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.