Lover, Ed

Undisputed

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!

Double Platinum

Legendary recording artist and Oscar®-nominee Diana Ross stars with multi-platinum GRAMMY® Award winning singer and actress Brandy in this moving story of a mother driven to reach the heights of super-stardom at the cost of abandoning her only child. The film sparkles with knockout vocal performances by both of its stars.System Requirements:Running Time: 90 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 043396037861 Manufacturer No: 3786

A soapy backstage melodrama originally produced for network broadcast, Double Platinum downplays show biz verisimilitude to turn on the tears. With '60s soul queen Diana Ross and '90s pop princess Brandy sharing production credit as well as billing, this formulaic tearjerker focuses on its stars' dramatic chops more than their musical prowess, a choice that won't deter their respective audiences, even as it disappoints less partisan music fans who might have hoped for a stronger musical component.

Olivia King (Ross) is the former St. Louis housewife who abandoned her family for pop stardom, only to return 18 years later determined to meet, and reconcile with, her daughter, Kayla (Brandy), now nurturing her own footlight fantasies. But when the prodigal mom finally does reveal herself to the bright, feisty teen, Kayla is outraged and then hard-boiled. Olivia's offer to help the undeniably talented girl make industry contacts is accepted, with the bitter caveat that the superstar should abandon any hopes of a true maternal bond with her embittered daughter. The usually imperious Olivia meekly accepts those terms, while the secretly yearning Kayla keeps up her tough-cookie cover, but the plot telegraphs its ultimate destination, even as the tears flow.

Both stars acquit themselves well in the story's stormier clashes, and the emotional tug of the story is well engineered to soak hankies. Less credulous viewers will be hampered by the original songs--when Ross steps on-stage, her regal demeanor and flashy (if occasionally silly) gowns support her supposed status as a legend, but the utterly forgettable, generic songs she mouths deflate that image. That said, viewers less interested in the actual music than the glitzy idea of the two characters may well be content to wallow in the waterworks of a story that could as easily have been titled Divas: The Next Generation. --Sam Sutherland

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Indecision 2004

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is so laugh-out-loud funny that Indecision 2004--which could have been a dated recap of a time many would rather forget--is instead a hilarious time capsule of the follies and foibles of the 2004 presidential election. What also helps is that many of the issues being lampooned, such as the Iraq war, are still in the news in 2005. The 10 episodes included in the three-disc set are the four reporting on the Democratic National Convention, the four from the Republican National Convention, the episode following the first Bush-Kerry debate, and the hourlong election-night episode, subtitled "Prelude to a Recount." The Daily Show mimics the format of a news program, with Stewart as the anchor and his troupe of "senior correspondents/analysts"--Stephen Colbert, Rob Corddry, Samantha Bee, and Ed Helms--filing their "reports" from the field. Stewart is always quick to dismiss his show as "fake news," but an increasing number of people have taken to the Comedy Central staple as the way to get their news. Political news is mostly sound bites anyway, so Stewart piles the video clips together at their most incongruous or contradictory, then follows up with a wisecrack or a marvelously deadpan look of disbelief. As further proof of its impact, The Daily Show won a 2005 Peabody Award for electronic media excellence for its "satire that deflates pomposity on an equal opportunity basis." (Stewart admitted during the campaign that he himself was voting for Kerry, and his audience is very anti-Bush, but he takes the opportunity to skewer anyone who deserves it.) He also attracts a number of "legitimate" guests. Appearing on these episodes are Ted Koppell, Joe Biden, Chris Matthews (shortly after he'd been challenged to a duel by Zell Miller), Al Sharpton on election night, and a wry John McCain not looking like the combative party zealot that had appeared at the convention podium the night before.

In addition to the 10 episodes, the three-DVD set has more reports by Colbert (whose survey of Democratic minority groups has something to offend anyone), Corddry, Bee, and Helms. There's also John Edwards's 2003 announcement of his presidential candidacy on The Daily Show, the Schoolhouse Rock! spoof about midterm elections, a surprisingly musical four-correspondent rendition of the national anthem, and other lunacy. --David Horiuchi

The 2004 race for the White House was one of the most memorable presidential elections of the last five years. Now relive it again - and again - and, that's enough - with this exquisitely packaged heirloom collection. This 3-DVD set brings together some of the most repackageable moments from "Indecision 2004."

Ride

When Leta (Melissa De Sousa) gets a job as an assistant to a big-time rap video director, she doesn't realize her duties will consist of chaperoning a bus full of would-be rap stars from Harlem. Ride follows this collection of hip-hop misfits on a smelly, broken-down charter bus that they have to take to get to Miami for a video shoot in 24 hours. Naturally, there's bickering, breakdowns, impromptu jam sessions, and a lot of bonding. Leta finds an ally in Poppa (Malik Yoba), an old friend of the music producer who wants to start a program for youth in the inner city. Meanwhile, Poppa's younger brother has stolen a backpack full of money from a couple of thieves who are not happy about it and are tracking him down--but story isn't really the point in Ride. This is a movie about elaborate insults and verbal riffs, a nonstop flow of talk ranging from the bad-girl back and forth of a female rap duo to the crazed mixture of bragging and trash from the middle-aged bus drivers who cast an unfazed eye at these aspiring ghetto stars. Fleshed out with scatological humor, loony dream sequences, and a soundtrack featuring the Wu-Tang Clan, Onyx, and Naughty by Nature, Ride is slapdash but entertaining. Also featuring cameos from Snoop Doggy Dog, Dr. Dre, Downtown Julie Brown, Redman, and others. --Bret Fetzer

Pack your bags for a fast and funny hip-hop road trip from the hit-making producers of HOUSE PARTY! When an outrageous busload of wanna-be rappers from Harlem hits the highway following promises of fame and fortune, they end up having the misadventure of a lifetime! Crammed into a ratty old bus and given only 24 hours to make it to Miami, either they'll make it big ... or they're making a big mistake! With a hot cast -- featuring Malik Yoba (SOUL FOOD, COP LAND), Melissa De Sousa (THE BEST MAN), and Cedric the Entertainer (THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY, BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE) -- and a sizzling soundtrack featuring the Wu-Tang Clan, Onyx, and Naughty By Nature -- it's laugh-out-loud entertainment! So hop aboard and get ready to party while you enjoy the ride!

Who's the Man

Two bumbling rookie cops investigate the murder of their former boss, who had refused to sell his barbershop to a greedy real-estate developer.

The Bahama Hustle

Gunmen

All Star Weekend

Slip N Slide Records, the label that brought you Trick Daddy and Trina, now present to you All Star Weekend - The Movie. For the first time ever, witness the wildest party ever to be held on Miami's famed South Beach. Join your hosts Trick Daddy and Trina as they take you through a weekend of fun in the sun. Highlights include an All Star basketball game, splashdown concert, comedy shows and sexy girls doing outrageous things.

Double Platinum [Region 2]

A soapy backstage melodrama originally produced for network broadcast, Double Platinum downplays show biz verisimilitude to turn on the tears. With '60s soul queen Diana Ross and '90s pop princess Brandy sharing production credit as well as billing, this formulaic tearjerker focuses on its stars' dramatic chops more than their musical prowess, a choice that won't deter their respective audiences, even as it disappoints less partisan music fans who might have hoped for a stronger musical component.

Olivia King (Ross) is the former St. Louis housewife who abandoned her family for pop stardom, only to return 18 years later determined to meet, and reconcile with, her daughter, Kayla (Brandy), now nurturing her own footlight fantasies. But when the prodigal mom finally does reveal herself to the bright, feisty teen, Kayla is outraged and then hard-boiled. Olivia's offer to help the undeniably talented girl make industry contacts is accepted, with the bitter caveat that the superstar should abandon any hopes of a true maternal bond with her embittered daughter. The usually imperious Olivia meekly accepts those terms, while the secretly yearning Kayla keeps up her tough-cookie cover, but the plot telegraphs its ultimate destination, even as the tears flow.

Both stars acquit themselves well in the story's stormier clashes, and the emotional tug of the story is well engineered to soak hankies. Less credulous viewers will be hampered by the original songs--when Ross steps on-stage, her regal demeanor and flashy (if occasionally silly) gowns support her supposed status as a legend, but the utterly forgettable, generic songs she mouths deflate that image. That said, viewers less interested in the actual music than the glitzy idea of the two characters may well be content to wallow in the waterworks of a story that could as easily have been titled Divas: The Next Generation. --Sam Sutherland

The Hustle