DVDpedia : Library : Title : M

Theatrical: 1979

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 93

Summary: "The Road Warrior" is already a classic, sans condescending genre distinctions like "sci-fi" or "action." But the story of Mel Gibson's stately antihero begins in "Mad Max", George Miller's low-budget debut in which Max is a "Bronze" (cop) in an unspecified postapocalyptic future with a buddy-partner and family. But unlike most films set in the devastated future, "Mad Max" is especially notable because it is poised between our industrialized world and total regression to medieval conditions. The scale tips towards disintegration when the Glory Riders burn into town on their bikes like an overamped cadre of Brando's "Wild Ones". Representing the active chaos that will eventually overwhelm the dying vestiges of civil society, they take everything dear to Max, who will exact due revenge. His flight into the same wilds that created the villains artfully sets up the morally ambiguous character of the subsequent films. "--Alan E. Rapp"

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 107

Summary: Although "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome", the third part of George Miller's post-apocalyptic "Mad Max" trilogy, is certainly the least of the bunch ("Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior" is the undisputed masterpiece, and maybe the best action movie ever made), it has still got a good share of imaginative industrial-wasteland-pastiche imagery. And casting Tina Turner as Aunty Entity, the queen of Bartertown, was a masterstroke. Mel Gibson's character Max is pitted in a battle to the death against the bizarre Master Blaster in the Thunderdome, flying around on rubbery straps inside a sort of gigantic overturned colander with bloodthirsty spectators clinging to the outside. Miller's producing partner, Byron Kennedy, was killed in a helicopter crash while scouting locations for this film. Miller was devastated, only agreeing to direct the action sequences--and, somehow, you feel his heart wasn't entirely in it. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 1960

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Classics

Duration: 128

Summary: Akira Kurosawa's rousing "Seven Samurai" was a natural for an American remake--after all, the codes and conventions of ancient Japan and the Wild West (at least the mythical movie West) are not so very far apart. Thus "The Magnificent Seven" effortlessly turns samurai into cowboys (the same trick worked more than once: Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" became Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars"). The beleaguered denizens of a Mexican village, weary of attacks by banditos, hire seven gunslingers to repel the invaders once and for all. The gunmen are cool and capable, with most of the actors playing them just on the cusp of '60s stardom: Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn. The man who brings these warriors together is Yul Brynner, the baddest bald man in the West. There's nothing especially stylish about the approach of veteran director John Sturges ("The Great Escape"), but the storytelling is clear and strong, and the charisma of the young guns fairly flies off the screen. If that isn't enough to awaken the 12-year-old kid inside anyone, the unforgettable Elmer Bernstein music will do it: bum-bum-ba-bum, bum-ba-bum-ba-bum.... Followed by three inferior sequels, "Return of the Seven", "Guns of the Magnificent Seven", and "The Magnificent Seven Ride!" "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: Mca Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 94

Summary: Sophomore jinx hit hard in this second film by Kevin Smith, whose debut "Clerks" transcended the limits of its setting and budget to become something memorably funny. (Smith followed "Mallrats" with the wonderful "Chasing Amy", so "Mallrats" definitely had the old curse.) A ramshackle comedy set in a mall, the film follows several story lines involving lovers, enemies, friends, goofballs, and Smith's own "silent" character, who also appeared in "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy". A heavy self-consciousness weighs on everything, as if Smith forgot how to make obscenity funny instead of tedious. Still, it's nice to see some of the director's film family on screen, among them Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 219

Summary: Sophomore jinx hit hard in this second film by Kevin Smith, whose debut "Clerks" transcended the limits of its setting and budget to become something memorably funny. (Smith followed "Mallrats" with the wonderful "Chasing Amy", so "Mallrats" definitely had the old curse.) A ramshackle comedy set in a mall, the film follows several story lines involving lovers, enemies, friends, goofballs, and Smith's own "silent" character, who also appeared in "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy". A heavy self-consciousness weighs on everything, as if Smith forgot how to make obscenity funny instead of tedious. Still, it's nice to see some of the director's film family on screen, among them Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Drama

Duration: 146

Summary: Style trumps substance in "Man on Fire", a slick, brooding reunion of "Crimson Tide" star Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott. The ominous, crime-ridden setting is Mexico City, where a dour, alcoholic warrior with a mysterious Black Ops past (Washington) seeks redemption as the devoted bodyguard of a lovable 9-year-old girl (the precociously gifted Dakota Fanning), then responds with predictable fury when she is kidnapped. Prolific screenwriter Brian Helgeland ("Mystic River", "L.A. Confidential") sets a solid emotional foundation for Washington's tormented character, and Scott's stylistic excess compensates for a distended plot that's both repellently violent and viscerally absorbing. Among Scott's more distracting techniques is the use of free-roaming, comic-bookish subtitles... "even when they're unnecessary"! Adapted from a novel by A.J. Quinnell and previously filmed as a 1987 vehicle for Scott Glenn, "Man on Fire" is roughly on par with Scott's similar 1990 film "Revenge", efficiently satisfying Washington's incendiary bloodlust under a heavy blanket of humid, doom-laden atmosphere. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1975

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 129

Summary: A grandly entertaining, old-fashioned adventure based on the Rudyard Kipling short story, "The Man Who Would Be King" is the kind of rousing epic about which people said, even in 1975, "Wow! They don't make 'em like that anymore!" When director John Huston ("The Maltese Falcon", "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", "The African Queen") first started trying to make the film, with Gable and Bogart, the project was derailed by the latter's death. It was a few decades before Huston was able to finally realize his dream movie--and with an unimprovable cast. Sean Connery and Michael Caine are, respectively, Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnahan, a pair of lovably roguish British soldiers who set out to make their fortunes by conning the priests of remote Kafiristan into making them kings. It's a rollicking tale, an epic satire of imperialism, and the good-natured repartee shared by Caine and Connery is pure gold. In today's screen adventures, humor is usually imposed on the material by a writer or director trying to make some kind of cleverly self-aware comment ("Hey, we know it's a movie!"), but that sort of jokiness can create so much ironic distance that it pushes the audience right out of the picture. Huston lets the humor emerge naturally from the characters, for whom we wind up caring more deeply than we ever expected. The digital video disc includes a wonderful documentary on the making of the film. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 106

Summary: It's enlightening to view Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!" as his twisted satire of the blockbuster film "Independence Day", which was released earlier the same year, although the movies were in production simultaneously. Burton's eye-popping, schlock tribute to 1950s UFO movies actually plays better on video than it did in theaters. The idea of invading aliens ray gunning the big-name movie stars in the cast is a cleverly subversive one, and the bulb-headed, funny-sounding animated Martians are pretty nifty, but it all seemed to be spread thin on the big screen. On video, however, the movie's kooky humor seems a bit more concentrated. The Earth actors (most of whom get zapped or kidnapped for alien science experiments) include Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rod Steiger, Michael J. Fox, Lukas Haas, Jim Brown, Tom Jones, and Pam Grier. The digital video disc features an isolated track for Danny Elfman's score, as well as a few other clever and nasty little Martian surprises. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 1964

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Kids & Family

Duration: 139

Summary: There is only one word that comes close to accurately describing the enchanting "Mary Poppins", and that term was coined by the movie itself: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Even at 2 hours and 20 minutes, Disney's pioneering mixture of live action and animation (based on the books by P.L. Travers) still holds kids spellbound. Julie Andrews won an Oscar as the world's most magically idealized nanny ("practically perfect in every way," and complete with lighter-than-air umbrella), and Dick Van Dyke is her clownishly charming beau, Bert the chimney sweep. The songs are also terrific, ranging from bright and cheery ("A Spoonful of Sugar") to dark and cheery (the Oscar-winning "Chim Chim Cher-ee") to touchingly melancholy ("Feed the Birds"). Many consider "Mary Poppins" to be the crowning achievement of Walt Disney's career--and it was the only one of his features to be nominated for a best picture Academy Award until "Beauty and the Beast" in 1991. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 136

Summary: By following up their debut thriller "Bound" with the 1999 box-office smash "The Matrix", the codirecting Wachowski brothers--Andy and Larry--annihilated any suggestion of a sophomore jinx, crafting one of the most exhilarating sci-fi/action movies of the 1990s. Set in the not too distant future in an insipid, characterless city, we find a young man named Neo (Keanu Reeves). A software techie by day and a computer hacker by night, he sits alone at home by his monitor, waiting for a sign, a signal--from what or whom he doesn't know--until one night, a mysterious woman named Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) seeks him out and introduces him to that faceless character he has been waiting for: Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). A messiah of sorts, Morpheus presents Neo with the truth about his world by shedding light on the dark secrets that have troubled him for so long: "You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad." Ultimately, Morpheus illustrates to Neo what the Matrix is--a reality beyond reality that controls all of their lives, in a way that Neo can barely comprehend.
Neo thus embarks on an adventure that is both terrifying and enthralling. Pitted against an enemy that transcends human concepts of evil, Morpheus and his team must train Neo to believe that he is the chosen champion of their fight. With mind-boggling, technically innovative special effects and a thought-provoking script that owes a debt of inspiration to the legacy of cyberpunk fiction, this is much more than an out-and-out action yarn; it's a thinking man's journey into the realm of futuristic fantasy, a dreamscape full of eye candy that will satisfy sci-fi, kung fu, action, and adventure fans alike. Although the film is headlined by Reeves and Fishburne--who both turn in fine performances--much of the fun and excitement should be attributed to Moss, who flawlessly mixes vulnerability with immense strength, making other contemporary female heroines look timid by comparison. And if we were going to cast a vote for most dastardly movie villain of 1999, it would have to go to Hugo Weaving, who plays the feckless, semipsychotic Agent Smith with panache and edginess. As the film's box-office profits soared, the Wachowski brothers announced that "The Matrix" is merely the first chapter in a cinematically dazzling franchise--a chapter that is arguably superior to the other sci-fi smash of 1999 (you know... the one starring Jar Jar Binks). "--Jeremy Storey"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 138

Summary: Considering the lofty expectations that preceded it, "The Matrix Reloaded" triumphs where most sequels fail. It would be impossible to match the fresh audacity that made "The Matrix" a global phenomenon in 1999, but in continuing the exploits of rebellious Neo (Keanu Reeves), Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) as they struggle to save the human sanctuary of Zion from invading machines, the codirecting Wachowski brothers have their priorities well in order. They offer the obligatory bigger and better highlights (including the impressive "Burly Brawl" and freeway chase sequences) while remaining focused on cleverly plotting the middle of a brain-teasing trilogy that ends with "The Matrix Revolutions". The metaphysical underpinnings can be dismissed or scrutinized, and choosing the latter course (this is, after all, an epic about choice and free will) leads to astonishing repercussions that made "Reloaded" an explosive hit with critics "and" hardcore fans alike. As the centerpiece of a multimedia franchise, this dynamic sequel ends with a cliffhanger that virtually guarantees a mind-blowing conclusion. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 129

Summary: Despite the inevitable law of diminishing returns, "The Matrix Revolutions" is quite satisfying as an adrenalized action epic, marking yet another milestone in the exponential evolution of computer-generated special effects. That may not be enough to satisfy hardcore "Matrix" fans who turned the Wachowski Brothers' hacker mythology into a quasi-religious pop-cultural phenomenon, but there's no denying that the trilogy goes out with a cosmic bang instead of the whimper that many expected. Picking up precisely where "The Matrix Reloaded" left off, this 130-minute finale finds Neo (Keanu Reeves) at a virtual junction, defending the besieged human enclave of Zion by confronting the attacking machines on their home turf, while humans combat swarms of tentacled mechanical sentinels as Zion's fate lies in the balance. It all amounts to a blaze of CGI glory, devoid of all but the shallowest emotions, and so full of metaphysical hokum that the trilogy's detractors can gloat with I-told-you-so sarcasm. And yet, "Revolutions" still succeeds as a slick, exciting hybrid of cinema and video game, operating by its own internal logic with enough forward momentum to make the whole trilogy seem like a thrilling, magnificent dream. "-- Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio:

Genre: Drama

Summary: "Meet Joe Black" seemed almost fated to fail when it was released in 1998, but this romantic fantasy--a remake of 1934's "Death Takes a Holiday"--deserves a chance at life after box-office death. Although many moviegoers were turned off by director Martin Brest's overindulgent three-hour running time, those who gear into its deliberate pace will find that "Meet Joe Black" offers ample reward for your attention.
Brad Pitt plays Death with a capital D, enjoying some time on Earth by inhabiting the body of a young man who'd been killed in a shockingly sudden pedestrian-auto impact. Before long, Death has ingratiated himself with a wealthy industrialist (Anthony Hopkins) and pursues romance with the man's beautiful daughter (newcomer Claire Forlani), whom he'd briefly encountered while still an earthbound human. Under the assumed identity of "Joe Black", he samples all the pleasures that corporeal life has to offer--power, romance, sex and such enticing pleasures as peanut butter by the spoonful.
But Death has a job to do, and "Meet Joe Black" addresses the heart-wrenching dilemma that arises when either father or daughter (the plot keeps us guessing) must confront his or her inevitable demise. The film takes its own sweet time to establish this emotional crisis and the love that binds Hopkins's semi-dysfunctional family so closely together. But if you've stuck with the story this far, you may find yourself surprisingly affected. And if "Meet Joe Black" has really won you over, you'll more than appreciate the care and affection that gives the film a depth and richness that so many critics chose to ignore. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1974

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 772

Summary: There are plenty of belly laughs in "The Mel Brooks Collection", an eight-disc set of most of the director-writer-actor's best-known films. Four of them--"Silent Movie", "High Anxiety", "To Be or Not to Be", and "Robin Hood: Men with Tights"--are making their debut on DVD, while a fifth, "The Twelve Chairs", was briefly available as a non-anamorphic DVD from Image Entertainment (all the DVDs in this set are anamorphically enhanced for widescreen TVs). That means you can sample a 23-year stretch of Brooks's outrageous and affectionate spoofing of everything from movies to popular legends to movies to historical figures to, hey! more movies.
The earliest film, "The Twelve Chairs" (1970), is the least known, but is one of the funniest, helped greatly by a good story (adapted from a 1920s Russian tale) and the casting of Ron Moody and Frank Langella as treasure hunters. "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles" followed in 1974. The former, a spoof of horror films, is easily one of the top two or three funniest movies of all time, and the latter is justly famous for its often-tasteless send-up of Western cliches. "Silent Movie" (1976) is just what the title describes, with its only word of dialogue spoken from the least-likely source, and "High Anxiety" (1977) pays tribute to the work of Alfred Hitchcock. "History of the World, Part 1" (1981) mocks historical events and epics, and "To Be or Not to Be" (1983) is a remake of Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 classic of the same name (it's also the only film in the set for which Brooks didn't receive writing and directing credit). By this time, Brooks was more actively taking the leading roles himself (rather than the bit parts), and unfortunately relying less on his topnotch ensemble of recurring players, which included Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, and Dom DeLuise. But he does use a new ensemble (including Cary Elwes and, in his film debut, Dave Chappelle), for "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993), the feature-length spin on the same hero Brooks had spoofed in his short-lived 1975 television series "When Things Were Rotten".
Bonus features are minor. In addition to an HBO featurette on "Men in Tights", there's a featurette and interviews on "To Be or Not to Be" and all the features (Brooks commentary, deleted scenes, interviews, etc.) that were on the original release of "Young Frankenstein". Note that while rights issues kept "The Producers", "Spaceballs", and other films out of this set, 20th Century Fox was able to use Warner Bros.' "Blazing Saddles". The features on that disc, however, are the ones that were on the 1997 DVD release, not the 2004 anniversary reissue. Regardless, the set's price for this many films is low, and because it has so many films new to DVD, Brooks fans will want to pick this up faster than they can say... ""Frau Blücher!"" "--David Horiuchi"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 98

Summary: This imaginative summer comedy from director Barry Sonnenfeld ("Get Shorty") is a lot of fun, largely on the strength of Will Smith's engaging performance as the rookie partner of a secret agent (Tommy Lee Jones) assigned to keep tabs on Earth-dwelling extraterrestrials. There's lots of comedy to spare in this bright film, some of the funniest stuff found in the margins of the major action. (A scene with Smith's character being trounced in the distance by a huge alien while Jones questions a witness is a riot.) The inventiveness never lets up, and the cast--including Vincent D'Onofrio doing frighteningly convincing work as an alien occupying a decaying human--hold up their end splendidly. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 88

Summary: More remake than sequel, "Men in Black II" safely repeats everything that made "Men in Black" the blockbuster hit of 1997. That's fine if you loved the original's fresh humor, weird aliens, and loopy ingenuity, but as sequels go, it's pure déjà vu. Makeup wizard Rick Baker is the only "MIB" alumnus who's trying anything new, while director Barry Sonnenfeld and costars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones (as alien-fighting agents Jay and Kay, respectively) are on autopilot with an uninspired screenplay. The quest of a multitentacled alien--on Earth in the form of Lara Flynn Boyle--for the light of Zartha requires Jay to deneuralize Kay, whose restored memory contains the key to saving the planet. The tissue-thin premise allows all varieties of special effects--mostly familiar, with some oddly hilarious new stuff tossed in for good measure. Certainly enjoyable as a popcorn distraction, but the "MIB" magic has worn a bit thin. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Turner Home Ent

Genre: Animation

Duration: 230

Summary: This is a show that satires celebrity-ism and celebrates and completely embraces METAL!
DVD Features:
Interviews
Music Video
Other

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Turner Home Ent

Genre: Animation

Duration: 11

Summary: Studio: Turner Hm Entertainm Release Date: 12/02/2008 Rating: Nr

Theatrical: 1927

Studio: Delta

Genre: Classics

Duration: 153

Summary: Fritz Lang's Expressionistic masterwork continues to exert its influence today, from Chaplin's "Modern Times" to "Dr. Strangelove", and into the late 1990s with "Dark City". In the stratified society of the future (Y2K no less), the son of a capitalist discovers the atrocious conditions of the factory slaves, falling in love with the charismatic Maria in the bargain, who preaches nonviolence to the workers. But even the benevolent leadership of Maria is a challenge to the privileged class, so they have the mad-scientist Rotwang concoct a robot double to take her place and incite the workers to riot. The story is melodrama, but it's the powerful imagery that is so memorable. One of the most arresting images has legions of cowed workers filing listlessly into the great maw of the all-consuming machine-god Moloch. Unfortunately, the print used for this DVD is unfocused, scratchy, and five minutes short, altogether unworthy of a visionary masterpiece. It may be too much to hope for the complete film to be restored (only two hours of the original three-hour film are extant), but a clean transfer from a fine-grain negative ought to be possible. And why, when there are other possible future "Metropolises" to be had, should we downtrodden masses accept this junk? If anyone wonders what became of Moloch, now they can stop guessing; he's alive and well and making debased DVD versions such as this one. "--Jim Gay"

Theatrical: 1949

Studio: Turner Home Ent

Genre: Classics

Duration: 114

Summary: He may only come up to King Kong's shin, but Joe makes up in heart what he lacks in size. This sweet tale of a girl and her pet/best friend, an African gorilla with the soul of a kitten, pulls on a different set of heartstrings than the giant ape classic. Robert Armstrong practically repeats his role from "King Kong" as a Broadway producer who lures Jill Young (Terry Moore) and Joe, an ape she raised from baby (a splendidly realized stop-motion character created by Willis O'Brien, the creator behind Kong), to New York as the star attraction at his new nightclub. Caged in a cramped basement holding cell, the unhappy Joe finally goes berserk after a trio of drunks ply him with alcohol, and the city rules him a menace. In a desperate attempt to save Joe from execution, Jill rounds up her friends and confidants (including beefy love interest Ben Johnson) for a jailbreak. This human-scale drama is more subdued than its inspiration, but the nightclub rampage remains a terrifying scene in its mad destruction; and the climax, involving a raging fire at an orphanage (have these filmmakers no shame?!), still impresses. "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Shout Factory Theatr

Genre: Drama

Duration: 60

Summary: ABC's "Miracles" had a sizable viewership during its brief 2002-2003 primetime run, but the network's coverage of the Iraq war broke the show's momentum, resulting in cancellation after a mere six episodes. Those half-dozen shows and seven more unaired stories are included in this boxed set, which certainly underscores the series' unfulfilled promise as a kind of spiritually based version of "The X-Files". Skeet Ulrich ("Scream") stars as Paul Callan, an investigator of miracles for the Catholic Church. Demoralized and confused about his purpose in life, Paul takes a hiatus from his job, but is soon asked to check out claims about a dying young boy, Tommy Ferguson (Jacob Smith), with the power to heal. During his research, Paul has apocalyptic visions and is himself saved from death by Tommy, but the effort kills the latter. Tommy becomes a ghost who intermittently appears throughout the series with cryptic warnings about a coming "darkness." Paul grapples with the meaning of that, as well as the significance of a phenomenon in which his own, spilled blood formed the words, "God Is Now Here."
Enter Alva Keel (Angus Macfadyen, who played Robert the Bruce in "Braveheart"), a paranormal researcher convinced that scattered miracles recently occurring around the world point to a "large event" coming. Paul warily joins Alva's team, which includes a former cop named Evelyn Santos (Marisa Ramirez). Together they investigate such supernatural oddities as the momentary disappearance of a commercial jet (the passengers subsequently live out their dreams), the possession of a paralysis victim by an entity, the spectral appearance of a dead girl prior to several disasters, and the co-existence of a Civil War-era past and present in a small town. The final episode, "Paul Is Dead," is a particularly spooky tale (with an unexpected twist) in which our hero reaches into the afterlife to help, and be helped, by Tommy after Evelyn's son goes missing. The series' storylines are fairly comparable to the adventures of Mulder and Scully, with a lot of recognizable human pain and anguish dovetailing with the fantastic. Some of the elements of "Miracles" hadn't quite come together by the 13th program--Alva, Paul and Evelyn never really feel like a cohesive unit--but the potential was certainly there and the writing was unusually strong. If "Miracles" is finally yet another lost opportunity on network television, at least there remains the strong showing represented in this set. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 104

Summary: This visually stunning film is the product of a collaboration of award-winning graphic novelist Neil Gaiman (creator of the much-lauded "Sandman" series), his frequent collaborator Dave McKean ("Cages"), and The Jim Henson Company, themselves no strangers to elaborate fantasies such as "The Dark Crystal". and "Labyrinth". As with the latter film, "MirrorMask" focuses on a young woman unhappy with her daily existence; here, the artistically inclined Helena (Stephanie Leonides), is at odds with her circus performer parents. When a careless insult appears to send her mother (Gina McKee) into a coma, Helena withdraws into the dark and elaborate world of her drawings, in which a scenario very similar to her predicament in the real world is unfolding. Gaiman and director McKean create arresting images to populate Helena's world, and the Henson Company brings them vividly to life with CGI; though the story is occasionally murky, the fantasy elements are imaginative enough to enthrall what will undoubtedly be the film's toughest customers--younger viewers. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 93

Summary: Brendan Fraser plays the best-looking cartoonist you'll ever see in "Monkeybone". Stu (Fraser) has created an animated character named Monkeybone, who sprang from his repressed sexual anxieties. He's just sold his animated series to a cable channel, and is being bombarded with proposals for toys and other marketing extravaganzas, when he and his girlfriend Julie (Bridget Fonda) get into a car wreck and Stu falls into a coma. But comas are much more complicated than you might expect: Stu finds himself in Down Town, where lives a mixture of other people in comas and figments of these people's imaginations. Naturally, Monkeybone himself is there, and he and Stu quickly start fighting like cats and dogs. When Stu realizes that his sister, due to a pact they once made, is preparing to pull the plug on him, Stu makes a deal with Hypnos, the god of sleep, to help him steal a golden ticket from Death himself (or herself, as Death is played by Whoopi Goldberg). Sound complicated? Well, from there it only gets more ornate. "Monkeybone" is a bit of a mess, but it's never boring, and every now and then it roars to amazingly dynamic life. Fraser is excellent, and the strong supporting cast includes Giancarlo Esposito ("Do the Right Thing"), Rose McGowan ("Scream"), Dave Foley ("Brain Candy"), and "Saturday Night Live"'s Chris Kattan as a gymnast with a broken neck who... well, it's a bit complicated to explain. A crazy quilt of a movie, chock-full of delirious ideas and inspired moments. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Disney/Pixar

Genre: Animation

Duration: 92

Summary: The folks at Pixar can do no wrong with "Monsters, Inc.", the studio's fourth feature film, which stretches the computer animation format in terms of both technical complexity and emotional impact. The giant, blue-furred James P. "Sulley" Sullivan (wonderfully voiced by John Goodman) is a scare-monster extraordinaire in the hidden world of Monstropolis, where the scaring of kids is an imperative in order to keep the entire city running. Beyond the competition to be the best at the business, Sullivan and his assistant, the one-eyed Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), discover what happens when the real world interacts with theirs in the form of a 2-year-old baby girl dubbed "Boo," who accidentally sneaks into the monster world with Sulley one night. Director Pete Doctor and codirectors David Silverman and Lee Unkrich follow the Pixar ("Toy Story") blueprint with an imaginative scenario, fun characters, and ace comic timing. By the last heart-tugging shot, kids may never look at monsters the same, nor artists at what computer animation can do in the hands of magicians. "--Doug Thomas"

Theatrical: 1975

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 92

Summary: Could this be the funniest movie ever made? By any rational measure of comedy, this medieval romp from the Monty Python troupe certainly belongs on the short list of candidates. According to "Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide", it's "recommended for fans only," but we say hogwash to that--you could be a complete newcomer to the Python phenomenon and still find this send-up of the Arthurian legend to be wet-your-pants hilarious. It's basically a series of sketches woven together as King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail, with Graham Chapman as the King, Terry Gilliam as his simpleton sidekick Patsy, and the rest of the Python gang filling out a variety of outrageous roles. The comedy highlights are too numerous to mention, but once you've seen Arthur's outrageously bloody encounter with the ominous Black Knight (John Cleese), you'll know that nothing's sacred in the Python school of comedy. From holy hand grenades to killer bunnies to the absurdity of the three-headed knights who say "Ni--!," this is the kind of movie that will strike you as fantastically funny or just plain silly, but why stop there? It's all over the map, and the pace lags a bit here and there, but for every throwaway gag the Pythons have invented, there's a bit of subtle business or grand-scale insanity that's utterly inspired. The sum of this madness is a movie that's beloved by anyone with a pulse and an irreverent sense of humor. If this movie doesn't make you laugh, you're almost certainly dead. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1979

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 93

Summary: On a Midnight Clear 2000 years ago three wise men enter a manger where a babe is wrapped in swaddling clothes. It is an infant called Brian...and the three wise men are in the wrong manger. For the rest of his life Brian (Graham Chapman) finds himself regarded as something of a Messiah yet he's always in the shadow of this Other Guy from Galilee. Brian is witness to the Sermon of the Mount but his seat is in such a bad location that he can't hear any of it ("Blessed are the cheesemakers?"). Ultimately he is brought before Pontius Pilate and sentenced to crucifixion which takes place at that crowded non-exclusive execution site a few blocks shy of Calvary. Rather than utter the Last Six Words Brian leads his fellow crucifixees in a spirited rendition of a British music hall cheer-up song "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life." The whole Monty Python gang (Chapman John Cleese Michael Palin Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam) are on hand in multiple roles playing such sacred characters as Stan Called Loretta Deadly Dirk Casts the First Stone and Intensely Dull Youth; also showing up are Goon Show veteran Spike Milligan and a Liverpool musician named George Harrison.System Requirements:Run Time: 94 Mins. Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 043396225923 Manufacturer No: 22592

Theatrical: 1983

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 108

Summary: Perhaps only the collective brilliant minds of the Monty Python film and television troupe are up to the task of tackling a subject as weighty as the Meaning of Life. Sure, Kierkegaard, Wittgenstein, and their ilk have tried their hands at this puzzler, but only Python has attempted to do so within the commercial motion picture medium. Happily for us all, "Monty Python's the Meaning of Life" truly explains everything one conceivably needs to know about the perplexities of human existence, from the mysteries of Catholic doctrine to the miracle of reproduction to why one should avoid the salmon mousse to the critical importance of the machine that goes "ping!" Using fish as a linking device (and what marvelous links those aquatic creatures make), "The Meaning of Life" is presented as a series of sketches: a musical production number about why seed is sacred; a look at dining in the afterlife; the quest for a missing fish (there they are again); a visit from Mr. Death; the cautionary tale of Mr. Creosote and his rather gluttonous appetite; an unflinching examination of the harsh realities of organ donation, and so on. Sadly, this was the last original Python film, but it's a beaut. You'll laugh. You'll cry (probably because you're laughing so hard). You may even learn something about the Meaning of Life. Or at least about how fish fit into the grand scheme of things. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 1978

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Television

Summary: Children who love Robin Williams as the voice of "Aladdin" or as Mrs. Doubtfire will get a blast out of the show that blasted him into the stratosphere, and made "Nanoo, Nanoo" a national catch-phrase. "Mork & Mindy", a spin-off of a season 5 "Happy Days" episode, was a tailor-made star vehicle for Williams, who won a Golden Globe for this inaugural 1978 season. The role of extraterrestrial Mork from Ork gave free reign to Williams's stream-of-consciousness riffing as Mork observed life on Earth and reported back to his leader, Orson, on all that he learned about friendship, love, family, and emotions. As Mindy, the down-to-Earth Boulder, Colorado, girl who takes the stranded alien under her roof, fresh-faced Pam Dawber does her best to keep up. When Williams is really in the (Twilight?) zone, it's not acting: she does seem like she's dealing with someone from another planet.
The highlight of this first season is "Mork's Mixed Emotions," a tour-de-force that "TV Guide" ranked among the top 100 TV episodes of all time (#94, to be exact). Mork believes that emotions are bad, and tries to lock them inside himself, but they are unleashed in a lusty, happy, weepy, angry, envious torrent. Helping to launch Williams as a primetime player in the series pilot are Henry Winkler and Penny Marshall in their iconic roles as the Fonz and Laverne. Another notable guest star in season 1 is David Letterman as an abusive EST-like guru in "Mork Goes Erk." "Mork & Mindy" rapidly jumped the shark, and much of the '70s sitcom trappings have not aged well, but this first season is a giddy time capsule record of Williams at his most spontaneous and out of this world. Shazbot--the set contains no extras. "--Donald Liebenson".

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Musical

Duration: 127

Summary: A dazzling and yet frequently maddening bid to bring the movie musical kicking and screaming into the 21st century, Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge" bears no relation to the many previous films set in the famous Parisian nightclub. This may appear to be Paris in the 1890s, with can-can dancers, bohemian denizens like Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo), and ribaldry at every turn, but it's really Luhrmann's pop-cultural wonderland. Everyone and everything is encouraged to shatter boundaries of time and texture, colliding and careening in a fast-cutting frenzy that thinks nothing of casting Elton John's "Your Song" 80 years before its time. Nothing is original in this kaleidoscopic, absinthe-inspired love tragedy--the words, the music, it's all been heard before. But when filtered through Luhrmann's love for pop songs and timeless showmanship, you're reminded of the cinema's power to renew itself while paying homage to its past.
Luhrmann's overall success with his third "red-curtain" extravaganza (following "Strictly Ballroom" and "William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet") is wildly debatable: the scenario is simple to the point of silliness, and how can you appreciate choreography when it's been diced into hash by attention-deficit editing? Still, there's something genuine brewing between costars Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman (as, respectively, a poor writer and his unobtainable object of desire), and their vocal talents are impressive enough to match Luhrmann's orgy of extraordinary sets, costumes, and digital wizardry. The movie's novelty may wear thin, along with its shallow indulgence of a marketable soundtrack, but Luhrmann's inventiveness yields moments that border on ecstasy, when sound and vision point the way to a moribund genre's joyously welcomed revival. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Drama

Duration: 121

Summary: Kevin Costner as a warped serial killer, a pillar of the community whose dark side is embodied by an on-screen William Hurt? You have to admit, it sounds intriguing, right? "Mr. Brooks" is the vehicle for this unsavory story, and it turns out to be a lot less kicky than it sounds. Mr. Brooks is a Portland, Oregon tycoon and philanthropist whose "addiction" to murder is suddenly re-surfacing--with plenty of help from his sneering alter ego, who generally sits in the back of the car, goading Mr. Brooks on. (The other characters can't see William Hurt in all this, of course.) The unbelievably convoluted plot has Mr. Brooks confronted by a blackmailer (comedian Dane Cook) who has a surprising twist on things, and trailed by a cop (Demi Moore) who comes equipped with her own set of professional and marital woes. As if that weren't enough, when Brooks's daughter (Danielle Panabaker) comes home, it becomes clear that some traits run in the family.
The scenes with Costner and Hurt are the best stuff in the film, even if director Bruce Evans can't figure out how to play fair visualizing their presence to others. But the script, which among other whoppers make Demi Moore's character a millionaire, is just too unbelievable to stomach. If William Hurt's character provided a running commentary for this movie, there wouldn't be anything left after he got through mocking it. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 84

Summary: Cult film and TV star Bruce Campbell (Burn Notice) lampoons his own B-movie legacy with My Name is Bruce, an agreeably goofy horror-comedy which pits him--well, a version of him, anyway--against a malevolent Asian spirit in order to save a die-hard fan. Campbell also directed Bruce, and brings a loose, kitchen-sink vibe to the proceedings, which has teenager and die-hard Bruce Campbell fan Jeff (Taylor Sharp) kidnap his idol in order to save his small town from an ancient Chinese demon. Unfortunately, the movie Bruce Campbell is a broken-down, booze-swilling reprobate who lacks even an ounce of the insouciant charm of his screen persona in Evil Dead 2 or the Hercules series, and proves woefully inadequate in dispelling the monster. But as films ranging from Cat Ballou and My Favorite Year to Galaxy Quest and Three Amigos! have proven, the unwavering belief of a fan can bring out the hero in even the worst heel, and Bruce rises to the occasion in the picture's final third. Obviously, Bruce is slated towards fans of Campbell's eccentric screen c.v., and aficionados will undoubtedly appreciate the endless slew of nods to his previous films, as well as cameos by many of his co-stars, including Ted Raimi in multiple roles (one of which is a Chinese gentleman that gives Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's a run for his money in the stereotype department). Campbell himself remains the movie's chief selling point; his knack for physical humor (read: self-abuse) and pulpy line readings have lost none of their charm, which does much to override some of the flick's flotilla of stale gags. Campbell's sense of humor is also given free reign on the commentary track, which he shares with producer Mike Richardson; the DVD, which comes with a 24-page comic book adaptation from Dark Horse, also includes an amusing making-of featurette, as well as a spoofy tell-all mockumentary on the "real" Bruce Campbell, and a trailer for the atrocious film-within-a-film, Cavealien 2. -- Paul Gaita

Stills from My Name is Bruce (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

Genre: Kids & Family

Duration: 86

Summary: Critically acclaimed as one of the most delightful and charming family films ever, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is a stunning animated treat full of magical adventure from Hayao Miyazaki. Follow the adventures of Satsuki and her four-year-old sister Mei when they move into a new home in the countryside. To their delight, they discover that their new neighbor is a mysterious forest spirit called Totoro, who can be seen only through the eyes of a child. Totoro introduces them to extraordinary characters -- including a cat that doubles as a bus! -- and takes them on an incredible journey. Full of wonder and heart, this spectacular 2-disc set features the voice talents of Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning. MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is a magical experience for the whole family! © 1988 Nibariki • G

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Mca Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 121

Summary: Ever wonder if there was a class system in the world of superheroes? After all the big names like Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, etc., who were the supporting players? The folks assigned to the less-than-stellar gigs of saving only a small part of the world? According to this intermittently successful send-up of comic book heroism, there are indeed masked heroes who struggle and toil for their moment in the super sun. Based on the Dark Horse comic book series, "Mystery Men" follows the travails of three B-list avengers--Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller), the Shoveler (William H. Macy), and the Blue Raja (Hank Azaria)--as they fight to make themselves known to the citizens of Champion City, quite difficult to do when the flashy Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear, never better) takes all the cool gigs "and" has product endorsements up the ying-yang. According to them, it's all a matter of timing--never mind that Mr. Furious never rises above a snit, or that the Blue Raja wears green. Their big break comes when Captain Amazing is abducted by the evil Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), and it's up to this motley crew to save Champion City.
Blessed with a wondrously gifted comic cast and full of droll details, "Mystery Men" struggles in fits and spurts towards its climax. Transcendently witty in parts, it's also woefully sophomoric in others. Literally, this is the kind of movie in which someone gets off a brilliant line and then sits on a fork. Still, when this movie is rolling, it's gleefully on target, thanks primarily to the mordantly cocky Stiller and Janeane Garofalo as a latecomer to the superhero gang; her secret weapon is a bowling ball in which her dead father's head is encased. The comic chemistry between these two is fierce, and when you add the dryly funny Macy and the endearing Azaria (who finally gets a chance to let loose with his comic gifts), it's a hilarious joyride. Too bad that the gas tank is only half-full; this stunning cast deserves a first-rate vehicle. With Tom Waits as a weapons expert, Claire Forlani as the requisite babe, and Paul Reubens as the Spleen, the world's most flatulent superhero. "--Mark Englehart"