DVDpedia : Groove Quantize DVD Library : Title : C

Theatrical:

Studio:

Genre:

Summary: Alferd Packer was the only man in the United States ever convicted of cannibalism--what better hero for fellow Coloradan and future "South Park" creator Trey Parker to celebrate in music? Blue-eyed and boyish Parker was still in college when he wrote, directed, composed the songs for, and took the starring role as the innocent young Packer in this film, giving a gee- whiz performance as an ambitious pioneer who joins an ill-fated trek west that ends up stranded in the mountains. At times resembling a perverse community theater parody of Rodgers and Hammerstein ("My heart's as full as a baked po-ta-to!"), Parker bounces back and forth between cheery production numbers and goony songs ("Let's build a snowman," sings one starving-mad hiker) and grotesque gore (bloody body parts, festering sores, human hors d'oeuvres). It lacks in style and consistency and the juvenile gags and fart jokes wear thin over the course of a feature film, but Parker's sheer energy and inventiveness carry the overlong picture to a rousing conclusion. Regular Parker collaborators Matt Stone and Dian Bachar costar in this tuneful barbecue. "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 1978

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 123

Summary: Thanks to repeated showings on cable television and home video, this speculative thriller has built quite a loyal following since its release in 1978. The provocative "what if?" scenario still packs a punch, even if it is not always believable. James Brolin, Sam Waterston, and O.J. Simpson star as three astronauts who agree to spare the government embarrassment by faking their historic landing on Mars after their spacecraft is determined to be unsafe for blastoff. When a scheming mission controller (Hal Holbrook) plots to kill the astronauts in a staged capsule fire, the trio embarks on a dangerous mission to expose the truth. Elliott Gould costars as the journalist determined to crack the conspiracy, and director Peter Hyams turns up the tension with an exciting chase sequence involving Telly Savalas as an eccentric barnstormer who comes to Gould's aid. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: A&M

Genre: Music Video & Concerts

Summary: Even for a seventies child like me who had this music on the radio while I was finishing breakfast and heading for school on many a morning, this DVD leaves something to be desired.

One reviewer is correct in noting that the great songbird Karen Carpenter looks unsure of herself in most of these clips and that makes it somewhat difficult to watch. Plus, the DVD is way too short. They may have been better off with the excellent live Carpenters' performances from the Ed Sullivan show in 1970 included.

On the other hand, there's of course the beautiful music, which disarms much criticism. This also captures the spirit of many musical variety shows of the early 70s.

This also includes the almost forgotten "Bless the Beasts and the Children" which turns to gold as almost anything the Carpenters' touched. Even a bizarre tune like "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft," in the tradition of bizarre attempts at message songs of the era, sounds like sheer beauty and bliss out of Karen Carpenter's mouth. (The intro with the spooked-out radio DJ is a nice touch).

Watch this and "It's yesterday Once More" (oops! That song isn't included here...oh well).

Theatrical: 1976

Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios

Genre: Horror

Summary: I am somewhat of a Brian DePalma fan and saw an edited version of the director's "Carrie" on CBS Network-television in 1978. I recently saw an uncut version of this film. "Carrie" is one of the greatest horror films and tragedies in movie history.Socially awkward high school student Carrie White(Sissy Spacek) uses telekinetic powers to get back at her vicious classmates and religiously fanatical mother(Piper Laurie)."Carrie" rivals "Dressed To Kill" as Brian DePalma's greatest thriller. This movie is the ultimate revenge fantasy for anyone who was picked on during their school days. Both Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie should have won Oscars for their magnificent performances. Spacek gives an unforgettable performance. Laurie is almost charismatic as the domineering and crazed Margaret White. This character offered the perfect comeback role for Laurie after her fifteen-year absence from the big screen. Nancy Allen's malicious Chris qualifies as one of the greatest villainous characters in movie history. DePalma made "Carrie" when he still knew how to make great movies. In recent years, DePalma has not only forgotten how to scare and shock viewers, but he has even forgotten how to make his audience feel genuine emotions. DePalma forces viewers to empathize with the pain and anguish of Carrie White. "Carrie" is a tragedy as well as a horror film. Perhaps no other film director has more realistically depicted adolescent cruelty than DePalma did in "Carrie." The shock conclusion will jolt viewers right out of their seats.DePalma's "Carrie" is very well-recommended.

Theatrical:

Studio: Flashback

Genre: Animated

Summary: An exciting range your favourite Warner Brothers classics on 12 DVD's <li>Aloha Hooey
Featuring:Crow
<li>The Cagey Canary
Featuring:Granny and Canary
<li>Booby Hatched
Featuring:Duck
<li>Birdy And The Beast
Featuring:Tweety
<li>I Got Plenty Of Mutton
Featuring:Wolf

Theatrical:

Studio: Flashback

Genre: Animated

Summary: An exciting range your favourite Warner Brothers classics on 12 DVD's <li>Nothing But The Tooth
Featuring:Porky Pig
<li>The Up-Standing Sitter
Featuring:Daffy Duck
<li>A Feather In His Hare
Featuring:Bugs Bunny
<li>Inki And the Lion
Featuring:Inki
<li>The Case Of the Missing Hare
Featuring:Bugs Bunny Plus Many, Many More...

Theatrical:

Studio: Flashback

Genre: Animated

Summary: An exciting range your favourite Warner Brothers classics on 12 DVD's <li>Tom Turk And Daffy
Featuring:Porky Pig and Daffy duck
<li>Hiss And Make Up
Featuring:Granny
<li>The Trial Of Mr Wolf
Featuring:Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood
<li>Of Thee I Sting
Featuring:Battalion of Mosquitoes
<li>Two Gophers From Texas
Featuring:Goofy Golfers Plus much more...

Theatrical:

Studio: Flashback

Genre: Animated

Summary: An exciting range your favourite Warner Brothers classics on 12 DVD's <li>Prest-O-Change-O
Featuring:Sham Fu
<li>Hare-um Scare-um
Featuring:Bugs Bunny
<li>Fresh Hare
Featuring:Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd
<li>Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt
Featuring:Bugs Bunny
<li>Elmer's Candid Camera
Featuring:Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd
<li>Hold the Lion Please
Featuring:Bugs Bunny
<li>Elmer's Pet Rabbit
Featuring:Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd
<li>Jack Wabbit And The Beanstalk
Featuring:Bugs Bunny and the Giant
<li>Hare Remover
Featuring:Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd
<li>Rabbit Punch
Featuring:Bugs Bunny

Theatrical: 1983

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Horror

Summary: She can't (and won't) drive 55.... Stephen King's novel about the twisted love affair between a boy and his car gets transferred to the screen, courtesy of suspense master John Carpenter. Although lacking some of the more outré supernatural elements of the source material, this high-octane cinematic tune-up more than delivers the goods, horror-wise (Christine's midnight rampages will never be forgotten)--as well as being a sly exposé of the random cruelties within the high-school pecking order. Keith Gordon (who has gone on to become a stellar director in his own right, with films such as "A Midnight Clear" and "Mother Night" to his credit) gives a wonderfully controlled central performance. Carpenter's atmospheric original score is backed up by a well-chosen collection of rock classics, including George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone" (the titular character's all-too-apt theme song). "--Andrew Wright"

Theatrical:

Studio: Universal

Genre: Western

Summary: High Plains Drifter:
The Stranger rides past the grave of former sheriff Jim Duncan into the 1870 Southwest frontier town of Lago. Owners of the Lago Mining Company, Dave Drake and Morgan Allen in a meeting, get the agreement of the townspeople to hire The Stranger to protect the community against the imminent return of three gunmen who had been sent to jail a year before on a trumped-up charge by the Drake / Allen Mining Company. The Stranger accepts the job on the condition that he has free reign in doing it. He plans a reception for the three men which will include an ambush in town and among other things, he orders the entire vllage to be painted a bright red and the name changed to 'Hell'. The film builds to a magnificent climax when the three prisoners arrive in town - with Clint Eastwood playing one of his most memorable roles. Joe Kidd:
Joe Kidd is a former bounty hunter and all-around tough-guy in the American Southwest during the Mexican-American War. When a band of Mexicans find their U. S. land claims denied and all relevant records destroyed in a courthouse fire, they turn to force of arms. Louis Chama is their charismatic leader, spouting revolutionary rhetoric and demanding land reform. A wealthy landowner with interests in the disputed area, Frank Harlan, decides to settle things his own way. He hires a band of killers and wants Joe Kidd to help them track Chama. Initially, Kidd wants to avoid any involvement, until Chama makes the mistake of stealing Kidd's horses and terrorizing his friends. Two Mules For Sister Sara:
Set in Mexico, a nun called Sara is rescued from three cowboys by Hogan, who is on his way to do some reconnaissance, for a future mission to capture a French fort. The French are chasing Sara, but not for the reasons she tells Hogan, so he decides to help her in return for information about the fort defences. Inevitably the two become good friends but Sara has a secret..

Theatrical: 1964

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Box Sets

Duration: 156 mins

Summary:

Theatrical: 1972

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 137

Summary: Stanley Kubrick's striking visual interpretation of Anthony Burgess's famous novel is a masterpiece. Malcolm McDowell delivers a clever, tongue-in-cheek performance as Alex, the leader of a quartet of droogs, a vicious group of young hoodlums who spend their nights stealing cars, fighting rival gangs, breaking into people's homes, and raping women. While other directors would simply exploit the violent elements of such a film without subtext, Kubrick maintains Burgess's dark, satirical social commentary. We watch Alex transform from a free-roaming miscreant into a convict used in a government experiment that attempts to reform criminals through an unorthodox new medical treatment. The catch, of course, is that this therapy may be nothing better than a quick cure-all for a society plagued by rampant crime. "A Clockwork Orange" works on many levels--visual, social, political, and sexual--and is one of the few films that hold up under repeated viewings. Kubrick not only presents colorfully arresting images, he also stylizes the film by utilizing classical music (and Wendy Carlos's electronic classical work) to underscore the violent scenes, which even today are disturbing in their display of sheer nihilism. Ironically, many fans of the film have missed that point, sadly being entertained by its brutality rather than being repulsed by it. "--Bryan Reesman"

Theatrical: 1977

Studio: Columbia/Tristar Studios

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Summary: Anybody who has written him off because of his string of stinkers--or anybody who's too young to remember "The Goodbye Girl"--may be shocked at the accomplishment and nuance of Richard Dreyfuss's performance in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Here, he plays a man possessed; contacted by aliens, he (along with other members of the "chosen") is drawn toward the site of the incipient landing: Devil's Tower, in rural Wyoming. As in many Spielberg films, there are no personalized enemies; the struggle is between those who have been called and a scientific establishment that seeks to protect them by keeping them away from the arriving spacecraft. The ship, and the special effects in general, are every bit as jaw-dropping on the small screen as they were in the theater (well, almost). Released in 1977 as a cerebral alternative to the swashbuckling science fiction epics then in vogue, "Close Encounters" now seems almost wholesome in its representation of alien contact and interested less in philosophizing about extraterrestrials than it is in examining the nature of the inner "call." Ultimately a motion picture about the obsession of the driven artist or determined visionary, "Close Encounters" comes complete with the stock Spielberg wives and girlfriends who seek to tether the dreamy, possessed protagonists to the more mundane concerns of the everyday. So a spectacular, seminal motion picture indeed, but one with gender politics that are all too terrestrial. "--Miles Bethany"

Theatrical:

Studio: Vital Distribution

Genre:

Summary:

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Summary: I liked COLORS alot because it's a gritty, but realistic police drama. I grew up in bad urban streets, so I know how bad things can get. I also like the film because it explored the dangerous lives the Crypts and Bloods, who wear blue and red, naturally. There is still a bloody gang war between them, but COLORS wisely tells us they're bad background and potray them as human beings like us, and not vicious animals arrested by the police we see on TV.Anyway, Dennis Hopper awkardly, but fantastically directed this film with Robert Duvall as a veteran cop and his young, headstrong apprentice Sean Penn, as they lead a Los Angeles gang unit against the petty crime in the streets fueled by the two rival gangs. But the boiled relationship with Duvall's calm manner and Penn's hair-trigger temper won't get them very far to survive in Watt's mean streets. That problem leads to a sad climax.COLORS is a bit dated now when compared to more brutal, but nearly worthless gang movies nowadays. But it helped paved the way more better ones like BOYZ N THE HOOD and MENACE II SOCIETY. The film is different from both of those movies because it gives us a picturesque view of both the urban gang life and the police life.

Theatrical: 1972

Studio: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Genre: Drama

Duration: 725

Summary: TV detective fans rejoice: Peter Falk's rumpled and infallible Lt. Columbo joins the DVD precinct with a five-disc set that features the detective's first nine appearances for NBC. Though Falk as Columbo (no first name) made his TV debut in 1967, the detective had actually first appeared on an episode of the 1960-61 "Chevy Mystery Show" (Bert Freed played the role) written by veteran TV scribes Richard Levinson and William Link ("The Fugitive", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"). The pair turned the episode into a stage play titled "Prescription: Murder", which was adapted into a TV movie in 1967 with Falk in the lead. NBC greenlit a two-hour Columbo pilot ("Ransom for a Dead Man") in 1971, and the series was launched that fall as part of the "NBC Sunday Mystery Movie", a rotating 90-minute program that alternated "Columbo" with episodes of "MacMillan and Wife" and "McCloud" (another Levinson/Link creation). Viewers were quickly won over by Falk's shrewd performance as he matched wits with a host of exceptional guest stars (including Gene Barry, Patrick McGoohan, and others), all of whom assumed that the disheveled detective would never figure out their "perfect crimes"; the popularity and quality of the original series allows Falk to continue to don the trenchcoat some 30 years later for occasional "Columbo" TV movies.
All seven 90-minute episodes of the 1971-72 debut season are included here, along with "Prescription: Murder" and "Ransom for a Dead Man"; unfortunately, as the lieutenant himself would say, "Oh, just one more thing"--no extras are included in the set, but having these fine TV mysteries in one set should be reward enough for armchair sleuths. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 1971

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Television

Duration: 641

Summary: Armchair sleuths, get out your trenchcoats: Universal has released the sophomore season (1972-73) of the classic detective series "Columbo", starring Peter Falk as the sage but rumpled police lieutenant. As with the first season, there's plenty of star power in front of and behind the camera to abet Falk in these eight 90- and 120-minute episodes: John Cassavetes stars in the season premiere, "Etude in Black", as a philandering symphony conductor, with Blythe Danner and Hollywood legend Myrna Loy in support; Oscar winner Ray Milland is a scheming orchid grower in "The Greenhouse Jungle," co-starring Bradford Dillman and William Smith; Robert Culp and Dean Stockwell are a football team manager and owner, respectively, whose disagreements blossom into murder in "The Most Crucial Game"; and Jeanette Nolan offers stellar comic relief in "Double Shock," which features Martin Landau as identical twins--one of whom has murdered their uncle. Performances by Richard Basehart, Laurence Harvey, Leonard Nimoy, Anne Francis, Anne Baxter, and Mel Ferrer also highlight the season; direction by small-screen stalwarts like Boris Sagal, Jeremy Paul Kagan, and Nicholas Colasanto ("Coach" on "Cheers") and scripts by Stephen Bochco also bring quality and style to the proceedings. Sadly, no extras are available in this five-disc set, but the stellar image and sound quality (and lack of commercials) should appeal to series fans and newcomers alike. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 1977

Studio: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 636

Summary: Before returning to the television fold in the '80s with a string of successful TV movies, Peter Falk's Lt. Columbo concluded his network sleuthing with eight episodes that aired between 1976-1978; these final two seasons of the original "Columbo" series are packaged in this no-frills boxed set that should be a welcome addition to any armchair detective's collection. Quality-wise, the performances, writing, and direction in these eight episodes are as top notch as any that preceded it, with a host of terrific guest stars doing their best to match wits with the lieutenant in a string of complex mysteries. William Shatner gives a typically juicy turn as a demanding TV actor facing blackmail in the sixth season opener "Fade in to Murder"; Theodore Bikel and Sorrell Booke ("The Dukes of Hazzard") are friends, business partners, and bitter rivals in "The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case" (and watch for Jamie Lee Curtis in a bit role as a waitress); the great Ruth Gordon ("Harold and Maude") shines as a wily mystery writer in the seventh season's "Try and Catch Me," while a host of fine character actors (including the late Mako, Richard Dysart and Michael V. Gazzo) have reasons for wanting food critic Louis Jourdan dead in "Murder Under Glass," and a very young Kim Cattrall helps Columbo unravel a mystery involving mind control and trained dogs in "How to Dial a Murder." The talent behind the camera in these episodes is equally impressive: Jonathan Demme helms "Murder Under Glass," while Leo Penn takes the final episode, "The Conspirators." As with all of the original "Columbo" shows (and many of the subsequent TV movies), the episodes presented here are smartly written, crisply acted by a quality cast, and anchored with sly charm and deceptive strength by Falk's Emmy-winning performance. Previous "Columbo" box sets have included an episode of the spin-off series "Mrs. Columbo" as an extra, but no such supplement is included here. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 1971

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Television

Duration: 684

Summary: Oh, just one more thing, mystery mavens--get ready to be mystified and entertained by the award-winning third season of "Columbo", starring Peter Falk as the rumpled but unbeatable Lieutenant. Having taken home Emmys for outstanding limited drama and lead actor in its '71-'72 debut season, "Columbo" was again named best drama for its third season ('73-'74). The reason for the repeat success? The formula remained the same: intelligent, engaging scripts and direction, guest performances by top actors, and, of course, Falk at center stage as Columbo, the most unlikely of supersleuths, but unquestionably one of the sharpest (the role would later earn Falk three more Emmys between 1975 and 1990). The 10 episodes compiled in this two-disc set again feature top talent from film and television: directors include veterans Jeannot Swarc and Boris Sagal, as well as actors Nicholas Colasanto (better known as Coach from "Cheers") and Ben Gazzara (Falk's frequent co-star in the films of John Cassavetes), while the season's scripts feature contributions from Stephen J. Cannell, Steven Bochco, and Larry Cohen. And in regard to co-stars, Falk matched wits with the likes of Donald Pleasance, Martin Sheen, Vincent Price, Robert Culp (in one of four turns on the series), Jose Ferrer, Ida Lupino, and in two novel but effective casting choices, Johnny Cash and hard-boiled mystery scribe Mickey Spillane. And there's even a bonus feature in the form of an episode of the spinoff series "Mrs. Columbo", starring Kate Mulgrew as the Lieutenant's oft-mentioned better half. In short, it's 11 hours of solid sleuthing for armchair detectives. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 1974

Studio: Paramount Studio

Genre: Drama

Summary: "The Conversation" is one of those great little masterpieces of the 1970s that just so happens to be directed by Francis Ford Coppola. "The Conversation" tells the tale of Harry Caul, (geniously played by Gene Hackman) a surveillance expert who makes the mistake of getting personally involved in a disturbing assignment. Gene Hackman's performance is so subtle, underplayed, and finely-tuned that it alone makes the film worthwhile. The script is fabulous, with a twist that makes "The Sixth Sense" look like kid's stuff.The DVD of "The Conversation" is great. To start off, it has good, animated menus. The theatrical trailer is nice, just for nostalgic purposes. There is also a featurette, "Close-Up on The Conversation". It makes for a nice, brief look at the making of the film, and it's fun to see Coppola so young. What really makes this DVD great though, are the two commentary tracks. The first is by the director himself, Francis Ford Coppola. Coppola's commentary is one of the most comprehensive I've ever heard. If you don't appreciate this movie now, you will after you've heard his commentary. The second commentary is by editor Walter Murch, which is also very good, especially if you are specifically interested in the editing process.If you like Coppola, Hackman, or are just a sucker for a clever script, this DVD is for your collection.

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Reel

Genre: Drama

Duration: 105 mins

Summary: No One Is Above The Law Freddy Heflin is the sheriff of Garrison, New Jersey, a small town that many NYPD officers call home. But when an officer is responsible for a violent incident involving a civilian, he leads his own investigation and uncovers a racially-charged conspiracy within the NYPD.

Theatrical: 1980

Studio: DV1

Genre: Box Sets

Duration: 780 mins

Summary: Cosmos remains one of the best-known and best-loved descriptions of our universe. Seen by over 700 million viewers in 60 countries, this multi Emmy Award winning series is arguably the most popular and stunningly influential science programme ever produced. Through a combination of special effects and Dr Carl Sagan’s enthusiastic narration every fantastic episode is an awe-inspiring cosmic journey that appeals to a mass audience. Cosmos covers a range of intriguing and fascinating topics including the origins of life, the search for life on Mars, the infernal composition of the atmosphere of Venus and the “greenhouse effect”, the lives of stars, interstellar travel and the effects of attaining the speed of light and the danger of mankind technologically self-destructing. This classic landmark television series has been digitally remastered, restored and enhanced and provides a grand overview of the universe and our place within it. Episodes:
1. The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean
2. One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue
3. The Harmony of the Worlds
4. Heaven and Hell
5. Blues for a Red Planet
6. Travellers Tales
7. The Backbone of Night
8. Travels in Space and Time
9. The Lives of the Stars
10. The Edge of Forever
11. The Persistence of Memory
12. Encyclopaedia Gallactica
13. Who Speaks for Earth?

Theatrical: 1983

Studio: Republic Pictures

Genre: Horror

Duration: 91

Summary: This 1983 adaptation of the Stephen King horror novel is the anti-"Beethoven", the story of a rabid St. Bernard that terrorizes a community, tears up a few folks, and goes after a woman and her son. Once the point has been made that big, lovable Cujo has been bitten by a rabid bat, there isn't much more to say. The film is essentially a linear progression of doggy violence, though director Lewis Teague ("The Jewel of the Nile")--building on King's implication that we all know what it's like to be afraid of a big, scary pooch--succeeds at making the fear almost primitive for an audience. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Television

Summary: Like its fellow HBO series Sex and the City, this half-hour comedy broke some TV rules and went from critics' darling to an award-winning series in three years. Curb Your Enthusiasm is the brainchild of star-creator Larry David who co-created Seinfeld and was the basis for the easily rattled George Costanza (who was played by Jason Alexander). Like George, David has a tendency to speak too much, blow things out of proportion, and, most often, fail in the end (and often liking it that way). David's new show is also like its predecessor: it's about "nothing" except following the day-to-day ramblings of a sometime writer and comic (this time in L.A.). Eternal questions stemming from universal daily dilemmas are honed to perfect comedic absurdity. A notable exception is the show is only scripted by plot; much of the action is improvised. The first season starts with a one-hour mockumentary following David's return to stand-up for the first time in years; the other 10 episodes follow a more traditional sit-com setup. David plays "himself" (as does his friend, Richard Lewis) although his manager and wife are played by comedians Jeff Garlin and Cheryl Hines. Although this first season is a comedic gem, one can't take more than an episode or two at a time--it's acidic, biting comedy. The episodes are often built like a house of cards, which the irritable David will surely collapse by the end. Like another caustic TV character, Dabney Colman's Buffalo Bill (1983-84), Larry David is not for everybody. --Doug Thomas

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Television

Summary: He never learns. In the fourth season of his award-winning HBO comedy series, the quasi-fictional character of Larry David continues to say--and do--whatever he wants whenever he wants. In the first episode alone ("Mel's Offer"), in which Mel Brooks offers him the role of Max Bialystock in "The Producers", David offends a doctor, a lesbian couple, a wheelchair user, and Ben Stiller (by not shaking his hand after he sneezes). Then, in the second ("Ben's Birthday Party"), he offends a blind man--by telling him his girlfriend's not as hot as she claims--and pokes Stiller in the eye with a skewer while attempting to show agent Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin) his new golf move.
Larry continues to offend Stiller until he drops out of "The Producers" and, in the fifth episode ("The 5 Wood"), David Schwimmer ("Friends") steps in. The following episode ("The Car Pool Lane"), in which David attends a Dodgers game--with a prostitute, so he can use the carpool lane--made history when it set an innocent man free. Unused footage from the show, entered into evidence by the defense attorney, confirmed his client's alibi that he couldn't have committed a murder because he was at the game (alas, the Braves still trounced the Dodgers). Other guests include Ted Danson ("The Weatherman"), Russell Means ("Wandering Bear"), and Gina Gershon ("The Survivor") as a Hasidic hottie. In addition, the hour-long season finale ("Opening Night") boasts a bevy of stars, including David’s old colleague Jerry Seinfeld, Nathan Lane (Broadway's original Bialystock), and fellow Tony Award winner Anne Bancroft ("The Miracle Worker"). As they've done since the early days, Cheryl Hines (Cheryl David), Susie Essman (Susie Greene), and Richard Lewis and Wanda Sykes (as themselves) do what they can to keep one-man demolition derby David in check. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Television

Summary: It's more of the same for Larry David's sitcom from HBO, and for fans, that's a good thing. The show--largely extemporized--follows suit of David's former series, Seinfeld: it's a show about nothing, just the everyday life of the star going about his pseudo-real world. But David's show has far more edge (thanks, in part, to airing on cable TV) with all the bad luck, embarrassing situations, and dreadful behavior as its premiere season. The closest thing to an arc is David's season-long pitch to the networks for a new show starring former Seinfeld stars Jason Alexander and Julia-Louis Dreyfus. Each network is lampooned, especially HBO, which David has a bad history with in this alternate world. Sure to repel those with soft funny bones, Curb's acerbic comedy allows jokes where David is accidentally framed--if ever so briefly--as a child molester, wife abuser, or murderer. But for those who do love his shtick, there are big laughs, especially when we bump into characters as unbridled as David, like a fellow writer who is quite protective of his dad's invention, the Cobb salad. Many comic actors pop up, some as "themselves" (Richard Lewis, Rob Reiner) and others as characters (Rita Wilson, Ed Asner) along with the delights of co-stars Cheryl Hines as David's wife and his affable manger, Jeff Garlin. There are several touchstone bits: what a thong brief can do to a relationship, a run-in with pro wrestler, Larry's first baptism, and one very collectible doll. To pick one episode to capture this second season--and its grandstanding nature--it would be "Shaq," in which the NBA star is accidentally tripped, changing David's usual bad luck with gut-busting results. --Doug Thomas

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Summary: The third season of HBO's comedy sensation offers more of the same. "Not that there's anything wrong with that," to quote Larry David's other television series, a certain little sitcom called Seinfeld. Consequently, Curb Your Enthusiasm's junior year means more Larry (Larry David) and more of his hilariously embarrassing mishaps. It also means more of his patient spouse Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), avuncular manager Jeff (Jeff Garlin), Jeff’s foul-mouthed wife Susie (Susie Essman), and assorted celebrity pals, including Richard Lewis, Ted Danson, Wanda Sykes, Paul Reiser, and Martin Short, all playing themselves (or, like Larry, versions thereof). The theme that (loosely) ties these 10 episodes together is Larry's involvement in upscale eatery Bobo's, in which Danson and Michael York (yes, that Michael York) are co-investors. As expected, the restaurant will serve to complicate Larry's life in every conceivable way--and vice versa. But the funniest (and most profane) episode must surely be "Krazee-Eyez Killa," starring Chris Williams (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story) as the fidelity-impaired gangster rapper to whom Wanda has become engaged. This riotous installment, which sends up Jewish, Italian, and African American gangsters alike, won an Emmy for Robert B. Weide's direction and features that old master-of-direction himself, Martin Scorsese, who first appeared in "The Special Section" (in which Larry bribes a gravedigger to relocate his mother’s gravesite). It's also the episode in which Larry gets a hair stuck in his throat. That hair, which once belonged to someone rather close to him, will remain lodged there for the next several episodes, until a "divine intervention" in "Mary, Joseph and Larry" dislodges it once and for all--along with the last of Larry's dignity. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 102

Summary: With "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion", Woody Allen pays another visit to his idealized past, and his retro blend of humor and nostalgia will surely satisfy the filmmaker's most loyal fans. Like "The Purple Rose of Cairo", "Radio Days", and "Sweet and Lowdown", "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" is physically impeccable: its period-perfect costumes and sets capture 1940 New York with splendid authenticity and are further enhanced by the burnished glow of Zhao Fei's cinematography. And like those earlier films, "Jade Scorpion" mines comedic gold from its timeframe, molding it into a plot laced with expert zingers that could only spring from a keen awareness of comedic tradition. Add an appealing roster of costars (including Elizabeth Berkley and Charlize Theron) and you've got vintage Woody that perks right along.
The movie's also as trivial as it is engaging; hack off 30 minutes and it might have had the delirious precision of early Marx Brothers classics. Instead, Allen's goofy conceit--enemies falling in love by hypnotic suggestion--is stretched to absurdity when efficiency expert Betty Ann "Fitz" Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt) is hypnotically attracted to seasoned insurance investigator C.W. Briggs (Allen), despite their office enmity. Plus, a jewel-heist caper masterminded by the nightclub hypnotist (David Ogden Stiers) casts them both as suspects! Woody harvests a bumper crop of old-fashioned laughs from this predicament, and despite their conspicuous age difference and occasional awkward delivery, Hunt and Allen exchange volleys of dialogue like a seasoned comedy team. Dan Aykroyd is also good in a stodgy supporting role, but "Jade Scorpion" remains a mixed blessing--a welcomed throwback to comedy's yesteryear, from a master funnyman who's struggling to maintain relevance in the present. "--Jeff Shannon"