Ghost in the Shell: Anime Legends 2nd Gig

• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• Animated; Color; DVD; NTSC

GHOST IN THE SHELL - DVD MovieThe skillful blending of drawn animation and computer-generated imagery excited anime fans when this science fiction mystery was released in 1995: many enthusiasts believe Ghost suggests what the future of anime will be, at least in the short term. The film is set in the not-too-distant future, when an unnamed government uses lifelike cyborgs or "enhanced" humans for undercover work. One of the key cyborgs is The Major, Motoko Kusanagi, who resembles a cross between The Terminator and a Playboy centerfold. She finds herself caught up in a tangled web of espionage and counterespionage as she searches for the mysterious superhacker known as "The Puppet Master."

Mamoru Oshii directs with a staccato rhythm, alternating sequences of rapid-fire action (car chases, gun battles, explosions) ! with static dialogue scenes that allow the characters to sort out the vaguely mystical and rather convoluted plot. Kusanagi's final quote from I Corinthians suggests that electronic evolution may compliment and eventually supplant organic evolution. The minor nudity, profanity, and considerable violence would earn Ghost in the Shell at least a PG rating. --Charles SolomonThe skillful blending of drawn animation and computer-generated imagery excited anime fans when this science fiction mystery was released in 1995: many enthusiasts believe Ghost suggests what the future of anime will be, at least in the short term. The film is set in the not-too-distant future, when an unnamed government uses lifelike cyborgs or "enhanced" humans for undercover work. One of the key cyborgs is The Major, Motoko Kusanagi, who resembles a cross between The Terminator and a Playboy centerfold. She finds herself caught up in a tangled web of espionage and counterespionage as! she searches for the mysterious superhacker known as "The Pup! pet Mast er."

Mamoru Oshii directs with a staccato rhythm, alternating sequences of rapid-fire action (car chases, gun battles, explosions) with static dialogue scenes that allow the characters to sort out the vaguely mystical and rather convoluted plot. Kusanagi's final quote from I Corinthians suggests that electronic evolution may compliment and eventually supplant organic evolution. The minor nudity, profanity, and considerable violence would earn Ghost in the Shell at least a PG rating. --Charles SolomonThe Smash First Season Anime Extravaganza in one complete set.

Major Motoko Kusanagi is a beautiful but deadly cyborg that is squad leader of Section 9; the Japanese government's clandestine unit assigned to battle terrorism and cyber warfare. Surrounded by an expertly trained team, Motoko faces her ultimate challenge- the Laughing Man- a terrorist who orchestrated a kidnapping and extortion plot many years ago and has suddenly reappeared. In order to! discover the identity of this enigmatic criminal, Motoko and Section 9 are drawn into a deadly labyrinth and they'll have to use all their expertise to survive. This acclaimed anime series from Production I.G (Kill Bill) and features the amazing music if Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Behop) with stories by Kenji Kamiyama (Blood, Jin-Roh) and Dai Soto (Eureka SeveN).Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 09/15/2009 Run time: 660 minutes

Final Destination 3 (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)

• Fasten your seatbelts and brace yourself for the "2-Disc Thrill Ride Edition" of Final Destination 3! It's the DVD that takes you on a ride BEYOND terror where YOU control your limit of fear!!Running Time: 93 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: R Age: 794043103728 UPC: 794043103728 Manufacturer No: N10372

Fasten your seatbelts and brace yourself for the "2-Disc Thrill Ride Edition" of Final Destination 3! It's the DVD that takes you on a ride BEYOND terror where YOU control your limit of fear!!

DVD Features:
Alternate endings
Audio Commentary
DVD ROM Features
Documentaries
Featurette
Other

Giddily gruesome and perversely entertaining, Final Destination 3 proves, yet again, that horror franchises will thrive as long as teenagers keep finding spectacular ways to die. A stand-alone sequel t! o the first two Final Destination thrillers, this one begins when a group of seven high-school graduates luckily escape from a deadly roller-coaster disaster, only to discover that their own deaths have been only temporarily avoided. Cute brunette Wendy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) spots clues of impending doom in digital photos of her soon-to-be-expiring classmates, and an ill wind follows her everywhere, suggesting the presence of a supernatural force that makes her a catalyst for gory events, as each of her friends is dispatched in the order they were meant to die. Returning to give their brainchild a suspenseful, low-budget makeover, franchise creators and former X-Files writers James Wong and Glen Morgan cleverly play on our collective fears (the roller coaster sequence is genuinely terrifying) with a knowing nod to violent urban legends, which explains their inclusion of the '70s hit "Love Roller Coaster" on the soundtrack when two stuck-up girlfriends pay! an ill-fated visit to a tanning parlor. And that's just for s! tarters: With Wong as director, FD3 serves up its grisly deaths with tight pacing and humor, and the cathartic carnage is discreetly edited yet gory enough to satisfy hardcore horror buffs. When morbid mayhem is this much fun, it's a safe bet that another sequel is just around the corner. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVD
As befits a horror franchise heavily invested in the idea of "fate," the Final Destination 3 disc carries a "Choose Their Fate" option. In other words, you can watch the movie with occasional choices offered; click on one of two alternatives, and see that version play out. This won't give you the power to let one character live or die; it's more like deciding whether somebody honks her horn twice in a scene, calls heads or tails on a coin flip, or pushes the thermostat to 72 degrees or 76. Not exactly life-changing, but it's kind of fun.

The bonus disc includes a 90-minute "making of" feature called Kill Shot, which covers the produc! tion of the movie in exhausting detail (honest detail, too: filmmakers James Wong and Glen Morgan are funny and blunt about the business they're in, including a section on how the original ending was scrapped in favor of a bloodier finale). It's everything you'd want to know about this movie--but who needs to know this much? A 7-minute cartoon, "It's All Around You," is an amusing meditation on bad luck and laws of probability, while a 25-minute featurette called Dead Teenager Movie spins off from Roger Ebert's theory about the rigid formula of a certain kind of horror film (Ebert weighs in on the subject himself). A few experts opine on the traditions of teenagers dying in horror films; some of them don't seem to be aware that the formula pre-dated the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Audio commentaries, special effects sidebars, and trailers fill out this needlessly authoritative disc. --Robert Horton

Herbie - Fully Loaded

• Start your engines! Lindsay Lohan (MEAN GIRLS, FREAKY FRIDAY) does the driving when Herbie -- the fun-lovin', free-wheelin', '63 VW Beetle with a mind of its own -- returns better than ever in Disney's all-new, revved-up comedy adventure! Though a third-generation member of a NASCAR family, Maggie Peyton (Lohan) has always been forbidden from following her racing dreams by her over

Start your engines! Lindsay Lohan (MEAN GIRLS, FREAKY FRIDAY) does the driving when Herbie -- the fun-lovin', free-wheelin', '63 VW Beetle with a mind of its own -- returns better than ever in Disney's all-new, revved-up comedy adventure! Though a third-generation member of a NASCAR family, Maggie Peyton (Lohan) has always been forbidden from following her racing dreams by her overprotective father (Michael Keaton â€" FIRST DAUGHTER). But she has no idea her life is about to take a huge u-turn! After discovering th! e irresistible Herbie in a junkyard, they form a magical team that will save her family and rewrite the racing record books! With Breckin Meyer (ROAD TRIP), Matt Dillon (THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY), and an all-star cast along for the ride, you better believe ol’ Number 53 has some new tricks under his hood!The simple pleasure of watching a living car squirt oil in a villain's face just never goes away. Disney, in their effort to revitalize the Herbie franchise, has made the wise choice of not trying too hard--aside from a small bit of skateboarding action, just about every element of Herbie: Fully Loaded would fit right into the 1963 original (groovily titled The Love Bug) or its various sequels. Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan, the fiery-tressed starlet of Mean Girls and Freaky Friday) wants to join her family's dynasty of race car drivers, but her father (Michael Keaton, Batman Returns) worries that she'll get hurt. Instead, as a! college graduation gift, he buys her a junked-out Volkswagen ! Beetle-- which turns out to be Herbie, a car with a mind of its own. Soon Maggie and Herbie are racing against an arrogant racing champion (Matt Dillon, Crash, There's Something About Mary) and duking it out with monster trucks, eventually hoping her father's heart will change. Herbie: Fully Loaded is formulaic fluff, but executed with cheerful enthusiasm; everyone involved has clearly embraced the mix of slapstick hijinks and light family drama. There's even a handful of cameos by NASCAR drivers. The result is every bit as ridiculous yet entertaining as its forebears. --Bret Fetzer

Dummy

• DVD Details: Actors: Adrien Brody, Milla Jovovich, Illeana Douglas, Vera Farmiga, Jessica Walter
• Directors: Greg Pritikin
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1; Number of discs: 1; Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: February 17, 2004; Run Time: 91 minute

DUMMY - DVD MovieOscar®-winner Adrien Brody has a nifty role in Dummy as a shy loser whose life is transformed by... ventriloquism. Living with his parents and his caustic sister (Illeana Douglas in good form), tongue-tied Steven can't hold a conversation to save his life--until he sits a wooden dummy on his knee. Others find this kind of creepy, but Steven parlays his newfound voice into a date with his pretty lady at the unemployment office (she's played by Vera Farmiga, from 15 Minutes, a soulful actress destined for big things). Writer! -director Greg Pritikin doesn't oversell this modest premise, instead nicely filling in the corners with sly comedy and character bits. Milla Jovovich plays Steven's punk-rock buddy, and Jessica Walter and Ron Leibman are his parents--it's a surprisingly strong cast for an indie effort. Dummy won a release when Brody got the Oscar for The Pianist, but this is a worthy and entertaining picture all on its own. --Robert Horton

Gracie

• Meet Gracie Bowen, she's your average, ordinary 15-year-old girl, except for one thing: she's determined to play varsity soccer. on the boys' team! But when her school forbids her to play and even her family questions her ability, Gracie sets out on extraordinary quest to prove them all wrong. Fighting to change the school's policy and facing off against some of the toughest competitors on the so

Now in paperback, AMAZING GRACIE is a moving, funny, and inspirational canine rags-to-riches story. Tears will stain the pages as you read about Gracie, says USA Today. The Chicago Tribune advises, If you're short on inspiration, read Amazing Gracie. You don't have to be obsessed with dogs to love this story (Philadelphia Enquirer), Two paws up (Portland Oregonian), humorous yet poignant (ASPCA Animal Watch). Booklist comments that Dog-loving teens, especially reluctant readers, will eat this up. AMA! ZING GRACIE was nominated as a Young Adult Choice for 2002 by The International Reading Association-proof that it's a great crossover book.

Gracie was a deaf and partially blind albino Great Dane with a delicate constitution and a penchant for small miracles. Dan is the man-sad over the loss of his last dog and trapped in a dead-end job-who adopted her. Three Dog Bakery is the burgeoning and much-publicized chain of canine bakeries that, inspired by Gracie, Dan and his friend Mark founded. A love story, AMAZING GRACIE describes how Dan saves Gracie, the loneliest pup in the litter, then how, over the next ten years, Gracie saves Dan and Mark, teaching them the real meaning of happiness. There's the moment of meeting, when Gracie gets to her feet like a clumsy foal and nuzzles Dan's nose. Gracie's romance with the pint-size Boston Terrier next door. And the eureka moment (born of Gracie's anorexia-inducing dislike for commercial dog food): Dan teaches himself to cook a! nd within three days begins baking the dog cookies that will t! ransform their lives. AMAZING GRACIE is a dog-lover's treat.Meet Gracie Bowen, she's your average, ordinary 15-year-old girl, except for one thing: she's determined to play varsity soccer... on the boys' team! But when her school forbids her to play and even her family questions her ability, Gracie sets out on extraordinary quest to prove them all wrong. Fighting to change the school's policy and facing off against some of the toughest competitors on the soccer field, Gracie must summon all of her strength and courage, to finally show the world that a girl with a dream can do absolutely anything!

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Featurette
Theatrical Trailer

Both on-screen and off, Gracie is an inspiring family affair that turns real-life tragedy into a spirited tale of fortitude. With former Melrose Place star Andrew Shue serving as producer and playing a supporting role, and his actress sister Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las! Vegas) in a supporting role, this modest, $10 million independent production was directed by Elisabeth Shue's husband, TV veteran Davis Guggenheim (director of Al Gore's global-warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth), and loosely inspired by the death of the Shues' brother, Will. Elisabeth Shue's successful late-1970s campaign to replace her late brother on his high school soccer team serves as the basis for this appealing, no-frills drama about Gracie Bowen (Carly Schroeder), an athletic New Jersey teenager whose soccer-star brother is killed in a car accident. Against the wishes of her initially unsupportive parents (Dermot Mulroney, Elisabeth Shue), she pays tribute to her brother by pursuing his place on her high school's boy's soccer team. The year is 1978 (with Boston's "Don't Look Back" and other '70s hits on the soundtrack), and girls' soccer doesn't yet exist in American high schools, but Gracie's determination pays off, and without attempting to rei! nvent the wheel, Gracie emerges as a satisfying, emotio! nally au thentic story of personal perseverance. In a role that all teenage girls will relate to, Schroeder (a seasoned child-star veteran of soap operas and sitcoms) gives a quietly forceful performance that's sure to boost her Hollywood profile, and the fine supporting cast and a sensibly-written screenplay keep Gracie from becoming the maudlin tear-jerker it might have been. Gracie isn't a great film by any means, but for all its familial heart and soul, it deserves to be called a winner. --Jeff Shannon

Gnomeo & Juliet (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

• From a director of Shrek 2 comes your chance to step into the secret world of garden gnomes -
• Perfect for the whole family, this fresh and funny makeover of one of the world's most timeless
• Caught up in a feud between neighbors, Gnomeo and Juliet must overcome as many obstacles as their
• But with flamboyant pink flamingoes and epic lawnmower races, can this young couple find lasting
• We just gnome it!Features include: -MPAA Rating: G -Format: Blu-Ray-Runtime: 84 minutes

From a director of Shrek 2 comes your chance to step into the secret world of garden gnomes - Gnomeo & Juliet. Perfect for the whole family, this fresh and funny makeover of one of the world's most timeless story features music from Sir Elton John, and the voice talents of Emily Blunt, James McAvoy and sir Michael Caine. Caught up in a feud between neighbors, Gnomeo and Juliet must overcome as m! any obstacles as their namesakes. But with flamboyant pink flamingoes and epic lawnmower races, can this young couple find lasting happiness? Complete with hilarious never-before-seen bonus features, Gnomeo & Juliet is an out-of-the-ordinary animated comedy your entire family will love. We just gnome it!It's the age-old story of forbidden love between feuding families, but Shakespeare's classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet becomes quite a comedy when the young lovers in question are different-colored gnomes from backyards on opposite sides of a tall wooden fence. Lured out of their respective gardens by wanderlust and an exotic orchid, Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt) meet and instantly fall in love. Their forbidden love blossoms with a little help from a plastic pink flamingo named Featherstone (Jim Cummings), and soon life-threatening lawnmower races ensue, an epic battle is staged, and wisteria trees and gnome hats are hacked to bits in the process. S! hakespeare himself (Patrick Stewart) makes an appearance and d! eclares that, while this story bears a marked resemblance to one of his own, he's not sure it will end in quite the same way. Shakespunian nuggets of wisdom include "A weed is by any other name, still a weed," and that fairness demands "a hat for a hat," and of course the philosophical question "What's in a gnome?" just has to be asked. Executive producer Elton John's penchant for over-the-top showmanship finds a perfect home in the gnomes' elaborate backyard sets, and his musical score is an effective blend of classic and original songs, including a new collaboration with Lady Gaga called "Hello, Hello." Other legendary musicians lending their talents to the voice cast include Dolly Parton and Ozzy Osbourne. This film is funny, engaging, and, with the possible exception of one particularly scantily clad gnome, appropriate for the whole family. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami HoriuchiFrom a director of Shrek 2 comes your chance to step into the secret world of garden gnomes - Gnome! o & Juliet. Perfect for the whole family, this fresh and funny makeover of one of the world's most timeless story features music from Sir Elton John, and the voice talents of Emily Blunt, James McAvoy and sir Michael Caine. Caught up in a feud between neighbors, Gnomeo and Juliet must overcome as many obstacles as their namesakes. But with flamboyant pink flamingoes and epic lawnmower races, can this young couple find lasting happiness? Complete with hilarious never-before-seen bonus features, Gnomeo & Juliet is an out-of-the-ordinary animated comedy your entire family will love. We just gnome it!It's the age-old story of forbidden love between feuding families, but Shakespeare's classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet becomes quite a comedy when the young lovers in question are different-colored gnomes from backyards on opposite sides of a tall wooden fence. Lured out of their respective gardens by wanderlust and an exotic orchid, Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emi! ly Blunt) meet and instantly fall in love. Their forbidden lov! e blosso ms with a little help from a plastic pink flamingo named Featherstone (Jim Cummings), and soon life-threatening lawnmower races ensue, an epic battle is staged, and wisteria trees and gnome hats are hacked to bits in the process. Shakespeare himself (Patrick Stewart) makes an appearance and declares that, while this story bears a marked resemblance to one of his own, he's not sure it will end in quite the same way. Shakespunian nuggets of wisdom include "A weed is by any other name, still a weed," and that fairness demands "a hat for a hat," and of course the philosophical question "What's in a gnome?" just has to be asked. Executive producer Elton John's penchant for over-the-top showmanship finds a perfect home in the gnomes' elaborate backyard sets, and his musical score is an effective blend of classic and original songs, including a new collaboration with Lady Gaga called "Hello, Hello." Other legendary musicians lending their talents to the voice cast include Dolly Par! ton and Ozzy Osbourne. This film is funny, engaging, and, with the possible exception of one particularly scantily clad gnome, appropriate for the whole family. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

The Chronicles of Narnia Set, Books 1-7: The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; Silver Chair, Last Battle

• box set; gift set
• Narnia books 1-7
• set; middle school;

Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Four Christmases

• Every Christmas happily unmarried Brad and Kate escape divorced parents and exasperating relatives by getting on a plane. This year a fog rolls in, the airport shuts down and the couple is forced to celebrate four family Christmases in one hectic, hilarious day. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon lead an all-star cast in a comedy brimming with good cheer and great laughs -- as well as the answer t

A couple struggles to visit all four of their divorced parents on christmas day. Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 11/24/2009 Starring: Reese Witherspoon Robert Duvall Run time: 120 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Seth GordonWhen your significant other tells you you both need an exit "safe word" before you enter his dad's Christmas gathering, you know you're not in Bedford Falls. But while Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon may not be It's a Wonderful Life's George and Mary Baile! y, Four Christmases is a modern holiday classic in its own right. For one thing, every family neurosis and dysfunction have taken root in the four families of Vaughn and Witherspoon's characters, Brad and Kate--and the sleek yuppie façade each has built with the other is about to come tumbling down. There are real belly laughs as the couple unexpectedly has to spend holidays with their four extended family groups. "I don't want to speak ill of your mother on Christmas," growls Howard (Robert Duvall) to son Brad, while Brad's bullnecked ultimate-fighter brothers are rassling everything in sight, "but she's nothing but a common street whore." Brad may cringe, but Kate's own family is about to mortify her in abundant ways, from her randy "Gram-Gram" and about-to-pounce cougar mom Mary Steenburgen ("I feel like a Saudi prince in here," marvels Brad as all of Kate's female relatives drape themselves over him), to the revelation to Brad that Kate used to be--how to put th! is--a bit on the chubby side. If the plot isn't full of surpri! ses, the quips are nonstop and the acting believable and charming. The supporting cast also includes Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight, Jon Favreau and Dwight Yoakam in a memorable turn as the mega-church pastor Steenburgen's character is involved with. It's a comic Christmas blessing, and there'll be no need to say "mistletoe"--at least not till the viewers are home with their own families. --A.T. Hurley