Saturday, December 3, 2011

Alone in the Dark

  • A New Inventory System ¿ Players utilize the pockets of protagonist Edward Carnby to hold items which they can view, switch and combine without leaving the game.
  • Narrative intensity ¿ Taking its cues from blockbuster TV dramas, the story is told in a TV season style narrative structure based around episodes that deliver maximum intensity throughout and keep the player hooked.
  • A Captivating Story ¿ Centered in iconic Central Park long-time series protagonist and paranormal specialist Edward Carnby returns to delve into the frightening events occurring in the Big Apple.
  • Real World Rules ¿ In-Game movement has been designed to allow players to do almost anything that is physically possible in the real world.
  • Photographic Rendering ¿ Game developer Eden¿s Propriety ¿Twilight¿ technology creates a lavishly detailed game world with highly realistic and advanced cinema! tographic effects.
Alone in the Dark X360There?s something strange and frightening happening in the middle of New York City?s Central Park; something whispered to have been intentionally kept secret; something that players are compelled to explore in Alone in the Dark.

Known today as a safe haven for New Yorkers yearning for relief from the stresses of their chaotic metropolis, history records that Central Park was built on a useless swamp, yet as the New York City skyline hurtled towards the sky over the last 150 years, making the city the most expensive real estate in the world, the park has remained untouched. Why? Civic pride? Perhaps, but the recent strange happenings in and around the park are casting doubt on that, doubts that require investigating.



The return of! an icon ic series
Edward Carnby
Paranormal PI Edward Carnby.
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Stunningly spooky views of NYC
Stunningly spooky views of NYC.
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The odd wildlife of Central Park
The odd wildlife of Central Park.
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A whole new inventory system
A whole new inventory system.
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Enter Edward Carnby, Paranormal Investigator
Despite the title, Alone in the Dark is actually the fifth game in a series that dates back to 1992 and centers around the experiences of Edward "the reptile" Carnby. A paranormal investigator by trade, Carnby is looking for answers to the strange events and horrific creatures reported in and around the park, but gets more than he bargained for when all the mysteries and terrors of the park spill out over the course of one apocalyptic night. It?s the player?s task to avoid the new frightening dangers of the park as you search for the answers to what these supernatural occurrences mean and why they are happening.

Gameplay Based on Full Player Immersion
Packed full of action and vivid in its realism Alone in t! he Dark goes to the extreme to keep players engaged and im! mersed b y plunging them into the heart of the action in real-time at every turn and challenging them to survive using full movement control. The goal here is to allow players to do or at least feel that they can do more or less whatever is possible in real life, within the game.

Need to avoid a blast of steam or an eruption of fire that has shot up in your path? You can simply side-step it or you can handle the obstacle with a little more panache by using the environment around you, for example by swinging around it using reachable pipes or wires. In another situation you may be challenged by attacking monsters. No problem. You can take the path of least resistance, again by side-stepping them or placing an obstacle between yourself and them, but if you are feeling like taking out a little aggression you can pick up a board, chair, box, etc. and have at it. Nearly anything that you come across that would be usable in real life is usable in game and can be wielded in several diffe! rent ways.

In addition, game developer Eden Studios has done away with a few in-game conventions in favor of real life upgrades. Instead of old-fashioned health bars Alone in the Dark uses realistic body damage and physiological effects to show players how much damage has been done to Carnby by the new dangerous nightlife of Central Park. Basically this means if Carnby has been taking a licking he?s going to be a little bloody. Monsters use sensory perception of all kinds to find their victims, so players need to keep aware of Carnby?s physical state, as well as the impact he has on his surroundings. Also gone are traditional inventory systems that take players out of the game while you switch or check items in your possession, replaced by an in-game inventory system where items are carried in the folds of Carnby?s trench coat. This allows you to stay in the action the whole time. Sticking with the realism theme, the number of items that Carnby can carry is limite! d, but since ingenuity is built into the system, items can be ! combined or their uses altered, mostly with tape, so players can adjust as challenges arise.

TV Style Intensity That Keeps You Hooked
Built around a unique television style episodic narrative game structure, the storyline of Alone in the Dark is split into a number of distinct 30-40 minute episodes, doled out one at a time as you play. This new way to progress through the storyline ensures that players can enjoy the game regardless of the amount of time they have available without ever feeling lost. Each time a saved game is launched, the episode will begin with a video summary of the previous episode to quickly re-immerse the player in the story, removing the need to remember where you were or what you were doing at the end of your last play session. In addition, every episode will also close with a nail-biting, cliff-hanger ending to rattle players? nerves. And when you choose to leave the game, a video teaser of the next episode will play to leave players alw! ays wanting more.

Vivid Photographic Rendering
Even on a bad day, and this will be a bad one, Central Park and New York City are something to see. With Game developer Eden?s proprietary Twilight technology and rendering engine, players can expect to see everything from the City?s famous landmarks to the manifestations of the evil that have been festering in Central Park come to life as if you were there. This lavishly detailed game world takes advantage of highly realistic and advanced cinematographic effects including depth of field, camera focus, numerous light sources, moisture, reflections and High Dynamic Range effects.

Whether it?s the innovative game play, the unique episodic game structure, the advanced physics or the return of a ground-breaking protagonist recast in the modern era, Alone in the Dark holds something for players willing to take on the mysteries and dangers at the heart of Central Park.


House, M.D.: Season Six

  • Condition: New
  • Format: DVD
  • AC-3; Box set; Color; Dolby; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 08/30/2011 Rating: NrGet ready for a full dose of medical mysteries with 21 episodes of the riveting drama series, House. Hugh Laurie is joined by James Earl Jones (Star Wars), Laura Prepon (That '70s Show) and David Strathairn (The Bourne Ultimatum) in guest appearances as he returns to his Golden Globe® winning and Primetime Emmy® Award-nominated role as Dr. Gregory House. In this brilliant sixth season, House finds himself in an uncomfortable positionâ€" away from the examination room. As he works to regain his license and his life, his coworkers deal with the staff shakeups, moral dilemmas, and their own tricky relationships with House. And when House returns more obstinate than ever, Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital will never be th! e same again.The sixth season of House, M.D. starts off with a phenomenal two-part episode that sets the tone for the rest of the year. After years of abusing prescription drugs (and colleagues), Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) finds himself in a psychiatric ward as a patient who is not so patient with his own doctor. Smart and manipulative, House tries to finagle his way out of the hospital. But his selfish actions set off a chain reaction of events that manage to shake even his own confidence--temporarily, at least. This season spends a lot of time delving into House's psyche and the writers do a wonderful job depicting a brilliant, sad, and flawed man who knows more than most, but not enough to save every patient who comes to see him. That glimpse allows viewers to sympathize with his addictions but leaves them guessing as to whether the good doctor will be able to shake his dependency on drugs for good. However, viewers are never actually convinced when House qui! ts his job. In many ways, he is his job.

House has ! always t ackled fascinating cases and that continues this season, though the symptoms aren't overly dramatic by House standards. The team tries to save a man whose family history indicates that he will die of a heart attack before he turns 40. They try to help a brilliant scientist whose depression and addictions make him feel he's better suited for a simpler life as a courier. And Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) may once again be grappling with cancer. It's a credit to this show that while it features such a strong lead character, the costars don't get shafted in the process. Wilson is one of the show's most charming characters and, by default, has become House's best friend. The two of them share a home and bicker like an old married couple. When a woman they both are attracted to mistakenly assumes that they're a complicated gay couple, we can't help but laugh. But Wilson's love life is made difficult by the return of his ex-wife and House doesn't want to see his friend hurt a! gain. He can abuse Wilson, but he doesn't want her to do the same.

House's boss Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) has her own issues, juggling a harried personal life and the complications that come with trying to keep House in line. Chase (Jesse Spencer) falls under scrutiny this season after treating a controversial politician who he fears will murder innocent civilians. He finds himself struggling with the Hippocratic oath to treat all patients--even the ones he finds distasteful--to the best of his ability. And of the main characters on the show, one will be fired, another will profess their love for a colleague, and three of them will look for love via a speed-dating service. Yes, the story lines are all over the place, but then again, so is House. --Jae-Ha Kim

Prolab Caffeine, Maximum Potency, 200 mg, Tablets, 100 tablets

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 Horton

Patricia Briggs, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson novels, "always enchants her re! aders." (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, Charles 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 victi! ms were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting thei! r kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights...

AN 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. Some 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 (C! rawford 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 dialogue scenes. --Richard NataleOn 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 b! een silent, until now. Some of what has been reported about he! r has be en 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.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 and her husband an! d their shared integrity.

Valerie Wilson retired from t! he CIA i n 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 wooded land and s! wamp, 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.

Read the Publishe! r'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.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 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 secu! rity 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 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 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. Th! e 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




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.FAIR GAME - DVD MovieJessica, a beautiful young woman, alone on an isolated outback farm in Australia, becomes the unwilling participant in a se! ries 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 endurance proves to be a match for the brute strength of man and machine

Blade Runner (Five-Disc Complete Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]

  • Visually spectacular, intensely action-packed and powerfully prophetic since its debut, Blade Runner returns in Ridley Scott's definitive Final Cut, including extended scenes and never-before-seen special effects, now seen in sepcatacular hi-definition! In a signature role as 21st- century detective Rick Deckard, Harrison Ford brings his masculine-yet- vulnerable presence to this stylish noir thri
Visually spectacular, intensely action-packed and powerfully prophetic since its debut, Blade Runner returns in Ridley Scott's definitive Final Cut, including extended scenes and never-before-seen special effects, now seen in sepcatacular hi-definition! In a signature role as 21st- century detective Rick Deckard, Harrison Ford brings his masculine-yet- vulnerable presence to this stylish noir thriller. In a future of high- tech possibility soured by urban and social decay, Deckard hunts for fugitive! , muderous replicants - and is drawn to a mystery woman whose secrets may undermine his soul. This spectacular 5-Disc Set features all of the content of the standard definition Ultimate Collector's Edition. All five version of the legendary Sci-Fi film from Director Ridley Scott with all new 5.1 audio - the definitive Final Cut, three additional versions of the film, and the rare Work Print version - in addition to the in-depth feature length documentary "Dangerous Days", and one complete disc of bonus content including over 80-minutes of never- before-seen deleted scenes.In celebration of Blade Runner's 25th anniversary, director Ridley Scott has gone back into post production to create the long-awaited definitive new version. Blade Runner: The Final Cut, spectacularly restored and remastered from original elements and scanned at 4K resolution, will contain never-before-seen added/extended scenes, added lines, new and improved special effects, director an! d filmmaker commentary, an all-new 5.1 Dolby® Digital audio t! rack and more. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos, Joanna Cassidy, Sean Young, and Daryl Hannah are among some 80 stars, filmmakers and others who participate in the extensive bonus features. Among the bonus material highlights is Dangerous Days, a brand new, three-and-a-half-hour documentary by award-winning DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika, with an extensive look into every aspect of the film: its literary genesis, its challenging production and its controversial legacy. The definitive documentary to accompany the definitive film version.

Stills from Blade Runner (click for larger image)








District 13: Ultimatum

  • Two years have passed since elite police officer Damien Tomasso (Cyril Raffaelli) teamed up with reformed vigilante Leito (parkour originator David Belle) to save the notorious District 13, a racially charged ghetto populated by violent drug dealing gangs and vicious killers. Despite government promises to maintain order, the state of the district has deteriorated, and a group of corrupt cops and
With bone crunching fights and death defying leaps, this adrenaline charged follow-up takes the groundbreaking parkour action from DISTRICT B13 to thrilling new heights. (Fangoria)
Two years have passed since elite police officer Damien Tomasso (Cyril Raffaelli) teamed up with reformed vigilante Leito (David Belle) to save the notorious District 13, a racially charged ghetto populated by violent drug dealing gangs and vicious killers. Despite government promises to maintain order, the state of th! e district has deteriorated. A group of corrupt cops and elected officials conspire to cash in on the redevelopment of the district by proposing its destruction under nuclear air strike. Damian and Leito must join forces again, using their martial arts and unique physical skills, to bring peace to the neighborhood by any means necessary.Get ready to chase across rooftops, shatter plate-glass windows, and vanquish the enemy with a priceless van Gogh canvas (explanation forthcoming): the agile battlers from District B13 (a.k.a. Banlieue 13) are back. As played by David Belle (one of the inventors of the building-hopping practice called parkour) and Cyril Raffaelli, the two expert head-knockers from the first film return to fight yet another serious threat against the walled-off neighborhood in a slightly futuristic Paris. This time some corrupt government officials have a devious plot to raze the slum and funnel the rebuilding contracts to their payoff-happy cor! porate pals at Harriburton (a name that bears absolutely no re! semblanc e to any real-life corporate behemoth). Wisely delaying the reunion of our heroes, the movie opens with Raffaelli's epic throw-down against a gang of desperadoes, which he executes while wielding the van Gogh painting as a shield/weapon. Nice. Then Belle gets onstage for a typically graceful parkour workout across various buildings. This action, especially in its overblown, belief-defying later stages, has more than its share of fromage, but isn't that what we expect from writer-producer Luc Besson? Ultimatum isn't as sleek and effective as the first movie, but it has enough deft action and buddy-picture one-liners to justify its existence--and Belle and Raffaelli bristle with real movie-star appeal, especially when doing their Butch-and-Sundance routine. The ending suggests another sequel will need to have a very different setting, but that might not be such a bad thing. --Robert Horton

DOGMA INCLUDES BONUS DIGITAL COPY

  • DVD
  • comedy
  • thrilling
  • fantasy
  • angels
When two banished angels find a loophole that will allow them back into heaven at the cost of humankind an unsuspecting mortal woman two prophets and the thirteenth apostle are the only ones who can stop them. Special features: subtitles in english spanish and french talent files and murch more. Studio: Ingram Entertainment Release Date: 07/26/2005 Starring: Ben Affleck Matt Damon Run time: 130 minutes Rating: R Director: Kevin SmithKevin Smith is a conundrum of a filmmaker: he's a writer with brilliant, clever ideas who can't set up a simple shot to save his life. It was fine back when Smith was making low-budget films like Clerks and Chasing Amy, both of which had an amiable, grungy feel to them, but now that he's a rising director who's attracting top talent and tackling bigger themes, it might behoove ! him to polish his filmmaking. That's the main problem with Dogma--it's an ambitious, funny, aggressively intelligent film about modern-day religion, but while Smith's writing has matured significantly (anyone who thinks he's not topnotch should take a look at Chasing Amy), his direction hasn't. It's too bad, because Dogma is ripe for near-classic status in its theological satire, which is hardly as blasphemous as the protests that greeted the movie would lead you to believe.

Two banished angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) have discovered a loophole that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they'd destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It's up to Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic, to save the day, with some help from two so-called prophets (Smith and Jason Mewes, as their perennial characters Jay and Silent Bob), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), and a sexy,! heavenly muse (the sublime Salma Hayek, who almost single-han! dedly st eals the film). In some ways Dogma is a shaggy dog of a road movie--which hits a comic peak when Affleck and Fiorentino banter drunkenly on a train to New Jersey, not realizing they're mortal enemies--and segues into a comedy-action flick as the vengeful angels (who have a taste for blood) try to make their way into heaven. Smith's cast is exceptional--with Fiorentino lending a sardonic gravity to the proceedings, and Jason Lee smirking evilly as the horned devil Azrael--and the film shuffles good-naturedly to its climax (featuring Alanis Morissette as a beatifically silent God), but it just looks so unrelentingly... subpar. Credit Smith with being a daring writer but a less-than-stellar director. --Mark EnglehartOne of the most talked-about movies of the year is also one of the funniest! In this hilarious comic fantasy from writer/director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy) two banished angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) find a loophole t! hat would get them back into Heaven. The only snag? They'll be destroying existence in the process. In an effort to stop them, The overworked Voice of God (Alan Rickman)taps cynical mortal Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) to save the world by preventing the angels from reaching their unholy destination: New Jersey! Throw in two unlikely prophets named Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), the quick-witted yet little-known thirteenth apostle (Chris Rock) and a sexy, former muse with a case of writer's block (Selma Hayek) and you've got an hysterical and thrilling race against time packed with an all-star cast.Kevin Smith is a conundrum of a filmmaker: he's a writer with brilliant, clever ideas who can't set up a simple shot to save his life. It was fine back when Smith was making low-budget films like Clerks and Chasing Amy, both of which had an amiable, grungy feel to them, but now that he's a rising director who's attracting top talent and tackling bigg! er themes, it might behoove him to polish his filmmaking. That! 's the m ain problem with Dogma--it's an ambitious, funny, aggressively intelligent film about modern-day religion, but while Smith's writing has matured significantly (anyone who thinks he's not topnotch should take a look at Chasing Amy), his direction hasn't. It's too bad, because Dogma is ripe for near-classic status in its theological satire, which is hardly as blasphemous as the protests that greeted the movie would lead you to believe.

Two banished angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) have discovered a loophole that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they'd destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It's up to Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic, to save the day, with some help from two so-called prophets (Smith and Jason Mewes, as their perennial characters Jay and Silent Bob), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), and a sexy, heavenly muse (the sublime Salma Hayek, wh! o almost single-handedly steals the film). In some ways Dogma is a shaggy dog of a road movie--which hits a comic peak when Affleck and Fiorentino banter drunkenly on a train to New Jersey, not realizing they're mortal enemies--and segues into a comedy-action flick as the vengeful angels (who have a taste for blood) try to make their way into heaven. Smith's cast is exceptional--with Fiorentino lending a sardonic gravity to the proceedings, and Jason Lee smirking evilly as the horned devil Azrael--and the film shuffles good-naturedly to its climax (featuring Alanis Morissette as a beatifically silent God), but it just looks so unrelentingly... subpar. Credit Smith with being a daring writer but a less-than-stellar director. --Mark EnglehartWHEN TWO BANISHED ANGELS FIND A LOOPHOLE THAT WILL ALLOW THEM BACK INTO HEAVEN AT THE COST OF HUMANKIND, AN UNSUSPECTINGMORTAL WOMAN, TWO PROPHETS AND THE THIRTEENTH APOSTLE ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN STOP THEM. SPECI! AL FEATURES: SUBTITLES IN ENGLISH, SPANISH AND FRENCH, TALENT ! FILES AN D MURCH MORE.Kevin Smith is a conundrum of a filmmaker: he's a writer with brilliant, clever ideas who can't set up a simple shot to save his life. It was fine back when Smith was making low-budget films like Clerks and Chasing Amy, both of which had an amiable, grungy feel to them, but now that he's a rising director who's attracting top talent and tackling bigger themes, it might behoove him to polish his filmmaking. That's the main problem with Dogma--it's an ambitious, funny, aggressively intelligent film about modern-day religion, but while Smith's writing has matured significantly (anyone who thinks he's not topnotch should take a look at Chasing Amy), his direction hasn't. It's too bad, because Dogma is ripe for near-classic status in its theological satire, which is hardly as blasphemous as the protests that greeted the movie would lead you to believe.

Two banished angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) have discovered a loophole ! that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they'd destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It's up to Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic, to save the day, with some help from two so-called prophets (Smith and Jason Mewes, as their perennial characters Jay and Silent Bob), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), and a sexy, heavenly muse (the sublime Salma Hayek, who almost single-handedly steals the film). In some ways Dogma is a shaggy dog of a road movie--which hits a comic peak when Affleck and Fiorentino banter drunkenly on a train to New Jersey, not realizing they're mortal enemies--and segues into a comedy-action flick as the vengeful angels (who have a taste for blood) try to make their way into heaven. Smith's cast is exceptional--with Fiorentino lending a sardonic gravity to the proceedings, and Jason Lee smirking evilly as the horned devil Azrael--and the film shuffles good-na! turedly to its climax (featuring Alanis Morissette as a beatif! ically s ilent God), but it just looks so unrelentingly... subpar. Credit Smith with being a daring writer but a less-than-stellar director. --Mark EnglehartImaginative theology and a bigger-than-usual budget make Kevin Smith's (CHASING AMY, CLERKS) fourth film a kind of post-Catholic fantasy that only a comic-book enthusiast of his caliber could dream up. It concerns banished angels, Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck) who, after a few millennia in Wisconsin, discover a loophole in Catholic doctrine that would allow them back into heaven--but prove the fallibility of God and destroy the universe. As they make their way to New Jersey to receive a plenary indulgence, God dispatches a seraphim (Alan Rickman) to recruit lapsed-Catholic Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) to stop the angels. She finds help in muses, prophets (Jay and Silent Bob), and the forgotten 13th apostle, Rufus (Chris Rock). Before long, all hell breaks loose (literally), and God (Alanis Morrisette) ! has to put in an appearance of her own. Smith's controversial (and very funny) film is powered by his trademark dialogue, ripe with observations on pop culture, religion, and bodily functions Included bonus digital copy for your PC & PSP must be redeemed by 06/17/09

Act of God

  • This particular album has all the elements I've come to expect from acapella, great voices, good lyrics, and catchy tunes that are uplifting, sad, and comforting.
On a dark, foggy San Francisco evening, Jeremy Fullerton, a hot shot California senator with his eye on the presidency, is found murdered in the front seat of his car after speaking at a political fundraiser. The police arrest a young black male found fleeing the scene. The youth, a medical student, says that he tried to help the senator, but ran because he was afraid of the police. However, all the evidence says otherwise. The only lawyer willing to take the case, fraught with political and social ramifications, is an outsider -- and Joseph Antonelli leaves his Portland, Oregon, practice in search of justice. As he begins to prepare his defense, he finds himself lost in a world ruled by backroom politics and old money. He digs deep! er and uncovers a chain of deceit, betrayal, and naked ambition -- and soon discovers just how much one person will risk in order to leave behind a legacy.Is being hit by lightning a random natural occurrence or a predestined event? Accidents, chance, fate and the elusive quest to make sense out of tragedy underpin director Jennifer Baichwal's (Manufactured Landscapes) captivating new work, an elegant cinematic meditation on the metaphysical effects of being struck by lightning. To explore these profound questions, Baichwal sought out riveting personal stories around the world--from a former CIA assassin and a French storm chaser, to writer Paul Auster and improvisational musician Fred Frith. The philosophical anchor of the film, Auster witnessed his friend get struck dead by lightning as a teenager, and has been wrestling with its import on destiny ever since. In a neurological experiment, Frith improvises with his guitar to demonstrate the ubiquity of electricity i! n our bodies and the universe. Visually dazzling and aurally s! eductive , ACT OF GOD singularly captures the harsh beauty of the skies and the lives of those who have been forever touched by their fury.


Few know that the face on the famous death mask of Tutankhamen is not his at all. This book reveals an historical mystery which overturns Ancient Egyptian chronology, and also provides evidence that the Parting of the Red Sea and Plagues of Egypt in the Bible are accounts of actual events.On a dark, foggy San Francisco evening, Jeremy Fullerton, a hot shot California senator with his eye on the presidency, is found murdered in the front seat of his car after speaking at a political fundraiser. The police arrest a young black male found fleeing the scene. The youth, a medical student, says that he tried to help the senator, but ran because he was afraid of the police. However, all the evidence says otherwise. The only lawyer willing to take the case, fraught with political and social ramifications, is an outsider -- and Joseph Antonelli! leaves his Portland, Oregon, practice in search of justice. As he begins to prepare his defense, he finds himself lost in a world ruled by backroom politics and old money. He digs deeper and uncovers a chain of deceit, betrayal, and naked ambition -- and soon discovers just how much one person will risk in order to leave behind a legacy.On a dark, foggy San Francisco evening, Jeremy Fullerton, a hot shot California senator with his eye on the presidency, is found murdered in the front seat of his car after speaking at a political fundraiser. The police arrest a young black male found fleeing the scene. The youth, a medical student, says that he tried to help the senator, but ran because he was afraid of the police. However, all the evidence says otherwise. The only lawyer willing to take the case, fraught with political and social ramifications, is an outsider -- and Joseph Antonelli leaves his Portland, Oregon, practice in search of justice. As he begins to prepare his de! fense, he finds himself lost in a world ruled by backroom poli! tics and old money. He digs deeper and uncovers a chain of deceit, betrayal, and naked ambition -- and soon discovers just how much one person will risk in order to leave behind a legacy.Track Listings 1. He's Gonna Let You Know 2. Get To The Point 3. Act Of God 4. House Of Praise 5. And They Praise God 6. Gotta Grow Up 7. Let There Be Love 8. Teaching The Truth In Love 9. Let's Show And Tell 10. Walking The Line