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by Ivana Redwine

Here's a selection of new movies on DVD for June, 2005.

June 7, 2005

"Be Cool"
John Travolta returns as Chili Palmer in this sequel to "Get Shorty" (1995). "Be Cool" is based on an Elmore Leonard novel, and in the film Travolta dances with Uma Thurman, while the Rock portrays a gay bodyguard. Chili used to be a mobster, then became a movie producer, and now is trying to get into the music business. But Chili's transition turns out to be rough going, as he runs into characters played by Vince Vaughn, Harvey Keitel, and Cedric the Entertainer.

"Beyond the Sea"
Kevin Spacey directed, co-wrote, and stars in this biopic about Bobby Darin. The film chronicles Darin's childhood and his success as a pop singer with hits like "Mack the Knife" and "Beyond the Sea," and Spacey's singing is very evocative. But the movie goes on to trace Darin's failed marriage to actress Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth), his fading popularity, and his attempt to become more of a folk singer. Darin died of heart trouble in 1973 at age 37.

"Seed of Chucky"
This horror movie is the fifth in a series about Chucky, the killer doll, that began with "Child's Play" (1988). Chucky is voiced by Brad Dourif, and Chucky's wife Tiffany is voiced by Jennifer Tilly. Chucky and Tiffany have an offspring of indeterminate gender known as Glen or Glenda (voice of Billy Boyd). Tilly also plays a version of herself making a horror movie, and she tries to persuade rapper Redman to let her play the Virgin Mary in a film he's preparing.

June 14, 2005

"A Dirty Shame"
Written and directed by John Waters ("Pink Flamingos"), who is notorious for his bad taste, this weird comedy stars Tracey Ullman and Johnny Knoxville (from "Jackass"). Ullman plays a sexually repressed wife who gets bonked on the head and turns into a sex addict, joining a cult of sexually liberated people led by a tow-truck driver (Knoxville). Also, Ullman's character has a daughter (Selma Blair) who is noted for her stupendous bosom.

"Hitch"
Will Smith and Eva Mendes are paired in this pleasant romantic comedy. Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Smith) makes a living coaching men in the art of courtship. Hitch helps one of his clients, an accountant, to begin romancing a wealthy socialite, and that relationship catches the attention of gossip columnist Sara Melas (Mendes). But complications arise when Hitch and Sara meet and begin to fall for each other, although their interests clash.

June 21, 2005

"Coach Carter"
Samuel L. Jackson plays the title role in this inspirational sports drama based on a true story. Ken Carter takes a position as a high school basketball coach and requires the players to sign a contract they will keep their grades up. The team is winning games when Coach Carter learns that players aren't abiding by their contracts, and he refuses to let the team play until the situation is corrected. Soon Carter finds himself at odds with the entire community.

"Cursed"
Directed by Wes Craven, this horror movie is about werewolves. A young adult woman (Christina Ricci) and her teenage brother (Jesse Eisenberg) are driving in Los Angeles one night when they hit something. In the aftermath, they are bitten by an animal. Soon they find their behavior changing, and they realize they are turning into werewolves. The siblings' only hope for a normal life is to track down and destroy the creature that infected them.

"Hostage"
Bruce Willis stars in this action thriller. Willis plays Jeff Talley, a suburban police chief who responds to an incident where an accountant has been taken hostage. Then with that situation still ongoing, Talley is shocked to find that his wife and daughter have been kidnapped and are being held elsewhere. But there's a tricky relationship between the two incidents, and Talley must deal simultaneously with two sets of hostages and two sets of criminals.

"Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous"
This comedy is the sequel to "Miss Congeniality" (2000), and Sandra Bullock again plays the starring role of ditsy F.B.I. agent Gracie Hart. In the earlier movie, Gracie went undercover as a beauty pageant contestant, but now with her cover blown, she is assigned the public relations job of being the face of the Bureau. But when people Gracie got to know at the beauty pageant are kidnapped, she ignores her orders and sets out to rescue them.

June 28, 2005

"Diary of a Mad Black Woman"
Adapted from a Tyler Perry play, this movie mixes melodrama, farce, and Christian values. After 18 years of marriage, Helen (Kimberly Elise) is kicked out of the mansion she has shared with her successful attorney husband (Steve Harris). That prompts Helen's gun-toting grandma Madea (Tyler Perry in drag) to take a chainsaw to the mansion's furniture. The film chronicles what happens to Helen, and Tyler Perry plays three major roles.

"Gunner Palace"
This documentary is about American soldiers serving in Iraq during 2003 and 2004. Made by Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein, the movie follows the U.S. Army's 2-3 Field Artillery Division, whose headquarters are in what is left of a Baghdad palace once owned by Saddam Hussein's son Uday. The film observes the soldiers' daily lives both off and on duty, including their peacekeeping activities and attempts to root out insurgents.

"The Pacifier"
Vin Diesel stars in this Disney family comedy. Diesel plays Shane Wolfe, a Navy SEAL who is assigned to baby-sit and protect five kids while their widowed mother is away overseas on an important government mission. Wolfe struggles to come to terms with his charges, particularly the two teenagers (Brittany Snow and Max Thieriot). Also appearing in the film are television actors Carol Kane, Lauren Graham, Faith Ford, and Brad Garrett.

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