Thursday, May 24, 2012

Bandidas : Widescreen Edition

  • Widescreen
Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz have never been sexier as they team up for this hilarious, action-packed western! Determined to avenge the deaths of their fathers, Sara Sandoval (Hayek) and Maria Alvarez (Cruz) vow to seize the ill-gotten gains of robber baron Tyler Jackson (Dwight Yoakam). So, with help from a retired bank robber (Sam Shepard) and a jittery criminologist (Steve Zahn), these two beauties become unlikely outlaws, blazing a trail of larceny and laughter across Mexico!First screened in Europe and scheduled for limited release in the U.S., Bandidas can now be viewed by all fans of the visually stunning duo, Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek. Set in Mexico 1888, Bandidas is a Western spoof about two women, Maria Alvarez (Penelope Cruz) and Sara Sandoval (Salma Hayek), who seek! to avenge the tragedies befallen both their fathers under robber baron, Tyler Jackson (Dwight Yoakam). Jackson, employed by the Bank of New York, is sent to Mexico to buy land and open banks to the detriment of local culture. Jackson kills Sara's corrupt father, Don Diego, while bandits burn down Maria's home. The two ladies band together for the community's cause. Under the tutelage of Bill Buck (Sam Sheperd), Sara and Maria develop bank robbery skills. When criminologist, Quentin Cooke (Steve Zahn), hunts them, they convert him with their strong moral sense and good looks. Like any Thelma and Louise-ish tale of women who take charge, Maria and Sara are foil characters who eventually become an invincible, sisterly team. This comedy is built around their bickering. For Sara, with European education and penchant of designer clothing, Maria is a hick who lacks refinement, yet Maria, horse whisperer, can fire a gun. The slapstick is overkill, for example when Sara wond! ers whether a bandana is Gucci or Prada. However, viewers will! love Pe nelope Cruz on horseback and the two actresses practice-kissing their foe in a brothel. Bandidas is a light film with some laughs and mucho sex appeal. -- Trinie Dalton

Beyond Bandidas


More Films from Salma Hayek



More Films from Penelope Cruz

More Comic Westerns
Stills from Bandidas







dvd

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Everyone's Hero : Widescreen Edition

  • Widescreen
Ten-year-old baseball fanatic Yankee Irving (voiced by newcomer Jake T. Austin) is always the last one picked for sandlot baseball games. But when Babe Ruth's prized bat is stolen during the 1932 World Series, Yankee steps up to the plate to help retrieve it for his beloved idol. He embarks on a wild cross-country journey that teaches him the stuff real heroes are made of, and along the way, Yankee learns the importance of perseverance and the true meaning of friendship.

A talking baseball and a talking bat might not be the most likely characters to inspire a personal revelation about perseverance and self-esteem, but in Everyone's Hero it's just those two things that help young Yankee Irving (Jake T. Austin) overcome his reputation as a baseball loser and become a true American hero. A ten-year old spurned by the neighborhood kids because of his repeated strike-outs at ba! t, Yankee is at a point of personal crisis. A chance encounter with a talking foul ball named Screwie (Rob Reiner) and some time spent with his father (Mandy Patinkin), who's a janitor for the New York Yankees, gives Yankee cause for some serious reflection. When Babe Ruth's famous bat "Darlin'" (Whoopi Goldberg) is stolen by opposing teammate Lefty Maginnis (William H. Macy) and Yankee's father is fired as a result of the theft, it suddenly falls to Yankee and his new friend Screwie to find Darlin' and return her to Babe Ruth before the Chicago Cubs loose the final game of the World Series to the New York Yankees. The combined efforts of Screwie, Darlin', and new friend Marti Brewster (Raven-Symoné) aid Yankee in conquering his own self-doubt and infuse him with the self-confidence and strength to profoundly affect both his family and the entire baseball world. Produced by Christopher Reeve, this CGI animated presentation features a great cast of characters and voice tale! nt, and an important message about the power of perseverance. ! (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Beyond Everyone's Hero



Everyone's Hero: The Movie Storybook (Paperback)

More Sports-Themed Family Films



Nothing is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life by Christopher Reeve

Stills from Everyone's Hero









Features include:

̢ۢMPAA Rating: NR
̢ۢFormat: DVD
DVD

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Dolls

  • Legendary director & actor Takeshi Kitano (Brother, The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi) departs from his usual stylish gangster thrillers to present a masterpiece that is both artistic and moving. Bound by a long red cord, a young couple wanders in search of something they have tragically forgotten. An aging yakuza boss mysteriously returns to the park where he once met his long-past girlfriend. A disf
A mysterious drifter (Josh Hartnett) and a young Japanese Warrior Yoshi (Gackt) both arrive in a town that has been terrorized by outrageous and virulent criminals. Each is obsessed with his seperate mission, and guided by the wisdom of The Bartender (Woody Harrelson) at the Horseless Horseman Saloon, the two eventually join forces to bring down the corrupt and contemptuous reign of Nicola (Ron Perlman), the awesomely evil woodcutter and his lady Alexandra (Demi Moore), a femme fatale with a secre! t past.A mysterious drifter (Josh Hartnett) and a young Japanese warrior Yoshi (Gackt) both arrive in a town that has been terrorized by outrageous and virulent criminals. Each is obsessed with his separate mission, and guided by the wisdom of The Bartender (Woody Harrelson) at the Horseless Horseman Saloon, the two eventually join forces to bring down the corrupt and contemptuous reign of Nicola (Ron Perlman), the awesomely evil woodcutter and his lady Alexandra (Demi Moore), a femme fatale with a secret past.The exquisite and complex art of bunraku puppetry is employed in this beautifully staged adaptation of the tragic Japanese drama "Meido No Hikyaku" by Monzaemon Chikamatsu, which tells the story of a poor clerk's doomed love for a prostitute. The performers are members of the world-renowned Bunraku Ensemble of Osaka. 90 min. Soundtrack: Japanese; Subtitles: English. In Japanese with English subtitles.Tear into the origins of the legendary tournament that pits the worl! d's greatest warriors against the forces of Outworld in the fi! ght to s ave our planet. Discover never-before-revelead storylines that deepen the mythology of the Mortal Kombat multiverse and the backstories of your favorite characters, including Jax, Sonya, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Johnny Cage, and more! This is kombat taken to a whole new level, more gritty and raw than anything you've ever seen before. FIGHT!A naïve young man assumes a dead man's identity in order to join a underworld game of Russian Roulette. The stakes are high, but the payout is more than he can resist. His only collateral is his life and however long his luck can hold. Are his odds any better than any other player in this most deadly game?In a young Republic of China, where greedy warlords fuel a period of war and strife, Hou Jie (Andy Lau) arrogantly shows no mercy to his enemies seeking refuge with the benign and compassionate Shaolin monks. After unscrupulously killing a wounded enemy, Hou Jie pays a terrible price for his actions and is forced to seek refuge in! the same Shaolin Monastery he blatantly disrespected. Hou Jie s traitorous second-in-command Cao Man (Nicholas Tse) continues where the once-warlord left off, betraying his country and his own people. Hou Jie must adapt to Shaolin principles to stop the monster he created.

Bonus Features
English Dub
Deleted Scenes
US Trailers
International TrailersBased loosely on the 1982 martial arts epic Shaolin Temple, which helped to mint Jet Li as a star, this Hong Kong blockbuster from Benny Chan stars Andy Lau as a battle-weary warlord who finds refuge and then solace among the monks of a Shaolin temple. Set during the tumult of early Republican China, the story unfolds as Lau's warlord usurps his rivals, but at the cost of his daughter's life and his wife's loyalty. His spirit crushed, he decides to atone for his violent past by joining a Shaolin order (which counts Jackie Chan, in a glorified cameo, as its cook). Lau's path to enlightenment is cast into doubt! when he discovers that his former second-in-command (Nicholas! Tse, in an enjoyably overripe performance) has enslaved the local population and forced them to unearth relics in order to pay for greater weapons. Things naturally come to a head between Lau and Tse, but the film is less concerned with sprawling martial arts battles than the emotional conflicts between and within its major players. Honor, familial loyalty, remorse, and pursuit of spiritual wholeness are cornerstones of Hong Kong action films, but the depth of the performances and screenplay (by Alan Yuen) lends rich nuances to the subjects, often at the expense of adding an extra fight scene to the picture. That's perhaps a good thing, as martial arts choreographer Corey Yuen's usual pyrotechnics are hobbled somewhat by his leads, who are fine actors but only modest fighters, leaving the firepower to wushu champion Wu Jing as a Shaolin elder. Chan's formidable talents are used to underscore his comic contributions to the film, and as such, are only mildly entertaining. That's also! how most martial arts fans will view Shaolin, though those who value theme as well as action may find it a frequently thoughtful diversion. The Blu-ray collector's edition features a gallery of deleted scenes (mostly extended versions of scenes in the theatrical cut) and trailers, as well as a pair of by-the-books featurettes on the film's production. Slightly more interesting are a handful of interviews with the principals, which touch on the picture's historical basis and the '82 Li film, among other subjects. --Paul GaitaKimstim and Kino are proud to present this collection of short films from one of the world s greatest stop-motion animators: Kihachiro Kawamoto. Famous for his beautiful, expressive puppets, Kawamoto began his career in the 1950s. Honing his skills at the legendary Kratky Studios in Prague (under the mentorship of celebrated Czech animator Jiri Trnka), Kawamoto harnessed Japan s unique aesthetic traditions to create visually stunning stori! es. Drawing on ancient legends, contemporary short novels, as ! well as Noh, Kabuki, and Bunraku doll theater, Kawamoto s haunting, poetic films speak of passion and loss in worlds populated by ghosts and demons. ALL FILMS ARE IN JAPANESE WITH OPTIONAL ENGLISH SUBTITLES, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

THE BREAKING OF BRANCHES IS FORBIDDEN (14 min / 1968 / Color) A monk orders a young acolyte, who happens to have a fondness for sake, to guard a beautiful cherry blossom tree. 

AN ANTHROPO-CYNICAL FARCE (8 min / 1970 / B&W / IN FRENCH WITH OPTIONAL ENGLISH SUBTITLES) A dog race is interrupted by a ringmaster who attaches fish to the animals collars and makes them run in circles. The crowd becomes incensed and the ringmaster finds himself in a race for his life.

THE DEMON (8 min / 1972 / Color) A pair of hunters encounter a ghastly demon in the woods. Escaping by severing the apparition s arm, they make an even more grisly discovery on the journey home. Based on the 12th-century Japanese medieval legend Konjaku-monogatari.

THE! TRIP (12 min / 1973 / Color / NO DIALOGUE) A young girl sets off on a surreal metaphysical voyage through which she will learn all the pain and joy of life.

A POET S LIFE (19 min / 1974 / Color) A mysterious meditation on the power of poetic imagination. A worker fired from a factory for demanding higher wages is plagued by ghastly nightmares. Based on a story by novelist Kobo Abe. 

DOJOJI TEMPLE (19 min / 1976 / Color) Two pilgrims, an elderly monk and his young disciple, out on a spiritual journey, encounter a mysterious woman whose frenzied passions transform her into a huge white serpent.

HOUSE OF FLAMES (19 min / 1979 / Color) A Japanese Drama of the Absurd. A young village woman is torn between two suitors. Out of anguish, she decides to destroy herself. Although her intentions are pure, her death reverberates with shocking consequences. The short films of Kihachiro Kawamoto represent a fusion of Eastern European stop-motion animation and tradit! ional Japanese Bunraku puppetry. Kawamoto studied under the gr! eat Czec h animator Jiri Trnka (The Puppet Films of Jiri Trnka), and his cut-out/puppet combination films--"An Anthropo-Cynical Farce," "The Trip," and "A Poet's Life"--share the dark visions of the old Soviet Bloc artists. "The Breaking of Branches is Forbidden," in which a drunken novice violates the orders of a severe old monk, echoes the farcical Kyogen comedies that break up programs of Noh plays. "Dojoji Temple" is a strikingly beautiful retelling of a popular Kabuki play: overcome by lust, a woman transforms into a demon-serpent to take revenge on the monk who rejects her. Kawamoto has said that "Dojoji" allowed him to experiment with the combination of two- and three-dimensional elements needed for "House of Flames," his masterpiece to date. Reminiscent of a Noh tragedy, the film recounts the story of three star-crossed lovers whose suffering transcends the phenomenal world. The title of the collection is not hyperbole: Kawamoto's films truly are exquisite. His most re! cent film, The Book of the Dead is also available on DVD. (Unrated: suitable for ages 12 and older: violence, alcohol use) --Charles SolomonJapanese pop stars Gackt and HYDE star in this wild hybrid of futuristic science fiction, John Woo-style gunplay, and Gothic vampire horror. MOON CHILD follows a group of childhood friends as they advance in a futuristic criminal underworld. Sho (Gackt) feels he is doomed to walk in his idol Kei's (HYDE) footsteps as a vampire with the gift of eternal life and the curse of blood thirst. Over time, their tight friendship becomes corrupted because of their rivalry and love for the same woman. Filmmaker Takahisa Zeze brings a stylized sting to the blood draining and hyper violent proceedings. Japanese with English subtitles.The musclebound Cimmerian warrior of Robert E. Howard's pulp novels makes a sword-swinging return to the screen in this action-packed epic. Follow Conan (Jason Momoa) as he embarks on a brutal and blood! -soaked quest for vengeance against Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang),! the evi l, power-mad warlord who slaughtered his people two decades earlier. With Rose McGowan, Rachel Nichols, Said Taghmaoui, and Ron Perlman. 112 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; featurettes.You think your childhood was rough? Check out the opening 20 minutes of Conan the Barbarian, a bone-cracking coming-of-age prologue that fully explains the "Barbarian" part of the name. The film gets off to a ripping start, including li'l Conan's lethal dispatching of a crowd of restless natives (it's not every lad that returns from camp with the decapitated heads of his enemies dangling from his shoulders) and a great deal of hoo-hah about the forging of swords. As the character grows into manhood, played by Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones), the cascade of brutality continues: boiling oil, nose trauma, death by metal fingernails--you name it, the movie has it. The "origin story" plot is a workable way! into the world of pulp writer Robert E. Howard's hero: Conan seeks vengeance for the death of his father (Ron Perlman) and pursues power-hungry Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang, enjoying the fruits of Avatar), who in turn seeks the final piece of a many-tailed magic mask, which will give him untold power. Rose McGowan is all spooky as Khalar's daughter (she's got the fingernails) and Rachel Nichols is an innocent slated to be sacrificed by the evildoers. Director Marcus Nispel rolls out the tech hardware for this relentless action picture, pumping up every sound with a digital whammy that might make your head feel it has been split in two by Conan's mighty sword (that is, if you didn't already feel that from the chaotic cutting--since the movie was originally released in uninspired 3-D, this visual unpleasantness was enhanced in theaters). The movie's not a complete bust, but it is a fairly punishing experience. As for Momoa, he's got the pectorals, and generally comes acro! ss as a likable sort. Of course, Conan isn't supposed to be a ! likable sort, so his casting will likely trigger an unexpected response in viewers familiar with the 1982 version of the character. You will miss Arnold Schwarzenegger. --Robert HortonInspired by the everlasting emotions expressed in Japanese Bunraku doll theatre, Dolls weaves three stories delicately intertwined by the beauty of sadness. Bound by a long red cord, a young couple wanders in search of something they have tragically forgotten. An aging yakuza mysteriously returns to the park where he used to meet his long-past girlfriend. A disfigured pop star confronts the phenomenal devotion of her biggest fanDolls is a film of extraordinary beauty and tenderness from a filmmaker chiefly associated with grave mayhem and deadpan humor. That is to say, this is not one more Takeshi Kitano movie focused on stoical cops or gangsters. The title refers most directly, but not exclusively, to the theatrical tradition of Bunraku, enacted by half-life-size dolls and their visib! le but shrouded onstage manipulators. Such a performance--a drama of doomed lovers--occupies the first five minutes of the film, striking a keynote that resonates as flesh-and-blood characters take up the action.

The film-proper is dominated by the all-but-wordless odyssey of a susceptible yuppie and the jilted fiancée driven mad by his desertion to marry the boss's daughter. Bound by a blood-red cord, they move hypnotically through a landscape variously urban and natural, stylized only by the breathtaking purity of light, angle, color, and formal movement imposed by Kitano's compositional eye and rigorous, fragmentary editing. Along the way we also pick up the story of an elderly gangster, haunted by memories of the lover he deserted three decades earlier and generations of "brothers" for whose deaths he was, in the accepted order of things, responsible. Another strand is added to the imagistic weave via a doll-like pop singer and a groupie blinded by devotion to her.!

This is a film in which character, morality, metaphysics,! and des tiny are all expressed through visual rhyme and startling adjustments of perspective. It sounds abstract--and it is--but it's also heartbreaking and thrilling to behold. Kitano isn't in it, but as an artist he's all over it. His finest film, and for all its exoticism, his most accessible. --Richard T. Jameson

Friday, January 27, 2012

The Heartbreak Kid (Widescreen Edition)

  • Rechargeable model, with FREE keychain!
It's the week of Wrestlemania, an event that began the same year as Shawn Michaels' decorated career, an annual spectacular that The Heartbreak Kid seized time after time as his personal stage of excellence. Such a grand setting could not be more appropriate for WWE̢۪s one and only Showstopper to add "Mr. Hall of Fame" to his myriad monikers.

 

From his debut in 1984 to his final WWE match in 2010, the world has seen Michaels allure audiences and perform like no other entertainer in history. But that's inside the ring. What if you could walk beside the incomparable Heartbreak Kid outside the squared circle, beyond the curtain and spend four days with the man living a boyhood dream?

  Diary of a Heartbreak Kid shadows Shawn Michaels for an immensely poignant occasion of reflection, introspection and celebration as The Heartbreak Kid ! is inducted into the esteemed WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 2, 2011.

 In a moment-to-moment narrative, Diary captures the raw emotions and unfiltered candor of The Heartbreak Kid as he's reunited with family, friends and a veritable who's who of squared circle lore â€" Triple H, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Ric Flair, The Rock, Vince McMahon â€" all of whom have crossed and shaped Michaels' path to the Hall of Fame.

  With his beautiful wife, two jubilant children, time tested faith and nearly three decades of four-cornered memories, the retired Michaels steps back into the warmth of the limelight during the weekend of WWE's grandest extravaganza to experience the greatest honor in sports-entertainment. And with Diary of a Heartbreak Kid, you're riding shotgun.

It's the week of Wrestlemania, an event that began the same year as Shawn Michaels' decorated career, an annual spectacular that The Heartbreak Kid seized time after time as his per! sonal stage of excellence. Such a grand setting could not be m! ore appr opriate for WWE̢۪s one and only Showstopper to add "Mr. Hall of Fame" to his myriad monikers.

 

From his debut in 1984 to his final WWE match in 2010, the world has seen Michaels allure audiences and perform like no other entertainer in history. But that's inside the ring. What if you could walk beside the incomparable Heartbreak Kid outside the squared circle, beyond the curtain and spend four days with the man living a boyhood dream?

  Diary of a Heartbreak Kid shadows Shawn Michaels for an immensely poignant occasion of reflection, introspection and celebration as The Heartbreak Kid is inducted into the esteemed WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 2, 2011.

 In a moment-to-moment narrative, Diary captures the raw emotions and unfiltered candor of The Heartbreak Kid as he's reunited with family, friends and a veritable who's who of squared circle lore â€" Triple H, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Ric Flair, The Rock, Vince McMahon â€" all of wh! om have crossed and shaped Michaels' path to the Hall of Fame.

  With his beautiful wife, two jubilant children, time tested faith and nearly three decades of four-cornered memories, the retired Michaels steps back into the warmth of the limelight during the weekend of WWE's grandest extravaganza to experience the greatest honor in sports-entertainment. And with Diary of a Heartbreak Kid, you're riding shotgun.

More and more American children are emotionally hurt early in life and cannot form the relationships necessary to heal themselves. The cost to America as these children become adults is beyond estimation. This book takes a hard-hitting look at our society's key role in creating uncontrollable, unreachable young people and the no-nonsense steps we absolutely must take toward a genuine solution.Caution! High Voltage!

Electrician Sophie North felt as if she'd touched a live wire the first time she laid eyes on Tyler Barnes. That was to be expec! ted, of course.

He had a heartbreaking grin, an incredible b! ody and a thousand watts of cowboy charm. Half the women in Brody, Texas, were out to snag him. But Sophie was just passing through. And she'd sworn never to live her life at the mercy of her own passionate nature.

Nevertheless, every time Tyler came near her, her response was shocking. Which wasn't supposed to be happening.

Lightning was only supposed to strike once!After her brilliant career in a comedy duo with Mike Nichols, Elaine May made tentative progress as a director, making only four films between 1971 and 1987 (her last being the disastrous but underrated Ishtar). Released in 1972, The Heartbreak Kid (from a screenplay by Neil Simon) is widely considered her best work from behind the camera, and it's still one of the most accomplished--but least recognized--comedies of the 1970s. Charles Grodin landed one of his best roles as Lenny, a newlywed husband who meets a gorgeous blonde (Cybill Shepherd) while on his honeymoon, and finds his new bride, L! ila (played by May's daughter, Jeannie Berlin), unappealing by comparison. When Lila is forced to rest with a severe case of sunburn, Lenny's free to pursue his new interest, oblivious to the manipulative games that he'll soon be subjected to. May and screenwriter Simon draw plenty of pain, awkwardness, and embarrassment from hilarious situations, giving this comedy a perceptive awareness of human foibles and unchecked desires. It's a newlywed's worst nightmare come true, made enjoyable because we're watching it happen to someone else. Grodin's a prime choice of casting for expressing the movie's lusty anxiety--he's a schmuck, but you can still sympathize with the anguish he's brought on himself. --Jeff Shannon“G-d wears many masks. And one is Groucho Marx,” a narrator of Mel Waldman’s daring and profoundly thoughtful novel declares. It is a clue and testimony to the threads of humor and irony that weave through this tale of erotic encounter, romance, insanity ! and murder. Ranging from the neighborhoods of Brooklyn to Manh! attan’ s Bleecker Street with stopovers at Kennebunkport, Maine, Dr. Waldman composes a dark and at times tender and moving fantasy of a modern day Odysseus’s quest for mental stability and love. Who Killed the Heartbreak Kid? is that rare mystery novel less concerned with whodunit than with the riddles of the human psyche.
Sidney Offit, novelist, teacher and curator of the George Polk Journalism awards.

Brooklyn noir and a thrilling ride through the labyrinth of the human psyche, revealing our darkest thoughts and emotions. A must-read!
Richard Freeman, Publisher of PBW.

Like a wild ride on the Coney Island Cyclone, it̢۪s a breathtaking journey and murder mystery, with an intriguing exploration of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and multiple personality through the eyes of a trauma survivor. Non-stop excitement!

Richard E. Frenkel, M.D., author, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, researcher, lecturer, and speaker at the United Nation! s.

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/06/2008 Run time: 115 minutes Rating: R

Thursday, January 19, 2012

William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)

  • Hamlet has the kind of power, energy and excitement that movies can truly exploit,' award-winning actor/director Kenneth Branagh says. In this first-ever full-text film of William Shakespeare's greatest work, the power surges through every scene. The timeless tale of murder, corruption and revenge is reset in an opulent 19th-century world, using sprawling Blenheim Palace as Elsinore and st
The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - A Study with the Text of the Folio of 1623 is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by George MacDonald is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of George MacDonald then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it fo! r free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: UN
Release Date: 14-AUG-2007
Media Type: DVDIt's the greatest work of literature, but nobody had ever filmed Hamlet uncut--until Kenneth Branagh went about the task for his lavish 1996 production. The result is a sumptuous, star-studded version that scores a palpable hit on its avowed goal: to make the text as clear and urgent as possible. Branagh himself plays the melancholy son of the Danish court, caught in a famous muddle about whether to seek revenge against his royal father's presumed slayer… the man who now sits on the throne and shares the bed of Hamlet's mother. (Or, as the song "That's En! tertainment" summarizes the plot: "A ghost and a prince meet ! / And ev eryone winds up mincemeat.") As a director, Branagh (who shot the movie in 70 mm.) uses the vast, cold interiors of a vaguely 19th-century manor to gorgeous effect; the story might scurry down this hallway, into that back chamber, or sprawl out into the enormous main room. With its endless collection of mirrors, the place is as big and empty as Citizen Kane's Xanadu.

That all works; what doesn't work is Branagh's tendency to over-direct the big dramatic moments. He indulges in quick cutting and flashbacks as though to fend off the audience's objections to the four-hour running time, and the style sometimes looks like wasted energy. The experienced Shakespearians in the cast come off nicely; Derek Jacobi's Claudius, Richard Briers' Polonius, and Michael Maloney's Laertes are just terrific. Julie Christie is a suitably attractive Gertrude, and Kate Winslet makes the most of Ophelia's mad scenes. Branagh's habit of folding in unexpected American performers is on the ! mark, too: Billy Crystal is surprisingly good as the Gravedigger, Robin Williams predictably camps up Osric, and Charlton Heston is an inspired choice as the grandiloquent Player King. The biggest irony here is that Branagh himself is not quite spot-on as Hamlet. Of course he speaks the lines beautifully, but Branagh's screen personality radiates certainty and clarity of vision; there's little of the doubt that might make him Hamlet-esque. Still, tremendous credit for fending off slings and arrows to get the movie made. --Robert Horton

A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations: Two Novels (Oprah's Book Club)

  • ISBN13: 9780142196588
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Pip s life as an ordinary country boy is destined to be unexceptional until a chain of mysterious events lead him away from his humble origins and up the social ladder. His efforts to become a London gentleman bring him into contact not just with the upper classes but also with dangerous criminals. His desire to improve himself is matched only by his longing for the icy-hearted Estella, but secrets from the past impede his progress and he has many hard lessons to learn.An absorbing mystery as well as a morality tale, the story of Pip, a poor village lad, and his expectations of wealth is Dickens at his most deliciously readable. The cast of characters includes kindly Joe Gargery, the loyal convict A! bel Magwitch and the haunting Miss Havisham. If you have heartstrings, count on them being tugged.In what may be Dickens’s best novel, humble, orphaned Pip is apprenticed to the dirty work of the forge but dares to dream of becoming a gentlemanâ€"and one day, under sudden and enigmatic circumstances, he finds himself in possession of “great expectations.” In this gripping tale of crime and guilt, revenge and reward, the compelling characters include Magwitch, the fearful and fearsome convict; Estella, whose beauty is excelled only by her haughtiness; and the embittered Miss Havisham, an eccentric jilted bride.An absorbing mystery as well as a morality tale, the story of Pip, a poor village lad, and his expectations of wealth is Dickens at his most deliciously readable. The cast of characters includes kindly Joe Gargery, the loyal convict Abel Magwitch and the haunting Miss Havisham. If you have heartstrings, count on them being tugged.In what may be Dickens’s b! est novel, humble, orphaned Pip is apprenticed to the dirty wo! rk of th e forge but dares to dream of becoming a gentlemanâ€"and one day, under sudden and enigmatic circumstances, he finds himself in possession of “great expectations.” In this gripping tale of crime and guilt, revenge and reward, the compelling characters include Magwitch, the fearful and fearsome convict; Estella, whose beauty is excelled only by her haughtiness; and the embittered Miss Havisham, an eccentric jilted bride.As a small boy at Joe Gargery's forge, Pip meets two people who will affect his whole life - an escaped convict he is forced to help, and the eccentric Miss Havisham, whose beautiful, cold ward Estella young Pip adores. But when a secret benefactor pays for him to go to London to become a gentleman, Pip never dreams he will meet the dreadful convict Magwitch again, nor just how wrong his expectations are . . .You get the full original text of this book interwoven with a smart, plain-spoken guide to the characters, quotes, themes, symbols, and more from Shm! oop. The second-to-last novel that Charles Dickens ever wrote, Great Expectations first appeared in the form of installments in a magazine from December 1, 1860 until August 3, 1861. The epic tale tells the story of a young boy named Pip who aspires to be a gentleman and to win over the love of his life, beautiful Estella. Great Expectations was very popular in its day and was riddled with many of the themes that fascinated Charles Dickens throughout his life: themes of justice, wealth, innocence, and corruption. As England grew more and more powerful in the era of colonialism and the Industrial Revolution, Dickens witnessed the injustice that afflicted its working and lower classes. He sought to document Britain’s underbelly and to expose the fight for survival in a time of great wealth.Designed exclusively for Kindle readers, Shmoop Classics for Kindle offer the original text of some of the greatest works of literature with a built-in interactive guide to help you dig d! eep into the characters, symbols, themes, and big questions of! the boo k. For the student and the life-long learner alike, take your classroom on the road and build your brain muscles daily. No need to weigh your backpack down, no need to waste paper, no need to get sleepy in class. Shmoop is here to make you a better lover of literature and to help you discover connections to other works of literature, history, current events, and pop culture. You’ll find thought-provoking character analyses, quotes, summaries, themes, symbols, trivia, and lots of insightful commentary. Key quotes from the original text are linked to deep analysis from Shmoop. Academics from top universities, including Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and Columbia, have written content designed to engage you and to get your brain bubbling. With Shmoop’s fun, conversational, and accessible tone, you’ll feel as though you are chatting with friends over coffee. These interactive study guides will help you discover and rediscover some of the greatest works of all time. For more ! information, check out http://www.shmoop.com/ballyhoo/kindle-ebooks.html "Best of the Internet" - PC Magazine"Shmoop impresses me because it is intentionally about learning, and the joy of learning, not just about passing courses and jumping through educational hoops." - Paul Hamilton, teacher and education blogger"Shmoop features deep analysis of topics in history and literature, sprinkled with a heavy dose of wry humor." â€" eSchoolNewsYou get the full original text of this book interwoven with a smart, plain-spoken guide to the characters, quotes, themes, symbols, and more from Shmoop. The second-to-last novel that Charles Dickens ever wrote, Great Expectations first appeared in the form of installments in a magazine from December 1, 1860 until August 3, 1861. The epic tale tells the story of a young boy named Pip who aspires to be a gentleman and to win over the love of his life, beautiful Estella. Great Expectations was very popular in its day and was riddled with many! of the themes that fascinated Charles Dickens throughout his ! life: th emes of justice, wealth, innocence, and corruption. As England grew more and more powerful in the era of colonialism and the Industrial Revolution, Dickens witnessed the injustice that afflicted its working and lower classes. He sought to document Britain’s underbelly and to expose the fight for survival in a time of great wealth.Designed exclusively for Kindle readers, Shmoop Classics for Kindle offer the original text of some of the greatest works of literature with a built-in interactive guide to help you dig deep into the characters, symbols, themes, and big questions of the book. For the student and the life-long learner alike, take your classroom on the road and build your brain muscles daily. No need to weigh your backpack down, no need to waste paper, no need to get sleepy in class. Shmoop is here to make you a better lover of literature and to help you discover connections to other works of literature, history, current events, and pop culture. You’ll find though! t-provoking character analyses, quotes, summaries, themes, symbols, trivia, and lots of insightful commentary. Key quotes from the original text are linked to deep analysis from Shmoop. Academics from top universities, including Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and Columbia, have written content designed to engage you and to get your brain bubbling. With Shmoop’s fun, conversational, and accessible tone, you’ll feel as though you are chatting with friends over coffee. These interactive study guides will help you discover and rediscover some of the greatest works of all time. For more information, check out http://www.shmoop.com/ballyhoo/kindle-ebooks.html "Best of the Internet" - PC Magazine"Shmoop impresses me because it is intentionally about learning, and the joy of learning, not just about passing courses and jumping through educational hoops." - Paul Hamilton, teacher and education blogger"Shmoop features deep analysis of topics in history and literature, sprinkled wit! h a heavy dose of wry humor." â€" eSchoolNewsThis collection w! as desig ned for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. It is indexed alphabetically, chronologically and by category, making it easier to access individual books, stories and poems. This collection offers lower price, the convenience of a one-time download, and it reduces the clutter in your digital library. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography. 

Table of Contents

List of Works by Genre and Title
List of Works in Alphabetical Order
List of Works in Chronological Order
Charles Dickens Biography

Fiction :: Short Stories :: Non-Fiction

Fiction

Barnaby Rudge
The Battle of Life
Bleak House
The Chimes
A Christmas Carol Illustrated By John Leech and George Alfred Williams
The Cricket on the Hearth
David Copperfield
Dombey and Son
Great Expectatio! ns
Hard Times
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain
Holiday Romance
Hunted Down
The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices
Little Dorrit
The Loving Ballad of Lord Bateman
Martin Chuzzlewit
Master Humphrey's Clock
A Message from the Sea
Mudfog and Other Sketches
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Nicholas Nickleby
No Thoroughfare
The Old Curiosity Shop
Oliver Twist Illustrated by George Cruikshank
Our Mutual Friend
The Pickwick Papers
Reprinted Pieces
Sketches by Boz
A Tale of Two Cities
The Uncommercial Traveller

Short Stories

Some Christmas Stories:
A Christmas Tree
The Child's Story
Nobody's Story
The Poor Relation's Story
The Schoolboy's Story
What Christmas is as we Grow Older

Three Ghost Stories:
The Haunted House
The Signal-Man
The Trial For Murder

Doctor Marigold!
George Silverman's Explanation
Going into Society!
T he Boots at the Holly Tree Inn
The Holly-Tree
A House to Let
The Lamplighter
Mrs. Lirriper's Legacy
Mrs. Lirriper's Lodging
Mugby Junction
Perils of Certain English Prisoners
The Seven Poor Travellers
Sketches of Young Couples
Sketches of Young Gentlemen
Somebody's Luggage
Sunday under Three Heads
To Be Read at Dusk
To be Taken with a Grain of Salt
Tom Tiddler's Ground
Wreck of the Golden Mary

Non-Fiction

American Notes
A Child's History of England
Miscellaneous Papers (11 essays)
Pictures from Italy
Speeches: Literary and Social
This collection was designed for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. It is indexed alphabetically, chronologically and by category, making it easier to access individual books, stories and poems. This collection offers lower price, the convenience of a one-time download, and it reduces the clut! ter in your digital library. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography. 

Table of Contents

List of Works by Genre and Title
List of Works in Alphabetical Order
List of Works in Chronological Order
Charles Dickens Biography

Fiction :: Short Stories :: Non-Fiction

Fiction

Barnaby Rudge
The Battle of Life
Bleak House
The Chimes
A Christmas Carol Illustrated By John Leech and George Alfred Williams
The Cricket on the Hearth
David Copperfield
Dombey and Son
Great Expectations
Hard Times
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain
Holiday Romance
Hunted Down
The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices
Little Dorrit
The Loving Ballad of Lord Bateman
Martin Chuzzlewit
Master Humphrey's Clock
A Message from the Sea
Mudfog and Other Sketches
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
N! icholas Nickleby
No Thoroughfare
The Old Curiosity Sho! p
Ol iver Twist Illustrated by George Cruikshank
Our Mutual Friend
The Pickwick Papers
Reprinted Pieces
Sketches by Boz
A Tale of Two Cities
The Uncommercial Traveller

Short Stories

Some Christmas Stories:
A Christmas Tree
The Child's Story
Nobody's Story
The Poor Relation's Story
The Schoolboy's Story
What Christmas is as we Grow Older

Three Ghost Stories:
The Haunted House
The Signal-Man
The Trial For Murder

Doctor Marigold
George Silverman's Explanation
Going into Society
The Boots at the Holly Tree Inn
The Holly-Tree
A House to Let
The Lamplighter
Mrs. Lirriper's Legacy
Mrs. Lirriper's Lodging
Mugby Junction
Perils of Certain English Prisoners
The Seven Poor Travellers
Sketches of Young Couples
Sketches of Young Gentlemen
Somebody's Luggage
Sunday under Three Heads
To Be Read at Dusk
To be Taken with a Grain of Salt
Tom Tiddler's Grou! nd
Wreck of the Golden Mary

Non-Fiction

American Notes
A Child's History of England
Miscellaneous Papers (11 essays)
Pictures from Italy
Speeches: Literary and Social

When young Pip accidentally meets a convict out in the marsh one Christmas Eve, he has no idea that his life is about to change--forever.   The amazing events following that encounter, and the strange tale of Miss Havisham and her adopted daughter Estella, have made Great Expectations a must-read since it was first serialized in 1860. Now, young readers can enjoy Dickens’s engrossing story in this simplified yet thrilling version.

One of Dickens' most famous novels, brilliantly introduced by Roddy Doyle. As a small boy at Joe Gargery's forge, Pip meets two people who will affect his whole life - an escaped convict he is forced to help, and the eccentric Miss Haversham, whose beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella young Pip! adores. But when a secret benefactor pays for him to go to Lo! ndon to become a gentleman, Pip never dreams he will meet the dreadful Magwitch again, nor just how wrong his expectations are.One of Dickens' most famous novels, brilliantly introduced by Roddy Doyle. As a small boy at Joe Gargery's forge, Pip meets two people who will affect his whole life - an escaped convict he is forced to help, and the eccentric Miss Haversham, whose beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella young Pip adores. But when a secret benefactor pays for him to go to London to become a gentleman, Pip never dreams he will meet the dreadful Magwitch again, nor just how wrong his expectations are.

A Tale of Two Cities and Great ExpectationsTwo of the most beloved novels in all of English literature--together in one extraordinary volume.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES
After 18 years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, ! the aging Doctor Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There the lives of the two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil roads of London, they are drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror, and they soon fall under the lethal shadow of the guillotine.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter, decaying Miss Havisham and her beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor--these form a series of events that changes the orphaned Pip's life forever, and he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman. Dickens's haunting late novel depicts Pip̢۪s e! ducation and development through adversity as he discovers the! true na ture of his "great expectations."

This deluxe paperback edition features
•Â Ã‚   French flaps
•Â Ã‚   rough-cut high-quality paper
•Â Ã‚   complimentary front- and back-cover designs highlighting each novel and including foil and debossing

A Charles Dickens Timeline

!


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti

  • ISBN13: 9780914232636
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Heaven's Horses (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse)

There is a Great Tribulation coming. Some look for a catastrophe in 2012. We do not know what is next, but we want to be ready. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse coming on the scene will be our clue. Heaven's Horses show what that will look like.Heaven's Horses (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse)

There is a Great Tribulation coming. Some look for a catastrophe in 2012. We do not know what is next, but we want to be ready. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse coming on the scene will be our clue. Heaven's Horses show what that will look like.Book 4 in the Horsemen series.Just before the winter holiday called Unity Feast begins, P! hillipa is called to deliver an urgent message to a neighboring village. On her way home, she is knocked unconscious but awakens safe in a forest cabin. Her rescuer is a Horseman with elfish blue eyes and a coat as pure as freshly fallen snow. Exquisitely handsome and breathtakingly virile, he wants to claim her as his mate and for the first time in her life Phillipa has no desire to resist.Recovering from a near-fatal flight, Luther has been living in self-proclaimed exile. To him, a Fighting Carrier who lost his entire Gathering party is no longer fit to lead. His solitude is shattered by the arrival of a woman who sets his soul on fire. Enveloped by Phillipa's soft, warm curves and hungry for her kisses, he finds pleasure in her that all Horsemen wish for. Unfortunately she won't rest until she convinces him to face the truth about that tragic flight and take his place among the greatest Horsemen warriors in the world.Book 4 in the Horsemen series.Just before the winter ! holiday called Unity Feast begins, Phillipa is called to deliv! er an ur gent message to a neighboring village. On her way home, she is knocked unconscious but awakens safe in a forest cabin. Her rescuer is a Horseman with elfish blue eyes and a coat as pure as freshly fallen snow. Exquisitely handsome and breathtakingly virile, he wants to claim her as his mate and for the first time in her life Phillipa has no desire to resist.Recovering from a near-fatal flight, Luther has been living in self-proclaimed exile. To him, a Fighting Carrier who lost his entire Gathering party is no longer fit to lead. His solitude is shattered by the arrival of a woman who sets his soul on fire. Enveloped by Phillipa's soft, warm curves and hungry for her kisses, he finds pleasure in her that all Horsemen wish for. Unfortunately she won't rest until she convinces him to face the truth about that tragic flight and take his place among the greatest Horsemen warriors in the world.They are real. They are the harbingers of the Apocalypse. And only one woman stands betw! een them and us. THE FOUR HORSEMEN is a race-against-the-clock thriller starring Andie Sullivan. As the world's only "culturalist," she is employed by corporations and wealthy individuals to break through the barriers with any culture around the globe. Now, she faces the most challenging and dangerous assignment of her career. Hired by a ruthless businessman to infiltrate the mysterious tribe who serve as the protectors of the Four Horsemen's ancient secret, Andie is plunged into a mysterious world where every answer only opens the door to more questions. With a shadowy government force and a brutal terrorist also vying for the Horsemen's unfathomable power, Andie must collect them all and unlock their mysteries before time runs out.Includes photographs and drawings. Foreword by Joseph Campbell This is the classic, intimate study, movingly written with the special insight of direct encounter, which was first published in 1953 by the fledgling Thames & Hudson firm in a s! eries edited by Joseph Campbell. Maya Deren's Divine Horsemen ! is recog nized throughout the world as a primary source book on the culture and spirituality of Haitian Voudoun. The work includes all the original photographs and illustrations, glossary, appendices and index. It includes the original Campbell foreword along with the foreword Campbell added to a later edition.

Clarion EQS746 1/2 DIN Graphic Equalizer with Built-in Crossover

  • 7-Band Graphic Equalizer 6-Channel / 7 Volt RCA Outputs (Front/Rear/Subwoofer)
  • Adjustable Master Volume Level Control Adjustable Subwoofer Level Control
  • 2-Channel RCA AUX Input with Adjustable Gain Selectable 12dB Low-Pass Crossover (60Hz or 90Hz)
  • Gold Plated Terminals Dimensions:7"(W) × 1"(H) × 4"(D)
  • This unit is exclusively for vehicles with a negative ground, 12V battery system.
7-Band Graphic Equalizer 6-Channel / 7 Volt RCA Outputs (Front/Rear/Subwoofer) Adjustable Master Volume Level Control Adjustable Subwoofer Level Control 2-Channel RCA AUX Input with Adjustable Gain Selectable 12dB Low-Pass Crossover (60Hz or 90Hz) Gold Plated Terminals Dimensions:7"(W) × 1"(H) × 4"(D)

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1812 Born February 7 in Portsmouth, England
1824 His father John sent to Marshalsea Debtor's Prison for a debt of £40 and 10 shillings

Began working 10-hour days in shoe-polish warehouse to help support family
1833 First story, "A Dinner at Poplar Walk," appeared in the Monthly Magazine
1836 First book, Sketches by Boz, collected his early journalism and stories

First novel, The Pickwick Papers, began its monthly serialization

Married Catherine Hogarth
1837-39 Oliver Twist appeared in monthly installments
1838-39 Nicholas Nickleby serialized
1840-41 The Old Curiosity Shop
1841 Barnaby Rudge
1842 American Notes, based on his tour that year of the United States
1843 The Christmas Carol, the first of his "Christmas tales"
1843-44 Martin Chuzzlewit
1846-48 Dombey and Son
1849-50 David Copperfield
1852-53 Bleak House
1854 Hard Times
1855-57 Little Dorrit
1857 Met actress Ellen Ternan, his longtime companion
1858 Separated from his wife, Catherine
1859A Tale of Two Cities
1860-61 Great Expectations
1864-65 Our Mutual Friend
1867-68 Second tour of America
1868-69 Farewell reading tour of the British Isles
1870 The Mystery of Edwin Drood (unfinished)

Died from a stroke on June 9