DVD
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Guide to
Home Video
Releases: March 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.
- March 2
-
School of Rock
Dewey Finn (Jack Black) is down-and-out, in need
of rent money. Picking up a phone call intended for his roommate Ned (Mike
White), Dewey impulsively accepts a job as a substitute teacher at the
prestigious Horace Green Elementary School. But while Dewey might not have a
clue how to teach, he does know how to inspire confidence in his young fifth
graders. And when he accidentally overhears them performing in an orchestra
class, he decides to mold these young musical prodigies into a high voltage rock
band, which will change their lives forever. Delightful comedy for the entire
family.
Director: Richard Linklater. Stars: Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, Sarah
Silverman, Kevin Alexander Clark, Miranda Cosgrove, Joey Gaydes Jr., Caitlin
Hale, Maryam Hassan, Rebecca Brown, Robert Tsai. 2003, CC, MPAA rating:
PG-13, 109 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $80.000 million, Paramount, No VHS
SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Searching for Debra Winger
Thought-provoking documentary in
which Rosanna Arquette talks to the film industry's most talented and
award-winning actresses about their pressures they face as women working in show
business -- the trials and tribulations of being a woman, a mother and a wife
while working in an industry that expects its leading ladies to be young and
supermodel gorgeous.
Director: Rosanna Arquette. Stars: Rosanna Arquette, Jane Fonda, Whoopi
Goldberg, Salna Hayek, Gwyneth Paltrow, Diane Lane, Tracey Ullman, Vanessa
Redgrave, Debra Winger, Patricia Arquette, Meg Ryan, Alfre Woodard, Sharon
Stone. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 99 min., Documentary, Lions Gate, No VHS
SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Cold Creek Manor
Upscale city-dwellers Cooper Tilson (Dennis
Quaid) and his wife, Leah (Sharon Stone), end their days as slaves to the
hustle-and-bustle of city life when they pack up the kids and move to a recently
repossessed mansion in the sticks of New York state. Once a grand and elegant
manor, the house at Cold Creek is now a shambles, but Cooper and Leah have
plenty of time to renovate. All's well until a series of terrifying incidents at
the house lead the Tilsons to wonder who used to live in their new home -- and
to discover what dark secrets are hidden inside. Director Mike Figgis pulls out
all the stops to scare you -- and populates the film with a creepy and truly
evil ex-con (who turns out to be the manor's former owner), played by Stephen
Dorff, a horde of snakes, a hidden cache of pornography, and a bedridden
patriarch (Christopher Plummer) who harbors a host of dirty secrets. Adept
psychological thriller.
Director: Mike Figgis. Stars: Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, Stephen Dorff,
Juliette Lewis, Kristen Stewart, Christopher Plummer. 2003, CC, MPAA rating:
R, 119 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $21.384 million, Buena Vista, No VHS
SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Yikes! The fate of the human race
is in the hands of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, teaming to wreak comic mayhem in
this family adventure combining live action (starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna
Elfman, Steve Martin and others) with animation (a cavalcade of Looney Tunes
greats including Tweety, Taz and Yosemite Sam). The Tunesters try to obtain the
powerful Blue Monkey gem and stop an attempt by the evil Acme Corp. to grab
weirdwide worldwide domination.
Director: Joe Dante. Stars: Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin, Heather
Locklear, Timothy Dalton, Joan Cusack, voices of Billy West and Joe Alaskey.
2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 90 min., Live action/animated, Box office gross:
$21.000 million, Warner, $19.96 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Good Boy!
Twelve-year-old Owen Baker has been working as a dog-
walker all summer long, and his hard work has finally paid off -- he gets to
adopt a dog of his own. But Owen gets more than puppy love when he discovers his
new dog, Hubble, is really Canid 3942, an interplanetary scout from the "Dog
Star" Sirius. Thousands of years ago, dogs from Sirius came to colonize and
dominate the Earth, but rumors have spread across the galaxy that Earth dogs
have strayed from their original mission and have become -- gulp -- pets. Hubble
has come to investigate and takes Owen into his confidence, giving him the
ability to hear dogs talk. Now Owen must help Hubble train a group of
undisciplined neighborhood dogs to shape up for a visit from their leader, the
powerful Greater Dane. The fate of all Earth dogs hangs in the balance. The film
combines CGI and well-trained dogs to make the action and talking realistic,
and, of course, there's wonderful jokes at the expense of adults.
Director: John Hoffman. Stars: Liam Aikin, Molly Shannon, Kevin Nealon, Brittany
Moldowan. Voices of Matthew Broderick, Brittany Murphy, Delta Burke, Cheech
Marin, Vanessa Redgrave, Carl Reiner, Donald Faison. 2003, CC, MPAA rating:
PG, 88 min., Family, Box office gross: $38.000 million, MGM, $22.98 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Duplex
Darkly humorous tale of a New York yuppie couple's whose
dream of owning their own house is shattered by a little old lady. Alex and
Nancy live in Manhattan but need more room, and find their salvation in their
dream house -- a duplex in Brooklyn. But there's one small problem -- the top
floor's a rent-controlled apartment inhabited by an 80-something tenant who
blasts her TV late at night and pesters the pair for errands and repairs during
the day. What's a landlord to do? Hope that the old lady kicks off? Hire a hit
man? A broadly physical comedy that Stiller excels at (if you like the sort of
crass toilet humor he partakes in movie after movie) and one that Barrymore
might want to knock off her resume.
Director: Danny DeVito. Stars: Ben Stiller, Drew Barrymore, Eileen Essel, Harvey
Fierstein, Justin Theroux, James Remar, Robert Wisdom. 2003, CC, MPAA
rating: PG-13, 97 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $9.610 million, Miramax, No
VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Hamilton Mattress
BBC TV production follows the adventures of a
dowdy, homely aardvark named Sludger, aka Hamilton Mattress. Armed with an
amazing rhythm developed over years of drumming the dusty earth for ants,
Sludger and his crafty caterpillar chum Feldwick set off in search of fame and
fortune in the glamorous world of the birds -- Beak City -- where Sludger is
transformed into Hamilton Mattress, Drummer Extraordinaire. But success brings
Sludger conflicts: when he learns that his hefty snout could cost him his
stardom, he must either submit to a radical makeover or find some other way to
let his talents shine through. Spectacular clay animation that took 12 months to
script, 41 weeks to film and includes 45 000 individual character movements.
Winner of the 2002 Jury Prize for Best Animated Film at the Chicago Int'l Film
Festival and 2002 Audience Award for Best International Short Film at the
Florida Film Festival.
Director: Barry Purves. Voices of Lindsay Duncan, Henry Goodman, William
Hootkins. 2001, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 30 min., Animated, MGM, $9.95 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day and Date.
- March 9
-
Prey for Rock and Roll
Fabulous rock drama about a struggling
all-female rock group has a knock-out performance by Gina Gershon. The Clam
Dandys are four struggling L.A. rockers who have been playing dives and low-life
rock venues for far too long. The group's leader -- Jacki (Gershon) -- is
pushing 40 and having difficulty reconciling approaching middle age with her
rock and roll lifestyle of sex and drugs. She's tired of waiting for her big
break and on the verge of quitting, though her younger bandmates want to
continue forging ahead. To complicate matters, a sleazy record agent dangles an
elusive recording contract in front of them, creating more turmoil and anxiety
for the band. Gershon is alternately naive and wise, but always sexy and
charismatic. And, darn it, the original numbers (written by Cheri Lovedog and
Robin Whitehouse) rock the soundtrack. An outstanding effort that wowed
audiences at several film festivals but, unfortunately, never got a decent
theatrical release.
Director: Alex Steyermark. Stars: Gina Gershon, Drea de Matteo, Shelly Cole,
Lori Petty, Marc Blucas, Ivan Martin, Eddie Driscoll. 2003, CC, MPAA rating:
R, 103 min., Rock drama, Lions Gate, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Mona Lisa Smile
In 1953, when women's roles were rigidly
defined, novice art history professor Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) begins
teaching at the prestigious all-female college Wellesley. Despite its academic
reputation for educating the best and the brightest, it's still an environment
where success is measured by how well its students marry. Encouraging these
women to strive for a more enlightened and self-fulfilled future, Watson
challenges the administration and inspires her students to look beyond the image
of what is, and consider the possibilities of what might be.
Director: Mike Newell. Stars: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie
Gyllenhaal, Dominic West, Juliet Stevenson, Marcia Gay Harden, Marian Seldes,
Ginnifer Goodwin. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 119 min., Drama, Box office
gross: $65.226 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
All About You
Romantic comedy from the married team of producer
Michael Swanson and writer-director Christine Swanson deals with two people
running from the pain of the past, struggling to find true love while trying to
find themselves. The film is a touching love story that shows African-American
characters going through the ups and downs of life that are not always portrayed
on the big screen.
Director: Christine Swanson. Stars: Renee Elise Goldsberry, Terron Brooks,
LisaRaye, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Debbie Allen. 2001, CC, MPAA rating: PG,
100 min., Romance, UrbanWorks Entertainment.
DVD: Only.
-
On Guard
Swashbuckling adventure based on the novel "Le Bossu"
by Paul Feval, set during the regency of Louis XV in 18th century France. When
the Duke of Nevers (Vincent Perez) is murdered at his wedding party by his
iniquitous cousin (Fabrice Luchini), his trusted friend Lagardere (Daniel
Auteuil) rescues the Duke's infant daughter, Aurore, and takes refuge among a
band of traveling puppeteers. Sixteen years later Lagarder and Aurore, now a
ravishing beauty adept with a sword, return to Paris, intent on pursuing
retribution and revenge. Winner of a French Cesar award for Best Costumes.
Director: Philippe de Broca. Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Fabrice Luchini, Vincent
Perez. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 128 min., Action, Box office gross: $0.096
million, Koch Lorber, $24.98 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
- March 16
-
21 Grams
This deeply moving drama, written by Guillermo Arriaga
("Amores Perros"), explores the emotionally and physically charged existences of
three people over a period of several months. An accident unexpectedly throws
their lives and destinies together. Initially not even acquainted, the trio and
their destinies become irrevocably intertwined in a fusion of love, redemption,
and obsession. College professor Paul Rivers (Sean Penn) and his wife Mary
(Charlotte Gainsbourg) find their union precariously balanced between life and
death. He is mortally ill and awaiting a heart transplant, while she hopes to
become pregnant with his child through artificial insemination. Cristina Peck
(Naomi Watts), having matured since her reckless past, is a beloved older sister
to Claudia (Clea DuVall), a good wife to Michael (Danny Huston) and loving
mother to two little girls. Her family radiates hope and joy. Much farther down
the socioeconomic scale, ex-con Jack Jordan (Benicio Del Toro) and his wife
Marianne (Melissa Leo) struggle to provide for their two children while Jack
reaffirms his commitment to religion. A tragic accident that claims several
lives places these couples in each other's orbit. In the aftermath, Paul
confronts his own mortality, Cristina takes action to come to terms with her
present and perhaps her future, and Jack's faith is put to the test. If
spiritual equilibrium is to be regained by any one of them, it could come at
great cost to the others. Yet the will to live, and the instinct to reach out to
another person for support, remains ever-present among them all. 21 Grams refers
to the weight we lose when we die.
Director: Alejando Gonzalez Inarritu. Stars: Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio
Del Toro, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melissa Leo, Clea Duvall, Danny Huston.
2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 125 min., Drama, Box office gross: $14.500
million, Universal, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Veronica Guerin
True story of a persistent journalist who took
on the world's most powerful and dangerous drug lords and risked everything to
expose the truth. Set in 1990s Dublin, Ireland, a city that is nothing short of
a war zone -- set against the backdrop of the Irish Conflict -- and with a few
powerful drug lords battling for control. Their most fearsome opponent was not
the police but the courageous journalist Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett), who
covered the crime beat with unmatched intensity. As she investigated and exposed
the "pushers," balancing her home and family against her responsibility to her
readers and her country, she became a national folk heroine to the people of
Ireland. The film follows the last two years of her life before her
assassination in 1996.
Director: Joel Schumacher. Stars: Cate Blanchett, Gerald McSorley, Ciaran Hinds,
Brenda Fricker. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98 min., Action-thriller, Box
office gross: $1.569 million, Buena Vista, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
Based on Dr. Seuss' children's
classic, this overblown production loosely follows the story of a little boy and
girl who sit around bored on a rainy day while their mother is out, until a Cat
in a Hat shows up, along with Thing One and Thing Two, and proceeds to trash the
house. But just in the nick of time he cleans up his fun and tips his hat and
runs. Will the kids confess about the Cat in the Hat who made a mess? This live-
action family film features Kelly Preston as the real-estate agent mom who
leaves her house with the instructions to not make a mess, with Dakota Fanning
and Spencer Breslin as the two kids who fall under the influence of Mike Myers'
furry Cat in the Hat. Wonderful set and costume design and production values
can't overcome a storyline that dumbs down Dr. Seuss' classic tale.
Director: Bo Welch. Stars: Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Preston, Sean Hayes,
Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin, Amy Hill, Sean Hayes, Danielle Chuchran, Taylor
Rice, Brittany Oaks, Talia-Lynn Prairie. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 78 min.,
Family, Box office gross: $100.400 million, Universal, $24.98 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Unknown Pleasures
Restless and unemployed teenage best friends
Xiao Ji and Bin Bin spend their time wandering around on motorbikes and hanging
out at the pool hall. Sparks fly however, when Xiao Ji meets the beautiful
dancer Qiao Qiao, and Bin Bin pursues a romance with a young student -- but
without hope love doesn't prevail and desperation sets in. Taking a cue from
American crime movies, the temptation of easy money becomes too difficult to
resist and in a final attempt to break free from their day-to-day suburban life,
Xiao Ji and Bin Bin embark on half-baked plan to rob a bank. A harrowing account
of disillusioned young people living in China, director Jia Zhang-ke still finds
plenty to laugh about. Beautifully photographed by famed cinematographer Yu
Lik-wai, "Unknown Pleasures" cements Zhang-ke's reputation as one of China's
most important filmmakers. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Director: Jia
Zhang-Ke. Stars: Wei Wei Zhao, Qiong Wu, Qing Feng Zhou, Hong Wei Wang, Ru Bai,
Xi An Liu, Shou Lin Xu. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 113 min., Comedy/Drama,
New Yorker, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Girls Will be Girls
Triumph and pitfalls of three stiletto-clad
divas (played by Jack Plotnick, Clinton Leupp and Jeffrey Roberson) as they claw
their way up the Hollywood ladder. Nothing stirs up the competitive spirit in
haggard Hollywood has-been Evie Harris like having to share a house with a
younger actress like Varla, especially since Varla happens to be the daughter of
Evie's now-deceased rival. But even as their saner roommate Coco attempts to
keep the peace, Evie's jealousy over Varla's burgeoning infomercial career is
about to explode in the most spectacular, jaw-stopping way possible.
Director: Richard Day. Stars: Jack Plotnick, Clinton Leupp, Jeffrey Roberson.
2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 79 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.147 million,
MGM, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Demonlover
This erotic thriller about money, images, power and
sex journeys deep into the deviant underworld of the illegal yet extremely
profitable industry of 3-D animated pornography. With billions at stake, Diane
(Connie Nielsen) is hired into a high-risk game of espionage, through which she
finds the highly shrouded interactive torture Website The Hellfire Club. After
discovering the site, her quest for a quick fortune is replaced with a race for
her life as she is suddenly threatened by her amoral colleague (Charles
Berning), a ballsy, pot-smoking American executive (Gina Gershon), and a hostile
and mysterious assistant (Chloe Sevigny). Features music by Sonic Youth.
Director: Olivier Assayas. Stars: Connie Nielsen, Charles Berling, Gina Gershon,
Chloe Sevigny. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 129 min., Thriller, Box office
gross: $0.226 million, Palm Pictures, $24.99 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
- March 23
-
Gothika
A brilliant and respected criminal psychologist, Dr.
Miranda Grey (Halle Berry) is an expert at knowing what is rational. Under the
direction of her husband (Charles S. Dutton), Miranda treats dangerously
disturbed patients at the Woodward Penitentiary for Women. But Miranda's life is
thrust into terrifying jeopardy after a cryptic encounter with a mysterious
young girl leads to a nightmare beyond her wildest imagination. Her husband is
found brutally murdered, and she's the only suspect in the crime.
Institutionalized at the penitentiary in which she once treated patients, Grey
is driven to the edge of madness by recurring visions and nightmares, and the
strong belief that she did not kill her husband. Delightfully scary thriller by
a director to watch (check out his previous outing, the Jean Reno-starrer "The
Crimson Rivers").
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz. Stars: Penelope Cruz, Charles S. Dutton, Halle
Berry, Robert Downey Jr.. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98 min., Horror
thriller, Box office gross: $58.880 million, Warner, No VHS SRP, Priced for
rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Magdalene Sisters, The
Emotional and ultimately inspiring story
of women who were forced into manual labor at the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland
while ostensibly being sent to the Irish Catholic Magdalene Convent, run by the
Sisters of Mercy. Sent by the Church to cleanse their mortal sins, such as
having a child out of wedlock, being raped or simply flirting, the woman were
detained for indefinite sentences and often abused. The practices of the
laundries occurred through much of the 20th century -- and involved some 30,000
women -- and finally came to light in the 1970s, and the last of these
institutions was shut down in 1996. The film follows three women sent to the
Convent on the same day in 1964 and details their oppression at the hands of
sadistic nuns. The film won the prestigious Gold Lion Best Picture Award at the
Venice Film Festival, the Discovery Award at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival and
a Best Film nominee at the 2003 British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Awards (BAFTA). And, of course, has been condemned by the Catholic Church.
Director: Peter Mullen. Stars: Nora-Jane Noone, Anne-Marie Duff, Dorothy Duffy,
Geraldine McEwan, Eileen Walsh. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 119 min., Drama,
Box office gross: $4.890 million, Miramax, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Dirty Pretty Things
Black comedy-thriller delves into the
underworld of illegal London immigrants, exposing a secret so dangerous, it
threatens the life of anyone who dares expose it. Audrey Tautou stars as Senay,
an illegal immigrant seeking asylum in Britain while working as a chambermaid at
a London hotel. Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a medically trained doctor who also
seeks asylum and who works days as a cab driver and nights as a porter at the
same hotel. The two make a gruesome discovery which leads them to suspect the
hotel manager is involved in gruesome activities: someone is trading fast cash
and phony passports for freshly donated human organs. Senay and Okwe try to stay
one step ahead of the city's immigration detectives while they pursue the dark
mystery behind the hotel's seedy clientele.
Director: Stephen Frears. Stars: Audrey Tautou, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sergi Lopez,
Sophie Okonedo, Benedict Wong, Ziatko Buric. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 107
min., Thriller, Box office gross: $8.050 million, Miramax, No VHS SRP, Priced
for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Rundown, The
Beck (The Rock) doesn't look for or try to make
trouble for anyone. But trouble is what he's hired to clean up -- he's a muscle-
for-hire "retrieval" expert who wants to retire and open a small restaurant --
and there's one final mess he's got to get out of before he can leave it all
behind. And this one just keeps getting more and more tangled, like the Amazon
jungle he's been sent to. At the center of his current trouble is a wise-ass
named Travis (Seann William Scott), a fast-talking double dealer whose dad has
commissioned Beck to retrieve him from an adventure in Brazil seeking a
legendary gold object. Travis proves to be more of a handful than Beck expected,
not only because of his mouth and his heels-dug-in reluctance to leave, but
because of a couple of other complications he brings with him: Mariana (Rosario
Dawson), a Brazilian rebel who seeks the gold object as a way to free the locals
from the grips of an unhinged despot, Hatcher (Christopher Walken), who has
turned the jungle and its inhabitants into his own empire. Beck doesn't like to
fight. But he's going to have to unleash everything he's got to keep on top of
his smack-talking quarry, the rebellious woman, the crazy tyrant, the weird
monkeys, the hallucinogenic fruit, the backs-to-the-wall rebels, the perilous
terrain, the hidden traps and every other obstacle that this jungle throws at
him. Great martial arts jungle action sequences choreographed by Jackie Chan
stunt-double Andy Cheng.
Director: Peter Berg. Stars: The Rock, Seann William Scott, Rosario Dawson,
Christopher Walken, Ewen Bremner, John Gries, William Lucking, Ernie Reyes Jr..
2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 105 min., Action, Box office gross: $47.600
million, Universal, $22.98 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Shattered Glass
Hayden Christensen stars as Stephen Glass, a
staff writer for the respected current events and policy magazine The New
Republic and a freelance feature writer for publications such as Rolling Stone,
Harper's and George. By the mid-90s, Glass' articles had turned him into one of
the most sought-after young journalists in Washington, but a bizarre chain of
events -- chronicled in Buzz Bissinger's September, 1998 Vanity Fair article
upon which "Shattered Glass" is based -- suddenly stopped his career in its
tracks. "Shattered Glass" is a study of a very talented -- and at the same time
very flawed -- character. It is also a look inside our culture's noblest
profession, one that protects our most precious freedoms by revealing the truth,
and what happens when our trust in that profession is called into question.
Director: Billy Ray. Stars: Hayden Christensen, Peter Sarsgaard, Hank Azaria,
Chloe Sevigny, Melanie Lynskey, Steve Zahn, Rosario Dawson. 2003, CC, MPAA
rating: PG-13, 90 min., Drama, Box office gross: $2.053 million, Lions Gate, No
VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Honey
Honey Daniels (Jessica Alba) is a struggling hip-hop
dancer who's got all the moves, talent and relentless passion to succeed. She's
been waiting all her life to show the world her dance moves, and now her dream
is just a step away. Inspired by the energy and music of the streets, she risks
her shot at the big time to reach out, take a chance and make it on her own
terms. Features recording artists Ginuwine, 3rd Storee, Shawn Desman, Tweet, and
Jadakiss & Sheek.
Director: Billie Woodruff. Stars: Jessica Alba, Mekhi Phifer, Lil' Romeo, Missy
Elliott. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 94 min., Music drama, Box office
gross: $30.222 million, Universal, $22.98 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Beyond Borders
Angelina Jolie stars as Sarah Jordan, an American
living in London in 1984. Married to the son of a wealthy British industrialist,
Sarah encounters Nick Callahan (Clive Owen), a rebellious doctor whose plea for
her help to support his relief efforts in war-torn nations moves her deeply. As
a result, Sarah embarks upon a journey of discovery that leads to danger,
heartbreak and romance in the far corners of the world.
Director: Martin Campbell. Stars: Angelina Jolie, Clive Owen, Teri Polo, Linus
Roache, Noah Emmerich, Yorick Van Wageningen, Timothy West, Kate Trotter.
2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 126 min., Drama, Box office gross: $4.500 million,
Paramount, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Singing Detective, The
Weird and way-off-beat big-screen version
of the Dennis Potter/BBC TV series. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Dan Dark, a
penny-ante crime-thriller writer stuck in a hospital bed, suffering from a
horrible skin ailment that prevents him from moving. Heavily medicated, the
border between reality and fiction starts to blur in Dark's mind as he goes over
the plot of one of his books that Hollywood wants to turn into a movie. The
story -- the murder investigation of a prostitute in 1950's Los Angeles by a
detective who sings in a band -- becomes woven together with his own painful
childhood memories. Dark is living in a fevered film-noir hell constructed by
his own twisted psyche, where everyone is his enemy and no one can be trusted.
The bizarre scenario has Dark not only crooning in front of a band as his
detective's alter ego, but also includes risque musical numbers by the hospital
staff. A strange outing.
Director: Keith Gordon. Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Robin Wright Penn, Mel Gibson,
Katie Holmes, Adrien Brody, Jeremy Northam, Carla Gugino, Jon Polito. 2003,
CC, MPAA rating: R, 108 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.325 million,
Paramount, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Suspended Animation
Hollywood animator Thomas Kempton gets more
than he bargained for when a snowmobile trip in the wilds of northern Michigan
goes awry. Separated from his friends, Kempton seeks shelter in an isolated
cabin, home to a pair of man-hating psychopathic sisters who want Kempton as the
main course for their next meal. A last-minute rescue saves Kempton and an
avalanche engulfs the sisters. Back in Hollywood, Kempton becomes obsessed with
turning his experience into an animated film -- until he meets the estrange
daughter of one of the sisters -- and his nightmare starts all over again.
Director: John Hancock. Stars: Alex McArthur, Laura Esterman, Sage Allen,
Rebecca Harrell, Maria Cina. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 114 min., Horror
Thriller, First Run Features, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Only.
-
Undefeated
John Leguizamo stars as Lex Vargas, a young boxer who
fights for the simple love of the sport, winning amateur bouts all over his home
town of Jackson Heights, Queens. But when he is suddenly propelled into the
seductive, big-money world of professional fighting, his success threatens to
cut him off from the very people who have helped him make it to the top.
Director: John Leguizamo. Stars: John Leguizamo, Clifton Collins Jr., Vanessa
Ferlito, Omar Benson Miller, Nestor Serrano, Robert Forster. 2003, CC, MPAA
rating: NR, 90 min., Drama, HBO Video, $26.99 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Songs From the Second Floor
Strange black comedy that has been
described as "Short Cuts" meets "Night of the Living Dead." One evening
somewhere in our hemisphere, a strange series of illogical events take place: a
clerk is made redundant in a degrading manner; a lost immigrant is violently
attacked in a busy street; a magician makes a terrible error in his act-- sleep
on this night does not come easily to the citizens of this town. The following
day, the signs of chaos are taking hold as the madness grips a board of
directors and the city itself is strangled by a horrendous traffic jam. In the
midst of this mayhem, one person stands out: Karl -- covered in soot from the
fire he had set to burn down his furniture store in order to get the insurance
money. While the new millennium is casting its web and creating a vast mental
breakdown, Karl gradually becomes conscious of the absurdity of the world and
realizes just how difficult it is to be human. In Swedish with English
subtitles. Director: Roy Andersson. Stars: Lars Nordh, Stefan Larsson, Bengt
C.W. Carlsson, Torbjorn Fahlstrom, Sten Andersson. 2000, CC, MPAA rating:
NR, 98 min., Black comedy, New Yorker, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Hangman's Curse
Film adaptation of popular teen thriller author
Frank Peretti's book. Story -- sans foul language, excessive violence, sex or
nudity -- follows a series of mysterious happenings at Rogers High School in the
Pacific Northwest. One by one students fall victim to a mysterious illness that
leads to severe paranoia, hallucinations and potentially death.
Director: Rafal Zielinski. Stars: David Keith, Mel Harris. 2003, CC, MPAA
rating: PG-13, 106 min., Horror, Box office gross: $0.145 million, Fox's Witness
Entertainment, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
On Edge
Mockumentary on figure skating follows a trio of rivals
and their cutthroat ambition to scheme their way to glittering glory.
Stars: Jason Alexander, Wendie Malick, Marissa Jaret Winokur, A.J.
Langer, Kathy Griffin, Barret Swatek. 2001, CC, MPAA rating: R, 93 min.,
Comedy, MGM, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & date.
- March 30
-
Something's Gotta Give
Delightful story of Harry Sanborn (Jack
Nicholson), a perennial playboy with a libido much younger than his years.
During what was to have been a romantic weekend with his latest infatuation,
Marin (Amanda Peet), at her mother's Hamptons beach house, Harry develops
chest pains. He winds up being nursed by Marin's reluctant mother, Erica Barry
(Diane Keaton) -- a successful, divorced New York playwright. In the process,
Harry develops more heart pangs -- the romantic kind -- for Erica, an age
appropriate woman whom he finds beguiling. However, some habits die hard. When
Harry hesitates, his charming thirtysomething doctor (Keanu Reeves) steps in and
starts to pursue Erica. And Harry, who has always had the world on a string,
finds his life unraveling. Great performances by all involved, particularly
Frances McDormand as Erica's best friend. Diane Keaton won a Golden Globe Award
and received an Oscar nomination for her role.
Director: Nancy Meyers. Stars: Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Keanu Reeves,
Frances McDormand, Amanda Peet, Jon Favreau. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13,
128 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $101.683 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS
SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
House of Sand and Fog
This tragic film, based on the best seller
by Andre Dubus III, is a gripping exploration of the American dream gone awry.
Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley star as two people driven to desperate
measures to claim ownership of a house. It's only a small bungalow in Northern
California, but to Kathy Nicolo (Connelly), it's the last vestige of hope for
reclaiming a life that was nearly lost to addiction. When a bureaucratic error
forces her eviction, Kathy is left homeless and helpless to stop the house from
being sold at a fraction of its worth. The new owner is Massoud Amir Behrani
(Kingsley), a former Colonel from Iran, who sees the house as the fulfillment of
his American dream. Having worked at menial jobs to maintain a pretense of
affluence, he pours the last of his life savings into the venture. As Kathy and
Behrani's fight for the house escalates, Kathy finds an unlikely ally in the
officer sent to evict her, Deputy Sheriff Lester Burdon (Ron Eldard), who
becomes dangerously devoted to her cause. What begins as a conflict over a small
rundown bungalow spirals into a clash of cultures that propels everyone involved
towards an inescapable and heartbreaking climax. A fantastic supporting actress
role by Oscar-nominated Shohreh Aghdashloo as Behrani's wife, caught in the
middle of the conflict.
Director: Vadim Perelman. Stars: Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard,
Frances Fisher, Kim Dickens, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jonathan Ahdout, Navi Rawat.
2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 126 min., Drama, Box office gross: $10.241
million, DreamWorks, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Brother Bear
Animated film follows the incredible adventures of
a young man named Kenai (Joaquin Phoenix) who is transformed into a bear. From
his new perspective, Kenai discovers the world through the eyes of another as he
is befriended by a bear cub named Koda (Jeremy Suarez), encounters a pair of
misguided moose (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas), and finds himself pursued by his
own human sibling. D.B. Sweeney is Sitka, Kenai's oldest brother and the
guardian of his two younger siblings. Jason Raize gives voice to the middle
brother Denahi, Michael Clarke Duncan lends his deep distinctive voice to a
grizzly bear named Tug, and Broadway veteran Joan Copeland provides wisdom and
guidance as the voice of Tanana, the spiritual leader of the tribe. Estelle
Harris, Greg Proops, Daniel Mastrogiorgio and Paul Christie round out a the cast
of assorted animals that Kenai meets along the way. Features five songs from
Academy Award-winner Phil Collins.
Director: Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker. Stars: Voices of Joaquin Phoenix,
Jeremy Suarez, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Michael Clarke Duncan, D.B. Sweeney,
Estelle Harris, Greg Proops, Daniel Mastrogiorgio, Paul Christie 2003, CC,
MPAA rating: G, 85 min., Animated, Box office gross: $82.100 million, Disney,
$24.99 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Time Without Pity
Tension rises to a fevered pitch in Joseph
Losey's ingenious thriller about an alcoholic who has one day to save his son
from the gallows. The distinguished cast features Michael Redgrave in the lead
role and Leo McKern as the demented millionaire who will hide the truth at any
cost. Moody cinematography by Oscar-winner Freddie Francis and dynamic imagery
create an atmosphere thick with panic. The first film Losey made under his own
name after McCarthy-era blacklisting, "Time Without Pity" is both an impassioned
plea against apathy and a shining example of film noir.
Director: Joseph Losey. Stars: Michael redgrave, Leo McKern, Joan Plowright,
Peter Cushing. 1957, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 85 min., Thriller, Home Vision
Entertainment.
DVD: Only.
-
La Truite
Director Joseph Losey assembled a star-studded cast --
Isabelle Huppert and Jeanne Moreau -- for this sex comedy. Frederique (Huppert)
is a free-spirited and impish woman who has made an art of using her sexuality
to get precisely what she wants from men. On a whim, Frederique leaves her
disinterested husband and the family trout farm to travel to Japan with a
wealthy businessman. Her enchantment soon gives way to reflection, navigation of
the swiftly-changing sexual freedoms and responsibilities of a new era, and the
quest for satori, the "world of ecstasy" experienced by her friend. But has
Frederique grown up too fast, or not fast enough? In French with English
subtitles.
Director: Joseph Losey. Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Pierre
Cassel. 1982, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 104 min., Comedy, Home Vision
Entertainment.
DVD: Only.
-
Monsieur Klein
Both a thriller and a Kafkaesque dissertation on
identity, Joseph Losey's Mr. Klein stars Alain Delon as Robert Klein -- a
charming and unscrupulous art dealer in Nazi-occupied France. As Jews flee
Paris, Klein exploits them, preying on their desperation by buying their
valuables at a fraction of their worth ... until he finds his name is shared by
a Jewish criminal who is a member of the anti-Nazi resistance. Klein reports
this to the authorities only to find he is uncontrollably sinking into the
quicksand of mistaken identity. Co-starring Jeanne Moreau, "Monsieur Klein" is
an award-winning suspense classic that studies the ever-changing relationship
between victim and oppressor. In French with English subtitles.
Director: Joseph Losey. Stars: Alain Delon, Jeanne Moreau. 1976, CC, MPAA
rating: NR, 123 min., Drama, Home Vision Entertainment.
DVD: Only.
-
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The
Remake of the Tobe Hooper's 1974
horror-thriller about Leatherface and his family of Texas backwoods cannibals.
Director: Marcus Nispel. Stars: Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour, Erica Leerhsen,
Jonathan Tucker, Mike Vogel, R. Lee Ermey. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 98
min., Horror, Box office gross: $80.000 million, New Line, $22.99 VHS SRP.
DVD: Day & Date.
-
Ripley's Game
Continuation of the story of Tom Ripley looks at
the con man as older and wiser and living a seemingly happy life with his wife
and his wealth in Italy. Based on the third book in Patricia Highsmith's Ripley
series (from which "Purple Noon" and its remake, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," and
"The American Friend" were created), Ripley -- an art connoisseur, harpsichord
aficionado, master of souffles and genius of improvisational murder -- finds his
complacency shaken when he's scorned at a local party. To seek comeuppance,
Ripley masterminds a dangerous game. He involves his bitter neighbor -- a
cancer-stricken family man -- in a murderous game to entertain himself. He
manipulates the man into acting as a cold-blooded assassin who wipes out members
of the Russian mafia. But Ripley soon realizes that the man is in over his head,
and, out of sheer boredom and a strange sense of obligation, Ripley ends up
helping his pawn so that his game can have the ending he desires. Not released
theatrically in the states.
Director: Liliana Cavani. Stars: John Malkovich, Dougray Scott, Ray Winstone.
2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 110 min., Thriller, New Line, $22.99 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.
December 2003 Releases
January 20034 Releases
February 2004 Releases
April 2004 Releases
May 2004 Releases
June 2004 Releases
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February 15, 2004
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