Library

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: Cunning. Devious. Dangerous. Treacherous.

Summary: Lightly enjoyable but a disappointment in the context of author Leslie Charteris's popular character, the Saint--who has been played by several actors, most notably George Sanders--this 1997 film is more in keeping with the requirements of high-octane contemporary action than it is the requirements of a particular legacy. Val Kilmer plays Simon Templar, the mercenary spy, who is hired to steal a fusion formula but falls in love with the scientist (Elisabeth Shue) who cooked it up. Kilmer's portrayal bears little resemblance to Charteris's rakish hero, and the film itself becomes increasingly improbable and ponderous the longer it goes on. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: The ultimate in terror!

Summary: The vampiric Stephen King tale returns to the small screen, 25 years after the first made-for-TV "Salem's Lot", a Tobe Hooper-directed ratings hit. This time it's Rob Lowe as a successful writer who returns to his haunted hometown. As a kid, something awful happened to him in the spooky mansion on the hill; now that he's back, the mansion is once again buzzing with evil portents. The physical production (shot in Australia) is convincing, and it's fun to see old pros such as Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer, and James Cromwell cutting up in juicy roles. The storytelling, however, feels oddly disjointed, as though King's sprawl had been arbitrarily hacked away rather than adapted (a few big moments are bewilderingly left offscreen). The approach misses the basic assets of a vampire story: the disbelief, the lore, the sex appeal. Instead, it feels like a random collection of bits for short attention spans. "--Robert Horton"

Languages: English, German, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: It's almost impossible to describe "The Savages" in a way that makes it sound as richly engaging and enjoyable as it is. The story sounds bleak: Two unhappy siblings--Wendy (Laura Linney, "You Can Count on Me") and Jon Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote")--are forced to grapple with their dying father (Philip Bosco, "Damages") as he slips into dementia. But this spare outline doesn't capture the wealth of human detail that the script and performances contain. Linney and Hoffman vividly portray the sort of cluttered, precarious relationship that brothers and sisters can have, thick with past grievances but also unspoken affections and connections that can't even be articulated. As Wendy and Jon struggle to make some kind of peace with their difficult father, watching these wonderfully understated yet compelling actors is a pleasure unto itself. But the script and direction deserve these actors; filmmaker Tamara Jenkins ("Slums of Beverly Hills") finds honest emotion and sly, sideways humor in the starkness of mortality. She doesn't force any easy epiphanies on her story, but lets the characters find solace through their own clumsy efforts. Anyone who appreciates the messiness of humanity--the territory that Hollywood movies seem to have surrendered to smart indie films like "The Squid and the Whale", "Little Children", or "The Good Girl"--will find "The Savages" a smart, genuine, and empathic portrait of life. --"Bret Fetzer"


Beyond "The Savages"
More from Laura Linney
More from Philip Seymour Hoffman
More Comedies from Fox

Stills from "The Savages"

Languages: Czech, English, French, German

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: In the Last Great Invasion of the Last Great War, The Greatest Danger for Eight Men was Saving... One.

Summary: When Steven Spielberg was an adolescent, his first home movie was a backyard war film. When he toured Europe with "Duel" in his 20s, he saw old men crumble in front of headstones at Omaha Beach. That image became the opening scene of "Saving Private Ryan", his film of a mission following the D-day invasion that many have called the most realistic--and maybe the best--war film ever. With 1998 production standards, Spielberg has been able to create a stunning, unparalleled view of war as hell. We are at Omaha Beach as troops are slaughtered by Germans yet overcome the almost insurmountable odds.
A stalwart Tom Hanks plays Captain Miller, a soldier's soldier, who takes a small band of troops behind enemy lines to retrieve a private whose three brothers have recently been killed in action. It's a public relations move for the Army, but it has historical precedent dating back to the Civil War. Some critics of the film have labeled the central characters stereotypes. If that is so, this movie gives stereotypes a good name: Tom Sizemore as the deft sergeant, Edward Burns as the hotheaded Private Reiben, Barry Pepper as the religious sniper, Adam Goldberg as the lone Jew, Vin Diesel as the oversize Private Caparzo, Giovanni Ribisi as the soulful medic, and Jeremy Davies, who as a meek corporal gives the film its most memorable performance.
The movie is as heavy and realistic as Spielberg's Oscar-winning "Schindler's List", but it's more kinetic. Spielberg and his ace technicians (the film won five Oscars: editing (Michael Kahn), cinematography (Janusz Kaminski), sound, sound effects, and directing) deliver battle sequences that wash over the eyes and hit the gut. The violence is extreme but never gratuitous. The final battle, a dizzying display of gusto, empathy, and chaos, leads to a profound repose. "Saving Private Ryan" touches us deeper than "Schindler" because it succinctly links the past with how we should feel today. It's the film Spielberg was destined to make. "--Doug Thomas"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Death is a shortcut (Denmark)

Summary: Two men wake up at opposite sides of a dirty, disused bathroom, chained by their ankles to pipes. Between them lies a dead man loosely clutching a hand-held tape player and a handgun. Each finds a tape the perfect fit for the player in their back pocket. They play the tapes. One is threatened, the other isn't. But they have a task: One must kill the other by 6:00, or his wife and daughter will die. They find hacksaws in a toilet, and try to cut the chains, but it doesn't work. They are the two newest victims of the Jigsaw Killer. In a flashback, we learn of Amanda, a girl who falls victim to the Jigsaw Killer. On her head is a mask, which is hooked into her lower jaw. There is a timer on it. Only one key will unlock it, and that key is in the digestive tract of her cell mate who lies paralyzed on the opposite side of the room. If she doesn't unlock the mask in time, her lower jaw will be ripped wide open. She survives, but her cell mate doesn't. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn of more victims, and of the nearly-successful capture of the Jigsaw Killer, who doesn't actually kill his victims. Instead, he finds ways to make them kill either themselves, or each other, and he thinks the entire 'game' out perfectly, with no other ways out. Or so it would seem.

Languages: English

Comments: We Dare You Again...

Summary: I don't know what the All Music Guide's Jeremy Wheeler finds implausible about the original Saw's finale, as the final two to five minutes (for me) revealed the sheer twisted, diabolical genius of Leigh's script. The denouement basically catapulted the film head and shoulders above any other horror movie I've ever seen (prompting multiple rewinds), breaking out of its genre and entering my shortlist of "recent classics". By attempting to echo the previous film's ending without as much substance, "Saw II" pales in comparison. Slightly.
(And not to reveal any surprises, but a certain element central to "Saw II" makes the previous ending much more plausible, if one notices it. I risk spoiling the movie if I say any more.)
Now, on to "Saw II": yes, this movie's ending attempts to treat the viewer to another quick-resolving ending, in which details are given in machine-gun fashion so that all is revealed... only this time, nothing is as amazingly brilliant. The first movie left us with more questions than answers. The second answers most of those questions, then just doesn't bring more up. While "Saw"'s puzzles and games seemed terrifyingly impossible to win, "Saw II" left me wanting to slap the participants silly, asking "How _could_ you?" Throughout the film, clues are laid out for most of the puzzles... yet the clues, in plain sight, go by unnoticed by the participants. Adrenaline? Fear? Distrust of their captor? This, combined with the ending, makes it impossible for me to give this film five stars.
Still, four stars as a film rating isn't shabby. The movie shocks and makes blood curdle by playing on many of our common fears. Take away the situation and put the same elements in, and many of us would still squirm in our seats. My fear is that "Saw II"'s partial use of "slasher gore" tactics (which, on the other hand, may increase delight from viewers who love watching slasher-type films) risks pointing the way to much more commonplace, and therefore mundane, "Saw" films to come.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Suffering? You haven't seen anything yet...

Summary: The third installment of the 'Saw' series comes at a time when blood and gore seem to be ruling theaters. However, this series is one of the few that can successfully mix both gore and intelligent story lines. This third piece of the puzzle is fantastic because it keeps you engrossed from beginning to end. Also they somehow one again managed to create a twist for the ending that completly changes what you believed throughout the whole film. The acting is superb, unlike other new horrors such as 'The Descent' and 'Hostel'. If you are a fan of the series than there is no way you can pass on this terrific DVD.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: It's a Trap

Summary: Wow...what a splendid film!!! I personally thought it was the best out of the series...It kind of gave the audience info on how he got to be "mad"...About what happened to Jill and all...I think every Saw film was worth the watch, if not worth the purchase...This was the first Saw film I saw in theatres and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!! Just because the "traps" weren't so gruesome doesn't mean the film is the worst of it's trilogy...Cant wait until the 5th one comes out..

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: You won't believe how it ends.

Summary: How do you keep a horror franchise going when your villain has been unquestionably and irrevocably killed off? That's a conundrum any number of genre series have tackled--to varying degrees of success--and the problem facing the sadistic Saw films in its latest entry, Saw V. The filmmakers' answer--faithful henchmen--is at first blush a savvy idea, as it allows the mayhem of original bad guy Jigsaw to continue unabated, despite the fact that he was dissected on a morgue slab in the previous film. Saw V extends the premise by having disgraced detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor from the previous two films) don the pig mask to unleash horrific tortures on another group of seemingly unconnected strangers. Scott Patterson (Aliens in America) also returns as Hoffman's Javert, a dogged fellow agent who escapes death in the fourth film and an ugly fate in this entry to continue his pursuit. All the elements that have made the Saw series popular with horror fans--the elaborate killing machines, the trompe l'oeil plotting, and the sociopathic judgments handed down by Jigsaw--are intact in Saw V, which is a positive for its most faithful followers, but a negative for just about everyone else. Saw V covers no new ground, expands no part of the mythology of the series and seems perfectly content to present a lifeless retread of Saw III and IV. It also suffers from the absence of Tobin Bell as Jigsaw, who despite his top billing, is glimpsed only in brief flashbacks. Bell, who could be unsettling even in the stillest moments, gave the series a gravity that kept its least plausible moments in check, and Mandylor, though game, simply cannot provide the same. What's left is dreary and relentlessly downbeat, and to make matters worse, ends on an open note that clearly indicates that a sixth film is in the works, no matter how obvious that the diabolical ingenuity of the original Saw has been worn to the bone by its sequels. Only diehard Saw fans need to sign up for this round of Jigsaw's games. -- Paul Gaita


Beyond Saw V on DVD
Saw 1-4 (Amazon.com Exclusive) on DVD
Saw V the Soundtrack

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: What Does A Scanner See?

Summary: How well you respond to Richard Linklater's "A Scanner Darkly" depends on how much you know about the life and work of celebrated science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. While it qualifies as a faithful adaptation of Dick's semiautobiographical 1977 novel about the perils of drug abuse, Big Brother-like surveillance and rampant paranoia in a very near future ("seven years from now"), this is still very much a Linklater film, and those two qualities don't always connect effectively. The creepy potency of Dick's premise remains: The drug war's been lost, citizens are kept under rigid surveillance by holographic scanning recorders, and a schizoid addict named Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is facing an identity crisis he's not even aware of: Due to his voluminous intake of the highly addictive psychotropic drug Substance D, Arctor's brain has been split in two, each hemisphere functioning separately. So he doesn't know that he's also Agent Fred, an undercover agent assigned to infiltrate Arctor's circle of friends (played by Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, Rory Cochrane, and Robert Downey, Jr.) to track down the secret source of Substance D. As he wears a "scramble suit" that constantly shifts identities and renders Agent Fred/Arctor into "the ultimate everyman," Dick's drug-addled antihero must come to grips with a society where, as the movie's tag-line makes clear, "everything is not going to be OK."
While it's virtually guaranteed to achieve some kind of cult status, "A Scanner Darkly" lacks the paranoid intensity of Dick's novel, and Linklater's established penchant for loose and loopy dialogue doesn't always work here, with an emphasis on drug-culture humor instead of the panicked anxiety that Dick's novel conveys. As for the use of "interpolated rotoscoping"--the technique used to apply shifting, highly stylized animation over conventional live-action footage--it's purely a matter of personal preference. The film's look is appropriate to Dick's dark, cautionary story about the high price of addiction, but it also robs performances of nuance and turns the seriousness of Dick's story into... well, a cartoon. Opinions will differ, but "A Scanner Darkly" is definitely worth a look--or two, if the mind-rattling plot doesn't sink in the first time around. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital

Comments: More Merciless. More Shameless.

Summary: The Wayans Brothers return with another horror-flick parody, this one taking shots at "The Exorcist", "Hannibal", and "House on Haunted Hill", along with non-horror fare like "Charlie's Angels". In addition to gags (and I do mean "gag") about innumerable bodily functions, there are slyer jabs at Thomas Jefferson and "Raging Bull". As in "Scary Movie", the strongest humor comes from making fun of the inane behavior of characters in horror movies. Assisting Shawn and Marlon Wayans are Anna Faris, Kathleen Robertson (in the Carmen Electra role, providing the T&A), and David Cross, as well as Tori Spelling, Chris Elliott, James Woods (as an exorcist with bowel trouble), Andy Richter, and poor Tim Curry, who probably never thought his career would come to this. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Reload for a third shot

Summary: This freewheeling parody tosses horror movies, Eminem, "The Matrix", and much more into a cinematic blender. "Scary Movie 3" centers around Cindy (Anna Faris, "Lost in Translation"), a bubble-headed young newscaster who believes that a deadly videotape has some mysterious connection to the aliens who've been making crop circles in the cornfield of a local farmer (Charlie Sheen, "Young Guns"), whose brother (Simon Rex) hopes to win a local rap contest. Along for the ride are Queen Latifah, George Carlin, Anthony Anderson, Pamela Anderson, Jenny McCarthy, Jeremy Piven, Camryn Manheim, Ja Rule, dozens of rap stars, and Leslie Nielsen as the President of the U.S. No need to have seen the first two "Scary Movie" flicks--though a few of the characters recur, the movie leapfrogs from gag to goofy gag, plundering "The Ring", "Signs", and "The Others" as needed. Silly and slapdash, but with a decent dose of laughs. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital

Comments: They're coming. We need your support.

Summary: The 'Scary Movie' gang is back for their funniest, most fearless installment yet, featuring an avalanche of hysterical celebrity cameos, including Carmen Electra, Charlie Sheen, Dr. Phil, Shaquille O'Neal, and Lil' John, plus many more fun surprises! This time, the lovable, dim-witted Cindy (Anna Faris) and her overheated pal Brenda (Regina Hall) return to help clueless hero Tom (Craig Bierko) save the world from a ruthless alien invasion. In true 'Scary Movie' tradition, the story weaves through a series of hilarious and twisted parodies of movies like 'War of the Worlds', 'The Grudge', 'The Village', and 'Saw'. In 'Scary Movie 4', nothing - and we mean NOTHING - is off limits!

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Too nice? Too honest? Too *you*? Help is on the way.

Summary: "School for Scoundrels" is the kind of stupid-fun comedy for which the phrase "Wait for the DVD" was invented. Like a lot of its jokes, it fell flat in its brief theatrical release, but there's enough funny stuff here to warrant a look, especially if you enjoyed writer-director Todd Phillips' previous films "Old School" and "Road Trip". Of course, Phillips also directed the comedy remake of "Starsky and Hutch", so you know there's going to be as many misses as hits in the movie's constant barrage of slapstick, insults, and tasteless gags. Loosely inspired by the 1960 British comedy directed by Robert Hamer, this crudely Americanized version finds a meek and geeky parking-meter reader named Roger ("Napoleon Dynamite"'s John Heder) looking for love and not getting any, so he enrolls in a confidence-building school led by Dr. P (Billy Bob Thornton), who turns out to be Roger's #1 rival in his quest to win the heart of Amanda (Jacinda Barrett), Roger's cute Australian neighbor and the would-be girl of his dreams. As an escalating war of one-upmanship in which Roger's quick learning provokes Dr. P's competitive instincts, "School for Scoundrels" isn't exactly a laff-riot, but it's got some aces up its sleeve that make it worthwhile, like a crazed appearance by Ben Stiller, a fun if not-always-funny supporting cast (Michael Clark Duncan, Horatio Sanz, Todd Louiso) and a pair of stars who work well together as comedic opposites in the game of love. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Don't Answer The Phone. Don't Open The Door. Don't Try To Escape.

Summary: With the smash hit "Scream", novice screenwriter Kevin Williamson and veteran horror director Wes Craven ("A Nightmare on Elm Street") revived the moldering corpse of the teen horror picture, both creatively and commercially, by playfully acknowledging the exhausted clichés and then turning them inside out. "Scream" is a postmodern slasher movie, a horror film that cleverly deconstructs horror films, then reassembles the dead tissue, and (like Frankenstein's monster) creates new life. When a serial killer starts hacking up their fellow teens, the media-savvy youngsters of "Scream" realize that the smartest way of sticking around for the sequel is to avoid the terminal behaviors that inevitably doom supporting players in the movies. They've seen all the movies, and the rules of the genre are like second nature to them. One of the scariest/funniest setups features a kid watching John Carpenter's seminal "Halloween" on video. As Jamie Lee Curtis is shadowed by Michael Meyers and the kid on the couch yells at her to turn around, Craven reverses his camera and we see that the kid should be taking his own advice. The fresh-faced young cast (including Drew Barrymore, Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette) is fun to watch, and their tart dialogue is sprinkled with enough archly self-conscious pop-culture references to make Quentin Tarantino blush. The digital video disc includes an audio commentary by director Craven. "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital

Comments: Jemand ist mit seiner Liebe zu Fortsetzungen einen Schritt zu weit gegangen. (Somebody has taken his love for sequels one step too far.)

Summary: To repeat the phenomenal success of their collaboration on 1996's hit thriller "Scream", horror maven Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson did a fair amount of recycling (same movie, slightly different situations), but this sequel comes surprisingly close to matching its popular predecessor. Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy, and Liev Schreiber reprise their roles from "Scream", and this time they're caught in a new cycle of murders near a college campus, just as the slasher movie "Stab" (based on the events from "Scream") is about to make its local premiere. That's the setup for another frantic guessing game involving a number of possible suspects, and the mystery is fatally complicated by the reappearance of the eerily masked killer from the first film. Who's under the mask? Craven and Williamson set up a roller-coaster series of wild plot twists and deadly encounters, and the snappy dialogue once again caters to those in the know about fright flicks, sequels, and all the movie rules that do (and sometimes don't) apply to the escalating body count. Featuring several scenes that will have you biting your nails and gripping your seat, this movie's an exception to the rule--a sequel that beats the odds to satisfy its target audience. Everyone else--you've been warned! "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Ihr habt gelacht. Ihr habt geschrien.Und jetzt....seid Ihr dran! (You have laughed.You have screamed. And now...your time has come!)

Summary: When Randy the video geek rattles off the rules of surviving a horror movie in Wes Craven's "Scream", he speaks for a generation of filmgoers who are all too aware of slasher movie clichés. Playfully scripted by Kevin Williamson with a self-aware wink and more than a few nods to its grandfathers (from "Psycho" to "Halloween" to the "Friday the 13th" dynasty), "Scream" skewers teen horror conventions with loving reverence while re-creating them in a modern, movie-savvy context. And so goes the series, which continues the satirical spoofing by tackling (what else?) sequels while sustaining its own self-contained mythology. Catty reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) turns grisly murders into lurid bestsellers, a cult of killer wannabes continues to hunt spunky psycho-survivor Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) for their 15 minutes of fame, and a cheesy movie series ("Stab") develops within the movie series.
"Scream" remains the high point of the series--a fresh take on a genre long since collapsed into routine, but "Scream 2" spoofs itself with witty humor ("Why would anyone want to do that? Sequels suck!" opines college film student Randy), and delights with more elaborate set pieces and all-new rules for surviving a horror movie sequel. The endangered veterans of the original film reunite one last time for "Scream 3", which plays out on the movie set of "Stab 3". (It's a trilogy within a trilogy!) With Williamson gone, replacement screenwriter Ehran Kruger tries to mine the formula one more time. It's a little tired by now, and pale imitations ("Urban Legend", "I Know What You Did Last Summer") have further drained the zeitgeist, but the film bubbles with bright humor, and director Craven is stylistically at the top of his game. As a trilogy, it remains both the most consistently entertaining and self-aware horror series ever made. "--Sean Axmaker"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Bill Murray is back among the ghosts. Only this time, it's three against one.

Summary: Most critics couldn't get behind Bill Murray's modern retelling of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol", finding it too unfocused at times and not nearly wicked enough. Still, if you're a Murray fan, you have to enjoy his deliciously nasty portrayal of the world's meanest TV executive, who has his cathartic moment one cold Christmas night in New York City. The various ghosts lead him on a ghost-town tour of Manhattan, with stops at holidays past, present, and future and a Kumbaya moment when Al Green and Annie Lennox sing "Put a Little Love in Your Heart." The effects are otherworldly, but one wishes the writing were as sharp as Murray's edgy portrayal. "--Marshall Fine"

Summary:

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: DTS

Comments: Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to light.

Summary: A film about two homicide detectives' desperate hunt for a serial killer who justifies his crimes as absolution for the world's ignorance of the Seven Deadly Sins. The movie takes us from the tortured remains of one victim to the next as the sociopathic "John Doe" sermonizes to Detectives Sommerset and Mills -- one sin at a time. The sin of Gluttony comes first and the murderer's terrible capacity is graphically demonstrated in the dark and subdued tones characteristic of film noir. The seasoned and cultured Sommerset researches the Seven Deadly Sins in an effort to understand the killer's modus operandi while green Detective Mills scoffs at his efforts to get inside the mind of a killer...

Sound: Stereo

Comments: Feeling Protected Is Very Seductive

Summary: Shadowboxer is an emotionally-charged, full-throttle thriller, which delves deep into the harsh underworld of organized crime and uncovers the complex lives of trained assassins, Mikey (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and Rose (Helen Mirren). But when a brutal crime boss wants his wife dead, Rose decides against killing the pregnant woman. Instead, the three begin a harrowing life on the run. Driven by fierce love, Rose and Mikey protect their adopted family from present danger looking to redeem their tragic past.

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: The Biggest Love Story Ever Told.

Summary: Coming from the creators of "Dumb & Dumber" and "There's Something About Mary", the sensitivity of "Shallow Hal" seems like a minor miracle. The codirecting Farrelly brothers haven't forsaken their lowbrow inclinations, but this clever romantic fantasy offers unexpected substance with the same comedic effrontery that made the Farrellys famous. Their antihero is Hal (Jack Black), whose fixation on beautiful women is reversed (after an encounter with self-help guru Tony Robbins) so he can see only the "inner" beauty of "undesirables" like his new girlfriend Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow), now gorgeous in Hal's eyes despite being grossly obese. The movie's handling of this conundrum is sweetly sincere, poking fun at social prejudices while validating those (overweight, homely, disabled) who are often heartbroken by Hal's brand of shallowness. The concept won't hold up to scrutiny (i.e., the movie trades one set of stereotypes for another), but "Shallow Hal" works as an often hilarious reminder that "physical" beauty is only skin deep. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: In fall, a new school will rule.

Summary: When a shark accidentally clobbers himself, a small fish named Oscar (voiced by Will Smith, "I, Robot") just happens to be around, prompting everyone to believe that he killed the shark himself. This lie soon makes Oscar a celebrity, worshipped by the general mass of fish, wooed by a glittering golddigger (Angelina Jolie, "Girl, Interrupted"), missed by his best friend (Renee Zellweger, "Cold Mountain")--and hunted by the godfather of great whites (Robert De Niro, "Goodfellas"). Can a vegetarian shark named Lenny (Jack Black, "School of Rock") get Oscar out of this mess? The formulaic story of "Shark Tale" never reaches the giddy heights of Pixar's output ("Finding Nemo", "Monsters Inc.", "Toy Story") or the freewheeling comedy of "Shrek", but it's capably told and impeccably animated--the sheer technical skill is stunning. Kids won't get the mobster jokes or the other pop-culture references, but they'll enjoy it nonetheless. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Pierce Brosnan takes a step away from James Bond with his malevolent role in "Shattered". Neil Randall (Gerard Butler) seems a loving father and the perfect husband for his happy wife Abby (Maria Bello). But when the two leave their daughter with a babysitter and drive off, a man with a gun (Brosnan) appears in their backseat and puts them through a series of tests that threaten to destroy their marriage. "Shattered" is a taut little thriller that comes to a not entirely satisfying end; once we learn what's behind the kidnapper's games, the air goes out of the movie. But as it goes along, "Shattered" has a lot of momentum, mystery, and tension, and the solid cast keeps the emotions gritty and intense. Brosnan works his steely-eyed squint, Butler practically foams at the mouth with repressed rage, and Bello manages to be frightened, determined, and sexy, all at the same time. Keep your expectations low and "Shattered" will be an enjoyable thriller. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: It's just one of those days when you're feeling a little...dead.

Summary: Zombies are one of those horror staples that have gotten putrid, after one too many idiotic blood'n'gore-fests with a revolting script. Like poor Dracula, they run out of things to do.

But zombie films are revitalized by the wickedly funny "Shaun of the Dead," a tale of music, love, pubs, and the slobbering undead. In the vein of Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive," it's full of twisted humour, funny dialogue and plenty of gore.

Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Ed (Nick Frost) are the poster boys for adolescentus slackeritis, living in a London flat with their peeved roommate Pete, who has actually grown up and gotten a real job. Ed plays video games all day, and Shaun's immaturity has just gotten him dumped by his long-suffering girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield).

Wrapped up in his love life woes, Shaun fails to notice a little news item: Human beings all over London are transforming into zombies. At first, Shaun obliviously drowns his sorrows, and has a nasty encounter when he goes to pick up a soda. Now he must mend his relationship with Liz and defend himself and his family from the hordes of ravenous zombies... by barricading them in a pub.

"Shaun" makes the whole genre seem fresh just because it doesn't take itself seriously. The heroes don't even have guns (since the UK public don't get them), and so our heroes fend off the zombies with vinyl records, shovels and cricket bats. That gives an idea of how serious this movie is.

"Shaun of the Dead" isn't so much a zombie movie as a love story with zombies -- a very funny one, with lots of gore. We're treated to slackers in love, Shaun drifting obliviously around London withoutn noticing the undead, and some very entertaining dialogue ("Just look at the face: it's vacant, with a hint of sadness. Like a drunk who's lost a bet...")

Later on, he's forced to shake off his obliviousness in order to save his loved ones, with a bat as his only weapon. And maybe some commandos in a tank. It's gory, and the ending gets a bit cliched and overserious, but the ride up until then is wonderfully scripted and full of hilarious crude comic moments. Not sex-organ/bathroom humor, but definitely not highbrow.

Everybody knows guys like Shaun and Ed. Pegg perfectly plays a slacker with a heart of gold, who would like to be more than he is, but doesn't have the slightest clue how to go about it. Frost is a good annoying sidekick for Shaun, and Ashfield does a good job as the long-suffering girlfriend.

As a bonus, music geeks will laugh themselves silly over such important decisions as: which albums should our reluctant heroes throw at the zombies? "Stone Roses?" "No." "...Second Coming?" "I liked it." "Dire Straits?" "Chuck it!" Good choice, Shaun m'boy.

While it's a hilarious movie, it's not a spoof -- rather it's a zombie movie with wit, love and comedy. By not taking itself too seriously, "Shaun of the Dead" ends up revitalizing a genre that seemed like it was... well, almost dead.

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.

Summary: When this popular prison drama was released in 1994, some critics complained that the movie was too long (142 minutes) to sustain its story. Those complaints miss the point, because the passage of time is crucial to this story about patience, the squeaky wheels of justice, and the growth of a life-long friendship. Only when the film reaches its final, emotionally satisfying scene do you fully understand why writer-director Frank Darabont (adapting a novella by Stephen King) allows the story to unfold at its necessary pace, and the effect is dramatically rewarding. Tim Robbins plays a banker named Andy who's sent to Shawshank Prison on a murder charge, but as he gets to know a life-term prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman), we realize there's reason to believe the banker's crime was justifiable. We also realize that Andy's calm, quiet exterior hides a great reserve of patience and fortitude, and Red comes to admire this mild-mannered man who first struck him as weak and unfit for prison life. So it is that "The Shawshank Redemption" builds considerable impact as a prison drama that defies the conventions of the genre (violence, brutality, riots) to illustrate its theme of faith, friendship, and survival. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor, and Screenplay, it's a remarkable film that signaled the arrival of a promising new filmmaker--a film that many movie lovers count among their all-time favorites. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Italian

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: I'm a British nanny and I'm dangerous.

Summary: Every action movie has a moment so over the top you have to laugh; "Shoot 'Em Up" consists of nothing but these moments. A carrot-eating, lone wolf kind of guy named Smith (Clive Owen, "Children of Men", "Inside Man") steps in to protect a pregnant woman from a gunman--and finds himself, with the aid of a lactating prostitute (Monica Belluci, "The Matrix Revisited"), defending the newborn child from a sleazy contract killer Mr. Hertz (Paul Giamatti, "American Splendor", "Sideways") and his army of thugs. That's pretty much the plot, but story is beside the point. Writer/director Michael Davis ("Monster Man") has a keen sense of what matters in an action movie. The rapid-fire editing is scrupulously coherent; you always grasp what happened in every shoot-out, even if it flagrantly violates the laws of physics or basic plausibility. Explaining how Smith survives a four-story fall--even if that explanation is beyond ridiculous--demonstrates both a sense of wit and a winking respect for the audience's imagination. As a result, "Shoot 'Em Up" is ten times more entertaining than the likes of "Transformers" or "Rush Hour 3", movies so self-satisfied with special effects or movie stars that they forgot to be fun. ("Shoot 'Em Up"'s only weakness is a sliver of misogyny, the one action movie cliche that it's not clever enough to transcend.) "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Sound: SDDS

Comments: Yesterday was about honor. Today is about justice.

Summary: After his unit leaves him and his best friend Donnie, to die in Ethiopia, former military sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) goes in exile in the Rockies. Three years later, he gets coaxed back into action by Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover) who requests that he finds a way to plan the President's assassination in one of three cities.
In the end, Bob Lee is double-crossed and framed for the attempt. Soon he becomes a fugitive trying to prove his innocence.
Naive cop Nick Memphis (Michael Peña) just "knows" Bob Lee's not responsible for the events. Even though he's on the verge of getting fired, he still wants to help Bob Lee as much as possible.
Together they will find the truth.

Wahlberg shows signs of good acting.
I felt that Danny Glover spoke like Daffy Duck, it was hard to understand him at times.
Peña is excellent as the naive police officer.

The shots with heads and arms flying all over are well made and impressive.

The script is believable. Bob Lee obviously has no respect for the government, and it is even more apparent when he realizes he's been set up. Even better, Bob Lee was trained to kill, but also how remove weapons from people's hands in order to survive.

An engaging, enjoyable movie with a lot of action.

Languages: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Something wonderful has happened... Number Five is alive!

Summary: John Badham's family-oriented adventure comedy, though obviously hatched in the wake of "E.T." and "Star Wars", manages to create its own identity through a sweet tone and an affectionate sense of fun. Military robot Number 5, a well-armed killing machine, is zapped by lightning during a test and emerges with a consciousness, curiosity, a wacky sense of humor, and a new peace-loving philosophy. Ally Sheedy (who debuted in Badham's hit "WarGames") is the animal lover whose home is sanctuary for a zoo-full of strays and who adopts the adolescent robot. Steve Guttenberg is the goofy but reclusive robotics designer who goes off in search of his creation to save him from the gun-happy army. The mix of gentle slapstick and innocent romance makes for a harmless family comedy. It veers toward the terminally cute, what with 5's hyperactive antics and E.T.-ish voice, and the mangled grammar of Guttenberg's East Indian sidekick (Fisher Stevens) threatens to become offensive, but Badham's breezy direction keeps the film on track. Sheedy and Guttenberg deliver spirited and engaging performances, but most importantly the robot emerges as a real person. Give credit to designer Syd Mead, an army of puppeteers and robotics operators, and the cartoony voice of Tim Blaney: Number 5 is alive. "--Sean Axmaker"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: The greatest fairy tale never told.

Summary: William Steig's delightfully fractured fairy tale is the right stuff for this computer-animated adaptation full of verve and wit. Our title character (voiced by Mike Myers) is an agreeable enough ogre who wants to live his days in peace. When the diminutive Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) evicts local fairy-tale creatures (including the now-famous Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and the Gingerbread Man), they settle in the ogre's swamp and Shrek wants answers from Farquaad. A quest of sorts starts for Shrek and his new pal, a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy), where battles have to be won and a princess (Cameron Diaz) must be rescued from a dragon lair in a thrilling action sequence. The story is stronger than most animated fare, but it's the humor that makes "Shrek" a winner. The PG rating is stretched when Murphy and Myers hit their strides. The mild potty humor is fun enough for 10-year-olds but will never embarrass their parents. "Shrek" is never as warm and inspired as the "Toy Story" films, but the realistic computer animation and a rollicking soundtrack keep the entertainment in fine form. Produced by DreamWorks, the film also takes several delicious stabs at its crosstown rival, Disney. "--Doug Thomas"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: In summer 2004, they're back for more....

Summary: The lovably ugly green ogre returns with his green bride and furry, hooved friend in "Shrek 2". The newlywed Shrek and Princess Fiona are invited to Fiona's former kingdom, Far Far Away, to have the marriage blessed by Fiona's parents--which Shrek thinks is a bad, bad idea, and he's proved right: The parents are horrified by their daughter's transformation into an ogress, a fairy godmother wants her son Prince Charming to win Fiona, and a feline assassin is hired to get Shrek out of the way. The computer animation is more detailed than ever, but it's the acting that make the comedy work--in addition to the return of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz, "Shrek 2" features the flexible voices of Julie Andrews ("Mary Poppins"), John Cleese ("Monty Python's Flying Circus"), Antonio Banderas ("Desperado"), and Jennifer Saunders ("Absolutely Fabulous") as the gleefully wicked fairy godmother. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Who's ready for Thirds?

Summary: My kids had a good time with this while I enjoyed it mildly. To be fair, from a story standpoint, this doesn't drop the ball quite like 2004's "Shrek 2" but is something that the whole family can enjoy, as there's plenty of obvious humor for the kids, as well as more subtle, subversive humor for the adults. The voice acting is up to par for both Myers and Murphy who are excellent as Shrek and Donkey. There's an ease about their performances that no doubt comes from long familiarity with the characters and with each other - this is the third installment, after all - that communicates the friendship between Shrek and Donkey to the audience, making the film that much more fun to watch. Add in Banderas' excellent performance as Puss in Boots, and you've got a real winning combination. Justin Timberlake, as King Artie, meshed surprisingly well with the act of those who had been through the previous two.



"Shrek the Third" found some room for a story about personal responsibility and impending fatherhood, themes that are new to the series. That's not to say it's a story well-told; too often does the movie seem to try and manipulate an emotional response from us in tried and true ways (a melancholy song or quick change of mood) that is counteractive from the original's genuine charm and feeling. Gone is director Andrew Adamson- off making the second "Chronicles of Narnia" film, and his intelligent feel for the material is missed as co-directors Chris Miller and Raman Hui- working with an army of four screenwriters- go through the motions of telling the story, with predictable plot devices and easy jokes (some of which are funny, but not enough) while introducing new characters (like Eric Idle's inspired Merlin) and finding room for old favorites (Pinocchio and Gingerbread Man) at the service of a story that's just good enough to keep people in their seats. I suppose the curse of the third-film letdown could strike "Shrek" as it has so many- artistically, it already has- but come on, this is summer, this is a "Shrek" movie, and it's got just enough of what its' target audience wants to keep them coming back for more come, what, 2010?



I'd be enjoying the franchise a lot more if it were offering anything new artistically (not complaining about the animation here; it's spectacular without calling attention to itself (Happy Feet- call it a quiet confidence); but at least their rivals at Pixar do sequels for the right reasons- they have a darn good story to tell (anyone else excited about "Toy Story 3" being written by "Little Miss Sunshine" Oscar winner Michael Arndt?). Dreamworks is just padding the bottom line on a blockbuster franchise. Other than that, it's still worth your time and your money for the sake of the kids.

Languages: English, French, Russian, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: This might hurt a little.

Summary: "SiCKO" is more like a controlled howl of protest than a documentary. Toning down the rhetoric of past efforts--no CEOs, congressmen, or celebrities were accosted in the making of this film--Michael Moore's latest provocation is just as heartfelt, if not more heartbreaking. As he clarifies from the outset, his subject isn't the 45 million Americans without insurance, but those whose coverage has failed to meet their needs. He starts by speaking with patients who've been denied life-saving procedures, like chemotherapy, for the most spurious of reasons. Then he travels to Canada, England, and France to see if socialized medicine is as inefficient as U.S. politicians like to claim--especially those who receive funding from pharmaceutical companies. Moore finds quality care available to all, regardless as to income. He concludes with a stunt that made headlines when he assembles a group of 9/11 rescue workers suffering from a variety of afflictions. When Moore is informed that detainees at Guantánamo Bay--technically American soil--qualify for universal coverage, he and his companions travel to Cuba to get in on that action. It's a typically grandstanding move on Moore's part. And it proves remarkably effective when these altruistic individuals, who've either been denied treatment or forced to pay outrageous costs for their medication, experience a dramatically different system. Nine years in the making, "SiCKO" makes a persuasive case that it's time for America to catch up with the rest of the world. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: It's Not Like They Didn't Warn Us.

Summary: This B movie with noble aspirations is the work of a gifted filmmaker whose storytelling falls short of his considerable stylistic flair. While addressing crises of faith in the framework of an alien-invasion thriller, M. Night Shyamalan (in his follow-up to "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable") favors atmospheric tension over explanatory plotting. He injects subtle humor into expertly spooky scenes, but the story suffers from too many lapses in logic. The film's faults are greatly compensated by the performance of Mel Gibson as a widower whose own crisis of faith coincides with the appearance of mysterious crop circles in his Pennsylvania cornfield... and hundreds of UFOs around the globe. With his brother (Joaquin Phoenix) and two young children (Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin), the lapsed minister perceives this phenomenal occurrence as a series of signs and portents, while Shyamalan pursues a spookfest with "War of the Worlds" overtones. It's effective to a point, but vaguely hollow at its core. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Enjoy your stay.

Summary: Unable to accept the diagnosis that her daughter should be permanently institutionalized for psychiatric care, Rose (Radha Mitchell: 'Man on Fire') flees with her child to the deserted town of Silent Hill in search for answers. It's soon clear this place is unlike anywhere she's ever been. It's smothered in fog, inhabited by strange beings and periodically overcome by a living 'Darkness' that literally transforms everything it touches. Rose begins to learn the history of the eerie town and realizes that her daughter is just a pawn in a larger, terrifying game.

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: See our family. And feel better about yours.

Summary: "The Simpsons" had already ruled TV land for many years by the time they finally attempted to conquer the movie world as well. It was never any big secret that a "Simpsons" movie was in the works: Fox registered the domain name "Simpsonsmovie.com" in 1997, a full nine years before the film was finally greenlighted. When creator/producer Matt Groening's creation finally made it to the big screen in 2007, it only turned out to be the biggest hit of the summer, raking in over $100 million gross in box-office receipts in its first week, before heading on to do over $500 million worldwide, proving that the best joke in the movie was actually played on the audience: "Why pay for something when you can see it for free?" asks Homer at the movie's start. Naturally, all the trouble starts with him. When he adopts a pig ("Sir Oinks-A-Lot") destined for Krusty's slaughterhouse, it triggers an environmental catastrophe, forcing the government to seal Springfield into a dome and destroy the city. While the family manages to escape and flee to Alaska, they eventually decide to return and help save the city in more-or-less classic Simpson fashion. As Homer's joke about the audience shows, Groening and producer Al Jean are keenly aware that their franchise is first and foremost a TV show. Maybe a little too aware, as the movie fails to ever rise above anything more than an extended episode, and not even one of its best episodes at that. True, there are plenty of good jokes; the animation has been kicked up a notch to be particularly sharp and detailed; and there are some truly memorable moments such as Bart's nude skateboard ride and the "Spider-Pig" song. But when the film finally materialized, the payoff for long years of anticipation turned out to be small as the movie failed to live up to its potential; it's amusing but not truly funny. "The Simpsons Movie" leaves the impression that maybe the show's writers and producers had already spent their best ideas on the best years of the TV show. Had it been made years earlier… well, we can only wonder what could have been. "--Daniel Vancini"

Get to Know "The Simpsons"
"Oh, so they have internet on computers now!" -- Homer Simpson
"I'd like to visit that Long Island Place, if only it were real." -- Marge Simpson (drinking a Long Island Iced Tea)
"Aren't we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas? You know, the birth of Santa." -- Bart Simpson
"If cartoons were meant for adults, they'd put them on in prime time." -- Lisa Simpson
"Daddy" -- Maggie Simpson
> More Simpsons Characters Beyond "The Simpsons Movie"
"The Simpsons" Toys & Games
"The Simpsons" Video Games
"The Simpsons" Books & Comics Store
"The Simpsons" Automotive

More of the "The Simpsons" on DVD
"The Simpsons" TV Series
"The Simpsons Movie" on Blu-Ray
"The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror"
"The Simpsons Christmas"
"The Simpsons Gone Wild"
"The Simpsons Kiss and Tell: The True Story of Their Love"


Stills from "The Simpsons Movie"

Languages: Japanese, English

Comments: You've made a religion out of fighting crime and now you're going to make Elexis Sinclaire pay for her sins.

Summary: Set in 2070, this videogame-based, U.S.-Japanese co-production focuses on Col. John Blade: part cyborg, part human, and all cop. When Blade and his team from the law enforcement agency Hardcorps pursue a kidnapper through the city of Freeport, they suddenly find themselves confronting a mutant monster. This first battle introduces a standard, if slipshod story involving a sinister mega-corporation, illegal human genetic experiments, high-speed chases, gore, gun fights, metamorphic creatures, blood, family vendettas, "fan service" cheesecake, and, in one memorable scene, a flesh-ripping teddy bear. Except for the teddy bear, these elements have all been used before in anime from "Akira" to "Zone of the Enders", and usually more skillfully. The "Special Edition," if anyone thinks it's special, includes a CD of the soundtrack. (Rated 15 and older, but more appropriate for viewers three years older: graphic violence, grotesque imagery, torture, profanity, brief nudity, sexual situations) "--Charles Solomon"

Sound: DTS

Comments: Hell of a way to end a partnership.

Summary: Sin City is a violent city where the police department is as corrupt as the streets are deadly. In this movie, we follow three stories, the central of which is Marv, a tough-as-nails and nearly impossible to kill street fighter who goes on a rampage of vengeance when a beautiful woman, Goldie (King), he sleeps with for only one night is killed while lying in bed with him.

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Not every gift is a blessing.

Summary: "I see dead people," whispers little Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), scared to affirm what is to him now a daily occurrence. This peaked 9-year old, already hypersensitive to begin with, is now being haunted by seemingly malevolent spirits. Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is trying to find out what's triggering Cole's visions, but what appears to be a psychological manifestation turns out to be frighteningly real. It might be enough to scare off a lesser man, but for Malcolm it's personal--several months before, he was accosted and shot by an unhinged patient, who then turned the gun on himself. Since then, Malcolm has been in turmoil--he and his wife (Olivia Williams) are barely speaking, and his life has taken an aimless turn. Having failed his loved ones and himself, he's not about to give up on Cole.
This third feature by M. Night Shyamalan sets itself up as a thriller, poised on the brink of delivering monstrous scares, but gradually evolves into more of a psychological drama with supernatural undertones. Many critics faulted the film for being mawkish and New Age-y, but no matter how you slice it, this is one mightily effective piece of filmmaking. The bare bones of the story are basic enough, but the moody atmosphere created by Shyamalan and cinematographer Tak Fujimoto made this one of the creepiest pictures of 1999, forsaking excessive gore for a sinisterly simple feeling of chilly otherworldliness. Willis is in his strong, silent type mode here, and gives the film wholly over to Osment, whose crumpled face and big eyes convey a child too wise for his years; his scenes with his mother (Toni Collette) are small, heartbreaking marvels. And even if you figure out the film's surprise ending, it packs an amazingly emotional wallop when it comes, and will have you racing to watch the movie again with a new perspective. You may be able to shake off the sentimentality of "The Sixth Sense", but its craftsmanship and atmosphere will stay with you for days. "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Blackmail, lies, murder...How far will she go to fit in?

Summary: Clare Kramer of TV's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" stars as Taylor Brooks, a sexy, young undergrad who is determined to become the first female member of the secret Skulls society. After she coerces the Council into including her in the initiation rites of the elite brotherhood, Taylor soon finds herself engulfed in a sinister world of deception, intimidation and murder.

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: Who will it come for next?!

Summary: The films of Tim Burton shine through the muck like a jack-o-lantern on a foggy October night. After such successes as "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Edward Scissorhands", it should come as no surprise that "Sleepy Hollow" is a dazzling film, a delicious reworking of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". Dark and moody, the film is a thrilling ride back to the turn of the 19th century. Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, a seemingly hapless constable from New York City who is sent to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to solve the mystery of the decapitations that are plaguing the town. Crane is a bumbling sort, with a tremendous faith in science over mysticism, and he comes up against town secrets, bewitching women, and a number of bodies missing heads. Christina Ricci, as beautiful as ever, is Katrina Van Tassel, the offbeat love interest who alternately charms and frightens Crane.
The film, while occasionally gory (as one should expect from a movie about a headless horseman), is not terribly frightening, although it is suspenseful. Both Depp and Ricci are convincing, and the art direction and production values give the village its harsh feel. Toward the end, once the secrets are revealed, the film does slow down; however, this stylistic horror film provides many tricks and even more treats. "--Jenny Brown"

Languages: English

Sound: DTS

Comments: May the best hitman win.

Summary: An FBI agent (Reynolds) hunts for a Las Vegas stand up comedian (Piven) who has decided to squeal on the mob but, before he heads off for protective custody, decides to go to the casinos at Lake Tahoe for one last good time, drawing a crowd of assassins (including Affleck and Keys).

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: Stealin' Stones and Breakin' Bones

Summary: Usually it might seem a tad unfair to begin a review by referring to the director's missis. But then the missis in question wouldn't usually be Madonna--a woman whose ability to reinvent herself several times before breakfast seems in marked contrast to that of hubby Guy Ritchie. Certainly, this follow-up to the filmmaker's breakthrough film--the high-energy, expletive-strewn cockney-gangster movie "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"--hardly breaks new ground being, well, "another" high-energy, expletive-strewn cockney-gangster movie. OK, so there are some differences. This time around our low-rent hoodlums are battling over dodgy fights and stolen diamonds rather than dodgy card games and stolen drugs. There has been some minor reshuffling of the cast too, with Sting and Dexter Fletcher making way for the more bankable Benicio Del Toro and Brad Pitt, the latter pretty much stealing the whole shebang as an incomprehensible Irish gypsy. And, sure, people who really, really liked "Lock, Stock"--or have the memory of a goldfish--will really, really like this. The suspicion lingers, however, that if the director doesn't do something very different next time around then his career may prove to be considerably shorter than that of his missis. "--Clark Collis"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: We could tell you what it's about. But then, of course, we'd have to kill you.

Summary: This enjoyable thriller, written and directed by Phil Alden Robinson (the screenwriter of "Field of Dreams"), follows a raggedy group of corporate security experts who get in over their heads when they accept an assignment poaching some hot hardware for the National Security Agency. Robert Redford plays the group's guru, an aging techno-anarchist who has been hiding from the feds since the early 1970s; his companionable gang of freaks includes Dan Aykroyd, David Strathairn, Mary McDonnell, the late River Phoenix, and Sidney Poitier, as a veteran CIA operative turned "sneaker." The technological black box that everybody is after, an array of computer chips that can decode any encrypted message, isn't a very plausible invention, but it's a serviceable McGuffin, and the megalomania of the master plotter played by Ben Kingsley has more resonance than most. Modest inferences can be drawn about the very latest high-tech threats to civil liberties. "--David Chute"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Georgian, Chinese, Thai

Sound: Dolby

Summary: On one last mission thomas beckett is sent into a remote war- torn wasteland in eastern eurpoe to assassinate a repressive leader. Once the mission is accomplished beckett and his spotter - in order to escape alive - must weave their way thru burnt-out cities desolate landscapes and hired assassins. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 12/21/2004 Starring: Tom Berenger Dan Butler Run time: 90 minutes Rating: R Director: Craig Baxley

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean

Sound: AC-3

Comments: He only needs one shot.

Summary: Master Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Beckett has over seventy confirmed kills in his long and illustrious career. The U.S. Marine Corps’ most decorated sniper has taken out warlords, drug lords, assassins and bitter foes. This time, he’s going after a friend. Starring: Tom Berenger (Training Day, Platoon), Byron Mann (Catwoman, Belly of the Beast), John Doman (Mystic River).

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: Part man. Part machine. Total weapon. Prepare to go Solo!

Summary: There's a hint, albeit a very brief one, of James Whale's classic 1931 "Frankenstein" in this low-budget movie about a robot soldier, Solo (Mario Van Peebles), created by the Pentagon to be the perfect, unfeeling fighting machine. When Solo is sent into Central American jungles to battle guerillas, a flaw in his program emerges when it's discovered that he has compassion and a conscience. Fleeing his keepers, the robot becomes part of a jungle village after its inhabitants get over the need to run from him. (The latter is where the "Frankenstein" parallel comes in.) The film isn't particularly clever, just noisy and ugly, and one can't help but think of it as a knock-off of "The Terminator". Van Peebles doesn't seem the ideal choice for an action hero along the lines of Arnold Schwarzenegger or Kurt Russell--who do this kind of thing well--but then again this is basically drive-in fodder. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: As upscale sitcoms go, "Something's Gotta Give" has more to offer than most romantic comedies. Obviously working through some semi-autobiographical issues regarding "women of a certain age," writer-director Nancy Meyers brings adequate credibility and above-average intelligence to what is essentially (but not exclusively) a fantasy premise, in which an aging lothario who's always dated younger women (Jack Nicholson, more or less playing himself) falls for a successful middle-aged playwright (Diane Keaton) who's convinced she's past the age of romance, much less sexual re-awakening. As long as old pals Nicholson and Keaton are on screen discussing their dilemma or discovering their mutual desire, "Something's Gotta Give" is terrific, proving (in case anyone had forgotten) that Hollywood can and should aim for an older demographic. Myers falls short with the sitcom device of a younger lover (Keanu Reeves) who wants Keaton as much as Nicholson does; it's believable but shallow and too easily dismissed. Myers also skimps on supporting roles for Frances McDormand, Amanda Peet, and Jon Favreau, but thankfully this is one romantic comedy that doesn't pander to youth. Mature viewers, rejoice! "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: He's a relative nightmare.

Summary: Even with Pauly Shore as the "star," this 1993 comedy is a bit better than you might think. Shore plays an insouciant college student asked by a friend (Carla Gugino) to pretend to be her fiancé over Thanksgiving break, thus discouraging a jerk back in her hometown from proposing. Shore's character agrees but is given a hard time by the girl's salt-of-the-earth family of farmers. The hero and Gugino's character actually have a crush on each other, and now that they have an opportunity to explore romance, their relationship is threatened by poor Pauly's tests of rural manhood. Shore aside, the strong cast--including Gugino and Lane Smith--lend this thing some credibility; and the script doesn't take any shortcuts in moving the characters beyond their assumptions about one another. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 1.0

Comments: It's the year 2022... People are still the same. They'll do anything to get what they need. And they need SOYLENT GREEN.

Summary: Charlton Heston seemed fond of starring in apocalyptic science-fiction films in the late 1960s and early '70s. There was "Planet of the Apes", of course, and "The Omega Man". But there was also 1973's "Soylent Green", a strange detective film (based on Harry Harrison's "Make Room! Make Room!") set in 2022 and starring Heston as a Manhattan cop trying to solve a murder in the overpopulated, overheated city. His roommate (a necessity in the overcrowded metropolis), played by Edward G. Robinson, tries telling him about a better time on Earth before there were no more resources or room left; but Heston doesn't care. Directed by Richard Fleischer ("The Vikings"), the film has a curious but largely successful mix of mystery and bleak futuristic vision, somewhat like "Blade Runner" but without the extraordinary art direction. This was Robinson's last film and he's easily the best thing about it; his final scene seems terribly appropriate in retrospect. Joseph Cotten makes an appearance as the man whose murder results in the revelation of a shocking secret. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Summary: It only takes one episode to become very protective of this 1999 British Comedy Award-winning series that put comedy soul mates Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson (now Hynes), as well as Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz") on the map. One can only hope a threatened American version is never produced. This is one of those brilliant, off-center, lightning-in-a-bottle creations that gets you so jazzed, you want to turn all your friends on to it. "Spaced" (actually, "Friends" might have been a better title; too bad it was taken) stars Pegg and Stevenson as strangers Tim and Daisy, "amiable 20-somethings" who pose as a "professional couple" to rent an apartment. He is a recently-dumped aspiring comic book artist. She is an easily distracted writer. As the series unfolds, their apartment becomes an "island of calm in the ocean of life" as Tim and Daisy form a kind of 21st century family with their similarly misfit friends, including soused landlord Marsha (Julia Deakin), who lives with her teenager daughter (aka "the devil in a A cup," who is heard, but never quite seen), Brian (Mark Heap), an artist who deals in anger, fear, and aggression, Simon's best friend Mark (Frost), a militaristic gun nut, and Daisy's best friend, Twist (Katy Carmichael), a fashion poseur (in the series' penultimate episode, look for a pre-"Office" Ricky Gervais). "Spaced" is not so much interested in Tim and Daisy's charade as it is in cramming each episode with pop culture references and obscure in-jokes, and brilliantly realized film and TV homages, ranging from Woody Allen's "Manhattan" to "Pulp Fiction" and "The Empire Strikes Back" ("Star Wars", especially, looms large in Tim's slacker universe). As with "Arrested Development", "Spaced" benefits from repeat viewings to catch missed bits of business and gags that fly by at a "Simpsons"-esque rate. This "Complete Series" set is everything "Spaced"'s fervent following would demand. Each episode is complemented by the original commentaries as well as newly-recorded gabfests that also feature American friends of the show, including Kevin Smith, Patton Oswalt, Quentin Taratinto, Matt Stone, Diablo Cody, and Bill Hader. There are deleted scenes and outtakes, and, best of all, an hour-long 2007 Q&A with Wright and the cast, in which Pegg allows that, had there been a third series (and we can still dream), it would have provided viewers hoping that Tim and Daisy would ultimately get together with "a moment to make every hair of your body stand on end." You will see such a moment if you "skip to the end" of the essential near two-hour series retrospective. "--Donald Liebenson"

Languages: English

Sound: DTS

Comments: Go

Summary: An over-the-top, sensory overload experience determined to replicate its frantic, television-anime origins, "Speed Racer" is wild enough to induce a headache or wow a viewer with one dazzling effect after another. Adapted for the big screen as a live-action feature, "Speed Racer" is written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, the sibling team behind the intensely satisfying "The Matrix" and its busier, less interesting sequels. Where the rich mythmaking of "The Matrix" was entirely accessible, however, "Speed Racer"'s overwhelming and gratuitously complicated story exposition is an enormous challenge to follow, let alone embrace. After a while, one simply surrenders to the unbroken din of dialogue concerning corporate chicanery, corruption in the sport of racing, and a value conflict between racing as a family business versus multinational cash cow. At the same time, the film's hyper-real equivalent of the old "Speed Racer" cartoon's great whoosh of color, motion, and edgy production design--such as inventive uses of scene-changing wipes, bold framing, shifting perspectives--are more overbearing than fun.
Emile Hirsch plays Speed Racer, younger brother of a deceased racing legend, Rex, and son of car designer Pops (John Goodman). The latter invented Speed's Mach 5, and is singularly unimpressed by an offer from a giant conglomerate that would lock Speed into exclusive racing services. Speed opts instead for family loyalty, incurring the wrath of the conglomerate's unctuous head (Roger Allam). With family honor on the line and the affections of girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci) behind him, Speed hits the track in hopes of fulfilling his destiny as a master racer. The cast is largely enjoyable, including Susan Sarandon as Speed's mom, Matthew Fox as mysterious Racer X, and a pair of chimps as the irrepressible Chim-Chim. All well and good, but in a movie that lives or dies by the excitement level of races that look like computer-animated Hot Wheels action, "Speed Racer" is a dreary adventure. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: With great power comes great responsibility.

Summary: Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man centers on student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) who, after being bitten by a genetically-altered spider, gains superhuman strength and the spider-like ability to cling to any surface. He vows to use his abilities to fight crime, coming to understand the words of his beloved Uncle Ben: "With great power comes great responsibility."

System Requirements:
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, Tobey Maguire.
Directed: Sam Raimi.
Running Time: 121 Minutes, Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2002 Colombia Pictures Industries, Inc.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Sacrifice

Summary: More than a few critics hailed "Spider-Man 2" as "the best superhero movie ever," and there's no compelling reason to argue--thanks to a bigger budget, better special effects, and a dynamic, character-driven plot, it's a notch above "Spider-Man" in terms of emotional depth and rich comic-book sensibility. "Ordinary People" Oscar-winner Alvin Sargent received screenplay credit, and celebrated author and comic-book expert Michael Chabon worked on the story, but it's director Sam Raimi's affinity for the material that brings "Spidey 2" to vivid life. When a fusion experiment goes terribly wrong, a brilliant physicist (Alfred Molina) is turned into Spidey's newest nemesis, the deranged, mechanically tentacled "Doctor Octopus," obsessed with completing his experiment and killing Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) in the process. Even more compelling is Peter Parker's urgent dilemma: continue his burdensome, lonely life of crime-fighting as Spider-Man, or pursue love and happiness with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)? Molina's outstanding as a tragic villain controlled by his own invention, and the action sequences are nothing less than breathtaking, but the real success of "Spider-Man 2" is its sense of priorities. With all of Hollywood's biggest and best toys at his disposal, Raimi and his writers stay true to the Marvel mythology, honoring "Spider-Man" creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and setting the bar impressively high for the challenge of "Spider-Man 3". "--Jeff Shannon"

DVD Features:
The first commentary track is by director Sam Raimi and a self-deprecating Tobey Maguire speaking in tandem, and producer (and Marvel CEO) Avi Arad and coproducer Grant Curtis speaking in tandem. They discuss a number of topics, including Raimi's memory of his excitement over Richard Donner's Superman and how the character of Black Cat had to be dropped from the film. The second commentary is by six members of the Oscar-nominated effects team, and one of their primary focuses is how Doc Ock's arms were achieved by a combination of puppetry and CGI.
The centerpiece of the second disc is a massive two-hour documentary that can be viewed all at once or in 12 separate pieces. It covers the development of the story, the visual effects, costumes, stunts, and sound and music. Three shorter featurettes cover Peter Parker's struggle between his personal and hero lives, Doc Ock, and the women in Spider-Man's life, and what's interesting is how they discuss those topics not just in relation to the movies but to the comic books as well. (For example, Betty Brant and Gwen Stacy had a much greater impact in the comics.) There's a scene in which you can toggle among three different camera angles, and a gallery of 17 paintings Alex Ross created for the opening sequence. The sound and picture are spectacular, though only the Superbit edition has DTS. "--David Horiuchi"





















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Stills from "Spider-Man 2" (click for larger image)

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital EX

Comments: Next summer, the greatest battle lies... within.

Summary:
How does "Spider-Man 3" follow on the heels of its predecessor, which was widely considered the best superhero movie ever? For starters, you pick up the loose threads from that movie, then add some key elements of the Spidey comic-book mythos (including fan-favorite villain Venom), the black costume, and the characters of Gwen Stacy and her police-captain father. In the beginning, things have never looked better for Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire): He's doing well in school; his alter ego, Spider-Man, is loved and respected around New York City. And his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), has just taken a starring role in a Broadway musical. But nothing good can last for Spidey. Mary Jane's career quickly goes downhill; she's bothered by Peter's attractive new classmate, Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard); and the new "Daily Bugle" photographer, Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), is trying to steal his thunder. Enter a new villain, the Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), who can transform his body into various forms and shapes of sand and who may be connected to Peter's past in an unexpected way. There's also the son of an old villain, Harry Osborne (James Franco), who unmasked Spidey in the previous movie and still has revenge on his mind. And a new black costume seems to boost Spidey's powers, but transforms mild-mannered Peter into a mean and obnoxious boor (Maguire has some fun here).
If that sounds like a lot to pack into one 140-minute movie, it is. While director Sam Raimi keeps things flowing, assisted on the screenplay by his brother Ivan and Alvin Sargent, there's a little too much going on, and it's inevitable that one of the villains (there are three or four, depending on how you count) gets significantly short-changed. Still, the cast is excellent, the effects are fantastic, and the action is fast and furious. Even if "Spider-Man 3" isn't the match of "Spider-Man 2", it's a worthy addition to the megamillion-dollar franchise. --"David Horiuchi "





















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Stills from "Spider-Man 3" (click for larger image)

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Comments: 2008. The future has never looked more dangerous.

Summary: Rutger Hauer and Kim Cattrall star in this festival of stolen plots and embarrassing dialogue. Harley Stone (Hauer) is a tough cop. The kind of cop who lives by his own rules. The kind of cop who smokes, swears, and eats junk food. The kind of cop who slams people into walls to drive home a conversational point. If it sounds like you've seen this character before, you have. "Split Second" is not so much a movie as a cinematic crib sheet, cheerfully ripping off "Jaws", "Aliens", and Hauer's own "Blade Runner", just to name a few. Which is not for a moment to suggest that the movie isn't fun to watch. Connoisseurs of horror-action also-rans will be in spasms of delight over everything from the ludicrous plot to the cookie-cutter dialogue ("They say he's the best." "He is.") to the incredibly misguided decision to have Stone eat chocolate truffles throughout the entire film. It is honestly sometimes hard to tell what is an intentional joke and what's just plain bad. Anyway, there's a serial killer rampaging through London in 2008 and Stone doesn't want a new partner, especially one with all that book learning and blah, blah, blah. Just turn your brain off and enjoy the magic. "--Ali Davis"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: It Will Take You A Million Light Years From Home

Summary: Before they unleashed the idiotic mayhem of "Independence Day" and "Godzilla", the idea-stealing team of director Roland Emmerich and producer-screenwriter Dean Devlin concocted this hokey hit about the discovery of an ancient portal capable of zipping travelers to "the other side of the known universe." James Spader plays the Egyptologist who successfully translates the Stargate's hieroglyphic code, and then joins a hawkish military unit (led by Kurt Russell) on a reconnaissance mission to see what's on the other side. They arrive on a desert world with cultural (and apparently supernatural) ties to Earth's ancient Egypt, where the sun god Ra (played by Jaye Davidson from "The Crying Game") rules a population of slaves with armored minions and startlingly advanced technology. After being warmly welcomed into the slave camp, the earthlings encourage and support a rebellion, and while Russell threatens to blow up the Stargate to prevent its use by enemy forces, the movie collapses into a senseless series of action scenes and grandiose explosions. It's all pretty ridiculous, but "Stargate" found a large and appreciative audience, spawned a cable-TV series, and continues to attract science fiction fans who are more than willing to forgive its considerable faults. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Genocide doesn't compare to this.

Summary: In the first and finest "RoboCop" movie, director Paul Verhoeven combined near-future science fiction with a keen sense of social satire--not to mention enough high-velocity violence to satisfy even the most voracious bloodlust. In "Starship Troopers", Verhoeven and "RoboCop" cowriter Ed Neumeier take inspired cues from Robert Heinlein's classic sci-fi novel to create a special-effects extravaganza that functions on multiple levels of entertainment. The film might be called "Melrose Place in Space," with its youthful cast of handsome guys and gorgeous women who look like they've been recruited (and in some cases they were) from the cast of "Beverly Hills 90210". Viewers might focus on the incredible, graphically intense action sequences (definitely "not" for children) in which heavily armed forces from Earth go to off-world battle against vast hordes of alien "bugs" bent on planetary conquest. The attacking bugs are marvels of state-of-the-art special-effects technology, and the space battles are nothing short of spectacular. But "Starship Troopers" is more than a showcase for high-tech hardware and gigantic, flesh-ripping insects. Recalling his childhood in Holland during the Nazi occupation, Verhoeven turns this epic adventure into a scathingly funny satire of fascist propaganda, emphasizing Heinlein's underlying warning against the hazards of military conformity and the sickening realities of war. It's an action-packed joy ride if that's all you're looking for, but Verhoeven has a provocative agenda that makes "Starship Troopers" as smart as it is exciting. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: They're the man.

Summary: Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson--dark, wiry, and tense meets blond, lanky, and loose--make a solid comic team (and previously appeared together in "Zoolander"), but the funniest man in "Starsky and Hutch" is Vince Vaughn. Vaughn dives into his role as a sleazy drug dealer (who nonetheless buys a pony for his daughter's bat mitzvah) with the offhand zest that he brings to almost every role (from "Swingers" to "Old School") and effortlessly steals every scene he's in. Vaughn has concocted a new and undetectable kind of cocaine, and only two cops who aren't afraid to break the rules--our titular pair--can catch him. But the plot isn't the point; mocking-yet-loving jabs at the '70s, including the homoerotic overtones of Starsky and Hutch's partnership, are what this movie is about. The satire is surprisingly mild but entertaining nonetheless, particularly when Vaughn or Snoop Dogg (as informant Huggy Bear) hold the screen. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, Korean, Spanish, French

Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Fear The Sky

Summary: Featuring the best special effects that money can buy and a screenplay that any six-year-old could follow, "Stealth" is a pure action thriller that starts fast and never slows down. Moving up from "The Fast and the Furious" and "xXx", director Rob Cohen proves himself as a master of popcorn entertainment for teenagers, turning this derivative military sci-fi action thriller into a dazzling showcase for impressive aerial action sequences, featuring digital effects and highly detailed model work (by James Cameron's Digital Domain effects company, among others) that are so realistic you could swear the movie's high-tech aircraft are absolutely real. The plot serves the effects (it should be the other way around), and it's a cheesy hybrid of "Top Gun", "The Right Stuff", "Firefox" and "Behind Enemy Lines", in which a close-knit trio of Naval Air Force aces (Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, and Jamie Foxx) pilot state-of-the-art "Talon" fighter-bombers, ready to scramble on orders from their not-entirely trustworthy commander (Sam Shepard). They're teamed up with an ultra-high-tech UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) nicknamed "EDI," an artificially intelligent fighter drone that's as erratically dangerous (after its circuitry is damaged by lightning) as it is deadly effective. With a standard third-act rescue mission amidst the threat of global warfare, "Stealth" is brainless entertainment from start to finish, but the aerial action and epic-scale pyrotechnics ensure that it's never, ever boring. Cohen may be guilty of dumbing down his recycled plots for mass appeal, but there's no denying his skills as an action auteur. Move over, Michael Bay, you've got serious competition. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Some guests never leave!

Summary: "Stephen King's The Shining" is a new adaptation from the author himself, made for television, that bears very little resemblance to the 1980 Stanley Kubrick version. That's not surprising since Kubrick threw out most of King's novel and presented his own version of the story. Here King redresses the balance in a miniseries that follows his original almost to the letter, and manages to be effectively creepy despite the budget and censorship limitations of the TV format.
Stephen Weber takes over the role of Jack Torrance, the caretaker who slowly descends into madness in the haunted Overlook Hotel. His performance is as far from Jack Nicholson as you could get, with his insanity building slowly and menacingly rather than being virtually mad from the get-go. Rebecca De Mornay is superb as Wendy Torrance, struggling to hold her fragile family together amid the spooky goings-on. Young Courtland Mead plays Danny, whose unique gifts give the story its title, as one of those infuriating TV brats who overacts left, right, and center. Fortunately, there are enough creepy moments and a number of frights to hold the whole thing together, the woman-in-the-bathtub scene being a standout shocker. Sure, there is nothing quite like Nicholson's "Here's Johnny!" moment, but this is the story King wanted to tell and it still shines brighter than most of the other recent screen adaptations of his work. "--Jonathan Weir"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Beyond the pride. Beyond the rivalry. Beyond the tradition.

Summary: At its core, "Stomp the Yard" is a romantic drama disguised as a dance film. Or is it the other way around? DJ (Columbus Short) is a troubled teen from Los Angeles who gets a chance for a better life when he is admitted into Atlanta's privileged Truth University. Just when he thought he had escaped a life of gangs, DJ finds himself in the middle of a "war" between two upper-crust fraternities where stepping (a popular dance form) is their weapon of choice. When DJ realizes the coed he falls for is the girlfriend of the school's champion stepper, he joins the rival fraternity to try to show her--and himself--that he's as good as anyone else there. "Stomp the Yard" is not an original film. Add some drums and you've got "Drumline". Change some of the characters around and you've got "Save the Last Dance". What sets the movie apart is the stepping. The precision involved at this level is impressively complicated and Short--a dancer and choreographer--is beautifully expressive both as an actor and a dancer. Sure the plot is predictable and hokey at times. But Short and Meagan Good (as his crush April) have wonderful chemistry together, and the supporting cast--including Harry J. Lennix as DJ's no-nonsense uncle--are delightful to watch. --"Jae-Ha Kim"













Stills from " Stomp the Yard" (click for larger image)

























































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Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: The story of a man who wanted to keep the world safe for democracy...and meet girls

Summary: Bill Murray was heading toward a career peak on the back of comedies such as this one from 1981, the second film in his ongoing collaboration with director Ivan Reitman (the two went on to make "Ghostbusters"). Murray plays a chronic loser who joins the army and fails to find a fan for his ironic sensibilities in his by-the-book sergeant (Warren Oates). When push comes to shove, however, the smirking hero takes charge of his ragtag unit and turns them into fighting machines, albeit to the rhythm of hit songs by Manfred Mann and Sly Stone. The film is occasionally funny, but it mostly plays like any one of a dozen underachieving comedies featuring players from "Saturday Night Live" and "SCTV". "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Comments: A film of epic portions.

Summary: Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, rejected five times by the USC film school, won the best director award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival for this alarmingly personal investigation into the health hazards wreaked by our fast food nation. Under extensive medical supervision, Spurlock subjects himself to a steady diet of McDonald's cuisine for 30 days just to see what happens. In less than a week, his ordinarily fit body and equilibrium undergo dark and ugly changes: Spurlock grows fat, his cholesterol rockets north, his organs take a beating, and he becomes subject to headaches, mood swings, symptoms of addiction, and lessened sexual energy. The gimmick is too obvious to sustain a feature documentary; Spurlock actually spends most of the film probing insidious ways that fast food companies worm their way into school lunchrooms and the hearts of young children who spend hours in McDonald's playrooms. French fries never looked more nauseating. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Altered State Police

Summary: The fine art of handing out a freeway speeding ticket gets a deviously funny twist in this smart-alecky farce written and performed by the comedy troop Broken Lizard (consisting of Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske). These pranksters in patrol cars (led by their long-suffering commander Brian Cox) are little more than overgrown frat boys in a campus rivalry with the brawling Vermont bullies of the local police force, and they know how to have fun on the highway patrol. This skit-like collection of comic moments clumps from one scene to another like a variety show, but the gags are more hit than miss, thanks largely to terrific ensemble work and inspired motorist mind games. With a nod to such 1970s comedies as "Animal House" and "Caddyshack", this "boys in blue just wanna have fun" farce is hardly sophisticated, just clever, raucous fun. "--Sean Axmaker"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: The greatest Superhero movie of all time! (not counting all the others)

Summary: Adolescent fantasy meets sophomoric humor in the latest cuisinart comedy, "Superhero Movie". The story of how frustrated loser Rick Riker (Drake Bell of "Drake & Josh") becomes the superpowered Dragonfly is largely poking fun at "Spider-Man", but there are a handful of digs at "X-Men", "Fantastic Four", and other Marvel Comics superhuman flicks. What's disappointing is how few of the jokes are specific to the genre--the abundance of gags about urine, feces, horniness, and especially flatulence (long, drawn-out gags about flatulence) could have been shoehorned into a parody of pretty much anything. The strong point of "Superhero Movie" is the above-average cast; while there are the obligatory cameos by the likes of Pamela Anderson, the cast is mostly filled out with actual actors like Marion Ross ("Happy Days"), Christopher McDonald ("Thelma & Louise"), Brent Spiner ("Star Trek: The Next Generation"), Jeffrey Tambor ("Arrested Development"), and Leslie Nielsen, who trots out his trademark deadpan one more time. As Dragonfly's love interest, Sara Paxton ("Aquamarine") does a flawless and subtle imitation of Kirsten Dunst's sultry vocal mannerisms. And for fans of "Airplane!" (the movie that started the whole everything-but-the-kitchen-sink genre of comedy), there's an appropriate cameo by Robert Hays as Rick Riker's father. "Superhero" is a step above such recent tripe as "Date Movie" and "Meet the Spartans"... but sadly, that's not saying much. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, French, German, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: If Richard Donner's 1978 feature film "Superman: The Movie" made us believe a man could fly, Bryan Singer's 2006 follow-up, "Superman Returns", lets us remember that a superhero movie can make our spirits soar. Superman (played by newcomer Brandon Routh) comes back to Earth after a futile five-year search for his destroyed home planet of Krypton. As alter ego Clark Kent, he's eager to return to his job at the Daily Planet and to see Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth). Lois, however, has moved on: she now has a fiancé (James Marsden), a son (Tristan Leabu), and a Pulitzer Prize for her article entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." On top of this emotional curveball, his old archrival Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is plotting the biggest land grab in history.
Singer, who made a strong impression among comic-book fans for his work on the X-Men franchise and directed Spacey in "The Usual Suspects", brings both a fresh eye and a sense of respect to the world's oldest superhero. He borrows John Williams's great theme music and Marlon Brando's voice as Jor-El, and the story (penned by Singer's "X-Men" collaborators Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris) is a sort-of-sequel to the first two films in the franchise (choosing to ignore that the third and fourth movies ever happened). The humorous and romantic elements give the movie a heart, Singer's art-deco Metropolis is often breathtaking, and the special effects are elegant and spectacular, particularly an early airplane-disaster set-piece. Of the cast, Routh is excellent as the dual Superman/Clark, Spacey is both droll and vicious as Luthor, and Parker Posey gets the best lines as Luthor's moll Kitty. But at 23, Bosworth seems too young for the five-years-past-grizzled Lois. It's nice to see Noel Neill, Jack Larson (both from the classic "Adventures of Superman" TV series), and Eva Marie-Saint on the screen as well. Superman Returns is one of those projects that was in development for seemingly forever, but it was worth the wait -- it's the most enjoyable superhero movie since "Spider-Man 2" and "The Incredibles". "--David Horiuchi"

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Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Who's next?

Summary: If you're into serial-killer thrillers, you'll want to see "Suspect Zero" if only to soak up the genre's reliable penchant for creepy atmosphere and creepier behavior. Dark, anguished, and saturated with superficial style, it's a passable exercise in mystery from E. Elias Merhige, who fared better (both critically and artistically) with his acclaimed 2001 film "Shadow of the Vampire". The directorial vision evident in that film is also apparent here, but it's pretentiously over-indulged in a grisly plot about the tormented victim of a secret, psychically abusive crime-fighting program (Ben Kingsley) whose pursuit of serial killers in New Mexico is designed to lure a similarly tormented FBI agent (Aaron Eckhart) and his understanding partner (Carrie-Anne Moss) into an investigation that grows increasingly violent and tragically intense. Like Eckhart's character, you may need a handful of aspirin after subjecting yourself to Merhige's visual excess, but as yet another variant of "Seven", "Suspect Zero" scores points for attempting something different. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Comments: Never Forget. Never Forgive.

Summary: After years of rumors, it turns out that Tim Burton was the perfect visionary to film "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street", Stephen Sondheim's Broadway masterpiece, and the result is a macabre and moving musical movie as enthralling as anything Burton has ever done. The show's mix of gothic horror, Grand Guignol, "very" dark humor, and witty and beautiful music never was the stuff of traditional musical comedy, but it's a powerful work, and perhaps the richest of the late 20th century. In the movie, Burton's frequent collaborator, Johnny Depp, plays Todd, a wronged man whose lust for revenge drives him to murder (an 19th-century legend who has been traced to a real-life barber). Helena Bonham Carter, another Burton mainstay, is Mrs. Lovett, the barber's partner-in-unspeakable-crime. It's no surprise that Depp is an excellent choice to convey Todd's brooding intensity and volcanic rage, but he can also sing a score that is so challenging it has often played in opera houses (though not with the same style as the Broadway original, Len Cariou, and he occasionally lapses into pop style). Bonham Carter is small of voice and lacks the humor of the original Broadway Lovett, Angela Lansbury, but she sings on pitch, in rhythm, and in character at the same time, which is no small feat for a Sondheim show. Aficionados will regret the loss of certain musical passages--"The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" is just an instrumental overture and the chorus is gone altogether, among others--but the reassuring presence of orchestrator Jonathan Tunick and conductor Paul Gemignani ensures that the music feels right and sounds great. And the film's depiction of a Victorian London hellhole--with cinematography by Dariusz Wolski and costumes by Colleen Atwood--also looks and feels right.
The excellent cast is filled out by Alan Rickman as the villainous Judge Turpin, Timothy Spall as his seedy Beadle, Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat") as a rival barber, Jamie Campbell Bower as the young lover Anthony, Jayne Wisener as his object of affection, and Ed Sanders as the young Toby. For fans of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp who don't think they like musicals, "Sweeney Todd" should be a revelation (though not for the squeamish, as the gore is intense and completely appropriate). For fans of Broadway and Sondheim, it's hard to imagine getting a better adaptation than this. The fact that there's no newly composed Oscar-bait song sung by a Josh Groban-type over the end credits only makes it better. "--David Horiuchi"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Comments: Know you now of days long past, the time when the world was young, when sorcery thrived and wild adventure was forever in the offing. and of this epoch little is known save that which is veiled in the mist of legend. [UK Video]

Summary: Lean, lanky Lee Horsley (TV's "Matt Houston" is hardly the iconic image of a medieval warrior, but in this cheesy "Conan the Barbarian" knockoff he makes his swaggering, mercenary Talon a genial smart aleck of a barbarian hero. The plot is pure pulp cliché: evil Cromwell (Richard Lynch) raises a demon to conquer a peaceful kingdom, kill the rulers, and imprison the royal heirs, and the son of a murdered patriot returns to take his righteous vengeance with a projectile-loaded, three-bladed sword. First-time director Albert Pyun apprenticed under Akira Kurosawa and brings with him an eye for handsome images and a fluid sense of action that helps overcome B-movie dialogue ("Unlock this door, wench, and leave that to us!"), scenery-chewing performances, and bargain-basement budget. In one fight sequence a guard punches a rock wall--and dents it! Kathleen Beller (the dark-eyed beauty of "The Betsy") is the rebel princess who enlists Talon to the cause, "Route 66"'s charming wanderer George Maharis is a conniving traitor under an unflattering mop of greasy hair, and Richard Moll dons a latex monster mask to play the double-crossed demon. It's utterly silly and often awkward, but it does have energy to spare. The sequel promised at the end of the film was never produced and Pyun went on to direct some of the best straight-to-video action films of the 1990s, including "Nemesis". "--Sean Axmaker"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Comments: Log on. Hack in. Go anywhere. Steal everything.

Summary: "Swordfish" is a superficial movie, so let's address the superficial facts: Halle Berry was well paid to bare her breasts in this gratuitous cyber-action thriller, and while Berry's many fans will enjoy a cheap drool at the actress's expense, her brief topless scene doesn't justify this insipid parade of glossy violence from the director of 2000's "Gone in 60 Seconds". Add yet another notch in John Travolta's bad-movie belt, and you've got Hollywood bankruptcy in full blossom. Go ahead, marvel at director Dominic Sena's biggest money shot--a 360-degree pan as a robbery hostage is blown to bits by a bomb that pelts a surrounding SWAT squad with deadly ball bearings.
The plot, as if it matters: Travolta's a slick, self-appointed antiterrorist who recruits a top-flight computer hacker (Hugh Jackman) to transfer a $9.5 billion government slush fund into a cluster of secret accounts. Berry's the curvaceous bait who lures Jackman into the scheme; Don Cheadle's an FBI agent hot on their tails; and an obligatory subplot turns Jackman's daughter (Camryn Grimes) into an innocent bargaining chip. By the time a hostage transport bus is airlifted in the film's not-so-thrilling climax, "Swordfish" will hold your passive attention or put you to sleep--it all depends on your tolerance for Sena's brand of derivative bloodlust. It's pornography of a sort, and efficiently mechanical, but you can bet good money that Berry and her costars didn't cash their paychecks proudly. "--Jeff Shannon"