- Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, The Believer is a daring and gripping portrayal of a young Jewish man living an impossible contradiction as a neo-Nazi. Inspired by real events, the film tells the story of Danny Balint (Ryan Gosling) and his struggle between destroying his own people and being drawn back to Judaism. Starring Ryan Gosling (Murder By Numbers) in a cri
Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is a young inner-city junior high school teacher whose ideals wither and die in the face of reality. Day after day in his shabby Brooklyn classroom, he somehow finds the energy to inspire his 13 and 14-year-olds to examine everything from civil rights to the Civil War with a new enthusiasm. Rejecting the standard curriculum in favor of an edgier approach, Dan teaches his students how change works ' on both a historical and personal scale ' and how to think for themselves.
! Though Dan is brilliant, dynamic, and in control in the classroom, he spends his time outside school on the edge of consciousness. His disappointments and disillusionment have led to a serious drug habit. He juggles his hangovers and his homework, keeping his lives separated, until one of his troubled students, Drey (Shareeka Epps), catches him getting high after school.
From this awkward beginning, Dan and Drey stumble into an unexpected friendship. Despite the differences in their ages and situations, they are both at an important intersection. Depending on which way they turn ' and which choices they make ' their lives will change.
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Sometimes people are attrac! ted to e ach other because of their differences. When there's a nebulous attraction between a teacher and a young teenage child--as in the superb Half Nelson--the relationship has all the makings of confused disaster. Though there are a few uncomfortable moments when it's not obvious whether Dan (Ryan Gosling) and Drey (Shareeka Epps) might cross the line, the attraction between the pair is culled less from sexual tension than desperation. Dan is an idealistic history teacher in an inner-city school. Drey is one of his brightest students. For both, drugs represent something that may help them escape their worlds. He takes drugs to dull his dissatisfaction with himself. She views drugs as a possible way to better her life, even though she knows her brother's foray into that trade landed him in jail. Bleakly filmed and well told, Half Nelson soars because of the immaculate acting by Gosling and Epps. With his impish smile, Gosling provides a character that is at once disa! rming, alluring, and pitiful. As the young girl who's already seen too much hardship in her life, Epps plays her part with just the right amount of hardened raw emotion. While the ambiguous ending may not please fans weaned on happy Hollywood finales, it's a fitting and believable close to a thought-provoking film. --Jae-Ha Kim
Stills from Half Nelson (click for larger image)
Beyond Half Nelson at Amazon.com
The Films of Ryan Gosling |
More Oscar Nominated Roles at the Amazon.com Oscar Store |
The Soundtrack |
Sometimes you find love where you'd least expect it. Just ask Lars (Academy Award-Nominee* Ryan Gosling), a sweet but quirky guy who thinks he's found the girl of his dreams in a life-sized doll named Bianca. Lars is completely content with his artificial girlfriend, but when he develops feelings for Margo, an attractive co-worker, Lars finds himself lost in a hilariously unique love triangle, hoping to somehow discover the real meaning of true love. Offbeat and endearing, this romantic comedy takes a fresh look at dating and relationships and dares to ask ! the question: What's so wrong with being happy?To some,
Lar! s and th e Real Girl will play as comedy; to others, tragedy. Though Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock) allows Lars Lindstrom (a mustachioed Ryan Gosling, miles away from
Half Nelson) a happy ending, the road is far from smooth. This rumpled Midwesterner couldn't be more miserable. His brother, Gus (Paul Schneider,
All the Real Girls), and sister-in-law, Karin (Emily Mortimer,
Lovely and Amazing), fall over themselves to cheer him up, but Lars cannot be moved; he’s been like that since childhood. Then a porn-addicted co-worker hips him to the lifelike Real Doll. The next thing everyone knows, Lars has a new girlfriend named Bianca. She's from Brazil, she's shy, and she uses a wheelchair. She's also made of silicon. (Because Lars is a devout Christian, hanky-panky is out of the question.) Since he's finally emerging from his shell, his doctor, Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson), advises Gus and Karin to play along with the "delusion." Soon the whole town, including Marg! o (Kelli Garner), who harbors a not-so-secret crush on her officemate, gets in on the action, forcing Lars to rejoin the human race or crawl deeper into psychosis. Written by
Six Feet Under's Nancy Oliver,
Lars and the Real Girl is built around such a preposterous premise, it's hard to know whether to laugh or cry. Fortunately, the actors play it straight. Gosling does his best to make Lars sympathetic, but Schneider and Mortimer, fully convincing in their concern, are the true heart and soul of this odd little film. --
Kathleen C. Fennessy
Beyond Lars and the Real Girl
More from Ryan Gosling | 
Lars and the Real Girl Soundtrack | 
More Comedies from MGM |
Stills from Lars and the Real Girl
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BELIEVER - DVD Movie
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- Abagail earring: 2.50 inch post drop earrings with Swarovski crystal paved thorn cabochons on a small crystal post
- Packaged in a signature organza bag with limited edition carding
- Handmade in the United States
- Made in United States
It is Los Angeles, 11th January 1947. A beautiful young woman walked into the night and met her horrific destiny. Five days later, her tortured body was found drained of blood and cut in shelf. The newspapers called her 'The Black Dahlia'. Two cops are caught up in the investigation and embark on a hellish journey that takes them to the core of the dead girl's twisted life.The Black Dahlia is a roman noir on an epic scale: a classic period piece that provides a startling conclusion to America's most infamous unsolved murder mystery--the murder of the beautiful young woman known as The Black Dahlia.The Black Dahlia is a roman noir on an epic ! scale: a classic period piece that provides a startling conclusion to America's most infamous unsolved murder mystery--the murder of the beautiful young woman known as The Black Dahlia.The Black Dahlia Murder (TBDM) are back with their fifth full length album, the Death Metal opus Ritual, a collection of 12 searing tracks that see the band staying true to their sound and style while progressing in both writing and musicianship. Guitarist Ryan Knight has delivered truly searing leads that will without a doubt daze and lay waste the ears of both loyal Black Dahlia diehards and burgeoning fans alike.
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- DVD
- Widescreen
- Subtitled English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese
- Dolby Digital
"Art School Confidential" follows talented young artist Jerome Platz (Max Minghella) as he escapes from high school to a tiny East Coast art school. Here the boyish freshman's ambition is to become the world's greatest artist, like his hero Picasso. Unfortunately, the beauty and craft of Jerome's portraiture are not appreciated in an anything-goes art class. Neither his harsh judgments of his classmates' efforts nor his later attempts to create pseudo-art of his own win him any admirers. But Jerome does attract the attentions of his dream girl, the stunning and sophisticated Audrey (Sophia Myles), an artist's model and daughter of a celebrated artist. Rejecting the affectations of the local art scene, Audrey is drawn to Jerome's sincerity. When Audrey shifts her attention to Jonah (M! att Keeslar), a hunky painter who becomes the school's latest art star, Jerome is heartbroken. Desperate, he concocts a risky plan to make a name for himself and win her back.Bitter, misanthropic, yet sometimes blisteringly funny,
Art School Confidential is not a movie for everyone. Jerome (Max Minghella,
Bee Season) goes to art school in the hopes of having his genuine ability recognized and cherished--but instead, finds his teachers to be self-obsessed has-beens, his peers jaded and floundering, and himself being investigated for a series of gruesome stranglings. He becomes obsessed with a lovely student named Audrey (Sophia Myles,
Tristan and Isolde), but she's more interested in hunky Jonah (Matt Keeslar,
Splendor), whose crude yet acclaimed paintings of cars and tanks make Jerome want to tear his own eyes out. The crime-thriller plot of
Art School Confidential, however, is merely a contrivance to string together a series of caustic di! gs at the shallow, narcissistic, talentless hacks who go to ar! t school in the vain hope of achieving fame, wealth, and sexual abundance with little or no effort. For most viewers, who want to think that people are largely well-intentioned and decent, this will seem snide and cruel; but for some viewers, who believe people are foolish and blinkered,
Art School Confidential will seem like an oasis in the arid desert of lies and propaganda about the good side of human nature. If this is your movie, you know who you are, and I encourage you to seek it out as soon as possible. Directed by Terry Zwigoff (
Bad Santa) and based on the work of cartoonist Dan Clowes; their previous collaboration was the much warmer
Ghost World. Also featuring sharp turns from John Malkovich (
Being John Malkovich), Anjelica Huston (
Prizzi's Honor), and Jim Broadbent (
Moulin Rouge!).
--Bret Fetzer
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- Monster Claw Carnage from the Spider-Man 3 3/4" action figure collection from Hasbro
- Each figure comes with 3 Fiercest Foes Battle Cards and an interlocking web-tech accessory
- For Ages 4 & Up
With Suits for any mission, Spider-Man is ready to battle his fiercest foes no matter where they hide! The Carnage action figure comes with a snap-shut monster claw!
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- ISBN13: 9780764207563
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Adelaide Proctor is a young woman with her head in the clouds, longing for a real-life storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a staid governess position on a central Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her romantic yearnings behind.
When Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America's wool industry, he never expected to become a father overnight. And five-year-old Isabella hasn't uttered a word since she lost her mother. The unconventionality of the new governess concerns Gideon--and intrigues him at the same time. But he can't afford distractions. He has a ranch to run, a ! shearing to oversee, and a suspicious fence-cutting to investigate.
When Isabella's uncle comes to claim the child--and her inheritance--Gideon and Adelaide must work together to protect Isabella from the man's evil schemes. And soon neither can deny their growing attraction. But after so many heartbreaks, will Adelaide be willing to get her head out of the clouds and put her heart on the line?
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- (Drama) "Factory Girl" tells the story of the rise and fall of the original "IT GIRL" Edie Sedgwick. When Edie meets famed artist Andy Warhol, she is thrust into a life of glamour, parties and ultimately tragedy. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:Â DRAMA Rating:Â NR Age:Â 796019804943 UPC:Â 796019804943 Manufacturer No:Â 80494
(Drama) "Factory Girl" tells the story of the rise and fall of the original "IT GIRL" Edie Sedgwick. When Edie meets famed artist Andy Warhol, she is thrust into a life of glamour, parties and ultimately…tragedy.The lovely face of Sienna Miller fills in for luminous but tragic 1960s icon Edie Sedgwick, the child of wealth and privilege who found brief delight but eventual destruction in the fabled Factory of Pop artist Andy Warhol (Guy Pearce).
Factory Girl begins with Sedgwick as a naive art student who comes to New York City seeking freedom from her troubled family, j! ust as Warhol was surrounding himself with oddballs, sycophants, and drug addicts. The eager girl briefly becomes Warhol's favorite and the center of the city's attention, but when she falls into an affair with 'The Musician' (the only slightly ambiguous depiction of a certain nasal-voiced rock star, played by Hayden Christensen,
Shattered Glass), Warhol is stricken with jealousy.
Factory Girl wants to paint Warhol as the villain in this story of innocence corrupted, but the casting undercuts the movie's moral. Miller, though pretty and capable, never takes us under Sedgwick's skin, and Christensen's performance is one-note and clumsy. But Pearce's Warhol fascinates; it's a sneaky, stealthy performance, predatory yet passive, hiding a million neuroses beneath a cunningly vapid facade. Whenever Pearce is on-screen,
Factory Girl sparkles; when he's not--despite abundant views of Miller's and Christensen's attractive naked flesh in the "uncut unrated" vers! ion--the movie loses its fizz. Also featuring Mena Suvari (
! American Beauty), Jimmy Fallon (
Fever Pitch), and Illeana Douglas (
Grace of My Heart).
--Bret Fetzer
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- Let it begin! Get ready for the most totally awesome adventure ever as Bolt, the coolest action hero on Earth, and me, Rhino, his faithful partner and right-hand hamster, set off on a super secret mission! As one half of the Dynamic Duo, I'll let you in on the action. One day I'm watching Bolt on TV, and the next thing I know I'm working alongside my all-time favorite hero in stealth mode! We have
Bolt (voiced by John Travolta) is the star of the biggest show in Hollywood. The only problem is, he thinks the whole thing is real. When the super dog is accidentally shipped to New York City and separated from Penny (voiced by Miley Cyrus), his beloved co-star and owner, Bolt springs into action to find his way home. Together with his hilarious new sidekicks  Rhino (voiced by Mark Walton) â€" Bolt’s #1 Fan â€" and a street-smar! t cat named Mittens (voiced by Susie Essman), Bolt sets off on an amazing journey where he discovers he doesn’t need super powers to be a hero.Bolt is a funny animated film about a dog who thinks he has superpowers. It is also a movie about friendship, perseverance, and the power of believing in oneself. Everyone knows that superheroes on television are not real, but super-dog Bolt (John Travolta) is a canine star who has been carefully raised to believe that he really possesses superpowers. Bolt is completely devoted to his human co-star Penny (Miley Cyrus), so when Penny is captured by the evil Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell) in their latest te! levision episode and then Bolt accidentally gets loose in the ! real wor ld, Bolt sets off on a journey to save her. Bolt is confounded when his super powers are suddenly ineffective, but inspiration strikes and Bolt quickly discovers the mysterious, power-stealing effects of Styrofoam packing peanuts. An encounter with alley cat Mittens (Susie Essman) gives Bolt some eye-opening lessons about being a real dog in the real world, while star-struck, ball-enclosed hamster Rhino (Mark Walton) revels in the opportunity to serve as Bolt's sidekick in the quest to rescue Penny. The trio traverses the United States from waffle house to waffle house on a hysterical quest to find Penny and prove that the relationship between Penny and Bolt is real. In the end, Bolt, Mittens, and Rhino learn that everyone is special in their own way and they discover the true power of believing in oneself and one's friends. Select theaters showed Bolt in Real-D 3-D which features some nice effects, but the film is probably equally enjoyable in the traditional format. A fun ! film with a nice message and a huge dose of cute, Bolt is good entertainment for the entire family. --
Tami Horiuchi
Stills from Bolt (Click for larger image)
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