Grey's Anatomy - The Complete First Season
from Buena Vista
Just when you wanted to say "Oh no, not another hospital drama," Grey's Anatomy turns into one of the most addicting series on television. With no big stars and no hype, the ABC series debuted last spring as a mid-season replacement and became a bonafide smash in its nine-episode season.
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Grey's Anatomy's first season, while entertaining, went a little far trying to find its groove, overdosing on Meredith's overly simplistic voice-overs ("At the end of the day… faith is a funny thing"), and musical montages. It has the usual trappings of a hospital drama (unusual cases, such as the patient with the 70-pound tumor, and trysts in the on-call room), but with more warm fuzzies and light touches. (Sometimes, a little too light--the opening credits sequence features an eyelash curler next to medical instruments and red-painted toes savorting with a male patient under a sheet)
Pompeo, who can sound just like Renee Zellweger if you close your eyes, is likeable but not strong enough of a presence compared to her co-stars. Luckily the quirky dialogue and stellar acting by the ethnically diverse cast, particularly by Chandra Wilson (Dr. Bailey, aka "the Nazi") and Oh, who won a Golden Globe for best supporting actress, more than make up for it. The DVD covers the first season's nine episodes, plus commentary on the pilot and a behind-the-scenes feature. --Ellen A. Kim
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GREY'S ANAMTOMY is "a winner," raves the New York Daily News. Both a critical hit and fan favorite, season one burst onto the television landscape with gripping plot lines, a sensational soundtrack, and hot stars, including Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, and Sandra Oh. Now you can experience all the drama, romance, and excitement of GREY'S ANATOMY from the very beginning. Meet Meredith Grey, a brilliant first-year surgical intern at Seattle Grace Hospital. Together with her fellow residents in training, Meredith navigates her way through the daily traumas and social landmines of life inside the hospital and out in the real world. GREY'S ANATOMY is a smart and witty look at young people struggling to be doctors and doctors struggling to stay human.
Grey's Anatomy - The Complete Second Season
by David Paymer
from Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Experience the complete second season of TV's most compelling show in an expansive 27-episode DVD set. Witness every minute of the thrilling drama that has become a television event for fans and critics alike.Life gets even more intense for the doctors and interns of Seattle Grace Hospital in year two as Meredith and Derek's relationship goes from odd to downright insane with the arrival of Derek's wife and Alex lets his Izzie obsession out of the bag. You "can't stop watching" says TV Guide.Experience Grey's Anatomy: Season 2 -- uncut with over five hours of never-before-seen bonus features including four extended episodes with scenes too steamy for TV behind-the-scenes interviews and so much more.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 786936700992 Manufacturer No: 5022703
The medical drama's second season could be diagnosed as bipolar; in other words, it got much worse and much better at the same time. Whiny, self-involved surgical intern Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), arguably the weakest spot in the otherwise likeable ensemble, had already left viewers annoyed. But season two, in which Meredith coped with being dumped by her married McDreamy (a.k.a. neurosurgeon Derek, a.k.a. Patrick Dempsey) by excessive drinking, sleeping around, gazing like a sad puppy and--unforgivable!--breaking the heart of longtime admirer/friend George (the cuddly T.R. Knight), could have alienated audiences for good. (Seriously, sometimes you want to shake the girl and feed her some cookies.) Thankfully, what Meredith's storyline threatened to derail was held together by some emotional episodes, including "Into You Like a Train," in which a pair of strangers are impaled together on a metal pole, and "Much Too Much," featuring a mother's quintuplets in critical condition. But the standout show that turned Grey's Anatomy into a television force came with the January 2006 post-Super Bowl episode, a two-parter involving a "code black" lockdown when a live bomb is housed inside a patient.
Romance also remained key to the staff at Seattle Grace: Steely Cristina (Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh) softens, to her great dismay, as her relationship with Dr. Burke (Isaiah Washington) gets serious; Izzie (Katherine Heigl) pairs up, then breaks up, with Alex (Justin Chambers, the villain of the cast if you had to name one) before falling in love with flirty, tender heart patient Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Derek and estranged wife Addison (Kate Walsh, who somehow managed to win over Meredith-McDreamy fans despite being the Other Woman) make attempts at fixing their marriage, and Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson, easily a standout) tries to balance a medical career with mommyhood. Even George finds a new love with orthopedic surgeon Callie (Sara Ramirez). The season wraps up with a weeper of a two-part finale, set at the hospital during a "prom" (it's complicated). But with the fancy gowns and tuxes, tears and romantic tension, leading to a crossroads for Meredith and Derek, you can bet the episodes are a delight for any Grey's fan. The show also continues to rely heavily on narration (not a good thing) and soundtracks (a good thing), using tracks from artists before they hit it big (KT Tunstall, Brandi Carlisle, Snow Patrol).
On the DVD
Four of the episodes get an extended treatment, though the tag line "too steamy for television!" is overreaching a bit. Oh is the only actor to turn up on a commentary, which is otherwise just the writers and producers congratulating each other. Walsh turns up the charm in "The Doctors are In," in which characters answer fans' questions, but Chambers appears noticeably drab and disinterested. Despite "Uncut" being in the title, the special features aren't anything you'll be watching again and again. Save that rewind button for the show itself. --Ellen A. Kim
Under the Tuscan Sun (Widescreen Edition)
by Audrey Wells
from Walt Disney Video
Though she made her first movie at the age of 13, Diane Lane has only blossomed into a true star in her 30s, and Under the Tuscan Sun marks her full flowering. After a brutal divorce, Frances (Lane, Unfaithful, A Walk on the Moon) is persuaded by her friend Patti (Sandra Oh) to take a tour of Italy--where, on a whim that she hopes will rescue her from her desperate unhappiness, she buys a rundown villa and sets out to renovate it. Along the way, she gets advice from a former Fellini actress, meets a scrumptious Italian lover, and helps support Patti after her own relationship derails. The conclusion of Under the Tuscan Sun holds no surprises, but the deft turns and observations along the way are delightful. Lane carries the film effortlessly but surely, exuding both heartbreak and re-awakening passion. --Bret Fetzer
From the studio that brought you SWEET HOME ALABAMA comes the extraordinary romantic comedy starring Academy Award(R) nominee Diane Lane (2002 Best Actress, UNFAITHFUL). Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN follows San Francisco writer Frances Mayes (Lane) to Italy as a good friend offers her a special gift -- 10 days in Tuscany. Once there, she is captivated by its beauty and warmth, and impulsively buys an aging, but very charming, villa. Fully embracing new friends and local color, she finds herself immersed in a life-changing adventure filled with enough unexpected surprises, laughter, friendship, and romance to restore her new home -- and her belief in second chances.
Sideways (Widescreen Edition)
by Alexander Payne
from 20th Century Fox
With Sideways, Paul Giamatti (American Splendor, Storytelling) has become an unlikely but engaging romantic lead. Struggling novelist and wine connoisseur Miles (Giamatti) takes his best friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church, Wings) on a wine-tasting tour of California vineyards for a kind of extended bachelor party. Almost immediately, Jack's insatiable need to sow some wild oats before his marriage leads them into double-dates with a rambunctious wine pourer (Sandra Oh, Under the Tuscan Sun) and a recently divorced waitress (Virginia Madsen, The Hot Spot)--and Miles discovers a little hope that he hasn't let himself feel in a long time. Sideways is a modest but finely tuned film; with gentle compassion, it explores the failures, struggles, and lowered expectations of mid-life. Giamatti makes regret and self-loathing sympathetic, almost sweet. From the director of Election and About Schmidt. --Bret Fetzer
ACADEMY AWARD WINNER BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY WINNER OF 2 GOLDEN GLOBES, INCLUDING BEST PICTURE (COMEDY / MUSICAL)
In this intoxicating, intelligent comedy, director Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt) serves up "one of the best movies of the year" (Entertainment Weekly) about the ups, downs and sideways journeys of life. A wine-tasting road trip through California's famed Central Coast takes an unexpected detour as Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) hit the gas en route to their mid-life crisis. The comically mismatched pair soon find themselves drowning in wine, women... and laughter!
Hard Candy
by David Slade
from Lions Gate
"Two Thumbs Up." - Ebert & RoeperA smart charming teenage girl Hayley probably shouldn't be going to a local coffee shop to meet Jeff a 30-something fashion photographer she met on the Internet. But before she knows it she's mixing drinks at Jeff's place and stripping for an impromptu photo shoot. It's Jeff's lucky night. But Hayley isn't as innocent as she looks and the night takes a turn when she begins to impose a hard-hitting investigation on Jeff in an attempt to reveal his possibly scandalous past.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R UPC: 031398201168 Manufacturer No: 20116
The supercharged possibilities of a single set and two amped-up actors are explored in Hard Candy, a twisted cocktail with a poison kicker. After a flirtatious encounter in an online chat room, two people agree to meet for coffee: a 32-year-old man (Patrick Wilson) and a 14-year-old girl (Ellen Page). They quickly advance to his house, and just as quickly, the apparent pedophilic seduction morphs into something else entirely. After the tables turn, Hard Candy becomes a tale of revenge and torture that might have tempted a filmmaker like Park Chanwook. Here, first-time feature director David Slade opts for a slick look that stays close to the actors, and you can't really blame him--this movie is like a conceptual, more-than-slightly unbelievable off-Broadway play, a showcase for actors and "controversial" ideas. Those actors are strong: Patrick Wilson (Angels in America, Phantom of the Opera) is every bit as creepy as he needs to be, and Ellen Page has nothing short of a triumph. The Canadian actress was around 18 when she shot the film, but looks like an adolescent, which makes her authoritative wrath all the more shocking to witness. The provocations of Hard Candy sometimes seem arbitrary or forced, but Page's electrifying performance can't be denied, or dismissed. --Robert Horton
The Princess Diaries (Special Edition)
by Garry Marshall
from Walt Disney Home Entertainment
A thoroughly engaging fairy tale that's family friendly without being condescending, The Princess Diaries is your basic Cinderella makeover story given a fresh, affectionate twist courtesy of a game, energetic cast and a screenplay that skirts schmaltz in favor of gentle, effective comedy. Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is a frizzy-haired, glasses-wearing 15-year-old girl whose two highest ambitions are to become invisible and to get a few smooches from the slickly attractive school heartthrob. As a girl who can't stand being the center of attention so much that she throws up during debate class, she's stunned and horrified when her coolly continental grandmother (Julie Andrews) shows up and informs her that she's the crown princess of the European principality Genovia. Soon enough, Mia has to undertake "princess lessons" (and a makeover) from her queenly grandmother, and eventually she blossoms into a confident, radiant girl--despite the worries and pressure that her newfound status brings. What makes The Princess Diaries work is director Garry Marshall's guileless, irony-free approach to the material (based on Meg Cabot's novel). In comparison to most snarky, ultra-hip teen comedies, The Princess Diaries is refreshingly and enjoyably square, content to win you over on charm alone and not a slick bag of tricks. Hathaway is a charismatic, appealing role model with a sharp sense of comic timing, and Andrews--who came to stardom as the object of a makeover supreme in My Fair Lady on Broadway--is at her regal best whether teaching Mia the proper royal wave or learning how to eat a corndog. Both leading ladies are complemented by a finely tuned cast, including Hector Elizondo as Genovia's head of security (and romantic counterpart to Andrews), Heather Matarazzo as Mia's best pal, and Robert Schwartzman as the good guy who ultimately wins Mia's heart. All in all, a royal pleasure. --Mark Englehart
Disney's hilarious smash hit gets the royal treatment in this extraordinary 2-Disc Special Edition -- only on DVD. Starring Academy Award(R) winner Julie Andrews (1964 Best Actress, MARY POPPINS), the enchanting Anne Hathaway, and Hector Elizondo (PRETTY WOMAN), THE PRINCESS DIARIES is a cool, comical Cinderella story that will touch your heart. For teenager Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway), just surviving each school day is an adventure. Then the shocking news arrives that she's a real-life princess! So begins a comical transformation towards poise and princess-ness, including a media storm, jealous schoolmates, and a plot to take over her country.
Under the Tuscan Sun (Full Screen Edition)
by Audrey Wells
from Walt Disney Video
Though she made her first movie at the age of 13, Diane Lane has only blossomed into a true star in her 30s, and Under the Tuscan Sun marks her full flowering. After a brutal divorce, Frances (Lane, Unfaithful, A Walk on the Moon) is persuaded by her friend Patti (Sandra Oh) to take a tour of Italy--where, on a whim that she hopes will rescue her from her desperate unhappiness, she buys a rundown villa and sets out to renovate it. Along the way, she gets advice from a former Fellini actress, meets a scrumptious Italian lover, and helps support Patti after her own relationship derails. The conclusion of Under the Tuscan Sun holds no surprises, but the deft turns and observations along the way are delightful. Lane carries the film effortlessly but surely, exuding both heartbreak and re-awakening passion. --Bret Fetzer
From the studio that brought you SWEET HOME ALABAMA comes the extraordinary romantic comedy starring Academy Award(R) nominee Diane Lane (2002 Best Actress, UNFAITHFUL). Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN follows San Francisco writer Frances Mayes (Lane) to Italy as a good friend offers her a special gift -- 10 days in Tuscany. Once there, she is captivated by its beauty and warmth, and impulsively buys an aging, but very charming, villa. Fully embracing new friends and local color, she finds herself immersed in a life-changing adventure filled with enough unexpected surprises, laughter, friendship, and romance to restore her new home -- and her belief in second chances.
Mulan II
by Lynne Southerland
from Walt Disney Home Entertainment
With less drama and more slapstick than its predecessor, Disney's Mulan II continues the animated saga of the young Chinese heroine, Fa Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen, sung by Lea Salonga). The story picks up one month after Mulan has saved her country through bravery and determination. Revered by all, she now returns to her village and becomes engaged to General Li Shang. Wedding plans must wait, however, when the Emperor assigns the couple to a secret mission to escort his three princess daughters across China where their arranged marriages to waiting princes will secure an alliance with a rival kingdom and save China from invasion. Meanwhile, Mulan's wise-cracking guardian dragon, Mushu (voiced by Mark Moseley), realizes that if Mulan's marriage takes place, he is out of a job and so he undertakes his "18-phase master plan" of relationship sabotage to breakup the happy couple. Most of the film's jokes come from Moseley's Mushu (as quick-witted as Eddie Murphy's earlier performance), while a trio of prankish soldiers provide additional comic relief. While the film's overall effort is not as sensational as the original, it offers solid family entertainment, healthy female role models, and a handful of catchy songs. (Ages 6 and older) --Lynn Gibson
The magnificent legend of MULAN continues in an all-new movie that "captures the magic of the original," says Geoffrey Kleinman of DVD Talk. The beautiful and courageous heroine is back, along with her hilarious guardian dragon Mushu, for more excitement and adventure. After saving her nation from the evil Huns, the spirited Mulan gets the surprise of her life when General Shang asks for her hand in marriage. Before the wedding, however, Mulan and Shang must complete a dangerous mission as they escort three princesses, Ting-Ting, Mei, and Su, to a distant city. The future of China hangs in the balance when, in the middle of their journey, Mulan and Shang clash over their duties. Breathing fire into all this mayhem is the mischievous Mushu, who wants to keep Mulan single as long as possible in order to keep his cushy job as her guardian dragon. Featuring irresistible new music and great wall-to-wall laughs, MULAN II is "timelessly fun and touching. You'll want to watch it again and again," raves Tony Toscano of Talking Pictures.
Dancing at the Blue Iguana
by Michael Radford
from Lions Gate
At the Blue Iguana, in the heart of LA's San Fernando Valley, the lives of five strip club dancers converge over the course of one week. Angel (Daryl Hannah), attempts to qualify as a foster mother; Jasmine (Sandra Oh), is a clandestine poet who finds love at a coffee house reading; Jo (Jennifer Tilly), faces an unplanned pregnancy; Stormy (Sheila Kelley), confronts her bewildering past and Jesse (Charlotte Ayanna) gets a tough introduction to life in LA. This glimpse into the oft-misunderstood world of the strip club bares each girl inside and out both onstage and off, providing an insight to the story behind the dance.
The Night Listener
by Patrick Stettner
from Miramax
Celebrity and psychosis collide to truly creepy effect in The Night Listener. Radio personality Gabriel Noone (Robin Williams) is asked to read an advance copy of a memoir by a boy who was horribly abused by his parents. Struck by the boy's story, Noone starts talking to him over the phone, gradually taking an almost parental interest in him--until someone suggests that the boy may not be exactly who he seems. Troubled, Noone flies to Wisconsin, where he meets the boy's social worker (Toni Collette, The Sixth Sense, In Her Shoes) and uncovers some alarming secrets. Don't let the vague, faux-literary title The Night Listener lead you astray; this is a horror movie and a very good one. There are no supernatural monsters or relentless axe-murderers, only a damaged, manipulative mind, which proves to be creepier than any serial killer. Williams gives an excellent, quirk-free performance, but it's Collette who gets under your skin and crawls around. She's vividly eerie, the sort of performance that can stick with you for days. Stealthy, surprising, and wonderfully acted all around--the movie also features Joe Morton (The Brother from Another Planet), Bobby Cannavale (The Station Agent), and Sandra Oh (Sideways)--The Night Listener is an unexpected gem. --Bret Fetzer
Academy Award(R) winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, GOOD WILL HUNTING, 1997; ONE HOUR PHOTO, INSOMNIA) is unforgettable in a riveting, critically acclaimed psychological thriller based on true events! Gabriel Noone (Williams), a celebrated writer and late-night talk show host, becomes captivated by the harrowing story of a young listener and his adoptive mother (Toni Collette - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, IN HER SHOES). When troubling questions arise about the boy's identity, however, Noone finds himself drawn into a widening mystery that hides a deadly secret! Also starring Sandra Oh (SIDEWAYS, TV's GREY'S ANATOMY) and based on the best-selling novel by Armistead Maupin, THE NIGHT LISTENER delivers unpredictable twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
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