New Releases on DVD – March 2008

August Rush
A charismatic young Irish guitarist and a sheltered young cellist have a chance encounter one magical night above New York’s Washington Square. They are soon torn apart, leaving in their wake an infant, August Rush, orphaned by circumstance. Now performing on the streets of New York City and cared for by a mysterious stranger, August uses his remarkable musical talent to seek the parents from whom he was separated at birth. Cast: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard, Robin Williams, William Sadler. Rated PG

Atonement
In 1935, a 13-year-old girl irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister’s lover of a crime he did not commit. Cast: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan, Vanessa Redgrave. Based on the novel by Ian McEwan. Rated R

Bee Movie
In this animated feature film, a bee with a life ambition to make honey decides to sue humans for eating his product. Featured voices: Jerry Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Patrick Warburton, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, Barry Levinson, Larry King, Ray Liotta, Sting, Oprah Winfrey, Larry Miller, Megan Mullally, Rip Torn. Rated PG

Beowulf
In a mystical time of monsters, demons and dragons, one man heroically rises above all others –his name is Beowulf. Cast: Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, Angelina Jolie. Based on the epic poem Bewoulf. Rated PG-13

Chaos
After a deadly bank heist, Detectives Quentin Conners and Shane Dekker are drawn into a mysterious case where nothing is what it seems. Pulling the strings is a criminal mastermind who seems to kill without warning or reason. Abound with random acts of violence and deception, the only hope for survival is finding an order to the chaos. Cast: Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe, Wesley Snipes, Justine Waddell, Henry Czerny. Rated R

Dan in Real Life
Dan Burns is a local newspaper advice columnist. He has three daughters and is a widower. Things get complicated when he finds out that the woman he falls in love with is actually his brother’s new girlfriend. Cast: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, John Mahoney, Emily Blunt, Dianne Wiest. Rated PG-13

Death at a Funeral
As the mourners and guests at a British country manor struggle to “keep a stiff upper lip,” a dignified ceremony devolves into a no-holds-barred debacle of misplaced cadavers, indecent exposure, and shocking family secrets. Cast: Ewen Bremner, Peter Dinklage, Matthew Macfadyen, Kris Marshall, Alan Tudyk. Rated R

Enchanted
The beautiful princess Giselle is banished from the animated land of Andalasia by the evil queen. She finds herself in the gritty streets of the real, modern-day Manhattan. Shocked by this strange new environment that does not operate on a “happily ever after” basis, Giselle find herself adrift in a chaotic world that is badly in need of enchantment. Giselle begins to fall in love with the cynical, no-nonsense divorce lawyer who has come to her aid. Little does he realize that this joyful, wide-eyed innocent is about to enchant him. Cast: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel, Susan Sarandon.PerformerNarrator, Julie Andrews ; voices: Jeff Bennett, Kevin Lima, Teala Dunn. Rated PG

Fierce People
Fierce People takes an inside look at the upper classes, examining the darkness that lurks beneath the surface of good manners. This unflinching drama exposes the trappings of wealth and privilege, and their overwhelming power to seduce and corrupt. Cast: Diane Lane, Anton Yelchin, Donald Sutherland, Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Perkins, Paz De la Huerta and Chris Evans. Based on the book by Dirk Wittenborn. Rated R

I Am Legend
Robert Neville (Will Smith) is the last human survivor in what is left of New York City. A pandemic has left only 1% of the population alive and most of those who survived are no longer human. The infected, now lurking in the shadows, watch Neville’s every move. Perhaps mankind’s last, best hope, Neville is driven by the only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. Based on the novel by Richard Matheson. Rated PG-13

Into the Wild
Inspired by a true story, Christopher McCandless is a young man who abandons his life of comfort to pursue the freedom of life on the road, a quest that leads him to the Alaskan wilderness and the ultimate challenge of his life. Cast: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, Hal Holbrook. Based on the book by Jon Krakauer. Rated R

The Kite Runner
As young boys living in Afghanistan, Amir and Hassan were inseparable friends, until one fateful act tore them apart. Years later, Amir will embark on a dangerous quest to right the wrongs of the past. Cast: Khalid Abdalla, Homayoun Ershadi, Shaun Toub, Atossa Leoni, Saïd Taghmaoui. Based on the book by Khaled Hosseini. Rated PG-13

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
Mr. Magorium owns the most amazing store in the world, where all the toys literally come to life. When the boss decides to retire, the shop throws a tantrum, and all its wonders begin to cease. Now Mr. Magorium’s reluctant manager, skeptical accountant, and most loyal customer must work together to save the emporium by finding a little magic within themselves. Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Jason Bateman, Zach Mills. Rated G

No Country for Old Men
Llewelyn Moss is a Vietnam vet who could use a break. One morning while hunting antelope, he spies several trucks surrounded by dead bodies. He decides to examine the site. He finds a case filled with $2 million and a truck loaded with heroin. Moss takes it with him, tells his wife he’s going away for awhile, and hits the road until he can determine his next move. On his the way from El Paso to the Mexican border, he discovers he’s being followed by ex-special ops agent Chigurh. Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin. Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Rated R

The Seeker
During Christmas break from school, a seemingly typical teenager discovers that he is anything but ordinary. As the seventh son of a seventh son, Will Stanton is The Seeker – a chosen warrior destined to restore the delicate earthly balance between Light and Dark. Guided by ancient protectors of the Light, young Will must travel through time to gather the hidden signs that hold the ultimate power to protect the world. Rated PG

Snow Buddies
The talking puppies are back, and this time they venture to the frosty arctic and team up with new friends in an exciting dogsled race across Alaska. When the going gets tough, the daring dogs have to band together with their new friends, Talon and Shasta, and muster up the courage to face the fur-raising challenges ahead. But will the puppies have what it takes to win the race and find their way back home? Voices: Kris Kristofferson, Josh Flitter, Henry Hodges, Liliana Mumy, Jimmy Bennett, Skyler Gisondo, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Everett Scott, Molly Shannon, Dylan Sprouse, Lothaire Bluteau Paul Rae, Jim Belushi. Rated G

Sweeney Todd
Reinventing himself as Sweeney Todd, a man unjustly sent to prison returns to exact revenge on those who ruined his life, especially the evil Judge Turpin who sent the man to prison. Not only does he seek revenge for the cruel punishment he suffered in prison, but also for what happened to his wife and daughter. When he returns to his home town, he reopens his barber shop, where Mr. Todd becomes the Demon of Fleet Street. Mrs. Lovett is Sweeney’s amorous accomplice who creates diabolical meat pies out of the remains of Mr. Todd’s victims. Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen. Based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler and the musical adaptation by Christopher Bond. Rated R

Talk to Me
Washington, D.C., in the mid-to-late 1960s, vibrant soul music and exploding social consciousness were combining to become a unique and powerful effect. It was the place and time for Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene, Jr. to fully express himself and “tell it like it is.” With the support of his irrepressible and tempestuous girlfriend Vernell, the new ex-con talks his way into an on-air radio gig. He forges a friendship and a partnership with Dewey Hughes. From the first wild morning on the air, Petey relies on the more straight-laced Dewey to run interference at WOL-AM, where Dewey is the program director. At the station, Petey quickly becomes an iconic radio personality. Combining biting humor with social commentary, Petey openly courts controversy for station owner E.G. Sonderling. Petey was determined to make not just himself but his community heard during this turbulent period in American history. As Petey’s voice, humor, and spirit surge across the airwaves with the vitality of the era, listeners tune in to hear not only incredible music but also a man speaking directly to them about race and power in America. Through the years, Petey’s style, on- and off-air – would redefine both Petey and Dewey, and empower each to become the man he would most like to be. Cast: Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson, Mike Epps, Martin Sheen. Rated R

Things We Lost in the Fire
Audrey Burke is reeling from the news that her husband has been killed in a random act of violence. Once anchored by the love and comforts of their marriage, Audrey is now adrift. Impulsively, she turns to Jerry, a down-and-out addict who has been her husband’s close friend since childhood. Cast: Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny, Alison Lohman, Omar Benson Miller, John Carroll Lynch. Rated R