Air Force One

• TESTED

DVDYou know that old dramatic principle of suspension of disbelief? You'll have to rely on it for this box-office smash, but you won't be disappointed. Harrison Ford plays a U.S. president who single-handedly employs his rigid antiterrorism policy when a band of Russian thugs hatch a mid-flight takeover of Air Force One. Gary Oldman, who chews the scenery as the lead terrorist, will shoot a hostage at the slightest provocation. Glenn Close plays the sternly pragmatic vice president who negotiates with Oldman from her Washington seat of power. If you can believe that the aircraft's pressurized cabin can sustain hundreds of rounds of machine-gun fire, you'll buy anything in this entertaining potboiler, especially thanks to Ford's stalwart heroics and some nifty special effects. Director Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot) keeps the action moving so fast you won't be sweating the details.! Don't forget your parachute! --Jeff Shannon

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Before Sunrise

• BEFORE SUNRISE (DVD MOVIE)

A heartbroken young Texas journalist meets a beautiful French student on a train bound for Paris, and invites her to share his last night in Vienna.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 6-NOV-2001
Media Type: DVDThis romantic, witty, and ultimately poignant glimpse at two strangers (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) who share thoughts, affections, and past experiences during one 14-hour tryst in Vienna somehow remains writer/director Richard Linklater's (Dazed and Confused, Slacker) most overlooked gem. Delpy, a stunning, low-key Parisian, meets the stammering American Hawke, as the two share a Eurorail seat--she's starting school in Paris, he's finishing a vacation. Their mutual attraction leads to an awkward meeting (beautifully played by each performer), and Hawke suggests that Delpy spend his remaini! ng 14 hours in Vienna with him.

Typically, this skeleton is as much plot as Linklater provides; as usual, he's more interested in concentrating his talents on observing the casual, playful conversations between his leads. His tight time frame allows the characters to say anything to one another, and topics ranging from politics to past romances to fears of the future flow with subtle finesse. The short time frame is also cruel, however, because beneath this love affair lies the painful reality that the two most likely will never see each other again and will be left only with memories--an idea Linklater drives home with an effective snapshot conclusion.

Hardly the trite Gen-X bitch session that many '90s films using this approach become, the film feels more like a Bresson or Rohmer piece, containing sharp perceptions--and flawed humans rather than stereotypes. The protagonists' frank revelations and heated exchanges flow in a stream-of-consciousness style, and its n! o accident that Linklater set the film in Vienna, where Freud ! invented and practiced psychotherapy. --Dave McCoyBEFORE SUNSET - DVD MovieIn 1994, director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Waking Life) made Before Sunrise, a gorgeous poem of a movie about two strangers (played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) wandering around Vienna, talking, and falling in love. Ten years later, Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy have returned with Before Sunset, which reunites the same characters after Hawke has written a book about that night. Delpy appears at the final book reading of his European tour; they have less than two hours before Hawke has to catch a flight to New York...and in that time, they walk around Paris, talk, and fall in love all over again. It sounds simple, perhaps dull, but it's written with such skill and care and acted with such richness that it's a miracle of filmmaking. On its own, Before Sunset is moving and wonderful; seen right after Before Sunrise, it will break your heart. --B! ret FetzerStudio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/09/2010This romantic, witty, and ultimately poignant glimpse at two strangers (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) who share thoughts, affections, and past experiences during one 14-hour tryst in Vienna somehow remains writer/director Richard Linklater's (Dazed and Confused, Slacker) most overlooked gem. Delpy, a stunning, low-key Parisian, meets the stammering American Hawke, as the two share a Eurorail seat--she's starting school in Paris, he's finishing a vacation. Their mutual attraction leads to an awkward meeting (beautifully played by each performer), and Hawke suggests that Delpy spend his remaining 14 hours in Vienna with him.

Typically, this skeleton is as much plot as Linklater provides; as usual, he's more interested in concentrating his talents on observing the casual, playful conversations between his leads. His tight time frame allows the characters to say anything to one another, and topic! s ranging from politics to past romances to fears of the futur! e flow w ith subtle finesse. The short time frame is also cruel, however, because beneath this love affair lies the painful reality that the two most likely will never see each other again and will be left only with memories--an idea Linklater drives home with an effective snapshot conclusion.

Hardly the trite Gen-X bitch session that many '90s films using this approach become, the film feels more like a Bresson or Rohmer piece, containing sharp perceptions--and flawed humans rather than stereotypes. The protagonists' frank revelations and heated exchanges flow in a stream-of-consciousness style, and its no accident that Linklater set the film in Vienna, where Freud invented and practiced psychotherapy. --Dave McCoy

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Becoming Jane [Blu-ray]

• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Actors: Guy Carleton, Philip Culhane, Joe Anderson (VI), Michael James Ford, Jessica Ashworth

Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries) gives a radiant performance as a young, love-struck Jane Austen in the witty and engaging romantic comedy Becoming Jane from Miramax Films. It s the untold romance that inspired the novels of one of the world s most celebrated authors. When the dashing Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy, The Last King Of Scotland), a reckless and penniless lawyer-to-be, enters Jane s life, he offends the emerging writer s sense and sensibility. Soon their clashing egos set off sparks that ignite a passionate romance and fuel ! Jane s dream of doing the unthinkable marrying for love. Becoming Jane, also starring the acclaimed Maggie Smith, James Cromwell and Julie Walters, is an enchanting and imaginative film you ll fall head over heels forLike Molière, which was released in theaters around the same time, Becoming Jane isn't a conventional biopic. Instead, Julian Jarrold (White Teeth) expands on events from Jane Austen's life that may have shaped her fiction. To his credit, he doesn't stray too far from the facts. In 1795, 20-year-old Jane (Anne Hathaway with believable British accent) is an aspiring author. Her parents (Julie Walters and James Cromwell) married for love, and money is tight. They hope to see their youngest daughter make a more lucrative match, and there's a besotted local, Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox, son of actor James Fox), who would be happy to oblige. Unfortunately, Jane isn't interested. Then, she meets brash law student Tom (The Last King of Scotland's! James McAvoy), while he's staying with relatives in rural! Hampshi re. As in many Austen novels, it isn't love at first sight--but rather irritation. Just as affection begins to bloom, Tom has to return to London, and Wisley, whose financial prospects are superior, proposes. To complicate matters, Tom's uncle (Ian Richardson in his final performance) disapproves of the outspoken young lady just as much as Wisley's aunt (Maggie Smith, lending the proceedings some subtle humor). Had Austen penned the script, Tom and Wisley would be combined into one person, but life doesn't work that way--and nor does Becoming Jane. Though Jarrold's effort may not be as swoon-worthy as Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice, it remains true to the spirit of the author's work. --Kathleen C. FennessyStudio: Echo Bridge Home Ent Release Date: 04/12/2011 Run time: 120 minutes Rating: PgLike Molière, which was released in theaters around the same time, Becoming Jane isn't a conventional biopic. Instead, Julian Jarrold (White Tee! th) expands on events from Jane Austen's life that may have shaped her fiction. To his credit, he doesn't stray too far from the facts. In 1795, 20-year-old Jane (Anne Hathaway with believable British accent) is an aspiring author. Her parents (Julie Walters and James Cromwell) married for love, and money is tight. They hope to see their youngest daughter make a more lucrative match, and there's a besotted local, Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox, son of actor James Fox), who would be happy to oblige. Unfortunately, Jane isn't interested. Then, she meets brash law student Tom (The Last King of Scotland's James McAvoy), while he's staying with relatives in rural Hampshire. As in many Austen novels, it isn't love at first sight--but rather irritation. Just as affection begins to bloom, Tom has to return to London, and Wisley, whose financial prospects are superior, proposes. To complicate matters, Tom's uncle (Ian Richardson in his final performance) disapproves of the outs! poken young lady just as much as Wisley's aunt (Maggie Smith, ! lending the proceedings some subtle humor). Had Austen penned the script, Tom and Wisley would be combined into one person, but life doesn't work that way--and nor does Becoming Jane. Though Jarrold's effort may not be as swoon-worthy as Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice, it remains true to the spirit of the author's work. --Kathleen C. FennessyAnne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries) gives a radiant performance as a young, love-struck Jane Austen in the witty and engaging romantic comedy Becoming Jane from Miramax Films. It s the untold romance that inspired the novels of one of the world s most celebrated authors. When the dashing Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy, The Last King Of Scotland), a reckless and penniless lawyer-to-be, enters Jane s life, he offends the emerging writer s sense and sensibility. Soon their clashing egos set off sparks that ignite a passionate romance and fuel Jane s dream of doing the unthinkable marrying for love. Becoming ! Jane, also starring the acclaimed Maggie Smith, James Cromwell and Julie Walters, is an enchanting and imaginative film you ll fall head over heels forLike Molière, which was released in theaters around the same time, Becoming Jane isn't a conventional biopic. Instead, Julian Jarrold (White Teeth) expands on events from Jane Austen's life that may have shaped her fiction. To his credit, he doesn't stray too far from the facts. In 1795, 20-year-old Jane (Anne Hathaway with believable British accent) is an aspiring author. Her parents (Julie Walters and James Cromwell) married for love, and money is tight. They hope to see their youngest daughter make a more lucrative match, and there's a besotted local, Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox, son of actor James Fox), who would be happy to oblige. Unfortunately, Jane isn't interested. Then, she meets brash law student Tom (The Last King of Scotland's James McAvoy), while he's staying with relatives in rural Ham! pshire. As in many Austen novels, it isn't love at first sight! --but ra ther irritation. Just as affection begins to bloom, Tom has to return to London, and Wisley, whose financial prospects are superior, proposes. To complicate matters, Tom's uncle (Ian Richardson in his final performance) disapproves of the outspoken young lady just as much as Wisley's aunt (Maggie Smith, lending the proceedings some subtle humor). Had Austen penned the script, Tom and Wisley would be combined into one person, but life doesn't work that way--and nor does Becoming Jane. Though Jarrold's effort may not be as swoon-worthy as Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice, it remains true to the spirit of the author's work. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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Forces of Nature

• TESTED

FORCES OF NATURE - DVD MoviePlane crashes, pickpockets, hurricanes--heaven and hell is moving to prevent our able hero Ben (Ben Affleck) from marrying his sweetie (Maura Tierney) in Savannah. At every turn he runs into someone else despairing about the woes of married life. And of course, temptation proves overwhelming in the face of traveling companion Sarah (Sandra Bullock), the wild woman whom he can't seem--or doesn't want--to lose.

After a wayward bird flies into the engine of his airplane, Ben is forced to find another way to his wedding. He finds himself stuck with Sarah, whom he carried from the plane after she was whacked in the noggin by his laptop. The heat between them is unmistakable, and the drama in the film comes from the "will he or won't he," both in terms of sleeping with Sarah and meeting up with his bride. Forces of Nature is a fun and sentimental road-! trip film, but Ben is such a strait-laced noodge, you can't help but want him to fall flat on his face just a little. Bullock is the life of this film, although her free-spirited ways get a bit tired (responsibility is not all bad). The highlight of this movie, though, is definitely the cinematography. The beautiful rain shots and the colors of the scenes lend to the unsettling mood. While the jokes are not rip-roaring, Forces is to be reckoned with for those times when a lighthearted film is what you need. --Jenny Brown

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Rand McNally Are We There Yet? (Backseat Books)

• 64 Pages
• Includes journal for trip tracking
• Answer key included

When Nick (Ice Cube, Barbershop) falls for single mother Suzanne (Nia Long, Big Momma's House), he initially doesn't have to worry about what her kids think of him because she just wants to "be friends." Undeterred by this statement- or his buddies, who dog him for loitering in the stalking-friend zone- Nick keeps hanging around. So when Suzanne finds herself in a jam and needs someone to escort her kids to meet her in Vancouver for New Year's Eve, Nick gladly opens the door for opportunity. Itcould be the best way to win her heart or the biggest mistake of his life. With more that one destination on his mind, Nick embarks on a road trip he'll never forget- and neither will you!Ice Cube has turned his frown upside down with the family-friendly screwball road movie Are We There Yet? We know the! actor/rapper can use his trademark scowl to be funny (the Friday and Barbershop series), or to be mean (Boyz in the Hood)--but can he use it to melt kids' hearts? That's the question Are We There Yet? answers with a resounding yes for youngsters in the audience (which will be the lions' share), but it'll probably be an emphatic shrug for the grownups. The contrived plot has Cube playing a wannabe-player (as in ladies' man) and ex-player (as in washed-up minor league baseball star) who now owns a sports memorabilia business. His partner, played by Jay Mohr is just a throwaway, as is the talented Nia Long, the single mom that Cube sets his blinged-out sights on. To try to get in her good graces, he offers to transport her two bratty kids in his pride-and-joy Lincoln Navigator for a joy ride to a distant city where she's attending an emergency business meeting so they can have a New Year's Eve celebration together. This kiddies version of Road T! rip and Planes, Trains and Automobiles has its cute! moments , but plenty more gross-out moments which will please the kids no end, especially as the Navigator gets more and more trashed. Suffice it to say they all learn about each others' good sides and hearts are suitably melted all around--until after the credits roll, then you'll probably forget about the whole thing.--Ted FryA dealer in sports collectibles falls for a beautiful executive only to discover that to win her, he must win the affection of her two young children who are determined to keep their mother single.
Genre: Feature Film Family
Rating: PG
Release Date: 8-SEP-2006
Media Type: DVDIce Cube has turned his frown upside down with the family-friendly screwball road movie Are We There Yet? We know the actor/rapper can use his trademark scowl to be funny (the Friday and Barbershop series), or to be mean (Boyz in the Hood)--but can he use it to melt kids' hearts? That's the question Are We There! Yet? answers with a resounding yes for youngsters in the audience (which will be the lions' share), but it'll probably be an emphatic shrug for the grownups. The contrived plot has Cube playing a wannabe-player (as in ladies' man) and ex-player (as in washed-up minor league baseball star) who now owns a sports memorabilia business. His partner, played by Jay Mohr is just a throwaway, as is the talented Nia Long, the single mom that Cube sets his blinged-out sights on. To try to get in her good graces, he offers to transport her two bratty kids in his pride-and-joy Lincoln Navigator for a joy ride to a distant city where she's attending an emergency business meeting so they can have a New Year's Eve celebration together. This kiddies version of Road Trip and Planes, Trains and Automobiles has its cute moments, but plenty more gross-out moments which will please the kids no end, especially as the Navigator gets more and more trashed. Suffice it to say they ! all learn about each others' good sides and hearts are suitabl! y melted all around--until after the credits roll, then you'll probably forget about the whole thing.--Ted FryJoin Grace and her family as they hit the road camping, experiencing, and meeting all the people and places that make up Australia.Newlyweds Nick (Ice Cube) and Suzanne (Nia Long) decide to move to the suburbs to provide a better life for their two kids. But their idea of a dream home is disturbed by a contractor (John C. McGinley) with a bizarre approach to business.If, 18 years ago, you had told rapper Ice Cube he'd have a hit family movie called Are We There Yet?, he would have sneered in your face. Yet here he is with that movie's sequel, Are We Done Yet?, in which Nick Persons (Cube, Barbershop, Friday) takes his new wife Suzanne (Nia Long, Big Momma's House) and her two cantankerous kids out to an old house in the country. Unfortunately, the house proves to have a few problems, and Nick finds himself at the mercy of a real esta! te agent/contractor/house inspector/midwife Chuck (John C. McGinley, Scrubs), who before long is turning Nick's house--and his life--inside out. The script for Are We Done Yet? is based on an classic (though little remembered) Cary Grant movie, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. While Cube doesn't have Grant's comic skills, he has grown into a comfortable and charming screen presence, and he gives this ramshackle entertainment a decent foundation. But it's McGinley who steals the movie with his truly bizarre yet mesmerizing performance; aside from some pratfalls, Cube spends most of the movie staring in horror or astonishment at McGinley as the tall lanky white man walks a very fine line between comedy and schizophrenia. --Bret FetzerSummary:
0

About the Author:

•0
Author: Karen^Rand McNally Richards
Illustrator: Steven Mach
Publisher:Rand McNally & Company
Published Date:04/01/2003
Format:Paperback
ISBN:0528965433
#of pages:#N/A
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The Banger Sisters

• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• Closed-captioned; Color; Dolby; DVD; Widescreen; NTSC

Suzette leaves Los Angeles to seek out her old friend Vinnie, both former rock groupies, only to find that LaVinia is now married with children living a very conservative lifestyle.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: R
Release Date: 12-JUN-2007
Media Type: DVDFor thinly scripted fluff, The Banger Sisters sure is a lot of fun. With Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon as former groupies now settling into their fifties, this predictable comedy gets a zesty boost of vitality and unsentimental nostalgia. Trouble is, Lavinia (or Vinnie, played by Sarandon) is an uptight Phoenix housewife with a lawyer husband, two spoiled daughters, and a calendar full of charity benefits. Free-spirited Suzette (Hawn) remained true to their past as the notorious rocker-lov! in' Banger Sisters, and when she visits Vinnie after decades apart, it's not long before Vinnie rediscovers the lively self she'd buried under her drably expensive wardrobe. It's conspicuously formulaic, with Geoffrey Rush as another buttoned-up character liberated by Suzette's fun-loving wisdom. And yet, as Goldie channels the "Penny Lane" vibe that her daughter, Kate Hudson, brought to Almost Famous, this light and laugh-worthy movie reminds us that it's never too late to indulge a bit of rock & roll abandon. --Jeff Shannon

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The Bucket List

• You only live once, so why not go out in style? That?s what two cancer- ward roommates, an irascible billionaire (Jack Nicholson) and a scholarly mechanic (Morgan Freeman), decide when they get the bad news. They compose a bucket list ? things to do before you kick the bucket ? and head off for the around-the-world adventure of their lives. Sky dive? Check. Power a Shelby Mustang around a racetrac

In the last year of your life, anything is possible.In the last year of your life, anything is possible.You only live once, so why not go out in style? That’s what two cancer- ward roommates, an irascible billionaire (Jack Nicholson) and a scholarly mechanic (Morgan Freeman), decide when they get the bad news. They compose a bucket list â€" things to do before you kick the bucket â€" and head off for the around-the-world adventure of their lives. Sky dive? Check. Power a Shelby Mustang around a ra! cetrack? Check. Gaze at the Great Pyramid of Khufu? Check. Discover the joy in their lives before it’s too late? Check! Under the nimble direction of Rob Reiner, the two great stars provide the heart and soul, wit and wiles of this inspired salute to life that proves that the best time of all is right now."You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you," says the quietly wise Carter Chambers, played with gravitas and grace by a Morgan Freeman. In Rob Reiner's moving, often hilarious film The Bucket List, all sorts of people measure themselves against the two heroes, Chambers and his hospital suitemate, Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson). But as Cole finds, having spent his entire life building a Fortune 500 company, none of that much matters when cancer, the great equalizer, pays a visit. The film traces the adventures of the two unlikely friends, who meet in a hospital cancer ward, each given six months to live. The "bucket list" of the title refers to! a lifelong list of goals that a teacher of Chambers once advi! sed him to compile--and achieve--"before you kick the bucket." Soon the two are off on what may be the last grand adventure of their life, vowing to tick off as many goals (skydiving, race-car driving, seeing the wonders of the world) as they can in the time they have left. What starts as a medical melodrama becomes a road trip, yet the men's mortality realities are never far from thought. The two leads give impressive performances, and remind the viewer of just how few American films focus on the lives and loves of senior citizens. Nicholson even manages to lose his persona in his character, much as he did in About Schmidt. There's a lovely John Mayer tune, "Say (What You Need to Say)," that's perfectly matched to the film's clear-eyed view of life: What does one person leave behind as his true legacy? --A.T. Hurley

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National Geographic's Restless Earth Collection (Asteroids Deadly Impact/Volcano/Nature's Fury)

• Discover the devastating powers of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes and other earth-shattering forces of nature in dramatic scenes of destruction and inspiring human courage captured by the acclaimed filmmakers of National Geographic. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES Rating: NR Age: 727994760269 UPC: 727994760269 Manufacturer No: G76026

Narrated by Oprah Winfrey, Emmanuel's Gift tells the story of a disabled orphan in Ghana, West Africa, whose father abandoned him, village dismissed him, and country thought him better off dead. This is the story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who had nothing, but gave everything--and changed a nation forever.: If you are born disabled in Ghana, West Africa you are likely to be poisoned, or left to die by your family; and if you are not poisoned or left for dead, you're likely to be hidden away in a room; and if you're not hidden, you are de! stined to spend your lifetime begging on the streets. Of the twenty million people in Ghana, two million are disabled. This is the story of one disabled man whose mission-and purpose- is to change all that forever. In Emmanuel's Gift, filmmakers Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern have uncovered a story as compelling as it is important. Narrated by Oprah Winfrey, the film chronicles the life of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, a young Ghanaian man born with a severely deformed right leg, who today, against incalculable odds, is opening minds, hearts and doors-and effecting social and political change throughout his country. While Emmanuel's message is vital: people with disabilities are valuable contributors to any society, his method is inspirational. Emmanuel begins his quest with a bicycle ride, over 600 kilometers, across Ghana with one leg-and continues to spread his vision with grit and resolve. Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern have been documenting Emmanuel's plight for over a year, having shot ! over 100 hours of powerful imagery. The film includes original! footage shot in Ghana, California, Oregon and New York, as well as photographs and other acquired film/video of Emmanuel's early years. Through it all, they have created an intimate insight into the mind and heart of a visionary whose unforgettable journey transcends continents and cultures and becomes each of ours to share.Maverick Detective Inspector Dave Creegan (Robson Green, Reckless) and his partner D.I. Susan Taylor (Nicola Walker, Four Weddings and a Funeral) are on the case in three darkly tinged mysteries.

This time out, Creegan, Taylor and the Organized and Serial Crime Unit have their hands full with some deeply disturbed criminals. One is a serial kidnapper-murderer whose fatal fascination with young women leaves Creegan with a new scar to bear. Another is a profoundly disturbed relief worker whose nightmares of atrocities committed in Bosnia impel him to erase the memories of fellow aidesâ€"permanently; and the last is an international ring of baby brokers.Discov! er the devastating powers of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes and other earth-shattering forces of nature in dramatic scenes of destruction and inspiring human courage captured by the acclaimed filmmakers of National Geographic.

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