City of Men
Growing up in a culture of violence, Acerola and Laranjinha have become as close as brothers. When they find themselves on opposite sides of a gang war, the lifelong friends are forced to confront a shocking secret from their shared past. In Portuguese with optional English subtitles. Cast: Darlan Cunha, Douglas Silva, Jonathan Haagensen, Rodrigo dos Santos, Camila Monteiro. Rated R
Audio/Visual
New DVDs: Feature Length Films and TV Series – July 2008
The Adams Chronicles
Four generations of Adamses and 150 years of American history from the birth of the Revolution through the Gilded Age. John Adams, a passionate revolutionary and second president; John Quincy Adams is the proud son of a famous father and sixth president; Charles Francis Adams is a skillful minister to Great Britain during the Civil War; Henry Adams the historian; Charles Francis Adams, Jr. is a railroad magnate. Going beyond politics, portrays these men as husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, as well as leaders. Cast: George Grizzard, Kathryn Walker, William Daniels, David Birney, John Beal, Peter Brandon, Charles Siebert, Nancy Marchand. Based on the family’s personal diaries and correspondences. Originally broadcast on television in 1976.
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Volume Two
The War Years. Go on spectacular journeys with young Indy (Sean Patrick Flanery) as he travels through Europe, Africa and Asia and comes face to face with Vladimir Lenin, Charles de Gaulle, The Red Baron, and other fascinating characters during the turbulent years of World War I. Originally broadcast on television from 1992-1996. Created by George Lucas.
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Volume Three
The Years of Change. Follow the thrilling escapades as World War I ends and young Indy (Sean Patrick Flanery) gets entangled in adventures with famous–and infamous–figures like Ernest Hemingway, Woodrow Wilson, Louis Armstrong and Al Capone during some of the most vibrant years of the 20th century. Created by George Lucas.
Alien Nation: The Complete Series
The television series loosely based on the 1988 feature film. Detective Matthew Sikes (Gary Graham), is an LA police officer reluctantly working with alien George Francisco (Eric Pierpoint) from the planet Tencton.
The Blue Butterfly
Tells the story of a terminally ill 10-year-old boy whose dream is to catch the most beautiful butterfly on Earth, the Blue Morpho. His mother persuades a renowned entomologist to take them to the jungle to search for it. Cast: William Hurt, Pascale Bussières, Marc Donato. Rated PG
Blue Murder: Set 1
Blue Murder: Set 2
On the job, Janine Lewis deals with drive-by executions, decomposed bodies, and abducted children. At home, she interviews nannies, schedules parent-teacher conferences, and bolts breakfast on the run. Cast: Caroline Quentin, Ian Kelsey, Saskia Wickham. Originally broadcast on British television.
Bones: Season Two 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 2006-2007 season.
Bullitt
A star witness in a controversial court case is murdered, and the police detective assigned to guard him goes after the killers himself. Cast: Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, Norman Fell. Originally produced as a motion picture in 1968. Rated PG.
The Closer: The Complete Third Season
The biggest cases demand the best cops, so when a little girl goes missing or a Homeland Security official takes a long drive off a short cliff or a ’90s serial killer revives his career in the 21st century, the LAPD knows to call Brenda Johnson and her crack team from the Priority Homicide Division. Cast: Kyra Sedgwick, J.K. Simmons, Corey Reynolds, Robert Gossett, G.W. Bailey, Tony Denison, Jon Tenney. Not Rated. Originally broadcast on TNT in 2007.
The Dead Zone: The Final Season
A man (Anthony Michael Hall) awakens from a coma with the power to see the past, present, and futures of anyone he touches. He uses his psychic ability to pursue justice. The 6th and final season of the USA Network Series.
Dickens of London
Traces the extraordinary life of Charles Dickens from his penniless childhood in Chatham and London during the 1820s to the unprecedented success he later enjoyed on both sides of the Atlantic. Cast: Roy Dotrice, Patsy Kensit, Ben Kingsley. Originally broadcast as a television miniseries on Masterpiece Theatre in 1976. Special features include: the bonus disc An Audience with Charles Dickens, a recreation of Dickens’ legendary public performance of A Christmas Carol, starring celebrated actor Simon Callow.
The 4400: The Fourth Season
When 4400 missing people emerge from nowhere, the Department of Homeland Security wants to know why. But the answers aren’t coming easy, and by the time they do … it might be too late.
French Kiss
When her fiance is smitten by a beautiful Frenchwoman, Kate flies to Paris determined to win him back. However, nothing prepares her for Luc, a cunning, sexy Frenchman with a gift for gab and a fondness for thievery. A self-proclaimed expert on affairs of the heart, Luc promises to help Kate win back her man. But one star-crossed misadventure after another sweeps them across France, ultimately changing them in ways they never dreamed possible. Cast: Meg Ryan, Kevin Kline, Timothy Hutton, Jean Reno, Francois Cluzet, Susan Anbeh. Rated PG-13.
Grey Owl
Directed byRichard Attenborough and based on a true story, an Englishman named Archibald Belaney (Pierce Brosnan) moves to Canada in the early 1900s to live as a Native American. Rated PG-13
Hamish MacBeth: Series Three
Police constable Hamish Macbeth (Robert Carlyle) finds more mysteries in the small Scottish town of Lochdubh. Originally broadcast on BBC-TV in 1996. Based on the books by M.C. Beaton.
Hocus Pocus
When three outlandishly wild witches are accidentally conjured up by pranksters, they return from 17th century Salem and set out to cast a spell on the town, but first they must outwit three kids and a talking cat. Cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw. Rated PG
Hope Floats
A single mother who’s had a few hard knocks in life tries to get it together with the help of her ditsy mom and her childhood sweetheart. Cast: Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick, Jr., Gena Rowlands, Kathy Najimy, Rosanna Arquette. Rated PG-13
Inspector Morse: Part 1 The Dead of Jericho
In Episode 1 of the series, Inspector Morse, who never quite finds romance, thinks that at last things will turn out differently. He meets the beautiful Anne Stavely, but it is a love not destined to be when Anne is found hanging from a beam under mysterious circumstances. Morse suspects murder and sets out to discover the truth with the help of Sergeant Lewis. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Gemma Jones, Patrick Troughton. Based on the novel by Colin Dexter.
Inspector Morse: Part 2 The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn
Inspector Morse is called in to investigate one of the most puzzling murder cases yet. Someone is selling examination secrets at Oxford and making a killing in more ways than one. Nicholas Quinn is the hard-of-hearing member of an examinations board until one day he is found dead at home. Can Morse match up the clues with the killer? Based on a novel by Colin Dexter. Cast:
John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Barbara Flynn, Clive Swift, Frederick Treves, Michael Gough.
Inspector Morse: Part 3 Service of All the Dead
Helped by the church cleaner, Inspector Morse investigates five ruthless and gruesome killings in and around a quiet country church. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Angela Morant, Judy Campbell, John Normington, Michael Hordern, Maurice O’Connell, Peter Woodthorpe.
Based on the novel by Colin Dexter.
Inspector Morse: Part 4 The Wolvercote Tongue
A precious jewel known as The Wolvercote tongue is missing and its owner has been found dead in a hotel room. Morse suspects foul play, despite the pathologist’s report that she died of a heart attack. Based on a novel by Colin Dexter. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Peter Woodthorpe, Simon Callow, Kenneth Cranham, Roberta Taylor.
Inspector Morse: Part 5 Last Seen Wearing
Inspector Morse returns when a schoolgirl from a wealthy family is missing. Morse is convinced she has been murdered and his investigations reveal that there is more going on at her exclusive school than meets the eye. But before he has unravelled the mystery, he finds another murder on his hands. Based on the novel by Colin Dexter. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Elizabeth Hurley, Julia Sawalha.
Inspector Morse: Part 6 The Setting of the Sun
Morse is back at his Alma Mater when he is invited to present the trophy to the winner of a crossword competition at Oxford and a student attending the dinner is murdered. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Peter Woodthrope, Anna Calder-Marshall, Robert Stephens, Avis Bunnage, Derek Fowlds, Robert Lang, Amanda Burton. Based on the novel by Colin Dexter.
Inspector Morse: Part 7 Last Bus to Woodstock
Inspector Morse uncovers a web of intrigue, blackmail and hidden passion in a local insurance office, when he investigates the death of a young secretary. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Peter Woodthorpe, Anthony Bate, Terrence Hardiman, Fabia Drake, Jill Baker, Holly Aird, Paul Geoffrey. Based on the novel by Colin Dexter.
Inspector Morse: Part 8 Ghost in the Machine
Valuable paintings are stolen from the estate of Sir Julius Hanbury, and when Sir Julius himself disappears Morse and Sergeant Lewis are called upon to investigate the minds and morals of the aristocracy to solve the mystery. Cast:John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Amanda Hillwood, Patricia Hodge, Michael Thomas. Based on a story by Colin Dexter.
Inspector Morse: Part 9 The Last Enemy
Morse is back at his Alma Mater when a body is found in a canal and the evidence points to a connection with one of the colleges at Oxford. Based on a story by Colin Dexter. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Amanda Hillwood, James Grout, Barry Foster, Michael Aldridge.
Inspector Morse: Part 10 Deceived By Flight
Sergeant Lewis gets to display his cricketing skills as a sub with the Clarets XI old boys’ team when they gather for their annual match at Oxford, but Morse is called in when one of the team is murdered. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Amanda Hillwood, Norman Rodway, Sharon Maughan, Daniel Massey, Nicky Henson, Jane Booker, Geoffrey Beevers, Bryan Pringle. As seen on A & E and PBS Mystery!
Inspector Morse: Part 11 The Secret of Bay 5B
Playboy architect Michael Gifford has been found strangled in his car and the only clues to the murder are his diary and a car park ticket. The diary shows that Gifford had regular assignations in the car park and a telephone number proves to be that of a local insurance company, although Gifford did not have a policy there. The plot thickens as Morse and Lewis uncover a love triangle involving the dead man. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Amanda Hillwood, Mel Martin, Marion Bailey, Andrew Wilde, Philip McGough.
Inspector Morse: Part 12 The Infernal Serpent
Morse and Lewis have to tackle a particularly unsavory case involving child abuse. Their inquiries into the murder of an eminent environmentalist, killed minutes before he was scheduled to give a controversial lecture, unearth skeletons in the cupboard of a respectable academic family. Based on the characters by Colin Dexter. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Cheryl Campbell, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Geoffrey Palmer, Irene Richard.
Inspector Morse: Part 16 Second Time Around
The murder of an ex-Deputy Police Commissioner and the theft of a single chapter of his memoirs cause Morse concern. It soon becomes apparent that the missing chapter relates to a murder committed 18 years ago which was at the time investigated by the victim and Morse himself. Based on characters created by Colin Dexter. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Kenneth Colley, Pat Heywood, Ann Bell, Oliver Ford Davies and James Grout.
Inspector Morse: Part 20 Promised Land
When the case against the Abingdon gang comes under scrutiny, Morse and Lewis must travel to Australia to locate their prime informant who was resettled there with his entire family in exchange for the information he provided the police.Starring John Thaw as Inspector Morse, with Kevin Whately, Rhondda Findleton, John Jarratt, Max Phipps, Con O’Neill, Noah Taylor and James Grout. Based on characters created by Colin Dexter.
Inspector Morse: Part 22 Happy Families
Sir John Balcombe, head of one of the country’s largest companies, is found brutally murdered at his home. The Balcombe family shows no sign of grief and the murder is attracting considerable public attention. Morse dislikes the press attention but his mind is brought swiftly back to Balcombe House when a second murder occurs. Based on a characters created by Colin Dexter. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Rupert Graves, Gwen Taylor, Anna Massey.
Inspector Morse: Part 23 The Death of the Self
An Englishwoman is attending an expensive psychotherapy course near Vicenza, Italy when she dies in a freak accident. The Italian verdict is accidental death, but the woman’s husband questions the decision. Morse and Lewis are sent to Italy where Morse discovers that the psychotherapy centre is run by an old adversary. Based on characters created by Colin Dexter. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Frances Barber.
Inspector Morse: Part 28 Twilight of the Gods
While celebrations are taking place at the new college building at Oxford, Morse and Lewis look into the murder of a freelance journalist, who was working on an article about college benefactor Bayden. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, John Gielgud, Robert Hardy, Sheila Gish, Jean Anderson, James Grout. Based on the characters created by Colin Dexter.
Inspector Morse: Part 31 Death is Now My Neighbour
Murder strikes in an Oxfordshire village at 17 Bloxham Drive. Exactly 24 hours later, while a policeman patrols outside, the resident at Number 15 is shot dead by the same gun. Investigators begin to unearth links between the neighbours of the modern estate. The murders also take Morse and Lewis into the hothouse atmosphere of the election for Master of Lonsdale College, over which the smooth and odious retiring master, Sir Clixby Bream, presides. Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Richard Briers, Maggie Steed, John Shrapnel, Judy Loe, Roger Allam, James Grout, Mark McGann. Based on the novel by Colin Dexter.
I.Q.
All the world knows about Einstein the scientific genius. But what about Einstein the matchmaker? I.Q. puts this fanciful notion to the test and comes up with winning results in this fun, warm-hearted romantic comedy. Cast: Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins, Walter Matthau, Charles Durning. Rated PG
John Adams
While our new nation was suffering attacks from both within and without, John Adams had a vision of a nation of liberty and justice for all. He guided his peers–General George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson–in setting the values and agenda for a glorious, free America. Adams and his wife Abigail refined these democratic ideals, and their partnership became one of the most moving love stories in American history. Cast: Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, Stephen Dillane, Danny Huston, David Morse, Sarah Polley, Tom Wilkinson.
Originally broadcast on HBO as a seven-part mini-series in 2008. Based on the book written by David McCullough. Rating: TV-14.
Land of Plenty
Story about a woman who works with the homeless, and a paranoid Vietnam vet who both become interested in the death of a Pakistani man killed in a drive-by shooting, but for totally different reasons. Cast: John Diehl, Michelle Williams, Richard Edson, Wendell Pierce, Burt Young. Not Rated
The Last Detective: Series 4
Things are looking up for Detective Constable “Dangerous” Davies, as played with heart and sly wit by Peter Davison. Dangerous has a knack for solving impossible crimes and piecing together connections where others have long since given up.
Longford
Based on a true story of the devout Catholic British Lord Frank Aungier Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, and his controversial, colorful, headline-making friendship with one of Britain’s most notorious criminals, child murderess Myra Hindley. Cast: Jim Broadbent, Samantha Morton, Lindsay Duncan, Andy Serkis. TV-MA.
MacArthur Park
Life in the park is daily warfare with rival gangs, police raids, the wealthy decadents who come for drugs and the ongoing demons of addiction, and the harder Cody tries to escape the park, the more it seems to close in on him. Cast: Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Brandon Adams, Tami Anderson, B-Real, Bad Azz, Elenn Cleghorne, Julie Delpy, David Faustino, Balthazar Getty, Rachel Hunter. Rated R
Mansfield Park
When Fanny Price is sent away to live with her rich cousins, she’s meant to learn the ways of proper society but manages to enlighten them as well. Cast: Embeth Davidtz, Jonny Lee Miller, Alessandro Nivola, Frances O’Connor. Based on Jane Austen’s novel. Rated PG-13.
Marple: Season Three
In her golden years, Miss Marple (Geraldine McEwan) blends into the scenery of her elegant surroundings. All the better to observe the foibles of human nature that lead to evil — and to surprise one and all when she solves crimes that baffle the professionals. Rich with period detail, these all-new adaptations feature stellar supporting casts, including Richard E. Grant, Amanda Burton, Eileen Atkins, Saffron Burrows, Greg Wise, Martine McCutcheon, Francesca Annis, Peter Davison, Jane Seymour, and Juliet Stevenson.
McLeod’s Daughters: The Complete Third Season
McLeod’s Daughters: The Complete Fourth Season
McLeod’s Daughters: The Complete Fifth Season
McLeod’s Daughters: The Complete Sixth Season
The adventure on the Australian outback continues with sisters Claire and Tess and the women of Drovers Run as they face new challenges running the large cattle property.
Medium: The First Season
Inspired by the life story of Allison DuBois, a woman who can communicate with the dead, but for most of her life she viewed this gift as a curse. Allison finally submits to her calling when she realizes she can do more good as a medium than as a lawyer. Cast: Patricia Arquette, Maria Lark, Miguel Sandoval, Sofia Vassilieva, Jake Weber. Not Rated.
Midsomer Murders: Set Ten
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 Barnaby with John Hopkins as his brash young assistant, Sergeant Dan Scott. Guest stars include Oliver Ford Davies, Annette Crosbie, Owen Teale, June Whitfield, Geoffrey Whitehead, and David Burke.
Numb3rs: The Complete First Season
We all use mathematics every day– but in a world of body counts, multiple criminal masterminds, and percentages involving perpetrators who may act again, figures are especially valuable. This is the world of Numb3rs. Don Eppes is an FBI agent who recruits his mathematically gifted brother Charlie to help the Bureau solve a wide range of challenging crimes in Los Angeles, thus tackling the most baffling criminal cases from two very distinctive perspectives. Cast: Rob Morrow, David Krumholtz, Judd Hirsch, Peter MacNicol, Alimi Ballard, Sabrina Lloyd, Navi Rawat, Kate Norby. Originally broadcast on CBS television during 2005.
Numb3rs. The Complete Second Season
FBI agent Don Eppes couldn’t be more different from his younger brother, Charlie, a brilliant math professor at a California university. Don deals in hard facts and evidence, Charlie thrives in a world of mathematical probability and equations. Don and Charlie often combine their areas of expertise to solve a wide range of challenging crimes in Los Angeles. Cast: Rob Morrow, David Krumholtz, Judd Hirsch, Alimi Ballard, Peter MacNicol, Navi Rawat, Diane Farr, Dylan Bruno.
Originally broadcast on CBS television during the 2005-2006 season.
Numb3rs: The Complete Third Season
FBI Special Agent Don Eppes recruits his mathematically gifted brother, Charlie, to help the Bureau solve a wide range of challenging crimes in Los Angeles. Don is assisted by fellow agents Megan Reeves, David Sinclair, and Colby Granger, while Charlie finds insight and encouragement from a co-worker, Dr. Larry Fleinhardt, and Amita Ramnjuan, Charlie’s former grad student.
Rob Morrow, David Krumholtz, Diane Farr, Alimi Ballard, Dylan Bruno, Peter MacNicol, Navi Rawat. Originally broadcast on television during the 2006-2007 season.
Poirot: Collector’s Set 12
David Suchet returns as Agatha Christie’s eccentric Belgian sleuth. All three mysteries are well acted, shot in beautiful locations, and manage to fold in a little dry humor with the ghastly business at hand.
Project Runway: The Complete Second 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 by Bravo 2005-2006. Rated TV 14.
The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel brings to life the attitudes and passions of 17th century New England. Condemned by her Puritan fellows for having a child out of wedlock, Hester Prynne is forced to wear a scarlet letter. Cast: Meg Foster, John Heard, Kevin Conway. Originally broadcast by PBS in 1979. Not rated.
Slap Shot
The coach of a third-rate hockey team signs up some rough and tough players to help his team win. Cast: Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean, Lindsay Crouse, Jennifer Warren, Jerry Houser, Strother Martin. Originally produced as a motion picture in 1977. Rated R
Stargate Atlantis: Season 2
Stargate Atlantis: Season 3
Stargate Atlantis: Season 4
A secret base built by the Ancients is found in the ice in Antarctica. The Stargate Atlantis team is sent on a one-way mission to explore the distant Pegasus galaxy. The team encounters many new civilizations, including the sinister Wraith. Cast: Joe Flanigan, Torri Higginson, Rachel Luttrell, Rainbow Sun Francks, David Hewlett, Paul McGillion.
Supernatural: The Complete Second Season
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.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
When the beautiful widow Helen Graham moves into the derelict Wildfell Hall with her son, she arouses great curiosity from the local villagers. CastTara Fitzgerald, Rupert Graves, Toby Stephens. Based on the novel by Anne Brontë. Originally broadcast on BBC TV in 1996.
Twister
Scientist Jo Harding and her crack team of tornado chasers are pursuing the most destructive weatherfront to sweep through mid-America’s Tornado Alley in 50 years. TV weatherman Bill Harding is trying to get his tornado-hunter wife, Jo, to sign divorce papers so he can marry his girlfriend Melissa. But Mother Nature, in the form of a series of intense storms has other plans. Jo’s team is planning to launch revolutionary electronic sensors into the funnel of the tornado. They hope to obtain data to create an improved weather warning system. In order to get the sensors to work, the team must intercept the twister. Cast: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes. Rated PG-13
Wire in the Blood: The Complete Fifth Season
Clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill (Robson Green) must race against time to profile and track down vicious criminals before they strike next. Not Rated
Without a Trace: The Complete First Season
Without a Trace: The Complete Second Season
FBI agent Jack Malone and his dedicated team of The Missing Persons Unit are on the case. These investigators track down missing persons by using advanced profiling techniques. Cast: Anthony LaPaglia, Poppy Montgomery, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Enrique Murciano, Eric Close.
New Books on CD – June 2008
Audition: A Memoir Barbara Walters – The legendary television journalist examines her own life and the many individuals she has known and interviewed.
Change of Heart Jodi Picoult – A mother’s tragic loss and a prisoner’s last chance for redemption are at the center of a high-impact plot.
Comfort Food Kate Jacobs – A celebrity chef shows her friends and family the joy of fulfillment and manages to spice up her own life as well.
Compulsion Jonathan Kellerman – Dr. Alex Delaware conducts a suspenseful manhunt for a psychopathic killer.
Death of a Gentle Lady M.C. Beaton – The elderly Mrs. Gentle may not be all that she appears, especially after she is found murdered.
Dreamers of the Day Mary Doria Russell – Ohioan Agnes Shanklin comes into an inheritance that allows her to take a trip to Egypt, just at the time of the Cairo Peace Conference of 1921.
The Downhill Lie: A Hacker’s Return to a Ruinous Sport Carl Hiaasen – An amusing take on a frustrating game.
Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill) David Cay Johnston – How does a strong economy lend itself to job uncertainty, debt, backruptcy and economic fear?
The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World Eric Weiner – How can changing your location change your mood?
The Ghost War Alex Berenson – CIA Agent John Wells returns for a second outing after A Faithful Spy and embarks on another mission to Afghanistan.
A Golden Age Tahmima Anam – Set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War of Indepence in 1971, Rehana Haque struggles to keep her family safe during a chaotic time.
Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out Marci Shimoff – How to experience happiness, no matter what is going on in your life.
How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind Pema Chödrön – An introductory course in meditation by a noted teacher.
If I Only Knew Then… Learning from Our Mistakes Charles Grodin – The author relates stories from over 80 well known figures in entertainment, sports and politics, that feature mistakes and lessons learned.
An Irish Country Village Patrick Taylor – There’s always something brewing below the surface in the Irish town of Ballybucklebo. New from the author of a An Irish Country Doctor.
Killer Heat Linda Fairstein – D.A. Alex Cooper must cope with two brutal murders before the city tabloids begin publishing “serial killer” headlines.
The Lady Elizabeth Alison Weir – A look at the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor who would grow up to become England’s most powerful queen.
The Last Lecture Randy Pausch –The CMU professor who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer gave a “last lecture” that was a summation of what he had come to believe and that he wanted his children to know.
Lion in the White House: A Life of Theodore Roosevelt Aida D. Donald – The amazing life of the first modern president.
The Logic of Life: The Rational Economics of an Irrational World Tim Harford – Under the confusing surface of everyday life, hidden incentives are at work.
The Monsters of TempletonLauren Groff – Willie Upton returns to her home in Templeton, New York, and learns how one town holds the secrets of her family.
The Opposite of Love Julie Buxbaum – Manhattan attorney Emily Haxby ends a happy relationship just as her boyfriend is on the verge of proposing.
A Prisoner of Birth Jeffrey Archer – If Danny Cartwright had proposed to Beth Wilson the day before, he would not have been arrested and charged with the murder of his best friend.
Song Yet Sung James McBride – A slave breakout in Maryland’s eastern shore of the 1850’s sets loose a drama of violence, hope, and redemption.
Take the Risk: Learning to Identify, Choose, and Live with Acceptable Risk Ben Carson – The renowned neurosurgeon invites us to embrace risk in our own lives in order to live our lives to their full potential.
Unaccustomed Earth Jhumpa Lahiri – From the author of Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake comes a new collection of emotionally complex stories.
What Now? Ann Patchett – Based on a commencement address, the author offers hope and inspiration for anyone at a crossroads in life.
The Whole Truth David Baldacci – Nicholas Creel heads up the world’s largest defense contractor who manipulates international conflicts for his own personal gain. But does he have an even bigger plan in mind?
You Can Do It! The Boomer’s Guide to a Great Retirement Jonathan D. Pond – Savvy financial advice from the well known PBS financial planner.
Documentaries and Nonfiction Films – June 2008
The Dog Whisperer: Beginning and Intermediate Training
Step-by-step instruction teaching basic behaviors and solving common problems using techniques that are fun for your dog. Best selling author and trainer Paul Owens, is the author of The Dog Whisperer and The Puppy Whisperer.
My Kid Could Paint That
Examines the rise to fame and subsequent noteriety of Marla Olmstead, a little girl discovered to be a painting prodigy, upon which a 60 minutes piece brought suspicions of fraud.
30 Day Shred
Jillian Michaels winning trainer on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” helps you lose big–up to 20 pounds in 30 days! Her DVD includes three 20-minute circuit-training workouts that burn mega calories and build strong lean muscle. Each workout is progressively harder so start with the Level 1 and when you are ready progress to Level 2 and then Level 3. Each level contains a 20-minute workout based on Jillian’s exclusive 3-2-1 Strength/Cardio/Ab training circuit: 3 minutes of strength 2 minutes of cardio and 1minute of ab work. There’s also a brief warm-up session and a cool-down stretch.
You: Staying Young Workout
America’s most trusted doctor team and authors of the #1 New York Times best-selling You series, are tackling another major obstacle: Aging. The DVD contains 3 total body workouts all under 20 minutes: 2 levels by celebrity trainer Joel Harper and a Chi Gong workout by kung fu master Karl Romaine. It teaches strength conditioning, mat work, core training, yoga , and even ways to improve posture. These techniques can be used by viewers at any level, from advanced to beginner. All brought to you by the YOU docs-Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen.
New Releases on DVD – June 2008
Adrift in Manhattan
A beautiful and mysterious doctor crosses paths with a young photographer who has become infatuated with her, and a patient that’s going blind, on a New York subway. Cast: Heather Graham, Victor Rasuk, Dominic Chianese, Erika Michels, Marlene Forté, Elizabeth Peña, William Baldwin. Rated R
Awake
When failed anesthesia leaves a rich young tycoon alert but immobilized during open-heart surgery, he overhears a devious plot to have killed him. Cast: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Lena Olin, Arliss Howard, Terrence Howard. Rated R
Believe in Me
Coach Clay Driscoll is a small town basketball coach who seems to have everything going against him. A team he doesn’t want. A town that doesn’t support girl’s sports and small town politics that threaten to undermine any chance he has of winning. But his pride and his “girls” refuse to let him quit. Both the young women and their hard-headed coach fight for equality and a share of the dream, taking on the town prejudice and their own self-doubt. Based on the true story of Jim Keith and the Lady Cyclones. Cast: Jeffrey Donovan, Samantha Mathis, Bruce Dern, Bob Gunton, Heather Matarazzo. Based on the book Brief Garland by Harold Keith. Rated PG
Bella An international soccer star is on his way to sign a multimillion dollar contract when a series of events unfold that brings his career to an abrupt end. A beautiful waitress, struggling to make it in New York City, discovers something about herself that she’s unprepared for. In one irreversible moment, their lives are turned upside down– until a simple gesture of kindness brings them both together, turning an ordinary day into an unforgettable experience. Cast: Eduardo Verástegui, Tammy Blanchard, Manny Perez, Angelica Aragon, Jaime Tirelli, Ali Landry. Rated PG-13
The Bucket List
Corporate billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers have nothing in common, except they both have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room together, they decide to make a Bucket List of all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die. Cast: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Rob Morrow. Rated PG-13
Closure
Driving back from a posh party at a country estate, Alice and Adam find themselves brutally assaulted by a group of hunters. Physically and emotionally devasted by the attack, the tables suddenly turn when Alice and Adam discover the identity of their attackers. Now it’s time to exact the ultimate revenge. Cast: Gillian Anderson, Danny Dyer, Anthony Calf, Ralph Brown. Rated R
December Boys
In the late 1960s, four orphan boys go for a holiday by the sea on the South Australian coast. Since they share the same birth month, the orphanage calls them December boys. But these teens–Maps, Spit, Spark and Misty–have much more in common. With no hopes of ever joining a family, they form their own familial bonds. Then the unexpected news comes that a young couple may adopt one of them, and the long-time pals suddenly share something else: a rivalry to be the chosen one. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Lee Cormie, Christian Byers, James Fraser, Jack Thompson. Based on the novel by Michael Noonan. Rated PG-13
Dedication
Henry is a misanthropic, emotionally complex children’s book author who is forced to team up with a beautiful illustrator after his best friend and creative collaborator passes away. As Henry struggles with letting go of the ghosts of love and life, he discovers that sometimes you have to take a gamble at life to find love. Cast: Billy Crudup, Mandy Moore, Tom Wilkinson, Bob Balaban, Dianne Wiest, Bobby Cannavale, Martin Freeman. Rated R
Final Season
In the small town of Norway, Iowa, the high school baseball team is led by legendary Coach Jim Van Scoyoc who has won 19 State Championships. But the small town heroes are dealt a series of unexpected blows that threaten to rob them of their 20th championship win. Talk of a school merger gets serious and Coach Scoyoc is fired. He is replaced by his 24-year-old assistant coach, Kent Stock. Failure seems inevitable. Based on the true story of Kent Stock. Cast: Sean Astin, Powers Boothe, Rachael Leigh Cook, James Gammon, Dayton Callie, Marshall Bell, Larry Miller, Danielle Savre, Brett Claywell, Angela Paton, Lucinda Jenney,Tom Arnold, Michael Angarano. Rated PG
First Sunday
Best friends and criminals Durell Washington and LeeJohn are two thieves who haven’t got a prayer. Sentenced to 5,000 hours of community service, Durell’s life quickly goes from bad to worse. Realizing that the Lord helps those who help themselves, he eventually decides to help himself to the neighborhood church’s building fund. Accompanied by LeeJohn, the two down-on-their-luck men are dismayed to discover the cash has already been stolen, so they hold the congregation hostage in a Hail Mary attempt to learn who amongst the righteous has already run away with their loot. Cast: Loretta Devine, Michael Beach, Keith David, Regina Hall, Malinda Williams, Ice Cube,Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan. Rated PG-13
Full of It
17-year-old Sam may be the new kid at school, but he’s got a sure-fire scheme to fast-track his popularity: he’s going to lie his butt off. Claiming to drive a Prosche, date a movie star and have a rock star for a dad, Sam soon finds himself loved by everyone. But when Sam’s outlandish fictions mysteriously turn into outrageous facts, he begins to discover that having all your dreams come true can turn into a total nightmare. Cast: Ryan Pinkston, Kate Mara, Craig Kilborn, John Carroll Lynch, Cynthia Stevenson, Teri Polo. Rated PG-13
Goya’s Ghosts
Told through the eyes of celebrated Spanish painter Francisco Goya. Set against political turmoil at the end of the Spanish Inquisition and start of the invasion of Spain by Napoleon’s army. Captures the essence and beauty of Goya’s work which is best known for both the colorful depictions of the royal court and its people, and his grim depictions of the brutality of war and life in 18th century Spain. When Goya’s beautiful muse is accused of being a heretic, the renowned painter must convince his old friend Lorenzo, a power-hungry monk and leader of the Spanish Inquisition, to spare her life. Cast: Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgård, Randy Quaid, Jose Luis Gomez, Michael Lonsdale. Rated R
Grace is Gone
Stanley Phillips is a sad, disconnected man unable to tell his young daughters that their mother, a soldier, has died in Iraq. Instead, he takes the girls on a road trip, where their innocent charm helps him rediscover a healing joy he thought he’d lost forever. Cast: John Cusack, Alessandro Nivola. Rated PG-13
The Hard Easy
Paul and Roger both owe a lot of money with no way to pay it back, and the clock is ticking. When they each get a chance to join a different gang of thieves for a heist that will square their debts, what choice do they possibly have? Cast: Henry Thomas, Vera Farmiga, David Boreanaz, Bruce Dern, Peter Weller, Nick Lachey, Elimu Nelson, Rae Allen, Michael Fairman, Gary Busey. Based on a story by Jon Lindstrom. Rated: R
He Was a Quiet Man
He seemed like such a nice guy. He pretty much kept to himself. An office worker inadvertently becomes a hero after he saves a woman’s life. Cast: Christian Slater, Elisha Cuthbert, William H. Macy, Sascha Knopf, John Gulager, Jamison Jones. Not rated.
I Could Never Be Your Woman
Rosie is an older, divorced professional who has had little luck in love. She finally finds a fitting companion in the form of Adam, a much younger man. As her relationship threatens to move beyond something simply physical, her teenage daughter, Izzie, begins to wonder if the strange tingling sensation that she feels when she is in the company of a handsome local boy could possibly be what adults refer to as ‘love.’ Of course anything is possible with Mother Nature up to her old mischief, and with higher powers at play there’s no telling what will come of these relationships. Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, Jon Lovitz, Fred Willard, Saoirse Ronan, Tracey Ullman. Rated PG-13
I’m Not There
Six different characters recreate different stages in the career of Bob Dylan –with each emboding part of his legend: from Greenwich Village folk singer to electric guitar trailblazer to born-again preacher. Cast: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, Charlotte Gainsbourg, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams. Rated R
In the Name of the King
When a bloodthirsty legion of half-man/half-beast Krugs rampages through his village, one man picks up a sword and undertakes a quest of vengeance and honor. Haunted by the memory of his son’s death and the kidnapping of his wife by the Krugs, Farmer ignites a duty-call for others to join his crusade to stop the campaign of terror waged by an evil sorcerer whose ruthless quest for the crown could spell doom for the entire Kingdom. Cast: Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, John Rhys-Davies, Ron Perlman, Claire Forlani, Kristanna Loken, Matthew Lillard, Brian White, Ray Liotta, Burt Reynolds. Based on the Dungeon Siege game designed by Chris Taylor and Gas Powered Games. Rated PG-13.
The Inner Life of Martin Frost
After working for three years on a novel, writer Martin Frost borrows the empty country house of friends for a long-needed rest. No sooner does he arrive, however, than an idea for a story comes to him. When he wakes the next morning, eager to begin his new tale, he is shocked to discover a young woman sleeping next to him in bed – the attractive, effervescent Claire. Presumably the niece of his hosts, she wittily overcomes Martin’s initial resistance to her and the two of them fall in love. But is Claire really the person she claims to be? Cast: David Thewlis, Irène Jacob, Michael Imperioli, Sophie Auster. Not Rated
Margot at the Wedding
When Margot and her son, Claude, come to attend the wedding of her sister, Pauline, it seems as if a family rift is being mended. Despite their best efforts, Margot and Pauline revert to their most dysfunctional selves. It does not help that Pauline’s fiancé is woefully depressed and Margot’s lover is as narcissistic as she is. Margot’s estranged husband can’t seem to recognize that Margot cringes at his every effort at reconciliation. Margot and Claude have both a loving and poisonous relationship and she begins to pull Claude down with her as she sinks in self-absorption. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black, John Turturro, Ciarán Hinds.
Rated R
Moving McAllister
Rick Robinson is a ladder-climbing law intern from Miami with four days until the bar exam. He ends up in a rundown truck headed to L.A. with his boss’s possessions and niece. Amidst hitch-hikers, breakdowns, and assorted local yokels, Rick finds love. Cast: Ben Gourley, Mila Kunis, Jon Heder, Rutger Hauer. Rated: PG13
Music Within
Based on the incredible true-life story of Richard Pimentel, deafened by a bomb blast in Vietnam, Richard returns home and discovers his life’s calling: helping others with disabilities, including his fellow veterans. Along with his best friend Art, a wheelchair-bound rebel with a wicked wit, Richard fights for the rights of those whose voices can’t always be heard. Cast: Ron Livingston, Melissa George, Michael Sheen, Yul Vazquez, Rebecca DeMornay, Hector Elizondo.
Rated R
Nancy Drew
Nancy is an iconic girl detective with a passion for mystery and all things old, but she is about to experience a serious case of culture shock as she heads to Hollywood on an extended business trip with her father, Carson Drew. Having promised him that she has given up sleuthing in favor of becoming a “normal” teenager, Nancy tries her best to resist the lure of the age-old mystery of famous actress Dehlia Draycott’s death, and living in Dehlia’s old mansion full of clues proves too powerful a force for Nancy to resist. Cast: Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Max Thieriot, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tate Donovan. Based on the books by Carolyn Keene. Rated PG
The Other Boleyn Girl
Anne Boleyn is a doe-eyed vixen who is ordered by her power-hungry uncle to bewitch King Henry VIII. Her shy sister Mary has always been in Anne’s shadow. Anne is prettier, more accomplished, and desired by many men. So when the King picks Mary as his mistress, Anne turns on her sister and schemes to become not only the King’s consort, but his new queen. Though the Boleyn girls’ mother points out that her ‘daughters are being traded like cattle for the advancement of men,’ it is Anne who ultimately throws her slight weight around to bully Henry into doing her bidding. Cast: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johnasson, Eric Bana, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, David Morrissey. Based on the novel by Philippa Gregory.
Rated PG-13
Radiant City
A Canadian family struggles with existential despair, exacerbated by the drabness of their suburban locale in this faux-documentary. Not Rated
Right at Your Door
Multiple dirty bombs are detonated, spreading deadly toxic ash across Los Angeles. The city is under siege and martial law is in effect. Brad and Lexi struggle to survive with little supplies, limited time, and no information. Cast: Mary McCormack, Rory Cochrane. Rating: R
Romance and Cigarettes
From writer/director John Turturro and the Coen Brothers comes an off-beat, down and dirty musical. When Kitty discovers Nick is having an affair with the sultry seductress Tula, their rocky relationship gets a whole lot rockier. Nick finds himself facing a full-scale revolt from his daughters at home, and Kitty enlists her oddball cousin Bo to track down Tula. Deals with love and hate, life and death, and romance and cigarettes. Cast: James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi, Bobby Cannavale, Mandy Moore, Mary-Louise Parker, Aida Turturro, Christopher Walken. Rated R
September Dawn
As a wagon train of westward-bound settlers makes its way across southern Utah in 1857, a confrontation with a congregation of Mormons soon leads to deadly consequences for all involved. Based on the true story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Cast: Jon Voight, Trent Ford, Tamara Hope, Jon Gries, Taylor Handley, Huntley Ritter, Krisinda Cain, Shaun Johnston, Lolita Davidovich, Dean Cain, Terence Stamp. Rated R
Slipstream
Aging screenwriter, Felix Bonhoeffer, has lived h is life in two states of existence: reality and his own interior world. While working on a murder mystery screenplay, he becomes baffled as his characters start appearing in his life, and his life starts slipping into his characters. Soon, he is thrown into a vortex where dreams, time and reality collide in an increasingly whirling slipstream. Cast: Stella Arroyave, Michael Clarke Duncan, Fionnula Flanagan, Gavin Grazer, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Lawford, Bill Lucking, Camryn Manheim, Kevin McCarthy, S. Epatha Merkerson, Lisa Pepper, Christian Slater, Jeffrey Tambor, Aaron Tucker, John Turturro. Rated R
Southland Tales
This is an ensemble piece set in the futuristic landscape of Los Angeles, as it stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster. Box Santaros is an action star who’s stricken with amnesia. His life intertwines with Krysta Now, an adult film star developing her own reality television project, and Ronald Taverner, a Hermosa Beach police officer who holds the key to a vast conspiracy. Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nora Dunn, Christopher Lambert, John Larroquette, Bai Ling, Jon Lovitz, Mandy Moore, Holmes Osborne, Cheri Oteri, Amy Poehler, Lou Taylor Pucci, Miranda Richardson, Wallace Shawn, Kevin Smith, Justin Timberlake. Rated R
Suburban Girl
Moving from the suburbs to the glittering metropolis of New York City, Brett is a naive associate book editor embarking on her first big job. Overwhelmed by the demands of her new position, she meets literary star Archie Knox and begins to gain confidence as he introduces her to a glamorous new world. Torn between her old boyfriend, career aspirations and romance, will Brett realize her dreams in the big city? Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alec Baldwin, Maggie Grace, James Naughton, Chris Carmack. Adapted from “The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing” by Melissa Bank. Rated PG-13
Sunshine
It is the year 2057, the sun is dying and mankind faces extinction. Earth’s last hope rests with a courageous crew of eight men and women on a mission to ignite the fading star with a massive nuclear weapon. Deep into their voyage, out of radio contact with Earth, their mission begins to unravel and they find themselves fighting not only for their lives, but for the future of us all.
Cast: Rose Byrne, Cliff Curtis, Chris Evans, Troy Garity, Cillian Murphy, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong, Michelle Yeoh. Rated R
The Ten
No one will ever mistake Jeff Reigert for Moses, but like Moses, it is Jeff’s job to introduce the world to the Ten Commandments. However, Jeff is not exactly the picture of virtue. In fact, Jeff is surrounded by gigantic replicas of the famous stone tablets. He is so busy juggling his wife Gretchen and his girlfriend, that he can barely get through a single commandment without breaking one himself. Cast: Adam Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Rob Corddry, Famke Janssen, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Joe Lo Truglio, Oliver Platt, Winona Ryder, Ron Silver, Jessica Alba. Rated R
Tideland
After her mother dies from a heroin overdose, Jeliza-Rose is taken from the big city to live in a rural farmhouse with her father. She tries to settle into a new life in a house her father had purchased for his now-deceased mother. Jeliza-Rose’s attempts to deal with her life change, but the result is her increasingly odd behavior. Jeliza-Rose begins to communicate with her bodiless Barbie doll heads and Dell, a neighborhood woman who always wears a beekeeper’s veil. Cast: Jodelle Ferland, Brendan Fletcher, Janet McTeer, Jennifer Tilly, Jeff Bridges. Based on the novel by Mitch Cullin. Rated R
Trade
When 13-year-old Adriana is kidnapped by sex traffickers in Mexico, her 17-year-old brother, Jorge, sets off on a desperate mission to save her. As Jorge dodges overwhelming obstacles to track the girl’s abductors, he meets Ray, a Texas cop whose own family loss leads him to become an ally. Cast: Kevin Kline, Cesar Ramos, Alicja Bachleda, Paulina Gaitan. Rated R
Untraceable
Jennifer Marsh is an FBI secret service agent who gets caught up in a very personal and deadly cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer. The killer knows that people are drawn to the curious and the dark side of things. They will log onto an ‘untraceable’ website where the killer conducts violent and painful murders live on the internet. The more people who log on and enter the website, the quicker and more violently the victim dies. Cast: Diane Lane, Billy Burke, Colin Hanks, Joseph Cross, Mary Beth Hurt. Rated R
War
After his partner is brutally murdered by the infamous assassin Rogue, FBI agent Jack Crawford vows to find the elusive killer and personally avenge his partner’s death. But Crawford’s obsession with vengeance jeopardizes his professional judgment, and as the violence escalates, he finds himself in the middle of a conflict between two rival Asian gangs. Cast: Jet Li, Jason Statham, John Lone, Devon Aoki, Luis Guzmán, Saul Rubinek, Ryo Ishibashi, Sung Kang, Mathew St. Patrick, Nadine Velazquez. Rated R
Why Did I Get Married
On vacation at a secluded cabin in the snowcapped mountains of Colorado, eight married college friends have gathered for their annual seven-day reunion. Over the weekend, when dirty laundry is aired, husbands and wives take an intimate look at their lives while struggling with issues of commitment, betrayal, and forgiveness as they seek a way forward. Cast: Tyler Perry, Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Malik Yoba, Richard T. Jones, Michael Jai White, Lamman Rucker, Sharon Leal, Tasha Smith, Denise Boutte. Rated PG-13
Youth without Youth
Romania is on the brink of war with Germany and linguistics professor Dominic Matei has little left to live for. On Easter Day 1938, he crosses the street and is struck by a bolt of lightning. Badly burned and nearly dead, he amazes the doctors by healing in only a short time. He defies science and ages in reverse from 70 to 40. There seems to be no limit to the wonder and love he can find in his new youth. He pursues lost dreams, endless knowledge and the secrets of life until his secret is discovered. Now he must use his increased intelligence to keep his powerful secret safe from the wicked powers that would use it for evil. Cast: Tim Roth, Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz, André M. Hennicke. Based upon the writing of Mircea Eliade. RatedR
New DVDs: Feature Length Films and TV Series – June 2008
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
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
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
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
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.