Zappa, William

Quigley Down Under

Tom Selleck plays Matthew Quigley, the cowboy hero in this traditional Western, set very untraditionally in Australia. After some macho silliness in the opening minutes, the story settles into a surprisingly evocative tale of Quigley, a sharpshooter who had come to the country to work for a land baron (Alan Rickman) and who is on the mend after a brutal attack. In the company of a woman (Laura San Giacomo) abused by that same baron, Quigley gets his strength and his shooting skills back while healing in the midst of aboriginal people as well as some stunning Australian settings. Director Simon Wincer (Phar Lap) brings a lot of integrity to this rare horse opera from contemporary Hollywood. --Tom Keogh

The Road Warrior

A strong candidate for the designation of most thrilling action movie ever made (the turbo-charged exhilaration of its full-throttle highway chases has never been equaled), the second part of George Miller's post-apocalyptic trilogy is also a magnificently imagined movie myth. Like the Star Wars trilogy (by that other George) the Mad Max films draw their inspiration from the works of mythologist Joseph Campbell. In the 1979 original, Max (Mel Gibson) is a policeman, the last guardian of civilization and order in a devastated world reduced to chaos. But when a leather-clad gang of sadomasochistic speed demons mows down Max's family, his remaining connections to humanity are also permanently severed. After brutally exacting his revenge, Max wanders off into the wasteland alone, "a burned out shell of a man" who (to paraphrase The Searchers) is destined to wander forever between the winds. In The Road Warrior, Max rediscovers a sliver of his shattered humanity, and a spark of redemption, when he helps an embattled colony of pioneers fight off the savages who are after that most precious of all commodities: "guzzline." Max is transformed into a legendary hero, just as Mel Gibson was catapulted to international movie stardom. With its final stirring images, The Road Warrior transcends its genre (whatever that may be--science fiction? Western? action adventure?) and becomes something timeless. It's a great movie. --Jim Emerson

The Road Warrior / Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (Double Feature)

All roads lead to excitement for Mel Gibson's Mad Max! In a world destroyed by the ravages of nuclear war gasoline is a currency of the realm. Enter Max champion of underdog survivors living in a fuel-depot camp. Make way for him and The Road Warrior [Side A] the Apocalypse on wheels that put Gibson on the Hollywood map for keeps and ranks as one of the most mind-blowing stunt movies ever made. Our hero returns for more astonishing adventures in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome [Side B]. This time Max defends the future - a group of abandoned children - and enters the gladiatorial maces-and-chainsaws combat inside Thunderdome arena. Awesome!Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE UPC: 012569767591 Manufacturer No: 76759

Man-Thing

Kyle Williams (Matthew Le Nevez) thought taking the new post of sheriff in the sleepy town of Bywater would be exactly the change of pace he needed. But the peaceful town is not what it seems. While investigating a series of gruesome murders Kyle discovers that the locals are hiding a frightening secret. Torn between whom and what to believe the only straight answers he receives are from the feisty young schoolteacher Teri (Rachael Toylor). Together they embark on a quest to unravel the truth.Bonus Features16:9 Widescreen5.1 Dolby Digital2.0 Dolby Stereo Stereo SurroundTrailersSystem Requirements: Running Time 105 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R UPC: 012236176237 Manufacturer No: 17623

Bootmen

Dein Perry's Tap Dogs is a different kind of tap-dance show, emphasizing rugged masculinity, driving rock music, and a set rooted in the Australian steel industry. Now Perry tells his own story in the 2000 autobiographical drama Bootmen. Anyone who saw the summer 2001 blockbuster Pearl Harbor will find a familiar plot: A reckless hotshot tests the patience of his mentor, but his undeniable talent lands him a rare work opportunity. He leaves behind his friends and his girl, and when he returns unexpectedly, he finds that his girl has taken up with his best friend. In this case, the hotshot is hoofer Sean (Adam Garcia, who cofounded the original Tap Dogs troupe and played the lead in the stage version of Saturday Night Fever), and the best friend is his brother, Mitchell (Sam Worthington), who had a one-night stand with his girl (Sophie Lee). Along the way, Sean decides to create his own dance troupe and put on a benefit show, which allows for elements of The Full Monty and Brassed Off (depressed industrial town needs a lift) and October Sky and Billy Elliot (father doesn't approve). OK, so the plot isn't any great shakes, but the dancing is terrific--flashy, hard-edged, and gritty, using steelworks machinery as props. If you're a fan of Tap Dogs, you'll enjoy this backstage look at the troupe, but if you're here just for the dancing, you might prefer to start with the original full-length show. --David Horiuchi

Sean (Adam Garcia), a small-town steelworker realizes a lifelong dream when he's invited to audition for a big city, dance show. hired, then fired for out-dancing and out-punching the show's star, he returns home only to find his girlfriend (Sophie Lee) in the arms of this brother. Now, with only the ramins of his dream to hold on to, he persuades his old tapping mates to form their own dance troupe, much to the embarrassment of his steel-working father. A smart blend of comedy, great dancing and natural energy, Bootmen is "a real pulse-raiser" (National News Syndicate) with a "rousing feel-good climax" (Daily Variety).

The Monkey's Mask (2000)

Crush

In this darkly comic tale of seduction, wreaking havoc is Lane (Marcia Gay Harden, Academy Award winner POLLOCK, nominee for MYSTIC RIVER) whose reckless driving leaves her friend Christina hospitalized. Fleeing the scene, Lane then crashes into the lives of a novelist and his teenage daughter. First, she befriends the girl, and then seduces her father.

Quigley Down Under

Tom Selleck plays Matthew Quigley, the cowboy hero in this traditional Western, set very untraditionally in Australia. After some macho silliness in the opening minutes, the story settles into a surprisingly evocative tale of Quigley, a sharpshooter who had come to the country to work for a land baron (Alan Rickman) and who is on the mend after a brutal attack. In the company of a woman (Laura San Giacomo) abused by that same baron, Quigley gets his strength and his shooting skills back while healing in the midst of aboriginal people as well as some stunning Australian settings. Director Simon Wincer (Phar Lap) brings a lot of integrity to this rare horse opera from contemporary Hollywood. --Tom Keogh

Amy

Zone 39

Forty years of war between the Federated Republics and the New Territories Union has taken its toll. In this hostile world of the future, one thing remains constant for Lieutenant Leo Megaw; his love for his pregnant wife. Her access to classified information makes her an increasing liability for the government. When she's ambushed, Leo is forced into exile. As a border patrolman on the isolated outpost of Zone 39, ordered to kill anyone that tries to cross the border, he comes to understand the catastrophies forced upon his world by his own government. The real enemy is not looming across the border but standing right behind him. Leo must reach across the border into enemy territory and form an alliance to save his world before his government catches up to him.