Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield

  • Actors: Kane Hodder, Adrienne Frantz, Michael Berryman, Priscilla Barnes, Shawn Hoffman.
  • Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC.
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX). Subtitles: Spanish.
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
  • Rated R. Run Time: 90 minutes.
The truth behind the twisted crimes that inspired the films Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs...

From "America's principal chronicler of its greatest psychopathic killers" (The Boston Book Review) comes the definitive account of Ed Gein, a mild-mannered Wisconsin farmhand who stunned an unsuspecting nation -- and redefined the meaning of the word "psycho." The year was 1957. The place was an ordinary farmhouse in America's heartland, filled with extraordinary evidence o! f unthinkable depravity. The man behind the massacre was a slight, unassuming Midwesterner with a strange smile -- and even stranger attachment to his domineering mother. After her death and a failed attempt to dig up his mother's body from the local cemetery, Gein turned to other grave robberies and, ultimately, multiple murders. Driven to commit gruesome and bizarre acts beyond all imagining, Ed Gein remains one of the most deranged minds in the annals of American homicide. This is his story -- recounted in fascinating and chilling detail by Harold Schechter, one of the most acclaimed true-crime storytellers of our time.Harold Schechter is a historian: he takes old files and yellowed newspaper clippings, and brings their stories to life. Deviant is about everyone's favorite ghoul, Ed Gein--whose crimes inspired the writers of Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs. Schechter deftly evokes the small-town 1950s Wiscons! in setting--not pretty farms and cheese factories, but infert! ile soil and a bleak, hardscrabble existence. The details of Gein's "death house" are perhaps well known by now, but the murderer's quietly crazy, almost gentle personality comes forth in this book as never before. As Gary Kadet wrote, in The Boston Book Review, "Schechter is a dogged researcher [who backs up] every bizarre detail and curious twist in this and his other books ... More importantly, he nimbly avoids miring his writing and our reading with minutiae or researched overstatement, which means that although he can occasionally be dry, he is never boring."
Also recommended: Schechter's books about Albert Fish (Deranged) and Herman Mudgett a.k.a. Dr. H. H. Holmes (Depraved).This is the true story of America’s first famous serial killer. Everyone in small Plainfield, Wisconsin thought Ed was just a little different, a local oddity. But Ed was tormented and haunted by years of family abuse and repression which led him to the brutal murder! s and mutilations of countless victims and corpses. In a remote farmhouse filled with the stench of death, Ed is driven to do unspeakable acts to his victims, acts that have become legend and the basis for future films like "Psycho" and the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." This film will shock you with its unflinching horror and unforgettable performances from Steve Railsback and Carrie Snodgrass. No one will ever forget the true story of "Ed Gein."The story of the killer Ed Gein is one of the weirdest, most disturbing ever, one that has inspired horror stories as diverse as Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. His crimes, which were committed in and around Plainfield, Wisconsin, included exhuming corpses from local graveyards and making trophies and keepsakes from their skin and bones.

The Murder Files is a series of individual titles, giving condensed accounts of some of the most appalling and notorious killers of all time.The story of the killer Ed Gein is one of! the weirdest, most disturbing ever, one that has inspired hor! ror stor ies as diverse as Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. His crimes, which were committed in and around Plainfield, Wisconsin, included exhuming corpses from local graveyards and making trophies and keepsakes from their skin and bones.

The Murder Files is a series of individual titles, giving condensed accounts of some of the most appalling and notorious killers of all time.

America may have had its fill of psychos for the last forty years, but none of them has inspired so many books and films (Pyscho, The Silence of the Lambs, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) as Wisconsin's cannibalistic handyman, Ed Gein. None of them has been used as the ultimate ogre in countless children's stories and off-color jokes, and none of them has been found guilty of as many unspeakable atrocities as Ed Gein.

This is his story. This is his legend.
The gruesome murders shocked the world, the grisly remains told a terrifying story of pain, brutality and torture. Now, years! after inspiring PSYCHO's Norman Bates, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS's Buffalo Bill and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE's Leatherface, the story of real-life, serial killer Ed Gein is finally told. Nicknamed "The Butcher of Plainfield," Gein was responsible for a rash of gory murders that sent shock waves through his rural Wisconsin town, and across America, in the late 1950s. Prepare to enter the evil mind and twisted world of "The Butcher of Plainfield" in this dark and disturbing thriller.

Howl's Moving Castle

  • 2-disc special edition features both the original Japanese soundtrack and an English language soundtrack
  • Behind the Microphone featurette with the English language voice cast and footage from the dubbing sessions
  • Interview with Pixar Animation Studios Director, Pete Docter
  • Hayao Miyazaki Visits Pixar Animation Studios with Pixar director John Lasseter
  • Complete storyboards set to the movie soundtrack
In Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated masterpiece, journey beyond imagination and enter a "breathtaking fantasy world" (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) filled with adventure, humor and heart. Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life-chang! ing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl's magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell. Featuring the voice talents of Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, and Billy Crystal, Miyazaki's artistry comes to life on DVD with inventive characters, unique storytelling and richly detailed animation. (c) 2004 Nibariki • GNDDDTLike a dream, Howl's Moving Castle carries audiences to vistas beyond their imaginations where they experience excitement, adventure, terror, humor, and romance. With domestic box office receipts of over $210 million, Howl passed Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke to become the #3 film in Japanese history, behind his Spirited Away and James Cameron's Titanic. Based on a juvenile novel by Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle marks the first time Miyazaki has adapted another writer's work since Kiki's Delivery Service (1989). Sophie, a 19-year-old g! irl who believes she is plain, has resigned herself to a drab ! life in her family's hat shop--until the Witch of the Waste transforms her into a 90-year-old woman. In her aged guise, Sophie searches for a way to break the Witch's spell and finds unexpected adventures. Like Chihiro, the heroine of Spirited Away, Sophie discovers her hidden potential in a magical environment--the castle of the title. Using CG, Miyazaki creates a ramshackle structure that looks like it might disintegrate at any moment. Sophie's honesty and determination win her some valuable new friends: Markl, Howl's young apprentice; a jaunty scarecrow; Calcifer, a temperamental fire demon; and Heen, a hilarious, wheezing dog. She wins the heart of the dashing, irresponsible wizard Howl, and brings an end an unnecessary and destructive war. The film overflows with eclipsing visuals that range from frightening aerial battles to serene landscapes, and few recent features--animated or live action--offer as much magic as Howl's Moving Castle. --Charles Solomon !

The Many Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki


The works of Miyazaki

The Book

The Art of Howls' Moving Castle (book)

Stills from Howl's Moving Castle (click for larger image)

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Shorts

  • While grownups at Black Box Industries work to improve the handheld gizmo that s this year s high-tech must-have, neighborhood kid Toby Toe Thompson has something even better: he s found the Wishing Rock. Be careful what you wish for, Toe! Spy Kids filmmaker Robert Rodriguez hatches a fun-filled story of the chaos that erupts when folks young and old get their hands on the rainbow-striped stone. H
It’s summer vacation, but the Pearson family kids are stuck at a boring lake house with their nerdy parents. That is until feisty, little, green aliens crash-land on the roof, with plans to conquer the house AND Earth! Using only their wits, courage and video game-playing skills, the youngsters must band together to defeat the aliens and save the world -- but the toughest part might be keeping the whole thing a secret from their parents! Featuring an all-star cast including Ashley Tisdale, Andy Ri! chter, Kevin Nealon and Tim Meadows, Aliens In The Attic is the most fun you can have on this planet!


Specs: Audio: English: 5.1 Dolby Digital / Spanish & French: Dolby Surround
Language: Dubbed & Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 1.85:1
Episodes-Bonus Features: **Forced Trailers: Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakquel, Percy Jackson Theatrical Trailer, Ice Age 3, Night At The Museum 2, Post Grad, Family Catalog Trailer
**Introduction to Film with Ashley Tisdale
**! The Ashl ey Encounters
**Deleted Scenes
**Gag Reel
**Behind the Zirkonians
**Meet The Zirkonians

**Trailer Farm: Delgo, Fame, Strawberry Shortcake: Sky's The Limit
Video game meets movie in this wacky science-fiction action film. When aliens from space invade the attic of a rented lake house, a boring summer vacation takes a turn for the unreal for six kids. Conflict abounds in the extended Pearson family, which includes Nana (Dora Roberts), two nerdy adult brothers (Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter), and their six children. Teenage cousins Tom (Carter Jenkins), an ex-math nerd, and Jake (Austin Robert Butler), a rebellious teen with lots of attitude, clash like oil and water, and Bethany (Ashley Tisdale) and her devious boyfriend, Ricky (Robert Hoffman), don't make the situation any easier. Add in three younger siblings and it looks like it's going to be a long vacation. When four aliens crash on the roof of the house in ! search of a secret weapon and world domination, things begin to get interesting. Armed with mind-control technology, the aliens are able to manipulate humans with a device that's remarkably similar to a video game controller. Unfortunately for the aliens, the technology works only on adults. Suddenly, the warring cousins and siblings realize they must join forces and rely on one another to save their parents, Nana, and the rest of the world. What ensues is an action-packed battle in which the kids try to outsmart the aliens with everything from fireworks to a remote-controlled Barbie car and a paintball gun. When the kids get ahold of the aliens' controllers, hilarity reins as they make Ricky and Nana do everything from slap themselves to fight as only an accomplished Kung-Fu Grandma can. The action is funny and the kids get fairly creative, but the movie is really just a farce that's full of silly humor, the occasional glimpse of heart, and a somewhat buried message that i! t's OK to be smart. Aliens in the Attic is kind of li! ke watch ing someone else play a good video game; the plot is fairly entertaining and the action is fun, but the experience just isn't as stimulating as when you're the one behind the controller. Bonus features include the animated short "Behind the Zirkonians," an alternate ending, three deleted scenes, a 5-minute gag reel, an interactive "Meet the Zirkonians" segment, and fun on the set with Ashley Tisdale in "The Ashley Encounters." (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from Aliens in the Attic (Click for larger image)


 

It’s summer vacation, but the Pearson family kids are stuck at a boring lake house with their nerdy parents. That is until feisty, little, green aliens crash-land on the roof, with plans to conquer the house AND Earth! Using only their wits, courage and video game-playing skills, the youngsters must band together to defeat the aliens and save the world -- but the toughest part might be keeping the whole thing a secret from t! heir parents! Featuring an all-star cast including Ashley Tisd! ale, And y Richter, Kevin Nealon and Tim Meadows, Aliens In The Attic is the most fun you can have on this planet!


Specs: Audio: English: 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio / Spanish & French: 5.1 Dolby Digital
Language: Dubbed & Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 1.85:1
Episodes-Bonus Features: Disc 1: Widescreen Theatrical Feature Film

**Forced Trailers: Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakquel, Percy Jackson Theatrical Trailer, Ice! Age 3, Night At The Museum 2, Post Grad, Fame

**Introduction to Film with Ashley Tisdale
**The Ashley Encounters
**Alternate Ending
**Deleted Scenes
**Gag Reel
**Behind the Zirkonians
**Meet the Zirkonians
**Lights, Camera, Aliens!
**Kung Fu Grandma
**Brian Anthony "Electricity" Music Video
**Fox Movie Channel Presents Life After Film School with Barry Josephson

Disc 2: Digital Copy
Video game meets movie in this wacky science-fiction action film. When aliens from space invade the attic of a rented lake house, a boring summer vacation takes a turn for the unreal for six kids. Conflict abounds in the extended Pearson family, which includes Nana (Dora Roberts), two nerdy adult brothers (Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter), and their six children. Teenage cousins Tom (Carter Jenkins), an ex-math nerd, and Jake (Austin Robert Butler), a rebellious teen with lots of atti! tude, clash like oil and water, and Bethany (Ashley Tisdale) a! nd her d evious boyfriend, Ricky (Robert Hoffman), don't make the situation any easier. Add in three younger siblings and it looks like it's going to be a long vacation. When four aliens crash on the roof of the house in search of a secret weapon and world domination, things begin to get interesting. Armed with mind-control technology, the aliens are able to manipulate humans with a device that's remarkably similar to a video game controller. Unfortunately for the aliens, the technology works only on adults. Suddenly, the warring cousins and siblings realize they must join forces and rely on one another to save their parents, Nana, and the rest of the world. What ensues is an action-packed battle in which the kids try to outsmart the aliens with everything from fireworks to a remote-controlled Barbie car and a paintball gun. When the kids get ahold of the aliens' controllers, hilarity reins as they make Ricky and Nana do everything from slap themselves to fight as only an accomplishe! d Kung-Fu Grandma can. The action is funny and the kids get fairly creative, but the movie is really just a farce that's full of silly humor, the occasional glimpse of heart, and a somewhat buried message that it's OK to be smart. Aliens in the Attic is kind of like watching someone else play a good video game; the plot is fairly entertaining and the action is fun, but the experience just isn't as stimulating as when you're the one behind the controller. Bonus features include the animated short "Behind the Zirkonians," an alternate ending, three deleted scenes, a 5-minute gag reel, an interactive "Meet the Zirkonians" segment, and fun on the set with Ashley Tisdale in "The Ashley Encounters." (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from Aliens in the Attic (Click for larger image)


 

Video game meets movie in this wacky science-fiction action film. When aliens from space invade the attic of a rented lake house, a boring summer vacation takes a turn for the unreal for six kids. Conflict abounds in th! e extended Pearson family, which includes Nana (Dora Roberts), two nerdy adult brothers (Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter), and their six children. Teenage cousins Tom (Carter Jenkins), an ex-math nerd, and Jake (Austin Robert Butler), a rebellious teen with lots of attitude, clash like oil and water, and Bethany (Ashley Tisdale) and her devious boyfriend, Ricky (Robert Hoffman), don't make the situation any easier. Add in three younger siblings and it looks like it's going to be a long vacation. When four aliens crash on the roof of the house in search of a secret weapon and world domination, things begin to get interesting. Armed with mind-control technology, the aliens are able to manipulate humans with a device that's remarkably similar to a video game controller. Unfortunately for the aliens, the technology works only on adults. Suddenly, the warring cousins and siblings realize they must join forces and rely on one another to save their parents, Nana, and the rest of the! world. What ensues is an action-packed battle in which the ki! ds try t o outsmart the aliens with everything from fireworks to a remote-controlled Barbie car and a paintball gun. When the kids get ahold of the aliens' controllers, hilarity reins as they make Ricky and Nana do everything from slap themselves to fight as only an accomplished Kung-Fu Grandma can. The action is funny and the kids get fairly creative, but the movie is really just a farce that's full of silly humor, the occasional glimpse of heart, and a somewhat buried message that it's OK to be smart. Aliens in the Attic is kind of like watching someone else play a good video game; the plot is fairly entertaining and the action is fun, but the experience just isn't as stimulating as when you're the one behind the controller. Bonus features include the animated short "Behind the Zirkonians," an alternate ending, three deleted scenes, a 5-minute gag reel, an interactive "Meet the Zirkonians" segment, and fun on the set with Ashley Tisdale in "The Ashley Encounters." (Ages 7 ! and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from Aliens in the Attic (Click for larger image)


 

Video game meets movie in this wacky science-fiction action film. When aliens from space invade the attic of a rented lake house, a boring summer vacation takes a turn for the unreal for six kids. Conflict abounds in the extended Pearson family, which includes Nana (Dora Roberts), two nerdy adult brothers (Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter), and their six children. Teenage cousins Tom (Carter Jenkins), an ex-math nerd, and Jake (Austin Robert Butler), a rebellious teen with lots of attitude, clash like oil and water, and Bethany (Ashley Tisdale) and her devious boyfriend, Ricky (Robert Hoffman), don't make the situation any easier. Add in three younger siblings and it looks like it's going to be a long vacation. When four aliens crash on the roof of the house in search of a secret weapon and world domination, things begin to get interesting. Armed with mind-control technology, the aliens are able to manipulate humans with a devic! e that's remarkably similar to a video game controller. Unfortunately for the aliens, the technology works only on adults. Suddenly, the warring cousins and siblings realize they must join forces and rely on one another to save their parents, Nana, and the rest of the world. What ensues is an action-packed battle in which the kids try to outsmart the aliens with everything from fireworks to a remote-controlled Barbie car and a paintball gun. When the kids get ahold of the aliens' controllers, hilarity reins as they make Ricky and Nana do everything from slap themselves to fight as only an accomplished Kung-Fu Grandma can. The action is funny and the kids get fairly creative, but the movie is really just a farce that's full of silly humor, the occasional glimpse of heart, and a somewhat buried message that it's OK to be smart. Aliens in the Attic is kind of like watching someone else play a good video game; the plot is fairly entertaining and the action is fun, but ! the experience just isn't as stimulating as when you're the on! e behind the controller. Bonus features include the animated short "Behind the Zirkonians," an alternate ending, three deleted scenes, a 5-minute gag reel, an interactive "Meet the Zirkonians" segment, and fun on the set with Ashley Tisdale in "The Ashley Encounters." (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from Aliens in the Attic (Click for larger image)


 

Video game meets movie in this wacky science-fiction action film. When aliens from space invade the attic of a rented lake house, a boring summer vacation takes a turn for the unreal for six kids. Conflict abounds in the extended Pearson family, which includes Nana (Dora Roberts), two nerdy adult brothers (Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter), and their six children. Teenage cousins Tom (Carter Jenkins), an ex-math nerd, and Jake (Austin Robert Butler), a rebellious teen with lots of attitude, clash like oil and water, and Bethany (Ashley Tisdale) and her devious boyfriend, Ricky (Robert Hoffman), d! on't make the situation any easier. Add in three younger sibli! ngs and it looks like it's going to be a long vacation. When four aliens crash on the roof of the house in search of a secret weapon and world domination, things begin to get interesting. Armed with mind-control technology, the aliens are able to manipulate humans with a device that's remarkably similar to a video game controller. Unfortunately for the aliens, the technology works only on adults. Suddenly, the warring cousins and siblings realize they must join forces and rely on one another to save their parents, Nana, and the rest of the world. What ensues is an action-packed battle in which the kids try to outsmart the aliens with everything from fireworks to a remote-controlled Barbie car and a paintball gun. When the kids get ahold of the aliens' controllers, hilarity reins as they make Ricky and Nana do everything from slap themselves to fight as only an accomplished Kung-Fu Grandma can. The action is funny and the kids get fairly creative, but the movie is really just a farce! that's full of silly humor, the occasional glimpse of heart, and a somewhat buried message that it's OK to be smart. Aliens in the Attic is kind of like watching someone else play a good video game; the plot is fairly entertaining and the action is fun, but the experience just isn't as stimulating as when you're the one behind the controller. Bonus features include the animated short "Behind the Zirkonians," an alternate ending, three deleted scenes, a 5-minute gag reel, an interactive "Meet the Zirkonians" segment, and fun on the set with Ashley Tisdale in "The Ashley Encounters." (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Stills from Aliens in the Attic (Click for larger image)


 

SHORTS - DVD MovieA fantastical story, relayed in the form of short vignettes by director Robert Rodriguez, Shorts is the story of a magic wishing rock and kids' imaginations gone wild. The film plays a lot like the The Little Rascals (Our Gang) films from the 1920's-1940's: it's made up of short, comical epis! odes that focus on kids adventures and how imagination drives their play. When a magical rainbow rock falls from the sky and lands in the middle of tech-town Black Falls, a young boy Toe (Jimmy Bennett) discovers that the rock has the power to grant his every wish. The victim of constant bullying, Toe wishes for friends as unusual as himself and ends up with a posse of aliens who protect him while seriously complicating his life. As narrator, Toby quickly stops the film, explaining that his experience is really the middle of the story, and then rewinds repeatedly to relate various encounters between neighborhood kids and the magic rock. Each short is its own journey into a kid's imagination where wishes for everything from a treasure hunt, to a fortress guarded by crocodiles, a super smart baby with telepathic powers, and a booger monster grown from one boy's booger are immediately granted. These fantastical wishes wreak havoc on the entire Black Falls community: the child! ren, the technology obsessed, disconnected Black Box employees! , and th e tyrannical Black Box boss Mr. Black (James Spader). In the end, the magic rock is a catalyst for change, encouraging kids and adults to work together and inspiring serious reflection regarding one's wishes, dreams, and goals. Rodriguez does a great job of portraying the wildness of kids' imaginations and viewers that delight in over-the-top ridiculousness and the overtly gross will laugh hysterically throughout the film. Unfortunately, those who demand restraint may find it overdone. (Ages 10 and older) --Tami Horiuchi