DVDpedia : Library : Title : G

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Studio Ghibli

Genre: Anime / Family

Duration: 100

Summary:

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 102

Summary: You don't have to be a "Star Trek" fan to enjoy "Galaxy Quest", but it certainly helps. A knowingly affectionate tribute to "Trek" and any other science fiction TV series of the 1960s and beyond, this crowd-pleasing comedy offers in-jokes at warp speed, hitting the bull's-eye for anyone who knows that (1) the starship captain always removes his shirt to display his manly physique; (2) any crew member not in the regular cast is dead meat; and (3) the heroes always stop the doomsday clock with one second to spare. So it is with Commander Taggart (Tim Allen) and the stalwart crew of the NSEA "Protector", whose intergalactic exploits on TV have now been reduced to a dreary cycle of fan conventions and promotional appearances. That's when the Thermians arrive, begging to be saved from Sarris, the reptilian villain who threatens to destroy their home planet.
Can actors rise to the challenge and play their roles for real? The Thermians are counting on it, having studied the "historical documents" of the "Galaxy Quest" TV show, and their hero worship (not to mention their taste for Monte Cristo sandwiches) is ultimately proven worthy, with the help of some "Galaxy" geeks on planet Earth. And while "Galaxy Quest" serves up great special effects and impressive Stan Winston creatures, director Dean Parisot ("Home Fries") is never condescending, lending warm acceptance to this gentle send-up of sci-fi TV and the phenomenon of fandom. Best of all is the splendid cast, including Sigourney Weaver as buxom blonde Gwen DeMarco; Alan Rickman as frustrated thespian Alexander Dane; Tony Shalhoub as dimwit Fred Kwan; Daryl Mitchell as former child-star Tommy Webber; and Enrico Colantoni as Thermian leader Mathesar, whose sing-song voice is a comedic coup de grâce. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Drama

Summary: It's not quite as clever as it tries to be, but "The Game" does a tremendous job of presenting the story of a rigid control freak trapped in circumstances that are increasingly beyond his control. Michael Douglas plays a rich, divorced, and dreadful investment banker whose 48th birthday reminds him of his father's suicide at the same age. He's locked in the cage of his own misery until his rebellious younger brother (Sean Penn) presents him with a birthday invitation to play "The Game" (described as "an experiential Book of the Month Club")--a mysterious offering from a company called Consumer Recreation Services. Before he knows the game has even begun, Douglas is caught up in a series of unexplained events designed to strip him of his tenuous security and cast him into a maelstrom of chaos. How do you play a game that hasn't any rules? That's what Douglas has to figure out, and he can't always rely on his intelligence to form logic out of what's happening to him. Seemingly cast as the fall guy in a conspiracy thriller, he encounters a waitress (Deborah Unger) who may or may not be trustworthy, and nothing can be taken at face value in a world turned upside down. Douglas is great at conveying the sheer panic of his character's dilemma, and despite some lapses in credibility and an anticlimactic ending, "The Game" remains a thinking person's thriller that grabs and holds your attention. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Tla

Genre: Action

Duration: 95

Summary:

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Miramax Home Entertainment

Genre: Crime

Duration: 166

Summary: In 1863, Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, his father's killer.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]

Genre: Anime / Drama

Summary: As the Count gradually makes his introductions to all of the most prominent families in Paris, betrayal, deception and intrigue disrupt the world that Albert has always known. Three of the most illustrious men, including Albert's own father, harbor a secret so terrible that exposure would irrevocably ruin their lives. With the arrival of a funeral notice bearing the forbidden name of Edmond Dantes, that secret threatens to come to the surface and all of the aristocracy teeters on the brink of disaster.

Theatrical: 1982

Studio:

Genre: Anime

Duration: 60

Summary:

Theatrical: 1998

Studio:

Genre: Anime / Action

Duration: 73

Summary:

Theatrical: 1971

Studio: Turner Home Ent

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 112

Summary: For "Get Carter", the able Michael Caine checked in his likable working-class-bloke persona to play a very unlikable working-class bloke, London gangster Jack Carter. Heading "up north" to get to the bottom of the recent death of his brother, he runs afoul of the local color, who don't appreciate his meddling. Not content to accept the police report of suicide, Carter begins investigating. He encounters the local mob boss, his sleazy chauffeur with eyes like "piss holes in the snow," and the lovely town porn star. The film moves along at a leisurely pace, until Carter finds out the grim truth. The final third of the film has Jack Carter on the vengeance path. No one in this film gets a happy ending. When it's over, you feel as though you need to wipe the soot off yourself and go stand under a sun lamp. The British board of tourism would prefer you didn't watch this film. "--Kristian St. Clair"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Mad Chance

Genre: Comedy / Action

Duration: 110

Summary: Bungling secret agent Maxwell Smart, also known as Agent 86 for CONTROL, is on a mission to battle the forces of their evil crime nemesis known as KAOS with his more-competent partner Agent 99, (whose real name is never revealed) at his side. When the headquarters of U.S. spy agency Control is attacked and the identities of its agents compromised, the Chief has no choice but to promote his ever-eager analyst Maxwell Smart, who has always dreams of working in the field alongside stalwart superstar Agent 23. Smart will do whatever it takes to thwart the latest plot for world domination by KAOS.

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Action

Duration: 116

Summary: An African American mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: SPV

Genre: Anime / Sci-Fi / Action

Duration: 82

Summary: A female cyborg cop and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Umvd/Dreamworks

Genre: Anime / Sci-Fi / Action

Duration: 99

Summary: Mamoru Oshii's landmark Ghost in the Shell (1995) largely defined the cyberpunk genre and influenced the Matrix films in the U.S. The long-awaited sequel continues the adventures of Batou, Major Kusanagi's former assistant, who was left behind when she disappeared into the cyber-realm of the Net. With his new human partner, Togusa, Batou investigates a series of bloody murders involving gynoids, robots with sexual functions. The case leads them to the headquarters of the Locus Solus company, where Batou uncovers the evil secret behind the creation of the gynoids. Innocence includes some staggeringly beautiful CG images, especially a parade depicting characters from Chinese mythology. Oshii contrasts this glittering beauty with a Blade Runner-esque dystopia. But even his skill as a director can't disguise the fact that the underdeveloped story and flat characters are far less interesting than the opulent visuals. (Rated PG-13: graphic violence, violence against women, brief nudity, profanity, alcohol and tobacco use.) --Charles Solomon

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Manga Video

Genre: Anime / Sci-Fi / Action

Duration: 109

Summary: The television movie "Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society" (2006) continues the adventures of the cast of "Stand Alone Complex", the TV series based on Mamoru Oshii's watershed feature. It's been two years since Major Kusanagi left Public Security Section 9 and struck out on her own. Batou pursues only investigations that interest him. Togusa is in charge of the Section, largely by default. All three characters, plus Chief Aramaki and the Tachikoma robots, join in the investigation of a string of suicides by agents of a foreign general. The trail leads them to a terrorist plot involving micro-machines created to release a deadly virus, and to the master-hacker known as the Puppeteer. The depiction of a corrupt politician using resources earmarked for the care of an aging population for his own ends reflects recent scandals in Japan. But "Solid State Society" feels derivative. The plot borrows heavily from the "Laughing Man" storyline, and the general lack of inspiration is evident in the failure to resolve the mystery satisfactorily.
The Limited Edition includes a music CD and a second DVD of extras, among them notes on designing the futuristic vehicles in the film, and an interview with Mitsuhisa Ishikawa of Production I.G., all packaged in a metal box. (Rated 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery) "--Charles Solomon"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment

Genre: Anime / Sci-Fi / Action

Duration: 650

Summary: Takes place in a fictional city of Japan called "Niihama-shi" (New Port City) in the year 2030, Stand Alone Complex tells the story of a special operation task-force called Public Security Section 9, or simply "Section 9". The series follows the exploits of Section 9's agents who range from ex-military to ex-police as they address each case and how it affects them on a personal level, eventually leading to the mysterious figure dubbed by the media as "The Laughing Man".

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Manga Video

Genre: Anime / Sci-Fi / Action

Duration: 650

Summary: As the second season of "Stand Alone Complex" continues, the filmmakers keep the suspense running high. Numerous subplots arise that appear to be linked, as they were in the case of the Laughing Man in the first season. Kusanagi, Batou, and even Chief Arakami chafe when they're drafted to protect the Prime Minister from would-be assassins. Behind these threats and other incidents lies the Individual Eleven, a cell that may parallel the May 15th Incident, an event well known to Japanese audiences but unfamiliar to Americans. (On May 15, 1932, a group of junior naval officers and army cadets assassinated Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi, ensuring that power would remain in the hands of the militarists.) But the devious and hideously scarred intelligence officer Kazundo Gohda may be the puppet-master behind actions of the Individual Eleven--and many others. "Stand Alone Complex--2nd Gig" continues the tight plotting, dynamic action sequences, and appealing character relationships that made the series a hit. The story points concerning the status of an impoverished refugee population give the show a depressing contemporary feel. The extras include a two-part interview with character designers Takayuki Goto and Tetsuya Nishio.
The two-disc Special Edition contains the same episodes, but one disc features Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, the other DTS and stereo. There's also a mouse pad and a deck of playing cards with stills from the series. (Rated 13 and older: violence, violence against women, brief nudity, alcohol and tobacco use) "--Charles Solomon"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Horror

Duration: 91

Summary: While it offers nothing new for horror buffs, "Ghost Ship" relocates its haunted house clichés to an eerily effective setting. The Italian luxury liner "Antonia Graza", its fate a mystery for 40 years, has suddenly reappeared in the chilly Bering Sea. Lured by a seemingly harmless proposition, Gabriel Byrne and Julianna Margulies lead a salvage crew (including Ron Eldard, Margulies's offscreen partner and fellow "ER" alumnus) to claim the wreck. But a grisly prologue--in which we witness the horrific fate of the ship's crew and passengers--makes it clear that bad things are going to happen. And they do... with the predictability of tomorrow's sunrise. The supporting cast is routinely dispatched, but their fates are determined amid outstanding art direction, slick cinematography, and judicious digital trickery, all primed to maximize the doom-laden atmosphere. Director Steve Beck (who remade "13 Ghosts" a year earlier) won't win any awards for ingenuity, but "Ghost Ship" offers a few good chills for a dark and stormy night. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Bandai Entertainment

Genre: Anime

Duration: 98

Summary: "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" scored a big hit in Japan in 2006, and has been eagerly awaited by American "otaku". Makoto Konno regards herself as a normal high-school student. She's smart, but not brilliant; a little clumsy, but not a klutz; well-liked, but not a social star. Her favorite pastime is playing baseball with her best friends: handsome, studious Kosuke Tsuda and shaggy, offbeat Chiaki Mamiya. When Makoto nearly loses her life in a bicycle accident, she escapes by moving back through time. Her aunt tells her the talent isn't unusual in girls her age, and Makoto begins exploiting her ability. But her efforts to improve the present backfire, making school, friendship, and romance even more complicated and difficult--until she discovers a surprising secret about Chiaki. "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" ("Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo") has remained a popular property in Japan since Yasutaka Tsutsui's novel appeared in 1967: It's been filmed repeatedly in live action and adapted to a manga. Mamoru Hosoda's animated prequel to the original story blends warmth and fantasy in ways usually associated with Studio Ghibli films. The relationship Makoto, Kosuke, and Chiaki share is exceptionally well-drawn, and nicely balances the fantastic elements of the story. (Rated 13 and older: minor violence and risqué humor) "--Charles Solomon"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 106

Summary: An orphaned teenager is taken in by a Malibu couple but discovers they aren't the caring friends they seemed to be.

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Drama

Duration: 100

Summary: An examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office.

Theatrical: 1981

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 109

Summary: South African director Jamie Uys caught lightning in a bottle with "The Gods Must Be Crazy"--a Coke bottle, to be specific. This slaphappy collection of goofy pratfalls and culture-clash gags became an enormous international smash, and made a sort of star out of the Bushman selected to play the central role, the completely ingratiating N!Xau. He plays a man, unaware of white culture, who finds a Coca-Cola bottle in the Kalahari (dropped by a passing pilot) and promptly has his life turned around by this mystical object. The movie looks slipshod and even amateurish at times, yet its attitude is so bubbly it's hard to resist. Proving that physical comedy remains a true international language, millions of moviegoers around the world drank it up. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 97

Summary: "The Gods Must Be Crazy II" (1989) returns N!Xau to the bizarre world of the white man, this time in a slicker plot (and a with a bigger budget) that, perhaps predictably, yields fewer real belly laughs than the first time around. Director Jamie Uys sticks to his cherished notions that tribesmen are wiser than civilized people, and that fast-motion comedy is inherently funny. The storyline begins with N!Xau's innocent Bushman searching for his lost children; he then gets sidetracked by subplots. The humor is basic, but in best silent-movie tradition Uys prepares his set-pieces with elaborate care, and he understands the value of the long-delayed pay-off. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 1925

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Classics

Duration: 96

Summary: After the box-office failure of his first dramatic film, "A Woman of Paris", Charlie Chaplin brooded over his ensuing comedy. "The next film must be an epic!" he recalled in his autobiography. "The greatest!" He found inspiration, paradoxically, in stories of the backbreaking Alaskan gold rush and the cannibalistic Donner Party. These tales of tragedy and endurance provided Chaplin with a rich vein of comic possibilities. The Little Tramp finds himself in the Yukon, along with a swarm of prospectors heading over Chilkoot Pass (an amazing sight restaged by Chaplin in his opening scenes, filmed in the snowy Sierra Nevadas). When the Tramp is trapped in a mountain cabin with two other fortune hunters, Chaplin stages a veritable ballet of starvation, culminating in the cooking of a leathery boot. Back in town, the Tramp is smitten by a dance-hall girl (Georgia Hale), but it seems impossible that she could ever notice him. "The Gold Rush" is one of Chaplin's simplest, loveliest features; and despite its high comedy, it never strays far from Chaplin's keen grasp of loneliness. In 1942, Chaplin reedited the film and added music and his own narration for a successful rerelease. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: MIRAMAX

Genre: Drama

Duration: 114

Summary: For his initial offering as director, Ben Affleck returns to the site of his first Oscar: South Boston. (He and Matt Damon shared the award for "Good Will Hunting".) Hot on the heels of his moving turn in "Hollywoodland", Affleck's Dennis Lehane adaptation marks one of the more seamless actor-to-filmmaker transitions in recent years. Ostensibly, a procedural about the search for a missing child, class and corruption emerge as his primary concerns. First off, there's low-rent private eye Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck, equally adept in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"). Then there's the girl's drug mule mother, Helene (Amy Ryan, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"). She and Patrick grew up in Dorchester, but he took a different path, setting up an agency with his girlfriend, Angie (Michelle Monaghan). Helene's aunt, Bea (Amy Madigan), hires the duo to augment the investigation, and they team up with Captain Doyle (Morgan Freeman) and Detective Bressant (Madigan's husband, Ed Harris). The authorities don't appreciate the interference, but Patrick knows how to get the local populace talking, and he soon finds there's more to the story than anyone could possibly imagine. Hard-hitting, but never soft-headed, the evocative end result proves Affleck has a flair for this directing thing and that his little brother can carry a major motion picture with aplomb. "Gone Baby Gone" belongs on the list of great Boston crime dramas, along with "The Departed" and "Mystic River", Clint Eastwood’s take on Lehane. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Touchstone / Disney

Genre: Action

Duration: 117

Summary: A retired master car thief must come back to the industry and steal 50 cars with his crew in one night to save his brother's life.

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 121

Summary: In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma; a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared.

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Seven 7

Genre: Drama

Duration: 93

Summary: Without force-feeding its timely message, "Good Night, and Good Luck" illuminates history to enlighten our present, when the need for a free and independent press is more important than ever. In 90 breathtaking minutes of efficient and intricate storytelling, writer-director George Clooney and cowriter Grant Heslov pay honorable tribute to the journalistic integrity of legendary CBS newscaster Edward R. Murrow,
Director George Clooney who confronted the virulent and overzealous anti-Communist witch-hunting of Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy in 1953-54, and emerged as a triumphant truth-seeker against the abuses of corporate and governmental power.
David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow As played by David Strathairn, Murrow is a dogged realist, keenly aware of the smear tactics that will be employed against him; Clooney provides crucial backup as Murrow's "See It Now" producer and closest confidante Fred Friendly, forming a fierce but not entirely fearless triumvirate of broadcasting bravery with CBS chief William Paley (Frank Langella), who anxiously champions Murrow's cause under constant threat of reprisals. While using crisp black-and-white cinematography (by Robert Elswit) to vividly recreate the electrifying atmosphere of the CBS newsroom and the early years of television, Clooney (son of long-time Cincinnati newsman Nick Clooney) proves his directorial skill by juggling big themes and an esteemed ensemble cast, never stooping to simplification of ethically complex material. "Good Night, and Good Luck" is an instant classic, destined for all the accolades it so richly deserves. "--Jeff Shannon"
Learn More About Edward R. Murrow and Broadcast Journalism
George Clooney's Recommended Reading
George Clooney's Recommended Movies
"The Edward R. Murrow Collection"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Drama

Duration: 168

Summary: A complicated movie about the Central Intelligence Agency and its agents, "The Good Shepherd" isn't your typical spy movie. Though it stars Matt Damon ("The Bourne Identity" films) and Angelina Jolie ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith", "Lara Croft" franchise)--actors with considerable experience in the action-espionage genre--"The Good Shepherd" requires that they play more subdued and (much less interesting) characters here. The movie focuses on the career or Edward Wilson (Damon), a privileged Yale graduate who goes on to help found the CIA. He is a quiet, serious, and guarded man, even in the most intimate moments with his civilian wife (Jolie, in a role that wastes her talent). Set against a backdrop of real-life events such as the Bay of Pigs, "The Good Shepherd" is meticulous in creating a realistic timeframe. The film gets a jolt of excitement when Robert DeNiro (in his first directing role since 1993's "A Bronx Tale") peppers the screen with appearances by Joe Pesci, Alec Baldwin, and William Hurt. But those moments are too infrequent. At 157 minutes long, the film is crammed with many factual details, but the characters are shortchanged when it comes to development. Viewers have to wonder why anyone, much less someone like Wilson who has everything going for him, would devote his life to a thankless job that brings so little happiness to himself and his family. "The Good Shepherd" is an ambitious but flawed film. The actors do a formidable job with a well-intentioned but meandering script. However, we meet so many characters and learn so little about each that it's difficult to drum up much empathy for any of them. "--Jae-Ha Kim"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Virgin Records

Genre: Music Video & Concerts

Duration: 185

Summary: Gorillaz, the world's biggest two-dimensional band, performed LIVE at the Manchester Opera House November 1st through 5th, 2005. Guest musicians included De La Soul, Shaun Ryder from Happy Mondays, and UK hip hop artist Roots Manuva. Gorillaz co-creator/producer Damon Albarn was also on hand to help bring the "Demon Days" album to life.
Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Last Living Souls
3. Kids With Guns
4. O Green World
5. Dirty Harry
6. Feel Good Inc
7. El Mañana
8. Every Planet We Reach Is Dead
9. November Has Come
10. All Alone
11. White Light
12. DARE
13. Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey's Head
14. Don't Get Lost In Heaven
15. Demon Days
16. Hong Kong
17. Latin Simone

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 137

Summary: Multiple storylined drama set in 1932, showing the lives of upstairs guest and downstairs servants at a party in a country house in England.

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Horror

Duration: 98

Summary: Ghost story in which a repressed female psychiatrist wakes up as a patient in the very asylum where she worked with no memory of committing a terrible crime.

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 116

Summary: Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino", an unassuming picture shot during a post-production lull on his elaborate period piece "Changeling", was quietly rolled out at Christmastime 2008, whereupon it proceeded to blow away all the Oscar-bait behemoths at the box office and win its 78-year-old star the best reviews of his acting career. Both film and performance are consummately sly--coming on with deceptive simplicity, only to evolve into something complex, powerful, and surprisingly tender. Just as "Unforgiven" was a tragic reflection on Eastwood's legacy in the Western genre, "Gran Torino" caps and eloquently critiques the urban heritage of "Dirty Harry" and his violent brethren. And on top of that, the movie becomes a savvy meditation on America in a particular historical moment, racially, economically, spiritually. Call it a "state of the union" message. But call it that with a wry grin.
The latest Dirty Harry is actually a grumpy Walt: Walt Kowalski (Eastwood playing his own age), widower, Korean War veteran, retired auto worker, and the last white resident of his Detroit side street. It's hard to say who irks him more--his blood kin (a pretty lame bunch) or the Hmong families who are his new neighbors. Kowalski's a racist, because it has never occurred to him he shouldn't be. Besides, that's the flipside of the mutual ethnic baiting that serves as coin of affection for him and his working-class buddies. Circumstances--and two young people next door, the feisty Sue (Ahney Her) and her conflicted brother Thao (Bee Vang)--contrive to involve Walt with a new community, and anoint him as its hero after he turns his big guns on some ruffians. The trajectory of this may surprise you--several times over. Eastwood opted to film in economically blighted Detroit--a shrewd decision, but it's his mapping of Walt's world in that classical style of his that really counts. Every incidental corner of lawn, porch, and basement comes to matter--and by all means the workshop/garage that houses the mint-condition Gran Torino which Walt helped build in a more prosperous era. This is a remarkable movie. "--Richard T. Jameson"

Theatrical: 1940

Studio: Image Entertainment

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 125

Summary: In "The Great Dictator," his first talking film, Charlie Chaplin skewers both Adolf Hitler (Adenoid Hynkel) and Benito Mussolini (Benzino Napaloni) on sharp spears of ridicule. "I'm a clown," he said in an interview with The New York Times Magazine shortly before the film's 1940 premiere, "and what can I do that is more effective than to laugh at these fellows that are putting humanity to the goose step?" Chaplin plays both the malevolent dictator and an innocent Jewish barber who is in love with Hannah (Paulette Goddard). The plot turns on the astonishing resemblance of the dictator to the barber. Mistaken for "the Phooey" (der Fuhrer), the barber makes a speech at an enormous rally for the "Sons and Daughters of the Double Cross" that double crosses the double crossers.

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Tokyo Pop

Genre: Anime / Manga

Duration: 108

Summary: Ex-biker gang leader Eikichi Onizuka wants to become a teacher--so he can ogle 16-year-old girls. In the first episode, Mizuki, a girl from his class, puts him in a compromising position so three thuggish students can take embarrassing photographs; their blackmail scheme falls apart when Onizuka and a gang capture the trio and torture them. Later, Onizuka helps Mizuki with her family problems--and is rewarded with her panties. The tone of this outré series shifts abruptly from puerile to maudlin to pseudo-inspirational and back. The animation is simple and often grotesquely distorted to symbolize Onizuka's extreme moods and spasms of barely restrained lust. Japanese audiences may find a comedy about a leering teacher acceptable, but the growing concern over abuse makes it a tough sell in America. Unrated; suitable for ages 17 and Up: Sexual humor, profanity, violence, tobacco and alcohol use, grotesque imagery. Contains the first four episodes. "--Charles Solomon"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 188

Summary: The story about the lives of guards on death row leading up to the execution of a wrongly accused man who has the power of faith healing.

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Homevision

Genre: Drama

Duration: 103

Summary:

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: The Weinstein Company

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 113

Summary: Loud, fast, and proudly out of control, "Grindhouse" is a tribute to the low-budget exploitation movies that lurked at drive-ins and inner city theaters in the '60s and early '70s. Writers/directors Quentin Tarantino ("Kill Bill") and Robert Rodriguez ("Sin City") cooked up this three-hour double feature as a way to pay homage to these films, and the end result manages to evoke the down-and-dirty vibe of the original films for an audience that may be too young to remember them. Tarantino's "Death Proof" is the mellower of the two, relatively speaking; it's wordier (as to be expected) and rife with pulp/comic book posturing and eminently quotable dialogue. It also features a terrific lead performance by Kurt Russell as a homicidal stunt man whose weapon of choice is a souped-up car. Tarantino's affection for his own dialogue slows down the action at times, but he does provide showy roles for a host of likable actresses, including Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rose McGowan, Sydney Poitier, and newcomer Zoe Bell, who was Uma Thurman's stunt double in "Kill Bill". Detractors may decry the rampant violence and latch onto a sexist undertone in Tarantino's feature, but for those viewers who grew up watching these types of films in either theaters or on VHS, such elements will be probably be more of a virtue than a detrimental factor. -- "Paul Gaita "

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: The Weinstein Company

Genre: Horror

Duration: 105

Summary: Loud, fast, and proudly out of control, "Grindhouse" is a tribute to the low-budget exploitation movies that lurked at drive-ins and inner city theaters in the '60s and early '70s. Writers/directors Quentin Tarantino ("Kill Bill") and Robert Rodriguez ("Sin City") cooked up this three-hour double feature as a way to pay homage to these films, and the end result manages to evoke the down-and-dirty vibe of the original films for an audience that may be too young to remember them. Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" is a rollicking horror/sci-fi/action piece about a plague outbreak that turns citizens into cannibalistic murderers; it's heavy on the gore and explosions but also features a terrific cast of A players (Freddy Rodriguez, Naveen Andrews, Marley Shelton) and B-movie vets (Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Tom Savini) and the indelible image of Rose McGowan as a stripper whose torn-off leg is replaced by a high-powered machine gun.
If Tarantino's feature was a nod to the moody, genre-jumping exploitation of the early '70s, Rodriguez's contribution to the "Grindhouse" aesthetic pays tribute to the manic gorefests from Italy and the States in the early '80s. And much like the film itself, the supplemental features on "Terror"'s double-disc Extended and Unrated presentation have a loose, action-packed and familial vibe that gives fans full access to Rodriguez's one-man-studio approach to moviemaking. The director is featured twice on audio tracks: first, on the feature commentary, which provides a fun tour through the picture's production (as well as information on the upcoming "Grindhouse" DVD set, which will reunite the two pictures in their theatrical format), and later on the "10-Minute Film School," a fascinating breakneck run through the numerous visual and CGI effects that produced the film's most eye-popping effects, including McGowan's leg/machine gun. Most of the extras echo Rodriguez's informative and entertaining vibe--two featurettes cover the picture's male and female cast (the former offers affectionate tributes to the exploitation vets in the company, including Biehn, Fahey, Michael Parks, and Savini), while "Casting Rebel" is an amusing discussion of how Rodriguez came to bring his own son into the movie, as well as his refusal to disclose the fate of Rebel's character. "Sickos, Bullets, and Explosions" takes a look at "Terror"'s extensive special effects through interviews with stunt coordinator Jeff Dashnaw and members of the visual effects team, while "The Friend, The Doctor, and The Real Estate Agent" chats with three non-actors, all pals of Rodriguez, who wound up with small but significant roles in the picture. The Extended and Unrated aspect of the set is limited to a few extended scenes and extra splatter (sorry, the infamous "Missing Reel" is not recovered for this set), while Grindhouse fans bemoaning the absence of the film's hilarious faux trailers will appreciate the inclusion of Rodriguez's hilarious "Machete" spot, with Danny Trejo as a death-dealing, lady-loving tough guy gunning for double-crosser Fahey. The set also includes an "Audience Reaction" track: Essentially, it's a whole track of whoops and hollers that allows the viewer to "experience" the film as if they were watching it in an actual grindhouse from back in the day. Its inclusion neither adds to or detracts from enjoying this DVD, but it's wholly indicative of the level of fun Rodriguez had making the picture--and wants to share with his fans. "-- Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 1993

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Fantasy

Duration: 101

Summary: A cynical weatherman is forced to continuously re-live the worst day of his life until he learns to become a better person.

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: A.D.V. Films

Genre: Anime / Action

Duration: 90

Summary: Based on a popular "manga" by Kenichi Sonoda, this three-part original animation video follows the adventures of two outrageous heroines: crack shot and part-time bounty hunter Rally Vincent and her blond sidekick, Minnie May Hopkins, who specializes in explosives. They operate a gun shop on an otherwise quiet Chicago side street and share a suburban house that resembles an arsenal. Bill Collins, an officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, draws the duo against their will into an investigation of a gunrunning ring. The operation begins with a simple stakeout but grows darker and more violent as Rally, Minnie May, and Bill take on Major Radinov, a former KGB agent turned freelance assassin, who insists on being paid in heroin. Radinov murders government agents, informants, and the chief of the Chicago ATF with steely indifference. She leads Rally and Minnie May in a high-speed car chase that gives new meaning to the term "road rage", then plays a deadly game of cat and mouse in an old Beaux Arts building. Handsomely designed and skillfully executed, "Gunsmith Cats" is slick, fast-paced, and extremely violent. Director Takeshi Mori builds suspense and tension so effectively, he imbues the shootouts and stabbings with an impact many gorier anime series lack. Not rated; suitable for ages 16 and up for occasional profanity and explicit violence. "--Charles Solomon"