Director: Jared Hess
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Paramount Home Video
Rated: PG

Jack Black is at his comic best as Ignacio, a disrespected cook at a Mexican monastery that can barely afford to feed the orphans who live there. Inspired by a local wrestling hero, he decides to moonlight as the not-so-famous Luchador "Nacho Libre" to earn money for the monastery -- not to mention the admiration of beautiful nun Sister Encarnacion.

Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: PG-13

You know exactly what you're getting in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation": another goofball, slapstick comedy of chaos and catastrophe with Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and family. This time, there's no traveling involved: Clark and Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) prepare for a nice Christmas with the kids (played by none other than Juliette Lewis and "Roseanne" star Johnny Galecki), when their home is invaded by backwoods cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his brood, along with assorted other crazy and/or stuffy relatives. Complications, of course, are inevitable. The film is preceded by "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983) and "National Lampoon's European Vacation" (1985) and followed by "National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation" (1997). Directed by Jeremiah Chechik, who went on to do "Benny & Joon" and the Sharon Stone remake of "Diabolique". "--Jim Emerson"

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Rated: PG

Like a Hardy Boys mystery on steroids, "National Treasure" offers popcorn thrills and enough boyish charm to overcome its rampant silliness. Although it was roundly criticized as a poor man's rip-off of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "The Da Vinci Code", it's entertaining on its own ludicrous terms, and Nicolas Cage proves once again that one actor's infectious enthusiasm can compensate for a multitude of movie sins. The contrived plot involves Cage's present-day quest for the ancient treasure of the Knights Templar, kept secret through the ages by Freemasons past and present. Finding the treasure requires the theft of the Declaration of Independence (there are crucial treasure clues on the back, of course!), so you can add "caper comedy" to this Jerry Bruckheimer production's multi-genre appeal. Nobody will ever accuse director Jon Turtletaub of artistic ambition, but you've got to admit he serves up an enjoyable dose of PG-rated entertainment, full of musty clues, skeletons, deep tunnels, and harmless adventure in the old-school tradition. It's a load of hokum, but it's "fun" hokum, and that makes all the difference. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Nicholas Stoller
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

By all appearances, new parents Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) are living the American Dream – complete with an adorable baby girl and a beautiful new starter home in the suburbs. Still, the early-thirtysomethings want to believe that they have a modicum of coolness left within them. So when they discover that their new next-door neighbors are none other than dozens of Delta Psi Beta fraternity brothers led by charismatic president Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron), they try to play along and make the best of an awkward situation. But when the frat's parties grow increasingly more epic, both sides of the property line begin to fend for their turf. The neighbors' relentless sabotage escalates into outrageous one-upmanship, beginning an epic Greek war for the ages. Also stars Dave Franco and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

Director: Nicholas Stoller
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Good Universe
Rated: R

Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) are ready to make the final move into adulthood. But just as they thought they have reclaimed the neighborhood, they learn that their new neighbors are even more out of control than the last. To evict them, they will need help from their ex neighbor (Zac Efron).

Director: Cameron Crowe
Genre: Music Video & Concerts
Studio: Sanctuary Records
Rated: PG

Neil Young's 1978 concert tour, documented in this acclaimed two-hour film that was directed by Young himself (using the pseudonym Bernard Shakey), is a treat for the singer-songwriter's fans. The concept of the show is high (for Young, anyway), if rather odd: roadies (here called "Road Eyes") decked out like the Tusken Raiders from "Star Wars", stage announcements from the original Woodstock during set changes, and giant amps, microphones, and so on for an "Incredible Shrinking Man" effect. Of course, it's the music that counts, and there's plenty of that, what with nearly 20 songs (including two versions of "Hey Hey, My My," his nod to the punk movement), acoustic and electric (with longtime companions Crazy Horse), dating back to his Buffalo Springfield days ("I Am a Child") and continuing through popular solo numbers like "Cinnamon Girl" and the extended "Like a Hurricane." DVD bonus material includes photos and song lyrics. "--Sam Graham"

Director: Stuart Baird
Genre: Horror
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG-13

The sacrifice of a beloved character is just one of many highlights in "Nemesis", the 10th feature in the lucrative "Star Trek" franchise. Enigmatically billed as the beginning of "A Generation's Final Journey," this richly plotted "Next Generation" adventure maintains the "even number rule" regarding "Trek"'s feature quality, and it's one of the best in the series. It hits its brisk stride when Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his "Enterprise-E" crew encounter Shinzon (Tom Hardy), a younger clone of Picard, rejected by the Romulans as the human weapon of an abandoned conspiracy. Raised on the nocturnal Romulan sister planet Remus, Shinzon now plots revenge against Romulus "and" Earth but needs Picard's blood to carry out his scheme. A wedding, a childlike "duplicate" Data named B-4 (Brent Spiner), spectacular space battles, and uncommon acts of valor make this a tautly-paced action thriller, poised to pass the franchise (but not quite yet) to a new generation of Starfleet personnel. Die-hard Trekkers will "not" be disappointed. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Genre: Adventure, Crime, Thriller
Studio: Allison Shearmur Productions
Rated: PG-13

'Nerve' is about an online dare game, in which people give participants anonymous dares for money. The participants compete with each other to win the grand prize as the dares get tougher. Things get worse when the tasks get increasingly dangerous and lives are at stake.

Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: PG

Wolfgang Petersen ("In the Line of Fire") made his first English-language film with this 1984 fantasy about a boy (Barret Oliver) visualizing the stories of a book he's reading. The imagined tale involves another boy, a warrior (Noah Hathaway), and his efforts to save the empire of Fantasia from a nemesis called the Nothing. Whether or not the scenario sticks in the memory, what does linger are the unique effects, which are not quite like anything else. Plenty of good fairy-tale characters and memorable scenes, and the film even encourages kids to read. "--Tom Keogh"

Director: Damion Dietz
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Water Bearer Films, Inc

"Neverland" is the Peter Pan story reset to slacker characters. The three adopted Darling children, John (a 23-year old dropout, played by Wil Wheaton), Michael (a similar-aged Ritalin taker, played by Marcus Reynaga), and Wendy (the designated responsible babysitter, played by Melany Bell) all want to escape their home. Peter Pan (Rick Sparks) shows up looking for the keys to his car ("My Shadow") and entices Wendy and her adoptive brothers to run away to Neverland, an amusement park maintained by head janitor Hook (Gary Kelley). Tinkerbell (Kari Wahlgren) takes an instant dislike of Wendy. We meet the Lost Boys, a drag queen Tiger Lily (Ray Garcia), American Indian performers, and other varients of the Barrie story. Hook says he wants to rid Neverland of Lost Boy lowlives but indicates he uses the boys for his own purposes. The story proceeds.

Skin shots are provided by Michael, Hook, and two of the Lost Boys. There is no sex or violence. For all of its edgy look, the basic story is very evident throughout.

The acting was fair. For whatever reason I liked Rick Sparks as Peter, Melany Bell as Wendy, and Ryan Patrick Kelly as Tootles, a Lost Boy. The lighting and sets were interesting.

The drawbacks for me were the mixed messages in the film.

Wendy's moralizing and second thoughts come almost as soon as she reaches Neverland; there is no honeymoon period. Characters in their mid-20s are lectured to both get a career and live at home with their parents. Disney's Peter Pan and Pinocchio deliver similar, simpler messages. Here, Ikiru meets The Wizard of Oz.

The film has been marketed to an extent as a gay film because of the Hook's stated tendencies and S&M costuming. But for me the film's implicit message is that if you leave the safety of home, you will be attacked by perverts. Although Peter claims to be "pansexual", there are no positive gay characters in the film. Pan dispatches Hook, and nobody cares. This is not a gay film.

It is an interesting variant of the Peter Pan story and has more point for older viewers wondering if they have been enticed to their own Neverlands.

Director: Dan Castle
Genre: Drama
Studio: Warner Bros.
Rated: NR

Director: Lee Tamahori
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG-13

The weirdness of actor Nicolas Cage and the weirdness of science-fiction author Philip K. Dick seem like a natural fit. The premise, taken from a short story by Dick, is a good one: A mediocre Las Vegas magician named Chris Johnson (Cage) can see into the future--but only about two minutes at the most. Just enough to pull off his act and to make some money at the gambling tables, so long as he's discreet. Unfortunately, he hasn't been discreet enough; a government agent (Julianne Moore) has sussed out his precognitive talent and wants to use him to track down terrorists. But all Johnson cares about is a beautiful young woman (Jessica Biel, "The Illusionist") that he can see in his future--much further in his future than he's ever seen before. "Next" has flashes that point to a much, much better movie than it turned out to be. A sequence in which Johnson, clairvoyantly explores all the different permutations of how he might approach his mystery woman is both funny and thought-provoking, and when Johnson avoids pursuers by knowing just the right moment to turn a corner or duck his head, it's smart and suspenseful. Unfortunately, the terrorist part of the plot is utterly perfunctory and precognition is reduced to an action movie gimmick. Somewhere in there is the kernel of a romantic comedy about precognition that's just waiting to be made. Cage gives a solid if unsurprising performance, Moore is basically earning a paycheck, but Biel is unexpectedly good (and her part is considerably better-written than your usual romantic interest); her performance suggests a better future than anyone might have predicted. "--Bret Fetzer"

Beyond "Next"
More Nick Cage on DVD
The Author that Inspired the Movie
The Soundtrack Stills from "Next" (click for larger image)

Director: Cesc Gay
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: New Yorker Video
Rated: R

In America, two boys at the beach with no parental supervision leads to dumb, artificial sex comedies; in Europe, the same material can turn into something genuine and sweet. In a small seaside town near Barcelona, Nico comes to visit his best friend Dani, whose parents are away for the summer. They have the typical male teenager obsessions with masturbation and girls--but Dani is just beginning to realize that he's more interested in Nico than the local girls they've been flirting with. The setup isn't unusual, but what is remarkable about "Nico and Dani" is the unforced naturalism of the acting and the way the story unfolds. All the young actors give simple but nuanced performances, capturing in detail the charming awkwardness of adolescence, with frank sex scenes that are more clumsy and hopeful than erotic. Winner of the Prix de Jeunesse award at Cannes. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Edgardo Cozarinsky
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Tla
Rated: NR

Mop-haired hustler Victor plies his trade amidst the seedy, nocturnal denizens of Buenos Aires with the grim threat of violence simmering just below the surface. Threatening strangers, an attempted murder, and the remembrance of a past love combine to send Victor on a soul-searching, surreal urban odyssey in this sharp drama helmed by veteran Argentine director Edgardo Cozarinsky.

Director: Dan Gilroy
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

Nightcrawler is a thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of L.A. crime journalism. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cut-throat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling - where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Rene Russo as Nina, a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.

Director: David Jackson, Ron Oliver
Genre: Horror
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: NR

Crack the creaky door to R.L. Stine's "Nightmare Room" and what you're really stepping into is a twilight zone for 12-year-olds. Here, tween scenarios more twisted than getting caught at the mall with Grandma take flight, freaking out the kind of hapless middle- and high-schoolers we hook up with in "Scareful". First, normally Mr. Nice Guy would shrug off getting the cold shoulder from his dream babe, but a raw red rash he develops lights up the switchboard to his sinister side. Next, what happens when you cast aside the dolls you treasured as a kid? Mostly nothing, but battered old Buddy won't go into the box quietly. Wrapping things up is a pathological liar whose every elaborate ruse turns suddenly, scarily real. Dim the lights, pass the Doritos, and lock your doors--only a nationwide ban on MTV could send bigger swarms of kids (ages 8 to young teens) screaming into the night. "--Tammy La Gorce"

Director: Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Studio: Walden Media
Rated: PG

Nim Rusoe is a girl who joins her father, a scientist, when he does research on marine life on an island. It's just the two of them but she spends her time making friends with all the animals she encounters, chatting on the computer and reading the adventure books of Alex Rover. When her father goes to do some research but when a storm strikes the island he doesn't come back, she gets worried and frightened. She then e-mails Alex Rover hoping that he will come but what she doesn't know is that Alex Rover is a woman who is agoraphobic and germaphobic. But her creation comes to life and eggs her to go. Unfortunately she has never gone anywhere before and is denied her necessities like her sanitary gel by the customs officer at the airport. In the meantime, Nim tries to be strong while waiting for Alex to arrive.

Director: Roman Polanski
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Live / Artisan
Rated: R

The horror of Roman Polanski is not about spectacle and shock but a goose-pimply sense of evil lurking just outside the frame and hidden behind the faces of slightly unsettling characters. For a while it looks like "The Ninth Gate", adapted from the novel "The Club Dumas" by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, might recapture the beautiful uneasiness of such masterpieces as "Repulsion" and "Rosemary's Baby". A calm, almost sleepy Johnny Depp plays cynical, unscrupulous rare-book hunter Dean Corso, who's hired by demonologist Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) to authenticate a rare volume that, legend has it, was cowritten by Lucifer himself. Dean leaves a Gothic looking New York (re-created in Europe by Polanski as a sinister city of shadows) for Portugal and Paris to compare Balkan's volume with the two copies known to be in existence and uncovers a mystery with unholy ramifications. He also finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that involves Balkan, a widow who will stop at nothing to retrieve Balkan's book (Lena Olin, who gleefully bites and claws her way through the part), and a mysterious guardian "angel" (Polanski's wife, Emmanuelle Seigner) who shadows his every step. "The Ninth Gate" is full of rumbling menace and deliciously unsettling imagery, but Polanski's languorous direction and purposefully vague story render a film that's eerie without every becoming thrilling. It's perpetually on the verge of becoming interesting--right up to its obscure final image. "--Sean Axmaker"

Director: Sam Miller
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Studio: Screen Gems
Rated: PG-13

A lonely mother, invites a handsome car accident victim into her home. Desperate for a little attention, she doesn't realize she's entertaining a sociopathic, yet charming escape convict. In one terrorizing night her life completely changes as she fight for her own life and the life of her children in No Good Deed.

Director: Tom Shankland
Studio: Platinum Disc Llc
Rated: Unrated

A promising university student, Tim Cornish is drawn to a man he sees on campus. Their chance encounters become a passionate, yet volatile, relationship and soon Tim s once-bright future is filled with betrayal, heartbreak and murder.

Director: Jochen Hick
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Wolfe Video
Rated: R

Stephan arrives in San Francisco to prove that the AIDS virus was deliberately introduced into the general population. Before his death, Stephan's father, a medical researcher, identified some of the experimenters and survivors involved. Armed with evidence, Stephan attempts to track them down, only to discover that they are being systematically murdered. "No One Sleep" is a riveting thriller set against the backdrop of one of the greatest issues of our time.

Director: Doug Witkins

"No Ordinary Love" is a delightful experience.It toys with our imaginations and fantasies as the story progresses almost willing it to a conclusion but often just put in for subtle teases..Its funny in parts and perhaps a bit unbelievable in others.The cast is eclectic with the main characters very cute.Overall not a bad watch and you find yourself staying to the end to make sure their is a happy ending...A good movie for the DVD collection.One to enjoy over and over with friends...

Director: Darren Aronofsky
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG-13

Russell Crowe stars as Noah in the film inspired by the epic story of courage, sacrifice and hope. Directed by visionary filmmaker Darren Aronofsky.

"The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis."

Director: Julia Solomonoff
Genre: TV Movie
Studio: CEPA Audiovisual
Rated: TV-MA

NADIE NOS MIRA is a film about the struggle of self-imposed exile; how the pleasures of anonymity and freedom contrast with the pain of loneliness and loss that shapes immigrant experience. NICO, mid 30's, is a young Argentine actor fighting to build a career in the US, without assistance, or connections, never too far from heart-breaking failure, but often blinded by the mirage of immediate success. Nico has left a promising acting career in Argentina, after a tumultuous break-up with his mentor/producer. He lands in New York, lured into believing that his talent will help him find success "on his own" and prove his self-worth. But that's not what he finds. Too blond to play latino, his accent to strong to play anything else, Nico gets stuck between identities: that of the successful South American actor, and temporary immigrant needing to juggle odd jobs and under-the-table employment, in search of the ever-elusive acting part that will provide an adjustment of status. When Andrea, ...

Director: Bavo Defurne
Studio: Strand Releasing
Rated: Unrated

Pim and his ex-beauty queen, single mother, Yvette, live in a small town on the Belgian coast. Trapped, geographically and emotionally, they both yearn for unattainable things. As a boy, Pim occupies his time drawing and fantasizing while keeping his emerging desires for his older neighbor friend, Gino, a secret. As a teenager, his infatuation for Gino grows, but his feelings are unrequited and Gino leaves home to move-in with his girlfriend. Meanwhile, Yvette spends her time drinking and entertaining unwanted suitors, longing to travel and see the world. When things at home take a turn for the worse, Pim finds comfort and solace in Gino s family who receive him with open arms and for the first time in his life he understands what it means to be loved. NORTH SEA TEXAS is a touching coming-of-age drama about sexual discovery and navigating through the emotions of first love.

In Dutch with English Subtitles

Director: Wiktor Grodecki
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Water Bearer

For those of you who have never been to Prague or those who like to learn about eastern europe this is a good insight. i've been there several times and have witnessed first hand what this picture is about. it is a documentary that describes in detail the horrific and dreary lives of those less fortunate in post-communist czech republic. the things that young boys have to do to survive in the big city, having come from small villages outside Prague--this is not a documentary for children. This is a documentary for those who like to learn about all facets of life around the world. Picture quality is not as bad as previous reviews would lead you to believe. I think if you buy it and don't like it you could donate it to a local university's socialogy department.

Director: János Szász
Genre: Drama, War
Studio: Intuit Pictures
Rated: R

Twin siblings enduring the harshness of WWII in a village on the Hungarian border hedge their survival on studying and learning from the evil surrounding them.

Director: Sacha Gervasi
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Studio: Black Bicycle Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

18-year-old Addison Schacht, a Jewish high-school senior in Washington D.C., responds to the essay question, "What are your best and worst qualities?". He explains he has only bad qualities, as illustrated by the events of his senior year. They include collecting offensive jokes; dealing drugs to his classmates; and insulting teachers, fellow students, and his girlfriend's mother. But his classmate is killed, and he begins to investigate the death.

Director: Louis Leterrier
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

In this visually spectacular blend of astonishing illusions and exhilarating action from director Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans), four talented magicians mesmerize an international audience with a series of bold and original heists, all the while pursuing a hidden agenda that has the FBI and Interpol scrambling to anticipate their next move.

Director: Jon M. Chu
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: K/O Paper Products
Rated: PG-13

One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public's adulation with their Robin Hood-style magic spectacles, The Four Horsemen resurface for a comeback performance in hopes of exposing the unethical practices of a tech magnate. The man behind their vanishing act is none other than Walter Mabry, a tech prodigy who threatens the Horsemen into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all.

Director: Joel Schumacher
Genre: Drama
Studio: New Line Home Video
Rated: R

Jim Carrey as a schizophrenic murderer isn't convincing, in this melodramatic film about a man obsessed by the "Number 23". Joel Schumacher ("Batman Forever, St. Elmo's Fire") has unintentionally managed to make a comedy of horrors that really is quite humorous in parts. Walter Sparrow (Carrey) becomes engrossed in a homespun novel about Detective Fingerling, whose life degrades into mayhem because of his obsession with 23's esoteric numerical puzzles. Sparrow's preoccupation with the book follows his botched attempt to catch a nasty dog that bites him, leading one to believe that Sparrow's contraction of rabies might be the cause for his mental degradation. As the story progresses, Sparrow retreats further into Fingerling's world, rife with suicidal sexpots and hardboiled detective sleuthing. His wife, Agatha (Virginia Madsen), also plays Fingerling's girlfriend, sex-crazed Fabrizia, who taunts Fingerling until he stabs her. Back in reality, Walter aims to solve the unresolved crimes in the book, taking it as a murderer's diary rather than as an imagined work. The story is half-baked, though Carrey's portrayal of a mentally disturbed person is what makes "The Number 23" comedic. Long, contemplative stares, and over-dramatized acting renders Sparrow a clichéd character, rather than one odd enough to engage viewers. For a better version of almost the exact plot but with a terrorist's twist, see "Thr3e" instead. "--Trinie Dalton"