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Title: 12 and Holding Genre: Drama Director: Michael Cuesta Stars: Summary:

Title: 2001 Maniacs Genre: Horror Director: Tim Sullivan Stars: Bill McKinney, Lin Shaye, Peter Stormare, Travis Tritt, Robert Englund Summary:

Title: 21 Jump Street: The Complete 1st Season Genre: Television Director: Stars: Johnny Depp, Dustin Nguyen, Holly Robinson, Peter DeLuise, Steven Williams Summary: It all begins here, as baby-faced rookie Officer Tom Hanson is assigned to an elite squad of young undercover cops - Judy Hoffs, Doug Penhall and Harry Truman Ioki - to infiltrate high schools and fight crime. Frederic Forrest and Steven Williams co-star in this classic first season that also features such guest stars as Jason Priestley, Josh Brolin, David Paymer, Sherilyn Fenn and Blair Underwood in what became Fox's first runaway hit and remains on of the coolest cop shows in TV history! 21 JUMP STREET - SEASON ONE includes all 13 explosive episodes - including the rarely seen two-part premiere - and is now packed with extras that include all-new interviews with stars Holly Robinson Peete, Dustin Nguyen, Steven Williams and series co-creator Stephen J. Cannell and an exclusive audio commentary with star Peter DeLuise. EPISODES: 1. Pilot, Part 1 2. Pilot, Part 2 3. America, What a Town 4. Don't Pet the Teacher 5. My Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades 6. The Worst Night of Your Life 7. Gotta Finish the Riff 8. Bad Influence 9. Blindsided 10. Next Generation 11. Low and Away 12. 16 Blown to 35 13. Mean Streets and Pastel Houses

Title: 21 Jump Street: The Complete 2nd Season Genre: Television Director: Stars: Johnny Depp, Peter Deluise, Dustin Nguyen, Holly Robinson Summary: Johnny Depp became an instant heartthrob and certified star in this second season of the Fox-TV sensation co-created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell (THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO, SILK STALKINGS). Depp stars as Officer Tom Hanson, who along with Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise), Harry Ioki (Dustin Nguyen) and Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson Peete) forms an undercover police unit to infiltrate high school crime. Under the command of Captain Fuller (Steven Williams), these tough but compassionate young cops tackle such explosive issues as steroid abuse, crack addiction, racial violence, teen suicide, AIDS, Ioki's escape from Saigon and much more. 21 JUMP STREET - THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON includes all 22 action-packed episodes from the hit '87/'88 season featuring such guest stars as Christine Applegate, Jason Priestley, Pauly Shore and Brad Pitt in one of his first screen roles. EPISODES: 1. In the Custody of a Clown 2. Besieged, Part 1 3. Besieged, Part 2 4. Two For the Road 5. After School Special 6. Higher Education 7. Don't Stretch the Rainbow 8. Honor Bound 9. You Ought to Be in Prison 10. How Much is That Body in the Window? 11. Christmas in Saigon 12. Fear and Loathing with Russell Buckins 13. A Big Disease With a Little Name 14. Chapel of Love 15. I'm OK- You Need Work 16. Orpheus 3.3 17. Champagne High 18. Brother Hanson & the Miracle of Renner's Pond 19. Raising Marijuana 20. Best Years Of Your Life 21. Cory and Dean Got Married 22. School's Out

Title: 21 Jump Street: The Complete 3rd Season Genre: Television Director: Stars: Johnny Depp, Richard Grieco, Peter Deluise Summary:

Title: 21 Jump Street: The Complete 4th Season Genre: Television Director: James A. Contner, Jeffrey Auerbach, James Whitmore Jr., Jorge Montesi, Mario Van Peebles Stars: Johnny Depp, Dustin Nguyen, Peter DeLuise, Richard Grieco, Holly Robinson Peete Summary: The fourth season of Fox's hip undercover cop phenomenon opens with Ioki (Dustin Nguyen) in the hospital and Hanson (Johnny Depp) in prison (falsely convicted of murder). The end of the premiere ("Draw the Line") brings good news for one of them when Penhall (Peter DeLuise) and Booker (Richard Greico) join forces, while the fate of the other looks promising. This is confirmed in the following episode ("Say It Ain't So, Pete"), but by then, Booker will have split the scene (to return for the Booker-Jump Street crossover, "Wheels & Deals"). Other notable episodes include "Eternal Flame," directed by Mario Van Peebles (Baadasssss!) and guest starring a longhaired Thomas Haden Church (Sideways). There's also "Come From the Shadows," in which Penhall marries a Salvadoran refugee to prevent her deportation (and adopts her nephew when he becomes orphaned), "Stand By Your Man," in which Hoffs (Holly Robinson Peete) is the victim of date rape, and "Mike's P.O.V." with a scruffy Donovan Leitch (Gas, Food Lodging) and preppy Vince Vaughn (Swingers). The rap on the fourth year is that Depp started turning in lackluster performances when he couldn't get out of his contract. Fortunately, he doesn't sink the show, but it's clear his heart isn't in it anymore. On the bright side, 21 Jump Street remained as much a time capsule of the late-1980s as ever with music from the B-52s and Devo and references to Ghostbusters and Back to the Future. (Hoffs' surname was even taken from a notable 1980s figure: Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles.) Once Depp was set free, Fox pulled the plug on the program, which ran for a final season in syndication. In exchange for the Booker episode, this set deletes the season finale, "Blackout," which featured Depp's final appearance as Officer Tom Hanson. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Title: 21 Jump Street: The Complete 5th Season Genre: Television Director: Stars: Summary:

Title: 28 Days (Widescreen) Genre: Comedy Director: Betty Thomas Stars: Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortensen, Dominic West, Elizabeth Perkins, Azura Skye Summary: Gwen Cummings (Sandra Bullock), a successful N.Y. journalist and ultimate party girl, loves to have a good time! Trouble is, she never can tell when she's had enough. When Gwen borrows her sister's (Elizabeth Perkins) wedding limo and plows it into someone's front porch, the wild life she shares with her boyfriend Jasper (Dominic West) comes to a screeching halt. Earning herself a DUI and a 28-day stretch in rehab. She faces an unthinkable set of rules (no cell phones!) and some strange rituals, like chanting and (gulp!) sharing her feelings. Joining up with an eccentric group of fellow rehabbers led by the inimitable Counselor Cornell (Steve Buscemi), Gwen embarks on a touching and often hilarious road to recovery, where she learns that life is not always a party, and that real happiness comes from within.

Title: 54 (Widescreen) Genre: Drama Director: Mark Christopher Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell, Mike Myers, Sela Ward Summary: Saturday Night Fever it's not--call it more like Sunday Morning Leftovers. This portrait of the legendary Manhattan disco and its colorful cofounder, Steve Rubell, plays like the outtakes of a much more interesting film--where's the sex, the drugs, the classic disco music? (It shouldn't surprise viewers that Miramax and writer-director Mark Christopher had a falling-out over the final cut of the film; Miramax prevailed.) Considering that the essence of Studio 54 was about the rich and beautiful, it seems a bit unwise to focus on the poor and only-somewhat-beautiful, namely Shane (Ryan Phillippe), a Jersey boy who gets taken in by the razzle-dazzle of the disco era. Crossing the river, Shane finds another, more exciting life at Studio 54 as a shirtless bartender, and soon finds himself partying with the crème de la crème--and smitten with comely soap star Julie (Neve Campbell). The permutations of the story are familiar; if you've never seen VH1's Behind the Music documentary take on Studio 54 you'll find this film enjoyable, but unlike that exhaustive portrait, too many elements are missing. Most of Phillippe's performance seems to have ended up on the cutting-room floor (although his chiseled torso gets maximum exposure), Campbell's role is basically a glorified cameo, and Breckin Meyer and Salma Hayek, as Phillippe's only true pals, are wasted. The one true gem of the film, though, is Mike Myers's take on the late Steve Rubell, an inspired high-wire performance that balances humor and tragedy without ever giving in to camp or pathos. Had this been a more well-received movie, he'd be remembered come Oscar time--his drunken proposition of Philippe is a minor treasure. The soundtrack does feature some unknown chestnuts and a few new remixes, including an inspired disco version of--believe it or not--Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind." --Mark Englehart

Title: 8 Mile (Widescreen) Genre: Drama Director: Curtis Hanson Stars: Kim Basinger, Paul Bates, Eugene Byrd, Brittany Murphy, Mekhi Phifer Summary: Rap star Eminem makes a strong movie debut in 8 Mile, an urban drama that makes a fairly standard plot fly through its gritty attention to detail. Jimmy Smith (Eminem), nicknamed B Rabbit, can't pull himself together to take the next step with his career--or with his life. Angry about his alcoholic mother (Kim Basinger) and worried about his little sister, Rabbit lets out his feelings with twisting, clever raps admired by his friends, who keep pushing him to enter a weekly rap face-off. But Rabbit resists--until he meets a girl (Brittany Murphy) who might offer him support and a little hope that his life could get better. Under the smart and ambitious direction of Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys) and ably supported by the excellent cast and the burnt-out environment of Detroit slums, Eminem reveals a surprising vulnerability that makes 8 Mile vivid and compelling. --Bret Fetzer Curtis Hanson, réalisateur de l'excellent L.A. Confidential, propose dans 8 Mile un voyage dans les banlieues crasseuses de Detroit, véritable pépinière de talents hip-hop. Il en profite pour donner sa chance en tant qu'acteur au jeune phénomène de l'industrie du rap Eminem. Englué dans une vie qui semble sans issue, Jimmy Smith Jr., alias Rabbit, tente de garder sa flamme intacte en participant à des batailles de rap “freestyle”. Mais dans ce monde gouverné par l'orgueil, le combat est loin d'être facile pour un jeune homme blanc, pauvre, qui n'a pour arme que ses rimes. Avec une caméra aussi mobile que les mots qui volent lors de ces affrontements, Curtis Hanson dépeint un monde glauque, terrible, loin de la gloriole du showbiz, où les héros s'assassinent verbalement sur scène pour tenter de retrouver leur honneur perdu. Un univers d'une violence sourde, qui menace d'exploser à tout moment. Le rappeur Eminem saisit ici l'occasion de redorer son image de mauvais garçon avec ce personnage qui semble un peu moins macho, un peu plus sensible et même un peu moins homophobe que l'original. Et même s'il pourrait creuser quelques pistes plus en profondeur, 8 Mile reste un film dur, sans compromis – à l'image de la dernière bataille, d'une intensité remarquable. --Helen Faradji

Title: 8MM (Widescreen/Full Screen) Genre: Drama Director: Joel Schumacher Stars: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, Anthony Heald, Don Creech, Anna Gee Byrd Summary: This thoroughly unpleasant thriller from the hands of Joel Schumacher (Batman and Robin) offers very little in its lurid tour of snuff films and the seedy pornographic underworld. A wooden Nicolas Cage stars as a private detective hired by a tycoon's widow, who discovers in her dead husband's safe some 8mm footage of a young girl being sexually abused and slaughtered. Cage's job is to determine the veracity of the film and to find out the girl's identity, whether she be alive or dead. What could have been a taut, nerve-jangling thriller is instead a lumbering, overwrought but underwritten tale of vigilante justice. Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker also penned the imaginative and compelling Seven, but you wouldn't know it from this tired and monotonous script. Schumacher tries for echoes of both The Silence of the Lambs and Paul Schrader's Hardcore (which stars George C. Scott as a father trying to find his daughter in the seedy porn industry), but despite some slick camerawork, the film fails to draw the audience into either the mystery of the missing girl or Cage's supposed internal conflicts. It's not so much the unsavory subject matter as it is the sloppy and unimaginative filmmaking that makes the movie unbearable. Of the entire cast only Joaquin Phoenix, as a charismatic goth boy who works at an adult book store, comes away with a memorable performance. --Mark Englehart

Title: The Addams Family/Addams Family Values Genre: Comedy Director: Barry Sonnenfeld, Barry Sonnenfeld Stars: Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci Summary: Looking for something CREEPY...SPOOKY...KOOKY...and altogether OOKY? Come join the Addams Family for twice the frights and gags and ghouls galore with the screamingly funny comedies 'The Addams Family' and 'Addams Family Values'! Gomez (Raul Julia), Morticia (Anjelica Huston), Fester (Christopher Lloyd), Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and the rest of the most totally twisted family in history are serving up a banquest of tempting tricks and treats with two killer comedies that will leave you laughing your head off!

Title: Adventures in Babysitting (Widescreen) Genre: Comedy Director: Chris Columbus Stars: Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Calvin Levels Summary: Way before she grabbed an Oscar nomination for her searing performance as a world-weary prostitute in Leaving Las Vegas, Elisabeth Shue was known as one of the squeaky-clean actresses of the '80s. Having made a splash in The Karate Kid and the '60s-nostalgia TV series Call to Glory, Shue cemented her good-girl reputation with the charming but badly titled Adventures in Babysitting. Set in the John Hughes-style suburbs of Chicago, the titular adventures follow babysitter Chris (Shue), who agrees to watch the Anderson kids (Keith Coogan and Maia Brewton) when her boyfriend cancels their anniversary date. All is quiet on the home front until Chris is called upon to rescue her best friend (Penelope Ann Miller, also doing good-girl duty) from the seedy downtown bus station. She can't leave the kids, and she can't leave her friend alone in the big bad city, so she packs everyone in the station wagon and heads into Chicago. Screwball craziness begins as they encounter car thieves, knife-wielding gangs, gun-toting truck drivers, and, worst of all, Chris's duplicitous boyfriend. It's hardly mature entertainment, but Shue makes it work; when she wins over the audience at a blues club with her improv singing, you'll be won over, too. In his directorial debut, Chris Columbus (who later when on to helm the sap-fests Mrs. Doubtfire and Home Alone) gently skewers the suburbia white-bread mindset of the main characters, and plays up the comedy over the schmaltz with a subtlety of which he now seems incapable; the near romance between Shue and Coogan is played lightly and adorably. Look for brief appearances by art-house faves Lolita Davidovich as a college party girl and Vincent D'Onofrio as an unlikely savior. --Mark Englehart

Title: The Adventures of Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark / The Temple of Doom / The Last Crusade) (Widescreen) Genre: Action Director: Steven Spielberg Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies Summary: As with Star Wars, the George Lucas-produced Indiana Jones trilogy was not just a plaything for kids but an act of nostalgic affection toward a lost phenomenon: the cliffhanging movie serials of the past. Episodic in structure and with fate hanging in the balance about every 10 minutes, the Jones features tapped into Lucas's extremely profitable Star Wars formula of modernizing the look and feel of an old, but popular, story model. Steven Spielberg directed all three films, which are set in the late 1930s and early '40s: the comic book-like Raiders of the Lost Ark, the spooky, Gunga Din-inspired Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the cautious but entertaining Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Fans and critics disagree over the order of preference, some even finding the middle movie nearly repugnant in its violence. (Pro-Temple of Doom people, on the other hand, believe that film to be the most disarmingly creative and emotionally effective of the trio.) One thing's for sure: Harrison Ford's swaggering, two-fisted, self-effacing performance worked like a charm, and the art of cracking bullwhips was probably never quite the iconic activity it soon became after Raiders. Supporting players and costars were very much a part of the series, too--Karen Allen, Sean Connery (as Indie's dad), Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri, Denholm Elliot, River Phoenix, and John Rhys-Davies among them. Years have passed since the last film (another is supposedly due soon), but emerging film buffs can have the same fun their predecessors did picking out numerous references to Hollywood classics and B-movies of the past. --Tom Keogh This long-awaited DVD set of the Indiana Jones trilogy is a classy set built for the fan. However, the DVD-extras junky will be disappointed because there's not a bevy of extras: no storyboards, galleries, commentaries, or long-rumored deleted scenes. The three films are the real star here, restored frame by frame and--blessedly--unchanged from their initial release (the first movie has been retitled on the packaging only). Anyone who has grown up with TV airings will be amazed by what they see, as everything seems to glow. The three hours on the bonus disc are quite entertaining, and far warmer then your standard PR piece. The newly produced 127-minute documentary is put together chronologically through each movie, so it works as a good substitute for the lack of a commentary track. Lots of behind-the-scenes footage is laced with new interviews of every major living actor and crew member including stuntmen and even a bit player (Alfred Molina, talking about his first role in Raiders). They tell us many things we have heard, and many we haven't (like how the film company became a rat breeder for Last Crusade). And Spielberg enjoys showing us how an editor can save a scene or--ironically--how much creative fun went into special effects before the computer took over. Rounding out the extras are featurettes on the music, sound, and--too briefly--special effects, and stunts. --Doug Thomas

Title: Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Widescreen/Full Screen) Genre: Comedy Director: Stephan Elliott Stars: Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Terence Stamp, Bill Hunter, Rebel Russell Summary: Terence Stamp as a drag queen--an Aussie drag queen? Darling, you'd better believe it. In Stephan Elliott's delirious exercise in ultra-camp meets outback macho, Stamp plays an ageing trans-sexual who, with two of his equally high-glossed pals, heads off for a cabaret engagement in Alice Springs. Priscilla is their chosen vehicle, a school bus painted an outrageous purple. The culture-clash comedy that ensues is none too unpredictable: the local Ockers, initially contemptuous, soon find the spangled and bewigged trio can out-talk, out-drink and if necessary, out-punch them; everything ends in a warm glow of mutual tolerance and appreciation. Elliott maybe hits the feelgood button a little too hard, but it's impossible not to be swept along by the sheer brash energy of the film. The bitchy dialogue snaps and crackles, the costumes and Fellini-esque dance numbers are to die for, and Stamp and Co.--enjoying themselves no end--play the whole thing to the hilt and some way beyond it. --Philip Kemp A surprise hit in America, this 1994 Australian comedy is anchored by Terence Stamp as a transsexual who, in the company of two drag queens, travels to a remote desert location to put on a lip- synch performance--to the amazement of the locals. Getting there on a pink bus named Priscilla, the trio stop and play for people all over the Outback, getting the same homophobic, bewildered responses. The weak link in the film is dialogue that seems to have been pulled from "Queer Movie Banter for Dummies," all bitchy and cliché-ridden but fortunately salvaged by strong acting. The most fun comes whenever the three are performing; fans of Abba will be particularly pleased. The DVD release has optional full-screen and widescreen presentations, cast and crew bios, optional French and Spanish subtitles. --Tom Keogh

Title: Aeon Flux (Widescreen) (Bilingual Special Collector's Edition) Genre: Science-Fiction Director: Karyn Kusama Stars: Charlize Theron Summary: Like the animated series it's based on, Aeon Flux is the kind of sci-fi that's best appreciated by the MTV generation. It's a serious attempt at stylized, futuristic action/adventure (the title character, played by Charlize Theron, is essentially a female James Bond for the cyberpunk era) and taken for what it is, it's not all that bad. The action takes place in the year 2415, four centuries after a virus nearly decimated the human race, leaving only five million survivors in a utopian city called Bregna. Aeon belongs to the Monicans, a secret rebel resistance force that is struggling to destroy the Goodchild regime led by its namesake, Trevor Goodchild (Martin Csokas), the ruler of Bregna and a descendant of the man who found a cure for the deadly virus. As instructed by the Handler (Frances McDormand, gamely playing along in ridiculous sci-fi regalia), Aeon is assigned to assassinate Goodchild, but there are deeper secrets to be discovered, and conspiracies to be foiled. This leads director Karyn Kusama (who fared much better with her debut feature Girlfight) to indulge in all sorts of routine action and fast-paced gunplay, but the elusive pleasures of Aeon Flux are mostly found in the sleek athleticism of Theron and costar Sophie Okonedo (as a fellow Monican), who commit themselves 100% to roles that are dramatically flat yet physically dynamic. Other highlights include Aeon's high-tech gadgetry (including an eyeball that doubles as a microsocope) and the amusing sight of Pete Postlethwaite in a costume resembling a construction-site disposal tube, but Flux fans may wonder what happened to the surreal, chromium sheen future that gave the MTV series its visionary appeal. As a live-action feature, Aeon Flux is a miscalculated exercise in cheesy style and dour tone, but it's entertaining enough to earn a small cadre of admirers. --Jeff Shannon

Title: All Over Me Genre: Drama Director: Alex Sichel Stars: Ann Dowd, Cole Hauser, Wilson Cruz, Pat Briggs, Alison Folland Summary: This gritty 1997 film marks the merging of several budding talents: sisters Sylvia and Alex Sichel, who serve as writer and director, and actors Alison Folland (To Die For), Tara Subkoff, and Murmurs singer Leisha Hailey. The idea behind the movie was the Sichels' awe at ever having survived being teenage girls in the big city. All Over Me is about Claude (Folland) a shy, overweight teen who works in a pizza parlor after school and is secretly in love with her best friend Ellen (Subkoff). But Ellen is far ahead of Claude in development. She has an older boyfriend, and she harbors a bad case of destructive self-loathing that erupts frequently and with a fury. But All Over Me isn't just a teenage cautionary or coming-out tale. It's as much a story of New York and its unbearably long, hot summers as it is the downtown music scene or teenage dreams and struggles with adult issues. More than that, it's a well-made film that has its own rhythm, working slowly to give us insight into the girls' natures. It succeeds admirably in taking us back to that age when everything seemed possible despite the dangers of the city closing in. Growing up has never felt as close to home or as scarily realistic. --Paula Nechak

Title: Amandla: Revolution in Four Part Harmony (Widescreen) Genre: Documentary Director: Lee Hirsch Stars: Abdullah Ibrahim, Miriam Makeba, Nelson Mandela, Hugh Masekela, Dolly Rathebe Summary: The stunning documentary Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony tells the story of protest music in South Africa--but as it does so, it tells the story of the struggle against apartheid itself, for the music and the revolution are inseparable. Through archival footage and interviews with musicians, freedom fighters, and even members of the former government police, Amandla! creates a vivid and powerful portrait of how music was crucial not only to communicating a political message beyond words, but also to the resistance itself--how songs bonded communities, buoyed resistance in the face of bullets and tear gas, and sowed fear in the ruling elite. Part history, part musical exploration, part sheer force of life, Amandla! captures both the sorrow and the triumph of life in South Africa from the 1950s to 1990, when Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress came into power. --Bret Fetzer

Title: America's Next Top Model: Cycle 1 Genre: Television Director: Stars: Tyra Banks Summary: Go behind the seams with the first season of TV's hottest and sexiest show. It's survival of the fittest when AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL pits a beautiful bevy of women against each other for instant fame and fortune. World-famous supermodel Tyra Banks coaches and coaxes the contestants from catwalks to cat fights as they throw each claw their way to the top to become a superstar model.

Title: American Gothic - The Complete Series Genre: Television Director: Peter O'Fallon, Michael Katleman, Jim Charleston, Lou Antonio, James A. Contner, Michael Nankin, Mike Binder, James Frawley, Elodie Keene, Bruce Seth Green, Mel Damski, Doug Lefler, Michael Lange, Oz Scott, Michael Lange, James Frawley, Lou Antonio, Lou Antonio, Nick Marck, Lou Antonio, Oz Scott, Doug Lefler Stars: Gary Cole, Jake Weber, Paige Turco Summary: Finally, the complete cult hit series 'American Gothic', produced by Sam Raimi and created by Shaun Cassidy, comes to DVD for the first time ever! Visit Trinity, South Carolina, a small town with more chills than charm. Sheriff Lucas Black (Gary Cole) won't let anyone - including local doctor Matt Crower (Jake Weber) or the determined Gail Emory (Paige Turco) - stand in the way of his evil plans. Marking the 10th anniversary of its broadcast debut and packed with all 22 episodes, including four "lost" ones never broadcast on network television, 'American Gothic''s eerie storylines of intrigue and suspense are sure to hold you captive! Episode list in Shaun Cassidy's preferred viewing order (not the order on the discs) 1. Pilot 2. A Tree Grows in Trinity 3. Eye of the Beholder 4. Damned If You Don't 5. Dead to the World 6. Potato Boy 7. Meet the Beetles 8. Strong Arm of the Law 9. To Hell and Back 10. The Beast Within 11. Rebirth 12. Ring of Fire 13. Ressurector 14. Inhumanitas 15. Plague Sower 16. Dr. Death Takes a Holiday 17. Learning to Crawl 18. Echo of Your Last Goodbye 19. Triangle 20. Strangler 21. The Buck Stops Here 22. Requiem

Title: American Graffiti / More American Graffitti (Drive-In Double Feature) Genre: Comedy Director: Bill L. Norton, George Lucas Stars: Candy Clark, Bo Hopkins, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Mackenzie Phillips Summary:

Title: American History X (Widescreen) Genre: Drama, Prison Director: Tony Kaye Stars: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Jennifer Lien, Ethan Suplee Summary: Perhaps the highest compliment you can pay to Edward Norton is that his Oscar-nominated performance in American History X nearly convinces you that there is a shred of logic in the tenets of white supremacy. If that statement doesn't horrify you, it should; Norton is so fully immersed in his role as a neo-Nazi skinhead that his character's eloquent defense of racism is disturbingly persuasive--at least on the surface. Looking lean and mean with a swastika tattoo and a mind full of hate, Derek Vinyard (Norton) has inherited racism from his father, and that learning has been intensified through his service to Cameron (Stacy Keach), a grown-up thug playing tyrant and teacher to a growing band of disenfranchised teens from Venice Beach, California, all hungry for an ideology that fuels their brooding alienation. The film's basic message--that hate is learned and can be unlearned--is expressed through Derek's kid brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), whose sibling hero-worship increases after Derek is imprisoned (or, in Danny's mind, martyred) for the killing of two black men. Lacking Derek's gift of rebel rhetoric, Danny is easily swayed into the violent, hateful lifestyle that Derek disowns during his thoughtful time in prison. Once released, Derek struggles to save his brother from a violent fate, and American History X partially suffers from a mix of intense emotions, awkward sentiment, and predictably inevitable plotting. And yet British director Tony Kaye (who would later protest against Norton's creative intervention during post-production) manages to juggle these qualities--and a compelling clash of visual styles--to considerable effect. No matter how strained their collaboration may have been, both Kaye and Norton can be proud to have created a film that addresses the issue of racism with dramatically forceful impact. --Jeff Shannon

Title: American Psycho Genre: Suspense/Thriller Director: Mary Harron Stars: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Samantha Mathis, Bill Sage, Reese Witherspoon Summary: The Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho, a dark, violent satire of the "me" culture of Ronald Reagan's 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the '90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. This smart, savvy adaptation by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol) may be able to ride the crest of the notoriety; prior to the film's release, Harron fought a ratings battle (ironically, for depictions of sex rather than violence), but at the time the director stated, "We're rescuing [the book] from its own bad reputation." Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner (Go Fish) overcome many of the objections of Ellis's novel by keeping the most extreme violence offscreen (sometimes just barely), suggesting the reign of terror of yuppie killer Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) with splashes of blood and personal souvenirs. Bale is razor sharp as the blank corporate drone, a preening tiger in designer suits whose speaking voice is part salesman, part self-help guru, and completely artificial. Carrying himself with the poised confidence of a male model, he spends his days in a numbing world of status-symbol one-upmanship and soul-sapping small talk, but breaks out at night with smirking explosions of homicide, accomplished with the fastidious care of a hopeless obsessive. The film's approach to this mayhem is simultaneously shocking and discreet; even Bateman's outrageous naked charge with a chainsaw is most notable for the impossibly polished and gleaming instrument of death. Harron's film is a hilarious, cheerfully insidious hall of mirrors all pointed inward, slowly cracking as the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque and insane. --Sean Axmaker Prior to the theatrical release of American Psycho, director Mary Harron agreed to shorten one scene in order to avoid the dreaded NC-17 rating. The controversial scene--in which Christian Bale's character engages in wild sexual activity with two prostitutes--has been restored to its original pre-release length for the film's unrated release on VHS and DVD. Apart from the shortening of this scene, the R-rated and unrated versions of the film are identical. The Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho, a dark, violent satire of the "me" culture of Ronald Reagan's 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the '90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. This smart, savvy adaptation by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol) may be able to ride the crest of the notoriety; prior to the film's release, Harron fought a ratings battle (ironically, for depictions of sex rather than violence), but at the time the director stated, "We're rescuing [the book] from its own bad reputation." Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner (Go Fish) overcome many of the objections of Ellis's novel by keeping the most extreme violence offscreen (sometimes just barely), suggesting the reign of terror of yuppie killer Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) with splashes of blood and personal souvenirs. Bale is razor sharp as the blank corporate drone, a preening tiger in designer suits whose speaking voice is part salesman, part self-help guru, and completely artificial. Carrying himself with the poised confidence of a male model, he spends his days in a numbing world of status-symbol one-upmanship and soul-sapping small talk, but breaks out at night with smirking explosions of homicide, accomplished with the fastidious care of a hopeless obsessive. The film's approach to this mayhem is simultaneously shocking and discreet; even Bateman's outrageous naked charge with a chainsaw is most notable for the impossibly polished and gleaming instrument of death. Harron's film is a hilarious, cheerfully insidious hall of mirrors all pointed inward, slowly cracking as the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque and insane. --Sean Axmaker

Title: The Amityville Horror Genre: Horror Director: Stuart Rosenberg Stars: Val Avery, Eddie Barth, James Brolin, Irene Dailey, Hank Garrett Summary: Based on a bestselling, allegedly nonfiction book about haunted goings-on in a Long Island house (The Amityville Horror Conspiracy), this rather cheesy horror movie is more silly than unsettling. James Brolin and Margot Kidder star as newlyweds who move into the empty home and are gradually affected by the legacy of a murder committed on the premises. Rod Steiger is a priest who can tell what's up and gets dispatched in a rather ugly way. Director Stuart Rosenberg can't lift the action above a certain level of tawdriness, and the audience ends up watching the horror from a distance instead of feeling involved. In the wake of The Exorcist, this 1979 spooker seemed like a no-brainer knockoff--and still does. --Tom Keogh

Title: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Widescreen) Genre: Comedy Director: Adam McKay Stars: Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, Kevin Corrigan, Chad Everett, Stephen Root Summary: Will Ferrell ('Old School', 'Elf') is Ron Burgundy, a top-rated 1970's San Diego anchorman who believes women have a place in the newsroom - as long as they stick to covering fashion shows or late-breaking cooking news. So when Ron is told he'll be working with a bright young newswoman (Christina Applegate) who's beautiful, ambitious and smart enough to be more than eye candy, it's not just a clash of two TV people with really great hair - it's war! Filled with wicked wit and slapstick humour, 'Anchorman' is the year's most wildly irreverent, must-see comedy hit!

Title: Angel: Season 1 Genre: Television Director: Joss Whedon, James A. Contner, Bruce Seth Green, Vern Gillum, Scott McGinnis, James A. Contner, David Straiton, David Grossman, Tucker Gates, James A. Contner, Winrich Kolbe, David Semel, David Greenwalt, R. D. Price, Bruce Seth Green, Nick Marck, Regis B. Kimble, David Greenwalt, James A. Contner, Michael Lange, David Straiton, Thomas J. Wright, David Greenwalt Stars: David Boreanaz Summary: Angel (David Boreanaz), the dashing demon from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," embarks on his own supernatural adventures in Los Angeles. City of Angels. City of Broken Dreams. Between pervasive evil and countless temptations lurking beneath the city's glittery facade, L.A. is the ideal address for a fallen vampire looking to save a few lost souls and, in turn, perhaps redeem his own. Episodes: 1 City Of 2 Lonely Hearts 3 In The Dark 4 I Fall To Pieces 5 Rm W/a Vu 6 Sense & Sensitivity 7 Bachelor Party 8 I Will Remember You 9 Hero 10 Parting Gifts 11 Somnambulist 12 Expecting 13 She 14 I've Got You Under My Skin 15 The Prodigal 16 The Ring 17 Eternity 18 Five By Five 19 Sanctuary 20 War Zone 21 Blind Date 22 To Shanshu In L.A.

Title: Angel: Season 2 Genre: Television Director: Joss Whedon Stars: David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter Summary: The second season of Angel saw the cult vampire show finally stand on its own from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, assembling all the members of the show's core cast, transferring the action to a fashionably run-down L.A. hotel, and bringing in a few Buffy characters from Angel's history to further establish the moody vampire's own mythology. Moving their Angel Investigations to posher digs, Angel (David Boreanaz), Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), and Wesley (Alexis Denisof) were soon joined by street fighter (J. August Richards)--and by street fighter, of course we mean demon street fighter. But just as this group was solidifying, up popped Angel's old love, Darla (the fantastic Julie Benz), freshly arrived in L.A. from a hell dimension… just in time to be turned into a vampire again by her old cohort, Drusilla (Juliet Landau), and lure Angel into abandoning his newly formed team. It was the best and worst of times for Angel in its second year, for while the basis was being set for the show's stellar third and fourth seasons, dramatic tension was diluted by Angel's going solo and the necessary (but plot-debilitating) flashbacks to various points in Angel's history. However, just when it seemed everything was about to fly out the window, Angel's creative team threw its characters for a loop--literally--by transporting them to the demon dimension of Pylea, a medieval-style fantasyland populated by monsters and humans alike. It shouldn't have worked, as hokey as it was... but it did, thanks to crack storytelling, sharp dialogue, and the sheer joy the actors unleashed, especially the gifted and fiendishly funny Carpenter. The second half of the season also saw the addition of two of Angel's best characters: the horned Lorne (Andy Hallett), a green demon with a penchant for karaoke, and Fred (Amy Acker), a physicist trapped in Pylea who helped the gang engineer their escape. With these two in tow, Angel began to soar. --Mark Englehart

Title: Angel: Season 3 Genre: Television Director: Stars: Summary: In the third season of Angel, the titular vampire with a soul was forced to stand alone thanks to the (temporary) death of his beloved Buffy and her show's move to a new network, with no crossover between the two allowed. He returns from seeking peace in a demon-haunted monastery to find the L.A. Angel Investigations team fighting supernatural crime in his absence. Fred is still haunted by the nightmare dimension from which they rescued her; Cordelia's visions get ever more painful and debilitating. The schemes of the evil law firm Wolfram and Hart become every more imaginative and dragon lady Lilah Morgan becomes even more of an enemy when lusting after Angel. Unbelievably, Darla, Angel's vampire sire and lover, turns up, pregnant with his child and is tortured by inexplicable motherly feelings as well as a raging thirst for human blood. For a few episodes things go pretty well--but Angel's enemies, both those he has made in his quest for redemption and those he made when he was unadulterated evil, are still out there. Stephanie Romanov comes into her silky own in this series, making Lilah Morgan all the more seductively evil because she is clear about the choices she has made; the satanic law firm of Wolfram and Hart are this show's most inspired creation. As the season moves to its close, Wesley (Alexis Denisof) has hard choices to make. The devastating climax is compulsive viewing, and this season also contains one of the most impressive single episodes of the entire show: in "Waiting in the Wings," writer, director and creator Joss Whedon comes up with a classic ghost story as Angel and his crew go to the ballet and find a performance that is literally timeless. --Roz Kaveney

Title: Angel: Season 4 Genre: Television Director: Stars: Summary: With both Angel and Cordelia still missing, Fred, Gunn and Connor try to keep Angel Investigations running while they search for their friends. Ironically, the man everyone believes betrayed Angel is the one who finally comes to Angel's rescue. Then Cordelia mysteriously reappears with no memory of her life or friends. Confused, she chooses to take refuge with Connor -- setting into motion events that will alter their lives forever. 1. Deep Down 2. Ground State 3. The House Always Wins 4. Slouching Toward Bethlehem 5. Supersymmetry 6. Spin The Bottle 7. Apocalypse, Nowish 8. Habeas Corpses 9. Long Day's Journey 10. Awakening 11. Soulless 12. Calvary 13. Salvage 14. Release 15. Orpheus 16. Players 17. Inside Out 18. Shiny Happy People 19. The Magic Bullet 20. Sacrifice 21. Peace Out 22. Home

Title: Angel: Season 5 Genre: Television Director: Robert Nunez Stars: Summary: Lives were upended--and some co-opted--in the fifth and final season of Angel, as the denizens of Angel Investigations found themselves taking on one of their scariest endeavors ever: corporate life. After making a literal deal with the devil (or something distinctly devil-like), Angel (David Boreanaz) moved his team from their crumbling hotel to the high-rise digs of law-firm-from-hell Wolfram & Hart, his reasoning being they could better fight the forces of evil from the inside, and with more resources to boot. Clever maneuvering or easy rationalization? Not a few members of Angel's team accused him of selling out (as did a number of viewers), but as with most of the show's previous four seasons, Angel somehow took a dubious premise and mined it for gold. And with one core cast member gone (Charisma Carpenter, whose Cordelia was immersed in a deep coma), it seemed as if the show, from within and without, would suddenly fall apart--that is, until Angel's longtime nemesis Spike (James Marsters) showed up, fresh from his sacrificial roasting at the series finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Let the vampire games begin! With Buffy off the air, fans flocked to Angel's last season to get their fix of Joss Whedon's "Buffyverse" in any form they could, and the addition of Spike was a shrewd one, albeit not enough to keep the show from getting canceled. And for the first half of the season, the creative forces behind the show seemed to be toying ruthlessly with the audience. Spike was around, but not entirely corporeal; Angel himself became sullen and withdrawn; and most horrifically, sweetheart scientist Fred (Amy Acker) and former watcher Wesley (Alexis Denisof) underwent traumas that would test even the most devoted viewer. However, just when you'd be about to throw in the towel, things started changing for the better--Spike became a permanent fixture (both in the flesh and on the show), Angel's secret motives were revealed, and the introduction of demon warrior Illyria, who proved to be the show's answer to Buffy's sardonic demon-made-human Anya, was a welcome breath of fresh air. Creatively, Angel also came up with some of its best episodes, including "Smile Time" (where Angel is turned into a puppet - really!) and "You're Welcome" (the show's 100th episode, which marked the bittersweet return of Carpenter's Cordelia). The ending of the series was deliberately ambiguous, and not everyone made it through alive, but in going out kicking, it was a proper sendoff for a show that always fought the good fight. --Mark Englehart

Title: Annie (Special Anniversary Edition) Genre: Musical Director: John Huston Stars: Loni Ackerman, Carol Burnett, Tim Curry, Lois de Banzie, Albert Finney Summary: Presenting the all new version, loaded with special features. ANNIE is the story of a plucky red-haired girl who dreams of life outside her dreary orphanage. One day, Annie (Aileen Quinn) is chosen to stay for a week with the famous billionaire "Daddy" Warbucks (Albert Finney). One week turns into many, and the only person standing in the way of Annie's fun is Miss Hannigan, the tyrannical ruler of the orphanage (played to hilarious perfection by Carol Burnett). Will Miss Hannigan's zany attempts to kidnap the irrepressible Annie succeed? Enjoy all the unforgettable songs, including "It's The Hard-Knock Life" and "Tomorrow."

Title: April Fool's Day Genre: Horror Director: Fred Walton Stars: Jay Baker, Pat Barlow, Lloyd Berry, Deborah Foreman, Deborah Goodrich Summary: What looks like a standard 1980s holiday-themed slasher movie turns out to be a much more witty venture. A group of college students head out for a weekend of relaxation and April Fools' pranks at an isolated island cottage, catching the very last ferry until Monday morning. A practical joke goes awry, hostess Muffy starts tromping around in frumpy clothes and acting like she's not quite herself, and the bodies start piling up. Don't you just hate it when you're on a completely remote island and the phone goes out? All of this is done, though, with a fairly low gore content and a sly wink at the usual slasher conventions--rather than whodunit, the trick is to figure out what's in good fun and what's real bloodletting. It ain't Citizen Kane, but it's not a bad evening's enjoyment either. --Ali Davis

Title: As Good As It Gets Genre: Comedy Director: James L. Brooks Stars: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr., Skeet Ulrich Summary: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, and Cuba Gooding, Jr., star in James L. Brooks' hit comedy, AS GOOD AS IT GETS. Nicholson gives a show-stopping performance as Melvin Udall, an obsessive-compulsive novelist with Manhattan's meanest mouth. But when his neighbor Simon is hospitalized, Melvin is forced to babysit Simon's dog. And that unexpected act of kindness - along with waitress Carol Connelly - helps put Melvin back in the human race. "Magically written, directed and acted, AS GOOD AS IT GETS is the best and funniest romantic comedy of the year." - Kenneth Turan, LOS ANGELES TIMES

Title: August Rush Genre: Drama Director: William Sadler Stars: Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keri Russell, Freddie Highmore, Terrence Howard, Robin Williams Summary: The story of a charismatic young Irish guitarist and a sheltered young cellist who have a chance encounter one magical night above New York's Washington Square, but are soon torn apart, leaving in their wake an infant, August Rush, orphaned by circumstance. Now performing on the streets of New York and cared for by a mysterious stranger, August uses his remarkable musical talent to seek the parents from whom he was separated at birth.

Title: Bad Boys Genre: Drama, Prison Director: Rick Rosenthal Stars: Jane Alderman, Clancy Brown, Eric Gurry, Jr. Tony Mockus, Jim Moody Summary:

Title: The Basketball Diaries Genre: Drama Director: Scott Kalvert Stars: Manny Alfaro, Lorraine Bracco, Leonardo DiCaprio, Doc Dougherty, Barton Heyman Summary: The pre-Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Jim Carroll, the poet and musician who spent much of his adolescence addicted to heroin and shooting hoops with fellow Catholic high school kids. As a biography, the film doesn't amount to more than the sum of its gritty scenes of smack use, violence, perversions (poor Bruno Kirby plays a lecherous coach who comes on to young Jim), and the usual scream-and-puke dramas that go along with a cold-turkey session. Director Scott Kalvert doesn't seem to realize that most people don't know who Carroll is and therefore can't possibly understand why they should care about his gutterball youth. DiCaprio, having nowhere to go with his performance but maintain Carroll's tailspin, is boring and redundant. Some kind of allusion to the literary and rock & roll life that follows the mess we're watching might have been helpful. The DVD release offers the choice of a full or widescreen (letterbox) picture, plus interviews. --Tom Keogh

Title: Basquiat Genre: Drama Director: Julian Schnabel Stars: Jeffrey Wright, Michael Wincott, Benicio Del Toro, and Claire Forlani Summary:

Title: Batman Begins Genre: Action Director: Christopher Nolan Stars: Christian Bale, Jr. Mark Boone, Michael Caine, Rutger Hauer, Liam Neeson Summary:

Title: Bay Boy Genre: Drama Director: Daniel Petrie Stars: Keifer Sutherland, Liv Ullmann, Mathieu Carriere, Peter Donat, Isabelle Mejias, Thomas Peacocke, Alan Scarfe, Chris Wiggins Summary:

Title: Be Cool Genre: Comedy Director: F. Gary Gray Stars: Danny DeVito, James Gandolfini, Harvey Keitel, Debi Mazar, Robert Pastorelli Summary: Be Cool takes its own advice: It's slick, Hollywood entertainment that kills two amusing hours with relative ease and comfort. Better than leftovers but not as tasty as a full-course meal, this sequel to 1995's hit comedy Get Shorty (and based on Elmore Leonard's 1999 sequel novel) finds former loan shark Chili Palmer (John Travolta) itching to get out of the movie business, so he hooks up with a newly widowed music executive (Uma Thurman) to launch the career of an up-'n-coming Beyoncé-like singer (newcomer Christina Milian). A mock-black manager (Vince Vaughn), his sleazy boss (Harvey Keitel), and an upscale gangsta-rap executive (Cedric the Entertainer) all have a competing stake in the fast-rising pop diva's future, and this sets the plot rolling in a fun but rather hand-me-down fashion that lacks the savvy panache of Get Shorty but still provides plenty of lightweight humor. The Rock and Outkast's André Benjamin provide the best laughs in supporting roles that effortlessly relieve the movie from the symptoms of sequelitis. --Jeff Shannon

Title: Beetlejuice (Widescreen/Full Screen) Genre: Comedy Director: Tim Burton Stars: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Annie McEnroe, Maurice Page, Hugo Stanger Summary: Before making Batman, director Tim Burton and star Michael Keaton teamed up for this popular black comedy about a young couple (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) whose premature death leads them to a series of wildly bizarre afterlife exploits. As ghosts in their own New England home, they're faced with the challenge of scaring off the pretentious new owners (Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones), whose daughter (Winona Ryder) has an affinity for all things morbid. Keaton plays the mischievous Beetlejuice, a freelance "bio-exorcist" who's got an evil agenda behind his plot to help the young undead newlyweds. The film is a perfect vehicle for Burton's visual style and twisted imagination, with clever ideas and gags packed into every scene. Beetlejuice is also a showcase for Keaton, who tackles his title role with maniacal relish and a dark edge of menace. --Jeff Shannon

Title: Before They Were WWF Superstars Genre: Sports Director: Stars: Stephanie McMahon, Mark LoMonaco, Jacqueline Moore (VI), Matt Hardy, Jerry Lawler