From a veteran culture writer and modern movie expert, a celebration and analysis of the movies of 1999 - arguably the most groundbreaking year in American cinematic history.In 1999, Hollywood as we know it exploded: Fight Club. The Matrix. Office Space. Election. The Blair Witch Project. The Sixth Sense. Being John Malkovich. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. American Beauty. The Virgin Suicides. Boys Don't Cry. The Best Man. Three Kings. Magnolia. Those are just some of the landmark titles released in a dizzying movie year, one in which a group of daring filmmakers and performers pushed cinema to new limits - and took audiences along for the ride. Freed from the restraints of budget, technology (or even taste) , they produced a slew of classics that took on every topic imaginable, from sex to violence to the end of the world. The result was a highly unruly, deeply influential set of films that would not only change filmmaking, but also give us our first glimpse of the coming twenty-first century. It was a watershed moment that also produced The Sopranos; Apple's Airport; Wi-Fi; and Netflix's unlimited DVD rentals. Best. Movie. Year. Ever. is the story of not just how these movies were made, but how they re-made our own vision of the world. It features more than 130 new and exclusive interviews with such directors and actors as Reese Witherspoon, Edward Norton, Steven Soderbergh, Sofia Coppola, David Fincher, Nia Long, Matthew Broderick, Taye Diggs, M. Night Shyamalan, David O. Russell, James Van Der Beek, Kirsten Dunst, the Blair Witch kids, the Office Space dudes, the guy who played Jar-Jar Binks, and dozens more. It's the definitive account of a culture-conquering movie year none of us saw coming ... and that we may never see again.
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9781501175381
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Hardcover
The Movies
Fight Club
By Pitt, Brad
"
"'Fight Club' pulls you in, challenges your prejudices, rocks your world and leaves you laughing" (Rolling Stone). Brad Pitt ("12 Monkeys", "Seven"), Edward Norton ("Primal Fear," "American History X") and Helena Bonham Carter ("Mighty Aphrodite," "A Room With A View") turn in powerful "performances of which movie legends are made" (Chicago Tribune) in this action-packed hit. A ticking-time-bomb insomniac (Norton) and a slippery soap salesman (Pitt) channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until a sensuous eccentric (Bonham Carter) gets in the way and ignites an out-of control spiral toward oblivion.
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24543000358
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DVD
The Matrix
By Reeves, Keanu
What if virtual reality wasn't just for fun, but was being used to imprison you? That's the dilemma that faces mild-mannered computer jockey Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) in The Matrix. It's the year 1999, and Anderson (hacker alias: Neo) works in a cubicle, manning a computer and doing a little hacking on the side. It's through this latter activity that Thomas makes the acquaintance of Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) , who has some interesting news for Mr. Anderson -- none of what's going on around him is real. The year is actually closer to 2199, and it seems Thomas, like most people, is a victim of The Matrix, a massive artificial intelligence system that has tapped into people's minds and created the illusion of a real world, while using their brains and bodies for energy, tossing them away like spent batteries when they're through. Morpheus, however, is convinced Neo is "The One" who can crack open The Matrix and bring his people to both physical and psychological freedom. The Matrix is the second feature film from the sibling writer/director team of Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski, who made an impressive debut with the stylish erotic crime thriller Bound.
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85391163176
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DVD
Office Space - Special Edition with Flair
By Judge, Mike
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
A self-serving boss, petty annoyances and unbroken monotony dishearten a computer programmer and his co-workers. Written and directed by Mike Judge.
AMAZON.COM
Stills from Office Space (Click for larger image)
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24543160892
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DVD
Election
By Broderick, Matthew
Reese Witherspoon plays Tracy Flick, a straight-A go-getter determined to be president of Carver High's student body. Popular teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) decides to derail Tracy's obsessive overachieving by recruiting an opposition candidate. Mr. M. never imagines that stopping Tracy is like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube.
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97363340348
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The Blair Witch Project
By Donahue, Heather
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, Joshua Leonard. A spooky documentary leads to unimaginable terror for three film students lost in the Maryland woods. This innovative and highly acclaimed horror film set a new standard for cinematic chills! 1999/color-b&w/87 min/R/fullscreen.
AMAZON.COM
The Blair Witch Project
Anyone who has even the slightest trouble with insomnia after seeing a horror movie should stay away from The Blair Witch Project--this film will creep under your skin and stay there for days. Credit for the effectiveness of this mock documentary goes to filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, who armed three actors (Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Josh Leonard) with video equipment, camping supplies, and rough plot outlines. They then let the trio loose into the Maryland woods to improvise and shoot the entire film themselves as the filmmakers attempted to scare the crap out of them. Gimmicky, yes, but it worked--to the wildly successful tune of $130 million at the box office upon its initial release (the budget was a mere $40,000) .
For those of you who were under a rock when it first hit the theaters, The Blair Witch Project tracks the doomed quest of three film students shooting a documentary on the Burkittsville, Maryland, legend of the Blair Witch. After filming some local yokels (and providing only scant background on the witch herself) , the three, led by Heather (something of a witch herself) , head into the woods for some on-location shooting. Theyre never seen again. What we see is a reconstruction of their "found" footage, edited to make a barely coherent narrative. After losing their way in the forest, whining soon gives way to real terror as the three find themselves stalked by unknown forces that leave piles of rocks outside their campsite and stick-figure art projects in the woods. (As Michael succinctly puts it, "No redneck is this clever!") The masterstroke of the film is that you never actually see whats menacing them; everything is implied, and theres no terror worse than that of the unknown. If you can wade through the tedious arguing--and the shaky, motion-sickness-inducing camerawork--youll be rewarded with an oppressively sinister atmosphere and one of the most frightening denouements in horror-film history. Even after you take away the monstrous hype, The Blair Witch Project remains a genuine, effective original. --Mark Englehart
Curse of the Blair Witch
Are you wondering just exactly who the Blair Witch was? What the Burkittsville, Maryland, legend was all about? Or what exactly fascinated student filmmaker Heather and what possibly took her, Mike, and Josh from this earth? Get all your background questions answered by Curse of the Blair Witch, a one-stop-shopping "documentary" originally produced for the Sci-Fi Channel as a tie-in marketing tool. Entirely fictionalized, Curse of the Blair Witch focuses both on the past and the present, with copious info on the Blair Witch myth as well as on the disappearance of Heather, Josh, and Mike. As it turns out, the original witch was one Elly Kedward, who was accused in 1785 of taking blood from several children; she was subsequently banished to the harsh winter woods and left for dead. Her grisly and bloody legacy involves missing children, polluted water, disemboweled men, and a serial killer of children who claims to have been haunted by "an old woman ghost." Aside from some ineffective "newsreel" footage of the serial killer, all this intriguing information is presented convincingly and chillingly. Curse may in fact freak you out more than the movie, and it evokes the great, pulpy In Search Of series of the 70s, one of the prime inspirations for filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. News clips of the search for Heather, Josh, and Mike lend a vérité atmosphere to the proceedings, but shed little light on their mysterious disappearance or their characters. Basically, its a tease to go see the movie. Still, The Blair Witch Project provided only ever-so-slight information on the legend that haunted the forest, so youll want this cleverly constructed mock documentary to supplement your knowledge of the film. --Mark Englehart
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12236112662
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DVD
Being John Malkovich
By Malkovich, John
While too many movies suffer the fate of creative bankruptcy, Being John Malkovich is a refreshing study in contrast, so bracingly original that you'll want to send director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman a thank-you note for restoring your faith in the enchantment of film. Even if it ultimately serves little purpose beyond the thrill of comedic invention, this demented romance is gloriously entertaining, spilling over with ideas that tickle the brain and even touch the heart. That's to be expected in a movie that dares to ponder the existential dilemma of a forlorn puppeteer (John Cusack) who discovers a metaphysical portal into the brain of actor John Malkovich. The puppeteer's working as a file clerk on the seventh-and-a-half floor of a Manhattan office building; this idea alone might serve as the comedic basis for an entire film, but Jonze and Kaufman are just getting started.
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715515095419
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DVD
The Sixth Sense
By Shyamalan, M Night
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Hollywood superstar Bruce Willis (ARMAGEDDON, THE SIEGE) brings a powerful presence to an edge-of-your-seat thriller from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan (Oscar(R) -nominee for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director) that critics are calling one of the greatest ghost stories ever filmed. When Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Willis) , a distinguished child psychologist, meets Cole Sear (Oscar(R) -nominee Haley Joel Osment, Best Supporting Actor) , a frightened, confused, eight-year-old, Dr. Crowe is completely unprepared to face the truth of what haunts Cole. With a riveting intensity youll find thoroughly chilling, the discovery of Coles incredible sixth sense leads them to mysterious places with unforgettable consequences!
AMAZON.COM
"I see dead people," whispers little Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) , scared to affirm what is to him now a daily occurrence. This peaked 9-year old, already hypersensitive to begin with, is now being haunted by seemingly malevolent spirits. Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is trying to find out whats triggering Coles visions, but what appears to be a psychological manifestation turns out to be frighteningly real. It might be enough to scare off a lesser man, but for Malcolm its personal--several months before, he was accosted and shot by an unhinged patient, who then turned the gun on himself. Since then, Malcolm has been in turmoil--he and his wife (Olivia Williams) are barely speaking, and his life has taken an aimless turn. Having failed his loved ones and himself, hes not about to give up on Cole.
This third feature by M. Night Shyamalan sets itself up as a thriller, poised on the brink of delivering monstrous scares, but gradually evolves into more of a psychological drama with supernatural undertones. Many critics faulted the film for being mawkish and New Age-y, but no matter how you slice it, this is one mightily effective piece of filmmaking. The bare bones of the story are basic enough, but the moody atmosphere created by Shyamalan and cinematographer Tak Fujimoto made this one of the creepiest pictures of 1999, forsaking excessive gore for a sinisterly simple feeling of chilly otherworldliness. Willis is in his strong, silent type mode here, and gives the film wholly over to Osment, whose crumpled face and big eyes convey a child too wise for his years; his scenes with his mother (Toni Collette) are small, heartbreaking marvels. And even if you figure out the films surprise ending, it packs an amazingly emotional wallop when it comes, and will have you racing to watch the movie again with a new perspective. You may be able to shake off the sentimentality of The Sixth Sense, but its craftsmanship and atmosphere will stay with you for days. --Mark Englehart
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717951004925
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DVD
Star Wars
By Mcgregor, Ewan
Of Disc Two's cornucopia of bonus features, the most notable are the seven deleted scenes and a long documentary. The deleted scenes, which are all interesting enough to watch at least once, can be viewed individually or as a group along with discussions of why they were cut. These rough scenes were completed for the DVD and parts of them (including an introduction of the individual Podracers and a longer view of the skies over Coruscant) were reincorporated into the version of the film that appears on the DVD. The 66-minute behind-the-scenes documentary was compiled from 600 hours of footage shot during various stages of the film and includes Anakin screen tests, script-reading sessions, location shooting in Italy and Tunisia, and giddy fans on opening night.
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24543056201
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DVD
American Beauty
By Mendes, Sam
Noted theater director Sam Mendes, who was responsible for the acclaimed 1998 revival of Cabaret and Nicole Kidman's turn in The Blue Room, made his motion picture debut with this film about the dark side of an American family, and about the nature and price of beauty in a culture obsessed with outward appearances. Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, a man in his mid-40s going through an intense midlife crisis; he's grown cynical and is convinced that he has no reason to go on. Lester's relationship with his wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) is not a warm one; while on the surface Carolyn strives to present the image that she's in full control of her life, inside she feels empty and desperate. Their teenage daughter Jane (Thora Birch) is constantly depressed, lacking in self-esteem, and convinced that she's unattractive.
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32429256362
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DVD
The Virgin Suicides
By Coppola, Sofia
Sofia Coppola demonstrates the sensitivity and emotional depth that this material demands. Surely the pain of youth and public criticism found its way into her directorial voice; in the story of four sisters who self-destruct under the steady erosion of their youthful ideals, one can clearly sense Coppola's intimate connection to the inner lives of her characters. Played in a delicate minor key, the film is heartbreaking, mysterious, and soulfully funny, set in a Michigan suburb of the mid-1970s but timeless and universal to anyone who's been a teenager.
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792166825
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DVD
Boys Don't Cry
By Swank, ~ Hilary
This fascinating story was based on real-life events (as documented in The Brandon Teena Story) that occurred in 1993 and ended in tragedy: Brandon's rape and murder by two of his supposed friends. Despite this horrible outcome, however, in the hands of director Kimberly Peirce (who cowrote the unfettered screenplay with Andy Bienen) , Brandon's story becomes not oppressive or preachy, but rather oddly and touchingly transcendent, anchored by Hilary Swank's phenomenal, unsentimental performance. Swank inhabits Brandon's contradictions and passions with a natural vitality most actresses would refuse to give themselves over to. Brandon's deception is doomed from the start, but Swank's enthusiasm is infectious, and when Brandon starts romancing the sloe-eyed Lana (a pitch-perfect Chloe Sevigny) , he finds a soul mate who wants to transcend boundaries and fated identities as much as he does. The last part of the film, when Brandon's true identity is discovered, is truly painful to watch, but in between the agony there are touching moments of sweetness between Brandon and Lana, who wrestles with the truth of who Brandon actually is. You'll come away from Boys Don't Cry with affection and respect for Brandon, not pity. --Mark Englehart
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24543001744
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DVD
The Best Man
By Lee, Malcolm D.
Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) is a commitment-shy writer and the best man at the wedding of Lance (Morris Chestnut) and Mia (Monica Calhoun) . Unfortunately for Harper, the timing couldn't be worse. His new book is coming out and it chronicles his college life with his friends in a less that perfect light. The wedding party reunites college buddies Quentin (Terrence Howard) , Mirch (Harold Perrineau) and love interest Jordan (Nia Long) . As the celebration weekend nears, scandalous secrets begin to reveal themselves...for better or for worse.
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25192071522
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DVD
Three Kings
By Wahlberg, Mark
A confident hybrid of M*A*S*H, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and Dr. Strangelove, Three Kings is one of the most seriously funny war movies ever made. Improving the premise of Kelly's Heroes with scathing intelligence, it explores the odd connection between war and consumerism in the age of Humvees and cellular phones. Writer-director David O. Russell's third film (after Spanking the Monkey and Flirting with Disaster), it's a no-holds-barred portrait of personal conscience in the volatile arena of politics, played out by one of the most gifted filmmakers to emerge in the 1990s. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze (director of Being John Malkovich) play a quartet of U.S. soldiers who, disillusioned by Operation Desert Storm, decide to steal $23 million in gold hijacked from Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's army.
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883929091645
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DVD
Magnolia
By Hoffman, Philip Seymour
An imposing tapestry about the mysterious workings of fate and coincidence and the need for interconnection and love. The stories of a dozen characters intertwine as they embark on a moral odyssey during one day in their tumultuous lives.
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794043109607
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DVD
But I'm a Cheerleader
By Babbit, Jammie
In this comedy/romance, Megan is a naive teenager sent to rehab camp when her stritlaced parents and friends suspect her of being a lesbian.
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31398834823
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DVD
10 Things I Hate About You
By Gordon-levitt, Joseph
The classic comedy that launched the careers of Academy Award winner Heath Ledger (2008, Best Supporting Actor, THE DARK KNIGHT) and Julia Stiles celebrates its ten-year high school reunion with 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU: THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. This special edition is packed with a million things to love, including an exclusive sneak peek at Heath Ledger's screen test. New kid in school Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is smitten with the beautiful Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). The problem is that Bianca isn't allowed to date unless her surly older sister Kat (Stiles) does. Cameron's only hope is to enlist the help of Patrick (Ledger), the school troublemaker with a reputation as nasty as Kat's. This special edition brings back the love-struck high school classmates of '99 with a treasure trove of never-before-seen footage.
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9780788897917
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DVD
The iron giant
By Authors, Allison Abbate; des Mcanuff; tim Mccanlies; brad Bird; pete Townshend; all
Hogarth Hughes just rescued an enormous robot that fell from the stars to Earth. Now young Hogarth has one very big friend and an even bigger problem: how do you keep a 50-foot-tall, steel-eating giant a secret?
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9780790749860
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DVD
Galaxy Quest
By Parisot, Dean
You don't have to be a Star Trek fan to enjoy Galaxy Quest, but it certainly helps. A knowingly affectionate tribute to Trek and any other science fiction TV series of the 1960s and beyond, this crowd-pleasing comedy offers in-jokes at warp speed, hitting the bull's-eye for anyone who knows that (1) the starship captain always removes his shirt to display his manly physique; (2) any crew member not in the regular cast is dead meat; and (3) the heroes always stop the doomsday clock with one second to spare. So it is with Commander Taggart (Tim Allen) and the stalwart crew of the NSEA Protector, whose intergalactic exploits on TV have now been reduced to a dreary cycle of fan conventions and promotional appearances. That's when the Thermians arrive, begging to be saved from Sarris, the reptilian villain who threatens to destroy their home planet.
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9780783242743
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DVD
The Mummy Ultimate Collection
By Fraser, Brendan
Embark on the ultimate action adventure that spans continents and explores ancient history with The Mummy Ultimate Collection including the films The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and The Scorpion King. Follow the exhilarating journeys and exploits of daring explorer Rick OConnell (Brendan Fraser) and his family as they combat the evil undead from the dusty tombs of ancient Egypt to the hidden catacombs of China. Filled with amazing special effects and breathtaking battles, its a passport to spellbinding entertainment you can watch again and again!
Bonus Content:
Disc 1 - The Mummy (1999) :
* Deleted Scenes
* Feature Commentary with Director / Writer Stephen Sommers and Editor Bob Ducsay
* Feature Commentary with Actor Brendan Fraser
* Feature Commentary with Actors Oded Fehr, Kevin J. OConnor and Arnold Vosloo
Disc 2 - The Mummy Returns: * Outtakes
* Feature Commentary with Director/Writer Stephen Sommers and Executive Producer/Editor Bob Ducsay
Disc 3 - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: * Deleted and Extended Scenes
* Feature Commentary with Director Rob Cohen
Disc 4 - The Scorpion King: * Alternate Version in Enhanced Viewing Mode
* Enhanced Feature Commentary with The Rock
* Outtakes
* Alternate Versions of Key Scenes
* Spotlight on Location: The Making of The Scorpion King
* Ancient World Production Design
* Preparing the Fight
* The Rock and Michael Clarke Duncan
* Working with Animals
* The Special Effects
* Godsmack "I Stand Alone" Music Video
* King Scorpion: Man or Myth?
* Theatrical Trailer
* The Scorpion King Movie Club
* Feature Commentary with Director Chuck Russell
Disc 5: * An Army To Rule The World, Part 1
* Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy
* Visual And Special Effects Formation
* Building A Better Mummy
* Storyboard To Final Film Comparison
* Photograph Montage
* An Army to Rule the World Part 2
* Visual And Special Effects Formation
* Spotlight On Location
* Storyboard to Final Film Comparison
* Live "Forever May Not Be Long Enough" Music Video
* The Making of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
* From City to Desert
* Legacy of the Terra Cotta
* A Call to Action: The Casting Process
* Preparing for Battle with Brendan Fraser and Jet Li
* Jet Li: Crafting the Emperor Mummy
* Creating New and Supernatural Worlds
* Weapons Training
* Speeding Through Shanghai
* The Battle at Stupa Courtyard
* The Return of the Yeti
* Martial Arts Mayhem
* Luke Ford Explores Shanghai
* Making the Music Video
* A Conversation with The Rock
* Behind the Scenes: Harem Fight Sequence
* Photograph Montage
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191329002728
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DVD
Run Lola Run
By Tykwer, Tom
Lola Rennt(original title). It's difficult to create a film that's fast paced, exciting, and aesthetically appealing without diluting its dialogue. Run Lola Run, directed and written by Tom Tykwer, is an enchanting balance of pace and narrative, creating a universal parable that leaps over cultural barriers. This is the story of young Lola (Franka Potente) and her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). In the space of 20 minutes, they must come up with 100,000 deutsche marks to pay back a seedy gangster, who will be less than forgiving when he finds out that Manni incompetently lost his cash to an opportunistic vagrant. Lola, confronted with one obstacle after another, rides an emotional roller coaster in her high-speed efforts to help the hapless Manni--attempting to extract the cash first from her double-dealing father (appropriately a bank manager), and then by any means necessary.
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9780767837385
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DVD
American Pie
By Biggs, Jason
Follows the hapless adventures of four "unlucky in love" high school friends as they gear up for the prom.
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9780783239989
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DVD video
Eyes wide shut
By Kubrick, Stanley
A wife's admission of unfulfilled sexual longings plunges Dr. William Harford, a New Yorker, into an erotic odyssey that could destroy his marriage and ensnare him in a lurid murder mystery.
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9781419866449
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The Insider
By Mann, Michael
As the urgency of the story increases, so does the film's palpable sense of paranoia, inviting favorable comparison to All the President's Men. While Pacino downplays the theatrical excess that plagued him in previous roles, Crow is superb as a man who retains his tortured integrity at great personal cost. The Insider is two movies--a cover-up thriller and a drama about journalistic ethics--that combine to embrace the noble values personified by Wigand and Bergman. Even if the details aren't always precise (as Mike Wallace and others protested prior to the film's release) , the film adheres to a higher truth that was so blatantly violated by tobacco executives seen in an oft-repeated video clip, lying under oath in the service of greed. --Jeff Shannon .
Best. Movie. Year. Ever.
By Raftery, Brian
From a veteran culture writer and modern movie expert, a celebration and analysis of the movies of 1999 - arguably the most groundbreaking year in American cinematic history.In 1999, Hollywood as we know it exploded: Fight Club. The Matrix. Office Space. Election. The Blair Witch Project. The Sixth Sense. Being John Malkovich. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. American Beauty. The Virgin Suicides. Boys Don't Cry. The Best Man. Three Kings. Magnolia. Those are just some of the landmark titles released in a dizzying movie year, one in which a group of daring filmmakers and performers pushed cinema to new limits - and took audiences along for the ride. Freed from the restraints of budget, technology (or even taste) , they produced a slew of classics that took on every topic imaginable, from sex to violence to the end of the world. The result was a highly unruly, deeply influential set of films that would not only change filmmaking, but also give us our first glimpse of the coming twenty-first century. It was a watershed moment that also produced The Sopranos; Apple's Airport; Wi-Fi; and Netflix's unlimited DVD rentals. Best. Movie. Year. Ever. is the story of not just how these movies were made, but how they re-made our own vision of the world. It features more than 130 new and exclusive interviews with such directors and actors as Reese Witherspoon, Edward Norton, Steven Soderbergh, Sofia Coppola, David Fincher, Nia Long, Matthew Broderick, Taye Diggs, M. Night Shyamalan, David O. Russell, James Van Der Beek, Kirsten Dunst, the Blair Witch kids, the Office Space dudes, the guy who played Jar-Jar Binks, and dozens more. It's the definitive account of a culture-conquering movie year none of us saw coming ... and that we may never see again.
Fight Club
By Pitt, Brad
" "'Fight Club' pulls you in, challenges your prejudices, rocks your world and leaves you laughing" (Rolling Stone). Brad Pitt ("12 Monkeys", "Seven"), Edward Norton ("Primal Fear," "American History X") and Helena Bonham Carter ("Mighty Aphrodite," "A Room With A View") turn in powerful "performances of which movie legends are made" (Chicago Tribune) in this action-packed hit. A ticking-time-bomb insomniac (Norton) and a slippery soap salesman (Pitt) channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until a sensuous eccentric (Bonham Carter) gets in the way and ignites an out-of control spiral toward oblivion.
The Matrix
By Reeves, Keanu
What if virtual reality wasn't just for fun, but was being used to imprison you? That's the dilemma that faces mild-mannered computer jockey Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) in The Matrix. It's the year 1999, and Anderson (hacker alias: Neo) works in a cubicle, manning a computer and doing a little hacking on the side. It's through this latter activity that Thomas makes the acquaintance of Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) , who has some interesting news for Mr. Anderson -- none of what's going on around him is real. The year is actually closer to 2199, and it seems Thomas, like most people, is a victim of The Matrix, a massive artificial intelligence system that has tapped into people's minds and created the illusion of a real world, while using their brains and bodies for energy, tossing them away like spent batteries when they're through. Morpheus, however, is convinced Neo is "The One" who can crack open The Matrix and bring his people to both physical and psychological freedom. The Matrix is the second feature film from the sibling writer/director team of Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski, who made an impressive debut with the stylish erotic crime thriller Bound.
Office Space - Special Edition with Flair
By Judge, Mike
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION A self-serving boss, petty annoyances and unbroken monotony dishearten a computer programmer and his co-workers. Written and directed by Mike Judge. AMAZON.COM Stills from Office Space (Click for larger image)
Election
By Broderick, Matthew
Reese Witherspoon plays Tracy Flick, a straight-A go-getter determined to be president of Carver High's student body. Popular teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) decides to derail Tracy's obsessive overachieving by recruiting an opposition candidate. Mr. M. never imagines that stopping Tracy is like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube.
The Blair Witch Project
By Donahue, Heather
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, Joshua Leonard. A spooky documentary leads to unimaginable terror for three film students lost in the Maryland woods. This innovative and highly acclaimed horror film set a new standard for cinematic chills! 1999/color-b&w/87 min/R/fullscreen. AMAZON.COM The Blair Witch Project Anyone who has even the slightest trouble with insomnia after seeing a horror movie should stay away from The Blair Witch Project--this film will creep under your skin and stay there for days. Credit for the effectiveness of this mock documentary goes to filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, who armed three actors (Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Josh Leonard) with video equipment, camping supplies, and rough plot outlines. They then let the trio loose into the Maryland woods to improvise and shoot the entire film themselves as the filmmakers attempted to scare the crap out of them. Gimmicky, yes, but it worked--to the wildly successful tune of $130 million at the box office upon its initial release (the budget was a mere $40,000) . For those of you who were under a rock when it first hit the theaters, The Blair Witch Project tracks the doomed quest of three film students shooting a documentary on the Burkittsville, Maryland, legend of the Blair Witch. After filming some local yokels (and providing only scant background on the witch herself) , the three, led by Heather (something of a witch herself) , head into the woods for some on-location shooting. Theyre never seen again. What we see is a reconstruction of their "found" footage, edited to make a barely coherent narrative. After losing their way in the forest, whining soon gives way to real terror as the three find themselves stalked by unknown forces that leave piles of rocks outside their campsite and stick-figure art projects in the woods. (As Michael succinctly puts it, "No redneck is this clever!") The masterstroke of the film is that you never actually see whats menacing them; everything is implied, and theres no terror worse than that of the unknown. If you can wade through the tedious arguing--and the shaky, motion-sickness-inducing camerawork--youll be rewarded with an oppressively sinister atmosphere and one of the most frightening denouements in horror-film history. Even after you take away the monstrous hype, The Blair Witch Project remains a genuine, effective original. --Mark Englehart Curse of the Blair Witch Are you wondering just exactly who the Blair Witch was? What the Burkittsville, Maryland, legend was all about? Or what exactly fascinated student filmmaker Heather and what possibly took her, Mike, and Josh from this earth? Get all your background questions answered by Curse of the Blair Witch, a one-stop-shopping "documentary" originally produced for the Sci-Fi Channel as a tie-in marketing tool. Entirely fictionalized, Curse of the Blair Witch focuses both on the past and the present, with copious info on the Blair Witch myth as well as on the disappearance of Heather, Josh, and Mike. As it turns out, the original witch was one Elly Kedward, who was accused in 1785 of taking blood from several children; she was subsequently banished to the harsh winter woods and left for dead. Her grisly and bloody legacy involves missing children, polluted water, disemboweled men, and a serial killer of children who claims to have been haunted by "an old woman ghost." Aside from some ineffective "newsreel" footage of the serial killer, all this intriguing information is presented convincingly and chillingly. Curse may in fact freak you out more than the movie, and it evokes the great, pulpy In Search Of series of the 70s, one of the prime inspirations for filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. News clips of the search for Heather, Josh, and Mike lend a vérité atmosphere to the proceedings, but shed little light on their mysterious disappearance or their characters. Basically, its a tease to go see the movie. Still, The Blair Witch Project provided only ever-so-slight information on the legend that haunted the forest, so youll want this cleverly constructed mock documentary to supplement your knowledge of the film. --Mark Englehart
Being John Malkovich
By Malkovich, John
While too many movies suffer the fate of creative bankruptcy, Being John Malkovich is a refreshing study in contrast, so bracingly original that you'll want to send director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman a thank-you note for restoring your faith in the enchantment of film. Even if it ultimately serves little purpose beyond the thrill of comedic invention, this demented romance is gloriously entertaining, spilling over with ideas that tickle the brain and even touch the heart. That's to be expected in a movie that dares to ponder the existential dilemma of a forlorn puppeteer (John Cusack) who discovers a metaphysical portal into the brain of actor John Malkovich. The puppeteer's working as a file clerk on the seventh-and-a-half floor of a Manhattan office building; this idea alone might serve as the comedic basis for an entire film, but Jonze and Kaufman are just getting started.
The Sixth Sense
By Shyamalan, M Night
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Hollywood superstar Bruce Willis (ARMAGEDDON, THE SIEGE) brings a powerful presence to an edge-of-your-seat thriller from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan (Oscar(R) -nominee for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director) that critics are calling one of the greatest ghost stories ever filmed. When Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Willis) , a distinguished child psychologist, meets Cole Sear (Oscar(R) -nominee Haley Joel Osment, Best Supporting Actor) , a frightened, confused, eight-year-old, Dr. Crowe is completely unprepared to face the truth of what haunts Cole. With a riveting intensity youll find thoroughly chilling, the discovery of Coles incredible sixth sense leads them to mysterious places with unforgettable consequences! AMAZON.COM "I see dead people," whispers little Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) , scared to affirm what is to him now a daily occurrence. This peaked 9-year old, already hypersensitive to begin with, is now being haunted by seemingly malevolent spirits. Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is trying to find out whats triggering Coles visions, but what appears to be a psychological manifestation turns out to be frighteningly real. It might be enough to scare off a lesser man, but for Malcolm its personal--several months before, he was accosted and shot by an unhinged patient, who then turned the gun on himself. Since then, Malcolm has been in turmoil--he and his wife (Olivia Williams) are barely speaking, and his life has taken an aimless turn. Having failed his loved ones and himself, hes not about to give up on Cole. This third feature by M. Night Shyamalan sets itself up as a thriller, poised on the brink of delivering monstrous scares, but gradually evolves into more of a psychological drama with supernatural undertones. Many critics faulted the film for being mawkish and New Age-y, but no matter how you slice it, this is one mightily effective piece of filmmaking. The bare bones of the story are basic enough, but the moody atmosphere created by Shyamalan and cinematographer Tak Fujimoto made this one of the creepiest pictures of 1999, forsaking excessive gore for a sinisterly simple feeling of chilly otherworldliness. Willis is in his strong, silent type mode here, and gives the film wholly over to Osment, whose crumpled face and big eyes convey a child too wise for his years; his scenes with his mother (Toni Collette) are small, heartbreaking marvels. And even if you figure out the films surprise ending, it packs an amazingly emotional wallop when it comes, and will have you racing to watch the movie again with a new perspective. You may be able to shake off the sentimentality of The Sixth Sense, but its craftsmanship and atmosphere will stay with you for days. --Mark Englehart
Star Wars
By Mcgregor, Ewan
Of Disc Two's cornucopia of bonus features, the most notable are the seven deleted scenes and a long documentary. The deleted scenes, which are all interesting enough to watch at least once, can be viewed individually or as a group along with discussions of why they were cut. These rough scenes were completed for the DVD and parts of them (including an introduction of the individual Podracers and a longer view of the skies over Coruscant) were reincorporated into the version of the film that appears on the DVD. The 66-minute behind-the-scenes documentary was compiled from 600 hours of footage shot during various stages of the film and includes Anakin screen tests, script-reading sessions, location shooting in Italy and Tunisia, and giddy fans on opening night.
American Beauty
By Mendes, Sam
Noted theater director Sam Mendes, who was responsible for the acclaimed 1998 revival of Cabaret and Nicole Kidman's turn in The Blue Room, made his motion picture debut with this film about the dark side of an American family, and about the nature and price of beauty in a culture obsessed with outward appearances. Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, a man in his mid-40s going through an intense midlife crisis; he's grown cynical and is convinced that he has no reason to go on. Lester's relationship with his wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) is not a warm one; while on the surface Carolyn strives to present the image that she's in full control of her life, inside she feels empty and desperate. Their teenage daughter Jane (Thora Birch) is constantly depressed, lacking in self-esteem, and convinced that she's unattractive.
The Virgin Suicides
By Coppola, Sofia
Sofia Coppola demonstrates the sensitivity and emotional depth that this material demands. Surely the pain of youth and public criticism found its way into her directorial voice; in the story of four sisters who self-destruct under the steady erosion of their youthful ideals, one can clearly sense Coppola's intimate connection to the inner lives of her characters. Played in a delicate minor key, the film is heartbreaking, mysterious, and soulfully funny, set in a Michigan suburb of the mid-1970s but timeless and universal to anyone who's been a teenager.
Boys Don't Cry
By Swank, ~ Hilary
This fascinating story was based on real-life events (as documented in The Brandon Teena Story) that occurred in 1993 and ended in tragedy: Brandon's rape and murder by two of his supposed friends. Despite this horrible outcome, however, in the hands of director Kimberly Peirce (who cowrote the unfettered screenplay with Andy Bienen) , Brandon's story becomes not oppressive or preachy, but rather oddly and touchingly transcendent, anchored by Hilary Swank's phenomenal, unsentimental performance. Swank inhabits Brandon's contradictions and passions with a natural vitality most actresses would refuse to give themselves over to. Brandon's deception is doomed from the start, but Swank's enthusiasm is infectious, and when Brandon starts romancing the sloe-eyed Lana (a pitch-perfect Chloe Sevigny) , he finds a soul mate who wants to transcend boundaries and fated identities as much as he does. The last part of the film, when Brandon's true identity is discovered, is truly painful to watch, but in between the agony there are touching moments of sweetness between Brandon and Lana, who wrestles with the truth of who Brandon actually is. You'll come away from Boys Don't Cry with affection and respect for Brandon, not pity. --Mark Englehart
The Best Man
By Lee, Malcolm D.
Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) is a commitment-shy writer and the best man at the wedding of Lance (Morris Chestnut) and Mia (Monica Calhoun) . Unfortunately for Harper, the timing couldn't be worse. His new book is coming out and it chronicles his college life with his friends in a less that perfect light. The wedding party reunites college buddies Quentin (Terrence Howard) , Mirch (Harold Perrineau) and love interest Jordan (Nia Long) . As the celebration weekend nears, scandalous secrets begin to reveal themselves...for better or for worse.
Three Kings
By Wahlberg, Mark
A confident hybrid of M*A*S*H, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and Dr. Strangelove, Three Kings is one of the most seriously funny war movies ever made. Improving the premise of Kelly's Heroes with scathing intelligence, it explores the odd connection between war and consumerism in the age of Humvees and cellular phones. Writer-director David O. Russell's third film (after Spanking the Monkey and Flirting with Disaster), it's a no-holds-barred portrait of personal conscience in the volatile arena of politics, played out by one of the most gifted filmmakers to emerge in the 1990s. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze (director of Being John Malkovich) play a quartet of U.S. soldiers who, disillusioned by Operation Desert Storm, decide to steal $23 million in gold hijacked from Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's army.
Magnolia
By Hoffman, Philip Seymour
An imposing tapestry about the mysterious workings of fate and coincidence and the need for interconnection and love. The stories of a dozen characters intertwine as they embark on a moral odyssey during one day in their tumultuous lives.
But I'm a Cheerleader
By Babbit, Jammie
In this comedy/romance, Megan is a naive teenager sent to rehab camp when her stritlaced parents and friends suspect her of being a lesbian.
10 Things I Hate About You
By Gordon-levitt, Joseph
The classic comedy that launched the careers of Academy Award winner Heath Ledger (2008, Best Supporting Actor, THE DARK KNIGHT) and Julia Stiles celebrates its ten-year high school reunion with 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU: THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. This special edition is packed with a million things to love, including an exclusive sneak peek at Heath Ledger's screen test. New kid in school Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is smitten with the beautiful Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). The problem is that Bianca isn't allowed to date unless her surly older sister Kat (Stiles) does. Cameron's only hope is to enlist the help of Patrick (Ledger), the school troublemaker with a reputation as nasty as Kat's. This special edition brings back the love-struck high school classmates of '99 with a treasure trove of never-before-seen footage.
The iron giant
By Authors, Allison Abbate; des Mcanuff; tim Mccanlies; brad Bird; pete Townshend; all
Hogarth Hughes just rescued an enormous robot that fell from the stars to Earth. Now young Hogarth has one very big friend and an even bigger problem: how do you keep a 50-foot-tall, steel-eating giant a secret?
Galaxy Quest
By Parisot, Dean
You don't have to be a Star Trek fan to enjoy Galaxy Quest, but it certainly helps. A knowingly affectionate tribute to Trek and any other science fiction TV series of the 1960s and beyond, this crowd-pleasing comedy offers in-jokes at warp speed, hitting the bull's-eye for anyone who knows that (1) the starship captain always removes his shirt to display his manly physique; (2) any crew member not in the regular cast is dead meat; and (3) the heroes always stop the doomsday clock with one second to spare. So it is with Commander Taggart (Tim Allen) and the stalwart crew of the NSEA Protector, whose intergalactic exploits on TV have now been reduced to a dreary cycle of fan conventions and promotional appearances. That's when the Thermians arrive, begging to be saved from Sarris, the reptilian villain who threatens to destroy their home planet.
The Mummy Ultimate Collection
By Fraser, Brendan
Embark on the ultimate action adventure that spans continents and explores ancient history with The Mummy Ultimate Collection including the films The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and The Scorpion King. Follow the exhilarating journeys and exploits of daring explorer Rick OConnell (Brendan Fraser) and his family as they combat the evil undead from the dusty tombs of ancient Egypt to the hidden catacombs of China. Filled with amazing special effects and breathtaking battles, its a passport to spellbinding entertainment you can watch again and again! Bonus Content: Disc 1 - The Mummy (1999) : * Deleted Scenes * Feature Commentary with Director / Writer Stephen Sommers and Editor Bob Ducsay * Feature Commentary with Actor Brendan Fraser * Feature Commentary with Actors Oded Fehr, Kevin J. OConnor and Arnold Vosloo Disc 2 - The Mummy Returns: * Outtakes * Feature Commentary with Director/Writer Stephen Sommers and Executive Producer/Editor Bob Ducsay Disc 3 - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: * Deleted and Extended Scenes * Feature Commentary with Director Rob Cohen Disc 4 - The Scorpion King: * Alternate Version in Enhanced Viewing Mode * Enhanced Feature Commentary with The Rock * Outtakes * Alternate Versions of Key Scenes * Spotlight on Location: The Making of The Scorpion King * Ancient World Production Design * Preparing the Fight * The Rock and Michael Clarke Duncan * Working with Animals * The Special Effects * Godsmack "I Stand Alone" Music Video * King Scorpion: Man or Myth? * Theatrical Trailer * The Scorpion King Movie Club * Feature Commentary with Director Chuck Russell Disc 5: * An Army To Rule The World, Part 1 * Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy * Visual And Special Effects Formation * Building A Better Mummy * Storyboard To Final Film Comparison * Photograph Montage * An Army to Rule the World Part 2 * Visual And Special Effects Formation * Spotlight On Location * Storyboard to Final Film Comparison * Live "Forever May Not Be Long Enough" Music Video * The Making of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor * From City to Desert * Legacy of the Terra Cotta * A Call to Action: The Casting Process * Preparing for Battle with Brendan Fraser and Jet Li * Jet Li: Crafting the Emperor Mummy * Creating New and Supernatural Worlds * Weapons Training * Speeding Through Shanghai * The Battle at Stupa Courtyard * The Return of the Yeti * Martial Arts Mayhem * Luke Ford Explores Shanghai * Making the Music Video * A Conversation with The Rock * Behind the Scenes: Harem Fight Sequence * Photograph Montage ]]>
Run Lola Run
By Tykwer, Tom
Lola Rennt (original title). It's difficult to create a film that's fast paced, exciting, and aesthetically appealing without diluting its dialogue. Run Lola Run, directed and written by Tom Tykwer, is an enchanting balance of pace and narrative, creating a universal parable that leaps over cultural barriers. This is the story of young Lola (Franka Potente) and her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). In the space of 20 minutes, they must come up with 100,000 deutsche marks to pay back a seedy gangster, who will be less than forgiving when he finds out that Manni incompetently lost his cash to an opportunistic vagrant. Lola, confronted with one obstacle after another, rides an emotional roller coaster in her high-speed efforts to help the hapless Manni--attempting to extract the cash first from her double-dealing father (appropriately a bank manager), and then by any means necessary.
American Pie
By Biggs, Jason
Follows the hapless adventures of four "unlucky in love" high school friends as they gear up for the prom.
Eyes wide shut
By Kubrick, Stanley
A wife's admission of unfulfilled sexual longings plunges Dr. William Harford, a New Yorker, into an erotic odyssey that could destroy his marriage and ensnare him in a lurid murder mystery.
The Insider
By Mann, Michael
As the urgency of the story increases, so does the film's palpable sense of paranoia, inviting favorable comparison to All the President's Men. While Pacino downplays the theatrical excess that plagued him in previous roles, Crow is superb as a man who retains his tortured integrity at great personal cost. The Insider is two movies--a cover-up thriller and a drama about journalistic ethics--that combine to embrace the noble values personified by Wigand and Bergman. Even if the details aren't always precise (as Mike Wallace and others protested prior to the film's release) , the film adheres to a higher truth that was so blatantly violated by tobacco executives seen in an oft-repeated video clip, lying under oath in the service of greed. --Jeff Shannon .