Description:

British charmer Hugh Grant teams up with the Weitz brothers for the comedies ABOUT A BOY and AMERICAN DREAMZ. See individual titles for synopsis information.

Description:

ABOUT A BOY, directed by Chris and Paul Weitz, stars Hugh Grant as Will Freeman, a proudly self-absorbed 38-year-old Londoner. Living lavishly off the royalties from a hit Christmas song penned by his father, Will excels at nothing except doing nothing, which, in his case, includes shopping for CDs and having his hair "professionally disheveled." When Will makes a guilt-free exit from a brief fling with a single mom, he decides to crash a meeting of S.P.A.T. (Single Parents, Alone Together) in pursuit of more single mothers. This scheme leads to meeting Suzie (Victoria Smurfit) and Marcus (Nicholas Hoult), the socially awkward 12-year-old son of her flaky best friend, Fiona (Toni Collette). A series of odd situations leads to Will and Marcus becoming unlikely friends, and gradually both of their lives start to change for the better. However, when Will falls for the lovely Rachel (Rachel Weisz) and attempts to pass Marcus off as his son, things go awry. In order to win the heart of Rachel and make amends with Marcus, Will must finally grow up--and completely embarrass himself in front of hundreds of people. Reveling in its characters' quirks and flaws, ABOUT A BOY is a smart, funny, and fast-paced comedy, meticulously crafted by the Weitz brothers. Grant, in possibly the best performance of his career, wisely covers his patented charm with a shallow facade, and Hoult avoids being too cute or precocious; instead, the two actors develop believable characters that grudgingly warm up to each other. Collette is suitably bizarre as a depressed hippie mother, and Weisz provides excellent support in her relatively small role. However, it's clear from the title that this film is about the boys. And that includes Badly Drawn Boy (aka Damon Gough) who contributes an outstanding soundtrack that recalls Simon and Garfunkel's work on THE GRADUATE. Given Nick Hornby's excellent source material, ABOUT A BOY could have easily been an enjoyable movie, but in the hands of its talented collaborators, it's a truly exceptional tale.

Description:

Comedian Chris Rock updates 1978's HEAVEN CAN WAIT with a decidedly modern flair in this romantic comedy. Lance Barton (Rock) is a struggling comedian whose dream is to perform at New York City's legendary Apollo Theater before it closes its doors forever. One night, while riding his bike, Lance is crushed by an enormous truck. Before he can come to terms with what has happened, he is strolling through Heaven, talking to the smooth Mr. King (Chazz Palminteri) and the bumbling Keyes (Eugene Levy), the angel who prematurely snatched Lance away from Earth. Mr. King agrees to make up for this mistake by returning Lance to New York, only instead of being a black bike messenger, Lance is now Mr. Wellington, a powerful white businessman who just so happens to be the enemy of Sontee (Regina King), the woman he has become infatuated with. Wooing Sontee with a new commitment to using Mr. Wellington's money philanthropically, Lance embarks on a mission to perform at the Apollo, even if he doesn't seem to fit the mold. But just when everything begins to fall into place, Mr. King returns to throw another glitch into Lance's plans. Coasting along on the charm of Rock and King, DOWN TO EARTH is a charming story about the power of fate, set to a bouncing hip-hop soundtrack.

Description:

ABOUT A BOY, directed by Chris and Paul Weitz, stars Hugh Grant as Will Freeman, a proudly self-absorbed 38-year-old Londoner. Living lavishly off the royalties from a hit Christmas song penned by his father, Will excels at nothing except doing nothing, which, in his case, includes shopping for CDs and having his hair "professionally disheveled." When Will makes a guilt-free exit from a brief fling with a single mom, he decides to crash a meeting of S.P.A.T. (Single Parents, Alone Together) in pursuit of more single mothers. This scheme leads to meeting Suzie (Victoria Smurfit) and Marcus (Nicholas Hoult), the socially awkward 12-year-old son of her flaky best friend, Fiona (Toni Collette). A series of odd situations leads to Will and Marcus becoming unlikely friends, and gradually both of their lives start to change for the better. However, when Will falls for the lovely Rachel (Rachel Weisz) and attempts to pass Marcus off as his son, things go awry. In order to win the heart of Rachel and make amends with Marcus, Will must finally grow up--and completely embarrass himself in front of hundreds of people. Reveling in its characters' quirks and flaws, ABOUT A BOY is a smart, funny, and fast-paced comedy, meticulously crafted by the Weitz brothers. Grant, in possibly the best performance of his career, wisely covers his patented charm with a shallow facade, and Hoult avoids being too cute or precocious; instead, the two actors develop believable characters that grudgingly warm up to each other. Collette is suitably bizarre as a depressed hippie mother, and Weisz provides excellent support in her relatively small role. However, it's clear from the title that this film is about the boys. And that includes Badly Drawn Boy (aka Damon Gough) who contributes an outstanding soundtrack that recalls Simon and Garfunkel's work on THE GRADUATE. Given Nick Hornby's excellent source material, ABOUT A BOY could have easily been an enjoyable movie, but in the hands of its talented collaborators, it's a truly exceptional tale.

Description:

This double feature presents two outrageous comedies starring celebrated comic talent Chris Rock: DOWN TO EARTH (2001) and HEAD OF STATE (2003). Rock updates 1978's HEAVEN CAN WAIT with a decidedly modern flair in the romantic comedy DOWN TO EARTH. Lance Barton (Rock) is a struggling comedian whose dream is to perform at New York City's legendary Apollo Theater before it closes its doors forever. One night, while riding his bike, Lance is crushed by an enormous truck. Before he can come to terms with what has happened, he is strolling through Heaven, talking to the smooth Mr. King (Chazz Palminteri) and the bumbling Keyes (Eugene Levy), the angel who prematurely snatched Lance away from Earth. Mr. King agrees to make up for this mistake by returning Lance to New York, only instead of being a black bike messenger, Lance is now Mr. Wellington, a powerful white businessman who just so happens to be the enemy of Sontee (Regina King), the woman he has become infatuated with. Wooing Sontee with a new commitment to using Mr. Wellington's money philanthropically, Lance embarks on a mission to perform at the Apollo, even if he doesn't seem to fit the mold. But just when everything begins to fall into place, Mr. King returns to throw another glitch into Lance's plans. Cowritten by Rock and Ali LeRoi, HEAD OF STATE follows an unassuming Washington DC alderman, Mays Gilliam (Rock), as he finds himself embroiled in a presidential election. Just weeks before the nation is about to elect a new president, one of the candidates is killed in a plane crash. Plotting a future run in 2008, Senator Bill Arnot (James Rebhorn) convinces his staff--Debra Lassiter (Lynn Whitfield) and Martin Geller (Dylan Baker)--to pick a replacement who has no chance of winning. But he gets more than he bargained for when he selects Mays. At first merely thankful to be in the spotlight, Mays plays the puppet, but eventually, he uses his power to actually say something meaningful. And when he selects his bail bondsman brother, Mitch (Bernie Mac), to be his running mate, everyone is shocked to discover that Mays is giving the people exactly what they want.

Description:

Known for the gross-out hit AMERICAN PIE and the charming dramedy ABOUT A BOY, director Paul Weitz once more teams up with several actors from his previous films for this satire about the state of America in 2006. Hugh Grant is perfectly cast as Martin Tweed, the greedy, self-despising producer and host of AMERICAN DREAMZ, an AMERICAN IDOL-like television program that chooses contestants more on the basis of their ratings potential than genuine talent. Unapologetic and calculated, Tweed recognizes something of himself in Ohio-bred, ruthlessly conniving contestant Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore). Dennis Quaid plays a pajama-clad President Staton, a character clearly modeled after George W. Bush. After taking a sudden interest in reading the newspaper, Staton grows confused and troubled by what he learns about his country and its international affairs. With the president refusing to leave his bedroom for weeks, the first lady (Marcia Gay Harden) and the Chief of Staff (Willem Dafoe) grow increasingly worried. Fearful that the president's laziness and newfound political awareness will cost him points in the public eye, the two orchestrate a plan that involves force-feeding him antidepressants and scheduling him for a spot as a guest judge on the finale of AMERICAN DREAMZ. Meanwhile, a terrorist plot unfolds, involving a planned assassination by another one of the show's contestants, the Broadway-dancing, theatre-loving Omer (Sam Golzari). AMERICAN DREAMZ boldly pokes fun at such touchy subjects as terrorism and takes humorous (and sometimes disturbingly accurate) stabs at such public figures as Simon Cowell, President Bush, Laura Bush, and Dick Cheney. By emphasizing the staged, false nature of both the political and entertainment realms, AMERICAN DREAMZ suggests that these worlds have more in common than first meets the eye.

Description:

A surprise hit comedy, Paul and Chris Weitz's AMERICAN PIE follows four high school friends--Jim (Jason Biggs), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Oz (Chris Klein)--through their sexually frustrated senior year. Boy-next-door Kevin hopes to finally lose his virginity to his bubbly girlfriend, Vicky (Tara Reid), while football player Oz begins an unlikely relationship with quiet chorus girl Heather (Mena Suvari). Finch struggles to maintain his cool air of witty detachment, while the neurotic Jim, most famously, has an intimate moment with apple pastry--and, eventually, sexy exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth). This hysterical yet sensitive movie also features memorable characters such as the ever-wise Jessica (Natasha Lyonne), the imbecilic Stifler (Seann William Scott), the dorky Sherminator (Chris Owen), the flute-playing Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and Jim's hilariously nerdy dad (Eugene Levy).

Description:

A surprise hit comedy, Paul and Chris Weitz's AMERICAN PIE follows four high school friends--Jim (Jason Biggs), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Oz (Chris Klein)--through their sexually frustrated senior year. Boy-next-door Kevin hopes to finally lose his virginity to his bubbly girlfriend, Vicky (Tara Reid), while football player Oz begins an unlikely relationship with quiet chorus girl Heather (Mena Suvari). Finch struggles to maintain his cool air of witty detachment, while the neurotic Jim, most famously, has an intimate moment with apple pastry--and, eventually, sexy exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth). This hysterical yet sensitive movie also features memorable characters such as the ever-wise Jessica (Natasha Lyonne), the imbecilic Stifler (Seann William Scott), the dorky Sherminator (Chris Owen), the flute-playing Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and Jim's hilariously nerdy dad (Eugene Levy).

Description:

A surprise hit comedy, Paul and Chris Weitz's AMERICAN PIE follows four high school friends--Jim (Jason Biggs), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Oz (Chris Klein)--through their sexually frustrated senior year. Boy-next-door Kevin hopes to finally lose his virginity to his bubbly girlfriend, Vicky (Tara Reid), while football player Oz begins an unlikely relationship with quiet chorus girl Heather (Mena Suvari). Finch struggles to maintain his cool air of witty detachment, while the neurotic Jim, most famously, has an intimate moment with apple pastry--and, eventually, sexy exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth). This hysterical yet sensitive movie also features memorable characters such as the ever-wise Jessica (Natasha Lyonne), the imbecilic Stifler (Seann William Scott), the dorky Sherminator (Chris Owen), the flute-playing Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and Jim's hilariously nerdy dad (Eugene Levy).

Description:

Known for the gross-out hit AMERICAN PIE and the charming dramedy ABOUT A BOY, director Paul Weitz once more teams up with several actors from his previous films for this satire about the state of America in 2006. Hugh Grant is perfectly cast as Martin Tweed, the greedy, self-despising producer and host of AMERICAN DREAMZ, an AMERICAN IDOL-like television program that chooses contestants more on the basis of their ratings potential than genuine talent. Unapologetic and calculated, Tweed recognizes something of himself in Ohio-bred, ruthlessly conniving contestant Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore). Dennis Quaid plays a pajama-clad President Staton, a character clearly modeled after George W. Bush. After taking a sudden interest in reading the newspaper, Staton grows confused and troubled by what he learns about his country and its international affairs. With the president refusing to leave his bedroom for weeks, the first lady (Marcia Gay Harden) and the Chief of Staff (Willem Dafoe) grow increasingly worried. Fearful that the president's laziness and newfound political awareness will cost him points in the public eye, the two orchestrate a plan that involves force-feeding him antidepressants and scheduling him for a spot as a guest judge on the finale of AMERICAN DREAMZ. Meanwhile, a terrorist plot unfolds, involving a planned assassination by another one of the show's contestants, the Broadway-dancing, theatre-loving Omer (Sam Golzari). AMERICAN DREAMZ boldly pokes fun at such touchy subjects as terrorism and takes humorous (and sometimes disturbingly accurate) stabs at such public figures as Simon Cowell, President Bush, Laura Bush, and Dick Cheney. By emphasizing the staged, false nature of both the political and entertainment realms, AMERICAN DREAMZ suggests that these worlds have more in common than first meets the eye.

Description:

A surprise hit comedy, Paul and Chris Weitz's AMERICAN PIE follows four high school friends--Jim (Jason Biggs), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Oz (Chris Klein)--through their sexually frustrated senior year. Boy-next-door Kevin hopes to finally lose his virginity to his bubbly girlfriend, Vicky (Tara Reid), while football player Oz begins an unlikely relationship with quiet chorus girl Heather (Mena Suvari). Finch struggles to maintain his cool air of witty detachment, while the neurotic Jim, most famously, has an intimate moment with apple pastry--and, eventually, sexy exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth). This hysterical yet sensitive movie also features memorable characters such as the ever-wise Jessica (Natasha Lyonne), the imbecilic Stifler (Seann William Scott), the dorky Sherminator (Chris Owen), the flute-playing Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and Jim's hilariously nerdy dad (Eugene Levy).

Description:

A surprise hit comedy, Paul and Chris Weitz's AMERICAN PIE follows four high school friends--Jim (Jason Biggs), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Oz (Chris Klein)--through their sexually frustrated senior year. Boy-next-door Kevin hopes to finally lose his virginity to his bubbly girlfriend, Vicky (Tara Reid), while football player Oz begins an unlikely relationship with quiet chorus girl Heather (Mena Suvari). Finch struggles to maintain his cool air of witty detachment, while the neurotic Jim, most famously, has an intimate moment with apple pastry--and, eventually, sexy exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth). This hysterical yet sensitive movie also features memorable characters such as the ever-wise Jessica (Natasha Lyonne), the imbecilic Stifler (Seann William Scott), the dorky Sherminator (Chris Owen), the flute-playing Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and Jim's hilariously nerdy dad (Eugene Levy).

Description:

This double feature contains two helpings of AMERICAN PIE: both the original film and BENEATH THE CRUST, a new documentary that looks back at the original with the cast of AMERICAN WEDDING, the third film in the series. Featuring scenes from AMERICAN WEDDING as well as interviews with the film's stars, this collection is a hilarious addition to the AMERICAN PIE library.

Description:

A surprise hit comedy, Paul and Chris Weitz's AMERICAN PIE follows four high school friends--Jim (Jason Biggs), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Oz (Chris Klein)--through their sexually frustrated senior year. Boy-next-door Kevin hopes to finally lose his virginity to his bubbly girlfriend, Vicky (Tara Reid), while football player Oz begins an unlikely relationship with quiet chorus girl Heather (Mena Suvari). Finch struggles to maintain his cool air of witty detachment, while the neurotic Jim, most famously, has an intimate moment with apple pastry--and, eventually, sexy exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth). This hysterical yet sensitive movie also features memorable characters such as the ever-wise Jessica (Natasha Lyonne), the imbecilic Stifler (Seann William Scott), the dorky Sherminator (Chris Owen), the flute-playing Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and Jim's hilariously nerdy dad (Eugene Levy).

Description:

A surprise hit comedy, Paul and Chris Weitz's AMERICAN PIE follows four high school friends--Jim (Jason Biggs), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Oz (Chris Klein)--through their sexually frustrated senior year. Boy-next-door Kevin hopes to finally lose his virginity to his bubbly girlfriend, Vicky (Tara Reid), while football player Oz begins an unlikely relationship with quiet chorus girl Heather (Mena Suvari). Finch struggles to maintain his cool air of witty detachment, while the neurotic Jim, most famously, has an intimate moment with apple pastry--and, eventually, sexy exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth). This hysterical yet sensitive movie also features memorable characters such as the ever-wise Jessica (Natasha Lyonne), the imbecilic Stifler (Seann William Scott), the dorky Sherminator (Chris Owen), the flute-playing Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and Jim's hilariously nerdy dad (Eugene Levy).

Description:

This DVD double feature is a special box set containing AMERICAN PIE and AMERICAN PIE 2, the films that helped revive the teen sex comedy. Join Jim, the Stifmeister, Oz, Nadia, and Stifler's mom as they comically bungle their way through their erstwhile sexual conquests in both high school and college. See individual titles for details.

Description:

The sly satire in MAN OF THE YEAR and AMERICAN DREAMZ takes aim at politics and pop culture. See individual titles for synopsis information.

Description:

The sly satire in MAN OF THE YEAR and AMERICAN DREAMZ takes aim at politics and pop culture. See individual titles for synopsis information.

Description:

This double feature contains two helpings of AMERICAN PIE: both the original film and BENEATH THE CRUST, a new documentary that looks back at the original with the cast of AMERICAN WEDDING, the third film in the series. Featuring scenes from AMERICAN WEDDING as well as interviews with the film's stars, this collection is a hilarious addition to the AMERICAN PIE library.

Description:

This double feature presents two outrageous comedies starring celebrated comic talent Chris Rock: DOWN TO EARTH (2001) and HEAD OF STATE (2003). Rock updates 1978's HEAVEN CAN WAIT with a decidedly modern flair in the romantic comedy DOWN TO EARTH. Lance Barton (Rock) is a struggling comedian whose dream is to perform at New York City's legendary Apollo Theater before it closes its doors forever. One night, while riding his bike, Lance is crushed by an enormous truck. Before he can come to terms with what has happened, he is strolling through Heaven, talking to the smooth Mr. King (Chazz Palminteri) and the bumbling Keyes (Eugene Levy), the angel who prematurely snatched Lance away from Earth. Mr. King agrees to make up for this mistake by returning Lance to New York, only instead of being a black bike messenger, Lance is now Mr. Wellington, a powerful white businessman who just so happens to be the enemy of Sontee (Regina King), the woman he has become infatuated with. Wooing Sontee with a new commitment to using Mr. Wellington's money philanthropically, Lance embarks on a mission to perform at the Apollo, even if he doesn't seem to fit the mold. But just when everything begins to fall into place, Mr. King returns to throw another glitch into Lance's plans. Cowritten by Rock and Ali LeRoi, HEAD OF STATE follows an unassuming Washington DC alderman, Mays Gilliam (Rock), as he finds himself embroiled in a presidential election. Just weeks before the nation is about to elect a new president, one of the candidates is killed in a plane crash. Plotting a future run in 2008, Senator Bill Arnot (James Rebhorn) convinces his staff--Debra Lassiter (Lynn Whitfield) and Martin Geller (Dylan Baker)--to pick a replacement who has no chance of winning. But he gets more than he bargained for when he selects Mays. At first merely thankful to be in the spotlight, Mays plays the puppet, but eventually, he uses his power to actually say something meaningful. And when he selects his bail bondsman brother, Mitch (Bernie Mac), to be his running mate, everyone is shocked to discover that Mays is giving the people exactly what they want.