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Languages: English

Summary: Only Joel and Ethan Coen, the fraternal director and producer team behind art-house hits such as "The Big Lebowski" and "Fargo" and masters of quirky and ultra-stylish genre subversion, would dare nick the plot line of Homer's "Odyssey" for a comic picaresque saga about three cons on the run in 1930s Mississippi. Our wandering hero in this case is one Ulysses Everett McGill, a slick-tongued wise guy with a thing about hair pomade (George Clooney, blithely sending up his own dapper image) who talks his chain-gang buddies (Coen-movie regular John Turturro and newcomer Tim Blake Nelson) into lighting out after some buried loot he claims to know of. En route they come up against a prophetic blind man on a railroad truck, a burly, one-eyed baddie (the ever-magnificent John Goodman), a trio of sexy singing ladies, a blues guitarist who's sold his soul to the devil, a brace of crooked politicos on the stump, a manic-depressive bank robber, and--well, you get the idea. Into this, their most relaxed film yet, the Coens have tossed a beguiling ragbag of inconsequential situations, a wealth of looping, left-field dialogue, and a whole stash of gags both verbal and visual. "O Brother" (the title's lifted from Preston Sturges's classic 1941 comedy "Sullivan's Travels") is furthermore graced with glowing, burnished photography from Roger Deakins and a masterly soundtrack from T-Bone Burnett that pays loving homage to American '30s folk styles--blues, gospel, bluegrass, jazz, and more. And just to prove that the brothers haven't lost their knack for bad-taste humor, we get a Ku Klux Klan rally choreographed like a cross between a Nuremberg rally and a Busby Berkeley musical. "--Philip Kemp"

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "Ocean's Eleven" improves on 1960's Rat Pack original with supernova casting, a slickly updated plot, and Steven Soderbergh's graceful touch behind the camera. Soderbergh reportedly relished the opportunity "to make a movie that has no desire except to give pleasure from beginning to end," and he succeeds on those terms, blessed by the casting of George Clooney as Danny Ocean, the title role originated by Frank Sinatra. Fresh out of jail, Ocean masterminds a plot to steal $163 million from the seemingly impervious vault of Las Vegas's Bellagio casino, not just for the money but to win his ex-wife (Julia Roberts) back from the casino's ruthless owner (Andy Garcia). Soderbergh doesn't scrimp on the caper's comically intricate strategy, but he finds greater joy in assembling a stellar team (including Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and Carl Reiner) and indulging their strengths as actors. The result is a film that's as smooth as a silk suit and just as stylish. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Summary: The three films from Steven Soderbergh's OCEAN'S franchise are collected here with Brad Pitt and George Clooney ably supported by a glittering cast in each film. Please see individual titles for synopsis information.Format: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: COMEDY/CONS & SCAMS UPC: 085391182412 Manufacturer No: 118241

Languages: Dutch, English, French, Italian

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Like its predecessor "Ocean's Eleven", "Ocean's Twelve" is a piffle of a caper, a preposterous plot given juice and vitality by a combination of movie star glamour and the exuberant filmmaking skill of director Steven Soderbergh ("Out of Sight", "The Limey"). The heist hijinks of the first film come to roost for a team of eleven thieves (including the glossy mugs of Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, and Don Cheadle), who find themselves pursued not only by the guy they robbed (silky Andy Garcia), but also by a top-notch detective (plush Catherine Zeta-Jones) and a jealous master thief (well-oiled Vincent Cassel) who wants to prove that team leader Danny Ocean (dapper George Clooney) isn't the best in the field. As if all that star power weren't enough--and the eternally coltish Julia Roberts also returns as Ocean's wife--one movie star cameo raises the movie's combined wattage to absurd proportions. But all these handsome faces are matched by Soderbergh's visual flash, cunning editing, and excellent use of Amsterdam, Paris, and Rome, among other highly decorative locations. The whole affair should collapse under the weight of its own silliness, but somehow it doesn't--the movie's raffish spirit and offhand wit soar along, providing lightweight but undeniable entertainment. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: Roger Moore was nearing the end of his reign as James Bond when he made "Octopussy", and he looks a little worn out. But the movie itself infuses some new blood into the old franchise, with a frisky pace and a pair of sturdy villains. Maud Adams--who'd also been in the Bond outing "The Man with the Golden Gun"--plays the improbably named Octopussy, while old smoothie Louis Jourdan is her crafty partner in crime. There's an island populated only by women, plus a fantastic sequence with a hand-to-hand fight that happens on a plane--and on "top" of a plane. The film even has an extra emotional punch, since this time out 007 is not only following the orders of Her Majesty's Secret Service, but he is also exacting a personal revenge: a fellow double-0 agent has been killed. Two Bond films were actually released in 1983 within a few months of each other, as "Octopussy" was followed by Sean Connery's comeback in "Never Say Never Again". The success of both pictures proved that there was still plenty of mileage left in the old license to kill, though Moore had one more workout--"A View to a Kill"--before hanging it up. And that title? The franchise had already used up the titles to Ian Fleming's novels, so "Octopussy" was taken from a lesser-known Fleming short story. "--Robert Horton"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Stills from Office Space (Click for larger image)



   

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Stills from Office Space (Click for larger image)



   

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Who says you can't teach "Old Dogs" new tricks? Robin Williams and John Travolta are the old, single "dogs" in question, reveling in great chemistry as lifelong pals who've together grown a successful marketing empire--but who have somehow managed to avoid ever really growing up. The cast, featuring Travolta's real wife, Kelly Preston (who, with costar Rita Wilson, reveals just how fine a comedian she is, and how the screen really sparkles when she's on it), and his real-life daughter Ella Bleu, is top-notch. Other great performances include Bernie Mac, a sultry Lori Loughlin, Matt Dillon, and a dynamite Seth Green as a mini-mogul in training. The plot revolves around the Old Dogs' suddenly needing to care for twin 7-year-olds (the heretofore unknown children of Williams's character, Dan) and finding that they learn as much from the kids as vice versa. Moans Dan to Travolta's Charlie, after awkwardly tucking in the kids for the night at Charlie's bachelor pad, "I just shook hands goodnight with my daughter." "Old Dogs" is a fun family film that's appropriate for ages 8 and up, with enough jokes and great timing to please grownups too. --"A.T. Hurley"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: When three thirtysomething friends with woman troubles (Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Vince Vaughn) decide to form a fraternity, it's supposedly to save Wilson from losing his house, which the nearby college is trying to claim for academic purposes. But really, Ferrell and Vaughn are desperate to return to the reckless, feckless days of beer bongs and hot chicks, and they drag Wilson along with them as they throw themselves into gathering frat pledges of all ages. "Old School" could have been just another string of bad jokes hanging on a flimsy plot, but the script and the cast have a jovial energy and just enough grounding in reality--at least, up until the obligatory beat-the-system ending, but by that point you'll forgive the excesses of this silly, cheerful, and frequently funny movie. Featuring Jeremy Piven and Juliette Lewis, with cameos by Snoop Dog, Andy Dick, and others. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Based on Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist," Disney's "Oliver and Company" was one of the first animated features to incorporate computer images with traditional hand-drawn animation and features the music and voice talents of pop-music giants like Billy Joel, Huey Lewis, and Bette Midler. A traditional story set in the modern world, "Oliver and Company" is the story of a stray kitten who wanders the streets of New York in search of a loving family. When Oliver encounters a street-wise dog named Dodger, the dog begins to teach him about life in the big city and takes him home to his family of street dogs and their master Fagan. Fagan and his dogs Dodger, Tito, Einstein, Francis, and Rita must often resort to thievery just to survive and during a particularly daring caper, Oliver gets separated from the other dogs and winds up meeting Jenny, a young rich girl with a big heart. As Oliver revels in Jenny's affection and begins to feel like part of her family, the dogs set out to rescue Oliver thinking he's been kidnapped. Eventually both Oliver and Jenny end up in grave danger and the only way Fagan and his dogs can save them is by doing what's right. As fresh on its 20th anniversary as it was when it premiered in 1988, this time-tested film appeals to children and adults of all ages. Bonus features include the Mickey Mouse and Pluto shorts "Lend a Paw" and "Puss Café" as well as a 5-1/2-minute making of featurette in which director George Scribner and animator Glen Kean describe the then brand new technique of blending computer and hand-drawn animation. Also included are sing-along versions of "Why Should I Worry? and "Streets of Gold," an interactive game, fun film facts, and an "Oliver and Company" scrapbook featuring concept art, storyboards, and publicity materials. "--Tami Horiuchi"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Based on Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist," Disney's "Oliver and Company" was one of the first animated features to incorporate computer images with traditional hand-drawn animation and features the music and voice talents of pop-music giants like Billy Joel, Huey Lewis, and Bette Midler. A traditional story set in the modern world, "Oliver and Company" is the story of a stray kitten who wanders the streets of New York in search of a loving family. When Oliver encounters a street-wise dog named Dodger, the dog begins to teach him about life in the big city and takes him home to his family of street dogs and their master Fagan. Fagan and his dogs Dodger, Tito, Einstein, Francis, and Rita must often resort to thievery just to survive and during a particularly daring caper, Oliver gets separated from the other dogs and winds up meeting Jenny, a young rich girl with a big heart. As Oliver revels in Jenny's affection and begins to feel like part of her family, the dogs set out to rescue Oliver thinking he's been kidnapped. Eventually both Oliver and Jenny end up in grave danger and the only way Fagan and his dogs can save them is by doing what's right. As fresh on its 20th anniversary as it was when it premiered in 1988, this time-tested film appeals to children and adults of all ages. Bonus features include the Mickey Mouse and Pluto shorts "Lend a Paw" and "Puss Café" as well as a 5-1/2-minute making of featurette in which director George Scribner and animator Glen Kean describe the then brand new technique of blending computer and hand-drawn animation. Also included are sing-along versions of "Why Should I Worry? and "Streets of Gold," an interactive game, fun film facts, and an "Oliver and Company" scrapbook featuring concept art, storyboards, and publicity materials. "--Tami Horiuchi"

Languages: English, Italian

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: If you can overlook its glaring redundancy, "The Omen" is a faithful and well-crafted remake that does adequate justice to Richard Donner's popular 1976 original. It's a completely unnecessary film, given that David Seltzer's original screenplay wasn't even rewritten (as would normally happen with a Hollywood remake), but when viewed with fresh eyes, or by anyone who's unfamiliar with the original, it retains most of the serious, intelligently plotted chills that made Donner's horror thriller a box-office sensation. It skews to a younger audience (of course), with Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles in the roles originated by Gregory Peck and Lee Remick. As newly-promoted U.S. Ambassador to England Robert Thorn and his troubled wife Katherine, they grow increasingly suspicious that their young son Damien (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) may be the devil incarnate. An anxious Roman priest (Pete Postelthwaite) and a freelance photographer (David Thewlis, in the role memorably originated by David Warner) are equally terrified of this Satanic scenario, and Damien's new and eerily protective nanny (played to perfection by Mia Farrow) adds further evidence of Damien's malevolence, as Vatican prophesies of Armageddon are rapidly fulfilled. Director John Moore (who also remade "The Flight of the Phoenix") offers a few minor improvements in suspense and gruesomeness (including a more graphically inventive death for a prominent character), but he's also hampered by the weaker presence of Davey-Fitzpatrick, who's not nearly as creepy as the original film's Damien. Otherwise, this copy of "The Omen" justifies its existence as a worthwhile diversion for stormy-night viewing."--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono

Summary: Australian model George Lazenby took up the mantle of the world's most suave secret agent when Sean Connery retired as James Bond--prematurely, it turned out. Connery returned in "Diamonds Are Forever" before leaving the role to Roger Moore and Lazenby's subsequent career fizzled, yet this one-hit wonder is responsible for one of the best Bond films of all time.
In "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", 007 leaves the Service to privately pursue his SPECTRE nemesis Blofeld (played this time by Telly Savalas), whose latest master plan involves a threat to the world's crops by agricultural sterilization. Bond teams up with suave international crime lord Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti) and falls in love with--and marries--his elegant daughter, Tracy (Diana Rigg). Bond goes monogamous? Not at first; after all he has Blofeld's harem to seduce. Lazenby hasn't the intensity of Connery but he has fun with his quips and even lampoons the Bond image in a playful pre-credits sequence, and Rigg, fresh from playing sexy Emma Peel in "The Avengers", matches 007 in every way. Former editor Peter Hunt makes a strong directorial debut, deftly handling the elaborate action sequences--including a car chase turned road rally through the icy snow--with a kinetic finesse and a dash of humor. Though not a hit on its original release, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" has become a fan favorite and the closest the series has come to capturing the spirit of Ian Fleming's books. "--Sean Axmaker"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: This movie has a checkered history, having been chopped from its original 227-minute director's cut to 139 minutes for its U.S. release. This longer edition benefits from having the complete story (the short version has huge gaps) about turn-of-the-century Jewish immigrants in America finding their way into lives of crime, as told in flashback by an aging Jewish gangster named Noodles (Robert De Niro). On the other hand, it's almost four hours long, and this sometimes-indulgent Sergio Leone film is no "Godfather". Still, it is notable for the contrast between Leone's elegiac take on the gangster film and his occasional explosive action, as well as for the mix of the stoic, inexpressive De Niro and the hyperactive James Woods as his lifelong friend and rival. "--Marshall Fine"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Guns, guns, guns! And a few explosions as bodies fly through the air and crash into tables and fruit stands. "Once Upon a Time in Mexico", like all Robert Rodriguez movies, is all about the kinetic kick of high-velocity action. Johnny Depp, blase and whimsical, plays a CIA agent who's drawn guitar-playing gun-slinger Antonio Banderas (long black hair flopping over his face like the ears of a Labrador puppy) into a ridiculously convoluted plot to overthrow the Mexican government. Along for the ride are a craggy-faced rogue's gallery including Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo, Ruben Blades, and (to balance things out) the smooth, tantalizing complexions of Eva Mendes and Salma Hayek. For sheer trashy fun, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" is a step down from its predecessor, "Desperado"--but "Desperado" set the bar pretty high. For coherent storytelling, look elsewhere, but for action razzle-dazzle, this is your movie. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Georgian, Chinese, Thai

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "The One" sets 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-Files" alumnus Glen Morgan) injects clever humor into the "Matrix"-derivative premise. Carla Gugino is wasted as the "good" Li's obligatory love interest, but "The One" will 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"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "One Hour Photo" may be more civilized than "Taxi Driver", but it's just as effectively creepy. Like Martin Scorsese's classic, this riveting character study is so compassionately detailed that we sympathize with poor Sy Parrish (Robin Williams) even as he grows increasingly unhinged. Sy is a meticulously dedicated one-hour-photo technician, but the pictures he processes--particularly those belonging to the successful, seemingly happy family of Nina and Will Yorkin (Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan)--turn into the unhealthiest kind of obsession. The Yorkins' snapshots portray a joyful life that the lonely and traumatized Sy could never hope to achieve, and he sinks deeper and deeper into the solace they bring... until evidence of infidelity turns him into a seething crucible of righteous indignation. Propelled by Williams's flawless escape from the feel-good schmaltz of earlier roles, "One Hour Photo" is a simmering tour de force, tempered by writer-director Mark Romanek for maximum psychological impact. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Released almost exactly 11 years after Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven", Kevin Costner's "Open Range" proved yet again that the Western is "the" classic American genre. While it lacks the thematic impact of Eastwood's masterpiece, Costner's first film since 1997's ill-fated "The Postman" returns the actor/director of "Dances With Wolves" to the open prairies of America--in this case the free-range frontier of 1882--where legal "free-grazing" cattle drives were falling prey to empire-building land-owners. In the wake of territorial murder, free-grazing cowboys Boss (Robert Duvall) and Charley (Costner) seek vengeful justice against the ruthless rancher (Michael Gambon) who threatens their law-abiding survival. A feisty ally (the late Michael Jeter, in his next-to-final film role) and a doctor's sister (Annette Bening) offer support during climactic shootouts, masterfully staged with the shock and suddenness of real-life gunfire. Rich in character development and thick-hided humor, this handsome production redeemed Costner's directorial career with a well-told story (by Craig Storper, based on Lauran Paine's novel "The Open Range Men"), flawless performances, and stunning Canadian locations. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Thai

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Growing up can be a confusing journey fraught with difficult choices. Boog (Martin Lawrence) is a domesticated Grizzly Bear who leads a perfectly happy life inside of Park Ranger Beth's (Debra Messing) garage, but a chance meeting with an overly energetic mule deer named Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) quickly changes everything and lands Boog high in the forest a few days before the opening of hunting season. Devoid of even the most basic survival skills, Boog and Elliot stumble through the woods and find themselves at the mercy of every forest animal from skunks to chipmunks as well as an evil hunter named Shaw (Gary Sinise). After unintentionally inciting and endangering an entire forest full of clever animals, Boog and Elliot come to the realization that only by banding together do the forest animals stand a chance of outsmarting the hunters and ensuring their own survival. This first animated film from Sony Pictures Animation takes its inspiration from cartoonist Steve Moore ("In the Bleachers") and features animals with human-like intelligence, a vibrant color palate, and skilled animation that makes everything from the wind blowing Boo's fur to the animals' wild trip down the falls simply breathtaking. While it doesn't quite live up to "Over the Hedge", "Open Season" is an entertaining production that explores the difficult process of maturation, the universal need for acceptance, and the true value of friendship. Special features include a 15-minute featurette about the animation process at Sony Pictures Animation and Image Works, a 7-minute look at the recording sessions featuring the voices behind the characters, two deleted scenes, three short animated cartoon strips, a short "Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run" that's an extension of the trailer scene in the movie, art gallery, beat boards, humorous commentary from the animals' point of views, and a full length commentary by Producer Michelle Murdocca, Directors Roger Allers and Jill Culton, and others. Activities include a "Voice-A-Rama" where viewers can hear specific lines spoken by alternate voices and a trivia "Wheel of Fortune--Forest Edition" as well as a DVD-ROM link to more online fun. (Ages 3 and older) "--Tami Horiuchi"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Growing up can be a confusing journey fraught with difficult choices. Boog (Martin Lawrence) is a domesticated Grizzly Bear who leads a perfectly happy life inside of Park Ranger Beth's (Debra Messing) garage, but a chance meeting with an overly energetic mule deer named Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) quickly changes everything and lands Boog high in the forest a few days before the opening of hunting season. Devoid of even the most basic survival skills, Boog and Elliot stumble through the woods and find themselves at the mercy of every forest animal from skunks to chipmunks as well as an evil hunter named Shaw (Gary Sinise). After unintentionally inciting and endangering an entire forest full of clever animals, Boog and Elliot come to the realization that only by banding together do the forest animals stand a chance of outsmarting the hunters and ensuring their own survival.
























This first animated film from Sony Pictures Animation takes its inspiration from cartoonist Steve Moore ("In the Bleachers") and features animals with human-like intelligence, a vibrant color palate, and skilled animation that makes everything from the wind blowing Boo's fur to the animals' wild trip down the falls simply breathtaking. While it doesn't quite live up to "Over the Hedge", " Open Season" is an entertaining production that explores the difficult process of maturation, the universal need for acceptance, and the true value of friendship. Special features include a 15-minute featurette about the animation process at Sony Pictures Animation and Image Works, a 7-minute look at the recording sessions featuring the voices behind the characters, two deleted scenes, three short animated cartoon strips, a short "Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run" that's an extension of the trailer scene in the movie, art gallery, beat boards, humorous commentary from the animals' point of views, and a full length commentary by Producer Michelle Murdocca, Directors Roger Allers and Jill Culton, and others. Activities include a "Voice-A-Rama" where viewers can hear specific lines spoken by alternate voices and a trivia "Wheel of Fortune--Forest Edition" as well as a DVD-ROM link to more online fun. (Ages 3 and older) "--Tami Horiuchi"













Meet the Critters of "Open Season" (click for larger image)


Boog (aka Martin Lawrence),
hear Martin Lawrence, "On Boog":
high bandwidth


Elliot (aka Ashton Kutcher),
hear Ashton Kutcher, "On being Elliot":
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Shaw (aka Gary Sinise),
hear Gary Sinise, "On Shaw":
high bandwidth
Stills from "Open Season" (click for larger image)

























































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Meet "The Chubbchubbs! "





























For a limited time, purchase Open Season (Widescreen Edition) on DVD and receive a complimentary copy of the Academy Award winning animated short, The Chubbchubbs!, exclusive to Amazon.com.

Amazon.com Review
When it was briefly shown in theaters with "Men in Black II", the delightful animated cartoon "The Chubb Chubbs" had the awkward distinction of being funnier and more inventive than "MIIB". The six-minute film won the 2003 Oscar for best animated short. --"Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: TWO SCUBA DIVERS FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES IN THE OPEN WATERS OF THE OCEAN WHEN THEIR TOUR BOAT STRANDS THEM IN SHARK-INFESTED WATERS.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Jean-Claude Van Damme may never have risen to the top ranks of action stars, but his movies have been consistently enjoyable--partly because they don't take themselves too seriously. In "The Order", Van Damme plays a thief of religious artifacts whose archeologist father has found the lost scripture of a mysterious religious order. When the old man is kidnapped, Van Damme soon finds himself cruising around the twisty streets of Jerusalem, getting into dynamic kickboxing battles while disguised as a Hasidic Jew. With the help of a beautiful Israeli cop (Sofia Milos), Van Damme uncovers a plot within the religious order that leads to secret catacombs beneath the holy city. Silly? Perhaps, but directed with vitality and surprising wit. Van Damme is trim and energetic, Milos is engaging, and a cameo by Charlton Heston (!) only adds to the general atmosphere of spunky fun. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono

Summary: The original television holiday classics now are available with deluxe packaging and a 12-song music CD with music from the all-time favorite television specials known the world over!
"Frosty the Snowman:" When Frosty the Snowman comes to life, he must weather a storm of adventures and the dastardly plans of an evil magician before he can find safety and happiness at the North Pole.
"Frosty Returns:" This is the adventure of a little girl named Holly and her very special friend, Frosty the Snowman. Holly has to convince the people of Beansboro to save the magical winter dust--and Frosty--when a power-hungry tycoon invents a product that will eliminate snow. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:" Christmas has been cancelled! Or, it will be if Santa Claus can't find a way to guide his sleigh through a fierce blizzard. Rudolph to the rescue!
"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town:" A cheery, delightful story tells how Kris Kringle got his start as the world's most famous gift giver by struggling to bring toys and happiness to the children of Sombertown.
"The Little Drummer Boy:" In this touching Christmas classic, an evil man kidnaps an orphaned drummer boy. After he escapes, he searches for his camel and finds him at the birthplace of the baby Jesus. Having no gift for him, he gives the only gift he has--a song on his drum.
All five titles are on three discs and contain Spanish-language tracks.

Languages: English

Subtitles: French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: As the second season aired, the decline in TV ratings and the tepid sales of Kelly Osbourne's album indicated that the Osbourne family's 15 minutes were just about up. But this two-disc set is an indispensable time-capsule keepsake of that brief and shining moment when Ozzy and his family put their indelible stamp on pop culture as the stars of the first reality sitcom. For addled heavy-metal pioneer Ozzy, his fiercely devoted wife and manager Sharon, and two (of three) of their children--petulant misfit Jack and the more flamboyant pink-haired Kelly--it was a very good year. They were MTV's top-rated series ever. They graced magazine covers. They were championed by no less a moral arbiter than Dan Quayle. Even President George W. Bush got into the act, toasting Ozzy at the annual Washington Press Club soiree: "Ozzy, mom loves your stuff." "The Osbournes" is the kind of series for which the phrase "instantly addictive" was coined. The idea seemed positively batty: Chronicle the lives of the Osbournes as they settle in to their new Beverly Hills home. They ain't the Clampetts, as the crates marked "Dead Things" indicates. Persistent use of the "F" word and other obscenities (not bleeped on the uncensored DVD) aside, the Osbournes at heart are a close-knit, loving family. Or, as Ozzy so tenderly puts it, "I love you more than life itself, but you're all f------ mad." Episode 4 bears him out, as Sharon and Jack declare war on their noisy next-door neighbors with airborne foodstuffs. These 10 endlessly repeatable episodes are enhanced by this features-heavy DVD; among its most inspired extras is an "Ozzy translator." The first season of "The Osbournes" was a lightning-in-a- bottle phenomenon whose success has yet to be duplicated, not by the shameless Anna Nicole, not by clueless Liza, not even by the Osbournes themselves. "--Donald Liebenson"

Languages: English

Subtitles: French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: The modern-day Addams Family returns for a second season of their landmark reality sitcom. Overexposure quickly wore out the Osbournes' welcome, but the season opener, "What Goes Up," is a reminder of the surreal circus that was their lightning-in-a-bottle 15 minutes of fame. Ozzy and Sharon attend the White House Correspondents' dinner, where Ozzy rates a mention by the president and receives a thundering ovation. Daughter Kelly performs "Papa Don't Preach" at the MTV Music Awards. And son Jack is thrilled that McDonald's has brought back the McRib. The next episode, "Must Come Down," is the reality check, in which Sharon is diagnosed with colon cancer. But the family quickly gets back "to what they usually do," which is drive each other (and anyone who crosses them) crazy. Jack takes special delight in tormenting trespassing tourists by turning the sprinklers on them. When Kelly brings home her first serious boyfriend, a rock singer, it's to her mortified horror that Sharon questions him about his obscene nickname. The season does comes to a poignant end with a lavish New Year's party during which Ozzy and Sharon renew their vows, and ends with Ozzy passed out on the couch (just like their first honeymoon, Sharon sardonically observes).
Of course, there is reality and there is reality. Though not dealt with onscreen, it has since been reported that Jack has undergone rehab for a substance abuse problem, a tragic family legacy. This puts something of a damper on watching the "wacky" antics. But as with the first season, "The Osbournes" is fun to visit, with cameos by, among others, Natalie Portman, Mandy Moore, P. Diddy, and Marilyn Manson adding to the cachet. But thank god you don't live there. As with the first season, this two-disc package contains such inspired extras as a translator that provides subtitles for the addled Ozzy's profanity-laced dialogue and a preferred bleep-free viewing option."--Donald Liebenson"

Languages: English

Subtitles: French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Whatever footage those omnipresent cameras caught of the medical and substance abuse travails that landed the Osbournes in the tabloids and the gossip columns must have wound up on the cutting room floor. Instead, these 10 episodes that concluded the Emmy-nominated season 2 amp the Osbournes' hysterical dysfunctions to 11. The internecine warfare between siblings Jack and Kelly goes Fallujah in "What a Boy Wants" and "Fists of Fury," an episode that, according to one website, features 135 bleeped obscenities, which must be a series benchmark. But in time-honored, reassuring sitcom convention, family ties are reinforced by episode's end. When the dust has settled in "Fists," Jack and Kelly bond in the kitchen over Easy Mac. Nothing unites the fractious Osbournes like obnoxious neighbors, but in "Tennis Racket," not even Jack's drumming or Ozzy's stereo blasts can stop their incessant tennis-playing neighbors. Jack enjoys something of a breakout half season. He turns 17 and goes Medieval (Times) in "What a Boy Wants." He hooks up with Kurt Cobain's sister in "A Little Ditty About Jack and Brianne" (which also features the surreal sight of a panty-clad Courtney Love reciting Shakespeare!). Another snapshot for the Osbourne family album is Ozzy and Jack disrupting a fishing trip by lobbing firecrackers at birds in "Angler Management." Throughout, Ozzy is his delightful, addled self. In "Run Ozzy Run," his new car's voice-recognition system can't understand him (for viewers with the same problem, this DVD includes the helpful Ozzy Translator). In "What a Boy Wants," a dentist administers the "Ozzy level" of nitrous oxide, with debilitating results. The season ends with a "Dallas"-esque mind-bleep of Bobby-in-the-shower proportions that calls the reality of the series in question. How brilliant to give the Osbournes the last laugh on us. "--Donald Liebenson"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: "Oscar" was Sylvester Stallone's agreeable, 1991 effort at broad comedy, a fast-talking, suspender-snapping gangster farce featuring the "Rambo" star as a 1930s Chicago mob boss, Snaps Provolone, trying to go straight during overlapping personal crises. No, this isn't Billy Wilder, but director John Landis ("Coming to America") has crackling fun with "Oscar"'s fruit salad of traditional comic themes and tools, including mistaken identities, a powerful man's weakness for his children, and a nonstop parade of outre secondary characters. The cast includes Kirk Douglas as Stallone's father, whose deathbed wish compels Snaps to go into legitimate banking at the exact moment the latter's daughter (Marisa Tomei) announces her love for a chauffeur. Meanwhile, another woman claiming to be Snaps's offspring is engaged to a fellow (Vincent Spano) who has stolen $50,000 of the big man's money. Wackiness ensues. The winning cast includes Peter Riegert, Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, Eddie Bracken, Harry Shearer, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Bruce Davison. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: A corporate raider threatens a hostile take-over of a mom and pop company. The patriarch of the company enlists the help of his wifes daughter who is a lawyer to try and protect the company. The raider is enamoured of her and enjoys the thrust and parry of legal manoeuvring as he tries to win her heart. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 07/12/2005 Starring: Danny Devito Penelope Ann Miller Run time: 101 minutes Rating: R Director: Norman Jewison

Languages: English

Summary: A welcome throwback to the spooky traditions of Jack Clayton's "The Innocents" and Robert Wise's "The Haunting", Alejandro Amenábar's "The Others" favors atmosphere, sound, and suggestion over flashy special effects. Set in 1945 on a fog-enshrouded island off the British coast, the film begins with a scream as Grace (Nicole Kidman) awakens from some unspoken horror, perhaps arising from her religiously overprotective concern for her young children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley). The children are hypersensitive to light and have lived in a musty manor with curtains and shutters perpetually drawn. With Grace's husband presumably lost at war, this ominous setting perfectly accommodates a sense of dreaded expectation, escalating when three strangers arrive in response to Grace's yet-unposted request for domestic help. Led by housekeeper Mrs. Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), this mysterious trio is as closely tied to the house's history as Grace's family is--as are the past occupants seen posthumously posed in a long-forgotten photo album.
With her justly acclaimed performance, Kidman maintains an emotional intensity that fuels the film's supernatural underpinnings. And while Amenábar's pacing is deliberately slow, it befits the tone of penetrating anxiety, leading to a twist that extends the story's reach from beyond the grave. Amenábar unveiled a similarly effective twist in his Spanish thriller "Open Your Eyes" (remade by Cameron Crowe as "Vanilla Sky"), but where that film drew debate, "The Others" is finely crafted to provoke well-earned goose bumps and chills down the spine. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: "Out of Sight" scored critical raves, but its title sums up the theatrical fate of Steven Soderbergh's coolly comic crime caper and misfit romance based on "Elmore Leonard's novel". But this is the sort of buried treasure home video was created to rescue.
George Clooney comes into his own as a leading man in the role of inveterate bank robber Jack Foley. Incarcerated, he uses another inmate's prison break as a cover for his own escape. Waiting for him, according to plan, is his partner, Buddy (Ving Rhames). Also waiting for him, not according to plan, is federal agent Karen Sisco (the ravishing Jennifer Lopez). She finds herself disarmed in more ways than one when she is deposited in the getaway car's trunk with Jack. But that doesn't stop her from joining the task force created to capture him, while he plans "one last heist."
"Out of Sight" is a rich, entertaining film, stylish without being showy, faithful to the integrity of Leonard's potent dialogue and quirky characters, and seamlessly acted by a dream ensemble. Standouts include Albert Brooks as convicted insider trader Richard Ripley, who while in prison brags to the wrong people that he has $5 million in uncut diamonds hidden in his house; Don Cheadle as Maurice (don't call him "Snoopy") Miller, with whom Jack warily teams up to steal said diamonds; Dennis Farina as Karen's protective father (his idea of a birthday gift is a Sig-Hauer .38); and, in unbilled cameos, Michael Keaton, reprising his "Jackie Brown" role as FBI agent Ray Nicolet, and Samuel L. Jackson.
If you liked "Get Shorty" and "Jackie Brown", you'll find this, well, "Out of Sight". "--Donald Liebenson"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Partly inspired by 1948's "The Big Clock" and its nominal 1987 remake "No Way Out", the Denzel Washington thriller "Out of Time" is quite enjoyable if you ignore its implausible plotting. Like those earlier films, this reunion of Washington and his "Devil in a Blue Dress" director Carl Franklin is about a man--in this case the police chief (Washington) of sleepy Banyan Key, Florida--who falls into a trap set by others, sinks into legal quicksand of his own making, and must race the clock to extricate himself from a series of incriminating setbacks. The Florida setting adds welcome character to the potboiler plot, and Washington's screen-cred makes it easy to overlook the absurdities of rookie writer David Collard's screenplay. Eva Mendes is sharp and sensible as Washington's estranged wife (do you think they'll reconcile for a happy ending?), and the talented John Billingsley--whose portrayal of "Dr. Phlox" on TV's "Enterprise" is vastly underrated--is a constant delight as Washington's medical examiner, beer buddy and wily co-conspirator. It's hardly a classic, but "Out of Time" goes well with a big tub of popcorn. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: When Warner Brothers was unable to secure the rights to Richard Preston's terrifying nonfiction book "The Hot Zone" (purchased by a rival studio), they took the basic idea of a fatal virus on the loose in the U.S., added Dustin Hoffman and director Wolfgang Petersen ("Das Boot"), and produced an unusual thriller--a surprise hit--called "Outbreak". The other picture, slated to star Robert Redford and Jodie Foster, fell through. The premise of "Outbreak", which owes something to Elia Kazan's 1950 plague-scare movie, "Panic in the Streets", is as terrifying as it is timely. As developers slash their way deeper into the previously unexplored tropical rainforests, they are exposed to radically new forms of life, including diseases, that in these days of commonplace international travel could turn into deadly epidemics almost before we know it. Hoffman's character and his estranged wife (Rene Russo) are disease experts called in to identify the unknown killer, which was carried into the country by an illegally smuggled monkey. The best sequence shows the disease spreading--through recycled air on a passenger jet, or a sneeze in a crowded movie theater. The final chase is pretty conventional, but the cast is terrific, including Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, Cuba Gooding Jr., J.T. Walsh, and Zakes Mokae. "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Summary: Director Francis Coppola's adaptation of the popular S.E. Hinton novel about the price of rebellious youth is notable chiefly for the stunning cast of young actors who went on to rich and varied careers. In supporting roles, the film features the likes of Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Diane Lane, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, and Tom Waits, among others. The story centers on two rival gangs in the early 1960s Midwest, and the violent turf wars that escalate and tragically claim young lives. C. Thomas Howell plays the central character who yearns to prove himself and be accepted by his older brothers' gang, while at the same time finding his first love and dreaming of a life beyond his dead end existence. Geared toward the teenage crowd, the film nonetheless features some fine direction from Coppola in a story that evokes memories of the classic coming-of-age films of the 1950s. "--Robert Lane"

Languages: Arabic, English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "Over There: Season One" is simply a revelation, a new way to look at a drama about a new kind of American war. Told over 13 superb episodes, in which a handful of soldiers go through a great many changes to arrive at their own flawed, beautiful humanity, this series by prolific producer Steven Bochco ("NYPD Blue") has nothing to do with the politics or decreasing popularity of the Iraq war. The show is consumed, instead, by the logistics of U.S. troops staying alive from hour to hour against a campaign of masked insurgents, roadside bombs, and clever lures into unforeseen dangers. Many of "Over There"'s most gripping moments are concerned with the fallibility of soldiers trying to decipher the sometimes inscrutable actions of men, women, and children who may or may not be the enemy. It's hard to tell, for example, if the Iraqi man who stepped out of his house to kick a soccer ball with his son is, in fact, grabbing a moment of happiness with his child or trying to deceive the Americans with a false veneer of normalcy. There isn't always a way to be sure of intentions, and the show's major characters are often forced to make split-second judgments fraught with moral ambivalence and potential tragedy.
In the Bochco tradition, individual episodes juggle several storylines that can take an entire season to play out, frequently in unexpected ways. The wounding of a young private named Bo Rider (Josh Henderson) in the series pilot leads to a protracted story of personal valor back home and a showdown with a monstrous father. The embedding of a television journalist with the major characters touches on media spin in the modern age, as well as the phenomenon of hostage-taking in Iraq. The training of more-or-less hapless Iraqi security forces to take over for the Americans does not inspire confidence that the U.S. can get out anytime soon. Issues of infidelity, loneliness, female soldiers in battle, the incompetence of some commanding officers, conflicts between supposed comrades-in-arms, and much else bring a gritty honesty to the show. But it's the striking visuals that take one's breath away: the disorienting perspective from within a truck that's just been shelled, the strange look of a firefight waged almost eyeball-to-eyeball between enemies, with neither side ducking for cover. There's never been an American television show based on a war currently being waged, and "Over There" certainly makes one realize how much survival in Iraq is an end in itself, far away from ongoing debates about the war's justification. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Philip Seymour Hoffman adds another great performance to his gallery of losers in "Owning Mahowny", an engrossing, fact-based comedy-drama about the perils of compulsive gambling. The subject is hardly new to movies, but as Toronto bank-loan manager Dan Mahowny, Hoffman brings fresh depth and tortured humanity to his portrayal of a man who helplessly feeds his pathological need to gamble with millions in embezzled bank money that he can't afford to lose. His supportive wife (Minnie Driver, barely recognizable beneath a plain-looking wig and glasses) is aware of the problem but not its severity, and in fulfilling the promise of his debut feature "Love and Death on Long Island", British director Richard Kwietniowski strikes a delicate balance of humor, adrenalin, and escalating tension, guiding Hoffman, Driver, and an excellent supporting cast (including "Long Island"'s John Hurt) in a quietly suspenseful study of Mahowny's ill-fated impulse. Set in the early 1980s but timeless in its study of dysfunctional behavior, "Owning Mahowny" is a safe bet for film lovers everywhere. "--Jeff Shannon"