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Jarhead (Widescreen Edition) Overview

JARHEAD – DVD Movie

Jarhead (Widescreen Edition) Specifications

Based on Anthony Swofford’s excellent memoir about his experiences as a Marine Sniper in Gulf War I, Jarhead is a war movie in which the waiting is a far greater factor upon the characters than the war itself, and the build up to combat is more drama than what combat is depicted. To some viewers hoping for typical movie action, this will seem like a cruel joke. But it’s not. It’s just the story as it was written, and if you liked the book, you will probably like the movie. If you didn’t, then the movie won’t change your mind.

The movie follows the trajectory of Swofford (played with thoughtful intensity by Jake Gyllenhaal) from wayward Marine recruit (he joined because he “got lost on the way to college”) to skilled Marine sniper, and on into the desert in preparation for the attack on Iraq. No-nonsense, Marine-for-life Staff Sgt. Sykes (Jamie Foxx), the man who recruited Swofford and his spotter Troy (Peter Sarsgaard) into the sniper team, leads them in training, and in waiting where their lives are dominated by endless tension, pointless exercises in absurdity (like playing football in the scorching heat of the desert in their gas masks so it will look better for the media’s TV cameras), more training, and constant anticipation of the moment to come when they’ll finally get to kill. When the war does come, it moves too fast for Swofford’s sniper team, and the one chance they get at a kill–to do the one thing they’ve trained so hard and waited so long for–eludes them, leaving them to wonder what was the point of all they had endured.

As directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty), the movie remains very loyal to the language and vision of the book, but it doesn’t entirely work as the film needs something more than a literal translation to bring out its full potential. Mendes’s stark and, at times, apocalyptic visuals add a lot and strike the right tone: wide shots of inky-black oil raining down on the vast, empty desert from flaming oil wells contrasted with close-ups of crude-soaked faces struggling through the mire vividly bring to life the meaning of the tagline “welcome to the suck.” But much of the second half of the movie will probably leave some viewers feeling disappointed in the cinematic experience, while others might appreciate its microcosmic depiction of modern chaos and aimlessness. Jarhead is one of those examples where the book is better than the movie, but not for lack of trying. –Dan Vancini

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PC Magazine Guide Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Overview

Learn to use your power well

As much as this book is about how to buy and use a Media Center PC, down deep it is…about how owning one changes the way you watch TV and manage your entertain-ment content. Like all good revolutions, this one empowers you.

The revolution has begun–in your living room!

Now PC Magazine gives you control of this new era in entertainment

One device. One remote. If that isn’t a revolutionary approach to entertainment, what is? Now a former PC Magazine contributing editor and digital lifestyle pioneer shows you how to activate all your MCE’s power. You’ll never again worry about missing the end of a TV show, finding that special photo, or having the perfect soundtrack ready to go. You can even say good-bye to your stereo, DVD player, and TiVo — your MCE PC replaces them all!

You’ll be empowered to

• Select and set up a Media Center Edition PC
• Decide whether to use it for general computing
• Record and pause live TV
• Edit, store, and share digital photos and videos
• Control all your media with one remote
• Connect and use both a TV and standard monitor–at once
• Build your home network around your MCE
• Transfer content to DVD
• Put Media Center on any TV in your home with a Media Center Extender

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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Two-Disc Edition) Overview

Return to the magic and wonder of C. S. Lewis’ epic world in this third installment of the beloved Chronicles of Narnia fantasy-adventure series. When Lucy and Edmund Pensive, along with their cousin Eustace, are swallowed into a painting and transported back to Narnia, they join King Caspian and a noble mouse named Reepicheep aboard the magnificent ship The Dawn Treader. The courageous voyagers travel to mysterious islands, confront mystical creatures, and reunite with the Great Lion Aslan and a mission that will determine the fate of Narnia itself!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Two-Disc Edition) Specifications

The third film based on C.S. Lewis’s fantasy books, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader opens three years after the Pevensie children return from battling to restore peace to Narnia in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) are still staying with Eustace (Will Poulter), while Peter and Susan have gotten older and moved on to school and America, respectively. Still as surly and unbelieving as ever, Eustace continues to mock his cousins for their Narnian fantasies. But when water begins spilling into their room from a painting hanging on the wall, all three young people are swept onto the decks of the sailing ship known as the Dawn Treader, which is afloat in the waters of Narnia. This time, there are no wars to be fought in Narnia. But it soon becomes evident that the trio is destined to help King Caspian (Ben Barnes) solve the mystery of the disappearance of the seven lords of Telmar, and prevent the ongoing sacrifices of large groups of Narnian people to the evil green mist. So begins a quest through uncharted waters that will require each of the children to resist temptations like beauty and power, and to conquer the darkness within themselves in order to defeat the threat to Narnia’s people. The battle promises to yield unexpected heroes, and through their journey, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, and even King Caspian and Reepicheep (voiced by Simon Pegg) each grow and mature. Eventually, Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) will ask each adventurer to make an important choice that will forever influence his or her future. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader features plenty of high adventure, sword-fighting action, and personal peril, and while it fails to fully capitalize on the characters’ motivations or to earn viewers’ full emotional investment, it is still a solid addition to the Narnia film series. (Ages 7 and older) –Tami Horiuchi

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Imperium Romanum Gold Edition [Game Download] Feature

• Contains Imperium Romanum Full Version Plus Emperor Expansion.
• Improved Battle System With Siege Machines.
• New Historically Accurate Settings, Units And Events.
• Photorealistic And Lively 3D-Environments.

Imperium Romanum Gold Edition [Game Download] Overview

The city builder strategy game Imperium Romanum is set in the time-honoured Roman Empire and players will marvel in the incredible attention to detail when working on a strategy to build a well organised, prosperous and commanding settlement. As governor of a Roman province, the fortune very much lies in the players own hands. Includes the Emperor Expansion pack, which takes the player on a voyage through ancient history, from cold Britannia via the wild forests of Germania to the fertile Nile Delta in Cleopatra’s Egypt.

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Major League (Wild Thing Edition) [Blu-ray] Overview

MAJOR LEAGUE – Blu-Ray Movie

Major League (Wild Thing Edition) [Blu-ray] Specifications

Stills from Major League (Click for larger image)

]]> http://www.plazamore.com/2011/02/28/major-league-wild-thing-edition-blu-ray/feed/ 0 http://www.plazamore.com/2011/02/17/lock-stock-two-smoking-barrels-widescreen-edition/ http://www.plazamore.com/2011/02/17/lock-stock-two-smoking-barrels-widescreen-edition/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:51:15 +0000 admin http://www.plazamore.com/cheap-product/lock-stock-two-smoking-barrels-widescreen-edition/.html Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Widescreen Edition) Review

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Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Widescreen Edition) Overview

LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS – DVD Movie

Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Widescreen Edition) Specifications

Cockney boys Tom, Soap, Eddie, and Bacon are in a bind; they owe seedy criminal and porn king “Hatchet” Harry a sizable amount of cash after Eddie loses half a million in a rigged game of poker. Hot on their tails is a thug named Big Chris who intends to send them all to the hospital if they don’t come up with the cash in the allotted time. Add into the mix an incompetent set of ganja cultivators, two dimwitted robbers, a “madman” with an afro, and a ruthless band of drug dealers and you have an astonishing movie called Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Before the boys can blink, they are caught up in a labyrinth of double-crosses that lead to a multitude of dead bodies, copious amounts of drugs, and two antique rifles.

Written and directed by talented newcomer Guy Ritchie, this is one of those movies that was destined to become an instant cult classic à la Reservoir Dogs. Although some comparisons were drawn between Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino, it would be unfair to discount the brilliant wit of the story and the innovative camerawork that the director brings to his debut feature. Not since The Krays has there been such an accurate depiction of the East End and its more colorful characters. Indicative of the social stratosphere in London, Ritchie’s movie is a hilarious and at times touching account of friendships and loyalty. The director and his mates (who make up most of the cast) clearly are enjoying themselves here. This comes across in some shining performances, in particular from ex-footballer Vinnie Jones (Big Chris) and an over-the-top Vas Blackwood (as Rory Breaker), who very nearly steals the show. Full of quirky vernacular and clever tension-packed action sequences, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a triumph–a perfect blend of intelligence, humor, and suspense. –Jeremy Storey

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My First Spanish Word Book / Mi Primer Libro De Palabras EnEspañol (Spanish Edition) Feature

• ISBN13: 9781564582553
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

My First Spanish Word Book / Mi Primer Libro De Palabras EnEspañol (Spanish Edition) Overview

Presents pictures labeled in both Spanish and English under such headings as “Going to school,” “Weather,” and “At the supermarket.”

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The Social Network (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition) [Blu-ray] Overview

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 01/11/2011 Run time: 120 minutes

The Social Network (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition) [Blu-ray] Specifications

They all laughed at college nerd Mark Zuckerberg, whose idea for a social-networking site made him a billionaire. And they all laughed at the idea of a Facebook movie–except writer Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher, merely two of the more extravagantly talented filmmakers around. Sorkin and Fincher’s breathless picture, The Social Network, is a fast and witty creation myth about how Facebook grew from Zuckerberg’s insecure geek-at-Harvard days into a phenomenon with 500 million users. Sorkin frames the movie around two lawsuits aimed at the lofty but brilliant Zuckerberg (deftly played by Adventureland‘s Jesse Eisenberg): a claim that he stole the idea from Ivy League classmates, and a suit by his original, now slighted, business partner (Andrew Garfield). The movie follows a familiar rise-and-fall pattern, with temptation in the form of a sunny California Beelzebub (an expert Justin Timberlake as former Napster founder Sean Parker) and an increasingly tangled legal mess. Emphasizing the legal morass gives Sorkin and Fincher a chance to explore how unsocial this social-networking business can be, although the irony seems a little facile. More damagingly, the film steers away from the prickly figure of Zuckerberg in the latter stages–and yet Zuckerberg presents the most intriguing personality in the movie, even if the movie takes pains to make us understand his shortcomings. Fincher’s command of pacing and his eye for the clean spaces of Aughts-era America are bracing, and he can’t resist the technical trickery involved in turning actor Armie Hammer into privileged Harvard twins (Hammer is letter-perfect). Even with its flaws, The Social Network is a galloping piece of entertainment, a smart ride with smart people… who sometimes do dumb things. –Robert Horton

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The Bourne Ultimatum (Widescreen Edition) Overview

Matt Damon returns as highly trained assassin Jason Bourne, who is on the hunt for the agents who stole his memory and true identity. With a new generation of skilled CIA operatives tracking his every move, Bourne is in a non-stop race around the globe as he finally learns the truth behind his mysterious past. Loaded with incredible fight and chase sequences, it’s the exhilarating movie with “mind-blowing action” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times) that you can’t afford to miss!

The Bourne Ultimatum (Widescreen Edition) Specifications

The often breathtaking, final installment in the Bourne trilogy finds the titular assassin with no memory closing in on his past, finally answering his own questions about his real identity and how he came to be a seemingly unstoppable killing machine. Matt Damon returns for another intensely physical performance as Jason Bourne, the rogue operative at war with the CIA, which made him who and what he is and managed to kill his girlfriend in the series’ second film, The Bourne Supremacy. Now looking for payback, Bourne goes in search for the renegade chief of CIA operations in Europe and North Africa, partnering for a time with a mysterious woman from his past (Julia Stiles) and constantly–constantly–on the run from assassins, intelligence foot soldiers, and cops. Directed by Paul Greengrass (United 93) with the director’s thrilling, trademark textures and shaky, documentary style, The Bourne Ultimatum is largely a succession of action scenes that reveal a lot about the story’s characters while they’re under duress. Joan Allen, Albert Finney, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, and Paddy Considine comprise the film’s terrific supporting cast, and the well-traveled movie leads viewers through Turin, Madrid, Tangiers, Paris, London, and New York. Overall, this is a satisfying conclusion to Bourne’s exciting and protracted mystery. –Tom Keogh

Beyond The Bourne Ultimatum on DVD

More Bourne

More Action from Universal Studios

More Matt Damon

Stills from The Bourne Ultimatum (Click for larger image)

]]> http://www.plazamore.com/2011/02/09/the-bourne-ultimatum-widescreen-edition/feed/ 0 http://www.plazamore.com/2011/02/05/the-social-network-two-disc-collectors-edition/ http://www.plazamore.com/2011/02/05/the-social-network-two-disc-collectors-edition/#comments Sat, 05 Feb 2011 05:52:06 +0000 admin http://www.plazamore.com/digital-downloads/the-social-network-two-disc-collectors-edition/.html The Social Network (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition) Review

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The Social Network (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition) Overview

A story about the founders of the social-networking website facebook. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 01/11/2011 Starring: Jesse Eisenberg Justin Timberlake Run time: 120 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: David Fincher

The Social Network (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition) Specifications

They all laughed at college nerd Mark Zuckerberg, whose idea for a social-networking site made him a billionaire. And they all laughed at the idea of a Facebook movie–except writer Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher, merely two of the more extravagantly talented filmmakers around. Sorkin and Fincher’s breathless picture, The Social Network, is a fast and witty creation myth about how Facebook grew from Zuckerberg’s insecure geek-at-Harvard days into a phenomenon with 500 million users. Sorkin frames the movie around two lawsuits aimed at the lofty but brilliant Zuckerberg (deftly played by Adventureland‘s Jesse Eisenberg): a claim that he stole the idea from Ivy League classmates, and a suit by his original, now slighted, business partner (Andrew Garfield). The movie follows a familiar rise-and-fall pattern, with temptation in the form of a sunny California Beelzebub (an expert Justin Timberlake as former Napster founder Sean Parker) and an increasingly tangled legal mess. Emphasizing the legal morass gives Sorkin and Fincher a chance to explore how unsocial this social-networking business can be, although the irony seems a little facile. More damagingly, the film steers away from the prickly figure of Zuckerberg in the latter stages–and yet Zuckerberg presents the most intriguing personality in the movie, even if the movie takes pains to make us understand his shortcomings. Fincher’s command of pacing and his eye for the clean spaces of Aughts-era America are bracing, and he can’t resist the technical trickery involved in turning actor Armie Hammer into privileged Harvard twins (Hammer is letter-perfect). Even with its flaws, The Social Network is a galloping piece of entertainment, a smart ride with smart people… who sometimes do dumb things. –Robert Horton

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Seabiscuit (Widescreen Edition) Feature

• Condition: Used, Very Good
• Format: DVD
• AC-3; Anamorphic; Closed-captioned; Color; Dolby; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC

Seabiscuit (Widescreen Edition) Overview

A great American story from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Gary Ross, Seabiscuit stars Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper. Based on the inspiring true story of three men – a jockey, a trainer and a businessman – and the undersized racehorse who took the entire nation on the ride of a lifetime. This breathtaking film achievement is “a must-see moviegoing experience” (Chicago Sun-Times) and “a flat-out great movie!” (Larry King Live, CNN)

Seabiscuit (Widescreen Edition) Specifications

Proving that truth is often greater than fiction, the handsome production of Seabiscuit offers a healthy alternative to Hollywood’s staple diet of mayhem. With superior production values at his disposal, writer-director Gary Ross (Pleasantville) is a bit too reverent toward Laura Hillenbrand’s captivating bestseller, unnecessarily using archival material–and David McCullough’s familiar PBS-styled narration–to pay Ken Burns-like tribute to Hillenbrand’s acclaimed history of Seabiscuit, the knobby-kneed thoroughbred who “came from behind” in the late 1930s to win the hearts of Depression-weary Americans. That caveat aside, Ross’s adaptation retains much of the horse-and-human heroism that Hillenbrand so effectively conveyed; this is a classically styled “legend” movie like The Natural, which was also heightened by a lushly sentimental Randy Newman score. Led by Tobey Maguire as Seabiscuit’s hard-luck jockey, the film’s first-rate cast is uniformly excellent, including William H. Macy as a wacky trackside announcer who fills this earnest film with a much-needed spirit of fun. –Jeff Shannon

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Señor y Mi (Spanish Edition) Overview

Decidido a tomar una foto del rey difícil de alcanzar, Brody fácilmente se cuela dentro de la puerta del palacio sólo para ser alcanzado por uno de los siervos del rey. Brody no sólo ha cumplido su sueño de ver al rey sin su cuerpo completo que cubre adornos, pero pronto se da cuenta que va a estar jugando un papel protagónico en los rituales ceremoniales favoritos del rey.

Extracto:
Ya estaba oscuro y Brody había conseguido a través de la puerta de palacio por un túnel debajo de ella. Él se sacudió y lentamente se dirigió hacia el palacio que fue muy bien iluminado en medio de la oscuridad de la noche. Me hubiera gustado que los arbustos y los árboles y no sólo del desierto, Brody dijo a sí mismo. Yo al menos podría ocultar un poco. Fue poco a poco avanza poco a poco hacia el gran palacio, en ocasiones cayendo al suelo justo en el movimiento de caso se detectó desde el interior de los muros del palacio. Brody estaba a punto de tomar una fotografía y luego se van. Si él pudiera llegar a una ventana, que estaba seguro de que podía ver al rey en algún lugar dentro de los muros del palacio.

Brody fue a mitad de camino al palacio cuando un hombre joven apareció de la nada, o eso parecía, y se enfrentó a él. “¿Qué estás haciendo aquí?” “Oh, debo haber perdido,” mintieron Brody. “Estoy Rafiq. ¿Dónde estaba usted tratando de ir? “Brody no tuvo respuesta. Sabía que había sido capturado, y estaba tratando desesperadamente de no mostrar miedo.

******

El hombre empujó Brody hacia abajo en el agua por los hombros. “Ese maldito daño”, gruñó a Rafiq. “Tienes que obedecer, Brody”, advirtió con severidad Rafiq. Brody sáb completamente inmóvil mientras Rafiq suavizado las cosas mal olor aceitoso en todo el cuerpo. Rafiq metió la mano en el agua y las piernas abiertas de Brody además, suavizar el aceite por debajo de sus bolas, y luego ocupó bolas de Brody, uno en cada mano. “Usted es engrasar las pelotas?”, Cuestionó Brody. Rafiq no dijo nada, pero continuó para frotar el aceite en las bolas de Brody. “Vamos, Rafiq, es esto realmente necesario?” Gallo Brody empezaba a endurecerse y que en realidad no deseo una audiencia.

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Pride and Prejudice (Restored Edition) Feature

• Title: PRIDE & PREJUDICE RESTORED SWING AMARAY EDITION
• Publisher: A&E HOME ENT. / Genre: DRAMA / Theme: CLASSICS / Rating: NR
• Product Type: VIDEO /
• Platform: DVD MOVIE

Pride and Prejudice (Restored Edition) Overview

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE has taken its place as one of the greatest television productions of all time. The landmark adaptation from A&E and the BBC captured the hearts of millions by seamlessly translating the wit, romance, and intelligence of Jane Austen s classic novel to the screen.

With a masterful script, deft direction, and star-making performances from Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE transports viewers to Georgian England, where affairs of the heart are an exquisite game, and marriage the ultimate prize. But Elizabeth Bennet spirited, independent, and one of five unmarried sisters is determined to play by her own rules and wed for love, not money or privilege. Will her romantic sparring with the mysterious and arrogant Darcy end in misfortune–or will love’s true nature prevail?

Now beautifully remastered for the ultimate in picture and sound quality, relive the timeless classic PRIDE & PREJUDICE on 2 DVDs.

Pride and Prejudice (Restored Edition) Specifications

Jane Austen’s classic novel of 1813, Pride and Prejudice, still wins the hearts of countless schoolgirls with its romantic story of Elizabeth Bennet and her Mr. Darcy. Now, the 1996 BBC miniseries is winning over adults, with its faithful adaptation, gorgeous scenery, and superb acting.

The essence of the story is the antagonism between Mr. Darcy, a wealthy single man who believes Elizabeth to be beneath him, and Elizabeth, who upon being insulted at a dance by the aloof Darcy refuses to associate with him in any manner. Austen evokes incredible tension with the wit and flirtation of the two characters, and director Simon Langton (who also directed Upstairs Downstairs) successfully translates the repartee and conflict in this six-hour miniseries. Dialogue, for the most part, is painstakingly replicated, except when fleshing out and smoothing for modern sensibilities was necessary. Darcy, for instance, is drawn out, giving his personality significantly more depth. The acting sweeps you away to Regency England: Jennifer Ehle (of Wilde) is convincing as the obstinate Elizabeth, who, despite her mother’s attempts to marry her off, spurs the attentions of Darcy. And Colin Firth (of The English Patient) will have women everywhere longing for a Mr. Darcy of their own.

For those who have been on an Austen binge–enjoying such excellent adaptations as Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion–this miniseries will round out the ultimate Austen video library. For those new to these romantic period pieces, this version of Pride and Prejudice will have you hooked and longing for more. One caveat, however: plan to watch it in an entire day, because very few have the self-control to not watch all six hours in a single sitting. –Jenny Brown

Beyond Pride and Prejudice

So you’d like to… Watch a Jane Austen Novel

So you’d like to… Watch a Charles Dickens Novel

Visit the A&E Home Video DVD Store

Stills from Pride and Prejudice (click for larger image)

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Hancock (Unrated Special Edition) [Blu-ray] Overview

Academy Award® nominee Will Smith (Best Actor, The Pursuit of Happyness, 2006) stars in this action-packed comedy as Hancock, a sarcastic, hard-living and misunderstood superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public. When Hancock grudgingly agrees to an extreme makeover from idealistic publicist Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman, Juno), his life and reputation rise from the ashes and all seems right again–until he meets a woman (2003 Academy Award® winner Charlize Theron, Best Actress, Monster) with similar powers to his and the key to his secret past.

Hancock (Unrated Special Edition) [Blu-ray] Specifications

Hancock turns the standard superhero movie inside-out: The title character (Will Smith) can fly, has superstrength, and is invulnerable, but he’s also a sloppy, alcoholic jerk who causes millions of dollars in property damage whenever he bothers to fight crime. When he saves the life of a public-relations agent named Ray (Jason Bateman, Arrested Development), Ray decides to improve Hancock’s image–starting by having Hancock surrender himself to the authorities and go to prison for his lawless behavior. The idea is that once he’s in prison, the crime rate will go up, and people will start to realize Hancock might be of value after all. This is only the first act of Hancock–from there, the movie takes several clever turns that shouldn’t be revealed. Hancock isn’t a great movie (among other things, director Peter Berg overuses close-ups with a hand-held camera to a degree that may cause motion sickness), but it is an extremely entertaining one. The script, which holds together far better than most superhero movies, has a propulsive plot, good dialogue, some compassion for its characters, and even an actual idea or two. The spectacular action at least gestures towards obeying the laws of physics, which actually makes the special effects more vivid. The three leads (Smith, Bateman, and Charlize Theron as Ray’s wife, Mary) deftly balance the movie’s mixture of comedy, action, and drama. All in all, a smart subversive twist on a genre that all too often takes itself all too seriously. –Bret Fetzer

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The Polar Express (Widescreen Edition) Feature

• When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.Running Time: 100 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN Rating: G Age: 012569740648 UPC: 012569740648 Manufacturer No: 74064

The Polar Express (Widescreen Edition) Overview

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

The Polar Express (Widescreen Edition) Specifications

Destined to become a holiday perennial, The Polar Express also heralded a brave new world of all-digital filmmaking. Critics and audiences were divided between those who hailed it as an instant classic that captures the visual splendor and evocative innocence of Chris Van Allsburg’s popular children’s book, and those who felt that the innovative use of “performance capture”–to accurately translate live performances into all-digital characters–was an eerie and not-quite-lifelike distraction from the story’s epic-scale North Pole adventure. In any case it’s a benign, kind-hearted celebration of the yuletide spirit, especially for kids who have almost grown out of their need to believe in Santa Claus. Tom Hanks is the nominal “star” who performs five different computer-generated characters, but it’s the visuals that steal this show, as director Robert Zemeckis indulges his tireless pursuit of technological innovation. No matter how you respond to the many wonders on display, it’s clear that The Polar Express represents a significant milestone in the digital revolution of cinema. If it also fills you with the joy of Christmas (in spite of its Nuremberg-like rally of frantic elves), so much the better. –Jeff Shannon

The World of The Polar Express

The book by Chris Van Allsburg

The Soundtrack

The Magic Journey (Polar Express the Movie) (book)

Stills from Polar Express (click for larger image)

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Side by Side: Student Book 4, Third Edition Overview

Side by Side, Third Edition, by Steven J. Molinsky and Bill Bliss, is a dynamic, all-skills program that integrates conversation practice, reading, writing, and listening — all in a light-hearted, fun, and easy-to-use format that has been embraced by students and teachers worldwide. This four-level program promotes native communication between students … practicing speaking together “side by side.”

Features of the Third Edition

• Vocabulary Preview sections in every chapter introduce key words in a lively picture dictionary format.
• “How to Say It!” lessons highlight communication strategies.
• Pronunciation exercises provide models for practicing authentic pronunciation, stress, and intonation.
• Side by Side Gazette “magazine-style” pages offer feature articles, fact files, vocabulary expansion, cross-cultural topics through photos, authentic listening activities, e-mail exchanges, and humorous cartoons for role-playing.
• All-new illustrations are lively, light-hearted, and richly detailed to offer students language practice that is contextualized and fun.

The core components include Student Books, Teacher’s Guides, Activity Workbooks, Activity & Test Prep Workbooks, Communication Games and Activity Masters, audio programs, combined split editions (Student Book and Workbook lessons combined), a testing program, and picture cards.

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Better Cables Silver Serpent Anniversary Edition RCA Audio Interconnect Cable – Stereo PAIR- 1.64 feet (1/2 meter) Feature

• Award-winning Audiophile-grade audio cables.
• Made in the USA of U.S. wire and imported connectors.
• Great for any stereo or multi-channel audio application – including Blu-ray, DVD, DVD-Audio, SACD, CD.
• Instantly improves your home theater or home audio experience.
• High-purity silver coating on conductor (silver is a better conductor than both copper and gold).

Better Cables Silver Serpent Anniversary Edition RCA Audio Interconnect Cable – Stereo PAIR- 1.64 feet (1/2 meter) Overview

Silver Serpent® Anniversary Edition Audio Interconnect Cable Overview – As one of the first direct-to-consumer high-end audio/video cable manufactures on the Internet, BetterCables.com has continually impressed consumers, reviewers, installers, and electronics manufacturers that use our products. We have learned a lot about audio interconnect manufacturing over the past decade. With this knowledge and feeback from our satisfied customers, we are proud to offer our new Silver Serpent® Anniversary Edition Audio Interconnect. By increasing the conductor size over previous models, we use more silver and more copper, while lowering the resistance. This is an outstanding silver/copper hybrid analog interconnect that is sonically revealing without the harshness associated with most pure silver interconnects. Whether you are looking to maximize the dynamics of your home theater system or 2-channel system, you will enjoy silky-smooth audio using our advanced, low-loss conductors and industry-low capacitance measurements. The Silver Serpent® Anniversary Edition Audio Cable features 99.999% pure silver coated conductors. The combination of silver, low-attenuation, and top-notch quality insulation makes this a world-class audio cable with no equal at ANY PRICE.

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A Year Without Rain [Deluxe Edition] Overview

What do you do after striking gold with your first solo album, wrapping your third season starring in a hit series and earning raves for your movie debut? If you’re Selena Gomez, you dance. At least, you get the world on its feet with A Year Without Rain. A follow-up to Kiss & Tell, Selena and The Scene’s gold-certified Hollywood Records debut CD, A Year Without Rain shows Selena and her band, The Scene, in a whole new light, this one pulsating, multicolored and ready for the mirrored ball.

Deluxe Edition of A Year Without Rain includes 3 additional tracks as well as a DVD with over 50 minutes of material including:
- Girl Meets World – Extended Edition: a Behind the Scenes look at Selena Gomez’s life on the road and in Europe on tour
- Girl on Film – behind the scenes at a Selena Gomez photo shoot
- A Year Without Rain Video Shoot AND behind the scenes
- Round & Round music video
- Naturally music video

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Pet Gear Weather Cover for Special Edition Pet Stroller for cats and dogs, Sage Feature

• Stylish, eye-catching Sage color that matches our Special Edition Stroller
• Made from waterproof 600 Denier nylon fabric
• Offers year round function for the Special Edition Stroller regardless of the weather
• Removable and easy to store
• Durable mesh windows keep insects away and provide cool ventilation

Pet Gear Weather Cover for Special Edition Pet Stroller for cats and dogs, Sage Overview

Pet Gear Weather Cover for the Special Edition Pet Stroller is wind and rain resistant.

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The Other Guys (The Unrated Other Edition) [Blu-ray] Feature

• FERRELL/WAHLBERG

The Other Guys (The Unrated Other Edition) [Blu-ray] Overview

Misfit NYPD detectives Gamble and Hoitz (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) are sentenced to life behind the desk. They hate each other and the monotony of their meaningless jobs, as they’re forced to live in the shadow of the two biggest and most badass cops on the force (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson). But when those guys go down for the count, opportunity knocks for Gamble and Hoitz. Stumbling onto what could be one of the biggest crimes in years, can The Other Guys step up their game to solve the case without killing each other and destroying NYC in the process? From the director of Step Brothers and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

The Other Guys (The Unrated Other Edition) [Blu-ray] Specifications

Although the comedy team of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg does not sound like a threat to Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello, they conjure up consistent laughs in The Other Guys, yet another comedy from Talladega Nights director Adam McKay. Ferrell plays a mild-mannered police accountant partnered with Wahlberg’s hothead (recently demoted to desk-jockey duty after shooting a very famous Yankee player during the World Series), and both men must endure the showboating fame of a pair of supercops (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson) in their New York City precinct house. Along with sending up cop-movie clichés, the movie basically exists to give Ferrell and Wahlberg room to work amusing variations on their characters (with grace notes for Michael Keaton’s stereotypical tough captain, too). The loosey-goosey structure works especially well when Wahlberg is needling his partner’s squareness or marveling, in wonderfully awestruck tones, at the unbelievable hot-i-tude of Ferrell’s wife (Eva Mendes)–a discrepancy made all the more maddening because Ferrell seems indifferent to her charms. Throw in a plot about a billionaire Wall Street crook (Steve Coogan) and the revelation of Ferrell’s hilariously dark past, and the movie finds a nice zone of silliness. Of course, any Will Ferrell vehicle must be judged by the opportunities for the star to launch into some borderline-surreal riff–and happily, this film comes through. From the moment Ferrell begins deconstructing Wahlberg’s lion versus tuna metaphor, The Other Guys manages to find time for such nonsense, and the film–the world in general, for that matter–is the better for it. –Robert Horton

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Peanuts: I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (Deluxe Edition) Feature

• I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS CHA

Peanuts: I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (Deluxe Edition) Overview

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown! centers on ReRun, the lovable but ever-skeptical younger brother of Linus and Lucy. It’s Christmas vacation and, as usual, ReRun’s big sister is stressing him out, so he decides to turn to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement and holiday cheer. However his faithful but unpredictable beagle companion has plans of his own, giving ReRun reason to ask Snoopy to invite his canine brother Spike for a visit. When Spike shows up, it looks like ReRun will have a dog for Christmas after all… but then the real trouble begins. Bonus special: Happy New Year, Charlie Brown; All-new featurette: Sibling Rivalry: Growing Up Van Pelt.

Peanuts: I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (Deluxe Edition) Specifications

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown might otherwise be called “Peanuts: The Next Generation” for its sprightly emphasis on Linus and Lucy’s younger brother, Rerun, and his quest to be worthy of a pet pooch. Like a, well, dog with a bone, Rerun is intent on forging a happy friendship with a canine as cool as Charlie Brown’s Snoopy–in fact, he keeps coming around to see if Snoopy wants to play. (Of course, Snoopy’s idea of playing is making Rerun his co-pilot in the imaginary cockpit of his imaginary World War Ibomber.) This holiday season television special is not the wise, enduring classic that is 1965′s A Charlie Brown Christmas, but it is charming and sweet, particularly when Snoopy’s brother, the desert-dwelling Spike, comes to stay. Schroeder fans will enjoy the usual shtick between love-struck Lucy and the piano genius’ detachment. –Tom Keogh

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Dead Poets Society (Special Edition) Feature

• Academy Award(R)-winner Robin Williams delivers a brilliant performance in one of Hollywood’s most compelling and thought-provoking motion pictures. Williams portrays passionate English professor John Keating who, in an age of crew cuts, sports coats, and cheerless conformity, inspires his students to live life to the fullest, exclaiming . “Carpe Diem, lads! Seize the day. Make your lives ext

Dead Poets Society (Special Edition) Overview

In an age defined by crew cuts, sport coats, and cheerless conformity, he not only broke the mold … he reinvented it. Academy Award(R) winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, GOOD WILL HUNTING, 1997) delivers an extraordinary performance in one of the most compelling motion pictures of all time. Williams stars as English professor John Keating, a passionate iconoclast who changes his students’ lives forever when he challenges them to live life to the fullest and “Carpe Diem” — seize the day! Keating’s unconventional approach meets with irrepressible enthusiasm from his students, but the faculty at staid, exclusive Welton Academy prep school is, to put it mildly, not amused. Featuring a star-marking performance by Ethan Hawke and over three hours of never-before-seen bonus materials, this Special Edition of DEAD POETS SOCIETY will captivate and inspire you again and again.

Dead Poets Society (Special Edition) Specifications

Robin Williams stars as an English teacher who doesn’t fit into the conservative prep school where he teaches, but whose charisma and love of poetry inspires several boys to revive a secret society with a bohemian bent. The script is well meaning but a little trite, though director Peter Weir (The Truman Show) adds layers of emotional depth in scenes of conflict between the kids and adults. (A subplot involving one father’s terrible pressure on his son–played by Robert Sean Leonard–to drop his interest in theater reaches heartbreaking proportions.) Williams is given plenty of latitude to work in his brand of improvisational humor, though it is all well-woven into his character’s style of instruction. –Tom Keogh

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Clickfree Automatic Backup DVD Photo and Video Edition DVD100-5, 5-Pack Feature

• First automatic backup on DVD.
• Automatically searches for and burns your digital photos files to disc.
• Capacity: Approx. 2,000 photos or up to 4.5GB per disc.
• Supports over 70 photo file types

Clickfree Automatic Backup DVD Photo and Video Edition DVD100-5, 5-Pack Overview

Introducing the world¿s first automatic photo backup on a DVD. Clickfree Automatic Backup requires no software installation or configuration; all of the intelligence is on the disc. Take the Clickfree DVD right from the package, insert it into your DVD drive and backup begins automatically. It¿s that simple! Clickfree Automatic Backup is a breakthrough in simplicity and convenience for consumers ¿ now all PC users can perform backup. How it works: Once inserted, the Clickfree backup software automatically launches, searches for and copies to disc over 70 different photo file type.Multiple DVD backup: Lots of photos? No problem. With the ability to automatically back up across multiple Clickfree DVDs, your entire photo collection is protected.Once backed up, the Clickfree Backup integrated photo viewer allows you to preview, select and print or share your photos at home and on-line. Advanced features for advanced users For power users, Clickfree Automatic Backup provides numerous options for a fully customized backup. Users can target specific folders, select file extensions and choose to extract photos from e-mails and compressed files.

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Bad Education : Widescreen Edition Feature

• Widescreen

Bad Education : Widescreen Edition Overview

dvd

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Blue Planet: Seas of Life (Special Edition) Overview

Before creating the monumental Planet Earth, producer Alastair Fothergill and his team from the BBC put together one of the most breathtaking explorations of the world’s oceans ever assembled, The Blue Planet: Seas of Life. The winner of two Emmy(R) Awards, The Blue Planet: Seas of Life is the definitive exploration of the marine world, chronicling the mysteries the deep in ways never before imagined. It is now being re-released in an all-new special edition, with an added 5th disc of bonus programming not included in the original DVD release. See it again, like never before!

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Hitch (Fullscreen Edition) Overview

Alex Hitchens, a dating couselor who has helped countless men woo the women of their dreams, has trouble forming his own romantic relationships.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 8-SEP-2006
Media Type: DVD

Hitch (Fullscreen Edition) Specifications

Will Smith’s easygoing charm makes Hitch the kind of pleasant, uplifting romantic comedy that you could recommend to almost anyone–especially if there’s romance in the air. As suave Manhattan dating consultant Alex “Hitch” Hitchens, Smith plays up the smoother, sophisticated side of his established screen persona as he mentors a pudgy accountant (Kevin James) on the lessons of love. The joke, of course, is that Hitch’s own love life is a mess, and as he coaches James toward romance with a rich, powerful, and seemingly inaccessible beauty named Allegra (Amber Valetta), he’s trying too hard to impress a savvy gossip columnist (Eva Mendes) with whom he’s fallen in love. Through mistaken identities and mismatched couples, director Andy Tennant brings the same light touch that made Drew Barrymore’s Ever After so effortlessly engaging. As romantic comedies go, Hitch doesn’t offer any big surprises, but as a date movie it gets the job done with amiable ease and style. –Jeff Shannon

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Financial and Actuarial Statistics: An Introduction, Second Edition (Statistics: Textbooks & Monographs) Overview

Presenting a unique interface between statistics and financial/actuarial topics, this second edition provides a solid background for students preparing for a career in actuarial science. It explores novel research areas and adds more problems, along with a new solutions section. This edition also includes a new chapter on Markov chain theory with applications to mortality and multiple decrement mortality table modeling, a presentation of model checking diagnostics that covers diagnostics for mortality tables, and an expanded discussion on option pricing with examples.

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High School Musical 3: Senior Year Premiere Edition [CD+DVD] Overview

Disney’s High School Musical phenomenon leaps onto the silver screen in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR! In which America’s favorite high school students hit senior year. Amidst a basketball championship, prom and a big spring musical featuring all of the Wildcats, Troy and Gabriella vow to make every moment last as their lifelong college dreams put the future of their relationship in question.

For the first time, two versions of the soundtrack will be available on street date. Featuring more songs than ever before, the HSM3:SENIOR YEAR includes all-new songs by the original songwriters and performances by the original cast, including Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and more!

The LIMITED EDITION, PREMIERE EDITION is a 2 Disc Set that includes the original Soundtrack, plus a DVD of behind the scenes footage, the movie trailer, music video, 3 ringtones, a voicetone, mobile game and mobile wallpaper PLUS digital downloadables

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Star Wars – Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition) Feature

• Exclusive deleted scenes documentary features seven new sequences completed just for this DVD release.
• “The Beginning: Making Episode I,” an all-new hour-long documentary film culled from over 600 hours of footage, including an insider’s look at Lucasfilm and ILM during the production.
• Five featurettes explore the storyline, design, costumes, visual effects, and fight sequences.
• Multi-angle storyboard to animatic to film segment featuring the Submarine and Podrace Lap 1 sequences.
• Award-winning twelve-part Web documentary series that chronicles the production.

Star Wars – Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition) Overview

Begin your STAR WARS DVD collection with STAR WARS: Episode 1 THE PHANTOM MENACE. Packed with over six hours of additional material, including exclusive documentaries and never-before-seen deleted scenes, this 2-disc set provides the perfect showcase for the incredible detail and breathtaking scope of George Lucas’s first episode in the mythic STAR WARS saga.

Star Wars – Episode I, The Phantom Menace (Widescreen Edition) Specifications

“I have a bad feeling about this,” says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event… well, ever. He might as well be speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars saga who can’t help but secretly ask themselves: Sure, this is Star Wars, but is it my Star Wars? The original elevated moviegoers’ expectations so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet them. And as with all the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace features inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads, and some cheek-chewing dialogue. Han Solo’s swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace of heavy-breather Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical mumbo jumbo, and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlier feels formulaic. Yet there’s much to admire. The special effects are stupendous; three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora, and horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are breathtaking in their complexity. And one particular sequence of the film–the adrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert–makes the chariot race in Ben-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park.

Among the host of new characters, there are a few familiar walk-ons. We witness the first meeting between R2-D2 and C-3PO, Jabba the Hutt looks younger and slimmer (but not young and slim), and Yoda is as crabby as ever. Natalie Portman’s stately Queen Amidala sports hairdos that make Princess Leia look dowdy and wields a mean laser. We never bond with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and Obi-Wan’s day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a cross between a Muppet, a frog, and a hippie, provides many of the movie’s lighter moments, while Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) looks too young and innocent to command the powers of the Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth Vader), but his boyish exuberance wins over skeptics.

Near the end of the movie, Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic, may be speaking for fans eagerly awaiting Episode II when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, “We will watch your career with great interest.” Indeed! –Tod Nelson

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Return to Never Land (Pixie-Powered Edition) Overview

Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 12/16/2008 Run time: 73 minutes Rating: G

Return to Never Land (Pixie-Powered Edition) Specifications

Unlike Disney’s other sequels to their classic films, this follow-up to the 1953 version of Peter Pan debuted in theaters. World War II has turned Wendy’s preteen daughter, Jane, into a realist, a girl who insists there’s no need for stories and fun while London is crumbling. Hook kidnaps Jane (thinking she’s Wendy) and returns to “the second star to the right” to foil Pan. Alas, the film doesn’t build on this new story line (the London scenes have the most emotional impact), and what follows is a thin reworking of the original. On the plus side, a clever octopus takes over from that old crocodile, and Jane turns out to be a solid–and modern–role model. Those from ages 4 to 9 who have been brought up on the original should enjoy these adventures, even if the story, like Peter himself, “hasn’t grown up.” The 72-minute film is shown with the delightful 1948 short “Pluto’s Fledgling.” –Doug Thomas