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Radio

Actors: Cuba Gooding Jr., Ed Harris, Debra Winger, S. Epatha Merkerson, Alfre Woodard
ASIN : B00008EY60
Sales Rank : 4455
Director : Michael Tollin
Brand : Team Marketing
Studio : Sony Pictures
Region Code : 99
Format : Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9781404935822
ISBN : 1404935827
UPC : 043396013070
Release Date : December 07, 2004
Publisher : Sony Pictures
Manufacturer : Sony Pictures
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Sony Pictures
Running Time : 109

Product Description

Football coach Harold Jones (Harris) befriends Radio (Gooding), a mentally-challenged man who becomes a student at T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson, South Carolina. Their friendship extends over several decades, where Radio transforms from a shy, tormented man into an inspiration to his community.

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Since winning an Academy Award for his exuberant performance in Jerry Maguire, Cuba Gooding Jr. has gotten little but static from critics for a spate of calamitous career choices not seen since '80s-vintage Burt Reynolds. But he triumphantly returns to Oscar-worthy status with his moving performance as Radio, a mentally challenged young man, whom South Carolina high school football coach Harold Jones (Ed Harris) takes under his nurturing wing. This does not play well with the school's patient but questioning principal (Alfre Woodard); the school's biggest athletic booster, who views Radio as a distraction; the man's son, the team's star player, who plays cruel pranks on the trusting Radio; and the Coach's teenage daughter, who feels neglected. Almost all will be won over by Radio's trusting and good nature. Based on a Sports Illustrated story, Radio was adapted for the screen by Mike Rich, screenwriter of The Rookie, and as in that superior family film, the heroics are mostly off the field. As Coach says, with all the subtlety of a blitz, "We're not the ones been teaching Radio; he's the one been teaching us." The ending, in which we see the actual Radio, still cheering his team on 26 years later, will melt the most cynical hearts. --Donald Liebenson

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Babel

Actors: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Mohamed Akhzam, Peter Wight, Harriet Walter
ASIN : B000MCH5P4
Sales Rank : 2456
Director : Alejandro González Iñárritu
Brand : Paramount
Studio : Paramount
Region Code : 1
Format : NTSC, Widescreen
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0097363459842
UPC : 097363459842
Release Date : December 20, 2007
Publisher : Paramount
Manufacturer : Paramount
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Paramount
Running Time : 143

Product Description

In Babel, a tragic incident involving an American couple in Morocco sparks a chain of events for four families in different countries throughout the world. In the struggle to overcome isolation, fear, and displacement, each character discovers that it is family that ultimately provides solace.

In the remote sands of the Moroccan desert, a rifle shot rings out-- detonating a chain of events that will link an American tourist couple’s frantic struggle to survive, two Moroccan boys involved in an accidental crime, a nanny illegally crossing into Mexico with two American children, and a Japanese teen rebel whose father is sought by the police in Tokyo. Separated by clashing cultures and sprawling distances, each of these four disparate groups of people are nevertheless hurtling towards a shared destiny of isolation and grief. In the course of just a few days, they will each face the dizzying sensation of becoming profoundly lost – lost in the desert, lost to the world, lost to themselves – as they are pushed to the farthest edges of confusion and fear as well as to the very depths of connection and love.

In this mesmerizing, emotional film that was shot in three continents and four languages – and traverses both the deeply personal and the explosively political -- acclaimed director Alejandro González Iñárritu (21 Grams, Amores Perros) explores with shattering realism the nature of the barriers that seem to separate humankind. In doing so, he evokes the ancient concept of Babel and questions its modern day implications: the mistaken identities, misunderstandings and missed chances for communication that-- though often unseen-- drive our contemporary lives. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal, Kôji Yakusho, Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi lead an international ensemble of actors and non-professional actors from Morocco, Tijuana and Tokyo, who enrich Babel’s take on cultural diversity and enhance its powerful examination of the links and frontiers between and within us.

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Brilliantly conceived, superbly directed, and beautifully acted, Babel is inarguably one of the best films of 2006. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu and his co-writer, Guillermo Arriaga (the two also collaborated on Amores Perros and 21 Grams) weave together the disparate strands of their story into a finely hewn fabric by focusing on what appear to be several equally incongruent characters: an American (Brad Pitt) touring Morocco with his wife (Cate Blanchett) become the focus of an international incident also involving a hardscrabble Moroccan farmer (Mustapha Rachidi) struggling to keep his two young sons in line and his family together. A San Diego nanny (Adriana Barraza), her employers absent, makes the disastrous decision to take their kids with her to a wedding in Mexico. And a deaf-mute Japanese teen (the extraordinary Rinko Kikuchi) deals with a relationship with her father (Koji Yakusho) and the world in general that's been upended by the death of her mother. It is perhaps not surprising, or particularly original, that a gun is the device that ties these people together. Yet Babel isn't merely about violence and its tragic consequences. It's about communication, and especially the lack of it--both intercultural, raising issues like terrorism and immigration, and intracultural, as basic as husbands talking to their wives and parents understanding their children. Iñárritu's command of his medium, sound and visual alike, is extraordinary; the camera work is by turns kinetic and restrained, the music always well matched to the scenes, the editing deft but not confusing, and the film (which clocks in at a lengthy 143 minutes) is filled with indelible moments. Many of those moments are also pretty stark and grim, and no will claim that all of this leads to a "happy" ending, but there is a sense of reconciliation, perhaps even resolution. "If You Want to be Understood... Listen," goes the tagline. And if you want a movie that will leave you thinking, Babel is it. --Sam Graham

Beyond Babel

Other Interweaving Storylines on DVD
Other DVDs by Director Alejandro González Iñárritu
Why We Love Cate Blanchett

Stills from Babel (click for larger image)

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Sparkle

Actors: Philip Michael Thomas, Irene Cara, Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith, Mary Alice
ASIN : B000JLTRH2
Sales Rank : 7214
Director : Sam O'Steen
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : Warner Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0085393197421
UPC : 085393197421
Release Date : December 02, 2007
Publisher : Warner Home Video
Manufacturer : Warner Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Warner Home Video
Running Time : 98

Description

Irene Cara (Fame) and Lonette McKee (Round Midnight) sing and struggle their way to show-business glory in a Supremes-like girl group. Dynamite Curtis Mayfield soundtrack.

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Before Dreamgirls hit cineplexes in 2006, there was Sparkle. Released in 1976, the low-budget movie (which is also loosely based on the story of Diana Ross and the Supremes) achieved somewhat of a cult following among fans that enjoy a good cry along with their kitsch. Sparkle tells the rags-to-riches (and rags again, for some of the characters) tale of three sisters with gorgeous voices. There's Sister (Lonette McKee), Sparkle (Irene Cara, Fame), and Delores (Dwan Smith), who team up with a couple of players (including a very young Philip Michael Thomas, pre-Miami Vice) to form a singing group. Because the men add little oomph to the outfit, the quintet becomes an all-girl trio and is renamed the redundant (and hysterical) Sister and the Sisters. But because this movie is called Sparkle and not Sister, we know that Irene Cara's character is the one to watch. Cara is a joy to listen to when she unleashes her powerful pipes. And as the much put-upon Sister, McKee is convincing and earns the viewer's sympathy. Set in the 1950's, the movie tackles racism, sexism, jealousy, and both chemical and physical abuse. While it is overly dramatic and liberally serves up sloppy doses of soap opera clichés, the film also is highly watchable because of its over-the-top campiness. --Jae-Ha Kim

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Faith-Based 3pk Bundle (Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Flywheel)

Actors: Kirk Cameron, Shannen Fields, Janet Lee Dapper
ASIN : B001N26HFG
Sales Rank : 1967
Director : Alex Kendrick
Studio : SONY PICTURES
Region Code : 1
Format : Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0043396304833
UPC : 043396304833
Release Date : December 27, 2009
Publisher : SONY PICTURES
Manufacturer : SONY PICTURES
Availability : Not yet released
Label : SONY PICTURES
Running Time : 343

Product Description

Faith-Based 3pk bundle contains the hit films: Fireproof, Facing The Giants, and Flywheel (Director's Cut).

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Flywheel
Flywheel is the first film from the creators of Facing the Giants and Fireproof. Used car salesman Jay Austin (writer/director Alex Kendrick) swindles his customers and teaches his assistant salesmen to do the same--but despite the profits, something gnaws at him. When he realizes that his own son doesn't respect him, Austin has a conversion and accepts God into his life. This would be the end of most spiritual stories, but Flywheel finds a warm comedy in the obstacles on the path of righteousness; Austin discovers that being right with God means grappling every day with what it means to be honest. Though the filmmaking is raw (the editing is often clumsy and the cinematography is flat), the story is well-paced, has a gently ironic sense of humor, and Kendrick's central performance is compelling. Kendrick is just as persuasive as a man struggling to emerge from a joyless life as he is when he's rediscovered his faith but finds it constantly tested. Though Flywheel is forthright about its Christian inspiration, the story is about actually living a moral life, not about abstract spiritual truths. The result is a movie that looks towards heaven, but has its feet on the earth. --Bret Fetzer

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Stomp the Yard (Widescreen Edition)

Actors: Columbus Short, Meagan Good, Ne-Yo, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Brian J. White
ASIN : B00005JPK8
Sales Rank : 3668
Director : Sylvain White
Brand : Sony
Studio : Sony Pictures
Region Code : 99
Format : AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0043396160422
UPC : 043396160422
Release Date : December 15, 2007
Publisher : Sony Pictures
Manufacturer : Sony Pictures
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Sony Pictures
Running Time : 114

Product Description

After the death of his younger brother a troubled 19-year-old street dancer from l.A. Tries to start a new life by enrolling in an historically black college in atlanta. His efforts are sidelined when he is courted by campus fraternities who need his innovative dance moves to win a national competition. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 09/23/2008 Run time: 116 minutes Rating: Pg13

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At its core, Stomp the Yard is a romantic drama disguised as a dance film. Or is it the other way around? DJ (Columbus Short) is a troubled teen from Los Angeles who gets a chance for a better life when he is admitted into Atlanta's privileged Truth University. Just when he thought he had escaped a life of gangs, DJ finds himself in the middle of a "war" between two upper-crust fraternities where stepping (a popular dance form) is their weapon of choice. When DJ realizes the coed he falls for is the girlfriend of the school's champion stepper, he joins the rival fraternity to try to show her--and himself--that he's as good as anyone else there. Stomp the Yard is not an original film. Add some drums and you've got Drumline. Change some of the characters around and you've got Save the Last Dance. What sets the movie apart is the stepping. The precision involved at this level is impressively complicated and Short--a dancer and choreographer--is beautifully expressive both as an actor and a dancer. Sure the plot is predictable and hokey at times. But Short and Meagan Good (as his crush April) have wonderful chemistry together, and the supporting cast--including Harry J. Lennix as DJ's no-nonsense uncle--are delightful to watch. --Jae-Ha Kim

Stills from Stomp the Yard (click for larger image)

Beyond Stomp the Yard on Amazon.com

Stomp the Yard on Blu-ray
CD Soundtrack
Dance DVDs

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (20th Anniversary Edition)

Actors: John Neville, Eric Idle, Sarah Polley, Oliver Reed, Charles McKeown
ASIN : B0011E5M66
Sales Rank : 6998
Director : Terry Gilliam
Brand : Sony
Studio : Sony Pictures
Region Code : 99
Format : AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0043396191747
UPC : 043396191747
Release Date : December 08, 2008
Publisher : Sony Pictures
Manufacturer : Sony Pictures
Availability : Usually ships in 9 to 13 days
Label : Sony Pictures
Running Time : 126

Product Description

Director Terry Gilliam (Brazil) and an all-star cast including John Neville, Eric Idle, Oliver Reedand Uma Thurman deliver this tale of the enchanting adventures of Baron von Munchausen on his journey to save a town from defeat. Being swallowed by a giant sea-monster, a trip to the moon, a dance with Venus and an escape from the Grim Reaper are only some of the improbable adventures.

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Monty Python's Terry Gilliam (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) directs this wild, wild version of the stories of Baron Munchausen, pushing the limits of 1989 special effects technology to bring us such sights as a horse divided in half and running around in two parts, and a giant Robin Williams with his head flying off his shoulders. Basically, this is a treat for Gilliam fans, as the sustaining idea of the film runs out of steam, and manic energy alone keeps the momentum going. Casual viewers might find it tedious after awhile. There are nice parts for fellow Python Eric Idle, as well as Sting, Alison Steadman, and Uma Thurman as a dazzlingly beautiful Venus on a half-shell. Gilliam had greater artistic and commercial success with Brazil, The Fisher King, and 12 Monkeys. --Tom Keogh

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The Outsiders - The Complete Novel (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Actors: C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe
ASIN : B000A0GOE6
Sales Rank : 6104
Director : Francis Ford Coppola
Studio : Warner Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9781419810800
ISBN : 1419810804
UPC : 012569705968
Release Date : December 20, 2005
Publisher : Warner Home Video
Manufacturer : Warner Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Warner Home Video
Running Time : 91

Description

In 1983, Francis Ford Coppola's film of S.E. Hinton's novel struck a powerful chord with audiences, capturing the intense feelings of being caught between childhood and adulthood, and not belonging anywhere. Decades later, Coppola has revisited the film and reintegrated 22 minutes of character-enriching footage, including a new beginnning and ending more true to the book. A rousing new rock-n-roll soundtrack featuring six songs from Elvis Presley and other music greats make this new version of The Outsiders one of movie history's great rediscoveries.

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes:10 Minutes of Additional Scenes
Audio Commentary:New Introduction and Commentary by Director Francis Ford Coppola New Introduction and Commentary by Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe and Diane Lane
Documentaries:The Casting of The Outsiders Staying Gold: A Look Back at the Outsiders S.E. Hinton on Location in Tulsa
Featurette:NBC Today Segment: The Outsiders Started by School Petition Readings: Seven cast members do readings of the book.
Other:Fred Roos and the Casting of The Outsiders, Including Never-Before-Seen Screen Tests and Auditions
Theatrical Trailer:1983 Theatrical Trailer

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Director Francis Coppola's adaptation of the popular S.E. Hinton novel about the price of rebellious youth is notable chiefly for the stunning cast of young actors who went on to rich and varied careers. In supporting roles, the film features the likes of Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Diane Lane, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, and Tom Waits, among others. The story centers on two rival gangs in the early 1960s Midwest, and the violent turf wars that escalate and tragically claim young lives. C. Thomas Howell plays the central character who yearns to prove himself and be accepted by his older brothers' gang, while at the same time finding his first love and dreaming of a life beyond his dead end existence. Geared toward the teenage crowd, the film nonetheless features some fine direction from Coppola in a story that evokes memories of the classic coming-of-age films of the 1950s. --Robert Lane

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No one was surprised when Francis Ford Coppola revisited Apocalypse Now, but his overhaul of The Outsiders raised a few eyebrows. Here was a modestly successful film better remembered for its Brat Pack cast than its Oscar-winning director, but The Complete Novel succeeds in bringing more of S.E. Hinton's young adult classic to the screen along with Coppola's epic vision. The story remains the same: The working class greasers and wealthy Socs ("Socials") of Tulsa, OK, circa 1966, are at war. Despite the bigger names in the cast--Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe--the friendship between C. Thomas Howell's Ponyboy and Ralph Macchio's doomed Johnny is still the focus. If anything, Tom Cruise, as an obnoxious greaser, gives the least promising performance, while Matt Dillon (Crash) as the unpredictable Dally and Diane Lane (Unfaithful) as the beautiful Cherry provide a taste of the mature work to come. Aside from 22 minutes of restored footage (including a prologue and epilogue), which add heart and grandeur, The Complete Novel includes several new rock and roll tracks, most by Elvis Presley. In the end, the revamped Outsiders still plays like a cross between Rebel Without a Cause and The Last Picture Show--and that's a good thing. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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Raging Bull (Special Edition)

Actors: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent
ASIN : B00062IVKS
Sales Rank : 3214
Director : Martin Scorsese
Brand : TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
Studio : MGM (Video & DVD)
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Black & White, Collector's Edition, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780792863328
ISBN : 0792863321
UPC : 027616915122
Release Date : December 08, 2005
Publisher : MGM (Video & DVD)
Manufacturer : MGM (Video & DVD)
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : MGM (Video & DVD)
Running Time : 129

Description

Robert De Niro teams with director Martin Scorsese in this "extraordinarily compelling" (Leonard Maltin) film that introduced unflinching realism to stunned audiences in 1980. An "exceedingly violentas well as poetic" fight picture that maps "the landscape of the soul" (The New York Times),Raging Bull garnered eight OscarÂ(r) nominations* and won two, including Best Actor for De Niro. De Niro gives the performance of his career as Jake La Motta, a boxer whose psychological and sexual complexities erupt into violence both in and out of the ring. Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty are unforgettable as the brother who falls prey to Jake's mounting paranoia and jealousy, and the fifteen-year-old girl who becomes his most prized trophy. A "brilliantly photographed film of extraordinary power and rare distinction" (The Wall Street Journal), Raging Bullis filmmaking at its riveting best. *1980: Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Pesci), Supporting Actress (Moriarty), Cinematography, Sound, Editing (won)

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Martin Scorsese's brutal black-and-white biography of self-destructive boxer Jake LaMotta was chosen as the best film of the 1980s in a major critics' poll at the end of the decade, and it's a knockout piece of filmmaking. Robert De Niro plays LaMotta (famously putting on 50 pounds for the later scenes), a man tormented by demons he doesn't understand and prone to uncontrollably violent temper tantrums and fits of irrational jealousy. He marries a striking young blond (Cathy Moriarty), his sexual ideal, and then terrorizes her with never-ending accusations of infidelity. Jake is as frightening as he is pathetic, unable to control or comprehend the baser instincts that periodically, and without warning, turn him into the rampaging beast of the title. But as Roman Catholic Scorsese sees it, he works off his sins in the boxing ring, where his greatest athletic talent is his ability to withstand punishment. The fight scenes are astounding; they're like barbaric ritual dance numbers. Images smash into one another--a flashbulb, a spray of sweat, a fist, a geyser of blood--until you feel dazed from the pummeling. Nominated for a handful of Academy Awards (including best picture and director), Raging Bull won only two, for De Niro and for editor Thelma Schoonmacher. --Jim Emerson

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Babe (Full Screen Special Edition)

Actors: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Christine Cavanaugh, Miriam Margolyes, Danny Mann
ASIN : B0000AK7AC
Sales Rank : 12166
Director : Chris Noonan
Brand : Universal
Studio : Universal Studios
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Special Edition, Subtitled, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780783296043
ISBN : 0783296045
UPC : 025192383229
Release Date : December 23, 2003
Publisher : Universal Studios
Manufacturer : Universal Studios
Label : Universal Studios
Running Time : 89

Product Description

Babe a pig raised by sheepdogs learns to herd sheep with a little help from farmer hoggett. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 01/09/2007 Starring: James Cromwell David Webb Run time: 89 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Chris Noonan

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The surprise hit of 1995, this splendidly entertaining family film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture, director, and screenplay, and deservedly won the Oscar for its subtly ingenious visual effects. Babe is all about the title character, a heroic little pig who's been taken in by the friendly farmer Hoggett (Oscar nominee James Cromwell), who senses that he and the pig share "a common destiny." Babe, a popular mischief-maker the Australian farm, is adopted by the resident border collie and raised as a puppy, befriended by Ferdinand the duck (who thinks he's a rooster), and saves the day as a champion "sheep-pig." Filled with a supporting cast of talking barnyard animals and a chorus of singing mice (courtesy of computer enhancements and clever animatronics), this frequently hilarious, visually imaginative movie has already taken its place as a family classic with timeless appeal. --Jeff Shannon

Browse Family Life Online

Radio

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Babel

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Sparkle

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Faith-Based 3pk Bundle (Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Flywheel)

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Stomp the Yard (Widescreen Edition)

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (20th Anniversary Edition)

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Family Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection

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The Outsiders - The Complete Novel (Two-Disc Special Edition)

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Raging Bull (Special Edition)

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Babe (Full Screen Special Edition)

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