Scrubs (DVD)

Scrubs, The Complete First Season: Disc 1 (2001) starring Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, John C. McGinley, Neil Flynn. This half-hour comedy about young doctors and hospital life starts with Day 1 of J.D. Dorian's (Braff) career as a medical practitioner. His friends include Turk (Faison) and Elliot Reid (Chalke). This show really started hitting its stride around Episode 4, with some laugh-out-loud fantasies from the mind of Dr. Dorian. It's one of the best comedies I've ever seen, although it never did terribly well in the Nielsen ratings. The subtitles on this DVD are excellent; they even include the lyrics to songs on the soundtrack. Grade: A

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (DVD)

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) starring Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle. Small-time crook Eddie "Fingers" Coyle (Mitchum) is facing jail time, with three kids and a wife waiting at home. It's a time when phones have rotary dials, and no one owns a cell phone or a personal computer, because they haven't been invented yet. All the cars are '60s or '70s models, naturally, because the film was made in 1973. I found the nostalgia angle more engaging than the crime story, which after all is pretty much out of date. Still, Mitchum is a powerful presence on the screen, and the drama of how he tries to avoid serving jail time is interesting to watch. Unfortunately, the finale falls a little flat. Grade: B

Raise the Red Lantern (DVD)

Raise the Red Lantern (1991) starring Gong Li. After her father's death, 19-year-old Songlian (Gong Li) marries a much older man, becoming the fourth concubine in the man's household. She finds herself in competition with the other mistresses of the house for the master's attention -- and the privileges that go with it. The interplay of personalities among the four "sisters" -- and Songlian's inability to adjust to life in the structured environment -- make for a subtly woven tapestry of a movie that can shock as well as entertain. In Chinese, with English subtitles. Grade: A

True Blood (DVD)

True Blood, Season 1, Disc 2 (2008) starring Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer. This disc contains Episodes 3 and 4 of the HBO series about telepathic Louisiana waitress Sookie (Paquin), who falls for vampire Bill Compton (Moyer). In Episode 3, Sookie meets some of Bill's evil vampire friends. Unlike Bill, they enthusiastically feed on the blood of humans. But they stay away from Sookie when Bill tells them that she is his. In Episode 4, Sookie's brother Jason gets in trouble when another woman he slept with is found murdered. Sookie, hoping to clear her brother's name, asks Bill to take her to a vampire bar called Fangtasia. When they are stopped by a patrol cop on their way back from the bar, Bill demonstrates his considerable powers of "persuasion." Overall, I found this disc less interesting than the first disc of the season. It seems less mysterious and more cliched. Grade: B-

Unforgiven (DVD)

Unforgiven (1992) starring Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, Frances Fisher. Long-retired gunslinger William Munny (Eastwood) takes one last job because he needs the money. Heading into the town of Big Whiskey, he's on a collision course with a mean sheriff called Little Bill (Hackman). When Little Bill tortures and kills Munny's partner Ned (Freeman), Munny rides into town to seek revenge. Eastwood directed this meditation on killing and being killed, which won multiple Oscars, including Best Picture and Director. My main complaint: At over two hours, it's a bit long. The subtitles are just adequate. Grade: A-

Marley & Me (DVD)

Marley & Me (2008) starring Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Alan Arkin, Kathleen Turner. John Grogan (Wilson) surprises his wife Jenny (Aniston) with a puppy for her birthday. The puppy -- named Marley, after the musician -- grows into the "worst dog in the world." John writes newspaper columns about Marley, and the dog becomes part of the family. But as the family grows, tensions mount, and at one point Jenny says they have to get rid of Marley. Things never go that far, of course. The ending is kind of weepy, but what can you expect from a movie about a dog? Arkin plays John's boss, a newspaper editor, and Turner has a cameo as the leader of an obedience school to which the Grogans take Marley. The subtitles are excellent, by the way. Grade: B

Not Another Teen Movie (DVD)

Not Another Teen Movie (2001) starring Chyler Leigh, Jaime Pressly, Chris Evans, Mia Kirshner, Randy Quaid, Ed Lauter, Cerina Vincent. Meant to be a joke-a-second send-up like "Airplane!" or "Police Squad," this movie fails only by the fact that it's not very funny. The script is lame, and the jokes are not very original. A gratuitous cameo by Mr. T doesn't really help things. I did enjoy the exchange student who always walked around nude, though. Grade: D

Weeds (DVD)

Weeds, Season 4, Disc 3 (2008) starring Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Kevin Nealon. Nancy Botwin, pot-dealing mom (Parker), goes on a hallucinogenic trip with her lover, the mayor of Tijuana. Later, she finds that the tunnel that terminates in her maternity store is being used to smuggle guns to Mexico, and -- in the other direction -- hard drugs and underage girls to America. Meanwhile, her friend Celia (Perkins) is the object of an intervention, and Doug (Nealon) smuggles his "Mermex" from south of the border. While Nancy is suffering a crisis of conscience, the show has gotten far away from its original premise. Not that that's a bad thing. Grade: B

True Blood (DVD)

True Blood, Season 1, Disc 1 (2008) starring Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer. Since I don't subscribe to HBO, I've never seen this show before. In general, I'm not enthusiastic about vampire stories, but this one has good buzz, so I thought I'd give it a try. In this first installment, Sookie, a mind-reading waitress (Paquin), meets Bill, a vampire (Moyer). She saves him from some low-life humans who are trying to steal his blood; later, he returns the favor and saves her from a vicious attack. Meanwhile, a woman in the town is murdered by a person or persons unknown. And the people who attacked Sookie turn up dead. Altogether, I was pleasantly surprised and entertained. I'll be renting more discs in the "True Blood" series. Grade: B+

Waltz with Bashir (DVD)

Waltz with Bashir (2008), animated. Utilizing muted colors in the animation, director Ari Folman documents his quest to explore the memory gaps in his life during his service for the Israeli army in the Lebanese war of the early 1980s. In several vignettes based on interviews with colleagues and friends, Folman uncovers a shocking truth: There was a massacre of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon by right-wing Christian militias during the military campaign; defenseless men, women and children were killed in a genocidal attack. This film asks the question: Who was responsible? Was it just those pulling the triggers, or was it also those who observed and did nothing? The movie was a Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. Grade: B+

Confessions of a Shopaholic (DVD)

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) starring Isla Fisher, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, Krysten Ritter. Fisher plays Rebecca Bloomwood, a journalist with dreams of working for a top fashion magazine, and a serious shopping addict. She has 12 credit cards, and all of them are maxed out. By chance, she lands a job working at a financial magazine, where the editor is inexplicably impressed by her work. This movie hangs mostly on Fisher's charm, and she is cute, but not enough to make up for a hit-or-miss script. Grade: B

Farewell My Concubine (DVD)

Farewell My Concubine (1993) starring Zhang Fengyi, Leslie Cheung, Gong Li. Epic Chinese film starts in an opera school for boys in the 1920s and '30s. The boys are routinely beaten, and no punishment short of death seems too severe. Two of the boys (Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi) become opera stars and lifelong friends, and their friendship spans over 50 years of Chinese history. One of them marries a courtesan (Gong Li), and the other must deal with his jealousy. The movie covers the period from the Warlord Era in the 1920s, through the Japanese occupation during World War II, through the short-lived Nationalist Republic, the Communist takeover, the 1966 Cultural Revolution, and on to its tragic denoument in 1977. Though this film is very long, at nearly three hours, I found myself engaged by all of it. It's beautifully filmed; however, the pleasures of Chinese opera still escape me. Extras: None Grade: A

The Reader (DVD)

The Reader (2008) starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross. In 1958 in West Berlin, young Michael (Kross) has a surprising love affair with an older woman, Hanna (Winslet). But Hanna abruptly disappears. Eight years later, as a law student, Michael attends a trial where he is surprised to see Hanna charged as a Nazi death camp guard. Fiennes plays the mature Michael, who communicates with Hanna while she is in prison. Winslet won an Oscar for her portrayal of Hanna. Although Fiennes' portion of the movie (approximately the final third) is weak, it is still worth seeing "The Reader" to witness Winslet's performance. Grade: A-

Weeds (DVD)

Weeds, Season 4, Disc 2 (2008) starring Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Kevin Nealon. Parker stars as Nancy Botwin, a suburban California mom who goes into the pot business after her husband dies. On this disc, she discovers that there is a tunnel to Mexico starting in the back room of the maternity shop she manages. She is kidnapped by a man she saw in the tunnel, and he turns out to be the mayor of Tijuana. She uses her feminine wiles to get him to supply her with "product" to sell. Then they have sex. There are several side-plots, all with interesting characters. It makes for an amusing couple of hours of viewing. Grade: B+

Singin' in the Rain (DVD)

Singin' in the Rain (1952) starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, Jean Hagen. Arguably the greatest movie musical ever made, combines humor, music and dancing to make a great entertainment. The year is 1927, and the backdrop is Hollywood's need to shift from silent films to talkies. Hagen portrays a silent-movie queen whose voice makes it impossible for her to make the switch. Kelly and Reynolds provide the romance, while O'Connor brings the laughs with his standout number, "Make 'Em Laugh." The highlight of the film is Kelly performing the title number, dancin' and singin' in the rain. The transfer to DVD is gorgeous, and the subtitles are good. Grade: A

In Treatment (DVD)

In Treatment, Season 1, Disc 9 (2008) starring Gabriel Byrne, Dianne Wiest, Melissa George. The season finale of the HBO series ties up all the stories rather neatly, as we expect TV shows to do. One patient leaves town, one couple in therapy decide to divorce, and Dr. Paul Weston (Byrne) decides he can't follow through on his love for a former patient. The disc is a little disappointing, as it offers up only three episodes, with a running time of less than 90 minutes, and seems rather slender compared with the content of previous discs. Extras: None. Grade: B+

Californication (DVD)

Californication, Season 1, Disc 1 (2007) starring David Duchovny, Natascha McElhone, Madeleine Martin, Madeline Zima, Evan Handler. Duchovny plays Hank Moody, a sexy best-selling author who is irresistible to the ladies. After moving to Los Angeles from New York, he finds himself suffering from writer's block. But that doesn't stop him from having sex with a succession of beautiful women (frequently appearing nude). With dialogue like "Shut up and fuck me," this is obviously no "Little Dorrit." The series is saturated in sex, and the writing is not all that clever. Plus, this disc lacks subtitles for the hearing-impaired, although it does have closed captions -- which can only be viewed on a TV with closed-caption capability. Grade: C

Little Dorrit: Disc 4 (DVD)

Little Dorrit: Disc 4 (2008) starring Claire Foy, Matthew Macfadyen, Andy Serkis. Amy Dorrit's (Foy) father and uncle both die in Venice, and she comes home to England to mourn. Kindly Arthur Clennam (Macfadyen) continues to delve into the mystery of his father's dying words. Mr. Merdle, a highly regarded financier, commits suicide. Having lost all his money in Merdle's Ponzi scheme, Clennam finds himself consigned to the same debtors' prison from which the Dorrits had so lately emerged. A series of events then follows, which somehow manages to resolve all the strands of plot, eliminate the villains, and bring us to a surprising happy ending. Grade: A This disc also features an excellent Extra, which is an hour-long background study, told by the actors and producers, about Dickens and his time.

Weeds (DVD)

Weeds, Season 4, Disc 1 (2008) starring Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Albert Brooks, Kevin Nealon. Parker plays Nancy Botwin, a suburban California mom who turned to growing pot when she was in financial straits after her husband died. Brooks joins the cast as Nancy's neurotic father-in-law, who spends all his spare time at the track. Perkins is funny as Nancy's former friend who at first takes the rap for her, then rats her out. In Season 4 of the Showtime series, Nancy and her clan move south to set up shop in the beach town of Ren Mar, near the Mexican border. The action includes a drug run to Tijuana, a mercy killing, a lot of pot smoking, corrupt police, illegal aliens sneaking across the border in a pudding truck, and oh, did I mention the pot smoking? Grade: For pure entertainment value, A

In Treatment (DVD)

In Treatment, Season 1, Disc 8 (2008) starring Gabriel Byrne Dianne Wiest, Melissa George, Blair Underwood. This would have been Week 8 of the HBO series, and major changes are afoot. Alex (Underwood) has died in a training accident, and Dr. Weston (Byrne) is no longer seeing Laura (George) as a patient. Furthermore, Weston is having doubts about the efficacy of psychotherapy, as he reveals to his own therapist, Dr. Gina Toll (Wiest). And Dr. Toll reveals intimate details about her own life. For the series overall, Grade: A-

Ashes of Time Redux (2008)

Ashes of Time Redux (2008) starring Leslie Cheung. In ancient China, a swordsman retreats to the desert to recover from the sting of an affair gone wrong. There, he acts as a middleman, hiring warriors for various tasks. This recut of the director's 1994 wuxia epic eventually features lots of stylized swordplay, but the Chinese philosophy, language and mindset behind the film make it confounding, at least to me. The movie is poetic and beautifully photographed, and after I saw it I felt that I had seen something, but I just wasn't sure what. Grade: B-

Little Dorrit: Disc 2 (DVD)

Little Dorrit: Disc 2 (2008) starring Claire Foy, Matthew Macfadyen, Andy Serkis. This disc includes episodes 5-8, in which the Dorrit family discover that they are heir to a large estate, and are thus saved from debtors' prison. Mr. Dorrit's reaction to his new-found wealth is quite surprising, and not very pleasant. Meanwhile, Arthur Clennam (Macfadyen) remains a good friend to the Dorrits, while they (except Amy [Foy]) turn their backs on him. The coming into wealth of the Dorrits is not the happy ending to this Dickensian tale. Grade: A-

Revolutionary Road (DVD)

Revolutionary Road (2008) starring Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Shannon. Set in the mid-1950s, this story follows the Wheelers (Winslet and DiCaprio), a young couple in suburban Connecticut who try desperately to confront the problems in their relationship while raising two children. Early on, the Wheelers decide that they will chuck their stifling existence and move to Paris. But right after the decision is made, Frank Wheeler (DiCaprio) gets an enticing business offer. And April Wheeler (Winslet) becomes pregnant. Then the two begin a series of escalating arguments; they both have affairs. If you're looking for a happy ending, forget it. The film's main weakness is DiCaprio, who doesn't seem mature enough as an actor or as a person to fill his role. Otherwise, it's a fine movie. Grade: B+

Defiance (DVD)

Defiance (2008) starring Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, George McKay. In 1941, four Jewish brothers flee the Nazi death squads in Belorussia and take sanctuary in the forest. Soon, they are joined by other surviving Jews, young and old, male and female, and a partisan community is formed. With their intimate knowledge of the countryside, the partisans are able to survive and fight back against Nazis and Nazi sympathizers who come hunting for them. But the two oldest brothers, Tuvia (Craig) and Zus (Schreiber) find that they have different philosophies on how a resistance should be fought. They go their separate ways -- but they are brothers, and end up back together. This movie is at times exciting (the battle scenes) and at times moving, and well worth renting. Grade: A-

Yes Man (DVD)

Yes Man (2008) starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel. Carl (Carrey) is unhappy, still pining for his ex-wife three years after his divorce. After attending an inspirational rally, he resolves to say "yes" to everything that comes his way. At first, the Philosophy of Yes seems to be working for him. He meets a girl named Allison (Deschanel) and she invites him to attend her 6 a.m. photography-jogging class. Naturally, he says yes. Things go well between them -- until Homeland Security takes an interest in Carl's varied activities. Ultimately, Carl comes to the pretty obvious conclusion that you don't have to say yes to everything for the philosophy to work, and the movie's ending is a bit of an anticlimax. Still, it's an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. Grade: B

Little Dorrit: Disc 1 (DVD)

Little Dorrit (2008) starring Claire Foy, Matthew Macfadyen, Andy Serkis. BBC miniseries based on the Charles Dickens novel; this first disc introduces all the characters and sets the stage for later events in the drama. In the first four episodes, contained on this disc, we meet Little Amy Dorrit (Foy) and her benefactor, the kindly Arthur Clennam (Macfadyen). We learn that Little Dorrit lives with her father in debtors' prison, and that Clennam does not get on well with his shrewish mother. The subtitles on this disc are very well done, and quite welcome. All in all, a promising start. Grade: B+

The Graduate (DVD)

The Graduate (1967) starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross. Hoffman's first major film role finds him playing Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate who is searching for direction in life. Seduced by the wife (Bancroft) of his father's business partner, he in turn falls in love with her daughter, Elaine (Ross). Truly a landmark film of the late 1960s, enhanced by Simon and Garfunkel's soundtrack. Oddly enough, the most poignant part of this film, for me, was Benjamin's visit to Berkeley to find Elaine. I lived in Berkeley in the late '60s, and the Berkeley in this film bears little resemblance to the living, breathing, hippie-fied place that I experienced. The landmarks are the same, but the people are different. Still, a great film. Only flaw is the DVD's lack of subtitles for the hearing-impaired. Grade: A-

Star Trek

Star Trek (2009) starring John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana. This "Star Trek" is obviously aimed at young audiences ("not your father's 'Star Trek' "), and it was a miss for me. As someone who has loyally followed "Star Trek" since the '60s TV show, I found that I was basically bored with this version of the Trek universe. Seeing it in a theater did not enhance the experience for me, and it seemed like just a lot of sound and fury. Plus, it cost $6.50 for a matinee show -- that's a third of an entire month's Netflix dues! Not worth it. Grade: B-

Manny & Lo (DVD)

Manny & Lo (1996) starring Scarlett Johansson, Aleksa Palladino, Mary Kay Place. Manny (Johansson) and Lo (Palladino) are two young sisters on the run from foster care, living on whatever they can steal from convenience stores along the way. When they find out that sixteen-year-old Lo is seven months pregnant, they take desperate measures -- kidnapping a woman (Place) from a local maternity store, and holing up in a stranger's vacation cabin. From there, the plot just gets weirder and funnier. The movie's only serious flaw is that this DVD does not include subtitles for the hearing-impaired, so some bits of dialogue got past me. Grade: B+

An American Rhapsody (DVD)

An American Rhapsody (2001) starring Scarlett Johansson. During a harrowing escape from Communist Hungary in 1953, a family becomes separated; despite their plans, the baby Suzanne is left behind in the Hungarian countryside, to be raised by a peasant couple. While her family lives and thrives in Los Angeles, Suzanne (Johansson) becomes a happy little girl in Hungary. Brought to America at the age of 6, she grows into a rebellious teenager, smoking and drinking and resenting her immigrant parents. At last, she holds her father to a promise he made when she was young, and she goes back to Budapest for a visit. The events that unfold there make for a fitting and moving climax to this unusual story. Grade: A

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (DVD)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett. Born in 1918, Benjamin Button (Pitt) ages backward from age 80. Blanchett plays Daisy, the love of his life, who ages normally -- and therein lies the dramatic tension of the movie. Benjamin and Daisy seem fated to be together, but because of his condition, they can't be. In spite of the interesting subject matter, this film left me unsatisfied. The main reason, as best I can tell, is Brad Pitt's performance. Instead of playing Benjamin Button as a young man in an old body, growing into a mature man in a young body, he does the reverse -- Benjamin as a "baby" seems unnaturally mature, and as an "old man" seems childish. It might have been difficult to play the other way, but I think it would have been more convincing and more moving. Besides, the movie is two hours, forty-five minutes long. Grade: B-

Bolt (DVD)

Bolt (2008) featuring the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus. A "superdog" has to face the hard facts of life when he escapes from the TV set and finds himself in the real world, where he is just an ordinary dog. After accidentally being shipped from Hollywood to New York, he sets off on a cross-country trek to rejoin his "person." The animation is remarkable, and the story will tug at your heartstrings, in this enjoyable film. That said, seeing it at home on TV is probably not anywhere near as good as it would have been in 3D in a movie theater. The subtitles are excellent. Grade: B+

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (DVD)

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis. Gilbert Grape (Depp) is the "man of the house," older brother to Arnie (DiCaprio), an 18-year-old with the mind of a child. Gilbert's mother is morbidly obese, and his younger sister is nothing but trouble. They live in a tumbledown house in a small town, where not much of anything ever happens -- until one day a new girl (Lewis) arrives in town, upsetting the order of things. The result is an involving movie, with a satisfying ending. Grade: B+

Valkyrie (DVD)

Valkyrie (2008) starring Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson. During World War II, there were 15 attempts within Germany to assassinate Adolph Hitler. This movie tells the story of one of them, perhaps the most dramatic one and the one that came closest to success. It's a daring plan, inherently exciting -- but if you have any knowledge of history, you know how it turns out. That is the fatal flaw of an otherwise well-made movie. Cruise's performance is a little flat, but he plays a noble character who attempts a brave deed. It's involving, if a little confusing. Grade: B

The Incredibles (DVD)

The Incredibles (2004) with voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter. A family of superheroes is in hiding because society disapproves of their use of their special powers. But of course, they are called out of retirement to fight Syndrome, a super-villain who lives on an isolated island. The animation (by Pixar) is superb, and the story is clever and funny. Grade: A

Finding Neverland (DVD)

Finding Neverland (2004) starring Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman. Depp stars as J.M. Barrie, author of "Peter Pan." Winslet plays Mrs. Davies, mother to the four boys who provide Barrie with the inspiration for Peter and the Lost Boys. It's really quite a magical movie, but with a tragic element. Definitely worth seeing. Grade: A-

The Cooler (DVD)

The Cooler (2003) starring William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Alec Baldwin. Macy stars as Bernie Lootz, a Las Vegas fixture whose luck is so bad that he can cool off lucky streaks of gamblers in the casinos. His own luck starts to turn when he falls in love with a cocktail waitress named Natalie (Bello) -- and unfortunately, when Bernie's happy, he loses his ability to perform his job. Baldwin is convincing as the crooked -- and violent -- casino chief. Grade: B+

Doubt (DVD)

Doubt (2008) starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis. Set in 1964 in a Catholic elementary school in the Bronx -- strict Sister Aloysius (Streep) begins to have doubts about one of the priests, the personable Father Flynn (Hoffman). Streep is, as always, excellent in her portrayal of the well-intentioned but misguided nun. Hoffman and Adams both hold their own when they share the screen with her. Did Father Flynn have an improper relationship with one of his students? You will have to decide for yourself. (Note: The subtitles are excellent.) Grade: B+

The Day The Earth Stood Still (DVD)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) starring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly. Reeves plays Klaatu, an alien in human form who has been sent to Earth on a mysterious mission. Connelly is the woman scientist who has gained his trust and ends up driving him around. I can't really recommend this movie. It's incoherent and hardly has any plot at all. Grade: C

Little Women (DVD)

Little Women (1994) starring Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Christian Bale, Eric Stoltz, Gabriel Byrne. In Civil War-era New England, the four March sisters and their mother battle the vicissitudes of life while the father of the family is away at war. If any movie ever merited the label "chick flick," this is it. And a tear-jerker, to boot. But I couldn't help becoming absorbed in the lives of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March. It was refreshing to see Winona Ryder in her pre-shoplifting days. Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. Grade: A-

Frozen River (DVD)

Frozen River (2008) starring Melissa Leo, Misty Upham. On a Mohawk reservation on the Canadian border, two desperate women team up to smuggle illegal immigrants into the U.S. The work provides the women with much-needed money, but each trip puts them in ever greater danger. It's a taut drama, but this DVD lacks the crucial element of English subtitles for the hearing impaired. Movie: A- DVD: F

Remember the Titans (DVD)

Remember the Titans (2000) starring Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Kip Pardue, Donald Faison, Kate Bosworth, Ryan Gosling, Earl Poitier, Hayden Panettiere. Moving, fact-based drama about the forced integration of a high school football team in 1971 in Alexandria, Va. Washington plays Herman Boone, the African-American who is given the nod to be head coach of the team. It's a well acted, well directed film with many actors who would rise to greater fame. Grade: A

Superman Returns (DVD)

Superman Returns (2006) starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, Parker Posey, Eva Marie Saint. After five years' absence, Superman (Routh) comes back to Earth to face a challenge from an old nemesis, Lex Luthor (Spacey). Meanwhile, Superman's true love Lois Lane (Bosworth) has moved on while he was gone, and now has a fiance and a son. There's not much new in this movie -- the special effects are OK, but the script is weak. Grade: C+

Wendy and Lucy (DVD)

Wendy and Lucy (2008) starring Michelle Williams. Homeless woman named Wendy (Williams) tries to travel to Alaska in search of a good-paying job. She becomes stranded in Oregon when her car conks out, and her dog Lucy goes missing after Wendy is busted for shoplifting. It's a sad little film, without a happy ending, but it has something to say about the plight of the homeless and the poor. There, but for the grace of God, go you or I. Grade: B

Two Weeks Notice (DVD)

Two Weeks Notice (2002) starring Sandra Bullock, Hugh Grant, Alicia Witt. Bullock plays Lucy Kelson, a socially conscious lawyer who goes to work for the enemy, developer George Wade (Grant). When she tries to give her notice, he makes it difficult for her to leave. Naturally, they fall in love. This is a moderately amusing Rom-Com, leaning heavily on the charms of its lead actors to carry the day. Grade: B

Frost/Nixon (DVD)

Frost/Nixon (2008) starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Toby Jones, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt. British talk show host David Frost (Sheen) scored a series of TV interviews with former president Richard Nixon (Langella) in 1977. This movie tells the story of how the interviews were arranged, the preparations by both sides, the conduct of the interviews, the strategy, and the adversarial nature of the conversations. It's a surprisingly compelling film about a series of interviews. Directed by Ron Howard. Grade: A-

What a Girl Wants (DVD)

What a Girl Wants (2003) starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth. Fun chick flick about an American teenager named Daphne (Bynes) who goes to England to find her real father (Firth). Bynes is adorable, of course, and she does pratfalls well. After a detour in which she tries to adapt herself to British high society, Daphne decides that it's just best to be herself. And wouldn't you know it, everyone gets their happily ever after. Grade: B

Rachel, Rachel (DVD)

Rachel, Rachel (1968) starring Joanne Woodward, James Olson, Estelle Parsons. Woodward plays an unmarried 35-year-old teacher, living with her mother. During summer vacation, she meets a man (Olson), someone she knew as a youth. She spins fantasies around him, the first man she's ever been with. But the story takes an unexpected turn. Produced and directed by Woodward's husband, Paul Newman, this movie earned Oscar nominations in several categories. Grade: B+

Milk (DVD)

Milk (2008) starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Victor Garber. Penn won an Oscar for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, the openly gay activist who was elected supervisor in 1978 in San Francisco, then assassinated. The film is a moving testimony to the beginnings of the gay rights movement. Not for homophobes. Grade: A

A Walk to Remember (DVD)

A Walk to Remember (2002) starring Mandy Moore, Shane West. Moore plays preacher's daughter Jamie Sullivan, and West plays bad boy Landon Carter, who is cast opposite her in a school play. To their friends' and families' surprise, the two fall in love. Then tragedy intervenes. It's played for maximum pathos, and it succeeds. A real tear-jerker. Grade: B

The Wrestler (DVD)

The Wrestler (2008) starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood. Rourke stars as over-the-hill professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson, Tomei is his stripper love interest Cassidy, and Wood plays his estranged daughter, Stephanie. After suffering a heart attack in the locker room, the Ram tries to reconnect with his daughter, but she doesn't want anything to do with him. When his job at a deli counter proves to be unbearable, he decides to go back to wrestling, against doctor's advice. The final wrestling bout forms the climax to the movie. It's well acted, well scripted, noble, funny and tragic. Grade: A-

The Great Dictator (DVD)

The Great Dictator (1940) starring Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin plays dual roles in his take on Adolph Hitler, made shortly after the start of the Second World War. Chaplin portrays Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of Tomainia, and also an amnesiac Jewish barber who looks exactly like Hynkel. The barber, captured and sentenced to a prison camp, escapes just in time for a case of mistaken identity -- he is taken for Hynkel, and gets his chance to deliver an impassioned speech in favor of liberty and democracy. It's a bit heavy handed, but makes for an OK film. Grade: B

Meet Me in St. Louis (DVD)

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) starring Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien. Corny but charming slice of Americana set in 1903 in St. Louis. A family struggles with the father's decision to take a job in New York -- nobody really wants to move. Songs include "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "The Trolley Song," sung by Garland. O'Brien is unforgettable as the rambunctious young Tootie. Grade: A-

Role Models (DVD)

Role Models (2008) starring Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Elizabeth Banks. A couple of slackers (Rudd and Scott) get on the wrong side of the law, and are sentenced to community service with the Sturdy Wings mentoring program. They make an odd pairing with the two kids they are assigned to, and the comedy evolves from there. This is a moderately funny, profoundly profane movie with a happy ending, and it didn't hurt me any to watch it. Grade: B

The Wizard of Oz (DVD)

The Wizard of Oz (1939) starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley. Classic fantasy has weathered the years well, and in this restored version the colors are vibrant. The flying monkeys have been known to traumatize some young children, so be warned. The subtitles are superb -- even the song lyrics can be seen. Grade: B+

Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi (DVD)

Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher. Princess Leia (Fisher) in a gold bikini! A speeder chase through the forest of Endor! Ewoks! This final film in the Star Wars saga has it all, as Luke Skywalker (Hamill) heads toward his ultimate confrontation with the evil Lord Darth Vader. Though not the best of the Star Wars movies, this one packs a satisfying emotional wallop. Grade: B+

Rachel Getting Married (DVD)

Rachel Getting Married (2008) starring Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Debra Winger. Hathaway plays drama-queen/recovering-addict Kym, who is released from rehab just in time to attend her sister Rachel's (DeWitt) wedding. It's pretty much a given that the family will be dysfunctional, but there is a reveal about halfway through the movie that shows there are special circumstances involved in the dysfunction of this family. It's the mark of a good film that I found myself eager to find out what would happen next. The only criticism I have is that this disc lacks the crucial feature of subtitles for the hearing-impaired, and I couldn't hear a lot of the rat-a-tat dialogue. Hathaway was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. Grade: B-

Tell No One (DVD)

Tell No One (2006) starring Francois Cluzet, Kristin Scott Thomas. "The Fugitive" with a French twist. Pediatrician Alexandre Beck (Cluzet) was the prime suspect in his wife's murder eight years ago, and when two bodies are found buried near his home, he becomes a suspect once again. He receives anonymous emails suggesting his wife is still alive, but is soon framed in another murder and ends up running from the police. Meanwhile, a shadowy organization pursues both him and his wife, using any means necessary. I was entertained, but by the end of the film I was so confused that it all seemed like one big jumbled-up mess. In French, with English subtitles. Grade: B-

Slumdog Millionaire (DVD)

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) starring Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto. Winner of the Best Picture Oscar for 2008, "Slumdog Millionaire" has a lot to like. It's not so satisfying to watch on a home TV, however, even on DVD. The scenes in Hindi have subtitles that are nearly impossible to read, and many location and time cues also appear onscreen in type that is too small to read on a home screen. This ends up making the film more confusing than it needs to be, and some plot elements appear to be unexplained. It's a shame, because I sense I might have liked it more without these shortcomings. Grade: B

Elegy (DVD)

Elegy (2007) starring Ben Kingsley, Penelope Cruz. Older man (Kingsley) starts affair with much younger woman (Cruz), with life-changing results. The movie takes unexpected turns, and ends up being deeply moving. Adapted from the Philip Roth novel, "The Dying Animal." Grade: A-

Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (DVD)

Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, voice of James Earl Jones as Darth Vader. The second "Star Wars" movie is also the best, with nearly non-stop action, a little romance, and a startling revelation from Darth Vader. The film has been digitally mastered for the DVD, and the picture and sound are excellent. The music by John Williams is a plus. Grade: A

In Treatment (DVD)

In Treatment: Season 1: Disc 1 (2008) starring Gabriel Byrne, Melissa George, Blair Underwood, Josh Charles, Embeth Davidtz, Dianne Wiest. Psychoanalyst Paul Weston (Byrne) sees a variety of clients in the five episodes on this disc, plus -- at the end of the week -- makes a visit to his own therapist, Dr. Gina Toll (Wiest). This is a DVD treatment of an HBO series, and I'll have to see more episodes before I can evaluate it, but it looks very promising. Grade so far: B+

Run Lola Run (DVD)

Run Lola Run (1998) starring Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu. Potente plays Lola, whose boyfriend Manni (Bleibtreu) has just told her frantically over the phone that he needs 100,000 Marks to pay off a mob debt. (Marks, because it's a German movie with English subtitles.) Lola sets off on a desperate run across town to try and get the money and deliver it to him in 20 minutes. The viewer is treated to three alternate realities of how the run might have gone, all with markedly different outcomes. It's an interesting experiment in film making, and Potente is appealing. Grade: B

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (DVD)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) starring Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Penelope Cruz. Cruz won an Oscar for her supporting role as Bardem's insanely jealous ex-wife, who arrives in Barcelona to find that he has taken up with a pair of American tourists (Johansson and Hall). The Spanish atmosphere of the film has a genuine feel, but unfortunately the movie lacks a strong narrative arc. Something of a disappointment, although Cruz is good. Grade: C+

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (DVD)

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness. Thirty years later, the magic is still there. The film has a retro look now, what with the '70s hair and clothing styles, but it suits. Great music by John Williams carries the movie. C-3PO and R2-D2 are a hoot. Grade: B+

Monty Python's Life of Brian (DVD)

Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) starring the usual suspects from the Monty Python troupe. Born in Bethlehem the same night as Jesus, Brian lives a pretty ordinary life -- until he grows to manhood and joins the People's Front of Judea, an anti-Roman organization. He has a run-in with the Romans, and later is mistaken for the Messiah by a mob in Jerusalem. The usual Python nonsense transpires throughout the movie, which is only intermittently funny. There are some good bits, but it doesn't measure up to the best of Monty Python's work. Grade: B-

Play It Again, Sam (DVD)

Play It Again, Sam (1972) starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts. Allen plays a nebbish named Allan whose wife divorces him after two years of marriage, leaving him feeling lost and lonely. His friends Dick and Linda (Roberts and Keaton) try to fix him up with a replacement girl, but overanxious Allan strikes out with all of them. A brilliant, funny script -- written by Allen, based on his Broadway show -- combined with Allen's slapstick talent, makes this movie a joy to watch. I laughed out loud several times. Grade: A

Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

Million Dollar Baby (2004) starring Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Hilary Swank. Young boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) has a tough time convincing trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) to take her on, but the two eventually bond while she wins a series of fights. Then, in her championship bout, the movie turns from what seems like a sports movie into a drama about life and death. The fight scenes are exciting, the script is moving, and the moral dilemma is deeply felt. The acting is superb. Grade: A

Chaplin (DVD)

Chaplin (1992) starring Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Hopkins, Dan Aykroyd, Kevin Kline, and a large, talented supporting cast. Downey won Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his portrayal of comic icon Charlie Chaplin in this film biography. Kline is excellent as his friend and confidant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. At two hours and twenty minutes, the movie is a bit long; it's also rather melancholy. But I enjoyed it. Grade: B+

Synecdoche, New York (DVD)

Synecdoche, New York (2008) starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener. Written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, this is a truly weird movie, and not in a good way. To top it off, it lacks subtitles for the hard of hearing, so I missed half of the dialogue. Grade: F

Changeling (DVD)

Changeling (2008) starring Angelina Jolie, Jeffrey Donovan, John Malkovich. A single mother (Jolie) reports her son missing in March of 1928. Weeks later, to her joy, the police tell her they have found her son. But the boy they present to her as her lost Walter is not her son, and she knows it as soon as she sees him. The police captain (Donovan), for public relations reasons, is determined to convince her that the boy is really her son; but she can't be convinced, for who would know her own son better than a mother? What follows is shocking, especially since it's said to be a true story. Jolie was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. On the down side, the ending lacks closure, and the film's two hour, twenty minute running time is a little outside my comfort zone. Grade: B+

Happy-Go-Lucky (DVD)

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) starring Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Alexis Zegerman, Karina Fernandez. Poppy (Hawkins) is a 30-year-old primary school teacher who is perpetually, unnaturally cheerful. When her bike is stolen, she decides to take driving lessons, and she is paired with a slightly maniacal driving teacher named Scott (Marsan). The movie is like a tapestry of Poppy's life, and it is quite charming. Hawkins won a Golden Globe for her performance. Grade: B+

Australia (DVD)

Australia (2008) starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman. Kidman sports the most unflattering hair style I've ever seen her wear in this would-be epic Western set in 1939 in (where else) Australia. She plays Lady Sarah Ashley, who inherits a cattle ranch when her husband, Lord Ashley, is killed. It falls to her and the Drover (Jackman) to drive the ranch's entire herd across the outback and onto a ship in Darwin, where the cattle will feed the troops in World War II. That much action alone would be enough to make an entire movie, but this movie is just at the halfway point when the cattle arrive in Darwin. There's still an hour and a half to go, but luckily the movie becomes much more entertaining in the second half. It's mostly about Lady Ashley's efforts to adopt a half-caste aboriginal boy, mixed in with the Japanese bombing of Darwin, which ushered Australia into World War II. First half: D. Second half: B. Grade: C

To Kill a Mockingbird (DVD)

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) starring Gregory Peck, Brock Peters, Phillip Alford, Mary Badham. Peck won an Oscar for his portrayal of Atticus Finch, a small-town lawyer in Alabama during the Depression. Finch is called on to defend an African-American (Peters) against a rape charge, and to try to explain the ugliness of the world to the Finch children, Jem and Scout (Alford and Badham). It's a trial drama, a tragedy, and an atmospheric evocation of childhood all in one movie; it's an American classic. Robert Duvall made his film debut as Boo Radley. Grade: A-

Touch of Evil (DVD)

Touch of Evil (1958) starring Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, Janet Leigh. Heston plays Mexican detective Mike Vargas, who locks horns with corpulent American sheriff Hank Quinlan (Welles) after a car crossing the Mexico-U.S. border explodes before his eyes. The newlywed Vargas forsakes his bride (Leigh) to mount an investigation, but soon finds that Quinlan is a shady cop who's not above planting evidence or colluding with the local crime lord to keep Vargas from discovering the ugly truth. Unfortunately, it's all badly dated and doesn't live up to current standards of cinematic excellence. This movie is a laughable mess that is a chore to watch, not an entertainment. The part involving drugs is especially ridiculous. Grade: C-

I've Loved You So Long (DVD)

I've Loved You So Long (2008) starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Elsa Zylberstein. Juliette (Scott Thomas) comes to stay with her sister Lea (Zylberstein) after spending 15 years in prison for murder. The two sisters try to rebuild their fractured relationship while Juliette tries to adjust to life outside prison. Not surprisingly, the film builds to a major reveal about the "murder" Juliette was imprisoned for, and we learn that she is not quite as guilty as we had been led to believe. All in all, a well made movie and a story well told. Grade: B+

Little Miss Sunshine (DVD)

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, Alan Arkin. Dysfunctional family takes road trip so the the youngest member (Breslin) can enter the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Each of the six members of the extended family has his or her own personality quirks, and the Volkswagen bus they travel has its own quirks, too. They interact in unexpected ways, and there are several hilarious episodes along the way. The grand finale, the beauty pageant itself, does not disappoint -- in fact it is the high point of the movie. This independent production is definitely worth seeing. Grade: A

House of Sand and Fog (DVD)

House of Sand and Fog (2003) starring Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard, Frances Fisher. Connelly is almost too beautiful for this role, in which she portrays Kathy Nicolo, an alcoholic who finds herself evicted from her home -- inherited from her father -- for nonpayment of taxes. Kingsley plays an Iranian exile who sees in the house an opportunity for his family to bootstrap itself up in class. He buys the house at auction, but he doesn't anticipate Kathy's fierce determination to get her house back. With the help of a deputy sheriff (Eldard) who has taken a shine to her, Kathy brings pressure on the Iranian family to surrender the house. It's a situation that practically guarantees that there can be no happy ending to the film, and sure enough it ends in tragedy. The movie tries, perhaps a bit too hard, to be poetic. It almost gets there. Grade: B+

Written on the Wind (DVD)

Written on the Wind (1956) starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone. Melodrama with Stack as Kyle, an alcoholic Texas oil millionaire who manages to sweep Lucy (Bacall) off her feet and into marriage. Hudson plays his best friend Mitch, who is also in love with Lucy, and Malone portrays Marylee, Kyle's sister, who has a lifelong crush on Mitch. The love lines get tangled as Kyle and Lucy have trouble conceiving a child, and jealous Marylee casts suspicion on Mitch. It's all a bit overwrought, and Stack in particular is unconvincing. Grade: B

It's a Wonderful Life (DVD)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Henry Travers. If you've watched this movie during the Christmas season when it shows up on broadcast TV, you'll notice on the DVD the improved quality of the image, the lack of constant commercial interruptions, and the fact that scenes haven't been left out to fit into a time slot. If you're like me, you'll turn on the subtitles and catch all the dialogue you've been missing, too. This sentimental favorite delivers the tears and laughter every time, and who can deny its charm? Stewart stars as George Bailey, frustrated small-town banker, who thinks all is lost and contemplates taking his own life. An angel named Clarence (Travers) is sent down to show him what the world would have been like without him, and Stewart expertly plays the man who finds that his world has dissolved. Grade: A-

I Served the King of England (DVD)

I Served the King of England (2006) starring Ivan Barnev. An opportunistic young waiter in pre-World War II Czechoslovakia dreams of someday becoming rich and owning his own hotel. He survives the war and his wish is granted -- only to be snatched away by events in the post-war period. Pretty entertaining, but suffers from ever-present voice over. Grade: B

Kung Fu Panda (DVD)

Kung Fu Panda (2008) with the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane, Michael Clarke Duncan. Lazy Po (Black) is a panda who dreams of being a kung fu fighter, but seemingly lacks the discipline to make the grade. Destiny, however, chooses him to be the hero who will protect his peaceful valley from a master criminal. Pretty good animation, but if you're a stickler for logic, forget it. Grade: B+

Titanic (DVD)

Titanic (1997) starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet. The most popular movie of all time (based on box-office receipts) delivers on several different levels, with a sincere love story and absolutely top-notch special effects showing the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Grade: A

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (DVD)

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) starring Michael Cera, Kat Dennings. The two stars spend a night in Manhattan sharing their opinions on music and life. Grade: B+

Wanted (DVD)

Wanted (2008) starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie. A young cubicle-dweller (McAvoy) finds himself recruited by a band of modern-day assassins (including Freeman and Jolie). The assassins refer to themselves as the Fraternity. The hook: The young man's father was a member of the Fraternity, and he has just been killed. Now the members of the Fraternity are giving the son the chance to take over where his father's work left off -- and eventually get revenge. Or so they tell him. Based on a series of comics books, this movie has some pretty great special effects but a very flimsy plot. Grade: B-

The Secret Life of Bees (DVD)

The Secret Life of Bees (2008) starring Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifa, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, Paul Bettany. Set in 1964 in the American South, 14-year-old Lily (Fanning) escapes her dreary existence with her abusive father and heads to a nearby town with her friend and caregiver, Rosaleen (Hudson). Racial tensions are high, as President Johnson has just signed the Civil Rights Bill. But Lily and Rosaleen find a safe place to stay on the honey farm of three black sisters, August (Latifa), May (Okonedo) and June (Keys) Boatwright. Thanks to a strong performance by young Fanning, this is a movie which captures the spirit of the book it is based on. Adapted from the novel by Sue Monk Kidd. Grade: A-

The Terminator (DVD)

The Terminator (1984) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton. Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as a soulless cyborg from the future who has been sent back to assassinate Sarah Connor (Hamilton), who is destined to be the mother of a human resistance leader in the future war between man and machine. Biehn is effective as the human soldier who has been sent back from the same future to protect her. The action is non-stop, with new layers of the story gradually revealed so that the viewer has the pleasure of discovering them as the movie progresses. This is a seminal science-fiction movie, and well worth seeing for fans of the genre. Grade: A-

The Pink Panther (DVD)

The Pink Panther (1963) starring David Niven, Peter Sellers, Claudia Cardinale, Robert Wagner. Princess Dala (Cardinale) arrives at a posh resort with her precious "Panther" -- a large pink diamond with a flaw in the shape of a leaping panther. A debonair thief (Niven) tries to take possession of the jewel, while the comically clumsy Inspector Clouseau (Sellers) tries to protect her. The sight of a rather mature Niven trying to seduce the young and beautiful Cardinale is rather jarringly unfunny. Plus, there are long stretches of nonsense which do little to advance the plot and which contain no moments of humor. It's all terribly dated. Grade: B-

The General (DVD)

The General (1927) starring Buster Keaton, Marion Mack. Silent film in which Johnnie Gray (Keaton), rejected by the Confederate Army at the beginning of the Civil War, ends up battling Union spies who have stolen his beloved locomotive, the General. Meanwhile, coincidentally, his beloved Annabelle (Mack) has been kidnapped by the same men who stole his train. Pursuing them in a borrowed locomotive, Gray passes the advancing armies and ends up behind enemy lines. Hilarity (and slapstick) ensue. It's not much to get excited about, but as an example of early movies, it's harmless fun. Grade: B

Snatch (DVD)

Snatch (2000) starring Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina, Vinnie Jones, Brad Pitt, Rade Serbedzija, Jason Statham, Alan Ford, Mike Reid, Jason Flemyng, Stephen Graham. Director Guy Ritchie juggles several interlocking plots involving a stolen 84-carat diamond and everybody's desire to possess it. Set in London, the movie has many characters, all speaking different dialects of English. Luckily, the subtitles are excellent. Grade: B

Chariots of Fire (DVD)

Chariots of Fire (1981) starring Ian Charleson, Ben Cross, Ian Holm. Long-distance runners in post-World War I England face off in a quest to bring Olympic glory to Great Britain. More than just an athletic contest, their rivalry is framed as a clash between Christian and Jew. Based on a true story. Winner of the 1981 Academy Award for Best Picture. Instantly recognizable music by Vangelis. Grade: B+

The Wackness (DVD)

The Wackness (2008) starring Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Famke Janssen, Olivia Thirlby, Mary-Kate Olsen. Peck plays a teenage drug dealer named Luke in '90s New York City, coping with the summer between his high school graduation and college. He trades marijuana for therapy sessions from Dr. Squires (Kingsley), and falls for Dr. Squires' stepdaughter Stephanie (Thirlby). It's kind of a coming-of-age story; in the final act, the protagonist and his family get evicted from their upper East Side apartment. To top it off, the disc lacks English subtitles. Grade: D

The Sting (DVD)

The Sting (1973) starring Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Robert Shaw. Small-time con man Johnny Hooker (Redford) hooks up with veteran flim-flam man Henry Gondorff (Newman) to fleece a homicidal racketeer (Shaw) in 1930s Chicago. The fascination of the film, other than the chemistry of the stars, lies in learning how the "big con" works and watching it carried out. The first time you see it it's a real mind-blower. The movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Grade: B+

Liar Liar (DVD)

Liar Liar (1997) starring Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Justin Cooper, Jennifer Tilly. Lawyer Fletcher Reede (Carrey) is an expert liar. But his lying ways have destroyed his marriage to Audrey (Tierney) and threaten to damage his relationship with his son Max (Cooper). When Max makes a birthday wish that his dad can't lie, it comes true. Fletcher finds he's incapable of lying, and his uncontrollable urge to blurt out the truth threatens a case he's working on -- and his career. Carrey is at his rubber-faced best as he acts out the inner turmoil of a man striving to lie but unable to do so. In general, I like Jim Carrey; but in general, I don't like Jim Carrey movies. This one is an exception -- I loved it. Grade: A

The X-Files: I Want to Believe (DVD)

The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008) starring David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet. Former FBI agents Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson) are drawn into a missing-persons case that soon becomes something much more sinister. It comes off as an extra long, extra gruesome episode of the old "X-Files" TV series -- not necessarily a bad thing. Grade: B

Appaloosa (DVD)

Appaloosa (2008) starring Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, Jeremy Irons, Renee Zellweger, Lance Henriksen. A malicious, land-hungry rancher (Irons) kills the marshal of Appaloosa and two deputies, and two guns-for-hire (Mortensen, Harris) are brought in to restore law and order to the frontier town. The two lawmen are more than up to the job, but when the widow Mrs. French (Zellweger) arrives in town, the dynamics of the situation change. The movie could have used tightening up, and runs on about a half-hour too long. Plus, I'd swear some of the plot devices are recycled from other movies. Grade: B

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (DVD)

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) starring Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen. Frodo and Sam (Wood and Astin) continue their daunting quest, to carry the One Ring to Mordor and there destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom. Meanwhile, the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron are on the move, preparing to attack Gondor, the realm of Men. It's a faithful adaptation of the book by J.R.R. Tolkien, but the battle scenes may not be to everyone's taste. Director Peter Jackson's epic fantasy won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Grade: A-

The Duchess (DVD)

The Duchess (2008) starring Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, Charlotte Rampling. Georgiana (Knightley) marries the Duke of Devonshire (Fiennes) and thus becomes the Duchess of Devonshire. But the time is the late 18th century, and they are a poor match. She fails to provide him with a male heir, which is basically all he wants from her, and he treats her wretchedly. She rebels, but all of the power is in his hands. There's a lot of sturm und drang, but basically this is a chick flick set in historic times. Grade: B

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (DVD)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen. The Fellowship of the Ring is broken, and this second film in the trilogy picks up where the first left off -- with Frodo and Sam making their way to Mordor, pursued, then led, by Gollum, to try and destroy the One Ring of power. Whether anyone who has not read the book will be able to follow the movie, or will care to, I'm not sure. But it is beautifully conceived and majestically filmed -- although for some viewers the time spent on battles will be unwelcome. I find it to be the least of the three "Lord of the Rings" films. Grade: B+

Burn After Reading (DVD)

Burn After Reading (2008) starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton. A computer disk falls into the hands of a pair of not-too-bright private gym employees (Pitt and McDormand), and they conclude that it contains top-secret data. Hoping to turn a profit, they first try to blackmail the man who wrote the disk (Malkovich), then try to sell it to the Russians. It's a Coen brothers film with an all-star cast, so it is rather disappointing when it turns out to be not very entertaining or funny. Worst, perhaps, is the ending, which seems abrupt and fails to satisfy with any decisive climax. Grade: B-