Friday, November 18, 2011

He's Just Not That Into You

  • Remember that really cute guy who said he'd call.and didn't? Maybe He's Just Not That Into You. An all-star cast - Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson and Justin Long - looks for love and finds laughs in this savvy, sexy, right-now romcom. Based on the runaway (like some guys you know) bestseller by
When we first meet rising young artist Angelique (Tautou), she is in the glorious throes of true love, and the whole world has seemingly fallen under her spell. Her handsome lover Loic is madly in love with her, her paintings are winning wide acclaim, and a glorious future seems all but assured. But Angelique's blissful world may not be as enchanting as it first seems, and in a quick startling moment, her life - and our understanding of it -seems to unravel in front of our eyes. Starring Audrey Taut! ou (Amelie), Samuel Le Bihan (Three Colors: Red).That adorable Audrey Tautou from Amélie plays the central role in this deceptive story of a rather unusual romance. It would spoil the film's clever design to reveal what happens halfway through He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, so let's just say that Tautou plays a winsome girl in the sunny town of Bordeaux, whose relationship with a married doctor has more layers than first it seems. Samuel LeBihan, from Brotherhood of the Wolf, plays the doctor, but it's the casting of cutie-pie Tautou that sets up the movie's gradually sinister undertow. Director Laetitia Colombani's inventive structure plays a satisfyingly tricky game with the audience, and may have some viewers going back to the beginning to make sure they saw what they thought they saw. Just don't go in expecting Amélie part deux, and you should find this an ingenious little number. --Robert HortonThat adorable Audrey Tautou from AmÃ! ©lie plays the central role in this deceptive story of a r! ather un usual romance. It would spoil the film's clever design to reveal what happens halfway through He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, so let's just say that Tautou plays a winsome girl in the sunny town of Bordeaux, whose relationship with a married doctor has more layers than first it seems. Samuel LeBihan, from Brotherhood of the Wolf, plays the doctor, but it's the casting of cutie-pie Tautou that sets up the movie's gradually sinister undertow. Director Laetitia Colombani's inventive structure plays a satisfyingly tricky game with the audience, and may have some viewers going back to the beginning to make sure they saw what they thought they saw. Just don't go in expecting Amélie part deux, and you should find this an ingenious little number. --Robert HortonTrish Ryan was the quintessential successful thirtysomething woman -- she had a career as an attorney, a nice car, and a succession of men clamoring for her affection. But despite all her accomplish! ments, the things by which she defined her life continually left her disappointed, especially when it came to dating.

Like the heroines of chick-lit novels and Sex and the City, she couldn't escape her bad luck with men: men who cheated, who left her, who made her a lesser version of herself. After years of trying everything out there to make love work -- new age philosophy, feminist empowerment, myriads of self-help programs -- she finally, hesitantly, decided to give Jesus a try.

HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT is Ryan's story of how her search for the right guy turned into the search for the right God, and (spoiler alert!) how she ended up with the happily-ever-after ending.Remember that really cute guy who said he'd call....and didn't? Maybe He's Just Not That Into You. An all-star cast - Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson and Justin Long - looks for l! ove and finds laughs in this savvy, sexy, right-now romcom. Ba! sed on t he runaway (like some guys you know) bestseller by Sex and the City series writers Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, He's Just Not That Into You sparkles with zingy aha moments any survivor of the dating wars will recognize. See it with someone you'd like to love.Based on the bestseller by two Sex and the City scribes, He's Just Not That Into You confirms that the HBO series was more than just a television show--it was a cultural institution that spawned tours, catchphrases, fashion trends, and more. Ironically, the resulting film is both smarter and funnier than the big-screen version of Carrie and the gang. Of the nine central characters, the sweet, if clueless Gigi (Big Love's Ginnifer Goodwin) makes the most vivid impression. The Maryland career girl tends to fall for friendly guys, like Conor (Entourage's Kevin Connolly), who are "just not that into" her. At a local watering hole, she meets bar manager Alex (Justin Long, Goodwin's Ed co! -star), who sets her straight about the difference between what men say and what they mean, adding that there are exceptions to every rule. Her seemingly settled co-workers, Beth (Jennifer Aniston) and Janine (Jennifer Connelly), have relationship issues of their own: Beth's boyfriend of seven years, Neil (Ben Affleck), doesn't believe in marriage, and Janine's husband, Ben (Bradley Cooper), has a wandering eye... for singer/yoga instructor Anna (Scarlett Johansson). Alt-weekly ad saleswoman Mary (executive producer Drew Barrymore) provides the link between this loose-knit community. An avid Internet dater and full-time technophile, she bemoans the fact that "people don't meet each other organically anymore." At 132 minutes, Ken Kwapis's movie could use a few trims, but he brings these complicated romantic entanglements to a convincing conclusion and the confessions from random passers-by add to the laughs. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Dead Man's Shoes

  • Richard (Paddy Considine) has always protected his simple-minded little brother Anthony (Toby Kebbell). When Richard leaves the rural village where they have grown up to join the army, Anthony is taken in by Sonny (Gary Stretch), a controlling and vicious local drug dealer and his gang of lads. Anthony becomes the gang's pet and plaything. Seven years later, Richard returns to settle the score. De
Richard (Paddy Considine) has always protected his simple-minded little brother Anthony (Toby Kebbell). When Richard leaves the rural village where they have grown up to join the army, Anthony is taken in by Sonny (Gary Stretch), a controlling and vicious local drug dealer and his gang of lads. Anthony becomes the gang's pet and plaything. Seven years later, Richard returns to settle the score. Dead Man's Shoes is a genre-defying film blending horror, supernatural elements, comedy and social realism! . Set in a Midlands village, it explores the underbelly of contemporary rural Britain in communities where crime is unchecked and drugs, intimidation and power games are accepted as part of daily life.Harrowing thriller about a hotwired ex-soldier (co-scripter Paddy Considine from Cinderella Man) who returns to his sleepy Irish village to dole out merciless revenge upon the booze- and drug-sodden hoodlums who abused his mentally handicapped younger brother (the astonishing Toby Kebbel). Director Shane Meadows (Once Upon a Time in the Midlands) doesn't shy away from delivering scenes of gripping suspense and violence, but the end result hews closer to an ambiguous meditation on the nature and effect of vengeance a la Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs than a Death Wish-style grindhouse effort. Taut and thought-provoking, Dead Man's Shoes is a must-see for indie film aficionados with a taste for the grittiest of fare. The DVD includes some rollickin! g commentary by Meadows, Considine, and producer Mark Herbert;! an intr iguing and heartfelt featurette on Meadows and his own violent past as a teenage skinhead in 1980s England, from which he drew inspiration for this film; and an alternate (and somewhat less satisfying) final scene. -- Paul Gaita

Scrapbook 101 Senti-Metalz Phrases-I Love Mommy

  • Ideal for scrapbooking projects
  • Made of light- weight, laser cut, brushed metal
  • Quick and easy to use; measures approximately 8-1/2-inch
When fallen pop diva angelas husband sol discovers that shes having an affair with failed actor tony angela calculatedly offs him with a poisoned suppository or does she? what follows is a hilarious mix of whodunits & double crossings involving the maid the vampy daughter & the boy toy son. Studio: Arts Alliance America Release Date: 02/26/2008 Run time: 90 minutes Rating: R"You slipped into my life as easily as vermouth into a glass of gin," purrs reclusive singing star Angela Arden, as played by camp icon Charles Busch (Psycho Beach Party). Arden is not only haunted by a secret, she's treated like dirt by her louse of a husband (Phillip Baker Hall, Boogie Nights), her snoopy maid (Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under! ), and her petulant daughter (Natasha Lyonne, Slums of Beverly Hills). Only her mentally defective son (Stark Sands) and a well-endowed gigolo (Jason Priestley, Beverly Hills 90210) treat her with love and affection. Is it any wonder she takes drastic action to improve her life? Replete with lurid sex, incestuous overtones, a poisoned suppository, musical numbers, an acid freakout, and black-and-white flashbacks, Die Mommie Die! lovingly sends up movie soap operas. The tone is uneven, but Busch skillfully walks a razor-sharp line throughout. --Bret FetzerYou slipped into my life as easily as vermouth into a glass of gin, purrs reclusive singing star Angela Arden, as played by camp icon Charles Busch ("Psycho Beach Party"). Arden is not only haunted by a secret, she's treated like dirt by her louse of a husband (Phillip Baker Hall, "Boogie Nights"), her snoopy maid (Frances Conroy, "Six Feet Under"), and her petulant daughter (Natasha ! Lyonne, "Slums of Beverly Hills"). Only her mentally defectiv! e son (S tark Sands) and a well-endowed gigolo (Jason Priestley, "Beverly Hills 90210") treat her with love and affection. Is it any wonder she takes drastic action to improve her life? Replete with lurid sex, incestuous overtones, a poisoned suppository, musical numbers, an acid freakout, and black-and-white flashbacks, "Die Mommie Die!" lovingly sends up movie soap operas. The tone is uneven, but Busch skillfully walks a razor-sharp line throughout. "--Bret Fetzer""You slipped into my life as easily as vermouth into a glass of gin," purrs reclusive singing star Angela Arden, as played by camp icon Charles Busch (Psycho Beach Party). Arden is not only haunted by a secret, she's treated like dirt by her louse of a husband (Phillip Baker Hall, Boogie Nights), her snoopy maid (Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under), and her petulant daughter (Natasha Lyonne, Slums of Beverly Hills). Only her mentally defective son (Stark Sands) and a well-endowed gigol! o (Jason Priestley, Beverly Hills 90210) treat her with love and affection. Is it any wonder she takes drastic action to improve her life? Replete with lurid sex, incestuous overtones, a poisoned suppository, musical numbers, an acid freakout, and black-and-white flashbacks, Die Mommie Die! lovingly sends up movie soap operas. The tone is uneven, but Busch skillfully walks a razor-sharp line throughout. --Bret FetzerFirst, he bound and beat his girlfriend, a 43-year-old librarian. Then he went after her teenaged daughter - warning her, 'Scream and I will kill you both' - before knocking her unconscious. When the teenager awoke, he proceeded to rape her. And in a final horrifying act of depravity, he forced the girl to watch as he slit her mother's throat. But the killing didn't stop there...Stephen Stanko was described as 'a perfect gentleman' who 'seemed so pleasant...and so normal.' But behind Stanko's mild-mannered appearance, round spectacles,! and quiet intelligence was a coldblooded ex-convict who kept ! a grisly scrapbook on serial killers - and convinced everyone he was a nice guy - until he killed and killed again. A well-orchestrated manhunt caught up with Stanko, who tried to get away with his crimes by pleading insanity. But the jury saw through his ruse and the ruthless killer was sentenced to death.In The Hands Of A Sadist. . .

First, he bound and beat his girlfriend, a 43-year-old librarian. Then he went after her teenaged daughter--warning her, "Scream and I will kill you both"--before knocking her unconscious. When the teenager awoke, he proceded to rape her. And in a final horrifying act of depravity, he forced the girl to watch as he slit her mother's throat. But the killing didn't stop there. . .

In The Crosshairs Of A Killer. . .

Stephen Stanko was described as "a perfect gentleman" who "seemed so pleasant. . .and so normal." But behind Stanko's mild-mannered appearance, round spectacles, and quiet intelligence was a coldblooded ex-convict who kep! t a grisly scrapbook on serial killers--and convinced everyone he was a nice guy--until he killed and killed again.

On The Trail Of A Psycho. . .

A well-orchestrated manhunt caught up with Stanko, who tried to get away with his crimes by pleading insanity. But the jury saw through his ruse and the ruthless killer was sentenced to death.

Case Seen On 48 Hours

Includes 16 Pages of Shocking PhotosIn The Hands Of A Sadist. . .

First, he bound and beat his girlfriend, a 43-year-old librarian. Then he went after her teenaged daughter--warning her, "Scream and I will kill you both"--before knocking her unconscious. When the teenager awoke, he proceded to rape her. And in a final horrifying act of depravity, he forced the girl to watch as he slit her mother's throat. But the killing didn't stop there. . .

In The Crosshairs Of A Killer. . .

Stephen Stanko was described as "a perfect gentleman" who "seemed so pleasant. . .and so nor! mal." But behind Stanko's mild-mannered appearance, round spec! tacles, and quiet intelligence was a coldblooded ex-convict who kept a grisly scrapbook on serial killers--and convinced everyone he was a nice guy--until he killed and killed again.

On The Trail Of A Psycho. . .

A well-orchestrated manhunt caught up with Stanko, who tried to get away with his crimes by pleading insanity. But the jury saw through his ruse and the ruthless killer was sentenced to death.

Case Seen On 48 Hours

Includes 16 Pages of Shocking PhotosMommy Silhouette It's A Baby - 20 Personalized Baby Shower Die-Cut Card Stock Tags is the perfect addition to your baby shower. Price: $5.99 - Mommy Silhouette It's A Baby - 20 Personalized Baby Shower Die-Cut Card Stock Tags. We are a one stop baby shower shop that offers everything you need for your party; including baby shower invitations, favors, tableware, games and more!Mommy-To-Be Caucasian - 20 Personalized Baby Shower Die-Cut Card Stock Tags is the perfect addition to your baby shower. Pr! ice: $5.99 - Mommy-To-Be Caucasian - 20 Personalized Baby Shower Die-Cut Card Stock Tags. We are a one stop baby shower shop that offers everything you need for your party; including baby shower invitations, favors, tableware, games and more!Quick and easy way to add a title to a scrapbook page. Made of light- weight, laser cut, brushed metal. Approximate length is 8-1/2-inch.

Celebrity

  • A reporter (Kenneth Branagh) assigned to the celebrity beat finds himself on a collision course with four of the most outrageous people he"s ever met: a sensuous starlet (Melanie Griffith), an-out-of-control movie star (Leonardo DiCaprio), an aspiring actress (Winona Ryder) and a sexy supermodel (Charlize Theron). Together they"re going to take him for an unforgettable walk on the wild side of fam
Woody Allen roared back at his detractors with Deconstructing Harry, a bitterly funny treatise about the creative process. Known to mine his often tumultuous personal life for his movies, the embattled writer-director-star didn't bother to make his alter ego likable in this movie: Harry Block (Allen) pops pills, frequents prostitutes, and cheats on the women in his life, then writes about their foibles in thinly disguised fiction. No wonder they're all furious with him. As Harry journeys to h! is alma mater with a hooker, ill pal, and kidnapped son, a series of flashbacks unravel, juxtaposing Harry's relationships with their "slightly exaggerated" fictional counterparts. There are amusing cameos throughout, including a humorous turn by Demi Moore as a fictitious ex-wife who "became Jewish with a vengeance," and Billy Crystal as the devil who found Hollywood too nasty for his liking. The humor is dark and caustic, but well worth it; Deconstructing Harry is a near-brilliant mediation on the sometimes queasy relationship between art, creator, and critic. --Diane GarrettWoody Allen roared back at his detractors with Deconstructing Harry, a bitterly funny treatise about the creative process. Known to mine his often tumultuous personal life for his movies, the embattled writer-director-star didn't bother to make his alter ego likable in this movie: Harry Block (Allen) pops pills, frequents prostitutes, and cheats on the women in his life, then writ! es about their foibles in thinly disguised fiction. No wonder ! they're all furious with him. As Harry journeys to his alma mater with a hooker, ill pal, and kidnapped son, a series of flashbacks unravel, juxtaposing Harry's relationships with their "slightly exaggerated" fictional counterparts. There are amusing cameos throughout, including a humorous turn by Demi Moore as a fictitious ex-wife who "became Jewish with a vengeance," and Billy Crystal as the devil who found Hollywood too nasty for his liking. The humor is dark and caustic, but well worth it; Deconstructing Harry is a near-brilliant mediation on the sometimes queasy relationship between art, creator, and critic. --Diane GarrettWoody Allen roared back at his detractors with Deconstructing Harry, a bitterly funny treatise about the creative process. Known to mine his often tumultuous personal life for his movies, the embattled writer-director-star didn't bother to make his alter ego likable in this movie: Harry Block (Allen) pops pills, frequents prostitutes, and! cheats on the women in his life, then writes about their foibles in thinly disguised fiction. No wonder they're all furious with him. As Harry journeys to his alma mater with a hooker, ill pal, and kidnapped son, a series of flashbacks unravel, juxtaposing Harry's relationships with their "slightly exaggerated" fictional counterparts. There are amusing cameos throughout, including a humorous turn by Demi Moore as a fictitious ex-wife who "became Jewish with a vengeance," and Billy Crystal as the devil who found Hollywood too nasty for his liking. The humor is dark and caustic, but well worth it; Deconstructing Harry is a near-brilliant mediation on the sometimes queasy relationship between art, creator, and critic. --Diane GarrettWith an incredible all-star cast, this critically acclaimed comedy takes a hysterical look at the pleasures and pitfalls of fortune and fame! Following their divorce, the lives of a restless writer and his inhibited ex-wife take off ! in outrageously unpredictable directions! While Lee (Kenneth B! ranagh - - HAMLET, OTHELLO) explores the wilder side of his newfound freedom, Robin (Judy Davis -- DECONSTRUCTING HARRY) begins an improbable transformaiton from neurotic schoolteacher to high-profile T.V. talk show host! Whether it's partying with supermodels, sexy encounters with movie stars, or interviews with the cream of high society, CELEBRITY offers you a riotous excuse to rub shoulders with the kind of people we all love to celebrate!Woody Allen's portrait of the celebrity life--as seen through the eyes of a newly divorced couple--is a black-and-white, New York-style La Dolce Vita that's a chillier flip side to Allen's earlier New York valentine, Manhattan. Despite a few missteps, though, it's an admirable (if dark) and worthy addition to the Allen pantheon. Kenneth Branagh and Judy Davis (both boasting American accents) star as the once-marrieds, each struggling to build new, separate lives in a media-saturated, celebrity-driven world. He tries his hands at ce! lebrity profiles (while peddling a screenplay to any star that will listen) and falls into the lap of a bosomy starlet (Melanie Griffith), the first in a long line of briefly attainable women. She runs into a producer (Joe Mantegna) who offers her a job as a TV personality as well as a loving relationship. This seemingly simple double plot is punctuated with twists and turns in the form of flashbacks and innumerable side trips, all ravishingly photographed in black and white by the legendary Sven Nykvist, and populated by one of Allen's largest casts ever; if you blink you'll miss countless cameos by Isaac Mizrahi, Donald Trump, Hank Azaria, and a host of others.

While Davis is splendid as usual (aside from the requisite nervous breakdown scene she's done one too many times), somebody should have told Branagh to put a kibosh on his Woody Allen imitation, which is so impeccable as to become irritating. His failure in the role, however, isn't entirely his fault, as it's ! also another in a long line of unlikable male protagonists tha! t Allen has created, as if daring audiences to hate his main characters after loving them in such movies as Manhattan and Annie Hall. He's never more unlikable than in a painful sequence in which he tags along with a spoiled, temperamental teen idol (a shrewd and clever Leonardo DiCaprio) and proves himself the quintessential noodge. Far more enjoyable misadventures with Branagh include Charlize Theron in the film's best performance as a libidinous supermodel with a penchant for echinacea; a stunning Famke Janssen as a successful book editor Branagh almost moves in with; and Winona Ryder, acting like an adult for the first time, as an aspiring actress who catches Branagh's eye more than once. All manage to slip through Branagh's fingers by the end of the film.

Despite the film's lack of focus, Allen aficionados will want this film for at least two wonderful moments, one in which Davis seeks solace from a streetwise fortune teller after she's fleeing her own weddin! g, and a beautiful nighttime scene in which Branagh romances a captivated Ryder at a subway kiosk. Both episodes prove that Allen, despite the fitful period he's moved into, still has that movie magic. --Mark Englehart

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Drumline (Full Screen Edition)

Factory Girl (Unrated)

  • (Drama) "Factory Girl" tells the story of the rise and fall of the original "IT GIRL" Edie Sedgwick. When Edie meets famed artist Andy Warhol, she is thrust into a life of glamour, parties and ultimately tragedy. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR Age: 796019804943 UPC: 796019804943 Manufacturer No: 80494
(Drama) "Factory Girl" tells the story of the rise and fall of the original "IT GIRL" Edie Sedgwick. When Edie meets famed artist Andy Warhol, she is thrust into a life of glamour, parties and ultimately…tragedy.The lovely face of Sienna Miller fills in for luminous but tragic 1960s icon Edie Sedgwick, the child of wealth and privilege who found brief delight but eventual destruction in the fabled Factory of Pop artist Andy Warhol (Guy Pearce). Factory Girl begins with Sedgwick as a naive art student who comes to New York City seeking freedom from her troubled family, j! ust as Warhol was surrounding himself with oddballs, sycophants, and drug addicts. The eager girl briefly becomes Warhol's favorite and the center of the city's attention, but when she falls into an affair with 'The Musician' (the only slightly ambiguous depiction of a certain nasal-voiced rock star, played by Hayden Christensen, Shattered Glass), Warhol is stricken with jealousy. Factory Girl wants to paint Warhol as the villain in this story of innocence corrupted, but the casting undercuts the movie's moral. Miller, though pretty and capable, never takes us under Sedgwick's skin, and Christensen's performance is one-note and clumsy. But Pearce's Warhol fascinates; it's a sneaky, stealthy performance, predatory yet passive, hiding a million neuroses beneath a cunningly vapid facade. Whenever Pearce is on-screen, Factory Girl sparkles; when he's not--despite abundant views of Miller's and Christensen's attractive naked flesh in the "uncut unrated" vers! ion--the movie loses its fizz. Also featuring Mena Suvari (! American Beauty), Jimmy Fallon (Fever Pitch), and Illeana Douglas (Grace of My Heart). --Bret Fetzer

Final Destination 3 (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

  • Fasten your seatbelts and brace yourself for the "2-Disc Thrill Ride Edition" of Final Destination 3! It's the DVD that takes you on a ride BEYOND terror where YOU control your limit of fear!!Running Time: 93 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R Age: 794043103728 UPC: 794043103728 Manufacturer No: N10372
Fasten your seatbelts and brace yourself for the "2-Disc Thrill Ride Edition" of Final Destination 3! It's the DVD that takes you on a ride BEYOND terror where YOU control your limit of fear!!

DVD Features:
Alternate endings
Audio Commentary
DVD ROM Features
Documentaries
Featurette
Other

Giddily gruesome and perversely entertaining, Final Destination 3 proves, yet again, that horror franchises will thrive as long as teenagers keep finding spectacular ways to die. A stand-alone sequel t! o the first two Final Destination thrillers, this one begins when a group of seven high-school graduates luckily escape from a deadly roller-coaster disaster, only to discover that their own deaths have been only temporarily avoided. Cute brunette Wendy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) spots clues of impending doom in digital photos of her soon-to-be-expiring classmates, and an ill wind follows her everywhere, suggesting the presence of a supernatural force that makes her a catalyst for gory events, as each of her friends is dispatched in the order they were meant to die. Returning to give their brainchild a suspenseful, low-budget makeover, franchise creators and former X-Files writers James Wong and Glen Morgan cleverly play on our collective fears (the roller coaster sequence is genuinely terrifying) with a knowing nod to violent urban legends, which explains their inclusion of the '70s hit "Love Roller Coaster" on the soundtrack when two stuck-up girlfriends pay! an ill-fated visit to a tanning parlor. And that's just for s! tarters: With Wong as director, FD3 serves up its grisly deaths with tight pacing and humor, and the cathartic carnage is discreetly edited yet gory enough to satisfy hardcore horror buffs. When morbid mayhem is this much fun, it's a safe bet that another sequel is just around the corner. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVD
As befits a horror franchise heavily invested in the idea of "fate," the Final Destination 3 disc carries a "Choose Their Fate" option. In other words, you can watch the movie with occasional choices offered; click on one of two alternatives, and see that version play out. This won't give you the power to let one character live or die; it's more like deciding whether somebody honks her horn twice in a scene, calls heads or tails on a coin flip, or pushes the thermostat to 72 degrees or 76. Not exactly life-changing, but it's kind of fun.

The bonus disc includes a 90-minute "making of" feature called Kill Shot, which covers the produc! tion of the movie in exhausting detail (honest detail, too: filmmakers James Wong and Glen Morgan are funny and blunt about the business they're in, including a section on how the original ending was scrapped in favor of a bloodier finale). It's everything you'd want to know about this movie--but who needs to know this much? A 7-minute cartoon, "It's All Around You," is an amusing meditation on bad luck and laws of probability, while a 25-minute featurette called Dead Teenager Movie spins off from Roger Ebert's theory about the rigid formula of a certain kind of horror film (Ebert weighs in on the subject himself). A few experts opine on the traditions of teenagers dying in horror films; some of them don't seem to be aware that the formula pre-dated the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Audio commentaries, special effects sidebars, and trailers fill out this needlessly authoritative disc. --Robert Horton

Blast From the Past

  • BLAST FROM THE PAST (DVD MOVIE)
Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 11/09/2010Coasting on the successes of Gods and Monsters and George of the Jungle, Brendan Fraser turns in yet another winning performance in this fish-out-of-water comedy in which Pleasantville meets modern-day Los Angeles, with predictably funny results. Fraser stars as Adam, who was born in the bomb shelter of his paranoid inventor dad (a less-manic-than-usual Christopher Walken), who spirited his pregnant wife (Sissy Spacek, in fine comic form) underground when he thought the Communists dropped the bomb (actually, it was a plane crash). Armed with enough supplies to last 35 years, the parents bring up Adam in Leave It to Beaver style with nary any exposure to the outside world. When the supplies run out, and dad suffers a heart attack, Fraser goes up to modern-day L.A. for some shopping and lon! g-awaited culture shock. More of a cute premise with lots of clever ideas attached than a fully fleshed out story, Blast from the Past is also supposed to be part romantic comedy, as the hunky Adam hooks up with his jaded Eve (Alicia Silverstone) and tries to convince her to marry him and go underground. The sparks don't fly, though, because Silverstone is saddled with the triple whammy of being miscast, playing an underwritten character, and suffering a very bad hairdo. Fraser, however, carries the film lightly and easily on his broad, goofy shoulders, mixing Adam's gee-whiz innocence with genuine emotion and curiosity; only Fraser could pull off Adam's first glimpse of a sunrise or the ocean with both humor and pathos. Also winning is Dave Foley as Silverstone's gay best friend, who manages to make the most innocuous statements sound like comic gems. --Mark Englehart
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