DVD
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Guide to
Home Video
Releases: February 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.
- February 3
-
American Splendor
Meet Harvey Pekar, bona fide American
original. Cleveland native, V.A. hospital file clerk, and hilariously grumpy
observer of life's strange and unpredictable pageant. A comic book writer who
writes about his everyday life as an omnivorous reader, jazz lover,
obsessive-compulsive collector, and lousy housekeeper. A prickly poet of the
mundane who knows that all the strategizing in the world can't save a guy from
choosing the wrong supermarket checkout line. Before camcorders, before Webcams,
before nonstop reality TV, there was Harvey Pekar and his homegrown
autobiographical comic book series "American Splendor." Since 1976, the pages of
"American Splendor" have found Harvey puzzling, fuming, and marveling over the
minutiae of his day-to-day existence. No experience is too ordinary, no thought
too incorrect for him to gnaw over in his funny, candid and utterly humane
stories. Bringing his own brand of bravery to comic books, Harvey Pekar
expresses what so many of us think and feel, but only dream of saying -- and he
never, ever holds back. Now, acclaimed filmmakers Shari Springer Berman and
Robert Pulcini bring Pekar's story -- in multiple senses of the word -- to the
screen in their first narrative feature. "American Splendor" is the true saga of
a working-class Everyman who pursues self-expression without self-censorship --
and finds a grateful audience, critical admiration, and that most remarkable of
happy endings, a loving family. Like its namesake comic, "American Splendor"
focuses on the large and small moments in the life of its curmudgeonly hero, and
offers not one, but several illustrations of Harvey Pekar: the Harvey of the
main narrative, portrayed by Paul Giamatti; a 2-D animated Harvey; and the real
Harvey, past (via archival footage) and present. The result is a film as
inventive as the subject himself -- one that captures Pekar's voice in all its
hilarious, truthful, and cantankerous humanity. American Splendor premiered in
competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury
Prize. It was also selected to screen in Un Certain Regard at the 2003 Cannes
International Film Festival. And it is a true gem of a film that pretty much
sums up all that is right -- and wrong -- about life in America.
Director: Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. Stars: Paul Giamatti, Hope
Davis, Daniel Tay, Harvey Pekar, James Urbaniak. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R,
101 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $6.000 million, HBO, $26.99 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Lost in Translation
A surprise work of art from writer-director
Sofia Coppola. Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) are
two Americans in Tokyo. Bob is a movie star in town to shoot a whiskey
commercial, estranged from his career and his wife. Charlotte is a young woman
tagging along with her workaholic photographer husband (Giovanni Ribisi). Both
are lost in their own lives: Bob going through a mid-life crisis, Charlotte
unsure of her two-year marriage and what she wants out of life. Unable to sleep,
Bob and Charlotte cross paths one night in the bar of the luxury hotel they are
staying in. This chance meeting develops into a surprising friendship. Charlotte
and Bob venture through Tokyo, having weird and at-times hilarious encounters
with its citizens, and learning from each other a new belief in life's
possibilities. Shot entirely on location in Japan, the film is a valentine to
the nature of close friendships and contemplates the unexpected connections we
make that might not last -- yet stay with us forever. A tad bit immature in its
romanticizing of the younger girl/older man relationship (a young woman's
idealizing of her love for her father, perhaps?), the film nevertheless is a
bittersweet and melancholy take on the dislocations of the modern psyche. Murray
and Johansson are exquisite in their roles, and the camerawork by Lance Acord
captures the contradictions of the Japanese landscape: both the shimmering
superficiality of Tokyo nightlife and the pastoral beauty of ancient Japan. A
gem of a film. Coppola is the first American female director up for an Academy
Award and Murray has been nominated for Best Actor.
Director: Sofia Coppola. Stars: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni
Ribisi, Anna Faris, Fumihiro Hayashi. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 102 min.,
Comedy, Box office gross: $30.000 million, Universal, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Secondhand Lions
For 14-year old Walter (Haley Joel Osment), his
great uncles' farm in rural Texas is the last place on earth he wants to spend
the Summer. Dumped off by his mother, Mae (Kyra Sedgwick), in the middle of
nowhere with two crazy old men and the promise that she'll come back for him,
Walter doesn't know what to believe in. Eccentric and gruff, Hub and Garth
McCaan (Robert Duvall and Michael Caine) are rumored to have been bank robbers,
mafia hit men and/or war criminals in their younger days. The truth is elusive,
although they do seem to have an endless supply of cash. But Walter begins to
see a new side to his great uncles when he stumbles on an old photograph of a
beautiful woman hidden away in a trunk and asks Garth who she is. Little by
little, through stories spun against the backdrop of the dusty Texas night, an
amazing story comes to life via Walter's vivid, colorful imaginings -- a tale
set in a long-ago exotic, mysterious place where men rode stallions and fought
with swords; where beautiful princesses tangled with treacherous sheiks; and
where the two unlikely heroes lived an adventure most people only dream of.
Whether true or not, the uncles' tales become a doorway to a staggering new
world for the boy to live out their adventures. They also give Walter something
true to believe in -- a world where honor and valor mean more than money and
power, and a place that, real or not, belongs only to him. Likewise, in telling
their stories to their nephew, Hub and Garth begin to see their own lives with
new eyes. Over one unpredictable Central Texas summer in the early 1960s,
everything in the lives of this new family of strangers is about to change
forever.
Director: Tim McCanlies. Stars: Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Haley Joel Osment,
Kyra Sedgwick, Nicky Katt, Josh Lucas. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 111 min.,
Family, Box office gross: $41.000 million, New Line, $22.99 VHS SRP, Priced for
rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Under the Tuscan Sun
The life of freshly divorced San Francisco
writer Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) is about to take an unexpected but much needed
upturn. Trying to shake Frances out of her lethargy and post-breakup funk, her
friend Patti (Sandra Oh) offers Frances a gift that she hopes will do the trick:
a 10-day trip to Tuscany, in the heart of Italy. And right there, under the
Tuscan sun, the unlikeliest thing happens: Frances impulsively buys a run-down
villa named "Bramasole" -- literally, "something that yearns for the sun" -- and
in so doing, plunges herself into a brand new life. As she embraces the local
ways and devotes herself to the restoration of her new home, Frances finds
herself forming close bonds with the people around her and slowly rediscovering
the pleasures of laughter, friendship and romance. Even as she stumbles forward
on her uncertain journey, one thing becomes clear: in life, there are second
chances.
Director: Audrey Wells. Stars: Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan, Raoul
Bova, Pawel Szadja, Vincenzo Ricotta, Dan Bucatinsky. 2003, CC, MPAA rating:
PG-13, 113 min., Romance, Box office gross: $40.000 million, Buena Vista, $24.99
VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Fighting Temptations, The
Darrin Hill (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) has
just lost his job with a New York advertising firm and bill collectors are
chasing him all over the city. But just when he thinks his luck has completely
run out, Darrin discovers he's the only surviving relative of his Aunt Sally who
has just left him $150,000. Traveling back to his small hometown of Montecarlo,
Georgia, to attend the funeral and collect his inheritance, Darrin soon
discovers that Sally's written a tiny catch into her will. Her last wish is that
her beloved nephew create a choir, enter it in the annual Gospel Explosion and
bring home a victory. Between the bickering and the difficulties finding
talented singers in the community, not to mention that his heart just isn't into
the whole thing, Darrin has his work cut out for him ... until he meets Lilly
(Beyonce Knowles). A beautiful jazz singer with a voice to match, Lilly awakens
feelings in Darrin he didn't know he had. Suddenly, collecting the money or
heading back to New York City aren't important anymore, and he realizes that
Aunt Sally left him something much more than an inheritance.
Director: Jonathan Lynn. Stars: Cuba Gooding Jr., Beyonce Knowles, Mike Epps,
Faith Evans, Steve Harvey, Wendell Pierce, LaTanya Richardson, Dave Sheridan,
Angie Stone, Rue McClanahan, Melba Moore. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 122
min., Comedy, Box office gross: $30.100 million, Paramount, No VHS SRP, Priced
for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
My Boss's Daughter
Ashton Kutcher stars as a young executive who
agrees to house-sit for his cantankerous boss -- hoping that it will get him
closer to the boss's attractive daughter. But when some of his co-workers decide
to throw a party at the boss's house, everything spins wildly out of control.
Director: David Zucker. Stars: Ashton Kutcher, Tara Reid, Terence Stamp, Molly
Shannon, Michael Madsen, Andy Richter, Carmen Electra, Jon Abrahams. 2003,
CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 85 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $15.436 million,
Dimension, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Only the Strong Survive
Directors DA Pennebaker ("Monterey Pop,"
"Don't Look Back") and Chris Hegedus and journalist Roger Friedman put together
a celebration of the great soul musicians -- Jerry Butler, the Chi-Lites, Isaac
Hayes, Sam Moore, Ann Peebles, Wilson Pickett, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas and
Mary Wilson -- and the reunion became a musical festival of soul and a
compelling look into the lives of these extraordinary stage legends. are .
Director: DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 95
min., Concert, Box office gross: $0.057 million, Miramax, $19.99 VHS SRP, Priced
for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Lucky Seven
A successful young lawyer, "ordained" by her late
mother when she was seven that she would be lucky all her life if she followed a
strict timeline, with the most important task being to marry her seventh
boyfriend. When she falls in love with her sixth boyfriend, however, she worries
that she won't be able to break from the timeline that has kept her mother's
memory close, and so she sneaks in another boyfriend. Now she has to decide
which man to choose: number six or lucky seven. Telefilm.
Director: Harry Winer. Stars: Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Patrick Dempsey, Brad
Rowe, Gail O'Grady. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 120 min., Comedy, Columbia
TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
- February 10
-
Intolerable Cruelty
A less-than-masterful Coen Brothers' dark
comedy, here taking place in an exaggerated L.A. world where sex appeal is the
bait, riches are the reward, and love is what scrappy men and women learn to
dodge. Fabulously successful Los Angeles divorce attorney and incredibly
eligible bachelor Miles Massey (George Clooney) is sated on success and needs a
new challenge. Enter much-divorced Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a
hardheaded woman pursuing financial independence through serial matrimony. She's
the about-to-be-ex-wife of one of Massey's clients, and through some adept use
of "caught-in-the-act photographs" by a private eye (Cedric the Entertainer),
Marilyn seems to have an ironclad case -- until Massey uncovers dirt on her,
scotching her monetary claim. But Marilyn doesn't hold a grudge -- she hires
Massey to write a prenuptial for her next marital adventure, which is to oil
billionaire Howard Doyle (Billy Bob Thornton). Smitten with her, Massey urges
Marilyn not to enter the marriage, but she does and, inevitably, leaves Doyle.
Miles is waiting, and the pair run off to get married. But Marilyn has a few
revenge tricks up her sleeves, and the love-smitten Massey is hung out to dry.
What follows is the mother of all battles of the sexes as the two square off,
personally and professionally. Not as perverse as previous Coen outings, with a
storyline that borders, unfortunately, on the inane. Part of the problem might
be that the Coens were not solely responsible for the almost slapstick script.
Zeta-Jones and Clooney light up the screen with their looks but their acting
leaves much to be desired.
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen. Stars: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones,
Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer, Edward Herrmann, Paul Adelstein, Richard
Jenkins, Billy Bob Thornton, Julia Duffy. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100
min., Romantic comedy, Box office gross: $35.096 million, Universal, $26.98 VHS
SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
In the Cut
Sexually charged psychological thriller with Meg Ryan
acting against her usual typecast as a sweetheart. Frannie Avery (Ryan) is a
desperately lonely New York teacher who discovers the darker side of passion
after beginning an erotic affair with tough homicide detective James Malloy
(Mark Ruffalo), who is investigating a series of grisly murders of young women
in her neighborhood. As the killings continue unabated, Frannie begins to
suspect Malloy is the killer. Or could it be her stalker of an ex-boyfriend
(Kevin Bacon)? Or even one of her students, who's writing a paper on serial
killers? Soon Frannie is drawn into a dangerous and intense world of obsession,
suspicion, desire and violence, with a surprise ending. A very dark and gritty
outing. In a rated version and a very sexy unrated director's cut.
Director: Jane Campion. Stars: Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Jason Leigh,
Kevin Bacon, Nick Damici, Sharrieff Pugh. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 119
min., Thriller, Box office gross: $5.000 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP,
Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Wonderland
On the afternoon of July 1, 1981, Los Angeles police
responded to a distress call at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in Laurel Canyon and soon
discovered a grisly quadruple homicide, later compared to the gruesome slaughter
at the Tate household at the hands of the Charles Manson family 10 years
earlier. Ron Launius (Josh Lucas), Billy Deverell (Tim Blake Nelson), Barbara
Richardson (Natasha Gregson Wagner) and Joy Miller (Janeane Garofalo) were
brutally murdered, and Ron's wife Susan (Christina Applegate) was left in
critical condition. The police investigation that followed would unearth a seedy
world of drugs and violence, ultimately revealing a motley crew from LA's
underbelly including ex-con David Lind (Dylan McDermott), nightclub impresario
Eddie Nash (Eric Bogosian), the most unlikely of American heroes -- porn legend
John Holmes (Val Kilmer) -- Holmes' estranged wife Sharon (Lisa Kudrow) and his
teenage lover Dawn Schiller (Kate Bosworth). The killings were the result of a
complicated drug deal gone bad, and that with the porn world connections -- John
Holmes was a shining star in the X-rated movie biz for a number of years -- made
for tabloid headlines and gruesome newscasts. Unfortunately, the sordid subject
matter gets lost in the film's mish-mash of styles and convoluted stories,
leaving the viewer dazed and confused.
Director: James Cox. Stars: Val Kilmer, Lisa Kudrow, Kate Bosworth, Dylan
McDermott, Eric Bogosian, Josh Lucas, Franky G, Tim Blake Nelson, Natasha
Gregson Wagner, Janeane Garofalo, Christina Applegate, Carrie Fisher. 2003,
CC, MPAA rating: R, 99 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.056 million, Lions
Gate, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Party Monster
Hard-core, true-life story about the rise and fall
of New York's club king Michael Alig, a party organizer and underground legend
whose extravagant lifestyle sent him on a downward spiral leading to the
boastful admission -- on TV -- of murder.The New York club scene of the 1980s
and 1990s was a world like no other. Into this candy-colored disco ball
playground stepped Alig (Macaulay Culkin), a wannabe from nowhere special. Under
the watchful eye of veteran Club Kid James St. James (Seth Green), Alig quickly
rose to the top with his own record label and magazine ... with no place to go
but down.
Director: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato. Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green,
Chloe Sevigny, Natasha Lyonne, Wilmer Valderrama, Wilson Cruz. Dylan McDermott,
Marilyn Manson. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 99 min., Drama, Box office gross:
$0.682 million, Fox, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Sylvia
Gwyneth Paltrow stars in this sizzling portrayal of the
romance between legendary poet Sylvia Plath and poet Ted Hughes. While on a
Fulbright Scholarship to England, Plath meets Hughes, a British poet on the
verge of international fame. Following a torrid four-month courtship, they marry
and embark on an intense relationship. When Hughes' subsequent literary success
and the attentions of admiring women strain the marriage, Plath funnels her fury
and passions into her own work that begins to flow in unstoppable bursts.
Director: Christine Jeffs. Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, Daniel Craig, Jared Harris,
Blythe Danner, Michael Gambon, Amira Casar, Andrew Havill, Lucy Davenport.
2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 110 min., Bio-Drama, Box office gross: $1.302
million, Universal, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Lion King 1 1/2, The
Direct-to-video sequel has a story that
runs parallel to the original Lion King. Disney introduces Timon's outrageous
family -- his mother and wild Uncle Max -- and how he met Pumbaa, as well as
showing a little more of the back story behind the Lion King. Music by Elton
John, Tim Rice and Lebo M.
Director: Bradley Raymond. Voices of Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Matthew
Broderick, Julie Kavner, Jerry Stiller, Robert Guillaume, Moira Kelly, Whoppi
Goldberg, Cheech Marin. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: G, 70 min., Animated, Disney,
$24.99 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Once Upon a Time in the Midlands
An edgy, endearing romantic
comedy about hard choices and second chances that gives a new twist to home on
the range -- Nottingham-style -- and pays homage in modern day drag to the
classic spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone. Dek (Rhys Ifans) and Shirley
(Shirley Henderson) live together with 12-year-old Marlene, her daughter
by the sexy, small-time criminal Jimmy (Robert Carlyle), who split years ago and
hasn't been heard from since. Decent-but-dull Dek loves Shirley so much so that
he humiliates her by proposing without warning on national television. Jimmy
sees the TV proposal and returns to town convinced that he can change her mind
and that his nerdy rival doesn't stand a chance. It's a verbal "shoot-out" at
the cockney corral.
Director: Shane Meadows. Stars: Robert Carlyle, Rhys Ifans, Kathy Burke, Shirley
henderson. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104 min., Romantic Comedy, Box office
gross: $0.167 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Returner
Stylish sci-fi thriller stars Asian pop star and Prada
model Takeshi Kaneshiro and Ann Suzuki ("Snow Falling on Cedars"). The year is
2084 and the human race is fighting an alien militia to save the last remnant of
civilization. A young heroine named Milly (Suzuki) escapes the war and becomes
"a returner," jumping back in time to present-day Japan in an attempt to change
history. Milly's travels land her right into the middle of a local crime war
between street-smart gunman Miyamoto (Kaneshiro) and cold-blooded crime leader
Mizoguchi (Goro Kishtani). When Mizoguchi learns that the first earth-bound
spaceship captured by the government possesses destructive abilities that would
allow him to rule the world, he will stop at nothing to track this
extraterrestrial creature down. With the fate of the world hanging in the
balance, Milly must convince the reluctant Miyamoto to join her mission and stop
the evil crime lord in time, thereby preventing future events that lead to the
end of the human race. In Japanese with English subtitles.
Director: Takashi Yamazaki. Stars: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Ann Suzuki, Goro Kishtani.
2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 116 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross:
$0.069 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Stone Reader
Critically acclaimed documentary feature directed
by Mark Moskowitz and inspired by the cult-classic novel "The Stones of Summer"
by Dow Mossman. Hailed by top national film critics and fans alike, "Stone
Reader" is a constantly absorbing and moving film about the power of books to
change our lives and one man's passionate search to solve a real-life literary
mystery. In 1972, Mark Moskowitz, then aged 18, read a rave review of a novel
called "The Stones of Summer." He bought it and couldn't get past the first few
pages. Twenty-five years later he tried again, and this time he fell in love
with it. Looking for other works by author Dow Mossman, he found no mention of
either Mossman or his novel, which was long out of print. Thus begins one of the
most enthralling mystery stories of recent years. Traveling the country,
Moskowitz befriends critics, agents, and editors in the quest to discover how
such a well-received book and its author could have vanished completely from the
scene. And while the journey is unusually cinematic, often hilariously funny,
and ultimately poignant, it is also a riveting reminder of how some stories are
so potent that people change their lives forever seeking the source. The release
to home video is timed to coincide with Overlook Press's version of "The Stones
of Summer" in paperback, which will be nationally distributed by Penguin. Out of
print for 30 years, "The Stones of Summer" recently made publishing news when
Barnes & Noble Booksellers published it direct as a cornerstone of their new
venture. It has sold upwards of 60,000 hardback copies. By comparison, a
literary novel may sell around 5,000 hardback copies the first time out and a
reprint may do well to sell 10,000 over a lifetime.
Director: Mark Moskowitz. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 128 min., Documentary,
New Yorker Video, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
- February 17
-
Runaway Jury
From master storyteller John Grisham ("The Firm,"
"The Pelican Brief") comes this fine suspense-thriller about a high-priced and
ruthless jury "consultant" (Gene Hackman) who will stop at nothing to secure a
verdict on an explosive trial. With lives and millions of dollars at stake, the
fixer wages a deadly battle with a jury member (John Cusack), a mysterious woman
(Rachel Weisz) and an honest lawyer (Dustin Hoffman). When a young widow in New
Orleans brings a civil suit against the powerful corporate consortium of gun-
makers she holds responsible for her husband's death in a mass murder, she sets
in motion a multi-million dollar case. But it's a suit that may be won even
before it begins -- based solely on the selection, manipulation and, ultimately,
the attempted "theft" of the jury. Representing the widow is Wendall Rohr
(Hoffman), a courtly Southern lawyer with a moral center and a heartfelt passion
for the case he's presenting. His opponent is ostensibly the attorney
representing the corporation. But in reality, defense counsel is only the front
man for Rankin Fitch (Hackman), a brilliant and ruthless jury consultant. At a
high tech command center set up in an old French Quarter warehouse, Fitch and
his team work on the surveillance and assessment of potential jurors. He will
know everything about their lives, and strategically manipulate the jury
selection process. The only acceptable result is the perfect jury to vote in
favor of his client. Fitch and Rohr soon realize they're not the only ones out
to win the jury. One of the jurors, Nick Easter (Cusack), seems to have his own
plan for swaying the panel. And a mysterious woman known only as Marlee (Weisz)
contacts both Rohr and Fitch telling them the jury's for sale to either of them
-- and that the verdict won't come cheap. While the case is argued in court, a
dangerous cat and mouse game begins to play out in the French Quarter. Rohr's
morality is put to the test, and Fitch is poised to cross the line from
selecting a jury to stealing it -- no matter who gets hurt in the process.
Exciting action, plot twists and a thrilling ending. The film marks the first
pairing of screen legends Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman.
Director: Gary Fleder. Stars: John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel
Weisz, Bruce Davison, Bruce McGill, Jeremy Piven. 2003, CC, MPAA rating:
PG-13, 122 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $48.500 million, Fox, No VHS SRP,
Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Dickie Roberts: Former Child
Star
Former child star Dickie
Roberts (David Spade), now an out-of-work actor turned parking valet, is
desperate to audition for a great new role that would revitalize his career.
Unfortunately, Dickie has three strikes against him: he's superficial,
materialistic and immature. Desperate for the coveted role, he decides to hire a
family to adopt him so he can relive his childhood and grow up.
Director: Sam Weisman. Stars: David Spade, Jon Lovitz, Doris Roberts, Alyssa
Milano, Mary McCormack. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 98 min., Comedy, Box
office gross: $22.700 million, Paramount, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Masked and Anonymous
Inspired by the masterful, poetic and
Grammy Award-winning songs of folk rocker Bob Dylan, this off-beat musical
satire is the feature film directorial debut of Larry Charles, the award-winning
director of HBO's hit comedy "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and executive producer on
two of TV's most successful sitcoms, "Seinfeld" and "Mad About You." A witty,
black-humored musical allegory written by Dylan and Charles. In a fictional
America caught up in a civil war that is tearing the nation apart, a benefit
concert is being organized. A traveling troubadour named Jack Fate (Dylan) is
sprung from jail by his scheming former manager Uncle Sweetheart (John Goodman)
and his brassy partner Nina Veronica (Jessica Lange) to headline a concert with
the expectations to bring peace to the country that is entrenched by chaos,
lawlessness and pandemonium. It's as if the lyrics of Dylan's "Highway 61
Revisited" have come to life. The soundtrack features 14 classic, previously
unreleased and original Bob Dylan songs performed by the likes of The Grateful
Dead, Jerry Garcia, Los Lobos and an array of international artists; four of
which are especially written and performed for the film by Dylan himself.
Director: Larry Charles. Stars: Jeff Bridges, Penelope Cruz, John Goodman,
Jessica Lange, Luke Wilson, Bob Dylan. Cameos by Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Mickey
Rourke, Angela Bassett, Giovanni Ribisi, Cheech Marin, Christian Slater, Bruce
Dern.
2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 106 min., Musical satire, Box office gross:
$0.532 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Mambo Italiano
Based on the successful stage play starring Paul
Sorvino and Luke Kirby, this is a light-hearted romantic comedy with a twist
about love, family, culture clash and spaghetti. Maria (Ginette Reno) and Gino's
(Paul Sorvino) close-knit immigrant Italian world is shattered when their son
Angelo (Luke Kirby) decides to get a place of his own without getting married.
They are relieved when Angelo's childhood buddy Nino (Peter Miller) decides to
move in with their son. However, their relief is short-lived when they find
out that Nino and Angelo are more than just roommates -- they're lovers. But
image-conscious cop Nino isn't as ready to come out of the closet though,
especially to his busybody mother Lina (Mary Walsh). All hysteria breaks loose
as the two modern men try to come to terms with their "old country" family
traditions and pride.
Director: Emile Gaudreault. Stars: Ginette Reno, Peter Miller, Paul Sorvino,
Luke Kirby. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 88 min., Romantic Comedy, Box office
gross: $6.220 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
City of God
Postponed until June 8 due to the film's
Oscar nominations.
-
American Gun
James Coburn plays Martin Tillman, a retiree living
in a beautiful home with a loving wife and daughter, the latter who is just
getting back on her feet after a rough divorce. Tillman has it all until one
Christmas eve when the unthinkable happens -- his daughter is shot and killed.
Devastated, Tillman decides that the only way to move on from the tragedy is to
trace the history of the gun that killed his daughter -- and perhaps get his own
brand of closure -- and justice.
Director: Alan Jacobs. Stars: James Coburn, Virgina Madsen. 2002, CC, MPAA
rating: R, 89 min., Drama, Miramax, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Under the Sun
When Olof, a lonesome farmer, takes out an
advertisement in the local paper for a housekeeper, he attracts a surprising
candidate: Ellen, a beautiful 34-year-old, well-heeled city woman. As the summer
progresses, Ellen effectively takes over both the house and Olof's heart. But is
their blossoming romance doomed by the secrets Ellen is hiding? In Swedish with
English subtitles.
Director: Colin Nutley. Stars: Rolf Lassgard, Helena Bergstrom, Johan Widerberg.
2002, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 118 min., Drama, Box office gross: $0.288
million, New Yorker Video, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
- February 24
-
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
This latest Spy Kids adventure features
returning cast members Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Ricardo Montalban, Alexa
Vega, Daryl Sabara, Holland Taylor, and Danny Trejo. Juni (Sabara) must
save his sister Carmen (Vega) who is being held captive inside a video game
controlled by the evil toymaker (Sylvester Stallone) who wants to take over the
world. Juni journeys inside the virtual reality world of the 3-D video game
designed to outsmart him, as the awe-inspiring graphics and creatures of gaming
come to real life. Relying on humor, gadgetry, bravery, family bonds -- Juni
calls upon his mom (Gugino), dad (Banderas), grandparents (Montalban and Taylor)
and his friends -- and lightning-quick reflexes, the Spy Kids must battle
through tougher and tougher levels of the game-facing challenges that include
racing against road warriors and surfing on boiling lava in order to save the
world from the power hungry villain. The VHS version is presented in 2-D; the
DVD version has 2-D and 3-D versions (and four sets of 3-D glasses).
Director: Robert Rodriguez. Stars: Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Ricardo
Montalban, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Holland Taylor, Sylvester Stallone, Salma
Hayak, Danny Trejo. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 72 min., Family, Box office
gross: $110.793 million, Dimension, $24.99 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Matchstick Men
Roy (Nicolas Cage) and his protege Frank (Sam
Rockwell) are a couple of successful, small-time con artists (aka "Matchstick
Men") who are working the phones bogus water filtration systems for homes. Roy's
private life, however, is not so successful. He's an obsessive-compulsive, germ-
phobic agoraphobe (and chain-smoker) with no personal relationships to call his
own ... until he learns he has a 14-year old daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman).
Angela, who thought her dad was either dead or in prison, not only wants to meet
him, she wants in on the partnership -- and the latest con of a shady, crude
businessman. It's "Paper Moon" for the 21st century, directed with a deft hand
by Ridley Scott and featuring small gems of performances by Cage, Rockwell and
Lohman. Let the con begin.
Director: Ridley Scott. Stars: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman, Bruce
Altman, Bruce McGill, Sheila Eastin. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 116 min.,
Crime comedy, Box office gross: $37.000 million, Warner, $19.96 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Pieces of April
Offbeat comedy about a rebellious girl, April
(Katie Holmes), who attempts to make amends for her past by creating the
"perfect" Thanksgiving dinner in her grubby Lower East Side apartment for her
family. But her attempt to create an unforgettable feast go awry when her oven
breaks down. Now, as her weary family members make their way to the city, April
must rely on the kindness of strangers to pull off the meal. By first time
director Peter Hedges, who wrote "About a Boy." Patricia Clarkson, who plays
April's cancer-ridden mother, is up for an Academy Award. Wonderful small film.
Director: Peter Hedges. Stars: Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt,
Derek Luke, Sean Hayes. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 80 min., Comedy, Box
office gross: $0.892 million, MGM, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Missing, The
Cate Blanchett plays Maggie Gilkeson, a young woman
raising her two daughters in
an isolated and lawless wilderness. When her oldest daughter (Evan Rachel Wood)
is kidnapped by a psychopathic killer with mystical powers (Eric Schweig),
Maggie is forced to re-unite with her long estranged father (Tommy Lee Jones) to
rescue her. The killer and his brutal cult of desperados have kidnapped several
other teenage girls, leaving a trail of death and horror across the desolate
landscape of the American Southwest. Maggie and her father are in a race
against time to catch up with the renegades and save her daughter, before they
cross the Mexican border and disappear forever.
Director: Ron Howard. Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Evan Rachel Wood,
Jenna Boyd, Eric Schweig, Aaron Eckhart, Jay Tavare, Simon Baker, Sergio
Calderson, Val Kilmer. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 137 min., Western thriller,
Box office gross: $26.000 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
My Life Without Me
Working-class young mother Ann (Sarah Polley)
lives a modest life with her two kids and her husband (Scott Speedman) in a
trailer in her mother's (Deborah Harry) backyard. Her life takes a dramatic
turn, however, when her doctor diagnoses her with a terminal illness with only
two months to live. Burdened with her secret but liberated by a new sense of
control, Ann begins living with an intensity she never thought possible and her
emotional journey leads her to unexpected places and gives her life new meaning.
Director: Isabel Coixet. Stars: Sarah Polley, Mark Ruffalo, Scott Speedman,
Amanda Plummer, Deborah Harry. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 106 min., Drama,
Box office gross: $0.381 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
On_Line
A highly charged sexual tale of searching for love on
the Internet. From their Manhattan digs, roommates John and Moe run the live
erotic web site Intercon-X. Signing on "and turning on" are glamorous Jordan,
innocent Eric, demanding Al and high strung Moira. From initial random contacts,
their lives become intertwined, and edgy electronic thrills give way to flesh
and blood drama. Through state-of-the-art digital technology, split screens and
streaming webcam video, director Jed Weintrob tells a sexy romantic story.
Director: Jed Weintrob. Stars: Josh Hamilton, Harold Perrineau, Vanessa Ferlito,
John Fleck, Isabel Gillies, Eric Millegan. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 86
min., Erotic drama, Box office gross: $0.165 million, Wolfe Video, $29.95 VHS
SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Camp
Featuring a young cast selected from a nationwide talent
search, the film was shot at real-life drama camp Stagedoor Manor, were
youngsters train in the performing arts. Every summer talented kids with big
voices and even bigger dreams flock to Camp Ovation. Joining the kids is Bert
Hanley, a down-on-his luck aspiring director who puts the kids through their
paces in the final camp production. There's offstage backstabbing, unrequited
love, and a sexy new guy, Vlad (Daniel Letterle), who steals the heart of every
girl he encounters. Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney never had it this good.
Director: Todd Graff. Stars: Don Dixon, Daniel Letterle, Joanna Chilcoat, Robin
de Jesus. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 114 min., Musical comedy, Box office
gross: $1.628 million, MGM, No VHS 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.
December 2003 Releases
January 2004 Releases
March 2004 Releases
April 2004 Releases
May 2004 Releases
June 2004 Releases
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January 20, 2004
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