- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- Color; Dolby; DVD; Widescreen; NTSC
Nearing Grace is an edgy, provocative film which showcases the trials and tribulations a teenage boy experiences while coming of age. Jordana Brewster plays the ultra sexy, most sought after girl in school who lures Henry Nearing, played by David Morse, into her world and ultimately fulfills his fantasy!But at what price?Sultry crime boss Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster,
The Fast and the Furious) is back in the states and the D.E.B.S.- an elite team of paramilitary college co-ed superspies- are hot on her trail. But when their top agent, gorgeous Amy Bradshaw (Sara Foster,
The Big Bounce), mysteriously disappears after coming face to face with the attractive young villainess, the D.E.B.S. begin a full-scale search for Lucy's secret lair, never suspecting that Amy may not want to be rescu! ed after all, in this smart and sexy spy spoof about love at first gun sight.You can say this about
D.E.B.S.: director Angela Robinson’s 2005 feature isn’t very good, but it is surprisingly entertaining. The premise, which bears a passing resemblance to any number of previous films (from
Heathers and
Clueless to
Charlie’s Angels and the
Austin Powers franchise), involves a secret government agency recruiting young women as spies, based on their smarts, their ability to lie convincingly, and the fact that they look fetching in ultra-miniskirts. Four of the D.E.B.S. are then charged with collaring "criminal mastermind" Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster), who has returned to the States after hatching all manner of nefarious plots overseas. Then comes the twist: Diamond is gay, and one of our heroines, Amy Bradshaw (Sara Foster), unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with her. Out goes the espionage element; in comes the love story, ! and therein lies the surprise, as this burgeoning lesbian rela! tionship is handled with unexpected sympathy, even tenderness. Sure, the acting, even by veteran grownups like Holland Taylor and Michael Clarke Duncan, is almost uniformly lame, and the script is silly; overall, the film would have to put on considerable weight to even be considered frothy. Still,
D.E.B.S. isn’t a bad way to kill a couple of hours. DVD bonus features include a making-of featurette and commentary by Robinson and the cast.
--Sam GrahamINVISIBLE CIRCUS - DVD MovieAn affecting movie about ghosts and illusions,
The Invisible Circus follows Phoebe (Jordana Brewster), an American girl who's retracing the path of her sister Faith (Cameron Diaz), hoping to discover what led to Faith's mysterious death. Using the postcards that Faith sent her from Europe as a map, Phoebe travels from Amsterdam to Paris to Portugal, learning from Faith's ex-boyfriend Wolf (Christopher Eccleston) about a side of Faith that Phoebe knew nothing about--a side that ove! rturns all of Phoebe's cherished beliefs about her sister and herself. The performances in
The Invisible Circus are uneven, and yet the culmination of the movie captures something piercingly sad, something acute and evocative about how survivors create myths about the lost, myths that can both help and hinder their lives. Blythe Danner plays the mother of the two girls in a brief but subtly powerful performance.
--Bret FetzerThis hip and edgy thriller from the director of FROM DUSK TILL DAWN and the writer of SCREAM and SCREAM 2 sizzles with a hot young cast including Elijah Wood (THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy), Josh Hartnett (PEARL HARBOR), and R&B superstar Usher Raymond! When some very creepy things start happening around school, the kids at Herrington High make a chilling discovery that confirms their worst suspicions: their teachers really are from another planet! As mind-controlling parasites rapidly begin spreading from the faculty to the students! ' bodies, it's ultimately up to the few who are left -- an unl! ikely co llection of loners, leaders, nerds, and jocks -- to save the world from alien domination! Also starring Robert Patrick (TERMINATOR 2), Famke Janssen (X-MEN), and Jon Stewart (TV's THE DAILY SHOW) in a great cast -- don't miss the unstoppable excitement of this unpredictably smart and scary hit!Okay, you knew everyone in high school was just a little different: everyone looked at you strangely, the teachers were freaky, and you never could find the right groove to fit into. What if it turned out that it was all because your school was inhabited by creepy aliens from outer space? That's the enjoyably cheesy B-premise for this fun and scary flick from the pen of
Scream's Kevin Williamson, the master of the post-modern teen horror film. Directed by Robert Rodriguez (
El Mariachi), it's
The Breakfast Club meets
Invasion of the Body Snatchers, as six disparate students from Herrington High School band together when they discover that an alien life form i! s invading both the student and faculty bodies, with plans to take over the world.
Each of the heroes represents a different high school type: popular babe (Jordana Brewster), picked-on geek (Elijah Wood), goth girl (Clea DuVall), sensitive jock (Shawn Hatosy), new kid in town (Laura Harris), and bad-boy rebel (Josh Hartnett). The plot isn't much--a basic kill-or-be-killed premise spiked with a healthy shot of paranoia--but Willliamson and Rodriguez do a great job of building the tension slowly but surely. The suspense set pieces are genuinely frightening, and the film pokes fun at itself without deflating its scares; Williamson is a master at shifting gears from comedy to horror quickly and adroitly. The young cast doesn't have a weak link among them (with special kudos to Wood, DuVall and heartthrob-in-the-making Hartnett), and Rodriguez gets maximum mileage from the titular faculty, which includes Jon Stewart, Piper Laurie, Salma Hayek, Bebe Neuwirth, and Robert Patr! ick of Terminator 2. Go to the head of the class, Mr.Â! William son. --Mark EnglehartFilled with intense action, ANNAPOLIS is an inspirational tale of courage and honor that will keep you riveted. As hard as it is to get into the most elite military academy in the country, surviving behind its walls is beyond belief. Young Jake Huard (James Franco) has always known he has what it takes to make the grade. But once inside, everything Jake thought he knew is challenged in ways he never could have imagined. Standing between him and his lifelong ambition of becoming an officer in the U.S. Navy is his company commander -- Midshipman Lt. Cole (Tyrese Gibson), a relentless and merciless battle-seasoned Marine. Thrilling and exhilarating, ANNAPOLIS reaffirms the power of believing in your dreams.A boxing movie done up in Naval Academy drag, Annapolis stars James Franco (Spider-Man, Tristan & Isolde) as Jake Huard, a shipbuilder's son who wants to prove to his father--and to himself--that he can cut it as a Naval officer. But ! at the Academy he runs afoul of a hard-nosed training officer named Cole (Tyrese Gibson, Four Brothers), who does all he can to drive Huard out of the school. They end up settling their differences in the boxing ring during the Academy's annual competition. Annapolis is a bundle of cliches, from Huard's interracial mix of roommates to the lessons he learns about teamwork, but it's an efficient and vigorous bundle of cliches. Director Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow) keeps the pace swift and the visuals snappy, particularly in the boxing scenes. Franco and Gibson work hard to outdo each other's burning gazes; both are handsome men of modest acting talent, but they suit their roles reasonably well. Also featuring Jordana Brewster (The Fast and the Furious), Donnie Wahlberg (Saw II), and the always charming Chi McBride (Roll Bounce). --Bret Fetzer
