DVDpedia : Library : Title : N

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Paramount Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 88

Summary: David Zucker--of the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker creative troika behind "Airplane!" and television's "Police Squad!"--directed this 1988 feature film based on the latter show. Leslie Nielsen returns to his old TV role of Lt. Frank Drebin, the deadpan idiot with a detective's badge. The reinvention of the failed series as a theatrical feature seems to have inspired everyone involved to make a pretty funny movie, and the jokes gather a momentum that lasts until the final act. Ricardo Montalban is a perfect foil as a villain whose aquarium is being invaded by Drebin during routine questioning, and George Kennedy is delightful in a self-parodying part as an earnest but obtuse lawman. There's a hilarious bit when Drebin--wearing a live police wire while going to the bathroom--can be overheard over the loudspeakers at a speech given by a flustered mayor (Nancy Marchand). Yes, that's O.J. Simpson as a detective who ends up on the wrong side of numerous Drebin blunders. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1991

Studio: Paramount Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 85

Summary: It's more of Leslie Nielsen's Lt. Frank Drebin, the bumbling cop from the old "Police Squad!" television series. This time, Drebin uncovers a plot--led by supervillain Robert Goulet!--to sabotage America's energy policy. The jokes don't stick as well as those of the first film ("Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!"), but there are some very funny slapstick moments, including several involving former First Lady Barbara Bush (played by an actress, of course). "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Paramount Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 82

Summary: The usual way of the world is that sequels amount to thinner and thinner carbon copies of the original. But not in the case of "Naked Gun" movies, which only seemed to get funnier with each new entry. This third episode in the series finds Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) retired from his police squad and married to the woman of his dreams (Priscilla Presley). But he is pressed back into action to infiltrate a group of terrorists who plan to blow up the Oscars. The filmmakers make hay with spoofs of prison films and, particularly, of the Oscars themselves, in an award-show send-up that includes such real-life stars as Raquel Welch and Pia Zadora--and Drebin being mistaken for Phil Donahue. The takeoff on the dreadful production numbers that always drag out the Academy Awards will have you howling. "--Marshall Fine"

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 130

Summary: An intellectually nonconformist monk investigates a series of mysterious deaths in an isolated abbey.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Picture This

Genre: Drama

Duration: 110

Summary:

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Miramax

Genre: Documentary

Duration: 89

Summary: Whether your intellect is completely engaged or passively detached, any viewing of "Naqoyqatsi" is likely to provoke a fascinating response. You can view it as a magnificent, visually stimulating music video (as critic Roger Ebert suggested you should), or in context as the third and most unsettling film in director Godfrey Reggio's "qatsi" trilogy, each titled from the Hopi language, and preceded by "Koyaanisqatsi" and "Powaqqatsi" ("Life out of Balance" and "Life in Transformation," respectively). "Life as War" is the translation of this film's title, and Reggio's theme is not one of conventional warfare, but of daily life as warfare in the age of rapidly evolving technology. The entire trilogy views humankind as a blight on the pristine nature of Earth, but here the theme is taken to its inevitable extreme: a constant flow of new and archival images--manipulated with solarization, digital enhancements, thermal effects, 2-D and 3-D animation, etc.--combine to convey athletic and military regimentation, culminating in the doomsday flowering of missiles, rockets, and all varieties of nuclear weaponry. The cumulative effect, when combined with Philip Glass's mesmerizing score (his best of the trilogy, with cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma) is one of doom-laden portent, but, as Stephen Holden observed in the "New York Times", the film is also arrestingly beautiful as it weaves its hypnotic, apocalyptic spell. For those who wish to delve further, Reggio, Glass, and editor/visual designer Jon Kane provide valuable insight in a bonus panel discussion. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: Buena Vista Home Vid

Genre: Anime / Adventure

Duration: 116

Summary: Warrior/pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: Adv Films

Genre: Anime

Duration: 49

Summary: *Rintaro’s "Labrynth" is an elegant fantasy exploring a little girl’s impressionable imagination: The beginning of the three stories opens with a girl who, while keeping herself entertained at home with her pet cat, finds herself transported to a mysterious world. As she wanders the streets of this new world, surrounded by creatures of all sizes and shapes, she makes her way to an entrance that leads her to a tent. She is invited inside by a clown and she and her cat go inside to find… *Kawajiri’s "The Running Man" is a high-octane futuristic thriller revolving around a deadly formula-1 race: Bob Stone is writing a story about a legendary race car driver, Zach Hugh. A man who has been at the very top of a brutal race called Deus Ex for close to ten years. What Bob Stone finds is a man whose sheer will and tenacity has transcended this realm leaving the racer’s body and mind in tatters. In the end, Zach Hugh’s inhuman will leads him on a road of ruin. *Otomo’s "The Order to Stop Construction" is a Bradbury-esque allegory speculating on the dangers of man’s over-reliance with technology: Deep in the jungles of the Aloana Republic is a construction project gone amuck. A coup d’etat leaves a new power in charge of the government which demands the immediate termination of the construction. Tsutomu Sugioka is an employee who is charged with venturing deep into unfamiliar territory to invetigate what has happened to the on-site supervisor whom the company has lost contact and to halt the construction project.

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: A.D. Vision

Genre: Anime / Sci-Fi

Summary: A benchmark series in the history of anime, Hideaki Anno's "Neon Genesis Evangelion" is one of the most widely discussed in anime. It's not the first series to combine mecha (futuristic machines, especially robots) with theology and a character-driven story, but it does so exceptionally well. The designs of the robots by Ikuto Yamashita are strikingly original; the questions raised about the future of the human race stimulate viewers' imaginations and the characters show a depth of personality rare in anime. The story is set in 2015, 15 years after a cataclysmic explosion in Antarctica that caused the ice cap to melt, killing a large portion of the Earth's population. Although it was reported as a meteor impact, the explosion was caused by human interaction with Adam, the first of a series of powerful, sentient creatures known as "Angels" to appear on Earth. To defend against their depredations, humans rely on NERV, a secret agency dedicated to destroying the Angels with their gargantuan robot suits called Evas. Only teenagers with special psychic powers can pilot the Evas, and the best pilot is the repressed 14-year-old Shinji Ikari, who is a more interesting, believable character than standard mecha pilots. The two final chapters of the "Evangelion" series (which originally ran in 1995-96) are highly philosophical ruminations that satisfied neither Anno nor the viewers. The episodes were remade as the theatrical features; however, only the original 26 episodes appear in this set. Not rated; suitable for ages 14 and up: Brief nudity, violence, sexual humor, and complex adult themes. "--Charles Solomon"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: WEA

Genre: Anime / Manga

Duration: 87

Summary: When the first "Evangelion" feature, "Death and Rebirth", proved no more satisfying than the last episodes of the original series, Hideaki Anno brought his watershed epic to its conclusion in this final installment. "End of Evangelion" begins where the series ended: with the Angels defeated, the sinister cabal SEELE attacks NERV headquarters to seize the Evas and realize their plan for humanity. Misato and Ritsuko fight from inside while Asuka decimates a new Eva series. But when Rei merges with Lilith, and Shinji seems to fuse with Unit 01, the final traces of a coherent storyline dissolve into a protracted collage of fantastic images, played against discussions involving Rei, Shinji, Asuka, and Kaoru. Anno's dazzling apocalyptic vision forms a weird but oddly logical finale that ultimately means whatever the viewer chooses to read into it. This unrated feature, suitable for ages 17 and older, contains considerable violence, profanity, grotesque imagery, and sexual situations. "--Charles Solomon"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio:

Genre: Action

Duration: 113

Summary:

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Edmonds Entertainment Group (EEG)

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Duration: 97

Summary: A high-powered consultant in love with her upscale Miami lifestyle is sent to a middle of nowhere town in Minnesota to oversee the restructuring of a blue collar manufacturing plant. After enduring a frosty reception from the locals, icy roads and freezing weather, she warms up to the small town's charm, and eventually finds herself being accepted by the community. When she's ordered to close down the plant and put the entire community out of work, she's forced to reconsider her goals and priorities, and finds a way to save the town.

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Fox

Genre: Formats

Duration: 108

Summary: An irresistible concept meets computer-generated wonders in "Night at the Museum", inspired by a 1993 children's book by Milan Trenc. Ben Stiller stars as Larry Daley, an underachieving inventor waiting for his ship to come in while getting evicted from one apartment after another for lack of funds. Larry's son needs some stability, so the well-meaning ne'er-do-well takes a job as night watchman at New York City's Museum of Natural History. What the soon-to-retire guards (Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs) don't tell him is that an ancient pharaoh's tablet in the museum causes everything on display to come to life at night. Thus, Larry meets representations of Teddy Roosevelt, Attila the Hun, fire-worshipping cavemen, and Roman Empire soldiers, and learns to cope with an excitable T-Rex and man-eating, ancient animals. The film might have left things at that, but an added story element gives "Night at the Museum" some extra urgency and excitement, especially for kids: Larry becomes responsible for keeping this nightly miracle going and preventing anything in the museum from dying due to exposure to sunrise. Computer effects, as well as wildly imaginative costumes and makeup, help make the film appeal to the 8-year-old in everyone. Director Shawn Levy ("The Pink Panther") works with a hugely talented cast, including Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Carla Gugino, and Steve Coogan. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 81

Summary: Excellent condition, includes the original DVD, case, and paperwork, fast shipped, may have one or two very tiny light minor scratches that do not affect play, ask me for my DVD List! :)

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Miramax

Genre: Drama

Duration: 81

Summary: In the midst of his crumbling relationship, a radio show host begins speaking to his biggest fan, a young boy, via the telephone. But when questions about the boy's identity come up, the host's life is thrown into chaos.

Theatrical: 1991

Studio: AV Channel

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 122.0

Summary: Australia released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages:
o English (subtitles)
o English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
o Finnish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
o French (Dolby Digital 2.0)
o Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0) Synopsis:
Jim Jarmusch's deadpan comedy-of-the-night is a collection of five vignettes taking place in the enclosed space of a cab ride, each occurring simultaneously in five different cities and five different time zones -- Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Rome, and Helsinki. The Los Angeles episode takes place at dusk, as high-powered casting agent Victoria (Gena Rowlands) gets a ride from L.A. International Airport with tomboy driver Corky (Winona Ryder), who would rather go on driving her cab than take up Victoria's offer to make her a superstar. In New York City, novice East German cabbie Helmut Grokenberger (Armin Mueller-Stahl) has difficulty working the foot pedals to his hack, and his passenger, YoYo (Giancarlo Esposito), ends up driving himself to Brooklyn, picking up the shrill-voiced Angela (Rosie Perez) along the way. In Paris, an African cab driver (Isaach De Bankolé) ejects a collection of drunken African diplomats from his cab and picks up a beautiful but surly blind girl (Béatrice Dalle). In Rome, cab driver Gino (Roberto Benigni) engages in a heartfelt monologue confessing his past sexual exploits to his passenger, a priest who is dying of a heart attack in the back seat. The film winds down in the last melancholy vignette, taking place in Helsinki, as taxi driver Mika (Matti Pellonpää) picks up three inebriated workmen who regale him with hard-luck stories. But Mika has a much harsher story of his own to tell. Special Features:
o Filmographies
o Interactive Menu
o Scene Access
o Trailer(s)

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Central Park Media

Genre: Anime

Duration: 113

Summary: On the night of a cat village's Festival of the Stars, a kitten and his friend go on an celestial journey on a magical space locomotive. On that trip, they have various stops where they meet strange sights, even more unusual fellow passengers and learn some lessons of life on their trip to the terminus of the Galactic Railroad.

Theatrical: 1993

Studio: Touchstone Video

Genre: Musical

Duration: 76

Summary: Though he did not direct, this is Tim Burton's movie. And Danny Elfman's as well. It is based on the stories and characters of Burton, and it truly comes alive through Elfman's music.It is a dark and twisted tale of a world where every day is Halloween, a world where every holiday has its own domain. Well, what would happen if the dark and scary Halloween world took over and ran the cheerful and bright Christmas world? Tim Burton was born to tell this story. We follow Jack Skellington, his ghost dog Zero, the rag doll Sally, and a number of other largely humorous and colorful supporting characters on a wild ride of seasonal dysfunction.The special edition DVD also comes with some great bonus features, including deleted scenes (3 storyboard, 4 animated), trailers and posters, plus and possibly the best, two early Burton shorts, "Frankenweenie" and "Vincent" (the latter being in my opinion the best short Burton has ever made). It's great for kids (though I wouldn't recommend maybe for toddlers) and adults alike. The humor is tame enough, yet twisted in its own right. This is a must have to any Burton fan's collection and also a necessary piece to add to a claymation/puppetry/animation library. Great viewing for both holidays!And trust me, you'll want to buy the special edition for the extras. If only ALL special edition DVDs were this good.

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: Manga Video

Genre: Anime / Action

Duration: 94

Summary: A ninja-for-hire is forced into fighting an old nemesis who is bent on overthrowing the Japanese government. His nemesis is also the leader of a group of demons each with superhuman powers.

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Miramax

Genre: Crime

Duration: 122

Summary:

Theatrical: 1997

Studio:

Genre: Anime

Duration: 16

Summary:

Theatrical: 1992

Studio:

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 108

Summary:

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 101

Summary: Jim Carrey as a schizophrenic murderer isn't convincing, in this melodramatic film about a man obsessed by the "Number 23". Joel Schumacher ("Batman Forever, St. Elmo's Fire") has unintentionally managed to make a comedy of horrors that really is quite humorous in parts. Walter Sparrow (Carrey) becomes engrossed in a homespun novel about Detective Fingerling, whose life degrades into mayhem because of his obsession with 23's esoteric numerical puzzles. Sparrow's preoccupation with the book follows his botched attempt to catch a nasty dog that bites him, leading one to believe that Sparrow's contraction of rabies might be the cause for his mental degradation. As the story progresses, Sparrow retreats further into Fingerling's world, rife with suicidal sexpots and hardboiled detective sleuthing. His wife, Agatha (Virginia Madsen), also plays Fingerling's girlfriend, sex-crazed Fabrizia, who taunts Fingerling until he stabs her. Back in reality, Walter aims to solve the unresolved crimes in the book, taking it as a murderer's diary rather than as an imagined work. The story is half-baked, though Carrey's portrayal of a mentally disturbed person is what makes "The Number 23" comedic. Long, contemplative stares, and over-dramatized acting renders Sparrow a clichéd character, rather than one odd enough to engage viewers. For a better version of almost the exact plot but with a terrorist's twist, see "Thr3e" instead. "--Trinie Dalton"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 92

Summary: You'll finding yourself rooting for this movie to take off in a sustained flight of comic inspiration, but it seldom does. It's too bad that it doesn't, given the casting, because both leads (Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane) are capable of extreme funniness. Idle and Coltrane play a couple of low-level crooks who decide to get a piece of the action for themselves and abscond with the loot from a big score. But they're discovered before they can get away and their only avenue of egress is into a convent. So they don habits and hide out by pretending to be nuns, teaching parochial school to budding young girls. Now think about the possibilities in that premise, and anything you can think of is in the film (though Coltrane remains one of the funniest men alive). "--Marshall Fine"