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One Magic Christmas

Actors: Mary Steenburgen, Gary Basaraba, Harry Dean Stanton, Arthur Hill, Elisabeth Harnois
ASIN : B0001I55YM
Sales Rank : 706
Director : Phillip Borsos
Brand : STEENBURGER,MARY
Studio : Walt Disney Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0786936240832
UPC : 786936240832
Release Date : December 07, 2004
Publisher : Walt Disney Video
Manufacturer : Walt Disney Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Walt Disney Video
Running Time : 88

Description

Award-winning actress Mary Steenburgen (TV's JOAN OF ARCADIA, HOPE SPRINGS) gives a solid performance as Ginny Grainger, a young mother who rediscovers the joy and beauty of Christmas, thanks to the unshakable faith of her six-year-old daughter Abbie (Elizabeth Harnois) and Gideon (Harry Dean Stanton), Ginny's very own guardian angel. Ginny's wondrous experience will touch your heart and warm your soul in the timeless tradition of past Disney favorites. ONE MAGIC CHRISTMAS fulfills all your most treasured Christmas fantasies. Share it with those you love.

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Grab an econo-pack of tissues, gather your loved ones around a cozy television, and bring on the hot cocoa--it's time for a dose of Christmas spirit. The tender and charming Mary Steenburgen (Parenthood) dons a sour disposition in her role as Ginny Grainger, a woman who finds little joy in life lately--let alone in the impending holiday season. Money is tight, her husband (beautifully downplayed by nice-guy Gary Basaraba) lost his job, and the family must move out of their house. Ginny cannot even bring herself to say, "Merry Christmas," despite her family's enthusiasm about the big day. With help from Ginny's brave and loving daughter (sweetly performed by Elisabeth Harnois) and a Christmas angel named Gideon (Harry Dean Stanton), Ginny undergoes a life-altering experience à la It's a Wonderful Life. The result? Happy endings, hugs and kisses, pass the tissues.

Not a light holiday entertainer by any means, the plot verges on depressing at times, as the family struggles through money issues and the tedium of daily suburban survival. While handled fairly subtly, some of the bridging story--including a shooting, a kidnapping, and a drowning--might prove disturbing to children under 6 years old. And really: if the somber Harry Dean Stanton (Paris, Texas) repeatedly appeared in your neighborhood, cloaked in a cowboy hat and overcoat, would you allow your kids outside? Still, a well-made favorite to cherish. --Liane Thomas

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The Gospel of John

Actors: Christopher Plummer, Henry Ian Cusick, Stuart Bunce, Daniel Kash, Stephen Russell (II)
ASIN : B0006Q93ZG
Sales Rank : 981
Director : Philip Saville
Studio : Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0786936281842
UPC : 786936281842
Release Date : December 15, 2005
Publisher : Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
Manufacturer : Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
Running Time : 181

Description

An epic in the spirit of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, this widely acclaimed motion picture is a meticulous recreation of the turbulent era of Jesus and the events that changed the course of history! Narrated by Golden Globe nominee Christopher Plummer (Best Supporting Actor, AMERICAN TRAGEDY, 2000), it’s the bold and powerful story of Jesus as told by his disciple John. The best-loved but least understood of the gospels, John presents a uniquely human portrait of courage and passion encompassing Jesus' entire three-year ministry, the final years of his life. Intimate and reflective, THE GOSPEL OF JOHN offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience the incomparable life and times of Jesus Christ.

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An American Werewolf in London

Actors: Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, Brian Glover, David Naughton, John Woodvine
ASIN : B00005LC4E
Sales Rank : 3083
Director : John Landis
Brand : Universal
Studio : Universal Pictures
Region Code : 1
Format : Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780783255149
ISBN : 0783255144
UPC : 025192121920
Release Date : December 18, 2001
Publisher : Universal Pictures
Manufacturer : Universal Pictures
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Universal Pictures
Running Time : 97

Product Description

A new york student becomes the scourge of london after being bitten by a beast on the moors. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 08/23/2005 Starring: David Naughton Mark Fisher Run time: 97 minutes Rating: R Director: John Landis

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Remember back in the early 1980s when special-effects makeup artists were tripping over themselves to create the next big effect? The Howling boasted a fantastic werewolf transformation scene courtesy of makeup wizard Rob Bottin. Then along came Bottin's mentor, Rick Baker, with his own spectacular effects in this popular horror comedy directed by John Landis. An American Werewolf in London is more of a makeup showcase than a truly satisfying movie, but the film is effectively moody when David Naughton discovers that a wolf attack has turned him into a bloodthirsty lycanthrope. Jenny Agutter plays his love interest (watch out, he bites!), and who can forget Griffin Dunne as Naughton's best friend, an undead corpse who progressively rots away as the plot unfolds? All things considered, it's easy to see why An American Werewolf in London became a modern horror favorite. --Jeff Shannon

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The Big Lebowski - 10th Anniversary Limited Edition

Actors: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston
ASIN : B001AEF6CW
Sales Rank : 1814
Director : Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Brand : Universal
Studio : Universal Studios
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Limited Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0025195046008
UPC : 025195046008
Release Date : December 09, 2008
Publisher : Universal Studios
Manufacturer : Universal Studios
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Universal Studios
Running Time : 117

Description

From the Academy Award winning Coen Brothers comes The Big Lebowski - the hilariously quirky comedy-thriller about bowling, avant-garde art, nihilistic Austrians, and a guy named…The Dude.

Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski doesn’t want any drama in his life…heck, he can’t even be bothered with a job. But, in a case of mistaken identity, a couple of thugs break into his place and steal his rug (you gotta understand, that rug really tied the room together). Now, The Dude must embark on a quest with his crazy friends to make things right and get that rug back!

Starring Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, John Goodman, John Turturro and Steve Buscemi, The Big Lebowski has become a cultural phenomenon. Now, experience the outrageous fan favorite like never before in this 2-Disc Anniversary Edition loaded with all-new bonus features that will take you beyond the movie! The Dude abides…

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After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy case of the munchies. --Jeff Shannon

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9 songs - Unrated Full Uncut Version

Actors: Kieran O'Brien, Margo Stilley, Huw Bunford, Cian Ciaran, The Dandy Warhols
ASIN : B000BGH29K
Sales Rank : 1412
Director : Michael Winterbottom
Studio : Tartan Video
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0842498020074
UPC : 842498020074
Release Date : December 22, 2005
Publisher : Tartan Video
Manufacturer : Tartan Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Tartan Video
Running Time : 71

Description

Matt, a young glaciologist, soars across the vast, silent, icebound immensities of the South Pole as he recalls his love affair with Lisa. They meet at a mobbed rock concert in a vast music hall - London's Brixton Academy. They are in bed at night's end. Together, over a period of several months, they pursue a mutual sexual passion whose stages unfold in counterpoint to nine live-concert songs. Featuring nine live concert performances not available anywhere else by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies, Elbow, Primal Scream, The Dandy Warhols, Super Furry Animals, Franz Ferdinand and Michael Nyman. Special features include a Concert Performance-only option.

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Maverick director Michael Winterbottom wondered about the double standard of why novels can have explicit sex scenes and be legit and films could not. So his short film of a relationship based solely on sex and a love for music is the result of that thought. If the definition of a porn film is to shoot actors performing graphic sex scenes for real, then 9 Songs qualifies. It certainly doesn't feel or look like your standard whoopdee-do XXX feature. It's as glossy and low-budget arty as Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party People or I Want You. But yeah, Matt and Lisa do everything to each other, and the actors are not "just acting" in some of the sex scenes. No matter how landmark the movie might be, there is not much story here (at least a book with hot sex often has a good story to it). Lisa is an American drifter in London who hooks up with Matt, a scientist who studies glaciers in Antarctica. They have sex and visit nine rock concerts including Franz Ferdinand and The Dandy Warhols. As advertised, you can't find these musical performances anywhere else, but we just see them from way back in the crowd. The film has an essence of how someone can find bliss in another person's body, and the emotional, magical weight that can hold over you. But that spell doesn't last. Since the sex is real, Winterbottom had to cast unknown actors, and they really don't make an impression, especially with the lack of story. --Doug Thomas

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Babette's Feast

Actors: Stéphane Audran, Bodil Kjer, Birgitte Federspiel, Jarl Kulle, Jean-Philippe Lafont
ASIN : B000053VBK
Sales Rank : 1203
Director : Gabriel Axel
Studio : MGM (Video & DVD)
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780792848394
ISBN : 079284839X
UPC : 027616857958
Release Date : December 23, 2001
Publisher : MGM (Video & DVD)
Manufacturer : MGM (Video & DVD)
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : MGM (Video & DVD)
Running Time : 102

Description

Artistic, sensual and sacred passions unite in Babette's Feast. Written and directed by Gabriel Axel, from a short story by Out of Africa's Isak Dinesen, this Oscar(r)-winning*film offers "an irresistible mixture of dry wit and robust humanity" (Newsweek). Onthe desolate coast of Denmark live Martina and Philippa, the beautiful daughters of a devout clergyman who preaches salvation through self-denial. Both girls sacrifice youthful passion to faith and duty, and even many years after their father's death, they keep his austere teachings alive among thetownspeople. But with the arrival of Babette, a mysterious refugee from France's civil war, life for the sisters and their tiny hamlet begins to change. Soon, Babette has convinced them to try something truly outrageousa gourmet French meal! Her feast, of course, scandalizes the local elders. Just who is this strangely talented Babette, who has terrified this pious town with the prospect of losing their souls for enjoying too much earthly pleasure? *1987: Foreign Language Film

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Some movies can only be described as delicious. In Babette's Feast, a woman flees the French civil war and lands in a small seacoast village in Denmark, where she comes to work for two spinsters, devout daughters of a puritan minister. After many years, Babette unexpectedly wins a lottery, and decides to create a real French dinner--which leads the sisters to fear for their souls. Joining them for the meal will be a Danish general who, as a young soldier, courted one of the sisters, but she turned him away because of her religion. The village elders all resolve not to enjoy the meal, but can their moral fiber resist the sensual pleasure of Babette's cooking? Babette's Feast deservedly won the 1987 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This lovely movie is impeccably simple, yet its slender narrative contains a wealth of humor, melancholy, and hope. --Bret Fetzer

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James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 2 (A View to a Kill / Thunderball / Die Another Day / The Spy Who Loved Me / Licence to Kill)

Actors: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Rosamund Pike, Sean Connery, Claudine Auger
ASIN : B00000BCPF
Sales Rank : 451
Director : John Glen, Lee Tamahori, Lewis Gilbert, Terence Young
Brand : BROSNAN,PIERCE
Studio : MGM (Video & DVD)
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0027616060051
UPC : 027616060051
Release Date : December 07, 2006
Publisher : MGM (Video & DVD)
Manufacturer : MGM (Video & DVD)
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : MGM (Video & DVD)
Running Time : 642

Description

Disc 1: *Thunderball (1965) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Terence Young and Others

Disc 2: **Thunderball Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT The Incredible World of James Bond - Original 1965 NBC Television Special A Child's Guide to Blowing Up a Motor Car - 1965 Ford Promotional Film On Location With Ken Adam Bill Suitor: The Rocket Man Movies Thunderball Boat Show Reel Selling Bonds - Original 1965 Television Advertisements 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Thunderball Audio Commentary Featuring Peter Hunt, John Hopkins and Others The Making of Thunderball The Thunderball Phenomenon The Secret History of Thunderball MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications

Disc 3: *Die Another Day (2002) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director Lee Tamahori and Producer Michael G. Wilson & Pierce Brosnan

Disc 4: **Die Another Day Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT From Script to Screen Shaken and Stirred on Ice Just Another Day The British Touch: Bond Arrives in London On Location With Peter Lamont 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Die Another Day Audio Commentary Featuring Pierce Brosnan and Rosamund Pike MI6 DataStream Additional DVD-ROM Features Available! Madonna 'Die Another Day' Music Video MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Photo gallery

Disc 5: *The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) **The Spy Who Loved Me Bonus Disc Newly Recorded Audio Commentary Featuring Sir Roger Moore THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director Lewis Gilbert, Production Designer Ken Adam, Co-Writer Christopher Wood and Michael G Wilson

Disc 6: DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT 007 in Egypt Roger Moore: My Word Is My Bond On Location With Ken Adam 007 Stage Dedication Original 1977 Featurette Escape From Atlantis: Storyboard Sequence 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of The Spy Who Loved Me Inside The Spy Who Loved Me Ken Adam: Designing Bond MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery & Radio Communications

Disc 7: *A View To A Kill (1985) **A View To A Kill Bonus Disc Newly Recorded Audio Commentary Featuring Sir Roger Moore THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director John Glen and Members of the Cast and Crew

Disc 8: DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Film '85 BBC Report Float Like A Butterfly Test Footage Deleted Scenes & Expanded Angles with Introductions by Director John Glen 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of A View to a Kill Inside A View to a Kill The Music of James Bond Duran Duran 'A View to a Kill' Music Video MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers, TV Spots & Photo Gallery

Disc 9: *License To Kill (1989) THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER Audio Commentary Featuring Director John Glen and Members of the Cast Audio Commentary Featuring Michael G Wilson and Members of the Crew

Disc 10: **License To Kill Bonus Disc DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT Deleted Scenes With Director John Glen Introductions Bond '89 On the Set With John Glen On Location With Peter Lamont Ground Check With Corkey Fornof 007 MISSION CONTROL Interactive Guide Into the World of Licence to Kill Inside Licence to Kill Production Featurette "Behind the Scenes" Kenworth Trucks Featurette Gladys Knight 'Licence to Kill' Music Video Patti LaBelle 'If You Asked Me To' Music Video MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Original Trailers & Photo Gallery

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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Actors: Donny Osmond, Maria Friedman, Richard Attenborough, Joan Collins, Christopher Biggins
ASIN : 0783240287
Sales Rank : 1148
Director : David Mallet
Brand : Universal
Studio : Universal Studios
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780783240282
ISBN : 0783240287
UPC : 025192071423
Release Date : December 28, 2000
Publisher : Universal Studios
Manufacturer : Universal Studios
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Universal Studios
Running Time : 76

Product Description

Follows the rags-to-riches story of joseph his eleven brothers and the coat of many colors. Bonus features: both dolby digital and dts audio tracks trailer production notes cast and filmmakers universal web link and go go go joseph the making of joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 03/04/2003 Starring: Donny Osmond Richard Attenborough Run time: 78 minutes Rating: Nr

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Following the successful 1998 video release of Cats comes another Andrew Lloyd Webber blockbuster musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and it's a savvy choice. It hasn't been represented on film before, it's short enough (78 minutes) to present without cuts, and it has the star power of former teen icon Donny Osmond, who played over 1,800 performances across North America. Rather than record a live performance, Cats director David Mallet conceived Joseph as a film, though one that is based strongly on codirector Steven Pimlott's 1991 London revival and relies more on camerawork than venturing beyond its stagelike sets.

Lloyd Webber's first project with lyricist Tim Rice was originally written in 1968 as a school cantata; accordingly, this film uses a framing sequence of a school recital, with an audience of clapping, singing kids and members of the faculty playing the roles. The Old Testament tale of Joseph and his coat of many colors gets a splashy, vigorous treatment with an energetic cast, Las Vegas-style glitz, and catchy, eclectic songs, including "Any Dream Will Do," "Close Every Door," the peppy "Go, Go, Go Joseph," and various bits of country, calypso, and Elvis. Osmond is perfect in the title role, with a strong voice and winning persona, while London stage veteran Maria Friedman performs well in the central role of the narrator. Richard Attenborough appears (and sings a little) as Jacob, and Joan Collins makes a brief, nonsinging cameo.

Joseph certainly isn't revolutionary musical theater, but if you view it as a kids' show, it's a silly good time (though there are poignant moments too). Parents should note, however, that this production might warrant a little discretion due to one suggestive scene and some risqué costumes. --David Horiuchi

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Persuasion

Actors: Anthony Head, Alice Krige, Marion Bailey, Peter Wight, Rupert Penry-Jones
ASIN : B000YIGNKE
Sales Rank : 1742
Director : Adrian Shergold
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC Warner
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0883929005475
UPC : 883929005475
Release Date : December 15, 2008
Publisher : BBC Warner
Manufacturer : BBC Warner
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : BBC Warner
Running Time : 93

Description

Jane Austenâ€™s romantic masterpiece comes to DVD in a thrilling new production from the BBC and Masterpiece Theatre. Anne Elliot fell deeply in love with the handsome young naval officer Frederick Wentworth at the age of nineteen. But with neither fortune nor rank to recommend him, Anne was persuaded to break off her engagement. Eight years later, Anne has lived to regret her decision. She never stopped loving Wentworth, and when he returns from sea with a fortune and rank, she can only watch as every eligible young woman in the district falls at his feet.

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Jane Austen fans will delight in the sumptuous production design and first-rate acting in the 2007 Masterpiece Theatre version of Persuasion. Sally Hawkins is controlled and moving as Anne Elliot, the quietly heartbroken but sensible heroine who was "persuaded" (read: forced) to turn away her true love but still carries an unseen torch for him. Hawkins's performance is genteel yet steely, and the quiet strength of the entire production. Hawkins looks alternately quietly lovely and sadly pinched--as one might expect the long frustrated Anne to look.

Other highlights include a post-Buffy Anthony Head, as Anne's clueless, blustery father, Sir Walter. Head gets to turn on his deft comic talent here in ways most American audiences have not yet seen him; he's clearly enjoying himself immensely, blustering about "my shrubberies" and other trivial affairs. The cinematography is lush (several breathtaking tracking shots are used, especially early on), as are the period costumes. The production was filmed exclusively on location, and the reality of the sets enforces the story.

Some fans may prefer the 1995 Amanda Root version, for the casting of Ciaran Hinds as Capt. Wentworth, but this later effort is a worthy entry in the Austen film oeuvre--and Rupert Penry-Jones is a dreamboat in his own right. As the wistful Anne says, on behalf of all women, "We do not forget you, so soon as you forget us." --A.T. Hurley

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Persepolis

Actors: Danielle Darrieux, Catherine Deneuve, Iggy Pop, Gena Rowlands, Sean Penn
ASIN : B000YAA68W
Sales Rank : 1400
Director : Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud
Brand : Sony
Studio : Sony Pictures
Region Code : 99
Format : AC-3, Black & White, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0043396225251
UPC : 043396225251
Release Date : December 24, 2008
Publisher : Sony Pictures
Manufacturer : Sony Pictures
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Sony Pictures
Running Time : 95

Product Description

Persepolis is the poignant story of a young girl coming-of-age in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It is through the eyes of precocious and outspoken nine-year-old Marjane that we see a people's hopes dashed as fundamentalists take power — forcing the veil on women and imprisoning thousands. Clever and fearless, she outsmarts the "social guardians" and discovers punk, ABBA and Iron Maiden. Yet when her uncle is senselessly executed and as bombs fall around Tehran in the Iran/Iraq war the daily fear that permeates life in Iran is palpable. As she gets older, Marjane's boldness causes her parents to worry over her continued safety. And so, at age fourteen, they make the difficult decision to send her to school in Austria. Vulnerable and alone in a strange land, she endures the typical ordeals of a teenager. In addition, Marjane has to combat being equated with the religious fundamentalism and extremism she fled her country to escape. Over time, she gains acceptance, and even experiences love, but after high school she finds herself alone and horribly homesick. Though it means putting on the veil and living in a tyrannical society, Marjane decides to return to Iran to be close to her family. After a difficult period of adjustment, she enters art school and marries, all the while continuing to speak out against the hypocrisy she witnesses. At age 24, she realizes that while she is deeply Iranian, she cannot live in Iran. She then makes the heartbreaking decision to leave her homeland for France, optimistic about her future, shaped indelibly by her past.

Amazon.com

A fascinating and wholly unexpected take on Iran’s Islamic revolution beginning in the 1970s, Persepolis is an enthralling, animated feature about a spirited young woman who spends her life trying to deal with the consequences of her nation’s history. Based on an autobiographical comic book by Marjane Satrapi, the story concerns Marji (voiced as a teenager and woman by Chiara Mastroianni), whose natural fire and precociousness are slowly dampened by the rise of religious extremists. Marji grieves over the imprisonment and execution of a beloved uncle, then begrudgingly adapts to ever-tightening rules about dress, social mores, education for women, and expectations about marriage and divorce. Along the way, her grandmother (Danielle Darrieux) and mother (Catherine Deneuve) help keep Marji grounded during her rebellious teens and encourage her to find life beyond Iran’s borders, a decision that proves both a blessing and curse. An unique window onto a crucial chapter of 20th century history, Persepolis is graphically engaging with its black-and-white, bold lines and feeling of repressed energy, fit to burst. The emotional content is so strong that after awhile, one almost forgets the film is a cartoon. Satrapi co-wrote the screenplay and co-directed the film along with animator Vincent Paronnaud. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Persepolis (click for larger image)