Director: Michael Cuesta
Genre: Drama
Studio: New Yorker Video
Rated: Unrated

A remarkable movie. "L.I.E." centers on Howie, a 15-year-old boy whose mother recently died in a car accident. Neglected by his father, an unscrupulous contractor who's constantly having sex with his new girlfriend, Howie falls in with a group of boys who break into houses for kicks. After one break-in Howie is caught by Big John (Brian Cox, the original Hannibal Lecter from "Manhunter"), a former Marine with a taste for young boys. But the relationship that develops between Howie and Big John surprises them both. "L.I.E." captures male adolescence more genuinely than any other film in recent memory; the realism of the relationships, particularly between Howie and his father, is completely compelling. The movie affects all the senses; you can practically feel the texture of Howie's blue flannel sheets, smell the greenery that grows along the Long Island Expressway. Amazing performances, vivid direction, smartly written--superb all around. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Jim Henson
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG

Sarah (a teenage Jennifer Connelly) rehearses the role of a fairy-tale queen, performing for her stuffed animals. She is about to discover that the time has come to leave her childhood behind. In real life she has to baby-sit her brother and contend with parents who don't understand her at all. Her petulance leads her to call the goblins to take the baby away, but when they actually do, she realizes her responsibility to rescue him. Sarah negotiates the Labyrinth to reach the City of the Goblins and the castle of their king. The king is the only other human in the film and is played by a glam-rocking David Bowie, who performs five of his songs. The rest of the cast are puppets, a wonderful array of Jim Henson's imaginative masterpieces. Henson gives credit to children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, and the creatures in the movie will remind Sendak fans of his drawings. The castle of the king is a living M.C. Escher set that adults will enjoy. The film combines the highest standards of art, costume, and set decoration. Like executive producer George Lucas's other fantasies, Labyrinth mixes adventure with lessons about growing up. --Lloyd Chesley

Director: Dan Hartley
Genre: Drama

A teenage boy forms a friendship with a park ranger in the Yorkshire Dales after the death of his father.

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Genre: Drama
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: PG-13

Or, if you prefer, "I See Wet People". M. Night Shyamalan's attempt at a newfangled mythology--about a depressed apartment superintendent (Paul Giamatti) who discovers a sea-nymph (Bryce Dallas Howard) who may hold the key to humanity's hopeful future--is intriguing enough to capture the imaginations of children and adults who haven't lost sight of their innocent sense of wonder. Cynics, on the other hand, will likely scoff at Shyamalan's awkward fantasy, which includes one victim--a film critic--widely interpreted as Shyamalan's revenge against reviewers who panned "The Village". Shyamalan originally improvised this melancholy fantasy as a bedtime story for his children; unfortunately, it still feels mostly half-baked and ultimately ineffective due to a number of plot holes and inconsistencies that a writer as talented as Shyamalan should've been able to avoid. For those wishing to learn more about the film's troubled history, and Shyamalan's petulant split from Disney studios, "The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career on a Fairy Tale" is an interesting read. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Frank LaLoggia
Genre: Horror
Studio: Elite Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

An impressive labor of love from independent writer-director Frank LaLoggia, this low-budget supernatural thriller was a sleeper hit in 1988, deservedly praised by critics and horror fans for its effective combination of ghostly terror and small-town charm. The influence of Steven Spielberg can be felt in the movie's imaginative scenario, but it's also got the affectionate appeal of autobiographical nostalgia, mixing details of LaLoggia's own youth in upstate New York with a frightening tale of Halloween horror. It begins when young Frankie (Lukas Haas) is locked in a grade-school cloakroom on Halloween night of 1962; he witnesses the ghostly image of a little girl and is nearly strangled to death by an unknown assailant. From that point forward, Frankie is convinced that the ghost is somehow connected to the Lady in White, a haunting vision of local legend. A black janitor is tried as Frankie's attacker and suspected in a series of unsolved murders, but recurring apparitions lead Frankie to the truth of the case--a revelation of real-life violence and supernatural wonders. This plot may be a bit too cluttered for a conventional ghost story, but the movie's ambition works in its favor by providing an emotional subtext for its youthful sense of wonder. There's an abundance of charm and humor, but this also a moving story of grief and loss, tracing young Frankie's adjustment to the death of his mother. This gives "Lady in White" more depth than is typical for horror thrillers, and the movie further benefits from the obvious care and compassion that LaLoggia brought to its creation. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: A.J. Mattioli
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Studio: Mattioli Productions

When Conner first meets Gay newbie Devin, he feels an instant attraction for him. However, soon into the relationship Conner's nemesis, the Puerto Rican drag queen, Adora, wants Devin all to herself. Conner soon realizes the only way to compete with a drag queen is to become a drag queen. With the help of his club friends, Conner must make it his mission to destroy Adora if he wants to win back Devin.

Director: Steve Miner
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

"Lake Placid" is total trash--and, as a result, fairly entertaining. Yet another entry in the horror subgenre of giant animals running amok, "Lake Placid" features a giant crocodile that has somehow found its way to an isolated lake in Maine. The absurdity of crocodiles in Maine sets the tone for the entire movie, which has no ambitions beyond mixing a little fright with a little humor. Bridget Fonda ("Point of No Return", "Jackie Brown") plays a paleontologist sent to investigate a large tooth; Bill Pullman ("Independence Day", "Lost Highway") is a fish and game warden just trying to keep the peace; Oliver Platt ("Funny Bones", "Flatliners") plays a loose-cannon mythology professor who swims with crocodiles for sport; and Brendan Gleeson (an excellent but little-known actor, most noted for "The General") is a local sheriff with a short temper and a big gun. Add a few gruesome dismemberments, Betty White as a cantankerous old broad who may have murdered her husband, and a cow hanging from a helicopter, and there you have it: "Lake Placid". (Curiously, this concoction was put together by David E. Kelley, better known as the creator of TV's "Ally McBeal" and "The Practice".) "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Neil LaBute
Genre: Drama
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: PG-13

The usually provocative Neil LaBute reigns in his more eccentric tendencies for this straightforward domestic thriller. Then again, LaBute, who divides his time between cinema and theater, didn't write the material. The bad vibes begin when Chris (Patrick Wilson) and Lisa Mattson (Kerry Washington) move in next door to widowed cop Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson, as nasty as Aaron Eckhart in LaBute's In the Company of Men). A strict father of two, Turner works in a diverse unit (Jay Hernandez plays his partner), but takes less kindly to interracial relationships. From the start, he makes the Mattsons uncomfortable with inappropriate remarks and unwarranted intrusions, like the security light trained on their bedroom, under the guise of self-appointed neighborhood guardian. Initially, Turner's actions exacerbate the tensions between the seemingly happy pair--Lisa wants to start a family, Chris wants to wait--until they realize they'll have to work together to protect themselves from their troubled neighbor. And since he's a member of the LAPD, Turner's colleagues have his back, despite the break-ins and flat tires bedeviling the Mattsons. When they make it clear they intend to stay, Turner takes his harassment campaign to the next level. The A-list cast does what they can, but the B-movie script from Howard Korder and Passenger 57's David Loughery, offers few surprises--at least to those who've seen Fatal Attraction and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle--and LaBute's by-the-books direction lacks its usual bite. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Stills from Lakeview Terrace (click for larger image)

Genre: Adventure, Comedy
Studio: Gamechanger Films
Rated: R

A pair of ex-brothers-in-law set off to Iceland in an attempt to reclaim their youth through Reykjavik nightclubs, trendy spas, and rugged campsites. This bawdy adventure is a throwback to 1980s road trip comedies, as well as a candid exploration of aging, loneliness, and friendship.

Director: Moisés Kaufman
Genre: Drama
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Rated: NR

Even though "The Laramie Project" has been edited down from almost three hours (the original length of the play) to a lean 96 minutes, the harrowing nature of the subject matter--the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard--and the clarity of the voices of the inhabitants of Laramie, Wyoming, give this film a remarkable emotional power. "The Laramie Project" was created from over 200 interviews conducted with Laramie residents before, during, and after the trials of the two boys who killed Shepard; the interviews create an amazing cross-section of American views on homosexuality, religion, class, privacy, and so much more besides. Even though it features an all-star cast--Steve Buscemi, Janeane Garofalo, Christina Ricci, Peter Fonda, and Laura Linney are only a few of the recognizable faces--the material has not been glamorized and the performances are both honest and intimate. Even abbreviated, it's a remarkable piece of work. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Rated: PG

Blu-ray 3D - requires a 3D Blu-ray player, 3D television display, 3D glasses, and a high speed HDMI 1.4 cable, in order to be viewed in 3D. 3D Blu-ray also plays in standard Blu-ray format.

Experience the thrilling live-action adventure based on the hit Nickelodeon series "Avatar: The Last Airbender". Join Aang, an extraordinary boy with incredible "bending" powers, as he journeys through an exotic land filled with magical creatures and powerful friends. As the Avatar, he is the only one who can end the age-old conflict between the four nations: Air, Water, Earth and Fire. An inspirational journey, "The Last Airbender" is exciting entertainment for the entire family!

Director: Boaz Davidson
Genre: Comedy
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Rated: R

A "let's get laid" favorite from the teen-comedy trend of the early 1980s, "The Last American Virgin" is beloved enough to earn its own fan-driven website, and it's still lots of fun. While tapping into the same zeitgeist that popularized "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (which was released just one week earlier), this above-average sex comedy mixes high-school high jinks with the real anguish of unrequited love, as a nice kid named Gary (Lawrence Monoson) falls for Karen (Diane Franklin), a cute classmate who won't return his affections. Gary delivers pizza, leading to the comic highlight when his horny pals (Steve Antin, Joe Rubbo) deliver more than pizza to a lonely Latina bombshell (Louisa Moritz). But Gary wants his "first time" to be special, and director Boaz Davidson smartly avoids the obvious by denying Gary of the thing he wants most. Intended as the first in a series of remakes of the Israeli "Lemon Popsicle" comedies of the 1970s, "The Last American Virgin" offers abundant nudity, a recycled soundtrack of '80s hits, and plenty of hair mousse, but it's genuine hormonal angst that's given it a lasting reputation. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Lance Weiler
Genre: Horror
Studio: Ventura Home Enterta
Rated: NR

Comparisons to "The Blair Witch Project" are inevitable for the inventive, satirical "The Last Broadcast", a chilling and funny mockumentary by filmmakers Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler. Besides being made and coming to prominence around the same time (though without a "Blair Witch"-style marketing juggernaut), "The Last Broadcast" also details the doomed travails of some amateur filmmakers as they track a mysterious, murderous legend in a dark forest. Hmmm, sound familiar? Actually, "The Last Broadcast" takes a different tack on this premise, one more media-savvy than "Blair Witch". Turns out that this is the latest installment of the "X-Files"-ish public access show "Fact or Fiction", and its doofusy hosts (Avalos and Weiler themselves) plan on doing a live broadcast from deep in the New Jersey woods on their ongoing quest for the Bigfoot-like Jersey Devil. Teaming up with two Internet-based fans, they plunge themselves and their equipment into the wintry woods; only one man, the creepy psychic Jim (Jim Seward), returns, and is promptly convicted of the murders of the other three. While it does boast footage made by the "dead" filmmakers, "The Last Broadcast" is more formally structured as a documentary, complete with officious, muckraking host (David Leigh) and much behind-the-scenes footage. We're let in on the backgrounds of the victims, the 911 phone calls, the murder trial, the inconsistencies the prosecution overlooked, and the painstaking work of reconstructing the film stock, which may unlock the mystery of the true killer. Filmed entirely with digital cameras and assembled on digital systems for a mind-boggling $900, "The Last Broadcast" boasts a great look and a sharp, satiric eye for sending up the media--Avalos and Weiler are in calm command of their medium and message. The film does take a sharp turn that could either enrage or amaze viewers enraptured by what's preceded, but it's a minor quibble at best. And unlike "The Blair Witch Project", "The Last Broadcast" does answer all the mysterious questions it raises. "--Mark Englehart"

Director: Álex de la Iglesia
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Studio: Tornasol Films
Rated: R

1937, Spain is in the midst of the brutal Spanish Civil War. A "Happy" circus clown is interrupted mid-performance and forcibly recruited by a militia. Still in his costume, he is handed a machete and led into battle against National soldiers, where he single handedly massacres an entire platoon. Fast forward to 1973, the tail end of the Franco regime. Javier, the son of the clown, dreams of following in his father's career footsteps, but has seen too much tragedy in his life-he's simply not funny and is only equipped to play the role of the Sad Clown. He finds work in a circus where he befriends an outlandish cast of characters, but as the Sad Clown he must take the abuse of the brutish Happy Clown Sergio, who humiliates Javier daily in the name of entertainment. It is here that he meets Natalia, a gorgeous acrobat, and abused wife of Sergio. Javier falls deeply in love with Natalia and tries to rescue her from her cruel and violent husband, unleashing Sergio's jealousy. But Natalia ...

Director: Gus Van Sant
Genre: Music
Studio: Brentwood Home Video (BCI Eclipse LLC)
Rated: R

Michael Pitt stars in a Seattle-set rock & roll drama as a musician whose life and career is reminiscent of Kurt Cobain's.

Director: Ruairi Robinson
Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Rated: R

On the eve that the crew of the very first manned expedition to Mars is about to return to Earth, it makes an astounding discovery fossilized evidence of life on Mars. Oscar® nominated and visionary filmmaker Ruairí Robinson, along with an extraordinary special effects team including the people behind DISTRICT 9, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and AVATAR, introduce us to a terrifying new landscape, where the scientific discovery of life might be the death of us all.

Director: Daniel Stamm
Studio: Lionsgate
Rated: PG-13

Just when you thought it was safe to see another shaky, handheld, faux-documentary horror movie… along comes "The Last Exorcism" to raise the creep factor. Supposedly we are watching a documentary crew tagging along after one Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian), a hell-raising preacher who sidelines in exorcisms. He's got a leather-bound volume full of dire drawings and incantations, and he knows the rubes just eat this kind of stuff up. Now Cotton has vowed to expose his own gimmicks for the camera, so he journeys to backwoods Louisiana to answer the call to save a putatively possessed girl--the better to debunk his own methods, once and for all, and get out of the exorcism business. Sounds like nothing could possibly go wrong. Then we meet the Sweetzer family: bible-thumping papa (Louis Herthum), not-quite-right son Caleb (eerie Caleb Jones), and possessed daughter Nell (Ashley Bell). Someone's been mutilating the farm's livestock, and dear little Nell has the vacant stare and sweet smile of a demon child. Director Daniel Stamm wisely allows the buildup to go on and on in non-hyped fashion, letting the sense of reality increase with each scene--the better to unleash the mayhem in the second half of the movie. It all goes over the top, and obviously the "found footage" gimmick has long since become a cliché that you either go along with or reject. But the climax is enough to warm the heart of any self-respecting fan of devil movies, and "The Last Exorcism" is distinguished by some very good performances, especially TV veteran Patrick Fabian, who creates a deft, funny, full-blooded character. "--Robert Horton"

Director: Robert Shaye
Genre: Drama
Studio: New Line Home Video
Rated: PG

Comparisons with "E.T." are inevitable, but the more modest "The Last Mimzy" is based on the classic short story "Mimzy Were the Borogoves," by Lewis Padgett (a pseudonym for husband-and-wife writing team Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore), that anticipated Steven Spielberg's extraterrestrial fantasy by nearly four decades. Chris O'Neil and Rhiannon Leigh Wryn give winning, naturalistic performances as siblings Noah and Emma, whose lives are transformed by a box of mysterious objects they find on the beach outside the family's Seattle vacation home. Among its contents is a stuffed rabbit that Emma names Mimzy and becomes quite attached. Noah and Emma are your typical outsiders. He is not good at sports, and she is interested in astronomy and plays the violin. But the objects work wonders on them. Their brainpower increases exponentially, Noah is able to drive a golf ball hundreds of yards, and Emma begins to communicate telepathically with Mimzy, who reveals his true identity and purpose. Rainn Wilson of "The Office" displays an off-center charm as Mr. White, Noah's New Age-y science teacher, who discovers similarities between Noah's intricate notebook doodlings and ancient renderings of the universe ("This is so out of my league," he marvels at one point), and becomes involved in Mimzy's back-to-the-future quest. Timothy Hutton and Joely Richardson are solid as the understandably confounded and increasingly concerned parents. Michael Clarke Duncan is a menacing FBI agent who, invoking the Patriot Act, arrests the family after Noah inadvertently causes a citywide blackout with one of the futuristic objects. "The Last Mimzy" may not reach "E.T."'s spectacular heights, but as thoughtfully adapted for the screen by Bruce Joel Rubin ("Ghost") and Toby Emmerich ("Frequency"), it is a transporting, idea-rich family film that is free of gratuitous coarse language (save for Mr. White's offhand classroom use of the word "screw") or bathroom humor. "--Donald Liebenson"

Director: Larry Fessenden
Genre: Horror
Studio: Ifc
Rated: Unrated

A team in Alaska is tormented by an unseen evil. After one crewmember is found dead, disorientation slowly claims the sanity of the other team members as each of them succumbs to an unknown fear.

Director: Jeff London
Genre: Drama
Studio: Wolfe Video
Rated: Unrated

Jeff London ('Regarding Billy') seems to be a director and writer who is committed to investigating the various degrees of problems young gay men face as they live in a homophobic society. His films resound with an honest feeling but too often he settles for stereotypes at both ends of the spectrum and that tends to weaken his work.

The setting is a Bible College somewhere in America where hunky Paul (Ron Petronicolos) is entering his 'last year' of study, his summer having been disrupted by an incident that is revealed later in the story. He re-joins his longtime roommate Robby (Patrick Orion Hoesterey) but keeps asking about his good friend Hector (Merrick McMahon), a subject no one wants to address. He meets Hector's roommate Alex (Mike Dolan) and gradually Alex lets Paul know that he is gay. Paul learns that the Bible College has discovered Hector is gay and the Dean (Rand Smith) and his henchmen are out to have Hector expelled. Paul's changed ways are noted by Robby and he finally confides that his summer incident was a gay experience in a restroom - a fact that Robby finds repulsive at first but soon comes to support Paul's anguish about his parent's disapproval and punishment.

As Paul's feelings for living who he really is surface he finds solace and sanctuary with Alex and the two become lovers. The Dean's spies gradually intimidate the group of four (Paul, Alex, Hector and Robby) and disciplinary action is taken. Among Paul's discoveries in his rebellion against the Bible College's stance against gays is the fact that the dean is a closet case and that is the reason for the rough action against Hector (with whom the dean had an assignation). It all comes to a tragic end for some and a sense of freedom for others - to find out who belongs to which category requires watching the film!

The movie has its moments, due largely to the ability of the actors Petronicolos, Dolan, and McMahon, but it sadly is buried by otherwise mediocre to poor acting from the rest of the cast. The work of Rand Smith, Penelope Ma (who plays the dean's wife), and Lawrence Rinzel (who plays Paul's father) is particularly weak just when strong acting could have supported the flimsier portions of the script. London needed to spend more thought on Bible Colleges, finding that more razor sharp line between right wing bias against gays instead of opting for the usual clich?s that are found everywhere. That dividing line among young men challenged by sexual identity would have made a far more successful film. But the film is worth watching for the performances of the three lead actors - strong young men each! Grady Harp, April 06

Director: C. Jay Cox
Genre: Drama
Studio: TLA Releasing
Rated: Unrated

Christian (Wes Ramsey of the washboard abs) is a waiter, party boy, and first-class man magnet. Elder Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss of the goofy grin) is a straight-laced Mormon missionary. When he and three elders, including the uptight Ryder (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "Mysterious Skin"), move into Christian's Hollywood apartment complex, it's clear something's got to give. Christian tries to make his new neighbors feel welcome, but they're put off by his flamboyance--the short-shorts, the rainbow flag in his yard, etc. When Christian's trash-talking pals at Lila's restaurant, including the cynical Traci (Amber Benson, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), bet that he can't seduce one of these clean-cut young men, he takes them up on it and sets his sights on cute, soft-spoken Aaron. As a pretense, he asks to learn more about his Church, but where they really connect is over their love of old movies, everything from "Psycho" to "Tommy". When Aaron accuses him of being shallow, however, Christian starts to wonder if the bet wasn't such a good idea--plus he's starting to fall for the guy. Turns out the closeted Aaron feels the same way about him, but when his roommates find out, he's shipped back to Pocatello where he faces excommunication. Written and directed by C. Jay Cox ("Sweet Home Alabama"), a former Mormon missionary, "Latter Days" features Mary Kay Place as Aaron's disapproving mother and Jacqueline Bisset as the acerbic, yet supportive Lila. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Director: John Glenn
Genre: Drama
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

A harrowing and frightening thriller about a man who has everything he's ever loved stripped away from him; and to earn his life and family back, he must face obstacles of mystical origins, endure countless tests of his faith, struggle with his own sanity, and explore the depth and the power of his soul.

Director: Stephen Norrington
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13

The heroes of 1899 are brought to life with the help of some expensive special effects in "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". From the pages of Victorian literature come Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll (and his alter ego Mr. Hyde), Dorian Gray, Tom Sawyer, an Invisible Man, Mina Harker (from "Dracula"), and the hunter Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery), all brought together to combat an evil megalomaniac out to conquer the world. Hardly an original plot, but perhaps that's fitting for a movie sewn together like Frankenstein's monster. The movie rushes from one frenetic battle to another, replacing sense with spectacle--Nemo's submarine rising from the water, a warehouse full of zeppelins bursting into flame, Venice collapsing into its own canals; flashy, dumb, and completely incoherent. Fans of the original comic book will be disappointed. Also featuring Peta Wilson, Shane West, Stuart Townsend, Richard Roxburgh, and Jason Flemyng. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Penny Marshall
Genre: Drama
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Rated: PG

Director: Robert King, Sean King, ,
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
Studio: Brentwood Home Video (BCI Eclipse LLC)
Rated: Not Rated

Let dance instructors Kyle and Susan Webb unlock the mysteries of swing dance in this easy-to-follow and energetic program. Knock 'em dead at the next wedding, school dance, or night on the town with your new found ability to dance the jitterbug and demonstrate (with your feet) the subtle differences between of East Coast and West Coast swing. Includes: Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced programs, as well as a Best of program, designed to cover all experience levels.



Muze/MTS Inc.

Director: Andy Anderson
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Mti Home Video
Rated: NR

Some times we just have to cut to the chase and get down to business. "Learning Curve" does just that - writer/director Andy Anderson has a particular take on life and it vividly shows in this film. "Curve" is not a movie you see every day. The market forces would never create a story like this as it should be - this is where independent filmmaking shines. So, a high school teacher can't teach his students - they just don't want to learn (not that they CAN'T learn!)...I've been witness to situations similar to this in my high school days. I was put in low-level applied classes with all the goof-offs and Dopeheads and Metal Heads: all who didn't want to learn a thing. Needless to say I wasn't one of them, I did want to learn, but spending three years with these types of students left me with a sour after taste in my mouth in regards to the public school system...So, now comes "Learning Curve" and with this teacher's method of teaching, I applaude with great glee. Learning through imprisonment and electric shock cuts through the B.S. and gets right to the heart of the matter. And what's more, IT WORKED! They did begin to learn! Overall, Mr. Anderson has crafted a film that's part satire, part reality and part shocking. This is his second feature film and I hope that I won't have to wait years and years to see his next effort on the big screen!

Director: Cameron Crowe
Genre: Music Video & Concerts
Studio: Warner Strat. Mkt.
Rated: NR

Exclamations of religious awe are in order. Legendary and long sought-after, this live "Led Zeppelin" collection is nothing less than the rock music equivalent of the Holy Grail. Quite simply, this is what all the fuss was about.

Given that they were the biggest band in the world, Zeppelin were notoriously camera-shy in their heyday. Their official filmic legacy until now has been just the fascinating but flawed "The Song Remains the Same". While this new set presents some previously unseen footage from the same 1973 Madison Square Garden gigs, its real wonders lie in the earlier (1970) Royal Albert Hall footage and the later Earls Court (1975) and Knebworth (1979) concerts. Everything here looks and sounds new-minted, thanks to painstaking restoration and remastering of both audio and visual sources, a Herculean labor of love on the part of co-producer Dick Carruthers working hand-in-glove with Jimmy Page. Trawling through thousands of yards of previously unseen film and unheard tape recordings--some with missing visuals, some with missing audio--Page and Carruthers have chosen only the best possible footage available. They were also at pains to make the segments segue seamlessly so that the viewer is treated to what feels like a continuous concert--just sample the transition from a grainy Super 8 "Immigrant Song" (Sydney, 1972) to "Black Dog" at MSG.

Highlights? It's not hyperbole to say that every powerhouse minute of this collection (some 230 minutes of concert footage plus another hour and a half of extra DVD material) is a rare musical and visual treat. But hearing Page's violin bow work on "Dazed and Confused" in DTS or Dolby 5.1 is an experience not soon forgotten. "--Mark Walker"

Director: Vic Sarin
Genre: Drama
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: PG-13

Part conspiracy theory and part religious message, "Left Behind" (based on the first in a series of runaway bestsellers by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins) is a passable, occasionally compelling thriller that turns the rapture and the ascendance of the Antichrist into something resembling a Robert Ludlum espionage potboiler. The beginning, though, is pure Stephen King: as morose pilot Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson) steers his jet plane toward London, comely flight attendant Hattie Daniels (Chelsea Noble) informs him that a number of passengers have disappeared--at 37,000 feet, leaving their neatly pressed clothes behind. And they're not the only ones who've gone missing. The mass disappearances throw the world into chaos, and the sinisterly compelling Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie), head of the U.N., selflessly steps in to help broker peace among the world's nations. But is he as good intentioned as he seems?
Turns out the appropriately named Mr. Carpathia is behind a plot to rule the world and control its food supply, and intrepid reporter Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron, better than you'd expect) is onto him--with a little help from some biblical prophecies. Suffering the problem that befalls most first installments in a series of books and movies, "Left Behind" busies itself with the task of introducing characters and setting up expository plot lines, and audiences may be frustrated by the lack of action--Rayford's somewhat labored crisis of faith takes up a good chunk of the film. Still, it's an intriguing premise that should satisfy fans of the novel and possibly pick up a few more converts along the way (be warned, though, this is a modestly budgeted film that looks more like a cable TV movie than the latest James Bond extravaganza). And, if like a fair number of the film's characters, you can't figure out that someone named "Nicolae Carpathia" is a bad guy, then, well, you need to bone up on your evil villains. "--Mark Englehart"

Director: Craig R. Baxley
Genre: Drama
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: PG-13

Third in a series of films based on the bestselling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, "Left Behind: World at War" finds the post-Rapture Earth an even bleaker place than in the previous movies. As the Antichrist himself, Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie), uses his newfound powers as head of the world government to bring war and plague on every nation, the American president (Louis Gossett Jr.) teams with a Christian resistance fighter (Jessica Steen) to try to stop him. Meanwhile, series hero Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron) discovers that Carpathia's biological front in a coming apocalypse is particularly devious: Freshly published Bibles are carrying a deadly disease ravaging thousands--and may very likely claim Buck's new bride. Buck's father-in-law, pilot Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson), has problems of his own facing the not-inconsiderable temptations of former flight attendant Hattie Daniels (Chelsea Noble), now one of Carpathia's many lovers. Directed by Craig R. Baxley ("Rose Red"), "Left Behind: World at War" is particularly crisp and effective drama, even when the action stops, as it often does, for many of the principals to pray for guidance. Charles Martin Smith ("The Untouchables"), not seen often enough these days, has a brief but powerful part as the U.S. vice-president. "--Tom Keogh"

Director: Bill Corcoran
Genre: Drama
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: PG-13

Arguably the most interesting and compelling feature in the "Left Behind" trilogy, "Left Behind II: Tribulation Force" finds the series' major characters--television journalist Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron), passenger jet captain Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson), his daughter Chloe (Janaya Stephens), and Pastor Bruce Barnes (Clarence Gilyard)--forming the core of a group dedicated to infiltrating and disrupting operations of the Anti-Christ, i.e., Nicolae Carpathia (a scary Gordon Currie), who has become leader of a world government. Meanwhile, humankind looks increasingly desolate and bleak, as the reality sinks in that hundreds of millions of people who suddenly vanished--including all the world's children--in the last film are not coming back. Veteran television director Bill Corcoran makes much of his scant resources to paint an apocalyptic vision, and when the film gets to indulge in some nifty effects (a pair of fire-breathing prophets--literally), the result is powerful. Drama, relationships, character development, and performances are quite smooth and should appeal to Christian and non-Christian viewers alike. "--Tom Keogh"

Director: Brad Silberling
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG

If you spliced Charles Addams, Dr. Seuss, Charles Dickens, Edward Gorey, and Roald Dahl into a Tim Burtonesque landscape, you'd surely come up with something like "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events". Many critics (in mostly mixed reviews) wondered why Burton didn't direct this comically morbid adaptation of the first three books in the popular series by Daniel Handler (a.k.a. "Lemony Snicket," played here by Jude Law and seen only in silhouette) instead of TV and "Casper" veteran Brad Silberling, but there's still plenty to recommend the playfully bleak scenario, in which three resourceful orphans thwart their wicked, maliciously greedy relative Count Olaf (Jim Carrey), who subjects them to... well, a series of unfortunate events. Along the way they encounter a herpetologist uncle (Billy Connolly), an anxious aunt (Meryl Streep) who's afraid of "everything", and a variety of fantastical hazards and mysterious clues, some of which remain unresolved. Given endless wonders of art direction, costume design, and cinematography, Silberling's direction is surprisingly uninspired (in other words, the books are better), but when you add a throwaway cameo by Dustin Hoffman, Law's amusing narration, and Carrey's over-the-top antics, the first "Lemony" movie suggests a promising franchise in the making. "--Jeff Shannon"
A Message from Count Olaf

Dear Adoring Fan of Count Olaf,
Perhaps once every thousand years, a talent emerges that completely changes the way movies are made, orphans are orphaned, and heartthrobs throb. Often this talent has only one eyebrow, as is the case with one of the most cherished and admired actors scheming today. Surely you can you guess of whom I think.
No, you fool! I am referring to the One...the Only...the Unbelievably Handsome Count Olaf!
Or, as I like to call him, Me.
If you've already seen my performance in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, you must still be speechless. But if you haven't, you are in serious danger. Just teasing. But you could be after I send one of my gifted henchpersons to your home!
So why not get my movie on DVD? This major motion spectacle has everything. Me, acting! Leeches, attacking! Orphans, almost falling off a cliff! Of course, if you are familiar with books by Lemony Snicket, you know that they include all of these things too, but most of what he says is lies, and the rest is completely boring.
There's never been a film that demands repeated viewing in quite the same way, with a diabolical genius writing you a letter that says, "I DEMAND REPEATED VIEWING!!!" Plus with DVD extras, you'll get at least 20% more Olaf for your money. And... just for you, for an unlimited time only, I'll throw in Aunt Josephine free with purchase.*
So, noble Amazonians, put down your hunting spears and exotic headdresses, and prepare to bask in True Greatness. Or, as I like to call it, Me.

Of course you may have my autograph!

Count Olaf
*Count Olaf will not be held liable or accept blame in any way for any and all liability, loss, damage, or personal injury (including death), without limit and without regard once Aunt Josephine is thrown in, due to the unpredictable behavior of hungry leeches.
Stills from "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" (Click to Enlarge)


Violet, Count Olaf, and Klaus


Aunt Josephine


Count Olaf and Aunt Josephine


Directing Jim Carrey


Klaus, Mr. Poe, Sunny, and Violet


Count Olaf


Olaf Ascending


The Baudelaire Orphans



All Things Snicket
See a complete list of all Lemony Snicket's creations, including books from the "Series of Unfortunate Events", calendars, and more.






The Essential Lemony Snicket Books

"A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Ominous Omnibus, Books 1-3"

"The Situation Worsens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 4-6"

"The Dilemma Deepens: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 7-9"

"The Slippery Slope: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 10"

"The Grim Grotto: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 11"

"A Library of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-10"

"Behind the Scenes with Count Olaf: A Series of Unfortunate Events Movie Book"

"Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography"

"The Puzzling Puzzles" Activity Book
More from the Movie

Original Movie Poster

Soundtrack

Wall Poster
"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" Computer & Video Games

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For GameCube

Director: Tom Hooper
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: PG-13

"Les Misérables" is a deeply powerful film that's rich with raw feeling, the grittiness of life in 19th-century France, and the conflict between right, wrong, and the concept of redemption. "Les Misérables" takes viewers on an emotionally exhausting journey as it follows ex-convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) after his release from prison. Valjean breaks parole, but he is granted a second chance by a kind bishop. He then moves from place to place throughout France, trying to live an honest life while ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) hunts him relentlessly. Valjean meets the broken-spirited Fantine (Anne Hathaway), promises to care for her daughter Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) as Fantine is about to die, and finds his own life completely changed as a result of that promise. Like the stage play, the film is dark, gritty, and passionate, but it enhances the sense of place in early- to mid-1800s France as a staged version simply cannot. The intricately woven plot is somewhat easier to understand here, thanks to an abundance of visual cues and the camera's unique ability to focus in so closely on the actors' faces. In fact, the intimacy of the extreme close-ups used throughout is at once uncomfortable and hugely effective. The vocal performances are generally quite good, especially considering the decision to record them live versus the customary overdubbing. Sure, some of the actors' voices seem pushed and strained at times, but that fact often only adds to the emotional intensity of the moment. Hathaway's performance is stellar, both for her vocal prowess and for the depth of feeling conveyed and maintained in her facial expressions throughout even the lengthiest and closest of close-ups. While Crowe seems an odd choice for Javert and is definitely outsung by the other members of the cast, he holds his own when it really counts with solos that are on-pitch and arguably even more powerful for their imperfections. Discerning listeners will not choose the film's "Highlights from the Motion Picture Soundtrack" over the full-length London or Broadway cast recordings, but sometimes an outstanding performance isn't all about musical perfection--the overall "Les Misérables" film experience is definitely one of those cases. New for the film is the song "Suddenly," written by the musical's original composer and lyricist Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. Trivia buffs will note that the bishop is played by Colm Wilkinson, who originally played Valjean in the London and Broadway stage productions, and Whore #1 is played by the original London and Broadway Eponine, Frances Ruffelle. "--Tami Horiuchi"

Director: Marek Kanievska
Genre: Television
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

Dreary, pointless late-'80s novel by literary poseur Bret Easton Ellis focused on listless, shiftless, drug-sniffing, sex-swapping, dead-end California teens with too much money and time on their hands. Which just about sums up this movie, though it's not nearly as interesting as that. This is mostly due to the ridiculously cleaned-up script and lifeless direction, which whitewashes the baser depravity and replaces it with perversion-lite and fashion shows. It doesn't help that director Marek Kanievska is saddled with Brat Pack lesser (make that least) lights Andrew McCarthy and Jami Gertz. The only things that lift this film above the muck are the performances by James Spader as a particularly heinous drug dealer and Robert Downey Jr. as a rich-kid addict with no self-control. "--Marshall Fine"

Director: Matt Reeves
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Rated: R

"Let Me In" blends the innocent face of Chloe Grace Moretz ("Kick-Ass") with the darkness of vampirism. A young boy named Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee, "The Road") has troubles at home (his parents are divorcing) and at school (bullies pick on him mercilessly). But when a mysterious girl named Abby (Moretz) moves in next door, Owen hopes he's found a friend, even though she smells a little strange. Unfortunately, his new friend needs blood to live, and the man who seems to be her father (Richard Jenkins, "Six Feet Under") goes out to drain local residents to feed her. But even as Owen starts to suspect something is wrong, having a real friend might just matter more. Because the Swedish film adaptation of the novel "Let the Right One In" (on which "Let Me In" is based) was surprisingly popular and critically acclaimed, it's going to be hard for "Let Me In" to avoid comparisons. Surprisingly, it retains much of the flavor and spirit of the original. It's not as understated--this is an American movie, after all--and some of the creepiness is lost along with that subtlety. Despite that, "Let Me In" has its own spookiness and the performances (including Elias Koteas, "Zodiac", as a local policeman) are strong. Directed by Matt Reeves ("Cloverfield"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Olivier Péray
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Picture This
Rated: Unrated

Two adorable brothers, aged 18 and 11, cope with the sudden death of their parents in two very different ways.

Director: Jeff Baena
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Romance
Studio: Abbolita Productions
Rated: R

A hike alone in the woods ends tragically for Beth Slocum with a fatal snake bite. Her death leaves her parents and boyfriend Zach reeling. After the funeral, Zach tries to make friends with Mr. and Mrs. Slocum, but even they reject him, and he's determined to figure out why. Then he sees Beth. Her parents are trying to keep her resurrection a secret, but zombie Beth provides Zach with the opportunity to do everything with her that he didn't get to do while she was still alive. But with Beth's increasingly erratic behavior and even more strange occurrences around town, life with the undead Beth proves to be particularly complicated for her still-living loved ones.

Director: Ang Lee
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG

There are only so many filmmakers fearless or foolhardy enough to tackle a challenging novel, like Yann Martel's "Life of Pi", but adaptation specialist Ang Lee ("Brokeback Mountain") was well positioned to take it on. As a structuring device, he uses an interview between a journalist (Rafe Spall) and Pi Patel ("The Namesake"'s Irrfan Khan), a Montreal immigrant with an unusual back story. As he tells the writer, his parents oversaw a zoo in French-Indian Pondicherry, and he found himself drawn to the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker--the name resulted from a clerical error--but his father (Adil Hussain) warned him to stay away. On his own, Pi became entranced by Islam, Hinduism, and Catholicism, which comes in handy when his family relocates to Canada by freighter and a brutal storm--as believably horrific as anything in "Titanic"--leaves Pi (now played by Suraj Sharma) stranded in a lifeboat with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and the tiger. Soon, it's just Richard and Pi struggling against the elements for 227 days, and since he doesn't want to end up as cat food, he spends most of his time in a makeshift raft attached to the boat. It's giving nothing away to say that he makes it out alive, but the point of the journey remains more enigmatic, since fate tests Pi's faith at every turn. Whether that makes this visually spectacular film a religious allegory or not, Richard (a marvel of CGI technology) remains the biggest mystery of all. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Director: Jan Krueger
Studio: Strand Releasing
Rated: Unrated

Johann and Robin, a young gay couple, travel to the countryside to get to know each other better. After several days of hiking, they arrive at an old farmhouse inhabited by a woman and her adolescent son. They take refuge with the welcoming family until one day they get too close for comfort and are flung out of their paradise, forcing them back into the real world.

Director: Robert Hall
Genre: Drama
Studio: Anchor Bay
Rated: NR

A drama/thriller, set in the south, about a young boy who longs to escape the misery of his childhood and the misunderstanding of his hometown. A gifted, self-taught, special effects make up artist, Green dreams of going to Hollywood to make his own monsters. But the real demons of Green's life threaten to hold him back: a drunken stepfather who terrorizes his mother, a group of religious fanatics who want to destroy his work, and the love of a girl who can't let go of small town life.

Director: Cyril Legann, Bernard Alapetite
Studio: WATER BEARER FILMS
Rated: Unrated

Sebastien dreams of being someone else. someone more outgoing more outrageous and more sexual. When the 18 year old leaves his small French town and moves to Paris to become an actor, he reinvents himself and changes his name to Zack. The City Of Lights cast a captivating glow for young Zack. Every night he cruises the city's most fashionable gay bars, dressed to kill and hoping to find a guy who swill love him. He moves from encounter to encounter, unable to find sexual or emotional fulfillment with anyone. Alone is his bedroom at night, Zack relives memories from happier times back in his home town and the close relationship he had with his best friend Roman. When Roman calls and announces that he is coming to Paris, Zack begins to rekindle the unrequited feelings he has for his best friend and is forced to make some big decisions about his life and how to live it honestly.

Director: Drake Doremus
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG-13

Like Crazy beautifully illustrates how your first real love is as thrilling and blissful as it is devastating. When a British college student (Felicity Jones) falls for her American classmate (Anton Yelchin), they embark on a passionate and life-changing journey only to be separated when she violates the terms of her visa. Like Crazy explores how a couple faces the real challenges of being together and of being apart. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for best Actress for Felicity Jones, Like Crazy depicts both the hopefulness and the heartbreak of love. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} 

Director: Gregory Read
Genre: Crime, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)
Rated: PG-13

The forensic psychiatric Sally Rowe is called by Detective Martin Mackenzie to analyze the profile of the teenager Alex Forbes, who was found in a train station holding the body of his schoolmate Nigel Colby and with powder in his hand. Alex discloses his relationship with Nigel, who believes that they were descendants of the Templar Knights, and how Nigel used the power of his mind to control him. Mackenzie believes that Alex is the killer, but Susan investigates the family of Nigel under pressure of Alex's father, and finds that all of them belong to an ancient and powerful secret society.

Director: Frank Whaley
Genre: Drama, Music
Studio: BB Film Productions
Rated: R

LIKE SUNDAY, LIKE RAIN tells the story of Reggie, a 12 year old rich prodigy who lives in a castle in New York, surrounded by wealth but living a lonely life as his parents are frequently absent. Eleanor is a young musician going through the pains of growing up, who is having problems with her boyfriend and was recently fired from her job. This is a beautiful story about discovery and acceptance.

Director: John Greyson
Genre: Drama
Studio: Wolfe Video
Rated: R

LILIES, based on a Canadian play 'Les feluettes' by Michel Marc Bouchard, has been adapted to the screen by Bouchard and placed in the sensitive hands of director John Greyson, an artist who is able to indulge in surrealism with reality and make it work well. This very beautiful film is cast entirely with men despite the fact that there are women roles in the story. How does he make that work successfully without pandering to artiness? View this little film and make the discovery for your self.

Set in Quebec in a prison, Bishop Bilodeau (Marcel Sabourin) has been summoned form the outside to hear the confession of 'a very sick man' who has been imprisoned for 40 years for a murder. Upon the Bishop's arrival the audience knows something is amiss: despite the atmosphere of the prison as a stage accompanied by choral singing of plainsong (The Hilliard Ensemble) there are props and images that seem out of place in a grim prison. The Bishop is ushered into the confessional booth and when he opens the window to hear confession, the person in the seat is Simon (Aubert Pallascio) the 'very sick' man who has planned for the bishop to watch a play depicting the 40 year old crime - a reverse on the confessional stance.

Through a small aperture in the bishop's now locked confessional, the Bishop is forced to watch a reenactment of the incident 40 years ago when two young boys, Simon (Jason Cadieux) and Vallier (Danny Gilmore) were in love and the young future Bishop (Matthew Ferguson) was jealous of Vallier's attention from Simon and played a key role in 'murder' of Vallier that resulted in Simon's being accused and imprisoned. The atmosphere leading up to this act includes the reaction from the small town's homophobia and to Simon's sexual ambiguity that involves a strange lady Lydie-Anne (Alexander Chapman) who arrives form Paris via an air balloon. It is the interaction of the boys with the townsfolk, the new lady arrival who desires Simon's affections, and Vallier's understanding and self-sacrificing mother Countess De Tilly (Brent Carver) that leads to the fateful death of Simon. How the story ends in the confessional booth reversal is the beauty of the film that must be left unsaid for the drama to affect potential audiences of this movie.

The cast is all male because the whole story is a mise-en-scene, a play within a play, where all parts are acted by the prisoners for the sake of displaying truth to the Bishop. There is no pretense at making the men look like women except for the costumes and this enhances the message of the story. The actors are excellent and the impact of the story is powerful. Yes, this is a highly honored gay-themed film, but it is really more about the power of love both in youths and in thwarted adults that makes it a film for all audiences. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06

Director: Garth Davis
Genre: Biography, Drama
Studio: Weinstein Company, The
Rated: PG-13

In 1986, Saroo was a five-year-old child in India of a poor but happy rural family. On a trip with his brother, Saroo soon finds himself alone and trapped in a moving decommissioned passenger train that takes him to Calcutta, 1500 miles away from home. Now totally lost in an alien urban environment and too young to identify either himself or his home to the authorities, Saroo struggles to survive as a street child until he is sent to an orphanage. Soon, Saroo is selected to be adopted by the Brierley family in Tasmania, where he grows up in a loving, prosperous home. However, for all his material good fortune, Saroo finds himself plagued by his memories of his lost family in his adulthood and tries to search for them even as his guilt drives him to hide this quest from his adoptive parents and his girlfriend. Only when he has an epiphany does he realize not only the answers he needs, but also the steadfast love that he has always had with all his loved ones in both worlds.

Director: Tom Zuber
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Legaci / ThinkFilms
Rated: R

Little Athens is a circuitous look at post-high school life in the small town of Athens, Arizona (although, as the opening scene states: "it could have taken place anywhere"), using a series of loosely interwoven characters to develop more of an apathetic tone rather than a typical plotline. It succeeds in communicating this sense of boredom with its audience, although it does so at the risk of actually being a bit boring at times. But, the characters and their stories are very believable and realistically portrayed, even if they go over the top a few times.



The entire film eventually centers around a party that all the characters happen to attend, in which we see how their various lives are intertwined, and ultimately see how the lifestyles of the bored and lost can result in irreversible damage to multiple lives.



The cinematography is often stunning, although occasionally the low budget filmmaking stands out when the digital camera can't keep up with the action, and this does detract from the film, but only enough to remind you that this movie was made on an extremely low budget, which is more reason to be impressed by the rich colors and scene arrangements.



There is a behind the scens featurette on the DVD, but it's only about five minutes long and doesn't offer much insight you can't gather from watching the film itself.

Director: Alejandro Monteverde
Genre: Drama, War
Studio: Metanoia Films
Rated: PG-13

An eight-year-old boy is willing to do whatever it takes to end World War II so he can bring his father home. The story reveals the indescribable love a father has for his little boy and the love a son has for his father.

Director: Antonio Tibaldi
Genre: Drama
Studio: Lions Gate
Rated: R

Living in rural texas is a dysfunctional family: an abusive dad: a compliant wife & a son who have an incestuous relationship at the insistence of the father. The dad harbors a secret & he goes to murderous lengths to keep it hidden. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 02/06/2007 Starring: Ryan Phillipe John Savage Run time: 99 minutes Rating: R

Director: James Gray
Genre: Drama
Studio: Live / Artisan
Rated: R

The lure of power has snared two brothers (Tim Roth and Edward Furlong) into a deadly web of danger, deceit and passion too strong to resist. Torn between the sinister yet seductive world of crime and the bonds of family loyalty, the brothers must risk their lives to make a stand in the brutal struggle for survival in the mean streets of New York. An all-star cast explodes in this action drama in the tradition of Goodfellas.

Director: Alex Zamm
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: PG

The Little Rascals are back in an all-new movie! Join the fun with Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Buckwheat, Petey the dog and the whole gang as they are up to their usual mischief! The Rascals try anything to raise the money needed to save their grandma’s (Doris Roberts) bakery. The only trouble is – they just can’t seem to do anything right! From botched pet washes to terrible taxi service, they can’t raise a penny. Their only hope is to win prize money from the local talent show – but have you ever heard Alfalfa sing?

Director: Na
Genre: Television
Studio: Genius Products (TVN)
Rated: NR

The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection spans the years of 1929-1938. This collections contains all 80 of the original Little Rascals theatrical talkies in their entirety; fully Remastered, Restored and Uncut. This amazing 8-disc set contains a collectible booklet, loads of nostalgic bonus footage, photos and much more! This preeminent collection is a must-have for fans, both old and new.

Stills from The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection (Click for larger image)

Director: Len Wiseman
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13


Twelve years after "Die Hard with a Vengeance", the third and previous film in the "Die Hard" franchise, "Live Free or Die Hard" finds John McClane (Bruce Willis) a few years older, not any happier, and just as kick-ass as ever. Right after he has a fight with his college-age daughter (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a call comes in to pick up a hacker (Justin Long, a.k.a. the "Apple guy") who might help the FBI learn something about a brief security blip in their systems. Now any "Die Hard" fan knows that this is when the assassins with foreign accents and high-powered weaponry show up, telling McClane that once again he's stumbled into an assignment that's anything but routine. Once that wreckage has cleared, it is revealed that the hacker is only one of many hackers who are being targeted for extermination after they helped set up a "fire sale," a three-pronged cyberattack designed to bring down the entire country by crippling its transportation, finances, and utilities. That plan is now being put into action by a mysterious team (Timothy Olyphant, "Deadwood", and Maggie Q, "Mission: Impossible 3") that seems to be operating under the government's noses.
"Live Free or Die Hard" uses some of the cat-and-mouse elements of "Die Hard with a Vengeance" along with some of the pick-'em-off-one-by-one elements of the now-classic original movie. And it's the most consistently enjoyable installment of the franchise since the original, with eye-popping stunts (directed by Len Wiseman of the "Underworld" franchise), good humor, and Willis's ability to toss off a quip while barely alive. There was some controversy over the film's PG-13 rating--there might be less blood than usual, and McClane's famous tag line is somewhat obscured--but there's still has plenty of action and a high body count. Yippee-ki-ay! --"David Horiuchi"

Beyond "Live Free or Die Hard" "Live Free or Die Hard" on Blu-Ray
"Top U.S. Box Office of 2007"
More from Fox

Stills from "Live Free or Die Hard" (click for larger image)

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Director: Jim Fall
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Rated: PG

"The Lizzie McGuire Movie" spins around the axis of Disney Channel starlet Hilary Duff, whose glossy good looks and rather mature figure are balanced by a sweetly bashful persona and an endearing klutziness. On a school trip to Rome, Lizzie is discovered to be the virtual twin of an Italian pop star named Isabella--and her dreamy former partner wants Lizzie to take Isabella's place at an award show to avoid a lawsuit. Only Lizzie's loyal best friend Gordo (Adam Lamberg) suspects that Paolo may not be all that he seems. "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" is competent fluff, but the most fun to be had actually comes from Lizzie's pesky little brother (Jake Thomas) and his Machiavellian friend Melina (Carly Schroeder), who plot to humiliate Lizzie for fun and personal gain. Also featuring Alex Borstein ("Mad TV") as Lizzie's tyrannical principal and chaperone. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Ron Moler
Genre: Comedy
Studio: First Look Pictures
Rated: PG-13

On Skeet's twelfth birthday his older brother Randy buys him his first surfboard. Suddenly his summer turns to the endless search for the perfect wave, wild times and beach parties and eventually, finding his own daring adventures when Randy's attention turns to a girl. Beyond his wildest dreams, Skeet is taken under the wings of surfing legend Jim Wesley who gives Skeet first-hand lessons in hot-dogging. Meanwhile, Randy, still dealing with the loss of his father and trying to fill his shoes, is jealous of Jim's influence on Skeet and isn't thrilled when Jim begins a relationship with their single mom. Tangled by the conflict between his brother and his newfound father figure, Skeet retreats to his room while longing to surf.

Director: James Mangold
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Studio: Donners' Company
Rated: R

In 2029 the mutant population has shrunken significantly and the X-Men have disbanded. Logan, whose power to self-heal is dwindling, has surrendered himself to alcohol and now earns a living as a chauffeur. He takes care of the ailing old Professor X whom he keeps hidden away. One day, a female stranger asks Logan to drive a girl named Laura to the Canadian border. At first he refuses, but the Professor has been waiting for a long time for her to appear. Laura possesses an extraordinary fighting prowess and is in many ways like Wolverine. She is pursued by sinister figures working for a powerful corporation; this is because her DNA contains the secret that connects her to Logan. A relentless pursuit begins - In this third cinematic outing featuring the Marvel comic book character Wolverine we see the superheroes beset by everyday problems. They are aging, ailing and struggling to survive financially. A decrepit Logan is forced to ask himself if he can or even wants to put his ...

Director: Kyle Lawrence
Studio: Real Bean Entertainment
Rated: G

13-year-old Logan has a seemingly impossible idea to make a movie. After facing rejection from his peers at school and his careless parents at home, he turns to the one he knows he can always count on...his older brother Tyler. The two are nearly inseparable, but when Logans last hope lets him down, he wonders if it is all really worth it. At the turn of a tragic mishap, the brothers relationship is altered forever as Tyler is challenged to decide whether he ll do whatever it takes to see his brother s project succeed, even if it means risking it all. Directed by 22 year-old Kyle Lawrence, LOGAN shares a moving story about two brothers which is sure to capture the hearts of many.

Director: Michael Anderson
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: PG

In the Year of the City 2274, humans live in a vast, bubbled metropolis, where computerized servo-mechanisms provide all needs so everyone can pursue endless hedonism. Endless, that is, until Lastday, when anyone who's 30 must submit to Carrousel, a soaring, spinning trip to eternity and supposed rebirth. The screen's first use of laser holography highlights this post-apocalyptic winner of a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects.* Michael York plays Logan 5, a Sandman authorized to terminate Runners fleeing Carrousel. Logan is almost 30. Catch him if you can.

Director: Jürgen Brüning
Studio: TLA Releasing
Rated: Unrated

Ready for an admittedly tawdry but sexy melodramatic romp through sun-drenched Brazil with two hot men? Does 'Saved By The Bell's' A.C. and Zack locking lips and loins on a white-sanded beach turn you on? Then this is the DVD for you. Muscle-god Erik and his two German friends spend their days snorkeling, watching Brazilian soaps and, when money is tight, making hot love in front of a live webcam. When a sexual tryst on the beach becomes violent, it ends in the death of Erik's nameless trick. Miguel, a fresh-faced TV actor, arrives on the scene and the two fall in love, but Erik s secret guilt haunts the relationship. A sensual, pulpy blend of youth, desire, love, and fate.

Special Features:

Making Of The Longing Director s Statement TLA Releasing Trailers

Director: Various
Studio: HBO Studios

This new HBO comedy series revolves around three thirty-something friends living in San Francisco, who explore the exciting, sometimes overwhelming, options available to a new generation of gay men.
Looking offers up the unfiltered experiences of three close friends living - and loving - in modern-day San Francisco. Friendship may bind them, but each is at a markedly different point in his journey: Patrick (Jonathan Groff - Spring Awakening) is the 29-year-old video game designer getting back into the dating world in the wake of his ex's engagement; aspiring artist Agustín (Frankie J. Alvarez - Smash), 31, is questioning the idea of monogamy amid a move to domesticate with his boyfriend; and the group's oldest member, longtime waiter Dom (Murray Bartlett), 39, is facing middle age with romantic and professional dreams still unfulfilled. The trio's stories intertwine and unspool dramatically as they search for happiness and intimacy in an age of unparalleled choices - and rights - for gay men. Also important to the Looking mix is the progressive, unpredictable, sexually open culture of the Bay Area, with real San Francisco locations serving as a backdrop for the group's lives. Rounding out the Looking world are Dom's roommate Doris (Lauren Weedman), Agustín's boyfriend Frank (O.T. Fagbenle), and Patrick's co-worker Owen (Andrew Law), as well as love interests Kevin (Russell Tovey), Lynn (Scott Bakula), and Richie (Raúl Castillo).

Director: Scott Frank
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Miramax
Rated: R

An unpredictable thriller, "The Lookout" stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("Brick", "Mysterious Skin") as Chris, a young man who had everything ahead of him--until a car accident killed two of his friends and left him with brain damage. Now reduced to being a janitor at a bank, Chris struggles to maintain some semblance of order in his life. When a guy he meets at a bar turns out to be an old classmate, Chris succumbs to his flattery, not suspecting that the guy's intentions are criminal. "The Lookout" was probably sold as "Memento" meets "Inside Man", but its rewards are more modest than either. Though the plot is never obvious, the characters are never surprising--and in this kind of thriller, the payoff is when characters exceed what they (and the audience) believe they are. Still, the writing, acting, and directing are all solid, and from moment to moment the movie proves compelling. Jeff Daniels ("The Purple Rose of Cairo") is particularly good as Chris's blind roommate, who smells a rat but can't persuade Chris to do something about it. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Rian Johnson
Studio: Sony
Rated: R

Director: Harry Hook
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Rated: R

Harry Hook's adaptation is not as faithful to the William Golding novel as you'd wish (they excised the "Lord of the Flies" dialogue with Simon!) and because of it, the movie is less allegorical and less resonant. A group of young men from a military academy are stranded on an island. The group quickly becomes fractious with a passive section led by Ralph, trying to get rescued, and a hunter faction, led by Jack, trying to procure meat and "have fun." Peter Brook's 1963 filming seemed to get closer to the Darwinist sense of this cultural disintegration. Here, the hunter faction seems more like Peter Pan's Lost Boys than the bloodthirsty murderers they are. The performances, particularly young Getty, don't quite carry the weight of the situation. It's still, however, sobering to slowly watch the school uniforms traded for war paint, and the little boys turn into little savages. "--Keith Simanton"

Director: Peter Brook
Genre: Drama
Studio: Criterion
Rated: NR

In this classic 1963 adaptation of William Golding's novel, a planeload of schoolboys is stranded on a tropical island. They've got food and water; all that's left is to peacefully govern themselves until they're rescued. "After all," says choir leader Jack, "We're English. We're the best in the world at everything!" Unfortunately, living peacefully is not as easy as it seems. Though Ralph is named chief, Jack and the choristers quickly form a clique of their own, using the ever-effective political promise of fun rather than responsibility to draw converts. Director Peter Brook draws some excellent performances out of his young cast; the moment when Ralph realizes that even if he blows the conch for a meeting people might not come is an excruciating one. Well acted and faithfully executed, "Lord of the Flies" is as compelling today as when first released. "--Ali Davis"

Director: Amy Heckerling
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: PG-13

Writer-director Amy Heckerling has a way with teen comedies, from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" to "Clueless" and now "Loser". She manages to take the clichés of life in school and spin them into cinematic gold. Part of her secret is that she genuinely seems to respect all of her characters, even the unsavory ones. In "Loser", Paul Tannek (Jason Biggs from "American Pie") is a farm-town boy who's gotten himself a scholarship to a fancy Manhattan college. He's worried that he's not going to fit in with the sophisticated city crowd. Well, he's right to worry. He doesn't fit in, which his three dorm-mates are quick to remind him. The only person he can talk to is Dora (Mena Suvari from "American Beauty"), a cocktail waitress-student who's having an affair with a pretentious lit teacher (Greg Kinnear).
Biggs is great in this movie, the perfect straight man, setting up jokes that wouldn't work without his reactions to them. In fact, the whole movie is so well-cast--Suvari is charming, Kinnear is entertainingly smug, the three dorm-mates are fun to dislike--that the actors, working in tandem with Heckerling, give a life to characters that in less talented hands would have been revealed as over-determined and exaggerated. Pardon the blurb, but it's true: "Loser" is a winner."--Andy Spletzer"

Director: Mike Figgis
Genre: Drama
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: R

At turns both mesmerizing and frustrating, Mike Figgis's 1999 experimental feature interweaves an audacious dramatization of the Adam and Eve myth with autobiographical vignettes from the director's life. In Figgis's golden rendering of the Genesis tale, the first humans are a black man (Femi Ogumbanjo) and a white woman (Hanne Klintoe), who emerge one day, fully formed, from a lake, and regard each other with playful wonder. They discover, like children, their anatomical differences, and explore the surrounding green paradise until coming upon the tree of knowledge. From this they eat and almost instantly reevaluate one another with a steely lust. Thus their, and our, fabled fall from grace ends in the mire of sexual possession and walled-off feeling, a tragedy that Figgis ("Leaving Las Vegas") uses as a touchstone for the contemporary story of a filmmaker named Nic (Julian Sands). Nic's own youthful experiences with various kinds of formative humiliation, including finding his teenage girlfriend in bed with his best friend, are presented as flashbacks meant to resonate with his marital unhappiness today. Less clear are other moments out of time that don't particularly connect with Figgis's major theme, especially an odd development in which twin sisters (both played by Saffron Burrows), each unaware of the other's existence, have a fleeting, worlds-are-colliding encounter at an airport. Figgis also reaches into a grab bag of Nic's other old sorrows, things that don't uniquely inform or enhance the film's point, and muddies things up a bit. But the sheer hubris of marrying a myth with a memoir carries the day here, and Figgis leaps the hurdle of potential self-parody with a certain courage. "--Tom Keogh"

Director: P.J. Pesce
Genre: Horror
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: R

An homage to the 1987 cult hit The Lost Boys, Lost Boys: The Tribe tells the story of a brother and sister who move to a sleepy surf town in California, only to get mixed up with a gang of surfers that are more than they appear to be. Lost Boys: The Tribe takes place in Luna Bay, where vampire surfers quickly dispatch anyone who crosses their path. Into this dark world arrive moody Chris Emerson (Hilgenbrink) and his shy sister, Nicole (Reeser). Having lost their parents in a car accident, the siblings move in with their eccentric Aunt Jillian and become new prey for the local surfers. When Nicole unwittingly drinks the blood of a vampire, Chris must locate and destroy the gangs Head Vampire, Shane (Sutherland) before his sisters transformation is complete. Featuring performances and cameos by actors from the original film, including Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander as the infamous Frog Brothers, Lost Boys 2: The Tribe continues the Lost Boys legend and maintains the tone and integrity of the original film.

Director: James Gray
Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History
Studio: Keep Your Head
Rated: PG-13

The Lost City of Z tells the incredible true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett, who journeys into the Amazon at the dawn of the 20th century and discovers evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization that may have once inhabited the region. Despite being ridiculed by the scientific establishment who regard indigenous populations as "savages," the determined Fawcett - supported by his devoted wife, son and aide de camp returns time and again to his beloved jungle in an attempt to prove his case, culminating in his mysterious disappearance in 1925.

Director: Julia Jay Pierrepont III
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Ariztical
Rated: Unrated

Leslie Jordan, Sordid Lives, is stuck in gay mans Purgatory, where he must plead his case before God. Storyteller (Jordan) arrives after an overdose from the Pershing Point Hotel. His monologue winds the wicked tales of Tripper (Mark Pelligrino), the handsome hustler, and Miss Make Do (Erin Chandler), the destitute debutant. Lost in Pershing Point Hotel is a dark comedy that traces the incredible escape from an oppressive Southern Baptist upbringing to a pilgrimage of salvation: the drugs and clubs of 1970s gay Atlanta.

Genre: Drama, TV Movie
Rated: Not Rated

Kyle and Eva are American art school students in the midst of a tumultuous breakup. In an attempt to rebuild their relationship and recharge their artistic inspirations, they retreat to Tel Aviv. Amongst the tense political environment, the couple parties and crumbles just as the people and city around them do the same. When Avi, a soldier fresh out of the Israeli army enters their lives, he drives a creative and romantic wedge between Kyle and Eva's already fragile existence. The three go down a self-destructive path as political strife simmers around them.

Director: Robert Benjamin, Janusz Kaminski
Genre: Horror
Studio: New Line Home Video
Rated: R

"Lost Souls" is certainly one of the most gorgeous-looking movies to come out in 2000. The cinematography has a striking, visual texture reminiscent of old photographs, all the color bleeding out into rich and evocative shades of grey and black. The movie doesn't quite live up to its look, though it's not without its pleasures. The broader outlines of its story--about a true-crime writer (Ben Chaplin) who discovers, through the efforts of a former victim of possession (Winona Ryder), that he's about to become the Antichrist--lack any surprises or ingenuity. But individual scenes are largely well-written, spookily directed, and acted with commitment and intensity. Chaplin is particularly good, Ryder does her best, and a crew of superb character actors (including John Hurt, Elias Koteas, and Philip Baker Hall) flesh out the skeletally scripted supporting characters with skill and intelligence. Some of the special effects go a little overboard, but the movie is surprisingly free of the cheesy, demonic posturing and portentous speeches that afflict too many religious thrillers. Fans of "The Exorcist" or "The Omen" may find "Lost Souls" to be a modest but flavorful variation on the "devil-is-coming-to-get-you" genre. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Adam Davidson, Alan Taylor, Bobby Roth, Daniel Attias, David Grossman
Studio: ABC Studios

Lost: Season One
Along with Desperate Housewives, Lost was one of the two breakout shows in the fall of 2004. Mixing suspense and action with a sci-fi twist, it began with a thrilling pilot episode in which a jetliner traveling from Australia to Los Angeles crashes, leaving 48 survivors on an unidentified island with no sign of civilization or hope of imminent rescue. That may sound like Gilligan's Island meets Survivor, but Lost kept viewers tuning in every Wednesday night--and spending the rest of the week speculating on Web sites--with some irresistible hooks (not to mention the beautiful women). First, there's a huge ensemble cast of no fewer than 14 regular characters, and each episode fills in some of the back story on one of them. There's a doctor; an Iraqi soldier; a has-been rock star; a fugitive from justice; a self-absorbed young woman and her brother; a lottery winner; a father and son; a Korean couple; a pregnant woman; and others. Second, there's a host of unanswered questions: What is the mysterious beast that lurks in the jungle? Why do polar bears and wild boars live there? Why has a woman been transmitting an SOS message in French from somewhere on the island for the last 16 years? Why do impossible wishes seem to come true? Are they really on a physical island, or somewhere else? What is the significance of the recurring set of numbers? And will Kate ever give up her bad-boy fixation and hook up with Jack? Lost did have some hiccups during the first season. Some plot threads were left dangling for weeks, and the "oh, it didn't really happen" card was played too often. But the strong writing and topnotch cast kept the show a cut above most network TV. The best-known actor at the time of the show's debut was Dominic Monaghan, fresh off his stint as Merry the Hobbit in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films. The rest of the cast is either unknowns or "where I have I seen that face before" supporting players, including Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly, who are the closest thing to leads. Other standouts include Naveen Andrews, Terry O'Quinn (who's made a nice career out of conspiracy-themed TV shows), Josh Holloway, Jorge Garcia, Yunjin Kim, Maggie Grace, and Emilie de Ravin, but there's really not a weak link in the cast. Co-created by J.J. Abrams (Alias), Lost left enough unanswered questions after its first season to keep viewers riveted for a second season. --David Horiuchi

Lost: Season Two
What was in the Hatch? The cliffhanger from season one of Lost was answered in its opening sequences, only to launch into more questions as the season progressed. That's right: Just when you say "Ohhhhh," there comes another "What?" Thankfully, the show's producers sprinkle answers like tasty morsels throughout the season, ending with a whopper: What caused Oceanic Air Flight 815 to crash in the first place? As the show digs into more revelations about its inhabitant's pasts, it also devotes a good chunk to new characters (Hey, it's an island; you never know who you're going to run into.) First, there are the "Tailies," passengers from the back end of the plane who crashed on the other side of the island. Among them are the wise, God-fearing ex-drug lord Mr. Eko (standout Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje); devoted husband Bernard (Sam Anderson); psychiatrist Libby (Cynthia Watros, whose character has more than one hidden link to the other islanders); and ex-cop Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez), by far the most infuriating character on the show, despite how much the writers tried to incur sympathy with her flashback. Then there are the Others, first introduced when they kidnapped Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) at the end of season one. Brutal and calculating, their agenda only became more complex when one of them (played creepily by Michael Emerson) was held hostage in the hatch and, quite handily, plays mind games on everyone's already frayed nerves. The original cast continues to battle their own skeletons, most notably Locke (Terry O'Quinn), Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Michael (Harold Perrineau), whose obsession with finding Walt takes a dangerous turn. The love triangle between Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway), which had stalled with Sawyer's departure, heats up again in the second half. Despite the bloating cast size (knocked down by a few by season's end) Lost still does what it does best: explores the psyche of people, about whom "my life is an open book" never applies, and cracks into the social dynamics of strangers thrust into Lord of the Flies-esque situations. Is it all a science experiment? A dream? A supernatural pocket in the universe? Likely, any theory will wind up on shaky ground by the season's conclusion. But hey, that's the fun of it. This show was made for DVD, and you can pause and slow-frame to your heart's content. Just try and keep that head-spinning to a minimum.---Ellen Kim


Lost: Season Three
When it aired in 2006-07, Lost's third season was split into two, with a hefty break in between. This did nothing to help the already weirdly disparate direction the show was taking (Kate and Sawyer in zoo cages! Locke eating goop in a mud hut!), but when it finally righted its course halfway through--in particular that whopper of a finale--the drama series had left its irked fan base thrilled once again. This doesn't mean, however, that you should skip through the first half of the season to get there, because quite a few questions find answers: what the Others are up to, the impact of turning that fail-safe key, the identity of the eye-patched man from the hatch's video monitor. One of the series' biggest curiosities from the past--how Locke ended up in that wheelchair in the first place--also gets its satisfying due. (The episode, "The Man from Tallahassee," likely was a big contributor to Terry O'Quinn's surprising--but long-deserved--Emmy win that year.) Unfortunately, you do have to sit through a lot of aforementioned nuisances to get there. Season 3 kicks off with Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) held captive by the Others; Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Sun (Yunjin Kim), and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) on a mission to rescue them; and Locke, Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) in the aftermath of the electromagnetic pulse that blew up the hatch. Spinning the storylines away from base camp alone wouldn't have felt so disjointed were it not for the new characters simultaneously being introduced. First there's Juliet, a mysterious member of the Others whose loyalty constantly comes into question as the season goes on. Played delicately by Elizabeth Mitchell (Gia, ER, Frequency), Juliet is in one turn a cold-blooded killer, by another turn a sympathetic friend; possibly both at once, possibly neither at all. (She's also a terrific, albeit unwitting, threat to the Kate-Sawyer-Jack love triangle, which plays out more definitively this season.) On the other hand, there's the now-infamous Nikki and Paulo (Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santoro), a tagalong couple who were cleverly woven into the previous seasons' key moments but came to bear the brunt of fans' ire toward the show (Sawyer humorously echoed the sentiments by remarking, "Who the hell are you?"). By the end of the season, at least two major characters die, another is told he/she will die within months, major new threats are unveiled, and--as mentioned before--the two-part season finale restores your faith in the series. The extras are as well-stocked as a Dharma Initiative food pantry on this seven-disc set. Commentaries by producer Damon Lindelof, show writers, and numerous cast members reveal a whole lot of juicy trivia; plus, the DVDs even provide a subtitle track for the commentary (rarely seen other than on foreign-language director's commentaries) so you won't miss a thing. "Lost Book Club" goes through the parallels between what characters are reading and the show's storylines (The Wizard of Oz and Stephen King are heavily referenced). "Lost: On Location" gives a lot of insight to some of the biggest episodes, and "Lost in a Day" gives a 24-hour glimpse at the drama's arduous production. If you're a Lost fan who gave up during this season, the bonus features alone might lure you back for the next round. --Ellen A. Kim

Lost: Season Four
Season four of Lost was a fine return to form for the series, which polarized its audience the year before with its focus on The Others and not enough on our original crash victims. That season's finale introduced a new storytelling device--the flash-forward--that's employed to great effect this time around; by showing who actually got off the island (known as the Oceanic Six), the viewer is able to put to bed some longstanding loose ends. As the finale attests, we see that in the future Jack (Matthew Fox) is broken, bearded, and not sober, while Kate (Evangeline Lilly) is estranged from Jack and with another guy (the identity may surprise you). Four others do make it back to their homes, but as the flash-forwards show, it's definitely not the end of their connection to the island. Back in present day, however, the islanders are visited by the denizens of a so-called rescue ship, who have agendas of their own. While Jack works with the newcomers to try to get off the island, Locke (Terry O'Quinn), with a few followers of his own, forms an uneasy alliance with Ben (Michael Emerson) against the suspicious gang. Some episodes featuring the new characters feel like filler, but the evolution of such characters as Sun and Jin (Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim) is this season's strength; plus, the love story of Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) and Penny (Sonya Walger) provides some of the show's emotional highlights. As is the custom with Lost, bullets fly and characters die (while others may or may not have). Moreover, the fate of Michael (Harold Perrineau), last seen traitorously sailing off to civilization in season two, as well as the flash-forwards of the Oceanic Six, shows you never quite leave the island once you've left. There's a force that pulls them in, and it's a hook that keeps you watching. Season four was a shorter 13 episodes instead of the usual 22 due to the 2008 writers' strike; nonetheless, the set comes with two discs of extras. One of the best features is "LOST in 8:15," which is a rapid-fire summation of the series thus far in eight minutes, 15 seconds. Narrated by a hilariously droll female, it includes lines such as "Jack meets Kate. Kate stitches up Jack. They bond." and "They see Jack play football with Mr. Friendly. Mr. Friendly throws like a girl." The featurette "The Right to Bear Arms" takes a fun look at the prop masters responsible for supplying the castaways with guns--and keeping track of who has one and who doesn't (best here is Sawyer's (Josh Holloway) assertion that characters often cock their guns just to look cool). Cast members Lilly, Garcia, Yunjin Kim, and Daniel Dae Kim provide a few of the commentaries, and the set even comes with an amusing safety guide for Oceanic Airlines. (Example: "if you notice black smoke emanating from the plane, please alert the captain. It is either a problem with the engines or a mysterious creature.") Finally, for those who bought the standard-def DVD, take a closer look at the front cover after you've removed the O-sleeve; you'll notice the entire cast has been blacked out save for a few: the Oceanic Six. --Ellen A. Kim

Lost: Season Five
Since Lost made its debut as a cult phenomenon in 2004, certain things seemed inconceivable. In its fourth year, some of those things, like a rescue, came to pass. The season ended with Locke (Terry O'Quinn) attempting to persuade the Oceanic Six to return, but he dies before that can happen--or so it appears--and where Jack (Matthew Fox) used to lead, Ben (Emmy nominee Michael Emerson) now takes the reins and convinces the survivors to fulfill Locke's wish. As producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse state in their commentary on the fifth-season premiere, "We're doing time travel this year," and the pile-up of flashbacks and flash-forwards will make even the most dedicated fan dizzy. Ben, Jack, Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Sun (Yunjin Kim), and Kate (Evangeline Lilly) arrive to find that Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) have been part of the Dharma Initiative for three years. The writers also clarify the roles that Richard (Nestor Carbonell) and Daniel (Jeremy Davies) play in the island's master plan, setting the stage for the prophecies of Daniel's mother, Eloise Hawking (Fionnula Flanagan), to play a bigger part in the sixth and final season. Dozens of other players flit in and out, some never to return. A few, such as Jin (Daniel Dae Kim), live again in the past. Lost could've wrapped things up in five years, as The Wire did, but the show continues to excite and surprise. As Lindelof and Cuse admit in the commentary, there's a "fine line between confusion and mystery," adding, "it makes more sense if you're drunk." Other extras include deleted scenes, featurettes, a "lost" episode of Mysteries of the Universe, and commentary from writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz on "He's Our You," a reference to Sayid, who tries to change the future by changing the past. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Lost: Season Six:
Editorial reviews coming soon.

Director: n/a
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: ABC Studios

Since Lost made its debut as a cult phenomenon in 2004, certain things seemed inconceivable. In its fourth year, some of those things, like a rescue, came to pass. The season ended with Locke (Terry O'Quinn) attempting to persuade the Oceanic Six to return, but he dies before that can happen--or so it appears--and where Jack (Matthew Fox) used to lead, Ben (Emmy nominee Michael Emerson) now takes the reins and convinces the survivors to fulfill Locke's wish.
As producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse state in their commentary on the fifth-season premiere, "We're doing time travel this year," and the pile-up of flashbacks and flash-forwards will make even the most dedicated fan dizzy. Ben, Jack, Hurley (Jorge Garcia), Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Sun (Yunjin Kim), and Kate (Evangeline Lilly) arrive to find that Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) have been part of the Dharma Initiative for three years. The writers also clarify the roles that Richard (Nestor Carbonell) and Daniel (Jeremy Davies) play in the island's master plan, setting the stage for the prophecies of Daniel's mother, Eloise Hawking (Fionnula Flanagan), to play a bigger part in the sixth and final season.
Dozens of other players flit in and out, some never to return. A few, such as Jin (Daniel Dae Kim), live again in the past. Lost could've wrapped things up in five years, as The Wire did, but the show continues to excite and surprise. As Lindelof and Cuse admit in the commentary, there's a "fine line between confusion and mystery," adding, "it makes more sense if you're drunk." Other extras include deleted scenes, featurettes, a "lost" episode of Mysteries of the Universe, and commentary from writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz on "He's Our You," a reference to Sayid, who tries to change the future by changing the past. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Genre: Television
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Rated: NR

Along with "Desperate Housewives", "Lost" was one of the two breakout shows in the fall of 2004. Mixing suspense and action with a sci-fi twist, it began with a thrilling pilot episode in which a jetliner traveling from Australia to Los Angeles crashes, leaving 48 survivors on an unidentified island with no sign of civilization or hope of imminent rescue. That may sound like "Gilligan's Island" meets "Survivor", but "Lost" kept viewers tuning in every Wednesday night--and spending the rest of the week speculating on Web sites--with some irresistible hooks (not to mention the beautiful women). First, there's a huge ensemble cast of no fewer than 14 regular characters, and each episode fills in some of the back story on one of them. There's a doctor; an Iraqi soldier; a has-been rock star; a fugitive from justice; a self-absorbed young woman and her brother; a lottery winner; a father and son; a Korean couple; a pregnant woman; and others. Second, there's a host of unanswered questions: What is the mysterious beast that lurks in the jungle? Why do polar bears and wild boars live there? Why has a woman been transmitting an SOS message in French from somewhere on the island for the last 16 years? Why do impossible wishes seem to come true? Are they really on a physical island, or somewhere else? What is the significance of the recurring set of numbers? And will Kate ever give up her bad-boy fixation and hook up with Jack?
"Lost" did have some hiccups during the first season. Some plot threads were left dangling for weeks, and the "oh, it didn't really happen" card was played too often. But the strong writing and topnotch cast kept the show a cut above most network TV. The best-known actor at the time of the show's debut was Dominic Monaghan, fresh off his stint as Merry the Hobbit in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" films. The rest of the cast is either unknowns or "where I have I seen that face before" supporting players, including Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly, who are the closest thing to leads. Other standouts include Naveen Andrews, Terry O'Quinn (who's made a nice career out of conspiracy-themed TV shows), Josh Holloway, Jorge Garcia, Yunjin Kim, Maggie Grace, and Emilie de Ravin, but there's really not a weak link in the cast. Co-created by J.J. Abrams ("Alias"), "Lost" left enough unanswered questions after its first season to keep viewers riveted for a second season. "--David Horiuchi"
Where Have I Seen These Castaways? (click images to find out)


Locke
(Terry O'Quinn)


Sawyer
(Josh Holloway)

Charlie
(Dominic Monaghan)


Boone
(Ian Somerhalder)

Jin
(Daniel Dae Kim)

Michael
(Harold Perrineau)


Sayid
(Naveen Andrews)

Jack
(Matthew Fox)


Hurley
(Jorge Garcia)

Kate
(Evangeline Lilly)

Claire
(Emilie de Ravin)

Sun
(Yunjin Kim)


Shannon
(Maggie Grace)

Walt
(Malcolm David Kelley)

Stills from "Lost" (click for larger image)


Sawyer in action


Claire and Charlie

Jin and Michael


Brawl


Shannon


Claire and Hurley


DVD features
Even if you saw every episode of "Lost" on TV--or perhaps "especially" if you saw every episode--the DVD set is a must-own. The episodes are presented in widescreen format, just as they were broadcast on high-definition channels. (Conventional ABC-TV broadcasts were reduced to 1.33 full-screen format.) Four of the episodes have commentary tracks by the producing team and the actors who were featured on certain episodes (Terry O'Quinn, Dominic Monaghan, and Maggie Grace and Ian Sommerhalder). The last disc has over three hours of bonus material sensibly broken into three categories. "Departure" discusses the initial creation of the series, the making of the pilot, and the cast (some characters were created to fit the actors, and Evangeline Lilly's Kate was the hardest to cast). It also includes the cast's audition tapes and photographs by Matthew Fox. "Tales from the Island" provides background material on seven of the episodes plus the boars used in filming, Jimmy Kimmel's appearance on the set, and the genesis of the Driveshaft song ("You all everybody..."). Finally, "Lost Revealed" includes two scenes cut from the season finale, 13 other deleted scenes (not identified by episode, unfortunately), a blooper reel, and the cast and crew's giddy appearance at the Museum of Television & Radio. "--David Horiuchi"

Genre: Mystery & Suspense
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Season four of "Lost" was a fine return to form for the series, which polarized its audience the year before with its focus on The Others and not enough on our original crash victims. That season's finale introduced a new storytelling device--the flash-forward--that's employed to great effect this time around; by showing who actually got off the island (known as the Oceanic Six), the viewer is able to put to bed some longstanding loose ends. As the finale attests, we see that in the future Jack (Matthew Fox) is broken, bearded, and not sober, while Kate (Evangeline Lilly) is estranged from Jack and with another guy (the identity may surprise you). Four others do make it back to their homes, but as the flash-forwards show, it's definitely not the end of their connection to the island. Back in present day, however, the islanders are visited by the denizens of a so-called rescue ship, who have agendas of their own. While Jack works with the newcomers to try to get off the island, Locke (Terry O'Quinn), with a few followers of his own, forms an uneasy alliance with Ben (Michael Emerson) against the suspicious gang. Some episodes featuring the new characters feel like filler, but the evolution of such characters as Sun and Jin (Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim) is this season's strength; plus, the love story of Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) and Penny (Sonya Walger) provides some of the show's emotional highlights. As is the custom with "Lost", bullets fly and characters die (while others may or may not have). Moreover, the fate of Michael (Harold Perrineau), last seen traitorously sailing off to civilization in season two, as well as the flash-forwards of the Oceanic Six, shows you never quite "leave" the island once you've left. There's a force that pulls them in, and it's a hook that keeps you watching.
Season four was a shorter 13 episodes instead of the usual 22 due to the 2008 writers' strike; nonetheless, the set comes with two discs of extras. One of the best features is "LOST in 8:15," which is a rapid-fire summation of the series thus far in eight minutes, 15 seconds. Narrated by a hilariously droll female, it includes lines such as "Jack meets Kate. Kate stitches up Jack. They bond." and "They see Jack play football with Mr. Friendly. Mr. Friendly throws like a girl." The featurette "The Right to Bear Arms" takes a fun look at the prop masters responsible for supplying the castaways with guns--and keeping track of who has one and who doesn't (best here is Sawyer's (Josh Holloway) assertion that characters often cock their guns just to look cool). Cast members Lilly, Garcia, Yunjin Kim, and Daniel Dae Kim provide a few of the commentaries, and the set even comes with an amusing safety guide for Oceanic Airlines. (Example: "if you notice black smoke emanating from the plane, please alert the captain. It is either a problem with the engines or a mysterious creature.") Finally, for those who bought the standard-def DVD, take a closer look at the front cover after you've removed the O-sleeve; you'll notice the entire cast has been blacked out save for a few: the Oceanic Six. --"Ellen A. Kim"

Stills from "Lost : The Complete Fourth Season" (Click for larger image)

Genre: Television
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Rated: NR

What was in the Hatch? The cliffhanger from season one of Lost was answered in its opening sequences, only to launch into more questions as the season progressed. That's right: Just when you say "Ohhhhh," there comes another "What?" Thankfully, the show's producers sprinkle answers like tasty morsels throughout the season, ending with a whopper: What caused Oceanic Air Flight 815 to crash in the first place? As the show digs into more revelations about its inhabitant's pasts, it also devotes a good chunk to new characters (Hey, it's an island; you never know who you're going to run into.) First, there are the "Tailies," passengers from the back end of the plane who crashed on the other side of the island. Among them are the wise, God-fearing ex-drug lord Mr. Eko (standout Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje); devoted husband Bernard (Sam Anderson); psychiatrist Libby (Cynthia Watros, whose character has more than one hidden link to the other islanders); and ex-cop Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez), by far the most infuriating character on the show, despite how much the writers tried to incur sympathy with her flashback. Then there are the Others, first introduced when they kidnapped Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) at the end of season one. Brutal and calculating, their agenda only became more complex when one of them (played creepily by Michael Emerson) was held hostage in the hatch and, quite handily, plays mind games on everyone's already frayed nerves. The original cast continues to battle their own skeletons, most notably Locke (Terry O'Quinn), Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Michael (Harold Perrineau), whose obsession with finding Walt takes a dangerous turn. The love triangle between Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway), which had stalled with Sawyer's departure, heats up again in the second half. Despite the bloating cast size (knocked down by a few by season's end) Lost still does what it does best: explores the psyche of people, about whom "my life is an open book" never applies, and cracks into the social dynamics of strangers thrust into Lord of the Flies-esque situations. Is it all a science experiment? A dream? A supernatural pocket in the universe? Likely, any theory will wind up on shaky ground by the season's conclusion. But hey, that's the fun of it. This show was made for DVD, and you can pause and slow-frame to your heart's content. Just try and keep that head-spinning to a minimum.
On the DVD
Commentaries by various cast members and producers reveal little other than the occasional easter egg (the Dharma logo on the shark fin, Walt's mumbling translating to "Don't push the button; the button is bad" backwards). But disc seven opens with an eerie Hanso Foundation instructional video, leading you to eight hours of bonus features, including cast members' own theories, deleted scenes, and featurettes on specific episodes. It's all well and good for Lost fanatics, but if you want the cream of the crop, check out: "Lost Connections," an interactive feature that reveals how all the islanders are actually linked (for instance, one of the officers who captured Sayid during the Gulf War is Kate's father); a Channel UK promo for the show directed by David LaChappelle in which cast members suck in their cheeks and, dressed in evening wear, tango in slow motion as if in a Calvin Klein ad (it has to be a joke, right?); and "The World According to Sawyer," which strings together each of the un-PC nicknames and pop culture references spewed by Holloway's character. Favorites include "Chewie" for Jin and "Ponce de Leon" for Ana Lucia. It's by far the cherry on top of a sweet dessert. --"Ellen A. Kim "

Director: n/a
Studio: ABC Studios
Rated: PG-13

It all comes down to this. Television’s most innovative and compelling series comes to a stunning conclusion in ABC’s LOST: The Complete Sixth And Final Season. The critically acclaimed epic drama will finally reveal the fate of the Oceanic 815 survivors and all who have joined their journey, and will uncover even more secrets with never-before-seen content available only on Blu-ray and DVD!

In the aftermath of a monumental explosion, reality shifts for everyone associated with the mystical island. Discover their ultimate destiny on Blu-ray and DVD, complete with exciting bonus features and a fascinating recap to catch you up on everything you need to know about the celebrated series. Complete your LOST collection with this spectacular 5-disc set, and experience the final 16 episodes of a landmark in television history.

Genre: Television
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Rated: Unrated

When it aired in 2006-07, "Lost"'s third season was split into two, with a hefty break in between. This did nothing to help the already weirdly disparate direction the show was taking (Kate and Sawyer in zoo cages! Locke eating goop in a mud hut!), but when it finally righted its course halfway through--in particular that whopper of a finale--the drama series had left its irked fan base thrilled once again. This doesn't mean, however, that you should skip through the first half of the season to get there, because quite a few questions find answers: what the Others are up to, the impact of turning that fail-safe key, the identity of the eye-patched man from the hatch's video monitor. One of the series' biggest curiosities from the past--how Locke ended up in that wheelchair in the first place--also gets its satisfying due. (The episode, "The Man from Tallahassee," likely was a big contributor to Terry O'Quinn's surprising--but long-deserved--Emmy win that year.)
Unfortunately, you do have to sit through a lot of aforementioned nuisances to get there. Season 3 kicks off with Jack (Matthew Fox), Kate (Evangeline Lilly), and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) held captive by the Others; Sayid (Naveen Andrews), Sun (Yunjin Kim), and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) on a mission to rescue them; and Locke, Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) in the aftermath of the electromagnetic pulse that blew up the hatch. Spinning the storylines away from base camp alone wouldn't have felt so disjointed were it not for the new characters simultaneously being introduced. First there's Juliet, a mysterious member of the Others whose loyalty constantly comes into question as the season goes on. Played delicately by Elizabeth Mitchell ("Gia, ER, Frequency"), Juliet is in one turn a cold-blooded killer, by another turn a sympathetic friend; possibly both at once, possibly neither at all. (She's also a terrific, albeit unwitting, threat to the Kate-Sawyer-Jack love triangle, which plays out more definitively this season.) On the other hand, there's the now-infamous Nikki and Paulo (Kiele Sanchez and Rodrigo Santoro), a tagalong couple who were cleverly woven into the previous seasons' key moments but came to bear the brunt of fans' ire toward the show (Sawyer humorously echoed the sentiments by remarking, "Who the hell are you?"). By the end of the season, at least two major characters die, another is told he/she will die within months, major new threats are unveiled, and--as mentioned before--the two-part season finale restores your faith in the series.
The extras are as well-stocked as a Dharma Initiative food pantry on this seven-disc set. Commentaries by producer Damon Lindelof, show writers, and numerous cast members reveal a whole lot of juicy trivia; plus, the DVDs even provide a subtitle track for the commentary (rarely seen other than on foreign-language director's commentaries) so you won't miss a thing. "Lost Book Club" goes through the parallels between what characters are reading and the show's storylines ("The Wizard of Oz" and Stephen King are heavily referenced). "Lost: On Location" gives a lot of insight to some of the biggest episodes, and "Lost in a Day" gives a 24-hour glimpse at the drama's arduous production. If you're a "Lost" fan who gave up during this season, the bonus features alone might lure you back for the next round. "--Ellen A. Kim"

Director: Achim von Borries
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Wolfe Video
Rated: NR

Based on the 1927 infamous Steglitz Student tragedy. In the volatile era between world wars, two young men share a romantic view of life and its possibilities. They differ greatly: Paul, a shy poet, comes from a working-class family, while daredevil Guenther hales from the wealthy upper class. Rebellious and passionate, both boys reject their parents' empty world. They even create a pact: At the point when love fails them, they will end their lives. One weekend at a bohemian party, this reckless agreement is put to the test...

Director: Ira Sachs
Genre: Drama
Studio: Parts and Labor
Rated: R

After nearly four decades together, Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina) finally tie the knot in an idyllic wedding ceremony in lower Manhattan. But when George loses his job soon after, the couple must sell their apartment and - victims of the relentless New York City real estate market - temporarily live apart until they can find an affordable new home. While George moves in with two cops (Cheyenne Jackson and Manny Perez) who live down stairs, Ben lands in Brooklyn with his nephew (Darren Burrows), his wife (Marisa Tomei), and their temperamental teenage son (Charlie Tahan), with whom Ben shares a bunk bed. While struggling with the pain of separation, Ben and George are further challenged by the intergenerational tensions and capricious family dynamics of their new living arrangements.

Director: Greg Berlanti
Studio: Fox 2000 Pictures
Rated: PG-13

A young coming-of-age tale about a teenage boy, Simon Spier, goes through a different kind of Romeo and Juliet story. Simon has a love connection with a boy, Blue, by email, but the only problem is that Simon has no idea who he's talking to. Simon must discover who that boy is--who Blue is. Along the way, he tries to find himself as well.

Director: Robert O'Geen
Studio: Hidden Deadly Productions

Thibodeaux, a young gay San Franciscan, yearns to reject his parents' hedonistic ways. But when his emerging sexual desires repeatedly get the better of him, he conjures up twisted, self-repressive rationalizations that threaten to drive away his friends and the hunky, mythic man of his dreams.

Director: David Seltzer
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13

A surprisingly engaging story of puppy love and friendship in a teen setting, this film focuses on the title character (Corey Haim), who is nerdy but winningly outgoing. He falls madly for a new girl in town (Kerri Green); since school is out for the summer, he becomes her only friend--until she meets his hunky pal (Charlie Sheen). Meanwhile, Lucas ignores the romantic yearnings of another female pal (Winona Ryder, in her screen debut). Written and directed by David Seltzer, this one is a charmer with substance, featuring strong, open performances by its young cast. It's also fascinating to watch today, more than a decade later, and consider what became of these performers: while Ryder grew to be one of Hollywood's brightest lights, Haim descended into substance abuse, as did Sheen, whose predilection for call girls also made him a talk-show punch line. "--Marshall Fine"

Director: Luc Besson
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

From La Femme Nikita and The Professional to The Fifth Element, writer/director Luc Besson has created some of the toughest, most memorable female action heroes in cinematic history. Now, Besson directs Scarlett Johansson in Lucy, an action-thriller that tracks a woman accidentally caught in a dark deal who turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic. Lucy also stars Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman.

Director: Bette Gordon
Genre: Drama
Studio: Fox Lorber
Rated: NR

Ten-year-old Phillip (Eric Lloyd) and his mother (Deborah Kara Unger of "Crash" and "The Game") travel constantly from town to town, stealing enough money from obnoxious men to keep them in food and gas. A car crash lands them in Jersey suburbia, where Mom decides to settle down with Pedro, the man who rescued them from the wreck. Phillip doesn't agree, and after he takes a rash step, they're in flight once again--but now Mom is realizing she may not be the most troubled member of the family. When Phillip's father (Jamey Sheridan, "The Ice Storm") returns to reclaim his child, the trouble only increases, and Phillip once again decides to take matters into his own hands. "Luminous Motion" is a mix of compelling psychology and beautiful cinematography, with a storyline that coils tighter and tighter. Dark and elliptical, but rewarding. "--Bret Fetzer"