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Mystery/Suspense DVDs

Heat

Sales Rank:468
List Price: $12.98
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)

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Director(s):

Actor(s):

Al Pacino
Robert De Niro
Val Kilmer
Jon Voight
Tom Sizemore

Having developed his skill as a master of contemporary crime drama, writer-director Michael Mann displayed every aspect of that mastery in this intelligent, character-driven thriller from 1995, which also marked the first onscreen pairing of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. The two great actors had played father and son in the separate time periods of The Godfather, Part II, but this was the first film in which the pair appeared together, and although their only scene together is brief, it's the riveting fulcrum of this high-tech cops-and-robbers scenario. De Niro plays a master thief with highly skilled partners (Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore) whose latest heist draws the attention of Pacino, playing a seasoned Los Angeles detective whose investigation reveals that cop and criminal lead similar lives. Both are so devoted to their professions that their personal lives are a disaster. Pacino's with a wife (Diane Venora) who cheats to avoid the reality of their desolate marriage; De Niro pays the price for a life with no outside connections; and Kilmer's wife (Ashley Judd) has all but given up hope that her husband will quit his criminal career. These are men obsessed, and as De Niro and Pacino know, they'll both do whatever's necessary to bring the other down. Mann's brilliant screenplay explores these personal obsessions and sacrifices with absorbing insight, and the tension mounts with some of the most riveting action sequences ever filmed--most notably a daylight siege that turns downtown Los Angeles into a virtual war zone of automatic gunfire. At nearly three hours, the film qualifies as a kind of intimate epic, certain to leave some viewers impatiently waiting for more action, but it's all part of Mann's compelling strategy. Heat is a true rarity: a crime thriller with equal measures of intense excitement and dramatic depth, giving De Niro and Pacino a prime showcase for their finely matched talents. --Jeff Shannon

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Bangkok Dangerous [Blu-ray]

Sales Rank:105
List Price: $39.99
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)

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Director(s):

Danny Pang
Oxide Pang Chun

Actor(s):

Nicolas Cage
Charlie Yeung
Shahkrit Yamnarm
Panward Hemmanee
Nirattisai Kaljaruek

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Left Behind - The DVD Collection (Left Behind / Left Behind II - Tribulation Force / Left Behind - World at War)

Sales Rank:1028
List Price: $24.98
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MPAA Rating: Unrated

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Director(s):

Actor(s):

Kirk Cameron
Left Behind Trilogy

Left Behind - The Movie
Part conspiracy theory and part religious message, Left Behind (based on the first in a series of runaway bestsellers by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins) is a passable, occasionally compelling thriller that turns the rapture and the ascendance of the Antichrist into something resembling a Robert Ludlum espionage potboiler. The beginning, though, is pure Stephen King: as morose pilot Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson) steers his jet plane toward London, comely flight attendant Hattie Daniels (Chelsea Noble) informs him that a number of passengers have disappeared--at 37,000 feet, leaving their neatly pressed clothes behind. And they're not the only ones who've gone missing. The mass disappearances throw the world into chaos, and the sinisterly compelling Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie), head of the U.N., selflessly steps in to help broker peace among the world's nations. But is he as good intentioned as he seems?

Turns out the appropriately named Mr. Carpathia is behind a plot to rule the world and control its food supply, and intrepid reporter Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron, better than you'd expect) is onto him--with a little help from some biblical prophecies. Suffering the problem that befalls most first installments in a series of books and movies, Left Behind busies itself with the task of introducing characters and setting up expository plot lines, and audiences may be frustrated by the lack of action--Rayford's somewhat labored crisis of faith takes up a good chunk of the film. Still, it's an intriguing premise that should satisfy fans of the novel and possibly pick up a few more converts along the way (be warned, though, this is a modestly budgeted film that looks more like a cable TV movie than the latest James Bond extravaganza). And, if like a fair number of the film's characters, you can't figure out that someone named "Nicolae Carpathia" is a bad guy, then, well, you need to bone up on your evil villains. --Mark Englehart

Left Behind II - Tribulation Force
Arguably the most interesting and compelling feature in the Left Behind trilogy, Left Behind II: Tribulation Force finds the series' major characters--television journalist Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron), passenger jet captain Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson), his daughter Chloe (Janaya Stephens), and Pastor Bruce Barnes (Clarence Gilyard)--forming the core of a group dedicated to infiltrating and disrupting operations of the Anti-Christ, i.e., Nicolae Carpathia (a scary Gordon Currie), who has become leader of a world government. Meanwhile, humankind looks increasingly desolate and bleak, as the reality sinks in that hundreds of millions of people who suddenly vanished--including all the world's children--in the last film are not coming back. Veteran television director Bill Corcoran makes much of his scant resources to paint an apocalyptic vision, and when the film gets to indulge in some nifty effects (a pair of fire-breathing prophets--literally), the result is powerful. Drama, relationships, character development, and performances are quite smooth and should appeal to Christian and non-Christian viewers alike. --Tom Keogh

Left Behind - World at War
Third in a series of films based on the bestselling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, Left Behind: World at War finds the post-Rapture Earth an even bleaker place than in the previous movies. As the Antichrist himself, Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie), uses his newfound powers as head of the world government to bring war and plague on every nation, the American president (Louis Gossett Jr.) teams with a Christian resistance fighter (Jessica Steen) to try to stop him. Meanwhile, series hero Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron) discovers that Carpathia's biological front in a coming apocalypse is particularly devious: Freshly published Bibles are carrying a deadly disease ravaging thousands--and may very likely claim Buck's new bride. Buck's father-in-law, pilot Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson), has problems of his own facing the not-inconsiderable temptations of former flight attendant Hattie Daniels (Chelsea Noble), now one of Carpathia's many lovers. Directed by Craig R. Baxley (Rose Red), Left Behind: World at War is particularly crisp and effective drama, even when the action stops, as it often does, for many of the principals to pray for guidance. Charles Martin Smith (The Untouchables), not seen often enough these days, has a brief but powerful part as the U.S. vice-president. --Tom Keogh

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JAG (Judge Advocate General) - The Seventh Season

Sales Rank:975
List Price: $55.98
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Director(s):

Bradford May
Dennis Smith
Greg Beeman
Harvey S. Laidman
Hugo Cortina

Actor(s):

David James Elliott
Catherine Bell
Patrick Labyorteaux
John M. Jackson
Chuck Carrington

JAG: The Seventh Season is noteworthy for slightly better stories than usual, a somewhat less random selections of storylines than in previous years, and a connecting thread throughout the season concerning the relationship between Commander Harmon "Harm" Rabb Jr. (David James Elliott) and Lt. Col. Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie (Catherine Bell). Sure, their relationship has been the series' biggest tease for some time. But now it's on the front burner following resolution of the cliffhanger "Adrift" as the season's opener. At the end of season six, Harm was lost in the middle of a stormy ocean following a problem in the jet he was co-piloting. His disappearance postpones the date for Mac's wedding to Brumby (Trevor Goddard), but Brumby picks up in Mac's anxiety over Harm's predicament something more than anxiety over a friend. His suspicions confirmed, Brumby heads home to Australia, leaving Mac and Harm (once he's rescued) in need of an important conversation. (On his end of things, Harm's longtime girlfriend marries someone else.) The state of things between JAG's two leads is a mystery throughout The Seventh Season, but that uncertainty gives an extra zing to many different episodes, such as penultimate story "In Country," in which Mac and Harm are lost together in rural Afghanistan.

"New Gun In Town" introduces a new character, Commander Sturgis Turner (Scott Lawrence), to the show, an old friend and professional rival of Harm's. While Turner and Harm take opposite sides in a case, Mac and "Gunny" Galindez (Randy Vasquez) take overlapping assignments aboard an aircraft carrier, giving Mac a chance to get away from her problems. Relief doesn't last long, however, when Harm shows up on the carrier to defend a marine charged with negligent homicide. "Guilt" is a harrowing drama about an outbreak of violence against a U.S. embassy in Indonesia, a scary situation in which Mac is immersed while trying to protect a local girl whose mother works for the consulate. "Mixed Messages" is another fine drama, this one about an old buddy of Harm's who is suspected of selling submarine intelligence to the Chinese. "Redemption" is a complex, interesting tale in which Harm defends another old friend against charges of fraternization, only to uncover what appears to be more serious evidence of espionage. Complicating matters is that the defendant seems wholly uncooperative in the investigation--as if he were protecting someone else. "Tribunal" is the timely story of a U.S. military tribunal passing judgement on a suspected Al-Qaeda terrorist. The twist is that Harm and Mac's boss, Admiral Chegwidden (John M. Jackson), must join Turner in defending the suspect. The season finale, "Enemy Below," continues the theme with a story about Al-Quaeda bribing a Russian submarine commander to launch an attack against the U.S. --Tom Keogh

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Bottle Rocket - Criterion Collection

Sales Rank:5192
List Price: $39.95
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)

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Director(s):

Actor(s):

Owen Wilson
Luke Wilson
James Caan

Wes Anderson first illustrated his lovingly detailed, slightly surreal cinematic vision in this witty and warm portrait of three young middle-class misfits. Fresh out of a mental hospital, gentle Anthony (Luke Wilson) finds himself once again embroiled in the machinations of his best friend, elaborate schemer Dignan (Owen Wilson). With the aid of getaway driver Bob (Robert Musgrave), they develop a needlessly complex, mildly successful plan to rob a small bookstore then go on the lam. Also featuring Lumi Cavazos as Inez, the South American housekeeper Anthony falls in love with, and James Caan as local thief extraordinaire Mr. Henry, Bottle Rocket is a charming, hilarious, affectionate look at the folly of dreamers. Shot against radiant southwestern backdrops, it s the film that put Anderson and the Wilson brothers on the map.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:
New, restored high-definition digital transfer supervised and approved by director Wes Anderson and director of photography Robert Yeoman
Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack
Commentary by director/co-writer Anderson and co-writer/star Owen Wilson
The Making of Bottle Rocket : an original documentary by filmmaker Barry Braverman featuring Anderson, James L. Brooks, James Caan, Temple Nash Jr., Kumar Pallana, Polly Platt, Mark Mothersbaugh, Robert Musgrave, Richard Sakai, David and Sandy Wasco, Andrew and Luke and Owen Wilson, and Robert Yeoman
The original thirteen-minute black-and-white Bottle Rocket short film from 1992
Eleven deleted scenes
Anamorphic screen test, storyboards, location photos, and behind-the-scenes photographs by Laura Wilson
Murita Cycles, a 1978 short film by Braverman
The Shafrazi Lectures, no. 1: Bottle Rocket
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by executive producer James L. Brooks, an appreciation by Martin Scorsese, and original artwork by Ian Dingman

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The Sopranos - The Complete Fourth Season

Sales Rank:1331
List Price: $59.98
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Director(s):

Dominic Chianese
Allen Coulter Tim Van Patten

Actor(s):

James Gandolfini
Edie Falco
Michael Imperioli
Tony Sirico
Steve van Zandt

Carmela to Tony: "Everything comes to an end." True enough, Mrs. Sope, but on The Sopranos, the end comes sooner for some than others. Though for some the widely debated fourth season contained too much yakking instead of whacking, and an emphasis on domestic family over business Family, what critic James Agee once said of the Marx Brothers applies to The Sopranos: "The worst thing they might ever make would be better worth seeing than most other things I can think of." And in most respects, The Sopranos remains television's gold standard. The fourth season garnered 13 Emmy nominations, and subsequent best actor and actress wins for James Gandolfini and Edie Falco as Tony and Carmela, whose estrangement provides the season with its most powerful drama, as well as a win for Joe Pantoliano's psychopath Ralph. The season finale, "Whitecaps," was a long-time-coming episode, in which Carmela at last stands up to "toxic" Tony, and "Whoever Did This" was the season's--and one of the series'--most shocking episodes.

Other narrative threads include Christopher's (Emmy nominee Michael Imperioli) descent into heroin addiction, Uncle Junior's (Dominic Chianese) trial, an unrequited and potentially fatal attraction between Carmela and Tony's driver Furio, and a rude joke about Johnny Sack's wife that has potentially fatal implications. Other indelible moments include Christopher's girlfriend Adriana's projectile reaction to discovering that her new best friend is an undercover FBI agent in the episode "No Show," Janice giving Ralph a shove out of their relationship in "Christopher," and the classic "Quasimodo/Nostradamus" exchange in the season-opener, which garnered HBO's highest ratings to date. Freed from the understandably high expectations for the fourth season, heightened by the 16-month hiatus, these episodes can be better appreciated on their own considerable merits. They are pivotal chapters in television's most novel saga. --Donald Liebenson

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Fargo (Special Edition)

Sales Rank:1005
List Price: $14.98
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)

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Director(s):

Ethan Coen
Jeffrey Schwarz
Joel Coen

Actor(s):

William H. Macy
Frances McDormand
Steve Buscemi
Peter Stormare
Kristin Rudrüd

Leave it to the wildly inventive Coen brothers (Joel directs, Ethan produces, they both write) to concoct a fiendishly clever kidnap caper that's simultaneously a comedy of errors, a Midwestern satire, a taut suspense thriller, and a violent tale of criminal misfortune. It all begins when a hapless car salesman (played to perfection by William H. Macy) ineptly orchestrates the kidnapping of his own wife. The plan goes horribly awry in the hands of bumbling bad guys Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare (one of them being described by a local girl as "kinda funny lookin'" and "not circumcised"), and the pregnant sheriff of Brainerd, Minnesota, (played exquisitely by Frances McDormand in an Oscar-winning role) is suddenly faced with a case of multiple murders. Her investigation is laced with offbeat observations about life in the rural hinterland of Minnesota and North Dakota, and Fargo embraces its local yokels with affectionate humor. At times shocking and hilarious, Fargo is utterly unique and distinctly American, bearing the unmistakable stamp of its inspired creators. --Jeff Shannon

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C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete First Season

Sales Rank:1729
List Price: $29.98
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Director(s):

Danny Cannon
Kenneth Fink
Lou Antonio
Michael Shapiro
Michael W. Watkins

Actor(s):

William Petersen
Marg Helgenberger
Gary Dourdan
George Eads
Jorja Fox

Murder, and its tale-telling aftermath, is the compelling subject of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Since it premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000, CSI was a ratings triumph, spawning a spinoff (CSI: Miami) and positioning itself for long-term success. As the first season demonstrates, creator Anthony Zuiker's foolproof formula was established early on, bolstered by a fine ensemble cast and requiring minimal tweaking as the season progressed; its Las Vegas-based "criminalists" eventually became "CSI" steeped in the scientific minutiae of forensic investigation, but the series arrived essentially intact, with an irresistible (and seemingly inexhaustible) supply of corpses and the mysteries that surround them. Influenced by the graphic precedent of movies like Seven and Kiss the Girls, CSI matches morbidity with dispassionate methodology; viewers are so fascinated by the investigative process that they're unfazed by intimate autopsies and internal (i.e., digitally animated) views of traumatized flesh, bone, and sinew.

While keeping abreast of cutting-edge technologies, CSI combines the ingenuity (and fallibility) of villains with the appealing humanity of its heroes. CSI director and entomologist Gil Grissom (played by series coproducer William Petersen) is introverted but ethically intense; he's both mentor and moral compass for his night-shift team, including a former stripper-turned-CSI (Marg Helgenberger); a recovering gambler (Gary Dourdan); an eager ace (George Eads) with room for improvement; a workaholic (Jorja Fox) who can't always remain emotionally detached from her cases; and a chief detective (Paul Guilfoyle) who's a necessary link to police procedure. Like The X-Files, CSI supports its characters with feature-film production values, employing a Rashomon structure that turns murder into a progressively accurate study of cause and effect. Script quality is consistently high ("Blood Drops" and "Unfriendly Skies" are exceptional), direction is slick and sophisticated, and the mysteries are complex enough to invite multiple viewings. Despite a regrettable shortage of DVD features, CSI's inaugural season remains addictively worthy of its lofty reputation. --Jeff Shannon

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24 - Season Two

Sales Rank:375
List Price: $69.98
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Director(s):

Actor(s):

Kiefer Sutherland
Carlos Bernard
Reiko Aylesworth
Sarah Wynter
Dennis Haysbert

Jack Bauer is having another one of his "very bad days" in the second season of the groundbreaking real-time thriller 24. Once again the hours are ticking by with more guaranteed cliffhangers than a convention of mountain climbers. Holed up in a Los Angeles condo and estranged from his daughter, Jack is no longer on the government payroll; unfortunately for him, this small fact doesn't seem to matter to President David Palmer and the NSA, who call him back in to the CTU and give him 24 hours to infiltrate a terrorist organization that is planning to detonate a dirty bomb in the city of angels. All Jack wants is to get his daughter out of the city, unfortunately Kim's new employer, the abusive father of the child she is nannying, has other ideas.

Fans of the original won't be disappointed, as there are more than enough shock moments in the first few hours to hint at the climactic build-up to come, while newcomers can quickly get involved in the lives of Jack and his family. There are some new characters to bolster the veteran cast and, interestingly (although not surprisingly), Jack's character has taken an altogether darker, more psychopathic turn. The danger the characters find themselves in also has a much more global, not to mention topical, impetus, grounded as it is in the war against terrorism. Although the territory is more familiar this time around, this second season is just as much a high-tension, taut, adrenalin-fuelled ride as the first, and one that will have you glued to your TV for the next 24 hours. --Kristen Bowditch

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Law and Order: The Sixth Year

Sales Rank:1580
List Price: $59.98
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Director(s):

Actor(s):

Jerry Orbach
Jesse L. Martin
Benjamin Bratt
Steven Zirnkilton
S. Epatha Merkerson

Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 12/02/2008

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