Fair Game

• Jessica, a beautiful young woman, alone on an isolated outback farm in Australia, becomes the unwilling participant in a series of dangerous games with three shooters. At first they are content to tease and shock her, but when they star shooting on her land and endangering wildlife she is forced to take a stand. One by one, Jessica's avenues of escape are destroyed and she is forced to fight f

From the director of The Bourne Identity comes this riveting thriller inspired by the experiences of real-life CIA officer Valerie Plame (Academy Award® nominee Naomi Watts). When Plame's retired ambassador husband Joe Wilson (played by Academy Award® winner Sean Penn) writes a newspaper article challenging the basis for the U.S. war on Iraq, the White House leaks Plame s undercover status leaving her international contacts vulnerable, her career in shambles and her life in danger. Crackling with shar! p dialogue, gripping intrigue and heart-pounding suspense, Fair Game is the adventure that s so unbelievable, it can only be realThe skullduggery surrounding the Valerie Plame affair is already the stuff of an espionage thriller, even if at the time of the making of Fair Game many details of the incident remained murky. Naomi Watts plays Plame, a longtime CIA agent whose classified status was exposed to the world by columnist Robert Novak in 2003. The move was widely seen as retaliation for the fact that Plame's husband, diplomat Joseph Wilson (Sean Penn), had just written an op-ed piece contradicting an assertion in President Bush's State of the Union address--an assertion that was part of the Bush administration's drum-beating enthusiasm for the Iraq War. The movie can't answer all the questions about who wanted Plame exposed, but at the least it could create a convincing piece of Beltway intrigue. Instead, Fair Game steers in the direction of domestic melod! rama, as the marriage between Plame and Wilson is severely tes! ted by t he unwanted notoriety. It's not that the actors are unable to bring this situation to life; Penn is forceful (and he cleverly suggests the vanity of a longtime cocktail-party maven), while Watts, though quite capable, is somewhat frozen by her character's mixed, ambivalent reactions. The main problem is simply that these relationship scenes tip the balance, as though the Plame-Wilson marriage carried greater weight than allegations of weapons of mass destruction and the ramp-up to the Iraq War. Meanwhile, director Doug Liman tries to whip up some spy-movie "energy" with lots of noise and cutting, all of which feels increasingly hollow as the movie goes along. A calmer, cleaner documentary on the same subject might do a superior job someday. --Robert HortonPlames status as a cia agent was revealed by white house officials allegedly out to discredit her husband after he wrote a 2003 new york times op-ed piece saying that the bush administration had manipulated intellige! nce about weapons of mass destruction to justify the invasion of iraq. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (summit) Release Date: 03/29/2011 Starring: Naomi Watts Sean Penn Run time: 107 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Doug LimanThe skullduggery surrounding the Valerie Plame affair is already the stuff of an espionage thriller, even if at the time of the making of Fair Game many details of the incident remained murky. Naomi Watts plays Plame, a longtime CIA agent whose classified status was exposed to the world by columnist Robert Novak in 2003. The move was widely seen as retaliation for the fact that Plame's husband, diplomat Joseph Wilson (Sean Penn), had just written an op-ed piece contradicting an assertion in President Bush's State of the Union address--an assertion that was part of the Bush administration's drum-beating enthusiasm for the Iraq War. The movie can't answer all the questions about who wanted Plame exposed, but at the least it could create a convincing pi! ece of Beltway intrigue. Instead, Fair Game steers in t! he direc tion of domestic melodrama, as the marriage between Plame and Wilson is severely tested by the unwanted notoriety. It's not that the actors are unable to bring this situation to life; Penn is forceful (and he cleverly suggests the vanity of a longtime cocktail-party maven), while Watts, though quite capable, is somewhat frozen by her character's mixed, ambivalent reactions. The main problem is simply that these relationship scenes tip the balance, as though the Plame-Wilson marriage carried greater weight than allegations of weapons of mass destruction and the ramp-up to the Iraq War. Meanwhile, director Doug Liman tries to whip up some spy-movie "energy" with lots of noise and cutting, all of which feels increasingly hollow as the movie goes along. A calmer, cleaner documentary on the same subject might do a superior job someday. --Robert HortonAN ATTORNEY AND A COP ON THE RUN FROM A HIGH TECH CRIME RINGTHAT CAN TRACK THEIR EVERY MOVE.She's a lawyer. He's a cop. Som! e former KGB-types with a wide variety of slippery accents and enough sophisticated technological surveillance gadgets to make one wonder how the Soviet Union could have possibly failed, want her dead. The cop (William Baldwin) is the only man who can save her. It helps that the high-powered attorney is played by Cindy Crawford, who gives new meaning to the phrase "habeas corpus." So the plot doesn't make any sense: First they try to kill her, no questions asked. Then they capture her and spill their guts about all the details of their nefarious plan. But logic is not what Fair Game is about. It's about explosions, car crashes, and more explosions. The only pauses in the action are for showers (one for Baldwin, two for Crawford) and a change of clothing (Crawford slips out of a tight T-shirt into an even tighter tank top). The best feature of the DVD is the addition of a Gallic track. With very little actual sex in the movie, having the main characters ! conversing in French definitely adds some sauciness to the di! alogue s cenes. --Richard Natale

Patricia Briggs, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson novels, "always enchants her readers." (Lynn Viehl, New York Times bestselling author) Now her Alpha and Omega series-set in a world of shifting shapes, loyalty, and passion- brings werewolves out of the darkness and into a society where fear and prejudice could make the hunters prey...

They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charle! s and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights...

FAIR GAME - DVD MovieFROM THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE BOURNE FILMS COMES THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING SEAN PENN AND NAOMI WATTS

Based on Fair Game, Valerie Plame Wilson’s historic and unvarnished account of the personal and international consequences of speaking truth to power.On July 6, 2003, four months after the United States invaded Iraq, former ambassador Joseph Wilson's now historic op-ed, "What I Didn't Find in Africa," appeared in The New York Times. A week later, conservative pundit Robert Novak revealed in his newspaper column that Ambassador Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, was a CIA operative. The public disclosure of ! that secret information spurred a federal investigation and le! d to the trial and conviction of Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Scooter Libby, and the Wilsons' civil suit against top officials of the Bush administration. Much has been written about the "Valerie Plame" story, but Valerie herself has been silent, until now. Some of what has been reported about her has been frighteningly accurate, serving as a pungent reminder to the Wilsons that their lives are no longer private. And some has been completely false--distorted characterizations of Valerie and her husband and their shared integrity.

Valerie Wilson retired from the CIA in January 2006, and now, not only as a citizen but as a wife and mother, the daughter of an Air Force colonel, and the sister of a U.S. marine, she sets the record straight, providing an extraordinary account of her training and experiences, and answers many questions that have been asked about her covert status, her responsibilities, and her life. As readers! will see, the CIA still deems much of the detail of Valerie's story to be classified. As a service to readers, an afterword by national security reporter Laura Rozen provides a context for Valerie's own story.

Fair Game is the historic and unvarnished account of the personal and international consequences of speaking truth to power.

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Read the First Chapter from Fair Game

Joining the CIA
Our group of five--three men and two women--trekked through an empty tract of wooded land and swamp, known in CIA terms as the "Farm." It was 4 a.m. and we had been on the move all night. Having practiced escape and evasion from an ostensible hostile force--our instructors--we were close to meeting up with our other classmates. Together we would attack the enemy, then board a helicopter to safety. This exercise, called the final assault, was the clima! x of our paramilitary training. Each of us carried eighty-! pound ba ckpacks, filled with essential survival gear: tents, freeze-dried food, tablets to purify drinking water, and 5.56 mm ammunition for our M-16s. The late fall weather was bitter, and slimy water sloshed in our combat boots. A blister on my heel radiated little jabs of stinging pain. My friend Pete, a former Army officer, usually ready with a wisecrack and a smirk, hadn't spoken in hours, while John, our resident beer guzzler, carried not only his backpack but at least fifty extra pounds of body weight. His round face was covered with mud and sweat.

Read the Publisher's Note and First Chapter from Fair Game

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FROM THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE BOURNE FILMS COMES THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING SEAN PENN AND NAOMI WATTS

Based on Fair Game, Valerie Plame Wilson’s historic and unvarnished account of the personal and international consequences of speaking truth to p! ower.On July 6, 2003, four months after the United States invaded Iraq, former ambassador Joseph Wilson's now historic op-ed, "What I Didn't Find in Africa," appeared in The New York Times. A week later, conservative pundit Robert Novak revealed in his newspaper column that Ambassador Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, was a CIA operative. The public disclosure of that secret information spurred a federal investigation and led to the trial and conviction of Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Scooter Libby, and the Wilsons' civil suit against top officials of the Bush administration. Much has been written about the "Valerie Plame" story, but Valerie herself has been silent, until now. Some of what has been reported about her has been frighteningly accurate, serving as a pungent reminder to the Wilsons that their lives are no longer private. And some has been completely false--distorted characterizations of Valerie an! d her husband and their shared integrity.

Valerie Wilso! n retire d from the CIA in January 2006, and now, not only as a citizen but as a wife and mother, the daughter of an Air Force colonel, and the sister of a U.S. marine, she sets the record straight, providing an extraordinary account of her training and experiences, and answers many questions that have been asked about her covert status, her responsibilities, and her life. As readers will see, the CIA still deems much of the detail of Valerie's story to be classified. As a service to readers, an afterword by national security reporter Laura Rozen provides a context for Valerie's own story.

Fair Game is the historic and unvarnished account of the personal and international consequences of speaking truth to power.

---

Read the First Chapter from Fair Game

Joining the CIA
Our group of five--three men and two women--trekked through an empty tract of w! ooded land and swamp, known in CIA terms as the "Farm." It was 4 a.m. and we had been on the move all night. Having practiced escape and evasion from an ostensible hostile force--our instructors--we were close to meeting up with our other classmates. Together we would attack the enemy, then board a helicopter to safety. This exercise, called the final assault, was the climax of our paramilitary training. Each of us carried eighty-pound backpacks, filled with essential survival gear: tents, freeze-dried food, tablets to purify drinking water, and 5.56 mm ammunition for our M-16s. The late fall weather was bitter, and slimy water sloshed in our combat boots. A blister on my heel radiated little jabs of stinging pain. My friend Pete, a former Army officer, usually ready with a wisecrack and a smirk, hadn't spoken in hours, while John, our resident beer guzzler, carried not only his backpack but at least fifty extra pounds of body weight.! His round face was covered with mud and sweat.

R! ead the Publisher's Note and First Chapter from Fair Game

---

FROM THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE BOURNE FILMS COMES THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING SEAN PENN AND NAOMI WATTS

Based on Fair Game, Valerie Plame Wilson’s historic and unvarnished account of the personal and international consequences of speaking truth to power.Jessica, a beautiful young woman, alone on an isolated outback farm in Australia, becomes the unwilling participant in a series of dangerous games with three shooters. At first they are content to tease and shock her, but when they star shooting on her land and endangering wildlife she is forced to take a stand. One by one, Jessica's avenues of escape are destroyed and she is forced to fight for her life. Jessica sets up whatever makeshift defenses she can and waits for the inevitable showdown. In the mayhem of the climax her farm is reduced to smoking ruins, but her courage and endur! ance proves to be a match for the brute strength of man and machine

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Lackawanna Blues

• Based on the award winning play by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, this poignant and colorful drama tells the inspirational story of a courageous woman, Nanny, whose spirit and strength served as the foundation for a struggling community trying to survive during the segregation era. Starring an exceptional ensemble cast led by Jimmy Smits, Rosie Perez, and Macy Gray, this inspiring drama from HBO Films is

DOWN IN THE DELTA brings together an outstanding cast of stars in an uplifting story of family, community, and friendship! In a desperate attempt to change her life, Loretta (Alfre Woodard -- STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT, MUMFORD) -- a troubled single mother from a tough Chicago neighborhood -- is sent to spend a summer in her family's ancestral home in rural Mississippi. In "The Delta," with the support and widsom of her hardworking Uncle Earl, Loretta finally begins to see a way to provide for her youn! g children and reverse the downward slide of her life. A heartwarming, critically acclaimed motion picture also starring Wesley Snipes (BLADE, U.S. MARSHALS) and Loretta Devine (WAITING TO EXHALE) -- share in this remarkable journey to discover the strength of a family's roots and the power of unconditional love!This family drama begins in a gritty Chicago neighborhood with a jobless, hopeless mother (Alfre Woodard) pouring her efforts into the bottle and various drugs rather than her troubled daughter and wise-beyond-his-years son. But the movie soon heads south, as the title suggests, when Mom and kids are sent to live with an uncle for the summer. Their lives change, of course, but that's the only predictable aspect of this 107-minute film. First-time director Maya Angelou brings her poetic sense to Myron Goble's elegant script, and the performances are uniformly excellent, most notably the always superb Woodard, Al Freeman Jr. as her uncle, and Mary Alice as her mother! . Wesley Snipes takes a break from his action career to do som! e acting as Freeman's son, and the late Esther Rolle is haunting in the last portrayal of her career. The film's touch of mystery is provided by one of its most devastating characters, a candelabra called Nathan. Rated PG-13, but suitable for ages 8 and older. --Kimberly HeinrichsThis family drama begins in a gritty Chicago neighborhood with a jobless, hopeless mother (Alfre Woodard) pouring her efforts into the bottle and various drugs rather than her troubled daughter and wise-beyond-his-years son. But the movie soon heads south, as the title suggests, when Mom and kids are sent to live with an uncle for the summer. Their lives change, of course, but that's the only predictable aspect of this 107-minute film. First-time director Maya Angelou brings her poetic sense to Myron Goble's elegant script, and the performances are uniformly excellent, most notably the always superb Woodard, Al Freeman Jr. as her uncle, and Mary Alice as her mother. Wesley Snipes takes a break from ! his action career to do some acting as Freeman's son, and the late Esther Rolle is haunting in the last portrayal of her career. The film's touch of mystery is provided by one of its most devastating characters, a candelabra called Nathan. Rated PG-13, but suitable for ages 8 and older. --Kimberly HeinrichsDown In The Delta brings together an outstanding cast of stars in an uplifting story of family, community and friendship.
In a desperate attempt to change her life, Loretta (Alfre Woodard, The Family That Preys)â€"a troubled single mother from a tough Chicago neighborhoodâ€"is sent to spend a summer at her family's ancestral home in rural Mississippi. In "The Delta," with the support and wisdom of her hardworking uncle Earl, Loretta finally begins to see a way to provide for her young children and reverse the downward slide of her life. Also starring Loretta Devine (TV's Grey's Anatomy) and Wesley Snipes (Brooklyn! 's Finest).This family drama begins in a gritty Chicago ne! ighborho od with a jobless, hopeless mother (Alfre Woodard) pouring her efforts into the bottle and various drugs rather than her troubled daughter and wise-beyond-his-years son. But the movie soon heads south, as the title suggests, when Mom and kids are sent to live with an uncle for the summer. Their lives change, of course, but that's the only predictable aspect of this 107-minute film. First-time director Maya Angelou brings her poetic sense to Myron Goble's elegant script, and the performances are uniformly excellent, most notably the always superb Woodard, Al Freeman Jr. as her uncle, and Mary Alice as her mother. Wesley Snipes takes a break from his action career to do some acting as Freeman's son, and the late Esther Rolle is haunting in the last portrayal of her career. The film's touch of mystery is provided by one of its most devastating characters, a candelabra called Nathan. Rated PG-13, but suitable for ages 8 and older. --Kimberly HeinrichsThis family drama be! gins in a gritty Chicago neighborhood with a jobless, hopeless mother (Alfre Woodard) pouring her efforts into the bottle and various drugs rather than her troubled daughter and wise-beyond-his-years son. But the movie soon heads south, as the title suggests, when Mom and kids are sent to live with an uncle for the summer. Their lives change, of course, but that's the only predictable aspect of this 107-minute film. First-time director Maya Angelou brings her poetic sense to Myron Goble's elegant script, and the performances are uniformly excellent, most notably the always superb Woodard, Al Freeman Jr. as her uncle, and Mary Alice as her mother. Wesley Snipes takes a break from his action career to do some acting as Freeman's son, and the late Esther Rolle is haunting in the last portrayal of her career. The film's touch of mystery is provided by one of its most devastating characters, a candelabra called Nathan. Rated PG-13, but suitable for ages 8 and older. --Kimber! ly HeinrichsEVE'S BAYOU (SIGNATURE SERIES) - DVD MovieActr! ess Kasi Lemmons made an auspicious debut as a writer and director with this delicately handled, wrenchingly emotional drama, hailed by critic Roger Ebert as one of the best films of 1997. Eve's Bayou begins with ominous narration: "The summer I killed my father, I was 10 years old." From that point the story moves backward in time and memory to Louisiana in 1962, when a young girl named Eve (Jurnee Smollett) witnesses a shocking act on the part of her womanizing father (Samuel L. Jackson). But what really happened? And can Eve be certain about what she saw when there is more than one interpretation of the facts? Less a mystery than a study of deeply rooted emotions rising to the surface to affect an entire family, the film has the quality of classic Southern literature, with layers of memory unfolding to reveal a carefully guarded truth. --Jeff ShannonBased on the award winning play by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, this poignant and colorful drama tells the inspirational sto! ry of a courageous woman, Nanny, whose spirit and strength served as the foundation for a struggling community trying to survive during the segregation era. Starring an exceptional ensemble cast led by Jimmy Smits, Rosie Perez, and Macy Gray, this inspiring drama from HBO Films is a celebration of the good things in life, no matter how tough times may be.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Audio Commentary with director George C. Wolfe and writer Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Deleted Scenes
Featurette

Cool music, a wonderful atmospheric feel, and first-rate performances by a stellar cast distinguish Lackawanna Blues, a 2005, 90-minute film originally broadcast by HBO. Director George C. Wolfe's theater background (as a writer and/or director he's been responsible for The Colored Museum, Jelly's Last Jam, and Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk) is apparent; adapted by scriptwriter Ruben Santiago-Hudson from his! own autobiographical play, Lackawanna Blues is less a ! story th an a reminiscence, told by a young man (an affecting performance by Marcus Carl Franklin) raised by the indefatigable Rachel "Nanny" Crosby (an equally fine turn by S. Epatha Merkerson, known to many from her role in TV's Law & Order) in that upstate New York town. The focus is on Nanny's rooming house, which is populated by all manner of colorful characters (played by the likes of Macy Gray, Jeffrey Wright, and many others, with Jimmy Smits and Carmen Ejogo as the boy's wayward parents). The roomers include drunks, hustlers, ex-cons, and other shady types, but while plenty of bad stuff goes on, it's all coated with a certain patina of sentiment that tends to minimize the hard realities of life for African Americans in the early 1960s. That's fine; Wolfe, with the help of some superb editing by Brian Kates, gives the film such a delightful period vibe that it's easy to overlook its few shortcomings. The music (available on a soundtrack CD), ranging from downhom! e country blues to uptown swing, jump blues, and more, also makes a major contribution to the delightful diversion that is Lackawanna Blues. --Sam Graham

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El Cantante

• In their dazzling first on-screen pairing, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony bring to life this riveting tale of romance and redemption based on the true story of salsa legend Hector Lavoe and the woman who kept him from falling over the edge.It's the 1970s and the salsa revolution is in full swing. Hector Lavoe (Anthony), is the singer, El Cantante whose voice can move millions and whose passion mo

In their dazzling first on-screen pairing, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony bring to life this riveting tale of romance and redemption based on the true story of salsa legend Hector Lavoe and the woman who kept him from falling over the edge. It's the 1970s and the salsa revolution is in full swing. Hector Lavoe (Anthony), is the singer, El Cantante whose voice can move millions and whose passion moves one woman, his wife Puchi (Lopez). But when the spotlight brings Lavoe's personal demons and addict! ions to light, it will take the incredible devotion of his wife to put him on the path to becoming the legend he was born to be.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurette

Though they don't look much alike, slight actor-singer Marc Anthony was born to play robust salsa sensation Héctor Lavoe. In addition to similar ancestry and vocal skills, Anthony has been building a respectable cinematic resume with roles in Big Night and Martin Scorsese's Bringing out the Dead. The title of El Cantante comes from a number Rubén Blades wrote for The Singer. Lavoe would make it his signature song. In the film, Anthony's wife, producer Jennifer Lopez, plays Puchi, the Nuyorican beauty who won Lavoe's heart. She narrates their story from the perspective of 2002 (the real-life Puchi passed away shortly afterwards). Leon Ichaso (Piñero) contrasts Lavoe's rise from Puerto Rican street singer to Ne! w York superstar with his fall from innocent immigrant to hero! in-addic ted ladies man. By the mid-1980s, Lavoe's popularity hit its peak, and Ichaso spends the rest of the time ticking off the tragedies of his final years: the break with trombonist Willie Colón (John Ortiz), stay in a mental ward, etc. It's a dynamic portrait, and Anthony and Lopez work well together, but despite the urban setting and Latin-flavored soundtrack, El Cantante follows virtually the same trajectory as Ray and Walk the Line (Ichaso has also directed biopics of Jimi Hendrix and Muhammad Ali). His movie looks and sounds authentic, but Lavoe's story might've been better served as nonfiction. There's a sense that there was more to the man than what appears on screen. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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10 Things I Hate About You

• A cool cast of young stars is just one of the things you ll love about this hilarious comedy hit! On the first day at his new school, Cameron (Joseph Gordon Levitt Halloween: H20, TV s 3rd Rock From The Sun) instantly falls for Bianca (Larisa Oleynik The Baby-Sitters Club), the gorgeous girl of his dreams! The only problem is that Bianca is forbidden to date.until her ill-tempered, completely un-

Ellie, a free-spirited and headstrong young woman is left in charge of a residential home over the Christmas holidays. Her youth and inexperience bring her into bitter conflict with the four grumpy old residents. HOW ABOUT YOU deals with the hilarious antics of this uncivilized group, an unlikely romance, and the gradual solidarity that develops between the residents and Ellie, in this critically acclaimed heartwarming and irresistible film.A cool cast of young stars is just one of the things you'll ! love about this hilarious comedy hit! On the first day at his new school, Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt -- HALLOWEEN: H2O, TV's "3RD Rock From The Sun") instantly falls for Bianca (Larisa Oleynik -- THE BABY SITTERS CLUB), the gorgeous girl of his dreams. The only problem is that Bianca is forbidden to date ... until her ill-tempered, completely un-dateable older sister Kat (Julia Stiles -- THE BOURNE IDENTITY, SAVE THE LAST DANCE) goes out too! In an attempt to solve his problem, Cameron singles out the only guy who could possibly be a match for Kat: a mysterious bad-boy (Heath Ledger -- A KNIGHT'S TALE, THE PATRIOT) with a nasty reputation of his own! Also featuring a hip soundtrack -- this witty comedy is a wildly entertaining look at exactly how far some guys will go to get a date!It's, like, Shakespeare, man! This good-natured and likeable update of The Taming of the Shrew takes the basics of Shakespeare's farce about a surly wench and the man who tries to win h! er and transfers it to modern-day Padua High School. Kat Strat! ford (Ju lia Stiles) is a sullen, forbidding riot grrrl who has a blistering word for everyone; her sunny younger sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) is poised for high school stardom. The problem: overprotective and paranoid Papa Stratford (a dryly funny Larry Miller) won't let Bianca date until boy-hating Kat does, which is to say never. When Bianca's pining suitor Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) gets wind of this, he hires the mysterious, brooding Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to loosen Kat up. Of course, what starts out as a paying gig turns to true love as Patrick discovers that underneath her brittle exterior, Kat is a regular babe. The script, by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, is sitcom-funny with peppy one-liners and lots of smart teenspeak; however, its cleverness and imagination doesn't really extend beyond its characters' Renaissance names and occasional snippets of real Shakespearean dialogue. What makes the movie energetic and winning is the formula that helped make She's All That such a big hit: two high-wattage stars who look great and can really act. Ledger is a hunk of promise with a quick grin and charming Aussie accent, and Stiles mines Kat's bitterness and anger to depths usually unknown in teen films; her recitation of her English class sonnet (from which the film takes its title) is funny, heartbreaking, and hopelessly romantic. The imperious Allison Janney (Primary Colors) nearly steals the film as a no-nonsense guidance counselor secretly writing a trashy romance novel. --Mark Englehart

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Samsung BD-D5500 3D Blu-ray Disc Player (Black)

• Wi-Fi-Ready .
• Samsung BD-D5500 3D Blu-ray Disc Player
• Fast booting and loading time
• Multi-format disc playback
• 3D, Samsung Smart TV

The award-winning, critically acclaimed comedy FILM GEEK is about one movie nerd's quest to get a life. When Scotty Pelk (Melik Malkasian) is fired from his video store job for annoying the customers, he hits rock bottom. But then he meets Niko (Tyler Gannon), a sexy free spirit who just might save Scotty from his hopeless existence. Triumphant and hilarious, FILM GEEK celebrates the geek in all of us.Scotty Pelk, the title character in Film Geek, makes Napoleon Dynamite look like James Bond. Scotty is, um, really into movies, and leads a life of relentless geek-itude in Portland, Ore., in slavish devotion to his obsession. He works, of course, in a video store; mans an untrafficked web site, www.scottysfilmpage.com; and arg! ues with customers about what movies they select. He punctuates his few conversations, or even stone silences, with random comments like "Sam Fuller is so underrated." To no one's surprise, he has no life, and the film's relentless scrutiny of his pretty empty existence borders on the painful. And yet--who among us (especially movie fans) can't relate to being so immersed in a subject that everything else fades away? Happily, though Scotty doesn't know it, life is full of surprises--even his cringe-worthy life. The dialogue and acting, especially by Melik Malkasian, who plays Scotty with deadpan perfection, is winning and real. "[Terrence] Malick's only made three films in 30 years, you know," he perkily tells one bemused customer. "We're all waiting for his next one. I know I am." --A.T. HurleyA new dimension of 3D entertainment in one Blu-ray Disc player. Add another dimension to your viewing experience with the Samsung BD-D5500 Blu-ray Disc Player. 3D techn! ology lets you enjoy cinema-quality 3D Blu-ray titles â€" or u! pconvert 2D Blu-ray Disc titles into 3D, for new levels of enjoyment from your existing 2D library. Then, explore new dimensions of connectivity with built-in Samsung Smart TV. Browse the entire internet, access Samsung apps, and search content on your TV or online. Another aspect of the BD-D5500’s attractiveness: the sleek design, which fits right in to nearly any modern living room.

3D Technology Checklist

This product is 3D-related. To help you get a great 3D experience, use the checklist below to ensure you have everything you need. 3D viewing requires:

	A Display First, you'll need a 3D-ready display--whether it's a 3D HDTV, 3D projector, or 3D computer monitor! . These displays have more processing power than standard 2D models for displaying 3D images in rapid succession.
	A Source Your display may be ready for 3D playback, but you'll still need a device to read 3D content. This can be a cable box with a subscription to a 3D channel, a 3D Blu-ray Disc player, or a PlayStation 3 system.
	3D Content 3D content--the actual entertainment, in other words--will be played back using the source mentioned above, whether it's a 3D broadcast from your cable provider, a 3D Blu-ray Disc, or ! a 3D video game.
	3D Glasses For now, the vast majority of 3D HDTVs require glasses for 3D viewing. Many use powered "active shutter" glasses, others polarized "passive" glasses. You'll need one pair per viewer, and they'll have to be compatible with your display, whether they're the same brand, or a pair of "universal" glasses designed to work across brands.
	HDMI Cable To connect your source (such as a 3D Blu-ray Disc player) to your display, you'll need a high-speed HDMI cable. Cables with this designation feature bandwidth speeds up to 10.2 Gbps (gigabits per second), for carrying the 3D ! signal without any loss of quality.
If you want to get more information about 3D, shop our 3D products, watch videos, or interact with other customers, we invite you to visit 3D 101, our customer center about everything 3D.

Internet-Ready Devices

Internet-ready devices use your broadband connection to deliver dynamic content to your television, whether it's streaming video from Netflix, new music from Pandora, or a quick glance at today's weather forecast.

Although there is overlap, each manufacturer offers a unique bundle of free or paid services, including streaming video and music, social networking apps, online photo galleries, news and fina! ncial updates, weather info, sports scores, and a variety of o! ther sma rtphone-like applications.

Manufacturers continue to add new content to their offerings, keeping customers current through firmware updates, and making a bit of research a prudent step in your buying decision.

Learn more about Internet-ready devices and HDTVs, how they work, what services are offered by different manufacturers, and exactly what you'll need to get started at our Internet TV 101 customer center.

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February 2011
Add another dimension to your viewing experience with the Samsung BD-D5500 Blu-ray Disc Player. 3D technology lets you enjoy cinema-quality 3D Blu-ray titles--or upconvert 2D Blu-ray Disc titles into 3D, for new levels of enjoyment from your existing 2D library. Then, explore new dimensions of connectivity with built-in Samsung Smart TV. Browse the Internet, access Samsung apps, and search content on your TV or online. Or connect USB or DLNA certified network devices f! or further entertainment options. The BD-D5500 features a sleek, stylish design, to fit into nearly any modern living room.

3D Blu-ray playback, Internet connectivity, wide format support, and more.

Add Another Dimension to Your Viewing Experience

Blu-ray 3D Playback

Enter a new dimension in home entertainment with 3D video. Samsung's 3D products offer a truly immersive viewing experience, with the power to fill your room with images you can almost touch. Connect to a 3D TV to enjoy the latest 3D titles, or upconvert regular 2D content to near-3D image quality.

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Samsung's 3D products offer a truly immersive viewing experience, with the power to fill your room with images you can almost touch.

Access digital content like videos, sports, games, social networking, and much more with Samsung Smart TV.

Enjoy media from connected USB devices such as thumb drives or digital cameras.

On the 2D front, you'll enjoy full HD entertainment with multi-channel, high-definition audio, along with Blu-ray features like Bonus! View for extra features, and--thanks to the BD-D5500's Internet connectivity--BD-Live downloadable bonus content. You can also play back recordable BD-RE/R discs. And with all of the above, you'll get an improved graphic user interface and ultra-fast boot/load times.

Still have a large DVD collection? The BD-D5500 will play back all those DVDs, including recordable DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW discs. And you can play back your audio CDs and burnt CD-R/RW discs. Finally, the increasingly popular AVHCD format is covered, for the home movie buffs.

Smart TV with Samsung Apps

The BD-D5500 gives you access to Samsung's Smart TV service, for a wealth of added entertainment options. Pull up the Smart Hub, a simple menu system for connected features, and you can easily search for movies, shows and videos via online services and across connected devices, plus access a wide variety of apps from Samsung Apps.

Samsung Apps is a growing collection of apps specific! ally built for your TV, connecting you to your favorite digita! l conten t like videos, sports, games, social networking, and much more. With web-connected apps on your BD-D5500, you can stream movies from Netflix or Blockbuster, TV shows from Hulu, videos from YouTube, Next Level sports information from ESPN, music from, Pandora and view updates on your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

Wi-Fi-ready

The BD-D5500 features an Ethernet port for a wired connection to your home broadband network, but if you'd like to go wireless you can add a Samsung wireless adapter and enjoy connectivity free of cables--great for those whose Blu-ray will not be close to their router.

USB and Networked Entertainment

Connect compatible thumb drives, digital cameras, MP3 players, or other USB devices quickly and easily via the BD-D5500's USB port. An intuitive, user-friendly interface allows access to videos, music, or pictures via the remote.

You can also play videos, music, and photos saved on your DLNA-compatible devices (such as y! our PC or network-attached storage) through a network connection.

The BD-D5500 supports AVI, MKV, WMV, MP4, and MPG video, with a wide variety of codecs (including DivX). You can also enjoy your MP3/WMA audio files, or display JPG-format photos.

High-Definition Audio

The BD-D5500 is also ready to take advantage of the high-def audio delivered by Blu-ray Disc, with decoding of Dolby Digital TrueHD and DTS Master Audio--enjoy multi-channel theater sound when connected to your receiver via HDMI. Standard two-channel audio outputs are also provided, of course.

BD-D5500 Select Specifications

Supported Media
Disc Formats:	3D Blu-ray, BD-ROM, BD-RE/R, DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, CD-DA, AVCHD
Video File Formats:	AVI, MKV, WMV, MP4, MPG
Audio File Formats:	MP3, WMA!
Image File Formats:	JPG
Connectivity
HDMI Connections:	1
USB Ports:	2
Ethernet:	1
Digital Audio (Optical):	1
Weight and Dimensions
Dimensions (WxHxD):	16.93 x 1.54 x 8.27 Inches
Weight:	3.75 lbs.

What's in the Box

BD-D5500 Blu-ray Disc Player, Remote Control With Batteries, A/V Cable, Documentation

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Hamlet 2

• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• AC-3; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC

HAMLET 2 - DVD MovieJust when it seems as if things can't get any worse for high-school drama teacher Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan), he quips, "My life is a parody of a tragedy." Yet that very ability to laugh in the face of defeat will allow this failed actor to triumph over adversity. A lovably ridiculous dreamer like Waiting for Guffman’s Corky St. Clair, Marschz lives in Tucson with his sarcastic wife (Catherine Keener) and their silent boarder (David Arquette). Though he tries to inspire, like Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland's Opus, only two students (Spring Awakening’s Skylar Astin and Phoebe Strole) share his passion for theatrics. When the principal decides to eliminate his department, Marschz makes a bold move: he writes an original play, lets the class! contribute their own unique talents, and puts the whole thing on as a fundraiser (they'll need to bring in $6,000). Sure, everyone dies at the end of Shakespeare's classic, but in Marschz’s musical sequel, Hamlet 2, a time machine allows the Danish prince to turn back the clock to set things right. Just as his production starts to take shape and retired actress Elisabeth Shue (played by Shue) offers her support, his marriage hits the rocks, he starts drinking again, and the community protests against numbers like "Rock Me Sexy Jesus." (Amy Poehler portrays his ACLU attorney.) Though Andrew Fleming’s comedy follows the usual inspirational instructor trajectory, ribald humor helps the medicine go down and Coogan gives his most unhinged performance since Tristram Shandy. --Kathleen C. Fennessy


Stills from Hamlet 2 (Click for larger image)

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The Mistress of Spices

• Tilo runs a spice store in San Francisco and has a magical gift of seeing into her customers' lives and desires. But, when a handsome, enigmatic American with a secret past enters her store, Tilo s own desires are stirred for the first time. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: FOREIGN Rating: PG-13 Age: 796019802741 UPC: 796019802741 Manufacturer No: 80274

A clash of cultures in the spirit of MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, this modern musical retelling of Jane Austen's classic PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is a hilariously entertaining tale of one girl's unlikely search for love! Sparks immediately fly as a love/hate relationship ignites between a small-town beauty (international star Aishwarya Rai) and a wealthy American (Martin Henderson -- THE RING, TORQUE) who's visiting her modest Indian village. In a swirl of music, dance, and comic misunderstandings, these opposites continue to attract and repel each other! in a riotous romance that spans three continents! Featuring Naveen Andrews (TV's LOST, THE ENGLISH PATIENT) and a memorable performance from top recording artist Ashanti -- love will eventually conquer all in this acclaimed treat from the director of BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM!The exotic sounds, vibrant colors, and ecstatic dancing of Bollywood collide with the cunning storytelling of Jane Austen in Bride & Prejudice (from the writer/director of previous East/West hybrid Bend It Like Beckham). When smart, outspoken Lalita Bakshi (Indian beauty Aishwarya Rai) meets Will Darcy (Martin Henderson, The Ring), she finds this American businessman arrogant and conceited--but because his best friend is falling in love with her sister, Lalita agrees to travel around India with Darcy. On the trip, a childhood friend of Darcy's named Johnny (Daniel Gillies, Spider-Man 2) both tickles Lalita's fancy and confirms her worst suspicions about Darcy. But as events unfo! ld, Lalita wonders if she hasn't misjudged Darcy--and Johnny. ! Austen f ans will be find much to criticize; Bride & Prejudice transplants the basic plot of Pride & Prejudice to modern India, but not much of Austen's sly wit or her insights about character and society have survived the translation. Henderson, though handsome, lacks the intimidating charisma of previous Mr. Darcys (including Laurence Olivier and Colin Firth). Thank goodness for the delightful Rai, here making her first all-English-language movie. She commands the screen like a true star (unsurprisingly, she's hugely popular in India, and previously starred in a more homegrown Austen adaptation: I Have Found It, based on Sense & Sensibility). For Western audiences unfamiliar with the freewheeling exuberance of Indian movies--wild musical numbers can break out at almost any moment--Bride & Prejudice offers an engaging taste of this fantastic cinematic style. --Bret FetzerThe exotic sounds, vibrant colors, and ecstatic dancing of Bollywood co! llide with the cunning storytelling of Jane Austen in Bride & Prejudice (from the writer/director of previous East/West hybrid Bend It Like Beckham). When smart, outspoken Lalita Bakshi (Indian beauty Aishwarya Rai) meets Will Darcy (Martin Henderson, The Ring), she finds this American businessman arrogant and conceited--but because his best friend is falling in love with her sister, Lalita agrees to travel around India with Darcy. On the trip, a childhood friend of Darcy's named Johnny (Daniel Gillies, Spider-Man 2) both tickles Lalita's fancy and confirms her worst suspicions about Darcy. But as events unfold, Lalita wonders if she hasn't misjudged Darcy--and Johnny. Austen fans will be find much to criticize; Bride & Prejudice transplants the basic plot of Pride & Prejudice to modern India, but not much of Austen's sly wit or her insights about character and society have survived the translation. Henderson, though handsome, lacks! the intimidating charisma of previous Mr. Darcys (including L! aurence Olivier and Colin Firth). Thank goodness for the delightful Rai, here making her first all-English-language movie. She commands the screen like a true star (unsurprisingly, she's hugely popular in India, and previously starred in a more homegrown Austen adaptation: I Have Found It, based on Sense & Sensibility). For Western audiences unfamiliar with the freewheeling exuberance of Indian movies--wild musical numbers can break out at almost any moment--Bride & Prejudice offers an engaging taste of this fantastic cinematic style. --Bret FetzerStudio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 03/31/2009 Rating: Pg13(Romance) Tilo runs a spice store in San Francisco and has a magical gift of seeing into her customers' lives and desires. But, when a handsome, enigmatic American with a secret past enters her store, Tilo’s own desires are stirred for the first time.

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Wii Remote Plus - White

• Built-in Wii MotionPlus
• 3-axis motion-sensing
• Detects Twist Of The Wrist Or Turn Of The Body More Accurately
• For Wii MotionPlus Games

The bestselling author of Los Alamos and Alibi returns to 1945. Hitler has been defeated, and Berlin is divided into zones of occupation. Jake Geismar, an American correspondent who spent time in the city before the war, has returned to write about the Allied triumph while pursuing a more personal quest: his search for Lena, the married woman he left behind. When an American soldier's body is found in the Russian zone during the Potsdam Conference, Jake stumbles on the lead to a murder mystery. The Good German is a story of espionage and love, an extraordinary re-creation of a city devastated by war, and a thriller that asks the most profound ethical questions in its exploration of the nature of justice, an! d what we mean by good and evil in times of peace and of war.

 Now a Major Motion Picture The bestselling author of Los Alamos and Alibi returns to 1945. Hitler has been defeated and Berlin is divided into zones of occupation. Jake Geismar, an American correspondent who spent time in the city before the war, has returned to write about the Allied triumph while pursuing a more personal quest: his search for Lena, the married woman he left behind. The Good German is a story of espionage, love, and murder, an extraordinary re-creation of a city devastated by war, and a thriller that asks the most profound ethical questions in its exploration of the nature of justice and what we mean by good and evil in times of peace and of war.

This compelling thriller is both a touching love story and a masterful portrayal of the struggle for geopolitical control of postwar Germany. Network correspondent Jake Geismar, who covered ! Berlin before the war, has returned to the devastated city, ! ostensib ly to cover the Potsdam Conference but actually to find the woman he loves. Miraculously, Lena Brandt, Jake's wartime mistress, has survived. However, her mathematician husband is missing, and both the American and Russian intelligence services are hunting him. When the bullet-ridden body of an American soldier washes up on the shores of Potsdam in front of Jake's eyes just as Truman, Churchill, and Stalin convene the first postwar conference, Jake is plunged into a maelstrom of intrigue, corruption, and betrayal.

A brilliantly evoked portrait of a unique moment in history (the end of one war and the beginning of another), The Good German amply fulfills the promise shown by Joseph Kanon in his two earlier novels, Los Alamos and The Prodigal Spy. --Jane AdamsSimple. Intuitive. Easy to use. The Wii Remote Plus is a unique controller for the Wii video game system. Now with the increased sensitivity of Wii MotionPlus built-in. ! The button pressing of typical controllers is replaced by the natural, fluid motion of your hand. The Wii Remote Plus senses your every action and makes you feel less like a player and more like you’re part of the game. With Wii, anyone can play. Some games may require additional accessories (sold separately). See game instruction manuals. Wii MotionPlus accessory not required.

The new standard Wii controller.
View larger.

Introducing the New Standard Wii Controller

The Wii Remote Plus Controller is the new standard controller for the Wii gaming system, shipping with new Wii systems as well a! s available for individual purchase. Like the original Wii Rem! ote befo re it, this new controller utilizes a triple axis accelerometer along with a built-in optical sensor that works in conjunction with the Wii sensor bar. Together this enables the recognition of player movement as well as gives the controller the ability to act as a pointing device used in-game. Yet what really sets the Wii Remote Plus controller apart is its incorporation of additional gyroscope technology.

Wii Remote Plus gyroscope technology provides on-the-fly rotational motion recognition, once available only to Wii players who purchased the additional Wii MotionPlus accessory for the Wii Remote. The Wii Remote Plus controller contains all these motion-capturing capabilities within the body of a single controller. To top it off the Wii Remote Plus controller maintains the same compatibility to games as the Wii Remote, so you can play most of your old favorites with it. It is also the same size as the Wii remote. Taken together this means no more extra accessories! to buy in order to experience the full effect of past or future games designed to take advantage of advanced Wii MotionPlus technology; no more compatibility issues with existing Wii Remote peripherals and skins. Just sync up your Wii Remote Plus controller and have at it.

Key Features

• Moving forward the Wii Remote Plus is the standard Wii controller, shipping with all consoles
• Incorporates the functionality of the original Wii Remote and that of the Wii MotionPlus accessory in a single controller
• Comes in a variety of attractive colors, many of which match existing Wii console color schemes
• Maintains the same compatibility and backwards compatibility as the original Wii Remote, meaning that you can use it to play these games even if the game contains no advanced motion-control features
• The Wii Remote Plus controller is the same size as the Wii Remote, ensuring compatibility with all existing Wii Remote peripherals! and skins

Additional Screenshots

MotionPlus tech inside. View larger.

Compatible with all accessories. View larger.

Additional colors available. View larger.

Match to existing systems. View larger.

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