor wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening, making the most of a mostly unsympathetic role) and his sullen, contemptuous teenaged daughter, Jane (Thora Birch, utterly convincing in her edgy balance of self-absorption and wistful longing). Into their lives come two catalytic outsiders. A young cheerleader (Mena Suvari) jolts Lester into a sexual epiphany that blooms into a second adolescence. And an eerily calm young neighbor (Wes Bentley) transforms both Lester and Jane with his canny influence.

Credit another big-screen newcomer, English theatrical director Sam Mendes, with expertly juggling these potentially disjunctive elements into a superb ensemble piece that achieves a stylized pace without lapsing into transparent self-indulgence. Mendes has shrewdly insured his success with a solid crew of stage veterans, yet he's also made an inspired discovery in Bentley, whose Ricky Fitts becomes a fulcrum for both plot and theme. Cinematographer Conrad Hall's sumptuous visual design further elevates the film, infusing the beige interiors of the Burnhams' lives with vivid bursts of deep crimson, the color of roses—and of blood. —Sam Sutherland
Inside Man
Spike Lee * * * * - Academy Award winner Denzel Washington, Academy Award nominee Clive Owen and Academy Award winner Jodie Foster star in this intense and explosive crime thriller. The perfect bank robbery quickly spirals into an unstable and deadly game of cat-and-mouse between a criminal mastermind (Owen), a determined detective (Washington), and a power broker with a hidden agenda (Foster). As the minutes tick by and the situation becomes increasingly tense, one wrong move could mean disaster for any one of them. From acclaimed director Spike Lee comes the edge-of-your-seat, action-packed thriller that The Wall Street Journal calls "a heist film that’s right on the money."
X2 - X-Men United
* * * * ~ The evolution continues in this "exhilarating thrill ride" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) that features the extraordinary original X-Men - along with amazing new mutants possessing fantastic powers that have to be seen to be believed. In the wake of a shocking attack on the President, the X-Men face their most dangerous mission ever. They must stand united with their deadliest enemies to combat a menace that threatens every mutant on the planet. But could this new alliance backfire and annihilate the human race? Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, Hale Berry, Famke Janssen and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos star in this breathtaking, action-packed spectacle that "may be the best superhero movie yet made!" (San Francisco Examiner)
Shallow Grave
Danny Boyle * * * * ~ The first feature from director Danny Boyle, producer Andrew MacDonald, and screenwriter John Hodge (who went on to make the enormously popular Trainspotting, the not-so-well-received A Life Less Ordinary, and The Beach), Shallow Gravebegins with three obnoxious roommates mockingly interrogating applicants who want to share their spacious flat. The guy they finally choose doesn't last long—they find him dead from a drug overdose along with a suitcase full of money that he no longer needs. They decide to keep the money; this of course requires that they discreetly dispose of the body, which proves to be a gruesome, traumatic business. They begin to suspect each other of betrayal and become increasingly deranged. The movie wants to be a satirical comment on the greed of British yuppies but is more an exercise in stylish paranoia, where the color of the walls matters more than why the characters behave the way they do. The clever cinematography and macabre humor make Shallow Graveworth watching, just don't expect to like anyone in it. Starring the very hip trio of Kerry Fox (An Angel at My Table, The Last Days of Chez Nous), Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Velvet Goldmine, Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace), and Christopher Eccleston (Jude, Elizabeth). —Bret Fetzer
Transformers
* * * * - Actors: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, Hugo Weaving

Directors: Michael Bay

Format: NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English, Spanish

Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)

Number of discs: 2

Rating

Studio: Dreamworks Video

DVD Release Date: October 16, 2007

Run Time: 143 minutes
Reservoir Dogs
* * * * - Quentin Tarantino came out of nowhere (i.e., a video store in Manhattan Beach, California) and turned Hollywood on its ear in 1992 with his explosive first feature, Reservoir Dogs. Like Tarantino's mainstream breakthrough Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogshas an unconventional structure, cleverly shuffling back and forth in time to reveal details about the characters, experienced criminals who know next to nothing about each other. Joe (Lawrence Tierney) has assembled them to pull off a simple heist, and has gruffly assigned them color-coded aliases (Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, Mr. White) to conceal their identities from being known even to each other. But something has gone wrong, and the plan has blown up in their faces. One by one, the surviving robbers find their way back to their prearranged warehouse hideout. There, they try to piece together the chronology of this bloody fiasco—and to identify the traitor among them who tipped off the police. Pressure mounts, blood flows, accusations and bullets fly. In the combustible atmosphere these men are forced to confront life-and-death questions of trust, loyalty, professionalism, deception, and betrayal. As many critics have observed, it is a movie about "honor among thieves" (just as Pulp Fictionis about redemption, and Jackie Brownis about survival). Along with everything else, the movie provides a showcase for a terrific ensemble of actors: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Christopher Penn, and Tarantino himself, offering a fervent dissection of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" over breakfast. Reservoir Dogsis violent (though the violence is implied rather than explicit), clever, gabby, harrowing, funny, suspenseful, and even—in the end—unexpectedly moving. (Don't forget that "Super Sounds of the Seventies" soundtrack, either.) Reservoir Dogsdeserves just as much acclaim and attention as its follow-up, Pulp Fiction, would receive two years later. —Jim Emerson
The Best of The Chris Rock Show - Volume 2
Scott Preston Linda Mendoza * * * * - Chris Rock lives up to his reputation on this second collection of sketches and parodies from his HBO series—he is not only funny, he has a genuine political edge, pointing up contradictions and racial tension in American society. His material ranges from mock investigative reports (including an exposé of racist toys like "Mr. Sweet Potato Head" and "Low Expectations Scrabble") to commercial parodies (such as ads for the Malcolm X Games——"Because being extreme isn't just for white devils anymore"). But his best work has got to be his genuine on-the-street interviews, in which he asks men at boxing gyms to name their favorite white fighter or asks random New Yorkers if black people should receive reparations for slavery. He even goes down to South Carolina to talk to residents about why the Confederate flag flies over the state capitol; he finally gets a number of people on the street to agree to a different flag that replaces the stars in the Confederate flag with the stars of the WB (like Brandy and Robert Townsend). What people are willing to say in front of him is both funny and frightening. Chris Rock makes cutting-edge comedy seem simple; after an hour of this show, it's incomprehensible why Saturday Night Liveand Mad TVare so abysmally toothless. —Bret Fetzer
Grindhouse Presents, Death Proof - Extended and Unrated
Quentin Tarantino * * * - - A deranged stuntman stalks his victims from the safety of his killer car, but when he picks on the wrong group of badass babes, all bets are off in an adrenaline-pumping, high speed, white-knuckle automotive duel of epic proportions, where anything can happen.
Donnie Darko - The Director's Cut
Richard Kelly (II) Dee Austin Robertson * * * * ~ During the presidential election of 1988, a teenager named Donnie Darko sleepwalks out of his house one night, and sees a giant, demonic-looking rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. He returns home the next morning to find that a jet engine has crashed through his bedroom. As he tries to figure out why he survived and tries to deal with people in his town, like the school bully, his conservative health teacher, and a self-help guru, Frank continues to turn up in Donnie's mind, causing him to commit acts of vandalism and worse. The new Director?s Cut includes a production diary of the film (with optional commentary by Director of Photography Steven Poster), a story-board to screen featurette, the Director?s cut theatrical trailer, They Made Me Do It Too ? The Cult of Donnie Darko and the #1 Fan: A Darkomentary.
Alpha Dog
Nick Cassavetes * * * ~ - When a group of suburban teens imitating the "thug life" ends up committing an impulsive crime circumstances spiral out of control toward a shocking conclusion in this gritty and uncompromising film. Runtime: 118 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: R UPC: 025193250520 Manufacturer No: 61032505
Traffic
Steven Soderbergh * * * ~ - Featuring a huge cast of characters, the ambitious and breathtaking Trafficis a tapestry of three separate stories woven together by a common theme: the war on drugs. In Ohio, there's the newly appointed government drug czar (Michael Douglas) who realizes after he's accepted the job that he may have gotten into a no-win situation. Not only that, his teenage daughter (Erika Christensen) is herself quietly developing a nasty addiction problem. In San Diego, a drug kingpin (Steven Bauer) is arrested on information provided by an informant (Miguel Ferrer) who was nabbed by two undercover detectives (Don Cheadle and Luis Guzmán). The kingpin's wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), heretofore ignorant of where her husband's wealth comes from, gets a crash course in the drug business and its nasty side effects. And south of the border, a Mexican cop (Benicio Del Toro) finds himself caught between both his home country and the U.S., as corrupt government officials duke it out with the drug cartel for control of trafficking various drugs back and forth across the border.

Bold in scope, Trafficshowcases Steven Soderbergh at the top of his game, directing a peerless ensemble cast in a gritty, multifaceted tale that will captivate you from beginning to end. Utilizing the no-frills techniques of the Dogme 95 school, Soderbergh enhances his hand-held filming with imaginative editing and film-stock manipulation that eerily captures the atmosphere of each location: a washed-out, grainy Mexico; a blue and chilly Ohio; and a sleek, sun-dappled San Diego. But Trafficis more than a film-school exercise. Soderbergh and screenwriter Stephen Gaghan (adapting the British TV miniseries Traffikto the U.S.) seamlessly weave the threads of each separate plotline into one solid tale, with the actions of one plot having quiet repercussions on the other two. And if you needed more proof that Soderbergh takes unparalleled care with his actors, practically all the members of this cast turn in their best work ever, the standout being an Oscar-worthy Del Toro as the conflicted moral conscience of the film. While no story is fully resolved in the film, you'll be haunted by these characters days after you've seen the film. By far one of the best movies of 2000. —Mark Englehart
Hitman
Xavier Gens * * * ~ - HITMAN 2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION (UNRATED) (DVD MOVIE)
The 13th Warrior
John McTiernan Michael Crichton * * * * - Antonio Banderas (SPY KIDS) brings huge star power to an immensely thrilling action-adventure from the hit-making director of DIE HARD and THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR! An exiled ambassador far from his homeland, Ahmed (Banderas) comes across a fierce band of warriors who are being attacked by ferocious creatures legendary for devouring all living things in their path! And when an old fortune-teller warns the combatants that they are doomed to failure without a 13th warrior, Ahmed is given no choice but to join their battle and help conquer the mysterious enemy! Suspenseful and endlessly exciting, this exhilarating hit is sure to thrill anyone who enjoys action on an epic scale!
Jackass Number Two (Unrated)
* * * * - Johnny Knoxville Bam Margera Steve-O and the entire crew from the popular MTV franchise return in the most insane DVD of the year jackass number two. Available in both rated and too hot for theaters unrated versions jackass number two pushes the limits with all-new stunts pants-wetting practical jokes fun with bears bees snakes bulls sharks and other REALLY bad ideas.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: UNRATED UPC: 097361208749 Manufacturer No: 120874
The Way of the Gun
Christopher McQuarrie * * * ~ - The big selling point for The Way of the Gunis the fact that it was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the guy who wrote The Usual Suspects. Benicio Del Toro and Ryan Phillippe star as two low-rent criminals who fall into a plan to kidnap a surrogate mother (Juliette Lewis) who is carrying a baby for a very wealthy couple. The duo are immediately in over their heads, and their kidnapping plot brings to light the dark and hidden tendrils of the old man's family structure. It also brings on lots of gunfights and lots of blood. McQuarrie creates some good action sequences (particularly the slow-moving car "chase" through the alleys), but that only serves to emphasize the one major weakness of the film: the script. Though it's chock full of macho declarations, shootouts, and "surprise" revelations, the core story is ultra-predictable. That wouldn't be so bad if there were any characters to care about, but only a supporting performance from James Caan elicits any kind of sympathy. This is merely a movie based on violent movies, with no additional commentary. Then again, McQuarrie does do a nice job with much of the action. Though nowhere near as good as The Usual Suspects, particularly in its story, The Way of the Gunis a promising debut for McQuarrie as a director. —Andy Spletzer
The Contract
Bruce Beresford * * ~ - - The only thing standing between an assassin and his target is a father who must protect his son.

While on a hiking trip to reconnect with his son after the death of his wife, Ray Keene (John Cusack) stumbles into a nightmare scenario of paid assassins and ex-military guns-for-hire. Frank Cardin (Morgan Freeman) is attempting to fulfill a contract to assassinate a high profile businessman when things go arwy and he ends up in the custody of the U.S. Marshalls. After an ill-fated attempt by his compatriots to free him Frank finds himself in the custody of ex-lawman Ray and his son (Jamie Anderson). As the trio tries to make their way back to civilization they are relentlessly pursued by Frank's friends who are intent on freeing their leader in order to collect on the contract. But one pursuer may be more foe than friend.
Ong-Bak - The Thai Warrior
Prachya Pinkaew * * * * ~ When the head of his village's sacred Buddha statue is stolen, simple country boy Ting (Tony Jaa) is sent to Bangkok to retrieve it. Raised by a monk who has trained him in Muay Thai, Ting has vowed to never use his lethal martial arts skills. But once he arrives in the big city, Ting is forced to fight. It's non-stop action as Ting infiltrates Bangkok's seedy underworld and takes on a series of lowlifes and criminals in his quest to obtain the sacred head.
Disturbia [HD DVD]
D.J. Caruso * * * ~ - Dreamworks Disturbia (HD-DVD) 

After his father's accidental death, Kale (Shia LaBeouf) remains withdrawn and troubled. When he lashes out at a well-intentioned but insensitive teacher, he finds himself undera court-ordered house arrest. His mother continues to cope, working extra shifts to support herselfand her son, as she tries in vain to understand the changes in his personality. The walls of his house begin to close in on Kale as he takes chances to extend the boundaries both physical and emotional - of his confinement. His interests turn outside the windows of his suburban home toward those ofhis neighbors, including a mutual attraction to the new girl next door (Sarah Roemer). Together, they begin to suspect that another neighbor is a serial killer. Are their suspicions merely the product of Kale's cabin fever and vivid imagination? Or have they unwittingly stumbled across a crime thatcould cost them their lives?
The Transporter 2
Louis Leterrier * * * ~ - The best in the business is back in the game!

Jason Statham returns in his signature role as ex-Special Forces operative Frank Martin aka "The Transporter." Now retired from his chosen profession of moving dangerous goods with no questions asked, he makes a living driving for a wealthy family in Miami, Florida. But when their young son is abducted, Frank must use his battle-tested combat skills to save the boy and thwart the kidnapper's nefarious master plan.

Packed with high-octane car chases and high-flying martial arts action, Transporter 2 delivers nonstop excitement from beginning to end!
Minority Report
Steven Spielberg * * * * - Set in the chillingly possible future of 2054, Steven Spielberg's Minority Reportis arguably the most intelligently provocative sci-fi thriller since Blade Runner. Like Ridley Scott's "future noir" classic, Spielberg's gritty vision was freely adapted from a story by Philip K. Dick, with its central premise of "Precrime" law enforcement, totally reliant on three isolated human "precogs" capable (due to drug-related mutation) of envisioning murders before they're committed. As Precrime's confident captain, Tom Cruise preempts these killings like a true action hero, only to run for his life when he is himself implicated in one of the precogs' visions. Inspired by the brainstorming of expert futurists, Spielberg packs this paranoid chase with potential conspirators (Max Von Sydow, Colin Farrell), domestic tragedy, and a heartbreaking precog pawn (Samantha Morton), while Cruise's performance gains depth and substance with each passing scene. Making judicious use of astonishing special effects, Minority Reportbrilliantly extrapolates a future that's utterly convincing, and too close for comfort. —Jeff Shannon
Kiss of the Dragon
Chris Nahon * * * * - Martial arts genius Jet Li explodes onto the screen with an intensity not seen since Bruce Lee. "Kiss of the Dragon" is not merely a thriller but a shocker. (San Francisco Chronicle) China's top secret agent visits Paris on a pleasure trip only to encounter government espionage at the highest level. "Li's action sequences are like an oil fire, spilling from one room into the next and lighing up in the interiors with heat and wreakage"! (The New York Times)
Click [Blu-ray]
* * * ~ - Sony Pictures Click (Blu-Ray) 

A harried workaholic, Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) doesn't have time for his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and children, not if he's to impress his ungrateful boss and earn a well-deserved promotion. So when he meets Morty (Christopher Walken), a loopy sales clerk, he gets him to bypass life's little distractions with increasingly hysterical results. But as Michael gleefully mutes, skips and scans past his family and friends, the remote gradually takes over his life and begins to program him, in this fast, funny and out-of-controlcomedy adventure.
Scarface
Brian De Palma * * * * ~ This sprawling epic of bloodshed and excess, Brian De Palma's update of the classic 1932 crime drama by Howard Hawks, sparked controversy over its outrageous violence when released in 1983. Scarfaceis a wretched, fascinating car wreck of a movie, starring Al Pacino as a Cuban refugee who rises to the top of Miami's cocaine-driven underworld, only to fall hard into his own deadly trap of addiction and inevitable assassination. Scripted by Oliver Stone and running nearly three hours, it's the kind of film that can simultaneously disgust and amaze you (critic Pauline Kael wrote "this may be the only action picture that turns into an allegory of impotence"), with vivid supporting roles for Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Robert Loggia. —Jeff Shannon
Lucky You
Curtis Hanson * * * - - Ante up for a sure entertainment bet from L.A. Confidential director Curtis Hanson who co-wrote this charmer with fellow Academy Award winner Eric Roth (Forrest Gump). Pro gambler Huck Cheever (Eric Bana) meets irresistible Billie Offer (Drew Barrymore) and learns to treat love the way he treats cards: trusting his heart instead of his head. He also scrambles to raise the entry fee for the high-roller World Series of Poker even though - or maybe because - the tournament may pit him against his estranged father (Robert Duvall) a two-time Series winner.Running Time: 124 min. Genre: COMEDY UPC: 012569701410
The Da Vinci Code
Ron Howard * * * ~ - Dan Brown's international bestseller comes alive in the film The Da Vinci Code, directed by Ron Howard with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman. Join symbologist Robert Langdon (Academy Award® Winner Tom Hanks, 1993 Best Actor, Philadelphia, and 1994 Best Actor, Forrest Gump) and cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) in their heart-racing quest to solve a bizarre murder mystery that will take them from France to England – and behind the veil of a mysterious ancient society, where they discover a secret protected since the time of Christ. With first-rate performances by Sir Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina and Jean Reno, critics are calling The Da Vinci Code"involving" and "intriguing,""a first rate thriller."
Ladder 49
Jay Russell * * * * - Academy Award(R) nominated stars Joaquin Phoenix (Best Supporting Actor, GLADIATOR, 2000) and John Travolta (Best Actor, PULP FICTION, 1994) ignite the intense action in this heroic tale of ordinary men with uncommon courage! As part of a tightly knit brotherhood of skilled firefighters, Jack Morrison (Phoenix) grows from inexperienced rookie to seasoned veteran as he faces a dangerous job that makes him a hero to strangers but often shortchanges his wife (Jacinda Barrett — THE HUMAN STAIN) and kids. Then, when he becomes trapped in the worst blaze of his career, the things Jack holds most important — family, duty, courage — come sharply into focus.
The Tunnel
Roland Suso Richter * * * * ~ Anti-communist East German swimming champion Harry Melchior (Heino Ferch) narrowly escapes the Communist regime just after the Berlin Wall is completed, and is determined to rescue his beloved sister, whom he was forced to leave behind.
Cloverfield
Matt Reeves * * * - - Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal horrifying event of their lives.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS UPC: 097363520641 Manufacturer No: 352064
The Matrix
Larry Wachowski Andy Wachowski * * * * ~ Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells of a computer hacker (Reeves) who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth. The computers are powered by human beings...

DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by C. Moss, J. Gaeta, & Z. StaenbergFeaturette:"Bullet Time" Featurette (6:01) "What is the Concept" Featurette (10:50)Music Clips:2.0 Music only with commentaryOther:HBO 1st Look Special: Making the Matrix (25:48) "White Rabbit" Clips (22:22) [4x3]
Snatch
* * * * ~ Usually it might seem a tad unfair to begin a review by referring to the director's missis. But then the missis in question wouldn't usually be Madonna—a woman whose ability to reinvent herself several times before breakfast seems in marked contrast to that of hubby Guy Ritchie. Certainly, this follow-up to the filmmaker's breakthrough film—the high-energy, expletive-strewn cockney-gangster movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels—hardly breaks new ground being, well, anotherhigh-energy, expletive-strewn cockney-gangster movie. OK, so there are some differences. This time around our low-rent hoodlums are battling over dodgy fights and stolen diamonds rather than dodgy card games and stolen drugs. There has been some minor reshuffling of the cast too, with Sting and Dexter Fletcher making way for the more bankable Benicio Del Toro and Brad Pitt, the latter pretty much stealing the whole shebang as an incomprehensible Irish gypsy. And, sure, people who really, really liked Lock, Stock—or have the memory of a goldfish—will really, really like this. The suspicion lingers, however, that if the director doesn't do something very different next time around then his career may prove to be considerably shorter than that of his missis. —Clark Collis
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Judd Apatow * * * ~ - Cult comic actor Steve Carell—long adored for his supporting work on The Daily Showand in movies like Bruce Almightyand Anchorman—leaps into leading man status with The 40 Year-Old Virgin. There's no point describing the plot; it's about how a 40 year-old virgin named Andy (Carell) finally finds true love and gets laid. Along the way, there are very funny scenes involving being coached by his friends, speed dating, being propositioned by his female manager, and getting his chest waxed. Carell finds both humor and humanity in Andy, and the supporting cast includes some standout comic work from Paul Rudd (Clueless, The Shape of Things) and Jane Lynch (Best in Show, A Mighty Wind), as well as an unusually straight performance from Catherine Keener (Lovely & Amazing, Being John Malkovich). And yet... something about the movie misses the mark. It skirts around the topic of male sexual anxiety, mining it for easy jokes, but never really digs into anything that would make the men in the audience actually squirm—and it's a lot less funny as a result. Nonetheless, there are many great bits, and Carell deserves the chance to shine. —Bret Fetzer
Don't Say a Word
Gary Fleder * * * - - Michael Douglas is "tremendous" (Tribune News Services) inthe psychological thriller "in the classic Hitchcock tradition" (The New York Observer). When The daughter of a prominent new York psychiatrist (Douglas) is kidnapped, his only hope for her safe return is to pry a 6-digit number from the memory of a troubled teenage girl - and time is running out!
Sin City - Unrated
Frank Miller (II) Rodriguez, Robert * * * * - This Recut & Extended Edition is the ultimate SIN CITY DVD Collection and features a new, never-before-seen extended version of the original motion picture, the original theatrical release with three new commentaries, and extensive brand-new bonus material! Also included, a complete SIN CITY graphic novel: "The Hard Goodbye." The acclaimed hit from director Robert Rodriguez delivers explosive stories straight from the pages of Frank Miller's hip series of "Sin City" graphic novels ... and stars Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Jaime King, Clive Owen, Brittany Murphy, Rosario Dawson, Devon Aoki, Alexis Bledel, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood, Nick Stahl, Michael Madsen, Carla Gugino, and Michael Clarke Duncan.
Fur - An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus
Steven Shainberg * * * - - From the window of her immaculate New York apartment, lonely housewife Diane Arbus (Kidman) locks eyes with a masked figure on the street, a mysterious new neighbor (Downey, Jr.) whose penetrating gaze strips the veneer off her tidy reality. Mysteriously drawn to the man that intrigues her and determined to take his photograph, Diane ventures to his apartment and embarks on a journey that will unlock her deepest secrets, awaken her remarkable artistic genius, and launches Diane on her path to becoming the artist she is meant to be.
Ronin
John Frankenheimer * * * * - In a world where loyalties are easily abandoned and allegiances can be bought, a new and deadlier terrorist threat has emergedfree agent killers! Featuring "high-octane action" (Gene Shalit, "Today"), a "first-rate cast" (L.A. Daily News) and exhilarating car chases that "are nothing short of sensational" (The New York Times), Ronin is "the real deal in action fireworks" (Rolling Stone) directed by "a master of intelligent thrillers" (Roger Ebert). The Cold War may be over, but a new world order keeps a group of covert mercenaries employed by the highest bidder. These operatives, known as "Ronin," are assembled in France by a mysterious client for a seemingly routine mission: steal a top-secret briefcase. But the simple task soon proves explosive asother underworld organizations vie for the same prize...and to get the job done, the members of Ronin must do something they've never done beforetrust each other!
Monster-in-Law (New Line Platinum Series)
Robert Luketic * * * - - After years of incredibly bad dates, Charlie (Jennifer Lopez) thinks she's met the perfect man...until she meets his possessive and merciless mother! Jane Fonda returns to Hollywood to play the worst mother-in-law ever who will do everything she can to break up the happy couple!

DVD Features:Audio CommentaryDeleted ScenesFeaturette
The Dukes of Hazzard
* * ~ - - Action Comedy based on the hit television series that ran from 1979-85. Set in present day, The Dukes of Hazzard follows the adventures of "good old boy" cousins Bo (Seann William Scott) and Luke (Johnny Knoxville) Duke, who with the help of their eye-catching cousin Daisy (Jessica Simpson) and moonshine-running Uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson), try and save the family farm from being destroyed by Hazzard County's corrupt commissioner Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds). Their efforts constantly find the "Duke Boys" eluding authorities in "The General Lee," their famed 1969 orange Dodge Charger that keeps them one step ahead of the dimwitted antics of the small southern town's Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane (M.C. Gainey).

DVD Features:FeaturetteGag ReelMusic VideoOtherTheatrical Trailer
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Ken Loach * * * * - Driven by a deep sense of duty and a love for his country Damien (Cillian Murphy) abandons his burgeoning career as a doctor and joins his brother Teddy in a dangerous and violent fight for freedom. As the Irish freedom fighters bold tactics bring the British to a breaking point both sides finally agree to a treaty to end the bloodshed. But despite the apparent victory civil war erupts and families who fought side by side find themselves pitted against one another putting their loyalties to the ultimate test. System Requirements:Run Time: 127 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 796019802529 Manufacturer No: 80252
Matchstick Men
* * * * - A phobic con artist and his protege are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the con artist's teenage daughter arrives unexpectedlyRunning Time: 116 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 085392467723 Manufacturer No: 24677
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Lloyd Kramer * * * * - Based on the bestseller by Mitch Albom (Tuesdays With Morrie), The Five People You Meet in Heaventakes up where It’s A Wonderful Lifeleft off. In the Capra classic, George Bailey gets a vision of life without him. In this Hallmark Hall of Fame production, Eddie (Jon Voight), an amusement park maintenance man and war veteran, ends up in Heaven after an accident takes his life. There he meets five people from his past: the Blue Man (Jeff Richards), the Captain (Michael Imperioli), Marguerite (Dagmara Dominczyk), Ruby (Ellen Burstyn), and Tala (Nicaela and Shelbie Weigel). Each shows him how he impacted their life or they his—and not always for the better. (In these flashbacks, Callahan Brebner and Steven Grayhm play the young Eddie.) The point may seem simplistic—everyone is connected—but The Five People You Meet in Heavenfinds a unique and engaging way to make it. —Kathleen C. Fennessy
Robin Williams - Live on Broadway
Marty Callner * * * * ~ Sharper and deeper than Robin Williams's previous road material, Live on Broadwayis a mature comedian's view of all things to do with power, prejudice, and paranoia in the 21st century. On the anthrax scare of 2001: "The Senate cleared out of their building but told the rest of us, 'Get on with your normal lives!'" On his solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over Jerusalem: "Time share!" On the pitfalls of America's deepening alliance with Britain: "The House of Commons is like Congress with a two-drink minimum." A viewer may have to slog through Williams's tedious breast fetishism, but patience is quickly rewarded with bitchy takes on Martha Stewart facing prison, solid satire about French existentialist judges at the Olympics, and subversive op-eds about the Bush administration's inability to clarify terrorist threats to the public ("Has the CIA become the Central Intuitive Agency?"). —Tom Keogh
Fantastic Four
Tim Story * * * ~ - Four astronauts obtain superpowers after exposure to cosmic radiation and set out to save the world and foil the plans of the evil Doctor Doom.

No Track Information Available

Media Type: DVD

Artist: EVANS/ALBA/CHIKLIS/GRUFFUDD/MCMAHON

Title: FANTASTIC FOUR

Street Release Date: 07/17/2007

Domestic

Genre: ACTION / ADVENTURE
Chris Rock - Bigger and Blacker
Keith Truesdell * * * * ~ ''The funniest man in America'' according to Time magazine and Vanity Fair, presents an hour of ''riotously funny'' (Entertainment Weekly) and ''breathtakingly provocative'' (Chicago Sun-Times) outstanding stand-up comedy.
Romeo Must Die
Andrzej Bartkowiak * * * ~ - They've got the guns. They've got the posse. But they've got no chance when a street-fighting ex-cop (Jet Li) takes on both sides of a fierce Oakland turf war, involving "the wildest action scenes since The Matrix!" (Bill Bregoli, Westwood One).

DVD Features:Documentary:8 Short Documentaries (26:56)Featurette:Making of Romeo Must Die (15:00) Behind the Scenes (14:03)Music Video:Aaliyah's "Try Again" video (3:40) Making of Aaliyah's "Try Again" music video (4:11) Aaliyah/DMX "Come Back In One Piece" video (3:42)Other:Inside the Visual Effects Process (3:52) "Diary of a (Legal) Mad Bomber" (5:07) "Anatomy of a Stunt" (7:12) "The Sound Stage" (1:00)Theatrical Trailer:Sampler
Saving Private Ryan
Steven Spielberg * * * * ~ When Steven Spielberg was an adolescent, his first home movie was a backyard war film. When he toured Europe with Duelin his 20s, he saw old men crumble in front of headstones at Omaha Beach. That image became the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, his film of a mission following the D-day invasion that many have called the most realistic—and maybe the best—war film ever. With 1998 production standards, Spielberg has been able to create a stunning, unparalleled view of war as hell. We are at Omaha Beach as troops are slaughtered by Germans yet overcome the almost insurmountable odds.

A stalwart Tom Hanks plays Captain Miller, a soldier's soldier, who takes a small band of troops behind enemy lines to retrieve a private whose three brothers have recently been killed in action. It's a public relations move for the Army, but it has historical precedent dating back to the Civil War. Some critics of the film have labeled the central characters stereotypes. If that is so, this movie gives stereotypes a good name: Tom Sizemore as the deft sergeant, Edward Burns as the hotheaded Private Reiben, Barry Pepper as the religious sniper, Adam Goldberg as the lone Jew, Vin Diesel as the oversize Private Caparzo, Giovanni Ribisi as the soulful medic, and Jeremy Davies, who as a meek corporal gives the film its most memorable performance.

The movie is as heavy and realistic as Spielberg's Oscar-winning Schindler's List, but it's more kinetic. Spielberg and his ace technicians (the film won five Oscars: editing (Michael Kahn), cinematography (Janusz Kaminski), sound, sound effects, and directing) deliver battle sequences that wash over the eyes and hit the gut. The violence is extreme but never gratuitous. The final battle, a dizzying display of gusto, empathy, and chaos, leads to a profound repose. Saving Private Ryantouches us deeper than Schindlerbecause it succinctly links the past with how we should feel today. It's the film Spielberg was destined to make. —Doug Thomas
The Weather Man
Gore Verbinski * * * - - Popular Chicago weatherman Dave Spritz (Nicolas Cage) has a shot at the big time when a national morning television show calls him for an audition. Professionally, Dave is on top of the world, but his personal life is in complete disarray. The harder he tries to hold on, the more he loses his grip. His painful divorce, his Pulitzer Prize-winning dad's (Michael Caine) illness, and trouble with his kids have Dave poised on the knife's edge between stability and calamity. Trying to gain control of his situation, Dave slowly comes to realize that life, much like the weather, is completely unpredictable.
The Night Listener
Patrick Stettner * * * ~ - Academy Award(R) winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, GOOD WILL HUNTING, 1997; ONE HOUR PHOTO, INSOMNIA) is unforgettable in a riveting, critically acclaimed psychological thriller based on true events! Gabriel Noone (Williams), a celebrated writer and late-night talk show host, becomes captivated by the harrowing story of a young listener and his adoptive mother (Toni Collette – LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, IN HER SHOES). When troubling questions arise about the boy’s identity, however, Noone finds himself drawn into a widening mystery that hides a deadly secret! Also starring Sandra Oh (SIDEWAYS, TV’s GREY'S ANATOMY) and based on the best-selling novel by Armistead Maupin, THE NIGHT LISTENER delivers unpredictable twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
The Darjeeling Limited
Wes Anderson * * * * - Owen Wilson Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman star as three brothers who have drifted apart over the years and try to re-forge their sibling bonds on a hilarious adventure across India. The Royal Tennenbaums meets Lost in Translation. System Requirements:Running Time: 91 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/FAMILY GATHERINGS Rating: R UPC: 024543494867 Manufacturer No: 2249486
Balls of Fury
* * * - - Watch the balls fly in this hilarious action-packed comedy starring Christopher Walken (Hairspray) and George Lopez (The George Lopez Show)! When former professional table tennis phenomenon Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) is recruited by FBI Agent Rodriguez (Lopez) for a mission in the unsanctioned underground and utterly unhinged world of extreme table tennis he's determined to bounce back to his former glory and smoke out his father's killer the arch-fiend Feng (Walken). But with danger coming at him from every angle will Randy be able to keep his eye on the balls? From the creators of Night at the Museum and Reno 911! comes the outrageous film critics are calling "a fast furious comedy!" (Thelma Adams US Weekly)System Requirements:Running Time: 91 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/SCREWBALL COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 025193184924 Manufacturer No: 62031849
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead [Blu-ray]
Sidney Lumet * * * * - Master filmmaker Sidney Lumet (The Verdict Dog Day Afternoon Serpico) scores big with this absorbing suspense thriller. Oscar®-winner* Philip Seymour Hoffman is Andy an overextended payroll executive who lures his younger brother Hank (Ethan Hawke) into a larcenous scheme: the pair will rob a suburban mom-and-pop jewelry store that appears to be the quintessential easy target. The problem is the store owners are Andy and Hank's real mom and pop and when the seemingly perfect crime goes awry the damage sends them hurtling toward a shattering climax. System Requirements:LENGTH: 117 minutesFormat: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: DRAMA/PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 014381491258 Manufacturer No: CAP4912BD
Revolver [2005]
Guy Ritchie * * * - -
Unleashed
Louis Leterrier * * * * - Luc Besson wrote and directed the stylish thrillers La Femme Nikitaand The Professional; though he didn't direct Unleashed, the script has his trademark fusion of outrageous sentimentality and over-the-top violence. Hong Kong action superstar Jet Li (Romeo Must Die, Hero) stars as Danny, a man raised to be a brutal attack dog by a nasty gangster named Bart (Bob Hoskins, Mona Lisa)—when Bart removes Danny's collar, Danny pulverizes everyone in the room. But a chance encounter with a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby) reveals to Danny the possibility of a less brutal life, and when a retaliation attack gives him the chance to escape, he does—but Bart won't let him go that easily. The fighting in Unleashedis effectively jolting; Li and fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix) have purposefully stripped away the smoothness of most movie combat (especially with a genuine martial artist like Li) with raw, unnerving results, especially when juxtaposed with the sweet and earnest scenes of Li regaining his humanity with Freeman and his step-daughter (Kerry Condon). This freewheeling cocktail of bloody noses and ice-cream cones isn't for everyone, but fans of both Besson and Li will leave satisfied. —Bret Fetzer
Van Helsing
Stephen Sommers * * * - - Like a roller coaster ready to fly off its rails, Van Helsingrockets to maximum velocity and never slows down. Having earned blockbuster clout with The Mummyand The Mummy Returns, writer-director Stephen Sommers once again plunders Universal's monster vault and pulls out all the stops for this mammoth $148-million action-adventure-horror-comedy, which opens (sanscredits) with a terrific black-and-white prologue that pays homage to the Universal horror classics that inspired it. The plot pits legendary vampire hunter Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) against Dracula (the deliciously campy Richard Roxburgh), his deadly blood-sucking brides, and the Wolfman (Will Kemp) in a two-hour parade of outstanding special effects (980 in all) that turn Sommers' juvenile plot into a triple-overtime bonus for CGI animators. In alliance with a Transylvanian princess (Kate Beckinsale) and the Frankenstein monster (Shuler Hensley), Van Helsing must prevent Dracula from hatching his bat-winged progeny, and there's so much good-humored action that you're guaranteed to be thrilled andexhausted by the time the 10-minute end-credits roll. It's loud, obnoxious, filled with revisionist horror folklore, and aimed at addicted gamers and eight-year-olds, but this colossal monster mash (including Mr. Hyde, just for kicks) will never, everbore you. A sequel is virtually guaranteed. —Jeff Shannon
P.T. Barnum: The Greatest Showman on Earth
- - - - - Portrait of the real estate magnate, advertising genius, politician, scam artist, and "greatest showman on earth" who gave America the three-ring circus. Enjoy a look at Barnum's American Museum, where he presented such bizarre acts as the Feejee Mermaid (actually a monkey head sewn to a fish body) and midget Tom Thumb.

This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.
Late Night with Conan O'Brien - The Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
Dana Calderwood Allan Kartun Liz Plonka * * * * ~ Viewers of NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" have long clamored for a collection of vintage poops from Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Since his first appearance on "Late Night" in 1997 the raucous raunchy cigar-smoking bow tie-wearing poodle-humping pooch has made dog meat of everything from the esteemed Westminster Dog Show to his celebrity-trashing of Bon Jovi "Hollywood Squares" and the "Video Music Awards" to the infamous romp through Quebec and the legendary Attack of the Nerds at a Star Wars premiere. Throw in an additional 90 minutes of bonus footage including Triumph's very first appearance other in-studio collisions with guests like Jerry Springer and Simon Cowell his "I Keed" music video and never-before-seen outtakes and you have the ultimate anthology..."for me to poop on!"System Requirements: Running Time 61 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 031398159629 Manufacturer No: 15962
Croupier
Mike Hodges * * * * - All bets are off in London's gambling world when struggling writer Jack Manfred (Gosford Park's Clive Owen) accepts his father's offer of a job as a croupier, out the cards of fate and fortune each night to casino patrons. As his relationship with his girlfriend, Marion (Notting Hill's Gina McKee), suffers from the strain of his new job, Jack finds his eye roving to a seductive gambler, Jani (ER's Alex Kingston), who lures him into a dangerous robbery scheme with Jack positioned as the inside man. A critical and commercial smash, this delicious British thriller from director Mike Hodges (Get Carter) and writer Paul Mayersberg (The Last Samurai) is a solid winner from start to finish!
Aeon Flux
Karyn Kusama * * * ~ - 400 years in the future after a virus decimates the world population only one city on Earth remains. Ruled by the Goodchild dynasty it is a perfect society of peace and prosperity - except that its citizens keep mysteriously disappearing. Charlize Theron stars as Aeon Flux a secret agent/assassin/warrior whose mission is to bring down the regime. But as she goes deeper into her mission Aeon uncovers some shocking secrets that put the mission — and her life — in danger.System Requirements:Runtime: 92 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 097360702149 Manufacturer No: 070214
National Treasure
Jon Turteltaub * * * * - From Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, and Jon Turteltaub, director of PHENOMENON, comes NATIONAL TREASURE. It's the thrilling, edge-of-your-seat adventure starring Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage (1995 Best Actor, LEAVING LAS VEGAS) as Benjamin Franklin Gates. Ever since he was a boy, Gates has been obsessed with finding the legendary Knights Templar Treasure, the greatest fortune known to man. As Gates tries to find and decipher ancient riddles that will lead him to it, he's dogged by a ruthless enemy (Sean Bean, THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy) who wants the riches for himself. Now in a race against time, Gates must steal one of America's most sacred and guarded documents — the Declaration of Independence — or let it, and a key clue to the mystery, fall into dangerous hands. Heart-pounding chases, close calls, and the FBI turn Gates's quest into a high-stakes crime caper and the most exciting treasure hunt you've ever experienced.
Blade - Trinity (New Line Platinum Series)
David S. Goyer * * * - - The final battle begins and the trinity comes to an end! Blade is back and his enemies have grown in number since they resurrected their king, Dracula. Together with a new group of vampire hunters, called the Nightstalkers, led by Whistler's strong but beautiful daughter Abigail and the wise-cracking Hannibal, they must finally defeat the vampires or face inevitable extinction.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
* * * ~ - Adam Sandler and Kevin James star as best friends and fellow firefighters Chuck and Larry the pride of their Brooklyn fire station. Chuck owes Larry for saving his life. Larry calls in that favor big-time by asking Chuck to pose as his "domestic partner" so his kids will get his pension. But when a fact-checking bureaucrat becomes suspicious the two straight guys are forced to improvise as love-struck newlyweds. Jessica Biel Ving Rhames and Dan Aykroyd co-star in this hilarious comedy. System Requirements:Running Time: 116 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 025193226822
The Salton Sea
* * * * - In the Imperial Valley of Southern California there is a little known body of water 226 feet below sea level, one of the lowest points in the United States. As there is no outlet from this sea, water is being removed only by evaporation, which results in a salinity level more than 25 percent higher than the Pacific Ocean. There is an eerie stillness to this vast sea, and a peculiar density to the water. This lake is the Salton Sea. Set against this remote and mysterious landscape, an unexpected and brutal crime leaves an innocent woman, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, dead at the hands of masked gunmen. Her husband's life is left in ruins, his every waking moment haunted by the recurring imagery of the murder he witnessed, but was powerless to prevent. "The Salton Sea" is a character-driven crime thriller about an unlikely hero entangled in a web of deceit and treachery. Full of unexpected twists and turns, this is a compelling and emotionally-charged story about loss and recovery set to the lonely resonant tones of jazz great Miles Davis' horn. Danny Parker (VAL KILMER) is a man in search of redemption, consumed by a sense of loneliness and alienation. Following the death of his wife (CHANDRA WEST), he is set adrift in a seedy underworld inhabited by an eclectic, and often comical, cast of characters united principally by their choice of drug: crystal methamphetamine. An accomplished jazz musician, Danny is now a low-life "tweaker" in Los Angeles who leads us through a frenzied maze, one from which he must emerge before his tenuous grip on reality snaps for good. In a bold attempt Danny secretly hatches a plan to serve as middle-man in a lucrative drug deal. With the help of his friend Jimmy "The Finn" (PETER SARSGAARD), Danny is introduced to Pooh-Bear (VINCENT D'ONOFRIO), a methamphetamine baron with a penchant for sadistic recreational games, who seals the deal. But in this mad world, nothing - most of all Danny - is what it seems.
Man on the Moon
Milos Forman * * * * - "There is no real you," jokes Lynn Margulies (Courtney Love) to her boyfriend, Andy Kaufman (Jim Carrey), as he grows more contemplative during a battle with cancer. "I forgot," he says, playing along, though the question of Kaufman's reality is always at issue in Milos Forman's underappreciated Man on the Moon.

The story of Kaufman's quick rise to fame through early appearances on Saturday Night Liveand the conceptual stunts that made his club and concert appearances an instant legend in the irony-fueled 1970s and early '80s, Man on the Moonnever makes the mistake of artificially delineating Comic Andy from Private Andy. True, we get to see something of his private interest in meditation and some of the flakier extremes of alternative medicine, but even these interludes suggest the presence of an ultimate con behind apparent miracles of transformation.

Screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (The People vs. Larry Flynt) allege that transformation was Kaufman's purpose—more than a shtick but less than a destiny. As we see him constantly up the ante on the credibility of his performance personae (the obnoxious nightclub comic Tony Clifton; the insulting, misogynistic professional wrestler), Forman makes it harder and harder to detect Kaufman's sleight of hand. But it's there, always there, always the transcendent Andy watching the havoc he creates and the emotions he stirs.

Carrey is magnificent as Kaufman, re-creating uncannily detailed comedy pieces etched in the memory of anyone who remembers the real Andy. But while Carrey's mimicry of Kaufman is flawless and funny, the actor probes much deeper into an enigmatic character who, in life, was often a moving target even for those closest to him. —Tom Keogh
American Pie - Unrated
Weitz, Chris * * * * - Anyone who's watched just about any teenage film knows that the greatest evil in this world isn't chemical warfare, ethnic cleansing, or even the nuclear bomb. The worst crime known to man? Why, virginity, of course. As we've learned from countless films—from Summer of '42to Risky Business—virginity is a criminal burden that one must shed oneself of as quickly as possible. And while many of these films have given the topic a bad name, American Piequietly sweeps in and gives sex some of its dignity back. Dignity, you may say? How can a film that highlights intercourse with fruit pies, premature ejaculation broadcasted across the Internet, and the gratuitous "gross-out" shots restore the dignity of a genre that's been encumbered with such heavyweights as Porky'sand Losin' It? The plot may be typical, with four high school friends swearing to "score" by prom, yet the film rises above the muck with its superior cast, successful and sweet humor, and some actually rather retro values about the meaning and importance of sex. Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, and Eddie Kaye Thomas make up the odd quartet of pals determined to woo, lie, and beg their way to manhood. The young women they pursue are wary girlfriend Vicky (Tara Reid), choir girl Heather (Mena Suvari), band geek Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and just about any other female who is willing and able. Natasha Lyonne as Jessica, playing a similar role as in Slums of Beverly Hills, is the general adviser to the crowd (when Vicky tells her "I want it to be the right time, the right place," Jessica responds, "It's not a space shuttle launch, it's sex"). The comedic timing hits the mark—especially in the deliberately awkward scenes between Jim (Biggs) and his father (Eugene Levy). And, of course, lessons are learned in this genuinely funny film, which will probably please the adult crowd even more than it will the teenage one. —Jenny Brown
Deceiver
Josh Pate Jonas Pate * * * * - Tim Roth (Planet of the Apes) and Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones's Diary) star in this riveting psychological thriller with shocking twists, "sharp dialogue and a cynical intelligence" (Chicago Tribune). Also starring Chris Penn, Michael Rooker, Ellen Burstyn and Rosanna Arquette and charged with unbridled suspense and powerful performances, this "absorbingly crafty murder mystery" (Entertainment Weekly) delves into the murky depths of truth and deception and delivers a stunning final scene that will jolt your spine with chills! James Wayland (Roth) is nota typical murder suspect: he's fabulously wealthy, a Princeton graduate and has a genius-level I.Q.But Detectives Braxton (Chris Penn) and Kennesaw (Michael Rooker) sense that there's more than meets the eye when they interrogate him for the brutal killing of a beautiful call girl (Zellweger). As their search for the truth takes a suddenly dangerous turn, Braxton and Kennesaw realize that Wayland is a master manipulator, cleverly using their darkest secrets against them in a lethal, winner-take-all game that ignites a powder keg of deadly motives and shocking revelations.
Meltdown
Jing Wong * * * ~ - When a military officer (Jet Li of Romeo Is Bleedingand Fist of Legend) miscalculates and causes the explosive death of dozens of children on a school bus—something you'll never see in an American movie!—he leaves his position to become a bodyguard for an egomaniacal movie star named Frankie (Jacky Cheung from Bullet in the Headand A Chinese Ghost Story 2, doing a satirical parody of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee). The star claims to do all his own stunts, but in fact Li has become his stunt double. An investigative reporter (Chingmy Yau, Naked Killer) catches them switching places and decides to do an exposé. From this point on, Meltdown(also known as High Risk) turns into a Hong Kong version of Die Hard, with terrorists taking over a skyscraper in order to steal valuable jewels, as well as a couple of young lovers, a villainous kung fu master who wants to challenge Frankie, and a hip-hop soundtrack. Meltdownis a delirious romp, crammed with as much low comedy and high-powered action as three Hollywood flicks. Despite (or partly because of) some clumsy special effects, logical absurdities, and cheesy plot developments, the movie is hugely entertaining, and Jet Li is in fine charismatic form. However, be warned: though the movie's tone is light, there's some extremely graphic violence. —Bret Fetzer
Fallen
Gregory Hoblit * * * * - Although it received mixed reactions from critics and audiences alike when released in 1998, this supernatural thriller benefits from a sustained atmosphere of anticipation and dread, and its combination of detective mystery and demonic mischief is handled with ample style and intelligence. Under the direction of Gregory Hoblit (who fared better with Primal Fear), Denzel Washington plays detective John Hobbes, who witnesses the gas-chamber execution of a serial killer (Elias Koteas). But when another series of murders begins, Hobbes suspects that the killer's evil spirit has survived and is possessing the bodies of others to do its evil bidding. Even Hobbes's trusted partner (John Goodman) thinks the detective is losing his grip on reality, but the dire warnings of a noted linguist (Embeth Davidtz) confirm Hobbes's far-out theory, and his case intensifies toward a fateful showdown. Although its idea is better than its execution, and the story's film noirambitions are never fully accomplished, this slickly directed thriller has some genuinely effective moments in which evil forces are entwined into the fabric of everyday reality. Among the highlights is a memorable scene in which Detective Hobbes must track the killer as the evil spirit is transferred between many people via physical contact. Even if the film is ultimately less than the sum of its parts, it's an intriguing hybrid that resides in the same cinematic neighborhood as Sevenand The Silence of the Lambswith a cast that also includes Donald Sutherland and James Gandolfini. Included on the DVD is a full-length audio commentary by director Hoblit, screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, and producer Charles Roven. —Jeff Shannon
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Guy Ritchie * * * * ~ Cockney boys Tom, Soap, Eddie, and Bacon are in a bind; they owe seedy criminal and porn king "Hatchet" Harry a sizable amount of cash after Eddie loses half a million in a rigged game of poker. Hot on their tails is a thug named Big Chris who intends to send them all to the hospital if they don't come up with the cash in the allotted time. Add into the mix an incompetent set of ganja cultivators, two dimwitted robbers, a "madman" with an afro, and a ruthless band of drug dealers and you have an astonishing movie called Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Before the boys can blink, they are caught up in a labyrinth of double-crosses that lead to a multitude of dead bodies, copious amounts of drugs, and two antique rifles.

Written and directed by talented newcomer Guy Ritchie, this is one of those movies that was destined to become an instant cult classic à la Reservoir Dogs. Although some comparisons were drawn between Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino, it would be unfair to discount the brilliant wit of the story and the innovative camerawork that the director brings to his debut feature. Not since The Krayshas there been such an accurate depiction of the East End and its more colorful characters. Indicative of the social stratosphere in London, Ritchie's movie is a hilarious and at times touching account of friendships and loyalty. The director and his mates (who make up most of the cast) clearly are enjoying themselves here. This comes across in some shining performances, in particular from ex-footballer Vinnie Jones (Big Chris) and an over-the-top Vas Blackwood (as Rory Breaker), who very nearly steals the show. Full of quirky vernacular and clever tension-packed action sequences, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrelsis a triumph—a perfect blend of intelligence, humor, and suspense. —Jeremy Storey
P. T. Barnum
* * * * *
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest
* * * * - Take the first Pirates of the Caribbeanfilm, add a dash of 20,000 Leagues Under the Seaand a lot more rum. Shake well and you'll have something resembling Dead Man's Chest, a bombastic sequel that's enjoyable as long as you don't think too hard about it. The film opens with the interrupted wedding of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), both of whom are arrested for aiding in the escape of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the first film. Their freedom can only be obtained by getting Captain Jack's compass, which is linked to a key that's linked to a chest belonging to Davy Jones, an undead pirate with a tentacle face and in possession of a lot of people's souls. If you're already confused, don't worry—plot is definitely not the strong suit of the franchise, as the film excels during its stunt pieces, which are impressively extravagant (in particular a three-way swordfight atop a mill wheel). It may help to know that Dead Man's Chestwas filmed simultaneously with some of Pirates 3, so don't expect a complete resolution (think more The Empire Strikes Back) or the movie will feel a lotlonger than it really is.

Bloom shows a tad bit more brawn this time around, but he's still every bit as pretty as the tomboyish Knightley. (Seriously, sometimes you think they could swap roles.) Bill Nighy (Love, Actually) weighs in as Davy Jones and Stellan Skarsgård appears as Will's undead father. But the film still belongs wholly to Depp, who in a reprise of his Oscar-nominated role gets all the belly laughs with a single widened eyeliner-ed gaze. He still runs like a cartoon hen and slurs like Keith Richards—and he's still one of the most fascinating movie characters in recent history. —Ellen A. Kim
The One
James Wong (IV) * * * ~ - The Onesets a martial arts milestone by pitting action star Jet Li against his greatest enemy: himself. This sci-fi thriller establishes a "multiverse" consisting of countless parallel universes, each populated by variants of every individual. Li plays a renegade from the Multiverse Agency, illegally traveling through "quantum tunnels" to eliminate all versions of himself until only two remain, each sharing the cumulative strength of their "parallel universe versions." This mumbo-jumbo inspires a variety of dazzling special effects, and director James Wong (with cowriter and fellow X-Filesalumnus Glen Morgan) injects clever humor into the Matrix-derivative premise. Carla Gugino is wasted as the "good" Li's obligatory love interest, but The Onewill appeal to action fans with its fast-paced pursuit between the evil Li and two agents (Delroy Lindo, Jason Statham) assigned to stop his trans-universal killing spree. It's a one-gimmick movie, best enjoyed with your brain in neutral. —Jeff Shannon
war 3 horseshoes & hand grenades
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Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason
Beeban Kidron * * * ~ - Although it's been three years since we last saw Bridget (Renée Zellweger), only a few weeks have passed in her world. She is, as you'll remember, no longer a "singleton," having snagged stuffy but gallant Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) at the end of the 2001 film. Now she's fallen deeply in love and out of her neurotic mind with paranoia: Is Mark cheating on her with that slim, bright young thing from the law office? Will the reappearance of dashing cad Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) further spell the end of her self-confidence when they're shoved off to Thailand together for a TV travel story? If such questions also seem pressing to you, this sequel will be fairly painless, but you shouldn't expect anything fresh. Director Beeban Kidron and her screenwriters—all four of them!—are content to sink matters into slapstick, with chunky Zellweger (who's unflatteringly photographed) the literal butt of all jokes. Though the star still has her charms, and some of Bridget's social gaffes are amusing, the film is mired in low comedy—a sequence in a Thai women's prison is more offensive than outrageous—with only Grant's rakish mischief to pull it out of the swamp. —Steve Wiecking
battle royal
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Crime Spree
Brad Mirman * * * * -
Invincible
Ericson Core * * * * - When the coach of Vince Papale's beloved hometown football team hosted an unprecedented open tryout, the public consensus was that it was a waste of time—no one good enough to play professional football was going to be found this way. Certainly no one like Papale—a down-on-his-luck, 30 year-old, substitute teacher and part-time bartender who never even played college football. But against these odds, Papale made the team and soon found himself living every fan's fantasy—moving from his cheap seats in the upper deck to standing on the field as a professional football player.
Ocean's Thirteen
Steven Soderbergh * * * - - It's bolder. Riskier. The most dazzling heist yet. George Clooney Brad Pitt Matt Damon and more reteam with director Steven Soderbergh for a split-second caper that stacks the deck with wit style and cool. Danny Ocean again runs the game so no rough stuff. No one gets hurt. Except for double-crossing Vegas kingpin Willy Bank (Al Pacino). Ocean's crew will hit him where it hurts: in his wallet. On opening night of Bank's posh new casino tower The Bank every turn of a card and roll of the dice will come up a winner for bettors. And they'll hit him in his pride making sure the tower doesn't receive a coveted Five Diamond Award. That's just the start of the flimflams. The boys are out to break The Bank. Place your bets!Running Time: 122 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/CONS & SCAMS UPC: 085391189282 Manufacturer No: 1000027368
Me, Myself & Irene
Peter Farrelly Bobby Farrelly * * * - - In Me, Myself & Irene, Jim Carrey plays Charlie Baileygates, a cop for the best police force in the world (Rhode Island). In denial about his wife's affair, he's a nice guy who goes around trying to do the right thing but is taken advantage of every step of the way. Instead of confronting people, he takes the abuse, balls it up, and hides it in the pit of his stomach. His psyche can only take so much, though, and soon his alter-ego Hank pops out to do every libidinous thing Charlie would never do. It's a great premise for a Jim Carrey film. Unfortunately, it's not a great Jim Carrey film. Famous for the lowbrow, shock comedies like Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, and There's Something About Mary, here the Farrelly brothers get lost in a series of lazy gags and an even lazier plot about some evil golf development and the woman, Irene (Renée Zellweger), who needs to be protected because she knows something about it. Some of the jokes hit (there's a bathroom scene that's 10 times funnier than the hair-gel gag in There's Something About Mary), but many more miss. There are some great concepts (his three sons are hip-hop geniuses) that don't go anywhere (they swear a lot). It's like the movie itself has a split personality—funny ideas trapped in a less-than-funny film. —Andy Spletzer
Wedding Crashers - Unrated (Widescreen New Line Platinum Series)
David Dobkin * * * * - In this hilarious box office hit, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson have perfected the art of wedding crashing but when one of them actually falls in love their sacred rule, "never leave a fellow crasher behind," may be broken!

DVD Features:Audio CommentaryDeleted ScenesFeaturetteMusic VideoOther
Grey Matter AKA The Brain Machine
Joy N. Houck Jr. * ~ - - -
Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride
* * * * - It won't come as much of a surprise to anyone familiar with Hunter S. Thompson to learn that his life and work were inseparable, even indistinguishable, but that's the principal revelation in director Tom Thurman's Thompson documentary, Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride. In the 1960s and '70s, Thompson created what he called "gonzo journalism," mixing truth and fiction in a kind of superheated prose in which the writer, more often than not fueled by his copious intake of drugs and alcohol, not only reported stories but made himself an integral part of them. When he took his own life in 2005 at the age of 67, he left behind lots of bemused friends, peers, and collaborators, many of whom are on hand here. Johnny Depp, who portrayed Thompson in the film adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his most famous work, describes him as a man "capable of a verbal menace… I've seen people reduced to mist in a matter of seconds." Actor John Cusack calls him "a deeply serious, deeply moral person… who loved orgies," and author Tom Wolfe says Thompson was "(the 20th) century's greatest comic writer in the English language." There are also clips from both Fear and Loathingand Where the Buffalo Roam(with Bill Murray as Thompson). But while Thompson himself appears in several interview bits (there are brief excerpts from his writings as well), little here is, well, gonzo enough to fully do the man justice—it would be nice if there were more odd moments like the one where conservative pundit William F. Buckley, Jr., of all people, recites Thompson's description of Richard Nixon as "a man with the integrity of a hyena and the style of a poison toad." The film is clumsily edited; even at just 77 minutes, it feels too long, and while the bits detailing his funeral and suicide note are interesting, the final parade of sentimental encomiums from the various talking heads is disappointingly pat. Buy the Ticket, Take the Rideis OK, but actually reading Thompson's work would be more revelatory. —Sam Graham
Helvetica
Gary Hustwit * * * * ~ Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.
War
Philip G. Atwell * * * - - After his partner is brutally murdered by the infamous assassin Rogue (Jet Li) FBI agent Jack Crawford (Jason Statham) vows to find the elusive killer and personally avenge his partner's death. But Crawford's thirst for vengeance jeopardizes his professional judgment and as the violence escalates he finds himself in the middle of a conflict between two rival Asian gangs. Now nothing is quite what it seems and he must be prepared for WAR! System Requirements:Run time: 99 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: R UPC: 031398221807 Manufacturer No: 22180
Mr. Brooks
* * * * - Consider MR. BROOKS. A successful businessman. A generous philanthropist. A loving father and devoted husband. Seemingly, he's perfect. But Mr. Brooks has a secret... he is also the notorious Thumbprint Killer and no one has ever suspected it... until now.
Scratch
Doug Pray * * * * ~ Director Doug Pray (Hype) pays tribute to the innovative art of DJing in the electrifying documentary Scratch. Featuring the most legendary figures in the DJ scene, Pray's film is at once a deeply insightful historical document and a highly entertaining glimpse into the world of underground hip-hop. Modern luminaries such as DJ Shadow, Mix Master Mike (of the Beastie Boys), DJ Q-bert, Rob Swift, and DJ Swamp are interviewed alongside living legends like Afrika Bambaataa, Jazzy Jay, and Grand Mixer DXT, in order to paint a broad, comprehensive picture of how DJing has evolved over the years.

Seamlessly cutting between interviews and actual footage filmed at several high-profile DJing contests including Skratchcon 2000 and the DMC U.S. Finals, Pray's film is a must-see for both seasoned fans and the uninitiated, a celebration of one of the late-20th century's most thrilling, original musical movements.
The Bourne Ultimatum (Widescreen) (Limited Edition Exclusive Steel Book Packaging + 40 Minutes of Exclusive Bonus Features)
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Unbreakable
* * * ~ - When Unbreakablewas released, Bruce Willis confirmed that the film was the first in a proposed trilogy. Viewed in that context, this is a tantalizing and audaciously low-key thriller, with a plot that twists in several intriguing and unexpected directions. Standing alone, however, this somber, deliberately paced film requires patient leaps of faith—not altogether surprising, since this is writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's daring follow-up to The Sixth Sense. While just as assured as that earlier, phenomenal hit, Unbreakableis the work of a filmmaker whose skill exceeds his maturity, its confident style serving a story that borders on juvenile. However, Shyamalan's basic premise—that comic books are the primary conduit of modern mythology—is handled with substantial relevance.

Willis plays a Philadelphia security guard whose marriage is on the verge of failing when he becomes the sole, unscathed survivor of a devastating train wreck. When prompted by a mysterious, brittle-boned connoisseur of comic books (Samuel L. Jackson), he realizes that he's been free of illness and injury his entire life, lending credence to Jackson's theory that superheroes—and villains—exist in reality, and that Willis himself possesses extraordinary powers. Shyamalan presents these revelations with matter-of-fact gravity, and he draws performances (including those of Robin Wright Penn and Spencer Treat Clark, as Willis's wife and son) that are uniformly superb. The film's climactic revelation may strike some as ultimately silly and trivial, but if you're on Shyamalan's wavelength, the entire film will assume a greater degree of success and achievement. —Jeff Shannon
The Illusionist
Neil Burger * * * * ~ Unlock the mysteries of the year's most spellbinding film from the producers of Crash and Sideways! Oscar(r) nominees Paul Giamatti and Edward Norton lead an all-star cast in this "stunning" film (USA Today) that conjures an exhilarating blend of suspense, romance and mind-bending twists. The acclaimed illusionist Eisenheim (Norton) has not only captured the imaginations of all of Vienna, but also the interest of the ambitious Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). But when Leopold's new fiancée (Jessica Biel) rekindles a childhood fascination with Eisenheim, the Prince's interest evolves into obsession...and suddenly the city's Chief Inspector (Giamatti) finds himself investigating a shocking crime. But even as the Inspector engages him in a dramatic challenge of wills, Eisenheim prepares for his most impressive illusion yet in this "mesmerizing" (Entertainment Weekly) and "beautifully acted" (Good Morning America) film that "teases you until the very end!" (The New York Times).
Hero
Yimou Zhang * * * * - Master filmmaker Quentin Tarantino presents HERO — starring martial arts legend Jet Li in a visually stunning martial arts epic where a fearless warrior rises up to defy an empire and unite a nation! With supernatural skill ... and no fear ... a nameless soldier (Jet Li) embarks on a mission of revenge against the fearsome army that massacred his people. Now, to achieve the justice he seeks, he must take on the empire's most ruthless assassins and reach the enemy he has sworn to defeat! Acclaimed by critics and honored with numerous awards, HERO was nominated for both an Oscar® (2002 Best Foreign Language Film)and Golden Globe!
The Chronicles of Riddick - Pitch Black (Unrated Director's Cut) [HD DVD]
David Twohy * * * * - Universal Pitch Black - HD-DVD

When their ship crash-lands on a remote planet, the marooned passengers soonlearn that escaped convict Riddick (Vin Diesel) isn't the only thing they have to fear. Deadly creatures lurk in the shadows, waiting to attack in the dark, and the planet is rapidly plunging into the utter blackness of a total eclipse. With the body count rising, the doomed survivors are forced toturn to Riddick with his eerie eyes to guide themthrough the darkness to safety. With time runningout, there's only one rule: Stay in the light. "Pitch Black" is the original sci-fi hit that introduced the world to the character of Riddick, the ultimate anti-hero. Take a ride on the pulse-pounding adrenaline rush that USA Today calls "the best excuse to root for the bad guy since Arnold in the original 'Terminator.'"
Poolhall Junkies
* * * * - Johnny was a poolhall hustler, one of the best, until he discovered how his manager Joe had ruined his life. he left Joe int he hands of some heavy-duty drug dealers and split the scene. Now he's trying to go legit, save his relationship with his girlfriend Tara, and maybe even save his life. Johnny's younger brother Danny is eager to follow in his footsteps — eager enough to find himself deep in debt to Joe, who has returned with a new poolhall protege. When Danny robs a store to pay back Joe, it's time for his big brother to take his cue. The final game has a payoff that's bigger than money, bigger than life, bigger than either player can imagine. Because somewhere on the edge of the 8-ball waits a man's soul.

DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Audio commentary with Mars Callahan and Chris CorsoBiographies:Cast and crew biosInteractive MenusScene AccessTheatrical Trailer:Original theatrical trailer
A Scanner Darkly
Richard Linklater - - - - - How well you respond to Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly depends on how much you know about the life and work of celebrated science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. While it qualifies as a faithful adaptation of Dick's semiautobiographical 1977 novel about the perils of drug abuse, Big Brother-like surveillance and rampant paranoia in a very near future ("seven years from now"), this is still very much a Linklater film, and those two qualities don't always connect effectively. The creepy potency of Dick's premise remains: The drug war's been lost, citizens are kept under rigid surveillance by holographic scanning recorders, and a schizoid addict named Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is facing an identity crisis he's not even aware of: Due to his voluminous intake of the highly addictive psychotropic drug Substance D, Arctor's brain has been split in two, each hemisphere functioning separately. So he doesn't know that he's also Agent Fred, an undercover agent assigned to infiltrate Arctor's circle of friends (played by Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, Rory Cochrane, and Robert Downey, Jr.) to track down the secret source of Substance D. As he wears a "scramble suit" that constantly shifts identities and renders Agent Fred/Arctor into "the ultimate everyman," Dick's drug-addled antihero must come to grips with a society where, as the movie's tag-line makes clear, "everything is not going to be OK."

 While it's virtually guaranteed to achieve some kind of cult status, A Scanner Darkly lacks the paranoid intensity of Dick's novel, and Linklater's established penchant for loose and loopy dialogue doesn't always work here, with an emphasis on drug-culture humor instead of the panicked anxiety that Dick's novel conveys. As for the use of "interpolated rotoscoping"—the technique used to apply shifting, highly stylized animation over conventional live-action footage—it—it's purely a matter of personal preference. The film's look is appropriate to Dick's dark, cautionary story about the high price of addiction, but it also robs performances of nuance and turns the seriousness of Dick's story into... well, a cartoon. Opinions will differ, but A Scanner Darkly is definitely worth a look—or two, if the mind-rattling plot doesn't sink in the first time around. —Jeff Shannon
Constantine
Francis Lawrence (II) * * * - - Based on the DC Comics/Vertigo Hellblazer graphic novels and written by Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, Constantine tells the story of John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), a man who has literally been to hell and back. When he teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldly events, the two become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at whatever cost.

Running Time: 121 min.

Format: DVD MOVIE
The Punisher
Mark Goldblatt * * * ~ - First, a few facts. Dolph Lundgren expresses emotions ranging from stoic to, well, really stoic. There are holes in the story large enough to pilot the Exxon Valdezthrough without spilling a drop. And the film is littered with action movie clichés. But none of this matters. The Punishersucceeds because it stays true to its origins, the Marvel comic of the same name. Studio-engineered films such as Batmannever quite capture the mixture of loyalty and betrayal, justice and revenge, moral ambiguity and emotional truth that are the hallmarks of the graphic novel. Films such as Darkmando. So does The Punisher. Lundgren plays Frank Castle, a dedicated policeman whose family was wiped out in a mob hit. He went underground (literally) and, as the Punisher, has been exacting his revenge, killing 125 mobsters in the past five years. But when the yakuza (Japanese Mafia) moves in on the mob's territory and kidnaps their children, it's up to the Punisher to rescue the kids. The action blazes, Lundgren (a former full-contact karate champ) moves with feral grace, the production design is a pleasure to watch, and director Mark Goldblatt (whose credits as editor include such big films as Starship Troopersand True Lies) has a clean, efficient style. —Geof Miller
The Chronicles of Riddick (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut)
David Twohy * * * ~ - Bigger isn't always better, but for anyone who enjoyed Pitch Black, a nominal sequel like The Chronicles of Riddickshould prove adequately entertaining. Writer-director David Twohy returns with expansive sets, detailed costumes, an army of CGI effects artists, and the star he helped launch—Vin Diesel—bearing his franchise burden quite nicely as he reprises his title role. The Furian renegade Riddick has another bounty on his head, but when he escapes from his mercenary captors, he's plunged into an epic-scale war waged by the Necromongers. A fascist master race led by Lord Marshal (Colm Feore), they're determined to conquer all enemies in their quest for the Underverse, the appeal of which is largely unexplained (since Twohy is presumably reserving details for subsequent "chronicles"). With tissue-thin plotting, scant character development, and skimpy roles that waste the talents of Thandie Newton (as a Necromonger conspirator) and Judi Dench (as a wispy "Elemental" priestess), Twohy's back in the B-movie territory he started in (with The Arrival), brought to vivid life on a vast digital landscape with the conceptual allure of a lavish graphic novel. But does Riddick have leadership skills on his resumé? To get an answer to that question, sci-fi fans will welcome another sequel. —Jeff Shannon
Twisted
Philip Kaufman * * ~ - - With a tawdry plot and a short list of suspects, Twistedgives armchair detectives an easy chance to figure out whodunit. Critics roasted this pulpy potboiler, in which Ashley Judd (attempting to repeat the thriller success she had with Double Jeopardyand High Crimes) plays a San Francisco homicide detective who is her own prime suspect in an ongoing serial murder case, in which all of the victims are men she recently slept with. These one-night stands, and a problem with alcoholic blackouts, make Judd's wine-drinking character the loose cannon on the case, and her partner (Andy Garcia) and police commissioner mentor (Samuel L. Jackson) have their own reasons for wanting the case to close. Apparently nobody bothered to point out numerous weaknesses in Sarah Thorp's B-movie screenplay, and with no apparent interest in the proceedings, director Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff) allows Judd to look silly, Garcia to overact, and the whole movie to unfold in murky darkness and dimly lit rooms. Kaufman, Judd, and her costars are capable of better. —Jeff Shannon
Friday Night Lights
Josh Pate Peter Berg Mark Piznarski * * * * - Based on the perennial nonfiction bestseller by H.G. Bissinger, Friday Night Lightslooks at high school football in the harsh light of reality, finding heart and hardness while stirring our emotions. Actor-director Peter Berg (Very Bad Things, The Rundown) is Bissinger's cousin; he knows the material well, and understands how an obsession with winning turns high school kids into somber, over-pressured gladiators—expendable soldiers in a community war against shame and obscurity. The fact-based story focuses on the 1988 football season of Odessa-Permian high school in West Texas, and as a fast-paced sports movie, Berg delivers the goods with a rousing, frenetically styled crowd-pleaser. But there's darkness in this tale of weary underdogs, including an abusive father (well-played by country music star Tim McGraw), threatening townsfolk, an injured star running back (Derek Luke), a tormented quarterback (Lucas Black), and the melancholy coach (Billy Bob Thornton) who takes his team to the finals. Berg's film could use less flashy cutting and more drama to support its gridiron intensity, but Friday Night Lightsoffers a refreshing alternative to the conventional sports movie, and makes a perfect triple-feature with the equally exciting documentaries Go Tigers!and The Last Game. —Jeff Shannon
The Departed (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
Martin Scorsese * * * * - Warner Brothers The Departed (HD-DVD)

Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg star in Martin Scorsese's new crime drama "The Departed.""The Departed" is set in South Boston where the state police force is waging an all-out war to take down the city's top organized crime ring. The key isto end the reign of powerful mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) from the inside. A young rookie, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assignedto infiltrate Costello's mob. While Billy is working to gain Costello's trust, another young cop, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is among a handful of elite officers whose mission is to bring Costello down. But what his superiors don't know is that Colin is working for Costello, keeping the crime bossone step ahead of the police. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operation he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters and the police that they have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin find themselves in constant danger of being caught - and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself.
Little Miss Sunshine
Valerie Faris Jonathan Dayton * * * * - Take a hilarious ride with the Hoovers, one of the most endearingly fractured families in comedy history.

Father Richard (Greg Kinnear) is desperately trying to sell his motivational success program...with no success. Meanwhile, "pro-honesty" mom Sheryl (Toni Collette) lends support to her eccentric family, including her depressed brother (Steve Carell), fresh out of the hospital after being jilted by his lover. Then there are the younger Hoovers?the seven-year-old, would-be beauty queen Olive (Abigail Breslin) and Dwayne (Paul Dano), a Nietzsche-reading teen who has taken a vow of silence. Topping off the family is the foul-mouthed grandfather (Alan Arkin), whose outrageous behavior recently got him evicted from his retirement home. When Olive is invited to compete in the "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant in far-off California, the family piles into their rusted-out VW bus to rally behind her?with riotously funny results.
American Wedding - Unrated
Jesse Dylan * * * - - You re on the guest list for this UNRATED American Wedding the version you couldn t see in theaters! The American Pie gang returns to wreak havoc with a new rite of passage when Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) decide to get married! Of course Stifler (Seann William Scott) will be there (bridesmaids!) and more importantly will throw the ultimate bachelor party (strippers!). So RSVP for the outrageously UNRATED American Wedding experience in this hilariously hot frantically funny final chapter of the unforgettable American Pie saga!Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 025192379925 Manufacturer No: 61023799
Black Mask
Daniel Lee (II) * * * - - Take the art direction and set design from The Crowand Batman. Add a male-bonding element reminiscent of The Killeror Hard-Boiled. Stir in a plot line about some top-secret near-invincible bionic-man superwarriors taking over the drug trade in Hong Kong, with only one man who can stop them. Season with a high body count, lots of explosions and running gun battles, and spectacular hand-to-hand fight sequences. Top off with a soupçon of cheesy comic relief and a generous helping of atrocious dubbing. Bake for too long, then remove from oven and allow to cool until thoroughly stale. The result: Black Mask. Sure, it's a preposterous recipe (bet you didn't know that LED readouts will show up on an X-ray), but it's stylishly prepared and presented, with high-octane editing, wild camera angles, and a neo-Goth feel all around. Of course it's all about the remarkable Jet Li, the fight scenes, and the postindustrial art direction. Those who come expecting a high-concept, intelligent thriller will be left with indigestion, but Hong Kong action fans who live and die for insane stunts and head-spinning martial arts scenes will have their appetites sated by this dish. It's very interesting to see the influence that John Woo's hand continues to have on American and HK action thrillers, years after his seminal films with Chow Yun-fat. It'll be even more interesting to see how films like Black Maskhold up in the future. Just don't take it too seriously and this movie works just fine. Oh, and the title? It comes from when Jet Li switches from his mild-mannered librarian persona to butt-kicking superhero, complete with mask and hat à la The Green Hornet's Cato. —Jerry Renshaw
Head of State
* * * ~ - Chris Rock writes, directs, and stars in the sassy political comedy Head of State, about Mays Gilliam, a black man who's chosen by the leaders of an unspecificed party to run for president after their previous candidates die in a plan crash. Though he initially follows his handler's instructions, Gilliam soon starts handling speeches in his own brazen, outspoken way, which starts to turn the tide—which upsets the party leaders who chose him, since they expected him to lose. While Head of Statedoesn't quite have the razor wit that Rock wields in his stand-up routine, it has a sharper edge than just about any other political satire in recent memory. Rock bursts with charisma, and his supporting cast (including Lynn Whitfield, Dylan Baker, Robin Givens, and especially Bernie Mac as Gilliam's brother and running mate) provide solid comic support. —Bret Fetzer
Snakes on a Plane
David R. Ellis * * * ~ - On board a flight over the Pacific Ocean, an assassin, bent on killing a passenger who's a witness in protective custody, let loose a crate full of deadly snakes.

DVD Features:Audio CommentaryDeleted ScenesFeaturetteGag ReelMusic VideoTV SpotTheatrical Trailer
A History of Violence
David Cronenberg * * * ~ - On the surface, David Cronenberg may seem an unlikely candidate to direct A History of Violence, but dig deeper and you'll see that he's the right man for the job. As an intellectual seeker of meaning and an avowed believer in Darwinian survival of the fittest, Cronenberg knows that the story of mild-mannered small-town diner proprietor Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is in fact a multilayered examination of inbred human behavior, beginning when Tom's skillful killing of two would-be robbers draws unwanted attention to his idyllic family life in rural Indiana. He's got a loving wife (Maria Bello) and young daughter (Heidi Hayes) who are about to learn things about Tom they hadn't suspected, and a teenage son (Ashton Holmes) who has inherited his father's most prominent survival trait, manifesting itself in ways he never expected. By the time Tom has come into contact with a scarred villain (Ed Harris) and connections that lead him to a half-crazy kingpin (William Hurt, in a spectacular cameo), Cronenberg has plumbed the dark depths of human nature so skillfully that A History of Violencestands well above the graphic novel that inspired it (indeed, Cronenberg was unaware of the source material behind Josh Olson's chilling adaptation). With hard-hitting violence that's as sudden as it is graphically authentic, this is A History of Violencethat's worthy of serious study and widespread acclaim. —Jeff Shannon
The History Boys
Nicholas Hytner * * * * - From award-winning playwright Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George) comes this delightfully witty comedy of eight boisterous-yet-talented schoolboys hoping to gain admittance to England's most prestigious universities. They're aided on their quest by two teachers, a shrewd young upstart and an inspiring old eccentric, whose opposing philosophies challenge the boys to confront the true meaning of education and the relative values of happiness and success.

Adapted from the original Tony Award winning play and starring the original Tony Award winning cast, The History Boys is an engaging, thought-provoking, and wickedly funny look at history, the pursuit of knowledge, and the utter randomness of life.
Devil's Playground
Lucy Walker * * * * - Devil's Playgroundexplores the Amish ritual of Rumspringa, a coming-of-age "time for decision" presented to Amish youth when they must decide which path they will follow as adults... 16th century religious scripture or 21st century pleasure. "Sensitive, revealing and at times heart-wrenching." —Ad Crable, Lancaster New Era
Broken Flowers
* * * - - Bill Murray gives yet another simple, seemingly effortless, yet illuminating performance in Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers. Don Johnston (Murray, Lost in Translation, Rushmore) receives an anonymous letter telling him that he has a 19 year old son who's looking for him. Don only decides to investigate at the prompting of his neighbor Winston (the indispensable Jeffrey Wright, Shaft, Basquiat), who not only tracks down the current addresses of the possible mothers, he plans Don's entire trip down to the rental cars. Almost against his will, Don finds himself knocking at the doors of four very different women (Sharon Stone, The Quick and the Dead; Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under; Jessica Lange, Sweet Dreams; and Tilda Swinton, The Deep End) who were once his lovers. Part road movie, part detective story, part existential meditation, Broken Flowersis even more minimalist than most Jarmusch movies (Stranger Than Paradise, Dead Man, Mystery Train)—anyone looking for an easy resolution should look elsewhere. But for anyone willing to let a movie be a poem as much as a story—i.e., let it observe behavior without explaining it—Broken Flowerswill offer a wealth of mysteries, gestures, and Bill Murray's soulful eyes. It's a movie that's wonderfully eloquent about what's not being said. —Bret Fetzer
Black Mask 2: City of Masks
Hark Tsui * * - - - This outlandish comic book of a movie stars newcomer Andy On as the genetically altered warrior played by Jet Li in the original Black Mask. As Zeus—the gigantic brain-in-a-vat that created Black Mask—sends his newest super-warrior to track Black Mask down, the nefarious owner of a professional wrestling network has a plan to genetically alter his wrestlers and turn them into animalistic half-humans—meanwhile, Black Mask falls in love with a beautiful geneticist who's paralyzed with phobic anxiety whenever a man touches her... None of the plot makes much sense, but sense is hardly the point. Though the computer-generated special effects are fairly crude, the relentless camera movement and rapid-fire editing of Hong Kong action master Tsui Hark (Peking Opera Blues, Time and Tide) and fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix) keep the spectacle rolling along entertainingly. Also featuring Traci Lords as a kick-ass wrestling queen. —Bret Fetzer
Perfect Stranger
James Foley * * ~ - - When her friend s affair with married ad exec Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis) ends in the woman s murder investigative reporter Rowena Price (Academy Award® winner Halle Berry; Best Actress Monster s Ball 2001) vows to bring the killer to justice. Suspecting Hill of the crime she goes undercover by posing as two highly alluring women: Katherine a sexy temp who works within his agency and Veronica a seductive temptress he chats up online. Engaging in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse both Rowena and Hill begin to realize things may not be what they seem. For some people will go to great lengths to protect their secrets even if it means risking everything.System Requirements:Running Time: 109 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 043396194786 Manufacturer No: 19478
A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick * * * * ~ Stanley Kubrick's striking visual interpretation of Anthony Burgess's famous novel is a masterpiece. Malcolm McDowell delivers a clever, tongue-in-cheek performance as Alex, the leader of a quartet of droogs, a vicious group of young hoodlums who spend their nights stealing cars, fighting rival gangs, breaking into people's homes, and raping women. While other directors would simply exploit the violent elements of such a film without subtext, Kubrick maintains Burgess's dark, satirical social commentary. We watch Alex transform from a free-roaming miscreant into a convict used in a government experiment that attempts to reform criminals through an unorthodox new medical treatment. The catch, of course, is that this therapy may be nothing better than a quick cure-all for a society plagued by rampant crime. A Clockwork Orangeworks on many levels—visual, social, political, and sexual—and is one of the few films that hold up under repeated viewings. Kubrick not only presents colorfully arresting images, he also stylizes the film by utilizing classical music (and Wendy Carlos's electronic classical work) to underscore the violent scenes, which even today are disturbing in their display of sheer nihilism. Ironically, many fans of the film have missed that point, sadly being entertained by its brutality rather than being repulsed by it. —Bryan Reesman
Lord of War
Andrew Niccol * * * * - Based on actual events this black comedy/drama stars Nicholas Cage as international arms smuggler Uri Orlov. The story follows Uri from his humble beginnings as a Soviet immigrant in 1970s Brooklyn and peaks with his involvement in selling off the stockpiled arsenal of post-Cold War Ukraine to—among other top clients—the sadistic African dictator Andr Baptiste Sr. (Eamonn Walker). Jared Leto costars as Uri s little brother Vitaly whose conscience and a burgeoning cocaine problem get in the way of business. Ethan Hawke is good as a sanctimonious Interpol agent with a vendetta against Uri but the film's biggest dose of onscreen gravitas comes from Walker whose Baptiste seethes with a heavy serpent-like malevolence. Written and directed by Andrew Niccol the film makes fine use of the brisk stream-of-consciousness narration style that Martin Scorcese brought to the true crime genre with GOODFELLAS (1992) and a near constant flow of action and classic rock songs that ensure a speedy riveting ride through three decades of global carnage. Cage who coproduced lets his patented oddball magnetism slowly change polarity until viewers realize they ve been led into a moral quagmire by falling for his self-delusory spiels about supply and demand making this one of the bravest and most jet-black comedies of its decade.System Requirements:Running Time 121 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R UPC: 031398188018 Manufacturer No: 22296
Badder Santa
Terry Zwigoff * * * ~ - Hollywood favorites Billy Bob Thornton (THE ALAMO), Bernie Mac (MR. 3000), and John Ritter (TV’s 8 SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER) kick it up a notch in this unrated version of the outrageous comedy hit BAD SANTA. You'd better watch out — Santa Claus Willie T. Stokes (Thornton) is coming to town and he doesn't care if you've been naughty or nice. Willie's favorite holiday tradition is to fill his sacks with loot lifted from shopping malls across the country. But this year his plot gets derailed by a wise-cracking store detective (Mac), a sexy bartender (Lauren Graham — TV's GILMORE GIRLS), and a kid who's convinced Willie is the real Santa Claus! You're sure to believe in BADDER SANTA: THE UNRATED VERSION — once you experience this longer, funnier, and more explicit motion picture!
Slow Burn
Wayne Beach * * * * - A sexy stylish thriller stars Ray Liotta as Ford Cole a big-city district attorney with his eye on the mayor's office and a big problem on his hands. One of his deputies the beautiful assistant district attorney Nora Timmer has just confessed to killing a man in what she claims was self-defense. A bad situation gets worse when an enigmatic stranger named Luther Pinks turns up at the police station to contradict Nora's story and paint a very different picture of Ford's talented colleague. With his career and perhaps his life on the line Ford has a mere handful of hours to sort the truth from the lies in a saga involving Nora a record store clerk and a powerful gang lord. System Requirements:Running Time: 93 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: R UPC: 031398216711 Manufacturer No: 21671
McAurther Park
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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Andrew Dominik * * * ~ - Everyone in 1880s America knows Jesse James. He?s the nation?s most notorious criminal hunted by the law in 10 states. He?s also the land?s greatest hero lauded as a Robin Hood by the public. Robert Ford? No one knows him. Not yet. But the ambitious 19-year-old aims to change that. He?ll befriend Jesse ride with his gang. And if that doesn?t bring Ford fame he?ll find a deadlier way. Friendship becomes rivalry and the quest for fame becomes obsession in this virile epic produced in part by Ridley Scott and featuring gripping portrayals by Brad Pitt (winner of the Venice Film Festival Best Actor Award) as Jesse and Casey Affleck as the youth drawn closer to his goal?and farther from his own humanity.Running Time: 159 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/OUTLAWS UPC: 012569763739 Manufacturer No: 76373
War2
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The Longest Yard
Peter Segal * * * ~ - THE LONGEST YARD tells the story of pro quarterback Paul Crewe (Sandler) and former college champion and coach Nate Scarboro (Reynolds) who are doing time in the same prison. Asked to put together a team of inmates to take on the guards, Crewe enlists the help of Scarboro to coach the inmates to victory in a football game fixed to turn out quite another way.
Mystic River
Clint Eastwood * * * ~ - Drama. Mystic River tells the story of three men whose dark, interwoven history forces them to come to terms with a brutal murder on the mean streets of Boston.
Blood Diamond
Edward Zwick * * * * ~ An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed across the alternately beautiful and ravaged countryside. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory The Last Samurai) this urgent intensely moving adventure shapes gripping human stories and heart-pounding action into a modern epic of profound impact.Running Time: 143 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 085391117629 Manufacturer No: 111762
American Gangster
* * * * - Academy Award® winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe team with director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) for an epic story as powerful as it is true. Armed with ruthless street-wise tactics and a strict sense of honor crime boss Frank Lucas (Washington) rules Harlem's chaotic drug underworld. When outcast cop Richie Roberts (Crowe) sets out to bring down Lucas's multi-million dollar empire it plunges both men into a legendary confrontation. American Gangster is "a brutal and brilliant film" (Pete Hammond Maxim.System Requirements:Running Time: 174 minutes Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/CRIME & CRIMINALS Rating: NR UPC: 025193228024 Manufacturer No: 61032280
laughapalooza
Jamie fox - - - - -
Amores Perros
Alejandro González Iñárritu * * * * ~ Three lives become inextricably linked in the wake of a terrible car crash: a young punk stumbles into the sinister underground world of dog fighting; an injured supermodel's pooch disappears into the apartment's floorboards; and an ex-radical turned hit man rescues a gun-shot Rotweiler. Discover why Amores Perros is the best reviewed film of the year.System Requirements: Running Time 153 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 658149786424 Manufacturer No: 71479
Bottom Feeders
Thomas Baumann * * * * - Life on the food chain keeps sinking lower after a vicious, inept gang of psychopaths and misfits seriously bungles a high-stakes heist. Now the hapless ex-con who's left holding the bag finds himself the target of not only crooked cops, but also his fellow thieves, an efficient hitman and the scariest redneck clan this side of "Deliverance"!
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Michel Gondry * * * ~ - Celebrate with Dave Chappelle in the uncensored unforgettable and unbelievably hilarious full-length movie about throwing the ultimate block party. Join Dave as he travels through the heartland and makes a special stop in his hometown to pass out invitations to attend the event of the decade. It s a front-row seat for outrageous laughs with music from today s hottest artists. Be a part of what Dave Chappelle calls the best single day of my career! System Requirements:Running Time: 111 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 025193031327 Manufacturer No: 30313
8 Mile
Curtis Hanson * * * * - Rap star Eminem makes a strong movie debut in 8 Mile, an urban drama that makes a fairly standard plot fly through its gritty attention to detail. Jimmy Smith (Eminem), nicknamed B Rabbit, can't pull himself together to take the next step with his career—or with his life. Angry about his alcoholic mother (Kim Basinger) and worried about his little sister, Rabbit lets out his feelings with twisting, clever raps admired by his friends, who keep pushing him to enter a weekly rap face-off. But Rabbit resists—until he meets a girl (Brittany Murphy) who might offer him support and a little hope that his life could get better. Under the smart and ambitious direction of Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys) and ably supported by the excellent cast and the burnt-out environment of Detroit slums, Eminem reveals a surprising vulnerability that makes 8 Milevivid and compelling. —Bret Fetzer
Crank
Brian Taylor Mark Neveldine * * * ~ - A professional hit man (Jason Statham) is poisoned and has only hours to live. He has some big tasks to accomplish before the grim reaper arrives.
The Matrix Revolutions
Larry Wachowski Andy Wachowski * * * - - Provocative Futuristic Action Thriller. The Matrix Revolutions marks the final explosive chapter in the Matrix trilogy.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS UPC: 085393320928
The Limey
Steven Soderbergh * * * * - Oscar nominees Terence Stamp (Billy Budd) Lesley Ann Warren (Victor/Victoria) and Peter Fonda (Ulee s Gold) team up with the director of Out of Sight and Sex lies and videotape for this critically acclaimed thriller that Newsday called "a lean and mean treat for savvy action lovers."British ex-con Wilson (Terence Stamp) arrives in Los Angeles to investigate the mystery of his daughter s "accidental" death. His prime suspect the wealthy heavily guarded music promoter Terry Valentine (Peter Fonda) is no easy target. Propelled into an increasingly brutal search for truth Wilson with single-mindedness and terrifying precision moves unstoppably toward revenge.System Requirements:Starring: Terrence Stamp Peter Fonda Luis Guzman Barry Newman and Lesley Ann Warren. Directed By: Steven Soderbergh. Running Time: 89 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2000 Artisan Live Entertainment.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R UPC: 012236607502
Babel [HD DVD]
Alejandro González Iñárritu * * * ~ - Paramount Babel - HD DVD

In "Babel," a tragic incident involving an American couple in Morocco sparks a chain of events for four families in different countries throughout the world. In the struggle to overcome isolation, fear, and displacement, each character discovers that it is family that ultimately provides solace. In the remote sands of the Moroccandesert, a rifle shot rings out? detonating a chain of events that will link an American tourist couple's frantic struggle to survive, two Moroccan boys involved in an accidental crime, a nanny illegally crossing into Mexico with two American children and a Japanese teen rebel whose father is soughtby the police in Tokyo. Separated by clashing cultures and sprawling distances, each of these four disparate groups of people are nevertheless hurtling towards a shared destiny of isolation and grief. In the course of just a few days, they will eachface the dizzying sensation of becoming profoundly lost ? lost in the desert, lost to the world, lost to themselves ? as they are pushed to the farthest edges of confusion and fear as well as to the very depths of connection and love. In this mesmerizing, emotional film that was shot in three continents and four languages ? and traverses both the deeply personal and the explosively political ? acclaimed director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu ("21 Grams,""Amores Perros") explores with shattering realism the nature of the barriers that seem to separate humankind. In doing so, he evokes the ancient concept of "Babel" and questions its modern dayimplications: the mistaken identities, misunderstandings and missed chances for communication that,though often unseen, drive our contemporary lives. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Koji Yakusho, Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi lead an international ensemble of actors and non-professional actors from Morocco, Tijuana and Tokyo, who enrich "Babel's" take on cultural diversity andenhance its pow
Formula 51
Ronny Yu * * * ~ - Wildly entertaining but riddled with as many plot holes as bullets, Formula 51(a.k.a. The 51st State) is a love-it-or-hate-it action comedy that plays like Tarantino on the Thames. It's a raucous hash, highlighted by the sheer pleasure of Samuel L. Jackson—in a kilt, no less—strutting his stuff among denizens of the British underworld. As freelance chemist Elmo McElroy (whose tartan attire remains glibly unexplained), Jackson is perfectly teamed with The Full Monty's Robert Carlyle in a scam involving Elmo's latest pharmaceutical concoction, which promises to yield a fortune on the rave scene. This attracts a loopy British kingpin (the outrageous Rhys Ifans), Elmo's vengeful ex-boss (Meat Loaf), a corrupt cop (Sean Pertwee), and a lovely assassin (Emily Mortimer) with a soft spot for Carlyle. They're all given generous helpings of Stel Pavlou's profanely zesty dialogue, and director Ronny Yu strikes a breezy balance between rampant hilarity and blood-splattering violence. If that's your cup of tea, Formula 51guarantees a satisfying buzz. —Jeff Shannon
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Doug Liman * * * ~ - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie smolder in one of the most anticipated, sizzling action films ever made. After five (or six) years of vanilla-wedded bliss, ordinary suburbanites John and Jane Smith (Pitt and Jolie) are stuck in a rut the size of the Grand Canyon?until the truth comes out! Unbeknownst to each other, they are both coolly lethal, highly paid assassins working for rival organizations. And when they discover they're each other's next target, their secret lives collide in a spicy, explosive mix of wicked comedy, pent-up passion, nonstop action and high-tech weaponry that gives an all-new meaning to "Till death do us part!"
Deuce Bigalow - European Gigolo
Mike Bigelow * * * - - Comedy superstar Rob Schneider is back once more as Deuce Bigalow, the big-hearted male gigolo with the least down below. Fleeing to Europe following a near run-in with the Malibu PD, Deuce finds himself thrust back into the pleasure-for-pay profession when his former pimp (Eddie Griffin) is wrongly accused of murdering Europe's highest-priced man-whores. Working under-the-covers, Deuce seduces a bevy of super-freaky female clients (as well as Dutch supermodel Hanna Verboom) to learn the identity of the real killer in this outrageous laugh-orgy that will have you screaming with delight from start to finish!
The Pursuit of Happyness
Gabriele Muccino * * * * ~ A real-life tale of survival over life's toughest challenges. After a chain of circumstances left Gardner jobless and homeless at age 30 he found himself and his baby son living in a bathroom at a San Francisco train station. Despite the negative situation Gardner continued to fight toward his goal of becoming a broker eventually landing a job as a trainee and rising through the ranks at such companies as Dean Witter and Bear Stearns to his current standing — partner and owner of the Chicago-based minority brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co. and self-made millionaire.System Requirements:Runtime: 117 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG - 13 UPC: 043396184879 Manufacturer No: 18487
Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World
Peter Weir * * * * - When a sudden attack by a French warship inflicts casualities and severe damage upon his vessel, Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey (Crowe) of the British Royal Navy is torn between duty and friendship as he embarks on a thrilling, high-stakes chase across two oceans to intercept and capture the enemy at any cost. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture!
Derailed (Unrated Full Screen)
Mikael Håfström * * * ~ - A clandestine love affair may claim a terrible price from two desperate people in this intelligent thriller. Charles Schine (Clive Owen) is an advertising executive who is happily married to Deana (Melissa George) and has a young daughter. However that begins to change when Charles meets Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston) on a commuter train. Lucinda who is also married with a daughter keep bumping into Charles on the train and they strike up a friendship that soon grows into something deeper. Eventually Charles and Lucinda fall into infidelity but the consequences turn out to be greater than they imagined; Philippe Laroche (Vincent Cassel) is a dangerous criminal with a taste for violence who has learned about the affair. Laroche demands a substantial payment if he is to keep the word of Charles and Lucinda's relationship from their spouses but they become convinced that Laroche is not to be trusted and that he may mean to do greater harm to their loved ones that simply telling them they've been unfaithful. Derailed was the first American project for Swedish filmmaker Mikael Hafstrom.System Requirements:Running Time: 108 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS UPC: 796019786393 Manufacturer No: 78639
How High
Jesse Dylan * * * ~ - Grab your favorite munchies, kids. Red and Meth, that dope-addled dynamic duo, are going to Harvard! And while it's not an episode of Masterpiece Theatre, How Highis destined to become a guilty pleasure of the cannabis crowd. The plot's a familiar one—take the basic selling points of any Cheech & Chong movie (a pair of shambolic protagonists who smoke lots of weed while slinging slang and driving funky, '70s-style cars), graft them onto a generic "raising hell on campus" teen movie scenario, and shake vigorously. The result is a prosaic effort that does contain some all-too-brief moments of genuine humor. Red and Meth, a.k.a. Redman and Method Man, may look like the world's oldest freshmen, but both offer genial performances, especially Method Man, who imbues the character of Silas with a dog-eared gentleness that raises him above the film's leaden script and plasticine directing. —Rebecca Levine
Romance & Cigarettes
* * * * - Emmy Award®-winner James Gandolfini (All The King s Men TV s The Sopranos ) Oscar®-winner Susan Sarandon (Shall We Dance Stepmom) Oscar®-nominated Kate Winslet (Titanic Finding Neverland) Steve Buscemi (Fargo Reservoir Dogs) Mandy Moore (Chasing Liberty The Princess Diaries) Emmy Award®-winner Bobby Cannavale (Snakes on a Plane The Bone Collector) Golden Globe Award®-winner Mary-Louise Parker (Red Dragon Fried Green Tomatoes) Aida Turturro (Deep Blue Sea Sleepers) Emmy Award®-winner Eddie Izzard (My Super-Ex Girlfriend Ocean s Twelve) and Oscar®-winner Christopher Walken (Click The Wedding Crashers) lead an all-star cast in this down-and-dirty modern day musical set which tells the story of one man's journey into infidelity and redemption.Nick (Gandolfini) is an ironworker who builds and repairs bridges. He's married to Kitty (Sarandon) a dressmaker a strong and gentle woman with whom he has three daughters and must struggle to cope with her husband s betrayal. He is carrying on a torrid affair with a flame haired seductress named Tula (Winslet). It is only through a tragic twist of fate that Nick finally understands the extent of the pain he has inflicted on his family. With time running out he discovers the essential value of Kitty's love and respect.In an imaginative humorous and touching way Romance & Cigarettes explores the cost and value of a relationship through life and death. When the characters can no longer express themselves with language they break into song lip-synching the tunes lodged in their subconscious. It is their way to escape the harsh reality of their world - to dream to remember and to connect to another human being.System Requirements:Run Time: 106 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSICALS/MUSICALS Rating: R UPC: 043396128873 Manufacturer No: 12887
Sorry, Haters
Jeff Stanzler * * * ~ -
Spider-Man 3
Sam Raimi * * * ~ - New York City is in the throes of Spider-mania and Peter Parker finally has the girl of his dreams. But just when it seems like things can t get any better Spider-Man must fight the most terrifying trio of villains he s ever encountered the deadly Sandman the New Goblin and Venom plus the enemy he discovers within himself.System Requirements:Running Time: 139 minutes Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: PG-13 UPC: 043396159280 Manufacturer No: 15928
Johnny Was
* * * * ~ Johnny (Vinnie Jones), trying to escape a violent past, hides out in the world's least-safe safe house, sandwiched between a crime den run by a Jamaican gangster (Eriq LaSalle) and a pirate radio station belonging to a Rasta DJ (Lennox Lewis). When Johnny's former comrade (Patrick Bergin) escapes from prison, Johnny faces being dragged back into violence and away from his new love (Samantha Mumba). Johnny's actions ignite a simmering war on two fronts with his drug-dealing neighbor and his former boss Jimmy (Roger Daltrey). Johnny faces questions of race, morality, loyalty, and ultimately survival—played out against a great reggae sound track from legendary DJ-producer Adrian Sherwood.
Buffalo Soldiers
Gregor Jordan * * * * - Joaquin Phoenix (SIGNS, GLADIATOR) leads an all-star cast in a wickedly funny comedy that entertains in the edgy tradition of PULP FICTION. A U.S. soldier with nothing to fight but boredom as the Cold War winds down, Ray Elwood (Phoenix) enjoys the rush of trading anything he can get his hands on in West Germany's booming black market ... while his inept commander (Ed Harris, THE HOURS) is none the wiser. Everything is perfect ... until he starts dating the new sergeant's daughter (Anna Paquin, X-MEN 1 & 2). But before he can pull off one last big score, Elwood's escalating personal war with Sergeant Lee (Scott Glenn, TRAINING DAY) will send him deeper into a deadly mess ... that may not have a way out!
Sideways
Alexander Payne * * * - - ACADEMY AWARD WINNER BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY WINNER OF 2 GOLDEN GLOBES, INCLUDING BEST PICTURE (COMEDY / MUSICAL)

In this intoxicating, intelligent comedy, director Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt) serves up "one of the best movies of the year" (Entertainment Weekly) about the ups, downs and sideways journeys of life. A wine-tasting road trip through California's famed Central Coast takes an unexpected detour as Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) hit the gas en route to their mid-life crisis. The comically mismatched pair soon find themselves drowning in wine, women... and laughter!
Get Rich Or Die Tryin' [2005]
Jim Sheridan * * * * -
Belly, Special Edition, Version 2
Hype Williams * * * ~ -
John Tucker Must Die
Betty Thomas * * * ~ - Hollywood's hottest young hunk, Jesse Metcalfe (TV's Desperate Housewives), delivers big laughs on campus in this "hot, hilarious film!'" (NBC-TV, Miami) When three gorgeous gals discover they've all been duped by smooth-talking stud John Tucker (Metcalfe), they hatch a devious revenge scheme to turn the tables on him. Now Tucker is going to have to change his ways...or the school jock will soon become the class joke!

Can the tantalizing teen trio turn this "serial dater" into a one-woman man? Find out in the hit movie that proves revenge isn't just sweet, it's hysterically funny.
X-Men Collection (X-Men/X2 - X-Men United - Widescreen Edition)
* * * * ~ X-Men

It's a rare comic-book movie that doesn't fall over its cape introducing all the characters, and X-Menis the exception, dropping us into a world that is closer to our own than Batman's Gotham City, but is still home to super-powered heroes and villains. Opening in high seriousness with paranormal activity in a World War II concentration camp and a senatorial inquiry into the growing "mutant problem", Bryan Singer's film sets up a complex background with economy and establishes vivid, strange characters well before we get to the fun. There's Halle Berry flying and summoning snowstorms, James Marsden zapping people with his "optic beams," Rebecca Romijn-Stamos shape-shifting her blue naked form, and Ray Park lashing out with his Toad-tongue. The big conflict is between Patrick Stewart's Professor X and Ian McKellen's Magneto, super-powerful mutants who disagree about their relationship with ordinary humans, but the characters we're meant to identify with are Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Anna Paquin's Rogue. There are in-jokes enough to keep comics fans engaged, but it feels more like a science-fiction movie than a superhero picture. —Kim Newman

X2: X-Men UnitedX2does a fine job of picking up where X-Menleft off, giving fans more of what they liked the first time around. Under the serious-minded custody of returning director Bryan Singer, the second film of this Marvel comics franchise ups the ante on Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and the superhero mutants from the first film, pitting them against a mutant-hating scientist (Brian Cox) who's determined to wipe out the mutant race by tricking Xavier into abusing his telepathic powers. More a series of spectacles than a truly satisfying thriller, X2introduces new mutant allies while giving each of the X-Menalumni—notably the temporarily helpful Magneto (Ian McKellen)—their own time in the spotlight. Well aware of the parallels between "mutantism" and virulent intolerance in the real world, Singer lends real gravity to the proceedings, injecting dramatic urgency into a continuing franchise that, in lesser hands, might've grown patently absurd. —Jeff Shannon
Underworld - Evolution
Len Wiseman * * * * - Kate Beckinsale is back as vampire heroine Selene in the highly anticipated sequel to Underworld.Underworld Evolution continues the saga of war between the aristocratic Death Dealers and the barbaric Lycans (werewolves). The film traces the beginnings of the ancient feud between the two tribes as Selene (Kate Beckinsale) the vampire heroine and her love Michael (Scott Speedman) the lycan hybrid try to unlock the secrets of their bloodlines. The tale of action intrigue and forbidden love takes them into the battle to end all wars as the immortals must finally face their retribution.System Requirements:Run Time: 106 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R UPC: 043396144385 Manufacturer No: 14438
25th Hour
Spike Lee * * * * - Academy Award(R)-nominee Edward Norton (Best Actor, 1999, AMERICAN HISTORY X) heads an amazing all-star cast in the critically acclaimed Spike Lee (SUMMER OF SAM, DO THE RIGHT THING) film 25th HOUR. In 24 short hours Monty Brogan (Norton) goes to prison for seven long years. Once a king of Manhattan, Monty is about to say good-bye to the life he knew — a life that opened doors to New York's swankest clubs but also alienated him from the people closest to him. In his last day on the outside, Monty tries to reconnect with his father (Brian Cox, THE BOURNE IDENTITY), and gets together with two old friends, Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman, ALMOST FAMOUS) and Slaughtery (Barry Pepper, THE GREEN MILE). And then there's his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson, MEN IN BLACK 2), who might (or might not) have been the one who tipped off the cops. Monty's not sure of much these days, but with time running out, there are choices to be made as he struggles to redeem himself in the 25th hour.
Shooter [HD DVD]
Antoine Fuqua * * * ~ - Paramount Shooter - HD-DVD

Get ready for edge-of-your-seat thrills as Mark Wahlberg ignites the screen in his most compelling role yet: the "Shooter." When respected former Marine scout sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Wahlberg) is pressed into service to stop an assassination attempt against the President, the unthinkable occurs: he's double-crossed and framed for the attempt. Determined to prove his innocence, the rogue shooter is now in a high-tension race from every law enforcement agency in the country anda shadowy organization that wants him dead. From "Training Day" director Antoine Fuqua comes a gripping film co-starring Danny Glover ("Lethal Weapon4") and Michael Pena ("World Trade Center"). JoelSiegel of Good Morning America proclaims that "'Shooter' is a thriller ...with a ton of white-knuckle action.".
Black Snake Moan [HD DVD]
Craig Brewer * * * * - Paramount Black Snake Moan (HD-DVD) 

When ex-blues musician Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) finds the town nymphomaniac Rae (Christina Ricci) left for dead on the side of the road, he vows to nurse her back to health...and cure her of her wickedness. Until then, she'll be chained to the immovable radiator in his home. But Lazarus has demons of his own: his wife just left him for his own brother. While Lazarus and Rae struggle to fix their broken lives, the situation threatens to explode as Rae's boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) - a roughneck soldier just back from Iraq - comes searching for his missing lover.
The Cooler
Wayne Kramer * * * ~ - The premise of this swinging Vegas picture is enough to carry it over its narrative rough spots. The unluckiest sap on the planet (William H. Macy) is employed as a "cooler" at a casino; his very presence can chill the hot streak of any patron on a roll. He's valued by the old-school manager of the place, a role given a two-fisted, bourbon-swilling incarnation by Alec Baldwin. Macy means to quit, but then he falls for a waitress (the excellent Maria Bello, from Permanent Midnight)—might his luck be changing? The subplots are pretty much a mess, but the frank sex scenes between Macy and Bello give the movie a truly offbeat feel. The tawdry air of a second-rate casino is also nicely done: This is not the new family-friendly Las Vegas, but a tough place of superstitions, sinister back rooms, and shabby motels. The characters are perfectly at home. —Robert Horton
Boiler Room
Ben Younger * * * * - The intense soundtrack of Boiler Roomis a fitting underscore for this movie, which pulses with the vigor of young, rich, amoral men wreaking havoc. This is not the antisocietal havoc of Fight Club, but the more deliberate mayhem that comes from greed run amok. The testosterone-junkie brokers of J.T. Marlin (the only female in the office is Abby, the receptionist and love interest, played by Nia Long) are out to make the sale, and whether that sale is legal or ethical doesn't matter.

Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi) is a 19-year-old college dropout who strives for approval from his father (Ron Rifkin), a judge who is horrified that his son operates a 24-hour illicit casino. When an old friend visits the casino with a fellow broker, Davis is impressed by their wads of money and yellow Ferrari, and decides to join the firm. In no time he's making sales and settling into the groove of the office and all the after-hours perks, but the dream fades when Davis discovers the scam that is making all of the brokers wealthy beyond their dreams.

Borrowing heavily from Wall Streetand Glengarry Glen Ross, Boiler Roomis at its best when dealing with matters of money, and powerful scenes of Davis learning to be a "closer" showcase the significant talent of Ribisi, Nicky Katt, and Vin Diesel. The movie flounders when developing the relationship between Davis and his father, becoming sentimental and trite. However, as a fable of modern society and a nostalgic vehicle about the days of yuppies past, Boiler Roomis right on the money. —Jenny Brown
Flyboys [Blu-ray]
Tony Bill * * * ~ - MGM Flyboys (Blu-Ray) 

Inspired by the true story of the legendary Lafayette Escadrille, this action-packed epic tells the tale of America's first fighter pilots. These courageous young men distinguishthemselves in a manner that none before them had dared, becoming true heroes who experience triumph, tragedy, love, and loss amid the chaos of World War I. Hang on for the ride of your life!
300
Zack Snyder * * * * - The epic graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) assaults the screen with the blood thunder and awe of its ferocious visual style faithfully recreated in an intense blend of live-action and CGI animation. Retelling the ancient Battle of Thermopylae it depicts the titanic clash in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive Persian army. Experience history at swordpoint. And moviemaking with a cutting edge.Running Time: 116 min.System Requirements:Running Time: 116 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R UPC: 012569736627 Manufacturer No: 73662
Confidence
James Foley * * * ~ - Bathed in self-conscious cool, Confidenceis a heist caper in which the heist is unimportant. As you might expect from Glengarry Glen Rossdirector James Foley, this pulpy concoction is more interested in giving good actors a lot of hip, salty dialogue as they scheme their way to the royal scam. It's a poor man's Ocean's Eleven, just as enjoyable in its own way, beginning when con artist Jake (Edward Burns) discovers he's accidentally stolen from an eccentric crime boss (Dustin Hoffman, oozing threat in a fine character turn). Promising to make amends by pulling the biggest con of his career, Jake adds a feisty pickpocket (Rachel Weisz) to his crew, which includes scene-stealer Paul Giammatti and Andy Garcia as a disheveled FBI agent (or is he?). With a cast like this you can't go wrong, but Confidencecons itself into thinking it's original, while Burns's abundant voice-overs state the obvious and plot twists unfold with minimal surprise. It hardly matters;Confidencemay be derivative, but it's still recommendable. —Jeff Shannon
The Purifiers
Richard Jobson * * ~ - - The Purifiers, a group of young men and women highly skilled at the art of Tae Kwon Do fight an alliance of gangs led by a corrupt leader in this stylish action film.

DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary with Director Richard GobsonTheatrical Trailer
Kids
Larry Clark * * * * - Powerful and passionate, colorful and compelling, Larry Clark's KIDS is 24 frenetic hours in the life of a group of contemporary teenagers who, like all teenagers, believe they are invincible. With breathtaking images from one of the world's most renowned photographers, KIDS is a deeply affecting, no-holds-barred landscape of words and images, depicting with raw honesty the experiences, attitudes and uncertainties of innocence lost. KIDS gets under the skin and lingers, long after it is viewed. The kids at the core of the story are just that: teenagers living the urban melee of modern-day America. But while these kids dwell in the big city, their story could, quite possibly, happen anywhere.
Spider-Man
Sam Raimi * * * * - Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man centers on student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) who, after being bitten by a genetically-altered spider, gains superhuman strength and the spider-like ability to cling to any surface. He vows to use his abilities to fight crime, coming to understand the words of his beloved Uncle Ben: "With great power comes great responsibility." 

System Requirements:

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, Tobey Maguire.

Directed: Sam Raimi.

Running Time: 121 Minutes, Color.

This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.

Copyright 2002 Colombia Pictures Industries, Inc. 

Format: DVD MOVIE
Anchorman - The Legend Of Ron Burgundy
* * * ~ - Will Farrell followed up his star-making vehicle Elf, which matched his fine-tuned comic obliviousness to a sweet sincerity, with a more arrogant variation on the same character: Ron Burgundy, a macho, narcissistic news anchor from the 1970s. Along with his news posse—roving reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd, Clueless), sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner), and dim-bulb weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell, Bruce Almighty)—Burgundy rules the roost in San Diego, fawned upon by groupies and supported by a weary producer (Fred Willard, Best In Show) who tolerates Burgundy's ego because of good ratings. But when Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate, View from the Top) arrives with ambitions to become an anchor herself, she threatens the male-dominated newsroom. Anchormanhas plenty of funny material, but it's as if Farrell couldn't decide what he really wanted to mock, and so took smart-ass cracks at everything in sight. Still, there are moments of inspired delirium. —Bret Fetzer
The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King
* * * * ~ The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo and Sam, led by Gollum, continue their dangerous mission toward the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring. Aragorn struggles to fulfill his legacy as he leads his outnumbered followers against the growing power of the Dark Lord Sauron, so that the Ring-bearer may complete his quest.

DVD Features:3D Animated MenusDVD ROM Features:Exclusive online content Link to www.lordoftherings.netDocumentaries:3 in-depth programs that reveal the secrets behind the production of this epic adventure, including: "The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision" (23:05) "A Filmmaker's Journey: Making The Return of The King" (28:30) National Geographic Special (45:57)Featurette:6 featurettes —Aragorn—Aragorn's Destiny (3:25) —Minas Tirith: Capital of Gondor (3:10) —The Battle of Pelennor Fields (2:14) —Samwise the Brave (4:32) —Eowyn: White Lady of Rohan (3:45) —Digital Horse Doubles (4:35)Full Screen VersionOther:2-DISC SET The Battle For Middle Eath Continues—Video Games from EA (3:00)TV SpotTheatrical Trailer:Original Theatrical Trailers "The Lord of The Rings" Trilogy Supertrailer (6:45)
American Pie - The Naked Mile
Joe Nussbaum * * * - - Ready to run wild with hundreds of naked coeds in one of the craziest college traditions ever? Then you'll love the all-new hilarious slice of American Pie served up Stifler-style in American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile! When Erik Stifler realizes that he's the only Stifler family member who might graduate high school a virgin he decides to live up to his legacy. After some well-meaning advice from Jim's dad (Eugene Levy) Erik's ready to take his chances at the annual and infamous Naked Mile race where his devoted buds and some uninhibited sorority girls will create the most outrageous weekend ever. Filled with smokin' hot girls and the insane Stifler antics you know and love this slice of American Pie delivers shocking and heartwarming fun all the way to the finish line!System Requirements:Run Time: 102 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR UPC: 025193308924 Manufacturer No: 62033089
Black Out
Allan A. Goldstein * * * * ~
House of Flying Daggers
Yimou Zhang * * * * - No one uses color like Chinese director Zhang Yimou—movies like Raise the Red Lanternor Hero, though different in tone and subject matter, are drenched in rich, luscious shades of red, blue, yellow, and green. House of Flying Daggersis no exception; if they weren't choreographed with such vigorous imagination, the spectacular action sequences would seem little more than an excuse for vivid hues rippling across the screen. Government officers Leo and Jin (Asian superstars Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro) set out to destroy an underground rebellion called the House of Flying Daggers (named for their weapon of choice, a curved blade that swoops through the air like a boomerang). Their only chance to find the rebels is a blind women named Mei (Ziyi Zhang, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) who has some lethal kung fu moves of her own. In the guise of an aspiring rebel, Jin escorts Mei through gorgeous forests and fields that become bloody battlegrounds as soldiers try to kill them both. While arrows and spears of bamboo fly through the air, Mei, Jin, and Leo turn against each other in surprising ways, driven by passion and honor. Zhang's previous action/art film, Hero, sometimes sacrificed momentum for sheer visual beauty;House of Flying Daggersfinds a more muscular balance of aesthetic splendor and dazzling swordplay. —Bret Fetzer
The Notebook
Nick Cassavetes * * * * ~ When you consider that old-fashioned tearjerkers are an endangered species in Hollywood, a movie like The Notebookcan be embraced without apology. Yes, it's syrupy sweet and clogged with clichés, and one can only marvel at the irony of Nick Cassavetes directing a weeper that his late father John—whose own films were devoid of saccharine sentiment—would have sneered at. Still, this touchingly impassioned and great-looking adaptation of the popular Nicholas Sparks novel has much to recommend, including appealing young costars (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) and appealing old costars (James Garner and Gena Rowlands, the director's mother) playing the same loving couple in (respectively) early 1940s and present-day North Carolina. He was poor, she was rich, and you can guess the rest; decades later, he's unabashedly devoted, and she's drifting into the memory-loss of senile dementia. How their love endured is the story preserved in the titular notebook that he reads to her in their twilight years. The movie's open to ridicule, but as a delicate tearjerker it works just fine. Message in a Bottleand A Walk to Rememberwere also based on Sparks novels, suggesting a triple-feature that hopeless romantics will cherish. —Jeff Shannon
Blow
* * * * - Based on a true story Blow gives us a fast-paced look at the quick rise and fall of George Jung (Johnny Depp) who became a premier importer of Colombian cocaine in the turbulent 1970's forever changing the face of drugs in America.Running Time: 123 min.System Requirements:Starring: Penelope Cruz Johnny Depp Rachel Griffiths Ray Liotta Jordi Molla Franka Potente and Paul Reubens. Directed By: Ted Demme. Running Time: 124 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2001 Warner Home Video.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 794043528422 Manufacturer No: N5284
Green Street Hooligans
Lexi Alexander * * * * - A wrongfully expelled Harvard undergrad moves to London where he is introduced to the violent underworld of soccer hooliganism.Running Time: 108 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE UPC: 012569760295 Manufacturer No: 76029
The Mothman Prophecies
* * * ~ - Described by director Mark Pellington as "a psychological mystery with naturally surreal overtones,"The Mothman Propheciesbegins like an ambitious episode of The X-Files. Richard Gere brings adequate torment, portent, and ambiguity to his role as a Washington Postreporter and grieving widower plagued by a mysterious, unseen urban legend known as the Mothman. Pellington develops subtle doom and gloom that's as effective as the paranoid streak he brought to Arlington Road. As the Mothman terrifies a West Virginia town, he remains an enigma, glimpsed almost subliminally. This—along with a magnificently creepy soundtrack—amplifies the movie's surreal overtones while keeping everything else (unsettling phone calls, prophesied disasters, suggestions of the afterlife) completely unexplained. With Laura Linney and Debra Messing in underdeveloped roles, The Mothman Propheciesfeels a bit underdeveloped itself (and ends in desperate need of Mulder and Scully). But if you like your weirdness open-ended, this moody thriller's worth a look. —Jeff Shannon
You Tell Me
Josh Cary Joshua Cary - - - - - Mistakes and heartaches keep piling up in this gently funny dialogue-driven relationship comedy.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 658769730937 Manufacturer No: VF7309
Scary Movie 4
David Zucker * * * - - The Scary Movie gang is back for their funniest, most fearless installment yet. -Starring Anna Faris & Regina Hall (previous Scary Movie films), Leslie Nielsen (The Naked Gun, Airplane), Carmen Electra (Cheaper by the Dozen 2)
Runaway Jury
Gary Fleder * * * - - From master storyteller John Grisham and the director of Don't Say A Word comes a taut suspense-thriller that "grabs hold of you and never lets go" (Philadelphia Metro). In their first film together, screen legends Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman face off in this electrifying nail-biter about a ruthless jury consultant who'll do anything to win. With lives and millions of dollars at stake, the fixer plays a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a jury member (John Cusack) and a mysterious woman (Rachel Weisz) who offer to "deliver" the verdict to the highest bidder. Packed with danger, intrigue and pulse-pounding twists and turns, Runaway Jury rules!
Gladiator
Ridley Scott * * * * ~ A big-budget summer epic with money to burn and a scale worthy of its golden Hollywood predecessors, Ridley Scott's Gladiatoris a rousing, grisly, action-packed epic that takes moviemaking back to the Roman Empire via computer-generated visual effects. While not as fluid as the computer work done for, say, Titanic, it's an impressive achievement that will leave you marveling at the glory that was Rome, when you're not marveling at the glory that is Russell Crowe. Starring as the heroic general Maximus, Crowe firmly cements his star status both in terms of screen presence and acting chops, carrying the film on his decidedly non-computer-generated shoulders as he goes from brave general to wounded fugitive to stoic slave to gladiator hero. Gladiator's plot is a whirlwind of faux-Shakespearean machinations of death, betrayal, power plays, and secret identities (with lots of faux-Shakespearean dialogue ladled on to keep the proceedings appropriately "classical"), but it's all briskly shot, edited, and paced with a contemporary sensibility. Even the action scenes, somewhat muted but graphic in terms of implied violence and liberal bloodletting, are shot with a veracity that brings to mind—believe it or not—Saving Private Ryan, even if everyone is wearing a toga. As Crowe's nemesis, the evil emperor Commodus, Joaquin Phoenix chews scenery with authority, whether he's damning Maximus's popularity with the Roman mobs or lusting after his sister Lucilla (beautiful but distant Connie Nielsen); Oliver Reed, in his last role, hits the perfect notes of camp and gravitasas the slave owner who rescues Maximus from death and turns him into a coliseum star. Director Scott's visual flair is abundantly in evidence, with breathtaking shots and beautiful (albeit digital) landscapes, but it's Crowe's star power that will keep you in thrall—he—he's a true gladiator, worthy of his legendary status. Hail the conquering hero! —Mark Englehart
Fever Pitch
Bobby Farrelly Peter Farrelly * * * * - According to Red Sox super-fan Ben Wrightman (Jimmy Fallon), finding romance is about as likely as his beloved team winning the World Series. But when Ben scores a beautiful new girlfriend (Drew Barrymore), suddenly anything is possible. Now the two passions in his life have a chance to go all the way... if he doesn't strike out first.
Barton Fink
Joel Coen Ethan Coen * * * * ~ Set in Hollywood during the 1940's, "Barton Fink" is a comic satire about creative egos, flashy moguls, a travelling salesman and a nasty case of writer's block. Barton Fink (John Turturro) is a New York playwright lured to Hollywood to work as a screenwriter. It doesn't take long for Barton's life to erupt in complete chaos. His studio boss orders the serious-minded Barton to write a low budget wrestling movie. Deeply disappointed, Barton returns to his seedy hotel, types one sentence and then¿ nothing. To make matters worse, he is continually interrupted by Charlie (John Goodman), a chatty travelling insurance salesman who lives next door. Eventually they become friends and Charlie tries to help Barton by teaching him the finer points of wrestling. As the clock ticks away and the temperature climbs, Barton becomes more desperate as his life spins out of control.
Saint Ralph
* * * * - An inspiring story about the unlikely story of Ralph Walker, a ninth grader who outran everyone's expectations except his own in his bold quest of trying to win the 1954 Boston Marathon. Ralph is a fatherless 14-year-old with a seriously ill mother, who knows he's a time bomb waiting to explode into greatness, except that he has no idea where that greatness will manifest itself. An unfortunate incident of self-abuse in the community pool inadvertently sets him on this road when, as penance, Ralph is conscripted to the cross-country team. Desperate to believe a miracle will bring his mother out of a coma, Ralph becomes a convert to the church of running, and determines to win the Boston Marathon.
The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring
Peter Jackson * * * * ~ Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is an epic adventure of good against evil, the power of friendship and individual courage. The saga centers around an unassuming Hobbit named Frodo Baggins who inherits a Ring that would give a dark and powerful lord the power to enslave the world. With a loyal fellowship of elves, dwarves, men and a wizard, Frodo embarks on a heroic quest to destroy the One Ring and pave the way for the emergence of mankind.

DVD Features:3D Animated MenusDVD ROM Features:Exclusive online contentDocumentaries:3 in-depth programs that reveal the secrets behind the production of this epic adventure, including: -"Welcome to Middle-earth" in-store special as shown by Houghton Mifflin -"The Quest for the Ring" as debuted on the FBC Network -"A Passage to Middle-earth" as premiered on the SCI-FI ChannelFeaturette:15 featurettes originally created for lordoftherings.net, which explore the locales and cultures of Middle-earth and include interviews with cast members Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler and others. Exclusive 10-minute behind-the-scenes preview of the next The Lord of the Rings theatrical release, The Two Towers.Music Video:Enya "May It Be" music videoOther:An inside look at the Special Extended DVD Edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Preview of Electronic Arts' video game, The Two Towers Double Amaray PackagingTV SpotTheatrical Trailer:Original theatrical trailers
Capote
Bennett Miller * * * * - In 1959 Truman Capote a popular writer for The New Yorker learns about the horrific and senseless murder of a family of four in Halcomb Kansas. Inspired by the story material Capote and his partner Harper Lee travel to the town to research for an article. However as Capote digs deeper into the story he is inspired to expand the project into what would be his greatest work In Cold Blood. To that end he arranges extensive interviews with the prisoners especially with Perry Smith a quiet and articulate man with a troubled history. As he works on his book Capote feels some compassion for Perry which in part prompts him to help the prisoners to some degree. However that feeling deeply conflicts with his need for closure for his book which only an execution can provide. That conflict and the mixed motives for both interviewer and subject make for a troubling experience that would produce an literary account that would redefine modern non-fiction.System Requirements:Running Time 98 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 043396126480 Manufacturer No: 12648
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Brad Silberling * * * ~ - In LEMONY SNICKET’S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, after Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire's parents perish in a terrible fire, they are placed in the care of their uncle, Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), an evil fiend who is plotting to kill them and seize their fortune. The orphans travel from guardian to guardian, including herpetologist Montgomery Montgomery (Billy Connolly) and grammar-wise Aunt Josephine Anwhistle (Streep), but the worst guardian of all is Count Olaf. Plotting to steal the children’s fortune, Olaf disguises himself as his assistant Stephano and ship captain Julio Sham and keeps popping up in the strangest places. Just when the Baudelaires think things are getting better, something unfortunate happens!
The Score
Oz, Frank * * * ~ - Robert De Niro plays a weary thief tempted by wily old associate Marlon Brando into, yes, one last job, a plan to rob a priceless scepter from Montreal's Customs House. Director Frank Oz's heist thriller partners De Niro with hotshot upstart Edward Norton, and you'd have to be determinedly grumpy not to get half a kick out of Brando, DeNiro, and Norton—more than holding his own—coolly bouncing off one another in a Method paradise. Brando may be enormous and breathing heavily with every move, but his technique is as agile as it ever was; he still seems spontaneously clever. Oz doesn't have the most crackling visual style in the world, as the film is far too smooth for tension, and keeps tapping Howard Shore's music score to do most of the work in that department; the divine Angela Bassett is once again totally wasted in a 10-minute throwaway role as De Niro's girlfriend. The Scoreisn't anything new, and there isn't a single surprise, but if you're into this sort of thing you do respond to its polished familiarity. —Steve Wiecking
American Movie
Chris Smith (II) * * * * ~ Struggling filmmaker Mark Borchardt is the subject of American Movie, and he may also be the most determined man you'll ever meet. The straggly haired, fast-talking, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, native lists his greatest influences as Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He began making horror movies as a gangly adolescent, and is now set on finishing Coven(which he pronounces like "woven"), the "35-minute direct market thriller" he has worked on for two years. In the process, he steadfastly battles immense debt, the threat of losing his kids, and birds chirping gleefully through scenes set in the dead of winter. His mother would rather do her shopping than be an extra, his brother contends he's best suited for factory work, and his father just wants him to "watch the language."

Standing by him through it all is Mark's childhood buddy, Mike Schank, who is the strongest weapon against drug use a task force could ever hope for, and Uncle Bill, begrudging financier of Coven, who appears to be wasting away before our very eyes. In less perceptive hands these two could easily become caricatures—the burnt-out stoner and the crotchety old coot—but through director Chris Smith's lens we see why Mark loves them, why they love Mark, and why each of these stories is uniquely compelling.

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, the film has been compared to Spinal Tapand Waiting for Guffman—two unquestionably hilarious mock-documentaries—and, indeed, American Moviehas plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. But in the spoofs, we feel encouraged to point and giggle at the poor slobs trying to get a piece of the action. Smith, however, offers us a funny and overwhelmingly affectionate portrait; you may sit down expecting to laugh at Mark's pie-in-the-sky hopes, but you soon find yourself bursting with admiration. "The American dream stays with me each and every day," Mark says, and by the end, we want nothing more than for it to come true. (The DVD version includes the complete short film "Coven.") —Brangien Davis
Another Day In Paradise
Larry Clark * * * * - Having apparently anointed himself the American cinema's poet of decadence, filmmaker Larry Clark follows his critically acclaimed Kidswith yet another tour through the darker regions of American squalor. Another Day in Paradise—even the title screams of amateurish irony—may be powerfully acted by a fine cast of new and familiar faces, but how many times can we eavesdrop on the lives of murderous, self-destructive heroin junkie thieves before we just get morosely depressed? James Woods and Melanie Griffith are superb as a pair of surrogate parents to the young couple (Vincent Kartheiser, Natasha Gregson Wagner) whom they recruit as accomplices in a series of robberies and dangerous deals, but what exactly is the point of this overindulgent, gutter-mouthed, and ultimately sickening portrait of sickening people? Clark may be good at providing an authentic vision of America's ugly underbelly, but before this movie's half over you're likely to be screaming, "Enough already!" By the time Kartheiser's character has finally escaped from his dreadful "parents," it's clear that Clark has very little story to tell, and not much of it is really worth telling. As for why Woods's character gets such a kick out of saying "Boo-Yah!"—well, your guess is as good as ours. —Jeff Shannon
Mean Machine
Barry Skolnick * * * * - British soccer star Vinnie Jones stars as—no big stretch—a former soccer star named Danny "Mean Machine" Meehan who gets arrested for drunken assault and sent to prison for three years. Behind bars he finds himself embroiled in web of prison politics, caught between a governor with a gambling problem, a crime boss who lost a lot of money on a game that Meehan lost, and a motley crew of surly prisoners and guards with grudges. It all culminates in a soccer match between a team of guards, led by a hard-nosed warden, and a team of convicts, led by Meehan. Mean Machineis a remake of the Burt Reynolds movie The Longest Yardand the plot is pretty sure-fire; it's hard not to get caught up in the tensions of the big game. Plus, the comical game commentators give the movie a good jolt of humor. —Bret Fetzer
War of the Worlds
Steven Spielberg * * * - - Dreamworks War of the Worlds (Full Screen)

Ray Ferrier is a working class man living in New Jersey. He's estranged from his family, his life isn't in order, and he's too caught up with himself. But the unthinkable and, ultimately, the unexpected happens to him in an extraordinary sense. His small town life is shaken violently by the arrival of destructive intruders: Aliens which have come en masse to destroy Earth. As they plow through the country in a wave of mass destruction and violence, Ray must come to the defense of his children. As the world must fend for itself by a new and very advanced enemynot of this world, it's inhabitants must save humanity from a far greater force that threatens to destroy it.

Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins
Played
Sean Stanek * * * - - After taking the fall for a heist gone wrong thief-for-hire Ray Burns is back on the streets. Looking to settle the score he must get back in the game one last time to take down his enemies. In this gritty look at London's criminal underground Ray learns the hard way not to get PLAYED. System Requirements:Running Time: 87 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: R UPC: 031398215790 Manufacturer No: 21579
P.T. Barnum - America's Greatest Showman
Simon Wincer * * * * * The life of the great American showman is entertainingly chronicled in this dramatized biography starring Beau Bridges. While this made-for-TV movie isn't terribly ambitious, it does provide a credible look at how Barnum came to find that his calling in life was to dazzle people with things they could scarcely believe, all the time making sure that they paid handsomely to be "humbugged." As an ambitious youth at a time when America was enjoying explosive growth, Barnum's burgeoning career took off when he bought what was essentially a museum of freaks and frauds. As charmingly portrayed by Bridges, Barnum was a bundle of energy who instinctively knew what people wanted, and he unfailingly turned his acts, such as the famed midget Tom Thumb or the great soprano Jenny Lind, into national obsessions. This film captures the varied facets of Barnum's personality, from a natural playfulness that inspired his fantastic publicity stunts to a shrewd sense of business that could made him one of the wealthiest Americans of his time. And as Barnum was something of an emblematic American, this story of his life not only portrays a unique personality, but evokes the exuberant and growing American nation. —Robert J. McNamara
Alpha Dog
Nick Cassavetes * * * ~ - When a group of suburban teens imitating the "thug life" ends up committing an impulsive crime circumstances spiral out of control toward a shocking conclusion in this gritty and uncompromising film.Runtime: 118 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: R UPC: 025193250629 Manufacturer No: 61032506
Beef II
Peter Spirer * * * ~ - Platinum-Selling Beef earned critical and popular success by exploring the history and evolution of verbal warfare in Hip Hop. From Busy Bee and Kool Moe Dee to 50 Cent and Ja Rule, artists got more and more personal, and their attacks became less and less about the music. From the Wax to the Streets, Beef brought those underground and sometimes violent beefs to your living room. Beef II continues that tradition of thoughtful, unbiased and entertaining Hip Hop journalism by bringing the new beefs in the game as artists call out the real gangstas in hip hop. From labels and lawyers to managers and media. Beef II captures the battles that often rage behind the scenes in the music business. The increasing popularity, profitability and commercialization of rap music has irrevocably changed the tradition of battling within Hip Hop culture. The true Hip Hop battle is no longer a fight to prove one's skills, but a fight to survive in this Billion Dollar Hip Hop Industry. Beef II features interviews with 50 Cent, D12, Redman, Method Man, Canibus, Royce Da 5'9", KRS-One, Nelly, Ice Cube, Mack 10, Cypress Hill, DMX, K-Solo, Sticky Fingaz, Fredro Starr, Parrish Smith, Kool Moe Dee, Angie Martinez, DJ KaySlay, Big Daddy Kane, Davey D, Cold Crush BroTHERs, Marley Marl, Roxanne Shante, Kangol Kid, Kevin Powell, Afeni Shakur and exclusive archival footage of Eminem, LL Cool J, Westside Connection, cypress hill and others. Beef II is a must-own for any true fan or follower of Hip Hop!
Must Love Dogs
Gary David Goldberg * * * - - Must Love Dogs tells the story of Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane) a newly divorced woman cautiously rediscovering romance with the enthusiastic but often misguided help of her well-meaning family. As she braves a series of hilarious disastrous mismatches and first dates Sarah begins to trust her own instincts again and learns that. no matter what it's never a good idea to give up on love.Running Time: 98 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 012569593459 Manufacturer No: 59345
Cast Away
Robert Zemeckis * * * * - Tom Hanks "gives one of the towering screen performances of all time" (New York Post) as Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems engineer whose ruled-by-the-clock existence abruptly ends when a harrowing plane crash leaves him isolated on a remote island. As Chuck
Munich
Steven Spielberg * * * * - At its core, Munichis a straightforward thriller. Based on the book Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Teamby George Jonas, it’s built on a relatively stock movie premise, the revenge plot: innocent people are killed, the bad guys got away with it, and someone has to make them pay. But director Steven Spielberg uses that as a starting point to delve into complex ethical questions about the cyclic nature of revenge and the moral price of violence. The movie starts with a rush. The opening portrays the kidnapping and murder of Israeli athletes by PLO terrorists at the 1972 Olympics with scenes as heart-stopping and terrifying as the best of any horror movie. After the tragic incident is over and several of the terrorists have gone free, the Israeli government of Golda Meir recruits Avner (Eric Bana) to lead a team of paid-off-the-book agents to hunt down those responsible throughout Europe, and eliminate them one-by-one (in reality, there were several teams). It’s physically and emotionally messy work, and conflicts between Avner and his team’s handler, Ephraim (Geoffrey Rush), over information Avner doesn’t want to provide only make things harder. Soon the work starts to take its toll on Avner, and the deeper moral questions of right and wrong come into play, especially as it becomes clear that Avner is being hunted in return, and that his family’s safety may be in jeopardy.

By all rights, Munichshould be an unqualified success—it has gripping subject matter relevant to current events; it was co-written by one of America’s greatest living playwrights (Tony Kushner, Angels in America) and an accomplished screenwriter (Eric Roth); it stars an appealing and likeable actor in Eric Bana; and it was helmed by Steven Spielberg, of all people. While it certainly is a great movie, it falls just short of the immense heights such talent should propel it to. This is due more to some questionable plot devices than anything else (such as the contrived use of a family of French informants to locate the terrorists). But while certain aspects ring hollow, the movie as a whole is a profound accomplishment, despite being only "inspired by true events," and not factually based on them. From the ferocious beginning to the unforgettable closing shot, Munichworks on a visceral level while making a poignant plea for peace, and issuing an unmistakable warning about the destructive cycle of terror and revenge. As one of the characters intones, "There is no peace at the end of this."—Daniel Vancini
The Royal Tenenbaums
* * * ~ - In a fitting follow-up to Rushmore, writer-director Wes Anderson and cowriter-actor Owen Wilson have crafted another comedic masterwork that ripples with inventive, richly emotional substance. Because of the all-star cast, hilarious dialogue, and oddball characters existing in their own, wholly original universe, it's easy to miss the depth and complexity of Anderson's brand of comedy. Here, it revolves around Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman), the errant patriarch of a dysfunctional family of geniuses, including precocious playwright Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), boyish financier and grieving widower Chas (Ben Stiller), and has-been tennis pro Richie (Luke Wilson). All were raised with supportive detachment by mother Etheline (Anjelica Huston), and all ache profoundly for a togetherness they never really had. The Tenenbaums reconcile somehow, but only after Anderson and Wilson (who costars as a loopy literary celebrity) put them through a compassionate series of quirky confrontations and rekindled affections. Not for every taste, but this is brilliant work from any perspective. —Jeff Shannon
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
* * * * - With sidesplitting dialogue and rampant profanity, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Backreunites Kevin Smith's dynamic duo in supreme lowbrow style. It's the fifthcomedy in Smith's celebrated New Jersey "trilogy." Here Quick-Stop potheads Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) wreak vengeance on Hollywood, where Miramax is making a "Bluntman & Chronic" feature inspired by J. and S.B., but without their permission. En route from Jersey to La La Land, Jay and his "hetero life mate" encounter sexy jewel thieves (including the delightful Shannon Elizabeth), a precocious orangutan, a dimwit wildlife marshal (Will Ferrell), and a nonstop parade of in-jokes, harmless (yet controversial) gay jokes, and splendid celebrity cameos. While gently biting the Miramax hand that feeds him, and paying affectionate homage to the Star Warssaga, Smith sheds all inhibitions to give Jay and Silent Bob a stellar sendoff that's nasty, sassy, and undeniably hilarious. —Jeff Shannon
disappearances
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The TV Set
Jake Kasdan * * * ~ - An insightful and fast-moving comic look at the world of network television development. The story follows a TV pilot as it goes through the network TV process of casting production and finally airing while showing that there is as much entertainment behind the cameras as there is in front.System Requirements:Running Time: 87 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 024543460596 Manufacturer No: 2254690
Two Can Play That Game
* * * * - In reducing the rules of romance to a 10-day plan for repairing a breakup, Two Can Play That Gametickles a few funny bones while "keepin' it real" about heartbreak and human behavior. Our hostess through this marathon of head games is 28-year-old Shanté (Vivica A. Fox—emphasis on the fox), who speaks to the camera so much that critic Roger Ebert nicknamed this movie "Waiting to Inhale." In a film packed with positive stereotypes (no crack-smoking gangstas here, thank you), she's a successful marketing executive, and her straying boyfriend is a high-profile attorney (Morris Chestnut). Their turbulent romance survives Shanté's 10-day power play, but not all viewers will be so lucky, since this movie is alternately charming and aggravating, and there's precious little romance while the lovers are plotting their moves. Still, it's a safe bet that many people will appreciate this movie's endearing lesson—namely, that sincere groveling can save you lots of time and heartache. —Jeff Shannon
Eyes Wide Shut
Stanley Kubrick * * * ~ - It was inevitable that Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shutwould be the most misunderstood film of 1999. Kubrick died four months prior to its release, and there was no end to speculation how much he would have tinkered with the picture, changed it, "fixed" it. We'll never know. But even without the haunting enigma of the director's death—and its eerie echo/anticipation in the scene when Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) visits the deathbed of one of his patients—Eyes Wide Shutwould have perplexed and polarized viewers and reviewers. After all, virtually every movie of Kubrick's post-U.S. career had; only 1964's Dr. Strangeloveopened to something approaching consensus. Quite apart from the author's tinkering, Kubrick's movies themselves always seemed to change—partly because they changed us, changed the world and the ways we experienced and understood it. And we may expect Eyes Wide Shutto do the same. Unlike Kubrick himself, it has time.

So consider, as we settle in to live with this long, advisedly slow, mesmerizing film, how challenging and ambiguous its narrative strategy is. The source is an Arthur Schnitzler novella titled Traumnovelle(or "Dream Story"), and it's a moot question how much of Eyes Wide Shutitself is dream, from the blue shadows frosting the Harfords' bedroom to the backstage replica of New York's Greenwich Village that Kubrick built in England. Its major movement is an imaginative night-journey (even the daylight parts of it) taken by a man reeling from his wife's teasing confession of fantasized infidelity, and toward the end there is a token gesture of the couple waking to reality and, perhaps, a new, chastened maturity. Yet on some level—visually, psychologically, logically—every scene shimmers with unreality. Is everything in the movie a dream? And if so, who is dreaming it at any given moment, and why?

Don't settle for easy answers. Kubrick's ultimate odyssey beckons. And now the dream is yours. —Richard T. Jameson
Deep Cover
Bill Duke * * * * - Bill Duke (A Rage in Harlem) directed this edgy action yarn that stretches the barriers of the genre. It explores the fine line between good and evil, while testing the resolve of a moral man seduced by an easier, more pleasurable lifestyle. Although the plot eventually becomes too overblown and earnest, Deep Coverproves far more intelligent than the average action pic. Laurence Fishburne is the straight-arrow undercover cop who gets so far into his assumed identity that he has trouble recognizing the good guys from the bad. The characters, all flawed, are fleshed out and believable as they face their decisions with questions and doubt, unlike most in this genre. Jeff Goldblum provides smarmy comic relief as an eccentric mid-level drug dealer/attorney who is probably a psychopath and most definitely paving his path to hell. —Rochelle O'Gorman
The Italian Job
F. Gary Gray * * * * - Though it bears little resemblance to the original 1969 thriller starring Michael Caine, the 2003 remake of The Italian Jobstands on its own as a caper comedy that's well above average. The title's a misnomer—this time it's actually a Los Angeles job—but the action's just as exciting as it propels a breezy tale of honor and dishonor among competing thieves. Inheriting Caine's role as ace heist-planner Charlie Croker, Mark Wahlberg plays straight-man to a well-cast team of accomplices, including Mos Def, Jason Statham, and scene-stealer Seth Green in a variation of the role originally played by Noel Coward. As the daughter of Croker's ill-fated mentor (Donald Sutherland), Charlize Theron is recruited to double-cross a double-crosser (Edward Norton in oily villain mode), and once again, speedily versatile Mini Coopers play a pivotal role in director F. Gary Gray's exhilarating car-chase climax. It's perhaps the greatest product placement in movie history, and just as fun the second time around. —Jeff Shannon
Havoc (Unrated Version)
Barbara Kopple * * * - - A group of wealthy Los Angeles teenagers try to become part of the "gangsta" lifestyle but soon run into trouble when they come face to face with a real gang of Latino drug dealers.
Ghost Rider Limited Edition Collection with Comics and Trading Cards
Mark Steven Johnson - - - - - When the young cycle enthusiast Johnny Blaze finds that his father Barton Blaze has a terminal cancer, he accepts a pact with the Mephistopheles, giving his soul for the health of his beloved father. But the devil deceives him, and Barton dies in a motorcycle accident during an exhibition. Johnny leaves the carnival, his town, his friends and his girlfriend Roxanne. Years later Johnny Blaze becomes a famous motorcyclist, who risks his life in his shows, and he meets Roxanne again, now a TV reporter. However, Mephistopheles proposes Johnny to release his contract if he become the "Ghost Rider" and defeat his evil son Blackheart, who wants to possess one thousand evil souls and transform hell on earth... This Special Limited Edition Comes with Ghost Rider Comics & Trading Cards.
Sucker Free City
Spike Lee * * * * ~ Sucker Free City is an original film directed by Spike Lee that takes a riveting look at the seductive, dangerous world and life choices of a diverse group of young people inextricably caught up in the unique gang culture of San Francisco. When racial tension erupts and emotions collide three young men from different ethic backgrounds perpetrate low-level crimes that eventually infringe upon each other’s neighborhoods. As their lives intersect on the streets, will they come to realize they are not all that different from one another or will they fight to keep their neighborhoods?
Rocket Science
Jeffrey Blitz * * * * - Picturehouse and HBO Films present a story about Hal Hefner an ordinary shy 15 year-old boy who's struggling to make it through High School. On top of his parents' recent divorce and an obsessive- compulsive kleptomaniac older brother Hal has a stuttering problem. In spite of this speech impediment the high school debate team star Ginny Ryerson invites Hal to join the team. Stumbling his way to the championship Hal falls in love gains confidence and ultimately realizes that love and life should not be rocket science.Running Time: 101 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/HBO UPC: 026359415227 Manufacturer No: 1000014014
The Number 23
Joel Schumacher - - - - - Jim Carrey as a schizophrenic murderer isn't convincing, in this melodramatic film about a man obsessed by the Number 23. Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever, St. Elmo's Fire) has unintentionally managed to make a comedy of horrors that really is quite humorous in parts. Walter Sparrow (Carrey) becomes engrossed in a homespun novel about Detective Fingerling, whose life degrades into mayhem because of his obsession with 23's esoteric numerical puzzles. Sparrow's preoccupation with the book follows his botched attempt to catch a nasty dog that bites him, leading one to believe that Sparrow's contraction of rabies might be the cause for his mental degradation. As the story progresses, Sparrow retreats further into Fingerling's world, rife with suicidal sexpots and hardboiled detective sleuthing. His wife, Agatha (Virginia Madsen), also plays Fingerling's girlfriend, sex-crazed Fabrizia, who taunts Fingerling until he stabs her. Back in reality, Walter aims to solve the unresolved crimes in the book, taking it as a murderer's diary rather than as an imagined work. The story is half-baked, though Carrey's portrayal of a mentally disturbed person is what makes The Number 23 comedic. Long, contemplative stares, and over-dramatized acting renders Sparrow a clichéd character, rather than one odd enough to engage viewers. For a better version of almost the exact plot but with a terrorist's twist, see Thr3e instead. —Trinie Dalton
The Station Agent
Thomas McCarthy * * * * ~ Winner of 2003 Sundance Film Festival awards (Best Drama, Audience Award; Best Screenplay, Tom McCarthy; Best Performance, Patricia Clarkson), THE STATION AGENT stars Emmy Award winner Patricia Clarkson (TV's SIX FEET UNDER, FAR FROM HEAVEN), Peter Dinklage (ELF), and Bobby Cannavale (TV's 24, THIRD WATCH) in a comedy about friendship that will have you smiling long after the final credits. Fin McBride (Dinklage), a loner with a passion for trains, inherits an abandoned train station in the middle of nowhere — a place that suits him just fine because all he wants is to be alone. But that is not to be. Soon after moving in, he discovers his isolated depot is more like Grand Central Station. There's Olivia (Clarkson), a distracted and troubled artist, and Joe (Cannavale), a friendly Cuban with an insatiable hunger for conversation. With absolutely nothing in common, they find their isolated lives coming together in a friendship none of them could foresee.
Norbit
* * * - - Norbit (Eddie Murphy) has never had it easy. As a baby, he was abandoned on the steps of a Chinese restaurant/orphanage and raised by Mr. Wong (Eddie Murphy). Things get worse when he’s forced into marriage by the mean, junk food-chugging queen, Rasputia (Eddie Murphy). Just when Norbit’s hanging by his last thread, his childhood sweetheart, Kate (Thandie Newton), moves back to town. In the comedy Norbit, he’ll show them all that nice guys sometimes finish first.
The Butterfly Effect 2
John R. Leonetti * * - - - The premise of The Butterfly Effect 2, that one's mind can schizophrenically create its own set of realities as a defense mechanism against painful memories, remains the same as in the original movie, though the circumstances for the split differ. In this case, the protagonist, Nick (Eric Lively), takes his girlfriend, Julie (Erica Durance), and their two best friends, Trevor and Amanda, out camping, when upon return they are all crushed to death by a big rig. Nick survives, though plagued by migraine-like seizures that induce in him fantasies starring his friends, during which he's promoted to VP at his place of employment, rather than fired for incompetence. Subplots get less and less tangible, as his fantasies turn to nightmares, and Nick experiences his deceased friends' deaths repeatedly and from various invented causes. As a sequel to the first lame Butterfly Effect, Butterfly Effect 2has even less going for it since it doesn't star the hunky Ashton Kutcher. Butterfly Effect 2aims to be a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style editing experiment, but its intention to be a psychological thriller fails due to a weak script and acting. The result is utter chaos, leaving the viewer confused and bored. —Trinie Dalton
Brooklyn Rules
Michael Corrente * * * * ~ A gripping tale of three life-long friends struggling with relationships responsibility and loyalty on the mean streets of 1980 s-era Brooklyn NY. When the violent influence of the mafia becomes a factor in their friendship lives will be threatened as the fond memories of the past begin to give way to a potentially grim future.Produced and directed by Michael Corrente (Outside Providence American Buffalo) and written by Emmy Award Winning writer Terence Winter (The Sopranos)System Requirements:Run Time: 99 minutes Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 897246001041
The Transporter
Louis Leterrier Corey Yuen * * * ~ - Frank Martin (Jason Statham) is the best as what he does: transporting dangerous or illegal goods with no questions asked. But his last shipment, a beautiful young woman kidnapped by international slave traders, brings deadly complications to his delivery plans. Now Frank must kick into overdrive in a nonstop action-packed fight to save his precious cargo - and his life.
Fun with Dick and Jane
Dean Parisot * * * ~ - Manager Dick Harper and his attractive young wife Jane are used to a comfortable lifestyle. They just build a swimming-pool when Dick is fired very unexpectedly - leaving him with $70000 debt on the house. They try to hide this from the neighbors and just cut down their expenses but soon it's obvious: living from unemployment bonus drives them crazy it's uncertain if they can keep the house. Dick decides that robbing drug stores is their only way out - but this takes more skill than expected! Only as a team Dick and Jane can succeed.DVD FEATURESAnamorphic WidescreenSubtitles: EnglishScene SelectionsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG UPC: 043396102286 Manufacturer No: 10228
The Day After Tomorrow
Roland Emmerich * * * - - When global warming triggers the onset of a new Ice Age, tornadoes flatten Los Angeles, a tidal wave engulfs New York City and the entire Northern Hemisphere begins to freeze solid. Now, climatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), his son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal) and a small band of survivors must ride out the growing superstorm and stay alive in the face of an enemy more powerful and relentless than any they've ever encountered: Mother Nature!
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
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Rancid Aluminum
Edward Thomas * * - - - Pete's (Rhys Ifans) business is going bust, his sperm count is dodgy, and his relationship with Sarah (Sadie Frost) is on the rocks. He has a fling with his secretary, despite her being married to the company bike-messenger Trevor, and he's spending too much time at Harry's drug den. In short, Pete's in trouble, but his problems are only just the beginning.

 His buddy and accountant, Denny (Joseph Fiennes) informs him that unless they get their hands on some money quick, the company is bust, and it seems that only the Russian Mafia can save the day!

 

 

 System Requirements:

 Running Time 91 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE
Edmond
Stuart Gordon * * * - - A man (Macy) becomes involved in a twisted game of sex, lies and murder with 3 young women (Denise Richards, Mena Suvari, Julia Stiles). It’s a first rate thriller from the legendary David Mamet.
Danny Deckchair
Jeff Balsmeyer * * * * ~ An average guy uses gags and pranks to liven up his blue-collar life and accidentally ends up taking off in a deck chair strapped to giant helium-filled balloons while his friends watch helplessly from below. He starts a whole new life in the far-off town where he crash lands...until his old life catches up with him.

 

 System Requirements:

 Running Time 100 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE
Everything's Gone Green
Paul Fox * * * - - Dumped and fired, Ryan (Paulo Costanzo) just had the worst day of his life. Down but not out, this amiable slacker stumbles on a lottery scam that starts bringing in the cash and the ladies. But is he in over his head? In the tradition of Grandma’s Boy and Road Trip.
In Her Shoes
Curtis Hanson * * * * - Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine "all deserve Oscars®"(WCBC-TV) for their hilarious and moving performances in "the most rewarding family comedy since Terms of Endearment." (New York Magazine) Flirty, flaky party girl Maggie (Diaz) and plain, dependable lawyer Rose (Collette) are sisters, best friends and bitter rivals who seem to have only two things in common: DNA and size 8 1/2 feet. Only when their love-hate relationship veers towards the hate end of the spectrum do they accidentally discover they also share a long-lost grandmother (MacLaine) who enriches their lives and helps them make peace with each other—and themselves!
Friday (New Line Platinum Series)
* * * * ~ A youth tries to survive life in L.A.'s hip-hoppin' South Central 'hood. Includes two music videos from the #1 hit soundtrack. Starring Chris Tucker and Ice Cube.

DVD Features:Deleted ScenesInterviewsMusic VideoProduction NotesTheatrical Trailer
The World's Fastest Indian
Roger Donaldson * * * * * Anthony Hopkins stars in the true story of Burt Munro a motorcycle enthusiast from New Zealand who designs and builds one of the fastest bikes in the world. The story includes his legendary 1967 performance at the famed raceway at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah where he set the land speed record. The life and triumph of Burt Munro the elderly Kiwi man who at the far from spritely age of 68 broke motorcycle racing records in Utah has fueled director Roger Donaldson's creative energy for years. In the early 1970s just a few years after Munro's incredible triumph Donaldson directed OFFERINGS TO THE GOD OF SPEED a documentary on the sensational senior. Here with the help of the fine actors Anthony Hopkins and Diane Ladd the director brings the story to vivid dramatic life yet again constructing a gripping and inspirational narrative.Hopkins's Munro is a rich and magnetic character a man who wears his notable physical ailments (which include an embarrassing prostate condition and deficient eardrums) like quirky idiosyncrasies rather than debilitating defects. An active playboy Munro is a lovable character in his small New Zealand town an attractively unique old man with a zest for life and a love of his vintage motorcycle—a bright red 1920 Indian model. After racing his own times obsessively every day he becomes determined to live out his dream of participating in the annual Speed Week motorcycle event at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. Through local support and innovative fundraising Munro is finally able to afford the long nautical journey across the world to Mormon-land and beating all the incredible odds not only enter the race but break its records with a jaw-dropping speed of 201 miles an hour. Besides telling a classic tale of individual triumph THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN offers a sociological look at the American West of the late 1960s an iconic landscape peppered with colorful characters that include a wizened Native American and a generou
The Break-Up
Peyton Reed * * * - -