Sunday, November 27, 2011

Hot Rods to Hell

  • The Phillips Family is chased by rowdy teenagers on their way through California. Runtime: 92 mins Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION Rating: NR Age: 012569797284 UPC: 012569797284 Manufacturer No: 79728
Andy Samberg stars as Rod Kimble, a stuntman with a fake mustache and a dream, in this outrageous comedy so unpredictable you won't know what hit you! Rod has never landed a jump without wiping out. His family and friends think he's a joke. And, to top it off, his stepfather Frank uses him as his own personal pinching bag. But he's not going to let a few minor problems keep him from the biggest stunt of his life!

Co-starring Isla Fisher and Ian McShane, Hot Rod is "very, very funny from start to finish" and scales the heights of hilarity as Rod defies death to win the money, win the girl and, ultimately, win some respect. After making a name for himself on SNL through a! series of shorts, particularly viral video favorite "Lazy Sunday," the way was clear for Andy Samberg to segue to the big screen. Directed by SNL scribe Akiva Schaffer, Hot Rod proves his humor works best in small doses. Then again, producer Will Ferrell got his start in A Night at the Roxbury. In his first starring role, Samberg is amateur stuntman Rod Kimble. To raise money for his ailing stepfather, Frank (played with devilish glee by Deadwood's Ian McShane), Rod plans to jump 15 school buses on a moped. With support from his crew, which includes SNL's Bill Hader and Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers), Rod trains for the big event. All the while, Denise (Fisher) is seeing obnoxious attorney Jonathan (Will Arnett, Arrested Development). Lack of physical dexterity aside, Rod prevails through pure dogged determination. You've seen it before, and if you can't get enough of this sort of thing, you'll see it again. Hot Rod i! s the kind of slapdash comedy that neglects to provide its her! o with a n age, a job, or even a hometown. But don't count Samberg out. Given time, he may yet craft a persona that doesn't borrow so heavily from the man-boy antics associated with Ferrell and Adam Sandler. Still, Hot Rod would've worked better with the funnier, more sympathetic Jorma Taccone, who plays Rod's half-brother, in the lead--on the other hand, that's the same formula that made Napoleon Dynamite a hit. --Kathleen C. FennessyAmateur stuntman Rod Kimble (ANDY SAMBERG) has a problem â€" his step-father Frank (IAN MCSHANE) is a jerk. Frank picks on Rod, tosses him around like a rag doll in their weekly sparring sessions, and definitely doesn't respect him, much less his stunts. But when Frank falls ill, it's up to Rod to stage the jump of his life in order to save his step-father. The plan: Jump 15 buses, raise the money for Frank's heart operation, and then... kick his ass. After making a name for himself on SNL through a series of shorts, particul! arly viral video favorite "Lazy Sunday," the way was clear for Andy Samberg to segue to the big screen. Directed by SNL scribe Akiva Schaffer, Hot Rod proves his humor works best in small doses. Then again, producer Will Ferrell got his start in A Night at the Roxbury. In his first starring role, Samberg is amateur stuntman Rod Kimble. To raise money for his ailing stepfather, Frank (played with devilish glee by Deadwood's Ian McShane), Rod plans to jump 15 school buses on a moped. With support from his crew, which includes SNL's Bill Hader and Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers), Rod trains for the big event. All the while, Denise (Fisher) is seeing obnoxious attorney Jonathan (Will Arnett, Arrested Development). Lack of physical dexterity aside, Rod prevails through pure dogged determination. You've seen it before, and if you can't get enough of this sort of thing, you'll see it again. Hot Rod is the kind of slapdash come! dy that neglects to provide its hero with an age, a job, or ev! en a hom etown. But don't count Samberg out. Given time, he may yet craft a persona that doesn't borrow so heavily from the man-boy antics associated with Ferrell and Adam Sandler. Still, Hot Rod would've worked better with the funnier, more sympathetic Jorma Taccone, who plays Rod's half-brother, in the lead--on the other hand, that's the same formula that made Napoleon Dynamite a hit. --Kathleen C. FennessyAmateur stuntman Rod Kimble (ANDY SAMBERG) has a problem â€" his step-father Frank (IAN MCSHANE) is a jerk. Frank picks on Rod, tosses him around like a rag doll in their weekly sparring sessions, and definitely doesn't respect him, much less his stunts. But when Frank falls ill, it's up to Rod to stage the jump of his life in order to save his step-father. The plan: Jump 15 buses, raise the money for Frank's heart operation, and then... kick his ass.After making a name for himself on SNL through a series of shorts, particularly viral video favorite "Lazy Sun! day," the way was clear for Andy Samberg to segue to the big screen. Directed by SNL scribe Akiva Schaffer, Hot Rod proves his humor works best in small doses. Then again, producer Will Ferrell got his start in A Night at the Roxbury. In his first starring role, Samberg is amateur stuntman Rod Kimble. To raise money for his ailing stepfather, Frank (played with devilish glee by Deadwood's Ian McShane), Rod plans to jump 15 school buses on a moped. With support from his crew, which includes SNL's Bill Hader and Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers), Rod trains for the big event. All the while, Denise (Fisher) is seeing obnoxious attorney Jonathan (Will Arnett, Arrested Development). Lack of physical dexterity aside, Rod prevails through pure dogged determination. You've seen it before, and if you can't get enough of this sort of thing, you'll see it again. Hot Rod is the kind of slapdash comedy that neglects to provide its hero with an age,! a job, or even a hometown. But don't count Samberg out. Given! time, h e may yet craft a persona that doesn't borrow so heavily from the man-boy antics associated with Ferrell and Adam Sandler. Still, Hot Rod would've worked better with the funnier, more sympathetic Jorma Taccone, who plays Rod's half-brother, in the lead--on the other hand, that's the same formula that made Napoleon Dynamite a hit. --Kathleen C. FennessyStudio: Victor Multimedia-05 Release Date: 10/16/2007 Run time: 60 minutesLike something that rolled out of a garage in Andy Hardy's hometown of Carvel Indiana comes Hot Rod. James Lydon (whose radio and film portrayals of Henry Aldrich were perhaps but a half-block removed from Andy) stars as David Langham, an enterprising youth with an eye for the girls and an ear for a well-tuned high-compression machine. And his dad? He's a sagacious font of advice (Art Baker) who happens to be a small town judge. The film, which combines the excitement of tire-singing speed with a cautionary message about the perils ! of street racing, would see a stream of redlining exploitation flicks in its rearview, Hot Rod Girl, Hot Rod Gang and Hot Rods to Hell among them.

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HOT RODS TO HELL - DVD Movie

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  • Machine wash and dry
  • Babydoll fit is VERY petite. See Measurement Chart.
Overworked Manhattan coffee shop waitress Bella isn't looking forward to her 35th birthday. Stuck in a relationship with a married man for far too long, Bella takes a chance on frustrated novelist/taxi driver Bruno. Determined not to scare yet another man off with her dreams of marriage and family, Bella plays it cool and tells Bruno she hates children. A tough break for the womanizer since his ex-wife has just dumped two small children on him ... In her coffee shop world, Bella witnesses she's not alone in the bittersweet battle against romance's difficulties. Shy widower Paul struggles through the tender courtship of lively widow Emily. Ornery old Seymour gets a magical shot of youth when he falls for a sexy exotic dancer. Despite love's accompanying twists and turns, everyone holds out for the best. And the pe! rsistent Bella discovers fairy tales can come true...even in New York City. Louise Lasser and Robert Modicka put their hearts into the story of a 60-ish couple trying to make a go of it, regardless of his friends' ridicule and her low self-esteem. Their honest acting nearly gives this failed attempt at a Woody Allen-style episode of Friends needed humanity. The problem? Lasser and Modicka are not the lead actors in this film, whose tritely punning title is about the extent of writer-director Amos Kollek's wit. Anna Thomson is the ostensible heroine in this story about the denizens of a New York City diner and their romantic travails. The 35-year-old waitress, unlucky in life and love, seems such a candidate for long-term therapy that her unconventional outlook isn't so much profoundly sympathetic as simply pathetic. Kollek also stretches credulity by allowing a sex-show performer to melt at the badgering appearances of one of her "clients," the creepiest of the whole! lot. --Kevin Filipski

Chasing Amy (Import) [Blu-ray]

  • Format: Widescreen, Import
  • Language: English
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  • Run Time: 113 minutes
  • Actors: Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Lee, Dwight Ewell, Jason Mewes
Chasing Amy is the third installment in the "New Jersey Trilogy" from award-winning writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma). Cult comic-book artist Holden (Ben Affleck) falls in love with fellow artist Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), only to be thwarted by her sexuality, the disdain of his best friend Banky (Jason Lee), and his own misgivings about himself. Filled with Smith's unique ear for dialogue and insight into relationships, Chasing Amy offers a thoughtful, funny look at how perceptions alter lives, and how obsession and self-doubt skew reality. Writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-! book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie. --Tom Keogh Chasing Amy is the third installment in the "New Jersey Trilogy" from award-winning writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma). Cult comic-book artist Holden (Ben Affleck) falls in love with fellow artist Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), only to be thwarted by her sexuality, the disdain of his best friend Banky (Jason Lee), and his own misgivings about himself. Filled with Smith's unique ear for dialo! gue and insight into relationships, Chasing Amy offers a thoug! htful, f unny look at how perceptions alter lives, and how obsession and self-doubt skew reality.Writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie. --Tom Keogh CHASING AMY, the third installment in the New Jersey Trilogy from award-winning writer/director Kevin Smith becomes more intimate and alive than ever on Blu-ray. Cult comic-book artist Holden (Ben Affleck) ! falls in love with fellow artist Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), only to be thwarted by her sexuality, the disdain of his best friend Banky (Jason Lee) and his own misgivings about himself. Filled with Smith's unique ear for dialogue and insight into relationships, CHASING AMY offers a thoughtful, funny look at how perceptions alter lives, and how obsession and self-doubt skew reality -- now with the pristine picture and theater-quality sound of Blu-ray High Definition.

Bonus Features Include: Audio Commentary With Writer/Director/Actor Kevin Smith And Producer Scott Mosier, Tracing Amy: The CHASING AMY Doc, Was It Something I Said? -- A Conversation With Kevin & Joey, 10 Years Later Q & A -- With Kevin Smith And The Cast, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, TrailerWriter-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his! wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, ! however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie. --Tom KeoghStudio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 05/17/2011 Run time: 113 minutes Rating: RWriter-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within ! the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie. --Tom Keogh Writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie. --Tom Keogh BOTH DUMPED BY THEIR GIRLFRIENDS, TWO BEST FRIENDS SEEK REFUGEIN THE LOCAL MALL.Sophomore! jinx hit hard in this second film by Kevin Smith, whose debut! Cler ks 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 Writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, however, by his business partner (Jason ! Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone make this a very satisfying movie.Writer-director Kevin Smith (Clerks) makes a huge leap in sophistication with this strong story about a comic-book artist (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams) and actually gets his wish that she love him, too. Their relationship is attacked, however, by his business partner (Jason Lee), who pulls a very unsubtle Iago act to cast doubt over the whole affair. The film has the same sense of insiderness as Clerks--this time, Smith takes us within the arcane, funny world of comic-book cultism--but the themes of jealousy, deceit, and the high price of growing up enough to truly care for someone ! make this a very satisfying movie. --Tom Keogh

Get Rich Or Die Tryin

  • 50 Cent - Get Rich Or Die Tr Brazil Import
Marcus (50 Cent) has always known he was going to be a rapper. But when his mother is murdered, young Marcus turns to dealing drugs for New York crime boss Majestic to pay the bills. As dealing turns to gang banging, however, Marcus finds his life spinning out of control, eventually landing in prison. While there, he decides to quit hustling and dedicate himself to his music…but by turning his back on Majestic, he may have signed his own death warrant. Terrence Howard co-stars in this hard-hitting story based on 50 Cent’s transformation from gangster to rapper, an unforgettable ride from tragic beginning to triumphant end.In Get Rich or Die Tryin', rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson presents himself as a rap superhero, encased in muscular flesh like armor, his face impassive as a mask, reaching out to destroy his enemies with his unique talen! t. The plot, though based on Jackson's life, is standard--a gangster breaks from his youthful life of crime to triumph as a rapper--but there's vitality in the details: Jackson's girlfriend helps him pull free the wires holding his jaw shut when he's recovered from being shot in the face; a startling, brutal fight by naked men in a prison shower. Jackson even has his comic-book moment of transformation when a razor blade is thrown into his cell, encouraging him to kill himself; instead, he uses it to carve his rhymes into the walls. Unfortunately, as an actor Jackson only has two sides, gangster hard or oddly childlike and vulnerable. This second aspect falls away from the movie as Jackson assumes power, leaving only the cold, impassive face of a tough guy. That's the fate of superheroes too--they become the mask they present to the world, which is both their dream and their fate. Terrence Howard (Crash, Hustle & Flow) livens things up as a volatile prison fri! end. Also featuring Bill Duke (Predator) as a raspy gan! glord an d Joy Bryant (Honey) as Jackson's girlfriend. Capably directed by Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In America). --Bret FetzerAustralian pressing (identical to U.S.) of his smash hit 2003 album features three hidden bonus tracks, 'Wanksta' (from his currently unavailable album, 'No Mercy, No Fear'), 'U Not Like Me' (from his 'Guess Who's Back?' album) & 'Life's On The Line' (from his deleted EP, 'Power Of The Dollar'). Universal. He’s been shot nine times. Incarcerated. And stabbed up and down. And that’s only what’s happened on 50 Cent’s down time. Hands down, 50 Cent is the biggest buzz emcee since Eminem (who just happens to be his label CEO), and Get Rich also features Dr. Dre on production, so it’s a can’t-miss record, right? Well, mostly. Get Rich is not filled with midtempo, radio-friendly numbers like "Wanksta," his thinly veiled Ja Rule dis first heard on the 8 Mile soundtrack. Instead, Cent brings the he! at, not heater. He sheds his inner thug on "21 Questions," featuring G-funk crooner Nate Dogg showing some semblance of respect to the hotties, and then reverts right back to his thug persona on "In da Club," where he boasts "I’m into having sex, I ain’t into making love." There’s no "How to Rob, Pt. 2" here, although "Many Men" comes close, as he addresses some of the haters who may not fully get why he’s now rap’s big cheese. Surprisingly, the two Eminem-produced joints--"Patiently Waiting" (which thematically is very much like Em’s "Lose Yourself"), and "Don’t Push Me"--almost rival the beats supplied by Dre. Then again, it seems his most well-known cuts ("High All the Time" and "Wanksta," for example) are actually some of the weakest of the lot. Sure, Get Rich could never have lived up to the hype, it’s nowhere near Biggie's Ready to Die or Nas's Illmatic, but there's no fast-forward material here, a near miracle in these times. -! -Dalton Higgins

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Combat of Giants Dinosaurs

  • Roam the Jurassic world in full 3D and feel the depth of the jungle, crush trees and rocks to get special rewards.
  • Perform real-time actions such as blocking, dodging, hitting and execute your new super combination attack with a unique fighting style for each dinosaur.
  • Choose your favorite dinosaur among 18 breeds customize them with over 35 colors and patterns, your dinosaur will be more unique than ever.
  • Wirelessly battle others player's champions when your 3DS' come into range of each other using StreetPass.
  • In Combat of Giant Dinosaurs 3D players become the Dino of their choice, customizing it as they choose and leveling it up in order to challenge the top dinosaur, Arkosaurus.
Uncover the mysteries buried beneath our feet! Join the world's preeminent paleontologists in this eye-popping IMAX adventure as they uncover some of history's most astonishing dinos! aur finds. Travel across the exotic dunes of the Gobi Desert and along the sandstone buttes of New Mexico as scientists make brand-new discoveries about dinosaur behavior, their environments and find what could be the oldest dinosaur ever unearthed in North America. With stunningly realistic and scientifically accurate CGI, you ll see these amazing creatures come alive ... in a big way! Narrated by Michael Douglas.

Originally conceived, photographed and released in ultra high-resolution IMAX® 3D process. The 3D image is optimized for home viewing by scanning the original 15/70 image at a 5.6K resolution for the 3D Blu-rayTM release. This 3D Blu-ray will play on a standard Blu-ray player.Over 150 million years ago in a world dominated by Dinosaurs, natural disasters were changing earth and causing chaos.  In the fight to become the top predator, only the most powerful dinosaurs could survive and had to battle the Arkosaurus, the most ferocious dinosaur species in ! the Jurassic world.

Combat of Giant ! Dinosaur s 3D for 3DS is a single player, handheld, adventure that blends dinosaur-on-dinosaur combat action with the modern functionality possible with the Nintendo 3DS.* Players engage in unique light role-playing game (RPG) elements in which a dinosaur champion is chosen that they will utilize in exploring the gameworld, as well as in battle against all challenging dinosaurs in a competition that will eventually decide ultimate power in the Jurassic world. Additional features include: fast-paced, real-time fights; dinosaur customization, Interaction with other players via Nintendo 3DS StreetPass functionality and more.

Combat of Giant Dinosaurs 3D game box

Story

Over 150 million years ago in a world! dominated by dinosaurs, natural disasters were changing earth and causing chaos. In the fight to become the top predator, only the most powerful dinosaurs could survive and had to battle the Arkosaurus, the most ferocious dinosaur species in the Jurassic world.

A customized dinosaur battling an Albertosaurus in Combat of Giant Dinosaurs 3D
Battle for supremacy in the Jurassic world as the dinosaur of your choice.
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Gameplay

Combat of Giant Dinosaurs 3D is a unique single player blend of action combat from the perspective of dinosaurs, with light role-playing game (RPG) elements in which the goal is to become the to! p dinosaur and then challenge the main boss in the game, Arkos! aurus. T he game contains 4 groups of playable dinosaurs: apex predators, mid-level fast hunters, large aggressive herbivores and large defensive herbivores. Players choose one, customizing it as they see fit and controlling it in a series of rampages through the various environments found in the game. Along the way you must master the abilities of your beast as well as work on leveling it up by finding hidden items. More importantly you will also battle dinosaurs that you encounter. These will be both from your dinosaur's group and the other three. Battles require both offensive and defensive techniques in order to succeed at the highest level and special attacks are available. Additional gameplay elements are available via the 3DS' StreetPass functionality.

StreetPass

Social and wired like no Nintendo system before it, Nintendo 3DS brings fellow players together in exciting new ways with StreetPass communication. Simply set your Nintendo 3DS to Sleep Mode and carr! y it with you wherever you go. In Combat of Giant Dinosaurs 3D this means that your designated dinosaur champion can automatically battle other champions stored on other 3DS handhelds with StreetPass enabled that you come into wireless range of. Through StreetPass you can also exchange rare game items wirelessly. You control what data you exchange, making virtual connections with real world people you encounter in your daily life.

Key Game Features

  • Dive Into a 3D Jurassic World - Roam the Jurassic world in full 3D and feel the depth of the jungle, crush trees and rocks to get special rewards. Enjoy as well a strong 3D storytelling between 2 intense fights.
  • Spectacular Combat and Real-Time Fights - Engage in fast-paced fights with direct control over your giant creature. Perform real-time actions such as blocking, dodging, hitting and execute your new super combination attack with a unique fighting style for each dinosaur.!
  • Ultimate Dino Customization - Choose and cust! omize yo ur favorite dinosaur among 18 breeds such as T-Rex, Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, and Baryonyx. With over 35 colors and patterns, your dinosaur will be more unique than ever.
  • StreetPass Functionality - Wirelessly battle others player's champions when your 3DS' come into range of each other.
  • Light RPG Action - In Combat of Giant Dinosaurs 3D players become the dinosaur of their choice, customizing it as they choose and leveling up their stats in order to challenge the top dinosaur, Arkosaurus.

Additional Screenshots

Unleash devastating attacks.
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T. Rex from Combat of Giant Dinosaurs 3D
18 dinos to choose from.
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View of a gameworld as seen from space in Combat of Giant Dinosaurs 3D
Diverse environments.
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A triceratops in a desert environment in Combat of Giant Dinosaurs 3D
Extreme customization.
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* Nintendo 3DS sold separately.


Gunnin' For That #1 Spot (Special 2 Disc Set)

  • GUNNIN' FOR THAT #1 SPOT 2 DISC SET (DVD MOVIE)
GUNNIN FOR THAT 1 SPOT - DVD Movie It takes a while to hit its stride, but once that happens, Beastie Boy Adam Yauch’s Gunnin' for That #1 Spot does a terrific job capturing the hustle and flow of basketball, the sport it depicts. "They’re gonna be millionaires in about five years," says the P.A. announcer (a hip and hilarious character known as Bobbito) of the players from around the country who come to compete in the first "Elite 24 High School All-American Game," held in ’06 in Harlem’s Rucker Park, home to countless playground legends. For some, including 2008 NBA first-round draft picks Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, and Jerryd Bayless, it happened a lot sooner than that; for others it won’t happened at all. But at the time, all the studs on the Blue and White teams had big-time hoop dreams, and the Rucker event was a chance ! to strut their stuff on a big stage. Problem is, it takes the better part of an hour to get to the actual game; profiles of the players, including visits to their home towns and interviews with friends, family, and others, are perfectly amiable but end up being rather monotonous (fewer than half are included in the documentary itself, with the others found on the second DVD, which is devoted entirely to bonus material). But when they finally hit the outdoor court, the doc starts to rock (never were a sport and a music style better matched than basketball and hip-hop, so it’s no surprise that Yauch’s use of tracks by Ludacris, Nas, Jay-Z, his own band, and many others, including Old Skool R&B stars like Kool and the Gang, is nigh on perfect). The game is by far the best part of the show, with great court-level fisheye shots and deft editing (including the use of slo-mo and sound effects); Bobbito is a hoot (a personal favorite among his nicknames: Kyle "Wireless" Singler! ), and it’s a close, exciting contest to boot. Among the oth! er bonus material are deleted scenes, the players’ own home video footage of their trip to NYC, and even a section devoted to Beasley’s trash talk on the court. --Sam Graham

Casino Jack and the United States of Money

  • This portrait of Washington super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, from his early years as a gung-ho member of the GOP political machine to his final reckoning as a disgraced, imprisoned pariah, confirms the adage that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.  A tale of international intrigue involving casinos, spies, sweatshops and mob-style killings, this is a story of the way money corrupts our polit
This portrait of Washington super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, from his early years as a gung-ho member of the GOP political machine to his final reckoning as a disgraced, imprisoned pariah, confirms the adage that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. A tale of international intrigue involving casinos, spies, sweatshops and mob-style killings, this is a story of the way money corrupts our political process. Oscar®-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney illuminates the way politicians' desperate need to get
elec! ted and the millions of dollars it costs may be undermining the basic principles of American democracy. Infuriating, yet undeniably eye-opening and entertaining, CASINO JACK is a saga of greed and corruption with a cynical villain audiences will love to hate.As he proved in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney knows how to transform creative bookkeeping into compelling drama without dumbing things down. In his follow-up to Gonzo, a portrait of rabble-rouser Hunter S. Thompson, Gibney takes on disgraced GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff (Stanley Tucci provides his voice in readings). Gibney begins with the Mob-style murder of a one-time associate before backtracking to Abramoff's days as chairman of the College Republicans, where he rubbed shoulders with Karl Rove and Ralph Reed--and impressed Ronald Reagan. Even as a student, however, there were signs of trouble as he laundered money through charities, a pattern he would repeat thr! oughout the decades, always on the lookout for new loopholes. ! Gibney p roceeds through his dealings with the Contras, an Angolan dictator, Saipan sweatshops, and Indian casinos (the debacle in Angola led him to produce the right-wing shoot-'em-up Red Scorpion). Along the way, Abramoff ensnared lawmakers and government officials in his web as they traded political favors for campaign financing. As Bob Ney's chief of staff, Neil Volz, puts it, Abramoff "could talk a dog off a meat truck." When his house of cards finally came crashing down, Reed, Ney, Volz, Tom DeLay, and numerous others fell with him (all but Reed appear in the film). As in his other documentaries, Gibney juices the action with music cues that keep things lively, even if some of his choices are a little too on the nose, like Howlin' Wolf's "Back Door Man." --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Deliver Us from Evil