Kroeker, Allan

Wonderfalls - The Complete Series

Wonderfalls is probably the most hilarious show you've never seen. An hour-long "dramedy" about a young woman who hears the voices of inanimate objects--which instruct her to help out total strangers--the show aired on Fox in early 2004 to critical acclaim and dismal ratings. After airing four times in terrible time slots, the show was quickly canceled, but not before a hue and cry from a small but fervently devoted cadre of fans went up, begging for all 13 episodes to be released on DVD. Thus, the highest-profile DVD release of a canceled show was born, and the nine unaired episodes of Wonderfalls are finally seeing the light of day.

You may be wondering: is it worth it to check out a show that was axed so quickly? The answer is an unqualified yes, as Wonderfalls is quirky without being precious, sardonic without being bitter, and smart without being a show-off about it. Jaye (Caroline Dhavernas) is a graduate of Brown University who's opted not to put her education to work, and instead lives in a trailer and works at a tourist shop in Niagara Falls, to the consternation of her affluent, successful family. All seems to be going well for this self-proclaimed slacker, until one day a small toy lion speaks to her in enigmatic epigrams, commanding her to help people. Loath to deal in any compassionate way with the rest of humanity, Jaye warily obeys, if only to make the voices stop. Soon, though, she finds herself to be an unwilling humanitarian and accidental hero when more inanimate objects start talking to her, and more people turn out to need her help.

The premise may sound a bit too off-the-beaten-path, but Wonderfalls' meddling with the ethereal was grounded in a keen awareness of post-college life and the travails befalling young twentysomethings who had no idea where their life was going. And instead of being sanctimonious or inspiring, the show was instead a complex mix of the heartfelt and the angsty, and Dhavernas was one of the most cynically hopeful heroines to grace the small screen. The rest of the cast was also topnotch, including Kate Finneran as Jaye's high-strung sister, Diana Scarwid as her caustic mother, and Tyron Leitso as bartender Eric, whose tentative romance with Jaye was both affecting and hilarious. Think of Wonderfalls as less of a failure and more of a rare opportunity to see some of the most creative television in recent memory. --Mark Englehart

"From the producer of Angel and Firefly comes Wonderfalls with 9 never aired episodes. Although a recent graduate of Brown University, Jaye Tyler decides to ignore her degree, live in a trailer and work at a tourist gift shop in Niagara Falls called Wonderfalls—-much to the despair of her well-to-do family. But Jaye's aimless life takes a startling turn after a lion figurine begins talking to her. Her family calls it an "episode," but Jaye knows better.

Fearing for her sanity, Jaye nevertheless starts doing exactly what an increasing number of inanimate objects tell her to do and is amazed when her outrageous actions begin changing people's lives in unexpected ways. "

Beyond Reality - The First Season

Beyond Reality chronicles the unique lives of two adventuresome university professors who delve into the mysterious world of the paranormal.Shari Belafonte stars as Laura Wingate a parapsychologist who has traveled the world studying different cultures religions and strange occurances. As the open-minded witty and outspoken head of a private university's Parapsychology Department Laura devotes her time to teaching but is constantly distracted investigating paranormal events.Carl Marotte plays J.J. Stillman a clinical psychologist who has been trained in the traditional sciences. He is inquisitive responsible and often overly analytical.Together Laura and J.J. apply their combined expertise curiosity and compassion to investigate the fascinating extraordinary but completely plausible world of the paranormal.System Requirements:Running Time: 517 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: NR UPC: 683904505422 Manufacturer No: MV50542

L5 - First City in Space (IMAX)

Set 100 years in the future L5: FIRST CITY IN SPACE is a story told in flashback by the first child born in space. The film combines incredible computer-generated imagery actual footage taken of space expeditions and scientific data to create a compelling vision of how humans may live and travel in our solar system in the next centuryRunning Time: 35 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 794051800121

Beverly Hills 90210 - The Pilot Episode

Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story

Kerry Ellison is about to lose her happiness and freedom to a disturbed coworker who stalks her at every available opportunity. Even a warning from Kerry's friend fails to diffuse Jack Gilerests obsessive behavior and initiates a campaign of harassing phone calls to her home. Now in the position of fighting her employer, Kerry loses her friends and professional status in a battle that challenges the entire justice system.

Once a Thief: Brother Against Brother

Once a Thief

Age Old Friends

Should an aging father move in with his daughter or stay loyal to his retirement home friend? ' 'Devilishly Funny' ' - The L.A. Times. ' 'Something for the entire family to enjoy.' ' (New York Newsday)Running Time: 90 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR UPC: 026359042720 Manufacturer No: 90427

Once a Thief

John Woo directed this surprisingly lighthearted caper tale for TV as a pilot for a series that never materialized. The forgettable leads--Ivan Sergei, Sandrine Holt, and Michael Wong--play adoptive siblings who have been trained by their father, a Hong Kong crime lord, to be master thieves. Then circumstances pit Holt and Sergei against Wong; the two of them have been co-opted as undercover cops, tracking his big score. The movie doesn't amount to much, but Woo comes through with a couple of terrific, imaginative (and funny) action sequences, including one particularly inventive one that has them literally hanging from the chandeliers. Even Woo diehards may have a hard time swallowing the smirky, callow Sergei as a romantic action lead. --Marshall Fine

Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story