The Big Lebowski - 10th Anniversary Limited Edition
from Universal Studios
After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy case of the munchies. --Jeff Shannon
After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy case of the munchies. --Jeff Shannon
From the Academy Award winning Coen Brothers comes The Big Lebowski - the hilariously quirky comedy-thriller about bowling, avant-garde art, nihilistic Austrians, and a guy named…The Dude.
Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski doesn't want any drama in his life…heck, he can't even be bothered with a job. But, in a case of mistaken identity, a couple of thugs break into his place and steal his rug (you gotta understand, that rug really tied the room together). Now, The Dude must embark on a quest with his crazy friends to make things right and get that rug back!
Starring Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, John Goodman, John Turturro and Steve Buscemi, The Big Lebowski has become a cultural phenomenon. Now, experience the outrageous fan favorite like never before in this 2-Disc Anniversary Edition loaded with all-new bonus features that will take you beyond the movie! The Dude abides…
The X-Files - The Complete Third Season (Slim Set)
by Robert Mandel
from 20th Century Fox
By its third season, The X-Files had grown from a cult hit to a global phenomenon, becoming the most popular show in many countries outside the U.S. Armed with the knowledge that the show was here to stay, series creator Chris Carter expanded its mythology, and the 24 episodes in this boxed set represent arguably the strongest of all the X-Files seasons. As usual, stand-alone episodes explored the paranormal and sometimes terrifying possibilities in mythology, pop culture, and religion. Darin Morgan helps the show to mature by expanding its use of humor, directing classic episodes such as "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" (featuring a fabulous performance from Peter Boyle) and "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space.'" Meanwhile, two-part episodes continue to delve into the X-Files' own mythology, introducing the alien black oil, the implant in Scully's neck, the mysterious Agent X, and the shape-shifting Jeremiah Smith. But following the complex mythology is not crucial to enjoying the show. The strength of the X-Files lies not in resolution but in feeding the paranoia of its rabid audience by revealing conspiracies that linger in the mind as unanswered questions. Series creator Carter realized wisely that fans did not look to the X-Files to explain the unexplained, but to question that which they thought they understood. The third season was effective because it hinted that while the truth was out there, it was more complex, sinister, and amazing than even Mulder had imagined. --Eugene Wei
This season, series creator Chris Carter expanded the mythology with plots like the alien black oil and Scully's implant, but also further developed the show's trademark humor and continued to explore paranormal possibilities.
The X-Files - The Complete Fourth Season (Slim Set)
by Robert Mandel
from 20th Century Fox
Now you can own the entire fourth season of THE X-FILES?. ALL 24 classic episodes are availale for the first time in this exclusive 7-disc collector's edition. From "Herrenvolk," "Home," "Tunguska," and "Terma" to "Memento Mori," "Max," "Small Potatoes," and "Gethsemane," these Season Four episodes are a must for every X-Files fan.
Silver Bullet
by Daniel Attias
from Paramount
Corey Haim (back when he was still cute) and his souped-up hot-rod of a wheelchair are all that stand between a sleepy little New England town and a ferocious full-moon killer in Stephen King's adaptation of his novella Cycle of the Werewolf. This minor entry into the werewolf canon lacks the scares and sense of humor of superior hirsute thrillers The Howling and An American Werewolf in London, but pays off in some nice casting touches. Gary Busey is loyal to the end as Haim's beer-guzzling Uncle Red, Twin Peaks's Everett McGill cuts an unsettling figure as the town minister, and fleshy B-movie icon Lawrence Tierney (Reservoir Dogs) is the gruff bartender who breaks up bar fights with a baseball bat called "The Peacemaker." The monstrous wolf beast, a towering mountain of fangs and fur, is the creation of Carlo Rambaldi (E.T.). --Sean Axmaker
Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
by Nicholas Meyer
from Paramount
Star Trek V left us nowhere to go but up, and with the return of Star Trek II director Nicholas Meyer, Star Trek VI restored the movie series to its classic blend of space opera, intelligent plotting, and engaging interaction of stalwart heroes and menacing villains. Borrowing its subtitle (and several lines of dialogue) from Shakespeare, the movie finds Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) and his fellow Enterprise crew members on a diplomatic mission to negotiate peace with the revered Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner). When the high-ranking Klingon and several officers are ruthlessly murdered, blame is placed on Kirk, whose subsequent investigation uncovers an assassination plot masterminded by the nefarious Klingon General Chang (Christopher Plummer) in an effort to disrupt a historic peace summit. As this political plot unfolds, Star Trek VI takes on a sharp-edged tone, with Kirk and Spock confronting their opposing views of diplomacy, and testing their bonds of loyalty when a Vulcan officer is revealed to be a traitor. With a dramatic depth befitting what was to be the final movie mission of the original Star Trek crew, this film took the veteran cast out in respectably high style. With the torch being passed to the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation, only Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov would return, however briefly, in Star Trek: Generations. --Jeff Shannon
Captain Kirk must escape from a Klingon prison world in order to prevent militaristic malcontents from sabotaging the Klingon-Federation peace initiative.
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: PG
Release Date: 10-APR-2007
Media Type: DVD
No Way Out
by Roger Donaldson
from MGM (Video & DVD)
This implausible, but effective 1987 film stars Kevin Costner (Bull Durham, Wyatt Earp) as a naval officer and CIA agent who may not be what he seems. This sexy thriller is an espionage mystery and an enigmatic character study of two men trying to be faithful to the loyalties they hold. Costner begins a torrid love affair with the mistress (Sean Young) of the Secretary of Defense, but when she turns up dead, Costner is implicated in a web of intrigue that threatens national security and exposes personal secrets at the highest levels. The Secretary and his men try to cover up the affair while simultaneously searching for a Soviet mole in their ranks. Featuring an exciting chase sequence through the Washington, D.C., subways, No Way Out is a standard issue thriller that nonetheless keeps the action coming. --Robert Lane
Imagine being a hunter leading highly trained bloodhounds in pursuit of a killer...and the trail leads directly to you! Starring Academy-Award® winners Kevin Costner* and Gene Hackman** No Way Out is a mesmerizing look at Washington power (The Hollywood Reporter). Capturing a well-deserved four stars from critic Roger Ebert this taut [and] stylish (Newsweek) thriller is fast-paced and powerful -- a perfect nailbiter (Variety)! In a fit of rage Secretary of Defense David Brice (Hackman) murders his mistress. To keep a lid on the scandal Brice s loyal aide (Will Patton) creates the perfect cover up: he invents a more enticing killer -- a Russian spy -- and then enlists naval commander Tom Farrell (Costner) to find him. But as a chilling twist of fate would have it Farrell also has a strong connection to the victim and now all the clues he s been hired to uncover are leading straight to him! In a desperate race against time Farrell s search for the killer is not only a matter of national security but also a matter of saving his own hide.Special Features:Collectible BookletOriginal Theatrical TrailerSystem Requirements: Running Time 114 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE Rating: R UPC: 027616843623 Manufacturer No: 908436
The Adventures of Huck Finn
by Stephen Sommers
from Walt Disney Video
Film adaptation of Mark Twain's story about the young boy and his travels with the escaped slave Jim down the Mississippi River.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: PG
Release Date: 4-FEB-2003
Media Type: DVD
Huckleberry Finn's age has been scaled down in this 1993 Disney film in order to accommodate star Elijah Wood's young years at the time. But that's not the only concession Mark Twain's great American novel must make to Disney revisionism. Wood's Huck, as adapted for the screen by writer-director Stephen Sommers, is all rascal and only nominally a philosopher, which takes a lot of the soul out of Twain's extraordinary story about Huck's enlightenment while traveling with the slave Jim (Courtney B. Vance) along the Mississippi river. Big chunks of the journey are also minimized in significance, and not just for the sake of storytelling economy. Jason Robards Jr. and Robbie Coltrane brighten things up, but overall this is an unnecessarily simplified version of an important story. --Tom Keogh
The Phantom
by Simon Wincer
from Paramount
This plain-vanilla version of the old Lee Falk comic strip stars Billy Zane as a 1930s incarnation of the Phantom, an African-based, masked hero whose forefathers have all donned the costume at one time or another. Sworn to crush evil, the Phantom leaves his jungle lair to venture to New York, where he takes on a charming but criminal mastermind (Treat Williams). There's no oomph to this film at all. The very capable director Simon Wincer (Phar Lap) seems to be working with a leaden production and an inferior talent pool behind the camera. The talent in front of the camera do their best, but it isn't enough. --Tom Keogh
The X-Files - The Complete First Season
by Robert Mandel
from 20th Century Fox
In the first season of The X-Files, creator Chris Carter was uncertain of the series' future, so each of the episodes is a self-contained suspense story; they do not delve deep into the ongoing X-Files mythology or turn to self-parody and humor as do episodes in later seasons. Yet, these episodes display the elements for which the show would become famous: the cinematic production values and top-notch special effects, the stark lighting of the Vancouver sets, the atmospheric halo of Mark Snow's score, and the clever plots dealing with subjects ranging from the occult, religion, and monsters to urban legends, conspiracy theories, and science fiction. Most importantly, season 1 introduces FBI agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Fox "Spooky" Mulder (David Duchovny), two of the most attractive government officials around. Scully is the serious-minded medical scientist assigned to join Mulder on the X-Files, a division of the FBI dealing with the paranormal. Mulder is the intuitive thinker with a dry wit, a passionate believer in the existence of paranormal phenomena and one of the few characters on television smart enough to figure out who the bad guy is before the audience does. Their muddled relationship, a deep friendship laced with sexual tension, provides the human heart in a world where the bizarre and horrible lurk in everyday society.
The materials on the bonus disc provide some interesting trivia and background, but it is the 24 episodes themselves that make this seven-disc boxed set a true find. Those unfamiliar with The X-Files often view all the fuss with the same skepticism with which Scully first regards her new partner's ideas. But just as she comes to realize the uncanny accuracy of Mulder's outlandish theories, newcomers to The X-Files who sample a few episodes in this boxed set will likely find themselves riveted to their television late into the night. And undoubtedly, the shadows and creaking noises in the house that evening will seem more menacing than usual. --Eugene Wei
The Retrievers
by Paul Schneider
from Gaiam
A young man named Tom Cathral is assigned the task of tracking down an ex-CIA agent who wrote a scathing expose of the agency's practices. When he learns that the charges are true -- that an elite force of CIA killers called the Retrievers actually exists -- he decides to expose the CIA using his own method - martial arts. Thrilling and awe-inspiring fight scenes follow and build to a riveting climax!Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY UPC: 018713523198 Manufacturer No: 05-52319
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