Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition)

Batman Begins (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) Review

Batman Begins discards the previous four films in the series and recasts the Caped Crusader as a fearsome avenging angel. That's good news, because the series, which had gotten off to a rousing start under Tim Burton, had gradually dissolved into self-parody by 1997's Batman & Robin. As the title implies, Batman Begins tells the story anew, when Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) flees Western civilization following the murder of his parents. He is taken in by a mysterious instructor named Ducard (Liam Neeson in another mentor role) and urged to become a ninja in the League of Shadows, but he instead returns to his native Gotham City resolved to end the mob rule that is strangling it. But are there forces even more sinister at hand?

Co-written by the team of David S. Goyer (a veteran comic book writer) and director Christopher Nolan (Memento), Batman Begins is a welcome return to the grim and gritty version of the Dark Knight, owing a great debt to the graphic novels that preceded it. It doesn't have the razzle dazzle, or the mass appeal, of Spider-Man 2 (though the Batmobile is cool), and retelling the origin means it starts slowly, like most "first" superhero movies. But it's certainly the best Bat-film since Burton's original, and one of the best superhero movies of its time. Bale cuts a good figure as Batman, intense and dangerous but with some of the lightheartedness Michael Keaton brought to the character. Michael Caine provides much of the film's humor as the family butler, Alfred, and as the love interest, Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek) is surprisingly believable in her first adult role. Also featuring Gary Oldman as the young police officer Jim Gordon, Morgan Freeman as a Q-like gadgets expert, and Cillian Murphy as the vile Jonathan Crane. --David Horiuchi

Broken Lullaby (L'homme que j'ai tue)

Broken Lullaby (L'homme que j'ai tue) Review

Broken Lullaby (L'homme que j'ai tue) Feature

• Region 2
• European PAL Standard
• Studio: Arcades Video
• In English with French subtitles
• French import

Director Ernst Lubitsch gained international acclaim for his sophisticated romantic comedies, but he also had a talent for more serious themes, as evidenced by this 1932 drama. French musician Paul (Phillips Holmes) joined the Army at the height of WWI. On the field of battle, Paul shot and killed his German friend Walter Holderlin (Tom Douglas), another musician enlisted in his country's army. One year after the Armistice, Paul is still haunted by the memory of Walter's death, and he travels to Germany to locate Walter's father, Dr. Holderlin (Lionel Barrymore). Holderlin, his wife (Louise Carter), and Walter's fiancee, Elsa (Nancy Carroll are still shattered by the death of their loved one. Paul informs them of his friendship with their son, but cannot bring himself to unveil his responsibility for Walter's death. The Holderlins welcome Paul in friendship, and gradually, he settles into the household, bringing to both parents a new lease on life. Because of his lingering guilt, he feels tempted to run away, but Elsa discovers the truth about Paul and refuses to let him leave. Meanwhile, the presence of a Frenchman drums up hostilities in the Holderlins' village and the local women gossip continually about the developing relationship between Paul and Elsa. Perhaps because moviegoers completely snubbed The Man I Killed (also released as Broken Lullaby) and turned it into a financial detriment for Paramount, Lubitsch returned to lighter themes after this anti-war drama, and it was the last "serious" picture he would make before his death in 1948.

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season Three

The Dick Van Dyke Show - Season Three Review

Pratfall-prone Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) and his plucky wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), along with wisecracking co-workers Sally (Rose Marie) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam), captured America's hearts in this TV favorite that irresistibly combined wit and slapstick. Earning the series' highest ratings, the third season opened with the landmark "That's My Boy?" about Rob's fear that he's brought the wrong baby home from hospital, getting the longest studio audience laughs in the show's history. Thirty-One Original Full Length Episodes including the hilarious "October Eve" (Laura is mortified when a nude portrait of her surfaces in a New York gallery) and "Big Max Calvada"(a gangster muscles Rob, Buddy and Sally into writing a comedy routine for his nephew).

Miracle in Lane 2 [VHS]

Miracle in Lane 2 [VHS] Review

Based on the real-life story of disabled soap box derby champion Justin Yoder, this Disney bio-pic manages the difficult trick of balancing earnestness with wit, action with family drama. Frankie Muniz (TV's Malcolm in the Middle) plays Justin, a 12-year-old who accepts the limitations of his spina bifida but still wants to win a trophy like his athlete brother. Rick Rossovich and Molly Hagan are note perfect as his thoroughly likable but flawed parents, and Patrick Levis deftly portrays the difficulties of being a loving older brother who gets fed up always having to play second fiddle to his brother and his disease. Frequent trips into Justin's avid imagination, which provide humor and context, help the film avoid the sentimentality that usually accompanies triumph-over-adversity movies. (For instance, God is a race car driver who wears a T-shirt proclaiming "I don't make mistakes.") The smart script is cheerfully candid about Justin's problems (such as vomiting and lack of bladder control) and honest about the strain a disability puts on a family, but it's packed with enough action to sate the sports-minded viewer. (Ages 6 and older) --Kimberly Heinrichs

Rebels & Redcoats: How Britain Lost America (2pc) [VHS]

Rebels & Redcoats: How Britain Lost America (2pc) [VHS] Review

An exploration into America's War of Independence and how it divided the nation between those who remained loyal to the Crown and those fighting for liberation from England. Presented by respected British historian, Richard Holmes using first person narratives, recreations and interviews.

Master Keaton - Excavation (Vol. 1)

Master Keaton - Excavation (Vol. 1) Review

The amazing Taichi Keaton works on cases around the globe that always lead to adventure! He combines his arsenal of multidisciplinary expertise in investigation, archeology, and survival with his experience as a professor, a Falklands Conflict veteran and a SAS agent to unravel the often dangerous challenges in each riveting episode. In this volume, he rescues the beautiful Sofia from a gang of thugs in Greece, then works with bounty hunters to locate a terrorist in Germany. Later, after he escorts the heir to an Italian fortune to France, he meets an "immortal" being chased by the Russian mafia in Poland, and finally returns to Paris for an emotional reunion!

KEY SALES POINTS:
Animated by Mad House (Trigun, X, Ninja Scroll, Patlabor WXIII)
Character design by Kitaro Kosaka (Director of Animation/ Princess Mononoke)
Menu Design by Nightjar (Akira, Hellsing)

DVD FEATURES:
Bilingual format (English/Japanese language) with optional English subtitles
Two separate fan friendly subtitles streams (1) Dialogue translation and (2) Signs only translation
Scene access and extras including textless opening/closing and the "Hidden Feature"
Interactive menus

Twin Rivers [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]

Twin Rivers [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ] Review

Twin Rivers [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ] Feature

• THIS DVD WILL NOT WORK ON STANDARD US DVD PLAYER

Australia released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Interactive Menu, Making Of, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Two brothers are on a long journey across New South Wales, Australia in 1939. Travelling on foot, they trying to reach the city of Melbourne to start their own business. However, a series of events on the road lead them to the township of Riverton, where the brother's loyalty to each other is challenged when new dreams are discovered.

Go [VHS]

Go [VHS] Review

Director Doug Liman's follow-up to the winning Swingers is a rollicking adventure that, while lacking in any substantial plot, speeds along with nonstop adrenaline and style to burn. Taking a cue from Pulp Fiction, Liman plays tricks with time and overlapping plots, all of which play out in L.A. and Las Vegas in a 24-hour period sometime between Christmas and New Year's. Slacker grocery-store clerk Ronna (Sarah Polley) is trying to score rent money by selling hits of Ecstasy at a rave party, but winds up inadvertently double-crossing a ruthless dealer (sexy and scary Timothy Olyphant). She's also invading the dealing turf of her coworker Simon (Desmond Askew), a Brit on his first trip to Vegas, which turns nightmarish after a jaunt with pal Marcus (Taye Diggs) to a "gentleman's club" turns violent. And then there's the two soap-opera actors (Jay Mohr and Scott Wolf) who cross paths with Ronna more than once in their attempts to divest themselves of a drug-related charge by participating in a sting.

The way Liman and writer John August layer these stories owes a huge debt to Quentin Tarantino, but the comedy and action sequences rocket like a bat out of hell with energy, humor, and genuine surprise. In addition to some hilarious dialogue exchanges--including a classic scene between Ronna's stoned friend (Nathan Bexton) and a Zen cat--Liman works wonders with one the most winning ensembles in recent memory, a cast that includes both established actors and TV cuties. Mohr, Diggs, and especially Polley (doing a 180 from her turn in The Sweet Hereafter) are as excellent as you'd expect, but it's Wolf (of Party of Five) and Dawson's Creek's Katie Holmes (as Polley's best bud) who turn in revelatory work; Holmes especially seems poised to be a breakout star. An amazing cinematic ride--like a roller coaster, you'll want to go back again and again. --Mark Englehart

Sherlock Holmes: Dressed to Kill (SP Mode)

Sherlock Holmes: Dressed to Kill (SP Mode) Review

Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Patricia Morison. In this film, the last in the series, the Bank of England's engraving plates are stolen. While hot on the trail, Holmes is captured and left hanging by his hands in an abandoned garage, as poison gas begins to fill the room.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Boxed Set Collection)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Boxed Set Collection) Review

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Boxed Set Collection) Feature

• A collection of 13 thrilling episodes packed with mystery and suspense. From the tremendously popular Granada Television Series, the versions stay true to the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Jeremy Brett stars as Sherlock Holmes and David Burke as Dr. Watson. A must have for fans and whodunit buffs alike! Volume 1: A Scandal in Bohemia The Dancing Men The Naval Treaty The Solita

Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the best filmed version of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective, showcasing Holmes's dazzling brilliance without ignoring his unnerving intensity or drug dependencies. First aired on Britain's Granada Television in 1984, the series offered perfect casting (David Burke, replaced later in the run by Edward Hardwicke, played Dr. Watson as Holmes's sturdy companion and chronicler rather than as a buffoon), marvelous period music by Patrick Gowers, and a running time of almost an hour per story, which allowed superior detail and faithfulness to the original source.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes marked the beginning of the long-running series. Highlights of these 13 episodes include "A Scandal in Bohemia," which introduces Irene Adler (Gayle Hunnicutt), whom Holmes uncharacteristically describes as having "a face a man might die for"; the chilling locked-room mystery "The Speckled Band"; the introduction of Sherlock's brother Mycroft (Charles Gray) in "The Greek Interpreter"; and "The Final Problem," in which Holmes confronts his arch-enemy Professor Moriarty (Eric Porter) at Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. The five-disc boxed set is a great bargain compared to previous VHS releases, although bonus features are limited to English subtitles and galleries of Sidney Paget's famous illustrations. The series would continue on Granada with The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes as well as the stand-alone treatments of The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles. --David Horiuchi ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES BOX SET - DVD Movie

The Home Workshop .50-Caliber Sniper Rifle [VHS]

The Home Workshop .50-Caliber Sniper Rifle [VHS] Review

If you're looking for the ultimate in do-it-yourself projects, this has got to be it. In this amazing original Paladin video, Bill Holmes, the undisputed master of home-built firearms, teaches you how to make a .50-caliber bolt-action sniper rifle in your home workshop. Bill takes you step by step through the entire fabrication process and shows you the secrets of transforming a surplus M-2 heavy machine gun barrel and an assortment of readily available raw materials into an awesome long-range precision rifle. Every aspect of the construction process is covered in meticulous detail, including the exact methods of fabricating the upper and lower receivers, trigger group, bolt and bolt locking lugs, firing pin, striker, and even the mounts for a telescopic sight. Because the proof is in the shooting, this video also includes dramatic footage of the test-firing of the finished gun. A .50-caliber rifle is the ultimate tool for the advanced shooter and a serious challenge for the gun-loving do-it-yourself. For information purposes only.

Color, approx. 60 minutes.

Smart People [Blu-ray]

Smart People [Blu-ray] Review

Driven by a clever script and fine performances, SMART PEOPLE is set in the land of academia, a place where both Lawrence and Vanessa have taken refuge and plunged themselves into as escape from the external world. In spite of their high IQs, both father and daughter are equally clueless when it comes to navigating relationships. This becomes obvious as Vanessa develops a line-blurring relationship with her uncle, and Lawrence stumbles in romancing his doctor. If Vanessa wants a shot at happiness and Lawrence wants to make things work in his love life, both will have to adopt new attitudes or risk further alienation. Starring Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, and Thomas Hayden Church.

Grandes Peleas Vol. 42 (10 Peleas Pesadas) G. Foreman, Tyson, Holmes, Lewis, Holyfield.

Grandes Peleas Vol. 42 (10 Peleas Pesadas) G. Foreman, Tyson, Holmes, Lewis, Holyfield. Review

George Foreman vs. K Norton, J Frazier / Mike Tyson vs. L Holmes, T Berbick / Joe Frazier vs. Bob Foster / L Lewis vs. Donovan Ruddock / Larry Holmes vs. Leon Spink / Carlos Monson Quarry / Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson

Survivor - Season One: The Greatest and Most Outrageous Moments [VHS]

Survivor - Season One: The Greatest and Most Outrageous Moments [VHS] Review

America has spoken. Survivor was one of the rare lightning-in-a-bottle television events that became an instant pop culture phenomenon, like Roots, the first season of Twin Peaks, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and Suddenly Susan (just kidding). Sixteen contestants were left to fend for themselves on the most famous tropical isle since Gilligan's. What begins as a happy and healthy competition inexorably turns, in contestant Jenna's words, "malicious and evil." And the whole world was watching.

For devotees of the show who yearn to go back to the island, this two-and-a-half-hour video souvenir replays the most memorable moments of season 1, including all the tribal councils that sealed the castaways' fates. What makes this video collectible are the never-before-broadcast audition tapes (Susan's is a jaw-dropping hoot), as well as each castaway's parting words after being voted off the island (Stacey is particularly bitter). There is gratuitous rodent skinning, uncensored profanity (from Susan and B.B.), and nudity (unfortunately, all Richard). Thankfully, we are spared Sonja's ukulele playing.

The one mystery that remains is why the castaways didn't pull a Lord of the Flies on hokey host Jeff Probst. Even those who originally avoided the show like a rat dinner will have to admit: from Jenna's heartbreak at learning that her video greeting from home did not arrive to Susan's classic what-goes-around-comes-around "snakes and rats" speech, Survivor is compelling television. --Donald Liebenson

Edgar Kennedy - Rediscovered Comedies of Edgar Kennedy, Volume 2

Edgar Kennedy - Rediscovered Comedies of Edgar Kennedy, Volume 2 Review

Edgar Kennedy, the "King of the Slow Burn," began his film career in 1914 as one of the original Keystone Kops. In 1931, at the beginning of the Sound Era, RKO Studios hired Kennedy to portray "Mr. Average Man," in a series of slapstick two-reelers that lasted 17 years at a half-dozen titles per year. Kennedy is perhaps now best remembered as the peanut vendor, brilliantly performing his famous "slow burn" in the Marx Brothers' 1933 masterpiece, Duck Soup. Presented here are ten hilarious samples of the comic shorts that made Kennedy such a beloved character. - Ed Hulse

• A Merchant of Menace (1933)
• An Apple in His Eye (1941)
• Baby Daze (1939)
• Feather Your Nest (1944)
• Hold Your Temper (1943)
• I'll Build it Myself (1946)
• I'll Fix It (1941)
• Prunes and Politics (1944)
• Rough on Rents (1942)
• Westward Ho-Hum (1941)

Sister Act

Sister Act Review

Relive all the fun, laughter, and irresistible music of SISTER ACT -- the inspired comedy hit that packed pews everywhere! Whoopi Goldberg stars as a sassy, low-rent lounge singer forced to hide out from the mob in the last place on earth anyone would look for her -- a convent. While she's there, her irreverent behavior attracts a flock of faithful followers and turns the nuns' tone-deaf choir into a soulful chorus of swingin', singin' sisters. But when the group earns rave reviews, her sudden celebrity jeopardizes her hidden identity. Harvey Keitel and Kathy Najimy join a heavenly cast in this habit-forming comedy bursting with '60s Motown hits.

Go [Region 2]

Go [Region 2] Review

Director Doug Liman's follow-up to the winning Swingers is a rollicking adventure that, while lacking in any substantial plot, speeds along with nonstop adrenaline and style to burn. Taking a cue from Pulp Fiction, Liman plays tricks with time and overlapping plots, all of which play out in L.A. and Las Vegas in a 24-hour period sometime between Christmas and New Year's. Slacker grocery-store clerk Ronna (Sarah Polley) is trying to score rent money by selling hits of Ecstasy at a rave party, but winds up inadvertently double-crossing a ruthless dealer (sexy and scary Timothy Olyphant). She's also invading the dealing turf of her coworker Simon (Desmond Askew), a Brit on his first trip to Vegas, which turns nightmarish after a jaunt with pal Marcus (Taye Diggs) to a "gentleman's club" turns violent. And then there's the two soap-opera actors (Jay Mohr and Scott Wolf) who cross paths with Ronna more than once in their attempts to divest themselves of a drug-related charge by participating in a sting.

The way Liman and writer John August layer these stories owes a huge debt to Quentin Tarantino, but the comedy and action sequences rocket like a bat out of hell with energy, humor, and genuine surprise. In addition to some hilarious dialogue exchanges--including a classic scene between Ronna's stoned friend (Nathan Bexton) and a Zen cat--Liman works wonders with one the most winning ensembles in recent memory, a cast that includes both established actors and TV cuties. Mohr, Diggs, and especially Polley (doing a 180 from her turn in The Sweet Hereafter) are as excellent as you'd expect, but it's Wolf (of Party of Five) and Dawson's Creek's Katie Holmes (as Polley's best bud) who turn in revelatory work; Holmes especially seems poised to be a breakout star. An amazing cinematic ride--like a roller coaster, you'll want to go back again and again. --Mark Englehart