Petrie, Donald

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Widescreen Edition)

Kate Hudson twinkles as the heroine of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, a magazine writer assigned to date a guy, make all the mistakes girls make that drive guys away (being clingy, talking in baby-talk, etc.), and record the process like a sociological experiment. However, the guy she picks--rangy Matthew McConaughey--is an advertising executive who's just bet that he can make a woman fall in love with him in ten days; if he succeeds, he'll win a huge account that will make his career. The set-up is completely absurd, but the collision of their efforts to woo and repel creates some pretty funny scenes. McConaughey's easy charm and Hudson's lightweight impishness play well together and the plot, though strictly Hollywood formula, chugs along efficiently. At moments Hudson seems to channel her mother, Goldie Hawn, to slightly unnerving effect. --Bret Fetzer

Grumpy Old Men/Grumpier Old Men

They're Grumpy Old Men [Side A]. And since they're played by famed screen odd couple Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau they're also Funny Old Men. The wit hits the fan as the two play Minnesota ice-fishing pals whose crusty friendship grows hilariously icier as they vie for an attractive widow (Ann-Margret). Also in the cast are Daryl Hannah Kevin Pollak Ossie Davis and an outrageously randy Burgess Meredith. The two leads grab their fishing rods to reel in another comic whopper in the sequel Grumpier Old Men [Side B]. Most of the original cast returns and Sophia Loren plays the vivacious newcomer who wants to turn the beloved bait shop into a chichi ristorante. Of course in this part of the Land of 1000 Lakes that means war! Enjoy. And yes this is the movie with the "man-sized manicotti" outtakes!Running Time: 93 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 012569817487 Manufacturer No: 81748

Mystic Pizza

A sweet and sassy comedy about the bonds of sisterhood, Mystic Pizza offers the opportunity to see some solid young actors early in their careers. Three sisters of blue-collar Portuguese descent work in a pizzeria in the coastal town of Mystic, Connecticut. Each has her own unique romantic entanglements. One is the fast girl in town (Julia Roberts), who falls for a rich kid but wonders if she'll ever be accepted; one is the lifelong local girl (Lili Taylor) in love with her fisherman boyfriend (Vincent D'Onofrio) but scared of what marriage will do to their sex lives; and the youngest sister (Annabeth Gish) dreams of going to Yale but during a summer of baby-sitting has an affair with a married man. Through it all each sister depends on the others regardless of the complications. It's the alluring charm of the three disparate leads that makes Mystic Pizza the delightful experience it is. --Robert Lane

"Filled with heart and humor" (The New York Times), Mystic Pizza charts the lives and loves of three unforgettable waitresses in a little town called Mystic. Starring Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich), Annabeth Gish (Beautiful Girls) and Lili Taylor (The Haunting), Mystic Pizza "has all the right ingredients of a main-course favorite" (Video Movie Guide). For sexy Daisy Araujo (Roberts), her sensible sister Kat (Gish) and their wisecracking friend Jojo (Taylor), the summer after high school is a summer they'll never forget. Slinging pizza at a local restaurant, the three girls share their hopes, dreams and plans for escaping their small town. And when Daisy is swept off her feet by a wealthy young man named Charles, they all think she's found her ticket out. But when the girls learn that Charles isn't the man they think he is, they discover that with friendship and self-respect, not only will they find real happiness (and a way out of Mystic)...they just might find themselves!

Grumpy Old Men

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau are reunited in this popular 1993 comedy, in which the Odd Couple veterans play John and Max (respectively), a pair of elderly bachelors whose lifelong friendship is based on mutual aggravation and constant bickering. Their competitive natures kick into overdrive when the beautiful Ariel (Ann-Margret) moves into their otherwise snowbound Minnesota neighborhood. She takes a liking to John, but after a lover's spat she also gives Max a chance at romance, and the long-time buddies reach a peak of grumpy rivalry. It's a stretch to think that Ann-Margret's dating choices would be limited to a pair of grouchy codgers, but sarcastic attitude and snappy dialogue made this a surprise hit (followed by a 1995 sequel), and Burgess Meredith adds plenty of spice as Lemmon's amorous old father. Don't forget to watch the hilarious outtakes during the closing credits! --Jeff Shannon

Two old men, rivals for fifty years, put new energy into their squabbles when a beautiful, young widow moves in across the street from them.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 8-FEB-2005
Media Type: DVD

Picket Fences - Season 1

While Ally McBeal garnered more attention, Picket Fences garnered more acclaim. It was justified. Set in Wisconsin, the Emmy-winning drama plays like The Andy Griffith Show by way of The Commish. The focus is on small-town life from a law and order perspective. The action revolves around Sheriff Jimmy Brock (Tom Skerritt), his physician wife Jill (Kathy Baker), and their children, Kimberly (Holly Marie Combs), Matthew (Justin Shenkarow), and Zack (Adam Wylie). Storylines alternate between personal issues, like puberty and pre-marital sex, and criminal cases. As Matthew quips, "Things happen around here." At city hall, Jimmy works with officers Kenny (Costas Mandylor) and Max (Lauren Holly), dispatcher Ginny (Zelda Rubinstein), and coroner Carter Pike (Kelly Connell), who likes to exclaim, "Let me exhume the body!" Judge Henry Bone (Ray Walston) and attorney Douglas Wambaugh (Fyvush Finkel) dominate the courthouse. Cases include such tragi-comic crimes as a serial bather ("Frank, the Potato Man") and a cupid killer ("Be My Valentine"), but serious issues also come into play, such as assisted suicide ("Sacred Hearts") and incest ("Nuclear Meltdowns"). Unlike Twin Peaks, to which it was sometimes compared, Picket Fences could be heavy-handed, but piety never trumped entertainment, and Baker, Skerritt, Walston, and Finkel all won Emmys for their work.

Notable guests are a hallmark of every David E. Kelley production, from Chicago Hope to Boston Legal (and beyond). The first season attracted Carnivále's Michael J. Anderson ("Mr. Dreeb Comes to Town"), Evening Shade's Michael Jeter ("Frog Man"), and Man of La Mancha's Richard Kiley ("Thanksgiving"). The series also features one of the last of the old-fashioned orchestral scores, Stewart Levin's distinctive piano theme. Picket Fences ran for four seasons on CBS (when Kelley left between seasons three and four, ratings took a nosedive). Afterwards, Combs joined Charmed, Baker joined Kelley's Boston Public, and Holly joined NCIS. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

PICKET FENCES Season 1 is the first season of the critically acclaimed series from creator David E. Kelly ("Ally McBeal", "Boston Legal") starring Tom Skerrit and Kathy Baker, in the story of a sherriff and his family in Rome, Wisconsin, a town where things never seem to be business as usual. This long-awaited fan favorite is available on 6 discs.

Richie Rich

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Full Screen Edition)

Kate Hudson twinkles as the heroine of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, a magazine writer assigned to date a guy, make all the mistakes girls make that drive guys away (being clingy, talking in baby-talk, etc.), and record the process like a sociological experiment. However, the guy she picks--rangy Matthew McConaughey--is an advertising executive who's just bet that he can make a woman fall in love with him in ten days; if he succeeds, he'll win a huge account that will make his career. The set-up is completely absurd, but the collision of their efforts to woo and repel creates some pretty funny scenes. McConaughey's easy charm and Hudson's lightweight impishness play well together and the plot, though strictly Hollywood formula, chugs along efficiently. At moments Hudson seems to channel her mother, Goldie Hawn, to slightly unnerving effect. --Bret Fetzer

Oscar® nominee* Kate Hudson (Almost Famous) and Matthew McConaughey (A Time To Kill) give the battle of the sexes an outrageously unexpected twist in the runaway comedy hit the Daily News applauds as "Hilarious!" As the "How to..." columnist for trendy Composure Magazine Andie Anderson (Hudson) agrees to write a first-hand account about what it takes to drive a man out of your life...in exactly 10 days. At the same time eligible ad agency bachelor Benjamin Barry (McConaughey) accepts a high-stakes bet that he can lure any woman into falling head-over-heels in love with him...also in 10 days. The resulting romantic head-on collision ignites a series of deliriously comic deceptions that prove when it comes to true love...your heart cannot tell a lie. From the director of Miss Congeniality it's the year's most wildly entertaining romantic romp in the comedy smash David Sheehan of CBS-TV hails as "The ultimate chick-flick for guys!" *Academy Award® nomination Best Supporting Actress Almost Famous 1999 DVD Special Features: -Commentary by Director Donald Petrie-Mapping Out the Perfect Movie - Cast & Crew Interviews -5 Deleted Scenes with Director's Commentary-Mapping Out the Perfect Location - Featurette -Music Video - "Somebody Like You" by Keith Urban -Widescreen Version Enhanced For 16:9 TVs -English Subtitles -Dolby Digital: English 5.1 Surround English Dolby Surround French Dolby SurroundSystem Requirements:Starring: Matthew McConaughey Kate Hudson Adam Goldberg Shalom Harlow and Michael Michele. Directed By: Donald Petrie. Running Time: 115 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Standard" format. Copyright 2003 Paramount Pictures.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 097360568141 Manufacturer No: 056814

Miss Congeniality / Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (Double Feature)

Legs waxed. Lips glossed. Gun ready. Meet Miss Congeniality [Side A]: Sandra Bullock is Gracie Hart the tomboyish FBI agent who poses as a beauty contestant to unmask a criminal at the Miss United States pageant...even though her idea of fashion accessories are the cuffs she snaps onto lawbreakers. The cast features Michael Caine as the harried consultant trying to turn this Dirty Harriet into a poised beauty. In Miss Congeniality 2 Armed and Fabulous [Side B] the undercover cover girl is feathered and funny masquerading as a Las Vegas showgirl to rescue kidnapped friends (Heather Burns and William Shatner). Gracie crime casinos floorshows even a Vegas pirate ship - they're a sure bet for laughs!Running Time: 224 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 085391142058 Manufacturer No: 114205

Miss Congeniality (Deluxe Edition)

It's a good thing Sandra Bullock knows her strengths and weaknesses, because without Bullock as star and producer, Miss Congeniality would be an insufferable mess as opposed to being a mildly enjoyable trifle that is custom-made for Bullock's established screen persona. Only Bullock's fans could really appreciate this fluff (even then they'll wish its ripe premise had been more intelligently handled), but it's not without some highlights to accompany Bullock's reliable charms. Here she plays clumsy, nerdy FBI agent Gracie Hart, who is given the horrific pseudonym Gracie Lou Freebush (one example of the movie's juvenile tendencies) when assigned to infiltrate a beauty pageant to investigate threats of a terrorist attack.

Transforming Bullock from frumpy to stunning is a piece of cake (although she gives pageant coach Michael Caine a run for his money), so the movie's premise is trivial at best. More enjoyable is her character's uncouth disdain for pageant contestants and her mistaken perception that they're all a bunch of bimbos. The movie nicely charts Gracie's realization that her own pageant makeover provides a much-needed ego boost. In addition to Caine's effortless scene-stealing, pageant host William Shatner and organizer Candice Bergen are smart choices for comedic support (Shatner's a perfect Bert Parks wannabe), but the movie desperately needs a credible foundation for its comedy to really pay off. Bullock's bureau boss (Benjamin Bratt) is an unconvincing dimwit, and none of the plotting is as smart as say Beverly Hills Cop in combining procedure with laughs. That leaves Bullock to carry the burden of a comedy that just barely works in her favor. --Jeff Shannon

Sandra Bullock stars as a bumbling female FBI agent assigned to go undercover as a participant in the Miss United States beauty pageant when it is discovered that one of the contestants is being targeted for murder. Benjamin Bratt leads the undercover team while also playing the reluctant love interest. Candice Bergen and William Shatner manage the pageant and hire Michael Caine to turn Bullock from rough and tumble agent to stunning beauty queen. The physical transformation is impressive although the klutzy personality remains. Everything seems to be fine once the killer is suddenly caught but Bullock suspects there is more to this story and the truth eventually unfolds with an unexpected twist. Forher part Bullock received a Golden Globe nomination for best actress and heads the star-studded cast in the year's most hilarious comedy.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 012569707344 Manufacturer No: 70734

Miss Congeniality

It's a good thing Sandra Bullock knows her strengths and weaknesses, because without Bullock as star and producer, Miss Congeniality would be an insufferable mess as opposed to being a mildly enjoyable trifle that is custom-made for Bullock's established screen persona. Only Bullock's fans could really appreciate this fluff (even then they'll wish its ripe premise had been more intelligently handled), but it's not without some highlights to accompany Bullock's reliable charms. Here she plays clumsy, nerdy FBI agent Gracie Hart, who is given the horrific pseudonym Gracie Lou Freebush (one example of the movie's juvenile tendencies) when assigned to infiltrate a beauty pageant to investigate threats of a terrorist attack.

Transforming Bullock from frumpy to stunning is a piece of cake (although she gives pageant coach Michael Caine a run for his money), so the movie's premise is trivial at best. More enjoyable is her character's uncouth disdain for pageant contestants and her mistaken perception that they're all a bunch of bimbos. The movie nicely charts Gracie's realization that her own pageant makeover provides a much-needed ego boost. In addition to Caine's effortless scene-stealing, pageant host William Shatner and organizer Candice Bergen are smart choices for comedic support (Shatner's a perfect Bert Parks wannabe), but the movie desperately needs a credible foundation for its comedy to really pay off. Bullock's bureau boss (Benjamin Bratt) is an unconvincing dimwit, and none of the plotting is as smart as say Beverly Hills Cop in combining procedure with laughs. That leaves Bullock to carry the burden of a comedy that just barely works in her favor. --Jeff Shannon