DVD
Masthead created by Good & Associates
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Guide to
Home Video
Releases: June Release Calendar
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.
- June 1
-
Monster
In a revelatory performance, Charlize Theron stars in
the shocking true-life story of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute executed last year
in Florida after being convicted of murdering six men. While Wuornos confessed
to the six murders, including a policeman, she claimed to have killed only in
self-defense, resisting violent assaults while working as a prostitute. Bravely
burrowing beneath the tabloid headlines about America's first female serial
killer -- and the media's sordid designation of Wuornos as an unrepentant
monster -- in the midst of the horrors and pathologies, first-time
writer-director Patty Jenkins unearths an unlikely love story between two
misfits. Nearing suicidal despair, Wuornos wanders into a Florida bar, where she
meets Selby Wall (Christina Ricci), a young woman sent by her parents to live
with an aunt in order to "cure her homosexuality." Wuornos -- victim of a
tragic, abusive upbringing -- quickly falls in love, and clings to Selby like a
life preserver. Unable to find a legitimate job but desperate to sustain her
relationship with Selby, Wuornos continues working as a prostitute. When one of
her johns turns violent, Wuornos shoots the man in self-defense; the first in
her tragic string of killings. Shot in many of the actual locations where
Wuornos committed her crimes between 1989-90, "Monster" is at once a social
commentary, road movie, and love story.
Director: Patty Jenkins. Stars: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern,
Lee Tergesen, Pruitt Taylor Vince. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 109 min.,
Drama, Box office gross: $34.000 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced
for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial
Killer
Nick Broomfield's
documentary is a chilling look inside the mind of serial killer Aileen Wournos,
whose life was the basis for "Monster." As we see a girl trading sex for
cigarettes as early as nine, America's first female serial killer becomes less
of a monster and more of a tale of humanity's failures. Broomfield looks deep
into Wournos' history of abandonment, sex and violence to look at how a life
gone wrong can create a serial killer. Broomfield's picture is developed through
years of correspondence and involvement with Wournos, and he lets us see a girl
hitchhiking for sex, abandoned by her parents and ultimately a human lost to
paranoia, a victim of her own mind who kills seven men. This gripping
documentary culminates in Broomfield's own court testimony solicited by the
district attorney during Wournos' final appeal.
Director: Nick Broomfield. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 89 min., Documentary,
Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Catch That Kid
Teen adventure film about a 12-year old girl who,
with the help of two friends, robs the state-of-the-art bank, in order to
acquire the cash needed for a costly operation to save her ailing father. The
three close friends have special talents: a champion rock climber, a computer
genius and a mechanical whiz specializing in go-carts. During the heist, the
kids overcome high-tech security systems, guard dogs, and a nasty security chief
to get to a bank vault suspended 100-feet above ground. Their plan is foolproof,
their methods ingenius -- and they're not even old enough to drive.
Director: Bart Freundlich. Stars: Kristen Stewart, Corbin Bleu, Max Theiriot,
Jennifer Beals, Sam Robards. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 92 min., Comedy, Box
office gross: $16.625 million, Fox, $19.98 VHS SRP. DVD: Day &
Date.
-
Eurotrip
Scotty Thomas (Scott Mechlowicz) and his Berlin-based
computer pen pal Mieke (Jessica Boehrs) have been writing each other for years,
sharing every detail of their lives. When Mieke makes a cyber pass at Scotty, he
completely freaks out, thinking that this guy he's known for years is coming on
to him ... in German no less. Too bad the one detail Scotty doesn't seem to know
is that, in Germany, Mieke is a girl's name. By the time Scotty figures out that
Mieke is a girl, and a hot one at that, Mieke has cut off her e-mail account and
all contact with him. Thinking that this might be his one chance at true love --
even though he's never actually met the girl -- Scotty and his best friends,
Cooper (Jacob Pitts) and the twins Jenny (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Jamie
(Travis Wester), embark on a raucous trip across Europe headed for Berlin. Along
the way they must deal with British soccer hooligans, annoying French human
robots, a merciless Dutch dominatrix (Lucy Lawless) and a creepy, lascivious
Italian guy on the train. Their trek takes them from London to Paris to
Amsterdam and Eastern Europe, exposing them "literally" to every lascivious,
larcenous and lecherous indulgence Europe has to offer. A mildly agreeable
comedy that does little to improve international relation(ships).
Director: Jeff Schaffer. Stars: Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, Kristin Kreuk.
2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 96 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $16.944
million, DreamWorks, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Company, The
Robert Altman takes a breathtaking look at the
world of ballet as only Altman could envision it, bringing his fluid camera work
to the world of dance. The authenticity and richness of "The Company" is rooted
in the unprecedented way in which Altman shot the film: with the complete
cooperation of the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. Joffrey dancers constitute the
core of Altman's ensemble and screenwriter Barbara Turner spent over two years
on and off with the Joffrey, observing and writing. Altman's vision for the film
was an extremely intimate one: to show the difficult daily work, the intense
pressures of performance, the richly textured behaviors of the dancers -- whose
professional and personal lives grow impossibly close -- and of course the sheer
beauty of dance: exhilarating, kinetic and thrillingly observed. Neve Campbell
-- the only actor who worked as part of the Joffrey corps -- stars as a gifted
company member on the verge of becoming the principal dancer at a fictional
Chicago troupe. Campbell, an accomplished dancer, does all of her own dancing in
the film and worked intensively with the Joffrey to prepare for her role.
Director: Robert Altman. Stars: Neve Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, James Franco.
2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 112 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.920
million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the
Federation
The alien bugs are
back and the interstellar assault rages on with the direct-to-video premiere of
"Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation," the sequel to Paul Verhoeven's
cult-classic 1997 hit "Starship Troopers." The outing marks the directorial
debut of Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett (who
worked on VFX for the original "Starship Troopers" in addition to other
high-profile films such as "Return of the Jedi" and "Jurassic Park") with a
screenplay by the first film's writer Ed Neumeier. The film picks up where the
original left off, right back to the frontline of battle against the arachnid
warrior bugs at a desolated outpost on Zulu Angel, a storm-swept planet where
the first film's arachnids gained a murderous grip over humanity. A small group
of mobile infantry troopers lead by General Shepherd (Ed Lauter) find themselves
taking refuge in an abandoned Federation outpost where they discover the last
remaining soldier Captain Dax (Richard Burgi), who helps them fight off the
encroaching arachnids. Isolated from the outside threat, the rag-tag band of
fighters discover a much graver danger is actually infiltrating their unit and a
terrifying new breed of enemy is hunting them down from within.
Director: Phil Tippett. Stars: Kelly Carlson, Ed Lauter, Richard Burgi, Sandrine
Holt. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 92 min., Science Fiction, Columbia TriStar,
No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
My Baby's Daddy
Comedy about three guys who have to grow up
quick when their girlfriends all become pregnant at the same time.
Director: Cheryl Dunye. Stars: Eddie Griffin, Anthony Anderson, Michael
Imperioli, Paula Jai Parker, Joanna Bacalso, Bai Ling. 2004, CC, MPAA
rating: PG-13, 99 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $17.321 million, Miramax, No
VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
- June 8
-
Mystic River
Clint Eastwood has crafted a gripping mystery
punctuated by great performances and a wonderful jazz-inflected soundtrack. When
they were kids growing up together in a rough section of Boston, Jimmy Markum
(Sean Penn), Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins) and Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) spent their
days playing stickball on the street, the way most boys did in their blue-collar
neighborhood of East Buckingham. Nothing much ever happened in their
neighborhood. That is, until Dave was forced to take the ride that would change
all of their lives forever. Twenty-five years later, the three find themselves
thrust back together by another life altering event -- the murder of Jimmy's
19-year-old daughter. Now a cop, Sean is assigned to the case and he and his
partner (Laurence Fishburne) are charged with unraveling the seemingly senseless
crime. They must also stay one step ahead of Jimmy, a man driven by an all
consuming rage to find his daughter's killer. Connected to the crime by a series
of circumstances, Dave is forced to confront the demons of his own past. Demons
that threaten to destroy his marriage and any hope he may have for a future. As
the investigation tightens around these three friends, an ominous story unfolds
that revolves around friendship, family and innocence lost too soon. Penn won
the Best Actor Oscar and Robbins won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for their
riveting performances. On DVD, the film will be available as a single-disc sans
frills and a three-disc set with extras, including the entire soundtrack album.
Director: Clint Eastwood. Stars: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence
Fishburne, Marcia Gaye Harden, Laura Linney. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 137
min., Mystery, Box office gross: $87.163 million, Warner, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
City of God
Hard-hitting story of crime and punishment inside
the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Cidade de Deus is a poor Brazilian housing project
born in the 1960s that -- as organized crime and drugs gained a foothold in the
area -- became one of the most dangerous places in Rio. For its impoverished
residents, laws are made not by the government but by the teenage drug barons
and gang leaders who rule using fear and the very real threat of death. The film
counts almost exclusively on the acting abilities of youngsters coming from the
favelas, neighborhoods, around Rio. The narrator, Rocket, is a poor kid
and scared to become an outlaw but also too smart to contend with an underpaid
job. He discovers that he can see his surroundings with a different eye -- the
eye of an artist. Then there is Lil Dice, a kid the same age who already dreams
of being Rio's most dangerous criminal. There are dozens of intertwined stories
here, of love, humor, and struggle, that reveal the people inside the
favelas. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Nominated for an Academy
Award.
Director: Fernando Meirelles, Katia Lund. Stars: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro
Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva, Jonathan Haagensen. 2002, CC,
MPAA rating: R, 130 min., Drama, Miramax, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Along Came Polly
Opposites-attract comedy with a tinge of dumb
slapstick. Reuben Feffer (Ben Stiller) has made a fine life -- and a good career
-- out of playing it safe. The star risk assessor for a leading insurance firm,
Reuben is an expert on minimizing danger -- nothing ventured, nothing lost.
Polly Prince (Jennifer Aniston) plays her life like a game of chance, taking joy
from the serendipity that a rolling stone existence brings her. There's always
another opportunity -- a new job, yet another apartment in another city --
should this one not work out. So when a chance meeting puts Reuben and Polly at
the same party, the recently (and extremely) jilted Reuben decides that for
once, chance may just be on his side. But he doesn't count on indigestible food,
scary children's stories, and a near-blind ferret Polly picked up in Italy.
Director: John Hamburg. Stars: Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston, Philip Seymour
Hoffman, Debra Messing, Alec Baldwin, Hank Azaria, Bryan Brown, Michele Lee, Jsu
Garcia. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 90 min., Comedy, Box office gross:
$87.062 million, Universal, $22.98 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Leopard, The
Long-awaited U.S. home video debut of Visconti's
epic. The film recreates, with nostalgia, drama and opulence, the tumultuous
years when the aristocracy lost its grip and the middle class rose and formed a
unified, democratic Italy. Burt Lancaster stars as the aging prince watching
his culture and fortune wane in the face of a new generation, represented by his
upstart nephew (Alain Delon) and his beautiful fiancee (Claudia Cardinale). "The
Leopard" translates Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel and the history it
recounts into a truly opulent masterpiece. Three-disc set, restored, with two
versions of the film: Visconti's original 187-minute Italian version and the
alternate 161-minute English-language version.
Director: Luchino Visconti. Stars: Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, Alain
Delon. 1963, CC, MPAA rating: NR, Drama, The Criterion Collection.
DVD: Only.
-
Love Letters
Laura Linney and Steven Weber star in this charming
TV adaptation of A.R. Gurney's internationally acclaimed stage hit, a heartfelt
look at love, life and friendship, directed by the legendary Stanley Donen. Andy
is a serious, down-to-earth attorney. Melissa is a lively, free-spirited artist.
But these two opposites have a definite attraction. They're childhood friends
who share a lifetime of experiences through a voluminous series of letters and
notes. Poignant, romantic and frequently funny, their correspondence follows a
bittersweet path of boarding schools, marriage, children, divorce and missed
opportunities. It's the life journey of two soul mates -- enacted through words
both written and unsaid -- who share the greatest gift of all: the gift of love.
Director: Stanley Donen. Stars: Laura Linney, Steven Weber. 1999, CC, MPAA
rating: NR, 85 min., Drama, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
In July
Comedy about a young physics teacher who wouldn't see
happiness if it hit him in the face but whose life is about to change when he
falls head over heels in love with a beautiful girl and follows her across the
globe. Daniel teaches in Hamburg, Germany, and plays life by the rules. His
students ridicule him, bartenders ignore him, and every night he walks home to a
perfectly empty apartment. When he meets a beautiful Turkish girl he is smitten,
and spontaneously decides to follow her to Istanbul, Turkey. On his way East, he
discovers a new self and learns to truly fight for happiness, even as he gets
high on drugs for the first time, gets beaten up, seduced, robbed and finally
busted by border guards. In German with English subtitles.
Director: Faith Akin. Stars: Moritz Bleibtreu, Christiane Paul, Mehmet Kurtulus.
2000, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 96 min., Comedy, Koch Lorber Films, $24.98 VHS
SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
- June 15
-
50 First Dates
Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore star together for
the first time since "The Wedding Singer" in this sloppy romantic comedy. Henry
(Sandler) lives an enviable life in a Hawaiian paradise, spending every night
with a beautiful tourist in search of an island fling. It's a sweet life with no
strings attached ... until he meets Lucy (Barrymore). He and Lucy hit it off
from the get-go, but the next day she acts like she doesn't know him. It turns
out that Lucy has short-term memory loss so every night all memory of her day is
erased. But a man in love will go to any lengths to win over the girl of his
dreams, and if that means having to find imaginative ways of doing it over again
every day, then Henry's up for the challenge. Good idea marred by some very
silly slapstick schticks.
Director: Peter Segal. Stars: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider, Sean
Astin, Dan Aykroyd. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 99 min., Comedy, Box
office gross: $116.748 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Station Agent, The
Funny, original and surprisingly touching
award-winning film about finding friendship in unexpected places. Finbar McBride
(Peter Dinklage) is a dwarf who has always been a loner and has shut out people
except for a select few who share his passion for trains. One day his life is
changed drastically when his co-worker dies and leaves Finbar with an abandoned
train depot in an out of-the way area. Finbar moves into the depot and further
isolation, but he can't stop neighbors like the pretty Olivia (Patricia
Clarkson), the chatty Joe (Bobby Cannavale), the troubled Emily (Michelle
Williams) and the curious Cleo (Raven Goodwin) from dropping by. The harder
Finbar tries to keep to himself, the more he finds friendships that he never
expected. Winner of 2003 Sundance Film Festival awards for director-writer Tom
McCarthy and a special jury prize for actress Patricia Clarkson.
Director: Thomas McCarthy. Stars: Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale, Patricia
Clarkson, Michelle Williams. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 88 min.,
Comedy-Drama, Box office gross: $5.691 million, Miramax, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Tupac: Resurrection
The definitive film about one of the
best-selling rap artists of all time, exploring Shakur's life viscerally and
dramatically through his own words and music, as well as through vivid images of
the world as he experienced it. Shakur takes viewers with him through the
hard-knock journey of his childhood, the ups and downs of his professional
career, romances, life-altering mistakes. An intimate portrait of a young man
who rose from a life of adversity into being a global icon who touched millions
of lives. The film was made in collaboration with Shakur's mother, former Black
Panther Afeni Shakur. Features never-before-seen concert footage, private home
movies and excerpts from Tupac's poetry and journals, all of which serve to
create a very personal portrayal of a sensitive, passionate and often
provocative artist who died before his time. In addition, the film features a
soundtrack of Shakur's best-selling music, as well as new music by Biggie
Smalls, Eminem, 50 Cent and Shakur himself.
Director: Lauren Lazin. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 112 min., Documentary, Box
office gross: $17.707 million, Paramount, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Touching the Void
Gripping drama, based on a true story,
chronicles the descent of two mountaineers from one of the world's highest
mountain peaks. In 1985, Brits Joe Simpson and Simon Yates set out to become the
first to climb 21,000 foot Siula Grande, one of the tallest mountains in the
Andes. The reenactment of this event displays the expertise with which the two
men ascend to the mountain's summit. But it's all downhill from there. When
Simpson falls and shatters his leg, the triumphant expedition turns nightmarish.
The two mountaineers offer testimonials about what went through their minds as
they confronted their own mortality, accompanied by actors Brendan Mackey and
Nicholas Aaron's dramatic reconstruction of the climbers' miraculous survival.
Director: Kevin Macdonald. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 106 min.,
Bio-Drama, Box office gross: $3.300 million, MGM, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental.
DVD: Day & date.
-
Chronicles of Riddick, The: Dark
Fury
An all-new animated
adventure that bridges the story between "Pitch Black" and "The Chronicles of
Riddick," which arrives in theaters June 11. When Riddick is captured by bounty
hunters, he must battle soldiers of fortune and vicious creatures in the lethal
slaughter cells of a massive starship. Riddick's night vision and ruthless
combat skills are all that stand between him and a fate literally worse than
death. From director Peter Chung -- who designed and directed the "Matriculated"
episode of the "Animatrix" DVD as well as Aeon Flux -- and based on a story by
"Pitch Black" and "Chronicles" director David Twohy.
Director: Peter Chung. Voices of Vin Diesel, Keith David, Nick Chinlund, Rhiana
Griffith. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 35 min., Animated, Universal, No VHS
SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Only.
-
Spartan
FBI. CIA. Secret Service. Black Ops. Robert Scott is all
of these. And none of these. His newest assignment: find the possibly kidnapped
daughter of a high government official before the story leaks. Robert Scott (Val
Kilmer) is a career military officer working for a highly secretive special
operations force. A man hardened by years of brutal service, he is respected by
his peers and elders in the world of espionage. When Scott is recruited to find
Laura Newton (Kristen Bell), the President's college-age daughter, he is paired
with novice Curtis (Derek Luke), who becomes his protege. Working with a special
task force comprised of Presidential Advisors, the Secret Service, FBI and CIA,
Scott and Curtis stumble upon a white slavery ring, which may have some
connection to Laura's disappearance. As the story unfolds, the straightforward
search-and-rescue mission becomes complicated by Curtis' naivete and the
political ambitions of those in high places -- like Burch (Ed O'Neill) and
Stoddard (William H. Macy), political operatives who may know more than they're
telling about the circumstances surrounding Laura's abduction. Scott and Curtis
are on the brink of tracking Laura's whereabouts when their clandestine mission
comes to an abrupt conclusion as the media issues reports of the girl's death.
Scott returns to the quiet life as a rural landowner and awaits his next
assignment in relative peace. But Curtis can't rest. He seeks out Scott to
confide his belief that Laura is alive. If she is, their continued unofficial
investigation will put them -- as well as Laura -- at the center of a dangerous
conspiracy that reaches the highest levels.
Director: David Mamet. Stars: Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, William H. Macy, Johnny
Messner, Alexandra Kerry, Tia Texada, Kristen Bell. 2004, CC, MPAA rating:
R, 106 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $4.357 million, Warner, No VHS SRP,
Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
- June 22
-
Secret Window
Based on the best-selling suspense-filled novel
"Secret Window, Secret Garden" by Stephen King. Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp), an
eccentric writer just coming off of a troublesome divorce with his ex-wife, Amy
(Marla Bello), finds himself stalked at his remote lake house by a psychotic
stranger named John Shooter (John Turturro) who claims Mort stole his best story
idea, changing just the ending for his version. As his wife pushes Mort to
finalize their divorce and Shooter systematically destroys his life, he
struggles to restore order to an increasingly insane situation. Mort discovers
that this story holds a deadly secret that comes to life, a secret that even he
can't imagine, that will force his life to spiral out of control, ultimately
leading to a shocking twist ending.
Director: David Koepp. Stars: Johnny Depp, John Turturro, Maria Bello, Charles
Dutton, Timothy Hutton. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 96 min., Psychological
thriller, Box office gross: $46.214 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP,
Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Bad Santa
He's naughty, not nice, and he's coming to town. Billy
Bob Thornton is Willie T. Stokes, a washed-up, wise-cracking department store
Santa who can't help but be more naughty than nice. Underneath his ill-fitting
red suit, Willie is actually a safecracker who makes one big score every
Christmas Eve. As shoppers head home from the mall, this Santa and his ingenious
Elf -- Willie's smaller partner-in-crime Marcus (Tony Cox) -- crack the store
safe and make off with their holiday stash. But then comes Phoenix. Here Santa
and his Elf find their annual heist endangered by a pesky store manager (John
Ritter), a savvy mall detective (Bernie Mac), a sexy Santa fan (Lauren Graham)
and an innocent but beleaguered 8 year-old misfit (Brett Kelly) who decides to
believe that Willie -- as intoxicated, acid-tongued and felonious as he seems to
be -- is the real Santa he's seeking.
Director: Terry Zwigoff. Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Lauren Graham,
Brett Kelly, Lauren Tom, John Ritter, Bernie Mac. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R,
93 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $59.371 million, Dimension, $24.99 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Woman Is a Woman, A
Jean-Luc Godard's 1961 film is a sly,
playful tribute to -- and interrogation of -- the American musical comedy,
showcasing the director's signature wit and intellectual acumen. Exotic dancer
Angela (Anna Karina) attempts to have a child with her unwilling lover Emile
(Jean-Claude Brialy). In the process, she finds herself torn between him and his
best friend Alfred (Jean-Paul Belmondo). A dizzying compendium of color, humor,
and the music of renowned composer Michel Legrand, "A Woman Is a Woman" finds
the young Godard at his warmest and most accessible, reveling in and
scrutinizing the mechanics of his great obsession -- the cinema.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard. Stars: Jean-Claude Brialy, Anna Karina, Jean-Paul
Belmondo. 1961, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 84 min., Musical, The Criterion
Collection.
DVD: Only.
-
Bloody Territories
From cult Japanese action director Yasuharu
Hasebe comes this stylishly colorful yakuza tale set against the backdrop of
Tokyo's gangster underworld. A once-powerful yakuza clan disbands as a result of
a police crackdown, but one small group refuses to bow to police pressure, and
launches a campaign to take over Tokyo's drug, prostitution, and gambling
rackets. Someone wants to stop them. Is it the police? Rival gang members? Or is
it an entirely new group of hired killers who will stop at nothing to gain
complete control of Tokyo's "bloody territories?"
Director: Yasuharu Hasebe. Stars: Tsuneo Aoki, Rika Fujie, Tatsuya Fuji.
1969, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 88 min., Action, Home Vision Entertainment.
DVD: Only.
-
Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter
This, the third in a series of five
"Stray Cat Rock" films, stars hard-as-nails Meiko Kaji as the leader of a gang
of vicious teenage schoolgirls who get their kicks with gang fights, street
muggings, and rock and roll. Directed by Japanese action master Yasuharu Hasebe
-- whose violent style was an influence on Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill,"
"Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter" is a nonstop thrill ride of action and suspense,
filmed in dazzling color.
Director: Yasuharu Hasebe. Stars: Meiko Kaji. 1970, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 85
min., Action, Home Vision Entertainment.
DVD: Only.
-
Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, The
In the grand tradition of such
immortal masterpieces as "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and "Robot Monster" comes
this schlocky, low-budget parody of 1950s sci-fi/horror movies. Performed
completely straight-faced, shot on location in fabled Bronson Canyon in glorious
black-and-white (and in the new screen miracle "Skeletorama!"), and scored
entirely with ancient library music, "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" is a wild
outing that would make B-movie kings Ed Wood and Sam Katzman proud. The
convoluted plot begins with heroic but dim-witted scientist Dr. Paul Armstrong,
aided by his clueless wife Betty, searching for a recently fallen meteor
containing the rare radioactive element atmosphereum. Also seeking the meteor
is evil scientist Dr. Roger Fleming, who's looking for Cadavra Cave, mysterious
home to the dreaded Lost Skeleton, whom he hopes to restore to life with
atmosphereum. Then a spaceship crashes in the woods, letting loose a mutant who
ravages the countryside. A stranded alien couple not only must retrieve their
mutant, but can only repower their ship with -- you guessed it -- atmosphereum.
After the aliens disguise themselves as Earth people with the aid of their
"transmutatron," Dr. Fleming steals the gizmo and turns four different forest
animals into his beautiful sidekick, "Animala" (aka "Pammy"). With everyone
after the atmosphereum, the Armstrongs find they have their hands full as they
try to capture the radioactive monster, stop the evil scientist, and vanquish
the power-mad Skeleton who wants to rule the world.
Director: Larry Blamire. Stars: Larry Blamire, Fay Masterson, Brian Howe, Andrew
Parks. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 89 min., Camp Horror, Box office gross:
$0.110 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness
Monster
Scooby-Doo and the gang
travel to Scotland to co-host the famous Highland games, where they get more
than fun when they discover the Loch Ness Monster. Before the games begin, the
gang must unravel the secret behind the fabled monster, who is angry that
they're holding the games on her sacred nesting ground.
Voices of Casey Kasem, Mindy Cohn, Frank Welker, Grey Delisle, Sheena Easton.
2004, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 74 min., Animated, Warner, $14.94 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Lower Depths, The
In this special double-disc set, Criterion
presents two dramatically different interpretations of Maxim Gorky's classic
play by two of cinema's greatest masters. In Akira Kurosawa's 1957 version, the
director demonstrates another side of his remarkable versatility. In contrast to
his usual broad canvas and kinetic filmmaking style, here he explores the
possibilities of the stage, finding intimacy in his examination of a group of
destitutes set, ironically, within Japan's prosperous Edo period. Starring an
ensemble cast that includes Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, and Minoru Chiaki,
this adaptation is a Buddhist meditation on the human condition, a poignant yet
comic investigation of one of Kurosawa's favorite themes -- the conflict between
illusion and reality.
Made amidst the rise of Hitler in Germany and the Popular Front in France,
director Jean Renoir had need to take license with Gorky's source material
for his 1936 adaptation of the play. Aware that the plight of the desperate
characters might sit uneasily in his own country on the edge of war, the
director never lets his derelicts sink quite to the depths, offering them --
like in so many of his other films -- the possibility of hope. Marking the first
time the director would work with Jean Gabin and featuring the great Louis
Jouvet, Renoir's film demonstrates one of cinema's greatest directors
transforming a classic play into his own terms for a distinct time. The disc
also includes an introduction to the film by Renoir.
Director: Akira Kurosawa. Stars: Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Kyoko Kagawa,
Ganjiro Nakamura. 1957, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 137 min., Drama, The Criterion
Collection. DVD: Only.
Director: Jean Renoir. Stars: Jean Gabin, Junie Astor, Suzy Prim, Louis Jouvet.
1936, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 90 min., Drama, The Criterion Collection.
DVD: Only.
-
Mama Roma
Anna Magnani stars as Mamma Roma, a middle-aged
prostitute who attempts to extricate herself from her sordid past for the sake
of her son. Filmed in the great tradition of Italian neorealism, the film offers
an unflinching look at the struggle for survival in postwar Italy, and
highlights director Pier Paolo Pasolini's lifelong fascination with the
marginalized and dispossessed. Though banned upon its release in Italy for
obscenity, today "Mamma Roma" remains a classic, a glimpse at a country's most
controversial director in the process of finding his style, and a
powerhouse performance by one of the cinema's greatest actresses.
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini. Stars: Anna Magnani, Ettore Garofolo, Franco
Citti, Silvana Corsini. 1962, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 110 min., Drama, The
Criterion Collection.
DVD: Only.
- June 29
-
Cold Mountain
Based on the best-selling book by Charles Frazier.
Cold Mountain, a small North Carolina town, is torn apart as young men head off
to join the Confederate army during the Civil War. The women left behind fight
for survival, enduring rough winters, ruthless lawmen and emotional turmoil as
they wait to hear word form their loved ones. Inman (Jude Law) is one of these
young men who joins the army, at first out of loyalty to his country. He soon
realizes the ravages of war no longer represent his values. Once injured, he
takes the opportunity to flee the army and begins his long journey home on foot.
Back at Cold Mountain is the beautiful Ada (Nicole Kidman), who vowed to wait
for Inman but hasn't heard if he is still alive. Her letters go unanswered and
she struggles to keep faith that he will return. As the war drags on, Ada takes
in Ruby (Renee Zellweger), a lively neighbor who teaches her how to keep the
farm going. By the end of the war, hearts will be dashed, dreams fulfilled and
the strength of the human spirit tested but not broken. Zellweger won an Academy
Award for her role.
Director: Anthony Minghella. Stars: Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger,
Eileen Atkins, Brendan Gleeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman,
Giovanni Ribisi, Donald Sutherland, Ray Winstone, Kathy Baker, James Gammon,
Jack White. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 154 min., Drama, Box office gross:
$92.685 million, Miramax, $24.99 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Barbershop 2: Back in Business
In this sequel to the highly
successful "Barbershop," Calvin (Ice Cube) has gotten over his money troubles
and is no longer in danger of losing his shop -- but his neighborhood is in
danger of losing its identity. Intent on "regentrifying" the South Side, a
money-hungry corporation is moving into the community with coffee bars, video
stores, and a big-name haircut chain, and the area's "mom and pop"
establishments are in danger of losing their hometown advantage. While juggling
changing situations, new loves, and looking for ways to better their lives,
Calvin and his crew have to take a stand to keep the South Side and its
businesses in the family. And of course, the crew still has time for its
signature Barbershop discussions -- outrageous, explosive, and hilarious. The
world changes and so do hairdos, but some things never go out of style -- you
can still say anything at the barbershop.
Director: Kevin Rodney Sullivan. Stars: Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Sean
Patrick Thomas, Eve, Troy Garity, Michael Ealy, Leonard Earl Howze, Kenan
Thompson, Harry Lennix, Queen Latifah. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100
min., Comedy, Box office gross: $62.580 million, MGM, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Tycoon
A stylish, slick crime drama based on the life of
notorious billionaire Boris Berezovsky, "Tycoon" follows the life of Plato
Makovski, a renegade Russian entrepreneur whose seductive and brutal climb to
the top in the post-Soviet era flourishes as the line between business, crime
and politics breaks down. Taking the form of a thriller that follows the police
investigation into an attempted assassination of Plato, the film follows his
life through flashbacks involving a vivid array of gangsters, mistresses,
childhood friends, idealistic intellectuals, and trigger-happy veterans, and
offers an inside view of a country in which gangsters and greedy politicians
conspire to rub out their enemies. Once a freedom-loving idealist before the
fall of the Soviet Union, Plato uses his genius to build a media empire, along
the way becoming one of the richest men in the country -- and a monster,
unhesitatingly sacrificing his ideals and his closest friends. Compared by
critics to "Scarface" and "The Godfather Saga," "Tycoon" is an epic tale of a
visionary and a scoundrel, and, in the end, a bridge between the old Russia and
the new. In Russian with English subtitles.
Director: Pavel Lounguine. Stars: Vladimir Mashkov, Andrei Krasko, Maria
Mironova, Sergei Oshkevich. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 128 min., Thriller,
Box office gross: $0.121 million, New Yorker, $24.95 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Perfect Score, The
Six high school seniors begin to realize that
the elaborate futures they had imagined for themselves lie in the hands of one
test -- the dreaded SATs. Kyle (Chris Evans) and Matt (Bryan Greenberg) believe
that the only way they will do well on the exam and secure their futures is to
steal the answers. Like most high school rumors, word spreads quickly about the
guys'plan and soon Desmond, the high school's star basketball player (Darius
Miles) along with Francesca (Scarlett Johansson) and Anna (Erika Christensen)
decide that they want in on the test key heist. They soon realize that the
answer to their problems and the key to their happiness doesn't lie in achieving
a perfect score.
Director: Brian Robbins. Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Erika Christensen, Chris
Evans, Bryan Greenberg, Darius Miles. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 92T
min., Teen drama, Box office gross: $10.387 million, Paramount, No VHS SRP,
Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Cheetah Girls, The
Based on "The Cheetah Girls" book series.
Four New York teens face the challenges of growing up as they dance and sing
their way toward an elusive record deal. The feisty foursome discover that their
big break is not what they expected and that their friendship is sorely tested
as they choose between finding fame and being true to their selves. Disney
Channel movie.
Stars: Raven, Adrienne Bailon, Keily Williams. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 93
min., Family, Walt Disney, $14.99 VHS SRP.
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.
January 2004 Releases
February 2004 Releases
March 2004 Releases
April 2004 Releases
May 2004 Releases
July 2004 Releases
August 2004 Releases
September 2004 Releases
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