Saturday, November 19, 2011

Elephant: A Film By Gus Van Sant

  • Winner of the Palme d'Or and Best Director prizes at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, Gus Van Sant's (Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester) Elephant takes us inside an American high school on one, single ordinary day that very rapidly turns tragic. Elephant demonstrates that high school life is a complex landscape where the vitality and beauty of young lives can shift from light to darkness with sur
From the groundbreaking director of GOOD WILL HUNTING and FINDING FORRESTER, GERRY stars Academy Award(R) winner Matt Damon (Best Original Screenplay, GOOD WILL HUNTING, 1997; THE BOURNE IDENTITY, OCEAN'S ELEVEN) and Casey Affleck (OCEAN'S ELEVEN, SOUL SURVIVORS) in a suspenseful and highly provocative story of two men pushed to the limit! A pair of best friends (Affleck and Damon), who've nicknamed each other "Gerry," set out on a desert hike. But what begins as a simple daytime adventure turns int! o an intense life-and-death journey that will test the strength of human endurance and ultimately, their friendship! Written by Damon, Affleck, and Director Gus Van Sant, this uncommonly compelling and starkly visualized film is a must-see motion picture that has earned the overwhelming praise of critics nationwide!In Gerry, two young men (Matt Damon and Casey Affleck) wander beautiful, barren, and surreal landscapes, gradually growing more and more lost. This film from Gus Van Sant (director of Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, and Good Will Hunting) has no story, hardly any dialogue, and even less in the way of "action" or "events." Yet the movie is by turns maddening and hypnotic; although few people will agree on which are the maddening scenes and which are the hypnotic ones, you will leave Gerry with one or more stunning images in your head. In fact, Gerry is probably more pleasurable to remember than it is to sit throug! h. Committed performances, flashes of dark humor, and a smatte! ring of visual effects give the movie some shape, but the more you just surrender to the emptiness of the landscape, the more rewarding Gerry will be. --Bret FetzerFrom the groundbreaking director of Milk and Good Will Hunting, Gerry stars Matt Damon (The Adjustment Bureau) and Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone) in a suspenseful and highly provocative story of two men pushed to the limit.
A pair of best friends (Affleck and Damon), who've nicknamed each other "Gerry," set out on a desert hike. But what begins as a simple daytime adventure turns into an intense life-and-death journey that will test the strength of human endurance and ultimately their friendship. Written by Damon, Affleck and director Gus Van Sant, this uncommonly compelling and starkly visualized film has earned the overwhelming praise of critics nationwide.In Gerry, two young men (Matt Damon and Casey Affleck) wander beautiful, barren, and sur! real landscapes, gradually growing more and more lost. This film from Gus Van Sant (director of Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, and Good Will Hunting) has no story, hardly any dialogue, and even less in the way of "action" or "events." Yet the movie is by turns maddening and hypnotic; although few people will agree on which are the maddening scenes and which are the hypnotic ones, you will leave Gerry with one or more stunning images in your head. In fact, Gerry is probably more pleasurable to remember than it is to sit through. Committed performances, flashes of dark humor, and a smattering of visual effects give the movie some shape, but the more you just surrender to the emptiness of the landscape, the more rewarding Gerry will be. --Bret FetzerWinner of the Palme d'Or and Best Director prizes at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, Gus Van Sant's (Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester) Elephant takes us inside an Ameri! can high school on one, single ordinary day that very rapidly ! turns tr agic. Elephant demonstrates that high school life is a complex landscape where the vitality and beauty of young lives can shift from light to darkness with surreal speed. It's an ordinary high school day. Except that it's not.

DVD Features:
Featurette:On the Set of Elephant: "Rolling Through Time"
Full Screen Version
TV Spot:HBO Films Spot
Theatrical Trailer

Elephant, the elegant and unsettling movie from Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting), depicts students at a high school before and during a harrowing, Columbine-style shooting. The movie follows one young boy who takes over the wheel from his drunken dad while returning from lunch, then loops back in time and follows another student who crosses paths with the first, then loops back and follows another--all captured in long, unedited tracking shots that are serene and unhurried, even when two boys in camouflage gear, carrying h! eavy bags, arrive at the school and begin shooting. Elephant doesn't attempt to explain their behavior; it simply places the audience back in the brief yet interminable window of adolescence, when life is trivial and painfully important at the same time. Your reaction to Elephant will depend as much on your life experiences as anything in the movie itself. --Bret Fetzer

Death at a Funeral

  • Condition: New
  • Format: DVD
  • AC-3; Closed-captioned; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC
From acclaimed director Frank Oz (In & Out, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) comes "a fast, furious and riotously funny farce" (Maxim) that'll have you dying with laughter!

As the mourners and guests at a British country manor struggle valiantly to "keep a stiff upper lip," a dignified ceremony devolves into a hilarious, no-holds-barred debacle of misplaced cadavers, indecent exposure, and shocking family secrets. Packed with extras including audio commentaries and an uproarious gag reel, Death at a Funeral blows the lid off the proverbial coffin as "the film's delicious comic flourishes... sight gags, slapstick, flawless timing... are served up by an outstanding cast" (O, The Oprah Magazine).Though it doesn't hit the same comic heights as Bowfinger, Death at a Funer! al is a fun little romp. Granted, not all of the characters are meant to be humorous, like Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen, Pride & Prejudice) and his wife, Jane (Keeley Hawes, Tristram Shandy), straight-faced foils for the more over-the-top performers. After Daniel's father passes away, the couple offers to host the funeral, so all his relatives descend on the family abode, including Daniel's estranged brother, Robert (Rupert Graves, V for Vendetta). The mood is already tense when their cousin, Martha (Daisy Donovan), arrives with her nervous fiancé, Simon (Alan Tudyk, Serenity). On the way over, Simon takes a Valium that's actually a hallucinogenic concoction cooked up by Martha's pharmacology student brother. By the time they arrive, Simon's inhibitions are gone with the wind. Other guests include Uncle Alfie (Peter Vaughn) and an uninvited American mourner (Peter Dinklage). By the end of the movie, one of these individuals will be dead. Though! he's worked in the States for several decades, director Frank! Oz was born in the UK, and Death at a Funeral feels like the work of a British filmmaker. As drawing room comedies go, it may not rival Arsenic and Old Lace, but it's still funnier than most. If the film has a flaw, it's one misjudged moment of scatological humor, which is sure to induce more cringes than giggles. Fortunately, it's over quickly, and Tudyk's hilarious performance provides ample compensation. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Beyond Death at a Funeral


More from Frank Oz

More British Comedies

More from MGM



Stills from Death at a Funeral







A funeral ceremony turns into a debacle of exposed family secrets and misplaced bodies. Studio: Sony Pic! tures Home Ent Release Date: 08/10/2010 Starring: Keith Davi! d Run t ime: 92 minutes Rating: R Director: Neil LabriteLess than three years after the 2007 Brit-com Death at a Funeral hit theaters, this remake offered a nearly scene-for-scene variation on the original. Once again a family has gathered for the dignified memorial service for a patriarch: older son (Chris Rock) has prepared a eulogy; younger son (Martin Lawrence) has flown in on his celebrity as a bestselling author; favorite niece (Zoe Saldana) has brought her fiancé (James Marsden, flipping out), unaware that he has accidentally ingested a hallucinogen manufactured by her pharmaceutically minded brother (Columbus Short, from Cadillac Records). You know, the usual fare for a funeral. The wild card is a stranger (Peter Dinklage, the only member of the cast to repeat his role from the 2007 film) who has something urgent to impart to the two sons. There's nothing terribly elevated about the slapstick, and one particular scatological sequence tests the boundaries of ! the bearable (30 Rock's Tracy Morgan, in his usual unbounded form, takes the brunt of this scene). The unexpected director is Neil LaBute, who shows off his sense of comic timing and keeps the whole apparatus moving along briskly. In addition to the relatively subdued lead turns by Rock and Lawrence, the big cast includes Danny Glover, Regina Hall, Luke Wilson, and Loretta Devine. It is almost irrelevant to debate whether this version improves or deflates the original; both hit their marks, deliver the broad yuks, and leave behind a mostly mechanical feel. But the job is accomplished--now rest in peace. --Robert Horton

Baby Essentials Socks, Boys, 4 Pack,0-6 months

Ace Ventura Deluxe Double Feature (Pet Detective / When Nature Calls)

  • Actors: Jim Carrey, Courteney Cox, Sean Young, Tone Loc, Dan Marino.
  • Format: Widescreen, DVD, NTSC.
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS 5.1). Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
  • Rated PG-13. Run Time: 250 minutes.
Allllll righty then. Let's get to it. As Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Jim Carrey instantly soared to stardom while tearing decorum to pieces. The award-winning actor plays the screwloose sleuth determined to sniff out the Miami Dolphins' missing mascot and quarterback Dan Marino. Jim Carrey returns in Ace Ventura When Nature Calls as the alligator-wrasslin,' elephant-calling, monkeyshining, loogie-launching, burning coals-crossing, disguise-mastering pet detective. Includes a bonus DVD with specially selected cartoons from the hit TV show Ace Ventura The Animated Series.

DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by Director Tom Shadyac
TV Spot
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spot
Theatrical Trailer

The Ace Ventura Deluxe Double Feature offers both Pet Detective and When Nature Calls in anamorphic widescreen with soundtracks in Dolby 5.1 and (not indicated on the packaging) DTS. The original DVD of Pet Detective was full-screen (1.33 aspect ratio) only, though it had a scene with Ace masquerading as Hans Kissvelvet, the dolphin trainer, that was dropped from the theatrical release. The deluxe edition is missing this scene. The deluxe edition also has a third disc with three episodes (about 70 minutes total) from the 1995-96 Ace Ventura animated series with Michael Hall as the voice of Ace. --David Horiuchi

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was the 1994 box-office hit that turned comedy maniac Jim Carrey into Hollywood's first $20-million man. This gag-filled! no-brainer stars Carrey as the titular rubber-faced gumshoe w! ho track s down lost pets for his heartbroken clients. Ace's latest case involves the apparent kidnapping of the Miami Dolphins' team mascot, Snowflake the dolphin (natch), and his investigation is a source of constant irritation for Miami police lieutenant Lois Einhorn (Sean Young). Friends fans will appreciate the presence of Courtney Cox, who remains admirably straight-faced as the Dolphins' publicist and Ace's would-be girlfriend, but of course it's Carrey who steals the show with shameless abandon. --Jeff Shannon

In When Nature Calls, the inevitable sequel, the disappearance of a rare African white bat, draws Ace (Carrey again) out of his spiritual retreat at a Tibetan monastery following the tragic outcome of his previous case. That traumatic experience, which makes for a hilarious opening-scene send-up of the Stallone thriller Cliffhanger, prompts Ace to venture to Africa, where he goes native with the tribe that hired him to find their symbolic! bat. From that point anything goes, with Carrey pushing the boundaries of good taste (what, you were expecting good taste?) up to and including his now-infamous "birth" scene from the backside of a mechanical rhinoceros. Lighten up, and don't be ashamed if you find yourself laughing. --Jeff Shannon

Diamonds Are Forever (James Bond Novels)

  • ISBN13: 9780142002056
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Superspy James Bond (Sean Connery) gets tangled up in the wild world of international diamond smuggling. But hold on--the mission is not quite so simple as it seems; his chase of the jewel thieves leads him to conspirators with plans for unleashing a nuclear armageddon on an unsuspecting planet. The majority of the action takes place on the gaudy glittering streets of Las Vegas as Bond negotiates the grotesque terrain with his customary aplomb and fancy mechanical gadgets. As always he manages to dally with several sexy bombshells along the way including the wonderful Lana Wood as Plenty O'Toole. Connery is as suave and entertaining as ever taking on the menacing Charles Gray who is trying his hand at ! playing Bond's archenemy Blofeld. Look for the car chase down a narrow alley.System Requirements:Running Time: 120 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: PG UPC: 027616085412 Manufacturer No: M108541Sean Connery retired from the 007 franchise after You Only Live Twice (replaced by George Lazenby in the underrated and underperforming On Her Majesty's Secret Service) but was lured back for one last official appearance as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. He's in fine form--cool but ruthless--in a sharp precredits sequence hunting the unkillable Blofeld (a suavely menacing Charles Gray in this incarnation), but the MacGuffin of a story (involving diamond smuggling, a superlaser on a satellite, and Blofeld's latest plot to rule the world ) is full of the groaning tongue-in-cheek gags that Roger Moore would make his signature. Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton keeps the film zipping along gamely from one entertaining set piece to ! another, including a terrific car chase in a parking lot, a ba! ttle wit h a pair of bikini-clad killer gymnasts named Bambi and Thumper, and a deadly game with a bizarre pair of fey, sardonic killers who dispatch their victims with elaborate invention. Jill St. John is the brassy but not too bright American smuggler Tiffany Case, and country singer and pork sausage king Jimmy Dean costars as a reclusive billionaire with not-so-subtle parallels to Howard Hughes. Shirley Bassey belts out the memorable theme song, one of the series' best. Connery retired again after this one but he returned once more, for Never Say Never Again 15 years later for a rival production company. --Sean Axmaker Sean Connery retired from the 007 franchise after You Only Live Twice (replaced by George Lazenby in the underrated and underperforming On Her Majesty's Secret Service) but was lured back for one last official appearance as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. He's in fine form--cool but ruthless--in a sharp precredits sequence hun! ting the unkillable Blofeld (a suavely menacing Charles Gray in this incarnation), but the MacGuffin of a story (involving diamond smuggling, a superlaser on a satellite, and Blofeld's latest plot to rule the world ) is full of the groaning tongue-in-cheek gags that Roger Moore would make his signature. Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton keeps the film zipping along gamely from one entertaining set piece to another, including a terrific car chase in a parking lot, a battle with a pair of bikini-clad killer gymnasts named Bambi and Thumper, and a deadly game with a bizarre pair of fey, sardonic killers who dispatch their victims with elaborate invention. Jill St. John is the brassy but not too bright American smuggler Tiffany Case, and country singer and pork sausage king Jimmy Dean costars as a reclusive billionaire with not-so-subtle parallels to Howard Hughes. Shirley Bassey belts out the memorable theme song, one of the series' best. Connery retired again after this! one but he returned once more, for Never Say Never Again 15 ye ars later for a rival production company. --Sean Axmaker Sean Connery retired from the 007 franchise after You Only Live Twice (replaced by George Lazenby in the underrated and underperforming On Her Majesty's Secret Service) but was lured back for one last official appearance as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. He's in fine form--cool but ruthless--in a sharp precredits sequence hunting the unkillable Blofeld (a suavely menacing Charles Gray in this incarnation), but the MacGuffin of a story (involving diamond smuggling, a superlaser on a satellite, and Blofeld's latest plot to rule the world ) is full of the groaning tongue-in-cheek gags that Roger Moore would make his signature. Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton keeps the film zipping along gamely from one entertaining set piece to another, including a terrific car chase in a parking lot, a battle with a pair of bikini-clad killer gymnasts named Bambi and Thumper, and a deadly game wit! h a bizarre pair of fey, sardonic killers who dispatch their victims with elaborate invention. Jill St. John is the brassy but not too bright American smuggler Tiffany Case, and country singer and pork sausage king Jimmy Dean costars as a reclusive billionaire with not-so-subtle parallels to Howard Hughes. Shirley Bassey belts out the memorable theme song, one of the series' best. Connery retired again after this one but he returned once more, for Never Say Never Again 15 years later for a rival production company. --Sean Axmaker Tiffany Case, a cold, gorgeous, devil-may-care blonde, stands between James Bond and the leaders of a diamond-smuggling ring that stretches from Africa to London to the United States. Bond uses her to infiltrate this gang, but once in America the hunter becomes the hunted. Agent 007 is in real danger until help comes from an unlikely quarter, the ice maiden herself.

Halloween Blu-ray Triple Pack(Halloween 6, H20, Halloween Resurrection)

  • 1080i/p widescreen 2.35:1/1.78:1
  • Includes Three Films, Halloween 6, H20, and Resurrection
  • 264 minutes
Original HALLOWEEN star Jamie Lee Curtis (HALLOWEEN: H2O, TRUE LIES) is back and joined by Busta Rhymes (SHAFT) and Tyra Banks (COYOTE UGLY) in the terrifying HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION -- the latest in this electrifying horror film series! The reality programmers at DangerTainment (Rhymes, Banks) have selected Rudy (Sean Patrick Thomas -- SAVE THE LAST DANCE), Bill (Thomas Ian Nicholas -- AMERICAN PIE 1&2), and a group of thrill-seeking teenagers to spend one fun-filled night in the childhood home of serial killer Michael Myers. But the planned live broadcast turns deadly when their evening of excitement becomes a night of horror as Michael himself decides to crash the party!Number 8 in the Halloween line maintains connections to John Carpenter's original. Resurrection! picks up the thread of Halloween: H2O, with poor Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) now in a psychiatric hospital and determined to shut down homicidal Michael Myers once and for all. After this prologue, the story shifts to the old Myers house, where a TV reality show has enticed six teenagers to spend a single night in the spooky home. Needless to say, things are spoiled when Michael barges in: "I so did not sign up for this," sighs the young heroine, when the bloodletting begins. The mayhem is being broadcast live on the Internet, which makes the film a bit like Rear Window with Instant Messaging. The interesting premise is routinely handled, but that's enough to make this one of the better sequels in the series. Maybe they finally finished off Michael in this one, wink wink. --Robert HortonOriginal Halloween star Jamie Lee Curtis (You Again) is back and joined by Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks in the terrify! ing Halloween: Resurrection, another installment in the! electri fying horror film series.

The reality programmers at DangerTainment (Rhymes, Banks) have selected Rudy (Sean Patrick Thomas, The Fountain), Bill (Thomas Ian Nicholas, American Pie) and a group of thrill-seeking teenagers to spend one fun-filled night in the childhood home of serial killer Michael Meyers. But the planned live broadcast turns deadly when their evening of excitement becomes a night of horror as Michael himself decides to crash the party.Number 8 in the Halloween line maintains connections to John Carpenter's original. Resurrection picks up the thread of Halloween: H2O, with poor Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) now in a psychiatric hospital and determined to shut down homicidal Michael Myers once and for all. After this prologue, the story shifts to the old Myers house, where a TV reality show has enticed six teenagers to spend a single night in the spooky home. Needless to say, things are spoiled when M! ichael barges in: "I so did not sign up for this," sighs the young heroine, when the bloodletting begins. The mayhem is being broadcast live on the Internet, which makes the film a bit like Rear Window with Instant Messaging. The interesting premise is routinely handled, but that's enough to make this one of the better sequels in the series. Maybe they finally finished off Michael in this one, wink wink. --Robert HortonHALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION
The reality programmers at DangerTainment have selected a group of thrill-seeking teenagers to spend one fun-filled night in the childhood home of serial killer Michael Meyers. But the planned live broadcast turns deadly when their evening of excitement becomes a night of horror as Michael himself decides to crash the party.

HALLOWEEN: H2O
Now the headmistress of a private school, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is still struggling with the horrifying, 20-year-old me! mories of the maniacal killer Michael Myers...when he suddenly! reappea rs with a vengeance. Laurie's rebellious son, his girlfriend, and the school security guard will become Michael's newest victims unless Laurie can conquer her greatest fears and put evil in its place once and for all.

HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS
In a single horrifying night, Michael Myers' masked reign of terror changed Halloween forever. Now, six years after he was presumed dead in a fire, Myers has returned to kill againâ€"and this time there's no escape. As the homicidal fury builds to a spine-tingling climax, the long-hidden secrets of the screen's most maniacal murderer are revealed...with shocking results.Halloween: H2O
Now the headmistress of a private school, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is still struggling with the horrifying, 20-year-old memories of the maniacal killer Michael Myers...when he suddenly reappears with a vengeance. Also starring Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams, LL Cool J and Joseph! Gordon-Levitt.

Halloween: Resurrection
Reality programmers select a group of thrill-seeking teenagers to spend one night in the childhood home of serial killer Michael Meyers. But the broadcast turns deadly when Michael himself decides to crash the party. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Tyra Banks, Busta Rhymes, Katee Sackhoff, Ryan Merriman, Sean Patrick Thomas and Thomas Ian Nicholas.

Halloween VI: The Curse of Michael Myers
In a single horrifying night, Michael Myers' masked reign of terror changed Halloween forever. Now, six years after he was presumed dead in a fire, Myers has returned to kill againand this time there's no escape. Starring Paul Rudd, Donald Pleasence and Kim Darby.

Mothers Boys
After Jude Madigan (Jamie Lee Curtis) abruptly deserts her family, her husband (Peter Gallagher) and their young sons slowly build a happy new life with another woman. But when ! Jude unexpectedly returns three years later, her dangerous obs! ession t o reclaim her former life threatens to destroy everything. Also featuring Vanessa Redgrave.Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)1080i The sixth entry in the series has Dr. Sam Loomis once again in pursuit of the homicidal Michael Myers. Now driven by a satanic power, Myers chases his grown niece and her child to his midwestern hometown of Haddonfield. Although the town is trying to overcome it's past history of nightmarish bloodletting, a local radio shock jock is stirring things up again and the unlucky residents of Myers' former house are turning up dead. Halloween: H2O (1998)1080i After faking her death and changing her name to evade the murderous Michael Myers, Laurie Strode, now a teacher at a Southern California private school, is again targeted by her nemesis. Most of the school goes away on a trip, but her son John stays behind along with his girlfriend and a couple of other kids. John is now the age that Laurie was when Michael first attacked her friends, and she is scared and seemingly over- protective. But her fears are proved right when Michael returns to town, stalking first the teens and then Lauie herself. Halloween: Resurrection (2002)1080p The nurses at Grace Anderson Sanitarium tell stories of patient Laurie Strode. She's the sister of the murderous legend Michael Myers - and 3 years ago, she thought she had destroyed her sibling for good.

Odessa Foil Print Bodycon Dress - GLITTER FANS 3 (XXS)

Elsa & Fred

  • Elsa & Fred is a story about two people who, at the end of the road, discover that it s never too late to love or to dream. Elsa is 82 years-old, while Alfredo is a bit younger than her. After losing his wife, Alfredo feels disturbed and confused so his daughter suggests him it would be best if he moved into a smaller apartment. There he ll meet Elsa. From that moment on, everything changes. Elsa
Elsa & Fred is a story about two people who, at the end of the road, discover that it s never too late to love... or to dream. Elsa is 82 years-old, while Alfredo is a bit younger than her. After losing his wife, Alfredo feels disturbed and confused so his daughter suggests him it would be best if he moved into a smaller apartment. There he ll meet Elsa. From that moment on, everything changes. Elsa bursts into his life like a whirlwind, determined to teach him that the time he has left to live - be ! it more or less - is precious and that he should enjoy it as he pleases.


Elsa & Fres es la historia de dos personas que al final del camino descubren que nunca es demasiado tarde para amar....o soñar. Elsa tiene 82 años, mientras que Alfredo es un poco más joven que ella. Después de perder a su esposa, Alfredo se siente perturbado y confundido por lo que su hija le sugiere mudarse a un departamento más pequeño. Ahí conocerá a Elsa. Desde ese momento todo cambia completamente. Elsa irrumpe en su vida como un torbellino dispuesta a demostrarle que el tiempo que le queda de vida, mucho o poco, es precioso y puede disfrutarlo como le plazca.

Arthur's Family Vacation: An Arthur Adventure (Arthur Adventure Series)

  • ISBN13: 9780316109581
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
ARTHUR - DVD MovieWhen you get caught between the moon and New York City (ahem), chances are you'll find yourself taking another look at this hit comedy starring Oscar-nominated Dudley Moore as the charmingly witty, perpetually drunken millionaire Arthur Bach. Arthur falls in love with a waitress (Liza Minnelli) who doesn't care about his money, but unfortunately Arthur's stern father wants him to marry a Waspy prima donna. The young lush turns to his wise and loyal butler (Oscar-winner John Gielgud) for assistance and advice. Arthur was a huge hit when released in 1981, as was its Oscar-winning theme song by Christopher Cross. Few remember that the movie was, sadly, the only one ever made by ! writer-director Steve Gordon, who died less than a year after the film's release. Consistently funny and heartwarming, Arthur was hailed as a tribute to the great romantic comedies of the 1930s. --Jeff ShannonRussell Brand reinvents the role of lovable billionaire Arthur Bach, an irresponsible charmer who has always relied on two things to get by: his limitless fortune and lifelong nanny Hobson (Academy Award® winner* Helen Mirren) to keep him out of trouble. Now he faces his biggest challenge: choosing between an arranged marriage to ambitious corporate exec Susan (Jennifer Garner) that will ensure his lavish lifestyle, or an uncertain future with the one thing money can’t buy â€" Naomi (Greta Gerwig), his true love. With Naomi’s inspiration and some unconventional help from Hobson, Arthur will take the most expensive risk of his life and learn what it means to be a man in this re-imagining of the beloved Oscar®-winning* romantic comedy Arthur. As a hig! h-concept Hollywood pitch, remaking the charming Dudley Moore ! 1981 com ic romp about a man-child billionaire playboy with a rather serious drinking problem and installing Russell Brand as the new lead sounded like a pretty good idea. With Brand's reputation as a semi-reformed bad boy and actual recovering alcoholic/addict (not to mention his parlayed success from English standup fame to movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek), he was a great casting choice to reprise Moore's devilishly innocent character. In many ways Brand is among the heirs to first-wave loony British comics like Moore, Peter Sellers, and Spike Milligan, along with actors like Steve Coogan, Eddie Izzard, and Ricky Gervais. But something happened in the 30-year translation that has deflated a lot of charm from the 2011 Arthur. Brand is probably the best thing about the movie, although he's never quite able to capture the characterization of a genuinely agreeable immature cad that Moore portrayed so adorably. This is Russell Brand pl! aying another version of himself, which isn't such a bad thing, just not quite adorable enough. Brand is a smart, funny, and quick-on-his-feet improviser, and lot of that comes through, but he'd probably be the first to admit that he's no Dudley Moore.

The basics of the story remain unchanged. Arthur Bach is a trust fund child who is stuck in childhood, even though his pampered bubble of wealth now brings him toys like prostitutes, famous movie prop cars (the Batmobile, the Back to the Future DeLorean, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, and others all make appearances), and all manner of grownup baubles at every fleeting whim. His stuck-in-childhood mode seems to be blamed on the loss of his doting father at a very young age. But now at 30, his prim mother (Geraldine James) wants him to grow up, stop embarrassing the huge corporation that bears their name, and marry a respectable girl (Jennifer Garner) who will tame him and give the company a veneer of respec! tability. Upon threat of being cut off from the family fortune! , Arthur reluctantly agrees, but then immediately falls for the real girl of his dreams, a lowly--and poor--Manhattan tour guide (Greta Gerwig), who falls for him too. She doesn't even care about the money. The issue of drink is handled somewhat differently 30 years after Dudley Moore made such a loveable and unrepentant chronic inebriant. Since it's kind of a more significant societal issue, the filmmakers haven't really been able to make it as much of a fun and funny part of who Arthur is (plus, Dudley Moore did a drunken shtick that was fairly classic, while there doesn't seem to be much difference between Brand's drunken and sober Arthur). Arthur's drinking is treated as a genuine problem in this update, which also provides comedy the dilemma of dealing with seriousness. Fortunately the sense of forward momentum, Brand's general likeability, and the pervading sunny tone cover up a lot. The other big selling point and major change from the original is the character of Hobson, who! for Dudley Moore was a dour butler played by John Gielgud, and for Russell Brand is a disapproving nanny in the persona of Helen Mirren. Both Hobsons were best friends to Arthur, and Mirren's statuesque gravitas brings a lot to the authentic lifelong affection that seems real as handled by both actors. Overlooking some slackness in the script, Brand and Mirren give this bright, shiny updated Arthur longer legs than it might otherwise have had in striding cleverly into audiences' hearts. --Ted FryArthur's family vacation is all wet-it's pouring rain! Arthur has to take charge and finds new things for his family to do-like go to Gatorville. Maybe family vacation isn't so bad after all!



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