March 2002

March 5, 2002

March 12, 2002

March 19,  2002

March 26, 2002


March 5, 2002

A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (Dreamworks)
Starring Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O'Connor, Sam Robards, Jake Thomas, Brendan Gleeson, William Hurt. 
Steven Spielberg's film about love and machinery comes to homevideo. The film's first half is nothing short of brilliant, highlighting Spielberg's mastery of creating emotion on-screen and with Osment shining again as a young android. However, once Osment's character catches up with Jude Law (in a terrific performance as an escapee android) the film starts to get weird and just keeps getting weirder. Is it a terrible film? By no means. Is it perhaps too smart for its own good? Probably. Still, a terrific DVD package. Rated PG-13; 145m. Also available on DVD.

DARK ASYLUM (Lion's Gate)
Starring Paulina Porizkova, Jurgen Prochnow, Judd Nelson, Larry Drake
A serial killer is loose in an abandoned asylum and it's up to a psychiatrist and the janitor to stop him. Rated R; 96m. Also available on DVD.

FUN SONGS FOR KIDS (Madacy Kids!)
A collection of over 100 songs, with complete lyrics, that will allow kids to singalong with childhood favorites, Karaoke style. Available on four VHS cassettes ($6.98 each) or two DVDs ($14.98 each)

THE LAST CASTLE (Dreamworks)
Starring Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, Steve Burton, Delroy Lindo, Paul Calderon, Samuel Ball, Brian Goodman. 
Redford stars as a former three-star general imprisoned in a military prison for disobeying an order. Gandolfini is the warped warden who comes down too hard on his men, leading to a prisoner revolt. Excellent performance raise this one a notch above its too-often overplayed screenplay. Rated R; 131m. Also available on DVD.

THE ONE (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Jet Li, Delroy Lindo, Jason Statham, Carla Gugino. 
Martial arts star Jet Li stars as a government agent who discovers the secret of attaining super powers in this sci-fi action thriller. A B-movie with A-movie special effects. Rated PG-13; 88m. Also available on DVD.

SECRETS LIES AND ATOMIC SPIES (WGBH Boston)
A NOVA investigation of the Soviet Union's first atomic explosion and the possibility that this unexpectedly early test may have benefited from stolen secrets from Los Alamos. 60m; $19.95.

THROUGH THE YEARS OF HIP-HOP: VOLUME 1 (Music Video Dist.)
Featuring Run DMC, Queen Latifah, more. 
A history of hip-hop music. Also available on DVD.

TRUE BLUE (Paramount)
Starring Tom Berenger, Lori Heuring
A seasoned cop discovers more about the underworld than even he imagined when a murder victim's roommate stays at his home. Rated R; 101m. Also available on DVD.

March 12, 2002

COCA-COLA: THE HISTORY OF AN AMERICAN ICON (MPI)
A direct-to-video premiere documentary about the world's most popular soft drink., including historical insights, classic commercials, more. VHS (106m): $14.98; DVD: (145m): $19.98.

CONSPIRACY (HBO)
Starring Kenneth Branagh, Stanley Tucci, David Threlfall, Colin Firth
The true story of a Nazi meeting during World War II that led to Hitler's final Solution. Rated R; 96m. Also available on DVD. 

DVD Releases
The following films are released to DVD:
ANDRE (Paramount) starring Keith Carradine 
THE EDUCATION OF LITTLE TREE (Paramount) starring Joseph Ashton
LASSIE (Paramount) starring Tom Guiry
TO KILL WITH INTRIGUE (Columbia/Tri-Star) starring Jackie Chan
NEW FIST OF FURY (Columbia/Tri-Star) starring Jackie Chan
SNAKE AND CRANE ARTS OF SHAOLIN (Columbia/Tri-Star) starring Jackie Chan
HOMICIDAL (Columbia/Tri-Star) from horror movie director William Castle
STRAIT-JACKET (Columbia/Tri-Star) starring Joan Crawford, directed by William Castle
MR. SARDONICUS (Columbia/Tri-Star) also from Castle

DVD Re-Price (Fox)
The following DVDs are re-priced at $19.98 each:
ALL THE RIGHT MOVES starring Tom Cruise
LESS THAN ZERO starring Michael J. Fox
SAY ANYTHING starring John Cusack
TAPS starring Tom Cruise
THE ABYSS (single disc version) from James Cameron
ANNA AND THE KING starring Jodie Foster
Cast Away (single disc) starring Tom Hanks
DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?
FREDDY GOT FINGERED starring Tom Green
INDEPENDENCE DAY (single disc version)
LAKE PLACID

HEIST
Starring Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ricky Jay, Patti LuPone, Jim Frangione
A group of criminals join up to do one big job and, of course, wind up trying to screw each other. Made better than it should be by the terrific cast and the screenplay and direction of David Mamet, whose dialogue literally leaps off the screen. Rated R; 109m. Also available on DVD. 

JOY RIDE (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Steve Zahn, Leelee Sobieski, Paul Walker
Two boys and a girl on the road piss off a trucker who tracks them down, leaving a path of death and destruction in his wake. Anybody remember "Road Games" with Stacy Keach? It's a little like that. Bottom line - if you can get over the silliness (and there's quite a bit of it), then you can probably enjoy this. Rated R; 96m. Also available on DVD featuring:
Four (count 'em - four!) alternate endings with optional commentary
A 28-minute, never-before-seen third act
Commentary by director John Dahl, Steve Zahn, Leelee Sobieski, writers Clay Tarver and J.J. Abrahms
Voice auditions for the film's villain
Making of Featurette
Deleted Footage
96m
$27.98

LIAM (Lion's Gate)
Starring Ian Hart, Anne Reid.
The story of a young boy and his attempt to understand the world around him. From director Stephen Frears. Rated R; 91m; Also available on DVD. 

THE ORDER (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Charlton Heston, Sofia Milos
Van Damme stars as a low-budget Indiana Jones in this action adventure about a smuggler who travels to Jerusalem to rescue his museum-curator father who's been kidnapped by ruthless fanatics. Also available on DVD featuring:
Digitally mastered audio and anamorphic video
Widescreen and fullscreen
English 5.1 Dolby Digital
Trailers
$24.95

SEXY BEAST (Fox)
Starring Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman, James Fox, Cavan Kendall, Julianne White, Alvaro Monje
A happily retired gangster is brought back into the business without much choice on his part by a group that needs him as part of their team. Absolutely riveting film with an almost unrecognizable performance by Ben Kingsley (who is genuinely frightening). One note: Rent this on DVD so you can turn on the closed-captions. The Cockney accents are hard and thick throughout this one. Rated R; 88m; DVD features include:
Anamorphic Widescreen
English, English 5.1 and English Dolby Digital sound options
Commentary by Ben Kingsley and Producer Jeremy Thomas
Domestic and International Trailers
Behind-the-scenes featurette of the Making of the Film

SHIRLEY TEMPLE TITLES (Fox)
The following Shirley Temple classics are released to VHS at $9.98:
LITTLE MISS BROADWAY
SHIRLEY TEMPLE SING & DANCE ALONG
THE STOWAWAY
WEE WILLIE WINKIE
BABY TAKE A BOW
THE BLUE BIRD
THE LITTLEST REBEL
And the following are released to DVD at $19.98:
BRIGHT EYES
DIMPLES
HEIDI

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS (Paramount)
Two collections from Nickelodeon's hilarious and very popular cartoon series are released, each containing five segments. Also available on a single DVD at $19.99. 

THE WASH (Lions Gate)
Starring Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, George Wallace, Angell Conwell, Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr., DJ Pooh
A group of rappers work at a car wash to make some quick cash to supposedly hilarious results. Snoop Dogg funny? You make the call! Rated R; 94m. Also available on DVD featuring:
16X9 widescreen
5.1 Dolby Digital
Live Footage from the Hollywood Film Premiere
Dr. Dre Music Video "Bad Intentions" featuring Knoc-Turn'al
Cast & Crew Interviews
Trailers
93m
Rated R

WWF TOUGH ENOUGH: THE FIRST SEASON (Paramount)
The entire first season of the popular reality series is released on videocassette and DVD. DVD features include:
Full screen
Dolby Digital English Surround
450m
$39.95
Also available is:
MTV's BEHIND WWF TOUGH ENOUGH $14.95

ZOOLANDER (Paramount)
Starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Christine Taylor, Milla Jovovich, Jerry Stiller, Jon Voight
Ben Stiller tries to create his Austin Powers with Zoolander, an incredibly stupid fashion model who also takes a stab at saving the world from evil. The cast has so much fun, it's almost impossible for the audience not to, even though Zoolander is probably even stupider than Powers. Rated PG-13; 89m. Also available on DVD featuring:
Commentary by Ben Stiller and writers Drake Sather and John Hamburg
Five deleted scenes with commentary by Stiller
Five extended scenes with commentary by Stiller
Outtakes
Two original VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards skits
The Wiseguys music video
12 promotional spots
Alternate end title sequence
Photo galleries, including Derek's and Hansel's portfolios
Menus hosted by Derek Zoolander
Widescreen
Dolby Digital 5.1
$29.99

March 19, 2002

2001: A SPACE TRAVESTY (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Leslie Nielsen does to sci-fi films what he did to cop movies with this story about a marshal who must stop bad guys from cloning world leaders. Rated R. Also available on DVD featuring digitally mastered audio and anamorphic video;
Widescreen and fullscreen;
English 5.1
$24.95

AVANT GARDE COLLECTION (MGM)
The following films are released to DVD at $19.98 each:
ANGELS & INSECTS starring Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas and Patsy Kensit
BAR GIRLS 
BOXCAR BERTHA
DE SADE starring Keir Dullea and John Huston
IMPROMPTU starring Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Judy Davis
THE LOCUSTS starring Kate Capshaw, Vince Vaughn
ROMEO IS BLEEDING starring Gary Oldman
WILD ORCHID starring Carre Otis, Mickey Rourke and Jacqueline Bisset.

BUSY BOB & SILLY SPUD (HIT)
The popular preschool video line continues with this sixth title in the series. Based on the "bob the Builder" television show. $14.99. 45m.

DONNIE DARKO (Fox)
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Mary McDonnell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Katharine Ross
A dark psychological black comedy thriller. Rated R; 113m. Also available on DVD featuring:
English Dolby 5.1 Surround
Widescreen anamorphic presentation
Commentary by director Richard Kelly, Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Jean Malone, Mary McDonnell.
Deleted/extended scenes with optional director commentary
Patrick Swayze "infomercials"
Book excerpt
Music Video
Cast and Crew bios
Trailer and television spots
Still gallery
Website gallery
$29.98

DVD Titles (Columbia/Tri-Star)
The following titles are released to DVD:
SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES starring Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, Charles Grodin, Robert Guillaume and Harold Gould featuring:
Widescreen and fullscreen;
Trailers
$24.95
VERTICAL LIMIT starring Chris O'Donnell, Robin Tunney, featuring the Superbit Technology process which substitutes DVD bonuses for increased quality of picture and sound. $27.96
THE BIG HIT starring Mark Wahlberg and Lou Diamond Phillips, also featuring the Superbit Technology process. $27.96.
WILDE starring Stephen Fry, Jude Law, Tom Wilkinson, Vanessa Redgrave featuring:
Audio commentary with the cast and crew
Original featurettes "Simply Wilde" and "Still Wild About Wilde"
The complete content of the official "Wilde" website
Widescreen
Filmographies
$29.95
THE EVIL THAT MEN DO starring Charles Bronson featuring:
Widescreen and fullscreen
Trailers
$19.95

FOCUS (Paramount)
Starring William H. Macy, Laura Dern, David Paymer, Meat Loaf
Based on Arthur Miller's 1947 novel, this is a story of a man and woman who face anti-Semitism first hand and yet only look Jewish. Rated PG-13; 106m. Also available on DVD featuring:
Widescreen
Documentary on the film
Dolby Digital English 5.1

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME II (Disney)
Starring the voices of Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Kevin Kline, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Haley Joel Osment, Michael McKean
Direct-To-Video sequel to the Disney hit. Rated G; Also available on DVD. 

I'LL TAKE YOU THERE (First Look)
Starring Ally Sheedy
A first date goes from bad to worse to criminal. Rated R. 98m. Also available on DVD.

THE LADY SINGS ... JAZZ & BLUES - STOLEN MOMENTS (Motown/UME)
A live performance by the legendary Diana Ross, recorded on December 4, 1992. Re-issued as the 10th Anniversary of the concert and the 30th Anniversary of the film "Lady Sings the Blues." This new version, available on DVD, contains the complete 20-song performance along with behind-the-scenes interviews with Ross and rare rehearsal footage. The audio has been digitally remastered from the original sources. Songs include "God Bless the Child," "Love is Here to Stay," "Good Morning Heartache" "Ain't Nobody's Bizness if I Do." 

THE OPERATOR (First Look) 
Starring Michael Laurence, Jacquline Kim, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brion James, Christa Miller
An immoral man makes a fatal error when he insults an information operator who makes his life a living hell by tampering with his credit, his phone, etc. Thriller tries to become more by adding a philosophical angle but never quite escapes the simple thriller category. Also available on DVD featuring:
Trailer
Commentary by star Stephen Tobolowsky and director Jon Dichter 

A REGULAR FRANKIE FAN - ROCKY HORROR LIVES ON (Music Video Distributors)
A documentary about the enduring fandom of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." 80m. $14.95. Also available on DVD. 

RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Drew Barrymore, Steve Zahn, Brittany Murphy, James Woods, Lorraine Bracco, Adam Garcia, Sara Gilbert, Peter Facinelli, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rosie Perez
The story of a young woman and 25 years of her life, beginning in 1961. Rated PG-13; 131m. Also available on DVD. 

RISK (Lion's Gate)
Starring Bryan Brown, Tom Long, Claudia Karvan
An insurance adjuster is conned by a lawyer and her boyfriend. Rated R; 92m. Also available on DVD. 

TRAINING DAY (Warner)
Starring Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger, Harris Yulin, Raymond J. Barry, Cliff Curtis, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Macy Gray
A young cop, new on the force, finds out the hard way that not all cops are good guys. Washington and Hawke are nominated for Oscars for their performances here. Rated R; 122m. Also available on DVD. 

March 26, 2002

ALL IN THE FAMILY (Columbia/Tri-Star)
Starring Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers
The entire first season of the legendary Norman Lear television series about Archie Bunker and his family finally comes to DVD in this 3-disc set. Nominated for 48 Emmy Awards, and winner of 20, with three wins for Outstanding Comedy Series. $24.95.

THE BRAVEST (UAV Entertainment)
Two episodes from the reality series about firefighters and real-life situations come to VHS and DVD. DVD features include statistical information and other features. 88m. 

THE DIAMOND OF JERU (USA Home Entertainment)
Starring Billy Zane, Keith Carradine, Paris Jefferson
Based on Louis L'Amour's short story and adapted for the screen by his son Beau, this action/adventure film brings to mind the classic adventure films of Errol Flynn and Humphrey Bogart. The story is about a man and wife, struggling to re-ignite their marriage, who journey to Borneo in hunt of a massive diamond. There, they meet deceit and encounter murder and can only be saved by a local hero (Zane) who is falling in love with the wife. Highly entertaining and fun-to-watch. Recommended for fans of the Indiana Jones trilogy and films such as "African Queen." DVD features include:
Behind-the-Scenes footage
Cast Interviews
$19.95

HOW TO KILL YOUR NEIGHBOR'S DOG (Artisan)
Starring Kenneth Branagh, Robin Wright, Suzi Hofrichter, Lynn Redgrave, Jared Harris, Peter Riegert, David Krumholtz, Johnathon Schaech
An aging, struggling playwright tries to deal with life's little problems, that seem to be hitting him at more than regular intervals. Rated R; 107m. Also available on DVD. 

IRON MONKEY (Miramax)
Starring Yu Rong-Guang, Donnie Yen, Jean Wang, Tsang Sze-Man, Yuen Shun-Yi, James Wong, Yen Yee-Kwan
Yet another in the current return of martial arts films. Rated PG-13; 86m. Also available on DVD. 

K-PAX (Universal)
Starring Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Mary McCormack, Alfre Woodard, Ajay Naidu, Conchata Ferrell
Bridges stars as a psychiatrist whose latest patient claims to be from outer space. Trouble is - maybe he really is. Rated PG-13; 121m. Also available on DVD. 

LIFE AS A HOUSE (New Line)
Starring Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, Hayden Christensen, Mary Steenburgen, Jena Malone, Jamey Sheridan, Sam Robards, Scott Bakula
A man with terminal cancer decides to stop everything in his life and to build his dream home with the help of his understanding and loving neighbors. Rated R; 124m. Also available on DVD. 

ORIGINAL SIN (MGM)
Starring Antonio Banderas, Angelina Jolie, Thomas Jane, Jack Thompson, Gregory Itzin, Allison Mackie
An erotic thriller starring two very erotic stars. Rated R; 116m. Also available on DVD. 

OUR LADY OF THE ASSASSINS (Paramount)
Starring German Jaramillo, Anderson Ballesteros, Juan David Restrepo
Director Barbet Schroeder explores a writer and his return to his homeland which is no longer the place he remembers. In Spanish with English subtitles. Rated R; 101m. Also available on DVD featuring
Widescreen presentation
Dolby Digital Spanish 5.1

SLAP SHOT 2: BREAKING THE ICE (Universal)
Starring Stephen Baldwin, Gary Busey, Dave Hanson, Steve Carlson, Jeff Carlson
This direct-to-video film is a sequel to the 1977 "Slap Shot" starring Paul Newman. Rated R; 104m. Also available on DVD. 

XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS - THE SERIES FINALE (USA Entertainment)
Starring Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor
The Director's Cut of the final episode of the wildly popular television series is released to VHS and DVD. DVD features include:
30 Minutes of Unseen Behind-the-Scenes Footage
Commentary with Producer/Director Robert Tapert, Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor
23 Slide Photo Gallery
Screensaver
VHS: $14.95 DVD: $24.95

WINKY DINK & YOU (Vanguard For Kids)
The classic children's program - in which kids interact with the characters and action onscreen by drawing on a plastic sheet that fits over the television screen, is released to video at $9.99 Three volumes are available.