Library

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Czech, Greek, Korean

Sound: DTS Surround Sound

Summary: Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have long since shown that they can spin a good World War II yarn. But while their previous collaborations ("Saving Private Ryan", which they starred in and directed, respectively, and "Band of Brothers", for which they were part of the producing team) were set in Europe, "The Pacific" is their first look at the conflict with the Japanese on the other side of the world--and the two executive producers, along with an outstanding cast, an able crew, and a slew of top-notch writers and directors, have done a superb job. In making a 10-episode HBO miniseries (on five discs, with a sixth containing bonus material) that combines real events and participants with other dramatic elements newly created for the project, the filmmakers took a personal, experiential approach, focusing in particular on three marines, all of them real individuals: Robert Leckie (played by James Badge Dale), an aspiring writer who sees his first action at Guadalcanal, falls in love while on leave in Australia, and later suffers serious war wounds; John Balisone (Jon Seda), who performs heroically at Guadalcanal, earns a Medal of Honor, and is then sent home to help sell war bonds, only to return to action at Iwo Jima; and Eugene Sledge (Joseph Mazzello), who enlists later than the others, but not too late to witness and take part in some unimaginable horrors (books written by Sledge and Leckie about their experiences were used as source material for the miniseries). Of course, no one who's never been in combat can understand what it's really like, but through these three, and other men as well, we get some idea of the debilitating effects of war, both physical and psychological, and how those who managed to survive it might cope. As Leckie would write, "There are things men can do to one another that are sobering to the soul. It is one thing to reconcile these things with God, but another to square them with yourself."
A number of episodes depict the characters at home, on leave, or otherwise away from the field of battle, but the greatest impact comes from the extraordinarily powerful fighting scenes in which the marines--exhausted, half-starving, riddled with malaria, and enduring the appalling conditions (from extreme heat to relentless, torrential downpours) of an impenetrable, unforgiving jungle--battle an implacable, fanatical foe who would much rather die than surrender or be taken prisoner. A sequence in Part Five, when we're with Sledge as he lands at Peleliu for his first real action, is especially gripping; battles at night and in the rain at Cape Gloucester in Part Four, on Iwo Jima in Part Eight, and on Okinawa in Part Nine are also wrenching, but really, all the fighting sequences manage to convey the sheer, visceral terror the men experienced. To the filmmakers' credit, a number of real WWII veterans are on hand to share their memories, both in a 49-minute featurette on disc 6 and during the short introductions to each episode narrated by Hanks. Other extras include a 22-minute "making of" piece and a brief but interesting description of the cultural differences that made the conflict between the Japanese and the Americans even more brutal than it might have been. Kudos also go to the packaging and design of the boxed set; the menus are easily navigable, offering a synopsis of each episode. "--Sam Graham"

Summary: Adapted from Michael Bond’s beloved books, PADDINGTON follows the comic misadventures of a polite young Peruvian bear with a passion for all things British, who travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he begins to realise that city life is not all he had imagined – until he meets the kind Brown family, who read the label around his neck (‘Please look after this bear. Thank you.’) and offer him a temporary haven. But little do the Browns realise just how much comic mayhem one young bear will bring to their family life, and when this rarest of bears catches the eye of a sinister, seductive taxidermist, it isn’t long before his home – and very existence – is under threat ...

Summary: I thought it was a really great documentary on Parkour. I wouldn't have done it any differently. Its got a good combination of interviews from the public and Parkour people. I love the soundtrack and also the fact that they teach you some parkour. Its a very enlightening AND fun documentary to watch! great stuff!!

Comments: Box set

Summary: A big summer blockbuster, "Pearl Harbor" is pitched as a romantic epic, but the story is essentially a frame for an impressive depiction of the Japanese attack on that "day of infamy", deploying all the modelwork, CGI, stunts and special effects necessary to trump previous screen re-enactments in "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and "From Here to Eternity". At heart, it's another "Top Gun"-style exercise in heroically sublimated homosexuality as Rafe (Ben Affleck) and Dan (Josh Hartnett), lifelong buddies, fall out over a ridiculous contrivance that allows both decently to fallin love with a nurse (Kate Beckinsale) but forget all their differences when the fighting starts--as expected, their big climax comes in each other's arms, with Kate left behind as one wounded buddy extracts a promise from the other to look after his unborn child.
Historical snippets are interleaved, with Mako and Jon Voigt stiff under the prosthetics asAdmiral Yamamoto and Franklin Roosevelt, and a lot of detail is given about things like the wooden rudders on the new Japanese torpedoes, the chaos in the understaffed hospital as the heroine is forced to make lipstick triage marks on wounded men's foreheads and the terrible effects of strafing. A surprisingly bright little performance from Dan Aykroyd (a sole reminder of "1941") as an intelligence analyst is balanced by an insufferably smug one from Cuba Gooding Jr as a token black supporting hero. It's the first film of the George W Bush era: aggressive and dumb as a rock, utterly uninterested in period--no one in this WWII-era army smokes, swears or uses racial abuse (Gooding's boxing opponent sneers at him because he's a cook)--and awkwardly straddles a dignified treatment of the Japanese and America's actual spasm of hatred after the attack (one soldier refuses to be treated by a Japanese doctor, but that's it). When Pearl Harbour is bombed, we see endangered dogs, drowning men and dead women, but when Tokyo gets blasted in payback only buildings are destroyed and in long-shot. Michael Bay ("Armageddon") remains a jittery director, a great second-unit man who can't deal with people or stories. It borrows from "Titanic" and "Saving Private Ryan", but tidies the war of the latter up so it can still haul in a broad audience and therefore misses the real tragic sense of the former.--"Kim Newman"
On the DVD: Considering there are two discs in the special edition of this special effects homage, the second DVD is woefully short of extras. There is a 45-minute featurette on the highs and lows of bringing Michael Bay's magnum opus to the screen which, along with the usual interviews with cast and crew, features the more compelling eyewitness testimony bringing the events of December 7, 1941 to life. The irony of the second disc focussing on the research and quest for historical accuracy is a little difficult to swallow, considering that the film is little more than a paper thin, overly romanticised muddle of history and fantasy, but for those wanting to experience the real events on that fateful day rather than the Hollywood version, this is an excellent antidote. The movie has been THX digitally mastered for superior sound and picture quality improving those big-bang special effects and is presented in anamorphic widescreen with 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Unlike the Region 1 release, there's no DTS track but the 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is more than up to the challenge of the effects laden assault, with different elements of the Japanese attack rumbling between the speakers and making you feel you're in the thick of things. --" Kristen Bowditch"

Languages: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Trouble-prone teen Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out school - but that's the least of his problems. The gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters seem to have walked out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology texts and into his life - and they're not happy. Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now, Percy and his friends must embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true thief, save Percy's family, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Special Features:
5 Deleted Scenes
Secrets of the Gods
Discover Your Powers Quiz

Languages: English

Summary: Recently featured by the BBC, this unique men's DVD will enhance your sporting and sexual performance and will also increase energy for work.
Pilates develops fantastic abdominal and back muscles to support a healthy spine.

Through practical multi-camera demonstration this clearly taught DVD will challenge you, whilst teaching you to move safely and correctly.
With celebrities and sportsmen realising that Pilates gives them that extra edge, expert Lindsey Jackson has produced one of only 2 men's DVD's in the world. This one will stretch you, in every way!
Synopsis
Includes warm-up, development of core strength, a power section for those who like an extra challenge, deep stretching and a relaxation bonus.
From the Director
SPECIAL FEATURES: An audio option allows you to listen to the instruction with or without background music. There is also a free downloadable relaxation in MP3 format that can easily be transferred to your MP3 player.

Languages: English

Summary: This unintimidating program takes you through Pilates standing and floor workout techniques in easy-to-understand language.
Not only will you burn calories by using this routine in your weight- loss program, but you may even change your mind about exercise.
If you’re looking to lose weight, burn some extra calories, and get a gentle, easy-to-follow workout, Pilates Weight-Loss Workout For Dummies is for you! This workout takes the original Pilates Method — known for its fabulous toning benefits — and adds simple, upbeat movements that increase your heart rate and ultimately help you burn more calories than with traditional Pilates workouts.
Pilates Weight-Loss Workout For Dummies offers step-by- step instruction for both standing and mat exercises and makes working out at your own level easy to do.This program is fluid, comfortable, and effective — now you can get that long, lean, toned physique while burning calories and having fun!
About the Instructor:
Tracey Thompson is a certified NASM and AFAA fitness professional with more than18 years of experience in the fitness industry. She is a personal trainer and a group fitness instructor who specializes in the Pilates Method and modified- Pilates programs.

Languages: English, Spanish

Summary: "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is a rollicking voyage in the same spirit of the two earlier "Pirates" films, yet far darker in spots (and nearly three hours to boot). The action, largely revolving around a pirate alliance against the ruthless East India Trading Company, doesn't disappoint, though the violence is probably too harsh for young children. Through it all, the plucky cast (Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush) are buffeted by battle, maelstroms, betrayal, treachery, a ferocious Caribbean weather goddess, and that gnarly voyage back from the world's end--but with their wit intact. As always, Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow tosses off great lines ; he chastises "a woman scorned, like which hell hath no fury than!" He insults an opponent with a string of epithets, ending in "yeasty codpiece."!
In the previous "Dead Man's Chest", Sparrow was killed--sent to Davy Jones' Locker. In the opening scenes, the viewer sees that death has not been kind to Sparrow--but that's not to say he hasn't found endless ways to amuse himself, cavorting with dozens of hallucinated versions of himself on the deck of the Black Pearl. But Sparrow is needed in this world, so a daring rescue brings him back. Keith Richards' much ballyhooed appearance as Jack's dad is little more than a cameo, though he does play a wistful guitar. But the action, as always, is more than satisfying, held together by Depp, who, outsmarting the far-better-armed British yet again, causes a bewigged commander to muse: "Do you think he plans it all out, or just makes it up as he goes along?" As far as fans are concerned, it matters not. "--A.T. Hurley"

Summary: After the Lord of the Rings trilogy I thought nothing would entertain me again! However, the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy promises to be just as entertaining and compelling as LOTR. Dead Man's Chest beats it's predecessor as the character's are very much alive in the minds of those who created them so Depp, Bloom, Knightley and co. are really hamming it up and giving you a very enjoyable, action-packed, hilarious film. The film follows on from the Black Pearl with Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann about to be married but of course, as is to be expected when they have allied themselves with pirates, their wedding doesn't happen and the lovers are thrown into an adventure with their former sea faring pal Jack Sparrow. There are some new characters who are played brilliantly. Davy Jones played by Bill Nighy is superb and Tom Hollander is bewitching as the little Lord Cutler Beckett. All in all this is an excellent sequel which somehow manages to better the first one which leaves you thinking that the third can only astound you further making it the perfect anecdote for you LOTR fans who are left without a trilogy to obsess over! Either buy it now or wait for the third to be released and buy them together as a trilogy. Certainly worth watching!

Summary: The movie that helped breathe new life into the summer blockbuster, the success of "Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl" is remarkable for several reasons.
Firstly, there's the unlikely source material. There's no previous history of theme park rides inspiring major hit movies, yet that's just what's happened here. Secondly, there's the patchy performance of pirate-related movies over the years (does anyone remember seeing "Cutthroat Island" in a cinema?). And then there's "that" performance from Johnny Depp, the one that had Disney executives in a flap prior to the release of the movie. His Captain Jack Sparrow is a fantastic, unlikely creation, proving to be both unpredictable yet utterly compelling. Such is his impact on the film that it's hardly surprising Depp snared an Oscar nomination for the role.
Yet Depp's performance shouldn't blind anyone to the film's many other qualities. The supporting cast, particularly the likes of Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport and Jonathan Pryce are all clearly having a whale of a time, while Gore Verbinski's pacey yet controlled direction rarely lets the momentum slow. And with all their work grounded by a quality script and worthwhile story, the end result is a film that clicks in many, many different ways.
Of course, it's now proved the inspiration for a pair of sequels, yet no matter how they turn out, "Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl" will always stand as a quite brilliant example of what happens on those rare occasions when Hollywood blockbusters get it absolutely right. And it's a treat that can easily be enjoyed time after time.--"Simon Brew"

Comments: Special Edition

Summary: "Pitch Black" is a guilty pleasure that surpasses expectations, even though it owes a major debt to "Alien" and its cinematic spawn. As he did with "The Arrival", director David Twohy revitalises a derivative story, allowing you to forgive its flaws and submit to its visceral thrills. Under casual scrutiny, the plot's logic crumbles like a stale cookie, but it's definitely fun while it lasts. A spaceship crashes on a desert planet scorched under three suns. The mostly doomed survivors include a resourceful captain (Radha Mitchell), a drug-addled cop (Cole Hauser) and a deadly prisoner (Vin Diesel) who quickly escapes. These clashing personalities discover that the planet is plunging into the darkness of an extended eclipse, and it's populated by hordes of ravenous, razor-fanged beasties that only come out at night. The body count rises, and "Pitch Black" settles into familiar sci-fi territory.
What sets the movie apart is Twohy's developing visual style, suggesting that this veteran of straight-to-video schlock may advance to the big leagues. Like the makers of "The Blair Witch Project", Twohy understands the frightening power of suggestion; his hungry monsters are better heard than seen (although once seen, they're chillingly effective), and "Pitch Black" gets full value from moments of genuine panic. Best of all, Twohy's got a well-matched cast, with Mitchell (so memorable with Ally Sheedy in "High Art") and Diesel (Pvt. Caparzo from "Saving Private Ryan") being the standouts. The latter makes the most of his muscle-man role, and his character's development is one more reason this film works better than it should. --"Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com"

Summary:

Summary: Jackie Chan has become a genre unto himself, and watching "Police Story", you'll understand why. The plot is minimal: Chan is a hero cop involved in a raid that goes wrong. He's assigned to guard a witness, the kingpin's attractive female secretary (Brigitte Lin). For the rest of the film, Chan's protecting himself from the secretary, from the gangsters out to silence her and from his own jealous girlfriend (Maggie Cheung). But watching Chan for plot is like watching porno for existential themes. While most modern action films steal cues from Westerns, Chan condenses those open mesas into the dense throngs of modern Hong Kong--and tosses in Buster Keaton slapstick. For example, when the opening raid goes haywire, there's an unbelievable car chase through the steep huddle of a hillside shantytown. That's "through". No roads, just shacks. "Flimsy" shacks. As the film progresses, Chan scales a speeding bus using an umbrella, uses cow dung as an excuse to break into some Shaolin moonwalking and transforms an urban shopping mall into a demented gymnasium (think clothes racks, escalators, and lots of plate glass displays). Chan is amazingly versatile both physically and emotionally--and he's a secure enough star-director to let his co-stars shine, too. "--Grant Balfour"

Languages: English

Summary: "Primeval" may be a little daft, and it may be ITV trying to capture some of the success that the BBC has enjoyed with "Doctor Who", but for brainless Saturday night entertainment, it's quite a blast.
Picking up from where the series before it left off, it finds Professor Nick Cutter and his team once again dealing with creatures quite literally out of their time. But this time, "Primeval" has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Because while the convention for much of series one was that the creatures that faced Cutter and his crew were arriving from the past, this time round there are monsters from the future to worry about too. Cue the likes of a woolly mammoth on the motorway, and a raptor-esque chase around a shopping centre.
"Primeval" then blends in some twisty narratives surrounding the characters themselves, which - while not particularly intricate or surprising - do keep the fun jollying along. And backed up with special effects that range from the very good to the slightly creaky, it does its best to throw as much at the screen as it can.
Superior to the season that preceded it, but still with some way to go to be regarded as any kind of classic, "Primeval" is nonetheless undoubtedly still very good fun, and the seven episodes here are suitable for family viewing too. Enjoyable, and worth checking out. --"Jon Foster"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: In the spirit of the Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy, Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films transport you to the mystical lands of Persia for this wildly entertaining, epic action-adventure. It's a race against time when a rogue prince (Jake Gyllenhaal) reluctantly teams up with a rival princess (Gemma Arterton) to safeguard a magical dagger that gives its possessor the power to reverse time and rule the world. Filled with death-defying escapes and unexpected twists at every turn - Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time is a fun-filled adventure that will keep your pulse pounding long after the credits end.

Languages: English, Gaelic

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital

Summary: A team of scientists travels through the universe on the spaceship "Prometheus" on a voyage to investigate Alien life forms. The team of scientists becomes stranded on an Alien world, and as they struggle to survive it becomes clear that the horrors they experience are not just a threat to themselves, but to all of mankind.

Summary: The impressively muscular chest of Tom Jane is the focal point of "The Punisher", a movie based on a Marvel Comics superhero. Frank Castle (Jane, "Deep Blue Sea") retires from the FBI, which means--as any moviegoer expects--that his family is toast. Howard Saint (John Travolta, "Face/Off"), a shady Florida businessman whose son was killed in Castle's last mission, orders a hit not only on Castle's wife and child, but also on his parents and a whole bunch of aunts, uncles, cousins, and so forth. The killers shoot Castle himself in the chest, but he inexplicably survives and--as any moviegoer expects--sets out to even the score. Implausibly, given his sometimes curious and roundabout methods, he succeeds. Also featuring Will Patton ("Armageddon") as an oily thug, Laura Harring ("Mulholland Drive") as Saint's fleshpot wife, and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos ("X-Men") as a waitress with bad taste in men. "--Bret Fetzer"