Ertmanis, Victor

The Stupids

Meet the Stupids. Stanley (Tom Arnold) and Joan (Jessica Lundy) and their kids Buster and Petunia. They're a nice typical suburban American family. Except for one thing. None of them has the sense God gave a lemon. Year: 1996Running Time: 94 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 794043695926

Brainscan

A virtual reality game that allows players to commit murders is the crux for the high-tech thriller Brainscan. Edward Furlong (Terminator 2) stars as a monster movie/video game fanatic who receives a CD-ROM that challenges players to carry out brutal killings. When Furlong discovers that the murder has also occurred in real life, he attempts to rid himself of the game, but its hideous "referee," Trickster (T. Ryder Smith), refuses to let him quit until he has eliminated all witnesses--including the girl he loves (Amy Hargreaves). A flavorless retread of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Brainscanis undone by its principals' lack of interest in producing a suspenseful film. Director John Flynn offers little variation on its stalk-and-slash scenes, and Furlong gives a half-hearted performance, though some of that blame must lie with Andrew Kevin Walker's leaden script. Brainscanwill offer passing interest to only the most non-discerning Elm Street aficionado. --Paul Gaita

When a lonely teenager (Edward Furlong) orders the latest interactive video game the high-tech wizardry penetrates his subconscious where his darkest impulses lead him through a deadly maze of murder deception and desire. Pursued by a homicide detective (Frank Langella) and prodded by the trickster (T. Ryder Smith) he is torn between the worlds of good and evil of reality and fantasy and ultimately of life and death.System Requirements:Running Time: 94 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R UPC: 043396100428 Manufacturer No: 10042

Vendetta

While history books often use the 1921 Sacco and Vanzetti case as an example of justice falling victim to the bigotry of the times, this HBO movie--based on a turn-of-the-century New Orleans trial--provides a far more sobering example. Vendetta opens with a montage of black-and-white photos of immigrants arriving in the U.S., accompanied by an audio track of anti-immigrant invective that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Christopher Walken lends his always unsettling presence as the city's largest cotton exporter and mastermind of a plot to take over the docks from the Italian immigrants who run them. When police chief David Hennessy (Clancy Brown) refuses to go along with the plan, he's shot and killed, and a random group of Italian produce merchants are accused of the murder. The trial and its appalling aftermath are portrayed with a realistic vehemence that may make some viewers flinch. Director Nicholas Meyer has coaxed powerful performances from a cast of mostly unknown actors, most notable among these is Alessandro Colla, who makes his debut as 15-year-old Gaspare Marchesi and provides the film's few smiles. The pacing makes Vendetta hard to follow at first, but as the subplots begin to converge like cars speeding toward the same intersection, the film compels you to keep watching until the inevitable conclusion. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

Steve Martini's Undue Influence

A Family of Cops 2

Rhinoceros Eyes

Getting Gotti

Although they grew up in the same Brooklyn neighborhood, Diane Giacalone (Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos), the new Assistant U.S. Attorney, is determined to prosecute John Gotti, the Mob's infamous, `Dapper Don' (Anthony John Denison). Uncooperative FBI agents and bureaucrats will not deter the driven young prosecutor. Her quest culminates in the riveting and controversial trial of a Mafia boss and the principles that govern their lives.

Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Heatwave

A Man in Uniform

Paris, France

Unable to unleash her deepest sexual fantasies through a boring marriage, Lucy finally meets a young and sexy man able to unlock the erotic place hidden inside herself. The uninhibited lust they release in each other, climaxes in a scene as hilarious as it is kinky.