7 HOME MOVIES DVD
Fearless HBO drama worth watching beginning to end
8/15/2008 | DVD | "Aftermath: Population Zero"Another one for the science-oriented, this National Geographic Channel effort poses, then answers, the question: What would happen if people suddenly disappeared? From planes crashing in flames to pets going feral to monuments such as the Statue of Liberty falling to pieces, the show follows the process of Earth's gradual recovery and ultimate erasure of all things human.
'Counterfeiters' provides new twist to familiar story
8/8/2008 | DVD | "Lonesome Dove Collector's Edition"When this Simon Wincer-directed adaptation of Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize-winning Western novel debuted on CBS in February 1989, it was a critical smash, eventually winning seven Emmy Awards (including Best Director for Wincer) and a Golden Globe acting honor for Robert Duvall.
Stones show they're not done rocking out just yet
8/1/2008 | DVD | "The Band's Visit"1/2Most of the news that comes out of the Middle East seems to involve war. No surprise there. But what gets lost in this war-as-an-ongoing-headline coverage are the stories of ordinary people, which is why this little movie by Israeli filmmaker Eran Kolirin is so unique.
Cast doesn't make good case
7/18/2008 | DVD | "College Road Trip"Like Ice Cube before him, Martin Lawrence has let his career devolve into stupidly silly family fare. Not that there's anything wrong with mainstream family films, unless the filmmakers as director Roger Kumble does here settle for the most obvious jokes at every turn.
Now on DVD
7/4/2008 | DVD | "Walker Texas Ranger The Complete Fifth Season"The only thing stiffer than Chuck Norris' mustache is his acting, a malady that dates back to his days as Bruce Lee's punching bag in 1972's "Return of the Dragon.
Now on DVD
6/27/2008 | DVD | "Definitely Maybe"Set against the background of the 1992 Clinton campaign, Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) attempts to explain his divorce and past relationships to his young daughter.
Vaughn goes Wild in comedy
6/6/2008 | DVD | "Control"The list of musicians who died after, presumably, having lived fast is long and growing longer as the years pass. Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix are probably the best known examples.
'Cassandra's Dream' shows Allen's dramatic, dark side
5/30/2008 | DVD | "Grace Is Gone"1/2Most of the effective looks at what the Iraq War has cost American citizens have been, like this James C. Strouse film, set at home.
It might not make sense, but Dylan didn't either
5/9/2008 | DVD | "David Beckham: Life of an Icon"A British-made take on A&E's popular biography series, this look at British soccer phenom David Beckham uses stock footage, talking-head interviews and newsy-type reports to flesh out a rather thin story line.
Communicating the true horror of total disability
5/2/2008 | DVD | "The Golden Compass"1/2Following in the tradition of other fantasy series, from the "Harry Potter" films to Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, this obvious first of a trilogy is a skimpy fantasy that focuses on an obstreperous girl (Dakota Blue Richards) and the struggle she has trying to avoid the clutches of the dreaded, church-steeped Magisterium.
'Cloverfield' amounts to more than just monster thriller
4/25/2008 | DVD | "Charlie Wilson's War"Existing somewhere between biopic and farcical comic sketch, this slick Mike Nichols film explores the checkered career of Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), the real-life former U.
Anything but ordinary
4/18/2008 | DVD | "War/Dance"This powerful, Oscar-nominated documentary could be described as a "Mad Hot Ballroom" set in war-torn Uganda. Filmmakers Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine take us into northern Uganda, a country beset by civil war, where the elementary-age children practice for what will be a country-wide competition in theater, music and dance.
Anderson brinks on perfection with 'Blood'
4/11/2008 | DVD | "Manda Bala"1/2Jason Kohn's documentary (which translates as "Send a Bullet"), which showed at February's Spokane International Film Festival, takes us deep into the corruption that is today's Brazil.
'Sweeney Todd' not a perfect Burton fit
4/4/2008 | DVD | "August Rush""August Rush," a contemporary fairy tale by clumsy way of "Oliver Twist," follows the predictable course of August (Freddie Highmore), an orphan who waits beatifically for the day when he'll find his lost parents.
'Kite Runner' explores depths of redemption
3/28/2008 | DVD | "Bonnie and Clyde"1/2One of the films that helped inaugurate the glorious 1970s, a golden era of American cinema, Arthur Penn's 1967 gangster film "Bonnie and Clyde" retains a power that hums even in this era of celluloid overkill.
'Atonement' as classic, literary as Old Hollywood
3/21/2008 | DVD | "Enchanted"Amy Adams' performance in this entertaining cross between classic Disney animated fantasy and real-life comedy drama is a case of perfect casting. "Enchanted" works mostly because of Adams' comic and singing talents.
'No Country ' worthy of its Oscars
3/14/2008 | DVD | "Sleuth"Kenneth Branagh, stepping into the director's chair, updates Anthony Shaffer's play about an aging mystery writer (Michael Caine) and his tempting of a younger man (Jude Law) who is after his wife.
'Into the Wild' a successful adaptation, touching story
3/7/2008 | DVD | "Things We Lost in the Fire"1/2Another overlooked film from 2007, "Things We Lost in the Fire" is not for everyone. For starters, it's a powerful look at grief, exploring as it does the story of a woman (Halle Berry) whose husband (David Duchovny, seen only in flashback) has been murdered.
'Beowulf' jumps off screen, tells good story
2/29/2008 | DVD | "The Darjeeling Limited"The word typically thrown at director Wes Anderson is "quirky. " And that word is used to describe the style he employs, the themes he pursues and the tone he adopts.
Now on DVD
2/15/2008 | DVD | "In the Shadow of the Moon"For those interested both in the history of the American space program, plus what effect soaring to the moon had on those astronauts who made the trip, "In the Shadow of the Moon" should prove to be an irresistible view.
'Assassination' carries sense of authenticity
2/8/2008 | DVD | "Feast of Love"Director Robert Benton ("Places in the Heart") explores the human condition by telling the stories of several couples seeking, finding and losing then sometimes refinding love.
'Kong' documentary worth every quarter
2/1/2008 | DVD | "Groundhog Day 15th Anniversary Special Edition"1/2Some films get only better with age, and Harold Ramis' 1993 comedy "Groundhog Day" is one. It tells the story of an arrogant weathercaster (Bill Murray) who gets caught up living the same day over until he gets it right.
Dad, daughter work well together in 'Game Plan'
1/25/2008 | DVD | "Moliere"1/2Laurent Tirard's film about the 17th-century French comic playwright takes the form of an imaginative biography. It centers on the 13 years that Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, aka Moliere (Romain Duris), spent touring the French countryside with his troupe.
Revisit a satisfying love story with Harry and Sally
1/18/2008 | DVD | 'The Naked Prey'This restored, high-def digital transfer edition of the 1966 adventure film might feel a bit dated. But for pure adrenalin-charged excitement, it's worth another look.
Mangold puts contemporary spin on classic Western
1/11/2008 | DVD | "Adam's Apples"1/2It's hard to think that a movie about a violent Danish neo-Nazi could be funny. Especially when the guy (Ulrich Thomsen), sentenced to perform community service at a rural church, shows no inclination to reform.
