Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Disaster 4 Film Collector's Set

  • DISASTER 4-DVD SET

Genre: Comedy
Rating: UN
Release Date: 6-JAN-2009
Media Type: DVDEven within the subgenre of grab-bag comedy, Disaster Movie sets a new bar for free-associative lunacy. To what degree there is a plot, it's vaguely stolen from Cloverfield: A handful of twentysomethings try to rescue someone in a city assaulted by an incomprehensible threat--in this case, falling asteroids. But that's just a thread on which to string a long and increasingly tedious series of gestures towards recent movies (ranging from High School Musical to Enchanted to Sex and the City to Kung Fu Panda) and pop culture figures (Amy Winehouse to Flavor Flav to Dr. Phil to, of course, perpetual punching-bag Michael Jackson). No one over 30 will recognize more than a fraction of the movie's references, but the movie'! s bigger problem is that there are hardly any actual jokes--the filmmakers seem to think that simply alluding to Hancock or Jumper is funny in and of itself... and it just isn't. Disaster Movie will probably appeal to its primary audience of high-school students and repressed frat boys, for whom the mere mention of homosexuality prompts jittery laughter and who find generically pretty girls and studly boys in tight clothing titillating. It's a wasted opportunity; there are moments that, through sheer incompetence and desperation, suggest a surreal stream-of-consciousness. A filmmaker like Luis Bunuel or Federico Fellini could have turned such raw matter into a satirical aria that would genuinely critique a culture that worships Paris Hilton. Instead, we get this. Featuring, as ever, Carmen Electra.--Bret Fetzer


DISASTER MOVIE - DVD Movie
Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 01/06/2009 Run time: 88 minutes Rating: Ur
Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four will never be the same after this outrageously funny spoof of your favorite comic book movies! Drak! e Bell (Drake & Josh) stars as a nerdy high school student bit! ten by a genetically-altered dragonfly. He stumbles hilariously through the process of becoming a crime-fighter and as his new powers grow, so do the laughs. Sara Paxton (Aquamarine) and Christopher McDonald (Spy Kids 2) costar as the clueless damsel in distress and the comically intense super villain, along with Pamela Anderson and Leslie Nielsen. Going from superzero to superhero has never been this much fun! Adolescent fantasy meets sophomoric humor in the latest cuisinart comedy, Superhero Movie. The story of how frustrated loser Rick Riker (Drake Bell of Drake & Josh) becomes the superpowered Dragonfly is largely poking fun at Spider-Man, but there are a handful of digs at X-Men, Fantastic Four, and other Marvel Comics superhuman flicks. What's disappointing is how few of the jokes are specific to the genre--the abundance of gags about urine, feces, horniness, and especially flatulence (long, drawn-out gags about flatulence) could have been! shoehorned into a parody of pretty much anything. The strong point of Superhero Movie is the above-average cast; while there are the obligatory cameos by the likes of Pamela Anderson, the cast is mostly filled out with actual actors like Marion Ross (Happy Days), Christopher McDonald (Thelma & Louise), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), and Leslie Nielsen, who trots out his trademark deadpan one more time. As Dragonfly's love interest, Sara Paxton (Aquamarine) does a flawless and subtle imitation of Kirsten Dunst's sultry vocal mannerisms. And for fans of Airplane! (the movie that started the whole everything-but-the-kitchen-sink genre of comedy), there's an appropriate cameo by Robert Hays as Rick Riker's father. Superhero is a step above such recent tripe as Date Movie and Meet the Spartans... but sadly, that's not saying much. --Bret FetzerC! RASH LANDING
In this against-all-odds, high-octane ac! tion-thr iller starring Antonio Sabato Jr. and Michael Paré, a private flight for a billionaire's daughter and her friends becomes a hellish ordeal when the plane is overtaken by a team of terrorists, plotting to hold the billionairess hostage.

But there is one thing the hijackers didn't count on - Major John Masters (Antonio Sabato Jr.), who is also on board. Within a matter of minutes the situation spirals out of control, resulting in a wounded pilot, several dead, and a severely damaged plane. Now, Masters must somehow land the plane on a small Pacific island despite a category five hurricane if they hope to survive - that is if Captain Williams (Michael Paré) and his team can finish the runway in time...

NATURE UNLEASHED: AVALANCHE
In the Ural Mountains of Russia, transplanted Westerners Thom and Jock Cussler take tourists on adventurous snowmobile rides up and down the slopes. When an avalanche heads for their party, their quick thin! king saves them all, but a village far below is buried completely. In nearby Kirovina, the brothers convince townsfolk to hide in a mine to save themselves. Thom and Jock then risk their lives attempting to rescue survivors trapped under a mountainside nightclub. They must act fast - the air is running out!

NATURE UNLEASHED: EARTHQUAKE
Josh, a respected engineer, travels to Russia to inspect a nuclear power plant. Coincidentally, his ex-wife Rachel works at the facility and lives nearby with their kids. When Josh arrives at the plant, he leads a group of engineers down to the reactor's core to investigate a possible leak when disaster strikes; a catastrophic earthquake of an 8.2 magnitude rocks the Russian countryside.

At the same time, Josh and Rachel's daughter becomes trapped in a crumbled subway tunnel, while back at the plant several fires threaten to cause a meltdown - and an explosion ten times the size of Hiroshima...

So begins a rac! e against time as Josh and Rachel fight their way into the col! lapsed t rain tunnels and nature reveals a final, deadly surprise...another MASSIVE QUAKE!

NATURE UNLEASHED: FIRE
After a dirt biker is injured, Forest Ranger Jake Langford gets the assignment to lead the rider and his group safely out of the forest. But when a mysterious, angry arsonist sets off fires across the park, the group is trapped in a raging inferno...and the way out is through an old abandoned mine that's full of methane gas - which is not only poisonous, but very, very flammable...

Get ready to face nature's fiery fury in this high-octane thrill ride packed with explosive action, pulse-pounding suspense, and incredible special effects!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Century Body Opponent Freestanding Heavy Bag, XL with Base Unit

  • Freestanding heavy bag with life-like upper torso
  • Creates more striking surface for head or body shot training
  • High-strength plastisol body filled with urethane foam
  • Polyethylene base holds up to 270 pounds of water or sand
  • Rolls easily for transport; multiple height settings
Work the entire upper body with this realistic heavy bag! Body Opponent Heavy Bags are excellent, realistic and life-like heavybags. Excellent for home, apartment, school, and aerobic boxing. Perfect every punch and kick in your arsenal. Punch to the face, chin, body ... anywhere you'd hit your opponent. Now even more realistic for a variety of techniques. Base fills with approx. 270 lbs. of sand or water for solid and sturdy use. Made of high strength plastisol filled with urethane foam for durability. Adjustable height to accomodate multiple users. Base is rounded for easy roll location.! Work the entire upper body with the extra-large Century Body Opponent freestanding heavy bag. Unlike most heavy bags, the Body Opponent looks like an actual person, with a life-like face, shoulders, chest, and stomach. As a result, it's easier than ever to get motivated for your sparring session, with a long torso creating more striking surface for body shot training. The bag is made of high-strength plastisol filled with urethane foam, making it extremely durable over time. It's also stable, with a polyethylene base that fills with approximately 270 pounds of sand or water. Despite the weight, you can still move the bag fairly easily by flipping it to the side and rolling the round base. Equipped with multiple height settings, the Body Opponent bag is ideal for home, apartment, school, or gym use.
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Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter - Canon FD, New FD, FL Lens to Canon EOS Camera Adapter, for Canon EOS 1d, 1ds, 1ds Mark II, III, IV 5D, 5D Mark II, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, Rebel xt, xti, xs, xsi, t1i, t2i, 300D, 350D, 400D, 450D, 500D, 550D, 1000D

  • All Metal Design
  • Built-in 1.4x Multi-Coated Focusing Correction Lens
  • Removable Glasss Element for Macro Photography
  • Smooth surface for effortless mount
  • 24 Month Manufacture Warranty
DETROIT 9000 - DVD MovieThis snappy, cynical cop thriller was marketed as a "blaxploitation" film when released in 1973, but it's really a mixed-cast godson of The French Connection and The Seven Ups set in the racially volatile cauldron of 1970s Detroit. Alex Rocco (Moe Green from The Godfather) stars as a veteran detective on the Detroit police force, a sinus-infected loner who's bitter from constantly being passed over for promotion. Assigned to a political powder keg--the high-profile heist of a black gubernatorial candidate's big money fundraiser--he's paired up with an educated, smart-dressing black hotshot (Hari Rhodes), a fast-rising star in the ! department. These guys are no Lethal Weapon act; they may earn a grudging mutual respect but never really like or trust one another. The climactic 25-minute chase is edgy and lean and very violent, spiced with big bloody gunshot wounds and victims writhing in tortured death spasms, and the film concludes on an unusually satisfying note of ambiguity and cynicism. Marks went on to direct Friday Foster and J.D.'s Revenge. The title, by the way, refers to the police code for "officer in trouble." Virtually unseen since its premiere, it was rescued by Quentin Tarantino's Rolling Thunder label for a brief theatrical revival and subsequent video release. --Sean AxmakerIf you have a SLR or DSLR camera and other maker/mount lenses, the Fotodiox Mount Adapters allow you to use your lenses on the film/digital camera body. Sharing lenses has some distinct advantages. Certain prime lens just can't be replaced, and you save cost of purchase lenses. Â! ­Fotodiox offers a range of adapter from large format to small! er forma t digital adapters. Adapting larger format lens, i.e., large format - medium format, medium format - 35mm, excellent edge-to-edge sharpness; and the smaller 24x36 mm image field helps minimize the effects of lens distortion and aberration.

Girl on the Bridge

  • Daniel Auteuil and sexy Vanessa Paradis charm in this funny and intriguing twist on Boy Meets Girl. A beautiful waif (Paradis) is prepared to leap to her death in the Seine but is rescued from her grim fate by a raffish carnival knife thrower (Auteuil, in a performance that won him a Cesar Award for Best Actor). Lovely, quirky, winsome and erotic, this fairytale vision from director Patrice Lecont
Daniel Auteuil and sexy Vanessa Paradis charm in this funny and intriguing twist on Boy Meets Girl. A beautiful waif (Paradis) is prepared to leap to her death in the Seine but is rescued from her grim fate by a raffish carnival knife thrower (Auteuil, in a performance that won him a Cesar Award for Best Actor). Lovely, quirky, winsome and erotic, this fairytale vision from director Patrice Leconte (Monsieur Hire) is a romance so captivating, you won't want it to end!

Awake

  • Awake turns the disturbingly real phenomenon of anesthetic awareness - in which surgery patients, through completely paralyzed, are conscious of everything they are experiencing, including the pain - into a "completely absorbing" thriller (Roger Ebert). When failed anesthesia leaves a rich young tycoon (Hayden Christensen, Star Wars) alert but immobilized during open heart surgery, he over
AWAKE is a sexy, psychological thriller about a common occurrence called "anesthetic awareness" a horrifying phenomenon wherein a patient's failed anesthesia leaves him fully conscious but physically paralyzed during surgery. The patient's charming new wife is forced to struggle with her own demons as a terrifying drama unfolds around the couple.There's a hint of classic noir in the twists and turns that make up Awake, a medical thriller that hinges on an alarming real-life condition known as anesth! esia awareness, which keeps surgery patients awake but immobile during surgery. Hayden Christensen is top-billed as the scion of a wealthy banking family in desperate need of a heart transplant. Seconds after the operation commences, he discovers that he is fully conscious, yet unable to move; and what's worse, the entire procedure is slated to fail in order to claim his considerable fortune. Once the scheme is set in motion, Awake moves into high gear, and the stock characters established in the exposition-heavy opening show their true (and decidedly scurrilous) colors. Unfortunately, the suspense is undone by Christensen undergoing what appears to be a confusing out-of-body experience, and a conclusion that begs for more suspension of disbelief than most audiences will be able to summon up. Christensen and Jessica Alba (as his new bride) are attractive but bland; instead, it's Howard who delivers as the film's conflicted antihero. The supporting players, including ! Lena Olin as Christensen's overprotective mom, Christopher McD! onald, a nd Arliss Howard also lend considerable credence to the material. -- Paul Gaita

Empires of Industry: Black Gold - The Story of Oil

  • It is the most valuable substance on earth. It has brought riches to poor nations and bankrupted wealthy ones. It has spurred wars, and given immense fortunes and power to the men who control it Filled with interviews with industry insiders and industrial historians, BLACK GOLD is the definitive portrait of the oil industry. Discover how unrefined oil was used through history, from ancient Chin

Their wolves are howling at the moon. Their human halves are on different planets.

Takhini Wolves, Book 1

Lone wolf Shaun Stevens’s automatic response to the words “happily ever after”? Kill me now. Yet with all his friends settling down he’s begun to think there may actually be something to this love-and-roses crap.

One thing’s for sure: his dream mate will have to out-cuss, out-spit and out-hike him. So he never expected the one to push his foreve! r button would be a blue-blooded Southern debutante with a voice as dark and velvety as her skin.

When Gemmita Jacobs steps off the plane in Whitehorse, Yukon, it’s about more than her caribou research project. It’s her declaration of independence from an overprotected upbringing. Except there’s something in the air she can’t quite defineâ€"something that unexpectedly rouses her mating instincts.

Moments after their eyes lock, the deed is doneâ€"and done thoroughly. When the pheromone dust settles, though, all the reasons they don’t belong together become painfully clear.

It’s enough to make a wolf learn a whole new set of cuss words…

Warning: Two strong wolves getting exactly what they deserve. Includes wilderness nookie, shifters being naughty in public places, the Midnight Sun as a canopy for seduction and grizzly shifters on the loose. Oh, and don’t forget the sarcasm.

Their wolves are howling at the moon. Their h! uman halves are on different planets.

Takhini! Wolves, Book 1

Lone wolf Shaun Stevens’s automatic response to the words “happily ever after”? Kill me now. Yet with all his friends settling down he’s begun to think there may actually be something to this love-and-roses crap.

One thing’s for sure: his dream mate will have to out-cuss, out-spit and out-hike him. So he never expected the one to push his forever button would be a blue-blooded Southern debutante with a voice as dark and velvety as her skin.

When Gemmita Jacobs steps off the plane in Whitehorse, Yukon, it’s about more than her caribou research project. It’s her declaration of independence from an overprotected upbringing. Except there’s something in the air she can’t quite defineâ€"something that unexpectedly rouses her mating instincts.

Moments after their eyes lock, the deed is doneâ€"and done thoroughly. When the pheromone dust settles, though, all the reasons they don’t belong together become painfully clea! r.

It’s enough to make a wolf learn a whole new set of cuss words…

Warning: Two strong wolves getting exactly what they deserve. Includes wilderness nookie, shifters being naughty in public places, the Midnight Sun as a canopy for seduction and grizzly shifters on the loose. Oh, and don’t forget the sarcasm.

Film is for HOME USE ONLY! Copies for public screenings or use in the classroom can be purchased from California Newsreel at www(dot)newsreel(dot)org
After oil, coffee is the most actively traded commodity in the world. But for every $2 cup of coffee, a farmer receives only a few pennies. Black Gold asks us to face the unjust conditions under which our favorite drink is produced and to decide what we can do about it. The film traces the tangled trail from the two billion cups of coffee consumed each day back to the coffee farmers who produce the beans. Founder of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union, Tade! sse Meskela is fighting to help his 70,000 Ethiopian coffee fa! rmers by seeking out buyers willing to pay a fair price. Through his journey, Tadesse begins to expose the web of greed and corruption inherent to the international trading system, including the World Trade Organization. Black Gold reminds viewers of their power to affect positive social change by way of their consumer vote. After seeing this film your coffee will never taste the same.
Film contains overprinting warning against public use in 3 points during the film, at 5 second intervals.Billy "Goldie" Goldean is the biggest pop star in the world and he's harboring a terrible, career-killing secret: he's gay. Even with song titles such as "Astral Glider" and "Winking Brown Eye," few question Goldie's squeaky-clean teen heartthrob status. That is, until Jethro "Jett" Black, an infamous womanizer and underground punk icon, names him in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine as the celebrity he'd most like to fuck.

After Goldie and Jett hook up at an indus! try party, Goldie's management dumps him, Jett's exes come back to haunt them, and even Goldie's mother makes a public plea for him to come to his senses. Goldie wants to trust his untamed new lover but the pressures of fame may tear them apart.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Male/male sexual practices.Billy "Goldie" Goldean is the biggest pop star in the world and he's harboring a terrible, career-killing secret: he's gay. Even with song titles such as "Astral Glider" and "Winking Brown Eye," few question Goldie's squeaky-clean teen heartthrob status. That is, until Jethro "Jett" Black, an infamous womanizer and underground punk icon, names him in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine as the celebrity he'd most like to fuck.

After Goldie and Jett hook up at an industry party, Goldie's management dumps him, Jett's exes come back to haunt them, and even G! oldie's mother makes a public plea for him to come to his sens! es. Gold ie wants to trust his untamed new lover but the pressures of fame may tear them apart.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Male/male sexual practices.The most valuable substance on earth has brought wealth to poor nations and nearly bankrupted wealthy ones. It has created cities overnight--sometimes destroying them just as quickly--and has caused rampant international warfare. When a Canadian chemist found a way to turn petroleum into kerosene in the 1850s, the need for oil exploded. "Black gold" burns at the heart of the modern age, making those who control it the wealthiest and most powerful men on earth. Black Gold: The Story of Oil narrates the stories of these men--including John D. Rockefeller and William Mellon--and the empires they built. Learn how oil came to dominate American industry--and about the nation's current dependency--and discover why the r! esource continues to cause global flare-ups. EMPIRES OF INDUSTRY presents the comprehensive history of "black gold," the resource that continues to govern our world. DVD Features: Interactive Menus; Scene Selection


Empires of Industry

Empires of Industry is a mini-series which explores the cornerstones of America's economic might that established the United States as a world leader. Each of the one hour programs in this remarkable series focuses on an industry which played a unique ro! le in America's rise to world economic dominance. The stories ! of chang ing fortunes in the steel, coal, brewing, ship building and textile industries reveal much about our country's past and present. Empires of Industry would be useful for classes on American History, History of Science and Technology, Economics and American Culture. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

Black Gold: The Story of Oil

Modern America depends on a steady source of petroleum and petroleum by-products to satisfy its ever-increasing and voracious appetite for fuel. Oil, the “black gold” of the ground, is one of America’s most precious and abundant commodities, and yet America still need’s the oil exports of Arab nations to fill its need. Black Gold, The Story of Oil chronicles the birth and rise of the oil industry in the United States, from its fledgling beginnings, through the days of John D. Rockefeller and the robber barons, to the Gulf War and the p! resent.

Vocabulary


• antithesis
• apex
• commodity
• cower
• culmination
• deploy
• derivative
• embers
• extract
• extrovert
• illuminant
• introvert
• invincible
• kerosene
• monopoly
• oblivion
• persistence
• resolve
• sovereign
• tailspin

Discussion Questions

1. Oil is sometimes called “black gold.” Why is it called by this name?

2. Prior to the discovery of kerosene, Americans illuminated their homes with candles or whale oil. How did kerosene change the lives of Americans? How did the discovery of kerosene change the process of gathering petroleum?

3. What is persistence? How did Edwin Drake’s persistence finally pay off? What other figures in American history have displayed remarkable persistence?
4. Standard Oil made John D. Rockefeller one of the r! ichest m en in American history. How and why did Rockefeller get into the oil business?

5. Discuss the concept of a boom/bust economy and the boom/bust towns that surrounded the oil industry. What industries today still have boom/bust characteristics?

6. How did Standard Oil eliminate most of its competition?

7. Besides being one of the richest men in America, John D. Rockefeller was also one of the most criticized. Why did Rockefeller face so much criticism?

8. Why did Thomas Edison’s light bulb threaten the oil industry?

9. How did the automobile industry save the oil industry?

10. In the early years of the 20th century, Spindle Top in Texas erupted into the largest oil well in America. How did Spindle Top change the oil industry?

11. What is OPEC? Why did it place and embargo on the United States in the 1970s? What were the results?

Extended Activities

1. Cr! eate a poster that illustrates the uses for petroleum and petroleum by-products and also suggests some other alternatives for these products.

2. Imagine that you are a newspaper reporter. Write an account of the eruption of Spindle Top that conveys the magnitude of this oil strike to your readers.

Dodgeball - A True Underdog Story (Full Screen Edition)

  • brings a lot of laughs
Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 12/09/2008 Run time: 92 minutes Rating: Pg13How's this for impressive trivia: Dodgeball faced off against The Terminal in opening-weekend competition, and 29-year-old writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber aced Steven Spielberg by a score of $30 to $18.7 in box-office millions. That's no mean feat for a newcomer, but Thurber's lowbrow script and rapid-fire direction--along with a sublime cast of screen comedians--proved to be just what moviegoers were ravenous for: a consistently hilarious, patently formulaic romp in which the underdog owner of Average Joe's Gym (Vince Vaughan) faces foreclosure unless he can raise $50,000 in 30 days. The solution: A dodgeball tournament offering $50K to the winners, in which Vaughan and his nerdy clientele team up against the preening, abhorrently narcissistic owner (Ben Stiller) of Globo G! ym, who's threatening a buy-out. That's it for story; any 5-year-old could follow it with brainpower to spare. But Thurber, Vaughan, Stiller, and their well-cast costars (including Stiller's off-screen wife, Christine Taylor) keep the big laughs coming for 96 nonsensical minutes. With spot-on cameos by champion bicyclist Lance Armstrong, David Hasselhoff, Hank Azaria, Chuck Norris, and William Shatner, and a crudely amusing coda for those who watch past the credits, Dodgeball is no masterpiece, but you can bet Spielberg was unexpectedly humbled by its popular appeal. --Jeff ShannonYou'll dodge, duck, dip, dive. . . and laugh out loud watching Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller settle their differences in a winner-take-all dodgeball competition. Under the painful tutelage of legendary ADAA champ, Patches O'Houlihan (Rip Torn), Peter LaFleur (Vaughn) and his Average Joes take on the Purple Cobras, led by egomaniacal fitness guru, White Goodman (Stiller). It's an over-! the-top underdog tale filled with hilarious sight gags and bal! ls-out f un!How's this for impressive trivia: Dodgeball faced off against The Terminal in opening-weekend competition, and 29-year-old writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber aced Steven Spielberg by a score of $30 to $18.7 in box-office millions. That's no mean feat for a newcomer, but Thurber's lowbrow script and rapid-fire direction--along with a sublime cast of screen comedians--proved to be just what moviegoers were ravenous for: a consistently hilarious, patently formulaic romp in which the underdog owner of Average Joe's Gym (Vince Vaughn) faces foreclosure unless he can raise $50,000 in 30 days. The solution: A dodgeball tournament offering $50K to the winners, in which Vaughn and his nerdy clientele team up against the preening, abhorrently narcissistic owner (Ben Stiller) of Globo Gym, who's threatening a buy-out. That's it for story; any 5-year-old could follow it with brainpower to spare. But Thurber, Vaughn, Stiller, and their well-cast costars (including S! tiller's off-screen wife, Christine Taylor) keep the big laughs coming for 96 nonsensical minutes. With spot-on cameos by champion bicyclist Lance Armstrong, David Hasselhoff, Hank Azaria, Chuck Norris, and William Shatner, and a crudely amusing coda for those who watch past the credits, Dodgeball is no masterpiece, but you can bet Spielberg was unexpectedly humbled by its popular appeal. --Jeff ShannonYou'll dodge, duck, dip, dive. . . and laugh out loud watching Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller settle their differences in a winner-take-all dodgeball competition. Under the painful tutelage of legendary ADAA champ, Patches O'Houlihan (Rip Torn), Peter LaFleur (Vaughn) and his Average Joes take on the Purple Cobras, led by egomaniacal fitness guru, White Goodman (Stiller). It's an over-the-top underdog tale filled with hilarious sight gags and balls-out fun!How's this for impressive trivia: Dodgeball faced off against The Terminal in opening-weekend c! ompetition, and 29-year-old writer-director Rawson Marshall Th! urber ac ed Steven Spielberg by a score of $30 to $18.7 in box-office millions. That's no mean feat for a newcomer, but Thurber's lowbrow script and rapid-fire direction--along with a sublime cast of screen comedians--proved to be just what moviegoers were ravenous for: a consistently hilarious, patently formulaic romp in which the underdog owner of Average Joe's Gym (Vince Vaughan) faces foreclosure unless he can raise $50,000 in 30 days. The solution: A dodgeball tournament offering $50K to the winners, in which Vaughan and his nerdy clientele team up against the preening, abhorrently narcissistic owner (Ben Stiller) of Globo Gym, who's threatening a buy-out. That's it for story; any 5-year-old could follow it with brainpower to spare. But Thurber, Vaughan, Stiller, and their well-cast costars (including Stiller's off-screen wife, Christine Taylor) keep the big laughs coming for 96 nonsensical minutes. With spot-on cameos by champion bicyclist Lance Armstrong, David Hasselhoff, Han! k Azaria, Chuck Norris, and William Shatner, and a crudely amusing coda for those who watch past the credits, Dodgeball is no masterpiece, but you can bet Spielberg was unexpectedly humbled by its popular appeal. --Jeff ShannonYou'll dodge, duck, dip, dive. . . and laugh out loud watching Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller settle their differences in a winner-take-all dodgeball competition. Under the painful tutelage of legendary ADAA champ, Patches O'Houlihan (Rip Torn), Peter LaFleHow's this for impressive trivia: Dodgeball faced off against The Terminal in opening-weekend competition, and 29-year-old writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber aced Steven Spielberg by a score of $30 to $18.7 in box-office millions. That's no mean feat for a newcomer, but Thurber's lowbrow script and rapid-fire direction--along with a sublime cast of screen comedians--proved to be just what moviegoers were ravenous for: a consistently hilarious, patently formulaic romp i! n which the underdog owner of Average Joe's Gym (Vince Vaughan! ) faces foreclosure unless he can raise $50,000 in 30 days. The solution: A dodgeball tournament offering $50K to the winners, in which Vaughan and his nerdy clientele team up against the preening, abhorrently narcissistic owner (Ben Stiller) of Globo Gym, who's threatening a buy-out. That's it for story; any 5-year-old could follow it with brainpower to spare. But Thurber, Vaughan, Stiller, and their well-cast costars (including Stiller's off-screen wife, Christine Taylor) keep the big laughs coming for 96 nonsensical minutes. With spot-on cameos by champion bicyclist Lance Armstrong, David Hasselhoff, Hank Azaria, Chuck Norris, and William Shatner, and a crudely amusing coda for those who watch past the credits, Dodgeball is no masterpiece, but you can bet Spielberg was unexpectedly humbled by its popular appeal. --Jeff Shannon

Warren Miller's Higher Ground

  • Crisscrossing the globe, hitting the steeps of Alaska, terrain parks in Colorado, deep powder in British Columbia and cliffs in Switzerland, Warren Miller s Higher Ground brings to life the ultimate skiing and snowboarding footage from around the globe! Warren Miller s Higher Groundchronicles skiers and snowboarders in their never-ending search for new and thrilling ways to ride the snow. Part
A riveting memoir of one woman's immersion into fundamentalist faith, and her decision twenty years later to leave it all behind. Beautifully written and powerfully told, this memoir is a fascinating look at the nature of faith, and the inspiring story of one woman's struggle to find her place in the world. Originally published as This Dark World, this book has been adapted into the screenplay Higher Ground, now a film directed by and starring Vera Farmiga.

Carolyn Briggs grew u! p with modest means in the Iowa Heartland. Pregnant at seventeen and married to her musician boyfriend, by the age of eighteen she found herself with little hope for the future. Until an unexpected encounter with the Divine.

Soon she had immersed herself into a close-knit and patriarchal New Testament church. But as Carolyn began to realize that her religion left little room for what she wanted out of life-as a mother, as a wife, as an intellectually curious woman-cracks began to appear in her all-encompassing sense of faith, and slowly she began to question the religion that had given her hope.John Denver stars in this dramatic thriller set against the awesome backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness. A disillusioned FBI agent decides to retire and join his buddy running an air freight business. When his friend is murdered and unjustly branded a bootlegger, the former agent sets out to clear his friend's name.Singer-songwriter John Denver sought to reboot his career a! nd carve out a new role for himself as an action hero with ! Higher G round. This TV movie, clearly intended as a pilot for a possible series, stars Denver as former FBI agent Jim Clayton, who goes to Alaska when the incompetence of his superiors at the bureau becomes unbearable. In the vast wilderness, he teams up with an old friend named Rick, who has an air freight business. But Rick soon turns up dead and it's up to Jim to clear his friend's name of bootlegging charges and bring peace to Rick's wife and son. Along the way, of course, there's an occasion for Denver to pull out his guitar and exercise his soaring tenor. The plot and overall quality is standard television fare of the 1980s: The bad guys are obviously bad, a young boy needs to regain his faith in humanity, and solving the case doesn't involve detective work so much as looking earnest and getting into awkwardly choreographed fist fights. Still, Denver's sincere and likable personality comes through and fans will enjoy his performance. Also starring John Rhys-Davies (Raid! ers of the Lost Ark, the Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Richard Masur (Risky Business). --Bret FetzerNo Description Available.
Genre: Vocals
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 11-NOV-1997She's been eclipsed by a generation of newfangled power divas, but Babs still has it--superior repertoire in the Tin Pan Alley tradition, deep-pile production from the likes of Foster, Mardin and Afanasieff, and those zillion dollar pipes. Cuddlesome James Brolin gets a credit "for giving me the love I sing about" on tunes like "Leading with Your Heart," while the title track, "At the Same Time," and "Everything Must Change" could one day be used in a Broadway musical about pre-millennial spirituality. --Jeff BatemanCrisscrossing the globe, hitting the steeps of Alaska, terrain parks in Colorado, deep powder in British Columbia and cliffs in Switzerland, Warren Miller’s Higher Ground brings to l! ife the ultimate skiing and snowboarding footage from around t! he globe !

Warren Miller’s Higher Groundchronicles skiers and snowboarders in their never-ending search for new and thrilling ways to ride the snow.

Part action/adventure, part documentary, Warren Miller’s Higher Ground also features legendary athletes such as World Cup mogul champion Jeremy Bloom, big mountain skiers Jeremy Nobis and Seth Morrison, ski-base jumping innovator Shane McConkey, and the sport’s hot-dogging icon, Glen Plake, as well as up and coming stars like five-year-old phenom Bridger Gile.

Special Features Include:
• " Glen Plake - Through The Ages" Featurette
• 5.1 Surround Sound
• And more!

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