Library

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: "Halloween" is as pure and undiluted as its title. In the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, a teenage baby sitter tries to survive a Halloween night of relentless terror, during which a knife-wielding maniac goes after the town's hormonally charged youths. Director John Carpenter takes this simple situation and orchestrates a superbly mounted symphony of horrors. It's a movie much scarier for its dark spaces and ominous camera movements than for its explicit bloodletting (which is actually minimal). Composed by Carpenter himself, the movie's freaky music sets the tone; and his script (cowritten with Debra Hill) is laced with references to other horror pictures, especially "Psycho". The baby sitter is played by Jamie Lee Curtis, the real-life daughter of "Psycho" victim Janet Leigh; and the obsessed policeman played by Donald Pleasence is named Sam Loomis, after John Gavin's character in "Psycho". In the end, though, "Halloween" stands on its own as an uncannily frightening experience--it's one of those movies that had audiences literally jumping out of their seats and shouting at the screen. ("No! Don't drop that knife!") Produced on a low budget, the picture turned a monster profit, and spawned many sequels, none of which approached the 1978 original. Curtis returned for two more installments: 1981's dismal "Halloween II", which picked up the story the day after the unfortunate events, and 1998's occasionally gripping "Halloween H20", which proved the former baby sitter was still haunted after 20 years. "--Robert Horton"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Yes, he's back, and he's still hungry. Ten years after "The Silence of the Lambs", Dr. Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter (Anthony Hopkins, reprising his Oscar-winning role) is living the good life in Italy, studying art and sipping espresso. FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore, replacing Jodie Foster), on the other hand, hasn't had it so good--an outsider from the start, she's now a quiet, moody loner who doesn't play bureaucratic games and suffers for it. A botched drug raid results in her demotion--and a request from Lecter's only living victim, Mason Verger (Gary Oldman, uncredited), for a little Q and A. Little does Clarice realize that the hideously deformed Verger--who, upon suggestion from Dr. Lecter, peeled off his own face--is using her as bait to lure Dr. Lecter out of hiding, quite certain he'll capture the good doctor.
Taking the basic plot contraptions from Thomas Harris's baroque novel, "Hannibal" is so stylistically different from its predecessor that it forces you to take it on its own terms. Director Ridley Scott gives the film a sleek, almost European look that lets you know that, unlike the first film (which was about the quintessentially American Clarice), this movie is all Hannibal. Does it work? Yes--but only up to a point. Scott adeptly sets up an atmosphere of foreboding, but it's all buildup for anticlimax, as Verger's plot for abducting Hannibal (and feeding him to man-eating wild boars) doesn't really deliver the requisite visceral thrills, and the much-ballyhooed climatic dinner sequence between Clarice, Dr. Lecter, and a third unlucky guest wobbles between parody and horror. Hopkins and Moore are both first-rate, but the film contrives to keep them as far apart as possible, when what made "Silence" so amazing was their interaction. When they do connect it's quite thrilling, but it's unfortunately too little too late. "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English, Portuguese

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

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0

Summary: Walter Hill's colorful directorial debut has quite a cult following for its toughness and violence; it may well be his best film, in fact. Charles Bronson plays a silent street fighter in New Orleans in the '30s managed by the cool James Coburn. Jill Ireland, Strother Martin, and Michael McGuire costar in this spare existential Depression dirge. It owes a lot to its noir origins that Hill adores so much, yet there's something very fresh and vital about its subject and approach. That's really what made so many of these films from the '70s so endearing. An added bonus is the love and affection displayed by the real-life husband and wife team of Bronson and Ireland. "--Bill Desowitz"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX

Summary: The next installment in the Harry Potter series finds young wizard Harry Potter (DANIEL RADCLIFFE) and his friends Ron Weasley (RUPERT GRINT) and Hermione Granger (EMMA WATSON) facing new challenges during their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they try to uncover a dark force that is terrorizing the school.
Running Time: 161 min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Some movie-loving wizards must have cast a magic spell on "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", because it's another grand slam for the Harry Potter franchise. Demonstrating remarkable versatility after the arthouse success of "Y Tu Mamá También", director Alfonso Cuarón proves a perfect choice to guide Harry, Hermione, and Ron into treacherous puberty as the now 13-year-old students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry face a new and daunting challenge: Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison, and for reasons yet unknown (unless, of course, you've read J.K. Rowling's book, considered by many to be the best in the series), he's after Harry in a bid for revenge. This dark and dangerous mystery drives the action while Harry (the fast-growing Daniel Radcliffe) and his third-year Hogwarts classmates discover the flying hippogriff Buckbeak (a marvelous CGI creature), the benevolent but enigmatic Professor Lupin (David Thewlis), horrifying black-robed Dementors, sneaky Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), and the wonderful advantage of having a Time-Turner just when you need one. The familiar Hogwarts staff returns in fine form (including the delightful Michael Gambon, replacing the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and Emma Thompson as the goggle-eyed Sybil Trelawney), and even Julie Christie joins this prestigious production for a brief but welcome cameo. Technically dazzling, fast-paced, and chock-full of Rowling's boundless imagination (loyally adapted by ace screenwriter Steve Kloves), "The Prisoner of Azkaban" is a Potter-movie classic. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX

Summary: The beloved book about a young wizard named Harry became a huge hit as a big screen feature and now makes its debut as deluxe DVD. In the film Daniel Radcliffe portrays the young orphan who gets invited to attend the exclusive Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, after years of living with his horrible aunt and uncle. At school he discovers his true heritage as the son of a witch and wizard, and faces a daunting force of evil. Get ready for fun, adventure, and action with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Special Features Include:
Never-before-seen-footage. A 360 degree tour of Hogwarts controlled by the viewer's remote. New interviews with the director and producer. Learn how to play Quidditch. Catch a Snitch with your remote. Have a wand choose you at Ollivander's Wands. Meet the ghosts who live at Hogwarts. Cast a spell over a scene in eight languages. Create potions. Face challenges to reveal the secret in the Mirror of Erised. Transfigure objects.

DVD ROM Includes:
Get sorted by the Sorting hat. Collect wizard trading card. Receive owl emails. Lots of game demos...and more!

System Requirements:
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, and John Cleese.
Directed By: Chris Columbus.
Running Time: 152 Min., Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2002 Warner Home Video.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel "High Fidelity" emerges unscathed from its Americanization, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a nimble, nifty screenplay (cowritten by Cusack). Early-thirtysomething Rob Gordon (Cusack) is a slacker who owns a vintage record shop, a massive collection of LPs, and innumerable top-five lists in his head. At the opening of the film, Rob recounts directly to the audience his all-time top-five breakups--which doesn't include his recent falling out with his girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle), who has just moved out of their apartment. Thunderstruck and obsessed with Laura's desertion (but loath to admit it), Rob begins a quest to confront the women who instigated the aforementioned top-five breakups to find out just what he did wrong.
Low on plot and high on self-discovery, "High Fidelity" takes a good 30 minutes or so to find its groove (not unlike Cusack's "Grosse Pointe Blank"), but once it does, it settles into it comfortably and builds a surprisingly touching momentum. Rob is basically a grown-up version of Cusack's character in "Say Anything" (who was told "Don't be a guy--be a man!"), and if you like Cusack's brand of smart-alecky romanticism, you'll automatically be won over (if you can handle Cusack's almost-nonstop talking to the camera). Still, it's hard not to be moved by Rob's plight. At the beginning of the film he and his coworkers at the record store (played hilariously by Jack Black and Todd Louiso) seem like overgrown boys in their secret clubhouse; by the end, they've grown up considerably, with a clear-eyed view of life. Ably directed by Stephen Frears ("Dangerous Liaisons"), "High Fidelity" features a notable supporting cast of the women in Rob's life, including the striking, Danish-born Hjejle, Lisa Bonet as a sultry singer-songwriter, and the triumphant triumvirate of Lili Taylor, Joelle Carter, and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Rob's ex-girlfriends. With brief cameos by Tim Robbins as Laura's new, New Age boyfriend and Bruce Springsteen as himself. "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English

Summary: On the surface, David Cronenberg may seem an unlikely candidate to direct "A History of Violence", but dig deeper and you'll see that he's the right man for the job. As an intellectual seeker of meaning and an avowed believer in Darwinian survival of the fittest, Cronenberg knows that the story of mild-mannered small-town diner proprietor Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is in fact a multilayered examination of inbred human behavior, beginning when Tom's skillful killing of two would-be robbers draws unwanted attention to his idyllic family life in rural Indiana. He's got a loving wife (Maria Bello) and young daughter (Heidi Hayes) who are about to learn things about Tom they hadn't suspected, and a teenage son (Ashton Holmes) who has inherited his father's most prominent survival trait, manifesting itself in ways he never expected. By the time Tom has come into contact with a scarred villain (Ed Harris) and connections that lead him to a half-crazy kingpin (William Hurt, in a spectacular cameo), Cronenberg has plumbed the dark depths of human nature so skillfully that "A History of Violence" stands well above the graphic novel that inspired it (indeed, Cronenberg was unaware of the source material behind Josh Olson's chilling adaptation). With hard-hitting violence that's as sudden as it is graphically authentic, this is "A History of Violence" that's worthy of serious study and widespread acclaim. "--Jeff Shannon"
On the DVD
On a single disc and with little fanfare, this DVD makes an excellent case for the best extras of the year. Dive into the one-hour-long documentary and learn more about moviemaking than on many a double-disc. The secret lies in director David Cronenberg's (and his usual crew) folksy casualness in showing off the craft, be it makeup (green screens were used), directing (Cronenberg doesn't storyboard), or art direction (the diner set). It also is very funny to hear about "fish Fridays" and how Maria Bello's Uncle Pete became an influence. Even the infamous sex-on-the-staircase scene is diagnosed with candor as stars Viggo Mortensen and Bello act as if there is no backstage camera. There's only one deleted scene, but it's uncommonly deconstructed on why it was filmed and why it was cut (it's a very Cronenbergian dream sequence). A short bit on Cannes is also a delight. So much is here that Cronenberg's smart commentary track is nearly superfluous. Isn't that a nice surprise? "--Doug Thomas"

More to Explore

The Graphic Novel

Other Graphic Novels that Inspired Movies

David Cronenberg Essentials

Why We Love Maria Bello

The work of Viggo Mortensen

The work of William Hurt

Stills from "A History of Violence"


Viggo Mortensoe as Tom Stall


Ashton Holmes as Jack Stall and Kyle Schmid as Bobby Jordan

William Hurt as Richie Cusack


Ed Harris as Carl Fogarty and Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall


Maria Bello as Edie Stall


Director David Cronenberg

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0

Summary: Fans of author Louis Sachar's book "Holes" will be delighted with this scrupulously faithful adaptation. After being wrongly found guilty of stealing a pair of sneakers, Stanley Yelnats (Shia LaBeouf) gets sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile correctional facility in the bed of a long-gone dry Texas lake. There--under the watchful eye of overseer Mr. Sir (a zesty Jon Voight), sneakily mean therapist Dr. Pendanski (Tim Blake Nelson, "O Brother Where Art Thou?"), and the cool and cruel Warden (Sigourney Weaver)--Stanley and dozens of other delinquents are forced to dig an endless series of holes that the Warden hopes will lead her to a precious secret left behind by a long-dead female outlaw (Patricia Arquette). Sachar's book is beloved for its vivid characters and suspenseful plot; by sticking close to its source, "Holes" has become a dynamic, exciting, and surprisingly touching movie. "--Bret Fetzer"