Made In Heaven

Made In Heaven Review

Made In Heaven Feature

• Color
• Widescreen 1.85:1
• Dolby Surround Sound
• 102 min
• PG rated

Made In Heaven Overview

Can love bridge the gap between Earth and Heaven? Moviemakers have thought so for decades. And the pursuit of eternal bliss has never been so sly, engaging or magical as when Timothy Hutton and Kelly McGillis strike up a romance Made in Heaven. Deceased drifter Mike (Hutton) arrives in Heaven and quickly falls for newborn soul Annie (McGillis), soon to start her assignment on Earth.
When Annie leaves, Mike follows, risking all to find her in her new identity with neither having memories of their previous celestial existence. Maureen Stapleton, Amanda Plummer and an array of star cameos highlight what director Alan Rudolph (Afterglow, Welcome to L.A.) calls a "good old-fashioned fairy tale of destiny and love." Watch and "feel like you're on Cloud Nine" (Joel Siegel, Good Morning America/ABC-TV).

This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Made In Heaven Specifications

In Made in Heaven, Timothy Hutton plays a young guy in 1946 who's just been dumped by his girl and decides to go to California. On his way, he rescues a family from a car that's driven into a lake--and drowns in the process. Of course, he finds himself in Heaven, and there he meets Kelly McGillis, a soul who's never been born on Earth. The two fall in love. Just as they're about to get married--just for the fun of it, since by the rules of Heaven they're already married--McGillis gets sent to Earth to be born. Hutton pleads with Emmett, a figure who may or may not be God, who finally agrees to give Hutton 30 years on Earth to find her and continue their love. This 1987 Alan Rudolph film teeters on the edge of absolute cheesiness and steps over that edge at moments, but mostly it miraculously maintains a delicate, sweet, and affecting tone. McGillis is good, but Hutton is superb, demonstrating an honest charisma that makes him engaging even when he's being a jerk. The depiction of Heaven avoids the patronizing, overdone joyfulness that too many movies fall into. Though the idea sounds like pure saccharine, Made in Heaven consistently sidesteps the obvious and comes up with something genuine. Rudolph is a prolific but erratic director (his stronger movies include Choose Me, Trouble in Mind, The Moderns, and Afterglow), but this is one of the ones worth seeing. Made in Heaven features Debra Winger and an uncredited Ellen Barkin, as well as cameos by rock stars Neil Young, Ric Ocasek, and Tom Petty. --Bret Fetzer

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The Boys from Brazil

The Boys from Brazil Review

The Boys from Brazil Overview

Alive and hiding in South America, the fiendish Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele (Peck) gathers a group of former colleagues for a horrifying project- he wants to clone Hitler. Barry Kohler (Steve Guttenberg) gets wind of the project and informs famed Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman (Olivier), but before he can relay the evidence, Kohler is killed. Mengele continues his murderous plot, creating 94 young Hitlers and killing their fathers to simulate the madman's own boyhood. As Mengele moves closer to producing global terror, Lieberman alone must discover the terrifying extent of his plan and stop it.

The Boys from Brazil Specifications

Gregory Peck hams it up big time in this 1978 thriller based on Ira Levin's bestselling novel. Peck plays an old German Nazi behind a mysterious series of murders, the investigation of which leads to an astonishing plot to create the Fourth Reich. Laurence Olivier is equally outrageous as a Nazi hunter who stumbles onto the scheme. Director Franklin Schaffner (Planet of the Apes) doesn't make any bones about the preposterousness of the story or of his legendary stars' performances, and a viewer is advised not to push too deeply into this tall tale for cautionary meaning. The film is a bit bloody--particularly unnerving in a climactic scene involving some attack dogs under the command of a young but familiar-looking monster. --Tom Keogh

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Sniper: Reloaded [Blu-ray]

Sniper: Reloaded [Blu-ray] Review

Sniper: Reloaded [Blu-ray] Overview

WHILE WORKING WITH THE UN FORCES IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, MARINE SGT. BRANDON BECKETT, SON OF RENOWNED SNIPER THOMAS BECKETT, RECEIVES ORDERS TO RESCUE A EUROPEAN FARMER TRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF HOSTILE REBEL TERRITORY. WHEN HE AND HIS MEN ARRIVE AT THE FARM, A MYSTERIOUS SNIPER AMBUSHES THEM.

Sniper: Reloaded [Blu-ray] Specifications

It's no surprise that the 1993 Tom Berenger actioner Sniper spawned a franchise of sorts based on its successful formula of a lone wolf military marksman who plays by his own rules and always gets his man. Berenger appeared in two direct-to-video sequels in 2002 and 2004, returning to his role as Marine Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Beckett, the solitary crack shot who traveled to far-flung global hot spots to aim his never-miss cross hairs at bad guys of various repute. The surprise about Sniper: Reloaded is not so much that it comes 18 years later or that the now paunchy, white-haired Berenger (see: Inception) is absent from the movie, but that this home-video exclusive plays as such a brisk and efficient stand-alone mercenary action feature. Not-so-notable TV hunk Chad Michael Collins plays Brandon Beckett, the estranged son of Berenger's character, as a marine grunt loaned out to a UN peacekeeping unit in the Congo. The nature of the father/son relationship is glossed over, even though it's clear that Brandon is his own man and has no aspirations to be a sharpshooter hero like his dad. But on a mission to escort a European landowner to safety, a mysterious sniper who is clearly cut from the same cloth as Beckett Sr. massacres the homesteader, Brandon's squad of marines, and the accompanying Congolese soldiers, gravely injuring Brandon in the process. Enter Billy Zane, if only briefly, reprising his original Sniper role as Berenger's protégé, Richard Miller. He is now a paternal figure on the scene to snap Brandon into shape in his father's image when Brandon goes AWOL on a mission of personal vengeance against the mystery sniper. The war-torn atmosphere and action set pieces are very well executed, with a minimum of exposition and plot details slowing things down. There are plenty of bloody "oh, yeah!" kill-shot close-ups as seen through spotting scopes against the African backdrops, and Brandon even squeezes in some sexy bedroom action with a blonde Australian army lieutenant. Though the production design is not necessarily lavish, the authenticity and ambiance is strong enough to give Sniper: Reloaded a healthy shot at DVD shelf life on its own terms. --Ted Fry

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Billy Graham Presents: The Climb

Billy Graham Presents: The Climb Review

Billy Graham Presents: The Climb Overview

In this white-knuckle drama, a friendship between two hotshot climbers with very different styles ? one a trailblazer, and the other known as "Safety Man" ? escalates into a test of wills, character and sacrifice that pushes both men beyond their limits.

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An Officer and a Gentleman (Special Collector's Edition)

An Officer and a Gentleman (Special Collector's Edition) Review

An Officer and a Gentleman (Special Collector's Edition) Overview

Once in a great while a movie comes along that truly grips and uplifts its audiences. Such a movie is An Officer And A Gentleman, a timeless tale of romance, friendship and growth. Loner Zack Mayo (Richard Gere) enters Officer Candidate School to become a Navy pilot and in thirteen tortuous weeks he learns the importance of discipline, love and friendship. Louis Gossett, Jr. won an Academy Award* for his brilliant portrayal of the tough drill instructor who teaches Zack that no man can make it alone. And while Gossett tries to warn the young officer about the local girls who will do anything to catch themselves pilot husbands, Zack eventually learns to love one (Debra Winger) while his fellow candidate, a memorable character portrayed by David Keith, struggles with a very different fate. An Officer And A Gentleman is a rich and satisfying story with moving performances that will stay with you long after the film has ended.

An Officer and a Gentleman (Special Collector's Edition) Specifications

Richard Gere plays an enrollee at a Naval officers candidate school, and Debra Winger is the woman who wants him. That's pretty much it, story-wise, in this romantic drama, which is more effective in a moment-to-moment, scene-by-scene way, where the two stars and Oscar-winner Louis Gossett Jr.--as Gere's tough-as-nails drill instructor--are fun to watch. Sexy, syrupy, with occasional pitches of high drama (Gere having a near-breakdown during training is pretty strong), An Officer and a Gentleman proves to be a no-brainer date movie. --Tom Keogh

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Forrest Gump (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)

Forrest Gump (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) Review

Forrest Gump (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) Overview

FORREST GUMP - COLLECTOR'S EDITION - DVD Movie

Forrest Gump (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) Specifications

The Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Best Director Robert Zemeckis, and Best Actor Tom Hanks, this unlikely story of a slow-witted but good-hearted man somehow at the center of the pivotal events of the 20th century is a funny and heartwarming epic. Hanks plays the title character, a shy Southern boy in love with his childhood best friend (Robin Wright) who finds that his ability to run fast takes him places. As an All-Star football player he meets John F. Kennedy; as a soldier in Vietnam he's a war hero; and as a world champion Ping-Pong player he's hailed by Richard Nixon. Becoming a successful shrimp-boat captain, he still yearns for the love of his life, who takes a quite different and much sadder path in life. The visual effects incorporating Hanks into existing newsreel footage is both funny and impressive, but the heart of the film lies in its sweet love story and in the triumphant performance of Hanks as an unassuming soul who savors the most from his life and times. --Robert Lane

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Message in a Bottle (Keepcase)

Message in a Bottle (Keepcase) Review

Message in a Bottle (Keepcase) Overview

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE - DVD Movie

Message in a Bottle (Keepcase) Specifications

If, as they say, you're in a certain mood, Message in a Bottle can be just the ticket. Based on Nicholas Sparks's bestselling novel, this handsome but overly calculated romance tale stars Robin Wright Penn as Theresa, a Chicago Tribune researcher who finds a note encased in a green bottle that has floated onto a Cape Cod shore. The message within is a heartfelt, yearning declaration of love to a woman named Catherine, but the author is unknown until Theresa (rather improbably) tracks him down in North Carolina. He's Garret Blake (Kevin Costner), a taciturn builder of sailboats and a grieving widower whose late wife, poetically speaking, was the intended recipient of the seafaring note Theresa found. Theresa, a divorcée with a son, decides to meet Garret, only to find him as bottled-up as his message. Nevertheless, a romance blooms on the strength of quality time in a sailboat and lots of cuddling, though the script tosses in bits of conflict to keep their relationship spicy. Directed by Luis Mandoki (When a Man Loves a Woman), this love story is entirely by the numbers, with Costner inhabiting (rather than performing) a stock fantasy of a man perfect in every way save his broken heart. Penn brings more vibrancy to her equally predictable part, but fortunately for all, Paul Newman, John Savage, Robbie Coltrane, and Illeana Douglas are on hand in nicely textured character parts. Sometimes predictability is exactly what one wants when settling in for an evening of home video, and this movie fits the bill nicely. The appealing cinematography is by ace cameraman Caleb Deschanel. --Tom Keogh

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Love Takes Wing

Love Takes Wing Review

Love Takes Wing Overview

The Next Chapter in The Love Series Continues, as Dr. Belinda Davis Leaves Small Town Life for the Big City.

• Audio: English: 5.1 Dolby Surround
• Language: Dubbed: English / Subtitled: English & Spanish
• Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 1.78:1

• Forced Trailers: Loves Collection Franchise Trailer, Bride Wars
• Trailer Farm: Marley and Me

Love Takes Wing Specifications

Janette Oke’s tales of Christian pioneer romance continue with Love Takes Wing. Belinda Simpson (Sarah Jones, Big Love), struggling to recover from the loss of her husband and her faith, comes to a small Missouri town to become the local doctor. Her reception is cold--the locals are surprised to find that she’s a woman--and she’s immediately faced with a tough challenge in the form of an infection that is spreading through the town that has everyone frightened and eager to blame the local orphanage as the source. With the help of her best friend, Annie (Haylie Duff, 7th Heaven), and the town’s handsome young blacksmith (Jordan Bridges), Belinda fights to find a cure--and to open her heart to love and the Lord. The fight with illness makes Love Takes Wing one of the most dramatically successful stories of the Love Comes Softly series; in fact, both romance and religion are relatively downplayed in favor of the medical mystery. If anything, the movie’s dramatic heart is the relationship between Belinda and a feisty young orphan girl (Annalise Basso) in whom Belinda sees a younger version of herself. A strong supporting cast, including Patrick Duffy, Lou Diamond Phillips (who also directed), and the ever-dependable Cloris Leachman, lends acting heft. Fans of the series will find Love Takes Wing a solid addition, and newcomers seeking wholesome pioneer tales can enjoy it without any experience of the previous films. --Bret Fetzer

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Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition)

Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition) Review

Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition) Feature

• BAMBI: DIAMOND EDITION (DVD MOVIE)

Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition) Overview

For the first time ever, the wonder, music and majesty of one of Walt Disney's greatest triumphs comes alive in glorious detail through the magic of Blu-rayTM high definition! Now Bambi, Walt Disney's beloved coming-of-age story, will thrill a new generation of fans with its breathtakingly beautiful animation, soaring music and characters who will touch your heart-Bambi, the wide-eyed fawn, his playful pal Thumper, the loveable skunk Flower and wise Friend Owl. Plus, all-new immersive game and special features that reveal the extraordinary creative process behind the making of this timeless classic take you deeper into Bambi's world than ever before!

Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition) Specifications

It always comes up when people are comparing their most traumatic movie experiences: "the death of Bambi's mother," a recollection that can bring a shudder to even the most jaded filmgoer. That primal separation (which is no less stunning for happening off-screen) is the centerpiece of Bambi, Walt Disney's 1942 animated classic, but it is by no means the only bold stroke in the film. In its swift but somehow leisurely 69 minutes, Bambi covers a year in the life of a young deer. But in a bigger way, it measures the life cycle itself, from birth to adulthood, from childhood's freedom to grown-up responsibility. All of this is rendered in cheeky, fleet-footed style--the movie doesn't lecture, or make you feel you're being fed something that's good for you. The animation is miraculous, a lush forest in which nature is a constantly unfolding miracle (even in a spectacular fire, or those dark moments when "man was in the forest"). There are probably easier animals to draw than a young deer, and the Disney animators set themselves a challenge with Bambi's wobbly glide across an ice-covered lake, his spindly legs akimbo; but the sequence is effortless and charming. If Bambi himself is just a bit dull--such is the fate of an Everydeer--his rabbit sidekick Thumper and a skunk named Flower more than make up for it. Many of the early Disney features have their share of lyrical moments and universal truths, but Bambi is so simple, so pure, it's almost transparent. You might borrow a phrase from Thumper and say it's downright twitterpated. --Robert Horton

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Futurama, Vol. 1

Futurama, Vol. 1 Review

Futurama, Vol. 1 Feature

• 2004 - Fox - DVDs
• Futurama - 5 DVDs
• Vol 1 : Discs 1,2,4 & Vol 4: Discs 1& 3
• Good Condition
• Classic - Collectible

Futurama, Vol. 1 Overview

Various

Futurama, Vol. 1 Specifications

Set in the year 3000, Futurama is the acme of sci-fi animated sitcom from Simpsons creator Matt Groening. While not as universally popular as The Simpsons, Futurama is equally hip and hilarious, thanks to its zippy lateral-thinking contemporary pop cultural references, celebrity appearances (Pamela Anderson and Leonard Nimoy are among a number of guest stars to appear as disembodied heads in jars), and Bender, a distinctly Homer Simpson-esque robot. Part of Futurama's charm is that with decades of sci-fi junk behind us, we've effectively been living with the distant future for years and can now have fun with it. Hence, the series stylishly jumbles motifs ranging from Lost in Space-style kitsch to the grim dystopia of Blade Runner. It also bridges the gap between the impossible dreams of your average science fiction fan and the slobbish reality of their comic reading, TV-watching existence. Groening himself distinguishes his two series thus: "The Simpsons is fictional. Futurama is real."

The opening season (premiered in 1999) sees nerdy pizza delivery boy Fry transferred to the 31st century in a cryogenic mishap. There, he meets the beautiful, one-eyed Leela (voiced by Married with Children's Katey Sagal) and the incorrigible alcoholic robot Bender. The three of them join Fry's great (great, great, etc.) nephew Professor Farnsworth and work in his intergalactic delivery service. Hyper-real yet strangely recognizable situations ensue--Fry discovers he's a billionaire thanks to 1,000 years' accrued interest, Leela must fend off the attentions of Captain Kirk-like Lothario Zapp Brannigan, and Fry accidentally drinks the ruler of a strange planet of liquid beings. --David Stubbs

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Cast Away [Blu-ray]

Cast Away [Blu-ray] Review

Cast Away [Blu-ray] Overview

Tom Hanks "gives one of the towering screen performances of all time" (New York Post) as Chuck Noland, a FedEx systems engineer whose ruled-by-the-clock existence abruptly ends when a harrowing plane crash leaves him isolated on a remote island. As Chuck struggles to survive, he finds that his own personal journey has only just begun...

Cast Away [Blu-ray] Specifications

Cast Away is a good movie that wants to be much better. While director Robert Zemeckis's earlier film Contact achieved a kind of mainstream spiritual significance, Cast Away falls just short of that goal. That may explain why the film's most emotionally powerful scene involves the loss of an inanimate object, even as it presents a heart-rending dilemma in its very human final act.

It's three movies in one, beginning when punctuality-obsessed Federal Express systems engineer Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) departs on Christmas Eve to escort an ill-fated flight of FedEx packages. Following a mid-Pacific plane crash, movie number two chronicles Chuck's four-year survival on a remote island, totally alone save for a Wilson volleyball (aptly named "Wilson") that becomes Chuck's closest "friend." Movie number three leads up to Chuck's rescue and an awkward encounter with his ex-girlfriend Kelly (Helen Hunt, in a thankless role), for whom Chuck has seemingly risen from the grave.

It's fascinating to witness Chuck's emerging survival skills, and Hanks's remarkable physical transformation is matched by his finely tuned performance. With slow, rhythmic camera moves and brilliant use of sound, Zemeckis wisely avoids the postcard prettiness of The Black Stallion and The Blue Lagoon to emphasize the harshness of Chuck's ascetic solitude, and this stylistic restraint allows Cast Away to resonate more than one might expect. Even the final scene--which feels like a crowd-pleasing compromise--offers hope without shoving it down our throats. You may not feel the emotional rush that you're meant to feel, but Cast Away remains a respectable effort. --Jeff Shannon

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Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom

Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom Review

Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom Overview

NOAH'S ARC:JUMPING THE BROOM - DVD Movie

Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom Specifications

Based on the popular television series, Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom is a feature film that continues the narrative thread of the second series, with all the luscious drama that one would expect. In this, Noah Nichols (Darryl Stephens) and his ARC: Alex Kirby (Rodney Chester), Ricky Davis (Christian Vincent), and Chance Counter (Douglas Spearman), retreat to Martha’s Vineyard for Noah’s intimate marriage to Wade Robinson (Jensen Atwood). While Alex’s hubby, Trey (Gregory Kieth), video chats from home to babysit their newly adopted Ethiopian child, Chance brings his husband, Eddie (Jonathan Julian), and Ricky is accompanied by the 19-year old Brandon (Gary Leroi Gray) for some lighthearted fling-dating. But as the four couples hole up and attend separate bachelor parties, each relationship begins to unravel. Alex’s pill-popping throughout the weekend, compiled with surprise drop-ins from Noah’s boss, Brandy (Jennia Fredrique) and rapper Baby Gat (Jason Steed), don’t help Noah and Wade work through last-minute jitters. Humor abounding, many of the deep questions about what marriage and commitment mean are filtered through scenes about stress related to coming-out and what promiscuity symbolizes to gay men. Appearances by two moms, Noah’s (Suanne Coy) and Wade’s (Tonya Pinkins), also make for some fun, and tense, situation comedy. Jumping the Broom has all the verve of the series, so if you are already a fan, this romantic tale will not disappoint. --Trinie Dalton

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Sparkle

Sparkle Review

Sparkle Feature

• New

Sparkle Overview

Irene Cara (Fame) and Lonette McKee (Round Midnight) sing and struggle their way to show-business glory in a Supremes-like girl group. Dynamite Curtis Mayfield soundtrack.

Sparkle Specifications

Before Dreamgirls hit cineplexes in 2006, there was Sparkle. Released in 1976, the low-budget movie (which is also loosely based on the story of Diana Ross and the Supremes) achieved somewhat of a cult following among fans that enjoy a good cry along with their kitsch. Sparkle tells the rags-to-riches (and rags again, for some of the characters) tale of three sisters with gorgeous voices. There's Sister (Lonette McKee), Sparkle (Irene Cara, Fame), and Delores (Dwan Smith), who team up with a couple of players (including a very young Philip Michael Thomas, pre-Miami Vice) to form a singing group. Because the men add little oomph to the outfit, the quintet becomes an all-girl trio and is renamed the redundant (and hysterical) Sister and the Sisters. But because this movie is called Sparkle and not Sister, we know that Irene Cara's character is the one to watch. Cara is a joy to listen to when she unleashes her powerful pipes. And as the much put-upon Sister, McKee is convincing and earns the viewer's sympathy. Set in the 1950's, the movie tackles racism, sexism, jealousy, and both chemical and physical abuse. While it is overly dramatic and liberally serves up sloppy doses of soap opera clichés, the film also is highly watchable because of its over-the-top campiness. --Jae-Ha Kim

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Colors

Colors Review

Colors Overview

Controversial film about the conflict between police and the street gangs in Los Angeles.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 2-OCT-2001
Media Type: DVD

Colors Specifications

Robert Duvall plays a veteran street cop assigned to a Los Angeles gang unit. He takes a headstrong young cop (Sean Penn) under his wing as a partner and shows him the ropes on Watts's mean streets. Penn soon realizes that his testosterone-fueled ways and hair-trigger temper won't get him very far when dealing with the gang-ridden neighborhoods of L.A. Colors is a landmark movie in several respects: it helped bring director Dennis Hopper back into the spotlight after years of self-induced obscurity. Its success at the box office forced Los Angeles's gang problems into the public consciousness and prefigured the next wave of "hood" movies (Boyz N the Hood, Menace II Society, New Jack City) by several years. Though the late-'80s milieu is a bit dated, Colors is still a vivid, absorbing film. Hopper and screenwriter Michael Schiffer give all the characters a very human dimension and go to great lengths to show gang life from both the cops' and the gangsters' points of view. Wisely, they stir in elements of the cop drama, buddy movie, and action genres, leavened with a bit of humor here and there, while keeping a social conscience. Duvall is excellent as always, as the sympathetic cop, and Penn brings a great deal of depth to what could be an unlikable character. Violent, unsettling, and highly recommended. --Jerry Renshaw

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The Legend of Bagger Vance

The Legend of Bagger Vance Review

The Legend of Bagger Vance Feature

• Officially Licensed
• Highest Quality Recording

The Legend of Bagger Vance Overview

LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE - DVD Movie

The Legend of Bagger Vance Specifications

The Legend of Bagger Vance doesn't break any new ground, but with Steven Pressfield's inspirational novel to guide them, director Robert Redford and screenwriter Jeremy Leven have tilled fertile soil with a graceful touch. Redford does for golf what A River Runs Through It did for fly-fishing: the sport is a conduit for a philosophy of living, and Redford achieves the small miracle of making golf a central metaphor that's visually compelling.

Set in Savannah, Georgia, during the early '30s, the story charts the redemption of disillusioned World War I veteran and former golf champion Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon), who emerges from self-imposed obscurity in an exhibition match against legendary golfers Bobby Jones (Joel Gretsch) and Walter Hagen (Bruce McGill). Having earlier abandoned the socialite (Charlize Theron) who has organized the tournament to promote her late father's spectacular golf resort, Junuh now depends on the support of a young fan (perfectly cast newcomer J. Michael Moncrief) and the mysterious Bagger Vance (Will Smith), a smiling Jiminy Cricket who serves as Junuh's caddy, golf guru, and Socratic angel of mercy.

As Junuh regains the "authentic swing" he feared was lost forever, Redford guides his splendid cast through a spiritual journey that is specific to the discipline of golf and yet potently universal. As always, Redford also conveys his respect for nature and the rhythms of life as well as a sweet nostalgia for simpler times and purer values. With the casting of Jack Lemmon as the film's present-day narrator and elderly version of Moncrief's character, The Legend of Bagger Vance gains even greater dignity and, indeed, the glowing aura of legend. --Jeff Shannon

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Get Low [Blu-ray]

Get Low [Blu-ray] Review

Get Low [Blu-ray] Overview

Academy Award winner Robert Duvall (1983, Best Actor, Tender Mercies) is Felix Bush, the “Hermit of Caleb County,” a man so haunted by his secrets that he has lived in quiet desolation in the Tennessee backwoods for over 40 years. Realizing that he is near his own mortality, Bush decides to have a “living funeral party,” inviting people to tell their stories about him. Enlisting the help of Frank Quinn (Golden Globe winner Bill Murray, 2004, Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Lost in Translation) and Buddy Robinson (Lucas Black, Legion), Bush goes through a process of self-discovery, allowing him to deal with his past secrets, including ones involving old flame (and new widow) Mattie (Academy Award® winner Sissy Spacek, 1980, Best Actress, Coal Miner's Daughter).

Get Low [Blu-ray] Specifications

Comedies about death aren't exactly a novel proposition, but Get Low, which draws from a real 1930s incident, leaves the gallows humor behind for a lighter touch. After losing the love of his life 40 year before, Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) has lived like a hermit ever since. With death on the horizon and guilt weighing him down, the "crazy ol' nutter" decides to go out with a party. As he tells funeral director Frank Quinn (Bill Murray in top form), "Time for me to get low." Frank and his assistant, Buddy (Duvall's Sling Blade costar Lucas Black), find the request bizarre--since Felix plans to attend--but they can't afford to turn him down. Quips Quinn, "One thing about Chicago, people know how to die. People are dying in bunches, but not around here." So, they fit Felix for a suit, post invitations up around Caleb County, and set up a land raffle to encourage everyone to show. Before he leaves this mortal coil, Felix longs to hear the tall tales the town folk have been spreading about him. While preparing for the big day, he reconnects with Charlie (Bill Cobbs), a preacher, and Mattie (Sissy Spacek), an old flame who returned to the county after her husband's death. Their encounters, which have a gentle sweetness, encourage Felix to share the truth he's kept bottled up inside for decades. After that big buildup, his confession feels a little anticlimactic, but cinematographer-turned-director Aaron Schneider's affection for his characters always shines through. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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The Fountain (Widescreen Edition)

The Fountain (Widescreen Edition) Review

The Fountain (Widescreen Edition) Feature

• Yesterday, today, tomorrow. Past, present, future. Through time and space, one man embarks on a bold 1000-year odyssey to defeat humankind's most indomitable foe: Death.Hugh Jackman plays that man, devoted to one woman (Rachel Weisz) and determined to protect her from forces that threaten her existence. His quest leads him to a Tree of Life.and to an adventure into eternity. Darren Aronofsky (Pi,

The Fountain (Widescreen Edition) Overview

Yesterday, today, tomorrow. Past, present, future. Through time and space, one man embarks on a bold 1000-year odyssey to defeat humankind's most indomitable foe: Death. Hugh Jackman plays that man, devoted to one woman (Rachel Weisz) and determined to protect her from forces that threaten her existence. His quest leads him to a Tree of Life...and to an adventure into eternity. Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream) directs, continuing his string of imaginative, involving filmmaking with a tale alive with ideas and filled with astonishing vistas. "Not many films can blow your mind and break your heart at the same time, but this one will" (Drew McWeeny, Ain't It Cool News).

The Fountain (Widescreen Edition) Specifications

Science fiction and romance collide in The Fountain, the ambitious third feature from director Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream), who labored for four years to complete this epic-sized love story that stretches across centuries and galaxies. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz (Aronofsky's real-life companion) play lovers in each of the film's three settings--16th century Europe and America (Jackman is a Spanish explorer searching for Incan magic), the present day (Jackman is a doctor attempting to cure his dying wife), and the 26th century (Jackman is a space traveler seeking a gateway to the afterlife)-–who struggle mightily to stay united, only to lose each other time and again. Aronofsky may not have chosen the easiest presentation for audiences to absorb his theories on the lasting qualities of life and the transformative powers of death-–the final sequence, in particular, with a bald Jackman floating through space in a bubble, harks back uncomfortably to "head movies" of the late '60s-–but his leads have considerable chemistry (and look terrific to boot), which goes a long way towards securing viewers' hopes for a happy ending. Critical reception for The Fountain has been nothing short of bloodthirsty, with Cannes audiences booing, but there are elements to enjoy here, even if the premise throws one for a loop. Ellen Burstyn (who earned an Oscar nomination for Requiem) delivers a typically solid performance as Jackman's boss in the present day sequence, and special effects (most done without the benefit of CGI) are also impressive given the film's low budget (spurred by a mid-production shutdown after original stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett ankled the picture). And science-fiction fans whose tastes run towards the metaphysical (Asimov, Le Guin) will appreciate the attempt to present the genre in a serious light. --Paul Gaita

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 08, 2011 05:35:04

The Norman Conquests

The Norman Conquests Review

The Norman Conquests Overview

As seen on PBS

"Splendidly amusing" --The New York Times
"Hilarious" --The Washington Post

A tale of love, lust, and confusion seen from 3 sides…

Passions flare and tempers rise when three couples cross paths at a country house one weekend. It all begins with the arrival of Reg (Richard Briers, Good Neighbors) and his wife, Sarah (Penelope Keith, To the Manor Born). They’ve come to give Reg’s younger sister, Annie (Penelope Wilton, Match Point), a few days’ break from caring for their bedridden mother. However, Annie confides that she’s seeing someone--not Tom (David Troughton, Fingersmith), the single young vet who’s pursuing her, but her brother-in-law, Norman (Tom Conti, Shirley Valentine). Appalled, Sarah informs Norman’s wife, Ruth (Fiona Walker, I, Claudius)--and all hell breaks loose.

Emmy® nominated for best writing, this trilogy is adapted from the hit plays by Alan Ayckbourn. Designed to be watched in any order, it views the same course of events from three different vantage points. From Saturday evening to Monday morning, the action unfolds around the kitchen table, outside in the garden, and in the family room--each segment a masterful performance by a marvelous ensemble cast.

The Norman Conquests Specifications

Siblings and couples collide at a summer cottage in ITV's The Norman Conquests (which also aired on PBS). Playwright Alan Ayckbourn presents the scenario from the kitchen, garden, and family room. In Table Manners, Reg (Richard Briers, Monarch of the Glen) and his wife, Sarah (Penelope Keith, To the Manor Born), drop by to relieve his sister, Annie (Penelope Wilton, Downton Abbey), who's been looking after their mother. Sarah believes Annie carries a torch for humor-impaired vet Tom (David Troughton, New Tricks), which is true, but she's also been considering a tryst with Norman (Tom Conti, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence), who's married to her sister, Ruth (Fiona Walker, I, Claudius).

As Ayckbourn weaves from one conversation to the next--and the dandelion wine flows--it emerges that prim and proper Sarah and quick-witted Reg have seen better days. The same goes for bushy-haired Norman (a dead ringer for Serpico-era Al Pacino) and work-obsessed Ruth, which leads to a silent breakfast on Saturday, an awkward dinner on Sunday, and an ironic resolution on Monday. The other plays, Round and Round the Garden and Living Together, which also operate as independent entities, provide additional conversations, allowing for a fuller picture of the six protagonists.

Instead of opening up the set-bound sections, director Herbert Wise (I, Claudius) uses intense close-ups at key points. As with Ayckbourn's Intimate Exchanges, which became two films by Alain Resnais, the characters can be grating at first--as Norman tells Sarah, "You're like mild athlete's foot"--but start to feel like old friends once they reveal the different facets of their personalities. They may be exasperating, but they're also amusing and oddly likable, especially Norman, a master manipulator in the guise of a class clown. In 2009 Ayckbourn won a Tony Award for the Broadway revival. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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Criminal Minds: Fifth Season

Criminal Minds: Fifth Season Review

Criminal Minds: Fifth Season Feature

• Condition: Used, Good
• Format: DVD
• AC-3; Box set; Color; Dolby; DVD; Widescreen; NTSC

Criminal Minds: Fifth Season Overview

Criminal Minds revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most prominent agent is David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), a founding member of the BAU, who returns to help the team solve new cases, while pursuing some unfinished business of his own. Each member brings his or her own area of expertise to the table as they pinpoint predators' motivations and identify their emotional triggers in the attempt to stop them.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 06, 2011 03:40:05

What's Love Got To Do With It?

What's Love Got To Do With It? Review

What's Love Got To Do With It? Overview

Experience for yourself the powerful true-life story of Tina Turner -- rock 'n' roll's remarkable and talented superstar. Laurence Fishburne (THE MATRIX) and Angela Bassett (HOW STELLA GOT HER GROVE BACK) deliver winning performances as Ike and Tina Turner -- whose turbulent relationship eventually forces Tina to leave and face the fear, pay the price, and find the courage to believe in herself. Don't miss WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT -- the amazing and uplifting story of one of the world's most exciting, high-energy entertainers!

What's Love Got To Do With It? Specifications

Tina Turner, that dynamic diva of pop/soul/R&B from the '60s to the '90s, sings like a woman whose life story is every bit as rough and tough as her voice. And What's Love Got to Do With It, based on her autobiographical account (in I, Tina, written with Kurt Loder) of her years under the iron fist of her abusive husband and musical partner/Svengali Ike, is further proof of what we've always known about Tina: She's what you call a survivor. The movie is sort of the Disney version of Tina Turner's story--a glossy but thoroughly enjoyable, old-fashioned showbiz biopic with laughs, tears, great music, and outrageous (but faithful) period decor, costumes, makeup, and hairstyles. Our Heroine triumphs not only over the rigorous demands of her career in the music business, but finally manages to bust out of her troubled, violent marriage as well and become her own person. This is a movie that'll have you shouting at the top of your lungs: "You go, girl!" --Jim Emerson

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 02, 2011 07:35:04