Best DVD & Blu-rays Released September 2006
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United 93
An unflinching drama that tells the story of the passengers and crew, their families on the ground and the flight controllers who watched in dawning horror as United Airlines Flight 93 became the fourth hijacked plane on the day of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil: September 11, 2001.
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Olivia Thirlby, Peter Marinker, Paul Greengrass, Michael J. Reynolds, Khalid Abdalla, Kate Jennings Grant
Drama Historical
1 / 5
More Info Population 436
The psychological thriller concerns an idyllic town whose population of 436 has remained unchanged for 100 years. Sent out to find the reason for this consistency, a census-taker (Jeremy Sisto) finds that something much more sinister may be at hand.
Jeremy Sisto, Michael Kingston, Fred Durst, Gavin Polone, Jessika Borsiczky, Michelle MacLaren
Drama Thriller Suspense
Kinky Boots
Charlie Price sets out to rescue his dad's ailing Northampton Shoe Factory with the help of a sassy Soho cabaret star named Lola by manufacturing erotic women's boots.
Joel Edgerton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julian Jarrold, Linda Bassett, Nick Barton, Suzanne Mackie, Gwenllian Davies, Geoff Deane
Comedy
4 / 5
More Info The Legend of Lucy Keyes
Chronicles the chilling experiences of the Cooley family, who flee Massachusetts for a quieter life in rural New England. They move into a home where, 250 years earlier, the Keyes family experienced the tragic loss of their daughter, who went missing in the nearby woods.
Justin Theroux, Julie Delpy, John Stimpson
District B13
Paris, 2013. Damien is a member of an elite police squadron, a special unit highly trained in martial arts and the precise physical skills necessary to navigate the treacherous urban landscape of Paris' future. He is now tasked with the most vital and dangerous mission of his career: a weapon of mass destruction has been concealed by the most powerful gang of the suburbs of District B13, a walled off section of Paris in which the criminals rule themselves. Damien must infiltrate the gang in order to either defuse the bomb or recover it.
Luc Besson, Patrick Olivier, Pierre Morel, Bernard Grenet, Bibi Naceri, David Belle, Cyril Raffaelli, Tony D'Amario
Action Adventure Foreign
5 / 5
More Info Firewall
"Firewall" stars Harrison Ford as bank security expert Jack Stanfield, whose specialty is designing infallible theft-proof financial computer systems. But there's a hidden vulnerability in the system he didn't account for—himself. When a ruthless criminal mastermind (Paul Bettany) kidnaps his family, Jack is forced to find a flaw in his system and steal $100 million. With the lives of his wife and children at stake and under constant surveillance, he has only hours to find a loophole in the thief's own impenetrable system of subterfuge and false identities to beat him at his own game.
Virginia Madsen, Harrison Ford, Alan Arkin, Paul Bettany, Jon Shestack, Carly Schroeder, Richard Loncraine, Mary Lynn Rajskub
Drama Thriller Suspense
3 / 5
More Info Unknown White Male
Doug Bruce woke up in Coney Island with no memory of any day of his life. After turning himself into the police, he was sent off to a psychiatric hospital and eventually rescued by a friend.
Beadie Finzi, Rupert Murray
Documentary
Plague
A massive catastrophe has put all the world's children into a coma. When they wake up years later as adults, they react angrily toward their parents.
Hal Masonberg, Teal Minton, Clive Barker
Suspense Horror
Dead Man's Shoes
Richard and younger brother Anthony return to the drugs and gang-ridden hometown they left eight years before. They set up camp in the hills overlooking the town, reminiscing over their shared past. But, they're not here to reminisce. Richard is here for revenge.
Toby Kebbell, Paddy Considine, Gary Stretch, Mark Herbert, Stuart Wolfenden, Neil Bell, Shane Meadows
Drama
3 / 5
More Info Advertisement
Lucky Number Slevin
"Lucky Number Slevin" is a drama set in a world where African-American and Jewish gangsters collide. Hartnett plays a man who has to kill the son of a rival crime boss. Kingsley will play Shlomo (aka the Rabbi), the head of the biggest crime syndicate in New York. Hartnett's character is caught in a case of mistaken identity and used by the mob boss as a patsy in a murder conspiracy.
Bruce Willis, Ben Kingsley, Morgan Freeman, Lucy Liu, Stanley Tucci, Tyler Mitchell, Josh Hartnett, Jason Smilovic
Drama Thriller Crime Gangster
3 / 5
More Info The Wild
One night, Samson's (Sutherland) son, Ryan, accidentally causes a gazelle stampede. Father and son have a heated argument that leads to Ryan running away and hiding in an empty crate, without realising that it's in a truck marked "Return to the wild" - Africa. Samson and his friends take off into the real Wild, New York City and end up at New York harbour where they arrive just in time to see Ryan take off on a boat. Our rescue squad, commandeer a boat and head off to Africa after Ryan. Once in Africa, their adventure continues as they search for Ryan and encounter a herd of wildebeests who are bent on eating all of our zoo friends… except Nigel the koala (Eddie Izzard) who they believe is God-like. Our heroes lives, as well as Ryan's, now lie in Nigel's hands, or paws, but will he let his new-found fame go to his head.
Mark Gibson, Dominic Scott Kay, Eddie Izzard, Tripp Vinson, Jonathan Kimmel, Joseph Siravo, Steve Williams, Beau Flynn
Adventure Comedy Family Kids Animated
3 / 5
More Info Goal! The Dream Begins
How far would you go to live your dream? When Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker) is given the chance of a lifetime, he must leave his family, his life in Los Angeles and everything that he knows to travel halfway around the globe to England and into a completely foreign world -- the exciting, fast-paced and glamorous world of international soccer.
As an underprivileged Mexican-American immigrant growing up in the poor section of Los Angeles, Santiago seemed destined to follow his father's path in life: laboring at menial jobs to earn just enough money to support his family. Naturally gifted, his amazing talent on the soccer field was wasted in recreation league games while he could only dream of playing on the world stage of professional soccer. But when a British scout (Stephen Dillane) discovers his talent and gets him a tryout with one of England's premier soccer clubs, Newcastle United, Santiago must choose between his father's fate and his own destiny.
Now alone in a world where soccer is a religion and players are gods, this underdog must prove that he's got the talent and determination to make it amongst the best in the world.
As an underprivileged Mexican-American immigrant growing up in the poor section of Los Angeles, Santiago seemed destined to follow his father's path in life: laboring at menial jobs to earn just enough money to support his family. Naturally gifted, his amazing talent on the soccer field was wasted in recreation league games while he could only dream of playing on the world stage of professional soccer. But when a British scout (Stephen Dillane) discovers his talent and gets him a tryout with one of England's premier soccer clubs, Newcastle United, Santiago must choose between his father's fate and his own destiny.
Now alone in a world where soccer is a religion and players are gods, this underdog must prove that he's got the talent and determination to make it amongst the best in the world.
Stellan Skarsgard, Michael Winterbottom, Brian Cox, Sean Pertwee, Diego Luna, Mark Huffam, Matt Barrelle, Adrian Butchart
Drama Action Sports
4 / 5
More Info Ballets Russes
The revolutionary 20th-century dance troupe known as the Ballets Russes began as a group of Russian refugees, who never danced in Russia, and became not one but two rival dance troupes. 'Ballets Russes' begins with the company's Diaghilev-era in turn-of-the-century Paris -- when artists such as Nijinsky, Balanchine, Picasso, Miro, Matisse and Stravinsky united in an unparalleled collaboration. The film then explores the company's halcyon days of the 1930s and '40s, when the Ballets Russes toured America, astonishing audiences schooled in vaudeville with artistry never before seen, The company's demise came in 1950s and '60s when rising costs, rocketing egos, outside competition and internal mismanagement ultimately brought the revered Ballets Russes to its knees.
Dayna Goldfine, Daniel Geller, Yvonne Chouteau, Alicia Markova, Frederic Franklin, Robert Hawk, Douglas Blair Tumbaugh, Dan Geller
Documentary
1 / 5
More Info Lower City
Deco and Naldinho have been buddies since childhood. Now they own a motorboat, which they use for their illicit dealings and their career as petty criminals. One day, they meet the stripper Karinna, and, of course, both fall in love with her.
Alice Braga, Olga Machado, Harildo Deda, Ricardo Luedy, Sergio Machado, Walter Salles, José Dumont
Drama Romance
5 / 5
More Info The Great New Wonderful
"The Great New Wonderful" weaves five darkly comic stories against the backdrop of an anxious and uncertain post-9-11 New York City.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Edie Falco, Will Arnett, Judy Greer, Stephen Colbert, Danny Leiner, Tony Shalhoub, Jim Gaffigan
Drama Comedy
Hellbent
Capturing the essence of the Halloween Carnival, 'Hellbent' follows four young men through a night where flamboyant costumes, beautiful people, drugs, music, dancing and sex are everywhere. Authentic footage from the West Hollywood Halloween Carnival lets filmgoers experience the most exciting night of the year.
Bryan Kirkwood, Dylan Fergus, Andrew Levitas, Matt Phillips, Stephen Wolfe, Paul Etheredge-Ouzts, Hank Harris, Josh Silver
Horror
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
One evening, Mr. Lazarescu, an ailing retired engineer who lives alone—and is too fond of booze—feels a bit dizzy. He finally ends up being driven away in an ambulance, which is the start of a tragicomic odyssey. Each doctor who examines him arrives at an entirely different diagnosis, and his emergency treatment is incessantly postponed. The physicians are deaf to the entreaties of the patient and his friends, and are devoid of sympathy for the elderly Mr. Lazarescu as he again plunges into the Bucharest night.
Doru Ana, Dana Dogaru, Cristi Puiu, Mihai Bratila, Al Munteanu, Razvan Radulescu, Ion Fiscuteanu, Luminita Gheorghiu
Drama
The Game of Their Lives
"The Game of Their Lives" is the story of the American soccer team that stunned the heavily favored English team in the 1950 World Cup final, defeated the powerhouse by a 1-0 score. Wes Bentley will play Walter Bahr, the man who devised their on-field strategy.
Gerard Butler, Patrick Stewart, Wes Bentley, John Rhys-Davies, David Anspaugh, Angelo Pizzo
Drama Sports
3 / 5
More Info Bottoms Up
Paris Hilton and Jason Mewes are toplining the indie comedy Bottoms Up for Paul Walker's Blue Collar Films and Gibraltar. Described as in the vein of Swingers, the comedy drama tells the story of a Midwestern bartender (Mewes) who finds love with Hilton's character as well as money and success in Hollywood. Walker is expected to take a cameo role in the project. The script was written by Nick Ballo and Erik MacArthur. MacArthur also is directing.
Paris Hilton, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Nicholle Tom, Erik MacArthur, Phil Morris, Brian Hallisay, David Keith
Comedy
Loverboy
"Loverboy", based on Victoria Redel's novel of the same name, is about a woman who wants the unconditional love of a child but no husband. After giving birth—the result of an anonymous sexual encounter—she moves to an idyllic town where she can raise her son to her exact specifications, but things go awry when the boy reaches school age.
Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Avi Lerner, Marisa Tomei, Matt Dillon, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Blair Brown
Drama Romance
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S.W.A.T.
In the explosive action-thriller "S.W.A.T." starring Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell, and inspired by the '70s television series, Farrell portrays Jim Street, an L.A.P.D. officer whose recent demotion to a desk job leaves him desperate for a second chance to don the elite S.W.A.T. uniform. That break comes when team commander Hondo (Samuel L. Jackson) is assigned to recruit and train five top-notch officers for a new Special Weapons and Tactics unit (S.W.A.T.).
Michelle Rodriguez, Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Josh Charles, Jeremy Renner, Brian Van Holt, Clark Johnson, Olivier Martinez
Action Thriller Crime
3 / 5
More Info Tears of the Sun
In director Antoine Fuqua's new action-adventure film, Bruce Willis stars as Lt. A.K. Waters, the loyal veteran officer of a Navy S.E.A.L unit. When he's sent into the heart of Africa, the usually hard-bitten Waters finds himself deeply conflicted at having to choose between following orders and the dictates of his own conscience. Though a fictionalization, Tears of the Sun deals with the gritty realism of human conflict as Lt. Waters travels to war-torn central Africa to rescue Dr. Lena Kendricks (Monica Bellucci), a U.S. citizen who runs a mission in the countryside. But when Lt. Waters arrives Dr. Kendricks refuses to abandon the refugees under her care. She implores Waters to escort them on a dangerous trek through the dense jungle to the nearby border. During the journey the S.E.A.L.s find themselves the unwitting guardians of a man sought by the rebel militia. This further endangers their already hazardous mission, but all the while strengthening Waters' resolve to protect Lena and the refugees, and to deliver them safely across the border.
Bruce Willis, Fionnula Flanagan, Johnny Messner, Tom Skerritt, Patrick Cirillo, Monica Bellucci, Antoine Fuqua, Arnold Rifkin
Drama Action Adventure Suspense
4 / 5
More Info Stick It
Jeff Bridges will play the coach of a team of rule-abiding gymnasts who develop a taste for rebellion after a renegade member (Missy Peregrym) joins the crew. Vanessa Lengies co-stars as Peregrym's rival.
Jeff Bridges, Gail Lyon, Jessica Bendinger, Missy Peregrym, Vanessa Lengies, Tarah Paige
Comedy Sports
4 / 5
More Info The Devil and Daniel Johnston
"The Devil and Daniel Johnston" is a stunning portrait of a musical genius that nearly slipped away. It depicts a perfect example of brilliance and madness going hand in hand. Because Daniel Johnston is an artist suffering from manic depression with delusions of grandeur, wild fluctuations, numerous downward spirals, and periodic respites mark his life. The film artfully melds current footage, vintage performances, home movies, and dozens of recorded audiotapes from Johnston's life. Testimony from supportive friends and a deeply committed family adds a rich layer to Johnston's personal history, but Daniel Johnston's poetic songs tell their own passionate, haunting, and truly unforgettable story.
Jeff Feuerzeig, Fortunato Procopio, Henry S. Rosenthal, Ted Hope
Documentary
1 / 5
More Info Hard Candy
Geoff is a 30ish, successful, high-fashion photographer who meets 14-year-old Haley on the Internet. They arrange a date at a coffee shop and then head back to his house. What follows is a spine-chilling nightmare. And, Geoff has no one to blame but himself.
David Slade, Ellen Page, Patrick Wilson, Brian Nelson, Jennifer Holmes, Michael Caldwell, David W. Higgins, Richard Hutton
Drama Thriller
3 / 5
More Info 10th and Wolf
The film is about a man who believes that he left behind his family's ties to organized crime, only to find that easier said than done upon returning to Philadelphia. It was inspired by the real life experiences of Joseph Pistone, the FBI agent otherwise known as Donnie Brasco.
Val Kilmer, Giovanni Ribisi, Piper Perabo, Dennis Hopper, Lesley Ann Warren, Brian Dennehy, Bobby Moresco, James Marden
Drama Crime Gangster
3 / 5
More Info Stay Alive
After the mysterious, brutal death of an old friend, a group of teenagers find themselves in possession of "Stay Alive", an ultra-realistic 3-D videogame based on the spine-chilling true story of a 17th century noblewoman known as "The Blood Countess." The gamers don't know anything about the game other than they're not supposed to have it... and they're dying to play it. Not able to resist temptation, the group begins to play the grisly game and soon a chilling connection is made - they are each being murdered one-by-one in the same method as the character they played in the game. As the line between the game world and the real world disappears, the group must find a way to defeat the vicious and merciless Blood Countess, all the while trying to... "Stay Alive".
Milo Ventimiglia, David Manpearl, Anna Mastro, Samaire Armstrong, Sophia Bush, Peter Schlessel, Gary Barber, Jim Bishop
Thriller Suspense Horror
3 / 5
More Info The Proposition
Australian director John Hillcoat and singer Nick Cave reconvene for 2006's "The Proposition", with Cave penning the screenplay and providing a soundtrack written with Dirty Three member Warren Ellis. Cave's 19th-century tale begins with the proposition of the title, as Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) captures fugitive brothers Charley (Guy Pearce) and Mikey Burns (Richard Wilson) at a scene of bloody rape and murder. Informing Charley that he must kill his older brother, Arthur (Danny Huston), in order to be set free, Stanley drags Mikey to a decrepit jailhouse while he waits for Charley to carry out the deed.
Guy Pearce, Danny Huston, Emily Watson, Ray Winstone, Nick Cave, John Hurt
Drama Historical
2 / 5
More Info Advertisement
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Fortune reporters Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, a multidimensional study of one of the biggest business scandals in American history. The chronicle takes a look at one of the greatest corporate disasters in history, in which top executives from the 7th largest company in this country walked away with over one billion dollars, leaving investors and employees with nothing. The film features insider accounts and rare corporate audio and video tapes that reveal colossal personal excesses of the Enron hierarchy and the utter moral vacuum that posed as corporate philosophy. The human drama that unfolds within Enron's walls resembles a Greek tragedy and produces a domino effect that could shape the face of our economy and ethical code for years to come.
Jason Kliot, Susan Motamed, Peter Elkind, Alex Gibney, Bethany McLean
Documentary
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
Set in a 19th century European village, this stop-motion, animated feature follows the story of Victor, a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride, while his real bride, Victoria, waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love.
Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter, Albert Finney, Michael Johnson, Pamela Pettler, Allison Abbate, Emily Watson
Comedy Fantasy Historical Family Kids Animated
4 / 5
More Info The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Set in the sexy and colorful underground world of Japanese drift racing, the newest and fastest customized rides go head-to- head on some of the most perilous courses in the world.
Sean Boswell (Black) is an outsider who attempts to define himself as a hot-headed, underdog street racer. Although racing provides a temporary escape from an unhappy home and the superficial world around him, it has also made Sean unpopular with the local authorities. To avoid jail time, Sean is sent to live with his gruff, estranged father, a career military-man stationed in Tokyo.
Now officially a gaijin (outsider), Sean feels even more shut out in a land of foreign customs and codes of honor. But it doesn't take long for him to find some action when a fellow American buddy, Twinkie (Bow Wow), introduces him to the underground world of drift racing. Sean's simple drag racing gets replaced by a rubber-burning, automotive art form--with an exhilarating balance of speeding and gliding through a heart-stopping course of hairpin turns and switchbacks.
On his first time out drifting, Sean unknowingly takes on D.K., the "Drift King," a local champ with ties to the Japanese crime machine Yakuza. Sean's loss comes at a high price tag when he's forced to work off the debt under the thumb of ex-pat, Han (Kang). Han soon welcomes Sean into this family of misfits and introduces him to the real principles of drifting. But when Sean falls for D.K.'s girlfriend, Neela (newcomer Kelley), an explosive series of events is set into motion, climaxing with an ultimate high stakes face off.
Sean Boswell (Black) is an outsider who attempts to define himself as a hot-headed, underdog street racer. Although racing provides a temporary escape from an unhappy home and the superficial world around him, it has also made Sean unpopular with the local authorities. To avoid jail time, Sean is sent to live with his gruff, estranged father, a career military-man stationed in Tokyo.
Now officially a gaijin (outsider), Sean feels even more shut out in a land of foreign customs and codes of honor. But it doesn't take long for him to find some action when a fellow American buddy, Twinkie (Bow Wow), introduces him to the underground world of drift racing. Sean's simple drag racing gets replaced by a rubber-burning, automotive art form--with an exhilarating balance of speeding and gliding through a heart-stopping course of hairpin turns and switchbacks.
On his first time out drifting, Sean unknowingly takes on D.K., the "Drift King," a local champ with ties to the Japanese crime machine Yakuza. Sean's loss comes at a high price tag when he's forced to work off the debt under the thumb of ex-pat, Han (Kang). Han soon welcomes Sean into this family of misfits and introduces him to the real principles of drifting. But when Sean falls for D.K.'s girlfriend, Neela (newcomer Kelley), an explosive series of events is set into motion, climaxing with an ultimate high stakes face off.
Neal H. Moritz, Bow Wow, Chris Morgan, Nathalie Kelley, Brian Tee, Zachery Bryan, Justin Lin, Sung Kang
Drama Action Adventure Sequel Crime Gangster
3 / 5
More Info Down in the Valley
"Down in the Valley", which stars Academy Award Nominee Edward Norton and Evan Rachel Wood, is a suspenseful crime story set at the edge of the San Fernando Valley, a seedy place of horse ranches and immigrant gangs, where ten-lane freeways converge to create a cultural no man's land. A rebellious high school senior Tobe (Wood) and her anemic 11-year old brother Lonnie (Rory Culkin) struggle to escape their grim and hopeless existence and their overbearing father, Wade (David Moorse). Their hoped-for deliverance comes in the form of Harlan, a charming, yet mercurial man (Norton) who thinks he's a cowboy.
Edward Norton, David Jacobson, Rory Culkin, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Bruce Dern, Ellen Burstyn
Drama
4 / 5
More Info The Lake House
A doctor (Sandra Bullock) and an architect (Keanu Reeves) living in the same house two years apart develop a letter-based romance using a mailbox that serves as a time portal.
Keanu Reeves, David Auburn, John Corbett, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Christopher Plummer, Willeke van Ammelrooy
Drama Romance Remake
4 / 5
More Info The Ground Truth
Hailed as "powerful" and "quietly unflinching," Patricia Foulkrod's searing documentary feature includes exclusive footage that will stir audiences. The filmmaker's subjects are patriotic young Americans – ordinary men and women who heeded the call for military service in Iraq – as they experience recruitment and training, combat, homecoming, and the struggle to reintegrate with families and communities. The terrible conflict in Iraq, depicted with ferocious honesty in the film, is a prelude for the even more challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home – with personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent government. As these battles take shape, each soldier becomes a new kind of hero, bearing witness and giving support to other veterans, and learning to fearlessly wield the most powerful weapon of all – the truth.
Patricia Foulkroud
Drama War Documentary
1 / 5
More Info The Notorious Bettie Page
The story of Bettie Page, uber-successful 1950's pin-up model, one of the first sex icons in America, and the target of a Senate investigation (based on her bondage photos).
Lili Taylor, David Strathairn, Cara Seymour, Jonathan M. Woodward, Christine Vachon, Gretchen Mol, Guinevere Turner, Pamela Koffler
Drama