Paradise Road (DVD)
Based on a true story culled from hours of interviews by director Bruce Beresford, the film stars Glenn Close as British socialite Adrienne Pargiter. Alerted to the imminence of an invasion of Singapore in 1942, a group of the wives and children of Allied forces quickly crowd aboard a transport. When the ship is bombed, they end up on the island of Sumatra, where they are captured and imprisoned. Conditions in the camp are predictably brutal: food and medicine are difficult to come by, and the living quarters are squalid. One punishment requires a woman to kneel in the hot sun for hours only to fall on a sharp stake if she tires. Given the situation, Pargiter, who is also a musician, decides to organize the women into a vocal orchestra to help raise morale. Although they lack sheet music, Daisy (Pauline Collins), an Australian nurse, is able to re-create scores from memory. Among the reluctant women cajoled into singing are an Australian nurse, Susan McCarthy (Cate Blanchett); a cynical American, Topsy Merritt (Julianna Margulies); and a young British woman, Rosemary Leighton-Jones (Jennifer Ehle). At the first performance of Pargiter`s orchestra, the Japanese guards are so moved by the music that they refuse an order to halt it. Close gives another of her typically strong performances.R"
Director: Bruce Beresford
Candyman (DVD) Closed Caption; Subtitled French Folklorics graduate student Helen Lyle`s thesis research leads her into the urban underworld of Chicago`s Cabrini-Green housing projects, whose residents are genuinely terrified of Candyman, a legenda...
Folklorics graduate student Helen Lyle`s thesis research leads her into the urban underworld of Chicago`s Cabrini-Green housing projects, whose residents are genuinely terrified of Candyman, a legendary figure with a hook for a hand. Skeptical, she summons him in front of a mirror and discovers with horror that he`s real--and deadly. A surprisingly taut horror thriller, based on Clive Barker`s The Forbidden. Barker also executive-produces.
R"
Director: Bernard Rose
ACTORS: Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Vanessa L. Williams, Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons
The Glenn Gould Collection; The Russian Journey / Life & Times / Extasis (DVD)
Glenn Gould is one of the most celebrated pianists of all time, and this remarkable set showcases three different sides of the man. THE RUSSIAN JOURNEY follows Gould`s 1957 trip which would go on to influence many of the Russian musicians in the coming generations. LIFE & TIMES is a revealing biography which features public and private footage of Gould in interviews, recording studios, relaxing and performing. EXTASIS draws on the artistic side of Gould`s passionate playing, focusing on his passionately intense performance style.NR"
ACTORS: Glenn Gould
World War II - Collection (DVD) 8-Disc Set A collection of WWII documentaries from directors Frank Capra and others, including a few ACADEMY AWARD winners.
A collection of WWII documentaries from directors Frank Capra and others, including a few ACADEMY AWARD winners.
NR"
Director: Frank Capra
Fat Joe - Follow The Don (DVD)
Fat Joe is a hip-hop sensation. Now come behind the scenes with the portly star as he takes us on a tour of his life, and brings a few famous friends along for the ride. P. Diddy, Irv Gotti, Ja Rule, and Ashanti all make appearances, along with an assortment of groupies, strippers, and a whole lot more!NR"
