CD Universe in Drama DVDs & Videos

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The three films contained on the wittily titled ANATOMY 101 are SHOWGIRLS (1995), SEX AND THE TEENAGE MIND (2005), and THE GIRL NEXT DOOR (2004). Please see individual titles for synopsis information.

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The ambitious miniseries adaptation of MacKinley Kantor's eponymous novel about the inmates of the notoriously overcrowded and brutal Andersonville, Georgia Confederate army prison at the height of the Civil War. Winner of an Emmy for director John Frankenheimer. Produced for TNT.

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High school romance is difficult enough to navigate when both people are human. But for 17-year-old Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart, INTO THE WILD) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE), Edward's life as a vampire complicates things even more. At first, when Bella moves from sunny Phoenix to the rainiest corner of Washington State, she isn't sure where she fits in at her new high school. Then she meets Edward, an ethereal beauty of a boy whose unnatural speed and strength lead Bella to the conclusion that her new crush is one of the undead. Suddenly, Bella's boring life is transformed; she's surrounded by love and danger in equal parts, thanks to the hunger of Edward and others of his kind. TWILIGHT is based on the first book in the addictive series by author Stephenie Meyer. Director Catherine Hardwicke (THIRTEEN) certainly knows her audience, which is primarily the teenage girls who worship the book and its characters. There are plenty of swoonworthy shots of Pattinson's perfectly pale Edward, and his romance with Stewart's nicely acted Bella will cause many a sigh among the devoted fans. While TWILIGHT is primarily a love story in the ROMEO AND JULIET mold, there's also plenty of action and horror to be found. Blood flows (this is a vampire movie, after all), but the small amount of gore shouldn't be too much for the squeamish viewers--and it might even draw a boy or two to the screen. The film's record-breaking box office take alone is proof that the film's appeal isn't limited to screaming teen girls.

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Matthew Weiner, a writer and executive producer for THE SOPRANOS, may have set this series in the picture-perfect 1960s, but his characters are just as scheming as the mobsters on his last show. MAD MEN begins in 1960 on Manhattan's Madison Avenue at the fictional ad agency of Sterling Cooper. Creative director Don Draper (Jon Hamm) rules the halls of his company and the hearts of every woman he meets, while his wife, Betty (January Jones), struggles to be the perfect mate and mother in a suburb upstate. But just as in the world of advertising, Don may not be all that he appears. In MAD MEN, the glass ceiling is dangerously low, and sexism reigns in a way that may shock modern viewers. But this isn't the prim '60s of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW; Weiner's characters seduce, smoke, and swig with abandon--often within the walls of Sterling Cooper. MAD MEN takes equal parts substance and style to create an addictive cocktail that fully earned its freshman season wins at the Golden Globes for Best Dramatic Series and Best Actor in a Drama.

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Small-time drug dealer and Vice Lords gang member Greg Yance gets a second shot at living straight when he's sentenced to a rigorous prison boot camp. Based on a true story. Produced for HBO.

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When Deepa Mehta first began filming WATER in 2000, angry fundamentalist mobs burned her sets and threatened her life. The Indian government claimed it could not protect her, and the project had to wait four years before finally filming in Sri Lanka. Her film has raised the ire of extremists because it challenges the Hindu customs that dictate that widows, considered half-dead after the loss of their husbands, must be closeted in holy ashrams--a practice that still exists today. Set in the 1930s, the film tells the story of eight-year old Chuyia, whose husband dies before she even meets him. Her parents shave her head and whisk her away to a house of widows where the women sleep on the ground and beg in the streets to earn their puny portion of rice. Chuyia, feisty and resilient, comes into this world like a ray of light, and soon the women are rethinking their mute acceptance of their fate. Her closest friend and ally is the lovely Kalyani, and soon a forbidden romance begins to develop between Kalyani and Narayana, a young Brahmin man who, following the teachings of Gandhi, has denounced injustice. The film is sumptuously beautiful, Chuyia is utterly winsome, and despite the harsh social issues at its heart, it often feels light and lively: Chuyia and Kalyani play games and dance, Chuyia steals sweets for a dying old widow, the women dance and paint each other's faces during a color festival, and the Cinderella-story romance between Kalyani and Narayana shimmers with the promise of salvation and happiness. Mehta, however, knows it would be disingenuous to allow such an easy resolution to such a dire situation, and the final chapter of WATER takes a tragic turn.

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Terrence Malick returns to Hollywood after a two-decade hiatus with this adaptation of the classic WWII novel by James Jones. The story follows the efforts of an army platoon to capture the Japanese-controlled island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific Ocean, which will have a major effect on the outcome of the war. The members of C-for-Charlie Company are all fighting for different reasons: some to achieve glory, some to fight for democracy, and some simply to remain alive. They spend the quieter moments reflecting upon their existence, searching for meaning amid the senselessness of war. Malick's reputation as one of cinema's most brilliant directors, based on his masterworks BADLANDS and DAYS OF HEAVEN, enabled him to pull together one of the largest ensemble all-star casts in Hollywood history. The result is a sprawling epic that carries itself like a poem read in a dream, a feeling that is greatly enhanced by John Toll's floating camerawork and Hans Zimmer's haunting score. Rather than concentrating solely on the violence and destruction of war, Malick uses the situation to address philosophical questions such as man versus nature, war versus peace, and good versus evil. THE THIN RED LINE proves that after a 20-year layoff, Malick hasn't lost a step.

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Created by SIX FEET UNDER?s Alan Ball, TRUE BLOOD is like a sexier, bloodier older sister to the relatively well-behaved TWILIGHT. This HBO drama is based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries novels by Charlaine Harris, a series set in a world where vampires have just begun to "come out" after a synthetic blood substitute called True Blood is introduced. Oscar winner Anna Paquin stars as Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress living in Bon Temps, Louisiana, who falls hard for Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), a Civil War veteran and vampire. But their romantic romps aren?t the only draw for the series: the existence between humans and vampires is an uneasy one, and people are dying. Clothes fall to the floor almost as often as blood spatters the walls in this show that blends supernatural horror, sex, and mystery, with just a little bit of social commentary thrown in for good measure. Executive producer Ball and his writers have shaped a variety of fascinating characters in addition to Sookie and Bill, including Sookie?s mysterious boss, Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell); her best friend, Tara (Rutina Wesley); her womanizing brother, Jason (Ryan Kwanten); and her sweet grandmother, Adele (Lois Smith). This collection presents the series' complete first season.

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Natalie Wood was one of Hollywood's most charming child actresses--and, more rarely, one who blossomed effortlessly into adult roles. This collection presents some of Wood's most beloved films, selected from the latter half of her career. Included here are SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS, SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL, INSIDE DAISY CLOVER, GYPSY (Deluxe Edition), BOMBERS B-52, and CASH MCCALL. Please see individual titles for complete synopsis information.

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DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION picks up 10 years after the finale of the cult television series that realistically probed the experiences of high school students with groundbreaking frankness and sensitivity. Though the characters are new (and often presented as the offspring of original cast members), the drama's focus remains true to the wide-ranging issues that affect modern teens--from alcoholism, pregnancy, and suicide, to racism, drug abuse, and homosexuality. This collection presents every episode from the series' debut season in director's-cut editions.

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A clever take on life in Appalachia, SPENCER'S MOUNTAIN is a warm film. Its examination of the rustic frontier family, the Spencers, is sometimes funny, sometimes morose, but always striking. Henry Fonda stars as the macho head of the family, Clay Spencer, a dedicated worker, and an even more dedicated drinker. As Clay breaks his back putting food on the Spencer table, his wife Olivia (Maureen O'Hara) holds down the fort. Things seem promising for the Spencer family. Clay and Grandpa Spencer (Donald Crisp) are designing a new home and their oldest son Clayboy (James MacArthur) is planning to go off to college. However when Clayboy starts a romance with the daughter of his father's employer, Clay's job is put on the line and the Spencers suffer a family crisis. SPENCER'S MOUNTAIN is the feature film that inspired the hit TV series, THE WALTONS. As always, director Delmer Daves breathes life into his cast. Henry Fonda's performance of Clay--the drinking, crass, hard-headed head of the family--bears a slight resemblance to his character, Norman, in ON GOLDEN POND.

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For the follow-up to his dark crime thriller SEVEN, director David Fincher decided to remain in a film noir vein. The result is THE GAME, a fast-paced cinematic roller-coaster ride that stars Michael Douglas as Nicholas Van Orton, a joyless San Francisco investment banker who receives an unusual birthday present from his estranged younger brother, Conrad (Sean Penn). The gift enrolls Nicholas in CRS (Consumer Recreation Services), a company that designs elaborate real-life games for each specific participant. As the game begins, the reluctant Nicholas becomes the victim of a series of pranks that quickly turn malicious and dangerous. Stripped of his finances and convinced that he can trust no one, Nicholas realizes that this game may be an attempt to steal his fortune and leave him for dead. In a desperate bid to regain his life, Nicholas infiltrates CRS in order to uncover the secrets of the mysterious organization. Douglas is perfect playing the uptight businessman Nicholas, cleverly riffing on his Oscar-winning performance as the cold-blooded Gordon Gekko in WALL STREET. Fincher's Kafkaesque carnival show is an exercise in taut filmmaking that mischievously pulls a seemingly endless supply of rugs out from under both Nicholas and, even more impressive, the viewer.

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America's first supermodel Gia Carangi lives hard and dies young in the glamorous, excessive urban wilds of 1970s New York City. Adapted by Cristofer and novelist Jay McInerney from the biography "Thing of Beauty" by Stephen Fried. Made for HBO. Available in rated and unrated versions.

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A celebration of the life of Tejano princess Selena Quintanilla Perez, the rising star who was gunned down by the president of her own fan club in 1995. Amid the racial tensions and economic hardships of 1980's South Texas, the daughter of a Mexican immigrant (himself a failed doo-wop singer) grows up to be a sensation in the blossoming Tejano scene before meeting a tragic end. Light on insight, this biopic revels rather in Selena's on-stage achievements. Selena's father is credited as an executive producer to the film.

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The third volume of the Boys Briefs series features a selection of stories focusing on homoerotic sexual awakenings. The eight shorts include CABALERNO, SHAKESPEARE'S SONNETS, DAVID, BOYS GRAMMAR, LATCH KEY, LITTLE BOY BLUES, BETWEEN THE BOYS, and POSTMORTEM.

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Before Clark Kent (Tom Welling) became a full-fledged superhero, he was an awkward teenager. But unlike most teenagers, this Clark has bigger issues to contend with, like the mysterious powers that he possesses, his tumultuous relationship with kryptonite, and the strangely demonic happenings that have tormented Smallville ever since a meteor shower rained down upon the small Kansas town 12 years before. As Clark struggles through his high school days, lusting after the beautiful Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) and forming a strong friendship with Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), he must gradually come to terms with the knowledge that he might be a truly super human. This collection contains the entire first season of the wildly popular WB television series.

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Scalding passions and peerless performances steam off this classic collection of romantic dramas. Included here are EAST OF EDEN, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, and REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. Please see individual titles for complete synopsis information.

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Longtime sweethearts David (Woody Harrelson), an architect, and Diana (Demi Moore), a real estate agent, find themselves on hard times when financial troubles bring them to the verge of losing their house, which David designed. Taking their last $5,000, they go to Vegas in hopes of multiplying their money. Luck fails them, but they are faced with a major moral dilemma when billionaire John Gage (Robert Redford) spots Diana in the casino and offers her $1,000,000 to spend the night with him. What ensues causes them to question their relationship more than anything they've ever encountered. Based on the novel by Jack Engelhard.

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Based on a series of comics by underground cartoonist Robert Crumb, this X-rated animated film brings a cynical eye to the idealism of the 1960s. It's a world where black people are crows, cops are pigs, rabbis are lions, and cats--like New York University student Fritz (voiced by Skip Hinnant)--are substituted for guilt-ridden white guys who want to be poets but mainly smoke pot and engage in group sex. After a drug bust by a couple of bumbling pigs makes him an outlaw, Fritz sets fire to his NYU dorm and hits the road in search of self-discovery. The crazy cat steals a car, starts a race riot in Harlem, and ends up stuck outside San Francisco with a group of sadistic revolutionaries led by a junkie biker rabbit. Throughout these adventures, Fritz's pot-addled self-righteousness gradually gives way to a deeper understanding of life, but perhaps too late to extract himself from a terrorist plot. FRITZ THE CAT was director Ralph Bakshi's first feature, and it carries many of his future themes--ultra bleak urban landscapes, cynically guarded idealism, grotesque sexuality, and raucously over-the-top moments of violence.

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This collection of innovative short films from longtime cult favorite independent director Dave Markey includes 20 odd, surreal (or as Markey prefers to call his style, "all-too-real"), and fascinating pieces, shot between 1974--when the filmmaker was 11 years old--and 2004. The surprisingly chilling "The Devil's Exorcist" is the first movie Markey ever directed, in response to his parents forbidding him from seeing THE EXORCIST, while 1980's "Summer Has Been Over For a Long Time" explored his burgeoning love of alternative music. That interest fueled many of his later, now-legendary experimental films and music videos; 1987's "Astro Turf" stars Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, and Markey would later shoot the video for "I Love You Golden Blue," included here along with The Posies' "Ritchie Dagger's Crime" and Eyes Adrift's "Alaska." Determinedly low-budget, yet stylish, attention-grabbing, and often very funny, these pieces provide a terrific overview to Markey's unusual career.

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This John Jakes Civil War saga chronicles the interlocking fortunes of two close-knit families, one a family of northern industrialists, the other the owners of a southern plantation. They both strive to hold their friendship together while their nation is being torn apart.This release is a complete collection of episodes from the show.

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Unlike most television crime dramas, which neatly introduce and then solve a case all in the space of one hour, HBO's THE WIRE follows one single drug and homicide investigation throughout the length of an entire season. Focused on the drug culture of inner-city Baltimore, the series' ultra-realistic storyline unfolds from the points of view of the criminals lording the streets, the police officers determined to bring them down, and occasionally the politicians who often obstruct the process. Created by writer David Simon (THE CORNER, HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET), THE WIRE's multifaceted approach offers a profoundly humane and wonderfully nuanced view of every aspect of the drug trade and the complex morality of its participants. This collection presents all five seasons of the critically acclaimed series that casts its penetrating gaze at the the streets, the waterfront, city hall, and beyond.

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CAPTURED BY YOU is a Bollywood romp that plays on vintage Hollywood action films driven by intrigue, chase scenes, and romance. The protagonist Tina finds herself the center of interest of some unsavory characters, including the handsome and wily Vijay. Of course, the drama, action, and plot twists are balanced with comedy, songs, and dancing in true Bollywood fashion.

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From the creative minds behind THE SHIELD and THE SOPRANOS comes this intense drama about an outlaw motorcycle club. Bound by blood as well as by duty, Jackson Teller (Charlie Hunnam), his mother, Gemma (Katey Sagal), and his stepfather, Clay (Ron Perelman), are each prominent figures in a motorcycle gang that runs both a (legal) auto body shop and an (illegal) arms trade. Season One follows each member as they struggle to contain their family secrets while battling drug dealers and law enforcement, and attempt to protect their quiet hometown of Charming, California. Action-packed and rife with dark humor, SONS OF ANARCHY debuted to critical acclaim for its blend of raucous, revved-engine fun and smart storytelling. This collection includes every episode from the show?s first season on FX.

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Set in 1966; Produced and released in 1983. Francis Ford Coppola's stylized teen melodrama is based on the popular novel by S. E. Hinton. In 1960s Tulsa, the "right" and "wrong" sides of the tracks are represented by rival gangs, the upscale Socs and the underprivileged Greasers. Darrel Curtis (Patrick Swayze) is doing his best to raise his two younger brothers, Sodapop (Rob Lowe in his first film role) and Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell). Sensitive Ponyboy is a budding writer in love with Cherry (Diane Lane), the unobtainable beauty from the enemy gang. When Ponyboy's buddy, troubled Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio), kills one of the Socs in self-defense, their friend Dallas (Matt Dillon) helps the two youths hide out in an abandoned country church. There they live as exiles from a society that doesn't want them. But not all is lost, when Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dallas save some children caught in a fire they become unlikely heroes. The young cast is the jewel of this sensitive, moving film. Tom Cruise and Emilio Estevez play Greasers, and pop singer Leif Garrett plays rich-kid Bob. Dillon also starred that year in another S. E.Hinton adaptation directed by Coppola--the fascinating and extremely entertaining RUMBLE FISH.

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This program contains four classic 1970s films -- all based on Broadway musicals or play. Films include: GALILEO, LOST IN THE STARS, PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME!, and JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS. Please see individual titles for complete information.

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Director Michael Bay (ARMAGEDDON, THE ROCK) uses a tragic romantic triangle to set the stage for the infamous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in this epic tale of love, loss, and patriotism. When Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale), a beautiful Navy nurse, meets dashing ace Army fighter pilot Rafe (Ben Affleck), the two fall madly in love, only to be separated abruptly when he is called upon to help fight the war in Europe. Unforeseen circumstances lead Evelyn into the arms of Danny (Josh Hartnett), another fighter pilot and Rafe's best friend since childhood. In the meantime, the Japanese military is planning the surprise early morning raid on Hawaii that will pull the United States into World War II. Spectacular special effects vividly recreate the attack in devastating detail as bombs explode, torpedoes shoot through the water, and bullets fly, shaking tranquil Pearl Harbor to its core. Bay deftly captures the patriotism and the loss of innocence of the young men and women who were suddenly thrust into the war. Cuba Gooding, Jr., Jon Voight, Alec Baldwin and Mako also star in this tribute to both the fallen and the survivors of one of the most horrific tragedies ever to occur on American soil.

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President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) is one of the most respected leaders in the history of America. When Kazakhstanian separatists commit atrocities on their own people, Marshall authorizes a guerrilla mission to take their leader, General Radek (Jürgen Prochnow), into custody and restore the democratic regime. In his speech afterward, the president vows never to let America hesitate again when dealing with terrorists. However, that's before a group of them, led by the ruthless Korchunov (Gary Oldman) take over his own flight on Air Force One, with his wife and young daughter also on board. President Marshall, a decorated Vietnam veteran, becomes a one-man vigilante force in his efforts to free his family and the other hostages, retake the plane, and thwart the hijackers. Director Wolfgang Petersen's thrilling film is supported by an excellent ensemble cast, which includes William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, and Glenn Close as Kathryn Bennett, the vice president who must hold the Cabinet together in Marshall's absence.

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Everyone reads her scandalous Internet commentary on the lives of Manhattan's most privileged teenagers. But exactly who is Gossip Girl? No one knows, but she certainly adds spice to the lives of these fashionable prep schoolers, divulging some of their most closely guarded secrets. The first season of this glossy series begins when party girl Serena (Blake Lively) returns to the Upper East Side from boarding school. Though she seems to have changed her ways, she still has to navigate the icy waters of her social world, including her fragile friendship with Blair (Leighton Meester), the wrongs of her past, and of course the caustic commentary of a mysterious blogger. This collection presents all 18 episodes of the series, based on the popular teen novels by Cecily von Ziegesar.

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THE SOPRANOS stars James Gandolfini in a career-making performance as Tony Soprano, a Mafia leader who is having trouble dealing with his mother and family and so starts to see a shrink. The terrific supporting cast features Edie Falco as Tony's conflicted wife, Carmela; Lorraine Bracco as Tony's put-upon psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi; Michael Imperioli as loose-cannon Christopher Moltisanti; Steven Van Zandt as Silvio, owner of the Bada-Bing; and the incomparable Nancy Marchand, in one of the great television performances, as Livia Soprano, Tony's conniving mother. This collection presents all six seasons of the groundbreaking show.