Saturday, November 5, 2011

Shorts

  • While grownups at Black Box Industries work to improve the handheld gizmo that s this year s high-tech must-have, neighborhood kid Toby Toe Thompson has something even better: he s found the Wishing Rock. Be careful what you wish for, Toe! Spy Kids filmmaker Robert Rodriguez hatches a fun-filled story of the chaos that erupts when folks young and old get their hands on the rainbow-striped stone. H
It’s summer vacation, but the Pearson family kids are stuck at a boring lake house with their nerdy parents. That is until feisty, little, green aliens crash-land on the roof, with plans to conquer the house AND Earth! Using only their wits, courage and video game-playing skills, the youngsters must band together to defeat the aliens and save the world -- but the toughest part might be keeping the whole thing a secret from their parents! Featuring an all-star cast including Ashley Tisdale, Andy Ri! chter, Kevin Nealon and Tim Meadows, Aliens In The Attic is the most fun you can have on this planet!


Specs: Audio: English: 5.1 Dolby Digital / Spanish & French: Dolby Surround
Language: Dubbed & Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 1.85:1
Episodes-Bonus Features: **Forced Trailers: Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakquel, Percy Jackson Theatrical Trailer, Ice Age 3, Night At The Museum 2, Post Grad, Family Catalog Trailer
**Introduction to Film with Ashley Tisdale
**! The Ashl ey Encounters
**Deleted Scenes
**Gag Reel
**Behind the Zirkonians
**Meet The Zirkonians

**Trailer Farm: Delgo, Fame, Strawberry Shortcake: Sky's The Limit
Video game meets movie in this wacky science-fiction action film. When aliens from space invade the attic of a rented lake house, a boring summer vacation takes a turn for the unreal for six kids. Conflict abounds in the extended Pearson family, which includes Nana (Dora Roberts), two nerdy adult brothers (Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter), and their six children. Teenage cousins Tom (Carter Jenkins), an ex-math nerd, and Jake (Austin Robert Butler), a rebellious teen with lots of attitude, clash like oil and water, and Bethany (Ashley Tisdale) and her devious boyfriend, Ricky (Robert Hoffman), don't make the situation any easier. Add in three younger siblings and it looks like it's going to be a long vacation. When four aliens crash on the roof of the house in ! search of a secret weapon and world domination, things begin to get interesting. Armed with mind-control technology, the aliens are able to manipulate humans with a device that's remarkably similar to a video game controller. Unfortunately for the aliens, the technology works only on adults. Suddenly, the warring cousins and siblings realize they must join forces and rely on one another to save their parents, Nana, and the rest of the world. What ensues is an action-packed battle in which the kids try to outsmart the aliens with everything from fireworks to a remote-controlled Barbie car and a paintball gun. When the kids get ahold of the aliens' controllers, hilarity reins as they make Ricky and Nana do everything from slap themselves to fight as only an accomplished Kung-Fu Grandma can. The action is funny and the kids get fairly creative, but the movie is really just a farce that's full of silly humor, the occasional glimpse of heart, and a somewhat buried message that i! t's OK to be smart. Aliens in the Attic is kind of li! ke watch ing someone else play a good video game; the plot is fairly entertaining and the action is fun, but the experience just isn't as stimulating as when you're the one behind the controller. Bonus features include the animated short "Behind the Zirkonians," an alternate ending, three deleted scenes, a 5-minute gag reel, an interactive "Meet the Zirkonians" segment, and fun on the set with Ashley Tisdale in "The Ashley Encounters." (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from Aliens in the Attic (Click for larger image)


 

It’s summer vacation, but the Pearson family kids are stuck at a boring lake house with their nerdy parents. That is until feisty, little, green aliens crash-land on the roof, with plans to conquer the house AND Earth! Using only their wits, courage and video game-playing skills, the youngsters must band together to defeat the aliens and save the world -- but the toughest part might be keeping the whole thing a secret from t! heir parents! Featuring an all-star cast including Ashley Tisd! ale, And y Richter, Kevin Nealon and Tim Meadows, Aliens In The Attic is the most fun you can have on this planet!


Specs: Audio: English: 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio / Spanish & French: 5.1 Dolby Digital
Language: Dubbed & Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 1.85:1
Episodes-Bonus Features: Disc 1: Widescreen Theatrical Feature Film

**Forced Trailers: Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakquel, Percy Jackson Theatrical Trailer, Ice! Age 3, Night At The Museum 2, Post Grad, Fame

**Introduction to Film with Ashley Tisdale
**The Ashley Encounters
**Alternate Ending
**Deleted Scenes
**Gag Reel
**Behind the Zirkonians
**Meet the Zirkonians
**Lights, Camera, Aliens!
**Kung Fu Grandma
**Brian Anthony "Electricity" Music Video
**Fox Movie Channel Presents Life After Film School with Barry Josephson

Disc 2: Digital Copy
Video game meets movie in this wacky science-fiction action film. When aliens from space invade the attic of a rented lake house, a boring summer vacation takes a turn for the unreal for six kids. Conflict abounds in the extended Pearson family, which includes Nana (Dora Roberts), two nerdy adult brothers (Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter), and their six children. Teenage cousins Tom (Carter Jenkins), an ex-math nerd, and Jake (Austin Robert Butler), a rebellious teen with lots of atti! tude, clash like oil and water, and Bethany (Ashley Tisdale) a! nd her d evious boyfriend, Ricky (Robert Hoffman), don't make the situation any easier. Add in three younger siblings and it looks like it's going to be a long vacation. When four aliens crash on the roof of the house in search of a secret weapon and world domination, things begin to get interesting. Armed with mind-control technology, the aliens are able to manipulate humans with a device that's remarkably similar to a video game controller. Unfortunately for the aliens, the technology works only on adults. Suddenly, the warring cousins and siblings realize they must join forces and rely on one another to save their parents, Nana, and the rest of the world. What ensues is an action-packed battle in which the kids try to outsmart the aliens with everything from fireworks to a remote-controlled Barbie car and a paintball gun. When the kids get ahold of the aliens' controllers, hilarity reins as they make Ricky and Nana do everything from slap themselves to fight as only an accomplishe! d Kung-Fu Grandma can. The action is funny and the kids get fairly creative, but the movie is really just a farce that's full of silly humor, the occasional glimpse of heart, and a somewhat buried message that it's OK to be smart. Aliens in the Attic is kind of like watching someone else play a good video game; the plot is fairly entertaining and the action is fun, but the experience just isn't as stimulating as when you're the one behind the controller. Bonus features include the animated short "Behind the Zirkonians," an alternate ending, three deleted scenes, a 5-minute gag reel, an interactive "Meet the Zirkonians" segment, and fun on the set with Ashley Tisdale in "The Ashley Encounters." (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from Aliens in the Attic (Click for larger image)


 

Video game meets movie in this wacky science-fiction action film. When aliens from space invade the attic of a rented lake house, a boring summer vacation takes a turn for the unreal for six kids. Conflict abounds in th! e extended Pearson family, which includes Nana (Dora Roberts), two nerdy adult brothers (Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter), and their six children. Teenage cousins Tom (Carter Jenkins), an ex-math nerd, and Jake (Austin Robert Butler), a rebellious teen with lots of attitude, clash like oil and water, and Bethany (Ashley Tisdale) and her devious boyfriend, Ricky (Robert Hoffman), don't make the situation any easier. Add in three younger siblings and it looks like it's going to be a long vacation. When four aliens crash on the roof of the house in search of a secret weapon and world domination, things begin to get interesting. Armed with mind-control technology, the aliens are able to manipulate humans with a device that's remarkably similar to a video game controller. Unfortunately for the aliens, the technology works only on adults. Suddenly, the warring cousins and siblings realize they must join forces and rely on one another to save their parents, Nana, and the rest of the! world. What ensues is an action-packed battle in which the ki! ds try t o outsmart the aliens with everything from fireworks to a remote-controlled Barbie car and a paintball gun. When the kids get ahold of the aliens' controllers, hilarity reins as they make Ricky and Nana do everything from slap themselves to fight as only an accomplished Kung-Fu Grandma can. The action is funny and the kids get fairly creative, but the movie is really just a farce that's full of silly humor, the occasional glimpse of heart, and a somewhat buried message that it's OK to be smart. Aliens in the Attic is kind of like watching someone else play a good video game; the plot is fairly entertaining and the action is fun, but the experience just isn't as stimulating as when you're the one behind the controller. Bonus features include the animated short "Behind the Zirkonians," an alternate ending, three deleted scenes, a 5-minute gag reel, an interactive "Meet the Zirkonians" segment, and fun on the set with Ashley Tisdale in "The Ashley Encounters." (Ages 7 ! and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from Aliens in the Attic (Click for larger image)


 

Video game meets movie in this wacky science-fiction action film. When aliens from space invade the attic of a rented lake house, a boring summer vacation takes a turn for the unreal for six kids. Conflict abounds in the extended Pearson family, which includes Nana (Dora Roberts), two nerdy adult brothers (Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter), and their six children. Teenage cousins Tom (Carter Jenkins), an ex-math nerd, and Jake (Austin Robert Butler), a rebellious teen with lots of attitude, clash like oil and water, and Bethany (Ashley Tisdale) and her devious boyfriend, Ricky (Robert Hoffman), don't make the situation any easier. Add in three younger siblings and it looks like it's going to be a long vacation. When four aliens crash on the roof of the house in search of a secret weapon and world domination, things begin to get interesting. Armed with mind-control technology, the aliens are able to manipulate humans with a devic! e that's remarkably similar to a video game controller. Unfortunately for the aliens, the technology works only on adults. Suddenly, the warring cousins and siblings realize they must join forces and rely on one another to save their parents, Nana, and the rest of the world. What ensues is an action-packed battle in which the kids try to outsmart the aliens with everything from fireworks to a remote-controlled Barbie car and a paintball gun. When the kids get ahold of the aliens' controllers, hilarity reins as they make Ricky and Nana do everything from slap themselves to fight as only an accomplished Kung-Fu Grandma can. The action is funny and the kids get fairly creative, but the movie is really just a farce that's full of silly humor, the occasional glimpse of heart, and a somewhat buried message that it's OK to be smart. Aliens in the Attic is kind of like watching someone else play a good video game; the plot is fairly entertaining and the action is fun, but ! the experience just isn't as stimulating as when you're the on! e behind the controller. Bonus features include the animated short "Behind the Zirkonians," an alternate ending, three deleted scenes, a 5-minute gag reel, an interactive "Meet the Zirkonians" segment, and fun on the set with Ashley Tisdale in "The Ashley Encounters." (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from Aliens in the Attic (Click for larger image)


 

Video game meets movie in this wacky science-fiction action film. When aliens from space invade the attic of a rented lake house, a boring summer vacation takes a turn for the unreal for six kids. Conflict abounds in the extended Pearson family, which includes Nana (Dora Roberts), two nerdy adult brothers (Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter), and their six children. Teenage cousins Tom (Carter Jenkins), an ex-math nerd, and Jake (Austin Robert Butler), a rebellious teen with lots of attitude, clash like oil and water, and Bethany (Ashley Tisdale) and her devious boyfriend, Ricky (Robert Hoffman), d! on't make the situation any easier. Add in three younger sibli! ngs and it looks like it's going to be a long vacation. When four aliens crash on the roof of the house in search of a secret weapon and world domination, things begin to get interesting. Armed with mind-control technology, the aliens are able to manipulate humans with a device that's remarkably similar to a video game controller. Unfortunately for the aliens, the technology works only on adults. Suddenly, the warring cousins and siblings realize they must join forces and rely on one another to save their parents, Nana, and the rest of the world. What ensues is an action-packed battle in which the kids try to outsmart the aliens with everything from fireworks to a remote-controlled Barbie car and a paintball gun. When the kids get ahold of the aliens' controllers, hilarity reins as they make Ricky and Nana do everything from slap themselves to fight as only an accomplished Kung-Fu Grandma can. The action is funny and the kids get fairly creative, but the movie is really just a farce! that's full of silly humor, the occasional glimpse of heart, and a somewhat buried message that it's OK to be smart. Aliens in the Attic is kind of like watching someone else play a good video game; the plot is fairly entertaining and the action is fun, but the experience just isn't as stimulating as when you're the one behind the controller. Bonus features include the animated short "Behind the Zirkonians," an alternate ending, three deleted scenes, a 5-minute gag reel, an interactive "Meet the Zirkonians" segment, and fun on the set with Ashley Tisdale in "The Ashley Encounters." (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from Aliens in the Attic (Click for larger image)


 

SHORTS - DVD MovieA fantastical story, relayed in the form of short vignettes by director Robert Rodriguez, Shorts is the story of a magic wishing rock and kids' imaginations gone wild. The film plays a lot like the The Little Rascals (Our Gang) films from the 1920's-1940's: it's made up of short, comical epis! odes that focus on kids adventures and how imagination drives their play. When a magical rainbow rock falls from the sky and lands in the middle of tech-town Black Falls, a young boy Toe (Jimmy Bennett) discovers that the rock has the power to grant his every wish. The victim of constant bullying, Toe wishes for friends as unusual as himself and ends up with a posse of aliens who protect him while seriously complicating his life. As narrator, Toby quickly stops the film, explaining that his experience is really the middle of the story, and then rewinds repeatedly to relate various encounters between neighborhood kids and the magic rock. Each short is its own journey into a kid's imagination where wishes for everything from a treasure hunt, to a fortress guarded by crocodiles, a super smart baby with telepathic powers, and a booger monster grown from one boy's booger are immediately granted. These fantastical wishes wreak havoc on the entire Black Falls community: the child! ren, the technology obsessed, disconnected Black Box employees! , and th e tyrannical Black Box boss Mr. Black (James Spader). In the end, the magic rock is a catalyst for change, encouraging kids and adults to work together and inspiring serious reflection regarding one's wishes, dreams, and goals. Rodriguez does a great job of portraying the wildness of kids' imaginations and viewers that delight in over-the-top ridiculousness and the overtly gross will laugh hysterically throughout the film. Unfortunately, those who demand restraint may find it overdone. (Ages 10 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

The Baby-Sitters Club #1: Kristy's Great Idea

  • ISBN13: 9780545174756
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
The first of the new Collector's Club Editions features a new logo, bright new cover, and fill-in pages to personalize as Kristy comes up with the idea for the Baby-sitter's Club with friends Claudia, Stacey, and Mary Anne. It all began with a great idea ... and the inspiring original story of the Baby-sitters Club is back! Kristy Thomas's brilliant business plan gets off to a great start with the help of Claudia Kishi (vice-president), Mary Anne Spier (secretary), and Stacey McGill (treasurer).


Amazon Exclusive Inteview with Author Ann M. Martin

Q: It's been a decade since the last Baby-sitters Club books came out, and 24 years since the first book was published. What was it like to come back to the BSC after so many years away?

Martin: I had a great time re-visiting the characters. It was fun to explore their lives in the prequel, “"The Summer Before," and to figure out what led the girls to form The Baby-sitters Club, something that would eventually change their lives. It was like a reunion with friends--friends who haven’t changed a bit.

Q: Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, and Stacey are very different characters, which is in part why the series was and is still so popular. Every reader can relate to at least one of the characters. So, we have to ask you--which character are you most like?

Martin: I am most like Mary Anne who is the shy and quiet one. Like me, Mary An! ne enjoys more solitary pursuits such as reading and needlewor! k. My fa vorite character, however, is Kristy. I think she's my alter ego.

Q: Were you allowed to baby-sit when you were twelve? If so, were they any funny or awful stories you'd like to share?

Martin: Yes, I did a lot of baby-sitting when I was twelve. One of the worst and also funniest things that ever happened was when I was baby-sitting for our neighbors and the kids wanted to wash their parents' car. They started the job with much enthusiasm--using Brillo pads.

Q: More than 200 BSC books were published in the eighties and nineties. Are there any that you are particularly fond of and why?

Martin: My favorite Baby-sitters Club book is "Kristy's Great Idea," which is the first book and sets the series in motion. I also like the more serious books such as "Claudia and the Sad Good-bye," which deals with the death of Claudia’s grandmother. This book was written sh! ortly after my own grandmother died. My other favorite BSC books include “Kristy and the Secret of Susan,” in which the members of the BSC baby-sit for a child with autism, and "Jessi's Secret Language" in which the girls learn American Sign Language in order to communicate with a sitting charge with profound hearing impairment.

Q: Why do you think that the series is so well-loved and has endured over so many years?

Martin: I think the characters in the BSC books are easily relatable. The books deal with timeless topics including friendship, family, and school. Also, the books tackle serious issues including racism, bullying, kids with disabilities (physical and mental), and death of a loved one. These issues were relevant to kids in the 1980s and 1990s, and are still relevant to kids today. In addition to being relatable, these are characters readers can aspire to. The kids run a business--in this case, a baby! -sitting business. They are entrepreneurial, independent, crea! tive, an d confident. And at the heart of the series is the friendship--the "glue" that binds these characters. Sure, they have fights, but they're loyal and they support one another. I think a lot of us--even adults--can relate to that.

Q: "The Summer Before" takes place during the summer before the girls enter the seventh grade--where suddenly there's a ton of pressure to fit in. The months leading up to it can be filled with anxiety, excitement, and anticipation. Do you remember how you spent the summer before seventh grade?

Martin: I was nervous that summer because in the fall I would be going to a new school â€" the junior high (this was in the time before middle schools). Even the words "junior high" seemed terribly grown-up. My friends and I would be attending school with eighth-graders, who were one step away from high school. I spent that summer reading, going to the community pool, taking a family trip to Cape May! , New Jersey, doing some baby-sitting, and also recovering from surgery. But the knowledge that I would soon be in junior high school colored every day and every activity and did lend the summer an air of both anxiety and anticipation.

Q: Despite the fun the girls have together in "The Summer Before," they're all dealing with pretty tough problemsâ€"moving away, an absentee father, a first crush. How did you choose the issues you wanted to focus on?

Martin:  One of my favorite things about writing a series was that the characters themselves generated plot ideas for later books. One of the themes that developed as the series progressed was that of Kristy's relationship with her father. It was an idea I enjoyed exploring, and when I had the opportunity to write the prequel I realized that this summer would be a charged time for Kristy, and that I could introduce the issues she had with her father here; then they could! unfold in the later books. The same applied to Stacey. Her re! asons fo r moving to Stoneybrook had been revealed in later books, but I realized that during this particular summer the reader could actually watch the events take place. The other issues â€" a first crush, wanting more independence yet still feeling like a kid--are themes that I felt would resonate with most "tween" readers.

Q:
Even though the books have been out of print for ten years there are still some very devoted fans. Surely you must have received a ton of letters about the series over the years. Are there any that stick out in your mind?

Martin: The most memorable are stories of girls who have written to me and told me that I’ve made an impact on their lives, that The Baby-sitters Club books have turned them into readers. Some have also said that the BSC books made them aspire to become writers. I’ve also heard from a lot of the original fans who grew up to become teachers, librarians, editors, journalists, entre! preneurs, etc. To know that this series inspired a generation of readers and writers is very humbling.

Q: There’s been a lot of speculation in the blogosphere about where Claudia, Kristy, Mary Ann, and Stacey would be now, in 2010, had they grown up. Do you have any thoughts on what path each would have taken?

Martin:  I understand the fascination of the older BSC fans who would like to know what happened with the characters when they got older. It’s thrilling to realize that after all these years the fans remain passionate about the books and the characters in The Baby-sitters Club. I can see Kristy running a business--I can also see her being in politics. I think Mary Anne became a teacher. I imagine Stacey went into fashion--not as a designer, but maybe on the business side. And Claudia became an artist. I think fans can fill in for the rest of the characters!



The Deep End of the Ocean

  • Michelle Pfeiffer, Whoopi Goldberg, High School Reunion, Treat Williams, Jonathan Jackson, Cory Buck
A #1 New York Times bestseller, Mitchard's suspenseful and moving novel is now available in trade paperback

Few first novels receive the kind of attention and acclaim showered on this powerful story--a nationwide bestseller, a critical success, and the first title chosen for Oprah's Book Club. Both highly suspenseful and deeply moving, The Deep End of the Ocean imagines every mother's worst nightmare--the disappearance of a child--as it explores a family's struggle to endure, even against extraordinary odds. Filled with compassion, humor, and brilliant observations about the texture of real life, here is a story of rare power, one that will touch readers' hearts and make them celebrate the emotions that make us all one.

"Riveting . . . twists that will spin you arou! nd." --Newsweek

"A drama with the tension of a thriller that moves deeply into the emotional territory of family ties." --People

"Take a deep breath. . . . This riveting story won't let you come up for air." --US magazine Oprah Book Club® Selection, September 1996: The horror of losing a child is somehow made worse when the case goes unsolved for nearly a decade, reports Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel columnist Jacquelyn Mitchard in this searing first novel. In it, 3-year-old Ben Cappadora is kidnapped from a hotel lobby where his mother is checking into her 15th high school reunion. His disappearance tears the family apart and invokes separate experiences of anguish, denial, and self-blame. Marital problems and delinquency in Ben's older brother (in charge of him the day of his kidnapping) ensue. Mitchard depicts the family's friction and torment--along with many gritty realities of family life--with the candor of a j! ournalist and compassion of someone who has seemingly been th! ere. Int ernational publishing and movie rights sold fast on this one: It's a blockbuster.Few first novels receive the kind of attention and acclaim showered on this powerful storyâ€"a nationwide bestseller, a critical success, and the first title chosen for Oprah's Book Club. Both highly suspenseful and deeply moving, The Deep End of the Ocean imagines every mother's worst nightmareâ€"the disappearance of a childâ€"as it explores a family's struggle to endure, even against extraordinary odds. Filled with compassion, humor, and brilliant observations about the texture of real life, here is a story of rare power, one that will touch readers' hearts and make them celebrate the emotions that make us all one.Oprah Book Club® Selection, September 1996: The horror of losing a child is somehow made worse when the case goes unsolved for nearly a decade, reports Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel columnist Jacquelyn Mitchard in this searing first novel. In it, 3-year-old B! en Cappadora is kidnapped from a hotel lobby where his mother is checking into her 15th high school reunion. His disappearance tears the family apart and invokes separate experiences of anguish, denial, and self-blame. Marital problems and delinquency in Ben's older brother (in charge of him the day of his kidnapping) ensue. Mitchard depicts the family's friction and torment--along with many gritty realities of family life--with the candor of a journalist and compassion of someone who has seemingly been there. International publishing and movie rights sold fast on this one: It's a blockbuster.Few first novels receive the kind of attention and acclaim showered on this powerful storyâ€"a nationwide bestseller, a critical success, and the first title chosen for Oprah's Book Club. Both highly suspenseful and deeply moving, The Deep End of the Ocean imagines every mother's worst nightmareâ€"the disappearance of a childâ€"as it explores a family's struggle to en! dure, even against extraordinary odds. Filled with compassion,! humor, and brilliant observations about the texture of real life, here is a story of rare power, one that will touch readers' hearts and make them celebrate the emotions that make us all one.DEEP END OF THE OCEAN - DVD MovieBeth Cappadora (Michelle Pfeiffer) is at her high school reunion when her 3-year-old son disappears from his brother's care. The little boy never turns up, and the family has to deal with the devastating guilt and grief that goes along with it. Nine years later, the family has relocated to Chicago. By a sheer fluke, the kid turns up, living no more than two blocks away. The authorities swoop down and return the kid to his biological parents, but things are far from being that simple. The boy grew up around what he has called his father, while his new family are strangers to him; the older son, now a teenager, has brushes with the law and behavioral problems. His adjustment to his lost brother is complicated by normal teenage churlishness, and the dad (Treat Will! iams) seems to expect everything to fall into place as though the family had been intact all along. It's a tightrope routine for actors in a story like this, being careful not to chew the scenery while at the same time not being too flaccid or understated. For the most part, the members of the cast deal well with the emotional complexity of their roles. Though the story stretches credulity, weirder things do happen in the real world. The family's pain for the first half of the film is certainly credible, though the second half almost seems like a different movie. Whoopi Goldberg plays the detective assigned to the case; casting her is a bit of a stretch, but she makes it work. All in all, a decent three-hanky movie in the vein of Ordinary People. --Jerry Renshaw

Diary of a Tired Black Man

  • Diary Of A Tired Black Man is a simple story about the complex relationships between Black Men and Black Women. It follows the life and relationships of a successful black man as he tries to find a happy place to rest his heart.He is constantly challenged by the anger he finds in the black women he gets involved with. From his wife, whom he divorces, to the other women he tries to date after her n
Charles, an attorney, and Helen, the devoted wife, seem to have everything: money, a beautiful mansion - the American Dream. But just as Helen prepares to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary, her life takes a surprising turn.Charles, an attorney, and Helen, the devoted wife, seem to have everything: money, a beautiful mansion - the American Dream. But just as Helen prepares to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary, her life takes a surprising turn.Before it was a movie, it was a theatrical p! henomenon! When Helen learns that her husband is leaving her for her best friend, the women in her family are ready with advice. Her devout mother preaches strength and forgiveness, while her parolee grandmother shows up with a gun! Acclaimed African-American playwright Tyler Perry dares to mix sacred and secular humor with riotous results. Experience his most famous morality tale, now a major motion picture, in its original stage format...complete with live musical numbers!Few movies are made with the personal fervor of Diary of a Mad Black Woman. When Helen (Kimberly Elise, Beloved) is literally thrown out of her house by her callous lawyer husband (Steve Harris), her sense of self unravels. She finds herself on the doorstep of her gun-toting grandmother Madea (cross-dressed Tyler Perry), who sets Helen on the road to dignity and forgiveness--with a few detours along the way. The plot of Diary of a Mad Black Woman unfolds in a dizzying melange of styl! es, from soap opera to campy comedy to chick-flick romance to ! gothic r evenge to inspirational tale of redemption. Perry, like Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor, plays multiple roles in a family, two of which are over-the-top scenery-chewers while the other is a sincere, generous family man with a drug-addicted wife. This everything-including-the-kitchen-sink approach reflects the play's origins; Perry adapted the screenplay from his enormously popular gospel play, a genre of melodrama featuring extreme emotional drama and whiplash inducing plot turns. Some viewers will clutch this movie to their breast as a cinematic feast; others will see it as so schizophrenic it borders on the surreal. But either way, Elise's charismatic performance will keep you engaged throughout. Also featuring Cicely Tyson (Sounder), Shemar Moore (The Brothers), and Judge Mablean Ephriam (Divorce Court). --Bret FetzerCharles, an attorney, and Helen, the devoted wife, seem to have everything: money, a beautiful mansion - the American ! Dream. But just as Helen prepares to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary, her life takes a surprising turn.Tyler Perry's acclaimed stage production Madea's Family Reunion continues the adventures of southern matriarch Madea. She has just been court ordered to be in charge of Nikki a rebellious runaway; her nieces Lisa and Vanessa are suffering relationship trouble and through it all she has to organize her family reunion.As the reunion approaches secrets are revealed and tensions rise. Madea must use every tactic in her arsenal to not only keep the peace but also keep her family together.System Requirements:Running Time: 110 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 031398193289 Manufacturer No: 19328Tyler Perry, impresario of the gospel theater circuit, brings his gun-toting granny-drag persona Madea back to the big screen in Madea's Family Reunion, a sequel to the surprise hit Diary of a Mad Black Woman. In addition to being saddled wit! h an unruly foster teen (Keke Palmer, The Wool Cap), Ma! dea has two troubled nieces: Lisa (Rochelle Aytes, White Chicks), who's engaged to an abusive and controlling investment banker (Blair Underwood, Something New); and Vanessa (Lisa Arrindell Anderson, The Second Chance), who can't open herself to the affection of a bus driver/artist (Boris Kodjoe, The Gospel) because of childhood abuse. Wreaking havoc on both of their lives is their mother Victoria (Lynn Whitfield, Eve's Bayou, in delirious wicked witch mode). Like Madea's previous outing, Madea's Family Reunion may induce mental whiplash--the movie zips from a discussion of flatulence to a jazz-backed poetry reading to domestic violence (Underwood, perhaps eager to leave his bland good-guy image behind, is genuinely scary), or from an act of horrific revenge to a staggeringly gaudy wedding. Though schizophrenic and morally questionable (beating an adult women is clearly wrong, but whipping a child with a belt in the name of tough love is app! arently good), the movie is definitely unpredictable and never dull. Also featuring Cicely Tyson (Because of Winn-Dixie) and the poet Maya Angelou. --Bret FetzerCharles, an attorney, and Helen, the devoted wife, seem to have everything: money, a beautiful mansion - the American Dream. But just as Helen prepares to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary, her life takes a surprising turn.A fascinating story about the complex relationships between Black Men and Black Women. The film follows the love life of a successful man as he attempts to examine the relentless debate over the battle-of-the-sexes.