Monday, November 7, 2011

Friends With Money

  • Jennifer Aniston
  • Joan Cusack
  • Catherine Keener
  • Frances McDormand
  • Directed by Nicole Holofcener Full Screen 88 minutes
Explores the long friendship between a group of adult women and the changes in their relationships that occur as their financial situations fluctuate.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: R
Release Date: 6-NOV-2007
Media Type: DVDWith her third feature, Friends With Money, writer-director Nicole Holofcener continues to develop one of the most distinctive voices in American independent filmmaking. While not as purely satisfying as her previous films Walking and Talking and Lovely and Amazing, Holofcener's third feature is admirably ambitious in establishing a diverse and dynamic range of relationships among long-time girlfriends, their spouses (for better and worse), and the way in wh! ich money (or lack of it) affects them all. The have-not of the group is Olivia (Jennifer Aniston), a teacher-turned pot-smoking housecleaner in the upscale neighborhoods of West Los Angeles. She's drifting, uncertain of her future both professionally and romantically, while her friends Franny (Joan Cusack), Christine (Catherine Keener), and Jane (Frances McDormand) cope with the relatively enviable problems of wealthy discontentment. They've all got personal crises to resolve, and while Olivia juggles the affections of a likable louse (Scott Caan) and a lonely slob who's secretly rich (Bob Stephenson), Holofcener taps a rich vein of humor and melancholy as these women go about their daily routines, attending benefits, chatting over meals, and doting over Olivia as the "needy one" in their closed circle of friendships. All of this is richly observed and wonderfully acted (with male costars played by Greg Germann, Jason Isaacs, and Simon McBurney), but reaction to Friends! With Money is strictly a matter of personal taste. Holofc! ener isn 't telling a story so much as examining lives in various states of disarray, and she offers no false comforts or simple resolutions. Like life, Friends With Money just continues on its way, with some friends happier than others. There's plenty of truth to be found, if you know where to look.--Jeff ShannonJennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand and Joan Cusack star in a film the New York Times hails as "a bittersweet comedy about the drama of being alive . . ." - Manohla Dargis. FRIENDS WITH MONEY - the story of four best friends whose comfortable lives are thrown off balance as the realities of early middle age set in. It paints a painfully hilarious portrait of modern life in the class-sensitive west side of Los Angeles. Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener (Lovely and Amazing), Friends With Money was the Opening Night Selection at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and is being hailed as "Smart, witty and alert." - Peter T! ravers, Rolling Stone, "Acutely perceptive and slyly quick-witted" - Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune.

Captivity

Monster Claw Carnage - Spider-Man The Animated Series Action Figure

The Devil Wears Prada: A Novel

  • ISBN13: 9780767914765
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
A delightfully dishy novel about the all-time most impossible boss in the history of impossible bosses.

Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job “a million girls would die for.” Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile, fabulously successful editor of Runway magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts Prada! Armani! Versace! at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart-wrenchingly stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine-ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates i! nto a scared, whimpering child.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA gives a rich and hilarious new meaning to complaints about “The Boss from Hell.” Narrated in Andrea’s smart, refreshingly disarming voice, it traces a deep, dark, devilish view of life at the top only hinted at in gossip columns and over Cosmopolitans at the trendiest cocktail parties. From sending the latest, not-yet-in-stores Harry Potter to Miranda’s children in Paris by private jet, to locating an unnamed antique store where Miranda had at some point admired a vintage dresser, to serving lattes to Miranda at precisely the piping hot temperature she prefers, Andrea is sorely tested each and every dayâ€"and often late into the night with orders barked over the phone. She puts up with it all by keeping her eyes on the prize: a recommendation from Miranda that will get Andrea a top job at any magazine of her choosing. As things escalate from the merely unacceptable to the downright outrageous, however, An! drea begins to realize that the job a million girls would die ! for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul.


From the Hardcover edition.It's a killer title: The Devil Wears Prada. And it's killer material: author Lauren Weisberger did a stint as assistant to Anna Wintour, the all-powerful editor of Vogue magazine. Now she's written a book, and this is its theme: narrator Andrea Sachs goes to work for Miranda Priestly, the all-powerful editor of Runway magazine. Turns out Miranda is quite the bossyboots. That's pretty much the extent of the novel, but it's plenty. Miranda's behavior is so insanely over-the-top that it's a gas to see what she'll do next, and to try to guess which incidents were culled from the real-life antics of the woman who's been called Anna "Nuclear" Wintour. For instance, when Miranda goes to Paris for the collections, Andrea receives a call back at the New York office (where, incidentally, she's not allowed! to leave her desk to eat or go to the bathroom, lest her boss should call). Miranda bellows over the line: "I am standing in the pouring rain on the rue de Rivoli and my driver has vanished. Vanished! Find him immediately!"

This kind of thing is delicious fun to read about, though not as well written as its obvious antecedent, The Nanny Diaries. And therein lies the essential problem of the book. Andrea's goal in life is to work for The New Yorker--she's only sticking it out with Miranda for a job recommendation. But author Weisberger is such an inept, ungrammatical writer, you're positively rooting for her fictional alter ego not to get anywhere near The New Yorker. Still, Weisberger has certainly one-upped Me Times Three author Alex Witchel, whose magazine-world novel never gave us the inside dope that was the book's whole raison d' etre. For the most part, The Devil Wears Prada focuses on the outrageous M! iranda Priestly, and she's an irresistible spectacle. --Cla! ire Ded erer

Blade Trinity (Unrated Version)

  • The final battle begins and the trinity comes to an end! Blade is back and his enemies have grown in number since they resurrected their king, Dracula. Together with a new group of vampire hunters, called the Nightstalkers, led by Whistler's strong but beautiful daughter Abigail and the wise-cracking Hannibal, they must finally defeat the vampires or face inevitable extinction.Running Time: 123 mi
Get set for more action, more vampires and more Wesley Snipes in this second monster-hit installment in the Blade franchise. Aptly described by critic Roger Ebert as "a vomitorium of viscera," Blade II takes the express route to sequel success. So if you enjoyed Blade, you'll probably drool over this monster mash, which is anything but boring. Set (and filmed) in Prague, the plot finds a new crop of "Reaper" vampires threatening to implement a viral breeding program, and they're nearly! impervious to attacks by Blade (Wesley Snipes), his now-revived mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), and a small army of "normal" vampires who routinely combust in a constant conflagration of spectacular special effects. It's up to Blade to conquer the über-vamps, and both Snipes and director Guillermo del Toro (Mimic) serve up a nonstop smorgasbord of intensely choreographed action, creepy makeup, and graphic ultraviolence. It's sadistic, juvenile, numbing, and--for those who dig this kind of thing--undeniably impressive. With the ever-imposing Ron Perlman as a vampire villain. --Jeff Shannon Import Blu-Ray/Region A pressing. Get set for more action, more vampires and more Wesley Snipes in this second monster-hit installment in the Blade franchise. When the world is threatened by a new and deadlier breed of super vampires, the legendary Blade and his mentor, Whistler, must join forces with the Bloodpack, an elite team of vampire warriors.Aptly descr! ibed by critic Roger Ebert as "a vomitorium of viscera," Bl! ade II takes the express route to sequel success. So if you enjoyed Blade, you'll probably drool over this monster mash, which is anything but boring. Set (and filmed) in Prague, the plot finds a new crop of "Reaper" vampires threatening to implement a viral breeding program, and they're nearly impervious to attacks by Blade (Wesley Snipes), his now-revived mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), and a small army of "normal" vampires who routinely combust in a constant conflagration of spectacular special effects. It's up to Blade to conquer the über-vamps, and both Snipes and director Guillermo del Toro (Mimic) serve up a nonstop smorgasbord of intensely choreographed action, creepy makeup, and graphic ultraviolence. It's sadistic, juvenile, numbing, and--for those who dig this kind of thing--undeniably impressive. With the ever-imposing Ron Perlman as a vampire villain. --Jeff Shannon Get set for more action, more vampires and more Wesley Snipes in t! his second monster-hit installment in the Blade franchise. When the world is threatened by a new and deadlier breed of super vampires, the legendary Blade and his mentor, Whistler, must join forces with the Bloodpack, an elite team of vampire warriors.

DVD Features:
DVD ROM Features
Other:Dobly Digital EX 5.1 Surround Sound; DTS ES Surround Sound; Stereo Surround Sound

Aptly described by critic Roger Ebert as "a vomitorium of viscera," Blade II takes the express route to sequel success. So if you enjoyed Blade, you'll probably drool over this monster mash, which is anything but boring. Set (and filmed) in Prague, the plot finds a new crop of "Reaper" vampires threatening to implement a viral breeding program, and they're nearly impervious to attacks by Blade (Wesley Snipes), his now-revived mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), and a small army of "normal" vampires who routinely combust in a constant conflagration of spectac! ular special effects. It's up to Blade to conquer the über! -vam ps, and both Snipes and director Guillermo del Toro (Mimic) serve up a nonstop smorgasbord of intensely choreographed action, creepy makeup, and graphic ultraviolence. It's sadistic, juvenile, numbing, and--for those who dig this kind of thing--undeniably impressive. With the ever-imposing Ron Perlman as a vampire villain. --Jeff Shannon The final battle begins and the trinity comes to an end! Blade is back and his enemies have grown in number since they resurrected their king, Dracula. Together with a new group of vampire hunters, called the Nightstalkers, led by Whistler's strong but beautiful daughter Abigail and the wise-cracking Hannibal, they must finally defeat the vampires or face inevitable extinction.Even skeptical fans of the Blade franchise will enjoy sinking their teeth into Blade: Trinity. The law of diminishing returns is in full effect here, and the franchise is wearing out its welcome, but let's face it: any movie that features Je! ssica Biel as an ass-kicking vampire slayer and Parker Posey--yes, Parker Posey!--as a vamping vampire villainess can't be all bad, right? Those lovely ladies bring equal measures of relief and grief to Blade, the half-human, half-vampire once again played, with tongue more firmly in stone-cold cheek, by Wesley Snipes. With series writer David S. Goyer in the director's chair, the film is calculated for mainstream appeal, trading suspenseful horror for campy humor and choppy, nonsensical action. The franchise still offers some intriguing ideas, however, including Drake (Dominic Purcell), the original vampire, whose blood contains the secret that could destroy all blood-suckers in a plot that incorporates a sinister "blood farm" where humans are held--and drained--in suspended animation. And Biel's wise-cracking sidekick (Ryan Reynolds) in her cadre of "Nightstalkers" provides comic relief in a series that's grown increasingly dour. All of which makes Blade: Trinity a! love-it-or-hate-it sequel... supposedly the last in a trilogy! , but th e ending suggests otherwise. --Jeff Shannon

All About My Mother

  • Widescreen
  • Exclusive Interview with director Pedro Almodovar
  • Subtitles in English and French
  • Director's production notes
  • Talent files
A single mother in Madrid sees her only son die on his 17th birthday as he runs to seek an actress's autograph. She goes to Barcelona to find the lad's father, a transvestite named Lola who does not know he has a child. First she finds her friend, Agrado, also a transvestite; through him she meets Rosa, a young nun bound for El Salvador, and by happenstance becomes the personal assistant of Huma Rojo, the actress her son admired. She helps Huma manage Nina, the co-star and Huma's lover, and she becomes Rosa's caretaker during a dicey pregnancy. With echoes of Lorca, All About Eve, and A Streetcar Named Desire, the mothers (and fathers and actors) live out grief, love, and friendship.After her son is killed in an acc! ident, Manuela (Cecilia Roth) leaves Madrid for her old haunts in Barcelona. She reconnects with an old friend, a pre-op transsexual prostitute named La Agrado (Antonia San Juan), who introduces her to Rosa (Penélope Cruz), a young nun who turns out to be pregnant. Meanwhile, Manuela becomes a personal assistant for Huma Rojo (Marisa Paredes), an actress currently playing Blanche DuBois in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire. All About My Mother traces the delicate web of friendship and loss that binds these women together. The movie is dedicated to the actresses of the world, so it's not surprising that all the performances are superb. Roth in particular anchors All About My Mother with compassion and generosity. But fans of writer-director Pedro Almodóvar needn't fret--as always, Almodóvar's work undermines conventional notions of sexual identity and embraces all human possibilities with bright colors and melodramatic plotting. However, A! ll About My Mother approaches its twists and turns with a ! broader emotional scope than most of Almodóvar's work; even the more extravagant aspects of the story are presented quietly, to allow the sadness of life to be as present as the irrepressible vitality of the characters. Almodóvar embraces pettiness, jealousy, and grief as much as kindness, courage, and outrageousness, and the movie is the richer for it. --Bret FetzerAfter her son is killed in an accident, Manuela (Cecilia Roth) leaves Madrid for her old haunts in Barcelona. She reconnects with an old friend, a pre-op transsexual prostitute named La Agrado (Antonia San Juan), who introduces her to Rosa (Penélope Cruz), a young nun who turns out to be pregnant. Meanwhile, Manuela becomes a personal assistant for Huma Rojo (Marisa Paredes), an actress currently playing Blanche DuBois in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire. All About My Mother traces the delicate web of friendship and loss that binds these women together. The movie is dedicated to the actres! ses of the world, so it's not surprising that all the performances are superb. Roth in particular anchors All About My Mother with compassion and generosity. But fans of writer-director Pedro Almodóvar needn't fret--as always, Almodóvar's work undermines conventional notions of sexual identity and embraces all human possibilities with bright colors and melodramatic plotting. However, All About My Mother approaches its twists and turns with a broader emotional scope than most of Almodóvar's work; even the more extravagant aspects of the story are presented quietly, to allow the sadness of life to be as present as the irrepressible vitality of the characters. Almodóvar embraces pettiness, jealousy, and grief as much as kindness, courage, and outrageousness, and the movie is the richer for it. --Bret Fetzer

Blade Trinity (Unrated Version)

  • The final battle begins and the trinity comes to an end! Blade is back and his enemies have grown in number since they resurrected their king, Dracula. Together with a new group of vampire hunters, called the Nightstalkers, led by Whistler's strong but beautiful daughter Abigail and the wise-cracking Hannibal, they must finally defeat the vampires or face inevitable extinction.Running Time: 123 mi
Get set for more action, more vampires and more Wesley Snipes in this second monster-hit installment in the Blade franchise. Aptly described by critic Roger Ebert as "a vomitorium of viscera," Blade II takes the express route to sequel success. So if you enjoyed Blade, you'll probably drool over this monster mash, which is anything but boring. Set (and filmed) in Prague, the plot finds a new crop of "Reaper" vampires threatening to implement a viral breeding program, and they're nearly! impervious to attacks by Blade (Wesley Snipes), his now-revived mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), and a small army of "normal" vampires who routinely combust in a constant conflagration of spectacular special effects. It's up to Blade to conquer the über-vamps, and both Snipes and director Guillermo del Toro (Mimic) serve up a nonstop smorgasbord of intensely choreographed action, creepy makeup, and graphic ultraviolence. It's sadistic, juvenile, numbing, and--for those who dig this kind of thing--undeniably impressive. With the ever-imposing Ron Perlman as a vampire villain. --Jeff Shannon Import Blu-Ray/Region A pressing. Get set for more action, more vampires and more Wesley Snipes in this second monster-hit installment in the Blade franchise. When the world is threatened by a new and deadlier breed of super vampires, the legendary Blade and his mentor, Whistler, must join forces with the Bloodpack, an elite team of vampire warriors.Aptly descr! ibed by critic Roger Ebert as "a vomitorium of viscera," Bl! ade II takes the express route to sequel success. So if you enjoyed Blade, you'll probably drool over this monster mash, which is anything but boring. Set (and filmed) in Prague, the plot finds a new crop of "Reaper" vampires threatening to implement a viral breeding program, and they're nearly impervious to attacks by Blade (Wesley Snipes), his now-revived mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), and a small army of "normal" vampires who routinely combust in a constant conflagration of spectacular special effects. It's up to Blade to conquer the über-vamps, and both Snipes and director Guillermo del Toro (Mimic) serve up a nonstop smorgasbord of intensely choreographed action, creepy makeup, and graphic ultraviolence. It's sadistic, juvenile, numbing, and--for those who dig this kind of thing--undeniably impressive. With the ever-imposing Ron Perlman as a vampire villain. --Jeff Shannon Get set for more action, more vampires and more Wesley Snipes in t! his second monster-hit installment in the Blade franchise. When the world is threatened by a new and deadlier breed of super vampires, the legendary Blade and his mentor, Whistler, must join forces with the Bloodpack, an elite team of vampire warriors.

DVD Features:
DVD ROM Features
Other:Dobly Digital EX 5.1 Surround Sound; DTS ES Surround Sound; Stereo Surround Sound

Aptly described by critic Roger Ebert as "a vomitorium of viscera," Blade II takes the express route to sequel success. So if you enjoyed Blade, you'll probably drool over this monster mash, which is anything but boring. Set (and filmed) in Prague, the plot finds a new crop of "Reaper" vampires threatening to implement a viral breeding program, and they're nearly impervious to attacks by Blade (Wesley Snipes), his now-revived mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), and a small army of "normal" vampires who routinely combust in a constant conflagration of spectac! ular special effects. It's up to Blade to conquer the über! -vam ps, and both Snipes and director Guillermo del Toro (Mimic) serve up a nonstop smorgasbord of intensely choreographed action, creepy makeup, and graphic ultraviolence. It's sadistic, juvenile, numbing, and--for those who dig this kind of thing--undeniably impressive. With the ever-imposing Ron Perlman as a vampire villain. --Jeff Shannon The final battle begins and the trinity comes to an end! Blade is back and his enemies have grown in number since they resurrected their king, Dracula. Together with a new group of vampire hunters, called the Nightstalkers, led by Whistler's strong but beautiful daughter Abigail and the wise-cracking Hannibal, they must finally defeat the vampires or face inevitable extinction.Even skeptical fans of the Blade franchise will enjoy sinking their teeth into Blade: Trinity. The law of diminishing returns is in full effect here, and the franchise is wearing out its welcome, but let's face it: any movie that features Je! ssica Biel as an ass-kicking vampire slayer and Parker Posey--yes, Parker Posey!--as a vamping vampire villainess can't be all bad, right? Those lovely ladies bring equal measures of relief and grief to Blade, the half-human, half-vampire once again played, with tongue more firmly in stone-cold cheek, by Wesley Snipes. With series writer David S. Goyer in the director's chair, the film is calculated for mainstream appeal, trading suspenseful horror for campy humor and choppy, nonsensical action. The franchise still offers some intriguing ideas, however, including Drake (Dominic Purcell), the original vampire, whose blood contains the secret that could destroy all blood-suckers in a plot that incorporates a sinister "blood farm" where humans are held--and drained--in suspended animation. And Biel's wise-cracking sidekick (Ryan Reynolds) in her cadre of "Nightstalkers" provides comic relief in a series that's grown increasingly dour. All of which makes Blade: Trinity a! love-it-or-hate-it sequel... supposedly the last in a trilogy! , but th e ending suggests otherwise. --Jeff Shannon

Beerfest (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

  • After a humiliating false start in Germany's super-secret underground beer competition, America's unlikely team vows to risk life, limb and liver to dominate the ultimate chug-a-lug championship. The laughs are on the haus!Running Time: 116 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR Age: 085391102076 UPC: 085391102076 Manufacturer No: 110207
Broken Lizard is back?and this time the crazy comedy troupe that brought you Super Troopers is taking you on a trip so outrageously fun?it?s murder. Welcome to Coconut Pete?s Pleasure Island, a tropical, tequila-soaked vacation resort where high-spirited fun soon takes a deadly turn?leaving the island?s hilariously inept staff to battle a machete-wielding maniac as they fight to survive another day in paradise. Filled with sidesplitting humor, scary slasher scenes, and plenty of bikini-clad babes, Broken Lizard?s Club Dread is a comedy to die fo! r!Looking for plenty of sex, violence, and lowbrow comedy? If you are, you could do a lot worse (or is it a lot better?) than to visit Club Dread, a boldly wretched excuse for broad comedy perpetrated by the Broken Lizard troupe--the same guys who brought their potty-mouthed brand of lunacy to bear on 2002's Super Troopers. That alone should serve as ample warning or invitation, depending on your tolerance for way-too-casual sketch comedy, stitched together with an emphasis on big, gross laughs and enough female frontal nudity to give Girls Gone Wild a run for its money. It all takes place on Coconut Pete's Pleasure Island, where Pete (Bill Paxton, slumming it with infectious abandon) holds court while scantily clad vacationers play crazy games (life-size Pac-Man, anyone?) and provide easy prey for a slasher on the loose. Ah, but there's the rub: Is this schizoid movie a comedy or a horror flick? It's both... and neither... and the bloodletting is surpr! isingly extreme amidst all the poop and fart jokes. Of course,! that wo n't stop Club Dread from finding its audience. We know you're out there…and you know who you are. --Jeff ShannonBroken Lizard is back…and this time the crazy comedy troupe that brought you Super Troopers is taking you on a trip so outrageously fun…it’s murder. Welcome to Coconut Pete’s Pleasure Island, a tropical, tequila-soaked vacation resort where high-spiritedLooking for plenty of sex, violence, and lowbrow comedy? If you are, you could do a lot worse (or is it a lot better?) than to visit Club Dread, a boldly wretched excuse for broad comedy perpetrated by the Broken Lizard troupe--the same guys who brought their potty-mouthed brand of lunacy to bear on 2002's Super Troopers. That alone should serve as ample warning or invitation, depending on your tolerance for way-too-casual sketch comedy, stitched together with an emphasis on big, gross laughs and enough female frontal nudity to give Girls Gone Wild a run for its money. It! all takes place on Coconut Pete's Pleasure Island, where Pete (Bill Paxton, slumming it with infectious abandon) holds court while scantily clad vacationers play crazy games (life-size Pac-Man, anyone?) and provide easy prey for a slasher on the loose. Ah, but there's the rub: Is this schizoid movie a comedy or a horror flick? It's both... and neither... and the bloodletting is surprisingly extreme amidst all the poop and fart jokes. Of course, that won't stop Club Dread from finding its audience. We know you're out there…and you know who you are. --Jeff ShannonSlammin’ Cleon Salmon, the former Heavyweight Champion of the world, is a mean, crazy, and sometimes infantile bull of a man, who happens to owe $20,000 to the head of the Japanese Yakuza and needs to come up with the money tonight. So he challenges the waiters in the restaurant that he owns, The Slammin’ Salmon, a high end, boxing themed seafood eatery in Miami, to sell more food than they’ve ! ever sold in their lives, with the top waiter earning $10,000,! the los er getting a broken rib sandwich. As the hours pass, the action becomes more chaotic as Cleon shows up to supervise the contest and changes the rules on a minute to minute basis.The Broken Lizard gang is back with The Slammin' Salmon, a rowdy comedy that spends a night in a restaurant of the same name. Boxer Cleon Salmon (Michael Clarke Duncan, 1999 Academy Award nominee for The Green Mile) owns the swanky eatery and needs to raise fast cash to settle a gambling debt. He challenges his hapless crew to a contest to see who can up-sell the most in order to reach his goal of $20,000 before closing time. Director Kevin Heffernan sets a rapid-fire pace loaded with pratfalls, spit takes, food fights, and bathroom humor. The Slammin' Salmon brings together the usual Broken Lizard (Club Dread, Supertroopers, and Beerfest) regulars: Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske, Steve Lemme, Jay Chandrasekhar, and Heffernan (as the jittery manager)! . Cobie Smulders and April Bowlby round out the cast as frenzied waiters who'll do anything to avoid a "broken-rib sandwich" from the intimidating Salmon. Saturday Night Live's Will Forte plays a table-hogging, water-sipping lone diner who leaves a surprise tip. Vivica A. Fox and Morgan Fairchild make awkward cameos. The one-liners and sight gags can wear thin after an hour, but die-hard Broken Lizard film fans know what they're in for when they watch a Heffernan romp, and The Slammin' Salmon won't disappoint. --Francine Ruley

Stills from The Slammin' Salmon (Click for larger image)








?Prepare to laugh your ass off? (FILM THREAT)! From the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, who brought you the outrageously funny, rambunctiously sexy Super Troopers and Club Dread, here is the original gut-buster that started it all. The premise is simple: Felix Bean, average college Joe, has the hots for campus beauty Suzanne, only to discover her boyfriend is a muscle-bound brute on the rugby team. His pain is everyone?s gain in this riotous laugh fest that you?ll want to see aga! in and again.This good-natured college comedy launched the film careers of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, who have since enjoyed a cult following with their subsequent features (Super Troopers and Club Dread) and even made inroads to Hollywood (director Jay Chandrasekhar helmed the big-screen Dukes of Hazzard movie). Here the five Lizards play a quintet of clueless college guys pursuing women with varying degrees of success; the humor is broad without tipping too heavily into gross territory, and several moments are laugh-out-loud funny, especially the group's riffs on independent theater, and a missing phone number digit. Made for an astronomically small amount (and funded largely with credit cards), Puddle Cruiser was promoted largely through a screening tour of colleges, which is covered in the disc's accompanying featurette, "Rodeo Clowns." All five Broken Lizard members are also featured on some very amusing commentary tracks. --Paul Ga! itaAfter a humiliating false start in Germany's super-secr! et under ground beer competition, America's unlikely team vows to risk life, limb and liver to dominate the ultimate chug-a-lug championship. The laughs are on the haus!

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurette
Interviews
Other

While it didn't quite spark a trend in chug-a-lug brew comedies, Beerfest is the kind of zany time-killer that's a lot funnier if you're within reach of a six-pack and Doritos. In other words, this is yet another low-brow laff-a-thon from the Broken Lizard gang (Super Troopers) that's likely to draw a bigger audience on DVD than it did in theaters, especially since there's a lot of duds (and flat suds) to sit through while waiting for the next big beer-belly-laugh. It's the kind of movie that thinks masturbating frogs are funny (OK, you decide), while serving up a gang of guzzling Americans (the aforementioned Broken Lizard troupe, who also write this stuff with dir! ector Jay Chandrasekhar) who compete in an epic beer-drinking contest against the nefarious German challenger Baron Wolfgang Von Wolfhausen (played by German actor Jurgen Prochnow, whose starring role in Das Boot inspires one of this movie's better jokes). When it's not trying to top itself in terms of sheer stupidity and juvenile humor, Beerfest satisfies its target audience (basically, frat-rats and party animals) with some gratuitously bare-breasted babes, rampant consumption of alcohol, and the welcomed appearance of Cloris Leachman, who sort-of reprises her "Frau Blucher" persona from Young Frankenstein. So basically what you've got here is a dim-witted but energetic comedy called Beerfest that delivers exactly what you'd expect from a movie with that title. Who says truth in advertising is dead? --Jeff Shannon
web log free