| New Video and DVD Releases | |
| Part 1: This Week's New Releases on Video/DVD |
by Ivana Redwine
The new DVD releases for February 1, 2005, including "The Grudge," "Mr. 3000," "Ray," "Shall We Dance?" and "Vanity Fair." In addition, we'll take a sneak peek at next week's movies on video/DVD.
February 1, 2005 - Video and DVD Releases
"The
Grudge"
Tagline:
"It never forgives. It never forgets."
Length:
96 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material, disturbing
images/terror/violence, and some sensuality
This horror movie, an English-language remake of a recent Japanese-language film, stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jason Behr. Karen (Gellar) is an American living in Tokyo with her boyfriend Doug (Behr). When Karen fills in for another as a caregiver, she goes to an old woman's residence and finds herself in a haunted house. She soon learns the house is plagued with a supernatural curse that is unleashed upon everyone who enters it.
Selected Special DVD Features:• Widescreen
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS.
"Mr.
3000"
Tagline:
"He's putting the "I" back in team."
Length:
104 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content and language
Bernie Mac stars in this baseball comedy. Mac plays Stan Ross, a none-too-likable 47-year-old successful businessman who quit playing major league baseball nine years ago when he got his 3,000th hit. But a record-keeping mistake is discovered, and his career statistics are corrected to show only 2,997 hits. Stan comes out of retirement and again plays for Milwaukee in hopes of getting three more hits. Angela Bassett plays Mac's love interest.
Selected Special DVD Features:• Available in Widescreen and Full-Screen Editions
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS.
"Ray"
Tagline:
"The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles. A man who fought harder and
went farther than anyone thought possible."
Length:
152 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for depiction of drug addiction, sexuality
and some thematic elements
Jamie Foxx plays the title role in this biopic about Ray Charles (1930-2004). However, Charles' singing voice is heard on the musical numbers, which include "What'd I Say," "Unchain My Heart," "Hit the Road, Jack," and "Georgia on My Mind." The movie concentrates on Charles' life from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s, showing his marriage to Della Bea, his womanizing, his drug usage, and his experiences in the music business.
Selected Special DVD Features:• Featurettes
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS.
"Shall
We Dance?"
Tagline:
"Step out of the ordinary."
Length:
106 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sexual references and brief
language
Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez star in this drama, a remake of a delightful 1996 Japanese film with the same title. Gere plays John Clark, a Chicago lawyer who is devoted to his wife and family, but seems vaguely discontented. Intrigued by Paulina (Lopez), a teacher at a dance school, he goes there and secretly starts taking lessons. The ballroom dancing and the quirky new people he meets cheer him up, which makes his wife uneasy.
Selected Special DVD Features:• Widescreen
Formats Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check for availability on VHS.
"Vanity
Fair"
Tagline:
"All's fair in love & war."
Length:
137 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sensuality/partial nudity and
a brief violent image
Starring Reese Witherspoon and directed by Mira Nair, this historical drama is an adaptation of Thackeray's classic 1848 novel. Witherspoon plays Becky Sharp, a plucky social climber in early 19th-century England. Becky marries a man (James Purefoy) who runs up gambling debts, then she and Lord Steyne (Gabriel Byrne) try to exploit each other. The scheming Becky is contrasted with her sweet-natured best friend, Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai).
Selected Special DVD Features:• Widescreen
Formats
Available: The above information on special features refers to the DVD. Check
for availability on VHS.
