Ofallon, Peter

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. "

Party of Five - The Complete Third Season

Lots of changes are in store for the Salinger family in Party of Five: The Complete Third Season. Over 25 episodes, the San Francisco-based siblings, survivors of parents who died at the series' beginning, confront some of the most difficult issues anyone has to deal with, from depression to alcoholism, breakups, dishonesty, separation and much more. The season kicks off with a bang as eldest brother and surrogate father Charlie (Matthew Fox) suddenly finds the mother of his girlfriend Kirsten (Paula Devicq) staying with them for several days due to marital problems. Given that their guest has never given--and still will not give--Charlie a break on anything, the fact that he is more empathetic about her plight than Kirsten is surprises even him. Meanwhile, Bailey (Scott Wolf) tries too hard to have a final adventure with his best friend before the two are separated by college plans. Traveling in Mexico with their girlfriends (including Bailey's longtime date, Sarah, played by Jennifer Love Hewitt), the old buddies have a series of disasters, culminating in the disappearance of Bailey's jeep. While that's going on, Julia (Neve Campbell) discovers her eccentric boyfriend, Griffin (Jeremy London), is back in town and hasn't contacted her for reasons unknown. Not to be outdone, little sister Claudia (Lacey Chabert) claims to have a boyfriend that no one has actually met--until, one day, he shows up at the door.

During the rest of the season, Julia and Griffin will struggle to figure their relationship out, growing apart and then back together, leaving one another far too often, and finally deciding on a permanent solution that makes for a touching finale. Kirsten's career ambitions threaten to throw a wrench into her relationship with Charlie, until her new doctoral degree and teaching job at a Monterey college are undone by the discovery that she plagiarized part of her dissertation. Her ensuing depression makes for dark and lonely times, and ushers in more than one relationship drama for Charlie before season's end. Restless Bailey struggles to find his way as a college man, stooping to some ambiguous ethics and discovering, almost tragically, that he has a serious drinking problem that affects his romance with Sarah and his status as a promising wrestler on the school's team. Little Claudia chafes against the amount of adult responsibility being placed on her shoulders, and a new woman in Charlie's life brings a lot of promise and a lot of emotional confusion. All that, and people still ask the Salinger offspring if they're related to you-know-who: that famous author guy. --Tom Keogh

The five-disc DVD set includes all 25 episodes from the third season which features guest stars Carroll O'Connor (TV's All in the Family, Return to Me), Jeremy London (Mallrats, Gods and Generals), and Marla Sokoloff (Dude, Where's My Car?).

This season presents a whole new set of life-changing and soul-searching moments. Some of the emotional roller-coaster issues include the unpleasant consequences of Kristin losing her Ph.D. after plagiarizing; Charlie's realization that the good old days of high school might have been more old than good; and Julia dealing with her guilt after a friend's suicide. In addition, Claudia authorizes a $3,000 plumbing repair, and the family bands together to help Bailey confront his drinking problem.

Party of Five - The Complete First Season

After the sudden loss of their parents the Salingers must band together to keep their own lives on track discovering first loves last calls and themselves along the rocky road to growing up. Headlined by a young sexy cast including Neve Campbell Scott Wolf and Lacey Chabert this high-rated long-running series (1994-2000) firmly found its place as a pop culture phenomenon for all ages. Shot through with equal doses heart-ache and laughter PARTY OF FIVE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON remains an emotional knockout delivering all (22) episodes of this Golden Globe®-winning (Best TV Series Drama 1996) series' breakthrough debut season proving again that home is where the heart is.System Requirements:Starring: Neve Campbell Scott Wolf Lacey Chabert Matthew Fox Running Time: 984 Min. Copyright Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2005Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396028654 Manufacturer No: 02865

In its seven-year run on television, Party of Five managed to portray extreme emotions in a contained, tasteful, and level-headed way without sacrificing poignancy or richness. Aimed at a teen audience but with crossover appeal to most viewers, the series dealt with recurring themes of loss and disappointment, made all the more interesting because Party of Five's major characters, especially in season 1, are youthful siblings coping with the recent deaths of their parents in an automobile accident.

Shocked into a beyond-their-years awareness of the fragility of ordinary life and the importance of loyalty and loving bonds, the Salinger offspring--24-year-old Charlie (Matthew Fox), high schoolers Bailey (Scott Wolf) and Julia (Neve Campbell), 11-year-old Claudia (Lacey Chabert), and baby Owen (various infant actors)--bring a deeply felt, sometimes desperate gravitas to lesser but still significant misfortunes in relationships, peer pressures, and ambitions. On top of that, each has to take on responsibilities beyond their experience--hiring nannies, raising money for mortgage payments, etc.--and make sacrifices robbing them of formative experiences. Charlie, accustomed to adult freedom, has to rejigger his plans and move back home as a surrogate, and often resented, parent. (If he doesn't do this, his brothers and sisters could be separated and sent to foster homes.) Ultra-responsible Bailey, with little time for homework, buddies, or girls, loses perspective and gets hung up on an older, appealing nanny (Paula Devicq). Top student Julia's academic career fades as she seeks a second family among undeserving thrill-seekers. Claudia, a gifted musician, pawns her violin.

Despite all that drama, the essence of Party of Five is the Salingers' homing instinct, the way they survive internal and external conflict to find their way back to reassuring family rituals--among them weekly (free) dinners at the restaurant their late father owned. The 22 episodes on six discs in this boxed set typically test the Salingers' hopes, dreams, and mettle, and while stories can certainly be unsettling, a viewer is never left with serious worries that things won't turn out all right. Among the highlights are "Homework," in which Julia, having made plans to attend a party rather than salvage her failing grade in English lit, stays home instead to save Bailey's bacon by writing his difficult term paper. The powerful "Thanksgiving" concerns a face-to-face meeting between the Salingers and the drunk driver (John Rubinstein) who killed their parents. Most memorable is a suite of episodes featuring Megan Ward as Bailey's girlfriend, Jill, a possible drug addict whose fate rocks the startling season finale, "The Ides of March." --Tom Keogh

Suicide Kings

Here's another gritty independent film that tries to invade Tarantino territory by casting Christopher Walken--that most reliable of indie-film actors--as a Mobster who gets chummy with a group of preppie-like young men and becomes the victim of a kidnapping scheme. One of the kidnappers (Henry Thomas) has a sister who's been abducted by another group of kidnappers, and they've bagged Walken for his Mob connections and negotiating power. What follows is a game of psychological strategy in which the desperate group of guys slowly lose their advantage to the smarter, more experienced gangster--even though they've got Walken tied to a chair. The situation turns volatile when the young men start to doubt the wisdom of their strategy and suspect betrayal within the group, and Suicide Kings turns into a talky, repetitious thriller only partially redeemed by Denis Leary's cagey role as Walken's Mob lieutenant. The movie's a showcase for its cast of rising talent (including Jay Mohr, Jeremy Sisto, Johnny Galecki, and Sean Patrick Flanery), but not even Walken can hold it all together. What's best about the film is Leary's sinister presence in a peripheral role and Walken's trademark villainy, here toned down to a steady, simmering menace. --Jeff Shannon

Party of Five - The Complete Second Season

The Salingers are back! America s favorite family returns for the second critically acclaimed season of PARTY OF FIVE. Join Charlie (Matthew Fox) Bailey (Scott Wolf) Julia (Neve Campbell) and Claudia (Lacey Chabert) as they cope with cancelled weddings thwarted college plans career-threatening injuries long-lost relatives and unwanted pregnancies. Contains all 22 one-hour episodes including the life-changing two-part season finale where the Salingers face the greatest crisis of all: the loss of their family restaurant.System Requirements:Running Time 980 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 043396071117 Manufacturer No: 07111

Party of Five: The Complete Second Season is the absorbing follow-up to the first season's introduction of the Salinger children and their initial trauma following the death of their parents at the hands of a drunk driver. After a year of seemingly endless individual sacrifices, as the older kids did what they had to do to keep their family together at the expense of schoolwork, jobs, and relationships, year 2 finds everyone a little wiser about how to balance priorities. Oldest son Charlie (Matthew Fox) and his fiancee Kirsten (Paula Devicq) have wedding plans, though there are a number of obstacles that will get in the way of reaching the altar, including doubts between them and, eventually, other lovers. Bailey (Scott Wolf) has regained some footing at school, but his relationship with Sarah (Jennifer Love Hewitt) will prove complex, including Bailey's wrongheaded involvement in Sarah's search for a very important person in her life. Julia (Neve Campbell) has settled down a bit from her partying ways, but she is now involved in a love triangle and will face serious personal issues this season that will affect her future, one way or another. Young Claudia (Lacey Chabert) will keep company with a bad influence--another girl who is trying to grow up too fast (at least, faster than Claudia) with boys, smoking, drinking, etc. Moreover, Claudia is no longer sure about the things that seemed important to her last season, such as playing violin.

Carroll O'Connor signs on as the Salingers' long-lost grandfather, and Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle) turn up in supporting roles. In a different way, the things that were important last season--such as holding on to what really matters, against all odds--are just as important in the second season. The fate of the restaurant, the outlook for the next generation of Salingers, college--all of this and more will continue to be a part of the family's future, or not. --Tom Keogh

A Rumor of Angels

Oscar® winner* Vanessa Redgrave (Howards End) leads a dazzling cast, including Golden Globe nominee** Ray Liotta (Hannibal), Catherine McCormack (Spy Game), Ron Livingston ( Band of Brothers ) and Trevor Morgan (Jurassic Park III), in this touching drama aboutthe limitless power of friendship and love. Devastated by the loss of his mother, twelve-year-old James (Morgan) endures a lonely summer on Cape Cod until he befriends Maddy (Redgrave), the crazy old lady who lives by the lighthouse. But when James father (Liotta) discovers the otherworldly nature of their conversations, he forbids their friendship putting James newfound belief in the power ofloveand Maddy's belief in the power of lifeto the ultimate test! *1977: Supporting Actress, Julia **1986: Supporting Actor, Something Wild

Suicide Kings

Here's another gritty independent film that tries to invade Tarantino territory by casting Christopher Walken--that most reliable of indie-film actors--as a Mobster who gets chummy with a group of preppie-like young men and becomes the victim of a kidnapping scheme. One of the kidnappers (Henry Thomas) has a sister who's been abducted by another group of kidnappers, and they've bagged Walken for his Mob connections and negotiating power. What follows is a game of psychological strategy in which the desperate group of guys slowly lose their advantage to the smarter, more experienced gangster--even though they've got Walken tied to a chair. The situation turns volatile when the young men start to doubt the wisdom of their strategy and suspect betrayal within the group, and Suicide Kings turns into a talky, repetitious thriller only partially redeemed by Denis Leary's cagey role as Walken's Mob lieutenant. The movie's a showcase for its cast of rising talent (including Jay Mohr, Jeremy Sisto, Johnny Galecki, and Sean Patrick Flanery), but not even Walken can hold it all together. What's best about the film is Leary's sinister presence in a peripheral role and Walken's trademark villainy, here toned down to a steady, simmering menace. --Jeff Shannon

Suicide Kings [Region 2]

Here's another gritty independent film that tries to invade Tarantino territory by casting Christopher Walken--that most reliable of indie-film actors--as a Mobster who gets chummy with a group of preppie-like young men and becomes the victim of a kidnapping scheme. One of the kidnappers (Henry Thomas) has a sister who's been abducted by another group of kidnappers, and they've bagged Walken for his Mob connections and negotiating power. What follows is a game of psychological strategy in which the desperate group of guys slowly lose their advantage to the smarter, more experienced gangster--even though they've got Walken tied to a chair. The situation turns volatile when the young men start to doubt the wisdom of their strategy and suspect betrayal within the group, and Suicide Kings turns into a talky, repetitious thriller only partially redeemed by Denis Leary's cagey role as Walken's Mob lieutenant. The movie's a showcase for its cast of rising talent (including Jay Mohr, Jeremy Sisto, Johnny Galecki, and Sean Patrick Flanery), but not even Walken can hold it all together. What's best about the film is Leary's sinister presence in a peripheral role and Walken's trademark villainy, here toned down to a steady, simmering menace. --Jeff Shannon

Suicide Kings [Region 2]

Here's another gritty independent film that tries to invade Tarantino territory by casting Christopher Walken--that most reliable of indie-film actors--as a Mobster who gets chummy with a group of preppie-like young men and becomes the victim of a kidnapping scheme. One of the kidnappers (Henry Thomas) has a sister who's been abducted by another group of kidnappers, and they've bagged Walken for his Mob connections and negotiating power. What follows is a game of psychological strategy in which the desperate group of guys slowly lose their advantage to the smarter, more experienced gangster--even though they've got Walken tied to a chair. The situation turns volatile when the young men start to doubt the wisdom of their strategy and suspect betrayal within the group, and Suicide Kings turns into a talky, repetitious thriller only partially redeemed by Denis Leary's cagey role as Walken's Mob lieutenant. The movie's a showcase for its cast of rising talent (including Jay Mohr, Jeremy Sisto, Johnny Galecki, and Sean Patrick Flanery), but not even Walken can hold it all together. What's best about the film is Leary's sinister presence in a peripheral role and Walken's trademark villainy, here toned down to a steady, simmering menace. --Jeff Shannon

Suicide Kings [Region 2]

Here's another gritty independent film that tries to invade Tarantino territory by casting Christopher Walken--that most reliable of indie-film actors--as a Mobster who gets chummy with a group of preppie-like young men and becomes the victim of a kidnapping scheme. One of the kidnappers (Henry Thomas) has a sister who's been abducted by another group of kidnappers, and they've bagged Walken for his Mob connections and negotiating power. What follows is a game of psychological strategy in which the desperate group of guys slowly lose their advantage to the smarter, more experienced gangster--even though they've got Walken tied to a chair. The situation turns volatile when the young men start to doubt the wisdom of their strategy and suspect betrayal within the group, and Suicide Kings turns into a talky, repetitious thriller only partially redeemed by Denis Leary's cagey role as Walken's Mob lieutenant. The movie's a showcase for its cast of rising talent (including Jay Mohr, Jeremy Sisto, Johnny Galecki, and Sean Patrick Flanery), but not even Walken can hold it all together. What's best about the film is Leary's sinister presence in a peripheral role and Walken's trademark villainy, here toned down to a steady, simmering menace. --Jeff Shannon