| Recommended October Video and DVD Releases | |||||||||||||||||
| The Best New Movies on Video/DVD for October, 2002 | |||||||||||||||||
Some of the best new movie releases on video and DVD slated for October, 2002, include "Brotherhood of the Wolf," "The Scorpion King," "Insomnia," "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Y Tu Mamá También," and "The Sum of All Fears." Let's take a look at these recommended new releases on video and DVD.
October 1 - Recommended Video and DVD Releases
Set in 18th-century France, this offbeat film starts out like a horror movie, then veers into the occult, and ends up in political intrigue. King Louis XV sends naturalist and taxidermist Grégoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan) to Gévaudan, a region in southern France, to help deal with a mysterious beast that is brutally killing people. Fronsac is accompanied by his faithful companion Mani, an Iroquois Indian. Fronsac and Mani take part in many action sequences, which are done martial-arts style (!), as they gradually discover the truth about the beast. Along the way, Fronsac becomes romantically involved with a beautiful young noblewoman. In its American theatrical release, this entertaining movie was in French with English subtitles, but on DVD you can optionally watch it dubbed into English. Selected Special DVD Features:
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS. "The Scorpion King" (2002)
Starring the wrestling superstar known as The Rock, this is an action-adventure film set in the ancient world before the building of the pyramids. Aided by the beautiful sorceress Cassandra (Kelly Hu), the evil warlord Memnon (Steven Brand) has conquered most of the known world. In an effort to stop Memnon, the few remaining peoples not under his control hire the assassin Mathayus (The Rock) to kill Cassandra. Mathayus sets out on his mission and eventually teams up with Balthazar (Michael Clarke Duncan) and others to invade Memnon's desert stronghold. The movie is mostly a series of special effects action sequences that showcase The Rock, but there's also a sprinkling of romance and humor. In addition, it turns out that the ancient world contains a lot of nubile women. Selected Special DVD Features:
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS. October 8 - Recommended Video and DVD Releases No recommendations. October 11 - Recommended Video and DVD Releases No recommendations. October 15 - Recommended Video and DVD Releases "Insomnia"
(2002) Starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank, this psychological thriller was directed by Christopher Nolan ("Memento"). While Los Angeles police detective Will Dormer (Pacino) and his partner are being investigated by LAPD Internal Affairs, they travel to a remote Alaska town to help solve a murder. Working there with an enthusiastic local policewoman (Swank), Dormer comes to suspect Walter Finch (Williams), a small-time crime novelist. Then Dormer's LAPD partner is killed, and Dormer finds himself in a cat-and-mouse game with Finch. Meanwhile, Dormer has trouble sleeping, partly because the Alaskan nights are so short, but mostly because he must wrestle with difficult moral issues. Ninety-two percent of the Rotten Tomatoes critics liked "Insomnia." Selected Special DVD Features:
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS. October 22 - Recommended Video and DVD Releases "E.T.
the Extra-Terrestrial" - Collector's Edition (1982) This is the updated version of Steven Spielberg's 1982 sci-fi classic that played theaters in 2002. The story is about a 10-year-old boy named Elliott who finds an extra-terrestrial being who has been accidentally left behind when his spaceship leaves Earth in a hurry. Elliott lets his older brother and younger sister in on his discovery, which they start to refer to as E.T. The kids instinctively realize that they must keep E.T. hidden and try to help him return home. The 2002 version of "E.T." differs only slightly from the original release. In the new version, sound has been remastered and digital effects have been used in places. Also, the new version is a little longer since some deleted scenes have been restored. Finally, guns have been replaced with walkie-talkies, and there are minor dialogue changes. Selected
Special DVD Features:
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS. "Y
Tu Mamá También" (2002) The English translation of the title of this Spanish-language drama is "And Your Mama, Too." Set in Mexico, the story centers around the coming of age of two teenage boys: Tenoch (Diego Luna) comes from a wealthy family, but Julio (Gael García Bernal) is middle-class. At loose ends while their girlfriends travel abroad, the two boys invite Luisa (Maribel Verdú), a sexy married woman about 10 years their senior, to accompany them on a trip to a beach called Heaven's Mouth. She declines at first, but when her husband cheats on her, she changes her mind, and the trio sets out by car on a big adventure. There are sexual discoveries on their journey, but the movie also reveals a lot about contemporary Mexico. "Y Tu Mamá También" is a multilevel story, and 94 percent of the Rotten Tomatoes critics liked it. Selected
Special DVD Features:
October 29 - Recommended Video and DVD Releases "The
Sum of All Fears" (2002) This is another in a series of political thrillers based on Tom Clancy novels, and again the main character is CIA agent Jack Ryan. This time around Ryan is only 28 years old and is played by Ben Affleck. Working under CIA director Bill Cabot (Morgan Freeman), Ryan soon finds himself caught up in a portentous crisis. A European neo-Nazi (Alan Bates) has acquired a nuclear device and put in motion a diabolical plan to start an all-out war between the U.S. and Russia. After the nuclear device wipes out a large section of Baltimore, the U.S. president (James Cromwell) and his advisers grapple with how to respond. As both America and Russia prepare to launch their nuclear arsenals, it's up to Ryan to uncover the truth and prevent the two superpowers from annihilating each other. Selected Special DVD Features:
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS. More New Video/DVD Releases for October, 2002 New Video/DVD Releases - October Week One New Video/DVD Releases - October Week Two New Video/DVD Releases - October Week Three New Video/DVD Releases - October Week Four More Video and DVD Releases Movies on Video/DVD - January, 2002 to the Present Video and DVD releases from the beginning of this year to the present month. More Video and DVD Releases Upcoming Movies on Video and DVD Selected movies on video and DVD that will be released in the coming months. |
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