The Final Season
by David M. Evans
from Yari Film Group Releasing
From the director of The Sandlot comes the true story of anunderdog coach and the team that must defend their legacy against insurmountable odds.In the small town of Norway Iowa the high school baseball team led by legendary Coach Jim Van Scoyoc (Powers Boothe TV's "Deadwood") has won 19 State Championships. But the small town heroes are dealt a series of unexpected blows that threaten to rob them of their 20th championship win. When talk of a school merger gets serious and Coach Scoyoc is fired then replaced by his 24-year-old assistant Kent Stock (Sean Astin Rudy and The Lord of the Rings trilogy) failure seems inevitable.Tom Arnold Rachael Leigh Cook and Michael Angarano join an excellent ensemble cast in this inspirational family gem.System Requirements:Running Time: 119 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: PG UPC: 043396236387 Manufacturer No: 23638
Touching and inspirational, The Final Season, based on a true story, is one of those baseball movies in which the game is synonymous with life itself—if not actually bigger than life itself. Sean Astin (star of one of the most beloved sports films, Rudy) is solid and likeable as Kent Stock, an assistant baseball coach at Norway High School in an Iowa farming community. Working under local legend Jim Van Scoyoc (Powers Boothe in a particularly golden performance), who led Norway to 19 straight state championships, Stock is happy to lend a temporary hand. But he finds his destiny altered when Van Scoyoc is pushed aside by a school board determined to close Norway High and stifle dissent by undercutting the team's chances of a 20th victory. On the wrongheaded assumption that Stock can't motivate kids, the coaching job is offered to him, and he takes to it immediately in his low-key way. Despite early struggles, Stock inspires his players to think about what's important in Norway's last shot at greatness: How do they want to be remembered?
Directed by David Mickey Evans (The Sandlot), The Final Season is thick with love for baseball, from extensive scenes of practice sessions to lyrical patches of dialogue about the way the characters of men are reflected in how they perform on the field. A Copland-esque music score reminds one that The Final Season is a piece of American folklore, and a strong support cast including Tom Arnold as one of Van Scoyoc's former players, Michael Angarano as a troubled rebel, and Rachel Leigh Cook as Stock's love interest make this film a pleasure even for non-sports-loving fans. --Tom Keogh
Volcano
by Mick Jackson
from 20th Century Fox
When a volcano erupts in the La Brea tar pits and sends a stream of lava down Wilshire Blvd., the city Emergency Officer organizes a crew to channel the lava to a safe area.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 1-JUN-2004
Media Type: DVD
Get mindless for awhile with this 1997 disaster flick, starring the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles as a funky place for lava to spew, plus Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche as the brave souls who know how to shut off the spout. Director Mick Jackson (The Bodyguard) wastes no time getting to the good stuff--it's happening even before opening credits are over--and neither should anyone in the mood for technical efficiency without the burden of art. --Tom Keogh
Boss of Bosses
by Dwight H. Little
from Turner Home Ent
The powerful and unexpectedly moving true story of the rise and fall of the infamous crime boss Paul Castellano. Castellano's visionary plans to evolve the Cosa Nostra into a legitimate business ultimately lead to his assassination by members of the family, who lived and died by the mob's unwavering dedication to tradition.
Undisputed
by Walter Hill
from Miramax
Rocky gets a prison-block makeover in Undisputed, and the generic combination packs a vicious one-two punch. Owing much to the macho, gut-busting B movies of Hollywood's golden age, this no-nonsense drama gets right down to business, beginning when heavyweight champ "Iceman" Chambers (Ving Rhames) enters Sweetwater prison on a rape charge. The prison has a boxing program, and convicted killer Monroe Hutchen (Wesley Snipes) is the 10-year undefeated champion. A challenge bout is coordinated by an aging mobster prisoner (Peter Falk) and the head guard (Michael Rooker), and Undisputed pummels its way to its brutal and unpredictable conclusion. Colorful characters abound (foul-mouthed Falk is the hilarious standout), and seasoned director Walter Hill (coscripting with his Alien partner David Giler) brings them together with invigorating focus. There's not an ounce of fat on this tough-minded movie, and even its inevitable outcome seems freshly unexpected. Obviously inspired by Mike Tyson's ill-fated escapades, Undisputed turns fact into potent cellblock fiction. --Jeff Shannon
Two of Hollywood's hottest stars -- Wesley Snipes (BLADE 1&2, PASSENGER 57) and Ving Rhames (PULP FICTION, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 1&2) -- go head-to-head in this explosive crime thriller! When the world's heavyweight champion (Rhames) is sent to prison, everything points to an inevitable showdown with the penitentiary's undefeated champ (Snipes). But to make sure the meeting will happen, a former mob boss (Peter Falk -- TV's COLUMBO, CORKY ROMANO) must call in favors from the outside world. Then the battle is on ... and the action, adrenaline, and intensity switch into high gear! Also featuring Master P (RHYME & REASON, I GOT THE HOOK-UP) and Ed Lover (RIDE) -- this powerfully entertaining motion picture is another crowd-pleaser from the hit-making director of 48 HRS., ANOTHER 48 HRS., and LAST MAN STANDING!