Sales Rank:21 List Price: $134.99 Lowest New Price: $38.49 Lowest Used Price: $19.91 MPAA Rating: G (General Audience)
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After the worldwide success of A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles and director Richard Lester reunited for a follow-up film, Eight Arms to Hold You. Well, that wasn't the final title; a pleading Lennon-McCartney tune provided the catchier handle: Help! A loose semispoof of the globe-trotting James Bond pictures, Help! has always been considered a somewhat disorganized comedown from its predecessor; but it presents "the famous Beatles" even more clearly as the English cousins of the Marx Brothers. The plot has an Eastern religious cult declaring that the new ring on Ringo's finger is the key element in a human sacrifice; they will stop at nothing to obtain it. Meanwhile, a mad scientist (crazed Victor Spinetti, who also appeared in A Hard Day's Night and Magical Mystery Tour) believes that if he has the ring, he could--dare we say it?--rule the world. The songs, including "Ticket to Ride" and "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," are filmed with gleeful ingenuity, in locations such as the Bahamas, an Austrian ski resort, and the Salisbury Plain. The relentless nonsense becomes nearly the equivalent of a swinging-'60s Alice in Wonderland: for instance, Paul shrinks to the size of a gum wrapper, John fishes a season ticket out of his soup, George wears a top hat on the ski slopes, the lads sing the "Ode to Joy" to a lion. Oh, and the film is dedicated to Elias Howe, "who in 1846 invented the sewing machine." Brilliant. --Robert Horton
Sales Rank:87 List Price: $34.99 Lowest New Price: $9.26 Lowest Used Price: $8.43 MPAA Rating: G (General Audience)
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AC-3
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Dolby
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Live
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3D
Widescreen
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Miley Cyrus
Jonas Brothers
The Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds live concert was a sold-out sensation everywhere it played, and this concert video is the next best thing to being there for all the fans that couldn't get tickets to attend the concert in person. The movie opens with Miley Cyrus backstage in make-up and hair, warming up with vocal exercises, then cuts to Hannah Montana (her alter ego)'s performance of "Rock Star," and then back in time to four weeks before her performance when concert rehearsals were just beginning. It runs like a backstage special feature for a while, following Hannah Montana through coaching, choreography scenes with Kenny Ortega, and rehearsal sessions. Then it's back to concert footage from opening night in St. Louis and all along the tour, seasoned here and there with some fun looks at the concerts' special effects, quick costume changes, other logistical challenges (Hannah gets dropped during a routine early in the tour), and lots of shots of the enthusiastic, mostly female 'tween audiences. The 3D format gives the audience a nice sense of being there and includes some effective, if somewhat overused shots of the crowd waving, Hannah/Miley reaching out to the audience, and fun stunts like the drummer's twirling stick thrown high in the air and the guitar player's pick being tossed out into the audience. The sound is adequate, but fails to replicate the live concert experience (the plus side is that the audience's ears won't be ringing for hours after the performance). Hannah Montana's performance includes "Rock Star," "Life's What You Make It," "Just Like You," "Nobody's Perfect," and "We Got the Party." The Jonas Brothers perform "When You Look Me In the Eyes" and "Year 3000," and then Miley hits the stage with "Start All Over," "I Got Nerve," "I Miss You" (which Miley wrote in honor of her Granddad's passing), "Going Away," "GNO: Girl's Night Out," and "The Best of Both Worlds." This 3D concert presentation truly is the "best of both worlds," a 3D concert experience with easy availability and minimal expense. Better yet is the message that girls can do anything they want if they put their minds and hearts to it. (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi
Sales Rank:125 List Price: $34.99 Lowest New Price: $13.99 Lowest Used Price: $11.45 MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
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Martin Scorsese leaps into the madness of the Rolling Stones’ organization in Shine a Light, barely controlling (in a most entertaining way) a documentary that culminates in the Stones’ best concert on film. The movie’s highly entertaining, pre-performance prologue finds a frazzled Scorsese trying to get a clue about the band’s plans for a very special New York City date in 2006, a benefit hosted by Bill and Hillary Clinton. While Mick Jagger quibbles over concepts for the stage’s set and peruses lists of possible songs to include in the show, Scorsese tries to figure out how to shoot something for which he has few production details. Everything falls into place eventually, and after an extraordinary meet-and-greet scene in which Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, and Charlie Watts catch up with the Clintons and sweetly introduce themselves to Hillary’s mom, the Stones launch into a set that leans less heavily than usual on their greatest hits canon. Longtime fans are sure to appreciate the wealth of generally-untapped material from Let It Bleed ("You Got the Silver," "Live With Me"), Exile On Main Street ("All Down the Line," "Loving Cup"), and Some Girls ("Faraway Eyes," "Just My Imagination"). Jack White, Christina Aguilera, and Buddy Guy are on hand for memorable collaborations, but the Stones all alone are truly on fire in the relatively intimate setting of a small theater. Among the highlights is a sexy and even thrilling call-and-response between Jagger and ace backup singer Lisa Fischer on "She Was Hot," Richards’ gracious and expansive solo on "Connection," and Jagger’s witty take on "Some Girls" (which manages to skip over the controversial verse about "black girls"). Throughout the show, Scorsese and an army of camera operators cover the action from every conceivable angle, which results not so much in another hyperkinetic concert film but rather in the kind of graceful, flattering portrayal of a great band that the director mastered with The Last Waltz. --Tom Keogh
Sales Rank:215 List Price: $19.98 Lowest New Price: $14.15 Lowest Used Price: $15.14 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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For Celtic Thunder, Sharon Browne has teamed up with Grammy-nominated Irish songwriting and composing veteran Phil Coulter to produce a show that includes an eclectic mix of songs ranging from the traditional "Mountains of Mourne" and "Come By the Hills" to international hits such as "Brothers in Arms" and "Desperado," as well as original compositions by Coulter, who has written hits for Elvis Presley ("My Boy") and the Bay City Rollers, and performed with Van Morrison, Tom Jones, and the Rolling Stones. The ensemble numbers in Celtic Thunder reflect the power of the vocalists, who range in age from 14 to 40, and feature songs that celebrate a common Celtic heritage.
Sales Rank:829 List Price: $29.98 Lowest New Price: $16.00 Lowest Used Price: $17.32 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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Live
PAL
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Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles captures the multi-Grammy® Award-winning, Platinum-selling singer/songwriter in the element where fans love him the most: live on stage. This special concert includes three sets: an acoustic performance, a rare set with John Mayer Trio (John Mayer, Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino), as well as a set featuring Mayer's full band.
John Mayer's Where The Light Is includes 22 songs and features a one-of-a-kind song list made up of the three distinct performances - all recorded the night of December 8th, 2007 at the NOKIA Theatre in Los Angeles.
Blu-ray Disc Tracklisting 1.Neon(Acoustic Set) 2.Stop This Train(Acoustic Set) 3.In Your Atmosphere (Acoustic Set) 4.Daughters(Acoustic Set) 5.Free Fallin'(Acoustic Set) 6.Everyday I Have The Blues(Trio Set) 7.Wait Until Tomorrow (Trio Set) 8.Who Did You Think I Was (Trio Set) 9.Come When I Call (Trio Set) 10.Good Love Is On The Way (Trio Set) 11.Out Of My Mind (Trio Set) 12.Vultures (Trio Set) 13.Bold As Love (Trio Set) 14.Waiting On The World To Change (Band Set) 15.Slow Dancing In A Burning Room (Band Set) 16.Why Georgia (Band Set) 17.The Heart Of Life (Band Set) 18.I Don't Need No Doctor (Band Set) 19.Gravity (Band Set) 20.I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You) (Band Set) 21.Belief (Band Set) 22.I'm Gonna Find Another You (Band Set)
Special Features: BD-Live: "Belief" backstage performance (Internet connection and 57 MB of memory required) BonusView: "Who Did You Think I Was" - Steve Jordan & Pino Palladino Picture-In-Picture Experience Slow Dancing on Mulholland Drive
Video/Audio Filmed in Super 35mm Full 1080/24p High Definition Picture PCM (uncompressed) Stereo (96 kHz/24 bit) Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround (96 kHz/24 bit) (Includes Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (640 kbps
Sales Rank:338 List Price: $69.99 Lowest New Price: $39.45 Lowest Used Price: $40.00 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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Box set
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The comedy/drama Freaks and Geeks limped through its sole season on NBC in 1999 before being expelled by the network--but not before earning critical acclaim and a devoted fan base that fought valiantly to keep it on the air. Now all 18 episodes have been released in this long-awaited boxed set, which allows longtime fans and first-timers alike to enjoy one of television's most poignant and funny programs about high school.
Created by writer-comedian Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow (The Larry Sanders Show), Freaks and Geeks followed the Weir siblings--former math whiz Lindsay (Linda Cardellini of the Scooby-Doo feature films and ER) and her younger brother Sam (John Francis Daley)--as they navigated the perils and pleasures of a Michigan high school circa 1980. What separated Freaks and Geeks from most other scholastic series was its brutal honesty--Lindsay and Sam, as well as their friends and parents, were given very human personas that showed failure, malice, indecision, and moments of great clarity. Likewise, the plotlines rarely offered pat solutions to the characters' conflicts--the show unfolded in a naturalistic manner, which was a welcome respite for viewers tired of flashy high school dramas. When combined with its smart dialogue and winning performances (the cast included SCTV veteran Joe Flaherty and Spider-Man star James Franco, as well as the sublime and criminally underrecognized Martin Starr and Seth Rogen as Sam's pal Bill and dry-witted Ken, respectively), the show became a haven for fans of quality television, if only for a brief period of time.
The six-disc boxed set provides over 40 hours of supplemental material, which should satiate even the most obsessive of fans. Twenty-nine separate commentaries from the show's creators, cast (and as some of their parents!), composer Mike Andrews, and fans are included, as are 60 deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, and cast auditions. However, the most striking extra is the warmth that radiates from the commentary participants--their pleasure in taking part in such a quality program is palpable, and will undoubtedly be echoed by all who watch these discs. --Paul Gaita
Sales Rank:427 List Price: $14.98 Lowest New Price: $8.99 Lowest Used Price: $9.99 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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DVD-Video
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ZZ Top, the "little ol' band from Texas", has enjoyed enormous success on a global scale since their breakthrough in the early seventies and then their groundbreaking albums in the mid-eighties. Now for the first time one of ZZ Top's legendary live performances has been filmed for simultaneous release on DVD & Blu-ray. The track listing spans their career from early tracks such as "Waitin' For The Bus", "Just Got Paid" and the classic "La Grange", through their eighties blockbusters including "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Legs" (complete with furry guitars!) and up to more recent hits like "Pin Cushion". Filmed in their home state of Texas in front of a wildly enthusiastic audience, this DVD & Blu-ray captures ZZ Top at their very best.
TRACK LISTING 1) Got Me Under Pressure 2) Waitin' For The Bus 3) Jesus Just Left Chicago 4) I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide 5) Pin Cushion 6) Cheap Sunglasses 7) Pearl Necklace 8) Heard It On The X 9) Just Got Paid 10) Rough Boy 11) Blue Jean Blues 12) Gimme All Your Lovin' 13) Sharp Dressed Man 14) Legs 15) Tube Snake Boogie 16) La Grange 17) Tush
BONUS FEATURE Poker Game - Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill & Frank Beard talk through the history of ZZ Top over a game of poker. Dallas Show Day - Behind the scenes on the ZZ Top live show. Photo Shoot - On location with ZZ Top for a typically iconic photo shoot. Bonus track - ZZ Top perform Jimi Hendrix's "Foxey Lady" live on stage.
Sales Rank:322 List Price: $9.98 Lowest New Price: $4.62 Lowest Used Price: $4.50 MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Format:
Closed-captioned
Color
Dolby
DVD-Video
Widescreen
NTSC
Director(s):
Actor(s):
Newell Alexander
Beau Bridges
Bonnie Bedelia
Earl Bullock
Delta Burke
If you've got a taste for big hair, broad Texas accents, and gay rights, this mixture of white-trash comedy and coming-out melodrama is for you. Sordid Lives starts out as chicken-fried farce, as a funeral is prepared for a woman who died when she tripped over her adulterous lover's wooden legs; about midway the emphasis shifts to a drag queen unfairly held in a mental institution and the dead woman's grandson, an actor in Los Angeles who hasn't come out to his mother. The tone shifts wildly, and the humor depends on your fondness for the white-trash genre--if you like it, this will tickle your ribs; if you don't, it'll fall flat as the panhandle landscape. But it must be said that the cast (including Bonnie Bedelia, Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, and Olivia Newton-John) dives right in, no matter how over-the-top their characters get. --Bret Fetzer
Sales Rank:349 List Price: $19.98 Lowest New Price: $11.05 Lowest Used Price: $11.92 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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Color
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PAL
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Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles captures the multi-Grammy® Award-winning, Platinum-selling singer/songwriter in the element where fans love him the most: live on stage. This special concert includes three sets: an acoustic performance, a rare set with John Mayer Trio (John Mayer, Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino), as well as a set featuring Mayer's full band.
John Mayer's Where The Light Is includes 22 songs and features a one-of-a-kind song list made up of the three distinct performances - all recorded the night of December 8th, 2007 at the NOKIA Theatre in Los Angeles.
Disc Tracklisting Acoustic Set: 1.Neon 2.Stop This Train 3.In Your Atmosphere 4.Daughters 5.Free Fallin'
Trio Set: 6.Everyday I Have The Blues 7.Wait Until Tomorrow 8.Who Did You Think I Was 9.Come When I Call 10.Good Love Is On The Way 11.Out Of My Mind 12.Vultures 13.Bold As Love
Band Set: 14.Waiting On The World To Change 15.Slow Dancing In A Burning Room 16.Why Georgia 17.The Heart Of Life 18.I Don't Need No Doctor 19.Gravity 20.I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You) 21.Belief 22.I'm Gonna Find Another You
Special Fetures: Slow Dancing on Mullholland Drive Who Did You Think I Was- Steve Jordan & Pino Palladino Multi-angle Cam