Ullman, Tracey

Robin Hood - Men in Tights

It's not Blazing Saddles, but there are some chuckles to be found in Mel Brooks's 1993 spoof of the Robin Hood legend. Cary Elwes is Robin (with a lighthearted jab at Kevin Costner's bad English accent in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), while Richard Lewis plays an angst-ridden King John, and Roger Rees a snotty Sheriff of Nottingham. Comic David Chappelle has some good moments as the only black member of Robins's noble thieves, and Brooks does his own spin on Friar Tuck: Rabbi Tuchman. The song-and-dance sequences featuring a chorus line of the Merry Men ("We're men / men in tights") is vintage Brooks, but otherwise the film can't get any traction. --Tom Keogh

Cary Elwes stars as Robin Hood, the dashing defender of the down-trodden, who along with his merry men and Maid Marion, resides in Sherwood Forest. There they have become together to fight against the seriously neurotic Prince John, the not quite-evil Sheriff of Rottingham, and the mad scorceress Latrine.

Once Upon a Mattress

The playful 2004 television version of Once Upon a Mattress brings everything full circle for Carol Burnett, who played klutzy Princess Winnifred, would-be fiancee of royal mama's boy Prince Dauntless, in the original 1959 Broadway cast production of the musical (as well as 1964 and 1972 television adaptations). In the new show, Burnett now essays the role of Dauntless's control-freak mom, Queen Aggravain, and is very funny in the part. An Oedipal nightmare, Aggravain is in no hurry to let the prince act his adult age, chasing off prospective wives (and queens-in-training) by putting them through unbeatable tests. Along comes Winnifred (Tracey Ullman, who manages the physically demanding role quite nicely), who turns the kingdom on its head with her goofy charm, sets Dauntless's heart aflame, and poses a serious threat to Aggravain's plans. The fun supporting cast in this tuneful take on "The Princess and the Pea" includes Tom Smothers as King Sextimus, the mute monarch who manages to impart wisdom, Zooey Deschanel as pregnant Lady Larken, who helps bring Winnifred to the castle, and Denis O'Hare (21 Grams) as the boyish Dauntless. --Tom Keogh

Based on the acclaimed Broadway musical, an all-star cast brings a beloved fairy tale to life in Disney Presents ONCE UPON A MATTRESS. Queen Aggravain (Carol Burnett) sabotages the efforts of every young princess who hopes to marry her son, Prince Dauntless (Denis O'Hare) -- and no one else can settle down until he does! Honorable Sir Harry is determined to marry the lovely Lady Larken (Zooey Deschanel), so he sets off for faraway lands and returns with an unlikely candidate: Princess Winnifred from the swamps (Tracey Ullman). It's love at first sight for the Prince, so the Queen sets about planning her most difficult challenge yet. The palace is filled with merriment and mischief while everyone wonders, will Princess "Fred" pass the Queen's test?

I Could Never Be Your Woman

I Could Never Be Your Woman is an Amy Heckerling film in the very best sense: very funny, culturally relevant, a little bitter and a little sweet. Heckerling's body of work is often labeled inconsistent: On the plus side, you have teen classics Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Clueless, both of which captured the '80s and '90s zeitgeists perfectly and were huge commercial and critical successes. On the other, more disappointing side, we find the Look Who's Talking trilogy and A Night at the Roxbury. After her last foray behind the camera, the mildly funny but pretty uninteresting film The Loser, Heckerling has come back with an extremely entertaining and likeable movie that has unfortunately been overshadowed by a lot of controversy regarding the film's release and studio politics. I Could Never Be Your Woman is a movie about Rosie, a divorced woman in her 40s (Michelle Pfeiffer) and the younger man she falls in love with (the perennially likeable Paul Rudd). It is also a movie about youth-obsessed Hollywood, celebrity culture, and the inevitability of aging. Rosie is the mother of a teenage daughter (Atonement's Saoirse Ronan) and struggles to raise her daughter apart from the warped narcissistic values of Hollywood, while being in a position of perpetuating those same values (Pfeiffer plays the creator and producer of a teen TV show). While the movie is otherwise a jumbled mess of themes and plot points, Heckerling succeeds in keeping it cohesive. With this A-list cast, Heckerling's strong pedigree, and a genuinely enjoyable script, this is a film that didn't deserve a straight-to-video-release. --Kira Canny

A romantic Comedy about a successful professional woman who runs into trouble in her love life when she meets a younger man.

I Love You to Death

This spotty black comedy from Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill)--based on a true story--stars Kevin Kline as a womanizing pizzeria owner whose mousy wife (Tracey Ullman) tries multiple ways of murdering him with the aid of sundry friends and hired hands. The film never picks up the necessary momentum or develops the necessary tone to drive it, and one is left picking and choosing which of the performers is at least adequately entertaining. Kline is good but perhaps a bit too theatrical, and Joan Plowright is hilarious as his mother-in-law. The funniest joke in the whole thing belongs to William Hurt and Keanu Reeves as deeply-stoned, would-be-killers who emerge from a taxi and look as if they can't remember what planet they're on. --Tom Keogh

Live Aid (4 Disc Set)

The Day The Music Changed the World 1. Bob Dylan 2. David Bowie 3. Mick Jagger 4. U2 5. Queen 6. Paul McCartney 7. Madonna 8. Elton John 9. The Who 10. Eric Clapton 11. Neil Young 12. Dire Straits 13. Beach Boys 14. Sting 15. Tina Turner 16. Bryan Ferry 17. Bryan Adams 18. Joan Baez 19. Keith Richards 20. Ron Wood The Biggest Rock Event in History 1. Pretenders 2. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 3. George Michaels 4. Hall & Oates 5. INXS 6. Crosby Stills & Nash 7. Phil Collins 8. Style Council 9. Black Sabbath Featuring Ozzy Osbourne 10. Sade 11. Status Quo 12. Elvis Costello 13. The Cars The Greatest Live Concert of All Time 1. B.B. King 2. Duran Duran 3. Simple Minds 4. Alison Moyet 5. Paul Young 6. Boomtown Rays 7. Ultravox 8. Spandau Ballet 9. Albert Collins 10. Patti LaBelle 11. Teddy Pendergrass 12. Ashford & Simpson 13. George Thorogood & The Destroyers 14. Run DMCFormat: DVD AUDIO Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS Rating: NR UPC: 603497038329 Manufacturer No: 970383

Billed as "the day music changed history," the Live Aid concerts of July 13, 1985, were held to raise money to fight the horrifying famines sweeping Africa. The brainchild of Bob Geldof and representing the efforts of countless musicians and technicians, Live Aid was a genuine and inspiring effort to help the victims of an overwhelming calamity. Twenty years after the twin concerts (one in London, one in Philadelphia) were broadcast worldwide, the 4-DVD treatment furthers the cause, with proceeds going toward the Band Aid Trust.

The DVD set opens with a heartbreaking documentary on the crisis, followed by videos of the two hit songs that represented the collaborative nature of Geldof's efforts—Band Aid' s "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and USA for Africa's "We Are the World." Since Live Aid was never intended to be released in a recorded format, preservation of TV footage has been unreliable, resulting in some glaring omissions. Led Zeppelin's semi-reunion doesn't appear, and neither does a legendary session with Bob Dylan, Ron Wood, and Keith Richards. Some sets by performers who were popular at the time may inspire either nostalgic glee or head-scratching (Kiki Dee fans, you know who you are). Sprinkled amid these performances are a couple real gems, including a performance by Run DMC, the event's sole representative of the ascendant rap movement. Much of the music here was a passing fad, but the sentiment that brought it all together is timeless. -- Ryan Boudinot

Bullets Over Broadway

One of Woody Allen's best films of the '90s, Bullets over Broadway stars John Cusack as a virtual Woody surrogate, a neurotic, Jazz Age writer whose new play sounds wooden and unrealistic to a low-level mobster (Chazz Palminteri) assigned to watch over his boss's actress-girlfriend (Jennifer Tilly). When the hood starts contributing better story ideas and dialogue than what the official playwright can conjure, questions (not unlike those of Amadeus) about the price we pay to make art at the expense of other responsibilities are intriguingly raised. Palminteri gives a very interesting performance as the enforcer waking up to the desperate (and almost feminine) demands of his own creative psyche, and Dianne Wiest (who won an Oscar), Tracey Ullman, Jim Broadbent, and Jennifer Tilly are very funny together playing the ensemble cast of Cusack's play. --Tom Keogh

Big city mobsters and the Broadway stage collide hilariously in this side-splitting all-star comedy that had audiences and critics rolling in the aisles! John Cusack (SERENDIPITY, HIGH FIDELITY) stars as David Shayne, an idealistic young writer who'll do anything to get his first Broadway play off the ground -- even if it means teaming up with the mob! Surrounded by a wacky cast of characters including a gangster's ditzy girlfriend (Jennifer Tilly, LIAR, LIAR), a tipsy actress (Dianne Wiest in her Academy Award(R)-winning performance -- Best Supporting Actress, 1994), and a mob hit man (Chazz Palminteri, THE USUAL SUSPECTS), Shayne's got to pull it all off before the curtain falls and bullets start to fly!

A Dirty Shame (NC-17 Rated Theatrical Version)

When prissy, prickly Sylvia Stickles (Tracey Ullman) suffers a head injury during a traffic altercation, she's, er, revived by self-appointed sexual missionary Ray-Ray Perkins (Johnny Knoxville) and is transformed into an insatiable, take-no-prisoners sex maniac. Yes, it's a John Waters film. Yes, it's filthy. No, it's not as hilarious and sustained as you'd like it to be. It works for a while, though: Ullman, never a stingy comedienne, does everything Waters dares her to do without hesitation; words cannot describe the perversely sporting delight with which she mounts a water bottle during a round of "The Hokey Pokey" at an old folks' home. And there's some fun to be had when Sylvia's emancipation leads her Baltimore 'burb to new heights of ecstasy, freeing her large-breasted daughter Caprice (Selma Blair) while horrifying husband Vaughn (Chris Isaak) and her hardline mother Big Ethel (Suzanne Shepherd, hysterical) in the process. It's also packed with the standard cameos, the most satisfying of which is good old Patty Hearst at a Sex Addicts Anonymous encounter. But, for all the nasty, necessary glee, the movie feels inescapably been-there-done-that, and you can't help but wish this was 1972 and Divine was on hand to prowl for dog droppings. The most shocking thing about A Dirty Shame is how desperate and tiresome its anarchy becomes.--Steve Wiecking

Are you ready for a movie that puts filth right where it belongs? Then get ready to laugh with A Dirty Shame--the latest raunchy riot from director John Waters (Hairspray). When a concussion awakens the carnal urges of Sylvia (Tracey Ullman), the people of Pinewood become pitted against each other in a battle of decency versus depravity.

DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Feature commentary with John WatersDVD ROM Features:Documentary:"All the Dirt on A Dirty Shame" documentaryTheatrical Trailer:

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Full Screen Edition)

Set in a 19th century European village this stop-motion animated feature follows the story of Victor (voiced by JOHNNY DEPP) a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride while his real bride Victoria waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing Victor learns that there is nothing in this world or the next that can keep him away from his one true love.Running Time: 77 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY UPC: 012569593503 Manufacturer No: 59350

Who else but Tim Burton could make Corpse Bride, a necrophiliac's delight that's fun for the whole family? Returning to the richly imaginative realm of stop-motion animation (after previous successes with The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach), Burton, with codirector Mike Johnson, invites us to visit the dour, ashen, and drearily Victorian mansions of the living, where young Victor Van Dort (voiced by Johnny Depp) is bequeathed to wed the lovely Victoria (Emily Watson). But the wedding rehearsal goes sour and, in the kind of Goth-eerie forest that only exists in Burton-land, Victor suddenly finds himself accidentally married to the Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter), a blue-tinted, half-skeletal beauty (how pleasantly full-bosomed she remains!) with a loquacious maggot installed behind one prone-to-popping eyeball. This being a Burton creation, the underworld of the dead is a lively and colorful place indeed, and Danny Elfman's songs and score make it even livelier, presenting Victor with quite a dilemma: Should he return above-ground to Victoria, or remain devoted to his corpse bride? At a brisk 76 minutes, Burton's graveyard whimsy (loosely based on a 19th century Russian folktale) never wears out its welcome, and the voice casting (which includes Tracey Ullman and Albert Finney) is superbly matched the film's gloriously amusing character design, guaranteed to yield a wealth of gruesome toys and action figures for many Halloweens to come. --Jeff Shannon

Kronk's New Groove

Believing in oneself and remaining steadfast to one's convictions prove vital components of happiness and success in Kronk's New Groove. In this sequel to The Emperor's New Groove, the Emperor fades into the background as the resident nice guy in the palace and henchman Kronk's new life takes center stage. No longer just a dim-witted tough guy, Kronk is fulfilling his dreams as head chef in a local restaurant and camp counselor at Camp Chippamuka. Sure, he's made a few mistakes including being hoodwinked yet again by Yzma, but he's made things right and he's happy. Problem is, his father is coming for a visit and Kronk has led him to believe that he's settled into a house on a hill with a wife and family. Desperate to win his father's approval, Kronk pretends he's someone he's not while bemoaning the events that have deprived him of the status symbols his father demands. In reviewing those events, he learns an important lesson about the value of friendship and doing what is right. Humor abounds in this successful sequel, the animation and voice talent are strong, and the characters are just as appealing as in the original movie. Bonus features include a "Pyramid Scheme" game show with trivia questions from the movie, "Kronk's Brain Game" which is a strange expedition into the workings of Konk's mind, and a "Backstage Disney How to Cook a Movie" featurette with Patrick Warburton (Kronk), Saul Blinkoff and Elliot Bour (Directors) on the crucial ingredients for a successful show. (Ages 2 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Get back in the groove with Disney's hilarious all-new movie. After his wild adventures with Pacha and Emperor Kuzco, lovable lug Kronk, Yzma's former henchman, has happily started a new life as the head chef in his very own diner. An all-new wacky adventure begins, however, when a llama-gram arrives telling him that his father is due for a visit. Before you can say "squeaker, squeak," Kronk is cooking up trouble with the sly enchantress, Yzma, trying to make himself look like a success in time for Papi's arrival. After a bunch of big blunders and a massive cheese explosion in the restaurant, Kronk finds himself covered in a heap of trouble. It is only with the help of friends both old and new that Kronk learns to be true to his groove.~

Give My Regards To Broad Street

Critics were ruthless when Give My Regards to Broad Street was released in 1984, but the passing years have turned it into an offbeat curio from Paul McCartney's post-Wings era. The ex-Beatle was roundly panned for scripting this empty-headed vanity project, and it still qualifies as a mistake of sorts, dubiously combining new performances of Beatles classics with a few Wings hits and tracks from McCartney's popular 1982 solo album Tug of War. Most of these songs are performed as semi-lavish, blandly filmed production numbers ("Silly Love Songs" comes off like an embarrassing mix of Michael Jackson's Thriller and a Flock of Seagulls reunion), and the whole movie reeks of cheesy early-'80s New Wave/MTV influence, even in the casting of Tracey Ullman as a leather-clad Londoner with streaks of red hair dye.

The "plot" is entirely dispensable, consisting of "24 hours in the life of a rock star," in which Paul has until midnight to find the missing master tapes of his latest album, or lose his entire music empire to a slimy corporate takeover. (Parallels to Macca's loss of Beatle music rights to Michael Jackson are fascinating to consider.) It's all an excuse for a rambling, amiable mess of a movie, with slim supporting roles for Ringo Starr (who admirably refused to participate in re-recording the Beatles hits), his wife Barbara Bach, Linda McCartney, and, most inexplicably, Sir Ralph Richardson in one of many throwaway fantasy sequences. Critic Roger Ebert rightly called Broad Street "about as close as you can get to a non-movie" (which might explain why director Peter Webb never made another film), but the music's still good (look closely for Dave Edmunds and former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones), and we'd sure like a spin in Sir Paul's groovy vintage hot-rod. --Jeff Shannon

Screenwriter/Star Paul McCartney creates a rousing musical fantasy about a pop singer/composer (McCartney) who discovers the master tapes of his new unreleased album have disappeared. If he doesn't locate them by midnight, businessmen will take over his company. Among the musical highlights are fourteen spectacularly staged McCartney tunes including Beatles classics "Yesterday," "Eleanor Rigby" and "Good Day Sunshine."