Library

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Guilty pleasures don't come more guilty than "The A-Team", television's only tongue-in-cheek drama about the exploits of renegade Vietnam vets. The primetime series' 1983 debut season, gathered here on "The A-Team: Season One", was intentionally ludicrous, encouraging viewers to enjoy sundry talents of a colorful cast and laugh off storylines perhaps sillier than those on "Charlie's Angels". Co-created by Stephen J. Cannell ("Wiseguy") and Frank Lupo ("Hunter"), "The A-Team" introduced Lt. Col. John "Hannibal" Smith (George Peppard), the cocksure leader of a band of fugitive American soldiers framed for a crime in Vietnam and now thriving in Los Angeles. Hiring themselves out as soldiers of fortune, Hannibal's crew--including Lt. Templeton "Face" Peck (baby-faced Tim Dunigan in the pilot, Dirk Benedict thereafter), Sgt. Bosco Albert "B.A. (for 'Bad Attitude')" Baracus (Mr. T, outfitted with his trademark gold), and, most comically, Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock (Dwight Schultz)--assist (mostly) ordinary people having a problem with bad guys. The A-Team ostensibly charges large fees, but much of the time the guys seem to be doing pro bono work for the helpless.
"Season One" highlights include "Children of Jamestown," starring John Saxon as a Jim Jones-like religious cult leader who captures Hannibal, Face, B.A., and first-season sidekick Amy "Triple A" Allen (Melinda Culea). While the resourceful group invents a super-weapon out of farm equipment, crazy Murdock commandeers a helicopter and dynamite. Also good is "A Small and Deadly War," featuring Dean Stockwell as one of several uncontrolled L.A. cops committing murder-for-hire. "The Out-of-Towners" takes a page from the "Death Wish" movie series with a story about New York City shop owners harassed by a protection racketeer (Yaphet Kotto). Hannibal and company retaliate with machine guns (no one is ever seen killed in this series) and, more effectively, public humiliation of the villain. The best thing about "The A-Team" is the relationship between the four offbeat heroes, who may not always like each other (B.A. usually looks as if he'd like to leave Murdock in a shallow grave) but get the job done expertly. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Corrupts Absolutely.

Summary: Director Clint Eastwood's 1997 box-office hit stars himself as Luther Whitney, a highly skilled thief who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, witnessing the murder of a woman involved in a secret tryst with the U.S. president (played by Gene Hackman). Determined to clear his name, Whitney cleverly eludes a tenacious detective (Ed Harris) while investigating a corruption of power reaching to the highest level of government. Adapted by veteran screenwriter William Goldman from David Baldacci's novel, this thriller balances expert suspense with well-drawn characters and an intelligent plot that's just a pounding heartbeat away from real White House headlines. "Absolute Power" features the great Judy Davis in a memorable supporting role as the White House chief of staff who desperately attempts to cover up the crime. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: There's everything you've ever known about adventure, and then there's The Abyss.

Summary: Meticulously crafted but also ponderous and predictable, James Cameron's 1989 deep-sea close-encounter epic reaffirms one of the oldest first principles of cinema: everything moves a lot more slowly underwater. Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, as formerly married petroleum engineers who still have some "issues" to work out, are drafted to assist a gung-ho Navy SEAL (Michael Biehn) with a top-secret recovery operation: a nuclear sub has been ambushed and sunk, under mysterious circumstances, in some of the deepest waters on earth, and the petro-techies have the only submersible craft capable of diving down that far. Every image and every performance is painstakingly sharp and detailed (and the computerized water creatures are lovely) but the movie's lumbering pace is ultimately lethal. It's the audience that ends up feeling waterlogged. For a guy who likes guns as much as Cameron (his next film after all, was the body-count masterpiece "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"), it's interesting that the moral balance here is weighted heavily in favor of the can-do engineers; the military types are end-justifies-the-means amoralists, just like the weasely government bureaucrats in "Aliens". "--David Chute"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Charlie Kaufman writes the way he lives... With Great Difficulty. His Twin Brother Donald Lives the way he writes... with foolish abandon. Susan writes about life... But can't live it. John's life is a book... Waiting to be adapted. One story... Four Lives... A million ways it can end.

Summary: Twisty brilliance from screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze, the team who created "Being John Malkovich". Nicolas Cage returns to form with a funny, sad, and sneaky performance as Charlie Kaufman, a self-loathing screenwriter who has been hired to adapt Susan Orlean's book "The Orchid Thief" into a screenplay. Frustrated and infatuated by Orlean's elegant but plotless book (which is largely a rumination on flowers), Kaufman begins to write a screenplay about himself trying to write a screenplay about "The Orchid Thief", all the while hounded by his twin brother Donald (Cage again), who's cheerfully writing the kind of formulaic action movie that Kaufman finds repugnant. By its conclusion, "Adaptation" is the most artistically ambitious, most utterly cynical, and most uncategorizable movie ever to come out of Hollywood. Also starring Meryl Streep (as Susan Orlean), Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton, and Brian Cox; superb performances throughout. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Summary: Set in 2070, this videogame-based, U.S.-Japanese co-production focuses on Col. John Blade: part cyborg, part human, and all cop. When Blade and his team from the law enforcement agency Hardcorps pursue a kidnapper through the city of Freeport, they suddenly find themselves confronting a mutant monster. This first battle introduces a standard, if slipshod story involving a sinister mega-corporation, illegal human genetic experiments, high-speed chases, gore, gun fights, metamorphic creatures, blood, family vendettas, "fan service" cheesecake, and, in one memorable scene, a flesh-ripping teddy bear. Except for the teddy bear, these elements have all been used before in anime from "Akira" to "Zone of the Enders", and usually more skillfully. The "Special Edition," if anyone thinks it's special, includes a CD of the soundtrack. (Rated 15 and older, but more appropriate for viewers three years older: graphic violence, grotesque imagery, torture, profanity, brief nudity, sexual situations) "--Charles Solomon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: She thought babysitting was easy money - until she started hanging out with the Andersons.

Summary: "Way" before she grabbed an Oscar nomination for her searing performance as a world-weary prostitute in "Leaving Las Vegas", Elisabeth Shue was known as one of the squeaky-clean actresses of the '80s. Having made a splash in "The Karate Kid" and the '60s-nostalgia TV series "Call to Glory", Shue cemented her good-girl reputation with the charming but badly titled "Adventures in Babysitting". Set in the John Hughes-style suburbs of Chicago, the titular adventures follow babysitter Chris (Shue), who agrees to watch the Anderson kids (Keith Coogan and Maia Brewton) when her boyfriend cancels their anniversary date. All is quiet on the home front until Chris is called upon to rescue her best friend (Penelope Ann Miller, also doing good-girl duty) from the seedy downtown bus station. She can't leave the kids, and she can't leave her friend alone in the big bad city, so she packs everyone in the station wagon and heads into Chicago. Screwball craziness begins as they encounter car thieves, knife-wielding gangs, gun-toting truck drivers, and, worst of all, Chris's duplicitous boyfriend. It's hardly mature entertainment, but Shue makes it work; when she wins over the audience at a blues club with her improv singing, you'll be won over, too. In his directorial debut, Chris Columbus (who later went on to helm the sap-fests "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Home Alone") gently skewers the suburbia white-bread mindset of the main characters, and plays up the comedy over the schmaltz with a subtlety of which he now seems incapable; the near romance between Shue and Coogan is played lightly and adorably. Look for brief appearances by art-house faves Lolita Davidovich as a college party girl and Vincent D'Onofrio as an unlikely savior. "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English, French

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

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Remarkable. Unbelievable. Impossible. And true.

Summary: Monty Python's Terry Gilliam ("Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas") directs this wild, wild version of the stories of Baron Munchausen, pushing the limits of 1989 special effects technology to bring us such sights as a horse divided in half and running around in two parts, and a giant Robin Williams with his head flying off his shoulders. Basically, this is a treat for Gilliam fans, as the sustaining idea of the film runs out of steam, and manic energy alone keeps the momentum going. Casual viewers might find it tedious after awhile. There are nice parts for fellow Python Eric Idle, as well as Sting, Alison Steadman, and Uma Thurman as a dazzlingly beautiful Venus on a half-shell. Gilliam had greater artistic and commercial success with "Brazil", "The Fisher King", and "12 Monkeys". "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono

Summary: This 1949 Disney feature has never been available on video in its original form until now. The 68-minute film contains two shorts: "The Wind in the Willows" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". The former is a lively version of Kenneth Grahame's book of animal adventures, including Mr. Toad, a rambunctious sort with a passion for motorcars. Basil Rathbone narrates the story. "Sleepy Hollow" is the Washington Irving story of a stuffy schoolmaster and his ability to win the love of the fair Katrina from the brutish Brom Van Brunt. Many fans will see a resemblance to Disney's masterpiece created some 40 years later, "Beauty and the Beast", in style and story. The end is still scary enough to send youngsters under the table. Bing Crosby supplies the narration, character voices, and songs. The opening number in a library including two stories has been included in this good-looking restoration. The shorts were made in Disney's prime, a year before "Cinderella", and the look is wondrous. The exaggeration of Ichabod's skinny frame and his slumping horse is a glorious example. "--Doug Thomas"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: The Perfect World Meets The Perfect Assassin

Summary: Like the animated series it’s based on, "Aeon Flux" is the kind of sci-fi that’s best appreciated by the MTV generation. It’s a serious attempt at stylized, futuristic action/adventure (the title character, played by Charlize Theron, is essentially a female James Bond for the cyberpunk era) and taken for what it is, it’s not all that bad. The action takes place in the year 2415, four centuries after a virus nearly decimated the human race, leaving only five million survivors in a utopian city called Bregna. Aeon belongs to the Monicans, a secret rebel resistance force that is struggling to destroy the Goodchild regime led by its namesake, Trevor Goodchild (Martin Csokas), the ruler of Bregna and a descendant of the man who found a cure for the deadly virus. As instructed by the Handler (Frances McDormand, gamely playing along in ridiculous sci-fi regalia), Aeon is assigned to assassinate Goodchild, but there are deeper secrets to be discovered, and conspiracies to be foiled. This leads director Karyn Kusama (who fared much better with her debut feature "Girlfight") to indulge in all sorts of routine action and fast-paced gunplay, but the elusive pleasures of "Aeon Flux" are mostly found in the sleek athleticism of Theron and costar Sophie Okonedo (as a fellow Monican), who commit themselves 100% to roles that are dramatically flat yet physically dynamic. Other highlights include Aeon’s high-tech gadgetry (including an eyeball that doubles as a microsocope) and the amusing sight of Pete Postlethwaite in a costume resembling a construction-site disposal tube, but "Flux" fans may wonder what happened to the surreal, chromium sheen future that gave the MTV series its visionary appeal. As a live-action feature, "Aeon Flux" is a miscalculated exercise in cheesy style and dour tone, but it’s entertaining enough to earn a small cadre of admirers. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: The violent five-part adventure "Afro Samurai" marks both the increasing confluence of American and Japanese pop culture and the shift in Japanese depictions of African-Americans. The popularity of hip-hop in Japan has led to more positive images of blacks, including Takashi Okazaki's original manga. The "Director's Cut" contains an additional 15 minutes of footage, and is even gorier than the broadcast version on Spike TV. As a boy, Afro Samurai saw his father beheaded by the maniacal Justice. The murderer sought an ancient headband that marks the wearer as the #1 warrior in the world. As an adult, Afro seeks only revenge, cutting down anyone who blocks his path to Justice. "Afro Samurai" depicts a oddly anachronistic world that infuses cell phones, cigarette lighters, and cyber technology into traditional Japanese culture. The elongated character designs recall Peter Chung's "Aeon Flux", and much of the series is rendered in moody grays, accented by gobbets of scarlet blood. Afro is such a taciturn figure, most of the dialogue goes to his motor-mouth comrade Ninja Ninja. This big budget production features an eclectic score by Wu-Tang Clan co-founder RZA and an A-list vocal cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson and Ron Perlman. But for all its elaborate production values and over-the-top fights, "Afro Samurai" suffers from a weakness at its core: Afro is so monosyllabic and cold-blooded, he's not very interesting. His inevitable duel-to-the-death with Justice lacks the emotional punch of Spike's face-off against Vicious in "Cowboy Bebop" or Kenshin's one-on-one with Shishio in "Rurouni Kenshin". This extremely violent series is not for the faint of stomach. (Rated TV MA, suitable for ages 17 and older: graphic violence, profanity, sexual activity, grotesque imagery, nudity, risqué humor, alcohol and tobacco use) "--Charles Solomon"
More from Studio Gonzo
"Origin: Spirits of the Past"
"Trinity Blood"
"Solty Rei"
Stills from "Afro Samurai " (click for larger image)













More Samuel L. Jackson
"Snakes on a Plane"
"Shaft"
"Pulp Fiction"
More Stills " (click for larger image)

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Summary: The feature film "Resurrection" amps up the adventures of Afro Samurai, the Black warrior who debuted on Spike TV in 2007. Taciturn and deadly, Afro (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) wanders through an anachronistic, post-apocalyptic world, accompanied by motor-mouth Ninja-Ninja (also Jackson). This time, his nemesis is not the maniacal Justice from the series, but Sio (Lucy Liu), an embittered beauty who hates Afro for nearly killing her brother Jinno. She has Professor Dharman (S. Scott Bullock) recreate Afro's father from a jawbone stolen from his grave, a scheme that leads to the ultimate Oedipal showdown. The original series was rendered primarily in brooding grays, accented by spatters of red blood; "Resurrection" uses brilliant blues, oranges, and reds to underscore the conflicts. Hiphop artist RZA contributes another eclectic, moody score. But the over-the-top action can't disguise that the icy, silent Afro is a very limited character: he lacks the humanity that redeems the equally deadly swordsman Kenshin Himura in "Rurouni Kenshin". "Resurrection" is clearly intended as an installment in a ongoing franchise. Afro kills the warrior Shichigoro (Liam O'Brien) in front of Kotaro (Zachary Gordon), his adopted son. At the end of the film, Afro sees Kotaro clutching his father's sword, tells him, "Anytime you're ready," and walks into the distance. Although the many extras stress that "Afro-Samurai: Resurrection" was a Japanese-American co- production, the film is presented only in English. (Unrated, suitable for ages 17 and older: graphic violence, violence against women, profanity, sexual activity, grotesque imagery, nudity, risqué humor, alcohol and tobacco use) "--Charles Solomon"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: The violent five-part adventure "Afro Samurai" marks both the increasing confluence of American and Japanese pop culture and the shift in Japanese depictions of African-Americans. The popularity of hip-hop in Japan has led to more positive images of blacks, including Takashi Okazaki's original manga. The "Director's Cut" contains an additional 15 minutes of footage, and is even gorier than the broadcast version on Spike TV. As a boy, Afro Samurai saw his father beheaded by the maniacal Justice. The murderer sought an ancient headband that marks the wearer as the #1 warrior in the world. As an adult, Afro seeks only revenge, cutting down anyone who blocks his path to Justice. "Afro Samurai" depicts a oddly anachronistic world that infuses cell phones, cigarette lighters, and cyber technology into traditional Japanese culture. The elongated character designs recall Peter Chung's "Aeon Flux", and much of the series is rendered in moody grays, accented by gobbets of scarlet blood. Afro is such a taciturn figure, most of the dialogue goes to his motor-mouth comrade Ninja Ninja. This big budget production features an eclectic score by Wu-Tang Clan co-founder RZA and an A-list vocal cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson and Ron Perlman. But for all its elaborate production values and over-the-top fights, "Afro Samurai" suffers from a weakness at its core: Afro is so monosyllabic and cold-blooded, he's not very interesting. His inevitable duel-to-the-death with Justice lacks the emotional punch of Spike's face-off against Vicious in "Cowboy Bebop" or Kenshin's one-on-one with Shishio in "Rurouni Kenshin". This extremely violent series is not for the faint of stomach. (Rated TV MA, suitable for ages 17 and older: graphic violence, profanity, sexual activity, grotesque imagery, nudity, risqué humor, alcohol and tobacco use) "--Charles Solomon"
More from Studio Gonzo
"Origin: Spirits of the Past"
"Trinity Blood"
"Solty Rei"
Stills from "Afro Samurai " (click for larger image)













More Samuel L. Jackson
"Snakes on a Plane"
"Shaft"
"Pulp Fiction"
More Stills " (click for larger image)

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: The "Rocky" formula nearly wears out its welcome in "Against the Ropes", a highly fictionalized feel-good drama based on the life of pioneering female boxing promoter Jackie Kallen. In an egregious effort to distill the essence of Kallen's achievement, director Charles S. Dutton (who fared better with HBO's "The Corner") has strictly played it safe, delivering a foregone conclusion almost from the very first scene. Burdened with a by-the-numbers screenplay by Cheryl Edwards ("Save the Last Dance"), the film gets a much-needed boost from Meg Ryan, playing Kallen as a brassy, smoky-voiced dynamo, rising to the challenge when a rival promoter (played with fierce bravado by Tony Shalhoub) dares her to play hardball in a male-dominated sport. Jackie's trump cards are Luther (Omar Epps), a promising contender with untried talent, and a once-legendary trainer (played by director Dutton) coaxed out of retirement to guide Luther to the middleweight championship. No surprises here, just a handful of energetic performances, an abundance of raw ambition, obligatory setbacks, and the nagging feeling that you've seen it all before. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Harrison Ford is the President of the United States.

Summary: You know that old dramatic principle of suspension of disbelief? You'll have to rely on it for this box-office smash, but you won't be disappointed. Harrison Ford plays a U.S. president who single-handedly employs his rigid antiterrorism policy when a band of Russian thugs hatch a mid-flight takeover of Air Force One. Gary Oldman, who chews the scenery as the lead terrorist, will shoot a hostage at the slightest provocation. Glenn Close plays the sternly pragmatic vice president who negotiates with Oldman from her Washington seat of power. If you can believe that the aircraft's pressurized cabin can sustain hundreds of rounds of machine-gun fire, you'll buy anything in this entertaining potboiler, especially thanks to Ford's stalwart heroics and some nifty special effects. Director Wolfgang Petersen ("Das Boot") keeps the action moving so fast you won't be sweating the details. Don't forget your parachute! "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Harrison Ford is the President of the United States.

Summary: You know that old dramatic principle of suspension of disbelief? You'll have to rely on it for this box-office smash, but you won't be disappointed. Harrison Ford plays a U.S. president who single-handedly employs his rigid antiterrorism policy when a band of Russian thugs hatch a mid-flight takeover of Air Force One. Gary Oldman, who chews the scenery as the lead terrorist, will shoot a hostage at the slightest provocation. Glenn Close plays the sternly pragmatic vice president who negotiates with Oldman from her Washington seat of power. If you can believe that the aircraft's pressurized cabin can sustain hundreds of rounds of machine-gun fire, you'll buy anything in this entertaining potboiler, especially thanks to Ford's stalwart heroics and some nifty special effects. Director Wolfgang Petersen ("Das Boot") keeps the action moving so fast you won't be sweating the details. Don't forget your parachute! "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Sometimes the things we can't change...end up changing us.

Summary: Every so often a crime drama with delusions of existential grandeur comes ambling down the pike. Sometimes, as in Tom Tykwer's "Run Lola Run", a philosophically-inclined filmmaker strikes cinematic gold. If video director Jieho Lee's erratic debut falls short of that estimable mark, he can't be faulted for lack of ambition. Set in an anonymous urban metropolis and divided into the four pillars of life--happiness, pleasure, sorrow, and love--"The Air I Breathe" means to illustrate Henry Ward Beecher's opening epigram: "No emotion, anymore than a wave, can long retain its own individual form." A mild-mannered stockbroker representing happiness ("The Last King of Scotland"'s Forest Whitaker) kickstarts this disquisition into destiny when he decides to take a risk (all four principals are unnamed). Inspired by a coolly confident client who stands for pleasure (Brendan Fraser), he places an unwieldy bet on a fixed race, attracting the attention of sadistic loan shark Fingers (Andy Garcia, doing his best Al Pacino impression). Fraser's character reports to the latter, who manages sorrowful pop star "Trista" (Sarah Michelle Gellar, last seen in the equally strange "Southland Tales"). The psychic henchman also looks after his employer's motormouth nephew, Tony (an uncharacteristically unconvincing Emile Hirsch). The lovelorn doctor (Kevin Bacon) who treats the hitman after an injury turns to Trista when his best friend's wife (Julie Delpy) falls ill. Whew. Inconsistent acting and clunky dialogue aside, "The Air I Breathe" infuses conventional genre thrills with introspection to intermittently engaging effect. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: You've read the ad, now see the movie!

Summary: The quintessential movie spoof that spawned an entire genre of parody films, the original "Airplane!" still holds up as one of the brightest comedic gems of the '80s, not to mention of cinema itself (it ranked in the top 5 of "Entertainment Weekly"'s list of the 100 funniest movies ever made). The humor may be low and obvious at times, but the jokes keep coming at a rapid-fire clip and its targets--primarily the lesser lights of '70s cinema, from disco films to star-studded disaster epics--are more than worthy for send-up. If you've seen even one of the overblown "Airport" movies then you know the plot: the crew of a filled-to-capacity jetliner is wiped out and it's up to a plucky stewardess and a shell-shocked fighter pilot to land the plane. Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty are the heroes who have a history that includes a meet-cute à la "Saturday Night Fever", a surf scene right out of "From Here to Eternity", a Peace Corps trip to Africa to teach the natives the benefits of Tupperware and basketball, a war-ravaged recovery room with a G.I. who thinks he's Ethel Merman (a hilarious cameo)--and those are just the flashbacks! The jokes gleefully skirt the boundaries of bad taste (pilot Peter Graves to a juvenile cockpit visitor: "Joey, have you ever seen a grown man naked?"), with the high (low?) point being Hagerty's intimate involvement with the blow-up automatic pilot doll, but they'll have you rolling on the floor. The film launched the careers of collaborators Jim Abrahams ("Big Business"), David Zucker ("Ruthless People"), and Jerry Zucker ("Ghost"), as well as revitalized such B-movie actors as Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Robert Stack, and Leslie Nielsen, who built a second career on films like this. A vital part of any video collection. "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Hip spy shows with covert agencies within agencies--like "Alias" and "24"--are missing only one thing: A super-duper armor-plated helicopter with "nuclear-tipped shrike missiles." In the action series "Airwolf", a mysterious national security agency called the Firm constructs a "Mach-one-plus chopper that can kick butt," only to have it stolen by the nefarious scientist who designed it (David Hemmings, "Blowup", "Barbarella"). Desperate, the Firm turns to Stringfellow Hawke (Jan Michael Vincent), a soulful, cello-playing, art-loving, eagle-watching, guilt-ridden master pilot. Hawke refuses to help unless the Firm searches for his brother, who went MIA in 'Nam. Of course, he succeeds in his mission, but until the Firm fulfills its side of the bargain, he keeps the chopper--but also agrees to fly covert missions in exchange for tips about government efforts to retrieve Airwolf.
This elaborate setup proves surprisingly durable. The combat scenes in "Airwolf" are clumsily edited, but the scripts--though firmly in the cheesy techno-thriller vein of Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy--are pleasantly zippy. While Vincent may have gone on to a straight-to-video career (appearing in such sterling titles as "Hidden Obsession", "Indecent Behavior", and "Animal Instincts"), he’s a persuasive and sexy pilot; he's got the same kind of rangy, athletic physicality that makes Kevin Costner convincing as an athlete. Add to this mix the ever-zesty Ernest Borgnine ("Marty", "The Wild Bunch") and it's clear why "Airwolf" outlived the similar series "Blue Thunder". Most episodes feature international skullduggery with foreign agents trying to steal Airwolf and sell it to the Soviets or Libya, but there are enough clever details to keep you from objecting to the larger absurdity of the all-powerful helicopter. Guest stars include Shannen Doherty ("Beverly Hills 90210") and David Carradine ("Kill Bill"). It's too bad Hemmings didn't become a regular; his sadistic, lecherous traitor gave the two-hour pilot some real juice. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Die happily ever after!

Summary: Jan-Michael Vincent stars in "Airwolf" as Stringfellow Hawke, who, with trusty sidekick Dominic Santini (Ernest Borgnine), embarks on perilous missions for a top secret agency known as The Firm, which in turn allows him fairly free rein as he searches for his long lost brother. Vincent, then 40 years old, was still a year or two away from ruining his career with substance abuse problems, but his work here is hardly of Emmy-winning caliber; indeed, it's a lazy performance pretty much devoid of emotional resonance. Borgnine, on the other hand, is always reliable, but even the former Oscar winner (in 1955, for "Marty") can't overcome "Airwolf"'s procession of cardboard characters (especially the villains) and credulity-challenging scripts, which find our heroes traveling to a Laotian prison camp, battling nuclear terrorists in California, rescuing the president of a South American banana republic, investigating a religious cult, fending off jungle cats kept on a Texas hunting ranch, and saving a country singer from the nefarious machinations of her manager-husband, among other silliness. In fairness, creator-executive producer Donald Bellisario (who also brought us "Magnum, P.I.", "Quantum Leap", and "JAG") and his team make an effort to inject a human element; there's an episode in which Dominic is arrested for murdering his faithless wife, and a couple that find the guilt-ridden Hawke searching for his brother, Saint John (pronounced "Sinjin"), who was presumed lost during the Vietnam War when Stringfellow left him in the jungle. What's more, considering its relatively ancient pedigree, technology-wise, the effects work isn't bad, and there are some cool moments when the Airwolf helicopter does what it does best (i.e., blow stuff up).
It's unlikely that anyone will fondly look back at "Airwolf" as one of television's finest moments. That doesn't mean that this five-disc set containing all 22 episodes from the series' second season (1984-85) won't find an audience eager to re-live the adventures of a super high-tech helicopter and the renegade flyboy who pilots it (heck, even "Knight Rider", featuring David Hasselhoff and his talking car, has its adherents). Nonetheless, low expectations are definitely in order for anyone who wasn't, say, ten years old when the show was on the air.But overall, the show lacks a strong vibe, a recognizable sense of style and pace to draw viewers in and make believers out of us. Not terrible, not terrific, "Airwolf" is just sort of there. "--Sam Graham"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Adventure goes sky-high with all 22 Season 3 episodes of Airwolf! On DVD for the first time, this five-DVD set showcases all the high-tech gadgetry, action-packed stunts and death-defying missions that made this landmark TV series. Reunite with Jan-Michael Vincent as Stringfellow Hawke, Airwolf's renegade pilot, as he rescues the innocent, diffuses illegal weaponry, and battles those who would use Airwolf's super-chopper power for their own treacherous goals. Along for the ride are Hawke's friend Dominic Santini (Ernest Borgnine) and the mysterious "Archangel" (Alex Cord) in this must-own TV series collection for every action fan! You won't believe your eyes in these suspenseful episodes that are now cleared for takeoff!

Languages: English, Japanese

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 4.0

Comments: Neo-Tokyo is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E.

Summary: Artist-writer Katsuhiro Ôtomo began telling the story of Akira as a comic book series in 1982 but took a break from 1986 to 1988 to write, direct, supervise, and design this animated film version. Set in 2019, the film richly imagines the new metropolis of Neo-Tokyo, which is designed from huge buildings down to the smallest details of passing vehicles or police uniforms. Two disaffected orphan teenagers--slight, resentful Tetsuo and confident, breezy Kaneda--run with a biker gang, but trouble grows when Tetsuo start to resent the way Kaneda always has to rescue him. Meanwhile, a group of scientists, military men, and politicians wonder what to do with a collection of withered children who possess enormous psychic powers, especially the mysterious, rarely seen Akira, whose awakening might well have caused the end of the old world. Tetsuo is visited by the children, who trigger the growth of psychic and physical powers that might make him a superman or a supermonster. As befits a distillation of 1,318 pages of the story so far, "Akira" is overstuffed with character, incident, and detail. However, it piles up astonishing set pieces: the chases and shootouts (amazingly kinetic, amazingly bloody) benefit from minute cartoon detail that extends to the surprised or shocked faces of the tiniest extra; the Tetsuo monster alternately looks like a billion-gallon scrotal sac or a Tex Avery mutation of the monster from "The Quatermass Experiment"; and the finale--which combines flashbacks to more innocent days with a destruction of Neo City and the creation of a new universe--is one of the most mind-bending in all sci-fi cinema. "--Kim Newman"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Wish granted! (DVD re-release)

Summary: Disney's 1992 animated feature is a triumph of wit and skill. The high-tech artwork and graphics look great, the characters are strong, the familiar story is nicely augmented with an interesting villain (Jafar, voiced by Jonathan Freeman), and there's an incredible hook atop the whole thing: Robin Williams's frantically hilarious vocal performance as Aladdin's genie. Even if one isn't particularly moved by the love story between the title character (Scott Weinger) and his girlfriend Jasmine (Linda Larkin), you can easily get lost in Williams's improvisational energy and the equally entertaining performances of Freeman and Gilbert Gottfried (as Jafar's parrot). "--Tom Keogh"

Summary:

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: They stood firing until they could stand no longer...156 MEN AGAINST A RAGING ARMY OF 7000!

Summary: Despite a troubled production history including a switch in directors, budget overruns, and delayed release dates, "The Alamo" turned out to be a remarkably intelligent mini-epic of corrective historical biography. Dispensing with the grandiose myth-making of previous films on this subject (including John Wayne's gung-ho 1960 version), this well-written film breathes new, credibly dimensional life into the stodgy legends of Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton), Jim Bowie (Jason Patric), and Lt. Col. William Travis (Patrick Wilson), who fought with 185 Anglo-"Texican" settlers (some historians claim their numbers were closer to 250) during the bloody 13-day siege by 5,000 Mexican soldiers at the titular San Antonio mission-turned-fortress in 1836. While Gen. Sam Houston (Dennis Quaid) anguishes over military strategy and reluctantly withholds much-needed support, the Alamo defenders face the unbeatable multitudes commanded by Mexican Gen. Santa Anna (Emilio Echevarria), and the screenplay (on which John Sayles was an early contributor, when Ron Howard was slated to direct) allows the central heroes to reveal a richer, more substantial humanity beneath their mythic reputations. Tackling his biggest production to date, director John Lee Hancock (who previously worked with Quaid on "The Rookie") reportedly shot 100 hours of footage, so it's almost miraculous that this 135-minute battle drama is so evenly balanced in telling its oft-told tale. Thornton was deservedly singled out for his fine performance, and Dean Semler's cinematography is Oscar-worthy throughout. Of course, any film about the Alamo necessarily includes speculative history, and this one's no exception, but it's got a ring of truth that previous versions conspicuously lacked. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Fortune favors the bold

Summary: For better or worse (and in this case, it's mostly for better), Oliver Stone's "Alexander Revisited" should stand as the definitive version of Stone's much-maligned epic about the great Asian conqueror. Following the DVD release of his previous Director's Cut, Stone offers a video introduction here, explaining why he felt a "third" and final attempt at refining his film was necessary. Essentially, he's using this opportunity to re-create the "road show" format of the Biblical epics of the 1950s and '60s, with a three-and-a-half-hour running time (with an intermission at the two-hour mark) including 45 minutes of previously unseen footage. Stone has also significantly restructured the film, resulting in substantial (if not exactly redemptive) improvements in its narrative flow. Alexander (played in a torrent of emotions by Colin Farrell) is dying as the film opens, his final moments serving to bookend the film's epic story, which incorporates flashback sequences to flesh out the Macedonian king's back-story involving the turbulent battle of fate between his father, King Philip (Val Kilmer) and his scheming sorceress mother Olympia (Angelina Jolie, ridiculous accent and all), who insists that Alexander is literally a child of the gods.
In Stone's final cut, epic battles remain chaotic (although Alexander's strategy is somewhat easier to follow, with on-screen titles indicating left, right, and center during his army's greatest maneuvers) and the ultra-violent battles are more graphically gory than ever (hence their "unrated" status). The animalistic lovemaking of Alexander and his barbarian bride Roxana (Rosario Dawson) is slightly extended (with Dawson as ravishing as ever), and Stone's additional footage also improves the overall arc of Alexander's relationship with his closest generals and male companions, although his most intimate homosexual encounters remain mostly discreet. As "Alexander Revisited" makes clear, the film's weaknesses remain unavoidable, but Stone deserves credit for recognizing how a longer running time, and more disciplined narrative structure, would bring "Alexander" closer to the respect it never earned from critics and filmgoers alike. This is unquestionably a better film than it used to be, leaving us to wonder why it took three separate efforts to shape "Alexander" into its best possible presentation. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Fortune favors the bold

Summary: For better or worse (and in this case, it's mostly for better), Oliver Stone's "Alexander Revisited" should stand as the definitive version of Stone's much-maligned epic about the great Asian conqueror. Following the DVD release of his previous Director's Cut, Stone offers a video introduction here, explaining why he felt a "third" and final attempt at refining his film was necessary. Essentially, he's using this opportunity to re-create the "road show" format of the Biblical epics of the 1950s and '60s, with a three-and-a-half-hour running time (with an intermission at the two-hour mark) including 45 minutes of previously unseen footage. Stone has also significantly restructured the film, resulting in substantial (if not exactly redemptive) improvements in its narrative flow. Alexander (played in a torrent of emotions by Colin Farrell) is dying as the film opens, his final moments serving to bookend the film's epic story, which incorporates flashback sequences to flesh out the Macedonian king's back-story involving the turbulent battle of fate between his father, King Philip (Val Kilmer) and his scheming sorceress mother Olympia (Angelina Jolie, ridiculous accent and all), who insists that Alexander is literally a child of the gods.
In Stone's final cut, epic battles remain chaotic (although Alexander's strategy is somewhat easier to follow, with on-screen titles indicating left, right, and center during his army's greatest maneuvers) and the ultra-violent battles are more graphically gory than ever (hence their "unrated" status). The animalistic lovemaking of Alexander and his barbarian bride Roxana (Rosario Dawson) is slightly extended (with Dawson as ravishing as ever), and Stone's additional footage also improves the overall arc of Alexander's relationship with his closest generals and male companions, although his most intimate homosexual encounters remain mostly discreet. As "Alexander Revisited" makes clear, the film's weaknesses remain unavoidable, but Stone deserves credit for recognizing how a longer running time, and more disciplined narrative structure, would bring "Alexander" closer to the respect it never earned from critics and filmgoers alike. This is unquestionably a better film than it used to be, leaving us to wonder why it took three separate efforts to shape "Alexander" into its best possible presentation. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Comments: In space no one can hear you scream.

Summary: "Ali" is a rush of charm, violence, and well-crafted mythmaking sure to enthrall. From the unforgettable surge of the opening--a 10-minute montage of sheer brilliance where formative scenes from the early life of Cassius Clay float along on the rapture of a live performance by Sam Cooke in a Harlem nightclub--through to Muhammad Ali's departure for Zaire to fight George Foreman, Michael Mann's homage is mostly crisp and fleet-footed. As Clay/Ali, Will Smith acquits himself marvelously due in large part to his uncanny re-creation of Ali's most famous weapon, his mesmerizing voice. Indeed, the best scenes throughout showcase Ali's verbal rather than pugilistic sparring; whether with his entourage (notably Jamie Foxx), Howard Cosell (Jon Voight), or Don King (Mykelti Williamson), Michael Mann's Ali has the same authoritative wit and ability to surprise that so disarmed the public. The news conferences and behind-the-scenes banter are exquisitely re-created; not so Ali's flaws. Mann's attempt to depict Ali's womanizing, his dubious affiliation with the Nation of Islam, and his insatiable need for the spotlight seems halfhearted and laborious in comparison to the film's enlivened adoration of its subject. As the sluggish second half of the film betrays, "Ali" is at its impressionistic best when it's in awe rather than when it explains. "--Fionn Meade"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Walt Disney seems to have had a special affection for Lewis Carroll's "Alice" stories. "Alice's Wonderland" (1923), a short about a live-action little girl in a cartoon world, led to his first successful series, the "Alice" comedies (collected on "Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities--Celebrated Shorts, 1920s -1960s"). During the early '30s, he talked about making an animation/live-action feature of "Alice in Wonderland" with Mary Pickford in the title role. But almost two decades would elapse before Disney released his "Alice". It's the most uneven of the classic Disney features, juxtaposing brilliant and dull sequences. The Mad Tea Party, the Queen of Hearts' Croquet Game, and Alice's encounters with the Caterpillar and Cheshire Cat fuse the spirit of Carroll's words, the vitality of the polished animation, and the stylized look and brilliant palette of designer Mary Blair. But the song "I Give Myself Very Good Advice" and the unsatisfying adaptation of "The Walrus and Carpenter" bring the story to a halt. Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" remains a beloved film, and its better moments are truly magical. (Rated G: cartoon violence, some scary moments, tobacco use) "--Charles Solomon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Imaginatively rendered but slightly chilly, this 1951 Disney adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic is also appropriately surreal. Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) has all the anticipated experiences: shrinking and growing, meeting the White Rabbit, having tea with the Mad Hatter, etc. Characterization is very strong, and the Disney team worked hard to bring screen personality to Carroll's eccentric creations. For a Disney film, however, it seems more the self-satisfied sum of its inventiveness than a truly engaging experience. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Stills from Alice in Wonderland

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: A behind the scenes look at the making of 'Alien'

Summary: An interesting feature of "Alien", "Aliens", "Alien 3", and "Alien Resurrection", worth watching together if only for the chance to see how different directors handle essentially the same idea. The results are decidedly mixed. Ridley Scott's "Alien" is the most traditional of the bunch, essentially a haunted-house picture set on a space freighter, where a monster is picking off crew members one by one. James Cameron's "Aliens" is the all-out adrenaline bath, a pulse-pounding action thriller from start to finish. It plays a little like a Western in outer space, where the settlers are waiting for a cavalry that never comes--and the Indians are acid-veined aliens. And David Fincher's "Alien 3" is the rock-video version, in which substance and storytelling are sacrificed to editing and imagery, as the aliens attempt to take over a space penal colony. "--Marshall Fine"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: DTS Surround Sound

Comments: WILD is the Word For This World!

Summary: The "Alien Quadrilogy" is a nine-disc boxed set devoted to the four "Alien" films. Although previously available on DVD as the "Alien Legacy", here they have been repackaged with vastly more extras and with upgraded sound and picture. For anyone who hasn't been in hypersleep for the last 25 years, this series needs no introduction, though for the first time each film now comes in both original and "special edition" form.
"Alien" (1979) was so perfect it didn't need fixing, and Ridley Scott's 2003 director's cut is fiddling for the sake of fiddling. Watch it once, then return to the majestic, perfectly paced original. Conversely, the special edition of James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986) is the definitive version, though it's nice to finally have the theatrical cut on DVD for comparison. Most interesting is the alternative "Alien 3" (1992). This isn't a "director's cut"--David Fincher refused to have any involvement with this release--but a 1991 work-print that runs 29 minutes longer than the theatrical version, and has now been restored, remastered, and finished off with (unfortunately) cheap new CGI. Still, it's truly fascinating, offering a different insight into a flawed masterpiece. The expanded opening is visually breathtaking, the central firestorm is much longer, and a subplot involving Paul McGann's character adds considerable depth to story. The ending is also subtly but significantly different. "Alien: Resurrection" (1997) always was a mess with a handful of brilliant scenes, and the special edition just makes it eight minutes longer.
The "Alien Quadrilogy" offers the first and fourth films with DTS soundtracks, the others having still fine Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation. All four films sound fantastic, with much low-level detail revealed for the first time. Each is anamorphically enhanced at the correct original aspect ratio, and the prints and transfers are superlative. Every film offers a commentary track that lends insight into the creative process--though the Scott-only commentary and isolated music score from the first "Alien" DVD release are missing here.
Each movie is complemented by a separate disc packed with hours of seriously detailed documentaries (all presented in full-screen with clips letterboxed), thousands of photos, production stills, and storyboards, giving a level of inside information for the dedicated buff only surpassed by the "Lord of the Rings" extended DVD sets. A ninth DVD compiles miscellaneous material, including an hourlong documentary and even all the extras from the old "Alien" laserdisc. "Exhaustive" hardly beings to describe the "Alien Quadrilogy", a set that establishes the new DVD benchmark for retrospective releases and looks unlikely to be surpassed for some time. "--Gary S. Dalkin"

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Whoever wins... We lose.

Summary: In delivering PG-13-rated excitement, "Alien vs. Predator" is an acceptably average science-fiction action thriller with some noteworthy highlights, even if it squanders its opportunity to intelligently combine two popular and R-rated franchises. Rabid fans can justifiably ask "Is that all there is?" after a decade of development hell and eager anticipation, but we're compensated by reasonably logical connections to the "Alien" legacy and the still-kicking "Predator" franchise (which hinted at "AVP" rivalry at the end of "Predator 2"); some cleverly claustrophobic sets, tense atmosphere and impressive digital effects; and a climactic "AVP" smackdown that's not half bad. This disposable junk should've been better, but nobody who's seen "Mortal Kombat" or "Resident Evil" should be surprised by writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson's lack of imagination. As a brisk, 90-minute exercise in generic thrills, however, Anderson's work is occasionally impressive... right up to his shameless opening for yet another sequel. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Italian, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Whoever wins... We lose.

Summary: In delivering PG-13-rated excitement, "Alien vs. Predator" is an acceptably average science-fiction action thriller with some noteworthy highlights, even if it squanders its opportunity to intelligently combine two popular and R-rated franchises. Rabid fans can justifiably ask "Is that all there is?" after a decade of development hell and eager anticipation, but we're compensated by reasonably logical connections to the "Alien" legacy and the still-kicking "Predator" franchise (which hinted at "AVP" rivalry at the end of "Predator 2"); some cleverly claustrophobic sets, tense atmosphere and impressive digital effects; and a climactic "AVP" smackdown that's not half bad. This disposable junk should've been better, but nobody who's seen "Mortal Kombat" or "Resident Evil" should be surprised by writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson's lack of imagination. As a brisk, 90-minute exercise in generic thrills, however, Anderson's work is occasionally impressive... right up to his shameless opening for yet another sequel. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: This Christmas there will be no peace on Earth.

Summary: For those who found 2004's "Aliens vs. Predator" too lightweight in the gore-and-guns department, "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" offers a marked improvement in both categories, as well as a respectable amount of rumbles between the title extraterrestrials. Set in the 21st century (which predates the story to all of the "Alien" features), "Requiem" sends a crippled Predator ship crashing to Earth in a small Colorado town; unbeknownst to the locals, the craft is loaded with H.R. Giger's insectoid monsters, which make quick work of most of the population. As the human cast is slowly whittled to a few hardy (if unmemorable) souls, a Predator warrior also arrives to complicate matters and do battle with the Aliens, as well as a ferocious alien-Predator hybrid (dubbed a Predalien by the sci-fi and horror press). Visual-effects designers and music-video helmers The Strause Brothers (who make their feature directorial debut here) keep the action on frantic throughout, which is wise, since the dialogue and characters are threadbare at best; that should matter little to teenage male viewers, who are inarguably the film's key audience. Fans of the "Alien" franchise, however, may find the offhanded nod to the series' mythology given during the finale its sole saving grace. --"Paul Gaita"


Beyond "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem"
More from the "Alien" Series
"AVP" Customer Community
More blu-ray sci-fi from Fox

Stills from "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: "All Dogs Go To Heaven" is a musical, animated exploration of the fundamental conflict between good and bad and of the notions of caring and friendship. While all dogs may be welcome in heaven, the open admission policy doesn't necessarily ensure that a dog is worthy of, or even ready to accept his heavenly blessing. When criminal dog Charlie Barker (Burt Reynolds) and his sidekick Itchy (Dom DeLuise) escape from the dog pound, it isn't long before they realize that former business partner-in-crime Carface (Vic Taybak) has turned against them. Carface puts a permanent end to the partnership by killing Charlie, but Charlie ascends to heaven only to spurn his promised life devoid of surprises and fight to return to a life of vengeance, danger, and adventure on earth. When Charlie realizes that Carface has been using the animal-talking talents of young orphan girl named Anne-Marie (Judith Barsi) to further the success of his gambling business, Charlie steals her away and starts his own lucrative business venture. Charlie and Anne-Marie begin to become friends, but Anne-Marie's strong sense of what is right conflicts with Charlie's complete lack of moral standards and puts their friendship at risk. Worse, Charlie's quest for revenge threatens his own life as well as the lives of his friends Anne-Marie and Itchy. (Ages 6 and older) "--Tami Horiuchi"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: Richard Chamberlain returns in The sequel to "King Solomon's Mines"

Summary: Despite the critical drubbing and box-office failure of "King Solomon's Mines" (1985), Cannon Films released this sequel two years later, again featuring Richard Chamberlain as adventurer Allan Quatermain and a pre-"Basic Instinct" Sharon Stone; the result is marginally better than its predecessor, and may please "bad film" fans. This time around, Quatermain is seeking his brother (Martin Rabbett), who has disappeared while on an expedition to locate a legendary white tribe in Africa. Quatermain's search leads him to the title city, which is controlled by evil Henry Silva (overacting with relish). Director Gary Nelson and returning writer Gene Quintano achieve a few more half-hearted laughs here than in its predecessor, and the cast, which includes James Earl Jones and Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson, do their best with the material, but this can't hold a candle to the 1937 and 1950 film versions of "King Solomon's Mines". "--Paul Gaita"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "Almost Famous" is the movie Cameron Crowe has been waiting a lifetime to tell. The fictionalization of Crowe's days as a teenage reporter for "Creem" and "Rolling Stone" has all the well-written characters and wonderful "movie moments" that we expect from Crowe ("Jerry Maguire"), but the film has an intangible something extra--an insider's touch that will turn the film into "the" ode to '70s rock & roll for years to come. We are introduced to Crowe's alter ego, William Miller (Patrick Fugit), at home, where his progressive mom (Frances McDormand, just superb) has outlawed rock music and sister Anita (Zooey Deschanel) has slipped him LPs that will "set his mind free." Following the wisdom of "Creem"'s disheveled editor, Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman in an instant-classic performance), Miller gets on the inside with the up-and-coming band Stillwater (a fictionalized mixture of the Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, and others). A simple visit with the band turns into a three-week, life-altering odyssey into the heyday of American rock. Of the characters he meets on the road, the two most important are groupie extraordinaire Penny Lane (Kate Hudson in a star-making performance) and Stillwater's enigmatic lead guitarist (Billy Crudup), who keeps stringing Miller along for an interview. From the handwritten credits (done by Crowe) to the bittersweet finale, Crowe's comedic valentine is an indelible, heartbreaking romance of music, women, and the privilege of youth. "--Doug Thomas"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: The game is far from over.

Summary: After an obligatory prologue in which its detective hero suffers a tragic professional setback, "Along Came a Spider" sets about its business of luring the viewer into its nefarious plot, relying on the magician's technique of misdirection to reveal a double-whammy surprise. The clever, late-coming plot twist is a bit too mechanical but effectively unexpected, making this a satisfying prequel to the hit thriller "Kiss the Girls"--based on the first of James Patterson's Alex Cross detective novels--and a welcomed addition to a promising movie franchise. It's no better or worse than a good vintage episode of Peter Falk's "Columbo", adhering closely to the mystery-thriller's time-honored traditions, but with Morgan Freeman settling comfortably into his role as seasoned sleuth Alex Cross, familiar formula is given fresh vitality.
When a senator's daughter is kidnapped from her high-security private school, the kidnapper (nicely played by the underrated Michael Wincott) draws Cross into the case, knowing that the psychologist-detective's involvement will bring high-profile publicity. Cross partners with the Secret Service agent (Monica Potter) who botched her assignment, but wait... the movie's got a rabbit in its hat... and that rabbit has an ace up its sleeve... and director Lee Tamahori (who brought similar intensity to "The Edge") handles the sleight-of-hand with slick precision, dispensing just enough information to keep the viewer off guard without resorting to cheap manipulation. Don't look for much depth of character here, but "Along Came a Spider" is well served by everyone involved. It's the movie equivalent of a bestseller you'd impulsively buy at the grocery-store checkout, and on those terms it succeeds. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Comments: For the most cautious man on Earth, life is about to get interesting.

Summary: Opposites are forced to attract in "Along Came Polly", a dose of featherweight fluff that could've been better and could've been worse--surely no pairing of Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston can be a complete waste of time, right? Faint praise indeed, but fans of these mainstream funny-folk will enjoy this movie as a lazy-weekend distraction. Ben's a newlywed insurance risk-assessment analyst whose wife (Debra Messing, in a throwaway role) betrays him on their honeymoon. His uptight, play-it-safe lifestyle (which includes acute aversion to germs and irritable bowel syndrome) makes him seemingly incompatible with the spontaneous, free-spirited Polly (Aniston), but writer-director John Hamburg (whose writing credits include the previous Stiller hits "Meet the Parents" and "Zoolander") is determined to give them at least the "appearance" of romantic potential. No such luck. You will, however, get a few laughs from supporting players Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bryan Brown, and Alec Baldwin. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Amadeus. The man. The music. The magic. The madness. The murder. The mystery. The motion picture.

Summary: The satirical sensibilities of writer Peter Shaffer and director Milos Forman ("One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest") were ideally matched in this Oscar-winning movie adaptation of Shaffer's hit play about the rivalry between two composers in the court of Austrian Emperor Joseph II--official royal composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), and the younger but superior prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). The conceit is absolutely delicious: Salieri secretly loathes Mozart's crude and bratty personality, but is astounded by the beauty of his music. That's the heart of Salieri's torment--although he's in a unique position to recognize and cultivate both Mozart's talent and career, he's also consumed with envy and insecurity in the face of such genius. That such magnificent music should come from such a vulgar little creature strikes Salieri as one of God's cruelest jokes, and it drives him insane. "Amadeus" creates peculiar and delightful contrasts between the impeccably re-created details of its lavish period setting and the jarring (but humorously refreshing and unstuffy) modern tone of its dialogue and performances--all of which serve to remind us that these were people before they became enshrined in historical and artistic legend. Jeffrey Jones, best-known as Ferris Bueller's principal, is particularly wonderful as the bumbling emperor (with the voice of a modern midlevel businessman). The film's eight Oscars include statuettes for Best Director Forman, Best Actor Abraham (Hulce was also nominated), Best Screenplay, and Best Picture. "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Amadeus. The man. The music. The magic. The madness. The murder. The mystery. The motion picture.

Summary: A note-perfect cinematic event whose immortality was assured from its opening night, "Amadeus" is an unlikely candidate for the director's-cut treatment. Like one of Mozart's operas, the multiple Oscar-winning theatrical version seemed perfectly formed from the outset--ideal casting, costumes, sets, cinematography, lighting, screenplay, music, music, music--so the reinstatement of an extra 20 minutes simply risks adding "too many notes." Yet though this extended cut can hardly be said to improve a picture that needed no improvement, it does at least flesh out a couple of small subplots and shed new light on certain key scenes. Here we learn why Constanze Mozart bears such ill will towards Salieri when she discovers him at her husband's deathbed, and we see deeper into the reasons why Mozart has no students. The structure of the picture is otherwise unaltered.
The director's cut of "Amadeus" finally accords this masterful work the DVD treatment it deserves. The handsome anamorphic widescreen picture is accompanied by a choice of Dolby 5.1 or Dolby stereo sound options, and it's all contained on one side of the disc. Director Milos Forman and writer Peter Shaffer provide a chatty though sporadic commentary, but they're obviously still too mesmerized by the movie to do much more than offer the odd anecdote. The second disc contains an excellent new hour-long "making of" documentary, with contributions from Forman, Shaffer, Sir Neville Marriner, and all the main actors, taking in the scriptwriting, choice of music, casting, and problems involved in filming in Communist Czechoslovakia with half the crew and extras working for the Secret Police. "--Mark Walker"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: "Control"'s Anton Corbijn gives the crime film a distinctly European twist in this understated thriller (think "The Day of the Jackal"). A trim George Clooney plays Jack, a hit man who relocates from Sweden to Italy after assailants try to take his life. Jack's handler (Johan Leysen) advises him not to make any friends, which proves easier said than done. Ensconced in medieval Abruzzo, the assassin passes himself off as a photographer (in Martin Booth's novel, "A Very Private Gentleman", he claimed to be an illustrator), but he's actually customizing an assault rifle for Mathilde (Thekla Reuten), his female counterpart. Upon his excursions through town, Jack meets Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli), who senses he has something to confess--"A priest sees everything," he explains--but Jack would prefer to share a brandy. He also befriends Clara, a prostitute (Violante Placido, perfectly comfortable with onscreen nudity). What starts out as a sexual relationship deepens as Jack's sensitive side--he has a thing for butterflies--emerges, but then the Swedes discover his hiding place, and Jack develops doubts about his lady friends, leading to a showdown that plays like a scene from an old Western, a debt Corbijn acknowledges when Jack chances upon a broadcast of "Once upon a Time in the West". If the conclusion doesn't cut as deep as the director intends, his admirable restraint throughout keeps the tension at a low boil, while Clooney tamps down his charisma to play a dogged professional with redemption on his mind. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street, "American Beauty" moves 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"

Languages: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: From its first gliding aerial shot of a generic suburban street, "American Beauty" moves 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"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Whether "American Dad!" will ever enjoy "Family Guy"'s cult status remains to be seen, but the first 13 episodes of its inaugural season, collected in this extras-laden three-disc set, are promising. After a few episodes, CIA agent Stan Smith and family gradually emerge from the Griffins' formidable shadow, and the show finds its own comic voice. And it sounds a lot like Paul Lynde. That would be Roger (voiced by Seth McFarlane), the housebound alien who saved Stan's life at Area 51 and now lives with the Smiths. Not as inspired a creation is Klaus, the German-accented goldfish who lusts after Stan's wife, Francine. He does, though, have an inspired meta-moment in the episode "Bullocks to Stan," in which he provides faux scene-specific commentary (during the episode!) in anticipation of the show's release on DVD ("I wasn't sure about the Squeaky Fromme reference," he offers, "but it's a smart joke, and the fans have come to expect that from us"). As for the rest of the clan, Steve's children are the typical dysfunctional siblings: Steve, a socially awkward geek, and Hayley, a liberal counterpoint to red, white, and blue-blooded Stan--at least liberal enough to sleep with Stan's boss, Bullock (playfully voiced by Patrick Stewart) in the episode "Bullocks to Stan."
Though the jokes in "American Dad!" are not as free-associative as in "Family Guy", McFarlane cannot seem to resist dispensing with character integrity for a gratuitous potshot at, say, Lisa Kudrow. But as with "Family Guy", "American Dad!" tears at the sitcom envelope. The blasphemous episode "Deacon Stan, Jesus Man," had the distinction of being voted "Worst TV Show of the Week" by the Parents Television Council. And "American Dad!" has its own version of "Family Guy"'s surreal titanic bouts between Peter Griffin and that chicken. The episode "Homeland Insecurity" features a digression in which a Department of Water and Power worker greedily kills his partner over a gem-encrusted gold "turd," only to find out his wife is having an affair. As he wails to the heavens, the words "To be continued" appear onscreen. According to the audio commentary, the writers do indeed intend to continue this compelling soap opera. So that's something to look forward to. "--Donald Liebenson"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: The history of organized crime in America is given a lively treatment in this video narrated by actor Dennis Farina. The focus is on Charles "Lucky" Luciano and his longtime associate Meyer Lansky, who were both tutored by legendary gambler Arnold Rothstein and went on to amass power and riches during the years of Prohibition. Ancillary characters, including Al Capone and Ben "Bugsy" Siegel, are profiled in some depth, and other outlaws of the day, such as John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd, killers who gathered headlines while the real mobsters quietly consolidated their influence, are mentioned in passing. The video is consistently entertaining, though one criticism is that some of the inside knowledge it purports to relate, such as the identities of triggermen in notable New York City hits in the late 1920s, is rooted more in myth than fact. But despite the occasional excess, the narration does mostly stick to the facts as they are known, and the story of how a few uneducated teenagers from the ethnic slums of New York came to control a virtual empire of crime by the 1950s is very well told. "--Robert J. McNamara"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: There are two sides to the American dream.

Summary: Ridley Scott puts on his "sweeping saga" gameface again, this time not for the sci-fi vistas of "Blade Runner" or the ancient world of "Gladiator "but for an urban epic. "American Gangster" gives the story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), a real-life Harlem crime lord who built an empire on Southeast Asian heroin in the 1970s. Running parallel to Lucas's somewhat standard story is the investigation led by a persistent New Jersey cop, Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe). Roberts is a more interesting character than Lucas--too honest for his own good, unlucky in his personal life--and this kind of character, easily patronized by others, fits Crowe like a polyester shirt. Scott's tendency to hit his points square on the noggin is much in evidence here, including the typecasting of the supporting roles and the predictable Serpico atmosphere of the whole thing. (And speaking of supporting actors, the film needs more Chiwetel Ejiofor, whose role as a Lucas sidekick feels cut down.) It succeeds as a kind of chewy entertainment, fueled by the presence of two big stars working their muscles. Both Washington and Crowe look pretty brawny here. --"Robert Horton"




Stills from "American Gangster" (Click for larger image)

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: ...is back! [1978 Re-release]

Summary: Here's how critic Roger Ebert described the unique and lasting value of George Lucas's 1973 box-office hit, "American Graffiti": "[It's] not only a great movie but a brilliant work of historical fiction; no sociological treatise could duplicate the movie's success in remembering exactly how it was to be alive at that cultural instant." The time to which Ebert and the film refers is the summer of 1962, and "American Graffiti" captures the look, feel, and sound of that era by chronicling one memorable night in the lives of several young Californians on the cusp of adulthood. (In essence, Lucas was making a semiautobiographical tribute to his own days as a hot-rod cruiser, and the film's phenomenal success paved the way for "Star Wars".) The action is propelled by the music of Wolfman Jack's rock & roll radio show--a soundtrack of pop hits that would become as popular as the film itself. As Lucas develops several character subplots, "American Graffiti" becomes a flawless time capsule of meticulously re-created memory, as authentic as a documentary and vividly realized through innovative use of cinematography and sound. The once-in-a-lifetime ensemble cast members inhabit their roles so fully that they don't seem like actors at all, comprising a who's who of performers--some of whom went on to stellar careers--including Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark, and Paul Le Mat. A true American classic, the film ranks No. 77 on the American Film Institute's list of all-time greatest American movies. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Possession Knows No Bounds

Summary: With its brisk 83-minute running time, "An American Haunting" is compact enough to be recommended as an occasionally spooky sampling of historical horror. Based on Brent Monahan's novel "The Bell Witch: An American Haunting", which in turn was inspired by the only known case (from 1818-20) in which the U.S. government officially acknowledged a death by supernatural forces, writer-director Courtney Solomon's film is a well-crafted 19th-century case study involving Tennessee land-owner John Bell (Donald Sutherland), his worried wife Lucy (Sissy Spacek), and the terrifying abuse of their daughter Betsy (Rachel Hurd-Wood) by a malicious poltergeist. Intensified by excessive sound effects and a nerve-jangling score, these nightly hauntings won't scare anyone who's seen "The Exorcist", and they grow increasingly repetitious even as Spacek and Sutherland make the most of their underwritten roles. Solomon (who previously brought "Dungeons and Dragons" to the big screen) seems more interested in visceral terror than fleshing out the details of this interesting story of dark secrets and child abuse, and his over-used bag of tricks includes time-lapse footage, flashes of negative images, black-and-white (to signal an imminent haunting), and a variety of physical effects designed to keep your adrenaline flowing. It works, to a point (although the present-day framing scenes are completely unnecessary), and "An American Haunting" makes a good double-feature with "The Exorcism of Emily Rose", a far better film with similar subject matter. This good-looking, bleakly moody fright-fest is also noteworthy as the next-to-last screen credit for Adrian Biddle, the esteemed cinematographer of such high-profile hits as "Aliens", "Thelma & Louise", "The Mummy", and "V for Vendetta", the latter completed just prior to Biddle's fatal heart attack in December 2005."--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: AC-3

Comments: His father taught him to hate. His friends taught him rage. His enemies gave him hope.

Summary: Perhaps the highest compliment you can pay to Edward Norton is that his Oscar-nominated performance in "American History X" nearly convinces you that there is a shred of logic in the tenets of white supremacy. If that statement doesn't horrify you, it should; Norton is so fully immersed in his role as a neo-Nazi skinhead that his character's eloquent defense of racism is disturbingly persuasive--at least on the surface. Looking lean and mean with a swastika tattoo and a mind full of hate, Derek Vinyard (Norton) has inherited racism from his father, and that learning has been intensified through his service to Cameron (Stacy Keach), a grown-up thug playing tyrant and teacher to a growing band of disenfranchised teens from Venice Beach, California, all hungry for an ideology that fuels their brooding alienation.
The film's basic message--that hate is learned and can be unlearned--is expressed through Derek's kid brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), whose sibling hero-worship increases after Derek is imprisoned (or, in Danny's mind, martyred) for the killing of two black men. Lacking Derek's gift of rebel rhetoric, Danny is easily swayed into the violent, hateful lifestyle that Derek disowns during his thoughtful time in prison. Once released, Derek struggles to save his brother from a violent fate, and "American History X" partially suffers from a mix of intense emotions, awkward sentiment, and predictably inevitable plotting. And yet British director Tony Kaye (who would later protest against Norton's creative intervention during post-production) manages to juggle these qualities--and a compelling clash of visual styles--to considerable effect. No matter how strained their collaboration may have been, both Kaye and Norton can be proud to have created a film that addresses the issue of racism with dramatically forceful impact. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Perhaps the highest compliment you can pay to Edward Norton is that his Oscar-nominated performance in "American History X" nearly convinces you that there is a shred of logic in the tenets of white supremacy. If that statement doesn't horrify you, it should; Norton is so fully immersed in his role as a neo-Nazi skinhead that his character's eloquent defense of racism is disturbingly persuasive--at least on the surface. Looking lean and mean with a swastika tattoo and a mind full of hate, Derek Vinyard (Norton) has inherited racism from his father, and that learning has been intensified through his service to Cameron (Stacy Keach), a grown-up thug playing tyrant and teacher to a growing band of disenfranchised teens from Venice Beach, California, all hungry for an ideology that fuels their brooding alienation.
The film's basic message--that hate is learned and can be unlearned--is expressed through Derek's kid brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), whose sibling hero-worship increases after Derek is imprisoned (or, in Danny's mind, martyred) for the killing of two black men. Lacking Derek's gift of rebel rhetoric, Danny is easily swayed into the violent, hateful lifestyle that Derek disowns during his thoughtful time in prison. Once released, Derek struggles to save his brother from a violent fate, and "American History X" partially suffers from a mix of intense emotions, awkward sentiment, and predictably inevitable plotting. And yet British director Tony Kaye (who would later protest against Norton's creative intervention during post-production) manages to juggle these qualities--and a compelling clash of visual styles--to considerable effect. No matter how strained their collaboration may have been, both Kaye and Norton can be proud to have created a film that addresses the issue of racism with dramatically forceful impact. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: There's something about your first piece.

Summary: 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 '42" to "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 Pie" quietly 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's" and "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"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: This Summer It's All About Sticking Together.

Summary: To the horror of prudes everywhere, "American Pie 2" is even funnier than its popular predecessor, pushing the R rating with such unabashed ribaldry that you'll either be appalled or surprised by its defiant celebration of the young-adult male libido. Females will be equally shocked or delighted, because like "American Pie" this appealing, character-based comedy puts the women in control while offering a front-row view of horny guys in all their dubious glory. Which is to say, "American Pie" is mostly about sex--or, to be more specific, breasts, genitalia, "potential" lesbianism, blue silicone sex toys, crude methods of seduction, "the rule of three" (just watch the movie), a shower of "champagne," phone sex, tantric sex, and, oh yeah... superglue.
In the case of college freshman Jim (Jason Biggs), performance anxiety plagues his upcoming reunion with sexy Czech exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), but his buddies from "American Pie" have a solution: rent a Lake Michigan beach house for the summer, throw wild parties to lure the local "hotties," and score big-time. "Beach Party" this ain't: blessed with a complete cast reunion from "AP1" (including Eugene Levy as Jim's dad), this sequel is anything but innocent, and with the exception of drugs (which are conspicuously absent), pretty much anything goes. The gags are almost nonstop, and director J.B. Rogers (recovering from his debut debacle "Say It Isn't So") handles them with laudable precision, allowing his young cast (particularly Biggs, who epitomizes comedic good sportsmanship) to run with lines that most people wouldn't dare utter aloud. The result is a liberating and eminently good-natured comedy that needn't apologize for its one-track mind. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: There's a fascinating film to be made about the pimp culture and the myth of the outlaw sexual entrepreneur. "American Pimp", a slick and entertaining but rather timid documentary by filmmaking brother act Allen and Albert Hughes ("Menace 2 Society", "Dead Presidents") isn't quite it, but it's a captivating document nonetheless. Flashy, garrulous real-life characters with names like Charm, Rosebudd, Too $hort, C-Note, and the "internationally known" Bishop Don Magic Juan take over their interviews with silver-tongued charm, spinning self-aggrandizing, often contradictory stories of life in the trade. The Hughes never challenge those contradictions and give only token representation to the women in the life (who have either bought into the myth or are too cowed to say differently). Apart from a few unguarded statements by less cagey subjects, the film avoids the seedy flip side to the so-called benevolent relationship between pimp and "ho." More to the Hughes' point is the fluid relationship between media image (as celebrated in such blaxploitation classics such as "The Mack" and "Willie Dynamite") and street image. Simultaneously embracing and decrying their outlaw status, these pimps transform themselves into peacocklike fashion statements inspired by the very images they find so denigrating. They are undeniably dynamic characters playing out a bizarre fantasy of wealth, power, and swaggering sexuality, but if the film shows the cracks in their masks, it never manages to reveal the men under the money or expose the fallacy behind the fantasy. "--Sean Axmaker"

Languages: English

Sound: AC-3

Summary: The Bret Easton Ellis novel "American Psycho", a dark, violent satire of the "me" culture of Ronald Reagan's 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the '90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. This smart, savvy adaptation by Mary Harron ("I Shot Andy Warhol") may be able to ride the crest of the notoriety; prior to the film's release, Harron fought a ratings battle (ironically, for depictions of sex rather than violence), but at the time the director stated, "We're rescuing [the book] from its own bad reputation." Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner ("Go Fish") overcome many of the objections of Ellis's novel by keeping the most extreme violence offscreen (sometimes just barely), suggesting the reign of terror of yuppie killer Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) with splashes of blood and personal souvenirs. Bale is razor sharp as the blank corporate drone, a preening tiger in designer suits whose speaking voice is part salesman, part self-help guru, and completely artificial. Carrying himself with the poised confidence of a male model, he spends his days in a numbing world of status-symbol one-upmanship and soul-sapping small talk, but breaks out at night with smirking explosions of homicide, accomplished with the fastidious care of a hopeless obsessive. The film's approach to this mayhem is simultaneously shocking and discreet; even Bateman's outrageous naked charge with a chainsaw is most notable for the impossibly polished and gleaming instrument of death. Harron's film is a hilarious, cheerfully insidious hall of mirrors all pointed inward, slowly cracking as the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque and insane. "--Sean Axmaker"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.

Summary: One of the most acclaimed films of 2003, "American Splendor" is also one of the most audaciously creative biographical movies ever made. Blending fact, fiction, and personal perspective from the comic books that inspired it, this marvelous portrait of Harvey Pekar--scowling curmudgeon, brow-beaten everyman, insightful chronicler of his own life, and frustrated file clerk at a Cleveland V.A. hospital--is an inspired amalgam of the media (comic books, TV, and film) that lifted Pekar from obscurity to the status of a pop-cultural icon. As played by Paul Giamatti in a master-stroke of casting, we see Pekar and his understanding wife (played by Hope Davis) as underdogs in a world full of obstacles, yet also infused with subtle hope and (gasp!) heartwarming perseverance. We also see the "real" Pekar, and this multifaceted commingling of "reel" and "real" turns "American Splendor" into a uniquely cinematic celebration of Pekar's life and, by extension, the tenacity of an unlikely American hero. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Don Bluth's "An American Tail" is based on the story of a young Russian mouse who is separated from his family in America and who later heads with his reunited kin out to the American West. It's pleasant, though not spectacular, and has its greatest problems in story development. Steven Spielberg produced with an eye toward creating animation hits outside of Disney, and he and Bluth certainly took a big step in that direction here. Kids like it a lot, and adults will warm to the sound of various familiar voices, such as Dom DeLuise as Tiger and Madeline Kahn as Gussie Mausheimer. It's also the source of the pop single "Somewhere Out There." "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Marriage as an Adventure

Summary: The producers of the "American Pie" movies pushed their luck with a third slice of their lucrative raunchy comedy franchise, and "American Wedding" cooked up surprisingly well. It's the sourest serving of "Pie", with half of the original cast missing, and there's something undeniably desperate about comedic highlights (involving dog poop, a lusty old lady, two strippers to offset the absence of Shannon Elizabeth, and the ill-advised use of a trimming razor) that arise more from obligation than inspiration, on the assumption that "another" penile mishap is guaranteed to please. And yet, that's just what this movie does for devoted "Pie"-munchers: It gives 'em what they want, especially when the notorious Stifler (Seann William Scott) nearly ruins the frantic nuptials of Jim (Jason Biggs) and his band-camping sweetheart Michelle (Alyson Hannigan). Eugene Levy and Eddie Kaye Thomas also return for some reliable comic relief, but the one who's laughing most is three-time "Pie" writer Adam Herz--laughing loudly and often, all the way to the bank. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: A true story.

Summary: Steven Spielberg's most simplistic, sanitized history lesson, "Amistad", explores the symbolic 1840s trials of 53 West Africans following their bloody rebellion aboard a slave ship. For most of "Schindler's List" (and, later, "Saving Private Ryan") Spielberg restrains himself from the sweeping narrative and technical flourishes that make him one of our most entertaining and manipulative directors. Here, he doesn't even bother trying, succumbing to his driving need to entertain with beautiful images and contrived emotion. He cheapens his grandiose motives and simplifies slavery, treating it as cut- and-dry genre piece. Characters are easy Hollywood stereotypes--"villains" like the Spanish sailors or zealous abolitionists are drawn one-dimensionally and sneered upon. And Spielberg can't suppress his gifted eye, undercutting normally ugly sequences, such as the terrifying slave passage, which is shot as a gorgeous, well-lit composition. At its core, "Amistad" is a traditional courtroom drama, centered by a tired, clichéd narrative: a struggling, idealistic young lawyer (Matthew McConaughey) fighting the crooked political system and saving helpless victims. Worse yet, Spielberg actually takes the underlying premise of his childhood fantasy, "E.T." and repackages it for slavery. Cinque (Djimon Hounsou), the leader of the West African rebellion, is presented much like the adorable alien: lost, lacking a common language, and trying to find his way home. McConaughey is a grown-up Elliot who tries communicating complicated ideas such as geography by drawing pictures in the sand or language by having Cinque mimic his facial expressions. Such stuff was effective for a sci-fi fantasy about the communication barriers between a boy and a lost alien; here, it seems like a naive view of real, complex history. "--Dave McCoy"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Nicolas Cage (Face-Off) and OscarÂ(r) nominee** Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) star in this action-packed comedy about a small-time crook anda Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who bring new meaning to the term "dynamic duo!" Their wild andraucous adventures make Amos & Andrew the funniest, nuttiest, most hysterical comedy since Midnight Run! When a successful African-American author (Jackson) buys a house on an exclusive New England resort island, local law enforcement mistakes him for a thief and nearly kill him in a hilariously bungled attempt to "protect" the estate. But things go from loony to just plainwacky when the town's Police Chief (Dabney Coleman) attempts to cover up the embarrassing details of the event by planting a convicted criminal (Cage) in the house to take the rap! *1995: Actor, Leaving Las Vegas **1994: Supporting Actor, Pulp Fiction

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: New York's most powerful gangster is about to get in touch with his feelings. YOU try telling him his 50 minutes are up.

Summary: Cast Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal together in a film and it should be a sucker's bet as to who's going to be funnier and who's going to give the more nuanced performance. Somehow, though, De Niro walks away with most of the laughs in "Analyze This", a buddy action-comedy about a mob boss (De Niro, natch) suffering from panic attacks who makes a nebbishy shrink (Crystal, natch) an offer he can't refuse--actually, it's not really an offer, it's a command. The good doctor is forced to help the gangster get in touch with his feelings. Had the brilliant TV series "The Sopranos" not underscored how thin and watery and shticky director-cowriter Harold Ramis's approach to such potentially rich material actually is, the movie--a hit in theaters and De Niro's biggest film ever--would seem more fresh and kicky. De Niro's definitely a hoot as the ever milder menace, and Crystal actually concentrates on giving a credible performance opposite the acting legend (alas, he doesn't turn his character's fear of his patient into inspired comedy, as Alan Arkin did in "Grosse Pointe Blank"). The conclusion devolves into the requisite gunplay, and Chazz Palminteri and Lisa Kudrow are criminally wasted as an opposing mob boss and Crystal's fiancée, respectively, but overall, it's breezy fun. "--David Kronke"

Languages: English, French, Russian

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: A spellbinding mix of adventure, comedy, romance and music, this acclaimed animated spectacular tells the thrilling story of the lost Russian princess Anastasia and her quest to find her true identity. When the shadow of revolution falls across Russia, the royal family's youngest daughter barely escape with her life. Years later, Anastasia and a band of heroic companions must battle the evil Rasputin, his sidekick Bartok the bat and a host of ghostly minions in a headlong race to reach Paris, reclaim her rightful destiny and solve the greatest mystery of the 20th century.

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Comments: His news is bigger than your news.

Summary: 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. "Anchorman" has 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"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

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

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono

Comments: This man needs the best lawyer in town. But the problem is... he is the best lawyer in town.

Summary: Al Pacino plays a Maryland lawyer who takes on a judicial system rife with dealmaking in this awkward blend of satire and sentimentality. Topical director Norman Jewison can't seem to help Pacino get comfortable with the mismatched material, which pushes the film into outrageousness at some turns and mawkishness at others. The script by Barry Levinson and Valerie Curtin is more an accumulation of random ideas and moments than a congruent story. However, it's interesting to see the large cast of good actors, most of whom hadn't become well known yet. (Christine Lahti made her film debut here.) Pacino gets to work for a second time (following "The Godfather II") with acting mentor Lee Strasberg. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: They left the nightmare...and entered Hell. Captured Union soilders cope with life inside the Civil War's most notorious prisoner-of-war camp. A powerful, compeling tale of war and will, with Emmy Award-winning direction by John Frankenheimer and a cast including Frederic Forrest (Apocalypse Now) and William H. Macy (ER, Fargo) Year: 1996 Director: John Frankenheimer Starring: Jarrod Emick, Frederic Forrest, Ted Marcoux

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: If the devil is in the details, there's a lot of wicked fun in Angels & Demons, the sequel (originally a prequel) to The Da Vinci Code. Director Ron Howard delivers edge-of-your-pew thrills all over the Vatican, the City of Rome, and the deepest, dankest catacombs. Tom Hanks is dependably watchable in his reprised role as Professor Robert Langdon, summoned urgently to Rome on a matter of utmost urgency--which happens to coincide with the death of the Pope, meaning the Vatican is teeming with cardinals and Rome is teeming with the faithful. A religious offshoot group, calling themselves the Illuminati, which protested the Catholic Church's prosecution of scientists 400 years ago, has resurfaced and is making extreme, and gruesome, terrorist demands. The film zooms around the city, as Langdon follows clues embedded in art, architecture, and the very bone structure of the Vatican. The cast is terrific, including Ewan McGregor, who is memorable as a young protégé of the late pontiff, and who seems to challenge the common wisdom of the Conclave just by being 40 years younger than his fellows when he lectures for church reform. Stellan Skarsgard is excellent as a gruff commander of the Swiss Guard, who may or may not have thrown in with the Illuminati. But the real star of the film is Rome, and its High Church gorgeousness, with lush cinematography by Salvatore Totino, who renders the real sky above the Vatican, in a cataclysmic event, with the detail and majesty of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. --A.T. Hurley


Stills from Angels & Demons (click for larger image)

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: It Could Happen.

Summary: This effects-heavy, 1994 remake of the 1951 film starring Janet Leigh and Keenan Wynn is all computer-generated pizzazz, with none of the charm or imagination of the original. Aimed squarely at children this time, the story focuses on a boy who gets some divine intervention on behalf of his favorite ball club. Christopher Lloyd plays the head angel, and Danny Glover is good as the team's manager, but the real star of the film--for better or worse--is the software that makes a glowing, celestial presence on the field seem real. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Feel the love

Summary: The irresistible pairing of Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler is the best reason to see "Anger Management", a comedy that might loosely be called "The Funny and the Furious". Nicholson and especially Sandler have screen personas that partially rely on pent-up anxieties, so there's definite potential in teaming them as a mild-mannered designer of pet clothing for chubby cats (Sandler) who's been ordered to undergo anger-management therapy with a zany counselor (Nicholson) prone to occasional tantrums and devious manipulation. Surely this meandering comedy looked better on the page; director Peter Segal scores a few lucky scenes (particularly Sandler's encounter with a Buddhist monk, played by John C. Reilly), but a flood of cameos (Heather Graham, Woody Harrelson, Rudolph Giuliani, and others) can't match the number of laughs that fall flat. As Sandler's understanding girlfriend, Marisa Tomei plays a pivotal role in a happy ending that leaves everyone smiling, with the possible exception of the audience. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: You expect cheap gags from a Rob Schneider movie, and "The Animal" delivers in the best possible way. Schneider plays Marvin Mange, a schlub of a police file clerk who drives off a cliff and is horribly mangled--only to wake up not only whole, but feeling better than he ever has in his life. He suddenly develops strange powers that lead to him being praised as a super cop. Unfortunately, his powers are the result of a scientist's bizarre experiment--and before long, some side effects start to take over his life. It's hard to put a finger on Schneider's appeal, but he's got something. He can get away with tasteless jokes about bestiality and bodily functions because... well... he's sort of helplessly sympathetic, and somehow this actually makes him funny. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, Portuguese

Subtitles: Spanish, French, Portuguese

Sound: AC-3

Summary: As a splendid homage to the legacy of Warner Bros. animation, the Emmy and Peabody award-winning "Animaniacs" was arguably the most inventive and deliriously entertaining cartoon series of the 1990s. The series' appeal is at least two-fold: kids will enjoy the wacky characters and easy-to-follow comedy, and grownups raised on "Looney Tunes" and "Merrie Melodies" cartoons will love the show's knowledgeable movie spoofs, witty satire, and spontaneous lines of dialogue aimed squarely at an older audience with an appreciation for Hollywood history. Cartoon lovers and film buffs will benefit the most from repeated viewings of "Animaniacs" since the series was conceived by head writer Tom Ruegger (under the supervision of executive producer Steven Spielberg) as an affectionate tribute to the golden age of Hollywood, with its wild and wonderful cast of cartoon characters led by "Warner Brothers" Wakko and Yakko, and their ever-so-cute Warner sister, Dot, a playful trio of indeterminate species who were (fictionally) created in the early 1930s by the overworked animators of "Termite Terrace" (the actual name given to Warner's animation studios) and wreaked havoc on the Warner Bros. backlot until they were caught and captured in the studio's water tower. Every episode begins with their clever escape, leading to wacky adventures involving the entire cast of "Animaniacs", a menagerie of colorful characters worthy of cartoon immortality.
This five-DVD set offers 25 beautifully preserved episodes (out of a five-season total of 99), mostly from the first season (1993), when Spielberg was also enjoying the success of "Jurassic Park" and "Schindler's List". Premiering on the Fox Kids network, the series introduced delighted viewers to Pinky and the Brain; Slappy the Squirrel (a curmudgeonly veteran of decades in show-biz); the Goodfeathers (a pigeon-trio spoof of Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas"); Rita and Runt (a dog and cat duo often featured in musical spoofs, the former voiced by Bernadette Peters); and a wide variety of peripheral characters who randomly appeared as part of the series' multi-segment format. Some segments are brief and brilliant (including many original songs that qualify as mini-masterpieces of educational entertainment), while others are cartoon-length adventures like the unforgettable "Bumbie's Mom," a riff on "Bambi" (and Disney animation) that's one of many first-season highlights. Smart, literate, and totally irreverent, "Animaniacs" benefited from all the prestige that Spielberg's involvement could bring, including a once-in-a-lifetime voice cast (honored here by disc 3's special featurette "Animaniacs Live," hosted by "Annie"-award-winner Maurice "The Brain" LeMarche) and amazing musical scores (many written or supervised by the late, great Richard Stone) that were recorded in the very same Warner studio where the legendary Carl Stalling scored most of the classic Warner Bros. cartoons. With creative and comedic highlights too numerous to mention, "Animaniacs" is must-see TV for those who missed it the first time around, and a welcome treasure for established fans who will cherish these DVDs for many years to come. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs! The adventures or misadventures of the Warner Brothers, Yakko and Wakko, and the Warner Sister, Dot, who were so crazy that the studio execs locked them away in the water town at the Studio. The witty, slapstick humor with pop culture parodies and cartoon wackiness is on DVD for the first time ever with 25 fantastic Animaniacs episodes.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "Matrix" writer-directors Larry and Andy Wachowski commissioned seven artists from Japan, America and Korea to make nine short films set in the world of their feature trilogy. Some of the top anime directors contributed to this anthology, including Yoshiaki Kawajiri ("Ninja Scroll"), Koji Morimoto ("Robot Carnival"), and Shinchiro Watanabe ("Cowboy Bebop"). Some of the films tie directly into the narrative of the live-action movies. Drawn in a style reminiscent of Jean "Moebius" Giraud, Mahiro Maeda's "The Second Renaissance" (Part I & Part II) depicts the human-machine wars that caused the enslavement of humanity and the creation of the Matrix. The duel between two flamboyantly costumed Kabuki warriors in Kawajiri's "Program" is an expanded version of the cybernetic training Neo (Keanu Reeves) undergoes in the first "Matrix" film. Watanabe evokes the look of old newspaper photographs in "A Detective Story," which falls outside the storyline of the features. Fast-paced, violent and grim, "The Animatrix" is an uneven but intriguing compilation that represents a new level in the ongoing cross-pollination between Japanese animation and American live action. (Not rated, suitable for ages 16 and older: considerable violence, violence against women, grotesque imagery, brief nudity, alcohol use) "--Charles Solomon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: 50,000 Apply. 1,200 Are Accepted. Only The Best Survive.

Summary: A boxing movie done up in Naval Academy drag, "Annapolis" stars James Franco ("Spider-Man", "Tristan & Isolde") as Jake Huard, a shipbuilder's son who wants to prove to his father--and to himself--that he can cut it as a Naval officer. But at the Academy he runs afoul of a hard-nosed training officer named Cole (Tyrese Gibson, "Four Brothers"), who does all he can to drive Huard out of the school. They end up settling their differences in the boxing ring during the Academy's annual competition. "Annapolis" is a bundle of cliches, from Huard's interracial mix of roommates to the lessons he learns about teamwork, but it's an efficient and vigorous bundle of cliches. Director Justin Lin ("Better Luck Tomorrow") keeps the pace swift and the visuals snappy, particularly in the boxing scenes. Franco and Gibson work hard to outdo each other's burning gazes; both are handsome men of modest acting talent, but they suit their roles reasonably well. Also featuring Jordana Brewster ("The Fast and the Furious"), Donnie Wahlberg ("Saw II"), and the always charming Chi McBride ("Roll Bounce"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

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

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Charmless and dull, this adaptation of the Broadway hit stars Aileen Quinn as the depression-era moppet, Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks, Carol Burnett as the cruel headmistress at an orphanage, and Tim Curry as a villain. The film never gets its legs, and there is no sense of setting; it's almost as if the whole thing is happening in a void. John Huston nominally directed--no doubt to make money between his smaller, cheaper masterpieces--but one would have thought he would invest something of himself in here. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Comments: One lies for fun. The other lies for money. Now that's teamwork.

Summary: A last attempt to squeeze some laughs out of the team of Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, "Another You" mostly conjures up pleasant memories of "Silver Streak" and "Stir Crazy". Pryor plays a con man forced to tend a pathological liar (Wilder), who's immediately mistaken as a missing millionaire--a mistake that could pay off big. The storyline actually holds promise as a classic screwball comedy outline, but the movie doesn't build any snap or crackle, and promising set-ups dribble away. Even the once-electric chemistry between the stars has faded. Wilder displays that eerie sadness and stillness he brings to his comedic roles, but here he looks stranded. Pryor's ferocious talent is muted and his onscreen energy is turned down low; his reliance on easy profanity feels a little desperate. This was his final starring role before illness took him out of movies. "--Robert Horton"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Woody Allen as a worker ant with an inferiority complex? Sylvester Stallone as an affable soldier ant who discovers that digging tunnels is cool? The animation playground we all knew so well is turning into a theme park full of in-jokes for grownups. "Antz" explores age-old topics (one person--err, insect--can make a difference, individuality and social responsibility must exist side by side, war is hell) with comic asides and Woody Allen's funniest quips this side of PG (adults will chuckle at the socialist slogans bandied about as he campaigns for workers' rights). Sharon Stone voices the rebellious princess with a fun-loving streak that doesn't quite overcome her royal bearing and court training, but she can learn. Gene Hackman is all teeth (ants have teeth?) and menacing grins as the Army general plotting insect-icide. This bug's-eye view of life on Earth gives Allen's neurotic nonconformist an epic adventure of microscopic proportions: a devastating war with a termite colony, an odyssey to the fabled land of plenty (a picnic ground), and a race to save his fellow workers from certain death. Other voices include Anne Bancroft as the Queen, Christopher Walken, Jennifer Lopez, Danny Glover, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, and John Mahoney. The computer animation isn't exactly realistic but feels as solid and contoured as puppet animation with the smoothness and slickness of traditional cel cartoons, and the character designs and animation offer a marvelous range of expressions. The PG rating includes a gritty battle sequence that may frighten youngsters. "--Sean Axmaker"

Languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "Any Given Sunday", Oliver Stone's salute-cum-exposé of pro football, belabors some pretty obvious points for nigh onto three hours; but between the frenetic editing, the pounding rap-music beats, and several flashy performances, it's certainly never dull. Al Pacino, coach of the fictional Miami Sharks (the NFL declined involvement in this production), struggles with the most time-honored of sports movie dilemmas: what to do with the old friend who's past his prime and the young hotshot who could save the franchise but first has to learn what being a team player is all about. Comedian Jamie Foxx does a marvelous dramatic turn as the rookie quarterback whose ego and talent are equally impressive, while Pacino seems more at ease in Oliver Stone Land than any actor since regular James Woods (on hand as well as a sleazy team doctor). Prowling the sidelines, shouting spittle-flecked orders, seizing up in almost physical pain when a play goes the wrong way, Pacino is as unashamedly--and entertainingly--hyperbolic as Stone's whirling montages of boiling storm clouds, bloodthirsty fans, and players smashed into the mud. (Once again football, perhaps the most sophisticated of team sports, is viewed cinematically as a bunch of guys hitting each other in slow motion.) Unfortunately, all the self-conscious mythologizing and pumped-up macho posturing that Stone can muster doesn't conceal a clichéd, slapped-together script, whose few good ideas (mostly about race in America) jostle about with several hoary, terrible ones--including a too-literal analogy of football players as modern gladiators. (To drive the point home, Stone includes Charlton Heston--the aging "Ben-Hur"--in one of many star-powered cameos.) All in all, "Any Given Sunday" is never dull, but never very enjoyable, either. "--Bruce Reid"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Life is a contact sport.

Summary: "Any Given Sunday", Oliver Stone's salute-cum-exposé of pro football, belabors some pretty obvious points for nigh onto three hours; but between the frenetic editing, the pounding rap-music beats, and several flashy performances, it's certainly never dull. Al Pacino, coach of the fictional Miami Sharks (the NFL declined involvement in this production), struggles with the most time-honored of sports movie dilemmas: what to do with the old friend who's past his prime and the young hotshot who could save the franchise but first has to learn what being a team player is all about. Comedian Jamie Foxx does a marvelous dramatic turn as the rookie quarterback whose ego and talent are equally impressive, while Pacino seems more at ease in Oliver Stone Land than any actor since regular James Woods (on hand as well as a sleazy team doctor). Prowling the sidelines, shouting spittle-flecked orders, seizing up in almost physical pain when a play goes the wrong way, Pacino is as unashamedly--and entertainingly--hyperbolic as Stone's whirling montages of boiling storm clouds, bloodthirsty fans, and players smashed into the mud. (Once again football, perhaps the most sophisticated of team sports, is viewed cinematically as a bunch of guys hitting each other in slow motion.) Unfortunately, all the self-conscious mythologizing and pumped-up macho posturing that Stone can muster doesn't conceal a clichéd, slapped-together script, whose few good ideas (mostly about race in America) jostle about with several hoary, terrible ones--including a too-literal analogy of football players as modern gladiators. (To drive the point home, Stone includes Charlton Heston--the aging "Ben-Hur"--in one of many star-powered cameos.) All in all, "Any Given Sunday" is never dull, but never very enjoyable, either. "--Bruce Reid"

Languages: English, French

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

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Faster, funnier and wilder. It'll knock you out.

Summary: Philo Beddoe (Clint Eastwood) is back in this sequel to "Every Which Way but Loose", once again brawling to make ends meet and just trying to manage his life with a crazy mother (Ruth Gordon), a dimwitted best friend (Geoffrey Lewis) and, of course, Clyde the Orangutan. He's had enough of this life, but when a mobster (Harry Guardino) comes along to make him an offer he can't refuse, Philo must use his wits as well as his fists to get himself out of yet another jam. The humor is thin and sporadic (though Gordon is in fine form), and Eastwood has since gone on to better things; but a film that features a brawl with a monkey and a motorcycle gang can't be all bad. "--Robert Lane"

Languages: English, French, Vietnamese

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: The inside story of the making of one of the greatest film soundtracks.

Summary: In the tradition of such obsessively driven directors as Erich von Stroheim and Werner Herzog, Francis Ford Coppola approached the production of "Apocalypse Now" as if it were his own epic mission into the heart of darkness. On location in the storm-ravaged Philippines, he quite literally went mad as the project threatened to devour him in a vortex of creative despair, but from this insanity came one of the greatest films ever made. It began as a John Milius screenplay, transposing Joseph Conrad's classic story "Heart of Darkness" into the horrors of the Vietnam War, following a battle-weary Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) on a secret upriver mission to find and execute the renegade Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has reverted to a state of murderous and mystical insanity. The journey is fraught with danger involving wartime action on epic and intimate scales. One measure of the film's awesome visceral impact is the number of sequences, images, and lines of dialogue that have literally burned themselves into our cinematic consciousness, from the Wagnerian strike of helicopter gunships on a Vietnamese village to the brutal murder of stowaways on a peasant sampan and the unflinching fearlessness of the surfing warrior Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore (Robert Duvall), who speaks lovingly of "the smell of napalm in the morning." Like Herzog's "Aguirre: The Wrath of God", this film is the product of genius cast into a pit of hell and emerging, phoenix-like, in triumph. Coppola's obsession (effectively detailed in the riveting documentary "Hearts of Darkness", directed by Coppola's wife, Eleanor) informs every scene and every frame, and the result is a film for the ages. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: When the end comes, not everyone is ready to go

Summary: Forget any off-screen impressions you may have of Mel Gibson, and experience "Apocalypto" as the mad, bloody runaway train that it is. The story is set in the pre-Columbian Maya population: one village is brutally overrun, its residents either slaughtered or abducted, by a ruling tribe that needs slaves and human sacrifices. We focus on the capable warrior Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood), although Gibson skillfully sketches a whole population of characters--many of whom don't survive the early reels. Most of the film is set in the dense jungle, but the middle section, in a grand Mayan city, is a dazzling triumph of design, costuming, and sheer decadent terror. The movie itself is a triumph of brutality, as Gibson lets loose his well-established fascination with bodily mortification in a litany of assaults including impalement, evisceration, snakebite, and bee stings. It's a dark, disgusted vision, but Gibson doesn't forget to apply some very canny moviemaking instincts to the violence--including the creation of a tremendous pair of villains (strikingly played by Raoul Trujillo and Rodolfo Palacias). The film is in a Maya dialect, subtitled in English, and shot on digital video (which occasionally betrays itself in some blurry quick pans). Amidst all the mayhem, nothing in the film is more devastating than a final wordless exchange of looks between captured villager Blunted (Jonathan Brewer) and his wife's mother (Maria Isabel Diaz), a superb change in tone from their early relationship. Yes, this is an obsessive, crazed movie, but Gibson knows what he's doing. "--Robert Horton"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: NASA's worst nightmare turned into one of the space agency's most heroic moments in 1970, when the "Apollo 13" crew was forced to hobble home in a disabled capsule after an explosion seriously damaged the moon-bound spacecraft. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton play (respectively) astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise in director Ron Howard's intense, painstakingly authentic docudrama. The "Apollo 13" crew and Houston-based mission controllers race against time and heavy odds to return the damaged spacecraft safely to Earth from a distance of 205,500 miles. Using state-of-the-art special effects and ingenious filmmaking techniques, Howard and his stellar cast and crew build nail-biting tension while maintaining close fidelity to the facts. The result is a fitting tribute to the "Apollo 13" mission and one of the biggest box-office hits of 1995. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: DTS Surround Sound

Comments: Houston, we have a problem.

Summary: NASA's worst nightmare turned into one of the space agency's most heroic moments in 1970, when the "Apollo 13" crew was forced to hobble home in a disabled capsule after an explosion seriously damaged the moon-bound spacecraft. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton play (respectively) astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise in director Ron Howard's intense, painstakingly authentic docudrama. The "Apollo 13" crew and Houston-based mission controllers race against time and heavy odds to return the damaged spacecraft safely to Earth from a distance of 205,500 miles. Using state-of-the-art special effects and ingenious filmmaking techniques, Howard and his stellar cast and crew build nail-biting tension while maintaining close fidelity to the facts. The result is a fitting tribute to the "Apollo 13" mission and one of the biggest box-office hits of 1995. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Czech, French, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish

Subtitles: Czech, Danish, English, French, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Nominated for nine Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, Apollo 13 blasts off onto Blu-ray™ Hi-Def for the first time ever with Blu-ray™ exclusive bonus features. Produced by Academy Award® winner Brian Grazer and directed by Oscar® winner Ron Howard, Apollo 13 stars two-time Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris in the inspiring and riveting story of the real-life space flight that gripped a nation and changed the world.