Lala, Joe

Havana

When Havana was released in 1990, a lot of reviewers unfavorably compared it to Casablanca, and those comparisons (in addition to audience indifference) turned the film into a box-office disaster. It deserved a better fate, because, while this is certainly no masterpiece, it's an intelligent and lavishly produced film about a chapter of history--the final days of Cuba under the collapsing Batista regime--that remains largely unfamiliar to the American mainstream. It's a compelling political backdrop for the story of a high-stakes gambler (Robert Redford) who comes to Cuba seeking the big score in poker games, following his expectation that high rollers will bet wildly as the Cuban government crashes around their heads. In Havana, Redford meets the wife (Lena Olin) of a Communist revolutionary (Raul Julia) with ties to Fidel Castro, and their attraction becomes powerfully mutual after her husband is presumed killed by Cuban police. What follows, as Cuba falls and Redford's character is forced into a crisis of conscience, is a mini-epic love story with tragic overtones, handled with great skill (albeit lagging pace) by long-time Redford collaborator Sydney Pollack. True, it's not nearly as memorable as Casablanca, but this is a worthwhile film, especially if you're interested in the political upheavals in pre-Castro Cuba. --Jeff Shannon

Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 1

Are you pondering what I'm pondering, animation fans? Yes! Pinky and the Brain have finally arrived on DVD, and they're going to take over the world! Well, at the very least, these genetically engineered lab mice are going to prove, once and for all, that they're the best comedy duo ever created for an animated series aimed at children.... but, why limit their appeal to kids? As executive producer Steven Spielberg said to the show's creators, he wanted this brilliant, Emmy®-winning half-hour cartoon series to lure adults into watching it with their kids, and like the classic Warner Brothers cartoons of the past, it's likely the grown-ups will enjoy it even more! This is largely due to the fact that Pinky and the Brain was produced under the radar, almost as if nobody was watching, so while this delightfully inventive spin-off from Animaniacs is purely entertaining for kids, it also includes a wide variety of in-jokes, movie spoofs, and outrageous dialogue that only older viewers can truly appreciate. It's all innocent fun, but if you watch and listen closely, you'll quickly realize that the writers and first-rate voice cast were having the time of their lives, inventing absurd plots and one-liners purely for their own creative pleasure. How else can you explain Pinky's bizarrely suggestive responses when The Brain asks "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" or the hilarious send-ups of classic movies like The Third Man (spoofed here as "The Third Mouse"), The Manchurian Candidate ("The Pink Candidate"), and the tearjerking TV classic Brian's Song (satirized, of course, as "Brain's Song")?

Better yet, these 22 episodes culled from P&TB's four-season run (1995-98) demonstrate how the show's basic concept--two talking lab mice ("one is a genius, the other's insane") and their nightly attempts at global domination--lent itself to a broad spectrum of hilariously ingenious plots, with no restrictions of timeframe. So you've got episodes in ancient Egypt, Napoleonic France, and 1940s Vienna, along with contemporary schemes and shorter, time-filler episodes (like "Cheese Roll Call") that qualify as mini-masterpieces of educational comedy. "A Pinky and the Brain Christmas" is a bona-fide sentimental classic (offering proof that the Brain's got a soft heart, after all), and the polar-opposite pairing of Pinky and the Brain is just about perfect, largely due to the voice talents of Maurice LaMarche (expertly channeling Orson Welles as the Brain) and Emmy-winner Rob Paulsen as Pinky (both seen, to splendid effect, in disc 2's behind-the-scenes featurette). Additional voice talents include Roddy MacDowall (as the Brain's nemesis, Snowball) and Ernest Borgnine, but the show's primary strength is its go-for-broke writing, brilliant animation (a flawless homage to Warner Bros. tradition, yet uniquely styled to match the material), and music scores (mostly by Richard Stone) that pay tribute to the late, great WB cartoon composer Carl Stalling while incorporating frequent passages from the classical repertoire. All in all, Pinky and the Brain is perfect entertainment for the young and young-at-heart, destined for cult-favorite status as one of the best overlooked TV series of the 1990s. As Pinky might say, "Poit! Narf! Oh, this is SO much fun!" --Jeff Shannon

Two lab mice, ("One is a genius, the other insane") living in the Acme labs seek to formulate a plan for the duo, led by Brain, to take over the world. Watch each episode as Pinky and the Brain take on each attempt with a dry wit and humor and likely a parody of other media. 22 Episodes from the Emmy Nominated Series for the first time on DVD

Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 1-3

The WB took two characters from the popular hit show ANIMANIACS in 1995 building an entire series around them. Their names? Pinky and the Brain two mice who have had their genes tampered with while residing in Acme Labs. The show centers on their schemes to take over the world with the Brain playing the straight man and Pinky playing his offbeat sidekick. This release includes the first three volumes of episodes from the show.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 085391127888 Manufacturer No: 112788

Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 3

Two lab mice ("One is a genius the other insane") living in the Acme labs seek to formulate a plan for the duo led by Brain to take over the world. Watch each episode as Pinky and the Brain take on each attempt with a dry wit and humor and likely a parody of other media. 22 Episodes from the Emmy? Award Winning Series for the first time on DVD.Running Time: 470 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 085391122449 Manufacturer No: 112244

The Hunchback of Notre Dame II

Most of the original characters from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame--plus a few new ones--return for this animated sequel. Esmeralda (Demi Moore) and Phoebus (Kevin Kline) now have a son named Zephyr (Haley Joel Osment), with whom Quasi (Tom Hulce) has become friends. When the circus comes to town, the hunchback becomes enchanted by a magician's assistant, Madellaine (Jennifer Love Hewitt), but the her boss, the vain Sarousch (Michael McKean), is also a thief with an eye for the cathedral's jeweled bell. He forces Madellaine to woo Quasi while he carries out the theft. Will he get away with it? Will Madellaine learn to see the inner Quasi? And will he be able to trust again when he learns of her deception? Songs and humorous high jinks from the gargoyles, including Jason Alexander's Hugo, illustrate the lesson that--as in the first feature--you can't judge a book by its cover. This sequel is squarely aimed at a younger audience than the original was; children from 5 to 10 should be very entertained. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Return to the magnificence of Notre Dame in Disney's all-new movie, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II - a fun, romantic adventure told with vibrant animation and music as soaring as its setting. Still the faithful protector of Notre Dame's beloved bells, Quasimodo now rings them with the help of Zephyr, who is Quasi's best friend. Stopping with Zephyr at a traveling circus owned by the evil magician Sarousch, Quasi is captivated by Sarousch's lovely assistant, Madellaine. But greedy Sarousch is about to force Madellaine to help him steal the Cathedral's most famous bell. Encouraged by some laughable romantic advice from his gargoyle pals, Quasi listens to his own heart and discovers that he, too, must look past appearances to find true love.

Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 2

Two lab mice ("One is a genius the other insane") living in the Acme labs seek to formulate a plan for the duo led by Brain to take over the world. Watch each episode as Pinky and the Brain take on each attempt with a dry wit and humor and likely a parody of other media. 22 Episodes from the Emmy Nominated Series for the first time on DVD.Running Time: 478 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 012569824638 Manufacturer No: 82463

Batman Beyond - The Movie

It's difficult to imagine the people of Gotham City walking the streets without their Dark Knight to protect them. But in this animated Batman tale set in the not-too-distant future, Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) decides to call it quits and retire the Bat-suit. After Wayne retreats to his mansion to live the life of a hermit, Gotham is soon overrun by criminals and gangs with such catchy names as the Jokerz. In this hive of villainy lives a young man by the name of Terry McGinnis. Like Wayne, his father had been killed, leaving him traumatized and seeking revenge (all comparisons though, should end there). As luck would have it, he stumbles across the Wayne mansion and eventually the Batcave. Now an old dusty relic, the once proud Batcave lies dormant like a wax museum, displaying trophies of Batman's career. Among these artifacts is the latest-model augmented Bat-suit, boasting flying capabilities and enough power to make Superman look like a wimp. Naturally the exuberant Terry takes the suit and embarks upon a mission of revenge against the duplicitous antagonists responsible for his father's death.

This is by no means a run-of-the-mill take on the Dark Knight. Like Warner's Emmy Award-winning cartoon of Batman in the present day, the story and action is tight and well thought out. From the opening credits (which are eerily reminiscent of David Fincher's unsettling opening shots in Seven), you enter a world in need of a hero. Unlike the later live-action movies, Batman Beyond will strike a chord with fans of the DC comic. This world of Gotham is darker, edgier, and filled with detestable bad guys. No more puns, no more chumming up to the police, and no more letting up on the violence. This is a Batman for the future and one that will have you rooting every time he inflicts his dark sense of justice upon a wrongdoer. (Ages 11 and older) --Jeremy Storey

Golgo 13 - Queen Bee

More than 15 years after the debut of The Professional: Gogol 13 (1983), Duke Togo, the assassin-hero of Takao Saito's popular manga, returns to the screen. Queen Bee plays like the animated daydreams of a frustrated high school sophomore: lots of nudity, sex, and violence, strung together by an over-the-top, clichéd story line. A ruthless Democratic vice presidential candidate hires Gogol to murder Sonia, a.k.a. the Queen Bee, because of her ties to his weak-willed running mate. She's a big-time cocaine dealer and the assistant leader of a Marxist revolution in a small Central American country. Although she's had at least eight children by different fathers, Sonia is built like a brick guerrilla camp. Her amoral indifference to murder and her sexual passion make her fire to Gogol's ice. Gogol and Sonia have no trouble outwitting the Secret Service, U.S. law enforcement, and a rogue army unit led by a deranged Vietnam veteran. But their mutual respect and passion don't stop Gogol from fulfilling his contract. U.S. viewers can only hope Japanese audiences don't see this bloody James Bond rip-off as a realistic portrait of American politics. Rated for mature audiences ages 18 and older for graphic sex, profanity, tobacco use, and extreme violence. --Charles Solomon

Code name: Golgo 13 - Professional assassin.
Target: Queen Bee - leader of dissident South American liberation army.
Mission: Terminate the infamous Queen Bee before she kills a high profile presidential candidate.
Problem: Queen Bee is not your average guerrilla radical. As a child, she was ripped unmercifully from her home and left to fend for herself on the streets. As a woman, cunning and powerful, she lives only for passion and revenge; her brand of honey is deadly. Once Golgo 13 discovers Queen Bee's true identity, he decides that he must step aside as a very personal feud climaxes to a tragic end that will blow you away!

With its intricate plot and pulse-pounding action, Golgo 13: Queen Bee stays true to the thrilling scenarios that have made the "Golgo 13" character such a success spanning a theatrical movie, comic books, and video games!

Quack Pack, Volume 1

Everyone's favorite feathered hero, Donald Duck, returns in this hilarious series! Donald's life is turned upside down when his mischievous teenage nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie move in and embark on a series of wacky adventures. Enjoy three hilarious "Quack Pack" episodes. Join the boys as they unlock a secret TV channel that transports treasures over the airwaves, and make an appointment with a mysterious dentist and his mind-controlling braces. It's web-footed fun for the whole family

Demolition University