Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Home Alone

  • Features include: -MPAA Rating: PG -Format: DVD-Runtime: 103 minutes
Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is back! But this time he's in New York City with enough cash and credit cards to turn the Big Apple into his own playground! But Kevin won't be alone for long. The notorious Wet Bandits, Harry and Marv (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), still smarting from their last encounter with Kevin, are bound for New York too, plotting a huge holiday heist. Kevin's ready to welcome them with a battery of booby traps the bumbling bandits will never forget!This somewhat unpleasant 1992 sequel to the blockbuster Home Alone revisits the first film's gimmick by stranding Macaulay Culkin's character in New York City while his family ends up somewhere else. Again, the little guy meets up with colorful people on the margins of society (including a pigeon woman played by Brenda Fricker) and again he ge! ts into a prop-heavy battle with Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. The latter sequence is even worse than the first film in terms of violence inflicted on the two villains (director Chris Columbus, who also made the first film, can't seem to emphasize the slapstick over the graphic effects of the fight). The best running joke finds a concierge (Tim Curry) at the swank hotel where Culkin is staying trying and failing to prove that the boy is on his own. --Tom Keogh HOME ALONE 2 - Blu-Ray MovieThis somewhat unpleasant 1992 sequel to the blockbuster Home Alone revisits the first film's gimmick by stranding Macaulay Culkin's character in New York City while his family ends up somewhere else. Again, the little guy meets up with colorful people on the margins of society (including a pigeon woman played by Brenda Fricker) and again he gets into a prop-heavy battle with Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. The latter sequence is even worse than the first film in terms of violence in! flicted on the two villains (director Chris Columbus, who also! made th e first film, can't seem to emphasize the slapstick over the graphic effects of the fight). The best running joke finds a concierge (Tim Curry) at the swank hotel where Culkin is staying trying and failing to prove that the boy is on his own. --Tom Keogh Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) has become the man of the house, overnight! Accidentally left behind when his family rushes off on a Christmas vacation, Kevin gets busy decorating the house for the holidays. But he's not decking the halls with tinsel and holly. Two bumbling burglars are trying to break in, and Kevin's rigging a bewildering battery of booby traps to welcome them!Now and forever a favorite among kids, this 1990 comedy written by John Hughes (The Breakfast Club) and directed by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire) ushered Macaulay Culkin onto the screen as a troubled 8-year-old who doesn't comfortably mesh with his large family. He's forced to grow a little after being acci! dentally left behind when his folks and siblings fly off to Paris. A good-looking boy, Culkin lights up the screen during several funny sequences, the most famous of which finds him screaming for joy when he realizes he's unsupervised in his own house. A bit wooden with dialogue, the then-little star's voice could grate on the nerves (especially in long, wise-child passages of pure bromide), but he unquestionably carries the film. Billie Bird and John Candy show up as two of the interesting strangers Culkin's character meets. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are entertainingly cartoonish as thieves, but the ensuing violence once the little hero decides to keep them out of his house is over-the-top. --Tom Keogh

Crush

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Fresh off the most challenging case of her career, The 7th Victim heroine and renowned FBI profiler Karen Vail returns in an explosive thriller set against the backdrop of California’s wine country.

Hoping to find solace from the demons that haunt her, Vail makes her first trip to the Napa Valley. But shortly after arriving, a victim is found in the deepest reaches of an exclusive wine cave, the work of an extraordinarily unpredictable serial killer. From the outset, Vail is frustrated by her inability to profile the offenderâ€"until she realizes why: the Behavioral Analysis Unit has not previously encountered a killer like him.

As Vail and the task force work around the clock to identify and locate him, they’re caught in a web knotted with secretive organizations, a decades-long feud between prominent wine families, and widespread corruption that leads Vail to! wonder whom, if anyone, she can trust. Meanwhile, as the victim count rises, Vail can't shake the gnawing sense that something isn't right.

With the killer’s actions threatening the Napa Valley’s multi-billion dollar industry, the stakes have never been greater, and the race to find the killer never more urgent.

And through it all, a surprise lurks…one that Karen Vail never sees coming.

Meticulously researched during years of work with the FBI profiling unit and extensive interviews with wine industry professionals, bestselling author Alan Jacobson delivers a high-velocity thriller featuring the kind of edge-of-your-seat ending that inspired Nelson DeMille to call him "a hell of a writer."

This funny and touching story centers on Kate a forty-year-old respectable and successful headmistress in a small English village who gets together with her single friends Molly a doctor and Janie a local police detective every Monday to drink eat chocolate and decid! e who is the Saddest of the Week. Things start to turn displea! sing bet ween the three friends when Kate begins an affair with Jed a sexy 25-year old ex-pupil and is no longer the Saddest of the Week!System Requirements: Running Time 122 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE Rating: R UPC: 043396079021 Manufacturer No: 07902At first Crush seems to be merely the latest film to portray a clique of boozy, trash-talking women as part of a larger, liberated sisterhood worthy of celebration if not admiration. The lighthearted comedy abruptly detours, however, to expose vicious jealousies with brutal, unexpected consequences. A trio of single women in their 40s, Kate, Janine, and Molly (Andie MacDowell, Imelda Stanton, and Anna Chancellor) engage in a weekly ritual of gin, cigarettes, and joyous male sniping that despite its occasional glimpses of bare insecurity is all good "girl" fun. But when Kate, headmistress at the local school, takes up with a former student (Kenny Doughty) nearly 20 years younger and falls wildly in love, her ! closest friends, rather than embrace a true departure from social mores, plan instead to sabotage Kate's happiness and bring her to her senses. In one of the most inexplicable twists you're likely to see in a comedy, Janine and Molly's ploy takes an unexpectedly lethal turn, and Crush goes from amusing, if predictable, to downright nasty, and then back to end on a happy note. The effect is provocative, though perhaps unintended. --Fionn Meade A precocious and obsessive teenager develops a crush on a naive writer with harrowing consequences. Alicia Silverstone and Cary Elwes star in "a top-notch thriller.
Richard Siken’s Crush, selected as the 2004 winner of the Yale Younger Poets prize, is a powerful collection of poems driven by obsession. Siken writes with ferocity, and his reader hurtles unstoppably with him. His poetry is confessional, gay, savage, and charged with violent eroticism.

In her introduction to the book, competition jud! ge Louise Glück hails the “cumulative, driving, apocalyptic! power, [and] purgatorial recklessness” of Siken’s poems. She notes, “Books of this kind dream big. . . . They restore to poetry that sense of crucial moment and crucial utterance which may indeed be the great genius of the form.”
Australian pressing includes two bonus tracks on the first CD, 'I Could Make A Living Out Of Lovin' You' & 'Neurotica' in addition to the Japanese bonus disc recorded live in Osaka, featuring 6 tracks, 'Runaway', 'Mystery Train', 'Rockin' In The Free World', 'Just Older', 'It's My Life' & 'Someday I'll Be Saturday Night'. 20 tracks in all. 2000 release. Slimline double jewel case.The growling, choppy guitar sample that opens the first track here, "It's My Life," is a virtual declaration of intent for the first Bon Jovi album in five years, a statement that they're updating the sound without abandoning the traditional virtues that made them one of the biggest bands on the planet. So make way for a hi-tech parade of smooth-but-gutsy ro! ck anthems, almost any one of which will gladden the heart of every AOR radio programmer in the land. Unless the world has changed irredeemably, cuts like the midpaced heartbreak chugger "Say It Isn't So" are destined to become Bon Jovi standards, while an outbreak of scarf-waving and lighter-flicking is certain to accompany any live performance of the big weepie, "Thank You For Loving Me." Arguably, everything on Crush is done by the numbers, but with consummate pros like Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora at the helm, these are the kind of numbers you have to take seriously, because by the second time they kick into the chorus of any song it's damn near impossible not to sing along. --Johnny Black

Beyond the Sea

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An English socialite gives up her luxurious lifestyle when she falls in love with a doctor and follows him to Africa, to help those suffering in poverty.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 20-DEC-2005
Media Type: DVDRomantic adventure, marital crisis, and the tragedy of global hunger are combined with mixed but respectable results in Beyond Borders, starring Angelina Jolie in a role that reflects her off-screen efforts as a United Nations goodwill ambassador. Jolie plays a naive American socialite, unhappily married and living in London, whose life is revolutionized when a passionate doctor (Clive Owen, replacing original costar Kevin Costner) draws her into the cause of humanitarian aid in the world's most dangerous political hot-spots including Ethiopia, Cambodia (where Jolie adopted her first child), and Chechnya in the 1! 980s and '90s. Directed by Martin (Goldeneye) Campbell, who replaced Oliver Stone during troubled pre-production, this well-meaning film suffers from schizophrenic priorities: Is it a globetrotting love story? An impassioned political exposé? Powerful scenes and fine performances can't entirely offset the film's identity crisis, and the ending strives for a quality of martyrdom that it doesn't really earn. --Jeff ShannonWHILE ATTENDING A FUNDRAISING GALA, SARAH, A NAIVE, MARRIED AMERICAN SOCIALITE LIVING IN ENGLAND, WITNESSES A FIERY PLEADELIVERED BY DR NICK CALLAHAN. HIS PLEA MADE ON BEHALF OG IMPOVERISHED AFRICAN CHILDREN UNDER HIS CARE, TURNS HER LIFEUPSIDE DOWN. SHE ABANDONS HER LIFE TO WORK ALONGSIDE HIM.Romantic adventure, marital crisis, and the tragedy of global hunger are combined with mixed but respectable results in Beyond Borders, starring Angelina Jolie in a role that reflects her off-screen efforts as a United Nations goodwill ambassador.! Jolie plays a naive American socialite, unhappily married and! living in London, whose life is revolutionized when a passionate doctor (Clive Owen, replacing original costar Kevin Costner) draws her into the cause of humanitarian aid in the world's most dangerous political hot-spots including Ethiopia, Cambodia (where Jolie adopted her first child), and Chechnya in the 1980s and '90s. Directed by Martin (Goldeneye) Campbell, who replaced Oliver Stone during troubled pre-production, this well-meaning film suffers from schizophrenic priorities: Is it a globetrotting love story? An impassioned political exposé? Powerful scenes and fine performances can't entirely offset the film's identity crisis, and the ending strives for a quality of martyrdom that it doesn't really earn. --Jeff Shannon
Featuring readings from today's leading scholars, activists and policymakers, Beyond Borders helps today's college students navigate our increasingly globalized world and think critically about their place in it. This powerful col! lection encourages students to not only understand the global realities we are faced with today but also the history that gave rise to them.  In addition to introducing students to the major forces of globalization, the significant treaties and events, and the organizations involved, Beyond Borders challenges students to shift and broaden their perspective by examining the experiences of people across the globe.   In classic Rothenberg style, in-depth part introductions provide a conceptual framework for understanding the issues at hand and "Questions for Thinking, Writing, and Discussion" at the conclusion of each part challenge students to think deeper about the issues presented.
Romantic adventure, marital crisis, and the tragedy of global hunger are combined with mixed but respectable results in Beyond Borders, starring Angelina Jolie in a role that reflects her off-screen efforts as a United Nations goodwill ambassador. Jolie plays a naive A! merican socialite, unhappily married and living in London, who! se life is revolutionized when a passionate doctor (Clive Owen, replacing original costar Kevin Costner) draws her into the cause of humanitarian aid in the world's most dangerous political hot-spots including Ethiopia, Cambodia (where Jolie adopted her first child), and Chechnya in the 1980s and '90s. Directed by Martin (Goldeneye) Campbell, who replaced Oliver Stone during troubled pre-production, this well-meaning film suffers from schizophrenic priorities: Is it a globetrotting love story? An impassioned political exposé? Powerful scenes and fine performances can't entirely offset the film's identity crisis, and the ending strives for a quality of martyrdom that it doesn't really earn. --Jeff Shannona londra nel 1984, la bella sarah jordan e' una giovane americana ben inserita nell'alta societa' londinese ma la sua vita viene sconvolta dall'incontro con nick callahan, un medico che lavora per una societa' umanitaria. la crescente passione per nick la convince a di! sfarsi dei propri agi e a seguirlo in missione nel terzo mondo mettendo a repentaglio la sua stessa vita.One of America’s greatest performers, Bobby Darin lived a rags-to-riches life. He worked his way from shady nightclubs to his dream destination, The Copacabana, where he wowed crowds with "Splish Splash," "Mack the Knife" and other hits. He was a marvel at singing, songwriting and performing â€" stealing the hearts of fans everywhere despite the suffering in his own hear.The chameleon-like actor Kevin Spacey is best known for playing pyschopaths (in Seven and The Usual Suspects) and capturing a creepy mid-life crisis in American Beauty--but surprisingly, playing crooner Bobby Darin, Spacey does some snappy dancing and top-notch singing. Beyond the Sea puts Darin's life through a bit of a kaleidoscope: While singing Darin's most memorable hit, "Mack the Knife," Darin suddenly stops the show, revealing that he's not at a nightclub, but in th! e middle of a shooting a scene about his life as a nightclub p! erformer . Why has he stopped? Because he's just seen himself as a young boy, peering from behind a curtain. Such self-conscious narrative twists recur throughout the movie, turning Darin's fight for fame and respect into a love story between his adult and childhood selves. Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!), a hugely popular movie star in her own right, was supposedly the love of Darin's life, but she never holds his attention as does his childhood self (played by newcomer William Ullrich). It's a striking metaphor for the narcissism that drives such success-hungry entertainers. But despite (or perhaps because of) the complexity of the telling, the events never grip your emotions; though Darin's life featured hits galore and a few soap opera twists, his story lacks the seductive charm of his nighclub show. Also featuring Bob Hoskins, John Goodman, Brenda Blethyn, and Greta Scacchi. --Bret Fetzer

Monster Claw Carnage - Spider-Man The Animated Series Action Figure

Green Toys Race Car-Blue

  • Buckle up, because the Green Toys Race Car is ready to roll
  • Built in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk containers that saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions
  • This cool hot rod is better than any hybrid and proudly displays the #2 recycled plastic symbol from which it is made on its hood
  • The ultra-eco design has no metal axles
  • No BPA, PVC, phthalates or external coatings
Featuring the unforgettable performances of sensational newcomer Agnes Bruckner (MURDER BY NUMBERS), David Strathairn (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL), Margaret Colin (UNFAITHFUL), and Frances Fisher (TITANIC), BLUE CAR tells a powerful coming of age story in the provocative style of AMERICAN BEAUTY. Having been abandoned by her father and neglected by her overworked mother (Colin), young Meg (Bruckner) turns to her English teacher (Strathairn) for solace and inspiration. But the safety of w! hat begins as a mentoring relationship turns increasingly complex and ambiguous as the tension in her family grows! Overwhelmingly acclaimed by the nation's critics, this powerful tale of sex and betrayal is certain to leave you with a lasting impression!A breakout hit at the Sundance Film Festival, Blue Car tells the story of 18-year-old Meg (Agnes Bruckner), who--while coping with her disturbed younger sister and her angry mother--finds a refuge from her stormy home life with her English teacher, Mr. Auster (David Strathairn, Passion Fish, L.A. Confidential). His encouragement leads her to apply to a poetry competition in Florida, even though her mother (Margaret Colin) offers neither money nor emotional support. Blue Car depicts her increasing attachment to her teacher--and his increasing attraction to her--with respect and careful detail, providing an acutely female perspective on the experience (this is writer-director Karen Moncrieff's feat! ure film debut). The interplay between Bruckner and Colin is j! ust as v ital, even though the writing of their relationship is more familiar. Also featuring Frances Fisher (Unforgiven) in a vivid cameo as Auster's sardonic wife. --Bret FetzerBuckle up, because the Green Toys Race Car is ready to roll! Built in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk containers that saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, this sleek racer will tear up the track without harming the planet. This cool hot rod is better than any hybrid and proudly displays the #2 recycled plastic symbol from which it is made on its hood. The ultra-eco design has no metal axles. No BPA, PVC, phthalates or external coatings. Packaged using only recycled and recyclable materials and printed with soy inks. Available in red, blue or pink.

Halloween Hitcher Garden Flag

  • Decorative Art Flag
  • Toland Flags are made from durable 600 denier polyester
  • Heat sublimated process permanently dyes flag fabric for long-lasting color
  • Toland Flags are UV, Mildew, and Fade Resistant
  • All Toland Flags are machine washable
  • 600 denier polyester
  • Heat sublimated to permanently dye fabric
  • Licensed art
  • Machine washable
  • UV, Mildew, and Fade Resistant
Two years ago, on the same day but miles apart, Finn Darby lost two of the most important people in his life: his wife Lorena, struck by lightning on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, and his abusive, alcoholic grandfather, Tom Darby, creator of the long-running newspaper comic strip Toy Shop. Against his grandfather's dying wish, Finn has resurrected Toy Shop, adding new characters, and the strip is more popular than ever, bringing in fan letters, merchandising ! deals, and talk of TV specials. Finn has even started dating again.When a terrorist attack decimates Atlanta, killing half a million souls, Finn begins blurting things in a strange voice beyond his control. The voice says things only his grandfather could know. Countless other residents of Atlanta are suffering a similar bizarre affliction. Is it mass hysteria, or have the dead returned to possess the living? Finn soon realizes he has a hitcher within his skin... his grandfather. And Grandpa isn't terribly happy about the changes Finn has been making to Toy Shop. Together with a pair of possessed friends, an aging rock star, and a waitress, Finn races against time to find a way to send the dead back to Deadland... or die trying!World famous actor Sam Neil and rap legend Chuck D rub shoulders with writers like JP Donleavy and Carmel Bird. Physicists, business leaders, publishers, political activists, soldiers, poets, athletes and comic book creators are brought together by ! their common experience of hitching a ride sometime in the pas! t.

Since the '60s and '70s - the heyday of hitching - people have thumbed rides worldwide. Money never changes hands, but all manner of social transactions take place. These tales will open your eyes and take you back - of forward. Just when you think you've heard it all, turn the page. You'll discover you haven't!World famous actor Sam Neil and rap legend Chuck D rub shoulders with writers like JP Donleavy and Carmel Bird. Physicists, business leaders, publishers, political activists, soldiers, poets, athletes and comic book creators are brought together by their common experience of hitching a ride sometime in the past.

Since the '60s and '70s - the heyday of hitching - people have thumbed rides worldwide. Money never changes hands, but all manner of social transactions take place. These tales will open your eyes and take you back - of forward. Just when you think you've heard it all, turn the page. You'll discover you haven't!HITCHER - DVD MovieSteven Spielberg'! s first feature film, 1971's Duel, is set on a desert highway. It stars Dennis Weaver as a driver being pursued by a menacing truck, which is following him with all the vengeance of the ancient furies. In this spiritual update from 1984, C. Thomas Howell plays a guy taking a drive-away car from Chicago to San Diego. On a whim, in the rain, and against his better judgment, he picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer). The hitcher quickly admits to being a murdering psychopath, and once Howell finally gets him out of his car, he is pursued with all the vengeance of the ancient furies. We're never sure if the hitcher is a figment of his imagination, making Howell a schizophrenic killer, or if he's real and Howell is the random victim of a wandering madman, which is how his potential new girlfriend (Jennifer Jason Leigh) thinks of him. Either way, The Hitcher is great fun, kinda scary, and teetering on the brink of "must see." --Andy SpletzerSteven Spielberg's ! first feature film, 1971's Duel, is set on a desert hig! hway. It stars Dennis Weaver as a driver being pursued by a menacing truck, which is following him with all the vengeance of the ancient furies. In this spiritual update from 1984, C. Thomas Howell plays a guy taking a drive-away car from Chicago to San Diego. On a whim, in the rain, and against his better judgment, he picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer). The hitcher quickly admits to being a murdering psychopath, and once Howell finally gets him out of his car, he is pursued with all the vengeance of the ancient furies. We're never sure if the hitcher is a figment of his imagination, making Howell a schizophrenic killer, or if he's real and Howell is the random victim of a wandering madman, which is how his potential new girlfriend (Jennifer Jason Leigh) thinks of him. Either way, The Hitcher is great fun, kinda scary, and teetering on the brink of "must see." --Andy SpletzerThe authority in garden flags, Toland Home Garden offers flags of the finest quality. There ! is something for everyone in our sought-after line of original fine art flags. Discover the wide range of seasonal, patriotic, holiday and renowned everyday designs. The quality of Toland Home Garden keeps the customers returning for more.

Appleseed Ex Machina [Blu-ray]

  • The next installment in the Appleseed franchise, Appleseed: Ex Machina,available on DVD! Produced by John Woo and Directed by Shinji Aramaki,and featuring next generation CG technology, Appleseed: Ex Machina isback bigger and badder! Based on the manga from reknown creator Shirow Masamune, in this movie,Deunan and Briareos are both partners and lovers. As members of ESWAT,the elite forces servi
The next installment in the Appleseed franchise Appleseed: Ex Machinaavailable on DVD! Produced by John Woo and Directed by Shinji Aramakiand featuring next generation CG technology Appleseed: Ex Machina isback bigger and badder!Based on the manga from reknown creator Shirow Masamune in this movieDeunan and Briareos are both partners and lovers. As members of ESWATthe elite forces serving Olympus they are deployed everywhere troublestrikes. The two fighters find their partnership tested in a new way by! the arrival of Tereus who uncannily resembles Briareos before thewartime injuries that led to his becoming a cyborg. At the same timeOlympus finds itself under a stealth attack . Cyborg terrorism deadlynanotech zealots and rioting citizens are just some of the threats thatDeunan must contend with as she fights to save Olympus.System Requirements:Running Time: 104 minutesFormat: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY/FANTASY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 085391200666 Manufacturer No: 120066Produced by John Woo and directed by Shinji Aramaki, Appleseed Ex Machina (2007) ranks as the most elaborate, stylish, and violent of the three adaptations of Masamune Shirow's manga. When it was released in 1988, the original Appleseed felt like a summary of anime's past, while Akira pointed the way to the future. The second Appleseed (2004), also directed by Aramaki, was an unimpressive motion-capture CG feature that borrowed elements from other sci-fi anime. In this lat! est incarnation, Deunan, Briareos, and Tereus of the E.S.W.A.T! . team a re charged with preserving the peace of the city-state of Olympus, a hi-tech paradise on a largely ruined Earth. Screenwriters Kiyoto Takeuchi and Todd W. Russell have given the story a contemporary twist, adding attacks by "cyborg terrorists" and an effort by the ruler of Olympus to control a world-wide satellite surveillance system. When cyborgs and human launch coordinated attacks on the government headquarters in Olympus, Deunan, Briareos, and Tereus swing into action against a mysterious enemy. The plot has little in common with the earlier films: the Appleseed technology that was at the core of the story isn't even mentioned. The look, tone, and characters in Ex Machina recall Shirow's Ghost in the Shell, rather than the original Appleseed. Not surprisingly, the elaborately choreographed fight scenes reflect Woo's signature style, with slo-mo martial-arts combat, close-ups of falling shells, dynamic camerawork, and all-out gun battles. But the weig! htless movements of the motion-capture characters and the limited rendering of the skin textures gives Appleseed Ex Machina the feel of an extremely elaborate computer game. Despite the limits of the mo-cap technology, Appleseed Ex Machina is a fast-past, take-no-prisoners cinematic adventure that will delight action-movie fans as well as anime lovers. (Rated PG-13: violence, violence against women, profanity, grotesque imagery, potentially offensive religious imagery.) --Charles Solomon

House of Sand and Fog

  • Condition: New
  • Format: DVD
  • AC-3; Anamorphic; Closed-captioned; Color; Dolby; DTS Surround Sound; Dubbed; DVD; Subtitled; Widesc
Filmed entirely on the magnificent, sandy coast of northern Brazil, Áurea's saga begins in 1910, in Maranhão, where her fanatical husband has relocated his family to start a farm. Desperate and pregnant, Áurea (Fernanda Torres) longs to return to the city, but cannot traverse the dunes with her aging mother, Maria (Fernanda Montenegro) in tow. When calamity strikes, the two women find themselves stranded. Eventually, they settle among the shifting sands and Áurea finds peace. But her passionate daughter, Maria, longs to explore the world beyond the dunes. This profound portrait of passing generations has established Andrucha Waddington as one of the most exciting directors in Brazil today.The landscape looks like the surface of the moon. Set in Br! azil's Maranhão desert, House of Sand follows three generations of women, from 1910 to 1969, as they eke out a living from this hostile environment. Oafish Vasco (director Ruy Guerra) brings pregnant wife Áurea (Fernanda Torres) and her mother, Dona Maria (Fernanda Montenegro, Central Station), from the city to make a new start. Shortly after they arrive, fate takes him out of the picture. Mother and daughter muddle through with the help of slave descendents. Wary at first, Massu (Seu Jorge, City of God) takes a particular shine to the duo. The story then skips ahead to 1919, when an escape route materializes. There will be two more shifts in time. By 1942, Áurea's daughter, Maria (Torres), has grown into impetuous womanhood, while Áurea (Montenegro) and Massu (Luiz Melodia) have settled into middle age. In the final section, set during the year of the first lunar landing, Áurea (Montenegro) is around the same age as her mother at the start of the ! film. With the exception of Camilla Facundes as nine-year-old ! Maria, T orres and her real-life mother assume every female role. What does it all mean? Andrucha Waddington (Me You Them) doesn't burden his enigmatic epic with a singular message, but those who appreciate dust-swept dramas like Woman in the Dunes and Walkabout aren't likely to hold it against him. The point seems to be that the human--especially the female--capacity for survival knows no bounds. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Stills from House of Sand (click for larger image)



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Academy Award winners Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) and Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind) deliver stunning performances as two strangers whose conflicting pursuits of the American Dream lead to a fight for their hopes at any cost. What begins as a struggle over a rundown bungalow spirals into a clash that propels everyone involved toward a shocking resolution. "The surprise ending will leave you breathless!" (Clay Smith, Access Hollywood! )Jennifer Connelly followed up her Academy Award for A Beau! tiful Mi nd with this dark but moving story of small mistakes that escalate, with tragic necessity, to disaster. In House of Sand and Fog, Kathy (Connelly) gets evicted from her house for failing to pay a tax she never should have been charged in the first place. The house is swiftly put up for auction and bought by a former military officer from Iran named Behrani (Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast). When legal efforts fail her, Kathy turns to a sympathetic cop (Ron Eldard, Bastard Out of Carolina), who wants out of a loveless marriage and who's willing to step over legal boundaries if it might give him a fresh start. Topnotch performances by the entire cast make House of Sand and Fog a compelling psychological drama; your sympathies will be pulled in all directions. --Bret Fetzer

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

  • Choose from multiple authentic character classes, each with their own signature weapons and killing moves. With richly-detailed maps and a wide variety of unique multiplayer modes, you'll never fight the same way twice
  • As Ezio, a legendary Master Assassin, experience over 15 hours of single player gameplay set in the living, breathing, unpredictable city of Rome
  • Recruit and train promising young Assassins. Deploy them across the city as you see fit, or call upon them to aid you in your quests
  • Collaborate with real historical characters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli and Caterina Sforza
  • Swiftly eliminate your enemies using tools such as poison darts, parachutes, double hidden blades, hidden guns, and an advanced flying machine at your disposal
Live and breathe as Ezio, a legendary Master Assassin, in his enduring struggle against the powerful T! emplar Order. He must journey into Italy’s greatest city, Rome, center of power, greed and corruption to strike at the heart of the enemy. Defeating the corrupt tyrants entrenched there will require not only strength, but leadership, as Ezio commands an entire Brotherhood who will rally to his side. Only by working together can the Assassins defeat their mortal enemies and prevent the extinction of their Order. And for the first time, introducing a never-before-seen multiplayer layer that allows you to choose from a wide range of Assassin characters, each with their own unique weapons and assassination techniques, and match your skills against other Assassins from around the world. It’s time to join the Brotherhood.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is an epic action game for Xbox 360 set across a blend of present and historical time periods, that places the player in the role of the leader of a Re! naissance-era guild of assassins out for vengeance against the! remnant s of the Knights Templar. Set primarily in Rome, this sequel to the critically acclaimed Assassin's Creed II features returning characters from the previous game and includes new features such as the ability to command members of your guild in combat, a new arsenal of weapons and multiplayer game support in which players can assume different assassin characters.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood game logo
Ezio flanked by some of the members of the Assassin's Brotherhood from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Command the members of your assassin's guild in single player and become them in multiplayer.
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Ezio perched on the rim of a ruined collosium of Rome in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Explore the glory and faded grandeur of Renaissance-era Rome.
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Story
Live and breathe as Ezio, a legendary Master Assassin, in his enduring struggle against the powerful Templar order. He must journey into Italy’s greatest city, Rome, center of power, greed and corruption to strike at the heart of the enemy. Defeating the corrupt tyrants entrenched there will require not only strength, but leadership, as Ezio commands an entire brotherhood of assassins who will rally to his side. Only by working together can the assassins defeat their mortal enemies and prevent the extinction of their ord! er.

Multiple Ways to Play
Expanding on the game world woven across the first two games in the franchise, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood provides players with multiple ways to play. In single player mode you take on an engrossing campaign playing as Ezio, the hero from Assassin's Creed II, who has now risen to the level of Master Assassin. Here players scour the expansive environment of Renaissance-era Rome, tasked with ridding the Eternal City of the continuing stain of the Templars and in the process ensuring the survival of the guild of assassins. You are not in this alone though. Additional AI members of your guild are at your command, and can be summoned to your aid if need be. In addition to this, for the first time in the Assassin's Creed franchise players can compete with other would-be assassins in multiplayer action. In multiplayer modes players choose from a range of Assassin characters, each with their own backstory, unique w! eapons and assassination techniques. Choose your assassin char! acter, u tilize the virtual reality capabilities of Abstergo Industries' Animus technology and match your skills against other assassins from around the world. There's no time like now to join the Brotherhood.

Deadly Weapons Arsenal
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood features a wide variety of weapons, depending on the mode of play. In single player players primarily utilize Ezio's weapons of choice, the hidden blade and crossbow, while in multiplayer modes players gain access to a wide variety of weapon, depending on the character they choose to play as. Examples of this include: the Axe, wielded by the Executioner; the Fan, used by the Courtesan; the Syringe, the tool by the Doctor; the Dagger, used by the Priest; the Switchblade, carried by the Prowler; and the Claw, used by the Nobleman.

Key Game Features

  • As Ezio, a legendary Master Assassin, experience over 15 hours of single player gameplay set in the living, breathing, unpredictable city! of Rome.
  • Recruit and train promising young Assassins. Deploy them across the city as you see fit, or call upon them to aid you in your quests.
  • Collaborate with real historical characters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli and Caterina Sforza.
  • Use your hard-won currency to revitalize the crumbling capital city. Rally the citizens to your cause and unlock extra factions and missions.
  • Swiftly eliminate your enemies using tools such as poison darts, parachutes, double hidden blades, hidden guns, and an advanced flying machine at your disposal.
  • Choose from multiple authentic character classes, each with their own signature weapons and killing moves. With richly-detailed maps and a wide variety of unique multiplayer modes, you’ll never fight the same way twice.

Broken Bridges (Includes VIP Access Bonus Dvd) (Widescreen)

  • Exclusive includes VIP Access Bonus DVD
In this bittersweet story about family, love and redemption, the death of a loved one brings fading country music star Bo Price (Toby Keith) back to his hometown where he is reunited with his childhood sweetheart (Kelly Preston) and meets his 16-year-old daughter for the first time. Can Bo mend the bridges that were broken when he up and left his home and loved ones for fame and fortune? Broken Bridges, starring country superstar Toby Keith, is the Country Music Channel's debut entry into the world of feature films. Though it plays more like a televised movie of the week--complete with an opaque plot, much tears, and a happy ending--Broken Bridges is a guilty pleasure, thanks in large part to the surprising likeability (though not believability) of Keith. The tall singer plays Bo Price, a struggling musician who heads back to his small ho! metown for his younger brother's funeral. There, he runs into his high-school sweetheart Angela Dalton (Kelly Preston) and her teenage daughter Dixie (Lindsey Haun, daughter of Air Supply guitarist Jimmy Haun). It comes as no surprise to the viewer that Dixie is Bo's child--a daughter he never knew he had. Though she doesn't share her father's gruff personality, she did inherit his musical aptitude and stage presence. While Burt Reynolds chews up the scenery as Angela's father, Tess Harper--playing his wife--doesn't get much to do other than look worried. Look for BeBe Winans and Willie Nelson to make guest appearances as themselves. As for Bo and Angela? She makes a feeble attempt to resist her ex's charms by laying down the law. "I came out here to lay down the ground rules," she tells him. "Don't speak to my parents. Don't speak to Angela. And don't speak to me." Rules, of course, are meant to be broken, especially in feel-good movies such as this. --Jae-Ha KimGenre: Comedy
Rating: PG13
Release Dat! e: 1 1-NOV-2008
Media Type: DVDExclusive includes "Broken Bridges" and VIP Access Bonus DVD. "Broken Bridges" - In this bittersweet story about family, love and redemption, the death of a loved one brings fading country music star Bo Price (Toby Keith) back to his hometown where he is reunited with his childhood sweetheart (Kelly Preston) and meets his 16-year-old daughter for the first time. Can Bo mend the bridges that were broken when he up and left his home and loved ones for fame and fortune? Exclusive "Broken Bridges Red Carpet VIP Access" Bonus DVD.

Big Red Calculator, The Official Calculator Of The National Debt

  • 16-Digit Large LED Display
  • Tax, Mark Up and Memory Ideal for Business and Finance
  • 112 Step Check and Correct for Long Calculations
  • Solar / Battery Powered
  • "Official Calculator of the National Debt"
Academy Award® winner Helen Mirren and two-time Academy Award® nominee Tom Wilkinson star in The Debt, "a pulse-pounding and politically charged suspense thriller." (Karen Durbin, Elle) In 1966, three Mossad agents were assigned to track down a feared Nazi war criminal hiding in East Berlin, a mission accomplished at great risk and personal cost - or was it? Thirty years later, the suspense builds as shocking news and surprising revelations compel retired team member Rachel Singer (Mirren) to take matters into her own hands. Co-starring Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain and Ciarán Hinds, it's the film critics call "an intelligent thriller with superb performances.! " (USA Today) Starring: Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Jesper Christensen, Marton Csokas, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson Directed by: John MaddenThe Debt fuses physical and moral peril as it fuses past and present. In the contemporary half of the story, ex-Mossad agent Rachel Singer (Helen Mirren) tells and retells the story of how she and her fellow agents David Peretz (Ciarán Hinds, Rome) and Stephan Gold (Tom Wilkinson, In the Bedroom) captured and killed a Nazi war criminal. But in flashbacks to Cold War East Berlin, younger versions of Rachel, David, and Stephan (Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, and Marton Csokas, respectively) play out a significantly different series of events--and the gap between past and present takes its toll on all three in different (and in one case gut-wrenching) ways. Though Mirren, Hinds, and Wilkinson are a powerhouse trio, it's the Cold War scenes that take hold of the viewer. Jesper Christensen (as t! he Nazi) invests his conversations with Chastain and Worthingt! on with silky insinuation and taunting contempt, building a devastating suspense. Fans accustomed to Worthington in his action-movie roles (Avatar, Clash of the Titans) will be surprised by the gentle vulnerability he shows here, but it's Chastain (The Tree of Life) who captures the movie's emotional core. She and Mirren perform a strange collaboration that can only happen in the movies, building a fierce and brittle woman out of their complementary performances. --Bret Fetzer[Siren Classic: Erotic BDSM Romance, suspense, sex toys] At twenty-eight, Maddie James has risen through the ranks of investment bank Goldstein Rivers to achieve great success. All of that changes when she receives a demand for half a million dollars for the safe return of her sister. Torn between her allegiance to her job and the demands of the kidnappers, she secretly wires the money, hoping to replace it with the sale of her house. When thirty-six-year-old wealthy businessman Keat! on Rivers discovers the money is missing from his company, he suspects Maddie. Will he throw her to the wolves or find another way for her to repay the debt? As a Dom, Keaton knows Maddie would make the perfect submissive. From the very first moment he laid eyes on her, he’d wanted her. Only this time it will be on his terms... To save her career, will Maddie make a deal with the Dom? Note: This book contains anal sex. ** A Siren Erotic Romance[Siren Classic: Erotic BDSM Romance, suspense, sex toys] At twenty-eight, Maddie James has risen through the ranks of investment bank Goldstein Rivers to achieve great success. All of that changes when she receives a demand for half a million dollars for the safe return of her sister. Torn between her allegiance to her job and the demands of the kidnappers, she secretly wires the money, hoping to replace it with the sale of her house. When thirty-six-year-old wealthy businessman Keaton Rivers discovers the money is missing from his ! company, he suspects Maddie. Will he throw her to the wolves o! r find a nother way for her to repay the debt? As a Dom, Keaton knows Maddie would make the perfect submissive. From the very first moment he laid eyes on her, he’d wanted her. Only this time it will be on his terms... To save her career, will Maddie make a deal with the Dom? Note: This book contains anal sex. ** A Siren Erotic RomanceBefore there was money, there was debt

Every economics textbook says the same thing: Money was invented to replace onerous and complicated barter systemsâ€"to relieve ancient people from having to haul their goods to market. The problem with this version of history? There’s not a shred of evidence to support it.

Here anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom. He shows that for more than 5,000 years, since the beginnings of the first agrarian empires, humans have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goodsâ€"that is, long before the invention of coins or cash. It is in this! era, Graeber argues, that we also first encounter a society divided into debtors and creditors.

Graeber shows that arguments about debt and debt forgiveness have been at the center of political debates from Italy to China, as well as sparking innumerable insurrections. He also brilliantly demonstrates that the language of the ancient works of law and religion (words like “guilt,” “sin,” and “redemption”) derive in large part from ancient debates about debt, and shape even our most basic ideas of right and wrong. We are still fighting these battles today without knowing it.

Debt: The First 5,000 Years is a fascinating chronicle of this little known historyâ€"as well as how it has defined human history, and what it means for the credit crisis of the present day and the future of our economy.


From the Hardcover edition.Before there was money, there was debt

Every economics textbook says the sa! me thing: Money was invented to replace onerous and complicate! d barter systemsâ€"to relieve ancient people from having to haul their goods to market. The problem with this version of history? There’s not a shred of evidence to support it.

Here anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom. He shows that for more than 5,000 years, since the beginnings of the first agrarian empires, humans have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goodsâ€"that is, long before the invention of coins or cash. It is in this era, Graeber argues, that we also first encounter a society divided into debtors and creditors.

Graeber shows that arguments about debt and debt forgiveness have been at the center of political debates from Italy to China, as well as sparking innumerable insurrections. He also brilliantly demonstrates that the language of the ancient works of law and religion (words like “guilt,” “sin,” and “redemption”) derive in large part from ancient debates about debt, and shape eve! n our most basic ideas of right and wrong. We are still fighting these battles today without knowing it.

Debt: The First 5,000 Years is a fascinating chronicle of this little known historyâ€"as well as how it has defined human history, and what it means for the credit crisis of the present day and the future of our economy.


From the Hardcover edition.The Big Red Calculator is capable of displaying very large numbers like "Trillions", or calculating the National Debt and the Federal Budget Deficit. For business, office and home use. Large digits allow easy viewing and large sure-feel buttons make digit entry reliable. Dual power allows for use in varied lighting conditions. Includes illustrated step-by-step manual with sample calculations. Features include 16-digit large LED display capable of showing "trillions", with Tax, Mark Up, 112 Step Check, Auto Replay and Grand Total functions, solar/battery power, large sure-feel buttons, bold red color, easy-to-read instructions, CE/RoHS compliant.

Michael Douglas Double Feature- Black Rain / Fatal Attraction

  • Widescreen
  • Double Feature
  • Surround Sound
  • Closed Caption
  • Subtitled in English
A NEW YORK LAWYER WITH A WIFE AND DAUGHTER SLEEPS WITH A CLIENT WHOSE LUST TURNS TO HATE.The date movie of the late 1980s, this had everyone arguing in the aisles. Does Michael Douglas deserve the unwanted attention he and his family are receiving at the hands of loony stalker Glenn Close? After a weekend extramarital affair with colleague Close, he returns home to wife Anne Archer, and Close becomes progressively angrier. You might even say she is boiling bunny mad.

Directed by Adrian Lyne, this is not your average thriller, as it garnered six Academy Award nominations. The plot is too obvious, but the dialogue rings true and the intense performances hold the story together. Anne Archer deserves kudos for side-stepping cliché as the strong but frightened wife, and Close i! s a scream as she chews up the scenery.

The film's original ending, which was reshot after poor preview screenings, has been added to the video release. --Rochelle O'GormanStylish and sexy, Fatal Attraction took audiences to terrifying new heights with its thrilling story of a casual encounter gone terribly awry. This box-office smash was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director (Adrian Lyneâ€"Indecent Proposal, Flashdance). Michael Douglas plays Dan Gallagher, a New York attorney who has a tryst with seductive Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) while his wife (Anne Archer) is away. Dan later shrugs off the affair as a mistake and considers it over. But Alex won’t be ignored. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever…even if it means destroying Dan’s family to keep him.The date movie of the late 1980s, this had everyone arguing in the aisles. Does Michael Douglas deserve the unwanted attention he and his family are ! receiving at the hands of loony stalker Glenn Close? After a ! weekend extramarital affair with colleague Close, he returns home to wife Anne Archer, and Close becomes progressively angrier. You might even say she is boiling bunny mad.

Directed by Adrian Lyne, this is not your average thriller, as it garnered six Academy Award nominations. The plot is too obvious, but the dialogue rings true and the intense performances hold the story together. Anne Archer deserves kudos for side-stepping cliché as the strong but frightened wife, and Close is a scream as she chews up the scenery.

The film's original ending, which was reshot after poor preview screenings, has been added to the video release. --Rochelle O'GormanThe date movie of the late 1980s, this had everyone arguing in the aisles. Does Michael Douglas deserve the unwanted attention he and his family are receiving at the hands of loony stalker Glenn Close? After a weekend extramarital affair with colleague Close, he returns home to wife Anne Archer, and Close becomes p! rogressively angrier. You might even say she is boiling bunny mad.

Directed by Adrian Lyne, this is not your average thriller, as it garnered six Academy Award nominations. The plot is too obvious, but the dialogue rings true and the intense performances hold the story together. Anne Archer deserves kudos for side-stepping cliché as the strong but frightened wife, and Close is a scream as she chews up the scenery.

The film's original ending, which was reshot after poor preview screenings, has been added to the video release. --Rochelle O'GormanA NEW YORK LAWYER WITH A WIFE AND DAUGHTER SLEEPS WITH A CLIENT WHOSE LUST TURNS TO HATE.The date movie of the late 1980s, this had everyone arguing in the aisles. Does Michael Douglas deserve the unwanted attention he and his family are receiving at the hands of loony stalker Glenn Close? After a weekend extramarital affair with colleague Close, he returns home to wife Anne Archer, and Close becomes progressi! vely angrier. You might even say she is boiling bunny mad.

! Directe d by Adrian Lyne, this is not your average thriller, as it garnered six Academy Award nominations. The plot is too obvious, but the dialogue rings true and the intense performances hold the story together. Anne Archer deserves kudos for side-stepping cliché as the strong but frightened wife, and Close is a scream as she chews up the scenery.

The film's original ending, which was reshot after poor preview screenings, has been added to the video release. --Rochelle O'GormanCThe date movie of the late 1980s, this had everyone arguing in the aisles. Does Michael Douglas deserve the unwanted attention he and his family are receiving at the hands of loony stalker Glenn Close? After a weekend extramarital affair with colleague Close, he returns home to wife Anne Archer, and Close becomes progressively angrier. You might even say she is boiling bunny mad.

Directed by Adrian Lyne, this is not your average thriller, as it garnered six Academy Award nominations! . The plot is too obvious, but the dialogue rings true and the intense performances hold the story together. Anne Archer deserves kudos for side-stepping cliché as the strong but frightened wife, and Close is a scream as she chews up the scenery.

The film's original ending, which was reshot after poor preview screenings, has been added to the video release. --Rochelle O'GormanBASIC INSTINCT ULTIMATE EDITION - DVD MovieThe take-no-prisoners sex thriller from 1992 now stands as a milestone in the career of screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, but in the hands of director Paul Verhoeven Basic Instinct is an undeniably stylish and provocative study of obsession. In the role that made her a star (and showed the audience a little more skin than she intended), Sharon Stone plays the cleverly manipulative novelist Catherine Tramell who snares San Francisco detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) with her insatiable sexual appetite during the investigation of her boyfrien! d's murder. Tramell is the prime suspect, but the plot twists ! and turn s until Curran is trapped in a dangerous cycle of dead ends and unsolved murders, never sure if Tramell is committing the crimes or if it is some other, unknown suspect. With a plot that keeps viewers guessing, Basic Instinct is the work of a director who is clearly in his element. --Jeff ShannonA Double Feature including Black Rain & Fatal Attraction. Black Rain also stars Nick Conklin as a NYC detective under investigation for corruption. Fatal Attraction includes Glenn Close as a seductress and Ann Archer as the wife of a New York Attorney played by Michael Douglas.

Beerfest (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

  • After a humiliating false start in Germany's super-secret underground beer competition, America's unlikely team vows to risk life, limb and liver to dominate the ultimate chug-a-lug championship. The laughs are on the haus!Running Time: 116 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR Age: 085391102076 UPC: 085391102076 Manufacturer No: 110207
After a humiliating false start in Germany's super-secret underground beer competition, America's unlikely team vows to risk life, limb and liver to dominate the ultimate chug-a-lug championship. The laughs are on the haus!

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurette
Interviews
Other

While it didn't quite spark a trend in chug-a-lug brew comedies, Beerfest is the kind of zany time-killer that's a lot funnier if you're within reach of a six-pack and Doritos. In ! other words, this is yet another low-brow laff-a-thon from the Broken Lizard gang (Super Troopers) that's likely to draw a bigger audience on DVD than it did in theaters, especially since there's a lot of duds (and flat suds) to sit through while waiting for the next big beer-belly-laugh. It's the kind of movie that thinks masturbating frogs are funny (OK, you decide), while serving up a gang of guzzling Americans (the aforementioned Broken Lizard troupe, who also write this stuff with director Jay Chandrasekhar) who compete in an epic beer-drinking contest against the nefarious German challenger Baron Wolfgang Von Wolfhausen (played by German actor Jurgen Prochnow, whose starring role in Das Boot inspires one of this movie's better jokes). When it's not trying to top itself in terms of sheer stupidity and juvenile humor, Beerfest satisfies its target audience (basically, frat-rats and party animals) with some gratuitously bare-breasted babes, rampant consumpt! ion of alcohol, and the welcomed appearance of Cloris Leachman! , who so rt-of reprises her "Frau Blucher" persona from Young Frankenstein. So basically what you've got here is a dim-witted but energetic comedy called Beerfest that delivers exactly what you'd expect from a movie with that title. Who says truth in advertising is dead? --Jeff Shannon

Your Love Never Fails

  • Features include: -MPAA Rating: G -Format: DVD-Runtime: 96 minutes
Born and raised on an Australian sheep ranch, Tommy (Luke Arnold) dreams of becoming a great musician. Everything changes, though, when his antics to impress his beautiful classmate Kat (Alexa Vega) backfire and land them both in trouble. But after auditioning for an elite music academy, Tommy is given the second chance he needs to win Kat’s affection, his father’s approval and the opportunity of a lifetime.

Bonus Feature:
Audio commentary with Writer / Director Dagen Merrill, Producer Chris Wyatt and Alexa Vega.A handsome high-school senior aspires to become a classical composer in this tuneful drama. Tommy (Luke Arnold, who recalls Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel) lives on an Australian sheep ranch with his widowed father, George (Timothy Hutton), a stern soccer coach, and nurses a crush on exchange student Kat! (Alexa Vega, Spy Kids), who barely knows he exists. One night, Tommy and George come across escaped convict Kalae (Che Timmons) on their drive home. They turn the unconscious man over to the police, and get on with their lives. Later, when Kat finds out that Tommy has access to a truck, she convinces him to chauffeur her around during a night of vandalism, which lands him in jail, where he reconnects with Kalae, who tells him about a prison choir. Upon Tommy's release, he convinces Kat to help him form a convict band in order to fulfill their community service requirement and to facilitate his entrance into Sydney's prestigious Music Conservatorium. At first, the inexperienced duo attract only two participants, but other inmates eventually materialize, and as their repertoire takes shape, Kat's hard shell softens. Unfortunately, Tommy has to cancel their performance at Broken Hill when a prisoner goes missing, but Kat and the other players convince him to try again.! The conclusion feels more like wish fulfillment than a realis! tic outc ome, but director Dagen Merrill does depict Tommy's daydreams at times, so it seems rather fitting. Extra features include commentary from Merrill, producer Chris Wyatt, and a sleepy Vega. --Kathleen C. FennessySet in 1897, a man and his nephew are trying to deliver a herd of horses when they become the reluctant guardians of five abandoned Chinese girls.
Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 30-JAN-2007
Media Type: DVDThe lives of two stoic cowboys and five abused Chinese women become intertwined in Walter Hill's sprawling miniseries Broken Trail. Print Ritter (Academy Award winner Robert Duvall) and his nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church, Sideways) agree to deliver a herd of 500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming. Along the way, they rescue the young women--most of them still just girls--who're being transported to a brothel to have their virginity auctioned off. When the madam sees she is about to lose the gi! rls, she screams at Tom, "What about my property?" He shouts back, "That's the price of being a capitalist, lady." Unable to overcome the language barrier, Print assigns numbers to the girls. Number 3, Sun Foy (Gwendoline Yeo, Desperate Housewives) is the most fearless and perceptive of them. Though the others don't want to be called Number 4--an unlucky numeral in their homeland--Ye Fung (Olivia Cheng), the most tragic of the group, doesn't care. Targeted for her beauty, she finds herself unable to overcome the trauma. The number suits her, in her mind. Along the way, Print and Tom rescue Nola Johns (Greta Scacchi), the proverbial hooker with the heat of gold, who was forced into prostitution after her husband died.

The cinematography is gorgeous as the camera sweeps over the lush landscape (the Canadian Rockies subbing in for wild West of the late 1800s) and Hill does a formidable job of pacing this 3-hour drama with just the right balance of dialogue and actio! n. For Duvall, Broken Trail is the last piece to his We! stern tr ilogy, which started with the miniseries Lonesome Dove followed by the feature film Open Range. He is instantly likeable as a father figure and the viewer never doubts that his intention for the girls is honorable. As for Haden Church, he has never been as appealing as he is in this role. Gruff and flawed, he softens when he exchanges shy glances with Sun Foy. The trek is long and hard and the unlikely band of travelers will face much hardship. If not as satisfying as the rich, detailed Lonesome Dove, Broken Trail makes up for it with a wonderful storyline and some fine acting by all involved. As for the conclusion, it may surprise some viewers who are expecting a more traditional version of the happy ending. --Jae-Ha KimStudio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 09/30/2008 Run time: 184 minutesThe lives of two stoic cowboys and five abused Chinese women become intertwined in Walter Hill's sprawling miniseries Broken Trail. Print! Ritter (Academy Award winner Robert Duvall) and his nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church, Sideways) agree to deliver a herd of 500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming. Along the way, they rescue the young women--most of them still just girls--who're being transported to a brothel to have their virginity auctioned off. When the madam sees she is about to lose the girls, she screams at Tom, "What about my property?" He shouts back, "That's the price of being a capitalist, lady." Unable to overcome the language barrier, Print assigns numbers to the girls. Number 3, Sun Foy (Gwendoline Yeo, Desperate Housewives) is the most fearless and perceptive of them. Though the others don't want to be called Number 4--an unlucky numeral in their homeland--Ye Fung (Olivia Cheng), the most tragic of the group, doesn't care. Targeted for her beauty, she finds herself unable to overcome the trauma. The number suits her, in her mind. Along the way, Print and Tom rescue Nola Johns (Gr! eta Scacchi), the proverbial hooker with the heat of gold, who! was for ced into prostitution after her husband died.

The cinematography is gorgeous as the camera sweeps over the lush landscape (the Canadian Rockies subbing in for wild West of the late 1800s) and Hill does a formidable job of pacing this 3-hour drama with just the right balance of dialogue and action. For Duvall, Broken Trail is the last piece to his Western trilogy, which started with the miniseries Lonesome Dove followed by the feature film Open Range. He is instantly likeable as a father figure and the viewer never doubts that his intention for the girls is honorable. As for Haden Church, he has never been as appealing as he is in this role. Gruff and flawed, he softens when he exchanges shy glances with Sun Foy. The trek is long and hard and the unlikely band of travelers will face much hardship. If not as satisfying as the rich, detailed Lonesome Dove, Broken Trail makes up for it with a wonderful storyline and some fine acting by all ! involved. As for the conclusion, it may surprise some viewers who are expecting a more traditional version of the happy ending. --Jae-Ha KimTop-rated miniseries! Set in 1897, Print Ritter and his estranged nephew Tom Harte become the reluctant guardians of five abused and abandoned Chinese girls. Ritter and Harte's attempts to care for the girls are complicated by their responsibility to deliver a herd of horses while avoiding a group of bitter rivals intent on kidnapping the girls for their own purposes.The lives of two stoic cowboys and five abused Chinese women become intertwined in Walter Hill's sprawling miniseries Broken Trail. Print Ritter (Academy Award winner Robert Duvall) and his nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church, Sideways) agree to deliver a herd of 500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming. Along the way, they rescue the young women--most of them still just girls--who're being transported to a brothel to have their virginity auctioned off. When! the madam sees she is about to lose the girls, she screams at! Tom, "W hat about my property?" He shouts back, "That's the price of being a capitalist, lady." Unable to overcome the language barrier, Print assigns numbers to the girls. Number 3, Sun Foy (Gwendoline Yeo, Desperate Housewives) is the most fearless and perceptive of them. Though the others don't want to be called Number 4--an unlucky numeral in their homeland--Ye Fung (Olivia Cheng), the most tragic of the group, doesn't care. Targeted for her beauty, she finds herself unable to overcome the trauma. The number suits her, in her mind. Along the way, Print and Tom rescue Nola Johns (Greta Scacchi), the proverbial hooker with the heat of gold, who was forced into prostitution after her husband died.

The cinematography is gorgeous as the camera sweeps over the lush landscape (the Canadian Rockies subbing in for wild West of the late 1800s) and Hill does a formidable job of pacing this 3-hour drama with just the right balance of dialogue and action. For Duvall, Broken Tra! il is the last piece to his Western trilogy, which started with the miniseries Lonesome Dove followed by the feature film Open Range. He is instantly likeable as a father figure and the viewer never doubts that his intention for the girls is honorable. As for Haden Church, he has never been as appealing as he is in this role. Gruff and flawed, he softens when he exchanges shy glances with Sun Foy. The trek is long and hard and the unlikely band of travelers will face much hardship. If not as satisfying as the rich, detailed Lonesome Dove, Broken Trail makes up for it with a wonderful storyline and some fine acting by all involved. As for the conclusion, it may surprise some viewers who are expecting a more traditional version of the happy ending. --Jae-Ha KimYour Love Never Fails is the story of Laura (Elisa Donovan), a working mother who just wants to spend more time with her daughter Kelsey, 9. Unfortunately, her demanding bos! s Paul (Fred Willard) has other ideas. When Kelsey's father, D! ylan (Br ad Rowe) files for joint custody, Laura is forced to take Kelsey to Texas, where she confronts the lifestyle, church and father (Tom Skerritt) that she left behind. With the help of the local church Pastor, Frank (John Schneider), Laura and Dylan will find their way back to the commitment they made to each other and to Kelsey.

Smiling Fish & Goat on Fire - Movie Poster 28"x41"

Needless Casualties of War

  • Paerback book
  • 1999
  • self published
The story of a combat squad gone berserk in the jungles of Vietnam. Based on a true story.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 23-MAR-2004
Media Type: DVDBased on a true story, this Brian De Palma film casts Michael J. Fox as a soldier in Vietnam in a squad led by Sean Penn. While on patrol, in the wake of an ambush that has left friends dead, they kidnap and rape a Vietnamese woman--then murder her. But Fox, one of the soldiers who refused to participate in the rape, is so appalled by the killing that he reports it--and finds himself being treated as the villain. Penn is scarily tough as the vindictive soldier and De Palma does a solid job of re-creating the crime, making it a thing of horror. Yet this film never quite connects, despite a strong performance by Fox and a supporting cast tha! t includes John C. Reilly and John Leguizamo. --Marshall FineStudio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 03/27/2007 Run time: 119 minutes Rating: RBased on a true story, this Brian De Palma film casts Michael J. Fox as a soldier in Vietnam in a squad led by Sean Penn. While on patrol, in the wake of an ambush that has left friends dead, they kidnap and rape a Vietnamese woman--then murder her. But Fox, one of the soldiers who refused to participate in the rape, is so appalled by the killing that he reports it--and finds himself being treated as the villain. Penn is scarily tough as the vindictive soldier and De Palma does a solid job of re-creating the crime, making it a thing of horror. Yet this film never quite connects, despite a strong performance by Fox and a supporting cast that includes John C. Reilly and John Leguizamo. --Marshall FineIn this timely teaching, Needless Casualties of War, John Paul Jackson reveals some startling insights that will un! cover spiritual strategies of the dark side. Find out how you ! can prot ect yourself from Satan's onslaught and escape his unforseen and unperceived attacks. Read by Carol Cavazos.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Harsh Times

  • (Action) Bale stars as an ex-Army Ranger who finds himself slipping back into his old life of petty crime and booze after a job offer from the LAPD evaporates. Honorable discharged, Homeland Security wants to recruit him for some special ops in Central America, but first he has to pass a urine test.which proves difficult. Film directorial debut for Ayer who has written such box office hits as TRA
(Action) Bale stars as an ex-Army Ranger who finds himself slipping back into his old life of petty crime and booze after a job offer from the LAPD evaporates. Honorable discharged, Homeland Security wants to recruit him for some special ops in Central America, but first he has to pass a urine test...which proves difficult. Film directorial debut for Ayer who has written such box office hits as TRAINING DAY, U-571 and THE FAST AND THE FURIOUSBleak as its South Central Los Angeles setting, Harsh T! imes is like a suicidal vortex swallowing men who ought to know better but can't stop their self-destruction. Christian Bale stars as Jim Davis, a stressed-out, former Army Ranger who becomes a very bad influence on his weak-willed buddy, Mike Alvarez (Freddy Rodriguez of Six Feet Under). Together the two meander through streets at night, getting drunk and stoned, finding trouble for its own sake and inviting danger as a ritual of machismo bonding. Mike's wife, Sylvia (Eva Longoria), a lawyer whom Mike, working as a telemarketer, put through school, is repelled by Jim and watches in pain as her spouse chooses a downward spiral over renewal and redemption with her. When Jim's application to join the L.A. police is turned down, he leads Mike into pure anarchy. An impractical change of fortune doesn't help any, and first-time director David Ayer, who wrote the screenplay for Harsh Times years before his script for Training Day, goes to some lengths, dr! amatically and visually, to convey Jim's unhinged condition. T! he drear iness of it all, and a sense that Bale has constructed--but not exactly lived in--another in his gallery of lost, misfit souls, makes it hard to connect with this film. Still, it is hard to turn away from these desperate and dangerous characters. --Tom Keogh

Deck the Halls

  • REGION 1 DVD - NSTC
Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito are hilarious as two neighbors trying to put the "win" in "winter" in one of the year's funniest comedies! Determined to unseat Steve Finch's (Broderick) reign as the town's holiday season king, Buddy Hall (DeVito) plasters his house with so many decorative lights that it'll be visible from space! When their wives (Kristin Davis and Kristin Chenoweth) bond, and their kids follow suit, the two men only escalate their rivalry ­ and their decorating. It's anybody's guess whether the holidays will wind up jolly or jostled in this wild and woolly laugh-fest that the whole family will love!Good neighbors can be hard to come by and when the flighty Buddy Hall (Danny Devito) moves in across the street from the conservative Dr. Steve Finch (Matthew Broderick), it quickly becomes apparent that the two men are complete opposites. While Finch met! hodically plans out every minute of the coming Christmas season for his family, Buddy craves freshness and excitement and is seized by an impulsive desire to decorate his house so brightly that it can be seen from space. While the men's wives Kelly (Kristin Davis) and Tia (Kristin Chenoweth) and their children revel in one another's differences and form solid friendships, a rivalry of personalities and Christmas spirit ensues between the two men that will wind up testing the patience and love of every member of both families. This is fun, comical holiday entertainment for the entire family ages 9 and older. --Tami Horiuchi

Beyond Deck the Halls


The Holidays on DVD

Matthew Broderick Films

Danny DeVito Films



Stills from Deck the Halls







Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 10/04/2011 Run time: 93 minutes Rating: PgA slapstick comedy starring Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito, Deck The Halls tackles the Christmas spirit with lights, music, and plenty o' pratfalls--none of which makes much sense in this floundering film. Steve Finch (Broderick) is a persnickety dentist who enjoys being the town's go-to guy when it comes to all things Christmas. Buddy Hall (DeVito) is his new neighbor--a car salesman who finds that decorating the exterior of his house in bright, garish decorations and lights makes him feel like the big man he never was. His goal is for his Lite-Brite house to be visible from space. Why? It's better not to ask, because there really is no logical explanation. As Buddy says, "Sometimes my stupidity astounds me." The same could be said for Steve and this movie. While the characters' wives (played by Kristin Davis and Kristin Chenoweth) are more relatable, their fast friendship is! unbelievable--especially when they side with each other rathe! r than t heir husbands. Though there are some funny moments (a dirty manger scene with a spitting camel comes to mind), Deck The Halls spends way too much time asking the audience to root for a pair of wannabe alpha males who have little redeeming value. Both DeVito (Get Shorty, Taxi) and Broderick (Election, WarGames) have formidable resumes and deserve better than this movie, which offers strong visuals but a barely-there plot. "How's it feel to be invisible?" Steve rhetorically asks. Sometimes, being invisible is better than just being bad. --Jae-Ha Kim

Product Description

CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE

Two bereaved families take a holiday vacation to an exotic Caribbean island to escape the memories of Christmas past. Dan Cassidy s (Colin Ferguson, Eureka) wife has left him and his teen daughters for another man. Dana Shaw (Charlotte Ross, Glee) recently suffered the death of her husband, leaving her alone with their two teen sons.! The parents and kids develop bonds on a cruise ship and their stay at a beach resort. When Dan's ex-wife shows up to reclaim her family, what promised to be a happy Christmas turns emotionally complicated as each character has to sort out their feelings and choose their own path.

DECK THE HALLS

Holly (Gabrielle Carteris, Beverly Hills, 90210) returns to her hometown with her eight-year old son, Ben, to work for her father's toy business. Soon after, Ben watches a man (Steve Bacic, Big Love) move in next door with a sleigh, red suit, and lots of Christmas goodies. Ben begins to believe that their new neighbor is Santa Claus, and devises a plan to set up his mom with Santa Claus.

Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 10/04/2011 Run time: 93 minutes Rating: PgA slapstick comedy starring Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito, Deck The Halls tackles the Christmas spirit with lights, music, and plenty o' pratfalls--none of which makes much sense in this floundering f! ilm. Steve Finch (Broderick) is a persnickety dentist who enjo! ys being the town's go-to guy when it comes to all things Christmas. Buddy Hall (DeVito) is his new neighbor--a car salesman who finds that decorating the exterior of his house in bright, garish decorations and lights makes him feel like the big man he never was. His goal is for his Lite-Brite house to be visible from space. Why? It's better not to ask, because there really is no logical explanation. As Buddy says, "Sometimes my stupidity astounds me." The same could be said for Steve and this movie. While the characters' wives (played by Kristin Davis and Kristin Chenoweth) are more relatable, their fast friendship is unbelievable--especially when they side with each other rather than their husbands. Though there are some funny moments (a dirty manger scene with a spitting camel comes to mind), Deck The Halls spends way too much time asking the audience to root for a pair of wannabe alpha males who have little redeeming value. Both DeVito (Get Shorty, Taxi) and! Broderick (Election, WarGames) have formidable resumes and deserve better than this movie, which offers strong visuals but a barely-there plot. "How's it feel to be invisible?" Steve rhetorically asks. Sometimes, being invisible is better than just being bad. --Jae-Ha KimIn the tradition of such classic films as "Miracle On 34th Street", a hip, eccentric marketing genius teaches a widow and her son the miracle of Christmas.