DVDpedia : Library : Title : G

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 118

Summary: "The Rise of Cobra" is not your grandfather's G.I. Joe. It's more like C.G.I. Joe with explosive special-effects action sequences that provide the film with a surplus of "Boom Boom Pow" (to quote the Black Eyed Peas song that drives the end credits). This blast from the summer past is very much like the metal-munching nano-mite missiles a (literally) mad Doctor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt cashing in some of his indie cred) and McCullen, a Scottish weapons dealer (Christopher Eccleston), threaten to unleash upon the world. It never stops. Ever. The original G.I. Joe action figure was an all-American hero. These Joes are--all together now--"the best of the best," an elite multi-national squad. Two soldiers, Duke (a buff Channing Tatum), an "on the ground, in the fight" kind of guy, and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans), his wisecracking best friend, are rescued by the Joes after they are ambushed while transporting the missiles. These are no ordinary Joes. Snake-Eyes (Ray Park) is a silent ninja, Stella (Rachel Nichols) a bodacious brainiac, Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) the imposing weapons specialist, and Breaker (Said Taghamaoui) the techie. They are led by gruff Gen. Hawk (Dennis Quaid), who barks out lines like, "When all else fails, we don't," with polish. Duke and Ripcord are recruited to join the classified unit after Duke discovers that Ana (Sienna Miller), his former fiancée, is in cahoots with McCullen and now sports the sinister moniker the Baroness, not to mention killer cleavage-enhancing latex outfits. This being the first in a budding franchise, there is much backstory to cover. Flashbacks date back to 1641! But the order of the day is underground military command centers, underwater evil lairs, gleaming high-tech weaponry, breakneck chases, and cool gadgets, such as a speed-accelerating hydraulic suit. It's enough to make you want to dust off your original Hasbro action figures or, the studio no doubt hopes, buy the new ones. "--Donald Liebenson"

Stills from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 102

Summary: You don't have to be a "Star Trek" fan to enjoy "Galaxy Quest", but it certainly helps. A knowingly affectionate tribute to "Trek" and any other science fiction TV series of the 1960s and beyond, this crowd-pleasing comedy offers in-jokes at warp speed, hitting the bull's-eye for anyone who knows that (1) the starship captain always removes his shirt to display his manly physique; (2) any crew member not in the regular cast is dead meat; and (3) the heroes always stop the doomsday clock with one second to spare. So it is with Commander Taggart (Tim Allen) and the stalwart crew of the NSEA "Protector", whose intergalactic exploits on TV have now been reduced to a dreary cycle of fan conventions and promotional appearances. That's when the Thermians arrive, begging to be saved from Sarris, the reptilian villain who threatens to destroy their home planet.
Can actors rise to the challenge and play their roles for real? The Thermians are counting on it, having studied the "historical documents" of the "Galaxy Quest" TV show, and their hero worship (not to mention their taste for Monte Cristo sandwiches) is ultimately proven worthy, with the help of some "Galaxy" geeks on planet Earth. And while "Galaxy Quest" serves up great special effects and impressive Stan Winston creatures, director Dean Parisot ("Home Fries") is never condescending, lending warm acceptance to this gentle send-up of sci-fi TV and the phenomenon of fandom. Best of all is the splendid cast, including Sigourney Weaver as buxom blonde Gwen DeMarco; Alan Rickman as frustrated thespian Alexander Dane; Tony Shalhoub as dimwit Fred Kwan; Daryl Mitchell as former child-star Tommy Webber; and Enrico Colantoni as Thermian leader Mathesar, whose sing-song voice is a comedic coup de grâce. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Polygram USA Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 128

Summary: It's not quite as clever as it tries to be, but "The Game" does a tremendous job of presenting the story of a rigid control freak trapped in circumstances that are increasingly beyond his control. Michael Douglas plays a rich, divorced, and dreadful investment banker whose 48th birthday reminds him of his father's suicide at the same age. He's locked in the cage of his own misery until his rebellious younger brother (Sean Penn) presents him with a birthday invitation to play "The Game" (described as "an experiential Book of the Month Club")--a mysterious offering from a company called Consumer Recreation Services. Before he knows the game has even begun, Douglas is caught up in a series of unexplained events designed to strip him of his tenuous security and cast him into a maelstrom of chaos. How do you play a game that hasn't any rules? That's what Douglas has to figure out, and he can't always rely on his intelligence to form logic out of what's happening to him. Seemingly cast as the fall guy in a conspiracy thriller, he encounters a waitress (Deborah Unger) who may or may not be trustworthy, and nothing can be taken at face value in a world turned upside down. Douglas is great at conveying the sheer panic of his character's dilemma, and despite some lapses in credibility and an anticlimactic ending, "The Game" remains a thinking person's thriller that grabs and holds your attention. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Miramax Home Entertainment

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 167

Summary: "Gangs of New York" may achieve greatness with the passage of time. Mixed reviews were inevitable for a production this grand (and this troubled behind the scenes), but it's as distinguished as any of director Martin Scorsese's more celebrated New York stories. From its astonishing 1846 prologue to the city's infernal draft riots of 1863, the film aspires to erase the decorum of textbooks and chronicle 19th-century New York as a cauldron of street warfare. The hostility is embodied in a tale of primal vengeance between Irish American son Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his father's ruthless killer and "Nativist" gang leader Bill "the Butcher" Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis, brutally inspired), so named for his lethal talent with knives. Vallon's vengeance is only marginally compelling; DiCaprio is arguably miscast, and Cameron Diaz (as Vallon's pickpocket lover) is adrift in a film with little use for women. Despite these weaknesses, Scorsese's mastery blossoms in his expert melding of personal and political trajectories; this is American history written in blood, unflinching, authentic, and utterly spectacular. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 80

Summary: Every now and then, the CGI effects in "Garfield: The Movie" are less than perfect--which makes you realize how astonishingly seamless the rest of the effects are. When Garfield's owner, Jon (Breckin Meyer, "Clueless"), agrees to take in a homeless dog so as to flirt with a sexy veterinarian (Jennifer Love Hewitt, "I Know What You Did Last Summer"), Garfield does his best to oust the dog from the house. But when a greedy television performer (Stephen Tobolowsky, "Bossa Nova") kidnaps the mutt for his own nefarious purposes, Garfield sets out on a rescue mission. "Garfield" is a terrible movie, yet there's something weirdly compelling in its awfulness. Bill Murray ("Rushmore", "Ghostbusters"), who voices the fat cat, has mastered a comic style that wallows fondly in ridiculousness. Perhaps, seduced by the siren call of Murray's voice, the audience can only marvel at the sublime junk of our culture. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Drama

Duration: 106

Summary: Confidently conceived and brilliantly executed, "Gattaca" had a somewhat low profile release in 1997, but audiences and critics hailed the film's originality. It's since been recognized as one of the most intelligent science fiction films of the 1990s. Writer-director Andrew Niccol, the talented New Zealander who also wrote the acclaimed Jim Carrey vehicle "The Truman Show", depicts a near-future society in which one's personal and professional destiny is determined by one's genes. In this society, "Valids" (genetically engineered) qualify for positions at prestigious corporations, such as Gattaca, which grooms its most qualified employees for space exploration. "In-Valids" (naturally born), such as the film's protagonist, Vincent (Ethan Hawke), are deemed genetically flawed and subsequently fated to low-level occupations in a genetically caste society. With the help of a disabled "Valid" (Jude Law), Vincent subverts his society's social and biological barriers to pursue his dream of space travel; any random mistake--and an ongoing murder investigation at Gattaca--could reveal his plot. Part thriller, part futuristic drama and cautionary tale, "Gattaca" establishes its social structure so convincingly that the entire scenario is chillingly believable. With Uma Thurman as the woman who loves Vincent and identifies with his struggle, "Gattaca" is both stylish and smart, while Jude Law's performance lends the film a note of tragic and heartfelt humanity. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 116

Summary: When John Travolta first opens his mouth during the opening credits of "The General's Daughter" and speaks in a terrible Southern cracker drawl, one briefly hopes that the movie will turn out to be just as hilariously bad. Unfortunately, the accent is soon revealed to be part of a disguise, and the movie is just as quickly unveiled as a clumsy, run-of-the-mill potboiler. A female officer is discovered strangled and tied to the ground; she's the title character, and because of the general's political ambitions, the mystery of who did it and why has to be wrapped up in 36 hours by Travolta and fellow CID officer Madeleine Stowe ("Last of the Mohicans", "12 Monkeys"). Sexual violence and lurid S&M have been thrown in to shore up the incomprehensible plot, but that only adds to the queasy atmosphere. The supporting actors--an impressive collection including James Woods ("Salvador"), Timothy Hutton ("Ordinary People"), and James Cromwell ("Babe", "L.A. Confidential")--don't embarrass themselves, but even they can't make sense of their blustering, macho dialogue. It's amazing that screenwriter William Goldman (who wrote such great and genuinely thrilling films as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "Marathon Man", "All the President's Men", and "Misery") left his name attached to this script; there's no sign of his usual skill and intelligence. Madeleine Stowe, a graceful presence in any film, is equally wasted. Directed with a lot of empty flash by Simon West ("Con Air"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 584

Summary: Take one "everyman" standup comic, add a ridiculously good-looking wife, and throw them into everyday scenarios that are taken to the extreme and you get "George Lopez", a pleasant and funny series with a winning formula not unlike that of "According to Jim" and "Everybody Loves Raymond". Starring George Lopez as, well, George Lopez, and Constance Marie as his put-upon wife Angie, the ABC series debuted with a four-episode mini-season in spring 2002. Good ratings and favorable reviews got it picked up for the 2002-2003 season. Both the first and second seasons--totaling 28 episodes--are included on this four-disc set. The show begins with George being promoted from his blue-collar factory job to management. Much of the early episodes concentrate on his happiness at being able to provide for his family, but still not sure where he falls in the us-against-them polarities at work. One of the show's executive producers is actress Sandra Bullock, who has a recurring role as a klutzy colleague with depth perception problems.
There are a few bittersweet episodes as George learns that his father--whom he had been told was dead--is actually alive and could be one of his former assembly line co-workers, Lalo (guest star Cheech Marin)--even though Lalo is gay. That the show's writers and cast are able to make this implausible scenario somehow ring true--and funny--is a testament to their talent. The language tracks are in English and Spanish, with Spanish subtitles also included as an option. Fans of the show will notice one major difference between the televised episodes and the DVD version: Instead of War's infectiously catchy "Low Rider" starting each show, the theme has been replaced (due to rights issues) by generic music mixed in with some Lopez quips. All things considered, "George Lopez" is a refreshing variation on the loving, but blemished, all American family. "--Jae-Ha Kim"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 79

Summary: In GEORGE LOPEZ: WHY YOU CRYING?, George will take you on a liberating, comedic journey hysterically dissecting his life growing up in a Hispanic family in Los Angeles. You will be swept along for the ride when Lopez reminisces about quirks in the Mexican culture, tackling such taboo topics as family relationships, insecurities, and unique language

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: MGM

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 105

Summary: John Travolta is the standout in this somewhat cartoonish adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel about a smalltime Miami enforcer (Travolta) who decides to get into the movie business in L.A. The cast sparkles--Gene Hackman as a failing cut-rate-movie producer, Rene Russo as a failed actress, Danny DeVito as a vain thespian, Delroy Lindo as a mobster who wants a cut of Travolta's film action--and the script is clever. But not clever enough: this isn't Robert Altman's "The Player", as far as satires about Hollywood go. But director Barry Sonnenfeld ("Men in Black") keeps it cute and brisk and that makes for an enjoyable experience. Travolta is great as a vaguely dangerous, supremely self-confident man whose love of movies makes him almost cuddly. The DVD release includes optional widescreen or standard formats, optional French and Spanish soundtracks, original theatrical trailer, and Dolby digital sound. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 110

Summary: The Cold War may be over, but that doesn't mean it can't still be milked for laughs. Get Smart, the sassy film version of the Mel Brooks/Buck Henry-created '60s TV satire, brings plenty of elements of the original series and spins it freshly into the new world of bad guys in the 21st century, pretty much without losing a beat. Steve Carell is perfectly cast as the bumbling Maxwell Smart--but in a slick improvement on the TV show, Smart isn't really hapless--though he has a bit of a self-esteem problem (all around his apartment are sticky notes with exhortations like "You can DO it!"). Carell's Maxwell Smart is a sharp techie researcher at the uber-secret crime-battling agency, CONTROL, who's just a little out of his element out in the field. As his data-crunching sidekick Bruce (Masi Oka of Heroes) says, "We're the ones guarding democracy!", aghast that Max would want to be an agent.
But Max longs for the action enjoyed by the likes of Agent 23 (a godlike Dwayne Johnson), with glamorous deployments around the world. When he finally gets his dream assignment--as the newly minted Agent 86--he's paired up with the slick and experienced Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), who provides great lines, not to mention some interesting chemistry, while she continually saves Max from harm's way. The cast is terrific, with memorable appearances by Alan Arkin as the Chief, Terrence Stamp as the head of the uber-evil KAOS, and Bill Murray as a (literally) put-out-to-pasture agent whose spy post is inside a tree ("really great, old-school stuff" he calls his assignment). And there's plenty of action, explosions, and creative shootouts with the bad guys (highlight: a freefall from a plane, with two people and just two parachutes). But it's Carell and his combination of insecure yearning and deadpan delivery that make Get Smart as, well, smart as it is. When Max learns he's finally been promoted to agent, he slips into the Cone of Silence--which unfortunately is malfunctioning. "I'm so happy! I'm so happy!" he yells, as his colleagues sit nearby hearing the whole thing. Discovering that, he purses his lips and says, "Well, that's a sucker-punch to the gonads." Sorry about that. --A.T. Hurley

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 102

Borrowed By: Mom

Summary: Ricky Gervais is brilliant in "Ghost Town", playing an unnervingly rude dentist, Bertram, who dies for a few minutes during surgery and acquires the unwanted ability to see ghosts. Chased throughout Manhattan by a gaggle of restless spirits begging him to take care of their unfinished business on Earth, Bertram turns them all away except Frank (Greg Kinnear). The latter, a rogue who cheated on his archaeologist widow, Gwen (Téa Leoni), wants Bertram to intervene in a romance between Gwen and a starchy activist (Bill Campbell). Misanthropic Bertram has to polish his relationship patter, but ends up sounding a lot like Gervais' infamous character in the original "The Office", unable to complete a sentence without making others uncomfortable. In time, of course, Bertram falls for the wonderful Gwen, setting up a bunch of overlapping conflicts. Cowritten and directed by David Koepp ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"), "Ghost Town" walks a fine line between comic freshness and a story idea with elements that have become overly familiar in movies and on television. Kinnear and Leoni have never been better on screen, but "Ghost Town" is well worth seeing because no one like Gervais has previously played the hapless hero in a high-concept film such as this one. With Gervais doing his familiar, hilariously discomfiting thing, it really doesn't matter what kind of movie "Ghost Town" is. Happily, it's a pretty good film in every respect. "--Tom Keogh"




Stills from "Ghost Town" (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Art House & International

Duration: 111

Summary: If you've ever felt alienated by the world around you, "Ghost World" will offer laughter, tears, and reassurance that you are definitely not alone. Adapted by Daniel Clowes and "Crumb" director Terry Zwigoff from Clowes's acclaimed graphic novel, the movie spends summer vacation with high school graduates Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlet Johansson). They inflict little tortures on the denizens of urban sprawl, wielding scathing irony as a defense against a "ghost world" full of pop-cultural lemmings and uncertain futures. But when Enid picks a 40-ish vintage-record collector (Steve Buscemi) as the target of her latest cruel prank, she finds herself unexpectedly attracted to him ("he's the opposite of everything I completely hate") and is forced to confront her own crushing loneliness. This combination of deadpan sarcasm and deeply compassionate humanity makes "Ghost World" a rare and delicate comedy, with an ambiguous ending that suggests tragedy or hope, depending on your own point of view. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical:

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 105

Summary: Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis wrote the script, but Bill Murray gets all the best lines and moments in this 1984 comedy directed by Ivan Reitman ("Meatballs"). The three comics, plus Ernie Hudson, play the New York City-based team that provides supernatural pest control, and Sigourney Weaver is the love interest possessed by an ancient demon. Reitman and company are full of original ideas about hobgoblins--who knew they could "slime" people with green plasma goo?--but hovering above the plot is Murray's patented ironic view of all the action. Still a lot of fun, and an obvious model for sci-fi comedies such as "Men in Black". "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 98

Summary: "Ghosts of Mars" may not be one of John Carpenter's finer efforts, but you can't knock the veteran director for staying true to his roots--it's clearly a Carpenter film, reveling in its B-movie blood lust, and fueled by the director's rock & roll rebellion as well as the sex appeal of star Natasha Henstridge. This rickety sci-fi/horror hybrid recalls Carpenter's "Assault on Precinct 13", with various connections from throughout the director's career--for better and worse. It's the year 2176, and human colonists on Mars are controlled by a political "matronage," with women (for reasons unexplained) holding court in the capitol city of Chryse. Mars Police Force Lt. Ballard (Henstridge) has been sent to retrieve James "Desolation" Williams (Ice Cube), the planet's most notorious criminal, from a remote mining-colony prison. With her ill-fated crew, Ballard discovers that the colonists have nearly all been possessed by ancient Martian spirits bent on reclaiming the planet, turning them into an army of self-mutilating freaks suggesting an unholy union of Marilyn Manson and the sadomasochistic Cenobites from the "Hellraiser" films. None of this makes much sense, and the shaky alliance between cops and criminals is a predictable excuse for rampant battle scenes between surviving humans and the ghost-possessed maniacs. Exotic weaponry abounds (along with cheap special effects and some laughable dialogue), resulting in the gruesome dispatch of expendable costars Pam Grier, Joanna Cassidy, Robert Carradine, and Clea Duvall. Driven by Carpenter's synth-metal score, this violent free-for-all has a few brief highlights, but it's suspenseless and ultimately absurd. It's not much, but for loyal fans it's probably enough. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 109

Summary: Genre: Comedy
Rating: UN
Release Date: 1-SEP-2009
Media Type: Blu-Ray

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 155

Summary: A big-budget summer epic with money to burn and a scale worthy of its golden Hollywood predecessors, Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" is a rousing, grisly, action-packed epic that takes moviemaking back to the Roman Empire via computer-generated visual effects. While not as fluid as the computer work done for, say, "Titanic", it's an impressive achievement that will leave you marveling at the glory that was Rome, when you're not marveling at the glory that is Russell Crowe. Starring as the heroic general Maximus, Crowe firmly cements his star status both in terms of screen presence and acting chops, carrying the film on his decidedly non-computer-generated shoulders as he goes from brave general to wounded fugitive to stoic slave to gladiator hero. "Gladiator"'s plot is a whirlwind of faux-Shakespearean machinations of death, betrayal, power plays, and secret identities (with lots of faux-Shakespearean dialogue ladled on to keep the proceedings appropriately "classical"), but it's all briskly shot, edited, and paced with a contemporary sensibility. Even the action scenes, somewhat muted but graphic in terms of implied violence and liberal bloodletting, are shot with a veracity that brings to mind--believe it or not--"Saving Private Ryan", even if everyone is wearing a toga. As Crowe's nemesis, the evil emperor Commodus, Joaquin Phoenix chews scenery with authority, whether he's damning Maximus's popularity with the Roman mobs or lusting after his sister Lucilla (beautiful but distant Connie Nielsen); Oliver Reed, in his last role, hits the perfect notes of camp and "gravitas" as the slave owner who rescues Maximus from death and turns him into a coliseum star. Director Scott's visual flair is abundantly in evidence, with breathtaking shots and beautiful (albeit digital) landscapes, but it's Crowe's star power that will keep you in thrall--he's a true gladiator, worthy of his legendary status. Hail the conquering hero! "--Mark Englehart"

Theatrical: 1989

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 122

Summary: One of the very best films about the Civil War, this instant classic from 1989 is also one of the few films to depict the participation of African American soldiers in Civil War combat. Based in part on the books "Lay This Laurel" by Lincoln Kirstein and "One Gallant Rush" by Peter Burchard, the film also draws from the letters of Robert Gould Shaw (played by Matthew Broderick), the 25-year-old son of Boston abolitionists who volunteered to command the all-black 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Their training and battle experience leads them to their final assault on Fort Wagner in South Carolina, where their heroic bravery turned bitter defeat into a symbolic victory that brought recognition to black soldiers and turned the tide of the war. With painstaking attention to historical detail and richness of character, the film boasts superior performances by Denzel Washington (who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, and Andre Braugher. Directed by Edward Zwick (cocreator of the TV series "thirtysomething"), this unforgettable drama is as important as "Schindler's List" in its treatment of a noble yet little-known episode of history. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 545

Summary: Throughout his long, wandering, often distinguished career Francis Ford Coppola has made many films that are good and fine, many more that are flawed but undeniably interesting, and a handful of duds that are worth viewing if only because his personality is so flagrantly absent. Yet he is and always shall be known as the man who directed the "Godfather" films, a series that has dominated and defined their creator in a way perhaps no other director can understand. Coppola has never been able to leave them alone, whether returning after 15 years to make a trilogy of the diptych, or re-editing the first two films into chronological order for a separate video release as "The Godfather Saga". The films are our very own Shakespearean cycle: they tell a tale of a vicious mobster and his extended personal and professional families (once the stuff of righteous moral comeuppance), and they dared to present themselves with an epic sweep and an unapologetically tragic tone. Murder, it turned out, was a serious business. The first film remains a towering achievement, brilliantly cast and conceived. The entry of Michael Corleone into the family business, the transition of power from his father, the ruthless dispatch of his enemies--all this is told with an assurance that is breathtaking to behold. And it turned out to be merely prologue; two years later "The Godfather, Part II" balanced Michael's ever-greater acquisition of power and influence during the fall of Cuba with the story of his father's own youthful rise from immigrant slums. The stakes were higher, the story's construction more elaborate, and the isolated despair at the end wholly earned. (Has there ever been a cinematic performance greater than Al Pacino's Michael, so smart and ambitious, marching through the years into what he knows is his own doom with eyes open and hungry?) "The Godfather, Part III" was mostly written off as an attempted cash-in, but it is a wholly worthy conclusion, less slow than autumnally patient and almost merciless in the way it brings Michael's past sins crashing down around him even as he tries to redeem himself. "--Bruce Reid"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 219

Summary: The more you know about the Civil War, the more you'll appreciate "Gods and Generals" and the painstaking attention to detail that "Gettysburg" writer-director Ronald F. Maxwell has invested in this academically respectable 220-minute historical pageant. In adapting Jeffrey Shaara's 1996 novel (encompassing events of 1861-63, specifically the Virginian battles of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville), Maxwell sacrifices depth for scope while focusing on the devoutly religious "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang), whose Confederate campaigns endear him to Gen. Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall, giving the film's most subtle performance). Battles are impeccably recreated using 7,500 Civil War re-enactors and sanitized PG-13 violence, their authenticity compromised by tasteful discretion and endless scenes of grandiloquent dialogue. Still, as the first part of a trilogy that ends with "The Last Full Measure", this is a superbly crafted, instantly essential film for Civil War study. For all its misguided priorities, Gods and Generals is a noble effort, honoring faith and patriotism with the kind of reverence that has all but vanished from American film – but provides abundant proof that historical accuracy is no guarantee of great storytelling. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 207

Summary: South African director Jamie Uys caught lightning in a bottle with "The Gods Must Be Crazy"--a Coke bottle, to be specific. This slaphappy collection of goofy pratfalls and culture-clash gags became an enormous international smash, and made a sort of star out of the Bushman selected to play the central role, the completely ingratiating N!Xau. He plays a man, unaware of white culture, who finds a Coca-Cola bottle in the Kalahari (dropped by a passing pilot) and promptly has his life turned around by this mystical object. The movie looks slipshod and even amateurish at times, yet its attitude is so bubbly it's hard to resist. Proving that physical comedy remains a true international language, millions of moviegoers around the world drank it up.
"The Gods Must Be Crazy II" (1989) returns N!Xau to the bizarre world of the white man, this time in a slicker plot (and a with a bigger budget) that, perhaps predictably, yields fewer real belly laughs than the first time around. Director Jamie Uys sticks to his cherished notions that tribesmen are wiser than civilized people, and that fast-motion comedy is inherently funny. The storyline begins with N!Xau's innocent Bushman searching for his lost children; he then gets sidetracked by subplots. The humor is basic, but in best silent-movie tradition Uys prepares his set-pieces with elaborate care, and he understands the value of the long-delayed pay-off. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 94

Summary: Things started going downhill for Eddie Murphy around the time of this 1986 clunker, in which the comic actor plays a social worker predicted to be the savior of a kidnapped child, who has special powers to heal the Earth. Dennis Feldman's script and director Michael Ritchie ("The Candidate"), a once-thoughtful satirist, stumble over every link in a chain of fantasy-fueled sequences. Murphy phones it in, and Charles Dance ("Pascali's Island") looks foolish in retrospect. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 93

Summary: Jennifer Aniston gives a career-changing performance in "The Good Girl", a movie that questions whether goodness is a virtue or a trap. Justine (Aniston), weary of her dead-end retail job and her childless marriage to Phil (John C. Reilly), diverts herself with a new coworker named Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal), who feels as ill-treated by his life as Justine does with hers. The empathy between them leads, all too quickly, to an affair--which just as quickly turns into an obsession that threatens to destroy Justine's marriage. But this is only the beginning; Phil's buddy Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson), the store security guard (Mike White), and a handful of other characters all have a part to play in the unraveling of Justine's life. The script and performances of "The Good Girl" are subtle but vivid, and the movie's emotional impact will linger long after the movie is over. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 96

Summary: In a perfect world, "Good Luck Chuck" would've captured the humor of "Superbad" and the raunch of the "American Pie" films. But what we're left with, instead, is a raunchy film with an anemic storyline. Cursed as a child with a hex that prevents him from finding true love, Charlie "Chuck" Logan (Dane Cook) finds that the women he dates find the men of their dreams immediately after they've dumped him. For a guy who enjoys dating beautiful women, it doesn't seem like such a horrible thing. But then he meets and falls for beautiful and klutzy Cam Wexler (Jessica Alba). Charlie wants to have a meaningful relationship with her, but how can he make her fall in love with him without losing her to some unknown man waiting to sweep her off her feet? "Good Luck Chuck" isn't an original movie; Cook and Alba make for an attractive couple that exudes warm chemistry. And Alba proves that while she may be famous for her body, she's quite adept at physical comedy. Dan Fogler doesn't fare as well. He has the thankless role of playing Charlie's obnoxious best friend Stu, a borderline perv plastic surgeon who proudly displays a set of Pamela Anderson's breast implants in his office (which, coincidentally enough, is located right next door to Charlie's). The dialogue is crass and the direction is all over the place. Everything is played for laughs, but little actually is very funny in this comedy. This movie actually could've used a bit more good luck. And lots more wit. "--Jae-Ha Kim"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Miramax

Genre: Drama

Duration: 126

Summary: Robin Williams won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck nabbed one for Best Original Screenplay, but the feel-good hit "Good Will Hunting" triumphs because of its gifted director, Gus Van Sant. The unconventional director ("My Own Private Idaho", "Drugstore Cowboy") saves a script marred by vanity and clunky character development by yanking soulful, touching performances out of his entire cast (amazingly, even one by Williams that's relatively schtick-free). Van Sant pulls off the equivalent of what George Cukor accomplished for women's melodrama in the '30s and '40s: He's crafted an intelligent, unabashedly emotional male weepie about men trying to find inner-wisdom.
Matt Damon stars as Will Hunting, a closet math genius who ignores his gift in favor of nightly boozing and fighting with South Boston buddies (co-writer Ben Affleck among them). While working as a university janitor, he solves an impossible calculus problem scribbled on a hallway blackboard and reluctantly becomes the prodigy of an arrogant MIT professor (Stellan Skarsgård). Damon only avoids prison by agreeing to see psychiatrists, all of whom he mocks or psychologically destroys until he meets his match in the professor's former childhood friend, played by Williams. Both doctor and patient are haunted by the past, and as mutual respect develops, the healing process begins. The film's beauty lies not with grand climaxes, but with small, quiet moments. Scenes such as Affleck's clumsy pep talk to Damon while they drink beer after work, or any number of therapy session between Williams and Damon offer poignant looks at the awkward ways men show affection and feeling for one another. "--Dave McCoy"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 146

Summary: Martin Scorsese's 1990 masterpiece "GoodFellas"immortalizes the hilarious, horrifying life of actual gangster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), from his teen years on the streets of New York to his anonymous exile under the Witness Protection Program. The director's kinetic style is perfect for recounting Hill's ruthless rise to power in the 1950s as well as his drugged-out fall in the late 1970s; in fact, no one has ever rendered the mental dislocation of cocaine better than Scorsese. Scorsese uses period music perfectly, not just to summon a particular time but to set a precise mood. "GoodFellas" is at least as good as "The Godfather" without being in the least derivative of it. Joe Pesci's psycho improvisation of Mobster Tommy DeVito ignited Pesci as a star, Lorraine Bracco scores the performance of her life as the love of Hill's life, and every supporting role, from Paul Sorvino to Robert De Niro, is a miracle.

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 114

Summary: You may be surprised to discover that the director of the "Lethal Weapon" movies and scary horror flick "The Omen", Richard Donner, also produced and directed this classic children's adventure (which, by the way, was written by Donner's screen-wizard friend Steven Spielberg). Then again you may not. "The Goonies", like Donner's other movies, is the same story of good versus evil. It has its share of bad guys (the Fratelli brothers and their villainous mother), reluctant-hero good guys (the Walsh bothers and their gang of friends), and lots of corny one-liners. Like in an old-fashioned Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew plot, the Goonies need to solve a problem: a corrupt corporate developer has bought out their neighborhood and plans to flatten all their homes. Luckily, the beloved gang stumbles on a treasure map. In the hopes of finding the treasure to buy back their houses, the Goonies embark on their quest through underground passages, aboard pirate ships, and behind waterfalls. This swashbuckling and rollicking ride was also a great breeding ground for a couple of child actors who went on to enjoy numerous successes in adulthood: Sean Astin ("Rudy", "Encino Man") and Martha Plimpton ("Pecker", "200 Cigarettes"). "--Samantha Allen Storey"

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 101

Summary: Before he started losing his hair (which gave his baby face the maturity it needed for him to be taken seriously as a doctor on "E.R."), Anthony Edwards was the quintessential juvenile lead, college division. That is what he plays here: a college kid who is campus champ at an assassination game called Gotcha (that uses fake guns). Then he goes on a summer vacation behind the Iron Curtain (before it came tumbling down) and falls for a female operative (Linda Fiorentino), who not only uses him as an unsuspecting courier for spy stuff but makes him a fall guy, as well. When he finally extricates himself from the trouble, the trouble follows him back to campus. Silly and far-fetched, though Edwards has that wounded-puppy look down perfectly. "--Marshall Fine"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Horror

Duration: 98

Summary: The title of "Gothika" prepares you for a spooky, atmospheric thriller with an emphasis on supernatural mystery. The best way to appreciate the movie itself is to understand that it's a waking nightmare that needn't make sense in the realm of sanity. Making a flashy Hollywood debut after his superior 2000 thriller "Crimson Rivers", French actor-director Mathieu Kassovitz pours on the dark and stormy atmosphere, trapping a competent psychologist (Halle Berry) in the prison ward where she treated inmates (including Penelope Cruz) until she was committed for killing her husband (Charles S. Dutton), who was also her boss. Did a car crash cause her to suffer ghostly delusions, or is a young girl--dead for four years--sending clues from beyond the grave? Berry has to prove her innocence while Kassovitz keeps everything--including the viewer and costar Robert Downey Jr. (as Berry's colleague)--in the dark about just where the nonsensical plot is leading. There's a better movie in here somewhere, among the catwalks and crannies of the impressive prison-castle setting, and Berry gives 100% in a performance that's consistent with the movie's overwrought tone. Attentive viewers will identify the killer early on, and the ending is anticlimactic, but "Gothika" serves up a few good shocks for ghost-story connoisseurs. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 116

Summary: Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino", an unassuming picture shot during a post-production lull on his elaborate period piece "Changeling", was quietly rolled out at Christmastime 2008, whereupon it proceeded to blow away all the Oscar-bait behemoths at the box office and win its 78-year-old star the best reviews of his acting career. Both film and performance are consummately sly--coming on with deceptive simplicity, only to evolve into something complex, powerful, and surprisingly tender. Just as "Unforgiven" was a tragic reflection on Eastwood's legacy in the Western genre, "Gran Torino" caps and eloquently critiques the urban heritage of "Dirty Harry" and his violent brethren. And on top of that, the movie becomes a savvy meditation on America in a particular historical moment, racially, economically, spiritually. Call it a "state of the union" message. But call it that with a wry grin.
The latest Dirty Harry is actually a grumpy Walt: Walt Kowalski (Eastwood playing his own age), widower, Korean War veteran, retired auto worker, and the last white resident of his Detroit side street. It's hard to say who irks him more--his blood kin (a pretty lame bunch) or the Hmong families who are his new neighbors. Kowalski's a racist, because it has never occurred to him he shouldn't be. Besides, that's the flipside of the mutual ethnic baiting that serves as coin of affection for him and his working-class buddies. Circumstances--and two young people next door, the feisty Sue (Ahney Her) and her conflicted brother Thao (Bee Vang)--contrive to involve Walt with a new community, and anoint him as its hero after he turns his big guns on some ruffians. The trajectory of this may surprise you--several times over. Eastwood opted to film in economically blighted Detroit--a shrewd decision, but it's his mapping of Walt's world in that classical style of his that really counts. Every incidental corner of lawn, porch, and basement comes to matter--and by all means the workshop/garage that houses the mint-condition Gran Torino which Walt helped build in a more prosperous era. This is a remarkable movie. "--Richard T. Jameson"

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Drama

Duration: 134

Summary: This murky rumination on keeping faith in our troubled times was an early sign that writer-director Lawrence Kasdan ("Silverado") was losing his once-powerful grasp on the art of storytelling. Set in modern Los Angeles--with all its random violence, venality, ubiquitous police presence, earthquakes, and dreams--the film concerns an unusual intersection of lives and chance occurrences that alter everyone's perspective on destiny. Kasdan, very understandably, is attempting to create an experience for viewers as intuitive as the undefined forces propelling his characters. But from the outside looking in, there isn't enough internal logic in the story to help us connect the dots. Steve Martin has an interesting part as a garish film producer who undergoes a change in priorities after being assaulted on the street. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Genre: Mystery & Suspense

Duration: 99

Summary: Not well known but very good and solid sci-fi film on the time travel . By director David N. Twohy ( The Arrival , Pitch Black ) and starring Jeff Daniels .
Jeff Daniels playing an owner of small motel/hotel in a small town in the mid America . He cann't forgive himself for running away from the site of the accident few years back . The accident which took his wife's life . His father in law , a judge in this town , cann't forgive him eather and trying to take his granddaughter away from him . At the same time a group of very strange tourists came in town and checked in J.Daniels's hotel .They way too strange and even weard . Keep talking about some "spectical", and later we found out that they are the tourists ... in time . They travel to se all the biggest disasters of the 20th century . And the last one should come to this little town ...
Cann't tell you more ... you have to se it yourself . But after slow start this film developes very fast and has more than anough twists and turns to deserve a very solid 5 stars .

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 94

Summary: Gamers, grannies and stoners unite! From Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions comes a raucously funny, "fish-out-of bongwater comedy" (Playboy) that'll have you rolling with laughter! Life is sweet for 35-year-old video game tester Alex (Allen Covert), until he's forced to move in with his overbearing grandmother Lilly (Doris Roberts) and her two roommates: oversexed Grace (Shirley Jones) and overmedicated Bea (Shirley Knight). To save face with his much younger co-workers and super-sexy new boss (Linda Cardellini), Alex brags about the "three hot babes" living with him, but soon that cat's out of the bag?and the real party at Grandma's house has just begun! If you love footie pajamas, techno-talk and karate-chopping chimps (and who doesn't?), grab your buds and watch Grandma's Boy!

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 91

Summary: This hit-and-miss 1988 comedy pairs John Candy and Dan Aykroyd in a story of one family's summer vacation all but ruined by the uninvited appearance of another, more loutish family. Howard Deutch ("Some Kind of Wonderful") directs from a half-hearted John Hughes script, which reduces Hughes's jokes-and-epiphanies formula ("The Breakfast Club", "Home Alone") to true gaudiness. On the other hand, Annette Bening makes her screen debut here. The DVD release has a widescreen presentation, production notes, trailer, optional French soundtrack, and optional Spanish subtitles. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Miramax Home Entertainment

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 132

Summary: Nearly three years after it was filmed, "The Great Raid" finally appeared as a welcome reminder that good old-fashioned World War II movies never go out of style. While lacking the scale, prestige, and pulse-pounding momentum of "Saving Private Ryan", this fact-based war drama benefits from a back-to-basics approach to realism and a rousing rescue climax that more than compensates for the slower passages that precede it. Adapted from the books "The Great Raid on Cabanatuan" and "Ghost Soldiers", it chronicles the five-day mission (in late January 1945) to rescue 511 American prisoners of war held by the Japanese at Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines. Under the direction of neo-noir specialist John Dahl ("The Last Seduction"), the film's three-part structure follows the raid mission led by Lt. Col. Mucci (Benjamin Bratt); the plight of the POWs at Cabanatuan, including malaria-stricken Maj. Gibson (Joseph Fiennes); and civilian resistance in Manila as carried out by real-life hero and Gibson's (fictional) would-be lover Margaret Utinsky (Connie Nielsen), whose effort to aid the POWs is vigilantly monitored by the enemy Japanese. In keeping with war-movie traditions, Dahl handles character and action with no-nonsense intelligence, favoring a slow build over pumped-up adrenalin. By the time the miraculous rescue is executed with critical assistance by Filpino guerillas, "The Great Raid" has earned its stripes, honoring the brave men who carried out the most successful rescue mission in U.S. military history. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 113

Summary: The best thing about this misguided 1994 comedy is the performance of Kirk Douglas as a feisty old scrap-metal millionaire named Joe whose venal family is out to get his fortune. Douglas had scored a modest hit with Burt Lancaster in the 1986 buddy comedy "Tough Guys", but this was the veteran actor's chance for a late-career comeback--and his last major movie role before he was temporarily sidelined by a stroke in 1995. Douglas is quite funny here, playing an old codger who keeps frustrating his greedy relatives by refusing to die. Instead he threatens to will his fortune to his sexy "nurse" (Olivia D'Abo), and the scheming family reacts by finding a long-lost nephew named Daniel (Michael J. Fox), who is the only relative that Uncle Joe remembers with any fondness. The idea is that Joe will warm up to his welcomed nephew and will him his fortune--but of course this only makes the old man more crotchety and protective of his money. The movie's got a strong supporting cast including Ed Begley Jr. and the late Phil Hartman, but director Jonathan Lynn (who also plays Douglas's butler) fails to maintain a steady pace and the movie's cynical humor gradually wears out its welcome. Along the way, however, Fox keeps up a lively rapport with Douglas, who's obviously enjoying himself in a role that lets him cut loose with plenty of saucy and savvy attitude. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical:

Studio: Warner Bros.

Genre: Action

Duration: 114

Summary:

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 189

Borrowed By: Ricky Aldrete

Summary: "The book was better" has been the complaint of many a reader since the invention of movies. Frank Darabont's second adaptation of a Stephen King prison drama ("The Shawshank Redemption" was the first) is a very faithful adaptation of King's serial novel. In the middle of the Depression, Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) runs death row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Into this dreary world walks a mammoth prisoner, John Coffey (Michael Duncan) who, very slowly, reveals a special gift that will change the men working and dying (in the electric chair, masterfully and grippingly staged) on the mile . As with King's book, Darabont takes plenty of time to show us Edgecomb's world before delving into John Coffey's mystery. With Darabont's superior storytelling abilities, his touch for perfect casting, and a leisurely 188-minute running time, his movie brings to life nearly every character and scene from the novel. Darabont even improves the novel's two endings, creating a more emotionally satisfying experience. The running time may try patience, but those who want a story, as opposed to quick-fix entertainment, will be rewarded by this finely tailored tale. "--Doug Thomas"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 12

Summary: Cheers to Fox for even putting "Greg the Bunny" on the air, and jeers to Fox for yanking it after a mere season (an ignominious fate it shared with "The Ben Stiller Show" and "Andy Richter Controls the Universe"). Ripe for discovery, this cult-worthy 2002 series took its cue from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", and anticipated the subversive Tony Award-winning Muppet spoof "Avenue Q" by imagining a world in which puppets (or, to be more PC: "fabricated Americans") live amongst humans. Greg, a sweet-natured bunny, lives with his best friend Jimmy (Seth Green), a slacker whose father, Gil (the inestimable Eugene Levy), is the director of the "struggling," "low-rated" children's show "Sweetknuckle Junction". Greg prevails upon Jimmy to get him a job on the show, but Greg inadvertently finds himself replacing the star. the washed-up Rochester Rabbit. Jimmy signs on as the production assistant to watch over Greg, and to pursue the icy network executive, Alison (comedy siren Sarah Silverman). Rounding out the human cast is gun nut Junction Jack (Bob Gunton) and ditzy, puppet-loving (and we mean that literally) Dottie (Dina Walters).
The puppet ensemble is no less impressive than the "fleshies." There's Count Blah, a vampire with a "Sesame Street" complex and a penchant for punctuating his sentences with "blah"; Warren "Professor Ape" Demontague, a soused monkey with thespian pretensions (and an ongoing feud with neighbor Corey Feldman); Tardy Turtle, an appellation which, unfortunately, does not just refer to his lack of speed, and Susan, a monster who makes Janet Reno look like Salma Hayek. Profanity and crude behavior emanating from puppets is certainly good for some easy laughs (prepare for the worst when adorable laundry icon Snuggles enters a bathroom stall in the episode "Father & Son Reunion"). But "Greg the Bunny" plays it smart as well, with sly in-jokes and movie references (catch the "King Kong" homage when an enraged Demontague jumps on Gil's shoulders in "Blah Bawls"). The show only got better and funnier as its lone season unfolded, making its cancellation that much more keenly felt. A "Family Guy"-type resurrection seems unlikely, but what about a Count Blah spinoff? Until then, this features-stuffed two-disc set, complete with clips from Greg's humble public-access beginnings, cast and in-character commentaries, behind-the-scenes segments, and a new Tardy featurette, will really sock it to you. "--Donald Liebenson"""

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 107

Summary: Hit man Martin Q. Blank (John Cusack) is in an awkward situation. Several of them, actually. He's attending his high school reunion on an assignment; he's got a rival hit man (Dan Aykroyd) on his tail; and he's going to have to explain to his old girlfriend (Minnie Driver) why he stood her up on prom night. This amiable black comedy, cowritten by Cusack and directed by Jonathan Demme protégé George Armitage ("Miami Blues"), has the feel of Demme's "Something Wild" and "Married to the Mob"--which is to say its humor is dark and brightly colored at the same time. Cusack and Driver are utterly charming--as is the leading man's sister, Joan, who plays his secretary. (Ms. Cusack received an Oscar nomination for her next role, in "In & Out".) Alan Arkin is also very funny as Martin's psychiatrist. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 616

Summary: THE FINNERTY FAMILY IS BACK WITH 28 COMPLETE EPISODES FROM THEIR BIGGEST SEASON EVER! It’s an unforgettable season full of strippers, hangovers, teen sex, unfortunate tattoos, geek makeovers, a dead cat, nude photos, disastrous dates, disturbing flashbacks, one perpetually mean nun and more wholesome Finnerty family fun. Why is a furious PTA trying to close Sean’s bar? How did Claudia end up at a frat house keg party? What have Jimmy and Henry done with a priceless coin collection? Can Lily and Brad manage to stay together without police intervention? What is Uncle Eddie doing with an electric car and a bodyguard? And why is there a homeless guy in the living room? Join Donal Logue, Megyn Price, Kevin Corrigan, Lynsey Bartilson, Griffin Frazen, Jake Burbage and Bret Harrison for 28 hilarious episodes — their first full year on the WB — featuring such guest stars as Adam Brody, Mike Vogel, Richard Riehle, Dave Foley, Stephen Root, Kevin McDonald, Brian McFayden, Scott Thompson, Elizabeth Berridge, Mila Kunis and more!

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 460

Summary: "Grounded for Life" was the indie film version of the family sitcom. Donal Logue, Kevin Corrigan, and Richard Riehle had all done time in plenty of independent productions before making the move to network TV. Sean Finnerty (Logue, "The Tao of Steve") is a subway worker and wife Claudia (Megyn Price, "Lateline") is a restaurant hostess. Their favorite band is the Ramones. The Staten Island-based couple started having children just out of high school (they’re both 32). They aren't bad parents, but they're still just kids themselves. Aside from 14-year-old Lily (Lynsey Bartilson) and grade schoolers Jimmy (Griffin Frazen) and Henry (Jake Burbage), the Finnertys are joined by Sean's slacker brother, Eddie (Corrigan, "Walking and Talking"), and old school dad, Walt (Riehle, "Office Space"). Recurring characters include Brad O'Keefe (Bret Harrison), the boy next door (who harbors a not-so-secret crush on Lily), and Sister Helen (Miriam Flynn), St. Finian's take-no-prisoners principal. Standout episodes include "Jimmy Was Kung Fu Fighting" in which Jimmy makes like a pint-sized Jet Li--in his dreams ("Grounded for Life" makes frequent use of flashbacks and fantasy sequences)--and the Emmy-nominated "Mrs. Finnerty, You've Got a Lovely Daughter," in which Sean attempts to bribe Sister Helen on Lily's behalf. First year guests include "The O.C."'s Adam Brody ("Action Mountain High") and "That '70s Show"'s Danny Masterson ("Baby, You Can't Drive My Car"). "Grounded for Life", which began life on Fox before moving to the WB, was created by "3rd Rock" veterans Bill Martin and Mike Schiff, featured music by Ween, and was renewed for four more seasons. Fun fact: Every one of the 91 episodes, including the 20 on this collection, is named after a pop song ("In My Room," Devil's Haircut," "Dream On," etc.). "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 374

Summary: Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 05/16/2006 Rating: Nr

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Anchor Bay

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 242

Summary: 13 COMPLETE EPISODES INCLUDING 2 NEVER SHOWN IN PRIMETIME! The Finnerty Family returns with an all-new season of trust, sharing, and the kind of behavior that often leads to arrests. Why does working class dad Sean (Donal Logue) have to wear a dress in front of truckers? How did hot mom Claudia (Megyn Price) become addicted to violent video games? Why is criminally minded Uncle Eddie (Kevin Corrigan) so excited about their new bar? What has out-of-control Lily (Lynsey Bartilson) done to her poor boyfriend-next-door Brad (Bret Harrison)? How will unruly boys Jimmy (Griffin Frazen) and Henry (Jake Burbage) survive a hot wings binge? And what really happens when you swallow a lizard? Includes 13 hilarious episodes – plus 2 that were never aired on the WB – featuring such guest stars as Richard Riehle, Mike Vogel, Wilmer Valderrama, Stephen Root, Miriam Flynn, Loudon Wainwright III, Curtis Armstrong and more

Theatrical:

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 286

Summary: Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 09/25/2007 Run time: 286 minutes

Theatrical: 1993

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 101

Summary: Bill Murray does warmth in his most consistently effective post-"Stripes" comedy, a romantic fantasy about a wacky weatherman forced to relive one strange day over and over again, until he gets it right. Snowed in during a road-trip expedition to watch the famous groundhog encounter his shadow, Murray falls into a time warp that is never explained but pays off so richly that it doesn't need to be. The elaborate loop-the-loop plot structure cooked up by screenwriter Danny Rubin is crystal-clear every step of the way, but it's Murray's world-class reactive timing that makes the jokes explode, and we end up looking forward to each new variation. He squeezes all the available juice out of every scene. Without forcing the issue, he makes us understand why this fly-away personality responds so intensely to the radiant sanity of the TV producer played by Andie MacDowell. The blissfully clueless Chris Elliott ("Cabin Boy") is Murray's nudnik cameraman. "--David Chute"

Theatrical: 2010

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 102

Summary: Adam Sandler and his frequent costars (Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, and Rob Schneider) grope blindly for maturity in the genial comedy "Grown Ups". Five childhood pals are drawn back together after the death of their former basketball coach; over the course of a Fourth of July weekend, they--along with their wildly attractive wives (played by Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph) and precocious children--loosen up, try to introduce their kids to the simple pleasures of nature, air some dirty laundry, and rediscover their friendship. In other words, it's a fairly formulaic comedy that veers awkwardly from gags (ranging from slapstick to mean-spiritedness) to sentiment (ranging from sappy to not entirely sappy). Its appeal will depend entirely on your feelings about Sandler and the rest of the gang--if you like this bunch of lugs (in all their prolonged adolescent glory), then you'll like this movie. If you don't, you won't. Everyone's in relaxed but good form; affable is more the comic goal than razor sharp. Expect gags about being fat, being old, prolonged breast-feeding, ogling hot chicks, flatulence, etc. There's some role reversal: it's the women, particularly Hayek as a type-A fashion designer, who need to learn the eternal cinematic lesson that family is more important than work. Featuring guest appearances from Tim Meadows, Colin Quinn, and Steve Buscemi. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: African American Cinema

Duration: 105

Summary: Taken on its own terms as a big-screen sitcom, "Guess Who" offers plenty of humor with just enough social commentary to make its point without being preachy. Of course, we've come along way since interracial romance was such a hot-button issue in Stanley Kramer's earnest 1967 drama "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner", and nobody's going to mistake Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac (in this updated semi-remake) with the original film's Sidney Poitier and Spencer Tracy. And that's fine, because "Guess Who"--from the director of "Barbershop 2"--doesn't pretend to be anything more than a slick, entertaining vehicle for domestic farce with the racial roles reversed. Kutcher's romance with an African-American beauty (Zoë Sandaña) causes sparks to fly when he's introduced to her father (Bernie Mac). What ensues is basically an interracial buddy comedy that's as uninspired as it is easy to watch, and there's a dinner-table scene that's refreshingly provocative in this movie's otherwise tamely cautious context. We can all be thankful that humanity has matured a little since the racial tensions of the late '60s, but Hollywood's progress (and Kutcher's career) remains subject to debate. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical:

Studio: New Video Group

Genre: Independently Distributed

Duration: 130

Summary: Studio: New Video Group Release Date: 09/29/2009

Theatrical: 2010

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Thrillers

Duration: 85

Summary: "Gulliver's Travels" is about as marginal as the trailers suggest; it's a tepidly entertaining, irreverent, and sometimes crass comedy starring Jack Black that takes some gigantic liberties with Jonathan Swift's classic story about the land of Lilliput and its tiny inhabitants. Mailroom loser Lemuel Gulliver (Jack Black) is stuck in a dead-end job and living a dead-end life until the promotion of a fellow employee spurs him to speak up and take action. While a trip to the Bermuda Triangle may not be the date with crush Darcy Silverman (Amanda Peet) that Gulliver had envisioned, the voyage promises to take his career in a new direction, and it eventually delivers him to a kingdom known as Lilliput, which is populated by miniature people. After initially being captured and locked away in a dungeon, Gulliver wins the hearts of the Lilliputian people by saving their princess (Emily Blunt) from being kidnapped and rescuing their king (Billy Connolly) from a fire in a most unorthodox and unsavory way, and he quickly finds himself in a position of gigantic influence. Problem is, Gulliver is completely unprepared and unqualified for his new leadership roles, both on the personal and professional levels, and his ineptitude puts himself and all of Lilliput in extreme danger. Grade-school humor abounds in this fairly mindless film, something Jack Black always excels at, but viewers will find that the chuckles and the message about the power of believing in oneself fade equally as fast as the credits roll. (Ages 9 and older) "--Tami Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Art House & International

Duration: 94

Summary: The Day-Glo delights of India's Bollywood musicals collide with the crossed-love conventions of Hollywood romantic comedies in "The Guru". Jimi Mistry, a young Indian named Ramu who wants to live the American dream and become famous, moves to New York and finds only menial work in restaurants. But when he mistakenly gets cast in a skin flick, he meets a sweet and thoughtful porn star (Heather Graham) whose philosophical mix of sex and spirituality come in handy when Ramu has to pretend to be a swami for an upper-crust birthday party. The birthday girl (Marisa Tomei) seizes upon Ramu's cribbed aphorisms and leads Ramu into a career as a sex guru. "The Guru"'s uneven script squanders much of its comic potential, but the stars have charm to burn--and when the movie launches into its glorious musical numbers, it enters a realm of delirious glee. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 101

Summary: "A Guy Thing" wants so desperately to be a funny thing that it turns into almost nothing at all. This movie is like an annoying party guest who won't go home, although the most loyal devotees of Julia Stiles and Jason Lee are sure to get a few good laughs. Lee's awkwardly cast (and costumed) as a husband-to-be who's about to discover he's fallen in love with the free-spirited cousin (Stiles) of his comparatively straight-laced fiancée (Selma Blair). When all the who's-who gets figured out, this decidedly "un"romantic comedy shifts into auto-pilot with Lee trapped in a rote series of compromising positions. Every outcome is telegraphed far in advance, and true love takes its course with numbing efficiency. Lee barely squeaks by with his dignity intact; the fact that Stiles emerges buoyantly unscathed is further proof that this beguiling actress is deservedly a star on the rise. "--Jeff Shannon"