Turner, Tyrin

Ultimate Jordan (20th Anniversary Three-Disc Collector's Edtion)

Marking 20 years since Michael Jordan's celebrated arrival in the NBA, this truly historic 3-disc Collector's Edition chronicles the amazing career of this great American icon. For the first time ever, exclusive to this set, are Jordan's five all-time, greatest games in their entirety. Add to this, five #1 best-selling Michael Jordan programs, over an hour of bonus footage including MJ's greatest moves, dunks and shots, plus DVD-ROM features and you have the ultimate tribute to the ultimate sports legend. Reference ID:TC01-DVD-0951

Michael Jordan, the greatest player in the history of team sports, gets an appropriate showcase with Ultimate Jordan, a two-disc set that's the most feature-packed sports DVD to date. It includes five programs previously available on VHS--some of the most spectacular footage is on Come Fly with Me (1989), which covers Jordan's youth, college years, and early NBA career. Michael Jordan's Playground (1991) is, as the title suggests, more fanciful, combining highlight footage with a fictional story line and a music video, while Air Time (1993) takes us into the championship and Dream Team years. The more sobering Above and Beyond (1996) covers the death of Jordan's father, his first retirement, and his baseball endeavors, and His Airness (1999) summarizes his career up through the famous final shot against the Utah Jazz. The numerous extra features collect various clips and highlights, but the best section is "Michael's Great 8," which provides 2.5- to 6-minute segments about significant Jordan games, including his 63 points against Boston in the 1986 playoffs and the 1997 "flu game" against Utah. Ultimate Jordan's release in the fall of 2001 coincided with Jordan's not-unexpected return from his second retirement, making it clear that there's another chapter in the Jordan legacy yet to be written. --David Horiuchi

Menace II Society

Tyrin Turner may not have broken out into stardom as was initially expected, but his work in Menace II Society is one of the more powerful cinematic debuts. The film, from the brother writer-director team of Allen and Albert Hughes, chronicles life in the Los Angeles 'hood. Similar territory was covered in the equally commanding Boyz N the Hood, but what makes this cautionary tale stand out is not only the Hughes brothers' forceful story, (written with their friend, Tyger Williams) and direction, but the naturalness of then-newcomer leads Turner as Caine, Larenz Tate as O-Dog, and Jada Pinkett as Ronnie. They are so credible--occasionally frighteningly so--that the repressive universe of violent ghetto life is captured effectively. Life as portrayed here--and no doubt accurately so--is both figuratively and literally narrow. As a very young boy, Caine witnesses his dad murdered over something inconsequential, and his mom OD. His is a world where respect comes from intimidation, power from violence. Despite his understanding of right and wrong (values passed on by a good friend, his kind grandparents, a caring teacher), his life and its entrapments are too much to overcome. --N.F. Mendoza

Directed by twin brothers, Allen and Albert Hughes, this critically acclaimed cinematic masterpiece brilliantly details real life in today's tough inner city. With the powerhouse performances by Tyrin Turner (Deep Cover), Larenz Tate (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) and Jada Pinkett (A Different World), the film also features dynamite supporting roles by Charles S. Dutton (Roc) and Bill Duke (Predator).

DVD Features:
Interviews
Production Notes
Theatrical Trailer

Belly, Special Edition, Version 2

Deep Cover

Bill Duke (A Rage in Harlem) directed this edgy action yarn that stretches the barriers of the genre. It explores the fine line between good and evil, while testing the resolve of a moral man seduced by an easier, more pleasurable lifestyle. Although the plot eventually becomes too overblown and earnest, Deep Cover proves far more intelligent than the average action pic. Laurence Fishburne is the straight-arrow undercover cop who gets so far into his assumed identity that he has trouble recognizing the good guys from the bad. The characters, all flawed, are fleshed out and believable as they face their decisions with questions and doubt, unlike most in this genre. Jeff Goldblum provides smarmy comic relief as an eccentric mid-level drug dealer/attorney who is probably a psychopath and most definitely paving his path to hell. --Rochelle O'Gorman

A cop with the psychological profile of a criminal goes undercover and finds himself caught up in his criminal life.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 15-AUG-2000
Media Type: DVD

Little Boy Blue

A dark moody story from Texas about Jimmy West (Phillippe) a young boy who struggles to remain normal in the midst of severe family dysfunction. His father Ray a crazed Vietnam veteran forces him to have sex with his wife for kicks. Eventually a woman from Ray's past arrives to exact the revenge that will put him in his place once and for all.System Requirements:Running Time 99 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: R UPC: 012236196198 Manufacturer No: 19619

Janet Jackson - Design of a Decade

The arc of Janet Jackson's career from the late 1980s to the late '90s was a story of determined growth by an artist and woman. The extent to which Jackson served as a role model for many an adolescent girl during that decade (a phenomenon illuminated on another DVD, The Rhythm Nation Compilation) speaks to the formidable yet feminine image she presented via her music and music videos. Design of a Decade includes 16 of her videos from 1986 to 1996, taking us through Jackson's early, "don't trifle with me" attitude in the "What Have You Done for Me Lately" era, to her more rapturous, sensual makeover in "Love Will Never Do (Without You)." Of course, this video is also a record of some of the most ambitious music videos ever produced, including Julien Temple's elaborate "When I Think of You," Peter Smillie's "Escapade," and Marcus Nispel's ecstatic, fantastic "Runaway." --Tom Keogh

Belly

From acclaimed director Hype Williams comes this realistic urban drama highlighted by an all-star hip-hop cast, visually dazzling cinematography and a pulsing rap soundtrack.

Michael Jordan's Playground (NBA Hardwood Classics)

New to DVD! Update your NBA collection with this classic title with a new branded line look featuring one of the greatest athletes of all-time. Value priced for an impulse purchase just in time for the start to the NBA season. Combines dazzling highlights from Jordan's spectacular career and a dramatic and personal storyline. Inspired by the life story of the NBA's greatest superstar, Jordan makes his acting debut, as he encourages a young player who has been cut from his high school team. This unique DVD also captures Jordan's most exciting moments on the court and conveys Michael's own insights about how hard work and dedication will help you reach your goals.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan is both subject and star of this video, which begins with a dizzying montage of Jordan's spectacular moves on the court. That's followed by dramatic feature about a dejected teenager who doesn't make the cut at a high school basketball team tryout but who winds up, as if by magic, getting coaching from Jordan himself. Pertinent clips from Jordan's college and pro career illustrate particular points as he delivers lessons about determination and "heart." Some of Jordan's teammates and illustrious opponents also appear in interview segments to talk about his fierce will to win. Rounding out Michael Jordan's Playground is a music video, in which Jordan even does a little dancing. This video is always entertaining, and chances are it would be helpful as a motivational tool for a young player. --Robert J. McNamara

Belly

Crime Partners

Small time gangstas Billy Goode (Tyrin Turner) and Jackie Williams (John Bryant) are fed up with their work going unrecognized. So when a ruthless underworld crime boss with a twisted vision of justice contracts them to handle a high profile hit, it is bad news for Harlem. In the realm of Training Day and Belly, Crime Partners is relentless and action packed. Also starring Snoop Dogg, Ice-T and Ja Rule.