Fool's Gold (Widescreen Edition)

• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• Widescreen; Color; NTSC

Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson go for the gold (and the diamonds, emeralds and rubies) as a just-divorced couple who bicker and banter their way through an adventure- and laugh-packed undersea treasure hunt. McConaughey is Finn, in love with his ex (Hudson) and in deep with gangster Bigg Bunny. After eight years of searching, Finn gets a clue to the whereabouts of the Queen’s Dowry, a fabulous fortune that mysteriously disappeared in the Caribbean in 1715. Now all he has to do is get the gold, get the girl and get going before Bigg Bunny gets him. Directed by Andy Tennant (Hitch), Fool’s Gold glitters with danger, action, romance, comedy, great one-liners â€" and a great time to be had by all!The "gold" of the title refers to an elusive pirate's booty, but it just as easily could mean the sun-washed glistening shores ! of Florida, or the sumptuously tanned bodies of its appealing stars, Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. The whole film is awash in golden highlights, and the scenery and cinematography make the experience akin to taking a tropical holiday. Hudson and McConaughey reprise the chemistry they first exhibited in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, sparking and tangling and kvetching, while all the while the audience knows, of course, they adore each other and are perfect for each other. McConaughey is a dreamer, on the trail of a sunken pirate's treasure, and Hudson his now-ex-wife, a historian who prefers life to be a little more sedate. McConaughey, as Finn, delivers impassioned speeches to Hudson, as Tess, saying, "You want history? It's in the ocean, lady!" Before you can say Romancing the Stone, Tess and Finn are grudgingly reunited in search of the booty. If the plot doesn't contain many surprises, the froth of the stars' chemistry is amiable and makes for a perf! ect date movie. Scuba divers may find McConaughey's antics bel! ow the s urface to be wildly unbelievable and usually fatal, but in the end viewers will root for him to surface, and recapture the heart of his lady love. --A.T. Hurley

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Ek Success Martha Stewart Glitter Multi Pack, 24 Per Pack

• Add sparkle to any project
• Includes twenty-four 0.37-ounce vials of different colored glitters and comes in a re-usable plastic case with handle
• Case measures 7-3/4 by 8 by 1-inch

These fine glitters in twenty-four vivid colors will add sparkle to any project. This package contains twenty-four 0.37-ounce vials of different colored glitters and comes in a re-usable plastic case with handle. Case measures 7-3/4 by 8 by 1-inch. Imported.

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Friends: The Complete Eighth Season

• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• Box set; Closed-captioned; Color; Dolby; DVD; Subtitled; NTSC

Sultry crime boss Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster, The Fast and the Furious) is back in the states and the D.E.B.S.- an elite team of paramilitary college co-ed superspies- are hot on her trail. But when their top agent, gorgeous Amy Bradshaw (Sara Foster, The Big Bounce), mysteriously disappears after coming face to face with the attractive young villainess, the D.E.B.S. begin a full-scale search for Lucy's secret lair, never suspecting that Amy may not want to be rescued after all, in this smart and sexy spy spoof about love at first gun sight.You can say this about D.E.B.S.: director Angela Robinson’s 2005 feature isn’t very good, but it is surprisingly entertaining. The premise, which bears a passing resemblance to any number of previous films (! from Heathers and Clueless to Charlie’s Angels and the Austin Powers franchise), involves a secret government agency recruiting young women as spies, based on their smarts, their ability to lie convincingly, and the fact that they look fetching in ultra-miniskirts. Four of the D.E.B.S. are then charged with collaring "criminal mastermind" Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster), who has returned to the States after hatching all manner of nefarious plots overseas. Then comes the twist: Diamond is gay, and one of our heroines, Amy Bradshaw (Sara Foster), unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with her. Out goes the espionage element; in comes the love story, and therein lies the surprise, as this burgeoning lesbian relationship is handled with unexpected sympathy, even tenderness. Sure, the acting, even by veteran grownups like Holland Taylor and Michael Clarke Duncan, is almost uniformly lame, and the script is silly; overall, the film would have to! put on considerable weight to even be considered frothy. Stil! l, D. E.B.S. isn’t a bad way to kill a couple of hours. DVD bonus features include a making-of featurette and commentary by Robinson and the cast. --Sam GrahamThe producers of the raw and uncensored Def Comedy Jam and the Tony Award-winning Def Poetry Jam, in association with F.E.D.S. magazine, now take millions of hip-hop fans to the birthplace of the multi-billion dollar rap industry... The Streets. Bringing to life the stories chronicled in each issue of the unofficial street bible, new Def Filmmaker Kwame Amouku is given a pass to the neighborhoods, sets and underground spots that street bosses would never allow TV cameras to enter. Original and present day sets of South Central and Compton Bloods and Crips with OGs T. Rodgers and Michael Concepcion as our tour guides. F.E.D.S. features: The underground breeding, training, fighting and execution dens of the street's and hip-hop's official mascot, the pit bull; The home and hustle spots of one of the only Harlem hu! stlers to ever get out of the game and live to tell about it. Told directly from the mouth of the legendary gentleman hustler himself, PeeWee Kirkland; The site of the attempted murder of F.E.D.S. founder Antoine Clark and the story of the magazine's unlikely rise to become the street's first publishing dynasty; A sneak preview of the home of legendary and present day bosses of the most notorious Jamaican Shottas, live and direct from Tivoli Gardens, Jamaica; The censors are off, the cameras are rolling and the streets are alking! Songs include: Being Lonely (Field Mob), Fly (213), Off the Wall (Skillz), Get By (Talib Kewli), Do Sumpthin? (Comp), B-More Anthem (Comp), Pushaman (Joe Budden), Safe (Scarface), In Cold Blood (Scarface), Uh Huh (Method Man), Hood Money (CNN)You can say this about D.E.B.S.: director Angela Robinson’s 2005 feature isn’t very good, but it is surprisingly entertaining. The premise, which bears a passing resemblance to any number of previo! us films (from Heathers and Clueless to Charl! ie’s A ngels and the Austin Powers franchise), involves a secret government agency recruiting young women as spies, based on their smarts, their ability to lie convincingly, and the fact that they look fetching in ultra-miniskirts. Four of the D.E.B.S. are then charged with collaring "criminal mastermind" Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster), who has returned to the States after hatching all manner of nefarious plots overseas. Then comes the twist: Diamond is gay, and one of our heroines, Amy Bradshaw (Sara Foster), unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with her. Out goes the espionage element; in comes the love story, and therein lies the surprise, as this burgeoning lesbian relationship is handled with unexpected sympathy, even tenderness. Sure, the acting, even by veteran grownups like Holland Taylor and Michael Clarke Duncan, is almost uniformly lame, and the script is silly; overall, the film would have to put on considerable weight to even be considered frothy. Sti! ll, D.E.B.S. isn’t a bad way to kill a couple of hours. DVD bonus features include a making-of featurette and commentary by Robinson and the cast. --Sam GrahamYou can say this about "D.E.B.S.": director Angela Robinson'Äôs 2005 feature isn'Äôt very good, but it is surprisingly entertaining. The premise, which bears a passing resemblance to any number of previous films (from "Heathers" and "Clueless" to "Charlie'Äôs Angels" and the "Austin Powers" franchise), involves a secret government agency recruiting young women as spies, based on their smarts, their ability to lie convincingly, and the fact that they look fetching in ultra-miniskirts. Four of the D.E.B.S. are then charged with collaring "criminal mastermind" Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster), who has returned to the States after hatching all manner of nefarious plots overseas. Then comes the twist: Diamond is gay, and one of our heroines, Amy Bradshaw (Sara Foster), unexpectedly finds herself fallin! g in love with her. Out goes the espionage element; in comes t! he love story, and therein lies the surprise, as this burgeoning lesbian relationship is handled with unexpected sympathy, even tenderness. Sure, the acting, even by veteran grownups like Holland Taylor and Michael Clarke Duncan, is almost uniformly lame, and the script is silly; overall, the film would have to put on considerable weight to even be considered frothy. Still, "D.E.B.S." isn'Äôt a bad way to kill a couple of hours. DVD bonus features include a making-of featurette and commentary by Robinson and the cast. "--Sam Graham"You can say this about D.E.B.S.: director Angela Robinson’s 2005 feature isn’t very good, but it is surprisingly entertaining. The premise, which bears a passing resemblance to any number of previous films (from Heathers and Clueless to Charlie’s Angels and the Austin Powers franchise), involves a secret government agency recruiting young women as spies, based on their smarts, their ability to lie convincingly, a! nd the fact that they look fetching in ultra-miniskirts. Four of the D.E.B.S. are then charged with collaring "criminal mastermind" Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster), who has returned to the States after hatching all manner of nefarious plots overseas. Then comes the twist: Diamond is gay, and one of our heroines, Amy Bradshaw (Sara Foster), unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with her. Out goes the espionage element; in comes the love story, and therein lies the surprise, as this burgeoning lesbian relationship is handled with unexpected sympathy, even tenderness. Sure, the acting, even by veteran grownups like Holland Taylor and Michael Clarke Duncan, is almost uniformly lame, and the script is silly; overall, the film would have to put on considerable weight to even be considered frothy. Still, D.E.B.S. isn’t a bad way to kill a couple of hours. DVD bonus features include a making-of featurette and commentary by Robinson and the cast. --Sam GrahamCom! plete collection of eigth season episodes of the television pr! ogram ab out six friends living in New York.
Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: NR
Street Date: 09/06/05
Wide Screen: no
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
Language: ENGLISH
Foreign Film: noSubtitles: no
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: yes
Re-Release: no
Packaging: SleeveThe eighth season of Friends picks up just moments after Monica and Chandler said, "I do." But the focus of this season is firmly on Rachel's pregnancy, as the story progresses from fatherhood revelations in "The One with the Red Sweater" and "The One Where Rachel Tells..." toward complicated new feelings for Rachel, Ross, and Joey, culminating in the maternity ward two-parter "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby." But it's not all Rachel's pregnancy story. Standalone highlights include "The One with the Rumor" in which the "We Hate Rachel" club started in high school by Ross and a certain Mr. Jenn! ifer Aniston (an uncredited Brad Pitt) is revealed; while "The One with Monica's Boots" has Monica and Chandler arguing over finances when Phoebe and Ross are arguing over the attentions of Sting's wife, Trudie Styler (cameoing as herself). Relationship complications fall upon Phoebe as "The One with the Tea Leaves" hooks her up with a stellar cameo from Alec Baldwin. "The One with Joey's Interview" has Matt LeBlanc in top form preparing to be interviewed by Soap Opera Digest. But time starts to tick faster for everyone in "The One Where Rachel Is Late," as Joey's WWI movie finally arrives, but is overshadowed by the wait for Rachel's overdue arrival. Naturally it's all build-up to the cliffhanger finale and a final emotional surprise. --Paul Tonks

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Encino Man

• Starring outrageously hip Pauly Shore, Encino Man unearths the biggest laughs in 2 million years! The fun kicks off when two high school buddies dig up a frozen caveman in their backyard! Once the living fossil thaws out, the friends figure he s their ticket to being cool. But the plan backfires when the newcomer turns everyday life upside down, generating pre-hysterical craziness wherever he roam

They're weird, they're wild and they're going totally environmental! Two deadbeat dudes are about to trade beer and pizza for soymilk and tofu in this outrageously funny comedy from the producers of Dumb and Dumber. Before Earth Day 1996, the closest Bud (Pauly Shore) and Doyle (Stephen Baldwin) had ever come to a garbage dump was the floor of their apartment! So when their ecology-conscious girlfriends ask them to stop wasting time and start cleaning waste, the dimwitted duo makes it clear that th! ey'd rather talk trash than pick it up. But their world suddenly changes when they're accidentally trapped inside Bio-Dome a year long scientific ecological experiment with no fast food or cable television! Will Bud and Doyle adapt to their new found habitat or will their very presence spell extinction for themselves, the project and perhaps the entire planet?!Disc 1: Bio Dome Disc 2: P.C.U. Disc 3: Back to SchoolThey're weird, they're wild and they're going totally environmental! Two deadbeat dudes are about to trade beer and pizza for soymilk and tofu in this outrageously funny comedy from the producers of Dumb and Dumber. Before Earth Day 1996, the closest Bud (Pauly Shore) and Doyle (Stephen Baldwin) had ever come to a garbage dump was the floor of their apartment! So when their ecology-conscious girlfriends ask them to stop wasting time and start cleaning waste, the dimwitted duo makes it clear that they'd rather talk trash than pick it up. But their world suddenly ch! anges when they're accidentally trapped inside Bio-Dome a year! long sc ientific ecological experiment with no fast food or cable television! Will Bud and Doyle adapt to their new found habitat or will their very presence spell extinction for themselves, the project and perhaps the entire planet?!Love. Love is the one emotion that transcends the limitation and boundaries of space and time. It's even powerful enough to physically bend the fabric of time and space itself. Set in the 23rd century, "The Bio-Dome Project" shows that love always prevails. Michelle Thomas is a luminous architect with great values, high conviction in her beliefs and loyalty to her heart. When she brings her latest idea to a company for backing, she meets a single C.E.O., who falls madly in love with her. However, there is a callused figure that will hamper their love, relationship and the project itself. At present, there are eight million people living on the moon, humanity has taken a peaceful turn for the better. Life is easier, calmer and the world is at one with ea! ch other. As the progress for the project furthers, threats arise from unknown origins. Tracking these threats down, is the work of CeeCee, a diligent, faithful computer. Will she find the source of this evil plot in time to save the project? Will events get so bad, that everything the world has worked for be in jeopardy? Welcome to "The Bio-Dome Project"! Starring Pauly Shore, Encino Man unearths the biggest laughs in 2 million years! The fun kicks off when two high school buddies dig up a frozen caveman in their backyard! Once the living fossil thaws out, the friends figure he's their ticket to being cool. But the plan backfires when the newcomer turns everyday life upside down, generating pre-hysterical craziness wherever he roams! Co-starring Sean Astin (Bulworth) and Brendan Fraser (The Mummy), you'll definitely dig Encino Man-- the totally irreverent, totally awesome comedy that shows just how hilariously out-of-control things evolve once t! he stone age meets the rock age head-on!Brendan Fraser made hi! s film d ebut in this 1992 comedy that never quite discovers its audience constituency. On the one hand, it features Pauly Shore, which would seem to define the picture's tone and identity accordingly. On the other hand, the film's other leading man is Sean Astin, the earnest star of Rudy, suggesting that Encino Man will have a lot of heart despite its silly premise. But none of that turns out to be true. Fraser plays an unfrozen caveman discovered by a pair of California high school outcasts (Shore and Astin). As the grunting newcomer becomes popular with the other kids, Shore and Astin try to bask in his reflected glow. Fraser, beginning a long movie career playing cartoonish goofballs, works entirely on instinct and earns his laughs. Shore, however, relies on his familiar verbal shtick, and Astin makes a great overgrown puppy pining after a lost girlfriend. Directed by Les Mayfield, who came to this project from his acclaimed documentary, Hearts of Darkness: A Fil! mmaker's Apocalypse. --Tom Keogh

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Frozen

• FROZEN (DVD MOVIE)

A typical day on the slopes turns into a chilling nightmare for three snowboarders when they get stranded on the chairlift before their last run. As the ski patrol switches off the night lights, they realize with growing panic that they’ve been left behind, dangling high off the ground with no way down.

Snow-sport enthusiasts, take note: Adam Green's unsettling thriller Frozen suggests that abiding by the rules and regulations of your local ski resort might not only be polite, but essential to your health. Green's hapless heroes--nice guy Dan (Kevin Zegers, Transamerica), his best pal Lynch (Shawn Ashmore, the X-Men franchise), and Dan's new girlfriend Parker (newcomer Emma Bell)--decided to cut a few corners in pursuit of more time on the slopes. Miscommunication with the staff results in the trio getting stuck on a lift some 60 feet in the a! ir just moments before the resort closes for a three-day weekend. The hope for rescue soon dwindles, and the trio faces the decision to either endure the elements or somehow make their way to the ground without injury. All of the gruesome possibilities inherent to the situation--from frostbite and broken limbs to a pack of voracious wolves--are explored in unpleasant detail, but what sets Frozen apart from a simple splatterfest is the quality of the performances, especially Bell, who rises above her character's initial superficiality to present a wholly sympathetic character. Fans of Green's first film, the abysmal slasher tribute Hatchet, might find the pacing glacial (ahem), but those who admired his sophomore effort, the psychological thriller Spiral, will appreciate his attention to pacing and suspense, which puts Frozen on par with the very similar Open Water. The DVD includes commentary by Green and his stars, along with deleted scen! es and a wealth of behind-the-scenes featurettes focusing on c! onceptio n of the project, as well as the crew's struggles with the genuinely contentious weather at the Utah filming location. --Paul Gaita

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Close to Home

• Inia divided city, friendship isitheir last line of defense. In the nation of Israel, military service is compulsory for all citizens. Now an award-winning drama offers an in-depth look at young women's lives in the service. Dutiful Mirit (Naama Schender) is assigned to a street patrol with the rebellious Smadar (Smadar Sayar). Plunged into the simmering tensions of Jerusalem, they find the

By the New York Times bestselling author of the Do It Yourself home renovation mysteries...

4th book in the Savannah Martin romantic mystery series, following A Cutthroat Business, Hot Property, and Contract Pending, by bestselling author Jenna Bennett AKA Jennie Bentley.

SYNOPSIS:

Sometimes, trouble hits too close to home.

Savannah's late. The kind of late that comes with midnight feedings and the pitter-patter of little feet. And while it's a circumstance that ! should make everyone happy - now she can finally settle down and marry Todd Satterfield, the way everyone's been hoping and praying! - it isn't Todd's baby. And Rafe Collier, whose baby it is, didn't sign on for fatherhood.

Add in the murder of Savannah's sister-in-law Sheila, the trial of Sheila's friend Marley, and the disappearance of Rafe's twelve year old son David - the kid he never knew he had - and things get complicated fast. And there is worse to come: When Rafe comes back to Nashville to help look for David, and learns that Savannah's pregnant, things do not work out the way Savannah hopes. In the end, she's left with nothing she wanted and a whole lot of trouble she didn't, and when she gets in over her head, Rafe's not there to save the day.

ALSO IN THIS SERIES:

A Cutthroat Business (May 2011)
Hot Property (June 2011)
Contract Pending (July 2011)
Close to Home (September 2011)
A Done Deal (December 2011)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jenna Bennett is the Ne! w York T imes bestselling author of the Do It Yourself home renovation mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime - written as Jennie Bentley - as well as the Savannah Martin/Cutthroat Business mysteries written as Jenna Bennett. A former Realtor® and home renovator, she makes her home in Nashville, Tennessee, with a husband, two boys, and a house full of pets.

ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR:

Fatal Fixer Upper, DIY-1 (November 2008) written as Jennie Bentley
Spackled and Spooked (August 2009) written as Jennie Bentley
Plaster and Poison (March 2010) written as Jennie Bentley
Mortar and Murder (January 2011) written as Jennie Bentley
Flipped Out (October 2011) written as Jennie Bentley


By the New York Times bestselling author of the Do It Yourself home renovation mysteries...

4th book in the Savannah Martin romantic mystery series, following A Cutthroat Business, Hot Property, and Contract Pending, by bestselling author Jenna Bennett AKA! Jennie Bentley.

SYNOPSIS:

Sometimes, trouble hits too close to home.

Savannah's late. The kind of late that comes with midnight feedings and the pitter-patter of little feet. And while it's a circumstance that should make everyone happy - now she can finally settle down and marry Todd Satterfield, the way everyone's been hoping and praying! - it isn't Todd's baby. And Rafe Collier, whose baby it is, didn't sign on for fatherhood.

Add in the murder of Savannah's sister-in-law Sheila, the trial of Sheila's friend Marley, and the disappearance of Rafe's twelve year old son David - the kid he never knew he had - and things get complicated fast. And there is worse to come: When Rafe comes back to Nashville to help look for David, and learns that Savannah's pregnant, things do not work out the way Savannah hopes. In the end, she's left with nothing she wanted and a whole lot of trouble she didn't, and when she gets in over her head, Rafe's not there ! to save the day.

ALSO IN THIS SERIES:

A Cutthr! oat Busi ness (May 2011)
Hot Property (June 2011)
Contract Pending (July 2011)
Close to Home (September 2011)
A Done Deal (December 2011)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jenna Bennett is the New York Times bestselling author of the Do It Yourself home renovation mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime - written as Jennie Bentley - as well as the Savannah Martin/Cutthroat Business mysteries written as Jenna Bennett. A former Realtor® and home renovator, she makes her home in Nashville, Tennessee, with a husband, two boys, and a house full of pets.

ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR:

Fatal Fixer Upper, DIY-1 (November 2008) written as Jennie Bentley
Spackled and Spooked (August 2009) written as Jennie Bentley
Plaster and Poison (March 2010) written as Jennie Bentley
Mortar and Murder (January 2011) written as Jennie Bentley
Flipped Out (October 2011) written as Jennie Bentley


2011 debut full length from the Cincinnati, OH band. Despite a few struggles at t! he start, lately things have been constantly looking up for Close to Home, thanks to their mantra that is now the album name. Heading into recording, the band hooked up with Tom Denney (formerly of A Day To Remember) to record demos, and the group instantly clicked. Denney signed on to produce. Andrew Wade (A Day To Remember, The Word Alive) was brought in to mix the album, and shortly after Close to Home signed to Artery Recordings. "Having this team together was literally a dream come true for us," said guitarist Josh Wells. It also helped the band create and develop their vision for the album, with Wells adding "It's basically the summary of our lives and who we are in pursuit of our dreams."Ferociously Close to Home delivers McPherson's trademark take on the absurdities of everyday life. To say that his solutions to these perplexing situations is 'out there' is an understatement. Consider Gina, who decides a branding iron will be the ideal memory aid for her birt! hday date-challenged husband. And poor Lanny, whose treadmill ! session is interrupted when he inadvertently triggers the health club's offensive odor alarm.

McPherson has long walked the line between grotesque and goofy. But somehow, his figures with big noses and bulging eyes connect with readers with a surefire magnetic precision. Whether it's health care or parenting, dating or car repairs, Close to Home delivers McPherson's warped world without fail.

Bizarre, deranged, clever, and outrageously amusing--that's Close to Home. From the guy who keeps a Just Married sign on the back of his car to prevent getting speeding tickets, to the mom who installs a food court in the kitchen to keep the kids from whining about what's being served for dinner, to the students who are shrink-wrapped due to overcrowding at schools, John McPherson's quirky characters combined with his warped sense of humor help make the cartoon and the Close to Home 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar one of a kind. As an added bonus, each weekend page will featur! e an extra Close to Home cartoon on the back.

Bizarre, deranged, clever, and outrageously amusing--that's Close to Home. From the guy who keeps a Just Married sign on the back of his car to prevent getting speeding tickets, to the mom who installs a food court in the kitchen to keep the kids from whining about what's being served for dinner, to the students who are shrink-wrapped due to overcrowding at schools, John McPherson's quirky characters combined with his warped sense of humor help make the cartoon and the Close to Home 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar one of a kind. As an added bonus, each weekend page will feature an extra Close to Home cartoon on the back.

(Drama) Two young, different female soldiers patrol the anxious streets of Jerusalem, questioning Palestinians and looking for suicide bombers. The rebellious one finds the army demeaning; the controlled one is obedient. Under intense pressure, against a backdrop of any-minute-now ! terrorist attacks, a friendship takes hold and roles reverse.

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Bandslam

• Features include: -MPAA Rating: PG -Format: DVD-Runtime: 111 minutes

A new kid in town assembles a fledgling rock band -- together, they achieve their dreams and compete against the best in the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands.Not just another by-the-numbers teen-angst movie, Bandslam is a joyful expression of pop exuberance, with an unexpectedly thrilling (and retro) soundtrack and numerous moments of visual excitement. Actor-turned-director Todd Graff brings stylish imagination and heart to this story of a much-taunted and beleaguered kid named Will (Gaelan Connell), whose miserable life at a Cincinnati high school comes to an end when he and his single mom (Lisa Kudrow) move to New Jersey. At his new school, Will befriends two very different girls: the laconic Sa5m (High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens; the "5" is silent), and the take-no-prisoners, former ch! eerleader Charlotte (Aly Michalka of the pop group Aly & AJ), who is trying to get her rock band off the ground. The latter sees in Will--a student of pop music history--a potential manager who can help her group take top prize at an inter-school competition called Bandslam.

Graff treats Bandslam's story like a disposable toy, an excuse to squeeze every ounce of pure ecstasy from such ordinary events as first kisses or bursts of artistic inspiration. Around every corner in this movie comes a surprising and stirring moment: when Will and Sa5m break into the padlocked, no-longer-in-business music club CBGB in New York--a shrine of punk rock--the vignette is reverential, actually moving. As a rare specimen of cinematic joy for its own sake, Bandslam is well worth seeing. --Tom Keogh

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