12 Angry Men

12 Angry Men Starring: Fonda, Henry Cobb, Lee J. Sr., Ed Begley Warden, Jack Marshall, E.G. Fonda, Henry Begley, Ed Director: Lumet, Sidney

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Courtroom Drama : Stage Play
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Running Time: 1 Hour 36 Minutes

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Barnes & Noble A splendidly realized film adaptation of a dramatic classic from television's Golden Age, 12 Angry Men is guaranteed to rivet the attention of even the most casual viewer, despite its claustrophobic one-room setting and lack of physical action. Reginald Rose's adaptation of his own teleplay opens on a hot summer day in a New York courthouse, where 12 jurors retire to a small, stifling room to deliberate the fate of a teenage boy accused of murdering his father. The first ballot finds quietly dignified Henry Fonda the lone holdout for acquittal. Blustery Lee J. Cobb leads the charge for conviction, and it remains for the other ten -- played by distinguished character actors Ed Begley, E. G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, George Voskovec, Robert Webber, Edward Binns, and Joseph Sweeney -- to be swayed by the grimly determined Fonda. The feature-film directorial debut of Sidney Lumet (Fail-Safe), 12 Angry Men derives its dramatic strength not only from his economic, incisive handling of a powerhouse cast, but also from Rose's sharply limned character studies. This 1957 film has been remade and reworked several times, but none of the subsequent versions has ever approached the original's perfection. Ed Hulse All Movie Guide A Puerto Rican youth is on trial for murder, accused of knifing his father to death. The twelve jurors retire to the jury room, having been admonished that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Eleven of the jurors vote for conviction, each for reasons of his own. The sole holdout is Juror #8, played by Henry Fonda. As Fonda persuades the weary jurors to re-examine the evidence, we learn the backstory of each man. Juror #3 (Lee J. Cobb), a bullying self-made man, has estranged himself from his own son. Juror #7 (Jack Warden) has an ingrained mistrust of foreigners; so, to a lesser extent, does Juror #6 (Edward Binns). Jurors #10 (Ed Begley) and #11 (George Voskovec), so certain of the infallibility of the Law, assume that if the boy was arrested, he must be guilty. Juror #4 (E.G. Marshall) is an advocate of dispassionate deductive reasoning. Juror #5 (Jack Klugman), like the defendant a product of "the streets," hopes that his guilty vote will distance himself from his past. Juror #12 (Robert Webber), an advertising man, doesn't understand anything that he can't package and market. And Jurors #1 (Martin Balsam), #2 (John Fiedler) and #9 (Joseph Sweeney), anxious not to make waves, "go with the flow." The excruciatingly hot day drags into an even hotter night; still, Fonda chips away at the guilty verdict, insisting that his fellow jurors bear in mind those words "reasonable doubt." A pet project of Henry Fonda's, Twelve Angry Men was his only foray into film production; the actor's partner in this venture was Reginald Rose, who wrote the 1954 television play on which the film was based. Carried over from the TV version was director Sidney Lumet, here making his feature-film debut. A flop when it first came out (surprisingly, since it cost almost nothing to make), Twelve Angry Men holds up beautifully when seen today. It was remade for television in 1997 by director William Friedkin with Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott. Hal Erickson PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Vistavision (1.66:1) Presentation: B&W Sound: monaural Features: Original theatrical trailer; English: mono; French: Mono; French and Spanish subtitles Language: English, Français SubTitles: Français, Español Time: 1 Hour 36 Minutes

The Accidental Spy

The Accidental Spy Starring: Director:

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Category: Action
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From Amazon.com Jackie Chan returns to dazzling form! If you've watched Chan's Hollywood movies (Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon) and been unimpressed, The Accidental Spy is a good introduction to the astonishing fights and extraordinary stunts that make Chan's Hong Kong films such events. Chan plays an exercise-equipment salesman who turns out to be the missing son of a Korean double agent who's connected with drug lords in Turkey who have developed a super-addictive opium--got all that? The plot is largely nonsensical, a series of implausible escapades that frame the action; but what the movie lacks in logic, it makes up for in spectacle, ranging from a burning runaway truck cascading off a bridge to a stark-naked Chan pursued by thugs in a Turkish bazaar, defending himself with every implement in sight. This is why Jackie Chan is the biggest movie star in the world--check it out. --Bret Fetzer

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland Starring: Jackson, Wilfred Luske, Hamilton Beaumont, Kathryn Director: Geronimi, Clyde

Rating: G (MPAA)
Category: Classics - Action/Adventure : Children - Animation : Animation - Disney : Children - Disney : Children - Fantasy : Classics - Ge
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Running Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

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Barnes & Noble Walt Disney's 1951 animated adaptation of Lewis Carroll's enchanting fable emerges through the looking glass and onto DVD in this two-disc "Watch Me" set that's brimming with fascinating archival treasures and fun interactive features. Following Snow White and Cinderella, Alice was the third storybook heroine Disney animators brought to life. Their Alice is a bored schoolgirl who, like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, yearns for a more exciting life. Things get "curiouser and curiouser" after she follows the frantic White Rabbit down the rabbit hole and has a series of surreal misadventures in a world where "nothing's impossible." Although less emotionally engaged than such Disney animated masterworks as Pinocchio and Bambi, Alice in Wonderland is still a riot of fantastic incidents and classic characters (the Walrus and the Carpenter, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Queen of Hearts, and, to quote Grace Slick, that hookah-smoking Caterpillar). The voice work is superb, from charmer Kathryn Beaumont as Alice to Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter, Jerry Colonna as the March Hare, and Sterling Holloway as the Cheshire Cat. The musical score includes the Disney standards, "I'm Late" and the rollicking "The Unbirthday Song." And, for once in a Disney film, a wicked queen is more comical than terrifying. As for the bonuses: Rarities include "One Hour in Wonderland" form 1950, culled from Walt Disney's first television show, as well as the 1923 Disney cartoon "Alice's Wonderland," which combines live action and animation, and the classic Mickey Mouse cartoon "Thru the Mirror." An adult Beaumont appears in a surprising segment that reveals how unused music from Alice found its way into Peter Pan. Donald Liebenson All Movie Guide This Disney feature-length cartoon combines the most entertaining elements of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Chasing after the White Rabbit, who runs into view singing "I'm Late! I'm Late!," Alice falls down the rabbit hole into the topsy-turvy alternate world of Wonderland. She grows and shrinks after following the instructions of a haughty caterpillar, attends a "Very Merry Unbirthday" party in the garden of the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, stands in awe as the Cheshire Cat spouts philosophy, listens in rapt attention as Tweedledum and Tweedledee relate the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter (a sequence usually cut when Alice is shown on TV), and closes out her day with a hectic croquet game at the home of the Red Queen. The music and production design of Alice in Wonderland is marvelous, but the film is too much of a good thing, much too frantic to do full honor to the whimsical Carroll original, and far too episodic to hang together as a unified feature film. One tactical error is having Alice weep at mid-point, declaring her wish to go home: This is Alice in Wonderland, Walt, not Wizard of Oz! Its storytelling shortcomings aside, Alice in Wonderland is superior family entertainment (never mind the efforts in the 1970s to palm off the picture as a psychedelic "head" film). Hal Erickson PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1) Presentation: Pan & Scan Sound: Dolby Digital Features: "Alice in Wonderland" DVD storybook; "Alice in Wonderland" trivia game; "Operation Wonderland" featurette; "The Unbirthday Song" singalong; "All in the Golden Afternoon" singalong; Theatrical trailer Language: English, Español SubTitles: English Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Amélie

Amélie Starring: Director:

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Category: Comedy
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Running Time: 121 ·

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From Amazon.com Perhaps the most charming movie of all time, Amélie is certainly one of the top 10. The title character (the bashful and impish Audrey Tautou) is a single waitress who decides to help other lonely people fix their lives. Her widowed father yearns to travel but won't, so to inspire the old man she sends his garden gnome on a tour of the world; with whispered gossip, she brings together two cranky regulars at her café; she reverses the doorknobs and reprograms the speed dial of a grocer who's mean to his assistant. Gradually she realizes her own life needs fixing, and a chance meeting leads to her most elaborate stratagem of all. This is a deeply wonderful movie, an illuminating mix of magic and pragmatism. Fans of the director's previous films (Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children) will not be disappointed; newcomers will be delighted. --Bret Fetzer

American Movie

American Movie Starring: Borchardt, Mark Schank, Mike Director: Smith, Chris

Rating: R (MPAA)
Category: Independent - Documentary : Documentary - Feature Length : Documentary - general
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Running Time: 1 Hour 44 Minutes

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Barnes & Noble You're behind on your child support, your phone's being turned off, and you owe money to the IRS -- what do you do? Make a movie! At least that's what beleaguered Wisconsin filmmaker Mark Borchardt decided to do in the Sundance smash American Movie. Documentary director Chris Smith and producer Sarah Price followed Borchardt for two years as he struggled to complete a "35-minute direct-market thriller film" called Coven, with $3,000 borrowed from his semi-senile uncle and the loyal support of his unflappably affable guitar-playing best friend, Mike Schank. The result is a poignant and often hilarious character study of a charismatic all-American underdog, who makes up in drive and vision what he lacks in talent. Interviews with Borchardt's skeptical family and friends are combined with scenes of sparsely attended production meetings, no-budget film shoots (the scene in which Borchardt tries to shove an actor through a "breakaway" cabinet door is already a classic), and camp-outs in the editing room with the kids. Guaranteed to touch a nerve in anyone who has ever aspired to make films, American Movie is an offbeat, sometimes sad, but ultimately inspirational tribute to pursuing one's dreams. Gregory Baird All Movie Guide Director Chris Smith made this documentary about independent filmmaking which had its world premiere at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize. American Movie centers on a low-budget horror-film buff named Mark Borchardt, who grew up on such horror classics as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Night of the Living Dead. Now in his late twenties, he has decided to make the ultimate horror opus in the form of an indie feature entitled Northwestern, the scariest film ever made in his Wisconsin town. Filled with determination and passion (and very little else), this documentary follows Mark for a year and a half in the making of Northwestern. The audience sees Mark fending off creditors, including the IRS, and avoiding child support payments so he can make this direct-to-video flick. His efforts to round up cast and crew are disastrous, as there is nobody in his town who shares his knowledge and passion for moviemaking. Eventually he decides to star in his film and wears a dozen crew members' hats as writer, producer, director, cameraman, editor, and soundman. American Movie follows this man with a dream to his dying uncle's trailer park, where he raises three thousand dollars. Unable to make an entire feature for that price, he scraps the idea in exchange for completing one of his many abandoned short films, Coven, which also premiered at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. The end is a world premiere as satisfying as getting accepted into Sundance. Arthur Borman PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1) Presentation: Pan & Scan Sound: Dolby Digital Features: Digitally mastered audio and video; Full-screen presentation; English and Spanish subtitles; Director and cast commentary; "Coven" short film by Mark Borchardt; Deleted scenes; Direct web link; Theatrical trailer; Scene selections; Interactive menus Language: English SubTitles: English, Español Time: 1 Hour 44 Minutes

Annie

Annie Starring: Finney, Albert Burnett, Carol Peters, Bernadette Curry, Tim Reinking, Ann Holder, Geoffrey Quinn, Aileen Herrmann, Edward Herrmann, Edward Director: Huston, John

Rating: PG
Category: Studio Specials : Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment : Kids and Family
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Running Time: 128

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Amazon.com Charmless and dull, this adaptation of the Broadway hit stars Aileen Quinn as the depression-era moppet, Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks, Carol Burnett as the cruel headmistress at an orphanage, and Tim Curry as a villain. The film never gets its legs, and there is no sense of setting; it's almost as if the whole thing is happening in a void. John Huston nominally directed--no doubt to make money between his smaller, cheaper masterpieces--but one would have thought he would invest something of himself in here. --Tom Keogh --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition. DVD features The DVD's production notes, which are new enough to discuss the competing (and superior) 1999 television production, include a timeline of the "Little Orphan Annie" comic strip and its theater and film adaptations. The notes also mention the four songs written specifically for the 1982 film but name only one, "Let's Go to the Movies." The others are "Dumb Dog," "Sandy," and "Sign"; "We Got Annie" was written for an early draft of the Broadway show but not used until this film. --David... read more

Annie Get Your Gun

Annie Get Your Gun Starring: Hutton, Betty Keel, Howard Wynn, Keenan Keel, Howard Sundberg, Clinton Arnold, Edward Hutton, Betty Director: (II), George Sidney

Rating: NR
Category: Musicals & Performing Arts : General
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Running Time: 107

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Amazon.com Never before available on home video and unseen on television since 1973, the 1950 production of Annie Get Your Gun has achieved somewhat legendary status, most notably for who would inherit the role Ethel Merman had made famous on Broadway in 1946. MGM originally cast Judy Garland, but her ongoing drug and alcohol problems led to her being fired and replaced by Betty Hutton. Fortunately, the bright and brassy Hutton sparkles in this highly fictionalized story of Annie Oakley, the sharpshooter who wins fame in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and wins the heart of fellow sharpshooter Frank Butler (Howard Keel). Dashing baritone Keel was beginning his career as one of MGM's favorite leading men in the 1950s (including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Kiss Me, Kate). Together they make gold of the many Irving Berlin hits--"Doin' What Comes Naturally," "Anything You Can Do," "They Say It's Wonderful," "I Got the Sun in the Morning," and the classic anthem "There's No Business Like Show Business." Annie Get Your Gun is unquestionably a product of the 1950s. Keel's relentless chauvinism and Hutton's constant fawning over him grow tiresome (though she does stand up to him in a battle of the sexes), and the Indians wear full headdresses and face paint, say "Ugh," and destroy modern conveniences. (In the name of political correctness, the 1999 Broadway revival starring Bernadette Peters removed "I'm an Indian Too" and received its own share of criticism from purists.) Quibbles aside, the excellent cast and immortal score make Annie Get Your Gun a classic musical. It's great to have it back. --David Horiuchi --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition. DVD features Included on this DVD release, and of prime interest to many fans, are two scenes originally filmed by Judy Garland before she was replaced by Betty Hutton. By unfortunate coincidence, those two are the least flattering, with "Doin' What Comes Naturally" portraying Garland as a backwoods hick and "I'm an Indian Too" (filmed on a set strikingly different from what was used in the final Hutton version) showing her in Indian face paint. Garland is warm and likable in the first number, without the... read more

The Apartment

The Apartment Starring: Lemmon, Jack MacLaine, Shirley MacMurray, Fred Walston, Ray Kruschen, Jack Shawlee, Joan Lemmon, Jack Holiday, Hope Holiday, Hope Stevens, Naomi Director: Wilder, Billy

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Comedy - Urban : Office Comedy : Comedy Drama : Romantic Comedy
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Running Time: 2 Hours 5 Minutes

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Barnes & Noble Billy Wilder always liked to thread a strong streak of cynicism through his comedies, and he rarely made a film with a darker undertow than The Apartment. The effervescent comic charm of Jack Lemmon and quirky beauty of Shirley MacLaine give the film a palatable sweetness (while she would be given more glamorous treatment in later films, MacLaine was never more adorable than she was here), but they sugarcoat a very bitter pill in what is ultimately a story about moral accountability (and the lack thereof) in American business. While the film starts off as a naughty-for-its-time sex comedy about sad sack C.C. Baxter (Lemmon) who discovers he can curry the favor of his many bosses by letting them use his apartment for romantic indiscretions, it takes a more serious turn when we get to know Fran Kubelik (MacLaine), an elevator operator with precious little self-esteem. While most of the women Baxter's superiors lure to the tiny den of seduction look like brassy bar girls who've been this route before and know what they're doing, Kubelik is at heart a sweet (if disappointed) girl who desperately wants to be loved and who has made the mistake of falling for the duplicitous J.D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), whose callous indifference to the agony he inflicts falls just short of horrifying. (Anyone who grew up watching MacMurray on My Three Sons may be shocked to see how slimy he is in this role.) Ultimately, Baxter and Kubelik seem like two innocents stranded in a corrupt world, and what's most remarkable is not that they finally end up together, but that they both survive the experience intact and that Wilder is able to wring so many laughs out of a story that runs so close to tragedy. Mark Deming All Movie Guide Widely regarded as a comedy in 1960, The Apartment seems more melancholy with each passing year. Jack Lemmon plays C.C. Baxter, a go-getting office worker who loans his tiny apartment to his philandering superiors for their romantic trysts. He runs into trouble when he finds himself sharing a girlfriend (Shirley MacLaine) with his callous boss (Fred MacMurray). Director/co-writer Billy Wilder claimed that the idea for The Apartment stemmed from a short scene in the 1945 romantic drama Brief Encounter in which the illicit lovers (Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson) arrange a rendezvous in a third person's apartment. Wilder was intrigued about what sort of person would willingly vacate his residence to allow virtual strangers a playing field for hanky panky. His answer to that question wound up winning 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. The Apartment was adapted by Neil Simon and Burt Bacharach into the 1969 Broadway musical Promises, Promises. Hal Erickson PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1) Presentation: Wide Screen Language: English, Français, Español SubTitles: English, Français, Español Time: 2 Hours 5 Minutes

Band of Brothers (Widescreen, 6 Discs)

Band of Brothers (Widescreen, 6 Discs) Starring: Director:

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Category: Docudrama
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From Amazon.com An impressively rigorous, unsentimental, and harrowing look at combat during World War II, Band of Brothers follows a company of airborne infantry--Easy Company--from boot camp through the end of the war. The brutality of training takes the audience by increments to the even greater brutality of the war; Easy Company took part in some of the most difficult battles, including the D-day invasion of Normandy, the failed invasion of Holland, and the Battle of the Bulge, as well as the liberation of a concentration camp and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. But what makes these episodes work is not their historical sweep but their emphasis on riveting details (such as the rattle of a plane as the paratroopers wait to leap, or a flower in the buttonhole of a German soldier) and procedures (from military tactics to the workings of bureaucratic hierarchies). The scope of this miniseries (10 episodes, plus an actual documentary filled with interviews with surviving veterans) allows not only a thoroughness impossible in a two-hour movie, but also captures the wide range of responses to the stress and trauma of war--fear, cynicism, cruelty, compassion, and all-encompassing confusion. The result is a realism that makes both simplistic judgments and jingoistic enthusiasm impossible; the things these soldiers had to do are both terrible and understandable, and the psychological price they paid is made clear. The writing, directing, and acting are superb throughout. The cast is largely unknown, emphasizing the team of actors as a whole unit, much like the regiment; Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston play the central roles of two officers with grit and intelligence. Band of Brothers turns a vast historical event into a series of potent personal experiences; it's a deeply engrossing and affecting accomplishment. --Bret Fetzer Additional Features HBO's impressive miniseries may have the most handsome DVD packaging to date: a tin container enclosing the accordion sleeves holding six discs. The extras on the set are just as classy. Besides the rudimentary 30-minute making-of, there's an hour's worth of video diaries by actor Ron Livingston (who portrays Lewis Nixon) detailing the tough "actors' boot camp." The first-person recollections of the real Easy Company soldiers that begin each episode are expanded in the 80-minute documentary We...

Battle of Britain

Battle of Britain Starring: Andrews, Harry Howard, Trevor Caine, Michael Caine, Michael Andrews, Harry Shaw, Robert Jurgens, Curt McShane, Ian McShane, Ian Plummer, Christopher Director: Hamilton, Guy

Rating: G (MPAA)
Category: War Epic : Epic : Action - general : Historical Film : UK : War Drama
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Running Time: 132

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All Movie Guide James Bond-flick director Guy Hamilton helmed this episodic, all-star World War II film. With Sir Laurence Olivier heading up an ensemble cast as flight commander Sir Hugh Dowdling, The Battle of Britain pays tribute to other nationalities instrumental in fending off the waves of Luftwaffe planes, notably the expatriate Polish and Czech pilots. Trevor Howard, Michael Caine, and Michael Redgrave also populate the cast. Hal Erickson PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1) Presentation: Wide Screen Features: Origional theatrical trailer; Origional theatrical english/german mono; English, french and spanish language subtitles Language: English, Deutsche SubTitles: English, Français, Español

Being There

Being There Starring: Sellers, Peter MacLaine, Shirley Sellers, Peter Warden, Jack Basehart, Richard Dysart, Richard Director: Ashby, Hal

Rating: PG
Category: Studio Specials : Warner Home Video : DVDs Under $15
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Running Time: 130

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Amazon.com essential video Thanks to an extraordinary, delicately balanced performance by Peter Sellers, Being There received mixed reviews during its theatrical release in 1979, but has since become a celebrated comedy with a loyal following. It's one of the most unusual black comedies ever made, simply because it stretches a simple premise over 130 minutes of straight-faced, strangely compelling commentary on politics, media, and celebrity in media-savvy America. Adapted by Jerzy Kozinsky from his own novel, the movie's about a simple-minded, middle-aged gardener who, after a lifetime of seclusion and safety in a Washington, D.C. townhouse, gets his first exposure to reality beyond the walls of his sheltered existence. His only reference to the world is through his childlike addiction to television, and when a chance encounter brings him into the inner fold of a dying billionaire (Melvyn Douglas), he suddenly finds himself the toast of Washington's political elite. His simple phrases about gardening are misinterpreted as anything from economic predictions to sage political advice, and under the sharp direction of Hal Ashby, Sellers has the audacity to take this comedic conceit to its logical extreme. Being There is not for all tastes--especially not for those who don't appreciate comedic subtlety. But as a showcase for the daring genius of Peter Sellers, this is a classic movie in a category all its own. --Jeff Shannon --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition. Description Based on Jerzy Kosinski's satirical novel about an illiterate gardener who has lived his entire life behind the walls of a Washington, D.C., house, his only knowledge of the world coming from the TV programs he watches. When his employer and protector dies, he is catapulted into the fast lane of political power.

Best In Show

Best In Show Starring: Levy, Eugene O'Hara, Catherine Higgins, John Michael O'Hara, Catherine Higgins, John Michael McKean, Michael Cranshaw, Patrick Coolidge, Jennifer Coolidge, Jennifer Balaban, Bob Director: Guest, Christopher

Rating: PG-13 (MPAA)
Category: Comedy of Manners : Mockumentary
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Running Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

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All Movie Guide After parodying the idiosyncrasies of community theater devotees in the mock documentary Waiting for Guffman, actor/director Christopher Guest returns with another semi-improvised comedy that casts a satirical gaze on the world of championship dog breeding and training. A television crew is on hand to document the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show, and competition is fierce among the canine devotees vying for top honors. Salesman Gerry Fleck (Eugene Levy), who is cursed with two left feet (literally), and his wife Cookie (Catherine O'Hara) have entered their Norwich terrier "Winky" in competition. Wealthy and neurotic Meg Swan (Parker Posey) and her husband Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock) are on hand with their Weimaraner "Beatrice," who they fear may have been traumatized by watching them have sex. Scott Donlan (John Michael Higgins) and his life partner Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean) have brought their beloved Shih Tzu, "Miss Agnes." Trophy wife Sheri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge) and her close friend and trainer Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch) are hoping for a repeat victory for Sheri's poodle, "Rhapsody In White." And Harlan Pepper (Guest), who operates a store specializing in fly-fishing gear, has decided to stack his bloodhound "Hubert" up against the competition. In addition to Guest, Levy, O'Hara, and Posey, several other veterans of the Waiting for Guffman cast also appear in Best in Show, including Fred Willard, Bob Balaban, and Lewis Arquette. Mark Deming New York Times "Best in Show" reunites many of the same brilliant comic actors who appeared in Mr. Guest's last movie, the cult comedy classic "Waiting for Guffman." .... As before, the actors improvising from a bare-bones screenplay (by Mr. Guest and Eugene Levy) riff off one another like jazz musicians to create what may be the cleverest on-the-spot caricatures since the heyday of Mike Nichols and Elaine May. ...The movie's weaknesses are inextricable from its form. For "Best in Show" is essentially a well-organized, exquisitely nuanced skit comedy, "Saturday Night Live"-style sketches loosely stitched together and refined to the nth degree. Although the movie pretends to have narrative structure, it doesn't really go much of anywhere. It is futile to look for deeper patterns in this kind of storytelling. The whole point is to savor the moments. This comic jigsaw puzzle is crammed with deliriously funny little bits. Stephen Holden PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Features: Audio commentary with director-actor Christopher Guest and actor-writer Eugene Levy; 17 deleted scenes; cast and filmmaker profiles; original theatrical trailer Language: English, Français SubTitles: English, Français Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

The Best of Benny Hill

The Best of Benny Hill Starring: Hill, Benny Wright, Jackie Angels, Hill's Director: Robins, John

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Television - British : Television - Comedy : Television : Made for TV : Slapstick : UK
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Running Time: 1 Hour 27 Minutes

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All Movie Guide Taken from the popular British television show featuring comedian Benny Hill, this video is a collection of some of the best skits from these raunchy and vulgar--but funny--episodes. Kristie Hassen PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1) Presentation: Pan & Scan Sound: Dolby Digital Mono Features: Full-frame presentation; Trailer Language: English Time: 1 Hour 27 Minutes

Bottle Rocket

Bottle Rocket Starring: Wilson, Luke Wilson, Owen Musgrave, Robert Ponds, Jim Caan, James Wilson, Andrew Cavazos, Lumi Director: Anderson, Wes

Rating: R
Category: Comedy : General
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Running Time: 91

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Amazon.com This quietly daffy comedy should have been an indie hit, but ended up ignored by audiences. Too bad; it's a wonderfully sustained caper movie about friends whose career choice is all wrong. Low-key Anthony (Luke Wilson) and high-strung Dignan (Owen C. Wilson--the two actors are brothers) are brought into a life of crime by Dignan's ambition to be a small-time thief. After a few amusingly laid-back trial burglaries, they (and a third buddy) find themselves over their heads when they hook up with an experienced crime boss (James Caan). Because this movie is so relentlessly deadpan, you really have to be dialed in to its brand of humor--but once there, Bottle Rocket shoots off plenty of sparks. Above all, Owen Wilson's portrayal of Dignan is a terrifically original comic creation; Dignan is so sincerely focused on his goals that he can't see how completely absurd his ideas are. Owen Wilson, who went on to supply similarly knuckle-headed performances in Armageddon and Permanent Midnight, wrote the screenplay with director Wes Anderson. --Robert Horton --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany's Starring: Hepburn, Audrey Peppard, George Neal, Patricia Balsam, Martin Hepburn, Audrey Neal, Patricia Peppard, George Director: Edwards, Blake

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Classics - Comedy : Classics - General : Classics - Romance : Sophisticated Comedy : Literary Adaptation : Romantic Comedy
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Running Time: 1 Hour 54 Minutes

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All Movie Guide In an idealized New York City during the early '60s, Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) is a charming socialite with a youthful zest for life who lives alone in a nearly bare apartment. She has such a flippant lifestyle that she won't even give her cat a name, because that would be too much of a commitment to a relationship. Maintaining a childlike innocence yet wearing the most perfect of designer clothes and accessories from Givenchy, she spends her time on expensive dates and at high-class parties. She escorts various wealthy men, yet fails to return their affections after they have given her gifts and money. Holly's carefree independence is changed when she meets her neighbor, aspiring writer Paul (George Peppard), who is suffering from writer's block while being kept by a wealthy woman (Patricia Neal). Just when Holly and Paul are developing their sweet romance, Doc (Buddy Ebsen) appears on the scene and complicates matters, revealing the truth about Holly's past. Breakfast at Tiffany's was nominated for several Academy awards, winning Best Score for Henry Mancini and Best Song for Johnny Mercer's classic tune "Moon River." ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide All Movie Guide Few performers are as inextricably linked to a character as Audrey Hepburn to the role of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Her Holly is a delicate portrait of a grown-up girl with the soul of a child. Blake Edwards's spirited direction sets a deceptively light tone as he gradually reveals a portrait of two young New Yorkers who, like the film itself, are more complicated than they first appear. George Axelrod's adaptation of the Truman Capote novel successfully balances sentiment and comedy, and Henry Mancini's legendary score (including the Oscar-winning "Moon River"), sets the film's tempo. George Peppard is solid as writer Paul Varjak, and we understand his impulse to try to shield Holly from a world that's tougher than she is. While Hepburn's impish spirit makes this film a classic, other aspects of the film, most notably, Mickey Rooney's insulting characterization of a buck-toothed Japanese neighbor, have become somewhat dated. Capote originally envisioned Marilyn Monroe as Holly; it's a testament to Hepburn's performance that one can hardly imagine any other actress as Holly. Breakfast at Tiffany's became the most recognized role of her career, and, for many viewers, one of the most cherished romances ever made. Matthew Doberman PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital Mono Features: Widescreen version enhanced for 16x9 TVs; Dolby Digital: English 5.1 Surround, English Dolby Surround, French Mono; English subtitles; Interactive menus; Scene selection; Theatrical trailer Language: English, Français Time: 1 Hour 54 Minutes

A Bug's Life (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

A Bug's Life (Disney Gold Classic Collection) Starring: Foley, Dave Spacey, Kevin Spacey, Kevin Ratzenberger, John Harris, Jonathan Kahn, Madeline Foley, Dave Leary, Denis Leary, Denis Pierce, David Hyde Director: Stanton, Andrew

Rating: G
Category: Kids & Family : Animation
User Rating:
Running Time: 96

Color Stereo

Amazon.com There was such a magic on the screen in 1995 when the people at Pixar came up with the first fully computer-animated film, Toy Story. Their second feature film, A Bug's Life, may miss the bull's-eye but Pixar's target is so lofty, it's hard to find the film anything less than irresistible. Brighter and more colorful than the other animated insect movie of 1998 (Antz), A Bug's Life is the sweetly told story of Flik (voiced by David Foley), an ant searching for better ways to be a bug. His colony unfortunately revolves around feeding and fearing the local grasshoppers (lead by Hopper, voiced with gleeful menace by Kevin Spacey). When Flik accidentally destroys the seasonal food supply for the grasshoppers he decides to look for help ("We need bigger bugs!"). The ants, led by Princess Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), are eager to dispose of the troublesome Flik. Yet he finds help--a hearty bunch of bug warriors--and brings them back to the colony. Unfortunately they are just traveling performers afraid of conflict. As with Toy Story, the ensemble of creatures and voices is remarkable and often inspired. Highlights include wiseacre comedian Denis Leary as an un-ladylike ladybug, Joe Ranft as the German-accented caterpillar, David Hyde Pierce as a stick bug, and Michael McShane as a pair of unintelligible pillbugs. The scene-stealer is Atta's squeaky-voiced sister, baby Dot (Hayden Panettiere), who has a big sweet spot for Flik. More gentle and kid-friendly than Antz, A Bug Life's still has some good suspense and a wonderful demise of the villain. However, the film--a giant worldwide hit--will be remembered for its most creative touch: "outtakes" over the end credits à la many live-action comedy films. These dozen or so scenes (both "editions" of outtakes are contained here) are brilliant and deserve a special place in film history right along with 1998's other most talked-about sequence: the opening Normandy invasion in Saving Private Ryan. The video and DVD also contain Pixar's delightful Oscar-winning short, Geri's Game. --Doug Thomas --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

Casablanca

Casablanca Starring: Bogart, Humphrey Bergman, Ingrid Henreid, Paul Wilson, Dooley Veidt, Conrad Greenstreet, Sydney Lorre, Peter Sakall, S.Z. Sakall, S.Z. Page, Joy Director: Curtiz, Michael

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Classics - Drama : Classics - General : Classics - Romance : Classics - War : Drama - general : Period Drama : War Romance : War
User Rating: 8.8/10 (IMDB)
Running Time: 1 Hour 43 Minutes

B&W Dolby Digital Mono

Barnes & Noble Star-crossed lovers meet during wartime under the Moorish arches of Rick's Café Americain in Casablanca. This legendary melodrama is one of the most perfectly realized movies to come out of the Hollywood studio system. Directed by Hungarian émigré Michael Curtiz, it stars Humphrey Bogart in his iconic role as the fiercely independent but ultimately honorable Rick, an American expatriate running a swanky nightclub on the French North African coast. An embittered romantic, Rick has never forgotten the beautiful and enigmatic Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), who left him waiting at the train station in Paris as Nazi tanks rolled in. Their secret love, unexpectedly rekindled at Rick's, drives a charged narrative set against an exotic backdrop. Bogart and Bergman supply enormous star power, to be sure. But Casablanca's witty script, brisk pacing, lush atmosphere, and bittersweet romance -- not to mention a splendid performance by Claude Rains as the morally flexible French official, Inspector Renault -- all help make it the classic that it is. Monica McIntyre All Movie Guide One of the most beloved American films, this captivating wartime adventure of romance and intrigue from director Michael Curtiz defies standard categorization. Simply put, it is the story of Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a world-weary ex-freedom fighter who runs a nightclub in Casablanca during the early part of WWII. Despite pressure from the local authorities, notably the crafty Capt. Renault (Claude Rains), Rick's café has become a haven for refugees looking to purchase illicit letters of transit which will allow them to escape to America. One day, to Rick's great surprise, he is approached by the famed rebel Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), Rick's true love who deserted him when the Nazis invaded Paris. She still wants Victor to escape to America, but now that she's renewed her love for Rick, she wants to stay behind in Casablanca. "You must do the thinking for both of us," she says to Rick. He does, and his plan brings the story to its satisfyingly logical, if not entirely happy, conclusion. Robert Firsching PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1) Presentation: B&W Sound: Dolby Digital Mono Features: Documentary you must remember this, hosted by Lauren Bacall and featuring recently unearthed outtakes; All-new introduction by Lauren Bacall; Interactive menus; Theatrical trailer; Scene access; Languages & subtitles: English & Français Language: English, Français SubTitles: English, Français Time: 1 Hour 43 Minutes

Chasing Amy

Chasing Amy Starring: Affleck, Ben Adams, Joey Lauren Lee, Jason Willyung, John Washington, Tsemach O'Donnell, Ernie Mosier, Kristin Smith, Virginia Smith, Virginia Mewes, Jason Director: Smith, Kevin

Rating: R (MPAA)
Category: Independent - Comedy : Independent - Romance : Comedy - general : Romantic Comedy
User Rating: 7.6/10 (IMDB)
Running Time: 1 Hour 53 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital

All Movie Guide After a pair of films about hipster slackers, the work of writer-director Kevin Smith matured and gained critical respect with this low budget, independent comedy-drama about love, sex and the fine line between the two. Ben Affleck stars as Holden McNeil, a New Jersey comic book writer who is roommates with his best friend and professional partner, artist Banky Edwards (Jason Lee). Their hit comic book series, "Bluntman and Chronic," is loosely patterned after a pair of acquaintances, Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (played by Smith), two characters already familiar as supporting players in several Smith films. Into Holden's life comes Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams), a lesbian and fellow comic book creator who quickly becomes a close friend, although Holden is powerfully attracted to her. Eventually, Alyssa realizes that she is attracted to Holden as well and they begin a physical relationship, much to the consternation of Banky, whose ire over losing his best friend to a lesbian seems to border on romantic jealousy. After he learns something about Alyssa's sexual past, however, Holden's immature response to his new knowledge destroys both his romance with Alyssa and his friendship with Banky. Chasing Amy (1997) was the third film in what Smith referred to as his "New Jersey series," films set at least partly in the Garden State and featuring the Jay and Silent Bob characters. Karl Williams PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital Features: Widescreen digital transfer supervised by cinematographer David Klein and enhanced for 16x9 televisions; 5.1 channel Dolby Digital soundtrack; New video introduction to the DVD edition from director Kevin Smith; Screen-specific audio commentary by Kevin Smith, producer Scott Mosier, actors Ben Affleck and Jason Mewes, associate producer Robert Hawk, Miramax executive Jon Gordon, and View Askew historian Vincent Pereira; Ten deleted scenes, plus outtakes; Trailer; Video introductions from the cast and crew; "The Askewniverse Legend": a guide to the characters in the "New Jersey Trilogy"; English subtitles; Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition Language: English SubTitles: English Time: 1 Hour 53 Minutes

Clerks

Clerks Starring: O'Halloran, Brian Anderson, Jeff Ghigliotti, Marilyn Mewes, Jason Director: Smith, Kevin

Rating: R (MPAA)
Category: Comedy - Black : Independent - Comedy : Office Comedy : Comedy - general
User Rating:
Running Time: 1 Hour 32 Minutes

B&W Mono

All Movie Guide When Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) is reluctantly put in charge of the Quick Stop market on his day off, he tries, though half-heartedly, to perform his minimum-wage duties as efficiently as possible. This gets tough amidst the on-going fight with his girlfriend, Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti), and his attempt to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Caitlyn Bree (Lisa Spoonhauer). Meanwhile, his friend and alter ego Randall (Jeff Anderson) is working behind the counter of the adjacent video store?at least when he feels like it. Randall's unabashed disdain of his place of employment, a long with his self-admitted hatred towards its customers is a sharp contrast to Dante's feeble attempts at the niceties of customer service. Much of the film consists of Randall and Dante's criticism of their customers, their lives, and the world in general. Clerks, filmed in black-and-white on a budget of only $27,000, began the career of writer director Kevin Smith, who would go on to make Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999), and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001). Hal Erickson PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1) Presentation: B&W Features: Audio commentary by director Kevin Smith and members of the cast and crew; Deleted scenes with introduction by Kevin Smith; Alternate ending; Soul Asylum music video; Theatrical trailer; Widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio; Dolby Surround; Chapter search Language: English Time: 1 Hour 32 Minutes

Comedian

Comedian Starring: Director:

Rating:
Category: Comedy
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Color Mono

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Starring: Yun-Fat, Chow Yeoh, Michelle Ziyi, Zhang Li, Fa Zeng Gao, Xian Hai, Yan Wang, Deming Yeoh, Michelle Yeoh, Michelle Chen, Chang Director: Lee, Ang

Rating: PG-13 (MPAA)
Category: Cult - Martial Arts : Action/Adventure - Romance : Magic Realism : Costume Adventure : Martial Arts : Romance - general
User Rating:
Running Time: 2 Hours

Color Dolby Digital Surround

Barnes & Noble A hypnotically fascinating hybrid produced by crossing martial-arts adventure with fairy-tale romance, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon quickly became the most successful foreign film ever released in the U.S. Chow Yun-Fat, an international superstar whose English-language films include Anna and the King, portrays a Chinese warrior who retires from a life of violence and relinquishes custody of his fabled sword, the magnificent Green Destiny. Hong Kong action star and erstwhile Bond girl Michelle Yeoh plays the longtime friend and admirer whose father is entrusted with the sword. A thrill-seeking young aristocrat (Zhang Ziyi), working with an evil mentor whom Chow once swore to kill, steals the sword -- and the chase is on. The characters square off in a series of exhilarating, occasionally dreamlike confrontations -- including a particularly memorable scene that unfolds amid windblown treetops -- staged with split-second precision and choreographic grace. As directed by Ang Lee (The Ice Storm), Crouching Tiger assumes multiple aspects; it offers two contrasting love stories that are at various points wistful, soaring, melancholy, and profoundly spiritual. It is, in every way, an impeccably executed film that refuses to be confined by formula and therefore delights on many levels. Ed Hulse Barnes & Noble All Movie Guide Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee took a break from making Western period dramas to fashion this wild and woolly martial arts spectacular featuring special effects and action sequences courtesy of the choreographer of The Matrix (1999), Yuen Woo Ping. In the early 19th century, martial arts master Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) is about to retire and enter a life of meditation, though he quietly longs to avenge the death of his master, who was killed by Jade Fox (Cheng Pei-pei). He gives his sword, a fabled 400-year-old weapon known as Green Destiny, to his friend, fellow martial arts wizard and secret love Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), so that she may deliver it to Sir Te (Sihung Lung). Upon arrival in Peking, Yu happens upon Jen (Zhang Ziyi), a vivacious, willful politician's daughter. That night, a mysterious masked thief swipes Green Destiny, with Yu in hot pursuit -- resulting in the first of several martial arts action set pieces during the film. Li arrives in Beijing and eventually discovers that Jen is not only the masked thief but is also in cahoots with the evil Jade. In spite of this, Li sees great talent in Jen as a fighter and offers to school her in the finer points of martial arts and selflessness, an offer that Jen promptly rebukes. This film was first screened to much acclaim at the 2000 Cannes, Toronto, and New York film festivals and became a favorite when Academy Awards nominations were announced in 2001: Tiger snagged ten nods and later secured four wins for Best Cinematography, Score, Art Direction, and Foreign Language Film. Jonathan Crow Chicago Sun-Times Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is the most exhilarating martial arts movie I have seen.... But like all ambitious movies, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" transcends its origins and becomes one of a kind. It's glorious, unashamed escapism and surprisingly touching at the same time. Roger Ebert Boston Globe Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a magical dream of a martial arts epic. It surpasses any you've ever seen. Jay Carr PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital Surround Features: Audio commentary by Ang Lee and co-screenwriter James Schamus; optional Dolby 5.1 soundtracks in Mandarin, English, and French language; Unleashing the Dragon, a making-of featurette; Michelle Yeoh conversation featurette; photo gallery; multiple theatrical trailers; cast and crew filmographies Language: Mandarin, English, Français SubTitles: English, Français Time: 2 Hours

D-Day 60th

D-Day 60th Starring: Director:

Rating: Not Rated
Category:
User Rating:
Running Time: 116 Minutes

Color

They landed in the early morning hours, a part of the greatest military invasion in history. June 6, 1944 – D-Day. Sixty years later, we join thousands of veterans and their families in France and in Canada and remember the heroism and the sacrifice on the beaches of Normandy. Re-live the most memorable and poignant moments of CBC News’ coverage of the 60th anniversary of D-Day with this special CBC Home Video – the ceremony at the Canadian cemetery at Beny-sur-Mer, the commemorative events on Juno Beach, the international gathering at Arromanches, the ceremony of remembrance in Ottawa, the ceremony of reconciliation in Caen, and the personal stories of Canadians who will never forget.

Dark Days

Dark Days Starring: Director: Singer, Marc

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Sociological Documentary
User Rating:
Running Time: 1 Hour 24 Minutes

Color DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound

All Movie Guide Novice filmmaker Marc Singer lived in the bowels of a midtown Manhattan railway station for two years to shoot this harrowing account of the day-to-day existence of the homeless. Shot in noirish black and white, Singer shows how society's discarded and disenfranchised fashion a community of sorts in the sunless labyrinth of the station's transit tunnels. Though told without narration, a dozen or so individual stories emerge. Dee (the sole woman depicted in the film) lost all her children in a house fire while she was high on crack; Ralph remains inconsolable after his five-year old's rape and mutilation during a stint in prison. In the final reel, Amtrak sends in armed police to clean out the tunnels, citing health concerns. However, the subterranean tenets happen upon a stroke of luck, as an NYC social worker discovers a cache of previously unclaimed public housing. Featuring a sparse soundtrack by DJ Shadow, Dark Days won the Grand Jury prize for cinematography, the Freedom of Expression award, and an audience award at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. Jonathan Crow PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Sound: DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound Features: The Making of Dark Days - 45 minute documentary, includes interviews with director Marc Singer, DJ Shadow, Ben Freedman and more; Commentary by Marc Singer; Never-before-seen footage - 15 additional scenes with notes by Marc Singer; The history of the NYC subway tunnels; "Life after the Tunnel" - Follow up by Marc Singer; Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound; Digitally mastered / 16:9 widescreen version; Crew biographies; Scene access; Theatrical trailer and more Language: English Time: 1 Hour 24 Minutes

Devil's Brigade

Devil's Brigade Starring: Holden, William Robertson, Cliff Edwards, Vince Andrews, Dana O'Connor, Carroll Knowles, Patric Prine, Andrew Akins, Claude Akins, Claude Jaeckel, Richard Director: McLaglen, Andrew V.

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: War Adventure
User Rating:
Running Time: 2 Hours 11 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital Mono

All Movie Guide During the early days of World War II, while the United States was massing its forces for the war, England hastily plans commando raids against the German forces to keep them at bay until America's troops enter the war. As a part of this plan, the Allies create the 1st Special Service Force to plan and carry out an attack on Norway in order to tie up the German forces. This commando force of Canadian soldiers and American GIs is headed by Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick (William Holden), a paper-pusher given his first field command. Antagonism immediately erupts between Canadian Maj. Alan Crown (Cliff Robertson) and American Maj. Cliff Bricker (Vince Edwards). But Frederick utilizes their mutual dislike as a basis for a rivalry that turns this rag-tag group of misfits into a disciplined fighting force. But now that Frederick's men are ready to fight, Frederick receives word that the Norway mission has been canceled. After appealing to Washington for another assignment for the commandos, the brigade is sent on a patrol near the German lines in southern Italy. The brigade captures an enemy-held village and is then given the seemingly impossible task of taking Mt. La Difensa. Paul Brenner PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital Mono Features: Original theatrical trailer; English mono; Spanish mono; English, French & Spanish subtitles Language: English, Español SubTitles: English, Français, Español Time: 2 Hours 11 Minutes

Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing Starring: Swayze, Patrick Grey, Jennifer Orbach, Jerry Weston, Jack Bishop, Kelly Price, Lonny Cantor, Max Jones, Neal Jones, Neal Knight, Wayne Director: Ardolino, Emile

Rating: PG-13 (MPAA)
Category: Drama - Coming of Age : Message Movie : Musical Drama : Musical Romance : Romantic Drama : Teenage Drama
User Rating:
Running Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround

All Movie Guide A teenage girl learns about love, adult responsibility, and how to do The Dirty Boogie in this romantic drama. In 1963, "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) is a 17-year-old spending the summer with her family at a resort hotel in the Catskills; she plans on being in the Peace Corps next summer, so this is expected to be her last summer as a carefree adolescent. Baby doesn't get along with her older sister, Lisa (Jane Brucker), and she's bored to tears by most of the older guests at the resort. However, one night Baby hears what sounds like a party going on in the employee's dormitory, and she pokes her head in to discover most of the hotel staff enjoying the sort of close dancing that would get you kicked out of the senior prom in no time flat. Baby is particularly struck by handsome Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), a dancer in the resort's floor show, and falls head over heels in love, wanting to be near him. When Johnny's dance partner, Penny (Cynthia Rhodes), finds herself pregnant after a fling with one of the waiters, Baby volunteers to learn her steps and take her place; however, Baby's father, Dr. Jake Houseman (Jerry Orbach), will have none of it, convinced that Johnny is a low life and that his daughter is too young to understand her own feelings. Dirty Dancing was a surprise box-office hit, and the soundtrack album was an even bigger success, spawning several hit singles and inspiring a top-drawing concert tour featuring several of its artists. Mark Deming PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Features: Special commentary from the creator Eleanor Bergstein; Behind-the-scenes making of featurette; Music videos of: "Hungry Eyes," "She's Like the Wind," "[I've Had] the Time of My Life" ; 4:3 widescreen; 5.1 Dolby Digital; Digitally mastered; Interactive menus; Scene access; Production notes; Cast & crew information; "Dirty Dancing: Live in Concert"; Theatrical trailer Language: English SubTitles: English Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen Starring: Marvin, Lee Borgnine, Ernest Cassavetes, John Ryan, Robert Bronson, Charles Marvin, Lee Sutherland, Donald Lopez, Trini Lopez, Trini Director: Aldrich, Robert

Rating: Unrated
Category: Action & Adventure : General
User Rating:
Running Time: 150

Color Stereo

Amazon.com A model for dozens of action films to follow, this box-office hit from 1967 refined a die-hard formula that has become overly familiar, but it's rarely been handled better than it was in this action-packed World War II thriller. Lee Marvin is perfectly cast as a down-but-not-out army major who is offered a shot at personal and professional redemption. If he can successfully train and discipline a squad of army rejects, misfits, killers, prisoners, and psychopaths into a first-rate unit of specialized soldiers, they'll earn a second chance to make up for their woeful misdeeds. Of course, there's a catch: to obtain their pardons, Marvin's band of badmen must agree to a suicide mission that will parachute them into the danger zone of Nazi-occupied France. It's a hazardous path to glory, but the men have no other choice to accept and regain their lost honor. What makes The Dirty Dozen special is its phenomenal cast including Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, George Kennedy, Ernest Borgnine, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, Jim Brown, Clint Walker, Trini Lopez, Robert Ryan, and others. Cassavetes is the Oscar- nominated standout as one of Marvin's most rebellious yet heroic men, but it's the whole ensemble--combined with the hard-as-nails direction of Robert Aldrich--that makes this such a high-velocity crowd pleaser. The script by Nunnally Johnson and Lukas Heller (from the novel by E.M. Nathanson) is strong enough to support the all-star lineup with ample humor and military grit, so if you're in need of a mainline jolt of testosterone, The Dirty Dozen is the movie for you. The DVD extras are also a kick in the pants, including a promotional featurette showing Marvin and his stylishly macho costars enjoying some male bonding in the mod London bistros of the 1960s. (You almost expect Austin Powers to come speeding around the nearest corner, making it a dirty baker's dozen! Yeah, baby, yeah!) --Jeff Shannon --This text refers to the DVD edition.

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Starring: Sellers, Peter Scott, George C. Hayden, Sterling Reed, Tracy Bull, Peter Wynn, Keenan Sellers, Peter Jones, James Earl Jones, James Earl Director: Kubrick, Stanley

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Comedy - Black : Classics - Comedy : Classics - Drama : Classics - General : Political Satire : UK : Anti-War Film
User Rating:
Running Time: 1 Hour 33 Minutes

B&W monaural

Barnes & Noble Rarely does nihilistic humor bubble up so relentlessly as in Stanley Kubrick's 1964 masterpiece of political satire, Dr. Strangelove. The tale begins when Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), a United States general who is as obsessed with the spread of communism as he is with the dangers of fluoridation, dispatches a flock of B-52's into Russia, putting the world inexorably on a path toward self-annihilation. Kubrick's early training as a photographer is evident, especially in his bold sense of visual composition. The film's cartoonish characters grease the scathing commentary on cold war buffoonery. George C. Scott blows hard as a posturing hawk of the Pentagon. Peter Sellers plays three characters, among them the bizarre title character -- a former Nazi war criminal turned White House consultant. And of course, there's Slim Pickens's cowboy kamikaze, who rides a missile rodeo style, whooping and hollering into oblivion. Monica McIntyre All Movie Guide In 1964, with the Cuban Missile Crisis fresh in viewers' minds, the Cold War at its frostiest, and the hydrogen bomb relatively new and frightening, Stanley Kubrick dared to make a film about what could happen if the wrong person pushed the wrong button -- and played the situation for laughs. Dr. Strangelove's jet-black satire (from a script by director Stanley Kubrick, Peter George, and Terry Southern) and a host of superb comic performances (including three from Peter Sellers) have kept the film fresh and entertaining, even as its issues have become (slightly) less timely. Loaded with thermonuclear weapons, a U.S. bomber piloted by Maj. T.J. "King" Kong (Slim Pickens) is on a routine flight pattern near the Soviet Union when they receive orders to commence Wing Attack Plan R, best summarized by Maj. Kong as "Nuclear combat! Toe to toe with the Russkies!" On the ground at Burpleson Air Force Base, Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellers) notices nothing on the news about America being at war. Gen. Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) calmly informs him that he gave the command to attack the Soviet Union because it was high time someone did something about fluoridation, which is sapping Americans' bodily fluids (and apparently has something to do with Ripper's sexual dysfunction). Meanwhile, President Merkin Muffley (Sellers again) meets with his top Pentagon advisors, including super-hawk Gen. Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott), who sees this as an opportunity to do something about Communism in general and Russians in particular. However, the ante is upped considerably when Soviet ambassador DeSadesky (Peter Bull) informs Muffley and his staff of the latest innovation in Soviet weapons technology: a "Doomsday Machine" which will destroy the entire world if the Russians are attacked. Mark Deming PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1) Presentation: B&W Sound: monaural Features: Inside the Making of Dr. Strangelove, a documentary on the restoration; an original split-screen interview with Peter Sellers and George C. Scott; biographical featurette The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove; advertising gallery; talent files; trailers Language: English, Français, Español, Portugais SubTitles: English, Français, Español, Portugais, Korean, Thai Time: 1 Hour 33 Minutes

Eight Men Out

Eight Men Out Starring: Cusack, John James, Clifton Strathairn, David Sheen, Charlie James, Clifton Strathairn, David Lerner, Michael Sayles, John Sayles, John Terkel, Studs Director: Sayles, John

Rating: PG (MPAA)
Category: Drama - Docudrama : Independent - Drama : Sports Drama : Historical Film
User Rating:
Running Time: 2 Hours

Color Dolby Digital

All Movie Guide Writer/director John Sayles' dramatization of the most infamous episode in professional sports -- the fix of the 1919 World Series -- is considered by many to be among his best films and arguably the best baseball movie ever made. This adaptation of Eliot Asinof's definitive study of the scandal shows how athletes of another era were a different breed from the well-paid stars of later years. The Chicago White Sox owner, Charlie Comiskey (Clifton James), is portrayed as a skinflint with little inclination to reward his team for their spectacular season. When a gambling syndicate led by Arnold Rothstein (Michael Lerner) gets wind of the players' discontent, it offers a select group of stars -- including pitcher Eddie Cicotte (Sayles regular David Strathairn), infielder Buck Weaver (John Cusack), and outfielder "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (D. B. Sweeney) -- more money to play badly than they would have earned to try to win the Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Sayles cast the story with actors who look and perform like real jocks, and added a colorful supporting cast that includes Studs Terkel as reporter Hugh Fullerton and Sayles himself as Ring Lardner. Tom Wiener PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital Features: Original theatrical trailer; English: mono; French: mono; Spanish: mono; French & Spanish subtitles Language: English, Français, Español SubTitles: Français, Español, English Time: 2 Hours

The Fortune Cookie

The Fortune Cookie Starring: Lemmon, Jack Matthau, Walter Rich, Ron Osmond, Cliff Tuttle, Lurene Tremayne, Les Lemmon, Jack Redmond, Marge Redmond, Marge Pitlik, Noam Director: Wilder, Billy

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Comedy of Manners : Satire
User Rating:
Running Time: 2 Hours 6 Minutes

B&W Dolby Digital

All Movie Guide The British title of Billy Wilder's classic comedy was Meet Whiplash Willie -- for, despite Jack Lemmon's star billing, the movie's driving force is Oscar-winning Walter Matthau as gloriously underhanded lawyer "Whiplash" Willie Gingrich. CBS cameraman Harry Hinkle (Lemmon) is injured when he is accidentally bulldozed by football player Luther "Boom Boom" Jackson (Ron Rich) during a Cleveland Browns game. Willie, Harry's brother-in-law, foresees an insurance-settlement bonanza, and he convinces Harry to pretend to be incapacitated by the accident. To insure his client's cooperation, Willie arranges for Harry's covetous ex-wife Sandy (Judi West) to feign a rekindling of their romance. Harry's conscience is plagued by the solicitous behavior of Boom Boom, who is so devastated at causing Harry's injury that he insists on waiting on the "cripple" hand and foot. Meanwhile, dishevelled private eye Purkey (Cliff Osmond) keeps Harry under constant surveillance, hoping to catch him moving around so the insurance company can avoid shelling out a fortune. Wilder and usual co-writer I.A.L. Diamond were at their most jaundiced and cynical here, even if, after a sardonic semiclimax, the last ten minutes succumb to the sentimentality that often marred Wilder's later movies. Hal Erickson PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1) Presentation: B&W Sound: Dolby Digital Features: Original theatrical trailer Language: English, Français SubTitles: Français, Español Time: 2 Hours 6 Minutes

Freaks and Geeks

Freaks and Geeks Starring: Director:

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FUBAR

FUBAR Starring: Spence, Paul Lawrence, Dave Director: Dowse, Michael

Rating: R (MPAA)
Category: Mockumentary
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Running Time: 1 Hour 17 Minutes

Color Mono

All Movie Guide Two young men ponder life, death, cheap beer, and the guitar stylings of Angus Young in this mock-documentary-comedy. Dean (Paul Spence) and Terry (Dave Lawrence) are a pair of Canadian metalheads who have devoted their lives to the manly arts of drinking beer, appreciating the finer points of heavy metal, and breaking stuff. Filmmaker Farrell (Gordon Skilling) has been trailing the pair with a camera crew in order to produce a documentary on their lives, and while initially there isn't much about Dean and Terry's existence that seems at all interesting, it looks like he may have hit pay dirt when Dean discovers he has cancer, and a possible tragic death looms on the horizon. FUBAR was the first feature film from writer and director Michael Dowse; the film was screened in competition at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. Mark Deming PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Features: Deleted scenes with filmmaker introductions; Character biographies; 3 music videos: - New Pornographers "Slow Decent Into Alcoholism" - New Pornographers "Your Daddy Don't Know" - Thor "Fubar Is a Super-Rocker"; Filmmaker commentary track (Mike Dowse, Paul Spence & Dave Lawrence); Commentary track by Terry and Dean; Terry Cahill's short film "The Package"; Photo gallery; Trailers Language: English, English Time: 1 Hour 17 Minutes

Ghost World

Ghost World Starring: Birch, Thora Buscemi, Steve Johansson, Scarlett Douglas, Illeana Garr, Teri Renfro, Brad Birch, Thora Balaban, Bob Balaban, Bob Buzzington, Ezra Director: Zwigoff, Terry

Rating: R (MPAA)
Category: Drama - Coming of Age : Comedy - general : Comedy Drama
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Running Time: 1 Hour 51 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround

Barnes & Noble Director Terry Zwigoff's bitingly humorous Ghost World successfully nails several brands of droll despair with its lustrous lull and gloom. Written by Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes, author of the same-named comic-book serial, Ghost World is a loving look at the growing pains of two eccentric young women, told in an almost bluesy tempo. The movie starts with the bonding of best friends Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson); flipping the bird at their high school on graduation day, they've also decided not to attend college, keeping with Enid's goal of defying "definition." Before the workaday grind begins to close in on them, the girls are a deadpan Laurel and Hardy, getting involved in a series of incidents that express their bleak, defensive humor: tailing suspected Satanists; prank-calling personal-ad writers; needling customers at a '50s-retro diner called Wowsville; and taunting an inert store clerk (Brad Renfro) whom they both secretly fancy. Rebecca's decision to look for an apartment in a "totally normal" neighborhood begins a separation process, as Enid responds by dyeing her hair green and dressing punk for a day. Enid's emotional currents shift as often as her spectacles, which she changes from scene to scene -- cat eyes, wire rims, and squarish black frames. Her room, a colorful enclave with goldenrod shelves packed with vintage pop ephemera, becomes her retreat. Ghost World evolves into a funny, un-romance between Enid and bug-eyed, stooping record collector Seymour (Steve Buscemi), but it resists the impulse to resolve Enid's issues in a tidy Hollywood fashion. The first fiction effort by Zwigoff -- whose celebrated Crumb also savored eccentricity, specifically that of comic-book legend R. Crumb and his kin -- fires potent salvos against strip-mall America while serving as an apt measuring of teen ennui. Although cast in a color palette and more cinematically structured than Clowes's comics, the film preserves the characters' funk, regarding this rich gallery of creeps, weirdos, and loners with essential sympathy. The DVD edition sports the infectious, dizzying shimmyfest "Jaan Pehechaan Ho," from the Bollywood film Gumnaam (1965), a frenzied dance number that -- even as a clip -- is an incredible movie. Eddy Crouse All Movie Guide Filmmaker Terry Zwigoff, who enjoyed breakthrough success with his 1994 documentary Crumb, shifts gears as he examines the lives of two young women on the verge of leaving their adolescence behind in his first dramatic feature. Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) are two close friends who've just graduated from high school, and are trying to decide what to do with their lives. Enid is a dark-haired arch cynic who is tired of living at home with her ineffectual dad (Bob Balaban) and his annoyingly perky girlfriend Maxine (Teri Garr), while Rebecca is prettier and a bit cheerier, but no more certain about her future. While the two girls have vague plans of getting an apartment together, they seem content to while away their summer hanging out and indulging in their shared infatuation with Josh (Brad Renfro), a friend from school who works at a convenience store and doesn't seem to be especially attracted to either of them. Enid discovers that in order to get her diploma, she'll have to take an additional class over the summer, where she winds up studying art with Roberta (Illeana Douglas), who is determined to encourage Enid's creative impulses, whether Enid likes it or not. More significantly, Enid meets Seymour (Steve Buscemi), a geeky record collector more than twice her age, and while they would seem to have little in common (and Rebecca thinks he's a creep), Enid discovers a kindred spirit in fellow misfit Seymour, who shares her disgust with the world around them, and a relationship begins to develop between the two. Ghost World is based on the award-winning graphic novel by comic artist Daniel Clowes, who also wrote the film's screenplay. Mark Deming Village Voice Keep your Lara Croft and your Shrek.For me, the summer's reigning i

Gods Must Be Crazy 1 & 2

Gods Must Be Crazy 1 & 2 Starring: N!xau Prinsloo, Sandra Weyers, Marius Bowen, Erick N!Xau Farugia, Lena Strydom, Hans Director: Uys, Jamie

Rating: PG (MPAA)
Category: Comedy : General
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Running Time: 3 Hours 27 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital Surround

All Movie Guide Kalahari bushman Xi (played by genuine bushman N!xau) is as surprised as the rest of his tibe when a Coke bottle, thrown from a passing plane, lands in the middle of their village. This "gift from the gods" proves to be a mixed blessing when the tribesmen fight over it and eventually use it for a weapon. To keep peace in the village, Xi is assigned to take the bottle to "the end of the earth" (actually a lush valley) and throw it back to the gods. Meanwhile, back in urbanized South Africa, Kate Thompson (Sandra Prinsloo) leaves her office job in the city to take a job teaching Kalahari children; once in the wilderness, she finds herself constantly bumping into clumsy microbiologist Andrew Steyn (Marius Weyers). And meanwhile, maniacal Sam Boga (Louw Verwey) is leading a military coup against the government. How do all these various and wildly divergent characters fit together? You'll have to see The Gods Must be Crazy yourself--if you haven't seen it already. This Botswanian comedy/melodrama was directed by Jamie Uys, who had helmed dozens of films before Gods and would make many more afterwards. Originally slated for limited domestic distribution in 1982, Gods Must Be Crazy was picked up for American consumption by 20th Century-Fox in 1984. Within a few weeks, "word of mouth" transformed Gods into the biggest foreign boxoffice hit ever released in the U.S. The 1989 sequel didn't do quite as well, indicating that perhaps the bloom was off the rose for N!xau and his confreres. Hal Erickson All Movie Guide This sequel to the enormous international hit The Gods Must Be Crazy isn't quite as fresh and enchanting as the original, but it is still a garden of small delights. N!Xau, the Kalihari bushman who starred in the first film, is separated from his children while on a hunting expedition in the desert. The emphasis is on the kids, who are kidnaped by elephant poachers. This activity is counterpointed with the adventures of the film's "civilized" characters, transplanted New York attorney Lena Farugia and zoologist Hans Strydom, who find themselves stranded in the desert (their adventures are similar to those experienced by fish-out-of-water Linda Kozlowski in Crocodile Dundee). Meanwhile, a couple of soldiers who've wandered away from a border war devote their time to capturing, and escaping from, each other. As in the first film, the various subplots converge, with N!Xau once more emerging as the hero of the hour. Hal Erickson PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital Surround Features: The Gods Must Be Crazy; Featurette "Journey to Nyae Nyae"; Baraka School Photo Gallery; Weblink to Kalahari People's Fund; Bonus Trailers; ; The Gods Must Be Crazy II; Featurette "Buster Reynolds Remembers Jamie Uys"; Weblink to the Kalahari People's Fund; Bonus Trailers Language: English SubTitles: English, Français, Japanese, Korean, Portugais, Español Time: 3 Hours 27 Minutes

Godzilla 2000

Godzilla 2000 Starring: Murata, Takehiro Sano, Shiro Abe, Hiroshi Sano, Shiro Tsutomu, Kitagawa Nishida, Naomi Kitagawa, Tsutomu Director: Okawara, Takao

Rating: PG (MPAA)
Category: Science Fiction/Fantasy - Aliens : International - Japanese : Cult - Monster : Horror - Monster : Science Fiction/Fantasy - Mons
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Running Time: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital Surround

Barnes & Noble Japan's resident monster star -- and everybody's favorite giant lizard -- enters the new millennium in this elaborate, effects-studded vehicle, a kitschy delight that ranks with the best of his 23 feature-film outings. As the film opens, Godzilla has surfaced near the island of Hokkaido, where he's spotted by leading man Takehiro Murata -- a technician working for the Godzilla Prediction Network (an early-warning system designed to minimize civilian casualties). Government official Hiroshi Abe targets the rampaging reptile for destruction, but he changes his tune when a long-buried UFO rises from the sea and begins wreaking havoc: Only Godzilla, annoyed by this encroachment on his turf, can successfully engage the aliens in battle. Obviously committed to replicating the classic Godzilla movies of yore, director Takao Okawaro doesn't waste much footage on plot or characterization: Once he sets the scene, the human actors simply stand by and watch our hero do his thing. Sophisticated special effects (including computer imagery) are occasionally employed, but the lovable lizard still looks like a rubber-suited actor tromping on miniature Tinkertoy buildings. The American distributor has further enhanced Godzilla 2000 with lots of corny dialogue, making this old-fashioned monster movie an often hilarious romp. Ed Hulse All Movie Guide Following Roland Emmerich's controversial Americanization of the Japanese monster icon in Godzilla (1998), the Beast from the East comes roaring back in this sci-fi adventure tale. Yuji Shinoda (Naomi Nishida), a scientist devoted to researching Godzilla, is setting up equipment on a fog-shrouded peninsula with her daughter Io (Mayu Suzuki) and journalist Yuki Ichinose (Takehiro Murata) when everyone's favorite 180-foot-tall lizard appears from the sea and begins laying siege to a nuclear power plant. The military swings into action, but the monster's fiery breath soon uncovers an alien spacecraft; beings from outer space have come to take over the earth, and now Godzilla is our last line of defense against them. Hugely successful in Japan, Gojira Mireniamu (aka Godzilla 2000) was the first Japanese Godzilla movie since Godzilla 1985 to receive a US theatrical release. Mark Deming New York Times Watching this transcendentally tacky movie, which wants us to laugh at it and with it at the same time, it is easy to see why the series threatens to be as enduring as its namesake. Stephen Holden PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital Surround Features: Digitally mastered audio and anamorphic video; Widescreen presentation; Languages: English 5.1 [Dolby Digital] and 2-channel [Dolby Surround], French; Subtitles: English, French; Audio commentary; Behind-the-scenes footage; Theatrical trailers; Talent files; Interactive animated menus; Production notes; Scene selections Language: English, Français SubTitles: English, Français Time: 1 Hour 39 Minutes

The Great Escape

The Great Escape Starring: McQueen, Steve Garner, James Attenborough, Richard Donald, James Bronson, Charles Taylor, Jud Pleasence, Donald McCallum, David McCallum, David Jackson, Gordon Director: Sturges, John

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Classics - Action/Adventure : Classics - Drama : Classics - General : Classics - War : Historical Epic : Escape Film : POW Drama
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Running Time: 2 Hours 52 Minutes

Color monaural

Barnes & Noble Director John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven) pulls out all the stops in The Great Escape, his classic big-budget World War II POW extravaganza. The title pretty much says it all: The film tells the true story of some determined Allied prisoners who manage to tunnel out of a new and presumably escape-proof camp in which they have all been interred. Sturges lovingly details every aspect of their elaborate scheme, as the prisoners bring a host of skills -- engineering, forgery, and even tailoring -- to the job at hand. There is some rudimentary character development along the way, but don't expect detailed, complex glimpses into the inner workings of these guys' psyches. The inmates (Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Garner, and many more) are cleanly drawn as heroic to a man, and their camaraderie, ingenuity, and courage allows them to pull off a truly impressive feat. Yes, these are idealized portraits, but immensely satisfying ones. The structure of The Great Escape evokes a powerful sense of liberation, as the claustrophobic atmosphere of the first half of the film gives way to open-air chases in the second half, including McQueen's famous motorcycle romp through some spectacular wide-screen vistas of the German countryside, with a battalion of soldiers in hot pursuit. Topping it all off is a memorable -- and eminently whistle-able -- score from Elmer Bernstein. The Great Escape is Hollywood entertainment at its finest. Sit back and enjoy. Gregory Baird All Movie Guide The Great Escape is based on the true story of a group of Allied prisoners of war who managed to escape from an allegedly impenetrable Nazi prison camp during World War II. At the beginning of the film, the Nazis gather all their most devious and troublesome POWs and place them at a new prison camp, which was designed to be impervious to escapes. Immediately, the prisoners develop a scheme where they will leave the camp by building three separate escape tunnels. Richard Attenborough is the British soldier who masterminds the whole plan, and who commands his motley squad--featuring Charles Bronson as a Polish trench-digging expert, James Garner as an American with a talent for theft, Donald Pleasence as a masterful forger, and Steve McQueen as an American rebel--through the construction of the tunnels and, eventually, their escape. An epic adventure film, The Great Escape runs nearly three hours, featuring a rousing Elmer Bernstein score and exciting action sequences -- including a notorious motorcycle chase between McQueen and the Nazis -- the likes of which had never been seen before in Hollywood productions. Stephen Thomas Erlewine All Movie Guide John Sturges' The Great Escape could easily be the most under-appreciated movie of its genre and decade, which may seem a strange thing to say about a movie that is one of the most popular World War II adventure films ever made. It not only defined the screen personae of Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough and much of the rest of the cast, but along with The Magnificent Seven represented a high-water mark in Sturges' career. Yet, despite that and the millions of dollars it earned at the box office, The Great Escape didn't command much respect until years after its release. Critics lumped the film together with such mammoth World War II productions as The Longest Day, The Guns of Navarone and Battle of the Bulge and overlooked its unique status as a fundamentally tragic movie that still managed to appeal to audiences in an upbeat manner. Beneath the fact-based heroics, the humor of many of the portrayals and Elmer Bernstein's rich, rousing score lay the elements of a classic tragedy. While ordinary viewers responded to the driving dramatic forces among the characters -- Bartlett's obsession, Hilts's self-absorption and cynicism, Hedley's practical approach to survival and the mission -- critics and scholars viewed the movie as an artless, empty blockbuster. They were looking for self-conscious subtlety and obvious artistic touches in a story that require

Guys and Dolls

Guys and Dolls Starring: Brando, Marlon Simmons, Jean Sinatra, Frank Blaine, Vivian Keith, Robert Kaye, Stubby Pully, B. S. Stone, George E. Stone, George E. Director: Mankiewicz, Joseph L.

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Music & Musicals - Classic Musicals : Classics - Comedy : Classics - General : Classics - Musicals : Classics - Romance : Musica
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Running Time: 2 Hours 29 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround

Barnes & Noble The Broadway musical Guys and Dolls -- source of such standards as "Luck Be A Lady Tonight" and "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" -- also proved to be one of Hollywood's greatest musical achievments. This rollicking spectacle from 1955 offered a dream pairing of leads: the inimitable toughness of Marlon Brando with the street savvy savoir faire of Frank Sinatra. Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve) finds all the character nuances of Damon Runyan's original story and illuminates them against the colorful hustle and bustle of New York's Times Square. Guys and Dolls is the story of down-and-out gambler Nathan Detroit (Sinatra) and his floating crap game -- "the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York" -- which comes vividly alive with song and dance scenes. Jean Simmons plays the prudish Sara Brown, and her infamous tango scene with Sky Masterson (Brando) in Havana rumbles with excitement. Vivian Blaine gives the performance of her career as the flaky, gorgeous dumb-blonde Adelaide, and Sinatra gives Detroit the kind of meekness and desperation necessary for us to feel empathy for this lowly gambler. Although Guys and Dolls continues to be a stage favorite, the film version maintains its own legend as one of America's most beloved musicals. Karen Backstein All Movie Guide This 1955 film began life as two Runyon short stories, the most prominent of which was "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown." This material was fleshed out into a 2-act libretto by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling, then set to music by Frank Loesser and directed by George S. Kaufman. Opening late in 1950, Guys and Dolls was one of Broadway's hottest tickets for several seasons. The plot involves a certain Broadway citizen by the name of Nathan Detroit (Frank Sinatra), who maintains the "Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York." Seeking a location for his latest high-stakes game, Nathan has an opportunity to rent out the Biltmore Garage, but he needs $1000 to do so. He decides to extract the money from high-rolling Sky Masterson (Marlon Brando), known for his willingness to bet on anything. Nathan wagers that Sky will not be able to talk the virginal Salvation Army lass Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons) into going on a date with him. While Sky goes to work on Sarah, Nathan endeavors to fend off his girlfriend Miss Adelaide (Vivian Blaine, repeating her Broadway role), who has developed a psychosomatic cold because of her frustrating 14-year engagement to the slippery Mr. Detroit. Thanks to some fast finagling, Sky is able to take Sarah on that date, flying to Havana for this purpose. By the time they've returned to New York, Sky and Sarah are in love, but their ardor cools off abruptly when Nathan, unable to secure the Biltmore garage, attempts to use Sarah's mission as the site of his crap game. Hal Erickson PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Features: New Dolby 5.1 surround soundtrack; Collectible booklet; Original theatrical trailer Language: English, Français, Español SubTitles: Français, Español Time: 2 Hours 29 Minutes

High Fidelity

High Fidelity Starring: Cusack, John Hjejle, Iben Black, Jack Robbins, Tim Taylor, Lili Wagner, Natasha Gregson Zeta-Jones, Catherine Cusack, Joan Cusack, Joan Gilbert, Sara Director: Frears, Stephen

Rating: R (MPAA)
Category: Comedy - Urban : Office Comedy : Comedy Drama : Comedy of Manners : Romantic Comedy
User Rating:
Running Time: 1 Hour 54 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround

Barnes & Noble Inspired casting and a clever narrative strategy make Stephen Frears's adaptation of Nick Hornby's wry cult novel an unexpected triumph that never loses the voice of the book's protagonist -- or the hilarious musical obsessions that make this one of the best music movies this side of Spinal Tap. With his ordinary-guy appeal, John Cusack is a natural as Hornby's underachieving hero, Rob -- a 30-something owner of a failing record store whose lawyer girlfriend has just left him when the story opens. Rob spends the rest of the movie on a funny and poignant quest to understand why his life -- particularly his love life -- has not turned out like a pop song. Cusack, who cowrote the film, changes the novel's London setting to his native Chicago, and the transition works surprisingly well. Frears preserves the charm of the book's first-person narrative by having Cusack talk directly to the camera; it's a device that could have been cloying, but the actor pulls it off with flying colors. Everyone in the cast is terrific, but Rob's dysfunctional record shop assistants -- Todd Louiso as the hopelessly geeky Dick and the unstoppable Jack Black as the aggressively obnoxious Barry -- are the real show stealers. The scenes where they sit around compiling endless "Top Ten" lists of everything from songs to dream jobs are comic perfection. As for the hip soundtrack that Cusack helped assemble -- well, it's everything even the most die-hard fans of the book could have hoped for. Kryssa Schemmerling All Movie Guide A man discovers that there's more to love than a good mixed tape in this dramatic comedy about music and relationships. Rob (John Cusack), an obsessive record collector in his mid-thirties, is struggling to reconcile his adolescent enthusiasm for pop music with adult responsibilities and a more mature outlook. He runs a record shop with his friends Barry (Jack Black) and Dick (Todd Louiso), who are known to drive away customers whose taste in music doesn't match their exacting standards -- which may have something to do with why the shop is losing money. But Rob's biggest problem is his failing relationship with Laura (Iben Hjejle), a lawyer who needs more out of the relationship than Rob is capable of giving. To Rob's horror, Laura starts dating Ian (Tim Robbins), his upstairs neighbor, known throughout the building for his long and noisy sex sessions. Rob, on the other hand, finds himself catching the attention of singer/songwriter Marie DeSalle (Lisa Bonet), as he tries to deal with his breakup by tracking down his previous ex-girlfriends and taking a fresh look at what he's been doing wrong. Based on the acclaimed novel by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity also features Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor, and Joelle Carter as three of Rob's ex-lovers, and Sara Gilbert as Dick's new girlfriend, who gets a crash course in U.K. punk bands that influenced Green Day. Mark Deming PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Features: Conversations with writer/producer John Cusack and director Stephen Frears; Deleted scenes; Theatrical trailer; Spanish subtitles; 5.1 surround; Widescreen [1.85:1] enhanced for 16x9 televisions Language: English SubTitles: English, Español Time: 1 Hour 54 Minutes

The Iron Giant

The Iron Giant Starring: Marienthal, Eli Diesel, Vin Aniston, Jennifer McDonald, Christopher Leachman, Cloris Connick Jr., Harry Mahoney, John Emmet Walsh, M. Emmet Walsh, M. Bergman, Mary Kay Director: Bird, Brad

Rating: PG (MPAA)
Category: Children - Animation : Children - Fantasy : Animation - Features : Animation - Kids : Children's Fantasy : Children : Animation
User Rating: 7.8/10 (IMDB)
Running Time: 1 Hour 27 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital

Barnes & Noble Directed by Brad Bird (of "The Simpsons") and based on a storybook by British poet laureate Ted Hughes, The Iron Giant was among 1999's very best family films despite its inexplicably swift departure from theaters. Set in 1957 against a backdrop of cold war paranoia engendered by Russia's Sputnik launch, this is a deeply satisfying and lushly animated parable of friendship and trust. In the woods near his bucolic Maine hometown, imaginative nine-year-old Hogarth (voiced by Eli Marienthal) rescues and befriends a titanic mechanical man that has fallen from the sky. Hogarth must keep the iron man hidden from his mother (Jennifer Aniston) and a snooping government agent (Christopher McDonald) determined to find the metal man and destroy it. The expert cast of voices also includes Harry Connick Jr. as Dean, a beatnik and aspiring artist whose junkyard provides sanctuary and sustenance for the robot. Programmed with the potential to be either a ferocious weapon of a 50-foot toy, the giant has a few things to iron out, and Hogarth there to help him. A towering filmmaking achievement, The Iron Giant is finally finding the audience it so richly deserves. Donald Liebenson All Movie Guide A boy's best friend is his robot in this animated adventure from Brad Bird, best known for his TV work on such series as The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and The Critic. Set in 1957, The Iron Giant focuses on Hogarth (voice of Eli Marienthal), an imaginative nine-year-old boy who daydreams of alien invasions and doing battle with Communist agents. One day, Hogarth hears a local fisherman talk about something that surpasses anything he could dream up: a fifty-foot robot that fell from the sky into a nearby lake. Needless to say, Hogarth's mom, Annie (voice of Jennifer Aniston) finds this a little hard to swallow, but when Hogarth finds the robot (voice of Vin Diesel) and fishes him out of the water, his pal Dean (voice of Harry Connick Jr.), a beatnik sculptor who also runs a junkyard, offers to help by hiding the robot with his salvage. A government agent named Kent Mansley (voice of Christopher McDonald) soon gets wind that there's a mechanical invader of unknown origins in the neighborhood and wants to wipe out the potential threat. However, the robot (which loves to eat metal and is learning to talk) turns out to be friendly, and the boy in turn tries to teach his new pal the ways of humans. The Iron Giant is loosely based on the book The Iron Man by late British poet Ted Hughes, previously adapted for the stage by rock musician Pete Townshend, who executive produced the film. Mark Deming PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Presentation: Pan & Scan Sound: Dolby Digital Features: "Making Of" documentary; Eddie Platt "Cha-Hua-Hua" music video; Interactive menus; Filmographies; Theatrical trailer; Scene access; English subtitles; DVD-ROM features: original theatrical web site and links; web links; web events and chat room access Language: English SubTitles: English Time: 1 Hour 27 Minutes

Jackass: The Movie

Jackass: The Movie Starring: Knoxville, Johnny Margera, Bam Pontius, Chris Margera, Bam Pontius, Chris Steve-O Knoxville, Johnny England, Dave England, Dave Dunn, Ryan Director: Tremaine, Jeff

Rating: R (MPAA)
Category: Documentary - Artists and the Arts : Documentary - Feature Length : Comedy - general : Documentary - general
User Rating:
Running Time: 1 Hour 24 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital Surround

Barnes & Noble If you snort wasabi, there's an excellent chance you'll vomit. If you watch somebody else snort the Japanese hot stuff and he loses it, chances are you still might toss the cookies. But if you're a fan of Johnny Knoxville and his MTV shock show, Jackass, at least you'll do it laughing. And you won't be alone. Tapping into some primal human delight in the disgusting, Knoxville's self-destructive, politically incorrect, socially unacceptable stunts have a loyal following, one that will not be disappointed at this hilarious first foray into filmdom. It is essentially a 90-minute TV episode juiced with plenty of puke, words they could never say on air, and nudity of the full-frontal kind. Having set the bar for barbarism fairly high on MTV while testing taser guns on themselves or sitting in a filthy port-a-potty turned upside-down, Knoxville and his gross-out gang pull out the stops, and a few unmentionables, with their extra-stupid human tricks. There is no plot or script or actual actors, which is as it should be. A dignified thespian would only get in the way of the inspired insanity. One jackass walks on a tightrope above hungry gators wearing merely a jock and a piece of raw meat. Another jackass wrecks a rental car in a demolition derby, and tries to return it. A store's floor-display toilet gets taken for a test run in another jaw-dropping trousers-down sequence. It's all too much, really, and the rough-video quality complements the frat-prank-gone-awry sensibility. The DVD's riotous "Making Of" segment captures the Zen-like inexplicability of why these twisted progeny of the Three Stooges are so entertaining. And they are. Don't try to fight it. Peter Marchand All Movie Guide Johnny Knoxville and his crew of fun-loving masochists bring their routines to the big screen in this feature adaptation of the popular but controversial MTV series Jackass. A crew of young men perform a variety of strange, painful, and often humiliating stunts for the amusement of themselves and those around them, including crawling across dozens of mousetraps while wearing rodent make-up, being rolled down bowling lanes on skateboards, racing in golf carts across an ancient driving range, giving themselves self-inflicted paper cuts, making snow cones out of urine, tightrope walking over live alligators, using uninstalled sanitary plumbing in a hardware store, terrifying Japanese pedestrians while wearing panda costumes, and much, much more. Johnny Knoxville, the show's creator and star, returns to head up this movie version of Jackass, along with series regulars Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Chris Pontius, Steve-O, Dave England, Jason "Wee Man" Acuna, Preston Lacy, Ehren McGhehey, and Brandon DiCamillo; Henry Rollins, Tony Hawk, and Spike Jonze are among the movie's guest stars. Mark Deming Entertainment Weekly I'm not sure if I enjoyed myself, exactly, but I could hardly wait to see what I'd be appalled by next. Owen Gleiberman Village Voice It's funny, as the old saying goes, because it's true. PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital Surround Features: Commentary by director, cinematographer, and Johnny Knoxville; Jackass cast group commentary; MTV's "Making of Jackass the Movie"; Outtakes; 27 minutes of additional footage; Jackass the Movie promo spots; Music video: "If You're Gonna Be Dumb" by Roger Alan Wade; Music video: "We Want Fun" by Andrew W.K.; Theatrical trailer; Cast & crew biographeis; Photo gallery; Poster gallery; Widescreen version enhanced for 16:9 TVs; Dolby Digital: English 5.1 Surround, English Dolby Surround; English subtitles Language: English SubTitles: English Time: 1 Hour 24 Minutes

The King of Masks

The King of Masks Starring: Xu, Zhu Ren-ying, Zhou Yuk, Chu Director: Tianming, Wu

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Drama - Family : China : Childhood Drama : Melodrama : Period Drama : Hong Kong (U.K.)
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Running Time: 1 Hour 41 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital

All Movie Guide This tender Chinese tale of an aged street performer who begins teaching a young child is filled with warm humanity but not imbued with undue sentiment. It is set about seventy years in the past and centers on elderly Wang Bian Lian, who travels the street performing with his pet monkey. Just looking at him it would be hard to tell that he is a master of the rapid changing face masks technique that characterizes Sichuan opera. He came to the streets thirty years before, after his wife abandoned him, and now he seeks to pass on his technique to a young boy. Liang, a well-known actor specializing in female roles wants to learn the skill, but Wang politely refuses to teach him. Wang finally gets his candidate when he buys "Doggie," a young child from a starving family. Doggie's presence adds renewed zest to Wang's life. One day the child falls ill and Wang sells one of his few priceless heirlooms to save him. This leads him to learn that Doggie is not a 'he' at all. Wang still cares, but he is heartbroken for only a boy can learn the face-changing skill. Doggie begs him to let her stay and to teach her to be an acrobat. He agrees to this and continues looking for a boy. One day, Doggie accidentally burns up Wang's boat. Horrified, she flees into the city only to secretly return later with a baby that she had rescued from kidnappers. Wang, not knowing who bestowed the gift of the child, is delighted. Unfortuantely the child's wealthy parents learn that he has it. Wang is arrested and sentenced to death. Fortunately, Doggie is determined to save him. Sandra Brennan PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Presentation: Pan & Scan Sound: Dolby Digital Features: Digitally mastered audio & video; Original language: Mandarin Chinese; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; Theatrical trailer; Production notes; Interactive menus; Scene selections Language: Mandarin SubTitles: English, Español, Français Time: 1 Hour 41 Minutes

Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia Starring: O'Toole, Peter Director: Lean, David

Rating: PG
Category: Studio Specials : Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment : Best Picture Winners
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Color Dolby

Amazon.com essential video There's no getting around a simple, basic truth: watching Lawrence of Arabia in any home-video format represents a compromise. There's no better way to appreciate this epic biographical adventure than to see it projected in 70 millimeter onto a huge theater screen. That caveat aside, David Lean's masterful "desert classic" is still enjoyable on the small screen, especially if viewed in widescreen format. (If your only option is to view a "pan & scan" version, it's best not to bother; this is a film for which the widescreen format is utterly mandatory.) Peter O'Toole gives a star-making performance as T.E. Lawrence, the eccentric British officer who united the desert tribes of Arabia against the Turks during World War I. Lean orchestrates sweeping battle sequences and breathtaking action, but the film is really about the adventures and trials that transform Lawrence into a legendary man of the desert. Lean traces this transformation on a vast canvas of awesome physicality; no other movie has captured the expanse of the desert with such scope and grandeur. Equally important is the psychology of Lawrence, who remains an enigma even as we grasp his identification with the desert. Perhaps the greatest triumph of this landmark film is that Lean has conveyed the romance, danger, and allure of the desert with such physical and emotional power. It's a film about a man who leads one life but is irresistibly drawn to another, where his greatness and mystery are allowed to flourish in equal measure. --Jeff Shannon --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition. DVD features This vast movie is spread leisurely across two discs, with Maurice Jarre's overture standing in as intermission music for the first track of the second disc. But the clarity of the anamorphic widescreen picture and Dolby 5.1 soundtrack justify the decision not to cram the whole thing onto one side of a disc. The movie has never looked nor sounded better: the desert landscapes are incredibly detailed, with the tiny nomadic figures in the far distance clearly visible on the small screen; the... read more Description Director David Lean follows the heroic true-life odyssey of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) in this dramatic portrait of the famed British officer's journey to the Middle East. Assigned to Arabia during World War I, Lawrence courageously unites the warring Arab factions into a strong guerrilla front and leads them to brilliant victories in treacherous desert battlefields where they eventually defeat the ruling Turkish Empire.

Legally Blonde

Legally Blonde Starring: Witherspoon, Reese Wilson, Luke Blair, Selma Taylor, Holland Ubach, Alanna Perkins, Osgood Cardellini, Linda Davis, Matthew Davis, Matthew Blair, Selma Director: Luketic, Robert

Rating: PG-13 (MPAA)
Category: Comedy of Manners : Romantic Comedy
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Running Time: 1 Hour 36 Minutes

Color Mono

All Movie Guide Reese Witherspoon stars in this romantic comedy, the feature film debut of award-winning Australian director Robert Luketic. As a ravishing Miss Hawaiian Tropic, sorority president, and calendar girl, Elle Woods (Witherspoon) is a big hit on the campus of her sun-drenched Los Angeles college. She's also got the perfect boyfriend in Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis), a wealthy East Coast blue blood. Fearing that his snooty friends and family will never accept the bubble-headed Elle, however, Warner dumps her before heading off to graduate law school at Harvard University. Determined to win back her man, Elle enrolls in the same imposing institution, quickly becoming an object of scorn and ridicule, especially to Warner's old prep school flame (Selma Blair). Despite her penchant for malls, makeup, and tanning, Elle is no dummy and is soon showing elite Ivy League snobs a thing or two about class, self-confidence, and courtroom victory. Karl Williams PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1) Presentation: Pan & Scan Features: Deleted scenes; Two featurettes: "Inside Legally Blond" and "The Hair That Ate Hollywood"; Two audio commentaries featuring Robert Luketic, Reece Witherspoon, Marc Platt, and film crew; Hit music video "Perfect Day" by Hoku; Trivia Track; Original theatrical trailer; English: 5.1 Surround; French: stereo Surround; Spanish: stereo Surround; English, French & Spanish language subtitles Language: English, Español, Français SubTitles: English, Français, Español Time: 1 Hour 36 Minutes

Legend Of Drunken Master

Legend Of Drunken Master Starring: Director:

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Category: Action/Adventure
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Cast List Jackie Chan ...

Life Is Beautiful

Life Is Beautiful Starring: Braschi, Nicoletta Durano, Giustino Bustric, Sergio Durano, Guistino Alfonsi, Lydia Bustric, Sergio Bini Paredes, Marisa Bucholz, Horst Bucholz, Horst Director: Benigni, Roberto

Rating: PG-13 (MPAA)
Category: Tragi-comedy : Comedy Drama : Italy : War Drama
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Running Time: 1 Hour 56 Minutes

Color Dolby Digital

All Movie Guide In this WW II tragicomedy, famed Italian funnyman Roberto Benigni (The Monster) portrays Guido, who moves during the '30s from the country to a Tuscan town, where he is entranced by schoolteacher Dora (Nicoletta Braschi, Benigni's real-life wife). Dora likes Guido, but she remains faithful to her pompous fiancé, so Guido has an uphill struggle. Meanwhile, anti-Semitic attitudes lead to attacks against Guido's Jewish uncle (Giustino Durano). Leaping ahead to five years later, during WW II, Guido and Dora are married and have a son Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini). After they are imprisoned in a concentration camp, Guido goes to elaborate lengths to keep his son from understanding the truth of their situation. He tells the boy that they are competing with others to win an armored tank -- so everything from food shortages to tattoos is explained as necessary for participation in the contest. Bhob Stewart PRODUCTION AND TECHNICAL NOTES: Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1) Presentation: Wide Screen Sound: Dolby Digital Features: "Making Life Beautiful" featurette; Academy Award TV commercials; Theatrical trailer; English-language track; Dolby Digital 5.1 audio; Widescreen [1.85:1] Language: English, Italiano SubTitles: English Time: 1 Hour 56 Minutes

Little House on the Prairie: Season 1

Little House on the Prairie: Season 1 Starring: Landon, Michael Grassle, Karen Gilbert, Melissa Anderson, Melissa Sue French, Victor Bartlett, Bonnie Swenson, Karl Hagen, Kevin Hagen, Kevin MacGregor, Scottie Director: Landon, Michael

Rating: NR (MPAA)
Category: Television : By Decade : 1970s : General
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Running Time: 18 Hours

Color Stereo

Barnes & Noble Based on the beloved books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie was one of those unabashed, old-fashioned family series that apathetic critics often take for granted but that earn the undying love of viewers. After leaving the Ponderosa, Michael Landon, as Charles Ingalls, found a welcome home for ten seasons on the banks of Plum Creek in Walnut Grove with his steadfast wife, Caroline (Karen Grassle), and daughters Laura (Melissa Gilbert), Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson), and Carrie (Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush). Frontier life here is idyllic, but not without hardships. Each episode in this inaugural season extols the virtues of hard work, perseverance, community, and, above all, faith. In the premiere episode, "A Harvest of Friends," the residents of Walnut Grove pitch in to help an injured Charles fulfill an obligation and keep his new home. The second episode, "Country Girls," introduces the good-hearted general store owner Mr. Oleson (Richard Bull), his shrewish wife (Scottie MacGregor), and their stuck-up daughter, Nellie (