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.