Napier, Charles

Rambo Trilogy (Ultimate Edition DVD Collection) (3-Disc Collector Set) - (First Blood/Rambo: First Blood Part II/Rambo III)

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery/The Spy Who Shagged Me/Goldmember

If you don't think Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) is one of the funniest movies of the 1990s, maybe you should be packed into a cryogenic time chamber and sent back to the decade whence you came. Perhaps it was the 1960s--the shagadelic decade when London hipster Austin Powers scored with gorgeous chicks as a fashion photographer by day, crime-fighting international man of mystery by night. Yeah, baby, yeah! But when Powers's arch nemesis, Dr. Evil, puts himself into a deep-freeze and travels via time machine to the late 1990s, Powers must follow him and foil Evil's nefarious scheme of global domination. Mike Myers plays dual roles as Powers and Dr. Evil, with Elizabeth Hurley as his present-day sidekick and karate-kicking paramour. A hilarious spoof of '60s spy movies, this colorful comedy actually gets funnier with successive viewings, making it a perfect home video for gloomy days and randy nights. Oh, behave!

"I put the grrr in swinger, baby!" a deliciously randy Powers coos near the beginning of The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), and if the imagination of Austin creator Mike Myers seems to have sagged a bit, his energy surely hasn't. This friendly, go-for-broke sequel finds our man Austin heading back to the '60s to keep perennial nemesis Dr. Evil (Myers again) from blowing up the world--and, more importantly, to get back his mojo, that man-juice that turns Austin into irresistible catnip for women, especially American spygirl Felicity Shagwell (a pretty but vacant Heather Graham). The plot may be irreverent and illogical, the jokes may be bad, and the scenes may run on too long, but it's all delivered sunnily and with tongue firmly in cheek. Myers teams Dr. Evil with a diminutive clone, Mini-Me (Verne J. Troyer), then pulls a hat trick by playing a third character, the obese and disgusting Scottish assassin Fat Bastard.

Despite symptoms of sequelitis, Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) is must-see lunacy for devoted fans of the shagadelic franchise. Unfortunately, the law of diminishing returns is in full effect: for every big-name cameo and raunchy double-entendre, there's an equal share of redundant shtick, juvenile scatology, and pop-cultural spoofery. All is forgiven when the hilarity level is consistently high, and Mike Myers--returning here as randy Brit spy Austin, his nemesis Dr. Evil, the bloated Scottish henchman Fat Bastard, and new Dutch disco-villain Goldmember--thrives by favoring comedic chaos over coherent plotting. Once they've tossed Austin into the disco fever of 1975 (where he's sent to rescue his father, gamely played by Michael Caine), Myers and director Jay Roach seem vaguely adrift with old and new characters, including Verne Troyer's Mini-Me and pop star Beyoncé Knowles as Pam Grier-ish blaxpo-babe Foxxy Cleopatra. A bit tired, perhaps, but Powers hasn't lost his mojo.

The most colorful special agent, Austin Powers, will keep you laughing as he thwarts the efforts of the infamous Dr. Evil in this 3-pack of instant classic comedies. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery; Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me; Austin Powers in Goldmember

Austin Powers - International Man of Mystery (New Line Platinum Series)

It's a smashing shagadelic party as Mike Myers (Wayne's World 1 & 2 So I Married an Axe Murderer) and Elizabeth Hurley (Dangerous Ground) star in a non-stop hilarious comedy adventure. Frozen in the 60's secret agent Austin Powers (Myers) is thawed back into action to once again battle his archenemy Dr. Evil. With his sexy sidekick Ms. Kensington (Hurley) Austin must stop Dr. Evil's outrageous plot to control the world. But first this time-warped swinger must get hip quick and discover that there's no free love in the 90's! An all-star supporting cast including Michael York Robert Wagner Mimi Rogers and Carrie Fisher make Austin Powers a wacky far-out trip you won't forget.Running Time: 90 min.System Requirements:Starring: Mike Myers Elizabeth Hurley Michael York and Robert Wagner Director: M. Jay Roach Produced by Demi Moore Mike Myers Jennif; written by Mike Myers; running time of 90 minutes; Closed Captioned. Copyright: 1997 New Line Audio Commentary Cast/Crew Bios Interactive Menus Additional Footage Video Format: Widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio Standard 1.33:1 (4.3) Enhanced for 16x9 TVs Subtitles: French English Track Info: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround French: Dolby Digital StereoFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 794043457722 Manufacturer No: N4577

If you don't think Austin Powers is one of the funniest movies of the 1990s, maybe you should be packed into a cryogenic time-chamber and sent back to the decade whence you came. Perhaps it was the 1960s--the shag-a-delic decade when London hipster Austin Powers scored with gorgeous chicks as a fashion photographer by day, crime-fighting international man of mystery by night. Yeah, baby, yeah! But when Powers's arch nemesis, Dr. Evil, puts himself into a deep-freeze and travels via time-machine to the late 1990s, Powers must follow him and foil Evil's nefarious scheme of global domination. Mike Myers plays dual roles as Powers and Dr. Evil, with Elizabeth Hurley as his present-day sidekick and karate- kicking paramour. A hilarious spoof of '60s spy movies, this colorful comedy actually gets funnier with successive viewings, making it a perfect home video for gloomy days and randy nights. Oh, behave! --Jeff Shannon

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (Full Screen Edition) [Animated]

Horse lovers young and old will celebrate this utterly enjoyable and marvelous-looking animated film. The titular stallion runs free in the Cimarron (New Mexico) wilderness until a series of men try to master the proud horse, leading to adventures through a U.S. Cavalry fort, Native American settlements, and a railroad camp. Despite a heavy dose of political correctness and realism (the animals don't talk; we only hear Spirit's internal monologue, voiced by Matt Damon), directors Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook give their hero many only-in-a-movie moments, including an action sequence rivaling any of Rambo's escapes. The stirring mix of 2-D and 3-D animation is absolutely stunning and aptly fueled by composer Hans Zimmer's synthesized score. The film earns one demerit for '80s rocker Bryan Adams's abundant songs--a different singer could have brought more to the film. Rated G but there is some rough treatment of horses shown, so nix the sensitive preschoolers. --Doug Thomas

The Critic - The Complete Series

From the producers of "The Simpsons" comes this hilarious animated sitcom about Jay a New York movie critic and cable television host. Pudgy and balding Jay is not a well-liked man. His unsympathetic boss makes his life miserable his ex-wife hates him his adopted parents barely tolerate him even the make-up lady treats him with disgust. Fortunately for Jay he has his 11 year-old son Marty and his one very unlikely friend Jeremy Hawke the Australian film hunk. Jon Lovitz provides Jay's distinctive voice as a single father who searches for happiness while satirizing life and the movies in this irreverent comedy.System Requirements:Starring: Jon Lovitz Running Time: 520 Min. Copyright Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2005Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396016170 Manufacturer No: 01617

To quote New York movie critic Jay Sherman, voiced to Master Thespian perfection by Jon Lovitz, "it stinks" that The Critic lasted all but two seasons. "I used to have a show on ABC," Sherman bitterly remarks at one point, "for about a week." The show, created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss of Simpsons legend, fared no better when it moved to Fox, and little better when re-run on Comedy Central. But it did garner a devoted following, and thanks to DVD and the Internet, "the last hope of fading stars" (according to one of the ten "Webisodes" contained in this three-disc set), Jay Sherman lives! Television's saddest sack is the host of a TV review show, Coming Attractions. He must deal with the slings, arrows, and outrageous misfortunes heaped upon him by his ex-wife, adoptive WASP parents, and ratings-desperate Ted Turner-esque boss. On the movie front, The Critic is no less inside than the similarly ill-fated Action, but its hilarious parodies of classics and contemporary blockbusters, from the musical "Apocalypse Wow" to "Dennis the Menace II Society," make it much more accessible to any multiplex-goer.

The Critic took particular glee in zinging Howard Stern, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Woody Allen and Soon-Yi. (We pause to praise the show's unsung heroes, Maurice Le Marche and Nick Jameson, who provide uncanny celebrity impersonations each episode). Some references have a longer shelf life than others. Conan O'Brien, at the time a fledgling talk-show host, certainly got the last laugh on a spied newspaper headline, "Conan Replaced by Dancing Chicken." And the series' best episode, in which Jay reunites an estranged Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel, plays now as a touching tribute to the original Thumb and Thumber. The Critic is poised for discovery. Is it too much to hope that, as with Family Guy, voluminous DVD sales may spark interest in creating new episodes? --Donald Liebenson

The Incredible Hulk Returns / The Trial of the Incredible Hulk

Anchor Bay's Incredible Hulk double-disc set offers The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988) and The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989), the first two of three made-for-TV movies featuring the Marvel Comics monster hero that aired after the CBS series' demise in 1982. Both discs also include a considerable amount of supplemental material, including interviews with star Lou Ferrigno and comic book legend Stan Lee. Bill Bixby returns as tormented scientist David Banner (in addition to executive producing Returns and directing Trial), as does Ferrigno as his green-skinned alter ego. In both titles, they are paired with other Marvel creations; in Returns, Banner is joined by the Mighty Thor to thwart industrial espionage, and in Trial, he's defended by blind lawyer Matt Murdock (Rex Smith), a.k.a. Daredevil. Bixby's always-credible presence brings believability to the fanciful storylines, and both features have the right mix of drama and action that should satisfy fans of the series and its graphic origins alike. --Paul Gaita

Thunder and Lightning

Somebody's poisoned a whole truckload of Honey Dew, the South's favorite soft drink. Kate Jackson stars.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (Widescreen) [Animated]

Horse lovers young and old will celebrate this utterly enjoyable and marvelous-looking animated film. The titular stallion runs free in the Cimarron (New Mexico) wilderness until a series of men try to master the proud horse, leading to adventures through a U.S. Cavalry fort, Native American settlements, and a railroad camp. Despite a heavy dose of political correctness and realism (the animals don't talk; we only hear Spirit's internal monologue, voiced by Matt Damon), directors Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook give their hero many only-in-a-movie moments, including an action sequence rivaling any of Rambo's escapes. The stirring mix of 2-D and 3-D animation is absolutely stunning and aptly fueled by composer Hans Zimmer's synthesized score. The film earns one demerit for '80s rocker Bryan Adams's abundant songs--a different singer could have brought more to the film. Rated G but there is some rough treatment of horses shown, so nix the sensitive preschoolers. --Doug Thomas

Swing Shift

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell got together on Swing Shift--and if that's the main reason people know about this movie, it only has itself to blame. The film has a marvelous subject (women's changing status on the home front during World War II), a hugely attractive cast, and a sympathetic director, Jonathan Demme, whose previous film, Melvin and Howard, had been a splendid piece of Americana. Yet despite this, it feels disjointed. Goldie goes to work at a factory when her husband (Ed Harris) goes off to war; Russell works there too, and they find each other, well, riveting. With the movie wavering between romance and feminist consciousness-raising, the field is open for Oscar®-nominated Christine Lahti, who sparkles as Goldie's lanky, wisecracking best friend. Demme's original version of the movie was obscured by reshoots, which might explain the missed opportunity; this could have been a classic. --Robert Horton

Miami Blues

Alec Baldwin should have had an Oscar nomination for his cunning performance as Frederick J. Frenger Jr., the sleek sociopath and master of quicksilver improvisation who sets the pace for this deceptively breezy crime comedy. Junior's a genius in his fashion, yet not especially bright. In moments of repose, his mouth has a way of falling open slightly, like that of an animal panting in the shade, or Marilyn Monroe thinking. Miami Blues, written and directed by George Armitage, from the novel by Charles Willeford, divides its attention among Junior and two other characters who, in their respective ways, are as eccentric as he: Susie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a room-service hooker enrolled at Miami-Dade Community College who dreams of acquiring middle-class stability (say, a Burger King franchise); and Hoke Moseley (Fred Ward), a Miami P.D. detective with false choppers who gets on Junior's trail. Junior and Susie set up housekeeping in Coral Gables, and when Hoke catches up to his quarry, he sits down in the couple's newly rented kitchen and joins them in a meal of pork chops and beer. At which point--well, see for yourselves.

Jonathan Demme coproduced Miami Blues, and the movie operates as a companion piece to Demme's black-comedy meditation on the elusiveness of contentment in these United States, Something Wild ('86). The three principal actors are all terrific, but it's through Susie--and by all means Jennifer Jason Leigh's complex portrait of this down-to-earth creature--that Miami Blues finally touches a deep, abiding sadness, and the bruised tenaciousness of the American Dream. --Richard T. Jameson

Brace yourself'this intoxicating cocktail with rum and cyanide (Time) is at once brutal, funny, unpredictable and a bit unhinged (Newsweek)! Fred Ward, Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh star in this offbeat black comedy about a murdering thief, his simple-minded wife and the denture-wearing cop closing in on his trail. Veteran criminal Junior Frenger (Baldwin) has moved to Miami to get a fresh start at robbing a whole new set of people. But when his streetwalker-gone-straight wife (Leigh) begins to suspect his criminal behavior, and an obsessed cop (Ward) begins to close in, Junior will need a lot more than luck and a bogus badge to escape a crossfire hotter than the barrel of a smoking gun!