POTOMAC VIDEO WEEKLY e-NEWSLETTER

New Releases for Tuesday 8/7/01

3000 Miles to Graceland - DVD and VHS
(USA,  2001)
Rated R
Directed By Demian Lightstien
Staring
Kevin Costner
Kurt Russell
Courtney Cox

    A skilled band of criminals gang together with a goal to get rich at the 2001 International Elvis Convention in Las Vegas. Dressed to the nines as flawless Elvis impersonators and armed with enough ammo and electronic gadgets to easily knock off any establishment, it's no surprise when, at the last minute, the deal goes bad. A wild action-adventure film with twisting plot and a kicking soundtrack, 3,000 MILES TO GRACELAND is a non-stop rollicking ride.
         

Chocolat (2000) - DVD and VHS
(USA, 2000)
Rated PG-13
Directed By Lasse Hallstrom
Staring
Johnny Depp
Juliette Binoche
Judi Dench

   It is the late 1950s, but it might as well be the late 1850s in a small French town where everyone behaves as they should (supposedly), and attends church regularly. When a strong North wind blows through town, it brings the vivacious and mysterious Vianne  and her young daughter Anouk. Vianne is soon the talk of the town: an unwed mother who declines to go to church and opens up a chocolate shop in the midst of Lent. Her good-natured, honorable personality and psychic ability (she can predict what kind of sweets best suit each person, and magically cures each of them of their particular maladies) make her as irresistible as her delectable treats. However, Vianne and her daughter are resented by the conservative mayor, the Comte de Reynaud , and by the pious Caroline, who has disowned her own spirited mother, refusing the elderly woman access to her beloved grandson. This touching fairy tale, based on the novel by Joanne Harris, was filmed on location in rural France. An intelligent, exquisitely filmed fable that deals with the idea of 20th Century paganism rising up against a closed-minded church and a persevering aristocracy, CHOCOLAT is enjoyable, romantic, and entertaining, with affecting performances by both its stars and its supporting actors.

Everlasting Piece - DVD and VHS
(USA,  2001)
Rated R
Directed By Barry Levinson
Staring
Barry McEvoy
Brian F O'Byrne

    Barbers Colm  and George think they've hit the big time when they take over the only existing Northern Ireland hairpiece franchise from a Bible-toting lunatic  who has been admitted to the asylum in which they work. As a Catholic and a Protestant working together, Colm and George think that they'll be able to serve bald men of both ilks, and will have the market conquered. But selling toupees isn't as easy as they think. To make matters worse, they have to contend with deadbeats, the IRA, the British Army, and, worst of all, a competitor -- Toupee or Not Toupee -- that threatens their exclusivity agreement. When their wig supplier pits Colm and George -- who've deemed themselves The Piece People -- against Toupee or Not Toupee to see who can sell the most hairpieces and win the Northern Ireland franchise, the race is on for clients. Bronagh, Colm's feisty girlfriend, develops a creative sales plan that leads to both political and moral decisions for the partners. Despite its humor, Barry McEvoy's script incorporates the tensions felt between Catholics and Protestants in the 1980s. Barry Levinson's direction evokes the spirit and nostalgia of his Baltimore trilogy, which includes DINER, AVALON, and TIN MEN.

Mexican - DVD and VHS
(USA, 2001)
Rated  R
Directed By J.H. Wyman
Staring
Brad Pitt
Julia Roberts
James Gandolfini

   Brad Pitt  and Julia Roberts  have star power to burn in Gore Verbinski's  offbeat THE MEXICAN, about the search for a cursed legendary gun. Pitt stars as Jerry Welbach, a small-time loser who is given no choice but to run an errand for a powerful boss  who will have him killed if he fails. But if he accepts the job to go to San Miguel to pick up the beautiful handcrafted gun known as the Mexican, his loud, demanding girlfriend, Samantha , will leave him and move to Vegas. But through a course of bizarre events, his contact is shot in the top of his head, the gun is stolen, and Sam is kidnapped and held hostage by a hired killer who is not all that he seems. Verbinski tells this humorous tale of love, trust, double crosses, and murder as part road-trip comedy, part wacky film noir. The supporting cast, including terrific turns by J.k. Simmons, Bob Balaban, and Michael Cerveris, makes for the requisite bunch of second-rate hoods and other lowlifes. Pitt And Roberts are excellent as the always-battling couple, but James Gandolfini steals the show as a sensitive hit man with a dangerous secret. The excellent soundtrack includes such classic songs as "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and "Safety Dance."

Recess: School's Out - DVD and VHS
(USA, 2001)
Rated G

   In this animated film from Disney based on the popular children's television show RECESS, the evil school principal Dr. Benedict is trying to eliminate summer vacation from the calendar. To do so, he has devised a way to alter the weather and make it perpetually winter. To help the save summer vacation, T.J. Detweiler gets the teachers and students to band together, determined to stop the principal's deranged plans.

Time and Tide (Subtitled) - DVD and VHS
(Hong Kong, 2001)
Rated  R
Directed By Tsui Hark
Staring
Nicholas Tse
Wu Bai
Anthony Wong

    After making two pictures in Hollywood (DOUBLE TEAM and KNOCK OFF), director Tsui Hark  has returned to Hong Kong with a story about two men, two women, and two pregnancies -- the theme of doubling mirrors Hark's own split identities (Hollywood vs. Hong Kong, artistic integrity vs. crass commercialism). One man, a bodyguard, dreams of escaping Hong Kong and going to what he thinks is the South American paradise of Aracuju. The other man is from Aracaju, a former member of an elite force called the Angels who has returned to Hong Kong pursued by an angry band of soldiers. The film gradually weaves together the two men's stories, culminating in one of the most extravagant action climaxes since John Woo's HARD BOILED. The short break from filmmaking that director Hark  took before making this film pays off in the sheer visual flair on display; a vast panoply of POV shots and "extreme zooms" show Hark at his best. Particularly inventive is the close-quarter fight in a crowded tenement, which takes Hong Kong "wirework" in new directions. Pop singers Nicholas Tse and Wu Bai star in the film and contribute songs, including the very appropriate title song, "Makes No Sense."

 

Vatel - DVD and VHS
(USA, 2001)
Rated  PG-13
Directed By Roland Joffe
Staring
Geraud Depardieu
Uma Thurman
Tim Roth

    Set in 1671 France under the decadent reign of Louis XIV, VATEL charts the events of a three-day feast in an impoverished western province. In an effort to impress the gilded king and then ask him for financial support, Prince de Condé  invites Louis XIV  to his country chateau for a weekend of courtly merriment. Gerard Depardieu stars as Vatel, the chef and entertainment planner, who must succeed in presenting the most lavishly organized occasion the king has ever witnessed. Vatel masterminds the sumptuous details of the weekend with gusto and charming bravura. The chateau of de Condé is transformed into a world of delights, enthralling the king, his court, and especially the king's favorite lady-in-waiting, Anne de Montausier. But when the kindly Vatel wins Anne's fancy, he is in danger of angering the opulent and lustful king and his villainous cohort Marquis de Lauzan. Based on a true story, with a screenplay cowritten by Tom Stoppard and Jeanne LaBrune, this decadent period piece from director Roland Joffe  is a fine visual confection. The film features stunning production and costume design that captures the opulence of France's most legendary court and most celebrated king.

 

*  Not all titles available at all locations

Potomac Video’s Top Ten Renting Titles for the Week of 7/30 -  8/5

1.    O Brother, Where Art Thou?  (Comedy, Rated PG-13)
2.    Family Man (Comedy, Rated PG-13)
3.    Best in Show (Comedy, Rated PG-13)
4.    Thirteen Days (Drama, Rated PG-13)
5.    Finding Foster (Drama, Rated PG-13)
6.    The Gift (Mystery, Rated R)
7.     Snatch (Action, Rated R)
8.    Pollack (Drama, Rated R)
9.    Castaway (Drama, Rated PG-13)
10.  Wedding Planner (Comedy, Rated PG-13)

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