The Mahabharata (DVD)
THE MAHABHARATA, a 2,000-year-old sacred work of the Hindu tradition, is the source for director Peter Brook`s most unusual film. After spending much of the 1980s laboring on a nine-hour version of the 18-volume Sanskrit text, which in English means The Political Story of the Human Race, he reduced the work to six hours for television and three for film. Adapted by Jean-Claude Carrihre, the film stars Vittorio Mezzogiorno as Arjuna, the leader of the virtuous Pandava clan, which wages war throughout the epic with the power-hungry Kauravas, who are led by Arjuna`s half-brothers, Karna (Jeff Kissoon) and Duryodhana (Georges Corraface). Although the benign Lord Krishna (Bruce Myers) cannot intervene, he provides advice for both clans on protecting dharma, the order of the universe.
As with the mythology of any culture--or any Wagnerian opera, for that matter--there are sections that can be grasped only by initiates. But the dramatic impact of most of this compendium of stories and ethical teaching, enacted by an international cast with only minimal sets and props, can be appreciated by anyone. Indeed, for viewers ready to accept Brook`s conventions, which are not unlike those of the silent film, this can be a valuable entry point to a fascinating cultural tale.NR"
Director: Peter Brook
ACTORS: George Corraface, Vittorio Mezzogiorno, Bruce Myers, Yoshi Oida, Jeffrey Kissoon
Feeling Minnesota (DVD)
Chaos, violence, and a Cain-and-Abel-like struggle ensue when, on the day of her wedding, a young midwesterner makes the mistake of falling in love with another man--her fiance`s brother. An independent romantic comedy.R"
Director: Steven Baigelman
ACTORS: Keanu Reeves, Vincent D`Onofrio, Cameron Diaz, Delroy Lindo, Courtney Love
The Best Of Charles Bronson (DVD)
Consummate tough guy Charles Bronson owns the screen with his solemn, piercing eyes, leathery skin, trademark moustache, and no nonsense attitude. He`s a man of action not words, and he delivers three heaping fist-fulls of action with CHINO, LOLA and COLD SWEAT. See individual titles for descriptions.NR"
ACTORS: Charles Bronson
The Chubbchubbs (DVD)
On the planet Glorf, a creature known as Meeper, who works as a janitor, finds himself face to face with some creatures that he would never expect to be amongst the toughest in the universe. THE CHUBBCHUBBS won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Short. Director Eric Armstrong was the animation supervisor for both STUART LITTLE and STUART LITTLE 2.G"
Director: Eric Armstrong
Master Keaton Vol. 1: Excavation I (DVD)
Taichi Keaton is a jack of all trades; a former professor, a Falklands Conflict veteran and an SAS agent to boot, Keaton`s skills leave him in high demand for any number of dangerous missions. A crack detective, archaeologist, and survivalist, Keaton makes his living hopping the globe for rich clients. These episodes find Keaton rescuing a damsel in distress in Greece, ferreting out terrorists in Germany, and escorting an heiress across Europe.NR"
