DVD Movies
Faust (2 Disc) - Subtitle
Faust was the mammoth German production which won F. W. Murnau his contract with Hollywood's Fox Studios. Emil Jannings glowers his way through the role of Mephistopholes, who offers the aging Faust (Gosta Eckman) an opportunity to relive his youth, the price being Faust's soul. Though highly stylized, the film is unsettlingly realistic at times, especially during the execution of the unfortunate Gretchen. Even in old age, actress Camilla Horn could recall how close she came to genuine immolation when Murnau burned her at the stake. An American version of Faust had been planned earlier as a Mary Pickford vehicle, but Pickford's mother wanted no part of a film in which her darling daughter strangled her own baby. The scenario for Faust touches lightly upon the previous retellings by Goethe and Marlowe, but is more heavily reliant on the paintings of Pietr Breughel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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Time Machine: The True Story of the Bridge on the River Kwai -
Each episode of the History Channel program Time Machine takes viewers on an in-depth journey through a seldom traveled corridor of world history. Relying mostly on interviews with experts and the use of archival footage, each tape puts viewers into the historical experience. This particular episode examines the myths and legends surrounding the historical events that inspired one of the most popular war movies of all time. Of particular interest is the resurrection of the reputation of Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey. Portrayed as a Japanese collaborator in the film, Toosey actually stood between his men and their Japanese captors. In this tape, survivors speak of Toosey and the man's words themselves are heard on archival audio tapes. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi
Vanishing Virginian, The
Women lawyers? Women drivers? Women voters? The Yancey family of Lynchburg, Virginia, grapples with strange new ideas in this endearing film based on Rebecca Yancey Williams" memoir of growing up in the early 1900s. Much more than the suffragette movement upsets the Yanceys" well-ordered lives, from young romance to a sensational murder trial to that amazing contraption the automobile. Frank Morgan (The Wizard of Oz) stars as the Yancey paterfamilias, Lynchburg"s principled D.A.; Spring Byington (Little Women) is his gentle wife, much mystified by modern goings-on, and Kathryn Grayson, with her exquisite face and even more exquisite soprano, plays a Yancey daughter in this tender valentine to a bygone era.
Children's Holiday Movie Collection -
Includes:A Hobo's Christmas (1987) How the Toys Saved Christmas (1997) The Man Who Saved Christmas (2002) In Search of Santa (2004) Christmas in Wonderland (2007), MPAA Rating: PG A Hobo's Christmas The hobo in the made-for-TV A Hobo's Christmas is played by Barnard Hughes. Drifting from place to place, Hughes finds himself in his hometown of Salt Lake City at Christmastime. Here he hopes to close old wounds and be reunited with his unforgiving son Gerald McRaney, and get to know the grandchildren he has never met. McRaney, still resenting the fact that Hughes ran out on his family 25 years earlier, gives his father only one day with his grandkids; after that, he's expected to leave and never come back. Everything that usually happens in a feel-good film of this nature does happen, but getting there is half the fun. If you missed the location-filmed A Hobo's Christmas when it was first telecast on December 6, 1987, despair not: the film is sure to pop up again on cable during the Yuletide season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi How the Toys Saved Christmas In this animated feature from Disney, Santa Claus' anointed helper Granny Rose (the voice of Mary Tyler Moore) falls ill and turns her toy-delivery duties over to the sneaky and conniving profiteer Mr. Grimm (voice of Tony Randall). When the toys discover Grimm's plans to sell them off come Christmas morning, they band together to foil his plan and reach their intended homes on time. ~ Sarah Welsh, Rovi The Man Who Saved Christmas Jason Alexander stars as fabled toy manufacturer, A.C. Gilbert in this Capraesque TV movie. An overachiever since his school days, Gilbert surprises his stern father (Ed Asner) by forsaking a career in medicine to pursue an entirely different business. Creating the now legendary Erector Set, A.C. sets up his own toy company in 1913, an enterprise which is raking in millions within two years. But with America's entry into WWI, the U.S. government prevails upon Gilbert to convert his factory into a munitions plant. Though at heart a pacifist, Gilbert agrees to do so, secure in the belief that he will be able to return to toys once the hostilities have ceased. Alas, the Government has other plans. At their behest, Gilbert reluctantly mounts a "Buy Bonds, Not Toys" campaign designed to divert the money normally spent on Christmas gifts to the war effort. Is this the end of Christmastime as millions of children know it, or will Gilbert be able to salvage both the holiday and the spirit of giving? The Man Who Saved Christmas debuted December 15, 2002, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi In Search of Santa Hilary Duff and Haylie Duff lend their voices to this heartwarming animated tale for the holiday season. Princess Crystal (voice of Hilary Duff) is a penguin who one day finds a sleigh bell. Crystal is certain that it came from one of Santa Claus's reindeer, but not everyone else is convinced, so Crystal and her sister Lucinda (voice of Haylie Duff) decide to go to the North Pole and take t
Highway 301 (1950) (DVD)
"For those who select a career of crime, there awaits relentless punishment and prosecution." Cautionary, crime-does-not-pay messages from governors of three states provide the introduction to this brisk blend of gangster and film noir genres written and directed by Andrew Stone (Julie, Cry Terror!). Steve Cochran (White Heat) plays George Legenza, the hot-headed, quick-fingered leader of the Tri-State Gang. The gang is elusive, tight-lipped, and stone-cold murderous. But it"s starting to fray from within. And from without, the law is drawing closer. A citizen has reported a crucial piece of evidence " a partial license-plate number. The hunt is on.
16 Blocks (BD)
An aging cop is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness from police custody to a courthouse. There are however forces at work trying to prevent them from making it.
Executioner, The (1970)
When a covert operation in Vienna goes awry, British Intelligence operative John Shay (George Peppard) suspects his colleague, Adam Booth (Keith Michell), may be a double agent. Despite help from his girlfriend, Polly (Judy Geeson), a clerk at MI6, Shay fails to convince his superiors of his theory. Undeterred, Shay learns from scientist Philip Crawford (George Baker) that Booth has been trying to steal top-secret documents. Appointing himself executioner, Shay kills Booth and then assumes his identity to obtain conclusive evidence that Booth was a traitor, only to discover the dead man"s wife (Joan Collins) is now Crawford"s mistress, and Soviet Intelligence has set him up. Newly remastered.
Akeelah & The Bee - Fullscreen Subtitle Dolby
A young girl learns to believe in herself and value her intelligence in this critically-acclaimed, family-friendly drama. Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) is an 11-year-old being raised by her mother, Tanya (Angela Bassett), who was left on her own after the death of her husband. While Akeelah is a very bright girl, she's hardly a star student and seems afraid of acting like a bookworm around her friends and classmates. However, Akeelah's teacher sees genuine potential in her student and encourages her to enter the school's spelling bee, convinced Akeelah has the brains and the talent to win. Akeelah applies herself and emerges victorious in the local competition, but discovers the going gets tougher when she goes to a statewide bee, studying for the regionals under the aegis of strict English teacher Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), who consents to act as her coach A college professor who was a spelling-bee champ as a child, Larabee is a stubborn taskmaster who questions Akeelah's ability and commitment, but in time he develops a respect for his pupil and helps her prove her talent as she climbs the ladder to the National Spelling Bee. Meanwhile, Tanya feels intimidated when she finds the contests are dominated by children from wealthy families and privileged backgrounds, and argues that the competition may not be in Akeelah's best interest, believing instead that homework should be the one and only priority in Akeelah's life. It soon becomes apparent that if Akeelah has any intention of entering the national spelling bee championships in Washington, D.C., she will not do so with Tanya's permission or blessing. This marks the first onscreen reunion of Bassett and Fishburne since their Academy Award-nommed performances as Ike Turner and Tina Turner in Brian Gibson's 1993 biopic, What's Love Got to Do with It. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Festival of Family Classics: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea -
This film is an animated version of the Jules Verne classic featuring Captain Nemo in his capable submarine, the Nautilus. ~ Rovi
Bob Dylan: 1966 World Tour - The Home Movies -
In 1965, Bob Dylan was the reigning king of the new folk music boom, but while he had earned a large and loyal audience playing earnest and elliptical songs of social protest and romantic puzzlement accompanied by his acoustic guitar, he was eager to strike out into new territory, and he shocked fans at that year's Newport Folk Festival by showing up with an electric guitar and a thrown-together rock & roll band. Later that year, Dylan took his joyous outrage on the road, with a tight, but hard-hitting, rock & roll combo, the Hawks, joining him for a series of shows in which the singer and his band (who would later rename themselves the Band) were often confronted by puzzled and vocally angry crowds. Hawks drummer Levon Helm, unhappy with the unfriendly reception, dropped out after a few dates, and after substitute timekeepers Bobby Gregg and Sandy Konikoff both vacated the drummer's seat, Mickey Jones -- a Texan transplanted to Los Angeles who had enjoyed successful gigs with Trini Lopez and Johnny Rivers -- landed the job of joining Dylan and the Hawks for a tour of Europe. A photography buff, Jones brought his home movie camera along with him, and Bob Dylan: World Tour 1966 -- The Home Movies compiles Jones' amateur footage of life on the road and off-stage with Dylan and the Hawks. In addition, Jones shares his memories of the tour, discusses his career before and after working with Dylan, and offers his own observations on what Dylan's music meant to him and to music fans everywhere. The Home Movies includes no musical performances from Bob Dylan; accompaniment for Jones' silent footage is provided by Highway 61 Revisited, a Bob Dylan tribute band. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Baby Comes Home - Fullscreen
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Taxi Blues - Subtitle Dolby
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Street Stars: Larry Davis Story, The (DVD)
Young Larry Davis thrived on the mean Bronx streets by playing both sides of corrupt NYC cops and heavily-armed crack dealers. Shortly after Davis decided to quit the life, the police burst into his sister's apartment, shotguns blasting, sending the 19-year-old out the window and into the crosshairs of a massive 17-day manhunt. Filmmaker Troy Reed's unique, guerilla-style documentary features interviews with Davis from prison, plus radical insights into the raid, Davis' surrender to the FBI, and the firestorm of controversy surrounding his trial and subsequent verdict.
Pennies From Heaven (Miniseries) (DVD)
Dennis Potter's masterpiece mini-series follows the adventures, mishaps, and yearnings of a traveling song sheet peddler on a tight commission as he tries to make dreams fit the promises of the lyrics he carries.
