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Guide to Home Video Releases: February Release Calendar DVD Releases Movies are rated on a scale of one to five, with five denoting a classic. For more information on how we rate, check out our Rentability Index. Back to Calendar Index. February 3 American Splendor Meet Harvey Pekar, bona fide American original. Cleveland native, V.A. hospital file clerk, and hilariously grumpy observer of life's strange and unpredictable pageant. A comic book writer who writes about his everyday life as an omnivorous reader, jazz lover, obsessive-compulsive collector, and lousy housekeeper. A prickly poet of the mundane who knows that all the strategizing in the world can't save a guy from choosing the wrong supermarket checkout line. Before camcorders, before Webcams, before nonstop reality TV, there was Harvey Pekar and his homegrown autobiographical comic book series "American Splendor." Since 1976, the pages of "American Splendor" have found Harvey puzzling, fuming, and marveling over the minutiae of his day-to-day existence. No experience is too ordinary, no thought too incorrect for him to gnaw over in his funny, candid and utterly humane stories. Bringing his own brand of bravery to comic books, Harvey Pekar expresses what so many of us think and feel, but only dream of saying -- and he never, ever holds back. Now, acclaimed filmmakers Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini bring Pekar's story -- in multiple senses of the word -- to the screen in their first narrative feature. "American Splendor" is the true saga of a working-class Everyman who pursues self-expression without self-censorship -- and finds a grateful audience, critical admiration, and that most remarkable of happy endings, a loving family. Like its namesake comic, "American Splendor" focuses on the large and small moments in the life of its curmudgeonly hero, and offers not one, but several illustrations of Harvey Pekar: the Harvey of the main narrative, portrayed by Paul Giamatti; a 2-D animated Harvey; and the real Harvey, past (via archival footage) and present. The result is a film as inventive as the subject himself -- one that captures Pekar's voice in all its hilarious, truthful, and cantankerous humanity. American Splendor premiered in competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize. It was also selected to screen in Un Certain Regard at the 2003 Cannes International Film Festival. And it is a true gem of a film that pretty much sums up all that is right -- and wrong -- about life in America. Director: Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. Stars: Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis, Daniel Tay, Harvey Pekar, James Urbaniak. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 101 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $6.000 million, HBO, $26.99 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Lost in Translation A surprise work of art from writer-director Sofia Coppola. Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) are two Americans in Tokyo. Bob is a movie star in town to shoot a whiskey commercial, estranged from his career and his wife. Charlotte is a young woman tagging along with her workaholic photographer husband (Giovanni Ribisi). Both are lost in their own lives: Bob going through a mid-life crisis, Charlotte unsure of her two-year marriage and what she wants out of life. Unable to sleep, Bob and Charlotte cross paths one night in the bar of the luxury hotel they are staying in. This chance meeting develops into a surprising friendship. Charlotte and Bob venture through Tokyo, having weird and at-times hilarious encounters with its citizens, and learning from each other a new belief in life's possibilities. Shot entirely on location in Japan, the film is a valentine to the nature of close friendships and contemplates the unexpected connections we make that might not last -- yet stay with us forever. A tad bit immature in its romanticizing of the younger girl/older man relationship (a young woman's idealizing of her love for her father, perhaps?), the film nevertheless is a bittersweet and melancholy take on the dislocations of the modern psyche. Murray and Johansson are exquisite in their roles, and the camerawork by Lance Acord captures the contradictions of the Japanese landscape: both the shimmering superficiality of Tokyo nightlife and the pastoral beauty of ancient Japan. A gem of a film. Coppola is the first American female director up for an Academy Award and Murray has been nominated for Best Actor. Director: Sofia Coppola. Stars: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris, Fumihiro Hayashi. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 102 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $30.000 million, Universal, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Secondhand Lions For 14-year old Walter (Haley Joel Osment), his great uncles' farm in rural Texas is the last place on earth he wants to spend the Summer. Dumped off by his mother, Mae (Kyra Sedgwick), in the middle of nowhere with two crazy old men and the promise that she'll come back for him, Walter doesn't know what to believe in. Eccentric and gruff, Hub and Garth McCaan (Robert Duvall and Michael Caine) are rumored to have been bank robbers, mafia hit men and/or war criminals in their younger days. The truth is elusive, although they do seem to have an endless supply of cash. But Walter begins to see a new side to his great uncles when he stumbles on an old photograph of a beautiful woman hidden away in a trunk and asks Garth who she is. Little by little, through stories spun against the backdrop of the dusty Texas night, an amazing story comes to life via Walter's vivid, colorful imaginings -- a tale set in a long-ago exotic, mysterious place where men rode stallions and fought with swords; where beautiful princesses tangled with treacherous sheiks; and where the two unlikely heroes lived an adventure most people only dream of. Whether true or not, the uncles' tales become a doorway to a staggering new world for the boy to live out their adventures. They also give Walter something true to believe in -- a world where honor and valor mean more than money and power, and a place that, real or not, belongs only to him. Likewise, in telling their stories to their nephew, Hub and Garth begin to see their own lives with new eyes. Over one unpredictable Central Texas summer in the early 1960s, everything in the lives of this new family of strangers is about to change forever. Director: Tim McCanlies. Stars: Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Haley Joel Osment, Kyra Sedgwick, Nicky Katt, Josh Lucas. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 111 min., Family, Box office gross: $41.000 million, New Line, $22.99 VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Under the Tuscan Sun The life of freshly divorced San Francisco writer Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) is about to take an unexpected but much needed upturn. Trying to shake Frances out of her lethargy and post-breakup funk, her friend Patti (Sandra Oh) offers Frances a gift that she hopes will do the trick: a 10-day trip to Tuscany, in the heart of Italy. And right there, under the Tuscan sun, the unlikeliest thing happens: Frances impulsively buys a run-down villa named "Bramasole" -- literally, "something that yearns for the sun" -- and in so doing, plunges herself into a brand new life. As she embraces the local ways and devotes herself to the restoration of her new home, Frances finds herself forming close bonds with the people around her and slowly rediscovering the pleasures of laughter, friendship and romance. Even as she stumbles forward on her uncertain journey, one thing becomes clear: in life, there are second chances. Director: Audrey Wells. Stars: Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan, Raoul Bova, Pawel Szadja, Vincenzo Ricotta, Dan Bucatinsky. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 113 min., Romance, Box office gross: $40.000 million, Buena Vista, $24.99 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Fighting Temptations, The Darrin Hill (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) has just lost his job with a New York advertising firm and bill collectors are chasing him all over the city. But just when he thinks his luck has completely run out, Darrin discovers he's the only surviving relative of his Aunt Sally who has just left him $150,000. Traveling back to his small hometown of Montecarlo, Georgia, to attend the funeral and collect his inheritance, Darrin soon discovers that Sally's written a tiny catch into her will. Her last wish is that her beloved nephew create a choir, enter it in the annual Gospel Explosion and bring home a victory. Between the bickering and the difficulties finding talented singers in the community, not to mention that his heart just isn't into the whole thing, Darrin has his work cut out for him ... until he meets Lilly (Beyonce Knowles). A beautiful jazz singer with a voice to match, Lilly awakens feelings in Darrin he didn't know he had. Suddenly, collecting the money or heading back to New York City aren't important anymore, and he realizes that Aunt Sally left him something much more than an inheritance. Director: Jonathan Lynn. Stars: Cuba Gooding Jr., Beyonce Knowles, Mike Epps, Faith Evans, Steve Harvey, Wendell Pierce, LaTanya Richardson, Dave Sheridan, Angie Stone, Rue McClanahan, Melba Moore. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 122 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $30.100 million, Paramount, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. My Boss's Daughter Ashton Kutcher stars as a young executive who agrees to house-sit for his cantankerous boss -- hoping that it will get him closer to the boss's attractive daughter. But when some of his co-workers decide to throw a party at the boss's house, everything spins wildly out of control. Director: David Zucker. Stars: Ashton Kutcher, Tara Reid, Terence Stamp, Molly Shannon, Michael Madsen, Andy Richter, Carmen Electra, Jon Abrahams. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 85 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $15.436 million, Dimension, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Only the Strong Survive Directors DA Pennebaker ("Monterey Pop," "Don't Look Back") and Chris Hegedus and journalist Roger Friedman put together a celebration of the great soul musicians -- Jerry Butler, the Chi-Lites, Isaac Hayes, Sam Moore, Ann Peebles, Wilson Pickett, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas and Mary Wilson -- and the reunion became a musical festival of soul and a compelling look into the lives of these extraordinary stage legends. are . Director: DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 95 min., Concert, Box office gross: $0.057 million, Miramax, $19.99 VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Lucky Seven A successful young lawyer, "ordained" by her late mother when she was seven that she would be lucky all her life if she followed a strict timeline, with the most important task being to marry her seventh boyfriend. When she falls in love with her sixth boyfriend, however, she worries that she won't be able to break from the timeline that has kept her mother's memory close, and so she sneaks in another boyfriend. Now she has to decide which man to choose: number six or lucky seven. Telefilm. Director: Harry Winer. Stars: Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Patrick Dempsey, Brad Rowe, Gail O'Grady. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 120 min., Comedy, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. February 10 Intolerable Cruelty A less-than-masterful Coen Brothers' dark comedy, here taking place in an exaggerated L.A. world where sex appeal is the bait, riches are the reward, and love is what scrappy men and women learn to dodge. Fabulously successful Los Angeles divorce attorney and incredibly eligible bachelor Miles Massey (George Clooney) is sated on success and needs a new challenge. Enter much-divorced Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a hardheaded woman pursuing financial independence through serial matrimony. She's the about-to-be-ex-wife of one of Massey's clients, and through some adept use of "caught-in-the-act photographs" by a private eye (Cedric the Entertainer), Marilyn seems to have an ironclad case -- until Massey uncovers dirt on her, scotching her monetary claim. But Marilyn doesn't hold a grudge -- she hires Massey to write a prenuptial for her next marital adventure, which is to oil billionaire Howard Doyle (Billy Bob Thornton). Smitten with her, Massey urges Marilyn not to enter the marriage, but she does and, inevitably, leaves Doyle. Miles is waiting, and the pair run off to get married. But Marilyn has a few revenge tricks up her sleeves, and the love-smitten Massey is hung out to dry. What follows is the mother of all battles of the sexes as the two square off, personally and professionally. Not as perverse as previous Coen outings, with a storyline that borders, unfortunately, on the inane. Part of the problem might be that the Coens were not solely responsible for the almost slapstick script. Zeta-Jones and Clooney light up the screen with their looks but their acting leaves much to be desired. Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen. Stars: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer, Edward Herrmann, Paul Adelstein, Richard Jenkins, Billy Bob Thornton, Julia Duffy. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 100 min., Romantic comedy, Box office gross: $35.096 million, Universal, $26.98 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date. In the Cut Sexually charged psychological thriller with Meg Ryan acting against her usual typecast as a sweetheart. Frannie Avery (Ryan) is a desperately lonely New York teacher who discovers the darker side of passion after beginning an erotic affair with tough homicide detective James Malloy (Mark Ruffalo), who is investigating a series of grisly murders of young women in her neighborhood. As the killings continue unabated, Frannie begins to suspect Malloy is the killer. Or could it be her stalker of an ex-boyfriend (Kevin Bacon)? Or even one of her students, who's writing a paper on serial killers? Soon Frannie is drawn into a dangerous and intense world of obsession, suspicion, desire and violence, with a surprise ending. A very dark and gritty outing. In a rated version and a very sexy unrated director's cut. Director: Jane Campion. Stars: Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kevin Bacon, Nick Damici, Sharrieff Pugh. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 119 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $5.000 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Wonderland On the afternoon of July 1, 1981, Los Angeles police responded to a distress call at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in Laurel Canyon and soon discovered a grisly quadruple homicide, later compared to the gruesome slaughter at the Tate household at the hands of the Charles Manson family 10 years earlier. Ron Launius (Josh Lucas), Billy Deverell (Tim Blake Nelson), Barbara Richardson (Natasha Gregson Wagner) and Joy Miller (Janeane Garofalo) were brutally murdered, and Ron's wife Susan (Christina Applegate) was left in critical condition. The police investigation that followed would unearth a seedy world of drugs and violence, ultimately revealing a motley crew from LA's underbelly including ex-con David Lind (Dylan McDermott), nightclub impresario Eddie Nash (Eric Bogosian), the most unlikely of American heroes -- porn legend John Holmes (Val Kilmer) -- Holmes' estranged wife Sharon (Lisa Kudrow) and his teenage lover Dawn Schiller (Kate Bosworth). The killings were the result of a complicated drug deal gone bad, and that with the porn world connections -- John Holmes was a shining star in the X-rated movie biz for a number of years -- made for tabloid headlines and gruesome newscasts. Unfortunately, the sordid subject matter gets lost in the film's mish-mash of styles and convoluted stories, leaving the viewer dazed and confused. Director: James Cox. Stars: Val Kilmer, Lisa Kudrow, Kate Bosworth, Dylan McDermott, Eric Bogosian, Josh Lucas, Franky G, Tim Blake Nelson, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Janeane Garofalo, Christina Applegate, Carrie Fisher. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 99 min., Drama, Box office gross: $1.056 million, Lions Gate, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Party Monster Hard-core, true-life story about the rise and fall of New York's club king Michael Alig, a party organizer and underground legend whose extravagant lifestyle sent him on a downward spiral leading to the boastful admission -- on TV -- of murder.The New York club scene of the 1980s and 1990s was a world like no other. Into this candy-colored disco ball playground stepped Alig (Macaulay Culkin), a wannabe from nowhere special. Under the watchful eye of veteran Club Kid James St. James (Seth Green), Alig quickly rose to the top with his own record label and magazine ... with no place to go but down. Director: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato. Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Chloe Sevigny, Natasha Lyonne, Wilmer Valderrama, Wilson Cruz. Dylan McDermott, Marilyn Manson. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 99 min., Drama, Box office gross: $0.682 million, Fox, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Sylvia Gwyneth Paltrow stars in this sizzling portrayal of the romance between legendary poet Sylvia Plath and poet Ted Hughes. While on a Fulbright Scholarship to England, Plath meets Hughes, a British poet on the verge of international fame. Following a torrid four-month courtship, they marry and embark on an intense relationship. When Hughes' subsequent literary success and the attentions of admiring women strain the marriage, Plath funnels her fury and passions into her own work that begins to flow in unstoppable bursts. Director: Christine Jeffs. Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, Daniel Craig, Jared Harris, Blythe Danner, Michael Gambon, Amira Casar, Andrew Havill, Lucy Davenport. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 110 min., Bio-Drama, Box office gross: $1.302 million, Universal, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Lion King 1 1/2, The Direct-to-video sequel has a story that runs parallel to the original Lion King. Disney introduces Timon's outrageous family -- his mother and wild Uncle Max -- and how he met Pumbaa, as well as showing a little more of the back story behind the Lion King. Music by Elton John, Tim Rice and Lebo M. Director: Bradley Raymond. Voices of Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Matthew Broderick, Julie Kavner, Jerry Stiller, Robert Guillaume, Moira Kelly, Whoppi Goldberg, Cheech Marin. 2004, CC, MPAA rating: G, 70 min., Animated, Disney, $24.99 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Once Upon a Time in the Midlands An edgy, endearing romantic comedy about hard choices and second chances that gives a new twist to home on the range -- Nottingham-style -- and pays homage in modern day drag to the classic spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone. Dek (Rhys Ifans) and Shirley (Shirley Henderson) live together with 12-year-old Marlene, her daughter by the sexy, small-time criminal Jimmy (Robert Carlyle), who split years ago and hasn't been heard from since. Decent-but-dull Dek loves Shirley so much so that he humiliates her by proposing without warning on national television. Jimmy sees the TV proposal and returns to town convinced that he can change her mind and that his nerdy rival doesn't stand a chance. It's a verbal "shoot-out" at the cockney corral. Director: Shane Meadows. Stars: Robert Carlyle, Rhys Ifans, Kathy Burke, Shirley henderson. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 104 min., Romantic Comedy, Box office gross: $0.167 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Returner Stylish sci-fi thriller stars Asian pop star and Prada model Takeshi Kaneshiro and Ann Suzuki ("Snow Falling on Cedars"). The year is 2084 and the human race is fighting an alien militia to save the last remnant of civilization. A young heroine named Milly (Suzuki) escapes the war and becomes "a returner," jumping back in time to present-day Japan in an attempt to change history. Milly's travels land her right into the middle of a local crime war between street-smart gunman Miyamoto (Kaneshiro) and cold-blooded crime leader Mizoguchi (Goro Kishtani). When Mizoguchi learns that the first earth-bound spaceship captured by the government possesses destructive abilities that would allow him to rule the world, he will stop at nothing to track this extraterrestrial creature down. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Milly must convince the reluctant Miyamoto to join her mission and stop the evil crime lord in time, thereby preventing future events that lead to the end of the human race. In Japanese with English subtitles. Director: Takashi Yamazaki. Stars: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Ann Suzuki, Goro Kishtani. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 116 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $0.069 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Stone Reader Critically acclaimed documentary feature directed by Mark Moskowitz and inspired by the cult-classic novel "The Stones of Summer" by Dow Mossman. Hailed by top national film critics and fans alike, "Stone Reader" is a constantly absorbing and moving film about the power of books to change our lives and one man's passionate search to solve a real-life literary mystery. In 1972, Mark Moskowitz, then aged 18, read a rave review of a novel called "The Stones of Summer." He bought it and couldn't get past the first few pages. Twenty-five years later he tried again, and this time he fell in love with it. Looking for other works by author Dow Mossman, he found no mention of either Mossman or his novel, which was long out of print. Thus begins one of the most enthralling mystery stories of recent years. Traveling the country, Moskowitz befriends critics, agents, and editors in the quest to discover how such a well-received book and its author could have vanished completely from the scene. And while the journey is unusually cinematic, often hilariously funny, and ultimately poignant, it is also a riveting reminder of how some stories are so potent that people change their lives forever seeking the source. The release to home video is timed to coincide with Overlook Press's version of "The Stones of Summer" in paperback, which will be nationally distributed by Penguin. Out of print for 30 years, "The Stones of Summer" recently made publishing news when Barnes & Noble Booksellers published it direct as a cornerstone of their new venture. It has sold upwards of 60,000 hardback copies. By comparison, a literary novel may sell around 5,000 hardback copies the first time out and a reprint may do well to sell 10,000 over a lifetime. Director: Mark Moskowitz. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 128 min., Documentary, New Yorker Video, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. February 17 Runaway Jury From master storyteller John Grisham ("The Firm," "The Pelican Brief") comes this fine suspense-thriller about a high-priced and ruthless jury "consultant" (Gene Hackman) who will stop at nothing to secure a verdict on an explosive trial. With lives and millions of dollars at stake, the fixer wages a deadly battle with a jury member (John Cusack), a mysterious woman (Rachel Weisz) and an honest lawyer (Dustin Hoffman). When a young widow in New Orleans brings a civil suit against the powerful corporate consortium of gun- makers she holds responsible for her husband's death in a mass murder, she sets in motion a multi-million dollar case. But it's a suit that may be won even before it begins -- based solely on the selection, manipulation and, ultimately, the attempted "theft" of the jury. Representing the widow is Wendall Rohr (Hoffman), a courtly Southern lawyer with a moral center and a heartfelt passion for the case he's presenting. His opponent is ostensibly the attorney representing the corporation. But in reality, defense counsel is only the front man for Rankin Fitch (Hackman), a brilliant and ruthless jury consultant. At a high tech command center set up in an old French Quarter warehouse, Fitch and his team work on the surveillance and assessment of potential jurors. He will know everything about their lives, and strategically manipulate the jury selection process. The only acceptable result is the perfect jury to vote in favor of his client. Fitch and Rohr soon realize they're not the only ones out to win the jury. One of the jurors, Nick Easter (Cusack), seems to have his own plan for swaying the panel. And a mysterious woman known only as Marlee (Weisz) contacts both Rohr and Fitch telling them the jury's for sale to either of them -- and that the verdict won't come cheap. While the case is argued in court, a dangerous cat and mouse game begins to play out in the French Quarter. Rohr's morality is put to the test, and Fitch is poised to cross the line from selecting a jury to stealing it -- no matter who gets hurt in the process. Exciting action, plot twists and a thrilling ending. The film marks the first pairing of screen legends Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman. Director: Gary Fleder. Stars: John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Bruce Davison, Bruce McGill, Jeremy Piven. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 122 min., Thriller, Box office gross: $48.500 million, Fox, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star Former child star Dickie Roberts (David Spade), now an out-of-work actor turned parking valet, is desperate to audition for a great new role that would revitalize his career. Unfortunately, Dickie has three strikes against him: he's superficial, materialistic and immature. Desperate for the coveted role, he decides to hire a family to adopt him so he can relive his childhood and grow up. Director: Sam Weisman. Stars: David Spade, Jon Lovitz, Doris Roberts, Alyssa Milano, Mary McCormack. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 98 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $22.700 million, Paramount, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Masked and Anonymous Inspired by the masterful, poetic and Grammy Award-winning songs of folk rocker Bob Dylan, this off-beat musical satire is the feature film directorial debut of Larry Charles, the award-winning director of HBO's hit comedy "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and executive producer on two of TV's most successful sitcoms, "Seinfeld" and "Mad About You." A witty, black-humored musical allegory written by Dylan and Charles. In a fictional America caught up in a civil war that is tearing the nation apart, a benefit concert is being organized. A traveling troubadour named Jack Fate (Dylan) is sprung from jail by his scheming former manager Uncle Sweetheart (John Goodman) and his brassy partner Nina Veronica (Jessica Lange) to headline a concert with the expectations to bring peace to the country that is entrenched by chaos, lawlessness and pandemonium. It's as if the lyrics of Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" have come to life. The soundtrack features 14 classic, previously unreleased and original Bob Dylan songs performed by the likes of The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, Los Lobos and an array of international artists; four of which are especially written and performed for the film by Dylan himself. Director: Larry Charles. Stars: Jeff Bridges, Penelope Cruz, John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Luke Wilson, Bob Dylan. Cameos by Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Mickey Rourke, Angela Bassett, Giovanni Ribisi, Cheech Marin, Christian Slater, Bruce Dern. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 106 min., Musical satire, Box office gross: $0.532 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Mambo Italiano Based on the successful stage play starring Paul Sorvino and Luke Kirby, this is a light-hearted romantic comedy with a twist about love, family, culture clash and spaghetti. Maria (Ginette Reno) and Gino's (Paul Sorvino) close-knit immigrant Italian world is shattered when their son Angelo (Luke Kirby) decides to get a place of his own without getting married. They are relieved when Angelo's childhood buddy Nino (Peter Miller) decides to move in with their son. However, their relief is short-lived when they find out that Nino and Angelo are more than just roommates -- they're lovers. But image-conscious cop Nino isn't as ready to come out of the closet though, especially to his busybody mother Lina (Mary Walsh). All hysteria breaks loose as the two modern men try to come to terms with their "old country" family traditions and pride. Director: Emile Gaudreault. Stars: Ginette Reno, Peter Miller, Paul Sorvino, Luke Kirby. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 88 min., Romantic Comedy, Box office gross: $6.220 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. City of God Postponed until June 8 due to the film's Oscar nominations. American Gun James Coburn plays Martin Tillman, a retiree living in a beautiful home with a loving wife and daughter, the latter who is just getting back on her feet after a rough divorce. Tillman has it all until one Christmas eve when the unthinkable happens -- his daughter is shot and killed. Devastated, Tillman decides that the only way to move on from the tragedy is to trace the history of the gun that killed his daughter -- and perhaps get his own brand of closure -- and justice. Director: Alan Jacobs. Stars: James Coburn, Virgina Madsen. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: R, 89 min., Drama, Miramax, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Under the Sun When Olof, a lonesome farmer, takes out an advertisement in the local paper for a housekeeper, he attracts a surprising candidate: Ellen, a beautiful 34-year-old, well-heeled city woman. As the summer progresses, Ellen effectively takes over both the house and Olof's heart. But is their blossoming romance doomed by the secrets Ellen is hiding? In Swedish with English subtitles. Director: Colin Nutley. Stars: Rolf Lassgard, Helena Bergstrom, Johan Widerberg. 2002, CC, MPAA rating: NR, 118 min., Drama, Box office gross: $0.288 million, New Yorker Video, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. February 24 Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over This latest Spy Kids adventure features returning cast members Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Ricardo Montalban, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Holland Taylor, and Danny Trejo. Juni (Sabara) must save his sister Carmen (Vega) who is being held captive inside a video game controlled by the evil toymaker (Sylvester Stallone) who wants to take over the world. Juni journeys inside the virtual reality world of the 3-D video game designed to outsmart him, as the awe-inspiring graphics and creatures of gaming come to real life. Relying on humor, gadgetry, bravery, family bonds -- Juni calls upon his mom (Gugino), dad (Banderas), grandparents (Montalban and Taylor) and his friends -- and lightning-quick reflexes, the Spy Kids must battle through tougher and tougher levels of the game-facing challenges that include racing against road warriors and surfing on boiling lava in order to save the world from the power hungry villain. The VHS version is presented in 2-D; the DVD version has 2-D and 3-D versions (and four sets of 3-D glasses). Director: Robert Rodriguez. Stars: Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Ricardo Montalban, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Holland Taylor, Sylvester Stallone, Salma Hayak, Danny Trejo. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 72 min., Family, Box office gross: $110.793 million, Dimension, $24.99 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Matchstick Men Roy (Nicolas Cage) and his protege Frank (Sam Rockwell) are a couple of successful, small-time con artists (aka "Matchstick Men") who are working the phones bogus water filtration systems for homes. Roy's private life, however, is not so successful. He's an obsessive-compulsive, germ- phobic agoraphobe (and chain-smoker) with no personal relationships to call his own ... until he learns he has a 14-year old daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman). Angela, who thought her dad was either dead or in prison, not only wants to meet him, she wants in on the partnership -- and the latest con of a shady, crude businessman. It's "Paper Moon" for the 21st century, directed with a deft hand by Ridley Scott and featuring small gems of performances by Cage, Rockwell and Lohman. Let the con begin. Director: Ridley Scott. Stars: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman, Bruce Altman, Bruce McGill, Sheila Eastin. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 116 min., Crime comedy, Box office gross: $37.000 million, Warner, $19.96 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Pieces of April Offbeat comedy about a rebellious girl, April (Katie Holmes), who attempts to make amends for her past by creating the "perfect" Thanksgiving dinner in her grubby Lower East Side apartment for her family. But her attempt to create an unforgettable feast go awry when her oven breaks down. Now, as her weary family members make their way to the city, April must rely on the kindness of strangers to pull off the meal. By first time director Peter Hedges, who wrote "About a Boy." Patricia Clarkson, who plays April's cancer-ridden mother, is up for an Academy Award. Wonderful small film. Director: Peter Hedges. Stars: Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt, Derek Luke, Sean Hayes. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 80 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $0.892 million, MGM, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. Missing, The Cate Blanchett plays Maggie Gilkeson, a young woman raising her two daughters in an isolated and lawless wilderness. When her oldest daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) is kidnapped by a psychopathic killer with mystical powers (Eric Schweig), Maggie is forced to re-unite with her long estranged father (Tommy Lee Jones) to rescue her. The killer and his brutal cult of desperados have kidnapped several other teenage girls, leaving a trail of death and horror across the desolate landscape of the American Southwest. Maggie and her father are in a race against time to catch up with the renegades and save her daughter, before they cross the Mexican border and disappear forever. Director: Ron Howard. Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Evan Rachel Wood, Jenna Boyd, Eric Schweig, Aaron Eckhart, Jay Tavare, Simon Baker, Sergio Calderson, Val Kilmer. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 137 min., Western thriller, Box office gross: $26.000 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. My Life Without Me Working-class young mother Ann (Sarah Polley) lives a modest life with her two kids and her husband (Scott Speedman) in a trailer in her mother's (Deborah Harry) backyard. Her life takes a dramatic turn, however, when her doctor diagnoses her with a terminal illness with only two months to live. Burdened with her secret but liberated by a new sense of control, Ann begins living with an intensity she never thought possible and her emotional journey leads her to unexpected places and gives her life new meaning. Director: Isabel Coixet. Stars: Sarah Polley, Mark Ruffalo, Scott Speedman, Amanda Plummer, Deborah Harry. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 106 min., Drama, Box office gross: $0.381 million, Columbia TriStar, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. On_Line A highly charged sexual tale of searching for love on the Internet. From their Manhattan digs, roommates John and Moe run the live erotic web site Intercon-X. Signing on "and turning on" are glamorous Jordan, innocent Eric, demanding Al and high strung Moira. From initial random contacts, their lives become intertwined, and edgy electronic thrills give way to flesh and blood drama. Through state-of-the-art digital technology, split screens and streaming webcam video, director Jed Weintrob tells a sexy romantic story. Director: Jed Weintrob. Stars: Josh Hamilton, Harold Perrineau, Vanessa Ferlito, John Fleck, Isabel Gillies, Eric Millegan. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: R, 86 min., Erotic drama, Box office gross: $0.165 million, Wolfe Video, $29.95 VHS SRP. DVD: Day & Date. Camp Featuring a young cast selected from a nationwide talent search, the film was shot at real-life drama camp Stagedoor Manor, were youngsters train in the performing arts. Every summer talented kids with big voices and even bigger dreams flock to Camp Ovation. Joining the kids is Bert Hanley, a down-on-his luck aspiring director who puts the kids through their paces in the final camp production. There's offstage backstabbing, unrequited love, and a sexy new guy, Vlad (Daniel Letterle), who steals the heart of every girl he encounters. Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney never had it this good. Director: Todd Graff. Stars: Don Dixon, Daniel Letterle, Joanna Chilcoat, Robin de Jesus. 2003, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 114 min., Musical comedy, Box office gross: $1.628 million, MGM, No VHS SRP, Priced for rental. DVD: Day & Date. All DVDs are screened on a reference system consisting of a Rotel RDV-1080 DVD Audio/Video Player, a Rotel RSX-972 Surround Sound Receiver, and Phase Technology 1.1 (front), 33.1 (center), and 50 (rear) speakers and Power 10 subwoofer. December 2003 Releases January 2004 Releases March 2004 Releases April 2004 Releases May 2004 Releases June 2004 Releases | Contents/Site Map | Home | Resources | Sell-Through | Reviews | Links | E-mail: mail@cyberpod.com ©1996 -- 2004 CyberPod. All rights reserved CyberPod and OnVideo are trademarks of CyberPod Productions. January 20, 2004