Director: Dylan Kidd
Genre: Drama
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: R

A romantic story about a late 30's divorced woman who gets to live her fairy tale when she is reunited with a high school sweetheart who had died previously and reincarnated in a mid 20's year old cutie.

Director: Rodney Gibbons
Genre: Drama
Studio: Lions Gate
Rated: R

"The Pact" is a very amusing film. Rider Strong's character is a wonderful-and unexpectedly complex-villain; the viewer occaisionally finds himself/herself rooting for him by mistake, instead of the slightly less fascinating "good guy". Unfortunately parts of the movie can get downright cliché. Yet this movie pulls it off; the ending may not be much of a surprise, but it is quite entertaining and pleasing all the same. "The Pact" may not be ground-breakingly original, but does what movies should do: it entertains, and does it fabulously.

Director: Eadward Stocks
Genre: Drama
Rated: Not Rated

A fragile young artist (LILY), fresh out of University, meets an attractive young man in a club (FINN). Lily invites Finn to come and stay with her at her house while her parents vacation in Italy for the summer. When Lily's jealous younger brother (JAMIE) finds out that Finn is not who he claims to be, Jamie decides to play a sinister game to get rid of him.

Studio: Peace Arch Trinity
Rated: R

Director: Joe Wright
Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Studio: Warner Bros.
Rated: PG

12-year-old orphan Peter is spirited away to the magical world of Neverland, where he finds both fun and danger, and ultimately discovers his destiny -- to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.

Director: David Fincher
Genre: Mystery & Suspense
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: R

An effective exercise in "confined cinema," "Panic Room" is a finely crafted thriller that ultimately transcends the thinness of its premise. David Koepp's screenplay is basically "Wait Until Dark" on steroids, so director David Fincher ("Seven", "The Game") compensates with elaborate CGI-assisted camera moves, jazzing up his visuals while a relocated New York divorcée (Jodie Foster) and her daughter (Kristen Stewart) fight for their lives against a trio of tenacious burglars (Jared Leto, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam) in their new Manhattan townhouse. They're safe in a customized, impenetrable "panic room," but the burglars want what's in the room's safe, so mother and daughter (and Koepp and Fincher) must find clever ways to turn the tables and persevere. Suspense and intelligence are admirably maintained, with Foster (who replaced the then-injured Nicole Kidman) riffing on her "Silence of the Lambs" resourcefulness. It's not as viscerally satisfying as Fincher's previous thrillers, but "Panic Room" definitely holds your attention. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Paul Abascal
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13

Looking for a movie in which the "good guy" gets away with murder? Then "Paparazzi" is just for you -- a critically maligned, morally repugnant yet primitively satisfying thriller in which a rising action star (Cole Hauser) gets revenge on the tabloid photographers who stalk him every day, ruining his private life and nearly killing his wife (Robin Tunney) and young son. Coproduced by Mel Gibson (who makes a cameo appearance, along with Vince Vaughn, Chris Rock, and Matthew McConaughey), this is precisely the kind of pulp that Gibson starred in during the '80s and '90s, and you can bet he relished the premise, in which the most ruthless celebrity shutterbug (Tom Sizemore, at his most despicable) becomes the victim of his own corrupted ethics. Hauser's father, the great B-movie villain Wings Hauser, made a career out of crap like this, and his son brings a kind of foul integrity to his leading-man role while Dennis Farina channels Columbo as a detective on the prowl. As exploitative potboilers go, "Paparazzi" may be sick, but at least it's entertaining. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Curtis Casella, Kyle Cabral
Studio: Castle and Keep Studios

In a brash decision Cole has secretly moved to San Francisco under the guise of his straight best friend's engagement party to escape a dead-end career and the memories of a passionate summer fling with a boy in New York. But when he arrives, he runs into the former fling and old feelings resurface. And after his friend, Daren, reveals his engagement was an accident, Cole uses the mysterious powers of a re-discovered sketchbook to try to put their lives back on track, whatever the consequences.

Director: Jake Schreier
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance
Studio: Fox 2000 Pictures
Rated: PG-13

Adapted from the bestselling novel by author John Green, PAPER TOWNS is a coming-of-age story centering on Quentin and his enigmatic neighbor Margo, who loved mysteries so much she became one. After taking him on an all-night adventure through their hometown, Margo suddenly disappears - leaving behind cryptic clues for Quentin to decipher. The search leads Quentin and his quick-witted friends on an exhilarating adventure that is equal parts hilarious and moving. Ultimately, to track down Margo, Quentin must find a deeper understanding of true friendship - and true love.

Director: Lorraine Senna
Genre: Drama
Studio: Film Partners
Rated: PG

In the '80s, Mack Cameron (Timothy Bottoms) was a star in his own right but now, as a middle-aged actor in Hollywood, he's working like crazy to stay in the game. Movie shoots keep him from his wife Liz (Meredith Baxter) and two sons for long stretches of time and his marriage is suffering from father's absence. Mack is locked in battle between work and family when he's offered a role in a small independent film shooting in his hometown of Littleton, Texas. He grudgingly accepts the part, bringing the family along in a last ditch attempt to reconnect with his boys and save his marriage. Everything changes for twelve year-old CJ (Ben Estus) when he is cast as Mack's co-star. Although a gifted performer, the kid is misunderstood by just about everyone. Bullies seek him out at school, while his father pushes him to play baseball like the other boys. After a promising start to the shoot, Mack's decision to put his family first has repercussions on his career. At odds with himself, he ...

Director: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: New Yorker Video
Rated: NR

Rupert Everett narrates this sensitive documentary about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals during World War II. "Paragraph 175" refers to the old German penal code concerning homosexuality, which was used to justify the prosecution of gay men during the war (the code ignored lesbians, still considered viable baby-making vessels). As mere rumor became enough to justify imprisonment, over 100,000 were arrested and between 10,000 and 15,000 were sent to concentration camps. In "Paragraph 175", Klaus Müller, a historian from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, sets out to interview the fewer than 10 who are known to remain alive. The film covers the astonishingly quick rise of Hitler (one interviewee points out how ridiculous a figure he seemed at first) and the shock that more liberal Germans felt as it became clear that he was a force to be reckoned with. Some of the film's most touching moments come when the participants reminisce about their first loves and the "homosexual Eden" that was Berlin in the 1930s. This is a beautifully well made documentary that poignantly captures a piece of nearly forgotten history. "--Ali Davis"

Studio: Fox Searchlight
Rated: PG-13

OSCARr NOMINEES Harrison Ford (42) and Gary Oldman* (The Dark Knight) star with Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games) in this high-stakes espionage thriller based on Joseph Finder's New York Times best seller. Fired from his telecom job, Adam Cassidy (Hemsworth) is forced by company CEO Nicolas Wyatt (Oldman) to infiltrate Wyatt's longtime rival's (Ford) company to steal trade secrets. Soon, Adam realizes that he's caught between two ruthless players who will stop at nothing to win. But, desperate to win over an Ivy League beauty (Amber Heard) and help his blue-collar father, Adam risks everything in a dangerous race against time in this electrifying film directed by Robert Luketic.

Director: Gus Van Sant
Genre: Drama
Studio: MK2 Productions
Rated: R

The teenager and skateboarder Alex is interviewed by Detective Richard Lu that is investigating the death of a security guard in the rail yards severed by a train that was apparently hit by a skate board. While dealing with the separation process of his parents and the sexual heat of his virgin girlfriend Jennifer, Alex writes his last experiences in Paranoid Park with his new acquaintances and how the guard was killed, trying to relieve his feeling of guilty from his conscience.

Director: Chris Butler, Sam Fell
Studio: Focus Features
Rated: PG

Norman sees dead people. Heard that one before, right? The good news is that even though the cultural reference that entered our collective consciousness way back with "The Sixth Sense" is the conceptual spark, it's not a clichéd mark against "ParaNorman". Neither is it some psychodramatic plot twist in this charming and ingenious stop-motion animated kids' story about a little boy who shares the world with the ghosts who are living all around him. The paranormal stuff is just a part of everyday life for sensitive, lonely Norman and it doesn't freak him out one bit. It started when his grandmother died and she decided to stick around for him. Even though his parents and teenage sister think it's a little weird that he believes she's still living with them, nothing could be more normal for Norman. But she's not the only one whose spirit is still roaming. Everywhere he goes, Norman makes friends and talks with the ghosts who float about all over the place, which not surprisingly makes him seem a little weird to all the other kids at school. Fortunately Norman makes friends with another living misfit named Neil, who believes in his unusual gift and remains a staunch sidekick even after the whole town is threatened by an ancient curse. It's this aged secret that turns out to be the cause for all the restless souls strolling around in the first place. The plot thickens considerably when the founding fathers rise from their graves as zombies (who everyone can see), and it falls to Norman to set things right. The threat they carry harks back to a centuries-old witch-hunt that put a harmless little girl named Aggie on trial by the tribunal now wandering around town in varying states of decrepitude and still cursed by their misdeed. The whole thing turns into a pretty intense piece of haunted horrors, with the burden falling on Norman to release Aggie's innocent spirit and send the zombies back to their graves before the town succumbs to her very real supernatural wrath. The action may get a little too scary for littler kids. There's lots of fire and brimstone, and even though the zombie antics are played for laughs, some of the characterizations border on the genuinely gruesome. But the style is wonderfully sophisticated (it comes from the company that produced "Coraline"), with terrifically anthropomorphized renderings of human and ghost/zombie figures alike. Everything feels wickedly baroque and shot through with a sustained creepiness that is kept mostly at bay with a script that packs plenty of gags. The voice performances are lively and vibrant, with a cast that includes John Goodman, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, and Elaine Stritch. When Norman faces off with Aggie in the dark and stormy finale, some children may be holding on to Mom and Dad tight (and they may be holding back), which is ultimately to "ParaNorman"'s credit. Just as much credit goes to the fact that the story and design direction allows for the laughs to balance out the frights for both the parents and the kids. "--Ted Fry"

Director: Ariel Kleiman
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Studio: Animal Kingdom
Rated: See all certifications

Alexander, a boy who has been raised in a sequestered commune, finds that his increasing unwillingness to fall in line puts him on a collision course with Gregori, the society's charismatic and domineering leader.

Director: Ted Mendenhall
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Lions Gate
Rated: R

When a couple La teen-os find themselves with overnight access to a vacant mansion in Beverly Hills, they host hottest Hispanic house Party the barrio of Beverly Hills has ever seen. Party goers include Tony the Rocker, Chuey the slob, indo and Leno the stoners, and Enrique the Paisa cowboy. Steaming it up are Maria the virgin, Lola the bodacious bombshell, and the mysterious Burro Girl. It s an open house Party and you re invited to a raunchy, screwball comedy that puts the panic in Hispanic!
Special Features
Full Screen Version 2.0 Surround Audio Interactive Menus Trailer Gallery Optional Spanish Subtitles And More

System Requirements:
Running Time 90 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Director: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato
Genre: Drama
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

"Party Monster" is a curiosity: a fictional version of events already covered in documentary form (see "Party Monster: The Shockumentary") by this film's co-directors, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, best known for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye". "Party Monster", theatrically released in 2003, also signals the return of Macaulay Culkin to films after a long absence. Culkin plays 1980s club kid-turned-killer Michael Alig, a small-town boy who arrives in New York in search of reinvention on the Ecstasy-fueled party scene. Alig ascends from rube to ringmaster, organizing Fabulous happenings and anointing, in Warhol-like fashion, various transvestites and studly naifs the era's new superstars. Seth Green plays Alig's arch but more reticent co-conspirator and roommate, James St. James. Green is more grounded in character than Culkin, though neither actor is convincing as a deluded drag queen. Despite interesting material, the directors never reveal what makes Alig a compelling figure in Manhattan's social history. "--Tom Keogh"

Director: Morten Tyldum
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Rated: PG-13

The spaceship, Starship Avalon, in its 120-year voyage to a distant colony planet known as the "Homestead Colony" and transporting 5,258 people has a malfunction in one of its sleep chambers. As a result one hibernation pod opens prematurely and the one person that awakes, Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) is stranded on the spaceship, still 90 years from his destination.

Director: Mel Gibson
Genre: Drama
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: Unrated

After all the controversy and rigorous debate has subsided, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" will remain a force to be reckoned with. In the final analysis, "Gibson's Folly" is an act of personal bravery and commitment on the part of its director, who self-financed this $25-30 million production to preserve his artistic goal of creating the Passion of Christ ("Passion" in this context meaning "suffering") as a quite literal, in-your-face interpretation of the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus, scripted almost directly from the gospels (and spoken in Aramaic and Latin with a relative minimum of subtitles) and presented as a relentless, 126-minute ordeal of torture and crucifixion. For Christians and non-Christians alike, this film does not "entertain," and it's not a film that one can "like" or "dislike" in any conventional sense. (It is also emphatically "not" a film for children or the weak of heart.) Rather, "The Passion" is a cinematic experience that serves an almost singular purpose: to show the scourging and death of Jesus Christ in such horrifically graphic detail (with Gibson's own hand pounding the nails in the cross) that even non-believers may feel a twinge of sorrow and culpability in witnessing the final moments of the Son of God, played by Jim Caviezel in a performance that's not so much acting as a willful act of submission, so intense that some will weep not only for Christ, but for Caviezel's unparalleled test of endurance.
Leave it to the intelligentsia to debate the film's alleged anti-Semitic slant; if one judges what is on the screen (so gloriously served by John Debney's score and Caleb Deschanel's cinematography), there is fuel for debate but no obvious malice aforethought; the Jews under Caiaphas are just as guilty as the barbaric Romans who carry out the execution, especially after Gibson excised (from the subtitles, if not the soundtrack) the film's most controversial line of dialogue. If one accepts that Gibson's intentions are sincere, "The Passion" can be accepted for what it is: a grueling, straightforward (some might say "unimaginative") and extremely violent depiction of the Passion, guaranteed to render devout Christians speechless while it intensifies their faith. Non-believers are likely to take a more dispassionate view, and some may resort to ridicule. But one thing remains undebatable: with "The Passion of the Christ", Gibson put his money where his mouth is. You can praise or damn him all you want, but you've got to admire his chutzpah. "--Jeff Shannon"

Genre: Concerts

An acoustic collection of your favorite songs recorded live at RED Studios in Hollywood, CA. We’ve stripped down the biggest hits, including, “Promises in the Dark”, “We Live For Love”, “Love Is A Battlefield”, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “We Belong”.

Director: Marc Schölermann
Genre: Crime, Horror, Thriller
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Rated: R

Harvard Medical School graduate Dr. Ted Grey arrives at one of the nations most prestigious Pathology programs and is quickly noticed by the program's privileged and elite band of pathology interns who invite him into their crowd. It is also here, where he is introduced to Dr. Jake Gallo, who brings him to a secluded wing, where he and four other indulge in their after-hours, extra-curricular activities...finding ways to commit the perfect murder!

Director: John Woo
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG-13

The brainy, paranoid science fiction of writer Philip K. Dick has inspired one visionary classic ("Blade Runner") and two above-average action movies ("Total Recall" and "Minority Report"). "Paycheck" aspires to follow in their footsteps: An engineer (Ben Affleck, "Chasing Amy") routinely agrees to have his memory erased after every job so that he doesn't know what he's done. But after the biggest job of his life, he discovers that not only has he refused a $90 million paycheck, he's sent himself an envelope full of things he doesn't recognize--and he doesn't remember doing any of this. As he unravels the plot, he discovers he's also fallen in love (with Uma Thurman, "Kill Bill") and invented a dangerous device for his former boss (Aaron Eckhart, "Erin Brockovich"). Affleck is bland, the script ruins a cunning idea, and the direction--from the normally dynamic John Woo ("Face/Off")--plods along, aimless and bored. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Steve Martino
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Animation
Rated: G

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved "Peanuts" gang make their big-screen debut, like they've never been seen before, in state of the art 3D animation. Charlie Brown, the world's most beloved underdog, embarks upon an epic and heroic quest, while his best pal, the lovable beagle Snoopy, takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron. From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the ICE AGE films, THE PEANUTS MOVIE will prove that every underdog has his day.

Director: John Waters
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: New Line Home Video
Rated: R

Pecker (so named, at least according to his grandmother, because he always pecks at his food) loves to use the camera to capture his fellow Baltimore residents living their daily lives. Of course, since this is a John Waters movie, those daily lives include visits to strip bars, shoplifting, and various other quirky, and frequently hilarious, human activities. When Pecker's makeshift photo exhibit comes to the attention of a New York art agent (Lili Taylor), Pecker becomes the latest sensation. Unlike the hero in most sudden-fame stories, however, Pecker, as played by Edward Furlong, isn't exactly an innocent; rather, he takes in the world with his eyes, and his mind, wide open. So instead of suffering a precipitous fall, Pecker eventually turns the tables on his more worldly New York peers.
While not as outrageous as early Waters features such as "Female Trouble" and "Pink Flamingos", "Pecker" still has something to offend just about everyone. But those who take the offenses to heart would be missing out on what amounts to a sweet-natured farce. The movie is not so much a pointed satire as a gentle teasing of the art world and its pretensions. The all-embracing world of John Waters allows for lovable freaks from the big city, too.
The movie sags a bit when it settles into its plot; it can't sustain the comic inspiration reached in the opening scenes of Pecker's encounters with Baltimore's misfits. But running gags about a sugar-addicted child and a ventriloquist-doll Virgin Mary are hilarious. What ultimately makes the movie such a pleasure, though, is Waters's genuine fondness for all of his characters. Aided by a charming cast, including Christina Ricci and Waters regulars Mink Stole and Patty Hearst, Waters has created a surprisingly touching ode to human eccentricity. "--Chris Neman"

Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Thrillers
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: PG

Former animator Tim Burton ("Beetlejuice", "Edward Scissorhands", "Ed Wood", "Batman", "Mars Attacks!") made his feature directorial debut with this delightful comedy, coscripted by the late Phil Hartman (who also appears briefly as a reporter). Wisely, they keep the story simple so as to concentrate on the characters: Pee-wee's most prized possession, his shiny new bicycle, is stolen, and he sets off on an obsessive cross-country journey, determined to recover it. Pee-wee's awkward and childish attempts to be cool and mature ("I meant to do that!!") are hysterical, as when he tells his girlfriend (Elizabeth Daly): "There's things about me you don't know, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand.... I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel." Look for "Saturday Night Live" vet Jan Hooks in a hilarious bit as a tour guide at the Alamo. And beware of Large Marge! "--Jim Emerson"

Director: Bille August
Genre: Drama
Studio: Anchor Bay
Rated: PG-13

Pelle the Conqueror is an utterly flawless film with regards to acting, cinematography, score, storytelling, etc. It won Best Foreign Film honors at the Academy Awards and was even nominated for Best Picture. Of course, the politics of Hollywood could never have allowed it to claim that honor, otherwise a precedence would have been set of acknowledging that foreign films might be (gasp!) better than a lot of the [stuff] Tinseltown shovels out.
Personally, I watched the Oscars that year exclusively to cheer for Pelle the Conqueror and even more specifically for Max Von Sydow, who turned in the performance of a lifetime. From the moment I began watching the film to the moment it ended, I never lost my sense of absolute immersion. It was, in truth, a grueling experience... because like so many Scandinavian films, Pelle is not a "feel good" story and doesn't have a happy ending. It doesn't have a happy beginning or middle, either. I'm straining my memory to remember a full happy minute, actually. Max Von Sydow is so thoroughly convincing as the widower father of 12-year-old Pelle Hvenegaard that I couldn't help but bear his anguish as all his hopes for a better life for his son get trampled. Even though I was fairly young when the film came out, Von Sydow led me to understand a poor father's burden. When I saw this movie in the theater in 1988, I was told by a friend it was "part one" and that the subsequent film would give viewers a little more resolution as young Pelle escapes to try to reach America... I waited and waited for that sequel, because I believed in these characters and wanted a better life for them; that's how powerful the film was to me.
So why only 4 stars? Because the DVD (to date -- these things sometimes change) does not contain the whole film. 22 minutes were hacked from the original to fit into American time slots, and they were inexplicably not restored when the film went to DVD. The DVD also lacks special features such as "making of," background story, director's comments, etc. that would have been fascinating, especially considering this is such an epic foreign film from a country American viewers know so little about.

Director: Chris Columbus
Studio: Fox 2000 Pictures
Rated: PG

Mythology and the modern world collide in this epic quest for justice by Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman), your basic below-average, misfit student whose family life is a mess and who's misunderstood by everyone except his best friend, Grover (Brandon T. Jackson). A voice warns that everything is about to change as Percy enters the New Roman and Greek Art Gallery on a school field trip, and, indeed, it does. Percy's substitute teacher morphs into a mythical beast and tries to attack him, and it's revealed that Percy is the son of Poseidon, and a true demigod. Percy also discovers that Grover is really a satyr--half-human, half-goat--and his sworn protector, and that one of his teachers is a centaur--half-horse, half-man--who's more committed to Percy's education than he could ever have imagined. On top of it all, Percy is the prime suspect in the recent theft of Zeus's lightning bolt and is being hunted by the gods. Following these shocking revelations, Percy is taken to a special training camp to learn to control and use his exceptional powers, and in the process, his mother is imprisoned by Hades. Against all advice, Percy, his protector Grover, and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), daughter of Athena, leave camp to rescue Percy's mother from the underworld. Their quest is extremely dangerous and puts them squarely in the path of Medusa (Uma Thurman), with her venomous hair and gaze that turns people to stone. The three also battle a five-headed, fire-breathing beast and visit a Las Vegas casino patrons never leave, and finally they find themselves deep in the underworld, at the mercy of the unpredictable Persephone, wife of Hades. Somehow, Percy must both convince the gods he did not steal Zeus's lightning and prevent a war of the gods that could potentially destroy the entire world. Based on the books by Rick Riordan, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" is an exciting action film rich with ancient mythology, yet set squarely in the 21st century. Enriched by strong special effects and some potently disturbing images, it is a powerful story about family, trust, determination, and love. (Ages 11 and older) "--Tami Horiuchi"

Director: Thor Freudenthal
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG

The Percy Jackson series gives Greek mythology a contemporary reboot as a hesitant young man discovers he's the only son of the sea god Poseidon and has supernatural powers and wild adventures thrust upon him. In Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, the haven that protects Percy (Logan Lerman) and other demigods is threatened, potentially leaving them vulnerable to the titans and monsters that seek to destroy them. Only the healing power of the legendary Golden Fleece can save them. Clarisse (Leven Rambin), daughter of war god Ares, is chosen for this quest, but Percy and his friends Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) and Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) set out after the Fleece as well, accompanied by Percy's unexpected half-brother Tyson (Douglas Smith), who just happens to be a cyclops. After the lackluster first movie, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is palpably more energetic and a bit more true to the books (though some fans may wonder about one particular plot change towards the end of the movie). Don't expect much fidelity to the original mythology, but the narrative zips along and the fights provide suitable spectacle. Boosting the consistent action are a variety of star cameos, including Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games) as Dionysus (or "Mr. D") and especially Nathan Fillion (Firefly) as an entrepreneurial Hermes. --Bret Fetzer

Director: Scott Gabriel
Studio: Wolfe Video
Rated: Unrated

Co-written by married screenwriting team of New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann and EDGAR Award finalist Ed Gaffney, the charming romantic comedy THE PERFECT WEDDING debuts on DVD December 3rd from Wolfe Video. Gavin (Jason T. Gaffney) and Paul (Eric Aragon), two young gay men, meet and fall in love over a holiday weekend where family and friends are planning the wedding of Paul s sister. The problem is, Gavin is posing as the boyfriend of Paul s ex and the two find themselves in a classic comic quandary as they try to ignore their feelings. First time feature film Director Scott Gabriel s cast includes Eric Aragon (The Interview), Jason T. Gaffney (Jolly), Apolonia Davalos (Jolly), Brendan Griffin (The Nanny Diaries), Sal Rendino (Blue Collar Boys), Kristine Sutherland (TV s Buffy the Vampire Slayer ) and James Rebhorn (Independence Day, TV s White Collar ). BONUS FEATURES-Behind the Scenes Featurette, Interviews with Actors, Theatrical Trailer, More from Wolfe.

Studio: Summit Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" maintains the fine tradition of movies like "Running with Scissors" and "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" in its savvy, sensitive telling of high schoolers coming of age and coming to terms. Though it enters some dark emotional territory as freshman Charlie (Logan Lerman) connects with a clique of older students, the smart sense of humor threaded throughout is as charming as the heavy stuff is powerful. Charlie enters high school with some serious yet indeterminate psychological problems that have clearly devilled him since childhood. We don't get to know about the extent of his difficulties until the movie's final scenes, but they've made it hard for him to find friends. A device that comes and goes is Charlie's voice-over of letters he's writing to an unknown and unnamed friend that describe the hard shell he's kept closed around himself. It all starts to change for Charlie--mostly for the better--when he hooks up with the eccentric, iconoclastic senior Patrick (Ezra Miller) and his popular step-sister Sam (Emma Watson). The energetic duo bring Charlie into their fold of friends and introduce him to a world outside himself that is probably exactly what he wanted, even though it's a place of loyalty, trust, and understanding that had previously been unimaginable in the small confines of his tortured head space. As with all friendships, there are rivalries, boundaries, rifts, and betrayals that ebb and flow as the school year unfolds. Charlie's inevitable breakdown and the healing that he experiences from having been exposed to such acceptance comes full circle in a neat little package at the end. But there's plenty of honesty, wit, and genuinely moving emotion expressed along the way. All the young actors commit fully to their well-drawn parts, especially the three leads. This may be the post-"Potter" role that breaks Watson free to revel in her talent, and Miller is a natural as a grown-up teenager who may have most of it figured out, even though the internal confusion he's tried so hard to bury still rears its head now and again. Set in the early '90s, the movie is tinged with peripheral period details that never overpower or insert themselves awkwardly into the action. Music is a big part of the characters' lives and is equally so in the spirit of the story. The writer-director is Stephen Chbosky, who adapted his own semiautobiographical young adult novel. He does right by his audience in presenting a movie that's fully adult and gets the little things right for anyone who is or ever was an angsty teenager embroiled in that horrible/wonderful search for self. "--Ted Fry"

Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: NR

A high-concept show that isn't afraid to get down and dirty, this latest exercise in paranoid worldbuilding from producer J.J. Abrams provides an addictive combination of action and future tech. Series creator Jonathan Nolan (brother of Christopher) lays out the premise at a furious clip: an eccentric tech genius ("Lost"'s Michael Emerson) enlists a shadowy soldier-of-fortune (Jim Caviezel) to help with his pet project--a machine with seemingly endless surveillance capabilities. Utilizing the device's ability to identify threats before they happen, they set out to right future wrongs, attracting the attention of a dogged New York cop (Taraji P. Henson) in the process. Were "Person of Interest" content to remain at the level of weekly procedural, it would be a very good one, with every installment boasting well-choreographed fight scenes, Emerson's impeccably weird comedy timing, and a thorny morality that keeps the methods of the protagonists edging into the black. (A standout early episode, featuring Linda Cardinelli as a doctor with a hidden past, boasts an open-ended resolution that would do Elmore Leonard proud.) Thankfully, however, Nolan and co. also show an ability to play the long game, cannily inserting flashbacks that hint at a bigger mystery, introducing a strangely empathetic recurring supervillain, and laying out minor plot elements that pay off big further down the line. The show's impressive planning also extends to the supporting cast, with Henson given a character arc that many leading characters would envy. (Kudos as well to Kevin Chapman, as a former dirty cop whose slowly growing conscience provides many of the best moments.) The best element of the show, however, may well be The Machine itself, an initially implausible gimmick that quickly becomes a character in its own right; an omnipresent asset that--pay close attention to the evolving graphics overlays--may not be quite as passive an observer as its creator insists. By the time the final cliffhanger episode of the season rolls around, it's apparent that the show's mythology still has plenty of unexplored depths to delve. Extras include a lengthier cut of the pilot, a fascinating/scary look at the current state of surveillance tech, and a brief gag reel showcasing Caviezel's ability to do a killer Christopher Walken. "--Andrew Wright"

Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: NR

The Machine delivers another gripping season's worth of potential criminal targets for the Person of Interest team. With Finch missing - kidnapped in last season's finale cliffhanger - Reese enlists Detectives Joss Carter and Lionel Fusco to join the search for his friend on the second season premiere. Will Reese and his team find Finch before it's too late? Or will Finch's kidnapper learn of The Machine's location first? Who will be the next person of interest? Find out in these 22 riveting episodes of Season Two!

Director: P.J. Hogan
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: PG

Fine casting, genuinely "special" effects, and a keen combination of whimsy and danger make this "Peter Pan" the one to beat among all previous adaptations of J.M. Barrie's classic children's fantasy. The technical advances of CGI make the magic of Barrie's tale come alive, and the spectacular effects combined with luminous live action create an action-packed Neverland that's both believable and breathtakingly artificial, like a Maxfield Parrish landscape springing vividly to life before your eyes. More important, however, is the fact that director P.J. Hogan (whose splendid films include "Muriel's Wedding" and "My Best Friend's Wedding") has taken care to develop a substantial, pre-adolescent affection between the boyish sprite Peter (Jeremy Sumpter) and resourceful London girl Wendy, played by Rachel Hurd-Wood in a marvelous screen debut. This emotional bond--and the mixed blessing of Peter's eternal childhood--is what gives Hogan's "Peter Pan" its rich emotional subtext, added to an already bountiful adventure that's equal parts delightful and menacing, especially when the villainous pirate Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs, doubling as Wendy's father) threatens to spoil the fun. With a mischievously dazzling Tinker Bell (played by "Swimming Pool"'s Ludivine Sagnier) and no expense spared on its lavish Australian production, this "Peter Pan" gets it entirely right by presenting childhood as fun "and" frightening, in all its wondrous joys and sorrows. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Omar Flores Sarabia
Studio: Breaking Glass Pictures, QC Cinema
Rated: Unrated

SPECIAL FEATURES

Behind-the-scenes Featurette
Photo Gallery
Trailer

SYNOPSIS

Pablo, a shy teenager, meets the slightly older Marco. Together they go on a impromptu road trip to the Mexican desert, a trip that will make them face what they mean to each other. This experience will turn Pablo s life around: his points of view, his strength and his own sexuality. Two guys and a video camera that will record their friendship, struggles and the possibility to find another destiny.

Director: Joel Schumacher
Genre: Drama
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: PG-13


Although it's not as bold as Oscar darling "Chicago", "The Phantom of the Opera" continues the resuscitation of the movie musical with a faithful adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster stage musical. Emmy Rossum glows in a breakout role as opera ingénue Christine Daae, and if phantom Gerard Butler isn't Rossum's match vocally, he does convey menace and sensuality in such numbers as "The Music of the Night." The most experienced musical theater veteran in the cast, romantic lead Patrick Wilson, sings sweetly but seems wooden. The biggest name in the cast, Minnie Driver, hams it up as diva Carlotta, and she's the only principal whose voice was dubbed (though she does sing the closing-credit number, "Learn to Be Lonely," which is also the only new song).
Director Joel Schumacher, no stranger to visual spectacle, seems to have found a good match in Lloyd Webber's larger-than-life vision of Gaston LeRoux's Gothic horror-romance. His weakness is cuing too many audience-reaction shots and showing too much of the lurking Phantom, but when he calms down and lets Rossum sings "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" alone in a silent graveyard, it's exquisite.

Read our CD buying guide
Those who consider the stage musical shallow and overblown probably won't have their minds changed by the movie, and devotees will forever rue that the movie took the better part of two decades to develop, which prevented the casting of original principals Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Still, "The Phantom of the Opera" is a welcome exception to the long line of ill-conceived Broadway-to-movie travesties.
DVD Features
The two-disc edition of "The Phantom of the Opera" has two major extras. "Behind the Mask: The Story of "The Phantom of the Opera"" is an hourlong documentary tracing the genesis of the stage show, with interviews by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Harold Prince, producer Cameron Macintosh, lyricists Richard Stilgoe and Charles Hart, choreographer Gillian Lynne, and others. Conspicuously absent are stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. Both do appear in video clips, including Brightman performing with Colm Wilkinson at an early workshop, and Crawford is the subject of a casting segment. Other brief scenes from the show are represented by a 2001 production. The other major feature is the 45-minute making-of focusing on the movie, including casting and the selection of director Joel Schumacher. Both are well-done productions by Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group.
The deleted scene is a new song written by Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, "No One Would Listen," sung by the Phantom toward the end of the movie. It's a beautiful song that, along with Madame Giry's story, makes him a more sympathetic character. But because that bit of backstory already slowed down the ending, it was probably a good move to cut the song. --"David Horiuchi"
More on "The Phantom of the Opera" "

"The Phantom of the Opera" (Special Extended Edition Soundtrack) (CD)

" The Phantom of the Opera" (2004 Movie Soundtrack) (CD)

"The Phantom of the Opera" (Original 1986 London Cast) (CD)

"Evita" (DVD)

"Andrew Lloyd Weber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration " (DVD)

"Visit the Andrew Lloyd Webber Store "

Director: Joel Schumacher
Genre: Mystery & Suspense
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

By some lucky quirk of fate, "Phone Booth" landed on Hollywood's A-list, but this thriller should've been a straight-to-video potboiler directed by its screenwriter, veteran schlockmeister Larry Cohen, who's riffing on his own 1976 thriller "God Told Me To". Instead it's a pointless reunion for fast-rising star Colin Farrell and his "Tigerland" director, Joel Schumacher, who employs a multiple-image technique similar to TV's "24" to energize Cohen's pulpy plot about an unseen sniper (maliciously voiced by "24"'s Kiefer Sutherland) who pins his chosen victim (a philandering celebrity publicist played by Farrell) in a Manhattan phone booth, threatening murder if Farrell doesn't confess his sins (including a potential mistress played by Katie Holmes in a thankless role). In a role originally slated for Jim Carrey, Farrell brings vulnerable intensity to his predicament, but Cohen's irresistible premise is too thin for even 81 brisk minutes, which is how long Schumacher takes to reach his morally repugnant conclusion. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Alan Parker
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Sony
Rated: R

By any rational measure, Alan Parker's cinematic interpretation of "Pink Floyd: The Wall" is a glorious failure. Glorious because its imagery is hypnotically striking, frequently resonant, and superbly photographed by the gifted cinematographer Peter Biziou. And a failure because the entire exercise is hopelessly dour, loyal to the bleak themes and psychological torment of Roger Waters's great musical opus, and yet utterly devoid of the humor that Waters certainly found in his own material. Any attempt to visualize "The Wall" would be fraught with artistic danger, and Parker succumbs to his own self-importance, creating a film that's as fascinating as it is flawed.
The film is, for better and worse, the fruit of three artists in conflict--Parker indulging himself, and Waters in league with designer Gerald Scarfe, whose brilliant animated sequences suggest that he should have directed and animated this film in its entirety. Fortunately, this clash of talent and ego does not prevent "The Wall" from being a mesmerizing film. Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof (in his screen debut) is a fine choice to play Waters's alter ego--an alienated, "comfortably numb" rock star whose psychosis manifests itself as an emotional (and symbolically physical) wall between himself and the cold, cruel world. Weaving Waters's autobiographical details into his own jumbled vision, Parker ultimately fails to combine a narrative thread with experimental structure. It's a rich, bizarre, and often astonishing film that will continue to draw a following, but the real source of genius remains the music of Roger Waters. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: David Twohy
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: Unrated

Owing a major debt to "Alien" and its cinematic spawn, "Pitch Black" is a guilty pleasure that surpasses expectations. As he did with "The Arrival", director David Twohy revitalizes a derivative story, allowing you to forgive its flaws and submit to its visceral thrills. Under casual scrutiny, the plot's logic crumbles like a stale cookie, but it's definitely fun while it lasts.
A spaceship crashes on a desert planet scorched under three suns. The mostly doomed survivors include a resourceful captain (Radha Mitchell), a drug-addled cop (Cole Hauser), and a deadly prisoner (Vin Diesel) who quickly escapes. These clashing personalities discover that the planet is plunging into the darkness of an extended eclipse, and it's populated by hordes of ravenous, razor-fanged beasties that only come out at night. The body count rises, and "Pitch Black" settles into familiar sci-fi territory.
What sets the movie apart is Twohy's developing visual style, suggesting that this veteran of B-movie schlock may advance to the big leagues. Like the makers of "The Blair Witch Project", Twohy understands the frightening power of suggestion; his hungry monsters are better heard than seen (although once seen, they're chillingly effective), and "Pitch Black" gets full value from moments of genuine panic. Best of all, Twohy's got a well-matched cast, with Mitchell (so memorable with Ally Sheedy in "High Art") and Diesel (Pvt. Caparzo from "Saving Private Ryan") being the standouts. The latter makes the most of his muscle-man role, and his character's development is one more reason this movie works better than it should. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Jason Moore
Genre: Comedy, Music, Romance
Studio: Brownstone Productions (III)
Rated: PG-13

The Barden Bellas are a collegiate, all-girls a cappella singing group thriving on female pop songs and their perfect looks. After a disastrous failing at last year's finals, they are forced to regroup. Among the new recruits is freshman Beca, an independent, aspiring DJ with no interest in the college life. But after she meets Jesse, from the rival all-male a cappella group, Beca has a new outlook and takes it upon herself to help the Bellas find their new look and sound and get back into the competition.

Director: Elizabeth Banks
Genre: Comedy, Music
Studio: Brownstone Productions
Rated: PG-13

The Bellas are back, and they are better than ever. After being humiliated in front of none other than the President of the United States of America, the Bellas are taken out of the Aca-Circuit. In order to clear their name and regain their status, the Bellas take on a seemingly impossible task: winning an International competition no American team has ever won. In order to accomplish this monumental task, they need to strengthen the bonds of friendship and sisterhood, and blow away the competition with their amazing aca-magic! With all new friends and old rivals tagging along for the trip, the Bellas can hopefully accomplish their dreams once again.

Director: Trish Sie
Genre: Comedy, Music
Studio: Brownstone Entertainment (II)
Rated: PG-13

After the highs of winning the World Championships, the Bellas find themselves split apart and discovering there aren't job prospects for making music with your mouth. But when they get the chance to reunite for an overseas USO tour, this group of awesome nerds will come together to make some music, and some questionable decisions, one last time.

Genre: Comedy
Studio: Ifc
Rated: PG-13

Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Action
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13

An astronaut lands on a planet inhabited by human-like apes, who rule the planet with an iron fist.

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner, Ted Post, Don Taylor
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: G

The five films in the "Planet of the Apes" series are enjoyable as pure entertainment and yet substantial enough to inspire academic studies like "Planet of the Apes as American Myth: Race, Politics, and Popular Culture".
Loosely adapted from the novel by French author Pierre Boulle, "Planet of the Apes" was released at the height of racial and political unrest in America, adding resonance to its story of a NASA astronaut (Charlton Heston) stranded on a planet where superior apes dominate inferior human slaves. The film's final image--in which a horrified Heston realizes the fate of humankind--remains one of the most indelible in all of science fiction cinema.
"Beneath the Planet of the Apes" (1970) continues the original's distant future scenario, pitting militant apes against mutant humans dwelling in the subterranean ruins of New York City. Its phenomenal success spawned "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" (1971), in which simian scientists Cornelius and Zira (Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter, reprising their roles from "Planet") travel backward in time, setting the stage for the ape supremacy of the first two films. McDowall returned in "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (1972) as Caesar, the son of Cornelius, leading an ape revolution that bridges the historical gap of the previous films. "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (1973) ended the five-film cycle with McDowall again playing the chimpanzee leader Caesar, defeating gorillas and human mutants to establish the hierarchy introduced in the original film.
The "Apes" films present a classic what-if scenario that hasn't lost a bit of its potency. As if to prove its cultural endurance, the cycle returned to its origins with director Tim Burton's remake of "Planet of the Apes"--one of the most eagerly awaited films of 2001. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Gary Ross
Genre: Comedy
Studio: New Line Home Video
Rated: PG-13

Fantastical writer Gary Ross ("Big", "Dave") makes an auspicious directorial debut with this inspired and oddly touching comedy about two '90s kids (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) thrust into the black-and-white TV world of "Pleasantville", a "Leave It to Beaver"-style sitcom complete with picket fences, corner malt shop, and warm chocolate chip cookies. When a somewhat unusual remote control (provided by repairman Don Knotts) transports them from the jaded real world to G-rated TV land, Maguire and Witherspoon are forced to play along as Bud and Mary Sue, the obedient children of George and Betty Parker (William H. Macy and Joan Allen). Maguire, an obsessive "Pleasantville" devotee, understands the need for not toppling the natural balance of things; Witherspoon, on the other hand, starts shaking the town up, most notably when she takes basketball stud Skip (Paul Walker) up to Lover's Lane for some modern-day fun and games. Soon enough, Pleasantville's teens are discovering sex along with--gasp!--rock & roll, free thinking, and soul-changing Technicolor. Filled with delightful and shrewd details about sitcom life (no toilets, no double beds, only two streets in the town), "Pleasantville" is a joy to watch, not only for its comedy but for the groundbreaking visual effects and astonishing production design as the town gradually transforms from crisp black and white to glorious color. Ross does tip his hand a bit about halfway through the film, obscuring the movie's basic message of the unpredictability of life with overloaded and obvious symbolism, as the black-and-white denizens of the town gang up on the "coloreds" and impose rules of conduct to keep their strait-laced town laced up. Still, the characterizations from the phenomenal cast--especially repressed housewife Allen and soda-shop owner Jeff Daniels, doing some of their best work ever--will keep you emotionally invested in the film's outcome, and waiting to see Pleasantville in all its final Technicolor glory. "--Mark Englehart"

Director: Fred Cavayé
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Studio: LGM Productions
Rated: R

Samuel Pierret (Gilles Lellouche) is a nurse who saves the wrong guy -- a thief (Roschdy Zem) whose henchmen take Samuel's pregnant wife (Elena Anaya) hostage to force him to spring their boss from the hospital. A race through the subways and streets of Paris ensues, and the body count rises. Can Samuel evade the cops and the criminal underground and deliver his beloved to safety?

Director: Gil Kenan
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Studio: Fox 2000 Pictures
Rated: PG-13

Legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi and director Gil Kenan reimagine and contemporize the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is invaded by angry spirits. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and take the youngest daughter, the family must come together to rescue her.

Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: PG-13

The 1972 disaster hit "The Poseidon Adventure" was ripe for a big-budget CGI remake, and who better to helm it than thriller expert Wolfgang Petersen, director of "Das Boot" and "The Perfect Storm"? It hardly matters that a TV movie remake (also based on Paul Gallico's original 1969 source novel) was made less than a year before, because Petersen's version is far more spectacular, with shocking digital effects, massive sets, amazing stunt-work and enough fire and water to fill five movies with challenging worst-case scenarios. Once again, the plot concerns the capsizing (by a massive "rogue wave") of a state-of-the-art luxury liner, and the struggle of a small group of survivors (including Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Emmy Rossum, and Richard Dreyfuss) to climb upwards, to the ship's hull, in their treacherous quest for a safe exit. Unfortunately, most of these characters are two-dimensional and under-developed (especially when compared to the 1972 film's all-star cast), and the unimaginative screenplay by Mark Protosevich (reportedly worked on by several uncredited writers) subjects them to a rote series of obstacles that grow increasingly routine and repetitious, not to mention contrived and illogical. Again, it hardly matters, because Petersen's handling of non-stop action is so slick and professional that "Poseidon" gets by on sheer adrenaline. The capsizing scenes are nothing less than awesome, with some effects so real (and so horrifying) that younger and more sensitive viewers may need to look away. And while it lacks the engaging humanity of the 1972 version, "Poseidon" is certainly never boring. Faint praise, perhaps, but you'll get your popcorn's worth of mindless entertainment. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: John Putch
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Platinum Disc
Rated: NR

A made-for-television remake of Irwin Allen's 1972 disaster-movie blockbuster of the same title, "The Poseidon Adventure" updates the story of a capsized cruise ship whose survivors are literally walking on the vessel's ceiling in an effort to save themselves. Fans of the original movie will recognize counterparts to several characters, including Rutger Hauer as a Catholic clergyman who helps lead others through the "Poseidon"'s upside-down maze of rooms, and Sylvia Syms as a frightened widow who finds the resolve to save her companions at a crucial juncture. Bryan Brown plays a hotshot television producer whose young wife (Tinarie Van Wyk) is uncertain of their future; Steve Guttenberg and Alexa Hamilton are a married couple whose marriage is a sinking ship of another sort; and C. Thomas Howell plays the ship's doctor whose broken arm necessitates the aid of a nursing student (Amber Sainsbury).
Peter Weller makes a nice impression as Captain Gallico (named after the author of "The Poseidon Adventure"'s source novel) and Adam Baldwin is terrific as a Homeland Security operative. In our current political climate, the temptation is strong to attribute the "Poseidon"'s troubles to terrorists, and that's exactly what happens this time around. Some of the action concerning Al Quaeda-like infiltration of the "Poseidon"'s service staff, the planting of bombs, etc., is a little overdone, and a number of scenes starring British actress Alex Kingston as a senior intelligence official are a bit overwrought. But special effects, while not spectacular, make the "Poseidon" tragedy unnervingly believable (and visually surreal), and a solid cast keeps the accent on emotion despite the script's tendency to shove speeches in everyone's mouth. "--Tom Keogh"

Director: Zak Tucker
Studio: Liberation Ent
Rated: R

The gay son of a powerful right-wing Senator has finally come out…but only at his college. His father’s campaign is threatened when his son’s secret is revealed. -Limited theatrical release (8/11/06) -Strategically released around the 2006 elections -Loaded with bonus features, including commentary with Director Zak Tucker

Director: Leone Marucci
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: Steelyard Pictures
Rated: R

Spies, cops, holy fools and well-armed children cross paths on a day of danger, mystery and possible transformation. 'The Power of Few' unfolds over twenty minutes on one New Orleans afternoon, experienced through the lives of five unusual characters who unknowingly are connected to an extraordinary smuggling operation as religious conspiracy collides with urban crime.

Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R

Based on the short story ALL YOU ZOMBIES by Robert Heinlein. PREDESTINATION chronicles the life of a Temporal Agent (Ethan Hawke) sent on an intricate series of time-travel journeys designed to ensure the continuation of his law enforcement career. Now, on his final assignment, the Agent must recruit his younger self while pursuing the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time.

Director: David Koepp
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

When a New York City bicycle messenger picks up an envelope at Columbia University, a dirty cop becomes desperate to get his hands on it and chases the messenger throughout the city.

Director: Mennan Yapo
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: TriStar Pictures
Rated: PG-13

The middle-class couple Linda Hanson and Jim Hanson lives a wasted and routine relationship with their two daughters in their comfortable house in the suburbs. On a Thursday morning, the local sheriff visits Linda and tells her that her husband died in a car accident on the previous day. On the next morning, when Linda awakes, she finds Jim safe and sound at home. When she awakes on the next morning, she realizes that her days are out of order, but her family and friends believe she is insane.

Director: Phillip Noyce
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Picture This! Home Video
Rated: NR

Never before available on DVD, Pretty Boy (Smukke Dreng) chronicles the coming-of-age of a young, Copenghagen street hustler. Danish director Carsten Sonder's first feature is a compelling, in-your-face exploration of innocence plundered and lost.
Alienated by his mother, Nick (Christian Tafdrup) flees his dysfunctional home. Fatherless, he actively seeks out the companionship of older men, finding himself in a relationship with Ralph (Stig Hoffmeyer), a closeted, middle-age professor of astronomy. Ralph gives Nick a place of temporary refuge, and the two share an interest in the stars as well as a romance.
However, when Ralph's girlfriend returns from vacation, Ralph chooses her over the boy. Nick then hits the streets, where he joins up with a gang of violent street hustlers who victimize the very men who buy their services. Adopted by this band of violent youth, Nick finds refuge again - and unexpected first love -- with the gang's only female member, Renee (Benedicte Madsen), an androgynous girl who masquerades as a boy. Things get complicated once Ralph decides he wants Nick back and Renee becomes jealous.

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R

PRIDE is inspired by an extraordinary true story. It's the summer of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike, prompting a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the strikers' families. Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation in person. As the strike drags on, the two groups discover that standing together makes for the strongest union of all...

Director: Shane Abbess Scott Stewart
Genre: video_Z
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: G

Priest / Legion / Gabriel - La Furia Degli Angeli (3 Dvd)

Director: Shane Carruth
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
Studio: New Line Home Video
Rated: PG-13

"Primer" won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and has drawn repeat viewers eager to crack writer-director-star Shane Carruth's puzzler of a time-travel drama. Carruth, an engineer by training, plays inventor Aaron, whose entrepreneurial partnership with fellow brainiac Abe (David Sullivan) unexpectedly results in a process for traveling back several hours in time. The men initially use these rewind sessions to succeed in the stock market. But a dark consequence of their daily journeys eventually complicates matters. If this sounds like a very commercial, science fiction thriller, "Primer" is anything but that. Shot on 16mm for $7,000, the film has a tantalizing, sealed-in logic, akin to "Memento", that forces viewers to see the fantastic with a certain dispassion. One may be tempted to sit through "Primer" again to more fully understand its paradoxes and ethical quandaries. "--Tom Keogh"

Director: Richard Fleischer
Genre: Adventure
Studio: Anchor Bay
Rated: PG

A poor boy and the Crown Prince of England exchange identities, but events force the pair to experience each other's lives as well.

Director: David Gordon Green
Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Rated: R

An odd couple of sorts, introspective and stern Alvin (Rudd) and his girlfriend's brother, Lance (Hirsch), dopey and insecure, leave the city behind to spend the summer of 1988 repainting the traffic lines on a desolate country highway where the surrounding areas have been ravaged by wildfire. In this solitary backdrop, the two bicker and joke with each other as they reflect on their relationships with women, resulting in a clumsy fall headfirst into an unlikely friendship.

Director: Dennis Villeneuve
Studio: Warner Bros.
Rated: R

Prisoners (Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital HD UltraViolet Combo Pack)

Director: Betty Thomas
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Paramount
Rated: R

Give credit to director Betty Thomas for making the notorious Howard Stern, self-proclaimed "king of all media," into a nerdish but appealing media rebel who loves his wife and family. Even if you hate Stern's rude radio show, you may discover that the underdog charm of this warm, whimsical film (based on Stern's autobiography) turns you into a fan--for the length of the film at least. Stern delivers a winning performance as the clumsy college kid and aspiring disc-jockey-turned-demon-shock-jock, who becomes an unlikely hero as he battles station managers, network executives, and conservative "arbiters of decency" in the name of unfettered bad taste. Mary McCormack is fine as his understanding wife, Alison, and longtime Stern sidekicks Robin Quivers and Fred Norris acquit themselves nicely appearing as themselves. By the end of this smart, funny little film, don't be surprised if you find yourself cheering for the slob. "--Sean Axmaker"

Director: Susan Stroman
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: PG-13

The trend is to convert movies into stage musicals, but "The Producers" goes a step further: making a feature film of the smash-hit stage musical that was adapted from the 1968 film. The chief drawing card, of course, is Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprising their roles from the stage. Lane plays Max Bialystock, a legendary Broadway producer who hasn't had a hit show in a long time. Enter nebbish accountant Leo Bloom (Broderick), who tells Bialystock he could actually make more money with a flop than a hit. So the two set out to produce the worst Broadway musical of all time, one guaranteed to close on opening night, with the collaboration of an outrageous cast of characters: Will Ferrell as sieg heil-ing author Franz Liebkind, Uma Thurman as Swedish bombshell Ulla, Gary Beach as director Roger De Bris, and Roger Bart as his assistant, Carmen Ghia, among others.
As directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman (who did the same honors on Broadway) and co-written by Mel Brooks, "The Producers" is laugh-out-loud funny. It's also a relentlessly over-the-top, shamelessly bawdy, stereotype-ridden comedy that may turn off its audience just as much as its centerpiece, "Springtime for Hitler", was intended to. But Broadway fans who are used to larger-than-life figures who play to the back row while showering the first row with spit, are likely to forgive and just enjoy the famous granny-walker dance, a supporting cast dotted with Broadway performers (playing a taxi driver is Brad Oscar, who originated the role of Liebkind on Broadway then later played Bialystock), or the mere spectacle of seeing Lane and Broderick memorializing the performances that millions never got a ticket to see. (For maximum laughs, stick around through the closing credits.) "--David Horiuchi"

Director: Dean Israelite
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Studio: Insurge Pictures
Rated: PG-13

As a group of friends discover plans for a time machine, they build it and use it to fix their problems and for personal gain. But as the future falls apart with disasters, and each of them disappear little by little, they must travel back to the past to make sure they never invent the machine or face the destruction of humanity.

Director: Ridley Scott
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

You want an alien world created anew, with wonders and horrors lurking in its furrows? You go to Ridley Scott, of course, spectacle maker and pictorialist par excellence. So "Prometheus" is bound to be eye filling, with fully wrought planetary vistas and occasionally jaw-dropping visual coups. And did we use the word "alien" back there? Yes, folks, "Prometheus" is a prequel, in a sideways sort of fashion, to Scott's 1979 "Alien" original--or at least it's a long-distant stage setter for that story. This one begins with a space mission that could reveal the extraterrestrial roots of Earth, although what's buried out on the planet turns out to be much more complicated than expected. In the midst of suspenseful episodes (and a few contrived plot turns), "Prometheus" reaches for Big Answers to Big Questions, in a grand old sci-fi tradition. This lends the movie a hint of metaphysical energy, even if Scott's reach extends well, well beyond his grasp. The hokier moments are carried off with brio by Michael Fassbender (the robot on board), Charlize Theron, and Idris Elba, and then you've got Noomi Rapace entering the badass hall of fame for a long, oh-no-they-didn't sequence involving radical surgery, which might just induce the vapors in a few viewers. Even if "Prometheus" has its holes, the sheer size of the thing is exciting to be around. Because this movie is gigantic. "--Robert Horton".
A team of scientists journey through the universe on the spaceship "Prometheus" on a voyage to investigate Alien life forms. The team of scientists becomes stranded on an Alien world, and as they struggle to survive it becomes clear that the horrors they experience are not just a threat to themselves, but to all of mankind. - "WellardRockard" Synopsis
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. Meet the Characters Elizabeth Shaw View larger Noomi Rapace as "Elizabeth Shaw" captured the eyes of the international entertainment community with her commanding, unnerving and critically acclaimed portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the film adaptations of Stieg Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"," The Girl Who Played With Fire", and "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest". Rapace began her acting career at the age of seven, in Iceland's "In the Shadow of the Raven". She has since gone to appear in over twenty films and television shows. Born in Sweden, Rapace is the daughter of Flamenco singer Rogelio Duran. Shaw, an archaeologist, discovers a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading her and a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey, aboard the spaceship Prometheus, to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. Shaw and her team aboard the Prometheus are on nothing less than a journey to discover answers to some of life’s most profound questions. She is a scientist filled with faith and hope, but who transforms into a warrior when faced with the danger she encounters at her destination. Michael Fassbender as David View larger Michael Fassbender as "David" enjoyed a phenomenal run of critically acclaimed performances in 2011 and 2012, garnering numerous accolades and awards. The National Board of Review awarded Fassbender the Spotlight Award, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association named him Best Actor for his performances in "Shame" and Davide Cronenberg’s drama "A Dangerous Method", in which Fassbender plays Carl Jung opposite Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortensen. Fassbender was also recently seen in Matthew Vaughn’s "X-Men: First Class", as Erik Lehnsherr, better known as super-villain Magneto; as Rochester in Cary Joji Fukunaga’s "Jane Eyre"; and as an assassin opposite Ewan McGregor and Gina Carano in Steven Soderbergh’s "Haywire". Fassbender is a graduate of London's prestigious Drama Centre. His breakthrough role came as Sgt. Burton "Pat" Christenson in HBO's epic, award-winning miniseries "Band of Brothers". David is an android creation of Weyland Industries. While David possesses extraordinary intelligence and other capabilities, his principal tasks aboard the Prometheus are servile. David is however far more “human” than one might expect of a synthetic person. He is jealous and arrogant because he realizes that his knowledge is all-encompassing and therefore he is superior to the human crew members. David’s allegiances are unclear, and he can be very bold in the decisions he makes. Meredith Vickers View larger Charlize Theron as" Meredith Vickers " demands the audience’s full attention as soon as she appears on screen. This South African captivated audiences as female serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the independent gem "Monster". Charlize’s feature film debut was MGM’s 2 "Days in the Valley", with Jeff Daniels. In 2001, Theron starred in the Warner Bros. tearjerker "Sweet November" alongside Keanu Reeves, as well as in Woody Allen’s "Curse of the Jade Scorpion". In 2002 Theron starred opposite Patrick Swayze and Billy Bob Thornton in "Waking Up in Reno", and opposite Kevin Bacon, Courtney Love, and Dakota Fanning in the feature film "Trapped", directed by Luis Mandoki. Vickers is a “suit” representing the interests of the mega-corporation funding the Prometheus’ journey to a distant, foreboding world. Her perspective on the mission is at odds with the rest of the crew’s. For Vickers, this epic, two-year journey to a distant planet has been boiled down to economics. But as with so much else about the mission, there are deeper layers and mysteries to Vickers’ ultimate goals. Logan Marshall-Green as Charlie Holloway View larger Logan Marshall-Green as" Charlie Holloway " ) appeared on the big screen in "Devil", produced by M. Night Shyamalan. He is best-known to film audiences for playing radical activist Paco in Julie Taymor’s "Across the Universe". He has also co-starred in the films "Brooklyn’s Finest", "The Kindness of Strangers "and "The Great Raid". A graduate of New York University’s Tisch Graduate Acting Program and a prolific stage actor, Marshall-Green earned a Drama League nomination for his work in "King Lear" with Kevin Klein at the Public Theatre, and Greg Kotis' "Pig Farm" at the Roundabout Theatre off-Broadway. He earned Lortel Award nominations for his performances in "Dog Sees God" and Neil LaBute's "The Distance from Here", the latter also earning him a Drama Desk Ensemble Award. Holloway is Shaw’s partner, both personally and professionally, in a quest for answers to some of humanity’s most important questions. Like Shaw, Holloway is a scientist with a thirst for answers, but he thinks the end of their search will yield very different results from those Shaw expects. While Shaw is the heart of the search, Holloway is its guts. He is constantly pushing the envelope, going to the extreme in everything he does. He is driven by the thrill of the quest. More Images View larger. View larger. View larger. View larger.

Director: Jim Sonzero
Genre: Formats
Studio: Weinstein Company
Rated: R

"Pulse" provides clear evidence that by the summer of 2006, the cycle of American remakes of Japanese horror films had reached its inevitable downturn. After peaking with "the Ring" and scoring a marginal success with "The Grudge", the cycle was almost guaranteed to sink to the low-point of this unnecessary and mostly lackluster remake of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2001 shocker. It benefits from a standard upgrade in CGI effects and doom-laden "bleak-chic" atmosphere, but it's almost completely devoid of suspense as a group of college students led by Mattie (played by Kristin Bell, TV's "Veronica Mars") investigate the suicide of Mattie's boyfriend and discover a kind of wi-fi conduit that allows malevolent spirits to be transmitted from their afterlife to our world via the Internet - think of it as kind of a broadband connection from hell, if you will. Pretty soon it's obvious that "Pulse" is trying (as Kurosawa's original film before it) to serve as cautionary tale about how we've allowed our lives to become numbed and devalued by using technologies (computers, cell-phones, PDAs, etc.) that keep us all connected at the expense of personal intimacy. Many of the creepiest images from the original "Pulse" are carried over here, and director Jim Sonzero does his best to keep the cautionary themes intact, but at some point (and after a great deal of pre-release tinkering to fit the obligatory PG-13 rating for the lucrative teen market) you have to ask yourself: why bother? "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: James DeMonaco
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

Ever wanted to go wild and act on all those anarchic feelings of pent-up rage that fester as obsessions until they make you crazy? In the world of the near future portrayed in "The Purge", the government has come up with a solution that has led to a virtually crime-free society. One night a year, taking action on those bottled-up emotions is absolutely legal. For 12 hours anything goes, up to and including murder, without judgment or punishment of any kind. Yes, it's preposterous, but the movie limits the scenario to a tested formula--a family holed up together on an island (their luxury home) to fight off evil--that boils the premise down to microcosm. As such, "The Purge" is a taut thriller that often falls back on tropes yet manages to sustain chills and surprises in spite of a few weary devices made popular by countless horror movies. Ethan Hawke plays James Sandin, a devoted family man who has made a fortune selling security systems to the upscale, gated-community homeowners who want to protect themselves from common folk hungry for the taste of blood on Purge night. The Sandins have no need to purge and eschew violence, so during the Purge they lock down the house (thanks to James's top-of-the-line products and services) and wait for the mayhem to pass. But even the best security system is only as strong as its operator, and James's young son is too sympathetic to let a homeless man be killed by marauding purgers wearing spooky masks, so he breaks protocol and gives the man sanctuary. The purgers don't like that, so they threaten to kill everyone if James does not give up the hostage. Set entirely in the darkened maze of the house, a bloody cat-and-mouse game begins and many players engage in the murderous stakes, including James's teenage daughter's boyfriend, who would like to bury the axe he's been grinding right into James's head. And when the security system proves to be not so impenetrable after all, the frights become genuinely scary, as do the responses of the Sandin family, not to mention their neighbors. It turns out many of them have been James's customers and hold a grudge against his exploitation, thereby nurturing their resentment until this year's Purge. "The Purge"'s premise would have been intriguing to explore outside the confines of a single incident in one home, but the scares keep coming, building to an effective sense of tension and dread. It's all released as dawn breaks after the hell night. "The Purge" ends on an unexpected, satisfying note, even though many of the characters undoubtedly walk away with some lingering obsessions. Just wait until next year. "--Ted Fry"

Director: James DeMonaco
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

The New Founders of America invite you to celebrate your annual right to Purge. The Purge: Anarchy, the sequel to summer 2013’s sleeper hit that opened to No. 1 at the box-office, sees the return of writer/director James DeMonaco to craft the next terrifying chapter of dutiful citizens preparing for their country’s yearly 12 hours of anarchy. Returning alongside DeMonaco to produce The Purge: Anarchy are Blumhouse Productions’ Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity and Insidious series), alongside Sébastien K. Lemercier (Assault on Precinct 13, Four Lovers) and Platinum Dunes partners Michael Bay (Pain & Gain, Transformers franchise), Brad Fuller (The Amityville Horror, A Nightmare on Elm Street) and Andrew Form (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th).

Director: Paul McGuigan
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

Hang on tight as a gang of super-powered paranormal operatives takes you on a white-knuckle thrill ride. The excitement starts when a future-seeing Watcher (Dakota Fanning) convinces a telekinetic Mover (Chris Evans) to help steal a briefcase that holds a billion-dollar secret. But to outrun government agents, they must enlist a mind controlling Pusher (Camilla Belle) who could be their salvation - or their doom. Also starring Academy Awardr Nominee Djimon Hounsou, Push will pull you in completely.