Up (Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + BD Live) [Blu-ray]

• From the revolutionary minds of Pixar Animation Studios and the acclaimed director of MONSTERS, INC. comes a hilariously uplifting adventure where the sky is no longer the limit. Carl Fredricksen, a retired balloon salesman, is part rascal, part dreamer who is ready for his last chance at high-flying excitement. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, Carl sets off to the lost world of his child

Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios take moviegoers up, up and away on one of the funniest adventures of all time with their latest comedy-fantasy. Up follows the uplifting tale of 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip an overly opti! mistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Their journey to a lost world, where they encounter some strange, exotic and surprising characters, is filled with hilarity, emotion and wildly imaginative adventure.


At a time when too many animated films consist of anthropomorphized animals cracking sitcom one-liners and flatulence jokes, the warmth, originality, humor, and unflagging imagination of Up feel as welcome as rain in a desert. Carl Fredericksen (voice by Ed Asner) ranks among the most unlikely heroes in recent animation history. A 78- year-old curmudgeon, he enjoyed his modest life as a balloon seller because he shared it with his adventurous wife Ellie (Ellie Docter). But she died, leaving him with memories and the awareness that they never made their dream journey to Paradise Falls in South America. When well-meaning officials consign Carl to Shady Oaks Retirement Home, he rigs thousands of helium balloons to his house and floats ! to South America. The journey's scarcely begun when he discove! rs a sto waway: Russell (Jordan Nagai), a chubby, maladroit Wilderness Explorer Scout who's out to earn his Elderly Assistance Badge. In the tropical jungle, Carl and Russell find more than they bargained for: Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), a crazed explorer whose newsreels once inspired Carl and Ellie; Kevin, an exotic bird with a weakness for chocolate; and Dug (Bob Peterson), an endearingly dim golden retriever fitted with a voice box. More importantly, the travelers discover they need each other: Russell needs a (grand)father figure; Carl needs someone to enliven his life without Ellie. Together, they learn that sharing ice-cream cones and counting the passing cars can be more meaningful than feats of daring-do and distant horizons. Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc. ) and Bob Peterson direct the film with consummate skill and taste, allowing the poignant moments to unfold without dialogue to Michael Giacchnio's vibrant score. Building on their work in The Incredibles! and Ratatouille, the Pixar crew offers nuanced animation of the stylized characters. Even by Pixar's elevated standards, Up is an exceptional film that will appeal of audiences of all ages. Rated PG for some peril and action. --Charles Solomon

Stills from Up (Click for larger image)

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The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Season Two

• Experience the ABC Family series that has become a cultural phenomenon from coast to coast. THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER is more engaging than ever in its sensational second season. As Amy's due date approaches, her secret marriage to Ben complicates matters even further. Watch as their relationship twists and turns, and discover what the future holds for Ricky, Jack and the rest of yo

Experience the ABC Family series that has become a cultural phenomenon from coast to coast. The Secret Life of the American Teenager is more engaging than ever in its sensational second season. As Amy's due date approaches, her secret marriage to Ben complicates matters even further. Watch as their relationship twists and turns, and discover what the future holds for Ricky, Jack and the rest of your favorite characters. Enjoy every episode of the celebrated series as it tackles the issues of ! today with humor and heart. Complete with exciting bonus material, The Secret Life of the American Teenager is even better on DVD!High school is challenging enough for most teenagers--doubly so for a pregnant 15-year-old. Amy (Shailene Woodley) and Ben (Ken Baumann) start the year by planning a wedding at the same time her mother, Anne (Molly Ringwald, who sings the pop-tastic theme song), looks for work and files for divorce from the obnoxious George (Mark Derwin), leaving Amy out of luck in the childcare department. It almost plays like a sequel to Saved!, except the comedy isn't quite so edgy. Amy's friends include good girl Grace (Megan Park) and bad girl Adrian (Francia Raisa), with whom she has something in common: "troubled narcissistic underachiever" Ricky (Darren Kagasoff), the father of her baby, who dates Grace by day and sleeps with Adrian by night.

The Secret Life is, essentially, a teen soap, an impression reinforced by the presence ! of Beverly Hills 90210's Jason Priestley in the directo! r’s ch air and Melrose Place's Josie Bissett as Grace's mom (another familiar primetime face, John Schneider, plays her father), but it still bears comparison to Brenda Hampton's 7th Heaven, since there are several well adjusted Christian characters, like the Bowmans (Grace's family) and the Stones (Grace's sometime-boyfriend Jack's family).

As the second season swings into full gear, Anne meets a new man, Adrian falls for her stepbrother, Amy's sarcastic 13-year-old sister, Ashley (India Eisley), gets her first boyfriend, and Amy finally decides whether to keep the baby or not. Supplemental materials include the featurette "Character Secrets," in which the actors discuss their roles, and "Cast Close-ups," in which they reveal information about themselves. Ringwald, for instance, cites The Breakfast Club as the top pick from her filmography, while Baumann acknowledges that he used to be a department-store-catalog model. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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Elephant: A Film By Gus Van Sant

• Winner of the Palme d'Or and Best Director prizes at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, Gus Van Sant's (Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester) Elephant takes us inside an American high school on one, single ordinary day that very rapidly turns tragic. Elephant demonstrates that high school life is a complex landscape where the vitality and beauty of young lives can shift from light to darkness with sur

From the groundbreaking director of GOOD WILL HUNTING and FINDING FORRESTER, GERRY stars Academy Award(R) winner Matt Damon (Best Original Screenplay, GOOD WILL HUNTING, 1997; THE BOURNE IDENTITY, OCEAN'S ELEVEN) and Casey Affleck (OCEAN'S ELEVEN, SOUL SURVIVORS) in a suspenseful and highly provocative story of two men pushed to the limit! A pair of best friends (Affleck and Damon), who've nicknamed each other "Gerry," set out on a desert hike. But what begins as a simple daytime adventure turns int! o an intense life-and-death journey that will test the strength of human endurance and ultimately, their friendship! Written by Damon, Affleck, and Director Gus Van Sant, this uncommonly compelling and starkly visualized film is a must-see motion picture that has earned the overwhelming praise of critics nationwide!In Gerry, two young men (Matt Damon and Casey Affleck) wander beautiful, barren, and surreal landscapes, gradually growing more and more lost. This film from Gus Van Sant (director of Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, and Good Will Hunting) has no story, hardly any dialogue, and even less in the way of "action" or "events." Yet the movie is by turns maddening and hypnotic; although few people will agree on which are the maddening scenes and which are the hypnotic ones, you will leave Gerry with one or more stunning images in your head. In fact, Gerry is probably more pleasurable to remember than it is to sit throug! h. Committed performances, flashes of dark humor, and a smatte! ring of visual effects give the movie some shape, but the more you just surrender to the emptiness of the landscape, the more rewarding Gerry will be. --Bret FetzerFrom the groundbreaking director of Milk and Good Will Hunting, Gerry stars Matt Damon (The Adjustment Bureau) and Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone) in a suspenseful and highly provocative story of two men pushed to the limit.
A pair of best friends (Affleck and Damon), who've nicknamed each other "Gerry," set out on a desert hike. But what begins as a simple daytime adventure turns into an intense life-and-death journey that will test the strength of human endurance and ultimately their friendship. Written by Damon, Affleck and director Gus Van Sant, this uncommonly compelling and starkly visualized film has earned the overwhelming praise of critics nationwide.In Gerry, two young men (Matt Damon and Casey Affleck) wander beautiful, barren, and sur! real landscapes, gradually growing more and more lost. This film from Gus Van Sant (director of Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, and Good Will Hunting) has no story, hardly any dialogue, and even less in the way of "action" or "events." Yet the movie is by turns maddening and hypnotic; although few people will agree on which are the maddening scenes and which are the hypnotic ones, you will leave Gerry with one or more stunning images in your head. In fact, Gerry is probably more pleasurable to remember than it is to sit through. Committed performances, flashes of dark humor, and a smattering of visual effects give the movie some shape, but the more you just surrender to the emptiness of the landscape, the more rewarding Gerry will be. --Bret FetzerWinner of the Palme d'Or and Best Director prizes at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, Gus Van Sant's (Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester) Elephant takes us inside an Ameri! can high school on one, single ordinary day that very rapidly ! turns tr agic. Elephant demonstrates that high school life is a complex landscape where the vitality and beauty of young lives can shift from light to darkness with surreal speed. It's an ordinary high school day. Except that it's not.

DVD Features:
Featurette:On the Set of Elephant: "Rolling Through Time"
Full Screen Version
TV Spot:HBO Films Spot
Theatrical Trailer

Elephant, the elegant and unsettling movie from Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting), depicts students at a high school before and during a harrowing, Columbine-style shooting. The movie follows one young boy who takes over the wheel from his drunken dad while returning from lunch, then loops back in time and follows another student who crosses paths with the first, then loops back and follows another--all captured in long, unedited tracking shots that are serene and unhurried, even when two boys in camouflage gear, carrying h! eavy bags, arrive at the school and begin shooting. Elephant doesn't attempt to explain their behavior; it simply places the audience back in the brief yet interminable window of adolescence, when life is trivial and painfully important at the same time. Your reaction to Elephant will depend as much on your life experiences as anything in the movie itself. --Bret Fetzer

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Bucky Larson : Born To Be A Star Movie Poster Double Sided Original 27x40

• The sizes of these poster is approximately 27x40inches, rolled and in very mint condition never been used or hanged. These are original posters, not a reprint, . It is packaged carefully in a sturdy tube. These posters Will be shipped via USPS Priority Mail

It's an odd state of affairs when a movie carries a relatively strong creative pedigree and yet seems to have been brushed aside by the creators as if they knew full well how savagely it would be received by critics and audiences alike. Such is the case with Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star, which comes from Adam Sandler's production company and has a script cowritten by Sandler, plus a cast of eminently accomplished actors who either didn't know they were slumming it in a stupid, raunchy comedy, or for some reason didn't care. That said, just because it's stupid and raunchy (which it really is), there are germs of redeeming tidbits ! in Bucky Larson, including the above-mentioned performers along with the shear depth of its stupidity and raunch. Nick Swardson, a longtime Sandler cohort and a very funny presence in his many other movie and TV appearances, plays the title character under a ridiculous bowl haircut and behind a pair of front teeth that seem ripped from the jaws of a giant mutated gopher. He's an Iowa farm boy with hayseeds permanently stuck in those choppers. He knows nothin' from nothin', but vows to make it as a modern-day porn star after a weirdo TV party gives him evidence that his parents were industry icons in the 1970s, thus making him born to a lineage despite his crazy look, crazy talk, and crazy brain. The other obstacle he faces is a piece of fleshy manhood that's, well, a little on the small side, to put it mildly. In a sequence of events so stupid and raunchy that they do have the necessary ingredients for some measure of possibly drunken hilarity, it turns out that his ! massive under-equipment and contingent hair trigger gain him e! xactly t he kind of stardom he knew he was born to (his shortcomings make other men feel better about themselves). It seems kind of silly to lament that everyone involved didn't make more of an effort to put Bucky Larson in a higher class since everything about it is so utterly low class. But with a cast that includes Edward Herrmann (Bucky's dad), Stephen Dorff (a rival porn star), Christina Ricci (Bucky's forlorn girlfriend), Don Johnson (a washed-up porn director), and the talented Swardson himself, it feels like the sloppiness of the whole affair is just plain lazy. People will find some genuinely funny moments in Bucky Larson if they're able to even start in on it (a scene involving "stolen" food and Bucky's psychotic roommate Kevin Nealon is definitely a laugh riot), but it's likely that this movie will only find life in the home market of a select few who revel in the underdog nature of a particular brand of cinematic stupidity. --Ted FryIt's an odd state ! of affairs when a movie carries a relatively strong creative pedigree and yet seems to have been brushed aside by the creators as if they knew full well how savagely it would be received by critics and audiences alike. Such is the case with Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star, which comes from Adam Sandler's production company and has a script cowritten by Sandler, plus a cast of eminently accomplished actors who either didn't know they were slumming it in a stupid, raunchy comedy, or for some reason didn't care. That said, just because it's stupid and raunchy (which it really is), there are germs of redeeming tidbits in Bucky Larson, including the above-mentioned performers along with the shear depth of its stupidity and raunch. Nick Swardson, a longtime Sandler cohort and a very funny presence in his many other movie and TV appearances, plays the title character under a ridiculous bowl haircut and behind a pair of front teeth that seem ripped from the jaws of a ! giant mutated gopher. He's an Iowa farm boy with hayseeds perm! anently stuck in those choppers. He knows nothin' from nothin', but vows to make it as a modern-day porn star after a weirdo TV party gives him evidence that his parents were industry icons in the 1970s, thus making him born to a lineage despite his crazy look, crazy talk, and crazy brain. The other obstacle he faces is a piece of fleshy manhood that's, well, a little on the small side, to put it mildly. In a sequence of events so stupid and raunchy that they do have the necessary ingredients for some measure of possibly drunken hilarity, it turns out that his massive under-equipment and contingent hair trigger gain him exactly the kind of stardom he knew he was born to (his shortcomings make other men feel better about themselves). It seems kind of silly to lament that everyone involved didn't make more of an effort to put Bucky Larson in a higher class since everything about it is so utterly low class. But with a cast that includes Edward Herrmann (Bucky's dad), Stephen Dor! ff (a rival porn star), Christina Ricci (Bucky's forlorn girlfriend), Don Johnson (a washed-up porn director), and the talented Swardson himself, it feels like the sloppiness of the whole affair is just plain lazy. People will find some genuinely funny moments in Bucky Larson if they're able to even start in on it (a scene involving "stolen" food and Bucky's psychotic roommate Kevin Nealon is definitely a laugh riot), but it's likely that this movie will only find life in the home market of a select few who revel in the underdog nature of a particular brand of cinematic stupidity. --Ted FryAll Movie posters are original, approx size is 27 x40 inches, sometimes the size vary up to 1/2 inch. Its on mint condition, no tears or rips or holes in the poster and it never been hung or displayed. Posters to be send thru USPS priority mailAll Movie posters are original, approx size is 27 x40 inches, sometimes the size vary up to 1/2 inch. Its on mint condition, no tears! or rips or holes in the poster and it never been hung or disp! layed. P osters to be send thru USPS priority mail

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Barbie Pink 3-Story Dream Townhouse

• Include a pink personal elevator, and lights and sounds on every level!
• Roaring fireplace and pop up flat screen tv
• Ultra-luxurious Barbie signature bathroom
• Charming light-up tiki lights and outdoor whirlpool tub
• Sounds include doorbell, kitchen timer, crackling fireplace, shower humming, and flushing toilet.

DREAM HOME - DVD MovieCharlie Tor finds the perfect house for his soon-to-be family of three. Lots of room, a huge yard for his adopted daughter to play in, and an incredibly low asking price.

While waiting for his wife and daughter to arrive from Cambodia, Charlie handles all the tasks of moving into the new house, alone. As he gets to know some of his neighbors, and spends time exploring his surroundings, Charlie discovers he may have gotten more than he bargained for.
Charlie Tor finds the perfect house for his soon-to-be family of thr! ee. Lots of room, a huge yard for his adopted daughter to play in, and an incredibly low asking price.

While waiting for his wife and daughter to arrive from Cambodia, Charlie handles all the tasks of moving into the new house, alone. As he gets to know some of his neighbors, and spends time exploring his surroundings, Charlie discovers he may have gotten more than he bargained for.
Enter the world of Barbie! These three stories of fabulousness include a pink personal elevator plus lights & sounds on every level! Enter through the front door to a warm and glowing light-up chandelier, dining area and fully-stocked kitchen. Entertain in the second-level living room with roaring fireplace and pop up flat screen TV, plus an ultra-luxurious Barbie signature bathroom. On the third floor is a posh bedroom suite with canopy bed and balcony with charming light-up tiki lights & outdoor whirlpool tub! Sounds include doorbell, kitchen timer, crackling fireplace, shower hummi! ng, and flushing toilet. (Doll not included.)Be a part of Barb! ie's lux urious lifestyle in her new 3-Story Dream Townhouse. Designed for ages three and up, the Dream Townhouse stands over three feet tall and comes fully furnished -- including lights and sounds on each level! Your child will enjoy having role-playing adventures with Barbie and her friends in this fancy new townhouse.

At a Glance Ages: 3+ Requires: 3 "AA" batteries (not included) Phillips screwdriver Adult assembly

What We Think Fun factor: Durability: Ease of assembly: Educational factor: ! Nov elty factor: The Good: Great new Dream Townhouse for the Barbie lover in your home. The Challenging: Many of the elevator parts are similar and can be confusing. In a Nutshell: Fun, new Barbie dream home with plenty of lights, sounds, and activities.

The Dream Townhouse is over three feet in height and comes with over 55 pieces and accessories. View larger.

Real Sounds and Lights!
Barbie's Dream Townhouse is decorated throughout in classic Barbie pink, with lifelike intricate details, lights, and sounds. With over 55 pieces and accessories, the house has five fully furnished, deluxe rooms with chandeliers, tiki lights, a fireplace, and a refrigerator that all light up. Sounds include Barbie "humming" in the shower, the kitchen timer, the doorbell, the fireplace crackling, or the toilet flushing.

Along with the realistic lights and sounds, the townhouse also features a pink, personal elevator -- which easily moves from floor to floor with a pull string, and an outdoor spa area with a whirlpool tub and light-up tiki lamps.

Besides the whirlpool, Barbie can entertain her friends by cooking something in the fully stocked kitchen, watching a movie on her pop-up flat-screen TV, or even just snuggling up by the warm, crackling fireplace.

Hours of Interactive, Role-playing Fun
Barbie's 3-Story Dream Townhouse is the play-set f! or the Barbie lover in your home. The townhouse provides a set! ting for interactive, role-playing adventures, and includes everything Barbie could need to entertain her guests, or have a quiet night at home by the fire. Your child will love pulling the elevator to each floor, filling up the whirlpool for pool parties, and playing with all of the realistic lights and sounds.

As a side note: While assembling the townhouse, be sure to follow the directions for the elevator carefully, since the parts look similar and could be confusing.

What's in the Box
House pieces, stickers, and over 55 pieces and accessories. (Batteries not included.)

Fall asleep in the luxurious master bedroom... View larger.

...or take a dip in the working jacuzzi. View larger.

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Benchmade Bone Collector Axis Folding Knife with Green/Black G10 Handle

• Blade Length: 3.36-Inch
• Overall Length/Closed Length: 8.20-Inch/4.84-Inch
• Blade Material/Hardness: D2 Tool Steel/ 60-62HRC
• Blade Style: Drop-Point
• Lock Mechanism: AXIS

Look who's back to chill readers to the bone...

The first novel featuring Detective Lincoln Rhyme, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Stone Monkey.The hero of Jeffery Deaver's thriller The Bone Collector is Lincoln Rhyme, a forensic scientist known to his peers as "the world's foremost criminalist." Rhyme will need all his reason--and his considerable stock of high-tech tools--about him to solve this latest brain-twister: a serial killer with method to his madness. In tried and true thriller fashion, the killer's crimes are described in lurid detail, as is the astounding technological equipment with which Rhyme examines the evidence--everything ! from an energy-dispersive x-ray unit to a mass spectrometer.

Every fictional detective has his or her gimmick, from Sherlock Holmes's violin to Nero Wolf's orchids, and Rhyme is no exception. He is a quadriplegic who can move nothing but a single finger. Gadget-philes will be in seventh heaven reading about Lincoln Rhyme's tools; other readers might feel the book could do with a few more plausible characters and a little less technology.Every Bone Collector needs a versatile cutting tool with numerous applications in the field. This manual knife features a stonewashed D2 tool steel blade. The drop-point blade features ambidextrous thumb holes. The green/black G10 handle features a rib cage pattern for great grip. The Bone Collector line has the AXIS lock system which makes the knife easier (and faster) to open and close. The pocket clip can be reversed for right or left-handed carrying (tip-up). Overall this is an excellent knife with a good feel and weight.!

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Closer (Tunnels Book 4)

• ISBN13: 9780545201155
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Moving up? The LAPD is looking for a new chief and Will Pope thinks he has the inside track. He soon has an unexpected rival for the job: Brenda (Best Actress Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Kyra Sedgwick). And Brenda has an unexpected ally helping groom her for the selection process: Capt. Raydor. The contest for chief is only one of the ingenious, suspenseful, often funny storylines that makes Season Six of The Closer stellar entertainment. Join the squad as Sanchez looks after an orphaned boy, Tao goes undercover as a biker dude, Provenza and Flynn date airline attendants (turns out one of them has a corpse in her bathtub) and Brenda finds her family Christmas rudely interrupted by crime. Ky! ra Sedgwick's Brenda Johnson is one of TV's most compelling, complicated, and likable heroines. Johnson makes The Closer much more than just the well-written, crisply paced police procedural that it is. The viewer feels invested in Johnson's neurotic private life, marriage, and family, as well as in her political ambitions at the Los Angeles Police Department and in her relationships with her coworkers. In fact, The Closer hits its stride in season six as not just a fantastic showcase for Sedgwick's Emmy-winning acting talents, but also for the ensemble that helps her shine. J.K. Simmons, Corey Reynolds, Robert Gossett, G.W. Bailey, and Michael Paul Chan are among the all-too-human but motivated law-enforcement officials surrounding Johnson. Jon Tenney continues to be the super-supportive best husband ever, FBI agent Fritz, and season six shows Fritz and Brenda settling into their new marriage, with just a few speed bumps. The other big theme of this season is! the LAPD's search for a new police chief. Brenda's boss, Will! Pope (S immons), thinks he has the job in the bag, but suddenly there's a dark horse in the race--Deputy Chief Johnson herself. Mary McDonnell reprises her role as the officious Captain Raydor. Season six features plenty of gripping crime solving and just the right amount of humanity to keep lovers of The Closer entranced. Extras include lots of outtakes and deleted scenes, and an in-depth interview with Sedgwick on how she, and Brenda, have grown over the course of the show. --A.T. HurleyThe Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Su! perbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format.Four extremely beautiful people do extremely horrible things to one another in Closer, Mike Nichols' pungent adaptation of Patrick Marber's play that easily marks the Oscar-winning director's best work in years. Anna (Julia Roberts) is a photographer who specializes in portraits of strangers; Dan (Jude Law) is an obituary writer struggling to become a novelist; Alice (Natalie Portman) is an American stripper freshly arrived in London after a bad relationship; and Larry (Clive Owen) is a dermatologist who finds love under the most unlikely of circumstances. When their paths cross it's a dizzying supernova of emotions, as Nichols and Marber adroitly construct various scenes out of their lives that pair them again and again in various permutations of passion, heartbreak, anger, sadness, vengeance, pleading, deception, and most importantly, brutal honesty. I! t's only until you're more than halfway through the movie that! you'll have to ask yourself exactly why you are watching such a beautifully tragic tale, as Closer is basically the ickiest, grossest, most dysfunctional parts of all your past relationships strung together into one movie. Ultimately, it falls to the four actors to draw you deeper into the story; all succeed relatively, but it's Law and Owen whose characters will cut you to the quick. Law proves that yet again he's most adept at playing charming, amoral bastards with manipulative streaks, and Owen is nothing short of brilliant as the character most turned on by the energy inherent in destructive relationships--whether he's on the giving or receiving end. --Mark EnglehartA witty, romantic, and very dangerous love story about chance meetings, instant attractions, and casual betrayals. CLOSER is director Mike Nichols' critically acclaimed look at four strangersâ€"Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owenâ€"with one thing in common: each other.Four extremely beauti! ful people do extremely horrible things to one another in Closer, Mike Nichols' pungent adaptation of Patrick Marber's play that easily marks the Oscar-winning director's best work in years. Anna (Julia Roberts) is a photographer who specializes in portraits of strangers; Dan (Jude Law) is an obituary writer struggling to become a novelist; Alice (Natalie Portman) is an American stripper freshly arrived in London after a bad relationship; and Larry (Clive Owen) is a dermatologist who finds love under the most unlikely of circumstances. When their paths cross it's a dizzying supernova of emotions, as Nichols and Marber adroitly construct various scenes out of their lives that pair them again and again in various permutations of passion, heartbreak, anger, sadness, vengeance, pleading, deception, and most importantly, brutal honesty. It's only until you're more than halfway through the movie that you'll have to ask yourself exactly why you are watching such a beautifully trag! ic tale, as Closer is basically the ickiest, grossest, most dy! sfunctio nal parts of all your past relationships strung together into one movie. Ultimately, it falls to the four actors to draw you deeper into the story; all succeed relatively, but it's Law and Owen whose characters will cut you to the quick. Law proves that yet again he's most adept at playing charming, amoral bastards with manipulative streaks, and Owen is nothing short of brilliant as the character most turned on by the energy inherent in destructive relationships--whether he's on the giving or receiving end. --Mark Englehart

Closer to victory...or closer to death? An army of darkness is on the march: Who won't escape with their life? The fourth book in the New York Times Bestselling TUNNELS series!

At long last reunited with his dad, Will now spends his days exploring the "land of the second sun," decoding the cryptic glyphs carved into its three mysterious temples--or eyeing the wild animals with renegade girl Elliott. Chester, meanwhile, has finally returned T! opsoil, where his homecoming is rapidly becoming a horror show. But an army of darkness is on the march. And the ruthless Rebeccas have once more cheated death. With a corps of cold-blooded Limiters at their command, they're determined to hunt Will to the bitter innards of the earth. This time, who WON'T escape with their life?

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