DVDs

New DVDs: Feature Length Films and TV Series – June 2008

Richelle

The Amazing Grace
John Newton is captain of a slave ship moored off the coast of Nigeria. He stands at a crossroads in his life, his morality and religion at odds with the brutality of his chosen profession. Stepping ashore, he starts on a journey of redemption that will end in tragedy but prove the catalyst for greater achievements. A local anthem sung in adversity by the slaves whom he captures punctuates the film. It will be the inspiration for Newton’s redemption and, years later, for his writing of the world’s most enduring hymn, “Amazing Grace.” Cast: Nick Moran, Scott Cleverdon, Mbong Odungide, Fred Amata, Joke Silva, James Hicks. Not Rated

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Volume One
Join the amazing journeys of young Indy as he crosses paths with Picasso, Freud, Edison and other larger-than-life luminaries on his travels around the world. Cast: Sean Patrick Flanery, George Hall, Corey Carrier, Margaret Tyzack, Ruth De Sosa, Lloyd Owen, Kevin McNally. Originally broadcast on television from 1992-1996.

Bones: Season One
An FBI agent teams up with a forensic anthropologist to solve some of the most baffling and bizarre crimes. Cast: David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel. Originally broadcast on television during the 2005-2006 season.

The Company
Depicts the global power struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, told from the viewpoint of CIA and KGB spies. Spans four decades, from the dawn of the Cold War in the 1950s to the downfall of the Soviet Union in the ’90s. Trace the activities of the CIA’s underground fight with the KGB and where three CIA agents must find out the moles in their own ranks before every operation in an unrelenting battle within the organization itself. Cast: Chris O’Donnell, Alfred Molina, Michael Keaton, Ted Atherton, Alessandro Nivola, Rory Cochrane, Tom Hollander. Based on the book by Robert Littell. Not rated.

The Company
Company is a funny, sophisticated exploration of love and commitment as seen through the eyes of a charming perpetual bachelor questioning his single state and his enthusiastically married, slightly envious friends. Winner of the 2007 Tony Award. Cast: Raúl Esparza, Kelly Jeanne Grant, Angel Desai, Elizabeth Stanley, Matt Castle, Amy Justman, Fred Rose, Leenya Rideout, Keith Buterbaugh, Kristin Huffman. Not Rated

Cranford
Cranford, in 1842, is a market town in northwest England. It is a place governed by etiquette, custom and above all, an intricate network of ladies. It seems that life has always been conducted according to their social rules. For spinsters Deborah Jenkyns, the arbiter of correctness, and Matty, her dumurring sister, the town is a hub of intrigue. Handsome new doctor Frank Harrison has arrived from London; a retired Captain and his daughters move in across the street and preparations for Lady Ludlows garden party are underway. The town has some secrets which are about to be revealed. But news comes that shakes the town, a railway line from Manchester is coming to Cranford. Cast: Simon Woods, Judi Dench, Lisa Dillon, Imelda Staunton, Julia McKenzie, Rosy Byrne, Alex Etel, Kimberley Nixon. Based on the novels by Elizabeth Gaskells. Originally broadcast on BBC television in 2007. Not rated.

Criminal Minds: The Second Season
Jason Gideon is the head of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) and mentor to an elite team of profilers, including family man Aaron Hotchner, sex-crimes expert Elle Greenaway, hunky Derek Morgan, genius-geek Dr. Spencer Reid, department liaison “JJ” Jareau, and computer whiz Penelope Garcia. Joining them this season is Emily Prentiss who quickly learns there’s nothing these agents would rather do than profile murderers and put them away. Cast: Mandy Patinkin, Thomas Gibson, Lola Glaudini, Shemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook. Originally broadcast on television during the 2006-2007 season.

Emperor of the North
A cruel railroad agent makes it his personal mission to rid the world of hobos out for a free ride. But a legendary, tough-as-nails hobo vows to ride the agent’s train to its destination and survive. Cast: Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Keith Carradine. Originally released as a motion picture in 1973. Rated PG

Entourage: Season Three, Part 2
For Vince, Eric, Drama and Turtle, life in Hollywood’s fast lane isn’t without its road bumps, as we learned when a botched deal cost Ari, Vince’s longtime agent, his job. Will change at the top make the difference in getting Vince his dream picture, or will the boys regret giving Ari the ax?
Cast: Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Debi Mazar, Jeremy Piven.
TV-MA.

Ghost Whisperer: The First Season
Ever since she was a young girl, Melinda Gordon has been able to see and talk to dead people. Earth-bound spirits who have yet to cross over to the other side seek her help in communicating and resolving unfinished business with the living. Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, David Conrad, Aisha Tyler. Originally broadcast on CBS television during the 2005-2006 season. Not rated.

Ghost Whisperer: The Second Season
Melinda Gordon has the ability to communicate with the earthbound spirits of people who have died, providing deeply moving and important closure for them and their loved ones. This season, Melinda and her husband, Jim Clancy, are joined by new friend and employee Delia Banks, as Melinda battles a dark force taking over her beloved town of Grandview. Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, David Conrad, Camryn Manheim. Originally broadcast on television during the 2006-2007 season. Not rated.

How I Met Your Mother: Season One
How I Met Your Mother: Season Two
Told in a series of flashbacks, this television series is the hilariously unpredictable story of how twenty-something Ted meets his soul mate and says goodbye to the singles world of pick-up lines, one night stands and relationship “deal-breakers.” Cast: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris.

Justice League: Season Two
The seven superheroes of the Justice League unite to fight evil across the galaxy, but when one of their own commits the ultimate betrayal, it could be the end of the Justice League and Earth forever. Originally broadcast on television during the 2002-2003 season. Not Rated

Medium: The Second Season
Allison Dubois works in the Phoenix District Attorney’s office. She uses her psychic abilities to help crack criminal cases. Her dreams often give her clues to the whereabouts of missing people and by touching someone she often gets to see beneath the facade into the person’s soul. Allison juggles her job with her role as wife and mother, including a daughter who seems to be developing similar powers. Cast: Patricia Arquette, Jake Weber, Miguel Sandoval, Sofia Vassilieva, Maria Lark, David Cubitt. Inspired by the real-life story of medium Allison DeBois. Originally broadcast on NBC television during the 2005-2006 season. Not rated.

My Boy Jack
It’s 1914 and the British Empire’s greatest supporter, Rudyard Kipling, is at the peak of his literary fame. Kipling’s son, Jack, is determined to play his part in the immiment war with Germany but finds himself rejected due to his poor eyesight. Kipling uses his influence to land Jack a commission in the Irish Guards. Kipling’s wife, Caroline, is bitterly upset, failing to see the glory in losing her only son to the war. How will the great writer, torn between his two greatest passions–devotion to King and Country and love for his family–justify the consequences of his actions to himself and his wife? Cast: David Haig, Daniel Radcliffe, Carey Mulligan, Julian Wadham, Martin McCann, Kim Cattrall. Originally broadcast as a made-for-TV movie in 2007. Not Rated

My Left Foot
Born with cerebral palsy, Christy Brown learned to paint and write with his only controllable limb, his left foot. Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Ray McAnally, Brenda Fricker, Fiona Shaw, Adrian Dunbar, Ruth McCabe, Cyril Cusack. Originally released as a motion picture in 1989. Based on the novel My Left Foot by Christy Brown. Rated R

The Odessa File
In 1963, in Hamburg, Germany, a diary falls into the hands of freelance newspaperman Peter Miller. The diary documents the unspeakable crimes perpetrated by SS Captain Eduard Roschmann, commandant of the notorious wartime deathcamp at Riga, Latvia. Miller’s personal manhunt to track down Roschmann leads him into the very heart of ODESSA, a powerful secret organization formed by the SS to protect and re-establish its fugitive members throughout the world. Cast: Jon Voight, Mary Tamm, Maria Schell, Maximilian Schell, Derek Jacobi. Based on the novel by Frederick Forsyth. Originally released as a motion picture in 1974. Rated PG

The Other Boleyn Girl
The little-known story of Mary Boleyn who was mistress to King Henry VIII before he married her older sister, Anne. Families at the Court jockey for position, using their daughters as pawns in the game. Set during one of the most notorious periods in British regal history. A story of a rival relationship between the two sisters. Cast: Natascha McElhone, Jodhi May, Jared Harris, Steven Mackintosh, Philip Glenister, Jack Shepherd. Based on the novel by Philippa Gregory. Originally broadcast on BBC television in 2003. Not rated.

Project Runway: The Complete First Season
Starring international supermodel Heidi Klum, this series follows a group of young fashion designers competing with each other to make it in the high-stakes world of fashion. Originally broadcast on television in 2004. Hosted by Heidi Klum. Rated TV 14.

The Seven-Ups
Follows a rogue squad of New York City cops, who name themselves after the minimum sentence of their targeted street hoods. Often as violent as the vicious thugs they pursue, these cops will stop at nothing to get justice in the courts–but more often–in the streets. Cast: Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Larry Haines, Richard Lynch. Originally released as a motion picture in 1973. Rated PG.

Supernatural: Season One
The premise is deceptively simple: brothers Sam and Dean (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) travel the darker corners of the American landscape in search of their father, who’s gone missing while hunting the malevolent forces that lead to the death of their mother. In the course of their search, the siblings encounter a host of otherworldly creatures, including vampires, ghosts, and witches, as well as the urban-legend favorites, monsters from Native American mythology, and fearful figures from children’s games.

The Train
As the Germans retreat from France in 1944, they determine to take an art museum’s masterpieces with them. The French Resistance persuades a railway inspector to try to save the train’s precious cargo. Cast: Burt Lancaster. Paul Scofield, Jeanne Moreau, Michel Simon, Wolfgang Preiss. Originally released as a motion picture in 1965. Not Rated

Wire in the Blood: The Complete Fourth Season
Dr. Tony Hill is a clinical psychiatrist whose extraordinary understanding of the criminal mind has been an invaluable asset to the police. Working alongside Bradfield’s new detective inspector, Alex Fielding, Tony profiles and tracks down vicious killers in Northern England. Cast: Robson Green, Simone Lahbib, Mark Letheren, Emma Handy, Peter Sullivan. Not rated; contains graphic violence.

Foreign Language Films – June 2008

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Fiorile
The Benedetti family has been haunted by a curse for generations. On a long drive to visit their reclusive grandfather in Tuscany, Luigi Benedetti tells his children the mysterious story of their ancestors. It is a tragic tale filled with forbidden love, passion, vengeance and betrayal. In Italian, with English subtitles. Cast: Claudio Bigagli, Galatea Ranzi, Michael Vartan, Lino Capolicchio, Constanze Engelbrecht, Athina Cenci, Giovanni Giudelli, Norma Martelli, Pier Paolo Capponi, Chiara Caselli, Renato Carpentieri. Originally released as a motion picture in 1993.
Rated: PG-13

Lust, Caution
Set against the backdrop of Japanese occupied Shanghai in 1942, a young woman finds herself swept up in a radical plot to assassinate a ruthless and secretive intelligence agent. As she immerses herself in her role as a cosmopolitan seductress, she becomes entangled in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue, love and betrayal. In Mandarin, English subtitles. Cast: Tony Leung, Tang Wei, Joan Chen, Wang Leehom.Based on the short story Se, jie by Eileen Chang. Rated R

Vitus
At six, Vitus is both incredibly talented and wonderfully precocious. When it becomes evident that he has an exceptionally high IQ and can play piano like a young Mozart, expectations run high. His parents love him, his grandfather understands him, but no one knows the truth – that his real genius is in his heart. In German (Swiss); with optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles. Cast: Teo Gheorghiu, Bruno Ganz, Julika Jenkins, Urs Jucker, Fabrizio Borsani, Eleni Haupt, Tamara Scarpellini, Norbert Schwientek, Daniel Rohr, Heidy Forster, Kristina Lykowa.
Rated PG

New Releases on DVD – May 2008

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Eagle vs Shark
When Lily, an oddball fast-food waitress and hopeless romantic, and Jarrod, another forsaken eccentric, connect at a ‘dress as your favorite animal’ party, it’s a match seemingly made in outcast heaven. Cast: Loren Horsley, Jemaine Clement, Brian Sergent, Rachel House, Craig Hall.
MPAA Rating: R.

The Golden Compass
In a wondrous parallel world where witches soar the skies and Ice Bears rule the frozen North, one special girl is destined to hold the fate of the universe in her hands. When Lyra Belacqua becomes the keeper of the Golden Compass, she discovers that her world and all those beyond are threatened by the secret plans of Mrs Coulter. With the help of Lord Asriel and a group of unlikely allies ready to stand at her side, Lyra embarks on an extraordinary quest that celebrates friendship and courage against all odds. Cast: Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman, Sam Elliott, Ian McKellen, Ian McShane, Freddie Highmore, Kathy Bates, Kristin Scott Thomas, Daniel Craig. Based on the book “Northern lights” by Philip Pullman. Rated PG-13.

Good Luck Chuck
In order to keep the woman of his dreams from falling for another guy, Charlie Logan has to break the curse that has made him wildly popular with single women: Sleep with Charlie once, and the next man you meet will be your true love. Cast: Dane Cook, Jessica Alba, Dan Fogler.
Rated R

The Great Debaters
Inspired by a true story, Melvin B. Tolson is a brilliant but politically radical debate team coach who uses the power of words to transform a group of underdog African American college students into an historical powerhouse that took on the Harvard elite. Cast: Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, Denzel Whitaker, John Heard, Kimberly Elise. Rated PG-13

The Invasion
Something terrifying has come to Earth, something that attacks us while we sleep and turns us into soulless replicants. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam, Jeffrey Wright. Based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney. Rated PG-13

Love in the Time of Cholera
Florentino is a poetry-writing telegraph operator who lives in a Central American city. He spots the graceful Fermina while making his rounds, and finds himself in love. While Florentino’s mother encourages the courtship, Fermina’s father absolutely forbids it. Years pass, and the well-born Dr. Urbino treats Fermina for a case of cholera. When Urbino proposes, Fermina accepts. A distraught Florentino decides to wait. With the help of his uncle, he amasses wealth of his own. All the while, he drifts from woman to woman, never really finding what he is looking for in a woman. After five decades of waiting, he gets a second chance to win Fermina’s heart. Cast: Javier Bardem, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Benjamin Bratt, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Hector Elizondo, Liev Schreiber, Fernanda Montenegro, Laura Harring, John Leguizamo. Based on the novel by Gabriel García Marquez. Rated R

Mad Money
Bridget is a stay-at-home wife whose life as she knows it ends when her husband loses his cushy, high-paying job. Her college degree in literature does not help her find a substantial job, so she accepts a janitorial position at the Federal Reserve. There, she meets Nina and Jackie, who could use some spare scratch as well. Suddenly, it dawns on Bridget that the bank has plenty of what they need – money. The plan is to take the old bills that are headed for the shredder and recycle them back into the economy by spending it. Cast: Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes, Ted Danson, Stephen Root, Christopher McDonald, Adam Rothenberg. Rated PG-13

National Treasure Book of Secrets
When a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth surfaces, Ben Gates’ great-great grandfather is suddenly implicated as a key conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. In order to find a clue so that he can clear his family’s name, Ben must kidnap the President of the United States. Cast: Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Ed Harris, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Bruce Greenwood, Helen Mirren.v Rated PG

Over Her Dead Body
When Kate is killed by an ice sculpture on her wedding day, her fiancé Henry gives up on romance until he falls for the beautiful psychic who’s supposed to be helping him move on. But Kate is not having any of it, and now she’s making it her heavenly duty to send their budding relationship six-feet-under. Cast: Eva Longoria Parker, Paul Rudd, Lake Bell, Lindsay Sloane, Jason Biggs. Rated PG-13

P.S. I Love You
Holly Kennedy is beautiful, smart and married to the love of her life – a passionate, funny, and impetuous Irishman named Gerry. So when his life is taken by an illness, it takes the life out of Holly. Nobody knows Holly better than Gerry, so it’s a good thing he planned ahead. Before he died, Gerry wrote Holly a series of letters that will guide her, not only through her grief, but in rediscovering herself. The first message arrives on Holly’s 30th birthday in the form of a cake and a tape recording from Gerry. In the weeks and months that follow, more letters from Gerry are delivered in surprising ways, each sending her on a new adventure and each signing off in the same way – P.S. I Love You. Holly’s mother and best friends begin to worry that Gerry’s letters are keeping Holly tied to the past, but in fact, each letter is pushing her further into a new future. Cast: Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow, Harry Connick, Jr., Gina Gershon, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kathy Bates. Based on the novel by Cecelia Ahern. Rated PG-13

Reservation Road
Two fathers are forced to live with the same tragedy in two very different ways after an incident that involves them both on the same road. Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly, Mira Sorvino. Rated R

27 Dresses
Jane is a romantic, completely selfless woman who’s been a happy, helpful bridesmaid no less than 27 times. But her own fairy-tale wedding seems to be nowhere in sight, until younger sister Tess captures the heart of Jane’s boss with whom she’s secretly in love. This inspires Jane to change her “always a bridesmaid” destiny. Cast: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Judy Greer, Edward Burns. MPAA rating: PG-13.

Documentaries and Nonfiction Films – May 2008

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American Idiot: the Ultimate Critical Review
American Idiot is the Grammy award-winning album which transformed the group into global superstars capable of filling the biggest stadiums on earth. Featuring rare concert footage and the reflections of the band along side the views of a leading team of music critics and studio insiders, this is the independent critical review of the album that rocked the world the how and why of American Idiot and how it works its magic.

Foreign Language Films – May 2008

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The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The inspiring true story about the French editor of Elle magazine, Jean-Dominique Bauby, who, in 1995 at the age of 43, suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, except his left eye. Using that eye to blink out his memoir, Bauby eloquently described the aspects of his interior world, from the psychological torment of being trapped inside his body to his imagined stories from lands he’d only visited in his mind. In French, English and Spanish; with optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. Cast: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze, Anne Consigny, Patrick Chesnais, Niels Arestrup, Olatz López Garmendia, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Marina Hands, Max von Sydow. Rated PG-13.

New DVDs: Feature Length Films and TV Series – May 2008

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The Boys from Brazil
A band of Nazi leaders, escaped from postwar Germany, scheme to return to power. Their plans to dominate the world are based on a bizarre biological experiment undertaken by Josef Mengele, to clone Hitler. Cast: Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Steve Guttenberg. Originally released as a motion picture in 1978. Based on the novel by Ira Levin. Rated R.

The Conversation
A provoking mystery-suspense drama explores the morality of privacy in the story of Harry Caul, a surveillance expert, who conducts a routine surveillance job only to later find himself suspicious that he has become an unwitting player in murder scheme. Originally released as a motion picture in 1974. Cast: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Robert Duvall.

The Counterfeit Traitor
An American businessman turned Swedish oil-trader finds his life and fortunes held hostage when he’s blackmailed by British agents and forced into the perilous arena of WWII espionage. Cast: William Holden, Lilli Palmer, Hugh Griffith. Originally released as a motion picture in 1962.
Based on the book by Alexander Klein. Not rated.

The Day of the Jackal
Story of a cold, suave British assassin hired by the French OAS to kill General Charles de Gaulle. Nameless and faceless, the killer, known by the code name of Jackal, relentlessly moves toward the date with death that would rock the world. The tension mounts as the methodical preparations of the Jackal are paralleled with the efforts of the police to uncover the plot, which gives the story non-stop, edge-of-your-seat suspense. Cast: Edward Fox, Alan Badel, Tony Britton, Cyril Cusack, Michel Lonsdale, Eric Porter, Delhpine Seyrig. DVD release of the 1973 motion picture. Based on the book by Frederick Forsyth. Rated PG.

Eye of the Needle
While attempting to complete a crucial mission during WWII, a ruthless German spy is shipwrecked on a deserted Scottish island and befriended by a lonely woman. Cast: Donald Sutherland, Kate Nelligan, Ian Bannen, Christopher Cazenove. Based on the novel by Ken Follett. Rated R.

Five Days
After Leanne and her children vanish into thin air, her husband and family soon learn that nobody is what they seem. Cast: Nikki Amuka-Bird, Hugh Bonneville, Charlie Creed-Miles, Lucinda Dryzek, Rory Kinnear, Patrick Malahide, Janet McTeer, David Oyelowo, Sarah Smart, Penelope Wilton, Edward Woodward. Originally broadcast on HBO in 2007. Rated TV-MA

Love’s Unfolding Dream
Missie’s adopted daughter Belinda is determined to become a doctor, but despite her dedication and ability, Doc Jackson believes women should stay at home– and so does Belinda’s suitor, Drew Simpson. But with faith and hard work, Belinda begins winning the hearts and minds of everyone around her, including a wealthy dowager, who just might help make Belinda’s dreams come true. Cast: Erin Cottrell, Dale Midkiff, Scout Taylor-Compton, Robert Pine, Patrick Levis, Nancy Linehan Charles, Samantha Smith. Based on the novel by Janette Oke. Originally broadcast as a made-for-TV movie in 2007. Not Rated

Man Who Never Was
Account of wartime espionage based on the true story of an intelligence operation designed to mislead the Nazis prior to the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily. Cast: Clifton Webb, Gloria Grahame. Originally produced as a motion picture in 1955. From the book by Ewen Montagu. Not rated.

Marathon Man
Story of a graduate student and marathon runner unwittingly trapped in a terrifying drama revolving around a murderous Nazi fugitive. Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, William Devane, Marthe Keller. DVD release of the 1976 motion picture. Rated R.

The Omega Man
Biological warfare has decimated the world’s population. Los Angeles is a windswept, debris-strewn ghost town. There, Robert Neville tools his convertible through the sunny streets, pillaging deserted department stores to survive. And making damn sure he gets undercover before sundown, when the other ‘survivors’ emerge. Based on the novel “I am Legend” by Richard Matheson. Cast: Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash. Rated PG.

The Three Days of Condor
A CIA agent who is on the run from a mass slaughter in his research office suddenly finds himself the target of both his employers and the unknown killers of his associates. Based on the novel “Six days of the Condor” by James Grady. CastRobert Redford, Cliff Robertson, Faye Dunaway, Max von Sydow. Rated R.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Some say George Smiley is in innocent retirement. Others say he was sacked after the Czech scandal. But all agree that nobody ever leaves the ‘Circus’ without some unfinished business. Brought out of retirement to trace an enemy infiltrator in the department where he was once the prize employee, the shy and retiring master of espionage moves forwards to investigate and finds himself going backwards over very old ground … Cast: Alec Guinness, Ian Bannen, Bernard Hepton, Terence Rigby, Michael Jayston, Hywel Bennett and Anthony Bate. Based on the novel by John Le Carre. Not rated.

Touch of Frost Season 13
Detective Jack Frost is called to investigate when a couple return from holiday to find the body of a complete stranger in their bed. He also becomes involved in a murder inquiry and uncovers a crime ring involved in the importing of endangered species and illegal animal goods. Cast: David Jason, Bruce Alexander. Not rated.

New Releases on DVD – April 2008

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Alvin and the Chipmunks
Struggling songwriter Dave Seville opens his home to a talented trio of chipmunks named Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. When they become overnight music sensations, a greedy record producer tries to exploit the ‘boys’ and send them on a grueling concert tour just to line his own pockets. Now Dave must use a little human ingenuity and a lot of ‘munk mischief to get his furry family back before it’s too late! Cast: Jason Lee, David Cross, Cameron Richardson. Voices: Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney. MPAA rating: PG

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Andy, is an overextended payroll executive who lures his younger brother, Hank, into a larcenous scheme to rob a suburban mom-and-pop jewelry store that appears to be an easy target. The problem is, the store owners are Andy and Hank’s real mom and pop, and the seemingly perfect crime goes awry. Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, Albert Finney, Brian F. O’Byrne, Rosemary Harris. MPAA rating: R

Charlie Wilson’s War
Based on the true story of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson during the early 1980s, this tells how a congressman who loved a good time, one Houston socialite who loved a good cause and one renegade CIA agent who loved a good fight conspired to bring about the largest covert operation in history. Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Ned Beatty. Based on the book by George Crile. MPAA rating: R

Cloverfield
Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman. Rated PG-13

Juno
Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child. Cast: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons. MPAA rating: PG-13.

Lars and the Real Girl
Lars is a sweet but shy guy who has a hard time talking with his family, coworkers, and neighbors. Although his family fears the worst when Lars brings home a life-sized companion doll who he thinks is a real girlfriend, named Bianca, a doctor encourages them to play along with him so that he can work through his delusions. The whole community rallies to his support, and Lars begins to deal with all of his emotions. He even begins to develop feelings for Margo, an attractive co-worker, in what becomes “a hilariously unique love triangle.” Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, Patricia Clarkson. Rated PG-13

Lions for Lambs
Injuries sustained by two Army rangers behind enemy lines in Afghanistan set off a sequence of events involving a congressman, a journalist, and a professor. Cast: Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Michael Peña, Andrew Garfield, Peter Berg, Derek Luke. Rated R

Mist
When Dave Drayton notices a strange mist on the lake, he does not think much of it. Later, when his son, Billy, his neighbor Brent Norton, and he travel to the grocery store, strange things begin to happen. On their way to the market, they see the army, the local firefighters, and the police heading toward the mist. When he sees this, Brent mentions something about “Project Arrowhead,” a secret military plan that no one knows about. When an elderly man runs into the market with a bloody nose, declaring that something is in the mist, the store immediately becomes besieged by otherworldly creatures which the shoppers and employees must battle. Cast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones. Based on the novella by Stephen King. MPAA rating: R

Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy
Mist is one of three pups born at Borough Farm. From the moment that she opens her eyes, her dream is to become a real sheepdog. But things are not as easy as she might have hoped. Training with the boss is confusing, and then there’s a bunch of gruff and gumpy rams to deal with, and an auntie who may not always have her best interests at heart. Mist will need to learn her craft and prove herself worthy of a place on the team sheepdogs at the farm. Originally broadcast as a television motion picture in 2006. AudienceTV-G.

Resurrecting the Champ
Erik Kernan is an up-and-coming sports reporter who rescues a homeless man only to discover that he is, in fact, a boxing legend believed to have passed away. What begins as an opportunity to resurrect the Champ’s story and escape the shadow of his father’s success becomes a personal journey as the ambitious reporter reexamines his own life and his relationship with his family. Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, John Hartnett, Kathryn Morris, Alan Alda, Rachel Nichols, David Paymer; Teri Hatcher. Based on the story written by J.R. Moehringer. Rated PG-13

Rocket Science
The story follows the life of fifteen year-old Hal Hefner(Reese Daniel Thompson), an awkward teenager with a stutter who wants to rise from obscurity and become an unlikely hero of his high school. He sees his chance when the fast-talking star of the debate team convinces him that he’s got the raw talent to succeed at public speaking. MPAA rating: R

Savages
Jon and Wendy Savage are two siblings who have spent their adult years trying to recover from the abuse of their abusive father, Lenny Savage. When their father’s girlfriend suddenly dies, they feel obliged to take care of him. Now together, brother and sister must come to terms with the new and painful responsibilities with their father. The siblings are forced to face the struggle with their now personal demons. Cast: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco.
Rated R.

Stargate the Ark of Truth
SG-1 searches for an ancient weapon which could help them defeat the Ori, and discover it may be in the Ori’s own home galaxy. As the Ori prepare to send ships through to the Milky Way to attack Earth, on board the Odyssey, SG-1 travels to the Ori galaxy. The International Oversight Committee has their own plans and SG-1 finds themselves in a distant galaxy fighting two powerful enemies. Cast: Ben Browder, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Claudia Black, Beau Bridges, Spencer Maybee, Martin Christopher. Not Rated.

There Will Be Blood
Self-made oilman Daniel Plainview, whose voracious appetite for oil turns him into a California tycoon in the early years of the 20th century must face challenges not only from his son, but also a preacher as ambitious as himself and the oil fields themselves. Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O’Connor, Ciarán Hinds, Dillon Freasier. Based on the novel “Oil” by Upton Sinclair. Rated R

Walk Hard: the Dewey Cox Story
The up-and-down and then up-again story of musician Dewey Cox. Dewey’s songs would change a nation. On his rock ‘n roll spiral, Dewey sleeps with 411 women, marries three times, has 22 kids and 14 step-kids, stars in his own 70s TV show, collects friends ranging from Elvis to the Beatles to a chimp. He becomes addicted to and then kicks about every drug known to man. Despite it all, Cox grows into a national icon and eventually earns the love of a good woman, his longtime backup singer Darlene. Cast: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, Kristen Wiig. Rated R.

The Waterhorse
Present day Scotland. Angus discovers a mysterious egg that hatches a sea creature of Celtic mythology. The creature befriends Angus and will eventually be known as the Loch Ness Monster. Trying to hide the dinosaur-like creature, nicknamed Crusoe, Angus enlists Lewis to transfer it to the lake, where boy and serpent have extraordinary adventures together until human stupidity threatens Crusoe’s existence. Emily Watson, Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey, Brian Cox. Based on the book The water horse by Dick King-Smith. PG

Documentaries and Nonfiction Films – April 2008

Richelle

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Examines a rivalry between two top players of the video game Donkey Kong. Featuring Steve Wiebe, Billy Mitchell, Walter Day. MPAA rating: PG-13

War Dance
A group of children in war-ravaged Northern Uganda are invited to compete in a national music and dance championship, and experience a normal childhood and the taste of victory for the first time. MPAA rating: PG-13

New DVDs: Feature Length Films and TV Series – April 2008

Richelle

Forces of Nature
Ben has only two days to get from New York to Georgia for his wedding, but the forces of nature, and a free-spirited traveler, are working against him. Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ben Affleck, Maura Tierney, Steve Zahn, Blythe Danner, Ronny Cox. Rated PG-13.

Miss Austen Regrets
Austen fans will be delighted with the second disc in the new Sense & Sensibility set: Miss Austen Regrets is a perfect companion to the miniseries, starring Olivia Williams stars as the author, and Greta Scacchi–who could easily pass as Williams’ real-life sibling–as Austen’s sister Cassandra. The film takes a bittersweet look at Austen’s life and hints at what could have been had she married one of her suitors. Smart and headstrong, Austen refuses to cave into society’s notions of what a proper woman should do. While her famous heroines all paired up with dashing gentlemen, Austen found that the loves of her life were her written creations.

Murder Must Advertise
It looks like a tragic accident when Victor Dean falls down the spiral staircase at Pym’s Publicity Ltd. His replacement, Lord Peter Wimsey (Ian Carmichael), sets out to find the truth which leads him to a drug ring operating through someone at the agency. DVD release of the original 1973 BBC television drams seen on PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre. Based on the novel by Dorothy Sayers.

Sense & Sensibility
Masterpiece Theatre & the BBC produced this new 3-part adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel about love and marriage. Cast: David Morrissey, Janet McTeer, Hattie Morahan, Charity Wakefield, Dan Stevens, Dominic Cooper, Mark Williams, Claire Skinner, Anna Madeley, Daisy Haggard.

Smiley’s People
The bespectacled spymaster is once more called from retirement to come to the aid of the ‘Circus’–and he returns with a vengeance. The murder of an emigre Soviet General who was also a British agent, sends him digging into the past on a twisted trail across Europe that moves, inexorably, towards a final showdown with his old adversary, Karla of Moscow Center. Cast: Alec Guinness as George Smiley, with Eileen Atkins, Anthony Bate, Bernard Hepton, Michael Lonsdale, Beryl Reid, Patrick Stewart, and Bill Paterson. Based on the novel by John Le Carré ; sequel to his Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Produced by BBC television in 1994

Foreign Language Films – April 2008

Richelle

Endless Way
As he comes of age, Ah Ming must begin a life of endless labor to bring sacred water to his family. Forced into an arranged marriage with a young girl from a neighboring village, he must forsake his true love, Ah Shui. Unable to cope with the harsh routine that each villager must endure, Ah Ming’s wife leaves, never to return, and the long suffering Ah Shui steps forth to care for Ah Ming and his ailing mother, sharing their pain and grief. Chinese (Mandarin) dialogue with optional English, simplified Chinese, and traditional Chinese subtitles. Chinese (Mandarin) dialogue with optional English, simplified Chinese, and traditional Chinese subtitles.

Going to School with Dad on My Back
Based on a true story, Going to School with Dad on my Back focuses on the selfless acts a family must endure to ensure the survival of their brightest, and the hope of a better future for all of China. Based on a true story. Originally released as a motion picture in 1997. Chinese dialgoue with optional Chinese or English subtitles.

Legend of the Black Scorpion
Scheming royals and other officials seek to conquer empires and consolidate power to form a single omnipotent dynasty. Meanwhile, a legendary empress who has the fighting skills unparalleled by any man, harbors forbidden desires for her stepson. Set in the Age of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, tells the story of a royal court in turmoil including forbidden love, deceit, revenge, overpowering beauty, and greed. Originally released as a motion picture in 2006. Mandarin and English dialogue, English or Spanish subtitles.