Director: Ron Howard
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: PG-13

Critics and controversy aside, "The Da Vinci Code" is a verifiable blockbuster. Combine the film's huge worldwide box-office take with over 100 million copies of Dan Brown's book sold, and "The Da Vinci Code" has clearly made the leap from pop-culture hit to a certifiable franchise. The leap for any story making the move from book to big screen, however, is always more perilous. In the case of "The Da Vinci Code", the plot is concocted of such a preposterous formula of elements that you wouldn't envy screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, the man tasked with making this story filmable. The script follows Dan Brown's book as closely as possible while incorporating a few needed changes, including a better ending. And if you're like most of the world, by now you've read the book and know how it goes: while lecturing in Paris, noted Harvard Professor of Symbology Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is summoned to the Louvre by French police to help decipher a bizarre series of clues left at the scene of the murder of the chief curator. Enter Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), gifted cryptologist. Neveu and Langdon team up to solve the mystery, and from there the story is propelled across Europe, ballooning into a modern-day mini-quest for the Holy Grail, where secret societies are discovered, codes are broken, and murderous albino monks are thwarted… oh, and alternative theories about the life of Christ and the beginnings of Christianity are presented too, of course. It's not the typical formula for a stock Hollywood thriller. In fact, taken solely as a mystery, the movie almost works--despite some gaping holes--mostly just because it keeps moving. Brown's greatest trick was to have the entire story take place in one day, so the action is forced to keep moving, despite some necessary pauses for exposition. As a screen couple, Hanks and Tautou are just fine together but not exactly memorable; meanwhile Sir Ian McKellen's scenery-chewing as pivotal character Sir Leigh Teabing is just what the film needed to keep it from taking itself too seriously. The whole thing is like a good roller-coaster ride: try not to think too much about it--just sit back and enjoy the trip. "--Daniel Vancini"


Visit The Da Vinci Code Store On The DVD
The DVD extras on a film as popular as "The Da Vinci Code" should be plentiful, and this version doesn't skimp. With over 90 minutes of special features, including ten behind-the-scenes featurettes, there's a lot here to explore beyond the film itself. The question is, is there anything new here that we haven't heard before, in all the hype, pseudo-documentaries, and controversy surrounding the movie, to make it worthwhile? For most viewers, the answer will be "yes." Essentially, if you like the movie, if you enjoyed the book, you will get a lot out of them.
Just as the movie is intended to make the book come to life, the DVD extras should make the film come to life by pointing the audience into the world of the filmmakers, connecting the dots between print and film, and for the most part they do just that. The extras here range from the typical look behind-the-scenes to more in-depth features on the supporting characters, the locations, and the "Mona Lisa" herself. "First Day on the Set with Ron Howard" features the director gushing about the opportunity to film in the Louvre and work with Tom Hanks again (the two worked together before on "Splash" and "Apollo 13"). It's a short piece that doesn't reveal much beyond making an attempt to share Howard's excitement (with the "Gee, I really loved working with him/her on this project" that you hear in every such featurette), but viewers might enjoy seeing how the stage was set up in the famous museum, down to the spike tape on the floor showing actors where to hit their marks. "The Filmmaking Experience, Parts 1 and 2" further explores the creative and technical aspects of the filmmaking process. "A Conversation with Dan Brown" starts out feeling like a puff-piece (the man who wrote this book got started at age 5 with a story called "The Giraffe, The Pig, and the Pants on Fire". "It was a thriller," he says.) and unfortunately it doesn't go very deep into much of anything of interest. But on the other hand, this isn't "60 Minutes" here; it's intended to give viewers a better sense of the man behind the franchise, which it does. Much of the footage from this interview is sprinkled throughout some of the other featurettes. Meanwhile, the character behind the franchise, Robert Langdon, is examined in his own featurette, as is Sophie Neveu. The cool thing here is getting under the skin of the actors to see how they approached the characters, knowing that most of the movie-going public already has formed their own ideas about the characters from the book.
The most interesting extras are the featurettes that focus on the history behind the mystery. Or is it the mystery behind the history? Either way, the first one on the "Mona Lisa", and the second featurette on the many codes and symbols that are hidden throughout the movie balance out the remainder of the extras nicely by demonstrating the sense of intrigue, mystery, and game-playing adventure that made "The Da Vinci Code" so popular in the first place. "--Daniel Vancini"
Beyond "The Da Vinci Code"

The Films of Tom Hanks
The Films of Ron Howard
The Da Vinci DVDs: Decoding "The Da Vinci Code"
More About The Artist
Stills from "The Da Vinci Code" (click for larger image)

Director: David Jacobson
Genre: Horror
Studio: First Look Pictures
Rated: R

Three and a half stars, but I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt.

If you are looking for blood and murder, you won't find it here. There is one puddle of blood, a pretty tame drill bit, and one flashing, bloodless cavity exploration. This isn't a film about Dahmer's killing spree; it's a "Pre-Dahmer" exploration of a young man's transformation. And even then, sorry to say, it doesn't have the ring of accuracy to those who know psychology.

What 'Dahmer' does have is some surprisingly good acting from unknown talents. Jeremy Renner is especially good in his role of Jeffrey Dahmer, and kudos to Artel Kayaru, Matt Newton, Dion Basco and Bruce Davison. The film is artistically directed, well photographed, well edited, and makes good use of music/soundtrack and make-up effects. Overall, it's a very well done movie.

'Dhamer' covers Jeffrey's life prior to his 'splurge', so to speak. It's a development study. The script makes use of Dahmer's close run-in's with police that were blown off, like getting caught trying to return a victim to his house, getting caught drugging drinks in a gay bar, and an incident in his youth with a garbage bag in the back of his mothers car that *wasn't* grass clippings.

The movie makes strong use of flashbacks and scene-skips, but it works to an advantage on film. Jeremy Renner plays both younger and older Dahmer, and the make-up/photography is excellent in making this work on-screen. To some, the movie may seem paceless, but it's absorbing nonetheless. It did seem to end too soon, too much left out; but for the time frame of Dahmer's life it did a good job.

Some interesting notes of my own would be the writer's reference to the Christian cross as a torture device, like worshiping an electric chair or a guillotine. To a serial killer, this would make sense. It brings up interesting social issues for a young gay man, but I honestly don't credit Dahmer with having much debative intellect. Serial killers are normally creatures of immediate sensation, not debative thought. They live 'in the now' and often believe that other people are simply 'items' in their world and not beings with thought processes; like them. Others are a study, not a reality.

I strongly doubt Dahmer felt any revulsion the first time he cut, killed, dismembered, or ate any of his victims. It would have been merely interesting to him. In the real world, you can't use reason to reach unreasonable people. They cannot hear it.

All in all, I suggest renting before buying, and keep in mind its more of an artistic study than a horror movie. Enjoy!

Studio: Focus Features
Rated: R

Matthew McConaughey gives the performance of his career in this uplifting and powerful film inspired by true events. Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof (McConaughey) sees his free-wheeling life overturned when he’s diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. Determined to survive, Woodroof decides to take matters in his own hands by tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal. After finding an unlikely ally in Rayon (Jared Leto), he establishes a hugely successful “buyers’ club” and unites a band of outcasts in a struggle for dignity and acceptance that inspires in ways no one could have imagined. Co-starring Jennifer Garner, Dallas Buyers Club is “deeply moving. A livewire of a movie!” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Director: Peter Care
Genre: Drama
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: R

A refreshing and honest portrayal of adolescent Catholic boys. "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" follows Tim (Kieran Culkin) and Francis (Emile Hirsch) as they engage in aimless vandalism and mockery--not from malice but boredom. Sadly, the theft of a religious icon and a plan to kidnap a cougar result in far more serious consequences than either boy intends. The authenticity of the characters and dialogue make the movie work; both script and performances are genuine and consistently surprising. Jena Malone, as a troubled girl who gets involved with Francis, is particularly good, but the whole cast (which includes Jodie Foster and Vincent D'Onofrio) does excellent work. In capturing both the harm and the good that teenagers can do, "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" transcends the usual rebellious-kids storyline. The movie features animated segments that depict Francis's fantasy life, created by Todd McFarlane ("Spawn"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Jerry P. Jacobs
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Madacy Records
Rated: R

There is no doubt that TJ Roberts would never have been the next Ralph Macchio in the acting department, but that's not the reason to be watching this movie.
A Dangerous Place does offer up some very exciting action and a great opportunity to see Corey Feldman playing a cardboard cutout adult action movie baddie trapped in a teen boy's body. The story is good but predictable, the acting fair at best, but the martial arts talent of TJ is what clearly shines here. Some well cut together scenes and slow mo shots of young 13 year old TJ in action rival many other movies with adult actors, including the overrated Jet Li. TJ's style, grace, poise and overall positive energy plays off perfectly to Feldman's rigid, streetfighter type mode of martial arts. No wires or computer generated effects needed here, these guys DO the work, and its literally breathtaking to watch at times.
Bottom line here: If you want a truly heartwarming film about an underdog kid beating the odds and coming out on top, see the Karate Kid for the 300th time. TJ is no underdog, he has true black belt talent that shines through in every scene, in every way. If what you are looking for is a great martial arts movie with more of a storyline than many that stars someone with real talent in martial arts, not just movie magic simulated butt whippings, then A Dangerous Place is for you.

Director: Tom Hooper
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Studio: Working Title Films
Rated: R

Copenhagen, Denmark, 1926. Einar Wegener (played by Eddie Redmayne) and his wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander) are a happily married couple. Both are artists, Einar preferring landscapes and she portraits. One day Einar poses for a portrait of Gerda's while wearing a dress. This is initially done as a lark, as is the later attendance at a party dressed as a woman. However, Einar soon discovers that she is in fact a woman and over time prefers being Lili. At first she and Gerda try to have her situation "cured" but this leads nowhere (other than to many doctors trying to have Lili locked up as a pervert and/or lunatic). Her voyage of self-discovery will ultimately lead to her undergoing the first ever sex-change operation.

Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13

Darker than its popular comic-book predecessor "Spider-Man", the $80 million extravaganza "Daredevil" was packaged for maximum global appeal, its juvenile plot beginning when 12-year-old Matt Murdock is accidentally blinded shortly before his father is murdered. Later an adult attorney in New York's Hell's Kitchen, Murdock (Ben Affleck) uses his remaining, superenhanced senses to battle crime as Daredevil, the masked and vengeful "man without fear," pitted against dominant criminal Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) and the psychotic Bullseye (Colin Farrell), who can turn almost anything into a deadly projectile. Daredevil is well matched with the dynamic Elektra (Jennifer Garner), but their teaming is as shallow as the movie itself, which is peppered with Marvel trivia and cameo appearances (creator Stan Lee, "Clerks" director and "Daredevil" devotee Kevin Smith) and enough computer-assisted stuntwork to give Spidey a run for his money. This is Hollywood product at its most lavishly vacuous; die-hard fans will argue its merits while its red-leathered hero swoops and zooms toward a sequel. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Alex Proyas
Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Studio: New Line Home Video
Rated: Unrated

If you're a fan of brooding comic-book antiheroes, got a nihilistic jolt from "The Crow" (1994), and share director Alex Proyas's highly developed preoccupation for style over substance, you might be tempted to call "Dark City" an instant classic of visual imagination. It's one of those films that exists in a world purely of its own making, setting its own rules and playing by them fairly, so that even its derivative elements (and there are quite a few) acquire their own specific uniqueness. Before long, however, the film becomes interesting only as a triumph of production design. And while that's certainly enough to grab your attention ("Blade Runner" is considered a classic, after all), it's painfully clear that "Dark City" has precious little heart and soul. One-dimensional characters are no match for the film's abundance of retro-futuristic style, so it's best to admire the latter on its own splendidly cinematic terms. Trivia buffs will be interested to know that the film's 50-plus sets (partially inspired by German expressionism) were built at the Fox Film Studios in Sydney, Australia, home base of director Alex Proyas and producer Andrew Mason. The underground world depicted in the film required the largest indoor set ever built in Australia. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Paul Fox
Genre: Horror
Studio: Freestyle Releasing
Rated: R

Dr. Samantha Goodman (Kate Greenhouse) is a beautiful, young psychiatrist at an institute for the criminally insane. Burnt out, she drives to the family's winter cottage to spend time with her husband and sister. A relaxing weekend is jarringly interrupted when a terrifying and unexpected guest arrives. Harlan Payne (Aidan Devine) is a violent sex offender and patient of the doctor. He has escaped from the hospital seeking revenge. Harlan is convinced Dr. Goodman once conducted experiments on him. What follows is an extraordinary night of terror and evil mind games where escape is not an option.

Director: Christopher Nolan

"The Dark Knight" arrives with tremendous hype (best superhero movie ever? posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger?), and incredibly, it lives up to all of it. But calling it the best superhero movie ever seems like faint praise, since part of what makes the movie great--in addition to pitch-perfect casting, outstanding writing, and a compelling vision--is that it bypasses the normal fantasy element of the superhero genre and makes it all terrifyingly real. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is Gotham City's new district attorney, charged with cleaning up the crime rings that have paralyzed the city. He enters an uneasy alliance with the young police lieutenant, Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Batman (Christian Bale), the caped vigilante who seems to trust only Gordon--and whom only Gordon seems to trust. They make progress until a psychotic and deadly new player enters the game: the Joker (Heath Ledger), who offers the crime bosses a solution--kill the Batman. Further complicating matters is that Dent is now dating Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, after Katie Holmes turned down the chance to reprise her role), the longtime love of Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne.
In his last completed role before his tragic death, Ledger is fantastic as the Joker, a volcanic, truly frightening force of evil. And he sets the tone of the movie: the world is a dark, dangerous place where there are no easy choices. Eckhart and Oldman also shine, but as good as Bale is, his character turns out rather bland in comparison (not uncommon for heroes facing more colorful villains). Director-cowriter Christopher Nolan ("Memento") follows his critically acclaimed "Batman Begins" with an even better sequel that sets itself apart from notable superhero movies like "Spider-Man 2" and "Iron Man" because of its sheer emotional impact and striking sense of realism--there are no suspension-of-disbelief superpowers here. At 152 minutes, it's a shade too long, and it's much too intense for kids. But for most movie fans--and not just superhero fans--"The Dark Knight" is a film for the ages. "--David Horiuchi"

Director: Christopher Nolan
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Rated: PG-13

Of all the "most anticipated" movies ever claiming that title, it's hard to imagine one that has caused so much speculation and breathless expectation as Christopher Nolan's final chapter to his magnificently brooding Batman trilogy, "The Dark Knight Rises". Though it may not rise to the level of the mythic grandeur of its predecessor, "The Dark Knight Rises" is a truly magnificent work of cinematic brilliance that commandingly completes the cycle and is as heavy with literary resonance as it is of-the-moment insight into the political and social affairs unfolding on the world stage. That it is also a full-blown and fully realized epic crime drama packed with state-of-the-art action relying equally on immaculate CGI fakery and heart-stopping practical effects and stunt work makes its entrée into blockbuster history worthy of all the anticipation and more. It deserves all the accolades it will get for bringing an opulently baroque view of a comic book universe to life with sinister effectiveness.
Set eight years after the events of "The Dark Knight", "TDK Rises" finds Bruce Wayne broken in spirit and body from his moral and physical battle with the Joker. Gotham City is at peace primarily because Batman took the fall for Harvey Dent's murder, allowing the former district attorney's memory to remain as a crime-fighting hero rather than the lunatic destructor he became as Two-Face. But that meant Batman's cape and cowl wound up in cold storage--perhaps for good--with only police commissioner Jim Gordon in possession of the truth. The threat that faces Gotham now is by no means new; as deployed by the intricate script that weaves themes first explored in "Batman Begins", fundamental conflicts that predate his own origins are at the heart of the ultimate struggle that will leave Batman and his city either triumphant or in ashes. It is one of the movie's greatest achievements that we really don't know which way it will end up until its final exhilarating moments. Intricate may be an understatement in the construction of the script by Nolan and his brother Jonathan. The multilayered story includes a battle for control of Wayne Industries and the decimation of Bruce Wayne's personal wealth; a destructive yet potentially earth-saving clean energy source; a desolate prison colony on the other side of the globe; terrorist attacks against people, property, and the world's economic foundation; the redistribution of wealth to the 99 percent; and a virtuoso jewel thief who is identified in every way except name as Catwoman. Played with saucy fun and sexy danger by Anne Hathaway, Selina Kyle is sort of the catalyst (!) for all the plot threads, especially when she whispers into Bruce's ear at a charity ball some prescient words about a coming storm that will tear Gotham asunder. As unpredictable as it is sometimes hard to follow, the winds of this storm blow in a raft of diverse and extremely compelling new characters (including Selina Kyle) who are all part of a dance that ends with the ballet of a cataclysmic denouement. Among the new faces are Marion Cotillard as a green-energy advocate and Wayne Industries board member and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a devoted Gotham cop who may lead Nolan into a new comic book franchise. The hulking monster Bane, played by Tom Hardy with powerful confidence even under a clawlike mask, is so much more than a villain (and the toughest match yet for Batman's prowess). Though he ends up being less important to the movie's moral themes and can't really match Heath Ledger's maniacal turn as Joker, his mesmerizing swagger and presence as demonic force personified are an affecting counterpoint to the moral battle that rages within Batman himself. Christian Bale gives his most dynamic performance yet as the tortured hero, and Michael Caine (Alfred), Gary Oldman (Gordon), and Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox) all return with more gravitas and emotional weight than ever before. Then there's the action. Punctuated by three or four magnificent set pieces, "TDKR" deftly mixes the cinematic process of providing information with punches of pow throughout (an airplane-to-airplane kidnap/rescue, an institutional terrorist assault and subsequent chase, and the choreographed crippling of an entire city are the above-mentioned highlights). The added impact of the movie's extensive Imax footage ups the wow factor, all of it kinetically controlled by Nolan and his top lieutenants Wally Pfister (cinematography), Hans Zimmer (composer), Lee Smith (editor), and Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh (production designers). The best recommendation "TDKR" carries is that it does not leave one wanting for more. At 164 minutes, there's plenty of nonstop dramatic enthrallment for a single sitting. More important, there's a deep sense of satisfaction that "The Dark Knight Rises" leaves as the fulfilling conclusion to an absorbing saga that remains relevant, resonant, and above all thoroughly entertaining. "--Ted Fry"

Director: Jody Wheeler
Genre: Drama
Studio: Breaking Glass Pictures
Rated: NR

Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Western
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)
Rated: PG-13

The last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, has been locked in an eternal battle with Walter O'Dim, also known as the Man in Black, determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the ultimate battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.

Director: Chris Gorak
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

A sci-fi thriller featuring mind-blowing special effects from the minds of visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) and director Chris Gorak (Art Director Fight Club, Minority Report), THE DARKEST HOUR is the story of five young people who find themselves stranded in Moscow, fighting to survive in the wake of a devastating alien attack.

Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Studio: 21 Laps Entertainment
Rated: PG

After a disease killed 98% of children and young people in the United States, the 2% who managed to survive have developed superpowers, but have been locked in internment camps after being declared a threat. 16-year-old, Ruby, manages to escape from her camp and joins a group of teenagers fleeing government forces.

Director: Greg McLean
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Studio: Blumhouse Productions
Rated: PG-13

Peter and Bronny Taylor go on a trip to the Grand Canyon with their daughter, Stephanie, and Mikey, their autistic son. Mikey discovers a small cavern, where he finds rocks with glyphs on them. He takes the rocks, keeping a secret untold. When the Taylors return home, strange things begin to happen..

Director: Jaume Balagueró
Genre: Horror
Studio: Dimension
Rated: Unrated

A teenage girl moves into a remote countryside house with her family, only to discover that their gloomy new home has a horrifying past that threatens to destroy the family.

Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Genre: Horror
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: PG-13

Humanity's fear of the dark provides "Darkness Falls" with some anxiety and fuels some jolts of fear from things popping out of nowhere. A kindly woman, who used to give children gold coins in exchange for their lost baby teeth, was hanged for a murder she didn't commit; in her last moments she laid a curse on the town (which has the unlikely name of Darkness Falls). So over the years the ghost of this woman has murdered various children because they saw her when she came to collect their teeth. In the present day, a boy who evaded her clutches returns to town as an adult in order to help the young brother of his childhood sweetheart--and from there this incoherent, inane movie is one long chase sequence without a glimmer of imagination or intelligence. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Chris Nelson
Studio: Lions Gate
Rated: R

High school seniors Michael and Matty have been best friends since 3rd grade. Still virgins, they make a pact to help each other "score" before Senior Prom - but their mission suddenly takes an unexpected turn when Matty announces that he's gay.

Director: Zack Snyder
Genre: Horror
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: Unrated

Are you ready to get down with the sickness? Movie logic dictates that you shouldn't remake a classic, but Zack Snyder's "Dawn of the Dead" defies that logic and comes up a winner. You could argue that George A. Romero's 1978 original was sacred ground for horror buffs, but it was a "low-budget" classic, and Snyder's action-packed upgrade benefits from the same manic pacing that energized Romero's continuing zombie saga. Romero's indictment of mega-mall commercialism is lost (it's arguably outmoded anyway), so Snyder and screenwriter James Gunn compensate with the same setting--in this case, a Milwaukee shopping mall under siege by cannibalistic zombies in the wake of a devastating viral outbreak--a well-chosen cast (led by Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, and Mekhi Phifer), some outrageously morbid humor, and a no-frills plot that keeps tension high and blood splattering by the bucketful. Horror buffs will catch plenty of tributes to Romero's film (including cameos by three of its cast members, including gore-makeup wizard Tom Savini), and shocking images are abundant enough to qualify this "Dawn" as an excellent zombie-flick double-feature with "28 Days Later", its de facto British counterpart. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Zack Snyder
Genre: Horror
Studio: Anchor Bay
Rated: R

George Romero's 1978 follow-up to his classic "Night of the Living Dead" is quite terrifying and gory (those zombies do like the taste of living flesh). But in its own way, it is just as comically satiric as the first film in its take on contemporary values. This time, we follow the fortunes of four people who lock themselves inside a shopping mall to get away from the marauding dead and who then immerse themselves in unabashed consumerism, taking what they want from an array of clothing and jewelry shops, making gourmet meals, etc. It is Romero's take on Louis XVI in the modern world: keep the starving masses at bay and crank up the insulated indulgence. Still, this is a horror film when all is said and done, and even some of Romero's best visual jokes (a Hare Krishna turned blue-skinned zombie) can make you sweat. "--Tom Keogh"

Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13

Director: Roland Emmerich
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13

Supreme silliness doesn't stop "The Day After Tomorrow" from being lots of fun for connoisseurs of epic-scale disaster flicks. After the blockbuster profits of "Independence Day" and "Godzilla", you can't blame director Roland Emmerich for using global warming as a politically correct excuse for destroying most of the northern hemisphere. Like most of Emmerich's films, this one emphasizes special effects over such lesser priorities as well-drawn characters and plausible plotting, and his dialogue (cowritten by Jeffrey Nachmanoff) is so laughably trite that it could be entirely eliminated without harming the movie. It's the spectacle that's important here, not the lame, recycled plot about father and son (Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal) who endure an end-of-the-world scenario caused by the effects of global warming. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the awesome visions of tornado-ravaged Los Angeles, blizzards in New Delhi, Japan pummeled by grapefruit-sized hailstones, and Manhattan flooded by swelling oceans and then frozen by the onset of a modern ice age. It's all wildly impressive, and Emmerich obviously doesn't care if the science is flimsy, so why should you? "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: George A. Romero
Genre: Horror
Studio: Anchor Bay
Rated: Unrated

Chapter three of George Romero's mighty zombie trilogy has big footsteps to follow. "Night of the Living Dead" was a classic that revitalized a certain corner of the cinema, and "Dawn of the Dead" was nothing short of epic. "Day of the Dead", however, has always been regarded as a comedown compared to those twin peaks--and perhaps it is. But on its own terms, this is an awfully effective horror movie, made with Romero's customary social satire and cinematic vigor--when a "retrained" zombie responds to the "Ode to Joy," the film is in genuinely haunting territory. The story is set inside a sunken military complex, where Army and medical staff, supposedly working on a solution to the zombie problem, are going crazy (strongly foreshadowing the final act of "28 Days Later"). Tom Savini's makeup effects could make even hardcore gore fans tear off their own heads in amazement. "--Robert Horton"

Director: Scott Derrickson
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG-13

Impressive special effects are the key selling point for this big-budget remake of Robert Wise's classic 1951 science fiction parable about an alien visitor who delivers a chilling ultimatum to the leaders of the world. Keanu Reeves, who seemed ideal at first blush but ultimately turns into another case of miscasting, steps in for Michael Rennie as intergalactic watchdog Klaatu, who with his robot Gort (now super-sized), promises global destruction unless the powers that be unless drastic measures are undertaken regarding the Earth's environmental issues (or so one assumes). Jennifer Connelly is largely wasted in the Patricia Neal role of scientist/single mom assigned to study Klaatu, who offers a somewhat chilly father figure to her son (a grating Jaden Smith). Connelly isn't the only fine actor in the cast left standing idle while director Scott Derrickson's effects team constructs eye-popping scenes of wholesale mayhem; Mad Men's Jon Hamm, Kathy Bates, John Cleese and Rob Knepper are all adrift in the aimless script by David Scarpa, which never even fully explains why Klaatu is so bent on blowing us to smithereens. That lack of focus, as well as the B-movie quality of the dialogue (say what you will about the effects in the Wise version, but the film was polished from top to bottom), all help to cement what science fiction fans have been muttering about the film since its inception; the original film needed no high-tech updating --Paul Gaita

Stills from The Day the Earth Stood Still (Click for larger image)

 
 

Director: Terence Gross
Genre: Horror
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: R

After the Atomic destruction a hand full of people find them selves in a valley that escaped the initial radiation. Naturedly the mix is of innocent and not so innocent women and men. This is not just any valley it was especially picked by a survivalist that expected the big one to be dropped and scoped out a valley with lots of lead around them.

Slowly encroaching on them is a strange mutant that has physic powers. Like the mutated monkeys on the atoll where they tested the bomb, this is probably the new generation of people replacements. Luckily he (it) still has a hankering for blonds in swimsuits.

There is also the possibility of contaminated rain bringing radiation to the valley.

One of the fun scenes in this Rodger Corman movie is when they throw a dummy off the cliff and you are supposed to believe it is a blond.

Director: Richard Linklater
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

You remember high school? Really remember? If you think you do, watch this film: it'll all really come racing back. After changing the world with the generation-defining "Slacker", director Richard Linklater turned his free-range vérité sensibility on the 1970s. As before, his all-seeing camera meanders across a landscape studded with goofy pop culture references and poignant glimpses of human nature. Only this time around, he's spreading a thick layer of nostalgia over the lens (and across the soundtrack). It's as if "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" was directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The story deals with a group of friends on the last day of high school, 1976. Good-natured football star Randall "Pink" Floyd navigates effortlessly between the warring worlds of jocks, stoners, wannabes, and rockers with girlfriend and new-freshman buddy in tow. Surprisingly, it's not a coming-of-age movie, but a film that dares ask the eternal, overwhelming, adolescent question, "What happens next?" It's a little too honest to be a light comedy (representative quote: "If I ever say these were the best years of my life, remind me to kill myself."). But it's also way too much fun (remember souped-up Corvettes and bicentennial madness?) to be just another existential-essay-on-celluloid. "--Grant Balfour"
On the DVD
With a perfect combination of awesome '70s-era packaging and a totally rockin' selection of bonus features, the Criterion Collection's director-approved special edition two-disc release of "Dazed and Confused" instantly qualifies as one of the very best DVDs of 2006--the 30th anniversary of the Bicentennial, man! That's what I'm talkin' about! As a sublime companion piece to Criterion's release of Richard Linklater's previous film "Slacker", the set comes in a slipcase (complete with "Physical Graffiti"-like picture-windows) festooned with Flair-pen high-school "doodling" (just like you'd scribble on your Pee Chee folders, back in the day), and the features get off on a high note (kinda like Slater, y'know?) with writer-director Linklater's feature-length commentary, which offers all aspiring filmmakers an important lesson protecting your vision and knowing when "not" to compromise. In recalling the many struggles he endured during production, Linklater covers a lot of territory (notes from the studio, the fantasy abundance of muscle cars, selection of music, and his acute disappointment when Robert Plant--but not Jimmy Page--refused to allow Led Zeppelin songs to be used in the film), and his engaging, good-humored perspective (and appropriate sense of vindication) clearly arises from his film's eventual acceptance as a classic. (For all you film buffs out there, Linklater quite rightly recommends Tim Hunter's "Over the Edge" and Lindsay Anderson's "If..." as "great teenage films" that defined the genre before "Dazed".) The film itself never looked or sounded better (Linklater and cinematographer Lee Daniel supervised the high-def digital transfer), and a generous selection of deleted scenes will be welcomed by the film's legion of loyal fans.
The Disc 2 supplements are highlighted by "Making "Dazed"", filmmaker Kahane Corn's decade-in-the-making 50-minute documentary, chronicling all aspects of the production from casting to the "Dazed" tenth-anniversary celebration in Austin, Texas, in 2003. "Beer Bust at the Moon Tower" allows random viewing of a 118-minute compilation of behind-the-scenes footage, on-set interviews (with cast members both in and out of character), audition footage, and recollections from the anniversary bash. The accompanying 72-page booklet is a Criterion master-stroke: Designed like a small-scale high-school yearbook, it's filled with more "doodling" artwork, lots of photos, three appreciative mini-essays (the best being by journalist/author Chuck Klosterman), recollections by cast and crew, and humorous "Profiles in Confusion" portraits of the characters in "Dazed", reprinted from the film's similarly designed companion book. It's all topped off by a miniature reproduction of the film's original poster, designed by Frank Kozik. In terms of capturing "The Spirit of '76" and the film's celebratory sense of anti-nostalgia, this is surely one of Criterion's finest releases to date. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Studio: FilmDistrict
Rated: R

A crime thriller that is both thoughtful and fueled by violent brutality, "Dead Man Down" often seems like two different movies that pass in the night. It is dark, gritty, and explosive in style and substance, yet it often takes long, languorous breaks for moments of tenderness and human connection between a handful of deeply scarred souls with differing goals but related agendas. The scars are figurative for Victor (Colin Farrell), a stalwart Hungarian immigrant driven toward vengeance after the murder of his wife and daughter by a crime syndicate equally leveraged into drugs and real estate. His real name is Laszlo, and the crime lord Alphonse (Terrence Howard) believes he had been dispatched along with his family. In an elaborate plan, Victor/Laszlo has infiltrated Alphonse's gang as a loyal soldier to get close enough to kill them all. For Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), a lonely woman whose apartment balcony faces Victor's, the scars are literal. She was disfigured in an accident caused by a recidivist drunk driver and wants her own deadly revenge. It's not hard to see where the relationship between Victor and Beatrice is heading once they meet and their individual goals are held up to the moral standards that were irreparably damaged by their tragedies. Beatrice is able to blackmail Victor to do her bidding even as Victor is up to his neck in an extremely complicated game to burn up his own past. And burn many things he does, including people, a bomb-laden pickup truck, and an elegant mansion where the last stand of a chaotic climax unfolds. Along the way there are several fierce gun battles and moments of disturbingly intimate viciousness that lend "Dead Man Down" a defiant edge in the genre of dark crime dramas. The highlight is a broad-daylight shootout and foot chase on a busy Manhattan street that features swooping camerawork, a progression of breathtaking practical stunt effects, and smart pacing that ends abruptly in calm as the players disappear into plain sight. J.H. Wyman's unusually structured script, with its extended pauses of meaningful quiet and bursts of terrible ferocity, is made better by the skill of Danish director Niels Arden Oplev in his American feature debut. Oplev made the original "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", and he brings out the best in bringing along Noomi Rapace, even though the makeup of her facial damage doesn't really make her any less beautiful. Colin Farrell still has not found his mid-career stride, but his obsession and brooding brow give the tortured Victor a motivation that is clearly felt. The acting is a bigger bonus in some of the supporting roles, notably Dominic Cooper as Victor's friend and fellow gangland soldier. F. Murray Abraham appears as Victor's philosophical father-in-law, and it's terrific to see Armand Assante chomping into the persona of a quietly enraged mob boss. The iconic French actress Isabelle Huppert takes a graceful and scene-stealing turn as Beatrice's loving yet smothering mother. It's all an unusual mix of character and story that makes "Dead Man Down" stand up with a life all its own. "--Ted Fry"

Director: James Wan
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: Universal Pictures
Rated: R

Every town has it's own ghost story, and a local folktale around Ravens Fair is about a ventriloquist named Mary Shaw. After she went mad in the 1940s, she was accused of kidnapping a young boy who yelled out in one of her performances that she was a fraud. Because of this she was hunted down by townspeople who in the ultimate act of revenge, cut out her tongue and then killed her. They buried her along with her "children," a handmade collection of vaudeville dolls, and assumed they had silenced her forever. However, Ravens Fair has been plagued by mysterious deaths around them after Mary Shaws collection has returned from their graves and have come to seek revenge on people that killed her and their families. Far from the pall of their cursed hometown, newlyweds Jamie and Lisa Ashen thought they had established a fresh start, until Jamie's wife is grotesquely killed in their apartment. Jamie returns to Ravens Fair for the funeral, intent on unraveling the mystery of Lisa's death. Once reunited with his ill father, Edward, and his father's new young bride, Ella, Jamie must dig into the town's bloody past to find out who killed his wife and why. All the while, he is doggedly pursued by a detective who doesn't believe a word he says. As he uncovers the legend of Mary Shaw, he will unlock the story of her curse and the truth behind the threat from a rhyme in his childhood: if you see Mary Shaw and scream, she'll take your tongue. And the last thing you will hear before you die...is your own voice speaking back to you.

Director: Gabriel Range
Genre: Drama
Studio: Lions Gate
Rated: R

Winner of the International Critics' Award at the Toronto Film Festival, DEATH OF A PRESIDENT is conceived as a fictional TV documentary broadcast in 2008, reflecting on a monstrous and cataclysmic event: the assassination of President George W. Bush on October 19th, 2007. The "documentary" artfully combines archival footage and carefully composed interviews presented in a respectful and dignified manner. The film doesn't advocate violence; rather, it shows its pernicious effects. It is exciting and questioning, and it offers viewers a riveting story -- creating a provocative political thriller that reveals larger truths.

Director: Paul Bartel
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Image Entertainment
Rated: R

No doubt about it, "Death Race 2000" is one of the greatest B-movies ever made. A crown jewel in the career of B-movie king Roger Corman, it's a sublime example of exploitative filmmaking from a time when Corman's low-budget quickies were about to be swept aside by the blockbuster success of "Jaws" and "Star Wars", and all of its outrageous ingredients combined to create a schlock-movie masterpiece. Liberally infused with director Paul Bartel's macabre sense of humor, Corman's mandatory formula for success (R-rated violence and nudity, served up at least once every 15 minutes) is zanily applied to a near-future scenario (similar to "Rollerball", also released in 1975) in which a fascist empire appeases its oppressed citizens with "Death Race 2000," an automotive spectacle in which five costumed racers drive wacky race cars cross-country from New York to "New Los Angeles," scoring points with hit-and-run killings awarded on a sliding scale, with highest points for hitting children and the elderly! In addition to "Calamity Jane" (played by former Andy Warhol acolyte Mary Woronov), "Matilda the Hun" (Roberta Collins), and "Nero the Hero" (Martin Kove), the hottest contestants are "Machine Gun" Joe Viturbo (Sylvester Stallone, on the verge of "Rocky" stardom) and the reigning champion "Frankenstein" (David Carradine), whose "Death Race" prowess has reached near-mythic proportions.
Filmed for $300,000 on desert-road and freeway locations throughout California's San Fernando Valley, "Death Race 2000" packs more entertainment into 78 minutes than most movies can muster in two hours or more. Although it originated as a serious short story by Ib Melchior (best known as the writer-director of "The Angry Red Planet"), Corman took a cue from "Dr. Strangelove" and gave the material a satirical spin, resulting in non-graphic road-kills that are more hilarious than horrific, especially with the play-by-play race commentary by legendary disc jockey "The Real Don Steele," whose priceless performance (along with Carradine's deadpan drollery) turns "Death Race 2000" into a low-comedy classic. The deadly car bodies were designed by Dean Jeffries (who also customized the "Monkeemobile") and fitted onto Volkswagen chassis, and Bartel's ingenious use of a meager budget epitomized the Corman aesthetic, reaping impressive box-office profits on its way to becoming one of the most beloved cult classics of all time. "--Jeff Shannon"

Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

James Wan ("Saw") brings the ultra-violence to this gritty story of a suburban father (Kevin Bacon) who discovers the consequences of revenge after his son is murdered. The perpetrators of this senseless killing are a multi-ethnic (and highly visible) gang of drug dealers and cutthroats led by the psychotic Billy Darley (Garrett Hedlund); when the case is thrown out on a technicality, Bacon takes a page from Charles Bronson's book (no surprise, as this is based on author Brian Garfield's 1975 follow-up to "Death Wish") and pursues a vigilante course to avenge his boy. Things do not go according to Bacon's plan, which cues a series of frantic and well-executed action set pieces, most notably a parking structure chase that unfolds in a nearly unbroken take. "Death Sentence" breaks no new ground in the action-thriller department, and its characters and dialogue are nearly indistinguishable from any violent crime movie of the last few decades (in its weakest moments, it resembles grindhouse fare like "The Exterminator"); however, Bacon is excellent (as always) as the mild-mannered architect who discovers his inner killer the hard way, and Wan's knack for screen mayhem and unsettling atmosphere are well used here. The DVD includes both the theatrical version and an unrated cut (which offers 10 additional minutes), as well as two making-of featurettes that originally aired on the Fox Movie Channel, and several webisodes that focus on director Wan, his cast, and the film's elaborate stunts and fight scenes. -- "Paul Gaita"

Beyond "Death Sentence"
More Revenge Movies
More from Kevin Bacon
More from Fox


Stills from "Death Sentence"

Director: Gabe Torres
Genre: Drama
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: PG

If you're a fan of Wil Wheaton, this is one of his biggest, best roles. It's a drama about 5 prep boys debating weather to join up after Pearl Harbor. The whole thing takes place during one night, December 8th 1941. Wheaton is taking a pacifist position, putting his best friendship with a patriot at risk. These boys seem to have a new emotional crisis in every scene, and unfortunately that makes their competent acting seem a bit over the top, and about halfway through the film it loses it's effect. However, you'll probably like December if you liked all of the following movies, even if it isn't as good as any of them: Stand By Me, Toy Soldiers, Dead Poet's Society, and The Emperor's Club. Of course they never do resolve who is right, or even tell what happens to any of them in the war; but they raise thought-provoking issues, such as can friendship survive diametric positions of patirot vs. pacifist.

Director: Rod Hardy
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: Unrated

They share the same birth month, so the orphanage calls them December Boys. But these teens â€" Maps, Spit, Spark and Misty â€" have much more in common. With no hopes of ever joining a family, they form their own familial bonds. Then the unexpected news comes that a young couple may adopt one of them, and the long-time pals suddenly share something else: a rivalry to be the chosen one.

Director: Matthew Hastings
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: R

This is a fun little movie and could have been fairly great except that it changes pace in the middle and goes from Alien-Human Romance into Alien BBQ & then Alien Shoot'em Up.

You begin to feel for the plight of at least one of the "Blonde Snow Queens From Space" (assuming you're open to that) and then the movie changes gears and it's sort of downhill from there.

I enjoyed the ending somewhat, it's a horror movie ending, but I want a sequel and I want survivors. They could reanimate the dead roomates and clone an alien or two. Throw in an alien baby & voila!

Matt Hastings, the director, seems like a great guy. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I consider this a great popcorn movie for when you don't want something really scary like "The Ring". But I'd rent it first if you're unsure though.

Director: David Siegel (III)
Genre: Drama
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

Vintage film noir gets a confidently stylish upgrade in this subtle domestic thriller, intensified by Tilda Swinton's acclaimed performance as a mother who risks everything to protect her family. Adapted from Elisabeth Sanxay Holding's story "The Blank Wall" (previously filmed as 1949's "The Reckless Moment"), the film's gripping plot commences with Margaret (Swinton), a naval officer's wife and mother of three, disposing of the body of a sleazy club owner, who died in an accident after a confrontation with Margaret's closeted gay son. Maternal instinct shifts into high gear when a blackmailer (Goran Visnjic) demands $50,000 to withhold incriminating evidence, and his unspoken feelings provoke an unexpectedly compassionate alliance. Compelling plot twists aside, "The Deep End" gains much of its impact from the quiet desperation of a family defined by its secrets and rescued by the mysterious motivations of the human heart. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: David S. Marfield
Genre: Horror
Studio: Monarch Video
Rated: R

I had seen this at its premiere. It was a great representation of the book. It even adds a few things to make the story more interesting. The director introduced the characters and set up the conflict very well. It has a turn of events that will shock you guaranteed. Anybody who is a fan of suspence films will love this movie. Worth a rental, sure. Worth a buy, definately.

Director: Peter Berg
Genre: Action, Drama, History, Thriller
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Rated: PG-13

In April 2010, there is no oil exploration operation in the Gulf of Mexico to compare with the Deepwater Horizon oil rig with its size or sheer depth of its drilling. However, the project for the BP oil company is beset with technical difficulties to the point where the general operational supervisor, Jimmy Harrell, and his Chief Electrical Engineer, Mike Williams, are concerned potentially dangerous trouble is brewing. Unfortunately, visiting BP executives, frustrated by the project's long delays, order curtailed site inspections and slanted system tests to make up for lost time even as Harrell, Williams and his team helplessly protest for the sake of proper safety. On April 20, the workers' fears are realized in the worst possible way when the rig's various structural and system flaws spark a catastrophic cascade of failures that would create a massive blowout and explosion that threatens them all, even as it also begins the worst environmental disaster in US history.

Director: Tom DiCillo
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Studio: Peace Arch Entertainment Group
Rated: Unrated

Les, a small-time celebrity photographer desperate to make it big, befriends Toby, a homeless young man with no direction except a vague desire to become an actor. When by chance Toby becomes romantically involved with K'Harma Leeds, the hottest pop star of the moment, Les grows jealous and plots revenge.

Director: Dennis Iliadis
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Studio: Appian Way
Rated: R

A man recently released from a mental institute inherits a mansion after his wealthy parents die. After a series of disturbing events, he comes to believe it is haunted.

Director: Amy Berg (II)
Genre: Documentary
Studio: Lionsgate
Rated: NR

A devastating investigation into the pedophilia scandals tearing apart the Catholic Church, "Deliver Us From Evil" begins by looking into one priest, Father Oliver O'Grady, who agreed to be interviewed by journalist/filmmaker Amy Berg. O'Grady's genial calm is at first ingratiating, until he begins to describe his crimes with an unsettling sociopathic detachment. But O'Grady's blithe interview is only half of the story, as the documentary also unveils how church superiors covered up O'Grady's crimes and shuffled him from diocese to diocese in northern California, finally placing him in an unsupervised position of authority in a small town, where he sexually assaulted dozens of children; the video deposition of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahoney is a grotesque portrait in brittle denial. What makes "Deliver Us From Evil" crucial viewing, however, are the remarkable interviews with a few of the victims (now adults) and their parents, whose stories are wrenching and riveting. With the support of a priest seeking to reform the church, two of the victims actually go to the Pope, seeking some form of help in addressing O'Grady's crimes. This stunningly potent documentary combines raw feeling with lucid and persuasive discussions of the reasons for--and disturbing breadth of--this crisis within the Church. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Ira Sachs
Genre: Drama
Studio: Strand Releasing Home Video
Rated: Unrated

The film's twist on the Huckleberry Finn/American West motif is well-done and commendable. Similarly, the burgeoning relationship between the two young men is initially well-dramatized. However, Minh's character lacks development, and potential dramatic use of his disenfranchisemnt (half-black, half-Vietnamese, gay, poor) is unexplored. Minh's character arc lands him the only place he could end up: risking what little he has to avenge his abandonment. Yet we are left wondering the complete reasoning behind his decision, and, in fact, we do not know Minh's name until the movie is almost over. Without due psychological exploration of Minh, the movie's pace is jerky and the film left being somewhat cryptic, which would be to the film's credit if it seemed intentional.

Director: David Scott
Genre: Drama
Studio: Ariztical
Rated: Unrated

Director and writer, David Scott probably needs to take a lesson in film making 101: First, he needs to make sure that he's working with an intelligent script - most of the dialogue in Denied looks as though it has been improvised. Second, he needs to employ a cast that can actually act - most of the actors look as though they've been hired from a local frat boy party. Third, he needs to get someone who knows how to edit - doing it on his own was obviously not the wisest choice, as he's ended up doing a real hatchet job on the film.

Denied is a really awful film. Badly realized, poorly photographed, and with a soundtrack that is so hard to hear, that most of the dialogue is missed. The acting is shaky and particular scenes are adlibbed and directionless. Most of the action takes place in a park at night or in people's bedrooms, with some strange back lighting, so the characters are never really shown that clearly.

There's probably a good story here but it's buried underneath the shoddy production values. Denied. A secret love between two hunky "jock-like" men in a small town, is at once intriguing and probably also quite relevant. Lee Rhumohr plays Troy, is a former high school team captain, who is used to being treated like a handsome stud. Girls swoon over him and his popularity matches that of any local superstar. Living in a small town, however, has its down side.

Things get a little rocky when Troy's love for his slacker best friend Merrick also becomes a personal inner struggle. His affair with Merrick, a self-obessessed DJ/artist, becomes a collage of late night sex and confusion, where after much drinking and partying, they engage in furtive, passionate lovemaking. Merrick, hopelessly in the closet, never wants to kiss Troy, but Troy, hopelessly in love with Merrick, wants so much more from the relationship.

Fraught with anger and fed-up with Merrick's lack of commitment and attitude towards sex and love, Troy is prompted to make a once-and-for-all decision that could change his life for good. This premise could make for quite a riveting story if it were handled in a better fashion and there had been more money for the overall production. But mostly Denied ends up being a really boring and uninteresting slog. None of the characters - part from Troy - are particularly well drawn, and none of the actors, apart from Rhumohr are really capable of rising to the occasion.

However, the film's thematic heart remains very relevant. Guys like Troy and Merrick are everywhere, especially in small towns like the one depicted in this movie, where the closet is deep, and where the hope of a fulfilling and satisfying same-sex relationship is probably, for most of them, a hopeless and unrealistic dream. Mike Leonard August 05.

Director: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: R

In South Boston, the state police force is waging war on Irish-American organized crime. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Frank Costello. While Billy quickly gains Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan, a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the state police as an informer for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operations he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the mob and the police that there's a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy-and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself. But is either willing to turn on the friends and comrades they've made during their long stints undercover?

Director: Andrew Steggall
Genre: Drama, Family, Romance
Studio: British Film Institute (BFI)

An English mother and teenage son spend a week in the South of France breaking up a summer home that has become one of the casualties of the boy's parents' crumbling marriage. Matters only become more complicated when an enigmatic local boy enters their lives.

Director: Jeff Gillen, Alan Ormsby, Kevin Connor
Genre: Horror
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Rated: R

A double bill of rural schlock, with both entries gruesome but somewhat tongue-in-cheek. "Deranged" was inspired by the unsavory saga of Ed Gein, whose isolated madness oiled the gears of both "Psycho" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". This is a low-rent production all the way, but its shabby locations have a certain eerie authenticity, and it benefits greatly from the casting of the reliable character actor Roberts Blossom--a scarecrow in the "American Gothic" mold--in the lead role. Now and again a somber but vaguely amusing narrator wanders into the frame to remind us that we are watching the tale of "a necromaniac, a defiler of the dead," as though we could forget. Serial-killer completists should check it out.
"Motel Hell" is slicker but less effective. Former Western star Rory Calhoun plays Farmer Vincent, a country hotel keeper (free samples of jerky at the front desk) whose line of smoked meats turns his customers into unwitting cannibals. The movie's got some genuinely creeped-out ideas (a backyard garden of victims, buried up to their necks?), but the execution is pedestrian and the humor pretty square. Onetime cultural icon Wolfman Jack has a few scenes as a TV preacher, for no apparent reason. "--Robert Horton"

Director: Kenny Ortega
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, TV Movie
Studio: Bad Angels Productions
Rated: TV-G

A present-day idyllic kingdom where the benevolent teenage son of King Adam and Queen Belle offers a chance of redemption for the trouble making offspring of Disney's classic villains: Cruella De Vil (Carlos), Maleficent (Mal), the Evil Queen (Evie) and Jafar (Jay).

Director: Neil Marshall
Genre: Horror
Studio: Lions Gate
Rated: R

Claustrophobia and bloody mayhem collide in the high-adrenaline horror flick "The Descent". Six women (including one who lost her husband and child the year before, and one who harbors a bitter secret) spelunk in an unexplored cavern system that turns out to harbor mysterious, predatory creatures. That sums up the story, but--as with writer-director Neil Marshall's previous low-concept movie, "Dog Soldiers"--the plot doesn't begin to describe the riveting, stomach-lurching thrills this movie provides. The script affords the relatively unknown cast (led by Shauna Macdonald and Natalie Mendoza, both excellent) just enough room to make their characters distinct and genuine, so that when they're dropped into utmost peril our empathy is engaged as much as our fear. The dynamic direction and editing make the cavern a palpable, physical presence, even before the creepy beasts crawl out of their nooks. This is not a movie for everyone; it is extremely gruesome and will induce panic attacks in anyone with even a mild fear of closed spaces. But for anyone seeking something smarter, faster, and more wrenching than static torture-fests like "Saw" or "Hostel", "The Descent" will draw you into its unsettling ooze. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Yony Leyser
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, TV Movie
Studio: Amard Bird Films
Rated: Unrated

Desire Will Set You Free is a feature film that explores life in contemporary Berlin with an often critical and sometimes humorous eye. Based on a true story, the plot follows the relationship of an American writer of Israeli/Palestinian descent and a Russian aspiring artist working as a hustler, offering access to the city's vibrant queer and underground scenes while examining the differences between expatriate and refugee life. Our characters travel through Berlin's layered history and unique subcultural landscape; on their adventures they discover influences and remnants of the Weimar Republic, WWII, the Bowie years, and punk. Many original Berlin personalities play themselves and the locations are all real Berlin locations. The film features performances by the queen of punk Nina Hagen, electro star Peaches, Brooklyn's Blood Orange, German sensation Rummelsnuff, rapper Sookee, Einstürzende Neubauten's Blixa Bargeld;  and Wolfgang Müller, plus cast members Amber Benson (of Buffy ...

Director: Tony Kaye
Studio: Tribeca
Rated: Unrated

Product Description
Director Tony Kaye's ("American History X") long-awaited film DETACHMENT stars Academy Award® winner Adrien Brody ("The Pianist", "Splice") as Henry Barthes, a substitute teacher who conveniently avoids any emotional connections by never staying anywhere long enough to form a bond with either his students or colleagues. A lost soul grappling with a troubled past, Henry finds himself at a public school where an apathetic student body has created a frustrated, burned-out administration. Inadvertently becoming a role model to his students, while also bonding with a runaway teen who is just as lost as he is, Henry finds that he's not alone in a life-and-death struggle to find beauty in a seemingly vicious and loveless world.Special Features:An Interview with Director Tony Kaye and Academy Award® winner Adrien Brody, Presented by American ExpressInterviews from the Red Carpet at the Tribeca Film Festival Premiere of DETACHMENT

Director: Adam Rifkin
Genre: Comedy
Studio: New Line Home Video
Rated: R

It's hard to call "Detroit Rock City" a "coming of age" movie--since it's hard to argue that any of the characters do any genuine growing up. But even though it's about four young metalheads trying to get to a KISS concert, the movie actually has more in common with sincere portraits of adolescence than it does with raucous teen comedies. The four heroes are members of a teen metal band called Mystery (the "s" is written in the same font as the letters of KISS, lest anyone mistake their source of inspiration). After the drummer's religiously zealous mother burns their tickets to a long-awaited concert in nearby Detroit, the boys go anyway and try to get tickets through theft, skullduggery, and entering a male stripper contest. The jokes are broad and the movie culminates in an orgy of male adolescent wish-fulfillment, but here and there some loving attention is paid to the details of 1970s teenage life--the haircuts, clothes, and toys the filmmakers probably had when they were kids. Edward Furlong, as the band's singer, is his usual scruffy self and exudes his particular lopsided charm; the rest of the cast play their parts with similar high spirits. Though "Detroit Rock City" was probably meant to be a no-holds-barred comedy in the vein of "American Pie", the end result is curiously wistful; no one's going to mistake it for "The Last Picture Show", but something sincere and elegiac lurks in those bang-covered eyes. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Scott Kalvert
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Rated: R

Take "West Side Story", remove the music, add excessive profanity and violence, and you'll get "Deuces Wild". It's an overripe melodrama in which rival street gangs--in this case Deuces vs. Vipers in 1958 Brooklyn--inevitably clash in a deadly rumble, preceded by shameless scenery-chewing from nearly everyone involved. Stephen Dorff plays the head Deuce, agonizing over his older brother's drug overdose and leading a cast of rising stars and familiar faces including Brad Renfro as Dorff's hot-tempered kid brother, Norman Reedus as the vicious lead Viper, Fairuza Balk as Renfro's no-nonsense girlfriend, and Matt Dillon (uncredited) as the kingpin who introduces heroin to Dorff's drug-free turf. Balthazar Getty, Frankie Muniz, and James Franco are also in the cast, suggesting that director Scott Kalvert was hoping for an unforgettable ensemble. What he got instead was a stale story crowded with percolating posers, recommended only for those who've never seen the 1979 street-gang classic "The Warriors". "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Drama
Rated: R

It is 1939, the end of three years of bloody civil war in Spain, and General Franco's right-wing Nationalists are poised to defeat the left-wing Republican forces. A ten-year-old boy named Carlos (Fernando Tielve), the son of a fallen Republican war hero, is left by his tutor in an orphanage in the middle of nowhere. The orphanage is run by a curt but considerate headmistress named Carmen (Marisa Paredes) and a kindly Professor Casares, both of whom are sympathetic to the doomed Republican cause. Despite their concern for him, and his gradual triumph over the usual schoolhouse bully, Carlos never feels completely comfortable in his new environment. First of all, there was that initial encounter with the orphanage's nasty caretaker, Jacinto, who reacts even more violently when anyone is caught looking around a particular storage room the one with the deep well. Second, and more inexplicable, is the presence of a ghost, one of the former occupants of the orphanage named Santi. Not long after Carlos' arrival, Santi latches onto Carlos, badgering him incessantly at night and gloomily intoning, "Many of you will die." As if that wasn't enough to keep the orphanage's occupants in an unrelenting state of terror, there's the un-exploded bomb that dominates the orphanage's courtyard, still ticking away; With the orphanage left defenseless by its isolation, and the swift progression of Franco's troops, the ghost's prediction seems depressingly accurate. Nevertheless, with every step of the plot, it becomes apparent that the ghost's predictions as to who (or what) will die, the real source of danger and even the definition of death itself may be more ambiguous than first thought.

Studio: Image Entertainment
Rated: Unrated

Academy Award® winners Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, 2010) and Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line, 2005) lead an all-star cast in this gripping, heart-wrenching true story that shocked the nation. May 5, 1993. West Memphis, Arkansas. Three young boys playing in the nearby woods never come home for dinner. In the rush to find and convict the killers, police focus on a trio of teenagers suspected of devil worship. As the mother of one of the murdered boys (Witherspoon) tries to come to grips with this unspeakable tragedy, she is desperate to believe that the killers have been found and will be brought to justice. It is only when an investigator (Firth) reveals that the evidence doesn’t all add up, that the community is forced to face the reality that the true killer might still be out there.

Director: Lucy Walker
Genre: Documentary
Studio: Wellspring
Rated: NR

This Sundance Festival sensation has attracted attention because of its jarring images of Amish kids immersed in debauchery: plain-dressed girls in white bonnets slugging back beers and flicking ashes from their cigarettes, boys passing out in the back of pickups after all-night parties, even Amish teens in bed together. But like a good drama, it's the characters themselves and their heartbreaking dilemma that linger in the mind. In the Amish vernacular, "Devil's Playground" refers to the "English" or outside world. The protected teens are suddenly thrust into this world upon their 16th birthday as they begin "Rumspringa," a period during which they decide whether to join the church as adults. Crystallizing this predicament is the 73-minute documentary's most compelling figure, 18-year-old Faron, a preacher's son fighting drug addiction. His earnest intent to return to the church and astonishing articulateness makes his misadventures in the drug underworld and penal system undeniably poignant. "--Kimberly Heinrichs"

Director: Thor Freudenthal
Genre: Comedy, Family
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG

The first volume in Jeff Kinney's wildly popular Web and book series hits the screen in this live-action adaptation. The impish Zachary Gordon, who recalls "Wonder Years"-era Fred Savage, plays Greg Heffley, who enters middle school determined to become class favorite. It won't be easy. His best friend, Rowley (the sweetly funny Robert Capron), is a big, redheaded lug who embarrasses him at every turn. Greg's obnoxious teenage brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick), advises him to keep his head down, but Greg believes he needs to excel at something to achieve his goal. Smart, but small for his age, he tries wrestling and safety patrolling, but nothing seems to fit. During gym class, he and Rowley meet wise-beyond-her-years newspaper reporter Angie (Chloë Moretz, "(500) Days of Summer"), who finds popularity overrated. Greg isn't convinced, but the harder he tries, the more boorish he becomes, until even Rowley abandons him. After a humiliating encounter with some high school bullies, though, Greg learns what really matters: self-respect (he also discovers that the dreaded "cheese touch" is just a myth). Berlin-born director Thor Freudenthal ("Hotel for Dogs") avoids any dull or sentimental patches, which should please kids and adults alike (an upbeat modern-rock soundtrack doesn't hurt). Rachael Harris and Steve Zahn could use more face time as the terminally un-cool Heffley parents, but Harris's rhythm-impaired moves at the mother-son dance provide one of the best laughs. Kinney fans will also appreciate the way Freudenthal weaves stick-figure drawings from Greg's journal throughout this zippy entertainment. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Director: David Bowers
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days", the third installment in the "Wimpy Kid" films, is sublimely funny for all ages. That's a tall order, but it's really true. The script, the jokes, the acting, the dialogue are all appropriate for pretty much all ages of children, but manage to be super-appealing to adults too. Zachary Gordon is back as Greg, the wimpy kid who just can't quite square his true desires--to play video games all summer, indoors--with his well-meaning dad's intention that he do something worthwhile, and preferably outside. When Greg starts hanging out at the swanky country club pool to be nearer his crush, Holly (Peyton List), he lets his dad (Steve Zahn) believe he's gotten a job there. The jokes and gags are not highbrow, and yet director David Bowers and the talented cast and well-written script keep things moving along, if you will, swimmingly. What's great about the "Wimpy Kid" films is that the kids are believable and on-trend, and yet wear age-appropriate clothes and don't drop swear words. It's endearing to see middle-schoolers treated as the almost-teens they are--emphasis on "almost." "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" is truly a comedy that the whole family can enjoy together. --"A.T. Hurley"

Director: David Bowers
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: PG

Brothers aren't supposed to get along, so it should come as no surprise that Greg and his older sibling Rodrick fight continuously. However, their mother has a different idea about what the relationship between two brothers should look like, and she writes a column about it for the local newspaper, so she should know. Never one to let nature take its course, Mom tries a variety of strategies to get the boys to bond--everything from the incentive-driven "mom bucks" to punishing them by leaving them home together for the weekend while the rest of the family heads to the water park. The wild party and ensuing chaos that one would expect when two boys are left home alone happens right on schedule, but so does a surprising development in the boys' relationship with one another. Greg pours his every thought about the difficulties of surviving middle school and living with brothers into his journal in this film, which is based on Jeff Kinney's book "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules". While it's definitely a different experience to see the cartoon stick figures from the book morph into human forms in the live-action film, director David Bowers and actors Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Robert Capron, and Rachael Harris do a good job of preserving the feel of the book--specifically, how each of the characters is driven by emotion and how they are often overwhelmed by their sense of mental conflict and anguish. Kids frankly state that the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" films aren't as good as the bestselling books, but that doesn't mean they don't enjoy the movies or that they won't be clamoring to see them. (Ages 7 and older) "--Tami Horiuchi"

Director: John Bush
Genre: Music Video & Concerts
Studio: Warner Strat. Mkt.
Rated: NR

I missed the Sacred Heart show at the Cow Palace in '85(San Francisco) but remember a live recording on the local rock station w/ VIVIAN CAMPBELL which included Like the Beat of a Heart, Last in Line/Holy Diver, and Don't Talk to Strangers which was magical. Why Dio didn't release a video with Vivian is beyond me. Nothing against Craig but the original lineup which was a wondrous thing should have been on this video(now DVD) Dio prancing around with a sword slaying the dragon with lasers coming out of the eyes is downright hilarious nowadays but that Lord of the Rings style cheese was the bomb back then. For the kids I would recommend the Last in Line video from the Spectrum if it's available on DVD. Old middle aged metalheads I'll see you at HEAVEN AND HELL '07! How old is Dio now, 70?! And he'll be on stage pointing the devil horns at you! LOL!!! ON AND ON, ON AND ON! HEAVEN AND HELL! YEAH!!

Director: Gerald J. Frasco
Genre: Horror
Studio: Vanguard Cinema
Rated: NR

I agree with the other reviews, truely accomplished inde-filmaking. The DVD is a total package of entertainment and informative material.
A film all can enjoy, and I especially think those novel lovers, and book on tape enthusiasts out there should most certainly revel in enjoyment. A smart, griping, tastefully done, suspense movie.

Director: David Kendall
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Freestyle Releasing
Rated: PG-13

An American Pie-style teen comedy in which a high school senior tries to become the first student to complete the coveted "10 Dirty Deeds"… an outrageous series of challenges that must be completed between dusk and dawn on the Friday night of Homecoming weekend. The mild-mannered Zach, (Milo Ventimiglia) shows he is no pushover when he takes on the deeds to protect the younger brother of the girl of his dreams (Lacey Chabert).

Director: Dan Mazer
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Lionsgate
Rated: R

Jason Kelly, the grandson of Dick Kelly, loses his grandmother about two weeks before his wedding to Meredith. He tries to assist his grandfather and console him for his loss, but was rather tricked into a spring break road trip; chasing youth once again. with the help of Shadia and Lenore, the two men go on an adventure they'll never forget.

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: R

A provocative science fiction drama, "District 9" boasts an original story that gets a little lost in blow-'em-up mayhem. Set in Johannesburg, South Africa, "District 9" begins as a mock documentary about the imminent eviction of extraterrestrials from a pathetic shantytown (called District 9). The creatures, it turns out, have been on Earth for years, having arrived sickly and starving. Initially received by humans with compassion and care, the aliens are now mired in blighted conditions typical of long-term refugee camps unwanted by a hostile, host society. With the creatures' care contracted out to a for-profit corporation, the shantytown has become a violent slum. The aliens sift through massive piles of junk while their minders secretly research weapons technology that arrived on the visitors' spacecraft.
Against this backdrop is a more personal story about a bureaucrat named Wikus (Sharlto Copley) who is accidentally exposed to a DNA-altering substance. As he begins metamorphosing into one of the creatures, Wikus goes on the run from scientists who want to harvest his evolving, new parts and aliens who see him as a threat. When he pairs up with an extraterrestrial secretly planning an escape from Earth, however, what should be a fascinating relationship story becomes a series of firefights and explosions. Nuance is lost to numbing violence, and the more interesting potential of the film is obscured. Yet, for a while "District 9" is a powerful movie with a unique tale to tell. Seamless special effects alone are worth seeing: the (often brutal) exchanges between alien and human are breathtaking. "--Tom Keogh"




> "District 9" downloadables (Click for pdf file)

Director: D.J. Caruso
Genre: Drama
Studio: Dreamworks Video
Rated: PG-13

Alfred Hitchcock fans may experience déjà vu upon exposure to this voyeuristic thriller. That's because director DJ Caruso ("The Salton Sea") and co-writer Carl Ellsworth ("Red Eye") use "Rear Window" as a jumping-off point before cherry-picking from more recent scare fare, like "The Blair Witch Project". In the prologue, 17-year-old Kale (Shia LaBeouf, "Holes") loses his beloved father to a car crash. A year passes, and he's still on edge. When a teacher makes a careless remark about his dad, Kale punches him out, and is sentenced to house arrest. After his mom (Carrie-Anne Moss, "Memento") takes away his Xbox and iTunes privileges, the suburban slacker spies on his neighbors to pass the time. In the process, he develops a crush on Ashley (Sarah Roemer, "The Grudge 2"), the hot girl next door, and becomes convinced that another, the soft-spoken Mr. Turner (David Morse, "The Green Mile"), is a serial killer. With the help of the flirtatious Ashley, practical joke-playing pal Ronnie (Aaron Yoo), and an array of high-tech gadgets, like cell-phone cameras and digital camcorders, Kale sets out to solve a major case without leaving his yard (a feat that would prove more challenging for a less affluent sleuth). In the end, it's pretty familiar stuff, but there are plenty of scares once Turner realizes he's being watched, and rising star LaBeouf, who next appears in Michael Bay's "Transformers", makes for an engaging leading man--despite his character's propensity for slugging Spanish instructors. --"Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Beyond "Disturbia"
Why We Love Shia LaBeouf
The Soundtrack
Rear Window Stills from "Disturbia" (click for larger image)

Director: David Nutter
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Rated: R

This paranoia-fueled thriller, more intelligent and imaginative than you would have reason to believe, owes a huge debt to "The Stepford Wives" with its premise of a goody-good high school clique programmed by an evil doctor to be wholesome, academically driven, and shining examples of clean living. Unlike its predecessor, though, David Nutter's film opts to open up its premise for everyone to see, diluting the scares but amplifying the creepy atmosphere. There's never any question of what's happening to the students of Cradle Bay High, who go from being druggies and sex fiends to the academically excellent Blue Ribbons, but it's a lot of fun to see these programmed teens run amok--and start killing people--when their hormones kick in. And considering they're all horny teenagers, this happens, oh, at least a few times a day. Model-perfect James Marsden, with stunning cheekbones and piercing blue eyes, is the new kid in town who stumbles on the plot with a little help from metalhead Nick Stahl. Moody Marsden stirs up trouble when he refuses to join up with the Blue Ribbons, prompting his concerned parents to consider signing him up for the program, especially after it turns Stahl into a vest-wearing, pep-rallying brainiac. The satire isn't entirely fulfilled (the evil kids hang out at the yogurt shop and spout inspirational platitudes), but once the action kicks in it's quite an enjoyable ride, thanks primarily to Bruce Greenwood (of "The Sweet Hereafter") as the mad scientist behind it all and Katie Holmes ("Go") as Marsden's love interest. Refusing the advances of the star football player and fighting gamely alongside Marsden, Holmes manages to deck a few bad guys with a fervor that squarely puts her in Linda Hamilton and Jamie Lee Curtis territory. With Steve Railsback as the colluding chief of police and Dan Zudovic as a janitor with a penchant for getting rid of "rats," rodent and otherwise. "--Mark Englehart"

Studio: Lionsgate
Rated: PG-13

divergent 2014

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Genre: Comedy
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: Unrated

How's this for impressive trivia: "Dodgeball" faced off against "The Terminal" in opening-weekend competition, and 29-year-old writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber aced Steven Spielberg by a score of $30 to $18.7 in box-office millions. That's no mean feat for a newcomer, but Thurber's lowbrow script and rapid-fire direction--along with a sublime cast of screen comedians--proved to be just what moviegoers were ravenous for: a consistently hilarious, patently formulaic romp in which the underdog owner of Average Joe's Gym (Vince Vaughn) faces foreclosure unless he can raise $50,000 in 30 days. The solution: A dodgeball tournament offering $50K to the winners, in which Vaughn and his nerdy clientele team up against the preening, abhorrently narcissistic owner (Ben Stiller) of Globo Gym, who's threatening a buy-out. That's it for story; any 5-year-old could follow it with brainpower to spare. But Thurber, Vaughn, Stiller, and their well-cast costars (including Stiller's off-screen wife, Christine Taylor) keep the big laughs coming for 96 nonsensical minutes. With spot-on cameos by champion bicyclist Lance Armstrong, David Hasselhoff, Hank Azaria, Chuck Norris, and William Shatner, and a crudely amusing coda for those who watch past the credits, "Dodgeball" is no masterpiece, but you can bet Spielberg was unexpectedly humbled by its popular appeal. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Sidney Lumet
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: R

A gripping true crime yarn, a juicy slice of overheated New York atmosphere, and a splendid showcase for its young actors, "Dog Day Afternoon" is a minor classic of the 1970s. The opening montage of New York street life (set to Elton John's lazy "Amoreena") establishes the oppressive mood of a scorching afternoon in the city with such immediacy that you can almost smell the garbage baking in the sun and the water from the hydrants evaporating from the sizzling pavement. Al Pacino plays Sonny, who, along with his rather slow-witted accomplice Sal (John Cazale, familiar as Pacino's "Godfather" brother Fredo), holds hostages after a botched a bank robbery. Sonny finds himself transformed into a rebel celebrity when his standoff with police (including lead negotiator Charles Durning) is covered live on local television. The movie doesn't appear to be about anything in particular, but it really conveys the feel of wild and unpredictable events unfolding before your eyes, and the whole picture is so convincing and involving that you're glued to the screen. An Oscar winner for original screenplay, "Dog Day Afternoon" was also nominated for best picture, actor, supporting actor (Chris Sarandon, as a surprise figure from Sonny's past), editing, and director (Sidney Lumet of "Serpico", "Prince of the City", "The Verdict", and "Running on Empty"). "--Jim Emerson"

Director: Mark Freiburger
Genre: Drama, TV Movie
Studio: Dog Days Entertainment

As Phil Walden wanders the streets of his deserted hometown, the memories of a fateful childhood summer return. The summer he grew up. The summer that turned this once idyllic paradise upside down. The summer the stranger came to town. This stranger doesn't beg for change, peddle ointments or speak soothe, Eli Cottonmouth builds models - enchanting models, and this sleepy southern town will be the perfect subject. His charm bewitches the townsfolk. His intentions concern the town fathers. And his secrecy captivates two curious boys. As Eli works to re-create the true essence of the community, the boys act as his eyes and ears. Armed with his ancient camera, they snap vignettes of small town life. But, shot-by-shot, Eli changes the way they look at the town. Childish wonderment turns to despair as the boys' eyes open to the true nature of the world around them. That understanding, and Eli's hidden purpose, threaten the existence of the entire town.

Director: Kevin Smith
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: R

Kevin Smith is a conundrum of a filmmaker: he's a writer with brilliant, clever ideas who can't set up a simple shot to save his life. It was fine back when Smith was making low-budget films like "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy", both of which had an amiable, grungy feel to them, but now that he's a rising director who's attracting top talent and tackling bigger themes, it might behoove him to polish his filmmaking. That's the main problem with "Dogma"--it's an ambitious, funny, aggressively intelligent film about modern-day religion, but while Smith's writing has matured significantly (anyone who thinks he's not topnotch should take a look at "Chasing Amy"), his direction hasn't. It's too bad, because "Dogma" is ripe for near-classic status in its theological satire, which is hardly as blasphemous as the protests that greeted the movie would lead you to believe.
Two banished angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) have discovered a loophole that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they'd destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It's up to Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic, to save the day, with some help from two so-called prophets (Smith and Jason Mewes, as their perennial characters Jay and Silent Bob), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), and a sexy, heavenly muse (the sublime Salma Hayek, who almost single-handedly steals the film). In some ways "Dogma" is a shaggy dog of a road movie--which hits a comic peak when Affleck and Fiorentino banter drunkenly on a train to New Jersey, not realizing they're mortal enemies--and segues into a comedy-action flick as the vengeful angels (who have a taste for blood) try to make their way into heaven. Smith's cast is exceptional--with Fiorentino lending a sardonic gravity to the proceedings, and Jason Lee smirking evilly as the horned devil Azrael--and the film shuffles good-naturedly to its climax (featuring Alanis Morissette as a beatifically silent God), but it just looks so unrelentingly... "subpar". Credit Smith with being a daring writer but a less-than-stellar director. "--Mark Englehart"

Director: Charles Band
Genre: Horror
Studio: Shoot Productions

It's 1905 when 12 year old Sophia plays all by herself in her big, creepy house with only four handmade dolls as friends. When her abusive father has finally had enough, he forces her to bury them in the backyard. But, after she "slips" and breaks her neck, dad buries her right along with the dolls. 100 years later, the Fillbrook family moves into the very same house. Guy Fillbrook finds the buried dolls while playing in the backyard. Much like Sophia, Guy has no friends and is the constant source of harassment from Tom and Rich. After Sophia's spirit possesses the dolls, they come to life, protecting Guy from further harm. One night, Guy's sister DeeDee, has a party with her best friends Terri and Olivia. After smoking and drinking with the boys, the dolls stand up for Guy once and for all, violently showing the nasty teenage boys who's boss! With no testosterone left to protect them, the girls fight to the death!

Director: Harold Becker
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Paramount
Rated: R

If you focus on the effective casting of John Travolta and Vince Vaughan, "Domestic Disturbance" may grab your attention as a thriller that hits too close to home. After playing a greasy villain in "Swordfish", Travolta ably serves up the good-guy charm as a divorced father who must rescue his teenage son from a murderous new stepfather, played by Vaughan with bad-tempered relish. Director Harold Becker is worthy of better material (like his earlier hit "Sea of Love"), but he handles this B-movie potboiler with professional flair, particularly in the setup involving an accomplice (the ever-reliable Steve Buscemi) who threatens to destroy Vaughan's small-town respectability. The plot's about as plausible as Britney Spears in a remake of "Sophie's Choice", relying heavily on lame-brained cops and vast chasms in logic, but by the time Travolta and Vaughan engage in their inevitable showdown, even childless viewers may feel a twinge of parental instinct. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Paul Schrader
Genre: Horror
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: R

Horror buffs will surely be compelled to compare and contrast "Dominion" with "Exorcist: The Beginning", two films weirdly linked by film history. Director Paul Schrader shot "Dominion" only to find studio bosses underwhelmed by its horror aspects, at which point Renny Harlin was hired to direct another take on the subject with the same lead actor, setting, and similar storyline. That became the 2004 theatrical release "Exorcist: The Beginning".
As expected, the Schrader version has more tortured religiosity and visual poetry than Harlin's cheesier (but admittedly gripping) re-do. Father Merrin (Stellan Skarsgard) carries his guilt from the Nazi occupation to a remote African archaeological dig, where a mysteriously buried church has been uncovered. Strange stuff happens nearby, and a fervent young priest (good performance by Gabriel Mann) parries spiritual points with the now-doubting Merrin. Some of the ideas are strong and the sun-and-sand cinematography by the great Vittorio Storaro is often stunning. As beautiful as the film is to look at, it must be admitted that the climax is disappointingly flat, the leading lady (Clara Bellar) is a washout, and one begins to yearn for the occasional genre shock of the kind Schrader was able to conjure up in his remake of "Cat People". If you're an "Exorcist" fan, watch it for its serious treatment of Merrin's crisis, which ties in to his character in the 1973 original. "--Robert Horton"

Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a handsome, good old-fashioned guy known as Don Jon for his ability to bed beautiful women at will. But ironically, even the finest fling doesn't compare to the bliss Jon finds alone-watching porn on his computer. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a gorgeous, good old-fashioned girl raised on romantic movies, and she's determined to find her Prince Charming. Wrestling with expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against false fantasies to find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Director: Gary Fleder
Genre: Drama
Studio: Fox Home Entertainme
Rated: R

Adapted from Andrew Klavan's bestselling suspense novel, "Don't Say a Word" is a suitable companion to director Gary Fleder's earlier hit "Kiss the Girls", with solid performances serving a plot that begins promisingly. The tension starts when the daughter of a topnotch New York psychiatrist (Michael Douglas) is kidnapped by a bitter ex-con (Sean Bean) with an old score to settle. Aided by an unwitting colleague (Oliver Platt), Douglas can save his daughter by extracting crucial information from a traumatized patient (Brittany Murphy), while his bedridden wife (Famke Janssen) and a tenacious detective (Jennifer Esposito) do their part to solve the mystery. Fleder pushes all the routine buttons with effectively somber style, so "Don't Say a Word" will satisfy anyone with a preference for high-anxiety thrillers, even as it grows increasingly conventional; it's entertaining without being particularly original. It's a by-the-book programmer, just right for rainy-day viewing. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Francisco J. Lombardi
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Picture This
Rated: Unrated

DON'T TELL ANYONE (No Se Lo Digas A Nadie). A beautiful Peruvian student must confront his macho father, his overly religious mother, and his doting girlfriend, before discovering his true sexual nature. Based on the best-selling novel by popular talk show host Jaime Bayly. Featuring Latin TV stars Santiago Magill, Christian Meier, and Lucia Jimenez. Official Selection: Latin American Film Series at Lincoln Center as well as The Los Angeles & Chicago Latin American Film Festivals.

Director: Richard Kelly (II)
Genre: Comedy
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

This unclassifiable but stunningly original film obliterates the walls between teen comedy, science fiction, family drama, horror, and cultural satire--and remains wildly entertaining throughout. Jake Gyllenhaal ("October Sky") stars as Donnie, a borderline-schizophrenic adolescent for whom there is no difference between the signs and wonders of reality (a plane crash that decimates his house) and hallucination (a man-sized, reptilian rabbit who talks to him). Obsessed with the science of time travel and acutely aware of the world around him, Donnie is isolated by his powers of analysis and the apocalyptic visions that no one else seems to share. The debut feature of writer-director Richard Kelly, "Donnie Darko" is a shattering, hypnotic work that sets its own terms and gambles--rightfully so, as it turns out--that a viewer will stay aboard for the full ride. "--Tom Keogh"

Director: Tod Williams
Genre: Drama
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: R

Four-time Academy Award nominee Jeff Bridges and Academy Award winner Kim Basinger give stellar performances in this critically acclaimed film, adapted from the #1 best-selling novel, A Widow for One Year, by Academy Award winner John Irving. The Door in the Floor chronicles one pivotal summer in the lives of famous children s book author Ted Cole (Jeff Bridges) and his beautiful wife, Marion (Kim Basinger). It is a provocative story about one couple s emotional journey into a world of daring sensuality and stunning honesty.

BONUS MATERIALS :
Frame on the Wall: The Making of The Door in the Floor
Novel to Screen: John Irving
Anatomy of a Scene
Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Tod Williams, Director of Photography Terry Stacey, Editor Alfonso Goncalves, Composer Marcelo Zarvos and Costume Designer Eric Daman


System Requirements:
Running Time 111 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Director: Tennyson Bardwell
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Tla
Rated: NR

Like "That 70's Show" and "Napolean Dynamite", director Tennyson Bardwell's debut feature, "Dorian Blues", stylishly contemplates the hellishness of high school in the '70s, but through a gay protagonist. Dorian Lagatos (played by Michael McMillan) is raised by Nixon-loving conservatives, and his manly brother is star of the football team, so it's difficult for him to admit, even to himself, that he is gay. Coming-out scenes construct a picture that is wrought by fear made into dry comedy. Dorian cries to himself in the middle of the night, gets beat up in the school halls, falls in love with his male therapist, talks to a dummy in order to practice breaking the news to his father, and tries to learn how to fight his brother when he finds out that Dorian is a "sissy." When Dorian leaves for New York, he meets his first boyfriend, and befriends a vivacious lesbian named El. Scenes in S&M clubs, coffee bars, and New York lofts show Dorian slowly coming to terms with his true identity. The film's opening and closing shots take place at the cemetery during Dorian's father's funeral, accentuating not only the hatred Dorian feels for this stubborn man, but also the anger and fear Dorian harbors for himself. Ultimately, he must obliterate this order to find real happiness. "Dorian Blues" is a study in self-confidence, made funny by familiar scenes that teenagers struggling to fit in will know all too well."--Trinie Dalton"

Director: Bruce Beresford
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Paramount
Rated: R

Young Libby Parsons (Ashley Judd) is happy as a clam, and why not? She's got a loving, successful husband (Bruce Greenwood), an adorable son, and an island home to die for. One morning, after a romantic sailing expedition with her husband, Libby finds herself covered in blood. Her husband's missing, the boat resembles a murder scene, and there's a knife on the deck. One might stop right there and call for help; Libby, however, takes matters--or, more specifically, the knife--into her own hands, and the moment she does, there's the Coast Guard. Faster than you can say frame-up, Libby's been charged with murder and jailed, with her young son stripped from her custody. It's all cut-and-dried, except for one thing: Libby's husband isn't dead, and she's about to track him down. And thanks to the Fifth Amendment's double jeopardy rule, she can't be charged twice for his murder.
"Double Jeopardy" has a singularly seductive revenge premise and, in Judd, one of the most seductive leading ladies to grace the silver screen in recent years. So then why does this thriller feel like it came from the bottom of the Lifetime television movie barrel? Instead of taking a gritty, hard-boiled approach, the film plays up all of Libby's mushy emotions--tellingly, the director here is Bruce Beresford, whose best film, "Driving Miss Daisy", is as far from thriller territory as you can get. No matter how stoically or deviously Judd plays her, Libby comes across as a soccer mom with a slight taste for blood. Only in a few scenes, specifically when she tracks her wily husband to his new identity in New Orleans, does Judd get to strut her stuff, stealing an evening gown and crashing his charity auction. Most of the time, though, this thriller offers only a smattering of suspense. Well, at least like Libby, the filmmakers can't be condemned twice for the same crime. With Tommy Lee Jones duplicating his "Fugitive" role, as Libby's conscientious parole officer. "--Mark Englehart"

Director: Tom Shadyac
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Universal Studios
Rated: PG-13

"Belief gets us there," explains nun Linda Hunt to grieving widower Kevin Costner, an emergency room doctor whose ordered world is startled by "messages" from his dead wife. She's talking about the journey from life to death, but it describes the doctor's road from fact to faith equally well as he puzzles out the otherworldly events of his life. Costner's mourning comes off less lost and sad than simply emotionless and inert, but he finds good support from Kathy Bates as his sassy neighbor. Her appearances, along with a few startling horror-movie-type shocks, energize a film otherwise shrouded in loss, grief, and the hushed mood of supernatural spookiness. It's like a fusing of "Ghost", "The Sixth Sense", and "The Mothman Prophecies", a New Age melodrama in a sentimental key that works through a rather contrived mystic mystery to a glowing climax. This is less a ghost story than a modern twist on the old-fashioned miracle. "--Sean Axmaker"

Director: Edward A. Radtke
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Fox Lorber
Rated: NR

Ed Radtke's award-winning film tells the story of two juvenile delinquents (Maurice Compte and Paddy Connor in breakout performances) who meet while hitchhiking across America. The unlikely pair forges a tentative friendship as they hop trains, steal cars and dodge the law while trying to make it to Reno, Nevada. A magical journey full of colorful characters and situations, The Dream Catcher is a poignant tale of two young men who are both running from their past and desperately in search of the same thing; family.

Director: Lloyd Eyre-Morgan
Studio: TLA Releasing
Rated: Unrated

Polar opposite teenagers Paul and George meet and fall in love on a campsite in Wales during the summer of '88 in this quintessentially British drama from first-time director Lloyd Eyre-Morgan. The young lovers make a pact to return the following summer and run away together, but when only Paul shows up, he vows to find his young lover and sets off with his best friend in tow and his overbearing mother not far behind. If they think running away is going to be easy, they'd better dream on.

Special Features:

Original Footage From The Play Dleted Scenes Trailers

Genre: Music Video & Concerts
Studio: Elektra / Wea
Rated: NR

Like many progressive-rock groups from King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and Yes to Genesis, Rush, and Queensryche, Dream Theater has followed its own musical and artistic agenda, trends and hipness be damned. That single-mindedness is borne out on "Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York", a full-length concert video shot at Roseland Ballroom in New York City in August 2000; it was the final show on the group's tour supporting its release "Scenes from a Memory". With its intricate rhythms and complex song structures, Dream Theater's music is serious and somber to a fault; when gospel singer Theresa Thomason and a backing chorus are brought on for a few numbers, the effect is strangely soothing, as if a layer of humanity smothers the impeccable craftsmanship. The video is decked out in visuals of a mostly silly sort, often literally spelling out the album's narrative (or what passes for it), including reenactments and a portentous narrator. It's all cleverly put together (drummer Mike Portnoy gets director credit), and Kevin Shirley's audio mixing presents the music with clarity and undeniable power. Fans of Dream Theater won't need to be told to snap this up; those unconvinced, however, are not likely to become converts. "--Kevin Filipski"

Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Genre: Horror
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: R

Regardless of its critical roasting, "Dreamcatcher" is a must-see for Stephen King fans. In adapting King's epic novel (itself an amalgam of familiar King plotlines), director Lawrence Kasdan and cowriter William Goldman sacrificed much of the character depth that gave the story its crucial humanity, resulting in a tame frightfest about four longtime friends (Damian Lewis, Jason Lee, Thomas Jane, Timothy Olyphant) whose past--and a shared gift of telepathy--connects them to a present-day alien invasion in the snowy forests of Maine. Like an ambitious episode of "The X-Files", this slick production offers slimy "weasels" that gestate in human bowels; ominous aliens who seize control of bodies and minds; a secret military strike (led by Morgan Freeman) against the invaders; and enough gross-out humor to satisfy jaded horror buffs. Unfortunately, it just isn't scary. Despite its A-list advantages, "Dreamcatcher" works best as a glorified B-movie, likely to benefit from lowered expectations. "--Jeff Shannon"

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Genre: Comedy
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: NC-17

A love letter to movies (and the French new wave of the 1960s in particular), Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Dreamers" starts with a 1968 riot outside of a Parisian movie palace then burrows into an insular love triangle. Matthew (Michael Pitt, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"), an expatriate American student, bonds with a twin brother and sister, Isabelle (Eva Green) and Theo (Louis Garrel), over their mutual love of film--they not only quote lines of dialogue, they act out small bits and challenge each other to name the cinematic source. Matthew suspects the twins of incest, but that doesn't stop him from falling into his own intimacies with Isabelle. As the threesome becomes threatened, Paris succumbs to student riots. "The Dreamers" aspires to be kinky, but the results are more decorative than decadent; nonetheless, the movie's lively energy recalls the careless and vital exuberance of Godard and Truffaut. "--Bret Fetzer"

Director: Roberto Cuzzillo
Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance, TV Movie

A story about love between a Italian guy and a Russian guy

Genre: Comedy
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Rated: PG-13

"Dress Code", called "Bruno" when it debuted on cable, is Shirley MacLaine's first feature as director. Like many of the movies in which she has appeared, it's a drama that uses humor to get its message across. Bruno (Alex D. Linz) is a gradeschooler who lives with his mother and likes to wear dresses. It's one more thing that makes him stand out at Catholic school. Even before his secret gets out, the other kids tease him because he's small and smart--a spelling whiz that reads the dictionary for fun with a mother that is, as he puts it, "flamboyant." His estranged father (Gary Sinise) notes that Angela also weighs 450 pounds, which makes her flamboyance even harder to miss. She means well, however, which can't be said for most of the other people in Bruno's life, with the exception of new girl, Shaniqua, who likes to dress up as well (as a cowgirl). "Dress Code" raises more questions than it answers (like why Angela doesn't remove her son from a school that shows him so little support), but MacLaine keeps the action moving and the cast rises to the occasion, although it would have been nice if Gwen Verdon's role had lasted more than a few seconds. It should be noted that the film contains some profanity (mostly from Bruno's tormentors), and it isn't until the end that the nuns are depicted in a less-than-negative light (including Kathy Bates as a cigarette-smoking Mother Superior). "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Director: Zachary Sluser
Genre: Crime, Drama
Studio: Unified Pictures
Rated: R

Pierre Hunter (Anton Yelchin), a bartender with unyielding optimism, returns to his tiny hometown after his parents' death. When he falls for the enigmatic Stella (Zooey Deschanel), Pierre is unknowingly pulled into a cat-and-mouse game that involves a duffel bag full of cash, a haphazard yet determined criminal (John Hawkes), and a mystery that will determine all of their fates. With Alia Shawkat, Frank Langella, Aubrey Plaza, and Ciarán Hinds. Zachary Sluser's film, based on the novel by Tom Drury, is a contemporary fable about the ways we struggle to control time and fate in a possibly predetermined universe.

Director: Jeremy Brock
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: PG-13

More down-to-earth than "Auntie Mame, Driving Lessons" imparts the same simple, but enduring message—be yourself. In the directorial debut from screenwriter Jeremy Brock ("Mrs. Brown"), 17-year-old Ben ("Harry Potter"'s Rupert Grint, sluggish yet sympathetic) lives with his vicar father, Robert (Nicholas Farrell), and pious mother, Laura (Laura Linney doing a passable, but inconsistent British accent), in a tree-shaded London suburb. Soft-spoken Ben writes poems and looks forward to passing his driver's test. When his mother encourages him to get a job, he becomes an assistant to retired actress Evie Walton ("Billy Elliot'"s Julie Walters, hunched up to look elderly). He finds her overbearing at first. Still, Evie is preferable to Laura, who may do volunteer work with her husband's parishioners, including bizarre boarder Mr. Fincham (Jim Norton), but also cheats on him with Reverend Peter (Oliver Milburn) and engages her resentful son in the subterfuge. Then Evie tricks Ben into driving her to Edinburgh for a poetry reading, where he learns to assert himself and she learns to put the dramatics on hold—at least for a few minutes. Ben also loses his virginity to a woman he just met, sending a secondary message some parents might not appreciate (the film's sprinklings of profanity earned it a PG-13). "Driving Lessons" itself seems stranded between coming-of-age story and character study. Ironically, Farrell gives the most convincing performance as Ben's bird-loving father. Engaging if uneven, this parable about hypocrisy and self-expression might have been more interesting if presented from his perspective. --"Kathleen C. Fennessy"







Stills from " Driving Lessons " (click for larger image)






Beyond " Driving Lessons" at Amazon.com










More Films about Coming of Age






The Films of Julie Walters








Learn to Drive

Director: Fernando Eimbcke
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Warner Home Video
Rated: R

"Duck Season" takes you into one particular Sunday morning in the lives of two fourteen-year old boys, Flama and Moko. With their neighbor Rita and pizza delivery boy Ulises, they create their own adventures to overcome their boredom. "Duck Season" explores the loneliness of childhood, the effects of divorce and the curious power of love and friendship. Winner of numerous awards, including an unprecedented 11 Ariel Awards, the film was produced by Christian Valdelievre, Lulu Productions and Cinepantera and executive produced by Jaime Ramos. Warner Independent Pictures and Alfonso Cuaron's Esperanto Films will distribute.

Director: Christopher Nolan
Genre: Action, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Studio: Syncopy
Rated: PG-13

Evacuation of Allied soldiers from the British Empire, and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France, between May 26- June 04, 1940, during Battle of France in World War II.

Director: Eric Small (IV)
Genre: Comedy
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Rated: PG

Hayden Panettiere (Ice Princess) and Ryan Kelley (Mean Creek) are "attractively earnest"(Variety) teenagers who find budding romance in a magical realm somewhere between Heaven and Earth. An "original and imaginative"(Dallas Observer) fantasy about conquering your fears, The Dust Factory co-stars screen veteran Armin Mueller-Stahl (Shine) as the boy's sage grandfather. After suffering accidents, Ryan (Kelley) and Melanie (Panettiere) meet in an enchanting new world called the Dust Factory, where amazing things happen. People walk on water and disappear in the mist, and Ryan's grandfather, who has Alzheimer's, is now lucid. With magic everywhere, will Ryan and Melanie ever find the courage to leave this wondrous sanctuary and return home?

Director: Juan Carlos de Llaca
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R

Rodri and Rico are two cousins unalike in every way except for a shared contempt for their parents' values and a deep connection to their free spirited grandfather, Rodrigo. When Rodrigo dies unexpectedly, his yuppie children are more interested in quibbling about their inheritance than in fulfilling his last request. Determined to make things right, Rodri and Roco kidnap their grandfather's ashes and set off for sunny Acapulco in a vintage Mercedes. On the way, they learn about life and friendship and realize that their grandfather was more free-spirited than they could have imagined.

Genre: Music Video & Concerts
Rated: Unrated

This DVD features 23 songs from McCartney and Wings concert at King Dome in Seattle Washington USA in front of 67000 fans .This was part of their epic world tour in the mid 1970's that formed the triple "Wings over America".*********** TRACK LIST : Rockshow: 1. Venus and Mars / Rock Show 2. Jet 3. Let Me Roll It. 4. Spirits Of Ancient Egypt. 5. Medicine Jar . 6. Maybe I'm Amazed 7. Live And Let Die. 8. Bluebird 9. I've Just Seen A Face / Yesterday / You Gave Me The Answer. 10. Magneto & Titanium Man 11. Go Now (Banks Bennet). 12. Listen To What The Man Said. 13. Let 'Em In 14. Time To Hide (Lane). 15. Silly Love Songs. 16. Beware My Love. 17. Letting Go. 18. Band On The Run. 19. Hi Hi Hi .20. Soily.*** THE VIDEOS: 1. Medley: Bip Bop Maybe I'm Amazed Bluebird Live and Let Die Helter Skelter 2. Goodnight Tonight - 1979 3. Helen Wheels - 1973 4. My Love - 1973 5. Wonderful Christmas Time - 1979 ***Bonus Materials: ***BBC TOP OF THE POPS - 2: 1. Hi Hi Hi - 1972. 2. Band On The Run - 1974. 3. Silly Love Song - 1976. 4. Mull of Kintyre - 1977. 5. With a Little Luck - 1978. 6. Coming Up - 1980.

Director: Matthew Gordon
Genre: Drama
Studio: Fairtrade Films

All fourteen-year-old Robbie Hendrick ever wanted was a family. Yet as another Mississippi summer begins, his wayward mother has run off again fearing a breakdown and he's left to burn the days caring for his half brother, Fess. As the deep days and nights pass without her return and with older brother Lucas dangerously in their lives again, Robbie must face the fact that his dream of a family may only be a dream and he might just lose the only family he's ever had: Fess.