Saturday, November 12, 2011

Gigantic

  • GIGANTIC (DVD MOVIE)
Mattress salesman, Brian Weathersby (PAUL DANO) gets swept up in a romance with the lovely but misguided Harriet Lolly (ZOOEY DESCHANEL) when she comes in to his store one day and falls asleep on one of the beds. To win her over, he must compete with her bear of a father, Al Lolly, (JOHN GOODMAN) an art-collecting loudmouth with a bad back and deep pockets. GIGANTIC is a funny, surreal love story about the anxiety that comes when two people with crazy families collide unexpectedly and fall for each other.

Die Another Day (Widescreen Special Edition)

  • 2002 - Die Another Day - MGM - Special Edition
  • 2-Disc Collectible Set - Over 7 Hours of Bonus Features
  • Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Judi Dench
  • PG-13 - Widescreen - Best Collectible Release to Date
  • Collectible - New
When his top-secret mission is sabotaged, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) finds himself captured by theenemy, abandoned by MI6 and stripped of his 00-license. Determined to get revenge, Bond goes head-to-head with a sultry spy (OscarÂ(r) winner* Halle Berry), a frosty agent (Rosamund Pike) anda shadowy billionaire (Toby Stephens) whose business is diamonds but whose secret is a diabolical weapon that could bring the world to its knees! Bristling with excitement and bursting with explosivespecial effects, Die Another Day is an adrenaline-pumping thrill-ride with "stunts and non-stop action [that] will astonish you" (Jeffrey Lyons, WNBC-TV)! *2001: Actre! ss, Monster'sBallThe 20th James Bond adventure, Die Another Day succeeds on three important fronts: it avoids comparison to Austin Powers by keeping its cheesy humor in check, allows Halle Berry to be sexy and worthy of a spinoff franchise, and keeps pace with the technical wizardry that modern action films demand. Pierce Brosnan's got style and staying power as James Bond, now bearing little resemblance to Ian Fleming's original British super-spy, but able to hold his own at the box office. He's paired with American agent Jinx (Berry) in chasing a genetically altered North Korean villain (Rick Yune) armed with a satellite capable of destroying just about anything. John Cleese and Judi Dench reprise their recurring roles (as "Q" and "M," respectively); they're accompanied by weapons-laden sports cars, a hokey cameo by Madonna (who sings the techno-pulsed theme song), and enough double-entendres to keep Bond-philes adequately shaken and stirred. W! ith clever nods to 007's cinematic legacy, Die Another Day make s you welcome the familiar end-credits promise: James Bond will return. --Jeff Shannon

Two Knotty Boys Showing You The Ropes: A Step-by-Step, Illustrated Guide for Tying Sensual and Decorative Rope Bondage

  • ISBN13: 9781931160490
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
"A play of depth as well as dazzle, intensely moving as well as thought-provoking and funny." --The Daily Telegraph

An unruly bunch of bright, funny sixth-form (or senior) boys in a British boys' school are, as such boys will be, in pursuit of sex, sport, and a place at a good university, generally in that order. In all their efforts, they are helped and hindered, enlightened and bemused, by a maverick English teacher who seeks to broaden their horizons in sometimes undefined ways, and a young history teacher who questions the methods, as well as the aim, of their schooling. In The History Boys, Alan Bennett evokes the special period and place that! the sixth form represents in an English boy's life. In doing so, he raises--with gentle wit and pitch-perfect command of character--not only universal questions about the nature of history and how it is taught but also questions about the purpose of education today.


In celebration of the BSA's 100th anniversary, Boy Scouts of America: A Centennial History is the official and definitive history of one of our nation's most influential and cherished organizations. Packed with stories of service and heroism, and brought to life through more than 1000 images from the BSA's archive, this treasure trove of American history is a must-have for millions of scouts, alumni, volunteers, and anyone interested in the making of a timeless American tradition.
When Two Knotty Boys, Dan and J. D., began teaching rope bondage together in 1999, they discovered that most people learn best when they're shown â€" close up, step by step, and repeatedly â€" how to tie basic kn! ots and combine them into bondage techniques. It is this learn! ing proc ess that they duplicate in this book. With the help of world-renowned photographer Larry Utley, they use over 750 photos and captions to explicate the soup-to-nuts techniques for turning great knots into great bondage that is safe, sensual, attractive, and effective. Readers can learn at their own pace, review whole techniques at a single glance, or even lay it flat on the table (beside their blindfolded partner) and follow along as they tie. Two Knotty Boys Showing You the Ropes appeals to those interested in improving the quality of their sex lives, not to mention aficionados of bondage and discipline/sadomasochism (BDSM), both curious newcomers and serious players alike.

Formula 51 : Widescreen Edition

  • Widescreen
THIS IS THE STORY OF ELMO MCELROY, A STREETWISE AMERICAN MASTER CHEMIST, WHO HEADS TO ENGLAND TO SET UP HIS LAST BIG DEAL - TOINTRODUCE A NEW DESIGNER DRUG TO THE EURPOEAN MARKET.MCELROYSOON BECOMES EMBROILED IN A WAR OF DOUBLE-DEALING AS HE'S ESCORTED AROUND LIVERPOOL'S UNDERWORLD.Wildly entertaining but riddled with as many plot holes as bullets, Formula 51 (a.k.a. The 51st State) is a love-it-or-hate-it action comedy that plays like Tarantino on the Thames. It's a raucous hash, highlighted by the sheer pleasure of Samuel L. Jackson--in a kilt, no less--strutting his stuff among denizens of the British underworld. As freelance chemist Elmo McElroy (whose tartan attire remains glibly unexplained), Jackson is perfectly teamed with The Full Monty's Robert Carlyle in a scam involving Elmo's latest pharmaceutical concoction, which promises to yield a fortune on th! e rave scene. This attracts a loopy British kingpin (the outrageous Rhys Ifans), Elmo's vengeful ex-boss (Meat Loaf), a corrupt cop (Sean Pertwee), and a lovely assassin (Emily Mortimer) with a soft spot for Carlyle. They're all given generous helpings of Stel Pavlou's profanely zesty dialogue, and director Ronny Yu strikes a breezy balance between rampant hilarity and blood-splattering violence. If that's your cup of tea, Formula 51 guarantees a satisfying buzz. --Jeff ShannonWildly entertaining but riddled with as many plot holes as bullets, Formula 51 (a.k.a. The 51st State) is a love-it-or-hate-it action comedy that plays like Tarantino on the Thames. It's a raucous hash, highlighted by the sheer pleasure of Samuel L. Jackson--in a kilt, no less--strutting his stuff among denizens of the British underworld. As freelance chemist Elmo McElroy (whose tartan attire remains glibly unexplained), Jackson is perfectly teamed with The Full Monty's Robert Carlyle in a scam involving Elmo's latest pharmaceu! tical co ncoction, which promises to yield a fortune on the rave scene. This attracts a loopy British kingpin (the outrageous Rhys Ifans), Elmo's vengeful ex-boss (Meat Loaf), a corrupt cop (Sean Pertwee), and a lovely assassin (Emily Mortimer) with a soft spot for Carlyle. They're all given generous helpings of Stel Pavlou's profanely zesty dialogue, and director Ronny Yu strikes a breezy balance between rampant hilarity and blood-splattering violence. If that's your cup of tea, Formula 51 guarantees a satisfying buzz. --Jeff ShannonFORMULA 51: THIS IS THE STORY OF ELMO MCELROY, A STREETWISE AMERICAN MASTER CHEMIST, WHO HEADS TO ENGLAND TO SET UP HIS LAST BIG DEAL - TOINTRODUCE A NEW DESIGNER DRUG TO THE EURPOEAN MARKET.MCELROYSOON BECOMES EMBROILED IN A WAR OF DOUBLE-DEALING AS HE'S ESCORTED AROUND LIVERPOOL'S UNDERWORLD. *** - **** S.W.A.T: An arrested drug kingpin is transported by a Los Angeles Police Department S.W.A.T. team, led by Jackson's character, out of the city and into federal custody. Plans go awry when the kingpin offers $100 million to anyone who can free him. Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Oliver Martinez.Wildly entertaining but riddled with as many plot holes as bullets, Formula 51 (a.k.a. The 51st State) is a love-it-or-hate-it action comedy that plays like Tarantino on the Thames. It's a raucous hash, highlighted by the sheer pleasure of Samuel L. Jackson--in a kilt, no less--strutting his stuff among denizens of the British underworld. As freelance chemist Elmo McElroy (whose tartan attire remains glibly unexplained), Jackson is perfectly teamed with The Full Monty's Robert Carlyle in a scam involving Elmo's latest pharmaceutical concoction, which promises to yield a fortune on the rave scene. This attracts a loopy Bri! tish kingpin (the outrageous Rhys Ifans), Elmo's vengeful ex-boss (Meat Loaf), a corrupt cop (Sean Pertwee), and a lovely assassin (Emily Mortimer) with a soft spot for Carlyle. They're all given generous helpings of Stel Pavlou's profanely zesty dialogue, and director Ronny Yu strikes a breezy balance between rampant hilarity and blood-splattering violence. If that's your cup of tea, Formula 51 guarantees a satisfying buzz. --Jeff Shannondvd

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition)

  • The next installment in the Harry Potter series finds young wizard Harry Potter (DANIEL RADCLIFFE) and his friends Ron Weasley (RUPERT GRINT) and Hermione Granger (EMMA WATSON) facing new challenges during their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they try to uncover a dark force that is terrorizing the school. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating:&nb
The next installment in the Harry Potter series finds young wizard Harry Potter (DANIEL RADCLIFFE) and his friends Ron Weasley (RUPERT GRINT) and Hermione Granger (EMMA WATSON) facing new challenges during their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they try to uncover a dark force that is terrorizing the school.First sequels are the true test of an enduring movie franchise, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets passes with flying colors. Expanding upon the lavish sets, sp! ecial effects, and grand adventure of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry involves a darker, more malevolent tale (parents with younger children beware), beginning with the petrified bodies of several Hogwarts students and magical clues leading Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) to a 50-year-old mystery in the monster-laden Chamber of Secrets. House elves, squealing mandrakes, giant spiders, and venomous serpents populate this loyal adaptation (by Sorcerer's Stone director Chris Columbus and screenwriter Steve Kloves), and Kenneth Branagh delightfully tops the supreme supporting cast as the vainglorious charlatan Gilderoy Lockhart (be sure to view past the credits for a visual punchline at Lockhart's expense). At 161 minutes, the film suffers from lack of depth and uneven pacing, and John Williams' score mostly reprises established themes. The young, fast! -growing cast offers ample compensation, however, as does the ! late Ric hard Harris in his final screen appearance as Professor Albus Dumbledore. Brimming with cleverness, wonderment, and big-budget splendor, Chamber honors the legacy of J.K. Rowling's novels. --Jeff Shannon

Edge of Darkness

  • The bullet that killed his daughter was meant for Boston cop Thomas Craven. That s what police brass and Craven himself think, but that s not what the investigation finds. Clue after clue and witness after witness, the search leads him into a shadowy realm where money and political intrigue intersect. If Craven wasn t a target before, he and anyone linked to his inquiry now is. Mel Gibson stars in
The bullet that killed his daughter was meant for Boston cop Thomas Craven. That’s what police brass and Craven himself think, but that’s not what the investigation finds. Clue after clue and witness after witness, the search leads him into a shadowy realm where money and political intrigue intersect. If Craven wasn’t a target before, he--and anyone linked to his inquiry--now is. Mel Gibson stars in his first screen lead in eight years, making Craven’s grief palpable and his quest for paybac! k stone-cold and relentless. Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) directs from a screenplay co-written by The Departed’s William Monahan. Gibson is back, taking us to the edge…and into the sinister darkness.The good news is that Edge of Darkness (no relation to the fine 1943 war picture of that name) brings back Mel Gibson in front of the camera for the first time in nearly a decade. Although he's grown creased and leathery and his thatch has thinned, the movie star who was Mad Max still has the charisma and gravitas to center a dodgy suspense tale and propel it to the finish line. Gibson plays veteran Boston police detective Tom Craven, who welcomes home daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) for a rare visit, then sees her shot down at his front door. Because the gunman shouted "Craven!" and because a cop makes enemies, Tom assumes Emma took a bullet meant for him, which adds considerably to his grief and pain. But as he looks into the life of a daughter he loved y! et scarcely knew, he discovers she'd been preparing to turn wh! istleblo wer on her employer, a corporation doing unsavory clandestine things for the government. Craven starts having oblique chats with a philosophical Brit named Jedburgh (Ray Winstone), who keeps turning up unexpectedly--in Craven's backyard at night, say--always giving the distinct impression that he could just as well kill a fellow instead of schmoozing. Their strange rapport, like Craven's tendency to mutter ironical asides as if in ongoing conversation with the departed Emma, is more intriguing than the conspiracy involving corporate skullduggery and a rogue assassination bureau. The bar for that sort of thing was set in post-Watergate days by Alan J. Pakula's The Parallax View, and we're nowhere near its cinematic elegance or pervasive paranoia. Edge of Darkness, based on a British miniseries from 1985, was directed by Martin Campbell, who also handled the six-hour original (and more recently the successful James Bond reboot Casino Royale). Campbell does! decent-enough work--the occasional bursts of "shocking action" do shock even as we know they're coming--but rarely exceeds generic requirements. For killing comparison among contemporary suspense films, catch Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer, in which every frame unsettlingly conveys a world where disquiet is the natural order of things. --Richard T. Jameson

A Beautiful Mind (The Awards Edition) [VHS]

  • Condition: Used - Good
 “HOW COULD YOU, A MATHEMATICIAN, BELIEVE THAT EXTRATERRESTRIALS WERE SENDING YOU MESSAGES?” the visitor from Harvard asked the West Virginian with the movie-star looks and Olympian manner. “Because the ideas I had about supernatural beings came to me the same way my mathematical ideas did,” came the answer. “So I took them seriously.”

Thus begins the true story of John Nash, the mathematical genius who was a legend by age thirty when he slipped into madness, and whoâ€"thanks to the selflessness of a beautiful woman and the loyalty of the mathematics communityâ€"emerged after decades of ghostlike existence to win a Nobel Prize for triggering the game theory revolution. The inspiration for an Academy Awardâ€"winning movie, Sylvia Nasar’s now-classic biography is a drama about the mystery of the human mind, triumph over adversity, and the healing power o! f love.Stories of famously eccentric Princetonians abound--such as that of chemist Hubert Alyea, the model for The Absent-Minded Professor, or Ralph Nader, said to have had his own key to the library as an undergraduate. Or the "Phantom of Fine Hall," a figure many students had seen shuffling around the corridors of the math and physics building wearing purple sneakers and writing numerology treatises on the blackboards. The Phantom was John Nash, one of the most brilliant mathematicians of his generation, who had spiraled into schizophrenia in the 1950s. His most important work had been in game theory, which by the 1980s was underpinning a large part of economics. When the Nobel Prize committee began debating a prize for game theory, Nash's name inevitably came up--only to be dismissed, since the prize clearly could not go to a madman. But in 1994 Nash, in remission from schizophrenia, shared the Nobel Prize in economics for work done some 45 years pre! viously.

Economist and journalist Sylvia Nasar has written ! a biogra phy of Nash that looks at all sides of his life. She gives an intelligent, understandable exposition of his mathematical ideas and a picture of schizophrenia that is evocative but decidedly unromantic. Her story of the machinations behind Nash's Nobel is fascinating and one of very few such accounts available in print (the CIA could learn a thing or two from the Nobel committees). This highly recommended book is indeed "a story about the mystery of the human mind, in three acts: genius, madness, reawakening." --Mary Ellen Curtin “HOW COULD YOU, A MATHEMATICIAN, BELIEVE THAT EXTRATERRESTRIALS WERE SENDING YOU MESSAGES?” the visitor from Harvard asked the West Virginian with the movie-star looks and Olympian manner. “Because the ideas I had about supernatural beings came to me the same way my mathematical ideas did,” came the answer. “So I took them seriously.”

Thus begins the true story of John Nash, the mathematical genius who was a legend by a! ge thirty when he slipped into madness, and whoâ€"thanks to the selflessness of a beautiful woman and the loyalty of the mathematics communityâ€"emerged after decades of ghostlike existence to win a Nobel Prize for triggering the game theory revolution. The inspiration for an Academy Awardâ€"winning movie, Sylvia Nasar’s now-classic biography is a drama about the mystery of the human mind, triumph over adversity, and the healing power of love.Stories of famously eccentric Princetonians abound--such as that of chemist Hubert Alyea, the model for The Absent-Minded Professor, or Ralph Nader, said to have had his own key to the library as an undergraduate. Or the "Phantom of Fine Hall," a figure many students had seen shuffling around the corridors of the math and physics building wearing purple sneakers and writing numerology treatises on the blackboards. The Phantom was John Nash, one of the most brilliant mathematicians of his generation, who had spiraled in! to schizophrenia in the 1950s. His most important work had be! en in ga me theory, which by the 1980s was underpinning a large part of economics. When the Nobel Prize committee began debating a prize for game theory, Nash's name inevitably came up--only to be dismissed, since the prize clearly could not go to a madman. But in 1994 Nash, in remission from schizophrenia, shared the Nobel Prize in economics for work done some 45 years previously.

Economist and journalist Sylvia Nasar has written a biography of Nash that looks at all sides of his life. She gives an intelligent, understandable exposition of his mathematical ideas and a picture of schizophrenia that is evocative but decidedly unromantic. Her story of the machinations behind Nash's Nobel is fascinating and one of very few such accounts available in print (the CIA could learn a thing or two from the Nobel committees). This highly recommended book is indeed "a story about the mystery of the human mind, in three acts: genius, madness, reawakening." --Mary Ellen Curtin “HOW COULD YOU, A MATHEMATICIAN, BELIEVE THAT EXTRATERRESTRIALS WERE SENDING YOU MESSAGES?” the visitor from Harvard asked the West Virginian with the movie-star looks and Olympian manner. “Because the ideas I had about supernatural beings came to me the same way my mathematical ideas did,” came the answer. “So I took them seriously.”

Thus begins the true story of John Nash, the mathematical genius who was a legend by age thirty when he slipped into madness, and whoâ€"thanks to the selflessness of a beautiful woman and the loyalty of the mathematics communityâ€"emerged after decades of ghostlike existence to win a Nobel Prize for triggering the game theory revolution. The inspiration for an Academy Awardâ€"winning movie, Sylvia Nasar’s now-classic biography is a drama about the mystery of the human mind, triumph over adversity, and the healing power of love.This Ron Howard film parlays the troubled story of Nobel laureate John Forbes Nash Jr., a gifted ! Princeton mathematics professor tormented for decades by paran! oid schi zophrenia, into something considerably richer than typical Hollywood triumph-against-all-odds fare. Howard has teamed here again with frequent collaborator James Horner, and it's the composer who deftly shades the film's difficult emotional landscape and helps impart a compelling humanity. Horner's first task is not inconsiderable: musically portraying the arcane realm of mathematical theorems that are the story's backdrop. In doing so, the composer leans heavily on modern minimalist technique, bright flourishes that recur briefly throughout an orchestral score that increasingly reflects Nash's bleak inner landscape in its quietly somber and brooding tones. And while Horner has frequently been accused of excessively repeating himself in his scores, the neo-minimalist gambit employed on this reflectively pastoral, postmodernist soundscape neatly nips such criticism in the bud. Nash's triumph is ultimately an intensely personal one, well reflected in Welsh soprano Charlotte Ch! urch's lilting performance of the Horner/Will Jennings ballad "All Love Can Be." This enhanced CD also features notes by the director and composer, as well as exclusive photos and the film's trailer. --Jerry McCulley Winner of 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, A Beautiful Mind is directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard and produced by long-time partner and collaborator, Academy Award winner Brian Grazer. A Beautiful Mind stars Russell Crowe in an astonishing performance as brilliant mathematician John Nash, on the brink of international acclaim when he becomes entangled in a mysterious conspiracy. Now only his devoted wife (Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly) can help him in this powerful story of courage, passion and triumph.A Beautiful Mind manages to twist enough pathos out of John Nash's incredible life story to redeem an at-times goofy portrayal of schizophrenia. Russell Crowe tackles the role with characteristic fervor, playing the Nob! el prize-winning mathematician from his days at Princeton, whe! re he de veloped a groundbreaking economic theory, to his meteoric rise to the cover of Forbes magazine and an MIT professorship, and on through to his eventual dismissal due to schizophrenic delusions. Of course, it is the delusions that fascinate director Ron Howard and, predictably, go astray. Nash's other world, populated as it is by a maniacal Department of Defense agent (Ed Harris), an imagined college roommate who seems straight out of Dead Poets Society, and an orphaned girl, is so fluid and scriptlike as to make the viewer wonder if schizophrenia is really as slick as depicted. Crowe's physical intensity drags us along as he works admirably to carry the film on his considerable shoulders. No doubt the story of Nash's amazing will to recover his life without the aid of medication is a worthy one, his eventual triumph heartening. Unfortunately, Howard's flashy style is unable to convey much of it. --Fionn Meade

Clash of the Gods: 3 - Disc Set

  • Reacquaint yourself with myths so powerful that they remain woven into the fabric of the present world, resonating with real-life relevance.Thousands of years ago, they were used to help frame the world of the ancients, and dictate the guidelines of their societies. Today, they are often the first stories we learn as children, iconic tales where good and evil clash, and humanity and fantasy collid
Ian McKellen delivers a riveting award-winning performance as Hollywood horror director James Whale. It's 1957 and Whale's heyday as the director of Frankenstein Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man is long behind him. Retired andia semi-recluse he lives his days accompanied only by images from his past. When his dour housekeeper Hannah (Lynn Redgrave) hires a handsome young gardener Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser) the flamboyant director and simple yard man develop an unlikely friendship. Thi! s powerful and poignant relationship will change their lives forever.System Requirements:Starring Brendan Fraser Ian McKellen Lolita Davidovich Lynn Redgrave Directed by Bill Condon Running time: 105 minutes Copyright Lion's Gate 2003Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 031398833222 Manufacturer No: 71872One of the most critically acclaimed films of 1998 and winner of several awards including the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Gods and Monsters is a compassionate speculation about the final days of James Whale (1889-1957), the director of Frankenstein and 20 other films of the 1930s and '40s, who was openly gay at a time when homosexuality in Hollywood was discreetly concealed. Adapted and directed by Bill Condon from Christopher Bram's novel Father of Frankenstein, the film stars Ian McKellen in a sublime performance as the white-haired Whale, who is portrayed as a dapper gent and amateur artist prompted by failing health into mela! ncholy remembrance of things past. Flashbacks of lost love, Wo! rld War  I battle trauma, and glory days in Hollywood combine with Whale's present-day attraction to a newly hired yard worker (Brendan Fraser) whose hunky, Frankenstein-like physique makes him an ideal model for Whale's fixated sketching.

The friendship between the handsome gardener and his elderly gay admirer is by turns tenuous, humorous, mutually beneficial, and ultimately rather sad--but to Condon's credit Whale is never seen as pathetic, lecherous, or senile. Equally rich is the rapport between Whale and his long-time housekeeper (played with wry sarcasm by Lynn Redgrave), who serves as protector, mother, and even surrogate spouse while Whale's mental state deteriorates. Flashbacks to Whale's filmmaking days are painstakingly authentic (particularly in the casting of look-alike actors playing Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester), and all of these ingredients combine to make Gods and Monsters (executive produced by horror novelist-filmmaker Clive Barker) a touchingly ! affectionate film that succeeds on many levels. It is at once a keen glimpse of Hollywood's past, a loving tribute to James Whale, and a richly moving, delicately balanced drama about loneliness, memory, and the passions that keep us alive. --Jeff ShannonOne of the most critically acclaimed films of 1998 and winner of several awards including the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Gods and Monsters is a compassionate speculation about the final days of James Whale (1889-1957), the director of Frankenstein and 20 other films of the 1930s and '40s, who was openly gay at a time when homosexuality in Hollywood was discreetly concealed. Adapted and directed by Bill Condon from Christopher Bram's novel Father of Frankenstein, the film stars Ian McKellen in a sublime performance as the white-haired Whale, who is portrayed as a dapper gent and amateur artist prompted by failing health into melancholy remembrance of things past. Flashbacks of lost love, ! World War I battle trauma, and glory days in Hollywood combin! e with W hale's present-day attraction to a newly hired yard worker (Brendan Fraser) whose hunky, Frankenstein-like physique makes him an ideal model for Whale's fixated sketching.

The friendship between the handsome gardener and his elderly gay admirer is by turns tenuous, humorous, mutually beneficial, and ultimately rather sad--but to Condon's credit Whale is never seen as pathetic, lecherous, or senile. Equally rich is the rapport between Whale and his long-time housekeeper (played with wry sarcasm by Lynn Redgrave), who serves as protector, mother, and even surrogate spouse while Whale's mental state deteriorates. Flashbacks to Whale's filmmaking days are painstakingly authentic (particularly in the casting of look-alike actors playing Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester), and all of these ingredients combine to make Gods and Monsters (executive produced by horror novelist-filmmaker Clive Barker) a touchingly affectionate film that succeeds on many levels. It is at onc! e a keen glimpse of Hollywood's past, a loving tribute to James Whale, and a richly moving, delicately balanced drama about loneliness, memory, and the passions that keep us alive. --Jeff ShannonOne of the most critically acclaimed films of 1998 and winner of several awards including the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Gods and Monsters is a compassionate speculation about the final days of James Whale (1889-1957), the director of Frankenstein and 20 other films of the 1930s and '40s, who was openly gay at a time when homosexuality in Hollywood was discreetly concealed. Adapted and directed by Bill Condon from Christopher Bram's novel Father of Frankenstein, the film stars Ian McKellen in a sublime performance as the white-haired Whale, who is portrayed as a dapper gent and amateur artist prompted by failing health into melancholy remembrance of things past. Flashbacks of lost love, World War I battle trauma, and glory days in Hollywood comb! ine with Whale's present-day attraction to a newly hired yard ! worker ( Brendan Fraser) whose hunky, Frankenstein-like physique makes him an ideal model for Whale's fixated sketching.

The friendship between the handsome gardener and his elderly gay admirer is by turns tenuous, humorous, mutually beneficial, and ultimately rather sad--but to Condon's credit Whale is never seen as pathetic, lecherous, or senile. Equally rich is the rapport between Whale and his long-time housekeeper (played with wry sarcasm by Lynn Redgrave), who serves as protector, mother, and even surrogate spouse while Whale's mental state deteriorates. Flashbacks to Whale's filmmaking days are painstakingly authentic (particularly in the casting of look-alike actors playing Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester), and all of these ingredients combine to make Gods and Monsters (executive produced by horror novelist-filmmaker Clive Barker) a touchingly affectionate film that succeeds on many levels. It is at once a keen glimpse of Hollywood's past, a loving tribute to Ja! mes Whale, and a richly moving, delicately balanced drama about loneliness, memory, and the passions that keep us alive. --Jeff Shannon

Previously titled Father of Frankenstein, this acclaimed novel was the basis for the 1998 film starring Sir Ian McKellen, Lynn Redgrave, and Brendan Fraser. It journeys back to 1957 Los Angeles, where James Whale, the once-famous director of such classics as Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, is living in retirement, haunted by his past. Rescuing him from his too-vivid imagination is his gardener, a handsome ex-marine. The friendship between these two very different men is sometimes tentative, sometimes touching, often dangerousâ€"and always captivating.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Reacquaint yourself with myths so powerful that they remain woven into the fabric of the present world, resonating! with real-life relevance.

Thousands of years ago, they! were us ed to help frame the world of the ancients, and dictate the guidelines of their societies. Today, they are often the first stories we learn as children, iconic tales in which good and evil clash, and humanity and fantasy collide. But what is the reality behind these stories? From the epic tragedy of Medusa, Greek mythology s most infamous female fiend, to Hercules, its greatest action hero, and Hades, master of the land of the dead and a god so feared no one would speak his name, explore these myths and the legendary figures who inspired them in CLASH OF THE GODS. Each episode connects ancient myths to actual historical events, as well as to events in the Bible and other cultures mythologies, gaining important historical insight from renowned scholars in search of the truth behind the legends.

This 10-part series on two discs travels back in time to reveal the stories behind some of history s most infamous mythological figures and legends including:

Zeus
! Hercules
Hades
The Minotaur
Medusa
Odysseus: Curse of the Sea
Beowulf
Tolkien s Monsters
Thor
And moreIt's paradoxical that the most heavily invented and imagined parts in this 10-episode Clash of the Gods series are so much less riveting than the simple storytelling by scholars cast to recap the myths in classroom-lecture style. In these hour-long episodes, myths are dramatized with acting that borders on farce. Men pumping their muscles and grunting or monsters' eyes glowing flaccidly into the camera lens are marked periodically by CG blood splatters and modern primitive tattoo designs blazing across the screen that do nothing for Greek myth except make it feel oafish. Even narrator Stan Bernard's rowdy, punctuated speaking style reminds one of narration for a detective show or a wrestling match instead of an educational documentary highlighting history's greatest mythic heroes. While modernizing ancient myth is a controversial topic, ! there are many reasons a television show visually explicating ! the clas sics to reach new generations is a great idea. But the erratic, hectic visual style of this series does a disservice to already-exciting stories that, according to the show's mission, explain the ancient world's belief that nature was subject to the gods. Clash of the Gods' other premise, more in keeping with its sensationalistic tone, is to expose hidden truths behind the myths.

The majority of the series devotes episodes to the rise of the Olympian gods, beginning with Zeus's battle with his father, Kronos, and the Titans. Images of Zeus with a ridiculous white lightning bolt painted across his face repeat ad nauseam throughout to supposedly show how Zeus took control of mortal earth until consumed by his "uncontrollable sex drive." Likewise, the episode "Hercules" depicts a well-oiled man in tight underwear roaming the desert to elucidate how he is the world's "ultimate superhero." Only scholars like Tom Stone, who humorously likens Hercules to Babe Ruth, or Mi! chael Fontaine from Cornell University, do any justice to the exploration of metaphorical connections between Hercules's 12-challenge quest and the ordeals humans were experiencing when the myth was popular. "Minotaur" better achieves its aim to link truths to the myth, by linking historical wars between the Cretans and Athenians to the horrific tale of the man-eating Cretan beast, deemed Athenian propaganda by historians like David George at Saint Anselm College. Also meaningful is the narrative thread in this episode about Theseus's dual fathers, one mortal and one god, and the fantastic connection between historical politicians, such as Alexander the Great, who believed that they too were conceived of two men. While "Medusa," the two-episode "Odysseus," and "Beowulf" do zilch to enlighten beyond basic redundant storytelling, the lamest episode of all is "Tolkien's Monsters," a heavy-handed look at how J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth was inspired by his days in the trenches! during World War I. While the information in this series is i! nformati ve and interesting, simulated drama and footage that repeats as if the History Channel ran out of material to edit in makes for possibly the worst series on mythology out there. Save your money and read the books instead. --Trinie Dalton

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More

 

web log free