Rae, Charlotte

Hair

The Age of Aquarius is brought to life by the filmmaker who made Amadeus a household word. Milos Forman directed this version of James Rado, Gerome Ragni, and Galt MacDermot's landmark musical in 1979 between his Oscar-winning films One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus. With mixed reviews (Gene Siskel named it that year's best film) and lukewarm box-office grosses, the film all but disappeared from the collective consciousness. Yet the film beautifully delivers on its promise to bring the '60s back to life. Hair re-creates a colorful world of counterculture finding an anvil to pound on: the Vietnam War. Forman and his design team allow the film to wash over you, starting at the free-flowing opening in which masses of hippies, police, and even their horses eagerly groove to the familiar beat of "Aquarius." In the best work of his career, Treat Williams makes his leading- man debut as Berger, the leader of the Central Park troop who takes draftee Claude (John Savage) under his wing on his trip through New York City and the apex of what the '60s was. The new recording of the music is quite fine, with Chicago band member Don Dacus's rendition of the title song a highlight. As Berger's pièce de résistance number says, "I've Got Life"; so does the film, right down to its poignant declaration to "let the sunshine in." --Doug Thomas

Brimming with the energy, passion and music that rocked a nation, Hair is an entertaining and powerful tribute to the turbulent spirit of the '60s. Brilliantly recreated by OscarÂ(r)-winning* director Milos Forman and screenwriter Michael Weller (Ragtime), this vibrant screen version of the Broadway phenomenon ranks "among the best film musicals" (The Hollywood Reporter)! Fresh from the farm, Claude Bukowski (John Savage, The Thin Red Line) arrives in New York City for a date with the Army Induction Board, only to walk into a hippie "happening" inCentral Park and fall in love with the beautiful Shelia (Beverly D'Angelo, American History X). Befriended by the hippies' pacifist leader, Berger (Treat Williams, Mulholland Falls), and urged to crash a formal party in order to declare his love for Shelia, Claude begins an adventure that lands him in jail, Central Park Lake and, finally, in the army. But Berger's final effort to save Claude from Vietnam sets in motion a bizarre twist of fate with shocking consequences. *1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; 1984: Amadeus

The Facts of Life - The Complete Third Season

School is back in session as Mrs. Garrett and the girls of Eastland return for the third season of THE FACTS OF LIFE one of the '80s' biggest TV hits! Charlotte Rae (Emmy® nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series) stars as school nutritionist Edna Garrett who serves up her no-nonsense advice - and big laughs! - to Blair (Lisa Whelchel) Tootie (Kim Fields) Natalie (Mindy Cohn) and Jo (Nancy McKeon). The four girls are maturing into responsible young women and yet there is still so much more to learn!Third season highlights include the girls' adventures in Manhattan the cute boys of Bates Academy the return of Cousin Geri and even a special guest-star appearance by Jermaine Jackson! From the opening lines of the classic theme song to every one of Blair's "brilliant ideas" enjoy the poignant and hilarious moments of THE FACTS OF LIFE's third season digitally mastered and on DVD for the first time! All 24 episodes on 3 discs.System Requirements:Running Time: 602 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396162624 Manufacturer No: 16262

The Worst Witch (The Movie)

Based on Jill Murphy's book, this charming movie is set in an English boarding school for witches--complete with orange and black school uniforms, broom-flying exercises, and potion assignments for lab. The incompetent student of the title, Mildred, is played by a fetching young Fairuza Balk. Diana Rigg is the nasty head teacher, Tim Curry the (oddly) idolized Grand Wizard, and TV's Facts of Life maven Charlotte Rae does double duty as the school's kindly dean and her evil witch twin, who's bent on taking over the school. Directed by Robert Young, this 68-minute video features less than state-of-the-art effects and several songs that stop the action--most bizarrely an outdoor assembly performance by Curry that turns into a weird music video. Still, preteen girls will identify with the beleaguered heroine who overcomes her wickedly snooty rival, a teacher who doesn't believe in her, and a band of dastardly witches and, of course, saves the day. (Ages 6 and older) --Kimberly Heinrichs

The Facts of Life - The Complete First & Second Seasons

A 1979 spin-off from the popular sitcom DIFF'RENT STROKES THE FACTS OF LIFE followed the events in the life of Charlotte Rae headmistress at an elite private girl's school. Though it started on a rocky footing the show went on to become one of the most popular and beloved shows of the 1980s as the girls grew up together graduated and in the final episode embarked on their adult lives. The first season of the show featured seven students but by the second season this number had been cut to four: the spoiled rich girl Blair; the boy-crazy Sue Ann; the gossipy Tootie; and the plump and na ve Natalie. With humor and heart this show dealt with the wide range of issues and challenges facing young women.System Requirements:Running Time 610 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396129795 Manufacturer No: 12979

Before Degrassi Junior High and Seventh Heaven, there was The Facts of Life--a feel-good sitcom where a lesson was learned at the end of each episode. Set in an all-girl boarding school, the series spanned nine seasons, countless hairdos, and an array of cast members and guest stars--some of whom (George Clooney, Helen Hunt, Molly Ringwald) would become very, very famous in the future. But in the 29 episodes that cover the first two seasons, the series introduces TV viewers to characters that represent girls everyone knows--Blair, the rich, spoiled girl; Natalie, the chubby smart aleck; Jo, the rebellious tomboy; and Tootie, the rollerskating tattletale.

A spin-off of Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life was designed as a showcase for Charlotte Rae, who played jack-of-all-trades den mother Edna Garrett. But the show's central plots all revolved around the girls. Back in 1979, certain words weren't common on television. So when Blair tries to make a schoolmate feel bad, insinuating that the girl is a lesbian, she uses the word "strange" instead of the "L" word. The series is a coming-of-age story that plays to its target audience of teenage girls. While much of the humor isn't very sophisticated, the homespun messages the show spread are right on target, whether it's dealing with eating disorders, sexual promiscuity, or acknowledging that handicapped people are people, too. From 1979 to 1988, the girls would grow into young women who go to college, get jobs, and lose their virginity (not necessarily in that order). But in the early seasons, there's a sweet innocence that still rings true today. --Jae-Ha Kim

Thunder in Paradise Collection

Bananas

Woody Allen's second film as a director was a wild, unpredictable, and unlikely comedy about a product-tester named Fielding Mellish (Allen), who can't quite connect with the woman of his dreams (Louise Lasser, Allen's ex-wife). He accidentally winds up in South America as a freedom fighter for a guerrilla leader who looks like Castro. Once he assumes power, the new dictator quickly goes insane--which leaves Fielding in charge to negotiate with the U.S. The film is chockfull of wonderfully bizarre gags, such as the dreams Fielding recounts to his shrink about dueling crucified messiahs, vying for a parking place near Wall Street. Look for an unknown Sylvester Stallone in a tiny role--but watch this film for Allen's surprisingly physical (and always verbally dexterous) humor. --Marshall Fine

Woody Allen's second film as a director, co-writer and star takes parody to the extreme with a brilliant send-up of everything from relationships to dictatorships. An early example of what Allen called his "slapdash" approach to comedy, Bananas' broad, fast humor and rapid-fire witticisms form a dazzling kaleidoscope of "inspired ingenuity and comic artistry" (Look). When bumbling product-tester, Fielding Mellish (Allen) is jilted by his girlfriend, Nancy (Louise Lasser),he heads to the tiny republic of San Marcos for a vacation only to become kidnapped by rebels! Oncethe band of rebels seizes power, their leader goes crazy, and they replace him with Mellish, thinking he can save the country. But when Mellish is nabbed by the FBI, he is put on trial for subversionand in a side-splitting courtroom showdownincluding the most hilarious self-cross examination everWoody Allen proves beyond a doubt that he is not only our most gifted satirist he's a master comic artist.

Hello Down There

Given the chance to live in a simulated underwater home for a month, a scientist convinces his family to take advantage of the offer. Once the family agrees to move in, underwater mayhem occurs!

Tom and Jerry - The Movie

Tom and Jerry return to the silver screen in a magical music-filled extravaganza! The celebrated cat-and-mouse team meets Robyn Starling a runaway who desperately needs their help to find her missing father. Despite heroic efforts Tom and Jerry are captured by Robyn's nasty Aunt Figg and her lawyer Lickboot then tossed into pet prison by the villainous Dr. Applecheeks. Tom and Jerry brilliantly mastermind a great escape and free their new friends Puggsy and Frankie Da Flea. Together with Robyn they set off on a wild cat-and-mouse escapade full of thrills and adventure like you've never seen.Running Time: 84 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY UPC: 053939805529 Manufacturer No: T8055

Too bad this theatrical paws you in from the first frame with clever characters, memorable music, and a pulled-together plot, because if you're a dyed-in-the-fur Tom and Jerry fan, your first inclination is to flee the set. Offending old-schoolers in a late-Bewitched new-Darren sense is the dialogue--not only do Tom and Jerry speak, they're talking to each other. Worse, the former combatants cultivate a camaraderie. Instead of clobbering each other with mallets, the cat and mouse duo dig in, together, to rescue a runaway. Returning Robyn to her dad requires outfoxing Aunt Figg, the girl's money-grubbing guardian, and a cadre of scheming animal and kid catchers. A little tail-twitching mousetrap action toward the end is the tender vittle tossed to the old crowd in what's otherwise a declawed but undeniably entertaining chase-a-thon. Put it on for kids 4 and up and help forge a kinder, gentler Tom and Jerry generation. --Tammy La Gorce

Another Woman's Husband

Twenty-five years after she witnesses her brother's drowning death, and despite her successful career as a psychologist, Laurel (Lisa Rinna) turns to a local swimming instructor for help in conquering her paralyzing fear of the water. For Susan (Gail O'Grady), the pool is her salvation, the only place she's ever felt confident and successful.

As Susan helps Laurel tackle her phobia, the two begin developing a bond. As the student learns to swim, the teacher learns to confront her own lifetime of troubles. The two share a special friendship created by trust and openness. They experience the ultimate test in friendship when they find out that they also share something else: the same man. Based on a true story. DRAMA. 91 Minutes.

The Hot Rock

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid writer William Goldman and star Robert Redford re-teamed for this jaunty, lightly satiric caper comedy from 1972. Redford plays a master thief with his eye on a rare diamond. He assembles a gang of quirky fellow pros (fine character performances by Paul Sand and Ron Leibman, plus George Segal in one of his definitive, neurotic-exasperated roles from the '70s), only to find that stealing the gem is a very elusive and complicated goal. The film, set in Manhattan, was made right around the time that reports of New York City police corruption were reaching critical mass. Goldman's script and Peter Yates's direction take a broad swipe at law-enforcement culture, making it easy to be on the side of Redford's slick antihero. The Hot Rock works best as a series of set-pieces, memorable star turns (Zero Mostel is on board), and edgy exchanges between Segal and Redford. --Tom Keogh

Four would-be thieves attempt to steal the same diamond four times.