· Actor: Naomi Watts | Jack Black | Adrien Brody | Thomas Kretschmann | Colin Hanks · Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 · Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) · Binding: Blu-ray · Creator (Role: Writer): Peter Jackson | (Role: Producer): Annette Wullems | (Role: Producer): Carolynne Cunningham | (Role: Writer): Edgar Wallace | (Role: Writer): Fran Walsh | (Role: Writer): Merian C. Cooper | (Role: Writer): Philippa Boyens · Director: Peter Jackson · EAN: 0025192008283 · Format: AC-3 | Color | Dolby | DTS Surround Sound | Dubbed | Subtitled | Widescreen | NTSC · Label: Mca (Universal) · Manufacturer: Mca (Universal) · MPN: MCABR61107690 · Number Of Discs: 1 · Number Of Items: 1 · Package Quantity: 1 · Part Number: MCABR61107690 · Picture Format: Widescreen · Product Group: DVD · Product Type Name: ABIS_DVD · Publisher: Mca (Universal) · Release Date: 2009-01-20 · Running Time (Units: minutes): 187 · SKU: JB-8FBL-8KOR · Studio: Mca (Universal) · UPC: 025192008283
» Movies don't come any bigger than Peter Jackson's King Kong, a three-hour remake of the 1933 classic that marries breathtaking visual prowess with a surprising emotional depth. Expanding on the original story of the blonde beauty and the beast who falls for her, Jackson creates a movie spectacle that matches his Lord of the Rings films and even at times evokes their fantasy world while celebrating the glory of '30s Hollywood. Naomi Watts stars as Ann Darrow, a vaudeville actress down on her luck in Depression-era New York until manic filmmaker Carl Denham (a game but miscast Jack Black) entices her with a lead role. Dazzled by the genius of screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), Ann boards the tramp steamer S.S. Venture, which she--and most of the wary crew--believes is headed for Singapore. Denham, however, is in search of the mythic Skull Island, hoping to capture its wonders on film and make a fortune. What he didn't count on were some scary natives who find that the comely Darrow looks like prime sacrifice material for a mysterious giant creature....

There's no point in rehashing the entire plot, as every movie aficionado is more than familiar with the trajectory of King Kong; the challenge facing Jackson, his screenwriters, and the phenomenal visual-effects team was to breathe new life into an old, familiar story. To that degree, they achieve what could be best called a qualified success. Though they've assembled a crackerjack supporting cast, including Thomas Kretschmann as the Venture's hard-bitten captain and young Jamie Bell as a plucky crewman, the first third of the movie is rather labored, with too much minute detail given over to sumptuous re-creations of '30s New York and the unexciting initial leg of the Venture's sea voyage. However, once the film finds its way to Skull Island (which bears more than a passing resemblance to LOTR's Mordor), Kong turns into a dazzling movie triumph, by turns terrifying and awe-inspiring. The choreography and execution of the action set pieces--including one involving Kong and a trio of Tyrannosaurus Rexes, as well as another that could be charitably described as a bug-phobic's nightmare--is nothing short of landmark filmmaking, and a certain Mr. Spielberg should watch his back, as Kong trumps most anything that has come before it.

Despite the visual challenges of King Kong, the movie's most difficult hurdle is the budding romance between Ann and her simian soulmate. Happily, this is where Jackson unqualifiedly triumphs, as this unorthodox love story is tenderly and humorously drawn, by turns sympathetic and wondrous. Watts, whose accessibility balances out her almost otherworldly loveliness, works wonders with mere glances, and Andy Serkis, who digitally embodies Kong here much as he did Gollum in the LOTR films, breathes vibrant life into the giant star of the film without ever overplaying any emotions. The final, tragic act of the film, set mostly atop the Empire State Building, is where Kong earns its place in movie history as a work that celebrates both the technical and emotional heights that film can reach. --Mark Englehart

· Actor: Jack Black | Angelina Jolie | Gary Oldman Lucy Liu | Jackie Chan | Seth Rogan · Binding: Blu-ray · Director: Jennifer Yuh · EAN: 0097361456966 · Format: NTSC · Label: Dreamworks Animation · Manufacturer: Dreamworks Animation · Product Group: DVD · Product Type Name: ABIS_DVD · Publisher: Dreamworks Animation · Release Date: 2011-12-13 · SKU: HQ-JQ5D-IKZ7 · Studio: Dreamworks Animation · UPC: 097361456966
» Kung Fu Panda 2 is a sequel that definitely lives up to its predecessor, thanks to excellent animation and a great mix of action, comedy, and important life lessons. Dragon Warrior Po (Jack Black) has matured and mastered many new challenges since learning the art of kung fu and defeating the snow leopard Tai Lung, but he hasn't lost his penchant for steamed buns, nor has he achieved what his teacher Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) describes as true inner peace. Before he can settle into the arduous task of self-discovery, word arrives that a nearby town of musicians has been attacked and their leader Master Thundering Rhino (Victor Garber) killed by a newly invented weapon that breathes fire and spits out metal--a weapon that is a harbinger of the end of kung fu and the domination of all of China by Lord Shen (Gary Oldman). Po and the Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, David Cross, and Lucy Liu) set out to destroy the mysterious weapon and save kung fu, encountering the imprisoned and very dispirited kung fu legends Master Oxen (Dennis Haysbert) and Master Croc (Jean-Claude Van Damme) along the way, but the group quickly discovers that their task is far from simple. Even as Soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh) adamantly foretells Lord Shen's defeat at the hands of a warrior of black and white, Po struggles with the realization that he must come to terms with his adoption in order to let go of the past and become who he chooses to be. Only then can he achieve the inner peace that will empower him to triumph over his personal insecurities and Lord Shen. Kung Fu Panda 2 offers excellent animation and 3-D effects, nice brisk pacing, great voice talent, life lessons that ring true, and a healthy dose of comedy that includes everything from wisecracks to a dragon that eats unsuspecting villagers and then poops them out, and a radish trained in the art of kung fu. (Ages 3 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

· Actor: Kate Winslet | Cameron Diaz | Jude Law | Jack Black | Eli Wallach · Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 · Binding: Blu-ray · Creator (Role: Cinematographer): Dean Cundey | (Role: Producer): Nancy Meyers | (Role: Writer): Nancy Meyers | (Role: Editor): Joe Hutshing | (Role: Producer): Bruce A. Block | (Role: Producer): Jennifer Eatz | (Role: Producer): Suzanne McNeill Farwell · Director: Nancy Meyers · EAN: 0043396187115 · Format: Subtitled | NTSC · Label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Number Of Items: 1 · Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen · Product Group: DVD · Product Type Name: ABIS_DVD · Publisher: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Release Date: 2007-03-13 · Running Time (Units: minutes): 138 · SKU: 0000200001043396187115 · Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · UPC: 043396187115

· Actor: Jack Nicholson | Karen Black | Billy Green Bush | Fannie Flagg | Sally Struthers · Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 · Binding: DVD · Creator (Role: Cinematographer): László Kovács | (Role: Producer): Bob Rafelson | (Role: Writer): Bob Rafelson | (Role: Producer): Bert Schneider | (Role: Producer): Harold Schneider | (Role: Producer): Richard Wechsler | (Role: Writer): Carole Eastman · Director: Bob Rafelson · EAN: 9780767828055 · Format: Anamorphic | Closed-captioned | Color | DVD-Video | Full Screen | Subtitled | Widescreen | NTSC · ISBN: 0767828054 · Label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · MPN: COLD09659D · Number Of Discs: 1 · Number Of Items: 1 · Package Quantity: 1 · Part Number: COLD09659D · Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen · Product Group: DVD · Product Type Name: ABIS_DVD · Publisher: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Region Code: 1 · Release Date: 2001-08-28 · Running Time (Units: minutes): 98 · SKU: mon0000358025 · Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · UPC: 043396096592
» This subtle, existential character study of an emotionally distant outcast (Nicholson) forced to confront his past failures remains an intimate cornerstone of American '70s cinema. Written and directed with remarkable restraint by Bob Rafelson, the film is the result of a short-lived partnership between the filmmaker and Nicholson--the first was the zany formalist exercise, Head, while the equally impressive King of Marvin Gardens followed Five Easy Pieces. Quiet and full of long, controlled takes, this film draws its strength from the acutely detailed, nonjudgmental observations of its complex protagonist, Robert Dupea--an extremely crass and frustrated oil worker, and failed child pianist hiding from his past in Texas. Dupea spends his life drinking beer and sleeping with (and cheating on) his annoying but adoring Tammy Wynette-wannabe girlfriend, but when he learns that his father is dying in Washington State, he leaves. After the film transforms into a spirited road movie, and arrives at the eccentric upper-class Dupea family mansion, it becomes apparent that leaving is what Dupea does best--from his problems, fears, and those who love him. Nicholson gives a difficult yet masterful performance in an unlikable role, one that's full of ambiguity and requires violent shifts in acting style. Several sequences--such as his stopping traffic to play piano, or his famous verbal duels with a cranky waitress over a chicken-salad sandwich--are Nicholson landmarks. Yet, it's the quieter moments, when Dupea tries miserably to communicate and reconcile with his dying father, where the actor shows his real talent--and by extension, shows us the wounded little boy that lurks in the shell of the man Dupea has become. --Dave McCoy

· Actor: John Cusack | Joan Cusack | Catherine Zeta-Jones | Jack Black · Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 · Audience Rating: R (Restricted) · Binding: Blu-ray · EAN: 0786936825794 · Format: AC-3 | Dolby | DTS Surround Sound | Dubbed | NTSC | Subtitled | Widescreen · Label: Touchstone Home Entertainment · Manufacturer: Touchstone Home Entertainment · MPN: DISBR109815 · Number Of Discs: 1 · Number Of Items: 1 · Part Number: DISBR109815 · Picture Format: Widescreen · Product Group: DVD · Product Type Name: ABIS_DVD · Publisher: Touchstone Home Entertainment · Release Date: 2012-08-07 · Running Time (Units: minutes): 114 · SKU: B52510 · Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment · UPC: 786936825794
» Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel High Fidelity emerges unscathed from its Americanization, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a nimble, nifty screenplay (cowritten by Cusack). Early-thirtysomething Rob Gordon (Cusack) is a slacker who owns a vintage record shop, a massive collection of LPs, and innumerable top-five lists in his head. At the opening of the film, Rob recounts directly to the audience his all-time top-five breakups--which doesn't include his recent falling out with his girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle), who has just moved out of their apartment. Thunderstruck and obsessed with Laura's desertion (but loath to admit it), Rob begins a quest to confront the women who instigated the aforementioned top-five breakups to find out just what he did wrong.

Low on plot and high on self-discovery, High Fidelity takes a good 30 minutes or so to find its groove (not unlike Cusack's Grosse Pointe Blank), but once it does, it settles into it comfortably and builds a surprisingly touching momentum. Rob is basically a grown-up version of Cusack's character in Say Anything (who was told "Don't be a guy--be a man!"), and if you like Cusack's brand of smart-alecky romanticism, you'll automatically be won over (if you can handle Cusack's almost-nonstop talking to the camera). Still, it's hard not to be moved by Rob's plight. At the beginning of the film he and his coworkers at the record store (played hilariously by Jack Black and Todd Louiso) seem like overgrown boys in their secret clubhouse; by the end, they've grown up considerably, with a clear-eyed view of life. Ably directed by Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons), High Fidelity features a notable supporting cast of the women in Rob's life, including the striking, Danish-born Hjejle, Lisa Bonet as a sultry singer-songwriter, and the triumphant triumvirate of Lili Taylor, Joelle Carter, and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Rob's ex-girlfriends. With brief cameos by Tim Robbins as Laura's new, New Age boyfriend and Bruce Springsteen as himself. --Mark Englehart

· Actor: John Cusack | Iben Hjejle | Todd Louiso | Jack Black | Lisa Bonet · Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 · Audience Rating: R (Restricted) · Binding: DVD · Creator (Role: Writer): Based Upon The Book By Nick Hornby | (Role: Writer): Screenplay By D.V. DeVincentis & Steve Pink & John · Director: Stephen Frears · EAN: 0717951009944 · Format: Closed-captioned | Color | DVD-Video | NTSC | Subtitled | Widescreen · Label: Touchstone Home Entertainment · Manufacturer: Touchstone Home Entertainment · Model: DVD Movie · MPN: DISD20349D · Number Of Discs: 1 · Number Of Items: 1 · Package Quantity: 1 · Part Number: DISD20349D · Picture Format: Widescreen · Product Group: DVD · Product Type Name: ABIS_DVD · Publisher: Touchstone Home Entertainment · Region Code: 1 · Release Date: 2003-04-08 · Running Time (Units: minutes): 114 · SKU: 5udvdBF007af · Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment · UPC: 717951009944
» Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel High Fidelity emerges unscathed from its Americanization, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a nimble, nifty screenplay (cowritten by Cusack). Early-thirtysomething Rob Gordon (Cusack) is a slacker who owns a vintage record shop, a massive collection of LPs, and innumerable top-five lists in his head. At the opening of the film, Rob recounts directly to the audience his all-time top-five breakups--which doesn't include his recent falling out with his girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle), who has just moved out of their apartment. Thunderstruck and obsessed with Laura's desertion (but loath to admit it), Rob begins a quest to confront the women who instigated the aforementioned top-five breakups to find out just what he did wrong.

Low on plot and high on self-discovery, High Fidelity takes a good 30 minutes or so to find its groove (not unlike Cusack's Grosse Pointe Blank), but once it does, it settles into it comfortably and builds a surprisingly touching momentum. Rob is basically a grown-up version of Cusack's character in Say Anything (who was told "Don't be a guy--be a man!"), and if you like Cusack's brand of smart-alecky romanticism, you'll automatically be won over (if you can handle Cusack's almost-nonstop talking to the camera). Still, it's hard not to be moved by Rob's plight. At the beginning of the film he and his coworkers at the record store (played hilariously by Jack Black and Todd Louiso) seem like overgrown boys in their secret clubhouse; by the end, they've grown up considerably, with a clear-eyed view of life. Ably directed by Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons), High Fidelity features a notable supporting cast of the women in Rob's life, including the striking, Danish-born Hjejle, Lisa Bonet as a sultry singer-songwriter, and the triumphant triumvirate of Lili Taylor, Joelle Carter, and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Rob's ex-girlfriends. With brief cameos by Tim Robbins as Laura's new, New Age boyfriend and Bruce Springsteen as himself. --Mark Englehart

· Actor: Jack Black | Angelina Jolie | Gary Oldman Lucy Liu | Jackie Chan | Seth Rogan · Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 · Audience Rating: Unrated · Binding: Blu-ray · Director: Jennifer Yuh · EAN: 0097361446967 · Format: NTSC · Label: Dreamworks Animation · Manufacturer: Dreamworks Animation · Number Of Items: 3 · Product Group: DVD · Product Type Name: ABIS_DVD · Publisher: Dreamworks Animation · Region Code: 1 · Release Date: 2011-12-13 · Running Time (Units: minutes): 90 · SKU: 3D 4/1/12 097361446967 · Studio: Dreamworks Animation · UPC: 097361446967
» Kung Fu Panda 2 is a sequel that definitely lives up to its predecessor, thanks to excellent animation and a great mix of action, comedy, and important life lessons. Dragon Warrior Po (Jack Black) has matured and mastered many new challenges since learning the art of kung fu and defeating the snow leopard Tai Lung, but he hasn't lost his penchant for steamed buns, nor has he achieved what his teacher Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) describes as true inner peace. Before he can settle into the arduous task of self-discovery, word arrives that a nearby town of musicians has been attacked and their leader Master Thundering Rhino (Victor Garber) killed by a newly invented weapon that breathes fire and spits out metal--a weapon that is a harbinger of the end of kung fu and the domination of all of China by Lord Shen (Gary Oldman). Po and the Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, David Cross, and Lucy Liu) set out to destroy the mysterious weapon and save kung fu, encountering the imprisoned and very dispirited kung fu legends Master Oxen (Dennis Haysbert) and Master Croc (Jean-Claude Van Damme) along the way, but the group quickly discovers that their task is far from simple. Even as Soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh) adamantly foretells Lord Shen's defeat at the hands of a warrior of black and white, Po struggles with the realization that he must come to terms with his adoption in order to let go of the past and become who he chooses to be. Only then can he achieve the inner peace that will empower him to triumph over his personal insecurities and Lord Shen. Kung Fu Panda 2 offers excellent animation and 3-D effects, nice brisk pacing, great voice talent, life lessons that ring true, and a healthy dose of comedy that includes everything from wisecracks to a dragon that eats unsuspecting villagers and then poops them out, and a radish trained in the art of kung fu. (Ages 3 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

· Actor: Oliver Platt | Olivia Wilde | Vinnie Jones | Jack Black | Michael Cera · Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 · Audience Rating: Unrated · Binding: Blu-ray · Creator (Role: Producer): Harold Ramis | (Role: Producer): Judd Apatow | (Role: Producer): Clayton Townsend | (Role: Production Company): LLC Columbia Pictures; Garden Film Productions · Director: Harold Ramis · EAN: 0043396331891 · Format: Subtitled | NTSC · Label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Number Of Items: 1 · Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen · Product Group: DVD · Product Type Name: ABIS_DVD · Publisher: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · Release Date: 2009-10-06 · Running Time (Units: minutes): 196 · SKU: PW-HAI7-P9YJ · Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment · UPC: 043396331891
» Year One Bilingual [Blu-ray]

· Actor: Jack Black | Mike White | Joan Cusack · Binding: DVD · Director: Richard Linklater · EAN: 0097360563962 · Format: NTSC · Label: Paramount · Manufacturer: Paramount · Product Group: DVD · Product Type Name: ABIS_DVD · Publisher: Paramount · Release Date: 2004-03-02 · SKU: OJ-UHE3-3IHZ · Studio: Paramount · UPC: 097360563962

· Actor: Jack Black | Angelina Jolie | Gary Oldman Lucy Liu | Jackie Chan | Seth Rogan · Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) · Binding: DVD · Director: Jennifer Yuh · EAN: 0097361166162 · Format: NTSC · Label: Dreamworks Animation · Manufacturer: Dreamworks Animation · Number Of Items: 1 · Package Quantity: 1 · Product Group: DVD · Product Type Name: ABIS_DVD · Publisher: Dreamworks Animation · Region Code: 1 · Release Date: 2011-12-13 · Running Time (Units: minutes): 90 · Studio: Dreamworks Animation · UPC: 097361166162
» Kung Fu Panda 2 is a sequel that definitely lives up to its predecessor, thanks to excellent animation and a great mix of action, comedy, and important life lessons. Dragon Warrior Po (Jack Black) has matured and mastered many new challenges since learning the art of kung fu and defeating the snow leopard Tai Lung, but he hasn't lost his penchant for steamed buns, nor has he achieved what his teacher Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) describes as true inner peace. Before he can settle into the arduous task of self-discovery, word arrives that a nearby town of musicians has been attacked and their leader Master Thundering Rhino (Victor Garber) killed by a newly invented weapon that breathes fire and spits out metal--a weapon that is a harbinger of the end of kung fu and the domination of all of China by Lord Shen (Gary Oldman). Po and the Furious Five (Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, David Cross, and Lucy Liu) set out to destroy the mysterious weapon and save kung fu, encountering the imprisoned and very dispirited kung fu legends Master Oxen (Dennis Haysbert) and Master Croc (Jean-Claude Van Damme) along the way, but the group quickly discovers that their task is far from simple. Even as Soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh) adamantly foretells Lord Shen's defeat at the hands of a warrior of black and white, Po struggles with the realization that he must come to terms with his adoption in order to let go of the past and become who he chooses to be. Only then can he achieve the inner peace that will empower him to triumph over his personal insecurities and Lord Shen. Kung Fu Panda 2 offers excellent animation and 3-D effects, nice brisk pacing, great voice talent, life lessons that ring true, and a healthy dose of comedy that includes everything from wisecracks to a dragon that eats unsuspecting villagers and then poops them out, and a radish trained in the art of kung fu. (Ages 3 and older) --Tami Horiuchi