DVDpedia : Library : Title : E

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 118

Summary: The "cell phone thriller" is becoming a genre unto itself, and "Eagle Eye" should be considered a key example of the form. Frankly preposterous but compulsively watchable, this movie puts Shia LaBeouf in a mess of trouble instigated by a mysterious telephone voice. If he doesn't follow orders, dire things will happen--although when he does follow orders, the consequences are pretty dire, anyway. Also being blackmailed is a single mom (Michelle Monaghan) receiving similar phone calls. Why are they being jerked around by the purring female voice, and why is the road leading to Washington, D.C.? Actually, you won't have time to contemplate these questions, because director D.J. Caruso (who guided LaBeouf in "Disturbia") keeps the action going at the customary breakneck pace. This is a wise move, because the real questions you'd likely be asking have to do with the plausibility of events on a minute-by-minute basis (most notably: how could Mysterious Phone Voice possibly know that the two pigeons would survive the hoops she makes them fly through, each one more death-defying than the last?). The actors tumble through this mayhem like scattering bowling pins, including Billy Bob Thornton and Rosario Dawson as government agents. Nobody has time to make much of an impression, and LaBeouf has much less room for puppydog charm than he did in "Disturbia". Even that would be all right within the movie's berserk parameters, but the really irritating thing is the way the tacked-on final scenes reverse what would have been a heroic climax. No guts, no glory. "--Robert Horton"




Stills from "Eagle Eye" (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 1025

Summary: A science-fiction series with an ecological theme, EARTH 2 only ran for one season on NBC, and all 22 episodes of the program are collected here. In the distant future, the surface of the Earth has been largely destroyed, and mankind lives in space stations orbiting the planet. A group of space colonists, led by Devon Adair (Debrah Farentino) and John Danzinger (Clancy Brown), are sent to a far off planet to prepare it for colonization by the surviving population of Earth. But a mishap sends them careening off-course, crash landing thousands of miles from the proper camp site. EARTH 2 follows the band of colonists as they traverse the planet, encountering dangerous aliens and other humans who view them with distrust and suspicion. By tackling issues like ecology and colonization, EARTH 2 engages important ideas and themes in an entertaining fashion.

Theatrical: 1983

Studio: Entertainment Studio

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 70

Summary: Light years before political correctness--1983 to be exact--or his comeback in tame Disney comedies, Eddie Murphy was a charismatic, wonderfully offensive, egocentric 22-year-old black comedian known for crude celebrity impersonations and often shockingly frank diatribes on racial and sexual politics. Dressed in a skin-tight red leather suit and delivering endless streams of obscenities faster than Richard Pryor ever did, Murphy is captured in this raunchy HBO special (a filmed document of his Grammy-winning album, "Eddie Murphy, Comedian") at his confident, swaggering, comedic peak--a posture that soon disappeared after a string of bland Hollywood comedies. Here, however, his energy and sheer virtuosity command complete control over the audience for 107 minutes, whether he's mocking personalities like Elvis, James Brown, and Stevie Wonder, or spinning long, gag-filled personal anecdotes about the ice-cream man or dysfunctional family barbecues. There's no apologizing for the immature stereotyping, blatant homophobia, and sexism (though Murphy did so several years later) that surface during the routine. But, then again, unlike his much nastier, one-sided concert film, "Raw", no topic here is safe from Murphy's uproarious tongue-lashings--including the comedian himself. "--Dave McCoy"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 117

Summary: Writer David Mamet created two engrossing and memorable characters, played by Alec Baldwin as the urbane fashion photographer and Anthony Hopkins as a reserved and intellectual billionaire. They find themselves teamed up against a giant Kodiak bear, and their own inner demons, when lost together in the Alaskan wilderness. There is a lot going on in this picture, as the subject matter includes male rivalry, the isolationism of extreme wealth, and, most conspicuously, the survival of the fittest. Mamet's script, which sounds a little too arch in spots, is well served by New Zealand director Lee Tamahori, who knows how to capture beauty and brutality in one frame. Although the themes are enormous in scope, they are well balanced. One rarely overpowers the other, nor does the achingly beautiful scenery overshadow the acting. Even if you do not like the intellectualism of the dialogue, there are some great scenes with the bear. "--Rochelle O'Gorman"

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre: Action & Adventure

Summary:

Theatrical: 1987

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 153

Summary: Roundly dismissed as one of Steven Spielberg's least successful efforts, this very underrated film poignantly follows the World War II adventures of young Jim (a brilliant Christian Bale), caught in the throes of the fall of China. What if you once had everything and lost it all in an afternoon? What if you were only 12? Bale's transformation, from pampered British ruling-class child to an imprisoned, desperate, nearly feral boy, is nothing short of stunning. Also stunning are exceptional sets, cinematography, and music (the last courtesy of John Williams) that enhance author J.G. Ballard's and screenwriter Tom Stoppard's depiction of another, less familiar casualty of war.
In a time when competitors were releasing "comedic," derivative coming-of-age films, "Empire of the Sun" stands out as an epic in the classic David Lean sense--despite confusion or perceived competition with the equally excellent "The Last Emperor" (also released in 1987, and also a coming-of-age in a similar setting). It is also a remarkable testament to, yes, the human spirit. And despite its disappointing box-office returns, "Empire of the Sun" helped to further establish Spielberg as more than a commercial director and set the standard, tone, and look for future efforts "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan". "--N.F. Mendoza"

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 90

Summary: This story about a day in the life of an independent record store, truly a threatened species, screeches with the sound of teenagers falling apart emotionally every five minutes. The script, which feels like an old guy's idea of how kids talk and think, concerns the young employees of a Delaware music shop faced with imminent extinction. While the ship is sinking, the staff indulge in tantrums, depressions, and run-ins with low self-esteem. There's a lot of noise in this thing, but not a lot is really said. Rory Cochrane has the best part as a secretive guy who loses the store's proceeds one night while gambling, Anthony LaPaglia is the adult boss and unofficial dad to the others, Renée Zellweger plays a promiscuous girl, and Liv Tyler is OK as a lovestruck sweet thing trying to get up the nerve to express her feelings to a fellow employee. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 108

Summary: For years Zack Bradley (Dane Cook) has been working hard at hardly working at the local Super Club. That's until a hottie named Amy (Jessica Simpson) becomes the new cashier. After discovering she's willing to date the next guy to become "Employee of the Month", Zack takes on current titleholder (Dax Shepard) in a super-smackdown to see who will win the honor - and Amy's heart - in this outrageous comedy that proves you can't succeed at life and love till you get your shift together.

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 121

Summary: After a two-year hiatus that included recovery from heart surgery, Arnold Schwarzenegger returned to the big screen in November 1999 with "End of Days", a Thanksgiving turkey if ever there was one. Overcooked and bloated with stuffing, this ludicrous thriller attached itself to the end-of-the-millennium furor that kicked in a year too early. A prologue begins in 1979 with panic in the Vatican when a comet signals the birth of a child who will, 20 years later, become the chosen bride of Satan, destined to conceive the devil's spawn between 11 p.m. and midnight on December 31, 1999. It's hard to decide who has the more thankless role--Robin Tunney as Satan's would-be bride, or Schwarzenegger as Jericho Cane, the burned-out alcoholic bodyguard assigned to protect the girl from Satan, billed as "The Man" and played with cheesy menace (and an inconsistent variety of metaphysical manifestations) by Gabriel Byrne.
With kitschy character names like Jericho and Chicago (Arnie's partner, played by Kevin Pollack) and lapses in logic that any 5-year-old could spot, "End of Days" is a loud, aggravating movie that would be entertaining if it were intended as comedy. But Schwarzenegger and director Peter Hyams approach the story as an earnest tale of redemption and tested faith, delivering a ridiculous climax full of special effects and devoid of dramatic impact. You're left instead to savor the verbal and physical sparring between Satan and Jericho, resulting in the most thorough pummeling Schwarzenegger's ever endured onscreen. Of course he eventually gets his payback, just in time for New Year's Eve. Perhaps he was touched by an angel. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 131

Summary: Like "Saving Private Ryan", "Enemy at the Gates" opens with a pivotal event of World War II--the German invasion of Stalingrad--re-created in epic scale, as ill-trained Russian soldiers face German attack or punitive execution if they flee from the enemy's advance. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud captures this madness with urgent authenticity, creating a massive context for a more intimate battle waged amid the city's ruins. Embellished from its basis in fact, the story shifts to an intense cat-and-mouse game between a Russian shepherd raised to iconic fame and a German marksman whose skill is unmatched in its lethal precision. Vassily Zaitzev (Jude Law) has been sniping Nazis one bullet at a time, while the German Major Konig (Ed Harris) has been assigned to kill Vassily and spare Hitler from further embarrassment.
There's love in war as Vassily connects with a woman soldier (Rachel Weisz), but she is also loved by Danilov (Joseph Fiennes), the Soviet officer who promotes his friend Vassily as Russia's much-needed hero. This romantic rivalry lends marginal interest to the central plot, but it's not enough to make this a classic war film. Instead it's a taut, well-made suspense thriller isolated within an epic battle, and although Annaud and cowriter Alain Godard (drawing from William Craig's book and David L. Robbins's novel "The War of the Rats") fail to connect the parallel plots with any lasting impact, the production is never less than impressive. Highly conventional but handled with intelligence and superior craftsmanship, this is warfare as strategic entertainment, without compromising warfare as a manmade hell on Earth. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 132

Summary: Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is a lawyer with a wife and family whose happily normal life is turned upside down after a chance meeting with a college buddy (Jason Lee) at a lingerie shop. Unbeknownst to the lawyer, he's just been burdened with a videotape of a congressman's assassination. Hot on the tail of this tape is a ruthless group of National Security Agents commanded by a belligerently ambitious fed named Reynolds (Jon Voight). Using surveillance from satellites, bugs, and other sophisticated snooping devices, the NSA infiltrates every facet of Dean's existence, tracing each physical and digital footprint he leaves. Driven by acute paranoia, Dean enlists the help of a clandestine former NSA operative named Brill (Gene Hackman), and "Enemy of the State" kicks into high-intensity hyperdrive.
Teaming up once again with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, "Top Gun" director Tony Scott demonstrates his glossy style with clever cinematography and breakneck pacing. Will Smith proves that there's more to his success than a brash sense of humor, giving a versatile performance that plausibly illustrates a man cracking under the strain of paranoid turmoil. Hackman steals the show by essentially reprising his role from "The Conversation"--just imagine his memorable character Harry Caul some 20 years later. Most of all, the film's depiction of high-tech surveillance is highly convincing and dramatically compelling, making this a cautionary tale with more substance than you'd normally expect from a Scott-Bruckheimer action extravaganza. "--Jeremy Storey"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 113

Summary: Sean Connery plays a master thief thought to be long retired, while Katherine Zeta-Jones is his foil, a hotshot insurance investigator assigned to his case. They both have a little something to hold over each other's heads, until it turns out that Zeta-Jones is a professional art thief herself and is playing on both sides of the fence. At first they eye each other with mutual distrust until they team up for a job, which goes off without a hitch. Inevitably their prickly relationship begins to thaw somewhat, and the two become attracted to each other as they plan out the massive Y2K bank scam that is the movie's climax (complete with sequel-ready ending). "Entrapment" plays somewhat like a '70s caper movie revamped for the gadget-happy high-tech '90s. The plot takes a few too many labored twists and turns, and the chemistry between the two leads is nearly nonexistent, though both carry on gamely in their parts. On the other hand, there is some genuine suspense in many scenes as they go about their business, dripping with whiz-bang burglary devices. Zeta-Jones, of course, is drop-dead gorgeous, and Connery is as reliable as always in his role. The fairly flat editing and direction tends to drag the film down somewhat, but fans of caper movies, high-tech thrillers, and the two leads should find plenty to like in this film. "--Jerry Renshaw"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 99

Summary: "Envy" is a funny movie, but it's more funny "peculiar" than funny "ha-ha", so enjoyment is purely a matter of personal taste. When Nick (Jack Black) invents an aerosol spray that makes dog-poop disappear (think of the boon to society!), he reaps a fortune overnight and sends his friend, co-worker and neighbor Tim (Ben Stiller) into a tailspin of simmering envy, since he had no faith in Nick's get-rich-quick scheme and declined his offer of 50-50 partnership. What makes this potentially raucous plot peculiar is that it sets up the situation and proceeds to ignore its most comedic implications, opting instead for a sub-plot involving bows, arrows, a dead horse, and an eccentric vagrant (Christopher Walken, offering reliable comic relief) who coaches Tim on the joys of neighborly blackmail. All the while, "Envy" suffers a comedic identity crisis, giving Black and Stiller a few good laughs (along with their on-screen wives, played by Rachel Weisz and "Saturday Night Live"'s Amy Poehler) while director Barry Levinson struggles to reach a quirky balance of morality play and blue-collar farce. He never quite gets there. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Dimension

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 107

Summary: A broad science fiction thriller in a classic vein, "Equilibrium" takes a respectable stab at a "Fahrenheit 451"-like cautionary fable. The story finds Earth's post-World War III humankind in a state of severe emotional repression: If no one feels anything, no one will be inspired by dark passions to attack their neighbors. Writer-director Kurt Wimmer's monochromatic, "Metropolis"-influenced cityscape provides an excellent backdrop to the heavy-handed mission of John Preston (Christian Bale), a top cop who busts "sense offenders" and crushes sentimental, sensual, and artistic relics from a bygone era. Predictably, Preston becomes intrigued by his victims and that which they die to cherish; he stops taking his mandatory, mood-flattening drug and is even aroused by a doomed prisoner (Emily Watson). Wimmer's wrongheaded martial arts/dueling guns motif is sheer silliness (a battle over a puppy doesn't help), but "Equilibrium" should be seen for Bale's moving performance as a man shocked back to human feeling. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Genre: Drama

Duration: 977

Summary: "ER"'s fifth season was marked by the departure of one of the series' core characters and the entry of a new one. It opens with third-year medical student Lucy Knight (Kellie Martin) being introduced to the layout and members of the ER (we learn Maria Bello's character, Anna Del Amico, has left), which also serves as a shorthand way of introducing new viewers to the series. She makes a strong impression immediately and reminds John Carter (Noah Wyle) of himself, but before long the two find themselves at odds. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) has to start over as an intern in order to stay at County General and in the U.S., and gradually ends her relationship with Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle), who learns that his son is deaf. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) tries for the position of full-time chief resident, but is beaten out by an East Coast hotshot, Amanda Lee (Mare Winningham), who turns out to have an interest in Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards). Greene starts to ride along with the paramedics, and Doug Ross (George Clooney) has settled down (finally) with nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies). He's still on probation from the risky detox procedure he used in the fourth season, but he seems to be on his best behavior until a mother (Valerie Mahaffey) brings in her ALD-stricken son. Ross breaks protocol again but this time threatens to bring down the whole ER with him in the season's high point, the climactic two-parter "Storm." Other cast members and guest stars include Penny Johnson ("24") as a nurse practitioner who joins Hathaway's clinic, Djimon Honsou as a Nigerian custodian with a secret, Marlee Matlin as Benton's sign language teacher, and TV Tae-Bo instructor Billy Blanks as a Tae-Bo instructor who teaches Lucy how to deliver a good swift kick. "--David Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Warner Brothers Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 1179

Summary: Inspired by creator Michael Crichton's experiences as a medical student in a hospital emergency room, "ER" quickly became one of the most compelling shows of the 1990s, each episode a whirlwind of intense and involving drama, gritty realism, and offbeat humor. Heading the staff at the inner-city Chicago hospital is Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), a doctor so good at providing care to the downtrodden, helpless, or just plain quirky patients that his career blossoms even as his personal life crumbles. Greene is the soul of the cast, but the heart is Julianna Margulies's nurse Carol Hathaway. Her character was intended only for the pilot episode, but she ended up capturing viewers with her palpable empathy for patients and her troublesome romance with womanizing pediatrician Doug Ross (George Clooney). The rest of the central cast consisted of compassionate Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), Peter Benton (Eriq Lasalle), whose prodigious talent nearly matches his ambition, and his fresh-faced student, John Carter (Noah Wyle). Other key characters included ER heads Morgenstern and Swift (William H. Macy and Michael Ironside, respectively), overachieving student Deb (Ming Na), who returned later in the show's run, attending physician Angela Hicks (CCH Pounder), and physical therapist Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Rueben).
The remarkably strong first season showed off its sharp ensemble cast through a variety of compelling story lines both personal (Carter's conflicts with Benton, Lewis's struggles with her no-account sister, Chloe, played by Kathleen Wilhoite) and professional (a holiday blizzard and especially the harrowing tale of a pregnancy gone bad, "Love's Labor Lost," which won five Emmy Awards). When Carter is pondering whether his future includes the ER, Green jokes, "It's not bad: Stress, late nights, hard work, no pay--it's hard to beat." It's hard to imagine people choosing to work under those conditions, but they do, and in the process these very "human" people perform superhuman feats as they face life and death as part of their daily jobs.
DVD features are fairly generous for a TV series box. There are two commentary tracks on the pilot episode, including one by Crichton, and crew commentaries on "Sleepless in Chicago" and "Love's Labor Lost." A new 39-minute documentary discusses the show's genesis, casting, and the "Chicago hospital drama smackdown" with "Chicago Hope" through interviews with Crichton, executive producer Steven Spielberg, other crew members, and the principal cast members other than Eriq LaSalle. Also included are a very watchable featurette on the show's realism (ever wonder why Ross is always looking down?) and another on post-production, a list of characters (including patients by episode, but why no actor credits?), three minor deleted scenes, outtakes, and a glossary of frequently used medical terms. Particularly notable is that the episodes are shown in anamorphic widescreen. "ER" was one of the first network shows broadcast in widescreen, but that was years after these episodes, which are shown in widescreen for the first time. "--David Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Genre: Drama

Duration: 991

Summary: In its fourth season, "ER" had its strongest cast yet. Sherry Stringfield was missed, but British surgeon Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) makes her debut, and Noah Wylie (John Carter) and Maria Bello (Anna Del Amico) made significant strides forward. Carter finds that his move from surgery to the ER has knocked him back to intern status, but he proves himself under fire when the ER is hit by a toxic spill. He also has plenty to worry about with his addicted cousin, Chase (Jonathan Scarfe), but he's helped by his developing relationship with Del Amico. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) is fighting legal and emotional battles following the previous season's incident, and strikes up a relationship with addled desk clerk Cynthia Hooper (Mariska Hargitay). Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) finds her promotion to chief of emergency medicine rockier than expected when she changes her mind on a deal with a cost-cutting firm, which is complicated when she's been seeing the representative (Clancy Brown). She also runs into trouble when she tries to terminate Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Reuben), who ends up staying at the ER and befriending the cancer-stricken son (Trevor Morgan) of Dr. Anspaugh (John Aylward). Peter Benton (Eriq LaSalle) struggles as a new father, develops a rivalry with Corday as he angles toward a spot on the team of arrogant hotshot Rocket Romano (Paul McCrane), and has a career-threatening disagreement with chief of staff Dr. Morgenstern (William H. Macy). Ross (George Clooney) tries a secret romance with on-again-off-again partner Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies), whose frustration with patient care leads her to open a women and children's clinic. The season kicks off with the famous live episode, "Ambush," in which a documentary film is being shot at the hospital, and in a continuing storyline, a serial rapist who preys on elderly women forces Carter to make a critical decision. Guest stars include John Cullum as Anthony Edwards' father, Harold Perrineau as the father of a boy with inverted organs, Dan Hedaya as a lawyer who wants to be a doctor, and Mickey Rooney as an optical patient. Bonus features consist of deleted scenes for a number of episodes, the wrap parties that followed the live show on each coast, and a 20-minute feature on the making of that episode, including some new interviews with the crew. "--David Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Genre: Drama

Duration: 990

Summary: "ER" kicked off its second season of high-intensity drama and wry humor by introducing a character who would turn out to be a long-term member of--and a major irritation for--the inner-city Chicago hospital staff. After Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) is promoted to attending physician, the door is open for a new chief resident, and in walks Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes), who wastes no time ruffling everyone's feathers with her strict managerial style and subtle putdowns. One of her prime targets, Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), struggles to balance her personal and professional life when she has to take care of her abandoned infant niece. The Lewis character grows the most during the season, along with second-year student John Carter (Noah Wylie), whose natural compassion gives way to professional ambition following the model of his teacher, ambitious and self-absorbed Peter Benton (Eriq LaSalle). Benton angles for a position with a renowned cardiovascular surgeon (Ron Rifkin) and has to deal with the fallout from a relationship with physician's assistant Jeannie Boulet (Gloria Reubens), yet he also starts to show some glimmers of humanity.
Greene has his own problems trying to manage a long-distance marriage, while nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) bounces back from her aborted first-season marriage attempt to start a new relationship with paramedic Shep (Ron Eldard, who also became Margulies's real-life partner). She buys her first house and enjoys an entire season out of the companionship of Doug Ross (George Clooney), who as always runs into problems with his cowboy style and philandering ways. But just when he's finally driven himself out of the ER, he has to go play hero when he finds a boy pinned in a storm drain in an episode that was nominated for six Emmys and remains one of the, excuse the pun, high-water marks of the series. That and such episodes as "The Healers," which deals with the aftermath of Shep's daring fire rescue, prove that when "ER" was at its best, it was as good as anything on television.
Guest appearances include Lucy Liu as the mother of an AIDS-stricken boy, Red Buttons as an elderly husband, Joanna Gleason as an infomercial producer, and Jake Lloyd ("Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace") as the son of a prostitute. DVD bonus features are a little lighter than on the first-season set, consisting of a commentary track (by co-executive producer Mimi Leder, editor Randy Jon Morgan, and Laura Innes) on the season's first episode and "The Healers," a nine-minute spotlight on "Hell and High Water," an 11-minute piece on the series' multiple directors, 14 minutes of outtakes, and a gag reel. "--David Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Genre: Drama

Duration: 978

Summary: A busload of fume-sickened school kids...a gunman whose shooting spree claimed 19 victims...a guy in an opossum outfit who bit a man dressed as a kangaroo. They and so many others all converge at ER. The gurneys keep rolling in a superlative Season 7 that includes Abby's reunion with her mother, a turbulent woman who suffers from bipolar disorder. Also making the rounds in the 22 episodes: Carter returns from detox, Abby goes back to square one in med training, Benton struggles to emerge from Romano's doghouse, Kovac confronts a mugger, Weaver reveals her sexual orientation and Chen refuses to reveal the father of her child. Meanwhile, Greene and Corday marry...and live under the shadow of Greene's health crisis. Excitement, drama, suspense - the doctors are on call.
DVD Features:
Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Genre: Drama

Duration: 976

Summary: ER's sixth season was one of transition, bidding farewell to an original character and welcoming several new ones. After watching Doug Ross (George Clooney) leave in the previous season, Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) is left on her own, pregnant with twins. When Robert "Rocket" Romano (Paul McCrane) makes a bid to run the whole hospital, Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) and Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) make plans to take a stand against him. Weaver, however, double-crosses Greene and winds up getting to run the ER. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle) is locked up in a battle over his deaf son, Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Reubens) hopes to adopt an HIV-positive child, and John Carter (Noah Wyle) heats things up with his ex-cousin-in-law (Rebecca De Mornay). When Hathaway goes into labor on Thanksgiving, she's cared for by a perky OB nurse named Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney). But Lockhart is also a third-year medical student, and she later turns up in the ER as part of her rotation. One of her first encounters is with new attending Luka Kovacs (Goran Visnjic), of whom she says, "Well, we never had doctors like that in OB... Is he single?" And on her memorable first day, she gets vomited on and bitten; she plays espionage on a scheming mother, and she misdiagnoses a patient. Former medical student Deb Chen, now known as Jing-Mei (Ming-Na), returns as a resident, Alan Alda arrives as new attending Gabe Lawrence, and "Dr. Dave" Malucci (Erik Palladino), Dr. Cleo Finch (Michael Michele), and desk clerk Frank (Troy Evans) also join the cast.
As usual, tensions ran high. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) crosses the line by coercing a confession out of a suspected rapist (Lawrence Monoson), which would haunt her all season. Then during one chaotic shift, it seems almost trivial that Lucy Knight (Kellie Martin) and Carter give a painful spinal tap to a patient named Paul Sobricki (David Krumholtz) whom they later find is schizophrenic. But at the end of the shift, while the staff is celebrating Valentine's Day, events unfold into the most harrowing scene in the history of the series, and one of the most gut-wrenching in the history of television drama. Guest stars include Broadway actor John Cullum as Green's father, Judy Parfitt as Corday's mother, Martha Plimpton as a pregnant waitress, "The X-Files"' Mitch Pileggi as a man with Huntington's disease, and Shia LeBeouf and Dakota Fanning as young patients with multiple sclerosis and leukemia, respectively. As with most "ER" DVDs, the sixth season has numerous deleted scenes, including one of Lucy's first encounter with Sobricki. "--David Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Genre: Art House & International

Duration: 993

Summary: The third season of "ER" had some of the series' most compelling and wrenching story lines. John Carter (Noah Wylie) is now an intern, but his surgical dreams continue to be thwarted by Dr. Benton (Eriq La Salle), a frustration shared by fellow student Dennis Gant (Omar Epps). Benton also torments former lover Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Reuben), who has tested positive for HIV. Because he has tested negative, he's free to badger her about the risks involved in her treating patients while moving on to his next potential conquest, a sexy waitress named Carla (Lisa Nicole Carson). Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) continues to be one of the series' focal points, struggling to survive the bureaucracy of management and still feel like a doctor. And now single, he goes on bad dates as does Dr. Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), both ignoring the obvious until a seemingly casual vacation invitation sets a number of uncomfortable wheels turning.
The other focal point is nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies), for whom things go from bad to worse. She has serious money problems, her career choice doesn't look so good anymore, and when a patient dies, she finds herself suspended. That sets the stage for one of the series' most memorable episodes, which takes place almost completely outside the hospital. Hathaway goes to the corner grocery store, where she meets guest star Ewan McGregor, and things take off from there. She also wisely keeps her distance from former lover Dr. Ross (George Clooney), who may have really done it when he brings into the ER a one-night stand suffering from a seizure and has to admit he doesn't even know her name.
County General survives a closure scare, but instead has to absorb some new additions, including chief of staff Donald Anspaugh (John Aylward), intern Maggie Doyle (Jorjan Fox), and the best pediatric surgeon in Chicago, Abby Keaton (Glenne Headley), who attracts the attention of Benton and Carter for professional and/or personal reasons. But those additions are countered by two emotional goodbyes, and other gritty story lines, including a troubled teen (Kirsten Dunst) and an assault on a doctor, helped make "ER"'s third season often tough to take, but unforgettable.
Special features consist of commentary tracks on two episodes; a 15-minute spotlight on the episode "Fear of Flying" with new interviews with Sherry Stringfield, Noah Wylie, and Glenne Headley; bloopers and outtakes; and a featurette on the ER's nurses with interviews of Yvette Freeman, Abraham Benrubi, Ellen Crawford, and others, but not Julianna Margulies. "--David Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 115

Summary: If you're going to submit yourself to a dazzling example of mainstream action, this thriller is as good a choice as any. "Eraser" is a live-action cartoon, the kind of movie in which Arnold Schwarzenegger can survive nail bombs, hails of bullets, an attack by voracious alligators ("You're luggage," he says, after killing one of the beasts), and still emerge from the mayhem relatively intact. Arnold plays an "eraser" from the Federal Witness Protection Program, so named because he can virtually erase the existence of anyone he's been assigned to protect. His latest beneficiary is an FBI employee (Vanessa Williams) who stumbled across a secret government group involved in the sale and export of an advanced weapon capable of shooting rounds at nearly the speed of light. Fantastic action sequences are handled with flair by director Charles Russell ("The Mask"), so it's easy to forgive the fact that this movie is almost completely ridiculous. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 101

Summary: Kurt Russell reprises his role as Snake Plissken, of the near-future thriller "Escape from New York", in this reworking of that film's basic premise. Instead of New York being a maximum-security prison, this time it's L.A., which through the agency of earthquakes has become an island of the damned. This penal colony is where the film's future rulers, something very like the Moral Majority, send those deemed guilty of "moral crimes." But something has gone wrong in this new moral order, because the President's daughter has absconded to L.A. with a detonation device, and Snake is commandeered to retrieve it. The film's dark dystopia, with its satrical elements taking aim at our dwindling freedoms, and the eclipsing of democracy by narrow interests, are more the subject this time. As a result the action suffers, and the plot devices are sometimes weak and predictable. But just below the surface there is a coiled Snake ready to strike. Steve Buscemi's performance as a weasely hawker of L.A. tour maps is a standout, and the presence of Peter Fonda and Pam Grier adds to the fun. In fact, just the sight of Fonda surfing down the flooded corridor of Sunset Boulevard is reason enough to check this movie out. "--Jim Gay"

Theatrical: 1981

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 99

Summary: In the future, crime is out of control and New York City is a maximum security prison. Grabbing a bargaining chip right out of the air, convicts bring down the President's plane in bad old Gotham. Gruff Snake Plissken, a one-eyed warrior new to prison life, is coerced into bringing the President, and his cargo, out of this land of undesirables. Kurt Russell put his Disney days behind him as the nicest bad guy in the picture. All comic-book sensibilities and macho posturing, this is one of writer-director John Carpenter's better brainless escapes. There are snappy one-liners and explosive action scenes. However, the film lacks tension and some believability even within the realm of SF fantasy. Even when it fails to gel, though, it always manages to amuse, thanks in great part to a varied and unusual supporting cast (watch for Ernest Borgnine as a cabdriver). Followed in 1996 by Carpenter's overdone and campy "Escape from L.A." "--Rochelle O'Gorman"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Sci-Fi Channel, The

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 558

Summary: Some of the government's best-kept secrets are waiting to be uncovered as Eureka:Season One arrives on DVD! Step into the quirky and seemingly perfect small town of Eureka, where the hidden work of America's brightest scientists can lead to innovation or utter chaos. Making sense of the mysteries is Sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), a former U.S. marshal who is stranded in the surreal small town after a random car accident. Now fans can get in on his entertaining adventures with this 3-disc set packed with over 10 hours of bonus features and innovatively packaged in eco-friendly materials that were "Made in Eureka." Nothing is as it seems in the brilliant and witty new series critics are calling "the most original new drams" (The Courier-Journal).

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 540

Summary: Plenty of new television series need a season or two to sort themselves out, and as this three-disc, 13-episode (plus bonus features) box set from the second season (2007) reveals, the Sci-Fi Channel’s "Eureka" is still a work in progress--which is not a bad thing, considering that it’s one of the more provocative and ambitious shows out there. For the uninitiated, here’s the basic premise: Sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), accompanied by his teenage daughter Zoe (Jordan Hinson), is stationed in Eureka, a picturesque little burg somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Eureka is hardly Anytown, USA; indeed, this is the place where "the world’s greatest thinkers" live and work, most of them at Global Dynamics, "the most advanced scientific facility in the world." It’s also a place where exceedingly strange things happen on a regular basis. In Season Two, those happenings include people spontaneously combusting, becoming invisible, turning into gold, or simply disappearing (and leaving nothing behind--not even a memory that they ever existed); a "personal force field" that’s growing so large and so fast that it will soon engulf the whole town, and maybe even the whole world; freaky weather that changes by the moment; and even an experiment to re-create the Big Bang inside a Global Dynamics lab, leading to some unexpected side effects.
These developments are all presented with enough cool special effects and scientific techno-babble to make "Eureka" a perfectly viable and sometimes quite dramatic science fiction diversion. But there’s more--much more. Sometimes this is a show about relationships: Jack and Zoe (custody becomes an issue when Jack’s ex, played by Olivia D’Abo, shows up in the early episodes); Jack and Allison Blake (Salli Richardson), Global Dynamics’ new boss (their growing attraction is complicated by the continued presence of "her" ex, a genius scientist type); Jack and his pal Henry (Joe Morton), who blames Jack for his girlfriend’s death but gradually learns there’s more to it than that. Much of the time it’s a comedy, heavy on the quirks; and, in a change from the first year, it’s also a serial, with several story arcs continuing over the course of the season. All of that can make "Eureka" a but convoluted and hard to get a handle on, but this show is a keeper. Extensive bonus features include deleted scenes, gag reels, podcast commentaries, and a good deal more. "--Sam Graham"

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 349

Summary: Make a return trip to the seemingly ordinary small town where extraordinary things happen with Eureka 3.0 in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. Reunite with the town’s hard-working sheriff, Carter (Colin Ferguson), as he tries to deal with his adopted hometown’s unique geniuses, volatile experiments and earth-shaking secrets … all while trying to raise his feisty teenage daughter on his own. Witty, surprising and full of intriguing mysteries, it’s the innovative SciFi Channel series that explores the fascinating intersections where human dilemmas and super-science collide.

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre: Comedy

Summary: "Eurotrip" views the Old World as a goofy parade of soccer hooligans, horny camera saleswomen, and pawing lechers reeking of cologne. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Scotty (Scott Mechlowicz) discovers that the German e-mail correspondent he thought was a guy is actually a hot girl--so naturally he jets off to Europe to find her, joined by his friends Cooper (Jacob Pitts), Jamie (Travis Wester), and Jenny (Michelle Trachtenburg, trying to leap into sexier roles after her adolescent characters in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Harriet the Spy"). Just as naturally, a cavalcade of national stereotypes, wacky mishaps, and mild homophobia follows, but it's all tossed off with reasonable good cheer (and the fight with the robot mime "is" pretty funny). Featuring cameos by Matt Damon ("The Bourne Identity"), Jeffrey Tambor ("Arrested Development"), Kristin Kreuk ("Smallville"), Lucy Lawless ("Xena: Warrior Princess"), and Vinnie Jones ("Snatch"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 96

Summary: Steve Carell rides the wave of "40-Year-Old Virgin" stardom (and a biblical flood) in this bizarre, effects-heavy comedy about a modern-day Noah's ark. The film is nominally a sequel to "Bruce Almighty", although it bears little relation to the 2003 Jim Carrey hit--except for the divine intervention of Morgan Freeman, who returns in his role as God. Even Carell's character is much altered from his supporting part in the first film; here, Evan Baxter says goodbye to the news-anchoring business in favor of his job as a naive freshman congressman. When God orders him to build an ark and prepare for an impending inundation, Evan sheepishly takes on the task (it's hard to turn down the job when your hair and beard grow to Old Testament lengths and God wants you to walk around in sackcloth).
Carell gets to do silly dances and mix it up with a variety of animals (real and computer-generated), all of which reminds us of the film's family-friendly tone and the PG rating. The kid stuff works just fine, although the religio-environmental message-mongering makes this a most curious kind of Hollywood blockbuster. When the flood comes, the film shifts into a mammoth-sized CGI extravaganza, recalling the era of overstuffed techno-comedies such as "1941" and "Howard the Duck" (and not to be nit-picky, but the tsunami-like disaster that overtakes Washington, D.C., looks as though it would snuff out the lives of quite a few citizens). Capable comic support comes from John Michael Higgins, Wanda Sykes, and Jonah Hill, with John Goodman and Lauren Graham filling out stock roles of fatcat politico and loyal wife, respectively. Carell is even better at being sincere than being funny, a talent that comes in handy here and bodes well for his future versatility. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 224

Summary: To know the origin of "Snoochie-Boochies," you "must" spend "An Evening with Kevin Smith". The Jersey-bred "auteur" of low-budget comedy proves equally adept as an uncensored raconteur, regaling five college audiences--his most devoted demographic--in this two-disc compilation of lively Q&A. Sporting his trademark slacker garb, Smith occasionally bites the loyal, sometimes moronic hands that feed him (as a result, audience participation is drop-dead hilarious), but he's arguably the most publicly and personally honest filmmaker to survive the insanity of Hollywood. His best stories lift the veil of show-biz decorum, describing absurd meetings with studio executives over his ill-fated screenplay "Superman Lives"; razzing the artsy pretensions of director Tim Burton; or exposing Prince (who hired him to direct a never-completed documentary) as a self-absorbed Jesus freak. These attacks aren't baseless; Smith's too smartly good-natured to provoke without purpose, and with an onstage visit by Jason Mewes ("Jay" to Smith's "Silent Bob"), this ribald, sharply assembled "Evening" compares favorably to Richard Pryor with its outrageous blend of comedy and candor. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 239

Summary: While watching "An Evening with Kevin Smith 2" (let's skip over that stupid subtitle, shall we?), you may ask yourself, "Why should I give a **** about anything Kevin Smith has to say?"--and then you'll be laughing in agreement with a lot of what he says. For better or worse, the potty-mouthed creator of "Clerks" and "Dogma" is an expert at combining his own "View Askew" perspective with stand-up comedy and ribald Q&A with (mostly) appreciative audiences. The novelty here is that Smith (now looking richer and more custom-tailored than he did on the cover of "An Evening with Kevin Smith ") is equally at home with fans in Toronto and London, where his cross-cultural observations inform much of their humorous interaction. Whether he's discussing the "X-Men" movies as homosexual allegory, recalling how his wife caught him masturbating to pictures of her that he shot for Playboy, or making prescient observations about Mel Gibson's career meltdown (just a few of the many topics covered here), Smith remains admirably frank about his fan-base, his limited skills as a filmmaker, and his counter-cultural status as a chubby fan-boy who made good in Hollywood. Even when he tests your tolerance with opinions best kept to himself, Smith is a focused observer of his own milieu, willing to expose his insecurities while refusing to suffer fools in his audience (and there are more than a few).






























As with his previous stand-up DVD, Smith welcomes frequent (and now drug-free) costar Jason Mewes onstage for some extreme (and extremely funny) sex-talk, including demonstrations of Mewes' "half-half-whole" technique (don't ask), and later (as a disc 2 bonus feature) approaching young London women with a the kind of pick-up lines (like "Let me get up in them guts") that only a guy like Mewes could get away with. Dropping F-bombs like there's no tomorrow, Smith is crude but intelligent (nobody makes it on luck alone), and this two-disc set will satisfy established fans and would-be converts alike. Likewise, Smith-haters will find nothing to change their minds, since Smith occasionally comes across as smug and self-satisfied, even when he's really not. What matters here is the humor of a self-effacing guy who's never quite sure if he deserves his own success. That puts Smith on even terms with his fans, and it's that dynamic, more than anything else, that makes these concerts a whole lot of fun. --"Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 121

Summary: Take away the Fairy Godmother, and what have you got left from the Cinderella fable? The story of a girl for whom a bad stroke of luck is no match for her internal strength and purity of heart. Drew Barrymore plays Cinderella's alleged inspiration, Danielle, in this romantic drama that purports to tell the "facts" behind the Grimm brothers' story. One of three daughters of a man (Jeroen Krabbé) who dies and leaves her fate in the hands of a conniving stepmother (Anjelica Huston), Danielle is cast into the lowly role of a servant. Meanwhile, her sisters are evaluated as possible mates for a French prince (Dougray Scott), but he's far more intrigued with Danielle's intelligence and beauty--not to mention her way with a sword and fist. Directed by Andy Tennant (who directed Barrymore in TV's "The Amy Fisher Story"), "Ever After" has that rare ability to win the heart and mind of a viewer simply by being committed to its own innocence, particularly where Barrymore's luminous performance is concerned. A contemporary take on an old, virtually forgotten Hollywood convention--the costume adventure with middling artistic ambition but real audience appeal--"Ever After" is a surprisingly delightful film. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 101

Summary: Based on the evidence in "Evolution", one thing is perfectly clear: special effects have evolved, but director Ivan Reitman has reverted to primitive pandering. Equally obvious is the fact that "Evolution" is a de facto rip-off of Reitman's 1984 classic "Ghostbusters", but this time there's no Bill Murray to deliver the best punch lines (we have to settle for fellow ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd in a broad supporting role), and the comedy has devolved into a grossfest including deep-rectal extraction of alien insects, fire-hose enemas into a giant alien sphincter, and a full-moon display of David Duchovny's naked posterior. Whereas "Ghostbusters" was a shrewd, irreverent mainstream comedy that combined gooey spectral ectoplasm with something resembling genuine wit, "Evolution" is a crude, juvenile romp in which all things slimy are elevated to comedic supremacy.
Granted, that's not always a bad thing. As latter-day ghostbuster equivalents, Duchovny, Orlando Jones, and Seann William Scott make a fine comedic trio, and Julianne Moore is equally amusing as a clumsy scientist and Duchovny's obligatory love interest. Despite the meddling of clueless military buffoons, they join forces to eradicate a wild variety of rapidly evolving alien creatures that arrived on Earth via meteor impact, and the extraterrestrial beasties (courtesy of effects wizard Phil Tippet and crew) are outrageously designed and marvelously convincing. For anyone who prefers lowbrow humor, "Evolution" will prove as entertaining as "Ghostbusters" (or at least "Galaxy Quest"), while others may lament Reitman's shameless embrace of crudeness. One thing's for certain: after seeing this movie, you'll gain a whole new appreciation for Head & Shoulders shampoo. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1981

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 140

Summary: This lush retelling of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a dark and engrossing tale. Director John Boorman ("Deliverance") masterfully handles the tale of the mythical sword Excalibur, and its passing from the wizard Merlin to the future king of England. Arthur pulls the famed sword from a stone and is destined to be crowned king. As the king embarks on a passionate love affair with Guenevere, an illegitimate son, and Merlin's designs on power, threaten Arthur's reign. The film is visually stunning and unflinching in its scenes of combat and black magic. Featuring an impressive supporting cast, including early work from the likes of Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne, "Excalibur" is an adaptation of the legend both faithful and bold. "--Robert Lane"

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 134

Summary: Despite Steven Seagal's imposing presence in this enjoyable thriller, Kurt Russell turns out to be the real star as an American intelligence expert who finds himself leading a strike force against Islamic terrorists who have seized in-flight control of a 747 jetliner with 400 passengers. It's not all that different from "Air Force One", but the formula story perks right along with considerable suspense as Russell's cohorts (Oliver Platt, Joe Morton) try to defuse a chemical bomb that could wipe out (you guessed it) the entire Eastern seaboard. John Leguizamo plays one of the U.S. commandos attempting to stop the violent hijackers, and Halle Berry costars as a flight attendant who risks her life to assist Russell's rescue team. As action movies go, "Executive Decision" marked an impressive directorial debut for veteran film editor Stuart Baird. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Hbo Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 113

Summary: Garry Marshall, the man behind "Pretty Woman", has made two movies here. One is based on Anne Rice's erotic novel of a fantasy island where dreams are fulfilled and sexuality is open to all, led by a congenial dominatrix (Dana Delany) and a glowing new recruit (Paul Mercurio of "Strictly Ballroom"). The other is a farcical comedy-action movie, which is what you saw in the ads. Savoy Pictures must have been unsure of to how to market the movie, and they pushed the secondary action of pop songs, needless narration, and even a few noticeable dubs. Amazingly, though, the film works by the end as a guilty pleasure, thanks to the four principals. Delany finally ripples on the big screen, Rosie O'Donnell has her first confident work since "A League of Their Own", Dan Aykroyd becomes a comic mainstay, and best of all is Mercurio. The brooding stud is a delight, and is sure to launch a million fans as the loverboy who finds a sweet love story. Agreeable stuff if you really want Rice's erotic novels turned into cute TV-ish comedies. With, as always, Hector Elizondo. "--Doug Thomas"