Directed by Lone Scherfig
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An Education

Literature is full of cautionary tales of innocent young women seduced by smooth-talking rakes. Jenny, a dutiful student and a passionate consumer of modern novels and French pop records, has surely encountered more than a few such stories. But at 16 and in a terrible hurry, she seems less inclined to learn from the mistakes of wayward romantic heroines than to join their ranks. In a Henry James novel, Jenny would be an eager American ingénue arriving in Europe to drain the cup of experience to its dregs. But in “An Education,” a sprightly and slippery new film adapted from a short, sharp memoir by the British journalist Lynn Barber, she is a middle-class adolescent, languishing in the London suburb of Twickenham in 1961. — A. O. Scott, The New York Times

DVD Releases March 30 2010

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Movie & TV DVD Releases this week. March 30 2010

Horror DVD Releases March 23 2010

New DVD Releases this week March 23 2010 : Horror

After Dark Horrorfest Vol. 4 (Dread / The Final / The Graves / The Hidden / Kill Theory / Lake Mungo / The Reeds / Zombies of Mass Destruction)

All 8 films of the 4th installment of After Dark Horrorfest in one gift set. Films include Dread, The Final, The Graves, Hidden, Kill Theory, Lake Mungo, The Reeds, and Zombies of Mass Destruction.

Kill Theory: This is an above average slasher, with a sort of "Saw" flavoring (though nowhere near as gory). A group of graduating college kids holed up in a cabin are told only one of them can survive till the morning or they'll all be killed. The rare slasher where the character development actually pays off.

The Graves: Mal-direction and less-than-tight editing make the actors look bad (even Tony Todd!) in this "Texas Chainsaw" meets "The Devil's Rain" story. Two girls are stalked by maniacs in mining town, then by crazy culty townsfolk. Standout performance by Bill Moseley. The Grave sisters themselves are easy on the eyes and had good chemistry. Marred by run-of-the-mill-ishness and some unbelievably bad choices.

Directed by John Woo
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Red Cliff International Version - Part I & Part II

Director John Woo's Red Cliff boasts some mighty impressive numbers. It took four screenwriters to adapt the 800,000-word source material, a 14th-century Chinese novel called Romance of the Three Kingdoms. There are also three editors, two directors of photography, hundreds of horses, and a combined cast and crew numbering in the thousands, making it reportedly the most expensive movie ever made in China. There are quite a few minutes, too, as it has a running time of 2 hours 28 minutes. That's only about half the length of the cut released in Asia, a fact that has led some critics to dismiss the American release as merely a bowdlerized version of the real deal. That may be, but this depiction of the titular battle that took place in AD 208 and is credited with changing the entire face of China is still an epic and magnificent piece of entertainment. The principal characters include Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi), a power-hungry general and self-appointed prime minister who convinces the weak-willed emperor that two rebellious leaders in the south, Liu Bei (You Yong) and Sun Quan (Chang Chen), must be stopped; Cao Cao's antagonists also include the brilliant strategist Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and the heroic warrior Zhou Yu (Tony Leung), whose wife (Chiling Lin) is a legendary beauty. Cao Cao has a huge advantage in manpower, not to mention an impressive fleet of warships. But he is arrogant, while his opponents are not merely humble and brave but clever (Cao Cao's diabolical plan to send the contagious bodies of soldiers who have died from typhoid fever to the Southlanders' camp works temporarily, but the latter counter with ingenious strategies of their own, like using fog, wind, and fire to destroy Cao Cao's ships). All of this is depicted in the most spectacular battles scenes since the Lord of the Rings trilogy, with a steady supply of gorgeous shots and indelible images. Woo, whose previous films range from the terrific Hard Boiled and The Killer to the lamentable Ben Affleck thriller Paycheck, is in his element here, and Red Cliff is a treat.

Directed by Wes Anderson
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Fantastic Mr. Fox

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” is a proudly analog animated entertainment, making its handmade way into a marketplace glutted with digital goodies. Next to the three-dimensional, computer-generated creatures that swoop and soar off the screen these days, the furry talking animals on display here, with their matted pelts, jerky movements and porcelain eyes, might look a little quaint, like old-fashioned wind-up toys uneasily sharing the shelf with the latest video game platforms. At times this adaptation of Roald Dahl’s slender anti-fable — truer to the spirit than to the letter of the source — does not even look like a movie. In spite of the pedigreed voices (Meryl Streep and Bill Murray, along with George Clooney in the title role), it feels more like an extended episode of what progressive educators call imaginative play. The sets might just as well have been built out of available household stuff, the stiff figurines animated and ventriloquized on a classroom or bedroom floor by precocious children.

Directed by John Lee Hancock

The Blind Side

The Blind Side is the true story of a young man of his success as a professional player fell and treat him with respect. The film does not try to exaggerate what is before her, and presses. It is almost impossible to describe the action, without apparent fatigue Inspirational Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron, Be Kind Rewind), a teenager was hard, but good African-American from Tennessee, is fine in a white family, do the mother, expresses Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock), the mothers and children, who finally won a football scholarship to the University of Mississippi. In the wrong hands could be sentimental, manipulative and condescending. To the credit of writer-director John Lee Hancock, the adaptation of the acclaimed novel by Michael Lewis is the result of intelligent, genuine and alternately funny and touching. Leigh Anne could easily grandstanding and virtuous, but Bullock did not hesitate to hand vain and arrogant.

DVD Releases March 23 2010

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Movie & TV DVD Releases this week. March 23 2010

Exercise & Fitness DVD Releases March 16 2010

New DVD Releases this week March 16 2010 : Exercise & Fitness

Leslie Sansone: Walk at Home - Fast Start/3 Fast Miles

This two-disc set includes everything you need to get started on an easy-to-follow fitness routine that can be done in the privacy of your own home rain or shine. No fancy footwork necessary in this Fast Start 1 & 2 Mile workout. Leslie Sansone will walk you through this simple but highly effective program that provides the no-fail way to lose weight called interval training. 3 Fast Miles takes your fitness walk to the next level. While still simple to follow, this workout increases the speed of your walk to burn fat fast.

Music Video & Concerts DVD Releases March 16 2010

New DVD Releases this week March 16 2010 : Music Video & Concerts

The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights

92 minute documentary film containing footage from the 2007 Canadian tour shot and directed by Emmett Malloy.

In the summer of 2007, shortly after the release of their 6th album 'Icky Thump', The White Stripes headed north of their hometown of Detroit to embark on an ambitious journey across Canada. The plan was to play a show in every province and territory in Canada, from B.C. to Newfoundland to Nunavut. 'Having never done a tour of Canada, Meg and I thought it was high time to go whole hog... from the ocean to the permafrost' says Jack White. 'We wanted to play out of the way towns that don't usually get shows... the shows are better, it's better for the people, it's a better experience, it's way more unique, something interesting is going to happen... hopefully.'
White called upon filmmaker Emmett Malloy to come and document this trek for the band. Malloy had directed videos for the band in the past, and seemed eager to hit the road with them. Equipped with a couple of 16mm cameras, and a few other documenting devices, the band and crew all headed north. The end result was 'Under Great White Northern Lights'.

DVD Releases March 16 2010

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Movie & TV DVD Releases this week. March 16 2010

From Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
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The Princess and the Frog

After the visual bombast of many contemporary CG and motion-capture features, the drawn characters in The Princess and the Frog, the Walt Disney Studio's eagerly awaited return to traditional animation, feel doubly welcome. Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), The Princess and the Frog moves the classic fairy tale to a snazzy version of 1920s New Orleans. Tiana (voice by Anika Noni Rose), the first African-American Disney heroine, is not a princess, but a young woman who hopes to fulfill her father's dream of opening a restaurant to serve food that will bring together people from all walks of life. Tiana may wish upon a star, but she believes that hard work is the way to fulfill your aspirations. Her dedication clashes with the cheerful idleness of the visiting prince Naveen (Bruno Campos). A voodoo spell cast by Dr. Facilier (Keith David) in a showstopping number by composer Randy Newman initiates the events that will bring the mismatched hero and heroine together.

Directed by Jason Reitman
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Up in the Air

Up in the Air transforms some painful subjects into smart, sly comedy--with just enough of the pain underneath to give it some weight. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) spends most of his days traveling around the country and firing people; he's hired by bosses who don't have the nerve to do their layoffs themselves. His life of constant flight suits him--he wants no attachments. But two things suddenly threaten his vacuum-sealed world: his company decides to do layoffs via video conference so they don't have to pay for travel, and Bingham meets a woman named Alex (Vera Farmiga, The Departed), who seems to be the female version of him… and of course, he starts to fall in love. Writer-director Jason Reitman is building a career from funny but thoughtful movies about compromised people--a pregnant teen in Juno, a cigarette-company executive in Thank You for Smoking. George Clooney has a gift for playing smart men who aren't quite as smart as they think they are (Michael Clayton, Out of Sight).

Callanetics 10 Years Younger in 10 Hours

Callanetics 10 Years Younger in 10 Hours - Amazon.com Exclusive

Now you can actually look ten years younger in ten hours. Callan Pinckney, author of the revolutionary best-selling book Callanetics(a perennial New York Times Best-Seller), personally demonstrates her innovative deep muscle exercise technique that can literally shed years off your figure in hours without putting pressure on your back. Unlike other exercise programs that stress hard jerking motions, Callanetics is a series of small, gentle, precise motions consistently applied that activate the body's largest most powerful muscles to quickly tighten hips, buttocks, inner and outer thighs; flatten the tummy; lift the bust and firm underarms and tone the entire body. It will also dramatically improve your posture. You will feel the difference after one hour and most people actually see a difference after two hours. By following the simple 60 minute Callanetics workout twice a week, the body you always dreamed about is only hours away.

Directed by John Carpenter

Elvis (1979)

Just two years after Elvis Presley passed away, Kurt Russell brought him back to life in the original biopic about the King of Rock n Roll. Released through ABC in 1979, Elvis marked the first time director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell would work together in what would become a legendary pairing in film history (Escape From New York , Big Trouble In Little China, The Thing and Escape From L.A.).

Tracing Presleys life from his impoverished childhood to his meteoric rise to stardom to his triumphant return to Las Vegas, Elvis features Shelley Winters (Gladys Presley), Season Hubley (Priscilla Presley), Bing Russell (Kurts real-life father as Vernon Presley), Pat Hingle (Colonel Tom Parker), Joe Mantegna (Memphis Mafia member Joe Esposito) and Ed Begley Jr. (drummer D.J. Fontana) in an all-star supporting cast for an effort that garnered numerous Emmy nominations including Outstanding Lead Actor for Russell. Restored From The Original Film Elements

by Jillian Michaels
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Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown

Jillian Michaels, winning trainer on NBC's "The Biggest Loser,” introduces a new yoga workout unlike any other. Combining hard-core yoga power poses with her dynamic training techniques, Jillian will get you real weight-loss results fast. YOGA MELTDOWN includes two complete 30-minute workouts that include a warm-up and cooldown. Begin with the Level 1 workout which focuses on quickly flowing yoga sequences to burn mega calories. Then progress to Level 2 which adds twists and balance poses for an even greater burn.

Directed by Spike Jonze
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Where the Wild Things Are

An adolescent named Max has an active imagination, and he will throw fits if others don't go along with what he wants. Max - following an incident with Claire (his sister) and her friends, and following a tantrum which he throws as a result of his Mother paying more attention to her boyfriend than to him - runs away from home. Wearing his wolf costume at the time, Max not only runs away physically, but runs toward a world in his imagination. This world, an ocean away, is inhabited by large wild beasts, including one named Carol who is much like Max himself in temperament. Instead of eating Max like they normally would with creatures of his type, the wild things befriend Max after he proclaims himself a king who can magically solve all their problems. (IMDB)

New DVD Releases March 2 2010

New DVD Releases this week: March 2 2010

2012

Now this is how you destroy the world. Roland Emmerich's 2012 pounces on a Nostradamus-style loophole in the Mayan calendar and rams the apocalypse through it, gleefully conjuring up an enormous amount of Saturday-matinee fun in the process. A scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) detects shifting continental plates and sun flares and realizes that this foretells the imminent destruction of the planet. Just as the molten lava is about to hit the fan, a novelist (John Cusack) takes his kids on a trip to Yellowstone; later he'll hook up with his ex (Amanda Peet) and her new boyfriend (Tom McCarthy) in a global journey toward safety. If there is any safety. The suitably hair-raising plot lines are punctuated--frequently, people, frequently--by visions of mayhem around the globe: the Vatican falls over, the White House is clobbered (Emmerich's Independence Day was not enough on that score), and the California coastline dives into the Pacific Ocean. Unlike other action directors we could name, Emmerich actually understands how to let you see and drink in these vast special-effects vistas--and they are incredible. He also honors the old Irwin Allen disaster-movie tradition by actually shelling out for good actors. Cusack and Ejiofor are convincing even in the cheesiest material; toss in Danny Glover (the U.S. president), Woody Harrelson (a nut-bar conspiracy-theorizing radio host), Thandie Newton, and Oliver Platt, and you've got a very watchable batch of people. Emmerich hasn't developed an ear for dialogue, even at this stage in his career, and the final act goes on a bit too long. This is a very silly movie, but if you've got a weakness for B-movie energy and hairbreadth escapes, 2012 delivers quite a bit of both.