Library

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis topped his breakaway hit "Romancing the Stone" with "Back to the Future", a joyous comedy with a dazzling hook: what would it be like to meet your parents in their youth? Billed as a special-effects comedy, the imaginative film (the top box-office smash of 1985) has staying power because of the heart behind Zemeckis and Bob Gale's script. High schooler Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox, during the height of his TV success) is catapulted back to the '50s where he sees his parents in their teens, and accidentally changes the history of how Mom and Dad met. Filled with the humorous ideology of the '50s, filtered through the knowledge of the '80s (actor Ronald Reagan is president, ha!), the film comes off as a "Twilight Zone" episode written by Preston Sturges. Filled with memorable effects and two wonderfully off-key, perfectly cast performances: Christopher Lloyd as the crazy scientist who builds the time machine (a DeLorean luxury car) and Crispin Glover as Marty's geeky dad. "--Doug Thomas"
Critics and audiences didn't seem too happy with "Back to the Future, Part II", the inventive, perhaps too clever sequel. Director Zemeckis and cast bent over backwards to add layers of time-travel complication, and while it surely exercises the brain it isn't necessarily funny in the same way that its predecessor was. It's well worth a visit, though, just to appreciate the imagination that went into it, particularly in a finale that has Marty watching his own actions from the first film. "--Tom Keogh"
Shot back-to-back with the second chapter in the trilogy, "Back to the Future, Part III" is less hectic than that film and has the same sweet spirit of the first, albeit in a whole new setting. This time, Marty ends up in the Old West of 1885, trying to prevent the death of mad scientist Christopher Lloyd at the hands of gunman Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson, who had a recurring role as the bully Biff). Director Zemeckis successfully blends exciting special effects with the traditions of a Western and comes up with something original and fun. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono

Summary: This likable 1976 comedy gently skewers the whole post- "Rocky" mania for movies about losers who find their mettle or salvation or purpose in life in competitive sport. Walter Matthau stars as a drunk who becomes manager of a pathetic little-league baseball team. When he brings in a talented girl pitcher (Tatum O'Neal), the crew have an actual chance at winning some games and maybe a championship. But director Michael Ritchie ("Downhill Racer") undercuts the romance of it all with the team's foul-mouthed tendencies and Matthau's own decadent spin on mentor-coachdom. Similarly to Ritchie's wicked comedy "Smile" --which lampooned the fervor surrounding beauty pageants--"The Bad News Bears" pokes fun at another American institution. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Hollywood favorites Billy Bob Thornton (THE ALAMO), Bernie Mac (MR. 3000), and John Ritter (TV s 8 SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER) kick it up a notch in this unrated version of the outrageous comedy hit BAD SANTA. You'd better watch out -- Santa Claus Willie T. Stokes (Thornton) is coming to town and he doesn't care if you've been naughty or nice. Willie's favorite holiday tradition is to fill his sacks with loot lifted from shopping malls across the country. But this year his plot gets derailed by a wise-cracking store detective (Mac), a sexy bartender (Lauren Graham -- TV's GILMORE GIRLS), and a kid who's convinced Willie is the real Santa Claus! You're sure to believe in BADDER SANTA: THE UNRATED VERSION -- once you experience this longer, funnier, and more explicit motion picture!

Bonus Features
1. "Hilariously nasty!" -- People Magazine; "Funny as hell!" -- Washington Post
2. Deleted And Alternate Scenes
3. Behind-The-Scenes Special
4. Outtakes
5. "Badder Santa" Gag Reel


System Requirements:
Running Time 98 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Summary: An impressively rigorous, unsentimental, and harrowing look at combat during World War II, "Band of Brothers" follows a company of airborne infantry--Easy Company--from boot camp through the end of the war. The brutality of training takes the audience by increments to the even greater brutality of the war; Easy Company took part in some of the most difficult battles, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, the failed invasion of Holland, and the Battle of the Bulge, as well as the liberation of a concentration camp and the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. But what makes these episodes work is not their historical sweep but their emphasis on riveting details (such as the rattle of a plane as the paratroopers wait to leap, or a flower in the buttonhole of a German soldier) and procedures (from military tactics to the workings of bureaucratic hierarchies). The scope of this miniseries (10 episodes, plus an actual documentary filled with interviews with surviving veterans) allows not only a thoroughness impossible in a two-hour movie, but also captures the wide range of responses to the stress and trauma of war--fear, cynicism, cruelty, compassion, and all-encompassing confusion. The result is a realism that makes both simplistic judgments and jingoistic enthusiasm impossible; the things these soldiers had to do are both terrible and understandable, and the psychological price they paid is made clear. The writing, directing, and acting are superb throughout. The cast is largely unknown, emphasizing the team of actors as a whole unit, much like the regiment; Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston play the central roles of two officers with grit and intelligence. "Band of Brothers" turns a vast historical event into a series of potent personal experiences; it's a deeply engrossing and affecting accomplishment. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary:

"The only people who make the news are psychopaths and serial killers." So begins the narrative of the local barber, Dexter Mills (Malcolm McDowell), who watches as the town of Revelstoke, Alaska, slides toward panic with each new murder that is visited upon their small town. Everyone who lives in Revelstoke suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a result of the 24-hour darkness that afflicts this part of the world at a certain time every year.

Slyly narrating, Mills is the consummate actor, always gregarious, listening avidly to gossip or the sheriff's woes, the absurdity of the investigation, even the lovelorn stories of young women who find him comforting: "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Dexter has plenty to say about the murders, the incompetent FBI agents, his neighbors and the bumbling police. He warns in advance of his eccentricities, as the bodies fall, one after another, "I can tell you from experience, psychopaths hold grudges. I never forgive."

This small Alaskan town is literally blind-sided by the murderer that strikes from nowhere, lurking under the cover of eternal night that weighs upon all the residents. Dexter Mills is the natural center for assorted conversations, never under the least suspicion, watching, listening, either in the barber shop or the local pub, where the citizens gather, drinking away their fears.

McDowell is at his grisly best, carrying on his monologue for the entertainment of the audience, making us his confidants. The other characters are merely window dressing for McDowell's acting prowess, the Police Chief (Jeremy Ratchford) and a number of supporting actors who serve as fodder for the psychopath whose identity is evident from the first. Eerie and seductive, Mills manages to escape the notice of law enforcement, his clever machinations directing the actions of his unwitting pawns. A final thought: "If you think you know a psychopath, you're probably right." Luan Gaines/ 2005.

Languages: English

Summary: Michael Douglas stars as Nick Curran, a tough but vulnerable detective. Sharon Stone costars as Catherine Tramell, a cold, calculating, and beautiful novelist with an insatiable sexual appetite. Catherine becomes a prime suspect when her boyfriend is brutally murdered - a crime she had described in her latest novel. Obsessed with cracking the case, Nick descends into San Francisco's forbidden underground where suspicions mount, bodies fall, and he finds within himself an instinct more basic than survival.

Special Features*:16.9 Newly remastered Widescreen5.1 Newly remastered English Dolby Surround2.0 English Dolby Digital Audio"Blonde Poison" - Documentary on the making of the film"Cleaning up Basic Instinct" - A montage comparing the TV version to the theatrical versionCommentary with feminist critic Camille PagliaPhoto GalleryDigitally MasteredStoryboard ComparisonsTheatrical TrailerInteractive MenusScene AccessProduction NotesCast and Crew InformationEnglish, French and Spanish subtitles


System Requirements:
Starring: Micael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, and Jeanne Tripplehorn
Directed By: Paul Verhoeven
Running Length: 127 minutes, color
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format

Format: DVD MOVIE

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is a struggling street puppeteer. In order to make some money, Craig takes a job as a filing clerk. One day he accidentally discovers a door a portal into the mind of John Malkovich (played by John Malkovich)! For 15 minutes, he experiences the ultimate head trip HE is John Malkovich! Then he s dumped out onto the New Jersey turnpike! With his beautiful office mate Maxine (Catherine Keener) and his pet-obsessed wife (Cameron Diaz), they hatch a plan to let others into John s brain for just $200 a trip. See what all the critics are talking about.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Spectacular animated action scenes turn the ancient epic poem "Beowulf" into a modern fantasy movie, while motion-capture technology transforms plump actor Ray Winstone ("Sexy Beast") into a burly Nordic warrior. When a Danish kingdom is threatened by the monster Grendel (voiced and physicalized by Crispin Glover, "River's Edge"), Beowulf--lured by the promise of heroic glory--comes to rescue them. He succeeds, but falls prey to the seductive power of Grendel's mother, played by Angelina Jolie... and as Jolie's pneumatically animated form rises from an underground lagoon with demon-claw high heels, it becomes clear that we're leaving the original epic far, far behind. Regrettably, the motion-capture process has made only modest improvements since "The Polar Express"; while the characters' eyes no longer look so flat and zombie-like, their faces remain inexpressive and movements are still wooden. As a result, the most effective sequences feature wildly animated battles and the most vivid character is Grendel, whose grotesqueness ends up making him far more sympathetic than any of the mannequin-like human beings. The meant-to-be-titillating images of a naked Jolie resemble an inflatable doll more than a living, breathing woman (or succubus, as the case may be). But the fights--particularly Grendel's initial assault on the celebration hut--pop with lushly animated gore and violence. Also featuring the CGI-muffled talents of Anthony Hopkins ("Silence of the Lambs"), Robin Wright Penn ("The Princess Bride"), and John Malkovich ("Dangerous Liaisons"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Summary:

Summary: "By the time we finish this poker game, there may not be a federal government left! Which would suit me just fine." -Tom DeLay, 1994
In a stunning 1994 interview, shortly after the now infamous Republican revolution, Tom DeLay sat down and laid out his vision for America: to destroy the Department of Education, HUD, OSHA, the NEH, the NEA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. His self-stated goal was to "completely redesign government."
The Big Buy: Tom DeLay's Stolen Congress is the story of how he did just that. It's the story of one of the most blatant power grabs in American history, and how a District Attorney in Texas turned out to be the biggest threat to the national DeLay Machine. The film is a warning about how easy it is for American democracy to be hijacked by a combination of relentless ambition and corporate millions. It makes the case that DeLay built a "custom-made Congress" that is still providing votes for his agenda.

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: The Coen brothers irreverent cult hit comes to DVD as a Collector's Edition, with all-new bonus material. The hilariously twisted comedy-thriller stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Julianne Moore. Join the Dude and his bowling buddies on their journey that blends unforgettable characters, kidnapping, a case of mistaken identity and White Russians. Enter the visually unique and entertaining world from the creative minds of the Coen brothers and remember: the Dude abides.

System Requirements:
Running Time 118 Mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Sam Fuller's "The Big Red One" was already one of the best films of 1980, despite the fact that the version released to theaters ran barely half as long as the director's cut. Fuller had been America's ballsiest B-movie auteur, an ex-newspaper reporter of the hardnosed breed who made fiercely personal, radically stylized, and politically outspoken films between the early '50s ("The Steel Helmet," "Pickup on South Street") and the early '60s ("Shock Corridor"). "The Big Red One" was his long-dreamt-of account of World War II as experienced by his own squad of the 1st Infantry Division, USA, from the first shot fired (by a dead man, on the coast of North Africa) to the last (in a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia).
Even in the studio-truncated version, there was no shortage of astonishing moments and sequences: the squad choking on dust in a bat-filled cave in North Africa as German tanks clatter past the entrance; Fuller's cold-blooded distillation of the D-Day slaughter on Omaha Beach, with a wrist watch on a dead arm in the surf marking time as the water slopping over it grows redder; the rifle squad delivering a Frenchwoman's baby in a German tank on a battlefield full of corpses; a commando-like raid on Nazi troops bivouacked in a Belgian insane asylum. A quarter-century later, film critic Richard Schickel and Warner Bros. executive Brian Jamieson succeeded in restoring 15 never-seen sequences and fleshing out 23 others to create "The Big Red One: The Reconstruction", a "new" film nearly an hour longer.
Above all, "BR1: The Reconstruction" has a rhythm the 1980 cut lacked. The arc of years, battles, and battlegrounds is so much more satisfying. Greater play is given to Fuller's feeling for children caught up in the sidewash of history and atrocity. And the 2004 cut puts sex back into the movie, not orgiastically but as a fact of life and a rarely forgotten driving force. We can see now that Fuller touched, bluntly and shockingly, on the phenomenon of infiltrators--English-speaking German warriors who donned GI khaki and moved among their enemies waiting for a chance to strike.
It's also apparent, as it was not in 1980, that Lee Marvin as the eternal Sergeant leading the young squad is magnificent. This was Marvin's greatest role, rivaled only by his walking dead man in John Boorman's "Point Blank". Just beneath the masterly implacability, we glimpse the tenderness, rage, dark humor, experience, and wisdom beyond guilt that have enabled him to survive, to preserve others and to soldier on. His performance, like Fuller's film, is a masterpiece. "--Richard T. Jameson"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Matt Dillon stars as a small-time gambler in 1950's Chicago. He moves from rural Illinois to Chicago to pursure his incredible luck at dice. While working for professional gamblers, he falls in love with both a stripper (Diane Lane) and a pretty unwed mother (Suzy Amis). Starring: Diane Lane (2003 Academy Award® Nominee Unfaithful, Under the Tuscan Sun), Matt Dillon (Drugstore Cowboy), Tommy Lee Jones (Academy Award Winner, 1994 The Fugitive, The Missing), Bruce Dern (Academy Award Nominee 1978 Coming Home), Lee Grant (Academy Award Winner, 1976 Shampoo).

Languages: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono

Summary: It is the future. Society has at last solved all its major problems, thanks to amiable lunkheads Bill and Ted and the inspiring music of their band, Wyld Stallyns. Only one man is dissatisfied with the way things have turned out, the evil De Nomolos. In an effort to change the future, De Nomolos sends evil Bill and Ted robots back in time to prevent the real Bill and Ted from winning a pivotal Battle of the Bands. What follows is a spirited journey through the afterlife as Bill and Ted try to rescue their girlfriends, save the future, and, oh, yeah, learn how to play the guitar. "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" swings easily between childish and clever humor, and is good at both: a Bergman reference is quickly followed by an equally funny bit about Death's stinky feet. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter seem happy to be reprising their roles and even manage to add funny spins on Evil Robot Bill and Ted. William Sadler very nearly steals the movie as Death, playing both his wounded dignity and budding desire to be funky to a T. As if that weren't enough, George Carlin returns as Rufus and Pam Grier does a cameo just for the hell of it. "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" is ample proof that not all sequels suck. Sometimes they're even better than the original. "--Ali Davis"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Like, radical, dude--but not nearly as funny as it should be, even though it was a box-office hit. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are a pair of dim Valley boys, whose life is made heinous by a school history project. Enter George Carlin as a futuristic dude with a time-traveling phone booth. So Bill and Ted go back in time to round up a gang of historical figures (Socrates, Joan of Arc) to bring back for their presentation. Abe Lincoln at the mall? That's about as witty as it gets, rendering this the kind of comedy that gives teenaged audiences a bad name. "--Marshall Fine"

Languages: English

Sound: Unknown

Summary: Bill Hicks's scathing, fearless standup comedy is on full display in "Satirist, Social Critic, Stand-Up Comedian", the first official DVD release containing the late performer's work. Hicks, who died in 1994 at age 32, may not have been a total original; he's often compared to Lenny Bruce, as well as Sam Kinison and others, and he was hardly the first comic to talk about sex, drugs, politics, and religion, even if Hicks's takes on these matters are usually strikingly fresh. But there's simply no denying the unabashed, in-your-face power of these three early '90s performances, one each from Chicago, Montreal (entitled "Relentless", this show originally aired on HBO), and London. Hicks is profane, to say the least, but never crude for its own sake, and certainly not stupid (we're not talking Andrew Dice Clay here). His humor is abrasive, passionate, shameless, provocative--calling non-smokers "obnoxious, self-righteous slugs" is one of his milder observations--and it's delivered in riveting, almost preacher-like fashion, with a strong physical element. And anyone who doubts his impact, both during and after his short, turbulent life, need only watch "It's Just a Ride," the 40-minute documentary accompanying the three live shows, in which both family and famous (Jay Leno and David Letterman among them) comment on him and work. In the end, you realize that since his death, no comic has come along who can touch Bill Hicks. "--Sam Graham"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Born Losers: The first film in which the character Billy Jack ever appeared. Tom Laughlin had written Billy Jack back in the 1950's, but couldn't get anyone interested in a film about Indians - half-breed or otherwise. Tom Laughlin toned down the Indian and political themes in order to get Born Losers made. It became a very successful independent film! Billy Jack: The film that broke the mold. Billy Jack was, once again, the largest grossing independent film of all time. People saw Billy Jack 25 times or more than any movie in history until Star Wars. From the karate to the Native American spirituality, to the Freedom School, to the racial tolerance, few films have ever been this successful or stuck their necks out so far. The Trial of Billy Jack: The Trial of Billy Jack not only broke every box-office record for its day, it forever changed the way motion pictures were distributed. It was for the release of The Trial of Billy Jack that Tom Laughlin created the mega-multiple release that included the first-ever use of national TV advertising for a motion picture. Billy Jack Goes To Washington: Perhaps the most controversial film of all. Twenty years before Senators like Bradley, Rudman, Cohen, and Pell quit saying the U.S. Senate is so corrupt it doesn't work anymore, Billy Jack Goes to Washington told a story straight out of the headlines. At the Washington premiere one Senator exploded, vowing to do everything in his power to make sure Billy Jack Goes to Washington was never released.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: I'm a huge Billy Joel fan...and my bias towards him and his live talents is the only reason I gave this thing 3 stars. Viewed objectively as a production and ignoring my love of the man's music, I would only give this 2 stars at the most. My chief gripes? They are:

- Length of the video/DVD: C'mon, this was a full-blown concert, and we only get 12 songs from it? Half a concert, at the most? So, this should've been sold at half-price the moment it was released, right?!

- As others have mentioned...the filming style and editing are atrocious. I don't need jump-editing and motion sickness to feel the excitement of a live concert on-screen...especially with a performer like Joel, who is more than fun enough to watch on his own merits, without extraneous help from the cameras.

- Song selection was a mixed bag, though this is directly tied to my first gripe about the length of the recorded performance. I realize this was the Storm Front tour, and so it's reasonable to expect a fair number of songs from that album...but way too many of his older (and frankly, bigger) hits were missing.

The positives? Yes, there are some, and they include:

- Joel himself, of course...he's at the top of his game, in fine form. Can't fault the man for his performance!

- I personally don't mind the many camera shots of the band, although this wasn't my favorite incarnation (but that's a personal nit-pick...I miss seeing Russ Javors and the sadly departed Doug Stegmeyer on-stage)...though Crystal Taliefero is awesome!

- While I wasn't thrilled with the song selection, it was great seeing Joel perform "Miami 2017" in this concert.

Overall, this DVD pales in comparison to Joel's "Live from Long Island" video, which is a much more definitive on-film concert performance with the "classic" incarnation of his band...why oh why has nobody released this performance on DVD yet???!!!

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: From acclaimed director Ridley Scott ("Gladiator, Hannibal") and renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("Pearl Harbor, Armageddon") comes a gripping true story about bravery, camaradarie and the complex reality of war. Black Hawk Down stars an exceptional cast including Josh Hartnett ("Pearl Harbor"), Ewan McGregor ("Moulin Rouge!"), Tom Sizemore ("Saving Private Ryan"), Eric Bana ("Chopper"), William Fichtner ("The Perfect Storm"), Ewen Bremner ("Snatch") and Sam Shepard ("All The Pretty Horses"). In 1993, an elite group of American Rangers and Delta Force soldiers are sent to Somalia on a critical mission to capture a violent warlord whose corrupt regime has lead to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Somalis. When the mission goes terribly wrong, the men find themselves outnumbered and literally fighting for their lives.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Summary: We regret that this DVD is under certain restrictions that prohibit sales to customers who live outside the North American continent. If you do not live in the United States or Canada, we will not be able to ship you this DVD. Thank you for understanding.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Summary: "The Blair Witch Project"
Anyone who has even the slightest trouble with insomnia after seeing a horror movie should stay away from "The Blair Witch Project"--this film will creep under your skin and stay there for days. Credit for the effectiveness of this mock documentary goes to filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, who armed three actors (Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Josh Leonard) with video equipment, camping supplies, and rough plot outlines. They then let the trio loose into the Maryland woods to improvise and shoot the entire film themselves as the filmmakers attempted to scare the crap out of them. Gimmicky, yes, but it worked--to the wildly successful tune of $130 million at the box office upon its initial release (the budget was a mere $40,000).
For those of you who were under a rock when it first hit the theaters, "The Blair Witch Project" tracks the doomed quest of three film students shooting a documentary on the Burkittsville, Maryland, legend of the Blair Witch. After filming some local yokels (and providing only scant background on the witch herself), the three, led by Heather (something of a witch herself), head into the woods for some on-location shooting. They're never seen again. What we see is a reconstruction of their "found" footage, edited to make a barely coherent narrative. After losing their way in the forest, whining soon gives way to real terror as the three find themselves stalked by unknown forces that leave piles of rocks outside their campsite and stick-figure art projects in the woods. (As Michael succinctly puts it, "No redneck is this clever!") The masterstroke of the film is that you never actually "see" what's menacing them; everything is implied, and there's no terror worse than that of the unknown. If you can wade through the tedious arguing--and the shaky, motion-sickness-inducing camerawork--you'll be rewarded with an oppressively sinister atmosphere and one of the most frightening denouements in horror-film history. Even after you take away the monstrous hype, "The Blair Witch Project" remains a genuine, effective original. "--Mark Englehart"
"Curse of the Blair Witch"
Are you wondering just exactly who the Blair Witch was? What the Burkittsville, Maryland, legend was all about? Or what exactly fascinated student filmmaker Heather and what possibly took her, Mike, and Josh from this earth? Get all your background questions answered by "Curse of the Blair Witch", a one-stop-shopping "documentary" originally produced for the Sci-Fi Channel as a tie-in marketing tool. Entirely fictionalized, "Curse of the Blair Witch" focuses both on the past and the present, with copious info on the Blair Witch myth as well as on the disappearance of Heather, Josh, and Mike. As it turns out, the original witch was one Elly Kedward, who was accused in 1785 of taking blood from several children; she was subsequently banished to the harsh winter woods and left for dead. Her grisly and bloody legacy involves missing children, polluted water, disemboweled men, and a serial killer of children who claims to have been haunted by "an old woman ghost." Aside from some ineffective "newsreel" footage of the serial killer, all this intriguing information is presented convincingly and chillingly. "Curse" may in fact freak you out more than the movie, and it evokes the great, pulpy "In Search Of" series of the '70s, one of the prime inspirations for filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. News clips of the search for Heather, Josh, and Mike lend a vérité atmosphere to the proceedings, but shed little light on their mysterious disappearance or their characters. Basically, it's a tease to go see the movie. Still, "The Blair Witch Project" provided only ever-so-slight information on the legend that haunted the forest, so you'll want this cleverly constructed mock documentary to supplement your knowledge of the film. "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono

Summary: Mel Brooks scored his first commercial hit with this raucous Western spoof starring the late Cleavon Little as the newly hired (and conspicuously black) sheriff of Rock Ridge. Sheriff Bart teams up with deputy Jim (Gene Wilder) to foil the railroad-building scheme of the nefarious Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman). The simple plot is just an excuse for a steady stream of gags, many of them unabashedly tasteless, that Brooks and his wacky cast pull off with side-splitting success. The humor is so juvenile and crude that you just have to surrender to it; highlights abound, from the lunkheaded Alex Karras as the ox-riding Mongo to Madeline Kahn's uproarious send-up of Marlene Dietrich as saloon songstress Lili Von Shtupp. Adding to the comedic excess is the infamous campfire scene involving a bunch of hungry cowboys, heaping servings of baked beans and, well, you get the idea. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: A former FBI profiler who has recently undergone a heart transplant comes out of retirement to track down the serial killer who has recently begun killing victims with the former agent's blood type.

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French

Summary: While scoring high-profile credits as a screenwriter (including "The Empire Strikes Back", "Return of the Jedi", and "Raiders of the Lost Ark"), Lawrence Kasdan made his directorial debut with this steamy, contemporary film noir in the tradition of "Double Indemnity" and other classics from the 1940s. In one of his most memorable roles, William Hurt plays a Florida lawyer unwittingly drawn into a web of deceit spun by Kathleen Turner (in her screen debut) as a married socialite who plots to kill off her husband with Hurt's assistance. Kasdan's dialogue is a hoot (sometimes it borders on satire), and the sultry atmosphere is a perfect complement to the perspiration-soaked chemistry between Hurt and Turner, whose love scenes caused quite a stir when the film was released in 1981. John Barry's score sets the provocative mood, and both Ted Danson and Mickey Rourke are splendid in memorable supporting roles. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Even if the notorious 1970s porn-filmmaking milieu doesn't exactly turn you on, don't let it turn you off to this movie's extraordinary virtues, either. "Boogie Nights" is one of the key movies of the 1990s, and among the most ambitious and exuberantly alive American movies in years. It's also the breakthrough for an amazing new director, whose dazzling kaleidoscopic style here recalls the Robert Altman of "Nashville" and the Martin Scorsese of "GoodFellas". Although loosely based on the sleazy life and times of real-life porn legend John Holmes, at heart it's a classic Hollywood rise-and-fall fable: a naive, good-looking young busboy is discovered in a San Fernando Valley disco by a famous motion picture producer, becomes a hotshot movie star, lives the high life, and then loses everything when he gets too big for his britches, succumbs to insobriety, and is left behind by new times and new technology. Of course, it ain't exactly "A Star Is Born" or "Singin' in the Rain". Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson (in only his second feature!) puts his own affectionately sardonic twist on the old showbiz biopic formula: the ambitious upstart changes his name and achieves stardom in porno films as "Dirk Diggler." Instead of drinking to excess, he snorts cocaine (the classic drug of '70s hedonism); and it's the coming of home video (rather than talkies) that helps to dash his big-screen dreams. As for the britches ... well, the controversial "money shot" explains everything. And the cast is one of the great ensembles of the '90s, including Oscar nominees Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore, Mark Wahlberg (who really can act--from the waist up, too!), Heather Graham (as Rollergirl), William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, and Ricky Jay. DVD extras include nine deleted scenes and a commentary track from Anderson. "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Summary: Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning 1995 "Braveheart" is an impassioned epic about William Wallace, the 13th-century Scottish leader of a popular revolt against England's tyrannical Edward I (Patrick McGoohan). Gibson cannily plays Wallace as a man trying to stay out of history's way until events force his hand, an attribute that instantly resonates with several of the actor's best-known roles, especially "Mad Max". The subsequent camaraderie and courage Wallace shares in the field with fellow warriors is pure enough and inspiring enough to bring envy to a viewer, and even as things go wrong for Wallace in the second half, the film does not easily cave in to a somber tone. One of the most impressive elements is the originality with which Gibson films battle scenes, featuring hundreds of extras wielding medieval weapons. After Eisenstein's "Alexander Nevsky", Orson Welles's "Chimes at Midnight", and even Kenneth Branagh's "Henry V", you might think there is little new that could be done in creating scenes of ancient combat; yet Gibson does it. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Summary: If Franz Kafka had been an animator and film director--oh, and a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus--this is the sort of outrageously dystopian satire one could easily imagine him making. However, "Brazil" was made by Terry Gilliam, who is all of the above except, of course, Franz Kafka. Be that as it may, Gilliam sure captures the paranoid-subversive spirit of Kafka's "The Trial" (along with his own Python animation) in this bureaucratic nightmare-comedy about a meek governmental clerk named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) whose life is destroyed by a simple bug. Not a software bug, a real bug (no doubt related to Kafka's famous "Metamorphosis" insect) that gets smooshed in a printer and causes a typographical error unjustly branding poor Sam as a miscreant.
The movie presents such an unrelentingly imaginative and savage vision of 20th-century bureaucracy that it almost became a victim of small-minded studio management itself--until Gilliam surreptitiously screened his cut for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, who named it the best movie of 1985 and virtually embarrassed Universal into releasing it. This DVD version of "Brazil" is the special director's cut that first appeared in Criterion's comprehensive (and expensive) six-disc laser package in 1996. Although the DVD (at a fraction of the price) doesn't include that set's many extras, it's still a bargain. "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 1.0

Summary: This massive 1977 adaptation by director Richard Attenborough ("Gandhi") of Cornelius Ryan's novel features an all-star cast in an epic rendering of a daring but ultimately disastrous raid behind enemy lines in Holland during the Second World War. A lengthy and exhaustive look at the mechanics of warfare and the price and futility of war, the film is almost too large for its aims but manages to be both picaresque and affecting, particularly in the performance of James Caan. The impressive cast includes Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Dirk Bogarde, Sean Connery, and Liv Ullmann among others. While not a classic war film, it nevertheless manages to be a consistently interesting and exciting adventure. "--Robert Lane"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: There's only one better way to experience these performances by Bruce Springsteen and his reunited E Street Band, and that's if you were actually in Madison Square Garden when they were recorded in June and July 2000. This two-disc set includes more than three hours of music. Disc One features the 14 songs that were aired by HBO in 2001, while Disc Two adds another 11 tunes released here for the first time. The Boss and his band are in top form; their sheer exuberance at playing together, not to mention the joy and inspiration they provide their audience, are palpable, thanks in no small part to the excellent direction and superb sound (Dolby Digital 5.1 or PCM stereo). Highlights? Almost everything, from timeless anthems like "Born to Run" and "Thunder Road" to the riveting "American Skin (41 Shots)" and a bluesy, solo "Born in the U.S.A." All together now: Bruuuuuuce! "--Sam Graham"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: Baseball season gets off to a rocky start when the Durham Bulls' new catcher, "Crash" Davis (Kevin Costner), punches out the cocky young pitcher, "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), he's just been hired totrain. Then sexy Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) informs both men that each season she chooses one player to share her bedand Nuke and Crash are this year's "draft picks." After Crash passes on the offer, Nuke eagerly enlists as Annie's summer fling...until Crash's jealousy takes over and he convinces Nuke that sex with Annie will jinx the Bulls' newfound winning streak!

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Paul Newman and Robert Redford set the standard for the "buddy film" with this box office smash set in the Old West. The Sundance Kid (Redford) is the frontier's fastest gun. His sidekick, Butch Cassidy (Newman), is always dreaming up new ways to get rich fast. If only they could blow open a baggage car without also blowing up the money-filled safe inside... Or remember that Sundance can't swim before they escape a posse by leaping off a cliff into rushing rapids... Times are changing in the west and life is getting tougher. So Butch and Sundance pack their guns, don new duds, and, with Sundance's girlfriend (Katharine Ross), head down to Bolivia. Never mind that they don't speak Spanish - they'll manage somehow. A winner of four Academy Awards (including best screenplay and best song), here is a thoroughly enjoyable blend of fact and fancy done with true affection for a bygone era and featuring the two flashiest, friendliest funniest outlaws who ever called out "hands up!"