DVDs

New DVDs April & May 2012

New DVDs April & May 2012

Richelle

Click on the Titles to order the DVDs or Blu-Rays from the catalog. If the titles do not have links, they are just not in the system yet. Check back soon!

Chronicle – Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides. PG-13. Release: 5/15/12

Contraband – To protect his brother-in-law from a drug lord, a former smuggler heads to Panama to score millions of dollars in counterfeit bills. R. Release 4/24/12

The Darkest Hour – In Moscow, five young people lead the charge against an alien race who have attacked Earth via our power supply. PG-13. Release: 4/10/12

The Divide – Survivors of a nuclear attack are grouped together for days in the basement of their apartment building, where fear and dwindling supplies wear away at their dynamic. R. Release: 4/17/12

Frozen Planet – From the Emmy-winning team behind Planet Earth and The Blue Planet comes Frozen Planet, the epic tale of two disappearing wildernesses. The Arctic and Antarctic remain the greatest wildernesses on Earth. The scale and beauty of the scenery and the sheer power of the elements are unmatched anywhere else on our planet. NR. Release: 4/17/12

The Grey – After their plane crashes in Alaska, seven oil workers are led by a skilled huntsman to survival, but a pack of merciless wolves haunts their every step. R . Release: 5/15/12

Haywire – A black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission. R. Release: 5/1/12

The Innkeepers – After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees – Claire and Luke – are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England’s most haunted hotels. R. Release: 4/24/12

The Iron Lady – An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene. PG-13. Release: 4/10/12

Joyful Noise – G.G. Sparrow faces off with her choir’s newly appointed director, Vi Rose Hill, over the group’s direction as they head into a national competition. PG-13. Release: 5/1/12fe, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene. PG-13. Release: 4/10/12

Love’s Everlasting Courage – Wes Brown joins Cheryl Ladd and Bruce Boxleitner in this heartwarming story adapted from the bestselling “Love Comes Softly” series by Janette Oke. When the wife of a struggling homesteader on the western frontier unexpectedly dies, the man searches for the strength and courage to raise his young daughter – and finds it, with the help of his parents. NR. Release: 5/8/12

Masterpiece Classic: Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks’ epic love story, set against a backdrop of the First World War, became a modern classic when it was published in 1993. Now adapted for the screen for the first time, Abi Morgan has created a riveting, sumptuous masterpiece. Shifting in time between 1910 and 1916, Birdsong is the story of Stephen Wraysford, a young Englishman who arrives in Amiens in Northern France to stay with the Azaire family and falls desperately in love with Isabelle Azaire. NR. Release: 4/24/12

Masterpiece Classic: Great Expectations – An orphan boy meets an escaped convict, a crazed rich woman, a bewitching girl, and grows up to have great expectations of wealth from a mysterious patron, in Great Expectations, Charles Dickens’ remarkable tale of rags to riches to self-knowledge. NR. Release: 4/3/12

Miss Representation  – As the most persuasive and pervasive force of communication in our culture, media is educating yet another generation that a woman’s primary value lay in her youth, beauty and sexuality-and not in her capacity as a leader, making it difficult for women to obtain leadership positions and for girls to reach their full potential. The film accumulates startling facts and asks the question, “What can we do?” NR. Release: 4/10/12

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – The IMF is shut down when it’s implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization’s name. PG-13. Release: 4/17/12

One for the Money – Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin’s bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past. PG-13. Release: 5/15/12

Red Tails – A crew of African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program, having faced segregation while kept mostly on the ground during World War II, are called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. Bullard. PG-13. Release: 5/22/12

Sherlock (BBC): Season 2 – Nominated for 4 primetime Emmys, Sherlock is back with Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson in three new stories. With beguiling performances, witty scripts and some of the most intriguing characters ever created, it’s no wonder that Sherlock has proven to be a worldwide success. NR. Release: 5/22/12

This Means War – Two top CIA operatives wage an epic battle against one another after they discover they are dating the same woman. PG-13. Release: 5/22/12

True Blood: The Complete Fourth Season – Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, True Blood tells the continuing tale of Sookie a human waitress with telepathic gifts – and a so-far irresistible attraction to 174-year-old vampire Bill Compton. NR. Release: 5/29/12

Underworld: Awakening – When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress Selene leads the battle against humankind. R. Release: 5/8/12

The Vow  – A car accident puts Paige in a coma, and when she wakes up with severe memory loss, her husband Leo works to win her heart again. PG-13. Release: 5/8/12

War Horse – Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert’s hopeful journey takes him out of England and across Europe as the war rages on. PG-13. Release: 4/3/12

We Bought a Zoo – Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo. PG. Release: 4/3/12

The Woman in Black – A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals. PG-13. Release: 5/22//12

 

Television Series New to the Collection – Winter 2012

Richelle

Some of these may not be “new”
but they are to our collection!

Doctor Who – (From Wikipedia) – a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a Time Lord, a time-travelling, humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior appears as a blue police box from 1963 London, when the series first aired. Along with a succession of companions, he faces a variety of foes while working to save civilisations, help people, and right wrongs.

Season 1 (2005)

Season 2 (2006)

Season 3 (2007)

Season 4 (2008)

Season 5 (2010)

Season 6 (2011)

Justified – (From Wikipedia) – an American television drama series created by Graham Yost. It is based on Elmore Leonard’s novels Pronto and Riding the Rap and his short story “Fire in the Hole”. Its main character is Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal. The series is set in the city of Lexington, Kentucky and the hill country of eastern Kentucky, specifically in and around Harlan.

Season 1

Season 2

Merlin  – (From Wikipedia) – a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur but differs from traditional versions of the legend in many ways.

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Star Trek The Next Generation – (From Wikipedia) – an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production. The show was created 21 years after the original Star Trek show and set in the 24th century from the year 2364 through 2370 (about 100 years after the original series timeframe). The program features a new crew and a new starship Enterprise.

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

 

New DVDs – Winter 2012

Richelle

New Releases (in order of release date, most recent first)

Muppets – March 20, 2012
Movies attempting to retrieve cherished nuggets of pop culture often stumble, either by appealing solely to the die-hard minutia enthusiasts or clunking up the batter with unnecessary additions to the base material. (Enough with the human love triangles, get to the giant robots fighting.) Thankfully, this revival of Jim Henson’s beloved characters gets the formula delightfully right, providing a googly-eyed nostalgia trip for adults while also retaining the original’s sense of bright (and mildly subversive) wonder.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – March 20, 2012
High-ranking intelligence officer George Smiley (Gary Oldman) was forced out of service when a mission in Hungary went very wrong, but rumors of a Soviet mole hidden within the agency bring him back into play. If the theory of the former head, Control (John Hurt), is to be believed, the mole is at the very top, one of four senior officers, played by Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Firth, and David Dencik (of the Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). With the help of a lower-ranking agent with a few secrets of his own (Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock) and a field agent who may be a source of disinformation (Tom Hardy, Inception), Smiley slowly draws out the clues he needs to lay a trap for the mole.

Footloose – March 6, 2012
The struggle between innocence and rigid morality is revisited when city-boy Ren finds himself in an uptight town where dancing has been banned. Filled with contemporary music and iconic classics from the original, this fresh look on youth culture is sure to win fans of young and old.

Game of Thrones – March 6, 2012
Set in a world where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. From the scheming south and the savage eastern lands, to the frozen north and ancient Wall that protects the realm from the mysterious darkness beyond, the powerful families of the Seven Kingdoms are locked in a battle for the Iron Throne. This is a story of duplicity and treachery, nobility and honor, conquest, and triumph. In the Game of Thrones, you either win or you die.

Like Crazy – March 6, 2012
Like Crazy beautifully illustrates how your first real love is as thrilling and blissful as it is devastating. When a British college student (Felicity Jones) falls for her American classmate (Anton Yelchin), they embark on a passionate and life-changing journey only to be separated when she violates the terms of her visa. Like Crazy explores how a couple faces the real challenges of being together and of being apart. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for best Actress for Felicity Jones, Like Crazy depicts both the hopefulness and the heartbreak of love.

Tower Heist – February 21, 2012
Queens native Josh Kovacs has managed one of the most luxurious and well-secured residences in New York City for more than a decade. Under his watchful eye, nothing goes undetected. In the swankiest unit atop Josh’s building, Wall Street titan Arthur Shaw is under house arrest after being caught stealing two billion from his investors. The hardest hit among those he defrauded? The tower staffers whose pensions he was entrusted to manage.

The Way – February 21, 2012
“The Way” is a powerful and inspirational story about family, friends, and the challenges we face while navigating this ever-changing and complicated world. Martin Sheen plays Tom, who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son , killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago,. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son’s desire to finish the journey. What Tom doesn’t plan on is the profound impact the journey will have on him. From the unexpected and, oftentimes, amusing experiences along “The Way,” Tom begins to learn what it means to be a citizen of the world again. Through his unresolved relationship with his son, he discovers the difference between “the life we live and the life we choose.”

Paranormal Activity 3 – February 14, 2012
Paranormal Activity 3 takes you back to where it all began and the activity is more intense than ever. The cameras are on and recording the chilling moments when evil begins to terrorize young sisters Katie and Kristi for the first time. Brace yourself for the horror phenomenon that delivers “heart-exploding scares”* so frightening that “the last 15 minutes will mess you up for life.”

Breaking Dawn Part 1 – February 11, 2012
In the highly anticipated fourth installment of the Twilight Saga, a marriage, a honeymoon, and the birth of a child bring unforeseen and shocking developments for Bella and Edward and those they love, including new complications with young werewolf Jacob Black.

The Double – January 31, 2012
When a United States Senator is brutally murdered, the evidence points to a Soviet assassin code-named Cassius, who was long-thought to be dead. Two men who know Cassius best are thrown together to catch him. Paul Shepherdson is a retired CIA operative who spent his career tracking Cassius around the globe. Ben Geary is a hotshot young FBI Agent and family man who has studied the killer’s every move. Ben thinks he knows Cassius, but Paul knows he is dead wrong.

Abduction – January 17, 2012
Taylor Lautner explodes on-screen as a young man whose secret past is set to collide with a dangerous reality. After uncovering a deadly lie, Nathan (Lautner) is propelled on a lethal, no-holds barred mission to learn the truth. Aided by a devoted family friend, Nathan’s hunt for the facts pits him against ruthless assassins and questionable allies.

Bucky Larson Born to be a Star – January 17, 2012
A small-town grocery bagger discovers that his conservative parents were once adult film stars and heads out to Los Angeles, hoping to follow in their footsteps.

The Ides of March – January 17, 2012
During the frantic last days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, an up-and-coming campaign press secretary finds himself involved in a political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate’s shot at the presidency.

Boardwalk Empire. Season 1 – January 10, 2012
A lavish period drama set in Atlantic City, following the life and times of Nucky Thompson, the undisputed political and criminal mastermind whose grip on power and control of the city’s liquor supply is under constant threat.

Don’t be Afraid of the Dark – January 3, 3012
Sally Hurst is going to Rhode Island to live with her father Alex and his new girlfriend Kim in the nineteenth-century mansion they are restoring. While exploring the estate, Sally finds a hidden basement and accidentally lets loose a race of ancient, dark-dwelling creatures who conspire to drag her down into the mysterious house’s bottomless depths. Before the evil lurking in the dark consumes them all, Sally must convince Alex and Kim that it’s not a fantasy.

I Don’t Know How She Does It – January 3, 2012
The tale of Kate, a finance executive who is the breadwinner for her husband and two kids. When Kate gets handed a major new account that will require frequent trips to New York, her husband also wins the new job he’s been hoping, spreading them both even thinner. Complicating matters is Kate’s charming new business associate, a handsome executive who proves to be an unexpected source of temptation.

Mildred Pierce – January 3, 2012
The tale of an independent woman who finds herself newly divorced during the Depression. As a struggling single mother, she is determined to fulfill the demands of her eldest daughter, surpassing societal expectation and the betrayal of lovers along the way.

 

It’s Cold Outside…Warm up with These DVDs

Richelle

To see if the item is available, click on the title.

The Bishop’s Wife – Cary Grant stars as an angel who materializes in answer to the prayers of a harried young bishop, David Niven. Niven’s efforts to raise money for a new cathedral have endangered his marriage to beautiful Loretta Young. Grand hopes to end the problems plaguing the family, but instead the bishop’s neglected wife becomes infatuated with him. (NR, 109min, 1947.)

Blossoms in the Dust– To Edna Gladney, founder of the Texas Children’s home and Aid Society, every abandoned child deserves the miracle of a loving home. Edna’s devotion echoes today as she declares, “There are no illegitimate babies– only illegitimate parents.” (NR, 100min, 1941.)

Classic Christmas favorites: 10 Holiday Favorites– Dr.Seuss’ How the Grinch stole Christmas — Leprechauns’ Christmas gold — Pinocchio’s Christmas — Stingiest man in town — Extra Goodies: Making animation and bringing it to life; Dr. Seuss and the Grinch – From Whoville to Hollywood ; Songs in the key of Grinch ; making-of featurette and pencil test — Year without a Santa Claus deluxe edition — Rudolph’s shiny new year — Nestor, the long-eared Christmas donkey — Extra Goodies: We are Santa’s Elves featurette ; Stop motion 101 featurette — Frosty’s winter wonderland — T’was the night before Christmas — Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July. (NR, 393min, 2008.)

A Charlie Brown Christmas – ‘Tis the season to be jolly, but Charlie Brown, feeling that the Christmas message is lost amid all the seasonal glitter, has the blues. Join the Peanuts gang as they discover for themselves the true meaning of Christmas. (NR, 48min, 1965.)

A Christmas Story – Ralphie, a nine-year-old boy in 1940s Indiana, dreams of receiving a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas but encounters resistance at every turn when he makes his wish known. (PG, 98min, 1983.)

Deck the Halls – Two neighbors in a small New England town go to war when one of them decides to decorate his house with so many Christmas lights that they are visible from space. The neighborhood is turned upside down as the families try to discover the true meaning of Christmas. (PG, 95min, 2006.)

Elf – A human baby accidentally ends up at the North Pole and grows up among the elf community. Buddy, as he comes to be known, knows that he’s “special”. When he’s 30, Buddy learns from Santa that he’s really a human. He decides to go in search of his father, to find out where he belongs. He walks to Manhattan, and is immediately run over by a cab. His father at first rejects him and Buddy ends up in a department store where other elves are working. But all the while, things are looking bad for Santa Claus. When Santa crashes his sleigh in Central Park, it’s Buddy’s moment to shine. (PG, 97min, 2003.)

Four Christmases – Every Christmas, Brad and Kate escape divorced parents and exasperating relatives by getting on a plane. But this year, heavy fog shuts down the airport, forcing the couple to celebrate Christmas with four sets of relatives. (PG-13, 88min, 2009.)

Fred Claus – Fred Claus has lived in his little brother’s shadow for most of his life. Fred is in jail and Nicholas has to bail him out on the condition he come to the North Pole and repay his debt. (PG, 115min, 2008.)

Gremlins (Blu-Ray) – When a young bank teller inadvertently breaks the rules of Mogwai care, his new pet Gizmo multiplies into a bevy of mischievous brothers, who soon morph into malevolent scaly creatures. (PG, 106min, 1984.)

Holiday – Amanda lives in Los Angeles and is a movie trailer editor. Iris lives in Surrey, England and is a journalist. The two live five thousand miles apart and have never met, but are dealing with the same problem: men. They both come upon a website that advocates home exchange and the two swap houses for two weeks at Christmas, both with a goal to forget their troubled love lives. Love ends up finding them anyways. (PG-13, 136min, 2006.)

Home Alone – An eight-year-old boy is left home alone on Christmas, and has to defend his home against two bumbling burglars.(PG, 103min, 1990.)

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – Kevin McCallister is ready to turn the Big Apple into his own playground. The notorious Wet Bandits, still smarting from their last encounter with Kevin, are plotting a huge holiday heist in New York. Kevin’s ready to welcome them with a battery of booby traps that the bumbling bandits will never forget. (PG, 120min, 1992.)

How the Grinch stole Christmas! (Classic Animated Tale) OR How the Grinch stole Christmas! (Jim Carrey Version) – Presents the tale of the mean-spirited Grinch and his attempts to steal the Christmas celebration of Who-ville.

It’s a Wonderful Life – An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would had been like if he never existed. A Christmas classic. Features both the black and white and the colorized version. (NR, 130min, 1946.)

Lethal Weapon – The story of two Vietnam-vets-turned-cops who have just one thing in common: both hate to work with partners. But their partnership becomes the key to survival when a murder investigation leads to war with a heroin ring. (R, 117min, 1987.)

Love Actually – It’s all about love and holiday cheer in London. The Prime Minister is smitten with his caterer; a widower’s young son nurses the ultimate schoolboy crush; a writer falls for his Portuguese housekeeper; a devoted wife and mother copes with her potentially unfaithful husband; and a lovelorn American is desperately attracted to a colleague. (R, 135min, 2004.)

Meet Me in St. Louis – Story of a family at the 1903 World’s Fair. (NR, 113min, 1944.)

Miracle on 34th Street – In this Oscar-winning classic, a Macy’s Department Store Santa who insists his name is Kris Kringle teaches everyone a lesson in love, faith and the value of imagination. (NR, 97min, 1947.)

Muppet Christmas Carol – Miser Ebenezer Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas and reforms his heartless and money-grubbing ways after being visited on Christmas Eve by four ghosts. Anniversary edition. (G, 89min, 1992.)

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – Christmas is the perfect season for Clark Griswold and his family. Clark’s a disaster waiting to happen. You have to see it to believe it. There are 25,000 lights on the Griswold rooftop. An exploding turkey. And a house full of relatives. (PG-13, 97min, 1989.)

Nothing Like the Holidays – For the first time in years the entire Rodriguez clan comes home to Chicago to celebrate Christmas where traditions will be celebrated. During the course of this eventful week they will celebrate one member’s safe return from Iraq, secrets will be revealed, old resentments forgotten, each family member will learn something about themselves and each other, and the healing power of laughter will work its magic. (PG-13, 98min, 2008.)

Polar Express – When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. (G, 100min, 2004)

The Santa Clause – Scott is distressed to learn that his ex-wife and her husband have informed his son, Charlie, that there is no Santa Claus. While a sullen Charlie visits his dad on Christmas Eve, a noise on the roof brings them outside. It turns out that there is a Santa after all, and Scott has just accidentally killed him. Because of “the Santa clause,” Scott inherits the job of Santa. As the next year passes, Scott rapidly gains weight, grows a white beard and meets the elf Bernard. Charlie’s stepdad becomes concerned about Scott and forces him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. (PG, 97min, 2002.)

The Santa Clause 2 – Scott Calvin has been Santa Claus for the past eight years, and his elves consider him the best ever. But Santa’s world is turned upside down when his son gets on the naughty list, and if Scott doesn’t marry soon, he’ll stop being Santa forever. (G, 104min, 2003.)

The Santa Clause 3 – With another Christmas season fast approaching, Santa Claus/Scott Calvin is feeling even more pressure. Mrs. Claus is expecting a little Claus. She is also longing for the company of some “tall people.” So Scott agrees to let her parents visit as long as they believe that they’re really in Canada rather than at the North Pole. (G, 92min, 2007.)

This Christmas  – For the first time in years, the entire Whitfield clan has come home to spend the Christmas holiday with their mother and her boyfriend. Each has brought plenty of baggage along with them. As the lights are hung and the tree is trimmed, secrets are revealed and ties are tested, but eventually they rediscover and celebrate the wonderful gift of family. (PG-13, 119min, 2007.)

Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas – Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, decides to give Santa Claus the year off and take over Christmas — and the holiday will never be the same. (PG, 76min, 1993.)

Trading Places – he lives of an upper class commodities broker and a homeless street hustler cross paths when they are unknowingly made part of an elaborate bet by two rich brothers. (R, 116min, 1983.)

French Films – Foreign Language DVDs at your Fingertips

Richelle

L’age d’or – Using a melange of strange and unrelated images, this surrealistic film about two lovers who mock convention is a statement by Buñuel on the nature of the bourgeoisie, the Church and the police. Banned in France within two weeks of its release. NR

Almost Peaceful – Set immediately following World War II, the story follows a group of Jewish Parisians as they restart their lives. NR

Amélie from Montmartre – A whimsical, comedy-drama about a young French woman (Audrey Tautou) who makes it her mission to raise the spirits of several strangers in her neighborhood. R

And Now … Ladies and Gentlemen – A romantic drama about the love that grows between a British jewel thief (Jeremy Irons) and an ill, but glamorous French jazz singer in Morocco. PG13

Après Vous – A romantic comedy about a Parisian waiter’s random act of kindness in preventing a stranger from committing suicide, the insecure romantic he tries to rehabilitate, and the beautiful woman who comes between them. R

Avenue Montaigne – A young provincial woman who recently moved to Paris and makes a living as a waitress observes the lives of a classical pianist, an art collector, an actress and other famous clientele. NR

Babette’s Feast – A leisurely paced drama about French maid’s elaborate meal preparations for elderly employers in 1870s-era Denmark.  G

Balzac: a Life of Passion – The passionate life of the great French novelist, Honore de Balzac (Gerard Depardieu). NR

The Barbarian Invasions – It’s not easy for a narrow-minded professor to reconcile with his equally stubborn son. R

The Beat That My Heart Skipped – 28-year-old Tom seems destined to follow in his father’s footsteps as a Parisian property shark. But after a chance encounter with his late mother’s music agent, Tom believes that he can become a concert pianist like she was. NR

Beauty and the Beast  – Tells the fable of the kindly beast and the self-sacrificing beauty whose love releases the prince in him. NR

Betty Blue – Betty and Zorg are not your average French lovers. Together, they make life a magical fantasy in which absolutely anything can happen–until their dreams collide with reality. NR

Caché – A talk show host and his wife are living an ideal life until videotapes of them show up on their front porch. As the tapes get more and more personal, they start investigating who is behind it. R

The Chorus – When a kindly music teacher begins a new job at a boarding school that adheres to a code of utter strictness and discipline, he attempts to soften the approach, through both understanding and music. PG13

The Closet – A comedy about a nervous French accountant who spreads a rumor around that he’s gay in an effort to stave off being fired. R

Cyrano de Bergerac – The French romantic tragedy about the hapless, long-nosed romantic featuring Gerard Depardieu. PG

Diva – Cynthia Hawkins is the operatic superstar whose refusal to make a recording frustrates her adoring public. A young fan named Jules makes a secret tape and is stalked by thugs who plan to blackmail the diva. Jules also accidentally acquires a tape which tells of a top mobster’s role in an international sex and drug ring. He must escape the police chief, the cop’s henchmen and the bootleggers to keep both tapes safe, and to stay alive. R

Eight Women – A wealthy industrialist is found murdered in his home while his family gathers for the holiday season. Eight women are his potential murderers. R

Far Side of the Moon – After the death of his mother, a man tries to discover a meaning to his life, to the universe and to rebuild a relationship with the only family he has left: his brother. NR

The Girl from Paris – Sandrine (Mathilde Seigner) is a successful Parisienne who tires of her job and decides to buy an isolated farm. NR

God is Great and I’m Not – A whimsical romance about a French supermodel whose strict adherence to multiple religions frustrates her metaphysically lackadaisical boyfriend. NR

Le Grand Voyage  – A few weeks before his college entrance exams, Réda, a young man who lives in the south of France, finds himself obligated to drive his father to Mecca. NR

Happenstance – This winsome romantic comedy follows numerous Paris residents whose lives become intertwined through an increasingly complex set of circumstances. R

A Heart in Winter – Camille, a concert violinist, becomes intrigued by her lover’s business partner, Stephane. The love triangle that develops reveals the complexity and imperfection of the three characters. NR

The Horseman on the Roof – In 1832, an Italian revolutionary living in Provence is pursued by assassins. He takes refuge in a small town ravaged by a cholera epidemic, where he meets a mysterious and beautiful noblewoman. R

Intimate Strangers – Seeking psychiatric help, an enigmatic woman mistakes a financial planner for her new shrink. Touched by the heartfelt confessions of her problems, he does not have the heart to tell her that he is not a psychiatrist, which results in more sessions. R

It’s Easier for a Camel – When Federica was a young girl she fantasized about countless adventures that took her to the far side of the world. Now Federica’s daydreams can only provide a meager distraction from the realities of her life. NR

Jean de Florette – The story of Jean Cadoret, a man who inherits a farm from his mother and foolishly hopes to become a gentleman farmer. But even before he arrives, his powerful neighbor is plotting to steal his land. PG

Jet Lag – A romantic comedy about an encounter at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris between a worn-out  businessman on his way to a funeral and a troubled beautician on the run from her boyfriend. R

Joyeux Noël – Based on a true events, Joyeux Noel recreates one Christmas night during WWI when enemies were able to lay aside their differences in order to celebrate the holiday together. A.k.a. “Merry Christmas.” NR

Look at Me – Lolita, the daughter of a famous writer/publisher, tries in vain to get her self-centered father’s attention. When this fails, she begins to push away a young man who truly loves her. PG13

Love Me If You Dare – A couple of lifetime friends’ long-standing game of outrageous stunts interferes with their blossoming love for one another. R

Monsieur Ibrahim – Set in a working class neighborhood in 1960’s Paris, the film tells the unlikely friendship between an elderly Turkish grocer and a young Jewish boy. R

My Father’s Glory – The enchanting story of Marcel Pagnol’s childhood in the south of France, and a very special summer in the countryside of Provence when he was 11 years old. G

My Mother’s Castle – A young boy learns about life through outings to the Provence countryside with his family. PG

Persepolis – Follows the Islamic Revolution through the eyes of a precocious 9-year-old Iranian girl. PG13

Private Fears in Public Places – Six people all look for love despite typically having their romantic aspirations dashed at every turn. NR

Seaside – The stories of the residents of a small coastal town in Northern France whose livelihoods depend on the visiting summer tourists. NR

Seducing Dr. Lewis – A ragtag fishing community on a tiny, impoverished island must persuade a young Montreal-based doctor to live in their town in order to get a much-needed new factory. NR

The Son – A powerful minimalist drama tells the story of a carpenter who passes on his skills to troubled youths. Things intensify when it’s revealed that one of his students is connected to a painful event from the past. NR

Strayed – After the German occupation of Paris during World War II, a young widow flees the war-torn city with her two children and must rely on a mysterious young stranger in order to survive. NR

Swept from the Sea – A pair of beautiful outcasts falls in love, defying village prejudice, in this period romance. PG13

Three Colors = Trois Couleurs – Filmmaker Krzysztof Kielowski’s trilogy created for France’s bicentenial, the titles and the themes of the films come from the the colors of the French flag representing liberty, equality, and fraternity. R

To Be and to Have – At the center of this intimate and touching story is Georges Lopez – a remarkably devoted teacher responsible for nurturing a dozen children ages 3-11 in all their school subjects and life’s lessons. NR

The Triplets of Belleville – A French animation comedy about an old lady and her beloved pooch Bruno who team up with three eccentric female music-hall stars from the 1930s to rescue her grandson from the French mafia. PG13

The Valet – To avoid a messy divorce, a billionaire industrialist invents an outrageous lie and asks a valet parking attendant for help. PG13

La Vie en Rose – The tragic life story of French singer Edith Piaf. PG13

The Widow of Saint-Pierre – Waiting to be executed by guillotine, a convicted murderer is befriended by the wife of a respected local officer. R

New DVDs – Fall 2011

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Midnight in Paris – December 20, 2011
Owen Wilson (Actor), Kurt Fuller (Actor) Rated: PG-13
“A romantic comedy about a family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better”–IMDB.com

The Debt  – December 6, 2011
Sam Worthington (Actor), Helen Mirren (Actor) Rated: R
The story begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel and Stephan about their former colleague David. All three have been venerated for decades by Israel because of the secret mission that they embarked on for their country back in 1965-1966, when the trio tracked down Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel, the feared Surgeon of Birkenau, in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team’s mission was accomplished – or was it?

The Help  – December 6, 2011
Emma Stone (Actor), Bryce Dallas Howard (Actor) Rated: PG-13
Mississippi during the 1960s: Skeeter, a southern society girl, returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends’ lives, and a small Mississippi town, upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families. Aibileen, Skeeter’s best friend’s housekeeper, is the first to open up, to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community.

Sarah’s Key – November 22, 2011
Kristin Scott Thomas (Actor), Niels Arestrup (Actor), Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Director) Rated: PG-13
In modern-day Paris, a journalist finds her life becoming entwined with a young girl whose family was torn apart during the notorious Vel d’Hiv round up, which took place in Paris, in 1942. She stumbles upon a family secret which will link her forever to the destiny of a young Jewish girl, Sarah.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 – November 11, 2011
Daniel Radcliffe (Actor), Rupert Grint (Actor), David Yates (Director) Rated: PG-13
In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

Californication: The Fourth Season – November 1, 2011
Evan Handler (Actor), David Duchovny (Actor) Rated: Unrated
Novelist Hank Moody’s home life is in ruins, but the scandal surrounding his latest book has turned him into a hot commodity, in more ways than one. Find out if Hank can navigate the mess he’s made of his life and still come out on top.

Crazy, Stupid, Love – November 1, 2011
Steve Carell (Actor), Julianne Moore (Actor) Rated: PG-13
A father’s life unravels while he deals with a marital crisis and tries to manage his relationship with his children.

The Last Mountain – November 1, 2011
Robert Kennedy Jr. (Actor), Bill Haney (Director) | Rated: PG
The fight for the last great mountain in America’s Appalachian heartland pits the mining giant that wants to explode it to extract the coal within against the community fighting to preserve the mountain and build a wind farm on its ridges instead. Robert Kennedy Jr. joins the fight to preserve the mountain.

Pearl Jam Twenty – October 24, 2011
Cameron Crowe (Director) Rated: NR
In honor of Pearl Jam’s twentieth anniversary, Academy Award-winning director and music journalist Cameron Crowe created a definitive portrait of the seminal band: part concert film, part intimate insider-hang, part testimonial to the power of music and uncompromising artists.

Page One: Inside The New York Times – October 18, 2011
David Carr (Actor), Bruce Headlam (Actor), Andrew Rossi (Director) Rated: R
During the most tumultuous time for media in generations, filmmaker Andrew Rossi gains unprecedented access to the newsroom at The New York times, chronicling a year in the life of the journalists who work at the newpaper’s Media Desk, a department created to cover the transformation of the media industry. Reporters Brian Stelter, Tim Arango, David Carr, and others track print journalism’s metamorphosis even as their own paper struggles to stay vital and solvent.

Horrible Bosses – October 11, 2011
Jason Bateman (Actor), Jennifer Aniston (Actor), Seth Gordon (Director) Rated: R
For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers, permanently. There’s only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them.

New DVDs – Summer 2011

Richelle

Bad Teacher – October 18, 2011
Fast Five – October 4, 2011
Scream 4 – October 4, 2011
Bridesmaids – September 20, 2011
Thor – September 13, 2011
Everything Must Go – September 6, 2011
Hanna – September 6, 2011
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family – August 30, 2011
The Beaver – August 29, 2011
Gossip Girl, Season 4 – August 23, 2011
Win Win – August 23, 2011
The Conspirator – August 16, 2011
Dexter, Season 5 – August 16, 2011
Jane Eyre – August 16, 2011
Priest – August 16, 2011
Something Borrowed – August 16, 2011
Mars Needs Moms – August 9, 2011
Paul – August 9, 2011
Super – August 9, 2011
Your Highness – August 9, 2011
Stake Land – August 2, 2011
Zen: Vendetta Cabal Ratking – August 2, 2011
Limitless – July 19, 2011
Entourage Season 7 – July 12, 2011
The Lincoln Lawyer – July 12, 2011
13 Assassins – July 5, 2011
The Other Woman – May 17, 2011
Blue Valentine – May 10, 2011
From Prada to Nada – May 3, 2011
The Green Hornet – May 3, 2011

New DVD Releases – Jan-April 2011

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(Click on the Titles to Place an Order)

In Order by Release Date, from Newest to Oldest

Just Go With It – June 7, 2011
True Blood Season 3 – May 31, 2011
The Mechanic – May 17, 2011
The Rite – May 17, 2011
No Strings Attached – May 10, 2011
The Dilemma – May 3, 2011
The Green Hornet – May 3, 2011
Human Planet – April 26, 2011
The Way Back – April 22, 2011
Glee Encore – April 19, 2011
Gulliver’s Travels – April 19, 2011
The King’s Speech – April 19, 2011
Rabbit Hole – April 19, 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 – April 15, 2011
Country Strong – April 12, 2011
Summer in Genoa – April 12, 2011
The Third Reich: Rise and Fall – April 12, 2011
Little Fockers – April 5, 2011
Tron Legacy – April 5, 2011
Black Swan – March 29, 2011
Fair Game – March 29, 2011
Mad Men Season 4 – March 29, 2011
Tangled – March 29, 2011
Inside Job – March 8, 2011
127 Hours – March 1, 2011
Burlesque – March 1, 2011
Faster – March 1, 2011
Love & Other Drugs – March 1, 2011
Due Date – February 22, 2011
Waiting for Superman – February 15, 2011
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger – February 15, 2011
For Colored Girls – February 8, 2011
Samantha Brown’s Asia – February 8, 2011
At the Edge of the World – January 25, 2011
Gasland – December 14, 2010
IP Man – July 27, 2010

New DVDs: TV Series, Nonfiction and Feature Length Films – October 2010

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The Big Bang Theory: Season Three

The third season of this hit comedy follows the further adventures of pals Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Emmy winner Jim Parsons), brilliant young physicists and hopeless dweebs, as they try to attract members of the fairer sex, especially their sizzling hot neighbor, Penny (Kaley Cuoco). As Penny and Leonard flirt with an actual relationship, fellow geeks Howard (Simon Helberg) and Rajesh (Kunal Nayyar) contend with their own hang-ups about women.

Bones: The Complete Fifth Season

After a provocative Season 4 finale, a new dynamic heats up between our heroes — brilliant forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) — in the latest installment of the slyly comic Fox mystery series. Together they team up on a new slate of cases in which Bones employs her trademark methods of digging up clues from victims’ skeletal remains.

Brothers and Sisters: The Complete Fourth Season

Tireless matriarch Nora Walker (played by Sally Field, who won an Emmy for the role) leads her affluent progeny through more triumphs, tragedies and surprises in the fourth season of this classy ABC soap opera. A whole new round of professional and personal dramas unfold for Justin (Dave Annable), Kitty (Calista Flockhart), Tommy (Balthazar Getty), Sarah (Rachel Griffiths), Julia (Sarah Jane Morris), Rebecca (Emily VanCamp) and Saul (Ron Rifkin).

Clash of the Titans

This epic mythological adventure stars Harry Hamlin as Perseus, son of Zeus (Laurence Olivier), who embarks on a series of perilous quests in the hopes of rescuing Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker) and winning the keys to the kingdom of Joppa. With winged horse Pegasus as his steed, Perseus must answer vexing riddles, capture the head of Medusa and slay a ravenous sea monster. Burgess Meredith and Ursula Andress co-star in this classic tale.  (1981) Rated PG

Clatterford: The Complete Season Three

Provincial eccentrics crowd the life of nurse Sal Vine (Sue Johnston) in the third and final season of the BBC comedy created by Jennifer Saunders (“Absolutely Fabulous”). Sal’s daughter Tash (Sally Phillips) leaves home, but just barely, moving into a van parked outside the house. Meanwhile, the Clatterford Women’s Guild works itself into a maelstrom of excitement when a rumor spreads that a famous actor plans to take up residence. Not rated

Criminal Minds: Season Five

Special Agent Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) leads the Behavioral Analysis Unit — a crack team of FBI profilers who examine the country’s most inscrutable criminal minds and determine when and how these villains will strike again. The fifth season of the CBS crime drama also stars Joe Mantegna as veteran agent David Rossi; Paget Brewster as high-powered diplomat daughter Emily Prentiss; and Shemar Moore as obsession expert Derek Morgan. Not Rated

Dalziel & Pascoe: Season Two

Warren Clarke and Colin Buchanan star in this BBC crime-solving series as polar-opposite Yorkshire detectives Andy Dalziel and Peter Pascoe, a seemingly oddball duo whose vastly different styles make them the perfect match. Among other cases, the second season finds the detectives searching for a connection between three so-called “accidental” deaths. The catch, of course, is that the first one occurred 30 years earlier. (1997) Not rated

Glee: Season One, Volume  Two

A musical comedy that follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the Glee Club and inspire a group of outcasts to make it to Nationals. Includes the episodes from the second half of season one and bonus features.

The Good Wife: The First Season

Art imitates life in this television drama starring Golden Globe winner Julianna Margulies as Alicia, a politician’s wife who’s forced to return to the workforce after a sex and corruption scandal lands her husband in jail. Resuming her career as a defense attorney after more than a decade away from the legal profession, Alicia slowly recaptures her identity in this series co-starring Chris Noth, Christine Baranski and Emmy winner Archie Panjabi.

Grey’s Anatomy: Complete Sixth Season

With the fates of Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) and George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) hanging in the balance as the series’ fifth year came to a close, the new season brings more drama into the lives of the young doctors at Seattle Grace Hospital. Returning for another round of hope and heartbreak are Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and Patrick Dempsey. Rated TV-14

House, M.D.: Season Six

Two-time Golden Globe Award winner Hugh Laurie returns for a sixth season of this Emmy-winning drama series as Dr. Greg House, the brilliant yet incorrigible MD who heads up the team of infectious disease specialists at Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital. Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Lisa Edelstein, Jennifer Morrison and Jesse Spencer also return as the irascible House’s team of skilled diagnosticians.

The Mentalist: The  Complete Second Season

Simon Baker returns for another season as Patrick Jane, a phony psychic who turned over a new leaf and now uses his extraordinary powers of observation to help California law enforcement solve high-profile crimes. But as Jane helps bring dangerous criminals to justice, he must also contend with fallout from his past, including the sinister presence of Red John, the at-large serial killer who murdered Jane’s wife and child.

Midsomer Murders: Set 16

The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern master of the English village mystery, the series stars John Nettles as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby, with Jason Hughes as his earnest, efficient protégé, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones. Guest stars include Tim Pigott-Smith, Ronald Pickup, Pooky Quesnel, Simon Williams, Anton Lesser, Tom Goodman-Hill, Niamh Cusack, and Judy Parfitt.

Moonshot

From their incredible lunar landing to their safe return back to Earth, shadow the intrepid astronauts of Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong (Daniel Lapaine), Buzz Aldrin (James Marsters) and Michael Collins (Andrew Lincoln), as they explore outer space and take “one giant leap for mankind.” Blending convincing reenactments with original NASA footage, this Emmy-nominated docudrama offers viewers an insider’s perspective of one of modern history’s most important events. Not rated

Paulie

Wise parrot Paulie (voiced by Jay Mohr) can ask for more than crackers, as Misha (Tony Shalhoub), the janitor at an animal-research lab, discovers. Paulie reveals via flashbacks how he ended up at the facility after being separated from his original owner, 5-year-old Marie (Hallie Kate Eisenberg), then embarked on a decades-long search to reunite with her. Upon hearing Paulie’s tale, Misha decides to help the loquacious bird realize his dream. (1997) Rated PG

Pie in the Sky: Series Three

This whimsical crime drama stars Richard Griffiths as Detective Inspector Henry Crabbe, an outstanding police officer who longs to quit the force for good and indulge his other passion: cooking in the restaurant he owns with his wife (Maggie Steed). But every time Crabbe’s stubborn boss on the force (Malcolm Sinclair) faces a tough case, he drags Crabbe back from the brink of retirement to help solve the crime. (1996) Not Rated

The Prisoner

Ian McKellen and James Caviezel star in this miniseries remake of the British cult classic about Number Six, a government agent exiled to a mysterious town called the Village that’s run by an enigmatic leader known as Number Two. With no memory of his former life or why he’s a captive in this strange prison, Number Six (Caviezel) begins the daring task of plotting his escape. (2009) Not Rated

Private Practice: The Complete Third Season

Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) continues to adjust to her new life at a fancy Los Angeles medical practice in the third season of this hit Grey’s Anatomy spin-off. While working alongside old friends from medical school, divorced couple Naomi (Audra McDonald) and Sam (Taye Diggs), the renowned surgeon finds herself handling complicated health problems and juggling potentially knotty romantic issues. Rated TV-14

Rick Steves’ Austria & the Alps

All 7 half-hour shows on Austria and the Alps, filmed entirely on location.  Originally broadcast as episodes from the public television series Rick Steves’ Europe in 2000-2009.

Stories of a Third Generation Independent Oil Producer, As Told by Bill Huber

Independent oil producer Bill Huber discusses oil production in Pennsylvania from the birth of the industry in the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, sharing his insights into the trade and relating stories passed down to him from his grandfather and father.

Supernatural: The Complete 5th Season

Regrouping after a tumultuous year, brothers Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) continue their quest to rid the world of demons. Has darkness gone underground for good, or will the brothers require more help from beyond to keep evil at bay?

Temple Grandin

From HBO, Emmy winner Claire Danes stars as Temple Grandin, a brilliant young woman coping with the stigma of autism at a time when it was misunderstood. With the support of her loving family, Temple dedicates herself to learning and becomes a famed animal behaviorist. Her passion for animals gives her a unique ability to understand them, and she fulfills her love of education by teaching about autism and the most humane ways to treat both livestock and pets. Not Rated

The Valley that Changed the World

Documentary on the birth of the oil industry in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Film was produced to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Edwin Drake’s discovery of oil on August 27, 1859.

You Don’t Know Jack: The Life and Deaths of Jack Kavorkian

Al Pacino stars in this enthralling, Emmy-winning HBO biopic that focuses on the life of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the controversial physician who boldly advocated the legalization of euthanasia and personally helped over 100 terminally ill patients commit suicide. Directed by Hollywood veteran Barry Levinson, this drama co-stars Susan Sarandon as vocal activist Janet Good and John Goodman as Kevorkian’s trusted friend and supporter Neal Nicol. Rated TV-14

New Releases on DVD – October 2010

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Agora

As Christianity gains steam in Roman Egypt toward the end of the fourth century A.D., a young slave (Max Minghella) weighs his desire for freedom against his growing love for his mistress (Rachel Weisz), an atheist as well as a professor of philosophy. Alejandro Amenábar (The Others) directs this epic drama based on the life of Hypatia of Alexandria, a noted Greek scholar and mathematician. Rupert Evans co-stars. Rated R

Arn: The Knight Templar

Based on Jan Guillou’s Crusades trilogy about Swedish Knight Templar Arn Magnusson (Joakim Nätterqvist), this adventure saga follows the son of nobility from his monastic education to his return to the family to help fight for the crown of Sweden. That mission is interrupted, however, when Arn impregnates his lover and is sent to the Holy Land, where as penance he must become a warrior for Christ in the battles of the Crusades. Rated R

Babies

Documentary filmmaker Thomas Balmes charts the simultaneous early development of four babies from different parts of the world, illustrating what makes human life unique, similar and precious wherever it occurs. Training his camera on newborns Hattie from San Francisco, Ponijao from Namibia, Bayarjargal from Mongolia and Mari from Tokyo, Balmes captures everything from first screaming breaths to first steps. Rated PG

The Back-up Plan

When Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) tires of looking for Mr. Right, she decides to have a baby on her own. But on the day she’s artificially inseminated, she meets Stan (Alex O’Loughlin), who seems to be just who she’s been searching for all her life. Now, Zoe has to figure out how to make her two life’s dreams fit with each other. Alan Poul directs this hilarious, heartfelt tale of confusion, confession and romantic slapstick. Rated PG-13

City Island

When he recognizes his son, Tony (Steven Strait), whom he hasn’t seen in more than 20 years, among a crop of new inmates in the jail where he works, Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia) decides to bring the troubled young man home with him, much to the surprise of his wife and kids. Writer-director Raymond De Felitta helms by this offbeat comedy that also stars Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer, Dominik Garcia-Lorido and Alan Arkin. Rated PG-13

The City of Your Final Destination

After duping school officials into awarding him a grant to write a biography on novelist Jules Gund, grad student Omar Razaghi (Omar Metwally) must travel to Uruguay to get legitimate authorization from the late author’s three executors. James Ivory (A Room with a View) directs this moving adaptation of author Peter Cameron’s novel of the same name. Anthony Hopkins, Laura Linney and Charlotte Gainsbourg also star. Rated PG-13

Furry Vengeance

When real estate developer Dan Sanders (Brendan Fraser) finalizes plans to level a swath of pristine Oregon forest to make way for a soulless housing subdivision, a band of woodland creatures rises up to throw a monkey wrench into the greedy scheme. Just how much mischief from the furry critters can the businessman take before he calls it quits? Roger Kumble directs this family-friendly, madcap comedy. Rated PG

Get Him to the Greek

Ambitious young record company intern Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) will let nothing get in the way of his planned rise to the top in the music business — not even the unruly rock star (Russell Brand) he must escort to Los Angeles for the start of his anniversary concert. Doing whatever it takes to get the rocker from Point A to Point B, Aaron encounters all manners of mishaps in this comedy directed by Nicholas Stoller and produced by Judd Apatow. Rated R

Good

Professor John Halder (Viggo Mortensen) has a lot on his plate — a neurotic wife, two small children and a mother suffering from dementia — in this drama set in World War II Germany. But his life changes after he writes a book promoting compassionate euthanasia. When the Nazi party embraces his ideas, Halder faces a series of subtle ethical choices that gradually compromise his morality and his relationships. Rated R

Harry Brown

When a crew of drug-dealing gang members takes the life of his only friend, Leonard (David Bradley), retired Marine and widower Harry Brown (Michael Caine) decides to take the law into his own hands — but his old-school training might be overmatched. Helmed by first-time feature director Daniel Barber, this gritty vigilante thriller set in England also stars Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen, Jack O’Connell, Ben Drew, Joseph Gilgun and Liam Cunningham. Rated R

Iron Man 2

Wealthy inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) — aka Iron Man — resists calls by the American government to hand over his technology. Meanwhile, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) has constructed his own miniaturized arc reactor, causing all kinds of problems for our superhero. Sam Rockwell, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson co-star in director Jon Favreau’s sequel based on Marvel comic book characters. Rated PG-13

Jackie Chan: Kung Fu Master

Kung fu master Jackie Chan stars as himself in this feel-good story about a 15-year-old Chinese martial arts student (Yishan Zhang) who seeks out the world-famous movie star for fighting lessons. But tracking down Chan proves to be the challenge of a lifetime. In the process of looking for Jackie, he finds far more shenanigans than he expected! This comic actioner also includes cameos from Bing Bai, Jing-wei Tu and Di Yao. Rated PG

Jonah Hex

Enlisted by a Union soldier (Will Arnett), scarred bounty hunter Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) scours the Wild West in pursuit of Turnbull (John Malkovich), a crazed voodoo master with a scheme to assemble a devastating weapon that will destroy the government and lift the Confederacy. Based on the cult DC Comics hero, this action Western co-stars Michael Shannon as strange circus impresario Doc Cross Williams and Megan Fox as beautiful gunslinger Lilah. Rated PG-13

Just Wright

Good-hearted physical therapist Leslie Wright (Queen Latifah) is looking for romance but keeps finding duds until she meets professional basketball player Scott McKnight (Common). When Scott suffers a major injury, it’s up to Leslie to save his career. Leslie and Scott become close as they work together, but Leslie’s beautiful, gold-digging childhood chum — who is also Scott’s estranged girlfriend — threatens their relationship. Rated PG

The Karate Kid

After moving to Beijing with his mother, Dre (Jaden Smith) falls prey to a bully, so he takes lessons from martial arts master Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) in this remake of The Karate Kid. While Mr. Han teaches Dre to defend himself, he also imparts some important life lessons. Meanwhile, Dre struggles with the unfamiliar language and cultural barriers he encounters in his new country. Taraji P. Henson co-stars. Rated PG

The Killer Inside Me

West Texas Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford (Casey Affleck) is harboring a deep dark secret — while the small town’s residents think him a bit dim, Lou is actually affected by a “sickness” that turns the mild-mannered peace officer into a brutal, psychotic killer. Set in the 1950s, Michael Winterbottom’s adaptation of Jim Thompson’s classic noir novel co-stars Kate Hudson as Lou’s innocent girlfriend and Jessica Alba as Joyce, a local prostitute. Rated R

Killers

When an elite assassin (Ashton Kutcher) marries a beautiful computer whiz (Katherine Heigl) after a whirlwind romance, he gives up the gun and settles down with his new bride. That is, until he learns that someone from his past has put a contract out on his life. Now, the couple must go on the run if they hope to survive and settle the score once and for all. This action comedy from director Robert Luketic co-stars Tom Selleck and Catherine O’Hara. Rated PG-13

Letters to God

Faith and hope are the twin engines that power this uplifting, bittersweet tale based on the true story of Tyler Doherty (Tanner Maguire), an 8-year-old boy who battles brain cancer and turns to God as his own private pen pal. Tyler writes and mails his missives daily, and his steadfast undertaking not only moves his family and friends, but it also alters the life of despairing postman, Brady (Jeffrey Johnson), who opens the boy’s letters. Rated PG

Letters to Juliet

By responding to a letter addressed to Shakespeare’s tragic heroine Juliet Capulet, a young American woman (Amanda Seyfried) vacationing in Verona, Italy, sets in motion a series of events that leads her — and the missive’s lovelorn author (Vanessa Redgrave) — in search of romance. Directed by Gary Winick, this deeply tender and uplifting drama also features Gael García Bernal and Franco Nero. Rated PG

MacGruber

Based on the “Saturday Night Live” sketch, this action-packed comedy stars Will Forte as incompetent former special ops agent MacGruber. When he’s called back into action to deactivate archenemy Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer), MacGruber is on the case. Now, he must thwart Von Cunth’s plans to destroy Washington, D.C., with a nuclear warhead. Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Maya Rudolph and Powers Boothe co-star. Rated R

The Mother

A murder rocks a South Korean town and suspicion quickly falls on a reclusive, mentally challenged — and alibi-free — young man (Bin Won). When an inept public defender botches the boy’s case, his mother (Hye-ja Kim) sets out to prove her son’s innocence. Acclaimed director Joon-ho Bong (Memories of Murder) explores the lengths a mother will go to protect her child in this atmospheric crime thriller. Korean dialogue, English subtitles. Rated R

Ondine

An Irish fisherman (Colin Farrell) hauls in an unexpected catch when a mysterious girl (Alicja Bachleda) gets tangled in his nets and soon affects the lives of everyone around her in this fantastical seaside tale from director Neil Jordan (Interview with the Vampire). Is it possible this beautiful stranger is a mythical sea nymph who’s been summoned from the ocean’s depths … or is she something far more common? Rated PG-13

Prince of Persia

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Prince Dastan, who pairs with spunky Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) to keep the Sands of Time — a mystical dagger that gives its holder control over the flow of time — from falling into the wrong hands and putting the world in peril. Mike Newell directs this sweeping live-action adventure based on the popular video game series, co-starring Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina. Rated PG-13

Robin Hood

Russell Crowe stars as Robin Longstride in director Ridley Scott’s big-budget twist on the celebrated legend. When soldier Robin happens upon the dying Robert of Loxley, he promises to return the man’s sword to his family in Nottingham. There, he assumes Robert’s identity; romances his widow, Marion (Cate Blanchett); and draws the ire of the town’s sheriff (Matthew Macfadyen) and King John’s henchman, Godfrey (Mark Strong). Rated PG-13

Sex and the City 2

Set two years after the wedding that almost wasn’t, this sequel finds gal pals Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) embarking on a much-needed vacation to exotic Abu Dhabi. They’re still the same soul mates despite responsibilities of motherhood and marriage, but a new romance for Samantha and a little thing called Aidan, Carrie’s ex, keep things interesting. Rated R

Small Town Saturday Night

One decision ripples across the lives of his neighbors when aspiring country singer Rhett (Chris Pine) must choose between pursuing a career in Nashville and remaining in his small hometown to be with his sweetheart, Samantha (Bre Blair). Meanwhile, local cop Tommy (Shawn Christian) keeps tabs on troublemaker Donny (John Hawkes) as all their lives intertwine in unexpected and irrevocable ways. Ryan Craig directs this ensemble drama. Rated R

Solitary Man

Michael Douglas stars as a former car dealership owner who sees his personal and professional lives take a nosedive when the repercussions of years of shady business dealings and chronic womanizing finally catch up with him. Susan Sarandon, Mary-Louise Parker, Danny DeVito and Jenna Fischer co-star in this comedic drama written and co-directed by Brian Koppelman. Rated R

That Evening Sun

Frustrated with being confined to a nursing facility, Abner Meecham (Hal Holbrook) breaks out and walks all the way back to his farm. When he realizes his biggest enemy (Ray McKinnon) now lives in his house, Abner devises a plan to reclaim what rightfully belongs to him. Based on William Gay’s short story, this Southern drama co-stars Walton Goggins as Abner’s son, Paul, and Holbrook’s real-life wife, Dixie Carter, as Abner’s spouse, Ellen. Rated PG-13

Why Did I Get Married Too?

An annual Caribbean retreat turns into a week of life-altering revelations when four couples bust their relationships wide open in filmmaker Tyler Perry’s take on modern love, devotion, unfaithfulness and forgiveness. Angela (Tasha Smith) can’t trust sportscaster Marcus (Michael Jai White) anymore, Sheila’s (Jill Scott) ex (Richard T. Jones) toys with her new marriage and more. Janet Jackson, Malik Yoba, Lamman Rucker and Sharon Leal also star. Rated PG-13

Winter’s Bone

In this noir drama set deep in Ozark territory, resilient teenager Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) goes on the trail of her missing drug-dealing father when his absence jeopardizes the safety of their family. The deadbeat dad has a critical court date pending, and Ree is determined that he make it — despite the objections of the insular Dolly clan. Director Debra Granik’s unflinching drama won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Rated R