Hockey

Miracle (Widescreen Edition)

The miracle about Miracle is that it gets so many details right in telling its 24-year-old story about the historic victory of the U.S. hockey team at the 1980 Olympic Games. It's typical for Hollywood to compromise such period details as hairstyles and fashion when catering to a contemporary audience, but Miracle looks and feels right in every detail, capturing the downbeat mood of post-Watergate America while showing how obsessively determined Minnesota hockey coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) managed to assemble a once-in-a-lifetime team and whip them into a victorious frenzy over their Soviet champion opponents. With sharp support from Patricia Clarkson (as Brooks's wife) and Noah Emmerich (as his long-suffering assistant), Russell grounds the film with a well-balanced combination of aloofness, intimidation, and closely guarded strategy. No doubt the real Brooks (who died in a car accident shortly after filming completed) would have approved. Thanks to director Gavin O'Connor (Tumbleweeds) and the producers of the similarly laudable sports films Remember the Titans and The Rookie, Miracle brings plenty of heart--and historical accuracy--to an old, familiar formula. --Jeff Shannon

MIRACLE TELLS THE TRUE STORY OF HERB BROOKS (RUSSELL), THE PLAYER-TURNED-COACH WHO LED THE 1980 U.S. OLYMPIC HOCKEY TEAM TO VICTORY OVER THE SEEMINGLY INVINCIBLE RUSSIAN SQUAD.

Miracle (Full Screen Edition)

The miracle about Miracle is that it gets so many details right in telling its 24-year-old story about the historic victory of the U.S. hockey team at the 1980 Olympic Games. It's typical for Hollywood to compromise such period details as hairstyles and fashion when catering to a contemporary audience, but Miracle looks and feels right in every detail, capturing the downbeat mood of post-Watergate America while showing how obsessively determined Minnesota hockey coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) managed to assemble a once-in-a-lifetime team and whip them into a victorious frenzy over their Soviet champion opponents. With sharp support from Patricia Clarkson (as Brooks's wife) and Noah Emmerich (as his long-suffering assistant), Russell grounds the film with a well-balanced combination of aloofness, intimidation, and closely guarded strategy. No doubt the real Brooks (who died in a car accident shortly after filming completed) would have approved. Thanks to director Gavin O'Connor (Tumbleweeds) and the producers of the similarly laudable sports films Remember the Titans and The Rookie, Miracle brings plenty of heart--and historical accuracy--to an old, familiar formula. --Jeff Shannon

From the studio that brought you THE ROOKIE and REMEMBER THE TITANS comes the movie everybody loves -- MIRACLE. Filled with exhilarating nonstop hockey action and heart-racing suspense, it's the inspiring true story behind one of the greatest moments in s

Clerks (15th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

Before Kevin Smith became a Hollywood darling with Chasing Amy, a film he wrote and directed, he made this $27,000 comedy about real-life experiences working for chump change at a New Jersey convenience store. A rude, foul-mouthed collection of anecdotes about the responsibilities that go with being on the wrong side of the till, the film is also a relationship story that takes some hilarious turns once the lovers start revealing their sexual histories to one another. In the best tradition of first-time, ultra-low budget independent films, Smith uses Clerks as an audition piece, demonstrating that he not only can handle two-character comedy but also has an eye for action--as proven in a smoothly handled rooftop hockey scene. Smith himself appears as a silent figure who hangs out on the fringes of the store's property. --Tom Keogh

Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 11/17/2009 Run time: 92 minutes Rating: R

Do You Believe in Miracles? The Story of the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team

You don't need to know anything about hockey to be moved by this hourlong documentary about one of the greatest upsets in sports history: the United States' defeat of the vaunted Russian Olympic hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. The film recounts the David vs. Goliath matchup between the Americans (essentially a group of college kids molded into a team by coach Herb Brooks, also the U.S. hockey coach in the 2002 Olympic games) and the Russians, professionals who had won four straight Olympic golds. The story is retold in interviews with the people who lived it, including Brooks and several of the American players, sportscaster Al Michaels (who uttered the title line as the game ended), and key Russian players. Do You Believe in Miracles? is a solid blend of sports and history that focuses on the human element in one of the great underdog victories of all time. --Marshall Fine

In february of 1980 the u.S. Hockey team created an unforgettable moment of national pride when they miraculously beat the soviets - a win selected by sports illustrated as the 1 sports moment of the century. Relive the excitment of history being made on ice. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/26/2006 Run time: 60 minutes Rating: Nr

Miracle [Blu-ray]

The miracle about Miracle is that it gets so many details right in telling its 24-year-old story about the historic victory of the U.S. hockey team at the 1980 Olympic Games. It's typical for Hollywood to compromise such period details as hairstyles and fashion when catering to a contemporary audience, but Miracle looks and feels right in every detail, capturing the downbeat mood of post-Watergate America while showing how obsessively determined Minnesota hockey coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) managed to assemble a once-in-a-lifetime team and whip them into a victorious frenzy over their Soviet champion opponents. With sharp support from Patricia Clarkson (as Brooks's wife) and Noah Emmerich (as his long-suffering assistant), Russell grounds the film with a well-balanced combination of aloofness, intimidation, and closely guarded strategy. No doubt the real Brooks (who died in a car accident shortly after filming completed) would have approved. Thanks to director Gavin O'Connor (Tumbleweeds) and the producers of the similarly laudable sports films Remember the Titans and The Rookie, Miracle brings plenty of heart--and historical accuracy--to an old, familiar formula. --Jeff Shannon

Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 06/16/2009 Run time: 136 minutes

The Cutting Edge

Moira Kelly (Dangerous Beauty The West Wing) and D.B. Sweeney (Roommates Memphis Belle) star as polar opposites who unite on the ice for a shot at Olympic gold in this inspirational romantic comedy from acclaimed director Paul M. Glaser (The Running Man). Brimming with wit charm and plenty of breathtaking sports action The Cutting Edge is a real winner!She s a rich and refined pairs figure skater whose prima donna attitude has her skating solo. He s a brash blue-collar hockey champion with a new injury and no future. With nothing in common but their dream of reaching the Olympics Kate and Doug are each other s last resort. Reluctantly they join forces but it s not long before the barbs and sparks start flying as the unlikely pair skate towards the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance at a medal...and a chance at love.System Requirements:Starring: D.B. Sweeney Moira Kelly Roy Dotrice Terry O Quinn Dwier Brown Chris Benson Kevin Peeks and Barry Flatman. Directed By: Paul Michael Glaser. Running Time: 102 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2000 MGM Studios.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG UPC: 027616857743 Manufacturer No: 1001454

As far as ice-skating movies go (or those that prominently feature the cold-bladed sport), this romantic movie is one of the best, thanks to utterly charming performances by underrated actors D.B. Sweeney and Moira Kelly. The couple play, respectively, a washed-up hockey player and a prima-donna skater who end up in doubles figure skating together at the Winter Olympics. Of course, the mismatched pair fall in love. In between, there's a lot of verbal sparring, talk of toe picks, and surprisingly skillful directing by Paul Michael Glaser (Kazaam, The Air Up There). Direction here is critical--unlike in Flashdance, where the dancing was done in the shadows, face and feet obviously shot separately--and credibly highlights the actors and their professional stand-ins. This is such a fun, sweet story that the facts the film takes liberties with--including the alacrity with which a hockey player takes to Olympic-level figure skating--are easily forgivable. --N.F. Mendoza

Forgotten Miracle

They were the first. The miracle before the miracle on ice. 1960 marked a time of transition. The Cold War was heating up. Television was introduced to the Olympics. Decades of Canadian hockey dominance were met by an emerging Soviet dynasty. In the middle of it all, a team of unheralded but talented Americans saw their chance for gold. Carpenters, insurance salesmen, firemen and servicemen by day, these men also happened to be America's greatest hockey players. And for two weeks in California, they were the best in the world. Together they achieved something that has still never been matched by an American hockey team: an unblemished record in an Olympiad. But for all the greatness of the 1960 US Olympic team, they remain a footnote in the history books. It's a triumph that could aptly be called a "Forgotten Miracle."

Canadian Bacon

No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG
Release Date: 22-MAY-2001
Media Type: DVD

Fresh from the success of Roger and Me, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore made the mistake of trying his hand at fiction film. Hoping to satirize America's leap into the Gulf War (and its abandonment of its industrial base), he wrote and directed this disappointing comedy, which fell flat despite a cast that included Alan Alda, Rip Torn, Rhea Perlman, John Candy, and Kevin Pollak. The premise is that the president (Alda) is so far down in the polls that he has to create a war to bolster his popularity; he picks a fight with Canada, demonizing the bland denizens of the Great White North to the point that a group of Niagara Falls law-enforcement types (led by Candy in one of his final film roles) decides to invade on their own initiative. There are a couple of funny moments (mostly having to do with the propaganda campaign against Canada), but otherwise, a frozen stiff. --Marshall Fine

The Mighty Ducks

Gordon Bombay, a hotshot lawyer, is haunted by memories of his childhood, when, as the star player in his champion hockey team, he lost the winning goal in a shootout, thereby losing the game, and the approval of his coach. When the court orders him to coach a peewee hockey team, the worst in the league, Gordon is at first very reluctant. However, he eventually gains the respect of the kids and teaches them how to win, gaining a sponsor on the way and giving the team the name of The Ducks. In the finals, they face Gordon's old team, coached by Gordon's old coach, giving Gordon a chance to face old ghosts.

Disney had an unexpected hit with this predictable comedy about a smug lawyer (Emilio Estevez) busted for drunk driving and ordered to coach a sad-sack team of hockey-playing kids as community service. The kids triumph over their sundry problems, and Estevez's character grows up a little. End of story. A perfectly harmless movie for kids and adults who are giving their brains a night off. --Tom Keogh

Little Caesar

A career-criminal abandons small-time holdups to become a powerful mob boss.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: NR
Release Date: 25-JAN-2005
Media Type: DVD