Saturday, December 31, 2011

Hannibal Rising (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

  • In Red Dragon we learned who he was. In Silence of the Lambs, we learned how he did it. Now comes the most chilling chapter in the saga of Hannibal Lecter the one that answers the most elusive question of all why? Written by Thomas Harris, the best-selling author of the Hannibal book series, this fascinating and terrifying journey into the making of a monster (Pete Hammond, Maxim), reveals for the
(Horror/Suspense) The terrifying Silence of the Lambs prequel that reveals the history of the infamous Hannibal and how he came to be a cannibalistic murderer.Though Hannibal Rising's Lecter (Gaspard Ulliel) is a pussycat compared to Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs, this sequel's story of revenge is grizzly enough to satisfy lovers of Thomas Harris's epic tale. After young Hannibal (Aaron Thomas) is forced to watch his little sister, Mischa (Helena Lia Tachovska), devoured by s! tarving soldiers in his homeland Lithuania, Hannibal vows to avenge his sister's death by slaying those who committed not only war crimes against the Lecters, but also against other families during WW II. In detailing Hannibal's revenge plan, the film investigates the psychological implications of witnessing cannibalism to justify Hannibal's insatiable appetite for human flesh. The most interesting aspect of Hannibal Risingâ€"its analytical connections drawn between Hannibal's childhood traumas and his murderous adult obsessionsâ€"is also the film's weak point. The links oversimplify Lecter's complex character. For example, though titillating to see flashbacks of Lecter's sister hacked up and boiled while Lecter visits a Parisian meat market, the reference is too obvious. One learns why he excels in his medical school classes dissecting cadavers, and we're given explicit explanation for why he slices off and eats his victims' cheeks. The story only complicates when H! annibal interacts with his sexy Aunt, Lady Murasaki (Gong Li).! When Mu rasaki educates him in the art of beheading, the viewer sees Hannibal's sword fetish as a manifestation of physical lust. --Trinie Dalton

Deadly Sweet (Col Cuore in Gola)

  • Starring 17-year-old beauty-contest winner Ewa Aulin (CANDY), and Jean-Louis Trintignant (A MAN AND A WOMAN), Deadly Sweet is a most unusual crime story. In the film, a French actor finds his business contact lying murdered on the floor. Rather than call the police, he decides to protect the young woman at the scene and nail down the true killers, which puts him on a collision course with the Lond
An FBI agent with deep rooted past issues is on the prowl for the infamous Serial Killer, " Giallo ( Yellow) " as he is known. No ordinary Killer ...he seeks victims that are beautiful women only to disfigure and eventually kill them off. This time he has captured a beautiful model and our Agent ( Brody) must find him before he commits his latest victim's fate. Chilly Thiriller from master Director, Dario Argento.... Not to miss"Giallo" films are characterized by extended murder sequences featuring! excessive bloodletting, stylish camera work and unusual musical arrangements. The literary whodunit element is retained, but combined with modern slasher horror, while being filtered through Italy's longstanding tradition of opera and staged grand guignol drama. The genre had its heyday in the 1970's, with dozens of Italian giallo films released. This collector's set has a trio of Giallo's that fit that genre perfectly - Blood and Black Lace, Bird With a Crystal Plumage and Watch Me When I Kill. All three movies will be individually wrapped and sold together in this all new collector's slip case. Bonus Features: Blood and Black Lace: Photo Galleries, Bios, Commentary by Tim Lucas (Editor of the Video Watchdog), Interviews with Mary Dawne Arden and Cameron Mitchell, Bonus Music Track by composer Carlo Rustichelli| Original theatrical trailer. Bird With a Crystal Plumage: Interactive Menus, Bios, Theatrical Trailer, New Dolby Stereo Surround Tra! ck, Enhanced 16x9 Transfer, Bonus: Contains the complete orig! inal mus ic sound track. Watch Me When I Kill: Original :30 second and :60 second radio spots, Antonio Bido Biography, Scene Selection. Specs; 3-DVD9s; Dolby Digital; 281 minutes; Color; 16x9 Widescreen Aspecat Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1964, 1970 & 1981; SRP - $29.99.Starring 17-year-old beauty-contest winner Ewa Aulin (CANDY), and Jean-Louis Trintignant (A MAN AND A WOMAN), Deadly Sweet is a most unusual crime story. In the film, a French actor finds his business contact lying murdered on the floor. Rather than call the police, he decides to protect the young woman at the scene and nail down the true killers, which puts him on a collision course with the London underworld. Deadly Sweet leads us through a mind-bending series of pop-art visuals by renowned erotic cartoonist GUIDO CREPAX, split screens, triple split screens, and the seductive rock score by Armando Trovajoli. Bestselling filmmaker, Tinto Brass, who later gained fame for his soft-core erotica, wrote ! the screenplay in 1967, loosely adapted from a novel by Sergio Donati, as an outrageous attempt to turn the crime genre on its head. It can be said that with this film, Cinema Fumetti (comic-book movies) was invented prior to the more known DANGER: DIABOLIK and BARBARELLA.



Cult Epics is proud to present Deadly Sweet (aka Heart in his Mouth), a rare giallo thriller unseen since its initial theatrical release (1967), whose lead actors went on to star in DEAD LAID AN EGG, a year after.

SPECIAL FEATURES
- Widescreen version (16X9 Enhanced)
- Restored, uncensored Director's Cut
- Exclusive English audio commentary
by Tinto Brass
- Lobby Card Gallery
- Trailer

Thursday, December 29, 2011

RVCA Men's Big Baseball 3/4 Sleeve Tee, Kelly Green/White, Medium

  • Screenprint graphic at front chest
  • Standard fit
100 percent combed cotton 3/4 sleeve raglan baseball tee

Boogie Nights (New Line Platinum Series)

  • From Hollywood's hottest new director comes the outrageous epic that throws the covers back on California's adult entertainment industry in the swinging seventies. It's a touching and often humorous portrait of a most unusual family of filmakers, broughtRunning Time: 155 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R Age: 794043503320 UPC: 794043503320 Manufacturer
From Hollywood's hottest new director comes the outrageous epic that throws the covers back on California's adult entertainment industry in the swinging seventies. It's a touching and often humorous portrait of a most unusual family of filmakers, broughtEven if the notorious 1970s porn-filmmaking milieu doesn'texactly 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 drink! ing to excess, he snorts cocaine (the classic drug of '70s hed! onism); 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. --Jim Emerson

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Edward Scissorhands [DVD] Full Screen 10th Anniversary Edition

  • Full Screen Anniversary Edition (2005)
  • Audio Commentary by Tim Burton & Danny Elfman
  • Featurette & Concept Art
  • Languages: English, Spanish & French. Subtitles: English & Spanish
  • Original Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots
Once upon a time in a castle high on a hill lived an inventor whose greatest creation was named Edward. Although Edward had an irresistible charm, he wasn't quite perfect. The inventor's sudden death left him unfinished, with sharp shears of metal for hands. Edward lived alone in the darkness until one day a kind Avon lady took him home to live with her family. And so began Edward's fantastical adventures in a pastel paradise known as Suburbia.Edward Scissorhands achieves the nearly impossible feat of capturing the delicate flavor of a fable or fairy tale in a live-action movie. The story follows a young man named Edward (Johnny Depp! ), who was created by an inventor (Vincent Price, in one of his last roles) who died before he could give the poor creature a pair of human hands. Edward lives alone in a ruined Gothic castle that just happens to be perched above a pastel-colored suburb inhabited by breadwinning husbands and frustrated housewives straight out of the 1950s. One day, Peg (Dianne Wiest), the local Avon lady, comes calling. Finding Edward alone, she kindly invites him to come home with her, where she hopes to help him with his pasty complexion and those nasty nicks he's given himself with his razor-sharp fingers. Soon Edward's skill with topiary sculpture and hair design make him popular in the neighborhood--but the mood turns just as swiftly against the outsider when he starts to feel his own desires, particularly for Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Most of director Tim Burton's movies (such as Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman) are visual spectacles with elements of fanta! sy, but Edward Scissorhands is more tender and personal! than th e others. Edward's wild black hair is much like Burton's, suggesting that the character represents the director's own feelings of estrangement and co-option. Johnny Depp, making his first successful leap from TV to film, captures Edward's childlike vulnerability even while his physical posture evokes horror icons like the vampire in Nosferatu and the sleepwalker in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Classic horror films, at their heart, feel a deep sympathy for the monsters they portray; simply and affectingly, Edward Scissorhands lays that heart bare. --Bret FetzerOnce upon a time in a castle high on a hill lived an inventor whose greatest creation was named Edward. Although Edward had an irresistible charm, he wasn't quite perfect. The inventor's sudden death left him unfinished, with sharp shears of metal for hands. Edward lived alone in the darkness until one day a kind Avon lady took him home to live with her family. And so began Edward's fanta! stical adventures in a pastel paradise known as Suburbia.Edward Scissorhands achieves the nearly impossible feat of capturing the delicate flavor of a fable or fairy tale in a live-action movie. The story follows a young man named Edward (Johnny Depp), who was created by an inventor (Vincent Price, in one of his last roles) who died before he could give the poor creature a pair of human hands. Edward lives alone in a ruined Gothic castle that just happens to be perched above a pastel-colored suburb inhabited by breadwinning husbands and frustrated housewives straight out of the 1950s. One day, Peg (Dianne Wiest), the local Avon lady, comes calling. Finding Edward alone, she kindly invites him to come home with her, where she hopes to help him with his pasty complexion and those nasty nicks he's given himself with his razor-sharp fingers. Soon Edward's skill with topiary sculpture and hair design make him popular in the neighborhood--but the mood turns just as swiftly! against the outsider when he starts to feel his own desires, ! particul arly for Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Most of director Tim Burton's movies (such as Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman) are visual spectacles with elements of fantasy, but Edward Scissorhands is more tender and personal than the others. Edward's wild black hair is much like Burton's, suggesting that the character represents the director's own feelings of estrangement and co-option. Johnny Depp, making his first successful leap from TV to film, captures Edward's childlike vulnerability even while his physical posture evokes horror icons like the vampire in Nosferatu and the sleepwalker in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Classic horror films, at their heart, feel a deep sympathy for the monsters they portray; simply and affectingly, Edward Scissorhands lays that heart bare. --Bret FetzerOnce upon a time in a castle high on a hill lived an inventor whose greatest creation was named Edward. Although Edward had an irresistib! le charm, he wasn't quite perfect. The inventor's sudden death left him unfinished, with sharp shears of metal for hands. Edward lived alone in the darkness until one day a kind Avon lady took him home to live with her family. And so began Edward's fantastical adventures in a pastel paradise known as Suburbia.Edward Scissorhands achieves the nearly impossible feat of capturing the delicate flavor of a fable or fairy tale in a live-action movie. The story follows a young man named Edward (Johnny Depp), who was created by an inventor (Vincent Price, in one of his last roles) who died before he could give the poor creature a pair of human hands. Edward lives alone in a ruined Gothic castle that just happens to be perched above a pastel-colored suburb inhabited by breadwinning husbands and frustrated housewives straight out of the 1950s. One day, Peg (Dianne Wiest), the local Avon lady, comes calling. Finding Edward alone, she kindly invites him to come home with her,! where she hopes to help him with his pasty complexion and tho! se nasty nicks he's given himself with his razor-sharp fingers. Soon Edward's skill with topiary sculpture and hair design make him popular in the neighborhood--but the mood turns just as swiftly against the outsider when he starts to feel his own desires, particularly for Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Most of director Tim Burton's movies (such as Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman) are visual spectacles with elements of fantasy, but Edward Scissorhands is more tender and personal than the others. Edward's wild black hair is much like Burton's, suggesting that the character represents the director's own feelings of estrangement and co-option. Johnny Depp, making his first successful leap from TV to film, captures Edward's childlike vulnerability even while his physical posture evokes horror icons like the vampire in Nosferatu and the sleepwalker in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Classic horror films, at their heart, feel a deep sympathy for t! he monsters they portray; simply and affectingly, Edward Scissorhands lays that heart bare. --Bret FetzerOnce upon a time in a castle high on a hill lived an inventor whose greatest creation was named Edward. Although Edward had an irresistible charm, he wasn't quite perfect. The inventor's sudden death left him unfinished, with sharp shears of metal for hands. Edward lived alone in the darkness until one day a kind Avon lady took him home to live with her family. And so began Edward's fantastical adventures in a pastel paradise known as Suburbia.Edward Scissorhands achieves the nearly impossible feat of capturing the delicate flavor of a fable or fairy tale in a live-action movie. The story follows a young man named Edward (Johnny Depp), who was created by an inventor (Vincent Price, in one of his last roles) who died before he could give the poor creature a pair of human hands. Edward lives alone in a ruined Gothic castle that just happens to be p! erched above a pastel-colored suburb inhabited by breadwinning! husband s and frustrated housewives straight out of the 1950s. One day, Peg (Dianne Wiest), the local Avon lady, comes calling. Finding Edward alone, she kindly invites him to come home with her, where she hopes to help him with his pasty complexion and those nasty nicks he's given himself with his razor-sharp fingers. Soon Edward's skill with topiary sculpture and hair design make him popular in the neighborhood--but the mood turns just as swiftly against the outsider when he starts to feel his own desires, particularly for Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Most of director Tim Burton's movies (such as Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman) are visual spectacles with elements of fantasy, but Edward Scissorhands is more tender and personal than the others. Edward's wild black hair is much like Burton's, suggesting that the character represents the director's own feelings of estrangement and co-option. Johnny Depp, making his first successful leap from TV to fil! m, captures Edward's childlike vulnerability even while his physical posture evokes horror icons like the vampire in Nosferatu and the sleepwalker in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Classic horror films, at their heart, feel a deep sympathy for the monsters they portray; simply and affectingly, Edward Scissorhands lays that heart bare. --Bret FetzerOnce upon a time in a castle high on a hill lived an inventor whose greatest creation was named Edward. Although Edward had an irresistible charm, he wasn't quite perfect. The inventor's sudden death left him unfinished, with sharp shears of metal for hands. Edward lived alone in the darkness until one day a kind Avon lady took him home to live with her family. And so began Edward's fantastical adventures in a pastel paradise known as Suburbia.Edward Scissorhands achieves the nearly impossible feat of capturing the delicate flavor of a fable or fairy tale in a live-action movie. The story follo! ws a young man named Edward (Johnny Depp), who was created by ! an inven tor (Vincent Price, in one of his last roles) who died before he could give the poor creature a pair of human hands. Edward lives alone in a ruined Gothic castle that just happens to be perched above a pastel-colored suburb inhabited by breadwinning husbands and frustrated housewives straight out of the 1950s. One day, Peg (Dianne Wiest), the local Avon lady, comes calling. Finding Edward alone, she kindly invites him to come home with her, where she hopes to help him with his pasty complexion and those nasty nicks he's given himself with his razor-sharp fingers. Soon Edward's skill with topiary sculpture and hair design make him popular in the neighborhood--but the mood turns just as swiftly against the outsider when he starts to feel his own desires, particularly for Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Most of director Tim Burton's movies (such as Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman) are visual spectacles with elements of fantasy, but Edward Scissorhands is more tender and personal than the others. Edward's wild black hair is much like Burton's, suggesting that the character represents the director's own feelings of estrangement and co-option. Johnny Depp, making his first successful leap from TV to film, captures Edward's childlike vulnerability even while his physical posture evokes horror icons like the vampire in Nosferatu and the sleepwalker in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Classic horror films, at their heart, feel a deep sympathy for the monsters they portray; simply and affectingly, Edward Scissorhands lays that heart bare. --Bret FetzerBefore he was Captain Jack, Johnny Depp was Edward Scissorhands. This juniors fitted t-shirt showcases this early role. The perfect tee to wear with black leather, from Tim Burton's cult classic.Edward Scissorhands (Full Screen Anniversary Edition), 2005 release by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

The Grass Harp: Including A Tree of Night and Other Stories

  • ISBN13: 9780679745570
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Following the death of his parents young Collin Fenwick (Edward Furlong) comes to a small southern town to live with his father's cousins Verena and Dolly Talbo. He soon discovers that the Talbo household is anything but normal. Verena (Sissy Spacek) rules the house as well as the entire town with a stern hand. Meanwhile her older sister Dolly (Piper Laurie) charms Collin with her gentle romantic spirit. To escape Verena's oppression Dolly Collin and the Talbo's eccentric maid Catherine (Nell Carter) run away to an old tree house in the woods. But their adventure sparks a series of events that will change not just their lives but the future of the entire town as well.Running Time: 107 min.Format: DVD M! OVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 794043803628Set on the outskirts of a small Southern town, The Grass Harp tells the story of three endearing misfits--an orphaned boy and two whimsical old ladies--who one day take up residence in a tree house. AS they pass sweet yet hazardous hours in a china tree, The Grass Harp manages to convey all the pleasures and responsibilities of freedom. But most of all it teaches us about the sacredness of love, "that love is a chain of love, as nature is a chain of life."

This volume also includes Capote's A Tree of Night and Other Stories, which the Washington Post called "unobstrusively beautiful...a superlative book."

Friday, December 16, 2011

Spyderco Dragonfly G-10 Plain Edge Knife, Foliage Green

  • Compact folding knife with 2-1/4-inch VG-10 steel blade
  • G-10 foliage green handle is tweaked for ergonomic performance
  • Spine cusp positions thumb to provide complete control over cutting edge
  • Wire clip carries knife tip-up either right- or left-handed
  • Measures 3-3/16 inches folded and 5-1/2 inches open; weighs 2 ounces
In a drug induced dream, a woman in Pittsburgh retrieves a childhood memory of a place called Dragon’s Green. This memory leads to her own kidnapping and a wild chase across modern day England and Wales, in the company of a reluctant American doctor. In a tiny village in western England, a deluded old man dreams of becoming a king. And in a London apartment an old lady, born in the days of the Czars, maintains a guilty secret of tainted royal blood. Dragon’s Green is a tale of adventure and romance culminating in a desperate final voyage into! the North Atlantic as a group of old soldiers try to fulfill a promise they made in World War II; to restore a king to his throne.In a drug induced dream, a woman in Pittsburgh retrieves a childhood memory of a place called Dragon’s Green. This memory leads to her own kidnapping and a wild chase across modern day England and Wales, in the company of a reluctant American doctor. In a tiny village in western England, a deluded old man dreams of becoming a king. And in a London apartment an old lady, born in the days of the Czars, maintains a guilty secret of tainted royal blood. Dragon’s Green is a tale of adventure and romance culminating in a desperate final voyage into the North Atlantic as a group of old soldiers try to fulfill a promise they made in World War II; to restore a king to his throne.Communicating his ideas in the form of a classical dialogue between a youth and a wise elder, cosmologist Brian Swimme crafts a fascinating exploration into the creativity su! ffusing the universe. His explication of the fundamental power! s of the cosmos is mystical and ecstatic and points directly to the need to activate one’s own creative powers.This gorgeous New Green Ladon Dragon Pendant Collectible Accessory Necklace Serpent has the finest details and highest quality you will find anywhere! New Green Ladon Dragon Pendant Collectible Accessory Necklace Serpent is truly remarkable.

New Green Ladon Dragon Pendant Collectible Accessory Necklace Serpent Details:


  • Condition: Brand New
  • Item SKU: SS-Y-2810
  • Dimensions: W: 1 x H: 2 (inches)
  • Crafted with: Pewter
It seems like small knives get respect equivalent to their size, very little. Most people wouldn’t look at a subcompact lightweight car and think “high-performance vehicle”. That first estimation could change when it’s revealed that clown car is disproportionately packing 350 horsepower and a high-speed racing package. Another example of stature not accurately representing ! ability is a Spyderco Dragonfly. Its cutting ability is unequal to its diminutive package and innocuous name. It kicks off with premium components like VG-10 blade steel and a G-10 foliage green handle. The VG-10 is tooled into a full flat-grind 2-1/4” long blade with a spine cusp jutting out the top where the thumb naturally settles itself for control over the cutting edge. The G-10 handle is ergonomically blueprinted so when held and used the knife feels and performs like a larger tool. Even the positioning of the Spyderco Round Opening Hole in relation to the pivot is tweaked for smooth opening and hitting all the correct pressure points in the hand. Blade and handle geometry create a series of grip angles with a purposeful flat shelf at the base where the pinkie finger rides as a leverage point. Wire clip carries right or left-handed tip-up or use it as a money clip.The Spyderco Dragonfly knife may be small, but its cutting ability is high performance all the way. The! Dragonfly features a 2-1/4-inch VG-10 steel blade with a full! flat gr ind and spine cusp jutting out the top. The cusp is positioned where the thumb naturally settles itself, giving you complete control over the cutting edge. The knife also includes a G-10 foliage green handle that's ergonomically blueprinted to feel bigger than it actually is. As a result, the Dragonfly handles like a large tool despite its small size. Even the positioning of the round hole in relation to the pivot is tweaked to hit all the correct pressure points in the hand when you open the knife. The blade and handle geometry create a series of grip angles with a purposeful flat shelf at the base, letting the pinkie finger ride as a leverage point.

The Dragonfly comes with a wire clip that carries the knife tip-up either right- or left-handed. The wire clip doubles as a money clip in a pinch.

Specifications

  • Blade: VG-10 steel
  • Handle: G-10
  • Blade length: 2-1/4 inches
  • Cutting edge: 1-7/8 inches
  • Blade thickness: 3/32 inches
  • Hole! diameter: 7/16 inches
  • Length closed: 3-3/16 inches
  • Length overall: 5-1/2 inches
  • Weight: 2 ounces

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

ScanGauge II Ultra Compact 3-in-1 Automotive Computer with Customizable Real-Time Fuel Economy Digital Gauges

  • Programmable 3-in-1 automotive trip computer, diagnostic scan tool, and up to 37 digital gauges in one (vehicle dependent)
  • Watch fuel consumption, cost-per-mile, coolant temperature, engine speed, horsepower, and much more in real time
  • Works on all 1996 or newer OBDII cars, including gas, diesel, propane and hybrid vehicles
  • Checks for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), clears the codes, and can turn off the "Check Engine" light
  • No tools required for installation, small size fits nearly anywhere in the vehicle
Erin (Drew Barrymore) and Garrett (Justin Long) strike sparks for a summer fling in New York City but neither expects it to last once Erin heads home to San Francisco and Garrett remains behind for his Big Apple job. But after six increasingly romantic weeks, neither is sure they want it to end. So despite the opposing coasts, naysaying friends and family an! d a few unexpected temptations, the couple just might have found something like love. And helped by a lot of texting and late-night phone calls, they might actually go the distance.Original soundtrack to the 2010 motion picture. Music plays a big part in the movie's storyline. Going The Distance introduces the UK band, The Boxer Rebellion, to US moviegoers with a live performance by the band at the end of the movie and the soundtrack brings The Boxer Rebellion to physical retail in the US for the first time. The Airborne Toxic Event recorded a special version of their new and unreleased song, 'Half Of Something Else', for the soundtrack.Erin (Drew Barrymore) and Garrett (Justin Long) strike sparks for a summer fling in New York City but neither expects it to last once Erin heads home to San Francisco and Garrett remains behind for his Big Apple job. But after six romantic weeks, neither is sure they want it to end. So despite opposing coasts, naysaying friends and family an! d unexpected temptations, the couple just might have found som! ething l ike love. And helped by a lot of texting and late-night phone calls, they might actually go the distance. Going the Distance sparkles with wit and true romance--something of a rarity among mass-market romantic comedies. Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, who have been a couple in real life, use their personal chemistry to effective ends in the film. They play Erin and Garrett, geography-crossed lovers who, after a whirlwind romance of six weeks in New York ("Keep it light! Keep it light" they both say, futilely), try to see if they can keep the love fires burning when Erin must move to the West Coast. There are predictable pitfalls and speed bumps that populate any romantic comedy, as well as a sublime supporting cast of friends and siblings. Especially notable is Christina Applegate as Erin's sister, Corinne, jaded and hilarious, and fiercely protective of her sister. But the charm of Going the Distance is in the winsomeness of its main stars. Barrymore and Long ! seem to be acting effortlessly, and their enjoyment of each other's company lets the audience feel a part of the romance. First-time screenwriter Geoff LaTulippe is less focused on zingers that are hard to believe as dialogue, and more on the subtle ways people get to know each other, and enjoy each other--especially with humor. Director Nanette Burstein (documentaries including American Teen and The Kid Stays in the Picture) keeps the action moving deftly and lets the two stars shine--even as they long for one another across the miles. Erin and Garrett's stab at phone sex is laugh-out-loud funny, yet their tender, tentative connection feels real and warm. Going the Distance lets its likable stars cross the finish line, and bring the audience along with them. --A.T. HurleyGoing the Distance is the compelling saga of George Thomas' quest to prove himself physically and emotionally after a car accident left him with life-threatening epileptic seizu! res. The story is told vividly through Thomas' eyes as he peda! ls 2,911 miles in the bicycle Race Across America. As he battles stifling temperatures, grueling climbs, relentless headwinds, heavy rains, tedium and hallucinations from sleep deprivation, Thomas is repeatedly reminded of the even greater obstacles he once had to overcome simply to ride a bicycle again. Ultimately, Thomas discovers his journey is more than an individual accomplishment; it's a platform to inspire others. Going the Distance examines his extraordinary evolution from an ordinary man with an ordinary name to an accomplished ultra-athlete. George Thomas' story is both intriguing and inspiring -- a shining example of courage in the face of enormous odds.The ScanGaugeII is a compact vehicle computer that connects to the diagnostic connector in seconds and gives you an extensive trip computer, real time gauges and trouble code reader. It can read fuel economy as you drive, tell you how fast your friend drove your car last night, tell you when you are going to run out of fu! el and dozens of other functions. Installation takes only seconds and requires no tools. It can be moved from car to car. Works on gas, diesel, propane, and hybrid vehicles. The ScanGaugeII works on all OBDII protocols including the new CAN protocol. The ScanGaugeII is a 3-in-1 automotive computer that combines a multifunction trip computer, diagnostic scan tool, and up to 37 digital gauges in one small package. It connects easily to your vehicle's On-Board Diagnostic (OBDII) port and communicates directly with the vehicle's computer. Not sure if your car uses OBDII or Controller Area Network (CAN)? The unit will automatically determine which system to use and switch to it. The ScanGaugeII works on all 1996 or newer OBDII cars, including gas, diesel, propane and hybrid vehicles, as well as vehicles with the latest CAN systems. A detachable cable allows for easy transfer between multiple vehicles. Its menu-driven operation means there's no need to memorize complex ! sequences, and no tools are required for installation.

! Expandab le Add-A-Gauge Technology
The ScanGaugeII has been redesigned with expandable Add-A-Gauge (aka XGauge) technology. Add to the original 12 gauges by customizing the ScanGaugeII to monitor up to 25 more--depending on your specific vehicle's sensor design. Four gauges can be displayed simultaneously and can help determine fuel consumption rates, allowing you to adjust driving behavior and save gas. At the same time, keep an eye on coolant temperature, engine speed, and much more in real time. If there is a young driver in the house or friends borrow your car, the ScanGaugeII can record speeds of up to 158 mph and store the information for you to view later, so you will know just how fast your young driver or friend was going last night. If the unit was disconnected, you'll know: An indicator will be displayed in the trip data.


ScanGaugeII mounts easily to your dash.

Gauges include:

  • Horsepower
  • Fuel Consumption Rate to 1/100th per gallon/liter
  • Vehicle speed (MPH)
  • Fuel Economy
  • Cost Per Mile/Cost Per Trip
  • Manifold Pressure (not available on some vehicles)
  • Battery Voltage
  • Engine Load
  • Coolant Temperature
  • Throttle Position
  • Intake Air Temperature
  • Ignition Timing
  • Engine Speed (RPM)
  • O2 Sensor Data
  • Fuel Trim
  • Hybrid Battery Charge (for Toyota Prius and Ford Escape)
  • And many more, depending on your vehicle's sensor design

ScanGaugeII makes diagnostics easy.
V! iew Larger
Scan ! Tool
The ScanGaugeII includes a diagnostic scan tool that can check for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), clear the codes, and turn off the "Check Engine" light on 99% of 1996 and newer vehicles. (However, this feature may not work on some trouble codes in Dodge vehicles.) If any DTCs are found, the ScanGauge will show how many there are as well as the codes themselves. Then you can use the Internet or repair manual to find out which is the failed part is, so you can repair it yourself or know what needs to be fixed at the mechanic's shop.

Multifunction Trip Computer
Four sets of data are automatically recorded on the trip computer: Current, Today, Previous Day, and Tank Trip. The "current" trip restarts after the engine has been off for more than 3 minutes. The "today" trip restarts after the vehicle has not moved for 9 hours, and the data from "today" is moved to "previous day" when you restart the car, so you don't have to reset the computer every ! time you begin a trip. "Tank trip" resets when you fill up the tank. It can provide you with "to empty" data and other useful information, which can be viewed any time during the trip. The trip computer also integrates information from the Cost Per Mile gauge. Simply enter how much you paid per gallon or liter of fuel, and the ScanGauge will automatically calculate the cost of your trips as you drive. The ScanGaugeII features 12 individually stored parameters, including:


ScanGaugeII features 63 backlit colors.
View Larger
  • Maximum Speed
  • Average Speed
  • Maximum Coolant Temperature
  • Maximum RPM
  • Driving Time
  • Driving Distance
  • Fuel Used
  • Fuel Cost
  • Trip Fuel Eco! nomy
  • Distance to Empty
  • Time to Empty
  • Fuel t o Empty
Personalize It
A large, high-contrast LCD display makes viewing the information easy, and both the display and keys are backlit and can be set to off, low, or high. With 63 possible colors, user settings, tank trip data, and vehicle settings that are automatically saved, and up to 10 user commands that can be stored and recalled, the ScanGaugeII can be easily customized to suit your needs.

Four Christmases

  • Every Christmas happily unmarried Brad and Kate escape divorced parents and exasperating relatives by getting on a plane. This year a fog rolls in, the airport shuts down and the couple is forced to celebrate four family Christmases in one hectic, hilarious day. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon lead an all-star cast in a comedy brimming with good cheer and great laughs -- as well as the answer t
A couple struggles to visit all four of their divorced parents on christmas day. Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 11/24/2009 Starring: Reese Witherspoon Robert Duvall Run time: 120 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Seth GordonWhen your significant other tells you you both need an exit "safe word" before you enter his dad's Christmas gathering, you know you're not in Bedford Falls. But while Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon may not be It's a Wonderful Life's George and Mary Baile! y, Four Christmases is a modern holiday classic in its own right. For one thing, every family neurosis and dysfunction have taken root in the four families of Vaughn and Witherspoon's characters, Brad and Kate--and the sleek yuppie façade each has built with the other is about to come tumbling down. There are real belly laughs as the couple unexpectedly has to spend holidays with their four extended family groups. "I don't want to speak ill of your mother on Christmas," growls Howard (Robert Duvall) to son Brad, while Brad's bullnecked ultimate-fighter brothers are rassling everything in sight, "but she's nothing but a common street whore." Brad may cringe, but Kate's own family is about to mortify her in abundant ways, from her randy "Gram-Gram" and about-to-pounce cougar mom Mary Steenburgen ("I feel like a Saudi prince in here," marvels Brad as all of Kate's female relatives drape themselves over him), to the revelation to Brad that Kate used to be--how to put th! is--a bit on the chubby side. If the plot isn't full of surpri! ses, the quips are nonstop and the acting believable and charming. The supporting cast also includes Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight, Jon Favreau and Dwight Yoakam in a memorable turn as the mega-church pastor Steenburgen's character is involved with. It's a comic Christmas blessing, and there'll be no need to say "mistletoe"--at least not till the viewers are home with their own families. --A.T. Hurley

The Dukes of Hazzard: The Complete First Season

  • Actors: Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle, James Best.
  • Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC.
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono). Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
  • Not Rated. Run Time: 637 minutes.
Join Luke and Bo Duke--a couple of good old boys--and their cousin Daisy Duke as they stay just ahead of the sheriff in their souped-up 1969 Dodge Charger, The General Lee, and have fun thwarting the plots of the corrupt county boss.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by John Schneider and Catherine Bach {episode: One Armed Bandits}
Documentary:The 20th Anniversary Hazzard County Barbeque {reunion documentary RT 30:00}
Featurette:Dukes Driving 101: A High Octane Salute {featurette including interviews w/ professional race car drive! rs RT 8:00}
Other:The Dukes of Hazzard : The Return of the General Lee video game trailer

The Dukes of Hazzard was part of America's redneck fetish in the mid-to-late 1970s, otherwise evident in popular songs, movies, and television shows highlighting fast cars, truckers, citizens' band radio, moonshine, irreverent hicks, and clueless lawmen. Created by writer-producer Gy Waldron and inspired by his own 1975 bootlegging comedy, Moonrunners, Dukes milked seven seasons of material from the tale of a Deep South family of reformed whiskey-makers and their running feud with a greedy impresario and his chief lackey, a buffoonish, venal sheriff.

This three-disc set includes all 13 initial episodes of Dukes from 1979, a period fans fondly recall because some of the programs were shot on location in Covington, Georgia, rather than a Burbank backlot. Also noteworthy is that a couple of key characters, particularly Hazzard County's co! rrupt lawman, Roscoe P. Coltrane (James Best), hadn't gelled y! et into permanent hayseed stereotypes and were arguably more interesting at the beginning. At the center of the action is Sheriff Coltrane's nemeses, cousins Bo Duke (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat), a couple of wild boys buzzing through the backwoods in the "General Lee," a souped-up Dodge Charger. Bo and Luke are good at heart but have to behave themselves while on indefinite probation, complicating but not halting their efforts to vex Roscoe and his patron, diminutive bigwig Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke). The enmity runs both ways: Roscoe and Boss Hogg, with the aid of witless Deputy Enos Strate (Sonny Shroyer), dream up ways of eliminating the Dukes--including their wise old Uncle Jesse (Denver Pyle)--but their efforts always backfire.

While every episode is a variation on the previous one, predictability is a virtue in Dukes. The series pilot, "One Armed Bandits," finds Luke and Bo, with help from their sexy cousin, Daisy (Catherine Bach), diverting slot machi! nes (smuggled into Hazzard County by Roscoe and Boss Hogg) to sundry watering holes where they can raise money for Bo's girlfriend's charity. In "Money to Burn," Boss Hogg tries to frame Bo and Luke for robbing an armored truck, while in "Deputy Dukes," the unarmed guys are forced by Roscoe to escort a deadly prisoner from one town to another. The Dukes hit back in "Daisy's Song," investigating a scam that took Daisy for $50 and implicates, of course, Boss Hogg and Roscoe.

Yes, it's a show about rubes, car stunts, and a legacy of moonshine, but there's something comforting about it, in a tongue-in-cheek way. --Tom Keogh

Sunday, December 11, 2011

District 9 [Blu-ray]

  • Condition: New
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Anamorphic; Color; DTS Surround Sound; Subtitled; Widescreen
From producer Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and director Neill Blomkamp comes a startlingly original science fiction thriller that "soars on the imagination of its creators" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). With stunning special effects and gritty realism, the film plunges us into a world where the aliens have landed... only to be exiled to a slum on the fringes of Johannesburg. Now, one lone human discovers the mysterious secret of the extraterrestrial weapon technology. Hunted and hounded through the bizarre back alleys of an alien shantytown, he will discover what it means to be the ultimate outsider on your own planet.A provocative science fiction drama, District 9 boasts an original story that gets a little lost in blow-'em-up mayhem. Set in Johannesbur! g, 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 alie! ns who see him as a threat. When he pairs up with an extraterr! estrial 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)





From producer Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and director Neill Blomkamp comes a startlingly original science fiction thriller that "soars on the imagination of its creators" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). With stunning special effects and gritty realism, the film plunges us into a world where the aliens have landed... only to be exiled to a slum on the fringes of Johannesburg. Now, one lone human discovers the mysterious secret of the extraterrestrial weapon technology. Hunted and hounded through the bizarre back alleys of an alien shantytown, he will discover what it means to be the ultimate outsider on your own planet.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 ! extrater restrials 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 E! arth, 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)






Up (Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + BD Live) [Blu-ray]

  • From the revolutionary minds of Pixar Animation Studios and the acclaimed director of MONSTERS, INC. comes a hilariously uplifting adventure where the sky is no longer the limit. Carl Fredricksen, a retired balloon salesman, is part rascal, part dreamer who is ready for his last chance at high-flying excitement. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, Carl sets off to the lost world of his child
Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Andrew and Jeremy Get Married is a 2004 British documentary film written and directed by Don Boyd for the BBC. It tells the story of two Englishmen, Andrew Thomas and Jeremy Trafford, as they plan for their commitment ceremony. Originally commissioned for the BBC Storyville series, the film premiered at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival.High-powered wall! street bachelor jack campbell gets the shock of a lifetime when he wakes up one morning in suburban new jersey next to kate the girlfriend he left 13 years ago. Suddenly jacks entire world is turned upside down. Can this once single-minded exec actually become the family man? Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 05/23/2006 Starring: Nicolas Cage Tea Leoni Run time: 126 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Brett RatnerJack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) is the quintessential Wall Street shark, scoring killer deals by day and shallow escort sex by night. His round-the-clock routine of empty luxuries is disturbed one lonely Christmas Eve when a gun-packing punk (Don Cheadle)--perhaps an angel of mercy--responds to an altruistic gesture from Jack by giving him "a glimpse" of the life he could have had. Could have, that is, if he had married the girlfriend (Téa Leoni) he'd abandoned 13 years earlier, raised two adorable children, worked in his father-in-law's reta! il tire outlet, and lived happily ever after in suburban New ! Jersey. Thrust into this "glimpse" of the path not taken, Jack's a single-malt man in a lite-brew world, wondering if he'll ever return to his "better" life of callous wealth and solitude--or if he even wants to.

Carp all you want about this derivative premise, with its marginal stereotypes and biased embrace of domestic bliss and dirty diapers. The simple fact is, The Family Man works like a charm. Under the assured direction of Brett Ratner (Rush Hour), this holiday crowd-pleaser offers comedy and chemistry in equal measure, making the hilarity of Jack's predicament a smooth catalyst for that rarest of movie romances: the marital love story. Leoni is Cage's perfect match as Jack's idealized but imperfect wife, and the movie's appeal largely derives from its awareness that any life has its pleasures and pains. While it only flirts with the dark desperation that makes It's a Wonderful Life a classic predecessor, The Family Man is an ! irresistible what-if fantasy, and even its debatable ending rides on a wave of genuine warmth and sentiment. --Jeff ShannonWalt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios take moviegoers up, up and away on one of the funniest adventures of all time with their latest comedy-fantasy. Up follows the uplifting tale of 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Their journey to a lost world, where they encounter some strange, exotic and surprising characters, is filled with hilarity, emotion and wildly imaginative adventure.


At a time when too many animated films consist of anthropomorphized animals cracking sitcom one-liners and flatulenc! e jokes, the warmth, originality, humor, and unflagging imagin! ation of Up feel as welcome as rain in a desert. Carl Fredericksen (voice by Ed Asner) ranks among the most unlikely heroes in recent animation history. A 78- year-old curmudgeon, he enjoyed his modest life as a balloon seller because he shared it with his adventurous wife Ellie (Ellie Docter). But she died, leaving him with memories and the awareness that they never made their dream journey to Paradise Falls in South America. When well-meaning officials consign Carl to Shady Oaks Retirement Home, he rigs thousands of helium balloons to his house and floats to South America. The journey's scarcely begun when he discovers a stowaway: Russell (Jordan Nagai), a chubby, maladroit Wilderness Explorer Scout who's out to earn his Elderly Assistance Badge. In the tropical jungle, Carl and Russell find more than they bargained for: Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), a crazed explorer whose newsreels once inspired Carl and Ellie; Kevin, an exotic bird with a weakness for chocolate;! and Dug (Bob Peterson), an endearingly dim golden retriever fitted with a voice box. More importantly, the travelers discover they need each other: Russell needs a (grand)father figure; Carl needs someone to enliven his life without Ellie. Together, they learn that sharing ice-cream cones and counting the passing cars can be more meaningful than feats of daring-do and distant horizons. Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc. ) and Bob Peterson direct the film with consummate skill and taste, allowing the poignant moments to unfold without dialogue to Michael Giacchnio's vibrant score. Building on their work in The Incredibles and Ratatouille, the Pixar crew offers nuanced animation of the stylized characters. Even by Pixar's elevated standards, Up is an exceptional film that will appeal of audiences of all ages. Rated PG for some peril and action. --Charles Solomon

Stills from Up (Click for large! r image)






Monday, December 5, 2011

The Marx Brothers Collection (A Night at The Opera/A Day at The Races/A Night in Casablanca/Room Service/At the Circus/Go West/The Big Store)

  • Condition: New
  • Format: DVD
  • Box set; Black & White; DVD; NTSC
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (summit) Release Date: 01/12/2010 Run time: 110 minutes Rating: RThe remarkable documentary Brothers at War begins with a simple premise: Jake Rademacher wants to understand the experience of his younger brothers Isaac and Joe, both serving in the American military in Iraq. What unfolds proves amazingly complex, fusing a troubled family history (another Rademacher brother died at home), wrenching interviews with wives and girlfriends left behind, and a startlingly unfiltered portrait of on-the-ground soldiers in the middle of a combat zone. Because the filmmaker is already part of these people's lives, he's able to capture a kind of emotional nakedness you don't often see; when Joe's girlfriend talks about how Joe's military service has changed him, a window opens into her life that's! almost uncomfortably intimate. Because of his relationship to one of their comrades, the soldiers in Iraq accept Jake in a completely different way than they'd respond to a typical journalist. They don't present a manicured image; Jake films them talking about why they're there, how they treat girls, shooting people (one soldier describes nearly shooting a child who was carrying a toy gun), and watching The O.C. Driven by sibling rivalry, Jake even puts himself in harm's way by going out on combat missions. Brothers at War doesn't have an ideology. Soldiers in the field defend each other out of personal solidarity, not abstract ideas; the same impulse drives this movie forward. It's unlike any other war documentary and can't be recommended strongly enough. --Bret FetzerBROTHERS AT WAR is Jerold S. Auerbach's probing and poignant exploration of the tragedy of the Altalena, the doomed ship whose arrival in Israel ignited Jewish fratricidal conflict only ! weeks after its declaration of statehood in 1948. The destruct! ion of t he Altalena, with sixteen of its fighters killed by Israeli soldiers in a bitter two-day battle, threatened the new nation with civil war. This is the first history of the Altalena by a historian and the first to locate it within the context of ancient Jewish and contemporary Israeli history. The Altalena remains embedded in Israeli memory, Auerbach suggests, still framing unresolved issues of political legitimacy and will in the Jewish state. This new book tells the story, and the present profound implications, of a moment in the birth of modern Israel that has angles and repercussions relevant to many issues today, in Israel and beyond.Captain Sam Cahill (Maguire) is embarking on his fourth tour of duty, leaving behind his beloved wife (Portman) and two daughters. When Sam’s Blackhawk helicopter is shot down in the mountains of Afghanistan, the worst is presumed, leaving an enormous void in the family. Despite a dark history, Sam’s charismatic younger brother T! ommy (Gyllenhaal) steps in to fill the family void.Screenwriter David Benioff (The 25th Hour) didn't have to do much to relocate Brothers from Denmark to America. The story remains the same: Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) loves his family, but he's equally devoted to his career. Just as his ne'er-do-well brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), exits prison, where he did time for robbery, the Marines deploy Sam to Afghanistan. Tommy starts looking in on his wary sister-in-law, Grace (Natalie Portman), but then Sam's helicopter crashes in the mountains, and the military informs Grace that her husband has died. Unbeknownst to the Cahill clan, the Taliban has taken Sam hostage and tortures him to elicit information. Sam resists, but his colleague caves, leading to an unthinkable act. Back in New Mexico, Grace and Tommy grow closer, stopping just short of a full-blown affair (in Susanne Bier's original, they take the plunge). Even Tommy's disapproving Vietnam vet! father, Hank (Sam Shepard), sees his son in a new light after! Tommy r enovates Grace's kitchen. But when Sam is rescued by his company, he returns a broken man and is convinced that his wife has fallen in love with his brother. Even his daughters are afraid of him (Bailee Madison impresses as the eldest). As in Bier's film, Jim Sheridan (In America) elevates redemption and forgiveness over tragedy and loss, and his well-meaning remake gets off to a solid start, but it loses steam by the end. Brothers offers a compelling scenario, but the telling is too overstated to capture the full heartbreak of the situation. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Stills from Brothers (Click for larger image)



BUYSOUNDTRAX Records presents the original soundtrack to BROTHERS AT WAR, featuring music composed and conducted by Lee Holdridge for the 2009 documentary directed by Jake Rademacher and produced by Norman S. Powell and Jake Rademacher. Executive Produced by Gary Sinise and David Scantling.
For BROTHERS AT WAR, the producers were looking for a composer who could provide music that would compliment this exciting and! terrifying journey to the edges of a modern battlefield but c! ould als o switch gears and navigate through the terrain of intimate family relationships. They chose Lee Holdridge, a composer with a history of delicately highlighting the emotional moments of his subjects in a subtle manner. For the film, the composer has written a intimate acoustic score, augmented by strings, guitar and piano, including a song written and performed by John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting, inspired by the characters in the film, and based on the main theme.
Lee Holdridge was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1944. He spent his early years in Costa Rica, beginning music studies on the violin at the age of ten with Hugo Mariani, then the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica. Later, Holdridge moved to New York to continue his music studies and begin his professional career as a composer. Holdridge s successes in New York came to the attention of Neil Diamond who brought Holdridge to Los Angeles to write arrangements for his forthcoming albu! ms. A string of Gold and Platinum hits followed, which led to Diamond and Holdridge collaborating on the film score for Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Since that time, Holdridge has scored numerous film such as Splash, Big Business, Mr. Mom, Micki & Maude, 16 Days Of Glory, The Beastmaster, Sylvester, A Tigers Tale, El Pueblo Del Sol, Old Gringo and Pastime. His television work includes Moonlighting, Beauty and the Beast, the complete eight hour remake of East of Eden, The Tenth Man, Dreamer of Oz, Hallmark Hall Of Fame s One Against the Wind and The Story Lady. Lee also began a very successful collaboration with Moriah Films, the film division of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, with the Academy Award winning documentary feature film The Long Way Home. In addition to his film career, Mr. Holdridge has had an extensive repertoire of concert works performed and recorded. He has also worked with many major recording artists having written, arranged and conducted for Placido Domingo! , Barbra Streisand, Brian May of Queen, Stevie Wonder, Neil Di! amond, J ohn Denver, Neil Sedaka, Daniel Rodriguez, Al Jarreau, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole, Jane Oliver and many others.BROTHERS AT WAR, a new book [May 2011] from Quid Pro Books, is Jerold S. Auerbach's probing and poignant exploration of the tragedy of the Altalena, the doomed ship whose arrival in Israel ignited Jewish fratricidal conflict only weeks after its declaration of statehood in 1948. The destruction of the Altalena, with sixteen of its fighters killed by Israeli soldiers in a bitter two-day battle, threatened the new nation with civil war.

This is the first history of the Altalena by a historian and the first to locate it within the context of ancient Jewish and contemporary Israeli history. The Altalena remains embedded in Israeli memory, Auerbach suggests, still framing unresolved issues of political legitimacy in the Jewish state.

Identified as "America's foremost intellectual exponent of right-wing Zionism," Jerold Auerbach is the! author of nine books including HEBRON JEWS: MEMORY AND CONFLICT IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL (2009), a history of the world's oldest continuing Jewish community. His essays have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Commentary, The New York Times, The Jewish Press, Jerusalem Post, Midstream, and American Thinker.

Auerbach has been a Guggenheim Fellow, Fulbright Lecturer at Tel Aviv University, Visiting Scholar at the Harvard Law School, and recipient of two College Teachers Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is Professor Emeritus of History at Wellesley College.

Also available by Quid Pro Books are republications of two of Jerold Auerbach's previous acclaimed books: RABBIS AND LAWYERS and JACOB'S VOICES. As with these previous books, the digital edition of BROTHERS AT WAR contains true ebook formatting, active Table of Contents, all photographs from the print edition, bibliographical notes, and a full subject-matter Index. The cove! r photo to BROTHERS AT WAR, recording the actual event, is by ! the fame d war photographer Robert Capa and is licensed from Magnum Photos. The book features eight other fascinating photographs.BROTHERS AT WAR, a new book [May 2011] from Quid Pro Books, is Jerold S. Auerbach's probing and poignant exploration of the tragedy of the Altalena, the doomed ship whose arrival in Israel ignited Jewish fratricidal conflict only weeks after its declaration of statehood in 1948. The destruction of the Altalena, with sixteen of its fighters killed by Israeli soldiers in a bitter two-day battle, threatened the new nation with civil war.

This is the first history of the Altalena by a historian and the first to locate it within the context of ancient Jewish and contemporary Israeli history. The Altalena remains embedded in Israeli memory, Auerbach suggests, still framing unresolved issues of political legitimacy in the Jewish state.

Identified as "America's foremost intellectual exponent of right-wing Zionism," Jerold Auerbach is the author of n! ine books including HEBRON JEWS: MEMORY AND CONFLICT IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL (2009), a history of the world's oldest continuing Jewish community. His essays have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Commentary, The New York Times, The Jewish Press, Jerusalem Post, Midstream, and American Thinker.

Auerbach has been a Guggenheim Fellow, Fulbright Lecturer at Tel Aviv University, Visiting Scholar at the Harvard Law School, and recipient of two College Teachers Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is Professor Emeritus of History at Wellesley College.

Also available by Quid Pro Books are republications of two of Jerold Auerbach's previous acclaimed books: RABBIS AND LAWYERS and JACOB'S VOICES. As with these previous books, the digital edition of BROTHERS AT WAR contains true ebook formatting, active Table of Contents, all photographs from the print edition, bibliographical notes, and a full subject-matter Index. The cover photo to BROTHERS ! AT WAR, recording the actual event, is by the famed war photog! rapher R obert Capa and is licensed from Magnum Photos. The book features eight other fascinating photographs.The second enthralling installment in Alex Rutherford's Empire of the Moghul series. 1530, Agra, Northern India. Humayun, the newly-crowned second Moghul Emperor, is a fortunate man. His father, Babur, has bequeathed him wealth, glory and an empire which stretches a thousand miles south from the Khyber pass; he must now build on his legacy, and make the Moghuls worthy of their forebear, Tamburlaine. But, unbeknownst to him, Humayun is already in grave danger. His half-brothers are plotting against him; they doubt that he has the strength, the will, the brutality needed to command the Moghul armies and lead them to still-greater glories. Perhaps they are right. Soon Humayun will be locked in a terrible battle: not only for his crown, not only for his life, but for the existence of the very empire itself.This set includes seven of only thirteen Marx Brothers films ever mad! e! Collection includes: "A Night at the Opera" (1935) - The Marx Brothers turn Mrs. Claypool's opera into chaos in their efforts to help two young hopefuls get a break. It contains the famous scene where Groucho, Chico and Harpo cram a ship's stateroom with wall-to-wall people, gags, one-liners, musical riffs and two hard-boiled eggs. "A Day at the Races" (1937) - Groucho stars as Hugo Z. Hackenbush, a horse veterinarian dispensing horse pills and quips with equal glee. Chico selling racing tips, Harpo destroying a piano to turn it into a harp and favorite foil actress Margaret Dumont make this thoroughbred comedy wall-to-wall hilarity. "A Night in Casablanca" (1946) - This parody of the Bogart/Bergman 1943 classic features the Nazis vs. the "nutsies" as the Marx Brothers foil Axis criminals when they find stolen jewels and paintings Nazis have hidden in a hotel. "Room Service"/"At the Circus" - These two films are combined on one disc to provide double doses of laughter. I! n "Room Service" (1938), Lucille Ball and Ann Miller provide c! omic co- star support while the Marx Brothers play producers trying to keep their show above water and a hotel room over their head. In "At the Circus" (1939) Groucho stars as professional shyster lawyer J. Cheever Loophole in the middle of big-top bedlam as the boys try to save the circus and look to Margaret Dumont for the money to do so. Groucho sings one of his famous songs, "Lydia the Tattooed Lady." "Go West"/"The Big Store" - Another Marx Brothers twin bill makes this a hilarious comedy "two-fer." In the first, the Marxmen "Go West" (1940) to the land of outlaws and Indians where the fun never stops and where they outwit a land grabber. In "The Big Store" (1941), Groucho plays Attorney Wolf J. Flywheel who with sidekick Wacky (Harpo) and bodyguard Ravelli (Chico) are investigating the shady dealings of a crooked department store owner. Bonus extras include commentary by Leonard Maltin.When it comes to long-awaited treats like The Marx Brothers Collection, you can never ! get too much of a good thing. These seven comedies can't compare to the sheer lunacy of the five classics (The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, and Duck Soup) that the Marx Bros. made for Paramount between 1929 and 1933 (available in The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection), but when uber-producer Irving Thalberg signed Groucho, Harpo, and Chico to an MGM contract in 1935 (by which time sibling costar Zeppo had become the team's off-screen manager), he knew just how to cure their box-office blues. As a result, A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races were critical and commercial hits, lavishly produced according to the "Tiffany" studio's golden-age formula of glamorous set pieces and musical numbers combined with sensible plots that smoothly integrated snappy, well-written Marxian antics. Opera is the jewel of this set, with timeless scenes (the Stateroom, the Groucho-Chico cont! ract negotiation, etc.) that rank among the greatest bits of s! ilver-sc reen comedy... not to mention Groucho's flirtatious insults at Margaret Dumont's upper-crust expense.

A Day at the Races deserves near-equal acclaim ("Get-a your tootsie-fruitsie ice cream!"), but Thalberg's death in 1937 dealt a devastating blow, and the Marxes suffered from studio indifference, resulting in a succession of comedies that are timelessly enjoyable even as they fall prey to diminishing returns. By the time they made Go West and The Big Store, the Marxes were out of their element, and a few of the musical interludes indulge racial stereotypes that were common in the studio era. Despite this, these movies remain fresh and frantic, and Warner Bros. (holder of the RKO and MGM libraries) has done a marvelous job of packaging The Marx Brothers Collection to nostalgically approximate the filmgoing experience of the 1930s and '40s, with vintage shorts (Our Gang, Robert Benchley comedies, MGM cartoons, etc.) from the time of each feature'! s original release. Archival materials are slim but worthwhile (especially Groucho's 1961 interview with TV talk-show host Hy Gardner), and while Glenn Mitchell's commentary on Races is sparse and superficial, Leonard Maltin brings his usual superfan's enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge to bear on a full-length Opera commentary track. The new documentaries are somewhat redundant, but essential viewing for Marx Bros. neophytes. With all seven films presented in pristine condition, this is definitely a Marx Brothers Collection worth having. --Jeff Shannon

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