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The Bishop's Wife

Actors: Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, Monty Woolley, James Gleason
ASIN : B000056HE9
Sales Rank : 539
Director : Henry Koster
Brand : GRANT,CARY
Studio : MGM (Video & DVD)
Region Code : 1
Format : Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780792849148
ISBN : 0792849140
UPC : 027616858917
Release Date : December 06, 2001
Publisher : MGM (Video & DVD)
Manufacturer : MGM (Video & DVD)
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : MGM (Video & DVD)
Running Time : 109

Description

Heavenly bells are ringing, jubilant choirs are singing and Christmas joy is blanketing the world like freshly fallen snow. But the Yuletide spirit has yet to warm Bishop Henry Brougham's Victorian home. Struggling to raise funds for a new cathedral, the preoccupied young clergyman has neglected his loving wife Julia, and now only divine intervention can save their marriage! But the powerful and handsome angel sent from above has a mind of his own and teaching mortal Henry an immortal lesson inromance isn't all he's got planned! Starring Oscar(r) winners* Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven, and featuring "a stellar supporting cast" (The Hollywood Reporter) that includes James Gleason and Monty Woolley, this delightful romantic comedy is wondrous, witty andtruly divine! *Grant, Honorary Oscar (1969); Young, Actress, The Farmer's Daughter (1947); Niven, Actor, Separate Tables (1958)

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Perhaps if The Bishop's Wife had lapsed on its copyright and fallen into the public domain like It's a Wonderful Life, it would be as much a Christmas staple as that classic. It certainly deserves to be. Dudley (Cary Grant) is an angel sent down by the prayers of a new bishop (David Niven). The bishop is trying to build a new cathedral, and he's so entrenched in his fundraising that he's watching his own marriage crumble around him. Loretta Young is devoted, moist-eyed, and basically a great date for the tempted Dudley. They drink in the afternoon, go skating at night, and make impulse buys. The skating sequence beats mightily on one's suspension of disbelief, but the rest of the film is an absolute joy. Grant is suave, worldly, and enchanting. A wonderful present for anyone who has not seen it. --Keith Simanton

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A Christmas Carol

Actors: Richard E. Grant, Joel Grey, Ian McNeice, Saskia Reeves, Desmond Barrit
ASIN : 0780623746
Sales Rank : 925
Director : David Hugh Jones
Studio : Turner Home Ent
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780780623743
ISBN : 0780623746
UPC : 053939816129
Release Date : December 07, 2000
Publisher : Turner Home Ent
Manufacturer : Turner Home Ent
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Turner Home Ent
Running Time : 95

Description

A Christmas Carol ? TNT Original Patrick Stewart (X-Men, Star Trek: The Next Generation) stars as Scrooge, the mean-spirited miser who gets his terrifying comeuppance when he imagines he?s visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, and taken on a life-altering journey. Spellbinding special effects, a star-studded cast and a timeless holiday story make this brilliant presentation of Dickens? classic the most heartwarming, compelling and powerful adaptation ever filmed.Year: 1999Director: David JonesStarring: Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Joel Grey

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Standing out in the crowded field of screen adaptations of the classic Dickens novel A Christmas Carol is hard to do, but this version pulls it off. When a transparent Jacob Marley walks through Ebenezer Scrooge's apartment door, you know you're seeing something both timeless and contemporary. Other strategically placed special effects--a funnel cloud that transports Scrooge and the ghost of Christmas present, the hollow specter of Christmas future--keep you riveted without slipping into anachronism.

But, as good as the technology is, the performances are what really power this 93-minute TNT interpretation. Patrick Stewart brings a depth to Scrooge that allows the character to go beyond the cartoonish qualities that have made him a Christmas mainstay. That doesn't mean he's any less heartless with his hapless employee Bob Cratchit (Richard E. Grant) or any less dismissive of his well-meaning nephew. A frail-looking Joel Grey makes an excellent ghost of Christmas past, and a superb British cast ably fill the remaining roles.

Director David Jones, shooting on location in England and at London's Ealing Studios, has achieved a balance of science and sentiment that will help this version hold up for many years to come. --Kimberly Heinrichs

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The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition)

Actors: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Jonathan Taylor Thomas
ASIN : B00003CXB4
Sales Rank : 133
Director : Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers
Studio : Walt Disney Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780788845505
ISBN : 0788845500
UPC : 786936217421
Release Date : December 07, 2003
Publisher : Walt Disney Video
Manufacturer : Walt Disney Video
Label : Walt Disney Video
Running Time : 89

Description

Disney's THE LION KING SPECIAL EDITION features an all-new song, "Morning Report," and never-before-seen animation, giving you even more of this award-winning masterpiece -- the greatest animated adventure of all time. An unforgettable story, breathtaking animation, beloved characters, and Academy Award(R)-winning music (Best Original Score, 1994; Best Song, "Can You Feel The Love Tonight") set the stage for the adventures of Simba, the feisty lion cub who "just can't wait to be king." But his envious Uncle Scar has plans for his own ascent to the throne, and he forces Simba's exile from the kingdom. Alone and adrift, Simba soon joins the escapades of a hilarious meerkat named Timon and his warmhearted warthog pal, Pumbaa. Adopting their carefree lifestyle of "Hakuna Matata," Simba ignores his real responsibilities until he realizes his destiny and returns to the Pride Lands to claim his place in the "Circle of Life." Now extensively restored and remastered -- experience THE LION KING like never before, from its magnificent musical opening over breathtaking African vistas to its emotional climax. The all-star vocal talents -- including Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, and Ernie Sabella -- rip-roaring comedy, and uplifting messages of courage, loyalty, and hope make this timeless tale entertainment for all ages.

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Not an ideal choice for younger kids, this hip and violent animated feature from Disney was nevertheless a huge smash in theaters and on video, and it continues to enjoy life in an acclaimed Broadway production. The story finds a lion cub, son of a king, sent into exile after his father is sabotaged by a rivalrous uncle. The little hero finds his way into the "circle of life" with some new friends and eventually comes back to reclaim his proper place. Characters are very strong, vocal performances by the likes of Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, and Whoopi Goldberg are terrific, the jokes are aimed as much (if not more) at adults than kids, the animation is sometimes breathtaking, and the music is more palatable than in many Disney features. But be cautious: this is too intense for the Rugrat crowd. --Tom Keogh

How good-looking is the DVD restoration of Disney's popular animated film? Take a look at the serviceable but dull film clips incorporated in the plethora of extras and compare them to the vivid gorgeousness of the film presentation. This "special edition" also adds a 90-second song ("Morning Report") that originated in the lavish stage musical. To Disney's credit, the original theatrical version is also included, both restored and featuring two 5.1 soundtracks: Dolby Digital and a new Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, which does sound brighter. As with the Disney Platinum line, everything is thrown into the discs, except an outsider's voice (the rah-rahs of Disney grow tiresome at times). The excellent commentary from the directors and producer, originally on the laser disc, is hidden under the audio set-up menu.

The second disc is organized by 20-minute-ish "journeys" tackling the elements of story, music, et cetera, including good background on the awkward Shakespearean origins at Disney where it was referred as "Bamlet." The most interesting journey follows the landmark stage production, and the kids should be transfixed by shots of the real African wildlife in the animal journey. Three deleted segments are real curios, including an opening lyric for "Hakuna Matata." Most set-top DVD games are usually pretty thin (DVD-ROM is where it's at), but the Safari game is an exception--the kids should love the roaring animals (in 5.1 Surround, no less). One serious demerit goes to the needless and complicated second navigation system that is listed by continent, but just shows the same features reordered. --Doug Thomas

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Anybody who struts around with Simba's hard-won authority deserves this royal DVD read-along from Disney. Kids can recoil at Uncle Scar's dastardly deeds en español and discover that "hakuna matata" sounds pretty much the same in Spanish, French, Italian, or German. And should the dynamic storytelling fail to thrill your 4- to 12-year-old fan, a flurry of other interactive options await. Toggle to "Songs" for sing-along renditions of movie hits, including "I Just Can't Wait to Be King," and on to "Music Videos," where Elton John roars soundtrack favorites "Circle of Life" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and Jimmy Cliff and Lebo M groove to "Hakuna Matata." The "Vocabulary" feature allows for see-and-say mastery of a list of wildlife, while the "Game" section allows players to match paw and hoof prints to the proper beast and reassemble the scattered skeletal remains of an elephant. Original cast voices are featured, and grownups will be pleased by the package's reading component. --Tammy La Gorce

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Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Deluxe Edition)

Actors: Christine Baranski, Jim Carrey, David Costabile, Michael Dahlen, Josh Ryan Evans
ASIN : B00006AFF5
Sales Rank : 527
Brand : Universal
Studio : Universal Studios
Region Code : 1
Format : Anamorphic, Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Live, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0025192142420
UPC : 025192142420
Release Date : December 05, 2002
Publisher : Universal Studios
Manufacturer : Universal Studios
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Universal Studios
Running Time : 104

Product Description

Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 08/22/2006 Run time: 105 minutes Rating: Pg

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Under a thick carpet of green-dyed yak fur and wonderfully expressive Rick Baker makeup, Jim Carrey is up to all of his old tricks (and some nifty new ones) in this live-action movie of Dr. Seuss's holiday classic. He commands the title role with equal parts madness, mayhem, pathos, and improvisational genius, channeling Grinchness through his own screen persona so smoothly that fans of both Carrey and Dr. Seuss will be thoroughly satisfied. Adding to the fun is a perfectly pitched back-story sequence (accompanied by Anthony Hopkins's narration) that explains how the Grinch came to hate Christmas, with a heart "two sizes too small." Ron Howard proves a fine choice for the director's chair with a keen balance of comedy, sentiment, and light-hearted Seussian whimsy. Production designer Michael Corenblith gloriously realizes the wackiness of Whoville architecture, and his rendition of the Grinch's Mt. Crumpit lair is a marvel of cartoonish, subterranean grime. Then there's Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen), the thoughtful imp who rallies her village to recapture the pure spirit of Christmas and melts the gift-stealing Grinch's cold, cold heart. You've even got a dog (the Grinch's good-natured mongrel, Max) who's been perfectly cast, so what's not to like about this dazzling yuletide movie? The production gets a bit overwhelmed by its own ambition, and the citizens of Whoville (including Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Molly Shannon, and Bill Irwin) pale in comparison to Carrey's inspired lunacy, but who cares? If a movie can unleash Jim Carrey at his finest, revamp the Grinch story, and still pay tribute to the legacy of Dr. Seuss, you can bet it qualifies as rousing entertainment. (Ages 5 and older.) --Jeff Shannon

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24 - Season Six

Actors: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Gregory Itzin, DB Woodside, William Devane
ASIN : B000MR8W92
Sales Rank : 90
Brand : TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
Studio : Fox Network
Region Code : 1
Format : DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543462927
UPC : 024543462927
Release Date : December 04, 2007
Publisher : Fox Network
Manufacturer : Fox Network
Availability : Usually ships in 9 to 13 days
Label : Fox Network
Running Time : 1050

Product Description

At the end of Season 5, Jack Bauer was kidnapped, beaten, and taken captive in retribution for his involvement in a raid on the Chinese Consulate eighteen months earlier. Now, there's a new president, Jack Bauer is missing, and the U.S. is under siege from terrorist attacks more threatening than anything we've ever encountered! There is only one thing that can save the nation: Jack Bauer must die.

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Always innovative and utterly addictive, the thrilling sixth season of 24 picks up twenty months after last seasons shocking season finale and features even more unthinkable and shocking plotlines that take place in another heart-stopping 24 hour period. Nominated for his sixth consecutive Best ActorDrama Series EmmyAward, Kiefer Sutherland continues to ignite the screen as the rugged hero Jack Bauer, along with gripping performances from the series returning ensemble cast. The seven-disc 24: Season Six DVD set includes all 24 one-hour episodes plus is packed with hours of special features including an exclusive Season Seven preview, over 25 minutes of deleted scenes, numerous cast/crew episode commentaries, more than 20 behind-the-scenes webcast diaries, "Day Six Debrief" mobisodes, several on-the-set featurettes and more.

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The Sopranos - Season 6, Part 2

Actors: James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Frank Vincent, Steve Schirripa
ASIN : B000NA1VI2
Sales Rank : 620
Director : Tim Van Patten, Alan Taylor
Studio : Hbo Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Closed-captioned, Color
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0026359424120
UPC : 026359424120
Release Date : December 23, 2007
Publisher : Hbo Home Video
Manufacturer : Hbo Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Hbo Home Video
Running Time : 450

Description

Last year, Tony Soprano cheated death when he was shot by his now institutionalized Uncle Junior. While Tony continues to muse about his second chance at life, he faces a myriad of immediate, stress-inducing crises at home, at work and from the law. Tony's wife Carmela plans for a future she's not sure will arrive, and son AJ and daughter Meadow find that adulthood holds its own surprises. Meanwhile, at work, Tony comes to doubt the allegiances of many of those closest to him ¿ no one, not Paulie, Bobby, Silvio or even Christopher is above suspicion. The clock is ticking. Time is running out. But on who?

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Completing the run of one of the most acclaimed television shows in broadcast history, season 6, part II of The Sopranos will be remembered mostly not for what happened during the season, but for what didn't happen at the very end. Creator David Chase pulled off a series ending that was as controversial as it was surprising and unforgettable, leaving countless fans to look away from the show and to blogs and articles for answers to the biggest mystery since "who shot J.R.?": what happened to Tony Soprano? But before we get to that point, there are nine episodes to digest, and they are some of the best in the run of the show since season 3. As Tony's (James Gandolfini) paranoia and suspicions grow, his family makes choices that are threatening to bring big changes to his personal life, and his other "family" is crashing headlong towards an inevitable showdown with Phil Leotardo and the New York crew. Episode 1, "Soprano Home Movies," starts off peacefully enough with Tony and Carmela (Edie Falco) enjoying a relaxing summer weekend at Bobby and Janice's (Steve Schirripa and Aida Turturro) bucolic lake house, and by the end of the episode Tony has effectively taken Bobby's soul, proving Tony's ruthlessness and ending any doubt about his will to maintain dominance over those around him. In "Kennedy and Heidi," one of the season's signature episodes, Christopher's (Michael Imperioli) drug use continues to spiral out of control, forcing Tony to take matters into his own hands and resolve things with his nephew once and for all.

Inevitably it's all leading up to that big finale, and it's deftly handled over the last two episodes, "The Blue Comet" and "Made in America" (an episode replete with subtle references to The Godfather). Things finally start to get resolved with Phil's crew, Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese), A.J. (Robert Iler), and Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler), and as for Tony… Cut to black. To quote from another hit HBO show of the same era, "everything ends," even The Sopranos, and while the way Chase chose to end The Sopranos may not be to the liking of fans hoping for a definitive resolution, give the man credit for not stooping to clichés or tired old scenarios. As A.J. says in one of the last lines of the entire series, quoting his father, "Try to remember the times that were good." That's good advice. --Daniel Vancini

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The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset

Actors: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones
ASIN : B0009XRZ92
Sales Rank : 1010
Director : Ian MacNaughton, Terry Hughes
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Color, Closed-captioned, Subtitled
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780767085519
ISBN : 0767085515
UPC : 733961729528
Release Date : December 27, 2005
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 1749

Description

This unassuming case is packed with 16 tons of funny: 14 discs of MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS, packed with every episode from the programme’s four year run, plus 2 MONTY PYTHON LIVE! discs featuring--well, you figure it out. While to the uninitiated they may look like ordinary .65 oz. digital video discs, due to the unique physics of comedy (it’s like quantum but with fewer dead cats), each disc actually weighs a full metaphoric ton! Please remember to lift with your knees. This 16-Ton Megaset contains every single episode of MONTY PYTHONG’S FLYING CIRCUS--four years of blood, sweat and blancmange--jammed into slivers of plastic the size of a tea plate and MONTY PYTHON LIVE!--Legendary live performances, the 20-year celebration of Monty Python Parrot Sketch Not Included, and the all-German Monty Python’s Fligender Zirkus episode #1 squashed like pancakes. Sad, really. Jump right to your favorite sketches in The Flying Circus with this index! Disc 1: The Funniest Joke in the World, The Wrestling Episode, and Nudge Nudge, Disc 2: Art Critic, Silly Job Interview, and Crunchy Frog, Disc 3: Dead Parrot, Lumberjack Song, and Vocational Guidance Counselor, Disc 4: Undertaker’s Film, Upperclass Twit of the Year, and Albatross, Disc 5: The Ministry of Silly Walks, The Spanish Inquisition, and Complaints, Disc 6: The Bishop, Blackmail, and Dung, Disc 7: Attila the Nun, Silly Vicar, and Exploding Penquin on the TV Set, Disc 8: Scott of the Antarctic, Dirty Hungarian Phrase-book, and Exploding Blue Danube, Disc 9: Icelandic Saga, Fish-Slapping Dance, and Argument Clinic, Disc 10: ‘Blood, Devastation, War, and Horror’, Mount Everest - Hairdresser Expedition, and Gumby Brain Specialists, Disc 11: Cheese Shop, A Naked Man, and The Olympic Hide and Seek Final, Disc 12: Elizabethan Pornography Smugglers, Kamikaze Scotsman, and Penguins, Disc 13: Montgolfier Brothers, Department Store, and RAF Banter, Disc 14: Hamlet and Ophelia, Mr. Neutron, and Most Awful Family in Britain, Disc 15: Live at the Hollywood Bowl, Monty Python Live at Aspen, Disc 16: Parrot Sketch Not Included, Monty Python’s Fliegender Zirkus: German Episode #1

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New for 2005, The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset packs together the original 14-DVD megaset with the two-disc Monty Python Live in space-saving Thinpaks. While more cautious fans may want to pick and choose among the previously released individual volumes of Monty Python for their collection, true Pythonites will want to own this definitive megaset that contains all 45 episodes (in chronological order) of Monty Python's Flying Circus. This "persistently silly" collection encompasses three-and-a-half seasons of dead parrots, cross-dressing lumberjacks, loonies, upper class twits, and spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam, and spam. Click past the occasional clunker and go directly to such signature sketches as the Ministry of Silly Walks, the Spanish Inquisition, the Fish-Slapping Dance, the Dead Parrot Sketch, the Lumberjack Song, the Cheese Shop, the Argument Clinic, and Nudge, Nudge. Taken as a whole, one marvels at how Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam thoroughly subverted television convention with "something completely different," like sketches with no punch lines ("Your average TV viewer isn't going to understand this"). A warning to the uninitiated: there is much "material that some may find offensive, but which is really smashing." Violations of something called the "Strange Sketch Act" are the least of the troupe's offenses, as witness the Oscar Wilde Sketch, the Dirty Vicar Sketch, and the Most Awful Family in Britain Sketch, all of which achieve "the really gross awfulness" all Python fans are looking for. Say no more.

Monty Python TV shows, movies, records, and books are a time capsule of their anarchic lunacy. But more precious is an audience with Python, and as close as we can get is Live at the Hollywood Bowl, the long-sought-after 1982 concert film in which the Fab Six perform their greatest hits before a wildly enthusiastic crowd. Robert Klein moderates Live at Aspen, the irreverent 1998 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival tribute that reunited John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, and Terry Jones onstage for the first time in 18 years on the occasion of the troupe's 30th anniversary. Highlights include a shockingly funny moment involving Graham Chapman's ashes, and a joyous "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" sing-along. Less essential is 1989's clip show Parrot Sketch Not Included: 20 Years of Python, which also does not include "The Oscar Wilde Sketch," "Cheese Shop," "Nudge-Nudge," and many other signature sketches. --Donald Liebenson

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In Bruges

Actors: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Mark Donovan, Ann Elsley
ASIN : B0018BD9DA
Sales Rank : 208
Director : Martin McDonagh
Brand : Universal
Studio : Universal Studios
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0025195016322
UPC : 025195016322
Release Date : December 24, 2008
Publisher : Universal Studios
Manufacturer : Universal Studios
Availability : Usually ships in 10 to 13 days
Label : Universal Studios
Running Time : 107

Description

Colin Farrell and Academy Award-nominee Ralph Fiennes star in this edgy, action-packed comedy, filled with thrilling chases, spectacular shoot-outs and an explosive ending you won't want to miss!

Hit men Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson, Harry Potter) have been ordered to cool their heels in the storybook city of Bruges (it's in Belgium) after finishing a big job. But since hit men make the worst tourists, they soon find themselves in a life & death struggle of comic proportions against one very angry crime boss (Fiennes)!

Get ready for the outrageous and unpredictable fun you will have In Bruges, the movie critics are calling, "wildly entertaining" - Stephen Rebello, Playboy.

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The considerable pleasures of In Bruges begin with its title, which suggests a glumly self-important art film but actually fits a rattling-good tale of two Irish gangsters "keepin' a low profile" after a murder gone messily wrong. Bruges, the best-preserved medieval town in Belgium, is where the bearlike veteran Ken (Brendan Gleeson) and newbie triggerman Ray (Colin Farrell) have been ordered by their London boss to hole up for two weeks. As the sly narrative unfolds like a paper flower in water, "in Bruges" also becomes a state of mind, a suspended moment amid centuries-old towers and bridges and canals when even thuggish lives might experience a change in direction. And throughout, the viewer has ample opportunity to consider whose pronunciation of "Bruges" is more endearing, Gleeson's or Farrell's. The movie marks the feature writing-directing debut of playwright Martin McDonagh, whose droll meditation on sudden mortality, Six Shooter, copped the 2005 Oscar for best live-action short. Although McDonagh clearly relishes the musicality of his boyos' brogue and has written them plenty of entertaining dialogue, In Bruges is no stageplay disguised as a film. The script is deceptively casual, allowing for digressions on the newly united and briskly thriving Europe, and annexing passers-by as characters who have a way of circling back into the story with unanticipatable consequences. That includes a film crew--shooting a movie featuring, to Ray's fascination, "a midget" (Jordan Prentice)--and a fetching blond production assistant (Clémence Poésy) whose job description keeps evolving. There's one other key figure: Harry, the Cockney gang boss whose omnipotence remains unquestioned as long as he remains offscreen, back in England, as if floating in an early Harold Pinter play. Harry has reasons inextricably tender and perverse for selecting Bruges as his hirelings' destination, and eventually he emerges from the aether to express them--first as a garrulous telephone voice and then in the volatile form of Ralph Fiennes. By that point the charmed moment of suspension, already shaken by several irruptions of violence, is pretty well doomed. But In Bruges continues to surprise and satisfy right up to the end. --Richard T. Jameson

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The Sopranos: The Complete First Season

Actors: James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Dominic Chianese, Nancy Marchand, Michael Imperioli
ASIN : B00003CXOP
Sales Rank : 1078
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : HBO Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780783118017
ISBN : 0783118015
UPC : 026359927324
Release Date : December 12, 2000
Publisher : HBO Home Video
Manufacturer : HBO Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : HBO Home Video
Running Time : 680

Description

On January 10th, 1999, America was introduced to two families that would make history: The Soprano family headed by Tony Soprano, and The Soprano "family" headed by ... Tony Soprano. ' 'Four Stars! The first gotta-watch, gotta love, Gotti-like TV series of 1999. Across the board it's an A-plus.' ' - The New York Post ' 'Achieves a fresh tone to match its irresistibly winning concept.' ' - The New York Times

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Biographies
Featurette
Interviews

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The Sopranos, writer-producer-director David Chase's extraordinary television series, is nominally an urban gangster drama, but its true impact strikes closer to home: Like 1999's other screen touchstone, American Beauty, the HBO series chronicles a dysfunctional, suburban American family in bold relief. And for protagonist Tony Soprano, there's the added complexity posed by heading twin families, his collegial mob clan and his own, nouveau riche brood.

The series' brilliant first season is built around what Tony learns when, whipsawed between those two worlds, he finds himself plunged into depression and seeks psychotherapy--a gesture at odds with his midlevel capo's machismo, yet instantly recognizable as a modern emotional test. With analysis built into the very spine of the show's elaborate episodic structure, creator Chase and his formidable corps of directors, writers, and actors weave an unpredictable series of parallel and intersecting plot arcs that twist from tragedy to farce to social realism. While creating for a smaller screen, they enjoy a far larger canvas than a single movie would afford, and the results, like the very best episodic television, attain a richness and scope far closer to a novel than movies normally get.

Unlike Francis Coppola's operatic dramatization of Mario Puzo's Godfather epic, The Sopranos sustains a poignant, even mundane intimacy in its focus on Tony, brought to vivid life by James Gandolfini's mercurial performance. Alternately seductive, exasperated, fearful, and murderous, Gandolfini is utterly convincing even when executing brutal shifts between domestic comedy and dramatic violence. Both he and the superb team of Italian-American actors recruited as his loyal (and, sometimes, not-so-loyal) henchmen and their various "associates" make this mob as credible as the evocative Bronx and New Jersey locations where the episodes were filmed.

The first season's other life force is Livia Soprano, Tony's monstrous, meddlesome mother. As Livia, the late Nancy Marchand eclipses her long career of patrician performances to create an indelibly earthy, calculating matriarch who shakes up both families; Livia also serves as foil and rival to Tony's loyal, usually level-headed wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Lorraine Bracco makes Tony's therapist, Dr. Melfi, a convincing confidante, by turns "professional," perceptive, and sexy; the duo's therapeutic relationship is also depicted with uncommon accuracy. Such grace notes only enrich what's not merely an aesthetic high point for commercial television, but an absorbing film masterwork that deepens with subsequent screenings. --Sam Sutherland

Browse ( I ) Online

The Bishop's Wife

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A Christmas Carol

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The Lion King (Disney Special Platinum Edition)

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Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Deluxe Edition)

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24 - Season Six

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The Sopranos - Season 6, Part 2

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The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset

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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

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In Bruges

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The Sopranos: The Complete First Season

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