Pride and Prejudice [Blu-ray] (1995)

The timeless themes of love and marriage in Jane Austen’s superb romantic comedy Pride and Prejudice have captured readers for generations–the novel has sold more than 20 million copies and has never been out of print. Now, A&E and the BBC have brought this beloved classic to life in a compelling production directed by Upstairs, Downstairs’ Simon Langton. This stunning production captures all the celebrated beauty of the English countryside and its glorious, stately manors. It features lavish costumes and an exquisite soundtrack from noted composer Carl Davis.

Pride and Prejudice is the story of the lively and rebellious Elizabeth Bennet, one of five unmarried daughters living in the countryside of 19th-century England. In a world where obtaining an advantageous marriage is a woman’s sole occupation, Elizabeth’s independent manner threatens her family’s future. Will her romantic sparring with the mysterious and arrogant Darcy end in misfortune–or will love’s true nature prevail?

Knots Landing – The Complete Second Season (1980)

Love thy neighbor. Words to live by for Sid’s sexy sister Abby Cunningham – especially with the male neighbors in her new hometown, Knots Landing. Maybe it’s Abby’s influence, but bed-hopping becomes the latest cul-de-sac sport. Who cheats? It’s simpler to list who doesn’t in this sizzling 4-Disc Season 2 Set of the long-running hit series. And there’s a lot more excitement: J.R. and Bobby Ewing swap Texas drilling for California dreaming and visit, crooks muscle in on Gary, a hitchhiker accuses Sid of rape, armed robbers hold the cul-de-sac women hostage… and the season ends with a genuine cliffhanger: Sid careening toward a seaside cliff after someone tampers with his car!

Lost in Austen (2008)

Amanda Price is sick of the modern world. She yearns for the romance and elegance found in the books by her favorite author, Jane Austen. But she’s about to get a rude awakening as one fateful evening, she is propelled into the scheming 19th century world of Pride and Prejudice while that book’s Elizabeth Bennet is hurled into hers. As the book’s familiar plot unfolds, Amanda triggers new romantic twists and turns within the Bennet family circle as she clumsily tries to help the sisters nab husbands and even captivates the tantalizing Mr. Darcy herself. But what about Elizabeth…and what will become of one of the world’s greatest love stories?

The Reader (2008)

The Reader, set in post-WWII Germany, follows teenager Michael Berg as he engages in a passionate but secretive affair with an older woman named Hanna. Eight years after Hanna s disappearance, Michael is stunned to discover her again as she stands on trial for Nazi war crimes. The Reader is a haunting story about truth and reconciliation and how one generation comes to terms with the crimes of another. Kate Winslet won and Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her performance.

Bride Wars (2009)

How important is the perfect wedding? Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Liv (Kate Hudson) have been best friends since childhood and each has always dreamed of an extravagant wedding at the Plaza hotel. When both friends get engaged in the same week, they rush to the exclusive wedding planner Marion St. Claire (Candice Bergen) to book the perfect weddings at the Plaza hotel. The reservations get mixed up and both weddings end up scheduled on the same day and, since there are no other suitable openings available at the Plaza, the friends find themselves in the impossible situation of having to decide who will sacrifice her long-held dream and change venues. It turns out that neither woman is willing to give up her plans for a perfect wedding and the friends turn against one another in a hilarious battle that results in everything from blue hair to rumors of pregnancy and embarrassing home videos accompanying one bride’s walk down the aisle. Can even a life-long friendship survive the emotional turmoil of two weddings gone wrong? Bride Wars is an amusing look at the trials of friendship and love that’s sure to inspire laughter and perhaps even a tear or two.

The Tale of Despereaux (2008)

The Tale of Despereaux looks a little like Shrek. The storytelling and animation draw on everything from Ratatouille and classic fairytales to Shakespeare, Jonathan Swift, Indiana Jones, and, in its action sequences, even Bourne and Bond. But this movie stands on its own; too dark and violent for very young children, perhaps, but for the most part it’s exciting and funny, and it delivers a message about bravery and forgiveness that is relevant to us all. Voiced by Matthew Broderick, the title character is a little guy, even by mouse standards, with enormous ears and an imagination to match; much to the dismay of his elders, he “never cowers, won’t scurry, and refuses to be taught to be scared” (he’d much rather read a book than eat it, a pursuit that fills his head with visions of valiant knights, damsels in distress, and a life defined by “courage, honor, and decency”). That leads to his being banished from Mouseworld to the realm of the rats, where, it is presumed, he will be eaten. But no. Ratworld–a dark, chaotic, genuinely scary place–happens to be the current residence of one Roscuro (Dustin Hoffman), a peaceful sort whose shenanigans in the human world have accidentally led to the death of the Queen, the imprisonment of the Princess (Emma Watson), and, worst of all, the banning of Soup Day (no small deal) and the end of soup itself! Roscuro and Despereaux join forces, inadvertently helped out by a homely but soft-hearted farm girl named Miggery Sow (Tracey Ullman), and, well, you can imagine how it all turns out. Directors Sam Fell and Robert Stevenhagen and scriptwriter Gary Ross (adapting Kate DiCamillo’s book) have concocted some vivid and interesting worlds for their film; the look is unusual, often washed out, muted, and bathed in hazy light; and the voice acting is excellent (others include William H. Macy, Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, and Frank Langella). All in all, despite a conclusion that’s confusing even while it’s predictable, The Tale of Despereaux is a worthy addition to the crowded animation field.

Bedtime Stories (2008)

A fantastical tale about a man who makes up bedtime stories for his niece and nephew only to find that they magically come true the next day, Bedtime Stories is a funny and enjoyable film about finding happiness in unexpected places. Skeeter (Adam Sandler) grew up with his sister Wendy (Courteney Cox) in a small hotel run by his father Marty (Jonathan Pryce) which was eventually sold to Barry Nottingham (Richard Griffiths) with the caveat that Skeeter would someday assume a leadership role in the business. Expansion transformed the small hotel into the luxury Nottingham Hotel, but Skeeter is just a handyman with little hope of advancement. When his sister needs to leave the state for a job interview, Skeeter ends up sharing the responsibility of watching her two elementary-age children Bobbi (Laura Ann Kessling) and Patrick (Jonathan Morgan Heit), whom he hasn’t seen for years, with Wendy’s friend Jill (Keri Russell). Initially an awkward situation, Skeeter and the kids bond over bedtime stories which Skeeter and the children make up. When events in the story start coming true, Skeeter tries to spin the stories to benefit his life, but events take some unexpected turns thanks to the kids’ wild imaginations and some strange translations between fiction and reality. New relationships flourish and in the end, Skeeter, Wendy, Mr. Nottingham, Bobbi, Patrick, and Jill each find happiness in a most unexpected place and discover what’s really important in their own life. Also worth mentioning is the character Bugsy, a guinea pig with enormous eyes that’s sure to have every child begging for their own pet guinea pig. Rated PG for mild rude humor and mild language, but appropriate for most ages 6 and older.

Goal 2: Living the Dream (2007)

Goal II: Living The Dream continues the dramatic and exciting journey of Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker), a small town kid who continues to live his dream of becoming a professional soccer player. When he is traded to Real Madrid and must deal with the trials and triumphs of playing on one of soccer s biggest stages. Also starring Rutger Hauer, Anna Friel and featuring exciting action footage with some of soccer s biggest stars including David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo.

Punisher: War Zone (2-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray] (2008)

Punisher: War Zone cannot be adequately described as “over the top”–it’s a relentless catalogue of brutal mayhem punctuated, here and there, with outrageous sentimentality. Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher (Ray Stevenson, Rome) has dedicated his life to killing the kind of gangsters who murdered his family. But when he unknowingly kills an undercover FBI agent, Castle falls into a crisis of conscience and decides to lay down his guns. Unfortunately, one of the last gangsters he thought he’d killed survived, albeit horribly disfigured, and seeks revenge on the wife and daughter of that slain FBI agent–so Castle has to go one last spree of vigilante justice! But this plot summary will not prepare you for the jolting violence of Punisher: War Zone; rarely do more than a few minutes go by without startling physical savagery, particularly to people’s heads, which get blown apart with numbing frequency. This violence somehow goes hand in hand with dizzyingly saccharine moments when a young girl gazes at Castle with trusting eyes, knowing in her heart that he’s the only one who can protect her. The dialogue goes beyond cliche into tough guy baroque. Stevenson underplays Castle to good effect, because everyone else in the movie–including Dominic West (The Wire), Doug Hutchison (The Green Mile), and Wayne Knight (Seinfeld)–chews the scenery like it’s slathered with gravy. Some viewers will find this movie revolting; others will worship it like a golden calf. You probably know where you stand. –Bret Fetzer

Quo Vadis [Blu-ray] (1951)

“Welcome to Nero’s House of Women” greets a concubine to a slave girl, Lygia (Deborah Kerr). Later this self-same greeter reveals that she, too, like Lygia, is really a fellow Christian neophyte. And it’s that mixture of tawdry Hollywood sex and a strong Christian message that makes this film an enjoyable “gentiles and gladiators” flick. Marcus Vinicius returns home after conquering the Britons to find that Rome is infected with a crazy new sect called Christians and that his beloved emperor Nero (Peter Ustinov, roly-poly and wicked) has become increasingly wacky. Marcus tries his centurion wiles on Lygia, and she’s smitten, but she’s also a Christian convert and begs Marcus not to force her to choose between him and her god. The Christians have a tough go of it, with martyrdom in the Coliseum as punishment for belonging to the new religion in town. Though three hours long, director Mervyn LeRoy’s film always has something going on. It could help you enjoyably kill any rainy Sunday afternoon. –Keith Simanton