 The Accident By Ismail Kadare – “A psychological thriller of twisted passions, dual identities, and political subterfuge.” |
| American Assassin By Vince Flynn – Mitch Rapp takes on his first assignment, in the wake of the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack. The story of how it all began. |
 The Athena Project By Brad Thor – The world’s most elite counterterrorism unit has just taken its game to an entirely new level — and not a moment too soon. |
| Being Polite to Hitler By Robb Forman Dew – At age fifty-four, Agnes Scofield realizes that she is tired of the routine of her life. Family drama in post-World War II America. |
 The Book of Tomorrow By Cecelia Ahern – What if we knew what tomorrow would bring? Would we fix it? Could we? |
| The Brave By Nicholas Evans – The author of The Horse Whisperer relates the story of one man’s struggle to save his son—and himself—from the mistakes of the past. |
 Clara and Mr. Tiffany By Susan Vreeland – Who was the woman who designed nearly all of the iconic leaded-glass lamps for which Tiffany is now remembered? From the author of Luncheon of the Boating Party. |
| The Cypress House By Michael Koryta – A journey to Florida’s coast becomes an inescapable nightmare in this supernatural thriller. |
 Dead or Alive By Tom Clancy – After almost a decade, Tom Clancy returns. Need we say more? |
| Dead Spy Running By Jon Stock – Daniel Marchant, a suspended M16 officer, is running the London Marathon. He is also running out of time. |
 Dead Zero By Stephen Hunter – The latest mission for veteran sniper Bob Lee Swagger who may have met the only man who can outshoot him. |
| The Death Instinct By Jed Rubenfeld – Set against the backdrop of the devastating Wall Street bombing of September 1920 is the story of a tumultuous time following WWI. |
 Eighteen Acres By Nicolle Wallace – To the world it is known as the White House. To the staff that works twelve to fifteen hours a day there, it’s the “Eighteen Acres.” |
| The Final Reckoning By Sam Bourne – Tom Byrne, once an idealistic young lawyer, uncovers a clandestine brotherhood and a sixty-year-old secret — the last great mystery of World War II. |
 The Golden Mean By Annabel Lyon – An intriguing re-imagining of the relationship between the philosopher Aristotle and his most famous pupil, the young Alexander the Great. |
| Great House By Nicole Krauss – A desk of many drawers exerts a power over those who possess it or have given it away. A meaningful series of interconnected stories that has received wonderful reviews |
 Hell’s Corner By David Baldacci – John Carr, aka Oliver Stone, has been requested by the president to serve his country on another high-risk, covert mission. A Camel Club thriller. |
| I Still Dream About You By Fannie Flagg – The popular author is back with another southern charmer full of mystery and hilarity. |
 The Illumination By Kevin Brockmeier – In the aftermath of a fatal car accident, a private journal of love notes written by a husband to his wife passes into the keeping of a hospital patient, and from there through the hands of five other suffering people, touching each of them uniquely. |
| In the Company of Others By Jan Karon – Episocopal priest Tim Kavanaugh has used every excuse to not leave his parish in Mitford, but now that he’s retired, he decides on a trip to the land of his Irish ancestors. |
 Judas Gate By Jack Higgins – A disturbing audiotape from an ambush in Afghanistan seems to suggest that some of the Taliban voices have a British accent. Sean Dillon is in charge of hunting the traitors, but as he is going to war — the war is coming to him. |
| Khan: Empire of Silver By Conn Iggulden – The author presents the latest title in his epic series of the life and times of the infamous Genghis Khan. |
 The Lake of Dreams By Kim Edwards – Remember The Memory Keeper’s Daughter? Back with her second book, the author recounts the story of Lucy Jarrett who returns to upstate New York to find herself haunted by her father’s death. |
| Left Neglected By Lisa Genova – The author of Still Alice, relates the story supermom, Sarah Nickerson, whose jam-packed life comes to a screeching halt when an accident causes a traumatic brain injury. |
 Lord of Misrule By Jaimy Gordon – A look at the rock-bottom characters who inhabit the world of cheap horse racing at Indian Mound Downs, downriver from Wheeling, West Virginia. |
| Luka and the Fire of Life By Salman Rushdie – The author revisits the magical world he first brought to life in Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Luka, Haroun’s younger brother, must save his father from certain doom. |
 Midsummer Night By Freda Warrington – A story of the world of Aetherials—the fair folk—and their encounters with the inhabitants of a remote British estate. Magic. |
| Moonlight Mile By Dennis Lehane – Investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro return in this thriller that once again finds them searching for a missing Amanda McCready. |
 An Object of Beauty By Steve Martin – The well-known entertainer and author has garnered great reviews in this latest book featuring the art world of New York City. |
| Of Love and Evil By Anne Rice – Following his introduction in Angel Time, Toby O’Dare travels to the world of fifteenth-century Rome. Once again, the angel Malchiah needs him to solve a terrible crime. |
 The Orchid Affair By Lauren Willig – A new heroine is introduced in this historical suspense series featuring the mysterious spy known as the Pink Carnation. Laura Grey trades in her life as a governess to join the Selwick Spy School. |
| Our Kind of Traitor By John le Carré – Lehman Brothers has collapsed and Britain is on the brink of economic collapse. A young English couple, vacationing in Antigua, has a fateful encounter with Dima, a Russian money launderer. |
 The Passages of H.M.: A Novel of Herman Melville By Jay Parini – From the author of The Last Station, the story of the adventurous life and tragic literary career of Herman Melville. |
| The Poison Tree By Erin Kelly – A psychological thriller about the secrets that remain when a bohemian summer of excess turns deadly. Intriguing characters and a shocker of an ending. |
 The Radleys By Matt Haig “The Radleys is, first and foremost, the remarkable story of a family, born of denial and deceit, learning to tell the truth. That the family in question happens to be undead is secondary…” Vampires. |
| Redback by Kirk Russell – June, 1989. U.S.-Mexico border. A DEA undercover operation goes horribly wrong and informant Billy Takado is killed. The fallout costs Special Agent John Marques his career. Eighteen years later, the past returns. |
 The Red Garden By Alice Hoffman – The noted author presents the haunting world of Blackwell, Massachusetts with its glimpse of small-town America and three hundred years of passion, dark secrets, loyalty, and redemption. |
| Rescue By Anita Shreve – “A rookie paramedic pulls a young woman from her totaled car, a first rescue that begins a lifelong tangle of love and wreckage.” |
 The Secret Soldier By Alex Berenson – John Wells may have left the CIA, but he hasn’t left the high-stakes world of espionage, where hidden battles determine the fate of nations. |
| Separate Beds By Elizabeth Buchan – A story of economic breakdown and romantic recovery from the author of the Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman. |
 Strategic Moves By Stuart Woods – Stone Barrington is enjoying his usual dinner at Elaine’s when his boss at Woodman & Weld begins to talk about a partnership. |
| Sunset Park By Paul Auster – Contemporary America is illuminated in the stories of a wide range of characters who are brought together by the mysterious Miles Heller during the months of the 2008 economic collapse. |
 Swamplandia! By Karen Russell – In the swamps of the Florida Everglades, we are introduced to Ava Bigtree, an unforgettable young heroine, who finds herself managing a gator-wrestling theme park. Great reviews! |
| Three Seconds By Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström – Piet Hoffman is the Swedish police’s most valuable undercover agent. He is working inside the Polish mafia that is trying to take over amphetamine distribution within Sweden’s prison system. Scandinavian crime! |
| The Trials of Zion By Alan M. Dershowitz – An act of terrorism brings the tensions of the Middle East to a boiling point. In the midst of this turmoil, a young Jewish, American lawyer joins the legal team of a possibly innocent Palestinian. |
| The Twelfth Imam By Joel C. Rosenberg – A Mideast thriller “ripped from the headlines.” |
 Valley Forge: George Washington and the Crucible of Victory By Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen – During the winter of 1777, Washington’s battered, demoralized army retreats from Philadelphia to face the deadly winter at Valley Forge. |
| The Wake of Forgiveness By Bruce Machart – In the winter of 1910 a Texan boy, Karel, rides in an ultimate high-stakes race against a Spanish patriarch and his alluring daughters. Hanging in the balance are his father’s fortune, his brothers’ futures and his own fate. |
 What the Night Knows By Dean Koontz – Chilling suspense in a ghost story unlike any you may have ever read. |
| The Weekend By Bernhard Schlink – The author of The Reader returns with the story of old friends and lovers who reunite for a weekend after spending decades apart. But the reminiscences are not at all typical of the usual ones about old times. |
 West of Here By Jonathan Evison – In 1889, the rugged alpine wilderness of the Olympic Peninsula remained America’s last frontier. At the foot of the Elwha River, the outpost of Port Bonita is about to become a boom town. |
| The Winter Ghosts By Kate Mosse – The author of Labyrinth returns with a haunting tale of two lives who are touched by war, but are transformed by courage. |
 The Wolves of Andover By Kathleen Kent – From the author of The Heretic’s Daughter comes a story of love and intrigue set in the harsh wilderness of colonial Massachusetts. |
New Biographies – End of 2010
Angelina 
As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto: Food, Friendship and the Making of a Masterpiece 
At Home in Japan: A Foreign Woman’s Journey of Discovery 
Autobiography of Mark Twain—Volume 1 
Beautiful: The Life of Hedy Lamarr 
Becoming Queen Victoria: The Tragic Death of Princess Charlotte and the Unexpected Rise of Britain’s Greatest Monarch 
Bob Dylan in America 
Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard 
Cakewalk: A Memoir 
Choosing to See: A Journey of Struggle and Hope 
Chords of Strength: A Memoir of of Soul, Song, and the Power of Perseverance
New Books on CD July – November 2010
New DVDs: TV Series, Nonfiction and Feature Length Films – October 2010
The Big Bang Theory: Season Three
The third season of this hit comedy follows the further adventures of pals Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Emmy winner Jim Parsons), brilliant young physicists and hopeless dweebs, as they try to attract members of the fairer sex, especially their sizzling hot neighbor, Penny (Kaley Cuoco). As Penny and Leonard flirt with an actual relationship, fellow geeks Howard (Simon Helberg) and Rajesh (Kunal Nayyar) contend with their own hang-ups about women.
Bones: The Complete Fifth Season
After a provocative Season 4 finale, a new dynamic heats up between our heroes — brilliant forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) — in the latest installment of the slyly comic Fox mystery series. Together they team up on a new slate of cases in which Bones employs her trademark methods of digging up clues from victims’ skeletal remains.
Brothers and Sisters: The Complete Fourth Season
Tireless matriarch Nora Walker (played by Sally Field, who won an Emmy for the role) leads her affluent progeny through more triumphs, tragedies and surprises in the fourth season of this classy ABC soap opera. A whole new round of professional and personal dramas unfold for Justin (Dave Annable), Kitty (Calista Flockhart), Tommy (Balthazar Getty), Sarah (Rachel Griffiths), Julia (Sarah Jane Morris), Rebecca (Emily VanCamp) and Saul (Ron Rifkin).
Clash of the Titans
This epic mythological adventure stars Harry Hamlin as Perseus, son of Zeus (Laurence Olivier), who embarks on a series of perilous quests in the hopes of rescuing Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker) and winning the keys to the kingdom of Joppa. With winged horse Pegasus as his steed, Perseus must answer vexing riddles, capture the head of Medusa and slay a ravenous sea monster. Burgess Meredith and Ursula Andress co-star in this classic tale. (1981) Rated PG
Clatterford: The Complete Season Three
Provincial eccentrics crowd the life of nurse Sal Vine (Sue Johnston) in the third and final season of the BBC comedy created by Jennifer Saunders (“Absolutely Fabulous”). Sal’s daughter Tash (Sally Phillips) leaves home, but just barely, moving into a van parked outside the house. Meanwhile, the Clatterford Women’s Guild works itself into a maelstrom of excitement when a rumor spreads that a famous actor plans to take up residence. Not rated
Criminal Minds: Season Five
Special Agent Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) leads the Behavioral Analysis Unit — a crack team of FBI profilers who examine the country’s most inscrutable criminal minds and determine when and how these villains will strike again. The fifth season of the CBS crime drama also stars Joe Mantegna as veteran agent David Rossi; Paget Brewster as high-powered diplomat daughter Emily Prentiss; and Shemar Moore as obsession expert Derek Morgan. Not Rated
Dalziel & Pascoe: Season Two
Warren Clarke and Colin Buchanan star in this BBC crime-solving series as polar-opposite Yorkshire detectives Andy Dalziel and Peter Pascoe, a seemingly oddball duo whose vastly different styles make them the perfect match. Among other cases, the second season finds the detectives searching for a connection between three so-called “accidental” deaths. The catch, of course, is that the first one occurred 30 years earlier. (1997) Not rated
Glee: Season One, Volume Two
A musical comedy that follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the Glee Club and inspire a group of outcasts to make it to Nationals. Includes the episodes from the second half of season one and bonus features.
The Good Wife: The First Season
Art imitates life in this television drama starring Golden Globe winner Julianna Margulies as Alicia, a politician’s wife who’s forced to return to the workforce after a sex and corruption scandal lands her husband in jail. Resuming her career as a defense attorney after more than a decade away from the legal profession, Alicia slowly recaptures her identity in this series co-starring Chris Noth, Christine Baranski and Emmy winner Archie Panjabi.
Grey’s Anatomy: Complete Sixth Season
With the fates of Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) and George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) hanging in the balance as the series’ fifth year came to a close, the new season brings more drama into the lives of the young doctors at Seattle Grace Hospital. Returning for another round of hope and heartbreak are Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and Patrick Dempsey. Rated TV-14
House, M.D.: Season Six
Two-time Golden Globe Award winner Hugh Laurie returns for a sixth season of this Emmy-winning drama series as Dr. Greg House, the brilliant yet incorrigible MD who heads up the team of infectious disease specialists at Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital. Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Lisa Edelstein, Jennifer Morrison and Jesse Spencer also return as the irascible House’s team of skilled diagnosticians.
The Mentalist: The Complete Second Season
Simon Baker returns for another season as Patrick Jane, a phony psychic who turned over a new leaf and now uses his extraordinary powers of observation to help California law enforcement solve high-profile crimes. But as Jane helps bring dangerous criminals to justice, he must also contend with fallout from his past, including the sinister presence of Red John, the at-large serial killer who murdered Jane’s wife and child.
Midsomer Murders: Set 16
The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern master of the English village mystery, the series stars John Nettles as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby, with Jason Hughes as his earnest, efficient protégé, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones. Guest stars include Tim Pigott-Smith, Ronald Pickup, Pooky Quesnel, Simon Williams, Anton Lesser, Tom Goodman-Hill, Niamh Cusack, and Judy Parfitt.
Moonshot
From their incredible lunar landing to their safe return back to Earth, shadow the intrepid astronauts of Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong (Daniel Lapaine), Buzz Aldrin (James Marsters) and Michael Collins (Andrew Lincoln), as they explore outer space and take “one giant leap for mankind.” Blending convincing reenactments with original NASA footage, this Emmy-nominated docudrama offers viewers an insider’s perspective of one of modern history’s most important events. Not rated
Paulie
Wise parrot Paulie (voiced by Jay Mohr) can ask for more than crackers, as Misha (Tony Shalhoub), the janitor at an animal-research lab, discovers. Paulie reveals via flashbacks how he ended up at the facility after being separated from his original owner, 5-year-old Marie (Hallie Kate Eisenberg), then embarked on a decades-long search to reunite with her. Upon hearing Paulie’s tale, Misha decides to help the loquacious bird realize his dream. (1997) Rated PG
Pie in the Sky: Series Three
This whimsical crime drama stars Richard Griffiths as Detective Inspector Henry Crabbe, an outstanding police officer who longs to quit the force for good and indulge his other passion: cooking in the restaurant he owns with his wife (Maggie Steed). But every time Crabbe’s stubborn boss on the force (Malcolm Sinclair) faces a tough case, he drags Crabbe back from the brink of retirement to help solve the crime. (1996) Not Rated
The Prisoner
Ian McKellen and James Caviezel star in this miniseries remake of the British cult classic about Number Six, a government agent exiled to a mysterious town called the Village that’s run by an enigmatic leader known as Number Two. With no memory of his former life or why he’s a captive in this strange prison, Number Six (Caviezel) begins the daring task of plotting his escape. (2009) Not Rated
Private Practice: The Complete Third Season
Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) continues to adjust to her new life at a fancy Los Angeles medical practice in the third season of this hit Grey’s Anatomy spin-off. While working alongside old friends from medical school, divorced couple Naomi (Audra McDonald) and Sam (Taye Diggs), the renowned surgeon finds herself handling complicated health problems and juggling potentially knotty romantic issues. Rated TV-14
Rick Steves’ Austria & the Alps
All 7 half-hour shows on Austria and the Alps, filmed entirely on location. Originally broadcast as episodes from the public television series Rick Steves’ Europe in 2000-2009.
Stories of a Third Generation Independent Oil Producer, As Told by Bill Huber
Independent oil producer Bill Huber discusses oil production in Pennsylvania from the birth of the industry in the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, sharing his insights into the trade and relating stories passed down to him from his grandfather and father.
Supernatural: The Complete 5th Season
Regrouping after a tumultuous year, brothers Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) continue their quest to rid the world of demons. Has darkness gone underground for good, or will the brothers require more help from beyond to keep evil at bay?
Temple Grandin
From HBO, Emmy winner Claire Danes stars as Temple Grandin, a brilliant young woman coping with the stigma of autism at a time when it was misunderstood. With the support of her loving family, Temple dedicates herself to learning and becomes a famed animal behaviorist. Her passion for animals gives her a unique ability to understand them, and she fulfills her love of education by teaching about autism and the most humane ways to treat both livestock and pets. Not Rated
The Valley that Changed the World
Documentary on the birth of the oil industry in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Film was produced to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Edwin Drake’s discovery of oil on August 27, 1859.
You Don’t Know Jack: The Life and Deaths of Jack Kavorkian
Al Pacino stars in this enthralling, Emmy-winning HBO biopic that focuses on the life of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the controversial physician who boldly advocated the legalization of euthanasia and personally helped over 100 terminally ill patients commit suicide. Directed by Hollywood veteran Barry Levinson, this drama co-stars Susan Sarandon as vocal activist Janet Good and John Goodman as Kevorkian’s trusted friend and supporter Neal Nicol. Rated TV-14
New Releases on DVD – October 2010
Agora
As Christianity gains steam in Roman Egypt toward the end of the fourth century A.D., a young slave (Max Minghella) weighs his desire for freedom against his growing love for his mistress (Rachel Weisz), an atheist as well as a professor of philosophy. Alejandro Amenábar (The Others) directs this epic drama based on the life of Hypatia of Alexandria, a noted Greek scholar and mathematician. Rupert Evans co-stars. Rated R
Arn: The Knight Templar
Based on Jan Guillou’s Crusades trilogy about Swedish Knight Templar Arn Magnusson (Joakim Nätterqvist), this adventure saga follows the son of nobility from his monastic education to his return to the family to help fight for the crown of Sweden. That mission is interrupted, however, when Arn impregnates his lover and is sent to the Holy Land, where as penance he must become a warrior for Christ in the battles of the Crusades. Rated R
Babies
Documentary filmmaker Thomas Balmes charts the simultaneous early development of four babies from different parts of the world, illustrating what makes human life unique, similar and precious wherever it occurs. Training his camera on newborns Hattie from San Francisco, Ponijao from Namibia, Bayarjargal from Mongolia and Mari from Tokyo, Balmes captures everything from first screaming breaths to first steps. Rated PG
The Back-up Plan
When Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) tires of looking for Mr. Right, she decides to have a baby on her own. But on the day she’s artificially inseminated, she meets Stan (Alex O’Loughlin), who seems to be just who she’s been searching for all her life. Now, Zoe has to figure out how to make her two life’s dreams fit with each other. Alan Poul directs this hilarious, heartfelt tale of confusion, confession and romantic slapstick. Rated PG-13
City Island
When he recognizes his son, Tony (Steven Strait), whom he hasn’t seen in more than 20 years, among a crop of new inmates in the jail where he works, Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia) decides to bring the troubled young man home with him, much to the surprise of his wife and kids. Writer-director Raymond De Felitta helms by this offbeat comedy that also stars Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer, Dominik Garcia-Lorido and Alan Arkin. Rated PG-13
The City of Your Final Destination
After duping school officials into awarding him a grant to write a biography on novelist Jules Gund, grad student Omar Razaghi (Omar Metwally) must travel to Uruguay to get legitimate authorization from the late author’s three executors. James Ivory (A Room with a View) directs this moving adaptation of author Peter Cameron’s novel of the same name. Anthony Hopkins, Laura Linney and Charlotte Gainsbourg also star. Rated PG-13
Furry Vengeance
When real estate developer Dan Sanders (Brendan Fraser) finalizes plans to level a swath of pristine Oregon forest to make way for a soulless housing subdivision, a band of woodland creatures rises up to throw a monkey wrench into the greedy scheme. Just how much mischief from the furry critters can the businessman take before he calls it quits? Roger Kumble directs this family-friendly, madcap comedy. Rated PG
Get Him to the Greek
Ambitious young record company intern Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) will let nothing get in the way of his planned rise to the top in the music business — not even the unruly rock star (Russell Brand) he must escort to Los Angeles for the start of his anniversary concert. Doing whatever it takes to get the rocker from Point A to Point B, Aaron encounters all manners of mishaps in this comedy directed by Nicholas Stoller and produced by Judd Apatow. Rated R
Good
Professor John Halder (Viggo Mortensen) has a lot on his plate — a neurotic wife, two small children and a mother suffering from dementia — in this drama set in World War II Germany. But his life changes after he writes a book promoting compassionate euthanasia. When the Nazi party embraces his ideas, Halder faces a series of subtle ethical choices that gradually compromise his morality and his relationships. Rated R
Harry Brown
When a crew of drug-dealing gang members takes the life of his only friend, Leonard (David Bradley), retired Marine and widower Harry Brown (Michael Caine) decides to take the law into his own hands — but his old-school training might be overmatched. Helmed by first-time feature director Daniel Barber, this gritty vigilante thriller set in England also stars Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen, Jack O’Connell, Ben Drew, Joseph Gilgun and Liam Cunningham. Rated R
Iron Man 2
Wealthy inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) — aka Iron Man — resists calls by the American government to hand over his technology. Meanwhile, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) has constructed his own miniaturized arc reactor, causing all kinds of problems for our superhero. Sam Rockwell, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson co-star in director Jon Favreau’s sequel based on Marvel comic book characters. Rated PG-13
Jackie Chan: Kung Fu Master
Kung fu master Jackie Chan stars as himself in this feel-good story about a 15-year-old Chinese martial arts student (Yishan Zhang) who seeks out the world-famous movie star for fighting lessons. But tracking down Chan proves to be the challenge of a lifetime. In the process of looking for Jackie, he finds far more shenanigans than he expected! This comic actioner also includes cameos from Bing Bai, Jing-wei Tu and Di Yao. Rated PG
Jonah Hex
Enlisted by a Union soldier (Will Arnett), scarred bounty hunter Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) scours the Wild West in pursuit of Turnbull (John Malkovich), a crazed voodoo master with a scheme to assemble a devastating weapon that will destroy the government and lift the Confederacy. Based on the cult DC Comics hero, this action Western co-stars Michael Shannon as strange circus impresario Doc Cross Williams and Megan Fox as beautiful gunslinger Lilah. Rated PG-13
Just Wright
Good-hearted physical therapist Leslie Wright (Queen Latifah) is looking for romance but keeps finding duds until she meets professional basketball player Scott McKnight (Common). When Scott suffers a major injury, it’s up to Leslie to save his career. Leslie and Scott become close as they work together, but Leslie’s beautiful, gold-digging childhood chum — who is also Scott’s estranged girlfriend — threatens their relationship. Rated PG
The Karate Kid
After moving to Beijing with his mother, Dre (Jaden Smith) falls prey to a bully, so he takes lessons from martial arts master Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) in this remake of The Karate Kid. While Mr. Han teaches Dre to defend himself, he also imparts some important life lessons. Meanwhile, Dre struggles with the unfamiliar language and cultural barriers he encounters in his new country. Taraji P. Henson co-stars. Rated PG
The Killer Inside Me
West Texas Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford (Casey Affleck) is harboring a deep dark secret — while the small town’s residents think him a bit dim, Lou is actually affected by a “sickness” that turns the mild-mannered peace officer into a brutal, psychotic killer. Set in the 1950s, Michael Winterbottom’s adaptation of Jim Thompson’s classic noir novel co-stars Kate Hudson as Lou’s innocent girlfriend and Jessica Alba as Joyce, a local prostitute. Rated R
Killers
When an elite assassin (Ashton Kutcher) marries a beautiful computer whiz (Katherine Heigl) after a whirlwind romance, he gives up the gun and settles down with his new bride. That is, until he learns that someone from his past has put a contract out on his life. Now, the couple must go on the run if they hope to survive and settle the score once and for all. This action comedy from director Robert Luketic co-stars Tom Selleck and Catherine O’Hara. Rated PG-13
Letters to God
Faith and hope are the twin engines that power this uplifting, bittersweet tale based on the true story of Tyler Doherty (Tanner Maguire), an 8-year-old boy who battles brain cancer and turns to God as his own private pen pal. Tyler writes and mails his missives daily, and his steadfast undertaking not only moves his family and friends, but it also alters the life of despairing postman, Brady (Jeffrey Johnson), who opens the boy’s letters. Rated PG
Letters to Juliet
By responding to a letter addressed to Shakespeare’s tragic heroine Juliet Capulet, a young American woman (Amanda Seyfried) vacationing in Verona, Italy, sets in motion a series of events that leads her — and the missive’s lovelorn author (Vanessa Redgrave) — in search of romance. Directed by Gary Winick, this deeply tender and uplifting drama also features Gael García Bernal and Franco Nero. Rated PG
MacGruber
Based on the “Saturday Night Live” sketch, this action-packed comedy stars Will Forte as incompetent former special ops agent MacGruber. When he’s called back into action to deactivate archenemy Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer), MacGruber is on the case. Now, he must thwart Von Cunth’s plans to destroy Washington, D.C., with a nuclear warhead. Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Maya Rudolph and Powers Boothe co-star. Rated R
The Mother
A murder rocks a South Korean town and suspicion quickly falls on a reclusive, mentally challenged — and alibi-free — young man (Bin Won). When an inept public defender botches the boy’s case, his mother (Hye-ja Kim) sets out to prove her son’s innocence. Acclaimed director Joon-ho Bong (Memories of Murder) explores the lengths a mother will go to protect her child in this atmospheric crime thriller. Korean dialogue, English subtitles. Rated R
Ondine
An Irish fisherman (Colin Farrell) hauls in an unexpected catch when a mysterious girl (Alicja Bachleda) gets tangled in his nets and soon affects the lives of everyone around her in this fantastical seaside tale from director Neil Jordan (Interview with the Vampire). Is it possible this beautiful stranger is a mythical sea nymph who’s been summoned from the ocean’s depths … or is she something far more common? Rated PG-13
Prince of Persia
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Prince Dastan, who pairs with spunky Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) to keep the Sands of Time — a mystical dagger that gives its holder control over the flow of time — from falling into the wrong hands and putting the world in peril. Mike Newell directs this sweeping live-action adventure based on the popular video game series, co-starring Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina. Rated PG-13
Robin Hood
Russell Crowe stars as Robin Longstride in director Ridley Scott’s big-budget twist on the celebrated legend. When soldier Robin happens upon the dying Robert of Loxley, he promises to return the man’s sword to his family in Nottingham. There, he assumes Robert’s identity; romances his widow, Marion (Cate Blanchett); and draws the ire of the town’s sheriff (Matthew Macfadyen) and King John’s henchman, Godfrey (Mark Strong). Rated PG-13
Sex and the City 2
Set two years after the wedding that almost wasn’t, this sequel finds gal pals Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) embarking on a much-needed vacation to exotic Abu Dhabi. They’re still the same soul mates despite responsibilities of motherhood and marriage, but a new romance for Samantha and a little thing called Aidan, Carrie’s ex, keep things interesting. Rated R
Small Town Saturday Night
One decision ripples across the lives of his neighbors when aspiring country singer Rhett (Chris Pine) must choose between pursuing a career in Nashville and remaining in his small hometown to be with his sweetheart, Samantha (Bre Blair). Meanwhile, local cop Tommy (Shawn Christian) keeps tabs on troublemaker Donny (John Hawkes) as all their lives intertwine in unexpected and irrevocable ways. Ryan Craig directs this ensemble drama. Rated R
Solitary Man
Michael Douglas stars as a former car dealership owner who sees his personal and professional lives take a nosedive when the repercussions of years of shady business dealings and chronic womanizing finally catch up with him. Susan Sarandon, Mary-Louise Parker, Danny DeVito and Jenna Fischer co-star in this comedic drama written and co-directed by Brian Koppelman. Rated R
That Evening Sun
Frustrated with being confined to a nursing facility, Abner Meecham (Hal Holbrook) breaks out and walks all the way back to his farm. When he realizes his biggest enemy (Ray McKinnon) now lives in his house, Abner devises a plan to reclaim what rightfully belongs to him. Based on William Gay’s short story, this Southern drama co-stars Walton Goggins as Abner’s son, Paul, and Holbrook’s real-life wife, Dixie Carter, as Abner’s spouse, Ellen. Rated PG-13
Why Did I Get Married Too?
An annual Caribbean retreat turns into a week of life-altering revelations when four couples bust their relationships wide open in filmmaker Tyler Perry’s take on modern love, devotion, unfaithfulness and forgiveness. Angela (Tasha Smith) can’t trust sportscaster Marcus (Michael Jai White) anymore, Sheila’s (Jill Scott) ex (Richard T. Jones) toys with her new marriage and more. Janet Jackson, Malik Yoba, Lamman Rucker and Sharon Leal also star. Rated PG-13
Winter’s Bone
In this noir drama set deep in Ozark territory, resilient teenager Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) goes on the trail of her missing drug-dealing father when his absence jeopardizes the safety of their family. The deadbeat dad has a critical court date pending, and Ree is determined that he make it — despite the objections of the insular Dolly clan. Director Debra Granik’s unflinching drama won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Rated R
New DVDs: TV Series, Nonfiction and Feature Length Films – August and September 2010
The Agatha Christie Hour: Set 1
Tales of romance and danger in the glittering 1920s and ’30s. In these stories, lesser-known Christie heroes and heroines solve crimes of the heart as well as puzzling cases of larceny and murder. With just the right mix of danger and deception, romance and revenge, innocence and intrigue, these classic adaptations are Christie at her best, now on DVD for the first time. Not Rated
All About Eve
Writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s story about New York City theater life, with Bette Davis playing an aging Broadway diva who employs a starstruck fan (Anne Baxter) as her assistant, only to learn the woman is a conniving upstart. The classic film won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Mankiewicz), Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (George Sanders). (1950) Not Rated
Le Amiche
A female fashion designer (Eleonora Rossi Drago) who’s looking for a change of pace trades her apartment in Rome for a hotel in northern Italy, where she starts a new life as an employee in a Turin boutique. But will her fresh start be tainted by tragedy? Michelangelo Antonioni directs this classic melodrama based on an article by Cesare Pavese about the changing roles of Italian women. Italian dialogue, English subtitles. (1955) Not Rated
Botswana: In the Footsteps of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency with Alexander McCall Smith
Join the author as he travels to the heart of Botswana, inspiration and location for his mystery series.
Breaking Bad: The Complete First Season
Diagnosed with cancer and given only two years left to live, high school chemistry teacher Walter (Bryan Cranston) attempts to secure his family’s financial future by teaming up with his former student, Jesse (Aaron Paul), to produce and distribute the illegal drug meth. As Walter slowly builds his empire, his wife, Skyler (Anna Gunn), grows suspicious of his erratic behavior, and the DEA starts searching for the area’s new drug kingpin. Not Rated
Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season
Chemistry teacher-turned-meth dealer Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and his partner, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), climb higher in the drug game, which draws dangerous attention from competing cartels and imperils Walter’s DEA brother-in-law, Hank (Dean Norris). The sophomore season of this addictive drama also welcomes Bob Odenkirk to the cast as the unexpectedly sharp consigliere Saul Goodman. Not Rated
Brothers and Sisters: The Complete Third Season
Tireless matriarch Nora Walker (Sally Field) leads her affluent progeny through more triumphs, tragedies and surprises in this classy ABC soap opera. A whole new round of professional and personal dramas unfold for Justin (Dave Annable), Kitty (Calista Flockhart), Tommy (Balthazar Getty), Sarah (Rachel Griffiths), Julia (Sarah Jane Morris), Rebecca (Emily VanCamp) and Saul (Ron Rifkin). Not Rated
The Closer: The Complete Fourth Season
The Closer: The Complete Fifth Season
Georgia detective Brenda Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) transfers to the Los Angeles Police Department to head up the Major Crimes Division, where her Southern charm and well-honed interrogation skills help her elicit confessions from even the toughest criminals.
The Crucifer of Blood
Adapted from the Arthur Conan Doyle story The Sign of the Four. It depicts the character Irene St. Claire (Susannah Harker) hiring the detective Sherlock Holmes (Charleton Heston) to investigate the travails that her father and his three compatriots suffered over a pact made over a cursed treasure chest in colonial India during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. (1991) Not Rated
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Seventh Season
The popular HBO sitcom returns for another round of neurotic fun in Season 7. Co-starring Jeff Garlin as Larry’s long-suffering friend and manager Jeff, the series follows the fictionalized adventures of the Seinfeld co-creator, who manages to screw up absolutely every situation he encounters. Rated TV-MA
Dexter: The Fourth Season
Miami forensics specialist Dexter Morgan (Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall) has been so successful at keeping his secret life as a serial killer under wraps that no one — not even his newly minted wife, Rita (Julie Benz) — knows about his extracurricular activities. Dexter continues to count on the fact that nobody suspects him of murder. And then he commits it with reckless abandon. John Lithgow joins the fourth season in a Golden Globe-winning role. Not Rated
Doc Martin: Series Four
Harried and uncouth as ever, Dr. Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) continues to practice his personal brand of medicine on the eccentric residents of Portwenn, England, in Season 4 of the popular BBC comedy-drama series. After breaking his engagement to the village headmistress (Caroline Catz), the doctor hopes to trade the countryside for London, but multiple obstacles stand in his way — including some dire news from his ex-fiancée. Not Rated
Entourage: The Complete Fourth Season
Having fired his hard-charging agent (Jeremy Piven), it’s anyone’s guess what career choices up-and-coming actor Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) will make on the advice of his three buddies in the fourth season of this popular HBO comedy. Surrounded by his posse — Eric (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and half-brother Johnny (Kevin Dillon) — Vince continues to navigate the shark-infested waters of Tinseltown. (2007)
Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season
HBO’s hit comedy is back for a fifth season, with movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) steering his considerable posse through Tinseltown — a group that includes his brother, his friends from back home, his representatives and a cadre of beautiful women. (2008)
Entourage: The Complete Sixth Season
After a disastrous year capped off by the Smoke Jumpers debacle, Vince (Adrian Grenier) is poised to make a comeback — beginning with a starring role in Martin Scorsese’s next picture. Meanwhile, Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) might finally be getting lucky in love. Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon and Jeremy Piven co-star in the sixth season of this Golden Globe-winning comedy series about the unpredictability of the entertainment industry.
Everwood: The Complete Third Season
This season, love is in the clear mountain air of Everwood. Back from a troubled summer at Juilliard, Ephram commits himself to his music and to Amy. Andy wanted Everwood to be his family’s home. Now it may be just another place they used to live.(2004)
Gentleman’s Agreement
Enterprising reporter Phil Green (Gregory Peck), eager to blow the lid off anti-Semitism, accepts an assignment to pen a series of frank exposés for a progressive magazine. Looking for a new angle, Green poses as a Jew and soon endures the full spectrum of bigotry — from being denied a job and use of public facilities to his son suffering a beating. Little by little, the journalist comes to understand the cruel effects of prejudice. (1947)
George Gently: Series One
George Gently: Series Two
After the hit-and-run murder of his wife, London police officer George (Martin Shaw) moves to England’s North Country to find the killer. Feared by criminals and corrupt cops, George works closely with his partner, John (Lee Ingleby), to stop lawbreakers of all types. Set in 1960s Britain, this drama is based on Alan Hunter’s novels and features guest stars such as Richard Armitage, Phillip Davis and John Kavanagh.
Georgia O’Keeffe
Joan Allen stars as 20th-century painter Georgia O’Keeffe in this Golden Globe-nominated biopic that follows the artist’s tempestuous relationship with her lover and eventual husband, Alfred Steiglitz (Jeremy Irons), a New York photographer and art promoter. Though their marriage weathers long absences and extramarital affairs, O’Keeffe prefers solitude in New Mexico, where she creates her greatest work. Bob Balaban directs. Not Rated
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
Emmy Award winner Tom Selleck returns to the role of Jesse Stone, the troubled police chief of Paradise, Mass., in this third chapter of the crime-mystery series based on Robert B. Parker’s best-selling novels. As Stone obsesses on solving the murder of a teenage girl found floating in a local lake, he also works a deadly domestic violence case and faces a run-in with Boston mobsters that may lead to grave consequences. (2006) Not Rated
Jesse Stone: Night Passage
After being cut loose from the LAPD for heavy drinking, Jesse Stone (Tom Selleck) is hired as police chief of Paradise, Mass., an idyllic seaside town. But it doesn’t take long for Stone to uncover the dark side of Paradise. After launching an investigation into a routine domestic abuse complaint, Stone unearths the town’s disturbing and violent secrets. This made-for-television movie is based on the writings of Robert B. Parker. (2006) Not Rated
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Tom Selleck takes a sixth turn as small-town Massachusetts police chief Jesse Stone, who combats crime as well as personal issues in the movie series based on the best-selling novels by Robert B. Parker. After he’s suspended from his job, Stone travels to Boston at the request of his friend Capt. Healey (Stephen McHattie) — the state homicide commander — to help solve a string of murders plaguing the city. Not Rated
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
Tom Selleck returns in an Emmy-nominated performance as Jesse Stone, a recovering alcoholic and chief of police in sleepy Paradise, Mass. In this installment, Stone’s investigation into a years-old rape case is stonewalled as the town tries to keep the incident quiet to minimize the effect on tourism. Mika Boorem, Kathy Baker, William Devane and William Sadler co-star in this adaptation of the novel by Robert B. Parker. (2007 Not Rated
Jesse Stone: Stone Cold
Adapted from a novel by Robert B. Parker, this made-for-TV drama stars Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone, a jaded Los Angeles detective who takes a job as the police chief of a quiet coastal town in Massachusetts. The hard-drinking Stone maintains a low profile, but when a corpse washes ashore and multiple assailants rape a high school student, the former big-city cop goes into action. Among the supporting cast are Mimi Rogers, Viola Davis and Stephen McHattie. (2005) Rated R
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
Tom Selleck returns as Jesse Stone, police chief of sleepy Paradise, Mass., who lands in hot water with the town council when he gets tangled up in a shootout in Boston, during which a state police commander takes a bullet. Stone continues to push the council’s buttons — and risks his job — by firing a favored Paradise city employee and taking on a controversial missing-persons case. Kathy Baker and Camryn Manheim co-star. (2009) Not Rated
The Jewel in the Crown
The passionate, turbulent and controversial love affair between a British-raised Indian man and an Englishwoman during the waning years of the British Raj is portrayed in this Masterpiece Theatre miniseries based on Paul Scott’s novel The Raj Quartet. Spanning 14 episodes shot in exotic locales in India and England, this exquisite human epic received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series and a Golden Globe for Best Miniseries. (1984)
The Last Enemy
When his brother Michael dies, researcher Stephen Ezard (Benedict Cumberbatch) returns to England after years abroad. Searching for answers about Michael’s death, Ezard realizes that his homeland has transformed into a surveillance state. To complicate matters, Stephen falls for Michael’s enigmatic widow, Yasmin (Anamaria Marinca). Robert Carlyle co-stars in this gripping British miniseries set in the near future. Not rated (2008)
Lost: The Complete Sixth Season
The final season of this drama brings the series to a smashing climax that reveals the fate of the survivors of Oceanic’s flight 815, including Jack (Matthew Fox, in his first Emmy-nominated role) and the others who escaped the island once, only to return. But as Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Sawyer (Josh Holloway), Locke (Terry O’Quinn), Ben (Michael Emerson) and the rest play out their destinies, the island may yet refuse to yield all of its secrets. Rated TV-14
Maggie Smith at the BBC
This three-disc set celebrates four of Dame Maggie Smith’s leading roles for the BBC. The collection begins with two 1972 Plays of the Month, The Merchant of Venice and The Millionairess. . In Alan Bennett’s quietly devastating Bed Among the Lentils, Smith portrays Susan, a deeply disillusioned vicar’s wife, and in Sir Richard Eyre’s intimate 1993 adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s Suddenly, Last Summer, she takes on Mrs. Venable, a grief-stricken mother. Rob Lowe, Richard E. Grant, and especially Natasha Richardson, as Venable’s niece Catherine, contribute strong work to this Great Performances production.
Marple: Series 5
Julia McKenzie returns for another season as Miss Marple, author Agatha Christie’s beloved amateur detective whose advanced age belies the cunning powers of observation and deduction that help her identify even the wiliest killers. This season, Miss Marple investigates the poisoning of a woman at a Hollywood party; the shooting of an Austrian nobleman at a posh English estate; and the curious case of a woman frightened to death by her wallpaper. Not Rated
McLeod’s Daughters: The Complete Eighth Season
The eighth and final season of this popular Australian television drama finds the daughters McLeod struggling to keep the family homestead afloat at Drovers Run amid an ever-changing climate of tragedy and uncertainty. As the action unfolds, Riley (Dustin Clare) is still missing in the aftermath of the Christmas accident, although Grace (Abi Tucker), Patrick (Luke Jacobz) and Tayler (Gillian Alexy) have miraculously survived.
Misery
Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) rescues her idol, romance novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan), after he crashes his car during a fierce blizzard. But when she finds out he plans to kill off the heroine in his next volume, Annie morphs from nurturing caregiver to sadistic jailer. In this tightly wound, suspenseful adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, Bates earns her Best Actress Oscar as a woman come undone in a claustrophobia-inducing house of horrors. Rated R (1990)
The Moonlight Mile
Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman co-star as the grieving mother and father of a recently deceased girl who take in their daughter’s fiancé (Jake Gyllenhaal) because he’s the only living connection they have to their only child. Problems arise when the young man falls in love with a woman (Ellen Pompeo) whose boyfriend has gone missing, prompting his former in-laws-to-be to come to grips with the new relationship. (2002) Rated PG-13
The Murdoch Mysteries: Season 2
Progressive inspector William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) investigates unusual crimes in Victorian-era Toronto in the second season of this suspenseful series. Accompanied by his stalwart partner (Jonny Harris), Murdoch uses new scientific tools to solve mysteries. Also aided by talented pathologist Dr. Ogden (Helene Joy), Murdoch works cases involving Buffalo Bill Cody, a possible Jack the Ripper suspect, Harry Houdini, werewolves and a dinosaur.
Project Runway: The Complete Seventh Season
The design competition is fierce — and uncommonly fashionable — as the seventh season of this hit reality series unfolds, bringing the action back to New York City after a season away in sunny Los Angeles. The first challenge asks the designers to craft a look that truly represents them as a designer. Later on, they design their own printed fabric and create haute couture for the hottest, young models: children.
Raffles: The Complete Collection
A dashing aristocrat turns criminal in this classic British drama. Meet A.J. Raffles (Anthony Valentine), a gentleman of leisure and a first-class cricketer. But when he’s not dining at his club or taking wickets for England, he’s often engaged in his other favorite activity–relieving the wealthy of their riches. A master of accents and disguise, Raffles is assisted by his old school chum “Bunny” Manders (Christopher Strauli). Always eager but often bewildered, Bunny follows his friend into the most complex of predicaments and deadliest of situations, likely as not pursued by the dogged Inspector Mackenzie (Victor Carin) of Scotland Yard. In each episode, the roguish Raffles and his intrepid companion set out to plunder the wealth of the aristocracy, stay out of the reach of the law, and revel in the thrill of the game.(1977) Not Rated
Rough Crossings
Tells the story of the struggle for freedom by thousands of African-American ex-slaves who fled Southern plantations to fight behind British lines in the American War of Independence. Follows their dream of a journey to freedom in bone-chilling Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone. Features the stories of Englishman John Clarkson, a passionate advocate of the abolition of slavery, and two African men, Thomas Peters and David George, who escaped slavery in a quest for freedom. Cast: Joseph Marcell, Stephen Campbell Moore, Leo Wringer. Not Rated (2007)
St. John in Exile
Dean Jones is mesmerizing in his portrayal of the apostle John at a pivotal point in history. It’s 96 A.D., and scores of Christians have been massacred all over the Roman Empire. John is the last living disciple of Jesus, but he’s an 86-year-old man who’s been forced to spend his remaining days imprisoned in a cave on Patmos. Despite this fact, he refuses to give up and subsequently changes the future path of humankind. (1988) Not Rated
Shall We Dance?
During his daily commute, likable but dejected Tokyo office worker Shohei (Koji Yakusho) sees a stunning woman in a dance studio. Taken with her, he enrolls in ballroom dance lessons at the studio, even though he risks losing face by taking part in what his society considers an improper activity for a man. Shohei quickly realizes, however, that he has a gift for dance and loves participating in it, much to the alarm of his wife and daughter. Japanese dialogue, English Subtitles. Rated PG (1995)
Shout
Set against the backdrop of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, Shout stars John Travolta (Saturday Night Fever) in this coming-of-age musical. Jesse Tucker’s (James Walters) rebellious ways eventually land him in the Benedict Home for Boys in a sleepy Texas town in the ’50s. But when Jack Cabe (Travolta) breezes in as the new music teacher, he introduces Jesse and the boys to the fresh and dangerous new sounds of rock ‘n’ roll. Cabe encourages Jesse to redirect his emotions into music, and to trust his love for Sara (Heather Graham), the beautiful young daughter of the repressive headmaster (Richard Jordan).
Small Island
When Hortense (Naomie Harris) leaves her native island of Jamaica and lands in 1948 London, she dreams of making a better life for herself and expanding her social opportunities. Instead, she’s confronted with racism and life’s harsh realities. One of the harshest is her marriage of convenience to a man (David Oyelowo) she doesn’t love. John Alexander directs this Masterpeice Theatre televised adaptation of Andrea Levy’s award-winning novel. Not Rated (2009)
Spring 1941
After Germany invades Poland and the Nazis order the confinement of all local Jews in the ghetto, medical doctor Artur Planck (Joseph Fiennes) manages to flee with his family, seeking refuge at the farm of Emilia (Kelly Harrison), their former grocer. With the Planck family hiding in her attic, Emilia finds her feelings for the physician growing stronger than she wants, or can control — despite the dangers of the situation. Rated R
Sunrise
A tender story of betrayal and redemption when a farmer intends to drown his wife, so he can be with a seductive city woman. Cast: George O’Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston. (1927) Not Rated
Surviving Picasso
Academy Awardwinner Anthony Hopkins gives a full-throttle performance as the acclaimed artist in this masterful movie told from the viewpoint of Picasso’s longtime mistress (Natascha McElhone) and mother of his children Claude and Paloma. Rated R
That Darn Cat!
After a bank teller is kidnapped during a robbery, she manages to slip her wristwatch around a stray cat’s neck, hoping that the enterprising feline will lead rescuers to her location in this Disney family classic. Fortunately, the cat wanders into the home of Patti Randall (Hayley Mills), who recognizes the watch’s significance and pushes the FBI — headed by an allergic agent (Dean Jones) — into action. Rated G (1965)
Ugly Betty: The Complete Third Season
America Ferrera stars as Betty Suarez, a humble, plain but very determined 20-something whose quick wit and fearless attitude have helped her rise through the ranks of influential high-fashion rag Mode. In the fourth and final season of this Emmy-winning sitcom, Betty dives back into the treacherous waters of interoffice politics and fashion-world backstabbing, guided by her conviction that virtue can prevail over vanity. Not rated
Victor Borge: 100 Years of Music and Laughter
This unparalleled collection of Victor Borge’s funniest and most memorable skits contains such classic comedy bits as the timeless “Phonetic Punctuation,” “Inflationary Language,” “Autumn Leaves” with Robert Merrill, “The Opera Singer” with Marylyn Mulvey and more. Rare archival footage from the Borge family vault enhances this memorable retrospective. Rita Rudner narrates.
When You’re Strange: A Film about the Doors
Composed entirely of original footage from 1966-71, Tom DiCillo’s documentary about the Doors filters truth from myth, reveals new insight into Jim Morrison and his bandmates, and captures the essence of the iconic rock group and the era. DiCillo’s film pays tribute to the Doors and their music and to a generation’s struggle for individuality and authenticity during an unstable and transformative epoch in America. (2009) Rated R
Wind at My Back: The Complete First Season
Kevin Sullivan and Trudy Grant — creators of the acclaimed television miniseries “Anne of Green Gables” — deliver another family-centered period drama, this time set in the 1930s. In the show’s 13-episode first season, Honey Bailey (Cynthia Belliveau) struggles to keep her family together during the Great Depression, and her two sons (Dylan Provencher and Tyrone Savage) use their creativity to get her a birthday gift. (1996)
Wycliffe: Series Three
Along England’s picturesque Cornish coast, perceptive Det. Supt. Charles Wycliffe (Jack Shepherd) continues to collaborate with his trusted colleagues Kersey (Jimmy Yuill) and Lane (Helen Masters) in order to solve the surrounding region’s mysterious murder cases. Series 3 of this British police program finds Wycliffe’s team investigating treasure hunters, insurance swindlers and other clever criminals. Not Rated
New Mysteries – Summer 2010
New Releases on DVD – August 2010
Across The Hall
Armed and ready to kill his fiancé’s (Brittany Murphy) mysterious lover in the hotel room across the hall, Terry (Danny Pino) nervously phones his best friend, Julian (Mike Vogel), who offers comfort and guidance while calmly trying to conceal the fact that he’s the man Terry’s after. Director Alex Merkin based this gripping noir thriller, which explores the dangerous intersection of love, sex and friendship, on his own 2005 short film. Rated R
Adam Resurrected
Decades after he survived the Holocaust by becoming a pet “dog” to a brutal concentration camp commandant (Willem Dafoe), Jewish circus entertainer Adam Stein (Jeff Goldblum) finds himself confined to an Israeli mental institution. But when he encounters a feral young boy being held like a dog in the hospital’s basement, Stein discovers a new opportunity to reclaim his humanity. Paul Schrader directs this biting drama. Rated R
Bounty Hunter
Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler) is a bounty hunter whose latest gig is rather satisfying, as he finds out that the bail-skipper he must chase down is his own ex-wife, Nicole (Jennifer Aniston) — but she has no intention of getting nabbed without a fight. Complicating matters, Nicole’s wannabe-boyfriend, Stewart (Jason Sudeikis), joins the chase in this high-octane comedy from director Andy Tennant (Hitch). Rated PG-13
Brooklyn’s Finest
Antoine Fuqua directs this tense drama about three wildly different New York cops whose paths collide in a Brooklyn housing project, where each must make a decision that will change the course of their lives forever. Cynical, washed-up Eddie (Richard Gere) no longer cares about the job or the rules; cash-strapped Sal (Ethan Hawke) sees a shortcut to solvency; and Tango (Don Cheadle) is torn between conflicting loyalties. Ellen Barkin co-stars. Rated R
Chloe
Suspecting her husband, David (Liam Neeson), of infidelity, doctor Catherine (Julianne Moore) hires sexy escort Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to seduce him and test his faithfulness. But as Catherine checks in on Chloe’s encounters with David, Chloe’s reports become increasingly lurid. Soon, the relationships between all three intensify in unexpected ways. Renowned filmmaker Atom Egoyan directs this psychological drama. Rated R
The Clash of the Titans
If he is to save the life of the beautiful Princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos), the valiant Perseus (Sam Worthington) — born to a god but raised as a man — must lead a team of intrepid warriors on a quest to battle a host of powerful, beastly enemies. This sweeping fantasy epic, a remake of the 1981 hit, also stars Liam Neeson as Zeus, Ralph Fiennes as Hades, Danny Huston as Poseidon and Gemma Arterton as Io. Rated PG-13
Cop Out
Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis) and off-kilter Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan) are two suspended cops trying to track down a stolen and very valuable 1950s baseball card. Along the way, they encounter a Mexican beauty and countless other characters and get entangled with the mob. Kevin Smith (Clerks) directs this comedic action flick co-starring Adam Brody, Jason Lee, Michelle Trachtenberg, Kevin Pollak and Seann William Scott. Rated R
The Crazies
When a plane crashes in a small town, a secret biological weapon is released. As the toxic substance infiltrates the local water system, some residents become gravely ill, while others descend into homicidal madness. Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) attempts to set things straight, but soon the military becomes involved in containing the killer virus. Breck Eisner directs this chilling remake of George A. Romero’s 1973 horror classic. Rated R
Creation
Paul Bettany stars as Charles Darwin in this BBC biographical drama that captures the legendary scientist in a period of intense mourning — and expansive intellectual discovery — following the untimely death of his young daughter, Annie. As Darwin dares to question the existence of God, he pens his groundbreaking tome, On the Origin of Species — much to the chagrin of his religious wife, Emma (Jennifer Connelly). Rated PG-13
Date Night
Who knew simple dinner reservations under a different name could turn one New Jersey couple’s date night so terribly upside-down? Claire (Tina Fey) and Phil (Steve Carell) Foster leave their kids with the sitter (Leighton Meester) and head out for a night on the town — as the Tripplehorns. Mark Wahlberg and James Franco co-star. Rated PG-13
Death at a Funeral
Put-upon Aaron (Chris Rock) is always plagued by drama and dysfunction, but he encounters more than he can handle while attempting to plan his father’s funeral. What’s a family gathering without jealousy, tension and blackmail? Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, James Marsden, Luke Wilson, Zoe Saldana, Regina Hall and Columbus Short round out a stellar ensemble cast. Neil LaBute directs. Rated R
The Eclipse
In this supernatural thriller penned and helmed by award-winning Irish playwright Conor McPherson, Ciarán Hinds stars as a recent widower who begins to sense that a mysterious presence is sharing his house. Iben Hjejle and Aidan Quinn co-star as a pair of novelists whose worlds converge with that of the widower thanks to an international literary festival in Wexford that brings surprising changes to all their lives. Rated R
The Ghost Writer
A writer (Ewan McGregor) stumbles upon a long-hidden secret when he agrees to help former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) complete his memoirs on a remote island after the politician’s assistant drowns in a mysterious accident. In director Roman Polanski’s tense drama, the author realizes that his discovery threatens some very powerful people who will do anything to ensure that certain episodes from Lang’s past remain buried. Rated PG-13
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and rebellious computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) team up to investigate the unsolved disappearance of wealthy Henrik Vanger’s (Sven-Bertil Taube) teen niece (Ewa Fröling), only to uncover dark secrets about Vanger’s powerful family. Niels Arden Oplev directs this Swedish thriller based on the first novel from Stieg Larsson’s best-selling trilogy. Rated R
The Good Guy
Well aware of his own blessings, up-and-coming Wall Street star Tommy Fielding (Scott Porter) decides to mentor one of his co-workers, Daniel (Bryan Greenberg). But his new protégé may prove too apt a pupil in this romantic comedy penned and helmed by Julio DePietro. All is going according to plan until Daniel befriends Tommy’s new girlfriend, Beth (Alexis Bledel) — at which point things go rapidly south for Tommy. Rated R
The Greatest
Allen (Pierce Brosnan) and Grace (Susan Sarandon) Brewer are still mourning the accidental death of their teenage son, Bennett (Aaron Johnson), when the boy’s troubled girlfriend reveals that she is carrying his baby. Now Bennett’s family must release their anger to make room for the new life. Shana Feste writes and directs this moving drama; Carey Mulligan, Michael Shannon, Johnny Simmons and Zoë Kravitz co-star. Rated R
Greenberg
At a crossroads in his life in New York, Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) takes some time to figure things out and travels to Los Angeles, where he house-sits for his brother and forges an unlikely bond with his brother’s assistant, Florence (Greta Gerwig). Acclaimed director Noah Baumbach’s (The Squid and the Whale, Margot at the Wedding) finely observed relationship comedy also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and Rhys Ifans. Rated R
Hot Tub Time Machine
Fueled by energy drinks, vodka and nostalgia for their younger, wilder days, a group of aging best friends travels back in time to 1987, where they get the chance to relive the best year of their lives. And their time machine? Well, it’s a hot tub. John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover and Sebastian Stan co-star in this out-of-the-box comedy that takes time travel to a whole new level. Rated R
The Last Station
Set during the last year of Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy’s life, this biopic explores the fractious relationship between Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) and his wife (Helen Mirren), as he embraces a life of asceticism. Paul Giamatti co-stars as impassioned Tolstoy devotee Vladimir Chertkov, with James McAvoy playing the aging writer’s assistant, Valentin, who is caught in the middle of various struggles. Rated R
Our Family Wedding
Forest Whitaker and funnyman Carlos Mencia butt heads as two domineering dads forced to set aside their culture-clash differences and team up to plan their children’s wedding, with only two weeks until the big day arrives. America Ferrera plays the pregnant bride-to-be opposite Lance Gross as her medical resident fiancé in this wacky comedy from writer-director Rick Famuyiwa (Brown Sugar, The Wood). Rated PG-13
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
After he discovers that he’s the son of the Greek god Poseidon (Kevin McKidd), 12-year-old Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) strikes out on an action-packed adventure to rescue his mortal mother and negotiate a peace treaty between his father, Zeus (Sean Bean), and Hades (Steve Coogan). Chris Columbus directs this fun family tale that also stars Pierce Brosnan, Rosario Dawson and Uma Thurman. Rated PG
The Red Baron
Based on the true story of the notorious World War I flying ace, this drama explores the life of Manfred von Richthofen (Matthias Schweighöfer) — aka the Red Baron — from his childhood fascination with flying to his renowned career in the Luftwaffe. After rescuing Canadian pilot Roy Brown (Joseph Fiennes) and falling for military nurse Käte Otersdorf (Lena Headey), the deadly but honorable von Richthofen begins to question the value of war. Rated PG-13
The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry
The lives of three 12-year-old buddies — sharing a carefree existence in the summer of 1970 — suddenly change when one of them, Dustin (Jansen Panettiere), makes an unexpected friend after cutting the lawn of 75-year-old Jonathan Sperry (Gavin MacLeod). As Jonathan shares lessons in faith with Dustin and his pals (Frankie Ryan Manriquez and Allen Isaacson), a spiritual transformation occurs in this Christian drama helmed by Rich Christiano. Rated PG
She’s Out of My League
When he starts dating drop-dead gorgeous Molly (Alice Eve), insecure airport security agent Kirk (Jay Baruchel) can’t believe it. As his friends and family share their doubts about the relationship lasting, Kirk does everything he can to avoid losing Molly forever. Kyrsten Ritter, Lindsay Sloane, Jasika Nicole and Andrew Daly also star in this charming romantic comedy about unlikely lovers. Jim Field Smith directs. Rated R
A Single Man
This stream-of-consciousness, 1960s-era drama centers on a day in the life of George Falconer (Colin Firth) an English-born, Los Angeles college professor reeling from the recent death of his lover of 16 years. Fashion designer Tom Ford makes his directoral debut with this luminous film, which is based on Christopher Isherwood’s novel. Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Ginnifer Goodwin, Lee Pace and Nicholas Hoult co-star. Rated R
Stolen
Investigating the mystery behind the mummified, half-century-old remains of a young boy found in a box at a construction site gives a detective (Jon Hamm) key clues to his own son’s disappearance eight years prior. Unfolding through flashbacks, this mystery-thriller from director Anders Anderson also stars Josh Lucas, James Van Der Beek, Jessica Chastain, Rhona Mitra, Jimmy Bennett and Beth Grant. Rated R
What Just Happened
A harried film producer (Robert De Niro) juggles a lunatic director, a temperamental actor (Bruce Willis) and an out-of-control production while courting a studio head (Catherine Keener) and dealing with his ex (Robin Wright Penn) in director Barry Levinson’s witty and poignant exploration of the movie business. The all-star comedy is based on veteran Hollywood producer Art Linson’s sharply observed novel. Rated R
New Releases on DVD – June 2010
Alice in Wonderland
A 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) journeys through Underland, where she experiences strange ordeals and encounters peculiar characters, including the vaporous Cheshire Cat (voiced by Stephen Fry), the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and the sadistic Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). Anne Hathaway, Alan Rickman, Matt Lucas and Crispin Glover co-star in director Tim Burton’s bold adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic. Rated PG
Armored
Armored truck guards Mike (Matt Dillon), Baines (Laurence Fishburne) and Quinn (Jean Reno) turn against one another after their plan to steal $10 million from their own company goes seriously haywire. A witness throws a wrench into their seemingly flawless strategy, so each man scrambles to save his own skin — whatever the cost to the other conspirators. Nimród Antal directs and Columbus Short co-stars. Rated PG-13
The Book of Eli
Determined to salvage a sacred text in order to protect humanity, Eli (Denzel Washington) goes on a quest across the country in this action-packed sci-fi adventure. Meanwhile, a blind woman named Claudia (Jennifer Beals) tries to protect her daughter, Solara (Mila Kunis). It seems that tyrannical town bully Carnegie (Gary Oldman) has taken a shine to the girl. Directed by the Hughes brothers, the film co-stars Ray Stevenson. Rated R
The Brothers Bloom
The Brothers Bloom made a name for themselves as the world’s best con men. Now, the younger (Adrien Brody) is ready to retire on the millions the pair has swindled. But when his brother (Mark Ruffalo) lures him into one last job, he reluctantly agrees. What he hasn’t counted on, though, is falling for their mark, an adventure-seeking heiress (Rachel Weisz). Robbie Coltrane and Babel’s Rinko Kikuchi co-star. Rated PG-13
Capitalism: A Love Story
Filmmaker Michael Moore (Sicko, Fahrenheit 9/11) takes on capitalism’s roots, the floundering U.S. economy, and 2008’s global financial meltdown and subsequent bank bailout in this rousing documentary. Combining stories about those who suffer most from Corporate America’s greed and insatiable thirst for profits and the people most responsible for myriad crises, Moore embarks on another shocking fact-finding rampage. Rated R
Daybreakers
Earth’s population is up against a vicious plague that’s transforming everyone into vampires and draining the world of an increasingly precious resource: blood. Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) and “Elvis” Cormac (Willem Dafoe) must decide what happens next. As the human race count nears zero, will vampires feast on the few men and women who remain, or could science hold the key to a less destructive solution? Sam Neill and Claudia Karvan co-star. Rated R
Dear John
While on leave, U.S. soldier John Tyree (Channing Tatum) falls for Southern college student Savannah (Amanda Seyfried), whose ideals and heartfelt principles are at once attractive and unfamiliar. But their love is put on hold when terrorist attacks prompt John to reenlist. Now, handwritten letters hold the lovers together. Lasse Hallstrom directs this modern romance based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks. Rated PG-13
From Paris with Love
While working at the American embassy in Paris, low-level intelligence agent James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) gets involved in espionage when he’s pulled into a terrorist plot by high-ranking but uncouth American operative Charlie Wax (John Travolta), who’s trying to stop it. Pierre Morel directs this fast-paced international thriller. Richard Durden also stars. Rated R
Green Zone
U.S. Defense Intelligence Agent Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear) doesn’t want to hear what Army Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Matt Damon) has to say about not finding the weapons of mass destruction — evidence that could launch a war — he’s been sent to Iraq to unearth. Why the cover-up? Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s exposé Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone inspired this frenetic wartime drama. Rated R
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale
When his master, Parker (Richard Gere), dies, a loyal pooch named Hachiko keeps a regular vigil — for more than a decade — at the train station where he once greeted the man every day in director Lasse Hallström’s touching drama based on a true story. Hachiko’s faithful routine teaches the station’s patrons about true love and commitment. Joan Allen stars as Parker’s wife; Sarah Roemer, Jason Alexander and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa co-star. Rated G
The Maiden Heist
Over the years, museum security guards Roger (Christopher Walken), Charles (Morgan Freeman) and George (William H. Macy) each fall in love with a particular work of art in their care. But now, the new curator is shipping out all three works in an overhaul of the museum’s collection. Desperate to save their favorite pieces, the men hatch a plan to steal them before they can be shipped away. Marcia Gay Harden co-stars. Rated PG-13
The Messenger
An injured U.S. soldier, Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster), is paired up with by-the-book Capt. Tony Stone (Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson) to notify families of killed soldiers — a job that bonds them as they debate different views on serving America. At odds at first, the two find common ground while facing life’s variety of battles. Oren Moverman directs this poignant military tale that co-stars Samantha Morton and Jena Malone. Rated R
Planet 51
When Earth astronaut Capt. Chuck Baker (Dwayne Johnson) arrives on Planet 51 — a world reminiscent of American suburbia circa 1950 — he tries to avoid capture, recover his spaceship and make it home safely, all with the help of an empathetic little green being. Joe Stillman (Shrek) writes and Jorge Blanco directs this animated thrill ride that also features the vocal talents of Jessica Biel and Gary Oldman. Rated PG
Remember Me
Still reeling from a heartbreaking family event and his parents’ subsequent divorce, Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) discovers a fresh lease on life when he meets Ally Craig (Emilie de Ravin), a gregarious beauty who witnessed her mother’s death. But as the couple draws closer, the fallout from their separate tragedies jeopardizes their love. Allen Coulter directs this romantic drama that co-stars Pierce Brosnan, Lena Olin and Chris Cooper. Rated PG-13
The Road
From the ash-covered, post-apocalyptic remains of Appalachia, the Father (Viggo Mortensen) and Son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) take to the road in search of a better life. But the Father’s health is failing, lending urgency to a journey impeded by nomadic bands of cannibals. Charlize Theron co-stars in this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, set in a fictional near future in which the world has been virtually destroyed. Rated R
Shutter Island
World War II soldier-turned-U.S. marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by his own troubling visions and by Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley). Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer and Max von Sydow co-star in director Martin Scorsese’s plot twist-filled psychological thriller set on a Massachusetts island in 1954. Rated R
Unthinkable
When the government gets wind of a plot to destroy America involving a trio of nuclear weapons, locations unknown, it’s up to a seasoned interrogator (Samuel L. Jackson) and an FBI agent (Carrie-Anne Moss) to find out exactly where they are. A suspected terrorist who’s already in custody is their only chance for a timely answer. But what will it take to get him to talk? Michael Sheen, Brandon Routh and Martin Donovan co-star. Rated R
When in Rome
After fishing out coins from a water fountain in Italy, cynical New Yorker Beth Harper (Kristen Bell) finds herself being wooed by several ardent suitors. As she deals with the attention, Beth tries to figure out whether a charming reporter (Josh Duhamel) really loves her. Danny DeVito, Anjelica Huston, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard and Will Arnett also star in this romantic comedy. Mark Steven Johnson directs. Rated PG-13
The Wolfman
Based on the 1941 classic, this werewolf-themed horror film set in Victorian England centers on Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro), an American man who, upon a visit to London, gets bitten by a werewolf. Talbot had come to England to make amends with his estranged father (Anthony Hopkins), but after a moonlight transformation leaves him with a savage hunger for flesh, family harmony is the least of his worries. Rated R
Youth in Revolt
Nick Twisp (Michael Cera), a cynical, sex-deprived teenager living a less-than-satisfactory existence, is pushed by the manifestation of his debonair, rebellious id (also Cera) to bed his dream girl, Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday). Miguel Arteta directs this irreverent, dark comedy based on the popular novel series by C.D. Payne. Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta, Justin Long, Fred Willard, Jean Smart, M. Emmet Walsh and Zach Galifianakis co-star. Rated R
New DVDs: TV Series, Nonfiction and Feature Length Films – June 2010
Affairs of the Heart: Series 2
Rakishness and romance are in the air in this second anthology of stories inspired by the timeless works of American-born British novelist Henry James, a writer who knew the power of a good plot twist fueled by character-driven drama. Eileen Atkins, Derek Jacobi, Sinéad Cusack and other recognizable names co-star in this selection of six hourlong episodes based on Daisy Miller, An International Episode and some of James’s lesser-known tales. (1974) Not Rated
The Big Bang Theory: Season 2
Two socially inept physicists realize how little they know about the real world when a beautiful woman moves into the apartment next door. Sheldon (Jim Parsons, in his first Emmy-nominated role) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) try their best to impress Penny (Kaley Cuoco), who helps teach them about life outside their lab. In the second season of this witty sitcom, the geniuses and their equally awkward pals continue their education about the non-geek population.
The Book of Ruth: Journey of Faith
Tolerance, compassion and faith are the keynotes of this moving Christian drama that illustrates the biblical story of Ruth. After being widowed, Ruth (Sherry Morris) travels to Israel, a land in turmoil, and struggles to create a new life for herself. She marries Boaz (Carman), of the Royal House of Judah, and he leads her to a greater understanding of God’s love. Their son Obed will become King David’s grandfather and a herald for the Messiah. (2009) Not Rated
Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker
In film clips, photos, and interviews, the life of virtuoso saxophonist Charlie Parker is traced from Kansas City to the New York jazz scene of the 1950s.
The Cinder Path
From Masterpiece Theatre, Englishman Charlie McFell (Lloyd Owen) wrestles with his demons — including a coldhearted wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), economic hardship, the horror of the world’s first Great War and a painful secret he’d rather forget. But Charlie eventually comes out on top in this emotional, made-for-television miniseries based on Catherine Cookson’s best-selling novel. (1995) Not Rated
Collision
In the wake of a six-car crash that leaves two people dead, Detective Inspector John Tolin (Douglas Henshall) and Senior Investigating Officer Ann Stallwood (Kate Ashfield) launch an investigation that unearths dark personal secrets, corporate crime and even murder. Meanwhile, Tolin and Stallwood must deal with their own relationship and come to terms with their past in this Masterpiece Theatre program. Not Rated (2009)
The Commander: Set One
Follow the adventures of Scotland Yard’s Serious and Organised Crime Group Commander, Clare Blake (Amanda Burton), as she starts an affair with a recently released murderer (Hugh Bonneville), cares for her cancer-stricken sister and searches for London’s most dangerous killers. Always taking risks in her personal and professional lives, the unconventional Blake continually battles the attacks of her resentful co-worker, DCI Hedges. (2003) Not Rated
The Couple
Martin Landau heads the cast as Joseph Krauzenberg, an affluent Jewish industrialist who agrees to surrender all of his vast material wealth to the Nazis in return for his family’s safe passage out of German-occupied Hungary. But Krauzenberg’s decision puts his most loyal servants, the Vassmans (Kenny Doughty and Caroline Carver), in jeopardy. Judy Parfitt plays Landau’s stately wife in this somber World War II drama directed by John Daly. (2004) Not Rated
Crooked
When a call girl witnesses a gangland hit, she becomes the mob’s next target, and the only people who can save her are mismatched cops Danny Tyler (Don Wilson) and Phil Yordan (Olivier Gruner). The pair quickly become targets as well, and all three are soon on the run. But is one of them secretly tipping off their pursuers? (2005) Rated R
Dalziel And Pascoe: Season One
Unusual methods aside, detectives Andy Dalziel (Warren Clarke) and Peter Pascoe (Colin Buchanan) have nothing in common — Dalziel is the loudmouthed copper to Pascoe’s genteel inspector — but together they crack Yorkshire’s most obstinate murder cases. The opening season of this BBC drama finds the pair investigating the death of a rugby player’s wife and the reappearance of a school principal’s body — and even taking a shine to each other. (1996) Not Rated
A Day in October
This compelling suspense drama follows the underground war-time evacuation of the Jews from Nazi-occupied Denmark to neutral Sweden. The Jewish Kublitz family lives quietly and comfortably in Copenhagen until a wounded Gentile resistance fighter, Niels (D.B. Sweeney) is saved from death by young Sarah Kublitz (Kelly Wolf) who gives him shelter in the Kublitz home. Sarah and Niels fall in love as the Resistance learns of the Nazis plan to arrest Jews. Sarah’s father, who works as a bookkeeper in a Nazi arms factory, must face some tough moral choices. (1991) Rated PG-13
The Deal
The head of Britain’s Labour Party has suddenly died. The two possible successors, political rivals Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) and Gordon Brown (David Morrissey), meet at a fateful 1994 dinner to debate the fate of the country, while flashbacks recount the story of their friendship. This absorbing political drama was meticulously adapted from real events by Peter Morgan and directed by Stephen Frears — the same team behind The Queen. Not Rated (2003)
The Diary of Anne Frank
From Masterpiece Theatre, teenager Anne Frank (Ellie Kendrick) and her Jewish family hide from the Nazis during World War II in this outstanding BBC production of the classic book. As time drags on, they deal with both the terrifying fear of their situation and normal family life. But the cramped quarters and tense situation sometimes cause tempers to flair. Presented in five half-hour episodes, the series intertwines some of Frank’s actual words within the action. (2009) Not Rated
Doc Martin: Series Three
Irascible and uptight as always, the good doctor Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) takes on challenges both medical and human in the third season of this British TV series set in the Cornish fishing village of Portwenn. The healer’s relationship with Louisa (Caroline Catz) is as dicey as ever, and he can’t seem to keep his foot out of his mouth. Meanwhile, the doc has acquired an aggressive new suitor in the form of hotel owner Carrie Wilson. (2007) Not Rated
An Englishman in New York
John Hurt plays celebrated, iconic gay author-artist Quentin Crisp (the subject of Sting’s song, “Englishman in New York”) in this pseudo biopic that chronicles Crisp’s high-profile move from London to New York’s Bowery in the 1980s. Cynthia Nixon, Swoosie Kurtz, Denis O’Hare and Jonathan Tucker also star in this long-anticipated sequel to the groundbreaking, made-for-television adaptation of “The Naked Civil Servant.” (2008) Not Rated
Everwood: The Complete Second Season
Just as Andy (Treat Williams) and his two kids, Ephram (Gregory Smith) and Delia (Vivien Cardone), begin to settle into their new home in Everwood, the widower doctor finds himself mired in turmoil when the town’s residents blame him for the death of Colin Hart (Mike Erwin). But things begin to look up for the family when Ephram finds love with a college student (Sarah Lancaster), and Andy begins to fall for Dr. Linda Abbott (Marcia Cross). (2003) Not Rated
Foyle’s War: Set 6
At the end of World War II, amid still turbulent times, Det. Chief Inspector Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) solves the crimes that dog the British coastal town of Hastings, mysteries that have pulled him from retirement. In this three-episode set, a Russian POW’s escape leads to murder; racial tensions boil as African American soldiers await their departure home; and Foyle investigates an accused traitor too willing to meet his fate. Not Rated
Freud
David Suchet offers up an award-winning performance with his portrayal of Dr. Sigmund Freud in this 1984 BBC miniseries tracing the life and career of the founder of psychoanalysis, from his early professional days until his death. The production also features Michael Pennington as Freud’s nemesis, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung; Helen Bourne as his wife, Martha Bernays; Suzanne Bertish as his sister-in-law; and Alison Key as his daughter, Anna. (1984) Not Rated
Lady Day: The Many Faces of Billie Holiday
This sparkling documentary features rare TV and movie clips, along with commentary by a stellar group of jazz instrumentalists and singers who knew her well.
Mad Men: Season 3
The martini-sipping, chain-smoking execs of New York ad agency Sterling Cooper — led by the dashing and mysterious creative director Don Draper (Jon Hamm) — wade deeper into the turbulence of the 1960s in the third season of this Emmy-winning series. The acclaimed ensemble cast features Elisabeth Moss as rising star Peggy Olson, John Slattery as slick senior partner Roger Sterling, and January Jones as Don’s beautiful but unhappy wife, Betty. (2009) Not Rated
MI-5: Season 7
Richard Armitage joins the cast of this award-winning British spy series as Lucas North, a former MI-5 agent who’s back on the job after spending eight years in a Russian prison — which makes him a perfect fit for Section D’s priority of the moment. But the question is, can he be trusted? His old friend Harry Pearce (Peter Firth) would like to think so but has his doubts. Alex Lanipekun, Hugh Simon and Gemma Jones co-star. (2008) Not Rated
Midsomer Murders: Set 15
The cozy villages of Midsomer County reveal their most sinister secrets in these contemporary British television mysteries. Inspired by the novels of Caroline Graham, modern master of the English village mystery, the series stars John Nettles as the unflappable Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby, with Jason Hughes as his earnest, efficient protégé, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones.
Murphy’s Law: Series One
Murphy’s Law: Series Two
After the IRA murders his daughter, hard-boiled Detective Tommy Murphy (James Nesbitt) escapes to London. Guilt-ridden over her death, Murphy brings a bad attitude to his work as an undercover officer for the Metropolitan Police in this acclaimed British cop series. But with nothing left to lose, he throws himself into the job, diving deep into the city’s underbelly and taking on the most treacherous assignments. (2001) Not Rated
My Neighbors The Yamadas
This animated film follows the adventures of the quirky Yamada family, drawn with digital technology to resemble the watercolor look of the popular “Nono-chan” comic strips. Jim Belushi and Molly Shannon lend their voices to father-and-mother team Takashi and Matsuko, who do their best to handle two children (Liliana Mumy and Daryl Sabara), a live-in grandmother (Tress MacNeille) and Pochi, the family dog. (1999) Rated PG
New Tricks: Season One
Following her mishandling of a recent hostage crisis, Det. Superintendent Sandra Pullman is reassigned as the new head of the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad, a team of investigators charged with reexamining cold cases. Determined to not allow the reassignment derail her, Pullman sets out to make the UCOS a top-notch unit with the help of semi-retired detectives Jack Halford (James Bolam) and Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman). (2003) Not Rated
New Tricks: Season 2
Retired detectives Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman), Jack Halford (James Bolam) and Brian Lane (Alun Armstrong) are as creaky as the cases they’ve been called in to revive. The leads are bone cold, and their methods verge on eccentric, but their desire for justice hasn’t gone out of style. Season 2 of the BBC sleeper-hit series has the odd combo tracking down a missing greyhound and poking around a fishing pit, among other seriocomic pursuits. (2005) Not Rated
Nine Queens
Two small-time grifters (Ricardo Darin and Gastón Pauls) endure a series of tense negotiations when they attempt to sell a sheet of counterfeit stamps for a hefty sum, but the process is made more stressful when one of the con men’s estranged sister (Leticia Bredice) becomes involved. Fans of American writer David Mamet will appreciate the twists in this Argentinean caper from writer-director Fabián Bielinsky. Spanish dialogue, English subtitles. (2000) Rated R
Pie in The Sky: Series Two
Semi-retired cop Henry Crabbe (Richard Griffiths) pursues his lifelong dream of opening a restaurant, much to the chagrin of his boss (Malcolm Sinclair), who needs Crabbe on the force, and his accountant wife (Maggie Steed), who worries about the financial risks of Crabbe’s new business. Griffiths shines as the brainy, culinary-minded policeman in this deliciously quirky British crime drama from the 1990s. (1995) Not Rated
Place of Execution
Journalist Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson) solicits the help of investigator George Bennett (Lee Ingleby) for her documentary about the 1963 disappearance of a 13-year-old girl. But when Bennett abruptly stops cooperating, Heathcote begins to unravel some surprising truths. Now Heathcote may have to reevaluate her deep-rooted beliefs about justice. Based on the book by Val McDermid, this “Masterpiece” special co-stars Greg Wise. (2009) Not Rated
Project Runway: The Complete Sixth Season
Sixteen new designers compete in Los Angeles, finding inspiration everywhere from Malibu’s beaches to the Getty Museum. Features all-new challenges, projects that should never have been made, and celebrity appearances, including Christina Aguilera, Eva Longoria Parker, and Lindsay Lohan. Rated TV-14
Rick Steves’ Italian Countryside
Includes all 6 half-hour Rick Steves’ Europe TV shows on Italy’s countryside, produced from 2000 to 2009: Cinque Terre (Italy’s Hidden Riviera), Siena and Assisi (Italy’s Grand Hill Towns), Tuscany’s Dolce Vita, Italy’s Amalfi Coast, and The Best of Sicily.
Rick Steves’ Scandinavia
Includes all 4 half-hour episodes on Scandinavia from the Rick Steves’ Europe television program, produced from 2000 to 2009. Copenhagen — Denmark Beyond Copenhagen — Oslo, Bergen and the Fjords — Stockholm and Helsinki.
Sharpe’s Challenge
Sean Bean reprises his role as Richard Sharpe eight years after his last go-around as the swashbuckling hero. Word that a local maharaja is threatening British interests sends Sharpe on his most dangerous mission yet. When the Indian warlord kidnaps the daughter of a general, Sharpe has not only her fate in his hands but that of an entire empire. Shot in India, and based on the popular adventure novels by Bernard Cornwell. (2006) Not Rated
Sharpe’s Peril
Sean Bean reprises his role as Lt. Col. Richard Sharpe in this made-for-TV adventure set in 1818, when Sharpe and Sgt. Maj. Patrick Harper (Daragh O’Malley) run afoul of a bandit leader while traveling with a disparate group of soldiers and traders to Madras. Desperate to defeat the wily outlaw, Sharpe trains his new, reluctant militia to fight as they traverse the hostile terrain, but discovers that the bandits aren’t their most dangerous enemy. (2008) Not Rated
Second Look: Adults with Autism
Third Look: Supports for Adults with Autism
Produced by the PA Department of Public Welfare, these DVDs look at social supports for adults with autism. Support professionals discuss the importance of assisting autistic adults in the development of social and life skills. Profiles a number of Pennsylvania residents with autism.
The 39 Steps
Richard Hannay (Rupert Penry-Jones) has his holiday interrupted when secret agent Scudder (Eddie Marsan) bursts into his apartment, staying alive just long enough to deposit a notebook. Pegged with murder, Hannay must decode the book and nab the culprits — before they find him first. In this nimble BBC update of John Buchan’s novel, German spies and British police give chase as Hannay races to deliver the coveted code and avert a world war. (2008) Not Rated
True Blood: Season Two
Telepathic waitress Sookie (Anna Paquin) attempts to solve a recent murder and sort out several issues with her vampire boyfriend, Bill (Stephen Moyer), including how to deal with his annoying teenage houseguest, Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll). Season two of this critically acclaimed vampire series features new characters, including Iraq war veteran Terry (Todd Lowe) and mysterious social worker Maryann (Michelle Forbes).
The United States of Tara: Season One
Steven Spielberg created this wry cable series that follows Tara (Toni Collette, in a Golden Globe-winning role), a wife and mother suffering from a dissociative identity disorder. As she wrestles with multiple personalities, Tara works to keep her dysfunctional family from falling apart. John Corbett co-stars as Tara’s husband, who finds ways of coping with his wife’s mutability. Keir Gilchrist and Brie Larson play the couple’s children. Not Rated
Wind at my Back: The Complete Second Season
Honey Bailey (Cynthia Belliveau) may have found love and security with teacher Max Sutton (James Carroll), but she still has her share of troubles in this dramatic series from the creators of “Anne of Green Gables.” In the show’s sophomore season, Honey’s sister-in-law Grace (Kathryn Greenwood) launches a radio advice program and becomes a local celebrity, and a ghost seems to be haunting New Bedford’s best hotel. (1997) Not Rated
Wind at My Back: The Complete Third Season
In the third season of this saga set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, life doesn’t get any less complicated for Honey, her children, their controlling grandmother or anyone else in the Bailey brood. As the season opens, the failure of the Silver Dome Mine is having far-reaching effects on the city of New Bedford, and May is more determined than ever to wrest back control of the mine and her town’s fortunes. (1999) Not Rated
Wind at My Back: The Complete Fourth Season
In 1930s Ontario, in the depths of the Great Depression, widow Honey Bailey continues to live with the terrible choice thrust upon her by her wealthy, controlling mother-in-law, trying her best to provide a life for the children she left behind. In the fourth season of this frequently heartbreaking melodrama, Honey has taken gravely ill and is consigned to a sanitarium, while the rest of the family deals with their own issues. (2000) Not Rated
Wind at my Back: The Complete Fifth Season
The popular series from the creators of “Anne of Green Gables” returns for a fifth and final season, continuing to chronicle the trials and tribulations endured by the ever-resilient Bailey family during the Great Depression. Following her stint in a sanatorium, Honey (Laura Bruneau) returns to New Bedford to find her family in flux. Max (James Carroll) considers a career in politics and Hub (Dylan Provencher) contemplates priesthood. (2000)