Woodward, Peter

National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets (Widescreen)

Join Nicolas Cage on a heart-pounding adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat in a race to find the Lost City of Gold. Grounded in history imbued with myth and mystery Disney's NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS takes you on a globe-trotting quest full of adrenaline-pumping twists and turns -- all leading to the final clue in a mysterious and highly guarded book containing centuries of secrets. But there's only one way to find it -- Ben Gates must kidnap the President. Packed with fast-paced action and crackling humor NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS is a movie your entire family will want to rediscover again and again.System Requirements:Running Time: 124 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS Rating: PG UPC: 786936735390 Manufacturer No: 05439300

Less engrossing than its 2004 predecessor National Treasure, Jon Turteltaub's busy sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets is nevertheless a colorful and witty adventure, another race against overwhelming odds for the answer to a historical riddle. Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage), the treasure hunter who feverishly sought, in the first film, the whereabouts of a war chest hidden by America's forefathers, is now charged with protecting family honor. When a rival (Ed Harris) offers alleged proof that Gates' ancestor, Thomas Gates, was not a Civil War-era hero but a participant in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Ben and his father (Jon Voight) and crew (Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger) hopscotch through Paris, London, Washington DC, and South Dakota to gather evidence refuting the claim. The film is most fun when the hunt, as in National Treasure, squeezes Ben into such impossible situations as examining twin desks in the queen's chambers in Buckingham Palace and the White House's Oval Office, or kidnapping an American president (Bruce Greenwood) for a few minutes of frank talk. Helen Mirren, the previous year's Oscar winner for Best Actress, wisely joins the cast of a likely hit film as Ben's archaeologist mother, long-estranged from Voight's character but as feisty as the rest of the family. Returning director Turteltaub takes excellent advantage of his colorful backdrops in European capitals and the always-eerie Mount Rushmore, and oversees some wildly imaginative sets for this dramedy's feverish third act in an audacious and completely unexpected, legendary setting. If National Treasure: Book of Secrets doesn't feel quite as crisp and unique as its predecessor, it is still ingenious and wry enough to laugh a bit at itself. --Tom Keogh

Stills from National Treasure: Book of Secrets (click for larger image)

Babylon 5 - The Lost Tales

It'd be hard for any Babylon 5 fan not to feel a surge of emotion when President Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) returns to the space station that was the setting of one of the monumental series in television history. The Lost Tales is a new direct-to-DVD series in an anthology format, the first installment of which, subtitled "Voices in the Dark," includes two stories centering on the return of Sheridan. The first involves Colonel Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) and a crewman (Bruce Ramsay) who appears to be possessed by a demon, to the bewilderment of the priest attempting an exorcism (Alan Scarfe). The second involves Sheridan himself, who upon returning to B5 is asked to pick up a delegate from the Centauri, prince Regent Vintari (Keegan MacIntosh), who's attending the 10th anniversary celebration of the Interstellar Alliance in the place of old Centauri friend Londo Molari. What Sheridan doesn't expect is a psychic visit by techno-mage Galen (Peter Woodward) urging him to kill the boy before he becomes a dictator.

It's a treat to see Sheridan, Lochley, and Galen return from the original series (Woodward was also in the spin-off, Crusade), but The Lost Tales focuses on character-driven stories, and as such there's not a lot of action. The CGI effects are good, but sets are very limited and there are hardly any other cast members. (Sheridan even spends most of his time away from B5.) Creator-writer J. Michael Straczynski has said that if The Lost Tales succeeds, future stories might focus on Delenn or Garbibaldi. While that would be welcome, it might be even better to get a feature film (a la Serenity) that would presumably be on more of the epic scale that Babylon 5 deserves. Bonus features are 17 minutes of off-the-cuff interviews held on the set with Boxleitner and Straczynski, Scoggins and the crew, and Straczynski with Woodward; memorials to late cast members Andreas Katsulas and Richard Biggs; and Straczynski's diaries and fireside chats, in which he recounts the show's production and answers fan questions. --David Horiuchi

DVD features

• Interviews with J. Michael Straczynski, Bruce Boxleitner, Tracy Scoggins, and Peter Woodward
• Memorials: Andreas Katsulas and Richard Biggs
• The Straczynski Diaries: a multi-part series of vignettes as filmed by J. Michael Straczynski as he documents every phase of pre-production, production and post
• Fireside Chats: profiling the people of the B5 universe

Times change. Dangers remain. 10 years after he became President of the Interstellar Alliance Sheridan prepares for a fateful Babylon 5 reunion that could prevent Earth's impending doom...if he will also compromise his core principles. Meanwhile commander Lochley confronts an unexpected interloper on the way station - a being whose presence makes the B5 freeport the crossroads between heaven and hell. In Voices in the Dark Series creator J. Michael Straczynski reunites with stars Bruce Boxleitner and Tracy Scoggins in two richly imagined stories set after the events of the original series. Richly imagined too is Straczynski's vision of the 23rd century (including a dazzling New York City) - a vision made more spectacular via filmmaking technology unavailable during the original series.Running Time: 72 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 085391129844 Manufacturer No: 112984

Babylon 5 - The Movie Collection

Now entering your stargrid: 5 B5 movie adventures in one deluxe set! First time on DVD! Initiate jump sequence for feature-length tales about key events in the B5 chronology. Movie 1: The Gathering - Alien envoys come to the giant space station in the pilot that launched the five-year TV series. Movie 2: In the Beginning - The B5 prequel! It's humans vs. aliens in the battle that led to the station's creation. Movie 3: Thirdspace - Is there a realm beyond hyperspace? Discovery of a million-years-old gateway technology may hold the answer...and more. Movie 4: River of Souls - After death then what? Questions of eternity arise when a supposedly infallible harvester of souls proves to be very fallible. Movie 5: A Call to Arms - The torch is passed. A race against time to save Earth links the B5 mission with the Rangers' new interstellar efforts.Running Time: 469 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY UPC: 085393343729 Manufacturer No: 33437

The Babylon 5 pilot movie The Gathering was originally broadcast in 1993 a full year ahead of the regular show. A somewhat dull tale of an attempt to assassinate Koch, the Vorlon ambassador to B5, the feature served to introduce Commander Jeffery Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) and Security Chief Michael Garibaldi (Jerry Doyle) as well as familiarize the audience with the unique environment of a five-mile-long space station in the year 2257. Missing many of the main cast, and suffering from a leaden pace and mediocre music score, series creator J Michael Straczynski later improved The Gathering by tightening the cut for a special edition (the version released on DVD), adding some deleted character moments and commissioning a new score from series composer Christopher Franke.

Four new TV movies were part of the deal to syndicate Babylon 5. In the Beginning is a prelude set 10 years before Babylon 5, telling the story of the Earth-Minbari war. Told retrospectively, many of the mysteries revealed gradually in the main series are recounted, making the show a collection of spoilers for newcomers while adding little for established fans. It is effective to see events only previously talked about, and enjoyable to have most of the main cast playing younger versions of themselves. River of Souls is a self-contained adventure featuring a return of the Soul Hunters from Season One, while Thirdspace offers a spectacular Lovecraftian space opera which slots into the saga after the end of the Shadow War. A Call to Arms is the most important of the TV films, laying the ground for the future TV series Crusade. Set five years after the Shadow War, it tells the story of a Drahk revenge attack on Earth. A final showcase for Bruce Boxleitner as Sheridan, the story fits between fifth-season episodes "Objects at Rest" and "Sleeping in Light." The cliffhanger ending sets the scene for new starship Excalibur to boldly go on a five-year mission to explore strange new worlds and find a cure for the Shadow virus infecting the Earth. --Gary S. Dalkin

Crusade - The Complete Series

The first and only spin-off of Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski's short-lived sci-fi series Crusade had its roots in the B5 television movie A Call to Arms, in which Earth was battling a Drakh invasion at the end of the Shadow Wars. When Crusade begins, the Drakh have released a deadly virus that threatens to wipe out all 10 billion humans living on Earth unless a cure can be found in five years. To take on this monumental task, Captain Matthew Gideon (Gary Cole) is assigned command of the state-of-the-art Destroyer-class ship Excalibur. His crew includes telepath John Matheson (Daniel Dae Kim); pompous but brilliant archaeologist-linguist Max Eilerson (David Allen Brooks); Dureena, a member of the Thieves' Guild and the last surviving member of her species (Carrie Dobro); medical officer Sarah Chambers (Marjean Holden); and technomage Galen (Peter Woodward).

While Babylon 5 had five years to develop into a powerful saga, Crusade had its plug pulled after a mere 13 episodes (which were reordered for TNT's broadcast), and the series never really got its footing. Galen often took center stage, then disappeared for several episodes. Matheson was underutilized (other than to provide fans with clues about what happened in the Psi-Wars after B5 ended), and tough-guy Gideon bounced back and forth between his desire to save the human race and his own moral code. There were some good action scenes and intriguing concepts (developed in conjunction with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory). Special effects sometimes were impressive and sometimes showed budget constraints, and we never really saw the power and scope of the mile-and-a-half-long ship, other than the cool bullet cars used to traverse its length. But it did have its moments. If B5 was the spiritual companion to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine with its space-station setting and long story arc, Crusade was more like a traditional Star Trek setting, with mostly stand-alone episodes involving first contact with various species (even if, due to the nature of the Excalibur's quest, such species were usually extinct). And there were occasional tantalizing hints of a broader conspiracy that might have allowed the series to soar. Regardless, B5 fans will welcome even a brief opportunity to revisit this universe, especially when the Excalibur visits the station in "The Rules of the Game." John Sheridan's ex-wife Captain Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) even earned a spot in the opening credits for her appearance in a few episodes. --David Horiuchi

Platform:  DVD MOVIE Publisher:  WARNER BROTHERS Packaging:  RETAIL BOX Rating:  NOT RATED Another Thrilling Reach Into Tomorrow From The Creator of Babylon 5!   2267 A.D. The battle is won the war may be lost. After fending off the fierce attack of Drakh combatants Earth faces an unseen yet even greater foe. The Drakhs have left behind a microbial biogenetic plague that will destroy all life of the planet in five years if a cure isn't found.From Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski comes an exciting 13-part adventure about the race to find that cure - an urgent and hazardous quest that sends an Earthforce expedition across the reaches of space to explore technologies more advanced than Earth's. The race is on. The perils are many. And savvy real-tomorrow issues and potential technologies underlie every episode thanks to production input from forward-looking thinkers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The future begins - or ends - here! Features:Audio Commentary on 2 Key EpisodesProbing Documentary: The Making Of CrusadeForging Excalibur: Learn about the starship from the inside outProduct Details:Video:Widescreen 1.85:1 Color (Anamorphic)Standard 1.33:1 ColorFormat:  DVD NTSCAudio:  ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]Subtitles:  English Spanish FrenchYear:  2004Running Time: 576 minutesStudio:  Warner Home Video 

The True Story of Alexander the Great (History Channel)

Tutored by Aristotle, helpless witness to his father's assassination, and a brilliant, pioneering tactician, Alexander the Great had conquered the known world--and sealed his legacy as one of history's most remarkable rulers--by the age of 25. In the year 334 B.C., 20-year-old King Alexander of Macedonia decided to bring the farthest reaches of the world under one domain. Over the next 12 years, he led a grand army across more than 20,000 miles and eventually brought all of Asia under his control, only to perish from battle wounds at the age of 32. Incorporating dramatic onsite reenactments with high-end computer graphics and the expertise of renowned scholars, THE TRUE STORY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT is special presentation from THE HISTORY CHANNEL®, examining the life and career of this military genius, impassioned lover, and fearless leader. Hosted by Peter Woodward (Conquest), this definitive program is available on DVD for the first time. DVD Features: The Making of The True Story of Alexander The Great Featurette; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Sense and Sensibility (BBC, 1981)

Don't look for Margaret Dashwood in this BBC version of Sense and Sensibility, because you won't find her. For some inexplicable reason, they opted to write her out of this 1985 adaptation of Jane Austen's first published novel. Still, despite the absence of the youngest Dashwood sister, this is an otherwise faithful adaptation of Austen's original. Sense and Sensibility concerns the unfortunate Dashwood family, who, at the death of the patriarch, are forced to move out of their home and into a cottage on the property of relatives. Sensible Elinor falls quietly in love with Edward, her sister-in-law's brother, while impetuous Marianne (Tracey Childs) rejects the respectable courtship of Colonel Brandon (Robert Swann) for the flashy (and ultimately destructive) Willoughby (Peter Woodward).

Those wowed by Emma Thompson's more sumptuous 1995 version may complain that Bosco Hogan (yes, that's his real name) isn't nearly as yummy as Hugh Grant. But they may fail to remember that Edward Ferrars, was, from Jane Austen's plume, a nondescript guy, and yet Elinor (here, Irene Richards) still found something wonderful about him.

Childs is a beautiful, passionate Marianne and her performance, as well as Richards's, and the rest of the cast, is topnotch. Accurate detail is given to settings and costumes (if not the existence of Margaret) and it's easy to get swept away in this BBC version. --N.F. Mendoza

Hailed as "wonderfully 18th century" and offering equal measures of humor and drama this magnificent BBC production tells the story of two sisters attempting to find happiness in the tightly structured society of 18th century England.Running Time: 226 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 794051168320

Egypt - Beyond The Pyramids

Uses modern equipment and computer technology to look at previously unfilmed archaeological sites, including the Tomb of Ramses II, the Abydos Boat Graves, and the skeletons at Mendes.
Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Release Date: 26-JUN-2001
Media Type: DVD

The four programs from the History Channel in Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids showcase current archaeological work that is changing how historians think about life in ancient Egypt. Some of the greatest temples and tombs of Egypt are visited, and authorities explain the significance of particular aspects of their construction. Efforts to restore temples that had been lost under centuries of sand are shown, and one episode focuses on the discovery of a massive complex of tombs in the Valley of the Kings, which only began to be fully explored in the mid-1990s. The host of these programs, British actor Peter Woodward, presents the material skillfully, keeping the interviews with scholars informative as well as entertaining. An episode focusing on the daily life of ancient Egyptians even features Woodward putting on the sort of makeup that ordinary Egyptians are believed to have worn as both protection from the sun and a fashion statement. Visits to archaeological digs, including a recently discovered remote site that inexplicably contains hundreds of mummies, demonstrate how what we have known about Egypt may only be a fraction of what is still left to be discovered. These programs are intelligent and the beautiful photography makes them that much more enjoyable. --Robert J. McNamara

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Babylon 5: A Call to Arms [Region 2]