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Theatrical:

Studio: HBO Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 400

Summary: Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have long since shown that they can spin a good World War II yarn. But while their previous collaborations ("Saving Private Ryan", which they starred in and directed, respectively, and "Band of Brothers", for which they were part of the producing team) were set in Europe, "The Pacific" is their first look at the conflict with the Japanese on the other side of the world--and the two executive producers, along with an outstanding cast, an able crew, and a slew of top-notch writers and directors, have done a superb job. In making a 10-episode HBO miniseries (on five discs, with a sixth containing bonus material) that combines real events and participants with other dramatic elements newly created for the project, the filmmakers took a personal, experiential approach, focusing in particular on three marines, all of them real individuals: Robert Leckie (played by James Badge Dale), an aspiring writer who sees his first action at Guadalcanal, falls in love while on leave in Australia, and later suffers serious war wounds; John Balisone (Jon Seda), who performs heroically at Guadalcanal, earns a Medal of Honor, and is then sent home to help sell war bonds, only to return to action at Iwo Jima; and Eugene Sledge (Joseph Mazzello), who enlists later than the others, but not too late to witness and take part in some unimaginable horrors (books written by Sledge and Leckie about their experiences were used as source material for the miniseries). Of course, no one who's never been in combat can understand what it's really like, but through these three, and other men as well, we get some idea of the debilitating effects of war, both physical and psychological, and how those who managed to survive it might cope. As Leckie would write, "There are things men can do to one another that are sobering to the soul. It is one thing to reconcile these things with God, but another to square them with yourself."
A number of episodes depict the characters at home, on leave, or otherwise away from the field of battle, but the greatest impact comes from the extraordinarily powerful fighting scenes in which the marines--exhausted, half-starving, riddled with malaria, and enduring the appalling conditions (from extreme heat to relentless, torrential downpours) of an impenetrable, unforgiving jungle--battle an implacable, fanatical foe who would much rather die than surrender or be taken prisoner. A sequence in Part Five, when we're with Sledge as he lands at Peleliu for his first real action, is especially gripping; battles at night and in the rain at Cape Gloucester in Part Four, on Iwo Jima in Part Eight, and on Okinawa in Part Nine are also wrenching, but really, all the fighting sequences manage to convey the sheer, visceral terror the men experienced. To the filmmakers' credit, a number of real WWII veterans are on hand to share their memories, both in a 49-minute featurette on disc 6 and during the short introductions to each episode narrated by Hanks. Other extras include a 22-minute "making of" piece and a brief but interesting description of the cultural differences that made the conflict between the Japanese and the Americans even more brutal than it might have been. Kudos also go to the packaging and design of the boxed set; the menus are easily navigable, offering a synopsis of each episode. "--Sam Graham"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 95

Summary: Vin Diesel is game to soften his tough-guy image in "The Pacifier", in which he plays hot-shot Navy S.E.A.L. Shane Wolfe, whose latest mission goes awry when the scientist he's sent to rescue is popped off before he can tell Wolfe where he's hidden some Top Secret software something-or-other. Before you can say "Kindergarten Cop", Wolfe is assigned guard duty at the scientist's family home, where he's left with some unruly kids when the widow (Faith Ford) takes off to Switzerland to claim her hubby's safety deposit box under the guidance of Wolfe's superior officer. The trouble with this paint-by-numbers fish-out-of-water kiddie comedy is that Diesel himself "is" a fish out of water in the movie--he's no comic and is far funnier when he's unintentionally spoofing macho heroics in "The Chronicles of Riddick". The film limply throws everything it can at you, including the idea of Wolfe directing a community theater production of "The Sound of Music", but is just biding its time until the predictable action climax and hugs-all-around denouement. Vin doesn't look embarrassed, but the supporting cast sure does, especially "Everybody Loves Raymond"'s Brad Garrett as a bombastic vice principal and "Gilmore Girls"' Lauren Graham as Garrett's boss and Diesel's sudden love interest."--Steve Wiecking"

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 108

Summary: Largely dismissed as yet another Alien carbon, the science-fiction/horror hybrid Pandorum exceeds the limits of that critique with an agreeable mix of atmospherics and high-voltage scares. Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid--two consistently watchable actors, and both well used here--are top-billed as a pair of space travelers who awake from lengthy hibernation with no idea who they are or how they got aboard a vast and seemingly empty spacecraft. Their exploration of the ship uncovers not only a handful of fellow humans, among them martial arts champ Cung Le and French scientist/requisite eye candy Antje Traue, but a host of feral mutants with unpleasant designs on them. Director Christian Alvert, who gained international acclaim among genre viewers with his thriller Antibodies, keeps viewers engaged and unsettled with shadow-steeped cinematography and elaborately creepy production design, though his own attention span, which can be charitably described as blink and you'll miss it, obscures the clashes between the human and monster cast. However, Alvert has a few twists up his sleeve for the finale--one inspired, the other, less so--which not only helps to smooth over any of Pandorum's rougher edges, but also indicates that he's a genre director to watch. --Paul Gaita

Stills from Pandorum (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Genre: Mystery & Suspense

Duration: 108

Summary: Largely dismissed as yet another Alien carbon, the science-fiction/horror hybrid Pandorum exceeds the limits of that critique with an agreeable mix of atmospherics and high-voltage scares. Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid--two consistently watchable actors, and both well used here--are top-billed as a pair of space travelers who awake from lengthy hibernation with no idea who they are or how they got aboard a vast and seemingly empty spacecraft. Their exploration of the ship uncovers not only a handful of fellow humans, among them martial arts champ Cung Le and French scientist/requisite eye candy Antje Traue, but a host of feral mutants with unpleasant designs on them. Director Christian Alvert, who gained international acclaim among genre viewers with his thriller Antibodies, keeps viewers engaged and unsettled with shadow-steeped cinematography and elaborately creepy production design, though his own attention span, which can be charitably described as blink and you'll miss it, obscures the clashes between the human and monster cast. However, Alvert has a few twists up his sleeve for the finale--one inspired, the other, less so--which not only helps to smooth over any of Pandorum's rougher edges, but also indicates that he's a genre director to watch. --Paul Gaita

Stills from Pandorum (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Mystery & Suspense

Duration: 112

Summary: An effective exercise in "confined cinema," "Panic Room" is a finely crafted thriller that ultimately transcends the thinness of its premise. David Koepp's screenplay is basically "Wait Until Dark" on steroids, so director David Fincher ("Seven", "The Game") compensates with elaborate CGI-assisted camera moves, jazzing up his visuals while a relocated New York divorcée (Jodie Foster) and her daughter (Kristen Stewart) fight for their lives against a trio of tenacious burglars (Jared Leto, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam) in their new Manhattan townhouse. They're safe in a customized, impenetrable "panic room," but the burglars want what's in the room's safe, so mother and daughter (and Koepp and Fincher) must find clever ways to turn the tables and persevere. Suspense and intelligence are admirably maintained, with Foster (who replaced the then-injured Nicole Kidman) riffing on her "Silence of the Lambs" resourcefulness. It's not as viscerally satisfying as Fincher's previous thrillers, but "Panic Room" definitely holds your attention. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1989

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 124

Summary: Ron Howard's 1989 hit, written by fellow family men Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel ("Splash", "A League of Their Own"), is an original comedy about contemporary life and the eternal responsibilities of raising children. Steve Martin has never been better than as a dedicated husband and father trying (and inevitably failing, as do most of us) to balance the demands of his kids and his job. The actor, like his character, throws himself into the part quite touchingly, never more so than in a scene where a hired clown fails to show up at a children's party and Martin's character unabashedly provides the entertainment. Good as Martin is, this is actually an ensemble piece with numerous actors playing members of the same family, with cross-generational joys and disappointments in the air--and parents in conflict, children in love, and so on. Jason Robards is very good as a patriarch who finally accepts the reality that the son he adores (Tom Hulce) is a major screwup. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 174

Summary: Aimed directly at a mainstream audience, "The Patriot" qualifies as respectable entertainment, but anyone expecting a definitive drama about the American Revolution should look elsewhere. Rising above the blatant crowd pleasing of "Stargate, Independence Day", and "Godzilla", director Roland Emmerich crafts a marvelous re-creation of South Carolina in the late 1770s (aided immeasurably by cinematographer Caleb Deschanel), and Robert Rodat's screenplay offers the same balance of epic scale and emotional urgency that elevated his earlier script for "Saving Private Ryan". Unfortunately, Emmerich embraces clichés and hackneyed melodrama that a more gifted director would have avoided. Instead of attempting a truly great film about the most pivotal years of American history, Emmerich settles for a standard revenge plot with the Revolutionary War as an incidental backdrop.
On those terms, the film is engrossing and sufficiently intelligent, especially when militia leader Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) cagily negotiates with British General Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) in one of the most rewarding scenes. For the most part, the story concerns Martin's anguished quest for revenge against ruthless redcoat Colonel Tavington (played with snide relish by Jason Isaacs), and the rise to manhood of Martin's eldest son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), whose battlefield honor exceeds even that of his brutally volatile father. At its best, "The Patriot" conveys the horror of war among innocent civilians, and the epic battle scenes, while by no means masterful, are graphically intense and impressive. And although Ledger's love interest (Lisa Brenner) is too bland to register much emotion, the focus on family (which frequently relegates the war to background history) provides a suitable vehicle for Gibson, who matches his achievement in "Braveheart" with an effectively brooding performance. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 116

Summary: Let's see--he's been Han Solo in three films and Indiana Jones in three more. So why shouldn't Harrison Ford take on a new continuing character in Tom Clancy's CIA analyst Jack Ryan? In this film, directed by Phillip Noyce, Ford picked up the baton when Alec Baldwin, who played Ryan in "The Hunt for Red October", opted for a Broadway role instead. In this film, Ryan and his family are on vacation when Ryan saves a member of the British royal family from attack by Irish terrorists. The next thing he knows, the Ryan clan has been targeted by the same terrorists, who invade his Maryland home. The film can't shed all of Clancy's lumbering prose, or his techno-dweeb fascination with spy satellites and the like. But no one is better than Ford at righteous heroism--and Sean Bean makes a suitably snakey villain. "--Marshall Fine"

Theatrical: 1970

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 172

Summary: One of the greatest screen biographies ever produced, this monumental film runs nearly three hours, won seven Academy Awards, and gave George C. Scott the greatest role of his career. It was released in 1970 when protest against the Vietnam War still raged at home and abroad, and many critics and moviegoers struggled to reconcile current events with the movie's glorification of Gen. George S. Patton as a crazy-brave genius of World War II.
How could a movie so huge in scope and so fascinated by its subject be considered an anti-war film? The simple truth is that it's not--Patton is less about World War II than about the rise and fall of a man whose life was literally defined by war, and who felt lost and lonely without the grand-scale pursuit of an enemy. George C. Scott embodies his role so fully, so convincingly, that we can't help but be drawn to and fascinated by Patton as a man who is simultaneously bound for hell and glory. The film's opening monologue alone is a masterful display of acting and character analysis, and everything that follows is sheer brilliance on the part of Scott and director Franklin J. Schaffner.
Filmed on an epic scale at literally dozens of European locations, Patton does not embrace war as a noble pursuit, nor does it deny the reality of war as a breeding ground for heroes. Through the awesome achievement of Scott's performance and the film's grand ambition, Patton shows all the complexities of a man who accepted his role in life and (like Scott) played it to the hilt. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 100

Summary: There were reasons writer-director Brian Helgeland's cut of "Payback" was dismissed by distributors Paramount and Warner Bros., then heavily re-shot and re-tooled by Mel Gibson's production company, Icon Entertainment. Those reasons are explained in detail by Gibson, Helgeland, and others in the special features of "Payback: The Director's Cut (Special Collector's Edition)". Among them: Helgeland's version was too dark. America wasn't ready in 1999 to see Gibson play an unapologetic, 1970s-style antihero who might not get exactly what he wants. Audiences didn't have the patience to wait for answers to their story questions. A dog dies. (A big no-no.) All of these comments make sound, practical sense. But here's the bottom line: Helgeland's cut, perhaps even a bit more disciplined and taut (according to "Payback"’s editor, Kevin Stitt) than it was in 1999, is a serious movie with an organic tone and logic that makes the film look the way it was meant to look: as a neo-noir film for adults. The theatrical release of "Payback", by contrast, was and is silly and vulgar, self-sabotaging, pointlessly vicious, and perversely jaunty. It is very much like--deliberately like--the "Lethal Weapon" series. The Director’s Cut makes clear that’s not at all what Helgeland had in mind. Kudos to Gibson and Icon for giving Helgeland a chance to restore his film and get it out on this DVD. But a look at both versions (this disc does not include the theatrical cut) back-to-back can certainly make one's head spin. Icon’s revisions in the original release show little faith in a contemporary audience’s ability to discern much about a story or mood or character from spare but telling details. That film relies on crass swatches of voiceover narration, cute inserts, added scenes, and hipster tunes on the soundtrack. All of that was designed to tell an audience how to feel rather than encourage a cinematic experience encountered with an open heart and mind. Worst of all is a specious third act nakedly built around an obligatory Gibson-gets-tortured sequence, leading the film to a lazy, comforting conclusion. The Director’s Cut eschews all of that. Gibson’s character, Porter (based on the central character in the novel "The Hunter," written by Donald E. Westlake under the pseudonym Richard Stark), is a man returning from the brink of death with nothing but his identity and the memory of something (an almost-nominal amount of money) taken from him. His iron determination, his capacity for brutality and inducing fear, and his survival instinct make him anything but warm and cuddly. It's his few ties to the past--especially an interrupted relationship with a call girl (Maria Bello)--that humanize him. One doesn't have to like Porter; one just accepts him and follows his journey in an honest, unmitigated fashion. That’s exactly what Helgeland does, and his cleaner, leaner, smarter cut is instantly rewarding for its uncompromising, undistracted toughness. Special features include a documentary about the film’s history, and a wonderful interview with Westlake. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 119

Summary: The brainy, paranoid science fiction of writer Philip K. Dick has inspired one visionary classic ("Blade Runner") and two above-average action movies ("Total Recall" and "Minority Report"). "Paycheck" aspires to follow in their footsteps: An engineer (Ben Affleck, "Chasing Amy") routinely agrees to have his memory erased after every job so that he doesn't know what he's done. But after the biggest job of his life, he discovers that not only has he refused a $90 million paycheck, he's sent himself an envelope full of things he doesn't recognize--and he doesn't remember doing any of this. As he unravels the plot, he discovers he's also fallen in love (with Uma Thurman, "Kill Bill") and invented a dangerous device for his former boss (Aaron Eckhart, "Erin Brockovich"). Affleck is bland, the script ruins a cunning idea, and the direction--from the normally dynamic John Woo ("Face/Off")--plods along, aimless and bored. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 79

Summary: Almost 10 years before playing a by-the-books college dean in "Old School", Jeremy Piven was King Slob of an underground fraternity in this frequently amusing cult comedy. Piven is Droz, who introduces nervous freshman Chris Young to his eclectic frat-mates (which include Jon Favreau) while steering clear of vicious prepster David Spade and malevolent school head Jessica Walter. Piven's off-the-cuff humor and the capable cast help anchor the film's gleefully anarchic tone, which is refreshingly free of the cheap scatological gags that usually sink collegiate comedies. The result is a breezy, likable comedy that should please fans of cinematic campus capers. 20th Century Fox's surprisingly extra-laden DVD includes fullscreen and widescreen versions of the film, as well as commentaries by a typically wry Piven and director Hart Bochner; a short behind-the-scenes featurette; a video for Mudhoney's cover of Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up," which is featured on the soundtrack, and the original theatrical trailer. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 124

Summary: It seems that thrillers these days--even good ones--are all about scene-chewing bad guys, cute retorts fit for the Dennis Miller show, and one big special effect to end the movie. Well, something like "The Peacemaker", the first feature film from DreamWorks, puts the record straight. Here is an expertly paced thriller with a sensible villain, smart instead of cute dialogue, and a focus on action instead of special effects. It's not original, just solid. It's the second of these energetic and effective thrillers that writer Michael Schiffer ("Crimson Tide") has penned. The White House Nuclear Smuggling Group tracks down 10 stolen nuclear bombs after a suspicious train wreck in Russia. The acting head of the department (Nicole Kidman) and her military field officer (George Clooney) are off to Europe to track down the bombs. Instead of a Gary Oldman-Bruce Dern madman, "The Peacemaker"'s heavy is an unknown Romanian actor (Marcul Iures) playing a Bosnian rebel who works passionately and quietly. This may be a popcorn movie, but it uses the ripe emotions of the Bosnian War to create tension. This is the best film vehicle yet for the overwhelming charisma of George Clooney as a quick witted, generally warm Oliver North type who will seek deadly vengeance without pause. He's matched very well by the professional polish of Nicole Kidman who is showing great flexibility in dividing her roles between serious and fun fare. "--Doug Thomas"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 183

Summary: To call "Pearl Harbor" a throwback to old-time war movies is something of an understatement. Director Michael Bay's epic take on the bombing that brought the United States into World War II hijacks every war movie situation and cliché (some affectionate, some stale) you've ever seen and gives them a shiny, glossy spin until the whole movie practically gleams. Planes glisten, water sparkles, trees beckon--and Bay's re-creation of the bombing itself, a 30-minute sequence that's tightly choreographed and amazingly photographed, sets the action movie bar up quite a few notches. And in updating the classic war film, Bay and screenwriter Randall Wallace ("Braveheart") use that old plot standby, the love triangle--this time, it's between two pilots (Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett) and a nurse (Kate Beckinsale) who find themselves stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, during what they thought would be a nice, sunny tour of duty. Then, of course, history intervened. br/> For the first 90 minutes of the movie, Affleck and Beckinsale find a nice, appealing chemistry that plays on his strengths as a movie star and hers as a serious actress--he gives her glamour, she gives him smarts. Their truncated romance--the beginning of which is told in flashback so we can get right to the point where he has to leave her to go to England--works, thanks to their charm. They're no Kate and Leo from "Titanic" (a strategy the film strives hard toward), but they're pretty darn adorable in their own right. Hartnett, as the not entirely unwelcome third wheel, squints bravely but makes only a slight dent in the film. Everyone else in Pearl Harbor--from Cuba Gooding Jr.'s brave navy seaman to Jon Voight's able impersonation of FDR--is pretty much a glorified walk-on, taking a backseat to the pyrotechnics and action sequences that keep the three-hour film in fairly constant motion. But when that action does take hold, "Pearl Harbor" is quite a thrilling ride. "--Mark Englehart"

Theatrical: 1993

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 141

Summary: Another John Grisham legal thriller comes to the screen, pairing Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts in a film directed by Alan J. Pakula, who is known for dark-hued suspense pictures such as "Klute", "The Parallax View", "All the President's Men", and "Presumed Innocent". "The Pelican Brief" isn't up to the level of those films, but it is a perfectly entertaining movie about a law student (Roberts) whose life is endangered when she discovers evidence of a conspiracy behind the killings of two Supreme Court justices. She enlists the help of an investigative reporter (Washington) and the two become fugitives. The charisma and chemistry of the leads goes a long way toward compensating for the story's shortcomings, as does a truly impressive supporting cast that includes Sam Shepard, John Heard, James B. Sikking, Tony Goldwyn, Stanley Tucci, Hume Cronyn, John Lithgow, William Atherton, and Robert Culp. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Showtime Entertainment

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 364

Summary: In the investigative tradition of master illusionist and early 20th-century ghostbuster Harry Houdini, magicians Penn Jillette and partner Teller debunk the paranormal in their wildly entertaining Showtime series, "Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t!". The first season of this unusual show finds the garrulous Penn and silent Teller taking aim, over 13 episodes, at such perennial hokum as "Talking to the Dead," "ESP," and "Ouija Boards." But they also go after a couple of contemporary, exploitation-driven industries they believe con vulnerable people in the same way phony mediums rip off the bereaved and "regression therapists" lead on would-be alien abductees.
One of these industries is the network of charlatans promising sexual enhancement through bigger breasts or male genitals; the other is the publishing world's raging river of self-help books. But our boys don't stop there. Just to make sure each viewer comes away impeached at least once for championing a sacred cow, Penn and Teller take on creationists, anti-smokers, vegetarians, extreme environmentalists, and feng shui enthusiasts. Everyone is bound to feel a little offended at some point in this boxed set's 360 minutes, but P&T offset their indignation with wily humor and the occasional, dazzling trick.
"Talking to the Dead" doesn't dwell on Houdini's penchant for exposing the fakery behind old-fashioned seances. But it does attack today's celebrity mediums, especially the Sci-Fi Channel's John Edward, whose off-screen methods for gathering useful, private information about his audiences are revealed. "Alien Abductions" seeks reasons behind claims of extraterrestrial probing of human orifices, but saves most of Penn and Teller's wrath for those who profit from others' delusions. "Near Death Experiences" challenges assumptions about glimpsing the afterlife, and "Alternative Medicine" weighs in on the ever-sensitive subject of non-medicinal remedies for illness.
The most fun episode, by far, is "Sex, Sex, Sex," which is adorned by a lot of beautiful, naked men and women milling about while Penn and Teller chase down sundry hucksters, including a hypnotherapist who claims she can enlarge naughty bits through subconscious suggestion. This engrossing, three-disc set is rounded out by a number of delightful special features, including entertaining outtakes and a bonus "Ghost Segment." "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Showtime Ent.

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 400

Summary: Penn & Teller: Bullshit! The Complete Season 2 Box Set marks the return of the self-proclaimed pit-bulls for the truth, set out to prove that many of the institutions society holds dear are bogus and designed to profit from the desperate and trusting public. Each of the 13 episodes includes interviews and undercover segments intertwined with Penn & Teller’s comedy. With zeal, passion and conviction the duo examines taboo topics and organi-zations such as PETA, safety hysteria, the business of love, 12 step programs and the fountain of youth. Penn & Teller won two Emmys® for their 1985 PBS special "Penn & Teller Go Public" and the prestigious 2004 Writers Guild Award for Best Comedy/Variety Series. They have also authored two best selling books.

Theatrical: 2010

Studio: Fox 2000 Pictures

Genre: Kids & Family

Duration: 118

Summary: Mythology and the modern world collide in this epic quest for justice by Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman), your basic below-average, misfit student whose family life is a mess and who's misunderstood by everyone except his best friend, Grover (Brandon T. Jackson). A voice warns that everything is about to change as Percy enters the New Roman and Greek Art Gallery on a school field trip, and, indeed, it does. Percy's substitute teacher morphs into a mythical beast and tries to attack him, and it's revealed that Percy is the son of Poseidon, and a true demigod. Percy also discovers that Grover is really a satyr--half-human, half-goat--and his sworn protector, and that one of his teachers is a centaur--half-horse, half-man--who's more committed to Percy's education than he could ever have imagined. On top of it all, Percy is the prime suspect in the recent theft of Zeus's lightning bolt and is being hunted by the gods. Following these shocking revelations, Percy is taken to a special training camp to learn to control and use his exceptional powers, and in the process, his mother is imprisoned by Hades. Against all advice, Percy, his protector Grover, and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), daughter of Athena, leave camp to rescue Percy's mother from the underworld. Their quest is extremely dangerous and puts them squarely in the path of Medusa (Uma Thurman), with her venomous hair and gaze that turns people to stone. The three also battle a five-headed, fire-breathing beast and visit a Las Vegas casino patrons never leave, and finally they find themselves deep in the underworld, at the mercy of the unpredictable Persephone, wife of Hades. Somehow, Percy must both convince the gods he did not steal Zeus's lightning and prevent a war of the gods that could potentially destroy the entire world. Based on the books by Rick Riordan, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" is an exciting action film rich with ancient mythology, yet set squarely in the 21st century. Enriched by strong special effects and some potently disturbing images, it is a powerful story about family, trust, determination, and love. (Ages 11 and older) "--Tami Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 93

Summary: A mutant hybrid of a heist movie and "The Breakfast Club", "The Perfect Score" follows a clutch of kids who steal the answers to an upcoming SAT test: An aspiring architect (Chris Evans) who isn't quite achieving his dreams (or his parents' expectations); his middling pal (Bryan Greenburg) whose girlfriend is already in college; an overachiever (Erika Christensen, "Traffic") who freezes under pressure; a basketball star (NBA player Darius Miles) whose grades don't match his game; a stoner (Leonardo Nam) who falls into the scheme by accident; and a rich punk girl (Scarlett Johansson) who wants to strike back at her neglectful father. The heist itself is nonsensical, but the interplay of personalities manages to keep the movie afloat. Still, only Nam and Johansson (who, after "Ghost World", "Lost in Translation", and "Girl with a Pearl Earring", is becoming a true movie star) stand out of the bland pack. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 130

Summary: Setting out for the one last catch that will make up for a lackluster fishing season, Captain Billy Tyne (George Clooney) pushes his boat the "Andrea Gail" out to the waters of the Flemish Cap off Nova Scotia for what will be a huge swordfish haul. While his crew is gathering fish, three storm fronts (including a hurricane) collide to create a "perfect storm" of colossal force, and Billy's path back to Gloucester, Massachusetts, takes them right smack into the middle of it. Wolfgang Petersen's adaptation of Sebastian Junger's seafaring bestseller is a faithful if by-the-numbers true-story account of a monster storm that rocked New England in 1991, specifically Tyne's commercial fishing boat and its crew. Junger's tale fashioned a compelling if staid narrative out of seemingly disparate events, but this film adaptation tends to flatten out the story into a conventional if absorbing story of man vs. nature, as the crew fights for survival against the awesome waves the storm kicks up. The central part of the film, which cuts between the "Andrea Gail"'s fight to stay afloat and the attempts of the Coast Guard to rescue a yacht in peril, is suspenseful action of the first degree, aided by some awesome computer-generated waves.
Still, it's a long way to that action, with an extended first act that consists mainly of stoic men, crying women, and a fair amount of "don't go out into the sea" dialogue--in other words, a compelling story has been shoehorned into standard summer movie fare. It's too bad, as Peterson assembled an excellent cast--including Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, John C. Reilly, and William Fichtner among them--but seems to opt for only a surface exploration of these characters, though Clooney seems to have a touch of Captain Ahab in him. You may still be won over by the movie, but for a more in-depth portrait, go to Junger's book for the missing details. "--Mark Englehart"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Geffen Records

Genre: Music Video & Concerts

Duration: 134

Summary: "Peter Gabriel: Growing Up Live" presents the complete 2003 Milan concert from Peter Gabriel's tour based around the album "Up", featuring 17 tracks across 134 minutes. Literally central to a memorable show is a revolving stage that sees Gabriel going for a cycle ride in an exuberant "Solsbury Hill," performing "Growing Up" inside a Zorb ball, and delivering a gravity-defying sky walk in "Downside Up" with daughter Melanie. Accompanied by regular sidemen David Rhodes (guitar) and Tony Levin (bass), Gabriel is joined by the legendary Blind Boys of Alabama for the spine-tingling "Sky Blue," throughout mixing recent tracks like the abrasive "Darkness" and "The Barry Williams Show" with established crowd pleasers such as "Red Rain," "In Your Eyes," and "Sledgehammer."

Gabriel may be less wired than before, but he commands the arena with effortless charm and charismatic presence, his voice retaining all its paradoxically fragile power. Presented in an understated blue light and shot in an unobtrusive, gimmick-free style, the concert begins and ends in virtual darkness with Gabriel alone at a keyboard; from the opening "Here Comes the Flood" to the final "Father, Son," "Growing Up" is rock theater of rare intimacy, emotion, and intelligence.

The DVD is presented with a flawless 16:9 anamorphically enhanced picture and three soundtracks: rich and clear stereo, excellent Dolby Digital 5.1 and even more precise and detailed DTS. "The Story of Growing Up" is polished nine-minute documentary in which Gabriel talks about his ideas for the tour and the presentation of some of the songs. "Tony Levin's View" (five minutes) sets the song "More Than This" to photos taken by the bass player. "--Gary S. Dalkin"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Rhino / Wea

Genre: Educational

Duration: 141

Summary: Peter Gabriel has long been revered for his great songwriting, cinematic soundscapes, riveting concerts, and groundbreaking videos. Is it any surprise, then, that "Play: The Videos" is a music DVD for the ages? Nope. But that doesn't make it any less thrilling to watch--or to listen to. Gabriel has assembled and polished an evening-filling 26 clips, all of them collaborations with innovative visual artists and directors like Stephen Johnson, Matt Mahurin, Francois Vogel, and Sean Penn. From the 1977 promo for "Modern Love" to 2003's "Growing Up" and much between, it's all here, and most viewers will be pleasantly surprised to find more than a couple videos they missed along the way. The focus is explicitly on conceptual pieces, the lone visual exception being a 2004 live rendition of "Games Without Frontiers" among the extras.

Gabriel says in an accompanying essay that "music can stand more repetition than video and music together." "Play" gives us something extra in light of that: fresh 5.1 surround mixes in both Dolby Digital and DTS 96/24 for every track, with Gabriel/U2 production vet Daniel Lanois at the helm for most songs. (You'll get standard DTS sound from DTS-capable DVD players and, even better, lossless high-resolution audio from a DTS 96/24-compatible player.) The surround mixes are nothing short of revelatory, using all available channels to amplify Gabriel's ambient side while breaking out the percussion in fascinating ways and driving home the music's subterranean bass. "--Michael Mikesell"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Interscope Records

Genre: Music Video & Concerts

Duration: 102

Summary: Peter Gabriel's extraordinary mix of sound, visuals, and theatrics gets the widescreen digital treatment in this remixed and remastered edition of a 105-minute concert recorded in 1994 in Italy. But not without some controversy, it seems, as several viewers have protested that the new version contains some not-so-deft lip-syncing with poor visual quality. The complaints may be valid, but chances are most viewers won't notice; in any event, the performance by Gabriel and his international band (with violinist Shankar, drummer Manu Katche, and bassist Tony Levin, among others) is strong, featuring versions of well-known material like "Solsbury Hill," "Sledgehammer," "In Your Eyes," and the always-moving "Don't Give Up" (with then-backup singer Paula Cole capably handling the Kate Bush role). Bonus features include a delightful "time lapse" view of the concert setup and breakdown, a "making of" documentary, and a brief preview of Gabriel's 2002-03 "Growing Up" tour. "--Sam Graham"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 113

Summary: Fine casting, genuinely "special" effects, and a keen combination of whimsy and danger make this "Peter Pan" the one to beat among all previous adaptations of J.M. Barrie's classic children's fantasy. The technical advances of CGI make the magic of Barrie's tale come alive, and the spectacular effects combined with luminous live action create an action-packed Neverland that's both believable and breathtakingly artificial, like a Maxfield Parrish landscape springing vividly to life before your eyes. More important, however, is the fact that director P.J. Hogan (whose splendid films include "Muriel's Wedding" and "My Best Friend's Wedding") has taken care to develop a substantial, pre-adolescent affection between the boyish sprite Peter (Jeremy Sumpter) and resourceful London girl Wendy, played by Rachel Hurd-Wood in a marvelous screen debut. This emotional bond--and the mixed blessing of Peter's eternal childhood--is what gives Hogan's "Peter Pan" its rich emotional subtext, added to an already bountiful adventure that's equal parts delightful and menacing, especially when the villainous pirate Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs, doubling as Wendy's father) threatens to spoil the fun. With a mischievously dazzling Tinker Bell (played by "Swimming Pool"'s Ludivine Sagnier) and no expense spared on its lavish Australian production, this "Peter Pan" gets it entirely right by presenting childhood as fun "and" frightening, in all its wondrous joys and sorrows. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 143

Summary: Although it's not as bold as Oscar darling "Chicago", "The Phantom of the Opera" continues the resuscitation of the movie musical with a faithful adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster stage musical. Emmy Rossum glows in a breakout role as opera ingénue Christine Daae, and if phantom Gerard Butler isn't Rossum's match vocally, he does convey menace and sensuality in such numbers as "The Music of the Night." The most experienced musical theater veteran in the cast, romantic lead Patrick Wilson, sings sweetly but seems wooden. The biggest name in the cast, Minnie Driver, hams it up as diva Carlotta, and she's the only principal whose voice was dubbed (though she does sing the closing-credit number, "Learn to Be Lonely," which is also the only new song).
Director Joel Schumacher, no stranger to visual spectacle, seems to have found a good match in Lloyd Webber's larger-than-life vision of Gaston LeRoux's Gothic horror-romance. His weakness is cuing too many audience-reaction shots and showing too much of the lurking Phantom, but when he calms down and lets Rossum sings "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" alone in a silent graveyard, it's exquisite.

Read our CD buying guide
Those who consider the stage musical shallow and overblown probably won't have their minds changed by the movie, and devotees will forever rue that the movie took the better part of two decades to develop, which prevented the casting of original principals Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Still, "The Phantom of the Opera" is a welcome exception to the long line of ill-conceived Broadway-to-movie travesties.
DVD Features
The special edition of "The Phantom of the Opera" has two major extras. "Behind the Mask: The Story of "The Phantom of the Opera"" is an hourlong documentary tracing the genesis of the stage show, with interviews of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Harold Prince, producer Cameron Macintosh, lyricists Richard Stilgoe and Charles Hart, choreographer Gillian Lynne, and others. Conspicuously absent are stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. Both do appear in video clips, including Brightman performing with Colm Wilkinson at an early workshop, and Crawford is the subject of a casting segment. Other brief scenes from the show are represented by a 2001 production. The other major feature is the 45-minute making-of focusing on the movie, including casting and the selection of director Joel Schumacher Both are well-done productions by Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group.
The deleted scene is a new song written by Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, "No One Would Listen," sung by the Phantom toward the end of the movie. It's a beautiful song that, along with Madame Giry's story, makes him a more sympathetic character. But because that bit of backstory already slowed down the ending, it was probably a good move to cut the song. --"David Horiuchi"
More on "The Phantom of the Opera" "

"The Phantom of the Opera" (Special Extended Edition Soundtrack) (CD)

" The Phantom of the Opera" (2004 Movie Soundtrack) (CD)

"The Phantom of the Opera" (Original 1986 London Cast) (CD)

"Evita" (DVD)

"Andrew Lloyd Weber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration " (DVD)

More Broadway DVDs

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Dimension

Genre: Horror

Duration: 96

Summary: Either Dean Koontz shouldn't adapt his own bestsellers, or his 1983 novel "Phantoms" was a pack of horror clichés to begin with, or this movie is 15 years past its due date. What might have seemed fresh at the time of "Poltergeist" now feels like it was made from a derivative script with pages missing. Plagued by reckless leaps of logic, the movie starts with adequately eerie atmosphere and a perversely twisted performance by "Scream 2"'s Liev Schreiber, but decays into a familiar hash of gross-out effects, resulting from the annihilation of a small Colorado town by an evil force known as "The Ancient Enemy." In a dreary role that insults the twilight of his distinguished career, Peter O'Toole plays a paleobiologist whose crackpot ideas have become tabloid fodder, but he holds the key to conquering the beast. Or does he? Sure enough, an obligatory coda leaves room for anticlimactic doubt. "Phantoms" has a few genuinely creepy highlights, including a devilish beastie resembling an angry flying scorpion, and horror fans will surely find something to admire, but everyone else is advised to proceed with caution and lowered expectations. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 123

Borrowed By: Ricky Aldrete

Summary: John Travolta's should've-been-nominated-for-an-Oscar performance is the best reason to see this largely moving work, which is a little reminiscent of the novel "Flowers for Algernon" (basis for the film "Charly"). Travolta plays a mechanic who sees a bright light in the sky one night and wakes up the next morning a genius, hungry for knowledge and so smart he figures out national defense secrets in his own living room (and gets in hot water for it). The more interesting drama, however, is not with the government but with the character's longtime neighbors and friends, who come to reject him for being different. Robert Duvall gives a stirring performance as a doctor who has known the hero all his life, and Kyra Sedgwick is very good as an ambivalent love interest. If you missed this one in the theaters, then you haven't seen one of Travolta's best performances since his comeback. The DVD release presents a widescreen image, optional French soundtrack, optional Spanish subtitles, and theatrical trailer. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1984

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 102

Summary: "The Philadelphia Experiment" takes as its jumping-off point an incident that is now paranormal legend, the U.S. Navy's supposed 1943 induction of an extremely powerful electromagnetic field around a destroyer in Philadelphia, causing its crew to become transparent, go insane, burst into flames, and so forth. The movie takes the tack that this was to render the ship invisible to radar, because of the war that was on. The test goes awry, however, and two of the crew leap forward in time to the filmmakers' present tense, 1984, where a similar experiment has caused a vortex that has trapped the 1943 ship and its crew along with a small Nevada town. The key to unbollixing this sad time-fracture lies in our heroes, the two time-travelling crew members, David Herdeg (Michael Paré) and Jim Parker (Bobby Di Cicco), whose electromagnetic instability keeps drawing them painfully back to the vortex to set things straight. This is silly stuff, but it's very fun silly stuff. One might cavil at gaps in plot logic, such as when Michael Paré seeks out the '80s version of his partner and finds more or less a trauma patient, while subsequent action contradicts this characterization. Still, there are plenty of still-worthy special effects, creating the requisite sense of awe and wonder. And for romantic interest, there's Nancy Allen's '80s girl paired with Michael Paré, affording plenty of amusing occasions for culture comparisons, most notably when Paré sees Ronald Reagan on TV, says, "Hey, I know that guy!" and refuses to believe he's president. "--Jim Gay"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Mystery & Suspense

Duration: 81

Summary: By some lucky quirk of fate, "Phone Booth" landed on Hollywood's A-list, but this thriller should've been a straight-to-video potboiler directed by its screenwriter, veteran schlockmeister Larry Cohen, who's riffing on his own 1976 thriller "God Told Me To". Instead it's a pointless reunion for fast-rising star Colin Farrell and his "Tigerland" director, Joel Schumacher, who employs a multiple-image technique similar to TV's "24" to energize Cohen's pulpy plot about an unseen sniper (maliciously voiced by "24"'s Kiefer Sutherland) who pins his chosen victim (a philandering celebrity publicist played by Farrell) in a Manhattan phone booth, threatening murder if Farrell doesn't confess his sins (including a potential mistress played by Katie Holmes in a thankless role). In a role originally slated for Jim Carrey, Farrell brings vulnerable intensity to his predicament, but Cohen's irresistible premise is too thin for even 81 brisk minutes, which is how long Schumacher takes to reach his morally repugnant conclusion. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Drama

Duration: 84

Summary: Patterns exist everywhere: in nature, in science, in religion, in business. Max Cohen (played hauntingly by Sean Gullette) is a mathematician searching for these patterns in everything. Yet, he's not the only one, and everyone from Wall Street investors, looking to break the market, to Hasidic Jews, searching for the 216-digit number that reveals the true name of God, are trying to get their hands on Max. This dark, low-budget film was shot in black and white by director Darren Aronofsky. With eerie music, voice-overs, and overt symbolism enhancing the somber mood, Aronofsky has created a disturbing look at the world. Max is deeply paranoid, holed up in his apartment with his computer Euclid, obsessively studying chaos theory. Blinding headaches and hallucinogenic visions only feed his paranoia as he attempts to remain aloof from the world, venturing out only to meet his mentor, Sol Robeson (Mark Margolis), who for some mysterious reason feels Max should take a break from his research. This movie is complex--occasionally "too" complex--but the psychological drama and the loose sci-fi elements make this a worthwhile, albeit consuming, watch. "Pi" won the Director's Award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. "--Jenny Brown"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 105

Summary: If you can get past Jennifer Aniston's form-fitting wardrobe in a movie about a woman struggling to advance in her profession, this romantic comedy is a fair match with "My Best Friend's Wedding". Both films feature conniving, self-centered heroines who undergo a transformation--Aniston presents a bogus fiancé ("Jerry Maguire"'s Jay Mohr) to impress her advertising agency boss and gradually discovers a mutual attraction with the imposter. Both movies go off in delightfully unpredictable directions. "Picture Perfect" falls prey to occasional sitcom fluff, but it's a fine showcase for Aniston's comedic and dramatic attributes. Critics were mixed-to-harsh in reviews for this movie, perhaps because it's a bit derivative and poses slight challenge to Aniston, who proved her skill with light comedy as a principal cast member of TV's "Friends" sitcom. It's clear that Aniston is a fine comedian, and she shows that talent to advantage in "Picture Perfect". If you enjoy this movie, you should also check out Aniston's follow-up romantic comedy, "The Object of My Affection". "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 111

Summary: The latest bro-mance from team Apatow (the guys who brought us "Superbad", "Knocked Up" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin"), "Pineapple Express" is the story of Dale Denton (Seth Rogan) and Saul Silver (James Franco), a pothead and his dealer who accidently get caught up in a drug war between two gangs with some corrupt cops, high-school girls and small-time henchmen thrown in for good measure. At its core, "Pineapple Express" is a stoner comedy--a tale of two semi-slow giggling and loveable idiots in "way" over their heads--this formula has made for some entertaining comedy over the years, Cheech and Chong's "Up in Smoke" and Dave Chappell's "Half Baked" being two of the best examples. What sets "Pineapple Express" apart from these silly classics however, is the consistency of the humor, the perfect chemistry between Rogan and Franco and the giddily ridiculous action sequences (and the fact that even mild intoxication is not required to enjoy the humor). The movie retains the sweetness that is present in most of Apatow's films, making the characters’ poor choices and ultra-violent actions somehow justifiable, or at least relatable. The site gags, pop-culture references and perfectly timed non-sequiturs only enhance the hilarity. Director David Gordon Green, known mostly for the understated and reflective films "George Washington" and "All the Real Girls", seemed like an odd choice for such a raucous and over-the-top comedy, but it turns out Green's stamp is all over this film (as is his long-time cinematographer, Tim Orr) who together manage to turn "Pineapple Express" into much more than the sum of its parts. --"Kira Canny"
Stills from "Pineapple Express" (click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 93

Summary: If anyone could step into the huge shoes of comedic genius left by Peter Sellers as bumbling French policeman Jacques Clouseau, it's Steve Martin. Sellers made Clouseau a true icon of character and comedy in five "Pink Panther" movies in the '60s and '70s; Martin has arguably already attained Sellers' rank as an entertainment talent, so it only makes sense that he became Clouseau's heir apparent for the inevitable screen resurrection. This updated story of the priceless eponymous diamond purloined under mysterious circumstance and pursued with Keystone Cop-like antics by Clouseau is a frivolous yet winning pastiche of physical gags and riffs on Clouseau's hilariously impenetrable accent. A famous French football coach (Jason Statham in cameo mode) is wearing the stone, set as an engagement ring for his pop star fiance (Beyonce Knowles). But before a packed stadium crowd of thousands, the ring disappears from his finger as he falls dead from a poisoned dart. The wisp of a plot is secondary to the pratfalls of Martin's prim, prissy, and utterly inept Clouseau. He's brought onto the case by France's top cop (a drolly sophisticated Kevin Kline) who wants Clouseau to fail in a scheme to make himself a national hero. Even in a world where jokes about Viagra, flatulence and other familiar sophomoric subjects are required, Martin makes his Clouseau singularly memorable. You'll be fully expecting Clouseau to shatter priceless antiques, mangle his pronunciations (hamburger, anyone?), and prevail in the end, but Martin carries it off, giving homage to Sellers at the same time that he remakes the character in his own image as a comic master. "--Ted Fry"

Theatrical: 1982

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 99

Summary: "Buckle your swash and jolly your roger for the ultimate musical comedy pirate adventure! Kristy McNichol (LITTLE DARLINGS) and Christopher Atkins (THE BLUE LAGOON) star as dreamy young lovers in this uproarious update of Gilbert & Sullivan’s THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, filled with virtuous maidens and shirtless cutthroats, savage swordplay and buried treasure, a dashing Pirate King (Ted Hamilton) and a modern Major General (Bill Kerr), plus plenty of pillaging, plundering, plank-walking fun! For years, fans have been clamoring for this infamous ’80s musical from the Oscar®-nominated director of THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES (1966). The wait is over: THE PIRATE MOVIE is now presented with a brand-new Widescreen Transfer, featuring a fascinating new Director’s Commentary and mixed in timber-shivering Dolby 5.1 Surround! "

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Turner Home Ent

Genre: Drama

Duration: 95

Summary: This dramatization of the tangled history of Apple Computer and Microsoft, based on a book by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine, hits enough of the right notes to make its failures all the more frustrating. The script follows the entwined paths of Apple's Steve Jobs and Microsoft's Bill Gates with a pointed sense of the cultural divide between the hip, self-absorbed Apple cofounder and the brilliant alpha geek behind Microsoft's eventual software empire, contrasting the Mac's countercultural underpinnings with the PC's more strait-laced origins. But "Pirates of Silicon Valley" seemingly can't decide whether it wants to be a serious-minded history of these key figures in the personal computer revolution or a trashy wallow in the more ignoble foibles of its principals. As a result, it falls short of exacting history while never achieving the guilty pleasure it might have.
If Gates has become synonymous with corporate conquest at its most striking, "Pirates"' interest lies more with Jobs, given a nervous energy and flashes of adolescent selfishness by Noah Wyle, who benefits from a reasonable physical resemblance to the Apple chief. Eyewear and a comb-over do nearly as well for Anthony Michael Hall, who also grafts some of Bill Gates's better-known mannerisms onto his performance and renders Gates as a smart if socially maladroit entrepreneur who, like Jobs, provides the ambition and business savvy to exploit his partner's computing talents. There are a few fanciful touches (Ballmer and Wozniak become Greek choruses, addressing the viewer as they comment on the principals), but the story plays out in straightforward fashion. It's tantalizing to consider how the Apple/PC melodrama might have fared with an edgier, more openly satirical script. "--Sam Sutherland"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 169

Borrowed By: Katie Ford

Summary: "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is a rollicking voyage in the same spirit of the two earlier "Pirates" films, yet far darker in spots (and nearly three hours to boot). The action, largely revolving around a pirate alliance against the ruthless East India Trading Company, doesn't disappoint, though the violence is probably too harsh for young children. Through it all, the plucky cast (Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush) are buffeted by battle, maelstroms, betrayal, treachery, a ferocious Caribbean weather goddess, and that gnarly voyage back from the world's end--but with their wit intact. As always, Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow tosses off great lines ; he chastises "a woman scorned, like which hell hath no fury than!" He insults an opponent with a string of epithets, ending in "yeasty codpiece."!
In the previous "The Curse of the Black Pearl", Sparrow was killed--sent to Davy Jones' Locker. In the opening scenes, the viewer sees that death has not been kind to Sparrow--but that's not to say he hasn't found endless ways to amuse himself, cavorting with dozens of hallucinated versions of himself on the deck of the Black Pearl. But Sparrow is needed in this world, so a daring rescue brings him back. Keith Richards' much ballyhooed appearance as Jack's dad is little more than a cameo, though he does play a wistful guitar. But the action, as always, is more than satisfying, held together by Depp, who, outsmarting the far-better-armed British yet again, causes a bewigged commander to muse: "Do you think he plans it all out, or just makes it up as he goes along?" As far as fans are concerned, it matters not. "--A.T. Hurley"
On the DVD
Here's something you can't say about just any DVD extras: There appears to be "more" of Keith Richards in the outtakes, interviews, and other special features on the "At World's End" disc than in the actual film. For those scenes alone, this special edition is well worth the price. Richards looks as woozy and gamey as all the rumors suggested, and answers questions he's not asked, with Johnny Depp sitting next to him, almost acting as a translator. Richards offers pithy comments like, "Everything I do is original, you better believe," and smiles when other cast members call him "Two-Take Richards" for supposedly nailing his scenes.
The packed second disc also includes a terrific mini-doc on how the filmmakers created the famous maelstrom, in an enormous hanger in Palmdale, California, with the ships floating 30 feet off the ground. "Just moving the "Black Pearl" was an enormous undertaking," says producer Jerry Bruckheimer with serious understatement. Other cool extras include "Tale of the Many Jacks," deleted scenes with great commentary, "The World of Chow Yun-Fat," a bio of composer Hans Zimmer, features on the set designers, a look at the impressive Brethren Court, and some hilarious bloopers. "You can't curse in a Disney film," deadpans Depp when a costar blurts out something blue. "See? I told him." The extras are truly as much of a rollicking adventure as the film. "--A.T. Hurley"
Beyond "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End"
Our "Pirates of the Caribbean " Store
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" Soundtrack
Why We Love… Bill Nighy
Johnny Depp Essential DVDs Stills from "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" (click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 150

Summary: Take the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" film, add a dash of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and a lot more rum. Shake well and you'll have something resembling "Dead Man's Chest", a bombastic sequel that's enjoyable as long as you don't think too hard about it. The film opens with the interrupted wedding of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), both of whom are arrested for aiding in the escape of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the first film. Their freedom can only be obtained by getting Captain Jack's compass, which is linked to a key that's linked to a chest belonging to Davy Jones, an undead pirate with a tentacle face and in possession of a lot of people's souls. If you're already confused, don't worry--plot is definitely not the strong suit of the franchise, as the film excels during its stunt pieces, which are impressively extravagant (in particular a three-way swordfight atop a mill wheel). It may help to know that "Dead Man's Chest" was filmed simultaneously with some of "Pirates 3", so don't expect a complete resolution (think more "The Empire Strikes Back") or the movie will feel a "lot" longer than it really is.
Bloom shows a tad bit more brawn this time around, but he's still every bit as pretty as the tomboyish Knightley. (Seriously, sometimes you think they could swap roles.) Bill Nighy ("Love, Actually") weighs in as Davy Jones and Stellan Skarsgård appears as Will's undead father. But the film still belongs wholly to Depp, who in a reprise of his Oscar-nominated role gets all the belly laughs with a single widened eyeliner-ed gaze. He still runs like a cartoon hen and slurs like Keith Richards--and he's still one of the most fascinating movie characters in recent history. "--Ellen A. Kim"

Theatrical:

Studio: Disney

Genre:

Duration: 136

Summary: Can anything keep Captain Jack Sparrow down? Well, as long as Johnny Depp plays the offbeat pirate of the high seas, as he does in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", the answer is "Not bloody likely, mate!" This fourth installment of the "Pirates" franchise is jolly good fun--nearly as good as the first one, in fact. The writing is crisp, the action amazing--and there's the addition of a foe finally the match of Captain Jack: Ian McShane as the dreaded, and dreadful, Blackbeard. McShane seems to be having as much fun as Depp, and that's saying something--channeling his dastardly character on "Deadwood" but keeping his epithets rated PG-13. Adding to the festivities is the winsome Penélope Cruz, as Angelica, a woman with a past entwined with Jack Sparrow's. Angelica now might be a fearsome pirate herself--or maybe just a cunning con artist tugging at Sparrow's heartstrings.
The action in "On Stranger Tides" centers on the quest to find the legendary Fountain of Youth in the Americas. But the plot, of course, is incidental in the "Pirates" films. From the earliest scenes, it's clear the action, and Depp's winking at the camera, are the stars. Captain Jack stages a giant food fight in front of the King of England, culminating in a chandelier scene worthy of "The Phantom of the Opera", and he's off at a gallop. Along for the ride are previous cast members Geoffrey Rush (who's sold out and is now an unctuous representative of His Majesty's Navy); loyal sidekick Kevin McNally, who narrowly escapes a death sentence, and then celebrates by leaping on board Captain Jack's fraught mission; and Keith Richards as Jacky's dad, who speaks few words, but wise ones. There are even zombie pirates, and a mysterious mermaid. "Pirates of the Caribbean" isn't suitable for viewers under 8 or so, because it's dark and intense in spots, but otherwise, it's a rollicking good popcorn film. --"A.T. Hurley"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 143

Summary: You won't need a bottle of rum to enjoy "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl", especially if you've experienced the Disneyland theme-park ride that inspired it. There's a galleon's worth of fun in watching Johnny Depp's androgynous performance as Captain Jack Sparrow, a roguish pirate who could pass for the illegitimate spawn of rockers Keith Richards and Chrissie Hynde. Depp gets all the good lines and steals the show, recruiting Orlando Bloom (a blacksmith and expert swordsman) and Keira Knightley (a lovely governor's daughter) on an adventurous quest to recapture the notorious Black Pearl, a ghost ship commandeered by Jack's nemesis Capt. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), a mutineer desperate to reverse the curse that left him and his (literally) skeleton crew in a state of eternal, undead damnation. Director Gore Verbinski ("The Ring") repeats the redundant mayhem that marred his debut film Mouse Hunt, but with the writers of "Shrek" he's made "Pirates" into a special-effects thrill-ride that plays like a Halloween party on the open seas. Aye, matey, we've come a long way since "Jason and the Argonauts"! "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 109

Summary: Owing a major debt to "Alien" and its cinematic spawn, "Pitch Black" is a guilty pleasure that surpasses expectations. As he did with "The Arrival", director David Twohy revitalizes a derivative story, allowing you to forgive its flaws and submit to its visceral thrills. Under casual scrutiny, the plot's logic crumbles like a stale cookie, but it's definitely fun while it lasts.
A spaceship crashes on a desert planet scorched under three suns. The mostly doomed survivors include a resourceful captain (Radha Mitchell), a drug-addled cop (Cole Hauser), and a deadly prisoner (Vin Diesel) who quickly escapes. These clashing personalities discover that the planet is plunging into the darkness of an extended eclipse, and it's populated by hordes of ravenous, razor-fanged beasties that only come out at night. The body count rises, and "Pitch Black" settles into familiar sci-fi territory.
What sets the movie apart is Twohy's developing visual style, suggesting that this veteran of B-movie schlock may advance to the big leagues. Like the makers of "The Blair Witch Project", Twohy understands the frightening power of suggestion; his hungry monsters are better heard than seen (although once seen, they're chillingly effective), and "Pitch Black" gets full value from moments of genuine panic. Best of all, Twohy's got a well-matched cast, with Mitchell (so memorable with Ally Sheedy in "High Art") and Diesel (Pvt. Caparzo from "Saving Private Ryan") being the standouts. The latter makes the most of his muscle-man role, and his character's development is one more reason this movie works better than it should. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical:

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre:

Duration: 432

Summary: Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 10/04/2011 Run time: 432 minutes

Theatrical:

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre:

Duration: 312

Summary: Hit the streets with Season 1 of The PJs, on DVD for the first time! This 3-time Primetime Emmy®-winning series stars Eddie Murphy as the voice of Thurgood Stubbs, the chief superintendent of a Detroit housing project. A bitingly witty, stop motion animated comedy for fans of "Family Guy," "King of the Hill," and "The Cleveland Show"!

Disc 1
1. The Door
2. Rich Man, Porn Man
3. Hangin' With Mr. Super
4. Journal Fever
5. Bougie Nights
6. Haiti Sings the Blues
7. Bones, Bugs N' Harmony
8. A Hero Ain't Nothin' But A Super


Disc 2
9. He's Gotta Have It
10. Boyz 'N' The Woods
11. Operation Gumbo Drop
12. U Go Kart
13. House Potty

Theatrical:

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre:

Duration: 432

Summary: Eddie Murphy stars as Thurgood Stubbs in this Primetime Emmy®-winning stop-motion comedy series. Thurgood is the chief superintendent in the housing project where he lives with his wife Muriel (Loretta Devine). Follow the adventures of the Stubbs family and other tenants of the Hilton-Jacobs community as they find themselves in and out of trouble in Season 2 of "The PJs."

Disc 1
1. The Jeffersons
2. Home School Daze
3. The Postman’s Always Shot Twice
4. Haiti and the Tramp
5. The JH’s
6. The Preacher’s Life
7. Smokey the Squatter
8. Weaves Have a Dream
9. Chetto Superstars


Disc 2
10. How Super Stoled Xmas
11. Who Da Boss
12. Fear of a Black Rat
13. Last Affirmative Action Hero
14. What’s Eating Juicy Hudson
15. Robbin’ HUD
16. Parole Officer and a Gentleman
17. Let’s Get Ready to Crumble
18. Cliffhangin’ with Mr. Super

Theatrical:

Studio: BBC Warner

Genre: Educational

Duration: 550

Summary: As of its release in early 2007, "Planet Earth" is quite simply the greatest nature/wildlife series ever produced. Following the similarly monumental achievement of "The Blue Planet: Seas of Life", this astonishing 11-part BBC series is brilliantly narrated by Sir David Attenborough and sensibly organized so that each 50-minute episode covers a specific geographical region and/or wildlife habitat (mountains, caves, deserts, shallow seas, seasonal forests, etc.) until the entire planet has been magnificently represented by the most astonishing sights and sounds you'll ever experience from the comforts of home. The premiere episode, "From Pole to Pole," serves as a primer for things to come, placing the entire series in proper context and giving a general overview of what to expect from each individual episode. Without being overtly political, the series maintains a consistent and subtle emphasis on the urgent need for ongoing conservation, best illustrated by the plight of polar bears whose very behavior is changing (to accommodate life-threatening changes in their fast-melting habitat) in the wake of global warming--a phenomenon that this series appropriately presents as scientific fact. With this harsh reality as subtext, the series proceeds to accentuate the positive, delivering a seemingly endless variety of natural wonders, from the spectacular mating displays of New Guinea's various birds of paradise to a rare encounter with Siberia's nearly-extinct Amur Leopards, of which only 30 remain in the wild.
That's just a hint of the marvels on display. Accompanied by majestic orchestral scores by George Fenton, every episode is packed with images so beautiful or so forcefully impressive (and so perfectly photographed by the BBC's tenacious high-definition camera crews) that you'll be rendered speechless by the splendor of it all. You'll see a seal struggling to out-maneuver a Great White Shark; swimming macaques in the Ganges delta; massive flocks of snow geese numbering in the hundreds of thousands; an awesome night-vision sequence of lions attacking an elephant; the Colugo (or "flying lemur"--not really a lemur!) of the Philippines; a hunting alliance of fish and snakes on Indonesia's magnificent coral reef; the bioluminescent "vampire squid" of the deep oceans... these are just a few of countless highlights, masterfully filmed from every conceivable angle, with frequent use of super-slow-motion and amazing motion-controlled time-lapse cinematography, and narrated by Attenborough with his trademark combination of observational wit and informative authority. The result is a hugely entertaining series that doesn't flinch from the predatory realities of nature (death is a constant presence, without being off-putting). At a time when the multiple threats of global warming should be obvious to all, let's give Sir David the last word, from the closing of "Planet Earth"'s final episode: "We can now destroy or we can cherish--the choice is ours." "--Jeff Shannon"

More "Planet Earth"
"The BBC High-Definition Natural History Collection, featuring Planet Earth"
"Planet Earth" on DVD
More BBC DVDs
Stills from "Planet Earth" (click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 119

Summary: Billed as a "reimagining" of the original 1968 film, Tim Burton's extraordinary "Planet of the Apes" constantly borders on greatness, adhering to the spirit of Pierre Boulle's original novel while exploring fresh and inventive ideas and paying honorable tribute to the '68 sci-fi classic. Burton's gifts for eccentric inspiration and visual ingenuity make this a movie that's as entertaining as it is provocative, beginning with Rick Baker's best-ever ape makeup (hand that man an Oscar®!), and continuing through the surprisingly nuanced performances and breathtaking production design. Add to all this an intelligent screenplay that turns Boulle's speculative reversal--the dominance of apes over humans--into a provocative study of civil rights and civil war. The film finally goes too far with a woefully misguided ending that pays weak homage to the original, but everything preceding that misfire is astonishingly right.
While attempting the space-pod retrieval of a chimpanzee test pilot, Major Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) enters a magnetic storm that propels him into the distant future, where he crash-lands on the ape-ruled planet. Among the primitively civilized apes, treatment of enslaved humans is a divisive issue: senator's daughter Ari (Helena Bonham Carter) advocates equality while the ruthless General Thade (Tim Roth) promotes extermination. While Davidson ignites a human rebellion, this conflict is explored with admirable depth and emotion, and sharp dialogue allows Burton's exceptional cast to bring remarkable expressiveness to their embattled ape characters, most notably in the comic relief of orangutan slave trader Limbo (played to perfection by Paul Giamatti). Classic lines from the original film are cleverly reversed (including an unbilled cameo for Charlton Heston, in ape regalia as Thade's dying father), and while this tale of interspecies warfare leads to an ironic conclusion that's not altogether satisfying, it still bears the ripe fruit of a timeless what-if idea. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Urban Works

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 60

Summary: "Killin' Them Softly" is easily one of HBO's best comedy specials, catching star Dave Chappelle at a career high in 2000 and with an abundance of hysterical, highly polished material. Taking his time, stretching concepts and bits like a master, Chappelle plunges into a wealth of anecdotes and observations about the influx of white people into Washington, D.C. (where this show was recorded) since the 1980s. ("Who are the scariest people? White guys in black gangs. No telling what they did to get respect.") There are fantastic tales of racing cops with Chappelle's white friend, Chip, and a great story about being left alone in a limousine outside a busy crack house. Other good stuff: introducing a kid to a PePe Le Pew cartoon and realizing too late the skunk is a sex criminal, and why we should know our 911 calls will end up played on television. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 120

Summary: "Platoon" put writer-turned-director Oliver Stone on the Hollywood map; it is still his most acclaimed and effective film, probably because it is based on Stone's firsthand experience as an American soldier in Vietnam. Chris (Charlie Sheen) is an infantryman whose loyalty is tested by two superior officers: Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), a former hippie humanist who really cares about his men (this was a few years before he played Jesus in Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ"), and Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), a moody, macho soldier who may have gone over to the dark side. The personalities of the two sergeants correspond to their combat drugs of choice--pot for Elias and booze for Barnes. Stone has become known for his sledgehammer visual style, but in this film it seems perfectly appropriate. His violent and disorienting images have a terrifying immediacy, a you-are-there quality that gives you a sense of how things may have felt to an infantryman in the jungles of Vietnam. "Platoon" won Oscars for best picture and director. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 124

Summary: Fantastical writer Gary Ross ("Big", "Dave") makes an auspicious directorial debut with this inspired and oddly touching comedy about two '90s kids (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) thrust into the black-and-white TV world of "Pleasantville", a "Leave It to Beaver"-style sitcom complete with picket fences, corner malt shop, and warm chocolate chip cookies. When a somewhat unusual remote control (provided by repairman Don Knotts) transports them from the jaded real world to G-rated TV land, Maguire and Witherspoon are forced to play along as Bud and Mary Sue, the obedient children of George and Betty Parker (William H. Macy and Joan Allen). Maguire, an obsessive "Pleasantville" devotee, understands the need for not toppling the natural balance of things; Witherspoon, on the other hand, starts shaking the town up, most notably when she takes basketball stud Skip (Paul Walker) up to Lover's Lane for some modern-day fun and games. Soon enough, Pleasantville's teens are discovering sex along with--gasp!--rock & roll, free thinking, and soul-changing Technicolor. Filled with delightful and shrewd details about sitcom life (no toilets, no double beds, only two streets in the town), "Pleasantville" is a joy to watch, not only for its comedy but for the groundbreaking visual effects and astonishing production design as the town gradually transforms from crisp black and white to glorious color. Ross does tip his hand a bit about halfway through the film, obscuring the movie's basic message of the unpredictability of life with overloaded and obvious symbolism, as the black-and-white denizens of the town gang up on the "coloreds" and impose rules of conduct to keep their strait-laced town laced up. Still, the characterizations from the phenomenal cast--especially repressed housewife Allen and soda-shop owner Jeff Daniels, doing some of their best work ever--will keep you emotionally invested in the film's outcome, and waiting to see Pleasantville in all its final Technicolor glory. "--Mark Englehart"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: USA Home Entertainment

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 102

Summary: No one will be neutral about "Plunkett & Macleane". Either you go with its notion of cheeky, stylish fun or you want to grab first-time director Jake Scott by the ear and slap him silly.
Your inclination may depend on whether you recall his dad Ridley's own directing debut, "The Duellists" (1977), and savor the correspondences. Dad took a Joseph Conrad tale of the Napoleonic Wars, cast it with the ultra-contemporary Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel, and filmed it with a swoopingly mobile camera. Son Jake has made a feisty period piece about a pair of thieves (Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller) in 1748 London and filled it with blatant anachronisms. A decadent aristo (Alan Cumming), asked whether he "still swings both ways," replies, "I swing "every" way!" A ballroom full of revelers dances the minuet (or is it the gavotte?) while our ears--if not theirs--are filled with a rock ballad. And so forth.
Is this sophomoric? Maybe. But it's also often fresh and inventive. Why shouldn't a filmmaker be allowed to speak directly to a contemporary consciousness, even flaunt it, as long as he also delivers startling imagery and convincing period detail? The solid cast includes Michael Gambon as a corrupt magistrate, Ken Stott as a very nasty enforcer named Mr. Chance (who favors a thumb through the eye socket and into the brain as a mode of execution), and Terence Rigby as a philosophical jailer; even Liv Tyler looks more interesting than usual. "Plunkett & Macleane" is in the end pretty frivolous, but it's a lively debut nonetheless. "--Richard T. Jameson"

Theatrical: 1991

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 120

Summary: An unbelievable movie, and deliriously better for it. Keanu Reeves is a hotshot law enforcement dude--Johnny Utah by name--investigating a series of bank robberies in L.A. Four gunmen, disguised in rubber masks of ex-U.S. presidents, have never come close to being caught, but veteran agent Gary Busey has a theory: The bandits are surfers. This prompts the superb line, "The ex-presidents rip off banks to finance the endless summer!" This movie's full of dialogue like that, but instead of sounding ridiculous it creates its own infectious comic-book energy--ride the crest of it and you'll find the film's giddy zone. Patrick Swayze plays Bodhi, zen-master leader of the surfing clan, humming serenely with the wisdom of the waves. (Alarmingly, Swayze also did his own skydiving stunts.) Director Kathryn Bigelow ("Strange Days") stages the action sequences with a visceral snap, and clearly has a gift for orchestrating pulp fiction. Though not a huge hit when was first released, "Point Break" has a well-deserved cult reputation thanks to its video afterlife. The film's executive producer is James Cameron, Bigelow's husband at the time. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 1993

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 109

Summary: "Point of No Return" is one of those Hollywood remakes of a European hit in which one can visualize a committee of studio executives sitting around and saying, "Okay, we know what made the original film unique and different and fun. How can we make that same movie and do exactly the opposite?" For-hire director John Badham ("Saturday Night Fever") took "La Femme Nikita", Luc Besson's undeniably sexy, original, and kitschy French film about a female assassin, and translated it into a calculating, mechanistic American thriller with no distinctive style. Bridget Fonda gamely plays the willowy street punk who becomes a high-society killer, but once that provocative irony is in place, the movie is pretty much a series of by-the-numbers action set pieces. Until, that is, Dermot Mulroney shows up as a love interest; but even that twist can't save this film. You're much better off with the original, subtitles and all. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 98

Summary: The 1972 disaster hit "The Poseidon Adventure" was ripe for a big-budget CGI remake, and who better to helm it than thriller expert Wolfgang Petersen, director of "Das Boot" and "The Perfect Storm"? It hardly matters that a TV movie remake (also based on Paul Gallico's original 1969 source novel) was made less than a year before, because Petersen's version is far more spectacular, with shocking digital effects, massive sets, amazing stunt-work and enough fire and water to fill five movies with challenging worst-case scenarios. Once again, the plot concerns the capsizing (by a massive "rogue wave") of a state-of-the-art luxury liner, and the struggle of a small group of survivors (including Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Emmy Rossum, and Richard Dreyfuss) to climb upwards, to the ship's hull, in their treacherous quest for a safe exit. Unfortunately, most of these characters are two-dimensional and under-developed (especially when compared to the 1972 film's all-star cast), and the unimaginative screenplay by Mark Protosevich (reportedly worked on by several uncredited writers) subjects them to a rote series of obstacles that grow increasingly routine and repetitious, not to mention contrived and illogical. Again, it hardly matters, because Petersen's handling of non-stop action is so slick and professional that "Poseidon" gets by on sheer adrenaline. The capsizing scenes are nothing less than awesome, with some effects so real (and so horrifying) that younger and more sensitive viewers may need to look away. And while it lacks the engaging humanity of the 1972 version, "Poseidon" is certainly never boring. Faint praise, perhaps, but you'll get your popcorn's worth of mindless entertainment. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 177

Summary: Falling from the Oscar-winning glory of "Dances with Wolves" to the opposite end of the critical and box-office scale, Kevin Costner must have been deeply humbled when this three-hour postapocalyptic tale--his sophomore effort as a director--was greeted with a critical thrashing and tepid audience response. One of the most conspicuous flops of its decade, the 1997 release must have seemed like a sure thing on paper: a kind of futurist Western starring Costner as a charismatic drifter-turned-hero who leads the resistance against a military tyrant (Will Patton) by reviving the long-dormant postal system to reunite isolated communities in their fight for freedom. The movie bombed, but, like many audacious failures, it's got qualities that make it at least partially endearing, and its earnestness (although bordering on corny) keeps it from being entirely silly. Faint praise, perhaps, but Costner's ode to patriotism is occasionally stirring and visually impressive. The dual-layered, widescreen DVD includes a documentary segment about the creation of the film's special effects sequences, featuring a running commentary by the special effects creators. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1987

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 107

Summary: "Rambo" meets "Alien" in this terrific science-fiction thriller from 1987, directed by John McTiernan just a year before "Die Hard" made him Hollywood's most sought-after director of action-packed blockbusters. Arnold Schwarzenegger leads an elite squad of U.S. Army commandos to a remote region of South American jungle, where they've been assigned to search for South American officials who've been kidnapped by terrorists. Instead they find a bunch of skinned corpses hanging from the trees and realize that they're now facing a mysterious and much deadlier threat. As the squad is picked off one by one, Arnold finds himself pitted against a hideous alien creature that's heavily armed and wearing a spacesuit enabling the creature to render itself invisible. The title says it all in describing the relentless, escalating action that follows, maintained by McTiernan with an abundance of visual flair. The film's special effects are still impressive, and stunning locations in the Mexican jungles create a combined atmosphere of verdant beauty and imminent danger. The plot doesn't hold up to much scrutiny, but the movie's so exciting and tightly paced that its weaknesses seem irrelevant. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 130

Summary: "The Prestige" attempts a hat trick by combining a ridiculously good-looking cast, a highly regarded new director, and more than one sleight of hand. Does it pull it off? Sort of. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play rival magicians who were once friends before an on-stage tragedy drove a wedge between them. While Bale's Alfred Borden is a more skilled illusionist, Jackman's Rufus Angier is the better showman; much of the film's interesting first half is their attempts to sabotage--and simultaneously, top--each other's tricks. Even with the help of a prop inventor (Michael Caine) and a comely assistant (Scarlett Johansson), Angier can't match Borden's ultimate illusion: The Transporting Man. Angier's obsession with learning Borden's trick leads him to an encounter with an eccentric inventor (David Bowie) in a second half that gets bogged down in plot loops and theatrics. Director Christopher Nolan, reuniting with his "Batman Begins" star Bale, demonstrates the same dark touch that hued that film, but some plot elements--without giving anything away--seem out of place with the rest of the movie. It's better to sit back and let the sometimes-clunky turns steer themselves than try to draw back the black curtain. That said, "The Prestige" still manages to entertain long after the magician has left the stage--a feat in itself. --"Ellen A. Kim"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Dimension

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 119

Summary: Like a pumpkin that transforms into a carriage, some very shrewd casting (and the charisma of Julia Roberts, in particular) morphed this story of a Hollywood whore into a Disneyfied "Cinderella" story--and a mainstream megahit. This is the movie that made Roberts a star; the charm of her personality helping tremendously to carry viewers over the rough spots in the script (which was originally a cynical tale about prostitution called "3000"--after the amount of money Richard Gere's character pays the prostitute to stay with him for the week). Gere is the silver-haired Wall Street knight who sweeps streetwalker Roberts into a fantasy world of room service at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel and fashion boutique shopping on Rodeo Drive. The supporting cast is also appealing, including Laura San Giacomo as Roberts's hooker pal, Hector Elizondo as the hotel manager, Jason Alexander, Ralph Bellamy, and Hank Azaria. Now, is this something you want your sons and daughters to see? That's entirely up to you. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 105

Summary: Bolstered by an appealing cast and the comedic genius of Meryl Streep, "Prime" is an above-average "rom-com" that never stoops to compromise. The plot conceived by writer/director Ben Younger ("Boiler Room") is a bit far-fetched, but once he's established that 37-year-old Gentile divorcee Rafi Gardet (Uma Thurman) is unknowingly dating the 23-year-old son (Bryan Greenberg) of her Jewish psychotherapist (played by Streep), the unlikely premise gets an intelligent workout, touching upon all of the issues that would realistically emerge as their dilemma is taken to its logical (or illogical) extremes. As a pair of genuinely devoted lovers in their sexual prime (hence the title), Thurman and Greenberg make this movie a constant joy to watch (and let's face it, Uma's utterly irresistible as an "older woman" who's looking for Mr. Right). But it's Streep's mastery of multi-layered expression and subtle comedic timing that makes "Prime" so engaging. Younger is also refreshingly resistant to easy solutions and conventional feel-good sentiment; he constantly steers "Prime" toward a sensible examination of a hazardous romance, never insulting the intelligence of his characters or his audience. The result is a mature, honest relationship comedy that never feels forced, but still offers plenty of good, solid laughs. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1987

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Horror

Duration: 102

Summary: The B picture lives on in the films of John Carpenter. "Prince of Darkness" weds supernatural horror with quantum weirdness, when a group of theoretical-physics students, led by their professor, Birack (Victor Wong), joins forces with a priest (Donald Pleasence) to forestall the coming of the Dark Lord. His Darkness has been imprisoned in a cylindrical container as a swirling green plasma since time immemorial, and is now beginning to find his way out. All of this is bolstered by a lot of fancy science talk (all of which is real, I can assure you--someone did his homework), which allows us to settle down, say okey dokey, and enjoy the thrills that this presages. As the title character spreads his contagion through the group of students, holed up in a church to study the sequestered Satan, the film shapes up as an homage to George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", much like Carpenter's earlier film, "Assault on Precinct 13". But this adds the twist of quantum physics dovetailing with religious orthodoxy, and in the bargain spawning numerous zombie minions. There are plenty of squishy splatter opportunities, the kind that make some affected people say, "This is a bad movie!" while they grin from ear to ear. Look for Alice Cooper as a street schizo. I think you'll recognize him. "--Jim Gay"

Theatrical: 2010

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre:

Duration: 116

Summary: Jake Gyllenhaal's doe eyes and bulging biceps will make some hearts flutter in "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time". Dastan (Gyllenhaal), adopted prince of the Persian empire, must flee into the desert when accused of murdering his royal father--but a glass-handled dagger he found as loot from a captured city turns out to hold powerful time-manipulating magic. Not only is he pursued by his vengeful brothers, his scheming uncle (Ben Kingsley, "Sexy Beast"), and a strange cabal of assassins, but a princess/priestess named Tamina (Gemma Arterton, "Quantum of Solace") wants the dagger back and will kill Dastan if she has to. "Prince of Persia" wants to be a rollicking adventure along the lines of "Pirates of the Caribbean". Unfortunately, it's hampered by clumsy dialogue and hard-to-follow action sequences, with choppy editing that wrecks the flow of the parkour-inspired stunts. But the production design is extravagant and every time Alfred Molina ("Spiderman 2") appears as a greedy sheik the movie gets a delightful jolt of energy. Gyllenhaal doesn't have much to work with--Dastan is a fairly generic hero--and whoever designed his hair should have been fired on the first day, but his lazy charm comes through and carries him through the movie. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1987

Studio: MGM

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 98

Summary: Screenwriter William Goldman's novel "The Princess Bride" earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book's joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his skeptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story.
And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity...
The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman's very funny script, Reiner's confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. "--Sam Sutherland"

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 108

Summary: Rom-com favorite Sandra Bullock and the affably charming Ryan Reynolds’s superb chemistry turn The Proposal from otherwise standard romantic-comedy fare to one that is entertaining and sure to garner laughs. Margaret (Sandra Bullock) is a workaholic, tyrannical book editor (reminiscent of The Devil Wears Prada) who suddenly finds her career in jeopardy as she faces deportation back to Canada. Her solution is to simply fake an engagement to her unsuspecting assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), who in turn blackmails her for a promotion. However, when Margaret is forced to head to Alaska with Andrew to visit his family in an effort to make their story believable to the deportation officers, they soon realize that their plan may not be so simple after all. The supporting cast of Dad (Craig T. Nelson), Mom (Mary Steenburgen), and kooky Grandma (Betty White, still a scene-stealer at 87) is great casting that makes for many amusing scenes. Bottom line: witty Reynolds and Bullock are perfect sparring partners for each other and not half bad to look at either. --Lisanne Chastain

Stills from The Proposal (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: FIRST LOOK PICTURES

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 104

Summary: A savage Western set in Australia's Outback, "The Proposition" is relentless in its intensity and bloody imagery. Set in the late 19th century, the film tells the brutal story of a gang of brothers that kills not out of desperation, but because they can. Arthur Burns (Danny Huston) is the mastermind who shares little in common (other than total disregard for human life) with his younger brother Charlie (Guy Pearce, "L.A. Confidential", "Memento"). When Charlie and their baby brother Mike (Richard Wilson) are captured, Charlie is offered a proposition to save their necks from the gallows. "Suppose, Mr. Burns, I was to give both you and your young brother Mikey, here, a pardon," offers Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone). "Suppose I said that I could give you the chance to expunge the guilt beneath which you so clearly labor.... Now, suppose you tell me what it is I want from you." Without blinking, Charlie says, "You want me to kill my brother." For most people, this would be an unthinkable proposition. For Charlie, the answer's obvious. He'll do whatever he has to spare his own life, even if that means trading his for Arthur's. "The Proposition" at times is a difficult film to watch. But thanks to a compelling story by rocker Nick Cave and a supporting cast (including Emily Watson as the Captain's gentle wife), the film is a classic in the making. "--Jae-Ha Kim"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 154

Summary: With the knockout one-two punch of 1992's "Reservoir Dogs" and 1994's "Pulp Fiction" writer-director Quentin Tarantino stunned the filmmaking world, exploding into prominence as a cinematic heavyweight contender. But "Pulp Fiction" was more than just the follow-up to an impressive first feature, or the winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival, or a script stuffed with the sort of juicy bubblegum dialogue actors just love to chew, or the vehicle that reestablished John Travolta on the A-list, or the relatively low-budget ($8 million) independent showcase for an ultrahip mixture of established marquee names and rising stars from the indie scene (among them Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Julia Sweeney, Kathy Griffin, and Phil Lamar). It was more, even, than an unprecedented $100-million-plus hit for indie distributor Miramax. "Pulp Fiction" was a sensation. No, it was not the Second Coming (I actually think "Reservoir Dogs" is a more substantial film; and P.T. Anderson outdid Tarantino in 1997 by making his directorial debut with two even more mature and accomplished pictures, "Hard Eight" and "Boogie Nights"). But "Pulp Fiction" packs so much energy and invention into telling its nonchronologically interwoven short stories (all about temptation, corruption, and redemption amongst modern criminals, large and small) it leaves viewers both exhilarated and exhausted--hearts racing and knuckles white from the ride. (Oh, and the infectious, surf-guitar-based soundtrack is tastier than a Royale with Cheese.) "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Art House & International

Duration: 102

Summary: In the suburban hinterlands of Arizona, pirate-radio DJ Hard Harry wages a one-man war against boredom from his bedroom transmitter by night. In between great Lenny Bruce-style stream-of-consciousness rants, Harry attacks the airwaves with the likes of the Descendents, Bad Brains, and Concrete Blonde, as well as occasionally kickin' it old school with some early hip-hop. By day, though, Hard Harry is Mark Hunter, a painfully shy new kid who's anonymous to the point of being invisible at Hubert Humphrey High School. Completely misunderstood by his '60s-era parents, Mark is desperate to keep his radio alter ego separate from his day-to-day persona, especially as his radio shows draw more attention from the authorities. Fellow misfit Nora (Samantha Mathis, in her first feature role) eventually discovers Hard Harry's true identity, much to Mark's chagrin, and the two of them become torchbearers against the stifling status quo of the town as they dodge the police, the school administration, and the FCC. There are familiar high school authority archetypes (the assistant principal with clip-on tie, lemon-yellow K-Mart short-sleeved dress shirt, military flattop, and bulky key ring) and a rather strained subplot of a corrupt school administration. Mainly, though, this is a rousing teen call-to-arms that showcases Slater's talents as he developed the cynical, sarcastic neo-Jack Nicholson delivery that would become his trademark. He's at his best during his radio monologues (making them truly seem ad-libbed), and his influences become clear as he checks out a copy of "How to Talk Dirty and Influence People" from the library. "--Jerry Renshaw"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 117

Summary: Will Smith stars in the inspirational true story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman who's struggling to make ends meet. When his girlfriend Linda (Thandie Newton) walks out, Chris is left to raise their 5-year-old son Christopher (Jaden Smith) on his own. Chris' determination finally pays off when he lands an unpaid internship in a brutally competitive stockbroker-training program, where only one in twenty interns will make the cut. But without a salary, Chris and his son are evicted from their apartment and are forced to sleep on the street, in homeless shelters and even behind the locked doors of a metro station bathroom. With self- confidence and the love and trust of his son, Chris Gardner rises above his obstacles to become a Wall Street legend.

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 379

Summary: "Pushing Daisies" is many things at once: detective show, romantic comedy, whimsical fantasy and above all, a story about a guy who bakes pies and has the ability to bring dead people back to life. Somehow all of these things come together to make one of the most enjoyable, funny and bittersweet shows to come along in a long time. A lot of that magic comes from the near-perfect casting - Lee Pace ("The Fall", "Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day") as Ned the Piemaker is wonderfully reserved and adorably neurotic; his facial expressions alone provide some of the most moving and hilarious moments in the series. Anna Friel as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, Chi McBride as Emerson Cod and Kristin Chenoweth as Olive Snook round out the regulars at the Pie Hole and veteran actresses Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Greene are great as Chuck's eccentric aunts whose passions include synchronized swimming, amateur ornithology and rare cheeses. "Pushing Daisies" exists in a world where people regularly break out into song to express their feelings, where death is never gory and usually played for comic effect, and where every color on screen is richly saturated and vibrant, creating an oddly timeless "Edward Scissorhands"-like world.

Bryan Fuller, the creator of cult favorites "Dead Like Me" and "Wonderfalls" has perfected his style with "Pushing Daisies"; this series has a broader appeal than the previous shows. Each imaginatively produced episode has such snappy writing paired with ghoulish sensibilities, heart wrenching romance and classic caper-style crime fighting, making every moment completely un-missable. The Blu-ray release of Season One contains all nine original episodes and a behind-the-scenes featurette. --"Kira Canny"

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 562

Summary: The second season of "Pushing Daisies" became, unfortunately, its last--abruptly wrapping one of the most beautiful and unusual love stories ever told on TV. Farewell to Ned (Lee Pace), the handsome piemaker who can restore the dead with one touch (and un-restore them with another, or else end another life in exchange). Farewell to Chuck (Anna Friel), his true love, brought back to life by Ned and therefore forever untouchable by him again. Farewell to Olive (Kristin Chenoweth), the pixie who pines for our piemaker, and also to Emerson (Chi McBride), the P.I. who partners with Ned (and Chuck and Olive) to solve murders with inside information from the briefly revived. But what a memorable sendoff this second season is: starting with bees gone wild and a shirtless Ned, paying homage to "Pete's Dragon" in one lighthouse-centric episode, and ending with some measure of closure that comes in a 13th-episode, "we know we're canceled" rush. Like that finale, the season is not always as fully realized as its rich fairytale world, yet it still achieves genuine joy and longing. In many ways, it is a season of separation, with Olive off to a nunnery and Chuck out of Ned's apartment (for a little while, at least). Olive and Ned get to explore their potential romance, while Chuck gets some unexpected family time. This set contains several featurettes, most notably a celebration of the show's music (a character all its own) and series creator Bryan Fuller, who also brought us "Dead Like Me", "Wonderfalls", and some of "Heroes"' best episodes. ("I never know what he's going to do, and I love that," says Chenoweth.) There's also a piece on what it takes to create the colorful corpses Ned brings to life as well as the technical challenge of creating a computer-generated rhino, but the real magic of this show comes from the heart. "--Stephanie Reid-Simons"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 124

Summary: Blessed by a fantastic cast and slick direction by Mike Newell, "Pushing Tin" is one of those invigorating movies (like "Wall Street" or "All the President's Men") that takes you behind the scenes of a dramatic profession--in this case, the high-stress world of air-traffic controllers--and throws in a source of conflict to ramp up the tension. For ace "tin-pusher" Nick Falzone (John Cusack), that conflict arrives in the form of Russell Bell (Billy Bob Thornton), an Irish/Choctaw half-breed whose Zen-like control of air traffic immediately puts Nick on the defensive. Add an incident of infidelity and Nick's subsequent self-loathing and guilt, and "Pushing Tin" turns into a macho pissing match, with Nick's and Russell's spouses (Cate Blanchett and Angelina Jolie, respectively) stuck in the middle.
At that point, this otherwise splendid comedy-drama turns almost fatally silly, and it hits additional turbulence by lapsing into a predictable series of pat resolutions. Fortunately, the jazzy cast avoids a nosedive into the tarmac, and if you recall Blanchett's Oscar-nominated performance in "Elizabeth", you'll be amazed by her flawless transformation into a smart and sweetly devoted New Jersey housewife. Dialogue is a major asset here, and the script (by TV veterans Glen and Les Charles) gives Cusack & Co. plenty to chew on. That makes "Pushing Tin" a breezy good time, and its flaws are easily forgiven. "--Jeff Shannon"