Bookmark this page!

Check out our new blog! We'll be posting great discounts and deals there often.

Mystery/Suspense DVDs

No Country for Old Men [Blu-ray]

Sales Rank:447
List Price: $34.99
Lowest New Price: $13.99
Lowest Used Price: $13.50
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)

Format:

Color
NTSC
Widescreen

Director(s):

Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Actor(s):

Javier Bardem
Rodger Boyce
Josh Brolin
Barry Corbin
Beth Grant

The Coen brothers make their finest thriller since Fargo with a restrained adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel. Not that there aren't moments of intense violence, but No Country for Old Men is their quietest, most existential film yet. In this modern-day Western, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is a Vietnam vet who could use a break. One morning while hunting antelope, he spies several trucks surrounded by dead bodies (both human and canine). In examining the site, he finds a case filled with $2 million. Moss takes it with him, tells his wife (Kelly Macdonald) he's going away for awhile, and hits the road until he can determine his next move. On the way from El Paso to Mexico, he discovers he's being followed by ex-special ops agent Chigurh (an eerily calm Javier Bardem). Chigurh's weapon of choice is a cattle gun, and he uses it on everyone who gets in his way--or loses a coin toss (as far as he's concerned, bad luck is grounds for death). Just as Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), a World War II vet, is on Moss's trail, Chigurh's former colleague, Wells (Woody Harrelson), is on his. For most of the movie, Moss remains one step ahead of his nemesis. Both men are clever and resourceful--except Moss has a conscience, Chigurh does not (he is, as McCarthy puts it, "a prophet of destruction"). At times, the film plays like an old horror movie, with Chigurh as its lumbering Frankenstein monster. Like the taciturn terminator, No Country for Old Men doesn't move quickly, but the tension never dissipates. This minimalist masterwork represents Joel and Ethan Coen and their entire cast, particularly Brolin and Jones, at the peak of their powers. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

The Departed [Blu-ray]

Sales Rank:144
List Price: $34.99
Lowest New Price: $13.16
Lowest Used Price: $11.97
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)

Format:

Director(s):

Actor(s):

Leonardo DiCaprio
Matt Damon
Jack Nicholson
Mark Wahlberg

Martin Scorsese makes a welcome return to the mean streets (of Boston, in this case) with The Departed, hailed by many as Scorsese's best film since Casino. Since this crackling crime thriller is essentially a Scorsese-stamped remake of the acclaimed 2002 Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, the film was intensely scrutinized by devoted critics and cinephiles, and while Scorsese's intense filmmaking and all-star cast deserve ample acclaim, The Departed is also worthy of serious re-assessment, especially with regard to what some attentive viewers described as sloppy craftsmanship (!), notably in terms of mismatched shots and jagged continuity. But no matter where you fall on the Scorsese appreciation scale, there's no denying that The Departed is a signature piece of work from one of America's finest directors, designed for maximum impact with a breathtaking series of twists, turns, and violent surprises. It's an intricate cat-and-mouse game, but this time the cat and mouse are both moles: Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is an ambitious cop on the rise, planted in the Boston police force by criminal kingpin Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a hot-tempered police cadet who's been artificially disgraced and then planted into Costello's crime operation as a seemingly trustworthy soldier. As the multilayered plot unfolds (courtesy of a scorching adaptation by Kingdom of Heaven screenwriter William Monahan), Costigan and Sullivan conduct a volatile search for each other (they're essentially looking for "themselves") while simultaneously wooing the psychiatrist (Vera Farmiga) assigned to treat their crime-driven anxieties.

Such convenient coincidences might sink a lesser film, but The Departed is so electrifying that you barely notice the plot-holes. And while Nicholson's profane swagger is too much "Jack" and not enough "Costello," he's still a joy to watch, especially in a film that's additionally energized by memorable (and frequently hilarious) supporting roles for Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, and a host of other big-name performers. The Departed also makes clever and plot-dependent use of cell-phones, to the extent that it couldn't exist without them. Powered by Scorsese's trademark use of well-chosen soundtrack songs (from vintage rock to Puccini's operas), The Departed may not be perfect, but it's one helluva ride for moviegoers, proving popular enough to become the biggest box-office hit of Scorsese's commercially rocky career. --Jeff Shannon

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigative Service - The Complete First Season

Sales Rank:1067
List Price: $64.99
Lowest New Price: $43.66
Lowest Used Price: $39.68
MPAA Rating:

Format:

Box set
Color
DVD-Video
Widescreen
NTSC

Director(s):

Actor(s):

Equal parts JAG and C.S.I., NCIS does a formidable job of blending relevant military headlines with quirky characters who are tenaciously determined to solve a crime--even if it means having to sleep in the morgue to get a few minutes of shut eye. Created by Donald P. Bellisario (JAG, Quantum Leap), NCIS actually began as a two-part episode of JAG in 2003. Later that year, the drama made its full-season debut on CBS. On this six-disc set, which includes all 23 non-JAG episodes plus optional commentary by Bellisario on the first episode, viewers are introduced to an elite squad of special agents, led by Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). Gibbs is a hard-nosed investigator who doesn't say much. But when he does, an insult usually comes out of his mouth. He's brilliant when it comes to ferreting out the truth, but he's not savvy enough to figure out how to block his ex-wife's nagging phone calls. Instead, he makes do by destroying his cell phone. Gibbs' team is fleshed out by an eclectic and somewhat eccentric set of colleagues, including medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum from The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), wannabe playboy and former homicide detective Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), forensics expert and resident Goth chick Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), and former Secret Service agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander).

The murder of a peripheral NCIS agent halfway through the season is a taste of what's to come in future seasons when core characters leave the show (voluntarily or not). But in its first year, the show sets up a strong premise that (while not wholly original) is well executed. One of the more stickling aspects of the show is its reluctance to allow Tony to show signs of maturity. At times, he behaves more like a rambunctious puppy than an ace investigator. --Jae-Ha Kim

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

The X-Files: The Complete Collector's Edition

Sales Rank:2045
List Price: $329.98
Lowest New Price: $167.85
Lowest Used Price: $174.43
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

Format:

Box set
Full Screen
NTSC
Subtitled
Widescreen

Director(s):

Actor(s):

David Duchovny
Gillian Anderson

No Description Available.
Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 6-NOV-2007
Media Type: DVD

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Monk - Season One

Sales Rank:2175
List Price: $59.98
Lowest New Price: $25.51
Lowest Used Price: $24.99
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

Format:

Anamorphic
Box set
Closed-captioned
Color
Dolby
DTS Surround Sound
Dubbed
DVD-Video
Subtitled
Widescreen
NTSC

Director(s):

Adam Arkin
Adam Davidson
Adam Shankman
Daniel Dratch
Dean Parisot

Actor(s):

Tony Shalhoub
Jason Gray-Stanford
Ted Levine
Traylor Howard
Stanley Kamel

The ranks of fictional genius gumshoes were joined by former San Francisco detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) in the summer of 2002, and he is indeed a welcome addition. Cable channel USA Network introduced Monk, a bright comedy-drama series about an obsessive-compulsive sleuth drummed out of police work following the murder of his wife and a subsequent spike in his overwhelming neuroses. Once a rising star in the homicide department, the twitchy savant is still valuable to Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), who reluctantly calls on Monk to solve difficult, high-profile murders of judges, billionaires, police informants, and famous attorneys. Monk's talent for finding clues and seeing the big picture in criminal investigations makes him a force to reckon with, but his many phobias (germs, heights, asymmetry, and much, much else) aggravate Stottlemeyer and make Monk completely dependent on a long-suffering assistant, Sharona (Bitty Schram), a single mom who functions as Dr. Watson to Monk's Sherlock Holmes.

Each of the 12 episodes included in Monk: The Complete First Season is a delightful mix of clever whodunit puzzler, neurotic schtick, and deepening relationships. Among the latter, the bond between Monk and Sharona is most touching, as the platonic friends, sometimes aghast at how involved they are in each other's lives, surprise themselves with the breadth of their trust and commitment. In "Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum," Monk is forced into a stay at a mental hospital, where a murderer has convinced him he's crazy; it's Sharona who makes her boss realize he's not. In "Mr. Monk and the Earthquake," it's Monk who rushes to Sharona's aid when he deduces that a lying friend is about to kill her. In almost every episode, Monk is confronted with a phobic limitation he must overcome in order to save the day. The question is whether he will heal enough, one day, to re-join his old squad. For the sake of Monk's winning formula and fans, one has to hope such good news never comes to pass. --Tom Keogh

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigative Service - The Complete Second Season

Sales Rank:543
List Price: $64.99
Lowest New Price: $42.99
Lowest Used Price: $42.99
MPAA Rating:

Format:

NTSC
Color
Dolby
Widescreen

Director(s):

Actor(s):

NCIS takes the CSI formula, throws in a good dose of JAG, and comes up with an entertaining series that takes advantage of the actors' likeability. The season begins with the introduction a couple new regulars--agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) and assistant medical examiner Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen). And one cast member departs the show by the end of the season. The six-disc set includes all 23 episodes, which aired on CBS during 2004-2005. The show's sophomore year begins with "See No Evil," in which a Navy officer (guest star David Keith) is forced to embezzle millions of dollars, or risk having his wife and blind daughter killed by a kidnapper (played by Tom Cruise's cousin William Mapother). Led by Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), the crack NCIS team comes through to save the day and reveal the mastermind behind the twisted case. Gibbs doesn't display much more emotion this season than he did in the show's debut, but he's just as sarcastic (and even tempered) when being threatened. During one altercation, the mafia threatens to kill his father, brothers and uncles. Non-plussed, Gibbs calmly says that while he has no male relatives still alive, he'd be happy to fax over the numbers of his three ex-wives.

With the help of his ace medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum from The Man from U.N.C.L.E), Gibbs and his team are almost invincible when it comes to solving complicated crimes. Whether he's piecing together the bones of a body, or performing an autopsy on a crisply burnt poodle, Ducky is matter-of-fact as he talks to his dead "clients." Of his nervous but eager assistant Jimmy, Ducky notes, "He means well, but sometimes I have an overwhelming urge to slap him." This season, viewers get to see the romantic (and slightly gross) side of Ducky as he briefly romances a doctor half this age. Also on hand to aid (and annoy) Gibbs are happy-go-lucky Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), former Secret Service agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander), and forensics expert Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), who can solve anything if you say "please" and bring her a Big Gulp to sip. Look for a gentle guest appearance by Charles Durning as a Medal of Honor recipient who wants to turn himself in for killing his best friend and fellow comrade during World War II. While the plot twists won't surprise most viewers, the acting, writing, and spirit of the episode leaves the viewer feeling satisfied. --Jae-Ha Kim

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Harry Potter Years 1-5 [Blu-ray]

Sales Rank:1251
List Price: $129.98
Lowest New Price: $76.99
Lowest Used Price: $85.99
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Format:

AC-3
Color
Dolby
Dubbed
Subtitled
Widescreen

Director(s):

Alfonso Cuarón
Chris Columbus
David Yates
Mike Newell

Actor(s):

Daniel Radcliffe
Emma Watson
Rupert Grint
Richard Harris
Maggie Smith

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/11/2008 Rating: Pg

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Bangkok Dangerous [Blu-ray]

Sales Rank:121
List Price: $39.99
Lowest New Price: $19.24
Lowest Used Price: $18.88
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)

Format:

AC-3
Color
Dolby
DTS Surround Sound
Special Edition
Subtitled
Widescreen

Director(s):

Danny Pang
Oxide Pang Chun

Actor(s):

Nicolas Cage
Charlie Yeung
Shahkrit Yamnarm
Panward Hemmanee
Nirattisai Kaljaruek

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Carnivale - The Complete Second Season

Sales Rank:1677
List Price: $39.98
Lowest New Price: $25.51
Lowest Used Price: $23.99
MPAA Rating: Unrated

Format:

Box set
Closed-captioned
Color
Dolby
Subtitled
NTSC

Director(s):

Alan Taylor
Dan Lerner
Jack Bender
Jeremy Podeswa
John Patterson

Actor(s):

Michael J. Anderson
Adrienne Barbeau
Clancy Brown
Tim DeKay
Cynthia Ettinger

The second season of HBO's Depression-era gothic--John Steinbeck by way of Tod Browning--picks up where the first left off. Professor Lodz (Patrick Bauchau) is dead. Ben (Nick Stahl), the show's protagonist, appears to be the culprit. Samson (Michael J. Anderson) helps him dispose of the body. Later he tells the other carnival workers that Lodz "took a powder." Lila (Debra Christofferson) doesn't buy it. Meanwhile, Sophie (Clea DuVall), who lost her mother to fire the previous year, feels unmoored without her guidance. A few states away, Brother Justin (Clancy Brown) harbors ever greater delusions of grandeur--and inappropriate thoughts about his sister, Iris (Amy Madigan). In "Alamagordo, NM," he decides to establish a temple, which he dubs Jonestown, er, Jericho. At the same time, life amongst the carnies, who are heading towards Justin's California, is becoming increasingly tense. Ruthie (Adrienne Barbeau), for instance, is starting to see dead people--like Lodz--and Stumpy (Toby Huss) is no longer able to keep his gambling in check. As with the first season, the action continues to alternate between the carnival and the congregation. What binds the two is a man named Scudder (John Savage), who has connections to Ben and Justin. Although writer/creator Dan Knauf had planned to tie things up between seasons three and six, HBO did not renew Carnivàle a second time. Nonetheless, a surprising number of questions are answered, like the identity of "Management" (voiced by an un-credited Linda Hunt) and whether Ben and Justin will have a final showdown. The answer to the latter question is: Yes, they will--and there’ll be casualties. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Appaloosa [Blu-ray]

Sales Rank:185
List Price: $35.99
Lowest New Price: $24.99
Lowest Used Price:
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)

Format:

Color
Widescreen

Director(s):

Actor(s):

Ed Harris
Viggo Mortensen
Renée Zellweger
Robert Jauregui
Jeremy Irons

Click here for Customer Reviews and more...

Previous | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Next

Quick Links

Home
Amazon
Our Shops
Merchants
Reviews
Blog
Price Drops

Check out our new blog! We'll be posting great discounts and deals there often.

Mystery/Suspense DVDs

Quick Links

Categories