Saturday, November 12, 2011

Half Past Dead

  • ISBN13: 9780758246974
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
At a re-activated Alcatraz, a Supreme Court justice has been taken hostage, a criminal slated for death knows where to find $200 million dollars, commandos prepare to storm the Rock and a lone FBI agent tries to neutralize the situation.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 3-FEB-2004
Media Type: DVDDespite critical roasting and a blink-and-you-missed it theatrical release, Half Past Dead is surprisingly not half bad. Once you recognize this bastard child's recent action-flick heritage (The Rock being the most obvious of a dozen pilfered plot lines), you can kick back and enjoy the unexpected perks that arise when a deep-c! over FBI sleuth (Steven Seagal) accompanies a convicted crook (rapper Ja Rule) into "New Alcatraz" prison. A death-row killer (Bruce Weitz) sits on a $200 million goldmine, keeping his secret as a bargaining chip when criminal commandos (led by the ever-cool Morris Chestnut) drop in for a lethally greedy raid. After cutting his teeth on trashy, short-lived TV series, director Don Michael Paul can't do much to help the puffy, career-tanking Seagal, but he's got lively allies in Ja Rule and alleged "has-been" Nia Peeples (forget Lara Croft, this babe rocks), and even legendary action-TV producer Stephen J. Cannell drops in for a cameo. Derivative from the get-go, but fun just the same. --Jeff ShannonWelcome to Alcatraz. "The Rock" has just re-opened for business, but the first criminal slated for the electric chair is also sitting on a secret worth $200 million. And an invading group of commandos (led by Morris Chestnut) isn't going to let his fortune go up in s! moke. Already undercover in Alcatraz, FBI Agent Petrosevitch (! Steven S eagal) has to neutralize the situation and rescue a Supreme Court Justice held hostage. Worse, he has to convince his convict "partner" (Ja Rule) and the other inmates to fight on the right side of the law.Despite critical roasting and a blink-and-you-missed it theatrical release, Half Past Dead is surprisingly not half bad. Once you recognize this bastard child's recent action-flick heritage (The Rock being the most obvious of a dozen pilfered plot lines), you can kick back and enjoy the unexpected perks that arise when a deep-cover FBI sleuth (Steven Seagal) accompanies a convicted crook (rapper Ja Rule) into "New Alcatraz" prison. A death-row killer (Bruce Weitz) sits on a $200 million goldmine, keeping his secret as a bargaining chip when criminal commandos (led by the ever-cool Morris Chestnut) drop in for a lethally greedy raid. After cutting his teeth on trashy, short-lived TV series, director Don Michael Paul can't do much to help the puffy, career-tank! ing Seagal, but he's got lively allies in Ja Rule and alleged "has-been" Nia Peeples (forget Lara Croft, this babe rocks), and even legendary action-TV producer Stephen J. Cannell drops in for a cameo. Derivative from the get-go, but fun just the same. --Jeff Shannon

Former WWE & WCW World Champion Bill Goldberg and hip-hop group Tha Dog Pound's Ricardo "Kurupt" Brown push life to the limit in this explosive sequel to the 2002 hit movie Half Past Dead.

Burk (Goldberg) and Twitch (Kurupt), are two inmates serving time at Craton Prison, a notoriously tough and violent penitentiary ruled by rival gangs. When a riot breaks out and the prison goes into lockdown, the two must form an unlikely alliance to stay alive. Together, they navigate the hostile gang territory under the watchful eye of unsympathetic prison guards, in order to learn the identity of the inmate responsible for the riot. Eventually Burk discovers that gang leader, Cortez, is behin! d the riot and find that he's taken two hostages: Cherise, Twi! tch's fi ancee and Ellie, Burk's daughter. Twitch and Burk find they must work together in order to save their loved ones and bring Cortez down.

Welcome to Alcatraz. "The Rock" has just re-opened for business, but the first criminal slated for the electric chair is also sitting on a secret worth $200 million. And an invading group of commandos (led by Morris Chestnut) isn't going to let his fortune go up in smoke. Already undercover in Alcatraz, FBI Agent Petrosevitch (Steven Seagal) has to neutralize the situation and rescue a Supreme Court Justice held hostage. Worse, he has to convince his convict "partner" (Ja Rule) and the other inmates to fight on the right side of the law.Despite critical roasting and a blink-and-you-missed it theatrical release, Half Past Dead is surprisingly not half bad. Once you recognize this bastard child's recent action-flick heritage (The Rock being the most obvious of a dozen pilfered plot lines), you can kick back and enjoy the unexp! ected perks that arise when a deep-cover FBI sleuth (Steven Seagal) accompanies a convicted crook (rapper Ja Rule) into "New Alcatraz" prison. A death-row killer (Bruce Weitz) sits on a $200 million goldmine, keeping his secret as a bargaining chip when criminal commandos (led by the ever-cool Morris Chestnut) drop in for a lethally greedy raid. After cutting his teeth on trashy, short-lived TV series, director Don Michael Paul can't do much to help the puffy, career-tanking Seagal, but he's got lively allies in Ja Rule and alleged "has-been" Nia Peeples (forget Lara Croft, this babe rocks), and even legendary action-TV producer Stephen J. Cannell drops in for a cameo. Derivative from the get-go, but fun just the same. --Jeff ShannonThe Undying Heart by Zoe Archer - Samuel Reed had no idea magic existed, until it almost destroyed him. Thirsting for vengeance against the enemy who made him something less than human, Sam returns to England and crosses paths with! Cassandra Fielding. His best friend's little sister has becom! e a fear less woman on a dangerous mission of her own. And against all odds, she sees past what he's become, and stirs a desire he thought he'd lost forever...Simon Says by Bianca D'Arc - Special Forces soldier Simon Blackwell ended his affair with Mariana Daniels three years ago, but he hasn't stopped protecting her. Mariana has no knowledge of the dark, deadly creatures that lurk in the forest surrounding her clinic, or of the mysterious powers that make Simon the only one who can defeat them. But soon he'll have no choice but to reveal the truth, and urge her to trust in an explosive passion that never faded.

Food, Inc.

  • In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farm
Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the
livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it's produced and who we have become as a nation.

Q&A with Producer/Director Robert Kenner, Co-Producer/Fo! od Expert Eric Schlosser, Food Expert Michael Pollan and Producer Elise Pearlstein

How did this film initially come about?
Kenner: Eric Schlosser and I had been wanting to do a documentary version of his book, Fast Food Nation.  And, for one reason or another, it didn't happen. By the time Food, Inc. started to come together, we began talking and realized that all food has become like fast food, and all food is being created in the same manner as fast food.

How has fast food changed the food we buy at the supermarket?
Schlosser: The enormous buying power of the fast food industry helped to transform the entire food production system of the United States.  So even when you purchase food at the supermarket, you’re likely to be getting products that came from factories, feedlots and suppliers that emerged to serve the fast food chains.

How many years did it take to do this film and what wer! e the ch allenges?
Kenner: From when Eric and I began talking, about 6 or 7 years.  The film itself about 2 ½ years.  It has taken a lot longer than we expected because we were denied access to so many places.

Pearlstein: When Robby brought me into the project, he was adamant about wanting to hear all sides of the story, but it was nearly impossible to gain access onto industrial farms and into large food corporations.  They just would not let us in.  It felt like it would have been easier to penetrate the Pentagon than to get into a company that makes breakfast cereal.  The legal challenges on this film were also unique.  We found it necessary to consult with a first amendment lawyer throughout the entire filming process.

Who or what influenced your film?
Kenner: This film was really influenced by Eric Schlosser and Fast Food Nation, but then as we were progressing ! and had actually gotten funding, it became very influenced as well by Michael Pollan and his book Omnivore’s Dilemma. 

And then, as we went out into the world, we became really incredibly influenced by a lot of the farmers we met.

What was the most surprising thing you learned?
Kenner: As we set out to find out how our food was made, I think the thing that really became most shocking is when we were talking to a woman, Barbara Kowalcyk, who had lost her son to eating a hamburger with E. coli, and she’s now dedicated her life to trying to make the food system safer. It’s the only way she can recover from the loss of her child. But when I asked her what she eats, she told me she couldn't tell me because she would be sued if she answered.

Or we see Carol possibly losing her chicken farm … or we see Moe, a seed cleaner who’s just being sued for amounts that there’s no way he can pay, even thoug! h he’s not guilty of anything.  Then we realized there’s ! somethin g going on out there that supersedes foods. Our rights are being denied in ways that I had never imagined. And it was scary and shocking. And that was my biggest surprise.

So, what does our current industrialized food system say about our values as a nation?
Pollan:
It says we value cheap, fast and easy when it comes to food like so many other things, and we have lost any connection to where our food comes from.

Kenner: I met a cattle rancher and he said, you know, we used to be scared of the Soviet Union or we used to think we were so much better than the Soviet Union because we had many places to buy things.  And we had many choices.  We thought if we were ever taken over, we’d be dominated where we’d have to buy one thing from one company, and how that’s not the American way.  And he said you look around now, and there’s like one or two companies dominating everything in the food world. We’ve become what ! we were always terrified of.

And that just always haunted me â€" how could this happen in America?  It seems very un-American that we would be so dominated, and then so intimidated by the companies that are dominating this marketplace.

How has the revolving door relationship between giant food companies and Washington affected the food industry?
Pearlstein:
We discovered that the food industry has managed to shape a lot of laws in their favor.  For example, massive factory farms are not considered real factories, so they are exempt from emissions standards that other factories face.  A surprising degree of regulation is voluntary, not mandatory, which ends up favoring the industry. 

What have been the consequences for the American consumer?
Kenner:
Most American consumers think that we are being protected.  But that is not the case.  Right now the USDA does not have the authority to shut down a plant ! that is producing contaminated meat.  The FDA and the USDA ha! ve had t heir inspectors cut back.  And it’s for these companies now to self-police, and what we’ve found is, when there’s a financial interest involved, these companies would rather make the money and be sued than correct it.  Self-policing has really just been a miserable failure.  And I think that's been really quite harmful to the American consumer and to the American worker. 

Pearlstein: The food industry has succeeded in keeping some very important information about their products hidden from consumers.  It’s outrageous that genetically modified foods don’t need to be labeled.  Today more than 70% of processed foods in the supermarket are genetically modified and we have absolutely no way of knowing.  Whatever your position, you should have the right to make informed choices, and we don’t.  Now the FDA is contemplating whether or not to label meat and milk from cloned cows.  It seems very basic that consumers should have the right t! o know if they’re eating a cloned steak.

Is it possible to feed a nation of millions without this kind of industrialized processing?
Pollan:
Yes.  There are alternative ways of producing food that could improve Americans’ health.  Quality matters as much as quantity and yield is not the measure of a healthy food system.  Quantity improves a population’s health up to a point; after that, quality and diversity matters more.  And it’s wrong to assume that the industrialized food system is feeding everyone well or keeping the population healthy.  It’s failing on both counts.

There is a section of the film that reveals how illegal immigrants are the faceless workers that help to bring food to our tables.  Can you give us a profile of the average worker?
Schlosser:
The typical farm worker is a young, Latino male who does not speak English and earns about $10,000 a year.  The typical meatpacking worker ha! s a similar background but earns about twice that amount.  A ! very lar ge proportion of the nation’s farm workers and meatpackers are illegal immigrants.

Why are there so many Spanish-speaking workers?
Kenner:
The same thing that created obesity in this country, which is large productions of cheap corn, has put farmers out of work in foreign countries, whether it’s Mexico, Latin America or around the world.  And those farmers can no longer grow food and compete with the U.S.’ subsidized food.  So a lot of these farmers needed jobs and ended up coming into this country to work in our food production.

And they have been here for a number of years.  But what’s happened is that we’ve decided that it’s no longer in the best interests of this country to have them here.  But yet, these companies still need these people and they’re desperate, so they work out deals where they can have a few people arrested at a certain time so it doesn’t affect production. But it affects people’s lives.  And ! these people are being deported, put in jail and sent away, but yet, the companies can go on and it really doesn’t affect their assembly line.  And what happens is that they are replaced by other, desperate immigrant groups.

Could the American food industry exist without illegal immigrants?
Schlosser:
The food industry would not only survive, but it would have a much more stable workforce.  We would have much less rural poverty.  And the annual food bill of the typical American family would barely increase.  Doubling the hourly wage of every farm worker in this country might add $50 at most to a family’s annual food bill.

What are scientists doing to our food and is it about helping food companies’ bottom line or about feeding a growing population?
Schlosser:
Some scientists are trying to produce foods that are healthier, easier to grow, and better for the environment.  But most of the food scientists ar! e trying to create things that will taste good and can be made! cheaply without any regard to their social or environmental consequences.

I am not opposed to food science.  What matters is how that science is used … and for whose benefit.

Can a person eat a healthy diet from things they buy in the supermarket if they are not buying organic? If so, how?
Pollan:
Yes, the supermarkets still carry real food.  The key is to shop the perimeter of the store and stay out of the middle where most of the processed food lurks.

How are low-income families impacted at the supermarket?
Kenner:
Things are really stacked against low-income families in this country.  There is a definite desire of the food companies to sell more product to these people because they have less time, they’re working really hard and they have fewer hours in their day to cook.  And the fast food is very reasonably priced.  Coke is selling for less than water.  So when these things are happening, it’s easi! er for low-income families sometimes to just go in and have a quick meal if they don’t get home until 10 o’clock at night.  At the moment, our food is unfairly priced towards bad food.

And, in the same way that tobacco companies went after low-income people because they were heavy users, food companies are going after low-income people because they can market to them, they can make it look very appealing.

What can low-income families do to eat healthier?
Schlosser:
As much as possible, they can avoid cheap, processed foods and fast foods.  It’s possible to eat well and inexpensively.  But it takes more time and effort to do so, and that’s not easy when you’re working two jobs and trying to just to keep your head above water.  The sad thing is that these cheap foods are ultimately much more expensive when you factor in the costs of all the health problems that come later.

Pollan: It’s possible to ! eat healthy food on a budget but it takes a greater investment! of time .  If you are willing to cook and plan ahead, you can eat local, sustainable food on a budget.

If someone wanted to get involved and help change the system, what would you suggest they do?
Pearlstein:
I hope people will want to be more engaged in the process of eating and shopping for food.  We have learned that there are a lot of different fronts to fight on this one, and people can see what most resonates with them.  Maybe it’s really just “voting with their forks” â€" eating less meat, buying different food, buying from companies they feel good about, going to farmers markets.

People can try to find a CSA â€" community supported agriculture â€" where you buy a share in a farm and get local food all year.  That really helps support farmers and you get fresh, seasonal food.  On the local political level, people can work on food access issues, like getting more markets into low income communities, getting better lunch program! s in schools, trying to get sodas out of schools.  And on a national level, we’ve learned that reforming the Farm Bill would have a huge influence on our food system. It requires some education, but it is something we should care about.

What do you hope people take away from this film?
Schlosser:
I hope it opens their eyes.

Kenner: That things can change in this country. It changed against the big tobacco companies.  We have to influence the government and readjust these scales back into the interests of the consumer.  We did it before, and we can do it again.

Pollan: A deeper knowledge of where their food comes from and a sense of outrage over how their food is being produced and a sense of hope and possibility of the alternatives springing up around the country.  Food, Inc. is the most important and powerful film about our food system in a generation.

For most Americans, the ! ideal meal is fast, cheap, and tasty. Food, Inc. examin! es the c osts of putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact. Director Robert Kenner explores the subject from all angles, talking to authors, advocates, farmers, and CEOs, like co-producer Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma), Gary Hirschberg (Stonyfield Farms), and Barbara Kowalcyk, who's been lobbying for more rigorous standards since E. coli claimed the life of her two-year-old son. The filmmaker takes his camera into slaughterhouses and factory farms where chickens grow too fast to walk properly, cows eat feed pumped with toxic chemicals, and illegal immigrants risk life and limb to bring these products to market at an affordable cost. If eco-docs tends to preach to the converted, Kenner presents his findings in such an engaging fashion that Food, Inc. may well reach the very viewers who could benefit from it the most: harried workers who don't have the time or income to read every book and eat ! non-genetically modified produce every day. Though he covers some of the same ground as Super-Size Me and King Corn, Food Inc. presents a broader picture of the problem, and if Kenner takes an understandably tough stance on particular politicians and corporations, he's just as quick to praise those who are trying to be responsible--even Wal-Mart, which now carries organic products. That development may have more to do with economics than empathy, but the consumer still benefits, and every little bit counts. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Homeward Bound - The Incredible Journey

  • The adventure begins when the loving owners of these irresistible pets are forced to leave them in the temporary care of a friend who lives hundreds of miles away. But after several days, the worried animals begin to think their family must be in trouble, so they decide to head for home. On their incredible journey across the ruggedly beautiful Sierras, they encounter unexpected surprises from man
BOUND - DVD MovieDestined for cult status, this provocative thriller offers a grab bag of genres (gangster movie, comedy, sexy romance, crime caper) and tops it all off with steamy passion between lesbian ex-con Corky (Gina Gershon) and a not-so-ditzy gun moll named Violet (Jennifer Tilly), who meets Corky and immediately tires of her mobster boyfriend (Joe Pantoliano). Desperate to break away from the Mob's influence and live happily ever after, the daring dames hatch a plot to steal $2 million of ! Mafia money. Their scheme runs into a series of escalating complications, until their very survival depends on split-second timing and criminal ingenuity. Simultaneously violent, funny, and suspenseful, Bound is sure to test your tolerance for bloodshed, but the film is crafted with such undeniable skill that several critics (including Roger Ebert) placed it on their top-ten lists for 1996. --Jeff Shannon Destined for cult status, this provocative thriller offers a grab bag of genres (gangster movie, comedy, sexy romance, crime caper) and tops it all off with steamy passion between lesbian ex-con Corky (Gina Gershon) and a not-so-ditzy gun moll named Violet (Jennifer Tilly), who meets Corky and immediately tires of her mobster boyfriend (Joe Pantoliano). Desperate to break away from the Mob's influence and live happily ever after, the daring dames hatch a plot to steal $2 million of Mafia money. Their scheme runs into a series of escalating complications, unti! l their very survival depends on split-second timing and crimi! nal inge nuity. Simultaneously violent, funny, and suspenseful, Bound is sure to test your tolerance for bloodshed, but the film is crafted with such undeniable skill that several critics (including Roger Ebert) placed it on their top-ten lists for 1996. --Jeff Shannon

Antonya Nelson is known for her razor-sharp depictions of contemporary family life in all of its sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious complexity. Her latest novel has roots in her own youth in Wichita, in the neighborhood stalked by the serial killer known as BTK (Bind, Torture, and Kill). A story of wayward love and lost memory, of public and private lives twisting out of control, Bound is Nelson's most accomplished and emotionally riveting work.


Catherine and Oliver, young wife and older entrepreneurial husband, are negotiating their difference in age and a plethora of well-concealed secrets. Oliver, now in his sixties, is a serial adulterer and has just fallen giddily in love yet ! again. Catherine, seemingly placid and content, has ghosts of a past she scarcely remembers. When Catherine's long-forgotten high school friend dies and leaves Catherine the guardian of her teenage daughter, that past comes rushing back. As Oliver manages his new love, and Catherine her new charge and darker past, local news reports turn up the volume on a serial killer who has reappeared after years of quiet.


In a time of hauntings and new revelations, Nelson's characters grapple with their public and private obligations, continually choosing between the suppression or indulgence of wild desires. Which way they turn, and what balance they find, may only be determined by those who love them most.

France released, Blu-Ray/Region A/B/C : it WILL NOT play on regular DVD player. You need Blu-Ray DVD player to view this Blu-Ray DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Dolby DTS-HD Master Audio ), French ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), French ( Dolby DTS! -HD Master Audio ), French ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (2.35:1),! SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast/Crew Interview(s), Commentary, Featurette, Filmographies, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Corky, a tough female ex con and her lover Violet concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money and pin the blame on Violet's crooked boyfriend Caeser. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Fantasporto Awards, Stockholm Film Festival, ...Bound ( The Business )

Brought to New England and bound into servitude to pay her father's debts, Alice Cole, at fifteen, can barely remember the time when she was not a servant to John Morton. His daughter, Nabbyâ€"only three years older than Aliceâ€"begins as Alice's childhood companion, but when Nabby weds, she becomes Alice's mistress. But the marriage is not what it appears, and Alice, endangered by its storm, defies her new master and the law, and escapes to Boston. Impulsively stowing away on a ship to Satucket on Cape Cod, Alice believes that she has left her old life and her secrets behind. Yet in a time of unrest and unce! rtainty, as political and personal stakes rise and intertwine, she discovers that freedom, friendship, trust, and love each have a price far greater than she ever imagined.

Destined for cult status, this provocative thriller offers a grab bag of genres (gangster movie, comedy, sexy romance, crime caper) and tops it all off with steamy passion between lesbian ex-con Corky (Gina Gershon) and a not-so-ditzy gun moll named Violet (Jennifer Tilly), who meets Corky and immediately tires of her mobster boyfriend (Joe Pantoliano). Desperate to break away from the Mob's influence and live happily ever after, the daring dames hatch a plot to steal $2 million of Mafia money. Their scheme runs into a series of escalating complications, until their very survival depends on split-second timing and criminal ingenuity. Simultaneously violent, funny, and suspenseful, Bound is sure to test your tolerance for bloodshed, but the film is crafted with such undeniable skill that severa! l critics (including Roger Ebert) placed it on their top-ten l! ists for 1996. --Jeff Shannon

YOUNG XING XING IS BOUND.

Bound to her late father's second wife and daughter. Bound to a life of servitude as a young girl in ancient China, where a woman is valued less than livestock. Bound to be alone, with no parents to arrange for a suitable husband. Xing Xing spends her days taking care of her half sister, Wei Ping, who cannot walk because of her foot bindings, the painful tradition for girls who are fit to be married. Even so, Xing Xing is content to practice her gift for poetry and calligraphy, and to dream of a life unbound by the laws of family and society.

But all of this is about to change as Stepmother, who has spent nearly all of the family's money, grows desperate to find a husband for Wei Ping. Xing Xing soon realizes that this greed and desperation may threaten not only her memories of the past, but also her dreams for the future.

Alice Cole spent her first seven years living in t! wo smoky, crowded rooms in London with her family. But a new home and a better life waited in the colonies, or so her father promisedâ€"a bright dream that turned to ashes when her brothers and mother took ill and died during the arduous voyage. Arriving in New England unable to meet the added expenses incurred by their misfortunes at sea, her father bound Alice into servitude to pay his debts.

By the age of fifteen, Alice can barely remember the time when she was not a servant to John Morton and his daughter, Nabby. Though work fills her days, life with the Mortons is pleasant; Mr. Morton calls Alice his "sweet, good girl," and Nabby, only three years older, is her friend, companion, and now newly married, her mistress.

But Nabby's marriage is not happy, and soon Alice is caught up in its storm; seeing nothing ahead but her own destruction, she defies her new master and the law and runs away to Boston. There she meets a sympathetic widow named Lyddie Berry and ! her lawyer companion, Eben Freeman. Frightened and alone, Alic! e impuls ively stows away on their ship to Satucket on Cape Cod, where the Widow Berry offers Alice a bed and a job making cloth in support of the new boycott of British wool and linen.

At Widow Berry's, Alice believes her old secret is safe, until it becomes threatened by a new one. As the days pass, the political and the personal stakes rise and intertwine, ultimately setting off a chain of events that will force Alice to question all she thought she knew. Bound by law, society, and her own heart, Alice soon discovers that freedomâ€"as well as gratitude, friendship, trust, and loveâ€"has a price far higher than any she ever imagined.

Library Journal hailed Sally Gunning's previous novel, The Widow's War, as "historical fiction at its best." With Bound, this wonderfully talented writer returns to pre-Revolutionary New England and evokes a long-ago time filled with uncertainty, hardship, and promise.

Alice Cole spent her first seven years living! in two smoky, crowded rooms in London with her family. But a new home and a better life waited in the colonies, or so her father promisedâ€"a bright dream that turned to ashes when her brothers and mother took ill and died during the arduous voyage. Arriving in New England unable to meet the added expenses incurred by their misfortunes at sea, her father bound Alice into servitude to pay his debts.

By the age of fifteen, Alice can barely remember the time when she was not a servant to John Morton and his daughter, Nabby. Though work fills her days, life with the Mortons is pleasant; Mr. Morton calls Alice his "sweet, good girl," and Nabby, only three years older, is her friend, companion, and now newly married, her mistress.

But Nabby's marriage is not happy, and soon Alice is caught up in its storm; seeing nothing ahead but her own destruction, she defies her new master and the law and runs away to Boston. There she meets a sympathetic widow named Lyddie Berry! and her lawyer companion, Eben Freeman. Frightened and alone,! Alice i mpulsively stows away on their ship to Satucket on Cape Cod, where the Widow Berry offers Alice a bed and a job making cloth in support of the new boycott of British wool and linen.

At Widow Berry's, Alice believes her old secret is safe, until it becomes threatened by a new one. As the days pass, the political and the personal stakes rise and intertwine, ultimately setting off a chain of events that will force Alice to question all she thought she knew. Bound by law, society, and her own heart, Alice soon discovers that freedomâ€"as well as gratitude, friendship, trust, and loveâ€"has a price far higher than any she ever imagined.

Library Journal hailed Sally Gunning's previous novel, The Widow's War, as "historical fiction at its best." With Bound, this wonderfully talented writer returns to pre-Revolutionary New England and evokes a long-ago time filled with uncertainty, hardship, and promise.

This thrilling and thoroughly captivating t! heatrical hit from Disney has become an instant favorite with audiences of all ages. You'll lose your heart to Chance, a fun-loving American bulldog pup; Sassy, a hilarious Himalayan cat who lives up to her name; and Shadow, a wise old golden retriever -- all of whom express themselves with very familiar human voices! The adventure begins when the loving owners of these irresistible pets are forced to leave them in the temporary care of a friend who lives hundreds of miles away. But after several days, the worried animals begin to think their family must be in trouble, so they decide to head for home. On their incredible journey across the ruggedly beautiful Sierras, they encounter unexpected surprises from man, beast, and nature alike. It's an unforgettable story of love, courage, and devotion that will delight and inspire generations to come!Walt Disney studios had previously adapted Sheila Burnford's classic animal-adventure novel The Incredible Journey in 1963, a! nd the story proves just as durable in this popular 1993 versi! on, in w hich the heroic trio of animals are given voices provided by Don Ameche, Michael J. Fox, and Sally Field. They don't actually speak (like the clever critters in Babe), but we hear their "voices" as the lost household pets--Shadow the golden retriever, Chance the bulldog, and Sassy the cat--survive a harrowing series of adventures as they struggle to find their way home. Perfect entertainment for kids, this frequently clever movie offers an abundance of wildlife and beautiful location scenery, and the vocal performances by Ameche, Fox, and Field are surprisingly effective. A hit with parents and children alike, the film was followed by a sequel in 1996. --Jeff Shannon

Aliens vs Predator

  • As the Marine, you'll experience a claustrophobic and terrifying experience where light is your friend, but there's never enough; however, the United States Marine Corps are humanity's last line of defense, and as such they are armed to the teeth with the very latest in high explosive and automatic weaponry
  • As the Predator, you will stalk from the shadows and from above, passing athletically through the treetops to ambush your victims; although equipped with an array of powerful, exotic weapons and tracking equipment, honor ultimately dictates that you must get in close and take your trophies face to face
  • As the most deadly species in the universe, the Alien offers you the chance to play as the very stuff of nightmares, the monster in the dark swarming forward with countless others, jaws like a steel trap and claws like blades
  • Play all sides off against each other in a series o! f unique 3-way online modes and go tooth-to-claw-to-pulse rifle in the reinvention of one of multiplayer gaming's defining moments
"It may be our planet, but it’s their war!" The deadliest creatures from the scariest sci-fi movies ever made face off for the first time on film. The incredible adventure begins when the discovery of an ancient pyramid buried in Antarctica sends a team of scientists and adventurers to the frozen continent. There, they make an even more terrifying discovery: two alien races engaged in the ultimate battle. Whoever wins...we lose.In delivering PG-13-rated excitement, Alien vs. Predator is an acceptably average science-fiction action thriller with some noteworthy highlights, even if it squanders its opportunity to intelligently combine two popular and R-rated franchises. Rabid fans can justifiably ask "Is that all there is?" after a decade of development hell and eager anticipation, but we're compensated by reasonably logical conn! ections to the Alien legacy and the still-kicking Pr! edator franchise (which hinted at AVP rivalry at the end of Predator 2); some cleverly claustrophobic sets, tense atmosphere and impressive digital effects; and a climactic AVP smackdown that's not half bad. This disposable junk should've been better, but nobody who's seen Mortal Kombat or Resident Evil should be surprised by writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson's lack of imagination. As a brisk, 90-minute exercise in generic thrills, however, Anderson's work is occasionally impressive... right up to his shameless opening for yet another sequel. --Jeff ShannonSega Aliens vs. Predator 68042 299Aliens vs Predator is an entirely new title for PC and high-definition consoles from acclaimed British developer Rebellion, the team behind the 1999 original PC gaming classic. Bringing the legendary war between two of science-fiction’s most popular characters to FPS fans, AvP delivers three outstanding single player campaigns and provides untold ho! urs of unique 3-way multiplayer gaming. Experience distinctly new and thrilling first person gameplay as you survive, hunt and prey in the deadly jungles and swamps surrounding the damned colony of Freya’s Prospect.

Play as an Alien
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Alien Battles a Predator
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Three Breeds of Warrior. Three Brutal Campaigns. One Relentless Battleground.
In deep space, on the frontier of human colonization, an ancient pyramid is discovered. When archaeologists probe the pyramid’s secrets they unwittingly trigger an apocalyptic confrontation between vengeful Predators, menacing Aliens, and heavily-armed Colonial Marines. Welcome to A! liens versus Predator, a stunningly-detailed FPS that seamlessly blends the action and intensity of one of the most popular movie franchises of all time. Whether you stalk your prey as a Predator, evolve into the perfect killing machine as an Alien, or use superior firepower as a Colonial Marine, one thing is certain. This will be a battle for the ages.

Features:

  • Master the skills of three deadly species: As a Predator, use your cloaking abilities and multiple vision modes to stalk your enemies while remaining hidden. Then rip out their spines with your wrist blades, or snipe them from afar with your plasma caster. As an Alien, use your finely-honed killer instincts to become the most lethal creature in the galaxy. Traverse any surface at blinding speeds, emerging from the dark to tear off your victims’ heads or impale them with your dagger-sharp tail. As a Colonial Marine, use your diverse arsenal and o! verwhelming firepower to hold the line against seemingly impos! sible od ds.
  • Discover three unique single-player experiences: Each of the three species has its own unique storyline that intertwines with the others to create a compelling cinematic narrative, inspired by one of the most popular movie franchises of all time.
  • Plunge yourself into intense online multiplayer combat: Take on hordes of online opponents in adrenaline-fueled multiplayer battles. Stalk your prey silently as a Predator, become a nightmarish killing machine as an Alien, or lay down a barrage of lethal fire as a battle-hardened Colonial Marine. Take advantage of each faction’s unique abilities to rise to the top of the leaderboards and become the most dominant species in the universe.

Albino Alligator Poster B 27x40 Matt Dillon Gary Sinise Faye Dunaway

  • Approx. Size: 27 x 40 Inches - 69cm x 102cm
  • Size is provided by the manufacturer and may not be exact
  • The Amazon image in this listing is a digital scan of the poster that you will receive
  • Albino Alligator Style B 27 x 40 Inches Poster
  • Packaged with care and shipped in sturdy reinforced packing material
Aurora only uses lock washer or embroidered eyes and nose for safety.An intense, all-star action-thriller, ALBINO ALLIGATOR is directed by Academy Award(R)-winner Kevin Spacey (1999 Best Actor -- AMERICAN BEAUTY). Matt Dillon (THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY), and Emmy-winner Gary Sinise (1998 Best Actor In A Miniseries Or Movie, GEORGE WALLACE) play brothers Dova and Milo ... a couple of small-time crooks suddenly in way over their heads! When a holdup goes terribly wrong, the robbers flee to a local bar, desperately taking everyone inside hostage! With nowhere to! run and time running out, it's a deadly situation where every second counts! Also starring Golden Globe-winner Faye Dunaway (1999 Best Supporting Actress, GIA) -- expect unexpected twists and turns, all leading to an incredibly explosive climax!Actor Kevin Spacey made his directorial debut in this uneven crime thriller that has the claustrophobic feel of a play. Matt Dillon, Gary Sinise, and William Fichtner play a trio of robbers who have just pulled a job gone wrong. On the run from the cops, they hide out in a basement bar, where they try to figure out their next move. There's a certain amount of urgency, however, because Sinise, the brains of the outfit, is badly wounded--which means that Fichtner, the group psycho, is allowed to run wild, terrorizing the barflies unlucky enough to be their hostages. As the cops swarm outside the bar--thinking these three are major criminals rather than small potatoes--tensions mount, mostly through misunderstanding. But it's all a lot! of talk, not nearly enough of it interesting, that pushes the! movie s lowly to its inevitable conclusion. --Marshall Fine Import only 1997 soundtrack music for a Kevin Spacey directed neo-noir thriller, Brook's work here turns into an interesting blend of his own style and smoky late night jazz interspersed with a variety of other instrumental touches. 4AD. 2006.One of 40 hatchlings, Adora needs the extra protective eye of Mother Alligator. Since she is an albino alligator, she cannot survive in the direct sunlight and is an easy target for predators. Rescued by a trio out fishing near her nest, Adora is taken to a local zoo where she will be placed in a habitat similar to where she was born.One of 40 hatchlings, Adora needs the extra protective eye of Mother Alligator. Since she is an albino alligator, she cannot survive in the direct sunlight and is an easy target for predators. Rescued by a trio out fishing near her nest, Adora is taken to a local zoo where she will be placed in a habitat similar to where she was born.An intense, all! -star action-thriller, Albino Alligator is the directorial debut from screen favorite Kevin Spacey.

Dova (Matt Dillon, Takers), Milo (Gary Sinise, TV's CSI: New York) and Law (William Fichtner, Date Night) are small-time crooks who are in way over their heads. When a holdup goes terribly wrong, the robbers flee to a local bar, desperately taking everyone inside hostage. With nowhere to run and time running out, it's a deadly situation where every second counts. Also starring Faye Dunaway, Viggo Mortensen, and Skeet Ulrichâ€"unexpected twists and turns lead to an incredibly explosive climax in this must-see thriller!Actor Kevin Spacey made his directorial debut in this uneven crime thriller that has the claustrophobic feel of a play. Matt Dillon, Gary Sinise, and William Fichtner play a trio of robbers who have just pulled a job gone wrong. On the run from the cops, they hide out in a basement bar, wh! ere they try to figure out their next move. There's a certain ! amount o f urgency, however, because Sinise, the brains of the outfit, is badly wounded--which means that Fichtner, the group psycho, is allowed to run wild, terrorizing the barflies unlucky enough to be their hostages. As the cops swarm outside the bar--thinking these three are major criminals rather than small potatoes--tensions mount, mostly through misunderstanding. But it's all a lot of talk, not nearly enough of it interesting, that pushes the movie slowly to its inevitable conclusion. --Marshall Fine Albino Alligator reproduction poster print

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American Splendor

  • Actors: Paul Giamatti, Shari Springer Berman, Harvey Pekar, Chris Ambrose, Joey Krajcar.
  • Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC.
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1). Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
  • Rated: R. Run Time: 101 minutes.
The inspiration for the award-winning movie
from HBO Films and Fine Line Features

AMERICAN SPLENDOR
The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar

Two classic comic anthologies in one volume

Stories by Harvey Pekar

Introduction by R. Crumb

Art by Kevin Brown, Gregory Budgett, Sean Carroll, Sue Cavey, R. Crumb, Gary Dumm, Val Mayerik, and Gerry Shamray

The classic collection of the comics that inspired the movie American Splendor, winner of the Gr! and Jury Prize at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival

American Splendor is the world’s first literary comic book. Cleveland native Harvey Pekar is a true American original. A V.A. hospital file clerk and comic book writer, Harvey chronicles the ordinary and mundane in stories both funny and touching. His dead-on eye for the frustrations and minutiae of the workaday world mix in a delicate balance with his insight into personal relationships. Pekar has been compared to Dreiser, Dostoevsky, and Lenny Bruce. But he is truly more than all of themâ€"he is himself.

“Mr. Pekar has . . . proven that comics can address the ambiguities of daily living, that like the finest fiction, they can hold a mirror up to life.”
â€"The New York Times

“[Pekar] has a vision that makes daily city lifeâ€"a ride on the bus, a run-in with a boss, or simply buying breadâ€"dramatic.”
â€"Chicago Sun-Times

“Simply stated, American S! plendor is the most superb literary endeavor to come off t! he stree ts of Cleveland in decades.”
â€"The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

“Mr. Pekar lets all of life flood into his panels: the humdrum and the heroic, the gritty and the grand.”
â€"The New York Times Book Review
Based on the life and work of underground comic book writer Harvey Pekar- a prickly poet of the mundane who knows that all the strategizing in the world can't save a guy from picking the wrong supermarket checkout line.One of the most acclaimed films of 2003, American Splendor is also one of the most audaciously creative biographical movies ever made. Blending fact, fiction, and personal perspective from the comic books that inspired it, this marvelous portrait of Harvey Pekar--scowling curmudgeon, brow-beaten everyman, insightful chronicler of his own life, and frustrated file clerk at a Cleveland V.A. hospital--is an inspired amalgam of the media (comic books, TV, and film) that lifted Pekar from obscurity to the status of a pop! -cultural icon. As played by Paul Giamatti in a master-stroke of casting, we see Pekar and his understanding wife (played by Hope Davis) as underdogs in a world full of obstacles, yet also infused with subtle hope and (gasp!) heartwarming perseverance. We also see the real Pekar, and this multifaceted commingling of "reel" and "real" turns American Splendor into a uniquely cinematic celebration of Pekar's life and, by extension, the tenacity of an unlikely American hero. --Jeff Shannon

CHANNING TATUM - A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints AUTOGRAPH Signed 8x10 Photo

  • CHANNING TATUM - A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints AUTOGRAPH Signed 8x10 Photo
  • Authentic and Hand-Signed by Channing Tatum
  • Certified Authentic with a Certificate of Authenticity
  • Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity
  • COA from TopPix Autographs - Member UACC & BuySAFE Bonded Seller
Orlandito "Dito" Montiel, son of Orlando, a Nicaraguan immigrant, and an Irish mother, grew wild in the streets of Astoria, Queens, pulling pranks for Greek and Italian gangsters and confessing at the church of the Immaculate Conception, gobbling hits of purple mescaline and Old English, sneaking into Times Square whore housesâ€""Kids from nowhere going nowhere." This is the quintessentially American story of a young man's hunger for experience, his dawning awareness of the bigger world across the bridge, and of the loyalties that bind him to a violent past and to the flawed and des! perate saints that have guided him: Dito's father, Antonio "our insane warrior hero," Bob Semen, Frank the dog walker, Jimmy Mullen, Cherry Vanilla, Ginsberg and all the others, the drunks, coke-heads, junkies, the insaniacs like Santos Antonios who said, "Now Dito remember, in life you gotta be crazy."
"As far back as i can remember ... i can remember
manhattan." Orlandito "Dito" Montiel, son of Orlando, a
Nicaraguan immigrant, and an Irish mother, grew wild in the streets of
Astoria, Queens, pulling pranks for Greek and Italian gangsters and
confessing at the church of the Immaculate Conception, gobbling hits
of purple mescaline and Old English, sneaking into Times Square whore
housesâ€""Kids from nowhere going nowhere." At 14 Dito watched
as his best friend and surrogate older brother, Antonio, beat another
kid to death with a baseball bat during a gang fight. A Guide to
Recognizing Your Saints is the quintessentially Ame! rican story of a
young man’s hunger for experience, his! dawning awareness of the bigger
world across the bridge, and of the loyalties that bind him to a
violent past and to the flawed and desperate Saints that have guided
himâ€"a streetwise Meetings With Remarkable Men with echoes of
Whitman and Kerouac , Saturday Night Fever and Dion and the
Belmonts. Dito tasted short-lived notoriety as a model for Versace and
Calvin Klein, and as the leader of "the most successful
unsuccessful band in history," Gutterboy, a 15-minute darling
signed to Geffen for a then unprecedented million-dollar advance. But
this book is about the Saints: Dito’s father, Antonio "our insane
warrior hero," Bob Semen, Frank the dog walker, Jimmy Mullen,
Cherry Vanilla, Allen Ginsberg and all the others, the drunks,
coke-heads, junkies, the insaniacs like Santos Antonios who said,
"Now Dito remember, in life you gotta be crazy." Photographs by
Bruce Weber, Lance Staedler and Allen Ginsberg are feat! ured. A Guide
to Recognizing Your Saints is soon to be a major motion picture
directed by Robert Downey, Jr.
"As far back as i can remember ... i can remember
manhattan." Orlandito "Dito" Montiel, son of Orlando, a
Nicaraguan immigrant, and an Irish mother, grew wild in the streets of
Astoria, Queens, pulling pranks for Greek and Italian gangsters and
confessing at the church of the Immaculate Conception, gobbling hits
of purple mescaline and Old English, sneaking into Times Square whore
housesâ€""Kids from nowhere going nowhere." At 14 Dito watched
as his best friend and surrogate older brother, Antonio, beat another
kid to death with a baseball bat during a gang fight. A Guide to
Recognizing Your Saints is the quintessentially American story of a
young man’s hunger for experience, his dawning awareness of the bigger
world across the bridge, and of the loyalties that bind him to a
violent past and to the flawed and despe! rate Saints that have guided
himâ€"a streetwise Meetings Wi! th Remar kable Men with echoes of
Whitman and Kerouac , Saturday Night Fever and Dion and the
Belmonts. Dito tasted short-lived notoriety as a model for Versace and
Calvin Klein, and as the leader of "the most successful
unsuccessful band in history," Gutterboy, a 15-minute darling
signed to Geffen for a then unprecedented million-dollar advance. But
this book is about the Saints: Dito’s father, Antonio "our insane
warrior hero," Bob Semen, Frank the dog walker, Jimmy Mullen,
Cherry Vanilla, Allen Ginsberg and all the others, the drunks,
coke-heads, junkies, the insaniacs like Santos Antonios who said,
"Now Dito remember, in life you gotta be crazy." Photographs by
Bruce Weber, Lance Staedler and Allen Ginsberg are featured. A Guide
to Recognizing Your Saints is soon to be a major motion picture
directed by Robert Downey, Jr.
A coming-of-age drama about a boy growing up in astoria ny during the 1980s. As his friends end up dead on drugs or ! in prison he comes to believe he has been saved from their fate by various so-called saints. Studio: First Look Home Entertain Release Date: 09/04/2007 Starring: Robert Downey Jr Chazz Palminteri Run time: 98 minutes Rating: R A film adaptation of Dito Montiel's memoir of the same name, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is a compelling, thoughtful movie based on Montiel's childhood growing up in 1980s Queens. A writer and director who understands his limitations, Montiel wisely left the acting to the pros. Shia LaBeouf (Holes) plays him during his adolescence, while Robert Downey Jr. (Good Night, and Good Luck, Wonder Boys) portrays the grown-up Dito. Never mind that there is absolutely no physical resemblance between the two actors; LaBeouf and Downey are so convincing in their roles it doesn't matter. Switching effortlessly from present day (where Dito is a successful author) to the past (where he is a tough little kid trying to figure ou! t if there is life beyond New York), A Guide to Recognizing! Your Sa ints tackles Dito's complicated relationship with his parents (Chazz Palminteri and Dianne Wiest), as well as the friends he left behind. Eric Roberts is magnificent in a small role as one of Dito's tough, childhood buddies. His powerful performance makes viewers remember there was a time when Roberts was better known for his acting skills than for being Julia's big brother. Montiel--a first-time filmmaker--won the Director's Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival for his autobiographical movie. Raw, gritty, and honest, Saints) makes a strong impact and leaves the viewer curious as to how the rest of Montiel's life will work out. --Jae-Ha KimThis digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by Thomson Gale on October 27, 2006. The length of the article is 1070 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immedi! ately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Genuine strength: 'The Queen' finds it in Elizabeth II, 'A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints' in Queens.(MOVIES)(Movie review)
Author: Joseph Cunneen
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 27, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 43 Issue: 2 Page: 16(1)

Article Type: Movie review

Distributed by Thomson GaleA coming-of-age drama about writer/director Dito Montiel's youth, the film captures the mid-1980's in the toughest neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. Dito (Robert Downey Jr.) called home after 15 years because his father (Chazz Palminteri) is ill, encounters old friends - the ones he lost, the ones he left behind, the ones he can't help but remember. These are! Dito's saints. An honest account of a bittersweet return to a! neighbo rhood where relationships can never be what they once were, Dito's story is about to come to terms with a father's rage and a father's love. A film adaptation of Dito Montiel's memoir of the same name, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is a compelling, thoughtful movie based on Montiel's childhood growing up in 1980s Queens. A writer and director who understands his limitations, Montiel wisely left the acting to the pros. Shia LaBeouf (Holes) plays him during his adolescence, while Robert Downey Jr. (Good Night, and Good Luck, Wonder Boys) portrays the grown-up Dito. Never mind that there is absolutely no physical resemblance between the two actors; LaBeouf and Downey are so convincing in their roles it doesn't matter. Switching effortlessly from present day (where Dito is a successful author) to the past (where he is a tough little kid trying to figure out if there is life beyond New York), A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints tackles Dito'! s complicated relationship with his parents (Chazz Palminteri and Dianne Wiest), as well as the friends he left behind. Eric Roberts is magnificent in a small role as one of Dito's tough, childhood buddies. His powerful performance makes viewers remember there was a time when Roberts was better known for his acting skills than for being Julia's big brother. Montiel--a first-time filmmaker--won the Director's Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival for his autobiographical movie. Raw, gritty, and honest, Saints) makes a strong impact and leaves the viewer curious as to how the rest of Montiel's life will work out. --Jae-Ha KimThis is a great HAND-SIGNED 8x10 photo! You could own this picture that has been authentically autographed by this incredible actor. We never sell copies or reproductions of any kind; this photo has been hand-signed by Channing Tatum. This photo was signed in-person after Channing's appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on August 4, 2009. Don't miss your chance to own this fantastic item!

Exorcist - The Beginning (Widescreen Edition)

  • Prequel. Exorcist: The Beginning traces the story of Father Merrin back to his first encounter with the Devil during his missionary work in Africa.Running Time: 114 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R Age: 085392467426 UPC: 085392467426 Manufacturer No: 24674
Prequel. Exorcist: The Beginning traces the story of Father Merrin back to his first encounter with the Devil during his missionary work in Africa."This movie is cursed!" exclaimed movie-magazine headlines regarding Exorcist: The Beginning, but those dire warnings turned out to be exaggerated. Considering a tumultuous production history that actually did seem cursed, Renny Harlin's much-maligned prequel to The Exorcist is a surprisingly competent, serious-minded shocker filled with the same anxious foreboding that made the 1973 original so phenomenally effective. The story lacks focus and feels cobble! d together (perhaps the result of its tortured development, which included the untimely death of original director John Frankenheimer), but Stellan Skarsgård is well-cast as Father (now Mr.) Merrin, a lapsed Catholic priest summoned to East Africa in 1949 to retrieve a demonic idol. He discovers a buried church, a vast underground cavern, demonic possession, and a legacy of carnage that preys upon guilt-ridden memories from his parish in Nazi-occupied Holland. Harlin delivers the gross-out moments that Warner Brothers demanded, but otherwise shows remarkable restraint while cinematographer Vittorio Storaro delivers doom-laden visual atmosphere. It's not the classic many were hoping for--not even close--but it's still a win-win scenario for horror fans, since it's rumored the unreleased and "abandoned" version directed by Paul Schrader will be paired with this film for its DVD release. Comparisons will no doubt prove interesting. --Jeff Shannon