ElasticDog’s DVD Library

Total Number of DVDs: 312
Last Updated: 26 May 2008

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Page Number: 10 / 25

Director: Jessie Nelson
Starring: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning, Dianne Wiest, Loretta Devine
Genre: Drama
Rated: PG-13

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 7.2 (18,872 votes)
Duration: 134
Release: Jun 2002
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 9780780638150
Purchased On:

Summary: "I Am Sam" makes you laugh, cry, and recoil all at the same time. Perhaps no other film of recent memory has epitomized the shameless sentimentality of Hollywood as succinctly as director and screenwriter Jessie Nelson's story of a mentally challenged man fighting to retain custody of his 7-year-old daughter. Sam (Sean Penn), who has the mental age of 7, wipes down tables at a Los Angeles Starbucks and takes good care of his daughter Lucy, who was left with him shortly after birth by a homeless woman. Sam has gotten by just fine with a little help from his friends, including his eccentric neighbor (Diane Wiest) and a lovable group of similarly challenged friends, but a series of misunderstandings leaves Sam fighting to get Lucy back from the state. Sam's lawyer, Rita Harrison (Michelle Pfeiffer), is an overly ambitious woman whose life is soon transformed by proximity to Sam's brimming humanity. Sean Penn is, as usual, wholeheartedly committed to his role and turns in an admirable, if overtly affected performance. However, "I Am Sam", with all its earnest charm, reaches an emblematic low when Sam, a character apparently devoid of any authentic sentiment, delivers a courtroom speech memorized from "Kramer vs. Kramer" as the film's finale. "--Fionn Meade"

I, Robot

Director: Alex Proyas
Starring: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Alan Tudyk, James Cromwell, Bruce Greenwood
Genre: Action & Adventure
Rated: PG-13

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 7.0 (48,803 votes)
Duration: 114
Release: Dec 2004
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 0024543151906
Purchased On:

Summary: As paranoid cop Del Spooner, Will Smith ("Independence Day", "Men in Black") displays both his trademark quips and some impressive pectoral muscles in "I, Robot". Only Spooner suspects that the robots that provide the near future with menial labor are going to turn on mankind--he's just not sure how. When a leading roboticist dies suspiciously, Spooner pursues a trail that may prove his suspicions. Don't expect much of a connection to Isaac Asimov's classic science fiction stories; "I, Robot", the action movie, isn't prepared for any ruminations on the significance of artificial intelligence. This likable, efficient movie won't break any new ground, but it does have an idea or two to accompany its jolts and thrills, which puts it ahead of most recent action flicks. Also featuring Bridget Moynahan ("The Sum of All Fears"), Bruce Greenwood ("The Sweet Hereafter"), and James Cromwell ("Babe", "LA Confidential"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Idle Hands

Director: Rodman Flender
Starring: Devon Sawa, Seth Green, Elden Henson, Jessica Alba, Vivica A. Fox
Genre: Comedy
Rated: R

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 5.5 (9,900 votes)
Duration: 92
Release: Aug 1999
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 9780767836333
Purchased On:

Summary: Despite all the pot-smoking in "Idle Hands", the message here seems to be that too many bong hits will take you on a one-way trip to the devil's playground. That's what happens to Anton (Devon Sawa), a wasted teen who's so perpetually zonked on weed that he doesn't notice his parents have been slaughtered by an evil force that then possesses Anton's right hand, taking on a wildly homicidal life of its own after Anton chops it off with a butcher knife. The first victims are Anton's pals Mick (teen-movie stalwart Seth Green), who gets a beer bottle embedded in his skull, and Pnub (Elden Henson), whose head is lopped off by a rotary saw blade, and later reattached with a barbecue fork and duct tape. (Did we mention that Mick and Pnub turn into undead jokesters? It's that kind of movie.) This unoriginal idea is little more than an excuse for gross-out effects and easy one-liners, and then Vivica A. Fox appears as the demon-buster who knows how to kill the hand once and for all. It's fun to a point, and certain to be a popular Halloween hit with its intended teenage audience, but you can't help wishing this movie had tried harder to be something more than a collection of crude and gory gags. "--Jeff Shannon"

Igby Goes Down

Director: Burr Steers
Starring: Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Jared Harris, Amanda Peet
Genre: Comedy
Rated: R

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 7.1 (13,145 votes)
Duration: 98
Release: Feb 2003
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 9780792854555
Purchased On:

Summary: Many movies strive to capture the confused, yearning spirit of "The Graduate" or "The Catcher in the Rye"; "Igby Goes Down" succeeds. Igby (Kieran Culkin) is a teen struggling to find any purpose or meaning to his life; surrounding him are his tyrant mother Mimi (Susan Sarandon), schizophrenic father Jason (Bill Pullman), wealthy and deceitful godfather D.H. (Jeff Goldblum), and cold brother Oliver (Ryan Phillippe)--all of whom have their own problems. While evading being sent to yet another boarding school, Igby seeks solace with two women: Rachel (Amanda Peet), a drug-addicted dancer who's D.H.'s mistress, and Sookie (Claire Danes), a college student who becomes perhaps his only friend. Culkin carries the film, ably supported by the superb cast; script, direction, and performances are razor sharp. "Igby Goes Down" doesn't let anyone--including Igby--off the hook for their cruelty, hypocrisy, or lack of empathy. "--Bret Fetzer"

In Living Color - Season 2

Director:
Starring: Keenen Ivory Wayans, David Alan Grier
Genre: Television
Rated: NR

My Rating:

IMDB Rating:
Duration: 587
Release: Sep 2004
# of Discs: 4
UPC: 0024543114154
Purchased On:

Summary: To label "In Living Color" "the black "SNL"" is to not give this groundbreaking sketch comedy its props. Like its late-night counterpart, "In Living Color" pushed the envelope with sketches that remain in questionable taste ("Fashion Tampons"). It also presented its share of TV show, movie, and commercial parodies. But its racially charged humor that tackled race relations and subverted cultural stereotypes was something 1990 TV viewers were not used to seeing, especially in prime time. Among the most potent sketches featured series creator Keenen Ivory Wayans and brother Damon as the Brothers Brothers, two oblivious Toms who, in one sketch, act as spokespersons for the Arizona Tourism Commission in the wake of that state's controversial decision not to recognize Martin Luther King's birthday. In another, they are allowed to join an exclusive, all-white country club after proclaiming themselves to be followers of "Jesse" (Helms, not Jackson, about whom they profess to have never heard). Flunking all standards of political correctness is Damon's Handi-Man, the world's first handicapped superhero. "James" Carrey's skeletal Fire Marshall Bill and Damon's the Head Detective join the show's stable of breakout characters (Homey D. Clown, Vera De Milo, the flamboyant Men on Film, and homeless man, Anton). Kim Wayans's Grace Jones and Kelly Coffield's Andrea Dice Clay also make welcome returns. Other memorable characters include David Alan Grier's tell-it-too-much-like-it-is blues singer Calhoun Tubbs, and Coffield's Velma Mulholland, a nifty bit of pre-"Pleasantville" special-effects wizardry in which Damon's blind date turns out to be a quintessential dame right out of a black-and-white 1940s movie.
Episode 26, a "best of" compilation, serves as a representative introduction to the series and season. A bonus "Appreciating "In Living Color"" segment on disc 4 puts the series in cultural context. Unlike another Fox network sketch-comedy series, "Mad TV", "In Living Color" has been lamentably missing in action on the syndication circuit, so for those who have never been "Colored," and especially for fans of current critics' darling "The Chappelle Show", these 26 bracing episodes will be a revelation. Plus, it's fun to watch force of nature Carrey come into his own, and even try out a few moves that would bring him fame and fortune in his own feature films (in episode 18, he mutters the immortal, "All righty then"). "--Donald Liebenson"

Indiana Jones - The Adventure Collection

Director:
Starring: Harrison Ford
Genre: Action & Adventure
Rated: PG

My Rating:

IMDB Rating:
Duration: 359
Release: May 2008
# of Discs: 3
UPC: 0097361370743
Purchased On: 21 May 2008

Summary: Includes:Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark: Special EditionIndiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom: Special EditionIndiana Jones And The Last Crusade: Special EditionThe Raiders Of The Lost ArkArcheologist and university professor Indiana Jones must retrieve the mythic Lost Ark of the Covenant before the it gets into the hands of Adolf Hitler who plans on using its power to guarantee his global conquest.The Temple Of DoomIndiana Jones finds himself on a new adventure trekking across Asia with a gold-digging woman and a young child to rescue a village's missing children and find a magic stone. But along the way he must contend with an evil cult.The Last CrusadeRenowned archeologist and expert in the occult Dr. Indiana Jones returns for the 3rd and final Indy film. Teaming up with his father Indiana sets out to try and find the Holy Grail. Once again the Nazis are after the same prize and try to foil Indiana's plans.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS UPC: 097361370743 Manufacturer No: 137074

Inside Man

Director: Spike Lee
Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe
Genre: Action & Adventure
Rated: R

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 7.7 (41,518 votes)
Duration: 129
Release: Aug 2006
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 0025192884726
Purchased On:

Summary: Spike Lee scored his biggest hit to date with "Inside Man", an unconventional thriller with fascinating details in the margins of its convoluted plot. The screenplay (by first-timer Russell Gerwitz) could've used a few more rewrites; it moves at a brisk pace but in hindsight a lot of it doesn't make sense. That makes "Inside Man" more fun to watch than to think about afterwards (when you discover plot holes big enough to drive a truck through), but it's curiously involving, especially as NYPD Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) struggles to outsmart a high-stakes bank robber (Clive Owen) who, along with a well-trained crew of accomplices, has seized control of a Wall Street bank, turning what initially looks like a hostage crisis into a personal crusade to expose some mysterious evil secrets. As you might expect from the director of "Do the Right Thing", Lee seizes several satisfying opportunities to examine post-9/11 issues of racial prejudice and domestic terrorism, and the mysterious "problem solver" Madeline White (Jodie Foster), as eerily sinister as she is vaguely defined, is worthy of her own movie. With the benefit of his most stellar cast to date (including Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe and Chiwetel Ejiofor), Lee seems more interested in character details than well-crafted suspense, but that doesn't stop "Inside Man" from being engrossing, subtly amusing, and quirky enough to qualify as a welcomed break from the formulaic thrillers that are Hollywood's bread and butter."--Jeff Shannon"

The Interpreter

Director: Sydney Pollack
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener, Jesper Christensen, Yvan Attal
Genre: Action & Adventure
Rated: PG-13

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 6.5 (23,453 votes)
Duration: 129
Release: Oct 2005
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 0025192583520
Purchased On:

Summary: Director Sydney Pollack delivers megawatt star power, high gloss, and political passion to "The Interpreter", his first thriller since "The Firm". With Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn delivering smooth, understated performances, the film more closely recalls Pollack's 1975 Robert Redford/Faye Dunaway paranoid thriller "Three Days of the Condor", trading conspiratorial politicians for potential assassination in the United Nations General Assembly (this being the first film ever granted permission to use actual U.N. locations). Kidman plays a U.N. interpreter who inadvertently overhears hints of a plot to kill the reviled, tyrannical leader of her (fictional) African homeland; Penn is the Secret Service agent assigned to protect her, or to determine her role (if any) in the assassination scenario. By distancing itself from real-life politics, "The Interpreter" softens its potential impact as a thriller about contemporary globalization and threats to international peace, but the Penn/Kidman personal drama (between two people who gain a deep appreciation for shared anguish, without being artificially forced into romance) adds a richly human dimension to Pollack's expert handling of the thriller elements of a complex yet easily-followed plot. Indie-film stalwart Catherine Keener shines in her supporting role as Penn's sarcastic by sympathetic Secret Service partner. "--Jeff Shannon"

The Island

Director: Michael Bay
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi
Genre: Action & Adventure
Rated: PG-13

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 6.9 (46,109 votes)
Duration: 136
Release: Dec 2005
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 0678149197020
Purchased On: 17 Oct 2007

Summary: When you add up all the best things about "The Island", you might just conclude that there's hope yet for Hollywood's most critically reviled hit-maker, Michael Bay. Recruited by Steven Spielberg to direct this lavish and often breathtaking sci-fi action thriller, Bay rises to the occasion with an ambitious production that is, by his standards (and compared to Bay's earlier hits like "The Rock" and "Armageddon"), surprisingly intelligent as it explores the repercussions of cloning in a sealed-off society where humans are cultivated for spare parts, surrogate parenthood, and full-body replacements for wealthy clientele. But when two of the clones (Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johanssen) begin to question their fate and the motives of their keepers, they escape into the real world and "The Island" becomes just another Michael Bay action extravaganza, albeit an impressively exciting one. With elaborate chase scenes and a high-tech feast of CGI to dazzle the eye, "The Island" recycles much of the plot from 1979's "Clonus" while borrowing elements from "Logan's Run", "Gattaca" and "Minority Report", and while it's not as smartly conceived as those earlier films, there's no denying that, in many ways, it's Bay's best film to date. "--Jeff Shannon"

The Italian Job

Director: F. Gary Gray
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Jason Statham, Seth Green
Genre: Action & Adventure
Rated: PG-13

My Rating:

IMDB Rating: 6.9 (38,285 votes)
Duration: 110
Release: Oct 2003
# of Discs: 1
UPC: 097363304722
Purchased On:

Summary: Though it bears little resemblance to the original 1969 thriller starring Michael Caine, the 2003 remake of "The Italian Job" stands on its own as a caper comedy that's well above average. The title's a misnomer--this time it's actually a Los Angeles job--but the action's just as exciting as it propels a breezy tale of honor and dishonor among competing thieves. Inheriting Caine's role as ace heist-planner Charlie Croker, Mark Wahlberg plays straight-man to a well-cast team of accomplices, including Mos Def, Jason Statham, and scene-stealer Seth Green in a variation of the role originally played by Noel Coward. As the daughter of Croker's ill-fated mentor (Donald Sutherland), Charlize Theron is recruited to double-cross a double-crosser (Edward Norton in oily villain mode), and once again, speedily versatile Mini Coopers play a pivotal role in director F. Gary Gray's exhilarating car-chase climax. It's perhaps the greatest product placement in movie history, and just as fun the second time around. "--Jeff Shannon"

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