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by Ivana Redwine

Here's a selection of new movies on DVD for October, 2004.

October 5, 2004

"Aladdin"

This 1992 Disney animated film finally comes to DVD. An adaptation of the classic fairy tale, the movie features the comedy of Robin Williams as he supplies the voice of the blue genie. The title character is a boy who flies about on a magic carpet. Aladdin meets the sultan's daughter, and he must save her father from an evil adviser who has a pet bird (voiced by Gilbert Gottfried). There are some good musical numbers, including "Friend Like Me."

"Fahrenheit 9/11"

In this op-ed piece, Michael Moore takes a highly opinionated look at the George W. Bush Administration and the Iraq War. People who keep up with the news may not find any fresh material here, but Moore synthesizes everything in his own sometimes amusing, sometimes irritating way. The filmmaker spends quite a bit of time on his version of the relationship between the Bush family and the Saudi elite. But Moore is at his best when he tells the story of an unforgettable Flint, Michigan, woman named Lila Lipscomb.

"Saved!"

This comedy stars Jena Malone and Mandy Moore as two students at a Christian high school. Mary (Malone) has a boyfriend who tells her he's gay. In an attempt to "cure" him, she has sex with him and gets pregnant. This causes a rift between her and her self-righteous best friend (Moore), and Mary must turn to the school outcasts for companionship. Macaulay Culkin and Patrick Fugit are also featured in this movie, which is about tolerance.

October 12, 2004

"Breakin' All the Rules"

Jamie Foxx, Morris Chestnut, and Gabrielle Union star in this romantic comedy. When Quincy (Foxx) gets dumped by his girlfriend, he writes a book about ending romantic relationships. Then Quincy's cousin Evan (Chestnut) thinks his girlfriend Nicky (Union) is about to break up with him and sends Quincy to talk with her. As Quincy starts to fall for Nicky, mistaken identities and sexual pairings cause major comic complications.

"The Day After Tomorrow"

A sudden cooling of the Northern Hemisphere causes widespread devastation and chaos in this disaster movie starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal. Scientist Jack Hall (Quaid) predicts global warming will create an ice age, but his warnings are ignored. When climatological catastrophe strikes, Jack's son Sam (Gyllenhaal) gets trapped in New York. With tornadoes, floods, and blizzards wreaking havoc, Jack sets out to rescue Sam.

"Raising Helen"

In this comedy, Kate Hudson stars as Helen, an unmarried, career-minded Manhattanite caught up in her job and partying. But her life is turned upside down when her sister is killed in an accident, leaving Helen with three kids to raise. She and the kids move to Queens, where she takes a job at a car dealership. Helen also becomes involved with Pastor Dan (John Corbett) at the kids' Lutheran school, and she must decide where she wants her life to go.

October 19, 2004

"A Cinderella Story"

Hilary Duff stars as the Cinderella-like girl in this movie, which transposes the classic fairy tale to the modern-day San Fernando Valley. Sam (Duff) is a high school senior who slaves away in her evil stepmother's diner. Sam also endures shoddy treatment by her evil stepsisters. But she has been communicating with the film's version of Prince Charming via the Internet, and while she's wearing a mask at a school dance, she encounters him.

"Garfield: The Movie"

This comedy is based on a cartoon strip about a fat and egotistical house cat named Garfield. The movie is live-action, except Garfield is computer-animated and voiced by Bill Murray. In the film, the cat's owner Jon is romantically attracted to the veterinarian Liz. When Liz gives Jon a cute dog named Odie, Garfield is extremely displeased and reacts badly. But after the dog gets lost, Garfield sees how upset Jon is and sets out to bring Odie back.

"I'm Not Scared"

Well-liked by critics, this 2003 Italian-language movie is a bit of a thriller, but it's also a coming-of-age story told mostly from the point of view of a 10-year-old boy named Michele. He discovers a pit containing a kidnapped boy, and then Michele gradually comes to realize his own father is one of the kidnappers. The tension mounts as Michele tries to decide what to do. The movie is set in rural southern Italy and features stunning visuals.

"Van Helsing"

Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale star in this action-adventure movie with lots of special effects. In the 19th century, Gabriel Van Helsing (Jackman) is a professional killer of supernatural creatures. After dealing with Mr. Hyde, Van Helsing travels to Transylvania, where he gets involved with Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) and Frankenstein's Monster. In battling assorted supernatural forces, Van Helsing teams with Anna Valerious (Beckinsale).

October 26, 2004

"Control Room"

This documentary by Jehane Noujaim, an Arab-American woman, is about the news coverage of the Iraq War from Qatar. Many scenes take place at CentCom, the media center where the U.S. military interfaced with the world press. Of particular interest is the documentary's coverage of Al Jazeera, the most widely viewed Arabic-language news channel. Noujaim shows the journalists' attitudes and biases, as well as the pressures they face.

"Dawn of the Dead"

This 2004 horror movie is a remake of the 1978 film. The new movie takes place in Wisconsin, where some people have already turned into zombies who bite people, making them into zombies too. A woman (Sarah Polley) narrowly escapes a zombie attack and takes refuge with a cop (Ving Rhames) and others in a shopping mall. As the number of zombies outside the mall grows ever larger, the people inside try to figure out a way to survive.

"White Chicks"

This comedy involves two of the Wayans brothers, who are African American, impersonating white women. Kevin (Shawn Wayans) and Marcus (Marlon Wayans) are bumbling FBI agents assigned to protect two white heiresses. To foil a kidnapping plot, Kevin and Marcus go undercover, dress in drag, wear latex masks, and pose as the women at a social event in the Hamptons. Jokes about bodily functions abound.

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