Library

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Steven Spielberg's 1982 hit about a stranded alien and his loving relationship with a fatherless boy (Henry Thomas) struck a chord with audiences everywhere, and it furthered Spielberg's reputation as a director of equally strong commercial sensibilities and classical leanings. Henry Thomas gives a strong, emotional performance as E.T.'s young friend, Robert MacNaughton and Drew Barrymore make a solid impression as his siblings, and Dee Wallace is lively as the kids' mother. The special effects almost look a bit quaint now with all the computer advancements that have occurred since, but they also have more heart behind them than a lot of what we see today. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Summary: In the grand tradition of atomic-age monster movies, "Eight Legged Freaks" delivers everything you'd want from a giant-spider thriller. The plot's hardly original, but familiarity is half the fun, beginning when toxic waste results in a stampede of gigantic, ravenous arachnids in the depressed mining town of Liberty, Arizona. David Arquette is Liberty's prodigal son, returning to save the town from greedy developers, and to reunite with the lovely local sheriff (Kari Wuhrer), whom he never stopped loving. Before long they're saving the town from a teeming horde of jumbo-size "jumpers," "orb-weavers," tarantulas, and other eight-legged beasties, brought to life by digital effects that are consistently fantastic. Though not quite as witty as the similarly exciting "Tremors", this "arach-attack" offers a deft balance of creepy shocks, sight gags, and tongue-in-cheek satire. Cleverly expanding his New Zealand short "Larger Than Life," first-time director Ellory Elkayem gives genre fans and arachnophobes a giddy nightmare they won't soon forget. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: Elton John has had too many hits over the last three decades for the 12 songs in this collection to seriously be considered his "greatest," but that's hair-splitting. This hourlong concert, performed by John, his band, and several guest singers before a packed house at New York's Madison Square Garden in October 2000, certainly does contain some of his (and lyricist Bernie Taupin's) best and most popular tunes, like "Candle in the Wind," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," and "Your Song." And while Elton is a rather unlikely pop star these days--chubby, middle-aged, far less flamboyant than in his '70s heyday--he can still put on a good show, and that's just what he and his band (including longtime cohorts Davey Johnstone on guitar and Nigel Olsson on drums) do.
Some of his choices for guests are a bit puzzling: Bryan Adams adds little excitement to "Sad Songs (Say So Much)," while singer Ronan Keating of the British group Boyzone, a virtual unknown in the United States, is superfluous on "Your Song," perhaps Elton's most enduring tune (revived to considerably better effect on the "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack). On the other hand, Billy Joel is a good foil for Elton on "Yellow Brick Road," Mary J. Blige adds some soulful fervor to "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues," Kiki Dee shows up to duet with Elton on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" for the first time in several eons, and the young American singer Anastacia is a revelation on a hard-rocking "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting." "--Sam Graham"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Like "Saving Private Ryan", "Enemy at the Gates" opens with a pivotal event of World War II--the German invasion of Stalingrad--re-created in epic scale, as ill-trained Russian soldiers face German attack or punitive execution if they flee from the enemy's advance. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud captures this madness with urgent authenticity, creating a massive context for a more intimate battle waged amid the city's ruins. Embellished from its basis in fact, the story shifts to an intense cat-and-mouse game between a Russian shepherd raised to iconic fame and a German marksman whose skill is unmatched in its lethal precision. Vassily Zaitzev (Jude Law) has been sniping Nazis one bullet at a time, while the German Major Konig (Ed Harris) has been assigned to kill Vassily and spare Hitler from further embarrassment.
There's love in war as Vassily connects with a woman soldier (Rachel Weisz), but she is also loved by Danilov (Joseph Fiennes), the Soviet officer who promotes his friend Vassily as Russia's much-needed hero. This romantic rivalry lends marginal interest to the central plot, but it's not enough to make this a classic war film. Instead it's a taut, well-made suspense thriller isolated within an epic battle, and although Annaud and cowriter Alain Godard (drawing from William Craig's book and David L. Robbins's novel "The War of the Rats") fail to connect the parallel plots with any lasting impact, the production is never less than impressive. Highly conventional but handled with intelligence and superior craftsmanship, this is warfare as strategic entertainment, without compromising warfare as a manmade hell on Earth. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is a lawyer with a wife and family whose happily normal life is turned upside down after a chance meeting with a college buddy (Jason Lee) at a lingerie shop. Unbeknownst to the lawyer, he's just been burdened with a videotape of a congressman's assassination. Hot on the tail of this tape is a ruthless group of National Security Agents commanded by a belligerently ambitious fed named Reynolds (Jon Voight). Using surveillance from satellites, bugs, and other sophisticated snooping devices, the NSA infiltrates every facet of Dean's existence, tracing each physical and digital footprint he leaves. Driven by acute paranoia, Dean enlists the help of a clandestine former NSA operative named Brill (Gene Hackman), and "Enemy of the State" kicks into high-intensity hyperdrive. Teaming up once again with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, "Top Gun" director Tony Scott demonstrates his glossy style with clever cinematography and breakneck pacing. Will Smith proves that there's more to his success than a brash sense of humor, giving a versatile performance that plausibly illustrates a man cracking under the strain of paranoid turmoil. Hackman steals the show by essentially reprising his role from "The Conversation"--just imagine his memorable character Harry Caul some 20 years later. Most of all, the film's depiction of high-tech surveillance is highly convincing and dramatically compelling, making this a cautionary tale with more substance than you'd normally expect from a Scott-Bruckheimer action extravaganza. "--Jeremy Storey"

Languages: English

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: In the future, crime is out of control and New York City is a maximum security prison. Grabbing a bargaining chip right out of the air, convicts bring down the President's plane in bad old Gotham. Gruff Snake Plissken, a one-eyed warrior new to prison life, is coerced into bringing the President, and his cargo, out of this land of undesirables. Kurt Russell put his Disney days behind him as the nicest bad guy in the picture. All comic-book sensibilities and macho posturing, this is one of writer-director John Carpenter's better brainless escapes. There are snappy one-liners and explosive action scenes. However, the film lacks tension and some believability even within the realm of SF fantasy. Even when it fails to gel, though, it always manages to amuse, thanks in great part to a varied and unusual supporting cast (watch for Ernest Borgnine as a cabdriver). Followed in 1996 by Carpenter's overdone and campy "Escape from L.A." "--Rochelle O'Gorman"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: This lush retelling of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a dark and engrossing tale. Director John Boorman ("Deliverance") masterfully handles the tale of the mythical sword Excalibur, and its passing from the wizard Merlin to the future king of England. Arthur pulls the famed sword from a stone and is destined to be crowned king. As the king embarks on a passionate love affair with Guenevere, an illegitimate son, and Merlin's designs on power, threaten Arthur's reign. The film is visually stunning and unflinching in its scenes of combat and black magic. Featuring an impressive supporting cast, including early work from the likes of Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne, "Excalibur" is an adaptation of the legend both faithful and bold. "--Robert Lane"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Goofy's second feature opens with the big dog wistfully sending his teenage son Max off to his freshman year of college. In short order, daydreaming Dad is fired and learns he's not employable without finishing his degree at--you guessed it--the same university his beloved "Maxie" attends. Soon the eager father is embarrassing the heck out of his son and curbing his independence. At the same time, Max and his skateboarding buddies form an extreme sports team, challenging the snooty fraternity team captained by Bradley Uppercrust III, who doesn't grasp the concept of fair play. When things get rough, Goofy saves the day--and finds true love with a librarian who shares his '70s-era nostalgia. Any excuse to put Goofy in an afro wig and "Knock on Wood" and "Shake Your Groove Thing" on the soundtrack! The 73-minute story is serviceable and the moral commendable (integrity wins in the end). Ages 3 and up will enjoy the antics, but a lot of the (harmless) college jokes are aimed at adults. "--Kimberly Heinrichs"