Video releases 12/21
Billie
The Manchurian Candidate: (3 STARS) Interesting remake (actually a rethinking
and update) of the classic John Frankenheimer 1962 thriller that starred Frank
Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh and Angela Lansbury. U.S. Army Major
Bennett Marco (Denzel Washington) can't sleep at night ... and he doesn't want
to. Marco spends his days giving inspiring speeches about his platoon's ambush
in the Kuwaiti desert during the first Gulf War and the heroics of Sergeant
Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber), who won the Medal of Honor for saving Marco's
crew. But at night, Marco's dreamlike memories of the desert turn sinister and
terrifying. And Marco privately wonders whether the two soldiers who died in
the firefight might have met darker fates than officially recorded -- and
whether Shaw might not be the glorious hero that everyone thinks he is. When
platoon members start to turn up dead -- and Marco discovers that they, too,
have been having the same dreams, Marco's suspicions grow stronger. And when
Shaw takes the national stage as a surefire candidate for vice president --
under the thumb of his controversial mother, Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw
(Meryl Streep) -- Marco is forced to act on gut feelings. With military
officials questioning his sanity, and the net of security tightening around
him, Marco races to probe deeper into the unimaginable, shocking truth before
the White House is won. Along the way he uncovers a conspiracy at the highest
levels of government and power involving private Manchurian Corp. and its
attempts to take over the U.S. for the benefits of private enterprise. In the
early 1960s, the enemy was the Red Chinese, and brainwashing was the method of
indoctrination; now, in Demme's vision, the enemy is big business and power
politics, and scientific mind control using implants and drugs are the
preferred method for domination. My, how the times have changed. Or, if one
looks at both Frankenheimer and Demme's subtext -- the manipulation of
candidates and elections -- have they? Director: Jonathan Demme. Stars: Denzel
Washington, Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber, Jeffrey Wright, Kimberly Elise, Jon
Voight, Ted Levine, Miguel Ferrer, Bruno Ganz. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: R, 130
min., Thriller, Box office gross: $65.520 million, Paramount, No VHS SRP,
Priced for rental. DVD:YES
Shaun of the Dead: (3 STARS) "Shaun of the Dead," a "rom zom com" (romantic
zombie comedy), follows the bloody funny adventures of underachiever Shaun
(Simon Pegg) and his best mate Ed (Nick Frost) as they cope with a zombie
invasion of North London and attempt to rescue Shaun's girlfriend Liz (Kate
Ashfield) and his Mum, Barbara (Penelope Wilton). On Friday, Shaun is in a rut.
At 29, he's coasted through life -- and still hasn't gotten very far, usually
winding up at the local pub, the Winchester. His roommate Ed looks up to him --
when he can take his eyes off the TV, that is. Liz is re-evaluating their
relationship, particularly after Shaun fails to do something special for their
anniversary on Saturday. That day, there are train delays, people fainting in
the streets, TV news reports of unexplained calamities. No, it can't be. But,
it is -- the dead have risen. Saturday's isolated incidents mushroom into a
full-on zombie assault and, once daylight breaks, it's Sunday bloody Sunday. As
manners and flesh take a beating, it's time to separate men from meat, humans
from zombies, and living from undead. Shaun and Ed grab whatever is at hand
(cricket bat, shovel, LP) to repel the attacking zombies, summoning reserves of
strength they didn't know they possessed and straining muscles they forgot they
had. Rounding up friends and family, they press on towards the sanctuary of the
Winchester. All that stands (or lopes) in their way are hordes of the
flesh-eating undead. Director: Edgar Wright. Stars: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield,
Nick Frost, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Nicola Cunningham, Penelope Wilton. 2004,
CC, MPAA rating: R, 99 min., Comedy horror thriller, Box office gross: $12.893
million, Universal, $23.98 SRP. DVD:YES
De-Lovely: (3 STARS) An original musical portrait of American composer Cole
Porter, filled with his unforgettable songs. In the film, Porter (Kevin Kline)
is looking back on his life as if it was one of his spectacular stage shows,
with the people and events of his life becoming the actors and action onstage.
Through elaborate production numbers and legendary hits like "Anything Goes,"
"It's De-Lovely," and "Night and Day," Porter's elegant, excessive past comes
to light - including his deeply complicated relationship with his wife and
muse, Linda Lee Porter (Ashley Judd). 1964. A dying Cole Porter sits alone in
his New York apartment, playing the piano and picking out a familiar,
melancholy tune. Suddenly a mysterious stranger appears -- Gabe (Jonathan
Pryce) -- who transports Cole to an empty theater where Gabe is directing what
becomes a stage version of Cole's life story. All the key figures from his past
appear onstage to re-enact his life -- lovers, colleagues, friends, and, most
importantly, his wife, Linda. The film -- peppered with performances by Natalie
Cole, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, Alanis Morissette and Robbie
Williams, among others, singing Porter's songs -- transverses the Jazz age,
Paris in the 20s, New York in the 30s, Hollywood in the 40s as Porter struggles
to find the perfect love song -- and the perfect lover. Director: Irwin
Winkler. Stars: Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, Jonathan Pryce, Kevin McNally, Alan
Corduner, Sandra Nelson. Performances by Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, Alanis
Morissette, Natalie Cole, Robbie Williams and Elvis Costello. 2004, CC, MPAA
rating: PG-13, 125 min., Musical Bio, Box office gross: $13.245 million, MGM,
No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: YESs
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Bloo: (3 STARS) Orchid Horror-thriller set deep in
a primitive Borneo jungle, where an extremely rare red orchid -- the "blood
orchid" -- may hold the key to producing a youth-preserving serum. When a
gung-ho group of scientists embark on a treacherous journey into the jungle to
find the orchid -- in the hopes that a fountain-of-youth discovery will make
their careers and their corporate bosses a lot of money -- they quickly realize
that more than bad weather and heavy undergrowth separate them from their
treasure. Within the mysteries of the jungle lies a deadly predator that keeps
the secret of the orchids safe and stops anyone who dares to enter its
territory from leaving -- and the adventurers begin dying, one by one. Mild and
predictable excitement. Director: Dwight H.Little. Stars: Johnny Messner,
Morris Chestnut, Eugene Byrd, KaDee Strickland, Nicholas Gonzalez, Karl Yune,
Matthew Marsden. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 97 min., Thriller, Box office
gross: $31.526 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD:
YESs
King Arthur: (3 STARS) Historians have thought for centuries that King Arthur
was only a myth, but the legend was based on a real hero, torn between his
private ambitions and his public sense of duty. A reluctant leader, Arthur
(Clive Owen) wishes only to leave Britain and return to the peace and stability
of Rome. Before he can, one final mission leads him and his Knights of the
Round Table -- Lancelot, Galahad, Bors, Tristan, and Gawain -- to the
conclusion that when Rome is gone, Britain will need a leader to fill the
vacuum. Britain needs a king -- someone not only to defend against the current
threat of invading Saxons, but to lead the isle into a new age. Under the
guidance of Merlin, a former enemy, and the beautiful, courageous Guinevere
(Keira Knightley) by his side, Arthur will have to find the strength within
himself to change the course of history. An interesting take on the legend,
which fell flat in the States but has been wowing them overseas. Director:
Antoine Fuqua. Stars: Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Mads Mikkelsen, Ray Winstone,
Hugh Dancy, Keira Knightley, Stephen Dillane, Stellan Skarsgard, Til Schweiger.
2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 126 min., Action adventure, Box office gross:
$51.607 million, Buena Vista, $24.99 VHS SRP. DVD: YES
Surviving Christmas: (2 STARS) Facing another Christmas alone, Drew Latham (Ben
Affleck) decides to go back to his idyllic childhood home to spend the holidays
with family. There is, however, one problem: the people living there now are
not Drew's family. Nevertheless, Drew has his mind set on an old-fashioned
family Christmas, and the fact that the "family" in question, the Valcos, are
complete strangers, isn't about to put a crimp in his plans. Offering them a
small fortune, Drew bribes his newfound "parents" (James Gandolfini and
Catherine O'Hara) to let him spend Christmas in their home, pretending to be
part of the family. Just when the Valcos begin to question if any amount of
money is worth being dragged all over town on such traditional family holiday
excursions as Christmas shopping and the requisite choosing of the Christmas
tree, their eldest daughter Alicia (Christina Applegate) comes home for the
holidays, with no intention of adopting a new "brother." Bomb. Director: Mike
Mitchell. Stars: Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, Christina Applegate, Catherine
O'Hara. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 91 min., Comedy, Box office gross:
$10.284 million, DreamWorks, $23.98 VHS SRP. DVD: YES
Thunderbirds: (2 STARS) Live-action feature film based on the hit British
television series of the 1960s. Set in the year 2065, this is the story of
ex-astronaut and USAF Colonel Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton) and his five sons who
form a rescue team called International Rescue (nicknamed "The Thunderbirds")
that uses a fleet of vehicles, from rockets to boats, to race into action
whenever their unique services are required. While his father and his four
elder brothers are busy saving the world, Alan Tracy's (Brady Corbet) biggest
challenge is saving his grade point average at boarding school. And what's
worse, he can't even tell his schoolmates that his dad and brothers are better
known as the fearless adventurers behind the top-secret Thunderbirds. Alan
dreams of one day joining his close-knit family in their global vocation and
even getting into the driver's seat of one of the awesome, incredible machines
the Tracys utilize in their life-saving work. Back home on Tracy Island -- a
secret oasis in the South Pacific and headquarters to International Rescue --
Alan and his friends, the brainy Fermat (Soren Fulton) and the adventurous
Tin-Tin (Vanessa Anne Hudgens), are left behind as Jeff Tracy and his elder
sons are deployed on a fake mission by their arch nemesis, The Hood (Ben
Kingsley). Once the master criminal takes control of Tracy Island and the
Thunderbirds, it falls to Alan and his friends to come up with a plan to defeat
The Hood and rescue his family. Director: Jonathan Frakes. Stars: Brady Corbet,
Deborah Weston, Bill Paxton, Ben Kingsley, Soren Fulton, Vanessa Anne Hudgens.
2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 95 min., Adventure, Box office gross: $6.768
million, Universal, $23.98 VHS SRP. DVD: YES
Two Brothers:(3 STARS) An epic adventure of discovery, survival and wonder,
"Two Brothers" is the story of twin tiger brothers who are born amidst the
temple ruins and exotic jungles of French Indo-China. Separated as cubs and
taken into captivity, one tiger is forced to become a circus performer, the
other a trained killer. Years later, the brothers find themselves reunited, but
as forced enemies pitted against each other. The film stars Guy Pearce as a
romantic explorer whose tragic intervention into the idyllic lives of the two
tiger brothers forever intertwines their fates. Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud.
Stars: Guy Pearce, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Freddie Highmore, Oanh Nguyen. 2004,
CC, MPAA rating: PG, 109 min., Family, Box office gross: $18.947 million,
Universal, $23.98 VHS SRP. DVD: yes
The Young Black Stallion: The latest chapter in the story of the Black
Stallion. Set in Northern Africa at the conclusion of World War II, the film
follows the adventures of Neera (Biana Tamimi), a young girl, who becomes
separated from her family and finds herself alone in the desert. When a wild
stallion (whom Neera names Shetan) comes to her aid, the two form a special
bond and the horse helps Neera return home to her grandfather. As their
friendship and trust grows, the girl devises a daring plan to race the wild
Shetan (whose name means "the devil") in the annual horse race and help restore
her grandfathers's (Richard Romanus) reputation. Staking everything on the
race, Neera's iron will and courage combined with Shetan's untamed power and
determination culminates in some of the most breathtaking and triumphant scenes
ever. The film originally premiered in the large theatrical Imax format.
Director: Simon Wincer. Stars: Richard Romanus, Biana Tamimi. 2004, CC, MPAA
rating: G, 51 min., Family, Box office gross: $6.575 million, Disney, $24.99
VHS SRP. DVD: YES.
Napoleon Dynamite: (2 STARS) From Preston, Idaho comes Napoleon Dynamite, a new
kind of hero complete with a tight red 'fro, some sweet moon boots, and skills
that can't be topped. Napoleon lives with his Grandma and his 30-year-old,
unemployed brother Kip, who spends his days looking for love in internet chat
rooms. When Grandma hits the road on her quad runner, Napoleon and Kip's
meddling Uncle Rico comes to town to stay with them and ruin their lives.
Napoleon is left to his own devices to impress the girls at school and help his
new best friend Pedro win the election for Student Body President against the
stuck-up Summer Wheatley. Director: Jared Hess. Stars: Jon Heder, Jon Gries,
Aaron Ruell, Efren Ramirez, Diedrich Bader, Tina Majorini. 2004, CC, MPAA
rating: PG, 86 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $39.092 million, Fox, No VHS
SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: YES
Danny Deckchair: (2 STARS) Wild Aussie indie outing. When the long awaited
holiday of cement truck driver Danny (Rhys Ifans) goes south thanks to Trudy
(Justine Clarke), his scheming girlfriend, he escapes his suburban prison and
blasts into the skies in a garden chair tied with helium balloons. A mighty
thunderstorm blows him clean off the map and spits him out far away over the
lush green town of Clarence, where he rockets into the world of Glenda (Miranda
Otto), the town's only parking cop. While the media back home run riot with the
story of his disappearance, Danny gets to reinvent himself in Clarence and in
the adventure discovers a true soul mate in Glenda. Fate catches up with him
eventually: Danny's true identity is revealed and Trudy, now a "60 Minutes"
celebrity, comes to Clarence to claim Danny and drag him back to Sydney. Danny
however, is a changed man; he's discovered what it means to live and found a
new self-worth. Saying farewell to Trudy, Danny makes a dynamic re-entry to
Clarence, determined to win Glenda back again and embrace his newfound zest for
life. Director: Jeff Balsmeyer. Stars: Rhys Ifans, Mirando Otto, Justine
Clarke, Rhys Muldoon. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100 min., Comedy, Box
office gross: $0.159 million, Lions gate, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD:
YES
Billie
Please submit your suggestions for 'Website of the Day' to: pusss...@aol.com
http://artwc.org/Billie/AGCWEBSITES04.html
BLIND ITEMS: http://www.geocities.com/agcblinditems/2004/JULYAUG2004.html
NLSTP: http://artwc.org/Billie/NLSTP/NLSTP