Nayyar, Harsh

Regarding Henry

Get shot in the head and become a better person. This 1991 Mike Nichols (Wolf) film stars Harrison Ford as a big-shot cold-hearted lawyer who gets a bullet in his brain during a holdup. The film de-emphasizes the traumas of recovery to focus on the title character's personality change after the fact. The canny Ford gets to work from his full, familiar palette of arrogance to boyishness, and even builds Henry from top to bottom after the wounded fellow awakens with no memory. But this is a slow and unremarkable film from Nichols, its sentimentality eclipsing all else, most of all profound insight. --Tom Keogh

Hidalgo (Widescreen Edition)

TouchStone Hidalgo (Widescreen) - DVD
A breathtakingly photographed, epic western like none produced for decades, Hidalgo recounts the life of legend Frank T.Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen). Set in the 1800s, thisfamily film chronicles the triumphant victory wonby Frank and his mustang Hidalgo in the Ocean of Fire, an often-fatal competition in which the bestriders and thoroughbreds race across Middle Eastern deserts. For Frank, who is known in the west for his prowess as a Pony Express rider and the winner of long-distance horse races, the lure of the Ocean of Fire is not only the $100,000 purse but also the clear challenge--both of which prove irresistible, and inspire him to travel across the worldfor this life-altering experience. With sweeping landscapes that evoke John Ford westerns like Stagecoach and The Searchers, Hidalgo features enough racing, rivalry, and romance to befit any action film. But the race also provides a vehicle for the story of Frank forgiving himself for his participation in the Wounded Knee slaughter and accepting his part-Indian ancestry. The film`s message, highlighted in a particularly moving scene where Frank invokes the spirits of his Native American ancestors, is that the key to happiness is accepting yourself as you are.

Director Joe Johnston has always had an entertaining sense of adventure, and with Hidalgo he proves it in spades. It's yet another underrated film for Johnston (along with such enjoyable popcorn flicks as The Rocketeer and Jurassic Park III), dismissed by many critics but a welcome treat for anyone drawn to good ol'-fashioned movie excitement. In his first role since playing Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo Mortensen brings handsome appeal to his low-key portrayal of Frank T. Hopkins, a real-life long-distance horse racer who, as the movie opens, has witnessed the appalling massacre of Native Americans at Wounded Knee in 1890. Drifting into Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, he agrees to compete, with his trusty mustang, Hidalgo, in "The Ocean of Fire," a treacherous 3,000-mile horse race across the Arabian desert. Toss in a bunch of conspiring competitors, a noble sheik (Omar Sharif), his lovely daughter (Zuleikha Robinson), and enough fast-paced danger to fill 133 minutes, and you've got a rousing, humorous, and lightly spiritual adventure that's a lot of fun to watch. It hardly matters that it's almost pure fiction (the real Hopkins was known by many as "a pathological liar"). More important is the love of movies and moviemaking that Johnston so delightfully conveys. --Jeff Shannon

Hidalgo (Full Screen Edition)

Director Joe Johnston has always had an entertaining sense of adventure, and with Hidalgo he proves it in spades. It's yet another underrated film for Johnston (along with such enjoyable popcorn flicks as The Rocketeer and Jurassic Park III), dismissed by many critics but a welcome treat for anyone drawn to good ol'-fashioned movie excitement. In his first role since playing Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo Mortensen brings handsome appeal to his low-key portrayal of Frank T. Hopkins, a real-life long-distance horse racer who, as the movie opens, has witnessed the appalling massacre of Native Americans at Wounded Knee in 1890. Drifting into Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, he agrees to compete, with his trusty mustang, Hidalgo, in "The Ocean of Fire," a treacherous 3,000-mile horse race across the Arabian desert. Toss in a bunch of conspiring competitors, a noble sheik (Omar Sharif), his lovely daughter (Zuleikha Robinson), and enough fast-paced danger to fill 133 minutes, and you've got a rousing, humorous, and lightly spiritual adventure that's a lot of fun to watch. It hardly matters that it's almost pure fiction (the real Hopkins was known by many as "a pathological liar"). More important is the love of movies and moviemaking that Johnston so delightfully conveys. --Jeff Shannon

A sandstorm of epic proportions. A swarm of locusts so massive it obliterates the relentless sun. Deadly traps that defy imagination. These are just a few of the astonishing obstacles Frank T. Hopkins, the greatest long-distance racer ever, faces in the rousing action-adventure HIDALGO. Based on a true story and starring Viggo Mortensen (THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy), Hopkins (Mortensen) and his mustang Hidalgo enter the ultimate extreme sport of its time -- the Ocean Of Fire. Underdogs challenging the finest Arabian horses and riders, they must not only survive the grueling race across 3,000 miles of the Arabian Desert's punishing terrain, but they must thwart the evil plots of competitors who vow victory at all costs! A great story of personal triumph, amazing special effects, and memorable characters make HIDALGO one of the most thrilling adventures ever.

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (10th Anniversary Special Collector's Edition)

The Full Length Hit MovieMTV's metal-head morons Beavis and Butt-Head are on the road and on the run in their big screen adventure. this kick a** special collector's edition (uh huh...huh..huh...he said a**) is packed with exclusive never before seen bonus features from the vaults of creator Mike Judge.System Requirements:Running Time: 80 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 097360422948 Manufacturer No: 042294

Mike Judge, the creator and voice of MTV's insouciant Beavis and Butt-head characters, made his feature film directorial debut with this full-length B&B misadventure, which finds the boys going on a cross-country adventure after their all-important television set is stolen. Fans of the now-defunct TV show will obviously enjoy this film the most, though almost anyone with a passing awareness of the characters will find something to chuckle about. (The funniest recurring gag finds beleaguered B&B neighbor Tom Anderson constantly sabotaged by the guys while on vacation.) Celebrity voices are fun to pick out, particularly that of David Letterman, who rather appropriately plays Butt-head's long-lost father. --Tom Keogh

The Peacemaker (Widescreen Edition)

It seems that thrillers these days--even good ones--are all about scene-chewing bad guys, cute retorts fit for the Dennis Miller show, and one big special effect to end the movie. Well, something like The Peacemaker, the first feature film from DreamWorks, puts the record straight. Here is an expertly paced thriller with a sensible villain, smart instead of cute dialogue, and a focus on action instead of special effects. It's not original, just solid. It's the second of these energetic and effective thrillers that writer Michael Schiffer (Crimson Tide) has penned. The White House Nuclear Smuggling Group tracks down 10 stolen nuclear bombs after a suspicious train wreck in Russia. The acting head of the department (Nicole Kidman) and her military field officer (George Clooney) are off to Europe to track down the bombs. Instead of a Gary Oldman-Bruce Dern madman, The Peacemaker's heavy is an unknown Romanian actor (Marcul Iures) playing a Bosnian rebel who works passionately and quietly. This may be a popcorn movie, but it uses the ripe emotions of the Bosnian War to create tension. This is the best film vehicle yet for the overwhelming charisma of George Clooney as a quick witted, generally warm Oliver North type who will seek deadly vengeance without pause. He's matched very well by the professional polish of Nicole Kidman who is showing great flexibility in dividing her roles between serious and fun fare. --Doug Thomas

Trapped in Silence

Making Mr Right

New York director Susan Seidelman, who made the delicious Desperately Seeking Susan, ran into a critical buzz saw with this follow-up film, which is actually a smart and cleverly acted little comedy about the battle of the sexes. Performance artist Ann Magnuson plays a commercial whiz who is hired to market a new, almost human android to the buying public. The scientist who created him (John Malkovich) is an antisocial nerd, but the robot (also Malkovich) is exactly what any woman would want: sensitive, caring, eager to please, and willing to listen. This leads Magnuson, who is repelled by the creator, to fall for the creation--but what do you do when you fall in love with a man-made man? Malkovich is delightfully loopy, while Magnuson brings snap and vigor to this role. Definitely better than its reputation. --Marshall Fine

What do you do when you ve fallen hard for a man who's hard-wired? Ann Magnuson (Panic Room)and John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich) star in this fast, funny and precocious (L.A.Weekly) comedy from director Susan Seidelman (Desperately Seeking Susan) and writers Floyd Byars and Laurie Frank. Savvy and beautiful PR executive Frankie Stone (Magnuson) has her work cut out for her. Hired by a giant technology company to humanize their latest inventionan android-astronaut named Ulysses (Malkovich)she is shocked to discover that her new client embodies all the qualities she's ever wanted in a man! When they begin to fall for one another, will their robotic romance blast into the stratosphere or blow a circuit and crash?

The Peacemaker

It seems that thrillers these days--even good ones--are all about scene-chewing bad guys, cute retorts fit for the Dennis Miller show, and one big special effect to end the movie. Well, something like The Peacemaker, the first feature film from DreamWorks, puts the record straight. Here is an expertly paced thriller with a sensible villain, smart instead of cute dialogue, and a focus on action instead of special effects. It's not original, just solid. It's the second of these energetic and effective thrillers that writer Michael Schiffer (Crimson Tide) has penned. The White House Nuclear Smuggling Group tracks down 10 stolen nuclear bombs after a suspicious train wreck in Russia. The acting head of the department (Nicole Kidman) and her military field officer (George Clooney) are off to Europe to track down the bombs. Instead of a Gary Oldman-Bruce Dern madman, The Peacemaker's heavy is an unknown Romanian actor (Marcul Iures) playing a Bosnian rebel who works passionately and quietly. This may be a popcorn movie, but it uses the ripe emotions of the Bosnian War to create tension. This is the best film vehicle yet for the overwhelming charisma of George Clooney as a quick witted, generally warm Oliver North type who will seek deadly vengeance without pause. He's matched very well by the professional polish of Nicole Kidman who is showing great flexibility in dividing her roles between serious and fun fare. --Doug Thomas

The City

"THE CITY (LA CIUDAD), the feature film debut of writer/director David Riker, is a moving tribute to the struggles and hopes of a group of new Latin American immigrants facing the harsh realities of urban America. Reminiscent of THE GRAPES OF WRATH and THE BICYCLE THIEF in its realistic and gritty portrayal, THE CITY delves deep inside this community of newcomers, creating a powerful and incisive drama about the life which they now face in a new and unfamiliar world… A group of men hired to work in an abandoned lot are left stranded in the face of tragedy; A young man arriving from Mexico falls in love with a girl from his home village, only to lose her in the intimidating urban wilderness; A puppeteer living homeless with his daughter dreams that she'll one day learn to read, but is unable to make his simple dream a reality; and a seamstress, desperate to send money home to help her sick daughter, is trapped working in a sweatshop, eventually rebelling against her employers. A strikingly authentic drama, THE CITY takes us on an eye-opening and heartfelt journey through a world of frustration, hope and sheer will of spirit, and in the process leaves us with an enlightened view of a determined group of struggling contemporary Americans.

"

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

Mike Judge, the creator and voice of MTV's insouciant Beavis and Butt-head characters, made his feature film directorial debut with this full-length B&B misadventure, which finds the boys going on a cross-country adventure after their all-important television set is stolen. Fans of the now-defunct TV show will obviously enjoy this film the most, though almost anyone with a passing awareness of the characters will find something to chuckle about. (The funniest recurring gag finds beleaguered B&B neighbor Tom Anderson constantly sabotaged by the guys while on vacation.) Celebrity voices are fun to pick out, particularly that of David Letterman, who rather appropriately plays Butt-head's long-lost father. --Tom Keogh