Saturday, November 5, 2011

The Beach Boys - Good Timin' - Live at Knebworth, England 1980

  • Featuring: The Beach Boys.
  • Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Special Edition, NTSC.
  • Language: English.
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
  • Run Time: 70 minutes.
Get your paws on this "irresistible" (The Philadelphia Inquirer) family adventure starring Molly Shannon, Liam Aiken and Kevin Nealon! Featuring a hilarious four-legged cast Ã"â?" with voices by Matthew Broderick, Delta Burke, Donald Faison, Cheech Marin, Brittany Murphy, Vanessa Redgrave and Carl Reiner Ã"â?" this heartwarming tale is a "furry romp that both kids and parents can laugh at together" (The Seattle Times)! Twelve-year-old Owen (Aiken) has a new dog, Hubble (Broderick), who can not only sit, stay and roll over he can also speak Ã"â?" literally! Turns out Hubble is an interplanetary agent from the dog star Sirius. Now Owen is about to discover that Hubble and all his canine buddies are o! n a mission to rule the world!A young boy named Owen learns the startling truth about dogs: They're actually from outer space, sent here to rule mankind. A canine agent from the star Sirius (voiced by Matthew Broderick) gets rescued from the pound by Owen (Liam Aiken) and named Hubble. As Hubble desperately tries to train a motley crew of dogs from Owen's neighborhood to behave like conquerors before the Greater Dane arrives and decides the planet's fate, the outer space pooch slowly bonds with Owen and discovers why dogs may have joined forces with humans instead of dominating them. Good Boy! will charm dog lovers in particular, but the movie has enough clever touches to engage most viewers, and it manages a sweet tone without turning cloyingly saccharine. Featuring the voices of Carl Reiner, Brittany Murphy, Delta Burke, Donald Faison, and--of all people--Vanessa Redgrave as the Greater Dane. --Bret FetzerThis DVD was recorded at the Beach Boys historic con! cert at Knebworth House on June 21st 1980. It proved to be th! e last t ime that the original Beach Boys: Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Alan Jardine, would appear together on any stage.

The Beach Boys are one of the most successful groups of all time, selling over 10 million records in the U.S, with Pet Sounds being generally regarded as one of the all time great albums.

The DVD includes virtually all the Beach Boys classics such as Fun, Fun, Fun, Help Me Rhonda, Sloop John B, Lady Lynda, I Get Around, Barbara Ann, Wouldn't It Be Nice, Surfin' USA, California Girls and of course Good Vibrations.

Track Listing:
1. Good Timin'
2. California Girls
3. Sloop John B
4. Darlin'
5. School Days
6. God Only Knows
7. Be True to Your School
8. Do it Again
9. Little Deuce Coupe
10. Cotton Fields/Heroes and Villains
11. Heroes and Villains
12. Keepin' the Summer Alive
13. Lady Lynda
14. Surfer Girl
15. Help Me ! Rhonda
16. Rock & Roll Music
17. I Get Around
18. Surfin' USA
19. You Are So Beautiful
20. Good Vibrations
21. Barbara Ann
22. Fun, Fun, FunIt's entertaining, nostalgic, even poignant... not much more one could ask for from a Beach Boys concert. This 70-minute concert was the last time the complete group (brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love, and Bruce Johnston, plus backing musicians) would appear in the U.K., performing a mix of oldies ("California Girls," "Help Me Rhonda," "Fun, Fun, Fun," etc.) and some newer material. And if the show itself is somewhat pedestrian, it's still marvelous to see the three Wilsons together onstage, especially in view of the subsequent deaths of Dennis (in '83) and Carl (in '98), and Brian's eventual triumphant recovery from mental and emotional problems. To hear Carl sing so beautifully on "God Only Knows," or Dennis play drums with such power and emotion, or Brian, v! acant but game, contribute a few lines to "Surfer Girl"... wel! l, it mi ght just bring a tear to your eye. --Sam Graham The Beach Boys live in concert at Knebworth Park, Hertfordshire on 21st June 1980 was the last time all six Beach Boys - Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Alan Jardine and Bruce Johnston would appear together, singing and playing, on a UK stage. This special DVD+CD collectors' edition captures this memorable event.DVD TRACKLISTING :
Intro (Good Timin')
California Girls
Sloop John B
Darlin'
School Days
God Only Knows'
Be True To Your School
Do It Again
Little Deuce Coupe
Cotton Fields /
Heroes and Villains
Keepin' The Summer Alive
Lady Lynda
Surfer Girl
Help Me Rhonda
Rock & Roll Music
I Get Around
Surfin' USA
You Are So Beautiful
Good Vibrations
Barbara Ann
Fun, Fun, Fun

CD TRACKLISTING:
INTRO
California Girls
Sloop John B
Darlin'
School Days
God Only Knows
Be True To Your School !
Do It Again
Little Deuce Coupe
Cotton Fields /
Heroes And Villains
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN
Keepin' The Summer Alive
Lady Lynda
Surfer Girl
Help Me Rhonda
Rock & Roll Music
I Get Around
Surfin' USA
You Are So Beautiful
Good Vibrations
Barbara Ann
Fun, Fun, Fun

Also includes
The Beach Boys
On The Beach Boys Songs
Contemporary comments from the band on some of the songs performed at Knebworth.It's entertaining, nostalgic, even poignant... not much more one could ask for from a Beach Boys concert. This 70-minute concert was the last time the complete group (brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love, and Bruce Johnston, plus backing musicians) would appear in the U.K., performing a mix of oldies ("California Girls," "Help Me Rhonda," "Fun, Fun, Fun," etc.) and some newer material. And if the show itself is somewhat pedestrian, it's still marvelous to see the three Wilsons togethe! r onstage, especially in view of the subsequent deaths of Denn! is (in ' 83) and Carl (in '98), and Brian's eventual triumphant recovery from mental and emotional problems. To hear Carl sing so beautifully on "God Only Knows," or Dennis play drums with such power and emotion, or Brian, vacant but game, contribute a few lines to "Surfer Girl"... well, it might just bring a tear to your eye. --Sam Graham

Dynamite Warrior

American Zombie

  • Filmmakers Grace Lee ( The Grace Lee Project ) and John Solomon ( Nonsense Man ) team up to shoot a documentary about high-functioning zombies living in Los Angeles and their struggles to gain acceptance in human society.Despite their wildly different working styles, Grace and John manage to chronicle the hopes and dreams of four fascinating subjects: IVAN, a convenience-store clerk who longs for
Filmmakers Grace Lee ( The Grace Lee Project ) and John Solomon ( Nonsense Man ) team up to shoot a documentary about high-functioning zombies living in Los Angeles and their struggles to gain acceptance in human society.Despite their wildly different working styles Grace and John manage to chronicle the hopes and dreams of four fascinating subjects: IVAN a convenience-store clerk who longs for a career in publishing; LISA a florist trying to recover her lost memories; JUDY a hopeless romantic who le! arns to accept her true nature; and JOEL (pronounced Yo-El ) a committed political activist striving for zombie rights. As Grace strives to get to know the zombies on their own terms John is eager to uncover their darker side and rallies to get the crew permission to shoot at a three-day zombies-only retreat called Live Dead where the documentary takes an unexpected and dangerous turn. What transpires there is beyond anything the filmmakers could imagine as they are forced to re-evaluate their ideas about tolerance identity politics and the future of the human race.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR/COMEDIC HORROR UPC: 881394105027 Manufacturer No: CLS1050

Ty Beanie Baby Brittany, Alvin and the Chipmunks

Life

  • New
Three generations of comedy legends star in this tale of nightclub owner Sugar Ray (Richard Pryor) and his son Quick (Eddie Murphy), who fight to keep a vicious mobster and a corrupt police force from putting them out of business. Written by Eddie Murphy with an all star supporting cast including Redd Foxx, Della Reese, Arsenio Hall, Jasmine Guy, and Danny Aiello, Harlem Nights is an action packed comedy treasure!This is a supremely disappointing film, especially considering the talent involved. Indeed, the cast would seem to be the summit of African American comedians, starring the three most influential standups of the modern era: Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy. Murphy obviously was paying respect to his elders when he cast them as his father and grandfather in this story of Harlem in the 1930s. Written and directed by Murphy, the plot involves gangsters and rival nightclub ! owners but doesn't add up. What's a particular shame is that, with three comics as funny as Murphy, Pryor, and Foxx, there are so few laughs and so much misogyny. Do you really want to watch Della Reese get shot in the foot to shut her up? That's the level of the humor here. --Marshall Fine
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 1-JUL-2008
Media Type: DVDThis is a supremely disappointing film, especially considering the talent involved. Indeed, the cast would seem to be the summit of African American comedians, starring the three most influential standups of the modern era: Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy. Murphy obviously was paying respect to his elders when he cast them as his father and grandfather in this story of Harlem in the 1930s. Written and directed by Murphy, the plot involves gangsters and rival nightclub owners but doesn't add up. What's a particular shame is that, with three comics as funny! as Murphy, Pryor, and Foxx, there are so few laughs and so mu! ch misog yny. Do you really want to watch Della Reese get shot in the foot to shut her up? That's the level of the humor here. --Marshall Fine HARLEM NIGHTS - DVD MovieThis is a supremely disappointing film, especially considering the talent involved. Indeed, the cast would seem to be the summit of African American comedians, starring the three most influential standups of the modern era: Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy. Murphy obviously was paying respect to his elders when he cast them as his father and grandfather in this story of Harlem in the 1930s. Written and directed by Murphy, the plot involves gangsters and rival nightclub owners but doesn't add up. What's a particular shame is that, with three comics as funny as Murphy, Pryor, and Foxx, there are so few laughs and so much misogyny. Do you really want to watch Della Reese get shot in the foot to shut her up? That's the level of the humor here. --Marshall Fine This is a supremely disappointing film, ! especially considering the talent involved. Indeed, the cast would seem to be the summit of African American comedians, starring the three most influential standups of the modern era: Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy. Murphy obviously was paying respect to his elders when he cast them as his father and grandfather in this story of Harlem in the 1930s. Written and directed by Murphy, the plot involves gangsters and rival nightclub owners but doesn't add up. What's a particular shame is that, with three comics as funny as Murphy, Pryor, and Foxx, there are so few laughs and so much misogyny. Do you really want to watch Della Reese get shot in the foot to shut her up? That's the level of the humor here. --Marshall Fine Coming to America casts comedian Eddie Murphy as pampered African prince Akeem, who rebels against an arranged marriage and heads to America to find a new bride. Murphy's regal father (James Earl Jones) agrees to allow the prince 40 day! s to roam the U.S., sending the prince's faithful retainer Sem! mi (Arse nio Hall) along to make sure nothing untoward happens. To avoid fortune hunters, Prince Akeem conceals his true identity and gets a "Joe job" at a fast-food restaurant. Murphy and Hall play multiple roles, and there are innumerable celebrity cameos peppered throughout the proceedings â€" including the Duke Brothers (Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy) from Trading Places. Coming to America made further headlines when humorist Art Buchwald sued the film's producers for plagiarizing one of his works. Buchwald carried the case to trial, where he won a sizeable judgement against the film's producers.Half of the characters in this 1988 John Landis potboiler seem to be played either by Eddie Murphy or costar Arsenio Hall, swaddled in elaborate Rick Baker makeup appliances that render them unrecognizable but also weirdly immobile. As a pampered African prince who journeys incognito to Queens, New York, to find a bride who will love him just for himself, Murphy manages t! o look smug and naive at the same time. There are enjoyable sequences of Murphy's Prince Akeem applying his lordly manner to his new job in a fast-food emporium, and falling for the boss's spirited daughter (Shari Headley), who teaches him how to party down, American style. But the fish-out-water premise is never fully exploited. Star spotters will have a field day locating Cuba Gooding Jr., Donna Summer, Louie Anderson, Vondie Curtis Hall, E.R.'s Eriq La Salle, and Samuel L. Jackson in their minuscule supporting roles. --David Chute Sultry Robin Givens (HEAD OF STATE) heats up the screen with Forest Whitaker (PHONE BOOTH), Gregory Hines (ONCE IN THE LIFE), and Danny Glover (THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS) in this cool, sexy thriller about a gangster's girlfriend and the trouble she stirs for the fellas in her life! When Imabelle (Givens) hits Harlem with a trunkload of stolen gold, she's on the run and looking for a place to hide. So when shy and naive Jackson (Whitake! r) appears, Imabelle thinks she's met the perfect patsy ... bu! t she fo rgets to protect her heart! As the chase again takes off and the intrigue mounts, you'll find that unexpected twists are all the rage in this stylish thriller!FAST TALKING RAYFORD GIBSON AND THE CONSERVATIVE CLAUDE BANKS ARE ACCIDENTALLY TEAMED UP TO BECOME THE FUNNIEST ODD COUPLE EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. WHEN THEY TRAVEL SOUTH ON A BOOTLEGGING RUN FOR SOME QUICK CASH AND GET PLACED AT THE SCENE OF A CRIME, THEIR COMICAL MISFORTUNES LAND THEM RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE.Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy play it surprisingly straight in this film by director Ted Demme. Though there are laughs to be had, this is a story about perseverance in the face of a life of disappointment (yet the film was sold as a prison comedy). But Stir Crazy this isn't. Rather, Lawrence and Murphy play a couple of New Yorkers making a moonshine run from New York to Mississippi during the Prohibition who find themselves framed for murder and sentenced for life to a prison chain gang. As they ag! e, the two become close friends, although the strait-laced Lawrence always resents the free-wheeling Murphy for getting him into the situation in the first place. Ultimately, these two men learn to find meaning where they can, taking value from friendship and their limited ability to affect the lives of others. At times preachy, it ends on an upbeat note; the film's biggest laughs are reserved for the final section, in which Lawrence and Murphy don age makeup and play octogenarians. --Marshall Fine

Friday, November 4, 2011

EDtv : Widescreen Edition

  • Widescreen
IT'S THE UNFORGETTABLE STORY OF A NOBODY, THAT EVERYBODY'S WATCHING. THE HILARIOUS STORY OF A TOTAL UNKNOWN TURNED CELEBRITY, WHO FALLS HEAD-OVER-HEELS FOR HIS BROTHER'S GIRLFRIEND SHARI ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THEIR MOST INTIMATE PRIVATE MOMENTS HAVE JUST BECOME PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT.The third entry of 1998-99's cinematic TV trilogy kind of got lost in the shuffle following The Truman Show, an art film masquerading as a blockbuster, and Pleasantville, a heartfelt feel-good movie masquerading as a special-effects extravaganza. EDtv is nothing more than it appears: a scruffy comedy about fame and its discontents. Matthew McConaughey stars as Ed, a white-trash rube who gets his own dawn-to-midnight TV series in which every aspect of his life, no matter how sordid or dull or embarrassing, becomes mass entertainment (it inverts Truman by having the protagonist ! invite the pervasive cameras). Predictably, fame makes him miserable and, unsurprisingly, he finds a way out of his predicament. Albert Brooks covered this same territory in the funnier Real Life, and it's probably not the best idea for a load of comfy celebs to preach to us about how difficult fame is. But the film is cannily cast, including a number of performers who themselves have fallen victim to stupid media tricks (McConaughey, Ellen DeGeneres as the network executive, Elizabeth Hurley as a vamp hitching her star to Ed's, and Woody Harrelson as Ed's even dumber brother). Structurally, the movie is a mess. It looks as if the filmmakers had the choice between making a fully realized, two-and-a-half-hour-long movie that no one would sit through or one that clocks in under two hours but has a lot of plot holes; they opted for the latter (Hurley's character disappears, practically without comment). Still, there are enough laughs to keep things moving, and as a shag! gy dog tale it's decent fun. --David KronkeThe third en! try of 1 998-99's cinematic TV trilogy kind of got lost in the shuffle following The Truman Show, an art film masquerading as a blockbuster, and Pleasantville, a heartfelt feel-good movie masquerading as a special-effects extravaganza. EDtv is nothing more than it appears: a scruffy comedy about fame and its discontents. Matthew McConaughey stars as Ed, a white-trash rube who gets his own dawn-to-midnight TV series in which every aspect of his life, no matter how sordid or dull or embarrassing, becomes mass entertainment (it inverts Truman by having the protagonist invite the pervasive cameras). Predictably, fame makes him miserable and, unsurprisingly, he finds a way out of his predicament. Albert Brooks covered this same territory in the funnier Real Life, and it's probably not the best idea for a load of comfy celebs to preach to us about how difficult fame is. But the film is cannily cast, including a number of performers who themselves have fal! len victim to stupid media tricks (McConaughey, Ellen DeGeneres as the network executive, Elizabeth Hurley as a vamp hitching her star to Ed's, and Woody Harrelson as Ed's even dumber brother). Structurally, the movie is a mess. It looks as if the filmmakers had the choice between making a fully realized, two-and-a-half-hour-long movie that no one would sit through or one that clocks in under two hours but has a lot of plot holes; they opted for the latter (Hurley's character disappears, practically without comment). Still, there are enough laughs to keep things moving, and as a shaggy dog tale it's decent fun. --David KronkeIt's the unforgettable story of a nobody...that everybody's watching! Matthew McConaughey and Jenna Elfman star in this hilarious romantic comedy Joel Siegel of Good Morning America calls "Big-Laugh Funny."

Ed Pekurny (McConaughey) is just a regular guy who feels he has nothing to lose by agreeing to be a star of a new reality-based TV sho! w. Almost overnight, the program becomes a hit, and suddenly t! his goof y but engaging video clerk is a national celebrity! Everything's fabulous...until Ed falls head-over-heels for Shari (Elfman), the girlfriend of his brother Ray (Woody Harrelson). Suddenly their most private moments become public entertainment - and the ratings go through the roof - as millions of fans tune in to watch a real soap opera filled with comedy and romance.

Superbly directed by Ron Howard and featuring a stellar supporting cast including Elizabeth Hurley, Sally Kirkland, Martin Landau, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Reiner and Dennis Hopper, EDtv is an outrageous look at instant fame, overnight success, and sharing your life with a few million of your closest fans.The third entry of 1998-99's cinematic TV trilogy kind of got lost in the shuffle following The Truman Show, an art film masquerading as a blockbuster, and Pleasantville, a heartfelt feel-good movie masquerading as a special-effects extravaganza. EDtv is nothing more than it appears: a ! scruffy comedy about fame and its discontents. Matthew McConaughey stars as Ed, a white-trash rube who gets his own dawn-to-midnight TV series in which every aspect of his life, no matter how sordid or dull or embarrassing, becomes mass entertainment (it inverts Truman by having the protagonist invite the pervasive cameras). Predictably, fame makes him miserable and, unsurprisingly, he finds a way out of his predicament. Albert Brooks covered this same territory in the funnier Real Life, and it's probably not the best idea for a load of comfy celebs to preach to us about how difficult fame is. But the film is cannily cast, including a number of performers who themselves have fallen victim to stupid media tricks (McConaughey, Ellen DeGeneres as the network executive, Elizabeth Hurley as a vamp hitching her star to Ed's, and Woody Harrelson as Ed's even dumber brother). Structurally, the movie is a mess. It looks as if the filmmakers had the choice between makin! g a fully realized, two-and-a-half-hour-long movie that no one! would s it through or one that clocks in under two hours but has a lot of plot holes; they opted for the latter (Hurley's character disappears, practically without comment). Still, there are enough laughs to keep things moving, and as a shaggy dog tale it's decent fun. --David KronkeWea, 47310-2, Jewel Case 15 Track 1999dvd

PaperMate Pink Pearl Premium Medium Rubber Eraser, 3-Count (70502PP)

End Gun Violence

  • Vinyl Sticker
  • 9.25x2.5
  • In Stock

Gang- and drug-related inner-city violence, with its attendant epidemic of incarceration, is the defining crime problem in our country. In some neighborhoods in America, one out of every two hundred young black men is shot to death every year, and few initiatives of government and law enforcement have made much difference. But when David Kennedy, a self-taught and then-unknown criminologist, engineered the "Boston Miracle" in the mid-1990s, he pointed the way toward what few had imagined: a solution.


Don't Shoot tells the story of Kennedy's long journey. Riding with beat cops, hanging with gang members, and stoop-sitting with grandmothers, Kennedy found that all parties misunderstood each other, caught in a spiral of racialized anger and distrust. He envisioned an approach in which everyone-gang members, cops, and commun! ity members-comes together in what is essentially a huge intervention. Offenders are told that the violence must stop, that even the cops want them to stay alive and out of prison, and that even their families support swift law enforcement if the violence continues. In city after city, the same miracle has followed: violence plummets, drug markets dry up, and the relationship between the police and the community is reset.


This is a landmark book, chronicling a paradigm shift in how we address one of America's most shameful social problems. A riveting, page-turning read, it combines the street vérité of The Wire, the social science of Gang Leader for a Day, and the moral urgency and personal journey of Fist Stick Knife Gun. But unlike anybody else, Kennedy shows that there could be an end in sight.

Gang- and drug-related inner-city violence, with its attendant epidemic of incarceration, is the defining crime problem in our countr! y. In some neighborhoods in America, one out of every two hund! red youn g black men is shot to death every year, and few initiatives of government and law enforcement have made much difference. But when David Kennedy, a self-taught and then-unknown criminologist, engineered the "Boston Miracle" in the mid-1990s, he pointed the way toward what few had imagined: a solution.



Don't Shoot tells the story of Kennedy's long journey. Riding with beat cops, hanging with gang members, and stoop-sitting with grandmothers, Kennedy found that all parties misunderstood each other, caught in a spiral of racialized anger and distrust. He envisioned an approach in which everyone-gang members, cops, and community members-comes together in what is essentially a huge intervention. Offenders are told that the violence must stop, that even the cops want them to stay alive and out of prison, and that even their families support swift law enforcement if the violence continues. In city after city, the same miracle has followed: violence plummets! , drug markets dry up, and the relationship between the police and the community is reset.



This is a landmark book, chronicling a paradigm shift in how we address one of America's most shameful social problems. A riveting, page-turning read, it combines the street vérité of The Wire, the social science of Gang Leader for a Day, and the moral urgency and personal journey of Fist Stick Knife Gun. But unlike anybody else, Kennedy shows that there could be an end in sight.

Gang- and drug-related inner-city violence, with its attendant epidemic of incarceration, is the defining crime problem in our country. In some neighborhoods in America, one out of every two hundred young black men is shot to death every year, and few initiatives of government and law enforcement have made much difference. But when David Kennedy, a self-taught and then-unknown criminologist, engineered the "Boston Miracle" in the mid-1990s, he pointed the way to! ward what few had imagined: a solution.



D! on't Sho ot tells the story of Kennedy's long journey. Riding with beat cops, hanging with gang members, and stoop-sitting with grandmothers, Kennedy found that all parties misunderstood each other, caught in a spiral of racialized anger and distrust. He envisioned an approach in which everyone-gang members, cops, and community members-comes together in what is essentially a huge intervention. Offenders are told that the violence must stop, that even the cops want them to stay alive and out of prison, and that even their families support swift law enforcement if the violence continues. In city after city, the same miracle has followed: violence plummets, drug markets dry up, and the relationship between the police and the community is reset.



This is a landmark book, chronicling a paradigm shift in how we address one of America's most shameful social problems. A riveting, page-turning read, it combines the street vérité of The Wire, the social science o! f Gang Leader for a Day, and the moral urgency and personal journey of Fist Stick Knife Gun. But unlike anybody else, Kennedy shows that there could be an end in sight.

Over the past two decades, guitarist and preservationist Ry Cooder has quietly forged one of the most consistently compelling musical careers in film. His 1997 music for director Wim Wenders's uneven exercise in Hollywood metaphor-mongering begins with typically (dare we say it) Cooder-esque exercises in spacious, loping bottleneck electric guitar over subtle, ominous electronic effects, then interweaves cool jazz and even hip-hop influences into one of the musician's most subtle, satisfying efforts yet (featuring the talents of mixer Howie B., accordionist Flaco Jimenez, trumpeter Jon Hassell, drummer Jim Keltner, tenor sax player Gil Bernal, guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer, and son Joachim Cooder on percussion). As is so often the case with Cooder's work, it's a score to savor when the film ! has faded from memory. --Jerry McCulleyCelebrated direc! tor Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) brings Bill Pullman, Andie MacDowell, and Gabriel Byrne together in an electrifying suspense-thriller that is an "audacious and seductive" (Los Angeles Times) tale of paranoia and murder that Gene Siskel calls "one of my favorite filmsof the year!" Manufacturing on-screen violence has created an entertainment empire for fast-lane Hollywood producer Mike Max (Pullman). But when Max comes into possession of details concerning a top-secret, anti-crime satellite surveillance system, the information turns this master of imaginary mayhem into a real-life victim. Escaping into L.A.'s shadowy underworld, Max is forced into a heart-stopping confrontation with forces beyond his comprehension and violence beyond his deadliest fictional creations. Is this the end of violence...or just the beginning?If Wim Wenders falls prey to overambition in this sprawling story of identity, conscience, and voyeurism in modern Los Angeles, it pays off in a richness absent fro! m so many of Hollywood's safe, sterile films. Bill Pullman is the ostensible hero, a Roger Corman-like producer abruptly kidnapped by a pair of dim thugs who prepare to kill him in the shadow of the L.A. freeway. Gabriel Byrne watches, powerless, from on high, a meek Big Brother wired up through surveillance cameras hidden throughout the city. When Pullman disappears into the faceless population of L.A., adopted by a family of Hispanic gardeners, he begins his own covert investigation in parallel with the official inquiry conducted by movie-buff cop Loren Dean. Ostensibly a thriller, the film has little onscreen violence, but shadowy threats prowl around the edges, and echoes of unseen murders permeate the picture. The narrative is a tangle, neglecting characters and leaving the vast conspiracy more a suggestion than a fully conceived plot, possibly the victim of last-minute reworking after a disastrous showing at Cannes. But Wenders's unerring eye for image and color creat! es a stunning, often startlingly beautiful film of unsettling ! menace a nd haunting mystery, and his generosity of character fills this world with vivid personalities. Cult director Sam Fuller and character actor Henry Silva have small roles, and Traci Lind costars as a young stuntwoman with ambitions of an acting career. As always, Ry Cooder's score is superb. --Sean AxmakerCelebrated director Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) brings Bill Pullman, Andie MacDowell, and Gabriel Byrne together in an electrifying suspense-thriller that is an "audacious and seductive" (Los Angeles Times) tale of paranoia and murder that Gene Siskel calls "one of my favorite filmsof the year!" Manufacturing on-screen violence has created an entertainment empire for fast-lane Hollywood producer Mike Max (Pullman). But when Max comes into possession of details concerning a top-secret, anti-crime satellite surveillance system, the information turns this master of imaginary mayhem into a real-life victim. Escaping into L.A.'s shadowy underworld, Max is forced into a! heart-stopping confrontation with forces beyond his comprehension and violence beyond his deadliest fictional creations. Is this the end of violence...or just the beginning?If Wim Wenders falls prey to overambition in this sprawling story of identity, conscience, and voyeurism in modern Los Angeles, it pays off in a richness absent from so many of Hollywood's safe, sterile films. Bill Pullman is the ostensible hero, a Roger Corman-like producer abruptly kidnapped by a pair of dim thugs who prepare to kill him in the shadow of the L.A. freeway. Gabriel Byrne watches, powerless, from on high, a meek Big Brother wired up through surveillance cameras hidden throughout the city. When Pullman disappears into the faceless population of L.A., adopted by a family of Hispanic gardeners, he begins his own covert investigation in parallel with the official inquiry conducted by movie-buff cop Loren Dean. Ostensibly a thriller, the film has little onscreen violence, but shadowy threats ! prowl around the edges, and echoes of unseen murders permeate ! the pict ure. The narrative is a tangle, neglecting characters and leaving the vast conspiracy more a suggestion than a fully conceived plot, possibly the victim of last-minute reworking after a disastrous showing at Cannes. But Wenders's unerring eye for image and color creates a stunning, often startlingly beautiful film of unsettling menace and haunting mystery, and his generosity of character fills this world with vivid personalities. Cult director Sam Fuller and character actor Henry Silva have small roles, and Traci Lind costars as a young stuntwoman with ambitions of an acting career. As always, Ry Cooder's score is superb. --Sean AxmakerBlue and white bumper sticker calling for your involvement in helping to end gun violence.
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