J&R 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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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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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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Winning Best Picture is one of the greatest honors in cinema and this collection presents four classic films thus awarded by the Academy: CASABLANCA, GIGI, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, and MRS. MINIVER. Please see individual titles for complete synopsis information.

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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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This fifth season of NIP/TUCK relocates the made-for-cable series to Los Angeles, where plastic surgeons Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) find themselves right at home among the glitz, glamour, and slime of the entertainment industry. While a significant slice of their practice is dedicated to improving the looks of actors, the pair soon find themselves on the other side of the camera after being hired as consultants for a medical drama. But will the lure of fame prove toxic to their partnership? Meanwhile, Matt (John Hensley) and Kimber (Kelly Carlson) continue their downward spiral with jaunts into drug abuse and pornography. Included here are all 14 episodes of the fifth season, including guest appearances by Oliver Platt, Lauren Hutton, Portia de Rossi, and Rosie O'Donnell.

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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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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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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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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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Steven Soderbergh explodes onto the scene with this provocative, intelligent drama about infidelity and voyeurism. Ann Milaney (Andie MacDowell) lives in a comfortable Louisiana home with her lawyer husband, John (Peter Gallagher). She spends her days fretting over the insurmountable problems of the world and her own unfocused sense of melancholy. Although she doesn't know it, she has a good reason to be upset: John is having a torrid affair with her younger, more extroverted sister, Cynthia (the sexy Laura San Giacomo). When Graham Dalton (James Spader), an old college pal of John's, comes to visit, all three are momentarily distracted from personal problems and intrigues as they scrutinize the odd outsider. Ann soon discovers that Graham has some strange habits and problems of his own. Plagued by impotency since the calamitous breakup of his last relationship, the young drifter finds sexual gratification by videotaping women willing to talk about their sexual past and fantasies in front of the camera. A chain of attraction and jealousy develops as the four interconnect in several varied pairings, culminating with Ann's decision to become Graham's latest subject. Soderbergh's highly influential debut independent feature plays like a dangerous thriller that builds in tension until everyone's secrets are bitterly exposed.

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Mining one of history's most infamous figures to create a rich episodic drama, Showtime's THE TUDORS takes on the early life of King Henry VIII, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers (MATCH POINT). With enough rivalries, scandals, and debauchery to make MELROSE PLACE blush, the engrossing series follows the 16th-century monarch's ascent to power, political battles, and personal ruthlessness. In this second season, Henry creates the Church of England in order to speed his annulment with Katherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy). But what will happen when his new wife, Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer), can't produce a male heir? No stuffy costume drama, THE TUDORS boasts a talented acting ensemble that includes Peter O'Toole (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA) as Pope Paul III and Jeremy Northam (GOSFORD PARK) as Sir Thomas More. This collection presents all 10 episodes of the second season.

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Television producer extraordinaire Aaron Spelling launched a pop-culture phenomenon with his 1990s teen soap opera BEVERLY HILLS 90210, a landmark series that not only set the standard for '90s teen culture, but singlehandedly wrote the template for later shows like DAWSON'S CREEK and THE O.C. Created by Darren Star, the glitzy series chronicled the coming-of-age dramas of Minnesota siblings Brandon (Jason Priestley) and Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty) as they adjusted to their new lives in the affluent environs of the titular zipcode, where they attended the fictional West Beverly High with a tightknit group of teenage friends: goodnatured jock Steve Sanders (Ian Ziering); brainy good-girl Andrea Zuckerman (Gabrielle Carteris); naive virgin Donna Martin (Tori Spelling); aspiring DJ David Silver (Brian Austin Green); blonde siren Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth); and troubled bad-boy Dylan McKay (Luke Perry). Like DEGRASSI, the series attempted social commentary by crafting storylines featuring a wide range of issues affecting '90s teens, including alcoholism, drug abuse, sex, and depression. Groundbreaking and iconic, 90210's debut season is presented in its entirety with this collection of 22 episodes.

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Canadian novelist Lucy Maud Montgomery has her ANNE OF GREEN GABLES novel brought to the screen in this three-part production. The first part of the story finds young Anne Shirley settling into her new life after arriving at the farm of her adoptive parents Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. The second part of the tale finds Anne transforming from a bright young adolescent to a well-established teacher. The third and final part of the story sees Anne moving to New York with her husband Gilbert, and then back to Avonlea, where Gilbert becomes a soldier and goes missing during wartime.

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Robert Altman's adaptation of Michael Tolkin's novel gives the notorious director a chance to address perhaps his greatest nemesis: the Hollywood studio system. Disguised as a thriller, the film assembles virtually every famous actor in Hollywood to create an exhilarating blend of real life and fiction. Tim Robbins plays Griffin Mill, a studio executive who begins to fear for his job when upstart Larry Levy's (Peter Gallagher) name becomes a hot topic on the lot. After receiving threatening postcards from an unidentified writer, Griffin tracks down David Kahane (Vincent D'Onofrio), who he thinks is the guilty party. The two argue, with disastrous results. Later, as Griffin struggles to keep his job while trying to distance himself from the law, he finds himself falling in love with Kahane's mysterious girlfriend (Greta Scacchi). THE PLAYER is a vicious satire that exposes the Hollywood industry as fraudulent, weak, and shallow. Altman's film also sends up both the noir genre and filmmaking technique, the latter notably in an extended opening shot which is a sprawling one-take that covers the studio's entire lot and features a series of hysterical pitches by actual screenwriters, including Buck Henry offering forth on his concept for THE GRADUATE 2. Bitter and electric, THE PLAYER ends on an ironic upbeat note that perfectly concludes a stellar picture.

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Landon Carter (Shane West) and his friends are the coolest kids in Beaufort, North Carolina. They wear the right clothes, drive the right cars, and get into just enough trouble to be rebellious. Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore) is the opposite--there doesn't seem to be anything cool about her. The preacher's daughter, plain Jamie wears big boxy dresses and the same sweater every day. She endures the scorn of Landon and his friends with a smile, always looking for the best in people. When a prank planned by Landon and his friend goes terribly wrong, the principal sentences him to tutoring on the weekends and working on the school play, activities in which Jamie is involved. As the two begin spending time together, Landon finds himself intrigued by this guileless girl who sees beauty in everything and exhibits unwavering faith in people and in the world. When circumstances beyond Landon and Jamie's control threaten their love, he stays by her side and does everything he can to make her dreams come true. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks, the film also stars Peter Coyote and Daryl Hannah.

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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.

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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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Richard and Priscilla Parker (Kevin Kline and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) are an ordinary suburban couple whose lives are invaded and rocked by their fast-living, secret-bearing, new neighbors, Eddy and Kay Otis (played by Kevin Spacey and Rebecca Miller) in this psychological thriller with intriguing plot twists. The film is rife with themes of paranoid mayhem, manipulation and deception. Spacey, in one of his first feature roles, gives a showy but charismatic performance as the evil neighbor, creating a smooth and charming surface appeal worthy of an Alfred Hitchcock villain.

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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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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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This 10-part HBO television miniseries focuses on Easy Company, a group of American soldiers in World War II, tracking their experiences from the beginning of boot camp to the end of the war. Anchored by actors Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston, the series gives detailed attention to their experiences as a group, as well as the way that each of them develops individually. Based on historian Stephen E. Ambrose's book of real-life accounts, BAND OF BROTHERS was executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who worked together on SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Hanks also directed one episode, featuring his son, Colin Hanks.

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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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It's hard to speculate how cinema would have developed if there had been no D.W. Griffith, but without his groundbreaking contributions, the narrative possibilities of motion pictures would not have evolved so quickly. This thorough documentary by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill explores Griffith's contributions to the art of cinema and the controversies and scandals that surrounded everything he touched. It's the type of project that will change the way film buffs view Griffith's work and help audiences come to terms with his most notorious and innovative work, THE BIRTH OF A NATION.

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This collection contains 14 theatrical features from the 1970s. Films include THE ICEMAN COMETH; A DELICATE BALANCE; THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH;RHINOCEROS; BUTLEY; THE MAIDS; LUTHER; IN CELEBRATION; THREE SISTERS; THE HOMECOMING; GALILEO; LOST IN THE STARS; PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME; and ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS. Nominated for several Academy Awards and featuring some of the biggest stars of their time, these features are examples of how seamlessly theatre can translate into film.

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FIREPROOF, from the same team that made the 2006 hit FACING THE GIANTS, is a Christian relationship drama with a very strong message. The film stars Kirk Cameron of the classic television series GROWING PAINS as Captain Caleb Holt, a fireman whose fearlessness is limited to his work. At home with his wife of seven years, Caleb shows little of the bravery he displays on the job, and has a failing marriage as a result. Fighting over every little thing, Caleb and his wife, Catherine (Erin Bethea), are on the verge of signing divorce papers when Caleb's father and coworkers urge him to approach his marriage in the same way he fights vicious flames. When Caleb's father gives him the "Love Dare," a 40-day guide to religiously motivated marriage help, Caleb begins a difficult journey to reclaim his wife, and in the process, his faith in God. With several action-packed scenes, FIREPROOF uses fire metaphors in its exploration of marriage. The film offers an alternative to the common romantic comedy and, some might argue, a more multidimensional view of romance. The film examines both the ups and inevitable downs of married life, offering faith as a prescription for saving what may at first glance appear to have already failed. Likely to please its target audience, the film offers a fresh perspective on marriage and inspiring relationship tips viewers may want to try regardless of their faith.