DVD & Blu-rays Released February 15, 2005

Tuesday, February 15

100 mins

Taxi PG-13

Belle Williams is a speed demon. Flying through the streets of New York in her tricked-out taxi, she's earned a rep as New York's fastest cabbie. But driving a hack is only a pit stop for her real dream: Belle wants to be a race car champion. And she's well on her way—until she's derailed by overeager cop Andy Washburn, whose undercover skills are matched only by his total ineptitude behind the wheel. Washburn, whose lack of vehicular skills has landed him in the precinct doghouse, is hot on the heels of a gang of beautiful Brazilian bank robbers, led by Vanessa, their cold, calculating—and leggy—leader. To nab the evasive crooks, drivers license-less Washburn convinces Belle to team up with him to pursue Vanessa and crew. Belle has carte blanche to drive at any speed and break any law. The car-less cop and speed-demon cabbie—New York's unlikeliest partners— begin a high-speed game of cat and mouse with the robbers. That is, if Belle and Washburn don't end up killing each other first.
Tim Story, Jimmy Fallon, Henry Simmons, Queen Latifah, Luc Besson, Robert Ben Garant, Jim Kouf, Thomas Lennon
Action Adventure Comedy Crime Remake
113 mins

Donnie Darko R

In "Donnie Darko", a funny, moving and distinctly mind-bending journey through suburban America, one extraordinary but disenchanted teenager is about to take Time's Arrow for a ride. As Donnie begins to explore what it means to be alive and in love, he uncovers secrets of the universe that give him a tempting power to alter time and destiny. Donnie Darko is a genre-busting fable that blasts the American suburban drama into a wildly imaginative realm of time travel (Ferris Bueller meets Back to The Future), alternative universes and the manipulation of one's fate. But at the core of Donnie Darko is the simple story of a boy trying to make a stand in a lonely, chaotic world – and discovering that every little thing he does counts on a cosmic scale.
Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Katharine Ross, Sean McKittrick, Richard Kelly, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Nancy Juvonen
Fantasy Horror Romance Sci-Fi Mystery

Purple Butterfly R

Itami, a young Japanese man, falls deeply in love with Cynthia, a beautiful Chinese girl. Their brief happiness ends when he is called home for his military service and they are forced to part. Three years later, Shanghai has been unofficially occupied by Japan. Cynthia - now known as Ding Hui—is working for Purple Butterfly, a resistance group planning to assassinate Yamamoto, head of the Japanese secret service. Itami is also in Shanghai, operating as a secret agent and reporting directly to Yamamoto.
Ziyi Zhang, Lou Ye, Wang Wei, Li Bingbing, Toru Nakamura, Liu Ye, Feng Yuangzheng
Foreign
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100 mins

Saw R

A young man named Adam (Leigh Whannell) wakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a decrepit subterranean chamber. Chained to the opposite side of the room is another bewildered captive, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes). Between them is a dead man lying in a pool of blood, holding a .38 in his hand. Neither man knows why he has been abducted; but instructions left on a microcassette, order Dr. Gordon to kill Adam within eight hours. If he fails to do so, then both men will die, and Dr. Gordon's wife, Alison (Monica Potter), and his daughter will be killed. Recalling a recent murder investigation by a police detective named Tapp (Danny Glover), Dr. Gordon realizes he and Adam are the next victims of a psychopathic genius known only as "Jigsaw." With only a few hours left to spare, they must unravel the elaborate puzzle of their fate in the midst of mounting terror. The killer has provided them with only a few clues and two handsaws—too weak to break their steel shackles, but strong enough to cut through flesh and bone...
Leigh Whannell, Ken Leung, James Wan, Cary Elwes, Oren Koules, Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Gregg Hoffman
Thriller Suspense Horror
92 mins

Into the Sun R

A retired special agent is drawn into the treacherous world of the yakuza in order to protect his family.
Steven Seagal, Kevin Van Thompson, Elie Samaha, Joe Halpin, Trevor Miller, Takao Osawa, Ken Lo, William Atherton
Drama Action Adventure

Last Life in the Universe

Hiding from an unknown past, the Mishima-identified and moppishly-coiffed Kenji seems determined on a premature rendezvous with oblivion: when first we meet him, he's already swinging by the neck from a makeshift noose. (Or is he?) If only Nid, the beautiful Thai woman Kenji spies between the shelves one day, hadn't managed to die first. And if only Nid's acid-tongued sister, Noi -- who inadvertently begins seducing the suicidal loner back into the chaos of life -- weren't leaving for Osaka on the Monday morning plane... Who are we? Where are we? Who do we desire? Where do we go when we're gone?
Tadanobu Asano, Riki Takeuchi, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Sinitta Boonyasak, Laila Boonyasak, Yutaka Matsushige, Takashi Miike, Yoji Tanaka
Romance
103 mins

Raise Your Voice PG

Terri Fletcher is a small town girl with big time dreams. Blessed with a naturally joyful singing voice, Terri has her sights set on attending the Bristol-Hillman Conservatory in Los Angeles--the most celebrated summer music program in the country. Although she has plenty of raw talent, her lofty aspirations are quickly dashed by her overbearing father, Simon, and the tragic loss of her beloved brother, Paul, who had secretly submitted a demo video of Terri that ultimately results in an acceptance letter to join the prestigious program. A despondent Terri resigns herself to staying home for the summer when her mother Frances and Aunt Nina intervene and covertly devise a plan to keep her from missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime. Upon her arrival in Los Angeles, Terri is quickly introduced to the ultra -competitive, high-stakes environment of the big city. Lacking any formal training, she struggles to make friends and to find her voice amongst the highly gifted group of musical students. Inspired by the mentoring lessons of Mr. Torvald, Terri pushes herself to master the intricate musical arrangements taught in the highly advanced program. As the students prepare for their final performance to determine the winner of the school's $10,000 academic scholarship, Terri partners with a fellow student, Jay. Resulting in a romantic bond with the rough-and-tumble musician. Leaving her fears and anxiety behind, Terri must learn to step into the spotlight and rediscover the artistic musical passion that burns inside of her.
Hilary Duff, Rita Wilson, Rebecca De Mornay, David Brookwell, Anthony Rhulen, Jason Ritter, David Keith, Oliver James
Comedy Musical Teen

National Lampoon's Blackball R

Try as he might, Cliff Starkey just can't keep out of trouble. With a dead- end career, there's not much that makes him want to get out of bed in the mornings… except his one passion: Lawn Bowls. Almost as soon as he learned how to walk, he displayed a genius for the sport. To the dismay of the elderly, uptight bowls fraternity in town, Cliff honed his mastery of the game alone, playing by no one's rules but his own. But the time has come for his skill to be recognized, and Rick Schwartz (Vince Vaughn), an American sports agent, is going to ensure that this ‘Bad Boy' of bowls gets the spotlight he deserves. Cliff's rock ‘n' roll attitude and army of screaming female fans soon take England by storm, but can he take on the stuffy, business-like attitude of the Bowls Association and his senior arch-rival, Ray Speight? Starkey is only one match away from super-stardom as he competes with Ray in a ball-busting championship showdown!
Vince Vaughn, Imelda Staunton, Mel Smith, Tim Firth, Paul Kaye, James Cromwell, Alice Evans, Bernard Cribbins
Comedy

My Architect

In this documentary, Nathaniel Kahn examines the life and career of his father, Philadelphia architect Louis I. Kahn (1901-1974), whose work included the Salk Institute and the Parliament and Capitol Buildings in Dhaka, Bangladesh, before dying of a heart attack in a Penn Station bathroom in 1974, unidentified and broke despite having been one of the century's most influential architects. Louis Kahn also led three different personal lives, with three different families, fathering a daughter with his wife, and a child each by two other lovers (one of whom was the mother of Nathaniel, who was 11 when his father died).
Nathaniel Kahn, Louis I. Kahn
Historical Documentary
128 mins

The Motorcycle Diaries R

Based on the respective diaries of two Argentines, Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (later known as "El Che") and Alberto Granado, the new film from award-winning director Walter Salles follows a journey of self-discovery, tracing the origins of a revolutionary heart. In January 1952, Ernesto and Alberto set out on a road trip to discover the real Latin America. Ernesto (Gael Garcia Bernal) is a 23 year-old medical student specializing in leprology, and Alberto (Rodrigo de la Serna) is a 29 year-old biochemist. With a highly romantic sense of adventure, the two friends leave their familiar Buenos Aires surroundings on a rickety 1939 Norton 500. Their experiences awaken within them the men they will later become by defining the ethical and political journey that they will take in their lives.
Gael García Bernal, Michael Nozik, Jose Rivera, Mía Maestro, Mercedes Morán, Jorge Chiarella, Edgard Tenenbaum, Karen Tenkhoff
Drama
80 mins

The Yes Men R

"The Yes Men" is a biting and revelatory documentary directed by the filmmaking team behind the acclaimed Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner "American Movie". "The Yes Men" follows The Yes Men, a small group of prankster-activists, as they gain worldwide notoriety for impersonating the World Trade Organization on television and at business conferences around the world. The film begins when two members of The Yes Men, Andy and Mike, set up a website that mimics the World Trade Organization's and it's mistaken for the real thing. They play along with the ruse and soon find themselves invited to important functions as WTO representatives. Delighted to represent the organization they politically oppose, Andy and Mike don thrift-store suits and set out to shock unwitting audiences with darkly comic satire that highlights the worst aspects of global free trade.
Chris Smith, Dr. Andreas Bichlbauer, Dan Ollman, Sarah Price, The Yes Men
Drama Comedy Documentary

Tuesday, February 15