Rich and Famous (DVD)
After asking a triad leader for help in paying off a gambling debt, a pair of brothers work their way to riches by becoming the crime boss`s right hand men. When one of them gets greedy and joins a rival gang, war breaks out between the factions. Sequel: TRAGIC HERO. Available in Mandarin.NR"
Director: Taylor Wong
ACTORS: Yun-Fat Chow, Andy Lau, Alex Man, Pauline Wong, Carina Lau
Love and Basketball (DVD)
LOVE AND BASKETBALL is the powerful story of two next-door neighbors in Los Angeles who grow up loving basketball and, eventually, each other. Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) have wanted to be basketball stars since they were kids. Monica has had to work hard to establish herself as a presence, while Quincy was born with natural star potential. As the two struggle to reach their goals of playing professionally, they must also deal with their feelings for each other.PG-13"
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
ACTORS: Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Alfre Woodard, Dennis Haysbert, Debbi Morgan
Beloved (DVD)
Oprah Winfrey collaborated with director Jonathan Demme (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) for this African American ghost story, set in 1870s Ohio. Demme adapted it from Toni Morrison`s Pulitzer-winning book. Former slave Sethe (Winfrey) lives with her daughter Denver (Kimberly Elise) in a house haunted by the malignant spirit of Sethe`s long-dead infant. Sethe is also haunted by memories of her life of slavery at Sweet Home, the Kentucky plantation where she was raised. Enter Paul D. (Danny Glover), a fellow slave from Sweet Home, who stays at the house to start a new life with Sethe and Denver. Unfortunately their plans for happiness are foiled with the unexpected arrival of Beloved (Thandie Newton), a mysterious woman that may be the physical manifestation of Sethe`s dead child. Horrifying secrets are revealed leading to a shattering climax.
Exquisite cinematography by Tak Fujimoto gives the film its stark beauty, and the performances are all splendid, particularly Winfrey`s, and Newton`s as the strange, hissing girl-child. Evocative recreations of the time, and disturbing flashbacks to the terrors of Sweet Home are interwoven to create a harrowing, vivid portrait of a life of freedom still haunted by ghosts of America`s shameful past.R"
Director: Jonathan Demme
John Wayne - American Legend (DVD)
John Wayne`s film career has gone down in the American history books largely thanks to his portrayal of tough-talking hard men in a series of western and adventure films. This documentary takes a look at his life and career, and talks to some other living legends about Wayne`s superstar status and on set antics.NR"
Ant Farm Video (DVD)
Formed by Doug Michels and Chip Lord in 1968, Ant Farm is a performance art collective that never ceases to amaze with their brash, audacious, and hilarious works. This release contains footage of Ant Farm`s most memorable pieces, including Cadillac Ranch 1974/1994, Ant Farm`s Dirty Dishes, Inflatables Illustrated, and the legendary Media Burn (1975), in which Michels and Curtis Schreier dressed up as astronauts and drove their Phantom Dream Car through a pyramid of televisions. ANT FARM VIDEO is a strikingly original blend of humor, art, education, and entertainment.NR"
