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Guide to Home Video Releases: December Releases DVD Releases Movies are rated on a scale of one to five, with five denoting a classic. For more information on how we rate, check out our Rentability Index. Back to Calendar Index. December 3 Austin Powers in Goldmember He's back, baby! It's been three years since Austin Powers, that swinging international man of mystery, has had to face his arch enemy, Dr. Evil. But after Dr. Evil and his accomplice Mini-Me escape from a maximum-security prison, Austin is called to action once more in this third and final installment of the highly successful Austin Powers movie franchise. Teaming up with the mysterious yet peculiar Goldmember, Dr. Evil hatches a time-traveling scheme to take over the world, one that involves the kidnapping of Nigel Powers, Austin's beloved father and England's most renowned spy. As he chases the villains through time, Austin visits 1975 and joins forces with his old flame, Foxxy Cleopatra, a streetwise but stylish detective. Together Austin and Foxxy must find a way to save Nigel and stop Dr. Evil and Goldmember from their mischievous mayhem. Mike Myers once again takes on multiple roles, portraying Austin Powers, Dr. Evil and Fat Bastard, as well as another new character -- Goldmember. Director: Jay Roach. Stars: Mike Myers, Michael Caine, Beyonce Knowles, Fred Savage, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 94 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $210.000 million, New Line, $22.94 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Lilo & Stitch In "Lilo & Stitch," an independent-minded little Hawaiian girl named Lilo (Daveigh Chase) plays Elvis Presley records and causes mischief for her older sister and guardian, Nani (Tia Carrere). When their no-nonsense social worker Cobra Bubbles (Ving Rhames) threatens to separate Lilo and Nani, the sisters try to get their act together. Their lives are turned upside down, however, when Stitch arrives in Hawaii. Actually a mischief-making creature from outer space officially known as "Experiment 626," Stitch has escaped from his creator, the mad alien scientist Jumba (David Ogden Stiers) and is on the run. When Lilo adopts Stitch in an animal shelter as the family dog, Stitch realizes he may have found the perfect place to hide out. Prone to somewhat anti-social tendencies, Stitch makes a hilarious mess of Lilo and Nani's home life, wreaking havoc and hanging ten while he evades the alien bounty hunters who are bent on recapturing him. Soon, however, Stitch learns that the Hawaiian concept of 'ohana (a family tradition where "no one is left behind") even applies to runaway aliens. But no amount of togetherness can make up for the incredible violence in this kiddie flick, and some parents would do well to audition "Lilo & Stitch" before springing it on their young ones. Voices of Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrere, Ving Rhames, David Ogden Stiers, Jason Scott Lee, Zoe Caldwell, Kevin McDonald, Kevin Michael Richardson. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 85 min., Animated, Box office gross: $140.000 million, Disney, $24.99 SRP. DVD: Day & Date Happy Times Renowned director Zhang Yimou ("Raise the Red Lantern") returns for this critically acclaimed film, a charming, heartwarming comedy about the complex dynamics of relationships and the hysterical complexities inherent in making them work. A middle-aged man finds the perfect wife through a matchmaker and in an attempt to impress the portly divorcee that has caught his eye, the unemployed factory worker poses as the wealthy manager of a non-existent hotel. Hoping that his fabricated success will lead to holy matrimony, he instead finds himself the guardian of the woman's blind stepdaughter. Now, as the lies get more complicated and the deception more difficult to sustain, the sweet young blind girl and the eccentric middle-aged man find themselves forming an emotional friendship that is as touching as it is unlikely. Chinese with English subtitles. Director: Zhang Yimou. Stars: Benshan Zhao, Jie Dong, Lihua Dong, Biao Fu. 2000, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 106 min., Comedy, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Adventures of Pinocchio, The The story of Pinocchio with new characters and new songs, designed to coincide with the theatrical release of Roberto Benigni's Italian boxoffice smash live-action version of Pinocchio. 2001, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 98 min., Animated, Warner, $14.94 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. December 10 Stuart Little 2 The entire cast of the smash "Stuart Little" return in this fun-filled family adventure. Two years have passed since Stuart (a mouse) joined the hearts and love of the Little family. Stuart has blossomed and settled nicely into his new life. In addition to his big brother George, Stuart now has a new baby sister, Martha. Even Snowbell, the curmudgeonly cat with an attitude, has warmed up to Stuart in his own way. Yearning for a friend of his own -- someone diminutive like him -- Stuart haphazardly saves an injured bird, Margalo. When Stuart learns that Margalo doesn't have a place to live, he insists that she stay with him and the Littles. When she mysteriously vanishes, Stuart and Snowbell set out on a heart-pounding journey to find her in New York City and unlock the mystery. Director: Rob Minkoff. Stars: Michael J. Fox, Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie, Jonathan Lipnicki, Nathan Lane, Melanie Griffith, James Woods, Steve Zahn. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 78 min., Family, Box office gross: $60.000 million, Columbia TriStar, $24.96 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Like Mike Crowd pleasing fantasy about a 4-foot-8-inch 14-year-old orphan (Lil' Bow Wow) who magically finds himself the star attraction of a professional basketball team. Calvin lives at the Chesterfield Group Home and his prospects of getting adopted grow dimmer every day. Then one day one of the sisters brings home a box of discarded clothes, among which is a pair of Nike shoes with the initials M.J. on them. The nun seems to think that they belonged to a tall, bald basketball player but they fit Calvin like a glove. It's not long before Calvin discovers that his basketball prowess has increased 100-fold -- including a 30-foot jump shot -- and he joins the Los Angeles Knights. Will his good fortune on the court translate to his real life? Director: John Schultz. Stars: Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Eugene Levy, Jonathan Lipnicki, Crispin Glover, Robert Forster, Anne Meara, Brenda Song. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 100 min., Fantasy, Box office gross: $50.822 million, Fox, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. K-19: The Widowmaker This exciting submarine thriller not only gives you the all the thrills of being inside a disabled underseas vessel but throws in some political chills as well. Its the 1960s and the Soviets are playing catchup with the U.S. in the game of launching nuclear subs with ballistic missiles. Rushing to get their K-19 sub into the seas, the Soviets speed up their schedule, ignoring leaks, wiring problems and a "green" crew. Worse, the original skipper, Liam Neeson, is replaced by another captain, Harrison Ford, forcing Neeson to play second in command. Once out to sea, Ford brutalizes the ship in a series of tests and, after Moscow orders the sub to patrol the coast of the U.S., the reactor springs a leak, bringing the core close to a meltdown. With armed nuclear weapons so close to the U.S., and the ship in deep trouble, an explosion would set off the warheads and start WWIII. The battles between Neeson and Ford escalate as both try to save the sub and the crew in their own way. The tension -- and the sweat -- mounts. Based on actual events. Director: Kathryn Bigelow. Stars: Harrison Ford, Liam Neeson, Peter Sarsgaard, Christian Camargo, Steve Nicolson, Ravil Isyanov. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 138 min., Action Thriller, Box office gross: $35.150 million, Paramount, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Cherish Offbeat comic drama stars Robin Tunney as Zoe, a lost soul of a woman whose social life -- clubbing and one-night stands -- leaves her lonely and adrift in her apartment, listening to pop songs of the 70s and 80s. One night she's carjacked by man who has been stalking her, and in the ensuing kidnapping (with her at the wheel) a cop is run over and killed. Arrested for "drunk driving," Zoe is released on her own recognizance to her one bedroom apartment where she wears an electronic bracelet to monitor her compliance. Now her loneliness is enforced, but she does make some friends: a police official (Tim Blake Daly) who checks in to monitor her (and who is falling for her), a disabled man in the building who tries to help her trick the electronic monitor, a group of neighborhood boys. She does get out -- emotionally, she rescues herself from the fantasies that have imprisoned her, physically she makes a run for it akin to that in "Run Lola Run" -- and though it seems improbable, the ending does work. But forget the action: The entire movie belongs to Tunney, and she's a cherish to watch. Director: Finn Taylor. Stars: Robin Tunney, Tim Blake Nelson, Liz Phair, Lindsay Crouse, Brad Hunt, Jason Priestley. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 100 min., Romantic comedy, Box office gross: $0.160 million, New Line, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Innocence Compelling and heartwarming testament to the human spirit and the vital elements of passion and desire that make the spirit soar. For 50 years, Claire has dealt with the support and comfort of a loveless marriage. Seemingly satisfied that her twilight years will be spent with a husband she's grown to know but no longer loves, Claire's entire world is turned upside down when a boyfriend from her youth attempts to re-ignite a spark that once fueled the fire of a torrid and passionate affaire. Now, torn between the man she knows and a love she needs, she is faced with the most difficult -- and important -- choice of her life. Award-winning indie film from director Paul Cox. Director: Paul Cox. Stars: Julia Blake, Charles Tingwell. 2001, CC, MPAA rating: R, 95 min., Romantic drama, Box office gross: $2.194 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. 24 Hour Party People Chronicles the Manchester, England, music scene from the birth of New Wave in the late '70s to the '80s. The film is told from the perspective of Tony Wilson (played by British comedian Steve Coogan), a soft-news TV reporter who gained inspiration by a 1976 Sex Pistols concert, became obsessed with the emerging new sound and started Factory Records. Wilson's chaotic label housed seminal bands such as Joy Division (and later, New Order) and the Happy Mondays, which heavily influenced the music scene for a decade. The film mirrors Tony's speedy rise to Factory's hedonistic fall. Director: Michael Winterbottom. Stars: Steve Coogan, Shirley Henderson, Paddy Considine, Sean Harris. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 117 min., Music Drama, Box office gross: $1.130 million, MGM, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Land Before Time, The: Journey to Big Water Ninth installment in the popular kids franchise. Animated dinosaurs Littlefoot, Cera, Spike, Petrie and Ducky reunite in another kiddie enchanting musical story about the wonders of discovery. When heavy rains create a mysterious "new water," Littlefoot sets off to explore the Great Valley. He quickly becomes friends with Mo, a prank-playing dolphin-like creature who can't find his way back to the "Big Water." Littlefoot and his pals come to the rescue, evade a scary sharptooth and prove the value of courage, friendship and diversity. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: NR, Animated, Universal, $19.98 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Halloween: Resurrection The sinister Michael Myers finally returns to Haddonfield, the town where the original "Halloween" murders happened. A group of teenagers win a reality TV contest to spend a night in the serial killer's childhood home. Staged by the Dangertainment directors, the reality show is supposed to be harmless entertainment ... until Myers turns it into an all-out fight, making sure that no one leaves alive. Director: Rick Rosenthal. Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Busta Rhymes, Tyra Banks, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Sean Patrick Thomas. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 89 min., Horror, Box office gross: $30.184 million, Dimension, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. My Wife Is an Actress Successful sportswriter Yvan and popular film star Charlotte enjoy a glamorous, sophisticated lifestyle in Paris. But when Charlotte relocates to London to star in a sexy movie opposite legendary ladies' man John, Yvan panics and travels back and forth from Paris to London to check on his wife. Even he can't prevent Charlotte from shooting a very intimate scene with her new leading man. Is Charlotte about to have an affair, or is she just acting? In French with English subtitles. Director: Yvan Attal. Stars: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Yvan Attal, Terrance Stamp. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 95 min., Romantic comedy, Box office gross: $0.866 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Emperor's New Clothes, The Sly comedy that plays with history and asks the question, "What might have happened if Napoleon had not spent his last days in exile but escaped to Paris to start a new life?" Ian Holm plays Napoleon, who comes up with a plan to reclaim his thrown: He trades identities with a look-a-like (a drunken sailor) and escapes St. Helena to the safety of the mainland, making his way to Paris. Unfortunately, Napoleon's contact has died and, now penniless, he takes up with the contact's widow. But his plans to get back his rightful place goes awry when his double -- enjoying being Napoleon in prison -- refuses to give up his new life. And, the real Napoleon learns to cope with his new station in life, leaving the way open for a revision of history. Enjoyable fantasy. Director: Alan Taylor. Stars: Ian Holm, Iben Hjejle, Tim McInnerney, Tom Watson. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 107 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.669 million, Paramount, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. December 17 Minority Report After getting somewhat of a boxoffice reprimand for his last sci-fi outing, a filming of "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" based on a vision by the late Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg takes on more sophisticated adult sci-fi conceits in this straight-ahead almost-film-noirish actioner set 50 years in the future in Washington, D.C. Tom Cruise stars as John Anderton, the chief of an experimental Pre-Crime unit that uses three psychic humans (suspended in biological fluids) to predict the occurrence of violent crimes in the near future, allowing police to step in just before the deed is committed to arrest the perpetrators. So well does the system work that the government plans to take it nationwide. Unfortunately for Anderton, he's pegged as the next perp of a crime, and must go on the run to prove his innocence. On the run from his very own Pre-Crime force -- as well as the FBI, which wants to take over the unit -- Anderton learns that in some pre-cog visions, one of the psychics disagrees with the group, creating a "minority report" on the outcome. Now Anderton must kidnap the one dissenting pre-cog (Morton), try to prevent himself from committing the crime, and then try to uncover if he's being set-up. Great special effects, plenty of twists and turns, and Cruise turns in a quite satisfying performance. Based on a story by the great Philip K. Dick. Director: Steven Spielberg. Stars: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Max von Sydow, Samantha Morton, Lois Smith, Peter Stormare, Tim Blake Nelson, Kathryn Morris. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 143 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $140.000 million, DreamWorks, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Unfaithful Adrian Lyne, the director of 1987's "Fatal Attraction," tries to bring illicit love affairs into the 21st century with this weak erotic drama -- but only succeeds in mildly steaming up the camera lens. Edward and Connie Summer (Richard Gere, Diane Lane) have the perfect life: a happy marriage, an adorable 8-year-old son, and a beautiful house in the suburbs. But Connie's chance encounter with a handsome Frenchman (Olivier Martinez) in Manhattan throws a wrench into their great life: She embarks on a steamy love affair with the stranger. Sensing something amiss, Edward hires a detective to check out Connie, and, well you know what happens next. The worst is confirmed: You can't top the ending of "Fatal Attraction." Director: Adrian Lyne. Stars: Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Olivier Martinez, Chad Lowe, Kate Burton, Margaret Colin, Erik Per Sullivan. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 124 min., Erotic drama, Box office gross: $52.756 million, Fox, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Buying the Cow A look at love, dating, and commitment from the director of Van Wilder. For David, the single man's nightmare has just come true. Sarah, his girlfriend of five years, has just given him ultimatum. Now he's got two months while she's away in New York to decide if it's marriage or quits. So with his two womanizing best friends, David hits the L.A. singles scene to "shop around" before he buys. That's when he falls for a mystery woman. Meanwhile, Sarah's handsome boss has made her an offer that may be way too tempting to resist. In the end, David's search for true love will unleash secrets and surprises to turn all their lives upside down. Director: Walt Becker. Stars: Jerry O'Connell, Bridgette Wilson, Alyssa Milano, Ryan Reynolds, Annabeth Gish, Bill Bellamy. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 88 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $ million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Crocodile Hunter, The: Collision Course The darling of the Animal Planet network finally comes to the big screen, crikey! To save a very large crocodile from poachers, Steve Irvin and wife Terri set out on a death-defying journey through the Outback to nab the big fella and relocate him to a safe river. But what they don't know is that the angry reptile has swallowed a top-secret U.S. satellite beacon ... and is now the target of a team of American special agents. The fearless Aussie adventurers have proven that they can handle deadly snapping jaws and venomous snakes, but can they handle gun-wielding spies? For the kids only. Director: John Stainton. Stars: Steve Irvin, Terri Irvin. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 89 min., Action, Box office gross: $28.286 million, MGM, $22.98 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Country Bears, The Failed attempt by the folks at Disney to turn one of their Disneyland rides into a big screen feature. Even though this one flopped, there's more coming soon: "Pirates of the Caribbean" is in the works. In "The Country Bears " 11-year-old Beary Barrington acts differently than anyone else in his family, doesn't look like any of them, and has never quite fit in with his parents or brother. Looking for more folks like himself and his higher purpose in life, Beary strikes out on his own to reunite his favorite band, the Country Bears -- Ted Bedderhead, Fred Bedderhead, Zeb Zoober and Tennessee O'Neil -- for a benefit concert to save Country Bear Hall, the legendary venue where the band got its start. Director: Peter Hastings. Stars: Haley Joel Osment, Christopher Walken, John Hiatt, Queen Latifah, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Brian Setzer. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: G, 88 min., Family, Box office gross: $16.582 million, Disney, $22.99 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Happy Accidents Old-fashioned romance about a neurotic New Yorker, her highly eccentric boyfriend and their extraordinary connection. Ruby (Marisa Tomei) is a hopeless romantic who's always attracted to the wrong kind of guy until she meets Sam (Vincent D'Onofrio). He's sweet, sensitive, sincere ... and from the year 2470. Despite -- or maybe because of -- his bizarre claims to have traveled back in time to save her, Ruby falls for Sam. And while common sense says he's crazy, her heart says he's the one. Director: Brad Anderson. Stars: Marisa Tomei, Vincent D'Onofrio. 2001, CC, MPAA rating: R, 110 min., Romantic comedy, Box office gross: $0.688 million, MGM, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie When Benny Silman left Brooklyn for Arizona State University, he felt like he was stepping into a Coppertone commercial. The Sun, the beautiful girls -- life was good. Once he discovered the bright lights of Vegas and the adrenaline rush of gambling, things got even better. Soon he was the "campus bookie," making good cash and having a blast with his buddies. It wasn't until he began to fix basketball games that his high stakes life began to spin out of control. This is the real-life story of the 1994 Arizona State University point-shaving scandal that rocked the NCAA. Telefilm. Director: Ernest Dickerson. Stars: David Krumholtz, Tory Kittles, Jennifer Morrison, Nick Turturro. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 83 min., Comedy, Fox, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Wendigo Something is lurking in the mountains of Upstate New York and it's sure to scare you. City folk Kim and George take their 8-year-old son Miles for a weekend away at a friend's farmhouse. While there, a fluke accident sets off a chain of events that alters their lives forever -- the ferocious spirit of a Native American myth, Wendigo, manifests itself in the boy and matters take a dark turn and odd events start to occur. Already a cult fav. Director: Larry Fessenden. Stars: Patricia Clarkson, Jake Weber, Erik Per Sullivan. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 92 min., Horror, Box office gross: $0.099 million, Artisan, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. December 24 Trapped Good looking, taut thriller. When Karen (Charlize Theron) and Will (Stewart Townsend) Jennings are held hostage and their daughter (Dakota Fanning) is abducted, a ruthless 24-hour plan is set in motion that will confront kidnappers Joe (Kevin Bacon) and Cheryl (Courtney Love) Hickey, along with their cousin Marvin Pool (Pruitt Taylor Vince), who have orchestrated and mastered what they think is a foolproof plan to extort money from the Jennings and other wealthy families. But this time they're wrong, and as the plan escalates and unravels, Will and Karen, who are trapped in different cities, are pushed to the very edge to get their daughter back alive. In their desperation, they are able to discover the shocking motivation that lies beneath the crime. Director: Luis Mandoki. Stars: Charlize Theron, Courtney Love, Stewart Townsend, Kevin Bacon, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Dakota Fanning. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 106 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $6.920 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. First $20 Million, The Comedy about the dot-com world. When burnt-out marketing exec Andy Casper (Adam Garcia) decides to create "something," he recruits an oddball trio of dysfunctional geniuses to design the world's first $99 computer. The project proves hopeless until Andy's sexy neighbor (Rosario Dawson) steps in to rekindle his creativity and add a few sparks of her own. Director: Mick Jackson. Stars: Adam Garcia, Rosario Dawson. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 105 min., Comedy, Fox, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever Former FBI Agent Jeremiah Ecks (Antonio Banderas) returns to the field after rumors that his dead wife (Talisa Soto) may still be alive. In an effort to find her, Ecks must join forces with his sworn adversary, rogue DIA agent Sever (Lucy Liu). Together, they battle against their common enemy, Gant (Gregg Henry), and attempt to retrieve a microscopic assassination device. Incredible amount of violence, car crashes, and automatic weapon fire. Mindless. Director: Kaos. Stars: Antonio Banderas, Lucy Liu, Gregg Henry, Ray Park, Talisa Soto, Miguel Sandoval, Terry Chen. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 91 min., Action, Box office gross: $14.165 million, Warner, $22.98 SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Young Hearts Unlimited Zack, Mindy and Lissa get tired of all the losers their single parents bring home, so they decide that they can do better themselves by starting their own matchmaking service. Little do they realize that they are about to find real misadventures and obstacles to overcome, including a cast of unsavory characters trying to take advantage of their efforts. Telefilm. Director: Don E. FauntLeRoy. Stars: Corbin Bernson, Leslie Anne Down, Robert Carradine. 1998, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 102 min., Family, Monarch Home Video, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Black Mask 2: City of Masks Sci-fi adventure from director Tsui Hark and martial arts director Yuen Wo Ping, sequel to 1999's "Black Mask." While searching for a cure for the biological abnormality that gives him super powers, Black Mask stumbles upon a terrorist group intent on dropping a DNA bomb on the human race. In order to put a stop to their devious plan, he must first battle a group of chemically enhanced professional wrestlers with the ability to morph into monstrously powerful mutants. And they won't stop until the chemical makeup of the entire population is "tweaked" forever. Director: Tsui Hark. Stars: Andy On, Jon Polito, Traci Elizabeth Lords, Tyler Mane, Rob Van Dam, Tobin Bell, Sean Marque, Andrew Bryniarski. 2001, CC, MPAA rating: R, 101 min., Thriller, Fox, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Trois 2: Pandora's Box When Mia, a successful psychologist, takes on Tammy, a sultry and mysterious new patient, she has no idea how her life is about to be transformed. In an ironic role reversal, Tammy takes control of their sessions and puts Mia's own life under the microscope. Desperately yearning to regain a life of passion, Mia follows Tammy's persistent advice and enters a forbidden underworld of sex -- whereupon she encounters a dark and mysterious stranger. Abandoned by love and blinded by passion, she begins to lead a double life and unwittingly finds herself caught in a tangled web of sex, money, and murder. Director: Rob Hardy. Stars: Michael Jai White, Monica Calhoun Kristoff St. John, Tyson Beckford, Joseph Lawrence. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, min., Erotic drama, Fox, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Adventures of Pluto Nash, The Failed sci-fi comedy is a downer, even for Eddie Murphy fans. There's little humor but a lot of incoherent story action. Murphy plays a smuggler-turned-nightclub owner on the Moon who is threatened by a mysterious gangster who wants to take over Pluto's operation. When Pluto says no, he has to run for his life, along with waitress Rosario Dawson and aging robot bodyguard Randy Quaid. Along the way he encounters thugs, retired cops, body-alteration specialists and a lot of baffling twists and turns. Director: Ron Underwood. Stars: Eddie Murphy, Randy Quaid, Rosario Dawson, Joe Pantoliano, Jay Mohr, Luis Guzman, James Rebhorn, Peter Boyle, Burt Young, Miguel A. Nunez Jr., Pam Grier, John Cleese, Illeana Douglas, Alec Baldwin. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 91 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $4.411 million, Warner, $22.98 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Henry Hill After failing a New York audition, childhood musical prodigy Henry Hill puts a gun to his head and fires. But the powers that be have other plans for Henry. All bandaged up, Henry returns home to, well, get his head back together. Enter Cynthia, a sexy and savvy young woman on her way to New York. She stops late one night to steal some gas and Henry pumps it for her. The next day she's back with a job at his mom's diner. Naturally, given that this is an indie film, Henry and Cynthia's feelings for each other heat up, but Cynthia wants to continue her journey to New York. Will Henry go with her? Director: David G. Kantar. Stars: Jamie Harrold, Moira Kelly. 2000, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 85 min., Romantic comedy, Vanguard Cinema, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. My Father, My Mother, My Brothers and My Sisters When Victor decides it is time to find out who his father is, his mother Anne is put in a rather uncomfortable position. First, she doesn't even know where Victor's father is and, second, it's not easy to call up a man you loved 11 years ago to tell him, "by the way, it slipped my mind, but we had a child together." And what about her other two children? If she finds Victor's father, she'll have to find theirs, too. However, she makes an effort, and they all check in to the same hotel on the coast of Mexico for some holiday mayhem. A quirky family comedy. In French with English subtitles. Director: Charlotte De Turckheim. Stars: Victoria Abril, Alain Bashung. 1995, CC, MPAA rating: 95, NR min., Comedy, Vanguard Cinema, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. December 27 (Friday) Blood Work Clint Eastwood's 23rd film as a director is a straight-ahead suspense thriller with a twist. Eastwood plays Terry McCaleb, an aging FBI agent who suffers a heart attack, gets a heart transplant, and is forced to retire from the Bureau. Frail and living on his boat in San Pedro Harbor, Eastwood is called back to unofficial action by a woman who wants him to solve the case of her murdered sister -- it turns out that the heart harvested from the dead woman now beats in Eastwood's chest. The retired FBI man leaps -- or rather ambles -- into action, relying on his skills as an investigator instead of his skills as a brawler to solve the case. Oh, there's plenty of underworld garbage about, and Eastwood, as is typical in his darkly-lit scenarios, must bump up against it all. Except that he's an older, wiser, and more obnoxious hero these days. Based on the first novel in the Terry McCaleb mystery series by Michael Connelly. Features Eastwood's usual jazzy soundtrack. Director: Clint Eastwood. Stars: Clint Eastwood, Jeff Daniels, Anjelica Huston, Wanda De Jesus, Tina Lifford, Paul Rodriguez, Dylan Walsh, Mason Lucero. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 110 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $26.110 million, Warner, $22.98 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date. December 31 XXX Vin Diesel stars as former extreme sports athlete Xander Cage (XXX) who is a walking advertisement for anti-authoritarianism. And like the letter that begins his first name, he's extreme in every way -- making him a perfect candidate to spearhead a clandestine operation being mounted by the National Security Agency. Scouted by agent Augustus Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson), a veteran with the NSA, XXX is forced to cooperate with the government to infiltrate an underground Russian crime ring in order to avoid going to prison. Forced to use his athletic prowess and thrill-seekers attitude, XXX must covertly enter this dangerous world to combat a ruthless enemy. Xander finds himself pitted against a cadre of cutting-edge thugs calling themselves Anarchy 99, headed by the brutal ex-Russian Army commander Yorgi (Marton Csokas) and his beautiful but hardened girlfriend, Yelena (Asia Argento). The result of this combination of volatile personalities provides some of the most thrilling action sequences ever assembled onscreen. Director: Rob Cohen. Stars: Vin Diesel, Asia Argento, Marton Csokas, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Roof, Richy Muller, Werner Daehn, Joe Bucaro III. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 124 min., Action Thriller, Box office gross: $135.400 million, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Hey Arnold! The Movie Pity poor football-head Arnold. He's the star of his very own, successful animated TV series on Nick, yet his translation to the big screen left much to be desired. "Hey Arnold! The Movie" is a bold attempt by Paramount to try to duplicate the success of "The Rugrats'" transfer to theatrical bliss, but where the Rugrats ran roughshod over the nation's audiences in glorious widescreen adventures, this Arnold comes off like a flat, small-screen cartoon merely blown up to a larger scale. And, based on theatrical returns, audiences weren't fooled by the bigger-than-life Arnold. The story is nifty -- if you're familiar with Arnold, you'll know that the little guy is always positive and knows that he can right any wrong. In this case, a giant conglomerate is on its way to bulldozing Arnold's old-fashioned brownstone neighborhood, to replace it with a giant mall. Arnold will have none of this, and mounts a campaign to thwart the greedy developers. All the Arnold regulars are here: Grandpa, Gerald, and, yes, Helga (who finally gets to profess her love to Arnold, face-to-face). But as big as Arnold's cause is, the movie still comes off like an elongated TV cartoon. But you know what? It still works on the small screen, making it an ideal home video release for the young ones. Give it a try. Director: Tuck Tucker. Voices of Spencer Klein, Francesca Marie Smith, Jamil Smith, Dan Castellaneta, Tress MacNeille, Paul Sorvino, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Lloyd. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 72 min., Animated, Box office gross: $13.700 million, Paramount, $22.99 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Eye See You A brutal serial killer is viciously targeting cops, and FBI agent Jake Malloy (Sylvester Stallone) is on the warpath. Soon the killer makes it personal and strikes close to home, sending Jake into a twisted emotional nightmare from the psychological effects of witnessing a sadistic assault against his own wife. He soon retreats into a rehabilitation clinic for law enforcement officers in the remote winter wilderness of Wyoming. But the killer won't be stopped, and Malloy is caught in an extreme game of cat-and-mouse, helping other cop patients as the merciless serial killer begins murdering them one by one. Direct-to-video. Director: Jim Gillespie. Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Tom Berenger, Charles Dutton, Sean Patrick Flanery, Robert Patrick, Jeffrey Wright, Kris Kristofferson. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 96 min., Action, Columbia TriStar, No SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. All DVDs are screened on a reference system consisting of a Rotel RDV-1080 DVD Audio/Video Player, a Rotel RSX-972 Surround Sound Receiver, and Phase Technology 1.1 (front), 33.1 (center), and 50 (rear) speakers and Power 10 subwoofer. 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